Becca is
D E F E N D E R
in "Capitol Defense"
by Mr. Chain

The F.B.I. had been tracking the movements of members of a middle eastern terrorist cell for months. They had set up operations in the U.S., but once the terrorists made their way into Washington D.C., the agents suddenly lost track of them. A sense of panic began to set in at the agency since the insurgents had been detected attempting to purchase plutonium, the critical ingredient for an atomic bomb. If successful in their attempts, they would then have the ability to build an atomic bomb powerful enough to level the nation’s capitol. So in desperation the agency contacted the one person who could help them, the Defender.

Immediately accepting the plea, Defender arrived in Washington D.C. and was briefed on the investigation. She then sprang into action and, using her superior crime fighting skills and superpowers, quickly tracked the cell to a hotel just outside of Washington D.C. Knowing the sensitivity of the assignment and the risks associated with it, Defender chose to keep the location a secret from her colleagues, at least until she performed some surveillance on the group’s movements.

As the sun began to rise the very next day, she observed one of the terrorists emerging from the hotel and carrying a trendy-looking, aluminum briefcase. She followed him as he hopped into a cab and made his way to the National Mall area in the heart of the nation’s capitol. Right there, on the lawn located between the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument, the terrorist met up with another man, carrying the exact same case. As she watched from behind a tree, the two gentlemen exchanged briefcases, prompting her to abruptly notify the F.B.I. before she pounced.

Immediately overpowering the two men, Defender seized control of both briefcases just as a flood of F.B.I. agents arrived at the scene. Standing over her victims, Defender held a briefcase in each hand, instructing the agents to stand back. She did yet know the contents of either case, and as always, had the safety of others in mind. She then slowly opened each case, finding one filled with cash, while the other contained a small, lead box which contained a substance that Defender surmised was plutonium. Waving the agents in, they quickly realized that she had just thwarted the sale of the plutonium and possibly saved the city from extinction. As the agents took the two men into custody they congratulated the sultry super heroine, but despite her heroic efforts, her job had only just begun.

Although she had incarcerated the terrorists and confiscated the substance, she still needed to secure the hazardous material and verify its authenticity. And the place to do that was the F.B. I. Crime Lab, located just a few blocks away. So with an escort of federal agents clearing her way, Defender carried the two cases to F.B.I. headquarters, where it was eventually confirmed that the substance was in fact plutonium. Though her efforts were wildly applauded, her job was still not done. The plutonium now needed to be moved to an even more secure location at the Pentagon and there was no one more appropriate to carry out that assignment than the nation’s most powerful super heroine, Defender herself!

After the preparations were made and the area secured, Defender exited the building carrying an aluminum briefcase. The row of heavily armed, highly trained soldiers who escorted her were evidence of the sensitivity of her cargo, and the convoy of military trucks which waited on the street and F-16 fighter planes which buzzed overhead were further proof. The unusual spectacle was brassy, even by Washington DC’s standards, and in the center of all of this might was the mightiest of all, Defender.

Emerging from the J Edgar Hoover office building which housed the FBI, she began to make her way toward the Pentagon which was located directly across the Potomac River. The hastily prepared plan was that Defender would march straight up the middle of Pennsylvania Avenue in order to avoid any “sneak attacks” by the enemy. The show of force was quite impressive as The Defender walked stoically, her eyes darting from side to side as she carried the case.

Soldiers lined both sides of the avenue as the sultry super heroine made her way forward. As she walked down the center of the closed street she continued to inspect the area around her. But as she took a step forward onto a sewer cover, it suddenly slid open. Defender had been scanning the area to her sides and did not notice the new hole in the ground until it was too late. Before she knew it, she found herself plummeting underground and into the trap.

The soldiers quickly rushed in, but a band of the terrorists was waiting in the sewer with their tools and abruptly sealed the opening before welding it shut to prevent the soldiers from entering. Defender meanwhile landed hard in the murky, knee-high water and was momentarily stunned, allowing one of her enemies to shove a chloroform-soaked rag into her face. Though she struggled, she could not break free from the powerful grip and was quickly rendered unconscious by the drug, the briefcase she was holding falling to the floor beside her. A blindfold was then placed over the unconscious heroine’s eyes, a ball gag stuffed into her mouth and her wrists and then her ankles were tied with rope. Grabbing the end of the long rope which bound her ankles, several of the terrorists began to drag the heroine’s limp body through the dirty water before pulling her into a secret tunnel.

As the events unfolded underground, eventually the soldiers were able to rip the welded sewer cover open, but not before the terrorists had made their escape using the secret tunnel and sealing it behind them. The entrance was so well camouflaged that the soldiers could not detect it in their frantic search. They spread out, trying to determine where the terrorists had taken Defender, but their efforts proved fruitless as the bound, unconscious heroine was now in the hands of the terrorists, as well as the briefcase she was carrying.

Panic set in as the government ordered the army to scour the city, virtually closing down the nation’s capitol as the search for Defender gathered momentum. Their only consolation was that Defender had actually been acting as a decoy, carrying an empty briefcase while the real plutonium was still safely housed in the F.B.I. headquarters. But they knew that once the terrorists discovered the ruse, surely Defender’s life would be in jeopardy.

Within a few minutes, all of the nation’s television sets were overtaken and regular programming interrupted by the image of a bound Defender which flashed across the screens of millions of citizens. Defender’s wrists were tied behind her head with rope that was also wrapped around her throat as she struggled to free herself. But each movement of her arms caused the rope to tighten around her throat, choking her as she grunted. Millions of Americans looked on in horror, right from the comfort of their living rooms as their beloved heroine struggled to get free. The image played on for about a minute or so before finally a female voice with a heavy Arabic accent began to speak in the background.

“Approximately one hour ago, a representative of the Jihad Against America was apprehended in the National Mall in Washington D.C.. We were attempting to purchase plutonium, and though your F.B.I. has been tracking our movements for months, it took the efforts of your Defender to foil the transaction. But despite the temporary rebuff of our efforts to attain plutonium, as you can see, we have apprehended your country’s treasured super heroine and also retrieved the plutonium.”

Defender continued to struggle, her muffled groans clearly audible as the narration went silent for a moment. But then a great deal of commotion could be heard in the background as several voices began yelling in Arabic. The broadcast showed Defender’s eyes widen as she looked off camera as the terrorists finally realized that the briefcase was empty. With the camera still broadcasting Defender’s beautiful face, a satisfied expression quickly spread across it as she realized their discovery. But that expression quickly changed as the butt of a rifle was rammed into her midsection before the broadcast ended and normal programming resumed over the airwaves.

While an entire nation came to grips with what they had just seen and the reality of the situation, the restrained and hurting Defender was now faced with an angry room full of duped terrorists. Again a rag soaked in chloroform was shoved in her face, and within seconds she went limp and fell to the floor. The rebels were furious as they huddled over the body of the fallen super heroine, arguing about their next move.

The entire country became unnerved at the sight of their own heroine, the nation’s sweetheart, captured, bound and beaten by terrorists. Defender held a special place in the hearts of all Americans, from young girls who longed to be like her when they grew up, to women who longed to be more like her in their everyday lives. From boys who were in awe of her power and might to men who fantasized about her. From law-abiding citizens who appreciated the way she kept them safe to criminals who respected her strength and skill. Defender was, above all else, the purest symbol of all that was good with America, and allowed everyone to sleep better at night. She was a beautiful, strong, principled woman who had long ago captured the hearts and minds of the country with her heroics, grace under fire and natural beauty. So the sight of her captured and in such a compromising position left the entire country feeling demoralized and vulnerable. They began to think that if the terrorists had captured the mighty Defender, what could be next, and who would stop it?

The president, who also watched the broadcast, quickly realized the consequences and in a frenzy, rushed to make a speech on national television. He tried to assure the people by informing them that that the plutonium was in fact NOT in the hands of terrorists, but safely housed in a secure location. He also informed the nation that the terrorists were broadcasting their message via a secret satellite which, while not yet detected, would soon be disabled. He then paused, bowing his head before glaring into the camera.

“And as a message to the terrorists who have captured Defender, we will not rest until she is set free, unharmed! You will be captured and brought to justice, and if you harm her in anyway, you will ……..”



But before he could finish the threat, his image was replaced with that of Defender’s on the screens. This time she was standing erect, a red, plastic sheet wrapped tightly around her body as if she were a mummy. The same red substance was also tied around her mouth like a gag, preventing her from speaking. Her eyes were open wide and provided clear evidence of the fear she felt, her muffled cries again audible though her body was wrapped too tightly for her to move. The frightening image aired for about a minute or so longer before again, the female, Arabic voice began to speak.

“Your president is correct, we have been tricked and do not possess the plutonium. But we do possess a commodity just as valuable, your Defender. As you can see she is now wrapped in a substance which we have developed right here, in a lab we have maintained on your soil for the past year. Our scientists have invented this substance, which will completely neutralize your Defender, leaving her paralyzed for the next 24 hours.”

There was a dramatic pause as The Defender’s stationary image continued to air on the nation’s TV screens. And though she had sensed that she was paralyzed, she could not tell for sure since her body was wrapped so tightly. But the woman’s words were her first confirmation of that fact and she now felt more vulnerable than ever.

“The substance which has immobilized your Defender is not the only invention developed in our labs however. Over the past year, Jihad Against America has also built the satellite system over which we are now broadcasting as well as several powerful bombs of which you will soon see the result of our efforts.”

That threat concluded the broadcast, leaving an already panicked nation in even more turmoil. The Defender was also traumatized, not only by the broadcast, but also by the realization of it’s truth. Though still wrapped in the red plastic, she now knew that all of her strength, super or otherwise, had been completely drained from her body. Just then a group of the radicals stepped forward and began to unwrap her, the wrapper in place long enough to have accomplished it’s objective. Starting gradually, they pulled on the material, causing The Defender to slowly turn in place as she was unwrapped. But then they began to yank harder, causing her to spin like a majestic red, white and blue top. Her body twirled rapidly around as she was unwound until finally she was completely unwrapped, falling lifelessly to the floor.

As she lay there, she tried to move her arms and legs, but quickly realized that she had no control over her muscles. She could not move! The woman who had been providing the narration for the broadcasts then stepped forward and stood ominously over the helpless heroine, who began to fear what was next for her. But instead of attacking Defender, the woman began to fill her in on the history of the Jihad Against America’s mission as she stared helplessly up at her.

She explained that many years ago, an operative from the Jihad Against America had secured a senior position within the Washington D.C. sewer authority. He then began to hire an elite team of specialists who set out to build a series of secret tunnels beneath the city, all of them leading to an abandoned cavern which they then lined with several feet of steel and gradually equipped with sophisticated lab equipment. They then began to bring in highly trained scientists within a number of specialties. Some were trained in bomb making, others in advanced satellite broadcasting, others in weaponry and one in particular, specialized in developing paraphernalia which could be used specifically against Defender.

Using a lock of her hair attained from the scene of one of Defender’s heroics, he reconstructed Defender’s DNA, and as a result, was able to develop several tools to be used against her. The first was the paralyzing liquid which had been applied to the red wrap, disabling her. The revelation prompted the heroine to wonder what else they had in store for her. The woman then informed her that several other experiments were still waiting to be tested and since the heroine was now in their custody, they were anxious to put them to use against her.

She went on to inform Defender that the mission of Jihad Against America was to attack American targets on their own soil for the purpose of undermining their influence in Middle Eastern affairs. In addition, they intended to destroy the will of the American people by showing the world how easily they could be defeated. And what better way to accomplish that goal than by not only defeating, but also flaunting a helpless Defender, the most cherished symbol of American power, before a worldwide audience.

The paralyzed super heroine listened intently, and though unable to move, her blood boiled upon learning of their plot. She knew that she could defeat these terrorists, but was incredibly frustrated that they had rendered her temporarily powerless. That frustration was also felt by the army of law enforcement personnel who had overtaken the nation’s capitol. Though they scoured the sewer system for any sign of the terrorists, they could find none. Their efforts to track the origin of the broadcasts were also proving futile. So far as the terrorists clearly had the upperhand!

As The Defender lay on the cold floor, a hotel food cart was wheeled in next to her. She glanced at the cart as the black cloth which covered it was removed, revealing a huge stack of dynamite below. Her eyes widened as she stared at the huge bomb before her limp body was lifted off of the ground and placed onto the cart, her red and white cape below her. She was then tied tightly to it, her magnificent body stretched to its limit. With her limbs pulled taut to each corner of the cart, her ribs protruded through the lightly freckled skin on her torso as her breasts pressed tightly against her top. Her mind began to race …… What were they going to do to her? Were they going to blow her up, sending that image across every television set in the world? Her questions were soon answered however as the red light on top of the camera ignited and the image of her bound body was once again broadcast around the country. For several minutes, the image was shown in silence as Defender lay helplessly, but then the now familiar voice began to speak as the camera changed it’s angle to display not only the restrained Defender, but also the explosives below her .

“As you have learned by now, your Defender is helpless and completely at our mercy. Soon, the rest of your pathetic country will also be bound by our wishes. Below your hapless heroine is a bomb powerful enough to destroy one of your treasured, national monuments. A similar bomb has already been planted in your Capitol Building. Soon we will be transporting this bomb, with your Defender strapped to it, to a very public location. Should anyone decide to try and stop this mission however, each of our operatives has been armed with a detonation device. If any of our operatives are attacked or detained in anyway, we will detonate the bombs, spreading pieces of your precious Defender’s body all over your nation’s capitol.”

As The Defender gazed despondently into the camera, the light went out and the broadcast ended. Soon after, the terrorists began to push the cart with The Defender’s body strapped to it, out through the tunnel and onto its destination. It took quite awhile before they reached it, pushing the dangerous cargo ever so slowly, but finally they emerged at a secret exit right near the base of the Washington Monument.

As the hoodlums emerged into the daylight however, a huge militia of heavily armed soldiers greeted them, all pointing their weapons directly at them. The male rebels panicked and began to run back into the tunnel, but the woman of the group calmly walked over and stared down at Defender before whispering to her.

”Everyone hear will all be blown to bits, including you, unless you address these soldiers and tell them to drop their weapons and move back. If you do not, I will explode the bomb below you and the bomb in your Capitol Building! Do you agree?”

The Defender saw the cold, dead look in the woman’s eyes and realized that she was serious, deadly serious. She nodded her head in agreement, before being warned not to say anything else. The woman then untied Defender’s gag and nodded to her. Though reluctant, the bound super heroine knew that if the bombs were to explode, hundreds of innocent people would lose their lives. So unwillingly she instructed the soldiers to drop their weapons and move back. Though they hesitated at first, they knew that Defender would never steer them wrong, so they followed her orders, putting down their weapons and moving back.

With the coast cleared, the cart was wheeled to the base of the monument before they stopped and set up the camera once again. Filming the restrained heroine with the Washington Monument in the background, they began yet another broadcast, allowing the nation to absorb their protector’s helpless predicament before providing further directions.

”By now you will have discovered the bomb in your Capitol Building and realize that we have the ability to do as we wish. We will leave this bomb where it is, removing your weak and defenseless Defender from it. She will then be carried onto the grass and staked to the ground, where she will be left until you deliver the plutonium to us. It is to be delivered in a case by one person and one person only who will place it on the ground next to your Defender before calmly turning and walking away. If these instructions are not followed, both bombs will be detonated. If anyone tries to free your Defender, both bombs will be detonated. You have 1 hour.”

With that, again the broadcast ended and the terrorists went to work. They carefully untied Defender, one of them draping her limp body across his shoulder. As she hung lifelessly, the woman rebel walked over and stared into her face, whispering a warning not to try anything, or suffer the consequences. The heroine was then carried to a grassy area before being laid on the grass. He then pounded a stake into the ground, tying her right wrist to it. He repeated the process on her left wrist, stretching both arms apart and over her head before moving to her ankles. Using more rope he spread her legs apart and tied each ankle to a stake so that her body was spread apart on the grass, tied to the stakes.

By now, media from all over the world had arrived and begun filming the helpless heroine as she lay in the compromising position on the grass. The melee looked like a scene out of the Academy Awards with photographers and videographers fighting to get a picture of the paralyzed, spread heroine. The terrorists smiled, reveling in the fact that the image of their captured victim would be sent to countries everywhere, helping them to accomplish their mission of humiliating her, and the rest of America in the process. Meanwhile the president and his advisors debated their next move. Finally, just minutes before the deadline expired, a single soldier walked towards Defender, carrying an aluminum briefcase. He bent down and laid it next to her while whispering to her.

"Three is only a tiny amount of plutonium in the case, not enough to do any damage. The rest is fake. Good luck Defender!"

Defender heard him clearly, relieved that her government would not provide plutonium to terrorists. But she knew that the rest was up to her, if only she could get some of her strength back. Within minutes, the band of terrorists emerged back on the mall and began to untie Defender as the paparazzi continued to snap photos and shoot video. Defender was then untied as the angry female extremist grabbed her by the ankle and dragged across the grass as the crowd jeered the despicable act. With her cape trailing behind her, Defender was towed through the lawn before being pulled onto her feet by two villains and held up since she could not control her leg muscles. But the woman then stormed up in front of her, enraged.

"What did that soldier say to you?"

Defender stared back at her defiantly, saying nothing. The woman did not take kindly to the snub, sending a hard slap across The Defender's face, drawing a gasp from the thousands of on-lookers. Her head jerked violently to the side from the hard slap as the heroine's cheek grew red, as much from the slap as the anger which was building inside of her.

"What did that soldier say to you?"

Again Defender glared back at her, still refusing to answer, so the woman gave her an even harder smack across the face. The heroine's head wrenched sideways as her body slumped, the male terrorists holding her up as she turned again and glared at her abductor.

"He wished me luck!" was the sarcastic reply. As the two women stared each other down, one of the rebels moved in and again draped Defender across his shoulder as the crowd grew angry, loudly jeering the band of radicals who then all disappeared into the passageway, taking the aluminum case with them.

As Defender was carted through the tunnel and back toward the lab, surprisingly she began to feel a tingle throughout her body. Though the red wrapper was supposed to paralyze her for 24 hours, she could nonetheless slowly feel her body regaining some feeling. Though she was still furious about being slapped so hard in front of the entire world, it was obvious that those smacks had stimulated her body enough to regain at least some feeling. Despite the hopeful signs however, Defender was still in a perilous situation and knew that she could not let her captors know about her returning strength. So as she was carried into the underground complex and dropped to the floor, she continued to act paralyzed.

The terrorists then handcuffed her wrists behind her back and began to tie her ankles together with a long rope, Defender not resisting. Watching their every move, she noticed a winch hanging from the ceiling and after her ankles were bound, the men fed the other end of the rope through the pulley and slowly began to hoist her body upward. The beautiful heroine's upended body was elevated until eventually she hung down from the ceiling, her head about four feet above the floor. With her arms cuffed behind her as her hair and cape fell toward the floor, she immediately felt the blood rushing to her head and was not sure how long she could remain conscious while in the devious position. Dangling like a freshly caught marlin, her body swayed back and forth as the color in her face began to resemble the red color of her boots. Just then the woman stepped forward and again addressed her.

"Your usefulness is quickly coming to an end Defender. As soon as we verify the authenticity of the plutonium, I will eliminate you once and for all!"

With that, the band of radicals walked into the lab, leaving the hanging heroine to contemplate her eventual demise. After a few more moments alone however, Defender went to work trying to free herself. She began to swing her body back and forth, trying to lift herself in an attempt to wriggle free. Though her full strength had not yet returned, her abdominal muscles were strong enough to allow her to jerk her body upward in an effort to escape. But her efforts were proving futile as the little strength she had began to quickly diminish.

Finally she decided that, instead of expending her remaining energy, she would concentrate on freeing her arms from their cuffs. The struggle was furious and her groans became loud as she fought to get free while trying to remain calm. Eventually however, she was able to break one of the cuffs before again swinging her torso upward. Finally she was able to grasp onto the rope from which she hung with her free hand and was heartened to realize that she was just seconds away from her trap. Grabbing the rope with her other hand she was able to lift herself until her back was parallel with the floor and for the first time, a smile crossed her lips.

But then the door to the lab burst open and the angry group of terrorists ran in. Though not aware that Defender was almost free, they were instead angered by the realization that the plutonium was a fake, and were prepared to take their anger out on the dangling heroine. But as they discovered Defender about to break free, the male villains rushed toward the heroine screaming in Arabic. The woman however calmly walked over to the rope, pulling a knife from her belt and cutting it. Instantly, Defender was sent plunging to the floor, her back and the back of her head striking against it. The landing was brutal and though not knocked out by it, she was staggered.



Slowly the woman then grabbed a rag and walked over to a table, opening a bottle of chloroform that sat on it. As she soaked the rag with the liquid, the groggy Defender was able to push herself up onto her feet just as the woman walked over. But she then brusquely shoved the rag into Defender’s face while forcefully pushing her back into the corner. Though she tried to resist, the dazed, weakened Defender was no match for the powerful villain and was soon overcome by the fumes as she slowly drooped down the wall as she was again knocked unconscious by the drug.

While the heroine lay unconscious, the terrorists began to plot their next steps. They were enraged at being tricked a second time by the government, and Defender was sure to be the target of their rage. Though a few of them argued about why the paralyzing, red wrap had not worked for the intended time frame, the woman again remained calm, preparing to entrap the heroine yet again.


She directed them to pull the sleepy super heroine onto her feet and force her back against one of the support columns in the center of the room. Obeying her orders, they did just, pulling her arms back around the post to hold her to it while the woman descended into the lab, emerging a minute later with a roll of wrap which looked very similar to the one which bound Defender earlier. The only difference, at least in appearance was that wrap was clear as opposed to red in color. They then began to wrap it around Defender, binding her tightly against the pillar so that her body was compressed in the transparent material. Finally, having secured her once again, they stepped back and waited for her to revive.

The light on the camera ignited just as The Defender began to awake. She looked terrible, her skin pale and her eyes clouded as her head hung down in front of her, barely able to hold it erect. She felt as bad as she looked, her body shivering and growing colder by the minute. As the television sets around the country transmitted the image of her pinned to the pole, the familiar voice again began to speak.

"You have chosen to defy our command once again, delivering a substance other than plutonium. So now your chances have been exhausted and we will show you our power. But instead of exploding our bombs, we will first allow you to witness the death of your precious Defender. As you can see, your Defender is once again restrained, her skin pale as she shivers. Her body is bound by a material which will gradually lower her body temperature until her blood begins to gel. Gradually her body temperature will drop to dangerous levels and eventually your precious Defender will freeze to death, right before your eyes.”

The woman paused, allowing the camera to focus in on Defender’s pretty face, which looked exhausted and drained of life.

“Your Defender will die! Of that you can be sure! But in order to avoid the deaths of others, you will deliver the plutonium to the base of the Washington Monument in one hour. At that time, if the delivery is not made, we will detonate the bombs and blow up your nation's capitol. You have one hour. Meanwhile, you may witness the slow death of your beloved Defender."

The light on the camera distinguished for a moment as Defender lifted her head, her eyes glazed over. The woman again confronted her, glaring into her eyes as she addressed the heroine for the last time.

"Your death will be a lesson to all Americans not to defy Jihad Against America. Your death will announce our supremacy to the entire world and I will finally be respected as the world’s most powerful woman. For you see Defender, you are not the world's only super heroine. I too possess powers beyond those of mortal humans. And though I did not need to use those powers to defeat you, I will use them to rule the world. And so you know the person responsible for your death .... I will let the last word you hear by my name .... Ayanna!"

The Defender could barely keep her head up as she listened to her rival's words. She could feel her body temperature lowering as she began to shiver more animated now. "Ayanna", she whispered as the woman walked away from her, Defender’s head bowing, no longer able to hold it erect. All of the terrorists then descended back into the lab as the camera again powered on, broadcasting the image of the slowly fading Defender to the entire nation.

Greatly weakened, her body almost frozen, Defender struggled to remain conscious. With her arms trapped against the pole, she struggled to wriggle them but was bound too tightly. As the minutes passed she grew weaker and weaker, the camera capturing it all while the world watched. Slowly her head lifted and bowed and though she tried to fight it, eventually her eyes closed.

There was an audible gasp heard all across the country as Defender appeared to be dead. The hearts of Americans everywhere were broken as they watched the lifeless body of their heroine droop before their eyes. But although the clock was apparently no longer ticking on The Defender's life, it was still ticking on the delivery of the plutonium! All of the terrorists left the lab, beginning their trek through the tunnel to retrieve the plutonium as Defender’s lifeless body was left behind.

Despite appearances, Defender clung to life, though barely. In a last, desperate attempt, she wriggled her fingers, and to her amazement, one of her fingernails was able to puncture the wrapping. Her eyes opened as she realized that her dropping body temperature had made the wrapper brittle, and as a result, allowed her sharp, red fingernail to perforate it. But would she have enough strength left to break free?

Slowly she continued to poke her fingernails through the wrapper, making a number of holes in it until finally she was able to push her entire hand through the wrapper. After an arduous struggle, eventually she was able to rip her arm free, and then tear the rest of the wrapper from her frozen body. Dropping to her knees, she smiled widely, though not possessing enough strength to get to her feet. But she was running out of time as the terrorists made their way toward the plutonium, so she knew she had to fight through her weakened state and take action.

Getting to her feet, she stumbled into the lab and began a frantic search. Before long she found a bottle marked "paralyzing liquid", which was obviously used on the red wrapper which had left her debilitated. She grabbed the bottle and looked around some more, finding the ventilation system which kept fresh air pumping through the tunnel. She quickly poured half of the contents of the bottle into one of the vents and turned the blower until high, hoping that the liquid would vaporize into the air and overcome her captors. She then grabbed a gas mask, slipped it on and waited.

Barely able to walk, the haggard heroine staggered to the entrance to the tunnel and peered out into for any sign of her captors. She then made her way forward, stumbling through the tunnel in search of them. Eventually she came across one of the terrorists lying on the floor, inundated by the fumes and unable to move. She then came across another, and then a third. But there were still more of them so she ventured onward. Finally reaching the tunnel's exit and the light of day. Moving slowly and cautiously she poked her head out of the tunnel and saw the remaining terrorists standing over the case which was left for them.

Quietly she emerged, sneaking up behind them. As she was ready to pounce however, Ayanna noticed her. Defender quickly tossed the contents of the bottle toward the villains, splattering the liquid over all of them, all of them except Ayanna. Instantly the others feel to the floor, paralyzed, but Ayanna avoided the liquid, leaping toward Defender. She was so focused on attacking the heroine that she dropped her detonation device, allowing Defender to dive forward, avoiding her attacker's grasp while snatching it.

But Ayanna turned and grabbed her, easily hoisting the still weakened heroine up and over her head. With Defender's cape hanging down, her arms and legs also dropping toward the floor, Ayanna held her up like a prize before tossing her aside, Defender still clutching onto the detonation device. She landed hard and rolled away, hurt bue free of Ayanna's clutches. Ayanna then leaped upward, hovering in the air as she addressed Defender one last time.

“We will meet again Defender and when we do, I will be victorious and eliminate you once and for all!”

With those final words she flew up into the air, the crowd gasping as the sexy woman soared skyward and quickly out of sight. Defender was shocked, amazed that Ayanna could fly. Though Defender was much too weak to make chase, Ayanna also flew much too quickly for the jets to keep up with her, allowing her to escape. Defender soon realized that Ayanna’s earlier warning was not just an empty boast, she obviously did possess super powers. And though Defender had foiled her scheme this time, she knew that her new and powerful rival would surely be back, just as she promised.

Quickly the soldiers rushed in and helped Defender up, hoisting her onto their shoulders as the large crowd cheered furiously at her heroics. She had saved the nation yet again, though this time just barely. Waving as the soldiers paraded her up Pennsylvania Avenue to the entrance to the White House, Defender felt relieved, though still aching and weak. As she was lowered, the president stepped forward to thank her for her efforts, kissing her on the cheek. The two talked for a moment before he invited her inside to recover from her ordeal, an invitation she graciously accpeted. As she ascended up the stairs into the residence of the White House however, a little girl ran forward, the crowd parting to let her through as Defender stopped and turned to face her.

”We love you Defender!” she yelled in a sweet little voice.

”I love you too honey. I love all of you!”, Defender replied, her voice still weak, “And God Bless America!”

With that she turned and began to walk up the stairs, the president grabbing her arm to escort her as the door closed behind them.

THE END ?

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