Batgirl's Final Hour

by twof

Everything Barbara had ever read about polar bears flashed through her mind. She knew they fed mainly on a small species of seal called the ring seal. They also ate sea birds, lemmings, fish, berries and grasses. Polar bears rarely killed people. Batgirl didn’t care to be one of those rare exceptions!

Batgirl also remembered that polar bears have a keen sense of smell, with the ability to sniff out food as much as ten miles away and to find seal dens covered by thick layers of ice and snow. In addition, she recalled the instructions on the Churchill tourist pamphlets on what to do if confronted by one of the creatures.

The heroine utilized all this information in formulating a desperate plan. It was a long shot, but it might just work . . .

Batgirl reached behind her head with her right hand and pointed the pepper spray nozzle at her own back. She then pressed the button. The contents of the cannister emptied onto her dorsal side with a whoosh.

Then, with a supreme effort, Batgirl managed to roll up in a ball, her arms folded across her abdomen and her head tucked between her legs. Now, it was up to the bear . . .

The Arctic denizen leaped over the crevice with ease. On all fours, it stood next to the crime fightress.

“Rraour?”

The ravenous beast was confused. It thought it had smelled prey and seen movement on the ice. Now, all it found was a strange, white ball with a strong, unpleasant scent.

Batgirl had much practice remaining motionless, but this was the ultimate test of her self-control. The muzzle of the bear pushed against the side of her cowl. Even through the thick material she could feel the bear’s hot breath blow into her right ear. It took all of her willpower to stay still. She imagined that the predator had the ability to remove her head in one bite.

Now the bear’s nose sniffed at her back.

“ROAR!”

The bear bellowed after getting nostrils full of pepper. In response, sharp claws raked across Batgirl’s back!

Fortunately, her white costume provided more protection than her usual purple one would have offered. Although part of the back of her costume was shredded, so far the surface of her skin was merely scratched.

Discipline gained by hours of training and experience enabled Batgirl not to panic. She realized, though, that if the bear’s claws followed the same track again, she would likely be eviscerated!

Luckily, the next swipe was at right angles to the first. Batgirl clenched her teeth to keep from screaming. Blessedly, her skin remained unbroken. Batgirl shuddered to think what would happen should the black claws draw blood.

The Arctic wind lashed across Batgirl’s back. Batgirl was totally at the polar bear’s mercy. Should it decide to bite into her, in an instant she would face the horror of being eaten alive, and then, a most excruciating death.

The bear pushed against her side with its snout. Batgirl decided to try, as best she could, to resist being rolled over.

If so inclined, the bear could have easily toppled Batgirl onto her side, but the polar bear didn’t persist. It sat on its haunches. Stretching as high as it could, the animal sniffed the air.

Perhaps it smelled some food. Perhaps it just got tired of inhaling pepper fumes. For whatever reason, the polar bear slowly lumbered off in the opposite direction the Tundra Buggy had disappeared, its pads barely audible as they made tracks across the ice-encrusted snow.

Batgirl could hardly believe her good fortune. She lay there, motionless, for many minutes, unsure of how far away the polar bear may have gone.

Ultimately, the wind chill on her back caused her to start to shiver. Batgirl decided if she was going to survive the trek back to her snowmobile, she couldn’t wait any longer. Slowly, she uncurled, kneeling in the snow.

Batgirl looked around. Neither the polar bear, nor any other signs of life, were anywhere to be seen. She struggled to her feet, gratified to find that the effects of the Labrador Tea had worn off. Now all she had to do was make her way across the frozen tundra before she died of exposure - and without running into Penguin’s four-legged friend again!

Rather than risk jumping over a crevice, Batgirl walked the opposite direction until she was off the small peninsula of ice. Then she turned towards the buggy tracks.

Despite the seemingly ever-constant wind off the bay, the tracks of the Tundra Buggy were easy to follow. The huge tires had made such deep ruts that the little free-blowing snow in the air would take days to complete obscure the vehicle’s passing.

Batgirl kept a brisk pace, egged on by the knowledge that she probably would not survive if she couldn’t get back to shelter by nightfall. The flatness of the terrain worked in her favor. Although she had traveled for more than an hour as a passenger on the buggy, she had the distinct impression that it didn’t go very fast.

The heroine kept her mind occupied with thoughts of what she would do when she returned to Penguin’s base. She looked forward to paying Penguin and his goons back. This time, the element of surprise would be on her side.

In general, Batgirl felt quite comfortable. Her exertions, along with the insulation of her snow-suit, seemed to be keeping her warm, except for where the bear had vented her costume to the elements. She only hoped that the warmth she felt was not the first stage of frostbite!

After trudging along for what seemed like an eternity, Batgirl saw a launch gantry in the distance. Soon, the buildings of the Churchill Northern Study Centre and SpacePort Canada came into view. Now she was able to orientate herself and head towards where she had hidden the snowmobile.

There was a new spring in her step as she made her way to the conveyance she had rented. Batgirl was glad to learn that it was undisturbed.

She retrieved her Batgirl suitcase from the snowmobile’s compartment and took out her regular costume. Batgirl has seen no one else out on the ice and the snow drifts hid her from anyone who might be looking in her direction from the Study Centre or SpacePort. Eager to rescue Doctor Akasofu and his granddaughter - and to punish Penguin and his thugs - she quickly removed her tattered white costume and stripped to her briefs.

It was the Arctic air rather than modesty or concern over her secret identity that encouraged her to don her fresh costume in record time. The familiar purple figure of Batgirl soon stood out in stark contrast to her snowy surroundings.

Sneaking up on the buildings would now be much more difficult, if not impossible. Besides that, Penguin’s base still only had the one entrance. Batgirl hoped that Penguin would be less vigilant than before. Despite the many times he had been disappointed in the past, Batgirl relied on the fact that her conceited adversary invariably would be sure that this time his death trap for her had been successful.

Batgirl made it to the door of the largest building in the complex without incident. This time, she was able to pick the lock in less than ten seconds.

Unlike upon her previous arrival, the room was now well lit. Inside, the harsh tones of The Penguin could be heard, berating a person in a lab coat, whom Batgirl assumed to be Dr. Akasofu. Newton and Hawking, now joined by Albert, were looking on from a few feet away.

The Purple Paragon crept towards the trio of finks. She picked her way carefully, hiding behind crates and tables full of equipment. Unobserved, she made it to within arm’s reach of Hawking. Like a striking cobra, she reached out and incapacitated the small man, without either of them making a sound.

Batgirl hoped to repeat the procedure on Albert, but at that moment, Penguin turned to flick the ashes off of his cigarette. “Batgirl!” he bellowed. “It can’t be!”

“It is, Penguin!” she declared triumphantly, standing before the four men, arms akimbo.

“How did you escape the polar bear?!?! How did - oh, quack! Never mind!” Penguin glared at Newton and Albert. “Get her!”

After how he had booted her when she was immobilized, Batgirl took great satisfaction in dispatching Newton with a series of chorus line kicks. She also made Albert pay for poisoning her with a debilitating chop across his windpipe. The fact that Penguin had not joined the fray, however, did concern her.

With the three goons now out of commission, Batgirl whirled to face Penguin. He was no where to be seen. “Come out, little Pengy,” she teased. Her heart sank, however, when he emerged from behind a stack of shipping crates.

The Man of a Thousand Umbrellas had the razor-sharp tip of one of them held at Dr. Akasofu’s throat!

Batgirl had played out such hostage situations many times in real life and hundreds of times in her mind. Unfortunately, there was little she could do when the hostage-taker was someone like Penguin. ‘If only I could have gotten to him first!’ she thought.

“Go ahead, Batgirl,” the scientist urged. “Don’t worry about me! Put an end to this!”

“Wak!” Penguin erupted. “Batgirl won’t put your life at risk! She knows I’ve got nothing to lose by killing you. No matter what, if captured, I’d serve a life sentence!”

Akasofu, though, was not so easily discouraged. Boldly he pronounced, “He won’t kill me, Batgirl. He needs me for his mad scheme.”

“Phaw!” Penguin spat. Rhetorically he asked, “What good are you to me if I’m in jail?!”

Batgirl listened to this debate with interest, but knew it was irrelevant. Newton and Albert had recovered sufficiently to grab Batgirl by the arms. She was helpless to resist.

Albert tried to speak, but discovered he could barely make a rasping sound. Newton jumped in, “What do you want us to do with her, Penguin?”

Penguin had maneuvered the doctor over by the fallen Hawking. Ignoring the question, Penguin prodded the little man with one of his spats. “Get up!” Penguin ordered.

Hawking wobbled unsteadily to his feet. “Here,” Penguin said, handing Hawking the handle of his umbrella, the tip of which was still at Doctor Akasofu’s throat. “Keep the good doctor at knife point while we make Batgirl . . . comfortable.”

Penguin led a procession of himself, Newton, Batgirl and Hawking through an inner door and down a corridor. After passing a couple of portals, he then unlocked another door. With a “Wak,” he ushered the heroine and her two captors inside.

The room had a yellow mottled floor. There were two large concrete rectangles, lined up a few feet apart. One was permanently attached to the floor, while the one on the left was on some sort of track. Metal bars protruded from the back of this slab and disappeared into the far wall.

On the sides of each slab facing each other were four metal plates, held in place by pairs of large metal screws. Each rectangle had two plates near the top and two near the bottom. Midway between the screws on each plate was a ring, from which hung heavy gold-colored chains. The four upper chains were twice as long as the four lower ones. Sturdy-looking, unfastened shackles were at the end of each chain.

“All right, Batgirl, squeeze in between there and have a seat on the floor, facing to the left, so my men can chain you up,” Penguin directed. When Batgirl hesitated, Penguin pointed out, “If you don’t, I can’t be held responsible for what Hawking might do.”

Batgirl did as she was told. To her surprise, the two grabbed the chains facing her. Newton shackled her wrists while Albert bound her ankles above her boots. The shackles were then secured with padlocks. The other set of chains was left dangling.

Batgirl’s mind raced as she tried to anticipate what was next. ‘Am I to be kept here as a hostage, too? Or is the room going to be flooded with some death-dealing substance? It seems strange to be chained in the front. Why are these slabs so short? What are these extra chains for? . . . and why is this side on a track?’

Penguin smirked. “I can tell by the look on your face that you are wondering what this is all about, Batgirl. Well, you see, I couldn’t be sure who would show up here in Churchill: you or the Dynamic Dodos. This trap was for them, while the polar bear was for you.

“But since you somehow eluded my furry friend, I’ll have to make an adjustment. Newton, go get young Miss Jenny!”

In moments, Newton returned, Jenny in tow. She was still clad in the black, one-piece swimming suit she had on the night she was abducted in Gotham City so long ago.

“Batgirl,” Penguin introduced, “I’d like you to meet Jenny Akasofu. Jenny, this is the famous Batgirl.”

There was really nothing for the two women to say to each other, so Penguin went on. “I really want the two of you to get . . . close!”

With that, Newton forced Jenny to sit in Batgirl’s lap, facing her. “What’s the big idea?!” Batgirl protested.

“You’ll see, Batgirl,” Penguin cooed as Jenny’s wrists and ankles were chained to the opposite wall. “You’ll see.”

Jenny’s arms were threaded under Batgirl’s. Once that was done, Penguin went to the wall and turned a dial.

Suddenly, the wall facing Batgirl started to retract, pulling Batgirl with it! In seconds, Batgirl was stretched almost to her maximum, her body pressed hard against Jenny’s!

artwork by Bendy Wendy

“Isn’t that cozy, ladies?” Penguin teased. “When we leave this room, I’ll set the machinery in motion again. This time it will move much more slowly, but move it will. Pulling you, stretching you and smashing you together! Wak, wak, wak!”

“I wonder which of your limbs will be pulled out of its socket first? Of course, before that radical dislocation, you may find it difficult to breathe as your bodies are squished together!

“Finally, one of you will have a leg or arm torn from your body. If you survive the shock, I’m sure you’ll quickly bleed to death. The other may survive for a time, but I’m sure it won’t be very . . . pleasant! Wah, wah, wah!”

“But, Penguin,” Albert asked, “don’t we need the college girl as a hostage?”

“My dear Albert,” Penguin began condescendingly, “what do you think I’ve been doing all these months? I’ve been watching Doctor Akasofu very carefully. He’s now quite superfluous. If he refuses to cooperate to save his own life, I’m sure I can handle the launch and prepare other rockets, if necessary.”

“Penguin!” Batgirl demanded. “Do what you want with me, but let this girl go!”

Penguin leaned in towards the victims’ faces. Looking at the pretty co-ed, he said, “No, I think not. You’ve given me much more trouble than I expected, my dear Jenny. It will be a pleasure to finally get rid of you.”

Then he turned his attention to Batgirl. “And as for you, Bat-Bird, I’m doing what I want with you already!” Penguin’s eyes flashed. This was his long-awaited moment of revenge. “And I’m sure you’ll soon come to regret making your second public appearance against Penguin!”

Penguin started to waddle back towards the dial, but then pulled up short. “Men, put the padlock keys on top of their slabs!” he instructed. Albert and Newton looked at each other questioningly, shrugged and then placed ornate golden keys on top of the respective slabs.

“So near and yet so far, eh, girls?” Penguin goaded. “Well, maybe in a little while, your arms will be able to reach them! Quack, quack, quack!” With that, Penguin turned the dial a tiny bit. Then he, Albert and Newton left the room, closing the door behind them.

Almost imperceptibly the tension on the women’s limbs increased. Batgirl’s head was now directly next to Jenny’s. “Can you duck your head any?” Batgirl asked. “If you could slip your head under my left armpit, we might be able to get out of - ugh - this!”

Jenny tried with all her might, but her arms were already being pulled too far forward. There was no way for her to get her chin off of Batgirl’s left shoulder. In addition, the swimmer’s pert breasts were being stabbed by Batgirl’s larger ones from inside the heroine’s bullet bra. Finally, strange sensations were being generated in Jenny’s groin as her muscular abdomen was forced against Batgirl’s even more muscular torso.

Batgirl tried to lift each of her arms in turn over Jenny’s head, but it was impossible. Any slack had been taken up long ago. It was hopeless.

“Arrrrrghhh!” Jenny let out a soft scream. “Batgirl! What are we *moan* going to do?”

“I . . . don’t . . . know,” Batgirl groaned.

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