Other links:
Sapphire Angel, Superheroine (Book 1)
Power Play (Book 2)
Deconstruction (this book - Book 3)
Sapphire Angel groaned as she turned onto her back and struggled to keep her eyes open. A cold realization hit her as she lay helpless on the floor. This had all been a trap, designed just for her. She may have avoided the initial bait by not using the elevator access card, but her opponent had forced her into the snare all the same.
She tried to will her arms and legs to move, but they responded by barely sliding an inch along the floor of the elevator. Whatever had been in the gas had packed a wallop. It either had sapped her strength or affected her neurologically — or both. At least the gas seemed to have stopped pouring into the elevator.
The elevator lurched and started climbing. As it rose, and the floors dinged by at a snail’s pace, her sense of foreboding increased. Whoever had done this had plans for her. Possibly big plans.
She tried to move again, and found her condition had improved, but not by much. That gave her hope any damage was temporary, and perhaps she could get out of this mess. But a few seconds later the elevator creaked to a halt, and, with a ding, the elevator doors slid open.
Light flooded the interior of the elevator. Sapphire Angel barely had the strength to crane her neck, but she looked sideways and raised her eyes, spotting a man looking down at her. Even through her hazy vision he was unmistakable. The man in black. He must have taken a stairwell. His face was expressionless, not displaying any shock or glee at seeing the famous superheroine laid out helpless below him, her hair spread about her head, her skirt bunched up at her hips, and the light shimmering off her costume.
Her eyes traveled to his hands, and she squinted to bring her vision into focus. He held a length of thick, black chain. She couldn’t hold back a soft moan of despair.
He stepped forward and slid the chain under her wrists, which were extended above her head. He pulled up on the chain to raise her arms off the floor, before wrapping the chain twice around her wrists. As he held the remaining length of chain in one hand, he took a fistful of her hair with the other, raising her head to expose her throat. He gave the chain a toss with a flick of his wrist, sending it looping halfway around the back of her neck before it fell past her shoulders. He grabbed the dangling end of the chain and repeated the process twice more until the metal links were wrapped around her delicate throat like a collar. When he was finished and released her hair, her head fell back to the floor. The chain ran from his hands, to her throat, down to her bound wrists.
To her surprise, the man released the end of the chain, allowing it to fall from his hands and clatter to the floor. As her eyes found him, he pulled a small object from his pocket, no bigger than a deck of cards, and held it up toward her. A camera. The camera flash filled the elevator as he snapped off photographs of the chained superheroine, before he returned the camera to his pocket. Sapphire Angel let out a dull groan at the feel of the cold steel against her skin, and at the humiliation of his memorialization of her defeat and bondage.
He grabbed the chain again and took a handful of her blond hair. He rose, tugging on both her hair and the chain. She gagged as he forced her to her knees. He pivoted his grip from her hair, slipping his fingers under the edge of costume at her shoulders, and used the costume and the chain to heave her to her feet.
The stunned heroine’s legs were too weak for her to stand on her own, but the stranger was strong, and kept her upright. He jerked her forward, through the elevator door, and she half walked, half slid after him, wincing and suppressing a whimper. The chain and the fabric of her costume stretched taut as he pulled her along.
He marched down a hallway, leading her like an owner might lead a lifeless pet. She lurched after him, her legs giving way every few seconds. With every falter, he pulled her up by the chain, gagging her, to keep her from collapsing to the floor.
As he lead her to an unknown fate, weakness won out and her head sank to her chest. He pulled on the chain again, yanking her head up as he dragged her with him. The gravity of the situation sank over her as they moved down the hall. Eric’s kidnapper had nabbed her, too, and she was in the lair of a company known for its research and development. She swallowed hard, as much as the chain around her throat allowed, and thought of the earlier boasts she had made to Conner. They seemed hollow now.
“Who are you?” she asked in a raspy voice.
“I’m the one who bested you, woman,” the man in black answered, continuing to drag her forward. “That is all you need to know.”
His words revealed the purpose behind the chain. The bonds weren’t necessary, since she was too weak to resist or escape. It was a symbol for him — a symbol of his dominance over her. Of her defeat.
“What are you going to do with me?” she asked.
“I am doing nothing,” the man answered. “I got what I sought, which was to prove I can defeat the woman who many believe to be unbeatable. This should show you your rightful place.”
Sapphire Angel didn’t answer. It was pointless for her to argue he hadn’t defeated her, only captured her in a trap. The man stopped, turned, and glanced back at her. As she sagged, he raised the chain, holding her up. She tried to raise her hands so she might grip the steel links at her throat and release the pressure, but she didn’t have the strength, and her chained wrists fell in front of her.
“The ones who pay me, though, are not done with you,” he continued. “They have not even started what they have planned for you. You greatly interest them.”
With a tug of the chain, the man turned and marched through a doorway, pulling her along with him. She remembered this doorway. It led to the outer room of the Enigma Project. She had visited this place with such an air of regality the day before, all eyes watching her with wonder and admiration. Now she was here, helpless, and led like this man’s pet.
The man in black walked a few last steps until they came to the metal door. She hadn’t gotten past the door during her first visit, and had planned to find a way inside tonight. But not like this. Her captor entered a code into a keypad before the door swung inward. The doorway was wide, allowing him to drag Sapphire Angel into the room by his side.
The room beyond was dimly lit, with the same lab tables and computers she had seen earlier, through the window. She noticed the metal light fixtures hanging over each table. A half-dozen men in white lab coats milled about, but looked up with wide eyes at the sight of the man and his famous captive.
The battered heroine recognized one man as Roy Valik, WarTech’s lead scientist. He had shown a keen interest in her during her tour of the facility, and he now came forward, fidgeting with excitement. He nodded at the man in black.
“Mr. Mantis, well done. I’m sorry for doubting you. I can’t tell you how excited I am to dig deeper into this woman’s secrets.”
Other links:
Sapphire Angel, Superheroine (Book 1)
Power Play (Book 2)
Deconstruction (this book - Book 3)
Another excellent chapter. Nice reference to the 70s Wonder Woman show with that packed a wallop comment. This looks really bad for her, but I like the coldness of Mantis here. He had one job to do, and he did it, what happens next doesn't concern him, he just needed to prove he could defeat her. Even though she might not agree, he did, big time.
What a great story!