Eric's Angel Part One

Atomic Girl claimed no man could break her heart, Eric Powell, a professional jewel thief, came closest.
Eric was preparing to take down the security system of the Metro Art Museum and lift one of the priceless Romanov Diamonds when he encountered Atomic Girl.
More accurately, she encountered him.
Eric's back was turned to the buxom, statuesque, raven-haired crime fighter as she crept silently toward him. She landed a sharp judo chop to the thief's neck.
Pain jerked Eric's body and the burglar tools fell from his hands, clanking on the pavement of the museum alleyway where the security switch box was housed. Eric thought he had electrocuted himself and then was submerged in darkness. Atomic Girl knelt by the unconscious criminal and collected his tools for evidence with business-like rapidity. When Atomic Girl rolled Eric on his back to take a digital photo of him, a gasp of air escaped her lips. She fell in love with Eric instantly.
For a long moment, Atomic Girl was frozen, staring expressionlessly at Eric's handsome features. Grabbing his limp arms frantically, Atomic Girl tipped the robber over her shoulder. She checked the crime scene for any evidence that Eric had been there. Finding none, she carried Eric to her black 1966 GTO parked at the entrance to the alleyway. She dumped him the passenger seat, got the car started and sped off.

Eric woke an hour later on a large couch in a dark office. Moving was painful, but he finally worked himself to his feet. His vision cleared in time for him to peer out a window and see a dozen police cars, lights flashing a rainbow of colors, at the entrance of the Metro Museum.
"Damn!" Eric groaned to himself. "Slipped through my fucking fingers! How did I get here?"
On the next three jobs, Eric got clobbered from behind and transported before the police arrived. To his increasing aggravation, Eric decided he had been assigned a guardian angel. Atomic Girl, at the age of 32, was smitten for the first time in her life and had appointed herself Eric's angel.
In the previous decade, Rita guarded Metro City as second in command to Super Donna as part of the four woman Justice Force. Justice Force was publicly defeated by their arch enemy The Sisterhood of Evil. Atomic Girl and the others regrouped and eventually defeated The Sisterhood, but Super Donna announced her retirement, disbanding Justice Force so she could marry her much younger fiance.
Atomic Girl continued solo crime fighting, enjoying male companionship often and with no strings, as she always had. But one glance at Eric transformed her feelings. Intoxicated with love, Atomic Girl tracked Eric's every move from the roofs of Metro City. Watching him case his next target, she adored how easily he moved, undetected by the world around him, observing the deliveries to and security procedures of galleries and jewelry merchants.
"He's so good at this!" Atomic Girl thought in gleeful ecstasy.
Atomic Girl waited until midnight for Eric to move on the Martini Diamond Exchange warehouse. A few days before, the Exchange had received a substantial amount of uncut diamonds. With night vision goggles, Atomic Girl saw Eric appear on the exchange's roof top, opposite the one where she was concealed. He moved quickly to the skylight, methodically disarming the alarm system on the glass.
Discarding the goggles, Atomic Girl sprinted forward, picking up speed as she ran. Silently she sprang outward, leaping effortlessly the few feet between the buildings. Atomic Girl landed in a crouch, twenty feet from her prey. Atomic Girl slipped toward Eric, a stun wand in her hand.
Eric saw a blur in the glass move and spun quickly, smacking the wand from Atomic Girl's hand. Grabbing her other arm, Eric yanked the super heroine at him, slugging her in the gut.
"Atomic Girl?" he blurted, seeing the woman's face in the glare from the skylight. Atomic Girl winced speechlessly, her pretty face twisted in pain. "You've been following me?"
"Ye..ah..oooohhh....bastard!"
Eric released Atomic Girl and let her stand upright. Pulling a small sap from his pocket, Eric calculated the force needed and brought the sap down behind Atomic Girl's ear.
Cartoon stars and planets exploded and spun around her head. Atomic Girl swayed listlessly, glassy eyes sagging shut.
"Eric..Er...ohhh..."
The stars were most vivid and shiny when darkness crept over her.

Atomic Girl woke laying on a gurney in an ambulance. The male EMT who was shining a small light in her eyes said they responded to an anonymous report of an injured female on a roof top.
"There was no one there," he said. "But we found this note pressed into your cleavage!"
Atomic Girl grabbed the paper from the EMT's hand and unfolded it.
"So you're my guardian angel, Atomic Girl. I'm flattered. You know where to find me for round two!"

Atomic Girl was a week recovering from Eric's knockout blow. She contacted him a few days after she was released from the hospital, asking to met her at a nearby gym after closing hours.
The female crime fighter stood in a corner of the boxing ring at the far end of the gym, illuminated by the florescent lamp suspended from the ceiling. Eric liked Atomic Girl's body bathed in white light. "Just a week and a few days and you're back on your feet!" he called out to his opponent as he approached the ring.
"You bet!" responded Atomic Girl.
"I got your message asking me to meet you here," Eric stated, climbing into the ring, carrying with him a large gym bag. "What's on your mind, Atomic Girl?"
"It's Rita, please. You're on my mind, Eric!"
Atomic Girl rocked back and forth on her feet, her gloved arms swaying, as she watched Eric take his own boxing gloves from the bag. "In what way?" he asked.
"I've fallen in love with you, Eric, so we have issues to settle."
"Which ones?" Eric was glad he showed up.
"I can't involve myself with a criminal, so you have to give up crime."
Eric face contorted, first in astonishment and then distaste. "I make a great living at this!" Eric was already fitting on his boxing gloves.
"I figured you'd say that, so we'll work it out by fighting."
Eric laughed as quietly as he could. "Give up crime, are you insane?"
"No!" Atomic Girl regally insisted. "If I win, you leave crime for me!"
"For you!?"
"Yes...me!" Atomic Girl's feelings were baffled and hurt.
"And if I win?"
"Then it's over."
Eric found that he didn't want that. "Fine," he said. "We fight to a knockout. The one unable to answer a ten count loses."
"Agreed."
The pair came together at the ring's center and touched gloves. The first punches between them were slow and calculated. Both fighters easily deflected the blows; Atomic Girl smiling wider as Eric's face became more intent.
"Why me, Rita?" Eric asked as he increased the force and rapidity of his punches.
"How should I know?" was Atomic Girl's honest response. "I just..."

WHAM!!!!

Eric's fist slammed directly into Atomic Girl's face and she stumbled, eyes glaring in confusion. Eric quickly stunned her with a right to the chin.
Atomic Girl felt herself fall toward the turnbuckle. Seconds later, Eric hammered her midsection with a pounding left as Atomic Girl dreamily wondered why her lover was about to hit her again.
Doubled over in misery from the gut shot, Atomic Girl was defenseless. She heard Eric laugh louder and merrier this time and an upper cut straightened her out completely. Atomic Girl's vision went black and she dropped against the turnbuckle.Coming to rest in a sitting position, Atomic Girl gave two muted groans as her head lolled back and forth. Then she was unconscious.
Eric skipped the 10 count; he had calibrated the final punch to put Atomic Girl to sleep.
"Good night, Rita!" Eric declared, removing his gloves. He felt a delighted surprise at addressing Atomic Girl by her first name.
Removing a thorn less red rose from his duffel bag, Eric pressed it gently into the exposed portion of Atomic Girl's breasts. After removing her boxing gloves, he kissed the knocked out super heroine and gently caressed her smooth cheeks and chin.

Atomic Girl woke 30 minutes later. Eric had vanished and her face ached.
The rose's fragrance filled her nostrils, clearing her head. Pressing the flower to her nose, Atomic Girl decided it was not over!