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Europa village was a weird place to be holding auditions for such a big property, but Katherine supposed it worked given its proximity to the source material. She checked her hair and makeup and flashed herself a confident smile into her phone. This was it, her big chance to break in to Onpyh Corp's cinema arm and rake in the cash and fame. She could become an idol off of this thing. And she was perfect for the role. She had the red locks, the fiery passion, the willingness to do the lesbian love scenes (no-one was actually sure if the real thing was a lesbian, given her identity was still a secret, but Onpyh were almost certain to go that route), even some basic stunts skills for what she imagined would be some Asian-style invisible wire stuff for the flying. She just hoped the genuine article wouldn't get pissed and come hunt her down if she messed up the role.

Katherine knew that was a silly thing to think, anyway, Ubergirl was sponsored by Onpyh for a start, so she must be on board with the adaptation of her origin story, and Katherine was gonna kill the role anyway. If she had superpowers, she might even have been better than the flesh-and-blood heroine. Alas, the only gifts she was given was her stunning red hair, a face with a perfect mix of cute and sexy, an easy-to-maintain bod, and the skills to jump into any character she wished.

"It's a tough life." She send off her snap (on SpiralSnap as well as Snapchat of course, gotta get in good with the suits in any way she could) as she snarked to herself. She wondered briefly if Ubergirl would snark like that as she entered the small community centre that had been deputised by the corporation like a medieval king might a vassal's manor.

The main reception was full of hastily set up plastic chairs, housing a huge contingent of pretty women holding three digit number cards, a smaller group of teenagers and young ladies there to audition as Ubergirl's sidekick (Onpyh weren't going to let a minor thing like actual timelines get in the way of shoehorning in a marketable character), and even a little gallery off to the side of guys wanting to play some ineffectual first-act villain. Katherine McNamara headed straight to the front desk. The lion need not concern herself with the sheep, as a fairly big name already, she'd demand her own dressing room away from these amateurs. After all, unlike them, she actually had a good chance at the part, she deserved a quiet place to prepare and get into character away from their idle chatter.

"Sign here, Miss. You're number 343." The receptionist was a plump woman with a noticeable mole, clearly Onpyh was right when they said the stunning would rise through their ranks, and the obvious corollary was true. Katherine decided against making a scene, it wasn't worth trying to prove herself here. She'd just isolate her mind from everyone around her to get ready. She still didn't need to interact with the rabble.

So she took a seat in a relatively quiet part of the large, dull carpeted room and stoically ignored the conversational advances of the braces-clad teenager beside her.

"Ubergirl, Ubergirl..." She subvocalised to herself, her head down and hands over her ears. "Kind, strong, passionate but easily swayed. But she'll always try to help people. That's the core, altruism, everything else is secondary..."

"By gosh, are you Katherine McNamara?"

She looked up, annoyed, letting her hands fall down from her ears, one curled into a loose fist of irritation. The man who stood before her wasn't much, but he did well with what he had. His wiry frame was barely 5 foot seven, but in a sleek white suit and patterned tie he didn't look so short. His wiry brown hair was gelled down into a sleek combover, and a pair of ornate glasses sat upon and distracted from what would ordinarily be an unsightly pointed nose. He raised the hand not holding a glass of orange juice.

"Dr. Umleit. I'm an enthusiast when it comes to your work."

She didn't take the hand, though she did grace him with a sip of the drink when he motioned. "I'm flattered. Happy to give an autograph after I've nailed the audition, but I need a bit of quiet time. Sorry." She curtly turned around and was about to begin her meditative training again.

"Begging your pardon, miss, but I hoped to be of some assistance. You see, I feel I can add some elucidation to your conception of my little Ubergirl."

"Your Ubergirl?"

"Oh yes, I've had quite the number of productive encounters with her."

"Oh my God you're a cosplayer." Katherine sighed and got up to find a slightly less kooky corner of the room. Maybe the bit where the wallpaper was peeling, it looked quiet.

"Oh no, no, no. I can understand where the confusion comes from, but I assure you I am truly the Doctor himself."

"Dude, I've never even seen any mention of any Umleit in reports. Are you meant to be, like, Graviton's sidekick or something?"

"Well, naturally I do not allow my identity or powers to be reported. You should really be honoured that you're learning so much while you still can. And I'm offering to educate you more in the necessary understanding a thespian like you requires. Frankly, I'm offended by your foolishness in passing up my offer."

What she hoped was an authentically Ubergirl-like passion flared inside Katherine. She was being mocked. Katherine McNamara does not take acting lessons from bozos in costume. "Oh yeah? And what does the genius Dr. Umleit have to help me?"

The smile on his pale face definitely made a good attempt at supervillainy. "It's simple, I heard your training. You have regrettably passed over the most important part of Ubergirl. The fact that she is my unwitting servant."

Really? All that pompous shit for that kernel of wisdom? "Duh, of course I know about her whole weakness to hypnosis thing. I just don't think it's that important. Loads of supers get hypnotised, what's important is that Ubergirl always saves people in the end."

"Oh no, my dear, you misunderstand. Yes, hypnosis like Onpyh Corp's is astoundingly prevalent this days, and yes, Ubergirl has often publicly fallen victim to such trifles. But I'm talking about something deeper. A truer level of control. One wired into her very being."

Okay, he was starting to freak her out now. Katherine started to back away, her shaking feet landing on the soft floor as she edged backwards. And then he pulled out what looked like an asthma inhaler, and pressed the button.

A thin orange smoke came out, too fast for her to avoid inhaling it. And then nothing happened. She shook her head. Fucking pranksters, now she was totally out of the zone. She turned to leave with a dismissive flick of her hair.

"Now now, my dear. You will stay here, and face me so you can learn."

And so she did. Her red hair swung dramatically through the air as she whipped herself around as fast as possible. She stood still, waiting for him to educate her.

"Why the hell did I just decide to do that?" Her confusion was intense. She faintly knew that she had just resolved to leave the creep, but upon being told to stay, she'd changed her mind. Even worse, no part of her actually thought it was a bad idea. The worst feeling she had was a faint confusion, there was no real anger. It was her choice, after all.

"It really is quite simple to understand. First, my dear, you must understand that most of these hypnotists in modern times are using supernatural methods. Toygirl, D-list villains using pendulums, even the spirals and subliminals of Jupiter's beloved megacorp, they're all either inherently beyond scientific comprehension, or so poorly understood they might as well have been magical. But my drugs, they're based in simple biology. That means I can predict how they'll work, I'll never be surprised by someone breaking out with willpower, or resisting due to mental training. I simply don't attack on the mental vector."

"Then how did you 'enslave' Ubergirl, then?" Katherine still managed to the sceptical. After all, she wasn't bowing down and worshipping him or anything. Clearly this was a load of trash.

"Well, I did use a different compound for her actually. You see, when I spend enough time researching a person, I can produce something tailored to them to make them fully subservient. Besides, I am not even entirely confident that the compound in the juice you imbibed would even work on a superhuman. But for an alluring target of opportunity like yourself, my 'gene therapy' mixture is perfectly suitable." He smiled widely, genuinely happy to be explaining his work, and to be revealing to an unwitting slave what her true nature now was.

"Y-you spiked my drink?"

"Don't worry, dear."

And then she didn't. Katherine calmed down. After all, she'd be feeling the effects of any drug now, right? She decided there was no use worrying about it, and continued to listen to the weirdo's tirade.

"Good, very good my dear. I see you're relaxed, so I will enlighten you as to the effects you have sustained to your consciousness. My drug targets your genes, you see. Specifically those in your neurons. It doesn't do much, except add an epigenetic trigger to a very specific set of genes, across every neuron in your frontal lobe. Now, whenever you are exposed to a very rare and otherwise useless chemical - which I believe I am the only person who goes to the trouble to fabricate - a specific expression of your genes is shut down. That being the ability to evaluate things you hear. So, when I am here, and release the chemical, the next instruction you hear, you will accept uncritically. You will simply obey. So, welcome to servitute, my dear Katherine. I hope it makes you more able to emulate my favourite slave."

Despite how ridiculous it sounded, Katherine knew it was true. Everything fit into place. She was in danger, she had to get out. She held her breath and was about to throw out her arm, to shove him out of the way and make a break for it.

And then her arm spasmed. And her head was filled with a cloying coldness. And then everything was black.

She woke up on a small bed, without covers, the suited doctor sat at her bedside.

"You think quickly my dear. Luckily, I'm a doctor, so I ensured I was the one to take care of you for the last ten minutes. You're fine now. Anyway, I did neglect to inform you of the drug's other effect. You must understand, you are free to rage against my control, to fester in anger at how I have taken your fundamental right to free will. But the moment the nanites in your parietal lobe detect an action potential to act on that knowledge, to run and tell someone what has happened to you, they will release bursts of electromagnetic radiation. This is harmless, but it will overload the nearby neurons, causing them to effectively short-circuit. You may have heard of the phenomenon, as it is most commonly associated with epilepsy. As I said, it is harmless, but it will keep you under my thrall without any of your friends, or any law enforcement professionals, blissfully in the dark about it." His figure was wrapped in shadow, but she could see a strangely caring expression on his face, as if this was some great mercy.

"So I can't do anything about it then?" Katherine was angry, but knew better than to fight. There was no carpet in this first aid room to cushion her fall should she have another seizure. She resigned herself to a defence mechanism of snark and reluctance, until she could think of a better idea.

"No, my dear, I'm afraid the effects will be quite permanent. Now, I must admit I have not done my full due dilligence on the side-effects of the treatment. It certainly doesn't have any other deleterious effect on your genes, but when you are triggered it could potentially cause a more rapid onset of aging, or perhaps compromise your immune system. I can only ask your forgiveness on the matter."

"I forgive you."

Fuck.

"Dammit. Okay, so you've got me under your control. Now what?"

He made a strange clicking sound which might have been meant to be admonishment. "Come now, dear. I truly was hoping to aid you in understanding the situation of the character you wish to play. Now, she is unaware she is under similar control to yours, but I had to keep you cognizant of my control otherwise the whole exercise would be pointless. You needn't worry about the audition, by the way. I will go and tell the receptionist you are okay, and you shall proceed as you originally planned in a few hours. Of course, I will be working to ensure you get the role. I have big plans for this film, you see. It is a perfect serendipity that I can have a skilled actress as a key pawn in my machinations."

"Great, so you'll leave me alone then?"

"Only for a moment. You see, there will be a few hours before your number is called, so I intend to give you a far more thorough examination whilst I have nothing better to do."

Katherine struggled to hold back bile rising in her throat. "Oh my God, you're such a creep."

He stood, fixing his tie. "I'm afraid I may be guilty of that, but a scientist does what he must. Now, when I return, you shall address me as Master. Perhaps after a few examinations you'll start to think of me that way as well."

The light from the hallway briefly illuminated his figure, and also Katherine's face, contorted in anger and disgust. But still she said.

"As you wish, Master."

----

Another delayed request from request week. TheStonemiester1 wanted to see something with one of her headcanon castings of Ubergirl, and it gave me this idea set within Onpyhverse, as well as giving me the chance to bring out my favourite purveyor of hypnosis methods which sound like they're based on real science but I'm pretty sure can't actually work!

Description

Europa village was a weird place to be holding auditions for such a big property, but Katherine supposed it worked given its proximity to the source material. She checked her hair and makeup and flashed herself a confident smile into her phone. This was it, her big chance to break in to Onpyh Corp's cinema arm and rake in the cash and fame. She could become an idol off of this thing. And she was perfect for the role. She had the red locks, the fiery passion, the willingness to do the lesbian love scenes (no-one was actually sure if the real thing was a lesbian, given her identity was still a secret, but Onpyh were almost certain to go that route), even some basic stunts skills for what she imagined would be some Asian-style invisible wire stuff for the flying. She just hoped the genuine article wouldn't get pissed and come hunt her down if she messed up the role.

Katherine knew that was a silly thing to think, anyway, Ubergirl was sponsored by Onpyh for a start, so she must be on board with the adaptation of her origin story, and Katherine was gonna kill the role anyway. If she had superpowers, she might even have been better than the flesh-and-blood heroine. Alas, the only gifts she was given was her stunning red hair, a face with a perfect mix of cute and sexy, an easy-to-maintain bod, and the skills to jump into any character she wished.

"It's a tough life." She send off her snap (on SpiralSnap as well as Snapchat of course, gotta get in good with the suits in any way she could) as she snarked to herself. She wondered briefly if Ubergirl would snark like that as she entered the small community centre that had been deputised by the corporation like a medieval king might a vassal's manor.

The main reception was full of hastily set up plastic chairs, housing a huge contingent of pretty women holding three digit number cards, a smaller group of teenagers and young ladies there to audition as Ubergirl's sidekick (Onpyh weren't going to let a minor thing like actual timelines get in the way of shoehorning in a marketable character), and even a little gallery off to the side of guys wanting to play some ineffectual first-act villain. Katherine McNamara headed straight to the front desk. The lion need not concern herself with the sheep, as a fairly big name already, she'd demand her own dressing room away from these amateurs. After all, unlike them, she actually had a good chance at the part, she deserved a quiet place to prepare and get into character away from their idle chatter.

"Sign here, Miss. You're number 343." The receptionist was a plump woman with a noticeable mole, clearly Onpyh was right when they said the stunning would rise through their ranks, and the obvious corollary was true. Katherine decided against making a scene, it wasn't worth trying to prove herself here. She'd just isolate her mind from everyone around her to get ready. She still didn't need to interact with the rabble.

So she took a seat in a relatively quiet part of the large, dull carpeted room and stoically ignored the conversational advances of the braces-clad teenager beside her.

"Ubergirl, Ubergirl..." She subvocalised to herself, her head down and hands over her ears. "Kind, strong, passionate but easily swayed. But she'll always try to help people. That's the core, altruism, everything else is secondary..."

"By gosh, are you Katherine McNamara?"

She looked up, annoyed, letting her hands fall down from her ears, one curled into a loose fist of irritation. The man who stood before her wasn't much, but he did well with what he had. His wiry frame was barely 5 foot seven, but in a sleek white suit and patterned tie he didn't look so short. His wiry brown hair was gelled down into a sleek combover, and a pair of ornate glasses sat upon and distracted from what would ordinarily be an unsightly pointed nose. He raised the hand not holding a glass of orange juice.

"Dr. Umleit. I'm an enthusiast when it comes to your work."

She didn't take the hand, though she did grace him with a sip of the drink when he motioned. "I'm flattered. Happy to give an autograph after I've nailed the audition, but I need a bit of quiet time. Sorry." She curtly turned around and was about to begin her meditative training again.

"Begging your pardon, miss, but I hoped to be of some assistance. You see, I feel I can add some elucidation to your conception of my little Ubergirl."

"Your Ubergirl?"

"Oh yes, I've had quite the number of productive encounters with her."

"Oh my God you're a cosplayer." Katherine sighed and got up to find a slightly less kooky corner of the room. Maybe the bit where the wallpaper was peeling, it looked quiet.

"Oh no, no, no. I can understand where the confusion comes from, but I assure you I am truly the Doctor himself."

"Dude, I've never even seen any mention of any Umleit in reports. Are you meant to be, like, Graviton's sidekick or something?"

"Well, naturally I do not allow my identity or powers to be reported. You should really be honoured that you're learning so much while you still can. And I'm offering to educate you more in the necessary understanding a thespian like you requires. Frankly, I'm offended by your foolishness in passing up my offer."

What she hoped was an authentically Ubergirl-like passion flared inside Katherine. She was being mocked. Katherine McNamara does not take acting lessons from bozos in costume. "Oh yeah? And what does the genius Dr. Umleit have to help me?"

The smile on his pale face definitely made a good attempt at supervillainy. "It's simple, I heard your training. You have regrettably passed over the most important part of Ubergirl. The fact that she is my unwitting servant."

Really? All that pompous shit for that kernel of wisdom? "Duh, of course I know about her whole weakness to hypnosis thing. I just don't think it's that important. Loads of supers get hypnotised, what's important is that Ubergirl always saves people in the end."

"Oh no, my dear, you misunderstand. Yes, hypnosis like Onpyh Corp's is astoundingly prevalent this days, and yes, Ubergirl has often publicly fallen victim to such trifles. But I'm talking about something deeper. A truer level of control. One wired into her very being."

Okay, he was starting to freak her out now. Katherine started to back away, her shaking feet landing on the soft floor as she edged backwards. And then he pulled out what looked like an asthma inhaler, and pressed the button.

A thin orange smoke came out, too fast for her to avoid inhaling it. And then nothing happened. She shook her head. Fucking pranksters, now she was totally out of the zone. She turned to leave with a dismissive flick of her hair.

"Now now, my dear. You will stay here, and face me so you can learn."

And so she did. Her red hair swung dramatically through the air as she whipped herself around as fast as possible. She stood still, waiting for him to educate her.

"Why the hell did I just decide to do that?" Her confusion was intense. She faintly knew that she had just resolved to leave the creep, but upon being told to stay, she'd changed her mind. Even worse, no part of her actually thought it was a bad idea. The worst feeling she had was a faint confusion, there was no real anger. It was her choice, after all.

"It really is quite simple to understand. First, my dear, you must understand that most of these hypnotists in modern times are using supernatural methods. Toygirl, D-list villains using pendulums, even the spirals and subliminals of Jupiter's beloved megacorp, they're all either inherently beyond scientific comprehension, or so poorly understood they might as well have been magical. But my drugs, they're based in simple biology. That means I can predict how they'll work, I'll never be surprised by someone breaking out with willpower, or resisting due to mental training. I simply don't attack on the mental vector."

"Then how did you 'enslave' Ubergirl, then?" Katherine still managed to the sceptical. After all, she wasn't bowing down and worshipping him or anything. Clearly this was a load of trash.

"Well, I did use a different compound for her actually. You see, when I spend enough time researching a person, I can produce something tailored to them to make them fully subservient. Besides, I am not even entirely confident that the compound in the juice you imbibed would even work on a superhuman. But for an alluring target of opportunity like yourself, my 'gene therapy' mixture is perfectly suitable." He smiled widely, genuinely happy to be explaining his work, and to be revealing to an unwitting slave what her true nature now was.

"Y-you spiked my drink?"

"Don't worry, dear."

And then she didn't. Katherine calmed down. After all, she'd be feeling the effects of any drug now, right? She decided there was no use worrying about it, and continued to listen to the weirdo's tirade.

"Good, very good my dear. I see you're relaxed, so I will enlighten you as to the effects you have sustained to your consciousness. My drug targets your genes, you see. Specifically those in your neurons. It doesn't do much, except add an epigenetic trigger to a very specific set of genes, across every neuron in your frontal lobe. Now, whenever you are exposed to a very rare and otherwise useless chemical - which I believe I am the only person who goes to the trouble to fabricate - a specific expression of your genes is shut down. That being the ability to evaluate things you hear. So, when I am here, and release the chemical, the next instruction you hear, you will accept uncritically. You will simply obey. So, welcome to servitute, my dear Katherine. I hope it makes you more able to emulate my favourite slave."

Despite how ridiculous it sounded, Katherine knew it was true. Everything fit into place. She was in danger, she had to get out. She held her breath and was about to throw out her arm, to shove him out of the way and make a break for it.

And then her arm spasmed. And her head was filled with a cloying coldness. And then everything was black.

She woke up on a small bed, without covers, the suited doctor sat at her bedside.

"You think quickly my dear. Luckily, I'm a doctor, so I ensured I was the one to take care of you for the last ten minutes. You're fine now. Anyway, I did neglect to inform you of the drug's other effect. You must understand, you are free to rage against my control, to fester in anger at how I have taken your fundamental right to free will. But the moment the nanites in your parietal lobe detect an action potential to act on that knowledge, to run and tell someone what has happened to you, they will release bursts of electromagnetic radiation. This is harmless, but it will overload the nearby neurons, causing them to effectively short-circuit. You may have heard of the phenomenon, as it is most commonly associated with epilepsy. As I said, it is harmless, but it will keep you under my thrall without any of your friends, or any law enforcement professionals, blissfully in the dark about it." His figure was wrapped in shadow, but she could see a strangely caring expression on his face, as if this was some great mercy.

"So I can't do anything about it then?" Katherine was angry, but knew better than to fight. There was no carpet in this first aid room to cushion her fall should she have another seizure. She resigned herself to a defence mechanism of snark and reluctance, until she could think of a better idea.

"No, my dear, I'm afraid the effects will be quite permanent. Now, I must admit I have not done my full due dilligence on the side-effects of the treatment. It certainly doesn't have any other deleterious effect on your genes, but when you are triggered it could potentially cause a more rapid onset of aging, or perhaps compromise your immune system. I can only ask your forgiveness on the matter."

"I forgive you."

Fuck.

"Dammit. Okay, so you've got me under your control. Now what?"

He made a strange clicking sound which might have been meant to be admonishment. "Come now, dear. I truly was hoping to aid you in understanding the situation of the character you wish to play. Now, she is unaware she is under similar control to yours, but I had to keep you cognizant of my control otherwise the whole exercise would be pointless. You needn't worry about the audition, by the way. I will go and tell the receptionist you are okay, and you shall proceed as you originally planned in a few hours. Of course, I will be working to ensure you get the role. I have big plans for this film, you see. It is a perfect serendipity that I can have a skilled actress as a key pawn in my machinations."

"Great, so you'll leave me alone then?"

"Only for a moment. You see, there will be a few hours before your number is called, so I intend to give you a far more thorough examination whilst I have nothing better to do."

Katherine struggled to hold back bile rising in her throat. "Oh my God, you're such a creep."

He stood, fixing his tie. "I'm afraid I may be guilty of that, but a scientist does what he must. Now, when I return, you shall address me as Master. Perhaps after a few examinations you'll start to think of me that way as well."

The light from the hallway briefly illuminated his figure, and also Katherine's face, contorted in anger and disgust. But still she said.

"As you wish, Master."

----

Another delayed request from request week. TheStonemiester1 wanted to see something with one of her headcanon castings of Ubergirl, and it gave me this idea set within Onpyhverse, as well as giving me the chance to bring out my favourite purveyor of hypnosis methods which sound like they're based on real science but I'm pretty sure can't actually work!