Tim arrived at
Lori's uncle's house before she did, but he quickly realized the property was
secured with high-tech detectors and cameras, a testament to Frank's knack for
staying ahead in technology. Faced with this advanced security, Tim opted not
to wait for Lori. Unbeknownst to him, she had already entered the property
using the Electra car through a hidden cave entrance on the other side of the
hill. “I will kill you, Electra Woman,” he promised himself as he drove
away.
Kris finds herself
locked up with no chance of bail, and despite her skills in fighting and
survival, the years until her parole seem to stretch endlessly. She often
thinks about her brother, hoping he’s doing okay. Meanwhile, weeks have gone by
without any sign of Tim, but Lori stays vigilant, especially while out on
crime-fighting missions. One day, a group of high school seniors visited
Newsmaker Magazine for a career day. Marla greeted them as their guide, “Welcome
to the Newsmaker magazine, I’ll be your guide today and if you have any
questions, just ask,” Marla said as she introduced herself. Lori arrived late
after oversleeping, missing the chance to show the teens around. As she walked
in, her boss confronted her with her tardiness, “What happened,” he said
looking at his watch. “I had some personal issues to deal with,” Lori
responded.
"Personal
issues are set aside the moment you step through those doors," her boss
said. Lori nodded and smiled.
She made her way to her cubicle as Marla led the group of students down the aisle, talking about the core principles of the Newsmaker magazine and the duties that accompany the role of a journalist.
"This is Lori, a top-notch reporter who earned an award for being the youngest journalist to cover more than 100 projects in her debut year," Marla said with pride, clapping her hands to inspire the students to join in. One student responded, "Awesome! I hope that once I complete my college courses and earn my journalism degree, you can share some tips with me."
Lori was captivated by the girl's broad smile and infectious enthusiasm. She responded with a smile and a nod of her own. "What’s your name?" she asked.
"I’m Judy
Sterling, and I plan to pursue a career in journalism," the girl
responded, her beaming smile and bright eyes bringing joy to Lori as she
observed such passion.
"Well, feel
free to come by and submit your resume whenever you’re prepared," Lori
replied with a grin. Judy acknowledged her with a nod. Just as the students
were exiting, Lori called out to Judy as she was about to board the bus.
"Here, this
is my business card. Whenever you're ready to join this company, feel free to
give me a call."
"Sounds good, I will," she replied as she got on the bus with the other children. Lori stepped back inside, and it felt like time was dragging and by the end of the day, she made her way home. She created a chart that highlighted where Tim had been seen, but she just can't pinpoint where he's currently staying. She's convinced he has moved from the last spot where he and Kris were living. "What are you up to?" Frank asked Lori while she stared at the chart intently. She sighed. "I’m trying to work out where he could have gone."
She headed to the Diner in her Electra Car, which her uncle had equipped with a special device that allows it to soar high above the ground, out of sight from anyone below.
Traveling at night made this stealthy flight even easier, ensuring she could reach her destination without drawing attention. She entered the room and joined the others at the booth. “Geraldine, who’s the go-to person for changing someone’s ID?” After a brief pause, Geraldine snapped her fingers. “Marco! He’s the guy everyone in private circles knows for creating new identities. He’s even taken on special requests from vigilantes, not only criminals.”
Maybe we should
pay him a visit,” Lori proposed. Manuel, known as the Hammer, nodded in
agreement. While Lori and Geraldine soared through the sky in the Electra
Car, Manuel cruised the street below on his sleek black motorcycle. He donned
his superhero costume and a helmet.
Feeling a bit
dizzy, Geraldine asked, “Do you always travel like this?”
Lori laughed and
said, “No, my uncle installed a new device that allows it to fly, so I
decided to test it out.”
She looked over
and noticed that Geraldine appeared to be anxious. As she lowered the vehicle
and settled in behind Manuel, she switched on the radio, and the familiar tune
of "Dancing in the Moonlight" filled the car. Almost
instantly, Geraldine's demeanor shifted, and she seemed to relax.
“I’m sorry for the
flight thing; I should have given you a heads-up. It's fine, though. I’ve never
been fond of flying, likely due to the accident that granted me my powers,”
Geraldine explained.
Lori nodded in
understanding. They carefully parked their vehicles away from curious eyes.
Lori mentioned that the Electra Car was equipped with a force field, ensuring
its safety. Manuel maneuvered his motorcycle behind the Electra Car, removed
his helmet, and secured it on the handle. He then unzipped his leather jacket
and casually tossed it onto the seat of his bike.
In a dimly lit house nestled within a rough neighborhood, the man who alters people's identities for a fee, is asleep inside. Lori and Geraldine stealthily approached the back door, while Manuel kept a watchful eye from the side fence, ready to assist if needed. Lori skillfully picked the lock on the back door and gently pushed it open. Inside, Marco lay fast asleep in his bedroom, blissfully unaware of the intruders in his home. Meanwhile, Manuel remained concealed behind the fence, waiting patiently as Lori and Geraldine stealthily approached Marco’s room. Lori slammed the door open, waking Marco, prompting him to reach for his gun. Lori used her Electra Com to levitate Marco off of his bed. He floated there in nothing but a pair of red and white checkered boxers, his wide brown eyes filled with surprise as they locked onto Lori and Geraldine. He jolted in surprise as Geraldine announced their purpose, “We’re here to ask you some questions.” He rubbed his eyes to get a clearer view of his attackers.
Oh shit, Electra
Woman and Lady Lightning," he remarked, a touch of sarcasm in his voice.
As Lori lowered him from the levitation, he swiftly snatched up the pistol. In
response, Lori activated the Electra beam, causing the pistol to heat up
significantly, forcing him to drop it.
“Look man, I don’t
know who spilled the beans on me, but I swear I haven’t done anything wrong.”
Lady Lightning
leaned in with a playful grin, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she
addressed Electra Woman, “So, what do you think? Has he been involved in any
questionable activities recently?” The question hung in the air, charged with
curiosity. Lori, unable to suppress a smirk of her own, rolled her eyes
dramatically before responding, “Oh, I definitely think so.”
Her tone was
teasing yet confident. The moment was interrupted as he interjected, a hint of
disbelief in his voice. “Wait a sec, you can’t back that up without some
evidence!”
“Did you happen to give a new identity to
someone named Tim Castaway?” Lori asked, crossing her arms.
“I don’t know
anyone by the name of Tim,” he feigned ignorance, insisting he didn’t know
anything. As Lady Lightning made contact with his arm, a jolt of
electricity coursed through him, eliciting a sharp cry of pain. “Now, can you
tell us where he lives?” she pressed, but he remained tight-lipped. With a
flick of her fingers, static electricity crackled ominously. Finally, under the
pressure, he relented, “Okay, okay, I gave new identities to Tim and his
sister, to my knowledge, they were last living in a motel in Costa Mesa. That’s
all I know.”
Lori asked, “Do
you by any chance have the address.”
He gradually rose,
arms lifted and made his way to what seemed to be his office, where he
retrieved a file. The office was cluttered with papers and a copy machine and
other devices used to create IDs.
Lori asked, “Marco
do you keep files on all your clients?” He replied, “Yeah, just in case any of
them cross me.” Lori then shot a glance at Geraldine.
Lori glanced at
Marco and said, “Okay let’s see them,” urging him to show the files. He pulled
out his latest documents from the metal cabinet and slammed them onto the
table. As Lori and Geraldine began to sift through the papers, Marco suddenly
bolted out of the room wearing just his boxers. The two women exchanged looks,
and Geraldine reassured Lori, saying, “Don’t worry, Manuel will stop him.”
As Marco stepped
through the back door, he was immediately stopped by Manuel. Marco cursed under
his breath, recognizing the familiar face, “Fucking Hammer,” he remarked.
Manuel smirked, commenting, “Your days of hustling and identity theft are
over.” Marco huffed as Manuel took zip-ties from his pouch and secured his
wrists, forcing him to sit on the ground.
“He’s secure.” Manuel
communicated with Geraldine using his wrist-com, a clever gadget designed by
Frank. Unlike Electra Woman's devices, these wrist-coms are solely for
communication purposes.
“Okay, we got what
we came for,” Geraldine said and made their exit.
“We’re going to
put you back inside and tie you up in your office and call the police,” Lori
explained.
“Come on man,”
Marco protested but Manuel took him inside and tied him up securely on the
chair.
“I like your
boxers,” Manuel remarked with a hint of sarcasm.
“Fuck you Hammer,”
Marco cursed. Manuel grabbed masking tape from one of the drawers in the desk
and covered Marco’s mouth.
“There now that’s better,” Manuel laughed and
made his way out; meeting up Lori and Lady Lightning, he asked what they were
going to do.
“Don’t worry about
it, I have a car phone in the Electra Car, and I’ll tip off the authorities.”
Lori called the
authorities, “They’re on their way.”
“Okay, so now that you have the file, what are
you going to do?” Manuel asked.
“I’m going to turn
it into the authorities tomorrow.” They heard sirens at a distance.
Manuel put on his
jacket and helmet. “I’ll see you around Electra Woman,” he said with a smile
and a nod. “And you?” Lori asked Geraldine.
Geraldine smiled and set her arms akimbo, “I’m going to scout around and see if there is any crime happening. Be careful Electra Woman,” she gave her a knowing nod and hopped onto Manuel’s bike, and they rode off. Lori could hear the sirens approaching so she set the Electra Car into flight. Below she can see the police cars parking in the property. As she flew home, she then landed the car and made her way around the hill toward the manmade cave. Once inside, she set the steel doors shut and got into the elevator going up. When she reached the main floor of the home, the lights were off. She figured that her uncle was asleep, and he turned them off. But then she heard something outside. She went to the window then suddenly a shot rang out; the bullet pierced the window and barely missed Lori. The bullet nicked her shoulder. She was still wearing her costume and had her Electra Com on her wrist. She heard her uncle move around upstairs, then he ran down. “What happened?” Frank said, rubbing his sleepy eyes. “I thought security was up?” Lori said, bleeding from her shoulder. She winced.
“Let me see that,”
Frank said. One more shot rang out, one bullet striking her uncle on the
arm.
“Frank!” Lori
shouted. He lay on the floor in pain. Lori's heart raced as she caught sight of
the intruders. Two men, both of medium build and somewhat muscular, were clad
in sleek, form-fitting black bodysuits that hugged their frames. Their faces
were obscured by masks, adding an air of menace to their presence. Each man
sported holsters strapped around their waists, hinting at the weapons they
might be carrying. Lori's instincts kicked in, and she couldn't shake the
feeling that one of them was Tim; her gut feeling was spot on. The other man,
she surmised, was likely someone Tim had enlisted to assist him in whatever
they were plotting. She remembered that just moments before she stepped into the
house from the Electra Base, the security system had gone dark, and she
couldn't help but suspect that Tim's accomplice had played a role in disabling
the power somehow. As they approached the house with an unsettling confidence,
Lori felt a chill run down her spine, realizing the gravity of the situation
unfolding before her.
“Uncle, you must
go down to the Electra Base, figure out what happened.” He nodded and went into
the library, opening the secret door leading to the stairs down to the Electra
Base, since the elevator wasn’t working.
As the men approached, the taller one who is Tim’s accomplice, swung a bat. He smashed one of the Livingroom windows, shattering into a million pieces. Lori jumped with a start. She stood her ground as the man finished breaking the window, he came in through it, clearing the broken glass. He swung the bat around smashing things randomly. His action was to intimidate her. She took a stance and the power cells within the Electra Com still worked, she aimed it at the man with the bat and struck him with the Electra Beam, knocking him down. Out of nowhere, a pair of shuriken whizzed through the air, striking her with precision—one embedded itself in her arm while the other lodged into her hip. A sharp cry escaped her lips as she instinctively yanked the metal stars from her flesh, the pain radiating through her body like a jolt of electricity. Gritting her teeth, she muttered, “Damn it!” Frustration sounded under her breath. The suddenness of the attack left her heart racing, adrenaline coursing through her veins as she quickly assessed her surroundings, readying herself for whatever might come next.
However, as she
activated the device, a surge of panic washed over her—something had gone wrong,
and she was left vulnerable at the worst possible moment.
“No, damn it,” she mused.
“What’s wrong Electra Woman. Can’t use that toy, huh?” Tim teased with a sarcastic tone; a sinister smile crossed his face. Electra Woman felt a surge of hope as she noticed the lights flicker on in the house, illuminating the dark surrounding, which meant that the power was coming back. Just as Tim approached her for another round of their karate duel, she instinctively struck the Electra Com with a powerful punch.
In an instant, the Electra Beam activated, enveloping Tim in a dazzling light that sent him spiraling backward before crashing to the ground. Assuming he was out cold like his partner, she dashed inside, where she found her uncle busy securing zip ties around the unconscious man's wrists and legs. The sight of him still sprawled on the floor confirmed her initial assumption, but as she glanced back outside, a nagging feeling crept in—Tim remained motionless on the ground, and something about the scene felt off, stirring a sense of unease within her.
Lori's gaze was
fixed on Tim's lifeless body as she stepped closer, her heart racing. She
swallowed hard, releasing a heavy sigh, and pressed her fingers against his
neck, searching for a pulse that wasn’t there. Just then, Frank emerged to see
what was going on. When Lori met his eyes, the weight of the moment hit her. “He’s
dead.”
“How?” Frank asked, bewildered.
“I don’t know,” she managed, brushing away a
tear. Frank’s voice faltered as he reminded her that it wasn’t her fault.
“I know,” she replied softly.
He glanced at Lori
and said, “I need to call the authorities for an ambulance.” Lori quickly stood
up, pressing him to inform them that a vigilante had intervened to stop the
thieves, but he hadn’t caught a glimpse of who it was. Frank nodded in agreement,
and as a heavy silence enveloped them, Lori asked, “What happened to the
power?”
He explained, “It seems a new, somewhat
advanced device was used to temporarily knock out the power.” He held up the
gadget for her to see.
“These new villains are definitely getting
creative with their tools,” he continued, pausing for a moment to gather his
thoughts. “Hand me the Electra Com; I’ll investigate what went wrong. It’s
likely that when you hit the Electra Com, it caused a sudden surge that
rebooted the power, leading to an overflow of energy that hit hard.”
Lori nodded, understanding the implications of his words. “Let’s go inside and look at your wounds,” Frank suggested. Lori got cleaned up and the wounds caused by the shuriken's were bandaged up. The authorities came and they believed Frank’s story.
No comments:
Post a Comment