The Evolution of the Scarlet Flash {Methos & Fate}

[darkest_fate]

"And that's why you'll always be eating the dust of the Scarlet Flash!" pronounced the perky redhead clad in skin tight spandex. She shifted her stance, pointing at the defeated goon only a few feet away from her. American Dream had always told her protege, back when Flash was "Rocket," that the younger super spent far too much time posing and spouting at catch phrases. Plenty of potential, what with the super speed and do-right attitude. Plus there were the hours upon hours of training with one of America's premier supers. Yet she'd only just now gotten her own gig.

Well, technically.

The goon moaned, and Flash walked over to nudge him with one of her custom made boots. The long bits of leather stretched up her well toned legs, conforming to her flesh. In actuality, Flash would rather be wearing something non-revealing, as her "timid alter ego" Mary Kay did. But you couldn't expect to fight with clothing in the way. Unfortunately, this often gave villains and worse, fans the wrong idea. Flash had already seen pictures of her "camel toe" up on several websites. At least the Council of Justice was working to take all that down. They were moving awfully slowly though...

Flash adjusted her tight black mask, giving her brilliant red mane a shake. Now that she'd defeated the outer guard, it was time to storm the enemy's secret lair. Yeah, maybe she should have passed along the "tip" she'd gotten to the other supers, and maybe she should have done more than scribble a note. But they never let her try anything on her own! now, if she could take down this stupid, obviously B-list vill, she'd get some cred. Then maybe they'd stop seeing her as "Rocket" and start seeing "the Scarlet Flash."

One more adjustment of her mask and outfit, to make sure there weren't any more embarrassing photo opportunities. Then Flash grabbed a key card from the still moaning guard, giving him a jaunty salute and cocky smile. Serves them right for working for someone so obviously evil and malformed. Well, they'd learn their lesson in prison, and know that the Scarlet Flash put them there. Yet more credit.

She stepped into the lair, bracing herself for whatever "Evolution" had to throw at her. not like his name really revealed much in the way of his powers, nor did any of the information the Council had on him. Flash was sure she could take him though. After all, she was the hero.

 

[Methos]

It might have struck some that if one received a tip as to where a villain’s lair lay two possibilities emerged. The first being that someone in the know was careless or disloyal, the second being that it was quite clearly a trap. One rather incompetent guard at the entrance would no doubt have been a red flag for some, suggesting that things seemed too easy and that perhaps they should seek backup or assistance. Yet that was evidently not the case as the Crimson Flash dashed into the villain known as Evolution’s lair.

Naturally the man himself was quite aware of her presence. Although a flicker of irritation was noticeable upon his features as his trap had lured what seemed very much a second rate hero into it. The press of a button caused two steel doors to slam shut behind the Scarlet Flash, blocking the path of retreat for the young heroine. The room she stumbled into was relatively empty. The floor was solid rock as were the walls being chiselled into the hidden reaches of a mountain. Yet the far wall had a rather large mural upon it. The golden form of a phoenix was seen clutching the earth in its talons, with the words ‘a greater earth, a greater humanity’ written in bold letters above it.

An otherwise unnoticeable section of the wall opened up and through it a tall blonde haired man soon appeared. Blue eyes rested upon the red haired woman whom had blundered into his lair. A faintly amused smile graced his lips as he remarked “Perhaps I shall have to do something drastic then, if rather than receiving the heros of the Justice Council, I receive the attention of their sidekicks.” A tall man he stood some six feet and four inches tall. His frame was broad and the shoulders and noticeably muscular in its build. He was clad in black and red garb. A black cape hung from his shoulders and the golden design upon the wall with its slogan appeared upon the reddish coloured armour that graced his chest and arms. His lower body was armoured as well, although the colour shifted to a black akin to that of his cloak.

“A pity, I’d rather hoped more of you would come. It would have been far more useful for my research.” Although he seemed thoughtful for a moment as he remarked “No matter, I’m sure that with you as bait I shall have little trouble luring your friends to me.” He smiled to her pleasantly enough as he idly noted “You may surrender yourself now, or shall we go through the exercise where you attempt to defeat me. Soon find that you had no idea as to the magnitude of what you are confronting, lose and afterwards spend a great deal of time reproaching yourself for your carelessness?”

If nothing else he seemed rather supremely confident in how things were to transpire. “Really its easier for you at this point simply to submit. I’m sure your abilities will be of some use to my program. Perhaps you’ll even be allowed to aid us as we seek to improve the human race.” He smiled to her as he noted “If only you heros saw that its our weakness in the face of the alien races that we needed to confront. Instead you worry yourself over petty thefts and murders when the future of the species lies in the balance. Soon caught up at looking at the trees, you fail to see the forest.” And evidently a villain with some sort of messiah complex.

 

[darkest_fate]

Okay, so if Flash had actually stopped to think for five seconds about what she was getting herself into, she might have come up with the trap theory. Or possibly even stopped to consider that maybe, just maybe she should have researched. But the girl had so wanted to prove herself that she lived up to her name, dashing headfirst into danger without thinking of the consequences.

The beautiful lair hardly surprised the junior hero. It looked good, with its murals and heavy doors and secret doors. Pretty much what the girl had expected from an evil lair, only with less robots. Every good evil doer should enlist at least one guard robot, and Flash had almost been looking forward to dealing with robots.

Instead, she got the main vill himself. That he showed up without sending more minions showed... stupidity. That or confidence or pride. He probably had some kind of trap ready for her, or he figured that he could easily deal with the teenaged super hero. Overconfidence was always the folly of evil! (and little redhead superheros, but Flash wasn't one to analyze the irony of that just yet)

Though... she really hadn't expected him to look so good. Over six feet tall, easily a half a foot taller than Flash, and rippling with muscle. Armor covered every visible inch of him, which would make actually hurting him a little difficult. Enough speed should punch through that. Yet Flash still found herself nearly gawking at the man for a while longer. Since when were super vills tall Adonises?

"I'm not a sidekick!" Flash nearly yelled the words. Immediately she began to redden, the blush easily showing on her pale features. Another toss of the hair, and she tried to thrust her hands upon her slim hips in what could easily be called "Superhero pose #1." Hopefully it looked as good as it had when Flash had practiced it in the mirror. "I am the Scarlet Flash! Speedy avenger of the innocent! If you know what's best for you, you should surrender now!"

End with a finger pointed defiantly at him, and a cocky smile. There you go, Flash; you're doing great. Of course, all his talk made her nervous on the inside. The last thing she wanted was to be part of whatever "experiment" he had in store. And being rescued by the others would be embarrassing. It might even get her demoted.

But that didn't matter, because she was going to apprehend this vill all by herself.

"If you come quietly, I might even see about getting some of your charges dropped," offered Flash. That usually got at least a response from the vills. Usually "I don't care for your deals, hero!" or something equally cliche.

 

[Methos]

If the villain was impressed by the pose, he gave no indication of it. Rather he seemed rather sanguine in his demeanour. As the woman suggested she was not a sidekick he simply remarked “No? You do look suspiciously like the girl whom used to be seen trailing around the American Dream like a puppy wagging its tail.” Naturally enough the villain had noted what got under her skin and elected to pursue that line of inquiry. “Or perhaps I’m thinking of some other youthful red haired and super fast heroine hmm?”

He heard the girl suggest he surrender and lofted a brow to her as he noted “I shall have to respectfully decline that invitation.” He smiled in a bemused manner as he noted “And by it I shall infer that you have declined my own opportunity for a less violent outcome to this particular stand off. A pity, it seems almost cruel for one such as I to have to use force to overcome little more than a child. The things I must do for the good of the planet.”

He goaded her as if nothing else if she were angry and embarrassed her meagre powers were liable to be rather unwisely utilized. But her name alone was indication enough of what he should expect of her. But rather than engaging in further wordplay, his hands shifted from where they rested beside him and upon each wrist twin energy blasters worked into the gauntlet of each hand. Cleverly he didn’t just aim all four beams at her, rather two were directed towards her and one each to either side. Hence should the woman seeking to dodge she’d find her self dodging towards danger.

The villain called Evolution seemed to have little time for this particular non-sense thus aimed to settle it quickly. He had work to do. Nor did knocking down a peg puffed up super heroines who were in fact little more than a chit of a girl, strike him as the most productive use of his time. Hence the rather direct quartet of energy beams aimed at the woman in an effort to end things swiftly. After all he’d never understood why people only worked two energy beams one into each gauntlet, when you had people dashing around or flying at extraordinary speeds a bit of rapid fire was a wise precaution.

 

[darkest_fate]

Once more red showed on Flash's pale cheeks. In the back of her mind lay the time old teachings, including "never let a villain get you angry or upset. You'll lose your cool, and that's how mistakes are made." Yet despite that teaching having been drilled into Flash as deeply as her own name, she felt the anger rising. She'd get him while he monologued. These super genius types loved to listen to the sound of their own voices. It got even worse when they were cocky and confident, which certainly fit Evolution perfectly.

She clenched her first, the leather along her gloves crinkling. Blue eyes quickly planned a path of attack, one that should work perfectly. She'd run along the walls; he'd never expect an attack like that. Plus she could easily dodge whatever he bothered to throw at her. It would probably e lasers or something else ridiculously predictable.

But before she started her own attack, Evolution's verbal assault reached her. Child? Cruel? He was brushing her off! She was a legitimate, licensed, trained, prepared superhero and he was treating her like she'd just walked in off the streets! Fury blinded Flash, washing out all her wonderful plans and ideas. Yelling out yet another of her cliche statements, her anger nearly garbling it into a wordless cry, she dashed forward. Her boots thudded mercilessly against the floors of the lair. The sound matched nothing so well as an incoming train, and the steady beat nearly washed away her words. That she truly was fast, fast enough to approach the speed of sound itself, only added to it.

Yet Evolution had been prepared. He hadn't even flinched. No, he'd simply lifted his gauntlet, ready to fire at her. Flash caught the movement, looking incredibly slow in her accelerated state. At this speed it would be difficult to dodge an attack, but it did look as though he aimed directly at her. A smile lit her face at that. C'mon, he didn't even think a super fast heroine would dodge his head on attack? There was that overconfidence again.

Flash nearly laughed as she skipped aside, altering her course in such a way that the head on laser wouldn't even graze her. However, the beam he'd cleverly shot to the side would. The lancing energy struck the super, making her scream out in pain. It caught her in the stomach, and the pain of it forced the girl to fold over. This resulted in her tumbling head over heels, still moving far too fast. not only had she suffered the shocking result of whatever the laser should do to her, but also the very physical pain akin to a car crash. Her suit absorbed most of that shock and impact. Yet even that wasn't enough. despite any efforts, Flash felt her consciousness fading away, replaced by a painless blackness.

 

[Methos]

Their struggle proved rather mercifully shot. Indeed it seemed one of those encounters where one individual was playing chess and the other checkers. His dismissal of her as a childish amateur had struck a nerve and the girl charged blindly at him, only to be stroke by energy charges and then to collapse to the ground in a heap with a rather piercing scream. Evolution loomed over her form, glancing down at the woman as he remarked “I did suggest you spare yourself this embarrassment.” The toe of his boot prodded into her torso as he seemed to see if the woman was unconscious. Her lack of response seemed to convince him that she was in la la land.

He reached downwards and grasped hold of the woman’s slight form. He lifted her upwards and threw her over his shoulder, much like one might carry a lack sack of flour or sugar. Rather unceremoniously he carried her through the room and the entrance he arrived in to the remainder of his lair as it lay beyond. A few of the robots she’d been so eager to see could be seen moving been various tables that seemed to have computers and electronics and machinery strew across them. A number of them had tubing and various coloured compounds and substances being analyzed. Robots and seeming scientists were at work.

He carried her through that laboratory and thereafter into the one beyond it. There various individuals man and women could be seen strapped into machines that had tubing and sensor attached to their forms and needles prodding into them. Various computer screens showed vital signs, readings and analysis of the anatomy of the specimens and their dna. Various scans and beams seemed to pass over the bodies of the males and females currently strapped into these machines. Had his young foe been conscious she may even recognize a few of them as heros gone mysteriously missing.

Naturally her face was much the same. Casually removed the leather suit that she’d been wearing and the undergarments worn beneath it. He left her rather stark naked as he pressed her into the frame of the machine. Her arms and legs were clamped into place. Naturally the needles were there to sedate the subjects and tubes attached could feed them intravenously. Although he didn’t bother to sedate her. Rather he thought it would amuse him to see the girl’s reaction when she came around.

In any case several lab rats now surrounded the heroine and samples of blood and dna were drawn. Then the machine was calibrated to scan her form and analyze her physiology and powers. While the flunkies and computers poured over the Evolution drifted over to a desk with a series of computer screens and seemed to analyze the progress on one experiment or another. He’d toy with the girl when she came around.

 

[darkest_fate]

Groggily, the Flash slowly returned to consciousness. Spots swam in her vision, making it difficult for her to see anything. Making matters worse were the strange noises that assailed her ears. Plus it smelled like a hospital of some kind. Had she been picked up and rescued already? The Council was known for being quick on the draw; they might have already noticed she was missing and so on. That was certainly preferable to the alternative.

Flash tried to rise up, to look about her. Yet such an action proved impossible. Indeed, the girl could only rise a fraction of an inch before straps dug into her body. The shock of finding herself strapped down jolted her into full cognition. Flash's eyes opened in terror, blue orbs hastily scanning the area around her. Needles floated overhead, looming in a threatening manner, promising to sink into her flesh. Nearby monitors apparently ran her data through them; in fact, a whole console of them sat some distance away, with a familiar face hovering behind them. Her eyes flicked to her own body: naked. Her lithe runner's form had been stripped of any clothing. The pale white skin seemed even paler among the overhead lights. Every inch of her had been displayed. He'd removed her... her uniform, her mask. What kind of sick freak was this? Even worse, the chill of the room, or the stark terror she felt, made her nipples harden into little peaks. The darker rose colored nub stuck out among the ivory of the rest of Flash/Mary. Two twin targets. At least she'd had to shave her nether hair, thanks to her costume, otherwise she'd have another brilliant scarlet target. Still, she felt horribly vulnerable, exposed and ashamed before some villain.

"You'll pay for this!" she finally spouted. Her cheeks reddened again, frustrated and enraged by this. Clearly she was going to be put through some kind of freakish experiment. This guy probably had a twisted mind. Probably would do something... sexual to her. That added a bit of terror into those angry eyes. She struggled once more. There had to be a way out of this. Maybe she could move fast enough to jostle her molecules? Her namesake had done so in comics, but everyone had claimed it impossible for her. Should she try?

She at least tried to struggle, squirming amid her confines in a desperate vie for freedom.

 

[Methos]

Eventually he’d hear her cry that he would pay for this. Given that he’d chosen not to keep her sedated, he rose and walked over towards where the woman lay restrained. The straps and metal frame held her quite firmly in place and whatever squirming she performed the harness was intended to hold met humans so entirely resisted her efforts to escape it. “Oh I shall pay? Naturally I shall.” He gestured around him “I pay every single day for this. These machines cost a small fortune.”

The gauntlets that he’d worn earlier had been removed from his hands. Now bared skin was visible as he stepped in front of her. His eyes rather blatantly looked her up and down. A measure of amusement was visible in his expression as he noted the apparently blush that coloured her cheeks. “Do you think you can escape?” He smiled to her and idly noted “Please do try, I’ve anticipated all known means for doing so. But like all security measures something knew is always unanticipated.” He smirked “Naturally I’d simply recapture you but perhaps you enjoy being forcibly overcome.”

His hand now pressed to that pale flesh. His fingers sliding along the smooth form of her belly and then sliding upwards towards the mounds of her chest. His fingers pressed to her breast. Strong digits encircled it and squeezed rather tightly around it. His hand tensing and slowly kneading into that soft flesh as she remained bound and entirely vulnerable before him. His thumb would idly stroke over the swollen form of her nipple. That strong digit rubbed against its dark form rather persistently.

“Now you could assumed that I have you trapped here along with others simply because I’m insane.” He smirked idly as he noted “That is the explanation so many cling to when they don’t understand another’s motivations.” Yet he seemed in villainous fashion altogether too happy to enlighten her. “I’m sure even as insignificant a hero as yourself is all too aware of the presence of alien races in recent times. They’ve appeared here and for the most part have yet to cause us great difficulties. Although they war amongst themselves.”

He paused and then continued “Some aren’t terribly worried that these conflicts will ever affect us. Yet I doubt that to be true. We’ll be drawn in or simply become collateral damage sooner or later. And we are so woefully ill prepared. We all must become stronger, smarter, more powerful. A better and more fitting humanity to confront those that meet us from space.” He smiled to her as he noted “And I shall make that happen, even now I begin to determine exactly how your speed works.”

 

[darkest_fate]

So he was a villain who liked his quips. Most of them did, come to think of it. They liked to strut about and lord their superiority over their captive foes. Well, Flash wasn't going to play his silly little game, oh no. Instead her eyes narrowed to slits, slits that followed his every movement. She'd already begun planning several methods of escape, mind going through several different simulations at once. Foolhardy and stupid did not necessarily go hand in hand, as Flash was determined to show this foul fiend.

Yet despite her determination, the girl found herself blushing yet again as he studied her body. Any sort of covering, even a harem outfit or some kind of other unusual fantasy, would be preferable to this. She felt so exposed, and like he devoured her just by looking. That feeling only felt more confirmed as a hand went to her breast. The smallish mound easily fit in Evolution's broad hand as he moved and stroked. Flash tried to ignore it, tried even to move away from him, but her bindings prevented movement. At least she was fighting off reacting too strongly. Her body still knew it was being toyed with, the nipples beginning to react to the stimulation. When his thumb graced Flash's nipple, Evolution would find blood already flowing toward it, hardening it.

It was his monologuing that finally got the frustrated girl to speak. When she did, the words shot out of her like gunshots, dripping with venom, "You are insane. We're heroes! We fight for all that is good and right. And you are standing in our way, committing acts of horror and injustice!"

She tried to pull at her bindings, but the expertly designed restraints easily held the speedster. Perhaps if she had the strength of her mentor, Flash might have been able to break free. As it was, all she managed to do was writhe in her confines. Once she realized that this was probably exactly what the man wanted, she stopped, glaring at him.

"We heroes can handle the aliens. We don't need you messing with the rest of humanity," she continued. Like reasoning with the villain who restrained her naked to analyze would do anything. "And you won't find out anything about my speed. It's natural," she insisted. True, the Council had figured out bits about their heroes, but this man was hardly one of them.