Amazon Arrow's Power Quest | Part 2 - Losing Control

The Red Behemoth is a powerful adversary with extraordinary strength, but he is also a living creature. He has a soul and that makes him vulnerable to my Soul Arrows.

I could drop him from a distance... but that would be far too easy. Today I'm in the mood to get upclose and personal with my enemy. I want to loose myself in the thrill of mortal combat!

My name is Chryseis and I am an Amazon champion!

I have fallen in battle far too often as of late. This day... I vow to be victorious!

 

The steel of my boot crashes into Red Behemoth's jaw with a satisfying crunch! The creature reels and staggers back, howling in pain. He snorts and growls threats at me in an alien language that I cannot understand as I complete my somersault and press the attack!

He has been at my mercy since this fight began. I will finish him at the moment of my choosing. I toy with him as a cat might toy with a mouse... albeit a very LARGE mouse.

Red Behemoth is angry, but his rage does not compare with my own. In the last few weeks I have been gassed, knocked out, abducted, bound, molested, hypnotized and so much more... and I have had ENOUGH! The Red Behemoth chose the wrong day to terrorize the streets of my city.

He will know the fury of an Amazon unleashed!

 

 I use the weight of the Soul Bow and my Amazon bracers combined with my forward momentum to strike the Red Behemoth with a vicious and powerful punch. My fist slams into the vilain's lower jaw in the exact spot where my steel boot struck just moments before. His mouth slams shut, shattering a few of his teeth as blood and mangled fangs fly from his broken maw.

I could have easily killed him by centering the blow and crushing his windpipe. In the heat of the battle my warrior's instinct tells me to do just that, but as the designated Amazon Arrow I am forbidden from taking a life. I enjoy being a public superheroine, but I find that I must so often hold myself back in the middle of combat. I wonder how many of my recent defeats are the result of fighting to incapacitate rather than to kill.

 

Red Behemoth groans as his eyes cross and his knees buckle. As he begins to fall I meet him on the way down with a kick to the abdomen. I know his armor will protect him from most of the impact, so I strike at the seams below the breastplate, driving the armor segments back into his diaphram. I know I hit my mark because the air whooshes from his lungs, leaving the monster squealing and gasping for breath.

My foe is nearly defeated and in severe pain. I should be thrilled at this point, excited to deliver the killing blow, but instead I feel sorry for him. I do not know what motivates the destructive villain. Perhaps he is being controlled or manipulated. Perhaps he lacks the intelligence to know right from wrong. Perhaps the Red Behemoth's rampage is a symptom of a larger problem. As a warrior I would not care about such things, but as The Amazon Arrow my responsibilities do not end on the battlefield. True victory is achieved when I can prevent villains from striking in the first place.

Red Behemoth is on his kneees. I charge up my Light Ring to summon a Soul Arrow to finish him off, but the monster is not through just yet...

 

 The Red Behemoth strikes back! Pain, anger and fear trigger an adrenaline rush that grants my foe a second wind. His massive arm lashes out at me with surprising speed, but I am already airborne, leaping up and over the thrashing beast. He reacts wildly and instinctively in a desperate effort to fend me off, throwing blind punches in every direction. Desperation makes him unpredictable and even more dangerous. Many heroines fall as a result of underestimating their enemies. I am ashamed to admit this has happened to me on several occasions... but not today.

I surrender a portion of my lifeforce to the Light Rings and summon a Soul Arrow. Time to bring him down...

 

 The villain flails at me as I lock my thighs around his armored neck. The Red Behemoth is protected and enhanced by heavy plates, but they also limit his range of motion. He can't reach me effectively, so he begins to whirl around in wild circles, trying to buck me off. I ride him like a bronco as I prepare to stab him with the Soul Arrow. For a brief moment he looks up at me; I show him the arrow... and relish the look of fear in his eyes.

 

 The Red Behemoth collapses beneath me as I drive the Soul Arrow into his spine. My mystical arrow passes through his armor plating as if it isn't there at all, penetrating through to his very essence.

The Soul Arrow draws its power from a small portion of my lifeforce, magnifying that energy a thousand fold and then channeling it into my target's soul upon impact. My victim suffers a kind of neural overload as their lifeforce becomes flooded and overwhelmed by my own. For the target this sensation feels a bit like drowning as they suffer a massive heart attack while being burned alive and electrocuted and falling overwhelmingly in love with me... all at the same time. My enemies drop unconscious almost instantly no matter how physically powerful they may be. It doesn't matter where they get hit, as long as I strike living flesh. If it has a soul I can take it out with one shot. The damage inflicted is spiritual, leaving behind no physical wound or lasting effects.

I usually strike from a distance using the Soul Bow, but when I use the Arrow without the Bow such as this, I share in a momentary bond with my target... an intimate exchange as my soul touches theirs. I see flashes of memory. We share emotions. I hear thoughts. Their power temporarily becomes my own. It is a beautiful experience beyond compare... even when my target is as ugly and as savage as The Red Behemoth. All souls are unique and magnificent and delicious.

The feeling is orgasmic and highly addictive. I have been warned not to do this very frequently, but I must admit it is extremely energizing.

My enemy falls and I feel better than ever... How can this be a bad thing?

 

Victory is mine!

The Red Behemoth’s power roars through my veins. His enhanced strength is mine for the moment. I feel as if I could crush a car with my bare hands! My body is practically shivering with the contained energy. Imagine what I could do with such strength if I had this all the time! I could stop more bad guys! I could save more lives! I could save every one!

Is this what it feels like to be Curia? Or White Owl? Or Ultra Woman?

No… it must be even better for them. They have speed, invulnerability, flight...

I want to fly.

I know this power transference will not last long, so I savor every moment of it. To be honest, I’m surprised it hasn’t worn off already. It seems to be lasting a bit longer every time I use my Arrows without the Soul Bow. I should probably stop doing that… or so I’ve been told. The First Ones say this can be addictive, but why is that such a bad thing if it allows me to become a more powerful heroine? I would gladly sacrifice myself to save others. If I put myself at risk, then so be it. And what exactly am I risking? Becoming stronger? Becoming better? That doesn’t sound like such a bad thing.
I see no reason not to make use of my new found strength tonight while it lasts. The night is young and there is more evil afoot.

Villains beware…

 

 I'll admit it... I went looking for trouble.

It had been nearly 48 hours since my encounter with The Red Behemoth and the strength that I had absorbed from him during the battle had yet to fade. One of the additional side effects of the power transfer was that I apparently no longer required sleep. I fought crime relentlessly, cleaning up the streets at a furious pace. I lost count of all of the would-be rapists, drug dealers and gangbangers I stabbed with a Soul Arrow during those first two nights. Compared to the Red Behemoth the thugs didn't have any real power to offer, but it still felt damn good to stick them... and I was on a roll.

Apparently one of the crimes that I intercepted was one of Mercury's operations and she didn't take kindly to me wiping out her hired muscle. Mercury is literally a speed demon, an escapee from The Underworld with the ability to move at supernatural speeds. Despite my new found strength she was all over me in a fraction of a second, slapping me around as if I were standing still. I couldn't hit what I couldn't touch and she wasn't about to hold still. When her chloroform-soaked rag clamped over my face I thought I was done for... Even with my new power, I was about to endure yet another humiliating defeat. I used the last of my strength to lift my right arm, aiming my Light Ring at her abdomen. As consciousness left me I poured everything I had into one last effort...

The Soul Arrow materialized inside of Mercury and our souls touched! I was instantly rejuvinated as I absorbed her thoughts, memories, emotions... and her power. My head was suddenly clear as I metabolized the chloroform at an astonishing rate. Apparently Mercury healed quickly and was immune to the effects of drugs. Good to know.

Mercury was out cold before she hit the ground.

I felt better than ever.

Super-strength... super-speed... accelerated healing.. and I was just getting started.

 

Fire Fright is a pyrokinetic arsonist employed by the local mob bosses when they need to wipe out evidence in spectacular fashion. I’ve heard of him, but this is the first time we’ve tangled. Someone needs to get this jerk some fire retardant pants.

This is the kind of situation where the Soul Bow comes in handy. Get close to a pyrokinetic and you’re likely to get burned. Shooting him from a distance is obviously the way to go… effective, but not terribly fun. Normally I wouldn’t have any other options, but tonight I get to try something new.

I test drive the super-speed that I copied from Mercury and I’m on top of Fire Fright at what feels like the speed of thought. I think about being behind him, and suddenly I’m there. No real fight occurs; my Soul Arrow takes him out before he gets a good look at me. The rush of the power transfer kicks like a mule and leaves me breathless, like having an orgasm while running a marathon then getting an adrenalin injection straight through the heart. It’s good stuff, but I’m starting to get used to it. I shake it off in a matter of seconds… and that’s when I realize I’m on fire!

Fire Fright’s flames are all over me! Fire licks across the surface of my skin, but all I feel is a warm and gentle breeze. With barely a thought I command the flames to rise higher… burn hotter… and they obey. There’s something hypnotic about starring into a raging inferno. I’m glad I took him out. This power is extremely dangerous. Fire Fright could burn the entire city to the ground if he wanted to do so. I guess that means I could as well, but of course I’d never do anything like that.

Fire is great and all, but I’d still like to be able to fly.

My hunt continues…

 

 Haven’t slept in almost a week... but I’m not really tired so I just keep going. Every creep that I put down is another life saved.  Violet Ghost is an assassin capable of walking through walls to reach her target. I suspect intangibility will come in handy. Can’t wait to try it out for myself.

I’ve done more good for this city in the last few days than my fellow heroines have managed to accomplish in months. I have acquired many so-called friends since my arrival in Man’s World, and until recently those heroes and heroines had my utmost respect.  But now that I have a taste of real power, I’m beginning to realize how much more they could accomplish if they accepted the responsibility that accompanies their great power.

My assault against crime has the bad guys on the run as the enemy scrambles to protect their assets and stolen goods. The harder I fight the more rats I chase out of the sewers.  I’ve lost count of how many bad guys I’ve taken down. I’ve accumulated more powers and skills than I can keep track of.
I am single-handedly winning the war on crime.

Seek out evil and kick its ass; it’s that simple. I would have done this long ago if I had possessed even a fraction of Ultra Woman’s extraordinary power. Why hasn’t she done this herself? What’s her excuse? Cowardice? Laziness?

I haven’t seen any of my fellow heroines all week. From their perspective the city probably seems abnormally quiet. I’m taking out bad guys preemptively, before they can strike, so there isn’t much crime in progress at the moment. White Owl is probably kicking back with a cup of tea and a good book, while I’m out here doing all the work.

Not that it matters…. With my new powers I don’t need their help any way.

 

I’m just about to take out The Broad, Diabolist and Plasma Cat when Curia suddenly drops from the sky and lands between me and my prey. As Plasma Cat unleashes an energy blast, Curia shoves me backwards and deflects the deadly beam with her bracers.

“CHRYSEIS!!! STAY BEHIND ME!!!”

Curia thinks she’s protecting me, but she has no idea what I’m capable of now. I could have easily dodged or deflected that beam, or allowed it to pass through me harmlessly; Plasma Cat is no threat to me… not any more.

It doesn’t even occur to Curia that I could handle all three of these villainesses myself. All she sees when she looks at me is weakness. That’s all any of my fellow heroines see in me… just poor, helpless Chryseis. They see me as a liability… constantly in danger… always calling for backup… always needing to be rescued from some stupid death trap or another.

Well, I certainly didn’t call for back up this time. Curia must have been flying overhead on a routine patrol or something... and now she’s come down from her lofty high horse just in time to save the day.

Poor, helpless Chryseis… I’m so sick of it I could strangle her.

I leap into the air as Diabolist blasts Curia with some sort of magical beam. Diabolist is a deadly sorceress capable of casting dozens of powerful spells. I can’t wait to copy her powers, but I’ll let Curia keep her busy while I take out the other two villainesses first.

I might not be able to fly just yet, but I have enough strength enhancements that I can now cover an impressive distance with a single bound. Accelerated reflexes and situational awareness allows me to close in on Plasma Cat as she tries and fails to shoot me out of the air. She falls to a Soul Arrow at point blank range and the transference rush blazes through me as I copy her ability to project concussion beams. Yummy!

My forward momentum carries me over Plasma Cat as she crumples to the ground, allowing me to finish the aerial maneuver by kicking The Broad in the face. The monstrous woman staggers back a few steps, but she won’t fall that easily. The Broad is incredibly strong, savage and virtually invulnerable to harm; we’re talking about a bazooka-proof woman that can rip cars in half with her bare hands and trade blows with Ultra Woman for hours.  She’s tough.

She’s also dumber than a bag of hammers and she has a soul, so her powers are as good as mine.

Pay attention Curia… this is how it’s done!

 

The Broad is a little faster than I expected. She recovers from my kick, snatches me out of the air and smashes me into the ground with enough force to make a small crater. The noise is deafening and broken chunks of pavement fly everywhere. It’s pretty awesome!  Just a few days ago a hit like that would have been the end of me. It hurts, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve acquired enough invulnerability that it doesn’t even take me out of the fight. All I have to do is…

“CHRYSEIS!!!!”

I can hear the panic in her voice. No doubt Curia thinks she just witnessed the death of The Amazon Arrow. I can’t wait to see the look on her self-righteous face when I get back up and kick The Broad’s ass with my bare fists. I’ll show her what real power can do.

Through the flying dust and debris I see Diabolist energizing a new spell to take advantage of Curia’s distraction.

That is the problem with emotion and friendship… there is no tactical benefit.

 

Curia screams in agony as Diabolist laughs.

I feel… I don’t know… sad, maybe? I don’t like to see her hurt, but…

My emotions seem distant…like they don’t even belong to me anymore. There is a part of me that cares for Curia, but that part seems fuzzy and faded… like the memory of an emotion instead of an actual emotion. I know that I should be feeling… something… but I just… I don’t feel anything.
Part of me thinks this is probably bad… but there’s another part… a growing part… that can’t come up with a good use for emotions at all. I don’t miss them. I don’t need them. Did I ever? What was the point? Where’s the benefit? How will emotions make me a better heroine?

I suppose I should save her… if only so she’ll stop that irritating scream.

 

I was going to toy with The Broad for a bit… just to prove that I could… but with Curia in danger I decide to put an end to the battle. The Broad gets a Soul Arrow through the gut and her power is mine.

I barely feel the rush now. I barely feel anything at all.

The Broad is as relentless and unstoppable as an earthquake, and now so am I… yet I sense that I have only scratched the surface of my potential.

I am evolving… but into what?

I zap Diabolist with a low-intensity concussion beam courtesy of Plasma Cat and the sorceress falls to the ground. I’m surprised that the beam connected to be honest. I was expecting her to put up more of a fight. Perhaps magic is overrated?

I guess I’ll find out in a moment…

 

I SEE IT!!!

I SEE EVERYTHING!!!      
       
As her powers rush in on me it takes me a moment to realize that the images flashing before my eyes are glimpses of my own destiny. Diabolist is more than a mere sorceress… She’s an oracle! She can see the future!

I knew I beat her too easily. Diabolist wanted this… wanted me to copy her powers. She knew that I had to see what she sees! Our encounter tonight was carefully orchestrated. There is so much more at stake! My recent actions are a necessary part of a much larger tapestry… and my work has barely begun.

I will need much more power!

Great Hera… so many lives destroyed... the lycan rebellion… the celestial wars… the heroine holocaust…

I see… The First Ones!

IT CAN’T BE!

 

Curia’s voice sounds muffled and distorted… as if she is speaking while underwater. I don’t know what she’s saying… and I don’t care. It doesn’t matter.

I've seen it. This is what must happen. This is what will happen. This is what does happen. Only I can do this… only me.

I have gathered so much power, but it isn’t enough… I must have more!

Curia seems confused. I think a part of her knows what I am about to do... and what the repercussions will be. It freezes her in her tracks like a helpless deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. I think there is a part of her that wonders what it will feel like.

I think she’s… curious.

 

 Curia’s power surges within me as our souls touch. I feel her sense of betrayal…her agony... I see glimpses of her tragic past… events that even she is not aware of… I would weep for her… if I cared.

The attack looks fatal, but my Soul Arrows do not damage flesh or produce wounds; the arrow will dissipate in a few minutes. Curia will probably wake up in an hour or so, feeling slightly hungover and in love with me… but those effects will also pass. She will be fine, and I have what I require.

It occurs to me that Curia might have allowed this if she understood the depth of my need… if I took the time to explain it to her… but time is a luxury I do not have. I would have to explain the situation to all of them… over and over again. That would be tedious and… in most cases… futile.

Their feelings on the matter are of no concern. I have the strength and the abilities to simply take what I need.

This is the most efficient course of action.

This is what happens.

At last… I can fly.

I expected to feel more joy… a sense of wonder… something… but it no longer matters. The power of flight is just one tool among many. I will need much more.

Villains. Villainesses. Heroes. Heroines… it makes no difference…

They will gather. They will try to stop me. They will fail. This is what happens.

THEIR POWER WILL BE MINE!!!



Curia is the OC of



Want to know what happens next?!?!?

Me too!!!

In June of 2014, I created a contest at DeviantArt and invited other artists to help to expand the tale. The idea was for them to tell the story of what happens when a power mad Amazon Arrow crosses their OC character's path and attempts to steal their powers. Dozens of generous artist contributed! To see their amazing work, please check out “Amazon Arrow’s Power Quest Art Contest!" at DeviantArt.