Into A Trap

Lois steeled herself as she stood before the door. A shiver of excitement or apprehension went through her, but she reached out for the handle, grasped it firmly. Felt the warm brass in her hand, as if someone else had just held it.

The floor gave way beneath her.

The reporter flailed uselessly for the ledge as she fell into darkness. Fear seized her then, a tight contraction around her heart as it beat faster and faster. Seconds seemed to stretch into hours as she fell, and instinctively she began to scream a name—

"Superm..."

Her voice was cut off as she hit the surface beneath her, and broke through. Instinctively she held her breath as she was submerged, eyes closed. She flailed for a moment in the pool of liquid as she stopped falling and started sinking.

Lois kicked her legs, began to stroke her arms. Whatever she was in, it was denser than water; it was like trying to swim through soft, sticky, runny mud. Her clothes were already soaked, but after a moment's struggle her head popped above the surface, and she gasped for air—and almost gagged.

The air reeked of XXX. She could smell it everywhere, so strong as to be almost overpowering. Lois licked her lips and a familiar taste tingled against her tongue. The reporter paddled for a moment, eyes still shut against the goop that covered them, but let her head sink a little lower, opened her mouth and tasted it...then slurped, sucked the goo in, swallowed, and kept drinking. She had to stop herself when she began to sink again, focused on staying afloat.

Carefully, she opened her eyes. A white film covered them, and she blinked in a vain attempt to clear them. There were lights, somewhere far ahead. She could see herself paddling in a great glass vat of the cocktail additive, the sides gently sloped away at an angle, and Lois had the sudden impression of treading water in the middle of a giant martini glass. The room beyond the container was too dark and hazy to make out, but Lois struck out for the nearest edge. If the gradient wasn't too steep, she might be able to climb out...