Diana's eyes opened slowly at first, but they shot open when she realized that she was moving, or rather, being carried down a flight of grey stairs. She tried desperately to clear her mind, she needed to be focused. Opening her mouth to speak, she realized that she had been gagged; when she looked down she realized that she had been tied by her own magic lasso. She couldn't see who was carrying her, but she knew exactly what she was going to do to them when she got out. How had her captor gotten to her in the first place? Then her mind went to her lover, it must have been Shayera, she handed her over to whoever held her. The ebony-haired warrior cursed at herself for being so foolish and trusting.
"I was honestly quite surprised, you know," A thick French accent drifted up to her, "at how easy it was to get on your…good side." The woman who held her laughed deep in her throat, the sound was almost a growl. She recognized that voice, but where? Where?! "Your girlfriend is surprisingly easy to imitate." The voice suddenly sounded just like that of her winged lover, and she was positively elated for a few brief seconds. Shayera hadn't betrayed her, she really did care for her! But then the darker side of the situation made its way to her thoughts; it wasn't Shayera that she had slept with, that meant the redhead was missing. Who could possibly be holding her?
The Amazon moved her jaw and neck until they were sore and she was able to move the fabric covering her mouth down past her chin. "Who are you?" Her voice was sore and cracked, but she willed herself not to let it stop her from getting answers.
"Oh, you don't recognize me? I must not have made a good enough impression." The French accent reared its head again in a mocking tone. "No matter, we're here." Whoever was carrying her had made it to the bottom of the flight of stairs and was opening a heavy metal door that lead to a large store room. Grunts and thumps echoed throughout the vast rafters above, Diana's face twitched every time she heard the harsh thumps reverberate across the walls, she had a funny feeling about what was going on in this strange place.
"Who are you?" She repeated.
"Oh sweetheart, don't try so hard, you'll hurt yourself." Her captor laughed again, the sound echoed around them, as they threw her onto the concrete with a sharp clang as her tiara hit the ground. "Brought you a little something." The French accent was no longer directed at her, but instead to a shadow that was taking obvious delight from torturing the slumped figure in front of it.
"You shouldn't have, you're too good to me." The shadow replied, kicking its plaything one last time before stepping into the light.
"No…" Diana whispered.
"Oh yes baby." Cheetah knelt down and swished her tail gently in the air behind her, then ran it along the princess's pale face.
"You." The Amazon spat, wriggling against the lasso she had come to rely on for many years.
"Me, and her." She pointed a clawed finger at the woman who had carried her down into this place.
The woman Cheetah had pointed at was still in the shape of the Thanagarian, and she knelt down next to her prey, "Let's go to your room." She breathily whispered in Diana's ear, embellishing every syllable and rubbing herself against the captive. The look-a-like stood and laughed, her accent returning as she sauntered around to her partner in crime. Reverting back to her original form, she planted a kiss on the fur-clad woman.
"Were there any problems?" Cheetah looked to her companion, tail moving slowly behind her.
"No, it was almost too easy." Madam Rouge blew a kiss at Wonder Woman and threw her head back laughing, "How is the little birdie?" She asked, striking fear into the woman tied up on the floor.
"No…" Diana whispered, fearing the worst for her lover.
"She's not being very nice, spoiling my fun, not screaming. It has made the whole ordeal very tiring and made me very…" She looked to Diana, "Hungry." She bared her white teeth. Pointing to the shadows she had just emerged from she asked, "Can you guess who I have back there? I'm fairly sure you know her." A sadistic smile crept to her face.
The Amazon shook her head furiously and closed her eyes, refusing to say anything because she knew her lasso would distort her words. "Tch, spoilsport." Cheetah breathed, "Well, I guess we'll just have to introduce you two." She gathered her prisoner into her arms as though she were a bride, "Does this bring back any memories, Princess?" The former scientist purred into the woman's ear as she carried her over to an area that had been stained with dark blood. "I've got a little surprise for you. Do you want to cut it open and see what's inside?"
"No!" Diana screamed when the horrid sight met her eyes; she didn't need the magic of the lasso to compel her into answering, because she could hardly believe what was happening to begin with. Sitting, slouched in the corner of the room with her hands chained above her head and her throat caught in a silver collar, was a bloody, twitching, Thanagarian warrior. Cuts and scratches marred her once perfect flesh, and her own blood covered nearly every inch of her.
When the redhead heard the scream her green eyes shot open and she pushed against her restraints, desperate to get to and comfort her lover, to reassure her that everything would be alright. Her enraged eyes turned to the two who had kept her trapped there. "Get your fucking hands off of her! I swear I'll rip your goddamn throats out!" Her talons extended and her wings tried to flare up behind her, but were prevented by the chains and concrete wall.
Cheetah dropped Diana and put one hand on her cocked hip, "Tch, Tweety, that's the most you've said all day, I'm disappointed that you wouldn't sing for me. Well maybe you'll perk up now that your bitch is here." She spat in the redhead's direction.
"Don't you dare call her that!"
"Look who's talking." One of her slender brows rose. It was then that Shayera remembered that she was still completely naked, the only things actually covering her body being the gashes and bruises that marred her flesh. Her emerald gaze went to Diana, who could only stare at her in shock and utter sadness.
Madam Rouge grabbed a towel and threw it at the more subdued of their captives, "Cover yourself, whore." The piece of fabric fell against the redhead's body and slid down, managing to cover only her stomach and lower, leaving the rest of her open wounds visible.
"Diana, are you alright, did they hurt you?" The winged woman asked, nothing but concern lacing her voice.
The princess couldn't help but give a small, choked laugh, "They've tortured you Shayera, but still you worry only for me." A tear welled in her eye as she tried to work herself into a sitting position.
"I have to, Princess. I'm a lot tougher than you." She managed a smile, but the blood that covered her teeth only served to make her lover worry more. "We'll get out of this." She wanted desperately to hold Diana's hand, but the restraints kept her pinned.
"No you won't." Cheetah piped in, "Not even a little bit." She walked over and knelt beside the redhead, "Let me show you," Her black claws extended and she placed them directly over the woman's pale face as she prepared to strike.
"No!" Wonder Woman screamed, "Don't you touch her!" She threatened, her words like venom as they poured from her lips.
"Good idea, Princess." A sadistic smile once again plastered itself onto the villainess's face. "Tell me, Princess, do you remember when I fucked you?"
The Thanagarian and her lover's eyes both went wide, and the magic lasso began to glow a bright gold, forcing her to speak, "Yes." A tear fell from one of the Amazon's bright blue eyes.
"Oh how exciting." The fur-clad woman purred as she stood and walked to her other captive. "Did you like it?"
Being forced to answer, she closed her eyes, "Yes." The tears kept flowing.
"Well now, isn't that interesting?" She stood behind Diana and pulled her up so that she would be standing as well. "I might just let your girlfriend live if you fulfill certain….desires of mine." She breathed into the Princess's ear and trailed clawed fingers through soft black hair.
"Shayera…" A steady stream of tears fell from the Amazon's blue eyes, her lips quivered as Cheetah's long nails extended and trailed down her arms. Seeing her lover, beaten and bloodied, and knowing that she would have to submit to her arch foe in order to save them both killed her inside. She shook her head and her mouth fell open, pleading with her lover with her eyes, desperately hoping that she would understand why she had to do this, for them.
"Diana, no!" Shayera yelled, every muscle in her body tensed, on fire, a sensation she would only be able to describe as fury. She gathered her legs beneath herself and screamed in pain as she pushed against the restraints, shattering her silver collar, and ripping the shackles on her hands out of the wall. Spreading her grey wings above her, she leapt at Cheetah with a scream of primal fury, her utterly unmistakable Thanagarian war cry. The stunned villainess dropped Wonder Woman, who fell to the floor by the other woman's feet, as the tried to prepare for the oncoming attack. The redhead's sharp talons extended as her strong hands wrapped around her enemy's golden throat, but they were smacked away by Madam Rouge's arms just as she was beginning to squeeze. She was forced to the ground and held there by the woman made of plastic while other woman caught her breath and grabbed Shayera's magic mace with nothing but the worst intentions. The redhead kicked, clawed, and thrashed beneath the grip of rubber arms, all the while screaming with pure rage and burning hatred, determined to break free.
"Well, that was a good little show there, but it needs to end. And what better time to call it curtains than when your girlfriend is sitting right here watching?" She turned the weapon over in her clawed hands, trying to figure out how to active its magic properties. "Oh well," She lifted the weapon above her head, "I guess I can just beat you to death without the special effects." Just as she began to bring the mace down, the Amazon swung her body weight around and tripped Cheetah with her legs, sending her crashing down against her partner in crime. With a distraction like that, Shayera was able to claw her way out of Madam Rouge's grip and get a hold of her mace.
Squeezing tightly on the leather-covered handle of her weapon, the Thanagarian activated the magic that surrounded and strengthened the mace; without so much as a second thought, she swung it straight at Madam Rouge, paralyzing her and sending her crashing to the ground. With a satisfied smile, she turned her gaze on a fear-stricken Cheetah and dropped her mace to the floor. A smile crept onto the cat-woman's face, "You shouldn't have done that."
"Let's finish this." Hawk Girl spat as she leapt at her enemy and threw her arm out in a broad sweep, trying to catch the woman's throat or torso, but her opponent was too fast and managed to duck just as the blow would have connected. In retaliation the villainess swung her clawed hand at the heroine but came up short when Shayera used her wings to move a foot into the air. The two continued their dance, a mess of claws and talons, legs and wings, until the redhead was able to catch Cheetah's ankle and throw her into the concrete ground, shattering the pavement into several pieces and making a crater. Cheetah coughed up a mouthful of blood and turned over onto her side, wheezing after the air had been so thoroughly knocked out of her. The winged warrior landed above her and leaned down, taking her throat in one pale hand and lifting her against the opposing wall. Furred hands tried weakly to pry the hand away but failed, and drew her last breath as the Thanagarian's lip curled in a fierce snarl and she pulled Cheetah's trachea out with a primal scream. She let the limp body fall to the floor and collect in a heap as she sprinted over to her princess. Tugging desperately at the magic lasso, she was finally able to get her lover free before collapsing next to her on the concrete floor.
"Shayera!" She yelled, grabbing the redhead and pulling her into her lap.
"It's alright, I'm alright, I just need a minute." A pale, bloodied hand reached up and tangled itself in shining black hair. "I'm sorry."
Wonder Woman sniffled and cupped her lover's face, "For what?"
"For leaving you yesterday, that was rude of me."
Diana chuckled lightly, trying not to cry, "You protected me…I can't…Thank you. Why would you do that for me?"
"Because I love you, Princess." The Thanagarian breathed, giving her lover a lopsided smile.
"I-I love you too, Shayera." She whispered as she leaned down and kissed the woman who had loved and defended her. In that instant, all her feelings of mistrust towards the other warrior faded away and were replaced with so much love that a state of utter euphoria washed over her.