Stargirl: the Best Hope (version 2) (Patreon)

“Stargirl I presume,” Cindy’s grin simmered.

Courtney gaped, her already big blue eyes growing larger behind her mask. She was so shocked to see the school’s cheerleading captain facing her in platinum green armor that the young super heroine froze, her mouth falling open.

The moment’s hesitation almost cost her life.

Cindy’s rod blurred and would have caved in Courtney’s skull if she hadn’t thrown herself back. It was a frightened reaction more than a practiced maneuver and it threw her off balance, making her stagger backwards and barely raise her staff in time to block Cindy’s next stroke. The serpent-headed rod crashed down on the golden shaft in a spurt of glowing sparks, two supernatural weapons clashing.

Stargirl retreated, still stunned by the appearance of her high school rival. She’d been searching the principal’s office after hours, thinking there was a link to the Injustice Society. It had crossed her mind that maybe she would run into a member of that evil cabal, but not Cindy Burman dressed up in snake armor and tights.

She was still too startled to attack, but Cindy, or Shiv as she called herself in her work clothes, had no compunction on continuing her assault. She thrust her weapon at Stargirl once more and a jet of flame shot from the mouth of the serpent, threatening to engulf the teen heroine.

Courtney cried out and swiped it away with her staff, its golden energy keeping her from being roasted.

“Nice toys,” Cindy , “But your skills… not so much.”

Flushing at the taunt, Courtney twirled her star-powered weapon, then punched the end at Cindy’s face.

Now it was Cindy’s turn to be surprised at the speed of the attack. She moved her head just in time, the lunge going over her shoulder. She tried to counter-attack but Stargirl had already retracted her stroke; she knocked Cindy’s rod away with another small shower of sparks.

No longer certain she had her opponent’s measure, Shiv sprang back and landed with her weapon at the ready, watching Stargirl from a safer distance.

The young super heroine grinned smugly back, the expression mischievous on her round, baby-doll face. She doubted she was as good as Starman had been, but Courtney had grown confident using the staff and wearing the costume. Her elastic bike shorts were shaped by rounded hips and full thighs, her top abbreviated to reveal the grooves of her ab muscles. With her curly blonde hair and girl-next-door cuteness, she made the large star on her chest seem earnest rather than tacky.

Courtney twirled the staff and stopped it with the heavy end, an ornamentation that imitated a thick shepherd’s crook, aimed and glowing toward Cindy’s chest.

Cindy had always been nasty to Courtney. She had never cowered before Blue Valley High’s queen bee, but Cindy had always been the one with the final, stinging barb. It felt good to be able to shut her up for once.

“How are my skills now?” Courtney added a little bite to her words.

Cindy pursed her lips and judged the other girl with a quick up-down look.

“Not bad,” she smirked back, “But not in my league.”

With that she swatted Stargirl’s staff aside and kicked the teen heroine hard in the stomach, driving her back with a gasp of surprise.

Shiv pressed her advantage, pursuing and trying to crack her rod across her blonde opponent’s temple, but Courtney turned her staff and the weapons clashed. She whipped the end of her staff upwards, trying to catch Cindy under the chin, but the villainess ducked to the side and made her own counterattack.

And so it continued.

The teen rivals fought their way down the halls of the school, Stargirl swinging her staff in arcs that left luminous trails in the air, blocking and returning while Cindy struck back with her rod, fists, and feet. They attacked, dodged, and counter attacked, moving together almost like a dance, neither able to land a telling blow.

Courtney sprang back and fired a blast from the end of her staff, but Cindy flipped neatly aside and threw silvery blade that embedded itself in a locker when the blonde dodged in return. Eyes wide at the near miss, the teen super heroine called on the staff to fly forward, carrying her so she could slam a kick of her own into the villainess’s chest. It wasn’t done as artfully as Cindy’s, but the blow still knocked the cruel girl off her feet, banging her into a wall.

Stargirl stared at her, heart hammering.

“Are you crazy?!” she shrieked, “You almost killed me!”

“Duh,” Cindy drawled.

Then she paused.

Slowly the villainess narrowed her eyes, looking closer at the star-spangled teenager.

“You know, you sound familiar…”

Courtney stiffened, then quickly swung her staff, which punched a hole in the dry wall when her opponent dodged. The last thing she wanted was for Cindy to think too hard about who Stargirl reminded her of.

Cindy counterattacked and was blocked but now she was grinning. She hadn’t missed the deer-in-headlights look on Stargirl’s face. There was something delicious there and she intended to exploit it.

Lunging once more, she purposefully tangled her serpent-rod with Stargirl’s staff, then released her grip with one hand, freeing it so she could spin and elbow the heroine in the face. The blow snapped the blonde’s head back with a grunt and she fell back a step, wincing in pain.

“I’m right, aren’t I?” Cindy’s grin broadened, “I know you. I wonder who you could be…?”

Courtney attacked again without answering the question.

Unfortunately, this time Cindy expected it.

The staff swung down and Shiv stepped aside, letting it crack the floor tiles, then planted her foot on the golden weapon to keep it pinned and pistoned a side kick right into the star on the heroine’s chest. The girl was thrown away from her staff and deposited on her back, legs flying up to give the villainess a brief view of her butt.

Cindy shook her head pityingly, then kicked the golden staff aside, letting it clatter down the hallway.

“Whoever you are, you’re not much of a poker player.”

Cringing, Courtney propped herself up on her elbows, only for her eyes to widen when she realized Cindy was looming over her.

Cindy bounced her rod playfully against her palm, her smirk crooked and taunting.

“I think I’ll give you a choice, Stargirl,” she leered, “You can take the mask off now or I can take it off your dead body. Better make your choice quick, because there is a time limit…”

Courtney scuttled back on her rump, gaping in fear, and Cindy followed her with a confident, hip swaying swagger.

“I make the choice for you in 5…” Cindy began to count, “4… 3…”

The star staff glowed. It lifted off from where it had fallen, hovering above the ground.

“2…”

Before the count went any lower, the golden staff flew to its owner. Cindy didn’t hear or see it coming and it hit her at the knees, swiping her legs out from under her.

The young villainess cried out in surprise, it being her turn to be deposited on her back with pained grunt.

The staff flew right into Courtney’s hands and she caught it. The weapon floated up, pulling its owner to her feet and setting her down.

“Thanks,” she whispered to the staff, before aiming it at her opponent.

Wincing, having banged her hip and shoulder in the fall, Cindy propped herself up on an elbow. Sh

Courtney scowled back, but her naturally sweet features made her glare cuter than intimidating.

“New deal,” she scrunched her lips up tight, looking as formidable as she could, “You tell me what the Injustice Society is up to or I’ll blast you across the across the room.”

The villainess rolled her eyes and sat up a bit straighter, brushing her hair from her face. She didn’t look very worried by Stargirl’s threat.

“So, your staff has a mind of its own, huh?” she arched an eyebrow, “Do you control it at all, or are you just along for the ride?”

Courtney glared back, “We’re a team! And you better start answering or…”

“You’re adorable,” Cindy sighed, “Wait, that’s not the right word. Pathetic. Yeah, pathetic works way better.”

Courtney opened her mouth to say something back, but once again when faced with the other girl’s nastiness, words escaped her.

“A team,” the other girl shook her head in amazement, “And look at you in your little star-spangled outfit. You’re straight out of a Saturday morning cartoon. You do realize those shows aren’t real, right?”

Her cheeks burning pink, Courtney glared back, her lips pouted and twitching as she struggled to come up with a retort.

“Well… well at least I’m not on the wrong side like you,” she finally snapped, “You can make fun of me all you want, but the Injustice Society is going down…” she barely stopped herself from saying Cindy’s name, “whoever you are.”

The villainess threw her head back and laughed.

“Oh my god!” Cindy cackled, “Are you seriously one of those ‘the good guys always win’ people? What are you, eight?!”

“It doesn’t matter how bad it looks or for how long!” Courtney shouted back, “Good DOES always win in the end!”

“Uh huh. Say that after I beat your ass with your own staff.”

Courtney stepped closer, about to fire back a retort, when Cindy took advantage of the opening and swatted the staff aside then planted a kick into the superheroine’s tummy. The blow was hard enough to make Stargirl stumble back and gave time for Shiv to get back to her feet.

Furious, realizing she’d been played, Courtney raised her staff and fired, at that moment not caring if she blasted the villainess through the wall.

Cindy raised her weapon at the same time, shooting out a burst of flame.

Fire and star energy met, bullying against each other. Like the wills of the girls wielding them, the two forces wrestled for dominance, pressing, unrelenting.

However, the pressure of a flame couldn’t hold for long against cosmic energy. All it took was for Courtney to focus a bit more, put some more oomph into her star blast and Cindy was forced to dive out of the way as the energy punched through her flame.

The blast scorched a banner for the school’s fall dance and Cindy rolled, coming back to her feet. She had barely gotten up before she had to dodge again as Courtney tracked her with another blast.

Courtney, angry at being manipulated, charged her staff and flew straight at her.

Surprised at the speed of the attack, Cindy only managed to gasp before the staff slammed into her waist, folding her across it and jarring the serpent rod from her grasp. It clattered to the hall as its owner was knocked off her feet and carried back.

Heroine, villainess, and glowing weapon shot forward, banging through a set of double doors and crashing through a table on the other side. The impact knocked over a set of speakers, dislodged Cindy and threw Stargirl’s flight off kilter, sending both girls tumbling.

Courtney landed on her shoulder with a pained grunt and she rolled over several times, the staff clattering across the floor. She finally stopped when she banged into the tire of a car, flopping to the floor on her back.

For a moment, the young super heroine laid flat, the star on her chest heaving, staring at the ceiling and waiting for things to stop spinning. Maybe a kamikaze flight into Cindy hadn’t been her best idea, but it had at least wiped the grin off the mean girl’s face.

They had crashed into the gym, which was already decorated for the 50’s themed fall dance. A mural of dancers in lettermen jackets and poodle skirts had been painted on one wall, a record the size of a swimming pool had been mocked up on the dance floor and streamers had been hung from the gym lights. As Courtney got up, she leaned against a cherry red convertible that had been lent to add flavor to the décor.

Courtney held out her hand and her staff flew to her grasp as she turned her head to and fro, scanning the dimly lit gymnasium. Where was Cindy?

The ring of metal across metal startled her. She whirled around.

On the other side of the car was Cindy wearing a nasty grin, but what drew Courtney’s eye was the foot-long, silver blade projecting from the girl’s wrist.

The villainess’s eyes narrowed at Stargirl’s reaction. She raised her other fist, showing it to the wide-eyed super heroine, and an identical silver blade pushed its way out from her green gauntlet. It grated as it grew longer, extending to at least one foot, double edged with a wicked point.

Courtney’s mouth fell open. The blades that sprouted from Cindy’s wrists were the same metal as dagger the villainess had thrown at her earlier, but these were much longer, almost like swords. She didn’t see a place in the armor to hide that much metal. Had those blades come from the armor… or from Cindy herself?

“Okay, Stargirl,” Cindy showed her teeth, “Let’s get serious.”

Courtney’s blood went cold.

Everyone knew Cindy’s type. The spoiled, entitled cheerleading captain at the top of the social ladder, sabotaging whoever and however she needed to stay there, no one daring to challenge her for fear of the consequences. That type was cruel, petty, and vengeful, but deep down insecure, the first to scream for help if she were put in any actual danger.

But the girl grinning at her, with foot-long blades coming from her wrists, was not that type.

Courtney wasn’t very experienced with super villains yet, but she still recognized that whatever Cindy was, she wasn’t JUST a bully. There was something gleefully evil inside her that was starving and finally being allowed loose. Cindy wasn’t a high school mean girl who dressed up as a super villainess, it was the other way around.

Courtney focused her staff and golden energy blasted at Cindy, but the villainess dove forward and slid across the hood of the car, the attack passing harmlessly over her. As soon as Cindy landed on Courtney’s side of the car, the young heroine found herself fending off a flurry of quick stabs and slices. She retreated but Cindy followed, not giving her room to catch her breath.

Razor edges rasped and clanged off the golden star staff as Stargirl was driven back, blocking and dodging as quickly as she could but being barely able to keep up. Cindy tirelessly pressed, the whites showing around her eyes, a mad grin pulling her lips back.

It wasn’t long before Courtney wasn’t quite fast enough. She turned a blade aside with her staff, but it still sliced across her shoulder, splitting her blue costume and giving her a shallow cut.

“AAH!” she cried out in fright and pain, swinging the staff in desperation to keep Cindy back.

Cindy blocked by crossing her daggers in an X, then elbowed Stargirl in the nose, snapping her head back.

“Uh oh,” she hissed, “It isn’t looking good for our heroine…”

Then she stabbed again, but this time she wasn’t aiming for Stargirl.

She aimed for the staff.

The point of her dagger landed exactly where she wanted, into the seam of a small panel on the staff’s side. She jammed the blade in, grabbed the staff with the other hand, then pried upwards, the metal creaking as the panel was slowly bent up to reveal blinking lights and glittering, golden components.

The staff, sensing it was in danger, wiggled and even made a strange squealing sound.

“No!” Courtney cried, twisting her weapon and partner out of the villainess’s grasp.

Having already completed her objective, Cindy let her pull the staff away, then dropped and swept her leg in a C shaped arc, kicking Stargirl’s feet out from under her.

Courtney landed on her back with a grunt and in an instant Cindy was on top of her. Both blades came down for Courtney’s throat and she blocked them with her staff, but Cindy shoved downwards, not relenting.

“You’ll learn,” the villainess grinned smugly down, “The ‘good guys” don’t always win, sweetie. They don’t even usually win.”

Courtney gaped in horror at the gleaming points of the daggers reaching for her windpipe. She was already pretty strong and her belt made her super strong, but Cindy was strong too and she had gravity on her side. The villainess leaned into it and the daggers inched closer, trembling as opposing forces fought to control them.

“It’s about who’s willing to do more,” Cindy crooned, “Who’s trained more… and I’ve been training for years, but never allowed to use it. I’ve been dying for this…”

Realizing brute strength wasn’t going to work, Courtney focused on the staff and it glowed bright. It flew up, flipped the girls over then slammed Cindy down with Stargirl on top of her, instantly reversing the position.

Now Courtney and the staff both pressed down, digging the shaft into Cindy’s throat and pinning her gauntlets to the floor.

The villainess winced in discomfort, groping around on the staff to try to find a better hand hold, but trying to overpower both Stargirl and her staff was pointless. She was trapped.

“You’re not going to beat me,” Courtney glared down at her, “Because no matter how good you are, I believe in what I’m doing! It isn’t about getting what you deserve or getting to do what you want it’s about doing what’s right! I don’t care how many of the Injustice Society there are or how experienced they are, they won’t win! And if that means stopping you too, then that’s exactly what I’m going to do!”

Cindy frowned at that, canting her head as she looked up at Stargirl. Her hands continued to grope about on the staff for another moment, but then stopped as she considered the heroine’s words.

“You really believe all that,” she said, “Don’t you?”

“It’s the truth.” Courtney sternly met her gaze.

Cindy slowly grinned, “It’s… sad.”

Courtney narrowed her eyes, about to retort when she noticed the villainess’s right hand fiddling with something.

Cindy’s grin broadened when Stargirl saw what she was doing. When she’d been groping around on the staff, it hadn’t been to find a better grip, it had been to find the panel she’d exposed. She’d dug around and found a few important-looking wires and now had them firmly in hand.

The villainess didn’t know what would happen when she yanked those wires free, but she had a feeling it would be exciting.

Realizing her mistake, Courtney gasped and grabbed for Cindy’s hand.

Too late.

Cindy jerked the wires loose just as Courtney grabbed her hand.

The staff glowed brighter and brighter, a whining sound growing louder as its energy built up to a boiling point. It jerked and shivered in Courtney’s hands, the whining becoming piercing, glowing too brightly to look at, the golden weapon struggling to control its untethered power and quickly losing the battle.

Once the whine was almost deafening, the energy inside the staff exploded. Stargirl was thrown the air like she’d been hit by a wrecking ball.

Courtney lost all sense of space, not knowing which way was up until she slammed into the wall of the gym, the force of the blast pinning her there for a moment like a bug on a windshield. Then gravity reasserted itself and she fell flat on her stomach, barely managing to brace some of the fall with her arms.

Her ears were ringing, the world spinning, white spots swirling around in her vision. Courtney lay still, waiting for her head to clear. Human beings weren’t designed to be hurled several hundred feet then come to an almost instantaneous stop. Her body was still trying to figure out where it was and what had happened, even as Courtney herself was dimly aware that if it hadn’t been for the protective field of her cosmic belt, she would have been smashed to a pulp.

Groaning, Courtney pushed herself up and dragged herself to her feet. She wobbled, everything still seeming too bright, leaving her squinting to make things out. She held her hand out to summon her staff.

It didn’t come.

Courtney shook her head, blinking hard to clear her vision. There was no sign of her staff, no glowing energy approaching, none of the weapon’s strange singing as it came to her. Just stillness, the faint ringing in her ears, spots like she’d been staring at the sun for too long.

After several seconds, she heard something and turned towards it, but it wasn’t her staff. It was Cindy, charging at her, Courtney’s staff in her hands, a wild grin on her face.

She slammed the end of Stargirl’s golden staff into the ground, used it as a pole vault and kicked the heroine in the face.

Courtney grunted and reeled from the blow, staggering, but Cindy pursued before she could even regain her balance. Letting the inert, lifeless staff clatter to the ground, the grinning villainess punched the staggering blonde hard in the jaw, then again with the other hand and again.

It happened so fast, the thought of defending herself barely came to mind. Stargirl’s head whipped one way, then the other, then snapped back in quick succession, her eyes rolling and crossing, expression vacant as her thoughts were beaten loose. She tottered back only to be hit again, her legs fumbling and turning to jelly.

Before she could fall, Cindy grabbed two handfuls of the white star on her chest, then yanked her upright.

“No, no,” the villainess grinned, “Not yet.”

Then she buried her knee into Stargirl’s toned stomach.

Even in her discombobulated state, the blow forced Courtney to gape at the shocking pain, doubling over. As she did so Cindy darted behind her, looping her arms around the hapless young heroine’s waist.

“Ready for a little ride?” the villainess hissed in her ear.

The next thing Courtney knew, she was yanked off her feet and flipped over, her legs kicking wildly before she was suplexed onto her head.

When Cindy let go of her waist, Courtney flopped onto her back and the villainess scrambled around to loop her arm around her opponent’s neck and under her armpit in a scarf hold. She squeezed the hold tight and suddenly Courtney couldn’t breathe.

Dazed, battered, completely overwhelmed, Stargirl kicked her legs feebly, gagging and squirming to free herself, her trapped arm waving about uselessly.

“You’ve definitely had some practice,” Cindy grinned, “But I’ve been training for years. I don’t think believing in what you’re doing is going to help you much right now…”

Courtney pulled at the hold with her one free hand, but it was hopeless and her grip was only weakening. The danger of the choke wasn’t the lack of air, but the blood being cut off to her brain. It wasn’t long before her extremities started tingling and becoming clumsy, any strength she had left bleeding out of her body, darkness closing on her vision.

Cindy watched eagerly as she felt the heroine’s body soften, her pretty face growing slack as the light left her big blue eyes. She could finish this right now if she wanted, just hold tight for another fifteen seconds and there would be no more Stargirl.

But that seemed unsatisfying.

She let go of the hold and Stargirl gasped, flopping to the floor in relief.

Cindy didn’t give her time to rest.

“Come on,” she took a handful of the heroine’s curly blonde hair, “Get up.”

The villainess stood and dragged the groaning girl to her feet by her scalp, grinning with immense satisfaction.

“I’m still having fun.”

Courtney staggered up reluctantly, hips swaying as her balance wavered. She managed to grasp at the hand tangled in her hair, but it was simply to support herself rather than to pull away. Her sweet features were hanging from exhaustion and pain, eyes glazed and lidded, the girl clearly standing only because her enemy willed it so.

Cindy loved it.

Her eyes narrowed with pleasure, she looked her battered rival over, enjoying the control she had over Stargirl’s nubile body. The heroine was the type of athletic that was rounded in the hips and rear, not to mention having a healthy swelling in the chest. Shiv found it amusing to pull her prey to the side, watching her hips wobble as she staggered, then the other way to watch her wobble back.

“Oh, honey,” Cindy pouted empathetically, “You’re not enjoying this at all are you?”

She drove her fist into Courtney’s belly button. Unprepared, the blonde’s hips were shoved back, the blow sinking into her bare tummy. She ‘oof’ed and tried to double over, but Cindy kept her upright.

“I definitely am,” the villainess grinned, “Sorry, sweetie. We all have to make sacrifices.”

She punched Stargirl in her stomach once more and with great satisfaction. The young superheroine had firm abs, the little grooves of muscle displayed by her mid drift-baring top, but Cindy felt them soften beneath her fist.

She did it again and Stargirl croaked, her eyes bulging.

“I’m enjoying this,” Cindy said, “VERY much.”

The queen bee hammered punch after punch into Courtney’s belly, each blow driving further through the firm abs, making them tender and weak. As much as Cindy was enjoying this, Courtney was finding it equally miserable. Her guts were aching and she felt like she wanted to throw up, but the villainess pulled her up straight whenever she started to droop, making sure her stomach was nicely presented for the next blow. After half a dozen hard punches, she couldn’t breathe, her knees were buckling, but Cindy wouldn’t let her fall. After a few more, she couldn’t even lift her arms to defend herself.

When Cindy was finally done, Stargirl was hanging in her grasp, retching and coughing. Her mouth gaped, eyes still wide from shock at the stabbing pain in her stomach. As a gymnast she’d had fallen and had her breath knocked out, but she was discovering striking the mat was different from having hard bones punched into her guts repeatedly.

“Awww…” the villainess cooed, “Tummy a little sore?”

She let go of Courtney’s hair and the superheroine plopped onto her knees with a grunt, then crumpled forward, arms clutching her stomach.

Still dazed from her earlier beating, now hollowed out by having her insides pounded to jelly, Courtney curled up with her face to the ground, knees tucked beneath her.

“Look at all these stupid decorations,” Cindy scoffed, “God, I HATE having to pretend to be just a high schooler.”

“Kaff… kaff koff…” Courtney turned her head enough to see the other girl glaring around at the gym’s sock hop décor.

Cindy put a fist to her hip and wrinkled her nose, eyeing the banners, the painted walls, the streamers.

“Everyone around me acting like all this stuff is so important and so hard,” she made a disgusted sound, grabbing one of the streamers, “The classes, social standing, who’s dating who, dances. Tiny people caring about tiny little things.”

She yanked the streamer down, tearing it and watching it fall to the floor.

“And that’s why,” she turned to grin at Stargirl, “I’ve needed THIS so, so badly!”

Curled up as she was, Courtney’s rump poked up towards the ceiling, the position making the spandex look painted over it.

Cindy gave the blue cheeks a loud smack with her palm.

“Thanks for that, Stargirl,” she reached for her, “I think this is going to be really cathartic for me.”

Grabbing the spandex between her shoulders and the waist of her shorts, she pulled the slack superheroine up, hunched over but standing.

“Unnhh…” Courtney groaned in the awkward position, grabbing clumsily at the other girl to try to support herself. On her feet but bent over, she was off balance, entirely at Cindy’s mercy.

Which is how the villainess wanted it. She started forward at a trot, forcing her victim to stumble along with her, then picked up the pace.

“I hate this stupid dance,” Cindy snapped, “I hate this school.”

Perpetually feeling like she was about to fall on her face, Courtney tripped and grasped at the other girl, desperately trying to regain her equilibrium.

“And I hate… this CAR!”

Bent over, Courtney couldn’t see where she was running. She had no idea something was in front of her until she was thrown forward and rammed her head into the door of the vintage car, denting the cherry red metal. She saw a bright flash, let out a confused grunt and fell flat on her face.

“I don’t belong here,” Cindy said, “I belong in the real game! I should be showing the world what I can really do, not wasting my time in this place!”

Head throbbing, Courtney panted against the floor, feeling sick in more ways than one. She had to get up and keep fighting to save the city, even the world from the Injustice Society, but she was getting her butt kicked. Without the staff it wasn’t even a contest. She didn’t think Starman had ever been clobbered this thoroughly.

She lifted her head, enough to rest her chin on the floor, and she saw something gold glittering beneath the car. Her eyes widened. The staff was lying almost within arm’s reach, having rolled there after Shiv tossed it aside.

“I should burn this place down,” Cindy sighed wistfully, “Maybe the whole school. What’s the worst that could happen.”

Courtney reached toward the staff, trying to summon it to her hand, but it didn’t come. The panel Cindy had pried up was still sticking out and the metal around it was blackened. It didn’t glow or hum like it had before. Was it broken… or dead?

She didn’t have time to think about it. Though moving hurt, she grabbed at the floor and drug herself towards the staff. Maybe if she touched the golden weapon it would come back to life.

“Maybe I should go hunting for superheroes,” Cindy continued, “I’m not even sure I’ll be able to focus on school after to—oh, are we going somewhere?”

Courtney managed to squirm far enough to get her hand on the staff, just before her opponent grabbed her by the ankle and dragged her from under the car.

“Nhh…” she grunted as her bare thighs squeaked across the gym floor, but she kept the staff in hand.

The young superheroine started to climb to her feet, but before she could do it herself Cindy grabbed her by the back of the costume and dragged her off the floor.

“Looks like you found your glow stick,” the villainess cooed, “Isn’t that nice.”

Cindy put a hand on her shoulder to turn her, but Courtney moved first.

Gripping the staff in both hands, she spun around and swung the weapon with all her might in the same movement. Tired, still dazed, but with strength enhanced by the cosmic belt, she aimed at her opponent’s head. Taking Shiv by surprise might be her only chance. This had to be the moment she turned the tide.

The staff swept through the air and Cindy was surprised for a split second, but she reacted instantly. The villainess leaned back and the attack whistled harmlessly by, barely grazing the tip of her nose.

The miss threw Courtney off balance and she stumbled with a gasp, turning her back to her opponent. Sure the other girl would attack her immediately, she turned back and swung the staff blindly, hoping to at least keep the villainess away.

Cindy took a tiny step back to avoid the second swing and watched Stargirl with a sour smirk.

“I think your toy is broken, blondie,” she said.

Courtney panted, weariness and fear battling inside her. Superheroes didn’t lose to supervillains, not when everything was on the line, but the staff was heavy and clumsy in her hands. Without the energy in the staff helping her, even guiding her, it felt completely alien. She remembered what it felt like to do some of the moves, but she’d never had any formal training.

On the other hand, Cindy was watching her with a curious interest, like how a cat would watch an injured bird.

“You could run, you know,” she stared with big, dark eyes, “Or surrender. Take off your mask and maybe I’ll let you live.”

Courtney swallowed. Part of her wanted to take that offer, as she was seriously doubting her ability to take Cindy on right now. But she also doubted the villainess would keep her word and even then, she couldn’t just give up. Starman would never do that, no superhero would. She was Stargirl and she had to win. The whole town was counting on her, maybe even the whole world.

Her blue eyes narrowed, jaw set with determination, “No…”

“Hm,” Cindy smiled, “Good for you.”

Courtney watched the other girl, squeezing the staff tight. Cindy was standing easily within reach of a swing, but had her arms at her sides, entirely relaxed. She might as well have been waiting in line at the mall.

Suspecting a trick, Courtney faked high with the staff, then swung it at Cindy’s ribs, intending to knock the breath out of Blue Valley High’s resident mean girl the same way it had been done to her.

Cindy read the attack easily. She didn’t react to the feint in the slightest, then when the swing came she stepped close and into it, taking away the leverage and smothering it before the attack could build any momentum. She looped her arm around the weapon and caught it, trapping it under her tricep.

Before Courtney fully realized what had happened, the villainess kicked her in the chin, snapping her head back.

“UNF!” the young superheroine stumbled back and fell against the car, losing her weapon in the process. She started to slip down the side of the vehicle but managed to catch herself.

Cindy jammed the staff directly into the star on the center of her chest. She leaned into it and pinned Courtney there, while the young superheroine gasped in pain.

“I’m seriously glad you didn’t just give up,” the villainess narrowed her eyes, “Because I’m REALLY enjoying this.”

Gritting her teeth as the metal of the staff dug into her breastbone, Courtney gripped the end and pushed at it, trying to force it to the side, off her chest. She could still win. She WOULD still win!

The moment the superheroine pushed at the weapon, Cindy let it go and threw herself forward.

With both her hands occupied by the staff, Courtney was unprepared for the punch that smashed into her chin. It knocked her head back so hard, she broke the car’s driver side window, the safety glass shattering into tiny crystal beads.

Deprived of her senses, the young heroine immediately crumpled, but Cindy grabbed a wad of her spandex top and yanked her back upright, leaning her against the car.

“I truly am enjoying this,” the villainess remarked, “You should take that as a compliment. I usually don’t like spending time with anyone!”

Courtney blinked at her, mouth hanging open stupidly. She recognized the girl staring at her, but everything seemed surreal, like she was watching a blurry tv show. She had to fight this girl, she realized. She needed to do something to stop her from doing bad things.

Cindy hit her again, snapping her head back and jarring those thoughts from her mind.

“It’s not just beating someone up either, it’s you in particular. Oh so innocent, all sweet and earnest. Being ‘partners’ with your weapon. So adorable and punchable.”

Cindy buried a fist into Courtney’s stomach, drawing a surprised ‘oof’.

“I’d much rather be kicking your ass than cheerleading,” the villainess said matter-of-factly, “And I really like cheerleading. I like the attention. That’s saying something.”

She punched Courtney in the face once more. The young superheroine wondered where she was and how she got here. Someone was hitting her. Why were they hitting her?

“You know, you’re a good listener too,” she grinned, “I appreciate that. We really should do this again sometime.”

Another punch left Stargirl entirely slack, her eyes unfocused, shoulders drooped and hands hanging at her sides. She was dimly aware she was being beaten but she couldn’t focus, her body too heavy to move. She was hanging so heavily from her opponent’s grip that her top was getting pulled up, showing the pink sports bra she wore underneath.

“Out of everyone who’s tried to stand up to me,” Cindy said, “You’re my favorite.”

She hit Courtney again and the girl’s head bobbled on a limp neck, her expression silly and bewildered. She didn’t even grunt this time, too out of it to react.

Still enjoying herself, Cindy drew back her fist again, but stopped.

Stargirl wasn’t even looking at her even more. The heroine’s blue eyes were lidded, their gaze cloudy and far away, features soft like she was already asleep. She could continue punching the girl, but she might as well be beating a side of beef.

“Awww,” the villainess groaned in disappointment, “Don’t tell me you’re already done!”

Cindy clasped the heroine’s jaw to stabilize her head then squinted into her eyes, checking to see if there were any signs of resistance.

Courtney’s vision swam and her thoughts were so jumbled up she couldn’t interpret what she saw. She saw weird shapes, some of them looking like Cindy, but didn’t understand them, just staring at them sleepily. She wouldn’t remember this at all later.

After a second’s peering, hoping Stargirl would snap out of it, Cindy sighed.

“Hmph.” She pouted, “All used up. Boo.”

Cindy let go and Courtney slipped down the car to drop flat on her butt, legs splayed. The landing bounced her head before her chin came to rest on her chest, right above her star insignia. She was entirely slack, shoulders drooped, hands resting palms up on the floor beside her, but she remained propped up against the car, sitting upright like she’d just plopped down for a quick nap.

“Nhh…” the battered heroine groaned faintly, like she was having a bad dream.

Cindy crouched down in front of her and cupped her chin, lifting her head upright.

“Well, at least I finally get to see who’s under this mask,” the villainess grinned into Courtney’s glassy eyes, “I definitely feel like I know you.”

She pinched the top of the blue mask and began pealing it up over the heroine’s face. It was sealed there firmly, needing to stay in place in the midst of battle, so it took a bit of loosening before it could be removed.

In her senseless daze, Courtney felt the little tugs and wiggles on her mask. They nagged at her, a voice somewhere in the recesses of her mind screaming a warning. She managed a lazy blink, a confused frown furrowing her brow, knowing something was wrong but unable to discern what it was.

Cindy took her time working the mask up. Once the seal against the heroine’s skin was broken, she dragged it up over her brow with sensual sluggishness, savoring the moment.

“Come on, Stargirl…” she cooed, “Let’s have a little look-see.”

As the eye holes of the mask slipped over her forehead, Courtney’s blue eyes blinked with realization. Her mask. Someone was taking her mask off. Her vision was so blurry she couldn’t tell who it was, but she still felt a flutter of panic.

By the time recognition struck her, the mask was already sliding over her curly blonde hair.

“Nnn… no…” she gasped weakly, “D-don’t…”

“Oh, hush, Courtney,” Cindy said, “It’s too late.”

The villainess pulled the mask free of Courtney’s hair and then held it up beside her face, comparing the two.

“Courtney Whitmore,” Cindy looked back and forward, “I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you. How could I not figure out little miss goody two shoes new girl was little miss goody two shoes superheroine? I’m honestly disappointed in myself.”

A stab of fear pierced the exposed heroine’s heart. She didn’t remember how she came to this point, but she recognized Cindy, recognized her own mask in the girl’s hand. She clumsily tried to reached towards her mask, trying to take it back, but her arm wouldn’t work right, only twitching and lifting a bit before flopping back down.

“It’s perfect, though,” Cindy narrowed her eyes, “I wanted to beat both your asses, and it turns out they’re the same. If I’d known, I DEFINITELY would have played with you a little longer.”

“Nhhh…” Courtney mewled, managing to lift her arm and paw towards her mask.

Cindy grinned and drew it back, just outside the heroine’s reach.

“You are fun,” the villainess giggled, “I wonder…”

She paused, biting her lip playfully. She considered something, her grin broadening as she did.  then shrugged.

“I guess we’ll talk about that later,” the villainess cooed, “For now, it’s time to put you down for your nap.”

She drew back her fist.

“Nighty night, Courtney. And by the way, I don’t know if you were paying attention, but… you just.”

Courtney was still feebly grasping for her mask when Cindy’s punch slammed into her chin.

Stargirl fell into darkness.

* * *

Cindy was laughing at Courtney and hurting her. She tried to fight back, but no matter what she did the other girl was four steps ahead. She was in dozens of places at once, taunting and humiliating her until Courtney couldn’t get up. And even then it didn’t stop. Nothing could make it stop. Blue Valley high’s queen bee would keep hurting her forever and ever and…

She awoke with a start.

“Relax,” a familiar voice cooed to her, dabbing something on her lip.

Courtney’s vision was still bleary and even blinking made her head hurt. She was lying on something soft and for a moment thought she was in her own bed. She tried to sit up but it made her shoulder light up with pain.

“Stay still,” the voice said again, “This stuff will help heal the cut’s faster, but you don’t want to get it in your eyes.”

“Nnnhh…” Courtney groaned, blinking hard to try to focus on the figure looming over her.

It took a few seconds, but slowly the sharp-eyed face with the skunk streak hair came into focus. It was Cindy. The villainess was sitting on the bed beside her, swirling a cue tip in a small jar of ointment, then dabbing it on Courtney’s cut lip.

It all came back to her then. The ambush, the fight, hazy memories of being brutally beaten, a last bit of terror and despair before she knew nothing more. Her staff… Cindy hitting her and hitting her…

A sudden rush of adrenaline and terror made Courtney try to lurch back upright, but Cindy planted a hand on her chest and easily shoved her back down.

“I said relax,” the other girl snapped.

“Let go!” Courtney shrieked and struggled, “Get off me!”

Cindy kept her pinned with ease. Courtney was athletic, but without the belt her strength was nothing compared to her super powered enemy’s.

“Shut up,” the villainess hissed, “Unless you want one of my dad’s goons to barge in here wondering what’s going on.”

Her chest heaving, eyes wide and jaw gaping in fright, Courtney stopped struggling long enough to look around the room.

She was lying on a bed, but it was a large four-poster bed in a much larger room than hers. There were several mirrors in various corners of the room and one entire wall was covered with ribbons, medals, and trophies. There was an expensive pink vanity cluttered with perfumes and make up, a deep walk-in closet with a collection of shoes and outfits.

Courtney pinched her eyes shut for a moment. She felt overworked, her body too tired to stay panicked for long, her thoughts still muddled and mired.

“What… what happened?” she groaned, “I don’t… where am I?”

“I beat you and now you’re in my room,” Cindy said, “You can relax. If I wanted you dead, I could have handed you over to the Injustice Society, left you in the gym, or cut your throat any time in the last ten hours. In fact, I’ve gone quite a bit out of my way to keep you alive AND keep your secret safe. Gratitude wouldn’t be amiss.”

Wondering if this wasn’t still some kind of nightmare, Courtney looked down at herself. Her costume was gone, replaced by an overly large t shirt fit her like a very short night gown. No mask, no staff, no belt. That meant not only was she powerless, but Cindy… knew.

Courtney stiffened as the realization struck her. Cindy knew she was Stargirl, she’d even said as much. That meant the Injustice Society would know, which meant they’d come after her. There wouldn’t be any place to hide. They’d come after Pat and her mom and her friends and…

With a burst of desperate strength, Courtney shoved the other girl away then threw herself off the bed. She meant to roll and land neatly on her feet, but her balance was far from steady and she instead fell in a heap, her body banging into the floor and knocking her breath out.

“Honestly,” Cindy rolled her eyes and set the ointment back on her nightstand, “Have you ever not reacted emotionally to something?”

Courtney clambered to her feet, still dizzy and weak. She’d have to pass Cindy on the way to the door, so she instead she staggered to the far wall, grabbed the nearest trophy and whirled back around, her eyes wide and shaking with terror.

“Put,” Cindy hopped off the bed, “That. Down.”

Courtney drew the trophy back like a baseball bat, ready to swing if the girl came any closer. Panicking, wearing nothing but a t shirt that hung off her shoulder and barely hid her underwear, she brandished her make-shift weapon like a cornered animal. Part of her knew it was pure desperation, but she couldn’t stop herself.

“B-Back off!” she shouted, “I mean it!”

“Stop and think, blondie,” Cindy put her hands on her hips, “I kicked your ass when you had your cosmic weapons. Do you really think I’m scared of some cherrywood and polished brass?”

Courtney swallowed and looked around wildly, knowing the other girl was right, but she still had to get away. She had to warn her family so they could run, escape Blue Valley, get as far away as they could. There had to be some way to escape.

“I-I’m leaving!” she was still looking around for a way out, “And i-if you try to stop me—”

“You’re not leaving,” Cindy said flatly, “Not until I say you can.”

“I said BACK OFF!” Courtney screamed.

“SHHHH!”

A knock on the door made both girls turn.

“Mistress Cindy?” a voice called from the other side.

Cindy turned to give Courtney a sharp look, a deliberate warning. She stared for a few long moments, making sure the message was clear, before turning back to the door.

“Yes?” she called back innocently.

The door opened and on the other side was a small, hunched man, looking even more so by the way he bowed his head, his hands clasped in supplication.

“I… heard raised voices, mistress. Your father… instructed… me to check if there were any… disturbances. Is there a disturbance?”

The man’s voice was a dreamy monotone with strange pauses, like he was reading a script phonetically without knowing what the sounds meant. Something about it sent a chill down Courtney’s spine.

“No, Hector,” Cindy beamed back, “I told you I was having a sleepover last night, remember? My friend and I were playing a game.”

There was a long pause as Hector processed that information. He stayed unnervingly still. Courtney couldn’t even tell if he was breathing.

“You were… playing…” Hector slowly lifted his head, “A game…?”

“Yes. A game,” Cindy replied, “As teenage girls are wont to do. We play many games and have fun very often. Isn’t that right, Courtney?”

Despite her rival’s warning, Courtney considered telling Hector the truth, that Cindy had kidnapped her and was keeping her against her will. She quickly changed her mind when she saw the man’s face.

Hector was gaunt and shriveled almost like he’d been starved, but what unsettled her was the expression on his face, or lack thereof. When he looked at her there was no recognition in his eyes, none of the subtle cues a normal person exhibited when seeing another human being. He looked at her the same way he’d look at the patch of carpet he’d been staring at before he raised his head. He was thinking nothing, simply waiting for outside input, a command or stimulus he had a programmed reaction to.

Looking at him, Courtney felt an unsettling certainty that Hector was more drone than man now, if he ever had been a man. He was a husk, a puppet being programmed and controlled by someone who didn’t care at all for human life, an extension of their terrible will.

She realized it would be a very, very bad idea to tell Hector anything resembling the truth.

“Y-yeah,” Courtney swallowed, “We play games… I mean, we were playing a game…”

Hector stared through her, at her mouth rather than her eyes.

“You were playing…” he echoed back.

Cindy marched to the door, “Yes, thank you, Hector. Now get out of my room.”

The hunched, shriveled little man was still be processing the information when the girl reached him. When he didn’t move fast enough, she planted a hand into his chest and shoved him back into the hallway. He banged into the wall, but there was no reaction on his face. He didn’t even blink.

“From now on, Hector,” Cindy glared at him, “When you knock on my door, you are not to open the door or enter my room until you have received my express permission. Is that understood?”

Hector stared. Cindy didn’t wait for his response.

“Now go to the kitchen and fix us a snack. Devilled eggs would be nice.”

With that she slammed the door, but stood there and crossed her arms, waiting for him to leave. It was almost ten seconds before she received a response.

“That is… understood, mistress Cindy,” he said from the other side of the door, “I will… make devilled eggs…”

After another few seconds, there was the shuffling sound of his steps down the hallway. Cindy waited for them to be long gone before turning back.

Spinning on her heel with a sigh, the teen villainess strolled to her nightstand, like she’d forgotten Courtney was there. She pulled open the drawer, withdrew a box of expensive gourmet chocolates, then tossed them on the bed before hopping up herself and stretching out over the covers. Flipping off the lid, she propped herself on her elbow and perused, letting her hand hover over the box as she decided which chocolate she wanted.

Courtney watched her, unsure what to do. It wasn’t like she could bust through the window and run home in a t shirt and panties without raising questions. She knew she didn’t have a chance at winning a fight without her staff or belt, much less without pants. Feeling vulnerable, she tugged the t shirt down a bit lower, hiding as much of her bare legs as possible.

“Lie back on the bed, Courtney,” Cindy said, “A chocolate will make you feel better. Chocolate has chemicals that produce—”

Courtney glared at her.

“No!” she hissed, “Are you crazy?! I’m not doing anything with you! You-you attacked me and k-kidnapped me! You’re evil! Your dad is a super villain!”
 Cindy rolled her eyes. She picked out a chocolate and began peeling away its foil covering.

When the villainess didn’t respond, Courtney raised her voice a bit more.

“Wh-where’s my staff? I want my staff and I want my belt and I want my costume! I’m not staying here so you can—can do whatever it is you’re trying to do!”

Cindy took a delicate bite of the chocolate and chewed thoughtfully, not even looking in the other girl’s direction.

“So…” Courtney continued, “So… tell me where… where they all are! Right now!”

Cindy frowned, decided she liked the chocolate then took another careful bite. Only after she’d chewed on it for a moment did she respond.

“Stargirl, are you fully aware of how much trouble it was to clean up after our battle?”

Courtney blinked at that, momentarily stymied.

“I… y-you… cleaned…?”

Cindy popped the last of the chocolate into her mouth, “As far as anyone knows, a gang of vandals broke into the school last night. I had to scour the area of anything we might have left behind, spray paint gross words in several places, break a window, set a few things on fire, all without being seen. Not to mention sneaking your unconscious body past a crowd of people, into my house, past Hector AND my father and into my room. Then I had to call your mother and convince her and your stepfather you were spending the night here so they wouldn’t worry. I’ve even doctored your visible wounds, to make them heal at an accelerated rate. Let me tell you, none of it was easy. I missed a lot of sleep last night.”

Courtney gaped at her, stunned. If all of that were true then Cindy had not only NOT turned her over to the Injustice Society, she had spent a great deal of effort protecting her secret. It was possible she was lying, but why would she? What did she have to gain by tricking her, when she could have easily killed her or handed her over to her father? But on the other hand, what did she gain by protecting her?

As Courtney’s brow furrowed, trying to make sense of all this, Cindy turned to look at her.

“On the other hand,” she narrowed her eyes, “Are you fully aware how easy it would be for me to destroy you?”

Her confused relief began to decompose and sink into her stomach. Courtney looked into her rival’s eyes, a sense of foreboding making her tense.

“I could write a note,” Cindy said, “Just a few words. Leave it on my father’s desk. I could let it slip in conversation. ‘There’s a blonde girl in my class that showed up when Stargirl did. Isn’t that funny?’ Oopsies.”

Cindy nestled a bit deeper into her pillow, her eyes never leaving Courtney’s. It wasn’t necessary to stand to make the threat palpable. The young heroine was already starting to shrink, the trophy trembling in her hands, her eyes growing wide as saucers.

“’Oh, Hector?’” Cindy said sweetly, “’Would you please inform my father that I’ve captured Stargirl?’ I wouldn’t even have to get out of bed. I could call him right now.”

A cold fist squeezed Courtney’s heart and she bit her bottom lip, feeling small and pathetic. She was beginning to realize just how vulnerable she was. If she even managed to win a fight with Cindy, the noise would draw Hector. And then what would she do? Steal some of Cindy’s clothes and run home? It wouldn’t change the fact that the girl knew Courtney’s identity and without the staff and belt she’d never be able to protect herself, much less her family.

Her shoulders sank and she lowered her eyes, tears starting to brim.

Cindy grinned in triumph.

“Should I call him?” she asked.

Courtney swallowed, then slowly shook her head. It took all her strength not to sob.

“N-no… pl-please don’t…”

“Then do as I say. Come here. Have a chocolate.”

Courtney hesitated for a moment, feeling like she was at the edge of a precipice. She knew Cindy was holding all the cards, but to obey the girl’s command was to admit she’d lost. Once that happened, Cindy would have her and Courtney couldn’t see a way she could ever escape.

But then, there already was no escape. She HAD lost. Cindy already had her. There was only one decision she could make.

Courtney set the trophy down then shuffled towards the bed.

“First, put that back where you found it,” Cindy ordered.

Courtney stopped then turned back to pick up the trophy and put it on its shelf. Feeling Cindy’s eyes on her, watching and judging, she turned the trophy so it was straight, exactly like it had been, then came back to bed. The bed was taller than the one in her room and she had to climb up, pulling down nervously on the t shirt to keep from showing off her panties. Once on the covers, she tugged at the t shirt a bit more and looked away, still chewing fretfully on her bottom lip. She laid on her back, stiff as a board.

Cindy didn’t say a word as her captive did as she was told, watching her with neutral features, seeing if it was even possible for the girl to obey orders. When Courtney finally laid down, Cindy smiled and scooched a bit closer, lying on her side, propped up on her elbow. She tried to catch Courtney’s eye, but the girl deliberately looked away, ashamed, her brow pinched with distress.

“Well, you’re not being much fun,” Cindy teased, picking a chocolate out of the box, “Here. It’s not the best chocolate I’ve ever had, but it’s not bad.”

Courtney looked warily at the gold foil-wrapped ball in her captor’s hand, afraid to take anything from the sadistic villainess.

“I’m not going to hurt you, Courtney,” Cindy said, then shrugged, “Unless you do something deliberately defiant. It’s just chocolate.”

Courtney swallowed then warily took the chocolate from the offered hand, her fingers trembling slightly as she undid the foil.

For a few seconds there was silence, the villainess watching the cowed heroine carefully, making the girl even more nervous. The crinkling of the foil was uncomfortably loud.

Cindy wouldn’t go through all this trouble just to poison her… right?

Finally having the chocolate unwrapped, Courtney brought it to her lips and took a small bite. It was soft and a bit flakey, seeming to melt in her mouth. It was very, very good.

Once that tiny piece vanished, she took a larger bite. After the constant pain, humiliation, fear, and stress of the fight and the last few minutes, the taste of something so good was like a soothing balm. She drew in a gentle breath through her nose and sucked for a moment, relishing it.

After she popped the last bit of chocolate into her mouth, Cindy gave her another and she took it without hesitation.

“Chocolate has chemicals that increase synaptic responses and stimulate the pleasure centers,” Cindy explained, “I know you’re having a hard time right now. I mean, I don’t know exactly what you’re going through because I never lose, but I’ve read friends often share chocolate when one of them needs comfort.”

Whether it was because the other girl had put the suggestion in her mind or just the chocolate itself, Courtney began to feel a bit of warmth in her tummy. It wasn’t a cure-all, but it gave her a small, very welcome bit of relief.

She was still focusing on the taste of the chocolate, trying to forget about everything else for just a moment, when Cindy brushed some curly locks from her brow.

Courtney reacted like a startled kitten, flinching and staring at the other girl with eyes big and dilated.

“Like I said, I’m not going to hurt you,” Cindy twirled a finger in the straw-blonde hair, “And if I did, there’s nothing you could do about it anyway. So, relax.”

Courtney lowered her eyes, then turned her head, starting to scooch a few inches away from the other girl.

“I said,” Cindy narrowed her eyes, “Relax.”

There was no mistaking the warning tone. Courtney glanced at her fearfully then laid back down where she was, letting the girl stroke and play with her hair.

“That’s better,” Cindy said, “You can have one more chocolate, if you like, but no more after that. We don’t want you getting chubby, do we?”

Courtney shook her head slowly, staring at the golden foil crumpled in her hands. The fingers brushing and making little rings in her hair were gentle, the touching not unpleasant, even if it wasn’t quite soothing. Cindy could do much worse to her and she was content to let it continue. Her mind was on something else.

She crinkled the foil between her fingers, fretting with it while her brow furrowed in thought.

Cindy grinned and stroked at the little crease between Courtney’s eyebrows with the tip of her finger.

“It looks like someone’s thinking very deep thoughts,” she teased, “Wondering why I’m doing all this, instead of killing you?”

Courtney looked at her, eyebrows raising with surprise.

Cindy giggled at the startled expression, then leaned close to kiss Courtney on the cheek. The blonde was so surprised she simply froze, staring at the other girl, transfixed.

“I like you, new girl,” Cindy stroked the spot she’d kissed with her thumb, “You stood up to me and you’re athletic and pretty, but you’re nice. And I really need a friend right now. You’re going to be my friend.”

Courtney blinked a few times, gaping.

“Y-you… beat me… stole my staff…” her voice slowly grew in volume, “Took my… my costume… and… you want me to be your friend?!”

The villainess didn’t respond. She stared flatly, still stroking with her thumb, but even that stopped after a moment. She became as still as a sphinx, her eyes boring into her captive’s.

Courtney immediately regretted speaking. She shrank under the other girl’s gaze, too afraid to say anything else.

After several seconds of silence, Cindy abruptly sat up and swung her legs off the bed, plopping to the floor.

“Off the bed,” she ordered, “Stand up.”

Courtney drew her knees to her chest, curling up in fright.

“I-I’m sorry!” she squeaked, “I didn’t—”

“Do as I say. Now.”

Biting her lip did, she did as she was told, dropping off the bed onto unsteady feet.

Before the cowering heroine could catch her balance, Cindy had already strode around the bed to grab her by the wrist. Courtney squeaked as she was pulled a few paces from the bed then jerked to a stop, facing the other girl.

Shoulders bunched up like she was afraid she would be struck, Courtney looked up and Cindy looked right back. The dark-haired girl crossed her arms and slowly looked her up and down, assessing. Feeling almost naked, the frightened heroine tugged down a little bit on her shirt, even bending down to hide more of her thighs.

Courtney didn’t dare open her mouth. She waited for the other girl’s sharp gaze to drag down her chest, to her waist, then her legs, then slowly back up to meet her eyes.

Cindy tilted her head.

“It’s difficult for me to make friends.” She finally said.

Courtney swallowed, unsure if she was supposed to respond. Apparently not, because Cindy quickly continued.

“It’s almost impossible, really. Not real friends. Someone that’s a true peer, that I can trust. Anyone with a backbone and intelligence is afraid to come near me and everyone else is a shallow sycophant. Besides that, who could I possibly talk to about my REAL problems?”

She stepped closer and Courtney lowered her eyes, having to fight the urge to back away.

“I didn’t intend to let you live,” Cindy said, “But once I saw who you were, I realized I had a unique opportunity. Someone who already knew about my father and THAT world. Who had even defied me, challenged me. You’re not my equal, Courtney, but close enough to be interesting…”

She tugged gently at the neckline of Courtney’s shirt, straightening it out, then strode past her. She prowled around her, looking her captive over from different angles. She smiled crookedly as she admired the calves, the dimples behind the knees.

Courtney hunched a bit lower, afraid to turn, staying stock still.

“You’re clever enough, entertaining,” Cindy traced a finger down the girl’s spine, “Delightfully innocent, cute, competent, not to mention being Stargirl. And I can trust you.”

She clasped her arms around Courtney’s waist, making the blonde stiffen for a moment before Cindy pressed herself into her back. She gave the cowering heroine an affectionate squeeze, then rested her chin on Courtney’s shoulder.

“I trust you completely, Courtney,” the villainess said, “Absolutely.”

She swallowed as Cindy reached up to brush her hair behind her ear, breathing on her neck.

“I trust you because…” her captor whispered, “I. Own. You.”

Courtney’s breath caught. She struggled to say something back. That it wasn’t true. But all she could do was slowly shake her head.

The other girl just laughed gently, slipping away to begin circling around her once more.

“I do.” Cindy purred, “I can tell you anything. Tell you to do anything. And from now on, you’re going to do it. Because if you don’t…”

She finished her circle, standing in front of Courtney once more.

“Well…” she smiled, “you know…”

Courtney shivered. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. The staff had chosen her; she was a superhero. Heroes won in the end or they died heroically. They… none of this happened to them.

Cindy stepped closer, her lips turned up in a knowing grin. She saw what she was looking for in the hopeless expression on her rival’s face. Now all she had to do was add the finishing touch.

Courtney hung her head, not even thinking about retreating. There was nowhere to run.

“Look at me, Courtney,” the villainess sounded almost gentle.

She crooked a finger under the girl’s chin and tilted her face back up.

“Look into my eyes,” Cindy said, “And say it.”

Courtney looked into the villainess’s dark eyes, her own heavy and sad. For a moment she considered feigning ignorance of what Cindy wanted, but it was half-hearted and she let the idea go. What she saw in the other girl’s eyes was absolute certainty, the aggressive confidence of someone that knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that their victory was complete. And Courtney found she couldn’t argue with them.

Her shoulders slumped in defeat, tension fading as fear was replaced with resignation.

“I…” Courtney’s voice was hollow, “You… own me.”

Cindy’s grin broadened, wide and pleased. She pinched the girl’s chin and wiggled it playfully, staring deep into the sad blue eyes.

“Mmm, I think I heard just a bit of hesitation in there,” she licked her lips, “Let me hear it again, hon. And enunciate. Niiiiiice and clear.”

Courtney sighed, deflating a bit further.

“You.” She obediently enunciated every word, “Own. Me.”

There was an instant, visible change to Cindy’s demeanor. She tossed her head back and let out a quick, bubbly laugh, her arms looping around Courtney’s waist. After she was done, her hands clasped behind Courtney’s back and she tilted her head fondly at the girl, grinning so hard it looked like she might burst into laughter again.

“Oh, sweetie,” her voice bounced with mirth, “Don’t be so sad. You never could have beaten me. This is really the best possible ending for you.”

Cindy smiled and drew the beaten girl closer, hugging her chest to her own.

“In a few weeks, you’re going to be happy this happened,” she cooed, “I will expect certain things from you, but I always take good care of my toys. You’ll see.”

Courtney stared at her, not knowing what to say to that. She knew she should be more afraid of what Cindy had planned for her, but she was numb from an overload of emotion. She just let herself be held and looked back into the other girl’s eyes, her features soft and weary.

Cindy waited a beat, then arched an eyebrow.

“Say ‘Yes, Cindy’.”

Courtney nodded slowly, “Yes, Cindy.”

“Better.” Cindy smiled, “Now… let’s take THIS off…”

She took the hem of the oversized shirt and drew it up.

Courtney blinked, shocked by the suddenness of the movement and the very fact that Cindy was undressing her. She gaped in surprise, feeling somewhat dazed as the shirt came up over her hips and stomach. Then, before she knew fully what she was doing, she had raised her arms so the shirt could be pulled up over her head, a reflex she’d from childhood.

“Good girl,” Cindy smiled, wadding the shirt up and tossing it aside, “You’re learning quickly. Say yes, Cindy”

Courtney found herself blushing, “Y-yes, Cindy.”

It didn’t help the blushing when Cindy kissed her gently on the cheek, then began running her hands over Courtney’s body. They roamed like a sculptor’s, testing their work for imperfections, starting by sliding over her collar bone then moving out over her shoulders. They worked their way down her arms, Cindy making a thoughtful sound, then touched her hip and slid back up over her waist, one hand taking a detour to explore Courtney’s tight tummy.

“Good stomach,” Cindy said to herself.

Courtney found herself feeling small as the invading hands explored her skin, cupping and massaging, learning about her body in the most intimate, tactile way. The brazenness in how the other girl groped her kept her from resisting, like she was being held still by sheer dominance of presence. All she had on was a white cotton bra and striped panties and she blushed pink, but there was also a tickling, fearful excitement in her tummy. She didn’t know what it was, but it made her not want to move. Or for the hands to stop.

Cindy peeled back a cup of the bra and leaned forward to peak at the tip of her breast.

“Cute,” she chirped, “Good legs. You did gymnastics.”

Courtney’s throat was tight, frozen by the strange paralysis that had her stomach doing flips. When she finally spoke, her voice was hushed and so soft it was barely a squeak.

“Yuh… y-yes, Cindy…”

“You’ll do cheerleading now,” the villainess took her by the shoulders, “You’ve got the right look and you’ll have to do everything I do anyway. I’ll talk to the principal tomorrow about switching your classes to mine.”

Cindy deliberately turned her around, facing her away. She cupped over the shoulder blades, then smoothed down the muscles of the back while Courtney stared at the wall, even more dizzy and confused.

Classes? Cheerleading? She hadn’t been overtly considering the fate Cindy could plan for her, but going back to high school?

She opened her mouth to voice a question but found herself struggling to find the words.

“I…” her voice was so soft she barely heard it herself, “I’m…?”

The other girl didn’t notice.

“You have a little bubble butt, don’t you?” Cindy grinned, “I think I’ll have to dress you in lots of short shorts.”

She took the waistband of Courtney’s underwear and stretched it out so she could have a look inside. Two pale cheeks pressed together within the thin layer of cotton, plump with tone.

“Mmm, leggings too.” Cindy added, “The right kind of jeans. Lots of options. I’ll go through your wardrobe, but you don’t usually wear the correct things to show it off. I’ll probably have to take you shopping.”

Courtney’s eyes widened when she felt the draft on her bare bottom, her throat tightening as confusing feelings further mired her confusion at the other girl’s behavior. Now they were going shopping?

Cindy let the waistband snap back into place then patted a playful drumbeat against the seat of Courtney’s panties, feeling the shapes ripple beneath.

“Adorable,” she cooed, “And mine.”

With that she turned and strode back towards the nightstand, leaving Courtney standing there. She drew open a drawer and withdrew a pair of shining handcuffs, then returned.

“Hold still,” Cindy took the other girl’s wrists and drew them behind her back, “At the time I didn’t know why I got these, but lucky I did.”

As one of the cuffs clicked into place, the cold steel kissing her skin, Courtney struggled to speak. She could feel Cindy’s commanding presence and for a strange reason it made her want to stay still and quiet, but questions were bubbling up. She was afraid to ask, afraid to make this gentle Cindy into angry Cindy, so she squeaked one word, as if the shorter the question the safer it was.

“Wh… why?”

Cindy closed the second cuff with a grin.

“Because you’re still my prisoner, sweetie,” she tickled along Courtney’s back, making her arch in surprise, “I can’t have you just wandering around. Plus, I want to. And it’s fun.”

She stepped beside Courtney, taking the girl by her arm and leading her forward, towards the vanity. Courtney walked without hesitation, letting Cindy take her where she wanted.

“B-but…” the former heroine looked up at her new mistress, “I’m… going to school?”

“Of course you are,” Cindy stopped at the wall next to the vanity, “It would raise too many questions if you didn’t. We don’t want anyone asking around about where you are and we don’t want to get your family drawn into this, do we?”

The young villainess pushed a button beside the vanity’s mirror and the wall in front of her slid open to reveal a different room.

“Besides, I’m forced to be at school for a good portion of my day,” she guided Courtney forward, “What’s the point of having a friend if you’re not around when I want you?”

Through the hidden door was Cindy’s actual room, the one where she kept the things that truly mattered to her. The walls were painted pink and it had chic light fixtures, but it was clearly more a workshop than a lounge. Several tables were set about the room covered with components for different projects and against the wall were more carefully organized drawers and shelves.

“My father made this for me when I was little,” Cindy looked around as she led the other girl inside, “I have another, bigger lab in the basement, so father never checks on this one anymore.”

Courtney looked around at all the various projects, amazed at the size of the room. On one table was what looked like a mad scientist’s chemistry set, complete with beakers filled with bubbling liquid and a microscope. On another was a soldering set and a small necklace, with odds and ends of electronics scattered around it. On yet another was what looked like sections of a golden pipe…

Courtney stopped dead in her tracks.

It was her staff. The heavy crooked end lay to one side, a panel opened to show strange coils that had been blackened from the power overload. The rest had been broken into sections its golden sheath removed so its innards could be explored. Her red belt lay beside it, likewise opened up, shiny metal bits taken out and organized nearby, dissected.

Before she realized what she was doing, Courtney stepped towards that table.

Cindy pulled her back.

“Courtney…” she said in a low, warning tone.

Courtney cringed, realizing she’d made a mistake.

“I… I…” she started.

Cindy cut her off, “Leave those things alone. I’ve already disassembled them so you can’t use them, but you might mess something up.”

In nothing but her underwear, hands trapped behind her back, Courtney had never felt more vulnerable. She hoped she hadn’t upset Cindy beyond repair.

“Yes, Cindy,” she answered quickly.

“They’re not yours anymore.” The other girl continued, “They’re mine and you’re not allowed to touch them. You’re not allowed in this room unless I say so.” She leaned closer, “If you disobey me, you won’t like what happens. Do you understand?”

Courtney’s nodded so fast it made her hair bounce, “Y-yes, Cindy!”

Cindy stared hard, making sure the point was made, then slowly softened, enjoying the frightened, timid reaction of her former rival. She stroked the wavy blonde hair from a soft cheek, smiling warmly.

“Good girl.”

Courtney looked back, her eyes wide and hopeful.

“Come on,” Cindy cooed, “I made a present for you last night.”

The queen bee walked the former heroine to one of the worktables, the one with the necklace. There were odds and ends of circuit boards and electronics settled around it, apparently cannibalized for Cindy’s work, while the necklace itself was laid on a folded velvet cloth.

“I worked hard on this,” Cindy reached for it, “It’s going to look perfect on the pretty white neck of yours.”

Pinching one end, she dangled it in front of Courtney’s face, letting her see it up close.

It was a short, choker necklace, the bands made of shiny black material with a circular green charm in the center. The charm itself was a small digital screen, displaying the letter C in curling, flowery script.

“I have a few preprogrammed designs for it. This is the version you’ll wear at home and this,” she pushed a button on the side of the charm, “Is the version you’ll wear to school on Monday.”

The screen changed. It now read “Property of Cindy Burman”, in smaller script, but underlined and in bold font, with a little smiley face for a period.

Courtney swallowed, her heart skipping a beat when she read the text.

“I’ll have to explain what it means to a few people,” Cindy brushed Courtney’s hair from her neck, “It’s important that people know who you belong to now. Can’t have anyone thinking they can talk back to me like you did and get away with it.”

She slipped the choker around Courtney’s throat.

“You’ll have to promise to never take it off without me,” Cindy looked into her eyes, “Okay?”

Courtney nodded, “Yes, Cindy.”

The choker clicked into place, fitting snugly in the center of her throat.

“Good,” the villainess smiled sweetly, “Because it has a little explosive in it that will go off if you do.”

Courtney stiffened, her eyebrows shooting towards her scalp. She jerked, the handcuffs clinking as she instinctively reached for the collar only to remember her wrists were caught.

Cindy smiled, drawing the girl to her chest.

“Oh, it’s okay, hon,” she hugged Courtney close, looking into her eyes, “It’s completely harmless if you leave it alone. It also has a tracker and a teensy microphone to record everything you say when I’m not with you.”

The former heroine stared, wide eyed but beginning to relax in her captor’s grasp.

“Friends don’t talk about me behind my back,” Cindy whispered, rubbing and massaging Courtney’s shoulder, “Especially not to their old friends about who I am. What happened in the gym. My father. You’re going to tell them exactly what I tell you to.”

Courtney slouched as all the tension left her once more. It all made sense now. Cindy wasn’t just going to let her go without some kind of control. Every moment the villainess would know exactly where she was, what she was saying. Even when she wasn’t there with her, Cindy would own her every moment of every day. She’d already thought of everything.

Courtney sighed and closed her eyes, letting her head nod onto the villainess’s shoulder. She let the soft words soothe her, the touches relax her, giving in to the other girl’s will.

Cindy felt it the moment it happened. She nuzzled close, pressing her lips to Courtney’s ear, then her cheek, working her way closer with little kisses until she found the girl’s mouth and captured it. Her hand felt around Courtney’s back, working in gentle circles as her lips clasped, seizing and suckling before pressing deeper.

Courtney let her have it. When the hand slipped down and cupped over her bottom, she let Cindy have that too. Let her squeeze and own, her tongue to plunge and explore. She let her former rival have everything she wanted.

After a few moments, Cindy broke the kiss with a sinister smile, her dark eyes twinkling with mischief.

“Come on,” she said gently.

Taking Courtney by the arm, she led the former heroine out of her workshop, closing the secret door behind them.

“I’ll take you to your house in a few hours,” Cindy said, “Tomorrow I’ll come over to go through your clothes, see what you can keep and what I’ll need to buy for you.”

She guided Courtney towards the bed.

“But for right now, I need some sleep. And you’re going to keep me company.”

She slipped her hand inside Courtney’s panties, then crawled into bed, pulling the girl under the covers with her.

It was a while before she slept. Stargirl did everything she wanted.