superhero pt 1

==><== ####The Incredible *Starstrike* in... ###*Starstrike* and the *Tyrannical Taskmistress!* [[Meanwhile, at the League of Justice...]]

Your name is STARSTRIKE, and you are *bored.* Well, no, to be fair your name isn't *actually* Starstrike. It's Victor Gauss. But it's *very* important to keep up appearances, and part of that is getting used to people calling you by your superhero name. After all, you are a *superhero.* But if you're a superhero, why are you *bored?* Shouldn't you be on some kind of big, exciting adventure? Well, yes and no. On the one hand, your powers of super sensory perception are a fantastic boon. Super hearing means you can ferret out hiding ne'er-do-wells with ease. Super sight makes sleuthing a breeze, and your fine-tuned kinesethetics means that your hand-to-hand combat skills are supernaturally impressive! No doubt about it, you'd be one hell of an asset in an investigation and an absolute terror to go up against in a drag-out brawl! Just one problem: your orientation training isn't finished yet. That's right. Even if you were recently recruited by Capital City's League of Virtue, that doesn't mean you get to prance around willy-nilly, throwing sucker-punches at any Tom, Dick, or Harry that decides that he wants to give armed robbery a try. The League has a lot of policies, and one such policy is that any new heroes who join up complete a few orientation courses led by a senior member before they see any real action. Normally that wouldn't be a problem. The courses are pretty short, and you're a quick learner. Only issue is that the rest of the League is out and about handling other crises, meaning your training's been put on hold for now. You sigh to yourself, going over what's occupying your mentors' time. The Inhuman Condition is off reconstructing the moon. The Falconer and Court Order are trying to stop Mister Impossible from opening a portal to the Xnd Dimension. And Time Trial is dead. Again. All in all, it's some pretty heavy stuff, and you can't reasonably expect them to put it on the back-burner to show you the ropes. There's really nothing to do but sit around at the Observation Computer and flip through the video feeds of Capital City. The whole thing strikes you as kind of stupid. Honestly, you're almost done with the courses, and you've already gotten a lot of the big ones taken care of! Why, just the other day you learned the ins and outs of hostage negotiation, foiling bank robberies, and improvised engineering. You're not sure how applicable that last one is going to be, given your powers aren't really suited to the kind of mayhem that brings buildings down. Still, it's useful to know how to replace a load-bearing wall in a pinch. What's left on the curriculum, anyway? Something stupid, you bet. A few keystrokes call up the last classes you have to take, and... Yeah. "Resisting mind control." Like *that's* ever going to come up. Besides, you already have some experience with that kind of stuff. After all, you used to d- Then, out of nowhere, the Observation Computer's feeds all go dark. You're about to seriously start panicking when the center monitor lights anew with an ominous message in stark, cadmium red. "COMMUNICATION INCOMING." This definitely wasn't in your training. You scramble to find the right button to press, and after a few misfires, you finally answer the call. You make a mental note to suggest "computer operation" as a potential introductory course for future recruits. The screen flickers to life, and the sight before you sends you gasping in shock! That smooth, mahogany skin, those bottomless hazel eyes, those beestung lips, always painted vividly red... It's Dollie, your on-again-off-again girlfriend! True, she's only on-again-off-again because she decided to use her superhuman talents for villainy, but seeing her calling the League via the official communication channel is one hell of a surprise! It must be something serious for her to reach out to her supposed "enemies," even if she's always approached her "villainy" with more mischief than malice. She's breathing heavily, exhausted...or injured. The way she's gritting her teeth and the sweat plastering her normally impeccably-styled hair to her forehead only corroborate your suspicions: something's wrong. "I-" She can barely speak, and Dollie has to shut her eyes and focus before she can continue. "I don't know if this message is. Is reaching you, Victor. Or if you're even there." She gulps, turning away for a moment and bringing her hand to her forehead. "God, get *out!* I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She shakes her head and turns to face forward once more. "I don't know how much longer I can resist her, so I have to make this quick." "It's Taskmistress." Your blood runs cold. *Oh, no.* "She's gotten out. Somehow. And she's. She's..." Dollie shivers, eyes shut tight. "She's minutes away from launching an attack on Capital City. Not just her. Video Vixen. Priceless. Q-Queen Vespitrix." She gulps, and it looks as if it's an actual, physical struggle to say the next word. "Me." "She. We." Her breathing is heavier now, and your heart is just about pounding out of your chest. You've long since risen from your seat, hands planted on the keyboard as you stare up at her pained expression. "We're going to attack Capital City. All of us. All at once." Dollie shakes her head, tears beading at the corners of her eyes. "I'm so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen, Victor. You have to understand. I can't resist her." "No one can." Her breathing slows. Her shoulders relax. The pain furrowing her brow seems to fade, bit by bit, and soon...soon Dollie smiles. "No one can." She repeats the words with a sinister grin and winks. "I was going to ask that you stop her. That you *save* me. But now?" She hums, deep, luxurious. Familiar. "Now I just want to see you *fall.*" A stern voice calls out, unfamiliar but not unknown. "Step aside, *slave.*" Dollie's shoulders slump, and she stares dead ahead. "Yes, mistress," she replies in mindless monotone before walking stiffly out of sight. And as soon as she's gone, another person steps up to take her place. Piercing grey eyes. Unapproachably beautiful. Frigidly pale skin, betraying just the barest hint of blush on her cheeks. The Taskmistress. Her lips quirk upwards in a smirk -- indulgent for such a normally authoritative fiend -- and she opens her mouth to speak. [[Keep listening]] [[Turn it off!]]

What's she planning? Brow furrowed, you lean against the console and get ready to listen. Villains like her, they're all the same. They don't just want to rule the world, they want everyone to know *why* they're planning to take it over. You don't know if you're the best equipped to take on a villain as experienced as the Taskmistress, but she may reveal some crucial detail in the monologue that's sure to follow. You keep your focus on the screen, ready to apply your super senses to her message. Any part of her gloating could be a valuable clue as to where she's hiding, what she's planning, what's she's already done! Oh, hold on, do her powers work over the computer? "You will continue listening to this communication, *slave.*" Your answer comes not five seconds later. The words hit you like a ton of bricks, and you're powerless to resist the compulsion. Your hand moves away from the keyboard, lest you accidentally turn it off. You can't turn it off. You will continue listening to this communication. Dollie's natural stubbornness means she had some measure of resistance to the Taskmistress' mind control powers. You have no such advantage. It almost seems like the Taskmistress knows that. Why else would she be snickering? "Still listening? Good." The approval sends a shiver of pleasure down your spine, and your lips part in a silent moan. "You will enable your computer's video camera and show yourself to me, slave." The first command was disorienting. The second is dangerously familiar. You can't help but wonder what the third will feel like. Either way, your hand returns to the computer console and activates the video function. It seems that you've obeyed her command perfectly, because the Taskmistress smiles wide a few seconds later. No doubt about it, she can see you with crystal clarity. "Good, good." Her voice is imperious, and it's clear that she's wholly confident in her ability to sculpt you like clay. "You will obey me, slave, and you will do so happily. After all, I know your type." The shot of her zooms out to reveal her severe, sensuous outfit. A skintight black leotard covers her body but doesn't do a thing to conceal her statuesque frame. Add to that the billowing cloak hanging from her shoulders, the riding crop in her gloved hands, and the military officer's cap on her head, and she's the perfect picture of an imposing, *dominant* interrogatrix. You may not have been into this sort of thing before, but there's no doubt in your mind that you're into it now. That is, assuming she doesn't *force* you to love it. "What is your name, *slave?* Tell me." You reply without a second thought. Starstrike. Victor Gauss. You're about to begin listing your private address and your social security number before she cuts you off with a crack of her riding crop. "Ha! So eager! Who would have thought that the newest member of the League of Virtue would be so easy to control? Tell me, *slave.*" She licks her lips and smiles wider. "Are you prepared to betray your so-called *partners?*" [[A few days later...]]

Without a second thought, you shut off the video! No way in hell are you letting her say one word to you! You saw what she did to Dollie, and if Taskmistress can control *her* that easily, there's no doubt in your mind that she'd be able to zap you, on-screen or off. No, you cut off the feed and stare down at the console. This is bad. This is *real* bad. For a few minutes, all you can really do is try and process what you've just seen, what you've just heard. She has Dollie. And apparently she has a few other villains helping her out, too. Normally this would be no problem. You'd let the rest of the League know, they'd take care of things, and that would be that. Heck, something like this has already happened once or twice during your time at the League. This time, though, you're all alone. The rest of the League is busy, and from what Dollie said, it sounds like the team Taskmistress has assembled is ready to strike at any time. If that's true, you're going to have to think of some way to combat these Femmes Fatale. Some way to combat Dollie. You look down at the keyboard. Well, you're more looking past it than anything else, staring off into space as you think about having to fight her for real. If Taskmistress is controlling her mind -- and it sure looks like she is -- there won't be any reasoning with her. Then, out of nowhere, the Observation Computer's screens blink to life with flashing warnings and sirens blaring! You look up at the cacophony of sights and sounds, and one by one, the monitors showcase your worst fears made real: the Taskmistress is already attacking! Her team has descended onto Capital City and have begun their assault! Dollie, Priceless, Video Vixen... How Taskmistress got ahold of Queen Vespitrix, you have no idea, but even she's wreaking havoc in the streets! But you're no greenhorn, you remind yourself. Just because your training isn't one-hundred-per-cent complete doesn't mean you're totally useless in a crisis, and though the reassurance is a fragile one...it's enough to help you calm yourself down. Scattered panic turns to focused resolve, and amidst the chaos of video feeds, you put your training to use. The biggest danger here is becoming overwhelmed. The Inhuman Condition had shown you that on your first day of training. Your powers of super sensory perception mean that it's trivial to be overloaded...but it also means that you can manage more information than anyone in the League if you put your mind to it. Your greatest strength can be your greatest weakness if you let it...and vice versa. You take a deep breath and let your eyes flick from one screen to the next. Right now, you need to put face to locations. Then you can think about how to take them down. Priceless is attacking the finance district, just as expected. She's got a souped-up armored van barreling from one jewelry store to the next. It's unlikely that she's going to be up to much more than that for the time being, but if some of the stories the Falconer told you are true, she's just gathering resources to power one of her commissioned doomsday devices. Video Vixen isn't there in person, but the sight of her hourglass figure dominates the screens of the City Square. You're careful to avoid looking at them directly -- even through the video feed, the sight might be too much -- but the slack-jawed awe of some of the civilians is enough to let you know that her powers haven't dulled in the slightest. Queen Vespitrix's space ship has already landed on the roof of City Hall, and it looks like her Vespi-drones have begun to envelop the entire building in a hexagonal lattice. A forcefield, it looks like, but for all you know, it could be the framework for something far more nefarious. You hesitate as you look for Dollie's handiwork. Dollie... You heave with a sigh. No. Not Dollie. Not right now. The *Black Dahlia* is setting up camp in the city arboretum. Where else? It's a twisted Garden of Eden thanks to her green thumb, and even if the roots are encroaching on the surrounding city blocks slowly, it's only a matter of time before she's coaxed kudzu and ivy up every skyscraper in sight. From there? She'll have free rein to scatter her mind-control spores across the entire city...or worse. And as for the Taskmistress? She's nowhere to be seen. Not unexpected, really. The linchpin of a coordinated attack like this would have to be a moron to watch their plan unfold from the front row, and the Taskmistress is far from foolish. This is manageable. The thought reassures you, and what's more? It's the truth. This is something you can handle with the training you've received, but you'll have to be smart. Your powers can be either a help or a hindrance in a fight like this; it all depends on how you decide to proceed. You send a message out to the members of the League -- busy or not, they need to know what's happening -- and go over your options. You know where the Taskmistress' superpowered henchwomen are. Even if you don't know where the Taskmistress herself is, it's likely that they'll know her hiding place. If you wanted to sprint to the finish and try to take her down as fast as possible, you could beeline to one of them, take them out, and find out where the big bad is. Given the odds stacked against you, going for one out of four and then the Taskmistress herself would be more manageable than trying to defeat the entire team. Of course, that would leave one out of four defeated and the boss behind bars. That wouldn't take care of the entire group, and three supervillains rampaging in the city would be absolute mayhem. Still, if you fall to one of them, you'll probably fall for good. Is it really worth it trying to stop everyone when one failure means the entire team of villains gets a blank check? Maybe the police can handle *some* of them as you take on the rest... You blink down at the keyboard. Oh! That's right! Even if the rest of the team is busy elsewhere, you still have access to the League of Virtue archives! There's definitely plenty of information in the League database. You may know the bulletpoints of these villains' powers, but knowledge is power! A quick perusal of their dossiers could help more than you might think. That being said, it'd have to be fast, and you'd have to stick to the important information. No getting sidetracked by minutiae. Your costume and equipment are back in your room. If you hurry, you can be out on the streets in just a few minutes and fighting one of these villainous viragoes in a few minutes more. What do you do? [[Investigate the League Archives]] [[Begin your Mission]]

It's almost disarming that they have a file in here about Dollie, but given that she's made a name for herself as an honest-to-God supervillain...it's not unexpected. Dollie Burbank. The Black Dahlia. Given that you used to *date* her, you're not quite sure how much use the League's file on her is going to be, but who knows? Maybe they know something you don't. You call up the file and begin reading. ::DOLLIE BURBANK AKA BLACK DAHLIA:: The mugshot under her name says it all, really. Winking, blowing a kiss with one hand and holding up her booking ID with the other. Even before she became a career criminal, Dollie was a relentless flirt, the kind of girl that knew just how good she looked and just what guys were willing to do for her because of it. If you're being honest, the sight of her deliciously voluptuous figure hugged tight by her leaf-green leotard is enough to make your heart melt. She looks more like a pin-up model than a supervillain...but that was the point, wasn't it? She had a way with plants that extended far beyond a talent for gardening. The flowers she cultivated smelled so sweet that one whiff could send a policeman swooning...or a bank teller handing over all the cash Dollie wanted with a big, dopey smile on her face. True, Dollie didn't go for that kind of heist all that often, but she could if she wanted to. But that's what kept you from treating her like all the other supervillains, wasn't it? She caused mischief sometimes, but never anything serious. Nothing that would ever get someone seriously hurt. It was that playful coquettishness that had you wrapped around her little finger, even when you had her cornered and captured. The breathless flush on her cheeks when you finally escaped her vine traps and caught her red-handed. You two practically ended up on the opposite sides of the law because of each other. Dollie ran...and you chased after her. She'd pluck priceless plants from high-end nurseries, only for you to see them safely returned, not a leaf out of place. And after the foreplay was finished, you'd end up the day in each other's arms, tangled and gasping as your powers were applied in the most sinfully sweet way you could think of. She'd leave you helplessly enthralled, her lust-drunk loverboy drowning in puffs of pretty, pink pollen. You'd have her gasping and squealing, fucked into the mattress and completely overwhelmed by your superhuman stamina. It was paradise... ...but even Eden can't last forever. The day you told her about your decision to join the League, she didn't think it was fun anymore. The dynamic of superhero and siren came to a screeching halt, and you stopped hearing from her entirely. Of course, none of *that* is in the League file. All they have is a one-sided account of her crimes, a rundown of some of her observed powers, and the information they could glean on her private identity. The file feels almost *cold* compared to your memories together. Testing out mind-control pollen at home as Dollie and Victor after foiling Black Dahlia's attempts to plant a million mutant roses as Starstrike. The file says she's dangerous, and...she is. But you know her better than that. You know that the only danger here is the Taskmistress. Dollie's just caught up in the crossfire, and you resolve to make sure she gets out safe. She's not a bad girl, she's just...complicated. You close the file. There's nothing more it can tell you, especially about someone you already know. [[Investigate the League Archives]] [[Begin your Mission]]

You know a bit about Priceless. At least, you know what everyone else knows. Once a star-studded socialite, Jennifer Albright was the kind of beauty that left billionaires swooning in her wake. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, she began to invest in rather unorthodox engineering firms. Her fortune was used to fund increasingly dangerous designs, culminating in her first appearance as "Priceless, Posh Princess of Plunder." True, the "Doomsday Diamond" hadn't done much more than dazzle a few day-traders into signing over their fortunes, but that was hardly the point. With her capital, Priceless was a valuable asset to have on any supervillain team. Her coffers were so deep as to be bottomless, and with the legal team she had on retainer? Good luck trying to get any convictions to stick. But that's just stuff from the tabloids. Whatever the League knows is sure to be more important than that. ::JENNIFER ALBRIGHT AKA PRICELESS:: For the most part, it seems as if what you know about Priceless is accurate. Her crimes included a bit more than just shining a diamond at some fatcats, admittedly. Before she finished funding her mad scientist friends, Priceless was involved in embezzling, bribery, money laundering... And before *that,* she earned her so-called "start-up money" by charming a few hapless business executives until they were seeing stars. Seems like she milked some of her boytoys dry in more ways than one, and looking over the pictures attached to the dossier, you're not sure whether you should be envious or grateful that you've not gotten involved with her thus far. She's known for her ostentatious crimes, and it looks like that theme was inspired by her lifestyle. There isn't a single picture of her where she isn't dripping with jewels and wrapped up in a luxurious fur coat or practically poured into a sexy, stylish cocktail dress. Her "outfits" practically *scream* "luxury," and you're pretty sure that the cost of some of her ensembles would be enough to cover a house. Or a skyscraper, depending on how many floors it had. But even without the glitz and glamor of her wardrobe, she's *gorgeous.* Wavy, voluminous honey-blonde hair framing a heart-shaped face and sparkling blue eyes. Her fair skin doesn't have a single blemish to be seen, and... Well, it's a good thing that she's robbing banks instead of businessmen now, because she's got the kind of luscious curves that would have men plunging dick-first into a very bad decision. You're not sure if going up against a woman like this is a job benefit or a job hazard. Still, that doesn't change the fact that you may have to go toe-to-toe with this tantalizing temptress before the day's up. ...Hold on, there's something strange at the end of her file. Maybe you're seeing things, but... No, it says it right there. ::STATUS: REHABILITATED:: That can't be right! You call up the video feed, just to confirm. Sure as anything, there she is, running amok and disrupting just about every major financial institution in Capital City. True, maybe you can chalk this up to the Taskmistress' talent for mind control, but the zeal with which she's zipping around in her armored van suggests that there's an element of actual enjoyment there, too. Odd. Anyway, whether she's *actually* rehabilitated or not isn't the point. The point is that she's back, she's dangerous, and she has to be stopped. You scroll down on the file and read over the list of powers she has. Technically they're based more on the technology developments she's funded, but every detail and schematic is recorded in the League Archives. Even *you've* heard of the Doomsday Diamond, but that's been locked away in the League Vault. What you *haven't* heard of before is the apparent successor to the design: the Diamond Disruptor. By using a diamond as the focal point for a beam of light, Priceless is able to carry around a portable hypno-ray capable of dazzling anyone who looks too closely at it into dizzy submission. You click your tongue. Apparently it's supposed to take ten seconds of uninterrupted visual contact to work with any effectiveness, but your powers of super senses are probably going to be a double-edged sword here. You doubt that it would even take two or three seconds before you're glittered into submission. That's going to be a problem. Not only that, but she has a suite of other devices, portable or no, that make similar use of visual distraction to incapacitate her foes. While they're not capable of instilling commands by themselves -- unlike the Taskmistress and her mind control voice -- you're sure that Priceless won't just let you go once you're under her diamond's spell. Her skill in persuasion and seduction is enough to leave most normal men helplessly devoted, and it's not as if you have any hidden depths of willpower to tap into. When it comes to resisting feminine wiles, you're just like any other guy: bad at it. Still, as you scroll back up to the pictures of Priceless, it's all too easy to wonder...would it really be that bad to succumb? You shake your head. Now's not the time to daydream about playing hanky-panky with the enemy! There are people in danger. Well, maybe more just some stock portfolios at risk, but there's no telling what could happen if Priceless gets bored and decides to move on! You commit the details of the file to memory and give her dazzling headshot one last glare before you exit out of the file and contemplate your next move. [[Investigate the League Archives]] [[Begin your Mission]]

Video Vixen is...well, there's no easy way to say this. She's a guilty pleasure of yours. A *very* guilty pleasure, the kind you kind of spoke around when you were joining the League. Honestly, the idea that you *wouldn't* have fantasized about her once or twice in the past was absurd! She was coming into her own as a pop starlet sensation right when you were in the throes of puberty, for Pete's sake! Later stars had definitely embraced the aesthetic of hourglass femininity, but Video Vixen had been the one to popularize it. With a body that combined lithe grace and undeniable sex appeal, Video Vixen posters had plastered just about every wall in the country for a few years...or every guy's bedroom wall, at least. She didn't smolder, she *sizzled,* and seeing those wide, sun-kissed hips swaying side to side was enough to send most men blushing. There wasn't a single guy in your high school that hadn't drooled over the video for "Bump & Grind," and when "Joke's On You" came out a year later, that infatuation came back, stronger than ever. The only problem was that her career had started to fade not soon after. Everyone calls her "Video Vixen" now, but back when she was just Carmen Pelas, her fall from stardom had been almost...tragic. She'd been on top of the world one moment and all but forgotten the next, tossed aside by social media and her formerly "adoring" public. For no real reason, even! It just seemed like the "fad" had run its course. Even if you hadn't loved her music -- which you had -- you'd still have to admit that the way she seemed to lose her fame in the blink of an eye wasn't really fair. Then she came back with a vengeance. It was meant to be a kind of send-off by the music industry, but when she stepped out onto the stage of the Annual Music Performance Awards Show, no one could have expected what happened next. Her new song had been fantastic! The crowd had clamored for more, and she happily obliged. Before an audience of thousands -- if not millions -- she debuted the music video that would take her from "famous" to "infamous." "Slave 2 the Beat" was infectious. Literally. It spread like wildfire on the internet not *seconds* after it had finished at the AMPAS, posted and reposted over and over by her fans, her critics, *everyone.* It wasn't until the next day that the subliminal messages hidden in the video would kick in. You must've been in college when the subliminals activated, but it's such a blur that you can barely remember the specifics. All you can remember is the sudden urge to watch the video again. To watch her dance, to drink in every inch of that picture-perfect body and pump yourself stupid. You must've played the video on loop for hours, just like every other guy that had seen it. And as for the girls? They'd been slavishly addicted to the sight of it, too, brainwashed into becoming her bouncy, bubbly back-up dancers. For a few days, the country had ground to a halt, virtually everyone glued to their computer screen or TV set. The League had stepped in with an "deprogramming" video file a few days later, but in that span of time, Carmen had established herself as a force to be reckoned with. Even so, most people weren't so easily fooled once they'd snapped out of their "Videomania." The first showing was the most successful by far, and even if she'd released other videos since then, not many people fell for them. Once a one-hit wonder, always a one-hit wonder, you suppose. Oh, well. ...It occurs to you that you haven't even started reading the League file on her yet. Wow, you really followed that news story closely back in the day, didn't you? To be fair, you were a pretty big fan of her music. Pre-Video Vixen, that is. You click on the file and begin reading. You know her history pretty well, but the League probably knows a good bit on the more technical aspects of her hypnotic videos. ::CARMEN PELAS AKA VIDEO VIXEN:: This file seems to be more archival than informational. Every music video she's released is here, mundane and mind-controlling. You recognize the thumbnails for Bump & Grind and Joke's On You in a heartbeat, and even if you know better than to rewatch Slave 2 the Beat, you can at least tell that it's the next video on the list. You don't bother scrolling down to see the rest. All this seems to be is a list of her videos along with the League-produced "cures" beside them. Past that is some information that you *didn't* know. It seems as if Video Vixen had undergone some pretty serious experimentation before her debut at the AMPAS. Her figure was -- and is -- 100% natural, you note with a strange sense of satisfaction, but her body was apparently augmented beyond what almost anyone could have guessed. A prototype anti-aging serum meant that she was now perpetually in the prime of her life -- physically, at least -- and some alterations to her eyes meant that her vision is almost as sensitive as yours! The preliminary reports you can find seem to suggest that she uses this enhanced eyesight to pinpoint just what parts of her dancing draws the most attention from individual victims, but that's only if she's performing in person. For a pre-recorded video, there's no way for her to make use of that talent. It looks like her rehabilitation had been proceeding rather steadily during her incarceration. You remember kind of wishing she'd gotten away during the raid on Vixen Videos the League had pulled a few years back, but it's definitely comforting to hear that she had been getting better...and all the more heartbreaking when you realize that she's relapsed into bad habits thanks to the Taskmistress. A glance over to the video feed of City Square confirms your guess that the music she's using to mesmerize everyone is a new one, so there's no point in trying to hack in and replace it with a pre-made "cure" video. Damn. That could've been a quick fix. Even so, you're sure that she's somewhere in City Square. Villain or not, Video Vixen is a performer, and she lives and dies by her audience's admiration. Most dangerously, though, the question here isn't going to be accidentally seeing the video that's got any bystanders spellbound. No, the issue is going to be resisting the temptation coming from *you.* You may be a hero now, but back in the day, you were just another infatuated fanboy. Maybe you still are, deep down. If that's the case, you're going to have to work extra hard to resist the urge to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. ... You suddenly get the idea -- and you're not sure if it's a good one or not -- to rewatch some of her old videos. You know, just to kind of...get used to seeing her again. It's not like the rest of the League would put them in the Archives if the subliminals were still active, right? And besides, the cure videos are literally right next to them. You could set up a playlist to showcase some of her more dangerous performances and instantly purge the subliminals from your mind. It might be a good chance to build up an immunity to her seductive techniques! That being said, it's probably just safer to move on and keep preparing. [[Watch the videos]] [[Investigate the League Archives]] [[Begin your Mission]]

Most of the villains that Dollie named are...well, you hesitate to call any of them *normal.* "Normal" people don't typically deliver speeches about how they alone are destined to rule the world or rob banks for the thrill alone. That being said, at least they're all *human.* Queen Vespitrix is a different story entirely. Sure, she *looks* human enough. If someone else were to spot her from a distance, it'd be pretty easy to gloss over the little details that would typically reveal her otherworldly origins. Most people would just see an impressively statuesque woman. Silky black hair, regal beauty...maybe her figure would send some people scratching their heads, given the exaggerated cinch of her waist, but plenty of guys would be willing to look past it considering what it did to her figure. Get any closer, though, and it'd be a lot harder for her to fool anyone. Jet-black sclerae with yellow irises. A pair of antennae jutting from her forehead. Wings. Queen Vespitrix was anything *but* human, no matter how much she might look like one. Truth be told, you don't know a whole lot about Queen Vespitrix other than the superficial details. She was kind of before your time, even if she looks just as young as she was when she first landed on Earth. It's a good thing you have access to the League's intel on her, then. After all, they were the ones who defeated her when she made first contact! You pull up the applicable file and begin reading. ::(QUEEN) VESPITRIX OF APIS PRIME:: Stranded on Earth after her space ship depleted its supply of "Mellitite-235," Queen Vespitrix of the planet Apis Prime had at first seemed peaceful. She tried diplomacy in her initial attempts to secure fuel for her ship's inoperative warp drive. Unfortunately for all parties involved, her idea of "diplomacy" was an *atypical* definition, to put it lightly. She barged into the UN and used her robotic "vespidrones" to render the world's leaders her mindless slaves, promising mercy to all who aided her in her search for more Mellitite. When the scientists of Earth told her that no such substance existed on the planet, things got a little dicey. She couldn't find any Mellitite, but it seemed like vespidrones didn't need any of *that* to assemble more of themselves. No, iron and steel worked just fine. In a matter of days, she'd amassed an army of robots capable of hijacking anyone's brainwaves simply by latching on to the back of their head. Human soldiers sent to fight against her ended up her loyal slaves, and unmanned tanks and aircraft were broken down and repurposed into more and more vespidrones. ...Reading over all of this might not have been a great idea, because now you're kind of terrified to go up against her. But the resolution to her initial "attack" on Earth is a reassuring one. As reassuring as a brush with planet-wide enslavement can be, at least. Queen Vespitrix was ultimately frustrated, not malicious, and once the Falconer managed to meet her face-to-face, he was able to talk her down. Her impromptu invasion was abandoned, and she willingly handed herself over to Earth's authorities...so long as she was able to enlist a team of physicists to try and synthesize a substitute fuel for her space ship's warp drive. Her file seems to indicate that she's more benevolent than the other villains the Taskmistress recruited, and it's *possible* that the differences in her physiology mean that the Taskmistress' psychic control isn't as strong, but...it's hard to say. You're certainly not willing to risk it, and if you decide to go after her, you'll need to be ready for the worst. You shudder. What if the Taskmistress bit off more than she could chew with Queen Vespitrix? If it turns out that she's been permanently corrupted, this could be the end of humanity's freedom. You have to have faith! Queen Vespitrix abandoned her invasion. She doesn't *want* to conquer the planet; she just wants to go *home.* Mind controlled or not, she's not a true villain, she's just...capable of enslaving the planet. It's a cold comfort, but you have to take what you can get at this point. After reading up on the Queen herself, you scroll down to read about the vespidrones. Though the name might imply something more insectoid in appearance, they're actually rather plain in design. Vespidrones look like perfect spheres in their "dormant" state, around a foot in diameter, capable of flight and hovering by a yet-unknown propulsion mechanism. When they find a suitable host, they split into four equal quarters and latch onto the back of the victim's head, and from there? You're a mindless slave until you manage to get it off of you. The process isn't invasive, so there's no permanent damage if you're "infected," but something tells you that it's unlikely that you'll find someone capable of freeing you if *you* end up converted. More than that, vespidrones are fully automated and capable of self-replication or construction of larger structures if they're provided with the necessary raw materials. A glance over to the video feed of city hall is enough to confirm *that.* The entire building is almost entirely cocooned in hexagonal plates, all thanks to the mechanical work of the Queen's drones. They're fed instructions via Queen Vespitrix's "apipsychic transmissions," they're as unfeeling and impersonal as one would expect. There might be a chance of negotiation with the Queen, but vespidrones can't be reasoned with. This might prove to be something of a problem...but not an unmanageable one. They're most dangerous in swarms, but if you go up against one or even a handful of vespidrones, one solid punch will throw off their gyroscopic flight system long enough for you to get away. Considering your hand-to-hand skills, you don't see that being a problem...as long as you can avoid larger groups of them. It looks like there's been a bit of experimentation on how their mind control works, but the results have been inconclusive. Frankly, that's for the best. You're feeling cautiously optimistic about your chances against Queen Vespitrix, all things considered, and you don't need some lab report telling you that she's recently upgraded to total psychic domination through walls or something to bring you back down. Optimistic or not, you're only going to find success appealing to her "humanity" if you decide to pursue the Queen. And that's assuming you can fight your way past her legion of drones...robotic or robot-controlled. [[Investigate the League Archives]] [[Begin your Mission]]

Finding the file in the League archives is simple enough, but there's an element of hesitation when it actually comes time to read it. You hate to admit it, but seeing just how easily the Taskmistress controlled Dollie frightened you. Can you really beat someone as powerful as that? Are you fast enough? Clever enough? Strong enough? *Brave* enough? You shake your head, not in self-condemnation, but in an effort to dispel the doubts weighing on you. You're a member of the League of Virtue for a reason, dammit, and it sure as Hell isn't because they were looking for interns! You find your center and begin reading. ::ISABEL STUART AKA THE TASKMISTRESS:: It's hardly surprising, but the Taskmistress has by far the longest list of major crimes you've ever seen. Her plotting spans from inconsequential to inconceivable, the scope of her villainy seeming to change with her every scheme. She's ransomed royalty, she's robbed museums of priceless heirlooms, she's had entire *countries* under her control at one point or another. And now she's returned to Capital City. But *why?* There's not much point in trying to guess her motives, and yet you can't help but wonder. There has to be a reason that she's attacking *here.* That she's attacking *now.* Does she know that the rest of the League is away? How could she? Does she have a spy in the League, someone keeping her informed on you and your allies' every move? It wouldn't be that difficult for her to *make* someone turn traitor, admittedly. Her powers are...impressive. The Taskmistress has the ability to mind control anyone who hears her voice, provided she ends her command with the word "slave." You grimace and make a note of that. It's a small drawback, but it's a drawback nonetheless. Still, it's a small wonder that Time Trial is the one to defeat her more often than not. You'd have to have super speed to silence her before she had the chance to speak, and that's just about the only way you can think to prevent her from using her mind control. It's almost disheartening how simple her file is. The Taskmistress' superpower is simple enough such that there's not much you can say about it. That's what makes it so dangerous. What makes it *especially* dangerous to *you* is that your super hearing makes it all but impossible to reliably block your ears. There's a case where Court Order managed to get the drop on the Taskmistress using a pair of earplugs, but past experience tells you that there's no chance you'll be able to blot out her voice one-hundred-per-cent with something as simple as that. Maybe if you can take her out before she even realizes you're there... You pause in thought for a moment before sighing. Unfortunately for you, there's just not enough time to come up with a foolproof plan of attack right now. The one benefit you have is that you currently have no way of going after the Taskmistress directly. You're going to have to defeat one of her henchwomen first, and after that... Well, you'll cross that bridge when you get to it. *If* you get to it, you remind yourself grimly. You close the file and think about what to do next. [[Investigate the League Archives]] [[Begin your Mission]]

OK. You shut off the Observation Computer and focus once more. No matter how much you prepare, there's nothing more you can really do but go out and try your best. You're sure that you can manage to stop at *least* one of them, and once you find out where the Taskmistress is hiding, you can go and defeat *her.* If you don't want to strain yourself, that's all you really *have* to do. If you can stop all of them? Fantastic. But the most important thing to remember is that *you **must** defeat the Taskmistress.* There's no telling what she's planning, and even if her accomplices are all accomplished supervillains in their own right...they're just the Taskmistress' pawns right now. Taking down the queen is the most important piece. Even if the others cause some problems after she's brought in, at least they won't be working towards her nefarious plot. You sprint from the Center Observation Deck to your quarters, and soon after that, *Starstrike* steps out of League Headquarters onto the streets of Capital City. Just as expected, the sounds of sirens fills the air, along with the scattered screams of the general populace. You take a deep breath and shut your eyes, bracing yourself one final time before you make your way out into the city and go toe-to-toe with a real supervillain. There's no safety net here. No second chances. The rest of the League is far, far away, and if you fail here, no one's going to come to your rescue. You'd say it's a scary, but...somehow? It feels more thrilling than anything else. Clenching your fists, you use your super hearing to home in on your first target and begin your pursuit! It's time to save the day!

Any edge you can get over the villains you're up against, you're going to take. You furrow your brow as you queue up the video playlist, reminding yourself that this is for the good of the city. If you can learn to resist her performance even slightly, it could be the key to your victory over otherwise insurmountable odds. You settle back into your seat and hit "play." Your cheeks flush with boyish embarrassment as you instinctively recognize the opening chords to Bump & Grind, and they only flush hotter when you see Video Vixen herself strut onto the stage. Flanked by nearly-faceless back-up dancers and dressed in a tight, sparkling bodysuit, you're struck by just how goddamn *sexy* she still looks in a video as old as this. Her hips sway from side to side, holding your gaze like a hypnotist's pendulum, and you find yourself groaning with lust when she drops to her hands and knees and crawls towards the camera. The rest of the video is a blur of hips, tits, and ass, and by the end of it, you're gasping for breath, palming yourself through your pants. See? If you had just barged in without getting readjusted to Video Vixen's nearly *irresistible* sex appeal, there's no *way* you would've lasted! Hell, you barely lasted through one of her *normal* videos! No doubt about it, you need to keep watching if you're going to have a chance against her. Joke's On You begins a few seconds after Bump & Grind fades to black, and the video opens with her dressed in a fetishized belly-dancer's costume. The spotless white silk of her outfit doesn't do a *thing* to hide her body, and the smooth, sinuous motions of her hands and her hips has you spellbound in seconds. The video proceeds just as you remember it: Video Vixen seduces one man after another before finally turning her attentions to the viewer for the final refrain. By the end of her siren's song, you're pumping your cock to the breathy coo of her voice. She's mewling, begging you to continue. "*Come* on, *come* on, *come* on, ooh..." Your eyes roll back, and you pump your load into the air when her panting crests into an eager moan. For a second, she's gasping along with you...but her satisfaction fades into a playful smirk, leaving you with the infuriating tease of the song's last line. "I hate to say it, but it's true. Lover boy, the joke's on you." *Fuck,* she's hot. Why her popularity ever started to dwindle is beyond you, and it's with eager anticipation that you watch the screen transition from Joke's On You into Slave 2 the Beat. Right off the bat, you can see why this song is *dangerous.* The rhythm is infectious, but it's more than just catchy: it gives you the *perfect* tempo to pump your cock. Up and down, a motion repeated by the abstract visuals in the back of the video, even. But more than that, Video Vixen herself poses imperiously in the center of the shot, dressed up like an ancient queen come to lord over her subjects. If the other videos had her dancing or strutting her stuff, Slave 2 the Beat was almost more like a photo shoot. The screen flashed every now and then, and Video Vixen seemed more content to push out her bust or show off her peach of an ass than actually do any dancing. But remember, you're here to try and piece together what makes these videos dangerous. You have to focus on the subliminals. It isn't important that Video Vixen commands the camera's attention. It's important that you see the words "SLAVE" and "SO AROUSED" flashing on the screen every now and then. And "PLEASURE," too. Oh, you just saw one that said "SURRENDER." God, it's just as effective as you remember it being, and the time just flies as you stroke yourself for your goddess. Pumping up and down, you lose yourself in the pleasure. You surrender to her sex appeal and find yourself slipping deeper and d- The video abruptly fades to black, replaced by a loud, shrill buzz and a flashing strobe effect. Instantly you're jolted from your pleasurable daydream by the automated "antidote" video the League programmed to combat Video Vixen's mind controlling music videos. Guh, what a pain! It happened so fast that you didn't even have the chance to go over the effective components of the Slave 2 the Beat subliminals! With an annoyed growl, you reach for the keyboard and remove the antidote videos from the playlist. There's no point in having them pop up after every test video, especially if they're going to interrupt your train of thought that jarringly. You have to be able to *analyze* the video if you're going to be able to take her on, and that means *appreciating* it. You'll just watch the antidote videos later to flush out the subliminal effects. Your plan amended, you play the next video in the series. Sinking back into your seat once more, you let the hypnotic allure of your pop star crush capture your mind...and your heart. You wrap your hand around your manhood and idly play with yourself, stroking your cock to the rhythm of her music, one video after another. The playlist eventually loops, and you decide that it'll be very beneficial to keep studying her videos. So beneficial that you don't stop until you fall asleep in front of the computer later that night. [[The next day...]]

Knowing is half the battle. Charging in when you only know the bare minimum on the foes you're about to face is suicide, especially when you have access to their every trick and technique! Your powers mean that you'll practically be able to memorize these files in an instant. You're certain, this is the difference between victory and defeat. You type at the Observation Computer's keyboard and call up the League archives. It takes a moment to pull up the applicable subfolder, but soon you're staring at a list of names and files. This is it: the intel on your female foes. The key to your victory...or theirs. Who do you read about, if anyone? [[Read Dollie's file]] [[Read Priceless' file]] [[Read Video Vixen's file]] [[Read Queen Vespitrix's file]] [[Read the Taskmistress' file]] [[Begin your Mission]]

The next few days pass in a blur of instruction, obedience, and pleasure. You had no idea it could feel this good to be a mindless, subservient drone, but Mistress shows you the truth. The truth is that you love being an eager, compliant submissive. You love sabotaging your fellow heroes and pleasuring yourself at Mistress' command. With her cunning and your helpless acquiescence, the entire League of Virtue Headquarters is transformed from a fortress of justice into an inescapable mind-control trap for anyone who enters it. Even if it'll be days -- or even weeks -- before your former allies return, the instant they come back, they'll be captured just as surely as you were. Until then, you get to enjoy every minute of your Mistress' control. The systems she has you install in the other members' quarters are installed in yours as well, and you make a magnificent guinea pig for their efficacy. In fact, that's your favorite part of the whole process! Mistress conditions you to crave the sinful pleasure of knowingly betraying your allies in the League, but it's the relentless conditioning that happens each night that has you fucking your hand and cumming your brains out. Ingenious. Irresistible. Unstoppable. Inexorable. In fact, once all the preparations are in place, there's nothing for you to do but submit for further conditioning. Your work done, you finally get to rest and relax and surrender your mind to Mistress forever. Thank God she caught you before you had a chance to learn how to resist her. If you didn't fall so easily, there's a chance you might have missed the opportunity to succumb to her control. And as Mistress so readily reminds you during your conditioning sessions, you helped save the city! As you lay back in your bed, mindlessly pumping your cock and listening to her pre-recorded lectures on the pleasures of submission and obedience, she reminds you that you're helping her defeat the League before they could even begin to fight back. And if they can't fight back, there's no fight at all, is there? You're a hero. A mindless, obedient hero. A mindless, obedient hero. A mindless, obedient hero. She even lets the rest of her "Femme Fatales" return to their normal lives as sleeper agents, just as robotic in their daily routines as you are. Every day, they sleepwalk through life just like you, living with her voice in the back of their minds, directing them, guiding them, controlling them. But as soon as night falls, they lie back in bed, just like you, and let Mistress' machines barrage their empty brains with the sound of her voice, the sound of her control, the sound of her will. It's only a matter of time before the rest of the League falls as you fell, and when that happens, Mistress will reveal herself once more to Capital City and announce her control. No one will be able to stop her. No one will be able to resist her. And it's that vision of a perfect, mindless future is what takes you over the edge each night. You were weak. You failed, and you're so thankful every night that you did.

When you wake up the next day, the first thing you do is make a call to your goddess. She eventually answers the call and tells you that she's very busy right now. She and her friends have to finish cementing their hypnotic control over the city. It's true that most of the work is done by now -- she's really thankful that you didn't try to do anything silly like stop her -- but they still want to make sure that the entire city is brainwashed before they go on to conquer the country. In the meantime, she wants you to start redistributing all of her old videos across the internet. After you delete the countermeasures the rest of the League made to undo her subliminals, of course. The process takes barely any time at all, and once you've made sure the original versions of the cure videos are gone, you call your goddess back. She tells you that you did a *very* good job, and because you did such a good job, you get a special reward. You get to be the first one to start spreading her next viral video, "Queen of the World." With the Observation Computer's power, it's simple to plaster her new mind control subliminal all over the internet. In a matter of hours, most of the world is glued to their computer or their phone, mindlessly masturbating to the same goddess that captured your heart: Video Vixen. It'll be days before the rest of the League gets back. Plenty of time for her to make sure that the subliminals she's infecting the world with are unbreakable. In the meantime, you're just another helpless drone, masturbating to the sight of her body as it writhes and wiggles on the same computer screen that once held the secret to undoing her hypnotic control. But that doesn't matter anymore. Nothing does. Nothing but her.