(A/N: Okay, so this chapter's significantly shorter than I initially planned it to be. Which irks me a little since I usually have the beginning and the end of the chapter in my head and what's posted here is about a third of what I wanted to post. As stated in previous chapters, I've been a bit busy lately but I'm hoping that if I cut down my chapter lengths then I'll be able to post more frequently and keep the stories moving. Here's hoping it works. Let me know what you think, one way or the other. Now off to bed with me. Oh and just a reminder, what's in italics is a flashback, since if you don't know that…this chapter's just going to confuse you... As I said in the previous chapter, I'll try to do that for the next couple chapters and see how it works.)

"Ms. Macready, this will go a lot better if you're more cooperative."

"I'm going out of my way to be fucking cooperative! You ask me questions and I fucking answer them!"

Dr. Shelby sighed loudly, taking in the restrained 11 year old. "With all due respect, Ms. Macready, I do believe that, using your own vernacular…your answers are total bullshit." A smirk formed slightly on his face as he took in Mindy's momentarily shocked expression, though she quickly recovered. "I can't promise you that with the right treatment, you'll be free. I can promise you that if you do cooperate with me, your time here will be much easier."

"You keep telling me that I'm not an actual superhero. I agree with you."

"You placate me. You don't believe a word you're actually saying. You're merely telling me what you think I want to hear. It's okay if you don't agree with me, Ms. Macready. I'd rather you tell me the truth than give me a pretty lie. Please, Ms. Macready."

Mindy struggled slightly against her restraints in frustration. "You want to know the truth? Fine! I am a motherfucking superhero. That's why I have more ties on me than a fucking gimp! Everyone knows what I'm capable of, and they're just pissed that I can do the cops' jobs better than they do!"

Dr. Shelby nodded. "Thank you for your honesty. I do have to disagree with you however, in regards to your level of restraints. That doesn't have as much to do with you being a 'superhero' as much as the fact that with your training, if you got your hands on as much as a thimble, a good portion of our security would be dead before we were able to restrain you again."

Mindy smiled back. "Wouldn't need the thimble."

"I'm glad you're finally comfortable enough to speak so openly. Now, speaking of you being a supposed superhero-"

"No supposed. You want me to be honest, I'm being honest. Talk down to me all you fucking want and that doesn't change a thing. I know who I am."

"You're a superhero. One whose killed dozens if not hundreds. How do you…justify that? Superheroes go out of their way not to kill. It sets a bad example."

Mindy's eyes narrowed. "It sets a realistic example. And there are plenty of heroes who kill. Wolverine. Punisher. Fucking, Wonder Woman. The Authority. Deadpool. Mr. Majestic. Robin. Do I need to keep going here?"

"No need to, Ms. Macready. Wolverine and the Punisher would not refer to themselves as superheroes. They're both fully aware they don't fit that particular mold just because they go after the bad element. Wonder Woman is willing to kill, but she only does that when she has no other options, such as with Maxwell Lord. In your case, killing is your 'go to', so there isn't a comparison. Mr. Majestic and The Authority are absolutely not superheroes. The Authority especially stopped being superheroes when they started calling themselves The Authority to prove they were above the law. Robin, I'm assuming you mean Damian Wayne, got in massive trouble for killing Nobody because it was unacceptable to Batman. And if you're really desperate enough to add Deadpool to that list, you might as well add Deathstroke or Lobo or Magneto or Juggernaut since they're all villains that are good when the situation needs them to be."

Once more Mindy blinked, staring at Dr. Shelby in shock, as he smirked back. "Ms. Macready. It is not an accident that I was assigned to you."

Dave looked around, hiding in the shadows, as he saw the window to his hotel room. So far, there was no sign of Mindy, but that didn't make him relax, because…well…its Mindy. No one whose ever underestimated that girl had ever lived to tell the tale, and that was when she was 11. As soon as he was sure there was no one passing by, Dave bee lined for the window, which he'd left unlocked and slipped in. Immediately he looked around the room, and to his relief he didn't see another person there.

A grin crossed his face, as he unshackled his helmet, and began to ponder exactly how he was going to pose on the bed when Mindy arrived. He figured he wouldn't have a lot of time. Almost immediately Dave went on edge. He sensed it before he heard it, as he ducked suddenly, dodging the projectile that whizzed past him. Looking behind him, he tried to focus through the dark room to see what had he'd been attacked with. A loud groan escaped his lips as he saw that it was one of the pillows that was on his bed.

"Thought you won, didn't ya?" Mindy taunted, leaning from the bathroom.

Dave simply shook his head, and continued to take off his costume. "You know…for a second there…I did."

Mindy made her way over to turn on the light so she could get a better view of Dave getting changed. "But you didn't!" She beamed, flipping her hair out of her face so that he could see how much she was smiling. "Now hm…I believe the winner got something…" Mindy made a show of trying to remember what the prize was.

"It was a free request that can't be turned down." Dave sighed. He was currently down to his boxers and wondering if there was any point in starting to get dressed, considering what Mindy would most likely want to use that particular freebie for.

"Mmmm." Mindy moaned, looking over Dave's mostly exposed body. "That's right. Any request. You know…I was thinking about what I would want, while I waited for you."

Dave raised an eyebrow, looking back over to Mindy, suddenly being reminded of outfit he'd had a hand in helping her fit into. When she'd said that those pants made her ass look amazing, it had been a gross understatement. "And what did you want?"

Mindy flashed her best coy expression. "Well, I thought about it…and…you're already my bitch, Dave. So I can technically make you do what I want, anyway. Especially, sexually." She gave Dave a look to see if he would have a rebuttal for that statement, and when he simply smirked back, she continued, "So…if I'm not going to use it for sex… I'm going to use it for something else." Mindy's face shifted into one a little more intense. "You almost beat me."

Dave's eyes narrowed as he tried to get her meaning until it snapped into place. She meant their fight last night. "Well…yeah, but I was going to cheat…so you wouldn't chop off my head…"

Mindy shook her head. "Doesn't matter. You almost beat me, and that won't stand with me. I don't want to do it today, but sometime very soon I want to spar with you. Full out."

Dave blinked, as he took in the request. There were many things he'd been prepared for Mindy to ask, and that had not been on the list. "Okay…" He cautiously agreed. "But under one condition." Needless to say, this got Mindy's attention. "We do it out of costume."

Mindy's head cocked to the side as she tried to figure out his request. "Why…?"

Dave shrugged, slipping into his jeans. "It's all about technique, right? Figured the match would end faster if we couldn't take as much damage." He grinned, reaching for his t-shirt. "You saw how much my costume absorbed."

Mindy rolled her eyes, "Yeah, that was a pain in the ass." Her eyes suddenly narrowed. "You know, Dave. You took awhile to answer there. Like you were trying to think of the right way to phrase it. You wouldn't be lying to me would you?"

Dave shrugged again, purposely flexing slightly to distract Mindy. Judging from the way her eyes immediately darted to his chest…it worked. "What do I gain from that? Either way, you're kicking my ass. Hungry?"

Mindy's eyes were still on Dave's chest as his shirt unfortunately covered it. She found herself wishing that he'd had an alias that wore skin tight clothing as well. "Mmm, starving…" She sighed, still not making eye contact.

Dave smirked back, "We should get something then…to eat."

Mindy raised one of her eyebrows, "You sure you're not taking me out on a date? Because from what I know, when people go out and eat, come back and fuck, that's usually a date."

"Is it, now?" Dave grinned.

A half hour later that question was answered…

Mindy blinked, as she looked around. "Really, Dave? A mall food court?"

Dave chuckled, "I was being practical, I didn't know what you liked. This way you can have burgers, Chinese, or tacos…or a combination."

Mindy rolled her eyes as she laughed. "Well fine, if you're going to be all logical about it. You go ahead and I'll find a seat." She smiled as Dave chuckled again and went for the tacos option. Mindy searched for a corner table as far away from everyone as possible. As carefree as Dave was being about this, the whole thing was putting her on edge. She went through a lot of trouble not to get caught and only go out when she needed to. This was just a needless chance…regardless of how much fun it might be.

"Hey there." A deep voice beside her, said.

As Mindy looked over, her eyes immediately narrowed as she took in guy with a goatee leering at her, or to be more specific, leering at her cleavage. "Hi." She said, forcing a smile from behind the hair covering most of her face.

"You here by yourself, sweet thang?" Goatee asked, leaning against the empty chair.

"I'm here with a friend, actually." Mindy replied, keeping her smile, before dramatically making it falter. "You might want to be careful, though. For some reason, he doesn't like other guys talking to me."

"Don't you worry, baby. I think I can handle your 'friend'. Where's he at?"

"Over there." Mindy pointed.

"Psh!" Goatee scoffed. "The little guy over there?"

Mindy forced herself not to grin as she shook her head. "Behind him." She could practically see the color drain from Goatee's face, especially since Dave was looking directly at him. Goatee was built but nowhere on Dave's level. By the time Dave arrived, Goatee was nowhere to be seen.

"And what exactly did you say to Mr. Stark over there?" Dave asked, curious exactly what she'd said that made the guy currently retreating like Hell, go from blatantly cocky to total pussy in the space of a second.

Mindy beamed up at Dave. "I told him you were going to rip off his dick and shove it down his throat if he kept talking to me."

Dave paused, before shrugging. "Fair enough."