Laser Ladette No More (With Hel)

Shauna rode her Harley as fast as she could through the long, cold, lonely highways of Canada, towards her destination. Frost condensed on her helmet, but that didn't matter to the girl with supervision, who could snipe meat heads through brick walls. She rode in complete silence, contemplating her life's direction.

After strings of crooked jobs, dashed dreams, losing her teaching license and a host of other misfortunes, she was recently offered 25 million dollars to get back in the cape. She let that sink it for a moment. Was it really about the money? Did she really stop being a hero, simply because it didn't pay the bills? No, she told herself it was more than just the money. It was how helping people really worked. Beating up bad guys wasn't the way to...

"25 million Dollars... I'm a rich bitch! Hahahahah!" She blurted out, manically, the revelation weighing on her.

Shauna blinked a few times and allowed her vision to normalize, as her she arrived at her destination, Hel's Canadian studio slash condominum penthouse inside the city. She pressed the video-screen to buzz Hel, hoping she was home.

"Heya, Helena. Um, I'd like to... ask you a favor... I need a uniform. It's me... Shauna. You know. Laser... Ladette?"

.        A buzz came form the video screen. Of course Hel didn't know who it was, and so she wasn't going to even entertain the idea of answering it. She walked briskly across the room, seeing Old Shuck still lounging about on the couch, Spring-Heeled Jack on the kitchen table, and Mothman siting in the corner, wings wrapped around him like a cloak. Hel was gathering the basic necessities she would need in order to go interview new "assistants". When it came to being a world renown fashion designer, Hel was pressed for time as it was...but throwing the fact she was now having to manage and CEO the worlds leading organization in genetic research and engineering/splicing and you've officially tied her down more than she could move. She no longer had time to do the will of "The Monolith" to which she was greatly distressed. Her existence served around one purpose...to be the Vanguard of the Hellfire Monolith, and it's chosen ruler. Yet here she was, oh so distracted by such petty mundane things. The video buzzer went off again, this time Hel's Artificial Intelligence Module synced up to the house, and answered the video-ring for her.

    "I am not Miss Helena, but I will tell her you have arrived. Please excuse me a moment madam." AIM said in his usual English accent. The A.I.M (Artificial Intelligence Module) then dispatched an android, completely human in appearance, human sittues and brain, just deactivated by a computer that was linked to A.I.M. What people DIDN'T need to know, was that these were living people she instilled AIM to, and virtually mind-controlled them to be puppets of her will. The poor husk of a butler appeared. "Mistress. There is a woman here to see you....one Laser... Ladette?" The android said, perfect English accent and no sign of being controlled, up until it literally repeated what it heard form Shauna. Hel smiled and shooed the butler away. Her very own Pakistani design flying around as she sent the butler off to retrieve her guest and "friend" of sorts. She then quickly told each of her children to make themselves scarce, to which the three cryptids retreated away from the scene.

     "Well let her in you idiot." She said as she herself went to the door. The doors opened and the inconspicuous robo-man would greet Shauna very properly, offering to take her coat. Hel was already on the scene, wearing her own dress as she walked up to Shauna and moved to the side kissing the air beside her cheek. "Shauna Daaahrling it's been entirely too long!" Hel said, drawing out the word Darling like one would probably have thought stereotypical or clichéd. She was rather excited for how she normally acted. Though if you were to even ask Hel, she would tell you about her dislike for the general human race...then again if you asked her about Shauna she would be very likely to inform you by saying that Shauna was "The one I hate least." "Come in, please don't be a stranger!" She insisted picoting around and gracefully stepping forward. She would lead Shauna towards a bookshelf before pulling out a single book, pressing a little red button behind it. The mechanical unlocking sound allowed Hel to move the bookcase and reveal her own little sitting and meeting area, of which had designs on the wall, above the fireplace. One of them being her own little "creative" edits to the Laser Ladette costume Shauna wore when she was better known by that name, and right below that a picture of Shauna and Hel in their youth.

   "May I get you anything Miss?" The butler asked Shauna, Hel already having made her own request.

It had been much too long since Shauna saw Hel, and indeed upon arriving inside her place she felt out of place in the luxurious abode. She was a ragged, tomboyish biker woman with wild hair, wearing thick clothes and heavy knee high boots. Noticing that the very expensive Persian carpet was stained with mud and snow, Shauna quickly made herself at home and walked about barefoot, the servants bringing her boots and leather jacket to the coat room. She carried her khaki duffel bag over her shoulder.

Shauna looked around at the staff, and their stiff movements, before findings herself in the embrace and cheeky kisses of her old friend and now grown up Helena. She gave her two pats and four back rubs, before smiling and greeting her. Shauna even thought she smelled nicer now. “Good to see you too, Hel.”

The female part of Shauna’s mind was slightly jealous of her appearance, with the dress and finery of high class, dwelling in a most elegant abode... contrasting this tough American biker image, living in a rundown apartment with dirty laundry and cat hair everywhere. How worlds apart away they were indeed, though Shauna knew things were changing now.

“Wow... Helena. This place... you must be really busy now with the family business and things. Are your parents still around?” Was all she could ask. It was about family friendships after all.

Shauna follows Hel through the secret bookshelf passage into her nice sitting area. Shauna looked around, and spotted her old pictures, pictures of heroism she lived and breathed for, like another lifetime away. She also came across a picture of her mother... the unreachable Sun Queen, before she ascended to a higher plane of being in this universe. The ache of memories had subsided with time, but never truly gone.

The butler’s question snapped her out of her nostalgia. “Oh ah... uhm... I’ll have some whisk- coffee. Definitely coffee. Black.” She corrected, hastily. The butler bowed in understanding.

Shauna put her duffel bag down beside the big couch, the content of which was her costume when it was resized for her size during her late career. Then she allowed herself to flop into one of the comfortable sofas, with the light squishing sound of cushion. She let out a sigh, and looked at her grown up ‘friend’. She made a few faces of indecisiveness, her gaze going down to the floor then up to the ceiling, as if looking for something to talk about. They hadn’t kept in touch for two decades, and Shauna felt embarrassed she didn’t keep in better touch.

Some time later the butler served Shauna’s drink, though the weather and air conditioning had cooled it since emerging from the kitchen. But, that was hardly an ordeal for Shauna. She picked up her cup of lukewarm coffee, and performed a very nostalgic trick, something she did a long time ago with sugary chocolate drinks when they were girls.

Shauna heats it up with her laser vision, of course at the lowest power output, and winks at Helena. “I ah... just wanted to have my old costume reworked. I put on a little weight... i’m not a skinny eighteen year old anymore... So...um... how’s it going?”

"Well... Yes. Mom and Dad are still very much around. Mom stepped down from the company after my grand debut, then Dad grew rather Ill. Liver Cancer. But then...just two months ago wouldn't you know I get a call from social services...and It turns out that I was given a business. But get this, It's a Genetic Engineering plant or something. Something I know absolutely nothing about. But... Mom and Dad confessed... They adopted me from the man whom ran the company...and in his Will he left the company to his "daughter" Helena. So now... Yes...I have TWO family businesses to run. But. I'm sorry none of that matters. I know you didn't come here to hear my problems." Hel apologized as she offered a sorry look before AIM appeared with their drinks. The Lukewarm coffee was placed before Shauna, making Hel smirk at remembering the comment earlier, where Shauna had ALMOST said whiskey. That comment was one of the many reasons Hel enjoyed Shauna, she was blunt to an extent. It was similar to Hel... the bitch knew what the bitch wanted.  But Hel wanted her usual Chai blended into ice and vanilla powder, and so that's what AIM gave to her.


   Hel watched as Shauna's little "trick" came in handy warming up her coffee in a rush, which made Hel arch an eyebrow. It was a smile on her face, though it was a mix between interest and "please don't destroy the mug and get coffee on the floor" or something to that effect. In the end, Shauna would be "trusted" to not do anything stupid, leaving Hel to hope she had well placed hopes within her least hated friend. “I ah... just wanted to have my old costume reworked. I put on a little weight... i’m not a skinny eighteen year old anymore... So...um... how’s it going?” Shauna would offer this up and Hel would chuckle, trying her hardest to not full out laugh about it. It wasn't humorous for any reason other than the fact she had made mention that she wasn't an eighteen year old girl anymore. Hel knew this truth all too well. Or at least the vessel she was in knew it all too well.

"Not Eighteen but STILL runway ready." Hel said, almost an envious tone in her voice before she stood, only to excuse herself and step around to the small little desk in an adjacent room, one branching off of the hidden seating area. Hel returned with a blank sketch pad, charcoal pencil, a pastel oil-crayon and what could only be described as an Industrial eraser because this thing was freaking huge, though it was quite obvious that it had never been used or marred before...so either Hel was as good as they say, or she was a perfectionist who went through these erasers like candy. "As far as what's new, you already know the gist of it darling, just a little too much too soon. But it will all go back to normal I have a feeling. It's all about balance. But other than that I'm pretty boring. How about you? I heard you were a Chemistry Teacher now...or was it Biology? Either way, I heard you are a science teacher of some kind.... how's what going?" She asked as she positioned the tablet on the little coffee table, and she produced a high tech looking pen, placing it down to show she was ready to work whenever Shauna was.

Shauna laid aside the coffee, having downed a third of it. She snickered at Hel’s look; the first time she tried it, she did get hot chocolate on them both. Luckily now she was as precise with her power as a microwave. She listened to Hel’s family situation and nodded. “...Huh, where’s my long lost relative with a global business?” She said, rather jokingly, but understood and empathized. That was why she was so bad at being a villain. Empathy. Knowing what the person on the other side of the gun or the laser felt.

“You can do it Hel. You’re about the smartest person I know. If you need my help, I’m always around.” She reassured her.

"My license got suspended when I was caught on my ‘extra-curricular activities’.” She said, referring to her stint as an ‘unpowered’ mercenary. She sipped her coffee again. “Doing odd jobs after that; help at Ray’s bar, cook up some meth for stupid kids, but nothing that went anywhere. But recently I just got a big pay off. Like, way big. Eight figures big... but that’s another story.”

Shauna laid her old uniform onto the table, beside the paper. She starts pointing out the things she needed to change. “...I suppose I need to increase the uniform a couple of sizes. Insert some impact plates in vital areas; give it some more pockets and a utility belt. Probably paint it camo or all black. Something bright green or red on the chest, so I don’t get shot in the limbs or the head.” She enumerated a few practical changes to the uniform that would assist in a variety of situations, as well as making it big, bulky and unfeminine. Like a soldier. She also wanted it black like every psychopath and vigilante that called themselves the new heroes. Shauna wasn’t quite aware of any special materials, and just went with standard human fare.

“Oh, and the skirt has to go. Like, gone. And Combat boots.” Shauna said, with quite an emphasis on the desire to not have the skirt and heels anymore. The frilly pink skirt was the most charming part of Laser Ladette’s costume, and her glossy boots just screamed girly teen heroine. Shauna didn’t have time for that, oh no. “Steel toed combat boots so I can kick and climb.”

Shauna thought a bit more about the costume, now that the important things were out of the way. “So uh... is it doable? I can pay you part of my payoff... or if you need anything at all that I can get...” She paused. The costume had no theme; she didn’t want it to, but playing a hero meant making the gig credible. She looked at the pictures of her own family that were on the shelves. Her gaze fell on her mother's portrait.

“Let’s put a Sun on the chest.” She added at the end.

Hel's mouth dropped as she listened to what Shauna wanted. The list was...impossible to work with. She literally could not accommodate all this and make a sensible costume. Not without some extra "thought" into...and extra money and time. Insert some impact plates in vital areas. Give it some more pockets and a utility belt. Paint it camo or all black. Adorn it with something bright green or red on the chest. Hel wanted to gag as she tried to envision THAT monstrosity. Forget the Hellfire monolith and it's vindictive parson, this dress was the true embodiment of horror. Hel shuddered as she ran he fingers across her face, brushing a stray straightened lock of hair back behind her ear. She smiled at Shauna, and then sighed. She shifted with her lips, as if she just applied lip stick and she scooted forward, placing a hand on Shauna's knee. She looked up with a "friendly but stern" smile and eyes.

"Sweetie...are we making a costume... or the unholy offspring of Rambo and MacGyver? Pockets- ew, and so easily snagged. Camo- do I really need to say anything more on that? The combat boots are not flattering to your figure...thought I CAN give you a little spike and steel if you really want. The Utility belt is a maybe...IF WE DO IT RIGHT. Though...black IS rather slimming on you dear..."She continued to assess and muse over the subject at hand, mind reeling with endless possibilities. The original question was meant to be stinging, but knowing Shauna she was tough enough to take it, especially knowing someone like Hel. She let out a little sigh as she looked up at the picture of the costume designed for Shauna's mother. Hel looked at it for a moment...and it finally hit her. The inspiration hit her like a sack of bricks. Unfortunately for Hel it was literally a sack of bricks...she turned around upon hearing a hyper laugh as a young man with whipped up hair ran past her, lunging over the cough and tossing the pillow-case of bricks into her, knocking her back. The male gracefully flipped over the couch and hid himself, meanwhile Spring-Heeled Jack...or "Jack" walked into the room and gave a sad look at Hel.

"Oh....why...I did bad?" He asked. Hel scoffed as she dropped the sack of bricks. She grabbed the twenty-year old looking male and yanked on his ear, The man let out a whine as he was drug from behind the couch and thrown literally at jack.

"Awe Mum, it's justa joke!" The young man said with an English accent. She snapped her fingers and the two males disappeared. She did not anticipate on them showing up.

"No, I'm not his mother. Though I swear....I regret wishing I had a brother." She laughed as she walked over and rolled her eyes at the bricks. She resumed her seat before fixing her hair one last time. hearing Shauna's suggestion about the sun. Once more it seemed as though they were on the same wavelength. "Shauna. I have an idea... but I don't want to do this without your consent....Shauna...what do you think of maybe...taking your mother's old heroic alias?"

Shauna laughed at Hel’s remark, realizing she really was asking too much, her design objections making sense. “Aaalright, no pockets. I don’t think I’ll be carrying as many weapons too, since I am gonna be using my powers in this. Hey, maybe we can use those newfangled holding magnet belts instead. Expensive but mainstream. A metal backpack might be better too.” She taps her own mobile device and links it up with the screen in the coffee table, allowing her to enlarge a few internet tabs that showcased the latest in military gear, some of which were curvy and sexy enough to be adapted for the fashionable crime fighter. Probably an curvy Chest piece too. For Distraction purposes...

Shauna simply waves and nods at the boys once it was clear they proved no danger. She wondered who they were, but seemed to be additions to Hel’s home. She listens to Hel’s suggestion, the woman saying out loud one of those deep, lingering insecurities that sent Shauna to the bottle. It was a thought that kept her up on countless nights; that deep down, Shauna Masters was a decent person with an immense moral reputation to uphold, a reputation she’d left buried for years.

“M-Me? The new Sun Queen? I can’t even do half of what mom did... the global teleportation... the multiple energy beams... heck I don’t even have the same brains.” Shauna showed anxiety thinking about her mother of all things, the one person she’s always looked up to. Fiora Masters was a woman unlike any other, who held herself to such a standard that it left everyone else beneath her. Shauna was the only one who came close, though she always found her actions were more for seeking Fiora’s approval than actually helping people.

It was a rare moment when Shauna spoke without her fiery, Black Tigress confidence, reverting to the vulnerable Laser Ladette whose mother left earth, right after defeating a great evil, without another word.

Shauna fell moment for a great while. The discussion had veered away from the costume readily, for the Sun Queen was not just a name, but a guardian of humanity’s light- its capacity for betterment, a light that apparently, left the world years ago and left all of Shauna's crime fighting family with less. “But... I guess people could use someone like that. Good deeds done in the sun, not just in anonymity, like she’d always say. I don’t know... that kind of moral stance; it’s likely to get me killed.”

“Let’s do it.”

Hel used her little High-tech stylus to draw in the air, illuminating a trail behind it, and the light becoming wholly illuminated and three dimensional. Hel quickly looked up to Shauna and studied her over for a moment before humming and seemingly molding the light with her bare fingers until it seemed to mold into the very physique of Shauna. If nothing else, Hel's intellect was dim only in comparison to her artistic capability. She then looked to Shauna and hummed as she mused. Shauna had a rather specific form to work with. Granted this was not exactly hard to make her look dazzling, but it was going to be tough to match her order for all these things she desired, while still giving her a still functional costume. She let her eyes wander to the picture of the last Sun-Queen, Shauna's mother. A rather radiant woman, like the sun in that way... Hel let out a small sigh.

"Let's go back to basics. We're going to go with all black, clad armoring. Then we'll use small slivers of Titanium and Tungsten infused plates over these locations... the weight will be what is called "medium" in range, so it won't be anything you should be doing ballet in, but it's going to guard against most lethal damages...granted...it won't help much if you run into a military grade tank." She laughed slightly at the thought. That was totally something she could see Shauna doing...staring down a tank....and then literally STARING DOWN the tank. It's too bad that he power was so photonic based... if it weren't so "light" it would be easier to evoke mysticism and a rather risqué nature that many female's had. If she had a power like Hel's it would be so EASY to show skin, just use titanium skeletal like hands to grab over certain regions and use light transparent light armor plating. But when life gives you lemons....

"Okay...so here's what I'm thinking, we take this all black and give it some of the old Sun-Queens trademark pieces and then bring it to a new-age-NO!" She stopped, turning and looking out the window at the sky. She stood up and walked over to the window and tapped the glass, looking out to the sky. "No...We won't make it new aged. We'll keep it in the past. We'll go all the way back to the roots, we'll make a Sun-Queen of tradition and radiance, one so powerful that we will force the present world to see a glimpse of the past when they look upon her. They will worship her like the Aztecs!" She said walking back over to the model and began to draw with her stylus, this time drawing an ornate neck piece. It was made of dark hawk feathers, looking like a tribal neck-piece that covered most of the shoulders and the neck. "And in the center, a beautiful yellow Topaz cut to the perfect circle, smoothed out and little yellow topaz triangles to adorn the exterior sphere to display a sun....and then we can open up the bust region... The Gem will get their attention and the gems will KEEP the attention." Hel said rather mischievously as she drew it on.Neck piece added on (add the gems in too) she drew the plating on and she then paused for a moment.

"Now let's give you some... spike and steel, like I promised..." She said with a rather amused voice talons with small diamonds were added to the costume. "And the crystals, of course refract light. Hold them out, look at them with your special little eyes and there you have it, your eyes are much more dangerous because of a few itty-bitty diamonds. They really are a girls best friend." She hummed as she moved on to boots. She scoffed and reworked them into a more fashionable sense. She then threw in her own little "touch" to it, a surprise for Shauna later. She then began to run it off, giving Shauna a belt that was styled like Aztec beads, however it was a rather expensive magnetic belt... She stopped and turned to Shauna. "Any additions. Remember this is only mark one." She added in with a smile.

Shauna watched as Hel manipulate a holographic image of her costume. Hel was enthusiastic and creative about the costume in a way Shauna couldn't be, but was focused on the symbolism aspect of it. Shauna gave a few subtle smiles as a costume which may as well come from her mother was being assembled for her. Shauna's eyes went wide at the gemstone, then had to object to the talons.

"Ha. I'm loving it already Hel, except... I can do without the diamond studded talons. Once the lasers leave my eyes I've got no control over them. Heck, I've hurt myself a few times hitting a reflective surface, and they'll probably melt from the heat I emit. I can probably do with Diamond tipped ones though, lets me have tools for covert work."

She looked at the costume and she was definitely digging the whole theme, ironic as it was that a light power user wore such a dark costume. Shauna resigned herself to practicality, as she didn't project impenetrable energy shields and needed all the protection she could get. Shauna thought about any other tactical considerations she'd need, but found nothing else to add. "Nah, I think we're good. So, you gonna get your leather apron now and grab the hammer and anvil?" She said with a smirk.

"Oh curses you're right. I forgot they give off heat... and I had no idea about you're control and made an assumption... look at what a tool it's made me. Bleh...and here I'm to take over Gene-Tech." She scoffed as she seemed to laugh at herself for a moment. She then turned around and made the appropriate editing. Diamond tipped talons, for hand-to-hand dancing a fierce demeanor and the sheer utility of such things. With that finished, she displayed the new design and held it up, a little more proud of her design than before. While many big-wigs in the fashion design career despised criticism, Hel welcomed it. While the fact it came form puny humans made her irritated, coming from Shauna it didn't seem to sting as much, especially since she had a logic behind it that Hel had not thought of. Now she may design more costumes and be more prepared in the future.

"Oh dear no. have you SEEN my blacksmithing? It almost looks as bad as your original idea." Hel said teasingly with a sweet smile as she placed an arm around Shauna and guided her to her own personal dressing creating room. It was little known fact, save for Shauna (as she had obviously been through this process before) Hel made all Superhero costumes with her own hands, no worker ever touched even a single material, nor saw the costume, it was a secret bond between Hel and the Heroes she supplied. The high tech room was a rather impressive one, tale lighting, but somehow the sci-fi feel only added to the wonders. The room had vertical table with the outline of a person on it. Hel offered it up. "alright Dahrling I will need you to stand here, so that it may analyze your exact likeness and plaster a mannequin." She instructed. If Shauna refused she could always to it from scratch, but that was such a hassle...hopefully she cooperated with this.

Shauna followed behind Hel quietly, until they reached the familiar crafting room. Same procedure it seems, though she was taller now. Shauna stood where she was told to, raising her arms if necessary then putting them down.

"Alright, let's get this over with."

It didn't take long. Well, for a Hel original that is. It was a nice, easy eight hour process. Hel had ordered food, with the assistance form Shauna of picking a location, and the food was delivered (served by the "butler" as well). Hel ate lightly, and worked harder and harder each time she found her hunger building, until she felt like she advanced enough to warrant a reward of food. She created a seamless under-padding, and using what appeared to be a new-age high tech "Gun-thingy" that contained a silverfish grey liquid. With this Gun, Hel began to line and trace around the dress, making tracings with a laser point light, before letting the gun go. Once the gun was released, it began to move in the exact same motions of the tracings and putting the silvery-grey liquid on it in perfect measurements. The liquid hardened almost instantly upon contact with the air into a sleek, medium weighted metal.
     Hel began to cut diamond with her own (secretly) nether gem-cutting tools, making perfect and elegant talons, as promided before seuring them into sun-like metallic gauntlets, which were created by her second "Metalligun" tool. With the gloved/gauntlets done she moved onto the belt and the boots, before thinking of something to do with the hair... As that happened, Hel added her own little touch to the suit, before the machine finished and Hel stepped aside from the new costume. Taking a rather invisible threading and weaving into the dress she would consume the remainder of the time working on this secretive little detail before "unveiling" it to Shauna with pride.

    "Here it is...And there's a little extra effect I added to it...if you want it of course...but you'll need to try it on to see it." Hel said, tempting Shauna to try the new suit on before she approved or disapproved the design. Hopefully the toils of labor were worth it.

In the middle of the measuring and modeling phase, Shauna insisted on getting them Wham! Burgers, a recently opened gourmet burger place in the city. They used premium beef, high quality ingredients and freshly baked buns. They also came with freshly cut fries seasoned with sea salt, and a whole assortments of drinks and shakes.

Shauna went for a triple Wham! burger, Chili cheese fries, and a 20 oz. peanut butter and chocolate shake. She ate once Hel had her 3D model to work with. Shauna watched the procedure with interest for a couple of hours, then napped for another two, before waking up to finish her cold fries and lukewarm shake, and having lost track of where the process was simply waited for it to conclude naturally.

Shauna tries on the costume for Hel, testing her full range of motion in it, a few jabs, a left-right punch, some kicks, some jumps, and some stretching. Shauna burped once, then realized maybe having a triple Wham burger right before a costume fitting wasn't wise. No matter. "It's perfect, Hel... So what's the extra effect?"

"You tell me..." She said as the platform turned around, revealing a highly armored military drone. It was more than enough to take down a small-time metahuman, though not enough to stand against the might of Shauna's lasers. Behind the drone, were special energy absorption mirrors, to prevent the chance of bounce-back, even from photo-related powers. "Those mirrors won't bounce your lasers back, so after you blast the creature with your eye lasers you'll be able to see your glorious emergence. Oh, wait hold up...here." Hel said, producing a little circlet of sorts, a lace with a sun colored topaz adorning it in the front, resting on her forehead. Hel stepped back and held out an arm, reintroducing the robot like Vanna White.

    Whenever Shauna used her powers, the invisible lace Hel had just taken so much time to sew into the costume would slowly charge up and illuminate brightly as Nahuatl markings appeared, and a large Son emblazoned over her chest, glowing like it were the core of the very son itself. In response, the feathers she wore took on flame like properties, yet did not burn. This fabric was a very rare thread that Hel had synthesized that functioned upon a chemical reaction when a power shift happened within a person. Therefore when Shauna used the lasers, she would glow like an immaculate goddess of the sun the circlet becoming a crown, otherwise she was just one badass damsel causing distress. He smiled, hoping Shauna could appreciate this. It was not stealthy, this was true, however Hel thought of that.

    "I really hope you don't mind that. I know it's flashy and you like subtlty...so I made it so that this "Goddess Glow" suit will only glow like that when you're wearing this headpiece, which uses micro-threading to attach itself you your head unless acted upon by an actual attempt to remove it. If you take this off, the suit won't glow. So you can be stunning AND stealthy when you need to be." Hel said softly. This was perhaps the only time Hel cared for another person to HOPE that her design was beyond expectation, though with her reputation she felt almost as if it was a let down...then again...Hel was always her own harshest critic.

"Wow Hel, that's like, real flashy. I could be like two different people with this." She said with genuine gratitude and amazement, considering the possibilities as she checks out the costume. She sucked in her gut for now thanks to lunch, but felt nothing was out of order.

Then Hel gave Shauna an acceptable target to waste with her lasers to see the thread effect for herself. Shauna looked over the combat drone, not even bothering to take a peek inside. She'd just have to brute force it. "Guess this is also a chance to measure the ol' eye cannons. Stand back then, things get hot when I start shooting." Shauna stretched a bit and prepared to use her power, calling up that energy deep inside her to funnel through her eyes. It defied physics as Shauna understood it, but hey, laser vision.

She starts with low output beams to check the thing's armor, getting glowing metal but the drone remained functioning. It made some threatening machine noises and took a step towards Shauna, who decided to go all out... a bit too much all out.

Shauna unleashes a sustained beam right into the drone's center of mass, rapidly melting right through and contacting the absorbing mirror. If the Drone didn't explode right then it'd probably melt into a pile of slag. The needle on the measuring instruments quickly go in the red, as Shauna was firing off a laser beam with the energy output of nearly nine nuclear reactors.

"Warning. Power output exceeding previous quantified levels. 8.19 Gigawatts and rising." The warning systems in the testing facility sounded off, triggering the emergency sprinkler system. Cold air and water fills the testing chamber.

Shauna shuts off her lasers, her power having continued evolving, with consequences for Shauna. "AAAAH! What the hell... Hel... are you there?! I... I need to get out... I need the sun..." She said, clutching her eyes. Shauna's face was smoking, lines of energy creeping from her eye sockets and across her face. Shauna's powers had reach their apex, but her body had not yet caught up...