Chapter 3 - A Magical Evening
"That shrub goes over there next to the wall.
Hey, you! Put the fern over here next to the statue! I'm not paying you
guys to gawk!" Jill barked at the workers shuffling back and forth from
the mansion bringing in an assortment of potted plants and other items for her
new project. She wanted the area which was being filled with all this
fauna to be a showcase for her talents as a decorator as well it's newly placed
centerpiece.
Running her hands over the edges of the marble
display that stood in the center of the room, she couldn't help but be amazed
by the fact that just yesterday the two women erotically etched in cold marble
had been living breathing people. Jill wondered to herself if they could
still hear or feel anything in their current state of immobilization.
Judging by the amount of "persuasion" Puppet Master had used to make her
accept this job, it was something she could do without finding out personally
any time soon. She had no desire to become another of the statues, or
a blow-up sex doll. For now, Jill decided to concentrate on the room's
look and keeping her benefactor happy... until she could figure a way out of
this nightmare.
Just then, Puppet Master walked in the front doorway
followed by his aide, Shapeshifter, who looked a little bent out of shape by
the expression on her face. They seemed to be quarreling about something that
seemed far more important to Shapeshifter than to her boss.
"You just up and move her out of my room without
telling me? Why the hell would you do that without telling me first?" Shapeshifter
snarled at her employer.
Puppet Master looked at her with a slight look
of amusement on her face. "My dear, I am well aware of the relationship
you two have. That is why I had her moved to a more than secure location
in case our work delays our return here for a length of time. Rest assured,
she won't be causing any problems before the conclusion of our plan," he said
in a smooth manner.
Shapeshifter eyed her employer coldly. "You know
the history we share. If Shimmer comes knocking on my door in the morning,
I'll know who to be talking to..!" she said in a very nasty way.
The villain waved at her dismissively. "You
forget, Shapeshifter, I plan for everything in this affair. Everything has gone
as expected so far. Now, why don't you run along upstairs and relax? You
look a little haggard," he said, pointing in the direction of the bannister
leading upstairs.
Shapeshifter sighed. "All right - for now. I am
feeling a little worn out from the last few days. Maybe a few hours rest
will help me feel better for what's ahead. Wake me when we go out for
your next acquisition," she said as she ascended up the stairs, completely
ignoring Jill and the workers.
Puppet Master followed her up with his eyes. "A shame,
really...oh well.." he muttered softly to himself. After a few seconds
of silence, he turned his attention to Jill, who was standing in the middle
of the waiting area adjusting a plant next to the erotic statuary.
"Jill, this piece looks great! I have one more
addition to make this area really stand out, if they're displayed right," Puppet
Master crowed as he handed her two large plastic bags.
When Jill looked in, she could see clearly by the colors
of the fabric that these were the costumes and undergarments belonging to superheroines
Invisible Woman and Crystal, who now composed the erotic embrace in stone that
was exhibited in the room's center.
She looked up into the beaming face of the man she was
growing to hate more every minute she was coerced into working for him.
"You see, what I think would really add to this room is if you
could find a way to display my lovely statues' former clothing to really make
it stand out who they really are," Puppet Master crowed. "Perhaps draping
the costumes like this.." he said, laying the blue leotard of Invisible Woman
over Sue's rigid white marble arm while doing the same with Crystal's uniform
and lingerie.
Jill walked over and pulled the clothing off the
statue, not wanting to say how garish and crude that looked. "I have a better...
a different idea. Why don't you set up two display cases on the walls
to contain your ..uh.. subjects' clothing? A gold name plate underneath
each with the name and date they came to be part of your collection," she said,
hoping to get Puppet Master on her good side.
Puppet Master nodded, which gave her a sigh of
relief. "Good.. very good! It seems I made a wise choice of bringing you in
to aide me instead of letting Shapeshifter have her way with you, as she wanted.
Well, order the appropriate materials from a framing shop and have them delivered
by tomorrow for installation. I'll need your expertise in a day or so as well
for decorating my game room theme around my latest acquisitions," he concluded
quietly.
Jill was about to say how difficult that might
be when a noise emanated from the study room next to where they were. "You've
got mail ..you've got mail..." echoed the familiar voice repeatedly from an
unattended pc in the room. Puppet Master walked over and glanced
briefly at the screen. "Sender's name is..Phillip.." he murmured before his
head snapped up. "Jill, I have to attend to this; please make those calls right
away and give me some peace and quiet till then," he snapped at the woman in
the doorway.
She would have inquired why, but discretion told
Jill to give the man what he wanted so she closed the door as she walked away
musing how she was going to keep this crazy man happy and avoid Shapeshifter's
transforming hands until she could figure a way out of this predicament.
Interlude
It was a dark and quiet night around the
town that night, especially around the older part of the city where several
abandoned buildings and closed factories stood. Moving quickly and with
great stealth towards one of the buildings were two hooded figures dressed in
dark green from head to toe. Stopping in front of a building marked
Carl and Carla's Ice Treats,
the two strolled past the Closed sign on the front lawn and silently opened
the front door. They then walked to the back of the deserted plant where
they paused, standing in front of a walk-in freezer door. One of them
reached out with a clenched fist and pressed the ring on one of his fingers
into an indentation shaped like a snake. After several seconds, there
was a clicking sound followed by the silent retraction of the door.
Stepping through the threshold that was shrouded
in cold mist and ice crystals, they walked towards the back of the freezer that
looked far bigger inside than from outside. There were several huge blocks of
ice resting together in the formation of a chair or throne; sitting atop these
cubes was a beautiful ice sculpture of a nude woman. The painstaking details
in it, right down to where the legs ended just above the ankles, would have
wowed any sculpture expert observing it. However, the fact that it was
moving of its own accord as she turned to meet the new arrivals indicated that
this was no ordinary piece of nicely shaped ice.
"Mistress Viper, we are hear to report on our
mission," the first man said as he assumed a semi rigid military pose in preparation
for his speech.
"Go ahead, number 17, tell me quickly of your
success. It's getting rather too warm in here for my comfort," Viper replied
as she dumped another bag of ice into her frigid lap. Although Viper could
talk and move, her face was still mostly frozen in an expression of extreme
pleasure that she had felt when she had her private encounter with Shapeshifter
and had been turned into ice. She was found by her agents shortly
after her foe escaped but not before her feet and lower legs had already melted
into a puddle of water. They had brought her here to preserve what remained.
"Ummm... well, we have determined Shapeshifter
is now employed by the Puppet Master. We have sent an agent to infiltrate
Puppet Master's organization and assassinate her, but we have yet to hear back
from her," the man reported with his voice noticeably shaky in tone. He was
shivering uncontrollably while trying to remain at attention.
"Continue.." the icy villainess replied, a tad
impatiently.
"Well, our scientists have been able to stabilize
your condition as it is now but have yet figure out how to revert you to human
form. They have a few theories so far, but nothing more," the man
said with his voice growing fainter by the end.
If the men weren't aware of the fact that the
Viper's face was for the most part static, they would have sworn that a glint
of intense anger was briefly visible in her eyes. She tapped her fingers
so hard on the sides of the ice blocks she sat upon that small chips of ice
flew off it in all directions.
Viper looked at the speaker icily. "They can do nothing
more.. am I to be in this form forever? " she inquired of her aide.
"Umm, nothing yet. You'll just have to learn
to, well, live with it for now," the aide replied flippantly. He craved
his next cup of hot coffee.
"Number twenty-six, is there anything you wish
to add to this report?" Viper asked the other aide, never taking her eye off
the first.
"Other than I fully expect our scientists will
achieve a breakthrough soon...that's all for now, Mistress Viper," the man said,
mentally wishing he were somewhere else right about now.
Viper nodded. "Very well. Number twenty-six,
dispose of your compatriot now," she said coldly.
Before number seventeen could react or try and
change the icy Viper's wishes, there was a quiet CHUFF! followed by a slowly
spreading patch of crimson spreading across his chest. He toppled to the floor,
dead, with a small trickle of blood emanating from his mouth and a look of surprise
still visible in his lifeless eyes. Already, ice crystals were forming
in his hair.
Viper glared at the remaining man. "Contrary to
the old adage, I do wish to kill the messenger who bears me bad news.
Tell those scientists I want a report from them — in person — by the
end of the week and they better have a cure for me by then. Do you
understand, number twenty-five?" she inquired. "I do hope you will
not bring me more bad news..."
The henchman nodded, backing out of the
room quickly after she dismissed him with a flick of her frozen hand.
As he was leaving the freezer, he could hear Viper yelling into her cell phone
for someone to make it colder in there immediately. The newly promoted
man made a mental note to find out the ranking in the organization of the scientists
who would have to make the report Viper requested. "After all, it could mean
another promotion for me if today was any indication ... " he thought to
himself as he scurried out, shivering, into the night air.
End interlude
The
audience laughed and applauded loudly at the sight of the chubby man on the
stage wearing nothing but a pair of boxer shorts. Next to him, a woman
wearing a blue and black magician's outfit, complete with top hat and fishnet
stockings, was gesturing towards a cage where a bear cub paced back and forth
wearing a T-shirt and pants.
"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you all
enjoyed tonight's show of magic and mystery. I think Bernie here might
be looking to borrow some clothing from some of you as the current wearer might
be unwilling to give them up," the woman said to great laughter from the
audience.
"Thanks again and I hope the rest of your evening
is as magical as it has been here!" she said with a flourish before uttering
several unintelligible words. There was a brilliant flash of light and
smoke around the magician and when it dissipated after a few seconds, the woman
was nowhere to be seen. The crowd roared in approval once more and applauded
for several minutes before filing out towards the exits.
Backstage, the magician walked through the work area,
accepting kudos from various stage hands and fans. "Congratulations, Zatanna!
Another great show! The crowds get bigger and more every time you perform,"
exulted a thin man with a blue cape and graying hair at the temples. "You really
should join me at my next meeting with Clea. She's always wanted to see
how she compares to you in style and grace."
Zatanna shook her head. "Sorry, Steven, but between
my stage work and the occasional dimensional travel to fight assorted demons
in other realms, my plate's pretty full. Some other time, my good friend.
Have a good night!" she said, giving the man a big hug before he strolled off.
After the staff, custodians, and fans had all
gone home for the night, Zatanna wandered out onto the stage musing over her
life to date. Few people knew that outside of her magic act, Zatanna was
a powerful sorceress whose unique spells spoken backwards made her a formidable
combat in any battle. Despite her many adventures combating evil around
the world as well as in foreboding realms of demons and devils, she still preferred
the simple task as making someone happy with the pulling of a rabbit from a
hat.
Zatanna's private musings were interrupted by
the approach of two figures who were mounting the stairs from the audience area
onto the stage . One was a brunette garbed in a long tan raincoat and
dark sunglasses, which was rather odd for this time of night. The other
was a plump red haired man in an expensive tuxedo who seemed extremely happy
judging by his expression.
"Congratulations, young woman, on a fantastic
performance. Me and my wife thought we'd wait till after everyone was gone to
congratulate you and also inquire about your availability for, um, private performances,"
the man said while extending his hand in gratitude.
Zatanna was about to accept the man's outstretched
hand when her eyes narrowed for a second as though she had suddenly recognized
something about these two. Without warning, she inhaled deeply and stepped
back a step or two with her arms raised in front of the pair.
"Sdnab fo ygrene parw dnoura ym seof dna peek
meht ta yab! intoned the sorceress, using her unique brand of magic.
Energy crackled from her fingertips and shot forward around the two people in
front of her. They fell to the ground wriggling against the binding rings
of crackling electricity. In his struggle, the man's wig fell off revealing
himself to be the villainous Puppet Master.
"Did you really think I would be fooled by such a cheesy
disguise, Puppet Master? My father told me all about his encounters with
both your father and you. Now, while you and whoever your friend is are
tied up, I'll be calling the appropriate authorities," Zatanna said as
she started to walk off the stage towards a nearby pay phone.
"There's no need to call anyone, my dear.
Why don't you come over here instead?" a different voice called out from the
shadows in a husky timbre.
Zatanna stepped towards the shadows with arms
clenched at her sides, ready for trouble. "Who's there? Come out and show yourself,
mister," she called out.
The figure stepped out to reveal himself.
He looked like a mixture of baboon and man with a large nose and claw like hands.
His dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail; with his attire of a bright green
uniform and red boots he looked quite garish, to say the least.
"I am The Mandrill, my dear, and I love all women
— especially you, my dear. Don't you love me as well, dear Zatanna?"
he said beguilingly, looking deep into her eyes.
"I... I don't want to.." Zatanna
struggled to say at the same time a smell of something powerful was overwhelming
her senses and affecting her ability to think clearly. She raised her
hands weakly in preparation to cast a defensive spell.
"You don't fear me. In fact, you only wish
to serve and obey me, don't you?" Mandrill intoned as he gently grasped
her left hand.
"I...can't... I...won't..." stammered Zatanna
as she felt her force of will being washed away from her. She wanted to
turn away, but her very being was overwhelmed by the garish man standing in
front of her.
Zatanna closed her eyes for a few seconds and
then opened them again with a vacant stare. "I serve The Mandrill's cause,"
she intoned, without a shred of resistance in her dazed voice. She let
her free hand fall to her side as she prepared to carry out Mandrill's every
desire.
Mandrill laughed softly as he leaned forward to
whisper a few words in Zatanna's ear. Wordlessly, she turned around and
with a slight gesture of her hands the energy surrounding Puppet Master and
Shapeshifter dissipated immediately. Zatana continued to stare blankly
at them.
Puppet Master stood up and brushed himself off.
"Very good, Mandrill. You have her completely enthralled. Do you remember
the second part of our agreement?" he prodded the man-beast, who was running
his large hands over the immobile heroine.
Mandrill nodded slowly and leaned over near Zatanna's
left ear once again. After several seconds of talk and a few gestures, he stood
up and said softly, "Go ahead, my dear. Prove your love to me now..."
Zatanna nodded happily and, raising her forearms,
began to chant:
"
ekam ym ydob worg niht dna thgil
erusaelP
lliw llif em nehw I ma delnah,
ydoB
lliw won eb edam of letam dna citsalp
teY
I lliw eb hsawa ni ysatce yltnatsnoc. "
When she finished intoning her spell, a
glow surrounded her almost immediately. She found her own body becoming
slimmer and lighter by the second. She couldn't move a single limb at
all, yet she felt extremely happy. As she found herself becoming thinner,
she literally toppled back onto the floor with a loud CLANG!!. She couldn't
move or talk in the slightest yet was extremely happy as she was making her
love Mandrill happy. All she thought of as her mind faded with the completion
of her self-transformation was of looking great and feeling so good. She
now resembled a neon sign such as one would see in the local pool halls or as
over motel signage.
Puppet Master looked down on what now was a life-sized
sheet of bronze with Zatanna's image embossed on it. He nodded to Shapeshifter,
who was still pulling herself to her feet with a great deal of effort,
"My dear, could you please finish up with my newest acquistion?" he said a tad
impatiently.
Shapeshifter nodded slowly as she pulled out a
piece of iron with a wire attached to it. She used her raw strength to
merge it with the living sign that was Zatanna. After she had finished it, she
plugged in the sign to see the desired effect.
The neon flickered on as the electricity coursed
through it. As the word GREAT lit up, Zatanna's face lit up too
with a bright glow of energy. When the word FEATS lit up,
the rest of her shapely body lit up, creating quite a pleasant sight of a profiled
look to the sexy magician. Finally, when the part of MAGIC became
illumunated, the sign flickered for several seconds and as it did, the clothes
on Zatanna literally disappeared revealing the nude form of Zatanna from her
bare breasts with visible left nipple down to her bare thigh and foot.
Puppet Master clasped his hands in happiness. "Excellent!
This will look spectacular in my game room! Gather it up, Shapeshifter, while
I conclude my business with Mandrill," he said happily.
Shapeshifter bent down and unplugged the sign
but then fell to one knee with a loud sigh of exhaustion. Mandrill moved
over next to her. "I can help you if you want, my dear. Help you to love
me..." he said, softly.
"URRKKK!!! " Mandrill struggled to talk as a firm hand
grappled him around his neck. As Shapeshifter held him, she looked him
square in the eyes. "Never try that crap with me, buster !!" she hissed
menacingly. She then threw the villain back towards the stunned Puppet
Master, who nodded as if he had expected all this.
Once he recovered his composure, Mandrill quickly
took his payment from Puppet Master and disappeared without a backward glance.
Puppet Master watched him go and then turned his attention to his employee and
his latest artwork.
"Shapeshifter, we need to talk.." he intoned in
an urgent manner. "You need to know a few things about yourself and your current
condition. Let's take my newest acquisition back to the mansion and then
we'll talk there."
Puppet Master took one final chance to run his
hand over the living neon sign, noting how the figure was raised ever so slightly
outward so he could almost feel the living person trapped within it. Smiling,
he walked off the stage cradling the sign in his hands thinking how Jill would
display it back home. Shapeshifter followed a few seconds afterward, unsteady
on her feet but resolved to get answers from the smug and arrogant Puppet Master..one
way or another...
Next : Somewhere in the night...