In Silhouettes They Moaned

Both girls were walking through the military facility. Size wise it was about the size of a city, with glass window separating layers upon layers of underbelly. The lightning was the level of an old night light. The music depended on the person who was in charge of clean up each night. One offered the other a beer, then continued where she left off:

“It’s common here for superhero duos to partner with each other across each different career path, even when transferring to different masked avenger jobs. “ She puffed on a Virginia slim, “So tell me, why haven’t you paired up with anyone?”

The other said, after struggling not to vomit: “I try to forge my own path as much as I can. I’m mostly a self-learner, and doer of my own tasks and services.” She then managed her composure.

The girl smoking grimaced. “You could at least be someone’s leader.”

“And I now exactly what would happen from that.” The girl stared sharply through the other woman’s eyes. “I would turn it into this whole thing where I would be the one leading clean up crew, and she would be the one capturing rogue masked avengers, and it would turn into a bondage fest.” “Well yea, isn’t that how it works each time?”

“I prefer not sharing my sexual partners. I prefer my partner in crime to be devoted exclusively to my own needs, and not to anyone she has captured and must convert to her cause.” She was alluded to the fact that even though she would mostly serve to guide apprentices, she used more than the usual amount of influence, turning the whole affair into a cult of one. The only reason this woman was not converted, as it was a one time contract.

“This whole place is filled with unsold comic, playing cards, and movie posters.” she said, struggling not to kick one to the ground, depicting a girl in purple curly pigtails.

“A thousand years of human history.”

“All of them in this facility?”

“Well you see, the agreement was for each one of these, we would sign for an autobiographical comic book. Those who managed not to get their heads chopped off when capturing crooks ( not that not all of them depicted on this holographic monitor are still with us ) would have new pamphlets signed with their likeness. In a sense, this was how super heroes made their money, as the military never payed us.”

“And you still took the job?”

“We were an unofficial armed police section.”

“I’d rather take double minimum, it seems like it would be more secure.” The girl was then left by the woman, who went off to close up for the night.

“I hope your Birkenstocks don’t make you sore.”

“I hope you keep your face with all that smoking.”

At night she would dream about multiple layers that she was not allowed to visit. It wasn’t that the lady in charge of clean up would specifically murder her herself, so much that nobody these days knew what exactly was on the lowest depths of this facility. It could be varieties of super heroes the world has never seen, or varieties of monsters the world should never know. A part of the facility existed in this physical reality, the other portions you would have to travel by portal. It was possible that so portion had creatures that even the strongest of them could not handle.

And yet on some level, this didn’t seem to both the girl, who stayed on watch that night. As she developed a certain comfort in the unknown, as it was better than knowing everything, and constantly being bored with what life offered. And other than the occasionally rogue super, unhappy that their autobiographical comic book was not making enough sales, she could mostly switch off her mind, except when she absolutely had to use it.

As she wanted to be a creator herself.

A creator of her own personal story.

In the morning, she was payed by the young woman, who said that at some point she may be contracted back, do to how good a good she did.

“We could do it together, and it might get done faster.”

“Don’t worry about speed, so much as being thorough. Some parts may never actually get to be as clean as we like.”

“I do have one question though.”

“Please, nothing I don’t know myself.”

“Is there something about this facility you didn’t tell me?”

“Why would you ask that?”

“I found this awesome cleaning toolkit, but I don’t trust the guy that gave it to me.” She handed it over, “what do you think?”

“I’ve never seen such a thing.”

That night they slept together in the same studio unit, taking a shower under a thorough hot shower. The room becoming steamy and wet. Their Birkenstocks were left near the shower door.

“You can always wear those in here.”

“Yea, but that would make them…”

“Break in.”

“I want you to break me in!”

In silhouettes, they moaned.

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