Electra's Web

        Friends Disunited





THE DYNAMIC DUO faced each other furiously across the Batcave.

 “This a direct instruction Robin,” barked Batman. “I will not be defied. Do you understand?”

 “And what gives you the right to tell me what to do,” snapped back Robin.

 “It’s for your own good,” responded his partner – his voice getting louder as he spoke. “Electra is a very dangerous woman.”

 “What’s so dangerous about wanting to do some good for the city? Or do you think you’re the only one capable of that?”

 “There’s more to it than that Robin,” said Batman – his tone becoming a little more conciliatory. “Believe me. I know.”

 “Huh,” sneered Robin. “You know Batman, I think Electra’s right – you’re just jealous.

 “Jealous that it was me who caught the Hearst depository robbers, jealous that she admires me instead of you, jealous that I’ve been chosen as her advisor.

 “And all of it because she refused to go  to bed with you.”

 The Boy Wonder winced as he said those last words. Electra had told him that in confidence – but in his anger he’d accidentally blurted it out.

 “What Robin?” said Batman incredulously. “She refused to what?”

 Robin waved his hand angrily in the air.

 “Nothing,” he said quickly. “Nothing. Ignore it.”

 Batman looked at him with dawning realisation.

 “Did Electra tell you……”

 Robin interjected angrily before he could finish.

 “Just leave it,” he almost yelled. “Okay?

 “And remember – I don’t want you telling me who I can and cannot see. I’m old enough to make up my own mind.”

 Robin turned and strode towards the door like a petulant teenager.

 “Robin,” shouted Batman after him. “Robin!”

 But the young crimefighter had gone. His partner considered going after him but then thought better of it – he’d let him fester for a while, allow his teenage angst to subside.

 He went back to the desk and picked up the day’s newspaper. On the front was a sensational piece on Electra’s Mayoral declaration with her comments on the Caped Crusader’s recent travails given full prominence.

 His eyes scanned it with disgust before he flipped over to page three to be confronted with a profile of Electra’s young blonde sidekick accompanied by a picture of her ravishing figure on stage at City Hall.

 “All You Need To Know About Anneka” ran the headline above the Q and A piece:

Name: Anneka.

Age: Seventeen.

Job: Campaign Assistant.

Hobbies: Keep-fit and politics.

Dream man: I do go for a nice body so I’d have to say Batman. He’s very, very cute.

Best trait in a man: Honesty – and good looks!.

And the worst: Arrogance.

Most admired woman: Electra – for her beauty and brains.

Ambition: To run for Mayor one day.

What do you desire most: Happiness.

Favourite place: My bed.



The piece ran on with various other vacuous questions before ending with a poll asking readers’ to vote on who was the sexiest: Electra or Anneka.

 Batman sighed and tossed the paper aside. He balled his hand into a fist and beat it against his forehead.

 Think, think, think, he told himself. His eyes closed and he breathed hard trying desperately to devise some stratagem to untangle Electra’s rapidly-spinning web.

 “A weak point,” he murmured to himself. “There has to be a weak point.”

 As few seconds later his eyes opened and his hand moved slowly towards the discarded newspaper. He pulled it in front of him and re-read the profile of Anneka.

 A grim smile spread across his lips as he looked again at the picture of the lithe 17-year-old adorning the page. The thought quickly crystallised in his mind.

 He nodded in satisfaction and whispered: “Oh yes, I’m cute. Much too cute for Electra right now.”