VOLTAGE RETURNS!

Cowering under the safety of the covers in her own bed, she was no longer playing the role of her alter ego Voltage, but had rather gone back to being plain old Flora. She was frightened and upset, causing her to tremble and sob uncontrollably as she flipped through the television channels using the remote control. Withdrawing in her bed, the covers pulled up to her chin, she nervously bit her nails as she watched channel after channel showing the same pictures, all of her dripping body as it dangled from the George Washington Bridge. No matter which station she turned to, each of the morning newscasts featured the same lead story.

They all started the same way, with that horrible image of her bound body, dangling from the bridge. The newscasters would then go on to describe how she was found and the rescue efforts used to pull her up from the bungee cord she was tied to. Then the inevitable snide comment or nasty remark before the final footage of her flying away, only to crash into the bridge as she desperately tried to escape the media's spotlight. She had hoped that Voltage would become a role model but now she was merely a laughing stock. She pulled the covers over her head and blubbered loudly, the emotional damage much worse then the physical.

Flora stayed in bed all day, not changing out of her nightgown, not even getting out of bed. She became obsessed, trying to find any station which was covering the story, and then crying out loud upon watching it. At the end of the afternoon however, her first good news of the day arrived, her husband was home. She jumped out of bed, ran to the door and gave him a huge hug. Forgetting about her superpowers, she squeezed tightly, cutting off her husband's circulation and choking him. Hearing his wheezing and muffled groans, she quickly released him. It took him a minute to catch his breath, but finally he did, and the husband and wife eventually settled on the couch in their living room and began to talk.

Flora told him everything; how she had heard the cries for help in the middle of the night, how she had snuck out of their apartment while he slept, and how most of the adventures she had been through while helping the female victims whom she had encountered had gone. He was completely confounded by her revelations, his mouth wide open as Flora went on. But once he got over the initial shock, he felt very proud of his wife, and even supportive of her. But Flora had saved the worst for last, and finally grabbed him by the hand and walked him into the bedroom.

She took the remote control and flipped through the channels until finally coming upon a station which was in the midst of reporting her debacle. It seemed that at least one or two channels had interrupted their broadcasts with a "special report" on the incident all throughout the day, so it wasn't very hard to find. He watched in horror as the image of a gagged and bound, yellow clad woman dangled from the George Washington Bridge. "This couldn't be!" he thought to himself, "that couldn't be Flora!" But as he turned his attention towards the bedroom, Flora sheepishly came walking out in her still wet Voltage costume, confirming the incredible revelation.

Tears dripped down her lightning bolt mask as she stared at him waiting for a reaction. He knew she needed him, and so he grabbed her and held her tight for some time, trying to comfort her. Eventually they sat down and spent the rest of the day talking about everything that had happened, and what to do about it. They agreed that it was best to leave this whole episode in the past and pretend it never happened. He also then told Flora that she should never try and play the role of a superhero again. She paused, debating the issue in her own head for a moment before reluctantly nodding in agreement.

Later that night, after the emotions of the day had finally subsided, the husband and wife lay in bed as their passions began to grow. Though they hadn't been spending making love much lately, Flora needed to be close to him tonight, so they quickly slid out of their clothing and began the act of lovemaking. Her body ached as he positioned himself on top of her, but just as he penetrated her, Flora's entire body tensed up and she broke out in a cold sweat. It wasn't due to anything her husband had done, but rather from the all too familiar cries for help which began to fill her head. Her husband was too busy to realize his wife's trauma, but Flora grew despondent nonetheless as he continued to hump his body on top of hers.

Trying desperately to ignore the pleas as her husband continued to make love to her, Flora could barely keep her composure. But as her husband finished and rolled alongside her, he could tell something was wrong. Without prompting, she began to speak.

"I can hear them, the cries for help, and I know exactly where they are coming from."

"Just try to ignore them Flora," he pleaded. She tried, but couldn't. She could see the woman's face very clearly, almost as if she were watching it on television. Though she couldn't make out what was happening to the woman, she knew she was in trouble. Flora's body grew cold and damp and again she pulled the covers over her naked body as she began to tremble and sob. She continued to quiver, prompting her husband to grab her and hold her tightly. He didn't know what to do, but he was determined to keep his wife safe from harm. But even though the cries in her head eventually subsided, the despondent Flora could not forget them. She lay awake all night, dreading the outcome.

The next morning, Flora rolled out of bed early and flipped on the television. The news had already started and the image of a wealthy, older woman filled the screen. She was wrapped in a blanket, her eyes blackened and blood trickling from the corner of her mouth as police questioned her. The reporter went on to explain how the woman had lost her husband to a heart attack just a few short weeks ago. And now, just the night before, she had been held up, all of her money and valuables stolen including every piece of jewelry her late husband had ever given her. To top it off, the crooks then beat her and tied her to the bed.

Flora looked on as her eyes filled with tears at the image of the poor woman. She recognized the face and knew instantly that this was the woman who had been calling her, the woman who needed her help. And since Flora had ignored her pleas, this poor woman suffered an enormous tragedy. It was right then and there that Flora reached a decision which would change her life forever. She decided that she could never again longer ignore the pleas she heard in the middle of the night. She knew that she had to help these women in any way she could. She knew that Voltage had to live.

Her husband walked in just then, and she told him what had happened. He shook his head in sad, disbelief, assuming she had imagined the entire thing. She then told him about her plan to resume her role as the super heroine Voltage, which prompted him to jump to his feet.

"ARE YOU CRAZY! DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU YESTERDAY!"

Flora looked backed at him, wiping the tear from her cheek. "Look at what happened to her", she replied calmly, pointing to the television as the image of the beaten woman filled the screen. "This is something I have to do. I don't know why, but for some reason I was chosen to help these women, and I won't let them down again."

The two stared at each other for a few more moments until finally Flora walked into the bathroom, locked the door and took a long, hot shower. Her husband stormed out of the house, not returning until night time. They did not speak to each other any more that night, going to bed angry.

Several hours later, in the middle of the night as she lay in bed, tossing and turning, she heard the call for help. She quickly jumped up, her husband jarred awake before turning the light on as she began to change into her costume.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I've got to go. Someone needs my help."

"NO FLORA! YOU CAN'T GO!"

"This is something I've got to do, I'm sorry if you don't understand", she whispered as she slipped on her boots and then tied her mask around her head, completing her costume. She began to move toward him to give him a kiss, but he turned away, making it obvious he was not happy. Flora stopped and stared at him with sad eyes before walking over to the window, opening it and flying off into the night.

"Be careful", he whispered softly as she flew off, too quickly to hear his wishes. His wife was off to fight crime and though he tried to understand it, he could not.

Voltage soared through the air, wavering from side to side as she struggled to maintain control. She flew on, not worried about the perils of flying... or landing for that matter.... but focused completely on rescuing the woman who was calling for help. There was a conflict of emotions going on inside of her, one which tried to make her petrified, but a much stronger, resolute feeling of purpose which greatly overpowered her fears.

The cries took her toward the heart of the city, and she gradually lowered herself, struggling to keep control of her body. She descended in the direction of the cries and noticed a long line of young people standing outside a warehouse, surmising that it was the opening of another trendy, new nightclub, many of which dotted this section of town. Several of the young people noticed her, and began to point and yell. A number of them ran off in the direction she was flying, but could not keep up and soon lost sight of her.

Zeroing in on the woman in distress, Voltage knew the cries came from just a couple of blocks away however and Voltage soon found herself flying into a dark alley, strewn with garbage dumpsters. She followed the now muffled cries until she noticed two burly, menacing looking men. They were dragging a pretty, young woman by the arms, one of them covering her mouth to prevent her from screaming. She was dressed in a skimpy though trendy outfit, similar to what most of the women who were waiting in line at the nightclub were wearing. Voltage quickly surmised that the young woman had been trying to get into the club, but when it became apparent that she couldn't, these two guys had tricked her into joining them. They were now trying to drag her to the back of the alley in order to rape her.

Voltage swooped down, heading directly toward them. The woman's eye's widened as she noticed the super heroine descending upon her attackers. Her look caused the two men to turn, and they were shocked to see this woman in a yellow costume coming right at them. But then something happened, either a gust of wind, or a sharp movement, or maybe just nerves. But whatever it was, it caused Voltage to lose control of her body and smash into the brick wall alongside of them, just above one of the open dumpsters. Her head slammed into the wall, jarring her as she tumbled into the open dumpster. Alertly, one of the thugs ran over and closed the top of the dumpster on her, trapping her inside. He then sat down on top of the closed panel in order to keep Voltage trapped inside. Though they didn't know who or what she was, they were confident that she was trapped.

"Don't worry, she ain't going nowhere. Now let's get back to the pretty one. Why don't you go first Spike!" he said to his accomplice, referring to having his way with the beautiful young woman. He pinned her to the wall as the other man looked on from his perch atop the dumpster. Voltage began to stir inside, her head and body aching from the collision. She was groggy and the stench of the trash almost overcame her, but she was able to slowly gather her composure. Though it was completely dark inside the trash infested metal container, she tried to push herself upright, but the weight of the thug kept the cover tightly secured on top of her.

Voltage could hear the woman struggling outside though, so she desperately worked to plant her feet for leverage. Finally doing so, she thrust her arms up, jarring the top of the dumpster open and in the process, launching the mugger several feet into the air. He landed with a THUD, rolling onto his side and moaning, unable to get up as his partner quickly turned and tried to attack her.

Though covered with garbage, Voltage quickly set herself and threw a wild punch in his direction as he approached. The punch landed squarely on his jaw, knocking him off of his feet and sending him flying backward before smacking into the brick wall and falling to the floor, unconscious. With one punch she had knocked him out cold, leaving him laying just a few feet away from his partner in crime.

Voltage walked over to the shaken, though unharmed woman to see if she was okay, but as she did, a crowd of people came racing back into the alley. They had seen Voltage flying overhead, and were able to finally pinpoint her whereabouts. Seeing that the young woman was now safe, Voltage turned to face the crowd, smiling before she realized that she was smelly and covered in garbage. Two of the on lookers were a reporter and photographer from one of the city tabloids, so he snapped a couple of quick, unflattering pictures of Voltage before she was able to jump up and fly away, the stench of garbage trailing behind her as she flew off.

The reported then walked over to the young women, who was being comforted by a number of other people, before he began to ask questions about what had happened. She told him the whole story, from how the two guys had tricked her, to Voltage's landing in the dumpster, to her heroic and powerful rescue. The reporter took it all down, snapping a few pictures of the young woman in order to add to the story.

Meanwhile Voltage began her journey home, incredibly gratified at the result of her latest adventure. Though her head and body ached and the smell of garbage permeated off of her, the night had been a huge success. She had saved the young woman from what surely would have been a dreadful crime and as she flew on, a smile crossed her face for the first time in a few days. This was why she knew she had to continue her good deeds.

Before too long she reached her apartment and began to debate her landing. She had not mastered landing, as evidenced by the bruise on her head, especially through an open window, so she decided to simply land on the sidewalk next to her bedroom window. She had achieved the most success with that in the past, and so she set herself to land on her feet. But as she sailed downward, once again she could not keep control and found herself crashing into her bedroom window.

Her husband had been sitting awake, anxiously awaiting her return and was startled by the loud crash. He jumped up and looked out the window, only to find his wife laying awkwardly in the bush below the window. He rushed outside to help her and carried her back in, almost gagging from the stench of the garbage. By the smile on her face however, he knew she had been successful. He placed her down on the sofa but she quickly got up, gave him a kiss and told him she would be right out. She then took a shower, trying to remove the smell of the night's events, before emerging and filling him in on everything that had happened.

The next day however as she read the morning paper on her way in to work, Flora was amazed to see a picture of the young woman she had rescued on the cover of the paper, with the headline...

"Super Heroine... or Super Klutz?"

She could not believe her eyes and was furious at the headline. She turned to the article and read it, which only infuriated her further. The report focused on her crash into the dumpster and the smell which trailed behind her as she sailed off. There was little mention of the fact that she had saved the woman from certain rape, or even worse. Her face turned red and her blood boiled with anger as she read on, before tossing the paper aside. Her husband had seen the article as well, and shook his head in disbelief, assuming that his wife had experienced another devastating humiliation. He did not think about her accomplishments, only her disgrace.

Flora was able to calm down as time passed that day, but the way the story was reported seemed to leave a permanent scar on her. That night as she arrived home she found her husband seated on the couch, the newspaper laying on the coffee table, turned to the story. The two quickly began to argue as he once again voiced his concerns about his wife's safety. But Flora was still angry and defensive, leaving the two to go to bed annoyed at each other once again. A few hours later she was awakened by a call for help and quickly changed into her Voltage costume. Her husband sat up and watched, not saying a word as she flew out the window, shaking his head in defeat.

Voltage flew into the night, quickly drawing closer to the cries, which came from a hotel in the heart of the city. For some reason Voltage could not pinpoint the exact location within the hotel, though she knew she had the right building. She circled twice, trying to hone in on the location, but finally decided to enter the hotel and take if from there.

This particular hotel featured a wonderful cocktail lounge on the top floor with large picture windows and small balcony on all sides which offered a wonderful view of the city. Though it was late on a Friday night, the bar was still fairly crowded with a number of guests still present, one couple seated out on the balcony. Voltage finally decided to land on the small balcony and enter through the hotel bar, so she began to make her descent. The winds were tricky though and before she knew it, Voltage found herself being thrown toward one of the large, plate glass windows. Unable to stop, she smacked against the window in a completely upright position, her body plastered against the wall of glass.

The loud smack of her body striking the glass jolted the guests and they all turned quickly to see what had happened. They were greeted with the site of Voltage's body pressed tightly to the windowpane, her head turned to the side as her cheek and lips mashed into it. She seemed to be frozen, almost as if stuck to the window, her body squashed against it. After a few more moments she began to stumble backward before falling on her butt.

The couple who was seated outside quickly rushed over to her. "Are you okay?" they asked.

But Voltage got her feet quickly, shook her head like a cartoon character and then ran into the bar. Her instinct directed her into the stairwell and down 4 flights of stairs before bursting through a door and into one of the rooms.

To her surprise, Voltage was stumbled upon a young woman who was laying face down on the bed, and strapping young man, standing ominously over her. The man turned to look at her, and soon after, the pretty young woman on the bed lifted her head as well. Voltage looked at the woman and saw that she had a black eye and red, swollen cheek. It was obvious that the man had roughed her up, and Voltage grew angry. However, she soon realized that the young woman was none other than one of the hottest, young supermodels and the man was her world famous, actor boyfriend.

"Who the hell are you?" he yelled to Voltage, who immediately ran over to the young woman to see if she was okay. But the young actor took offense and grabbed the kneeling Voltage by the shoulder. The super heroine pushed him backward across her shoulder, sending him soaring across the room and smacking into the wall. He slowly fell to the floor as Voltage tended to his girlfriend.

The patrons in the bar had called the police, so by this time, security and policemen began to race towards the hotel room. Voltage knew it wouldn't be long before the press arrived as well and so rather than be the subject of more negative press, she ran back into the stairwell, up the four flights of stairs and back into the bar. The patrons all turned to look as she ran out towards the balcony, her cape flying behind her as she ran recklessly towards the door. But before she reached it, she tripped over the leg of a chair and fell inelegantly to the floor. She was not looking very graceful to the bar patrons, even though she had accomplished what she set out to do. Feeling a bit embarrassed; she got up, dusted herself off, hurried out onto the balcony and flew away.

Her flight home was uneventful, allowing her to eventually laugh off her ineptness at the bar. She even had an uneventful landing outside of her bedroom. Her husband was awake when she reached the bedroom and asked if everything had gone well. She nodded her head before walking into the bathroom and changing back into her nightgown before climbing into bed and falling asleep.

The next day, as Flora sat on the subway on her way to work, she flipped through the morning newspaper. She was shocked to see that Voltage had made the newspaper once again. As she flipped to her story, the redness that developed in her cheeks was not the blushing happiness you might have expected from someone who had achieved celebrity status. Instead of the positive aspects of celebrity, Flora was experiencing the downside. Rather than report how she had saved the hapless, young supermodel from her menacing boyfriend, the writer had chosen to highlight interviews with the bar patrons who explained in great detail how she had clumsily smacked into the window on arrival and tumbled over a chair upon her exit. The rest of the story focused on how Voltage had interfered in a personal matter and questioned her motives, no reference made to her role in rescuing the young woman from a violent man.

To top it all off, since there was no picture available of her this time, the newspaper substituted a comic strip drawing of her, parodying her collision with the window. And so it began... Voltage quickly realized that the newspapers weren't interested in her heroics at all. In fact, they seemed to be much more interested in reporting her mishaps in earnest while overlooking her courageous and admirable accomplishments!

So between the tension at home, the stress of the newspaper stories and the inevitable lack of sleep, Voltage had her hands full. Nonetheless, she went out each of the next few nights, each mission successful though some minor drawbacks experienced each time. Her husband began to grow accustomed to his wife leaving home in the middle of the night, although he still wasn't happy about it. But as the week went on and Flora had successfully helped several women, he could see how much she had begun to change, how much pride she took in being a super heroine. So even though he continued to argue with her about her adventures, his arguments gradually grew less and less passionate.

With another week of work down, a series of successful adventures completed throughout the past week and the arguments with her husband becoming less frequent, Flora rode the subway home on Friday evening with a smile on her face. She had begun to regain her confidence again as she went to bed.... until she was awoken again in the middle of the night. She could sense that a young woman was in trouble, and although she couldn't visualize her, there was something strangely familiar about her. Flora changed into her Voltage costume and flew off into the cold night, unable to shake the feeling that she had some type of relationship with this latest victim. Her husband stood by the window and watched as her image grew smaller and smaller.

Voltage was drawn to a small bank in a poorer section of the city and as she drew nearer, she could sense that something unusual was about to happen. She landed outside the front entrance to the bank and was surprised to see the door propped open and a large van parked in front with the doors flung open. Looking at the truck, Voltage again got the feeling that she had seen it before, though she couldn't remember where or when. Goosebumps began to pucker her skin as she cautiously walked through the front door and quickly came upon three masked men; each carrying bags full of money from the vault. They were walking towards the front door, but stopped dead in their tracks upon seeing her, dropping the bags to their sides.

Voltage stood defiantly in front of the entrance, her legs spread apart, her hands on her hips as the wind blew her cape behind her. It was the prototypical superheroine pose and it struck fear into the crooks, who looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Give up now and no one will get hurt!" Voltage ordered in her deepest, most menacing voice.

But that only prompted them to attack. All three rushed at her together, causing her heart to race as she feverishly debated how to react. With the criminals within inches of her, Voltage stuck her arms out to her sides and surged forward, flying straight ahead and knocking them all down with one blow. As they struggled to get to their feet, she grabbed the arm of one and whipped him around, tossing him into another and sending them both falling back down. The third charged up behind her and locked his arm around her throat, but Voltage reacted quickly and tossed him over her shoulder and to the floor, sending him sliding across the marble floor.

She chased after him, picked him back up and pressed him over her head as his eyes widened with fear. By this time the other two had gotten back up and were about to charge at her again. Voltage stood with her arms fully extended over her head as she held the thug in place, her eyes fixed sternly on her other two attackers. The petite super heroine looked quite impressive, holding a man at least twice her weight so easily before simply tossing him into the two who were charging, knocking all three down. The force of the collision seemed to knock them all out, either from the collision itself or from banging their heads against the hard, marble floor.

Voltage stood over them for a moment, her heart pulsating, her nerves rattled. She couldn't believe that she had managed to handle all three so easily and as the realization set in, a feeling of elation overcame her. She smiled widely as they lay motionless at her feet, the feeling of power and control an incredibly emotional experience for her as she pumped her fist over her head in celebration. But the celebration was short lived as Voltage heard some muffled screams coming from the back of the bank.

She walked back to where the noise was originating and noticed the door to the vault swung open. She moved closer, finally seeing the image of a woman, tied to a chair inside the back of the vault. Voltage ran towards the women, again feeling an incredible sense of familiarity. The woman was gagged and blindfolded so as Voltage neared the vault's entrance, she was still not able to make out who the woman was.

A she cautiously stepped closer, Voltage began to suspect the woman's attire. She was wearing a tight, black, cropped T-shirt with some wording written across the chest, though Voltage was not quite close enough to make out what it said. The woman also wore a pair of tight, black silk shorts and long, leather boots, not quite the attire of a bank employee. As Voltage stepped into the vault, she quickly began to piece everything together and realized who this woman was.

The van which was parked in front of the bank was the one which had carried Voltage to her first perilous encounter on the George Washington Bridge. The three men she had knocked out earlier were the thugs who had taken her prisoner on that fateful night, and the woman who was apparently tied up in the vault was none other than... DIVA!

Voltage continued to move towards her, her mind computing all of this information as she kept moving forward. Voltage knew this was her opportunity to get even with the woman who had humiliated her in the past, but as she took one more step forward, she tripped a wire which was strung across the entrance to the vault. As the wire was stretched by Voltage's yellow boot, Diva stood up, the ropes which seemingly bound her to the chair falling to her sides as she began to untie the blindfold and gag.

The hapless heroine looked on in shock, finally coming to the realization that she was about to become the victim of a trap. Just as she realized this however, she forced the wire at her feet to become fully extended, causing a bag full of quarters to fall directly on top of her head. The simple ruse had worked, the collision of the heavy coins with the top of Voltage's head making a loud and sickening THUD. The blow seemingly drove Voltage's head down into her neck, her eyes rolling as she slowly disintegrated into a mound of flesh on the cold floor, completely knocked out.

Voltage fell to the floor, a bump quickly raising from her scalp as she lay unconscious. Diva's plot had worked! She slowly swaggered away from the chair and stood sexily over the fallen heroine just as three hoods hobbled into the vault, still groggy. The site of the licentious Diva standing over the fallen and virtuous Voltage created an erotic scene not lost on the thugs. But Diva then barked out orders, and though aroused at the site of her, they hopped to obey.

"Okay, it worked. Now finish loading the truck you three and I'll take care of Voltage." Diva ordered.

The three men followed her command and loaded the waiting truck with the remaining bags of money as Diva stood over her prey. A few minutes later Voltage began to stir and gradually opened her eyes. She was still stunned from the blow, but felt a piercing pain in her upper arms. As her eyes gradually focused, she looked up into the eyes of her blonde attacker, realizing that her arms were being pinned to the floor. Diva was standing on each of Voltage's arms, her spiked heels digging into the soft skin on the bottom of the heroine's upper arms.

"Remember me?" Diva taunted at the trapped heroine. Voltage began to stir, but before she could break free, Diva abruptly dropped straight to the ground, ramming her ass into the pit of Voltage's stomach. Voltage gagged and squealed in pain, her legs soaring into the air as Diva ground her ass even more deeply into the heroines' yielding belly.

"I warned you the last time to stay away from me, but you wouldn't listen, would you?" Diva goaded as she pulled Voltage's head up by the hair.

The expression on the heroines' face was a combination of fear; bewilderment and anguish all combined into one emotion as her powerful yet beautiful adversary wound her arm back menacingly. With Voltage still in a state of confusion, Diva ripping her head up by the hair, the villainess landed a potent punch into her face, connecting square onto her chin. The superheroines' eyes seemed to roll around in her head for a moment before closing, her head falling limply backward. Once again Voltage was knocked out as Diva instructed the thugs to tie her up and toss her into the corner.

They hog-tied her using some thick rope, then gagged her, leaving her lying on the floor. Diva then walked up to her and picked her up by the rope, Voltage's ankles and wrists all tied together in a tight knot. One of the thugs then snapped a picture of the powerful blonde holding onto the hapless heroine, which seemed to quickly becoming a trademark of Diva's. Diva dropped her back down to the floor as Voltage began to stir once again. Two of the thugs then walked over and stood on either side of the bound heroine, facing each other. They then smiled before grabbing hold of the rope and lifting her up, her back pulled off of the floor. Gradually they began rocking her back and forth to build up some momentum as her body gradually ascended back and forth, reaching as high as their shoulders before they let go. Voltage's triangular shaped physique soared through the air before it smacked violently against the hard, steel wall of the vault. There was a loud CRACK from the sound of the impact before her body rolled toward the corner, Voltage out cold.

They then set about the next phase of the trap, which was devise a fairly sophisticated series of pulleys from the four corners of the vault as Diva directed them. While the three thugs carried out her instructions, Diva set up the backdrop of the plan. She placed dozens of candles all around the empty vault, lighting them all to create a warm glow. A few minutes later the thugs signaled that the device was completed, so Diva nodded for them to untie Voltage and drag her body to the middle of the vault, which they did.

One of the men lifted Voltage by the waist, while each of the other two men began tying a thick, bristly rope around each of her wrists. They pulled the knots as tightly as possible, causing the sharp rope to dig into the skin on the wrists of the still unconscious Voltage. The rope was then thread through two pulleys which hung from the corners of either side of the room where the wall met the ceiling. The rope was then run down the wall and again threaded through another two pulleys which were fastened to the corners of the room where the floor met the ceiling.

The men then pulled on the ropes, thus hoisting Voltage's body up off of the ground. Her arms were pulled up over her head and gradually spread apart as the ropes tightened, each arm fully extended toward opposite corners of the room. The man who was holding Voltage by the waist then let her go, allowing her to dangle by the arms as her body hung in the middle of the vault. The other two then went about pulling on each of the ropes and hauling them back toward the hanging heroine's legs, which were swaying lifelessly below her. They each gave a mighty tug to pull them as tightly as possible, stretching Voltage's arms as far as they could be stretched. A final knot was then tied around each of her ankles, ensuring that there was no slack at all in the taut lines.

Upon completion, Voltage's body was spread apart as much as humanly possible, each arm and leg about to be ripped from their respective sockets. Her body formed a large, elevated X in the center of the vault, the tension of the ropes further ripping into the skin on her wrists and ankles as she hung, suspended in midair.

Voltage was still unconscious as her diminutive body hung there, an eerie, frightening sight. Dozens of candles burned all around her, creating a soft glow against her shiny, clammy skin. Diva stood there staring at her accomplishment as the three men did their final clean up before getting ready to make their escape.

"I toyed with you the last time Voltage, but not this time.... This time I'm going to finish you off."

Diva waited, staring into the closed eyes of the strung up superhero as the men finished their tasks and came back to get her. As they were about to leave, Voltage slowly began to roll her head form side to side, gradually opening her eyes. The cringed expression on her face was evidence of the taut and torturous restraints which were ripping her limbs from her body. As she looked through her mask, unable to see very clearly through the pain, Diva again walked up to her. She turned to face one of the thugs as she stood next to Voltage's suspended body, and then smiled while yet another picture was snapped.

As the men raced out of the bank to the waiting van, Diva stood directly in front of the yellow clad heroine, about to say her final good bye. Slowly she wrapped each individual finger into a fist, before meticulously pulling her arm back and cocking it.

"One last present for you, my homely little foe"

Diva then drove her fist forward, firing a devastating final punch into the soft underbelly of the vilified Voltage. Diva's fist sank into the malleable skin of the superhero, causing her ensnared body to be forced backward, thereby increasing the strain to unbearable levels on her already overextended arms and legs. The loose skin on various parts of her body quivered from the impact as the pain from her unprotected gut and strained limbs became too much for Voltage to bear. She let out a loud, pathetic scream, which echoed throughout the metal room. But Diva just laughed as she turned and walked out of the vault, stopping to take one last look at the swaying, suffering super heroine. She then joined the three crooks in pushing the door of the vault closed, thereby trapping Voltage inside.

Though the pain was excruciating, the sound of the heavy, metal door closing was even more painful. It was a Friday night and so the safe would not be opened again until Monday. Voltage knew that she was in a big trouble. First of all she could not bear the pain for another hour, never mind a full weekend. Then there was also the issue of oxygen. Surely she would run out of air before the door was opened again. All of these thoughts raced through her mind, prompting Voltage to begin to squirm and wriggle to try to get free. But each leg movement increased the strain on her arm and each arm movement increased the strain on her leg. And any movement at all caused the ropes to further rip into her soft, ashen colored skin. As Voltage hung there, the only light being provided by the numerous candles which burned throughout the room, she tried to come up with a plan to attempt an escape. But with every passing minute, she grew more and more despondent. Even her super powers were of no use to her in this predicament!

She tried to scream, hoping the someone might hear her, but the thick walls of steel would not allow her cries to be heard. The room grew warmer and warmer from the heat of the candles and Voltage began to perspire more intensely. Her slick skin reflected the light of the candles until finally her perspiration began to drip off of her body and form a small puddle below her anguished body. The streams of sweat were soon mixed with streams of tears as Voltage began to come to terms with her fate. She was going to die in the vault!

But just when things seemed to be at their worst, they took another bad turn. The heat from the candles had tripped the sprinkler system, cascading water beginning to pour from the ceiling into the vault. The water quickly put out the candles, but then just kept coming. The room was now pitch black and Voltage could see nothing, though she could certainly feel the cool water as it ricocheted off of her warm body. Though it helped to cool her skin, it did nothing to relieve the violent pain in her joints.

Voltage waited for the water to stop, but it never did, continuing for 10 minutes, then 20. Eventually the water level reached the bottom of her feet, causing Voltage again to panic. With so many things gone wrong... so many different means of doing her in... even if she were able to escape one... surely another would get her.

Awhile later the water reached her knees, prompting Voltage to again begin to scream. But each shout caused her devastated body to quake, thereby tightening the ropes, thereby increasing the pain. She then began to sob again, her tears joining the pool of water which had now reached her waist. Her lower body was completely submerged as the water continued to rise. Though she couldn't see the level of the water through the darkness, she felt it creeping up her wounded body. It past her navel... then rose to her chest.... each passing minute feeling like an eternity.

Four hours had passed since Diva and her gang had left her there, and Voltage began to ponder her life. With no hope of an escape left in her mind, she tried to come to terms with her death. She thought about her husband, about the disappointments life had handed her.... but she still could not accept death. The pain inflicted on her limbs began to cause her to hallucinate, and she imagined a handsome young fireman bursting through the door to rescue her. Though she couldn't make his face out, a smile stretched across her own face as she watched him untie her ropes, but the illusion soon disappeared as the pain did not subside.

The water level reached her neck, and Voltage began to tilt her head back in order to keep her nose and mouth out of the water. She was trying to buy whatever time she could. Again she fantasized about a gorgeous man pulling the door open and cradling her limp body in his arms. She felt aroused as her mind begin to play games on her as visualized a wonderful man taking care of her. Losing control of her reflexes, her leg twitched, which yanked on her arm and jarred her back into reality, realizing that it had all been just another figment of her imagination . With her head tilted back, the water level reached her ears, just the top of her face now sticking out of the water.

At this point Voltage was about to pass out from the fear and mental exhaustion she had gone through. But amazingly, there was a noise at the vault's entrance. Voltage smiled and once again fantasized about a man rescuing her. This time he was naked, and so was she, as she began to further drift in la la land. After a few more moments, with the water just reaching Voltage's cheeks, the door was pulled open, causing a flood of water to spill out into the bank. Though her mind could not comprehend it, Voltage had been saved.

The crew of cops and firemen were amazed at the sight which awaited them inside the vault. There was Voltage, her limp, lifeless body dripping as it hung suspended in midair, her head rolling from side to side as she smiled while caught in her fantasy. Her pupils were dilated, her body cold and clammy and she was in shock.

She was cut down from the sinister trap and placed on a stretcher where a team of paramedics began to examine her. They gave her smelling salts, which jarred the heroine into a state of consciousness. Voltage slowly opened her eyes, looked around and realized that she was still alive! She reached up and hugged the paramedic who was attending to her, pulling him closer and kissing him over and over. He was taken aback and backed away, further jarring Voltage into a conscious state.

After a few more minutes, the large scrapes and burns on her arms and legs were bandaged and Voltage was then joined by a detective, who began to ask her questions about what had happened. Voltage took a deep breath... and then went on to tell him all about her adventures with Diva. She explained her first encounter with Diva at the home of the woman who Diva and her gang had robbed. She told him about the incident on the George Washington Bridge and how that happened, and finally she told him about the events which took place on this night, and how Diva had made off with the money from the vault while trapping her inside.

He diligently took notes, nodding his head throughout her deposition. Though he didn't say it, Voltage sensed that none of this was a surprise to the cops. Diva's name seemed to be well known with them, though they didn't admit it to her. He then asked her for her name and telephone number, to which Voltage paused. She thought about it for a moment and answered... "My name is Voltage.... That's all". He pressed her for a telephone number or a way to contact her, and Voltage grew nervous. She did not want to reveal her identity, even to the police, and began to fidget while lying on the stretcher. When he persisted, she jumped up, ran out of the building and flew off. Several cops ran after her, but she was airborne instantly and easily escaped their attempts to catch her.

It was now daybreak, much later then when she typically would be flying home from one of her missions, and so her husband was standing at the edge of the bedroom window, nervously awaiting her return. He didn't know what to do, sensing that something bad had happened to her. But what could he do? He couldn't call the police and tell them that his wife, the super hero, was missing. So he stood waiting.... And waiting.... And waiting.

Finally she came into site, her soaring body coming into view from the distance. His heart began to race as he watched her approach, landing softly below the window. But as soon as she landed, she collapsed onto the sidewalk, her body too exhausted to even hold itself up. He ran outside and scooped her up from the sidewalk, carrying her limp body back into their apartment. Her skin was gray, her ankles and wrists bandaged tightly and large, deep bruises were scattered over various parts of her body. Water still dripped off of her too, but she was finally home. As her husband carried her inside, Voltage began to get a strange feeling of déjà vu. In fact, as she was carried inside she even smiled slightly, realizing that the men she had fantasized about rescuing in her hallucinations was actually all the same man... and that man was her husband!

THE END ? ......

Send your comments to the author.

fans of Voltage have read this story since November 1, 1999.....