The Body Doubles

 

In

 

Casting Call - Part 5. “Prima Donnas.”

by Skytower 

 

 

“Damn, just when it was going so well.” Carmen said.

“That’s always the way.” Bonnie agreed.

“That’s trouble.” Uncle Nick said. They watched on the monitor as Crimson and Slutania beat Ivy to the ground.

“That’s more than trouble.” Raul said looking at his readings. “Those two are an identical match for the Witch and Ultra Woman. Same powers. We needed Wonder Woman to take out Ultra Woman and this girl looks to be a whole lot meaner.”

“Ah-duh.” Bonnie said they watched Slutania break Ivy’s arm.

Carmen agreed silently and for the first time in a while she felt fear. It was one thing to go up against a superhero. They didn’t kill. Even Batman drew the line at killing. But these two… When Carmen looked at the monitor she didn’t just see copies of Wanda and Tania; she saw herself and Bonnie.

On the other hand…

“You know if we could catch them and strap them into the machine…” Carmen said. “Those two plus the three we have now… We’d break the porn meter.”

“It could work.” Bonnie said. “But how?”

“We gotta break out the heavy stuff.” Carmen said. “Mr. Jade takes the blonde, we’ll hit the witch.”

“I’ll see if the computers can spot a weakness.” Raul said. “If I can hit’em with a heavy gravity beam we can cut’em down.”

“Go guy.” Carmen said grabbing her blaster. They all left and Raul started to work on the computer. He didn’t notice the spectral presence coming through the wall behind him.

 

 

 

“You’re damn right you’ll deal with us now bitch!” Carmen snarled as a concussion blast threw Crimson and Slutania back into the room. Carmen, Bonnie and Uncle Nick burst into the room after them. She was putting on a brave front but Carmen was becoming more and more scared. Her ambition to recruit the two new arrivals into the film was faltering as she saw the evil glint in Crimson and Slutania’s eyes. The sight of Harley Quinn hanging from the rafters, beaten bloody and broken was terrifying. Usually even if you wanted to do that to her you didn’t, she was the Joker’s girl friend and everyone was scared of him.

Crimson laughed and after a moment Slutania joined her. Carmen realized with a sinking feeling that her first instincts had been right.

“Do you really think a pansy and two over rated bounty hunters will overcome us?” Crimson demanded.

“Not them alone witch!” Mr. Jade said. Crimson jumped aside as he slammed his fist into the back of Slutania’s head.

That’s our best opening shot, Carmen thought as Mr. Jade started to pound the back of Slutania’s head. She hoped that Raul could come up with something else. Their shots hit Crimson dead on but the energy that should have sliced her in half was dispelled by a force shield. Even so Crimson fell back stunned, but not stunned so much that she couldn’t dodge the next set of shots.

Infuriatingly the heroines simply ignored the fight and kept on eating grass. Carmen hated them for that. They should have been helping.

 

 

 

They aren’t idiots, Crimson thought as the other three started to fire. A mystic shield saved her and she saw Slutania start to fight back. Mr. Jade had struck the first blow but Crimson had faith in her lover’s ability to beat him. And in her own ability to handle these three. A wild joy rushed through Crimson as her powers manifested. A fog erupted from the floor and obscured everyone.

“I do my best work in the dark.” Crimson laughed making her voice come from all directions. Bonnie, Carmen and Uncle Nick started to fire wildly.

 

 

 

Slutania’s head rang but her instincts saved her. When he came in for a second blow she ducked and drove her fists into Mr. Jade’s crotch. He grunted and doubled over. Slutania swept his legs out from under him and backed off. They might be equal in strength, that one blow he had landed had been a good one. She was dizzy and tasted blood in her mouth. At the very least he outweighed her and that would give him the advantage of leverage. So she waited until he started to stand up and kicked him in the face. He fell back staggered and Slutania spared a glance at Crimson. Crimson had formed a spell that had turned the air around her three opponents to fog. She smiled. Within her and Crimson’s memories were the details of the fight that Wanda and Tania had lost. They knew how the Body Doubles fought. Crimson was safe and that left Mr. Jade for Slutania. She smiled and aimed a blow at the green man’s lower back.

But at the last moment he turned and grabbed her wrist, pulling her down and wrapping his legs around her stomach. Slutania gasped as the air was forced from her lungs. He kept his grip on her left wrist but that left her right one free. The man was behind her with no easy way to hit him. His legs were wrapped around her stomach and hitting them would be useless. His free hand closed on her breast and squeezed almost as hard as her legs. Air was being pushed out of her lungs fast. Slutania had only a few moments at full strength left. With a heave she rolled over so that he was on her back and she was on her hand and knees. Then Slutania rolled forward pressing her chin into her chest. It worked and Mr. Jade’s head slammed into the hard concrete floor. He grunted and lost his grip.

Slutania fought away from him and tried to get air into her lungs. Multicolored flashes in the fog told her that Crimson was busy. For a moment Slutania felt fear but then she saw Tania casually eating the grass.

“Weak…” Slutania hissed. “Only the weak are beaten!”

Rage pushed the Amazon to her feet and her mind started to run through battle strategies. Mr. Jade moved before she could think and his foot slammed into her throat.

 

 

 

Crimson moved easily through the fog. She had created it not using the mutant powers that she had gotten from Wanda but by using the mystical skills that Agatha Harkness had taught her. Even as she concentrated on the fight Crimson felt both wonder and scorn for her master print. To have so much power and not to use it for her own gain… It was such an alien way of thinking that Crimson rejected it completely. Wanda deserved to be a cow.

These three could actually make good slaves, Crimson thought. She raised her whip and it sailed out and sliced through Bonnie’s halter top. Once I’ve trained them a bit, Crimson she added to herself with a smile.

Bonnie screamed as her breast fell free and shot at the place where Crimson had been standing. Crimson moved behind Carmen and gave her a little push. Carmen grunted and shot wildly, nearly hitting Uncle Nick. Crimson’s whip sang out and sliced along the seam of the back of Bonnie’s pants, cutting them open.

“Show yourself bitch!” Bonnie called out as her tight pants clung to her but started to peal away from her butte cheeks.

“Right here.” Crimson said in front of her. Bonnie had no chance to react as Crimson slammed her fists into Bonnie’s breasts and her knee into Bonnie’s pussy. Bonnie doubled up in pain and Crimson felt a hand go around her neck.

“You…” Carmen growled as she raked her nails across Crimson’s eyes.

Crimson screamed and struggled as Bonnie careened into her legs and they all went down in a jumble. Bonnie and Carmen grabbed her arms and forced her onto her back. Crimson realized what they were trying to do. The Body Doubles were professional kidnappers; they didn’t want to kill her, just hold her long enough to bind her. With their free hands the Body Doubles started to pound at her stomach and chest. Crimson brought her legs up and hit them on the shoulders. Their grips loosened and she managed to get one arm free and drove it hard into Bonnie’s stomach. She grunted and Crimson grabbed her arm and pulled her down and over into Carmen. She couldn’t do much more than that but the other women were still blinded by the fog. Carmen started to struggle with Bonnie and Crimson worked to get free of them both. But Carmen held on and taking a good hold on Crimon’s wrist she twisted it. Crimson cried out in pain and Bonnie grabbed both of her legs.

“Tie her down!” Carmen yelled.

“I’m the Crimson Pirate you bitch!” Crimson shouted. She grabbed hold of Bonnie’s hair and pulled the woman off of her legs far enough to free them. Then she let Bonnie go and wrapped her legs around Bonnie’s face and neck. Bonnie grunted as the chokehold was applied.

That left Carmen and Crimson stuck her free hand into Carmen’s mouth and pulled down, then pushed away. Carmen fell back and Crimson concentrated on squeezing her legs together more tightly. Bonnie’s struggles were beginning to get weaker. Blood was pounding through Crimson’s body, she had never felt more alive.

 

 

 

Slutania rolled away from Mr. Jade’s punch only to meet his fist with her face. The first punch had been a feint.

Slutania fell back but too late and the powerful green skinned man closed with her. He grabbed between her legs and around her shoulder, lifted her up and body slammed her onto the concrete with enough force to crack it. Slutania lay stunned as his foot came down on her chest again and again.

“You’re almost as easy to defeat as Ultra Woman!” Mr. Jade laughed as his elbow came down toward her stomach. The taunt enraged Slutania and she rolled out of the way. His elbow hit the concrete and he grunted in pain, a grunt that turned to a scream as Slutania slammed her foot into his shoulder.

“I am nothing like her!” Slutania said rolling over to him. She brought both fist down on his shoulder and heard something crack. Mr. Jade howled in pain and Slutania smiled. This was life!

 

 

 

Crimson laughed and brought her head back into Carmen’s face. Then she stomped on the killer’s foot. Carmen grunted in pain and her grip loosened. Crimson broke free and reversed the hold, twisting Carmen’s arm behind her back. With her free hand Crimson twisted the end of her whip around the base of Carmen’s right breast and then stepped back and jerked it hard. Carmen screamed in pain as the whip was drawn harshly against her tender flesh. Crimson kicked her in the ass to send her flying and then looked around. Crimson saw Uncle Nick moving toward the edge of the fog bank. His back was too her and the target was too tempting to resist. Crimson brought her whip up between his legs and snapped it. Uncle Nick went down in a painful heap.

These are the good old days, Crimson thought as she wondered which of the Body Doubles to attack next. It didn’t matter that her life had been a lie, now it was true. She was the Crimson Pirate and she could take what she wanted and dish out pain to her enemies! Crimson laughed. What more could anyone want out of life?

Bonnie and Carmen moved back to back and started to turn slowly. Crimson smiled and a thought came to her. She cast a spell and what was left of Bonnie and Carmen’s clothing came to life and flowed together. The two women weren’t even aware it at first as the threads of Bonnie’s pants smoothly wove themselves into Carmen’s jeans. But they realized what was happening as Carmen’s bra grew and wrapped itself around both of them pinning their arms to their sides. Cursing and straining the two helpless women fell to the floor, their clothing now binding them together.

Crimson laughed as she dispersed the fog and looked at Uncle Nick. He had passed out from the pain.

“Raul!” Carmen called out desperately. “Help!”

“He has been seen to.” The Wraith Lord said walking into the room.

“Who the hell are you?” Bonnie demanded as she and Carmen stared in fear at the skeletal figure in the red robe.

“What the hell are you?” Carmen added.

They were scared, Crimson could tell that even though both women hid it well. Their fear tasted glorious.

“He’s called the Wraith Lord.” Slutania said dragging a beaten and unconscious Mr. Jade over to them. She was dragging him by his ankle and casually dumped him over their bodies. Carmen and Bonnie cursed and squirmed.

Slutania glanced at the three docile superheroines. They had stopped now and then to stare at the fight but then had gone back to eating the grass.

“Ultra Woman knows him, she’s beaten him before.” Slutania said.

“So has the Scarlet Witch.” Crimson said. “The last time they trapped him in the space between the worlds.”

“But now I am free.” The Wraith Lord said walking past the squirming a bound women to stand before Tania. “Reality itself is under attack, the worlds of the multiverse quake under the gaze of the Anti-monitor. But he is too far away and he will be stopped before he reaches our worlds.” A skeletal hand reached out and grabbed Tania’s hair, pulling her head up so that Tania was forced to look at his face. “The old gods fear, but many see opportunity. With reality trembling they see the chance to once more come into the worlds. The gods of light who banished them and put up barriers are gone now. I will herald the dark ones return. And I know that deep inside this trap your body has become you know me Ultra Woman. I can see your spirit shaking in terror for you know what I shall do.”

Tania gazed at him mindlessly but Crimson saw the fear in her as well. All of the helpless heroines were scared.

“Your race shall become my harem Ultra Woman.” The Wraith Lord vowed. I shall visit upon them ten times the humiliation you now endure. But I shall keep you as you are, a cow!” He started to laugh and that laugh chilled them all. Even Crimson.

“Come.” The Wraith Lord said. “We must prepare the spell that will open the barriers. He paused and looked at Bonnie and Carmen. “And we shall need blood.”

With careless ease Slutania picked up the Body Doubles, Mr. Jade and Nick and followed the Wraith Lord out of the room. Crimson spared a last look at the heroines and followed them.

 

 

 

Deep within her fragmented and clouded mind Diana felt a certain joy. She was still nearly mindless; still a cow. But while she kept eating her attention was drawn time and time again to Harley Quinn. Her capture and tormenter was breathing heavily with the effort it took to keep her jaw clamped shut. She had tried free herself but her fingers had been broken. It was only a matter of time before she lost her grip. Harley stared at death and the clown was too sane to laugh that away. Diana could tell that from the tears that ran down Harley’s face. Later Diana would feel shame at the joy she felt at those tears, but not now. Now she was barely able to muster any other emotion. She watched the villains leave and then lowered her head and searched for chocolate.

A scraping sound caught Diana’s attention and she turned her head and saw Ivy crawl through the doorway. The mistress of plants was in a sorry state. Her jaw looked to be broken and so did her nose. Her face was covered in blood and one eye was swollen shut. She was half crawling on the floor, most of her body supported by a leaf from a long vine. One arm was twisted at a bad angle and hung uselessly.

“Ha... Harl...” Ivy whispered when she saw the defeated clown. She let her self fall to the floor and the vine and the leaf moved slowly up toward Quinn. The effort was obviously hard and painful for her and even as conflicted and tormented as she was Diana admired it. But she was puzzled by it. Ivy and Harley truly cared about each other. They were not complete unfeeling monsters. They were friends, perhaps even lovers despite Harley’s attraction to the Joker. How could two intelligent women care so much for each other but have so little empathy for others? Diana saw the same puzzle in the Body Doubles.

The plant reached Harley just as she lost her grip and held her up as she slowly and painfully untangled herself from the ropes and the cables. Then it lowered her to the ground.

“We’re in trouble Red.” Harley said. Her voice had lost its usual light tone and was deadly serious. She stood up and staggered over to what was left of her clothes. “Looks like I get to see how good these heroines are.”

Harley pulled the golden lasso out of what was left of her pants and stumbled over to Diana. Even though the pain was intense Harley managed to loop the lasso around Diana’s wrist.

“B... b... be free.” She managed to stutter the words out. “Be free of all commands.”

Diana’s mind snapped into focus immediately. A thousand thoughts and just as many emotions threatened to consume her mind but she ruled them all out. She spat out the grass that was still in her mouth and sat up. Her head swam and her breasts threatened to tip her over. She felt weak and slightly queasy. Diana looked down and saw that her breasts were at least twice their normal size. She was normally a 46-D cup but thanks to the drugs and the milking she was at least up to an F cup now. Her aureoles and nipples had always been large but not they were double their normal size. Anger surged through her but Harley Quinn and Ivy were out cold. And even as full of hate as she was Diana was not going to beat up a helpless person. Putting aside her anger Diana picked up her lasso and stumbled over to Wanda. Wanda grazed passively as Diana put the lasso around her waist.

“Be free sister.” Diana said. “Be free of all their commands.”

Wanda sat up and let out a stream of profanity, spitting the words out of her mouth with the remains of the grass. She doubled over and threw up, still cursing. Diana winced at some of the words and went over to Tania. Once freed Tania too sat up and threw up. Unlike Wanda she didn’t curse but the anger in her eyes as she gazed at Harley and Ivy was terrible to see.

 

 

 

            “Bitches!” Wanda swore at the unconscious Harley and Ivy. She sat up and spat out more grass. There seemed to be no end to it in her mouth. Her stomach boiled and threatened to convulse again and the vile taste of bile filled her throat, mouth and nostrils. She tried to stand and failed as her breasts threw her off balance again. Wanda nearly screamed in frustration. Her breasts were twice the size they had been and they sloshed around like loose sacks of flour. Wanda doubled over again as harsh cramps wracked her sides. She could still feel where Tania had taken her and the physical pain made the shame even worse.

            “We’ve got other problems.” Tania said. “Our… Our daughters?”

            “No!” Wanda shouted as anger boiled its way through her pain. “Don’t call them that! My God Tania, not only the worst of ourselves but Wraith Lord as well! I don’t know what to call them!”

            Wanda shuddered. She couldn’t help it. In here career as a heroine her dark side had been unleashed once before. Then she had served a dark god and barely escaped. It had taken years for Wanda to put the shame of her evil behind her, to accept the fact that evil was as much a part of her as good. But now a new evil was loose on the world and she had birthed it!

            I’ve given birth, Wanda thought in shock. My god I gave birth to an egg! A plant egg!

            Wanda’s hands covered her vagina and she moaned. She felt Tania’s arm around her shoulders and leaned into her friend.

            “I can’t call them… I can’t call her my daughter! Oh God, I’ve dream of children but…”

            She started to cry and Tania held her. A moment later Diana joined them. The three of them knelt in a group hug and Wanda slowly got her emotions under control.

            “I’m sorry.” She said at last ashamed at her weakness. But the strength to hold her mind together against the chaos of what was going on in the multiverse wasn’t there. Pain had taken it from her.

            “Don’t apologize.” Tania said.

            “I’ve dreamed of having children Tania.” Wanda said as she felt the strength return, helped along by Tania’s friendship. “I thought it would be beautiful. But now… My god will I ever have a child after this? That… That thing hurt me, I can feel pain down there, worse than my worst period! What if that thing is the only child I’m ever going to have?”

 

 

 

            “Aw don’t be a drama queen.” Harley said weakly.

            Tania turned and saw that Harley was awake and had dragged herself over to Ivy.

            “BITCH!” Wanda screeched and lunged at her. Tania held her back but she shared the anger and it took a lot not to let Wanda go. “I’ll show you what it means to do this to Magneto’s Daughter!”

            “You’ll be fine.” Harley said and some of the light insane lilt came back into her voice. “Red always said that a good woman’s like a good bed of manure, you don’t spoil it with the first plant. You would have been good for two or three more eggs before you wore out.”

            “Evil clown.” Diana said in a voice so cold and deadly even the wild look in Harley’s eyes faded. “What you and your friends have done to us is an evil that goes beyond your facade of insanity. When this is over you will pay for it. For now lay there and pray to what ever god you pray to that we can recover and defeat the evil you unleashed.”

            Diana stood up and Tania found herself admiring the other woman. This was an Amazon.

            “If we win you’ll face justice.” Diana’s eyes seemed to burn with fury. “So lay there and think about Amazon justice. I…”

            Diana stopped and Tania realized that Harley had passed out.

            “Useless.” Diana growled and turned back to them.

 

 

 

            “We’ll deal with her later.” Diana said turning back to Wanda.

            “You’re right, now we have to deal with…” Tania trailed off as the right word failed to come to her.

“Your doppelgangers then.” Diana said. “We’ll call them what they are, Crimson Pirate and Slutania. In the movie they were murders and thieves, what are they now?”

            “Deadly.” Tania said. “And with the Wraith Lord’s evil to guide them this world is doomed.”

            “Which world?” Diana asked. She faced Tania. “You are an Amazon sister as am I. But we are not the same amazons. I am Diana, My mother is Hypolita, queen of Themscyra.”

            “My mother is Letitia, one of Queen Helen’s counselors.” Tania said. “I agree, we are both Amazon’s Diana but our worlds are different.”

            “Luthor’s machine.” Wanda said as she pulled herself together. “I can feel it. But more than that. There are red skies out side and constant storms.” She struggled to stand up and Tania helped her. “The Wraith Lord was right, all of creation is in danger! There’s a force, a hideous evil force that is destroying realities. I can sense him… it. The waves of his destructive power are shaking the multiverse. Reality is in flux and we’re only held here by the force of the cloaking device they’re using to hide this place. It’s created a bubble of stability that I must have breached when I brought us here.”

            “The Wraith Lord is from our world.” Tania said. “We can’t let him free.”

            “We can’t really stop him right now.” Diana said. She took hold of her breast and lifted it. “My breasts are very tender, in any battle with Slutania I’d loose.”

            “We might beat her together.” Tania said. “But that would leave Crimson and the Wraith Lord.”

            “I can’t use my powers.” Wanda said and her voice trembled slightly. “Not if we want to stay hidden. I can feel Crimson using hers, she’d feel me using mine.”

            Wanda started to take a step and nearly fell over but Tania and Diana steadied her.

            “Come on.” Wanda said. “Before we do anything else we’ve got to take care of ourselves. Much as I hate to we’ve got to put ourselves in that milking machine again. Then we’ll strap our boobs down.”

            “That won’t help the tenderness.” Diana said as she started to follow Wanda.

            “The medical room may have something we can use.” Wanda said.

            “Wait.” Tania said. They turned and watched as she bent down and picked up Harley’s notebook. “I must know what she thought of us. What!?” A dark look of fury appeared on her face and she looked with pure hatred at the fallen woman.
            “What?” Diana asked.

            Wordlessly Tania showed her the notebook. Diana felt the anger fill her as well. Page after page of the notebook was filled with games of Tic-Tac-Toe and drawings of the Joker raping Tania, Wanda and Diana.

            “Forget it.” Wanda said tossing the notebook away. “Let’s get milked and figure out how to stop those three.”

            “She’s right.” Tania said with a last hate filled look at the unconscious Harley. “We’ll deal with them if we survive.”

           

 

 

            The milking machine had been moved into the medical trailer. The three women had searched for it silently and fear walked with them all. Wanda felt it from Tania who was a sister to her and from Diana who she barely knew. They had all been dragged down so far, far enough to be afraid of going down again. Harley’s theory of how to break them could have worked. They all knew that and they were all afraid of that.

            The minute they walked into the room Diana froze. There in front of her was the machine. The mental manipulation machine. Diana walked over to it.

            “This…” Diana stopped. “I couldn’t fight this. All my strength, all my Amazon heritage, all my pride… This machine laughed at them.”

            Diana started to pound the machine with her fists. Wanda didn’t say a word and neither did Tania. They had both been in the machine but Diana had been in the longest. So they stood and watched as Diana turned it to wreckage. First the chair and then the machine itself. The sound of crunching computer parts was loud in the small room. No part was too small to escape her rage. She ground the electronic components into dust between her hands. Dispite the danger of being discovered neither Wanda nor Tania did anything to stop her.

            “Feel better?” Tania asked when Diana stopped.

            “Yes.” Diana said, walking over to the milking machine. “No. But at least it can not be used again.”

            Diana knelt into the machine.

            “We’ll do the same to this thing.” Wanda said as she started to strap the cones onto Diana’s breasts. Diana groaned as the machine started to work and Wanda felt a twinge of guilt.

            “Here.” Tania said draping a white robe over her. Wanda looked up to see that Tania had found them each robes.

            “Thanks.” Wanda said putting it on. She’d actually forgotten that she was naked. It felt good to have some sort of covering again.

            “I’m going to see if I can find out what the Wraith Lord is up to.” Tania said going over to the computer console. Our captors had cameras everywhere.”

           

 

 

            A Little while later Wanda looked up at the display and tried hard to feel a little pleasure. It was her turn in the in the milking machine and the thing was dragging at her near empty breasts. They had done this to her and they were in trouble. Wanda should have been happy about that. Diana had found out how to switch the images, going from one camera to the next. Now the image was from the forest set of Rocket Rita. At first all they saw was Bonnie and Carmen being whipped by Crimson. The Body Doubles had been hobbled but their arms were free. It didn’t do them much good. Crimson was expert with the whip. Wanda wondered about that, she had only used a whip once or twice in her entire life and never been good at it. How much of the fictional life of the Crimson Pirate had migrated into the real person? What part of her was still in that woman? Diana had found another view and they watched as Slutania started to carve a pentagram on the concrete floor. She used her fingers to gouge out the shallow pattern. Then she and Crimson had staked Carmen and Bonnie nude on both sides of it. Their heads lay inside the circle of the pentagram and with a flick of her whip Crimson had cut their throats. Not deeply. Just deep enough for the blood to start flowing and fill the pattern. The Body Doubles were afraid and suffering and Wanda desperately wanted to feel good about that. She hated them after all. But it was no good. Those women would never understand what they had done to her, Tania and Diana. To them life was a movie; a stage set with cardboard cut outs. They would never understand other people’s pain.

            The machine stopped and Wanda sat up. Her breasts pressed weightily against her chest. They were large, flat and useless. But above all else they were tender.

            “Here.” Tania said handing her some bubble wrap that she had found. She and Diana had found rolls of it in a closet and had wrapped it around their chest, binding their breasts and providing a little protection at the same time. It felt like she was being wrapped in Saran wrap but Wanda did it anyway. When she was done she put her robe back on and hoped that she didn’t look as bad as Diana and Tania did. Their chests bulged under the fabric and hiked up the robes to their thighs. They were all tired and depressed, but grimly determined. All of them had found their costumes in the closet with the robes. But the costumes really didn’t fit anymore. They could wear the boots and the bottoms, but the tops would not fit over their chests. Tania and Diana settled for pulling their one piece suits up as far as they could go, then throwing the robes over themselves. Wanda did the same but over her robe she threw her cape.

            “Are we sure of this plan?” Tania asked.

            On the screen the Body Doubles were becoming more and more pale as their blood filled the pentagram.

            “We have to stop the ceremony.” Wanda said. “And soon. If the Wraith Lord completes it he will have permanent possession of Mr. Jades body. But I don’t like splitting up.”

            “There are only two ways to do this.” Diana said. “We can physically stop the ceremony or we can shut down the cloak that keeps this pocket of reality stable.”

            “That would leave you in a very bad place.” Wanda said. “Right now this place is like a bottle floating up and down on the tide. Shutting off the cloak will shatter the bottle. The Wraith Lord will be stuck between worlds again. If we stay together I might be able to keep Tania and I stable in a hex sphere long enough to get back to our own universe. But if we do you’ll be alone here with the Body Doubles and Crimson and Slutania.”

            “The Body Doubles aren’t going to be a problem.” Diana said gesturing to the screen. “And I can use what is in that van to capture Crimson and Slutania.”

            “We shut off the power and you use the van?” Tania asked and Diana nodded.

            “Watch the monitor, when I drive the van onto the set you make your move. I’m sure that I can keep them busy enough for a short time. They’ll be caught off guard by the cloak vanishing, that will give me the chance I need.”

            She didn’t have a chance. Wanda was sure of that. And she was sure that Diana knew that. But then how many times had she and Tania been in this position? How many times had they had no time to plan or rest? It wasn’t fair. No matter what universe they were in it wasn’t fair. But she didn’t say that out loud. Diana had the same soul as Captain America, the same spirit as any Avenger. She’d take the chance to keep her world safe.

            “Risky.” Wanda said. “If we don’t make it…”

            “Then I will.” Diana interrupted her. “And If I don’t succeed…”

            “Then we will.” Tania said finishing the sentence. Tania put her hand on Diana’s shoulder. “Sister I am honored to know you.”

            “I am honored to know both of you.” Diana said returning the gesture. “May the gods grant that we both succeed.”

 

 

 

            The desert sun beat down on Diana and bits of sand stirred up by the wind scraped against her body. Diana ignored it. Above her was a red sky filled with lightning and she ignored that as well. Reaching back into her mind Diana tried to remember what Batman had told her about stealing cars. Diana hadn’t paid much attention to him at the time. She had still been new to man’s world and she could fly. What did she need with a car? Later when he taught her to drive she still didn’t think she needed to know how to hotwire.

            If I live through this I owe Bruce an apology, Diana thought. She had only glimpsed the van once before the battle with Bonnie and Carmen had started. A brief glimpse while she was flying through the air dodging the debris after her battle with Giganta. The battle seemed a lifetime ago.

            Diana reached the van and looked inside. Her jaw almost dropped as she saw the keys lying on the dashboard.

            “Finally some luck.” Diana said getting into the van. She stepped into the back and started to load up with weapons. Into the pockets of her robe Diana put gas bombs and a taser. She chose the biggest blaster riffle there and checked it. The energy read out was full.

            “Now…” Diana said as she started the engine. It came to life but after a minute so did a voice from the dashboard.

            “Enter security code.” The mechanical voice demanded.

            “Damn!” Diana swore and pressed hard onto the accelerator.

            “Theft alert.” The voice said calmly but at the same time a wailing alarm came from under the hood.

            “Well I am the distraction.” Diana said grimly holding onto the wheel as the van surged forward.

            The van bounced over a few bumps in the tarmac but Diana controlled it and drove it through a partially open doorway. The effect was tremendous and even as she was controlling the van Diana was marveling at it. It was like stepping from one world to another. Outside was the desert, inside was a jungle set filled with Ivy’s plants, lighting bays, film equipment and more. In the center of it all was the pentagram with Bonnie and Carmen and Mr. Jade. Diana’s heart fell when she realized that it was too late. The Wraith Lord had entered Mr. Jade’s body.

            Out of the corner of her eye Diana saw the Crimson was about to cast a spell. She veered the van to the left and had trouble controlling it as the van bounced over thick power cables. But she controlled it long enough to hit Crimson and send her flying into the faux jungle.

            The scream of rage that shook the van didn’t surprise Diana. She felt the vehicle lifted up and tossed aside. It rolled and Diana rolled with it, bouncing from side to side against the walls. The van came to rest on its side and Diana had only a few seconds to gather herself before Slutania tore the top of it off. With a look of fury Slutania reached for her and Diana pulled the taser out of her pocket.

 

 

 

            Wanda looked at the power unit and fought down her frustration. She could hear the battle going on between Diana and Slutania. But before her was a fusion power unit. Ten feet wide, fifty feet long and eight feet high. Five control panels competed for her attention. Reed Richards had briefed Wanda on fusion power, but this design was alien in origin.      

            “We don’t have much time.” Tania said.

            “If I do this wrong I could blow up the state.” Wanda said tapping a few keys on the console. The display changed to another graphic and she started to work through it. It looked vaguely like a schematic.

            “Emergency shut down.” Raul said from behind them.

            Wanda and Tania whirled to see him crawl toward them. Raul had been torn in half. There was no blood or organs though, his skin had sealed itself. Still he was weak and pale. Wanda guessed that it was an effort just to move.

            “You live?” Tania demanded.

            “I’m not human.” Raul said crawling forward on his hands. “Bone face didn’t realize that.”

            “But I realize it now.” Mr. Jade said.

            A metal rod sailed through the air and impaled Raul to the floor. Wanda and Tania turned to see Mr. Jade standing in the doorway. He was wearing the pirate costume but his eyes burned with a red fire.

            “Wraith Lord.” Tania swore standing ready as he stalked toward them.

            “Your future lord and master.” He said and there was a tone of insane lust in his voice. “For thousands of years I dreamed of having you, breaking you, mastering you. Now I will.”

            “Not while I breathe!” Tania shouted launching herself at him.

            Wanda turned back to the console and hoped that Tania could keep him away for a few minutes. The time for caution was over and the words of Ben Grimm came to mind.

            “When in doubt smash everything and hope you’re somewhere else when it all goes blooey.” Wanda whispered.

 

 

 

            Diana dodged Slutania’s blow but only by a few inches and she realized that it had been a trap. Slutania tripped her to the ground and Diana landed hard on her back. While she was still dazed Slutania bent down and grabbed Diana’s ankles. With a heave she lifted Diana off of the ground and started to spin her around. Diana was helpless to stop her and the spinning made her dizzy and even more helpless. Slutania started to curve the spin, lifting her up and after a few times she raised Diana in an arc over her head and slammed Diana face first into the concrete floor. The pain was beyond description and it was all that Diana could do to stay awake. She knew that bones were broken. Still Diana grunted in pain as Slutania flipped her onto her back. The evil amazon sat on Diana’s stomach, pinning her arms under Diana’s body. Slutania ripped away the padding over Diana’s breasts and then she started to slap them. Too weak to fight back Diana could only lay there as painful blow followed painful blow. When they at last stopped Diana looked up. Slutania was smiling as she looked at one of the prop daggers from the movie.

            “This was good enough to almost kill Rocket Rita in scene 45.” Slutania said. “It should be good enough to kill you for real.”

            I die in battle, Diana thought as Slutania started to press the point against her throat. Forgive me my friends.

            “Hold it bitch!” Uncle Nick called.

            Diana looked over and saw that Uncle Nick had tied, gagged and blindfolded Crimson. She was just waking up but was helpless in his grip. He held a gun to her head and the look in his eyes set it all.

            Slutania growled.

            “Take overs done.” Uncle Nick said. “You want her to live you do what I say.”

            “No.” Slutania said. “I don’t.”

            Faster than any human eye could follow she threw the dagger.

 

 

 

            “To feel your flesh at last!” the Wraith Lord said as he held Tania against the wall by her throat and pushed his fingers between her legs. “It is beyond glorious! I shall take your body as no one has taken it before! You shall bear me children!”

            Wanda managed to get to her knees. They were both helpless against Wraith Lord and it hadn’t been a fight. He had toyed with them. She tried to summon a hex sphere but a look from the Wraith Lord sent her careening back into the wall. She fell to her hands and knees and tried to ignore the pain.

            “Free me.” Raul whispered.

            Wanda looked and saw that he was still alive. The rod that impaled his body didn’t seem to be hurting him at all.

            Wanda crawled over to him and took hold of the rod. She used it as a brace while she climbed to her feet and then took hold of it. Slowly she started to twist it back and forth, trying to free it.

            “Allow me.” Wraith Lord said reaching over her shoulder and taking hold of the rod. He lifted it out of the floor with ease. Then he slammed Wanda and Tania face to face and twisted the rod around their waists, tying them together. The edges of the rod stuck out from either side forming a perfect handle. He grabbed it and spun them around and the stopped them. He laughed as he started to massage both of their breasts. Wanda and Tania both moaned but Wanda watched as Raul stretched his hand over to the control console.

            An idea came to Wanda and she started to try and turn to face him.

            “Villain!” Wanda cursed and tried to lift her arms. He caught them and turned her so that she was facing him. His kiss was brutal and forced but Wanda took it, returning tongue for tongue. Then when he broke away Wanda used all her remaining strength to lift her knee into his balls.

            The results were perfect. He staggered back stunned and tripped.

            “Now Raul!” Wanda called.

            “No!” Tania called. “Not yet.”

            She shifted her weight and Wanda realized what Tania intended. She shifted as well and they both fell on top of the Wraith Lord. The end of the rod that he had used to tie them together impaled his body like a spear. It stuck into his stomach and pinned him to the floor.

            “Now Raul!” Tania called. “Before he can heal!”

            The Wraith Lord growled and tried to throw them off but Raul entered in a last command and then threw a switch. Alarms started to sound.

            “NO!” Wraith Lord screamed.

            He threw them of them off and stood up, but blood was flowing from his wound. Even so he got to his feet.

            “I will not loose!” He screamed turning to Raul.

            “Again Wanda!” Tania hissed.

            Wanda joined her and together they rammed the edge of the rod into the Wraith Lord’s back. He screamed and they all feel down into a heap. After a few seconds of twitching he lay still and then a wave of energy pushed them off of him. Tania and Wanda watched as the skeletal form emerged from the corpse.

            “I will not be denied!” The Wraith Lord swore. “There is another way!”

            He ran out of the room and Wanda began to feel reality shredding itself around them.

            “I hope Diana made it.” Wanda said forming a hex sphere around herself and Tania. She poured all the energy she could into it and that energy reacted with the tidal forces of the multiverse and swept them away.

 

 

 

            Diana didn’t know where she found the strength but as soon as Slutania’s attention was diverted she threw the woman off of her. The dagger missed but Crimson slammed her head back into Uncle Nick’s face and he lost his grip.

            “Crimson!” Slutania said going for them.

            No you don’t, Diana thought reaching into her pocket. The only thing she had left was a chloroform pad and she grabbed Slutania from behind and clamped it over her face. Slutania stumbled as the chemical started to slow her down and her hands reached for Diana’s face. Diana held on grimly even as she appreciated the irony that she was knocking out another woman with chloroform. She knew exactly what Slutania was going through.

            “Release her!” Wraith Lord shouted as his skeletal form entered the room. With a wave of his hand Diana found herself thrown back and she landed hard against a camera. She watched as the Wraith Lord pulled Crimson and Slutania together and started to chant a spell.

            The world shattered like glass before he finished it. For a moment Diana felt herself stretched across time and space. She felt a thousand versions of herself pressing in on her.

            Then it was over and reality was stable around her once more. Diana looked around and there was no sign of Crimson, Slutania or the Wraith Lord.

            She started to get up but before she could a chloroform cloth was pressed against her face.

            “Sorry doll.” Uncle Nick said.

            Diana was too weak to even think of fighting back.

 

 

 

            Epilogue

 

            Diana leaned back in the chair and sipped her hot chocolate. Even now she couldn’t stop craving the stuff. In front of her the computer waited patiently.

            “Resume recording.” Diana said and the computer beeped in reply.

            “I woke up in a motel in Las Vegas one month ago.” Diana said. “Bandaged and more or less whole. The crisis has passed and everyone believed the story I told about being trapped between dimensions. Even Batman believed me. I kept my ordeal secret and I hoped that the Body Doubles would as well. Yesterday they showed me that they would.”

            She held up a DVD case and looked at the cover. On it a woman wearing the Rocket Rita costume stood posed in front of rocket ship. “This was delivered to my apartment yesterday morning. The Body Doubles were as good as their word. I have watched the film many times and there is no way to tell that it is me or Harley Quinn or Poison Ivy playing the parts. They have edited it perfectly. I hate them for what they did to me and what they might have unleashed, but I will not go after them now. It shames me to say this but I do not want my humiliation made public.”

            Diana put the DVD down into a box. The box was solid black and could have withstood a direct hit from Superman’s fist. It was the most secure container she knew.

            “But I don’t know what happened to Tania, Wanda, Crimson, Slutania or the Wraith Lord. They might not have survived. But they might have. So should any member of the JLA encounter them and ask the computer records for a search I have recorded all that happened to us.”

            Diana closed the box and sighed. She was going home for a while. She needed time.

            “Computer, cease recording. Encode under JLA privacy seal class 1.”

            “Confirmed.” The computer said and there was a sparkle of light as the container was teleported to the JLA’s secret record vault deep under the moon’s surface.”

            Diana stood up. The privacy seal couldn’t be broken by anyone. That had been proven. She could at least rest easy about that. She was still worried about Tania and Wanda. But there was nothing she could do about that. She just had to hope that they were all right.

           She left the room and headed toward the teleport room. For once Diana didn’t notice that someone was in the shadows.

 

 

 

            Black Canary made herself stay quiet as Diana walked by. She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop but she had been walking by the computer room on the JLA sattelite and had heard Diana’s voice. Now her blood boiled at what Diana had gone through. Dinah had gone through her own encounter with the Body Doubles. They had broken into her apartment, bound and gagged her and then left because it had been some sort of mistake. She’d been tied up for a day and a night before someone had found her.

            They are going down, Dinah thought as she headed toward the communications room. Power Girl had been captured by the Body Doubles too, she had a score to settle. There’d be no way to trace it back to Diana, but Dinah was determined to bring the outlaws down.

            “This time they’ll be the ones with a ballgag stuffed into their mouths!” Dinah growled.

 

 

End.

 

 

           The fate of the Scarlet Witch and Ultra Woman will be revealed in “Castaways. Our Enemies, Ourselves” Coming in a few months.


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