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How to Date a Superhero Ch. 01

By: frozenhero1



...where earlier today a team of machine-gun toting bank-robbers were apprehended by Velocity and The Phazer. Authorities released a statement claiming the criminals were under the employ of Master Disaster, the arch-criminal assumed to be behind a recent outbreak of man-made Tsunami's which have leveled the South Pacific...  




Reaching to his car's dashboard, Travis Adams changed the radio station for the fifth time in as many minutes. He hated listening to the news while driving; the two and a half hour trip from his parent's rural Missouri home back to Gateway City University was boring enough without making it worse by dull news-talk. He found a top 40 station and settled there despite not favoring the song, vowing to install a stereo with a compact disc player as soon as he could afford it. Fortunately for his boredom Travis had reached the outskirts of Gateway City and was nearly returned to school.

Unfortunately, his trip was about to grow suddenly exciting.

On the opposite side of the freeway, where traffic was oncoming, a car in the process of carelessly changing lanes had inadvertently cut-off a semi-truck and trailer. To avoid hitting the reckless driver the truck was forced to swerve and careen across the median directly into opposite traffic – directly towards Travis. He watched it all happen as though it were occurring in slow motion – the truck kicking up grass and dirt as it barreled over the median, its heavy trailer swaying dangerously behind it. The truck driver slammed on his brakes and cranked his steering wheel, attempting to steer the truck out of opposing traffic, but this simply jack-knifed the trailer so that it was sliding sideways across the freeway.

"Oh shit!" Travis yelled wide-eyed, seeing his own death sliding towards him. Driving the sixty-five mile-an-hour limit there was nowhere to go. No time to stop. No chance to steer his car out of the way. All he could do was duck and lay across his front seat to avoid being beheaded.

A thunderous crunch echoed all around him as the bottom of the semi-trailer swiped the top off of Travis' sedan, the sound of ripping metal and shattering glass causing him to clench his eyes shut and curl up the best he could. The car became wedged beneath the trailer, its momentum violently halted, throwing Travis against the dash and to the floor of his vehicle. He hadn't been wearing his seatbelt, a fact that saved Travis' life; had it been on he wouldn't have been able to lie across the seat and avoid losing his head.

With the bottom of the semi-trailer above him, pinning him inside the car, Travis reached for the passenger door handle and tried opening it, but the door was wrinkled by the impact and refused to open. He wouldn't have panicked save for the fact that smoke was pouring through the dash from a fire in his car's engine compartment. Something hot pressed against his foot and Travis glanced down to see flames licking at his sneaker from beneath the brake pedal. He yanked on the passenger door handle again, helplessly trying to escape the twisted wreckage that was his car.

"Help!" he screamed, "Can anyone hear me?!"

Travis was sure he was going to die. He'd either be burned alive, or his car would explode when the flames reached the gas tank. Travis hoped it would be the latter, assuming an explosion would be the quicker death. He found himself wondering if cars really did blow-up, or if that only happened in the movies.

"Help!" he yelled again, kicking at the flames in a futile attempt to quench them. He pulled at the door handle repeatedly, pulled it so hard that it snapped off and ended any hope he held for escape. He thought of his parents, whom he had seen only two hours prior, and his older sister, who was attending school a half-country away. He wanted to say goodbye to them. To tell them he loved them...

With thoughts consumed by his own doom, Travis suddenly heard the groan of metal above him. The semi-trailer began to rise off his car as though levitating. It was a miracle! Would he live? Could he escape?

Travis tried to scramble to freedom only to have his hopes dashed when he discovered the car's steering column had bent downward in the collision, pinning him at the hips.

He heard a confident feminine voice, "Stay calm, I'll have you out of there in a second."

Able to lift his head and look over the side of his mangled automobile, Travis saw that the trailer wasn't levitating. A girl, a young woman, was lifting it! The trailer had to weigh at least thirty tons but she held it above up-stretched arms as though it were no heavier than an empty cardboard box.

She tossed it to a clear ditch on the side of the highway, away from the multitude of stopped cars parked in the middle of the freeway. It landed with a thunderous sound and rolled twice into a field of marshy grass.

The girl wore the uniform of a superhero. It was a spandex outfit, like a one-piece swimsuit, except with long sleeves, colored in red and blue with black trim. A mask covered the top half of her face though her long, wavy blonde hair was unobscured. Black and blue boots rose up her ankles to just beneath the knee, baring the entirety of her golden-tan thighs. Travis recognized her instantly from the dozens of times he had seen her on television.

It was Mega-Girl!

"Help!" he cried, suddenly remembering the flames licking at his feet.

Mega-Girl turned as soon as she had tossed the semi-trailer clear of the scene and saw flames rising from Travis' car's engine. Spreading her arms wide, she slammed her palms together in a massive clap sending a shockwave-burst of air towards the car, instantly snuffing out the fire. With her bare hands she bent the steering column off Travis and ripped the driver's side door open as though it was made of paper-mache.

Scrambling out of the wreckage, Travis heard dozens of onlookers suddenly start cheering. People were standing all around the highway next to their cars having witnessed the accident, raising their fists and clapping at Mega-Girl's heroic efforts. Some of them held their cell phones in the air filming the event on digital video.

"Are you all right?" she asked, ignoring the throng and examining Travis' person for signs of injury.

"I-I think so," he answered, somewhat in shock at the fact he was even alive. His shoulder was sore from the initial impact with the semi, but it wasn't severe. He sensed nothing was broken.

"The authorities are on their way," Mega-Girl told him, lifting a hand to a blue-tooth device attached to her ear. "But you better have the paramedics check you out just in case."

And then she abruptly turned.

"Wait!" Travis urged before she could fly away.

Mega-Girl paused to glance over her shoulder.

"Thanks for saving my life."

She smiled, "You're welcome."

The smile was radiant, Travis thought. And her blue eyes, visible through the openings in her mask, were nothing short of stunning. He didn't want her to leave, "Um, would you want to get some coffee, sometime?"

Mega-Girl giggled, unable to hide her amusement.

Travis winced as soon as he said it, hearing how cliché he sounded.

"Are you asking me out on a date?" she asked with a smile.

"No!" Travis blurted, realizing how out of place his offer was in that moment. "N-no, I just... I'd like to thank you properly. You know, by buying you a cup of... um, yeah. I guess that's kind of silly, huh? As though a cup of coffee is worth my life."

"Usually after I save someone they want an autograph, or to take a selfie with me on their cell phone. No one has ever asked me out before."

"I hate selfies," Travis replied, dusting some broken glass off his tee-shirt. "I just... I mean... if it wasn't for you I'd be dead. And... please, let me properly thank you."

"So you're not asking me out?" she teased.

Her smile was infectious and a goofy grin decorated Travis' dirt-scuffed face.

Mega-Girl heard the sound of sirens in the distance and sensed the crowd of on-lookers closing in. She didn't want to be mobbed by a crowd seeking a small piece of her fame and began to rise into the air. "I'd love to get some coffee with you," she laughed.

Watching her float upwards Travis was stunned at her answer, "Really? Uh, do you want my number? How will I find you?"

"Don't worry," she smiled in reply. "You're about to get your fifteen minutes of fame. I'll be able to find you."

And then she was gone, careening across the sky under her own power of flight. Travis watched her form until it was a speck on the horizon and he became surrounded by people.

"...that was Mega-Girl!"

"...what did she say?"

"...oh-my-gawd she's so awesome!"

"...I've never seen anything so amazing!"

"...she totally looks taller on television..."




How to Date a Superhero Ch. 01



He didn't have long to contemplate his insecurities.

"Travis?" he heard a female voice call from behind. "Hey, Travis?"

Travis turned to see one his fellow students trotting towards him. She was a disheveled girl with glasses and wavy black hair that went every-which way. She was wearing tattered jeans and an oversized grey GCU sweatshirt. Travis recognized the girl from his Chemistry class but couldn't remember her name.

"Hi Travis," the girl smiled when she reached him. She pushed the rim of her thick, round glasses up the bridge of her nose, "You're going to Chem class, right? Mind if I walk with you?"

"Uh, sure." Travis had been sure the girl was going to ask him about his encounter with Mega-Girl. "You're in my class, aren't you?"

"Yeah," she bobbed her head. "I'm Penelope, Penelope Swann. Everyone just calls me 'Penny'."

Travis began walking beside her towards the large, domed science building. Many of the other students walking nearby continued to point and look Travis' way. He tried to ignore them.

"What's going on?" Penny asked, noticing the attention.

"You mean you don't know?"

Penny shook her head, "Know what?"

Travis sounded surprised, "Oh, I assumed that's why you wanted to talk to me. I, uh, was in an accident yesterday. Mega-Girl saved my life."

"Seriously?" Penny sounded impressed. "You met Mega-Girl?"

"Sort of. I mean, we didn't really get a chance to talk or anything before she flew off and -"

"That's so cool," Penny interrupted. "I wish I had boobs like hers. Do you think they're big? Or do they just look that way because of the spandex?"

Travis gave her a surprised glance, "Uh -"

"Anyway," Penny continued, "The reason I wanted to talk to you was that I heard your chemistry lab partner dropped out."

"Yeah," Travis affirmed. "He was actually my roommate. One day I got home from class and he was packing up all his stuff. I think his dad got ill or something and he needed to go home."

"I'm sorry," Penny offered.

Travis lifted his shoulders, "I barely knew the guy. We didn't meet until the first day of freshman orientation, and six weeks later he was gone. He was a weird kid, not really into socializing."

"You're a freshman?"

"Yeah," Travis nodded. "You?"

"Sophomore." Penny stopped outside the science building and pushed a thick strand of dark hair away from her face. "My lab partner dropped the course and enrolled in Geology. You know – 'rocks for jocks'? I think the periodic table freaked him out. Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to hook-up?"

Travis' brows slowly raised up his forehead, "Hook-up?"

Penny snorted out a cute laugh, "Get your mind out of the gutter. I'm not asking you to sleep with me."

Travis blushed.

"I'm wondering if you want to be my lab partner." She pointed at him, "You need a partner," and then she pointed at herself, "I need a partner... do the math, 'Romeo'."

Travis made an embarrassed laugh, "Right. Yeah, sure – that sounds great."

There was a long moment of silence as the two stood outside the science building. Penny looked expectant.

"Uh... did you want to talk about something else?" Travis finally asked.

"Aren't you going to open the door for me?" Penny gestured towards the science building with her head. "Geez. And I thought chivalry wasn't dead."

Travis quickly reached for the door handle and pulled it open, letting Penny walk in first. He was surprised by how outgoing she was, considering how nerdy he thought she appeared. She put him on his heels, in a good way, and he wondered how he had never taken notice of Penny before that day. She had an odd confidence that Travis liked.

His chemistry class suddenly became much more interesting. Plus, she had gotten his mind off his sudden fame and superheroes.






How to Date a Superhero Ch. 01



No one said a word, avoiding Rapture's gaze as though her eyes contained a plague. Even Tommy-Gun Harris, the craziest among them, was pacified.

"I am taking control of your organizations!" Rapture screamed. "If any of you defy me I'm sure Mr. Thomas would enjoy some company in hell!"

Finally, Tony Cicero stepped forward and spoke, "Don't worry, guys. My new gal here is gonna help us take out a goddamn superhero." He grinned wickedly, "We're gonna kill Mega-Girl!"






How to Date a Superhero Ch. 01



"Oh yeah," Travis shuddered at the idea of it. "I'm close. Jerk-off my cock, Penny. Make me cum all over you. I want to cum all over your pretty face."

Lowering her body, Penny positioned herself beneath his crotch and aimed his throbbing length. Her mouth parted hotly, signaling how badly she wanted his orgasm. Her free hand swiftly unworked the button of her jeans and plunged into the depths between her legs.

Seeing her masturbating and presenting herself so perfectly drove Travis over the edge. As her hand vigorously pumped over his length the first wave of his orgasm shot forth in the form of a long rope. It landed across Penny's face, stretching from her hair line, across the lens of her glasses, down to the bottom of her cheek.

"Oh god!" she gasped at the heat of his cum against her skin.

Travis grunted and another rope of cum mirrored the first, then a third and fourth, until Penny's face was decorated with long strands of pearly semen. Her glasses were caked with the stuff and it immediately began oozing down the sides of her forehead and cheeks.

"Uh!" she moaned loudly, letting go and allowing his shaft to spring upwards and bob freely in the air, it's final gifts of semen hurling to land in her dark wavy hair. She shook from her own orgasm, her masturbating fist squirming and plunging beneath the hem of her underwear. The carnality of their act turned her on immensely and she lost control of her senses.

Travis fell to her knees before her and was amazed by the sight of the masturbating girl before him. He grabbed at her bra and pulled it upwards, forcing her breasts to spill out naked from beneath. His hands grasped her taut mounds of flesh.

"Oh, Travis!" Penny gasped out her approval.

He bent forward and pulled her breast to his mouth, licking on its nipple. It hardened against his tongue and Travis suckled it like a babe on his mother's tit. Penny curled her free hand around his head, her fingers mingling into his tousled spiky hair, pulling him tighter against her breast.

"I'm going to cum!" she announced in a squeaky voice. "Oh, Travis! You're going to make me cum!"

With Travis doubling his efforts on her breasts, kneading his fingers into them, and hot strands of semen hanging off her face, Penny felt a fire explode between her legs. She screamed, uncaring if anyone in the neighboring dorm rooms heard, soaking her fingers and the gusset of her panties. Her body shook and quivered from the power of her arousal, lasting several long moments.

"Oh shit! Oh shit!" she gasped over and over until the pleasurable waves finally receded. When it was done she slumped forward into Travis's arms. She rested the side of her face against his bare shoulder. "Oh, Travis," she whispered breathlessly, "That was so hot. You turned me on so much."

He held her close, "Me? What about you? You were amazing. I've never cum so much in my life."

Penny let out a soft giggle, "That was so naughty. I can't believe we just did that. I must look like a complete slut – I'm so embarrassed."

"Don't be," Travis urged. "You were so sexy, Penny. Wow."

Lifting her head off his shoulder and pulling off her cum-stained glasses Penny asked, "Do you have something I can clean up with?"

"Yeah," Travis nodded, rising and pulling up his pants. He moved to fetch a washcloth from his closet.

"Travis?" she asked, watching him.

"Yeah?" he glanced back over his shoulder.

"Can I be your girlfriend?"

Travis blinked at the bluntness of her question.

She pushed aside a cummy strand of her hair that was stuck to her forehead, "I was lying to you this morning in lab, when I told you I was out with a hot guy last night. I'm really not seeing anyone. Please don't be freaked out. I just... I really like you."

Travis knelt in front of her and began gently wiping his mess off her, "You just let me cum all over your face. I'm pretty sure I'm obligated to be your boyfriend after that."

Penny smiled brightly at his humor, "What about Mega-Girl?"

Travis gave her a brief kiss, "I guess Mega-Girl is just going to have to find a different boyfriend, because I really like you too, Penny."

The two embraced, kissing each other tenderly. Travis thought briefly of Mega-Girl, but he held no regrets. As he felt Penny's lips on his Travis knew he had made the right choice.

Travis simply wasn't cut-out to date a superhero.


(To be continued...)



How to Date a Superhero Ch. 02



Gateway City, a vast metropolis, held many attractions for its citizens and visiting tourists both. Like many American cities it was a melting pot of culture catering to nearly any interest. People traveled to the city from all corners of the world to see its museums, art galleries, parks, theaters, and concert halls. The Keppler Building boasted the highest view possible in the Midwest, dwarfing the skyscrapers of nearby St. Louis. Gateway City hosted professional teams in each of the major sports, including two Major League baseball franchises, along with several minor-league teams. In those respects Gateway City was no different from New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago. But Gateway City did offer one thing no other city in the world could boast...

More giant robots per-capita than anywhere else on earth.

"Aw, crap," Mega-Girl grumbled as she flew high over the city. "Not another giant robot."

The steel behemoth was no less than twenty stories in height, with legs and arms the size of tanker trucks. A massive cannon was mounted on each shoulder and it was shooting laser beams out of its lone eye - melting any approaching police cars. Fortunately there weren't any pedestrians in the area; the robot was lumbering and slow, giving people time to flee.

It 'spoke' from a large speaker in its mouth, remotely transmitting the voice of its master.

"...bzzzt...citizens of Gateway City! Behold the power of the Robot Master! You have no hope of defying me! Your police cannot defend you ...bzzzt... against the power of my Cyclops Mark II robot. It is my greatest creation...bzzzt..."

Mega-Girl thrust her fists forward, angling her flight into the robot's path. Its destination was obvious given the wake of destruction behind it: Claremont Bridge – the city's main access over the Mississippi River.

She feared for the S.W.A.T. van approaching from First Avenue as the robot's eye turned towards the vehicle and began to glow bright green. Like a streak of crimson, Mega-Girl flew into the path of the robot's laser and intercepted the blast with her own body.

"Uhn!" she grunted as the force of the beam hurled her towards the street. She slammed into the roof of a parked taxi cab, crushing the sedan in a violent impact of shattering glass and wrinkling metal. Thankfully no one was inside.

"...bzzzt...Mega-Girl! You DARE defy the Robot Master!?! Not even you can stop Cyclops Mark II! ...bzzzt... People of Gateway City - your protectors are powerless to stop me! ...bzzzt... I demand that the city's stores of plutonium be turned over to me immediately; otherwise I will destroy you all! ...bzzzt...I'll start with the Claremont Bridge and its innocent rush-hour commuters. None are safe! ...bzzzt..."

Mega-Girl peeled her petite form from the steel wreckage of the taxi and dusted herself off. When she turned her attention back to the robot she saw its shoulder cannons taking aim, "Oh, shi-"

They fired simultaneously with a thunderous boom. The entire street around Mega-Girl was engulfed in a massive explosion of fire and smoke. Nearby building windows shattered from the force of the blast and it triggered car alarms as far as ten blocks away.

"...bzzzt...hahahahahah! You see? No one can defy the Robot Master! Not even Mega-Girl, your most powerful hero can protect you! You must meet my demands or face imminent destruction...bzzzt..."

It took several long moments for the smoke to finally clear, but when it did Mega-Girl was still standing. Her normally wavy blonde hair was frazzled into a chaotic mess and charcoal-like streaks stained her entire form. She wiped the skin-tight sleeve of her tattered red costume across her mouth, cleaning her lips of soot, and looked up at the robot with an irritated expression.

"My turn," she muttered.

Grabbing the crumpled wreckage of the taxi cab next to her, Mega-Girl lifted it above her head as though it weighed no more than a beach ball. Flexing mega-fueled arms she hurled the makeshift missile directly towards the robot's head.

"...bzzzt...what!? No one could have survived tha-"

The throw was true, knocking the head off the robot and halting the massive colossus. With the robot temporarily staggered, Mega-Girl sprinted forward and grabbed its ankle, digging her hands into its steel flesh. Rending it easily, Mega-Girl pulled with all of her strength. A shower of sparks erupted above her as she pulled the leg from the robot's hip socket. Somehow it was able to maintain its balance, but the robot simply stood unmoving on one foot. With its central brain core removed, which was located in its severed head, the robot was unable to receive any further remote commands.

Mega-Girl took advantage.

Using the tanker-sized leg as a massive club, she swung mightily and took the robot's other leg out from under it. The towering behemoth fell to the street with a thunderous crash! Victorious, she casually tossed the leg on top of the defeated robot's carcass and dusted her gloved hands off against one another.

MG? MG, can you hear me?

Mega-Girl lifted her hand and was surprised the blue-tooth device at her ear had survived the earlier explosion. "I'm here, Harbinger," she replied.

I'm getting reports of a giant robot downtown.

Mega-Girl looked herself over to make sure she was still decent. Her spandex was full of tears and blackened from the robot's cannons, but at least her naughty parts remained covered, "Yeah, I just trashed it. I ruined another costume, though."

We're going to have to start buying them in bulk. Are you okay?

"I'm fine. Start looking into the Robot Master, would you? Dig up whatever you can. I'm going to stick around here for a while and help the authorities clean up. This robot made a huge mess."

Will do, MG. Harbinger out.





How to Date a Superhero Ch. 02



"Wow," Rapture turned Apollo's way and was surprised to see him standing naked; he seemed entirely unashamed of the nudity. Not that he had any reason to be embarrassed, Rapture thought. His body was a glorious thing of honed muscle. With his helmet off she noticed Apollo's blonde hair was long and slightly curly, falling just past his shoulders. The only body hair he possessed was around the belly button, which moved down to mingle with a trimmed patch of pubic hair. His flaccid penis promised certain magnificence if it were to ever grow aroused.

Apollo carefully transferred his armor pieces to a mannequin, which stood near the entry, before walking naked into one of the condo's three bedrooms. He re-emerged in the act of wrapping a simple and archaic-looking loincloth about his waist. "May I get thee something to drink?" he asked. "My kitchen holds anything thy heart may desire."

Rapture sucked enticingly on the tip of a finger, making a show of her consideration. "Wine," she finally answered. "Red."

He moved into the spacious kitchen beyond her view, "Thy wish is my command, Lauren Smith."

"Is there somewhere I could freshen up?" Rapture called, "Those awful men had me in that warehouse for several hours and I could really use a shower."

"Use the bath in my private chambers," he replied. "Consider my home thine own."

Rapture assumed by 'private chambers' Apollo meant his bedroom. She found the master bathroom and closed the door. The shower was a massive walk-in and she reached inward to start the water before shedding her skimpy black dress.

As she undressed the counter mirror suddenly grew foggy - too foggy - and Rapture realized it wasn't from the steam coming out of the shower.

Rapture's reflection vanished to be replaced by another figure. A man, with bluish-charcoal skin and bright red eyes. Most of his features were concealed by the shadows of the man's hooded cloak, though his eyes burned through the darkness. "You are with Apollo now?" he spoke in a harsh voice that sounded like sliding gravel.

"Yes, my lord," Rapture answered, seemingly unbothered by the bathroom mirror transforming into a window displaying an unearthly, hellish place.

"Does he have the bow?" the voice crackled deeply.

"Yes," Rapture nodded. "I made sure of it."

"Good," the figure sounded pleased. "Remember, he must use the bow when he kills Mega-Girl. You must convince him it is the only way."

"Are you sure he will succumb to my power?" Rapture sounded doubtful. "I didn't expect his charisma to contain such... strength. He is an exquisite male."

"Do not let your base desires overcome you!" the figure spat. "And do not forget all that I have taught you. The sun gives Apollo his strength – he will be weak at night. The power I have given you will prove sufficient to sway him, but only under the cover of darkness."

Rapture acquiesced, "Yes, my lord."

"Do not disappoint me, Rapture," the figure threatened. "Else I will see to it the remainder of your existence is spent in pain and torture."

The image suddenly vanished and Rapture's reflection returned. "I shall not fail you," she whispered.





How to Date a Superhero Ch. 02



Apollo blinked and his face softened.

Rapture watched her power take hold, "Love me, God of Light. I want you to love me with every fiber of your being."

"I do," Apollo murmured. "I love thee with all mine heart, Lauren Smith."

Rapture smiled at how easy it was to put a god under her control. "I don't believe you," she lied.

Apollo's mouth twisted in frustration as he stepped away from her, "What!? The God of Light is no base liar! My love for thee cannot be questioned."

"Prove it," she said. "Prove to me how much you love me - with a deed."

"Speak thy task," Apollo puffed his bared chest out, confident he could carry out any request.

"There is someone who has caused me great pain," Rapture wove her deception. "Someone who seeks to do me even further harm."

"Name this miscreant," Apollo demanded. "I will put them before my spear!"

"She is one of this city's masked heroes, the one known as Mega-Girl."

Apollo scoffed, "A mortal child? She will fall to me like wheat before the scythe."

"I've been studying her habits," Rapture told him. "She patrols the city every morning just after dawn."

Moving towards his armored mannequin Apollo declared, "Then I will be waiting for her."

"Do not underestimate her, she is no mere child," Rapture bent to pick her towel back up, replacing it around her form. "She's every bit as strong as you, and nigh-invulnerable. You will need your bow."

Apollo paused and glanced at the weapon sitting on the counter.

"You said it will pierce any armor," she reminded. "Any flesh. You could use it to deliver the killing blow."

"Thy words carry the ring of wisdom," Apollo conceded.

"Use the bow," Rapture prompted. "Kill Mega-Girl and prove your love for me. Then we can be together forever."

Apollo's upper lip curled with determination, "Aye."





How to Date a Superhero Ch. 03



Jordan Summers awoke with a stretch of her tanned limbs and slipped from bed, reaching for a robe hanging over the back of a chair. She examined herself quickly in a vanity mirror situated over a squat dresser, fussing over her tangled burgundy hair. "I need a shower," she yawned. 

Jordan was not a morning person and didn't consider herself truly awake until she completed a shower and swallowed a cup of coffee. 

Next to the dresser, on a wide desk, were six flat-screen computer monitors situated around a hulking keyboard. She paused at the desk out of habit, tapped on a key, and quickly scanned several windows of streaming data and video feeds; nothing unusual seemed to be happening in the city. Satisfied by what she saw, Jordan slipped the robe on and padded on bare feet out of her bedroom. 

"Travis?" she was surprised to see her roommate's boyfriend squatting in front of a linin closet. He wasn't wearing anything other than a pair of boxer-briefs and a white undershirt, though a towel was draped over his shoulder. "Um, what are you doing?" 

Travis slowly stood and turned. He was holding a red spandex costume draped across his hands; a Mega-Girl costume. 

"Oh," Jordan saw what he was holding, her expression like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar. "Crap." 

Travis looked down at the spandex, "I'm sorry about last week, when I blew you off." 

"What?" Jordan sounded confused. 

"Don't play dumb, I know you're Mega-Girl. When you came to see me last week, and we made plans to hang out, I really wanted to... I just, I think I'm in love with Penny." 

"Wait," Jordan laughed. "You think I'm Mega-Girl?" 

"Well yeah," Travis gestured with the costume. "Isn't it obvious?" 

"I hate to be the one to break it to you honey, but -" 

Harbinger! Harbinger, are you there? 

The grainy-sounding voice was coming from a speaker inside Jordan's room. 

"What was that?" Travis asked, startled by how loud it was. 

Jordan spun and moved quickly towards her computer desk. 

Travis followed, impressed by the half-dozen screens, "Wow, what the heck is all this?" 

"I'm a computer-science major," Jordan replied, sitting in her swiveling desk chair. She turned to face the monitors and hit a few key strokes. 

Harbinger. Harbinger, come in. 

"Who's Harbinger?" Travis wondered in a clueless tone. 

"I am," Jordan said, placing a headset over her burgundy hair. She adjusted the microphone in front of her mouth, "I'm here, MG. What's going on?" 

I'm being attacked by Apollo! 

"What?!?" Jordan's fingers began spinning a mouse-like trackball and the camera images on the monitors panned outwards. 

Travis stood behind Jordan, watching the screens as he tried to figure out what was going on. He recognized Gateway City from above, but had no idea where the images could be coming from. The point of view on Jordan's computer screens was too high to be situated on any building. 

He just attacked me! He came out of nowhere. 

"Why would he do that?" Jordan asked. 

I don't know, but I've never fought a three-thousand year-old god before; I need to figure out a way to stop him. I need your help. 

Travis watched as one of the camera views zoomed in an incredible amount, showing a downtown street from a viewpoint directly above. The figures of people were small, but he recognized one of them as the world-famous Apollo! "Are these satellite images?" Travis asked, amazed that Jordan would have access to anything so high-tech. 

She ignored his question. "I'll get into it right away," Jordan told Mega-Girl. "But it might take me some time. Can you hang in there?" 

I'll certainly try. 

Her fingers were suddenly dancing across the keyboard as Jordan pulled up a dozen different search windows at once. Almost immediately, newspaper articles and internet reports of Apollo's past activities, along with images of the god, filled all six monitor screens. Videos of him in action populated even more windows as Jordan continued to yank as much data as she could from the internet. 

"What the hell is going on?" Travis asked, overwhelmed by the speed at which Jordan worked. "Was that Mega-Girl you were talking to?" 

"Yes," she answered curtly, her attention glued to the monitors. 

"But I thought you were -?" 

"I don't really have time to explain it to you right now, Travis. I need to figure out how someone can defeat an ancient Roman god." 

"But if you're not..." It suddenly dawned on Travis, "Wait, you mean Penny is...?" 

Jordan sounded irritated. "You need to either shut-up or help me figure out a way to keep your girlfriend alive." 

"Are you telling me my girlfriend is fighting Apollo right now? Holy shit!" 

"Damn it, Travis, Penny is in a lot of danger right now! You need to stop asking questions and help me. Apollo is like the most powerful guy on the planet. At the very least - he's the strongest." 

Travis sobered, "O-okay, um, what can I do?" 

"We need to figure out if Apollo has any weaknesses." 

"How are we going to do that?" 

Jordan pointed at her screens, "Look for anything that stands out as something Mega-Girl could use against him. Look for common denominators - things he always does, or never does. Even the smallest detail could be a clue." 

Travis began studying the videos that were playing on screen, footage of the god battling various super villains. The only thing he thought any of them had in common was how savagely Apollo fought. Travis swallowed nervously, suddenly very worried for Penny. 

======= 

Apollo stood in his gleaming armor with the greenery of Byrne Park spread out around him and drew an arrow from the quiver on his back, "You have fought well, mortal. But thy days have reached their end." 

Mega-Girl winced as she clutched at the arrow shaft protruding from her left shoulder. With a pain-filled scream she pulled it out, the arrowhead tearing her flesh. She didn't want another one of those arrows coming anywhere near her, realizing Apollo had found some way to bypass her normally-reliable invulnerability. 

"Wait," she said, trying to buy some time for Harbinger. "Why are you trying to kill me? It doesn't make any sense." 

Apollo notched his arrow, "I must prove my love to the mortal Lauren Smith, so that we may be together forever." 

"How is killing me going to prove your love for some chick?" 

Apollo aimed his bow, but Mega-Girl's question momentarily confused him. He loosened the bowstring. 

"I don't even know this person," Mega-Girl continued, covering her wound with a palm. "Why does she want me dead?" 

"It matters little," Apollo decided, raising his bow once more and drawing its string to take aim. 

"Shit," Mega-Girl cursed, taking off into the air with the speed of a bullet. 

Apollo fired but missed, his arrow arcing harmlessly through the air. Replacing the bow upon his back, Apollo flew after her, his speed equal to hers. 

Flying straight upwards, Mega-Girl aimed for the clouds, but Apollo proved the faster. He reached and took hold of her ankle, flexing his mighty arm and hurling Mega-Girl back towards the earth. She landed with the force of a crashing meteor, a detonation of grass and dirt erupting around her petite frame. Her wounded shoulder exploded with the pain of a thousand stabbing daggers and she barely had time to cry out from the agony before Apollo was on top of her, pounding her face and body with punch after devastating punch. 

Instinctively, Mega-Girl curled a leg between them and kicked with all her strength. Her foot caught Apollo in the stomach and sent him spinning through the air. He crashed into a park bench a hundred feet away, shattering it into splinters. 

Crawling out of a crater of dirt and soil, Mega-Girl had trouble rising to her feet. The left sleeve of her costume was growing soaked with blood and her shoulder was throbbing in pain. Unfortunately for her Apollo wasn't done. He flew into her with the speed and power of a runaway locomotive, driving Mega-Girl through the air and slamming her back-first into a thick tree with a sharp crack. Once again the god's savage fists began raining blows, pinning her between the tree and his onslaught. 

But Mega-Girl wasn't ready to give up. She shot her forehead towards the vicious god's face, head-butting him in the nose. In the moment that bought her, she lifted a hard knee into his groin causing Apollo to stumble backwards in sudden pain. And then, with every ounce of strength she could muster, Mega-Girl swung a massive haymaker punch with her one good arm. 

The blow launched Apollo high into the air. He flew for hundreds of yards, disappearing from view to land behind a line of trees. 

======= 

"This guy is brutal!" Travis exclaimed, watching a video of Apollo defeating The Leviathan. 

"There must be something," Jordan remained optimistic. "There must be some way he can be defeated." 

"It's hopeless," Travis feared. "I mean, the only thing in common I see is that he beats the crap out of everyone he fights and that all these fights take place during the day. Not very helpful." 

"Oh shit," Jordan began cycling through each of the videos and photos, glancing at each one quickly. "That's it!" 

"What?" Travis was confused. 

"Apollo is the god of light," Jordan remarked excitedly. 

"So?" Travis shrugged 

"Don't you study your mythology? Apollo is the sun god. And Look! Every single time he's been captured on video battling a super villain, it was during the day." 

"So?" Travis still didn't get it. 

"So why doesn't he ever fight at night?" Jordan asked. 

Travis' eyes widened as he finally caught up with Jordan's train of thought, "Because the night makes him weak!" 

Jordan beamed a smile, "That's got to be it. You're a genius, Travis!" 

======= 

Apollo re-emerged in the distance, from between the tree line, looking extremely angry. He also appeared uninjured. 

"What does it take to stop this guy?" Mega-Girl muttered with a frustrated breath. With her shoulder throbbing in excruciating pain she didn't know how much longer she could hold out. 

MG! Are you there? 

Mega-Girl lifted a hand to her ear, "I hope you have something, Harbinger. I'm getting the crap kicked out of me!" 

We think we found something. 

"We?" Mega-Girl wondered, watching Apollo slowly stalk her way. "Who are you with?" 

Never mind that. Apollo is weakened by the night. His power must come from the sun, or something. 

"Are you sure?" 

Not one-hundred percent, but it's all I've got. 

"Fair enough, thanks Harbinger." 

Good luck, MG. 

Mega-Girl looked up at the sun, which was still low in the early morning sky. If she wanted to find night, she would need to go west and hope to outrun the dawn. 

"Mega-Girl!" came a deep bellow, "Thy delays will not save thee. No mortal, no matter how strong, can defeat the might of Apollo!" 

"If you want me," Mega-Girl yelled back, "You're going to have to catch me!" 

Rising into the air, Mega-Girl burst westward like a streak of crimson. Apollo gave chase, soaring through the sky after her. 

Straightening her body, Mega-Girl stretched her right fist out in front of her to cut through the air like a bullet. Though her other arm was curled at her side and throbbing with pain, she ignored the wound as much as she could and continued to accelerate, her blonde hair flapping behind her. "Let's see how fast you are, Apollo," she murmured. 

A cone of air was visible to the naked eye around Mega-Girl's sleek body as she flew faster and faster. A clap of thunder erupted as she achieved supersonic speed and began moving quicker than sound. The ground beneath her was a blur, Gateway City far behind. She kept her altitude low, needing the horizon to obscure the sun. Glancing back, she saw a flying speck she assumed was Apollo. He was keeping pace, but not gaining. She pushed herself to fly even faster. 

Fifteen minutes later, with Apollo still in sight, Mega-Girl flew over the Rocky Mountains. She finally slowed somewhere over western Utah, choosing a vast stretch of uninhabited flatland to stand her ground. Apollo nearly flew on, high above her landing spot, before he too slowed and swooshed a curving path back towards the heroine. He landed to a skidding halt in front of her. 

"Coward!" he yelled. 

Mega-Girl glanced to the east. The morning sun had yet to peek over the horizon and it was time to gamble on Harbinger's hunch. When Apollo ran towards her she stood firm, praying Harbinger would be right. 

Apollo, crazed with anger and mad with his love of Rapture, punched Mega-Girl solidly across the chin. 

She barely felt the blow. 

"What's wrong?" Mega-Girl offered a crooked, suddenly confident smile. "Getting a little wore out?" 

Apollo realized he had let his fury get the better of him; he had flown out of range from the source of his strength - the sun. His confidence waned in an instant and Apollo silently cursed his opponent for her trickery. There was only one last chance. Reaching for his bow, Apollo knew it would be his only hope of victory. 

But Mega-Girl wasn't about to let him shoot her with that wicked weapon again. She grabbed him by the arm and spun, hurtling Apollo as hard as she could against a boulder protruding from the ground nearby. He smashed against the rock and crumpled to the ground. Without the sun fueling his power, Apollo's strength and invulnerability was vastly diminished. 

The fight was over in an instant; Mega-Girl had defeated a god. 

Even though the battle had reached its conclusion, many questions yet remained. Mega-Girl wanted to know why Apollo, a fellow hero, had attacked her. And who was Lauren Smith? The answers would need to come quickly however, before the eastern sky lit with the morning's dawn and Apollo regained his strength. 

"Why did you try to kill me?" Mega-Girl demanded to know, approaching the god's prone form. "Who is this woman you were trying to prove yourself to?" 

No answers came. Instead, Apollo simply vanished. 

"What the -?" Mega-Girl gasped in astonishment. She felt on the ground where he was, in case the god had turned invisible, but he wasn't there. 

It wasn't like when he teleported during their fight in the city - there was a bright flash of light when he did that. It was like he simply disappeared. One second Apollo was there, and an instant later he wasn't. 

======= 

"MG?" Jordan adjusted the microphone on her headset, "MG, can you read me?" 

Travis sat on the edge of Jordan's bed, his foot tapping nervously. It had been nearly a twenty minutes since their last contact with Mega-Girl; both he and Jordan wore concerned expressions on their faces. Neither had bothered to dress. 

"Why isn't she answering?" Travis worried aloud. 

"The connection is cellular," Jordan explained. "She could be in a dead spot." 

"Or she could just be dead," Travis rose and began pacing. 

"It'll be okay," Jordan assured him, "Your girlfriend is kind of tough." 

"Yeah but Apollo is a fucking god!" Travis gestured at Jordan's computer monitors, "You saw those videos. The guy never loses! What if we were wrong? What if it was just coincidence that he was always fighting during the day?" 

"No one has ever defeated Mega-Girl, okay? She's nigh-invulnerable." Jordan activated her headset and tried again, "MG? Are you there?" 

"Nigh-invulnerable? What does that even mean?" Travis continued to pace, "This is seriously fucked up. I thought I was dating a normal girl. I wanted to date a normal girl. I want to graduate college, get a normal job, maybe pop out a couple of kids. I can't spend every day of my life worrying if my wife is going to be killed by a Roman god. I mean, can Penny even have kids? She's not an alien from another planet, is she?" 

Jordan gave him a strange look, "No, she's from the suburbs." 

Harbinger? Harbinger, can you hear me? 

Both Jordan and Travis turned towards the speaker, excited and relieved to finally hear Mega-Girl's voice. 

Jordan activated her headset, "I'm here, MG. What's your status?" 

I'm wounded, but not too bad... somewhere over Colorado at the moment. I should be home in about twenty minutes. You saved my life, Harbinger. You were right about his weakness; he was about as tough as a kitten as soon as we were out of the daylight. 

"It was actually your boyfriend who figured it out," Jordan admitted. 

Wait, he's with you? 

"Yeah. Sorry, MG. He found your stash of costumes." 

Oh god, is he pissed? 

Jordan glanced at him, "I think he's just relieved you're okay. We both are. Do you want to talk to him?" 

Yeah. 

Jordan pulled the headset off, having to untangle it from a snarl of her burgundy hair, before handing it to Travis. "Don't use any real names," she instructed, "It's a secret identity thing." 

Travis looked at the headset and considered, "You know what? This is all way too crazy, I'm out of here." 

"Wait," Jordan frowned as Travis turned to leave the room. "Travis...!" 

Travis lifted a dismissive hand, "Just tell her I'm glad she's okay, but I can't be with someone who lies to me all the time." 

Jordan winced as Travis slammed her bedroom door shut. 

======= 

Apollo awoke to the feeling of sunlight warming his beardless face, opening his eyes to strange surroundings. He was in a bed, dressed in a simple tunic and loincloth, though his armors were arranged neatly upon a chair in the corner. Sliding glass doors led out to a marble patio, with mountains in the distance. The bedroom was plainly furnished but spacious, as though it was a spare for guests. Apollo wondered if he was in the home of a friend, or a foe. 

Quite suddenly, a lean and handsome man with dark curly hair appeared out of nowhere beside Apollo, his arrival heralded by a barely perceptible tremor of air. He wore a pair of tan slacks, loose-fitting and made of expensive material, with a collared polo tee-shirt; Nike sneakers seemed overly casual in comparison. "Hello, brother. I see you are finally awake. The morning sun always did cure all of your ills." 

Apollo exhaled a relieved breath and swung his legs over the edge of the bed to sit up. "Hermes," he greeted in a gruff voice, happy he was not in the hands of a potential enemy. "How many centuries has it been?" 

"Three, I believe." 

"That long?" 

"I believe it was when Napoleon crowned himself Emperor," Hermes mused. 

"Too long," Apollo grunted. 

"Gods, what a party that was, though. Do you remember the French woman we shared that night... what was her name? She could do the most amazing things with her tongue..." 

"Monique," Apollo recalled perfectly, running a hand through his long, blond hair. 

Hermes laughed, "You amaze me, brother. How could you possibly remember her name after three hundred years?" 

"She was the Emperor's niece," Apollo replied blandly. "Napoleon wanted me drawn and quartered for defiling her innocence out of wedlock." 

Hermes chuckled, "Napoleon. What a pompous little cock that one was." 

Rubbing his forehead, Apollo felt a subtle grogginess leaving his mind like fading morning dew, "Where am I? How did I get here?" 

"You are in my Athens villa. I spirited you here, of course." 

Apollo rose and moved to the sliding glass doors, staring at the distant mountains of Greece, "I did not know you were here, on this plane, again." 

"It is a recent development," Hermes explained. "I've been monitoring a situation in Gateway City, a personal matter, and it was there that I chanced upon my mighty brother engaged in fisticuffs with one of the many costumed heroes of that city. Curious of your activities, I followed your chase of the mortal girl until she bested you." 




How to Date a Superhero Ch. 03



Apollo turned a dangerous look over his shoulder, "She tricked me." 

Hermes didn't argue, "Was she the one who spelled you?" 

Apollo's face twisted, "What!?" 

"After you fell to the mortal girl, I brought you here. Don't worry - I was moving quite quickly. I am sure to her eyes it seemed you simply vanished. But I sensed a taint around your mind, a dark influence if you will - no doubt it was sorcerous." 

Apollo appeared mildly alarmed, as though wary of magic. 

"Do not fear; I brewed you a tonic which seems to have cleared the foulness away." 

Apollo scowled as he realized the probable source, "Lauren Smith." 

Hermes lifted an eyebrow, "Been lying with witches, brother?" 

"It would seem so. A powerful one at that to manipulate mine actions so completely." 

"So this witch was the reason for your battle with the costumed mortal?" 

Apollo placed a fist in his other palm, cracking all his knuckles at once, "It must have been some manner of hex. She wanted me to kill Mega-Girl." 

"Mega-Girl," Hermes repeated to see how the name tasted on his own tongue; he didn't like it. "Despite the regretful name she appeared to be quite a specimen - for a mortal. To stand equal against mighty Apollo in hand-to-hand combat is no easy feat!" 

"My mind was clouded," Apollo grew defensive at the prospect of a mortal being compared as his equal. 

"Still," Hermes argued, "You were not going easy on her and she survived your onslaught. In fact, she gave back - and then some! A woman like that would be fit for a god, be she mortal or not." 

"As a mate?" Apollo sounded curious. 

"Why not, brother? It's hard not to respect a woman of such power. Think of the demigods she would yield - they would rival Hercules himself." 

Apollo's beardless expression grew contemplative. 

Hermes laughed at his sibling, "Come, Apollo. We'll need to be far more drunk if we are to start contemplating mortal mates." 

======= 

Jordan appeared completely helpless as she stood beside her roommate, holding a needle tied with fine thread, "You realize I'm a computer-science major, right? Not pre-med." 

Penny was seated within their apartment on a dining table chair, still in her Mega-Girl costume though she had taken her mask off. Dried blood caked her left shoulder and arm around the wound she had suffered in her fight with Apollo. Jordan had been able to cut away the sleeve of Penny's costume but was hesitant to begin stitching. 

"I can't go to a hospital," Penny complained. "Not without revealing my secret identity. You're all I've got. Please? I'm scared I've lost my invulnerability." 

On the table nearby Jordan had arranged a plastic basin of warm water along with some small towels. She reached for one and began to dab it around Penny's wound in an attempt to clean some of the blood away, "Okay, okay. But how could Apollo have done that?" 

"I have no idea," Penny winced when the cloth touched a nerve. "I don't even know why he attacked me in the first place. I never got the chance to ask before he just vanished into thin air." 

"Okay, here goes..." Biting her lip, Jordan sucked in a breath and held it. Trying to keep her hand steady, she poked the needle into Penny's shoulder... 

"Is it working?" Penny glanced, not feeling the expected pain. 

Jordan shook her head, "It won't go through your skin." 

"Push harder," Penny suggested. 

"I don't want to hurt you," Jordan winced as she applied more pressure, but the only result was that the needle bent into a ninety-degree angle. "Crap, this is pointless! I'm never going to be able to push a needle through your skin." 

"I'm actually kind of relieved," Penny exhaled. "I was worried Apollo had somehow found a way to negate my powers, but maybe it was the arrow that was special, or something. You know, like some godly magic?" 

"Maybe," Jordan abandoned the needle on the table. "But I'm definitely not going to be able to stich you up." She pressed the damp cloth over Penny's shoulder, "Hold this over the wound, I'll see if we have any bandages in the linin closet. We'll just have to hope you're a fast healer." 

Penny pressed the cloth against her shoulder, "I have no idea how fast I heal; I've never been hurt before." 

"Never?" Jordan wondered as she moved towards the hallway closet. "Not even when you were a kid?" 

"I've never had so much as a scratch. My mom told me that when I was really little she took me in to get my immunity shots, but the nurse couldn't pierce my skin with a needle." 

Jordan laughed as she rummaged through their closet, "You never told me that. I remember you telling me your powers developed naturally, but I assumed it was when you were in high school." 

Penny shook her head, "I was only five years old when I realized I was different. A ball I was playing with had rolled under my mom's car in the driveway and I lifted the front end of the car up over my head so I could reach it. It didn't seem like a big deal to me at the time, but my mom totally freaked out." 

Jordan returned with a dusty first-aid kit, "So do you think you were born with your powers?" 

Penny shrugged bonelessly, "I guess so." 

"There are some tape-like stitches in here," Jordan discovered once she opened the plastic kit. "Let's try these, and then I'll cover it up with a bandage. Hopefully you have super-healing to go along with your super-strength." 

"Okay," Penny agreed, lifting the cloth and glancing at her arm. 

"Have you figured out what you're going to say to Travis?" Jordan asked as she set to work on Penny's shoulder. "He seemed pretty pissed when he left about you lying to him." 

"I didn't lie to him," Penny sounded like she was trying to convince herself. "I just didn't tell him I was Mega-Girl." 

"I'm not sure he sees it that way," Jordan remarked. "You better think of something good to say, because he seems like a really great guy. He's irresistibly cute, and totally sweet - in a naïve kind of way." 

"I know," Penny sighed. "I have no idea what I'm going to tell him." 

======= 

"What do you mean it's over already?" Travis' sister sounded disappointed. "I didn't even get a chance to meet her." 

"She lied to me," Travis said, putting his cell phone on speaker mode so he could type and talk at the same time. Travis had a history paper due and was busy writing when his older sister Janice had called. 

"What did she lie to you about?" Janice's distorted voice asked. "Was it about how many boyfriends she's had in the past? Because girls always lie about that stuff." 

"No," Travis sighed, not wanting to talk about Penny. He wanted to bury himself in school work and not think about girls or superheroes. But Janice wanted to know about his new girlfriend and Travis knew how persistent his sister could be, "It wasn't anything like that. Look, Jan, I can't really talk about it, okay?" 

"What do you mean you can't talk about it? What the big secret?" 

Thankfully a knock sounded on Travis' dorm room door saving him from trying to explain that the girl he had been dating was secretly a superhero, "Someone's here, I'll have to call you back." 

"Travis! Don't you dare hang up on -" 

Swiping his finger across the phone, Travis ended the call and rose to answer the door. 

"Hi," Penny attempted a hopeful smile, standing in the hallway. 

"Hello Penny," Travis greeted dryly. "Or should I say Meg-" 

Penny quickly covered his mouth with a palm and prodded Travis backwards into his room, "Shush!" 

Travis pushed her wrist away, "What? It's true, isn't it? You're Mega-Girl?" 

Penny quickly closed the door to prevent anyone walking through the dorm hallway from overhearing, "Please, Travis. My secret identity is really important to me! It protects me and the people I care about." 

"I don't even know which is which!" Travis exclaimed, clearly upset. "I mean, which one is the real you? Are you Penny? Are you Mega-Girl? Or are they both masks?" 

"Both," she admitted, having decided that she needed to be completely honest with Travis. 

"What does that even mean?" Travis lifted both of his palms, gesturing in exasperation. "You know what? I don't even care. I think you should go." 

"I'll explain everything," Penny assured him. "Just... why don't you sit down, okay?" 

Travis eyed her dubiously. 

"Please, Travis. Let me explain. I'll be completely honest with you and I swear I'll never lie to you again. Afterwards, if you want me to leave I will." 

Travis exhaled a heavy breath and glanced at his loveseat. Curiosity got the best of his anger and he moved to sit. 

"My name is Penelope Swann, that's who I am. It's the name my mother gave me when I was born. Mega-Girl is the identity I created after graduating from high school so that I could use my powers without anyone knowing it was me. I didn't want my friends and family hounded by the press, or targeted by super-powered criminals. But I have two masks, Travis, just like you said, because even when I'm Penny I have to pretend I'm someone I'm not. I can't talk like I do when I'm Mega-Girl. I can't wear my hair the same way. I can't show my body. Do you understand?" 

Lifting her right hand, Penny removed a platinum-colored ring from her middle finger. Travis grew wide-eyed when the air suddenly began to shimmer and distort around her form. Penny's hair color changed from dark to blonde; her skin tone was no longer pale, transforming instead into a golden tan; her eyes shifted from a green hue to an icy blue. 

"This ring is an image-transducer," Penny set the ring down on Travis' dresser. "It surrounds my body with a very thin spectrographic ionization field." 

"Huh?" Travis didn't understand a word. 

"It changes the way light reflects off my body," she explained more simply. "It makes my skin look paler and my hair darker, so people can't see any similarities between me and Mega-Girl." Penny removed her glasses and set them beside the ring. 

Travis watched as Penny unzipped her hoody and then proceeded to unbutton her jeans, "What are you doing?" 

Struggling to take her tee-shirt off because of her wounded shoulder, Penny proceeded to discard all of her clothes and stand naked before Travis. Only her bandaged shoulder remained covered. "This is me," she told him. "This is what I really look like. No image inducers. No costumes. No masks. This is as honest as I can be, Travis." 

Travis saw that she still looked like Penny, but with blonde hair, blue eyes, and perfectly tanned skin. Her naked form was petite, toned, and unbelievably sexy. But as good as she looked, it was strange for Travis to see. 

"Why did you lie to me?" he asked. "Why did you make me think you were two different girls when we first met? I felt like I had to choose between Mega-Girl and Penny when really I was choosing between the same girl!" 

"After saving you from that car accident I recognized you from our Chemistry class. You were kind of shy and totally sweet the way you asked me out for coffee. I wanted to go out with you, but I was scared you were only attracted to the costume. I wanted you to like me, to actually like me, so I decided to approach you that day in the Quad. I thought if you choose me as Penny over me as Mega-Girl, I'd know you actually liked me instead of just being enamored with the fame and glitz associated with Mega-Girl." 

"But the truth is: Penny is just as much of a mask as mega-Girl," Travis frowned. "And I don't like being manipulated. I want you to leave." 

Penny looked shattered, "But Travis, wait -" 

"No," he shook his head. "I chose Penny because I don't want to date a superhero. I want a normal life! Your life is too crazy for me. You get into fist-fights with gods and giant robots. I don't want to be a part of that, I can't." 

Penny had expected Travis to forgive her. She had assumed he would still want to be with her and that they would kiss and make love and live happily ever after. His rejection stung her deeply. Penny was suddenly very self-conscious of her nudity and began to quickly gather her clothes, "I-I'm sorry, Travis. I'll go. But please don't tell anyone - please keep my secret?" 

Travis rose from the couch and turned his back as Penny hastily dressed herself, "I won't tell anyone. In fact, I'm going to do my best to forget all about you." 

"Don't say that," Penny said with a quiver to her voice. "I thought we had something, Travis. I care about you, a lot, and I thought you felt the same." 

"I did," Travis said, unable to turn and face her. He was afraid if he looked at her he'd give in to those feelings, "I do... but I can't anymore. I can't date a superhero, Penny. I don't even want to know how. Maybe if you weren't Mega-Girl anymore..." 

Slipping her ring back on the air shimmered briefly around Penny's form once again. Her hair grew dark and her skin grew pale. She slipped her clunky glasses on and moved towards the door, "I can't stop being Mega-Girl, Travis. I was born with these powers. In a way, I've been Mega-Girl my whole life. Sometimes I think I'm more myself with the mask and costume than when I'm just trying to be Penny." 

"That's kind of sad," Travis glanced at her as she walked towards the door. 

Penny shrugged, trying to keep herself from crying, "Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I do need a guy who wants the costume. I-I'm sorry, Travis. I guess I'll see you around." 

======= 

A bright flash of light heralded Apollo's return to his Gateway City condominium, his brother beside him. Both men were clad in modern clothing, expensive and casual, though Apollo held his armor and weapons in a large sack beside him. 

Hermes disappeared but reappeared a moment later, moving too fast for Apollo's eye to follow. "No one is here," he reported, having searched the apartment in approximately a tenth of a second. 

Apollo nodded as though accustomed to, if not entirely comfortable with, his brother's speed, "I suspected as much. No reason for the sorceress to linger." 

"She'll be difficult to find," Hermes commented, strolling toward the open kitchen area at a normal speed. "The mortals number in the billions, and your sorceress could be anywhere." 

"Aye," Apollo conceded, depositing his satchel near the empty armor mannequin. "Likely she has learned Mega-Girl yet lives and rightly assumes the spell over me has been broken. No doubt she had fled to some dark corner to avoid my wrath." 

Hermes opened the refrigerator door, bending at the waste to examine its contents. "I am only a humble messenger," he announced, finding a bottle of wine to his liking. "Tracking and hunting is your twin's arena." 

"You know our sister has sworn never to return to this plane," Apollo said as Hermes located a pair of wine glasses. "Artemis despises the fact that I have chosen Earth and the mortals over Olympus and our kin. She would never aid me." 

"She would if you offered her the bow," Hermes suggested. "Artemis has always been jealous that Minerva gave it to you rather than her." 

Apollo shook his head as he joined his brother in the kitchen, "The joy I would feel killing Lauren Smith pales in value to a bow that can pierce any armor." 

"I'm sure you're right," Hermes poured the wine. "Still, it is not her death I would be seeking if I wore your skin. I would want to know how, and why, she manipulated me into becoming her assassin. Mortals, after all, are not known for their sorcerous talents." 

"Thy words carry wisdom," Apollo looked contemplative. 

"What is the bow to you?" Hermes asked. "After all, you've not held it for centuries. Obviously you've survived well enough without it." 

"True enough," Apollo conceded. 

"Artemis can track a mote of dust across the cosmos," Hermes commented, testing the wine with a sip. "Your mysterious Lauren Smith should be easy for her to find. I could carry a message to her for you, offering the trade?" 

Apollo took the other glass and swallowed much of its contents, "Perhaps. But I have business with another mortal as well, which must take priority." 

"The titan?" Hermes guessed. 

"Aye, Mega-Girl. And she should be much easier to find." 

======= 

Jordan sat on the far side of her and Penny's L-shaped couch trying to watch her favorite soap opera. She had been addicted to the show since high school and had even scheduled her classes around it. But it was hard to pay attention when her roommate, who was sitting on the other end of the couch, kept sniffling. She finally clicked the mute button on their television remote, "Are you crying again?" 

Penny was trying to read a textbook, but she was having trouble focusing and hadn't turned a page in over ten minutes. "No," she murmured, wiping a lone tear off her cheek. 

"For Pete's sake," Jordan rolled her eyes. "It's been over a week since Travis dumped you. I get that it sucks, but you should be past the water-works. He's just a guy, there will be others." 

Penny sighed and snapped her book shut, "It's more than that, it's what Travis made me realize. I'm a girl with two identities, and both of them have masks. I'm so worried all the time that someone is going to discover my secret that I feel like I have to constantly hide." 

"Well," Jordan considered. "Which identity are you more comfortable in? Which is more 'you'?" 

"The costume," Penny replied meekly, ashamed of her own answer. 

"So go put it on," Jordan suggested. "You haven't been on patrol since your fight with Apollo. It'd probably do you some good to get out and fly. Besides, your shoulder has healed perfectly." 

The idea made some sense to Penny. Jordan was right about her shoulder; her body had healed within a couple of days, so thoroughly that not even a scar remained to mark where Apollo's arrow had pierced her flesh. Perhaps it was time to get back into the routine of her life prior to Travis, Penny thought. 

Only minutes later Mega-Girl was garbed in her red one-piece costume and soaring over the skyscrapers of Gateway City. It felt good to get out of her apartment and fly again, to feel the warm late-summer sun on her back. Thoughts of Travis slowly drifted away as she flew over the city. There was little she could do to change Travis' mind regardless, she understood. Travis didn't want a superhero for a girlfriend and Penny couldn't change who or what she was. If she was being honest with herself Penny felt more alive, more like 'herself', when in costume. As Penny she felt forced to be reserved and closeted, but as Mega-Girl she felt free. 

Curling her flight around the Keppler skyscraper, a flash of movement distracted Mega-Girl from her thoughts. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Apollo! He was flying after her, coming from the direction of a balcony in the Keppler Building. Once again dressed in his gleaming ancient armor, Mega-Girl feared the god was seeking another fight. She spun in the air to face him, her hands balling into fists, and hovered in the face of Apollo's approach. 

But he too stopped short, hovering a short distance away. "Mega-Girl," he spoke, his deep baritone voice carrying no sign of animosity, "I would have words with thee." 

Mega-Girl's eyes narrowed cautiously through her mask, "Just words? No fists this time?" 

"I apologize for our previous encounter. I was not myself; my mind was addled by a foul sorceress. I mean thee no harm. Quite the opposite, in truth." 

Mega-Girl remained wary, but she was also curious, "All right, where do you want to talk?" 

"This way," he gestured, returning his flight towards his condominium within the Keppler building. 

Mega-Girl briefly wondered if Apollo could possibly be setting a trap for her but followed him towards the balcony regardless; she suspected Apollo wasn't the crafty type. He seemed more like a man who confronted his problems head-on rather than deal in traps or trickery. 




How to Date a Superhero Ch. 03



"Please," Apollo invited her into his home after the two had landed on his balcony. 

"Nice place," she remarked, noting the tastefully decorated and spacious apartment. 

Apollo removed his mohawk helm, letting blond hair tumble to his shoulders. "Let us dispense with any pleasantries. No doubt you have many questions for me." 

"Just a few," Mega-Girl said, maintaining a safe distance from him. "Why did you attack me last week?" 

"I told you. I was ensorcelled." 

"What does that even mean? Are you talking about magic?" 

"Aye," Apollo set his helmet down on a large dining table, "Or some manner of power. The variety of mortals such as thyself, all with strange abilities, are too numerous to count. Pure magic is rare on this plane, but mortal adepts are not unheard of." 

"You mentioned a woman, Lauren Smith, is she the one who put the zap on your head?" 

"Would you care for a drink?" Apollo asked, temporarily ignoring Mega-Girl's query. 

"No," she replied curtly, "Answer my question." 

"Aye, Lauren Smith. But before you ask I know not who she is or what motivates her. It is humbling to admit, but the witch made me a dupe in her plan to kill you." 

"Why would this woman want to kill me?" Mega-Girl asked, confused. "I've never even heard of her." 

Apollo lifted a shoulder, wandering towards his kitchen, "I need some wine." 

"What about that bow?" Mega-Girl followed after him, intent on more answers. 

"The bow is mine," Apollo admitted, perusing a rack of wine bottles near his fridge. "But have no fear, mortal, I will not take aim upon thee again." 

"How did it hurt me?" Mega-Girl wondered, "Nothing's ever hurt me like that." 

Apollo selected a green bottle without a label and pulled its cork out with his teeth, "My father magicked it to pierce any armor, any flesh." 

"That's pretty convenient," she commented dryly, "What does your father have against me?" 

Apollo chuckled as he poured a glass, "The bow was made over two millennia ago, long before you were born." 

Mega-Girl folded her arms across her chest, "All right, I'm convinced you don't want to kill me anymore. I just have one other question. Where can I find this Lauren Smith bitch so I can convince her to stop tricking gods into killing me?" 

"I know not where she is," Apollo stated, pausing to take a swallow of wine. "But I can aid thee in locating her." 

"How are you going to do that?" Mega-Girl sounded skeptical. 

"Not myself, but mine sister. We'll need to travel to Olympus and convince her to aid us." 

Mega-Girl laughed at the absurdity, "You think she's on a mountain in Greece?" 

Apollo chuckled, "Nay, not Greece..." 

======= 

"He wants to take you where?" Jordan wondered with an incredulous gasp, watching her roommate stuff a toothbrush into a duffle bag. 

"Olympus," Penny said; the two roommates were within Penny's mess of a room as she tried to decide what to pack, "I guess it's where he's originally from - his home town, or something." 

Jordan was having trouble wrapping her head around what Penny had said regarding her conversation with Apollo, "And it's in another dimension?" 

"That's what he said." 

"And you believed him?" 

Penny glanced at her, "Why shouldn't I? He's a god, right? They must come from somewhere." 

"Jesus, Penny. Do you have any idea how crazy this all sounds? We don't even know if Apollo is actually a god at all. I mean, he could be a lunatic full of shit who simply tells everyone he's a god. That doesn't mean it's true!" 

Penny shrugged bonelessly, "He says his sister is there and that she can find this Lauren Smith chick who somehow has the power to control people's minds and wants me dead. If there's a chance Apollo is telling the truth I owe it to myself to try and figure out where to find her." Looking towards her closet she asked, "What do you suppose people wear in Olympus?" 

Jordan threw her hands up helplessly, "How the hell would I know? Do I look like I've visited other dimensions, before?" 

"I guess I'll just pack a couple of extra costumes," Penny decided, "If they all dress like Apollo I shouldn't stand out too much." 

"You do realize that if Apollo is telling the truth, and that's a big 'if', you'll be on your own? I'm handy with computers and electronics but I'm pretty sure no one has invented a cell phone that can call another dimension." 

"I'll be fine," Penny assured her, "Apollo apologized for attacking me and I believed him when he said he was under some kind of magic influence. I'll be perfectly safe. I'm nigh-invulnerable, remember? Plus, I'll have an ancient god at my side to protect me." 

"I'm not suggesting you need a bodyguard," Jordan conceded, "But what if you get trapped in this other dimension and can't get back?" 

"What if I don't go?" Penny proposed, folding one of her spare costumes, "What if this crazy sorceress lady succeeds in killing me because I just ignored the situation?" 

"We could try finding her? I could do a full search on the name Lauren Smith; I even have a few backdoor options for government databases I could try. I'm sure it's not her real name but maybe it's a common alias and I could get some red flag hits -" 

"I want to go," Penny interrupted, "Since putting on the costume I've seen and done some pretty amazing things, but this is on a whole new level. Traveling to another dimension? Meeting actual gods? I can't turn down an adventure like that." 

Jordan frowned and sat on the edge of Penny's disheveled bed. 

"What?" Penny watched her. 

"Nothing," Jordan sighed, "If I were in your shoes I'd probably do the same thing. Plus, Apollo is damn near the sexiest guy on Earth - literally a Greek god - and you're recently single." 

Penny laughed, "I didn't know you were into the muscle-bound types." 

"How long do you think you'll be gone?" 

"Shouldn't take more than a day or two," Penny guessed, "At least I hope not; I can't afford to skip classes for very long without getting seriously behind." 

"Just promise me you'll be careful, okay?" Jordan looked slightly concerned. 

"Don't worry about me," Penny winked, "I'll bring you back a post-card."



How to Date a Superhero Ch. 04



The late night darkness was suddenly dispelled by a singular flash of brilliance. The light sizzled and expanded into a large sphere before exploding soundlessly and leaving two figures standing in the dewy grass of an endless and rolling meadow. Mega-Girl was in her red one-piece costume, wavy blonde hair falling to the middle of her back mingling with a plump duffle bag slung over her shoulder. Next to her was the imposing figure of Apollo, garbed in his gleaming armors of leather and gold. His spear was housed in a harness at his back and the bow of Minerva was secured there as well. 

"Oh shit...!" Mega-Girl immediately doubled over and vomited onto the ground, the disorientation of teleporting halfway across the world disagreeing with her stomach. 

Apollo glanced at her as though the reaction was not unexpected, "Thy nausea will pass quickly." 

She spit out the last of her sickness and wiped a sleeve across her lips. "You could have warned me," she glared. Then, looking to her left, Mega-Girl spotted a collection of crumbling stone pillars arranged in a circle on the grassy plain. 

"Wait, you teleported us to Stonehenge?" she asked, recognizing the ancient and famous British landmark. 

"Aye," Apollo responded in a bland baritone voice. He began moving towards the massive stones. 

Mega-Girl walked after him, "When you said you needed to take us to the conduit between planes I assumed it would be in Greece, or Rome?" 

"When my father first traveled to this plane three thousand years ago he arrived here, in Britannia, at this very place. He constructed this arrangement of stones to carry him back. Their power has not faltered through the millennia and will serve us equally as well." 

"You're saying Zeus is the one who created Stonehenge?" 

Apollo glanced at her and nodded, "Aye." 

She laughed ironically, "People have been trying to solve the puzzle of Stonehenge's origins for centuries and all this time you've known the truth?" 

"There is much in the universe the mortals of this plane do not understand," Apollo moved towards the center of the stone pillars, "It is not my duty to enlighten them." 

Mega-Girl ignored Apollo's elitist words, "Kind of risky coming here at night, isn't it? Given that you lose your powers when not in the sun?" 

"I do not lose my powers in the darkness," Apollo countered defensively, "They are simply weakened." 

"Probably for the best we came now," Mega-Girl commented as she stepped beside him, "This place must be crawling with tourists during the day. So how does this work... you speak a magic word and we suddenly teleport to the dimension of the gods? I'm not going to throw up again, am I?" 

Apollo answered her by spreading his arms wide and closing his eyes. He began speaking in a language Mega-Girl didn't understand or recognize, though it sounded vaguely similar to what little Latin she had heard spoken. It wasn't but a few moments into Apollo's gesturing when filaments of white light began flowing out of Stonehenge's pillars towards the pair. Like tendrils crawling through the air they began to weave around Apollo and Mega-Girl, forming a sphere of light that eventually enveloped them completely. 

There was a sudden and loud noise that began, like static, and Mega-Girl had to shout in order to hear her own voice. "What's happening?" she yelled, clutching at Apollo's muscled arm and shielding her eyes with a wrist against all-consuming light. 

"Brace thyself!" he hollered back. 

A crack of thunder erupted so loud that Mega-Girl feared it damaged her invulnerable ear drums. The sound came from outside the sphere of light, which was the only thing Mega-Girl could see. More intense sound followed, like a vacuum mixed with a blender. She tried yelling again but couldn't hear her own voice, so Mega-Girl simply clung to Apollo's arm and shut her eyes against the event. 

A second clap of thunder sounded, heralding an end to the chaos. Mega-Girl heard other voices and opened her eyes to find herself standing on a cobblestone avenue, both of her arms curled around Apollo's broad bicep. The sun was bright in the sky and people dressed in fashions that appeared archaic were all looking and pointing at the pair. Mega-Girl didn't understand what they were saying but it was obvious that some of them recognized Apollo because she heard his name spoken amidst the gibberish. 

"That was intense," she finally remarked. 

"You can release thy sturdy grip," Apollo spoke quietly, "We have safely arrived within Olympus." 

Mega-Girl blushed beneath her mask and released Apollo's arm, casting her gaze all around and noting the columned architecture of marble and stone buildings, wondering if she and Apollo had traveled back in time to ancient Greece. "This is unbelievable," she whispered. 

Apollo looked around as well. "Little has changed in two thousand years," he noted. 

"You haven't been back here in two thousand years?" Mega-Girl sounded surprised. 

"My father and I had a disagreement." 

"Must have been quite a disagreement," Mega-Girl commented dryly. 

Apollo lifted a casual shoulder, "I prefer thy world." 

The crowd around them began to grow, though they kept their distance from the pair. Mega-Girl noticed they looked no different from people on Earth, with equally varied tones of skin and hair color. The only difference was their clothing, which looked like something copied straight out of a period movie about gladiators. 

"Come," Apollo took Mega-Girl's hand in his own, "We should find my brother, he has invited us to stay at his estate while conducting our business." 

"Which one? Don't you have a bunch of brothers?" 

"Aye, but Hermes is mine favorite." 

A massive grin suddenly decorated Mega-Girl's face beneath her mask, "You're going to introduce me to Hermes? This is so cool." 

======= 

Travis knocked on the apartment door and tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for someone to answer. He was dressed in a casual pair of jeans and a charcoal hoody that was soaked from rain, as he had walked from his dorm to the off-campus building. 

"Travis?" Jordan looked surprised to see him after opening the door. 

She was scantily clad in a pair of shorts and a baby-doll tee, her dyed burgundy hair clasped behind her in a long pony tail. Travis couldn't help but notice her shapely tan legs but reminded himself he was there to see Penny.. 

"What are you doing out in the rain?" she wondered in a concerned tone, "It's pouring outside!" 

Travis pulled the hood off his head, revealing a mess of brown hair, "Tell me about it." 

Jordan grabbed him by the wrist and pulled Travis inside, closing the door. "Take your hoody off," she ordered, "I'll find you a towel to dry off with." 

Travis unzipped the cotton garment and hung it on a coat tree while Jordan briefly disappeared towards the apartment's bedroom hallway. He pushed a hand through his tousled hair trying to straighten it out. 

Jordan returned with a big bath towel in hand and saw that Travis' tee shirt and jeans were soaked through as well. "Look at you," she worried, gesturing, "Take those off too." 

Travis raised a brow. 

"You don't need to be modest," she reminded, "I've already seen you in your underwear." 

Travis recalled the morning he found Penny's Mega-Girl costume and grinned. He pulled his tee shirt over his head before kicking his shoes off and unbuttoning his pants. 

Jordan cleared her throat at the sight of Travis' leanly muscled and smooth torso. She silently cursed the fact that her roommate had made a claim to such a sexy guy before she had a chance. "Here," she held out the towel, trading it for his wet clothes and trying not to look, "I'll go put your stuff in the dryer." 

"I take it Penny's not here?" Travis ran the towel over his head first. 

"She left yesterday," Jordan said, grabbing his dripping hoody as well. 

"Left?" he wondered. 

"I'll be right back, laundry's down the hall." 

Travis nodded at her and continued to dry himself off. He was unsure what to do with the towel afterwards and decided to go to the bathroom and hang it over the shower curtain. As he walked out of the bathroom Jordan was returning as well. 

She closed the door and secured a chain lock, "Your stuff should be dry in about twenty. So, what made you brave the weather? Did you come looking for Penny?" 

"Yeah. You said she left last night? Where did she go?" 

"That's a long story," Jordan exhaled, dropping herself onto an 'L' shaped couch where a pair of textbooks lay open on a nearby coffee table. 

"Mega-Girl stuff?" Travis assumed. 

"Yep," Jordan replied, closing her books and setting them aside. She didn't want to alarm Travis by telling him that his ex-girlfriend had run away to another dimension with a Greek god. Or was he Roman? Jordan could never remember. 

Travis joined her on the couch, "When will she be back?" 

"I'm not sure," Jordan answered honestly, "But I thought you guys broke up?" 

"We did," Travis sighed, "But ever since I've been trying to figure out how to date a superhero. I mean, I've got to be a complete idiot for dumping Mega-Girl, right? Every guy in the world has got a crush on her." 

"I don't think you're an idiot, Travis. Don't get me wrong, I love Penny to death, but it's difficult enough being her roommate. I worry about her all the time and I'm always wondering if some revenge-crazed super villain is going to suddenly crash through the wall and kill me." 

Travis wondered, "Do you think you could date a superhero?" 

Jordan shook her head, "No way. Not after finding out about all the crazy shit Penny has gotten herself into over the last year. But I'm not you; I'm frustratingly single. You're the one with a costumed ex-girlfriend, so the question really should be if you can date a superhero?" 

"I don't know." 

"Do you love her?" 

Travis glanced at Jordan's simple question, "I don't know that, either. I was definitely falling for her really hard, but we didn't date that long." 

"You seem like a really great guy," Jordan told him, her tone fond, "Which is why I'm going to tell you this... Penny was crushed after you broke up with her. I know she really likes you, so I'm pretty sure she'd want to get back together if you did." 

"I'm just not sure." 

Jordan looked confused, "Then why did you come over here?" 

"To apologize," Travis answered, "For being so hard on her when we broke up. I was being really cold and kind of a dick. Plus, she's my lab partner and I'd really like to remain friends." 

"Ouch," Jordan winced, "You came over to give her the 'let's be friends' speech?" 

"Too soon?" Travis realized. 

"Definitely too soon. I guess it's a good thing she wasn't here." 

"Yeah," Travis agreed with a sigh, "Maybe you're right." 

"Come on," Jordan rose, "I'll make you some hot chocolate while your clothes dry and then I can give you a lift back to campus." 

"You have a car?" 

Jordan winked at him, "Just one of my many fine qualities." 

======= 

Hermes spread his arms wide in greeting, "Brother! It is good to see you again so soon. And I see you brought your titan companion with you, as well." 

Mega-Girl realized Hermes was talking about her as she walked beside Apollo into a garden atrium. She was surprised at his appearance because Hermes was the first person she had seen in Olympus who wasn't wearing a tunic or toga - he was dressed very casually in a pair of tan slacks, tennis shoes, and a windbreaker as though he had just arrived from somewhere on Earth. Also surprising was that he did not have any resemblance to his brother; Apollo was a thickly muscled man with bronzed skin and flowing blonde hair, but Hermes had an entirely common build, olive skin, and curly black hair. 

When Hermes took her hand and kissed the back of it Mega-Girl couldn't help but blush. 

"Welcome to Olympus," the messenger-god told her, "I am Hermes." 

"Thank you," she smiled at his charm, "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is, um, Mega-Girl." 

"Cease thy flirtations," Apollo scowled jealously at his brother, "Mega-Girl did not come to Olympus to be wooed by thee." 

"Of course not," Hermes acquiesced. He added with a wink, "Besides, she looks far better on your arm, brother." 

Apollo grunted indifferently. 

Mega-Girl smiled at their fussing over her. 

"Come," Hermes beckoned, "I have supper waiting for us in my dining hall. We can eat while we discuss the true purpose for your visit." 

Apollo nodded and placed his hand at the small of Mega-Girl's back before following Hermes. She didn't seem to mind his intimate touch. 

"He speaks English," Mega-Girl whispered beside Apollo as they walked through the gardens, suddenly realizing Hermes was the first person in Olympus she could understand, "He doesn't even have an accent." 

"Aye," Apollo replied in a private tone, "Many languages are known here in Olympus and mine brother is an expert linguist." 

"He's so different from you," she pointed out with a smile. 

Apollo grunted, "Different mothers." 

Hermes led the pair through his grand home, a sizable structure of marble walls, columned entries, and tiled floors. His dining hall was smaller than Mega-Girl expected a 'hall' to be. It was more like a large room with a rectangular table that could seat a dozen. Various pieces of artwork hung in golden frames along with various pedestals holding vases and other sculptures. 

"You have a beautiful home," Mega-Girl sat down after Apollo pulled a chair back for her near the head of the table. Hermes and Apollo waited to sit until she was settled; Hermes at the table's head to her right, Apollo to her left. 

"It must be strange to your eyes," Hermes reasoned. "Antiquated." 

"This whole city is strange," Mega-Girl agreed, "But beautiful. I never imagined traveling to another dimension would be possible, it's incredible. Very surreal." 

Apollo lifted his mohawk helmet and sat it on the table beside him, "You should remove thy mask." 

Mega-Girl glanced at him, "Really? Oh, um... am I being impolite?" 

"Of course not," Hermes interjected, "It is just the three of us here, after all. No need to require any ceremony. But rest-assured your identity is not in jeopardy here, titan. No one is going to recognize you and Apollo and I are completely trustworthy." 

Mega-Girl gave Hermes' smile a suspicious expression but decided he wasn't wrong, "I guess it is pretty silly to worry about protecting my identity when I'm in an entirely different dimension." 

Both men watched as she removed her mask, letting her blue eyes shine as she smiled at them. 

"Your beauty would challenge Aphrodite herself," Hermes complimented her, "Truly you belong here in Olympus, amongst us immortals. What a brood mare you would make! Gods would fight wars to possess you as a mother for their children." 

Mega-Girl blushed at the compliment, even though she wasn't entirely sure she liked being compared to a 'brood mare'. 

"My brother either has a silver tongue or a forked one," Apollo said with a glare towards Hermes, "But that does not mean he is incorrect." 

"Thank you," she smiled, "Both of you." 

It was uniquely liberating for Penny to be in a social situation as Mega-Girl and not have to hide behind a mask or force herself to act a certain way. In Olympus, so far from Earth and her potential enemies, she could simply be relaxed about her identity. She was enjoying herself immensely in the company of the two brothers. It was also flattering to be complimented by a god! It was obvious Hermes was attracted to her, but she also sensed Apollo was jealous of that fact. His jealousy pleased her for reasons she was afraid to contemplate. 

Servants served the meal. It was an elaborate affair involving three courses, the first of which was a sweet salad and fruit. The main course was duck and lamb, along with a melody of vegetables. A fruity white wine lubricated the food well. While eating, Mega-Girl listened to the brothers tell stories of ancient days spent in Olympus, a smile decorating her face. Hermes was a delight to her, blessed with the gift of gab and able to craft a story better than anyone she had ever met. As the meal wore on even dour Apollo seemed to loosen his gruff façade; he even laughed at one of Hermes' tales, a sound Mega-Girl thought was magnificent coming from his baritone voice. 

"...must understand, my dear, that no one had ever bested Hercules in combat," Hermes was saying as dessert was delivered - a delicious looking sweet cake. "The man is infuriatingly arrogant and an irritant to all of his siblings. But none of us dared lay a hand upon him because he carried father's favor. Hercules could do no wrong in the eyes of Zeus after he had stolen the girdle of Queen Hippolyta and brought it to Olympus." 

Mega-Girl was grinning at the story and glanced at Apollo, "Who?" 

"Hippolyta," Apollo clarified after swallowing some wine, "Queen of the Amazons. A bitch of a woman spawned from our brother, Ares." 

"Hercules couldn't stop boasting of his achievements to anyone who would listen," Hermes continued, "And my fine brother here finally had enough." 

"Oh no," Mega-Girl giggled at Apollo, buzzed from several glasses of wine, "What did you do?" 

"Nothing the rest of the family didn't want to do," Apollo answered before pushing his cake away in favor of more wine. 

Hermes laughed, "True enough. But only you would risk the ire of Zeus, brother." Hermes looked to Mega-Girl to explain, "We were engaged in a family dinner where Hercules was telling us all for the thousandth time how his strength and bravery had enabled him to obtain the girdle, when suddenly my brother here stood in front of all and labeled Hercules a braggart!" 

Mega-Girl couldn't help but laugh, assuming that being called a braggart in Olympus was a serious insult. Her hand found Apollo's shoulder, a flirtatious touch. 

"Hercules challenged Apollo to a wrestling match to prove his might in combat," Hermes' story continued, "Which he had to do once Apollo had questioned his honor, but Apollo wouldn't have it. Instead, Apollo leapt over the dinner table and began throttling Hercules to the ground, yelling 'Why wait to wrestle? Face me now!' as Hercules attempted a futile defense." 

Mega-Girl gasped dramatically, pretending to be shocked, "You beat up your own brother at a family dinner?" 

"Half-brother," Apollo clarified. "Hercules is a braggart, and an ass." 

"Indeed," Hermes agreed, full of humor, "And he learned the difference between god and demi-god that day, I can tell you. But enough about Apollo and I. Tell us more about you, my dear. We can't keep calling you 'Mega-Girl', for example. You must have a given name?" 

It was her instinct to keep such things secret, but Mega-Girl reminded herself where she was and who she was with. She had just dined with gods, after all; even if she did keep her identity secret from them she assumed they could discover it on their own if they needed to. 

"My name is Penelope, but most people call me 'Penny' for short." 

"And where did you obtain your remarkable abilities?" Hermes asked. 

"I was born with them," Mega-Girl shrugged bonelessly, playing with her dessert by poking it with a fork, "As far as I know." 

Hermes glanced at Apollo, who offered an indifferent shrug. 

"What?" Mega-Girl caught the private glance between them. 

"How old are you?" Hermes wondered curiously. 

"Nineteen," she answered. 

Hermes looked to Apollo again, "A mere babe." 

"She's not mine," Apollo assured him, "And I'm unaware of any of our kin visiting Earth in the last few decades." 

Mega-Girl finally caught on, "Are you suggesting I'm a demi-god? Half-god, half-mortal, like Hercules?" 




How to Date a Superhero Ch. 04



"It's possible," Hermes conceded. "Your power is quite remarkable, even for the varied heroes of Earth." 

Mega-Girl dismissed the possibility, "I think my mom would have told me if my father was a god." 

Hermes nodded, unwilling to push the issue, "Of course." 

"We should be discussing more pressing matters," Apollo leaned forward to pour himself more wine. He filled Mega-Girl's glass as well. 

Hermes digressed, "Very well. I've arranged a meeting tomorrow with your twin, but no doubt news of your arrival has spread throughout the city. Which could be a problem; Father has been rather crabby for the last few decades and the two of you didn't exactly part on good terms." 

"You have a twin?" Mega-Girl asked Apollo, curious about his family. 

"Aye," he nodded, "Artemis." 

Hermes refreshed his own wine glass and explained to Mega-Girl, "If anyone can find the woman who ensorcelled Apollo and wants to kill you, it's Artemis. The trick will be convincing her to return to your plane, a place she swore she'd never go again." 

"Why?" Mega-Girl wondered. 

"She was in love with a mortal who spurned her," Apollo replied without any emotion. 

"She did not take it well," Hermes chuckled. "To complicate matters, she bid Apollo to return to Olympus with her. But Apollo remained on Earth, favoring its environs over our own. Artemis remains resentful that her twin chose the mortal world over his own people." 

Mega-Girl looked to Apollo, "How likely is it that she'll help us if she's still angry at you?" 

"She'll help us," Apollo promised with a dark tone. 

Mega-Girl held her gaze on him, sensing Apollo was right. The man oozed confidence with every word he spoke, with every movement of his chiseled frame. She had only been with him a short while but Mega-Girl found Apollo to be as intoxicating as Hermes' wine. It didn't hurt that he was easily the most visually stunning male she had ever seen, so gorgeous that she found it difficult at times to tear her eyes from him. 

"Do you think Father will be a problem?" Apollo asked his brother, though he didn't sound overly concerned either way. 

"Who can know?" Hermes replied indifferently, "It depends on his mood, which is impossible to predict." 

Mega-Girl looked confused, "Is there something I should know about?" 

"More often than not our father sees his children as his servants," Hermes explained. "My brother here has an inborn problem with authority..." 

Apollo snorted. 

"...suffice it to say that he has always disregarded the endless biddings of Zeus, which has resulted in quite a bit of tension. On many occasions this has led to blows between the two." 

"You think he's going to show up and want to fight?" Mega-Girl sounded mildly concerned. 

"We haven't seen each other in centuries," Apollo pointed out, "He'll likely ignore our presence." 

"Still," Hermes suggested, "Tomorrow you should conclude your business with Artemis quickly and hasten yourselves back to Earth. The ire of Zeus is not a thing to trifle with." 

======= 

Travis pulled his tee shirt back on and smiled at its dry warmth. He loved putting on clothes fresh out of the dryer. 

"I think it's raining even harder," Jordan was looking out a window, car keys clutched in one hand. She had changed into a pair of black skinny-jeans and a sweatshirt. 

"Maybe we should wait until it lightens up," Travis suggested. "I'm in no hurry to get back." 

"That's probably a good idea," she agreed, setting her keys down. She lifted a gesturing chin towards the nearby television, "See if you can find any weather reports?" 

Travis found a remote on the coffee table and began searching the news channels. He found one of Gateway City's local stations doing a special report. "Hey, check this out... something's going on downtown." 

Jordan approached and looked to the television. The camera was pointed at distant man hovering in the air with his arms wide, amidst the chaos of a lightning storm. It was hard to see through the heavy rain and flashes of lightning; Jordan didn't recognize the person, though it was clearly a super-powered individual. 

"Turn up the volume," she prompted Travis. 

"... reports that the super-villain Cyclone, a known associate of Master Disaster, is threatening to destroy the city unless authorities release The Leviathan from Blockade - the infamous supermax prison which houses the world's most dangerous super-powered criminals. So far all attempts to stop Cyclone have failed as he has defeated both The Phaser as well as Major Asskicker. Local authorities seem helpless and this reporter can't help but wonder: where is Mega-Girl?" 

"Oh crap," Travis hit the mute button, "You better call Penny and let her know this shit is about to hit the fan. I've heard of this Cyclone guy; he can literally control the weather. He could wipe the whole city out!" 

"I can't," Jordan murmured, still staring at the television. 

"Huh?" Travis glanced at her, "What do you mean?" 

"I can't call her," Jordan looked back to him. "It won't work. She's in the mother of all dead spots." 

"Dead spot!? Are you kidding me? I've seen the technology you're working with in there," Travis gestured towards Jordan's room, referring to her computers. "You've got access to satellites and who-knows-what else. Where on Earth could she be?" 

"That's the thing, Travis. She's not on Earth." 

======= 

Pushing a silver brush through her long blonde hair, Penny sat before a vanity mirror and couldn't stop smiling. After dinner she had enjoyed a luxuriating bath, which was really the size of a small pool, before retiring to a sizable guest room. Oil lamps and wax candles lit the chambers which featured a large bed, the vanity desk, and a small circular breakfast table. Two shuttered windows were open to the late night air, giving her a view of a distant mountain beyond the city that dwarfed anything she had ever seen on Earth. 

Setting the brush down, Penny rose and padded in bare feet to the window, looking at the city. Hermes' estate was situated on a high hill, affording a spectacular view of the twinkling lights of windows and street lamps below. A cool breeze wafted against her cotton robe and Penny noted that even the air smelled differently in Olympus, reminding her she was far from home. The thrill of visiting a city where literal gods lived hadn't diminished since her and Apollo's arrival only hours earlier. Penny wondered how she would possibly describe it all to Jordan. 

A knock sounded on the wooden door, interrupting Penny's musings. "Come in," she called. 

The door opened to reveal Apollo, clad only in a simple loin cloth. Penny looked at him over her shoulder and nearly gasped at his perfect physique. 

"You are still awake," he stated rather than asked. 

"I'm too excited to sleep," she smiled, turning to face him. "I guess I'm still trying to process the fact that I'm in an entirely different dimension." 

Apollo walked across the room to join her at the window and glanced at the slowly dwindling lights, "Olympus is a mythic place. I'm glad to have shown it to thee." 

Penny turned and stood beside him shoulder-to-shoulder, though her 5'7" frame was considerably smaller than Apollo's, "Can I ask you a question?" 

"Aye." 

"Why do you talk like someone out of a Shakespearian play? I mean, with all the 'thee's' and 'thou's'? No one else talks like that here." 

Apollo glanced aside at her with narrowed eyes, unable to tell if Penny was mocking him. 

She grinned at him, "What? Don't be offended; I'm just asking." 

Apollo glanced back out to the city, "I knew Shakespeare." 

"Seriously?" Penny sounded impressed. 

"I spent many centuries in Britannia, before America's revolution. Bill owned a play company in England that I oft frequented. What many forget is that he was as fine an actor as he was a writer. I found his manner of speech pleasing to my tongue, to answer thy question." 

"Fair enough." Penny chucked, "You called him 'Bill'?" 

"Aye." 

"Did he know you were a god?" 

Apollo shook his head, "I did not advertise my lineage after the fall of the Roman Empire. People then were swept-up by the prospect of new worlds, music and art, and the religions of Christ. My fellow Olympians, abandoned of mortal worship, had returned here long prior. The people of Earth had forgotten their gods truly existed and we became a myth; I saw no reason to convince them otherwise. Even now most people think 'Apollo' is simply a guise, a gimmick; they do not believe I am truly the man Romans and Greeks once worshiped as a sun god." 

Penny stared at him, realizing she was standing next to an immortal who had lived through the world's known history. "You mentioned Christ," she murmured, "Was he real?" 

Apollo looked at her as though he had heard the question a thousand times before, "A man who could walk on water and heal the sick?" He snorted, "That would be as foolish as a man who could fly and teleport." 

"You didn't answer my question," she grinned. 

"You are a woman of rare beauty, Penelope." 

Penny blinked at the spontaneous compliment. 

"And thy power rivals many of my fellow Olympians. Zeus himself would covet such power to exist within one of my sisters." 

"Thanks," she was looking up at his green eyes and flowing blond hair, suddenly wondering what it would be like to kiss a god. 

"Do you have a mortal mate?" 

Penny raised her eyebrows, "You mean, like a boyfriend?" 

Apollo lifted a hand to cup her cheek, "Aye." 

"N-no," she answered, flustered by his touch but not opposed to it. "I m-mean I did, sort of, but... we broke up. Um, why do you ask?" 

Apollo seemed to drift closer to her and Penny couldn't help but notice his scent, a combination of sweat and something musky that made her nostrils flare with attraction. 

"Your breath is catching," he whispered. 

"I'm tired," she lied, "And I had a lot of wine... during dinner..." 

One of Apollo's arms slipped around her and Penny found her gaze level with the smooth pectorals of his tanned chest. She glanced aside at his arm and was surprised to see her own hand there, lightly caressing his bicep. 

"Never before have I beheld a mortal such as thee. Never before in countless centuries has a woman so challenged me, as you did the day we fought in deadly combat. You are a lioness, Penelope, fit for a god." 

"Apollo," she whispered, ready to tell him that they shouldn't do whatever it was he thought they were about to do. 

But then his lips were on hers and all resistance melted from Penny's body. 

======= 

Gateway City University was situated on a massive campus on the south side of the city, only a few short miles from the downtown core. The brewing storm was plain to see from outside Jordan's apartment window, which faced north; and it was growing. Clouds were swirling above and rain was falling in sheets. 

"It's getting worse out there," Jordan worried, watching the near continual flashes of lightning through the living room window. "It won't be long before the storm envelops us, too." 

Travis was sitting on the couch watching live news coverage, which mostly consisted of long range camera shots of Cyclone hovering in the air. "I can't believe Penny went anywhere with Apollo," he muttered jealously, "Especially after he just tried to kill her." 

"I know," Jordan agreed, "If she were here she could snap this Cyclone guy in half like a twig." 

"Do you think she wants to sleep with him?" 

Jordan cast a confused look towards the couch, "Why would Penny want to sleep with Cyclone?" 

"Not Cyclone, Apollo!" 

Jordan turned from the window and offered Travis an annoyed expression, "You're worried about Penny's love life at a time like this? I thought you said you weren't even sure if you wanted to get back together?" 

"I'm not, but that doesn't mean I'm ready for her to start sleeping with Greek gods!" 

"I think he's Roman," she corrected, though her tone was unsure. 

"Whatever," Travis threw his hands up. 

"Travis, if Cyclone starts whipping up tornadoes we're going to be in serious trouble. Would you stop worrying about Penny for five minutes? What's the news saying, are they going to release The Leviathan and get this creep to stop?" 

"I don't know," Travis sighed, "They haven't said." 

Suddenly the television went dark, as did all the lights in the apartment. 

"Shit," Jordan cursed, "There goes the power." 

Travis squinted at a flash of lightning which lit the apartment like a strobe for a slit second, "Do you have a flashlight?" 

"In the kitchen I think." 

Travis rose from the couch and stumbled through the darkness, stubbing his foot against something on the way. His hand found a wall and he used it to guide his steps towards the apartment's small kitchen. Without any nearby windows he was unable to see a thing; Travis held his hands out to warn him if he was about to bump into anything, which he did almost immediately. Whatever his hand found was both firm and soft at the same time. 

"That's me," he heard Jordan say. 

"Sorry," he replied. 

"More specifically that's my right breast," Jordan remarked dryly. 

Travis yanked his hand away. "Sorry," he repeated. 

The sliding sound of a drawer opening preceded some rummaging as Jordan searched the drawer's contents by feel. Finally she found what she was looking for and flipped the flashlight on, illuminating the kitchen in focused light. 

"I wonder if we should seek shelter?" she asked as a gust of wind rattled the living room windows. 

"Does this building have a basement?" Travis wondered, thinking her idea was a good one. 

Jordan nodded, "Yeah. Stuff like the furnace and hot water heater are down there." 

"Do you have a radio?" 

"No, I stream all my music. Why?" 

"Because the television doesn't run on batteries and we need to know what's happening," Travis frowned, "You seriously don't have a radio?" 

Jordan gave him an irritated look, "Who has a radio anymore outside of their car?" 

"What about emergencies? You know - like this?!" 

"Give me a break!" Jordan hissed, "My roommate can bench press a hundred tons and fly faster than the speed of sound. I don't really worry about emergencies too much, okay?" 

"Okay! Okay... hopefully we can get cell coverage down there." 

======= 

As she kissed Apollo, Penny felt her robe begin to slide off her shoulders; she rolled her arms to let the garment fall to a puddle at her feet. Never in her life had she felt so carefree! Perhaps it was all the wine, but she felt as though she didn't have to hide behind a mask or pretend to be someone she wasn't. For Penny it was like being on vacation in a distant city and not caring about what people thought or what happened, because no one at home would ever find out. 

When she felt Apollo's hands groping at her sizable breasts Penny reciprocated by reaching under his loincloth for his manhood. He was already erect and Penny gasped softly against his lips at the feel. She broke their kiss and looked down at it, marveling at its size and firmness. Apollo was circumcised and his pubic hair was shaved to a patch of stubble; it was like a nine-inch rod of steel in her hand, veiny and pulsing. Apollo reached to his hip and untied the loincloth, pulling it away from his naked form and casually tossing it aside. He watched as Penny caressed his member, her hand gliding up and down its length exploring every contour. 

Irresistibly, as though drawn by magnetic force, Penny slowly lowered her form until she found herself kneeling before Apollo. At eye level with his cock she stroked him, fascinated by the fact that his shaft seemed to thicken further under her attentions. Her lips parted, a strand of saliva stretching between them, and placed her mouth so close to his hardness that Apollo could feel her breath against the skin of his soft underside. 

"You want me," Apollo grunted softly. 

Penny nodded, licking her lips, but wanted to tease him some more. She closed her eyes and kissed his shaft, dragging her lips against its length and leaving a smear of glistening saliva behind. Apollo's cock twitched against her mouth, a dollop of pre-seminal fluid appearing at its tip. Penny licked it off, teasing the head with her tongue as she grasped him halfway down his erection with a firm grip. 

With a smile Penny jested, "Do you want me to worship you? Worship your cock?" 

Apollo grunted something of an affirmative and placed a hand to the side of her head, his fingers sliding through the waves of her blonde hair. 

Penny opened her mouth and let Apollo slide his cock between her lips. She dictated how much of his length she could take by where her hand was gripping him, as he was too long to accept it all, and proceeded to suckle on the upper third. Her tongue swathed against his underside before Penny began bobbing her head and pumping her fist - stroking him as she performed her oral service. When her lips met her hand she began the motion anew, sucking and clamping with her lips to create friction. Apollo's hand applied mild pressure to the back of her head, coaxing Penny to take more of his length and she tried to accommodate him; eventually the head of his cock hit the back of her throat and she paused, holding him in her mouth while masturbating the lower half of his erection. 

Apollo couldn't help but to thrust his hips at the exquisite sensations he was feeling, causing Penny to gag briefly as his cock pushed down her throat. She coughed once, the constricting muscles of her throat pleasurable to Apollo as they massaged his member. Penny recovered quickly though, suppressing the reflex, but she was unable to swallow and her saliva had nowhere to go. It began leaking from her mouth to hang from Apollo's cock in the form of glistening strands, dripping to the floor between them. 

Finally she had to spit him out; Penny used her spit as lubrication to jack him off while she caught her breath, masturbating him with fervent strokes. The break afforded her a moment to regard his naked body, which was like a sculpture of masculinity. He was muscled and firm across every inch with fine blond hair on his legs, stomach, and forearms, but smooth everywhere else. 

As she looked at him their eyes caught. "I want to feel this inside me," Penny told him. 

Apollo nodded confidently, fully aware. 

"But you need to be careful," she urged, rising slowly before him. Her grip remained on his cock as though reluctant to let it go, "I'm afraid you'll make me pregnant." 

Apollo's hands fell on her and drew Penny close, "I will admit a desire to breed thee, Penelope. To put my child within thy womb." 

Penny sucked in a heated breath at his words and was scared of the aroused tremor she felt between her legs when he spoke them. It didn't help that his hands were exploring her, smoothing across her tight stomach and squeezing her hanging breasts. She slid a hand around the back of his neck and stood on her toes to kiss him. 

"You can take me," she murmured against his lips, remembering what Hermes had said earlier that evening about mothering children. "Make me your woman tonight, but I'm not a 'brood mare'. Do you understand?" 

"Aye," Apollo growled, scooping her up. 

Penny let out a laughing squeal as he carried her towards the bed. When Apollo set her down she was on her knees and he positioned himself behind her. Sensing what he wanted, Penny lowered her hands so that she was on all fours and presenting her backside to him. His hands found her butt and squeezed her toned flesh there before slapping a spanking palm across her right cheek. She turned to glance at him over her shoulder, pushing some hair behind an ear, with encouraging eyes that invited more of the treatment. 




How to Date a Superhero Ch. 04



So Apollo spanked her again. 

Penny gasped at the increased force behind his palm. "Oh fuck," she moaned in a tone that desired more. 

Apollo positioned himself at Penny's sex. His hands roughly squeezed at her ass, the arousal of her sexy flesh in his grip causing his erection to twitch against her slit. 

"Fuck me," she whimpered in a needy tone when she felt the tip of his cock teasing her entrance, "I want to feel you inside me." 

Apollo spanked her again, soliciting another surprised gasp from Penny. "You are a wanton wench," he accused playfully. 

"Don't make me beg," she pleaded, wriggling her bottom in an attempt to entice. 

Apollo wasn't sure he'd be able to fit his entirety into her; though toned and sexy beyond belief, Penny was only 5'7" in her boots and seemed small to the 6'5" Apollo. He grabbed her by the hips and was cautiously slow with his intrusion. 

This seemed to pleasure her greatly. 

"Oh fuck yeah..." Penny moaned as she felt the slow friction of Apollo's cock slide into her sheath. "More," she wanted, "Fill my cunt up with that thing." 

Apollo was jarred by her language into remembering the petite girl kneeling in front of him once hit him harder than any mortal had before. She had taken his mightiest blows, fought back, and took even more. Penny was unlike any woman he had ever known - a mortal with the strength of a god. 

"Uhh!" she gasped when Apollo thrust into her savagely. Suddenly he was all over her; Penny felt his muscled torso against her back as his hands groped at her breasts, squeezing at the pendulum-like flesh hanging beneath her. His breath was hot against her neck and Penny turned her head to kiss him, shoving her tongue into his mouth and showing Apollo how much she wanted him. 

He treated her like his slam-piece which was exactly what Penny wanted in that moment. His castle-like arms wrapped around her torso, clasping her body against his, one of his hands clutched her breast and kneaded into the soft flesh. She swung her head to one side in order to get her hair out of his way, allowing Apollo to bite at her earlobe and suck on her neck. 

Repeated gasping moans escaped Penny's throat as an orgasm consumed her, the quickest she'd ever had in the throes of sex. With a desperate reach to maintain some semblance of balance under Apollo's assault, she grasped the bed's wooden headboard. She wanted something to hold onto so she could push back against his thrusts and gain an even deeper penetration. It snapped against her strength, breaking off where it attached to the frame of the bed, though neither Penny nor Apollo acknowledged it as she tossed the useless thing aside. Giving up on being a willing participant, Penny let herself go limp and let Apollo fuck her as he wanted. 

Another orgasm ripped through her body a minute later, Penny's hands grasping at the bed's covers as the pleasure overwhelmed her. "Fuck me," she was gasping deliriously, "Fuck me harder...!" 

Apollo could feel every spasm of Penny's vaginal muscles as they quivered with multiple orgasms. The pleasure around his cock was intense, but Apollo was a man of stamina and continued fucking her for several more minutes. Since he wasn't with a normally-delicate mortal woman, Apollo was able to thrust with greater strength. Eventually the bed gave out, its legs breaking beneath them, dropping the frame to the floor with a crash of sound that Penny worried the entire city would hear. 

The event only caused Apollo to stop for a moment before he resumed. 

Penny spun around to lie on her back in a complicated maneuver that held Apollo in the sheath of her sex. He helped by swinging one of her skinny legs about before throwing it over a shoulder. Her heavy breasts swayed on her chest like two fluid-filled sacks as he resumed fucking and Apollo marveled at their size in comparison to Penny's petite frame. 

"Cum on my tits," she urged him breathlessly, watching him stare at them. 

"By the gods," he grunted, clutching her slender waist. "Penelope..." 

"Please," she begged, "Don't come inside me. I want to feel your seed shoot out all over my big tits." 

Apollo freed himself from her sex and quickly crawled forward, grabbing one of Penny's wrists and placing it on his cock. She took the queue and immediately began jacking him off with swift, firm strokes. 

"Cum all over me," she cried, "Fucking cum all over my body." 

Apollo cried out as his orgasm arrived. Hot jets of fluid ejected from his cock, shooting further than Penny had anticipated and landing on her face before she could correct her aim. 

"Oh fuck yeah," she moaned, redirecting his semen to that it landed in roping clumps on her breasts. "Oh my god," she gasped as more continued to arrive, completely coating her sizable chest before Apollo's pleasure finally subsided. 

Apollo knelt above her breathing heavily. "Thou art quite a sight," he commented, watching his seed slide down the sloping curve of Penny's breasts. 

She laughed at him and lifted a kiss to Apollo's lips, "Wow, that was so intense. We broke the bed!" 

"Aye," Apollo chuckled. 

"Twice..." she commented, glancing over at the splintered headboard. 

Apollo rose to inspect the damage, "Fear not, Hermes will forgive us. He is a wealthy man." 

Penny suddenly blushed around a huge grin and covered her face with her hands, "I bet he heard the whole thing. The whole city must have heard us!" 

Apollo lifted an uncaring shrug and moved to find his loincloth, "Come, Penelope. The bath room beckons thee yet again." 

======= 

"I don't have any bars," Jordan dismayed, sitting on the cold concrete floor in her apartment's basement staring at her phone. 

"Me either," Travis replied, giving up and stuffing his cell into a pocket. 

A baseball-sized ball of hail suddenly burst through a high ground-level window on the far side of the room, causing Jordan to cry out and drop her phone. She practically threw herself at Travis' side and clutched at his chest, her fingers clinging to the material of his hoody. 

"It's okay," he said, putting a comforting arm around her shoulders, "It's going to be okay." 

But Travis wasn't sure. The sound of the wind was intense through the open window and the huddled pair could hear the chaos of the storm as thunder blasted repeatedly and the impact of a thousand balls of hail shattered against the concrete sidewalk outside. The walls of the building above them seemed to groan against the force of the gales. 

Growing up on a farm in the rural Midwest, Travis had experienced two tornadoes in his lifetime - both from the basement of his parent's farm house. One of them passed over harmlessly, the other took his family's barn. He knew that huddling in the corner of the apartment's basement was the safest option he and Jordan had and found himself surprisingly cool due to his past experiences. But Jordan grew up in the city where tornadoes were a rare occurrence; she was terrified. 

"Travis...?" she said, hugging herself close to his form. 

He wrapped her in his arms, "Yeah?" 

"If we're going to die -" 

"Don't say that," he interrupted her, "We're going to be okay, I promise." 

She nodded against his shoulder, "I hope you're right, but just in case... there's something I want you to know." 

Travis looked to her as Jordan lifted a hand to his cheek. 

"I think you're a totally amazing guy," she said, trying to force a calm smile onto her face, "Penny is so lucky to have you, and if she doesn't take you back she's the dumbest girl on Earth." 

Before Travis could reply Jordan's lips were on his, her mouth performing an amazing nibble on his lower lip. The pair of them fell into passionate kissing, Jordan's fingers tangling into Travis' hair and pulling his mouth against hers. Not that he needed any encouragement; Jordan was the most amazing kisser Travis had ever experienced. They continued the passion as the violence outside intensified, filling the basement with the thunderous howls of world-ending chaos. Both were willing to go out in the comfort of their huddled embrace. 

And then everything went quiet. 

Jordan was the first to break the kiss, though she did so reluctantly, and glanced around. 

Travis blinked several times to regain his senses and started to get up. 

"Is it over?" Jordan asked hopefully, taking Travis' hand so he could help her to her feet. 

"I don't know..." 

They walked cautiously together towards the high broken window and glanced out, seeing the clouds above dissipating rapidly. 

Jordan gasped with relief as a lone ray of moonlight suddenly poked through the sky. 

"One of the city's heroes must have stopped Cyclone," Travis suggested. 

"Or they released The Leviathan," Jordan replied, "Though if they did, MG is going to be pissed - it took her and three other heroes to bring him down the last time." 

Travis thought of Penny as he glanced down to where Jordan's hand was clasped in his, "Um, about that kiss..." 

Jordan looked at him and quickly let go of his hand. "I thought we were going to die," she justified quickly. 

"But... we didn't." 

"You can't hold a girl responsible for what happens in a life-or-death situation, Travis." Jordan began walking towards the stairs, "Just forget it happened, okay?" 

"Yeah, right," Travis whispered to himself sarcastically before following her, "I'll just forget all about it..."



How to Date a Superhero Ch. 05



To the west of Olympus, well beyond the fringes of the city, sat the Hall of Artemis at the edge of a dense wood. Unlike much of the other stone and marble architecture Mega-Girl had seen in the city, the hall was constructed mainly of wood. The building was simple but long, flanked all around by subordinate structures like a stable, hound pens, and what Mega-Girl guessed to be servant's cabins. A pair of men in green clothing and brown leathers, both armed with bow and blade alike, seemed to be keeping guard.

Mega-Girl approached from a distance on foot, flanked by the brothers Apollo and Hermes. Mega-Girl was in costume, sans her mask. Apollo was dressed in his armors of gold and leather, his spear and the bow of Minerva at his back. Hermes was dressed simply in a belted tunic and sandals, a walking stick clutched in one hand.

"Who are they?" Mega-Girl asked, pointing vaguely towards the guards.

"Two of our sister's rangers," Hermes answered, "The finest hunters in all of Olympus."

Apollo paused to assess the holding, his companions stopping with him.

"No doubt they have spotted us," Hermes said to his brother, "No point in contemplating a stealthier approach."

"Are these guys going to be a problem?" Mega-Girl wondered.

Hermes started, "They shouldn't be-"

"Something isn't right," Apollo growled in his baritone voice, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. He began to reach over a shoulder for his spear.

"Don't," warned a female voice from behind the companions.

All three of them turned to see a woman approaching, a drawn bow aimed directly towards them.

"Artemis," Hermes smiled disarmingly, trying to put the woman at ease.

She ignored the curly-haired messenger-god and leveled a gaze towards Apollo, "Your senses are as keen as ever, brother. My approach was silent." Artemis spoke English, but with a heavy Mediterranean accent.

"Ever have I shared an affinity with mine twin," Apollo replied, seemingly unbothered by the bow aimed directly at him.

Mega-Girl was amazed by the sight of the goddess as her appearance was truly stunning. Her long blonde hair shared the same hue as Apollo's, but was far curlier. They looked alike, sharing the same prominent cheek bones and square brows, but Artemis was truly a specimen of feminine beauty who made Mega-Girl feel plain and ordinary in comparison. She was tall, like her twin, with a toned and muscled body. A leather corset hugged her waist and pushed her otherwise-modest cleavage into two bulging mounds of enticing flesh. Leather pants seemed painted on her long legs beneath a hint of bared navel. Soft boots adorned her feet, a quiver of arrows hung loosely at her back, and a short blade was sheathed upon her right thigh.

"Who is the girl?" Artemis asked, suddenly pointing her notched arrow towards Mega-Girl.

Apollo stepped into the path of the weapon, between the two women, "A mortal. She is with me."

Artemis frowned at how quickly Apollo stepped to protect Mega-Girl, "You're fucking her, aren't you? She dresses like a clown."

"No need to be rude," Hermes prompted, "Her name is Penelope. Quite an amazing young woman, really."

Artemis snorted, a sound reminiscent to Apollo's often gruff attitude.

"I'm also arrow-proof," Mega-Girl claimed in a cocky voice, stepping from behind Apollo to stand at his side, "So why don't you point that stupid thing somewhere els-"

"Oh no," Hermes groaned as Artemis loosed her bow. Moving with blinding speed he caught the arrow in mid-air by its shaft, stopping it only inches from Mega-Girl's chest.

Mega-Girl's eyes widened. She had never seen Hermes in action; to her senses it seemed he simply disappeared from where he was standing and reappeared with the arrow in his hand.

"Contact poison on the arrowhead," he whispered to her, "Possibly even deadly to your considerable stamina."

Mega-Girl swallowed and was happy not to put her stamina to the test.

"Lay down thy weapon!" Apollo bellowed angrily, "And harm Penelope at your own peril. Though you are mine sister, Artemis, I will not hesitate in smiting thee should another arrow find its way to thy bow."

Mega-Girl glanced at Apollo and wanted to tell him she could defend herself, but quickly realized she may be in over her head dealing with gods who were thousands of years her senior.

Hermes broke the arrow he was holding in half and dropped it to the ground, stepping on the arrowhead to push it into the dirt, "We come in peace, sister. In fact, we seek your aid. I beg you, be our host and hear our plea."

"Apollo abandoned me. I haven't seen him in centuries," Artemis spat towards Hermes, "And now you bring him here with one of his mortal cows seeking my succor?"

Mega-Girl frowned at being a called a cow but held her tongue.

"You fled the mortal world," Apollo reminded her, "Not I."

"My heart was in ruins," Artemis replied coldly, "I needed my brother, the one person who knew me better than any other! You could have helped mend what Constantine broke, Apollo. Only you."

"Constantine?" Mega-Girl sounded surprised, "Are you talking about the once-emperor of the Roman Empire?"

Artemis' voice seethed with hate, "He chose another. A mortal cow like you."

"That's it!" Mega-Girl stepped forward angrily, "If you call me a cow one more time...!"

But Hermes stepped in her path. "Perhaps this was a mistake," he worried, looking to his brother.

"Enough!" growled Apollo, freeing the bow slung to his back. "I have brought you the bow of Minerva, a weapon you've long-coveted. Help us track a mortal sorceress and it is yours."

Artemis' gaze narrowed cautiously, "Why would you trade the bow for something as trivial as the location of a mortal?"

"She seeks the death of Penelope and cast a spell upon me to do her foul work," Apollo explained. "I would put my hand about her throat and ask her why."

Hermes glanced hopefully towards Artemis' contemplative expression.

"I swore never to return to that cursed plane," Artemis reminded.

"Oaths were meant to be broken," Apollo argued.

Artemis eyed Apollo's bow with coveting eyes, "Do you have something with her scent?"

"Aye," Apollo nodded, "A towel which she dried herself with after enjoying my shower."

Mega-Girl gave Apollo a jealous expression, "What was she doing in your shower?"

Artemis snorted, "Do not fool yourself, girl. My brother has always treated mortal women as conquests to be swiftly discarded. I doubt much has changed in recent centuries and I'm sure you'll become as meaningless as the rest."

Mega-Girl's fist balled at her side. She wanted nothing more than to throttle Artemis soundly, but Hermes once again wisely interjected himself into her path.

"Cease thy wagging tongue, sister." Apollo glared at her dangerously, "Will you aid us or not?"

"Father has closed all the conduits from here to the mortal plane," Artemis informed them, "It will be difficult for us to return."

"Ah," Hermes smiled brightly, "What sort of messenger would I be could I not deliver my messages? Leave our return to me."

=======

Travis was amazed at the mess Cyclone's storm had caused around campus as he walked through the central quad. There were fallen trees and branches everywhere, broken windows on all of the educational buildings, and downed power lines. City crews were already beginning clean-up but classes had been suspended giving Travis plenty of spare time to simply wander around and assess the amount of damage. It could have been worse, he imagined, if Cyclone hadn't been stopped by Lady Liberty, a heroine who normally operated in New York. The news had said she came to the aid of Gateway City after Mega-Girl didn't show up and the city's other heroes failed to stop Cyclone.

During the prior year and a half, whenever the city was threatened, Mega-Girl was there to save the day. Speculation on television and the internet was rampant about why she didn't stop Cyclone, including theories that she had gotten married and was on her honeymoon, or morbid predictions that she was dead. Only Travis and Jordan knew the truth of her other-dimensional whereabouts.

Travis tried not to think about Penny and started walking. It bothered him that she had traveled to Olympus with a man who had tried to kill her; what if he tried it again? Travis couldn't decide if it was the fear for her safety that bothered him so much, or jealousy. Not that he thought Penny would fall for a savage blowhard like Apollo... or would she? It was confusing to Travis because he wasn't sure he even had a right to be jealous; he was the one who dumped Penny, after all.

Further muddying the waters of Travis' feelings was the fact that Jordan kissed him during the storm, and the fact that he liked it so much. Jordan was easy to like, Travis decided. She was absolutely gorgeous, incredibly smart, and best of all she didn't run around in a spandex costume risking her life every day. But she was also Penny's roommate and closest friend. If he started dating Jordan after dumping Penny, it would be a hurtful betrayal. Travis wasn't sure betraying a girl who could bench-press his dormitory was a good idea.

Still, he couldn't stop thinking about that kiss.

=======

Artemis scowled, "Hermes, have you lost your mind?"

"Of course not," Hermes sounded offended, "In fact, I'm almost certainly the sanest person in this room."

Mega-Girl stood beside Apollo as the siblings bickered, more interested in the various stuffed creatures hanging on the walls within Artemis' hall. Some beasts she recognized as earthly, other creatures seemed straight out of legend. "Where did all this stuff come from?" she asked Apollo in a whispering tone meant only for him.

"Many hunts. Artemis is as skilled at slaying beasts as any I know," Apollo murmured in reply.

"You weren't kidding yesterday when you told me she was pissed at you."

"Aye."

"What was that stuff about your 'mortal conquests' she was saying earlier? How many women have you slept with, exactly?"

Apollo glanced at her, "I have been alive for three thousand years, Penelope. Do you expect me to have kept count?"

"Sorry," Mega-Girl realized she was being unrealistically jealous. "But what about Lauren Smith? Did you sleep with her?"

"It matters little," Apollo dismissed the question.

"It matters to me!" Mega-Girl hissed.

Apollo growled defensively, "Why? T'was before we met."

"Because I'd like to know if the woman trying to kill me is one of your ex-girlfriends!"

Apollo snorted, "I do not keep 'girlfriends'. I am not a lovesick boy."

"Oh yeah?" Mega-Girl seethed, "Then what am I? Just another mortal conquest for you to discard as soon as you get bored?"

Artemis cleared her throat towards the bickering pair, "Do you two want to finish your lover's quarrel now? Or can we return to figuring out how to return to Earth?"

"By all means," Apollo gestured.

Mega-Girl crossed her arms over her chest angrily and glared some daggers towards Apollo, "Fine."

"Have you heard a word Hermes has said, Apollo? Our brother wants to steal uncle's trident!"

"Neptune won't know it's missing," Hermes argued, "Not before I have it back. There's nothing to fear. I've 'borrowed' it dozens of times"

"Why do we need a trident?" Mega-Girl wondered.

"It's a conduit," Hermes answered, "One of the few in Olympus our father wasn't able to close."

"It's madness," Artemis countered, "Neptune is even more vengeful than father. If he finds out you've been stealing his trident to travel the planes, he'd kill you, and then he'd kill us for riding along."

"He's not going to find out. I'll fetch the trident, use it to send the three of you back to Earth, and then return it before our uncle is any wiser." Hermes looked to Apollo, "He rarely carries it anymore. It simply sits in his underwater throne room."

Apollo shrugged indifferently, "I have no fear of Neptune."

"Sometimes you are an arrogant fool," Artemis accused her twin.

Apollo scowled, "I am a match for any in Olympus, Zeus or Neptune included! Our uncle may be mighty in his domain beneath the sea, but he would be the fool for challenging me in mine domain - everywhere else!"

Though he was perhaps the cockiest man she had ever met, Mega-Girl had to admit (at least to herself) that Apollo's confidence was a large part of what attracted her to him. It was like a tuning fork went off between her legs every time he talked like that. The feminist in her loathed that fact, but she couldn't deny it.

"We don't have any other choice," Hermes told them, "The only other conduit to Earth I know of is in Hades."

Artemis shuddered, unwilling to consider such a course.

"How long before you can spirit the trident back to thy estate?" Apollo asked.

Hermes considered, "Neptune's throne room is usually empty by evening. I could have it to Olympus shortly after dinner."

"We'll be waiting," Apollo promised.

=======

Jordan sat in front of her six computer screens scanning satellite images of Gateway City and watching a trio of live news feeds. She did so out of habit. As 'Harbinger' she was often Mega-Girl's eyes and ears, alerting her to situations within the city that required the attention of a superhero. The attack on the city by Cyclone a day prior was a painful reminder of how much Gateway City needed its greatest hero and Jordan hoped Mega-Girl would return soon.

"Just a minute," she called when a knock sounded from the door. Jordan quickly closed the satellite and news feeds and trotted toward the living room in her tight pink sweats and baby doll tee.

"Travis," she greeted after opening the door, not surprised to see him.

"Hey," he greeted, dressed in simple jeans and a buttoned shirt.

"Penny's not back yet," Jordan told him, standing in the doorway. Travis hadn't shaved and she found herself liking his two-day shadow of scruff, but had to remember that Penny had claim to the adorable boy in front of her.

"That's not why I'm here."

Jordan gave him an expectant look, a little icier than she had intended.

Travis lied instead of telling her that he couldn't stop thinking about the kiss they shared, "I just came to check on you. Things got a little intense yesterday and I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"That's sweet, Travis. But you could have just called."

"I don't have your cell number."

Jordan sighed, "And I probably shouldn't give it to you."

"Why?"

"Because you're Penny's boyfriend, okay?"

"We broke up," Travis reminded her.

"So? I'm still her roommate. I'm still her best friend. Do you really think she'd be cool with us hooking-up?"

Travis grinned, "You want to hook up with me?"

Jordan let out a frustrated growl and abandoned the doorway, "Don't do that!"

"Do what?" Travis followed her, closing the door behind him.

"Don't be so fucking charming and cute," Jordan flopped onto the couch, curling her legs beneath her.

"I don't get it," Travis remained standing, "What's so wrong about me having your number? I thought we were friends. It's not like I'm going to start sexting you or anything."

Jordan pushed a hand through her burgundy hair. "I could use some sexting," she joked dryly, "I haven't had that or any other kind of sex since last spring."

"Seriously?" Travis sounded surprised.

"Don't make fun," Jordan leveled a finger at him, "I'm a computer science major, remember? All the guys in my classes are complete video game nerds."

Travis grinned, "I wasn't going to tease you. I just can't believe a completely hot girl like you can't get a date whenever she wanted."

Jordan turned the tables on him, "So you think I'm hot?"

"Uh... I uh..."

Jordan waited for him to stop stammering.

Travis finally spit it out, "You're fucking gorgeous, all right? But I'm pretty sure you already know that."

Jordan narrowed her eyes, "What, so you think I'm conceited?"

"No! I just... fuck, Jordan. Just look in the mirror."

"I do, and I see the same girl every morning and wonder how a guy could ever pick someone like me over the world-famous and ultra-gorgeous Mega-Girl."

"That's not what I see," Travis spoke softly, "I see someone who's every bit as beautiful, someone who's ten times smarter than I am, and someone who has this amazing fierceness about her that's irresistibly adorable."

"You're doing it again," Jordan sighed.

"Sorry."

"Jesus," Jordan exhaled, giving in. "Just come over here and kiss me, would you?"

=======

Mega-Girl was packing her duffle bag on the bed she and Apollo had broken the evening prior, in preparation for Hermes' return, when Apollo entered the room. "Hey," she offered him a soft smile.

"Are you still angry with me?" he asked in his deep voice.

She shook her head, "No, not really. I wasn't being fair. You're three-thousand years old and I'm still a teenager. I had no right to be jealous because you've got more sexual history than I do. It's not your fault you're immortal."

Apollo leaned against a wall beside the doorway, "I did not sleep with Lauren Smith."

Mega-Girl stopped packing and looked at him.

"It was my intention to seduce her," he continued honestly, "But she spelled me before anything occurred."

"So you wanted to sleep with her," Mega-Girl said dryly, not comforted by his words.

"Aye. Artemis spoke the truth about me. I have bedded and discarded many women in my centuries. But none of them, Penelope, compare to thee."

She gave him a cautious glance, "Why, because you can feel it when I punch you?"

"Nay," Apollo shook his head and pushed from the wall to approach her, "Because thy spirit is courageous. You didn't back down from me during our battle, and you would have throttled Artemis today had Hermes not stopped thee. And we are gods! I told thee last night - thou art a lioness, Penelope. I would make thee mine and forsake all others, if you would have me."

Mega-Girl smiled demurely. "What are you saying?" she teased, "You want me to be your girlfriend and go steady?"

Apollo snorted with amusement at her jest and stepped behind her. His hands found her biceps and he kissed her shoulder through her skin-tight costume. "Aye," he whispered.

Goose-bumps rose on her skin around the shoulder and neck near to where he kissed her, "And you won't be with any other girls?"

"You have mine oath on it."

Mega-Girl couldn't help but tease him again, "You told your sister oaths were meant to be broken."

"Only after a few centuries," he replied.

She giggled, "This is crazy. You know that, right? We barely know each other."

"My brother Ares once told me the most intimate relationship two people can share is one born in battle. I know thee, Penelope. I know thy mettle. I want a lioness by my side."

Mega-Girl tilted her head when Apollo pushed her hair back and kissed the tender spot right behind her ear. "I love it when you call me that," she whispered, "I want to be your lioness."

Apollo nibbled at her earlobe, causing more goose-bumps.

"When will your brother be back?" she asked, wondering if there was time to make love.

"Soon," he answered, stepping back reluctantly, "Though Neptune's castle be far out to sea, the distance is nothing to Hermes."

Mega-Girl made a disappointed sigh and resumed packing her things, folding a spare costume, "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything," he agreed.

"Why do some of your relatives use their Roman names, but others use the Greek versions? Like Neptune, and Minerva - those are Roman. But Artemis and Hermes were the names Greeks used."

"We are neither Roman nor Greek; we are Olympians. My race was not born of Earth, but here. Though we are human like you, the children of Zeus and others were born with great abilities and powers far beyond that of most mortals. Because of this, the people of Earth worshiped us as gods after we discovered thy dimension."




How to Date a Superhero Ch. 05



"We use the names given to us by our parents," Apollo explained, "Minerva is my sister's given name. The Roman's honored that, but the Greeks called her 'Athena' - a name they thought more fitting. In time many of my siblings grew accustomed to it and used both names during their time on Earth. Understand, my relatives grew drunk from mortal worship and allowed them many liberties. Though we gained no power from their worship, as the mortals once believed, many among us craved the adulation. It became a contest among us, to see who could amass the most followers or have the most temples erected in our honor."

Mega-Girl listened with rapt attention, fascinated by Apollo's history, "What about you? Did you crave their worship?"

"I was no different in that regard. But unlike my fellows I learned to respect the mortals. I admire them. Mortals are doomed to fleeting lives, yet they conquer relentlessly. They seek knowledge and craft technologies Olympus will never know. Because they know their time is short, they grasp for as much as they possibly can before their time ends. My people will never feel that urgency and are forever stuck in their antiquated ways."

To a casual observer Apollo could appear to be nothing more than a gruff and arrogant warrior, but Mega-Girl felt as though she were learning differently. She was seeing a glimpse of Apollo's intellectual side and it drew her closer to him. She finally understood why he had chosen to live among mortals rather than become stuck in the mire of his fellow Olympians, never moving forward. She respected him for it, because she had also learned the cost he paid for his choices.

"Maybe someday Artemis will see us mortals as you do," she offered hopefully, "And then you won't have to be apart from your sister."

As if on cue, Artemis appeared in the doorway before Apollo could reply.

"Hermes has returned," she announced, "We should make haste in our travels."

Mega-Girl put her mask on and grabbed her duffle, "Let's go home."

The foursome gathered in a walled garden-courtyard at the back of Hermes' estate. The messenger-god was holding Neptune's trident, a wooden-shafted weapon with a three-pronged end forged in gold and encrusted with shelled jewels. It was hard to imagine that anyone could miss such an ornate weapon for very long, but Mega-Girl trusted Hermes knew what he was doing; he was the patron of thieves, after all.

Hermes instructed the trio to stand close together, "Where would you like me to send you?"

"Gateway City," Apollo replied, slipping an arm around Mega-Girl's waist.

Mega-Girl winked, "I'm going to miss you, Hermes."

"I'm sure we'll see each other soon enough, Penelope." Hermes lifted Neptune's trident and held it aloft horizontally, pointing it towards Apollo, Mega-Girl, and Artemis.

White tendrils of light flowed from the weapon to envelop them in the same manner that occurred at Stonehenge, forming a cocooning bubble until Mega-Girl lost sight of Hermes and his courtyard surroundings. She curled her arm around Apollo's, using him as an anchor and closing her eyes against the bright light and chaotic sounds of inter-dimensional travel. It felt as though the world turned upside-down for a moment and Mega-Girl's stomach entered her throat. Her clinging grip on Apollo's arm tightened and she felt him grasp her tightly against his side.

And then, just as swiftly as their prior trip, it was over. Mega-Girl opened her eyes to find they were standing in the center of Byrne Park, the distant skyscrapers of Gateway City rising around them in all directions beyond the park's greenery.

Artemis' eyes were filled with surprised curiosity as she spun to view the afternoon skyline, "By Hades, the mortal world has changed!"

Apollo chuckled, "Indeed."

"I should get home," Mega-Girl told Apollo, kissing his cheek before stepping out of his embrace. "I need to let my roommate know I'm home."

"Roommate?" Apollo lifted a brow.

"Yeah," she smiled at him, "Rent is expensive and I'm a broke university student. I'll catch up with you two at your place, okay?"

Artemis watched as Mega-Girl flew into the air, jetting southwards before disappearing over the tree line, "Have all mortals learned to fly?"

"Some. Penelope is special, unique among mortals."

"She's a child," Artemis scolded him, "She clings to you like a lost pup."

Several daytime park-goers were already starting to point and gather, noticing the strangely garbed people.

"...was that Mega-Girl...?"

"...she's not dead...?"

"...holy shit, that's Apollo...!"

Apollo paid little heed towards the bystanders and moved to take Artemis into his arms, "I did not ask for thy romantic council, sister, nor do I want it."

Ignoring her brother's cold rebuff, Artemis put her hands around Apollo's neck as he rose into the air. She was unable to fly as he could, "Do you remember when we were children and you used to fly me through the skies of Olympus?"

"Aye," he flew gently, giving Artemis a true view of Gateway City.

"By our father's beard," she whispered at the spectacular vantage afforded by Apollo's flight, "The mortals have built a city beyond imaginings!"

It took less than a pair of minutes for Apollo to reach the balcony of his condominium at the Keppler Building. He set Artemis down and pulled the sliding glass door open, which was left unlocked.

"This is your dwelling?" Artemis looked impressed as she regarded the inner furnishings.

Apollo set his helmet on a circular dining table, "One of them. I keep several. Humanity spans the globe, now. Civilization has filled all the dark corners."

"How far are we from Rome?" she wondered, running a hand over the table's smooth finish as she followed her twin.

Apollo led her past the kitchen and down a short hallway, "The other side of the world."

"What of my temple in Ephesus?" she asked curiously, referencing one of the seven ancient wonders.

"Ruins," Apollo remarked blandly, "Along with the city."

"A pity," she frowned, following Apollo into his bedroom.

He opened a closet door to slide a plastic hamper out, picking through its contents. "Here," he declared, offering Artemis a puffy-looking grey towel, "Her scent should be strong upon this."

Artemis took the thing, "You bring me to your home and fail to offer me any food or wine? You've become a poor host, Apollo."

"You greeted me at your hall with a drawn bow," he reminded, unconcerned with his sister's criticisms.

"A fair point," she conceded, lifting the towel to her face and smelling it. A look of disgust immediately overcame Artemis' face and she turned her head away from it, "What foul trickery...!?"

Apollo's eyes narrowed.

"You told me the woman was mortal!" Artemis cast the towel to the floor.

"Aye?" Apollo looked confused.

"The scent upon that is demonic," Artemis informed him, her face looking as though she had tasted sour milk.

Though centuries had passed since he last saw her, Apollo knew his twin better than any other. Her senses were keener than any animal's. She could see to the horizon, hear a flea landing on a blade of grass from miles away, and track a creature by smell days after its passing. She was the ultimate huntress; an inescapable tracker. If she claimed Lauren Smith's scent to be demonic, Apollo trusted it to be true.

"That would explain how she beguiled me so easily," Apollo growled.

"She appeared human?"

He nodded.

"A shape shifter," Artemis decided, "Tricky creatures."

"You can track it?" Apollo asked, assuming she could.

Artemis didn't answer him, instead walking out of the bedroom. Apollo followed as she strode through his apartment to the balcony doors. Once outside Artemis stepped to the railing and closed her eyes, inhaling deeply through her nose.

Apollo watched her silently.

"This world has grown polluted," Artemis' face scrunched up with distaste. Her chest expanded as she sucked in another deep breath, her nostrils flaring. Her head turned towards the direction of the descending sun, "The creature is to the west."

"How far?" Apollo asked impatiently.

"Not far," she guessed, "It's somewhere in the city." Artemis glanced downward, "I need to be at ground level to properly track the thing, how do I exit this monstrosity of a building?"

"An elevator. I can accompany thee."

"No," Artemis grunted, "I hunt better alone. I'll find you once I locate the creature's domain."

=======

Jordan felt Travis' hand up her tight baby doll tee and didn't dissuade him from pawing at one of her breasts through the lacy bra she was wearing. They had been on the couch making-out for the better part of an hour and their passion had grown by the minute. She couldn't tear her lips from his and loved the feeling of his tongue inside her mouth. But then she heard something and had to literally push against Travis' chest in order to untangle their embrace.

"Did you hear that?" she asked breathlessly.

"Hear what?" Travis didn't sense anything, his brown spiky hair all messed up from Jordan running her fingers through it.

"It sounded like it came from -"

Penny's bedroom door opened and out Mega-Girl stepped, from where she had flown in through a window. Still wearing her costume, she had only taken the mask off.

Travis leapt off the couch from where he was sitting, which was practically on top of Jordan. He wiped a forearm across his lips in case any of her lipstick was staining his mouth.

Mega-Girl froze with shock when she spotted the couple. She noted the guilty expressions on both of their faces, though she had already guessed what was going on after seeing them nestled on the couch together.

"Penny..." Jordan stood with considerably less haste than Travis, pushing a hand through her disheveled hair, "You're back."

Both Jordan and Travis could see the hurt in Mega-Girl's face. Her mouth fell slightly open and her eyes looked betrayed.

"Shit," Jordan cursed, realizing there would be no hiding the fact that she was just making-out with Travis, "Penny, I'm so sorry..."

Mega-Girl shook her head, tears welling up around the bottoms of her eyes, "Don't! I don't want to hear it."

Travis simply stood there, not knowing what to say.

Jordan felt awful, "Penny, please, let me explain..."

"Is this why you dumped me?" Mega-Girl glared towards Travis, "Everything you told me in your dorm room was just bullshit! Wasn't it? You just liked my best friend better than me!"

"N-no," Travis stammered, "Penny, it's not like that, I swear!"

"Go to hell, Travis!" Mega-Girl turned, putting the mask back on over her tears.

Jordan hurried after her roommate, moving around the L-shaped couch and rushing into the bedroom. But Mega-Girl was already gone, leaving only an open window behind.

Travis followed Jordan into the room, hoping to explain himself. "Crap," he said when he saw the window.

"Jesus," Jordan exhaled heavily, placing a hand to her forehead. "What did we do, Travis?"

=======

Apollo had removed his armors and replaced them upon the mannequin by the entrance. He stood in his kitchen bare chested, fresh from a shower, wearing only a pair of billowy cotton bottoms as he poured himself a drink of bourbon. He poured another after swallowing the first with one toss and then carried the drink to his spacious living room to light a fire in a massive brick fireplace.

The flames had just begun to crackle when he heard something from behind.

"Penelope," he greeted as Mega-Girl walked through the open balcony door. She still had her duffle bag from their trip to Olympus slung over one shoulder.

She yanked her mask off with a frustrated gesture, hating the fact that she had to wear it again now that they were home from Olympus. Her eyes were red and the hint of blush on her cheeks was stained with the path of tears. "I'm sorry," she sniffed and dropped her bag to the carpeted floor, "I didn't know where else to go."

Apollo set his drink down and approached, "You do not have to apologize for coming here, t'was our plan. What has upset thee?"

She eagerly stepped into his embrace and hugged herself against Apollo's muscled torso, "My stupid ex-boyfriend is sleeping with my stupid roommate."

"You caught them together?"

Mega-Girl nodded against his bare chest, comforted by his wrapping arms.

"Do you want me to go throttle the miscreant?"

"No," she sniffled cutely.

"This former mate of yours, you still desire him?"

Mega-Girl looked up at him, "No, of course not. He dumped me. And he lied about why. He said it was because he didn't think he could date a superhero, but the truth is he just wanted to fuck Jordan. He's an asshole. But I'm angrier at her, to be honest. How could Jordan do that to me?"

"Thy friends are honorless betrayers." Apollo pushed a wave of her blonde hair behind an ear and used his thumb to wipe a tear off her cheek, "Abandon them."

"I can't. I live with one of them. Where would I go?"

"Stay here," he shrugged, thinking the solution simple.

Mega-Girl let out a humorless laugh, "You want me to move in with you? Isn't that a little hasty?"

"You are my lioness, are you not?"

"Well yeah, but... Apollo, you don't know my last name. We've never even gone out on a date. How do you expect us to live together when we've barely known each other for three days!?"

Apollo snorted, "Trivials."

Mega-Girl stepped away from him and placed her fists on her hips, "That's not trivial!"

"Three days or three centuries," Apollo spread his muscled arms, "It matters little. Does knowing thy surname give some manner of insight into the heart of Penelope? I say thee nay. I know thee, Penelope. I have tested thy mettle and shared thy bed. Thy beauty and courage put even Hermes' queer sensibilities to the test. Thou art my lioness, a titan among mortals!"

Mega-Girl blinked towards Apollo's passion.

"I would smite a thousand demons and slay a thousand more to prove my affection for thee," Apollo finished. "Aye, offering my domain bodes trivial in comparison."

"Wait," Mega-Girl murmured, breathless from Apollo's words, "Did you say Hermes is gay?"

"Aye," he shrugged indifferently, "Mine brother often prefers the company of men."

Mega-Girl laughed, a bright sound, and rushed forward to embrace Apollo and kiss him. "No one's ever said anything so beautiful to me before," she murmured against his lips.

"I am glad," he murmured back, "Words too often fail me."

Mega-Girl wanted to give herself to Apollo fully. There was something about him that made her want to let go of her inhibitions, spread her legs, and let him claim her as though she were his possession. It was a carnal emotion that he inspired within her that was begging to be marked as his territory.

"Your words have won me," she countered, her hand slipping into his loose pants and grasping his cock. "Take me. Like you took me in Olympus."

Apollo needed no further prompting, his hands wrapping around her and grasping her ass. He lifted her by her rump.

"Wait," she suddenly remembered Artemis, "Where's your sister?"

"Hunting," he replied, carrying her to the dining table near the balcony doors and sitting her on its polished surface. After pushing his pants off, Apollo grasped at the skin tight fabric of her costume and began ripping it from her body, seeing it as the swiftest way to remove the garment.

Without the costume she wasn't Mega-Girl. She was Penny. Blonde haired and blue eyed Penny. She didn't have to hide from Apollo, she didn't have to wear a mask or conceal herself behind an illusionary ring. He didn't care about secret identities, where she came from, or what she did prior to meeting him. To Apollo she was simply 'Penelope'. A lioness. His lust for her was liberating, intoxicating, and Penny wanted to become drunk from it.

A moan escaped her lips when she felt his immense member pushing between her thighs. She spread her legs to aid his entrance and wrapped her arms around his neck, eagerly clinging against his magnificent torso as he enveloped her in the castle of his arms.

"Uhh!" she gasped when Apollo buried his cock inside her sex with a single thrust, her mouth opening wide at the sensation of complete penetration.

"You belong to me now," he whispered against her ear.

Penny clamped her arms around him tighter as he bit and tugged on her earlobe, sucking it between his wet lips.

The table began to shake as Apollo rutted against her. Penny clamped her slender legs around him, her ankles locking behind his firm buttocks. Clinging to him with all four limbs she let Apollo have his way with her, bearing his savage thrusts as only a woman of her fortitude could.

"I will mark thy body with the scent of mine sex," he told her.

"Yes," she gasped.

"I will claim thee as mine lioness," Apollo continued.

"Yes!"

"No one will question that you belong to Apollo, that you bear mine seed."

"Oh fuck yes!" Penny screamed, her fingers digging into his shoulders as he thundered between her legs. She clung to him so tightly that her breasts flattened against his upper chest, their flesh bulging at her sides.

When two of the table's legs snapped Apollo held her aloft in his arms before the table crumbled beneath them. He moved forward and slammed Penny's back against the wall, pinning her there and continued fucking his way into her depths. Their mouths found each other and Penny shoved her tongue between Apollo's lips, letting him know how badly she wanted to be claimed. They kissed and fucked that way until the painted sheet rock at Penny's back began to crack under the pressure of their sex.

An orgasm flooded Penny's senses, causing her to gasp and break their kiss. The heat of it spread through her entire body and she lost control, going limp in Apollo's arms. "Cover me in your scent," she moaned, half-delirious, "Mark me... mark my body as yours..."

He disengaged from her sheath, lowered Penny to her knees, and grasped his cock. She placed a palm at his muscled stomach and pressed her face against the underside of his rock-hard length. Apollo masturbated himself, grunting as he felt an orgasm rising up his shaft.

Penny threw her head back and begged, "Cum on me! Make me stink with your cum!"

"Uhn!" Apollo grunted again, a long rope of his seed landing with a splatter across Penny's face. It decorated her from hairline to chin, a portion of it falling between her open lips. She eagerly licked at his cum as more of it pumped out, globs of hot pearly fluid hitting her jaw and falling to her sizable breasts.

"Oh fuck," Penny moaned at the carnality of it all, lifting a palm to smear his mess across her face.

The last of his orgasm oozed out and Apollo wiped the tip of his cock against her cheek.

"Oh god yes," she spoke in a breathless tone, grasping Apollo's shaft and squeezing out one last dollop of his semen. She took the head of his cock into her mouth and sucked the cum from it, swallowing his essence.

Apollo steadied himself against the damaged wall with an outstretched arm, watching Penny on her knees suckle his swollen manhood.

Penny finally released him from her mouth and licked her lips, still caressing his cock in her hand. "That was so fucking hot," she said in a throaty voice.

"Aye," Apollo agreed with a heavy breath, his eyes lidded from the pleasure of it all. "Stay with me tonight," he urged, "I want my lioness within my arms, warming my bed and heart."

Penny nodded, "Yes. Of course, my lion, yes."

=======

Artemis snuck around a two-story house located within a quiet suburban neighborhood after dark, the stink of demonic prey filling her nostrils. When she reached a back door she lifted a gentle hand and tested the knob, finding it to be unlocked. Her tight leather clothing didn't make a sound as she slipped inside. Hearing voices upstairs, she kept her back to a wall at all times and moved with a toe-heel step, soundless.




How to Date a Superhero Ch. 05



Creeping up a carpeted flight of stairs Artemis heard a woman's cruel laughter.

"Tell me how devoted you are to me," the woman was saying.

"Anything," a man moaned, "I would do anything for you, mistress."

Artemis moved through the upstairs hallway like a whisper until she reached a bedroom door slightly ajar. She saw a woman in lingerie standing beside a harness depending from the bedroom's ceiling. Within the harness was a pudgy, middle-aged man hanging upside down. The woman was masturbating him in a gloved hand, aiming his cock towards the man's own face.

"Anything?" Rapture asked her emotion-controlled thrall, "What if I wanted you to eat your cum?"

"Yes!" the man gasped desperately, "Anything! I love you, mistress! I would do anything to please you."

Artemis scowled at the disgusting scene of degradation before her. She knew she had found her target, not only by recognizing Rapture's scent from Apollo's apartment, but by reputation. There was a certain type of underworld creature famous for their love of turning mortals into sexual playthings, dominating and humiliating them. Artemis recognized Rapture immediately for what she truly was...

The shape-shifted demon was a succubus; a handmaiden of Pluto, Lord of Hades.



How to Date a Superhero Ch. 06



Penny woke on a king-sized bed, her naked limbs spread out across much of its surface. It was pleasant, she thought, to sleep in a large bed versus the much smaller bed she was forced to use in her apartment. She inhaled a deep yawning breath and smiled, smelling Apollo's musky scent in the sheets. He wasn't in bed with her, but Penny heard the shower running and knew he wasn't far. She saw no reason to rush out of bed and closed her eyes to get a few more minutes of sleep.

A female voice said, "You do realize you're no different from any of the others?"

Penny sat up like a shot, startled by the voice. "Artemis," she breathed, tugging on the bed sheet to make sure her modesty remained intact.

Apollo's sister was leaning against the bedroom's doorframe wearing her leather pants, corset, and soft boots. She didn't have her bow, but a short blade was strapped to her right thigh. Artemis' blonde hair was tied neatly into a ponytail, though several curly wisps had escaped to perfectly frame her face. Penny felt jealous of Artemis' seemingly effortless beauty and pushed a hand through her own hair, which was suitably messy from a night's worth of sleep and lovemaking with Apollo.

"What are you doing in here?" she asked, irritated by Artemis' intrusion.

"You think you're different," Artemis folded her arms across her chest and ignored Penny's question, "But my brother will grow tired of you soon enough, despite whatever he may have told you. Has he professed his love for you yet?"

Penny clutched the sheet against her chest, "No. And I wouldn't expect him to."

"Ah," Artemis chuckled, "But surely he's promised to forsake all others?"

Penny's eyes narrowed dangerously, "What your brother has or hasn't said to me is none of your business."

"No need to grow upset," Artemis smirked, "I know how you'll feel. Apollo abandoned me, just as he will leave you. I never would have thought it possible, for we were very close as children. I'm his twin, the one person who understands him better than any other in the universe. If he could walk away from me, what hope does a lovesick teenaged mortal like you have of holding onto him?"

In a fury, Penny literally flew out of bed, the sheet covering her flung to the side. Her feet didn't touch the floor until she reached the doorway where she grabbed Artemis by the throat, lifted her with an outstretched arm, and roughly slammed her against the bedroom wall.

Penny's lips twisted into a scowl, "I'm almost twenty, bitch."

Artemis desperately clutched at Penny's wrist, her feet dangling a foot off the floor, trying to breathe.

Though her naked 5'7" frame was much more petite than Artemis' statuesque figure, Penny had no problem holding the squirming goddess in place, "Do not make the mistake that I am some poor, frail mortal who can't defend herself against you 'high and mighty' gods. I stood toe-to-toe with your brother and I'm pretty sure you don't have even half his strength or power. So keep talking shit, Artemis, and give me an excuse to snap you in half like a cracker."

Artemis gasped for air when Penny released her, dropping to her feet and clutching at her throat.

"I'm sorry if my being with Apollo makes you jealous," Penny said, finding a pair of Apollo's boxer briefs and sliding them up her slender legs, "You're just going to have to deal with it."

Artemis rubbed her throat and glared as Penny found one of Apollo's shirts and put it on. "You'll regret that," she seethed.

Penny buttoned the shirt halfway and rolled up its sleeves on her wrists. "Bring it on," she muttered confidently, feeling every bit the lioness Apollo had labeled her.

Finished with his shower, Apollo appeared from the adjoining bathroom, fastening a towel around his waist. He took one look at Penny in his shirt, her slender legs poking out beneath, and growled approvingly. Crossing the room he put an arm around her, clasped her bottom through the tails of the shirt, and kissed her.

Artemis watched the exchange with jealous eyes.

Penny happily returned the kiss and let Apollo palm her backside for several moments, knowing Artemis wouldn't enjoy the show.

"Sister," Apollo finally acknowledged Artemis after letting Penny know how sexy he thought she looked, "You've returned."

Artemis gave Penny one last glare before nodding, "I found your demon."

Penny had fetched her duffel bag and was searching for a hair brush when she paused and glanced, "Wait, what? Demon?"

Artemis looked to Apollo, "You didn't tell her?"

"Lauren Smith," Apollo said to Penny, "She is a demonic shape-shifter. Artemis recognized the scent easily."

"Seriously?" Penny didn't look entirely certain what that meant.

"It's worse," Artemis informed them, "She's a succubus."

Apollo grunted, not surprised. "T'would explain her ease in twisting my mind against Penelope."

Penny abandoned her bag, "Are you guys saying that the person...or whatever... the thing that wants to kill me is from Olympus?"

"Not Olympus," Artemis replied, "Demons spawn from Hades, the underworld land of the dead."

Apollo added gravely, "The domain of our uncle, Pluto."

"That doesn't make any sense," Penny said, "Why would a demon from Hades want to kill me?"

"It's of no concern to me and I didn't confront it to ask," Artemis pulled a scrap of paper from her pocket, "I've written down the street and dwelling number where the creature has been playing with some mortal fool. Give me the bow and I'll leave the two of you to ask it all the questions you want."

Apollo frowned, "We may need thee, sister. Thy skills could prove valuable in catching it."

"That wasn't our deal," Artemis argued, "You wanted me to locate the creature in trade for Minerva's bow. I've held my end of our bargain."

"Just give her the bow," Penny told Apollo, happy to be rid of Artemis sooner rather than later. "I think the two of us can handle one demon. Right?"

Apollo grunted and moved to a closet, retrieving the bow and a quiver of arrows. He traded it for Artemis' scrap of paper.

Artemis slung the bow and quiver over a shoulder, "Good hunting, Apollo."

"Will you return to Olympus?" he asked, curious.

"Eventually," Artemis shrugged, "I think I may explore this new mortal world, first." She turned and walked out of the room, wandering down the hallway.

"We should go find her right away," Penny suggested. "Good thing I brought a spare costume," she winked, referencing the fact that Apollo had ripped the one she had been wearing right off her body.

"Aye," Apollo chuckled.

Penny moved toward her bag again, but then shouted in pain as an arrow suddenly tore through her left thigh.

"Penelope!" Apollo rushed to her.

"Ow! Fuck!" Penny crumpled into his arms, her leg giving out beneath her.

Apollo fell to his knees and gathered Penny into his lap, turning towards the bedroom door where the arrow came from. There stood Artemis at the end of the hall, Minerva's bow held aloft - the ancient bow able to bypass any armor, including Penny's invulnerability.

"Why!?" Apollo screamed angrily towards his sister.

Artemis lowered the bow with a wicked grin, "I told her she'd regret it."

And then Artemis was gone, striding towards the elevator.

=======

Stanley Lee was a nervous-looking man in his mid-thirties, constantly fidgeting with something on his person. He pushed up thick glasses that had slid too far down his nose, checked his watch for the twelfth time, and then pushed a stray strand of his greasy brown hair behind an ear.

Standing beside Stanley in a descending elevator was Kirby Jackson, a brick of a man who was a five year veteran guard at the Blockade supermax prison. He was dressed in full riot gear which included shell-like armor, a shield, and a holstered machine-pistol.

Kirby glanced aside, "You seem a little out of sorts, Mr. Lee."

"Yes," Stanly cleared his throat, "Well, I am about to interview one of the most dangerous individuals on the planet."

Kirby chuckled, "You've got nothing to fear, Mr. Lee. His cell contains a neutralizing anti-gravity suspension field, and we've got him sixty stories below ground level beneath one-thousand tons of concrete."

The elevator made a sound before its doors slid open to a long concrete hallway lit with flickering fluorescents. There was a guard station at the end of the hall where Stanley had to sign in. The guard there frisked Stanley and made him empty his pockets, which held his car keys and an old audio recording device that used miniature tape cassettes.

"I need my recorder," Stanley said when the door guard put his things into a holding basket, "I was told I'd be allowed to use it."

The guard looked to Kirby, who nodded his assent, and then handed the recorder to Stanley.

"You have thirty minutes, Mr. Lee." Kirby moved to the door and unlocked it with a palm-scanning device, "Would you like a guard present in the room with you?"

Stanley shook his head, "That won't be necessary," and entered the room. The heavy door shut behind him. Inside the room there was a lone chair facing the opposite wall, which had a wide window looking into an immense cell. The concrete cell was sparse, containing only one thing - The Leviathan.

At twelve feet tall and weighing close to half a ton, The Leviathan was a monstrosity of a man formed seemingly from pure muscle. Every inch of his bluish-grey skin seemed to bulge with the power of his strength. He was bald; his scalp ridged as though his skull was made of chitinous bone right beneath the skin. His only article of clothing was a pair of bright orange pants.

The Leviathan was facing the window suspended in mid-air with his arms and legs spread akimbo, a product of a state-of-the-art anti-gravity suspension field that rendered his strength useless by not allowing him to touch anything.

"YOU A FUNNY-LOOKING MAN," The Leviathan boomed, his voice deep and immense.

Stanley clicked on his tape recorder and set it on the window sill between them, "We don't have much time. In a moment, you're going to be free."

"FREE...?" The Leviathan seemed confused.

"There is a hallway beyond the door behind me," Stanley explained, "Which leads to an elevator shaft. You should be able to crawl up it. Once you reach the top, smash your way out of the prison and go to the north. Do you understand 'north'?"

"LEVIATHAN... SMASH... NORTH."

Stanley nodded, "The man who sent me will be waiting for you in a freight helicopter roughly ten miles north of here. From there, he can secure your freedom."

"LEVIATHAN FREE."

On the tape recorder, a little light suddenly turned red. Stanley closed his eyes and whispered, "Goodbye cruel wor-"

The explosion filled The Leviathan's cell with an inferno of heat and flame, its force crushing concrete walls to rubble. Stanley Lee was incinerated instantly, as were Kirby Jackson and his fellow guard in the hallway outside. So intense was the heat that it burnt the very air in the cell and the hallway beyond, creating a temporary vacuum that snuffed out the flames. When it was over, only sooty rubble remained.

From out of the dust crawled The Leviathan, free from the damaged anti-gravity field. His bluish-grey skin was blackened from the explosion, and his pants were in tatters, but he was otherwise unharmed. Pushing large chunks of concrete out of his way as though they were made of rice patties, The Leviathan made his way to the elevator shaft and ripped its doors free. Digging his hands and feet into the walls of the shaft, the hulking villain began the sixty-story climb to the surface.

Alarms were sounding and Blockade guards in riot gear were mobilizing, but very little on the planet could damage or stop The Leviathan. He smashed through walls and cell blocks almost effortlessly, bullets bouncing harmlessly off his invulnerable skin. Many other super-powered criminals housed in the Blockade suddenly found themselves free, adding to the chaos.

"NOTHING CAN STOP LEVIATHAN!!" he yelled, barreling through a thick wall of steel-reinforced concrete to reach the outside.

The Leviathan lifted his arm to shield squinting eyes against the morning sun, something he hadn't seen in months. Then, pushing off with tree stump-like legs, he launched himself into the air and cleared the Blockade's outer fences with one massive leap.

Fortunately the Blockade was in a very rural part of Illinois, roughly sixty miles north of Gateway City, so there was nothing in The Leviathan's way as he continued to travel northward, clearing a half-mile with every leap. He spotted the helicopter Stanley Lee mentioned while in the air, mid-jump. He landed and leapt towards it, landing again just a short sprint away.

The freight-helicopter's blades were already spinning in preparation for take-off and a man in a garish-looking multi-colored costume stood beside it.

"Hello my immense friend!" he had to yell to be heard over the copter.

"LEVIATHAN FREE!"

"Yes you are," the man smiled broadly, "Courtesy of... Master Disaster!"

=======

Penny winced in pain as Apollo snapped the arrow by its tip, so that the pointed arrowhead wouldn't tear her leg up further when it came time to pull it out.

"I am going to kick your sister's ass," she grimaced, laying on Apollo's carpeted bedroom floor. Her wounded left leg was bent at the knee where Apollo was knelt beside her.

He grasped the arrow by its feathers, on the backside of Penny's thigh. "This will hurt," he warned.

Penny nodded and gritted her teeth.

Apollo yanked, pulling the remaining shaft out. She screamed in pain as it slid out of her leg. Quickly, he pressed some gauze against the wound and held it firmly to the underside of her thigh to stem the bleeding.

"It's a... good thing... I heal quickly," Penny said in a shaky voice, her face ashen and sweaty. "I found that out after... the first time I was shot with that damned bow."

Apollo took her hand and placed it over her wound. "Hold that there," he said, reaching for a bandage roll from the same first-aid kit he found the gauze. He covered the exit wound on the top half of her thigh as well and then began wrapping her leg tightly with the bandage.

"It is unfortunate Hermes is not here," Apollo stated, fastening the bandage in place with small metal clips, "He is more skilled at medicines."

"You're doing fine," Penny attempted a smile.

Apollo scooped her up, one of his arms beneath her knees the other under her shoulders, and carried her towards his bed. "What do you need?" he asked, lying her down and situating a soft pillow beneath her wounded leg.

"Nothing," Penny shook her head, "Maybe something to drink. Water."

Apollo sat on the bed's edge and brushed at her forehead, pushing aside some hair that was matted there by sweat, "I should call someone to be with thee. Is there anyone who has thy trust?"

Penny clutched at his wrist, "Why, where are you going?"

"I must find the demon Lauren Smith," he replied, "Before she leaves the house where Artemis found her."

Penny didn't want Apollo to leave but she understood how pressing it was to find the demon and get some answers as to why it wanted Mega-Girl dead. "I'll be fine," she assured him, "Just hurry back?"

Apollo lowered a kiss to her brow, "All the demons in Hades could not slow my haste. I'll get thee some water before I go."

Penny nodded and let go of his arm, "Apollo...?"

He looked to her as he rose, "Aye?"

"I'd never come between you and your sister. You know that, right? Even after this. She's jealous of me for some reason, like I'm trying to keep you away from her, but I'm not."

"Dealing with Artemis will have to wait."

Penny nodded, "Be careful, okay? Don't let that demon bitch get into your head again."

=======

Apollo knew the neighborhood where his sister found the succubus and appeared high in the air above the maze of middle-class suburbia, the light of his teleportation absorbed by the afternoon sky. Sunlight reflected brightly off Apollo's golden breastplate and he adjusted his leather bracers as he hovered, looking down at the people and cars as though they were little insects. The wicked spear which had claimed so many lives over the centuries was secured at Apollo's back, a silvery helmet decorated with a pluming red Mohawk was on his head, and his black cingulum - a studded skirt of leather strips - covered the top half of his muscled thighs. He was ready for battle.

Landing in the middle of a street, Apollo guessed the house's approximate location and began to scan address numbers. A young boy who was riding by on a bike suddenly skidded to a stop and stared at the impressively armored god.

"Holy cow!" the boy exclaimed excitedly, "You're Apollo, aren't you?"

Apollo glanced to the boy, who was barely as tall as Apollo's stomach. "Aye," he replied in his deep voice.

"This is so cool! You're my favorite superhero! Well, after Mega-Girl of course. But you're definitely my mom's favorite! I heard her tell Mrs. Thompson that she could grate cheese on your abs. Can I see your helmet? It's so neat!"

Apollo spotted the house he was looking for and asked, "What is thy name, boy?"

"I'm Kenny."

Taking his helmet off, Apollo indicated his target with a dip of his head, "Tell me who lives there, Kenny, and my helmet shall be thine."

Kenny looked, "That's Mr. Johnson's house; he lives just two doors down from me and my mom."

"Does this Johnson have a family?" Apollo's eyes narrowed at a minivan in the driveway.

Kenny shook his head, "He has a daughter that shows up on weekends sometimes, but she goes to school somewhere else. I think she lives with her mom or something. I don't know because she's kind of weird and I mostly avoid her."

Apollo handed Kenny his helmet and began walking towards the house, withdrawing his spear from its harness.

The helmet engulfed Kenny's small head when he put it on, "Wait until mom finds out I met Apollo!"

A bronze door handle crumpled and broke away easily under his strength as Apollo cautiously entered the house, his spear tip leading the way. Though he didn't doubt his unquestionable power, Apollo knew well the trickeries of succubus and reminded himself to be wary. The creatures were able to shift their shape and his 'Lauren Smith' could appear entirely different than the last time he saw her.

The house was quiet as Apollo moved from room to room, his leather sandals making little sound. He cleared the first floor and climbed a stairway. The first bedroom on the second floor appeared to be a child's room, no doubt the daughter Kenny had mentioned, but it was empty. As he moved to the next doorway Apollo heard a muffled voice on the other side. He pushed gently on the door with his spear, prodding it open to reveal a second bedroom. Inside was a middle-aged man tied to the bed, his wrists and ankles secured with rope; he was gagged and naked. Apollo assumed it was Mr. Johnson and quickly scanned the rest of the room, spotting another open doorway leading to the master bath.

"I think I'm going to fuck you with my strap-on," a woman's voice was saying from within the bathroom, "I know you're going to love it. Most of you mortal men are closet homosexuals to one degree or another, after all."

The man on the bed saw Apollo and his eyes widened with alarm. He began to struggle against his bonds and moan loudly through the gag.

"Don't throw a fit," Rapture said as she walked out of the bathroom, dressed in her black lacy corset and thigh-highs. A rubber penis hung between her legs, "I'll be very gent-"

Her mouth suddenly hung open in shock as the spear penetrated her guts, fully impaling her. The silvery weapon throbbed with a hungry pulse of light, as though it knew it had just tasted demonic blood. "...Apollo..." she gasped in a gurgling voice.




How to Date a Superhero Ch. 06



Apollo's face twisted with vengeance, "Aye, demon. I have come to enact punishment for thy foul deeds, and that punishment be death."

Rapture's legs gave out from beneath but her form remained upright, held aloft by the spear's shaft. A grin formed on her lips even as a trickle of blood appeared at a corner of her mouth, "You cannot kill me, son of Zeus. My spirit will return to Hades and I will one day have my revenge on you."

"Nay," Apollo denied her, "This spear is crafted of quicksilver, forged by Hephaestus himself. Any demon killed by its wound suffers a final death."

Her eyes filled with sudden fear, "N-no..."

"Thy death has not yet come. Tell me who sent you to this plane to kill Penelope and I will remove my spear and snap thy neck, allowing thee to reincarnate in foul Hades."

"P-Penelope...?"

"Mega-Girl," he clarified, twisting the spear's shaft to encourage her words.

"Your uncle," she muttered, her voice growing weak, "L-lord Pluto, it was."

"Why?" Apollo growled.

"P-please, kill me," she begged, "Before it is too late. I can feel my life force slipping..."

"Why!?!" Apollo yelled, his face twisting with anger.

"The b-bow," she whispered, her lips becoming coated with blood, "My lord placed a spell upon it. Any soul slain by its arrows is condemned to Hades. He w-wanted her... w-wants her..."

Apollo reached out and put his hand to her throat, "Wants her for what? Speak!"

Rapture's eyes fluttered, "...to be... his bride..."

Letting her die, Apollo's promise to kill her by other means went unfulfilled. He couldn't risk the succubus returning to Hades and informing Pluto that he was aware of his uncle's plot. Lowering his spear he let Rapture's lifeless corpse slide off its shaft and crumple limply to the floor.

"Mmmf...uhnmf...!" the man on the bed was still struggling against his bonds.

Apollo turned to him, casually stepping to the bedside and reaching to remove the man's gag.

"You killed her!" he gasped.

"Aye," Apollo replied, remorseless.

"I loved her!" the man cried, "And you killed her in cold blood. As soon as I'm free I'm calling the cops!"

Apollo snorted, "Then mayhap I should kill thee as well." He looked around for something to clean the blood from his spear and found a shirt.

Fear decorated Johnson's expression, "No! Wait. Please. I won't call the cops, I swear! This can be our little secret."

After replacing the spear on its harness at his back, Apollo moved to untie one of the man's wrists, "Fear not, mortal. Though many have died by the hands of Apollo, I am no murderer. Look to thy floor and see mine evidence."

Freeing his other wrist himself, Johnson sat up and looked to the body of Rapture. In its death, the demon's body had slowly reverted to its true form. Leathery wings had sprouted from her back and wicked talons extended from her fingers. Rapture's skin had changed into a pale grey and her visage had become something animalistic and frightening.

"I suggest burning the corpse," Apollo said as he began to glow. A bright light flashed around him and then he was gone, teleported away.

=======

Penny found a television remote on the nightstand shortly after Apollo left. She powered it on and began flipping through channels, wondering how long it would take her leg to heal. Her attention was caught by footage of Gateway City's recent storm, a product of the villain Cyclone. Penny had seen some of the damage after returning from Olympus but it was mostly downed trees around campus - nothing too serious. But the news was showing devastation in the Warrens, Gateway City's slums, where a tornado had touched down. Penny felt guilty that she had been in Olympus and wasn't able to stop Cyclone before he was able to wreak such havoc.

When a special report suddenly interrupted the broadcast Penny turned up the volume.

"...warning all inhabitants of Gateway City not to leave their homes or places of employment at this time. The Leviathan has escaped from Blockade and is at-large. Though the monster's whereabouts is currently unknown, other super-powered criminals freed in the chaos are terrorizing the city. The mayor has declared a state of emergency, activated all off-duty police officers, and made a formal request to the Governor pleading him to send the National Guard. But the question on everyone's lips following her absence during yesterday's storm... where is Gateway City's favorite daughter? Where is Mega-Girl?"

"Shit," Penny cursed, moving to get out of bed. Pushing herself to her feet she tried to put weight on her left leg but yelped in pain and nearly fell over.

"You are a lioness," she growled through gritted teeth, trying again. The leg could take her weight, but the pain was intense. Unfortunately, staying in bed was not an option.

Hobbling to her bag, Penny removed one of her costumes. She also found her cellular earpiece and paused to look at it, recalling the image Jordan and Travis making-out on her couch. Turning it on and placing it at her ear, Penny decided she had to set her hurt feelings aside.

"Harbinger," she said, hopping on one leg to the bed so she could take trade Apollo's clothes for her red spandex uniform, "Harbinger, come in, do you have a copy?"

It took several moments before any reply came.

I copy. MG, is that you? Where are you? The news feeds are going nuts! Evidently a bunch of super-baddies have escaped from Blockade.

"I'm laid up at Apollo's place," Mega-Girl replied, sliding the costume over her legs with a wince, "I was shot in the leg."

What!? How?

"The same bow that got me in the shoulder, if you can believe it. Different shooter, though. It's not important." She pulled the tight costume up her chest, sliding her arms into the sleeves, and reached behind herself to zip it up, "I need you help me with locations on these escaped convicts, so I can help round them up."

The costume left Mega-Girl's legs bare, her boots rising only to mid-ankle. Reaching for the bandages Apollo used, she wrapped another several layers around her left thigh as tightly as she could to give her wounded leg as much support as possible.

I've already got several possibilities. Look, MG, about yesterday...

"Now's not the time," she stood, testing her leg once more, "Give me the closest target to the Keppler Building."

Downtown. Third Avenue and Vermont; police are in a stand-off with Slipstream."

=======

After one of his cell walls and most of the ceiling above was reduced to rubble by the rampaging Leviathan, the criminal known as Slipstream was one of the first Blockade escapees. Gifted with the power of flight and jet-like speed, he covered the sixty miles between the heavily-damaged supermax prison and Gateway City in mere minutes.

In his first act as a free man, Slipstream tried to rob a liquor store. Unfortunately an off-duty policeman was walking by the store at the same moment. Moments later police squad cars cordoned off the street outside and officers were crouched behind them, guns out and aimed towards the liquor store.

"Come out with your hands up," one of the officers was speaking into a megaphone, "No one needs to get hurt!"

Slipstream appeared in the storefront window, still wearing his orange prison jumpsuit. He held an old man in front of him, a handgun leveled at the hostage's head. "I ain't going back to jail, pigs! Back the fuck off and let me fly outta here, or I'll do the old man!"

Julia Martinez, a female officer with over ten years' experience, assessed the scene. A massive crowd of bystanders had gathered on both ends of the street and there were at least three hostages in the liquor store. Martinez understood that things could get ugly in a hurry if Slipstream felt caged and decided to start shooting. She was about to move towards one of the crowds and instruct them to move back when they all began to cheer in her direction.

"...I can't believe it..."

"...is that...?"

"...it's Mega-Girl...!"

"...I read on the internet she was dead...?"

Martinez turned around to see Mega-Girl on the street right behind her, leaning on the hood of a police car and favoring a bandaged left leg. "Mega-Girl, I'm glad you're here... are you okay?"

"I'll be fine. What's the situation?" Mega-Girl limped towards Martinez.

"We've got Slipstream trapped inside with multiple hostages. He's armed and threatening to kill the store owner if we don't let him go. The only way in or out is through the front door."

"Keep your fellow officers back," Mega-Girl instructed, bending to pull a sewer manhole off the street as though it weighed no more than a quarter.

"What are you going to do?" Martinez asked.

"Make my own door," Mega-Girl replied, crawling downwards.

A minute and a half later, after smashing her way up through the floor of the liquor store, Mega-Girl was carrying an unconscious Slipstream as she limped out the front door with three beleaguered hostages behind her. The crowd of bystanders erupted with cheering and applause as Martinez grinned and shook her head thankfully.

MG, do you copy? What's your status?

Mega-Girl handed the criminal over to police and lifted her hand to the cellular device at her ear, "I'm here, Harbinger. I just took down Slipstream,"

The police band is going nuts; Heckyl and Jeckyl have killed over a dozen people in a strip-mall thirty miles north of the city, including two cops; Two-fold and fifty of his duplicates just stole every car at a Ford dealership in Stanton, leading the police on a high-speed chase along I-90; and Inferna was sighted over the northern suburbs lobbing molten balls of fire towards a school.

"Jesus," Mega-Girl replied, wondering how long her leg would hold up.

You're not alone out there. Apparently Apollo is duking it out with Muscleman outside a grocery store in Grove Heights, and I've heard reports that Velocity, the Phazer, and Major Asskicker are all doing what they can. But it's unbelievable, MG... it's like the city's being overrun by super criminals.

Mega-Girl took off into the air, "I'll start with Inferna and then see if I can take down those two lunatics, Heckyl and Jeckyl. I don't have time to deal with Two-fold, but he's Velocity's villain; I'm sure she's on it."

=======

Like a fiery phoenix, Inferna swept through the sky with her entire body ablaze. She was laughing with glee, lobbing balls of fire from her hands towards suburban buildings below. "Burn it!" she was cackling, "Burn it all! Burn the whole world!"

Several houses and a nearby car wash were already consumed with flames. Sirens filled the air as police cars and fire trucks raced through the neighborhood in an effort to keep up with the villainess.

"You are bat-shit crazy, do you know that?"

Inferna spun in the air upon hearing the voice behind her and was greeted to Mega-Girl's fist. She careened through the air and landed on the roof of a fast food restaurant, charring its shingles with her fiery body. But the punch didn't seem to damage her.

"Mega-Girl!" she seethed, sparks of flame spitting out of her mouth, "I'm going to turn your skinny little ass into ashes!"

Fire streamed from Inferna's out-stretched arms like her hands were flamethrowers, streaking through the air to engulf Mega-Girl in a ball of flame. Mega-Girl flew out of it as fast as she could, streaking through the air with her costume and leg bandages aflame.

"Hot superhero coming through!" she said to a group of pedestrians, landing on a nearby sidewalk and kicking over a fire hydrant. The jetting water snuffed the flames on her body. Her costume was intact, if a little blackened, but the bandages around her thigh were in tatters. Blood was seeping from the wound and pain throbbed through her entire thigh; Mega-Girl could barely put any weight on it.

But Inferna was on the move again, flying above. She began hurling balls of plasma towards Mega-Girl, the fiery stuff splattering like lava when it hit the street.

"Get out of here!" Mega-Girl yelled at the growing crowd of gawkers, "Run!"

Inferna laughed manically and swooped through the air towards a gas station.

"No!" Mega-Girl screamed, flying after the insane pyromaniac as fast as she could.

But it was too late. Inferna shot flames directly at one of the pumps, resulting in an explosion that rocked the entire block in a plume of flames and rising smoke. Several innocent people were at the pumps filling their tanks with gas, with several more customers and employees inside. Mega-Girl guessed at least a dozen people were killed in the blast.

Inferna was completely unhinged. "I'm going to burn the world!" she yelled towards Mega-Girl. "Right after I burn YOU!"

Flying straight towards her like a crimson bullet Mega-Girl snatched Inferna and carried her straight upwards, away from any more people.

"I'm going kill you!" Inferna shrieked, the flames on her body intensifying until she and Mega-Girl were like a comet streaking through the sky.

The heat was intense and Mega-Girl was having trouble breathing. Inferna was glowing with the power of a volcano, the very air around them beginning to ignite. She tried punching Inferna, but the woman seemed immune to physical blows, as though her flames were feeding her strength and rejuvenating her. 

"I have the power of the sun," Inferna clutched Mega-Girls arms, actually burning her invulnerable skin! Inferna's eyes were wide and crazed, like two molten orbs, "The power of ten suns! Feel my heat!"

Mega-Girl screamed at the pain and did the only thing she could do, grabbing Inferna by the throat and snapping her neck. Mega-Girl gasped at the fresh air as Inferna's body reverted to that of a normal woman and hung limply.

Inferna was dead, her flames snuffed forever.

Landing next to an ambulance and police car parked near the burning gas station, Mega-Girl turned over Inferna's body. "I had to kill her," she told the police officer, tears streaming down her cheeks, "It was the only way I could stop her."

The police officer simply stared at her.

"What?" Mega-Girl asked him, "What is it?"

"You look like hell," the officer pointed, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Mega-Girl looked down at herself as she lied. Her costume was a charred mess, burnt to a crisp and flaking off her form; it barely concealed her modesty. The bandages on her leg were gone and blood soaked her left leg from the thigh down.

Flashes from cell phone cameras all around her were going off as bystanders took pictures of Mega-Girl. She felt at her face and realized her mask was gone, not that it mattered. Her face and hair were blackened beyond recognition.

"It's okay," the police officer said, "No one is going to blame you for killing her. We all saw what she did. She burnt down a school for Christ's sake! You're a hero, Mega-Girl. You're a goddamn hero!"

"I have to go," she said, her face covered with sooty tears. Taking off into the air, Mega-Girl didn't feel like a hero. She had never killed anyone before and even though Inferna was going to kill her and countless others, guilt consumed her.

Lifting a hand to her ear, Mega-Girl realized the cellular earpiece was gone - melted off her head most likely. Though her connection with Harbinger was severed, she felt like the pain from her leg would overcome her, and her arms throbbed from where Inferna had grabbed and burnt her, it didn't matter... the murderous Heckyl and Jeckyl were still waiting.

=======

"Die!" Major Asskicker roared as two machine guns, one held in each of his arms, spat their fire. "Die mother fuckers!"

But the bullets bounced off Heckyl and Jeckyl's thick hides, simply making holes in their orange jumpsuits. The two monstrous villains were twins, born with superhuman strength and leathery skin as hard as steel plates. Heckyl had wild black hair while Jeckyl was bald. Both of them looked like a cross between a linebacker and a Neanderthal.

Major Asskicker dropped his guns when he saw that they weren't doing any damage and reached into his fatigues for a pair of grenades. Pulling the pins with his teeth he threw them both were Heckyl and Jeckyl were standing in a parking lot. Thankfully no one else was around, as police and pedestrians were forced to evacuate long prior.

The grenades didn't even faze the pair.

Heckyl was laughing while Jeckyl picked up a Toyota and threw it. Major Asskicker dove behind a pick-up to avoid being crushed, wondering how he could possibly stop the twin lunatics.

"Come out, come out wherever you are," Heckyl snarled in a throaty voice.

As they stalked towards the pick-up, Mega-Girl landed in front of them. She immediately cried out when she tried to put any weight on her leg and fell to one knee.

Heckyl laughed again when he saw Mega-Girl's sorry state, "Looky-looky what we have here! A little super-chump come to play. Is that you Mega-Girl? You've seen better days! Didn't your mommy teach you not to play with matches?"

Mega-Girl gritted her teeth and rose, hobbling on one leg. Her 5'7" frame was dwarfed by the massive brothers, but her fists balled at her sides and she didn't budge.

"Kill her," Heckyl instructed his mute brother.

Jeckyl snarled and charged forward, lunging with his hands.

Mega-Girl swung a massive uppercut, catching Jeckyl square on the jaw and sending the murderous fiend hurtling backwards to land on the hood of a car. The blow caused her burnt arm to explode in pain and Mega-Girl lost balance and fell to her side. She tried to push herself up but Heckyl was on her in an instant, hammering his fists against her and driving her into the ground.

Desperately clutching at the crumbling pavement around her, Mega-Girl found a chunk of concrete and smashed it on the side of Heckyl's head, knocking him aside. Pushing herself up with an outstretched arm, she struggled to her one good knee and fought to maintain consciousness. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jeckyl approaching once again, trying to stand and face him, but her legs didn't have the strength.

Jeckyl's snarling and drooling visage was nearly on her when from out of nowhere a speeding van slammed into the monster and crashed into another parked car, crushing Jeckyl between the two vehicles.

Major Asskicker held up his middle finger through the driver's side window of the van, "Take that, mother fucker!"

"I'm going to kill you for that!" Heckyl screamed, rising and stalking towards the van.

Mega-Girl propped herself up on both hands and her one good knee, pushing off and flying towards Heckyl. She impacted against the criminal's back and slammed him into the rear end of the van. Though she fell to her knee again, Mega-Girl was able to grab one of the van's back doors and wrench it free from its hinges, using it to hit Heckyl with all her remaining strength.

The metal door wrinkled around Heckyl's head, knocking him unconscious.

Mega-Girl collapsed, the world going dim around her. She was relieved, however, at the last thing her closing eyes saw: a bright flashing light she recognized well.

Apollo had arrived. Mega-Girl knew she was safe.

=======

Penny awoke in a familiar bed within Apollo's bedroom, her leg stiff but no longer throbbing. She looked around the dim room and saw a familiar figure sitting in a chair at her bedside.

"Jordan?" she muttered weakly, surprised to see her roommate.

"It's okay," Jordan rose, swiftly moving to the bedside, "Everything's okay. We're in Apollo's place, he brought you here."

"I-I know," Penny nodded, "But what are you doing here? How did you...?"

"I saw your fight with Heckyl and Jeckyl on the news, Channel 5 had a reporter on the scene. When Apollo teleported you away I figured he brought you here. You told me you were at Apollo's place when you called me, remember? You asked what the closest threat to the Keppler Building was, so I put two and two together and came here. I bribed the doorman and he told me which condo Apollo was in."




How to Date a Superhero Ch. 06



"Where is he?" Penny asked.

"In the living room," Jordan assured her, "He didn't want to let me in when I came knocking on his door, but when I knew what your real name was he finally believed I was your roommate. He's really protective of you, you know that?"

Penny lifted the sheet to look down at herself. Her left leg was re-bandaged and her biceps were red where Inferna had burned her, though they appeared to be healing quickly and no longer throbbed with pain whenever she moved her arms. A man's pajama shirt covered her petite frame and her body had been washed free of dirt and soot.

"He's the one who took care of you," Jordan answered Penny's unspoken question, "He cleaned you up and dressed your wounds. He's an intense guy, but he seems to genuinely care about you. Did something happen in Olympus?"

Penny closed her eyes for a moment, still exhausted from her fights, "We had sex."

"What!?"

"We had really dirty sex. Twice."

Jordan laughed, "Seriously?"

Penny nodded, a tear slipping out from under her eyelid.

Jordan sobered, "What is it? Are you in pain?"

"I killed someone," Penny murmured.

"I know," Jordan put her hand on Penny's wrist, "That was on the news too. You did what you had to do. Inferna couldn't be stopped. She killed over a hundred people; over half of them were just kids going to school! They're calling you a hero, after everything you did. I mean, you stopped Slipstream, Inferna, Heckyl and Jeckyl... all while barely able to stand. You can't blame yourself, honey. No one else is. No one could stop her. If you hadn't killed her, she was going to kill you and a whole lot more."

"I know... I still feel like shit about it." Penny lifted a hand to wipe off a tear off her cheek and push at her hair. "What the hell?" she felt with her hand, noting her long waves had been cut to barely shoulder length.

Jordan winced, "Sorry, I had to cut your hair. The ends were all burnt!"

"How long have I been out?" Penny suddenly wondered.

"You've been kind of in and out," Jordan replied, "For about two days."

"Jesus," Penny breathed, "You've been here the whole time?"

"More or less," Jordan nodded, "I went home once to get some clothes, but otherwise Apollo let me stay here. You really had sex with him?"

Penny pushed herself up by her elbows to sit against the bed's headboard, "Yeah."

"What about Travis?"

"What about him?" Penny frowned, "He broke up with me. Besides, it looked to me like he's moved on too."

Jordan winced, "I'm so sorry about that. It just kind of happened... during the storm. You were gone and we were in the basement. I was scared shitless and he just put his arm around me and made it all okay, you know? And then... I kissed him. I haven't seen him since that night you walked in on us and I swear nothing happened, other than a little making-out on the couch."

"It's okay," Penny rubbed her eyes, "I get it. Travis is a sweet guy. He's actually kind of perfect for you."

"Are you over him?" Jordan asked cautiously, "I mean, are you and Apollo...?"

Penny shrugged bonelessly, "I don't know. I liked Travis and I felt like we were really falling for each other. But then we broke up and Apollo somehow got under my skin. I mean, Apollo's totally wrong for me on paper, but there's something about him that excites me like nothing else ever has. I don't have to act like shy, naïve little Penny when I'm around him, either. I can just be myself, which is a lot closer to the Mega-Girl side of me. Does that make sense?"

"Of course it does," Jordan squeezed Penny's wrist, "I know you as well as anyone, and you're like two different people depending on if your mask is on or off."

"Which one do you like better?" Penny asked, worried over the answer.

"Honestly?" Jordan pondered, "I think the real you is somewhere in-between. That's the girl I like best."

The two girls hugged, quietly enjoying the embrace of their close friendship.

"Thou art awake," Apollo spoke in his deep voice, standing in the doorway.

Penny smiled at him over Jordan's shoulder, "Hey."

Jordan let go and glanced at Apollo.

He was dressed in dark brown canvas pants and a light sweater. It was odd to Penny at first, seeing him in modern clothing, as she had only ever seen him in his armors, prior.

"Thanks for coming to pick me up in that parking lot," Penny reached a hand out towards him, "For taking care of me."

Apollo approached and took her hand, lifting a kiss to the back of it, "Thy bravery in fighting with such wounds put even the greatest warriors of Olympus to shame, my lioness. Never before have I beheld such courage. T'was my honor to recover thee from the battlefield."

Jordan mouthed 'lioness?' towards Penny with a grin.

"What about Lauren Smith?" Penny suddenly remembered, "Did you find her?"

"Aye. She was where Artemis stated she'd be."

"Well? What did you find out? Did she tell you why she tricked you into trying to kill me?"

Apollo's expression turned grave, "It seems you have gained the eye of mine uncle, her master."

"Pluto?" Penny looked surprised.

"He placed a spell on the bow of Minerva," Apollo explained, "Any mortal slain by its arrow will have their soul descend to Hades, where they fall to his domain."

Penny looked confused, "But why me?"

"He would marry you," Apollo stated, "Make you queen of the underworld, at his side for all eternity."

Penny's eyes went wide.

"Wow," Jordan muttered sarcastically, "This uncle of yours is a real romantic, huh?"



How to Date a Superhero Ch. 07



Kneeling in front of a massive vault door made of steel, a flashlight clutched in his mouth, Two-Fold carefully attached a magnetic box cluttered with wires near the vault's handle. Taking the flashlight in hand he inspected the box's placement before pushing a button on its side. A small LED light changed from red to green, indicating its readiness. 

"Give me the other explosive device," he said to a man over his shoulder. 

"What?" the man asked with an eerily similar voice. 

"The bomb!" Two-Fold sounded irritated, "Give me the second bomb." 

"I don't have it," the man said, "Number Four is in charge of the explosives." 

Two-Fold turned an annoyed scowl towards the man, which was like looking into a mirror, "I thought you were Number Four?" 

The duplicate shook his head, "I'm Number Six; I'm in charge of the getaway van." 

Two-Fold rose from his crouch and pointed the flashlight into his duplicate's face, "Then why the hell are you down here with me? You should be with the fucking van!" 

The duplicate squinted against the light, "You told me to come with you." 

"That's because I thought you were Number Four!" Two-Fold yelled angrily. 

"I think Number Four is watching the van," the duplicate shrugged. 

"Get your ass back up to the van! And tell that idiot Number Four I need the second explosive device down here pronto!" 

The duplicate dashed off, disappearing towards a darkened stairway. 

Another duplicate appeared from a hallway moments later, carrying his own flashlight. He also looked exactly like Two-Fold and was indistinguishable from the other duplicate, "I finished severing the alarm; we're good to go whenever you want to blow the vault door." 

"At least someone around here is doing their job," Two-Fold grumbled, "Good job, Number Two." 

"I'm Number Three," the duplicate said, "Number Two said he was afraid of the dark." 

"Afraid of the -?" Two-Fold rubbed his shaved head, which was starting to hurt, "How can he be afraid of the dark? He's an exact copy of me! I'm certainly not afraid of the fucking dark!" 

The duplicate shrugged helplessly. 

"I'm surrounded by fucking idiots," Two-Fold said of his duplicates, digging in the pocket of his leather trench coat for a package of cigarettes. 

The insult didn't seem to offend the duplicate, who was regarding the vault door, "How much cash you suppose we'll find in there?" 

"Millions," Two-Fold answered, lighting his cigarette, "This bank handles a lot of corporate payroll and it's Friday. They've got to keep enough cash in their vault to back up all the employee checks they issue - should be a good score." 

"Are we going to split it up six ways evenly?" the duplicate asked greedily. 

"Nobody's getting shit," Two-Fold frowned, "This job was my idea, so the cash is mine." 

"What!? You think you can get away with stiffing the rest of us?" 

"How can I be stiffing you? You're me!" 

"That's not the point! I'm working just as hard as you are, I should get a cut!" 

"Listen, you dumb-shit, if you're me, and I'm you, what does it matter who gets the cash? We're both going to be rich!" 

The duplicate looked confused but he didn't get an opportunity to argue any further. The smoke from Two- Fold's cigarette had drifted to the ceiling and triggered a smoke detector. Suddenly, a ringing alarm filled the air and water began raining down from the bank's sprinkler system. 

"What the -? I thought you said you killed the alarms!" 

"I killed the vault alarm, you never said nothing about the fire alarm..." 

"Shit!" Two-Fold threw his cigarette to the floor, "We've got to get out of here, this place is gonna be crawling with cops!" 

"I'm with you!" the duplicate ran with Two-Fold towards the stairs. 

Hurrying through the bank lobby, they exited through the main doors where the rest of the duplicates were waiting by a panel van parked at a curb in a quiet suburban neighborhood. "Everybody in the van!" Two-Fold barked, his duplicates scrambling to get into the vehicle with him. Two-Fold found himself in the driver's seat and tried to start the van, but the keys were missing. 

"Give me the keys!" he reached a palm towards the duplicate in the passenger seat. 

"I don't have them, I gave them to Number Four," the duplicate said. 

Two-Fold turned around to look at the three duplicates in the back cargo area, "Which one of you is Number Four?" 

The three duplicates all looked at one another confusedly. 

"For fuck's sake!" Two-Fold screamed, hearing sirens approach from a distance. "Would one of you give me the fucking keys?" 

"I think Number Four is still in the bank," one of the duplicates finally reasoned, "Number Six told him you needed him down in the vault." 

======= 

Penny had her face buried in a textbook, sitting on a couch within her apartment, trying to catch-up on studies. After traveling to Olympus and her subsequent injuries she was over a week behind in all of her college classes. "This sucks," she suddenly blurted, slamming the heavy hardcover shut. 

Jordan was seated on the other end of their couch, munching on popcorn and watching a cheesy movie on cable, "What sucks?" 

"It's Friday night," Penny complained, "And I'm sitting here studying. It's such a pain in the ass dating a god, you know that?" 

Jordan glanced her way, "What are you talking about?" 

"I want to go out. Like... to a club, or a concert, or a show. Hell, I'd be happy with dinner at the Burger Shack. But Apollo doesn't hide his identity. Everywhere he goes people recognize him and take his picture. When he showed up after my fight with Heckyl and Jeckyl the whole world saw him pick me up and teleport away with me, so now everyone assumes he's dating Mega-Girl, which is true, except I can't date him with my mask off otherwise someone is going to figure out Penny Swann is actually Mega-Girl." 

"At least you have a boyfriend," Jordan tossed a kernel of popcorn into her mouth. 

Penny sighed, "Why won't you call Travis? I told you I'm okay with you dating him." 

"I'm waiting for him to come to me. I don't want to be the girl he settles for just because he doesn't have any other options at the moment. I want to know that he's really into me and won't break up me with me after a week when someone he thinks is better comes along." Jordan suddenly winced at her own words, "Oh god, I'm sorry Penny. I didn't mean..." 

"I know," Penny understood, "It's okay, that's not why he broke up with me. I get that now. He didn't want to date a superhero, plain and simple, and I can't stop being Mega-Girl. It's who I am." 

"So go be a superhero," Jordan suggested. 

Penny gave her a questioning look. 

"Put the mask on and go out with Apollo," Jordan instructed blandly, returning her attention to the television, "I'm pretty sure the Burger Shack doesn't have a dress code; you should be fine in spandex." 

======= 

A half hour later Mega-Girl landed softly upon a balcony at the Keppler Building, a high-rise condominium complex for the wealthy and affluent in Gateway City. She was wearing her costume, a red one-piece affair trimmed in blue and black with long sleeves and bare legs. Red boots lifted to mid-calf and she wore a blue athletic sleeve over her left thigh to cover the wound she suffered when Artemis shot her with the magical bow of Minerva. The injury had healed quickly but an ugly scar remained, though that was slowly disappearing as well. A black mask covered the top half of her face and her blonde hair was recently cut into a stylish above-the-shoulder bob. 

Mega-Girl pulled the sliding glass door open, which Apollo left unlocked, and strode in. 

"Penelope," he greeted casually. 

She saw Apollo sitting on a luxurious black leather couch, bathed in the light of a large flat screen television within his otherwise dark and spacious living room. What was so surprising was that he was completely naked with a semi-erect cock lying against his abs. 

"Apollo?" Mega-Girl stepped further into the room so she could hear what was coming from the television screen, "Are you watching porn?" 

"Aye," he confirmed, unashamed. 

Mega-Girl spread her palms in an annoyed gesture, "What the hell?" 

"You disapprove?" 

"Of course I disapprove!" 

Apollo seemed puzzled, "One of thy world's finest achievements is the ability to easily watch other people in the throes of unimaginable sex. Come join me." 

Mega-Girl's fists balled at her hips and she shot him an incredulous expression, "Did you just say Earth's greatest achievement is pornography?" 

"Nay," Apollo stood from the couch, unfazed by displaying his nakedness, "It is the ease of its availability I consider so impressive." 

"You're unbelievable," she scolded, "If you're so damned horny why didn't you call me? I'm your girlfriend, remember? Or don't I turn you on like these silicone porn bimbos? Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to run around in skin-tight spandex and not constantly wonder how fat my ass looks? Now I need to start comparing myself to porn stars, too?" 

Apollo frowned, "Thy ass is perfect! Far more desirable than the women in this movie." 

"Yet, you're still watching them," Mega-Girl accused, "Instead of staring at my ass." 

"The ability to appreciate one thing does not depreciate the other," Apollo reasoned calmly. 

She huffed in frustration and moved closer to Apollo to see exactly what he was watching; two women were on screen having sex. "This?" she gestured, "This is what turns you on?" 

"I do not understand thy rage, Penelope." 

"Because it's bad enough I have to try and live up to all the women you've had in the last three thousand years! Now I feel like I need to compare myself to these impossible standards. Fuck, Apollo! You're such a... such a... guy!" 

"Verily," he agreed, "Was this ever in doubt?" 

Mega-Girl yanked the mask off her face, "Damn it, Apollo, don't try to be cute. I want to be the girl you desire. I should be the one you want to look at when you get all horny. You said I was your lioness!" 

"Thou art," he stated simply. 

"Then prove it! Don't disrespect me by sitting around and jerking-off to pornography. It demeans me and makes me feel inadequate, like I'm not enough for you." 

"I would trade them all for thee," Apollo said. 

"What?" she didn't understand. 

"Had I known you would be waiting for me in this age, I would have forsaken all the women of my past and led a chaste life for three millennia to convince thee of my desire." 

Mega-Girl's expression softened at his words. 

"You are fierce! The women of my past were meek, mewling curs seeking to please and placate an Olympian god for their own pleasure or gain. But not you. You stand unafraid to lash out at me with thy sharp tongue. I have sought a woman such as thee for centuries, Penelope, and I stand properly chastised before the woman of my desires. My sexual attentions are yours and yours alone." 

She gave him a stern look, "No more porn?" 

"Whores and concubines, all. Not fit for a man fit for thee." 

She closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around his naked form. "Thank you," she whispered against his ear, "Now go put some pants on and take me out to eat, I'm hungry." 

"What of my aroused state?" 

"Food first, sex second," she slapped his firm buttocks. 

======= 

Speeding past the gates of Olympus faster than any guards could detect, beyond the rolling hills of the eastern farmlands, through steam-infested marshes, and skimming across a narrow sea, Hermes reached the edge of a vast forest that stretched as far as the eye could see in any direction. He was hundreds of miles from Olympus, a distance he covered in less than three minutes. 

Hermes had taken a leisurely pace. 

He had fully stopped at the edge of the forest, however, and considered its dense trees that stretched two hundred feet into the air. It was an old forest that few Olympians ever travelled to, as it was rumored to be inhabited by a Titan - ancient beings of incredible size with power to rival Zeus himself. Not that Hermes believed such tales. The last time any Olympian had seen a Titan was when Zeus impregnated the Titan princess Leto, mother of Artemis and mighty Apollo, but she disappeared only a few short decades after the birth of her twins. Hermes didn't know why the Titans left or where they went, nor did he care to; the Titans were to the Olympians what Olympians were to the mortals of Earth - gods, powerful and dangerous. 

Though he was certain no Titans inhabited the wood, he did know of another who called the forest home. Leaning on his caduceus staff, Hermes pushed a hand through his black curls and listened to the sounds of the forest. His hearing wasn't as good as crafty Artemis, who could detect an insect hundreds of miles away, but it was good enough to suit his needs. Hermes heard chirping birds and chattering rodents, croaking frogs and grunting boar. He waited patiently, listening to the wondrous orchestra of a thousand forms of wildlife, until the sound he sought echoed to the south... the bark of a hound. Suddenly dashing through the woods with the speed of a blur, maneuvering through the thick maze of trees and brush, Hermes followed his ears towards the sound until he reached its source. Finding himself within an odd clearing, he spotted the proud hound sitting on a wooden porch of a small earthen cabin. Next to it was the hound's master. She appeared a woman of middle age, with a braided crown of reddish-brown hair and homely features. She wore a plain white robe and sandals on her feet as she sat, stroking her greyish-colored canine companion. 

"Hermes," the woman greeted from her chair, "How long has it been?" 

Hermes bowed, "Too long, my dear Hecate." 

"You are a long way from Olympus, messenger. Do you carry correspondence?" 

"I do not," Hermes approached the porch, "I am here on business of my own." 

"Not the messenger today, then." Hecate smiled, "But perhaps the mischievous thief?" 

Hermes smiled back. 

"We all have so many roles, so many faces, don't we?" 

"Indeed we do." 

"And which of my faces do you prefer, this day?" 

"The mistress of magic," Hermes answered, lifting a foot to Hecate's porch and leaning on his own knee. 

"Alchemy, necromancy, or sorcery?" Hecate asked. 

"I have a more unique need, I'm afraid, which could be much more challenging." 

Hecate smiled, "Of course you do. Young Hermes, ever the resourceful one, has never failed to appear at my porch with anything less than a challenge." 

"I am in need of a conduit." 

Hecate laughed, a bright sound that betrayed her amusement. 

"I have been sneaking into my uncle's palace to borrow his," Hermes continued, "But I fear he has grown suspicious of my activities and has since posted a rather annoying set of guards to protect his trident." 

"To what plane do you need a conduit?" 

"The mortal plane of Earth." 

"Ah, such an interesting plane," Hecate mused, "But your father has forbid any travel to Earth." 

Hermes' eyes twinkled, "I am the god of mischief." 

Hecate chuckled, "And what business have you on Earth?" 

"It is my brother, Apollo. He has become embroiled in some manner of sinister plot and I find myself wondering if he will need my aid." 

Hecate made a dismissive clicking sound with her tongue, "Do not lie to me, Hermes." 

Hermes narrowed his gaze at the accusation. 

"Apollo is the mightiest of the Olympians, capable of facing nearly any threat. While I have no doubt you care for your brother, he has survived for two millennia on the mortal plane. Thrived, even. All without the aid of Hermes. So tell me, young one, what is your true intention?" 

"I thought I was a better liar," Hermes straightened to lean on his staff. 

"You are a fine liar," Hecate waved a dismissive hand, "But I have been alive for over five millennia. I have heard all the words of gods and men and know a lie when I hear one." 

"Of course you do," Hermes inclined his head, "Very well. It is my brother's woman, a mortal girl. A babe really, only nineteen summers old." 

"You desire her for yourself?" Hecate guessed. 

"A more desirable mortal woman I have never met," Hermes conceded, "But no, Apollo is far too attached to dare cross him on that front. I am more interested in her origins." 

"Go on," Hecate prompted. 

"Her power. It is... well, let us just say it is unique among mortals. She fought Apollo, before they were romantically entangled, and he could not defeat her." 

Hecate's face lit with surprise, an expression Hermes had never seen her wear before, "You don't think...?" 

"I don't know," Hermes answered her unspoken question, "But I suspect." 

"This is one of the reasons why Zeus closed all the conduits to Earth," Hecate hissed, her tone instantly changed, "He has forbid such offspring! They are too unpredictable, too dangerous!" 

"Nevertheless," Hermes took a deep breath, "I suspect Apollo's new mate may be a demi-god." 

======= 

Every person in the place was staring, pointing, and murmuring. Cell phones snapped pictures and there was no doubt some form of footage would go viral on the internet within hours. Though he was in common jeans and a tee shirt, Apollo was one of the most recognized men in the world with his long blond hair and perfect facial features - even without his armors everyone knew who he was. Sitting across from him at the Burger Shack, a joint just off-campus famous amongst university students, Mega-Girl wore her full costume. 

"This is too weird," she said, dipping a French fry into some mayonnaise, "I've never done anything like this with my mask on." 

"Then why wear it?" Apollo sounded curious, taking a bite of his burger. 

"Because, silly. I have a secret identity to protect." 

"Mortals and their masks," Apollo chewed, reaching for his soda, "What have you to fear?" 

"It's not me I'm afraid for," she reached across the table to steal one of Apollo's fries, wondering if they were any better than hers. "I do it to protect people like Jordan, and my mom. What if one of my enemies tried to hurt them?" 

Apollo sucked some soda through a straw, considering her words. 

"Don't you have anyone you want to protect?" she wondered. "Family? Friends? Someone unable to defend themselves against the type of people we face-off against?" 

"My family is more than capable," Apollo reminded. 

"True," she conceded, remembering Apollo's family were all gods. 

"I have no friends," he added. 

"Seriously? Not even one?" 

"When you are immortal it grows wearisome watching those you love and care about grow old and die." 

Mega-Girl had never considered that. She gave Apollo a sympathetic look. 

"Easier by far to avoid such attachments. I made an exception for thee, but you too will grow old and pass from this world too swiftly for my liking. It is my hope that Hermes was not wrong about thy blood." 

"You mean when he suggested that I'm some sort of demi-god? An Olympian?" 

"Aye." 

"Is that why Pluto wants to claim me for his wife?" 

Apollo lifted a shoulder, "My uncle's motives have ever escaped me." 

"He's going to try again," Mega-Girl predicted, "To kill me, I mean. Isn't he?" 

"T'would seem likely." 

"You've been pretty calm about the whole situation ever since we found out. Doesn't it bother you that he wants me dead?" 

"Pluto is much like Neptune or my father," Apollo explained, "In his realm he is all-powerful. But here, in the mortal realm, he loses that advantage." 

"So you could stop him?" she asked curiously, "You could defeat Pluto, if you fought him here on Earth?" 

"Here or Hades, it matters little. Among the Olympians my power is unrivaled," Apollo sounded confident, "This planet is much closer to its sun than Olympus to its own and I am the sun god; I've been soaking in its energy for two and a half millennia. Zeus, Neptune, Pluto... they all fear my unfettered might and well they should." 




How to Date a Superhero Ch. 07



Mega-Girl studied him, unable to tell if Apollo was simply arrogant or if he was telling the truth. She reached across the table and wiped a spot of ketchup off his lip and asked, "Did you use your 'unfettered might' on me when we fought?" 

Apollo snorted, "If I had, this entire world would have quaked." 

"If you're such a bad-ass," she challenged, "How come you get so weakened at night?" 

"My strength has ever been tied to the sun, but only my strength becomes diminished. My other abilities remain." 

"So you can still fly, and teleport?" 

"Aye, among other things." 

Mega-Girl realized she knew so little about Apollo but wanted to know more, "Like what?" 

"Things even I fear to unleash," he answered cryptically. 

She didn't press him; instead she stole more of Apollo's food. Looking round at all the other students staring their way, Mega-Girl caught sight of someone walking through the door that made her drop the stolen fry. 

The brown haired boy spotted her immediately and froze. 

"Travis...?" she muttered. 

Apollo glanced. 

Travis stared at Mega-Girl and her companion for a moment and then quickly turned and walked back out the door. 

"Do you know that mortal?" Apollo asked. 

"Please wait here," she said to Apollo, sliding off her chair, "I have to go talk to him." Hurrying through the door after him, Mega-Girl spotted him on the sidewalk. "Travis!" she called, chasing after. 

Travis finally stopped and turned. "What? What do you want?" he sounded perturbed. "You're sitting in the Burger Shack in your costume? With him? So the rumors are true? You're dating Apollo, now? A guy who tried to kill you?" 

Mega-Girl was afraid their discussion would draw a crowd so she grabbed Travis by the wrist and pulled him into an alley, "It's complicated, but yeah, I'm with Apollo now. Does that upset you? You broke up with me!" 

"I broke up with Mega-Girl," he countered, "Penny's the girl I wanted. She the one I thought I chose, until I realized you lied to me. That you were playing me." 

"I fucked-up, okay? I'm sorry, Travis. I've always been so insecure as Penny, like, I'm living under my own shadow or something. I wanted you to like her over Mega-Girl." 

"Listen to yourself!" Travis exclaimed, "You talk about Penny like she's an entirely different person. It's insane!" 

"In a way, she is a different person... I m-mean, I am. When I'm Penny... I'm not myself. I know it's fucked-up, but ever since I became Mega-Girl I've come to realize that she's the real me. As Penny I've always had to pretend I'm something I'm not. I have to pretend I'm not superhuman. You got caught up in that, in the lie, and I'm so sorry, Travis. I used you to try and validate myself, to convince myself that when I was Penny that I could be happy. But I wasn't happy, I-I'm not happy when I have to wear that damned ring to alter my appearance. That's my real mask and I hate it." 

Travis sighed, "Whatever. Look, I get it, we weren't going to work. Why are you telling me all this, now? What do you want from me?" 

"Your forgiveness?" she hoped. 

Travis let out a quick amused breath, "You want to know what the funny thing is? I was never really that mad. I mean, I was pissed when I broke up with you, but I got over it. I just want you to find what you're looking for. With the mask, without the mask... but one day you're going to have to rectify those two worlds." 

"I know," she nodded, "I'm trying." 

"I suppose you still want to be my lab partner, too." 

Mega-Girl grinned, "I'm really behind. I could use your help." 

Travis pushed a hand through his hair, "Yeah, okay. I'll see you Tuesday morning?" 

"Okay," she agreed, "Just one more thing, though." 

Travis gave her a dubious look. 

"Jordan really likes you, but she's not going to sit on our couch eating popcorn and watching shitty movies for too many more Friday nights. If you like her, if you really like her, go get her. She won't wait forever." 

"That won't bother you?" he sounded doubtful. 

"You're always going to be special to me, Travis." Mega-Girl shrugged bonelessly, "But Jordan's special to me too, and she's a lot less fucked-up than I am. I think you guys would make a great couple." 

Lifting to her toes, she kissed Travis on the cheek and squeezed his wrist affectionately. And then she walked away, turning once to smile at him over her shoulder before leaving the alleyway. Returning towards the Burger Shack she saw Apollo standing outside in front of the restaurant posing with a bunch of sorority girls for a cell phone camera shot. 

Mega-Girl smiled at the scene, standing back and watching. The girls were flirting shamelessly with him; one of them even invited him to a party and offered her phone number. He politely declined their many advances, telling them he was with 'his lioness', which filled Mega-Girl with pride. 

She finally approached once the girls had gone inside, "Sorry I left you." 

"Unfinished business?" he asked. 

"Not anymore," she smiled, "I'm all yours now, Apollo. For better or worse. I have no idea where this is going to go, but it's been a helluva ride so far." 

Apollo grunted his approval, "What of thy mother?" 

Mega-Girl looked surprised he would ask about her, "What about her?" 

"If I am to properly court thee, it seems fitting I gain her approval." 

Mega-Girl smiled, "You want to meet my mom?" 

"Aye." 

"All right," she agreed, "Let's go. Just don't tell her we had sex, okay?" 

======= 

Number Four tried to find his way through the maze of cubicles, offices, and storage areas of the darkened bank. His flashlight went out and he had to bang it with his palm to make it work again, "Number Three? Are you back here? Where is everyone?" 

A hail of gunfire suddenly erupted outside. Glass erupted from a bullet penetrating a nearby window, causing the duplicate to duck and dash away. "Holy shit!" he yelled, dropping the flashlight and reaching in to his trench coat for a handgun. It sounded like a war had begun outside and the duplicate knew the robbery had turned sour. Keeping low as he ran, Number Four followed the sound of violence, which led him to the lobby doors. Pressing against a wall and glancing outside, he saw the standoff. Two-Fold and his other duplicates were pinned down behind their van in front of the bank. Further down the street were three police cars, their red and blue cherries filling the night, with officers crouched behind hoods and trunks. Both sides were firing their weapons liberally. 

Worried they'd be caught, Number Four finally built up enough courage to run out of the bank. He was screaming loudly and firing off bullets towards the police, but they had the advantage of stationary cover. 

Number Four was dead before his bullet-riddled body hit the street. 

"Goddammit!" a duplicate yelled as a bullet whizzed by his head, "Boss! We're getting carved up out here - we just lost numbers two through four!" 

Like bursting popcorn, Two-Fold generated three more duplicates. POP! POP! POP! They appeared beside him out of thin air, wearing the exact same clothes and holding the exact same handguns. "Kill those cops!" he commanded, "Shoot those fuckers dead!" 

Before any of the duplicates could fire a single shot however, a deafening crash filled the night as a massive form landed on one of the police cruisers which crumpled beneath the undeniable force. 

"LEVIATHAN KILL WIMPY POLICEMEN," he bellowed as the police turned their guns towards The Leviathan's greyish-blue skin. 

"What the hell?" Two-Fold glanced around the side of the van to see The Leviathan picking up a police car like it was nothing more than a toy. The monster lifted the cruiser above his head and then smashed it back to the ground, crushing two unfortunate officers and killing them instantly. Two-Fold had never before seen anything so effortlessly powerful. An inhuman monster standing twelve feet tall, weighing over a thousand pounds, with leathery grey skin covered only by a pair of tattered orange prison pants, The Leviathan made short work of the police. 

The Leviathan laughed after killing the last officer, casually tossing the man's body aside. "HA-HA-HAH. NO ONE CAN STOP LEVIATHAN. NOW WHERE THE DOUBLE-MAN?" 

Two-Fold blinked and wondered if the Leviathan could possibly be looking for him. He wasn't sure he wanted to find out and continued to hide behind the van. "Get out there," he commanded one of his duplicates, "And see if that thing is talking about me." 

But no one answered. 

Two-Fold turned to see his duplicates fleeing down the street as fast as possible in the opposite direction of The Leviathan. "Fucking cowards!" he seethed. 

"WAIT..." The Leviathan scratched the bony ridges on his bare scalp, "...NOT DOUBLE-MAN. TWO-GUY? MAYBE IT WAS COPY-MAN..." 

Two-Fold rolled his eyes as The Leviathan continued to get his name wrong. He vainly stepped out from behind the van, "No, you oversized idiot, it's Two-Fold! TWO-FOLD!" 

The Leviathan turned towards the voice and looked confused, "YOU SURE?" 

"Of course I'm sure, you steroid-addled nincompoop! Do you think I don't know my own name?" 

The Leviathan didn't understand half the words Two-Fold said but seemed to get the point, "MASTER DISASTER LOOKING FOR YOU. TOLD ME TO GET YOU, TAKE YOU TO HIM." 

"Master Disaster?" Two-Fold sounded intrigued. Master Disaster had a reputation as a super-villain at the top of the heap. A reputed genius, he had never been arrested or captured. "What does he want with me?" 

"LEVIATHAN DON'T KNOW. BUT HE SAID GET YOU, EVEN IF YOU DON'T WANNA GO." 

Two-Fold swallowed nervously, "Huh. Well, I guess you don't leave me much of a choice. I doubt I could stop you if I tried." 

"NO ONE CAN STOP LEVIATHAN." 

======= 

Lilian stood over her stove and lifted a large wooden spoon to her lips, taste-testing her own efforts and deciding the chili needed to cook longer. A portion of her attention never left an old tube television that sat on a kitchen counter nearby; a news program was reviewing events from the recent break-out at the Blockade supermax prison, a correctional institution designed to contain the world's most dangerous super criminals. 

'...thanks to the efforts of Gateway City's heroes most of the escaped prisoners from Blockade have been recaptured, but one remains at large - The Leviathan. His whereabouts are unknown at this time and the authorities remain clueless as to how the explosion occurred which allowed the monstrous villain to escape. The Leviathan is potentially the most dangerous man on Earth due to his enormous strength and virtual invulnerability. He has stood toe-to-toe with mighty Apollo and it took a coalition of heroes, including Gateway City's own Mega-Girl, to bring him to justice some months ago.' 

Lily was distracted from the television program when she heard someone entering through the kitchen door, which was located at the back of the house. "Penelope?" she appeared surprised as her daughter walked in, still in costume. She quickly turned the television volume down. 

"Hey, mom," Mega-Girl smiled. 

"What are you doing here wearing your costume? What if one of the neighbors -" 

Apollo entered, following Mega-Girl. Lily's eyes went wide at the famous sight of the sun god and the way his massive biceps bulged beneath the short sleeves of his tee. "Oh my..." she said, flustered by his handsome personage. She quickly removed her stained apron and fussed with her hair. 

Mega-Girl grinned at her mother's sudden vanity, "Mom, I want you to meet someone. This is Apollo, son of Zeus and Olympian god of the sun. Apollo, this is my mother, Lilian Swann." 

"An honor," Apollo performed a ceremonious bow. He moved forward to take one of Lilian's hands and kissed the back of it, "Thou art as beautiful as thy daughter." 

Lily blushed, "It's very nice to meet you, Apollo." She glanced at Mega-Girl, "You could have called and told me you were bringing a god over..." 

"Sorry," Mega-Girl was still grinning at her mother's fluster. 

"Tis my fault," Apollo admitted, "I asked thy daughter for this spontaneous introduction, so that I may announce my courtship of her and seek thy blessing." 

Lily's brows elevated, "Your... courtship?" 

Mega-Girl removed her mask and set it on the kitchen table before translating, "He's my boyfriend. We're dating." 

Lily wasn't surprised by it as gossip shows on television had been filled with rumors, "Aren't you a little old to be dating my daughter?" 

"Mom...!" Mega-Girl looked embarrassed by the question. 

"I'm not displeased by the news," Lily clarified, "I'm just concerned, is all." 

"I am over three thousand years old," Apollo said, "Which makes me too old even for thee, Lilian Swann." 

"I suppose it is difficult for you to find people your own age," she grinned, "And please, call me Lily. Would the two of you like some chili?" 

"Aye," Apollo replied eagerly, having smelled the food as soon as he entered the kitchen. 

Mega-Girl looked to him, "We just ate less than a half hour ago, how can you be hungry?" 

Apollo shrugged unknowingly. 

Lily moved to fetch some bowls, "Please, sit. And as for my blessing, you certainly don't need my permission to date Penny. She's more than capable of making decisions for herself. Still, I appreciate the courtesy." 

'...we have some breaking news...' 

Apollo and Mega-Girl glanced at the television as they sat down at the kitchen table. Lily turned up its volume before serving up the chili. 

'...where The Leviathan rescued Two-Fold from police following a failed bank robbery. Both The Leviathan and Two-Fold escaped from the Blockade last week and it is unknown if they are working together, or as part of a larger coalition of escapees...' 

Mega-Girl frowned, "Two-Fold. I never got a chance to nab him in the chaos, last week." 

"He's not the one I'm worried about," Lily placed a bowl of chili in front of Apollo, "That Leviathan monster nearly killed you the last time you fought him, and you had the help of the World League." 

Mega-Girl nodded, unafraid to admit that The Leviathan was one of the most dangerous opponents she had faced during her short career in spandex. 

"An epic beast, that one." Apollo lifted a spoonful to his mouth, "If he shows his hide again, we should enlist the aid of Artemis." 

Mage-Girl glanced at Apollo, "No offense to your sister, but I don't think she'd stand a chance against The Leviathan." 

"You're forgetting the bow," Apollo remarked casually. 

Mega-Girl's eyes brightened, "You're right, I am." 

Lily looked between them, "The bow?" 

"The bow of Minerva," Mega-Girl explained, "Apollo's sister has it - it's what she used to shoot me in the leg. It can penetrate any armor, natural or otherwise. It would ignore The Leviathan's invulnerability the same way it ignored mine." 

"Aye," Apollo agreed as he ate, "But we couldn't allow her to kill him. The bow is hexed by Pluto. Whosoever dies from an arrow shot by the bow of Minerva is doomed to an afterlife within Hades. With a titan like The Leviathan under his control, mine uncle could wreak havoc upon Olympus." 

"Magic bows, gods, and death curses...?" Lily looked to her daughter, "Penny, what have you been getting yourself into, lately?" 

======= 

Travis lifted his hand to knock at the apartment door but paused and wondered why he felt so nervous. She had kissed him! They had made-out on her couch. He knew she was interested but Travis' stomach felt like it had a thousand butterflies dancing inside of it. Why were new relationships always so nerve-wracking? Finally, he swallowed his apprehensions and knocked. 

"It's open," came a distant voice from inside. 

Travis entered the apartment to find the living room and kitchen empty, "It's me... Travis. Where are you?" he called. 

"In here," she replied from her bedroom. 

Travis entered to find Jordan parked in front of her multiple computer screens wearing a pair of loose men's boxer shorts and a tight tee shirt, her dyed red hair fashioned backwards into a pony tail. "Hey," he greeted, "Um, what are you up to?" 

Jordan typed rapidly, "I'm compiling a list of all the Blockade escapees still at large so I can start a cross-referencing loop within my media feeds and custom search engines. Hopefully some of them start popping up on the grid." 

Travis sat behind her at the foot of Jordan's bed, "Sounds complicated." 

"Not really," Jordan replied, "But it'll eat up a lot of my continuous processing capacity. There are terabytes of data that will need to be exchanged." She finally stopped and pressed the ENTER key with authority, "There we go." 

"Now what?" Travis wondered. 

"Now I wait," she spun in her chair to face him, "So what's up with you?" 

"I was, um, just at the Burger Shack." 

"Oh," Jordan winced, "You didn't run into -?" 

Travis nodded, "She was there, with her new boyfriend. But it's cool, I guess. We actually talked. I think Penny and I can be friends without too many problems. It's just kind of hard being replaced by a god, you know? Hard on the ego, even though I realize it wouldn't have worked between us." 

"He's definitely got a lot of muscles and flowing blond hair," Jordan agreed, "If you're into that sort of thing, which a lot of girls are." 

Travis gave her a look, "Are you trying to make me feel better?" 

Jordan smiled brightly, regarding Travis' pouty expression. He looked adorable with his short, spiky hair and brown eyes, "So you guys talked?" 

Travis nodded, "Yeah. In fact, you came up. She said that she'd be cool with, you know, me asking you out." 

Jordan saw that Travis was nervous and pressed him, "So you want to ask me out?" 

"Yeah," Travis scratched the top of his head, "I mean, if you still wanted to see me, or, um, whatever." 

Jordan laughed, "Way to ooze with confidence." 

Travis sighed, "I'm sorry, I've never been very good at this kind of stuff. I've only ever had two girlfriends; one of them cheated on me and the other one used me in a competition against herself." 

"You think you have it rough? Try being a girl and a comp-science major. Every day I go to class and get hit on by guys with pocket protectors asking me if I want to go with them to comic book conventions and collectable trading card expos - as if being into computers automatically enrolls me in some kind of geek fraternity. The jock types are too intimidated by a girl with more than three brain cells, the hippies think technology is causing polar melting, and the preppy boys are more interested in money than girls. I haven't had a decent date in months." 

Travis blinked at her rant, "But you're like one of the hottest girls on campus." 

Jordan spread her palms, "You can imagine my frustration." 

"Well I'm just a simple farm kid. You want to go catch a movie tonight?" 

"No," Jordan rose from her chair. 

"No?" Travis watched her. 

Jordan shook her head and moved to straddle Travis' lap, her tanned legs folding beneath her on either side of his jean-covered thighs, "I want to do something else." 

Travis was about to ask what she wanted to do but Jordan began kissing him before any words arrived. Suddenly their hands were all over one another, feeling each other's bodies and tugging at clothes. Travis' shirt came off first, revealing his athletically slender torso. He pulled Jordan's tee off and felt her breasts, perky things with big nipples that just-filled his groping hands. After shedding their tops it was like their mouths were magnetically attracted to one another and they returned to a heated exchange of kissing. 

"Is this really happening?" Travis breathed against her mouth. 

"Shut up," Jordan pushed his back onto the bed and began un-working the fly of his jeans. 




How to Date a Superhero Ch. 07



Travis lifted his hips when she began tugging at his pants and underwear, helping her to slide them off beneath her. She left them bunched at Travis' ankles and grabbed his already-hard cock, maneuvering it through the crotch seam of her boy-boxers. Travis inhaled sharply when he felt the tight warmth of Jordan's sex engulf his erection and his hands gripped the top of her hips. 

Jordan began rolling her hips on his lap to generate the fiction she was craving, grabbing her own breasts and squeezing them. "Oh fuck that feels so good," she moaned. 

Her cunt was hot against the skin of his shaft, wet from the lubrication of her arousal, and tight as a glove. Travis had never felt anything so exquisite and he immediately began wondering how he could stave off an orgasm and make himself last as long as possible. Jordan wasn't making it easy for him the way she was moaning and grinding against her lap. Her body was tanned, toned, and absolutely perfect to look at. She continued to grope her own breasts, tugging at the nipples, which was fueling her own rapid euphoria. 

"Fuck me, Travis," she suddenly begged, "I don't care if you cum fast, we can do this all night, just fuck me." 

Travis' breathing grew sharp as he began to push his pelvis upwards, thrusting his shaft deeply within her. Each time he plunged upwards Jordan would gasp passionately, and each gasp was louder than the previous. The walls of her sex began to quiver around him and Jordan suddenly fell forward, bracing herself against Travis' chest with outstretched palms. 

"You're going to make me cum," she announced, her face twisted as though she were in pain. Her perky breasts were bouncing above him and Travis couldn't resist reaching upwards to squeeze them in his hands. 

Jordan gasped and moaned, her body twitching as an orgasm consumed her. "I'm cumming!" she squeaked, warm fluids leaking out from the walls of her pussy and settling on Travis' crotch like fresh dew. The rolling motion of her hips had ceased but Travis continued to hump himself into her, intensifying her orgasm. She screamed, her arms giving out, and collapsed onto Travis' torso. 

"Oh god!" Travis blurted, wrapping his arms around her as he exploded. 

He pushed himself into Jordan when his orgasm arrived, the cum erupting from his cock and spilling into her depths. 

The entire act lasted perhaps a minute, leaving them both clinging to each other's suddenly sweaty bodies and gasping for breath. 

"Did you cum? Did you cum inside me?" 

Travis nodded against the top of her head, the fragrance of her red hair filling his nostrils. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I should have pulled out." 

"It's okay," she breathed against his chest, "I haven't ovulated yet this month - we should be okay. Oh god that was good, Travis. I needed that so bad." 

Travis rubbed her bare back, "Yeah, I liked it too. We can do that again, right? Because it was over way too fast." 

She laughed, "Yes, we can do it again. We can do it all night long if you want to." 

Travis caught his breath and exhaled largely, "Okay, cool." 

======= 

Penny lay luxuriating on Apollo's bed, her naked body stretched out over the silken sheets. Apollo laid across the opposite way, Penny's leg curled over his washboard stomach. He was touching her thigh, paying particular attention to the scar there and delicately caressing his fingers over it. 

"You have healed remarkably quickly," he said. 

"Yeah," she agreed, glancing at her leg, "In a few more days the scar should be gone too." 

Apollo stretched past the edge of the bed to take an opulent looking bottle of oil from the nightstand. Pulling its cork with his teeth, he poured some of the clear fluid onto his palm. 

"What's that?" Penny looked on curiously. 

"Massage oil," he replied in his deep, baritone voice, "From the Philippines." 

"It smells nice," she remarked. 

Apollo began to rub the oil into Penny's shapely thigh. 

"Mmm, it feels nice, too." 

"Aye," Apollo grunted, smoothing his palm across her scar. 

"You were great tonight," Penny closed her eyes, "With my mom, I mean. I think she really likes you." 

"She is much like you, honest and beautiful." 

Penny grinned, "Yeah, she's cool." 

Apollo's hand slid to the inside of Penny's thigh, "She never remarried, following the death of your father?" 

"No, I don't know why, either. Maybe we can only find true love once in our lives, and Dad was hers." 

"Pity, she is a desirous woman." 

Penny peeked at him through one suspicious eye, "Wait, you don't have a thing for MILFs, do you?" 

Apollo's hand glided up Penny's leg and cupped her sex, "Thou art the only woman for me, Penelope. But I still have eyes that can appreciate a fine woman, regardless of her age." 

Penny bit her lip and arched her back when she felt his hand cup her sex, "Fair enough." 

A finger slipped between the folds of her sex and Apollo slid to lay against her leg, kissing the top of her oil-slick thigh. A petite gasp escaped Penny's lips when she felt the intrusion and she pressed her leg against him, parting her thighs to allow him better access. 

Apollo began to slowly masturbate her, curling the finger within and cupping her clitoris against his palm. 

"You're really good at that," she whispered softly, shifting her hips against the pleasure. 

"Centuries of practice," he reminded. 

Penny couldn't help but laugh, "Oh god, don't remind me. It makes me feel so inexperienced every time you mention how old you are. I mean, I've only been with one other boy." 

"I'm no boy," Apollo declared in a gruff voice. 

Penny reached to put an encouraging hand over his, "You know what I mean." 

"Was it the boy from the restaurant?" he asked. 

"Yeah," Penny admitted, glancing down to him, "I'm sorry, I should have told you who he was. Are you jealous?" 

Apollo pushed another finger inside her moist slit, "Should I be?" 

Penny moaned and shook her head, "No, you're my lion. I only want you." 

A smile decorated Apollo's lips and he began circling the pad of his thumb over Penny's clitoris. 

"Oh fuck," Penny moaned as she squirmed. She felt Apollo's own arousal pressing against her leg, near the knee, and she rubbed against it. "Make me cum, lover. Make me cum with your hand." 

"Aye," Apollo whispered, speeding up his masturbation of her and teasing her clit with rapid movements. His fingers glistened with her wetness each time they slide out of her, only to plunge back within. He curled his own leg around hers and pressed his erection against the side of her thigh, the massage oil lubricating the friction there. 

Penny sensed his need through the pressing heat of his cock and rubbed her leg against him until he began to hump against her. Her breath was labored from the efforts of his hand and she spoke with a voice scratchy with passion, "Does that feel good? Do you like humping my sexy leg?" 

Apollo grunted and kissed the crease of her hip near her tight stomach, "Thy beauty is unmatched, Penelope, in this world or any other." 

Penny gasped as a third finger penetrated her and she began to feel the pulsing heat of an orgasm begin to ripple through her loins, like the shockwave of a pebble on a calm pond. Her hands clenched at the silken sheets as she let Apollo literally fuck himself against her leg like a dog in heat. "Oh fuck yes! Oh god, I'm going to cum!" 

Apollo beat her to it. Without any word or warning he came against her, his hot fluid spurting against the outside of her leg. 

Her pleasure tumbled over the edge when she felt Apollo's semen spill out onto her heated thigh. The knowledge that her body had caused him such a sublime orgasm was as intense as the feeling of his fluids against her. Heated waved rolled through her body and Apollo knew it, fucking his three fingers in and out of her rapidly. She gasped, squirmed, and flooded his hand with her own fluids of pleasure. 

Apollo brought her down gently, slowing his hand with the rhythm of her pulses until she exhaled a long sigh and relaxed her body. Penny felt his orgasm sliding down to the back of her thigh and she formed a brilliantly happy smile, "That was so hot." 

"Aye," Apollo agreed, lifting fingers to his mouth to taste the results of Penny's orgasm. 

She watched him, "How do I taste?" 

Apollo pushed himself upwards to lie beside her, offering Penny her own flavor. She tasted his fingers and then they kissed, a mingling of passionate tongues and nibbling lips. 

"Do you have any more of that oil?" she whispered teasingly, "We could do my other leg..."



How to Date a Superhero Ch. 08



The science building at Gateway City University was usually a very busy place, so it felt strange to Travis to walk its halls and find it completely empty. Not that he expected anything else at five o'clock on a Tuesday morning. Rounding a corner and entering one of the many small labs provided for private study, he found Penny already waiting for him as she set up some vials and rubber tubing. She was wearing a pair of baggy sweatpants, a loose tee-shirt, and thick-rimmed glasses. Her skin was pale and her scattered hair was black. Travis briefly marveled at the completeness of her disguise; no one would ever suspect such a person to be Mega-Girl.

"Hey," Travis yawned, setting his backpack on a table.

Penny turned and smiled, "Hey." She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, "Thanks for meeting me so early, you have no idea how much it means to me. After everything that's been going on, I'm so behind..."

"Glad to help," Travis shut the door to give them some privacy in case any other early-birds wandered by. He took off a light leather jacket, revealing a simple buttoned shirt beneath. His short, spiky, brown hair was just as messy as Penny's, but that was by design.

There was tension between them at first as they began working on their Chemistry Lab assignments, the type of tension two people experience after ending a sexual relationship and trying to remain friends, but eventually they fell into a rhythm by focusing on the lab assignments. They worked well together but held their conversation to the subject of chemistry and little else for the two hours they were together.

When they were nearly done, Penny was jotting down some final notes and noticed Travis kept glancing at her hand as he cleaned up the chemistry gear in a small stainless steel sink. "What do you keep looking at?" she asked, setting her pen down.

"Huh?" Travis glanced, "Oh, um. Your ring, I guess."

Penny lifted her right hand and wriggled the four fingers; a platinum ring encircled the middle, "You mean my image-transducer?"

Travis grabbed a towel to dry his hands, "Yeah. How does it work?"

She looked at it, "It surrounds me with a thin spectrographic ionization field, changing the way light reflects off me. Makes my hair dark, my skin pale -"

Travis nodded, "You told me when we um.... broke up."

Penny blushed, "Oh, right..."

Travis moved to sit next to her at the lab table, "I mean, how does it work? That's some pretty advanced stuff. Does it have a power source? Did you make it?"

"You know, I have no idea how it's powered," Penny studied the ring, "Dr. Prizm made it for me."

"The leader of the World League?" Travis sounded impressed as he referenced the world's premier team of super heroes, an international group based out of New York City.

"Yeah," Penny nodded, "He knew my father. They worked together on a government project, before I was born. Some sort of medical research, I guess. He's known about me and my powers ever since I was a kid. Mom knew him, trusted him, and told him about me after realizing I was special. We're actually pretty close. He was the one who convinced me I could be a hero; he even helped design my costume."

"That's so cool," Travis grinned.

His smile was infectious and Penny smiled back at him, "Yeah?"

"When I was a kid I wanted to be Dr. Prizm," Travis admitted, "I liked his costume and I thought it would be cool to be in the World League."

Penny laughed, "He wanted me to join the team."

"No shit? Dr. Prizm invited you to join the World League?"

Penny nodded, "Yeah, right after I started wearing the costume."

"Why didn't you?" Travis sounded amazed she would turn down such a prestigious offer.

Penny shrugged bonelessly, "I had already started school here and didn't want to transfer to New York. Plus, I didn't really know what I was doing or how well I'd fit with a team. I guess I just wanted to figure out how to be a hero on my own."

"Probably for the best," Travis poked a teasing elbow against her arm, "Those World League guys can't hold a candle to you."

Penny grinned broadly, "What are you talking about?"

"You're Mega-Girl!" Travis exclaimed, though not too loudly, "I bet you could beat the whole League in a fight. You're the toughest, most popular superhero of all time. You're probably even more famous than Commander Constitution."

Penny laughed, "Whatever! You realize there's a statue of Commander Constitution in Washington D.C. don't you?"

"So what?" Travis wasn't swayed, "Is he the number one best-selling Halloween costume this year?"

"Wait, Mega-Girl costumes are the best-selling this year?" She pushed a wispy strand of hair out of her face, "That's so unfair! I can barely afford school books and some company is making a fortune off me."

"You should sue," Travis suggested jokingly.

"Oh yeah," Penny giggled and rolled her eyes, her tone turning sarcastic, "After I win in court I can tell them to make the check out to 'Mega-Girl'. I should have no problems cashing that one." She sighed, "I really hate having a secret identity sometimes."

Travis cupped his hand over hers on the lab table, "I know it's hard for you, but I'm glad I'm one of the four people who know. I can't tell you how cool it is to be Mega-Girl's lab partner."

A warm smile decorated Penny's face, "You're so sweet, Travis. But actually, five people know my identity."

Travis counted on one hand, "Me, Jordan, your mom, Dr. Prizm...?"

Penny cleared her throat and murmured, "You forgot Apollo."

"Oh," Travis' expression lost some of its mirth, "Right, of course."

She smiled uncomfortably amidst the moment of silence.

Travis realized he and Penny had somehow moved shoulder-to-shoulder, so close that they were touching. He slid his stool away from her and stood to begin gathering his books, "So, um, how's that going? You and Apollo?"

"Great," Penny nodded quickly, noticing the sudden distance Travis put between them and moved to gather her own things, sensing the earlier tension between them had returned, "Apollo's really great. How about you? Jordan said you were at the apartment on Friday night, after we ran into each other at the Burger Shack."

Travis froze for a moment, "She said that? What else did she say?"

Penny lifted a shoulder, "Nothing, really. Why? Did something happen?"

A soft red color suddenly filled Travis' cheeks, "Um..."

Penny's mouth parted and she sucked in a breath, covering her lips with a hand, "Oh wow, did you guys...? I mean, are you and Jordan...?"

Travis made a sheepish grin.

Penny laughed, "I can't believe she didn't tell me. You're such a jerk, Travis!"

Travis was still grinning, "What? Why am I a jerk?"

"Here I am feeling guilty about bringing up Apollo and you've already got a new girlfriend." She batted his shoulder playfully, "Plus, she's my roommate!"

Travis winced, "Are you sure it's not weird? I know what you said at the Burger Shack, but -"

"It's fine," she assured him, "I mean, it's a little weird, but I'm happy for you. I love Jordan to death; she's the best person I know."

"Yeah," Travis agreed, "She's great."

"Just don't break her heart," Penny joked, "Or I'll throw you into orbit."





How to Date a Superhero Ch. 08



Deathstalker was fast. He could outrun any conventional car on the wide open road, but in the congested university district his speed was limited by buildings, traffic, and other obstacles. Taking to the air, Mega-Girl simply flew above it all and had no trouble keeping pace. Deathstalker was fast, but few things on Earth were faster than the flight of Mega-Girl. Scooping him up beneath the shoulders, she plucked the assassin up and lifted him into the air like an eagle would snatch its prey.

Streaking straight up, Mega-Girl carried him above the clouds before letting him go.

"...ohhhhh shiiiiiiiiit!!!" Deathstalker yelled as he plummeted back towards the Earth, his body flailing and spinning in free-fall.

His downward descent was suddenly halted as Mega-Girl swooped after him and grabbed Deathstalker by the ankle, holding him aloft but dangling the panicking villain upside down.

"Who sent you?!" she yelled, "How did you find me?! Who put the bounty out on me?!"

"Help!" he screamed, "Put me down!"

Mega-Girl let go of him again.

Deathstalker fell through the cloud bank and saw Gateway City far below as he plummeted towards his death. But once again his momentum was halted by Mega-Girl, who was toying with him like a cat would a mouse.

"How did you know my identity?!" she demanded angrily, "How did you know where I lived?!"

"Oh fuck!" Deathstalker cursed as he looked down. Even the skyscrapers of the city looked like small toys from the height he was dangling, "It was Master Disaster! He's got it out for you!"

Mega-Girl let his ankle slip through her grip a couple of inches to stress the danger he was in, "Why? How did he discover my identity?"

"I don't know!" Deathstalker cried, "I swear! All I know is that he's putting together a whole crew of super bad guys to kill you. He's paying us ten million each – that's all I know!"

"Where is he? Where's Master Disaster right now?"

"I don't know! He moves around all the time, never stays in the same place for very long. The guy is some kind of genius, he's never been captured. I swear I'm telling the truth! Please don't let go of me!"

Mega-Girl scowled angrily, "You don't want to die?"

"No! Please...!"

"Neither did Jordan," Mega-Girl opened her grip and let go, but instead of flying after him again she simply hovered and watched Deathstalker fall. She listened to him scream until the sound vanished and so did he.





How to Date a Superhero Ch. 08



But she was gone by the time Apollo reached his living room. He saw her crimson form streaking away, high above the city, at a speed he wouldn't be able to match under a setting sun. Glancing aside, Apollo looked to his dining table.

There lay the mask of Mega-Girl, beside it was a platinum ring. Both objects were obsolete and were never to be worn by Mega-Girl again.



How to Date a Superhero Ch. 09



Steam filled the air above a Styrofoam cup as Travis poured some coffee. He was standing in a communal kitchen shared by his dormitory floor, wearing a pair of cotton pajama bottoms and the wrinkled tee shirt he woke up in. Glancing down the hallway he made sure no one was in sight before pouring a second cup of coffee. Travis didn't need anyone to know he had company. 

Slipping quietly back into his dorm room, Travis set both cups on a low coffee table before locking the door. With a glance towards his bed in the far corner he saw his guest was exactly where he left her, laying on her side sound asleep. Not wanting to wake her, Travis sat down on a loveseat couch to read from a college textbook but found he was unable to focus on the words. His gaze was distracted by the blonde in his bed, her beauty drawing his gaze as though it had magnetic pull. Her face had petite but even features, with a cute nose, rounded eyebrows, and a perfect golden tan. Her mouth hung open just-so and Travis could hear the rhythmic breathing of her sleep. 

Guilt seeped into his stomach like a knot when he suddenly thought of Jordan. It had barely been a week since her death and Travis felt inappropriate for thinking about other women so soon after losing her, even if the other woman in question was a world famous superhero and sex symbol. 

"...is that coffee I smell...?" Travis heard a groggy voice just as he was attempting to refocus on his reading assignment. 

"Yeah," he replied, closing the book. "I brought you a cup but I hated to wake you. You were sleeping so soundly." 

Penny slipped from beneath the covers and sat on the edge of the bed to stretch her arms. She was wearing one of Travis' tee shirts which was baggy and loose over her petite frame. Skinny tanned legs poked out from beneath the shirt and her shoulder-length blonde waves were tousled. 

Once properly stretched she crossed the small room to sit beside Travis and enjoy her coffee. "You're such a sweetheart," she said after a sip. 

"It's no big deal; I was getting some for myself anyway." 

"It's not just the coffee," she glanced at him, "Thanks for letting me stay here. I feel bad for putting you out. I could have slept on the floor instead of you." 

"I think you have enough to worry about," Travis commented, "You lost your apartment, your best friend, you're wanted for murder, and you're being hunted by a syndicate of super-villains trying to kill you. On top of all that, you caught your boyfriend cheating on you." 

"With his twin sister," Penny added before lifting another sip of coffee. 

"Right," Travis nodded, "You know, your life would make a really great country song." 

Penny let out a breathy laugh, "Sad but true. You remind me of Jordan, you know that? She had this amazing ability to make me laugh under the worst circumstances." 

Travis looked down at his lap, "I miss her." 

"Yeah," Penny agreed, "I wish she was here right now, I'd ask her to find out where that Master Disaster creep is hiding. She could find anything online, it was unbelievable." 

"What are you going to do about the warrant out for your arrest?" Travis asked delicately. 

"I don't know what to do about that, either." Penny set her cup down and sighed, "The problem is that I'm guilty. I killed Deathstalker - I can't deny it. No judge, no jury. I took the law into my own hands and killed him to satisfy my own need for revenge." 

"He had it coming," Travis stated firmly. 

"I agree with you," she pushed a hand through her messy hair, "But I don't think that defense will hold up in court." 

"Are you going to turn yourself in?" Travis wondered. 

"I don't know, probably not. At least not until I've dealt with Master Disaster," Penny took a deep breath, "So I need to figure out a way to actually find him." 

"That might be hard to do without anything to go on," Travis reasoned, "But look on the bright side. If he's trying to kill you, it's only a matter of time before he finds you." 

======= 

"The costumed girl all over the news?" Hercules lifted a thick brow, "What is your interest in her?" 

Hermes climbed the two steps to stand on Hercules' porch but still had to look up at his half-brother who was easily a foot taller, "I'm convinced she has Olympian blood. Though the abilities of mortal heroes are wide and varied, there are no others like her. Her might defies reason. She's easily as strong as Apollo, perhaps stronger. The only other person I know who has ever been able to claim that in this universe or any other... is you." 

"She's not mine," Hercules sounded sure of himself. 

"You're certain?" 

Hercules leaned on the railing of his porch, crossing heavily muscled forearms on its wooden beam, "Have you ever been to Hades, Hermes?" 

Hermes moved to stand beside him, "No." 

Hercules gazed across his herd of cattle, "I have." 

"Indeed," Hermes nodded, "I am well aware. Pluto claimed the woman you loved and you swore to all of Olympus that you were going to kill our uncle and bring back the Olympian maiden. But you never returned... or so our fellows in Olympus believe." 

"As you have discovered, I survived my trip to Hades. Among men and gods I am the only one to make the journey to Hades and return to the realm of the living." 

"How did you manage to enter Hades?" Hermes asked curiously, "I know of no roads or conduits into Pluto's realm." 

Hercules turned aside to give Hermes a simple reply, "I died." 

"That sounds rather unpleasant," Hermes quipped. 

Hercules snorted at the sarcasm. 

"And your fair maiden?" 

"I was unable to rescue her," Hercules answered ambiguously, turning back towards his pasture. "I was barely able to return with my own soul intact. Hades is a nightmarish place, unfit for anyone to maintain reason or sanity. It changed me, Hermes. My time in Hades opened my eyes to what is truly important in life. Upon my return I gave up my vices; brawling... drinking... women..." He rubbed his thick black beard, "I have lived a celibate life since my return, which should assure you that I did not father this mortal titan you're so curious about." 

It was plain to see that Hercules was indeed different from his youth; Hermes felt no reason to doubt his brother, "Perhaps I am wrong about the girl. But if she is not the child of an Olympian, where did she come from? How did she achieve such power? Is she only the first of more mortals to come whose strength and power rival ourselves? Have mortals evolved?" 

======= 

Located upon a man-made island, on the Hudson River between Wall Street and Ellis Island, the Headquarters of the World League was one of the most famous buildings in the world. Five stories high and over a half mile in length, it served as home and base of operations for Earth's premier team of superheroes. The fifth floor laboratory was as sophisticated as any other place of scientific research on the planet and was often occupied by Walter Jobs, a.k.a. Dr. Prizm - leader of the World League. 

Walter was a fit man in his mid-forties with salt-and-pepper hair, glasses, and a seemingly perpetual white lab coat. His attention was completely occupied with an image on a monitor that looked like a static-filled blob. 

Lilly Swann was looking over his shoulder, "What are you looking at, Walter?" 

"A hydrogen atom," he replied distractedly, typing some new commands into the controls of a massive electron microscope. 

"Why are you looking at an atom?" Lilly grew mildly upset, "There are people trying to kill my daughter." 

"Hm? Oh, yes, I am aware." 

"Then why aren't you doing anything about it?" Lilly threw her hands up, frazzled. 

Walter glanced at her, "I have my best man on it, Lilly. A young man by the name of 'Cypher'. Locating Master Disaster is his top priority." 

Lilly took a deep breath and sat in a stainless steel chair next to the microscope's work station, "I'm sorry, Walter. I'm sure you're doing everything you can. I'm just so worried about her. I know she's bullet-proof but lately she's gotten mixed up with that Apollo fellow and Greek gods... or Roman gods... I can't keep track." 

"Technically they're not 'gods' at all," Walter pointed out. "They're simply another species of Homo sapiens originating from a dimension outside our own, albeit a very powerful species. Early civilizations understandably mistook them for deities and -" 

"My point is," she interrupted him before the scientific explanation grew too long, "Is that I think she's gotten into something over her head and... wait, how do you know so much about them?" 

"Apollo was a member of the World League in the seventies," Walter explained, typing into his keyboard while talking, "My predecessor, the original Dr. Prizm, kept extensive files." 

The pressurized noise of a hydraulic door sliding open broke their conversation. 

"Dr. Prizm," a man in a crisp black suit entered the large lab. 

Walter rose from the stool he was sitting on and lifted his glasses to rest on the top of his head, "Yes?" 

"My name is Agent James Lee," the man flashed a wallet badge, "I'm with the O.S.S." 

"O.S.S.?" Lilly looked to Walter. 

"The Office of Superhuman Services," Lee replied. 

Walter further explained, "A government office that deals with superhuman investigations, crimes, and licensing. The World league is chartered through them. What can I do for you, Agent Lee?" 

Reaching into the innards of his suit jacket James Lee produced a document of paper folded three ways and offered it forward, "I have here a federal warrant for the arrest of Penelope Swann, otherwise known as Mega-Girl. I need the World League to apprehend, detain, and escort Miss Swann to the Blockade supermax prison, where she will await trial for murder." 

======= 

Okay, what should I be doing? 

Mega-Girl was standing on a warehouse rooftop as Travis' voice came through her cellular earpiece, "What you said about Master Disaster and his goons finding me? I think you were right. And the best way to find me is to commit a crime in Gateway City. I know it's just a hunch but gut feeling is all we have to go on right now. My bet is that they'll try to lure me out by hitting a bank, kidnapping the mayor, or maybe terrorizing downtown with a giant robot. Bad guys love giant robots." 

I'm guessing Jordan would have simply started watching the news feeds... I'm pulling up CNN, CNBC, FOX, as well as all the local affiliate stations. Sorry about not being very good at this... 

Mega-Girl smiled, "You're doing great. I can't tell you how comforting it is to have you in my ear. You're my best friend. Hell, you're my only friend." 

I'm here for you Pen... I mean, MG. Okay, that police scanner I bought at the Electronics Shack is making a bunch of noise; sounds like there's a purse snatcher in Byrne Park. 

Mega-Girl shook her head, "Too low-brow. What else you got?" 

Hang on, this thing is going crazy... um, holy shit. Police are responding to bank robberies on Second Avenue, 42nd Street, Silvestri Road in Glendale, and the First National downtown branch! 

"They're all getting robbed at the same time?" 

That's what it sounds like to me. 

Mega-Girl made a wicked grin, "Bingo. Ten-to-one that's the work of Two-Fold." 

Be careful. Remember, if he's working for Master Disaster it's probably a set-up. 

======= 

The duplicate looked to his rear-view while speeding towards Claremont Bridge. The mirror was filled with red and blue lights, "Boss, we got trouble - cops! And lots of 'em." 

Two-Fold was in the passenger seat of their sedan as they raced along the freeway out of downtown, "Well, step on it you dumb shit! What the fuck do you expect me to do?" He kept looking upwards through the windshield as if expecting something to appear from the sky. "Get us to the river and keep an eye open for our target." 

"You see her yet?" the duplicate asked. 

"No. Maybe she's going after one of the other crews." 

"Remind me how we're supposed to take down Mega-Girl again. Ain't she like, bullet-proof or something?" 

"Just drive, you dummy!" Two-Fold glanced over the backseat to see a hoard of police cars closing in, "Our job is to get her attention. The others will handle killing her. 

"Uh, boss...?" 

Two-Fold's attention was held behind them, "What?" 

"Boss!?" 

"What!?" 

"Uh, I think our plan worked... look!" 

"Huh?" Two-Fold turned to see Mega-Girl in her red spandex costume, though she wasn't wearing a mask, flying beside the speeding car outside the driver's side window. 

Mega-Girl tapped on the window and made a rolling motion with her hand. 

Not knowing what else to do, Two-Fold's duplicate rolled the window down. 

"You fella's mind pulling over?" she asked. 

Two-Fold screamed, "Get fucked, Mega-Bitch!" 

Mega-Girl frowned, "Wrong answer." 

Two-Fold strained to see where she was when Mega-Girl flew above the car. He was leaning over the dash trying to spot her through the windshield, "Where'd she go?" 

"Should I pull over?" the duplicate asked uncertainly. 

"What are you, a fucking idiot? Drive faster!" 

The duplicate stepped on the gas pedal, pushing it nearly to the floor. The engine revved but the car didn't respond. Instead, it rose into the air. The road shrunk beneath them and the car veered in mid-air towards the Mississippi River. Mega-Girl had hefted the car by its roof, her arms spread wide across it. Two-Fold and his duplicate could hear the straining of metal as the car's roof supports struggled to hold the weight of the entire vehicle and its passengers. 

"I don't wanna die!" the duplicate screamed. 

"Time to bail!" Two-Fold hollered when he saw they were over the river. He opened the passenger door and jumped out, falling thirty feet to the water below. 

After both Two-Fold and his duplicate jumped clear of the car, Mega-Girl flew a little further and tossed the sedan towards an empty section of shore. She spun in mid-air to retrieve the villains but paused as the sky above rapidly turned grey. Clouds thickened and turned black far faster than was naturally possible. "Oh shi-" she began to say when a sudden bolt of lightning shot downward to strike her with a billion volts of electricity. 

Mega-Girl plummeted limply to the river below and was consumed by its depths. 

Cyclone swooped down from the clouds and cackled with glee, held aloft by winds under his control. "I did it!" he proclaimed triumphantly, "I killed Mega-Girl!" 

"Don't be a fool," Cyclone heard Master Disaster's voice through a radio earpiece, "If she was that easy to kill Mega-Girl would already be dead. Doctor Death, I want you to hold back as a reserve. Jester... Madam Venom... move in!" 

Beneath the surface of the river, Mega-Girl regained her senses. The bolt of lightning had stunned her but the sudden rush of being surrounded by water quickly brought her back. She swam to the surface and took a large gasp of welcome air before looking around. Lightning flashed high in the sky and Mega-Girl could see Cyclone's hovering form above, waving and gesturing as he manipulated the brewing storm. She looked around for Two-Fold and didn't see him; she wondered if he was at the bottom of the river and considered diving to take a look when she felt something grab her leg. 

"What the-" she began to ask, startled, but was then yanked back beneath the water. 

A giant anaconda snake quickly began to coil around Mega-Girl, the creature impossibly fast and strong. She thrashed and struggled against it, but found it difficult to fight. Mega-Girl had no leverage beneath the water and the snake proved too slippery to get a hold of. Finding herself running low on air, Mega-Girl propelled herself upwards using the power of her flight. 

The snake was massive, easily fifty feet long, and strong as steel. As Mega-Girl aimed her flight towards shore so she could gain some footing on land, the snake continued to coil and constrict around her body. They landed in a tangled jumble, Mega-Girl desperately squirming to free herself. 

"Kill her, my pet!" Madam Venom shrieked from the sandy shore nearby, "Sssqueeze the life from her!" 

When the anaconda opened its gaping maw to try and swallow her, Mega-Girl managed to free her arms and grab the snake by its jaws. It was the first firm grip she had on the creature and Mega-Girl took advantage, flexing her arms and ripping the snake's head in half. 

"No!" Madam Venom screamed, "Curssse you!" 

The anaconda's body went limp and Mega-Girl was finally able to free herself of its grip, "Giant snakes? That's a new one. What else have you got, Venom? Because it's going to take a lot more than that to bring me d-" 

An explosion engulfed Mega-Girl, hurling her from her feet and sending her careening through the air. Cackling laughter erupted from beneath the nearby Claremont Bridge as the Jester re-loaded his rocket launcher. He fired again and the missile scored a direct hit on the reeling Mega-Girl, the fiery aftermath pluming high into the air. 

Cyclone took advantage, summoning another powerful lightning strike. 

Madam Venom, having retreated to a safer distance further down the river bank, began to lob grenades of exploding poison gas. 

Every time Mega-Girl anticipated she'd have a moment to counter her enemies, another attack would come. She was bombarded by exploding rockets and bolts of lightning. She felt confident her invulnerability could withstand a thousand of the Jester's rockets, but Cyclone's lightning strikes were beginning to hurt! Making matters worse was the fact that she couldn't breathe without inhaling a lungful of Madam Venom's poison, and her earpiece was fried - she was cut off from Travis. 

There was also no help in sight. The Police and SWAT crews who were following Two-Fold had surrounded the area on the freeways high above the river's embankment, but they were being harassed by a hundred of Two-Fold's duplicates all armed with machine guns. Mega-Girl guessed correctly that Two-Fold had survived his swim in the Mississippi and had created enough duplicates to tie the police up. She realized their attacks were coordinated. Alone, none of the villains were much of a threat to someone with the might of Mega-Girl. But together they had her on her heels. 

High above it all, Master Disaster was watching and waiting in a hovering helicopter designed to haul heavy cargo. "Open the bay doors," he spoke into a radio, "It's time to drop the big guy." 

Standing in the belly of the helicopter, a bluish-grey-skinned behemoth grinned as the cargo door began to lower and fill the helicopter with wind and rain, "LEVIATHAN GOING FOR A RIDE." 

Wrapping his arms around curled knees the Leviathan fell through the air in a cannonball position, landing a half mile from the fight in a grocery store parking lot. The collision dislocated cars, concrete, and earth with the force of a meteor crash, forming an impact crater the size of a football field. Several shoppers were crushed instantly by the wave of ground and debris. Those who survived cried out in terror and tried to flee. 

From out of the dusty chaos emerged the Leviathan, flexing his tree-trunk legs and leaping towards the Mississippi. He cleared the half-mile distance in one jump and landed within sight of his target, on a wide sandy embankment. Madam Venom, the Jester, and Cyclone relented their barrage and retreated - none of them were physically enhanced and would only get in the Leviathan's way. 

Mega-Girl was on hands and knees in the sand, her hair and costume in tatters. She smeared what remained of her right sleeve across her eyes and slowly rose to her feet. The Leviathan was over twice as tall as she, three times as wide, and roughly nine hundred pounds heavier. 




How to Date a Superhero Ch. 09



But Mega-Girl didn't back down. 

Her fist balled at her side and she stared towards the twelve-foot monster in his bright orange prison pants, "This day just keeps getting better and better... it's been a while since we tangled, Leviathan. I heard you escaped prison." 

"LEVIATHAN KILL YOU NOW," his baritone voice boomed, "THEN LEVIATHAN RICH." 

Mega-Girl cracked her knuckles, "Ten million, I heard. You should finally be able to afford some new pants." 

"LITTLE GIRL MAKE FUNNY JOKES. LEVIATHAN SMASH LITTLE GIRL!" 

Despite her outward confidence, Mega-Girl wasn't sure she could defeat her newest foe. She had battled the Leviathan once before, but on that occasion the entire World League fought at her side. No one knew what the Leviathan was or where he came from; he certainly didn't appear human with his immense size, bluish-grey skin, and ridged scalp. Mega-Girl only knew that the Leviathan's strength was on par with hers, he was nearly impervious to harm, and incredibly savage. 

She decided her only advantage was her speed and power of flight, so Mega-Girl took to the air as the Leviathan barreled towards her. She darted around at head-level as the Leviathan swung a hammer-like fist towards her and missed. The Leviathan swung and missed again but Mega-Girl flew backwards out of his reach. 

"STAY STILL," the Leviathan boomed, growing annoyed as he tried unsuccessfully to grab her out of mid-air. 

"Yeah, right," Mega-Girl kept her distance, waiting for an opening. It came when the Leviathan tried a wild haymaker and became momentarily unbalanced. Mega-Girl shot forward and slugged him across his cheek with all her strength. 

Her punch actually staggered the monster. 

The Leviathan shook his head to clear the cobwebs and grimaced, "LITTLE GIRL HIT HARD, BUT NOTHING CAN STOP LEVIATHAN." 

Weary of missing punches, the unearthly villain swung his arms together in a massive clap. The resulting shockwave of air and sound waves hit Mega-Girl with as much power as a fist, spinning her through the air. She landed hard and tumbled across the sand. The Leviathan leapt after her, crashing down on top of Mega-Girl. He hammered her with several blows, driving her into the ground. 

Mega-Girl desperately grasped outwards, clutching for anything that might help her. Her hand only found gravely sand, so that's what she used. 

"ARGH!" the Leviathan bellowed after Mega-Girl threw the sand into his eyes. He backpedaled and covered his eyes with a forearm, temporarily blinded. 

Taking advantage, Mega-Girl peeled herself off the ground and launched herself into the air. She peppered the Leviathan with punch after punch, connecting solidly across his face with every swing. She was sure she had him on the ropes, but then that terrible lightning struck her again. 

Cyclone swooped through the air above the titanic battle, riding on his own winds. Buying time for the Leviathan to recover, he gestured with his arm and sent another bolt arcing downward. 

Mega-Girl screamed and fell to the ground. Each strike of lightning filled her body with pain and made her muscles spasm and convulse uncontrollably. She knew she only had moments before the Leviathan would recover and begin raining more of his viscous blows upon her, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. 

======= 

Apollo awoke in his bed to the sound of a television reporter covering the events taking place a few short miles from his condominium. He looked towards the TV in the corner of his bedroom and quickly ascertained that Mega-Girl was in trouble. A wave of uncertainty washed over him as he crawled from bed. He wanted to teleport to her side and join in the battle, but for some reason he couldn't muster the will to move. It was like a murky fog was clouding his mind, preventing him from any decisive act. 

Sensing something was amiss he placed a palm to his forehead, "What foul sorcery...?" 

Wondering where his sister was, Apollo staggered to his feet to seek Artemis' aid. Moving on unsure legs he heard voices coming from the adjoining bathroom and leaned against his bedroom wall, sliding against it towards the bathroom door. 

"The attack has begun," he heard an unpleasantly dark voice say, "Is my nephew subdued?" 

"Yes, my lord," Artemis' voice replied, "I have spent the last week seducing him body and soul. He belongs to me now." 

"Make sure he stays that way. Do not forget how dangerous he is -" 

Pushing the bathroom door open Apollo stumbled inwards to see a naked Artemis, horns protruding from her forehead, speaking to a shadowy image in a mirror above the sink. "Treachery!" he snarled, lunging forward. 

The demon's horns quickly retreated into her forehead and she looked human once again, exactly like Artemis, but it was too late. Apollo saw her ruse for what it was and grabbed her around the throat. "Apollo!" she gasped, suddenly strained for breath, "It is me... your sister... you love me... you don't want to hurt-" 

Apollo squeezed harder when he felt the seductive magic of the succubus' voice cloud his mind further, "Cease thy wagging tongue, demoness!" Only his anger prevented her magic from working its full effect. 

The succubus grasped desperately towards the mirror but found no aid from its image. With a loud snap her neck broke and her head fell back limply. Apollo let go of her form, letting it fall to the bathroom floor. He turned towards the shadowy figure of his uncle. 

"Your will has grown strong over the centuries," Pluto chuckled, a sound like glass breaking. "Few can overcome the seductive claws of my pets." 

"PLUTO!" Apollo screamed, already feeling the fog of the demon's magic leave him. "Curse thy interference! How dare you send thy shape shifting demons to possess me with their foul magicks!" 

Pluto chuckled again, "Do not pretend you didn't enjoy a week of lust-fueled passion with your dear 'twin'. I know all about your incestuous dalliances with Artemis." 

"That was centuries ago!" Apollo fumed, "I forsook her, as I did all of Olympus!" 

"Evidently you still have unresolved feelings for her," Pluto taunted. 

"Where is she?" Apollo demanded, "Where is the real Artemis?" 

"Artemis is in Olympus, of course, where she returned shortly after acquiring the bow of Minerva for me. You see, Apollo, it would seem Artemis has unresolved feelings for you as well; feelings of jealousy, betrayal, and hatred. You abandoned her, as you did all of Olympus. She was all-too willing to help me in my plan to acquire the soul of your precious Penelope and trade me the bow." 

Apollo slammed his fist on the bathroom counter, cracking its marble surface, realizing he had been played for a fool. He thought back to the moment of Artemis' return a week prior and the way she grasped his cheeks, looked him in the eye, and kissed him. Apollo suddenly knew that was the moment the succubus trapped him with her magic and swayed him to betray Penelope. It was the second time one of his uncle's demons had possessed his mind against Mega-Girl and Apollo swore to himself there would not be a third. 

"Thy schemes will fail," Apollo growled, "No longer will I suffer any demonic spells or conjurings." 

Pluto laughed, "You are too late, nephew. No doubt my agents have already succeeded in killing your mortal love. I will make her the Queen of Hades, and together we will be invincible! All of Olympus will tremble at our might! My realm will be filled with the corpses of war and together we will consume my brother's cursed Olympus!!" 

The shadowy image faded and Apollo screamed with anger, punching the mirror and shattering it into a thousand pieces. He ran from the bedroom to gather his shining armors and quicksilver spear, donning them with haste. Once suitably prepared for war, he vanished in a brilliant flash of light. 

======= 

News vans lined the Claremont Bridge and all the major networks were covering the titanic fight. Cyclone's storm clouds continued to loom above, creating a dramatic backdrop for all the rolling cameras. The entire country, if not the world, was watching the battle between Mega-Girl and the Leviathan. Their fight had carried them a quarter-mile up river to a shipping facility with a large warehouse, hundreds of steel shipping crates, and a tall crane used for loading barges. Adding to the drama was the sudden arrival of a silvery VTOL jet and three members of the World League: Dr. Prizm, Brickhouse, and Astro Boy. They landed on a section of freeway nearby that had been cordoned off by police. 

Dr. Prizm quickly took charge as the trio exited their jet. "Brickhouse," he said, adjusting his reflective goggles to telescope mode while surveying the area, "It looks like Mega-Girl needs some help with the Leviathan." 

Brickhouse was a tall and muscular man with red skin and grooves in his flesh that made his body look like it was made of literal bricks, "I thought we were supposed to be arresting her?" 

"That will have to wait," Dr. Prizm instructed, "We need to gain control of this situation first. Astro Boy - see what you can do about the weather." 

"No problem," Astro Boy grinned, a blonde-haired lad only eighteen years old; he wore a blue and white spandex costume without a mask. A Saturn-like symbol decorated the chest and upper arms of the skintight outfit. 

While Astro Boy flew into the air and Brickhouse ran towards the shipyard, Dr. Prizm turned towards the police to coordinate efforts with them. He quickly learned that the police had successfully arrested twelve of Two-Fold's duplicates, but thirty-eight more had fled the scene and remained at-large. Madam Venom and the Jester were also gone. 

Cyclone remained, however, and it didn't take Astro Boy long to locate the villain hovering on his winds high in the sky. 

"Hi," Astro Boy waved a cocky hand, flying right in front of Cyclone, "My name is Astro Boy. I'm here to inform you that the National Weather Service has not authorized any thunderstorms for this area. Please cease and desist all further weather manipulations." 

Cyclones face twisted, "What? Screw you, kid!" He gestured with an arm and summoned a bolt of lightning. 

The crackling electricity lit the sky and struck Astro Boy squarely, but it didn't seem to bother him. In fact, he spread his arms and legs and seemed to enjoy it. "By the way..." Astro Boy grinned, "I absorb energy. But you know what's even cooler than that? When I shoot it back out!" 

"Oh shit!" Cyclone spun in the air, gesturing to summon a wind that would carry him away as fast as possible. 

Unfortunately for Cyclone, wind was not faster than light. Astro boy thrust his arms forward and ejected a portion of the energy he had absorbed, shocking Cyclone and knocking the villain unconscious. Astro Boy caught him before Cyclone hit the ground and flew him towards a group of waiting police. 

======= 

Brickhouse grabbed an empty shipping container and hefted it high in the air above his head before the Leviathan noticed his presence. He leapt and swung the container at the same time, smashing the massive steel box down on the Leviathan's head from behind the brute. The blow carried enough force that the steel tore open, encasing the Leviathan inside. 

"Brickhouse!" Mega-Girl was happy to see him. She had been reeling against the Leviathan, unable to damage the monster with even her strongest blows. 

"You look like shit," Brickhouse looked at her tattered and burnt costume. 

"I'm hanging in there," Mega-Girl wiped her mouth with the back of a hand. She was surprised to see her own blood staining the skin of her hand, "Where's the rest of the League?" 

There wasn't an opportunity for Brickhouse to answer as the Leviathan tore free of the steel container, "LITTLE GIRL GOT A FRIEND. DON'T MATTER. NOTHING CAN STOP LEVIATHAN." 

Brickhouse charged forward. He was a foot and a half taller than Mega-Girl and outweighed her by nearly two hundred pounds, but even a man of Brickhouse' stature looked puny in comparison. The Leviathan simply outclassed him. Brickhouse wasn't nearly as strong as Mega-Girl, and though he was made of sturdy stuff he didn't share her level of invulnerability either. He managed to land a solid uppercut on the Leviathan, but it didn't even phase the behemoth. Brickhouse took the Leviathan's first counter punch, and the second, but the third felled him. 

Mega-Girl returned to the fray, afforded a second wind by the distraction Brickhouse had offered. She hammered the Leviathan with a rain of blows, knocking him back on his heels. When he was off-balance, she grabbed his massive wrist in both of her hands and twirled around. The Leviathan was pulled from his feet, spun, and tossed. He crashed against the shipping crane, its metal supports rending against the impact. It took only moments for the entire steel structure of the crane to collapse on top of the Leviathan in a chaotic mess of noise and dust. 

Brickhouse was regaining his feet, clearly addled. "Damn," he remarked, "That sonuvabich hits hard..." 

"You might want to sit this one out," Mega-Girl suggested jokingly, "If you didn't bring your big-boy pants." 

Brickhouse frowned at Mega-Girl, all five-foot-seven of her. He didn't like being challenged by someone who looked like they belonged on the cover of Seventeen magazine, "Maybe throwing him into that crane finished him off?" 

Mega-Girl sighed and looked towards the settling dust, "You weren't with the League the last time we fought the Leviathan, were you?" 

Brickhouse shook his head. 

"Didn't you know?" Mega-Girl rolled her neck and cracked it... 

The savage monster burst out of the wreckage, his visage a snarled mess of anger, "NOTHING CAN STOP LEVIATHAN!!" 

A multi-colored beam of energy fired from above impacted against the Leviathan's face, temporarily blinding and slowing the gargantuan. "We need to work together," Dr. Prizm landed between Mega-Girl and Brickhouse, able to fly with his anti-gravity belt. 

Mega-Girl knew Dr. Prizm well, had known the man beneath the goggled mask ever since she was a little girl. She respected him as a mentor and as a leader, "You won't get any argument from me, especially since hitting him for the last half hour hasn't gotten me anywhere. Where's the rest of the League?" 

"Dealing with a situation in Europe," Brickhouse replied. 

"We need to get Leviathan off his feet," Dr. Prizm barked, "Brickhouse, I want you to hit him low, at his legs. Mega-Girl, you go high. Once Astro Boy is finished dealing with Cyclone he can -" 

A brilliant flash of light exploded in the sky before Dr. Prizm could finish detailing his plan and all three heroes looked upwards to see the arrival of Apollo, clad in his ancient Roman armor and hovering in the sky. He seemed to be glowing with an aura of yellowish light, which intensified by the second. 

Brickhouse was the only one of the three who had never met the world-famous god, "Holy shit, is that -?" 

"Yep," Mega-Girl replied dryly, "It's my ex-boyfriend. This day just keeps getting better and better." 

"This is fortuitous," Dr. Prizm analyzed the situation, "We could use the help." 

Though he was hundreds of feet in the air Apollo's voice boomed loud enough for all to hear, "Prepare thyself, monster! Feel the UNFETTERED MIGHT of Apollo, God of the Sun!!" 

The Leviathan cast his gaze upwards, still struggling from Dr. Prizm's blinding strobe-light flash, "HUH? PUNY GOD! NOTHING CAN STOP LEVIATHAN!" 

"Oh shit," Mega-Girl's expression darkened, "Guys, we need to clear out of here. Now!" 

"What's going on?" Brickhouse asked confusedly, backing away. 

"I'm not sure," Mega-Girl grabbed Brickhouse's arm and tugged urgently, "But the last time I heard Apollo talk about his 'unfettered might' he said something about the whole planet shuddering..." 

Dr. Prizm spoke into a radio intercom device at his wrist, "Astro Boy! Stay clear! Get as many civilians and police away as you can!" 

Mega-Girl hoisted Brickhouse and flew into the air, away from the staggered Leviathan. Dr. Prizm activated his anti-gravity belt and followed after her. 

Once the three heroes were clear, Apollo's halo of light suddenly exploded from around him and the very sky itself split open, a column of blinding energy shooting downwards from the heavens. It disintegrated the clouds Cyclone had summoned, a half-mile in diameter - a giant beam of pure solar energy. 

The Leviathan squinted at its approach, lifting a forearm to shield his already sensitive eyes. "NOTHING CAN STOP-" 

The beam struck and swallowed the Leviathan at its center. The beam fell on both ground and water. The river boiled under such intense heat, evaporating instantly and creating a giant plume of steam. Everything on the ground was burned to ash instantly; even the steel containers and crumpled crane could not resist such power and was reduced to molten slag. It scorched the earth, blackening the ground all around the wide beam and lighting the very air on fire. 

Every living thing within a mile radius of the impact felt a wave of heat wash over them like a physical force. The windows of nearby police cars shattered and the people gathered on the Claremont Bridge were knocked off their feet. Mega-Girl and her companions were closest and each of them felt as though their backs were on fire. Mega-Girl knew Dr. Prizm couldn't fly as fast as she could and reached out for his wrist, pulling him along while flying as fast as possible away from Apollo's incomprehensible display of raw power. 

It was like the sun itself had sent forth a portion of its power, a terrifying column of pure death. Energy poured from the sky, hammering the Earth and burning the very ground. Anything and everything within its half mile circumference was completely destroyed. 

When it ended there was a circular crater a half mile wide and fifty feet deep, the ground within blackened and crystalized. 

Mega-Girl flew Dr. Prizm and Brickhouse to a portion of freeway the police had cordoned off, where Astro Boy had also delivered a reporter and cameraman that had wandered too close to the battle. 

"Jesus Christ!" Brickhouse hollered, Is the Leviathan dead? Nothing could have survived that!" 

Astro boy also looked impressed, "The amount of energy... I wouldn't be able to absorb even a sliver of that much power! 

Mega-Girl didn't allow herself a moment to gawk in wonder. She turned immediately to fly back and check on the damage but Dr. Prizm stopped her. 

"Wait," he said, "I'm sorry, Penny, but I can't let you go. You're under arrest." 

Mega-Girl laughed humorlessly, "You're kidding, right?" 

Astro Boy and Brickhouse moved behind Dr. Prizm, ready to back him up. 

"I'm afraid not," Dr. Prizm replied, feeling guilty for what he had to do. "I'm afraid we were sent here to arrest you. You're being charged with murder." 

Mega-Girl watched as several police officers moved their hands towards holstered hips. She knew she could take them all on and probably win, even though she was exhausted from fighting the Leviathan, but she didn't want to. "I'll go with you, but I have to talk to Apollo first." 

Dr. Prizm glanced around Mega-Girl to see Apollo descend and land on the crater lip. "Keep it short," he finally agreed. 

Mega-Girl nodded and flew back to the scene of the fight, landing at Apollo's side. She looked down into the crater and was shocked to see the Leviathan lying at its center, his orange pants disintegrated but otherwise unharmed. He was, however, unconscious. "Holy crap," she remarked, "Can anything penetrate that hide of his?" 

"T'was only a portion of my unfettered might," Apollo grunted, "Its full measure would have destroyed the city." 

Mega-Girl turned to him, "You came here, to help me?" She had mixed feelings regarding Apollo's arrival. She was happy for his help, but still angry over his betrayal. 




How to Date a Superhero Ch. 09



Apollo looked at her blood-smeared mouth and tattered costume, "I worried you were dead. These villains, they were working for Pluto." 

"I should have known," she nodded. "Your uncle's not going to give up, is he?" 

Apollo shook his head. 

Mega-Girl suddenly threw her arms around his neck, surprising Apollo with her affection. "Thank you," she whispered against his ear, "I may be mad at you, but you've been there for me when I really needed it more than once. You really saved our asses today." 

"Penelope," Apollo held her, "You must forgive me, I was duped. The Artemis you saw me with was a succ-" 

Before he could finish explaining his infidelity Apollo felt Mega-Girl suddenly gasp in shock and go limp in his grasp, her body like a rag doll. 

"Penelope?" he caught her beneath her arms before her lifeless body slumped to the ground. He saw an arrow protruding from her back, in a position that pierced her heart perfectly. "PENELOPE!!" he screamed with anguish. 

Mega-Girl did not hear the pain in Apollo's voice, nor did she reply in any way. 

======= 

High on the river's embankment Roman Killian slipped back into the shadow of a storm drain, the bow of Minerva within his grasp. His aim had been perfect, as it always was. He pulled a small radio from his pouch-lined belt and pressed the transceiver, "Master Disaster, do you have a copy?" 

I copy you, Killian. We had to fly clear the air space; I need a status report. What the hell happened down there? 

"Apollo showed up and pulled some shit out of the sky like nothing I've ever seen before. It was like the finger of God himself. The Leviathan's got to be dead and Cyclone's been captured. Two-Fold, Jester, and Venom got away. The target has been eliminated." 

Say again? 

"Mega-Girl is dead," Killian reported happily, "I repeat: Mega-Girl is dead. Mission accomplished. I'm moving to rendezvous with Doctor Death now. We'll meet you at the rally point." 

Copy that. Excellent work, Roman. 

Roman Killian pulled his black mask off and smiled. He enjoyed working for Master Disaster. The assassination of Mega-Girl went off almost exactly like Disaster planned, with the exception of Apollo's sudden arrival. But even that hadn't de-railed things. Killian had always been a freelance killer, working on contract, but he could get used to working for a guy like Master Disaster - especially if all the jobs paid out ten million dollars. 

Slipping a civilian jacket over his costume, Roman Killian then placed the bow of Minerva into a canvas case and moved out of the storm drain to make his escape. 

======= 

Epilogue 

======= 

She woke up in a chamber constructed of an unearthly stone, the walls made of black obsidian polished to a reflective gloss. Sitting up in the bed she noticed she was wearing a virginal white gown, made of thin material, low-cut, and with a skirt that fell just past the knee. She didn't recognize the garment as hers and wondered where it came from. Confused, she slipped from the bed's surface and moved to the room's lone window. 

A cold fear gripped her heart when she saw the world outside. 

The sky was an unnatural red with grey clouds that flickered from lightning that never touched the ground. The earth was black and devoid of life. Her room was high up and afforded a distant view of the featureless landscape, broken only in the far distance by a range of black mountains oozing with orange lava. A wall made of the same black stone as her room stretched beneath the window and she suspected she was in a demented castle of some kind, though she could not imagine what kind of person would choose to live in such a nightmarish hell. 

"Wake up," she turned away from the window and pinched her own arm, "This has got to be a dream... you're dreaming... time to wake up... please be a dream..." 

The sound of sliding metal preceded the chamber door opening inwards and a young man wearing only a loincloth entered. He was extraordinarily beautiful, except he had grey skin the color of ash and two small horns protruding from the top of his forehead through long black hair. He was carrying a silver platter. On it was a silvery pitcher, presumably containing something to drink, along with a pair of silver goblets. 

"Hello," he greeted cordially. 

"Who are you?" she took a step back, "Where am I?" 

"I do not have a name," he replied, setting the platter down on a small circular table of charred wood. 

"Wh-what are you? Why don't you have a name?" 

"I am one of the unwanted," he explained in a gentle voice, "A bastard boy-child of a succubus." 

"A suc-" she stammered, "A succubus...?" 

"You are in what mortals refer to as Hell, the realm of my lord." 

"Okay," she put a hand to her forehead, "Now I know I'm dreaming. Jesus, what did I eat last night?" 

"Would you care for something to drink?" he offered politely. 

"No I don't want anything to drink!" He breathing grew upset, "What am I doing... I mean, why am I here?" 

"My lord bargained for your soul. You have been brought here for a wedding." 

"A wedding?" her eyes widened with surprise, "Who in their right mind would want to get married here?" 

The young man smiled, "Desire has nothing to do with it. My lord wishes to take a mortal bride and my lord tends to get what he wants." 

She breathed out a humorless laugh, "Okay... um, can you tell him thanks? But I'm really not interested." 

He seemed amused by her presumption, "You are not the bride; you were brought here to serve as the bride's handmaiden." He lifted the pitcher and poured something into one of the goblets, "Welcome to Hades, Jordan Summers. In case you weren't aware, you're dead."



How to Date a Superhero Ch. 10



Hermes sped through Gateway City faster than an eye could follow, zipping between buildings and cars with a dexterity that defied physics. If any pedestrians noticed Hermes passing it was only a small breeze they detected as he ran by. Reaching the Keppler Building didn't slow the messenger god; he simply hopped up and shifted his footing to run straight up the surface of its glass walls, defying gravity almost entirely, until he reached a balcony on one of the skyscraper's upper-most floors. 

The balcony door was unlocked so Hermes took the liberty of allowing himself entry. The hour was late and the condominium dark, causing him to wonder if anyone was home. Moving at conventional speeds Hermes checked the dining room and kitchen first, where the balcony connected, before finding his brother passed out on the living room couch. Apollo was unshaven and a week's worth of blonde stubble decorated his face. Brown denim pants and a stained white tank top were his only articles of clothing. A mess of empty liquor bottles and cans formed a messy perimeter around the sprawled sun god. 

Hermes wrinkled his nose, "You smell wretched, brother." 

A groan escaped Apollo's throat and his eyes slit open, "Leave me be." 

"It's been a month," Hermes kicked aside an empty bourbon bottle with the toe of his sneaker, "Though we immortals tend to mourn harder than others, it does not mean we can ignore our hygiene." 

Apollo got himself upright on the leather couch, "Thou art my favorite brother, Hermes, but do not try my patience with further mockery." 

"Save your threats." Hermes sat on the couch beside him, "I'm only here to check on your condition, which appears to be unchanged. How long will this continue?" 

Apollo reached for a bottle on the floor and lifted it to his lips but found it empty. He cast it aside, "I loved her; my heart aches with Penelope's loss." 

"I was rather fond of the girl myself," Hermes admitted, "Beautiful, intelligent, brave, and she had a dry wit that I enjoyed. This world certainly seems diminished from her absence." 

"She went to her grave thinking I betrayed her," Apollo checked another empty bottle, "But in truth I would like nothing more than to skin my sister alive and trade her hide for Penelope." 

"Father would never allow it," Hermes took his brother literally, "Besides, I doubt the offer would appeal to Pluto. I wonder what the wedding will be like... or do you suppose the nuptials have already taken place?" 

Apollo growled angrily; the thought of Pluto marrying Penelope filled him with rage, "If there was a road to Hades I would invade its wretched borders and place our uncle's head on a pike! Curse our father for granting Pluto the Underworld, where no living man may tread." 

"No living man," Hermes conceded, "But what about a dead one?" 

Apollo glanced at him. 

"We call ourselves immortals because our lives span thousands of years and we are exceedingly difficult to kill, but you and I both know any Olympian can die. And when an Olympian dies, his or her soul is somehow transported to Hades. It's all very metaphysical and hard to believe, but its why so many of us protect our lives with such fierce tenacity." 

"Why do you recount to me tales I already know?" Apollo growled. 

"Because it's obvious, my mighty-but-often slow-witted, brother," Hermes patted Apollo on the shoulder, "If you want your beloved Penelope back so badly we'll simply have to go fetch her." 

Apollo thought his brother was joking and granted him with an annoyed expression, "Do you suggest we die?" 

"Yes," Hermes answered confidently, "Now you're catching on. But even more importantly, we'll need a plan to get back out and return to the realms of the living. I like being alive, Apollo, so an exit plan is critical." 

"Thy tone is serious," Apollo snorted, "Since the dawn of our fathers none who have passed into the realm of death have ever returned." 

"None save one," Hermes had a suddenly coy smile. 

======= 

Penny stomped her bare foot down and folded stubborn arms across her chest, "I am not marrying anyone!" 

Pluto stood before her, seemingly a man like any other. He had long dark hair and a full beard with slate-grey eyes. He appeared to be in his fifties though Penny knew him to be far older than that. He wore black armors of rounded plates and leather, with a blue cape that hung to the back of his knees. The two of them stood face-to-face in a private set of bedroom chambers within Pluto's obsidian castle. Penny was dressed in a loose gown of white that bared her shoulders, back, and ankles. 

Time flowed differently in Hades than it did other dimensions. Though a month had passed on Earth since her death, only a pair of hours had passed for Penny since she awoke in Pluto's nightmarish realm. She didn't feel any different from when she was alive and was proving to be a difficult guest. 

"You are a spoiled, obstinate child," Pluto glowered at her, "You will learn to obey me, and you will agree to become my wife." 

"Obey you?!" Penny scoffed, "Look, I don't know who you think you are but I don't belong to anyone! I'm not your possession." 

Pluto struck her across the face with a gauntleted backhand, "In Hades, all things are my possession." 

The blow stung Penny's ego far more than the flesh, though Pluto certainly possessed superhuman strength. She lifted a hand to the corner of her mouth incredulously, "Did you just hit me?" 

"Shut your mouth lest you feel the back of my other hand, woman." 

Penny didn't like Pluto's tone and reached forward to grasp the armor plates at his chest, her fingers rending and digging a grip into the metal. With an effortless strength she hurled Pluto across the room. He slammed against the wall, cracking its polished black surface. 

The blow would have crushed any ordinary man, but Pluto simply stood and laughed. 

Penny's fist balled at her side. 

"I like your fire, mortal." Pluto dusted his cape off, "And your strength lives up to its reputation. You will make a fine queen." 

"I don't think you're getting it through your head," she replied through gnashing teeth, "I'd rather die than marry you." 

Pluto's chuckle was like grinding gravel, "You're already dead, my dear. And you will marry me, because I will make you an offer you can't refuse." 

"If I'm already dead there's nothing you can do to me. I'm not scared of you." 

"I believe you," Pluto inclined his head. He then elevated his voice, "Bring her in!" 

A heavy door opened and an ashen-skinned young man escorted a young woman with burgundy-dyed hair into the room. She was wearing the same loose white gown as Penny. 

"Jordan?!" Penny couldn't have been more surprised. 

"MG!" 

The two nineteen year-olds ran to each other and embraced. Tears welled in Penny's eyes, all the emotions of losing her closest friend coupled with seeing her again in the flesh was overwhelming, "What are you doing here?" 

Jordan was equally overjoyed, "I was just about to ask you the same thing. They told me I died, what's your excuse?" 

Penny wiped some moisture off her cheek, "Me too." 

Jordan didn't know if she should laugh or cry. 

"A touching reunion," Pluto interrupted, "I made a bargain with the masters of your mortal Purgatory to bring Jordan's soul here to Hades, so that she may serve as your bridesmaid." 

"Why didn't you tell me you were getting married?" Jordan remained close to Penny, the two girls holding one another side-by-side. 

"I'm not," Penny frowned, "I've been trying to tell this old creep that, but he won't listen." 

"Your friend is also my bargaining chip," Pluto explained, "If you agree to marry me of your own free will, after the wedding I swear to release her from Hades and send her back to your world alive and well, to live out the rest of her mortal life." 

"You can do that?" Penny sounded hopeful, "You can give people their lives back?" 

"I can," Pluto turned towards the chamber door, "I will leave you to consider my offer. You have one hour to make a decision." 

Jordan waited until Pluto exited the room with his servant, "MG, what the hell is going on? Are we really dead?" 

"I think so," Penny turned and hugged Jordan once more, "But even if we are, it's so good to see you! I missed you so much. I wanted to save you, I tried..." 

Jordan squeezed back, "It was that scorpion guy, right? Deathstalker? I remember him at the apartment, and you showing up, but then my memory goes blank." 

Penny nodded against Jordan's shoulder, "Yeah. I got him, though. I killed him." 

Jordan untangled herself from their embrace, "What about you? How the hell did you end up here?" 

"I'm not sure," Penny shook her head confusedly, "Apollo told me only Olympians go to Hades when they die, not regular mortals like us. The last thing I remember I was fighting the Leviathan with Apollo and half the World League. We won, too, but..." 

Jordan's brows rose, "But...?" 

"The bow," Penny suddenly remembered, "It must have been that fucking bow!" 

"What are we going to do?" Jordan looked around at the nightmarish obsidian architecture. Pluto's private chambers held many sculptures and statues of demonic shapes, causing her to shudder. 

"I'm going to marry him," Penny stated as though she had made her decision just as she said it. 

"What?!" Jordan turned back to her. 

"I don't have a choice," Penny spread her arms, "If that's what it takes to save you, to get you home, that's what I have to do." 

"Oh no," Jordan wagged a finger in the air, "I'm not leaving you here." 

"You'll have to. He'll never let both of us go. At least this way one of us gets to go home, gets to live. Better that than both of us being stuck here for eternity." 

"Forget it!" Jordan shook her head adamantly, "Do you have any idea how guilty I would be for the rest of my life, knowing I got to live while you had to marry that creepy guy? What is his deal, anyway? Why does he want to marry you so badly?" 

Penny shrugged bonelessly, "He said something about our children rivaling the family of Zeus." 

"Gross," Jordan stuck her tongue out, "He wants to sleep with you, too?" 

Penny asked dryly, "Do you know of another way to make children?" 

"We have to get out of here," Jordan moved towards an open balcony to look out at the horizon, where black earth met red sky. Lightning flashed briefly in the distance. "I can't believe we're dead; this is too surreal. I had too much stuff I still wanted to do, like graduate, invent a web browser that actually works, and have babies with someone like... like Travis." Jordan glanced back, "How is Travis?" 

"He's... sad. We both were, after you... you know." Penny sat in a throne-like chair and pushed both of her hands through her blonde hair, "I've been staying with him, I mean, I was staying with him... before I ended up here." 

Jordan's expression grew anxious with worry, "You were sleeping in his dorm room?" 

"Yeah," Penny clasped her hands behind her neck, "My life got a little chaotic after you died. Apollo and I broke up, my identity was exposed, and I was wanted for killing Deathstalker. Travis was such a sweetie; he insisted I stay with him until I figured out what to do." 

Jordan suddenly exploded with jealousy, "Wait, you broke up with Apollo and the first thing you did was shack up with Travis? Was my corpse even cold, yet?" 

Penny quickly realized how upset Jordan was and regretted bringing up the fact that she had been living with Jordan's boyfriend, "It's not like that -" 

"You're in love with Travis, aren't you? You always have been, even when you were with Apollo." 

"That's not true!" Penny frowned. 

"Yes it is. He dumped you and you never got over it. When you caught Travis and me on the couch kissing, you were insanely jealous. And you keep finding ways to spend time with him, like when you begged him to continue being your lab partner even though you broke up. Then, as soon as I'm out of the picture, you dump Apollo so you can get Travis back!" 

Penny stood from the chair so she could face Jordan in their verbal spar, "I did not! I broke up with Apollo because I caught him sleeping with his twin sister!" 

Jordan's face twisted, "What? Seriously?" 

"When I was staying with Travis he slept on the frigging floor; nothing happened." 

"That doesn't change the fact that you still want him," Jordan pointed accusingly, "How am I supposed to compete with you? Every boy in America wants to sleep with Mega-Girl!" 

"Every boy but one; Travis dumped me because I'm Mega-Girl." Penny sighed heavily, "Jordan, why are we fighting about this? We're dead. The only way either one of us will ever see Travis again is if I marry Pluto so he'll send you home."  

"I'm not letting you marry that monster," Jordan refused, "We're getting out of here together." 

"How?" Penny lifted her hands in the air hopelessly for emphasis. 

"I don't know," Jordan sat at the foot of a creepy bed with a black silk canopy and put her forehead into her palms, "I wish I had a laptop." 

======= 

The air was filled with the sounds of chirping crickets and frogs from a nearby pond. A full moon brightened the sky like a distant lantern, providing more than enough light to read the gravestones by. Not that Lilly Swann needed to see; after eighteen years of weekly visits she knew the McFarlane Cemetery as well as her own yard. She carried two bouquets of flowers that she had arranged herself. 

"Hello," Lilly greeted hesitantly when she found someone else at her daughter's grave, not expecting anyone to be there at midnight. 

Travis spun, equally surprised, "Um, hi." 

Lilly took a moment to study him in the moonlight. Travis was wearing a pair of cargo shorts, a GCU hooded sweatshirt, and a pair of bulky hiking boots. A baseball cap covered his brown hair. "I remember you," Lilly recognized him, "You were at my daughter's funeral." 

"I'm Travis," he reminded her, "I was... your daughter and I were close." 

Lilly bent over to place some flowers at Penny's gravestone and then placed the other bouquet at the grave beside it. Penny's grave was already littered with dozens of flowers and photos, tributes from Mega-Girl's many fans. "Penelope told me a lot about you. The two of you dated briefly, no?" 

Travis nodded, "Very briefly, but we managed to remain friends." 

"What are you doing out here so late?" Lilly asked. 

"There's too many people here during the day," Travis replied, indicating all the things left behind by visitors, "I wanted to be alone with her." 

"That's why I'm here so late as well, but I could come back?" Lilly offered politely, not wanting to intrude. 

Travis shook his head, "No, that's okay. Please, stay." 

Lilly remained crouching as she glanced over the many photos, drawings, and clippings people had left behind, "She certainly was popular, wasn't she?" Lilly looked to the grave beside her daughter's, "Her father would have been so proud of her." 

"Yeah," Travis smiled sadly, "This whole city loved her. She could have joined one of the super groups in New York or Los Angeles, but she didn't. She stayed in Gateway City and its people worshipped her for it." 

"I knew one day she would become a hero and help people; save people's lives. When she was eight years old she was riding with me in the car during a terrible rainstorm." Lilly rose to tell her story and give Travis her full attention, "We were away from the city on one of those winding county roads and we ended up skidding into the ditch." Lilly laughed in hindsight, "The car looked as though it had fallen into a mud hole and was sticking out of the ground at a forty-five degree angle. There were no houses in sight, I didn't have a cell phone in those days, and it was pouring rain. I remember I was standing on the side of the road getting soaked, hoping another car would drive by for me to signal, when I heard the groan of metal behind me." 

Travis grinned. 

"I turned around and there was Penny, pulling on the car's bumper and yanking it out of the ditch with her bare hands. The car was in 'park' so the tires wouldn't even roll, but she did it almost effortlessly, dragging the thing back onto the road. The smile on her face when she looked back at me was priceless. She loved helping people." 

"I never let myself get to know that side of her," Travis lamented, "I fell in love with Penny, the somewhat awkward brunette college student. I never realized the secret identity was her actual mask, that the real Penny is much more like Mega-Girl. I broke up with her because she seemed like two different people, and it scared me. I liked Mega-Girl, too, you know? Hell, the whole country was in love with her. But I fell for Penny. The fake Penny. By the time I realized what an idiot I was being, it was too late. Now she's gone and I'll never get the chance to tell her how I really felt. I miss her. Jordan too." Tears had begun falling from Travis' eyes before he finished talking, "I loved them both." 

Lilly placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "I'm sure that wherever they are, they miss you too." 

======= 

Massive arm muscles flexed and strained against the short sleeves of Hercules' shirt as he swung an axe, shattering a log of wood into fragments. Lifting a wrist to his forehead he wiped away some sweat and moved to place another log on the stump he used for splitting firewood. Gripping the smooth handle, his hands clad in worn leather gloves, Hercules began another massive swing but stopped halfway through the motion when he heard the sizzling sound of electricity coming from his yard. A globe of light suddenly grew from nothing, expanding outward before flashing brilliantly. The light was intense, even in the mid-day sun, and Hercules turned away from it and shielded his eyes with an upraised arm. When he looked back, the light was gone and two men stood in its place. One was tall and lean, with dark curly hair and modern fashion. Standing beside him was a muscled man in ancient armors of steel and leather, a spear at his back and a plumed mohawk helmet covering most of his blond hair. 

Hercules tightened his grip on the axe when he saw his half-brothers. "Hermes," he greeted curtly, unsure of their intentions, "I did not expect to see you soon after your last visit. Nor did I expect you'd bring company." 

"I must apologize," Hermes replied, sensing the apprehension in Hercules' voice, "I know you are trying to live a quiet and solitary life, that you don't want your fellow Olympians to know where you are, but I'm afraid we have a bit of a crisis. 

"Apollo," Hercules nodded coldly as his brothers approached. 

Apollo simply grunted a greeting. 

The two shared a history of rivalry and neither Apollo nor Hercules cared for one another. As a young man, Hercules bragged about his legendary strength and often claimed he was the strongest of all Olympians. But when his boasts grew too loud, Apollo would find a way to show everyone that his own strength was supreme (as long as it was daytime). Apollo did not like to be challenged, but Hercules had been a jealous, spiteful youth and did so frequently. Often the two came to blows, though it had been centuries since they had seen one another. 

"I do not get involved with the costumed mortals and their constant battles," Hercules warned, "Not like our brother, who can't seem to live without their worship and adulation." 

"That's not why -" Hermes began to explain, but he was quickly interrupted. 

"Thy tongue has not dulled over the centuries," Apollo growled and tightened his fist, "You suggest I am no more than a whore for mortal attentions?" 

"Your words, not mine." Hercules let the axe handle at his side to slip in his hand, reminding of its presence. 




How to Date a Superhero Ch. 10



"We're going to Hades..." Hermes suddenly blurted before he found himself embroiled in a melee between two of the strongest beings in the universe. 

Hercules flicked a glance towards Hermes' words, "What foolishness...?" 

"The girl we spoke about," Hermes explained, "The one I thought was your daughter, we're going to rescue her." 

Apollo turned aside, "You thought Penelope was Hercules' daughter?" 

Hermes lifted a shrug, "It seemed reasonable." 

"It is madness," Hercules nearly laughed, "Besides; mortal souls do not fall under Pluto's dominion. They go to Purgatory and await their judgment." 

"She was killed with the bow of Minerva," Apollo clarified, "She is in Hades, suffering under our uncle's schemes." 

"Whatever your misguided reasons are, there is no sun in Hades' red sky," Hercules warned, "You will be greatly weakened." He looked to Hermes, "And your speed will not help you against a limitless hoard of demons who never tire." 

"We will not be swayed from our course," Apollo stated in a steely voice, "I will see Penelope returned to this plane or I will spend an eternity with her in Hades." 

Hermes seemed less confident, "We're still in the planning phase of this idea; the whole 'spending eternity in Hades' portion is a sticky point." 

Hercules snorted and shook his head, "And you've come to me for aid. You both realize the only way into Hades is to die?" 

"We're aware," Hermes nodded, "But we're far more interested in hearing about how you returned." 

Hercules understood that the two men would not be convinced away from their course, "The only way to cross the River Styx, either into Hades or out of it, is Charon's boat. The river is miles wide and covered with an impenetrable fog. Attempt to cross by any other means and you will become lost amidst the nether regions of the Underworld and most likely find yourself facing the horrors of Tartarus." 

Hermes shuddered at the mention of Tartarus, a hellish limbo worse than even Hades. 

"Charon will likely not agree to bring us back," Apollo noted, "How did you convince him?" 

"Two gold coins got me into Hades," Hercules looked to them both, "The ride back across was slightly more expensive. Charon wanted a tooth from the jaws of Cerberus." 

Hermes paled, "I had forgotten about uncle's dog." 

"What did Charon want with its tooth?" Apollo asked in an impatient tone. 

Hercules shrugged, "Charon is a wretched liche forever trapped in his undeath. Who knows what desires motivate him?" 

Hermes seemed encouraged, "So all we need to do, after we die of course, is ask Charon to name his price and have him bring us back." 

"And survive the endless hoard of demon soldiers," Hercules reminded, "who Pluto will no doubt send after you once he's aware of your presence." 

"Demon hoards are my specialty," Apollo stated confidently. 

Hercules looked to Apollo with a grave expression, "In Hades, there is no sunlight to give you strength, there is only death. You are truly powerful, Apollo, that is a fact no one would dare question - not even me. Everyone with a television watched your power on full display when you summoned the sun to leave a scorched crater on the bank of the Mississippi a month ago. Pluto would be a fool to challenge you here on Earth, which is exactly why he doesn't. But if you go to Hades, you lose your advantage. You could kill hundreds of demons, maybe thousands, but your strength will slowly wane in Hades without the sun to replenish you. Eventually you will lose. A thousand demons is a drop in the bucket when compared to Pluto's limitless army." 

"Come with us," Apollo suggested, "For once, show thy courage and strength instead of simply bragging about it." 

"Bragging?!?" Hercules hefted his axe in front of him, "Was I bragging when I performed my famous trials?" 

"Endlessly," Apollo replied dryly, seemingly unconcerned with Hercules or his axe. 

Hermes cleared his throat loudly, indicating he had something to say. Both Apollo and Hercules glanced to him amidst their centuries-old tension. 

"You are both more-than acceptable warriors, what with all your machismo and muscles," Hermes gestured at them both, "But Apollo will be hindered and Hercules can't go because someone will have to actually kill us. To be honest, I wasn't planning on either of you otherwise perfectly capable gentleman to fight our way out of Hades." 

Hercules' face twisted with confusion. 

Apollo wore a similar expression. 

"I think both of you are forgetting something," Hermes explained, "The girl we're going to rescue isn't some helpless damsel in distress. She's defeated Apollo in combat and I doubt Hercules would fare much better. If I was forced to rely on anyone leading our fight out, I would bet my life on Penelope over either of you." 

Both of the proud warriors frowned. 

Hermes shrugged apologetically, "In fact, I'd wager Pluto already has his hands full." 

======= 

Ranging anywhere between eight and twelve feet tall, the demons of Hades were dark and terrible things. Constructed of sinewy muscle, leathery skin, and reptilian wings, they were perfect instruments of combat. Claws on both hands and feet provided natural weaponry, along with a maw full of razor sharp teeth, which could rend steel or flesh with equal ease. 

"Stay behind me," Mega-Girl instructed, holding an outstretched arm out to keep Jordan at her back as a trio of the brownish-skinned demons entered Pluto's chamber to retrieve the women. 

"Lord Pluto says your time is up," the lead demon snarled, "He will receive you now and hear your answer to his proposal." 

Mega-Girl's fist balled at her side, "We're not going anywhere." 

Another one of the demons spoke, "Lord Pluto said you might say that. He told us we could eat the red-headed one if you didn't cooperate." 

Mega-Girl's expression hardened. "Try it," she threatened. 

"Um," Jordan tapped her roommate's shoulder, "MG? How come you're suddenly wearing your costume? And why is your hair long again?" 

Mega-Girl glanced down at herself and was equally shocked to see herself clad in her red costume, like a one-piece swimsuit with long sleeves trimmed in dark blue and black. Gone was the white gown she had been wearing, though Jordan was still wearing hers. Her wavy blonde hair fell well-past the shoulders again as well, even though she had cut off most of its singed length following her battle with Inferna. 

She had no idea where her costume came from or how she came to be wearing it, but the feel of its familiar tightness on her body inspired Mega-Girl's confidence. When one of the demons lunged forward, snapping jaw leading the way, it was greeted by a fist. The two other demons watched their companion's teeth shatter before he flew across the room and smashed into an obsidian wall. The demon crumpled to the floor unconscious. 

Both of the demons turned back to the petite blonde, who only stood at half their height, and quickly reconsidered their prospects for an easy meal. 

"Humans are usually soft and squishy," one of the demons noted. 

"This one is different," the other agreed. 

The first demon snarled and flexed its hand, displaying its dangerous claws, "Hard or soft, all humans are just bags of blood; cut them and they bleed." The creature suddenly lunged forward and slashed its hand across Mega-Girl's torso, tearing the costume at her sternum but not penetrating her skin. 

Jordan cautiously moved backwards until she felt the cold obsidian wall behind hit her shoulder blades. 

Mega-Girl looked down at her ripped costume, "For crying out loud... do you have any idea how expensive and time-consuming it is to make these costumes from scratch? I have to talk to Dr. Prizm about getting one of those costumes made with unstable molecules that the League uses, because the rate I'm going through these things is starting to get ridiculous." 

The demon who hit her cocked its head confusedly at Mega-Girl's banter. No creature had ever treated one of its blows with such casual disregard before; the demon had no idea how to react. Its confusion didn't last long, however. Mega-Girl punched it with all her strength, careening it into the chamber door which shattered into a thousand splinters. The third and final demon roared and flapped its wings to try and intimidate its opponent into submission, but Mega-Girl had never backed out of a fight before and wasn't ready to start simply because she was dead. 

As big, strong, and fast as they were, it didn't matter if there were three demons or three dozen; they were simply outclassed. Mega-Girl made fast work of the last demon. 

"We've got to get out of here," Mega-Girl dusted her palms off against each other and looked towards the balcony. 

"Where do we go?" Jordan glanced the same way, "It's not like Gateway City is over the horizon, we're in Hades and no matter how fast or far we travel - we'll still be in Hades." 

"Pluto's bound to send some more of his leathery thugs soon," Mega-Girl approached Jordan, "I don't want to be here waiting for them. There has to be a way out of this dump, we just need to think." She snapped her fingers, "Try to remember your Greek mythology..." 

"But that's all it is," Jordan reminded, "Mythology. All the stories we heard about the gods is just a bunch of crap humans made up about them. Apollo himself told us that." 

"Yeah, but he also said some of the stories are based on truth, that humanity filled in the blank spaces of real tales to create the Greek legends. So what do we know about Hades?" 

"Nothing!" Jordan threw her hands up, "I was always more into Norse mythology, you know? I mean, before today I thought 'Hades' was a guy, not a place. This whole Greek/Roman naming thing really screws with my head. God, I wish they had the internet here... I could look all this crap up." 

"I remember a river being important. It's named after an old 80s band, or something." 

"Styx!" Jordan's eyes lit up with remembrance, "The River Styx. There's a guy in a boat who will take us across if we have two gold coins." 

Mega-Girl looked surprised, "How do you know that?" 

"It was in that one old Brad Pitt movie, remember? He had to put two gold coins on his cousin's eyes after he died. He said it was for the boatman." 

Mega-Girl smiled at the memory, "Oh yeah, I do remember that movie. Didn't we watch it on cable together, last year? Brad Pitt was really hot in that." 

Jordan agreed, "I know, right?" 

Mega-Girl glanced around for any money lying around, "So we just need to find a river and some gold coins." 

"If it was that easy to get out of here don't you think there'd be a line? Do you really think some boat guy is going to bring us back to life for a couple of gold coins?" 

Mega-Girl shrugged bonelessly, "If he doesn't, I'll just beat the crap out of him and we'll take his boat." 

Jordan gestured helplessly with her palms, "It's better than any plan I've got." 

======= 

Hermes sat up like a shot and gasped for breath. He was sitting on a cold patch of bare ground and didn't recognize his foggy surroundings. His hand moved to his throat and he rubbed his neck, as though he was making sure everything was still intact. "Apollo?" he called out with a cautious whisper while gaining his feet. It was difficult to see anything through the hazy air; he was worried Apollo and he had become separated. 

A sudden hand grasped his shoulder and Hermes spun to see his brother. 

"Quit standing around," Apollo grunted with a gesture, "The River is this way." 

Hermes followed as Apollo began leading, "So it worked? We're dead?" 

"Aye," Apollo confirmed. "Hercules did his job well." 

Hermes rubbed his throat again, "Did he have to be so rough? I can still feel my neck snapping. I hope he takes good care of our bodies." 

"You complain like a mule," Apollo seemed driven, "We need to find Charon and bargain for our return." 

"What if he refuses to agree?" Hermes speculated. 

"We kill him," Apollo stated flatly, drawing the spear from his back; its silvery surface seemed to glow in the dim light of Hades. 

"Yes," Hermes rolled his eyes sarcastically, "I'm sure he'll be so much more useful to us after he's dead." Hermes looked around as they walked but could only make out the brownish-black dirt around them; the fog was simply too thick to see beyond a few dozen feet. "This certainly is a drab place," he commented, "How do you know we're going the right way?" 

"I can smell the death," Apollo replied ominously. 

Hermes lifted an arm and sniffed beneath his shoulder, "That could just be us." 

A hissing voice suddenly caused both gods to stop in their tracks, "Long has Pluto waited for such juicy souls." 

The fog receded around an approaching figure, as though swept away by an undetectable wind. Charon appeared completely cloaked in black fabric full of ancient decay. Two boney hands emerged from beneath the folds of his robe and drew his hood back to reveal an undead skull with empty eye sockets. 

Hermes shivered at the skeletal boatman and whispered to Apollo, "I'm not sure killing him will make much of a difference." 

"Mighty Apollo," Charon inclined his expressionless face, "And the messenger Hermes. It's been centuries since I've greeted such distinguished dead to the realm of Hades." 

"Cease thy ghoulish prattle," Apollo scowled, his confidence unshaken even in death, "We are not here to enter the service of our uncle, thy lord." 

Charon chuckled, a sound resembling grinding, broken glass, "You speak as though you have a choice, Olympian." 

"No it's true," Hermes interjected, "We are here willingly." 

"It matters not," Charon spoke evenly, without emotion, "You have entered death's embrace. I will ferry you to Hades for two gold coins, otherwise you will find yourselves in the depths of hellish Tartarus." 

Hermes looked around, "More hellish than this?" 

"We will pay," Apollo agreed, removing some coins given to him by Hercules. "But Hades will not host us long. We would return with another in tow, a mortal woman who does not belong in this foul place." 

"There is no return from death," Charon stated. 

"Our half-brother is evidence otherwise," Hermes argued. 

Charon turned his empty expression towards the messenger god, "Hercules paid for his life by performing his fourteenth and final trial, though he was unable to return to his life with the woman he attempted to rescue. You will prove equally unsuccessful." 

Apollo growled angrily and thrust his hand forward, gripping Charon around the cloth-obscured bone that was his neck. "You will aid us or I will end thy pathetic existence." 

If Apollo's threat had any effect on Charon, the expressionless skull that was his face showed absolutely no sign. "You are not the first to threaten me, Olympian. You will likely not be the last. My life ended before your race crawled forth from the primordial ooze; my fear of physical violence ended with it." 

Hermes lifted a hand and placed it on the leather bracer at Apollo's wrist, urging him to let Charon go. "Dead or not, you continue to exist in your un-life. There must be something you want, something we can provide, to convince you to bring us back once we have located our friend." 

"There might be a thing," Charon rasped. 

Apollo let him go, "Name it, Liche." 

Charon turned his soulless gaze to Hermes, "Your conduit." 

Hermes looked surprised. He reached into the front pocket of his slacks and removed a spherical marble, "My conduit? But it only allows dimensional travel between Olympus and Earth. It would be useless to you, here." 

"I am adept at bending magic to suit my needs," Charon explained, "I am as much a prisoner of the Underworld as you are. Though it is within my ability to ferry the souls of the unliving back, I am unable to make the journey myself. I would experience the realms of the living once again, to know what the sun feels like upon my face. The conduit can aid me." 

"And unleash your unholy powers on the mortals of Earth," Apollo frowned. 

"Yes," Hermes nodded at Apollo, "That seems like an exceedingly bad idea." 

"That is my price," Charon hissed, "Now, for two gold coins I will ferry you to Hades so you can search for your lost mortal. If you manage to return, I will usher you all back to Earth with the conduit as payment." 

======= 

Spotting a reasonably flat plateau amidst a sea of black mountain tops, Mega-Girl redirected her flight and landed softly. Jordan was happy to get her feet on the ground after riding with, her arms clenched around Mega-Girl's neck. 

"Where the heck do you think we are?" Jordan wondered, looking around. The horizon was jagged line of mountain tops against a red sky. Lightning occasionally flashed in the distance but never seemed to grow any closer. 

"I don't know," Mega-Girl eyed their surroundings as well, "But we sure as hell haven't seen any rivers." 

"It feels like we've been flying for hours," Jordan remarked, "Pluto is certain to know we've fled by now, and sent his demon goons after us. Do you think they can fly too?" 

Mega-Girl shrugged bonelessly, "They had wings." 

Jordan pushed a hand through her suicide red hair. She took notice of her former roommate's bland demeanor, "How can you be so calm? It seems like nothing ever scares you." 

"That's a by-product of being bullet proof," Mega-Girl kicked at the ground with her red boot, "But I've certainly been scared before. My fight with Apollo comes to mind. I was worried he'd kill me for sure, until you and Travis figured out how to stop him." 

"I wish Travis was here," Jordan sighed, "Maybe he could help us figure out how to navigate this crazy place. All I see are mountains, in every direction. It's like they're infinite." 

Mega-Girl spotted something out of the corner of her eye and tilted her head confusedly as several black specks dotted the red sky in the direction they came from. 

"What is that?" Jordan wondered, her eyes following Mega-Girl's. 

"I don't know," Mega-Girl strained to see, her eyes squinting. "It looks like little black holes are forming in the sky, but..." 

"They're moving," Jordan noticed, "It's not the sky, it looks more like... I don't know, like a flock of birds." 

"Oh shit," Mega-Girl frowned, "Not birds... that's a flock of demons." 

Jordan grew alarmed as the distant sky became more and more obscured, "Oh my god, you're right. There must be thousands of them! Um, MG? What do you say we get out of here?" 

Mega-Girl watched the sea of black suddenly shift, much like a flock of birds would do, and move as one. "They're not after us," she deduced and pointed, "Look, they're going that way." 

"If they're not coming after us," Jordan wondered, "Who are they after?" 

======= 

Hermes watched the sky blacken as the demon hoard approached him and Apollo, after crossing the River Styx on Charon's boat. "That's a lot of demons," he pointed out, "I'm guessing uncle knows we're here. Do you think we can bargain with them, too?" 

Apollo snorted and readied his spear, "Go - find Penelope. I will delay them." 

"Delay them?!" Hermes gave Apollo an incredulous look, "Brother, I do not doubt your abilities when it comes to combat, but you are only one man and they number in the thousands. We should stick together and flee; they'll be here in a minute." 

"Thou art the fastest being in the universe," Apollo pointed out, "Staying together will only slow thy search. Besides, I do not ever 'flee'. Go. Find Penelope. I will deal with Pluto's army." 

"Very well," Hermes agreed, though he had his doubts. He wondered how much of Apollo's might was diminished in Hades and worried his brother was over-confident, but Hermes knew the sooner they found Penelope the sooner they could leave. 




How to Date a Superhero Ch. 10



To Apollo's naked eye, Hermes simply seemed to vanish. 

He ran fast, as fast as he'd ever run before, covering miles of the charred obsidian ground in a split second. On Earth, and in Olympus, Hermes was always bound by the laws of physics. If he ran too fast he was in danger of igniting the very air around him from the friction of his movement. But the laws of Hades were different and Hermes quickly sensed he could move faster in his uncle's realm than other places. 

It took him seven seconds to locate Pluto's castle and another half second to completely search its innards. Pluto's servants and soldiers were oblivious to his presence, unable to detect something moving too quickly. Once he had determined Penelope was not in the castle, Hermes overheard a servant saying the 'mortals had fled'. He was momentarily confused by the plural reference but had to assume the servant was talking about Penelope. He decided to try a systematic search. 

Hermes envisioned a clock with Pluto's castle at its center. He ran due north, or the twelve o'clock position, for several thousand miles, and then returned. That took him ten seconds. Once back at the castle he ran straight out towards the one o'clock position for roughly the same distance, before once again returning. Then the two o'clock, followed by the three o'clock position, canvassing the foreboding landscape for any sign of Penelope. 

He found Jordan roughly a minute later, standing on a flat plateau in the middle of a vast mountain range. "You look out of place," Hermes smiled at Jordan in her virginal white gown. 

Jordan gasped. To her eyes, Hermes seemed to appear out of thin air, "Who are you?" 

"My name is Hermes," he bowed politely, "Son of Zeus and messenger of Olympus." 

"Are you dead?" Jordan wondered, confused by the sudden appearance of a Greek god. 

"Unfortunately, yes. But I am hoping it is a temporary affliction. This may sound strange, but is there any chance you might know a young lady by the name of Penelope Swann? She's a feisty little blonde who can fly and juggle boulders." 

"Yes!" Jordan replied excitedly, "She's my roommate! I mean, she was my roommate, before we died." 

"Interesting," Hermes mused, "And how is it you are here?" 

"I'm still trying to figure that out myself. I don't even remember dying." 

Hermes grinned, "No, my dear - I am wondering how it is you are standing alone in the middle of this mountain range." 

"Oh!" Jordan approached him, "I was with MG... Penelope, we were trying to find a river and a boat to get out of this hellhole when we saw a bunch of demons flying that way." She pointed, "Penelope flew after them to see what was up. Hopefully she's back soon. Are you here to help us?" 

"I am," Hermes inclined his head, "My brother Apollo is here as well." 

Jordan looked hopeful, "Apollo is here?" 

======= 

Amidst a sea of snarling, gnashing, and clawing demons a continuous flash of bright silver shined like a beacon of carnage. Apollo's quicksilver spear, a magical construct crafted by Hephaestus himself, fed on demonic flesh with unrivaled hunger.  

Covered in the blood and ichor of his enemies, Apollo wielded his weapon with the ferocity of a man possessed by pure rage, "COME, DEMONS! RUSH TO APOLLO AND FIND THY TRUE DEATH!!" 

Demons howled in pain at the spear's terrible bite, discovering too late that the weapon had been enchanted specifically to combat their ilk. Apollo skewered them two at a time with each thrust. With every swing the spear's sharp head tore the flesh from a half dozen enemies at a time. Whenever Apollo threw it to impale a flying demon, it magically returned to his hand ready to slay more of the hoard. 

But Apollo was only one man and the demons seemed limitless. Without a sun to fuel his strength, Apollo felt his limbs begin to tire and weaken. The enchanted spear gave him a clear advantage, however Apollo knew it was only a matter of time before simple numbers would overwhelm him. His armors, along with his natural invulnerability, protected him from most of the demon's blows, but like his strength Apollo's invulnerability needed the light of the sun to replenish it. Hundreds of dead foes lay in his wake, but thousands more poured towards the battle. When Apollo felled one, two more entered the fray to take its place. He didn't know how long he could maintain his pace of war before his godly power ran out. Minutes? Hours? 

"Die!" he screamed, stabbing a demon through its chest while choking the life from another, "Know that Apollo is thy doom, fiends!" 

Swinging his spear in a massive 360 degree arc, Apollo cleared enough space around himself on the battlefield to catch his breath for a short moment. His rest was quickly upset as a literal wave of demons rose into the air before him, threatening to fall on his position and consume him. The hoard moved as one, as though possessed by a collective mind, in an attempt to overwhelm the sun god. 

Apollo lifted his spear into the air, its quicksilver surface flaring brilliantly, and roared in defiance towards his impending defeat. 

But then, impossibly, a streak of crimson shot through the air and blasted through the wave of demons like a comet. The formation crumbled quickly against the attack and suddenly the tide of battle had turned. 

Mega-Girl didn't have an enchanted weapon made by the blacksmith of the gods, she only had her fists, but the demons quickly learned they were equally as dangerous. Mega-Girl did not share Apollo's weakness and let loose the full power of her considerable strength. Demon bodies tumbled through the air as she threw opponents out of her way, punching and kicking any others who got too close. She was simply too strong, too powerful, and too invulnerable for the demon soldiers to stop. 

Inspired by the appearance of his beloved Penelope, Apollo re-entered the fray. The two heroes, bolstered by the presence of each other, became almost unstoppable. Their enemies parted before their respective paths as Apollo and Mega-Girl fought towards one another, the army of demons temporarily fleeing to regroup. 

It took only a few moments before the two warriors fought their way to one another and enjoyed a temporary respite on the battlefield. The corpses of a thousand demons lay littered around them, and thousands more circled in the air above them in what could almost be described as a holding pattern, but for a moment they were alone. 

"Apollo!" Mega-Girl threw her arms around his neck, heedless of the demonic gore covering Apollo's form. She pressed her lips against his, kissing him with a passion fueled by adrenaline and hope, "I can't believe you're here! I can't believe you came for me." 

Apollo clasped her form to his tightly, "I would rather die a thousand deaths than live another day without thee." 

"But how?" she hugged him, "How is it you're here?" 

"Hercules killed me," Apollo answered. 

"What!?" 

"Worry not," Apollo was still breathing heavily, "I asked him to do it." 

"You died to come here?" Mega-Girl sounded amazed, "You literally died for me? To save me?" 

Apollo wiped a leather bracer across his face, smearing sweat and blood across his forehead, "Aye, though it is you who has saved me. I am weakening by the second, Penelope." He looked up at the demons, who appeared to be reforming as they flew and circled, regrouping for another battle, "We don't have long before this battle will begin anew. We must away to the River Styx and be gone from this wretched place." 

"I can't leave without Jordan," Mega-Girl let go of him, ready to act. 

Apollo looked confused, "Thy roommate is here?" 

Mega-Girl nodded, "Long story. I left her on a mountain, a couple hundred miles from here. Should only take me a few minutes to fetch her." 

"Hermes as well," Apollo mentioned. 

"Hermes is here? He died too?" 

"Aye, he insisted on escorting me." 

"Where is he?" 

"Looking for you." 

"Fear not," a voice sounded from behind the pair as Hermes suddenly appeared with Jordan riding piggy-back; her arms clung around his neck, "As usual, I have managed to run everyone's errands." 

"That was incredible!" Jordan sounded delighted as she hopped off Hermes' back, "I never imagined what it would be like to move so fast!" She looked around the battlefield at the demonic corpses littering the ground, "Holy shit, what happened here?" 

"Hermes!" Mega-Girl ran to him and gave the curly-haired god a massive hug. 

Hermes chuckled at the gesture and hugged her back, "It is good to see you too, child." 

"It is time to leave," Apollo broke the tender moment, "Pluto's forces will re-engage us soon." 

Hermes glanced upwards to the gathering demons. They reminded him of buzzards circling a dying man in the desert, "I agree." 

"Do you two have a way out of here?" Jordan sounded hopeful. 

"We need to get back to the river," Hermes explained, "And Charon, whom we made a bargain with. But that demon army is likely to follow and make things rather difficult for us." 

"Pluto has yet to show himself as well," Apollo warned forebodingly. 

"Can you teleport?" Mega-Girl asked Apollo. 

He nodded. 

"Then go," she ordered, "Take Jordan and Hermes to the river and make your arrangements with the boat guy. I'll deal with this army as well as Pluto." 

"No," Apollo shook his head firmly, "I will not leave thee." 

"Hermes can't carry you both and you need to move fast to outpace any of Pluto's forces who pursue. Don't worry; I'll get there as soon as I can - as soon as I take out as many of these fuckers as I can." 

"MG," Jordan pleaded, "Apollo can teleport all of us, let's just go. Please, what you're talking about... it's suicide." 

Mega-Girl balled her fist into her other palm and cracked her knuckles, "You guys are going to have to trust me. I need to make sure this ends here. I don't want Pluto ever coming after either of us again, so I'm going to send him a message. One he can't refuse." 

"Nay!" Apollo refused, unable to accept parting ways with Mega-Girl so soon after their reunion. 

"Brother," Hermes laid a hand on Apollo's shoulder, "Remember what I told you and Hercules? I trust her ability to fight her way back to us. You must trust her." 

Mega-Girl lifted her hands to cup Apollo's cheeks and kissed him again, "Go - get Jordan and your brother to safety. Be a hero, Apollo, and let me be the ferocious one this time. Let me be the lioness." 

Jordan watched them kiss, "I thought you two broke up?" 

Apollo still seemed hesitant. 

"I'll meet you at the river," Mega-Girl assured him, "I won't be long." 

Apollo finally relented and turned to collect Hermes and Jordan at his sides, "I will give chase if you fail to fulfill thy promise." 

Mega-Girl nodded. 

Jordan gave her best friend a quick hug before moving to Apollo, "Good luck, MG." 

"Godspeed," was Hermes' only words. 

A flash of light preceded their departure and then Mega-Girl was alone. Her expression steeled, her fists balled, and she looked up at the circling demons, "All right you hell-spawned sons of bitches, let's see what you've got." 

She took off into the air like a bullet, aiming her flight towards Pluto's castle. Mega-Girl had failed to mention to the others that she had sensed something about Hades that gave her the advantage. Not knowing why, she felt as though the realm itself was somehow catering to her. Mega-Girl first noticed it in Pluto's castle when she found herself suddenly dressed in her costume and her hair had grown out to her preferred length. She speculated that it was because she didn't belong, she was a mortal in a place where only gods belonged. It felt to her as though the very nature of Hades itself wanted her to leave and was subtly helping her. 

Mega-Girl prayed she was right and picked up speed. The demon throng gave chase, moving as a flock to follow, like a sea of leathery black blotting the red sky behind her. 

======= 

Charon was waiting on the bank of the River Styx, its blackened waters flowing behind him, when the air sizzled and flashed from Apollo's teleportation. His expressionless form didn't appear to react towards the arrival of Apollo, Hermes, and Jordan in any way. 

Jordan saw the skeletal boatman and stuck close to Hermes, "What the heck is that?" 

"A liche," Hermes answered simply, "Many powerful sorcerers choose an eternity of undeath as a way of maintaining their power or wealth, unable to give up the things they achieved in life. Charon has served Pluto for as long as I can remember, so he is very ancient and likely very powerful." 

"Can we trust him?" Jordan murmured, hoping Charon couldn't overhear. 

"We're about to find out," Hermes replied. 

The three approached Charon and the small wooden boat tethered to shore behind him. 

"I see you have found your mortal," Charon hissed, "But not without strife; you are covered with the blood of your enemies, Apollo." 

"We have found a mortal," Hermes clarified, "We're waiting on one more." 

"The bargain was for three," Charon reminded. 

"We need to alter the bargain," Apollo growled, reaching towards the spear at his back. 

"Calm yourself, sun god. Both of your mortals do not belong in Hades and the realm itself protests their presence. I will ferry the four of you through the dimensional barrier... once I have the conduit." 

Apollo looked to Hermes. 

Withdrawing the spherical marble from his pocket Hermes lamented, "I hate to part with it. I just obtained it." 

"It is of no use to you here," Charon spoke without emotion, "and without it you may never leave." 

Hermes sighed, "Then I suppose it is fulfilling its purpose." 

Jordan watched the conversation quietly, amazed by the calm of her companions in the face of their current situation. Gods were talking to a skeleton, in another dimension, and they were all dead. The situation was far over her head and Jordan realized the only reason she was even there was because she happened to be the roommate of a superhero. In that surreal moment on the bank of the Styx, Jordan thought of Travis; she suddenly understood why he didn't want to date Penelope after finding out she was Mega-Girl. Travis had said he wanted a normal life, without the potential of a superhero's enemies threatening harm at every turn. Somehow he knew the chaotic life of a costumed crime-fighter would eventually intrude on any normalcy, a lesson Jordan had to die in order to learn. 

If they made it back, Jordan silently wondered if she would be able to continue playing her role of 'Harbinger'. 

======= 

When Pluto's massive black castle appeared on the horizon, Mega-Girl stretched her fists forward and accelerated past any speed she had ever achieved. It was as though Hades was fueling her power and she felt stronger and faster than ever before. Gritting her teeth, she lowered the elevation of her flight to skim the surface of the ground. A plume of black dust was kicked up behind by the air-displacement of her speed, like a jet-fighter skimming over water. 

The demon throng giving chase was far behind, unable to keep pace. But they saw, and eventually heard (as sound travels slower), the first impact. Mega-Girl hit the castle with the power of a meteor, shattering its obsidian walls, careening through its innards, and blasting out the other side. After circling around, she hit it again. Each impact thundered through the air like an explosion, causing the entire structure to shudder. 

Demons and human servants alike fled from the building, running out doors and jumping out of balconies, thinking they were under attack. They were, but not by any army or siege catapults - but by a 5'7" pissed-off blonde. 

Blasting through the castle for the third time brought down several support walls and nearly half of the massive building collapsed upon itself, a plume of dust and debris rising high into the red sky. Mega-Girl yelled in triumph as she circled around again but then an eldritch bolt of magical energy struck, stunning and felling her to the ground several hundred yards from the collapsing castle. 

"Enough!" Pluto growled angrily, able to fly as well and landing nearby, "Stupid cow! Your insolence has cost me greatly." 

Mega-Girl shook the cobwebs from her head and regained her feet to face the Lord of Hades. 

"You and your friends have made a valiant effort, but there is no escape from my realm. Even now, so close to freedom, you will find your efforts have all been for naught. Soon you will be my wife and the heads of Hermes and mighty Apollo will decorate the halls of my castle." 

Mega-Girl wiped her face with the back of a hand, clearing dust and dirt away from her mouth, "Your castle is rubble, you son of a bitch." 

"Castles can be rebuilt," Pluto chuckled humorlessly, "Now, I would like to introduce you to my favorite pet." 

A growling sound was the first hint of its presence and Mega-Girl turned towards the noise. Through the fog and dust stepped a massive creature, nearly thirty feet tall. A hellhound with three heads, the paws of a lion, a serpent's tail, and a slithering mane of a thousand snakes. 

"You've got to be shitting me," Mega-Girl's fists balled, "You're sending giant dog-things after me, now?" 

"Cerberus!" Pluto ordered, "Teach my fiancé some obedience." 

The giant hellhound lunged forward, snarling out an echoing bark and spitting fire. The flames singed Mega-Girl's costume but she was otherwise unharmed when Cerberus tried to bite her with teeth a foot long. Mega-Girl deftly side-stepped the attack and leveled a punch on the hound's snout, causing the head to reel back and yelp. 

But Cerberus had two other heads. 

Both of them nipped and bit towards Mega-Girl, forcing her to dodge and roll away. She scrambled to her feet and tried to fly upwards out of its reach, but Cerberus snatched her out of mid-air with a paw and batted her back to the ground. 

On her back, Mega-Girl had to kick at the hound's snapping jaws to keep them at bay, but she didn't account for its serpent mane. One of the snakes spit a glob of poison at her, giving Mega-Girl a mouthful of the foul substance. She spit and coughed it out, but the distraction gave Cerberus the opening it needed and the middle of three heads snatched Mega-Girl up into its jaws and swallowed her whole. 

Pluto laughed, "That should teach her some humility!" 

Two of Cerberus' heads howled in triumph, but the one that swallowed Mega-Girl seemed ill. It whimpered and yelped, the hound momentarily staggered by something. 

"What is it my pet?" Pluto watched it stumble and fall. He startled when a red-gloved fist suddenly erupted from Cerberus' belly. 

In a gruesome exit, Mega-Girl ripped the animal's flesh and crawled from its innards. She was unharmed but covered with the gore from her efforts. 

"That was really gross," she noted dryly, wiping blood and ichor away from her eyes. 

Pluto was furious, "You dare!?" He thrust both arms forward and hurled his eldritch energy towards Mega-Girl, a beam of crackling magic that blasted her off her feet once more. Pluto's magic wasn't like any physical force and Mega-Girl's invulnerability wasn't as effective against it. 

When she tried to get up, Pluto hit her again. 

The agony was almost unbearable as the crackling energy battered Mega-Girl's petite frame, but she refused to succumb. There would be no rescue, she knew. The World League would not show up to save the day, Apollo was drained of much of his strength, and Mega-Girl was on her own. 

Or so she thought. 

Once again she felt an unearthly energy fill her body as Hades fueled her strength, rejecting its Lord and his unholy plan. Slowly, Mega-Girl pushed herself to her hands and knees in an attempt to stand. Pluto screamed in anger, sensing his realm was aiding Mega-Girl's resistance to his eldritch blasts. 




How to Date a Superhero Ch. 10



"No!" he yelled in defiance as Mega-Girl gained her feet, "This is impossible! I am Lord of Hades! I am in control of the Underworld! Here, I am the master!!" 

"Whatever," Mega-Girl swung her arms and slammed her palms together in a massive clap, sending a shockwave of air and sound to stagger Pluto and interrupt his magical assault. 

Pluto was one of the oldest beings in existence, and normally in the Underworld his strength and power were supreme as he could draw on the very energy of his realms. But at that moment, Hades had betrayed him. Mega-Girl and Jordan were mortals of Earth and their fates should not have been the Olympian underworld; they were like drops of oil in a pool of water - they simply did not belong. Hades was amplifying Mega-Girl's (already) considerable strength, helping her balance the laws of nature. 

Shooting forward, Mega-Girl was on him in an instant, raining blows upon Pluto with such strength and ferocity that he was unable to protect himself. When he fell to the ground Mega-Girl straddled his form and punched Pluto repeatedly across his face until he no longer offered any resistance. 

Pluto's army of demons had finally arrived but did not engage, remaining high in the sky and circling. They sensed Pluto was out of favor and served Hades first, Lord Pluto second. They watched as Mega-Girl lifted their master into the air by his neck. 

"You are going to leave Jordan and me alone for the rest of our lives," Mega-Girl threatened as she held Pluto aloft, "I am not going to marry you, or bear your children, or wage war on Olympus. Not now, not a thousand years from now. Do you understand?" 

Pluto's prone form hung unconscious in Mega-Girl's grip. She simply dropped him to the dirt at her feet. 

"I'll take that as a 'yes'." 

======= 

Long after Lilly Swann left, Travis remained at Mega-Girl's gravesite. He was sitting on the ground, listening to the late-night crickets endlessly chirping. He was thinking back to when the two had met, after Mega-Girl had rescued him from a burning car following a horrible freeway accident. Travis had awkwardly asked her out for coffee, beguiled by her fame and beauty, and she had accepted. He couldn't help but wonder if they would have dated longer, had Mega-Girl not also pursued him as her secret identity - Penny. But if Mega-Girl wouldn't have had a secret identity Travis probably would have never met Jordan, and he missed her with equal anguish. 

Glancing at his cell phone, Travis saw that it was nearly three in the morning. He had been sitting there for the better part of three hours lost in thought and had lost track of time. Rising to his feet and dusting off his shorts, Travis turned to leave when he heard a strange noise coming from the ground beneath his feet. He turned to glance back at the grave when a red-gloved hand emerged from dirt. 

"Holy shit!" Travis jumped back, afraid. 

The ground suddenly gave way and Mega-Girl emerged, crawling head and arms from her own grave. She gasped for fresh air, her long blonde hair caked with dirt. She was wearing her costume, which her mother had her buried in. 

"Penny?!" Travis wasn't sure he could believe his eyes, wondering if the zombie apocalypse had finally arrived. 

Mega-Girl spat out some dirt, still buried from the sternum down. "Travis?" she looked surprised to see him, "What are you doing here? Wait, where am I?" 

"Jesus!" Travis rushed forward to help her, grabbing her beneath an arm and helping her crawl out of the ground. "You're alive!" 

Mega-Girl wiped her mouth with a wrist and looked around, "Is this a cemetery?" 

"Uh, yeah, McFarlane National Cemetery, where you were buried! My god, I thought you were dead. We all thought, I mean... you were dead!" 

"I was, but... I wasn't in Hades for more than half a day," she looked at her own gravestone, "How did you have time to bury me already?" 

"You've been dead a month!" Travis remarked, still in disbelief. 

"Wait, a month? So Jordan's been buried as well?" 

Travis nodded, "Yeah, of course." He pointed, "Her grave is just over that way." 

Mega-Girl's eyes widened with alarm, "Show me!" 

"But..." Travis hesitated. 

"Now, Travis!" Mega-Girl yelled urgently. 

"Yeah, yeah," he nodded and hurriedly jogged towards Jordan's gravestone. 

Mega-Girl followed, dirt and dust falling from her petite frame. When they arrived to Jordan's gravestone she dropped to her knees and frantically began scooping dirt away, upheaving piles of earth at a time with her super strength. It took perhaps thirty seconds for her to reach the wooden top of a coffin. 

"Penny?" Travis watched, "What's going on? What are you doing?" 

"Jordan!" Mega-Girl yelled. 

A muffled scream came from inside the coffin along with pounding noises as someone inside banged their hand against the top. 

"Oh my god," Travis dropped to his knees at the edge of the hole Mega-Girl dug, "Is that Jordan?!" 

"Hang-on, Jordan!" Mega-Girl yelled so that Jordan could hear her. She frantically pushed and swept more dirt away, shoveling it away with her palms. Once she had enough of the coffins surface revealed, she punched a hand through the wood. 

Jordan's voice came through the hole, "MG, is that you?" 

Wood splintered as Mega-Girl tore apart the top of the coffin, making enough of a hole to climb through. "Jesus Christ," Jordan gasped as she emerged from the coffin. "What the hell is going on?" 

"I don't fucking believe this," Travis watched. He briefly wondered if he was dreaming. 

"We made it," Mega-Girl smiled, tears coming from her eyes. "We're back on Earth. We're alive!" 

With some help from her best friend Jordan crawled out of the coffin, "The last thing I remember is riding in that rickety boat across the River Styx and entering a thick fog..." she glanced upwards, "Travis?! Oh my god, Travis is that really you?"  

"I can't believe you guys are alive," Travis laughed, tears in his eyes as well. "How is this possible?" 

"Long story," Jordan grinned, reaching up to let Travis pull her out of the hole. "I'm so happy to see you!" she clutched him in a gigantic hug once she was safely on her feet. 

Mega-Girl crawled from the hole and watched the two embrace, happy for their reunion but at the same time a twinge of jealousy echoed in her stomach. 

"What was I doing in a grave?" Jordan read her own name on the gravestone. 

"You were dead," Travis deadpanned. 

"Evidently we've been gone a month," Mega-Girl mentioned. 

"What the fuck am I wearing?" Jordan looked down at herself. A frilly white sundress with yellow sunflowers and a flaring skirt decorated her tan frame. "Is this what my parents let me go to my grave in? Yuck! This is awful." 

Travis laughed, "You're unbelievable! You just came back to life after being dead for a month, and you're worried about what you're wearing?" 

Jordan's nose wrinkled, "I'm a little concerned about that smell, too." 

"I think that's us," Mega-Girl said, "Our dead bodies have been wearing these clothes underground for thirty days." 

Jordan stuck her tongue out, "Ew, gross. Someone take me home so I can shower for three weeks." 

"You don't have a home," Travis reminded, "Come on, my car is in the parking lot. I can take you to my dorm." 

"Are you guys going to be okay?" Mega-Girl asked, "I should go see my mom, and then find Apollo." 

Jordan nodded, "I'll be okay. I should call my parents, too." 

"You can use my cell phone on the way," Travis offered, "But first you're going to explain to me what the hell is going on." 

"I'll meet up with you guys later," Mega-Girl said, then flew up into the air. 

Flying at a leisurely pace towards her mother's house in the suburbs, Mega-Girl smiled warmly at the familiar skyline of Gateway City. 

It was good to be home.



How to Date a Superhero Ch. 11



The air began to sizzle and snap with electricity upon a skyscraper balcony high above Gateway City. A singular sphere of light appeared and expanded, pulsing with energy, before collapsing back in on itself and leaving a man behind. He was tall and muscled, with long blond hair and a clean-shaven, square-jawed face. The man wore armor that made him seem plucked from a time long past, like a Roman soldier who had no idea his empire had crumbled centuries prior. 

"Hey," a woman's voice spoke from behind, causing the man to turn towards a sliding glass door. 

She was still a girl, really, only nineteen years-old and full of youthful vibrancy. Leaning against the door frame she was wearing a men's tank top and briefs, both white, which exposed her slender legs and toned arms. Long, wavy hair was tied back into a lazy ponytail. 

"I used your shower and borrowed some of your clothes," Penny told him, "I hope you don't mind." 

Regarding the 5'7" blonde, he quickly became overcome by how alluring she looked wearing his under-garments. Apollo dropped his spear and helmet to the balcony floor and stalked towards her. Penny helped him close the gap, pressing her body against his leather skirt and breastplate while his muscled arms curled around her. They kissed with the passion of familiar lovers, Penny pushing her tongue into Apollo's mouth and curling a bare leg around one of his. 

The two had woken up from the slumber of death in different locations and hadn't seen one another since returning from Hades, earlier that morning. Penny awoke in a coffin, buried in a cemetery, while Apollo's body had been at Hercules' farm in Texas. Penny flew to Apollo's after a quick visit to her mother and had been awaiting his arrival. 

"You came for me," she whispered with a heated breath against his lips, "You died for me." 

"Aye," Apollo sucked on her lower lip for a moment. They kissed some more before Apollo continued, "I could not bear another day of life without thee." 

Penny began unfastening and pulling at the straps of Apollo's armor; he lifted his breastplate off and let it fall to the balcony floor beside his helmet. She ripped the sleeveless tunic he was wearing beneath, tearing it off his body to reveal his hairless torso. "I can't believe you did that," she pulled his skirt of hardened leather off next, "I can't believe you went to Hades to rescue me." 

"I love thee," Apollo offered as a reason for his actions. 

She kissed him again, heatedly, rubbing her body against his, which encouraged Apollo to paw at her petite frame. Penny lifted to her bare tippy-toes when she felt his hands grab her cotton-covered butt, throwing her arms around Apollo's shoulders as he began sucking on the side of her neck. "I need you inside me," she whispered, tilting her head so that her long hair fell away from his attentions, "I need you to remind me what it feels like to be alive." 

Apollo slid his hand beneath the elastic hem of the briefs she was wearing, the overly large underwear sliding off her legs easily. He spun her around, so Penny's back was to him, and bent her over the balcony railing. An excited gasp escaped Penny's mouth as Apollo handled her with such authority and she let him have his way. She looked down at the city below, the morning rush hour just beginning, as Apollo mounted her from behind. Arching her back, Penny pressed her bottom towards Apollo's invading cock and felt his hands slide beneath the thin cotton material of the sleeveless undershirt she was wearing and clutch at her breasts. 

"Fuck me," she moaned breathlessly. Penny imagined someone in a nearby skyscraper arriving to work and glancing out their office window to see them fucking on the wide open balcony, the exhibitionist thoughts turning her on 

Apollo grunted, aroused by Penny's wanton behavior, and began to swiftly hump against her. His hands groped at her breasts, their weight hanging beneath her sternum, until he felt her nipples grow taut against his rough palms. He quickly found a swift rhythm, Apollo's hips slapping audibly against her butt, and Penny simply left her weight on the brick rail and let Apollo take his pleasure. 

"Fuck me," she repeated, her tone practically begging. Apollo's thrusts grew in intensity almost immediately and his hands mauled at her breasts, squeezing and clutching at them hungrily. His arms were stretching the material of the tank top she had on, despite the fact that the men's garment was already loose on her hourglass frame. 

"Oh fuck," Penny's entire body shuddered with pleasure as Apollo took his own. She enjoyed being Apollo's slam-piece and grew more and more aroused the rougher he manhandled her. When Apollo let go of her breasts and took Penny by the wrists, pulling her arms straight back and behind her, she was without any leverage and helpless against his deep thrusts. "Uhn! Oh god... make me your woman," she gasped at him, "Use me, use my body... oh god, Apollo... oh fuck..." 

Apollo pinned one of her arms against the small of her back. With his other hand he grabbed her by the neck and pulled her torso up, so that her back pressed against his smooth chest. Penny turned her head and pressed her lips against his jaw line until he kissed her. Their mouths remained locked as he fucked her, tongues entwined with heated passion. Orgasmic spasms echoed through Penny's entire body and her sex leaked its pleasure profusely, her fluids dripping out and wetting Apollo's scrotum and pubic hair. 

"Penelope," Apollo moaned with a suddenly desperate voice. Her sexy body was writhing against him, her orgasm shuddering around his cock, and he sensed his own pending explosion. 

"Are you going to cum?" she asked distractedly, nearly lost to the moment but cognizant enough to sense the arousal in Apollo's voice. 

"Aye," he grunted, his thrusting hips thundering behind her. 

"Do it inside me," she begged, "I'm your lioness... your seed belongs inside me... cum inside me, my lion." 

Apollo growled at her words and pushed himself deeply into her sex. Penny could feel the wet heat of his orgasm spilling into her innards as Apollo's body went rigid. Only his hips moved, bucking sharply as he emptied his pleasure into her. She had to prop herself against the balcony with outstretched arms as Apollo humped his orgasm free, losing control of his super-human strength. Penny took it as only she could, as only someone as sturdy as a Greek god was able. 

When it was over, Apollo withdrew from her sheath and a long bead of his semen followed. It leaked out and fell to the balcony floor between her legs. Penny reached between her thighs and caught some of it on her fingers, drawing it to her lips for a taste. She imagined the rest of his cum inside her womb, penetrating her egg, making her pregnant. The thoughts were not displeasing. Penny realized Apollo was the only man on Earth who could truly claim her. He was the only man with enough strength and power to make any dominion over her real; and when it came to lovemaking Penny had a very submissive nature. Apollo satisfied her sexual needs completely. 

Penny turned to face him, letting Apollo see her lick his pleasure off her fingers. She never looked sexier to his eyes, standing in the morning sun with his tank top hanging off her slender figure; her sizable cleavage was barely contained by the stretched-out material and her blonde hair was a wild mess from their lovemaking. She was naked from the waist down and her toned thighs were still quivering with the aftermath of orgasm. 

"Thy beauty is unrivaled," he told her. 

Penny sat on the balcony rail and lifted a bare foot to Apollo's hip, bracing it beside his slowly softening cock. "Do you want to fuck me again?" she proposed in a sultry tone. 

"I have been without my lioness far too long," Apollo said, pushing her foot out of the way and stepping between her legs, "I would have you all day." 

Penny smiled and wrapped her ankles around his waist as Apollo grabbed her by the butt and lifted her into the air, "You better take me inside, lover, before a traffic copter flies by and we end up on the evening news." 

======= 

Slipping quietly into a cozy dorm room, Jordan closed the door behind her. "Thank god the dorms here are co-ed," she said, drying her long red hair with a fluffy towel; a second towel was wrapped around her tanned figure, "I really needed a shower." 

Travis was seated at a desk in front of his laptop, bathed in the light of a small lamp; it was still early in the morning and the sun had barely risen. "I only see one potential problem," he said, wearing a pair of baggy cargo shorts and a tee shirt. 

"I just came back from being dead," she seemed to be in an excellent mood, "Any other problems I might have are small potatoes compared to that." 

"You don't have any clothes," Travis reminded her, "Except the dress you were buried in." 

Jordan's face soured at the thought of again wearing something that was on her dead corpse for a month underground, "You burnt that, right?" 

"I will," Travis promised with a grin, "But unless you're planning on walking around in a towel, I'll need to come up with something for you to wear." 

"Don't worry about it," Jordan gestured dismissively, "When I talked to my mom she said she still has some of my stuff boxed up. She'll bring clothes by later. Until then, you'll just have to put up with my nakedness." 

Travis regarded her flawless legs and scratched his temple, "Shouldn't be a problem." 

Looking for some skin moisturizer in Travis' closet, Jordan spotted something that looked like a woman's bathing suit folded beneath some of his clothes. Curious, she pulled it out and held up the garment; it was a Mega-Girl costume. 

Travis saw what she was looking at, "Oh, um, Penny left that here when she was staying with me. After the funeral I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it." 

"Yeah," Jordan nodded, staring at the costume, "She mentioned she was staying here with you, after I died." 

"Nothing happened," he was quick to mention, sensing some sudden tension. 

She exhaled a humorless laugh, "Penny said the exact same thing." 

"It's true," Travis watched her, gauging her sudden shift in mood. 

"I believe you," Jordan replaced the costume, "But the fact that you both had to assure me nothing happened tells me something easily could have happened." She turned towards him and asked bluntly, "Are you in love with Penny?" 

"I..." Travis started, pausing to consider the unexpected question. 

"You were at her grave," Jordan pointed out. 

"Huh?" Travis looked to her with no small amount of fluster. 

"This morning, when we came back to life, you were at the cemetery visiting Penny's grave," Jordan pushed a hand through her hair trying to pretend that it didn't bother her as much as it did, "Not mine." 

"I don't want to date a superhero," Travis stated definitively. 

"I believe that too," Jordan smiled weakly, "But that doesn't mean you're not in love with her. The heart wants what it wants, you know? I never wanted to fall for my roommate's ex-boyfriend, for example, but I did." 

"Yeah, well..." Travis sighed, "I didn't want to fall for my ex-girlfriend's roommate, but I did. I guess if I'm being honest, I wasn't completely over Penny yet when that happened, but I know I want to be with you." 

Jordan turned around and let her towel fall to the floor, displaying her butt long enough to pull one of Travis' tee-shirts over her head. The thing was far too large and protected her modesty well enough, falling to her upper thighs. "I get it," she spoke while changing, "I really do. And I don't mind being your second choice, Travis, as long as I'm really the girl you want to be with. I can't be the girl that's right in your brain, but not your heart. I need to be both." 

"That's fair," Travis stood, "Look, I have to go." 

Jordan glanced at him, wondering where he had to go at six o'clock in the morning. 

"I tried out for the baseball team," he explained, "Me and some of the other guys meet every weekday to work out in the morning, before classes start." 

"You play baseball?" she smiled. 

"I did in high school. After losing you and Penny I went to the GCU spring try-outs," Travis bent to slide a duffel bag out from under his bed, "I needed something to get my mind off losing my two closest friends." 

As Travis slung the bag over a shoulder Jordan approached him and placed a hand at his cheek, "I hope you don't feel like I'm pressuring you. I'm not. We have plenty of time to figure all this out." 

Travis nodded at her with a warm regard, "Just one thing..." 

Jordan raised her brows, "Yeah?" 

"You have a really sexy butt." 

Jordan laughed and placed a quick kiss on his lips. 

"Will you be okay here for an hour or two?" Travis asked, "I feel like I'm running out on you right after you've come back from being dead." 

"I need some sleep anyway," Jordan didn't seem to mind, "Go work out, I'll still be here when you get back. Hopefully my mom will have dropped some clothes off by then and we can go get some brunch or something." 

======= 

Apollo rolled and reached to a drawer at the bedside stand, pulling out a small rectangular plate of wood. It looked ancient, like something out of a museum, and likely was indeed very old. From the same drawer he found a plastic baggy full of marijuana. 

Penny was lying next to him in the bed, a sheet haphazardly draped over her naked form. Her hair was a mess and her face was flush from hours of lovemaking. She glanced aside as Apollo pinched some pot out of the bag and began breaking it up on the plate. "What are you doing?" she wondered curiously, sitting up beside him and clutching the sheet to her chest. 

"I want to smoke," Apollo replied casually, "I like to smoke after marathon sex." 

Penny blushed and smiled shyly, "We have been at it for a few hours, haven't we... is that marijuana?" 

"Aye," Apollo's fingers ground the dried pot buds into a fine powder. 

"That's illegal," Penny pointed out as she watched him, not exactly judging. 

Apollo snorted, "There are many laws of men I choose to ignore." 

"Fair enough," Penny leaned in curiously, "I've never smoked pot." 

"We can share it," Apollo assured her. 

"I probably shouldn't," she pushed a hand through her tangled hair in an effort to sort it out, "I'm already in enough trouble after killing Deathstalker. Before I died, the World League was going to take me into custody. Once the police find out I'm alive again they'll want me to answer for my actions; the last thing I'll need is drugs in my system." 

Apollo reached for some rolling papers, "Do you regret killing him?" 

Penny shook her head, "I probably should, but I don't. He was a monster." 

"Deathstalker was a fiend and a killer. You saved more lives than you ended by killing that villainous cur. How many more would have died by his hands?" 

"But we're not supposed to be judge, jury, and executioner. The costume should mean something - that we stand for order and justice. If we don't, we're just a bunch of colorful vigilantes. What I did was wrong. Even if I don't feel any remorse, I realize that much is true." 

Apollo licked the rolling paper and sealed it shut, "The world is a better place without Deathstalker in it. I will not allow anyone to arrest thee, Penelope. The entire World League would taste my wrath should they attempt to detain my lioness ever again." 

"That's sweet," Penny smiled, "But I can take care of myself." 

Apollo glanced at her with a dry expression, "I had to rescue thy soul from the realm of death." 

Penny became playfully defensive, "That's not fair! Remember who rescued you from that army of demons when we were in Hades?" 

Apollo snorted before placing the joint between his lips. His hands cupped to light it with a plastic Bic. 

"I love that you're so protective of me," she kissed his shoulder, "I really do. And sometimes I need you to be my knight in shining armor. But let me deal with my legal problems, okay?" 

Apollo exhaled a plume of smoke, "Thy might is beyond mortal prisons. To jail thee would be a comical farce that you could escape from easily." 

"That doesn't mean I can act above the law. Besides, they'd probably stick me in the Blockade, where they keep all the super-baddies." 

Apollo sucked down another toke then offered the joint to Penny with a gesture. 

She shook her head at the offer, "Promise me you won't beat-up the World League if they try to arrest me? I thought they were your friends - you used to be on the team, after all." 

"They kicked me out," Apollo said as though he couldn't care less, returning the joint to his lips. 

"Really? Why?" 

"I killed a man." 

"Seriously?" 

"Mortal society has grown too soft on criminals," Apollo reached for an ashtray on his nightstand, "It used to be that thieves had their hands cut off and murderers were hung from gallows. You did nothing wrong, Penelope. Deathstalker deserved his death at thy hands and I will have words with anyone who claims otherwise. The World League has become a team of government puppets, unfit for thy respect. If they seek to imprison my lioness they will become mine enemies and learn keenly the might of Apollo." 

Penny sighed helplessly, "God help me; it turns me on when you talk like that." 

"Why would God need to help you?" Apollo asked literally, stubbing the joint out before placing the ashtray aside. 

"Because the feminists would revoke my girl-card if they heard me," she kissed his shoulder again and reached for his flaccid cock. 

Apollo glanced down to her hand and lifted a brow. 

"I want to make you cum again," Penny murmured. 

Apollo smiled, a rare occurrence on his usually dour face. 

"You have such a nice cock," she grinned demurely, fondling and playing with his penis so that it would grow erect, "I like to watch it cum." 

Apollo trimmed his pubic hair and maintained a half-inch of length, though his scrotum was smooth. Erect, his penis was nine inches with a crowning mushroom head and enviable girth. As Penny began caressing the shaft it quickly grew to its aroused stature; she exhaled an impressed breath at its size. 

"No matter how many times you cum," she marveled, "You can always get hard again." 

"One of the many benefits of being an Olympian," he replied, leaning back against the bed's headboard to watch her play. He slipped an arm around her and caressed Penny's bare back, causing her to slink her petite frame against his side. 

"I love it," she ran the tips of her fingers along the underside of his shaft as it grew and lay on his belly. It twitched slightly at her teasing touch. 

"It is thine," he whispered. 

Penny glanced at him, "Hmm?" 

"My cock," he clarified, "It is thine. No other shall ever experience its magnificence for as long as I am with thee." 

Penny held back a laugh, "You're so arrogant sometimes. I mean, it is magnificent - don't get me wrong. But you shouldn't brag." 

Apollo snorted, "Another Olympian trait." 

"I appreciate your sentiment," she craned her neck to give him a sweet kiss on the cheek, "It's good to know I'm the only woman in your life." As she began stroking his erection with a tight grip, Penny leaned over to spit some lubricating saliva over her hand. Apollo sucked in a breath, turned-on by her efforts, and reached to grab one of her hanging breasts. Penny smiled at his touch. "You haven't been able to keep your hands off my boobs all morning," she noted, not displeased. 

"Thy body arouses me," he spoke with his deep, baritone voice. Apollo kneaded his fingers into her breast flesh, caressing its nipple with a thumb until it grew taut. 

Penny was having a tough time concentrating on masturbating him, his hand creating tingles of pleasure through her breast. "That feels good," she murmured, laying her head against his muscled chest and curling a leg over his. 




How to Date a Superhero Ch. 11



"Aye," Apollo agreed, pre-cum starting to form at the tip of his cock. Penny smeared it around his cockhead, the fluid creating thin strands of stickiness between his flesh and the tip of her thumb. 

Penny whimpered as she felt him pinch her erect nipple, tightening her leg around his. She began jerking him off swiftly, her saliva and his pre-seminal fluid providing plenty of lubrication, "I love it when you touch me. I love knowing that I turn you on. What can I do? Tell me what else I can do to make you cum." 

Apollo exhaled a stuttered breath, "Thy hand is providing adequate pleasure." He was still clutching her breast, squeezing and groping. 

"I want to please you, Apollo." She kissed his chest before pivoting her head against it to look up at his face, "If I'm going to be the only girl in your life, I need to make sure I satisfy you." 

"I want to taste thy sex," he suddenly admitted. 

Penny smiled playfully, "You want to eat me out? That would turn you on?" 

"Aye," he nodded. 

Penny straightened his erection so that it pointed straight up at the ceiling, then released it so that it slapped against his stomach. Then she pumped it with her fist, rapidly, before letting go and watching Apollo's cock twitch with need at her missing touch. "You want to eat my cunt?" she asked again. 

He glanced at her language. 

"It's okay," she assured him, "I don't know why, but dirty words turn me on. Like 'cunt'. Tell me you want to eat my cunt." 

Apollo bent his neck to kiss her. He whispered gruffly, "I want to eat thy cunt." 

Penny kissed him back, her lips hungry. 

"I want to taste thy cunt," he continued to talk dirty, "I want to swallow thy arousal, take you inside me and add thy essence to mine own." Apollo felt Penny grinding her pussy against his thigh as he spoke, humping his leg, his words making her wet and heated. 

"Yeah," she breathed, "I want that too. That's so fucking hot." 

Momentarily abandoning her masturbatory duties, Penny unattached herself from Apollo's side and moved to her hands and knees; her arousal left a wet smear on his leg from where she was humping against him. Crawling over him, she situated herself into a sixty-nine position. Once her glistening sex was above his face, Apollo wasted no time. His strong hands gripped her ass cheeks and pulled her down onto his face, his mouth opening to taste her. 

"Oh fuck," Penny moaned as she felt Apollo's tongue penetrate her slit. She grabbed his cock at its base and ran her grip up and down the shaft several times. It was difficult for her to focus on his pleasure because she quickly became pre-occupied with her own. Apollo was almost literally eating her, hungrily lapping up her juices. Whenever his tongue made contact with her clitoris it sent sparks of electricity through her, causing her to push herself back onto his face. 

A muffled moan escaped from Apollo when he felt the warmth of Penny's mouth suddenly surround the top third of his erection. His hips bucked slightly, pushing his shaft further into her mouth. Penny took as much of his length as she could, using her hand to stroke the remaining portion of his cock beneath her lips. The couple continued pleasuring one another this way for several minutes, each of them grunting, moaning, and driving the other crazy. 

Penny was practically sitting on Apollo's face - rubbing, grinding, and leaving her wetness all over his cheeks. Her pussy was leaking onto his chin, despite the fact that Apollo attempted to lick up all the fluids he could. Apollo found her flavor intoxicating, wrapping his arms around her hips and clamping his mouth onto her clitoris. 

Penny cried out as Apollo teased her button with the tip of his tongue, her mouth leaving his cock. Her hand remained, however, and he spontaneously erupted as she jacked him off. Barely a grunt escaped Apollo's throat to signal his orgasm, because his face was buried between Penny's thighs, but pearly semen shot out nonetheless. It splattered against Penny's face, ropes of the musky fluid landing around her nose and across her lips. 

"Oh shit!" Penny was overcome as the feeling and scent of Apollo's cum sent her over the edge. Her orgasm carried with it a flood of moisture to flow into his still-hungry mouth. She humped his face, gasping and gyrating above him, wiping Apollo's cum off her lip with a hand and licking its flavor off her fingers. 

The waves of pleasure finally subsided and Penny's body slumped onto Apollo's, her legs still quivering. She kept his cock in her hands, cuddling against its softening length and pressing several soft kisses upon it. 

"Okay," Penny was the first to speak as she pushed some hair matted with sweat off her forehead, "I'm ready for some of that pot, now." 

======= 

After waiting in line for nearly half an hour at GCU's Admissions Department, it was finally Jordan's turn. She stepped up to a desk-window where an overweight woman was working; she had a nametag that said her name was 'Ruth' and looked profoundly bored. "Hi, Ruth," Jordan smiled, "My name is Jordan Summers; I need to get my student status re-instated." 

"What was the reason for revocation?" Ruth asked in a dry, monotonous tone. 

"Um," Jordan licked her lips, "I was dead." 

Ruth offered a blank stare. 

"I died about a month ago," Jordan opened a manila envelope and offered a death certificate, "But I'm back now." 

"Is this some kind of joke, honey?" 

Jordan shook her head, "No, definitely not a joke." She then provided two forms of picture identification, "Here's my driver's license and student card. As you can see, I'm very much alive. I'd also like to apply for dormitory housing because I lost my apartment." 

"All re-instatements take two to four weeks for processing," Ruth turned to her side and made photo copies of Jordan's documents, "Dorm capacity is full but I'll add you to the list for next year." 

"But the spring semester will nearly be over in a month," Jordan complained, "Are you telling me I have to re-take all my classes from this semester again next fall?" 

"Dying sucks," Ruth didn't seem to care, sliding Jordan's identification back to her. 

"Tell me about it," Jordan frowned. 

Ruth slapped a piece of paper on the counter, "Fill out this form and we'll mail you once your re-instatement has been completed. Thank you. NEXT!" 

Jordan sighed and took the paper, turning. Travis was waiting for her by the door. 

"How'd it go?" he asked. 

"Don't ask," Jordan growled, slinging a purse over her shoulder. Her red-dyed hair was tied back into a pony tail; she was wearing a pair of faded blue jeans, with holes at the knees, and a GCU tee shirt. 

Travis walked with her out of the admissions office, "That bad, huh?" 

"Basically I have to wait until fall semester, when I can re-enroll for all the classes I was already acing when I was killed." She sighed, "Plus, until then I'm homeless, which means I'll have to move back in with my parents." 

"You could keep staying with me," Travis offered. 

"Your dorm room is barely habitable for one person much less two," Jordan sighed, "Besides, my mom gave me so much shit this morning when she brought my clothes. She said I was living in sin by staying with you." 

Travis grinned, "I take it your family is Catholic?" 

Jordan nodded with a frown. The couple left the administrations building and began crossing the quad. It was a bright, sunny day and other students littered the grassy area reading, playing Frisbee, or just walking. 

"What's Penny going to do? She's as homeless as you are." 

"She'll probably just stay with Apollo," Jordan assumed. 

"Penny told me they broke up," Travis frowned. 

"They did," Jordan affirmed, "But he died to go to Hades, fought an army of demons, and made a deal with some undead liche-guy to bring us all back to life. There's no way Penny won't take him back after that." 

Travis sighed, "Yeah, I guess that was pretty righteous of him. So, what's next on your list?" 

Jordan pulled a folded piece of paper out of her pocket, "I've got to go to the county courthouse and bring myself back to life with the government, but that can wait; I need a new smartphone and a laptop, first. I'm going nuts without a phone or a computer." 

"All right, I'll drive you." 

Jordan glanced at him, "When did you get a car?" 

"A couple weeks ago," Travis replied, "My sister got a new car and sold me her old one real cheap." 

"Sweet," Jordan slipped her arm around his, "But I get to pick the radio station." 

======= 

Penny sat on Apollo's wide leather couch, bare legs curled at her side. She was wearing one of Apollo's buttoned shirts and nothing else, the too-long sleeves rolled up her wrists. The television was playing an expose on her life titled 'Mega-Girl: the true story of her life and death'. 

"This show has everything wrong," she gestured at the screen, "How could they think I'm a natural brunette? And they keep saying the Leviathan killed me, which is completely not true. Someone else killed me with that damn bow of your sister's. Speaking of which, when I find out who did that there's going to be hell to pay. Although, I hope it wasn't Two-Fold... that would just be embarrassing." 

Apollo was naked at a nearby table cleaning blood off his spear, "You shouldn't pay attention to thine own press. The media jackals are rarely accurate." 

Penny turned the television off with a remote, "I'm bored, there's nothing else to do. Unless you want to have some more sex?" 

"Even a god's stamina needs to replenish." 

Penny sighed, "I know, I'm just hiding and putting off the inevitable. Eventually people are going to find out I'm not dead, and now I don't have a secret identity to hide behind. Everywhere I go people will recognize me. I don't even know if I'll be able to go back to school." 

Apollo continued wiping at his spear with an old, oily rag. 

"How do you do it?" 

He gave her a lazy, questioning look. 

"Your fame," she clarified, "How do you handle being world-famous? I mean, you don't let it stop you from going out and doing whatever you want to. Nobody seems to hassle you either." Penny made a teasing smile, "Well... except for all the girls who want your autograph." 

Apollo snorted, "Young women can be fearsome. They scream loudly and grasp at my person. A mob of them is more terrifying than an army of demons." 

"Whatever," Penny rolled her eyes sarcastically, "I'm sure it's a terrible burden." 

"Fame is a fickle thing. I have been worshipped as a god by entire civilizations but I've also walked this Earth as an unknown man. Now the world believes me a superhero who has taken a god's name." Apollo rose to carry his spear towards a mannequin that contained his armors. He placed the spear in the dummy's hand, "I have never troubled over fame. We have the advantage, you and I, over other mortal celebrities." 

Penny stared at Apollo's firm buttocks as he crossed the room, "How's that?" 

"When the throng gathers, we can simply fly away." 

"What if the throng wants to arrest you?" she asked. 

"We can still fly away," Apollo replied, eventually finding his way to the couch and sitting beside Penny. 

"Are you saying we're above the law?" 

"Aye," Apollo answered easily. 

"You can't really believe that," Penny slid closer, until she found Apollo's arm around her shoulders, settling at his side. "We have a responsibility to abide by the law as well as enforcing it." 

Apollo appeared unconvinced, "A noble sentiment, but ultimately impossible. Our power sets us above the masses." 

Penny suddenly pulled away from him and gave a frank expression, "I couldn't disagree more. If anything, we have to hold ourselves even more accountable and present ourselves as examples." 

Apollo wrinkled his nose indifferently, "What was on thy mind when Deathstalker fell to his death?" 

Penny frowned, knowing Apollo had cornered her. "I was... I wanted revenge." 

"Aye," Apollo wasn't judgmental, "And revenge was thine, as well it should have been." 

Penny shook her head, "No, I was wrong. Deathstalker should have been able to defend himself in court. Revenge is not justice." 

Apollo snorted at the notion, "You watched him murder Jordan; his guilt was not in question. Thy actions carried enough justice. If you feel otherwise, why hide here? Why do you not fly to New York and turn thyself over to the World League?" 

"I'm thinking about it," she admitted. 

Apollo frowned, "Do not jest." 

"I'm not joking," Penny stood towards the kitchen area, the tails of Apollo's shirt barely concealing her hips. "I feel guilty." 

"It's not the first time thy hands have taken a life," Apollo reminded. 

Penny opened the fridge and inspected what was inside, "Inferna was different. That was self-defense. She wanted to turn me and half the city into ash and the only way I could stop her was to put her down." 

Apollo's face twisted in a scowl of frustration, "You think Deathstalker would have quit killing? A fame-seeking lawyer would have used a forked tongue to get the villain off and Deathstalker would have killed again." 

"Maybe," Penny conceded, smelling some chicken to see if it was any good, "But this country doesn't have laws enforcing due process to convict the guilty. Those laws protect the innocent. If we start killing everyone we feel is a murderer, how long will it be before we kill someone who doesn't deserve it?" 

"Thine own eyes witnessed his murder of Jordan," Apollo argued, "His death was just." 

"But that's not for us to decide," Penny countered, eventually settling on a can of Pepsi. "What if Deathstalker was possessed by one of your uncle's succubus floozies? What if his actions weren't his own?" 

The argument stung Apollo as he recalled cheating on Penny with a succubus disguised as his sister, his own mind possessed by the demon's mental powers. He sensed Penny was convinced she needed to turn herself in and that she would hear no arguments otherwise. "You will need an attorney," he suddenly said, willing to support whatever she decided. 

"I'm broke," she frowned, snapping the can of soda open. 

"I'm not," Apollo grunted. 

Penny smiled at him, "I'd argue with you but I know it's pointless, so thank you. Maybe I should hire that superhero lawyer I always see on TV. You know - the lady with green skin and super strength?" 

======= 

The man known only as Cypher, an enigma even to his own teammates in the World League, was typing on a virtual keyboard with impossibly fast fingers as data streamed across a giant three-dimensional holographic screen. The pasty young man was wearing a pair of yellowish goggles that interfaced with the display and provided yet more data to the swiftly-calculating youth. 

He paused as an alert flashed in the corner of his goggles. Cypher wiped the holo-display with a sweep of his arm and switched to a manual keyboard. New images flooded the display, showing information on a young red-headed woman including an image of her driver's license. Cypher examined the data for 2.5 seconds and then rose from his computer workstation to exit through a sliding door into a long hallway. He walked stiffly, but swiftly. 

An office at the end of the hall contained Walter Jobs, better known to the world at large as Dr. Prizm. 

Walter looked up from his desk, clad in an open white lab coat, as Cypher entered. 

"Walter," Cypher greeted in a cold, bland tone. 

"Hello, Cypher." 

"I just received an alert from my global keyword hack," Cypher explained. 

"Yes?" Walter prodded him. 

"It came from the Missouri Department of Motor Vehicles. Exactly ninety three seconds ago Jordan Summers requested reinstatement of her driver's license and Social Security status in a Gateway City DMV office." 

"Should I know who that is?" Walter asked. 

"Jordan Summers," Cypher recited from his goggle display, "Internet alias - Harbinger. Born February 5th, 1996. Died March 2nd, 2015. At age 14 she hacked the FBI central database and served six months in juvenile det-" 

"Wait," Walter raised a pausing hand, "You said she died? How is it she was in a Missouri DMV ninety three seconds ago?" 

"One hundred and twenty six seconds ago," Cypher corrected. 

Walter sighed; the over-analytical Cypher could be difficult to converse with. "Please," he said after taking a deep breath, "Just get to the part where you explain why this interests me." 

Cypher continued speaking in his emotionless tone, "Jordan Summers was the college roommate of Penelope Swann..." 

Walter's brows rose. He certainly recognized that name. 

"...also known as Mega-Girl," Cypher finished. 

"Jordan Summers is the girl who was killed by Deathstalker?" Walter clarified. 

"Affirmative." 

"So," Walter reasoned, "Either someone is attempting to borrow her identity, or Jordan Summers has somehow come back to life." 

"Statistically speaking there is a .000000001 percent chance of the latter," Cypher calculated helpfully. 

"Find out what happened to her remains," Walter instructed, despite the odds, "If Jordan Summers has mysteriously come back to life, I'm betting Mega-Girl has too. If that's the case, we still have orders to bring her in." 

======= 

"I can't believe you made it back," Hercules lifted a bottle of beer in salute, "When I broke your necks and laid your bodies in my barn, I figured that was the end of Hermes and Apollo." 

Hermes grinned as he sat with his half-brother in Hercules' farmhouse kitchen, "I bet you enjoyed breaking Apollo's neck, eh?" 

"There was a certain level of satisfaction," Hercules admitted, setting his beer down on a small round table to roll flannel sleeves up muscled forearms. 

"You shouldn't have doubted us," Hermes took a pull from his bottle. 

"Your confidence in Apollo nearly rivals his own," Hercules noted. 

"I have never been one to doubt our brother's abilities, it's true. But he wasn't the reason I knew we'd make it back. It was the girl." 

"His woman?" Hercules rose to fetch another bottle from an old, rounded fridge. "Mega-Girl?" 

Hermes nodded, "There is something indomitable about her. She fights seemingly without fear, though not because her powers make her over-confident. It's nobler than that. She has a spirit that won't quit, no matter how broken her body may be." 

"Or how dead," Hercules added. 

Hermes pointed at Hercules, indicating he was correct. 

"She sounds like quite a woman." 

"Indeed," Hermes mused, swallowing more beer. 

Hercules gripped the cap off his fresh beer with a bare hand even though it wasn't a twist-off, "It makes me wonder how she ended up with our ass of a brother." 

Hermes grinned, "Apollo has never had difficulty gaining the attraction of women. They seem drawn to you strong, brooding types." 

"You like him," Hercules accused. 

"I do," Hermes wasn't afraid to admit. 

"Why?" Hercules seemed baffled, "He acts as though he is better than everyone else, even father. He abandoned our family - for two thousand years he has ignored Olympus, defied Zeus, and shrugged at his familial duties. He is selfish, egotistical, and moody." 

Hermes chuckled at the description and didn't dispute a word of it, "I like Apollo because he's honest. He doesn't conceal what he is or how he feels. As for his duties to Olympus... who are you to judge? How long have you been hiding here on Earth, allowing your family to believe you are dead?" 

Hercules frowned. Hermes knew the answer to his question so Hercules didn't bother answering it, "What about you? Will you be returning to Olympus soon?" 

"Not immediately," Hermes shook his head, "I sense that Mega-Girl's troubles are not yet over. Her killer remains at large. Now that Apollo has her back and has escaped from his depression, he will no doubt seek vengeance. No... I will remain here, for no matter how mighty the two of them are, our brother and his girlfriend always seem to require the assistance of Hermes."



How to Date a Superhero Ch. 12



'...reporting live from New York, in front of the famed headquarters of the World League, where minutes ago Mega-Girl was seen turning herself into League leader, Dr. Prizm. You may remember Mega-Girl was wanted in suspicion related to the murder of the super-villain known as Deathstalker, over a month ago, prior to her supposed death. If you're just tuning in, Fox News has confirmed that Mega-Girl is alive. I repeat: Mega-Girl is alive...' 

Jordan muted the television with a remote, "Jeez, this is like a feeding frenzy. The press is going nuts. Every major network has interrupted programming to cover the 'Resurrection of Mega-Girl' - even the cable channels." 

"Aye," Apollo was sitting next to Jordan on the wide couch but paying little attention. 

The two were in his skyscraper condominium, high above Gateway City. Jordan was wearing a pair of comfy black yoga pants and a loose purple tee, her red-dyed hair tied in a ponytail. She was curled in a corner of the couch, a fluffy pillow clasped in her lap, looking both comfortable and casual. Apollo appeared equally as comfortable in a pair of faded sweat pants and a loose sleeveless shirt. It was morning and outside Apollo's windows the sky was bright from the early sun. 

A sleek laptop rested on a glass coffee table in front of Jordan. She leaned forward and made a few keystrokes, "It looks like we're almost in. A few more minutes and I'll have access to the World League's entire network." 

Apollo peered ignorantly towards her computer's screen, "Impressive. I can see why Penelope values thy abilities." 

"It was easy. I wrote this intrusion algorithm when I was fourteen, so the only thing I had to do was modify it for the World League's Linux interface. I'm bouncing off twelve different satellites using a random sequencer to hide my IP, so I hope that gives us enough time to find out where they're holding Penny before anyone can detect or track us." 

Apollo snorted, "Let them come. The entire World League combined cannot compare against the might of Apollo." 

Jordan glanced at him, "Do you always refer to yourself in the third person?" 

"Tis an Olympian trait," he explained. 

She nodded. 

"Will thy computer give us a visual?" Apollo wondered. 

"If they've got a camera on her," Jordan leaned forward again to check the progress of her hack, "Hell, if this works I could probably tell you the secret identity of Astro Boy and what size briefs he wears." 

"His name is Thon-Vold," Apollo mentioned in a casual tone, "He is a Titan. I know not his underwear size, but I fail to see the importance." 

Jordan blinked with surprise, "A Titan? Like out of Greek mythology?" 

"Nay, he's from Titan - the sixth moon of Saturn." 

"Seriously?" 

"His father, the king of Titan, once tried to invade Earth during Sumerian times, but Zeus sent my brother Ares to stop him. It was this world's first truly great war." 

Jordan studied Apollo's expression, "Jesus, you're not joking, are you?" 

Apollo looked at her blandly, "Why would I jest about such a thing?" 

"Unbelievable." An alert sounded from Jordan's computer and distracted her. "I'm in," she declared, setting her lap pillow aside to lean forward and begin typing, "Okay... it looks like their headquarters has several sub-levels. I'm downloading 3D schematics now." 

Apollo slid on the black leather of his couch, closer to Jordan, watching as her screen suddenly displayed a three-dimensional map. 

"They've got her in a holding cell," Jordan pointed, "Detention level, which is four floors underground. It looks like they've got security cameras; I'll try to get you a visual..." 

"Don't bother," Apollo grunted, "I know the place." He rose from the couch and walked towards a mannequin containing his armors. 

Jordan's curious eyes followed him, wondering why Apollo had been in the World League's jail. 

Apollo began changing but her wondering expression was not lost on him, "I was a member of the League once." 

"Must have been before my time," Jordan stood and walked over to Apollo once he had donned his armors. "Listen... thanks again for letting me stay here. My only other options were to move in with my parents," Jordan shuddered, "Or stay in Travis' tiny dorm room." 

"Penelope insisted," Apollo took his spear, "But in truth, I do not find thy company displeasing." 

Jordan took a moment to sort through his double-negative, "Thanks, I think." 

"Make thyself at home," Apollo's form brightened with supernatural light. 

Jordan waved as Apollo began to teleport, "Tell Penny I love her!" 

======= 

"How long do we have to hold her?" Astro Boy asked, wearing his blue and white spandex costume with a Saturn insignia on the right breast. His medium-length hair framed his youthful face, blonde and perfectly straight. He was seated at a large oval table inside a windowless conference room. On the table was the World League's crest - a silver shield painted with the image of Earth. 

Three of Astro Boy's teammates were also seated at the table. 

"Federal agents are supposed to arrive within the hour," Dr. Prizm answered the question without any enthusiasm. His yellow-tinted goggles were lifted off his face and resting on the top of his head, a while lab coat covered his middle-aged frame. 

"Think they'll take her to the Blockade?" Brickhouse asked, "Hell, she put half those guys in that joint. Seems like a shame to stick her in there." 

"It is wrong," Captain Darkness weighed in, a man shrouded in black with a long trench coat and fedora. "Mega-Girl is one of us; a hero. We are treating her as though she were no better than some common criminal scumbag." 

Dr. Prizm sighed, "I don't like it any more than you do, Darkness. But Mega-Girl is wanted by the government and part of our job is the apprehension of super-powered individuals." 

"Is that what we are now?" Captain Darkness wondered in his gravelly voice, "Government lackeys?" 

"Relax," Astro Boy clasped his hands behind his head and leaned back, lifting his feet to the table. "The doc is in charge, so we follow his lead. That means you too, Darkness." 

Captain Darkness slammed his fist onto the table, "I co-founded this team over six decades ago! Back then we stood for Truth, Justice, and the American Way. We didn't do the bidding of sniveling politicians." 

Astro Boy rolled his eyes. 

"Enough," Dr. Prizm spoke with authority, "This team protects the entire world and their way of life, not just Americans, but we need funding in order to do that. Every now and then we have to help out the U.S. government in order to get that funding." 

"Dr. Prizm," Cypher suddenly spoke up. He was seated away from the others, on the far side of the room, in front of a computer terminal. 

Dr. Prizm glanced his way, "What is it, Cypher?" 

"I'm detecting a network intrusion. Someone has hacked into our system." 

Astro Boy straightened in his chair, "What? I thought that was impossible." 

"Can you track the hacker to a source?" Prizm asked. 

"I've been running a trace for the last 11 seconds," Cypher replied, "But this is a sophisticated attack and is confusing my anti-intrusion software. I estimate that it will take at least eleven-point-three minutes for me to write an advanced enough algorithm to counteract -" 

"Just get it done," Dr. Prizm ordered. "Brickhouse, Astro Boy - head to the roof in case we're under attack. Captain Darkness, go check on our prisoner." 

The team snapped into action in response to Dr. Prizm's practiced leadership. Brickhouse sprinted towards an elevator beside Astro Boy, who levitated. Captain darkness simply vanished in a puff of inky smoke. 

======= 

Mega-Girl sighed as she sat on a cold steel bench jutting from the wall. She wore her red uniform, less the mask (which she had given up wearing after her secret identity had been exposed). The cell her former mentor had placed her in was small, containing only the bench, a bed on the other side, a toilet, and sink. The walls were made of concrete cinderblocks and painted white. Mega-Girl knew she could punch through the walls and make her way to the surface in very little time, but she had no desire to escape. Mega-Girl wanted to be a hero, not an outlaw or a vigilante. She was determined to resolve her legal troubles peacefully. 

Suddenly, a brilliant white light filled the small holding cell. Mega-Girl was startled up from the bench until she recognized what was happening. A globe of light expanded and collapsed in on itself, leaving a muscled figure dressed in ancient Roman armors standing in the middle of the room. 

"Apollo?" Mega-Girl pushed her long blonde hair behind an ear, "What are you doing here?" 

"Enough of this foolish farce," Apollo answered her, placing his spear in its harness at his back, "I am removing thee from the clutches of these jackals." 

Mega-Girl batted his hand away when Apollo reached for her, "No! I turned myself in for a reason, Apollo. I'm not going to leave. We talked about this." 

Before Apollo could reply the door to the cell opened. 

"Trying to escape so soon?" Captain Darkness' voice sneered from behind his inky, full-head mask. 

"No...!" Mega-Girl wanted to explain that she had no intention of escape, but Apollo didn't give her time to speak. He turned and thrust his hand through the doorway, seizing Captain Darkness by his neck and lifting him off his feet. 

Apollo growled, "I have always respected thy dedication to punishing criminals, Captain, but do not attempt to come between me and my lioness." 

"Apollo!" Mega-Girl chided, "What are you doing!?" 

Abruptly, the cell and wide hallway outside went dark as Captain Darkness summoned an inky blackness to consume the space. He had the power to summon dark matter from another dimension, an ethereal substance without physical form that conventional light could not pass through. 

Though she couldn't see, Mega-Girl heard the striking of blows and wondered who was hitting who. "You guys?" she called out, "Stop fighting! I don't want to escape, okay?" 

A loud crash sounded as someone smashed through a piece of furniture in the hallway. 

"ENOUGH!" Apollo suddenly yelled and erupted with light, banishing the blackness. His body glowed like the sun, his godly power proving itself more potent than the dark matter. 

Mega-Girl had to momentarily shield her eyes but saw that it was Apollo who had been thrown through a table outside of her cell. Captain Darkness was nearby but also blinded, lifting an arm to guard against Apollo's brilliance. 

Apollo stood from the wreckage of the table, "Arrogance is thy folly, Captain. You dare summon thine wretched darkness upon me? Me!? I am the god of the sun!" 

"Apollo!" Mega-Girl scolded harshly, "Stop this right now!" 

"But Penelope -" Apollo started, dimming his light until everything returned to normal. 

"Don't you 'but' me," Mega-Girl interrupted, "You're acting like an ass!" 

Apollo's expression twisted with displeasure and confusion, "I merely wished to speak to thee..." 

Captain Darkness chuckled at how easily the mighty Apollo had been cowed by a teenager. 

"No," Mega-Girl shook her head, "You didn't want to talk. You wanted to teleport me away." 

Apollo lifted a guilty shoulder in admission. 

"I can't run from my problems, Apollo. And I'm not above them; I'm not a god from another dimension, like you are. This is my home and I have to follow the rules. Don't you understand?" 

"In other words," Captain Darkness spoke in his gravelly tone, "It's time for you to leave, sun-god." 

"Do not test my patience," Apollo leveled a threatening glance towards his former teammate. 

"He's right," Mega-Girl sighed, "You should go." She stepped out of her cell long enough to approach Apollo, placing her hands at his cheeks and kissing him. "I'm going to be fine," she whispered. 

"You won't come home with me?" 

She shook her head. 

"Jordan sends her love," he murmured back. 

"Take care of her for me, okay?" 

Apollo nodded as his form was consumed by the glow of his teleporting light... and then he was gone. 

Pushing a hand through her long blonde hair, Mega-Girl smiled apologetically towards Captain Darkness. 

"Are you really dating that jerk?" he asked, picking up his fedora from the floor and replacing it upon his mask-covered head. 

"He's actually a big sweetheart," she moved back towards the holding cell, "Most of the time." 

"Uh-huh," Captain Darkness didn't want to argue. He followed Mega-Girl back to the cell but stopped short of the doorway, "You seem like a smart girl. Don't do anything stupid before the feds get here, all right?" 

======= 

Roman Killian sat lazily in his favorite easy-chair, a plush piece of furniture covered in brown leather. His office was an elaborately decorated chamber with wood-paneled walls, expensive carpeting, and soft lighting. Stolen artworks of a classical nature hung in gilded frames, most of them depicting biblical scenes and rubenesque women. Roman wore a thick vest plated with bulletproof Kevlar, open in the front to expose his muscled chest. A mask covered his head, red with black eyelets. His black cargo pants were unbuttoned and pushed halfway down his thighs as an overly-blonde women in a tacky cocktail dress kneeled between his legs. 

"Fuck yeah," he moaned pleasurably, his voice mingling with a thudding bass from the nightclub below his office, "Suck my cock, baby." 

The office door burst open, revealing a gigantic bald man in a black tee shirt - one of Roman's underlings. 

"What the fuck, Guido? How many times have I told you to knock? Can't you see I'm fucking busy?" 

The woman at Roman's knees paused in her activities, glancing towards Guido. 

"Sorry, boss," Guido apologized, but didn't leave. 

Roman leveled his mask-covered gaze towards the woman, "Did I tell you to stop? Jesus Christ, it's hard to find good help these days." He returned his attention towards Guido once fellatio had resumed, "You're still standing there? What the fuck is it?" 

Guido wrung his hands nervously, "It's Mega-Girl, boss. They're sayin' she ain't dead. It's all over the teevee." 

"Of course she's dead; I put her in the ground myself." On a small lamp table beside his chair rested a remote control, next to a large handgun with an extended clip and laser scope. Roman picked the remote up and aimed it towards an immense flat screen, turning the television to a twenty-four hour news network. The screen became filled with coverage from New York and flashy graphics about the 'resurrection of Mega-Girl'. 

"See?" Guido pointed at the screen, which was showing a handcuffed Mega-Girl being escorted out of the World League's headquarters, towards a black SUV, by two men in suits and sunglasses. 

Roman didn't want to believe his eyes, "What is this, some kind of joke?" His assassination of Mega-Girl, while not widely known to the general public, had cemented Roman Killian as the criminal underworld's premier mercenary and hired killer. He was paid millions by Master Disaster for the job and hundreds more offers had poured in since. If what the television was saying was true, Roman worried his reputation could become severely tarnished. He enjoyed the notoriety of being the man who killed the world's most famous superhero, but if Mega-Girl was indeed alive he might instead become the laughing stock of the criminal community. 

The woman at Roman's knees quit what she was doing when he went flaccid and glanced at the television, "Oh look - isn't that Mega-Girl? I love her. She's my favorite superhero." 

Setting the remote control down, Roman picked up his gun and aimed it at the back of the woman's head. He pulled the trigger without a second thought, blowing a hole through her skull. Her dead body slumped to the floor amidst a spray of brain matter and swiftly pooling blood. 

Guido's face twisted distastefully, "Jeez, boss. Why'd you do that? Charlene was our best waitress." 

Roman stood and pulled his pants up. Gesturing at the television he spoke with an irritated tone, "My reputation is on the line and you're worried about a fucking waitress? How the hell am I supposed to cash-in on being the guy that killed Mega-Girl if she's not fucking dead?!" 

Guido blinked and shrugged. 

"I can't, you idiot! And if I don't get paid, you don't get paid. So do something useful for once and find out what the hell is going on. And get Doctor Death on the phone; if I need to kill Mega-Girl again I'll need to know she's going to stay dead." 

======= 

Jordan was still on the couch in her yoga pants and purple tee when Apollo returned to his condominium. She didn't look surprised that he was alone, "Penny wouldn't come back with you, huh?" 

Apollo scowled. 

"Sorry, big guy. I don't know what to tell you. Penny gets stubborn sometimes. When she gets something in her head there's nothing on Earth that's going to stop her... literally." 

Apollo began unfastening his armors, "I've owned mules less willful." 

"Do you think they'll put her on trial?" Jordan wondered aloud, pulling her computer onto her lap and playing with the mousepad. 

"I know not," Apollo shed his breastplate first, his expression irritated. 

"She's just doing what she feels is right, you know." Jordan tried to look away when she saw Apollo remove his leather skirt and shamelessly reveal his nude form, but it was hard not to stare at his perfectly muscled body. 

"I love Penelope as fiercely as I have ever loved before," Apollo claimed, pulling a simple pair of grey breeches over his legs. "But I am often reminded she is still a child, unknowing of many truths." 

Jordan was the same age as her best friend and wasn't sure if she had just been insulted, "What kind of truths?" 

Apollo stopped at a wine rack on his way to join Jordan on the couch, carrying a corked bottle with him. "Once lawmakers lose the ability to enforce their rules, their laws become meaningless. A policeman could not arrest Penelope unless she allowed it, just as a warden could not imprison her without Penelope's permission." 

"That doesn't mean she can simply ignore any law she wants," Jordan argued. 

"Of course she can," Apollo pulled the wine cork free, "People obey laws for fear of consequences; if a person breaks the law they could be fined, jailed, or even killed. Penelope has no fear of such things - she has enough might to ignore such enforcement with ease." 

"Maybe," Jordan conceded, "But she feels she has a responsibility to obey and uphold the law, the same as anyone else." 

Apollo swallowed straight from the wine bottle, sucking some through his teeth before setting it down on his glass coffee table. "Suppose Penelope is tried for murder, found guilty, and sentenced to death." 

Jordan blinked. 

"Do you really think she would willingly allow someone to kill her, just so she can be a responsible law-abiding citizen?" 

"No..." Jordan was forced to admit. 

"Of course not," Apollo picked up the television remote. "Do not mistake my words, Jordan. I am not suggesting Penelope should ignore the laws of man simply because she is beyond enforcement. She should follow whatever morality she chooses. But for a society to enact punishment upon her simply because she allows it to occur... that is a farce." 

Jordan had a hard time finding the words to refute him. She was reminded that Apollo was a centuries-old god with a perspective that few others could ever know. His intellectual argument surprised her because it was easy to think of Apollo as a brutish warrior who used his muscles rather than his mind, but Jordan realized Apollo had the wisdom of a man who had lived through thousands of years of history. Not that she was ready to fully agree with him, but Apollo had posed some interesting points. 




How to Date a Superhero Ch. 12



"What about the World League?" Jordan eventually countered. 

"What of them?" Apollo frowned, settling on a sporting event and setting the remote down. 

"You're right, normal law-enforcement agencies are powerless to stop super-human people, but that's why we have the World League - to deal with threats ordinary people can't. They're our way of making sure we can punish the bad guys, even if they are beyond the law's capabilities." 

Apollo snorted derisively, "Is that what you think? That Penelope is a 'bad guy'?" 

"No," Jordan shook her head, "Of course not." 

"Penelope killed a man. It was not her first kill. Likely it will not be her last. All her kills have been, and most likely will be, justified. I trust her judgement in such things, so too should the American government." 

Jordan's brow furrowed in thought as she returned her attention to her computer screen. Apollo had given her a lot to consider. 

======= 

Mega-Girl sat alone in a white cubicle room lit by irritating fluorescent lights, her wrists bound by handcuffs she could snap as easily as a child could break a saltine cracker. The irony was not lost on her, but she saw no harm in allowing the federal agents to abide by their protocols. Her chair, two others, and a square table were the room's only contents. The wall across from her was dominated by a mirror and Mega-Girl had no doubt there were people on the other side observing her. She sat quietly for nearly twenty minutes until the room's sole door opened. A man with short dark hair and a grey suit entered. Mega-Girl estimated that he was in his early thirties. "Hello," she greeted politely. 

"Hello, Miss Swann." The man placed his briefcase on the table and opened it as he sat down across the table, "My name is Benjamin Johnson, I'm an assistant D.A. with the United States District Attorney's office." 

"It's nice to meet you." 

Ben smiled at her cordial demeanor, "You too. My six year-old daughter is a huge fan." 

"I'd sign an autograph but I don't think those big guys with guns outside will let me have a pen." 

Ben chuckled, "Actually, I'm not certain those big guys with guns have any jurisdiction over you yet." 

Mega-Girl raised her brow. 

"You haven't violated any Federal laws, as far as I'm aware. The only reason a World League warrant was issued for your arrest was because the apprehension of paranormal individuals falls under the United Nations Superpowers Act of 1973, which basically states that the World League is chartered and deputized to carry out said warrants when local law-enforcement officials are unable to do so." 

"So you're going to ship me back to Missouri?" Mega-Girl asked. 

"No. The District Attorney in Gateway City hasn't pressed any charges against you and I don't expect she will, either. I spoke with her this morning and she informed me that if she tried convicting Gateway City's most beloved daughter she'd never be able to get re-elected to another public office ever again." 

Mega-Girl couldn't help but smile at the loyalty of her hometown and the love they had always shown her, "Where does that leave me?" 

"Well," Ben removed a manila folder from his briefcase and began looking at the papers within, "I've been assigned to investigate if the United States is interested in pursuing any charges. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" 

"Fire away," Mega-Girl encouraged. 

Ben flipped a few pages aside and studied one in particular, "The coroner determined that Corbin Nelson's death was the result of injuries sustained in a fall from an unspecified height." 

"Who?" Mega-Girl wondered. 

"Corbin Nelson, otherwise known as Deathstalker." 

"I never knew his real name," Mega-Girl mentioned, "But he fell because I dropped him." 

Ben glanced at her admittance. 

"He had just murdered my defenseless best friend, Jordan Summers, and was threatening to kill me." 

"Did he act on those threats?" Ben asked in a clinical tone. 

"Yes, he attacked me. We fought briefly on the street outside my apartment before I flew him into the air and let him go. During the battle he mentioned that a ten-million dollar bounty was placed on my head and he was there to collect." 

Ben jotted some brief notes down, "That bounty was eventually collected on, was it not?" 

"Yes," Mega-Girl frowned at the memory of dying, "I was killed with a magical bow. I still don't know who shot me, though." 

"A magical bow?" 

Mega-Girl shrugged bonelessly, "It's a long story. Basically my soul went to Hades, the Olympian version of Hell, although I eventually escaped and returned to life." 

Ben stared at her disbelievingly. 

"I still struggle with it too," she grinned, "And I was there." 

Ben glanced down at a piece of paper, "I think I'll leave that part out of my report." 

"Probably a good idea," Mega-Girl nodded. 

Ben pulled another folder from his briefcase and examined the files within, "Police reports and eyewitnesses on the scene corroborate your story, as does the obvious death of Jordan Summers and the damage to your apartment. At this time I'm going to recommend to my office that charges not be pursued." 

"Seriously?" Mega-Girl sounded surprised that Ben had reached his decision so swiftly. 

"Miss Swann," he said, closing his manila folders, "If the District Attorney's office decided to press murder charges, any half-decent lawyer worth his salt would be able to easily defend you with an argument of self-defense. It would be foolish to waste the taxpayer's money and the government's resources on an unwinnable case that, on the surface, looks to be pretty cut and dried." 

"So I'm free to go?" 

"Try not to leave the country for a few days, but yeah - you're free to go." 

Mega-Girl smiled happily and snapped the handcuffs off her wrists with superhuman ease, "You want me to sign that autograph for your little girl, now?"