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Description
The heavy duty security door slid aside. Dark Star stood sillouetted in the light from the hallway, surveying the research lab. The security at the facility was quite good, still not enough to stop her. She turned the lights on, illuminating the large room. Two rows of computers were arrayed before her overlooking the testing floor. On the far wall on a raised platform two semi-circular devices stood opposing each other. This is what she came for. Supposedly the scientists here had a major breakthrough in researching wormholes, possibly with the help of alien technology. Dark Star strode up to one of the terminals, calling up the scematics of the device. It had hardly finished booting up when she was struck by a fireball, surpising her but doing no damage.

"Damn it! You're fire resistant too? Doesn't any villain in this town have the decency to at least say 'Ow' when I blast them?"

Dark Star turned to see FireBrandi hovering behind the line of workstations. There was a seat posissioned there that would have allowed FireBrandi to see the door opening while remaining hidden. "Run along little fire bug. As you can see you are out of your league."

"Oh I don't give up easily. Call it a character flaw." FireBrandi replied. Flames grew around her as she powered up and sent an intense heat beam at Dark Star. Dark Star, being in her solid energy state at the time, did not have flesh to burn. However, as the beam was focused on her she did start to feel... uncomfortable.. In fact she was starting to feel very uncomfortable. She tried to not let it show, but FireBrandi would not let up, putting everything she had into it. Dark Star finally couldn't take any more and moved out of the way of the beam. "Oh, so you can be hurt," Brandi smiled.

"Not hurt, but I can be anoyed." Star retaliated with an energy beam that FireBrandi dodged. Brandi shot another heat beam back which Dark Star evaded. With a flash Dark Star shot twin lasers from her eyes. The lasers struck Brandi in her side. The heat they generate did not bother her at all, but the physical impact of such an intense beam did hurt and would leave a bruise.

"Aahh.. that stings!"

Dark Star chuckled, "looks like I'm not the only one with some immunities. That would have cut an ordinary person in half."

"Yea, well so sue me." FireBrandi attacked again.

This time after ducking the shot Dark Star tried a different tactic. She coverted to her x-ray form, which is invisible to most people, and moved to get a better position.

"Huh? Did she teleport?" Brandi doubted that, but looking around she didn't see anything... still... something wasn't right.. She felt something strange but barely perceptible, like a fly buzzing in another room. In the heat she was giving off she could feel a current, like a draft where the air wasn't moving like it should. She turned and blasted in the direction she had the odd feeling from. Dark Star reappeared in the spot FireBrandi had been aiming at.

"Not bad, you are a little more perceptive than you've been given credit for." Star unleashed another torrent of energy flooding half the room. Brandi who dove behind one of the computers, taking cover from the attack.

At the back of the room the semicircular devices started to hum. A ripple traveled through the air between them.

"Looks like you wanna try 'scorched earth' tactics. Well that's my kind of fight!" FireBrandi smiled. She pointed her hands at the floor. Flames shot down and spread out like a wave, filling the room with flames, though staying away from the eqipment. There was no longer a safe place for a normal person to stand except on the desks.

The fire wasn't enough to truly cause Dark Star discomfort, but it was an anoyance. And she now had to consider if once FireBrandi was beaten would the flames continue uncontrolled, destroying the materials she had come for.

As the two powerful women considered their next move the far end of the room exploded in blue and green light. The air churned and rippled, then collapsed into a swirling hole into darkness. The air was sucked out of the room, dragging with it Dark Star and FireBrandi before they could even register what was happening. On the other side of the hole they were thrown far along with other debree from the room into the strange night. Hitting the ground they tumbled along and finally came to a stop, a strong wind blowing from the opening they appeared through.

Getting up FireBrandi looked around, "Oh wow!" she said into the thin atmosphere. The sky did not have any stars in it. Instead entire galaxies hung over their heads. "I've never been on another planet before. Just in orbit once."

Dark Star scanned the terrain around them. The rocky ground was jet black. So black that the horizon could only be decerned by where the galaxies were cut off. Then the 'horizon' shifted.. movement.. "There is something out there."

Brandi glansed at Dark Star, then strained to see anything. That is when it grabbed her. Something clamped down around her waist, catching her left arm as well. "Aaahh!!! Damn it, let go!" FireBrandi blasted the thing holding her, but to no effect at all.

Dark Star, who had shifted to her intangible form, watched with interest. She started emitting light to try and see the creature. There were many of them moving in on them. They were jet black, almost like moving shadows. About six feet tall, with a body shaped like a barrel and a lump for a 'head' on top with a number of what might be eyes. They walked on three stumpy legs, and had two tentacle like limbs with pincers at the end, one of which was holding onto FireBrandi. A creature approached Dark Star and made a grab for her. She looked on amused, until the pincer grabbed her and pulled her down. Its touch felt so unbelievably cold, sapping her strength. "It grabbed me! It grabbed me while I was intangible!" She switched to her solid energy form. Eyes flared as lasers shot from them at the creature's limb. The lasers had no more effect than a laser pointer, swallowed up by the creature's skin.

FireBrandi, who had been trying to snag a rock from the ground paused for a second. "Dark matter? This is a dark matter planet! The'll probably absorb all forms of energy. They are feeding off of us!"

Dark Star looked at the creature with contempt. "Then I will have to give it indigestion." She held her hands up and created a huge flash of light, millions of times brighter than anything that has ever been witnessed on this far off world. The creature was stunned by the intensity, dropping Dark Star as it moved back. "The things can be blinded, aim for their eyes."

FireBrandi gave up reaching for the rock and sent as bright a blast as she could manage at the things head. In the thin air she could not reach anywhere near the same brightness, but it was enough for her to get loose. She flew back to join Dark Star. Looking over the debree that has been sucked throught the wormhole with them Brandi grabbed a chair and cut off the metal legs. She heated them until they glowed, then threw them as far over the creatures as she could, "Fetch!" Some turned to go after the new energy source. "Star, blast that fire extinguisher! The explosion of CO2 might chill the air enough to mask our energy from them."

Dark Star saw the extinguisher and blew it up. A cloud of freezing particles expanded and blew over the creatures, confusing them more. Dark Star and FireBrandi flew back to the wormhole as fast as they could. The air rushing out of it was intense, but they were able to pass back through into the lab.

FireBrandi yelled over the roar of the wind, "We have to get this portal closed or it could suck out the entire atmosphere!"

Dark Star went to one of the terminals that had not been damaged or blown away. Frantically she accessed the control systems, but there seemed to be no response. "It won't shut down, we have to destroy it." FireBrandi nodded. They blasted the devices on each side of the wormhole, reducing them to charred plastics and melted metal. A ripple went through the wormhole, but no other effect.

FireBrandi shook her head, "No good, it is self sustaining now. Can your energy disrupt it?"

"I think so." Dark Star steped in front of the wormhole. Holding her arms up she subjected it to a number of the different energies at her command. The hole wavered, but would not close. "Its not enough. Most of the energy is simply passing through. We need something that will catch the energy. Try to find pieces of metal, prefereably magnetic."

Brandi knew just what to get. She burned through the wall by the door to the lab. Inside were large magnets used to seal the room while testing. She took them and started melting off little chuncks.

"Perfect, now spread them around the perimiter of the wormhole. As close to the edge as you can so they don't get pulled through right away."

Brandi started to fly in a circle around the edge of the hole, dropping in the small magnetic pieces as she went. They swirlled around the edge like they were circling a drain. Dark Star's arms glowed brightly once again as she bombarded the metal with cosmic energies. Sparks started jumping between the pieces as the energy charged them. The wormhole bulged and distorted, as if it was the surface of some thick liquid on the verge of boiling. The distortions became greater, moving faster as the hole started to shrink.

"You got it! It's working." Brandi cheered.

Dark Star smiled in triumph. That is when the claws of one of the dark matter creatures came through the wormhole, grabbing hold of Dark Star. She fell over as it jerked her towards the portal. She grabbed the edge of the raised platform, but the thing pulled harder, her grip would not hold out for long.

FireBrandi landed on the creature's arm. Cutting one of the magnets into a crude knife she stabbed the limb. The things hide was tough, but the improvised knife did cut it. The tip of the blade broke off in its limb. Thinking fast Brandi clamped her hand on the broken tip, sending enough heat into it to vaporize the metal. The expanding gas from the boiling metal blew out a piece of the creatures arm. It let go, pulling back through the collapsing portal. FireBrandi and Dark Star scrambled away as a wave of energy blew out from the last reminent of the portal.

They sat against the far wall breathing hard. Dark Star turned to Brandi, "You.. saved my life."

"Part of the job description, saving people in need." Brandi looked around at the mess the lab was in. "You better get going. Security will probably come soon to find out what happened."

"You are letting me go?" Andrea said surprised.

"You helped save the world, and helped me get away from those things. That gets you a free pass. The next time we see each other we can continue our fight, unless you want to help save the world again."

Andrea stood up and streatched. "Don't know about you, but after this I could use a drink." She looked down at Brandi, "Care to join me?"

"Really? Club Sin?" Andrea nodded. "Your on!" Brandi got up as well and looked around some more. "Uhh... better give me an hour or two to explain what happened here."

Andrea smiled, "Of course, I have to report in too. See you there." Dark Star shifted to her x-ray form and passed out of the building unseen.

===============================

Big thanks to for the ideas and work on this story, and to for his magic with digital artwork

Dark Star belongs to and does whatever she damn well wants too

FireBrandi is mine

Description
The heavy duty security door slid aside. Dark Star stood sillouetted in the light from the hallway, surveying the research lab. The security at the facility was quite good, still not enough to stop her. She turned the lights on, illuminating the large room. Two rows of computers were arrayed before her overlooking the testing floor. On the far wall on a raised platform two semi-circular devices stood opposing each other. This is what she came for. Supposedly the scientists here had a major breakthrough in researching wormholes, possibly with the help of alien technology. Dark Star strode up to one of the terminals, calling up the scematics of the device. It had hardly finished booting up when she was struck by a fireball, surpising her but doing no damage.

"Damn it! You're fire resistant too? Doesn't any villain in this town have the decency to at least say 'Ow' when I blast them?"

Dark Star turned to see FireBrandi hovering behind the line of workstations. There was a seat posissioned there that would have allowed FireBrandi to see the door opening while remaining hidden. "Run along little fire bug. As you can see you are out of your league."

"Oh I don't give up easily. Call it a character flaw." FireBrandi replied. Flames grew around her as she powered up and sent an intense heat beam at Dark Star. Dark Star, being in her solid energy state at the time, did not have flesh to burn. However, as the beam was focused on her she did start to feel... uncomfortable.. In fact she was starting to feel very uncomfortable. She tried to not let it show, but FireBrandi would not let up, putting everything she had into it. Dark Star finally couldn't take any more and moved out of the way of the beam. "Oh, so you can be hurt," Brandi smiled.

"Not hurt, but I can be anoyed." Star retaliated with an energy beam that FireBrandi dodged. Brandi shot another heat beam back which Dark Star evaded. With a flash Dark Star shot twin lasers from her eyes. The lasers struck Brandi in her side. The heat they generate did not bother her at all, but the physical impact of such an intense beam did hurt and would leave a bruise.

"Aahh.. that stings!"

Dark Star chuckled, "looks like I'm not the only one with some immunities. That would have cut an ordinary person in half."

"Yea, well so sue me." FireBrandi attacked again.

This time after ducking the shot Dark Star tried a different tactic. She coverted to her x-ray form, which is invisible to most people, and moved to get a better position.

"Huh? Did she teleport?" Brandi doubted that, but looking around she didn't see anything... still... something wasn't right.. She felt something strange but barely perceptible, like a fly buzzing in another room. In the heat she was giving off she could feel a current, like a draft where the air wasn't moving like it should. She turned and blasted in the direction she had the odd feeling from. Dark Star reappeared in the spot FireBrandi had been aiming at.

"Not bad, you are a little more perceptive than you've been given credit for." Star unleashed another torrent of energy flooding half the room. Brandi who dove behind one of the computers, taking cover from the attack.

At the back of the room the semicircular devices started to hum. A ripple traveled through the air between them.

"Looks like you wanna try 'scorched earth' tactics. Well that's my kind of fight!" FireBrandi smiled. She pointed her hands at the floor. Flames shot down and spread out like a wave, filling the room with flames, though staying away from the eqipment. There was no longer a safe place for a normal person to stand except on the desks.

The fire wasn't enough to truly cause Dark Star discomfort, but it was an anoyance. And she now had to consider if once FireBrandi was beaten would the flames continue uncontrolled, destroying the materials she had come for.

As the two powerful women considered their next move the far end of the room exploded in blue and green light. The air churned and rippled, then collapsed into a swirling hole into darkness. The air was sucked out of the room, dragging with it Dark Star and FireBrandi before they could even register what was happening. On the other side of the hole they were thrown far along with other debree from the room into the strange night. Hitting the ground they tumbled along and finally came to a stop, a strong wind blowing from the opening they appeared through.

Getting up FireBrandi looked around, "Oh wow!" she said into the thin atmosphere. The sky did not have any stars in it. Instead entire galaxies hung over their heads. "I've never been on another planet before. Just in orbit once."

Dark Star scanned the terrain around them. The rocky ground was jet black. So black that the horizon could only be decerned by where the galaxies were cut off. Then the 'horizon' shifted.. movement.. "There is something out there."

Brandi glansed at Dark Star, then strained to see anything. That is when it grabbed her. Something clamped down around her waist, catching her left arm as well. "Aaahh!!! Damn it, let go!" FireBrandi blasted the thing holding her, but to no effect at all.

Dark Star, who had shifted to her intangible form, watched with interest. She started emitting light to try and see the creature. There were many of them moving in on them. They were jet black, almost like moving shadows. About six feet tall, with a body shaped like a barrel and a lump for a 'head' on top with a number of what might be eyes. They walked on three stumpy legs, and had two tentacle like limbs with pincers at the end, one of which was holding onto FireBrandi. A creature approached Dark Star and made a grab for her. She looked on amused, until the pincer grabbed her and pulled her down. Its touch felt so unbelievably cold, sapping her strength. "It grabbed me! It grabbed me while I was intangible!" She switched to her solid energy form. Eyes flared as lasers shot from them at the creature's limb. The lasers had no more effect than a laser pointer, swallowed up by the creature's skin.

FireBrandi, who had been trying to snag a rock from the ground paused for a second. "Dark matter? This is a dark matter planet! The'll probably absorb all forms of energy. They are feeding off of us!"

Dark Star looked at the creature with contempt. "Then I will have to give it indigestion." She held her hands up and created a huge flash of light, millions of times brighter than anything that has ever been witnessed on this far off world. The creature was stunned by the intensity, dropping Dark Star as it moved back. "The things can be blinded, aim for their eyes."

FireBrandi gave up reaching for the rock and sent as bright a blast as she could manage at the things head. In the thin air she could not reach anywhere near the same brightness, but it was enough for her to get loose. She flew back to join Dark Star. Looking over the debree that has been sucked throught the wormhole with them Brandi grabbed a chair and cut off the metal legs. She heated them until they glowed, then threw them as far over the creatures as she could, "Fetch!" Some turned to go after the new energy source. "Star, blast that fire extinguisher! The explosion of CO2 might chill the air enough to mask our energy from them."

Dark Star saw the extinguisher and blew it up. A cloud of freezing particles expanded and blew over the creatures, confusing them more. Dark Star and FireBrandi flew back to the wormhole as fast as they could. The air rushing out of it was intense, but they were able to pass back through into the lab.

FireBrandi yelled over the roar of the wind, "We have to get this portal closed or it could suck out the entire atmosphere!"

Dark Star went to one of the terminals that had not been damaged or blown away. Frantically she accessed the control systems, but there seemed to be no response. "It won't shut down, we have to destroy it." FireBrandi nodded. They blasted the devices on each side of the wormhole, reducing them to charred plastics and melted metal. A ripple went through the wormhole, but no other effect.

FireBrandi shook her head, "No good, it is self sustaining now. Can your energy disrupt it?"

"I think so." Dark Star steped in front of the wormhole. Holding her arms up she subjected it to a number of the different energies at her command. The hole wavered, but would not close. "Its not enough. Most of the energy is simply passing through. We need something that will catch the energy. Try to find pieces of metal, prefereably magnetic."

Brandi knew just what to get. She burned through the wall by the door to the lab. Inside were large magnets used to seal the room while testing. She took them and started melting off little chuncks.

"Perfect, now spread them around the perimiter of the wormhole. As close to the edge as you can so they don't get pulled through right away."

Brandi started to fly in a circle around the edge of the hole, dropping in the small magnetic pieces as she went. They swirlled around the edge like they were circling a drain. Dark Star's arms glowed brightly once again as she bombarded the metal with cosmic energies. Sparks started jumping between the pieces as the energy charged them. The wormhole bulged and distorted, as if it was the surface of some thick liquid on the verge of boiling. The distortions became greater, moving faster as the hole started to shrink.

"You got it! It's working." Brandi cheered.

Dark Star smiled in triumph. That is when the claws of one of the dark matter creatures came through the wormhole, grabbing hold of Dark Star. She fell over as it jerked her towards the portal. She grabbed the edge of the raised platform, but the thing pulled harder, her grip would not hold out for long.

FireBrandi landed on the creature's arm. Cutting one of the magnets into a crude knife she stabbed the limb. The things hide was tough, but the improvised knife did cut it. The tip of the blade broke off in its limb. Thinking fast Brandi clamped her hand on the broken tip, sending enough heat into it to vaporize the metal. The expanding gas from the boiling metal blew out a piece of the creatures arm. It let go, pulling back through the collapsing portal. FireBrandi and Dark Star scrambled away as a wave of energy blew out from the last reminent of the portal.

They sat against the far wall breathing hard. Dark Star turned to Brandi, "You.. saved my life."

"Part of the job description, saving people in need." Brandi looked around at the mess the lab was in. "You better get going. Security will probably come soon to find out what happened."

"You are letting me go?" Andrea said surprised.

"You helped save the world, and helped me get away from those things. That gets you a free pass. The next time we see each other we can continue our fight, unless you want to help save the world again."

Andrea stood up and streatched. "Don't know about you, but after this I could use a drink." She looked down at Brandi, "Care to join me?"

"Really? Club Sin?" Andrea nodded. "Your on!" Brandi got up as well and looked around some more. "Uhh... better give me an hour or two to explain what happened here."

Andrea smiled, "Of course, I have to report in too. See you there." Dark Star shifted to her x-ray form and passed out of the building unseen.

===============================

Big thanks to for the ideas and work on this story, and to for his magic with digital artwork

Dark Star belongs to and does whatever she damn well wants too

FireBrandi is mine