I set my machines to build a new army of robots, and went to wash off in the broken-down but functioning bathroom of the warehouse. I washed off my body in the sink, brushed my teeth, combed my hair, and changed into a new pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Looking at myself in the mirror, I felt kind of silly. Lady Thunder was a famous and beautiful supervillain. I was just some schmoe in a bad wig. I would never impress her.

Well, I thought, hope springs eternal.

I came back out to settle down with Lady Thunder to begin a new plan.

She interrupted me before I spoke. "Hey, I've been thinking. You got that scan, right? Didn't you get anything of him killing Andrews?"

I shrugged. "Well, yes, but it would do me no good. I doubt anyone will take my word over his, even with my record of the incident. If they believe me capable of killing a pregnant woman, they would certainly believe I would fake a recording to slander Captain Maximum."

Her shoulders fell. "That's true. But why do you think Kid Maximum will give us what we want?"

I used my computer to throw a hologram of Kid Maximum up into the air in between us.

"Because Kid Maximum," I said, "has no superpowers of his own."

Her mouth fell open. "What? I've seen him bend metal and bounce bullets off his chest, right next to Captain Maximum."

I pointed to the hologram. "Yes, but my scans show he wears an exoskeleton. That's what gives him enhanced strength and protects him from bullets and so forth, and that means I already know his weakness. The suit is powered by Blodwyn particles which are inactive in extreme cold. If I can use my freeze ray on him to lower his temperature, his suit will be useless."

Lady Thunder nodded. "That would work, but couldn't Captain Maximum stop us?"

I grinned, feeling better about being able to drop the bomb on her. "It would be, but I've been working on something."

I typed and clicked to bring up a map of St. Newton with red and blue dots all over it. "I plotted all of Captain Maximum and Kid Maximum's appearances in the last year, and the captain's appearances seem random. However, I noticed that over fifty percent of the kid's appearances have been within a three block radius right here. And a third of those were handled by Kid Maximum with no help from the captain."

I used my finger to circle it on the map. "What's more, Copernicus Junior High is right in the middle of that three blocks. I'm guessing Kid Maximum actually goes to that school in his real identity. If we attack the school, Kid Maximum will appear and if we can take him down quickly, we might capture him before Captain Maximum even shows up. Once we have Kid Maximum, I have quite a few ideas for ways to force him to talk."

Lady Thunder gave me a nervous frown. "I don't know, I'm starting to get cold feet about this whole plan. You really think it will work?"

"I'll make sure of it. This time, I'll come up with an escape plan in case it goes wrong, and a Plan B if this doesn't work. I promise you, I would never let you get hurt."

She gave me a warm smile. "I believe you, Carter."

I couldn't help giving her a smile of my own that probably seemed goofy. As I looked at her, and she looked at me, I dared to dream that she might like me as more than a partner in crime.

She broke the spell by looking down and shaking her legs. "Let me know what you come up with. I gotta get home and take a shower."

I stopped her before she could leave. I was concerned and couldn't let her go without saying why. "Lady Thunder-uh, Roxanne, I know you're strong and tough but you're not indestructible, are you?"

"Well, no. Of course not. I've been hit by bombs that hurt me. And Captain Maximum is strong enough to break my bones."

"And he's coming after you. Does anyone know where you live?"

She rolled her eyes. "Well, I mean, yeah. It's kinda hard to have a secret identity when you look like I do."

"That means he could come after you. Your home isn't safe. Stay with me."

She smirked. "Are you inviting me to move in with you, Carter?"

I blushed and looked away. She had seen through me. "Well, you know, as partners, of course."

"Are you sure?" When I looked at her, she had a wicked smile that made me tingle.

I looked away again, sure I had turned beet red. "Uh, yes, of course."

"Okay." I looked back at her in amazement as she shrugged. "Sounds like a plan. Not like I liked my apartment that much, anyway."

"Excellent, excellent." I pointed her to a bathroom in the corner. "You can clean up over there."

She looked down at herself. "That's really nice of you, except I don't have a change of clothes for my costume."

I held out my hands. "Not a problem. I promise to find you something to wear."

She laughed. "Now this I gotta see."

I took out a machine I had used to measure the metal parts for my robots and used it to scan her.

She shrank back. "What is that?"

"It will take measurements of your impressive body."

She giggled in the way that made goosebumps run down my neck. "Oh, wow. All right, but go easy on me."

"Not at all. Quite nice. Give me thirty minutes."

She walked away, hips swaying in a way that I found very distracting. "Okay, no peeking."

I laughed, even though the thought did tempt me. "Of course, I will be a perfect gentleman."

She winked. "Well, not a perfect gentleman."

I knew I blushed while laughing, and my hands shook as I plugged my scanner into my machines, but I tried not to show how turned on she made me. Was she flirting with me? It seemed too much to hope for.

She took the towels I offered and hurried across the warehouse to the bathroom. As she jogged away, I turned to Brutus and whispered, "This could be it, boy. My chance to make a move on Lady Thunder."

Brutus' tongue hung out of his mouth before he barked twice.

I put my hand over his muzzle. "Shh, quiet! You'll give it away."

Brutus trotted over to the bed and used his teeth to pull the blankets off, then sat down and wagged his tail.

"Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves," I murmured. "I'll be content with a simple date."

Brutus grumbled a little before barking once.

"Oh, what do you know? At any rate, I still need to get her some clothes. And a romantic meal."

As I heard the water running in the bathroom, I pulled up Lady Thunder's measurements on my screen, wrote them down on a piece of paper, and hurried out the front door of the warehouse.

One of the Lennox-12 gang members leaned against a streetlamp nearby, keeping an eye on my place, which I didn't mind. I waved to him until he hurried over.

I handed him the paper. "I need to get an outfit for Lady Thunder. Spread the word. I'll give five thousand dollars to the man who can find me a dress in these measurements within thirty minutes."

He whistled as more of the gang came out of doorways and alleys where they had apparently been hiding. "You want this in thirty minutes? That's a tall order, bro."

One of the other gang members pointed. "No, that's a tall woman."

They all laughed.

I waved a hand. "Fine. Ten thousand."

One gang member snapped his fingers. "Hey, my sister makes dresses. Good ones, too. I'll bet she can tailor something up like this."

"Hurry."

As the gang scurried off, I went back into the warehouse. Lady Thunder still washed off in the bathroom so I pulled up GrubHub on my phone and ordered two meals from Golden Panda Palace. I also ordered some steaks for Brutus from the grocery store.

While waiting for the dress and the food, Brutus lay at my feet while I spent some time tinkering with the robot schematics. The robots had done better in combat but still needed work. I had designed them to be built rapidly at the cost of their armor and weapons capability, so I increased their armor plating and power. They would be built more slowly but be more effective.

After I had programmed it and restarted the assembly line, I realized I didn't have anything in the way of a dinner table. I quickly grabbed some empty wooden crates and stacked them into a rough height and width of a table, and covered it with a tarp. That would have to do.

When the bathroom door opened, Roxanne stepped out, wrapped in the towels and holding them together. Her eyes shone as her red hair clung to her forehead and cheeks in an adorable way. Even with them pinned, the towels barely covered her torso, and the rise of her cleavage at the top and long legs coming out of the bottom left me in shock. Even Brutus' ears pricked up and his tail wagged harder.

"Okay," she giggled, "I'm all clean. Well, as clean as I can get washing off in a sink. Where's this outfit you promised. Because I definitely can't wear these towels for the rest of the night."

She left me stunned for a moment before I could speak again. "Oh, uh, yes, one moment."

I ran to the door of the warehouse and threw it open. The gang members had gathered on the street outside, talking and laughing, and when I drew my freeze gun to point it at them, they went scurrying for cover.

"Where is my dress?" I yelled loudly enough for them to hear.

Brutus poked his head out and growled next to me, for good measure.

The gang members all hid behind telephone poles, mailboxes, and cars while Madman yelled, "We're just waitin' on Squeak, dude! He said he's on his way!"

"He has one minute to get here or I pay no one, and will start killing someone instead."

Squeak came running down the street holding a long pink dress in a transparent garment bag. "I'm here! I'm here! I got thirty seconds!"

I snatched the bag from him and tossed the money back in exchange. "Just in time, for your sake."

Brutus barked twice at them and followed me back into the warehouse.

I held out the dress. "Here, uh, I had someone make this for you."

She held the towels up with one hand while taking the dress from me with the other. "What? Just now? How did you do that?"

I chuckled. "With money, mind, and determination, anything is possible. Try it on."

"Okay." She ran back to the bathroom, and the towel flew open a little bit, showing me a flash of thigh that I felt like a lightning bolt to my groin.

I looked at Brutus. "Wow."

I sat down at the makeshift table, running my fingers through my hair.

Brutus sniffed at my jeans, made a snorting noise, and trotted over to the box where I kept my clothes. He put his paw in it and barked once for "no."

I held out my hands. "What? Change my clothes?"

Brutus barked twice.

"I don't have anything fancier to wear, Brutus. I wish I had thought to buy a tuxedo, but who knew I would be having a date with a beautiful woman? For that matter, who knew I would be having a date with anyone?"

I considered having the gang go get me some clothes but a knock on the door told me my food had arrived. I had set the order to leave it at the door so I waited until the deliveryman walked away before opening the door and yanking the bags inside.

As I set up the clamshell boxes on the table, Brutus barked twice with his tail wagging hard enough to crack the cement pillar beside him.

I nodded. "Yes, this could work."

The steaks were delivered just before the bathroom door opened, and Roxanne stepped out. The dress looked amazing, yellow and covered in a flowered pattern, spaghetti straps leading down to cups that held up her cleavage like ripe melons, and a skirt that stopped halfway down her powerful thighs, leaving her long legs exposed. She had her red hair in a ponytail that hung down one shoulder.

I wish I could convey to you the effect she had on me. I had thought she looked gorgeous wearing her skintight costume and the towels, but in that dress, she looked like an absolute goddess straight down from Mt. Olympus. It sent tingles running straight through my body from my scalp to my toes.

She held out her hands and turned in a circle. "Well? What do you think?"

"I-I think you look incredible," I stammered.

"Aw, you're so sweet." She smiled at Brutus. "How about you, buddy?"

Brutus barked over and over while rubbing his head against her hands.

She ruffled his ears. "Okay, two for two. I guess I'll keep it. Thanks, Carter. It's kinda hard for me to find clothes that fit. This is really nice, especially on such short notice."

"Not at all. Care to sit down?" I drew out the chair across from her.

"Aw, chivalry is not dead." She sat down in the chair, and I pushed it back into place. She had to hunch over because it was too small, but she brushed off my protests.

"I'm used to it," she said. "It's hard to find chairs in my size."

I sat with her. "Well, I will make it my mission to get you furniture in your size."

She cooed at the food in front of her. "Oh, Golden Panda Palace. I love them."

We began to eat, and just watching her made me smile. It felt so domestic, not like the criminals we had been, but simply a man and a woman enjoying each other's company. Brutus went to my phone and somehow figured out how to use his nose to unlock it, and play R&B music on Pandora before going to gnaw on his steaks in the corner. He gave me a look like, "You got this, bro."

Roxanne laughed and clapped her hands. "I can't believe it. He really is smarter. You are amazing."

Her praise went straight to my head, and I dug through my Mongolian Beef to keep from grinning like an idiot. "Thank you, I'm surprised it worked so well myself."

"So tell me about yourself," Roxanne said, "You said you had a brother. What's he up to?"

I paused before saying, "Uh, he's a lawyer."

She widened her eyes. "A lawyer? Awesome. You can call him if you get arrested, right?"

"Uh, I think not. We aren't that close, and he does prosecution. How about yourself? Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

She shook her head. "Only child. Maybe that's another reason I turned to a life of crime. Where'd you do time?"

"I spent three years in Hamilton County, and five years in Darley. You?"

"Hellier for four, Beaufort State for two. I heard Darley is pretty nice."

I shrugged. "Yes, not bad. The food was adequate. The baloney sandwiches were actually quite nice."

She made a face. "Uh, don't talk about bologna. I'll never eat bologna again. It was green at Hamilton County. Straight up green! And people still ate it!"

We both laughed.

I nodded to her. "What did you want to be? Before you got your powers, I mean?"

"Oh, uh, a ballet dancer. You?"

I paused for a moment. "I don't know. It's been a long time since I hoped to dream."

She popped a crab puff in her mouth. "Come on, everybody has dreams. You didn't wanna be an astronaut?"

That made me really think and I finally said, "When I was a small boy, I did want to be an astronaut. I always wanted to walk on the Moon."

She gave me a big smile and reached across the table to poke me in the arm. "There you go. Hey, maybe you still can! You can make an army of robots, you can make a spaceship, right?"

I had some ideas in that regard, but I shook her head. "I find it quite unlikely. But you can still be a ballet dancer."

She groaned. "No, you gotta do that when you're young. I had my chance. I mean, I begged until my Mom let me take some classes when I was little, but I had two left feet."

I waved a finger. "I'll bet you still have some moves. Show me."

She giggled and covered her face with her hands. "No way, no way."

"Come on, let's see it."

She groaned but stood up, and took a pose with her arms up and one foot pointed out. I know little of ballet, but when she began to dance, I found myself mesmerized. She seemed far more graceful and elegant that I thought possible for such a tall woman. She spun and bowed and swung to Prince's "Diamonds and Pearls," and her skirt kept flying up to show a hint of her bottom, and I loved her more than ever.

After a few seconds, she stopped and put her hands over her face again. "I feel silly."

"You look amazing. I don't know ballet, but that was wonderful."

She gave me her biggest smile while holding out her hands. "Come on, Carter. Dance with me."

"Oh, I can't. I don't dance."

She stomped her foot. "No, you made me dance. You don't get to beg off."

I pointed down. "But I have a bad leg."

"And I'm seven feet tall. Come on."

"All right, all right." I stood up, feeling nervous about my performance but also excited about the prospect of touching her so intimately.

She reached down and took my hands, and we began to sway. She let me lead, and I knew we must have made a comical pair with her towering over me and my limping around her, but I felt like the luckiest man in the world.

As we danced, I couldn't help looking up into her eyes, and she smiled down at me, and I felt it. In that moment, holding her soft hands in mine, watching her body move with me, I felt like the moment had come. It seemed like it would never be that perfect again. I had to take my shot.

I looked down, though, unable to face her as I spoke. "Roxanne, I have to admit that I...I find you very attractive. I always have. I know you probably don't feel the same way, but if we're going to be partners, I want you to know that."

She stopped dancing and we stood there for a long time. I was afraid to look up, and she said nothing. I breathed harder and harder, waiting for her to laugh or say she just thought of me as a friend or punch me, but nothing happened. She just stood in front of me and I stared at her bare feet on the concrete floor.

I took a deep breath and looked up.

She didn't look angry. She actually smiled, and tears glistened on her cheeks.

"Carter, you're wrong. I think you're very attractive. I've always found smart men sexy, but even when we were just sitting in class together, I would get myself ready to say hi to you, and then I'd be happy for the rest of the day."

I broke into a goofy smile. "Really?"

"Of course."

"Saying 'hi' to you was the best part of my day back then, too."

Roxanne wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. "But I thought it was just me, and when I turned into this, I thought it was all over. I always felt self-conscious because of my size, but I haven't had much of a dating life since the accident. Guys are intimidated by me. They think I'm a freak, not a woman. When I saw you again and teamed up with you, I hoped we'd be something more, but I thought you'd be turned off by me, too."

"You are a woman. And I think you're beautiful, Roxanne."

She untied her ponytail so her hair would cascade down her shoulders, leaned down, and we kissed. It felt like I'd never kissed a woman before her, a feeling like I'd been freed from chains holding me down all my life. She felt soft and wonderful, and smelled of flowers, and I craved her touch even more.

Brutus made a little noise before slinking off through a broken hole in a wall, leaving us alone.

Her tongue pushed into my mouth, and I toyed with it with mine as our lips pressed harder against each other. I could feel her hot breath against my face, growing faster and harder. I felt her hands run down my back, and I felt the zipper of her dress under my fingers. I took a shot and began pulling it down. She didn't stop me. In fact, she moved her shoulders down for it to slide off easier.

So many times, I had looked at pictures and videos of Lady Thunder online and in magazines. I had, of course, imagined what her body looked like under her Spandex. Now the moment came where I saw it in all its glory.

Her dress fell off her freckled shoulders to her waist, and she wore no bra underneath so her large breasts with round pink nipples popped out. It surprised me how big they were, what with her muscular frame, but figured it had to be a superpower thing because all female supervillains and superheroes tended to have large breasts.

When she straightened, her breasts were at my eye level. Perhaps, I should have been intimidated and uncomfortable with how tall she was, but it actually made me more excited. The sight of them made me harden, and I couldn't help reaching up to stroke and kiss her breasts until she moaned.

"Oh, Carter," she moaned. "I've waited so long."

"As have I," I whispered back, and went back to sucking her nipples until they hardened.

As I played with her breasts, she reached down to slip her dress down her hips and onto the floor. I took a moment to admire her washboard stomach, curvy hips, and long legs. As for between her legs, I can confirm she is a natural redhead.

After a few more minutes, she moved back and peeled off my shirt. She dropped to her knees and her hands moved quickly to unzip my jeans while she gave me a wicked smile. When my pants and underwear came off, I had barely a moment to hope of what would come next when she took my hardness into her mouth.

The sensation of her lips on my flesh made me gasp, and her wet hair spilled over me to cling to my stomach and thighs. The view of her arched back and bare bottom pushed up behind her also made it more thrilling. I admit, I hadn't had too much in the way of oral sex so that made it all the more exciting for me.

"Roxanne," I gasped. "That feels amazing."

She pulled me out and smiled up at me. "Glad you like it. Just enjoy."

She went back down, and I rested my hands on the coolness of her wet hair, guiding her up and down. Her hands slipped up to hold the backs of my thighs, as if keeping me from escaping as she drew me in and out. It felt more and more incredible as she went on, and I had to close my eyes to think of baseball to keep from losing control. I didn't want it to end this way.

I think I could have enjoyed her that way for longer, but I was eager to enter her. I reached down to pull her up and kissed her before walking to the bed while holding her hand. I felt her fingers trembling against mine, and I had a little shiver running through me, too.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "I mean, this would change things between us, for better or worse."

I looked up at her. "Roxanne, no matter what happens, I will always care for you. But we can hold off if you want. I've waited for this moment for a long time. I can wait longer."

"Are you kidding?" She pressed her body against mine and kissed me again, and I could feel her need.

We sat down on the bed, lips still locked together, and our hands roamed each other again. Her hair had dried more but still clung to me wherever it touched like her hands grasping at me. I think I could have just stayed there kissing her all night, but she broke it off and lay on her back on the bed with her long legs opened wide. I climbed between them and she encircled me with her thighs.

I guided myself into her, and she moaned as I entered. She made my toes curl as I sank deeper, and I had to inch myself up to kiss her full lips. Her arms and legs closed around me to hold me, keeping me inside her as I thrust into her.

She groaned and gasped into my ear, whispering, "Oh, Carter. You feel so good."

"So do you," I whispered, and meant it.

Her breasts and stomach slid against my chest as we moved together, finding a rhythm that made us both groan in pleasure. I pushed and drew myself in and out, feeling her hips rise to meet mine with each thrust. Though her body felt firm with muscle, her skin felt as soft as silk, a sensation I found desperately wonderful.

She quickened the thrust of her hips for a few seconds before she went stiff, and I held her more tightly through her climax. Her legs came together against my hips so hard that I yelped in pain. For a moment, I thought she might crush me with her thighs, but she eased up just at the last moment to my relief. When she softened, her eyes sparkling up at me.

She ran her fingers down my cheeks. "Sorry about the clench. I almost squashed you."

I laughed. "That's okay, it would have been worth it."

Her eyes softened. "Aw, you're so sweet. But I'll keep it under control. Keep going."

I went back to thrusting with new excitement, feeling a thrill from knowing I had given her such pleasure. I wanted to keep her happy, always in ecstasy, and she twitched and squirmed again and again.

I was not a virgin, but I had had few partners, and none who excited me the way she did. It felt like making love for the first time with her, and I felt like I never wanted to leave that embrace, feeling her body writhe and shudder beneath me.

Her excitement made me draw closer to my own peak, but I held it back as long as possible so she could savor it. Yet I came to the height of my own pleasure, despite my efforts.

"That's it," she cried out. "Do it, Carter! Please!"

With her encouragement, I let go, and she was the one holding me as I emptied myself into her. Once again, it felt like I had never been with a woman before, none like her, and I knew it would never be the same again.

We lay there, gasping, and my sweat dripped down my head and chest onto her glistening body. Her lips found mine and we kissed, gently and softly, just enjoying the touch and feeling our bodies return to Earth.

I knew I never wanted to leave her, no matter what happened. I would forever cherish her as the precious jewel she was.