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A Marvel To Behold

Written by brad328 :: [Tuesday, 06 February 2007 20:02] Last updated by :: [Friday, 29 March 2013 22:33]

A MARVEL TO BEHOLD

 

by BW

 

 

 


WRITTEN FOR SGI WORKSHOP 1.10

 

Editor's Note: this story is actually the rewriting of the first three chapters of Mindy Marvel's life: Prison Break, Home Invasion and Conspiracy Theory. Brad rworked them in a more coherent story and twisted it to make Mindy fits in the TF4000 universe. This has to be considered pretty much the "canon" version of the story.


 

 

 

Chapter 1: PRISON BREAK

 

 

“You’ve taken this too far, sir” the man said. “An innocent man is going to die, is it really worth it”?

 

“Are you getting a weak stomach Pierce?” the other man responded, his back towards his inquisitor as he gazed out the window of his office. “This is what’s best for the company and that’s my job. Don’t start growing a conscious now.”

 

“But sir-“he said.

 

“Pierce, don’t question me. Or else you might end up being his cellmate. Now get out of my office!” the other man demanded.

 

Pierce walked out of the office and towards his cubicle down the hall.

 

 

Meanwhile

 

“There’s no way I’m getting out of here” said John, also known as inmate 31872, to his wife who also is his legal counsel

 

“Don’t say that, there’s still a chance,” Melinda said.

 

“Mel, they’ve fast tracked the appeal process. You know the system. There’s no way, one year after being arrested for the murder of the governor’s brother, that I’m next in line to get executed. Something’s going on, that’s bigger than both of us. And whoever it is, they don’t want me sticking around.”

 

“I’m not giving up on you John. I know you didn’t do this and I’m going to do whatever it takes to get you back home. We still have an appeal with the federal court and there’s the Supreme Court. You can’t give up now”.

 

“Outside of a miracle, it’s over Mel” John said despondently. “And I’d rather spend what little time I have with my wife as opposed to you wasting your time in court.”

 

The guard walked towards the couple.

 

“Visiting time is over. Wrap it up” he said.

 

“I love you Mel” John said.

 

“I love you too John” she replied

 

Melinda got up and left the visiting area as John was escorted away in shackles. She walked out of the prison and headed towards the subway station. Standing there waiting for the train, a man walked up to her and shined a light on her.

 

“Evening ma’am, I’m with the transit authority. Can I see your ticket please?” he asked.

 

“Sure” she said, digging through her purse. “Here you go”.

 

“Thank you ma’am, have a good night” he replied.

 

He turned off the light and walked away as Melinda stood on the platform. Seconds later Melinda started to wobble. She stumbled towards a nearby bench before everything went black.

 

“Ma’am, are you okay?” a voice asked. She found it hard to focus her eyes but was able to gather herself and sit up and she saw the transit cop from earlier.

 

“What happened?” she asked groggily.

 

“You fainted” he replied. “Are you going to be all right? I can call you a cab if you like”.

 

“No, that’s not necessary” she said. “Actually, I feel … I feel great. Thanks for your concern; I need to be getting home”.

 

Melinda boarded the next train and headed home. After getting off, she decided to stop off at the local pizza place for dinner.

 

“I am starving” she thought to herself as she looked over the buffet of pizza, pasta, salad, wings, and garlic bread. Five plates of food and three large sodas later Melinda made her way towards the exit.

 

Back at home, Melinda was sitting at her desk, poring over papers regarding her husband’s case.

 

“He’s right. Whoever is behind this is has the power to influence the appeals process. There’s no way it’ll be overturned and without any new evidence, the case won’t be reopened. There isn’t enough time” she said.

 

Getting up out of her chair she walked into the bedroom and changed into a powder blue pajama top and matching short. Lying down on John’s side of the king-sized bed and looked at the picture on the nightstand. Seeing John and herself, smiling brightly on their wedding day five years ago, tears started to well in her eyes.

 

“I wish there was something more I could do” she said quietly before drifting off to sleep.

 

Even though she was at sleep, her body did not rest. Muscles started to expand on her petite frame. The sleeves started getting small rips in them and the shorts tightened as her legs grew in size. Her chest began to get larger, causing a couple of buttons on her top to pop off.

 

The alarm clock’s shrill beeping awoke Melinda the next morning. Swinging an arm over, her palm attempted to hit the snooze bar. Instead, her hand slammed through it; demolishing the small clock and splintering some of the wood on the table. Being half-awake, Melinda hadn’t noticed it. She went to place a hand on the bed to brace her as she got up, but felt nothing but air.

 

“Holy crap!” she exclaimed as she looked over to see her bed a couple feet below her as she hovered in the air. “What’s happening?”

 

Panicked, she started flailing her arms causing her to move forward.

 

“How am I going to get down?” she said to herself. Her eyes widened as she realized she was moving rapidly, head-first, towards the wall.

 

“Uh-oh” she said.

 

Melinda slammed into the wall causing the plaster to crack and she hit the ground hard. Melinda stood up and dusted herself off.

 

“That … didn’t hurt” she said. Melinda laid there for a few minutes taking stock of what just happened.

 

“I wonder … ”

 

She concentrated and her body once again began to lift off. Twirling around a couple times, she looked up and saw the ceiling fan coming closer and closer.

 

“Crap!” she exclaimed as she made contact, breaking the blades of the fan. Melinda fell to the ground, landing on her backside. The ceiling fan followed suit, crashing behind her.

 

“That will take some practice” she thought.

 

Melinda headed over to the bathroom to clean herself up from her encounter with the wall. As her hand gripped the brass handle, the metal groaned and a loud crack filled the air. Melinda was shocked to see her hand holding the knob … along with the rest of the door which was ripped off its hinges.

 

“I did this?” she wondered aloud.

 

After setting down the broken door, she looked at her body in the bathroom mirror, muscles bulging as her clothes were straining to nearly the breaking point. Her scarlet tresses cascading down her shoulders,. Melinda inspected her new figure. She marveled at her new, larger breasts, which were nearly spilling out of her bra, and she ran her hands down her arms and across her chiseled stomach.

 

“Whoa” she said in awe. “I look like I’ve spent years in the gym”.

 

After cleaning up, Melinda was looking to test out her new strength. She went over to the piano that rested in the corner of the living room. Weighing over 500 pounds, it took three men to bring it into the house. Putting her hands under the large instrument, she lifted it off the ground with ease. Melinda then held it with just one hand without any strain.

 

“This is so cool” she thought.

 

Setting down the piano she walked back towards the bedroom and got dressed. Melinda drove to her parent’s farm. Amongst only cows and horses in the pasture, she worked on her take-offs and landings and tested out her super-strength with the large antique machines in the barn Returning home later in the evening, she rummaged through the attic and found a box marked “Halloween”.

 

“This was going to be my Halloween costume this year” she thought as she pulled the outfit from the box. “I have a better use for it now.”

 

Melinda took off her jeans and t-shirt. She shook her head in disbelief as she looked over the powerful physique as she pulled on the blue long-sleeved spandex top. It left nothing to the imagination as it hugged every curve of her body. A yellow lighting bolt sat in the center of her magnificent chest. Next she put on the matching blue mini-skirt which highlighted her strong legs. After cinching on the belt, she slipped on the gloves and boots. Finally a red and yellow cape finished off her outfit. Melinda looked in the mirror and put her hands on her hips in the classic super heroine pose.

 

“I think my wish has been granted” she said, smiling.

 

Melinda moved towards the window, opened it, and looked up at the moon and stars.

 

“Here goes nothing” she thought to herself.

 

Leaping out of the window, Melinda streaked through the night sky towards the prison. Soon after, she landed without incident near the front gate of the facility.

 

“Maybe I should use a quieter approach” she thought as she walked towards it.

 

She leapt over the gate and landed in the yard and she started to make her way to the maximum security wing of the prison. Being slightly careless though, she failed to escape the view of the spotlights from the watchtowers. The alarm’s squeal pierced the quiet evening.

 

“Well, there goes the element of surprise.”

 

She darted towards to the doors of the prison when two guards cut her off.

 

“Freeze lady!” one of the guards yelled. They examined the intruder.

 

“Who in the world are you?” questioned the other guard as he handcuffed the heroine.

 

She looked down at her costume. “I’m … uh … Mindy Marvel!”

 

“O.K. there nut job” the one guard said “come with us”.

 

“I don’t think so” she replied as she held her arms up and, with a flick of her wrists, snapped the metal chain of the handcuffs. She quickly elbowed one guard in the jaw, knocking him down. The second guard grabbed his revolver and pointed it at Mindy. She grabbed the weapon and crushed in her super grip. She dropped the pieces of metal on the ground and grabbed the guard up by his collar. He was lifted high into the air, his feet dangling helplessly. Mindy threw him across the yard and he bounced off a nearby fence. The other guard, surprised at this display, grabbed his stun gun and shot the tendrils of high voltage electricity towards the heroine. The bolts of electricity lit up Mindy but she did not fall to the ground like he expected.

 

“That tickled” she giggled as she removed the wires from her costume. Mindy swung a muscular leg towards him, catching him square in the chest with a roundhouse kick sending him to a group of barrels 50 feet away.

 

She grabbed the large metal door to the prison and lifted it off its hinges. Throwing all caution, and the door, to the side she ran inside only to find a group of guards trained on her with pistols and semi-automatic rifles. At the sight of this, she started to say “holy … but the guards took advantage of this moment of indecision. They fired off many shots, looking to stop this superwoman who’s broken in. But the bullets bounced off her chest and abs of steel. The guards stood with their mouths agape and she decided to turn the tables on them. She took a deep breath, causing her chest to swell, and used her super lungs to blow the guards knocking them to the ground. Those who were unfortunate enough to make it to their feet were greeted by the fists of a very determined heroine flying towards them.

 

John’s cell was isolated from the rest of the prisoners. The alarm had wakened him from his sleep and even though the commotion was far away, he could still hear it. He was surprised when he made his way to the metal bars and saw a couple guards fly in the air past him. He was even more surprised when he saw who was responsible, his wife … well, his wife with a body like a fitness model wearing a knock-off of a Captain Marvel costume.

 

“Mel” John said stunned. “What is going on?” What happened to you?

 

“Something wonderful” she beamed. “I’ve come to get you out.”

 

She then grabbed the metal bars. The bars squealed under the pressure as she used her super-strength to bend them open.

 

“Holy crap!” he exclaimed, “But, now what? There are more guards coming and while you may not get hurt, I’m not exactly Superman you know.”

 

She examined the cell and walked over to the far wall. She reached back and unleashed a punch that created a gaping hole in the concrete.

 

“Then we make our exit” she said. She grabbed him in her arms and flew out of the prison.

 

John held onto his now super wife. “Mel, thank you. But now what do we do?”

 

“Find the real killer” she said as they flew through the night sky.

 

 

Chapter 2: HOME INVASION

 

 

“Mel, you know we can’t go home” he said.

 

“Then we’ll go to our cabin in the woods. That should buy us time” she responded.

 

Minutes later, they touched down in front of their cabin. John walked up to the door and grabbed the handle.

 

“Damn, it’s locked” John said.

 

“Oh honey” Mindy replied. “Sometimes things need a woman’s touch”.

 

She grabbed the doorknob and it squealed and deformed in her grip.

 

“See, no problem” she smiled as they walked inside. John flipped on the light switch and they sat on the couch.

 

“So Mel” he said, gesturing at her new look. “How did this happen?”

 

“I don’t know John” she said. “Call it a wish, magic, or divine intervention. All I know is that I know have the power to clear your name and bring those responsible to justice”.

 

“It’s just a lot to take in. I was in solitary a few hours ago and now I’m sitting here, in the middle of the woods, talking to a super heroine.” John said.

 

“I’m the same Melinda that you fell in love with.” she said. “Except I’m more powerful than a locomotive and can leap tall buildings in a single bound. I’ve always wanted to help people. Now I have another way to do it.”

 

“Mel … you’ve always been super to me” John responded.

 

John and Melinda embraced and they started kissing passionately. John swept Melinda in his arms.

 

“I think it’s time I carry you someplace” he said as they headed to the bedroom.

 

The next morning

 

John was enjoying a cup of coffee as he heard the voice from the bedroom.

 

“John … I look ridiculous!”

 

“Oh come on honey” he said. “It’s better than that Halloween costume”.

 

Melinda walked into the kitchen. John tried not to laugh as he saw his wife in jeans and a cowboy shirt.

 

“Not one word or I’ll throw you to the next town” Melinda retorted.

 

“I’m sorry honey. I forgot the only clothing here was from that square dance years ago … it looks like Garth Brooks threw up on you. Didn’t you have a hat?” John asked.

 

Melinda grabbed John by the shoulders and lifted him in the air, his head touching the ceiling.

 

“No … I didn’t” Melinda responded. “The coffee smells good. What’s for breakfast?”

 

“Stale bread and non-dairy creamer” John said as Melinda set him down.

 

“That’s okay. I need to get back home to get some clothes and the papers from your trial. I’ll be back soon” she said.

 

“What should I do?” he asked.

 

“Clean up around here, it’s filthy” Melinda said.

 

Melinda walked out of the front door, leapt in the air and soared through the morning sky. She arrived at their residence and walked through the back towards the study. She gathered the documents and put them in her briefcase. Melinda walked to the bedroom and she noticed a blinking light on the answering machine.

 

“Melinda Crane? I have information that will help your case. Meet me at the Gateway parking garage 2 a.m.” a mysterious voice said.

 

“I’d better get …” she said before a hand muffled her voice.

 

“You’re getting nothing” the man said. She was spun around to see a large man wearing a black suit and sunglasses.

 

“Who are you?” she asked.

 

“I’m the problem solver” the man said.

 

The man proceeded to tape her mouth. He forced her into the chair nearby and tied her up.

 

“Now, don’t go anywhere” he said.

 

He left the room and closed the door. Melinda’s blue eyes burned with red-hot rage. Her muscles bulged under her clothes. The top buttons of her shirt popped off as her chest swelled and pressed forward, exposing blue and gold spandex. Her powerful arms snapped the ropes. She got up from the chair, took the tape off of her mouth, grabbed her shirt, and pulled it open revealing her costume. The man came back minutes later and was stunned at the sight. The demure lawyer was gone, replaced by a powerful super heroine. Mindy stood confidently, hands on her hips as the crimson cape flowed behind.

 

“Where’s the lawyer?” he asked angrily.

 

“She’s safe … although I can’t say the same for you” she said.

 

“We’ll see about that” the man said as he went to grab her. She grabbed his arms and flipped him over her head into the wall behind her, smashing things on the table.

 

“Damn” she thought. “I really liked that lamp”.

 

The man slowly got up. “That was lucky, probably some martial arts move. Let’s see how you deal with this”. He swung wildly. She caught his fist and squeezed. The sounds of his cracking bones and screams of pain filled the room.

 

“Who sent you here?” she demanded.

 

“Fuck you” he said, pulling out a gun with his good hand.

 

“Such foul language” Mindy said, grabbing the gun with lightning speed. “Let me show you something”.

 

Her red polished fingernails dug into the metal as she crushed the weapon with her super strength. Grabbing him by the collar, she lifted him into the air, and threw him to the ground. Mindy drove her powerful leg towards him, trapping him under her gold high-heeled boot. “I’m going to ask again nicely … who sent you?”

 

“I don’t know anything!” he screamed.

 

“Wrong answer” she said as she grabbed him by the ankle and moved towards the window. She took off into the sky and landed on top of the Vandalay building, dangling him over the side.

 

“Now, if you don’t give me answers, it’s going to get messy” she demanded.

 

“I-I’m Jack Bauer, I do security for Petromerica. This was my first assignment. They said she stole patents. Please don’t drop me!” he pleaded.

 

Mindy Marvel flew over to the police station. She ripped a metal bar from the nearby bike rack, placed Jack against a light pole and bent the bar around him. Mindy then flew back home, changed, grabbed the phone, and called John.

 

“John … I think we have the break we’re looking for”.

 

 

Chapter 3: CONSPIRACY THEORY

 

 

Later that night

 

“So what you’re saying is that there’s a device that changes people into superhuman” Melinda said to John.

 

“Yeah, I saw it on the news while you were gone” he replied. “I think the reporter called it Transformatrix. It’s not much bigger than a flashlight … ”

 

“There was a man; I met him in the subway last night.” Melinda interrupted. “He had some strange object in his hand. I didn’t pay much attention at the time, but that could’ve been it. I felt kind of weird right after he shined that light on me, and afterwards I was fine. Hungry, but fine … and later on the changes happened.”

 

“Did you know Paris Hilton has superpowers now?” John asked.

 

“Ugh, I just hope she wears underwear when she flies around” she said.

 

“This is crazy” John said. “Standing around in the middle of the night in some dimly lit parking garage waiting for some mystery guy like we’re Woodward and Bernstein and he’s freaking Deep Throat.”

 

“It’s not crazy if he has some information that clears your name” she replied.

 

“And I have that information” a voice said.

 

A man stepped out from the shadows wearing a shirt and tie along with a black trench coat and fedora.

 

“Oh, that figures” John said.

 

“I wouldn’t mock the man who has what you’re looking for” the man replied. “My name is Jefferson Pierce. I’m on the board of directors at Petromerica” he said.

 

“You’re the man I met in the subway last night” Melinda said. “You’re the one responsible for my, uh, condition”.

 

“And I’m glad to see I didn’t waste my money on it. Your escapades the past 24 hours have been impressive” he replied.

 

“Why did you do that?” she asked.

 

“This situation has gotten completely out of control. I didn’t want to see an innocent man die just so a few stockholders can pad their 401k plans” he said.

 

“You could’ve come clean and tell the authorities everything you know” John said.

 

“I would’ve been dead before I had a chance. So in this … unique situation, I needed to find a way for justice to be served and, pardon the pun; this was a job for Ms. Crane.”

 

“So, Mr. Pierce, what does Petromerica have to do with the murder?” she asked.

 

“James Caldwell was the premiere environmental activist. He had connections in Congress and is single handedly responsible for getting alternative fuel initiatives taken seriously by the President” Jefferson said. “Large oil companies like ours would take a major hit if these laws were passed“.

 

“That makes sense. But why hire security guys who have ties to the governor?” John asked.

 

“Petromerica is the largest contributor to his campaign and he needs that financial backing for a run at the presidency” Jefferson replied.

 

“Even if what you’re saying is true, there isn’t any hard evidence that supports a conspiracy to commit murder” Melinda said.

 

“I have tapes of the phone conversations on the night before James was murdered that implicate the Governor and Petromerica CEO Steve Jacobs along with the security footage that proves that your husband is innocent” he replied.

 

“One more question Mr. Pierce” John said. “Why me?”

 

“They needed someone to take the fall and you were in the wrong place at the wrong time” Jefferson responded.

 

Suddenly the sounds of screeching tires filled the garage and a black Cadillac sped towards them. Gunshots rang out as they ran for cover. Jefferson stumbled and Melinda stopped to help him up. The gunman took aim as John ran towards them and dove, knocking them out of the way. The bullets hit his right leg and John let out a scream of pain as the car went down the ramp into the city streets. Jefferson was knocked unconscious from John’s heroic deed and Melinda crawled over to her husband.

 

“You know I could’ve stopped those bullets” she said.

 

“And let those guys know your secret? No way. Besides, I’ve always wondered what it’s like to get shot … it hurts worse than I thought” he said.

 

“You’re bleeding pretty badly, we need to call 911” she replied.

 

“I’ll be fine. Just catch the guys that did it” he said.

 

Melinda gave John a quick kiss on the forehead then took off her glasses and raced in the direction of the car. Her scarlet hair cascaded down as she grabbed her blouse and ripped it open. Soon Melinda’s clothes were discarded and she became a blur of blue, gold, and red as Mindy Marvel took to the skies.

 

The car sped down the road. The man in the passenger seat looked behind him.

 

“No one’s following us. You better slow down so we don’t attract any attention” he said.

 

It slowed down and stopped at the red light.

 

“Did you get him?” the driver said.

 

“Yeah” the other man replied. “Hey, the light’s green, get going”.

 

“I’ve got my foot on the floor, we’re still not moving” the driver said, panicked.

 

“The men looked in the rearview mirror and only saw a gold lighting bolt. Mindy was holding the bumper of the car in the air, the rear wheels spinning helplessly.

 

“Now are you going to come quietly or are you going to make this difficult?” she asked.

 

The man in the passenger seat proceeded to take out his gun and fire a few shots at her. The bullets bounced off her chest and abs of steel.

 

“If that’s the way you want it” she sighed as she dropped the rear of the car onto the ground.

 

The car peeled away out of control where it collided with a light post. The men stumbled out and started to run in opposite directions. Mindy strode over to the man closest to her and grabbed him by his shirt. She threw him into the air where he crashed into the dumpster down the street. The other man kept running and Mindy leapt in his direction. She glided through the air and her gold high-heeled boots touched ground a couple feet in front of him. She stood confidently with her hands on her hips. He pulled out his gun again.

 

“Now come on, what makes you think this is going to end up any differently?” she asked.

 

The man looked down at his weapon and, realizing it would be futile, threw it at Mindy. She caught it and crushed it in her hand. She tossed the metal ball back towards him. He grabbed a nearby metal pipe and charged at the heroine. Mindy easily sidestepped the man and grabbed the pipe, throwing him into a pile of garbage. He slowly got up, only to be met by a roundhouse kick, which sent him back into the garbage, unconscious. She grabbed him and carried him over her shoulder to the dumpster and deposited him with his cohort. Mindy gripped the bottom of the receptacle, lifted it over her head, and using her strong legs soared into the night. She landed at the police station and placed the large dumpster in the front. Hearing the ambulance sirens, she took off back towards the parking garage to check on her husband.

 

 

A few days later …

 

“Do you really expect me to release this man into society Ms. Crane?” a woman in a black robe asked. “He’s a convicted murderer and, most recently, a fugitive”.

 

“Your honor, he did not mastermind that escape attempt. He was taken out of his cell by this woman and, as the bent steel bars and giant hole in his cell wall proves; he had no recourse at that time”. Melinda responded.

 

“Right, this … Mindy Marvel. Someone who, literally, has appeared out of the sky” the judge said. We don’t even know her motivations”.

 

“Well, she’s already brought in three people into custody who have given statements that coincide with the testimony of Jefferson Pierce” she responded.

 

“But that’s not enough reason for me to let him out on bail. His pending execution is postponed and a new trial will be set for a future date. However bail is denied and he will be transferred back to the maximum security wing of the prison” the judge replied.

 

“Your honor, as both his legal counsel and his wife, I’m asking for some time with him to prepare our case before he’s transferred.”

 

“I’m willing to give you 48 hours in order to be with your husband and prepare your case. If he is not in police custody by then, you will face a possible prison term as well Ms. Crane” she said.

 

Understood your honor and thank you” Melinda replied.

 

“This hearing is adjourned” the judge said as she banged her gavel.

 

Melinda made her way out of the courthouse and went to the hospital where her husband was being discharged. She saw her husband limping down the hall towards her with a police officer in tow.

 

“Easy there, Serpico. It’s not like I can run very well in this condition, give me some space. Mel, tell me some good news”.

 

“Well, you’re not going back to jail … yet. We have a 2 day reprieve before you have to go back to the pokey.”

 

“Bad choice of words there honey” he replied.

 

“Sorry. So you get some time away from your buddy in blue. I know you’ll be heart broken” she said.

 

“Yeah, I’ll be crushed. It’s great when a guy trails you when you need to take a leak.”

 

John and Melinda walked out of the hospital and headed towards home.

 

 

Later that night

 

“We need to get to Pierce’s office and get those tapes before anyone else can find them” Melinda said.

 

The Petromerica office is six hours away Mel, if we left now we wouldn’t get there until tomorrow morning and I don’t think we can do much snooping during business hours” John said.

 

“I know a faster way” Melinda replied as she opened up her blouse, exposing the gold lightning bolt of her costume.

 

“This really isn’t going to help us keep a lower profile” he sighed.

 

“Stop whining” she said as she stripped down to the rest of her costume and strode towards the back porch. “Now hold on tight”.

 

“Like I have a choice” he responded as Mindy Marvel leapt into the air streaking towards their destination.

 

Minutes later Mindy Marvel landed at the Petromerica world headquarters. The building closed up for the night.

 

“Locked, huh” she said. “That shouldn’t be a problem”.

 

Mindy started to grab the handle of the door when John grabbed her wrist.

 

“If you rip this door off its hinges, it’s just going to set off the alarm and bring the cops here. This is going to take a more delicate touch”.

 

John took a screwdriver out of his pocket and went to work on the control pad near the door.

 

“Why do you have a screwdriver with you?” she asked.

 

“You never know when you’ll need one. Besides, it doesn’t seem that silly right now does it?” he responded.

 

“Point taken” Mindy replied.

 

John removed the face plate and proceeded to cross some wires. The light changed from red to green on the pad.

 

“That should do it” he said as he opened the door. “Ladies first”.

 

“Thanks, now where’s Jefferson’s office located?” Mindy asked.

 

“43rd floor, room 4316” he said as he walked towards the elevator and noticed the out of order sign on it. “That’s just great. We’ll just take the stairs then.”

 

“No need” Mindy said as she forced open the doors. “First floor: lobby, cafeteria, gift shop”.

 

John walked in and Mindy grabbed his hand and shot straight up through the open maintenance door.

 

“43rd floor: executive offices, hidden tapes, name-clearing evidence” Mindy said as she wrenched the doors open with her free hand. “Now, if I were someone with sensitive material that could bring down a CEO of a multi-billion dollar energy conglomerate, where would I hide it?”

 

“Probably in a safe behind a painting” John replied. “It’s a shame you don’t have x-ray vision”.

 

“Well, I never really tried either” she said as she stared intently around the office. “There it is!”

 

“So you do have x-ray vision!” John exclaimed.

 

“No, it’s sitting there on the desk” she responded. “Why is it there?”

 

“Because I found it first” a voice behind them said. Mindy turned around and saw a man holding a gun at John’s head, two larger men flanking him. “It was in a safe behind a painting … a rather obvious choice, don’t you think”?

 

“Steve Jacobs” Mindy said. “You’ll never get away with this”.

 

“Oh, but I already have my dear” he replied. “The cops are on their way and Mr. Crane; I don’t think they’ll take to kindly to a man who’s already considered a fugitive crossing state lines. And after all the hard work your wife has put in to keep you out of prison. What would she think of you? Out in the middle of the night with someone dressed in spandex and a mini-skirt and quite a ravishing physical specimen at that”.

 

“Save your flattery for the authorities Jacobs, I will stop you” Mindy replied.

 

“I don’t think so” he said as he grabbed held the gun at John’s head. “I doubt you are even fast enough to stop this bullet so I suggest you hand over the tape to me before I decorate Pierce’s office with bone and brain fragments”.

 

Mindy hands him the tape and Jacobs leads John out of the office.

 

“Damn elevator, broken again”.

 

The two large men advanced on the heroine.

 

“Oh, you’re in trouble now” Mindy said.

 

A quick kick to the chest of the first man sent him skidding across the room. The second man took a swing which she ducked and military pressed him high in the air. Mindy then deposited him into the wall where he cracked the plaster. She turned her attention to the first assailant who was back on his feet. She delivered a knee to gut and then threw him over her shoulder where he crashed through the heavy oak desk. The second man spun her around and drove his fist into her midsection.

 

“OWW!” he exclaimed as he pulled his hand away.

 

“Abs of steel, it’s a really great workout” she smirked as she delivered a right cross across the thugs jaw, knocking him out cold. Mindy then strode out of the office and dropped down the elevator shaft.

 

 

Meanwhile …

 

Steve Jacobs led his hostage down the stairs, the gun still pointed towards his head.

 

“Come on, get moving!” Jacobs exclaimed.

 

“Gee, I’d love to, but I’ve got a hole in my leg thanks to one of your thugs. Maybe you should pay for a better repairman” John responded.

 

“Shut up!” Jacobs retorted. “Finally ground floor, the cops should be VERY happy to see you again.

 

Jacobs sheathed his gun and opened the door of the stairwell where he wasn’t greeted by the boys in blue, but one woman in blue.

 

“End of the line” Mindy said.

 

Jacobs started reaching back for his gun.

 

“Not quite my dear since I … ” he started to say when he realized what was missing.

 

“Looking for this?” she asked, holding his revolver. She set down the weapon and drove her left boot down, grinding the metal underfoot. She kicked over the remains of the gun to him. “There you go”.

 

Jacobs, flustered at this turn of events, started to run back up the stairs only to be met by Mindy. He rushed back down towards the lobby where he was met by a punch to the jaw, courtesy of John, which laid him out cold.

 

“Nice job honey” she said.

 

“It’s about time I get to hit somebody … man that hurt” John said holding his right hand.

 

The flashing red and blue lights of the police cars approached the building. Mindy grabbed the metal handle off the door and bent the metal around Jacobs’ hands, creating a makeshift pair of handcuffs. She then used her powerful legs to propel John and herself into the sky just as the police arrived.

 

 

Epilogue

 

“Man, it’s nice to be home” John said as they enjoyed a cup of coffee in the kitchen.

 

“It’s good that you’re home” Melinda replied. “The grass hasn’t been cut for weeks; you really should get on that”.

 

“I’m back for a day and already you’re writing up a chores list?” he asked. “I was hoping to relax”.

 

“Hey, who’s the one who saved your life?” she replied.

 

“Good point. But seriously, a vacation sounds like a really good idea.” John said. “And I know the perfect place.”

 

“Sounds fine to me … as long as we get to fly” Melinda replied, already in costume.

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