Heavenly Hawk leaned over her shoulder. "But if you had this formula, why didn't you share the vaccine with everyone else? To protect them?"
"Because if the formula became public knowledge, Aphrodisia might come up with an antidote to it. It's safer with me. " Nora looked at Paragon. "But it won't help. I mean, not with all of you. It's very hard to make so I only have one dose left, and it'll take me a long time to synthesize more."
Paragon nodded. "That's okay. Electronica, you're a hologram, so you can't be controlled by Aphrodisia, right?"
Electronica turned towards him. "Affirmative."
"So if I take the last dose, me and Electronica will be immune to her. Nora, the three of us can take on Aphrodisia."
Nora went to a workbench and took a syringe from a cabinet. "Two of you. I'm not going."
He paused. "Wh-what?"
Nora inserted the syringe into the rubber cap of the vial and began filling it. "Paragon, why do you think I've been here this whole time? Why do you think I haven't come back?"
"Because you were scared, but that's all over now. We--"
"No, it's not over. I can't go back to being the Night Watchman. I failed. When my team needed me the most, I ran away. You can't trust me. I can't even trust myself."
Nora pulled the syringe out of the vial and beckoned to him. "Roll up your sleeve on your dominant arm."
He began rolling up the sleeve on his right arm. "Look, Nora, I understand you're upset but we need you."
"No, you don't. You just need this." She poked the needle into his arm. "Uh, I don't have a needle strong enough to break through your skin."
"Oh, here." He tapped his shoulder to change back to Ryan Walker.
She didn't seem surprised by his normal appearance, only jabbed the needle into his arm and pushed the plunger. "With this, you can walk right up and punch her. You don't need me."
"Yes, we do. You--"
"Enough!" Nora yanked out the syringe and glared up at him with blazing eyes. "Don't you understand? It's over. I'm not as good as my father or my mother. I've already ruined their legacy with my-my cowardice. I'm never putting on the armor again. Ever."
She slammed the syringe down so hard on a counter that he thought it would break. "Now I'll try to make two more doses of the Aphrodisia vaccine, but that'll take some time. And when I'm done, you're leaving and you're not coming back. I'm done with the Night Watchman. Forever."
She went to a wall with rows of chemicals and began to take some of the bottles down.
He looked at Heavenly Hawk, who walked over to Nora.
"Nora," she said, "I know you're frustrated, scared, disappointed, but you have to come with us. We believe Aphrodisia is trying to increase her power. She could hurt far more people. Maybe the whole city."
Nora opened a machine and slipped the bottles into slots inside it. "I know that. That's what Aphrodisia has always wanted. More power. And I know that you can handle her. I've been following your exploits. You're an extraordinary team."
"Honey, I know you feel guilty, but this isn't the way to deal with it."
Nora pushed buttons on the machine. "It's too late, Hawk. The Night Watchman is dead. And he's not coming back."
Ryan changed himself back to Paragon, and looked at Heavenly Hawk and Alley Cat. Cat shrugged and Hawk shook her head.
"Okay," Paragon sighed. "If that's what you want."
Nora watched as the machine began spinning the bottles in a centrifuge.
Paragon crossed his arms over his chest while walking over to Hawk and Cat.
Heavenly Hawk shook her head. "She means it."
"I know. But I can't believe it. I can't believe she would just give up being the Night Watchman. We have to be able to change her mind."
Alley Cat smirked. "Maybe I can give her a kiss?"
Hawk rolled her eyes at her. "Honestly, Cat, how would that help the situation?"
Alley Cat looked over her shoulder at Nora, typing on a computer. "Not sure it would. I just wanna kiss her, that's all. She's got a hot nerdy librarian thing going on."
Nora looked up at Paragon. "So I know Heavenly Hawk, and I know Alley Cat, although I'm surprised she's on the right side of the law now. And you know about me. Tell me about yourself, Paragon."
Paragon looked down while running his fingers through his hair. "Well, uh, my real name's Ryan Walker. You saw me earlier when I changed. I was part of an experiment to make a new kind of ATLAS implant, and it worked. My implant levels up the more I use it, so I get more powerful."
He jerked his thumb at Electronica. "She's actually my ATLAS implant."
Nora paused while typing on her computer. "She's your implant. What does that even mean?"
"It means she's a holographic representation of an artificial intelligence that runs my implant. Technically, I have Electrical Manipulation as one of my powers, but only she gets to use it. Sort of."
Nora leaned closer to study Electronica. "Amazing. I read some research on the next generation of ATLAS implants that could lead to this, but never thought we were even close to achieving it."
Paragon exhaled. "Well, Doctor Sakamoto--"
Nora looked up at him sharply. "Doctor Sakamoto? Was he the one who made your implant?"
"Yup."
"That makes sense." Nora went back to her computer. "He was light years ahead of everyone else."
"But that's the thing. He turned out to be an alien. And he said that Genghis Khan was an alien who spread his extraterrestrial DNA through the human race, and that's why we can activate our powers. He said the same race of aliens caused the Roswell crash to give us the technology to create the implants, and that it had something to do with saving the world."
Nora stared at him for a few seconds. "There are so many things to unpack in that."
An alarm went off, and one of the screens mounted on the wall lit up. It showed a map of Eros City with a glowing circle on it. Nora went to the screen and dragged her finger across it to zoom in on the circle.
"It's Aphrodisia," she said. "I've been monitoring the police bands and Internet traffic for mention of her. Looks like she's been sighted at the Club Majesty. You can stop her there."
Paragon reached out a hand to her. "I want you to know I admire your work. When I was a kid, my parents were killed and I was saved by a superhero. That made me want to be a superhero. But of all the superheroes I wanted to be, you inspired me the most."
She shook her head and turned away. "No, that was my mother and father."
"No, it was you. Ten years ago, I was just a kid and you were one of my favorite heroes. Other kids read comics about real heroes like Captain Alpha. Others liked fake heroes like Superman and Batman. But I would read the news to find stories about you. Growing up, you were the Night Watchman I loved and admired. And I thank you for your service."
Nora kept her head down but nodded. "Well, I appreciate that, but it doesn't change my mind. The vaccine should be working now."
Paragon turned to Heavenly Hawk and Alley Cat. "You stay here with Nora. Electronica and I will go there. Wish us luck."
Chapter 14
THE CLUB Majesty was always busy and Paragon had never been able to get inside before tonight. It normally had men and women lined up in front of the door behind a velvet rope, and tonight was no exception. The difference was that the men and women were all having sex.
A cluster of naked people embraced or entangled themselves with each other in a wall of flesh in front of the club's front door. Even the huge bouncer who usually decided who was cool enough to enter had his clothes off, and pounded away at a nude woman with a snake tattoo on her ass.
When Paragon landed on the street and faced the crowd, he turned to Electronica. "I guess we don't have to wonder if Aphrodisia is here."
She turned her glowing blue eyes towards him. "Affirmative. The abundance of sexual activity would indicate that she is."
He nodded. "That was a joke. We gotta get you a sense of humor."
> "Affirmative."
He walked towards the orgy blocking the way. He wasn't sure if they would attack him or not and tensed his muscles, just in case. The group looked up at him and a few women reached out to grope his legs and crotch, but none of them threw a punch or anything.
As he came closer, Paragon checked himself to see if he felt any different. While everyone else seemed to be under Aphrodisia's spell, he felt the same. The vaccine that Nora gave him seemed to be working.
While one dark-haired woman moaned and tried to pull down his pants, Paragon gently moved the crowd aside so he could open the door of the club.
Music thundered through the hall, along with the gasps and moans of sex. Even with the dim light, he could see tangles of men and women scattered on the dance floor and bar area. Even the DJ standing on a platform over the crowd humped a slender woman bent over his console. The hot and steamy air hung thick with the musk of sex.
Paragon cupped his hands over his mouth. "Aphrodisia, I know you're here! Come on out!"
On the second floor balcony overlooking the dance floor, a door opened and Aphrodisia stepped out with her usual coy smile, followed by Doctor Horne and two big guys. She carried a large bottle of a blue fluid.
NEW MISSION: DEFEAT APHRODISIA
REWARD: 30,000 XP
"Oh, Paragon, my newest lover," she sighed. "So good to see you again, baby. I think it's time you joined me. On your knees."
For a moment, he felt a surge of panic at her command. Would the vaccine work or had she just been letting him off easy? Paragon braced himself for a flood of excitement and a desperate desire to please her like he had gotten last time. He felt nothing.
Her smile began to fade as he stood below her, unmoving.
He couldn't help smiling as he got nothing from her. The vaccine really worked. "Sorry, baby. Not happening."
Her thick lips pushed into a pout. "Aw, you must have gotten that annoying vaccine from the Night Watchman. Such a shame. I would have enjoyed having you as my slave. No matter. I have other toys to play with."
She held up a hand and snapped her fingers.
Two doors opened on the first floor. A thin man in an orange bodysuit came running out of one, and Goo Girl burst out of the other.
GOO GIRL
Level 11 - Body Class
STR: 30
SPD: 5
DEF: 30
INT: 1
HEALTH: 110
PWR: 94
Paragon instantly recognized the man in the bodysuit, but the villain's ATLAS stats popped up on his vision, anyway.
GUNSLINGER
Level 10 - Skill Class
STR: 25
SPD: 20
DEF: 15
INT: 1
HEALTH: 1000/1000
PWR: 105
NEW MISSION: DEFEAT GUNSLINGER
REWARD: 1,000 XP
NEW MISSION: DEFEAT GOO GIRL
REWARD: 1,000 XP
Gunslinger had the power to make guns of any kind appear in his hands, along with infinite ammo. He did just that now as two submachine guns popped into his hands and he began to fire.
The spray of bullets just bounced off Paragon's skin, but the stray hit the walls and ceiling, and some of the citizens clustered along the walls and floor. They screamed and clutched at themselves, but those around the injured didn't react or try to protect themselves. Paragon knew that his bulletproof skin meant he didn't have much to worry about from Gunslinger, but the collateral damage could kill others.
He was more worried about Goo Girl who came out in human form but quickly turned her torso into a giant fist that thrust out at him. He let her slam into his chest, knocking him back, but grabbed hold of the fist to pull her along with him. The two of them hit a wall of the club, and he hung on, forcing her to snap her legs to him like a rubber band.
Electronica just floated in the middle of the club as the bullets passed through her ghostly body. She looked more curious than angry.
Paragon realized she was more of a robot than a person, and she didn't seem capable of acting on her own. He needed to give her directions.
"Fight," Paragon yelled at her. "Protect the people!"
"Affirmative." Electronica stretched her hands out, and shot a burst of lightning at Gunslinger.
The villain leaped into the crowd faster than Paragon thought possible, dodging the blast while firing more shots at her. The crowd became human shields for him as he raced through them, ignoring as the men and women fell. His bullets passed through her again, but punched holes in the wall behind her.
Paragon wrapped his arms around Goo Girl's waist, but she turned thin and slipped right through while curling down to punch him in the jaw. She was incredibly strong, strong enough to knock him into the wall, even though the punch itself didn't do much damage.
Electronica looked down at the bullets whipping through her. "I must protect."
She made a wall of electricity that formed a spider web in front of her. Where the bullets hit the energy web, they sizzled and fell to the ground. She launched another bolt of lightning, but Gunslinger just dove for cover behind the DJ booth, and continued to fire.
As Electronica and Gunslinger traded bullets and lightning, Paragon tried to grapple with Goo Girl. Once again, she literally slipped through his fingers, leaving trails of her green slime on his hands and arms. As she squirmed around his body in coils like a python, he looked into her hollow eyes.
"You can fight this," he growled. "You've got to fight her control."
Her cheeks puffed out as she smiled. "Who says I'm under her control? I've wanted you since you first tried to punch me."
She pressed her lips against his while she pinned him against the wall of the club, and he wanted to panic, but it felt surprisingly good. Her mouth felt warm and moist, but no more than any other mouth he'd kissed. Her body tightened around his chest and arms, but not hard enough to crush, only like an embrace. He felt the movement of her body over his crotch and started to get turned on, but he didn't think it was because of Aphrodisia.
He couldn't let himself get distracted, though. Every second he fought Goo Girl gave Aphrodisia more time to escape.
When he tried to pull himself away from her, he found he couldn't move. Her gelatinous body pinned him against the wall, and seemed stuck like glue. Even with all his Strength power, he couldn't even lift his arms, let alone tear himself away.
She could move, though, and did. Her body rippled down until it gathered around his waist. The goo flowed into the waistband of his pants and pulled them down. His hardening cock came out and sank into her body like being encased in hot, rippling Jell-O.
Her face still twisted in front of him as her smile widened. "Yeah, you like that, huh? I know you do. I can change into whatever I want, and I can make you feel whatever I want."
He looked down and he could see through her entire body to his cock pulsing inside her. He could feel movement, and saw a rippling motion like something vibrating the slime encasing his shaft. It felt good, so good that he grew inside her, and he had to clench his teeth to stay focused.
"Stop it," Paragon snarled. "This isn't the time or the place."
"Sure it is, baby. Aphrodisia said she wanted me to take you down. She didn't say how." Goo Girl kissed him again.
At the same time, he felt a sensation of pulling on his cock in a steady rhythm like suction. When he looked down again, he saw the part of her body engulfing his cock had changed into a second head with a mouth wrapped around him. The smooth and rippling mouth teased and stroked his member like he'd never felt before.
He knew the sight of the pulsating two-headed woman should have freaked him out, but it actually turned him on a little. She had an incredibly unreal body, and could change into any shape and that had a lot of possibilities in the bedroom.
He told himself to get his mind out of his pants. He was here to fight supervillains, not have sex with them.
Goo Girl pulled his face back up to
kiss him again, and as her head on top pressed her tongue into his mouth, the taste of mint grew as it sank deeper into his throat until he started to gag. At the same time, he felt her lower head sucking harder and harder until he broke out in a sweat and his balls began to tighten.
He wanted to cum, but he wouldn't. He could see and hear Electronica and Gunslinger trading shots and people screaming. He couldn't just stand there and let it happen.
Then the bullets swept towards him, and they made loud thumps as they plunged into Goo Girl, and he could see the casings sink into her back, slow, and come to a stop inside her. The other bullets shredded the wall around him.
Goo Girl pulled her face away from Paragon and spat the bullets onto the floor before turning to yell at Gunslinger, "Hey, watch where you're shooting!"
Gunslinger yelled, "My bullets just pass right through this blue chick! I'm takin' the big guy down!"
He fired more rounds at Goo Girl and she yelled in pain as the bullets punched into her.
Paragon roared as he pushed forward with all his strength. The parts of Goo Girl stuck to the wall stayed put, but the wall itself tore apart. Chunks of wood and plaster went flying as Paragon lunged forward, and Goo Girl screamed as he tumbled onto her. He bounced on her like a balloon, but swept her up before she could turn soft and hurled her at Gunslinger.
Gunslinger leaped aside to avoid the green blob, and Goo Girl splattered on the wall next to him. Electronica seized her chance to hurl a bolt. This time, the lightning hit him, and Gunslinger screamed as his arms and legs jerked. The guns in his hands fell to the ground.
Electronica fired a lightning bolt at Goo Girl who also cried out before dissolving into a green pool on the floor.
MISSION COMPLETE
+1,000 XP
Super Babes 2: A Superhero LitRPG Adventure Page 12
