Chapter 22 – Pussy Roused
As if coming out of a deep slumber, eyes opening with fatigued slowness, the Pink Pussy took in the armored figure looming over her, far too drained and in pain to move. All she could do was pant for air as the stranger whose armor she had just shredded crushed the mask in one large hand. For that at least, she could be thankful. The nightmare was finally coming to an end.
Pink Pussy didn’t resist, mostly because she simply couldn’t move, every muscle in her body burning and aching as the armored figure rolled her onto her stomach in a surprisingly gentle way for one so large and strong. She could see that the rotunda no longer bore the damage she had been partly responsible for during their battle, but couldn’t quite process why that was the case. How had the room been repaired? Had it been damaged in the first place? She winced as the cuffs clanked shut around her wrists, and again around her ankles, but had she really expected anything less when they’d finally brought her down?
“Pink Pussy has been captured,” said the armored figure in a deep, robotic voice, as another of the new faces appeared beside them.
The last few months had felt like a waking nightmare that was never going to end. Pink Pussy almost felt like she was being toyed with now, uncertain if what she had just experienced had really happened or if this was some other kind of mind game. Memories flashed through her brain, of the various break-ins and thefts she had committed, but more painfully, of the fight she had just had. She’d struck Laura…she’d actually struck her best friend and lover while she had pleaded with her to stop what she was doing.
A mix of revulsion, sadness, and rage filtered through Pink Pussy as her vision blurred with tears. How was she going to live that down? To say nothing of the crimes that were now on her shoulders? She’d be lucky if she only got a multi-year prison sentence after all this…what was Laura going to think of her now?
“Who the hell is that?!” shouted an unfamiliar voice from above. Well, mostly unfamiliar; Pink Pussy recognized it as the leather-clad witch she had barely managed to stop herself from tearing to shreds. Rolling slightly onto her side, Pink Pussy looked up, saw Laura leaning on the newcomer, both awake, but obviously injured…because of her.
A quick movement in the corner of her vision drew her attention, and Pink Pussy saw her partner in crime appear atop the display case containing the staff she had been sent to retrieve by their mutual boss, the dagger she’d gone after already in her belt.
“And why does she have the dagger?!” Laura shouted.
Damn it! Just hearing the frustration in Laura’s voice made Pink Pussy feel that much worse.
Static filled the room, then a fast-paced tune filled the air, one of Kitsune’s tricks. She had announced herself with music before while they’d worked together.
“Thank you for all your help, Pink Pussy! You’ve been a useful tool; sorry to see you go! Unfortunately for you, your new friends are just too slow!” came the pieced-together message through the speakers, like auditory newspaper clippings.
Pink Pussy’s ears twitched, her tail thrashing behind her, as agonizing as its movements were, and she even managed to ball her hands into fists as she narrowed her eyes at the taunting bow Kitsune aimed at her before vanishing. “Kitsune!” she snarled, hearing the armored figure say the same word, though she didn’t seem to be aware of just how right she was.
The exhibit area was suddenly alive with activity as security guards spilled inside from multiple doors that were suddenly allowed to open.
“Secure the room!” Laura shouted. “Pink Pussy is contained. Walsh, call for backup!”
“Already done!” Walsh called back. Pink Pussy, rather, Catherine, had met him a few times, so she recognized his voice. “They’ll be here in a couple minutes!”
From her spot on the floor, Pink Pussy watched as the witch, still holding Laura, used one hand to make a series of gestures as she spoke a series of strange words, then the pair lifted off the upper level floor and floated down to ground level. The pair walked toward Pink Pussy, stopping next to the other pair who had participated in the fight. Pink Pussy dropped her gaze to the floor with a heavy sigh.
“You’re under arrest, Pink Pussy,” Laura said, her tone very neutral, though her voice sounded strained nonetheless. She then proceeded to recite the Miranda warning.
“Yeah I understand…it’s kind of a relief, really,” she replied once Laura had finished, looking up to her. Their eyes met, and again Pink Pussy was filled with overwhelming guilt. “Could someone help me to sit up? I can’t really move right now. I’m…really sorry for all the trouble…”
Surprisingly, Laura acted first, not hesitating like the others, crouching by Pink Pussy and hauling her into a sitting position. Laura’s touch hurt, but it was something she deserved. She deserved a lot more. “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do,” she said, scooting back and remaining in a crouch. At least she didn’t seem to be too badly injured.
Pink Pussy nodded, looking up at the three masked heroines, taking in what she could of their appearances now that she wasn’t resisting the command to kill them. The armored figure and the goth girl had unreadable expressions thanks to their facial coverings, but the witch wore an angry frown and was glaring down at the captured former heroine. “I’m not sure where to start, but how about I give you the short version for now? It’s about all I have energy for…I’m really tired Laur…detective.”
“I can tell. Give it to us; what’s going on here?” Laura asked, finally remembering to holster her pistol.
“We’re like, recording this, for the record and stuff, detective,” said the goggled goth girl quietly. It was then that Pink Pussy realized, with some surprise, that all the damage she had caused to the armored figure appeared to be gone too, just like how the room had repaired itself.
“Well…a few months back…” Pink Pussy started, recalling the last clear memories she had that weren’t part of the nightmare that mask had kept her trapped in. “…I was chasing someone who had broken into a toy store of all things and stolen a bunch of dolls. I had a lot of trouble keeping up with them, which was odd for me, you know? It’s like I just couldn’t catch them, always a few steps ahead, not until it was too late for me to do anything about it. It was Kitsune I was chasing…that’s her name, the one who was just here. She had a trap set for me. I couldn’t get out, and then this other chick showed up; I don’t know what her name is, but she wears a mask just like that one,” she said, nodding to the crumpled mask that the armored figure had pulled from her face.
“In my head, I called her Dollface,” Pink Pussy said, shivering, then wincing at the pains that shot through her muscles because of the movement. “With me stuck in that trap, I couldn’t resist when she put that mask on me, and then everything became really weird…it’s like I was a passenger in my own body, you know? Her voice, her command, overrode everything. She…she presented herself as a queen, and with that mask, I could believe it…did believe it. I called her ‘My Queen’ all the time…could only think of doing as she commanded. I could resist to a point…like hurting instead of killing if I got into a fight, but everything else I just couldn’t resist. I did the break-ins just like she wanted, took everything she needed…”
Gulping, Pink Pussy looked up quickly. “There are others under her control. I think she’s up to a couple dozen people now, using all that stuff I stole to make more of those masks. She’s got a warehouse out by the docks at the north end of the city. Her castle, she calls it, or the Dollhouse. You have to save those people!”
“What’s she want those artifacts for?” the witch asked, glaring down intensely at Pink Pussy. “Why did you come after those specific items?”
Pink Pussy shook her head. “I don’t know. That’s Kitsune’s thing. Even though she’s wearing a mask like Dollface’s, Kitsune’s working for someone else, that much I’m sure of. Her mask doesn’t control her…at least I don’t think it does, at least not like that one did me. I think whoever was behind Kitsune might have helped Dollface with her mask designs, and I was the first super-powered test case. In return, she, and I guess me, were to help whoever Kitsune is working for retrieve those items. How…bad is it?”
The witch shook her head slowly. “I don’t know yet…we’re still working on that part. Those aren’t just any old relics, though; they have a lot of power in them.”
Sighing, Pink Pussy nodded slowly. “I’m really, really sorry about all this. I tried and tried and tried to fight back, but I couldn’t…”
“That’s a powerful piece of magic you were wearing,” said the witch. “Not only did it have mind-domination magic attached to it, you were under the effects of a powerful enhancement spell, and a sustenance effect.”
“Uhhh…like, what’s all that mean?” asked the goth girl. “Like, I get the mind control thing, but the other stuff? You mean she was like, being buffed up?”
“Yeah, that’s right,” Pink Pussy said before the witch could respond. “It’s why I gave you all so much trouble. It’s like the adrenaline never stopped flowing; I was always at my peak performance. It…hurts so much right now. My whole body feels like I skipped leg day; I can’t even move on my own right now.” A deep rumble came from within her gut, and she felt her cheeks heat. “And I’m starving. I don’t think I’ve eaten since that mask was put on me months ago. I feel like I could eat a whole cow right now and have room for more.”
“You probably haven’t,” said the witch. “That’s what that sustenance effect was; it fueled you with magic, basically. All your needs were met, until the mask was removed; now you’re probably running on empty.” The witch’s looks softened, perhaps even turning a bit concerned. “As I understand it, you’ve been wearing that mask for several months. A body can grow dependent on a sustenance effect like that if abused; hopefully we got you out of that mess before you reached that point.”
“That’s…horrible,” said the armored one. “Where is that warehouse? We can’t let Dollface keep doing this!”
“I traced that signal from the mask back to its source; it’s totally where Pink Pussy said it was,” said the goth, holding out her hand, displaying a map of Sentinel City, which then zoomed in on the northern coast, and to a particular warehouse, switching to a satellite view.
“That’s the one,” Pink Pussy said tiredly, wavering where she sat. “I…think I need to rest. I’m feeling too drained…” She felt herself blacking out, caught herself, but couldn’t stop herself from heading toward the floor.
“I got you,” Laura said, grabbing Pink Pussy before she could fall over, letting her rest her head on her shoulder. “Walsh, is the transport here yet?”
“They just arrived,” he replied, walking over to the group. “Should we get her out of here?”
“Yeah, she’s going to need medical attention I think. At least some fluids and food, anyway. Give me a hand, will you?” Laura brought one hand around Pink Pussy’s back, beneath her arms, while Walsh did the same on the other side, the two of them hauling her to her feet. She let her head stay against Laura’s shoulder, though, too tired to pick it up.
“I want to work with the three of you on this,” Laura said, once she and Walsh had Pink Pussy on her feet. “We need to have a police presence there when you go after Dollface.”
“Not a good idea,” said the witch. “You’re ill-equipped as you are right now to deal with someone like that. Kitsune may still be lurking around too.”
“We’ll take care of this,” said the armored one. “You worry about getting Pink Pussy the care she needs.”
“We’ll totally call you in when we bag the baddies, though,” said the goth girl. “You’ve got other duties, Detective; let us handle all the heavy lifting on this one. Here, take this, and the keys to those cuffs,” she added, handing over an SD card along with a pair of keys.
“She’s not wrong, Conway,” Walsh said. “The Pink Pussy case is our priority right now.”
Laura sighed. “Right…I don’t have to like it, though. Alright, well, be careful. And you…keep your nose clean,” she said, pointing at the witch.
“Sure thing, Crockett,” replied the witch, giving a quick dip of her wide hat as she grinned back at them. She snapped her fingers, and the three of them vanished, leaving a few sparkles of light lingering in their wake for a second or two.
“Hey…was that…?” Walsh started.
“Probably not,” Laura said quickly. “The one that wrecked the station didn’t have fashion sense that good. Come on, let’s go.”
“Right…” Walsh replied slowly, perhaps a little confused, but not questioning it.
Pink Pussy had plenty of questions, but was too tired to ask any of them as she was dragged along the hallway, passing by multiple police officers, many shooting her dirty looks. As they came outside, and she took her first breath of outdoor air without the mask filtering it, she managed to pick her head up enough to address Laura. “I’m really sorry about this. I’ve been such a burden to you, and now I’m making you drag my sorry ass out of the building…”
Laura shook her head. “No need to apologize. If what you told us is true, then it’s not entirely your fault. Of course, that’s going to be a whole mess of legal issues all its own…”
“I don’t even want to think about those right now,” Walsh said. “This case just keeps getting more and more screwed up.”
Nothing else was said as they guided Pink Pussy down the steps and to the waiting police truck, and hauled her inside with the help of another officer. The detectives sat her down, and secured a belt around her waist, then a harness over her chest, similar to that of a race car’s seat belts. She barely registered the bite of the heavy-duty cuffs on her limbs over the pain shooting through the rest of her body.
Laura turned to Walsh and the other officer. “Can you two give me some time with the suspect on the way to the station?”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” asked the officer.
“She’s in no condition to resist right now; she’s exhausted,” Laura replied.
“Come on,” Walsh said, giving the officer a tug on his sleeve. “Conway will be fine for a few minutes.”
Once the two had left the truck and shut the door, the locks engaging behind them, Laura sat beside Pink Pussy, taking hold of her much larger hand. “Cat! Thank god you’re safe!” she said in a whisper.
Sighing heavily, she looked to Laura. “I’m so sorry I hit you in there! I-” Laura’s finger touched Pink Pussy’s lips, silencing her.
“Hush. It’s not like you were in control, you know?” Laura said, offering a warm smile, squeezing her hand gently. “Besides, Black Cat worked a little magic and fixed the worst of it.”
“Magic?”
“You’ve missed a lot, kitty,” Laura said, chuckling. “The other two are Mecha Musume and Cyber Seer; all three of them just came on the scene in the last few days.”
Sighing again, Pink Pussy, Catherine, let herself lean against Laura as best she could as the truck started up and started moving. “I’m just so tired, Laura. I’ve not transformed back to myself since that night the mask went on. I just want to change back and sleep for a month or two, you know?” Her stomach rumbled again. “Maybe after dinner.”
“We’ll get you something to eat after we book you in,” Laura replied gently. “I don’t even know how we’re going to get you out of this.”
“Might not be able to. I did a lot of bad things…and I’m sure Shadow Lynx isn’t going to let me live down what I did to her.”
“We’ll think of a way to work this out. It’ll just take time. Maybe once the others haul Dollface and Kitsune in, we’ll have a confession and evidence that you weren’t in control, and they’ll be lenient on you.”
“It’s possible I guess. Do you…mind if I take a quick catnap?” she asked weakly, very nearly blacking out, jerking herself awake with a wince as her muscles protested.
Laura shook her head, putting an arm around Cat’s shoulders. “Sure. I’ll still be waiting for you when you wake up. I’ll make sure nobody takes you away from me again.”
“You’re the best, Laura,” she replied, sagging against the harness, letting the darkness she’d been fighting take her into its depths, and thankfully, into the first sleep she’d had in months that wasn’t filled with nightmares.
And here we are, at long last, the true villain has been revealed, and the nefarious (or not so nefarious) Pink Pussy has been captured!
But the story isn’t over yet! Dollface must be brought to justice, but can our new heroines do the job?
Stay tuned next week for the next chapter!
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