The Cruising Crusader Chapter 3

Samantha is in a meeting with the Power Patrol listening to a presentation by Dr Sandra Day.

"We have a serious situation going on at the Santa Cruz Gay Pride Parade. Wallace has created an unknown device and placed in one of the floats. Now it is going to be your job to seize the device and apprehend the supplier that created the technology."

Human Insect: "How do you know that there is a supplier who is giving him this technology? He could just be receiving this tech from his mom and dad."

Sandra: "That's an astute question Insect, This tech has none of the trademarks or logos associated with Duvall Industries. So we need to find someone who knows about the device and who supplied him with the resources necessary to make such a device."

At that moment a mysterious woman falls out of a portal that appears over the table. She looks like a Native American with futuristic attire.

She Beast: "Wow! Who the heck is that woman?"

The woman woke up and explains her appearance in the present time.

"I am Thala Shock of the Lakota and i have traveled to your time from the year 2100. I am here to tell you that in my time a woman of unrealistic power and control will take over the state of California with an iron fist and a mind for destruction. She calls herself the Demon of Crime and her name is Ophelia Williams.

Samantha: "Is this Ophelia the person who provided Wallace with the materials for that device at the Gay Pride Rally?"

"Yes she has also created a cybernetic exoskeleton that she replaced her normal exoskeleton with so that the healing fibers and lifetime extending gems that she developed inside of the exoskeleton would give her everlasting life."

Amazon: Well it looks like i'm going to have to stop hanging around here and start fighting crime again. She-Beast, Crusader, Insect and Alchemist you will come with me."

Crusader: "Thala you should come with us too we will need some more intelligence once we get inside of the parade."

Thala: You got it. What are you planning to do?

Crusader: The planning is up to the Amazon.

The Amazon creates a sketch of the parade and talks to her troops

"Okay so apparently Bowregard has suspicions about the Gay Pride Parade so he was patrolling around when he saw this heavy set Black woman with a weird looking weave."

Thala: That's Ophelia!

Alchemist: What Intel did Bowregard uncover?

Amazon: He had his audio recorder with him and he heard this conversation between Ophelia and our dear friend Wallace when he snuck into Ophelia's hideout.

She turns on the audio recording.

Ophelia: "This is a tough job, normally I'd talk y'all out of it but you guys have got something special. You whiteys are some real artists."

Wallace: "I always impress my clients and my associates. My family needs the materials for the persuasion device so do you have the puranium?"

"Yes I do. Y'all be careful with that it's nasty stuff if used incorrectly."

"I will, trust me. You know maybe we should do business more often Miss Demon."

The audio tape ends.

Sandra: The puranium is a rare metal used currently for creating unmanned drones for the US military so I'm betting my money on the device being on the biggest float in the parade. I will stay here and analyze Starwomans injuries."

Amazon: "All right then lets get moving!"

The Power Patrol arrives at the Gay Pride Parade and Samantha immediately noticed that a ton of the LGBT community is in attendance for the festivities. She is fine with the LGBT community and she liked the fact that same sex marriage is now legal but she knew that the Duvall family is quite homophobic.

"Racism, Classism, Homophobia what's next Wallace?"

The Power Patrol decides to watch some of the floats while they search for Ophelia and Wallace. When the largest float is in view Wallace and his Villainous Vanguards show up.

"Salutations my freaks of nature! You people are messing with the true order of our everyday lives. You people disgust me with your same sex relationships and your gender switches!"

The crowd boos Wallace and he has a death glare on his face when he says the sentence that shocked the world.

"Oh so you Gay's don't like that eh? Well Zeppelin show them what happens when you mess with a Duvall!"

Lady Zeppelin flies up into the sky and throws incendiary grenades all over the place causing the civilians to evacuate the premises. The Power Patrol thrust themselves into action. The Suburban Amazon fights on all of Wallace's henchmen herself. One of them tries to hit her with a baseball bat but she was so durable that the bat breaks when it hit her without hurting her at all. Another thug tries to punch her in the stomach and he ends up breaking his hand. She makes quick work of the thugs knocking them out with one punch or kick each.

The Alchemist is able to use his telekinesis to defeat Razorback with ease and the Human Insect disables the Disablers arms do that she can't use her gloves at all. She Beast is able to grow 50 feet tall so she simply grabs Lady Zeppelin out of the air.

"Oh how cute a Lady Zeppelin doll! I always wanted one!"

Lady Zeppelin is getting tired of She Beasts mocking and she shoots She Beast with her explosive pistol but that only tickles her.

"Ha Ha Ha! You are so out of here!"

She Beast throws her away which caused Lady Zeppelin to fly wildly out of control and crash into a building. Wallace likewise is easily defeated by the Cruising Crusader who studies Wallace's attack pattern so well to the point where she could fight him in her sleep.

"Just give up Wallace! Your Vanguards are already down and out!"

"Hold on Samantha I have one last trick up my sleeve!"

Some of Ophelia's criminal friends show up with their own power disabling gloves and they depower all of the heroes.

Wallace: "Thank god you guys showed up! I was about to get crushed by Ms bodybuilder here!"

Then out of nowhere comes Ophelia Williams who quickly grabs Thala who was hiding in a booth the whole time during the fight.

"I'm the one who has to clean up your trash eh Wallace?"

"I suppose so Ophelia."

"So what should we do about them?"

"Take them over to your hideout in Gilroy, for inspection then take them over to Duvall Industries. I have some unfinished business with these Heroes and I will not stop until my family makes me the rightful heir to their fortune."

After getting captured by the Villainous Vanguards and Ophelia Williams the Power Patrol members, Alchemist, She-Beast, Human Insect, Suburban Amazon and the Cruising Crusader herself find themselves locked up inside Wallace's office along with their companion Thala Shock which is naturally adorned with several Silver and Gold crafted tables and chairs, A full mini bar with several delicacies that only the richest of the rich can afford and even Platinum encrusted light fixtures.

She-Beast: "This is complete bull! Why do we have to be in this guys office and do what his heart desires?"

Samantha: "I understand your frustration She-Beast but we must think of a way to get out of this predicament like real Heroes do!"

Wallace walks into the room with his mother Courtney Duvall, she is a middle aged woman with white hair who looks like Julianne Moore.

Courtney: "Samantha Cruz, I have heard so much about you and your Power Patrol. It's a shame that my son had to try 5 times to capture a young woman who just acquired her powers a few weeks ago!"

Wallace: "I'm sorry mom I underestimated her."

Courtney: "Save it for later son."

Amazon: "Courtney what is all of this about?"

Courtney: "That's an astute question. I was just going to kill all of you on camera for delaying the syndicate I run from taking over the city but I figured I could exploit you more if all of you were alive."

Samantha: "You figured out a way to use us to make money huh?"

Courtney: "Yep, smart Lady. I opened up a living history theme park that will bring the Superhuman Suppression Initiative era to life!"

Samantha is horrified. The Superhuman Suppression Initiative was a bill that the United States Government enacted during the Reagan years that essentially turned all Superhuman individuals into slaves who were segregated from normal civilian bathrooms, restaurants and even schools. It was just like the pre civil rights era in America for superheros.

Samantha: You're forcing Superhuman individuals to reenact the most painful period of our history?"

Courtney: "With a merry go round and some cotton candy! Anyway Samantha its not just superheros. I'm progressive enough to force all of the captured people at my disposal to reenact your painful past. If they owe me money of course."

Wallace: "And if you were wondering what that device at the parade was for its a persuasion device. It's going to alter the minds of the people who enter the park and make them entirely obedient to our orders. They won't question a single thing they see!"

Thala: "I doubt it. Why didn't it work at the Gay Pride Parade?"

Wallace: "The device wasn't fully operational we didn't have enough puranium at the time. But now that we do I believe that this park will work perfectly!"

Courtney: "It had better work or I'm going to disown you boy!"

Wallace: "Yes mom it will go according to plan. Ophelia send Thala over to the non super powered cells and send the rest of the superheros to the park. They have a very long day to look forward to."

Ophelia: "Whatever you say pal!"

Ophelia tells her men to send the Power Patrol over to the theme park known as Powerland. It is a 1980s style theme park that was clearly designed to benefit the rich patrons and to oppress every superhero in a similar fashion to the Jim Crow laws in the 1800s. Each transportable cell has power dampeners that are also powered by puranium. They shrink the muscles of Samantha which is rather depressing for her. She only shrinks her muscles down when she was required to return to her nerdy persona. Every superhero has their powers sapped even Suburban Amazon. While her muscles were acquired naturally through extensive exercise her powers were amplified further by her armor which has its effects negated due to the power dampeners. Thala on the other hand is getting jostled around by her captors when she is sent to her separate cell.

Guard 1: "Boy you ladies can take beating can't you?"

The guards start to beat Thala up and one of them slaps her in the face. Suddenly the guard recoiled in pain.

Guard 2: "What happened bro?"

Guard 1: "I don't know. I feel like I was slapped in the face for some reason."

Guard 2: "You're gonna pay for that!"

The second guard kicks Thala in the stomach and in a few seconds the second guard felt an enormous amount of pain in his stomach and he keeled over.

Thala: "I guess I forgot to tell you that I have a power inside of me too. If you hit me I'll still get injured but so will you. You can call me Feedback!"

Thala punches the two guards in the face and steals the keys from the second guard.

Thala: "All right Thala you need to get to the rest of the Power Patrol and tell them the bad news. Hopefully they won't kill me! Why am I talking to myself?"

The next day the Power Patrol witnesses the effects of the persuasion device. The patrons who come into the park turn into mindless drones who can't think of anything. They can't criticize the obviously offensive and derogatory nature of Powerland and they all only have one mindset. Powerland is perfect, persecute and destroy all opposition.

Alchemist: "What kind of job is this? We're dressed up as slaves!"

Samantha: "We are slaves Alchemist"

Amazon: "I suppose this is the time when we hatch a plan to get out of here right?"

Samantha: "Yeah. I'll need a little time to think over it but we need to burn this place down."

Suddenly Ophelia shows up dressed as a slave master right out of the Antebellum south.

Ophelia: "Y'all don't even think about escaping! You have no chance. Welcome to Powerland you absolute idiots! This shall be your orientation."

Samantha: "Ophelia this is preposterous. You're expecting us to act like slaves and to just be cool with this situation? Really?!"

Ophelia: "Yes Crusader that is exactly what I am expecting. Here you will learn to look down when a rich man or woman looks your way, buck dance if you hear anything resembling a tune and denounce any feelings that resemble self esteem and or self worth."

Samantha: "Not on your life Ophelia!"

She-Beast: "Yeah we're not falling for this! First rich man or woman I see I'm going to tell them to suck my..."

Ophelia pulls out an electric whip and starts swinging it at She Beast.

"I'm not saying anything. You can call me Hilton, Toby, Kardashian I won't care."

Ophelia: "That's right She Beast. Now there will be a short boot camp to make sure you sub humans are limber and you don't suffer massive heart attacks."

Alchemist: "Ophelia you must have lost your mind!"

Ophelia swings the whip at Alchemist to shut him up.

Ophelia: "The sound of this whip sure is sweet. It's like my father gently snapping his fingertips. Now Alchemist, Human Insect and Suburban Amazon you have good superhero names so I will leave your names be. But you two have aggressive names as such they will be changed. Crusader you are now Imbecile 1 or 1 for short, She-Beast your name is Imbecile 2 or 2 for short. 2! Chuck that bale of hay over to my horse who I have affectionately named Clarabelle."

She-Beast: "Oh Clarabelles gonna die today. Cause she ain't getting Jack!"

Ophelia: "1! Get Clarabelle some carrots!"

Samantha didn't listen she just glares at Ophelia intensely.

Ophelia: " Uh oh. Imbecile if you defy me..."

Alchemist: "Samantha you better listen to that fool before she hits you with that whip!"

Crusader: "Alchemist I'm no ones property. Neither are you."

Ophelia: "Didn't you see the team surrendering to Wallace? We own you. Human Insect!"

Human Insect: "Yes"

Ophelia: "My name in the supervillain world is not Ophelia its The Boss!"

Ophelia swings the whip at Human Insect causing her to recoil in fear.

Ophelia looks at Samantha who is still glaring at her "You think you're tough huh? Well we have ways of dealing with your type."

Samantha is escorted over to a stage nearby where she thinks to herself

"In modern America why would people be entertained by slaves? We're all under Wallace's thumb. I need to find a way out of here!"

Ophelia is up on the stage where she is entertaining the crowd watching from above

"Hey rich guests of Powerland make some noise if you love waterboarding!"

The crowd cheers

"I hope you all enjoyed the Superhuman extinction exhibit! We even have real Superhuman kids at the gift shop. Use them as your servants if you like. See the Concierge on your way out. Now I have a very special surprise for all of you. Today we are debuting a special interactive game! Does everyone love power dampeners? I know its not the 1980s but its just so much fun!"

Samantha was brought out to the crowd locked in chains as her strength starts to return and her muscles grew back!

Ophelia: "I guess we have to hurry up! Now if you reach under your chairs you will find power disabling gloves!"

The brainwashed children grab the gloves and quickly put them on.

"Ready aim fire!"

The kids shoot a beam out of the gloves that disables the Cruising Crusaders powers again! She also writhes in pain due to the gloves applying pressure to her pressure points. Luckily the Amazon breaks out of the cage she was in by stealing a key and she runs over to the stage with the rest of the Power Patrol in hot pursuit.

"That's enough! Our slaveship is over! You kids better put those gloves down or I will whip your narrow behinds!"

The Power Patrol break Samantha's chains and she collapses due to the pain she is feeling. She can barely stand up.

"Samantha are you alright?"

"I won't resist Ophelia ever again Amazon."

"You're not going to be required to do that. Let's go home."

The team carries the injured Samantha over to the exit of the park where Wallace is waiting with at least a dozen security guards.

"Where do you idiots think you're going?"

Amazon: We are leaving this place. The park is closed."

"Oh you don't get it. This is your home. Seriously you morons live here now."

The team looks at the guards in fear as they are forcefully taken back to their holding cells.

Will the Power Patrol ever escape Powerland? Will Thala Shock be able to get the other members of the Power Patrol to help organize a rebellion? Tune in next time!