Chapter Six

Part Two.

Sarah Putley, AKA Sally Putty, hero of New Avalon and founding member of the Ladies of Liberty, indulged in a big yawn as she drank in the morning sun.

People bustled past, utterly unaware that the young woman seated outside the cafe was a world-famous super. She didn’t look the part in charcoal leggings, running shoes, and a training top. Her limbs didn’t extend like rubber noodles when she luxuriated in a stretch. Sally Putty’s bob-cut was a verdant green, while Sarah’s utilitarian ponytail shone reddish-brown.

They had no idea.

That was the whole point of a secret identity. If Sally Putty craved the public eye, she could whip off the wig and slip on the spandex anytime. Plenty of heroes did. Patrolling in costume whenever their egos needed a boost. Civilians went gaga for that shit, snapping photos or live-streaming the moment they shared the pavement with a masked celebrity.

Sarah wasn’t about that scene. She fought the good fight because it was the right thing to do.

Sure, the sponsorship deals were nice, but preventing evil was its own reward.

Knowing she’d saved innocents from harm gave Sarah more satisfaction than any front-page headline or nightly news report. If only her squadmates felt the same.

Colette certainly did, and Sarah respected their team leader for that. Silvejia was exiled alien royalty; the lavender-skinned speedster struggled with a cultural divide as vast as the galaxy, which excused her faux pas. But Miranda…

Their duplicator was in it for sex, money and fame–partying like a rockstar between missions. Her real identity was probably the worst-kept secret in the city.

The tabloids regularly splashed pictures of her one-woman orgies in seedy gay bars. Then, there was that incident at an equality rally where her clones laid into the counter-protesters with shocking ****. Or when she populated a Mardi Gras float with dancing copies barely clad in body paint and feathers, sans mask.

Corporate’s legal teams billed hundreds of extra hours after that debacle. Damage control on that scale didn’t come cheap.

Miranda’s ratings had soared, though. She rated off the charts with young liberal and LGBTQ demographics, plus she represented diversity, basically rendering the buff brunette bulletproof against criticism from their higher-ups.

She was simply too… marketable.

Sarah sighed, shaking away the exasperation. Miss Myriad was there when it counted, chewing gum and stomping baddies in numbers no other duplicator could approach. She was a walking army. The Ladies of Liberty were lucky to have her.

“Pardon me, is this seat taken?” Asked a chipper voice.

The elasticated girl’s head snapped up. A woman stood with a coffee in each hand, smiling brilliantly as she slid into the spare chair.

“Actually, I’m expecting a friend.” Sarah had received a priority transmission from Kinetica, requesting they meet in this cafe. Her team leader was light on the details but insistent. “Sorry, if you don’t mind–”

“Not at all!” The stranger exclaimed, resting her take-out cups on the small table. “This won’t take a minute.”

Sarah frowned, examining her.

A sparkly disco-ball dress snuggled the woman’s lush figure, entirely too showy for a weekday morning. A sweetheart neckline labored to contain overflowing cleavage, leaving her neck and shoulders bare. Blonde hair streaked with pink hung like a golden banner down to her narrow waist in dense waves while large round sunglasses obscured a classically beautiful face.

She looked like a silicone-padded pornstar, straining the teensy outfit at the bust, hips and thighs. Impossibly trim in some regions yet full to bursting in others—a sick caricature of feminine sexuality.

Sarah’s gut twisted in disgust at her mere proximity.

Women like this were the antithesis of everything the Ladies of Liberty represented. Her team was the pinnacle of female empowerment, a shining example for the next generation. Proof that girls could achieve anything through hard work and dedication without degrading themselves.

“My friend will be here soon.” Sarah sniffed, raising her nose. “There’s plenty of available seating. Bother someone else.”

“I’m not a bother, promise.” The cow-titted barbie giggled. Yeesh, what a bimbo. “Here, I even bought you a coffee. Double shot americano with almond milk, right?”

That brought her attention back to the intruder with renewed scrutiny. A single sachet of sweetener rested beside the cup. She had her coffee order down to the smallest detail.

“Who are you?” She asked, tensing for a fight. “I don’t appreciate stalkers, pushy fans, publicity agents, or headhunters. God help you if you’re some fresh psycho trying to make a name…”

“Sarah, relax. It’s me, Colette.” The blonde tittered, sipping her morning joe. “And Headhunter’s still in supermax last I checked.”

“Boss lady?” Mouth agape, Sarah reexamined the woman. Impossible… yet her fingers weren’t gripping the coffee. It hovered in her cupped palm. That level of nuanced control was irrefutable. “Wha–what happened? Who did this to you?”

“Oh, Sarah, I made a fantastic discovery. Unearthed a true treasure!” Colette leaned across the table, her enlarged breasts nearly spilling out. “An unregistered enhancer. You won’t believe how I found them.”

An enhancer?!

Enhancers were rarer than eunuch dicks—supers who amplified others' power to greater heights. Every hero squad dreamed of recruiting one. Their services didn’t come cheap, and the most potent enhancers, those that gave permanent boosts, often vanished—spirited away by the military or more sinister organizations.

Still, Sarah tempered her excitement. The **** alterations of her friend’s physique were concerning. She had to tread lightly…

“Are you sure? Boss lady, I hardly recognized you. It’s not, um… on-brand.” She gestured at Colette. “Explain precisely what the enhancer did.”

“What didn’t he do! I’ll admit the physical alterations were a surprise, and a new costume is in order, but he’s wholly altered my power set. I’ve leveled up! Isn’t it marvelous? I can’t wait to introduce the two of you.”

Hearing her usually even-tempered team leader wax lyrical over this mysterious He deepened Sarah’s sense of unease. The radical change in fashion didn’t help either. Colette always favored a modest wardrobe; the bookish blonde concealed her ultra-fit form behind long skirts and loose blouses.

She didn’t prance about in tiny club dresses and… were those silver high-heel sandals?

“Leveled up...” Sarah grimaced at the ambiguity. “How? Where did you meet this guy?”

“That’s the best part. I already knew him!” Her friend clasped her cheeks like a love-struck schoolgirl. “Fate has intervened on our behalf, sending us the blessing we need to eradicate the filth from this city.”

Sarah was reasonably sure Mistress Fate and her Holistic Avengers were battling Colonel Kismet for control of the Suez Canal. She’d read a report about the causality storms wreaking havoc on the isthmus yesterday.

Frog plagues sounded disgustingly slimy.

“It’s my beau. The fella I’ve been seeing.” Colette whispered. “We met at his apartment for date night, but he was different in a way that resonated with my power. A primal calling. An irresistible attraction. We’ve taken things slowly–you know me–but last night? I was a freight train without brakes.”

“And?” Sarah prompted, dreading the inevitable conclusion.

“He enhanced me. It was glorious. Like I’ve never felt before. Imagine a cosmic infusion injected directly into your soul–getting drunk on pure pleasure, only to grow stronger. There’s no downside! We can eliminate the rot infesting New Avalon by sucking and fucking a total stud.”

Worst suspicions confirmed: the elasticated girl shoved to her feet. Colette–no, Kinetica was compromised. She needed to retreat and warn the Ladies of Liberty. A grave threat loomed over everyone if their top-tier telekinetic had switched allegiances.

Who could they call to subdue a powerhouse like her?

“Sorry, I’ve just remembered an appointment. Rain check?”

Kinetica’s brow furrowed, her expression cooling into icy disdain. She straightened into a regal posture. Spine stiff and chin lifted.

“You don’t trust me? After the hardship we’ve endured. I’m offering the chance of a lifetime, and you question my judgment?”

“Can you blame me?” Sarah hissed. “Listen to yourself. Look at what you’re wearing. This isn’t you, boss lady. I don’t know who this guy is, but he’s–”

“Sarah, I need you to... relax.”

The overtly curvaceous heroine tipped her sunglasses to reveal blazing amethyst eyes where there should’ve been amber. Their purple-pink glow and her command sapped Sarah’s strength. She sagged back into the chair, arms flopping uselessly at her sides.

Muscles unbunched, releasing all tension. Her flight-or-fight instinct receded as even her thoughts slowed their panicked pinballing into a calmer flow. She floated on a lake of zen, surrounded by tranquil waters.

The anxiety melted away, leaving the rubberized girl rested and… relaxed.

A small voice inside her jibbered in terror but it was distant, difficult to make out.

“That’s good. Don’t you feel better? Now we can chat without the hysterics.” Kinetica sighed, sipping coffee as though nothing were wrong. “I’m disappointed in you, Sarah. I thought we were friends. Then you repay my kindness with betrayal? How do you think that makes me feel?”

“I-I don’t… we can’t…” Words were difficult to form through her flapping lips. Sarah’s thoughts moved slowly, the creases in her brain loosening like her limbs. “What… what’s happening?”

“You were about to flee and do something stupid. I used my new power–a power gifted to me by the world's most wonderful, caring man–to save you from making a terrible mistake. Friends look out for each other.”

“New… power?” Saying that much was a chore. She was just so… relaxed.

Sarah’s eyelids drooped, heavy as anchors. Pleasant warmth suffused her body and mind in a bubbly spa bath. Soothing and sleepy. Fingers clicked under her nose, banishing the drowsiness.

“No, none of that. Wake up, girl. You need to listen.” The beautiful blonde sitting across from her frowned, crossing arms under a prodigious bosom. “Ugh, you’d think this would be easier. Let’s walk and talk. Maybe that’ll keep you from nodding off.”

She stood, then helped Sarah up. The body-morpher staggered drunkenly until unseen hands steadied her and they strolled arm in arm along the sidewalk.

That was nice; she appreciated the support.

“As I was saying, we’ve been granted a heaven-sent opportunity. An enhancer, can you believe it? A powerful one, too.” Her lovely companion murmured. “This is our chance to save New Avalon once and for all. But he must remain a secret. We can’t let anyone else get their grubby mitts on him, you understand?”

“...‘stand.” Sarah slurred, her limbs puppeted by an invisible ****. The sun was too bright. The street was too busy. Everyone needed to… relax. “Sounds good.”

“Glad you’ve seen reason. Now we’re a cohesive team again; I can take you to meet him. Isn’t that great?” Kinetica giggled; that was nice too. Happy and carefree. “Zay is amazing. He’s sensitive and hard-working and really cute with a giant dick that’ll drive you wild. I worried he’d split me in half but that won’t be a problem, right? You’re Sally Putty, the elasticated girl!”

“Mm-hmm…” Sarah agreed, saliva drooling from her slack lips. “That’s me.”

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