Chapter 4: Lightning

As Victoria entered the bank, it was to find it empty. The auction had obviously been cancelled since the police couldn't round up enough forces to protect it. She could hear every step she took. Her boots would hit the ground and echo in the empty silence. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her and pinned her down on the ground. Before she could react, a piece of rope had already bound her hands behind her back. She struggled and saw a figure above her.

"My, my," the man who had hit her earlier was taunting her. "What's a pretty little thing like you doing out in this part of town?"

"Doing my job," she replied, knowing that if she could keep him distracted long enough, she could break herself free. "Didn't catch your name earlier when you were attacking me."

"The name's Lightning," he replied bending down to her line of sight. As soon as she saw his face, she felt something rush through her veins. He stared at her long and hard. "You have beautiful eyes."

"Don't try to flatter me," she commanded in no position to do so.

"If you have gorgeous eyes, I wonder what you look like without the mask," he said reaching for her mask. She turned away from him. "What's your name?"

"Falcon," she replied trying not to look at him. There was something about him that made her want to kill him but at the same time love him.

"Falcon…"he repeated softly. He put a hand on her cheek and stroked it. Her breath quickened with his touch. He seemed to have noticed because a smirk erupted across his face. "Didn't think you were that easy."

"I'm not," she told him.

"Oh really," he replied raising an eyebrow.

"Really," she said finally breaking free of the rope. She got ready to strike with everything she had, but found she couldn't do it.

"Didn't think you would have the guts," he said smirking.

"Then why did you tied me up in the first place?" she asked.

"Simple," he said grabbing her hand. He then pinned her to the nearest wall, her hands above her head. "I wanted to see you squirm," he whispered in her ear. She almost lost all feeling in her legs at this last sentence. She slipped, but he caught her and held her to the wall. "I see you don't mind at all."

"Oh please," she said trying to sound cold, "don't flatter yourself."

"Don't worry, I won't," he said breathing in her ear. She closed her eyes at the sensation, but before she could do anything else, he was gone.

Cassandra entered her house slightly disheveled but very calm.

"Hello," she said when she saw her parents at their kitchen table talking.

"How was your fresh air?" her mother asked.

"Alright…I guess," she replied looking at her dad with a look that said, "We need to talk."

"Cassandra, I need to speak to you," he said sternly getting the message. She followed him into the laundry room, where he turned on the drier to drown out their voices.

"What is it?" he asked hastily.

"I was ambushed."

"Ambushed? By who?"

"Some new-be hero that calls herself Falcon."

"What happened?"

"I got away and she didn't see my face, but the strange thing is she knew all of my moves."

"What? All of them? Even the one's I showed you from Batman?"

"She knew them as if you taught them to her."

Victoria practically burst through the doors.

"Mom!" she practically shouted.

"What?" he mom asked worried.

"We've got a problem."

"And that would be…"

"I…I think I've met my match. Well…matches I should say. There were two villains at the cancelled bank auction trying to steal artifacts. One of which knew everything you have taught me."

"What do you mean by that?"

"All those moves you were taught by dad, she knew them. She would block them or use them on me like it was second nature to her."

"This is bad. And what of the second?"

"What?"

"You said matches, not match. What of the second match?"

"Umm…" she said uncomfortably. She did want to tell her mother about this.

"Well…."

"It's nothing. Just one of her partners probably," Victoria said turning away so she wouldn't see her turning red.