★Memorable Author: [El_Roy_1999] Stories~collected 2010 & before

[El_Roy_1999]

When darkness came, she got up quickly and scaled the walls with catlike dexterity. Her body ached and shook, but she managed to clog one of the cameras. She rolled over into the other's blind spot and started making gargling noises. This wasn't too hard, even if her throat hurt like crazy. She did this for a few minutes, occasionally holding a clawlike, shaking hand into the camera's field of vision. At last, the door opened and a shape was visible in the lit rectangle of the doorframe. She rolled up, waiting for the person to get close enough.
The person stepped in, followed by another one. They were wearing white shirts, coats and trousers. The first one said: 
"What happened?"
The other one replied:
"Maybe the meds got her. With the dosage she was getting, it's no wonder."
"Should we get her to the infirmary?"
"Don't think that's a good idea. She shouldn't have any contact with the other inmates."
"Patients."
"With the other patients. Sorry."
"But you're right. Let's call the doctor."
He reached for his mobile. Emily tensed and catapulted herself in the air. Her muscles burned from the strain and she smashed her leg in the face of the first man, then threw herself around and sank her fist into the stomach of the other one. They collapsed to their knees. Emily just hit them a couple of times each for good measure, then took their stuff. She tied them up and gagged them with their clothes, keeping a shirt and some trousers for herself. She also grabbed their ID and wallet and locked them into the room.
When she was done, she realised she was thirsty as hell. She stumbled and almost fell on her face. Her mouth felt parched. She staggered around for a few seconds, leaning against a wall to recover. Finally, she was able to walk down the corridor to find a source of drinking water.
At the end of the corridor, there was another safety door which opened when she waved her ID at a sensor. She was surprised at the ease with which she got out, but was to dazed to even think about it any longer. Instead, she stumbled into a bathroom and began gorging herself at the faucet. Drinking blissfully, she felt her life flow back into her. After what seemed like an eternity, she had recovered. She was still dizzy and confused, but the terrible thirst was gone.
Next: getting something to eat. Since her thirst was now quenched, she had to sate her hunger. She looked around in the area and found a kitchen. Sneaking in, she soon found some bread and yoghurt, even some chocolate. Emily sat down and ate. As she came back to her senses, she realised that she had to escape and find Caroline. She also had to defeat Hell. However, without her equipment, she doubted that she could do much right now. It was time to leave, to regroup and to return later. She hoped her friend would understand.
Still tired and broken, Emily left the kitchen and evaded the guards on patrol as good as she could. Only once did she have to grab one of them and slam his head repeatedly against the wall in order to get past him. When she finally reached the exit, the alarm was being sounded in the depths of the building. She had to be quick. She ran out in the dark, the pathway lighting up automatically in front of her, alarm bells ringing behind her. She could hear the sound of approaching security agents. In front of her was a massive steel gate that blocked her escape route. She ran as fast as she could, her body aching and hurting from the constant exhaustion and propelled herself upwards, grabbing the gate's top edge as firmly as she could. Once again, she cursed herself for being so short. She pulled herself up by her fingertips, lying down on top of the gate which some sadist had covered in glass shards. Her face contorted into a mask of pain as she swung above it, dropping limply to the concrete street below. For a couple of seconds, she fought the growing blackness around her, focusing on her escape as firmly as she could. She was bleeding, she had probably bruised some of her bones in the fall. She got up, gritted her teeth and ran away down the road.

[El_Roy_1999]

Soon, she arrived at an intersection. Her head was pounding with pain and she found it extremely hard to focus, the tiredness making everything even harder. As she stumbled across the street, there was a screech of tires on her left, she felt a shock and was propelled in the air. Next to her, a car stopped. A man got out, looked around and started cursing to himself.
"Shit. Shit. Where is he? Hello!"
He took out his cellphone and started searching for the victim in the places not illuminated by his car's headlights. Meanwhile, Emily clambered into the car and hid on the backseat. She thanked her insane luck that the guy had been alone in his car. Outside, the man gave up on his search. He was clearly still spooked by the event, examined the damage to his car, apparently found nothing and got back in. He drove on for a while, the radio was playing adult contemporary and he was slowly calming down.
Suddenly, a large arm wrapped itself around his neck. He heard a whispered voice behind him:
"Stay calm, eyes on the road."
"Don't hurt me."
"I won't. You ran me down, I guess I could sue and that would hurt you more."
"Don't sue me either, please."
"Very well. Listen up: If you help me now, I'll leave you soon and you'll be fine. If you make a mistake, you'll hurt. A lot. Got me?"
"Sure. I'll do what you say, just don't hurt me."
"Good."
"Okay. What can I do?"
"Drive me to the city. Now."
"Perfect. Please don't hurt me."
"No problem. I'll give you an address once we're there. "

The car rolled through the night, eventually reaching Emily's goal by dawn. She told the driver to stop, released his neck slowly and added a rather out of place "Thank you" before getting out. The man drove off rather quickly, eager to get away. All the while, he had barely said a word to his kidnapper, the assailant doing his best to keep his head down. He had no idea what this had been about, but he was glad to have gotten away. All in all, this had been his most bizarre experience yet. He called the police as soon as he had recovered.
At the same time, Emily staggered through the alleys. The hunger which she had luckily staved off for some while came back. At the same time, the cold began to seep inside her too thin clothing. She had to lean against a wall for a moment. When she finally arrived at her home, she realised that it was being guarded. Hell and her minions had discovered her identity and taken control of her apartment. She sincerely hoped that her stuff was still there, but at the same time, she realised that she had no choice but to leave her place and find a safe place to hide. With growing tiredness, she wandered off to see O'Leary.

[El_Roy_1999]

After what felt like an endless odyssey through the cold city, she finally reached his house. The detective lived on the outskirts of the city in a semi-detached house. By the time she reached it, Emily was extremely tired. She had to fight to stay awake, permanently resisting the need to just lie down on the pavement and sleep. She got to the door and knocked on it. It took some time for someone to react, then a woman's voice answered:
"Who is it?"
"Is Detective O'Leary there?"
"Who is this?"
"It's me, Emily."
"Emily who?"
"Emily Poul. A friend of Caroline."
"What do you want?"
"I need help. Is Brian there? Please."
"They said on the TV that a dangerous lunatic has escaped from the asylum. They warned us about her. It must be you. I will call the police."
"No, please. I need your help."
"Stay were you are."
"It's a set up. I haven't done anything wrong."
"I don't care. You're crazy, so just stay were you are until the cops come, maybe they'll help you."
"But... Call Brian, please, he'll explain!"
Emily stared at the closed door and knew it was pointless. The woman on the other side wouldn't believe her. Besides, what kind of insane lies had been spread about her? She needed a safe place now, but she also had to understand what had happened.
She turned around and fled as quickly as she could.

Freezing and exhausted, the muscular woman stumbled aimlessly through the cold. Her stomach grumbled, she was hardly able to resist the temptation to just lie down and go to sleep on the concrete. She just wanted a place to be safe for a moment, just a second to rest. However, it was pointless. As she walked past an electronics shop, she saw a picture of her face, combined with a marquee of text that informed the population to keep away from her and to call the police should she be seen. She was glad they left out her name, but the damage was done. Staying in the open would mean that she would be arrested and probably returned to the psychiatric ward from which she had escaped.
She thought about going to her parents home, but she was both unclear about where she was and sadly certain that she would be unable to make it. After all, they lived outside the city, far away on the fringe of the metropolis. Talking to Lauren was just as pointless. Her enemies had certainly found out about their relationship and would be waiting there. Besides, she didn't want to draw their attention to someone she still considered her friend, even though their relationship had collapsed with Caroline's participation.
Oh my God, Caroline! She realised that she had to do something quickly. She had no idea what "they" were doing to her, but her partner was there, at the mercy of her enemies. She had to do something to save her, but she couldn't. Her body was tired, her mind was overstressed. She couldn't focus.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice to her left.
"Hey, you! You there!"
She looked over mechanically, unable to decide whether she should flee or attack the person.
"You. Are you Emily Poul? The lawyer?"
She hesitated:
"Who wants to know?"
There was a scruffy youth in a rather expensive T-shirt sitting at the wheel of his rather more expensive sports car.
"The name's James O'Hara."
"Do I know you?"
"Probably not, but you know my boss. Dolores O'Donovan. She wants to talk to you. She says she owes you a favour."
"The mob bosses' widow?"
"The mob boss. Hop in. Cops are looking for you."
Emily clambered in. It was warm and cozy.

[El_Roy_1999]

A few minutes later, James stopped the car in front of the O'Donovan residence. Emily remembered it from long ago, since this was the original birthplace of Justice. She hadn't visited it since and was surprised by how unimpressive it was. It was far away from the mansions and palaces other bosses used. Instead, it seemed almost demure, as if ashamed of its purpose. James opened the car door and helped her out. She was still feeling drowsy and was hungry, tired and once again cold. Still, she couldn't help noticing the state-of-the-art security systems and the number of discretely placed guards on the premises. She realised that this place was a fortress in its own right, its first defense being its inconspicuousness. James led her to the main door and rang. After a few secons it was opened by two gentlemen in well-fitting suits that cleverly concealed handguns. The guards escorted her to the living room. Emily remembered how she had come here the first time. There, on a large armchair that appeared to be quite comfortable, sat Mrs. O'Donovan, the widow. She smiled thinly at the new arrival and greeted her:
"Good morning, Ms. Poul. I hope Jimmy was courteous."
She nodded:
"He was. Thank you." She fought back a shiver.
Mrs. O'Donovan gave her help a scathing look.
"But... Can't you see she's tired and cold? I'm so sorry." She turned to a maid that was waiting in the background. "Mary. See that you get a mug of hot chocolate for our guest and bring a blanket for Ms. Poul." She turned back to Emily. "I'm really sorry. They can be so careless. Would you like to have something to eat?"
Emily nodded tiredly. The old woman continued:
"I see you are tired, but please bear with me for a few minutes." She quickly ordered the personnel to fix some food for Emily.
The tired woman soon had a hot mug in her hands and a thick blanket wrapped around her large shoulders. Mrs. O'Donovan continued:
"When I saw your face on TV, I decided to help you. After all, you freed me of my husband. Once again, I have to thank you and I hope I could return the favour." Emily nodded thankfully. "I found the things they said about you on the show to be highly confusing. You are supposed to be a dangerous criminal, yet my friends at the police department couldn't find any crime you are being accused of. They also implied that you are insane. Tell me, Ms. Poul, are you insane?"

Emily looked at the old woman in confusion. Was this sincere?
She took a sip of the hot cocoa and felt her body recover its vigour. It felt so good being warm again and just sitting there enjoying the drink. She drifted off for a few seconds, basking in the mirth of a hot drink, a warm room to sit in and a soft pillow to lean on. She took a while to answer, then said:
"I'm not sure, but I don't think so. I guess it's hard for me to know when it's enough, but I think I'm able to function normally in society if that's what you're asking."
"That sounds good enough for me, Ms. Poul. So, if you want, you can stay here overnight. Even longer, if you want to. You are my guest."
"Thank you very much."
"It's nothing. Let's get you tucked in then, we'll talk more tomorrow."
Emily could vaguely remember being brought to bed in a room upstairs, she also felt a slight prick somewhere, but she slept like a log.

She woke up the next day to the smell of coffee and fresh buns. Emily was confused at first, but then looked around and realised where she was. It was a nicely furnished room with a bit too much pastel, but all in all, it was quite comfortable. She got out of the bed and took a few tentative steps. She was naked, but looked otherwise unharmed. She looked out of the window and saw the sun shining. She opened it and marveled at the cool breeze, still wrapped in the duvet. Emily took a deep breath and felt calm and relaxed. Her ease was interrupted by her stomach grumbling loudly. Time to get some food.
She looked around and found some clothes lying on a chair. There was a card on them. She took a look at it:
"I hope those fit, it wasn't easy getting things your size. Dolores"
She went to the bathroom and showered quickly, then dried herself on the incredibly soft towel there. She looked at her face in the mirror and was quite astonished at how emanciated and tired she still looked. She decided to think about all this later and to get dressed for now.
The underwear was nice and rather plain cotton. She put on the panties but didn't bother with the bra, which looked ridiculous on her muscular chest. It was roughly the right side, but her still large pectorals made the whole idea of support rather pointless. At the same time, she realised that her muscles had lost quite a bit of their mass. She was still far from wimpy, but she had lost a few pounds all over. She didn't like it. As soon as she was back in control, she'd get back in shape and then, she'd free Caroline and get a grip on "Hell", whoever she was.
Emily put on the other clothes, some black trousers and a baby blue T-shirt that was quite tight, some socks and a pair of sneakers. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she thought about putting on the bra anyway. Her nipples stood out a bit. Well, she was hungry as hell and unsure whether the shirt would stand the strain of being taken off again, so she just stepped outside and followed the smell.

She found Mrs. O'Donovan sitting at a breakfast table in the kitchen. The maid was standing closeby, ready to fulfil her duties. There was another woman, much younger, just pouring herself a cup of coffee. The older woman nodded to her in greeting and said:
"Good morning! I hope you slept well."
"Absolutely. Thank you."
"It's nothing have a seat."
Mrs. O'Donovan patted the chair next to her.
"This is my daughter-in-law, Laine. We have no secrets amongst us."
The younger woman gave Emily a little wave.
"Hello. Do the clothes fit?"
Emily sat down and replied:
"They do. Thank you very much."
"It was quite surprising to find you in... such a good shape."
"I try to keep myself fit."
Laine shrugged:
"We try too, but we don't get these kinds of results."
Mrs. O'Donovan interrupted:
"Coffee or tea?"
Emily answered:
"Coffee please. No milk, no sugar."
The maid poured her a cup and retreated to her position.
Emily picked a bun and cut it open, smearing it with strawberry jam. She took a bite and enjoyed the taste of it.
"This is so good."
The older woman smiled and said:
"I'm glad you like it. We use our own strawberries. The harvest was good."
After she finished the bun, Emily had another one, then she couldn't help asking:
"Why do you help me in this way?"

Mrs. O'Donovan wiped a few crumbs from her lips and said:
"Well, Ms. Poul, you have been as nice as to free me from my horrible husband and have put me in a position were I could assume control of my life and his organisation, so I should be thankful, shouldn't I?"
"His organisation? The 'firm'?"
"Exactly. It has proven to be quite successful over the last years, especially since the competition has deteriorated at the hands of the masked vigilante, 'Justice'."
Emily hesitated. The woman continued:
"They say that a wise man builds windmills when the winds of change are blowing. I decided to build ships instead. We have changed our business accordingly. Most of our business is legal now and that which isn't is venial sinning, if I may say so. We have a lot to thank this 'Justice' character for. It has put us in the position to brave the tumultuous times of late. More coffee?"
"Yes please."
"Enjoy, there is more. It's a special blend. I love it." She had another cup poured for herself, then said: "Anyway,

[El_Roy_1999]

I am happy to keep you out of the loony bin as long as you want. I'd suggest leaving the country for a while, until this blows over."
Emily thought about the south and remembered the calmness in the air. She said:
"I'm sorry. I have to stay. A friend of mine is in trouble and I have to help her. Only when this is sorted can I leave."
The older woman asked:
"What kind of trouble is your friend in?"
"I think she might still be held in the same institution as I was."
"I see..."
"I have to get her out somehow."
"Ms. Poul, may I say Emily?" The muscular woman nodded. "Thank you. Emily, you are clearly unaware of what has happened during the time you spent in there." She took another sip of coffee. "The city is no longer as easy to understand as it was before. You remember all this ruckus about the vigilante, Justice?" Emily nodded. "Well, this guy was a model for what happens now." Emily frowned at the 'guy'. Mrs. O'Donovan continued: "Over the last months, a woman has taken over crime-fighting on an unknown scale. She calls herself 'Hell' and is feared amongst the members of the underworld. Whereas 'Justice' just beat them up indiscriminately, Hell is more precise. She has destroyed the organised crime system in our city and created a small army of followers that look similar. Of course, no one knows anything precise about her, but you can post any crime you see on a social network page and she will take care of it. She even gives interviews. It looks a bit like a franchise, if you ask me." Emily was aghast.
"How many people are we talking about?"
"I don't know, two dozens maybe. Apparently, you can post an anonymous profile on the network and she'll contact you, if you want to join."
"Wow."
"Wow, indeed. Let's not forget that all of this is highly illegal, but the police are looking the other way. After all, these girls are doing their job. Actually, if you are interested, you might just as well apply. You seem to be their type, even though they prefer the more curvaceous type."
Emily sat there dumbfounded. What had she missed? How could this have happened? Was this good or bad?
The woman closed:
"What I want to say is that right now, a bunch of costumed girls are turning this city over, looking for you. If you show yourself ever so slightly, you'll get into trouble. Also, the police are looking for you and your face is all over the news."
Emily drank the rest of the coffee. She wanted to get up, but Mrs. O'Donovan laid her hand on hers.
"Finally, let's not forget who's financing all this." Emily sat back down. "Does the name Jeffrey Harrison ring a bell?"

Emily blinked.
"Jeffrey Harrison. I thought Hell had cleaned up this town."
"She did. In a way. The system's easy if you think about it. Fight the crime openly, achieve results and no one will look at the real problems. I'm the one to know, dear. If you look at it hard enough, you'll see that the situation is actually worse than before. But you know, none of this is actually my business anymore. We cleaned up your act, so all we have to worry about is getting your friend out of the asylum and the both of you somewhere else."
The shorter woman folded her hands and thought for a few seconds. Then she said:
"Tell me, if I'd had another plan, would you help me? Would you lend me some money? I'll pay you back as soon as my name is cleared."
"Is it good if I know the plan or is it better if I just give you the money? You don't sound like someone who's going to spend it on a PR-trip to make you sound less crazy."
"I think so."
Mrs. O'Donovan thought about it for a second and then said:
"Whatever. We still have a fund for special circumstances. I think this qualifies."
"I'll return the money."
"No problem. We'll see about that when it's time."
"No, really."
"Perfect. Whenever you're ready."
"Also, could I use your basement?"

The next day, Emily had a talk with James. He was on guard duty at the house, which mostly meant drinking coffee and keeping Laine company while Mrs. O'Donovan coordinated her business.
"Say, would you mind getting me some things?"
"Ms. Poul, I doubt I'm the right person for this. It'd be better to talk to Laine, wouldn't it?"
Laine smiled at her:
"It's no problem, just let me see the list."
She looked at the sheet of paper and asked:
"What is all this?"
Emily said:
"That's why I thought James might be the person to talk to. I don't mean to be rude, but I guess it's more of his territory."
Now James took a look at it and frowned:
"What are you up to, lady?"
"I'm trying to get back in shape."
She lifted her arm and flexed her depleted but still overly large biceps. Laine and James stared at her arm and asked in unison:
"Why?"
"There's trouble I want to get rid off. So, James, can you help me? Can you add some weights to that?"
"Sure. I'll have it by next week."
"Fine. Thank you."

Over the next days, Emily used the other women's indoor gym to get back into her routine. The two mistresses of the house were deeply impressed and rather intimidated by their guest's strength and endurance. Emily, on the other hand, was a little bit annoyed by the fact that none of these machines offered a real challenge. However, she went along with it as good as she could, working out as hard as ever. What impressed Mrs. O'Donovan even more was Emily's ability to consume enormous amounts of food all over the day. It was bizarre and irritating, but she went along with it.
In her free time, Emily made herself at home in the cellar. She went out occasionally, heavily covered under thick winter clothes and veiling her face with a thick woolen scarf. She really tried not to be recognised. Under Dolores' watchful eyes, she constructed a soundproof room in the cellar and installed training machines which she ordered and had James pick up. Mrs. O'Donovan, who was used to being in command, was quite irritated by her guest's activity. When James began carrying down a whole pharmacy, she decided to have a talk with Emily.
She found her later on as she was putting a tourniquet on her arm. She had prepared several syringes with clear liquids and looked at her host with unconcealed surprise.
"Yes?"
"Emily, tell me, what are you doing? Are you doing drugs in my basement? I didn't allow my kids to do that, I wouldn't let my guests do it either, regardless of what my late husband would."
"This isn't heroin, if that's what you're thinking."
"So what is it?"
"Steroids, human growth hormone, stimulants."
"But why would you do this?"
"So I can build up again. You'll see. Give me a few weeks."
"But aren't you too muscular already? It doesn't look too feminine, does it?"
"With all due respect, I don't care much about feminity. I have to save my friend, so I must get ready."
"I see. Tell me: Are you Justice?"
Emily stared at her host. She knew she was a horrible liar. She hesitated, then said:
"Yes. I am."
"I suspected as much. I always thought that it was odd that most people described Justice as rather short."
"So, what are you going to do now?"
Emily put down the syringe and opened the tourniquet. She got up slowly and walked closer to Dolores. The older woman stood her ground and replied:
"Nothing, I think. Why should I? However, since you plan to destroy Harrison, I might be able to help you. As you know, I have some resources at my disposal."
"What do you want for this?"
"Of course, I want you to rid us of Hell and her sponsor. Also, it would be best if you freed your friend, but I guess it would be best if you disappeared after that. You wouldn't be credible anymore if word came out I helped you, would you?"
"It is a pact with the devil and you know that."
"Tut, tut, my dear, now you're overstating my influence. Besides, it isn't very courteous of you. But yes, accepting my help would make your position untenable. In a certain way, you already accepted it, but never mind that. You couldn't know and you were in distress."
Emily nodded:
"I see. You are aware that I might just as well break your neck now."
"I am, but I don't remember Justice killing anyone. I doubt you'd do it. So: What do you do?"

[El_Roy_1999]

Emily looked at the older woman and sighed:
"I'm sorry, but I can't accept this. I thank you for your hospitality, but I think it would be best if I left now."
"You know that you are now alone in this world."
"I think I always was. Good bye."
She put on her shoes, pulled up the hood of her sweater and left. Dolores was surprised by the sudden departure. She stood there in the basement, wondering about what to do with the training equipment her strange guest had left. She shrugged, then picked up her phone and gave James a call.
"Jimmy, please see to it that Ms. Poul is no longer welcome in our house. Also, get rid of her as soon as possible. We wouldn't want her to do us a disfavour, would we?"

The short woman was on her way. She had no money with her, no ID and only the clothes she wore. Still, she felt free. The chaperoning host had been going on her nerves. She would have preferred to use the gym she had built, but this was a deal she was unwilling to accept. Emily sprinted down the street, past a few pedestrians, then turned into an alley, ran up the wall, jumped off it, clung to a fire escape, ran up to the roof, took her bearings and sprinted to the edge of the building. With a wide leap, she landed on the next building, rolled and continued running and jumping from one house to the next, quickly loosing any pursuers. After twenty minutes, she had reached an area of the city she felt safe in. It was a bad place, known for its unsafe streets and its shady dealings. As she surveyed it, she realised there was a certain troubled calm. The usual rogues and bandits that made up most of its visible population were hiding, clearly desperate to stay out of trouble. It reminded her of her best times. However, this proved that Hell was taking care of them. She was impressed. Still, if these people used their power only to further the goals of organised crime, she'd have to stop them. She decided to lay low and wait. She wanted to take a good look at them.
Searching the area carefully, she found out that there were many secret cameras hidden all over the location. Whoever had planted them, and she was sure Hell was behind this, had taken great care in his job to set this up as a well planned web of surveillance. Using a knife she had picked out of the trash, she pulled one of the cameras from its base and hid. She had assembled a few simple tools during her search and slowly dissected the machine. After a few minutes, it was open. She checked it and soon found out that this was way beyond her possibilities. The device was connected to the net, relayed images automatically and also featured a tracking device. She cursed under her breath. She was quite certain that somebody would turn up, looking for it. She left it where it was and took her makeshift tools with her. With a quick sprint, she hid closeby and waited. After a few minutes, a van stopped down in the alley. A man climbed out, wearing an overall. He climbed up to her initial hiding place, took a few photographs of the thing and took it with him. He replaced it with a new one and left. Emily stayed alert. She was quite sure that someone would be there to take a look at the place. It took a while, but then, she saw a shape approach through the gloom. She moved quickly from roof to roof, a cape billowing behind her. Hell.

Emily waited and took a good look. The other woman looked quite similar to what she remembered. She scouted the area quickly and left after another round. Emily followed her from a distance.
She found it hard to keep up with her mark, who clearly was in excellent shape. Still, she eventually reached an inconspicuous appartment building in the area and climbed inside from the roof. Emily observed the building by going around it quickly. After a few minutes, she found a window that was conveniently shielded from outside view. She climbed down to it, carefully evading the cameras which had been placed next to it. She looked inside while hanging on the windows ledge. The woman was taking off her suit. She had already unfastened the cape and removed the hood, revealing a young woman's face, she must have been in her mid-twenties with short cropped black hair. She removed the armour plates, then peeled off the suit, showing the superbly trained body of a heavyweight athlete. The superhero look was completed by a pair of gravity defying breasts. As far as Emily could tell, they were massive implants. The woman left the room, clearly to take a shower. The hidden watcher was surprised. She had no idea who the woman was. She scanned the room and saw some very professional exercise equipment, a miniature fridge, a desktop computer and a bunk bed as well as a wardrobe. It looked a bit like the hideout Emily had devised for herself. She lowered herself back down when the woman came back. She was drying herself off. Emily felt that her arms were not used to such a long stress, but she was anxious to know more.
The woman sat down next to the computer, still wrapped in her towel. After a short login procedure, she was posting on a kind of message board. Emily couldn't read what she was typing, but the woman soon started talking to someone over a headset.
"Denise? Hi. This is Brittany. Yeah. No, it was nothing. I just finished my patrol. It must have been some animal, like a raven or something. Yeah, the technician sent a report, but hey, I don't think this means anything, you know."
Emily's arms were aching. She was surprised that her mark had a rather high, chirping college girl kind a voice that didn't quite go with her theatralic costume and overmuscled body.
"Yeah. Absolutely. You were right, the second level of street fighting was a lot easier. I guess it just is simpler if you've built up your body. Totally. My arms are now 15.5" and 16". Not bad, huh? I guess the stuff you get for bonus points really works better than the regular. Thank you again for the hint about the ATM thieves and stuff. It's pretty hard for me to manage sometimes. I guess I'm still not used to it. Say, I still got 24 points left for this month. We could go out together. Show what we got, you know?" The woman removed the towel from her breasts and pushed them against each other. "Exactly. How are yours? Mine are still fresh enough to hurt occasionally, damn girl, but they look awesome."
Emily couldn't bear it anymore and dropped down, landing in a waste container below. She clambered out. As far as she was concerned, this was a franchise. She had to find a way in, then she'd be able to find out how this worked. However, her face was still too easy to recognise and she was losing her shape faster than she thought. She needed a place to stay, a place to work out, an internet connection and most of all, a little time to prepare. Also, money would be good.

Three hours later, she had crossed the city and arrived in a more familiar environment. Along the street endless lines of near-identical houses led to her childhood home. Emily walked along with a brisk step, hoping to reach her parents' house before they came home. She felt odd returning to this place she had left years ago and even stranger that she would try to evade her parents once she was there. Her plan was every bit as crazy as such things usually turned out to be. The house was normally abandoned during the day and there was a shed in the back that was never used. If she could use this as a hideout, she might be able to recover. Also, the neighbours were rarely there themselves, so she probably wouldn't arouse suspicion. If everything went well, she'd be able to take the money from her parents' safe and use it to put herself on her feet. They probably wouldn't even notice and when she'd cleared her name, she'd replace the money as if nothing had happened.
Everything went surprisingly well: She managed to sneak in and unlock the shed without arousing suspicion, found a dusty but usable field bed and some sheets. Since her parents had planted some high bushes around the house or had rather refrained from cutting them back as they grew, she could quickly enter the house unseen, turn off the alarm and take some rarely used stuff from the attic. She also showered quickly and disappeared back into the shed.
Over the next few days, she carefully timed her visits to the house so as to be inconspicuous and managed to turn the shed into a discrete but serviceable hideout. It was a far cry from her previous lair, but she enjoyed it none the less. Of course, it was rather crowded and even smaller than her cell before, still, it was a kind of home. Her parents were completely oblivious to her presence. Sometimes, she thought she had given herself away, but no reaction. Still, living so close to home, almost reaching the safe place of her youth, maybe even being able to talk to another human about her situation was impossible.
A few days later, she entered the house again and found the safe. She carefully unlocked it. Knowing that her parents wouldn't change the combination for the love of their life made it easy. They hardly ever used it as far as she knew. It contained the deed to the house and some insurance papers as well as a small reserve of cash for bad times. By carefully keeping an eye on them during her stay in the shed, she knew that they were doing fine. Occasionally, she came up in their evening talks, but the only thing she could feel was regret. She promised to herself she'd fix all this once she was back. She took the money and left a slip of paper to explain. She dearly hoped she'd be able to replace it before they would find out. Then, she left to make some purchases.

She had to get an internet connection, a possibility to start training again and enough food and supplements to be able to take on her foes. Finally she'd need a new suit. First things first, she bought a smartphone and began researching about Hell. Her escape from the asylum was now almost forgotten, the media having dropped the subject in favour of a star's unexpected pregnancy. Still, she preferred to keep herself out of sight as much as possible. After a little work, she found her way on the platform Hell used to recruit new members. It was a simple social network that allowed its members to post crimes they had witnessed, ask for help and generally meeting up. There were all kinds of weird things: There was a fan fiction section, a place to post art, some videos and even cosplayers. You could even buy Hell-merchandise. She was fascinated by the entire concept. Apparently, regular contributors could be invited to a a sort of inner circle and be offered a kind of scholarship to join Hell in her fight against crime and corruption. There were several tiers, from simple contributor, to sponsor, up to what was called "the circle of demons". Clearly, the woman she had followed was one of those.
Emily decided to join up and contribute. She reported whatever she saw on her nightly walks and called the demons whenever it felt worthwhile. She observed them from the shadows, trying to understand their techniques. Pretty soon, she realised that there wasn't much to it. Most of the women were good at basics and managed to hold up against their surprised foes. They carried a lot of mass and were well-protected by their suits, but most of them lacked any kind of fighting experience. The only reason why none of them got seriously hurt was because they usually concentrated on single targets and tried to evade more powerful enemies. She tailed Brittany for a while and watched her fight off a few youths easily. However, when a group of well-armed professionals raided a police safehouse, Emily could see her staying back and calling for backup. This was something else indeed: a whole squadron of identically dressed demons turned up and distracted the raiders while another, much more professional one eliminated them one by one. Although she was similarily dressed, Emily instantly saw that this one was an experienced fighter. Everything from her poise to her precise and efficient movement showed that this was an enemy well above their level. Emily was unsure, but she thought this might have been the Hell that had defeated her. She now knew what to expect.
After a few days of exploring the city, Emily found an abandoned garage close to her parents' home. She checked it over several days and found out that no one was coming there, no homeless and no squatters. It had no electricity or sewer connection, no running water. It was just a simple building without any creature comforts, but it sheltered her during a rain shower and it would be her workshop. Spending her money carefully, she got herself a weightset, a small pharmacy's worth of drugs and enough protein powder to feed a college football team. She hid the stuff in the garage, storing the material that needed to be kept cool in a small freezer she powered by hooking on the powerline outside. Then, finally, she began recovering her shape. Even though her situation was much more difficult this time, she found it to be easy for her. She just did what she loved to do, she would be Justice again.
The final thing she had to sort out was the suit. She had no idea on how to get a new one made to the same standards as her old one. It had been hideously expensive to manufacture and was a one of a kind thing. She had spend a fortune on the thing and she was pretty sure that contacting the manufacturers of the different parts would give her away. Besides, she had no idea on how to pay them. In the end, she settled for an improvised thing made of a motorcycle helmet, a gas mask, some cheap night vision goggles, a biking suit, some hockey protectors and some knuckledusters and army boots. It didn't look like much and didn't feel too useful either, but it had to do for the time being.

[El_Roy_1999]

Once everything was in place, she decided to use Brittany as her point of entry to the organisation. She went on patrol at night, just as she had done back when she was still justice and found a few young men trying to carry off a few boxes of electronics. They looked fairly confident in their abilities and were currently loading the crates into a truck. Emily felt the rush of impeding butt-kicking. She made sure the cameras were out. Then, she snuck down the fire exit and approached one of the from above. He was watching over the others and looked like a leader. He was lighting a cigarette when she dropped down on him knees first. He went down like a charm, not even bothering to give a sound. She picked him up, surprised by the weight and carried him in the shadows, cuffing his arms and legs with cable ties and gagging him. Then, she waited for the others to look for him. As soon as they spread out, she was upon one of them and slammed her elbows down his neck. The man collapsed. With a quick kick to the face, he was out. She dragged him off too and climbed back up to the next floor, jumped on the truck's roof and dropped back down behind the driver who had now climbed out, carrying a shotgun. She suddenly took him in a full nelson and disarmed him, then rammed his face against the car door twice. She kicked the gun under the truck and hid behind a dumpster to wait for the others. The remaining three robbers walked to the prone driver and were clearly scared. Just as they were about to panic, Emily stepped out from behind the dumpster. The men, each one roughly a head taller than her, looked rather intimidating, but they seemed unsure. Emily cocked her head and gave them a sign to attack. Making up their minds, they charged her. Emily clapped one of them on the ear, dodged between them, slammed another one against the wall and swept the other man's legs off below him. The fight was over in seconds. She cuffed and gagged them, then she left as quickly as she could.
Minutes later, she arrived at Brittany's place and left a note on the windowsill. She knocked against the pane and disappeared as quickly as she could. Later, she watched as the muscular young woman turned up and inspected the job she had done. As far as Emily could say, she was impressed.
Over the next two weeks, she regularily provided her mark with well-packaged targets. Keeping an eye on her, she realised that it was working. The circle had a system of grading. Apparently, you could earn points by sorting out situations and Brittany was doing fine. Emily noticed that she was putting on lean mass and sporting an even better suit on her outings. At the same time, Emily herself had put her own homemade gym to good use. She had recovered a lot of her former strength even though the lack of regular massages and the cheap food got her down. Still, she was feeling more like herself. She was now ready for her move. She left Brittany a letter on her windowsill and asked for a meeting.

The next night, Emily waited on the roof of an old factory. It proved to be an excellent lookout, allowing her to see without being seen. She had rehearsed what she wanted to say for the last hours and was now ready. She saw the suited woman approach quickly. When she had reached the building's roof, Emily stepped out of the shadows. She wore her own suit. Brittany stood there, equally masked. The younger woman said:
"So you're the one who, like, helped me out."
"I am. Did you like it?"
"Sure. Thank you. Why did you help me? You could join us and earn your own points and stuff. You'd rise really quick, you know?"
"I'm sorry, but I can't. Personal reasons."
"You're a man?"
Emily rolled her eyes behind her visor. She replied angrily:
"No. I'm not. I just can't. But I'm willing to help. Something needs to be done and you seem to be someone who would understand."
"I'm not sure."
"Can we go somewhere else and talk? This rooftop is fine, but I'd prefer us to be on our own."
"Okay. My place?"
Emily shook her head.
"Not a good idea. I'm pretty sure there's surveillance there. I rented a bungalow. Come with me."
And with these words, she turned around and sprinted off at top speed, daring Brittany to keep up with her. Quite soon, she realised that she was already in way better shape than before. She easily maintained the sprint for the entire distance.
They arrived at the nondescript house half an hour later. It was as cheap as Emily could afford and stood isolated enough to arouse no suspicion if two costumed musclewomen decided to meet up. Emily unlocked the door. Inside, it was dark, the few bulbs giving off hardly enough light to brighten the small living room. The blinds were drawn. She switched on the small radio she had bought to prevent any suspicious people from listening in and turned to her guest.
"Do you want to make yourself comfortable?"
Brittany was breathing heavily. She had found it hard to keep up with her. She replied:
"Just gimme, like, a moment. You're quite fit, you know."
"I know. Listen: I know your name is Brittany and as you have noticed, I know where you live and what you look like. If you want, you can take off the mask. There's nothing to gain from keeping it on."
Brittany nodded. She fumbled with the cowl's fastener and pulled it off. She set the demonic mask aside and took the cup of coffee Emily offered her. She said:
"Now you."
Emily hesitated for a moment, then took off the helmet. The other woman looked at her in surprise.
"Say, aren't you the woman who escaped from the asylum and stuff?"
"I am."
"Wow." She nodded. "You know that there's a hefty price on your head, don't you?"
Emily smiled.
"As long as you don't want to cash in on it... I want to talk to you first, then we can see what we do."
"Sure. Don't get me wrong, I was just surprised. You, like, totally helped me out over the last weeks, so I really can't say much other than thank you. That was really nice of you and stuff."
Emily groaned internally, not sure how long she'd be able to stand the younger woman's way of talking without shouting at her.
"Okay. Just sit down and we talk."
"What, with the suit on? Do you have any idea how totally uncomfortable this is?"
Emily gave her a long weary look and said:
"Do you want to go to the bathroom and change?"
"Are you prudish?"
"Why?"
"Just asking."
With a little fumbling, Brittany removed the cape and the armour, then took off the suit itself. Emily was surprised by the speed with which the taller woman revealed a white sports bra and some tight shorts. Brittany's body was quite impressive. She was tall and broadly built, with large round shoulders, powerful arms with well-trained biceps and triceps. Her breasts were round and full, standing off a solid foundation of thick pectorals. Her abdominals were tight and hard like a boxer's and her legs were swollen with large muscles. As far as Emily could say, her guest's best bodypart were her wide shoulders. Contrasting with her tight waist, they gave her a very powerful silhouette. Brittany stood there in her underwear, taking up a suitably heroic pose and said:
"Impressed? Me too."
Emily looked at her competitor and could only repeat what she had thought the first time she had seen Brittany:
"Definitely."
"Now you. You really made me sweat, so I want to see what you're like under all this, you know."
Emily hesitated. she was aware that her body was impressive, of course, but it also felt stunted, especially next to such an amazon as Brittany. Finally, she yielded and took off the suit. It was quite complicated due to the haphazard way in which the thing was constructed, but she couldn't help noticing that Brittany grew ever more surprised by her massive body.
"Wow. You're, like, huge. I've never seen anybody like this. How long did it take you to get to this, you know, level?"
Emily laid a hand on her bloated, overstuffed abs and smiled sheepishly.
"It took some time, yes."
Within seconds, Brittany had rushed her, apparently eager to touch her competitor's muscular stomach, but Emily reacted quick enough and grabbed the muscular woman, lifted her into a fireman's carry and was about to throw her to the ground, when Brittany squealed:
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, let me down. Please!"
Emily set her down slowly and said:
"Sorry. I didn't want to hurt you, it's just that I... It was a reflex, you know."
"Sure." Brittany was still breathing hard. "Wow. I never expected anybody to be so strong and quick. How did you learn that."
"Years of practice."
"I think we really should talk."

[El_Roy_1999]

Emily explained the whole situation to her guest: How she had started her vigilante career, how she had crashed, how she had returned and taken an apprentice and how she had fallen. She explained how she had escaped and how she planned to free her friend. Brittany listened to the whole story. By the time Emily was finished, the sun was up and they were both tired. Finally, Brittany said:
"I see. So Hell works, like, with the criminals and not against them? Why?"
"I'm not sure, but probably Jeffrey Harrison uses her as an enforcer. He used you too."
"Aw. That's crap, I wanted to be a hero. We gotta tell the others and stuff."
Emily shook her head.
"Don't do it. They would just shut down the organisation and maybe even out you all. We have to do this discretely."
"Fine. So what's your plan?"

The next weeks were full of stress and chaos. Emily and Brittany spent a lot of time together. The shorter woman did what she could to train her disciple to an adequate level. She wanted her to be able to hold her own and to progress in the organisation's hierarchy. At the same time, she continued gathering credit for her to get better equipment and supplements. She called it "roid farming". Finally, she began documenting Jeffrey Harrison's activities. Even though Brittany complained all the time about her coach, she was surprised by the progress she made. The high-level supplements and the rigid training structure were showing soon. Her muscles were now tight and strong, giving her an almost ridiculous silhouette and a punch able to shatter jaws with a single blow. Using the funds available to her protégée, Emily began bulking again. Soon, the two musclewomen reached an almost surreal level. Emily was amazed that she had even surpassed her ancient peak shape. They stood there in front of the big mirror Brittany had bought and admired their physiques.
"I can't believe that's all me. Like, you know, a superhero. Honestly, look at this: I'm bigger than Superman."
Brittany stretched her back and went into a most muscular pose. Her swollen muscles actually collided with each other, her breasts squished between them. They looked a little small now, since her chest had expanded. She turned to Emily who stared at her own hypermuscular body in awe. She said:
"Wow. I never would have imagined this. You know, Brittany, back when I started, I wanted to be powerful, like a superhero, but now, I'm like the Hulk."
She lifted her massive arms and flexed her biceps.
"I'm ready and I'm so going to kick Hell's ass."
Brittany grinned. Over the last weeks, she had learned more about freestyle combat and brawling than she would need all her life. She was still astonished by her partner's speed, precision and strength, but she was beginning to act intuitively herself and reflexively managed to control assailants easily. Emily continued:
"Let's get dressed. I want to finish it tonight."
Emily helped her friend into the Hell suit. It reminded her of her own she had designed back when she was still with Lauren and Caroline. Once Brittany's huge body was squished into the black and red bodystocking, she added the armourplates and fastened the cape to the shoulderguards. In full costume, Brittany looked even more imposing. The helmet's horns added four more inches to her already impressive height and the cape made her appear even broader, while the breastplate overexagerated her curves to an almost ridiculous extent. Switching on the voice distortion, she said:
"I'm, like, huge. Watch out, I'm going to kick some ass!"
Emily nodded and pulled her own armour out of the wardrobe. She had assembled it over time, buying it with money she had borrowed from Brittany. She had even been as generous as to take out an additional loan to finance it. Brittany was already indebted with the Hell organisation, now the bank was after her too. Emily hoped she'd be able to get her money back and repay her as soon as this was over.
The new suit was very similar to her old one, but much heavier armoured. It had a protective collar reminiscent of a bomb disposal suit and was constructed to withstand even fully automatic small arms fire. She donned the helmet that was very similar to the earlier Justice model and took a long look at her image in the mirror. Her own distorted voice said:
"I'm as ready as can be."

[El_Roy_1999]

Minutes later, they were on their way. Despite the suit's weight, Emily quickly vaulted from building to building, crossing the distance between her base and Hell's headquarters within an hour. At the same time, Brittany stepped right in, using the security codes she always used and generally being as inconspicuous as possible. Emily watched her go in. The building had been a regular office building in one of the worse parts of the city, long abandoned and quite derelict. However, Hell's organisation had transformed it into a fortress. Using the information she had received from Brittany, she evaded the cameras and found herself crouching on a gargoyle that jutted from one of the top levels of the building. She waited for her partner. The place was well-guarded and getting in would be a hassle, even though Brittany had concocted some cover story for them. Better skip it all together. Breaking in wasn't an option either. After all, the windows were covered by steel shutters and she had next to no idea how to open them. At this moment, she felt a little like Batman. She regretted not wearing a cape. Still, there was no point in doing that.
After what felt like forever, the shutter opened slowly. The little engines worked hard moving the steel plates. Behind, Brittany was waiting. Emily climbed in and said:
"Thank you. Let's shut them quick and get moving."
Brittany nodded and hit the button again. Inside, everything was clean and ordered. They were in a small office, complete with computer, filing cabinets and motivational posters. Brittany said:
"The clerk is going to be back in a second, so let's scram."
They just wanted to step outside when they ran into a mousy woman in a T-shirt. She looked at the two dressed-up amazons and asked:
"What are you doing in my office?"
Brittany lifted her mask and replied:
"Nothing, we just wanted to take a break. Don't worry."
The mousy woman nodded.
"Okay. No problem. But get out now, please."
As they turned to leave, she added:
"What's that suit you're wearing? Is that a new model?"
Emily nodded, keeping the mask on.
"Exactly. It's still in the early stages."
The clerk smiled:
"Looks cool. Say, could you put in a good word for me? I'd really like to join the demons."
Emily said yes and goodbye before she would notice anything unusual.
Outside, the pair made way quickly. Emily stayed back, keeping an eye out for cameras and alarms. It worked well. They only met a single member of the demons, which Brittany greeted cheerfully.
"Hi Denise! How've you been? We haven't seen each other for like forever!"
Denise hugged her friend awkwardly. After all, they were both wearing their suits. Even though their visors were up, they still were a little clumsy.
"Brittany! Wow! Look at you, girl! You've been hitting it full throttle, haven't you?"
"Sure! Look at those!" She flexed her now massive arm. "Nineteen and a half inches! Can you believe this?"
"Awesome! Girl, mine are puny next to these guns!"
"Nah, you'll catch up in no time! I'll show you some tricks I found out. You'd be surprised!"
"Okay. Thank you!" She turned to Emily. "And who's that?"
"That's a secret. Sorry. But I'll tell you. Wait until the tomorrow, we'll get some coffee and you'll see. But shhh!" She put her finger to her lips and winked.
Denise grinned and nodded.
"Cool. See you soon."
"Stay sharp, girl!"

[El_Roy_1999]

They walked away. Emily asked:
"Stay sharp?"
"Whatever."
The pair reached the access to the next level. Brittany explained:
"From here on, it's Hell's personal area. Only her guards are allowed beyond this. But I knew that, so I prepared, like, a meeting."
Emily frowned behind her mask. Brittany was cute and funny and everything, but her way of talking really got on her nerves.
"Good. So how do we get in?"
"Simple."
The taller woman turned on her headset and said:
"We're here. Let us in."
Emily asked:
"What did you tell them?"
"I told them that you're a fan who started her own thing in another town."
"And they believed that?"
"Sure. I asked a cousin of mine to run around in a costume there for the last two weeks."
"Does this cousin look anything like me?"
"I think so. Marv is a weightlifter and stuff."
"Marv?"
"Marvin."
"He's a man?"
"Sure. Where'd you think I'd find someone your shape that isn't a man? You're not exactly, like, girly."
Emily nodded.
"I guess you're right. Honestly, the last months have really made me lose my grip on normalcy."
"Well, when we're done here, you can relax."
"I tried that once."
"And?"
"Didn't work out."
"So you did."
"What?"
At this moment, the door opened. Inside, there was a heavy duty elevator. There was another demon, a little shorter than Brittany, but every bit as muscular. Her armour was much more intricate. She gave Emily's suit a long look, then nodded. They got in and rode up.
Emily checked the suit, looking for weaknesses. As far as she could tell, there were a few. That'd come in handy.
The elevator stopped and they got out. They were in a large hall that took up two stories. The room was decorated lavishly, fitting the demonic motif of the armours. It was a bit over the top, but superheroes needed this kind of crassness. Inside, several demons were waiting. Emily whispered:
"What did you tell them?"
"I told them that you, like, cleaned out the town."
"Wow."
"As far as I know, you cleaned this one, so it wasn't lying. Strictly speaking."
They waited for a few seconds, then the other demons stirred and stood to attention.

[El_Roy_1999]

From the second floor, a group of demons descended. They wore full regalia and masks. At the center walked a tall woman in a very theatralic outfit. It showed off her large muscles and her big breasts. A cape and cowl completed her ensemble. Emily recognised her immediately. It was the first, original Hell she had met at Jeffrey Harrison's home. She looked at her guest, turned to her guards and said:
"It's Justice again. Didn't you recognise her? We had posters. Well, whatever. Get her!"
Brittany was surprised and went down almost immediately, but Emily had expected as much and was on her guard. She grabbed the first attacker, smashed the much larger woman face-first into the ground, spun around, vaulted over the next one and drove both of her feet into the third one's face. Surprised by the sudden counterattack, the demons took a few seconds to regroup. Emily rolled back, did a handstand kick and knocked another one out. The others rushed her together and tried to grapple her. She retreated by a bare few inches, grabbed the one of the attackers' arm and threw her in the melee. Then, she ran away, running up a column in best parkour style and backflipping at the next assailant. She rammed her armoured fist into her faceplate and even managed to crack it. The demons were visibly shaken. Sparring was one thing, beating up small-time crooks another, but fighting an over-trained combat monster such as Emily was something else entirely. The small woman was relentless, though, and attacked visiously. She crouched down, slid below her next target and vaulted her into the air, smashing her head-first into one of her allies. The women panicked. Back upstairs, the original Hell backed off slowly. She called someone on her headset. Seconds later, a group of gunners entered the room. Hell gloated:
"Give up now or die!"
Emily didn't even take the time to answer. She just charged, forcing one of the gunners to open fire. The bullets buried themselves in the depths of her armour. She felt the blows and could feel her skin swell, but she didn't care. A well-aimed punch took care of this one. She turned around, using him as a human shield. As the others tried to react, she pulled a smoke-bomb from her belt and threw it. The device went off, filling the room with acrid smoke. She dropped the hostage as the other gunners tried to recover and climbed up the sheer wall behind her with apelike dexterity. She reached the overhanging balcony upstairs, launched herself from the wall, grabbed it and effortlessly pulled herself on the top level. She looked down at the chaos, threw some more smoke bombs and followed Hell who had fled to the next floor. As she ran, she called Brittany:
"How are you?"
"I'm pretty beat up. I think I need help."
"Lie low. I'm almost done. I'll call an ambulance."
Whincing, Brittany replied:
"Fine."
Emily kicked the door, throwing the guard that held it back to the floor. She jumped at her, smashing into her opponent at full speed. She rolled, turned and ran at Hell. She rammed in her and threw into a desk. The piece of furniture exploded into a shower of splinters. Emily followed up, getting ready to lay a flurry of blows on her. However, she was seized by the remaining bodyguards. Emily just grunted, concentrated and lifted the three attackers in the air before throwing them down. Even though their faces were hidden, they were surprised. The small berserker added a few stomps and kicks for good measure, then advanced on her erstwhile opponent. Hell was still trying to get up. She was struggling to stay up, her helmet shattered by an office tool of some sort, maybe a hole-punch that stuck comically in her armour. She called out:
"Woah. Calm down. Please, calm down."
Justice advance relentlessly. One of her legs was being hampered by one of the remaining bodyguards that tried to hold her back whimpering. The lying woman mumbled:
"Please, please, stop it."
She continued and grabbed Hell by the throat, lifting her while squeezing it. The rage fueled her strength and her enemy's collar shattered under the pressure of her hands. Suddenly, her victim cried out in her normal voice, the distortion broken:
"Stop, Emily, please, stop!"
It was Lauren's voice.

[El_Roy_1999]

Emily stopped. She kept her held up and tore off Hell's mask. Under it, she immediately recognised Lauren's face. It was bruised and slightly rougher than she remembered it, but that was her. She asked:
"Why?"
Lauren breathed heavily. She replied:
"Please, let me down. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It got out of hand."
Emily was angry. She was shaking with cold fury.
"What?"
"I, we, we only wanted to help."
"Help? How? By locking me up? By drugging me? By holding Caroline prisoner?"
The beaten-down fighter next to her that still clung to her leg said:
"I'm fine. Emily, I'm down here, I'm sorry."
"What?"
"It's me. Caroline."
She took off the lying woman's mask. It was her. Emily threw Lauren down and took a few steps back. She removed her own helmet:
"Why did you do this? I was worried sick."
Lauren tried to explain:
"Emily, I'm so sorry. I just saw that you were losing it. All the drugs, the violence, the insanity of it all. I just saw that you were going to crash and hurt yourself and others. Really, you've been beating people up who basically did nothing that would merit a treatment like that. It was only a matter of time before you'd kill somebody."
"So you sold me out to Jeffrey Harrison."
"Well, yes and no. Jeff is my ex-husband. He is, well, you know, he is no angel, but neither is anyone of us."
"Exactly, so why all this? You could just have talked to me!"
"I tried that. Remember our trip? That didn't work out as planned. So I tried to make you understand. I wanted you to see what was happening as you saw Caroline. But it didn't work out the way we wanted. Listen, you're one of my, no, you're my best friend. I only tried to help you, but..."
"But?"
"But you were right: It is awesome. It is intoxicating. Both Caroline and I, we got hooked. We decided to change the plan. By that moment, it was too late. We tried to get you cured by going cold turkey and locked you in the asylum. It was a stupid, a horrible thing to do, but you were going crazy and so were we..."
Emily stared at them:
"And Brittany?"
"Brittany?"
"The woman that let me in."
"That was Brittany?" Lauren looked at Caroline. "Seems like our valley girl played us both."
Emily looked at her two former friends and said:
"I can't even say how much I despise you for this. Are you insane? Why didn't you just leave me alone?"
"We couldn't bear that you did this to you. Emily, you're a good person and your intentions are righteous, but you're losing it. You've lost yourself in this play."
Emily looked at her, smiled at Caroline, put her helmet back on and shook her head:
"You've seen it yourself: I haven't lost myself. I finally found myself and I know who I am now. I am Justice and I will see to it that you will get your trial and punishment."

[El_Roy_1999]

This story is the finale of the Emily story line, but who knows, maybe there will be a Justice Beyond story line...

Anyway, thank you for your support! It's really nice!