The Black Venomess

After waiting at the drop-off location for 15 minutes, Rocketgirl sees movement. Watching from her location she sees that this person stays to the shadows. As the person gets closer, she can make out the general shape of the person, based on their height and mass, whomever it is looks to be a woman. It isn’t until the person is only a few feet from Rocketgirl can she tell that this person is definitely a woman. The woman’s clothing was strange though, it appeared to be a slick black material but in spots it appeared that the costume was moving.

“You are not the old man.” The woman said as she stepped closer to Rocketgirl. “You are that pesky superheroine Rocketgirl. Either the stupid old man sold me out or you found out about our arrangement and had to interfere. As the woman approached, it became clear that her black outfit was covered with an oil that writhed across the woman’s body.

“I knew how to persuade him to talk.” Rocketgirl said thinking back to Professor Lex. “You know who I am, but I am at a disadvantage.”

“I am the Black Venomess.” Said the woman.

Rocketgirl could see a small puddle of oil under this woman’s feet that seemed to move with her. Several tendrils extended a short distance from her body that seemed to wave back and forth in the air. “What are you doing with the items you are purchasing? They are illegal except for research and industrial purposes.”

“I need them to sustain myself.” The Black Venomess answered flatly.

Rocketgirl was puzzled by the woman’s answer. “What do you mean? Couldn’t you just get help from someone?”

Several tendrils of the black liquid lashed out from the Black Venomess quickly, two wrapping around Rocketgirl’s arms and two around the heroine’s legs. Rocketgirl found herself lifted off the ground and suspended spread eagled. As she was held there, the woman approached and pulled off her belt and bracelets, tossing them to the ground. “What do I mean?” the woman sounded angry. “Look at me, do I look normal to you? I need those items to remain like this. If I asked for help I’d end up in a lab, poked and prodded like a guinea pig.”

“I still don’t understand, what happened to you?” Rocketgirl looked down from her suspended position at the woman.

“I was a leading scientist for a major oil company, researching new ways to extract oil, to make it last longer. One day I was working in the lab and a pressure seal on a tank broke, I was covered with an oil that was supposed to adapt to its location in order to last longer. I ended up in the hospital with burned and melted skin. The oil wouldn’t completely come off either, it kept coming back, adapting to whatever was used to remove it. Soon I found that I could control the oil, use it as you use your arms. Sick of being in a hospital bed I broke out.”

“If you don’t use these items though, what happens?”

“The oil deteriorates and with it my skin does as well.”

Rocketgirl looked at the Black Venomess and then at the tendrils of oil holding her, trying to figure out a way out of this predicament. She searched for any sign of a weakness that could be used.