It turns out, Red Balloon's motivations were less than heroic. The Weather Watch falls apart.

Not having much time, you do a rush job of making sure that the bad guys - the henchman, Griffin, Walrus, and the peculiar 'Jack of Hearts' - are tied up and unable to pursue you. Dr. Rainbow may be awful at escaping when she gets tied up, but thanks to being able to conjure magical bandages, she can bind other people up just fine.

"Wait. Uh, Thunderbird..." Jack of Hearts says as you're about to lead your team on.

"What?" You ask, avoiding his gaze. Now that you have a moment to think about it, allowing Bunny to order him to do something so awful to Snowflake was way out of line, and you don't like being reminded of that by looking at him. "If you want to tell Snowflake 'sorry', you can tell them when the judge calls them up to testify at your trial, scumbag."

"No, it isn't that. I mean, I am sorry about the Snowflake situation too, but..." he gulps, seeming to not want to meet your eyes either.

"But what, asshole? Are you stalling us?" you ask impatiently.

"...nevermind. There's no point in a pathetic minion of evil apologizing to superheroines, anyway." He spares one last look at Snowflake, who just rolls her eyes and huffs again. Then he drops his eyes and is silent.

...

You and Snowflake don't have a lot to say to one another as you walk down the hallway. Dr. Rainbow is in the middle, linking arms with the both of you and skipping happily along. You and Snowflake are both so much taller than her that you're holding her aloft half the time.

"I'm so glad that we are all on the same page as a team again and we got those hurt feelings out of the way! From here on our, things are going to be just friend-tastic between all of us! This way Mr. Griffin didn't betray anyone, and even gave us the code to Bunny's office! Thank you soooo much for letting me help, Snowflake! An hour ago I was feeling as gloomy as a puppy caught in a rainstorm, but now I'm walking on sunshine!"

Her breathy sing-song voice keeps rising towards a higher crescendo: "...and Thunderbird! Wow, you're such a great leader to have patched things up with Red Balloon without even needing me to volunteer as a peacemaker! You even entrusted her with the most important part of the mission and everything! I'm so over-the-moon that I'm not even bothered by the fact that we will have to do **** on the bad people!"

Snowflake rolls her eyes and blows air through her nose. "That's good. Because I'm feeling a strong need for some self-expression." Unlike you, Snowflake had the good sense to remove her outfit completely before she went and fucked any henchmen. But you can see her occasionally wincing and blushing. As you watch her perfectly rounded ass sway from side to side with her steps, you realize that she is probably feeling that oddball henchman's cum dripping out of her and pooling in the crotch of her suit. That may be worse than the sticky mess between your thighs where the huge amount of jizz that those guys left in your pussy and your asshole is still leaking out.

Unfortunately for Snowflake's vengeful urges, there are no more minions forthcoming as you wind your way through the dingy hallways covered in creepy 'Alice in Wonderland'-inspired graffiti. "Looks like Hot-Cross Bunny couldn't find the time to round up any more fodder to block our path. I think she's not as in control of the situation as she pretends."

You point to a large oak door at the end of the hallway. "There. That's her private office, where Red Balloon was going." You squint. "Hmm... I can't hear anything from inside. But that might mean that Shush is still in there."

"Huh?" Dr. Rainbow blinks. "Um, sorry Thunderbird, I've had nothing to eat for two days except tea and unhealthy store-bought baked goods full of trans-fats... who is 'Shush'?"

"A minor villain specializing in **** and burglary, with a special bodysuit that lets him move around silently. It also interferes with my sound-control power." you say. "...and, since the whole secret identity thing is pretty much shot to hell at this point, I might as well mention that he's my stepbrother."

"Oh!" Dr. Rainbow pouts and makes a (weak-looking) fist. "You mean he's the one who I heard on the radio yesterday, threatening to release photos of you, um, exercising your right to choose?"

"No!" you shout. "I mean, yes! He was threatening to hand over photos of me getting turned away by a women's clinic to the original Nightingale and the League of Propriety. But no, it wasn't a photo of me, it was some other heroine in civvie clothes who just happened to have the same hairstyle."

"Oh, now I remember!" Dr. Rainbow says. "Because he very rudely tried to **** you already, as a result of that video Gloomy Sunday had of you and his father-"

Not wanting this conversation to get any more awkward you lunge forward with your amplifier power-glove and smash the door. The burst of infrasound shatters the wood into splinters.

"For fuck's sake, Thunderbird! Griffin gave us the door code!" Snowflake groans in annoyance, covering her ears from the loud blast.

You storm into the office and strike your best fighting pose. "ALRIGHT, BALLOON! YOUR BACKUP HAS... huh?"

You expected to see Red Balloon smugly bragging about having apprehended Shush and maybe Hot-Cross Bunny. But the room is noticeably devoid of any giant pairs of bouncing breasts, whether good ("good") or evil. And it is also devoid of any slimy, thieving, hateful step-siblings. All that you find is Hot-Cross Bunny's personal effects... including her personal computer. Or rather, what's left of it - a bolt of lightning has reduced it to a still-smoking heap of metal and plastic. On the large desk along with the computer is a note.

Snatching up the note impatiently, you begin to read, and as you do, your eyes bulge wider and wider:

Dear Thunderbird: I'm sorry, I can't go along with this scheme of yours any longer. When I thought all you wanted was to fake your own capture by the Wonderland Warriors as a way of punishing our mother for taking the Nightingale title away from you by making her worry. I was willing to help you, if it meant that you'd finally let go of this petty grudge you've held against me for five years and we could be a family again. But when I found out you'd been cooperating with an evil extradimensional entity to 'eliminate' your new teammates - even Dr. Rainbow, your own supposed best friend! - using the Wonderland Warriors as tools, I couldn't go along with your scheme any longer. Red Balloon was VERY convincing, and I'm afraid I confessed absolutely everything to her. We are on our way back to the League HQ now with all of Hot-Cross Bunny's secret files and the method to enter Hot-Cross Bunny's lair, as well as the location of their backup hideout for when Doormouse creates an escape portal. I hope you will follow my example and turn yourself in voluntarily to face justice rather than carry on with your despicable scheme. The real heroes will be arriving soon, and there will be no need for Nightingale to expose herself to danger. If you choose to burn this note, I will go along with the lie if you try to claim that all of this was just a grossly misguided attempt at protecting her, if only for her sake. I can't imagine how much it would hurt her to know that her own daughter was planning to intentionally put her in mortal danger just to prove some kind of point.

-love, Elliot, the villain formerly known as 'Shush'.

And underneath that hand-written bit is, in much larger handwriting, 'U LOSE', along with a smooch with bright red lipstick. Red Balloon's shade, of course.

A faint crinkling sound is the only thing breaking up the silence as your hand holding the note trembles with rage. You are gritting your teeth so hard that, to your enhanched hearing, it sounds like a pile of rusty scrap iron being dragged across concrete. If you had laser eye beams like Excellence Girl from back in the early 1990s, before her mysterious retirement, you would probably have burned this note to ash with the intensity of your stare. Unfortunately you were staring at it so intensely that you didn't even notice Snowflake sidling up next to you and reading it over your shoulder.

"'Cooperating with an evil extradimensional entity to eliminate your new teammates', huh?" Snowflake says darkly. You feel one of her hands coming to rest on your shoulder... and you are pretty sure the chill you feel from that hand isn't just your imagination.

"That's...!" you cry out impulsively, shaking your head, your anger giving way to ****, shrill protest: "that's absolute bullshit! I absolutely WAS NOT trying to get rid of Dr. Rainbow!"

Unfortunately, you have to reflect on how poorly chosen that reply was while flying backwards through the air, propelled by a high-pressure jet of snow. You get the wind knocked out of you as you are slammed into the wall. More and more snow piles onto you until you can't move.

As it turns out, Snowflake's powers are pretty ideally suited to counter yours. Surrounded by soft snow, you can't make any sonic attack to defend yourself, or even hear what's going on. While you could shatter wooden or metal restraints by precisely focusing your voice, you can't do anything about a pile of snow... and your agility neither helps you dodge nor escape from under it. All you can do is slam your legs together to stop the chilling sensation of cold directly on your exposed genitals... and wish your costume was a bit less sexy and skin-tight.

After a minute you feel hands gripping your arms as you flail helplessly. Dr. Rainbow falls on her butt as she awkwardly pulls you out of the snow pile. You spring to your feet, ready to defend yourself, but it seems Snowflake has already walked away.

"Thanks, Doc." you say weakly, closing your eyes and leaning back against the wall to stare helplessly at the ceiling. "You believe me, right?"

"Of course I do, Thunderbird! I know you'd never do a thing like that! Making bargains with evil, icky creatures from outside reality that aren't even human... the same kind of things I was given the Rainbow Heart Power to fight against... I'm sure I can explain it to Mx. Snowflake if they will just listen to me for a minute!" your partner says.

You feel a lump growing in your throat. "It's... that is... fuck, I can't lie to you, Doc. I didn't plan it out ahead of time or anything, but the part about making a deal with the evil imp guy... that's... not... altogether wrong. And in the heat of the moment maybe I did allow Hot-Cross Bunny to tell that henchman to give Snowflake a creampie, knowing they couldn't get any more contraceptive devices now that Photobomber blew up the stockpile and the manufacturing tools in Mort's laboratory. I mean, Red Balloon did the whole Faustian bargain thing first! I was just- OUCH!"

You are interrupted by a sudden sting in your cheek as Dr. Rainbow hauls off and slaps you in the face. It's so out of character that you almost forget she did the same thing to you not long after you met, when you overstepped her bounds (to put it mildly). For once, you are struck speechless. You look at Dr. Rainbow's suddenly stern face helplessly.

Dr. Rainbow holds up her finger and wags it from side to side in your face. "Thunderbird," she says in the firm but patient tone that a kindergarten teacher would use to scold the class clown, "that was very naughty of you. I hope that you've learned your lesson about making bargains with evil magical beings and attempting to inflict unwanted pregnancy on your teammates just so you don't have to learn how to work together with them. Have you?"

Your eyes tremble and stare. "Y-yes?"

"GREAT!!" Dr. Rainbow pulls you to your feet (with a bit of a struggle) and wraps her arms around you to give you a hug. "We'll call this a learning experience! I'm so glad that I could help you learn to be a more ethical person, Thunderbird! One of these days I'll get a real supervillain to apologize and turn back to the side of good! Now that I've done the same with a slightly-misguided superheroine, I feel like I'm almost halfway there! Now, while Snowflake goes and cools off a little bit..." she pauses and suddenly smiles and giggles, 'hee hee, 'cools off'! I think I'm learning from your skill with puns! ... anyway, while Snowflake is going their own way, it's up to us to make things right! You said that you wanted to ask Queen of Hearts some questions nicely, right?"

After an awkward moment. Dr. Rainbow slaps herself on the side of the head and giggles. "Oh, oh! That was sarcasm, wasn't it? When you said 'ask her nicely' you actually meant beat her up, right? I never did like sarcasm."

"I did mean that... but I was kind of counting on having two other powerful superheroines to back me up." you say. "I managed to sucker-punch Queen of Hearts before but I don't think that'll work again."

You think for a moment, and tap your earpiece. "Hey, Julia? Can you hear me? We've had a bit of a, uh, personnel issue here on the Weather Watch. It looks like it's just you, me, and Dr. Rainbow for the moment. Just like old times."

"Wow. And I was just about to ask why Red Balloon's signature just showed back up in Acropolis City." Julia, your longtime assistant's, voice comes athrough the comm. "I guess she's bugging out? What about Snowflake?"

"Gone rogue." you say. "Since she doesn't have someone helping to lead her... uh, them, out like Red Balloon does, Snowflake will probably head for the main entrance. Nevermind Snowflake, the real threat is Queen of Hearts. She has the information I need, too. Think you can help me set up an ambush on her? Track her location or something?"

"Let me see what I can do- Oh. Oh shit. Shit. Fuck fuck fuck. Uh, Nightingale?" you hear Julia's voice getting panicky.

"No, Julia, remember? I had to change it. My heroine name is Thunderbird now." you say.

"No! I mean... Nightingale! The original Nightingale! Green Streak says she just showed up at that hidden entrance! She blindsided Doormouse and now she's kicking his and Bill the Lizard's asses, telling them to let her inside!"

"What?!" you say in shock, as if this day could get any worse. "She wasn't supposed to be showing up until tomorrow! Doesn't she know she's walking into a trap?! Augh, damn it!" you pause. "And... Julia! Why did you give Green Streak access to this communications channel?"

A familiar male voice - that of the cocky speedster, Green Streak, chimes in: "She didn't. I went and grabbed her as soon as her plane landed. Super speed, remember? I gotta say, Thunderbird, you had no right to be keeping such an intelligent, sexy woman hidden in the shadows. You should've told me you had a sidekick, I could've made her a costume and made it officia-"

"OH MY GOD, SHUT UP!" you shout. You look over and see Dr. Rainbow pouting and looking on the edge of tears. "No, Doc, that wasn't at you, Julia and Green Streak are-"

"I know you are on the radio but there's still no call for such hurtful language!" Dr. Rainbow says.

"Alright." you say with a deep sigh. "I can still salvage this. All I have to do is... defeat the most powerful supervillain in Acropolis City before she can kill my mother and interrogate her about what the Full House gang was doing. Solve the mystery before Red Balloon can get me booted out of the League. Let's see if I can.... uh... weather themed..." you stand up straight, strike your best heroic pose, and start walking confidently towards the entrance. "Let's see if I can help give this dark cloud a silver lining."

Green Streak rudely breaks into the radio again. "Eh, six-out-of-ten, as far as quips go. You sure you don't need a handsome, daring hero to charge in to your rescue, Thunderbird? This is what you trained for, after all!"

"Blow it out your ass." you say. Then you turn and glance at your friend: "Rainbow, sorry, but I'm not apologizing for that one."

In the next hallway you are confronted with a familiar and infuriating sight: Isaac, a.k.a. 'Wormy', the guy Green Streek has been bullying since a kid leading to his life of villainy. The scrawny dark-haired man in the spade-themed jumpsuit is standing behind a veritable wall of muscle; a dozen of the biggest, toughest looking pawn henchmen, ready for a fight carrying swords, spears and other weapons. They're completely blocking the door that leads back to the entrance where your mom, the original Nightingale, will soon be coming through, if she hasn't already.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, considering how much I was hoping to run into you again," you say, staring daggers at him, "but I don't have time to give you what's coming to you right now. Get the hell out of my way."

"I know you're mad, Thunderbird. But I'll be really nice once you get to know me!" Isaac says, his voice still ingratiating, as if he hadn't betrayed you to his evil mistress. "Look, Hot-Cross Bunny managed to scrounge up a genuine mind control collar for you! Just put this on and I promise, I'll take you out of here. Nightingale will follow you to try and rescue you, so that will keep her safe from Queen of Hearts and Bunny, right? Isn't that what you want?"

You take a deep breath... and then point at yourself. At your gorgeous body - your firm, full breasts which are cupped and flattered perfectly by your skin-tight romper, your firm, flat abdomen exposed by the square shaped hole, and your exposed cunt, before turning around to show off your ass. "Look at this. You could have had ALL of this. No playing hard to get, no stringing you along like Red Balloon would. We could have fucked all night every night for weeks, with my enthusiastic consent. And ALL you had to do was behave like a halfway decent human being. I set the bar for getting sex or a relationship or whatever you wanted SO DAMN LOW, and you somehow STILL manged to fuck it up!" you shout.

"You know, I felt sorry for you at first. Green Streak is an asshole alright. But there is no amount of torment and bullying that could've made you like this, this... sociopathic self-pitying stalker! If you turned out to be the piece of shit you are, then that is ALWAYS who you were going to be."

Isaac looks bitterly disappointed. "So that's a no on the collar?"

"It's a 'come get some, asshole'." you say, starting to advance menacingly towards the pawn-dressed guards.

Taking a deep breath, Isaac shakes his head. "Guess it's gonna have to be plan B like Bunny suggested, then. Go on, get her guys! And the magic rainbow girl too!" he orders the henchman forward, and turns around to flee through the door behind him.