"Are you coming?" Amazing Woman asked, as she bent down to climb into the car. Brett couldn't help but notice the fine muscles of her legs, the roundness of her ass- and that astonishing cleavage. He also heard the sirens of the cops. what choice could he make? he ran around the car, and climbed in.

Straps snapped across him as soon as he sat down, holding him tight. 

"What the hell?"

"Sorry, honey. You're a little bigger than my usual passenger. VAACS, scan new passenger and adjust." Amazing Woman hit the accelerator, turned the wheel, and they sped off- far in excess of the speed limit.

Brett saw a green flash, and realized a light was emanating from the dashboard  and running up and down his body. He felt the restraints relax, although they were still holding him very securely. He recognized the design as similar to those he had seen in racing cars.

He looked at the dashboard. the instrumentation was basic- until he realized that it was all projections- holograms, in fact. The view out the windshield was odd- everything was illuminated, but more so than he would expect in this part of town- even with a great set of headlights. Then he realized what he was looking at.

"This- this isn't a window, is it? It's a computer screen. This is . what- radar? Some sort of simulation of the outside?"

"Very good. I see your teacher's evaluations of you were right on. It's next-gen tech- sensors around the car send out and receive sonar, radar, and a few other signals you've never heard of. It means the Amazing Car can run with no lights. It also lets her "see" obstacles a lot further away than I could in broad daylight. I can turn it to clear glass, if I want- but this way, nobody can see in. Plus there are a few other tricks she can do."

Wait- my teachers? How did you-"

"I ran you through a few databases. Brett Jenkins- 20 year-old runaway, top 10% of his senior class- but not top of his class, despite the fact that every teacher thought you were the smartest kid in school. Ran track, did gymnastics, a lot of other sports- but never a star. The rap on you was that you didn't seem to want to be noticed. Never went out for the "big" sports. One guidance counselor thought it had to do with your Dad. He died 5 years ago in Afghanistan, right?" Brett nodded. He tried to keep his face impassive, but he was seething inside. "I also know something you don't, Brett. You ran because of your step-father. He abused your mom, didn't he?" he nodded again, fists clenched.

"After you ran away, your Mom decided she'd had enough. She left him- stayed with her sister, Rose, while she started divorce proceedings."

"What? You mean she-" A smile broke out on Brett's face. Amazing Woman looked at him, her beautiful eyes beginning to glisten. it broke her heart- but he had to know.

'He found her, Brett. He was drunk, they say- just over the legal limit. He ran her down in the street outside your Aunt's house. She died instantly."

Brett just stared at her. He forgot everything- the beauty of the woman in front of him, the incredible machine he was in. All he had was the words. "She died."

"I'm sorry, Brett."

--------------------

Detective Doris Major surveyed the scene. CSI was doing there thing, but she knew what they would find- not much. This "Amazing Woman" never left behind anything useful- even the hair they had found on the last scene led nowhere-DNA in no known databases. They could match it to her if they caught her- but that was looking unlikely. Especially now that she had become a hero to most of the public- and some cops.

"Uh- detective?" Major turned. the small voice belonged, incongruously  to a huge fellow- a patrolman Bilson, from his nametag. he had to be 6'4". built like a linebacker. She noted he was a decent-looking guy, too- short blonde hair, green eyes. Nice. She appreciated the fact that he had called her "detective"- most cops said 'Ma'am" to her.

"What is it, patrolman?"

"I was first on the scene- my partner and I." he gestured with his huge hand towards a thin Latino patrolman keeping the press back. "As we drove in, I saw a car pull away- it was hard to see, but it was a black sports car- no license plate. We tried to pursue, but we lost it- it seemed to-"

"-Disappear in the shadow? Yeah, I've heard that. Matches the reports I've heard before. You'll find that your dashboard camera has a mysterious gap in the tape, too. But thanks, Bilson." Major turned to leave.

"Oh. Sorry. I think I caught a glimpse of the guy, though."

"What guy?"

-------------------------

They had driven in silence for several minutes. Martha could see the where his tears were making glistening tracks in the dirt on his face. She saw a signal on her dash, and a text message appeared, visible only to her - the request she had put in earlier had been approved. It was her decision- and his. 

"VAACS, take us to Home 2, and blackout windows. "

"Acknowledged" came a soft female voice. The displays on the "windows" all faded to black.

"What's happening? Who was that?" said Brett, his voice still choked with tears. His eyes widened as he saw Amazing Woman take her hands off the wheel- which slid back away from her, into the dash, as she turned to him.

"It's okay- the car has an "auto-pilot", iso to speak. It's called VAACS- Voice-Activated Automotive Control System. She can read the road as well as I can, and it's perfectly safe. I'm taking you to one of the places i call home- but I can't let you see where it is- not yet. Now, ask the question."

Brett just stared at the beautiful woman sitting just a few inches from him. 'Wha- what question?"

"About your step-father. What happened to him."

Brett trembled.' He- you said- he killed her! He- he has to be-"

"He got off, Brett. Not scott free, no- but he had no other conviction, he was drunk- he got off wiyh probation, and a stint in rehab."

Martha watched as Brett's face fell. The next thing thing he did would tell her if he was ready- if he was the man she thought he was- or could be.

He slammed his hand into the dashboard, again and again. The material, a special plastic, absorbed the blows. Finally he stopped., and looked Martha straight in the eyes. 

"This is wrong. He should be stopped. Someone has to stop him." A beat. "I have to stop him."

Martha smiled, ruefully. She had been right- for good or ill- he was a candidate.

"Arrived at Home 2." said VAACS. the doors opened, revealing a simple gray concrete room- a garage, from the looks of the tools on the walls, Brett thought.

"Come with me, Brett- and I'll show you how you can."

"Come

'

"