Stay together

"Let's stick together and make a quick sweep of the rooms," you suggest. You're not entirely sure what you're up against, but if Confidence Man has failed to defeat Ace countless times before, then she's not an adversary to be taken lightly.

"Good idea. Let's see if we can find... Ah here we go." He looks at a map of the facility posted inside the security room. "This way!" He runs down the hallway and you float along behind him. A few turns later you see a sign for the tennis exhibit and you follow those into one of the large rooms. But there's no one else in the room. "Damn! Are we too late?"

"I don't think so. The stuff is all still here," you say, noting that the display cases of old tennis gear and trophies are all still intact.

"Charles, Darling. I was wondering if you'd show up." A female voice with a faintly British accent draws your attention back to the entrance of the room. Ace is standing there in her same white getup from the other night. Alongside her is her driver, who you now figure is also her sidekick/bodyguard. "And you found yourself a hot date to our little rendezvous. Does that mean you're finally moving on and you'll stop following me around?"

"Ace, you know I can't let you rob this exhibit. Just walk away and nobody needs to get hurt."

"Ahaha. Like you could hurt me. All your chivalry and bravado. Where did that ever get us, huh? You could never give me the life I deserve! Now get out of my way!"

"Can't do that, Ace," CM calmly responds.

"Jonathan, deal with him." The driver cracks his knuckles with a grunt and charges at CM.

"Stop her. I'll be fine," CM says to you before blocking the first punch. Ace is approaching the first display case, her own racket in hand.

"Step away from the case or else," you say, trying to sound intimidating.

"Honey, you don't know who you're playing with. Let's duel!" She pulls a tennis ball out from under her skirt and tosses it into the air. "YYAAAHH!" she lets out an ear-piercing shriek as she serves the ball with an overhand swing. You shoot out a fireball, expecting to vaporize the incoming projectile, but instead the tennis ball explodes, the force knocking you backward. If it had hit you, it could have really hurt, but since you destroyed it a couple feet away, you are more stunned than injured. "15-Love....OOOHH!" Ace launches another serve at you before you can recover. Barely getting off a defensive shot, the ball explodes much closer to you this time, knocking you of the wall and sending you tumbling to the floor. "30-Love. I was hoping Charles had brought me a worthy challenger. Guess not." A crash from the other side of the room draws her attention. "Jonathan, dear. Do take care not to destroy everything while you pummel Charles. EEEAAAH!" She unleashes another volley your way. This time, the delay afforded you enough time to recover and you are able to dodge out of the way. The ball harmlessly explodes behind you."

"Oh don't worry. I'm just warming up," you shout as you charge up a fireball and shoot it at your white-skirted foe. Unfazed, the skinny blonde slices a backhand and somehow uses her racket to deflect your shot right back at you. In one motion, you catch it and spin, launching it back with extra fury.

"EEP!" This time Ace dives out of the way of the blast, giving you a little peek of her ass in a pair of white panties as her skirt flips up in the process. Meanwhile, CM and Jonathan have been going blow for blow on the other side of the room. Neither appears to have gained the upper hand in their standoff. There's no time to consider helping win that battle though as you are in one of your own.

"When you play with fire, you're going to get BURNED!" You unleash another shot of flames. Ace scrambles to her feet and narrowly avoids getting hit again.

"It appears I've found the new hotshot on the tour," Ace says as you power up for a bigger attack that you hope she will not be able to dodge. "But you're forgetting one thing."

I am? "What's that?" You pause before launching your attack.

"It always rains at Wimbledon." You hear a click above you and you are doused with a flood of water as the sprinkler system kicks in, no doubt triggered by your charged up heat. Your flames put out, you fall to the floor completely naked. "PAAAAHHH!" you hear Ace hitting another serve at you, but there's nothing you can do to defend yourself while you're being soaked. It explodes before contact though, releasing a netting of some sort that surrounds and traps you. "Game. Set. Match." Ace says as she puts her racket away. "My oh my. I don't think that's a regulation outfit, dearie," Ace taunts.

"Sh..Shut up!" you shout back. You are far too embarrassed and angry to come up with something better. Lying on your side, your hands are pinned tightly to your body, leaving your breasts completely exposed, your hardened nipples poking out through the mesh of the net. Meanwhile Ace is cleaning out the display cases. "Grr When I get out of here-" you struggle against the netting.

"I'll be long gone," Ace cuts you off. Silence from the other side of the room gives you hope that Confidence Man has defeated his sparring partner, but Jonathan is the one who walks into view.

"Come, Jonathan. Toodles Charles!" Ace gives a dainty wave as she and her sidekick exit with a load of antique rackets and trophies. You continue to try to escape the trap, but with the water still flowing, you are unable to get your flames up. After another minute of grunting, with the perceived fire put out, the sprinkler stops and you are able to re-ignite, burning away the netting and freeing yourself. Flying back into the air, you spot CM lying in the destroyed remains of a display case.

"Are you hurt?" you ask as you help pull him from the wreckage.

"Just my pride, Flame. Just my pride." He dusts himself off, but otherwise seems okay if a little sad. The two of you begin a slow defeated walk to the exit. "I let her get the best of me again. I thought for sure that with your help we would bring Ace to justice."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up. We'll get her next time."

"That's the spirit!" The confidence returns to his face. "And thank you for your assistance this evening. Even if it was not as successful a venture as I had hoped. Until we meet again, Flame..." he says as you head outside.

"Oh wait. Actually there was one other thing." You stop him before he takes off.

"Yes?"

"My friend. From earlier. She uh wanted to know if you were, you know.. interested in her at all."

"I'm flattered, but until I close this chapter in my life, I cannot be involved with another woman. I'm sure you understand."

"Oh well that makes sense. I'll let her know."

"Riiight. Your friend." He puts 'friend' in air quotes and winks at you.

"No. Really. She's the one interested in you."

"Farewell, Flame." Confidence Man blows you a kiss as he flies away.

"What did he say?!" Sarah excitedly greets you as you return home through the fire escape window to the aroma of freshly baked cookies. You put on a robe to cover your naked self.

"Hi Kate. Good to see you. How did it go? Did you catch the bad guy?" you respond sarcastically.

"...Hi Kate. Good to see you. How did it go? Did you catch the bad guy?" Sarah repeats in a mocking tone. "AND WHAT DID HE SAYYY??!?!" She grabs you by the shoulders and shakes you.

"Sorry, he's still hung up on this tennis chick. Once we catch her you might have a shot though."

"Hmpf I guess that means you didn't get the bad guy tonight?"

"No. Stupid sprinklers.... Also, he may have thought that I was actually the one with a crush on him."

"WHAT?!?! I knew I couldn't trust you with that hunk of a man! Throwing your hot naked self at him. I bet you just made up that tennis thing to throw me off!" Sarah is really worked up over this.

"Whoa back it up. I'm not interested in the guy. Really. You know I wouldn't do that to you."

She sighs. "I know. I know... Well then come on!" She says with a renewed energy.

"Huh?"

"Let's figure this out and defeat this tennis girl."

"How about we sleep on it and my superpowered colleagues and I will take care of it. I don't need you jumping in the middle of this and getting yourself hurt."

"Fiiiinneee," Sarah groans. "Cookie?" She holds out a plate of chocolate chip cookies and the two of you share a few before going off to bed.

[I know, lazy transition, but I need a page break!]