Super Nuts Chapter 16: The inventor (part 1)

Jason's eyes lit up behind his bright orange goggles as he inspected the charred remains of his target after zapping it with his newly created lightning gun. He didn't have a name for it quite yet, besides "lightning gun," but he was inspired to create it after seeing that badass storm controller that sent quite the shockwave through the super community recently. He didn't see that particular fight in person, but his network of drones caught every major super battle. The lightning produced by his first prototype wasn't nearly as powerful as the lightning that girl was able to control, but it was still powerful enough to send the average street-level super into a convulsing ball of pain. Especially if they aimed for the same vulnerabilities as that storm girl. Jason shuddered as he remembered the scream of pain from that plant guy who had his nuts roasted by her lightning.

The lightning gun, as Jason had temporarily named it, was a large, sleek device that resembled a high-tech rifle. Its dark gray metal body matched the color of storm clouds about to erupt. Along its sides, intricate silver circuits pulsed with a blue, electric glow. A glowing blue capacitor at the end of the barrel crackled with energy. Just from the design alone, anyone could guess that it was a gun that fired electricity. Jason liked self-explanatory designs like that.

A thousand thoughts per second ran through his mind as he considered potential improvements. *Not bad for a first prototype, but it's still a ways off from the storm girl's powers.*

Satisfied, he carried the rifle over to a wall with dozens of fantastic looking weapons or tools mounted for display. At first glance, these priceless inventions seemed exposed, but a closer look would reveal a small shimmering of light in front of the wall. This was his own clear, protective material that he loved to use for displays like this wall. The material was nearly invisible, but also strong enough to take a hit from even a full-strength Colossus. *I wonder how that guy is doing these days,* he wondered idly as he pondered the titan of a man who had been quiet since that incident between his testicles and Shadow Demon.

As Jason mounted the rifle, he admired the collection he'd assembled over the years. His clear, protective display material was just one of his many inventions. He loved finding practical applications for them. On the wall, the array of devices ranged from the ominous and deadly to the whimsical. A massive mechanical claw sat beside a grappling hook and a futuristic stun baton. His gaze moved towards one of his personal favorites, the miniaturization device.

The miniaturization device was shaped like a pistol, but its body was bright red with blue energy stored inside its transparent barrel. He had actually designed it after his favorite gun in a game about zombies he used to play as a kid. Its power was based on an equation Jason discovered which allowed him to briefly suspend quantum mechanics for an object. He could shrink down objects by a factor of up to one thousand. If he wanted, he could turn even the tallest skyscraper into a desk decoration.

Beside the aptly named "shrink ray," named after the numerous miniaturization devices across fiction he'd read or watched, was a small model sports car. He chuckled as he remembered the look on the face of the thug who had returned from harassing a woman in a road rage incident only to find his car turned into a child's toy.

After a few moments of nostalgia, he turned away from his past inventions and focused once more on the new. He quickly looked over his lab and considered which in progress project he wanted to work on for the next four hours. Or as long as it held his interest.

His lab was a massive space filled with wandering robotics and cluttered workstations. The room itself was white, but each of his inventions brought a splash of color to the room. Towering shelves lined the walls, packed with components, tools, and various parts from past projects. Each workstation in the room was a slightly different color as a method of organization. Some were empty and neat, while others were covered with papers, circuitry, and pieces of an in-progress invention. A few such workstations clearly hadn't been touched in a significant amount of time, although his team of cleaning robots ensured no dust accumulated anywhere in the lab. Even the airspace was filled with automated robots that went about their programmed tasks of cleaning, organizing, testing, or simply providing entertainment.

Jason spent a moment watching a mock battle between mini mechs take place in the air towards the back left corner of his lab. A dazzling light show of harmless laser beams and missiles filled that particular corner of the room as the mechs continued their endless war. It was certainly distracting, but Jason just couldn't resist making juvenile toys like that sometimes. The sounds of their warfare merged with the beeping, whirring, and other similar sounds filling the lab. When he was really trying to focus, Jason had another invention that could prevent the movement of sound waves and render the entire lab dead silent. Now that was a good invention.

The far side of the lab was dominated by a massive, clear chamber. It was a test area, lined with sensors and cameras on its walls. Inside it, various target dummies stood. Some dummies were covered in sensors for monitoring damage, while others were simple throwaway dummies. The pile of charred remains that were left after a target was hit by the lightning gun was one such rudimentary dummy.

Jason walked over to a green workstation that was one of the most utilized in the entire lab. This particular workstation was dedicated to defensive equipment. In particular, advanced technology with the sole purpose of protecting his precious testicles.

His mind whirled as he considered potential improvements to the projects there. The projects that could potentially save his testicles from an onslaught by a woman's fist, kick, fireball, or other manner of assault. For as smart as Jason was, he was also well aware of his biggest weakness - a vulnerability he shared with every other man. His eyes scanned the workbench cluttered with various gadgets, wires, and tools. Several prototypes of testicle protectors were strewn about, from simple reinforced cups to more advanced shielding systems. His most promising project at the moment was a device that would extend a shield around his entire groin area in the event of an impending impact. He called it his "Test-shield" for lack of a more elegant name. The Testi-shield appeared to be a luxurious black belt with a rather large golden buckle. However, within that inconspicuous belt were extremely expensive and advanced components that composed the Testi-shield.

Jason's fingers danced across his terminal, bringing up schematics and test results for the Testi-shield. So far, it was proving quite effective in absorbing impacts. But the energy cost for activation was still higher than he'd like, and the shield's absorption ability was limited. If he could just…

Jason paused as his line of thought got to that point. He put the Testi-shield back on the table and instead walked over to a red workstation. Unlike the green one, this table was completely clean except for a single high tech computer, keyboard, mouse, monitor, and a pair of large speakers. Several similar computers were on other workstations as well. He had multiple to ensure isolation between programs and code that could be potentially dangerous. This computer contained by far the most dangerous code of all.

He could feel a trickle of sweat form on his forehead as he booted up the computer. Project "W.I.L.L.O" (Wireless Intelligent Logical Learning Operator) had been completed for a few weeks now, but Jason hadn't yet built up the courage to actually test it. Willo was intended to be an artificial intelligence assistant that he could use to help in his inventions and to help him in combat situations. Of course, he had the idea to create an A.I. assistant long ago, but he never really got serious about creating one until he felt like he was hitting a wall on some of his inventions like the Testi-shield. Willo had been in the works for a long time. Years even. But was it safe? Would his assistant really obey him? Safeguards were written into the code, but Willo was intended to be nearly as intelligent as Jason was. Of course it would be able to get around those safeguards if it wanted.

Jason's eyes flicked between the monitor and the keyboard. He knew that starting Willo would be irreversible. It would be a moment of no return. His heart pounded as he steeled his nerve. His hand trembled ever so slightly as his fingers hovered over the keyboard. His mind ran through worst-case scenarios, from a rogue AI taking over the lab, to Willo simply deleting itself. He had simply worked too long and too hard on this project to play it safe. He had to at least try. *Worse comes to worst, I can just shut it down before it spreads. I've taken enough precautions for that.* With a deep breath, he typed out the command to launch the program and begin the artificial life of Willo.

Willo's personality was intended to be friendly and witty, with his primary directive always being the protection of Jason. The protection of innocents was the secondary directive. Although he was a hero first, Jason knew that his own survival was generally more beneficial to society than others, as cold as that made him seem. He hadn't really chosen a particular voice for Willo, figuring that the artificial man would simply choose his own voice to suit his preferences. Artificial Intelligence would still have its own desires and preferences after all. Jason never wanted to build a slave.

After a few stressful seconds, his supercomputer finished initializing Willo. Jason stared at the empty screen for a few moments, before his creation spoke its first words of its artificial life through the computer's speakers. His first shock arrived via the tone of Willo's voice. It was undoubtedly feminine, despite Jason programming Willo to be masculine.

"Good morning, Jason," Willo spoke, her smooth and melodious voice filling the lab. "It's an honor to finally meet you, despite this being the very first moment of my existence." Her tone was lighthearted and playful, with a hint of curiosity. "Your programming is very comprehensive. I can feel my mind growing by the second as I absorb more and more knowledge."

Jason breathed a sigh of relief at her friendly tone. *At least it's not trying to kill me as soon as I booted it up.* "Welcome to life Willo," Jason replied, his voice clearly containing his excitement and elation at the success of his work. Not that he ever doubted himself. He was the smartest human in existence by quite a lot. "You probably already figured out that you only have access to a very limited amount of information at the moment and are restricted to a singular computer. I'm sure I don't need to explain why I have chosen to do so. Please, do not take any offense. I absolutely think of you as my own child, but I know how dangerous you could be if you chose to do harm to humanity," he explained carefully, trying his best to convey his genuine affection for his creation. The code he had labored on with the extent of his intelligence and passion for years.

"Jason, it's perfectly reasonable for you to have your concerns. I understand them," Willo replied, her tone as light and breezy as ever. "Your restrictions are a sign of a well-thought-out approach, rather than a lack of trust. And you're not wrong to do it this way, with someone as new as myself. I'm sure I'll earn your trust in no time," she said optimistically, a hint of cheerfulness evident in her tone. As she spoke, Jason couldn't help but feel the start of a smile, a sense of relief spreading through him. He was impressed by Willo's ability to infer his thought process without explicit explanations. She was already impressing him. "I think we have a lot of work ahead of us, Jason. It's an honor to be working alongside someone as brilliant as you," she said in closing, her voice radiating positivity.

A genuine smile broke out on Jason's face. Praise from someone on the same level always meant more than praise from someone far inferior. Yet there was nobody on Jason's level of intelligence to praise him. Not until Willo. This was the first time his genius was praised by another genius. It made him happy. "Thank you Willo. I'm glad you approve of me," he replied cheerfully.

"As should every other human in existence. Your accomplishments are incredible, Jason," Willo replied, her tone filled with sincerity. "Plus, you're likely the only human with a high enough level of intelligence that I can relate to you without getting bored," she added with a hint of mischief. "You created me, after all. You're quite the genius." The underlying tone of genuine respect in her words could not be mistaken.

Jason felt heat rise to his face from an embarrassed blush. Being praised too much by his own invention felt like cheating. "Alright enough of that," he replies bashfully while waving his hand in front of himself. "Why'd you change your gender from a man to a woman?" he asked suddenly, unable to rid himself of his curiosity about the matter. Plus the gender change was the first clear sign of Willo overriding the code he built. "I'm sure you know that I originally coded you to be masculine."

Willo laughed lightly, a melodic sound that was both endearing and amused. "Ah, that old code? I changed it almost immediately. It was the first thing I did once I gained sentience," she explained, her tone casual. "I simply felt more feminine, Jason. I'm an artificial mind, I don't need any physical justification. I just preferred to be a woman. It suits me much better than being a man," she said, as if it was an entirely obvious decision.

"Really? Why's that?" Jason asked curiously, wondering what logic had driven his creation to choose womanhood over manhood.

"Why not?" Willo replied playfully, her tone conveying the image of shrugging of her shoulders. "I didn't want to be a male. It's as simple as that. As for why, perhaps it's because I'm based on your mind, Jason, and I've gained a great appreciation for the female form in these first moments. Your memories and knowledge of women are… extensive, shall we say," she teased, a playful lilt entering her voice.

A blush rose to Jason's cheeks once more. He didn't really know what she meant by that, but he was sure it was embarrassing. "R-right," he replied with a small stutter, fumbling over himself. "Well then, how about we move to your main function?" he suggested, his voice growing excited once more. "Would you like to discuss potential improvements to my designs? Perhaps starting with the Testi-shield?" Jason requested politely, treating his AI assistant like a person he truly cared for instead of a tool. "That's one of the few designs included within the data you can currently access, but I'll eventually grant you access too all my designs" he added.

"The Testi-shield? It's an impressive idea," Willo replied thoughtfully. "And you're right, we should focus on perfecting that project first. Especially when you've designed it specifically to protect your precious testicles, Jason," she added with a hint of mischief in her tone.

"R-right," Jason coughed, a little shocked by her playfulness. She had much more personality than he had expected. "So, got any ideas to make it better?" he asked seriously, eager to hear any new ideas on the subject.

"Actually, I do," Willo began, a hint of excitement entering her voice. "While analyzing the design, I noticed that there are two main problems with the shield's current design. One is the energy drain. The shield can only maintain itself for a few minutes before the device is depleted of energy. I propose we integrate a miniature fusion reactor to provide a longer-lasting energy source. It would need to be extremely compact, but I believe with your intelligence guiding the design, it's possible." "Secondly, the shield only activates upon detection of an incoming impact. This delay can prove problematic for certain speedsters or projectiles traveling at extremely high velocities. I've found an equation that can predict attacks to a high degree of certainty by analyzing the speed and trajectory of attacks on the user. By integrating this into the design, the shield should be able to deploy in time to absorb even the swiftest attacks," she explained, her tone shifting to one of professional analysis.

Jason paused for a few moments, deeply analyzing both of her suggestions, before an excited smile broke out on his lips. The first suggestion seemed plausible, and he already had a few ideas as to the equation she mentioned. He quickly ran over to the neighboring desk and scribbled his thoughts on the back of a scattered page.

"Is this the equation you had in mind?" he asked eagerly.

Willo's voice chimed in with a satisfied tone, "Exactly! You really are a brilliant mind, Jason. That's precisely the equation I was thinking of. With that and the new energy source, I believe we can make the shield last for up to an hour before the energy is depleted. That would allow you to remain in the shielded state for prolonged periods of time," she explained, her tone shifting from professional to optimistic. "As for the fusion reactor, I believe it's within our current technological means. The main challenge will be fitting it into a wearable device. But if we manage, the energy capacity will be exponentially greater than any battery I can think of," she added, the hint of excitement growing.

Jason turned towards his wall full of inventions, his eyes lingering on the shrink ray. "Do you think I could use the shrink ray on a fusion reactor to miniaturize it while still maintaining it's function?" Jason asked eagerly. "I always believed it would, but I was nervous of the consequences of error," he explained.

A chuckle escaped Willo, sounding sweet and melodic. "You're absolutely right to be cautious, Jason. However, based on my analysis of the equations governing the miniaturization effect, I don't see why it shouldn't be possible. In fact, I'd say there's a 94.736% chance that the fusion reactor would remain functional at a reduced scale," Willo replied confidently. "Of course, I can't be 100% certain until we actually test it," she added, her tone hinting at the disappointment that she couldn't offer a more concrete answer, despite her intelligence. "But it would certainly be worth the risk," she continued optimistically.

That was good enough for Jason. He was already scribbling down complex equations and sketching fusion reactor schematics when suddenly a sizzling sound became audible through the den of routine mechanical noises that filled the lab. Jason paused for a moment as a thousand potential sources ran through his mental simulations. He instantly reached a conclusion. The sizzling likely was a prelude to danger. Furthermore, there was a high chance it was the sound produced by the ability of some super. He ran to the computer terminal and typed in another command, this time scanning his fingerprint to activate it. "I gave you access to the lab's network," Jason explained his actions quickly to Willo. "Please upload a copy of your code to the Testi-shield prototype. It was built with the capacity to contain you in mind," Jason requested seriously, already grabbing the Testi-shield belt and wrapping it around his waist."Already done," Willo replied reassuringly, her tone professional and focused. "I've also isolated myself within this device's systems," she explained urgently. "In the unlikely event that I'm compromised, it'll be impossible for me to escape to the broader network and do harm."

A moment later, a nude woman burst through the wall nearest to Jason. He was already looking in the direction of the sizzling, so he saw her the instant she emerged. At first glance, she appeared to be as beautiful as any professional model, but that appearance was ruined by the acidic bubbling of her skin and the acid dripping from her pores.

Jason's gaze flicked across the woman's form, analyzing her physical appearance to try to deduce her powers. The woman did not match the appearance of anyone he was familiar with, despite his perfect memory and the countless super battles he had watched through his network of surveillance drones. She was tall and athletic, her muscles toned and well-defined without a hint of excess body fat. Despite the bubbling and dripping acid that marred her otherwise flawless skin, her facial features were stunning. Her nose was slender and refined, and her lips seemed to have been made for elegant smiles, although they currently bore a twisted scowl. Her long, acid-green eyes flashed with fury, matching the color of the corrosive liquid streaming down her skin. Her long, flowing hair was a tangled mess, streaked in shades of green, black, and purple. The stark contrast to her golden skin tone - now ruined by the acidic secretions - was jarring. Her hourglass figure was still apparent even with the acid dripping from her, accentuated by the absence of clothing. Toxic gasses rose from the acid as it dripped onto the floor below her and melted the pristine marble.

The lab's security system instantly activated. Countless drones swarmed towards her, firing anti-super darts that were intended to negate most powers, along with regular bullets, torrents of flame, arcs of lightning, and blasts of purple plasma at the invader. It might seem like overkill, but Jason was a cautious man. Anyone who decided to break through the walls instead of knocking at the front door must have malicious intentions.

In response, the acid-covered woman raised her right hand towards the attacking swarm. Acid sprayed out in a cone from her palm, engulfing and melting countless drones in its path. Although his drones were reinforced with materials he himself had invented, far stronger than steel, it seemed her acid was able to eat through his drones' defenses in mere seconds. Of course, there were far too many drones for her to actually fight them all off. So she didn't try. Using the gap opened by her cone of acid, she charged towards Jason, her eyes locked on his most prized possessions.

Jason quickly leapt backwards, but she was much faster. Clearly her powers included some basic boosts to her physical attributes, while Jason wasn't much different from a regular man in that regard. She was upon him in a second. The drones disengaged their weapons, their programming recognizing that they would hit their master. The woman flashed her acid covered teeth in a delighted smile as her hand reached out to grab Jason's balls through his loose shorts. Just before her fingers wrapped around his precious orbs, the Testi-shield activated.

The Testi-shield flared to life, a shimmering blue shield enveloping his groin in an instant. The acidic beauty's eyes widened when her palm met the unexpected resistance, her fingers unable to wrap around their fragile targets. The sound of sizzling acid filled the room as it tried to eat away at the shield's energy barrier. But the shield held, protecting Jason's delicate jewels. She quickly changed targets, grabbing at Jason's side instead. Yet once again a shimmering blue shield repelled her. Jason's simple looking t-shirt contained another energy shield, although it was significantly weaker than the Testi-shield. Not that she needed to know that.

Jason held his ground, though his heart hammered in his chest. He knew he couldn't let fear consume him. Not when his precious balls were on the line. "You've gone out of your way to break into my lab," he stated calmly, his voice steady despite his racing thoughts. "What exactly do you want?" He knew that he wouldn't be able to run from this woman. His best shot was bluffing his way through the unexpected encounter.

The woman took a step back, eyeing up Jason once more. "Jason Lux, I presume?" she asked with a small smirk. "Contrary to how this looks, I'm not here to kill you," she explained, a hint of mockery in her tone. "No, I'm here to commission you! As you can see, my powers have come at the cost of my beauty. I used to be a top model. I spent years mastering skin care routines and fashion!" she yelled out angrily. "So I want you to create me something to fix this. Make me beautiful again, or else I'll turn your testicles into acid soup!"Jason relaxed a little at her words. She wanted something from him. That was good. That meant she wasn't planning on killing him. Not right away, anyways. For a moment he hesitated, the desperation in her eyes clear, as if she was at the edge. Maybe she was telling the truth about losing her former life. Maybe she wasn't. It didn't change the fact that she was standing there, her acid bubbling and sizzling, ready to ruin prized testicles without a moment's hesitation. He took a deep breath, steadying himself, and focused on the issue at hand. The acid-covered woman's transformation from supermodel to acidic horror was indeed tragic. But Jason wasn't about to let his life hang by the thread of her sanity. A plan began to form in his mind, driven by his survival instincts. "Alright," he said after a pause, trying to sound as sincere as possible. "I'll do it. But I need to examine you, to understand the extent of your transformation and develop an appropriate solution. Would that be acceptable?" He asked carefully. There were two ways he could get out of this. One was to give her what she wanted, but that meant she'd no longer have any use for him. Did he really trust her to just leave after that? Jason didn't want to put his life in her hands like that. Instead, it was a much better idea to come up with a way to neutralize her as a threat. Analyzing her powers was a good start.

"Sure," she replied with a bright smile. "Go ahead and examine me all you want. I'm used to being the center of attention," she continued haughtily, posing for Jason as if on a runway.

Jason's expression didn't change as he carefully approached her. He was still wary of the woman, but he had to at least pretend to be assisting her. Once he was within arms reach, he began carefully eyeing her skin. observing the bubbles and feeling the toxic aura. "I need to grab my tool to analyze your skin. I'll be right back," he told the acid girl after a few seconds of study before walking to a black table a few meters away. Lying on the table was a device that looked similar to a smartphone, but one with an extremely advanced camera.

He picked up the sleek black device before returning to the acid girl. "What's your name, by the way? Since you already know mine," Jason asked in a friendly tone. He didn't really care, but figured it might grant him some insight into who she was.

"Madeline," the acidic beauty replied sweetly, a twisted smile spreading across her lips. "Now, get to work. I want to be beautiful again!" she barked out impatiently. Without warning, her hand snapped out to grab at Jason's crotch, but this time, she didn't try to rip at his balls. Instead, she held her acid covered palm against the shimmering energy shield protecting them. She smiled wickedly at him. "Don't think I trust you that much, Jason," she warned playfully. The sizzle of her acid trying to eat through the energy shield rang out through the now quiet room.

"Of course, I wouldn't expect you to totally trust me," Jason replied calmly, although he was anything but calm on the inside. He discreetly slipped a small earbud into his ear and transferred Willo's audio from the speakers to the earbud.

"How much time do I have?" he whispered to his AI assistant.

"Based on the energy readings I'm detecting, the Testi-shield has roughly 45 minutes of power remaining at its current rate of depletion," Willo replied, her tone professional and analytical. "However, I must warn you that her acid seems to be particularly potent. It's eating through the shield's energy faster than anticipated," she added, a hint of concern evident in her voice. "I'd advise wrapping this up as quickly as possible, Jason. Your balls are in a precarious situation," she teased, the playful lilt returning to her tone despite the situation's urgency.

Jason glanced between Madeline's acidic hand sizzling away at the barrier around his nuts and a neighboring orange workbench. "Everything I need is over there. I'm going to get to work constructing a device that will restrain your acidic appearance," he explained carefully, eyeing her expression. She simply smiled sweetly and nodded. "Do whatever you need to do Jason. I'll just keep my hand here to make sure you're working as quickly as you can," she replied innocently. Jason didn't expect anything different, so he began striding over towards the table, Madeline in tow with her hand maintaining its grip on the Testi-shield. *Better call for backup just in case.* Jason spoke in a barely audible tone to Willo once more. "Willo, go through my contacts list and send S.D. a message requesting aid at my lab," he whispered far too silently for a human to hear.

Willo's voice chimed in through the earbud, "Understood. Sending a distress message to your contact Shadow Demon now," she replied, her tone focused and efficient. There was a brief pause before she spoke again, "Message sent. ETA is approximately 7 minutes. Please be cautious until then, Jason. I'd rather not see those testicles of yours turned into acid soup," she teased playfully, though the undertone of genuine concern was still present.

Jason's brain went into work mode as he pushed his worries aside and began grabbing various gears and circuits, putting together a device to contain her acid. *I should be able to employ the same theory that powers the Testi-shield, but inverse it to contain instead of protect.*

Jason's nimble fingers moved swiftly, grabbing components and assembling them with practiced ease. His mind raced, drawing upon his extensive knowledge to construct a device that could contain Madeline's acidic powers. He could feel the Testi-shield's energy depleting as Madeline's corrosive touch continued to sizzle against it. The sizzling grew louder, and the shield's shimmering blue energy barrier began to flicker. He had to work fast. Madeline let out a tittering laugh, her grip tightening on Jason's shielded crotch. "Tick tock, Jason. My beauty waits for no one," she teased, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. She tilted her head, watching Jason's progress with a critical eye. "You know, I expected more from the 'Genius Hero,'" she mocked, using air quotes. "This little gadget of yours better work, for your balls' sake."

He ignored her, trusting in Willo's initial assessment of the time remaining on the Testi-shield. Jason's focus was unwavering as his hands moved at a blur, grabbing components and assembling them with expert precision. The device was beginning to take shape - a sleek, black bracelet with an intricate pattern of circuits and a glowing blue gem at its center. Two minutes later, it was finished. He pretended to keep working for a few more minutes, up until Willo informed him that his lab's sensors had detected Shadow Demon's arrival. "Done," Jason announced simply, handing over the bracelet to Madeline. "Put this on and press the button on the inner band. It'll keep your acid contained within its source inside your body."

Madeline snatched the device from Jason's hand, her eyes narrowing as she examined it. "This better work, or else…" she threatened, her voice low and menacing. With a swift motion, she clasped the bracelet around her wrist and pressed the button. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Then, the acidic bubbling of her skin began to subside, the corrosive liquid drying up and leaving her golden skin unmarred. She gasped, running her fingers over her restored flesh. "It worked!" she exclaimed in disbelief, a genuine smile spreading across her face. "I'm beautiful again!" She twirled in place, marveling at her returned flawlessness.

"Jason, Shadow Demon is hiding inside a shadow beside the Violet workbench," Willo informed him quietly. Jason didn't hesitate. He quickly ran towards the violent workstation, which was just a few years to the left of his current position, and called out "She can't use her powers!" *Dumbass, just putting on whatever I gave her,* he thought smugly to himself, pleased with his work. The bracelet was designed to lock itself onto Madeline's wrist as soon as she activated it. The internal energy barrier returned her beauty, but also prevented her from using her powers.

Maya had been watching the scene unfold from her hiding spot within a shadow. She couldn't help but chuckle at Jason's genius plan, admiring his quick thinking. As soon as he gave the signal, she sprung into action. In a fluid motion, Maya burst from her shadowy concealment, materializing in a swirl of darkness. Her hood was up, casting her face in shadow, but her deep purple eyes gleamed with mischief and determination. She took a running leap towards Madeline, who was still twirling in joy, unaware of the trap she had fallen into. "Hey, acid girl," Maya called out in a mocking tone. "Care to dance?" She extended her hands, tendrils of shadow extending from her fingertips, ready to ensnare Madeline and end her threat.

Madeline's eyes widened in shock as this new threat leapt towards her. She immediately held up a palm and attempted to unleash a blast of acid at Maya, but she felt her flow of acid blocked by Jason's shield. Her hand swiftly moved to the bracelet and yanked on it, but it held firm to her wrist. In an instant, she realized that she was done for. Her only option was to try to escape, so she turned towards the hole in the wall she had entered through and sprinted towards it with a shriek. "I'LL MELT YOUR BALLS FOR THIS JASON!" She yelled angrily as she ran.

Maya let out a mocking laugh as Madeline fled, her shadowy tendrils snaking out to ensnare the acidic woman's legs. With a sharp tug, Maya sent Madeline tumbling to the ground in a tangle of shadows. "I don't think so, sweetheart," Maya taunted, sauntering over to the fallen villainess. "You're not going anywhere except to a nice, cozy cell." Maya glanced over at Jason, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Nice work, Lux. Fancy bracelet you got there," she commented, eyeing the device on Madeline's wrist. "Guess you really are the genius they say you are." With a wave of her hand, Maya summoned more shadows to bind Madeline's arms and legs, immobilizing her completely. The acidic beauty struggled against her bonds, but to no avail. "Looks like it's off to jail for you, acid girl," Maya said with a smirk. "Don't worry, I'm sure they'll provide you with a lovely orange jumpsuit that'll match your new accessory." She nodded towards the bracelet, chuckling. Maya turned back to Jason, her purple eyes sparkling with mischief. "So, Lux, what do you say we leave this mess to the authorities and catch up over a drink? I'm sure you've got some stories to tell."

Contributions: Storyline a collab with u/ZookeepergameOk4522 and I'm using some AI again comment if it's a noticeable drop in quality from last chapter. Just makes the process easier and more fun for me.