NC #4: Downtime for Dastardly Folks
#4 of November Challenge Stories
Latexia's tired and just wants to rest, but it seems that the rest of her city doesn't want to take a hint and not bother the super-hippo.
Another November Challenge story for myself.
If you want to get a commission for yourself, keep an eye on my journals and my twitter DraconiconWrite for updates on when I'm open.
If you're interested in supporting me, or just contributing more regularly - and cheaply - than commissions, consider visiting my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/draconiconlibrary?ty=h for good rewards and better stories.
Enjoy.
Downtime for Dastardly Folk
November 4th: A Villain Enjoys Some Downtime
Creation powers had many perks, but one of the best was that you never needed a lair. If push came to shove, you could just make one, and Latexia had had a day. Punching her arms out to either side, she sent a wave of black to either side of the intersection, the hippo turning on her heel one-hundred-eighty degrees to face the way she'd come. The exits of the intersection were covered, and anyone that happened to be in the way were either trapped or forced to find a different route down the busy street.
Raising her hands overhead, she kept the latex flowing from her fingers, the ooze solidifying as it hit the walls and foundation that she'd already created. Her eyes narrowed as it reached the complicated part of solidifying the roof, pulling it in without letting it collapse, but with a few extra reinforcements and a rubbery pillar, her one-room temp-pair was complete.
The cars honked all around her, complaining about the road being blocked, but all it took to stifle that was a second layer of the black stuff all around her. The hippo sighed, closing her eyes as she slumped back. The ground rose to meet her, a wide, squeaking seat that caught and curved to her large posterior in the process. The rounded, high-backed chair was just one more shade of black in the room of darkness, and she spun around with a brief, childish glee before friction brought it to a halt.
"Much...much better," she said to the quiet room. "...But could still be improved."
Still, the sleek, rounded interior was a comfort. After sealing a few harassing cops into a black bubble and sending them pinballing through the streets and dealing with a hero that didn't know any better - little shit thought he had something on her with electric powers, of all things - she needed some time to herself. The hippo folded her arms behind her head in the silence and -
Wobble.
Wobble wobble.
Wobble wobble wobble.
The black-skinned hippo slowly opened one eye, looking at the wall across from her. Despite being made of layers of latex that should have resisted any sort of pressure, the wobbling continued, building up to an ear-splitting whine that echoed throughout the soft-walled chamber in an impossible way. She gritted her teeth, the rubbery interior of her mouth squeaking as latex and rubber ground against each other until she could stand it no more.
With a grunt of purest annoyance, the hippo ripped the wall open with a gesture, and a pick-up truck revved straight through the opening. She slammed it shut afterward, the black floor turning liquid once more just long enough to seize and hold the tires as they came into contact with her creation. The grizzly bear inside the truck stared straight ahead, eyes wide and his angry expression fading to one of pure horror.
Shaking her head, Latexia stood up. Made of latex as well as being able to control it, her body was as modifiable as it was naked. She stretched across the improvised room to the trapped vehicle, leaning against the door as the bear looked out at her with terror in his eyes. It was the face of a man that knew that he'd fucked up.
She appreciated that, but it bought him no credit.
"Were you trying to bust through my lair?"
"..."
"I'm not asking again. Were you trying to bust through my lair?" she repeated.
"I - um - I didn't think -"
"Clearly."
Latex was surprisingly strong when it was sufficiently compressed and its density increased. Wielded by her, it was more than strong enough to rip the truck's door off. Tossing it out another wall - complete with a scream from the other side - Latexia snared the driver and pulled him free. Tendrils of black wrapped around his wrists and ankles as she pushed him to all fours.
"Please, please, I didn't think - I didn't know!"
"Please. I'm the only super in town that has this power. Those plates are local. You knew."
"I just -"
"You were pissed. You were frustrated. You decided that you'd take it out on my walls, then turn around. Well, I'm not in the mood to indulge you."
It didn't require a lifted finger to coat him in a suit of latex, but she did it anyway, purely for dramatic effect. The shock in his eyes as he lost his mobility, the realization of just how screwed he was, and the eventual decision to scream played out over the course of a few seconds, but by the time the decision was made, his mouth was already sealed shut.
She sat down again, the latex around her responding as she got comfortable. The truck received the same treatment as its missing door, ejected out the side and leaving her alone in silence once more.
As the hippo got comfortable, crossing her legs over the bear's back, she debated how long she'd keep this little blockage in the street. Couple of hours, she supposed, long enough to get her breath back and have a little fun before she went back to her real hide-out. The heroes would be busy enough with the other, worse villains out there for a while, anyway, and she needed some time to herself.
She ground her heels into the bear's back, only to hear a very tell-tale groan as she did. The latex hippo leaned to the side, looking at the black-streaked grizzly beneath her feet.
"...Are you...enjoying this?"
"...Mmmph..."
"Well, I'll be damned..."
"Mmm-mm!"
"Oh, no, I know that sound. Might not hear it too often, but I know the sound of someone enjoying themselves."
It looked like her little temp-lair might have a different purpose, after all.