Curia the Amazonian Wonder Woman wore her signature outfit of patriotically themed bustier and skirt, but not her tiara, bracelets, golden lasso, or knee-high boots. None of those absent apparel items signified a problem, though. She simply had no need to wear them when off-duty, as she was now.

She sat in what could have accurately been called a contraption. Its form combined aspects of an old-school sci-fi captain's chair with a chaise lounger, and sported various odd panels and outcroppings. The backrest supported Curia's back, the armrests did the same for her arms, and the extended chaise elevated her legs. Additionally, thick metal bands encircled the mighty heroine's wrists and ankles, securing them to the chair. Her lack of boots left her feet bare and her soles exposed beneath the lower restraints, which played an important role in the situation she found herself in.

Despite that situation, she neither struggled, nor appeared concerned. She did look curious, though, and she waited for an explanation as to what exactly was going to happen and why.

It had all begun at 9 p.m. that evening, with a scheduled ladies night get-together. Curia and her friend, Avia the aerokinetic superheroine, had arrived at the penthouse suite of their nocturnal crime fighting compatriot, Midnight. The location of their weekly get-together alternated, but this time Midnight was the designated hostess. Her house rule was 'shoes off at the door,' to ensure that her luxurious, deep pile carpets and exotic, hardwood floors remained pristine and retained their exorbitant value. Thus all three heroines, though otherwise garbed in their costumes, spent a barefoot evening together.

Midnight had laid out a sumptuous spread of hors d'oeuvres and desserts, along with several bottles of wine, liqueurs, and soft drinks. By 10 p.m., the heroines had more or less eaten and drunk their fill. They lounged in the living room on furniture that was as comfortable as it was expensive, enjoying this respite from the threats, emergencies, and crises that encompassed much of their waking lives.

The thing was, they were bored.

They voted down a movie. They tentatively agreed on a game, but then the question of which one arose. After much discussion that brought them no closer to a decision, Midnight made a suggestion.

"Maybe not a game, " she said. "But a competition."

That got Curia and Avia's attention.

"We're all superheroines," Midnight went on. "The best of the best. The smartest, strongest, and toughest women in the world. We can withstand ordeals that no ordinary woman can withstand. So why don't we put our much vaunted endurance to the test?"

"Wouldn't Curia just win outright?" Avia asked. "She's an Amazon. She's much tougher than we are."

"For this, I don't think any of us will have an outright advantage."

"Okay, if you think we all have a fair shot of winning, I'm in," Curia said. "Come on, Avia. You might be better at this than you think."

"Sure. Fine. I'm in, too."

"Excellent," Midnight said. "It's a tickle contest. We'll see who can hold out the longest while having her feet tickled. The last one to laugh wins."

Whatever Curia and Avia had been expecting, it wasn't that. Neither of them looked very excited about it, but they had already agreed, so the contest began.

Avia held out for 18 seconds.

She had seated herself in an armchair and placed her legs on an ottoman, leaving her bare feet hanging over the end of it. Curia had stood behind her and gently, but firmly held her in place. Then, Midnight had danced her fingers over the heroine's tender soles.

At first, Avia had showed no signs of discomfort or distress. But after 10 seconds of Midnight's skillful tickling, she had begun to squirm. Second by second, her resolve had broken until, finally, she let out a girlish squeal, followed by riotous laughter.

"Okay, okay! Stop! Stop!" she cried out desperately. "Hahahahahaha!"

Midnight went next.

Her arrangement mirrored that of Avia's: Armchair, ottoman, accessible bare feet, Curia holding her down. With a glee born of playful vengeance, Avia took to her former tormentor's soles. Ten seconds passed with no reaction, then another ten. But not long after that, Avia noticed perspiration on Midnight's brow. Then the crime fighter began to grimace and fidget as much as she could beneath Curia's iron hold.

At last she broke after 32 seconds, wailing with laughter and kicking her feet so violently that Avia needed to back away from her.

"Looks like 32 is the time to beat," Midnight said after regaining her composure. "Think you can do it, Curia?"

"Even if she can, who's going to hold her down?" Avia asked. "Neither of us is strong enough."

"You won't need to hold me down," Curia said, "because I won't struggle."

"Is that so?" Midnight said.

"Yes, it is. You see, my feet aren't ticklish. Not at all. So I've already won this competition. But let's get on with it, so we can find something else to do."

With a confident smirk, she took the seat in the armchair, propped her legs up on the ottoman, and presented her feet to her friends.

The next 20 minutes saw both Midnight and Avia trying every way they could to tickle the Amazon. Nothing worked. Fingers, feathers, a back scratcher, and a toothbrush all failed. Avia then began searching the apartment for something--anything!--else that they could use.

"That's that," Curia said, rising from the chair. "Nice contest. Better luck next time. So, what are we going to do now?"

"We're not finished yet," Midnight said.

"Yeah, we are. My feet aren't ticklish. That's all there is to it."

"I disagree. I'm sure I have something here that can tickle you. And when I subject you to it, then we'll see how long you can hold out. You win if, and only if, it's more than 32 seconds. And if it's less than 18 seconds, well, then you lose outright."

"You're wasting your time."

"No, I'm not. In fact...I know just the thing to tickle you with."

"Really, Midnight? You can't let this go?"

"Are you in or out?"

"If it means that much to you, then I'm in," Curia said with a sigh.

"Wait, what's going on?" Avia asked, returning to the room with a variety of household items in hand.

"Forget all of that stuff," Midnight said. "I know just the thing that can tickle Curia. Come on, both of you, over here."

Midnight led the way out of the living room, down a hallway, and around a corner. She stopped in front of a door, then opened it to reveal a small closet. Reaching inside, she tapped some a code into a keypad that neither of her guests could see. A few seconds later, a door-sized panel at the back of the space slid open. Midnight entered it and beckoned the heroines to follow her.

"This is my ops center," Midnight said, as Curia and Avia stepped into an area almost as large of the apartment's living room.

Computer consoles and state of the art electronics racks lined three of the four walls. Dozens of objects that ran the gamut between mundane, eccentric, and bizarre sat interspersed among the equipment; these were the many trophies from Midnight's illustrious crime fighting career.

As Curia and Avia gawked at the elaborate setup, Midnight walked over to a large, tarp-covered object that occupied the one wall that didn't house any consoles. She grabbed the tarp and pulled it down, prompting her awed friends to turn their attention to the newly revealed sight: A construct that looked like a mashup of a chaise lounger and a 60's sci-fi captain's chair.

"This is it," Midnight said. "This is Curia's downfall."

"I doubt that," Curia said. "But I'm looking forward to your explanation anyway."

"Me, too," Avia said.

"In this case, I prefer show to tell," Midnight said. "So, Curia, please take a seat."

With a nod, Curia walked over to the chair and climbed into it. Though perfectly proportioned and exquisitely toned, the Amazon was not a small woman (as no Amazon was). But the chair easily contained her form, and in fact seemed almost made for her.

"Wow, a perfect fit," Avia said.

"It was designed for superheroines, specifically superstrong ones, who are often much bigger than the average woman," Midnight said.

"Who designed it?" Avia asked.

"I'll tell you later," Midnight said. "Right now, I want to get on with proving that Curia can be tickled, and seeing how long she can take it before breaking."

Avia nodded and Curia humph'd defiantly, while Midnight rummaged through a nearby cabinet. Soon the crime fighter found a remote control. She pointed it at the chair and clicked a button.

In response to the remote signal, slots opened in the armrests and near the end of the chaise. Thick metal bands rose out from them and curved around Curia's wrists and ankles.

"What the heck?" the Amazon asked, testing her unexpected bonds and finding to her dismay that they resisted her efforts to break free of them. "Why have you locked me into this thing?"

"Because," Midnight said. "When I tickle your feet and you begin to break, I don't want you accidentally lashing out. An uncontrolled Amazon can do a lot of damage to things."

"And people," Avia said.

"That actually makes sense," Curia said, "except that I keep telling you, my feet aren't ticklish. So you won't break me, and thus I won't break any of your stuff, or you."

"She has a point," Avia said. "Nothing has worked so far. Not our fingernails, not feathers, not the back scratcher, and not the toothbrush. I don't know that any of the other stuff I found in your apartment would've worked, either."

"This will work," Midnight said.

"So, what, this is a tickling machine you've strapped me into?" Curia said. "I suppose it could be. It's weird enough looking. Whatever it is, and whatever you're going to do, can you get on with it?"

"As you wish."

Midnight clicked another button on the remote.

From behind the chair, a dome-shaped object rose up on a mechanical arm attached to its top. The arm raised up half a meter higher than Curia's head and then moved forward to rest directly over it. But it only stopped there for an instant before beginning a slow descent. Its path would soon land the dome upon Curia's scalp, where it would sit, helmet-like.

Curia could hear the mechanical movements above her, but she kept her eyes locked on Midnight in a show unconcerned defiance. Avia, however, stared nervously at the odd device.

"That doesn't look like a tickling machine," she whispered to Midnight. "And it doesn't look like something Curia should be sitting in."

"It's not a tickling machine," Midnight whispered back. "But don't worry, Curia will be fine."

The dome-helmet eased into place, covering the top of Curia's head down to her brow.

"What the heck?" the Amazon asked again, now looking less confident and more concerned.

She began to say something else, but a loud buzzing from within the helmet startled her. Then an amber light began pulsing inside it, highlighting her face in golden hues, while the buzzing matched its rhythm. The effect on Curia was immediate:

The Amazon's eyes opened wide as saucers. She began trembling from the top of her covered head to the tips of her bare toes.

"What's happening? What are doing to me?" she asked fearfully. "Midnight, please stop this. I don't like it. It feels weird."

Midnight ignored the heroine's pleas.

"Midnight? Midnight, please!" Curia said. "Avia, make her stop! Please! Avia! Avia! My head! My head! It's...I...no...n-no...n-n-nuhhh..."

Curia's speech quickly devolved into babbles, while her trembling increased to outright shakes. She clenched and unclenched her fists, and scrunched and splayed her toes.

"What are you doing to her?" Avia demanded of Midnight.

"I'm making sure she loses our contest."

"How? What is that machine?"

"It's something I retrieved from Dr. Hypnotiq's lair when I busted him last year."

"Dr. Hypnotiq? He used this thing? Then it must be...a brainwasher! You're brainwashing Curia!"

"Relax, Avia. I'm not hurting her. In fact, after the initial phase, the induction becomes quite pleasurable for the subject."

In confirmation of Midnight's words, Curia had ceased her struggles. Her eyes had closed, and a sleepy smile had spread over her face.

"Besides," Midnight continued, "all I'm going to do is give her the suggestions that her feet are incredibly ticklish and she can't hold in her laughter when they're tickled. Then, I win the contest, you and I share a private joke, and we're done. No harm, no foul."

"That's really sneaky and mean. I don't approve."

"Would you approve if I let you give her a suggestion?"

"What? No! No way. I wouldn't think of...I mean, that wouldn't be...hm...yeah, okay, as long as I get to give her a suggestion. And as long as she won't remember anything afterwards."

"She'll only remember what we want her to remember. Ah, look, she's ready..."

The helmet's buzzing had stopped, and the light from inside it had changed from amber to a soft blue. Curia remained in blissful repose.

"Curia, can you hear me?" Midnight asked loudly.

The Amazon's eyes opened, but she stared straight ahead at nothing.

"Yes," she said in a monotone, matter-of-fact voice.

"Good. Listen carefully: From now on, your feet will be extremely ticklish."

"My feet will be extremely ticklish."

"Furthermore, you won't be able to endure being tickled. Anything that tickles you will immediately drive you crazy."

"I won't be able to endure being tickled. Anything that tickles me will immediately drive me crazy."

"You won't be able to hold in laughter or any physical reaction to being tickled."

"I won't be able to hold in laughter or any physical reaction to being tickled."

"There," Midnight said to Avia. "That's all I wanted to do. See? Nothing bad about that. Well, maybe sneaky and mean, but not bad."

"Yeah, no argument from me," Avia said. "But now it's my turn."

"Go ahead."

"Curia, I don't owe you $40. I already paid you back."

"You don't owe me $40," Curia said. "You already paid me back."

"In fact," Avia went on, "you owe me $40."

"I owe you $40."

Midnight rolled her eyes at the triviality of the suggestion, but she voiced none of her disdain for it. To each her own, she thought.

"Anything else you want to suggest to her?" Midnight asked.

"Um, no, I think that's it."

"Okay. Then I'll program her to forget everything that's happened but still act on all of our suggestions. While I do that, why don't you get the tickling implements from the living room? Then, I'll wake her up, and we can finish our contest."

With a nod, Avia left to carry out her task. Midnight turned back to Curia.

"When you wake up, you won't remember anything that's happened since I said, 'As you wish.'"

"When I wake up, I won't remember anything that's happened since you said, 'As you wish.'"

"And one more thing...Whenever I, and only I, say the phrase, 'tickle slave,' you will immediately re-enter the highly suggestible and obedient state you are in now."

"Whenever you, and only you, say the phrase, 'tickle slave,' I will immediately re-enter the highly suggestible and obedient state I am in now."

"Excellent," Midnight said, clicking a button on the remote.

The blue light faded, and then the helmet slowly rose up off of Curia's head. It moved back on its arm, then descended down behind the chair. Just as it finished, Avia returned to the room, carrying the previously ineffective tickle tools. A few seconds later, Curia opened her eyes and gazed at her two friends.

"I'm ready," she said, completely unaware of her recent ordeal. "Let's do this."

Avia approached the bound heroine's feet with the toothbrush in hand. She knelt down and, after dramatically gesturing with her tool of choice, began gently scratching at Curia's soles with it.

Curia's eyes went wide, and she sucked in a audible breath. Avia continued working with the brush, moving back and forth across the captive feet before her. The Amazon began to shake, and her eyes began to tear. She looked like she was gagging on something until, suddenly, a guffaw exploded out from her mouth. Avia withdrew, letting Curia catch her breath.

"Seven seconds," Midnight said. "That makes me the winner, Avia second, and Curia in last place."

"No, wait, that can't be!" Curia said, tears now streaming down her cheeks.

"Not only can it be," Midnight said, "but I don't think we even need the toothbrush. Avia?"

Avia put down the toothbrush and picked up the back scratcher. Curia's eyes all but popped out of her head.

"No, no. I accept it. I lost. You don't have to--heeheeheeheeheehee!"

"How about the feather?" Midnight asked Avia.

"No! Stop! You win, all right? My feet are ticklish! I admit it! You don't have to--heeheeheehoohoohooheeheehee!"

"How about just your fingernails, Avia?"

"Heeheeheeheehoohoohoohoohooheeheeheeheehee! S-stop! P-please! Heeheeheehoohoohoo!"

"I think we've proved our point," Avia said, pulling away from Curia. "Let's give her a break."

"Fair enough," Midnight said.

She clicked the button on the remote that unlocked the restraints. As soon as the bands had receded into their housings, Curia leapt from the chair. 

"What the hell! How are my feet so ticklish? They've never been before, not at all! What the HELL?"

Staring at Midnight and Avia in desperate inquiry, she received only shrugs in answer.

The three heroines then headed back to the living room. There, they ate and drank some more, and pondered what to do next for entertainment.

"Hey, it's getting late," Curia said a few minutes later. "And I'm getting tired. I think I'll head out."

Avia doubted very much that her friend was tired. More likely, she thought, the Amazon was shocked and upset that her feet had proved to be incredibly ticklish, despite all her boasting to the contrary.

"Before I go," Curia said, "let me give you that $40 I owe you, Avia."

"What? Oh, uh, don't worry about that. You can give it to me, you know, whenever."

"No, I need to pay you back now. I don't want to keep putting it off. That wouldn't be right."

Avia blushed guiltily. She turned to Midnight.

"This isn't right. We can't do this. We have to tell her."

Midnight glared at her, while Curia eyed both of them curiously.

"Tell me what?" Curia said.

"Nothing," Midnight said.

"Curia, there's a reason you lost the tickling contest," Avia said, ignoring the hostess. "You see--"

"Tickle slave," Midnight said.

Though Avia kept talking, Curia no longer heard her friend. Her eyes glazed over, and all expression left her face.

"Curia, incapacitate Avia."

Before she could react, Avia found herself in a powerful sleeper hold. She knew that struggling physically against an Amazon was useless, so she focused on using her air control powers. But she quickly grew weaker and unable to concentrate. Soon, she lay unconscious in Curia's arms.

A couple of minutes later, Avia opened her eyes groggily. Before her stood Midnight and Curia. She looked down and saw that she occupied a large, strange chair, with her legs stretched out over its chaise portion. Thick metal bands covered her wrists and ankles. At first, she didn't understand where she was. Then realization struck her.

"Midnight, no! You don't have to do this! I won't tell Curia! It can be our secret!"

"No, you won't tell Curia. Because you won't remember that there's anything to tell. Then, it will just be my secret."

Avia heard the whine of a mechanical arm first behind, then above her. Then she felt the brainwashing helmet descend over her scalp.

"Please, Midnight! Please! We can work something out! W-we can...w-we...w-w-wuhhh...uhhhhhh..."

Her face awash with golden light, Avia stammered and shook. As Midnight watched the process, and Curia simply stared blankly ahead, the induction slowly robbed the helpless heroine of her faculties. Soon, she smiled blissfully, her face now glowing pale blue beneath the helmet. She heard and responded to the commands that Midnight gave her, but nothing that was said registered on her conscious mind.

The next thing Avia knew, Curia was handing her two twenty dollar bills in the living room. She blinked, feeling for just an instant that she had missed something. But of course, she hadn't. The Amazon had just said she'd pay back the debt, and now she had done so.

"Thanks," Avia said with a smile.

"You're welcome! Thank you for the loan," Curia said, smiling back. "Well, I really need to go now."

"Yeah, I should head out, too," Avia said, covering a yawn with her hand.

"Really? So early?" Midnight said. "There's still time for a quick game, or even an episode of something on Netwatch."

"Not tonight."

"Yeah, maybe next time."

Midnight nodded her understanding. But then she looked around the room and saw all the serving trays, plates, bottles, and glasses strewn about, along with much partially eaten food and unfinished drinks. Her expression darkened. As her guests made their way to the foyer to collect their boots, she made a decision.

"Tickle slave."

Both Curia and Avia stopped dead in their tracks. Midnight grinned, happy that she had instilled the same trigger in Avia that she had in Curia.

"Come back in here."

The mindless heroines complied.

"Take all of these items into the kitchen. When you finish doing that, Curia, put all the food and beverages away, then dump the garbage into the incinerator. When you finish, Avia, do the dishes. Then report back here to me."

The enthralled women obeyed.

Midnight sat back, raised her feet up, and thought that she could get used to this. She could also get used to...having her laundry done, her apartment cleaned, and her walls painted. And on a more personal note, she could certainly indulge her tired feet with...a pedicure, a massage, and maybe even some worship.

Yes, she could indeed get used to this. And she would.