Victory-Gal was led out of the tent and into another one adjoining it. This one was slightly bigger, with a large table in the middle and various chairs around it in no particular pattern. There appeared to be various coffee mugs and papers on the table, a clear indication that many all-nighters had been pulled here. Two people were seated at the table, with a third trying to blend into a corner.
“Yo,” One of the women said, giving Victory-Gal a small wave. She was a petite asian woman in a magicials garp, with a long red and black cape, a suit, a top hat and white gloves on her hands. “You're Victory-Gal right? I'm Mazakala, dunmo if you heard of me.”
“I have!” Victory-Gal said, giving Mazakala a smile and shaking her hand. Mazakala was considered one of the top seven magic users in the world, as well as one of the top entertainers in the business as well. Victory-Gal had always wanted to go to her shows, so seeing her here in person was quite a treat.
“Glad to hear it,” Mazakala said, pointing to the woman next to her. The woman's voluptuous body was stuffed into a silver catsuit. One of her eyes was covered by her long silver hair, and she had a mysterious quality about her that was both frightening and alluring. “That's Silver Tiger, the world's greatest spy and assassin. Nut don't worry she doesn't bite.”
“Ha, trying to scare our new friend eh?” Silver Tiger said, her voice a contralto purr with only the slightest hint of an accent. She looked over at Victory-Gal and gave her a sultry look that made the blond hero blush a little. “Worry not, I am merely an EX-assassin. I am now firmly in S.P.E.A.R.’s employ~.”
“Nice to meet you,” Victory-Gal said, and almost meant it.
She turned to look at the woman currently brooding in the corner. She had on a cape and a cowl that hid her whole face from view. The red lenses of her eyes seemed to glare into Victory Gal and study her for some unknown purpose. They didn't move from that spot, looking like an obsidian statue.
“That, apparently, is Blackwing,” Mazakala said, “Or at least that's what she told the commander.”
“Blackwing?! They're…real?” Victory-Gal said a little too loudly.
Blackwing was the apparent hero of Noctis City, though few could attest to having seen her. There were only a few scattered eyewitness accounts and the word of the Noctis City Police Department to go on. While she had only shown up a few years ago she had managed to turn the crime infested hellhole into a decent place to live. Yet despite that she refused team ups, invitations and accolades point blank. Many even doubted she existed due to her reclusive nature, yet here she was in front of Victory Gal. It was all Victory-Gal could to not to gawp.
“It's um…nice to meet you,” Victory-Gal said, putting out a hand for Blackwing to shake, which she did not take, “So why the teamup?”
There was a moment of silence that felt like it lasted an hour before Blackwing finally answered.
“I am needed here,” Blackwing said, her voice filtered through a voice changer. She said nothing more, as if that was that.
“That's all we can get out of her too,” Mazakala said with a shrug.
“It's fine, she will contribute when the time comes,” Silver Tiger said, sipping her coffee.
“Well, now that you are all here I can go over the strategy,” Maybourne said. She cleared away some of the papers to reveal a map of the surrounding area, little Xs presumably showing where agents had disappeared.
“I'll be frank, infiltration has not worked.” Maybourne said, “We have a working theory that as soon as you enter the area you are assimilated into the…well lets call it the sitcom.”
“So what's going to stop us from becoming like that?” Victory-Gal asked.
“We have a theory that as heroes you won't be so easy to integrate. Studying the footage we can see that superheroes are known in that town,” Maybourne said, “Which means that whoever or whatever is controlling this may have a harder time of integrating you into their scenario.”
“Just a theory right?” Mazakala said, raising an eyebrow, “I'm not too sure on that, especially considering some of the missing person's are superheroes themselves…”
“W-what?!” Victory-Gal said, feeling a strange mix of apprehension and excitement at the idea of heroes being brainwashed like that.
“True, but as far as we can tell they were abducted in their civilian identities,” Maybourne said calmly, “If you go in as you are as heroes then there is a chance you will be safe.”
“Only a chance?” Silver Tiger asked, taking a sip of her coffee.
“I understand this is of great risk to all of you,” Mayborune said, “I do not wish to force you if the risk is too great. I merely ask you to assist us, yoh can still refuse.”
This was it, the chance she could use. All Victory-Gal had to do was say the risk was too great and she'd be scott free from this. No need to worry about her fetishes getting out of control or jeopardizing the mission. All those people trapped in there could wait, even if it took days or months or years or…
“I'll go, we can't leave people trapped in there!”
Victory-Gal inwardly cursed her naturally heroic nature not for the first time or the last time.
“Well if she is going…” Mazakala said with a smile, “Some protective wards can go a long way.”
“I shall assist too!” Silver Tiger said, “There is no mission without risk.”
Everyone turned to Blackwing, wondering if she was going to say something. Rather than speaking Blackwing gave Victory-Gal a curt nod that Victory-Gal took to mean that she agreed with her.
“Right, we make preparations and then we move out!” Maybourne said.
Victory-Gal really hoped she wouldn't regret this…
—
After about an hour of prep, the four superheroines found themselves in the forest surrounding the area. To Victory Gal's surprise there was no wormhole, no weird mist, not even a telltale shimmer of something. The only thing she could tell was odd was that the forest in front of her was oddly dark and foreboding.
Mazakala was currently placing some protective spells on them. Shewanrned the group that it'd be nothing special or foolproof since they did not know what exactly they'd be dealing with in there. Still it was better to be safe than sorry. When Mazakala had spoken her final arcane word of power, Victory-Gal looked at her team.
Behind them was a number of scientists, technicians and S.P.E.A.R. agents hurrying with monitoring equipment. The superheroines had been fitted with the latest nano-communicators to contact S.P.E.A.R as soon as they entered as well as to check on their vitals. Nobody thought they'd actually last but it was worth a try.
“Alright, everyone ready?” Victory-Gal said, “We walk into the area on my mark!”
“Yup,” Mazakala said.
“Da,” Silver Tiger said.
“Hnn,” Blackwing said, which Victory-Gal took to mean yes.
“Okay, let's go!” Victory-Gal said.
She hadn't even taken to steps when she suddenly found herself engulfed in a flash of light…
Tue May 06 10:17:58 2025
2 comments Last updated: Wed May 7 02:43:02 2025