The Cruising Crusader Chapter 1
It is a bright, sunny day in Santa Cruz CA with every man, woman and child enjoying what the city has to offer. But it is a day that is much more important for the city than anyone ever anticipated. For the 22 year old lady known as Samantha Cruz it is the day that will change her entire life and where she will live out her greatest dream. She watches in awe as the superheros of Santa Cruz do battle with the devious super-villains of the criminal underworld. One such hero is the Suburban Amazon. A very large and imposing woman who is 7 feet tall and who has over 250 pounds of pure muscle in her body. Samantha sees her mere moments after she apprehends Big Ben, a wanted murderer from London. She is utterly ecstatic.
She tells her roommate Tammy
"Wasn't that amazing? I wish I was just as strong and awesome as her!"
Tammy replies
"Oh give me a break you know you could never get her physique. Look at you you're a twig."
Sam has to agree. She has neither a curvaceous hourglass figure like most superheroines or any muscle tone that the Suburban Amazon has. She has little more than skin and bones in her body.
However she clarifies her wish by saying
"But what if I had super powers? Then I would be automatically powerful and I would finally stand out from the crowd!"
Tammy replies
"You know most people get those powers from lab accidents and you can't exactly create a lab accident."
Right at that moment Sam turns around and thinks to herself
"Well what if it wasn't an accident?"
She sneaks out of her apartment late at night, rushes over to the local nuclear power plant and sneaks inside undetected.
Sam is rather surprised that the building lacks security measures. "Man the security for this building really sucks. It's probably why so many other ladies and gents have been able to get some Toxic chemicals on their bodies beforehand. Well sucks to be them!"
Inside she finds a radioactive chemical called "Zafti G" which was originally developed for the military but was rejected due to health concerns. That does not stop Samantha though, she goes inside the radiation containment room and finds a barrel filled with the chemicals.
"Well this is it Sam... The moment of truth... Just dive in. This may hurt but you'll get Superhuman strength or a body that's more anatomically incorrect than a Barbie doll."
She takes a deep breath. Closes her eyes and dives into the barrel headfirst!
She remembers several occasions where she saw other people get doused in chemicals and how they came out with superpowers so even though this seems quite foolish she has some previous observations to make this seem less contrived even if the chemicals are burning her skin to a crisp. She emerges from the barrel and... She looks exactly the same as she did before.
She is puzzled as she sneaks out of the power plant and goes across a street without looking both ways. Suddenly a truck appears to her left and is about to crash into her. She screams and suddenly her muscles grow to bodybuilder proporions and she becomes a foot and a half taller, her body swells in strength and power. Her body is strained and is naturally put in a huge amount of pain, it feels like she's getting stabbed with a hot poker over and over as her body swells up with new muscle. Her biceps harden, her legs get meatier and more defined, her abs form a six pack, and her whole bone structure changes. but it feels much better then getting hit by a truck. She puts her hands in front of her and the truck is forcibly stopped which causes Samantha to open her eyes, survey her surroundings and observe her transformed body.
"Oh my god, I have super powers!" she exclaims. "Whoa. I feel bigger (looks down at her huge muscles) I feel stronger and I feel... Oh shoot. (Notices the injured driver) I should get that guy to a hospital."
After she gives the truck driver some medical attention and sends him to the hospital she returns to her apartment and decides to make herself a costume. A black latex suit with the initials "CC" written on her chest as an insignia, Kevlar covers are applied to her arms and legs and she finishes it off with a nice set of orange tinted goggles. For her weapon she grabs a Bo Staff off of her shelf that she won at an internet auction.
"Okay Sam. You've got to use these massive muscles for the good of mankind! It's just like what the Suburban Amazon says in all of her interviews " We're all Heroes hear us roar!"
The next day she is working at her dead end job at the bank as usual though she places her costume under her normal clothes. She is just minding her own business until mercenaries rush into the building planning to steal the all of the taxpayers hard earned cash.
"Hands up heads down just give us the money and you will get home intact." As soon as the mercenaries say that one of them gets hit by a bo staff which is held by Samantha Cruz she is now 6 foot 6 and she possesses over 200 pounds of pure muscle . She was able to transform right when the Mercenaries came in. She smiles at her opponents with utter confidence and shouts
"Sorry I don't believe you boys bank here! Let those civilians go and surrender or I will show you that these muscles aren't just for show!" In a loud booming voice in contrast to her nerdy alter egos tiny, shy voice.
The mercenaries shout "Who the hell are you lady?"
Samantha then states " I am the Cruising Crusader and you are going down!"
Samantha shows nothing but intimidation in her actions but in her mind she was hesitant to enter this fight.
"(To herself) Holy alloy Sam! This is a 12 to 1 fight! Maybe you should just take out muggers in an alley to start off your superheroics..." Samantha then sees the bank tellers and the civilians who are unable to stop the mercenaries as they plead for their lives.
"No! These people need my help! I must take these guys down!"
The mercenaries try to shoot Samantha but she is too nimble to be caught. Her kicks and punches are so powerful that they knock the mercenaries out cold. She jumps on their heads and kicks two mercenaries in the chest with a drop kick, she leg sweeps and roundhouse kicks a third mercenary, leaps over and slams the fourth one to the ground, body slams a fifth one, hits two with her bo staff, trips up the eighth with her staff, punches the ninth mercenary twice, throws her staff to take out two more mercenaries and finally blocks a punch and delivers a haymaker to the twelfth mercenary. After the short and decisive battle she knocks every mercenary unconscious.
"Impressive, I didn't expect you to take them down that quickly. Wow you've changed considerably Sam. Into a muscle bound Badass if I may" said a mysterious man in a suit.
"Who said that?" said Samantha.
"I said that, don't you remember me? I was your high school rival, Wallace Duvall!"
Wallace Duvall is a spoiled rich kid with a fancy suit, a katana and a penchant for killing the economy of Santa Cruz. When he doesn't kill economies he just hangs around his parents house like a typical dumb, rich 20 year old with no day job.
Samantha and Wallace fight each other and whenever Samantha manages to damage Wallace he in return shows no mercy. Wallace eventually gets on top of her and almost stabs her in the throat but Sam is able to throw her staff into the air which hits Wallace in the back of the head knocking him unconscious. The police arrive right after the battle and after the bank tellers explain the situation the police arrest Wallace and his mercenaries. As the criminals are sent to prison a familiar face congratulates Sam.
"That was amazing for your first mission rookie!"
"Thanks i- Oh my god! Suburban Amazon?! I am one of your biggest fans!"
I'm flattered most rookies don't stop a large scale bank robbery on their first try."
"Thank you Amazon."
"Hey my super buddies and I usually hang out at a smoothie shop near the boardwalk do you want to come with?"
"That would be so awesome!"
After she encounters the Suburban Amazon, The Cruising Crusader becomes an official member of the Power Patrol (The superhero team led by the Amazon). The team consists of Starwoman: a blonde bombshell with a personal grudge against Samantha who has the ability to channel the power of the stars into energy blasts, She Beast: a blue skinned woman who can turn into a 50 foot tall giant at will, Bowregard: an archer who never misses a shot due to his enhanced vision, The Alchemist: a magical man who has lived for over 600 years and The Human Insect: a woman who can shrink down to the size of a bee and disable an opponents limbs by stinging them.
Samantha is at this moment watching the premiere of "Aloha Veronica" a romantic comedy with her roommate Tammy. Of course to blend in with the crowd Samantha is able to shrink down to her svelte and nerdy form which comes in handy in situations where she needs a disguise. The premiere event includes a special appearance from the films star Veronica Woodbury.
Samantha groans "I hate romantic comedies and I also hate bubble headed bimbos who have nothing better to do than star in them."
"I understand Sam but you cannot deny that Veronica Woodbury is gorgeous, besides it's not as bad as that Kardashian sisters movie I showed you a while back."
"Don't remind me of that premiere Tammy, let's just watch this stinker."
However as soon as the audience enters the movie theater the power goes out which shocks the audience inside. When the lights come back on Veronica is nowhere to be found.
Tammy: "Sam what happened to... Where are you Sam?!"
Samantha rushes out of the theater and quickly transforms into the Cruising Crusader ripping off her normal attire to reveal her costume. The Crusader climbs up to the roof of the Theatre to find Veronica being carried away by a red haired woman with strange looking gloves
Veronica: "Help me! Let me go because uhh... I'm really cute!"
"Not a chance you mediocre Hollywood actress!"
Samantha tries to convince the villain to stop the kidnapping
"I don't know why you have a vendetta against bad actresses but you need to stop before I'm forced to use violence."
The villain laughs and says
"You wish Crusader! You are about to know why they call me the Disabler!"
At that moment she lifts her hands and shoots a beam of energy at Sam
"What did you do to me?!"
Samanthas body begins to shrink and her muscles disappear! Her height reduces back to her 5 foot frame and her costume which was previously tight and stretchy out to show off her enormous body was now baggy and flappy
"My muscles! They're gone!"
The Disabler examines her gloves in an ecstatic manner
"These gloves of mine can take your powers away for 30 minutes. Not as long as I would like but long enough for me to kill you and cut your crime fighting career short!"
However right before the Disabler can finish Sam off the Suburban Amazon and Starwoman swoop in, protect Samantha and save Veronica.
Starwoman: "I knew she was weak. Thanks for continuing the typical stereotype of inept female superheroes you dumbass in distress."
Amazon: "Lay off of her Starwoman, she tried her hardest. Be glad that I don't make fun of you almost losing to Gelatin Gun Girl a few years back!"
Starwoman: "Oh come on Amazon that was my first time. My cosmic powers weren't fully developed yet what can I say?"
Disabler: "This isn't the last time you will face me Power Patrol!"
The Disabler gets away and Samantha starts to feel vulnerable. She feels that if she can't defeat this villain she doesn't have a chance to become an actual hero. A few days later she has a meeting with She-Beast to discuss her failed rescue attempt.
"I understand how you feel Sam when I started out on the Power Patrol I lost once to the freaking Bubble Prince! But then the Amazon helped me realize that I was focusing more on what I couldn't do rather than what I could do. Once I learned to believe in my self and my abilities I was able to best my greatest adversaries. Afterwards I was able to take on supernatural beings, alien warlords and literal gods of destruction. I'm strong Samantha but I'm still human. So just have faith in yourself and know your strength."
"Thanks She-Beast I really appreciate your assistance, I just didn't know that being a super hero would involve so much hard work and life or death situations where I would feel disempowered. I thought it would be as easy as Lynda Carter made it look in the 70s Wonder Woman show or as easy as Black Widow made it look in the Marvel movies. So many superheroines are proving they're just as powerful as male superheros are and I wanted to be like them so badly. Hopefully I can make a difference in this city someday. Thanks again"
"You're very welcome and don't sweat it. I was told you were chosen to host a party at The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk where you get to honor the local law enforcement officers."
"Why would the Amazon choose me for this job?"
"To set a trap for the Disabler."
Samantha decides to accept this offer as she is good friends with the officers of the police department. The police usually only handle small time crime due to the prevalence of the superheros around the United States. As such they either assist the superheros or take care of normal, non-powered criminals. At the ceremony Samantha decides to ask the Amazon a question.
"Do you think Disabler will fall for this obvious trap?"
The Disabler then ironically sprints to the boardwalk out of nowhere and challenges Samantha
"Cruising Crusader! Come out and face me!"
Samantha isn't surprised at the Disablers gullible nature
"Ask a stupid question and get an even dumber answer."
The police in attendance try to stop the Disabler but she is able to render their guns useless with her gloves. The Amazon steps in and tells the officers
"It's okay let the Crusader handle it."
The Disabler scoffs and shouts
"Didn't you learn how pathetic you are the last time we fought? Let me give you a reminder."
She activates her gloves and shoots the Crusader again which shrinks her muscles down once more.
"Ahh!"
Samantha at first is losing her powers and her confidence but she remembers what She-Beast taught her and she concentrates as hard as she can on what she can do rather than what she can't do and her muscles grow back! The Disabler is shocked and she attempts to steal Samanthas powerful muscles but every time she does Samantha manages to restore them. Eventually the Disablers gloves overload and explode right in her face scarring it severely.
"No! My face is ruined!"
Samantha grabs the Disabler by the hand and says
"Surrender Disabler!"
Suddenly Wallace appears and startles Samantha.
"Hold it right there Sammy she works for me."
"Wallace how did you get here? I thought you were in prison."
"My parents bailed me out and bribed the district attorney to drop the case, they have more power than you think. This lady here is named Jenny Vermillion. She is only the first of a team of supervillains that I have assembled to take you down. The next two members will kill you for we are the Villainous Vanguards and we will have our vengeance."
Sam is not intimidated by Wallace's threats. She looks menacingly at the two villains and says
"I will be ready to take on your Vanguards so you can tell your friends that they are going down because you have tried to conquer the wrong city and you have messed with the wrong woman."
