Metrocity jumped down the open manhole and into the sewer, surprised at landing on solid metal instead of sludge. Her surprise turned to fear as the lights blinked on and a tall figure appeared before her, black ink running down a silver spandex costume. She smiled.

"You're very cliché, you know" she stated cheekily. "You haven't done anything original since I met you. Even if you are scary and stronger than me, you haven't done anything to deserve it. Spandex is just another trip down cliché-lane. I'm just glad you didn't use rub—" She broke off, screaming as her feet lifted from the ground and were pulled up over her head. She hung by an ankle from a rope-trap on the ceiling, her cape flying out under her and her face turning purple as blood rushed to her blue face.

"Insulting me won't do you any good, little girl," Mechanico sneered. "You're going to die tonight, and if you don't shut your mouth, your friend will too," he added, pressing a button on a machine and lighting up the dark half of the rotunda. The first thing Metrocity saw was Bernard, the gag still in his mouth, struggling to free himself from the deathtrap. Then she noticed what the new half was. It was Mechanico's lab!

This new piece of information made her smile all over again, and she almost taunted him for allowing such an amateur fluke to occur—such, sad to say, was her 7-year-old nature—but resisted the temptation, and instead, very slowly and seriously, nodded. "OK. You win. If you don't hurt Bernard, you can kill me."

"Merhohihy, hon'!" Bernard yelled through the gag, then managed to spit it out, and repeated, "Metrocity, don't!"

"I'm doing what I have to do." Metrocity said, slowly reaching up behind her and grabbing her cape. By the time Mechanico had finished laughing and realized what she was doing, it was too late—to stop Bernard, that is. Metrocity had already grabbed her de-gun, set to de-stroy (her father may not have hurt anyone purposefully, but Metrocity had no problem with it, so long as it was in the name of justice) and shot four times with perfect precision.

Bernard flinched with each shot, eyes shut tight. When he opened his eyes, the four chains holding his legs and arms down were nothing but ash, and he sighed in relief. Had Metrocity's aim been off by even a fraction of a millimeter, she could have killed him. Or at least seriously injured him. Well, if he was normal. Which he wasn't.

"Why you little—" Mechanico growled, stepping closer to Metrocity and firing his own laser, disarming her and severing her cape in half. He didn't bother with Bernard. "Your little friend has no importance to me. He can go. But I'm going to enjoy watching you die—one cell at a time." Metrocity's face, now dark purple, faded to light purple as she paled. Her head was light, and she felt dizzy. The edges of her vision were turning black, and she knew she was less than a minute from passing out. Fear crept into her eyes as Mechanico turned back to her, a strange looking gun in hand, and she shut them.

And she waited for the click.

Author Comments:

Uh-oh. How will Metrocity get out of this one? WILL she get out of this one? What's Bernard going to do? Where is Minion? What's that funny gun Mechanico has? Is all lost? I can't answer those questions, Dear Reader. Because then I'd have to kill you. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!