After Timothy had ‘relieved’ himself, the young man decided to take a shower. Fortunately the water was still running and hadn’t been switched off as occasionally his mother used the old house.

Later after he was all nice and clean, Timothy redressed in his normal clothes, leaving the costume on the bed. He decided to look for a better spot to hide it and walked back into the living room.

“What the heck,” Timothy said as he saw the opened panel behind the fireplace and saw the exposed stairway.

Of all the years he lived there, Timothy never knew the house had any type of secert rooms and was more eager to explore. He grabbed a flashlight and rushed down the stairs leading down to a secret cellar room. His face managed to hit almost every cobweb along the way.

Inside the cellar’s secret room, he found a collection of strange old bukly computers that took up most of the room that were truly cutting edge of it’s time… twenty years ago. Timothy chuckled and thought how his new flat Z-pod 8 could probably handle almost every task more quicker and faster then these old clunkers could back in the day.

Then he noticed the costumes hanging on the walls. Not just any costumes either, they were of Timothy’s childhood hero… Max Wonder.

“Wait… why are these things here,” thought Tim before eyeing the small box that rested on the table in the corner of the room. “No… it can’t be!”

But it was indeed, the mysterious Box of Wonders, which was often believed to be the source of Max Wonder’s fantastic powers. What the heck, was it… was all this doing inside his family’s house?!

Then Timothy touched the top of the wooden box. He noticed the “W” logo that looked similar to the one worn on the chest of the hero.  

Timothy blinked and found himself surrounded in darkness.

“Hello Timothy,” a voice called out to him.

It was the voice of his deceased father, Jim Langstrom.

“D-Dad?” gasped Timothy in disbelief.

"Yes, it's me," said the voice as the image of Jim Langstrom stepped forward. “I know that this must all be a bit of a shock…”

“A shock,” gasped Tim, his eyes bulging. “Dad…You’re dead! You died… years ago!”

“I know,” he said softly. “And very soon I will be gone again… The Box of Wonders has briefly made this connection from the world of the living and the afterlife… I know now, that it was always part of my destinty to give you this message… I was once the superhero you might remember as Max Wonder… I kept this secret from you and your mother to keep you both safe… Years ago I found the Box of Wonders shortly after I and your mother were married, the box was hidden in this secret room inside the cellar you just found. I learned in time that the Box was magical, but could only be used by someone of pure of heart and truly a hero. It is now your destiny to face your legacy and take my place.”  

“But… but there are other heroes now,” said Timothy. “Amazing Woman seems to be doing an okay job so far in Metro City, there’s other heroes as well… besides I’m no hero…”

“You doubt yourself too much,” said his father. “You have to look deeper.”

“Well I guess I could give it a shot,” said Timothy smiling. “I’m sure with the Box of Wonders, almost anyone easily handle being a hero!”

“NO!” his father shouted. “The Box of Wonders is not a toy to be used recklessly! It is not given away either, it has to be earned!”

Suddenly Timothy’s eyes shot open and again he found himself in the secret room inside the cellar. He still faced the Box of Wonders. He looked around for his father, but he was gone and as he wondered if he was crazy as his gaze returned to the Box of Wonders.

Timothy reached out and touched it, hoping to somehow connect with its mystical powers. Instead the box suddenly crumbled and collapsed into dust. In seconds it was destroyed.
 
“Nooo!!!” cried Timothy as he grasped the dust only to have it slip through his fingers. Had he failed he wondered.

Tears rolled down his face and then Timothy noticed something. A yellow utility belt hanging by one of his father’s costumes. He picked it up and rushed out of the cellar back into the living room and then to the bedroom.

Timothy found his Wonderboy laying where he left it on the bed. He then looked at the utility belt in his hand and smiled.

“Perhaps I wasn’t worthy yet,” he said quickly redressing in the costume. “Maybe I need to do few good deeds and that Box of Wonders will magically return!”

Then Timothy paused and looked at himself in the mirror again dressed as Wonderboy and said, “Or maybe I just need to hire a very good therapist!”

**************

Martha stared at the obsidian jewel known as the Desero Nergro which Esperanza held in the palm of her hand. The glimmering stones worked its magic on Amazing Woman’s will as well did the seductive Mexican woman’s voice.

“Remember Martha… even under the deepest of hypnosis that Countess Rei or any that would you believe would ever do you harm can never break and manipulate your precious mind or alter your thoughts,” Esperanza told her. Then she smiled evilly and added. “Remember only the ones you truly trust and love can ever have the power to manipulate and enslave you. Do you understand?”

“Yes.. Esperanza.. I will obey,” droned Martha.

“Excellent,” she purred, “Now you are awaking up… at the count of three…. Your conscious mind will remember none of this conversation… but your subconscious mind will still obey and be protected… do you understand chica?”

“I.. understand,” Martha replied mindlessly.

“You are waking up now… One…Like from a very long slumber… Two…  Feeling fully refreshed and relaxed… Three…”

Amazing Woman blinked and saw Black Tiger still standing over her. Martha shock her head slightly and said, "This may not work, as I said before I've been trained to resist hyp-”

“We’re done,” purred Black Tiger.

“Ummm… Really?” said Martha, “I don’t even remember…”

“It’s natural chica,” said Esperanza, “Your mind was practically asleep as the suggestions were implanted… and don’t worry I didn’t implant anything bad or that would disgrace you… well maybe one… Amazing Diva Singer..”

Martha blinked and then rose to her feet and passionately started to sing the chorus, “When I see you, with him,. slow dancing and tearing me apart…”

*******

“I have a gift for you my little Ebony,” said Rei as she walked up to Jasmine holding a small box. “I want you to open it immediately.”

“Thank my Countess,” said Jasmine as she accepted the box and opened it. Inside the box was a purple Playboy Bunny costume that consisted of a strapless purple one-piece outfit with a fluffy white tail and bunny ears. It had everything, including black fishnet pantyhose. The whole package.

“It’s beautiful my Mistress,” said Jasmine. “Shall I put it on now?”

“I want you to wait and wear that tomorrow at the party,” said Rei unbuttoning her blouse. “Right now my little Ebony, I would prefer you wore absolutely nothing at all!”

Jasmine nodded and after placing the box down she obeyed and quickly stripped her clothes, revealing her body to the Countess.

*********

Elsewhere in Metro City…

Dressed as Wonderboy, Timothy  ran and leaped from rooftop to rooftop. For some reason which he could not explain he felt very comfortable performing death defying stunts like leaping from one rooftop to another. He felt like a cirius performer who’d spent his whole life on a tight rope.  

“This is nuts,” thought Timothy, “One second an just an average joe teen and the next I’m running across town in a Halloween suit. And… it feels so perfectly normal… why does this perfectly normal to me?!”

The young man stopped to catch his breath. He looked down at the city below. It was well after midnight and he noticed now his “little jog” had landed him in the red light district.

Below him was the nightclub called the Pink Pussy. He noticed in the corner of his eye one of the club’s dancers leaving the building from the side exit. She covered her body mostly with a trench coat which ran down to her knees, but he could it was a stripper from the long feather headpiece she wore and her long legs in fishnets and those heels. It looked like she was heading to her car probably heading home after a long night of dancing her ass off.

As Timothy was about look away feeling ashamed with himself for looking that long… he noticed someone approaching… mean looking brute.

--------

“Hey Barbie, I told you not show your body off to everyone in town,” growled the giant hulk of a man.

“I’m not girlfriend anymore Frank,” said the young beautiful woman with short curly red hair as she started to rush over to her car. “Leave me alone or--”

Frank grabbed her arm and then shoved her against the side of the vehicle. He held out a knife and leaned it towards her throat.

The young twenty-something dancer was about to scream as Frank covered her lips with his large hand.

“I believe the lady isn’t interested pal,” said Timothy as he swung down from a grappling rope while wondering where the hell did he learn how to do that and whenever did he suddenly get so brave to be able to jump off of skyscrapers and buildings.

Frank turned his body to confront the voice that spoke as Timothy landed on the ground and quickly rose to take a heroic pose.

Timothy pointed a gloved finger at him and said, “Now put down that knife before someone gets hurt…”

His thoughts quickly added, “…like namely me…”

“I don’t know who the hell you are clown, but you’re gonna die,” Frank shouted as he charged the young costume teenager.

Timothy dodged his assault by acting on pure instinct as he grabbed Frank’s wrist and shifted his momentum to direct him face first into the hood of Barbie’s car. Frank was knocked out immediately and soon lay on the ground like a sack of shit.

Timothy kicked away the knife and turned to the dancer. He then pulled out some rope from the belt and began tying the creep up.

“Are you alright,” asked Timothy feeling his heart beating through his chest. He still couldn’t believe all this had just happened and by some miracle he wasn’t killed.

“You’re just a teen,” marveled the beautiful dancer. Her trench coat swung open revealing a glimpse of her fabulous body, she was wearing a show girl costume that consisted of a silver sequin corset top, silver tulle tutu skirt, white feather head piece, silver sequin neck piece. “Who are you…”

“I’m…errr… Wonderboy,” the masked teen replied nervously before shyly looking away.

Barbie giggled and smiled as she saw him blush. He was obviously young and innocent like so many young teens that she had seen trying to sneak into the club for a peek. But this “Wonderboy” looked barely legal so it should be safe to flirt with him, after all he did just save her from her obsessive ex-boyfriend.

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