You Shall Not Pass!

A lithe form stepped between Lois Lane and the door, a short woman with close-cropped brown hair dressed in a kind of grey chauffeur's uniform, cap pulled low, the jacket cutting off just above mid-thigh like a miniskirt, her long legs covered by panty hose.

Lois recognized Mercy Graves, Lex Luthor's personal assistant-cum-bodyguard—and her mind raced at what that might mean or imply. But it was too late to change course, and the reporter could see the door, over Mercy's shoulder. The half-naked women charged toward Graves.

The bodyguard seemed to bend and ripple, flowing between Lois and Maria, her hands clutching at their clothing; in a single smooth move, she pulled the barmaid's pants down so that they tripped her up, and grabbed the sleeve of Lois' jacket, checking the reporter's forward momentum. Maria stumbled and went down, but Lois swung around, hand clutched in a fist.

What followed wasn't a fight. Lois had adrenaline on her side, but the plug in her ass made her legwork awkward, and while she knew how to throw a punch Mercy had the skill and economy of motion of a jujitsu master, ducking Lois' haymakers, directing her movement with grabs and like strikes to keep her away from the door.

Lois could see the security goons move into crowd-control mode, keeping the club-goers well back from the ruckus.

"Come on, Lane." She said at last, as the half-naked reporter tried to circle warily to the woman's left, and Mercy moved to cut the reporter off. "Give up. He doesn't want you hurt."

"Then it looks like I have the advantage. 'cause I don't care if I hurt you at all." Lois hissed, fainted, then brought her heel down, hoping to drive the spike all the way through Mercy's foot. Except Mercy's foot wasn't there any more...and when the reporter looked up she saw something clenched in the bodyguard's right hand, two prongs jutting out between the fingers of her black glove, an arc of electricity between them.

"Say goodnight, Lane!"

Lois didn't even feel the blow. Only the sudden seizure of the current, muscles locked, all consciousness collapsing into a single point—then darkness.