Platinum Angel: Hypnotica's Pets (Chapter 1) (Patreon)

Annnd here it is. The next book featuring Platinum Angel.  

Platinum Angel: Hypnotica’s Pets

Chapter 1

The good citizens of Ocean City’s tony Uptown stopped and looked up at reflected sunlight. The skies above that West Coast city were usually busy with birds, helicopters, and super heroines. And an occasional super villainess. But the Alpha Meta women with power tended to prefer the night skies.

Platinum Angel rarely patrolled during the day. Her secret alter ego had a day job. But it was such a beautiful day, Felicity Silverbush called off sick. Not a problem, since she owned the company. And then she suited up in her bright, shiny platinum bikini costume, matching opera choker, opera gloves, thigh boots, mask, and winged headdress. Yeah, she was a platinum blonde as well.

“Bad guys beware,” she muttered. At just three hundred feet up, she had a splendid view of the city. “The Eyes of Justice are open and watching from above.”

As the most powerful Telekinetic Power in the city, she could pickup and hurl cars at her foes, so it was laughably easy to hurl herself through the skies like an eagle on the hunt. Add her high tech mask that only women in the Alpha Meta Sisterhood of Super Heroines wore, and she is a nightmare to the evil men and women who try to terrorize Ocean City.

Spotting some odd activity in front of a dockside warehouse, “That’s an unusually large group of men standing around down there for no reason I can see.”

Platinum Angel reached up to her silvery mask, pressing firmly in two places. A bright red crosshairs appeared before her eyes, a holograph projected by the mask. She placed the crosshairs over the warehouse. A holographic window opened up with the details about the building.

All-Star Shipping Warehouse #23

10500 sq ft

Operational hours: 24/7

Platinum Angel pressed another button and blueprints for the structure appeared. She cleared all the images, and began her quick descent. Those men probably had a good and legitimate reason to assemble there, but she was making sure. Besides, it was always good to show everyone that the Sisterhood was on the job protecting them, watching over everything. And she enjoyed meeting the people.

The first one of the men looked up when she was still a hundred feet up. She smiled when he did a double-take. He pointed up, calling out to the others. Two dozen or more faces turned up. Platinum Angel tensed. It they were up to no good, the men might scattered or even prepare to fight. They did neither. Some of them actually waved up at her.

Platinum Angel waved back, and a moment later landed in their midst with a light clatter of stilettos. She looked the men over, all wearing basic working class jeans and t-shirts. Big, strong men used to using their muscles more than their heads. Dockworkers and warehousemen was her guess.

“Hello, boys, why didn’t I get an invitation to this party?”

“You’re always invited to our parties, Platinum Angel,” a tall Hispanic man said, a big smile on his face as he stared at her boobs.

“Thank you,” she said, ignoring where his eyes locked. Most of the men were either staring at her boobs or butt. Platinum Angel smiled. Her costume was designed to distract men, and it did a wonderful job. “So, what’s up? Whoever is in charge should be fired. Not one single keg is tapped yet.”

That earned her some laughter. The men warmed to her even more, so looking like they might get a little bold as they licked their lips and rubbed their hands together. She noticed lusty and lecherous looks spreading cross far too many faces.

As much as Platinum Angel would love if all their longing and desire was just for her, she knew better. She was an Alpha Meta woman, what some scientist thought could be the next step in the evolutionary progress of humanity. Though, that didn’t explain the total lack of Alpha Meta men. All AMs, what the people liked to call Amazons, were women.

“It must be great to be able to fly like that,” one of the younger men said. “I’d love to soar like an eagle.”

“It’s sweet,” she said. The busty heroine combed gloved fingers through her tousled hair. “But awful windy. Honestly, every day is a bad hair day.”

An older man laughed. “No, it’s not bad. You’re hair looks amazingballs.”

He thrust his hand out. “I’m Jerry Upton. I’m the foreman. We’re just waiting for a big shipment, but thanks for check us out anyway.”

“Yeah,” someone muttered almost too low to hear. “Thanks for letting us check you out up close and personal.”

“Very good,” Platinum Angel said, tapping her Power to lift up off the ground about ten feet. “You boys be good. It was wonderful meeting you.”

She shot out of there like a bullet. Didn’t need to, but it really impressed the normies. Flying straight toward downtown, she slowed considerable, but remained just a hundred feet above the street. Close enough for everyone to notice. Super heroines called flying like that “showing the colors.” It had a similar effect on crime as cops parking a squad car a crime ridden area.

Her mask buzzed with an alert. Platinum Angel pressed the proper buttons to see the alert.

Five gunmen at the UberMarket store on Alvarez Street. All units respond.

Platinum Angel frowned. She hated how the OCPD dispatch had started calling each super heroine a “unit.” They weren’t squad cars with up to two cops.

But “gunmen” at a grocery store made her heart race. There had been a three week streak of bold, daytime robberies of super markets in Ocean City. So far, no one had been caught. And they always shot the place up. So far, no one had been killed, but several innocent civilians and store employees had been wounded.

If I can catch these robbers red-handed, then maybe I can end this violent crime spree, she thought. Platinum Angel saves the day one more time.

The shapely heroine altered course, and kicked it into high gear. She streaked across the sky like a cruise missile. The wind thundered in her ears, eyes squinted against it. She didn’t slow until the UberMarket store came into view.

Platinum Angel scanned the parking lot for any suspicious activity. She spotted a silver minivan idling outside one of the two entrances. A thirty-something looking woman sat behind the wheel. The heroine paused to hover a second, watching the obvious getaway driver. The woman didn’t appear the least bit nervous and anxious. She just sat there, perfectly still, staring forward.

Gunfire erupted inside the store. Platinum Angel cried out, a jolt of terror ripping through her body and psyche. Why were they shooting the place up? Wasn’t it just a robbery? Oddly, the getaway driver didn’t react all at.

Platinum Angel dropped down next to the minivan, flipped it over on its side, and then flew straight into the store. UberMarket stores had thirty foot high ceilings, so she was able to continue flying inside the store. She quickly located four men armed with submachine guns. Each carried two bags that she assumed was cash, while they made for the exit and fired all around, not really taking the time to aim.

“Cease fire! Cease fire!” Platinum Angel shouted.

They did not stop. She paused, noting how oddly they were acting. None of them acted as if they had a concern in the world. The men walked casually, clutching bags of money in one arm, and firing into the store with the other hand. One of the men’s weapon stopped firing, the charger locked back. Empty. Yet, he continued to aim and pull the trigger as he walked.

“What is wrong with you?” she cried, and swooped down to engage.

The men all turned their faces toward her, eyes locking on her as their weapons turned toward her as well. Platinum Angel threw up her shield, blocking their bullets as she flew straight toward the first man in line. He was the only one in a suit and tie, clean cut and looking like the average office worker. Behind him was a bedraggled white-bearded man, who she actually recognized as Henry Bottoms, a homeless man she’d dealt with before. Behind Henry was a very young woman in a Pizza delivery shirt and cap, with the rear brought up by man in a private security officer uniform.

Platinum Angel flipped in midair, and drove her stiletto-heeled feet into the chest of the suited man. That smashed him back into Henry. Together, they bowled the last two robbers down. The security officer got back up quickly, weapon in hand, and aimed it at the heroine.

She shook her head, reached out with her power, and seized the submachine gun. Platinum Angel yanked the weapon out of his hand and hurled it across the store. Then, one by one, she used her Telekinetic Power to seize and throw the other three guns away, disarming all four robbers.

So they just got up, picked up their stolen money, and started walking toward the exit as if nothing happened.

“Halt.”

They stopped and looked at her. No concern on their faces. Just calmness.

“You guys are starting to freak me out,” she muttered. Then to them, “What is wrong with you? Why are you robbing this store and shooting at everyone?”

“My mistress commands it,” the pizza delivery girl said.

The other three gave a nod, and then they headed for the exit again. Platinum Angel regarded them a moment. She flew up and over them. The heroine landed to block the exit.

“Who is your mistress?” she demanded.

They stopped and looked at her. Their eyes went blank as they considered her question. That gave Platinum Angel goosebumps. They were acting too strange, almost like…

“Are you hypnotized?” she asked.

They didn’t have an answer for that either. And that’s went the cops rushed in, weapons in hand. Platinum Angel held up a hand to stop them. The cops looked back and forth between her and the robbers.

“Give me the money,” Platinum Angel said with authority. “Mistress sent me to get the money. You did well. You may go and return to your normal lives now.”

The heroine held her breath. The robbers blinked at her, looking a little confused now. And then Henry stepped up and dropped his bags of money at her feet. And his face instantly changed to total confusion. He looked around.

“What happened? Why am I here…” Henry’s eyes widened in shock. “No! It’s not what it looks like. I was told… Commanded… I mean, I don’t understand why I obeyed her. I swear, I don’t know!”

Pizza deliver girl came up next, then the security guard, and finally the suited man. As soon as they delivered the money, their faces came alive. For the most part, they were horrified and terrified. None of them understood why they robbed the store, but all agreed that a gorgeous brunette told them to do it. The only name they had for her was, Mistress.

The cops quickly handcuffed the robbers.

“Sergeant,” Platinum Angel said to the senior officer on site. “I think they are all victims of a criminal mastermind. I think they were hypnotized just to rob this store.”