Sersi - A Party to Remember (5)

 

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

 

by Northern Chill

 

Author’s Note:
This is part 5 of a serial revolving around the heroine Sersi and her dealing with the consequences of a wild party
and her guests going missing as a result.  There are adult oriented themes contained within so move to the next
web page if this bothers you.  Otherwise, enjoy! All characters mentioned are the property of their respective
comic companies except for the ones I made up.  This story is meant strictly as a parody.

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

 

Site Admin’s Note:
For technical reasons this instalment is in a different font and layout
from the previous ones. I do hope readers don’t find this too jarring.

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

 

Chapter 5 - An Unusual Auction

(Previous chapter)

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

         Sersi could have been at the auction house Ferdinand’s with a snap of her fingers but she figured the walk would do her good to clear her head and figure out which of her party guests wound up at the business in question and in what form the guest now was in.

          As the curvaceous heroine walked down the street in front of her estate, she saw several delivery vehicles heading slowly up the road in the opposite direction.  Watching them go by, Sersi mused to herself if those vans were the same ones that transported her transformed guests to their new destinations.

         “Things were so much simpler in the good old days.  I remember the Romans used to throw some real festivals, especially that fellow Caligula, though he seemed to lose his mind towards the end.  He seemed to have far too much attachment to his horse and kept babbling that everyone was out to kill him.  When he started ordering his army to collect seashells from the shore claiming they were ’ spoils of the conquered ocean’, I knew it was time to take my parties to an area that was a little more stable,” Sersi murmured out loud as she walked down the street past more than a few startled pedestrians.

          The heroine was just about to start reflecting on who might be Ferdinand’s when she suddenly found herself surrounded by a group of young men dressed in leather jackets and torn jackets who reeked of alcohol and illegal drugs.

          “Hey, sexy, if you’re going to a costume party, why don’t you stop and party with us first?” the tallest of the bunch shouted as he grappled the heroine roughly around the waist and drew him close to her.

      “Yeah, honey, we’ll show you a real good time,” a burly dark haired man murmured as he looked at her with evil intentions clearly visible in his expression.  The other men quickly closed in tight on the immortal heroine unaware of exactly who it was that they were dealing with.

          A few moments later, the air around the men and Sersi seemed to come alive with bolts of energy appearing out of nowhere.  A few of the men, suddenly aware that this was no ordinary pedestrian they had accosted, started to back away upon the fiery glow of energy that was becoming visible in the female Eternal’s eyes.

         Suddenly, to the other people in the immediate area, it seemed like a miniature tornado had set down on the sidewalk that engulfed Sersi and the men grouped around her entirely.  About fifteen or so seconds later, the wind and energy dissipated leaving the heroine standing unharmed in the middle of a group of what looked like ten to twelve year old boys dressed in Boy Scout uniforms.

         “All right, boys, there’s a senior citizen home about three blocks that has lots of people that need helping.  Why don’t you go over there and see to them?”  Sersi said to the young men gathered around her while gesturing to her left.

         “We sure will, lady.  Thanks! ” the Boy Scouts replied in one enthusiastic voice before hurrying off to the left.  A second or so later, the familiar chant of a campfire song could be heard from the group as they headed up the street.

          “They’ll return to normal when they wake up in the morning and perhaps be reluctant to accost strangers in the future,”  Sersi thought to herself as she resumed her walk to the auction house.

          Shortly thereafter, the heroine arrived at her destination: a three story building with a red brick facade and ivy visible along the sides.  On the front, next to the wooden doors with large golden handles, was a plaque with the inscription in bold letters FERDINAND’S AUCTION AND CONSIGNMENT DEALERSHIP - ESTABLISHED 1927.  Standing in front on either side of the doors were two burly men, who were eyeing each person that entered the building with a wary look in their eyes.

           “75 years....Ha !.....I’ve taken longer to get over parties I’ve hosted back in the good old days...these humans...” the immortal heroine thought to herself as she walked towards the entrance and the doors leading inside.  However, before Sersi reached the doors, her path was blocked by the man standing to the right.

           “Excuse me, ma’am, but there is a formal auction going to start in about 45 minutes and management does require all bidders and spectators to dress in a manner befitting the proceedings.  I’m afraid your current attire does not meet those rules,” the dark haired man said as he peered from behind his sunglasses at the green leotard wearing woman standing before him.

           Sersi’s eyes glowed briefly in rage for the briefest of moments before returning to normal as a dazzling smile appeared on the heroine’s face.  “Oh, is that right?  Well, tell me, which outfit would YOU consider to be the most appropriate?” the heroine murmured as the fingers on both her hands started to twitch in concert with a growing glow.

            The security man’s eyes widened and his mouth hung open in surprise as the woman’s appearance changed rapidly as if he was thumbing through the latest fashion catalogue of women’s outfits.

            Sersi’s green leotard shimmered to become one that looked to be straight out of Victorian England with ruffles and petticoats visible on a pink and white dress that covered the heroine from the neck down.  A second later, the outfit changed to resemble a frontiersman of 19th century America vintage complete with coonskin cap.  A flick of the fingers and blink of the eyes later, Sersi’s outfit changed once again to a white poodle skirt with matching high heels and tight fitting pink sweater that gave her the ‘sweater girl’ look of the 1950’s.  One final gesture and Sersi resumed wearing her usual tight fitting outfit that she wore in her many heroic exploits.

             “ Now, then, would it be possible for me to wear what I’m wearing now inside your business ?  Or would you rather I stay out here and take a look at YOUR OUTFIT?”  the immortal heroine said to the stunned security man with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

            The security man swallowed hard before regaining a little composure.  “Ummm....I think what you have on now is satisfactory, ma’am.  I’ll pass the word to the other security staff to ensure that you won’t be disturbed,” he said straightening his shoulders as he swung open the door for Sersi.

            “I thought you might understand.  Have a good day !” the heroine said sweetly as she strolled inside.  The door had not even completely closed behind her when she heard the voice of the security man once again barking orders at his fellow guards loudly.  With her grin widening ever so slightly, Sersi walked into the brightly lit atrium and stood to one side by herself where she picked up one of the complimentary auction catalogs and started thumbing through the glossy illustrated pages.  As she did, her mind drifted back to her party and which guest it was that she was now retrieving.

Previously....... 

            The room at Sersi’s mansion set aside for dancing and music was alive with music even though it was devoid of people for the most part when Sersi walked in.  The immortal heroine was about to turn off the lights and music when she saw a blonde haired woman wearing a light blue blouse and pants with modest heels standing at the far end of the room.  Her modest attire belied the fact that she was Sue Richards, member of the group of heroes known world wide as the Fantastic Four. Her ability to render herself invisible as well as using it in other offensive and defensive ways made her a valuable, not to mention formidable, person in battle.  At the present time, she was leafing through Sersi’s extensive collection of sheet music dating back to the 1700’s with a few scrolls from Roman times.

             “Do you see anything you kinda might like, Suzie?” Sersi said with a slurred voice as she staggered across the room carrying a half empty glass of wine.  She could have dispelled the effects of the alcohol on her system with a wave of her hand but there was something about being drunk that appealed to her boisterous and somewhat reckless side.

             “Hi, Sersi.  I was just admiring your extensive music collection that you’ve accumulated over the years.  To be honest, I’m surprised you keep it out in the open like this and not stored away in a locked cabinet or chest,” the blonde heroine said as she put the documents down and walked over to the back of the room to look over the other part of Sersi’s music collection.

             Arrayed along the back wall was an eclectic mix of items dedicated to different eras of music.  Jukeboxes that looked to be from the 1930’s and 40’s stood next to classical instruments from European countries.  On the far right, there stood what like three mannequins or robots dressed in formal wear holding a cello, violin and guitar respectively.  Sue looked to the left and saw what looked like a life-sized music box dancer standing atop an oversized box made of gold and silver.  With the intricate and detailed work on the facial features as well as the overall appearance, it looked to be an item that was made by an artisan for a wealthy aristocrat’s family.

             “Well, I always believe that if people can’t see something up close when they’re visiting, what’s the sense of owning it ?  Besides, the stories behind them are almost as intriguing as...urrrhh....the items themselves,”  Sersi murmured as she slowly wandered across the brightly colored tile floor while sipping on her glass.

              “I just wish my husband Reed felt the same as you.  All his interest seems to be scientific equipment and the experiments he conducts with them.  To him, historical stuff is what the results from his trials over the last six months are.  We never get to go out to museums or any kind of concerts.....the only kind of action we ever see together is when we’re going up against the monsters and villains of the universe.  Sometimes.....”  Sue said before trailing off at the end.

              “Geez, did I just invite heroines with problems tonight ?....I should have asked a therapist to come to my party...or maybe turn one into a couch for Sue and others to lie and tell me their problems....Ha !....ooohhh.... ”  Sersi thought to herself before stumbling and almost falling flat on her face.  Luckily for the buxom heroine, she managed to steady herself on one of the tables that lined the wall next to her music display.

               Looking up, Sersi saw that Sue had climbed up on the display next to where a life sized windup figure of a ballerina stood.  Sersi’s look of pride as her guest looked over her figures dissipated quickly when Sue, turning to look at the figure next to it, accidentally jostled the wind-up figurine.  Before either heroine could react, the figure crashed hard to the floor where its ceramic surface cracked and shattered into pieces.

              “My goodness, I am so sorry, Sersi.  I should have been more careful when I was looking over your things.  It’s a good thing you can...you know...put things right with a wave of your hands or a good hard look,”  Sue said with a tone that was a tad more flippant than the usual level approach she took to events.  Her tone, no doubt, was the result of a little too much celebrating outside the stuffy surroundings of the team’s headquarters.

             If Sue was attempting to mollify her host, it was a try that failed miserably and then some.  Sersi, with her eyes flaring noticeably, glared at her intoxicated guest with a face that showed anger and disbelief at what she had just heard.

             “Wave my hands?  Just look at it and it’ll all be fixed?  All of my possessions are unique....if I fix them after they’re broken by klutzes, I’ll still know they were broken and they’ll never be the same in my mind,”  Sersi ranted while tossing her glass on the floor for dramatic effect.

             “Ummm...I’m sorry, ok?......maybe I’ll get Reed to invent something or other to take its’ place.....he’s pretty good at that kind of stuff......”  Sue muttered as she bent over and tried to pick up the shattered pieces.

             “Take it’s place???....urrrrp....oh, I think I can do more than that and then some...it sounds like you need some time away from your..uhhh..husband and I think I can arrange that,”  Sersi muttered as she slammed her glass down on a nearby table.  Before her guest could react, the immortal walked over to her guest and slapped a brain mine on the back of Sue’s neck.  Almost immediately, the blonde heroine’s body froze in place from head to toe with her hands locked reaching for a piece of broken ceramic.

             “Well, well, well, it looks like you want to make amends for the figure you broke, Sue.  Let’s start by getting rid of that attractive dress you’re wearing tonight, shall we? ”  Sersi said with a slurred voice as she stumbled over and started to remove the garment in question.  Once she was done that, the immortal Eternal stood back and started gesturing at the immobile woman with her hands as her eyes sparkled with a familiar glow.

             A few moments later, tendrils of energy started to arc forward and enveloped Sue completely while Sersi’s fingers continued to twitch and waver.  The energy’s effect on Sue was visible almost immediately as her skin started to take on a glossy appearance devoid of blemishes, freckles or any other imperfections.  Her elbows and knees were starting to have what looked like hinges appearing on them with small circles in the center of them that resembled screws.

             The transformation of Sue swept spread rapidly to all parts of her body with her finger and toenails taking on the same color that her skin was becoming.   Her breasts and nipples disappeared as her breasts became twin mounds of hardened ceramic, plastic or whatever artificial material she was changing into.  Sue would ordinarily have been upset or frantic by what was happening to her but the brain mine on her had left her oblivious to everything and her mind as blank as the expression on her face.

            “Yessss....looking good.....”  Sersi purred as she watched her guest’s appearance change rapidly.  Appearing out of nowhere, a large silver wind-up key started to become visible in the middle of Sue’s back.  Her eyes changed to colored glass that seemed to have a frozen look of happiness and pleasure visible in them with her mouth, slightly curled into a smile, reflecting that as well.

            With that, the transformation was complete and a nude, life-size wind-up ceramic figure stood where the famed heroine Invisible Woman was just minutes ago.  Nodding in approval, Sersi walked over to the doll and ran her fingers over its front and back for a few minutes before moving away.

             “I guess it’s time to figure out something for you to wear, my new dolly.  I could give you a ballerina outfit but that would be so predictable.  Perhaps a gymnast outfit with a trapeze overhead....nahhhh....too corny.  Something that epitomizes sexy and seductive, I think,”  Sersi muttered as she walked back and forth in contemplation of her next step.  As she did, the dark haired woman was unaware that the sounds of the party were drawing closer......

             “Hey, Sersi, we’re running out of kegs of beer and I think someone dropped something on the floor in your kitchen ’cuz its’ wet all over......wow!  That is incredible...it looks so life-like.....like something that just stepped out of a picture or a photo though it needs some sort of outfit obviously.  I gotta take a closer look.....”  an inebriated Jennifer aka the heroine known as the She-Hulk said as she walked (or wobbled) inside the room where her host was.

             “No!  I’m not going to have anybody else ruin my stuff tonight...especially with someone who thinks slugfests are fun!”  Sersi exclaimed as she whirled around and flung a brain mine that she was clutching in her hand.  The mind nullifying device struck Jennifer square in the chest, just above her large breasts, and remained firmly in place.

             “Huh?....What are yooo.....”  Jennifer gasped before falling silent as her thinking dissipated completely under the influence of the Eternal’s device.  Her eyes, slightly widened, locked in place with a look of puzzlement of curiosity evident in them.  The heroine’s left arm was frozen reaching out to the side as if she was trying to brace herself against a nearby wall when the device struck her.  Her right hand and forearm were partially raised in front of her as if she was trying to catch the brain mine in mid air before it hit her.  Jennifer’s right leg was slightly bent and peeked out from under the dark blue dress she was wearing.

              Sersi exhaled noticeably as she leaned against a wall and thought (as best she could with her muddled mind) about her next step.  After staring at the transfixed Jennifer for several seconds, the Eternal’s face brightened and she moved slowly over near where her mindless guest stood.  Sersi closed and locked the door to the room before turning her full attention to Jennifer.

              With swiftness and a deftness from doing this many times in the past few centuries, Sersi took off Jennifer’s dress to reveal a lacy satin white bra and panty set underneath.  Putting aside the dress, the immortal removed the bra first with a little clumsiness as she struggled to move the straps over the heroine’s muscular arms.  After removing the bra finally, Sersi debated removing the panties as well but figured they would look better in the idea she had.

               Sersi then started maneuvering Jennifer’s body into a pose she had in mind for the green skinned woman.  She bent Jennifer’s right arm at the elbow and positioned her forearm so that it was obscuring her nipples and areolas with her right hand slightly cupping her left breast.  Sersi positioned Jennifer’s left arm so that it was hanging down loosely and brushing against her thigh.  She reached down and adjusted the immobile woman’s legs, one at a time, so that her weight was on her right leg with her left one slightly back.

               Once done adjusting Jennifer’s limbs, Sersi turned her attention to Jennifer’s head.  She adjusted Jennifer’s expression so that it appeared to reflect a look of shock and embarrassment instead of the puzzled look from before.  After pinching the frozen heroine’s cheeks slightly and pushing open Jennifer’s eyes a little wider, Sersi started to do a final adjustment or two.  Reaching down to Jennifer’s waist, she pivoted the immobile woman slightly so that she was directly facing the opposite wall.  After flicking a few strands of hair out of the woman’s face, Sersi stepped back slowly in preparation for her next action.

               With her eyes starting to glow once again, Sersi summoned forth her ability to alter the appearance of anything, living or non living, once again.  As the ancient energy flowed from her fingertips and enveloped Jennifer from head to toe, the idea Sersi had in mind quickly became evident though she was the only living witness to it.

                At first, it seemed like Jennifer was losing weight and color rapidly as if she was transforming back to a normal human being from her mutated state.  However, her thinning was not just a loss of a few pounds but in fact she was flattening rapidly as if she was being run over by an invisible steam roller.   After only a minute or so, Jennifer, completely lacking in color from head to toe, sagged to the floor completely lacking in substance of any kind.  If anyone walked into the room at that point, they would have seen Sersi standing in front of what looked like a lifesized paper doll that resembled a scantily clad female.

                “Very good......”  Sersi murmured as she bent down and picked up the thin paper that Jennifer now was.  After a few moments of silent contemplation, the hands of Sersi glowed once again and the item in her hand seemed to grow larger as a result.  When the glowing faded, it could be seen that Jennifer was now the center of what looked like a pen and ink drawing that would be sold at amusement parks or online auctions.  Behind Jennifer, there was now what looked like a Yorkshire terrier dog depicted biting on the edges of her panties and pulling them down ever so slightly.

            Sersi grabbed hold of the life-size paper before it fell to the ground and slowly walked over to where the animatronic Sue silently waited.  After that, much like the other guests she had encountered that night, Sersi’s recollections grew hazy with the fact that she was continuing to imbibe alcohol as she looked over her newest ‘possessions’.  Sersi recalled that she had decided that the best way to preserve them was to find them a home that didn’t have as many parties as she hosted.   Picking up a cell phone, she dialed the local auction house and.......

Present time........

               With the knowledge of what went on earlier, Sersi made her way into one of the rooms set aside for viewing the items that were going to be auctioned off.    Judging by the appearance of the items, it looked to be an auction focusing mainly on items that would interest collectors of the odd and unique.  Ignoring the stares of the men and women, the immortal wandered by several tables that contained pieces of jewelry that looked to be from medieval Europe.  Sersi was tempted to examine the jewelry to see if she knew the maker(s) or even if she had worn them during his eon spanning lifetime.  However, she was here to retrieve two transformed guests and not indulge her own vanity.

                To her disappointment, she saw no sign of Sue or Jennifer anywhere in the rooms.  Sersi contemplated confronting the auctioneer in a manner similar to her previous stops but judging by the way people were emptying out of the room, the auction would be starting up any minute now.  Figuring that creating yet another incident would bring even more attention her way, the heroine decided to go into the auction like any other bidder and keep her eyes open.  As she followed the crowd out of the room, she thought she spotted a familiar face ahead of her though Sersi couldn’t associate a name with the woman.   The woman, dressed in a dark blue and silver dress, seemed to have the kind of physique that most mortal women fantasized about in their dreams - perfect face, large breasts, small waist and long, tapered legs.  Ordinarily, Sersi would have caught up with the mystery woman and struck up a conversation but there was no time......

             

Several minutes later........ 

             After quickly registering to be allowed to bid (the receptionist was amazed when Sersi produced the requested information out of thin air), the heroine took her seat near the back of the room.  She was amused to note that the seats on either side of her were unoccupied by anyone though whether that was out of fear or awe was unclear.

             A well dressed man made his way to the dais and rapped gently on it with a wooden hammer to get the audience’s attention.  When the people quieted down, he motioned for several people standing off to the side to bring forward several tables that were set up on either side of the man.  After this was done, he turned his attention to the gathered crowd once again.

             “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Ferdinand’s.  My name is Robert McTavish and I’ll be the head auctioneer for today’s proceedings.  At this point, I want to remind everyone here that only those who have registered can bid in this auction with bids taken in person, over the phone or via computer.  Each item’s auction will begin at the listed price you see in your auction catalogues with  the bidding concluding with my saying  ’All done’ 3 times without interruption.  Finally, I want to inform everyone that two items have been withdrawn from the auction by their owner- items # 425 and 435.  If you are still interested in purchasing items, please wait until after the auction is over and Ferdinand’s can make arrangements for you to contact the owner,”  the auctioneer intoned as he glanced around the room.

             After pausing for a minute or so to allow the audience to make note of what he just said, the auctioneer cleared his throat and nodded to the person standing to his left.  “With that, we will begin our auction today.  The first item is an exquisite statue of a female looking to be in her 20’s or 30’s done by the renowned artist Panicio, who is well known for his portrayal of strong emotions such as shock and surprise.  We’ll start the bidding at $ 1,000,”  Robert intoned as a worker removed a tarp from the figure in question.

             Seeing that the first item was not one of the ’objects’ she was seeking, Sersi settled back in the chair and started leafing through the catalogue she was given.  As the bidding went along, she noticed a few people were whispering among themselves  as the price went higher.  Sersi spotted the blue and silver dress woman from before seated in a chair in the back left corner looking a tad bored by the whole auction.  “Why is that woman here if she’s isn’t looking to bid on anything and why do I keep thinking that I’ve seen her before? ”  the heroine mused to herself.

              For the next hour or so, a steady parade of items were brought before the bidding audience and judging by the intensity of the bidding, there were more than a few people with deep pockets in the audience.  Sersi figured that there was at least another half hour or so before the transformed women she had come for would come up for auction so she stood up and made her way out to the lobby area when there was a brief break in the bidding.  As she did, she saw there was about ten or so other people who were doing the same.

               Standing out in the main lobby, Sersi stood by herself and gazed at the various items displayed on the building’s walls.  She chuckled mentally upon seeing the plaques below the displays describing the items as “rare” or “one of a kind”.  One painting, for example, was listed as one of only four works known to exist that were done by the the 14th century artist Cerazzo.  The artist, who was regarded as an eccentric hermit by his peers, was thought to have destroyed most of his own works before they were sold to the aristocrats as being ‘unfit for anyone to gaze at’.  The piece on display depicted a large red demon that seemed to be gigantic in size and almost completely filled the right hand side of the painting.  On the left side, there was what appeared to be five or six female warriors in full battle armor, led by a raven haired woman wearing a dark green tunic around her armor, about to engage the demonic creature in battle.  With bolts of chain lightning against an overcast background and burning buildings scattered across several hills, it was a striking painting for such a time period.

               For Sersi, however, the painting symbolized something more than a mythical fight of good vs. evil.  In her travels to discover good places for fun, the immortal had encountered Cerazzo when he was in one of his down periods.  It seemed the artist had made a pact with what he thought was a real demon that gave him his amazing talent in exchange for his soul.  Feeling sorry for the man (not to mention the demon seemed to be nothing more than a subterranean race dweller looking to torment surface people), Sersi got Cerazzo to summon the being that he had made the agreement with so she (and a few of her fellow female immortals) could have a word with the fiend.  After a battle with the creature that destroyed many surrounded buildings, Sersi finally defeated it and forced it to renounce the contract.  Grateful for her assistance, Cerazzo offered to do a painting commemorating the epic struggle and did so (with a few suggestions from Sersi altering the final look).

              “I have to admit, Cerazzo did a fine job on his work.  If only he didn’t insist on trying to paint me in the nude....oh well....”  Sersi murmured softly to herself as she stood for another minute or two before realizing that she should get back to the auction room.  The immortal walked confidently back to the room ignoring the couple who were looking at the painting in question and at her simultaneously.....

In the basement of FERDINAND’S....... 

             Although the basement of Ferdinand’s was spotless and looked immaculate like the rest of the building, it had a decidedly cluttered look at the present time as it was crowded with the larger items that were involved with an auction set to go after the current one.  Numerous items draped with drop cloths lined both sides of the main hallway and other items could be seen in the open rooms on either side of it.

             For Bonnie and Joan, two of Ferdinand’s senior female employees, the clutter they were walking around was routine in the hours before and during a major auction.  Once everything was cleared out, it was relatively quiet until the next big auction or consignment request by an estate executor.  However, in the case of the red haired Bonnie, she was humming out loud as this particular auction was her last duty before leaving for a new job and life in Northern California.

             “I find it hard to believe that someone contacted you online to offer you a great job like managing an expensive art gallery without meeting you face to face.  See if item # 056745 is in the room next to you, will ya? ”  the energetic auburn haired Joan called out while bending over to check a red tag attached to a tarp on a nearby item.

              ” Joan, I think you’re getting ahead of yourself just a little.  The gallery’s owner happens to be an old friend of mine from when I was backpacking across Europe a few years ago.  He managed to make a bundle off the dot com craze and is using a portion of his money to set up a gallery in his home town.  At worst, I’ll make some new contacts in the art world and...well...the owner is single so......”  Bonnie murmured with her voice trailing off at the end as her eyes sparkled mischievously.

             “Yeah, yeah....whatever....hmmmm, I can’t find a couple of these items on my list anywhere down here.  I’m going to go upstairs and check this out with Gerry to see if he can shed some light on this.  I’ll be back in five or so,”  Joan called out before heading up the stairs and disappearing from sight.

             Bonnie watched her fellow worker for a second or two before she disappeared out of sight at which point Bonnie resumed the tedious cataloguing that was part of the job.  Checking off several items as she came across them, the redhead went into one of the larger rooms for the next item on her list: a life-size water vase in the shape of a nude woman.

             “Geez, you’d think something like this would be easy to find among all this,”  Bonnie said softly out loud though she knew she was just talking to herself.  She poked around for several minutes pulling the cover up on several items before letting them slip down and moving on elsewhere.

             Bonnie was about to head up to the main floor and see if Gerry could make sense out of the screwed up form she was holding when she heard a noise coming from a neighboring room.  “ Joan?  Joan, is that you? ”  she called out but was met with silence in response.

                “It’s one of those days...sheesh......”  Bonnie muttered as she walked out of the room and towards the vicinity that she thought she heard the noise emanate from.  Upon entering said room (located at the very back of the basement), she saw no sign of Joan or anyone else that was responsible.  Oddly, the room in question was darkened and when Bonnie flicked the light switch near the doorway, the lights remained off.  Not willing to go prowling around in semi darkness for something she wasn’t even sure was important, Bonnie was about to leave the room when she heard a noise once again come from the far left corner of the area.  There was also a clearly female voice that accompanied the disturbance that prompted Bonnie to stop and glance in that direction.

                “Hello?  Who’s there?  Step out please!”  Bonnie called out with a bit of nervousness evident in her face.  After a minute or so, she saw a woman stand up and walk quickly in her direction.  Judging by the expensive attire of the woman, Bonnie figured it must be one of the bidders from the ongoing auction.

                “Oh.  I was told by someone upstairs that if I wanted to see some items that will be available in upcoming auctions, I should come down here and have a look around.  You don’t mind, do you? ”  the blonde haired woman asked as she walked, in a rather rapid manner, towards Bonnie.

                “Really?  The usual procedure we have for public viewing is that auctions items are available early in the morning before the auction day and two hours on the day in question.  Is there an item in particular that you’re looking for? ”  Bonnie asked helpfully.

                “Yes, there is, in fact.  I’m looking for.....YOU!!!!! ”  the woman said while simultaneously grabbing Bonnie in a bear hug that was far stronger than her appearance indicated.

             Bonnie’s eyes widened in shock at the suddenness of the unexpected attack and tried to wiggle herself out of her attacker’s grip.  “ HELP!  SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, HELP ME!!!”  she yelled as loud as she could as her legs kicked and she writhed desperately in an attempt to break free.  However, as the seconds ticked by, her cries for help, as well as her struggles to escape, grew weaker and weaker.  As well, and inexplicably, she found her body was changing in color to one that was decidedly not normal in appearance.

                “Tut, tut, my dear, don’t be worried by what’s happening to you.  In fact, in a very brief amount of time, you’ll be more valuable to me than you ever were at this dreary place,”  Bonnie’s attacker said with a soothing voice.

                For whatever reason, Bonnie found the words to be strangely comforting even in her current predicament.  Even as her struggles weakened, she found her limbs stiffening and contorting against her wishes.  She felt herself being stood upright by her assailant, who was staying mostly silent.  As her final bits of struggling ceased, she seemed to want to stay in this position for the rest of her existence.  Bonnie felt her clothing being removed with some urgency even as her arms were being raised upwards.

             “You know, I had planned to just pick up a few knick knacks at the auction to decorate my new home but when I spotted you going into the basement, I figured that I have to have something besides plastic beauties to look at,”  Bonnie’s assailant, who went by the name Matter Mistress when challenged in public.  Unfortunately for Bonnie, she would never learn that as her transformation swept through her body.  Her lower legs, as well as the tips of the fingers on both of her hands, were starting to show tinges of bright gold on them.  She felt her hands pushed upwards and were pressed against her breasts in a way that emphasized them.  Bonnie suddenly had her head tilted upwards so that her fixed line of vision was now at the darkness on the ceiling.

             “I.....I.....I DON’T UNDERSTAND....THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENINNNNGGGGGGG........ ”  Bonnie thought before her mind seemed to wink out as her entire body became a solid mass of gold.  Her eyes, widened with her pupils fully dilated, had a permanent look of shock, horror and, oddly enough, pleasure visible in them.  With her legs splayed apart and her hands cupping her breasts as if she was offering them to anyone who was looking upon her.  In all, it was a highly erotic and realistic golden statue of a nude woman which was exactly the idea of Matter Mistress.

             “Ahhh, you turned out just like I planned,”  the villainess murmured as she ran her fingers up and down her newest prize.  She was already trying to decide what room she would put her golden beauty even as her mind recalled that the situation was reversed for her just a few days before.  She was nothing more than an inflated bag of latex and rubber until a freakish event changed the nature of her existence forever.   From that point on, Matter Mistress was resolute to let women she encountered experience the existence she had been consigned to.  As well, she was thinking of changing the name she was going by to something more provocative.....

                “Bonnie?  Bonnie, where are you?  Listen, I talked to Gerry and he says that everything we’re looking for should be in the basement and if it’s not here, we should contact the client who provided the items to sort out the discrepancies with them.  Bonnie, do you hear me? ”  Joan called out as she reached the bottom of the stairs and started down the crowded hallway once again.

             “She can’t but I can.  I go by the name Material Woman,”  a voice called out while a hand gripped Joan’s arm from behind.

             Joan screamed once.......

             Just once.........

Roughly thirty or so minutes later.......... 

             With the auction winding down, many of the winning bidders were already quietly leaving the room to arrange payment for their purchases.  In Sersi’s case, the auction yielded the results she was looking for though things did not go as smoothly as she desired.

             In the case of the lifesized wind-up doll that Sue now was, Sersi found that there were more than a few bidding rivals she cared to compete with.  As soon as the opening bid was announced, there was bids by five different bidders placed anonymously through phone or computer intermediaries.  As the bidding increased, most of the others dropped out leaving Sersi to bid against an anonymous bidder and an audience participant on the opposite end of the room.  From what the dark haired immortal overheard from the people around her, the main rival for Sersi on this piece was a man who specialized in collecting life-size wind-up dolls that resembled celebrities, heroes and heroines and other famous individuals.  In the end, however, Sersi managed to be the winning bidder with a final bid that drew oohs and aahs from the surrounding guests.

               However, when the second item Sersi knew she had to be the winning bidder came up for auction, she found that the bidding was even more intense.  Described by the auctioneer as ” color/ink art depicting the busty green skinned heroine She-Hulk and done in the style that was called ‘bad girl art’ in the 80’s and early 90’s.  A wonderfully realistic and humorous piece that will make a fine addition to any collector of this style of art.....”, the opening bid was relatively low but escalated quickly with more than a few bidders clicking on laptops or double checking the auction catalogue for pictures of the item and such.

                At one point, Sersi thought she was going to be outbid by one very enthusiastic bidder who seemed eager to outdo every bid she made by exactly one dollar.  The man was so infuriating to the dark haired immortal that if it wasn’t for the present of so many other people, he might have found himself transformed into an oversized dollar bill.  As it turned out, Sersi won the bidding when some of the officials at Ferdinand’s quietly informed her enthusiastic rival that there seemed to be a problem with his registration as well as his line of credit and that he should withdraw his bids immediately.  After the man’s face turned beet red for a second or two, he nodded slowly in acceptance and motioned to the auctioneer to void all of his bids.

               With that, Sersi won the second auction with relative ease and quickly collected the second item she was in pursuit of.  As she was leaving the building, she spotted the blue and silver dressed woman near the back of the building directing Ferdinand’s personnel as they loaded two items onto what looked like a delivery vehicle.  The tarp slipped off one of the items revealing a silver statue of a nude woman that was depicted with her arms tucked behind her back and her mouth pursed into a sensuous O.  A fairly cheesy pose but not nearly as bad as some Sersi had seen in centuries past.

                As Sersi went back to her home with her purchases floating in the air behind her, she made a note to seek out this mystery woman after this whole business was over......

            Unless the mystery woman found her first.......

To be continued.........