"This is always awkward," observed Max as they sat in the bar.

"Yep" agreed Sarah, as she sipped a craft brew.

Max was her friend and coworker on the show as gaffer. And right now he was meeting her …

Sigh.

… girlfriend.

Sigh.

That was probably the word to describe her. She and Lana had been dating for a couple of months now. They had secret identities of course as superheroes – that was secret – but the dating part in their civilian lives was not – or at least it wasn't now. And nor should it be.

"I never thought you went …" said Max.

"I've done it a couple of times. Never in college, oddly enough … but a couple of times. This is the first time I've really ever been more then that. It''s kind of scary to be honest."

"I bet," said Max.

Sarah sighed. Lana walked in.

Lana was dressed in jeans, a white T-shirt and what looked like running shoes. Her brown hair was in a ponytail that went over her rail thin back. She looked as if you told someone – hey, you have to go to a craft brew pub with friends so wear this outfit. Perhaps even buy this outfit as you have never worn it before. Still, she was smiling. When she walked over she didn't greet Sarah with any physical affection – no kisses, no hugs … but she was there. This was probably a wise move. Instead she offered a hand to max.

"Hey! I'm Lana. You must be Max. What a pleasure it is to meet you."

They shook hands. Max seemed glad to see her.

Between the plump but curvy Sarah and the razor thin Lana you could build perhaps a perfect example of womanhood. However, separately perhaps it was no great loss … they were off the dating market.

Lana Maclaine worked as a freelance web engineer for medium size websites, optimizing server loads and the like. She also had an inheritance of some sort that she didn't talk about. Her tastes where decidedly more … upscale … then Sarah's. She had taken her to the opera already, and a bird sanctuary by the sea. She went to art gallery openings and drank wine there. She knew the artists by name, and artists who weren't there by reputation . She had just enough sense of wry humor that one could call her funny. She talked as if she should have an English accent.

Sarah wasn't precisely sure what to think of her. It was fun in a way to date someone who was different than you. The opera had been a blast. Big and loud and full of cool lights and stuff. The art stuff wasn't bad. Lana wasn't gentle precisely, the kind of glower of the flame never quite left her, nor the urbane stare of the superior. However, it wasn't bad close to you. And sex with a mind reader was like losing your mind. Or maybe she was a much more skilled lesbian then her occasional tickle sessions had been.

However, it was dating. It was dating at the point now that one could introduce her as a girlfriend. However Sarah wasn't precisely sure she ever wanted to move to something more serious with Lana, and was further worried that she could read her mind and know it. Actual lesbianism kind of frightened her. Drunk, making out – was one thing. Sober, making love – was something else. But, you know, like fucking and living with someone you shared maxi pads with …

Sarah had several times met Lana's friends – never this formally, but at the art openings and such – and it was clear of course, what was so obvious now. But she never figured out before sleeping with her. Lana was a Lesbian with a capital L that she never used when talking. She had done this before, even apparently, she confessed, lived with a girl for a year and a half before coming to LA from Connecticut ("Problems that we never quite worked out. I loved her to pieces, and she me, but it never worked out"). That, Sarah discovered, was a very lesbian thing to do. Discussing your ex-girlfriends frankly.

Lana and Max talked. Lana didn't know what a gaffer did, and he informed her. He didn't know what a web engineer did and she informed him. They didn't have a lot in common but seemed to be progressing socially. Which was a fair metaphor for their relationship too.

"Did I tell you, Sarah? I got saved from a jewelery story robbery by the Flame last week."

"No," said Sarah.

Lana's expression didn't change. She was good at keeping a straight face.

"The weird goth chic hero. Yeah, I was going there after work to look for like a necklace for Justine, when a couple of robbers walked in … and then she came in, but she didn't 'come in' exactly … she just kind of …"

"Appeared," said Lana as he struggled to end his sentence.

"Yeah. That's the word. Ever happened to you?"

"A friend of mine," Lana told him.

"She appeared … and, like, there was this weird sound of laughter in the store … and then it went dark. And all the robbers were on the floor knocked out, in like five seconds flat. It was amazing. And then I saw her for like a second … but she just walked out the door. 'Never said anything to me. 'Never said anything to anyone."

"What a world," observed Lana. "I once saw Knighthawk in the street. But never anything like that."

"I wonder what she's like," mused Sarah.

"Probably just a bitch," Max speculated. "Goth, right? I went to a club … they have whips and chains and stuff like that."

"I've been to a couple of goth clubs," Sarah said. She had the urge to defend her friend. "The whips and chains are mainly for show."

Lana shrugged. There was something ever so slight in her eye that suggested laughter. "That's the public ones. I don't really know, but you hear whispers in the art world about this dark scene of drugs and leather … it's not a good scene unless you like it. I think it's mostly consensual as it goes."

"And that's probably where she is now. They say she burned out her own heart to gain her power."

Sarah shook her head. "Oh, come on! She's not that bad. I for one support are superheroic community in all its endeavors."

Lana shrugged. "Well, there's a difference between supporting it and, well, liking it. It would be a bit hypocritical of me to question the sexual kinks of others."

Max paused.

"Let's leave that part of the conversation there," suggested Lana.

 

*****

 

They were in the bathroom 20 minutes latter. Girls, it has been observed, went to the bathroom together. But when they were …

What happened was that Lana was laughing. The kind of laughter that Sarah had rarely seen from her. There had been a polite chuckle, a guffaw, a smile … but this was beyond that.

"It's moments like that makes all the bruises the lack of sleep worthwhile. I do love the Flame."

Sarah grabbed her from behind and held her for a second. They didn't kiss, didn't do anything porn-worthy, but she hugged her for a second as Sarah nuzzled her head into her much smaller form.

Lana nuzzled her back. It was a slight gesture. Lana wasn't the warmest in the world, and rarely expressed much emotion but she tolerated effortless Sarah. That suggested she liked it, right?

Sarah smiled. She looked at the mirror. You could easily see Sarah on both sides of Lana, and over her. But she was there and she was there.

"You look pretty tonight," Lana said at last, as Sarah broke the spell.

Sarah was wearing a sundress and old Doc Martins. Come to think of it she looked like a much larger and fatter version of the Flame.

"Thank you," said Sarah. "You too."

That was a lie … except in the abstract sense that Sarah did think that Lana was pretty. She didn't think she was beautiful – she liked breasts for fun. But she was pretty, especially when she was smiling, as she was now.

"Was all of this worth burning your heart out?"

And Lana let out a mighty laugh.

 

*****

 

Sarah had thought the evening with Max would move at some point to a nightclub or a movie or something like that. Instead, after a couple of beers it ended. It wasn't Lana's fault. She hadn't said no to anything. It took it's natural course, which tonight meant they walked out of the bar after about three beers. Max left them. A couple.

And they had the dreaded uncomfortable pause. They enjoyed spending time together, but unstructured things didn't work out well. Usually one person suggested something or another. And the other person agreed – unless they had the excuse of work or the other work.

Would they do something else? Fundamentally, the idea of a movie or a nightclub was the same. They had very different tastes in just about everything. Lana didn't much go to movies, even the kind of arty stuff that plays in small theaters. They could have gone fighting crime together, but their styles even here were different. Sarah was a punchy bruiser who saved kittens from trees, while Lana stalked the night like a demonic monster.

It could be a delightful comic team-up. In the funny 'ha-ha' sense, not the graphical media. But maybe …

They ended up going to a comic book store down the way that Sarah sometimes went to. Like a lot of existing shops it was incredibly elaborate with huge figurines, paper machine metal walls from a a haunted lab, the kind of things that cost a bit of money. She supposed only by going big could such a weird business as comics not go home.

It was a pleasant-ish space to browse, and was open 'til 10.

They walked around the store. Most comics come pre-bagged to defer reading, but Lana seemed to be enjoying herself in a smiling way.

"Ooh! These must be the horror comics," she said as she picked up an issue of Venom. "I like the tongue thingy."

((I got most of my ideas about doing this from old-timey radio I used to listen to as a child. It's interesting to see how the other half lives))

That was the weird thing about dating a telepath.

Sarah bought Lana a copy of something with magic in it by Vertigo. Or maybe it was Stranger in a Strange Land she forgot.

That killed about half an hour.

*****

45 minute later they where naked in bed and Sarah was filling Lana's snatch with the head of a strap-on penis.

"Yeah, God! Please don't stop!"

Yet the strange thing was it was hard to say who said that.

Lana's body was moving with the skill of a dancer against her as she plowed into her with her powerful build.

The dildos was Lana's. Lana had a lot of stuff like that, organized in a drawer. Dildos, lubes, something that looked very frightening, and more things that looked even more frightening.

"Yes! Yes!" Lana wrapped her legs around Sarah's butt as she leaned her head down to suckle her tit. Her body kept moving at incredible speed.

It was one of the things about Sarah. She was blessed with strength, yes … but also stamina. For all practical purposes she never got tired – she could run and jump for hours on end..and well (fuck … fuck god yes fuck!!!). Her lovers, of course, were not so blessed, which she didn't mind much. It didn't take much for her to work up a respectable orgasm.

But, well … Lana. The prim and proper software engineer, yes, turned out to be a bit of a demon in the sack (she also performed as a demonic superhero). She didn't seem to possess super stamina normally – not that she had observed – but in bed … they could make love for hours, with each coming dozens of times. She would just keep moving, just keep urging her on to no end. Her voice, her touch, her mind.

((I want you to fuck me … fuck me))

Sarah, before a week ago, had never used a strap-on – never used a dildo with a lady – but found she enjoyed it immensely. She was, of course, a powerful girl. But in bed..there were limits to this. She couldn't **** kegel – IM UNSURE ABOUT THIS ONE … **** in bed, or push. but now she could use her power to thrust into Lana's sweet pussy. She couldn't use all of her strength and speed, but she was moving with the strength, speed, and power of a dozen or so men. And Lana was taking it without any discomfort … on the contrary: she was fucking her back.

((God! You're incredible))

Sarah appreciated the compliment.

She lifted Lana's butt off the bed, grabbing and bending the small lady into a contortion. She began to thrust into her faster and faster – faster then the eye could quite see – filling her up with the 14 inch phallus, working her cunt, each time pulling out to an inch them ramming it in with enough power to break wood.

"Godgodgodgodgodgodgogd"

Then her voice turned to odd grunts.

Lana's eyes rolled back into the top of her head as she came bellow her. She could feel it, see it, see something in her. It made Sarah tense down on the phallus in her, as she felt her own orgasm well up. Her eyes teared up briefly as she slouched a bit, dropping her lover. she looked into her eyes, instead of catching her breath she pulled her down and kissed her.

"Let me reverse cowgirl you a bit," suggested Lana. "While you have it on."

And then she moved without stopping to get on top of her.

 

*****

 

This went on until about midnight, before Sarah fell on the side of her and breathed hard. Even she had her limits. Lana next to her, didn't.

It would be hard to give this up. Real hard.

Extra hard.

She had never made love with a superpowered man – someone with increased strength like herself. She thought it would have been like this – perhaps more intense – but also shorter. she liked men, really … lots. But, well … they had to cum sometime. Both of them seemed liked they could keep this up for days before dehydration set in. Well, that was an exaggeration but not much of one.

"Penny for your thoughts, Dear?" Lana inquired, smiling and smiling.

"Can't you just read them?" said Sarah.

"I make it a point not to do that with non-criminals. It gets complicated, and hard to sort out. I mean it happens but … I want to respect your privacy, Dear."

'Dear'. It was an affectionate term. Granted, a very old and outdated one, but affectionate nonetheless. It was only in sex, really, that Lana displayed much more then friendly versions of this or the physical or personal variety. Did she feel it? Sarah suspected, but maybe it was like a tiger – you only see it reflected back in her eyes.

"I'm thinking about how come you only call me Dear in bed."

Ouch. That was so not the question to ask right now.

Really … that was terrible.

"It will come in time, I suppose, workup to it. Perhaps I feel a little awkward about it. Of course, in bed perhaps I have a bit less control of things, and they slip out. Hope they don't embarrass"

"No, Dear," Sarah said. That was a joke. She wondered if someday it wouldn't be. That was kind of scary. She changed the subject. "So tell me the super-secret origins of the Flame."

Lana shrugged. "Not much of a story really. Born with amazing powers; my parents were murdered; vowed revenge; brought him to justice. Just the usual boring stuff like that … not too interesting."

"Make it longer."

"Do you really want me to bore you with such banalities?"

Sarah nodded.

"Not much of a storyteller, I'm afraid. I was born with these gifts. I could read people's mind, start fires, others things. I decided to keep them secret from everyone except my brother lest I be considered a freak. When I was 10 my parents were murdered at our home in Connecticut. Ghastly affair. I'm not sure my powers could have stopped it, but I thought so then … which was the important thing. So I well … vowed to bring the killers to justice. I studied martial arts, criminology, the usual stuff a young heroine does. It wasn't hard, really. I wonder what the fuss was. I learned to master my mind. By the time I graduated Yale, I was ready to find the killer."

"And did you?"

"Yes," said Lana. "A bit of an anti-climax that, actually. It turned out it was one of my father's business partners trying to hide the fact that he was embezzling money. Took me less then a week, really. After all that time. But he's in jail now, and I decided, well, to keep on at it. And thus we have the Eternal Flame."

She paused. "And 'Mazing Girl?"

Sarah shrugged. She thought her origin story was interesting, but well … it wasn't that interesting compared to what she'd just heard. "Well, I was born in Tallahassee, Florida. My parents are still alive, and still love me. I learned very young I was stronger and more athletic then most kids, but it bored me so I read comic books and stuff. I guess about puberty I blossomed and my powers really blossomed with it."

She tweaked her boobs, symbolically.

"I wanted to help people, be a hero. So I made a costume and became The Black Dog."

"The Black Dog?"

"I was 13, and thought it was cool that way. There's a southern myth about a Black Dog that haunts the roadway. But I'm also really white, which made doing it in the south not the greatest idea. But I did that for a couple of years, on but mainly off as my parents thought I should wait until I grew up. I did my best. Was a theater tech geek in high school, boyfriends and such."

"A normal childhood," interrupted Lana. "Did you go to Disneyworld at all?"

Sarah shrugged. "I came out here to Cal Arts, got a degree in stagecraft and moved from Valencia to LA. I played around a bit with superheroics in college – I had more free time. And that's when I really became 'Mazing Girl. A friend made the costume, which I intended to be a post-modern take on the traditional superhero persona, but that kind of faded after awhile. Now I'm just a good old fashioned flying brick – well, jumping brick … but it's the same"

"It's a better story than mine," said Lana.

"Your's had villains and revenge."

"I wish it didn't. I wish it was happy. Just to live, to be motivated by virtue and the desire to help others. I can see that sometimes. Sometimes I just see a sad little girl crying."

She shook her head.

"Did I mention that I spent six months studying in a hidden monastery in Tibet? Well … actually Bhutan."

 

*****

 

The next day Sarah was at work. Every couple of weeks they filmed downtown. This time near a shopping alley. In the afternoon, in a non-Chinese shop in Chinatown. There weren't many props other then usual rubber guns to worry about that day. She was reading the script for the final episode of the season, and quite possibly the show (ratings weren't great, but cable ratings were really confusing) There was a Russian nuclear bomb (maybe she could do something fun with a cyclic countdown. That could give the scene a little comic fun).

When Max came over. There wasn't a lot of lighting to gaff either today so he came over during a shoot to talk to her a bit.

"Lana seemed like a nice girl last night. You two have fun after I went?"

Sarah smiled. "In incredible amounts … the details of which would blow your mind."

Max laughed. "You're a cute couple in a non-porn way."

Sarah smiled.

"You two getting serious?"

Sarah paused.

Damn it.