HOPE BRINGERS (Strong superhero women) (Mystical Slayers Book 2)

by Michael W. Huard

  "Y-Wood can and is changing the world," he added.

  There was no doubt that Galax enjoyed himself up in space as much as Trevor did. In fact, at times, he appeared to be having even more fun than the boy. Trevor, unaware of how excited Galax was, had drifted off into a comfortable sleep.

  The child's mind wandered, and he found himself playing in a hallway somewhere; a place he didn't recognize. A man with curly hair ran about with him, chasing balls and knocking over cans. They laughed and smiled, and then the man picked him up and hugged him. Why was this in his head? Try as he might, he couldn't get it out.

  Then Galax spoke loudly at him.

  "Trevor, are you there? WAKE UP! Stop dozing off. We're going to be heading back now, so I want to review your lessons. Let's talk about the various planets."

  Trevor asked, "Before I was part of the Y-Corporation, where did I live? Did I have a family? And if so, what became of them?"

  Galax was still amazed that this young boy held memories from his past. Every single youngster that the Y-Corporation had taken in through the years, had had their brain whipped right out and rebooted with microchips of new knowledge and history.

  None of them ever really questioned anything about their past, but this child, well, he was different. Somehow, he had these memories and visions within him that would not leave his brain.

  Galax answered, "Not unlike most kids, you traveled about with various people, just hanging on until those that were breaking the law were discovered and you were taken from them."

  Trevor listened with a keen ear.

  "Now, young man, look where it has taken you…to live a better life, to become highly intelligent, to fly among the clouds and be able to study regions far beyond what any other child could ever dream of."

  The large robot reached out to the boy sitting beside him in the space ship and touched his shoulder. "It is your destiny to be more than what you were."

  Trevor was still perplexed by his visions but acted as if he understood. Galax added, "So, to answer your question, you were no one. But now you are becoming someone."

  It made sense to Trevor, but something deep inside him still said otherwise.

  As they flew back to New York and came closer to ground level, Trevor spotted a mostly broken down, tall building, with a flag hanging from it, one in the colors of red, white, and blue with stars on it. Galax veered the ship closer.

  Trevor immediately asked, "What does that represent?"

  The super robot searched his intelligence system and replied, "That, my student, was an old standard from nearly a thousand years before our time. It was, at one time, the flag of this country."

  The boy was puzzled. "So why would someone hang it on an old building out here?" He frowned and added, "This is the first time I have seen one of these."

  Galax replied, "I guess some people are never willing to let go of the past. We will have to report this to President Purcell, young man. It is against the law to fly a flag other than our own."

  A communication then crackled through on the airways; it was Chancellor Tessa, the Y-Wood secretary. "I am here," spoke Galax. "What is it?"

  She explained, "Galax, President Purcell has asked for your immediate appearance back at headquarters."

  The super bot nodded. "We are on our way. We won't be long."

  ***

  With the death match competition complete, the lucky golden ticket holders gathered inside the Empire State Building.

  The ticket from California was kept by Spicy, but in truth, she was bought out and the guy present was a plant for them.

  Boss Beef in Texas was living a good life already, so for him to try to fight against the Corporation would be silly. For this reason, he too had put in a male plant for the big wigs in New York.

  The factory workers in Chicago changed things up and sent one of their own instead of their boss as things became more orchestrated towards the Corporation.

  Of course, there was the missing ticket from the storm in Florida that never turned up.

  And we have the one woman from upper New York named Della, who was pretty much the only non-Y-Wood person in the building. So much for a fair competition.

  Another ticket was just recently announced to be missing. Some said it had turned up in Washington D.C., but word on the street was that it had changed hands several times and would never be officially represented.

  The Corporation was so set on not having any issues that they never asked to see the golden tickets when the competitors first showed up claiming to be the winners.

  As a safety precaution, the upstate New York girl had had her ticket stolen from her backpack by the Corporation. While attending the games, a thief had slipped it from her, undetected.

  Della, as yet, had no idea. When the time came for her to present the ticket and make things official, she would not be able to prove that she won, and all insiders knew she would have to forfeit.

  In the meantime, the golden ticket was not yet on route from Washington. Each contestant would go through special contests over the next few days, and once a winner was announced, Y-Wood would have a new vice president.

  Chapter Forty

  The Mayor of Washington D.C., Westley Warns, was told by his physician that he needed to exercise more and eat healthier. Of all the things, he thought, healthcare is probably the hardest aspect of life. Even though he had anything and everything he wanted at the tips of his fingers, he still wasn't very healthy. The offbeat mayor drank way too much, devoured too much food, and was a full-fledged sugar junkie.

  He still thought of himself as pretty special; ego does that to powerful men these days.

  He had to make people realize that he was the man. Even though he might be short in stature and not overly handsome, he had the power; he was the guy in Washington, the one the Corporation entrusted to run the legendary landmark capital. He was simply the one, the money maker, the star, just like the one he had tattooed on his head.

  Recently, he had been given an extortionate amount of funding to rebuild the nation's capital.

  Westley Warns wanted to live the life of an old-school rock star. He loved the idea that women would fall at his feet; after all, he felt deserving of such attention. He could touch them anywhere he wanted and no one would tell on him.

  This, thankfully, was beginning to get easier now that Y-Corp had made his monuments the most popular spot for anyone to see in America, not to mention the large legion of robotic soldiers he had at his disposal.

  The fat big-headed mayor had power, but he had his weaknesses too. He demanded respect, loyalty, and furthermore, unknown to many, the old guy was a sex maniac.

  The state capital brought in some of the wealthiest people in the world, and this meant he always had opportunities to indulge in his passions.

  Not only was the Lincoln Monument a great destination for people to see, the mayor also had a secret subway section nearby that led into the massive State Capitol Building. It was via this entrance that he would bring in hoards of envious people for his own pleasure.

  His biggest quirk was his dungeon, located in the city sector. It was there he played his naughty sex games.

  Like in any city in America, most people had it rough, and Washington's inner core was no different. Most of the city comprised of headquarters for people that worked at the massive state building; anyone else in the city just scraped about to make ends meet. The downtown sections were nothing to be proud of; in fact, they were a jungle of a mess.

  The one particular spot the mayor liked to hang out at, unbeknownst to most people, was in the heart of the city, nestled far enough away from the Capitol Building, a street known for sex, drugs, weird music, fights, gambling, and all sorts of other oddities. That's where the dungeon was located; a private underground club that was only open to those with the highest of connections or attributes.

  The mayor had another visit planned. He would be king for an ev
ening. He knew what to expect, but when he overheard that a worker there, a transvestite by the name of Marilynn Sue, had come up with a golden ticket, a trip to the dungeon became even more appealing.

  ***

  There were, however, some pockets of normality here in D.C.

  The Y-Corporation had allowed a district in the city, solely for those who paid their Corporation taxes and ran for government office in Washington, to somewhat prosper; it made the region seem more special. The whole area needed to appear as if it were a nationwide prominent state. This gave it a better look to those who were too uneducated to know any different. It was more of a façade than anything else.

  One woman in this area, disabled and in a wheelchair, was a true rebel for democracy. Her name was Jerry Bends. Jerry was a tough gal with long gray hair who fought every day for average citizens and outright hated Y-Corp!

  The former president, Arn Marcou, got a kick out of her, and he always said, "Mean old ugly ladies are part of society. They help us appreciate the younger, sexier ones." He let her stay in so-called office, just to make it appear like competition was allowed. After all, Washington was all about fairness.

  He had planned to get rid of her in due course.

  However, this plan changed some when Berlin Purcell took on the presidency. He and Jerry had been a thing at one time.

  As of late, Miss Bends had brought on a staff, a nice young man by the name of Jackson J. He was a computer whizz beyond comparison; a fantastic cyber hacker of the highest magnitude. Jackson J put the gray-haired woman's intel at the center of all the moves made in Washington.

  So it was only a matter of time before Jerry figured she needed to meet the infamous freedom fighting sisters, The Mystical Slayers. That time was now, and they had little of it to spare.

  Jackson J, through his endeavors, had connected the two, and a meeting was about to go down.

  The cyber kid was about six feet tall, and he had a slim body with broad shoulders. His blondish hair hung in dreads that were tied back so his face was still in view, revealing his surfer-like California coast smile.

  He walked into Miss Bends' private study and announced, "I have cleared up the no-fly zone enough for them to get through. Their flyer is expected in very soon. Once they've done their sightseeing and all that today, I expect them here by early afternoon tomorrow."

  He gave a thumbs up to his boss, and Jerry nodded to him. She was so lost in thought she didn't say a word.

  Once the young man had left, she rested her forehead on the palms of her hands. She then spoke to a small tabby cat who was sitting in a chair to her left.

  "This is it…the one last hope in all I have ever dreamed and worked so hard for. I'm too old, my friend, to matter anymore, but these girls, these marvelous women, I have a good feeling they're going to make a big difference."

  She then wheeled over and patted her friendly companion. "They must come through, my kitty poo, or this world is doomed!"

  Chapter Forty-One

  The family cover up went well. Darren made a good male subject. The kids looked like kids, and all were dressed for the occasion so as to look like normal tourists. Raegan covered up more than ever and changed her appearance to a brunette. "The family" checked out the marvels of the D.C. area.

  The nation's so-called rebuilt capital was busy, and the tour group visited all the attractions. Guides explained that this area was considered the world's greatest spot. The Lincoln Memorial was a sight to see, followed by many other attractions including the Jefferson Memorial. Of course, they soon made their way to the White House, the official residence of Mayor Westley Warns.

  Raegan would have to make sure she didn't run into him. Lucky for her, he was nowhere in sight. Lastly, among other venues and monuments, they headed on over to the former United States Capitol, often called the Capitol Building, the home of the former United States Congress and the seat of the legislative branch of the long-past federal government.

  So much history was now lost, thought Jansa and Raegan. There were hardly any descriptions or information here, nothing talking about the past.

  The young girls were in awe of such a nice building. For Jansa, it actually felt like a real family trip. She and Darren couldn't help but think how it would be if they had a real family.

  Before they were finished, Jansa said to Darren, "So I guess this is what it feels like to have a family of my own."

  He smiled, looking nerdy in his fake glasses and tan dress-like pants. "It's not so bad," he said, winking at her.

  As Raegan and the girls approached, Raegan announced, "All righty, gang, it's time we head on out."

  Jansa slipped her hand in Darren's as they returned to the bus. She whispered in his ear, "Maybe someday, huh? You make me happy." He liked what she was saying. He spanked her on the butt, and Jansa spun around and said, "Stop that!" Both smiled and laughed, shaking their heads as the guided tour bus left the area.

  Once back in the inner city sector, they boarded their ship and headed to Jerry Bends.

  The ship followed Jackson J's flight plan and landed safely in a private zone that Jerry Bends and her team used for important matters.

  A van arrived and picked them up before driving them to the politician's private estate.

  As soon as they stepped into the hallway, a butler dressed in all black, escorted the women with Darren and the kids to an open doorway to their left. This was the large study of Jerry Bends.

  The kids and Darren were asked to wait in an adjacent room to the right. Darren looked to the women. "What about me?" he asked, grinning. "I think I can add a good voice to this."

  Both women shook their heads, and Jansa replied, "Watch those rascals and keep them out of trouble…please." Darren shooed the ladies away and took Sun and Karma into the nearby waiting room.

  The hustle and bustle in Washington's capital region had taken a toll on her guests, yet Jerry Bends was glad they had all arrived safely, even if both the women appeared tired.

  The Y-Corporation had made huge changes here in recent years, and Jerry Bends was a big part of them. She was one of the people that weren't so keen on the Y-Corporation owning this sacred region. She only supported their efforts because she knew a better outcome would come to be, somewhere down the road. At least, this was the plan.

  The ladies stood before the infamous Jerry Bends. She was a long-haired hippy woman, sitting in her wheelchair due to a crippling injury many years ago.

  Introductions were made. Raegan then gave Miss Bends three bottle of the sisterhood's homemade wine as a gift.

  Jerry got right to the point. "We have an inner-city warehouse full of fighter planes that can be used against the Corporation and the mayor. We also have our own small army of robots and human fighters that we have been working with. And we have anti-aircraft missiles and bazooka-like cannons that can shoot down spacecrafts in the sky."

  The women sat and listened with their eyes wide open.

  She continued without so much as stopping for breath. "The biggest question is, do we try to take out the mayor himself, or do we try to take out the influence that the Y-Corporation has sent to him? I thought about it, and if we take him out, the Corporation will have to listen to us or their beloved state capital will be at our disposal. But will they call our bluff? Will they think we would ever dare destroy these landmarks?"

  Raegan was about to say something, but Jerry went on. "In my opinion, ladies, as much as we would all like to see a democracy return to the States, trying to overthrow the Y-Corporation and their powerful military is just a dream unless we all work together."

  She then wheeled her chair away from her desk and came closer to the women before her.

  "Another option is meeting with Purcell."

  Jansa and Raegan were not so keen on that idea.

  "I see both of you are questioning that statement? Listen, I'm on your side. I know him, he's not the type of man that wants to meet with
you and ambush you; he's too proud of a military brat for that. I think there's some strategic move he's considering."

  A wall-mounted TV screen suddenly burst to life on Jerry's office wall, broadcasting a B-Purcell news announcement.

  The future of the world is where the Y-Corporation will stand tall at the coming year's World Conference of Leaders. Be assured our president, Berlin Purcell, shown here traveling the land and insisting on the safety for all our people, will diligently seek out any who would threaten our beloved country. Our world is in better hands today, the Y-Wood way!

  Jerry and the ladies watched the announcement while shaking their heads. Jerry looked to them and said, "You both look exhausted. Where are my manners? Touring is so tiresome…welcome. Welcome to my humble abode."

  She smiled and added, "Let's end on this thought. How do we topple Washington D.C.? How do we take it from the clutches of the Corporation and find some sort of stability in maintaining our own leadership?"

  Jansa opened her mouth to reply, but Jerry kept on going.

  "I want you to know something before we discuss more details in the morning. Berlin and I were lovers at one time. I personally don't have a vendetta out against him, but let it be known right now, I have no feelings for him in any regard."

  She wheeled her chair back behind her desk and said, "The mayor of Washington is a scumbag; he needs to be taken off his high horse." Raegan swallowed hard at her words. "Scumbag" was a good name for his fat ass. His attempted rape of her was never far from her mind. Jerry added, "If it takes the rest of my life to make Washington a special place, then so be it. In truth, having him in charge makes me utterly sick. That man is a cancer to the nation. He also has secret buildings where he's manufacturing his own weapons, ships, and robot army. He would be president in a second if given the opportunity."

  Miss Bends was going in circles, and both Raegan and Jansa were a bit overwhelmed.

  Then, another announcement came up.