Last week The Chauvinist and Eldritch found themselves locked in a vicious combat. Where we left off, Eldritch had lost her weapon. Her whip sunken into the back of The Chauvinist and the thong laying tangled about his feet. As he pauses to remove the offending weapon and apply some measure of first aid, Eldritch glanced skyward seeking aid from her unexpected ally, Ginger Snap.

But what of Ginger? Tasked with delaying the entire army of The Chauvinist, how has she fared? Well dear reader, let us recall that Ginger's suit allows her to construct anything she desires out of metal, so long as she has the materials. So shortly after starting her plan to delay the horde, Ginger hatched a plot to trap it.

But as Eldritch fought, she scried about for any spare metals she might assimilate to enact her plan. Unfortunately, such metals can be difficult to discover on the rooftop. So it is only just now, as Eldritch pauses in her fight on the streets below, that Ginny spots her salvation. On the opposite side of a building adjacent to her current perch is a set of construction scaffolds. The metal beams that make up the worker's platform will service her spectacularly, if only she can secure them.

Back on the ground, Eldritch no longer looks skyward. She now looks inward, to her companion Belinda. Between the pair, a swift conversation takes place. Aided by the power of magic and the mind, their communion is quicker than words.

"Bel, no dagger and all my magic's tied up in my spell blocking his mental domination." Eldritch pants, exhausted by the exchange of blows and expenditure of her energy thus far in the fight.

"Child, you must dig deeper." The voice wells up from deep within, audible to only Eldritch.

Shaking her head, Eldritch replies, "Can't, still hurt from the hospital fight."

"Have to release your spell." Belinda's voice is quiet but firm in it's resolve.

"But his chain and power… won't be able to fight it then." Eldritch grunts as she rights herself.

Belinda whispers back in irritation, "Stay away then, he has to be in close."

Eldritch snaps back, "So do I."

"Child, you must trust me." Belinda's voice is calm and direct, causing Hailey to pause before she replies.

"You have a plan?" She asks.

A rising certainty shines in Belinda's voice, "Yes, we can circumvent his power."

Then, in the street, Eldritch exclaims aloud, "Of course! How obvious, yes that will work."

Then her blue shield dissipated and she returns to her normal appearance. "Alright, The Chauvinist beat down round two coming right up!"

With a roar, Eldritch races towards the enraged villain, who finishes untangling himself from the whip. Tossing it aside onto the sidewalk, his chains spin up and menace the bull-rush of Eldritch. Diving to the side at the last moment, Eldritch begins firing off a slew of light blasts.

The Chauvinist blocks one... two... three with his chains! However, the fourth ball slides through his defenses and smashes straight into his face! Reeling from the blow, The Chauvinist sends an immediate response, blasting his chains towards Eldritch.

Still recovering from her maneuver, she is unable to strike back or avoid his counterattack. With a heft of the black chains, The Chauvinist smashes Eldritch into the pavement jarring her with a mighty blow that leaves her vulnerable and disoriented as his manacles begin to wind about her lithe form.

Yet even as she falls, her hands reach out towards a wicked looking dagger lying the street. For her dive and spin took her within mere inches of the fallen blade! Her darting hand reaches for the weapon even as The Chauvinist notices her intent and sends a fetter careening towards it as well! The race is on but we shall have to wait to know the winner.

Up atop the roof, Ginger Snap finds herself in another race, this one to the edge of the building. As the hordes of The Chauvinist's army mob her, she must try to reach the precious resource of metals for her suit to synthesize. Twisting from the crush of the crowd, she uses her crossbow to send a bolt over to the edge of the building.

This bolt has a built in surprise, a grappling hook that sinks into the soft stone. Then it begins to reel her in, dragging her and the press of bodies toward the scaffolds. But the sea of hands strikes at her relentlessly. Inches pass in agony, each bringing a fresh hell of pummeling at the delicate hands of The Chauvinist's damsels.

Finally, upon reaching the end of the roof, her battered body reaches forth for the promised salvation in the metal. Her fingertips brush the scaffolding and for an instant, her suit ripples. Then it drags her forth, reabsorbing the grappling hook and pulling her over the scaffold.

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But Ginger did not count on the strength of The Chauvinist's compulsion! For even as she starts to go over the side so too does the army! While her suit protects her, the mob surges without reason or restraint. They cannot stop themselves from spilling out into the open air!

Moving swiftly to protect them, Ginger creates a mesh net of metal and catches the first of the bodies, then sacrificing her protective layer, she builds a flimsy fence to hold back the tide for a few precious moments. Stooping down, she rolls into the scaffold and starts to tear out vast chunks of steel, reinforcing her suit and molding the parts necessary for the fence.

Below, on the street, Eldritch's fingers also touch her blade. However, for this heroine, her movement is too late! The fetters of The Chauvinist circle her hands and body. Digging into her skin with a cruel strength, they drag her towards the chuckling Chauvinist.

"Ha-ha, for all your spirit in the end it is the man who wins. As it was meant to be, I am the master!" The villain gloats gleefully.

In between her struggles, Eldritch grunts back, "Meant to be? The only thing that's meant to be is my fist in your face!" Her subsequent swing, though passionate, lacks finesse and has no hope of reaching the smug face of The Chauvinist.

"Cease struggling this instant woman. I would loathe scarring my future wife permanently. After all, as a woman, your beauty is the sole determinant of your value."

Mere inches away from The Chauvinist's outstretched hand Eldritch defiantly proclaims, "You cannot win Chauvinist. People, men and women, will stand together in opposition to your insanity."

"Indeed, for now." The Chauvinist reflects ominously, then he directs his reply to Eldritch, "Soon I shall return the women of this city to their proper place and soon the men will join me. It is but a matter of time."

A matter of time indeed, dear reader! For even as he utters this phrase, The Chauvinist drags Eldritch into his wicked grasp. Seizing her by the hair with one hand, he places the other about her neck and in a moment, the chain collar encircles her!

For a moment, all is still as the struggles of Eldritch cease. Then her eyes burn with an unholy gleam as she bows before The Chauvinist! Did her plan fail? Have the powers of this villain struck down, or worse enslaved, our heroine?

Far up on the rooftop, Ginger can only wonder as she watches the scene unfold in mounting despair. For even though her petulant pride does not enjoy the prospect of playing second fiddle to Eldritch, she understands the power of The Chauvinist all too well.

Both through near experience and firsthand combat with those under his effect! Turning back to the hastily constructed fence, she watches as the women begin to toss themselves over into the space above the street in a vain attempt to reach her. Such is the power of his command that it may compel them to near suicide! Struggling to hold the tide at bay and keep them alive Ginger holds her own internal conversation with the suit.

"How much metal do we have left?" Ginger asks in mounting despair.

The calm response of the suit comes at odds with the stress of the situation, "Unfortunately our reserves are running quite low Ms. Napp. We can only produce five more nets before you will need to find another source of synthesizable metal."

"Make that three!" Ginger shouts as she saves two more divers. Casting about in desperation, she glances back down at the street below.

There, The Chauvinist runs his foul fingers along Eldritch's cheek. "Now, my dear, I believe it would be polite to unmask yourself before your master."

Moving her hands to comply, Eldritch begins to push back her cowl. Then!

She calmly and slowly moves her hands down and says, "No. Chauvinist you cannot compel me." Strangely, her voice carries an older tone, almost as though it is not Hailey who speaks.

"Insolent wench!" The Chauvinist shouts as he moves to backhand Eldritch. But his strike pauses mid-swing as he feels the cold blade of the dagger slide to his throat.

A steel runs through Eldritch's voice as she threatens, "If you wish to live, release every one of your collars."

"I... but... how did you resist me?" The Chauvinist replies in disbelief and with a hint of uncertainty.

With a smile, Eldritch replies. "That is my secret Chauvinist. You may ponder it in a jail cell or in the afterlife, but you must make your choice now."

The Chauvinist bows his head in defeat, then with a bitter tone says, "Very well." With a gesture, the chains that circle the girl's throats fall away leaving behind a confused and terrified mob.

A mob that Ginger must now coordinate in the delicate task of returning safely to the ground. As she does so, the police cautiously move towards the battle site closely followed by a slew of reporters.

"Place your chains on the ground and hands on your head. Don't make any sudden movements Chauvinist." The Eldritch smiles wryly, "You never know when female hysteria might cause me to do something... unfortunate."

With a glower, The Chauvinist does as commanded. Seeing this, Liberty City’s finest quickly move to take him into custody. As they begin to drag the hulking form away, reporters crowd in, shouting questions as Eldritch.

"Miss, miss what's your name?"

"Will you marry me?"

"How'd you defeat him?"

"Care to comment on rumors of your involvement in the Bokuti Diamond affair?"

"Do you work for the mayor?"

"Who was helping you?"

Turning to the crowd, Eldritch addresses the cameras. "The brave woman who helped me defeat this villain is Ginger Snap. My name is Eldritch-” But before she can finish her statement, a shout from the police van rings out.

"Mystical Maiden! I shall return and I shall have my revenge!" Shouts The Chauvinist as the police cram him into the back of an armored car.

The reporters seize upon his statement and turn back to Liberty City's newest darling, "Eldritch Maiden! We sure are glad you're protecting our city, any thoughts on how the Minutemen will fare this week against the Tarbirds?"

With a smile, Eldritch shouts a reply as she begins to alight on her dagger, now in the form of a whip, to the nearest rooftop uncluttered by prying eyes. "Well that's one stereotype about women I think I have to concede might have a point, I really don't follow football all that closely!"

Now away from prying eyes, she can reverse her final spell. One that left Hailey, collared and trapped by the power of The Chauvinist, isolated in the dagger that regularly houses Belinda's soul! The pair avoided the consequences of his spell by granting Belinda control over Hailey's body, even as Hailey succumbed to his dark fetters.

High up on the opposite roof, Ginger can only stare on in jealousy at the news frenzy and as she becomes the sidekick to the city's protector. Worse yet, she finds herself stuck with a name not of her own choosing, and an uninspiring one at that! Grumbling, with only the suit to hear, she too absconds from the scene, unexcited at the idea of answering questions about Eldritch Maiden.

A fortuitous decision, as it turns out. For even as she fades into the city and sneaks back into the school, her father stands in front of a news camera watching his missing suit deploy downtown! Unable to move in the open, he can only watch in mounting rage as this interloper displays his technology, no doubt intending to taunt Napp Corp in public!

In anger, he reaches for his intercom and summons his security chief. Then he hands him a phone number, one taken from a rival who wrongly thought that Napp Corp engaged in shady business deals backed by less-than-legal allies. No words need to be spoken, for the first time this juggernaut will engage in criminal activity, all with the goal of recovering stolen property!

Of course, father Napp is not so foolish as to allow this action to pass merely out of anger. He has previously contacted the Association, a branch of the United Nations tasked with regulating Super Powers and the government of the United States, informing them of the theft and receiving permission to utilize any means necessary to affect the return of the suit. For in the wrong hands... well let us be grateful that we do not confront such a terrible reality!

But neither Napp nor Ginger will take center stage next week as we turn out attention to the old world. For, were the Association not so preoccupied with the theft of Napp's top secret suit, they may have paid more attention to a news report from an island in the Mediterranean about a ghastly figure walking out of the ocean itself! Join us next week as a specter is haunting Europe... a specter named Roman in "Out of the Sea!"