Jill Farmer was loitering at the back of her class. She doesn’t stand out like the other kids. Her hair is medium length, down onto her shoulders and back colored a deep red. Glasses with semi thick frames were on her nose and her body was in a simple skirt and blouse, she was labeled a smart kid and a dork. Jill was smart, with an IQ up near 160. Clutched next to her chest were some books on Anderson University. Her science class was touring the new wing of Anderson University that housed its science department. Jill was already well acquainted with the building since her Dad worked in it, and her Mom managed the campus.
Standing next to Jill was her good friend Steven Lane. He was the second smartest kid in school. The two had been friends ever since Jill had moved in. She had a few friends but was largely shunned by the rest of the school, her family had a little money and weren’t from the small college town. It didn’t work out well for Jill, but she rolled with the punches given to her by other students. Most ignored her but others went out of their way to pick on her. Popular kids, the cheerleaders, some jerks all of them tried to get under Jill and Steve’s skin. Nothing really worked, except one.
Jack Mitchell tall blonde haired, brown eyed man of her dreams, and he was near the front of the class. Except she wasn’t the one he had his arm around, that was Lauren Neil. She was the head cheerleader and Jack a star basketball player. Although he didn’t participate in the humiliation the elites put others through, he was Lauren’s boyfriend and prize. She routinely rubbed it in to the other girls, Jack was hers. Poor Jill could only dream about the basketball star. Jill was in one of her staring sessions when she was nudged by Steve, “Hey earth to Jill?”
“Yeah…what?” she asked.
“Dreaming again.” He said pointing a finger at Jack.
“What? No, of course not.”
Steve rolled his eyes, “Denial surely a first sign of obsession.”
“Hey how many times have you checked out Lisa West’s legs?” Jill shot back. Steve smiled and pulled at his collar, he had spent a long time looking at the runner’s long tights encased legs. She was however open and Steve was trying to get closer to the track star.
“Now, now, let’s get back on subject.” Steve said pointing up front. Talking ahead of them was a university tour guide showing them the science wing. The guide pointed at the closed doors they were walking by.
“This is Dr. Elise Harris’s lab, right now she is working on providing a solution to foreign energy dependency with nuclear fusion.” Jill took a look at the closed doors and tinted windows. She could hear the charging of machinery and noticed her necklace being pulled towards the door. She is messing with Fusion alright; those must be some pretty strong magnetic fields to affect us out here, the student thought.
Moving along they made a full tour of each wing, they were back on the first floor. Their teacher Ms. Henderson informed them it was time to go.
“Ms. Henderson…” Jill indicated.
“Oh right, go ahead Jill and head off to your parent’s office. Let’s go class.” She answered.” Jill and Steve parted ways and she headed off to her dad’s office. She had planned to take her dad’s car home from field trip. The walk took her past the lab where Dr. Harris was working. She heard lots of strange noises and the magnetic pull was incredible. For a moment, Jill wondered if anything was wrong. Since no one else in the hallway seemed worried she didn’t think twice about it. A short while later she was in her father’s office.
“Hey Dad.” She said entering. Franklin Farmer was working on his computer, papers strew about his office, which Jill was careful to step around.
“Hi baby, how was the tour of everything you already know?” he joked. Her dad was working on some calculations of a new way to stop nuclear fission. She went for his desk.
“Can I have the keys?” she asked reaching for the metal instrument.
“Sure why?”
“I want to head over to the Grill get some food.” Jill explained. Her father pushed a few more numbers on the computer. Without taking his head away he answered, “Okay drive safe hon.”
“Sure dad.” She left the room shaking her head. Jill loved her parents but sometimes they were so detached.
Slowly she made her way towards the car. Walking she thought about her life. Jill was happy with what she had but she still wished for more. The hallway outside the doctor’s lab was deserted, but the noises coming from it was huge. Heading to the door she felt heat coming from it.
“A fire?” she asked. Coming up to the door she heard a final roar and the door exploded with a blast of orange yellow energy. Jill was hit by the full blast of the energy and it entered deep into her body. The blast also propelled her out towards a window. Crashing through the glass she fell as the explosion shook the upper floors. Falling she hit the ground hard and blacked out.
Steve was one of the students who saw the explosion and without thinking he ran towards the blast site, ignoring the yells from his teacher. Reaching the science building he saw people running out to escape. Smoke and flames were coming from some of the windows.
“Oh my god!” he screamed when he saw Jill. She was lying on her side unconscious. Steve flipped her onto her back and checked for any broken bones or bleeding. Finding nothing he tried to wake her up.
“Jill! Jill wake up!” he cried.
“Oh…Steve?” she asked weakly. He helped her sit up.
“How are you? Everything okay nothing broken?” Steve kept demanding. She stood up feeling strange, like she was warm.
“I’m fine Steve.”
“Good, I thought you might have been hurt when I found you by the front steps.”
She was surprised, “Front steps?”
“Yeah you where lying right there when I found you.” He pointed to where she landed, even though Steve didn’t know what happened. I fell two stories without a scratch? Jill wondered.
“It looks like the entire floor will be out for a week including your office Frank, sorry.” Dr. Alice Farmer explained to her husband. They were sitting at dinner. Jill was sitting opposite her brother who was pushing his mash potatoes around avoiding eating his vegetables. Her dad’s office had been far from the explosion, so he wasn’t in any danger. However it looked like Dr. Harris had been killed in the explosion.
Jill was drinking her soda listening to the dinner chat, she still felt hot.
“Damn I was close to fixing that solution; I was ready to test it in the lab too!” Jill’s Dad answered his wife shot him a disapproving look.
“Sorry dear.” He smiled. Alice smiled and looked at her daughter, “So Jill how was your trip?”
“It was okay.” She answered then felt her forehead.
“Jill, are you feeling alright?” Alice asked. Her daughter shook her head.
“No…I feel kind of hot.” Jill answered. Alice took her chair over to Jill’s. Placing a hand on her daughter’s forehead she waited only a moment before withdrawing in pain.
“Ow! Jill you are hot!”
“Mom that’s gross.” Her brother Dan joked.
“Shut up pee brain.” She said, Jill could really feel the heat now, but she wasn’t sweating. Her Dad was next touching her only a second before withdrawing his fingers.
“That’s impossible.” He said.
“Dad…Mom…what’s happening…” Jill asked, she fell to the floor and her parents tried to help her, only to be forced away by the extreme heat coming off her body. Suddenly it felt like she couldn’t hold it in anymore. Jill screamed and opened her eyes twin orange beams shot from her eyes and melted the window over the sink. Her brother screamed and Alice ran for the fire extinguisher. As she went to battle the fiery drapes, Franklin went over to his daughter.
Jill didn’t know what was going on; she had just shot lasers from her eyes! As her dad came closer she was terrified, “No! Don’t come over here, I’ll hurt you!”
“Jill wait.” He called. Running with her eyes shut, Jill headed for the door. Coming up to it she pulled on it, the door came off in her hands! Holding it she opened her eyes again, not knowing what to do. This gave time for her father to come up to her.
“Honey…please its okay.” He said.
“Dad? What’s going on?” Jill asked in tears, she dropped the door.
Later that night after cleaning up, Jill and her parents snuck back to the University. Using some equipment in the building they discovered an amazing fact, Jill was now a living Fusion reaction. Inside her body tritium and deuterium were being combined to make heat and energy. This process seemed to be controlled by a magnetic field that ran through Jill’s body. Problem was that she couldn’t control the reaction all that well, power would build up in her body till it reached a critical point. Forcing Jill to expel it somehow, whether through her eyes, or another power her Dad was worried that the uncontrolled increase in heat could hurt his daughter.
As a result her Dad built her a special watch. It looked like a normal watch and could even tell time, but in reality it was a special control watch. When she reached her critical temperature a magnetic field would activate and dampen her powers, shutting them down to minimum levels. It was similar to the SCRAM system in a nuclear reactor. Since her body could generate untold amounts of energy, Jill was blessed with super powers. In testing they learned their daughter had been gifted with super strength the ability to fly, shoot heat beams from her eyes, and could release a magnetic force from her hands.
Jill had learned how to control her powers for the most part in a couple weeks. So she could walk around school without setting the place on fire. There were pricks like it did make her brother listen to her more, she would flash her heat vision and he’d defiantly get out of her room. Although she didn’t know how to deal with this change, what am I going to do with these powers? For the time being her Dad was working on a way to remove them, while he did Jill could debate what to do. Jill was walking down Main Street in Anderson a few weeks later, hands in the pockets of her skirt she was deep in thought. Checking her watch she made her noon check on her temperature. She was okay, sighing she put her hands back in her pockets and looked around.
Main Street was busy as ever. As she walked Jill was thinking about getting some food from the Grill, the local dinner, when the accident happened. A woman was driving down the street and leaned over at the last minute to take care of her kid who was crying. This caused her to miss the oncoming tanker truck and head into the other lane. Honking his horn the tanker driver tried to get the lady’s attention. Not noticing it till the last minute, she swerved too late. Both car and truck hit, the tanker knocking the smaller car into a light pole. Smashed, the car stopped and was stuck to the front of the truck.
People were screaming and no one went forwards get at the trapped drivers. Jill didn’t think about it long, she rushed forwards. Turning into a blur she got close to the damaged tanker truck. Once she had stopped Jill could smell the gas leaking from the smaller car. Great leaking gas, next to a giant gas tanker…great combination! Jill thought. She went up to the tanker’s cab. The driver was stunned and disoriented; she helped him out and managed to send him towards the crowd forming to watch the spectacle. Next she went up to the smaller car. Both the passengers were out cold, the lady and her son. The mom had a cut on her forehead and blood coming out of it. Squirming, Jill took out her handkerchief and put it against the wound.
She needed to get them out of there, but the door was jammed. Looking around making sure she wasn’t being watched, Jill pulled hard on the door. Ripping it off she careful pulled the woman out. The mom was slowly coming to, so she quickly brought her over to sidewalk. Police were coming but she could hear that they were still far away. Jill then went over to the boy. He was pinned in his seat and the buckles weren’t coming off. Removing her glasses then focusing her eyes, Jill fired off her beams, cutting off the straps. She lifted him up and out of the car.
As she headed back towards the crowd, the car exploded. People screamed, and no one noticed how she ran a little faster than humanly possible to escape the flames. Setting the kid down, Jill received the thanks and well-dones of the crowd. Standing there she began to think, yeah that was a good job.
When she got home Jill received praise from her parents.
“Honey, that was brave and excellent, and…I don’t know what to say but you did great!” her Mom gushed.
“Yes Jill you were very brave, why did you do it?” he asked.
She shrugged, “it seemed like the right thing to do.” Then it hit her, maybe her powers weren’t so bad. After dinner that night she got out her sketch pad, and began to make some sketches and used her favorite colors, bright neon pink and red. Once she was finished she went to her parents. Both were reading in the living room when she came and asked them for a favor.
“Hey Mom, Dad…I have a question.”
“What honey?” her mother asked.
“You know where I can get some material for this?” she showed them the sketch. Both of the parents looked at each other and shook their heads.
“Jill are you sure you want to do this?” her dad asked.
“Yep, I’m sure.”
“Okay then.” Her mom said the two women went to size her up while her dad made a phone call.
One Week Later…
“It’s not going to hold!” yelled one of the fire fighters. There was a blaze in the small apartment complex on the south side of town. Two companies of Fire Fighters were battling the blaze. One group was on the roof when it began to cave in. Four men were able to get away easy but another two were trapped, and their little section of the roof seemed ready at any minute to collapse. A ladder was trying to get closer to them, but it wasn’t fast enough.
The fire fighters and crowd watched in horror as one of the men fell into the inferno that was the top floor. His partner was going to join him any minute when they saw something in the sky.
“Look!” yelled a fire fighter. People turned their heads; a bright pink and red blur was coming towards the scene. As the fire fighter lost his grip, he was falling then caught by something. Turning his ash covered face he saw a girl holding him. She looked at him with determined eyes.
“Hold on!” she said. Carrying him without any trouble she flew, he didn’t believe it she was flying. Taking him down to the other fire fighters she placed him on the ground and flew straight back up and entered the building. Some people were shocked but others knew what they had just seen, a superhero. Seconds after entering the building, the heroine returned. She was holding him without any trouble and laid him on the ground.
“He has some burns and lacerations but is okay for the most part.” She said. Paramedics came forward and looked at the men she had recovered; everyone else was coming forward to see the heroine.
One reporter rushed forwards notepad in hand, “Miss! Who are you! What are you doing here?” He was impressed by what he saw; the heroine was in her late teens or early twenties. She wore a high necked neon pink and red leotard that covered her hands as well. She wore a pair of bright red tights without footwear and a short cape that went with it. On her chest was an atom. A red mask protected her identity and she had bright red hair.
“Well if you want to know I’m a local citizen who wants to help out. My name is Fusion Girl, and I’ll be around to help out the city and other towns around Anderson. Now if you don’t mind…” with that she leapt into the air.
Jill felt great, the air moving past her and causing her hair to flutter behind her. Checking her watch she saw her rescue hadn’t pushed her powers too much, she would be good for another few hours. Once they had gotten a hold of the indestructible lycra and nylon, making her costume was easy. She was comfortable with her decision to become a heroine and didn’t think too much about the road ahead. Jill also didn’t think about everything that comes with the requirements of being a heroine especially for every good person there is also a bad one.
…………
Putting the paper down, Doctor Elise Harris fumed. She was legally dead, killed in her experiment two weeks ago. After the damage she had caused, there was no way she could keep working at the University anyway nor did she want too. While publicly she had worked to provide an alternate energy source for the planet, in reality she was power hungry. Elise had been a lot like Jill in her childhood. Shunned, ignored, considered a nerd she vowed one day she would be more powerful than anyone.
Working hard she learned that she could fulfill that dream through fusion energy. Carefully over the years she worked on creating a way to transfer the energy from a fusion reaction into the human body. This would grant her power to challenge anyone even the vaunted superheroes! Years of research and grants later, she had a nearly working prototype. It was only last weak she prepared for full testing. Using an energy matrix, she would focus the power of the reaction into her body with magnetic fields. Standing in the matrix she would be filled with the power and become unstoppable.
Elise had been ready, standing there as her machine powered up. Problem was that she had failed to take into account the actual power needed to control the fusion reaction. Her magnetic fields collapsed before the stream had hit her, and caused the massive explosion of energy that destroyed part of the second floor of the science building. At first she believed she had just failed to transfer the powers, now however Elise knew she had failed to bring them to her. Someone who was outside of her lab at the time of the explosion, they had received the powers, her powers!
Now she had a new goal. Looking at the photo of a proud Fusion Girl standing in front of Anderson City Hall filled her with anger.
“That little witch steals my power, and then dons a costume and becomes a heroine…” she said aloud. Getting up she walked around her hide out, a small apartment she had rented under a fake identity. Elise was wearing a white blouse with only a pair of grey tights. Walking around the room in her favorite clothing she tried to think of a way to get even with the heroine.
“If my fields worked the first time…perhaps I can use them again?” she thought aloud. Magnetic fields were used to control fusion reactions, if one field could control and cause the reaction. Another field would stop the reaction. A sly smile formed on her face.
“That’s it…I don’t need to stop her reaction, only slow it, weaken her.” The doctor thought aloud. Turning back to the newspaper she looked at the smiling superheroine.
“Enjoy your time Fusion Girl, soon you will meet your greatest foe!”
Jill was sitting at the table eating breakfast while her parents and brother got ready for work and school. She was already to go, thanks to her fusion power she seemed to be keeping better time and was always ready before anyone else. While her mother worked on getting her brother packed for the school day, her father read the paper.
“It’s a crying shame…” he commented. Jill rolled her eyes she knew she needed to ask him.
“What’s a shame dad?” she began waiting for her father to slip into his social commentary for the day.
“Someone wounded two guards at a science lab in Metro City just to get their hands on some mechanical parts.” He sighed, showing Jill the article. She skimmed it, which meant she read it faster than anyone else could.
“Magnetic field generators? Why would anyone want something like that?” Jill asked.
“Who knows, anyway, Alice come on you’re going to be late!” he yelled. Finally the trio was ready to leave; Jill locked the house up and made one last check of her self in the mirror. She was wearing a red sweater over a white blouse with a skirt. The bright red tights of her Fusion Girl costume showed but she often wore multicolored tights and pantyhose at school, so no one would notice.
Once outside she smiled and made sure her backpack was tight against her back, taking a few steps she pushed up off the ground and went airborne. Flying fast enough not to draw attention, but slow enough not to ruin her street clothes, Jill made it to school in a minute. Landing near back of the school, she avoided the eyes of any students that could have spotted her. Three minutes later she was standing outside the building with Steve.
“So read the papers today?” he asked her with a grin.
“No why?” Jill answered but knew the answer.
“Fusion Girl! She saved that bus from Anderson Elementary; it was awesome from what I read.” He answered describing in detail what happened. Jill of course knew all this and couldn’t help but wonder. Was Steve’s new found obsession over her heroine alter-ego because of what she did, or her legs.
“I see she’s pretty cool eh?”
Steve smiled, “Yeah its not often you see a person like that so willing to help out and risk their life like that.” Jill smiled; she had some newfound respect for her friend. She about to suggest she buy him a snack when her head pounded. A ringing went off inside, she didn’t know how to stop it.
Clutching the sides of her head Jill sank to her knees. Steve concerned kneeled next to her, “Jill?”
“Oh man…massive head ache….” She answered, but in reality something else was happening. Inside her head it sounded like someone was turning the dial on a radio, searching for a station. Just as quickly as it began however, it stopped. Releasing her head Jill stood back up, “I’m okay now.”
“Jill, are you sure you’re okay?” Steve asked concerned that Jill was covering up something.
She nodded a yes, “Yeah Steve, must be a lack of caffeine or something.” In reality Jill didn’t have a clue what just happened to her. Getting back her bearings they headed into the school and to class.
It happened again however while she was sitting in second period, this time lasting for five minutes. Using a trip to the bathroom as an excuse she tried to figure out what was wrong. A check of her control watch showed a normal temperature and power level, so that wasn’t it, although as it began again there was a change in her magnetic field. The next time it occurred was during lunch this time she headed for the nurse’s office. After a check up, the nurse found nothing wrong with Jill and the young woman began to ponder what was going on.
As she was lying on a cot inside the nurse’s office it began but ended as quickly as it began, but then five minutes later it started again. It was time to investigate this. After some complaining to the nurse she was able to get the woman to sign her out of school. A call was made to her mother and Jill talked to her.
“Honey, are you feeling okay?” her mom asked knowing that pain shouldn’t be happening unless something was wrong.
“I am now mom, I need to check this out.” That was a code phrase in her family for her after school job.
A sigh came over the other line, “Okay dear but do be careful.”
After she was outside and out of sight, Jill took off her sweater and pulled open her blouse, revealing the red and neon pink of her uniform. Leaping from the ground Fusion Girl felt another of those strange magnetic fields. It seemed to be coming from the northwest of Anderson City. Turning she planned on flying around, hoping to find out what was going on.
In an abandoned refinery on the northwest side of town, Dr. Elise Harris waited for her prey except, she was getting quite bored. It had been about five weeks since her ‘death’. After deciding on her little plan to capture that thief Fusion Girl, she had worked on getting the right equipment. First off, she would need money. Finding the criminal underground isn’t that hard, after traveling to Metro City she had made some quick contacts with criminals needing technical expertise. Building them some high tech equipment and using her computer skills, Elise had earned a million for the two jobs. Next she needed to get her equipment. Contacting a thief, Ice Princess and her crew, she had the frozen femmine fatale steal the magnetic generators she needed from the city’s Star Lab’s branch.
Now with her equipment and some money left over she had constructed her trap. Hidden inside the factory were the two generators who would focus their magnetic strength at the center of the factory. They acted on the same frequency as the one that should be controlling the fusion reaction in the heroine, but were much stronger. Once Fusion Girl stepped into the center of the factory and she flipped the switch, the Fusion Femmine would be weak as a kitten. Her final piece of equipment was a smaller magnetic field generator. This one would make subtle changes in a field in a circle of ten miles. Elise’s theory was that Fusion Girl should be sensitive to these fields, by altering the fields in town she could cause the heroine to investigate. She would feel the most discomfort near the refinery and she should come down and take a look.
However she didn’t think that Fusion Girl could hold out for five hours. So she took a seat next to her laptop and waited. Reading a trashy romance novel the doctor waited for her laptop to beep. Fusion Girl’s ability to fly meant that she needed to be watched by the local airport. So she had installed an IFF device somewhere, because she showed up as a radar target marked FG1. Tying her computer into the radar, it should alert her once the heroine was in range.
Elise was finishing up a chapter where the girl and the man… (You know)…when the laptop beeped. Fumbling with her book, Elise turned and saw the approaching FG1
“Yes! That little good girl is falling for it….I need to change!” the doctor exclaimed. She quickly ran for another section of the lab to change into her ‘villain’ attire.
Jill was approaching at low speed, still feeling the changes in the magnetic field that was causing her discomfort. It seemed that she was on target; there was an abandoned refinery for the farm products of nearby Charlestown. Hovering near the roof, Fusion Girl spotted a strange looking satellite dish. This was definitely the source of the magnetic fields; because one went off right next to her. It felt like a tank had run through her brain. Jill found some wires that connected it to the power of the building ripping them out. That stopped the fields, but it made her think of something else. Now that’s strange it’s supposed to be abandoned why does it have power?
Fusion Girl descended and touched ground. There was a locked metal door that denied entry to strangers. It had a fresh padlock and chain keeping it shut. Jill smiled and grabbed the chain, snapping it easily. Removing it from the door she pushed it opened and stepped through. Inside was fairly dirty and disorganized. Hovering above the floor, Jill moved deeper inside. Someone had cleared out the center of the refinery. Two large mechanical devices were on the left and right sides of the room. Landing, Fusion Girl adopted a power stance and looked for the person sending out those magnetic fields.
“Alright come on out, this is Fusion Girl, no sense in trying to hide from me.” She called out. A chuckle rang out from the shadows of the building.
“How true Fusion Girl, please let me introduce myself.” A woman stepped out from the shadows, wearing a black sleeveless leotard with matching elbow length gloves. There was a brown bag at her side on a small belt and went with her tanned tights. A short red skirt covered her hips barley. Stepping out she smiled and held her arms behind her back.
Jill felt slightly heightened sense of alertness. This was a costumed woman and she seemed to be packing equipment, which meant there was a pretty good chance she was a supervillian. Fusion Girl summoned up her confidence and moved forwards.
“And who would you be?” she asked.
“Dr. Neutrino my dear, a pleasure to meet you.” Elise answered feeling powerful in her costume. She was excited with the prospect of brining the costumed teenager in front of her to her knees. Fusion Girl was not so impressed; this woman was up to something and needed to be dealt with.
“Alright, enough games Miss Neutrino it time for you to come with me.” Jill said as she stepped closer to the woman. Yes come closer, Elise thought watching Fusion Girl come forwards. The heroine was now standing right in the center of old refinery in between the magnetic generators. Behind her back, Elsie activated her trap.
Fusion Girl felt the generators activate and wondered what the doctor was up to. Moving closer to Neutrino she suddenly felt strange. Her powers fluttered for a moment. Jill was feeling a little woozy; she brought a hand to her forehead. The woman in front of her said something.
“What?” she Jill asked feeling stranger by the minute.
“I said, you shouldn’t stand there Fusion Girl, it takes a lot out of you.” Elise sneered. Fusion Girl tired to respond only to feel weaker. Her strength was fading away, as if someone was turning her powers down with a knob, twisting towards zero. Elise stepped closer and couldn’t help but smile as Fusion Girl dipped forwards. Resting on a knee and holding her head, Jill tried to sit up but couldn’t.
“You see a Fusion reaction is held in by magnetic fields my dear. Now if one wanted to stop a reaction what do you do?” Dr. Neutrino asked. Jill fell forwards, catching herself with her hands. She was weakening; her powers were rapidly being turned off. Looking up Fusion Girl tried to fire off her heat vision, no luck. Elise smiled and kneeled next to the powerless heroine.
“You see, I can turn your powers off, these generators are stopping the reaction in your body your stolen powers are at my beck and call little girl.” Elise smirked with glee. Standing up she placed her foot on the heroine’s back pushing down on the heroine. Jill couldn’t keep herself up; her body was sent down by a mere mortal!
“Why…” she asked weakly upon landing.
“Because you’re a thief, those powers are supposed to be mine!” Elise said sternly. Jill didn’t know what she was talking about; it was becoming harder to stay awake. Neutrino rolled her prey over onto her back. Fusion Girl was laying with her limbs spread out over the floor, her head swinging back and worth. Reaching inside her pouch, Elise removed a syringe and bottle of liquid. Filling the needle with a drug she proceeded to kneel next to the heroine.
“This will make you a little more docile Fusion Girl.” Neutrino explained, she proceeded to take Fusion Girl by her upper part of her cape. Pulling her close, she revealed the heroine’s neck.
“No, please…” Jill pleaded watching the needle with heavy eyes. Elise merely shook her head no, and proceeded to insert the drug into Fusion Girl’s system. Jill gave in to the drug quickly, her eyes shut and she slipped away. The villainess laughed at her success, now she needed to get her victim secured. With controlled glee she lifted up the heroine and carried her to the waiting equipment.
………….
Jill felt woozy waking up. Her vision was blurred and she couldn’t feel her powers. Blinking her eyes rapidly, she cleared her sight and took a look around. She was still in the middle of the refinery, the magnetic generators humming. She could still feel all of her costume which was reassuring. Looking around however she saw that her identity remaining secret seemed to be the only thing going for her at the moment. Jill was strapped down on a gurney, thick leather medical straps held her down. Pulling on them confirmed that she had no strength, whatever had been injected into her was keeping her weak, and she couldn’t do it without her powers.
Jill tried to see where this Doctor was, she didn’t need to wait long.
“Ah she is awake.” Neutrino smiled as she stepped out of the shadows.
Fusion Girl tried to put a good face on it, “If you let me go now doctor, I promise not to hit you in the face.”
“I don’t think so my dear, besides its time for me to take back what is mine!” Elise said with conviction.
“Why do you keep calling me...” Jill began to ask only to come to the conclusion herself, that day at the university, Dr. Elise Harris running Fusion experiments… “You’re Doctor Harris!” Neutrino laughed.
“Well the last horse crosses the finish line! Yes Fusion Girl, I’m Doctor Elise Harris and you received the powers that are rightfully mine.” The villain explained. Listing to the doctor rant and rave Jill was convinced that she couldn’t allow her to take the powers back.
“Unless you were planning on…on using these powers for good…I think I’ll keep them.” Jill answered her reply stuttered by the drug. Elise came over and attached her equipment to Fusion Girl’s body. Watching with interest, Jill could see they measured everything from heart rate to the body’s electrolytes.
“I don’t think so Fusion Girl. My generators are good for hours, as long as they are on the field they generate will leave you weak and helpless. If they need a rest I’ll just knock you out my dear. It may take a few months but I will get to the bottom of how you absorbed my powers, and reverse it.” Neutrino replied, a glee of obsession in her eyes. Jill pulled on her restraints again but failed to gain any pull. How am I going to get out of here? She wondered.
Watching from a distance one very concerned Steve was asking the same thing. He had been outside school when Fusion Girl had gone airborne. His curiosity was definitely spiked so he skipped the rest of school faking stomach flu. Now on his own he biked in the direction of Fusion Girl coming towards the other side of town he caught her on top of the refinery. Trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on he wanted to get inside the refinery, which proved harder than it looked. After about a half hour of searching he was able to find a hole in the fence.
After crawling through, he headed for the main building he had caught Fusion Girl landing on. Once inside he was greeted with the sight of his life. Fusion Girl was helpless, strapped down to a medical gurney or table. There were two huge machines causing some sort of field, he could feel the hum of electricity and they oblivious did something. Searching his memory Steve recognized the things from an article he read in Popular Science, those are magnetic field generators. Steve only knew a little about Fusion but the one thing he did know was that there was a magnetic field at work. If those two massive generators were on, and Fusion Girl wasn’t moving…they must be blocking her powers. He nodded with a smirk, okay I know how to help Fusion Girl…but how do I get past that other lady?
Jill spent the next two hours wondering how to get out of her predicament, and coming up with nothing. Weak from the drugs in her system and the magnetic generators she couldn’t free herself from the straps. Dr. Harris ran multiple tests on her body, even drawing some blood. After looking over some early results Dr. Neutrino came over.
“Well I need to break for some dinner my dear and to review these.” She said holding the first results.
“Hope you get some food poisoning.” Fusion Girl answered. Elise smiled and ran her hand down Jill’s side.
“I don’t think so my dear, but I think I might enjoy a special desert…maybe finally seeing who the thief is?” Elise played with Fusion Girl’s mask. Oh God no! Jill thought worrying that the villainess might just rip off her mask here and now. Neutrino placed her finger under the mask, and pulled up slightly, Jill’s heart stopped. Quickly as it began Neutrino stopped, and withdrew her finger, “After dinner my dear” she said leaving the area. Fusion Girl pulled on her bonds again but couldn’t make any headway.
“Oh how am I going to get out of this!” she cried.
“With a little help.” came the whispered reply. Jill turned her head looking for the sound of the voice. Coming out of the entrance was Steve! Forgetting about keeping her identity a secret she answered quickly, “Steve?”
He paused, “How do you know my name?”
“Uhh…that doesn’t matter; you need to call for help. Get the police.” She began.
“No I can’t do that, not yet.” He answered.
“Why not!” Fusion Girl pressed.
He shook his head, “Because it will take them forever to get over here. With that crazy doctor, who knows what she’ll do in the meantime, plus how would it look if the city’s resident heroine was rescued by the cops?”
Jill hadn’t thought about that, “How can you help?”
“I’ll pull the plug on those generators. That should restore your powers right?” He asked.
“Yeah, that should.” Fusion Girl replied, however Jill wasn’t sure if there was any damage to her powers from the prolonged exposure. What if the reaction had been stopped permanently? However it wasn’t like she had any choice.
“Work fast!” she said.
“No problem Fusion Girl!” Steve smiled covering his actual fear.
Running over to the magnetic generators he looked them over. This is where he realized the flaw in his plan; he had no idea what these things were plugged into. Steve had assumed that there would be a plug or something sticking out of them, so much for that brilliant thought genius! He thought to himself. Trying to find a way to deactivate the generators, he noticed something else…the equipment hooked up to Fusion Girl.
Walking back over he went to the machines and was relieved to see they were having cords coming out of them and heading towards the far wall, power cords.
“I found it, just a minute Fusion Girl.” He said following the cords he was brought to the back of the refinery. There was a line of generators humming at full power. Quickly finding the switchboard that controlled them all Steve gave it a look trying to figure out what controlled what.
“Well this better work.” He began to flip switches left and right hoping that one turned off the generators. Lights began to go off in different parts of the factory. Jill watched as the machines turned off next to her, but the Field Generators continued to hum.
“Come one Steve.” Jill said nervously.
Elise was eating some food looking over her first batch of test data. As she had her grilled chicken salad she was pleased over her initial tests. A few more weeks of research with Fusion Girl she might be able to transfer the energy in her body or recreate the process. As she moved down to the next set of data the lights above her went off.
“What?” angered that her generators might be failing she got up and walked towards them. Rounding a corner she saw some high school age kid messing with her equipment!
“Get away from that!” Neutrino yelled.
“Oh shi…” Steve said and flipped the last set of switches. He turned and ran, Elise chased after him reaching into her pouch for a weapon. Running past the generators’ control panel she didn’t bother to look at the switches Steve had touched. One of them labeled MAG GEN was in the off position.
Jill was wondering what happened to Steve and than heard Neutrino’s voice yell out. She must have seen him. Fusion Girl pulled on her straps.
“Damn it!” she cried, suddenly however she felt stronger. Looking down at her watch she saw her internal temperature jumping up. The drug was being burned out of her system, Jill pulled on her straps again and they snapped with ease.
“Yes!” she yelled.
Steve was not an A student in gym, but his teacher would be proud from the effort he was putting into his run. Flooring it all out he was moving to the other end of the factory. Turning his head he could see he was out running Doc Neutrino. She ya later wacko! He thought, turning his head to look forwards again he saw the pile of pipes in his way, oh shi…
Elise laughed as the kid tripped over the pipes. He fell forwards and landed hard. This allowed her to slow down. Coming to where he fell, Elise saw he wasn’t getting up anytime soon. Steve was trying to dislodge his legs from the pipes but couldn’t work fast enough. Neutrino was over him in a minute. Bending over she smiled and grabbed him by his shirt collar.
“So what do you think you were up too?”
“I like flipping switches.” He joked, where is Fusion Girl? Steve thought. Then he realized he may have never flipped right one, and doomed them both.
“Well let’s see how you like this.”
Jill melted the equipment with her heat vision and made sure that the doctor’s data had been destroyed. This only took a minute, so now she was moving to help Steve. Flying above the floor she saw Neutrino and heard Steve yelling in pain. Speeding up Fusion Girl slammed into Neutrino at full speed. Knocking her over Jill then picked her up and threw her into the wall. Elise slumped down and held her head. Landing, Jill lifted up the villainess and shook her.
“Well doctor, it seems the tables have turned.”
“Unfortunately…it seems you have gotten the better of me not without a cost, by the way how is your friend?” Elise asked.
“What?” Jill said turning her head. She saw Steve was lying on the ground barley breathing his hands over his chest in extreme pain. Fusion Girl’s flushed with anger, “What did you do!”
“It seems that he can’t handle a little electricity to the heart.” Elise had shocked him with a high voltage taser. Jill cocked a fist ready to slam it into Elise’s face, “I wouldn’t do that Fusion Girl. In the time it takes you to pummel me and than get him to a hospital it will be too late.”
Fusion Girl wanted to melt her here and now but she also knew the doctor was right, “Next time Dr. Harris, next time.” Dropping the evil doctor on her ass hard, Jill went over and scooped up Steve, flying him to the hospital as fast as possible. Neutrino swore and then dusted herself up and headed for her car, it was time to make a speedy retreat. On the way however she tripped over something. As she scrambled up Elise paused to take a closer look at it, and smiled.
…………………..
Steve awoke a short time later. Looking to his left he could see a blurry image, with red hair, “Fusion Girl?” There was a laugh from the figure.
“Not quite Steve, how ya doing.” His vision focused revealing Jill in her sweater and glasses. He could also see he was in the hospital.
“What happened?”
“It seems you got an electrical shock to your heart and it became erratic, luckily Fusion Girl rescued you and brought you here.” Jill explained. She was standing next to Steve’s bed keeping watch. After bringing him to the hospital she had wished to stay and make sure he was okay, but there were things to attend to. First she made sure her parents knew she was okay, and then she tried to find Dr. Harris. Unfortunately the evil genius had escaped and was still out there. Finally she had been able to get over to the hospital and take vigil at Steve’s bedside with his parents.
“It was that crazy…um my Xbox, the damn thing shocked me.” Steve answered, but he could see Jill wasn’t buying it. She smiled.
“I think you must have done something else.”
He gulped, “What makes ya say that?”
Jill handed him a photo. It was one of Fusion Girl, one that hadn’t been taken in the papers, “I found this near your bed, and it was signed.”
Steve read the note, “Steve thanks for all the help…Fusion Girl!” Shaking her head Jill grabbed a chair and sat down next to him.
“Why did she leave that?” she playfully asked.
“I don’t know if I should say.”
She poked him, “Come on you have got to share this story, and I’ll keep it between us I swear!”
He smiled, “Okay, well I caught sight of Fusion Girl…”
……………….
Dr. Elise Harris was long since gone but she would be back. Driving away from Anderson City she would return when she was ready to deal with Fusion Girl. Although her data was lost and the magnetic generators were destroyed, she wasn’t too upset with the outcome. Elise had a photographic memory, which meant she memorized all the data she had collected. Her next trap for Fusion Girl would be less brute force but much more subtle. Already she was thinking of the microcircuits she would need for her gloves, but that would have to wait.
She would need to increase her finances again, looks like I will be doing more jobs for random crooks, she thought. However she looked forward to the next time, she could get even with both Fusion Girl and her new friend. Looking at the seat next to her she smiled at the sight of the backpack that belonged to Steven Lane.
The End…