Every time Diana saw Superman, she wanted to smile. He was infectious, happiness exuding from him with his cheerful expression, winsome dimples, and sparking blue eyes. He was just so handsome, and though she wanted to be jealous of Lois Lane for getting to be with such a dashing man, she relished her friendship with him. He was so honest, so fair, so intent on helping others that she loved spending time with him, but she resigned herself to just loving being around him, if not loving him.

She tried to hide her enthusiasm for Superman because the grump on their team, the man currently lying in bed and glaring at Superman, did not have as fond feelings for him. Bruce tolerated Superman, he rarely got in his way, he respected Superman's abilities and intellect, but after that – well, Bruce's current scowl spoke volumes about his feelings.

"Hi, everyone," Superman beamed. "I was just flying over, and I saw you three here –"

"Stop snooping in my house," Bruce tried to sit up, coughing.

Diana put a hand on his shoulder. "Stay still. You'll only make it worse."

Selina whirled out of the corner, her eyes gleaming with leftover tears. "She hit me! And she tied me up!"

"I spanked you," Diana corrected. "And I kept you still with my lasso."

Superman blinked, and for a second, his cheeks flushed pink as he looked from the raven-haired superhero to the raven-haired vixen.

Diana rolled her eyes. "You men are all the same, human or otherwise. Go change before you get all excited like Bruce was."

"I didn't say anything," Superman stammered. "I just didn't know you ladies . . . went in for –"

"Oh, good grief," Diana pushed him towards Bruce's walk-in closet, and Superman went, still trying to explain how he did not find the idea of women spanking each other exciting in the least.

"Liar," Bruce coughed. "And no one invited him in. All of you leave me be."

"Does no one care about me?" Selina almost stomped her foot. "I've been beaten raw, and I was promised attention and comfort if I calmed down. I'm calm!"

"All right," Diana sat on the edge of the bed, keeping one hand near Bruce's ankle in case he tried to get out of bed, "come be comforted."

Selina hurried over and sat beside Diana, easing on one hip and hissing.

"I didn't spank you that hard," Diana pursed her lips. But she put her hand over Selina's ass and began rubbing soothing circles. Selina leaned her torso over Diana's lap, allowing the Amazon princess more access to rub.

Diana's lips quirked, but she held the other woman close and rubbed the bottom under the leather suit, feeling the warmth underneath.

Selina made a soft kitty sound and reached up to take one of Diana's dark curls that hung over her shoulder. Selina twirled the lock of hair around her fore-finger and brushed the twined tress against her cheek, purring.

Diana smiled and placed her free hand over the smaller woman's soft dark hair. Still nuzzling the lock of hair, Selina snuggled against Diana's full breasts, sighing as Diana scratched behind her ears.

It was so cute, Diana thought – the dark, dangerous vixen was just a kitty-cat who wanted to be petted.

Diana glanced up to see if Bruce would think it cute as well.

Bruce was frozen in bed, staring at the two women with his mouth partly open. Clark stood in the doorway of the closet, now dressed in everyday clothes. And he was staring, too, his blue eyes wide. Neither he nor Bruce blinked or seemed to be breathing.

"Hmph," Selina smirked in satisfaction. "Everyone loves us – the princess and the cat." She leaned even further against Diana. "Kiss me and we'll give them both heart-attacks."

Diana gave the men a reproving look, Clark more than Bruce, but she just pressed a chaste kiss into the top of Selina's hair. "There, I've comforted you."

"You said you'd rub cream in," Selina pouted the smallest bit.

"Later, when we won't disturb the boys."

"Oh," Selina looked at both men, "even if they don't watch, they'll still be thinking of it. That's right – me naked while Miss Princess here takes her hand and –"

"Oh my word, I've entered into a porno," Clark finally snapped out of his stupor. "Is this what goes on when I'm not here?"

"Shut up," Bruce said, his eyes fixed on the women even though he blinked with exhaustion.

"I've never done a four-way," Selina smiled. "But I bet I would be good at it."

"That's enough about sex from all of you," Diana said as she righted Selina to a sitting position, ignoring the younger woman's pout. "Clark, Bruce is sick."

"That's her opinion," Bruce frowned.

"And mine," Selina smiled as he glared at her.

Clark studied Bruce for a second. "His heartbeat is up, his temperature is higher than normal, and his lungs are inflamed."

"I should have sold you to Luthor when I had the chance," Bruce groused.

"Ha-ha," Clark smiled good-naturedly.

"I was there," Selina nodded. "Luthor offered Bruce – well, he was Batman at the time – two million for your capture."

"I'm not scared of Lex," Clark continued with his normal cheerfulness.

"Who are you scared of?" Selina's voice was almost a purr.

"Right now, Lois. If she knew what you all were up to – she'd never let me hear the end of it."

"I like Lois," Selina grinned. "She's pretty. I would like to play with her, but in a nice, soft way."

"Anyway," Clark interrupted loudly, "I stopped by to update you on the Justice business. But I can tell you later since –"

"Since I'm here," Selina got up off the bed, stretching out her body until her tight catsuit curved over her form. "Do you think there's any information you have that I couldn't get out of Bruce slowly, cruelly . . . all night long?"

"Okay then," Clark didn't seem to know where to look. "Green Lantern is meeting with the Lanterns for the next week so he'll be out of reach, and the Flash and Green Arrow made it to China safely for the counsel there."

"That is boring," Selina leaped onto the armchair and perched there on all fours. She began grooming herself, catlike, brushing her short hair back from her face.

"I still say I should have gone with them," Diana got up off the bed. "I'm skilled in diplomatic tactics and I know how to reach objectives –"

"You do too much," Clark said quietly. "We're a team and we delegate. Where are you going?"

The last bit was directed at Bruce who had made a movement to get out of bed.

"I have intel down in the Cave about the next U.N. meeting. Diana, stop babying me."

"This isn't babying you," Diana tucked him back into the bed with strong hands. "This is just shy of force. I spanked your girlfriend – I have no problem keeping you in bed."

"I'll go get it," Clark offered.

"You stay out of my Cave," Bruce looked murderous. "You step one foot into my Cave –"

"And you'll what? Sell me to Luthor?" Clark snorted. "Be right back."

He left so quickly that he was a blur.

"I like him," Selina paused in her grooming. "He's strong and powerful, much more than you." She smirked at Bruce as she swung off the armchair. "He makes you look like a weak, silly, little – Ow!"

Diana pulled her hand back from where she had popped Selina across the rear. "Be nice."

"Witch," Selina muttered. She got onto the bed, pouting, and settled near Bruce, playing with his hair and soothing it down.

"Don't work him up," Diana warned. Her early discomfort had vanished, and as she put her lasso back in her purse, she couldn't help watching the two of them and admiring the way they looked together. Selina was pretty once you got past her seductive ways, and now she looked innocent and wide-eyed beside Bruce. He seemed glad for her comfort; he closed his eyes and breathed out heavily, exhaustion weighing down on him.

Diana considered her option. She could take Superman back to the League and leave Selina to take care of Bruce. Selina had a cruel streak, but she wasn't malicious, and goodness knows she could manage Bruce when she needed to. It was easy to imagine Selina climbing on top of Bruce to keep him down and make him go to sleep.

A crackling noise filled the quiet room.

Bruce's eyes flew open. "The Cave -"

Diana went to the wall where the static noise snapped through a monitor. "Clark? Clark, are you there?"

"Diana," Clark's voice wheezed. "Diana – I . . . inside me. I can't breathe. I –"

"I'm coming," Diana grabbed her lasso, running towards the door. "Bruce, you stay here."

"Like hell," Bruce struggled with the covers, but Selina slung a leg over his chest.

"She said no, and you don't want me to be mean with you, do you, Bruce?" Selina flexed out her claw menacingly.

Diana ran down to the Cave as fast as she could, half-sprinting, half-flying.

Clark was on the floor when she got there.

Her quick reflexes snapped to attention. There was a broken vial on the floor, and green dust scattered everywhere.

"Clark," Diana crouched by him, and he jerked in her arms as he looked up in terror.

"I can't breathe. Oh, please, I'm – I'm dying."

"Did you get the Kryptonite on you?" Diana pulled him to his feet, her bracelets surging with power. She dragged him towards the elevator.

"Inhaled it," Clark trembled. His face was ashen white and his lips looked dry and rotting. "I breathed it in."

Diana hit the lift button, and he clung to her as they shot upwards.

"This is the end," Clark gasped as she got him out and towards the upstairs staircase. "I'm dying. Tell my mom I love her."

"Clark –"

"Tell Lois I love her. Take care of her for me."

"Clark, you breathed in Kryptonite. It's weakened you, but you're not dying, not yet."

"Everything is numb and dark," tears were in his eyes, and for the first time that Diana had ever seen, he looked weak and scared.

"Yes, it's in your lungs," Diana angled her hips so that she was bearing most of his weight. "But it will work out of your system."

"How do you know?"

"I read Batman's report on toxins," Diana got him to the top of the stairs and turned them towards Bruce's room. "If you inhale it, it goes into your bloodstream. Eventually, your body sweats it out."

"I really think I'm dying!" Clark clung to her.

She dragged him into Bruce's room.

"You!" Clark stared wide-eyed at Bruce. "You did this? You did this to me?"

Bruce had sat up, but his face only registered concern. "What happened?"

"You had Kryptonite down there and I breathed it in."

"I'm doing experiments on it . . ." Bruce trailed off.

Clark swayed dizzily on his feet. "I knew it! You're going to sell me to Luthor!"

"Now, Clark," Diana started, but he shook his head furiously.

"No," he clutched her shoulder as he swayed, "Bruce's always had it in for me, the brooding man with his secret cave and all his special toys! He's poisoned me and he's going to sell me to Luthor and he'll lock me in a prison lined with Kryptonite. I don't want to be locked in a Kryptonite prison. And I don't want be sold to Luthor."

"No one's selling anyone," Diana declared. She looked at Selina. "Help me get him into bed."

"He's not getting into bed with me!" Bruce bellowed as Selina got off the bed and took Clark's other side. "There are fifteen other bedrooms in this house."

"Yes, but there's only one of me," Diana sat Clark on the bed. She started unbuttoning his collar while Selina took off his shoes.

Bruce snarled, but as Clark's wheezing grew hoarser and more ragged, he urged, "Come on, man, just breathe. You can keep breathing."

With Selina's help, Diana stripped Clark down to boxer shorts and an undershirt. By the time she covered him up, he was shivering violently, skin whitish-gray with bloodshot eyes.

"It's okay, it's okay," Diana kept a hand on his forehead. "You just got to keep breathing. You've been infected before, and you survived, didn't you?"

Bruce had scooted over to the edge of the bed, putting about three feet of space between him and Clark, but he looked worried. "Maybe we should call someone."

"Who? We are the people who you call when you're in trouble. He just has to sweat it out. Selina, get me another blanket. Later I'll put him in a steambath, but only once he stops shaking."

Clark's pupils kept dilating, and he couldn't seem to focus on her face. "I was going to marry Lois," he choked out. "We were going to be happy. I don't know about children, but I love her. I love her."

"I believe you," Diana spread the blanket over his quaking form. "She's a very special girl."

"She doesn't care I'm alien. She loves me for me."

"I know, I know," Diana used both hands to press his shoulders into the pillow. He felt so weak under her grip. "You are going to see her soon. Do you want me to call her?"

"She can't come here. She's not supposed to know my secret identity," Bruce said.

Clark glared at him and replied between chattering teeth. "Yes, call her. And I hope she puts your secret identity on the front page of the Daily Planet!"

"That's the Kryptonite talking."

"We're supposed to be teammates and you poisoned me."

"You snooped around my Cave."

"There was Kryptonite dust all over the outside of that vial and I dropped it before I realized what was happening to me."

"That's why I'm the detective and you're the brawn of the operation," Bruce smirked.

"I'm going to tear you apart!" Clark jerked in the bed, and Diana pushed on him harder.

"That is enough. One more word out of you, Bruce, and I'll treat you the same as I did Selina."

Bruce pulled his mouth into his Batman scowl, but he stayed quiet.

Selina had stood back with huge eyes, watching Clark. "He's so pale. He keeps shaking. What about someone at Arkham? Scarecrow? Poison Ivy? They would know about toxins. I could blackmail them into helping."

"Blackmail them into helping Superman?" Diana raised an eyebrow.

Selina gave a half-smile. "I have dirt on everyone. I have favors I can call in, blood debts that need to be paid. I'll do it. Clark shouldn't suffer on our behalf, not from what Bruce and I did."

"What you did?"

Selina glanced away. "Who do you think Bruce got to steal the Kryptonite from Luthor? Luthor has so much of it, tons and tons. It is a prison down in his vault."

Clark jerked hard against Diana's hands in panic. "I've got to get out of here. The League – I can hide there. Luthor can't reach me there."

"I promise you," Diana fixed them all with a wrathful look, "if Lex Luthor shows his bald head anywhere around the three of you, I'll be taking care of him, up-close and personal."

"Oh, that's an idea," Selina pointed out. "Luthor can't touch Wonder Woman. I mean, what's he going to do to her? Criticize her looks? We're safe with her."

"Just shut up!" Diana said. "Shut up and let me take care of these men."

Selina gave her a mean look, but she fell still as Clark's breathing started to get raspy. His lips were paling into an ugly green color, and foam was creeping up at the corners of his mouth.

"Selina," Diana's voice was calm and strong, the voice she used to direct the Justice League, "go to the medical closet down the hall, third door on the right. There is an oxygen tank on the floor. Bring it here with the face mask and any tubes you find."

Selina was gone with the speed of a cat, and Diana picked up Clark's unresisting wrist to measure his pulse. It was frantic as the man struggled to draw in air.

"Here," Selina handed her the plastic mask as she placed the oxygen tank on the floor by the bed.

"Thanks," Diana connected the hose ends to the tank and the mask. With speedy knowhow, she twisted the handle at the top of the tank. Air hissed as it blew through the tube, but she tested it first, breathing in the pure oxygen to make sure it functioned correctly.

Clark made a face as she put it over his mouth and looped the elastic bands to the back of his head. He tried to speak, but she shook her head.

"Just breathe the air in." She glanced at Bruce. "Do you have an antibiotic?"

"Yeah, a few," Bruce glanced at the man lying beside him, "but they're in shot form, in vials. And will it even help?"

"I can find it," Selina rushed off again before Diana could finished her answer,

"Kryptonite is infecting him, and antibiotics seem our best bet."

"Here," Selina ran back in, clutching a plastic-sealed syringe and a vial of milky-white liquid, "it's marked penicillin."

"Good enough," Diana grabbed the syringe and ripped the plastic off. She plunged the syringe in the top of the vial and drew out the top smoothly until nearly all the liquid filled the syringe.

"M-m!" Clark shook his head, his blue eyes wide with fear over the edge of the mask.

"If I had time to test human medicines on you, I would," Diana handed the filled syringe to Selina. "But I'm more concerned about the Kryptonite poisoning you. We don't have an antidote yet."

"That's what I was working on," Brue offered, but she ignored him as she yanked the covers back and roughly rolled Clark on his front, careful to not get the oxygen tube crushed.

Clark squirmed underneath her hands, protesting behind the mask, but Diana held him down and tugged down his boxers to reveal the upper part of his pale backside.

"Nice ass," Selina said, nervously holding the syringe, "but is he weak enough for the needle to penetrate his skin?"

Diana looked at her, sharing her concern for a second. But then Diana took the syringe from her hand and jabbed the needle down high into Clark's right hip.

It went through the skin and he groaned in pain into the pillow.

"Don't move," she ordered as she pressed her thumb over the top of the syringe, slowly emptying the milky-white medicine into his body.

Once it was depleted, she pulled it out. Clark shuddered, but kept breathing. Diana reached down to pull up his boxers, but Selina grabbed her hand.

"No, look!"

The skin around the injection skin turned pale, then pink, growing darker and darker. Clark tensed on the bed, whining with pain. He reached back towards the inflamed area, but Diana caught his wrist and pinned his arm to the small of his back, keeping his hand out of the way. The skin was a fiery red, and Clark kept whimpering about how much it hurt.

But then the redness began to fade. It cooled to a soft pink, but the area around the skin, about the size of a tennis ball, shone with a soft creamy green powder.

Diana touched the powder – Clark squirmed at the touch – and she held out her greenish fingertips for Selina to see. "Kryptonite?"

"It looks like it."

"Oxygen is breathed in through the mouth and into the lungs," Diana reasoned. "It hits the bloodstream and is carried throughout the body."

"So Clark has Kryptonite throughout his bloodstream, but the medicine attacked it, and what?" Selina raised her eyebrows. "Expelled it through his skin?"

"It looks like it," Diana took an alcoholic wipe from the medical box and swiped it over Clark's hip, scrubbing the Kryptonite away.

He immediately relaxed, and she watched his back rise and fall as he calmed down. She listened to his breathing, hearing the slight rasp at the end of every third breath.

"There're more antibiotics," Selina picked up the vial, tipping the glass to see the last bit of liquid. "There's several more vials in the closet."

Diana saw Clark shake his head adamantly, and she tried not to smile at his boyish cuteness as she put a hand on his shoulder, feeling him tremble. There was still plenty of Kryptonite inside him.

"We could use some of it," she said. "But not all of it. We should save some for Bruce."

"I don't need any antibiotics."

"Not now. But I know how bad you get beaten up some times."

Diana tried to smirk at the disgruntled expression he wore. "You've never complained, but I've seen your wounds. You have to take care of yourself – we need you."

Gratitude flashed over Bruce's face, and he relaxed the smallest bit on the pillow. Had it just been the two of men, Diana might have sat beside him on the bed and talked in a low voice about their recent fights until Bruce went back to sleep. But now with two heroes down –

"Get two more vials," she told Selina who obeyed immediately. Then Diana leaned down to turn the handle of the oxygen tank, and a hiss of more air covered most of Clark's protests.

The Princess of the Amazons didn't budge as she reached for the empty syringe. Her tribe had been right: men could be children when sick, but sick superheroes were nothing short of babies.