METROCITY
Superheroine Battle Arena, Locker Room A
Invincibelle entered the locker room, still buzzing from the adrenaline of her victory and still a little bit sore from the mutual beating that she and Ursa Mega had given each other. After a minute or two of pacing back and forth trying to bleed off her excitement, she came to the realization that she had actually failed in her mission.
She had not discovered an alien leech in any of the superheroines at the arena. But then again, she wasn’t sure what it looked like even. Maybe she had actually destroyed it inadvertently in one of her matches. Or maybe the thing didn’t even really exist.
She sighed and sat down. Too many unknowns in this mission. What would she do now? Assume everything is all clear and head back home? She grabbed her phone from a locker and was about to call Doctor Ivankov when her thoughts were interrupted by a thick Russian accent, “Why so sad, mighty blue woman?” Ursa Mega strode into the locker room. “You don’t look like victor. Maybe go back to losing, it suits you better, da?”
“Nyet.” answered Invincibelle. “Let’s just say this isn’t the victory I was hoping for.”
“What exactly were you looking for then?” asked Ursa as she began stripping off her torn costume. “When you first get here, you fight like barbarian woman. You in great hurry to fight every single person here. Not trying to win, just rushing in to fight. I think this first time I see you in ring with eye of tiger. Just my luck you decide you want to win when you fight me…” The large woman threw her torn and sweaty leotard into Invincibelle’s face. Eva pulled it aside and glared at her.
“You seem awfully cheerful considering you lost.” Eva stated.
Ursa Mega shrugged, “Win… Lose… I like to fight. Although, much less fun punching invincible opponent. Much greater satisfaction when I punch you in face if your nose breaks.” Eva chuckled at the Russian woman then looked down at her phone as if waiting for it to ring. “Where you go to now, mighty blue woman?”
Eva sighed. “I’m not sure. I think I’m done here though.”
Nadya looked down at her. “Whatever you’re looking for, you not find here. Maybe you find at home. Maybe you find in other arena.”
Invincibelle muttered under her breath, “Maybe.” She pulled up Ivankov’s number and hit send then stopped. “Other arena? Ursa, wait!” The other woman was at the entrance to the showers but turned towards her. “When you said ‘other arena’ that wasn’t just a metaphor was it? Is there another superheroine battle arena? Here in Metrocity?”
“Da. There are several.” she replied. “Mostly run by criminal organizations. They use stolen technology to make containment field like the one here.”
“Is there one on the city outskirts? On the southeast warehouse district?”
“I think there may be… I could find out for you. But information like that is costly and difficult to come by.”
“How much?” Eva glared at her.
“Fifteen thousand,” she shrugged. “That is how much I lose betting against you today. I break even.”
“Done!” Invincibelle yelled. “How long will it take you to…”
“4200 Front Mill Street, across from the empty lot with half a condemned shopping mall on it.” Eva’s mouth dropped open. “What? Is not my fault you don’t know how to bargain.” Ursa turned around and headed into the showers. “I give you bank account to transfer money to later when less sweaty…”
Eva pulled up a map of the city and typed in the address. If there really was another superheroine arena in the viscinity of the crash. “Oh no,” she muttered. The building that Ursa Mega told her about was less than a kilometer from the crash site. If the parasite went to the closest food source, that was definitely it. “DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT!” she yelled. She pulled on a fresh costume then heard a muffled voice and realized that she was connected to Ivankov. She held the phone to her ear just as he began yelling loudly.
“…and stop swearing at me and just listen! We need to re-think how sensitive the Ithornic Leech may be to your aura. You should arrange re-matches with everyone and hit them hard enough…”
“Ivankov, shut up!” Invincibelle took off and began flying through the arena complex. “I’m in the wrong place! There’s an illegal arena closer to the crash site!” She emerged out of the underground parking lot and flew straight up to get her bearings. “4200 Front Mill Street. Notify Captain Alpha and The Tower that I’m heading there now. Cordon and evacuate the area, and make sure no super beings come near the building. ”
“Hold on, don’t go flying in half-cocked! The leech is an intelligent predator… probably. You need to ascertain.”
“There is no time! The thing has had a few weeks to feed already. I’m going in. Oh, and doctor. I’m going hypersonic now.”
“What was that? Did you say… OW!” Dr. Ivankov dropped the phone as a sonic boom blew out the speaker on his phone. Invincibelle chuckled as she streaked towards her destination.