Ch 18: New Year's Eve

Glory lay in bed reading one of the books she’d gotten for Christmas, Bethany’s Baby, when someone knocked on the door. “Come in,” she called, placing her bookmark and sitting up when her mother came into the room. She hovered in the doorway, hands behind her back. “What’s up?”

She kicked the door shut behind her before she spoke. “I got a call from Melissa’s mother a little bit ago.”

Glory felt her stomach lurch. “I can explain.”

Her mother sat down on the bed next to her and revealed that she was holding a banana and a condom. “I understand that you’re a teenager, and you’re on your own, and hormones are raging--”

“What are those for?” she asked, eying the items in her mother’s hands.

“If you’re going to be throwing yourself at boys I at least want you to be safe. This is a rubber, and this is a--well--”

“I’m not throwing myself at anyone! It was just the once, and I’ve been dating him for a while and we used protection, so put the condom down and step away from the banana.”

“Of course you‘re not.” Her mother sighed. “I’m sorry--I got the phone call and I panicked. I guess you’re not a little girl any more.”

“No.”

“I just worry about you away at school, training with the League.”

“I’m fine,” Glory lied. “Really.”

“Are you sure? You’ve been so quiet since you came home.”

“I’m stressed,” Glory admitted. “I’m working very hard and school is much more difficult than I thought it would be--but being with KP makes me feel better. I can relax around him. I’m not doing anything I don’t want to,” she assured. “I’m not being reckless or stupid. I promise.”

Her mother smiled. “Okay.” She pulled her into a hug and caught the title of the book Glory was reading. “I think I need to be more careful with the books I give you,” she said, picking up the paperback. “Don’t let this give you any ideas.”

Glory shook her head. “It won’t.”

“Okay. I feel better about all this now.” She handed Glory the book back and stood up. “I’ve already made you an appointment with my gynecologist for the Tuesday after New Years.”

Glory was sure she visibly blanched. “Actually, I was going to go back a few days early. There’s a big New Years Eve celebration in the park. Some of my friends were going to go.” This wasn’t exactly true. Captain Righteous had mentioned it, but Glory had intended to stay home the whole of break. The party was starting to look pretty appealing. Maybe she could get KP and Torch to come back early too. What she had said to her mother was true--KP did make her feel better, and that was all that mattered. She wanted him and needed him. That was enough. She suddenly felt much better than she had most of break.

“Oh. Okay. Well, promise me you’ll talk to the campus medical center. You should get on the pill--”

“Okay mom--get out!”

*****

Lola’s head felt fuzzy and full when the phone rang at five in the morning. She fumbled and found it on the bedside table. “Wha?”

“Where are you?” an unfamiliar male voice demanded.

“Who’s this?”

“Trapdoor Spider.” It took Lola’s brain a moment to realign with the world back home. After three weeks of parties and too much booze and sex, Lola had almost forgotten that she had another life as a super villain. “Dark Lothario wants you here.”

“How did you get this number?”

“I’ve got your man right here.”

“Sorry boss,” she could hear Ratface call into the phone. “They made me do it.”

Lola groaned. “Look, I’m in Europe. I’ll be back when the semester starts.”

“No, now.”

“I’m not at his beck and call. It’ll take some time to get a flight and--”

“What airport? We’ll have a ticket waiting for you when you get there.”

She wanted to kill someone. “Okay.” She gave him the information. “Why does he need me?”

“Your mind control powers may prove to be useful to Dark Lothario in his next project tomorrow night.” Tomorrow was already today, and it was New Years’ Eve. “I’ll call you back with your flight information.”

“Whatever.”

Lola rolled out of bed and called room service for breakfast and coffee--lots of coffee. She stumbled to the closet and pulled her suitcase out, opening it on the unmade bed and throwing her clothes into it. She was insensible of all the designer, dry-clean only items being thrown together haphazardly, shoes mixed in with the expensive garments. Spider called her back while she was eating breakfast and informed her that her flight would be leaving at nine.

Her shower was brief and she took little care with her make-up. She didn’t want to go back, but she didn’t want to stay either. She was tempted to leave without saying goodbye to her mother, but thought better in the end, and ignored the ‘do not disturb’ sign on the door, knocking until she answered. “Don’t you know what time it is?” she demanded, wrapped in a black silk robe.

“I need to head back early,” Lola said.

“Why?”

She hesitated. “Because.” What the hell. “Because I’m working on a project with Dark Lothario.”

“Dark Lothario.”

“Yes. He was impressed with my demonstration with the police.”

“You stay away from that man,” she said, wrapping her robe tighter around her body. She rarely saw her mother rattled, but the great Mesmera seemed to shrink into herself, becoming smaller. “He’s not anyone you should be associating yourself with.”

“Why not?”

“He hasn’t--you know--has he?”

“Seduced me? He’s been a perfect gentleman. Why so concerned?” Tell me. Please tell me.

“He is not a good man, Lola. You can’t trust him, and don’t ever let yourself be alone in a room with him just--don’t. Walk away. Never think of him again.”

“I can’t do that.”

“I knew I should have made you go to Princeton.”

“I don’t have time for this.” If she didn’t want to tell her, that was just fine. “I have a plane to catch.”

“Don’t sleep with him, Lola.”

“Why not? Because you did?” Her mother’s silence was as good as an answer. “Call me when you decide to come home,” she said, and pulled the door closed for her mother.

*****

Lola felt vaguely ill when she got off the plane in Acropolis. Her last flight from NYC had been in a miniscule plane with no first class, so she spent the last leg of her long trip claustrophobic squeezed into the tiny seats with no leg room. After 15 hours of travel she wanted nothing more than a hot bath and a glass of wine. Outside of the airport she breathed in a deep lungful of cold air and felt a sense of relief to be back on the ground, but it was short lived.

Dark Lothario’s limousine was waiting at the airport, and Trapdoor Spider took her bag and opened the door for her. Aside from the driver there was no one else there. “Dark Lothario is annoyed that you left the country without completing your assignment,” he told her when he got back into the limo. He reached over to the mini bar and poured her a drink, which she knocked back appreciatively.

“You mean the girl? I’m working on it.” She helped herself to the bottles beside her. “I’m not his minion. I’m not here to do his bidding.”

“Keep saying that if it makes you feel better. You have talent, no doubt, but you don’t have the heart for this business. One day you’ll break, and Dark Lothario will be there to pick up the pieces.”

Lola glared at him and sipped at the bourbon she was drinking, saying nothing. Spider switched gears and began to explain the plan for the evening. “There’s a New Years celebration in the park tonight--its already underway. There are about five hundred people there. At midnight Mayor Wilkinson will make a speech, and his daughter Patricia will flip the switch for the ball to drop. We’re going to kidnap the mayor’s daughter.”

Lola set down the bottle she was about to pour. “Forget it. I’m not helping him kidnap anyone. I’m not down with that at all.”

“You want to work with Dark Lothario, this is what we do.”

“It’s wrong,“ she insisted.

“It’s only wrong to you because she’s a woman.” He gave her a wide, creepy smile. “How many men have you brainwashed into having sex with you?”

“I haven’t--” she stopped herself. Lawrence. Maybe he wanted it, maybe he didn’t. Either way, she had used her powers to give him the push he needed to say yes. “Once. But that’s not--”

“You and Dark Lothario are two of the same, girly. Get used to it. We’re going to create chaos tonight. It will be wonderful.”

“How much is he ransoming her for?”

“Thirty million, to be paid by Valentine’s Day.” When he doesn’t pay up Dark Lothario will give a special live performance on his website that evening.”

“That’s sick!”

“That’s good business. Dark Lothario makes more money than any other pornographer. You know why? Men wish they had his powers and women, all women, secretly want to succumb to them. You want to be a super villain, great. Don’t let your morals get in the way of things. As of right now, you don‘t have any.”

*****

Glory though she had avoided something horrible by getting out of her parents’ house early, but she was second guessing that by New Years Eve. The park was lit up as bright as day and was full of people wrapped up tight against the cold evening. The small pond had been cleared for ice skating, and ice sculptures helped turn the place into a winter wonderland. If she had been there with KP she might have been so charmed by the atmosphere that she would change her mind about wanting to run away to Vegas with him. As it was, he and Torch were still in Ohio, and she was standing with Captain Righteous, Black, and Chameleon.

“This isn’t fun,” Chameleon shivered. She was having a hard time concentrating on keeping her color, and her skin was the exact shade of the tan wool coat she was wearing.

Glory rather agreed, and she and Chameleon inched closer to each other for warmth. “Why don’t we go back to my place and watch the ball drop on TV like a sane person?” she offered, pulling her pink hat further down over her ears. The four of them were wearing street clothes, but they were also wearing masks since they were with each other (except Black, who looked just as odd wearing sunglasses in the middle of the night). No matter where they stood people would start whispering and pointing. Glory was fairly certain that being this conspicuous couldn’t possibly be good for them.

“Where is your civic pride?” Righteous asked in a booming voice that seemed to carry through the crowds, causing more eyes to look their way. “Tonight we are part of a community, part of America, all celebrating together.”

“Fine, fine,” she grumbled. Glory caught a glimpse of Valkyrie in the crowd. She was wearing her fur bikini as though it were summer. Glory decided that when she graduated she was going to go save California or Florida, and be a hero on the beach with a tan.

Fortunately it was almost midnight, and the crowd began to gather around the stage erected in front of the fountain. Off to the side a disco ball glittered atop a pole, ready to drop at midnight. The mayor stood at a podium on the stage behind a big red digital clock counting down the minutes and seconds until the new year. Behind him stood a young woman in a silver dress that glittered as much as the ball, wearing a scarf, gloves, and earmuffs.

The crowd pressed in around Glory and she found herself surrounded on all sides. Blue grabbed her hand to keep from being separated. “Welcome citizens,” Mayor Wilkinson said from his microphone. “I’m glad so many of you made it out tonight, and I hope everyone is having fun.” Around Glory the crowds screamed and cheered. “Well. Time is marching on, and another year has come to a close. I hope everyone had a good year, and if you did not, we all pray that this year goes better. Last year had a lot of ups and downs for our great city. Construction was completed on two new elementary schools, and our hospital was voted number three in the state! Our oldest resident, Mrs. Regina Billings, turned a hundred and seven last month!” More cheering. “However, crime has gone up. Unemployment is up. Times are not easy. Which is why community is so important, and why I am glad so many of your are here tonight.”

The clock was running down fast, and he nodded to the girl in silver. “Let me present my daughter, Patricia. She’s a freshman at the University Noir.”

Patricia stepped forward with a large remote control wrapped in a silver bow. “Ready every one?” Her voice was amplified by a clip-on mike on her scarf. The crowd began to chant the countdown from ten, and Patricia held the remote high over her head with a big, beauty queen smile on her face.

Glory closed her eyes. Please, God, let this semester be better than last. Let me do better in school. Help me follow the rules of the League. And help me decide what I want from KP, because I don’t know.

“Three! Two! One!”

Patricia made a big show of pushing the button on the remote and the disco ball began to spin down its post. Confetti rained down on them, and everyone was shouting and jumping. Chameleon, caught up in the moment, grabbed Black and planted a kiss on his kips, temporarily turning pink. Righteous gave her a hopeful glace but she quickly turned away, just in time to see a black-swathed figure pull a gun. “Look out!” she cried, ducking, but no one heard her in the din.

The celebratory screams soon turned into those of fear when the gun man fired several shots at the disco ball. It exploded in bits of mirror and Styrofoam, raining down on the screaming crowd.

“Not good!” Black tried to yell, but Glory wasn’t sure anyone heard him other than herself. Glory was getting bumped both left and right, and she couldn’t figure out why the crowd wasn’t dispersing away from the site.

“Where are the cops?”

Righteous, who was the tallest in their group, answered her. “Surrounding us. Their guns are all pointed at the crowd.”

“What the hell is going on?” The Mayor’s voice echoed through the crowd, and Glory managed to turn herself around to see what was happening on the stage. There were half a dozen people clad in all black wearing ski masks. There was also an unmasked man wearing a black leather jacket with a red spider painted on the back, and a curvy woman in leather bondage gear. The spider had the mayor’s daughter by the wrist. “Let go of me you freaks,” Patricia’s miked voice cried out.

The microphone picked up the other woman’s voice too--deep, sultry, alluring. “Calm down,” she demanded. Glory could see Patricia nearly go limp in the spider’s arms, and she recognized the woman in black from television.

“That’s the Mistress of Minds,” Glory told the others, struggling to get out of the crowd. “We have to stop her before she brainwashes that girl into doing something horrible!” She couldn’t break into her super speed with so many people around her. She was as helpless as anyone else. Glory couldn’t even find Chameleon in the crowd. “Black, is there anything you can do?” she asked. Where was Valkyrie? Why wasn’t Stone or Romeo Avenger there to save everyone?

“Not really,” Black called back, trying to push against the crowd.

“I can get to them,” Righteous said, “but I don’t have my armor on and I’d rather not get shot. Besides, it‘s against the rules.”

“Screw the rules,” Black said vehemently, and Glory nodded in agreement. This time she had come prepared. She dropped down into the crowd, so dense it was as good as a telephone booth, and pulled off her coat and sweater. She had her costume on under her clothes, and while it took a second to get free of her jeans, she managed to change without anyone noticing, fear being an excellent distraction. She had to grab Righteous by the belt to pull herself back on her feet, and she hoped he wouldn’t take it the wrong way.

“Dammit, America,” Righteous said. “You’re making me look bad.”

Patricia seemed prepared to walk off the stage with the Mistress and the spider man when Valkyrie pushed through the crowd. She grabbed at a cup of soda from someone and flew past the armed police officers, who did not try to shoot at her or move from their seemingly assigned posts.

Valkyrie ran up to the stage, throwing the soda at the feet of the men. At first Glory was confused, but one of the masked men took a step towards her and slipped, falling hard on his back. Valkyrie had used her powers to turn the liquid into ice.

She jumped onto the stage and lashed out at one of the other men, who fell over his friend struggling to his feet.

Still, as the men were being attacked the police guards stood firm and unwavering from their task of pointing their guns at the crowd. She told them not to shoot, Glory realized. The Mistress of Minds must have brainwashed the police into containing the crowd, but that was it. She didn’t want them firing on anyone.

“Righteous! The cops--” The words died in her throat when she saw a dominating figure in a black suit step onto the stage. Dark Lothario.

He was so recognizable, everyone in the crowd started saying his name, and Valkyrie heard it. She froze where she stood, and the man she was about it hit slipped out of her grasp. Valkyrie was a deer caught in headlights, and Glory could see Dark Lothario smile. The stage was very well miked. “Val, darling.” Run, Glory thought, willing Valkyrie to break away from him, but whether she was frozen from fear, or was already in his thrall, Glory couldn’t tell. “You know you want me,” he said, and Glory felt a slight lurch in her heart--she wanted him too.

But the lurch was only slight, and when she saw that Valkyrie was walking towards him with a sexy swing to her hips that hadn’t been there before Glory broke into action, pushing her way through the crowd, ignoring a slight fear as she broke past the cops. As soon as she was clear of all of the people she was able to break into a run, just fast enough that when she jumped onto the stage she was almost flying, but not so fast that she injured Valkyrie when she grabbed her and dove off the other side of the stage. Her speed caused them to just miss crashing into the marble fountain, and they tumbled into a snow bank.

Valkyrie immediately tried to get back up and go to him, but Glory pulled her back. Her eyes had a glazed look, and she fought against Glory’s grasp. “Snap out of it,” Glory said, shaking her shoulders and, when that didn’t work, slapping her across the face. I’d better not get kicked out for this, she thought as Valkyrie seemed to come back to herself.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“I think so,” Valkyrie said. “Come on--don’t look him in the eye, whatever you do. Lothario or that other woman.”

Glory breaking free from the crowd had seemed to cause them to scatter because there were now people running everywhere and she couldn’t see anyone they were supposed to be pursuing, nor could she move quickly with so many people moving around her. Glory ran right into Chameleon, blending into her background as she hurried across the park. “Valkyrie, America! They got away! They got away with the mayor’s daughter.”

The police officers were still standing in a circle with their guns drawn.

*****

Inside one of two limousines that had brought the main players of their coup to the scene Lola was breathing heavy, grasping Patricia’s hand. Across from them Spider was smiling, a job well done as they drove away. “Please let me go,” Patricia said, as calm as Lola had commanded her to be. It hadn’t been easy, setting up the police officers, but Lola had managed. Now her head was pounding and her jet lag was seriously catching up with her.

“I can’t,” Lola said, hating herself even as she said the words.

“I can’t be in a porno,” she said, gripping Lola’s hand tighter. “I’m going into politics.”

“At least you have your priorities in order,” Lola said. “Look, I can’t stop him. He’s too powerful. But I can make it so that you wont remember anything, or I can convince you that you wanted to do it even after his thrall wears off…I’m really sorry.”

“So why did you help him?”

“It’s politics,” Lola said.

“I don’t want you to make me forget. I can handle this. I can do this just fine.”

“Look at me,” Lola said, and Patricia looked up. “You don’t have to be calm anymore if you don’t want to.”

“Thank you,” Patricia said, and began to cry.

*****

A/N: For those who like long chapters, this one was *long.* 3600 words, when usually they’re about 2500.

Have you ever noticed that in super hero movies they always have some big public meeting or party, even though their cities are crawling in maniacs in bad outfits? Why the hell would you do that? It’s just asking for trouble. So I had to write one too.

I think this is one of the best scenes in the book so far. It was one of those instances where I went into it not sure what I was doing, and everything just kind of fell into place perfectly.

Lets see…the book Glory is reading at the beginning, “Bethany’s Baby” is the sequel to the book she’s reading in ch. 11, “Bethany’s Bridegroom.” Not real books (I hope). The titles just sound like those goody two shoes type romance novels, the anti-bodice ripper. (My grandma reads bodice rippers. It is greatly disturbing.)

The last name of the mayor, Wilkinson, is a blatant Buffy rip-off, an homage, if you please.