A Crimson Marvel - Part 4

Crimson Dynamo Origins Series


A Crimson Marvel 


Part 4 - New Friends and New Threads



"Mindy...come on...wake up Mindy..." Melinda could just barely hear the words as she slowly woke up, a strong odor filling her nostrils as her mind started to swim up out of the dark depths of unconsciousness. "Come on hon, no time for a nap..." A humorous chuckle followed that statement and Melinda slowly opened her eyes and wrinkled her nose at the strong scent. "There we go! Sleeping beauty awakens!" A familiar voice laughed and Mindy blinked her eyes a few times as her vision focused, the vision of a masked redhead greeting her as she became fully aware. "Crimson? What...? Unnngh...my head....where...where are we?" Mindy slowly looked around, realizing that they were now outside under the star filled sky, a cool evening breeze brushing against her exposed skin and causing her long red hair to flutter about. The events of the evening came rushing back into Mindy's mind, being captured by Kotetsu's cyborgs, Crimson's rescue, and finally their last ditch gambit and battle against the power armored villain. The blue and yellow clad heroine had been through quite a bit, including a few EMP draining blasts to her normally potent powers. Her body felt a little sore, but otherwise she seemed to be ok. In fact, Mindy could feel her energy levels recovering at a fairly quick pace. "Take it easy, try not to move around too much, been a rough night..." Mindy gave a little chuckle and offered Crimson a sheepish smile as she started to look around, noticing for the first time she was in a half sitting position with Crimson supporting her with an arm around her back. "That's an understatement, but I'm starting to feel better..." Crimson nodded and smiled as she looked over to the side. "Figured it might help bringing you up here, some fresh air and fresh juice...though you still were determined to take a nap, had to break out the smelling salts..." Mindy nodded and followed Crimson's gaze, grinning as she spotted a large power transformer only a few feet away. Her body was naturally drawing some energy off of the active electric system and that was helping her recover her wits and strength a bit faster. "Clever...just like the batteries earlier..." She remarked and looked back to Crimson with a smile. "Yep, figured you had some ability to draw energy from certain power sources, it was worth a shot." 


Mindy finally felt the soreness leaving her muscles and put her yellow gloved hands against the ground, giving a little grunt as she started to push herself up. Crimson supported her and helped her stand on her yellow booted feet, keeping her steady until the powerful redhead got her legs back under her. "Phew...what a night, that guy is a real creep..." Crimson laughed and gave Mindy a reassuring pat on the back. "You have no idea...seems like he is always in my hair." Mindy shook her head and for the first time noticed the blue and red light show flickering off the nearby building. "Police?" Crimson nodded and slowly the two of them walked over towards the edge of the rooftop. "Yeah, after I got you out of the building I went back in for the tin can man, dragged him out and called the cavalry. They'll have some nice accommodations for him..." Crimson's voice trailed off and the black clad redhead gave an annoyed sigh. "Doubt he'll be in for long though, he always finds a way to slip out..." It was Mindy's turn to offer her fellow redhead a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Try not to sound so optimistic..." She teased, which drew a chuckle from Crimson. "Either way, thanks for saving my butt back there, I'm not sure what I would have done if you hadn't shown up." Crimson shrugged and smiled. "I'm sure you would have figured something out, but it's good to have back up. Besides, you kept his deranged metallic playthings from nabbing me the other day, so it's nice to have someone to help out when things go south." Mindy nodded and then gave a sigh of her own as she looked at Crimson's costume, then glanced down her body at her own blue and yellow suit. "So much for this costume...I really liked this one..." She muttered as she looked back at Crimson. "I look like I've been through hell, and you don't have a scratch on you after that beating we took...how is that possible?" Crimson gave a little grin and looked down her own costume. "Special fabric, leather like, thin and light weight, but can stop bullets and knives...and it self regenerates..." Mindy raised an eyebrow at all of Crimson's fantastic claims. "I could explain how it works, but it would take far too long...I'll just say I have a scientist friend squirreled away somewhere that is super handy with costumes and gadgets.


"That's pretty amazing, I could use a fabric like that..." Mindy glanced down at the damage that had been done to her costume, including the little singed holes in the once pristine blue fabric. Crimson began to circle her, looking up and down her body at the various bits and pieces of her uniform. "Hmm...well I think I could probably put in a word with my friend, I'm sure she could cook something up for you similar to what you have, stylish, sexy, but still practical for your powers and abilities." Mindy perked up at the suggestion and gave a little excited smile. "Really?" Crimson nodded. "Of course, kind of a welcome to town, thanks for helping me out with crazy cyborg man gift..." Both women started to laugh at that and Mindy shook her head before grinning sheepishly. "As long as I'm not imposing...I mean I..." She stopped as Crimson held up a red gloved hand. "Oh no, I insist, and trust me, she'll love getting the chance to work with another super heroine. I'll give her a call here in a bit and set something up for you, she's a bit of a work-a-holic, but I'm sure she can find time for you!" Mindy smiled wide, her mood having perked up quite a bit since earlier in the evening. "That sounds awesome!" Crimson nodded and grinned at her new friend's excitement. Both women suddenly looked over as they heard the sound of multiple vehicles pulling away from the building. "Well looks like they are taking doc off to his new home...good riddance I say, at least for a few months until he gets out..." Crimson quipped. Mindy playfully rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I guess we need to work on your optimism a bit..." Crimson laughed and shook her head. "Maybe, but for right now I think I'd be happy with a cold soda and a slice of pepperoni...you want to join me? I know a great little street vendor near campus that stays out all night, sells pizza to all the kids coming in late from the bars." Mindy was about to say something when a low grumble was heard from her stomach. "Yeah...I could definitely use some food right about now, and it will give us a chance to get to know each other more!" Crimson nodded and slowly rose into the sky under the power of her repulsor boots, Mindy following right behind her as her red cape fluttered in the wind. "Follow me! If you can keep up..." Crimson said with a grin and a playful wink before blasting off into the night sky, her new friend grinning before chasing after her in a blur of blue and yellow.


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Mindy felt the warm evening air in her hair as she slowly descended from the sky, her yellow boots touching down softly in the parking lot of a small building as the red haired heroine surveyed the area she had just landed in. It had been a few minute flight to the outskirts of Steel City, but this was the address Crimson had provided her with. The statuesque heroine brushed her free hand through her hair and then looked over at the building, a small one story nondescript office that was shaded from the setting sun by large leafy trees. There were no other vehicles in the small parking lot, which Mindy guessed was normal for this time of night, but overall there was nothing remarkable about the place. "Hope this is the right place, doesn't look like anyone is home...or like much of a lab facility..." Mindy began to slowly walk towards the building, though her senses were a bit on edge as she moved closer to the main entrance. Her cape fluttered behind her and her boots clicked sharply off of the concrete as the powerful heroine strode up to the front entrance and pressed the call button on the main intercom. "Yes...who is it?" A feminine voice greeted the lovely heroine and Mindy leaned over to talk into the intercom. "It's uh...Mindy Marvel...I have an appointment...Crimson sent me?" Mindy wasn't sure why she sounded so hesitant, but after the past evening spent in the company of Doctor Kotetsu and his cyborgs, she was still a little on edge. There was a pause on the other end of the intercom and then the same voice came back on. "Ah! Mindy Marvel!! The new heroine in town! Crimson told me all about you!! You're here to get some help with your costume?" Mindy nodded to herself. "Yep, that's me..." She said, trying to sound as cheerful as possible as she took another look around the building, almost expecting a trap. She glanced back at the door again when she heard a beeping noise and then heard a soft click as the door in front of her unlocked. "Come on in! I'll be right with you!!" The feminine voice on the other end of the intercom sounded cheerful and excited, and Crimson had already warned Mindy that the scientist named Tiffany Johnson might fan girl out a bit when first meeting her. "Well, here goes nothing..." Mindy said with a hint of nervousness as she reached out with a yellow gloved hand and took a hold of the door handle. 


She opened the door and walked into a small lobby area, complete with a receptionists desk and a few comfortable looking leather couches. There was a large flat screen television on the wall and magazines on the table for visitors to read, but the television was off and the lights were dimmed. No one seemed to be around. Mindy narrowed her eyes as she looked around, her sharp mind trying to assess her surroundings. She was getting an odd vibe about the place from what she had seen so far, but her train of thought was interrupted when she heard a door at the end of the hallway being unlocked. "Miss Marvel, or do you prefer Mindy?" A pleasant voice greeted the heroine. "Either way, a pleasure to meet you!" A tall red haired woman walked into the hallway and strode towards Mindy, the heroine recognizing the sound of her voice from the intercom. The redhead had on a perfectly tailored and form fitting white dress shirt that was buttoned to the collar and tucked into a black pencil skirt touched just above her knees.  Opaque stockings covered her slender legs all the way down into a pair of calf high black high heeled dress boots. She also wore a long white lab coat and a pair of thin rimmed glasses, her lovely red hair held in a loose bun at the back of her head. Mindy couldn't help but let her eyes linger on the woman for a moment, admiring her beauty despite her serious appearance, thinking that if she removed the lab coat she'd be the picture perfect board room queen in a power suit. Every inch of her outfit was perfectly tailored to accent her athletic build, though she had an air of humility about her as extended her hand towards Mindy. "You must be Dr. Johnson, not exactly what I expected..." Mindy said as she extended her hand, hoping she didn't sound too offensive with her comment. The redhead laughed and gave Mindy a firm hand shake. "Well, you're a super heroine, I guess it is rare you are surprised, being so amazing yourself..." She gave a little grin and Mindy smiled the compliment, composing herself a moment later as her mind returned to business at hand. "Please, call me Tiffany, doctor sounds way too formal..." The redhead said with a smile as she motioned towards the far door and beckoned for Mindy to follow her. 


"So you are here for some help with your costume?" Tiffany inquired as she led Mindy through the building's interior, pausing for a moment to punch in a few keys on a security pad near a heavy look door. "Yes, I like the design, just need a bit of help with the durability aspect of it...Crimson said you might be able to assist me with that..." There was a beep and a flash of green from the access keypad and then the door hissed open, Tiffany ushering Mindy through into a brightly lit lab room. "I think I might be able to help with that, and you're right, it is a great look, nothing we need to work on there!" Mindy's eyes went a little wide as she took in Tiffany's lab, the room she was in now was full of all sorts of hi-tech equipment, some of it she didn't even recognize and she had seen her own share of high end laboratories in her travels. Tiffany led her over to a small row of computers, next to what looked like a vertical x-ray scanner that airport security often used to screen passengers. There was a small partition set up off to the side, and Mindy could just make out a little folding table set up behind it. "Alright, first we need to get some measurements, and then we can work on final adjustments and any little aesthetic things you might want to change with your suit." Tiffany noticed that Mindy was eyeing up the vertical scanner with a suspicious look in her eyes. "Don't worry, it's just a scanner, will give me perfect measurements for the fabric...nothing to worry about!" Mindy nodded and looked over towards the partition as Tiffany pointed towards it. "There's a changing table there you can put your costume for now, I'll need you to strip down to your underwear for the scan, in privacy of course, I'll be over here with the equipment while your scan takes place." Mindy nodded to indicate she understood and then stepped over behind the partition, slowly removing her cape and then her knee high yellow boots, her gloves and skirt soon following as she tried to shake of her nerves about stepping into the scanner. Finally she was clad in just her light blue sports bra and panties, her amazing athletic physique now revealed as she stepped towards the scanner. There was a place indicated for her feet so she stepped onto it and looked around the inside of the device. 


"Just hold still for a few minutes, arms at your sides and look straight ahead at the display. It will tell you when to raise and lower your arms and when to move your legs. We'll need to test your range of motion for the fitting." There was a low hum as the machine began to power up and Mindy felt that nervousness creep up again. It was just the fact that only one night prior, she had been held captive by a deranged mad man in a science lab similar to this. "Can't take any risks..." Mindy said under her breath as she started to concentrate a little bit. "Have to make sure her intentions are good..." The heroine closed her eyes and did her best to focus one of her most powers. In addition to her impressive strength and speed, Mindy could also analyze the bio-electric impulses that the human brain gave off, which enabled her to read basic surface thoughts of other people around her. It took a good bit of concentration, but in her current situation she didn't have any trouble focusing her ability. However, shortly upon activating her power, her eyes went wide with surprise at what she was getting off of the red haired scientist. **"This is kind of funny, she has no idea that I'm really Crimson...she seems kind of nervous, must be worried that I'm some crazy scientist like Kotetsu...I guess I can't really blame her after last night..."** Mindy lost focus for a moment as she realized she had just revealed the Crimson Dynamo's true identity. Her mind spun a bit as she tried to figure out how she should react, but before she could really dwell on it the display in front of her began to light up, directing her to move her arms and lift her legs a bit. Mindy shook her head and did her best to focus on the task at hand, there would be time to figure out what to do with the new information later on. A few more minutes went by and the machine powered down, Mindy giving a little sigh as she stepped out of the scanner and walked back over behind the partition. "Ok that looks good, go ahead and get dressed and we can go over the final details on the computer!" Tiffany's cheerful voice again made Mindy think about the information she had just discovered. Should she say something and risk exposing her own secret identity or should she just keep her mouth shut? 


It bothered her a bit as she slowly got dressed, pulling her lovely blue and yellow costume back over her athletic form. As she finished slipping back into her boots she shook her head and decided she talk to her husband before she made any kind of quick decision. Her own secret was very important to protect and she needed to talk about it with someone she could trust first. "Great...just great..." Mindy muttered under her breath so Tiffany wouldn't hear her as she walked back over to meet the scientist near her computer. Tiffany smiled as Mindy walked over, pointing towards the computer. "Your measurements look great, and I've overlaid a version of your costume for reference. If there are any little things you want to tweak we can do that now!" The pair of redheads spent the next fifteen minutes looking over the design for Mindy's new suit, keeping the design mostly intact and only adding a few minor changes like some sleeker looking yellow gloves and boots with red lightning bolts on them. Tiffany also showed Mindy a rather futuristic looking design for her belt using a special kind of synthetic metal, the belt being a yellowish color to match her costume accessories and accents, along with a trademark lightning bolt on the buckle. "Looks awesome!" Mindy smiled, momentarily forgetting about her secret identity conundrum as she admired the new uniform on the computer screen. "Alright, give me a day or two and I should be able to have it ready!" Tiffany turned back to Mindy and offered another hand shake. "It's been an amazing pleasure getting to work with you Mindy, I can't wait to get your new suit finished for you!" Mindy nodded and smiled, doing her best to hide her somewhat guilty mood as she shook Tiffany's hand and then let the scientist escort her towards the exit. Tiffany slipped her a business card just before they reached the exit door and gave her a smile. "Feel free to contact me when you're ready to pick it up and we'll get you all set up!" Mindy took the card and read over it quickly before giving Tiffany a satisfied smile. "Thank you Tiffany, I'll be in touch soon, I can't wait to see what you come up with!" With that the two redheads parted ways, Tiffany oblivious to the fact that her secret had been revealed, and Mindy with a head full of conflicting thoughts on the topic as she flew towards home. 


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Melinda did her best to take a deep breath, trying to compose herself as she stepped out of her car and took a few steps towards Tiffany's lab. It had been two days since Mindy had last been to the lab, where Tiffany had helped her design a newer, more resilient costume for her Mindy Marvel persona. That evening Mindy had come in her full heroine attire, but this afternoon was a bit different. After talking about things with her husband, Mindy had made her decision. She had contacted Tiffany once again, as Mindy Marvel, and explained that her personal representative would be picking up her new costume. Tiffany had been a bit letdown that Mindy wasn't coming to personally try on her new outfit, but Mindy had assured her that she would let her know first hand how the new suit turned out. Which was why she was now there at the lab as Melinda Crane, fresh out of her legal classes at Steel City University. She hadn't bothered to change after class, so she was still wearing her dark grey skirt and light blue blouse buttoned to the collar, along with a matching grey slim fitting suit jacket. She had once again been playing the part of the prosecuting attorney in her class' role playing sessions and had to dress the part. Despite her serious appearance, Melinda felt a bit more comfortable when she wore her work clothes, attributing it to the fact she had already dealt with a lot of high level clients at her internship with a local law firm. Dressing in her business attire gave her a feeling of confidence, similar to the effect of wearing her Mindy Marvel uniform. She had decided to let her hair down and her black high heels echoed quietly off of the pavement as she approached the main entrance and buzzed Tiffany over the intercom. A few minutes later she was back inside the red haired scientist's lab, looking at a few metal cases that were laid out on a lab table. Tiffany had on an outfit similar to a few nights prior, though this time she was wearing a red silk neck tie tucked into a black patterned vest over her shirt. "A shame Mindy couldn't come in person, was hoping she could try this on to make sure the fit is right..." Tiffany said with a hint of sadness in her voice as she slowly unlocked one of the cases that sat in front of Melinda. "So you're her...personal representative? I didn't even know super heroes had those..." Tiffany asked, trying to make small talk with Melinda. Melinda nodded. "Yes, Melinda Crane...personal representative of Mindy Marvel and hopefully her future lawyer..." Melinda gave a nervous chuckle and Tiffany also laughed. "That would be quite the business card..." 


Tiffany slowly opened the first case, revealing a cobalt blue colored top with yellow outlines, Mindy's trademark "M" made with lightning bolts emblazoned across the front of it. Beneath it was a smooth looking miniskirt of the same color, along with little arm sleeves that had finger holes and yellow accents near the top. "Wow...that fabric looks impressive..." Melinda said softly, a little wide eyed as she took in the outfit. The costume pieces looked like they were made of some type of synthetic leather with a barely noticeable dimpled design on it. She couldn't make out any discernible indication that the suit had been sewed either, as it was perfectly seamless at the parts where the yellow accents met the blue fabric. Tiffany popped another case open, revealing a sleek looking pair of yellow knee high boots and an accompanying pair of yellow gloves. Both items looked a bit longer and shinier than Melinda's current boots and gloves, but they had been cut near the top, the boots having a v-shaped red lightning bolt design cut just below the knee, while the gloves were flared a bit and had a similar red lightning bolt design on the cuffs. They looked to be made of a similar fabric, though it was hard for Melinda to spot the same design with the bright yellow coloring. "Looks amazing so far, I'm sure Mindy will love this!" Tiffany smiled and nodded, moving to the final case which held a yellow metallic belt, the buckle adorned with a red lightning bolt. Along with the belt, there was a folded piece of silky red fabric, which Melinda recognized as a new cape. "The cape is made from fabric just like the suit, will make it a bit more durable and aerodynamic for when Mindy is flying...I really hope she likes all of this..." Melinda could again hear Tiffany's letdown tone, knowing it was probably a bit of a bummer that the heroine hadn't shown up in person to see her new outfit. Melinda looked down at the floor for a moment, doing her best to compose herself before she turned to Tiffany with a nervous smile. "She loves it...I know she does..." Tiffany gave her an odd look, but Melinda just shook her head. "Look...Tiffany, there's something...I need to say. It happened by accident, the other night...I was just nervous when I was in here." Melinda looked away for a moment. "You know after everything we had been through with Kotetsu, being back in a science lab and all, just triggered something and I used one of my powers...that lets me read surface thoughts...and..."


The red haired scientist looked a bit bewildered. "The lab...Kotetsu...the other night..." The light bulb suddenly turned itself on in Tiffany's mind. "Wait a second...the only way you'd know about all that is if..." Melinda's sheepish grin was enough to answer Tiffany's statement. "Holy crap...no way!" Tiffany said excitedly, but Melinda just smiled and reached up, unbuttoning a few buttons on her blue shirt before tugging the sides open to reveal her Mindy Marvel costume beneath. "You're Mindy Marvel! Oh my god..." Tiffany chuckled and ran over, giving Mindy a hug before she giggled and backed away. "You know...Mindy...Melinda...kind of similar, I should have figured that out by now..." Mindy raised an eyebrow. "Really? You think it would have been that simple?" Tiffany shook her head and laughed. "No, just messing with you a bit, but wow...this is awesome!!" Tiffany paused and looked puzzled for a moment. "But what was all that about surface thoughts? Are you a mind reader? I thought you were just a lightning bug..." Mindy laughed and shook her head. "No, just I can use my powers to read the bio-electric impulses that your brain gives off. Nothing major, I have to concentrate really hard, but it lets me read basic surface thoughts." Tiffany looked impressed while nodding her head. "That is pretty amazing..." Mindy shrugged and looked back at her new suit, again admiring the craftsmanship. "It can be, but I'm sorry...I should have taken Crimson's...your...word that you were trustworthy, I feel bad for having used it on you..." Tiffany reached out and put her hand on Mindy's shoulder. "It's fine, and like you said, we had just been dealing with a deranged scientist in a crazy science lab, I can understand why you'd be a little nervous, but let's forget about all that...you need to try on your new costume!!" Tiffany gently pushed Mindy towards the table and gave her a wink. "I'll run over to my office for a moment, you get changed and then we can see how it fits and looks!" Mindy smiled as Tiffany ran off, leaving her alone with her new uniform. She reached down and ran her fingers across the fabric of the chest piece, enjoying the smooth feel of the material as she admired the details of the costume. "This looks incredible...can't wait to see how it feels!" 


A few minutes later Mindy emerged from behind the partition she had used to change a few nights prior, clad from head to toe in her brand new uniform, her long red hair flowing behind her as she stepped out and revealed herself to Tiffany. "Wow..." Was all the scientist could muster as she took in Mindy's new look. The red haired heroine looked down at herself, admiring her new costume as she moved her arms around and flexed her fists in her new gloves. The suit fit her like a glove, showing off her amazing body, but it felt so light, almost as if she wasn't wearing anything at all. "Wow...I can really move in this..." Mindy remarked as she fired off a few punches followed by a couple of kicks, the heroine amazed that her figure hugging miniskirt remained in place despite her powerful kicks. "Yep, the fabric helps reinforce your muscles, but also moves with your body to maintain a comfortable fit, and it looks killer!" Tiffany giggled, quite proud of her work. "I love this belt...it looks so good!" Mindy ran her hands across the metallic finish of her new waist hugging belt, though she noticed two odd little nodules on each side of the belt. "Battery compartments, they'll open only with the interface built into the fingertips on your gloves, or you can just suck the juice right out of them through the belt. I've packed four ion units into it, can get you more if you run out..." Mindy looked up, a little puzzled, but Tiffany just smiled. "After the other night I figured you might need a quick recharge if you run into a tough situation. There's also a built in GPS locator and distress signal if you need it." Mindy was amazed at Tiffany's thought process, building some functionality into what she thought was an otherwise mundane costume accessory. "That's...a really good idea...you tech whizzes think of everything!" Tiffany laughed and shook her head. "Well some of us can't shoot lightning everywhere, we have to think of other ways to kick bad guy butt!" Mindy smiled and continued to look over her new suit, admiring the way her new cape adhered to the front of her high collared top with a ruby red broach, the smooth red fabric resting perfectly on her broad shoulders to give her a powerful and regal look. "That fabric can take a beating, will hold up against a tank shell, RPG, high caliber sniper rifle..." Her voice trailed off a bit and she grinned. "Though I'd suggest not field testing any of those things...might sting a bit." Mindy laughed and put her hands on her hips while striking a bit of a power pose. "I'll try to avoid those at all costs, but no promises..." They both shared a laugh and then Mindy got a serious look on her face. "Tiffany you have outdone yourself and gone way above and beyond for me, what do I owe you?" Tiffany just grinned. "Nothing at all, I'm just happy to help and happy to have some more help around town. A couple of rooftop coffee dates should settle us up..." She finished with a chuckle, prompting Mindy to just shake her head and grin. Tiffany suddenly got an excited look on her face. "Hey...you want to go give it a spin? Try out the new suit??" No answer was really needed as Mindy nodded, already looking forward to an impromptu patrol in her new threads.


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A masked thug paced back and forth as he looked down at a table full of assault weapons, a silver briefcase opened nearby, filled to the brim with neatly packed hundred dollar bills. He looked up across the table at another man, one dressed in a three piece power suit, dark sunglasses hiding his eyes despite it being night time outside. "The merchandise looks good, and the payment is an agreeable figure. You have a deal." The thug spoke and motioned for his men behind him to unload several more heavy duty wooden crates from their vans. Suddenly the men were interrupted by the sound of approaching boots, along with a smart ass feminine voice. "Aww...aren't you all so cute, peddling your murderous weapons of destruction to prey upon the innocent of the city..." The woman the voice belonged to stepped into the light, revealing quite a gorgeous site. She had long flowing red hair, her lovely face framed by a red eye mask, while her fantastic body was clad from head to toe in a jet black bodysuit. A red skirt swished around her thighs and her athletic legs were accented nicely by a pair of sexy red knee high boots. A dark red metallic belt with multiple pouches adorned her trim waist and a silky red scarf fluttered behind her as she strode towards the men, seemingly oblivious to the threat they represented. "The Crimson Dynamo! Shit!! How did she find out about the meeting! This is a set up!!" The man in the suit yelled as he drew a powerful looking pistol from inside his suit jacket and aimed it at the red haired super heroine. His men did likewise, while the thug and his men grabbed their automatic weapons and drew a bead on the red haired dare doll. "I'm afraid you are out numbered bitch!" The thug grinned as he flipped off the safety on his weapon. "I know that suit of yours is supposedly bullet proof, perhaps we should test it out?" The heroine gave a little chuckle and faked a yawn before looking back at the guns pointed in her direction with a smug smile. "How cute...you brought friends...I wish I had thought of that..." She gave a smug grin. "Oh wait...I did!" Before any of the men could react the skylights above exploded and a dark silhouette against the moonlight descended into the warehouse, long red hair fluttering in the wind as little flickers of blue electricity danced from the woman's eyes. She wore a cobalt blue costume with yellow boots and gloves, a yellow "M" emblazoned in lightning bolts across her impressive chest while her two piece costume revealed her chiseled abdominals. "Who the hell is that??" One of the men yelled, answered a moment later by a commanding voice. "I'm Mindy Marvel...and your days of plaguing this city are over!" 


Suddenly multiple bolts of lighting blasted from the woman's eyes, arcing out to strike several of the weapons the men were holding, shocking them right out of their hands. Mindy's opening salvo drew the attention away from Crimson, who capitalized by tossing a smoke grenade into the group of gangsters. The grenade exploded and bathed the area in a thick grey smoke, but that didn't stop Crimson as she activated the special lenses in her mask that allowed her to see in infrared. With a grin she raised her arms and opened fire with her wrist mounted stun blasters, sending several bolts of sizzling purple energy into the cloud of smoke. Shocked screams were heard from the gunmen as they were blasted and rendered unconscious, their bodies dropping to the floor as Crimson smiled. A few of the men decided it was better to run and they quickly ran towards one of their dark colored fans, screaming while jumping into it. Crimson dove for cover as one of them popped out of the back cargo door and opened fire with an assault rifle, sending the red head diving behind a row of crates. The gunfire faded for a moment and Crimson popped up, tossing a handful of flash bang grenades towards the van. The gunman looked down as he heard several loud clunks around his feet and then he cried out as he was bathed in an explosion of light as bright as the sun, along with a cacophony of sound that rendered him complete insensate. "SHIT!!" The driver of the would be getaway van floored the accelerator pedal, but looked around confused when the van went nowhere, the back tires spinning and sending up smoke while making an awful screeching sound. "Going somewhere?" A sweet voice asked and the driver and the passenger both looked out the front windows to see a grinning Mindy Marvel staring back at them, one of her yellow gloved hands pressed against the front grill of the van. "SHOOT THE BITCH!!!!" The passenger side goon yelled as he aimed his shotgun and blasted out the window, then opened fire on the scarlet tressed beauty in front of them. Mindy quickly brought up her bio electric shielding, not wanting to test out the durability of her new suit just yet. The buckshot ricocheted harmlesslessy off of her shield and Mindy gave a grin as the goon's shotgun ran dry. "My turn!" With a smile Mindy blasted the gunman with electricity from her eyes, rendering him unconscious in a matter of seconds. "DAMN IT!!" The driver threw open his door and jumped down, hoping to escape before the red haired heroine could turn her ire towards him, but it was not his lucky day. As he turned he caught a red boot square in the jaw, the impact from the kick spinning him around before he dropped to the pavement. "GOAL!!!" Crimson chuckled as her opponent was felled, then the red head took stock of the situation as she glanced around the room. The smoke was just clearing from her grenade, but all of the men were laying around the room in various piles of unconsciousness. 


"Nice kick..." Mindy smiled as she walked over to Crimson, her new red cape fluttering smoothly behind her as her new boots clicked softly off the concrete. "Not bad yourself...saw that you went with the shield though, not ready to trust my new fabric?" Mindy laughed and shook her head. "Didn't want to get the new costume that battle tested just yet..." She looked around at their defeated opponents and then both women smiled as they heard the sound of approaching police sirens. "Good test run, nice entrance by the way..." Crimson teased her new super heroine friend. "Dropping in all dark and dramatic from the skylights...I'll have to remember that one..." Mindy gave a laugh and the two of them headed outside to meet with the police. After some introductions were made, the police were aware they had a new crime fighting ally in town in the amazing Mindy Marvel. With the heroine's assistance it didn't take them long to load up the thugs and goons that would soon be put away for a long time for illegal weapons trafficking. Mindy and Crimson eventually finished up with the police and headed to a nearby rooftop to chat a bit before heading in for the night. "Thanks again for the new suit Crimson, it really is amazing..." Crimson smiled and nodded. "Don't mention it, a girl has to look good while fighting crime, can't worry about laser blasts or machine gun fire punching holes in her cape..." She chuckled. "In all seriousness though it was nothing, it's just nice to have some help around here now, and I know you want to stay out of the public light, but everything is appreciated and hopefully we can team up more often." Mindy nodded and smiled, putting a hand on Crimson's shoulder. "Of course, anytime you need me you let me know." Crimson grinned. "Same goes for you as well..." She was about to say something else when a low rumble interrupted her, causing her to raise an eyebrow as she looked down at Mindy's toned stomach. "Sorry...hungry again..." Mindy laughed before giving Crimson a knowing smile. "Pizza? Last on there buys..." Mindy grinned before floating up into the air a bit. "Besides, it's not like you gave me anywhere in my new belt to carry cash..." Before Crimson could respond the blue and yellow clad red head took off in a blur, causing Crimson to sigh before firing up her own boots to give chase. Even if she couldn't catch her new heroine friend and would have to pony up for some pizza, she was still happy to have a new ally in the fight to take back Steel City from its criminal element. 


To Be Continued...