Chapter 1: Dropped in the Middle of It
At this point, Phantom Lady was a veteran superheroine. She had solved dozens of mysteries, brought hundreds of criminals to justice, and had gotten into more fights and deathtraps than just about anyone else on Earth. And when the war started, Phantom Lady was right in the thick of it, killing spies and stopping saboteurs. If there was anyone who could be considered an expert on superhero activities, it was Ms. Sandra Knight.
So why was she- once again- captured and tied up by the enemy?
Yes, at this moment in time, Phantom Lady was tied up again as a result of being discovered by Nazis. What has happened was that Phantom Lady had just completed a mission in Turkey when the Freedom Fighters had learned of an unusual flight taking off nearby. As a plucky go-getter always eager to prove her worth, Phantom Lady volunteered. She had snuck on board a spy plane headed west, ready to see what they were doing. She had cloaked herself using her legendary "black-light" projectors, which made it seem that she was but a shadow in the plane. Unfortunately, she had forgot to charge the batteries on them after her last adventure, and as such, the projectors died while she was using them. Quickly, she was discovered.
It was fortunate that she wasn't immediately killed by the soldiers on the plane. But Phantom Lady was one of the Freedom Fighters, and as such, a valuable source of information about them and their activities. Of course, there were possible other reasons why she was always allowed to live. As a beautiful woman engaging with men of low moral fiber, Phantom Lady had to always consider what they were capable of. But it was a risk she was willing to take. Whatever the reason, every time people had allowed her to live when it would have been more reasonable to kill her, Phantom Lady would always escape and eventually win.
Right now, she was standing up, tied in three spots. Her midsection and feet were tied to a vertical pole, while her hands were tied to a girder supporting the plane above her. In front of her was a soldier sitting down, watching her. She could tell he was enjoying this. Near her was the cockpit, while behind her was a section of men working on radars. Ironically, by tying her up here, the Germans had allowed Phantom Lady to overhear all of their conversations.
"Sir, we are approaching the area," said one.
"Good, begin the sweep," said the commanding officer. "Now we'll see if her story was not just a fairy tale".
Phantom Lady had no idea what they were talking about. She looked up to examine her ropes. The soldiers had done a poor job of tying these ropes. It wouldn't be a challenge for someone like her to escape from it. She looked over at the guard. Despite his earlier enthusiasm, the guard was starting to nod off. Now would be a good time to undo these, thought Phantom Lady.
Phantom Lady started to rock her wrists back and forth. This caused the ropes to tear a little. With the extra room, Phantom Lady moved her hands to the knot. She began to untie it, until she stopped. If I get free, she thought, where would I go? Besides, I can hear the Nazis just fine from here. Still, she considered, if they try anything to do anything, I should probably have my arms free, just in case. Phantom Lady undid all of it except for the last cross in the knot. This way, it looked like she was still tied up, but if she needed to move them, the ropes would fall with the easiest of jerks.
The plane continued on its path. "Sir, we're picking up some interference on the scope," said one of the men.
"Interference? What do you mean?" asked the commander.
"I mean everything is fuzzy," was the answer.
"What? Like from a storm?" the commander asked.
"Yes, but the clouds weren't there before," said the man.
As if on cue, the plane started to shake. The commander was puzzled. He got on the radio.
"Cockpit, how is the weather out there?"
"Uh, not good," was the reply. "A storm has just appeared out of nowhere. It's not so bad now, but we may have to turn back".
"No!" exclaimed the commander. "We must find this island. I will not accept failure!"
Island? thought Phantom Lady. Why are they looking for an island?
The plane continued to shake. Phantom Lady could tell the storm was getting worse. Still, the airmen pressed on. Eventually, there was a massive dip. The entire cabin shifted as a result. Phantom Lady flopped forward. Unfortunately, the ropes on her hands fell into a heap in front of her. The guard was awakened by this jolt and saw Phantom Lady partially free.
"Uh, this is embarrassing. Could you be a dear and help me? It appears I've become a bit undone," Phantom Lady said with a sheepish smile. The guard walked towards her, yelling angrily. When he got close enough, the heroine grabbed the machine gun and pointed it under his chin. "You move or say anything, and I will shoot you," she whispered. While holding the gun in one hand, Phantom Lady undid the ropes around her body with the other.
As she moved to undo the ropes around her feet, the commander walked over to Phantom Lady to inspect the yelling he had heard. Phantom Lady freed her legs and saw the man walking to her. Immediately, she sprung up, grabbed the guard from behind and pointed the gun to his head.
"Don't you move!" she yelled. The officer froze. The two other soldiers at the radar station stood up. Phantom Lady walked backwards, towards the cockpit, while alternating the aim of her gun between the guard and the others. It would seem reasonable to kill all of them now, but it would be trickier than you'd think. First, the commanding officer had a pistol holstered. She would have to take him out first, then make sure no one else got his gun. Secondly, shooting a gun inside of an airplane is not a good idea. The metal interior could result in bullets ricocheting around the cabin, potentially hurting her. And finally, there were two pilots in the cockpit behind her back. If they heard gunshots, one would certainly emerge and take her from behind. At this point, the gun was just an insurance policy, a measure of last resort.
Phantom Lady took her captive to the door to the cockpit. The other soldiers slowly made their way closer and closer. Next to the cockpit door was a box. Here was a collection of parachutes in case of emergency. Her plan was to get one on, and then when the plane was over friendlier waters, jump out. Phantom Lady went to open the box. As she did so, the plane shook again. The passengers all stumbled to the left side of the plane. As Phantom Lady was stunned, the guard broke free of her and grabbed his knife. Phantom Lady reacted as he jutted his knife towards her by dodging it. The other Nazis gathered their footing and, upon seeing Phantom Lady distracted, ran towards her. Phantom Lady fired the gun. She hit the guard in the stomach several times, and other bullets flew across the plane. She heard the bullets ping around, but fortunately, Phantom Lady was unhurt.
One of the other soldiers came and grabbed Phantom Lady's gun. The heroine and the Nazi struggled over the gun, while the commander attended to the wounded guard. While struggling with the solider, Phantom Lady heard something in the plane. She looked up and saw the other airman opening the side door of the plane. They were intending to throw her out. Phantom Lady could feel the wind blowing into the cabin. The rain had made the ground slippery. The soldier continued to wrestle with Phantom Lady. Eventually, Phantom Lady slipped and fell on the ground. The gun fell out of her hands, as well as the hands of her assailant, and went flying to the back. They both got up to go get it, but Phantom Lady was blocked by the other soldier. He knocked her to the ground again, and Phantom Lady tumbled to the side. As Phantom Lady flipped over, she felt the cold air outside. Phantom Lady knew she was going out the door. As she screamed, Phantom Lady slid out of the airplane.
The moment she got outside, Phantom Lady flew backwards. Out of instinct, the heroine reached out, trying to grab something. Miraculously, she was able to grab the side of the door. The wind whipped her around as she tried to hang on. The rain soaked her completely, making her grip all the more perilous. Phantom Lady saw that the storm clouds went on for miles. The sky was as black as night, occasionally lit up by massive bolts of lightning. Somehow, the storm still seemed to grow the further they went on.
The plane continued to shake, being tossed by the currents of air. Phantom Lady grimaced. Oh God, she thought, how can I continue? I'm going to die out here! Just then, a man stuck his head out of the door. Phantom Lady saw him, and then saw him go back in. Seconds later, Phantom Lady saw him emerge holding the machine gun from before. He aimed it at her, ready to finish the job. Quickly, Phantom Lady grabbed the barrel of the gun and pulled it back. The soldier lost his balance and fell out. As she held on with one hand, Phantom Lady saw him tumble down below her, eventually losing sight. There's one more, at least, she thought.
Phantom Lady flailed in the wind as she struggled to hang on. If she let go, she knew she would be sucked into the propeller behind her, dying a gruesome and painful death. Phantom Lady groaned as the strain put on her arm begin to take its toll. Just then, the plane began to decelerate. Despite the immense wind outside, Phantom Lady felt the stress on body lessen. Just then, the plane began to point downward. With this assist from gravity, Phantom Lady swung her other arm up to grab the side. She began to pull herself into the plane. As she got her head over the side, the other came into view. He rushed Phantom Lady, trying to knock her off. Phantom Lady grabbed him by the shoulder, trying to pull him out like she did to her compatriot. The soldier stopped and braced himself against the interior wall. Phantom Lady tried to punch him, her legs dangling out in the open. The airman began to scratch and claw at the woman, but Phantom Lady fought through it.
Eventually, the plane shook again and took a massive lurch to the right. The airman fell back and Phantom Lady fell into the plane. The plane was nearly on its side at this moment. Bruised and battered, Phantom Lady stood up. Droplets of water streaked down her face and body as she turned to look at her surroundings. The officer had gone into the cockpit to yell at the pilots. Phantom Lady looked the other way and started to run, hoping for a place to hide. It was tricky running at first, but soon the plane leveled out. Phantom Lady got to the desk where the two soldiers were working initially. As she got there, she saw her old projectors. At that moment, Phantom Lady was attacked from behind. The airman picked her up around the waist, but Phantom Lady swung around and fought it. She ran him back into the side of the plane and broke his grip. As she ran forward, the airman grabbed her cape, pulling her back. Phantom Lady stumbled back, as the guard kicked her in the side of the face. Her head snapped back and she staggered to the desk. The airman pounced on her, putting his hands on her neck. As he strangled her, Phantom Lady flailed her arms. Just on the edge of her reach, she felt her projectors. As her vision began to darken, Phantom Lady reached out to grab them. The moment she got a firm grasp on them, Phantom Lady swung them into her attacker's face, breaking them. The man let go of her to attend to his cut face. Phantom Lady gasped for air, but realizing the man was still standing, she grabbed the back of his head and ran it into the pole where was first tied up. The man fell into a heap, possibly dead.
Phantom Lady took some deep breaths. The entire ordeal was highly taxing, and would be quite the feat for anyone else. But before she could get her bearings, she felt a massive jolt. She, along with everything else that wasn't tied down, fell to the floor. The electronics in the plane flickered on and off. As Phantom Lady got back up, she heard the engines start to power down. Soon, the plane was beginning to tilt downwards. Phantom Lady looked out the window. The engine was emitting black smoke, and there were small fires scattered across the wing. Oh shit! she thought. I need to get out of here!
Phantom Lady ran to the front of the plane, but when she got halfway there, the commanding officer popped out of the cockpit. Quickly, the man grabbed his gun from his holster and aimed it at Phantom Lady. Panicked, Phantom Lady turned to run. The planed continued to pitch forward, making walking back more difficult. The commander shot the gun, but missed. Phantom Lady continued going back, almost climbing along the sides so as to not fall back. She turned to see the commander grabbing a parachute from the box. Phantom Lady continued climbing to the back. She saw a door at the end of the hall that she wanted to go through. The commander fired again and again, missing each time.
Phantom Lady got to the door. She had to bang it a few times to get it opened. She crawled through the doorway, dodging the bullets the commander was still firing. The back room was a cargo hold with several of the boxes strapped down. Phantom Lady heard the commander try to fire again, but only heard the click of an empty chamber. Well, that's good, at least, she thought. Phantom Lady continued to climb over the boxes. She heard the commander enter. Phantom Lady hid on the side of a box, which was tilted so that she could almost walk on it. The commander walked to the side of the room, and climbed up. He had his parachute slung over his shoulders, but not fully on. Phantom Lady observed him going to a control panel. He pulled a big red lever on it. Phantom Lady heard gears whirring and sirens blaring. She looked behind to the see the back part of the plane open up. The storm continued to rage, with sheets of rain pouring in. The commander resumed his climb, this time over the boxes. He's coming this way, thought Phantom Lady.
When the commander got to the box below her, Phantom Lady sprang into action. She leaped off the box and onto the man. Phantom Lady fell off of him, and nearly off the box entirely. Phantom Lady scrambled to remain on the box as the commander got up and tried to kick her. Phantom Lady blocked the kick and stood up. With water pouring onto them, Phantom Lady and the commander traded blows. The commander punched the heroine in the stomach, and then knocked her back with a punch to the face. He turned away to climb over the boxes to the exit, but Phantom Lady came back. She pulled him down and grabbed the parachute. The commander still had his arms under the straps, but Phantom Lady was able to get one arm out. The commander went to attack her, but Phantom Lady was prepared. As he lunged forward, Phantom Lady leaned back and sat down. The commander went over her, and Phantom Lady- still holding one strap of the parachute- pushed him up. He continued falling forward, over the edge of the box. The commander fell, but still hung on to the other strap. Phantom Lady flipped over to see the commander still dangling over the side. With a mighty force, Phantom Lady started to pull the parachute up. She could hear and feel the straps start to rip. Phantom Lady got to her knees and swung one leg over. With one swift blow, Phantom Lady stomped on the commander's face. The commander lost his grip and fell to the front of the room with a loud THUD!
With no time to lose, Phantom Lady slipped her legs through the leg holes, put the straps over her shoulders, buckled the latch on her chest, and tightened everything tight. She was ready to go out the back. Phantom Lady climbed the boxes. The plane was nearly vertical now, and the storm was making the climb even more perilous. Phantom Lady got to the last box, but the exit was still a good twelve feet up. Phantom Lady grabbed the notches in the floor and climbed them like a ladder. The wind was howling and Phantom Lady had to do everything she could not to slip off. Finally, she got to the edge. As she got her head out, Phantom Lady could feel the full force of the storm. Oh God! I have to go outside with this happening? she thought. Well, here goes nothing. In a flash, Phantom Lady jumped up, got her midsection on the edge and flipped out of the plane. Phantom Lady continued to flip over and over for some time, until she was able to stop herself. As soon as she did, she pulled the ripcord and deployed the parachute.
When the parachute opened, Phantom Lady jerked to a slow descent. But soon, she realized that this would not be a simple ride. The wind blew her back and forth, worse than anything she felt while on the plane. When the motion stopped, Phantom Lady felt that she was falling faster. She looked up to the parachute and saw that some parts of the parachute were flapping about. The wind was ripping apart the parachute. Out of fear, Phantom Lady grabbed the straps that extended to the chute. She found that one of the straps was half torn. I can't fall now! I'm too high up still! The wind picked up again, and the parachute continued to rip. Phantom Lady's heart raced, hoping to land soon. Finally, the strap broke. Phantom Lady tried to grab it, but it slipped out of her wet hand. Phantom Lady screamed as she fell.
The water was a monstrous seascape with waves the size of buildings. Phantom Lady saw the churning water below her soon after she began to fall. Still being slowed somewhat by a half-functional parachute, Phantom Lady tried to straighten out her body, hoping land straight and somehow survive. But just as soon as she did that, a wave came up and slammed into her side. Phantom Lady tossed and turned in the water, stunned by the impact. Soon, she came to her senses and tried to swim up. It took a few seconds to figure out where "up" was, but when she did, she went straight for it. Unfortunately, the parachute was in her way. As she tried to go to the surface, the parachute enveloped her. Needing to breathe, Phantom Lady struggled in the fabric. No, I can't do this! Phantom Lady thought. If I panic, I'll drown! Despite her body reacting horribly, Phantom Lady tried to relax. Another wave came and pushed the canvas a bit to the side. Seeing her opportunity, Phantom Lady swam the other way. Soon, she broke the surface.
Gasping for air, Phantom Lady tried to look around. All around here was just the dark, violent sea. There was not a single sign of life near her at all. Phantom Lady struggled to keep her head above water. In this weather, a person could only stay afloat for minutes before succumbing to the sea. Phantom Lady needed something, and fast. Despite the loud storm, Phantom Lady heard something else. The plane, with both wings on fire, broke through the clouds and dove right into the sea, exploding in a fireball doing so. Even though it was relatively far, Phantom Lady could still smell the smoke of the fire.
Well, that's it for them, at least, Phantom Lady thought. And someone will look for them now, right? Phantom Lady leaned back. I just gotta relax, keep treading water, and someone will rescue me. Someone will... But Phantom Lady knew she was lying to herself. Despite her intent to remain positive and her will to live, the sea continued pound her body with waves, sending her underwater. Every swim to the surface became harder and harder. Soon, exhausted from her entire ordeal, Phantom Lady blacked out and slipped back under the surface. She was at the mercy of the sea.
This is the beginning of my longest fanfic ever. I wanted to get the whole thing done before I publish, like I normally do. However, I noticed that today, January 7th, is considered the birthdate of Sandra Knight – a.k.a. Phantom Lady. In celebration of her birthday, I've uploaded the prologue and first chapter featuring Phantom Lady. I hope to upload a chapter every couple of weeks while getting the rest of the story finished soon, but I can't make any promises. Thank you for reading, and please stay tuned to see how this adventure ends!