“Ladies, gentlemen, and citizens of all sorts, thank you for your patience through that most rude interruption.” The magician gave an exaggerated bow, faintly glowing eyes peeking out from behind her violet, pointed domino mask, “But I think we can all agree that it was more than worth it to get such an absolutely adorable volunteer on-stage, right folks?” 

 

The crowd erupted into cheers, laughs, and a scattered wolf whistle or two as the magician flourished towards the woman by her side: a raven-haired, statuesque beauty floating in place  several feet above the ground. She was floating upright, although her posture was rather limp, with her muscular arms dangling loosely in front of her. Her outfit, the signature white and silver spandex uniform of the mighty superheroine Lady Tungsten, lay in a discarded heap on the stage floor, leaving her body completely on display for the crowd, every nude nook and cranny highlighted by the bright, colorful stage lights.

 

Lady Tungsten’s eyes glowed with the same light as the magician’s, but unlike the magician’s hers were wide, blank, and unfocused. Where once there had been the confidence and righteous fury of a heroine, there was now just a vacant stare, accompanied by a wide, silly, exaggerated grin.

 

The magician picked up a large plastic hoop and made a dramatic show of pulling the floating superheroine through the hoop in midair, raising a white gloved hand to her mouth in mock surprise as if having just realized that there were no wires holding the woman up. Cheers and laughter spread through the crowd again.

 

“Now my lovely volunteer, I think it’s safe to say that you don’t remember anything about any of that ‘bringing me to justice’ nonsense?”

 

“Yes...Mistress, I don’t remember…anything…”

 

“Wonderful! And you’ll be a good volunteer for me, won’t you? My good, lovely volunteer who will do anything I say? No matter how embarrassing or uncomfortable or...villainous?”

 

“Yes, Mistress, I will…obey.”

 

“Excellent. And when the show is over, you’ll be sure to tell all your do-gooder friends exactly what will happen to them if they try to get in Mesmeria’s way.”

 

“Yes, Mistress, I will obey.” 

 

“Good girl~” Mesmeria rewarded the heroine with a firm smack to her buxom bottom, eliciting a new round of cheers from the delighted crowd. The heroine, for her part, didn’t even flinch in reaction. She simply continued to stare forward. Blank. Grinning. Blissful. Floating. Mind and body both lighter than air as her mistress teased the crowd with ideas of what humiliating and sinful things the heroine would be made to do next.