The onlookers were still gawking at them, standing on the rim of the mine’s crater like walls like fools on the shelf in some crazed emporium. Yammering figures that milled about trying to get a better view of the freaks to jeer at.

Drake felt like he had never felt before, powerful and dangerous, but overstimulated. He, like any other mundane person before him, knew little of how powers came to a person. All scientists knew was that it all started when an alien device appeared around the sun making a line of pure darkness appear to split the light from the sun. It had appeared almost thirty years ago now, in the late nineteen-nineties. And since then supes came and went.

Still we had no idea why though.

All we knew was the energy that Jane with it.

The energy from the device was said to strike people now during solar storms and then cause random mutations in humans, and now it seemed it was his turn. Like a weir the dam of energy spilled over at last and he was whisked along through the channels into whatever this was.

He roared, and tore across the field towards Red Devil, walking across the open air of the chasm like it was solid ground.

Stopping at the last second he swung his massive paddle-like tail like a hammer. Red blocked him but was sent flying for her troubles as he spun, shooting her into the air to crash into the energy barrier across from them.

She fell to the ground and turned and flew at him in a mighty leap that carried her into his chest.

Her punch had so much force he felt bones crack, his energy held them together, but he could feel it now, focusing all he had into this combined form meant he felt it more. The pain hit him and he staggered back.

She continued to rain blows into his side until he rolled, his massive sail folding back as he did, catching her in his claws slamming her into the ground.

She kicked up and launched him over her head, he rolled and came to his feet, hissing and stepping to the side putting the chasm under him so she couldn’t easily gain footing. 

 It didn’t stop her.

She ran along the side of the chasm as Drake breathed in deeply.

Quick bursts of breath shot blasts of lightning at her one after the other, careful to keep the shots low, aiming where she was going. but it was a new thing to him, and his aim was shit, blasts zinging past her not connecting once.

She jumped at him, her open hand slapping his backside hard.

She laughed, doing a little dance mid-air as she flipped over him.

He released an aura like blast, the wave throwing her, but she had already been airborne and just rolled further away only to come in for another slap.

He was getting mad, “Stop toying with me!”

She stopped, standing tall, “You want this?” She laughed teasingly.

“Raagh,” he fired again, breath like lightning surging in a huge swath across the ridge. It shattered the edge beneath her and she jumped at him again.

This time she didn’t simply jump away though, instead landing on his back this time.

Punching down at his back between his shoulders, she savagely tried to break through his defense.

Drake tried to separate himself from the pain, but felt his control slip too, which took a ton of his energy to regain.

Fortunately for him, and unfortunately for Red, the spinosaurus were known for their dexterous claws.

He grabbed her, this time giving themselves distance from her so her legs flailed; held out in the open she had nowhere to kick off against this time.

His Jaws opened wide leaning into her, his massive hooked claw meant to hold prey, piercing her shoulder.

“AHHH!”

She roared in pain.

His connection broke.

Drake was falling before he knew what was happening.

He looked back into the abyss beneath him, sheer darkness ready like jaws to consume his guilty soul.

He never wanted to hurt anyone, not even a villain like the Red Devil.

He saw his life passing by before him.

But he didn’t expect what happened next as he closed his eyes.

“I got you, Tiger!”

His eyes opened to see Red, her hand wrapped around his wrist, Yvette’s form already collapsing as she lost his power still holding onto Red by the claw in her shoulder..

“What’re you doing?” Drake asked, confused.

She growled through grit teeth, “What? You think throwing the fight was gonna get you out of my reward?!”

“Ha, seriously?” He strengthened Yvette, “Miss Yvette, can you pull us up?”

“Of course, mon maître.”

Her claws reformed, bones called back as she reformed, catching them up to bring them back to the surface.

Red pulled Yvette’s claw from her shoulder, healing powers already closing the wound; she then shoved him to the ground with a satisfied smile.

Yvette growled protectively, energy crackling up her sail ready to attack again.

But Drake just held up his hands, forestalling her.

“So,” Red stepped up over him, one sharply heeled boot resting ever so gently on his chest, “Do you yield?”

He looked up at her from his back; resisting the urge to run his hands up her calf just to feel her thigh.

Instead, he nodded.

“Oh good, cause I’m beat! Damn boy, I hope you’re this~ Wait.” She leaned down and pulled him up by his coveralls to his feet. “Are you married?”

Drake was confused, but her pouty grimace made him laugh.

“Hello? Married, you married?” She asked shaking him playfully, “Dating someone?”

“Uh, no.”

“Oh good, I don’t like to share.”

Yvette suddenly pushed Red back, taking Drake gently from her, “Well, he is not yours yet. An ze rest will agree, I am sure, no simple harlot will take him from us. Oui?”

Drake smiled, feeling the energy in him flux and shift, as if the others were in agreement.

“Seems I’m a package deal.”

Red smiled, “Well, they can watch then. But this man, he’s mine now. Which means I can finally do what I have always wanted to.”

Drake felt confused, “What’s that?”

“Start my own villain brand.”

Drake had heard of this; supes either had to contract or form a Brand to exist, otherwise you were free game in the public for those that were to hunt down.

“But, you need to have seven to nine supes to form a brand.”

She hugged him to her chest  him face smashed into her cleavage and he almost hoped she just crushed him then so he died happy. But she pulled him back and held him up.

“Well, with the six of you we can do that.”

“Six?”

“Yeah, the one pterodactyl looking one, this one you called Yvette; sexy by the way;” she pointed up at Yvette,eher colour changing as she blushed. “Then there’s the two horned ones, and that massive one. That’s five, and you. That’s six; and me, makes seven.”

“I think that someone may argue that.”

She smiled at him, “Let them try.”