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Chapter
4
Friends
Here I stand head in hand, turn
my face to the wall, If she's
gone I can't go on, feeling two foot small.
What is that you are singing? asked
Diana. Her companion, a lithe,
athletic young woman wearing tie-dyed jeans that were so tight it seemed
impossible that she could move, had been humming the same ditty off and on
for the last fifteen minutes.
Barbara looked at the tall
brunette. Its a Beatle
song. You know from the movie,
Help!
A beetle
song? Diana asked, her
blazing blue eyes expressing confusion.
A song for a species of insect?
Barbara shook her
head. She was getting used to
this by now. No,
she said patiently, The Beatles are not
insects. They are a rock
group. Or they used to
be. Half of them are dead
now. Dont tell me you have
never heard of them?
A rock
group? Oh yes! Dianas
eyes brightened. Rock
music. I
understand. They are
musicians.
Yes musicians, agreed Barbara in nodding
her head, her auburn ponytail bobbing as she did
so.
Seems like a strange name for a musical
group, Diana persisted as the elevator door opened on the thirtieth
floor.
No, said Barbara, remembering other
similar conversations with Diana, its actually rather
clever. Beatles B, E,
A, T, L, E, S. The beat, get
it?
Oh I think I do, replied the Amazon,
her gorgeous face lighting up in a smile.
But arent they a little
passé? They broke up thirty
years ago.
Youve been having me on, said
Barbara, returning the smile.
Tell me, what sort of music do you
like?
I have a collection of
aulos and kithara
music, Diana replied.
I doubt that it is something you would
like.
Aulos and kithara? echoed
Barbara. Her eyes were checking
the apartment numbers.
Greek musical instruments, explained
Diana. Very
old.
Oh, said Barbara,
brightening. like in
Zorba the Greek?
Sort of, agreed
Diana. Why is it that you
are so interested in old music and old films?
Barbara
shrugged. Im studying
film in uni. Those films are
regarded as a couple of classics of the
genre. Ah, here we are,
3028. She pushed the
doorbell. Thirty seconds later
she pushed it again.
Doesnt look like she is home,
said Diana.
No, but you never can tell with
Kara. Something may have come
up. Im sure shell
be back soon. She knows were
coming. Ill just let us
in. Barbara produced a
key and unlocked the door.
Kara gave me this on our last visit just for such an
eventuality.
The two women entered a well furnished
apartment. Looks like
shes fairly well-off, observed
Diana.
Kara doesnt really need money,
said Barbara. With her
powers she can get all she needs, as you probably
know.
Diana nodded.
She did know. Part of
being able to devote ones life to fighting crime was not having to
work for a living. Thanks to
her heritage, she like Kara and Barbara, was able to focus exclusively on
the pursuit of villains.
At that moment a large gray cat jumped up from
the couch, meowing ferociously.
Barbara jumped back. She
had bad memories of a certain cat.
I think its hungry, Diana
said. Perhaps there is
some cat food in the kitchen.
Speaking of which, its
You want to order
out? Maybe some Greek food?
Barbara teased.
Ill check her fridge, said the powerfully built
brunette, heading for what she hoped was the
kitchen.
Fine, said
Barbara. She watched the tall
woman walk away from her. She
was an impressive piece of femininity.
Over six feet tall, with broad shoulders, and muscular arms, she moved
with the grace of a ballet dancer.
Surprisingly, her tight backside was much smaller than would be
expected. Pursing her lips, Barbara
moved toward the bathroom to freshen up.
A minute later she was headed for the kitchen,
her mission forgotten.
Somethings wrong, she said as Diana came into
view.
The Amazon raised her
eyebrows. Kara must have
left the cap off the toothpaste, Barbara
said. Its completely
dried out.
Diana hefted a carton of
milk. This is
sour. The expiry date was five
days ago.
It looks like she hasnt been here
for a few days, said Barbara,
frowning. No wonder the
cat was so hungry.
Lets check around, suggested
Diana. Perhaps she left some sort of
message.
Nothing, Diana said ten minutes
later. Its as if
she just stepped out for a little while and then got
delayed.
I think this might be serious, Barbara
said. She was really worried
now. Kara was one of the most
meticulous persons she had ever met.
It seemed very unlikely that she would just up and
leave. Especially with her cat
left to fend for itself.
What do you think we should do? asked
Diana. You know this town
better than I do.
Kara carries an emergency beacon with
her. If it is activated we should
be able to find her. She
crossed over to what looked like an expensive stereo system and pressed a
hidden button. A small drawer
slid out and Barbara reached in and brought out a small black electronic
device.
Thats pretty small, said
Diana. Do you think it
will work?
My Uncle Bruce gave it to her, replied
Barbara. You know how good
he is with gadgets.
Diana nodded.
No one better, she
agreed. She had incorporated
a number of those same gadgets into her crime-fighting gear, although not
into her personal attire. She
preferred to travel light, and use her special abilities rather than load
herself down with high-tech crime-fighting
paraphernalia.
Its emitting a signal, said
Barbara, studying the tracking device.
Ill call for my plane, said
Diana, heading for the apartment balcony.
But we traveled here by car, said
Barbara.
That doesnt mean my plane didnt
follow me here. Its always
close by.
Barbara shook her
head. The wonders of Dianas
powers never ceased to amaze her.
Great view from here, said Diana,
but Im going to change into my
costume. Might as well
look the part.
Barbara nodded, she had already pulled her ebony
outfit from her backpack. It
was handy that teenage fashions allowed her to carry a carryall the size
of a small suitcase. She was
always equipped and ready for action.
Diana headed for the bathroom as Barbara changed
behind her. She had no aversion
to stripping in front of her new friend, but thought it might be considered
a bit forward. She had only met
the younger woman a few days ago.
Brought together by their friendship with Kara the two heroines had
decided to travel to Metropolis together.
Quickly she stripped off her clothing and replaced it with her
form-fitting red, blue, and gold costume.
Briefly she studied herself in the
window. She had always considered
her costume a bit risqué, but it was too late to change it
now. The public had gotten used
to seeing her the way she was.
A gold tiara emblazoned with a red star helped
control her great mane of hair. It
was blacker than coal, almost glowing in its luxuriance and reached to the
middle of her back. Her shoulders
were bare, leaving the curve of her large well-formed breasts thrusting up
from her tight bustier. The top
of the audacious outfit was lined with gold trim that followed the curve
of her breasts. Below the trim,
the bustier changed to a blood red that descended to her
navel. It was separated from
her hips by a heavy gold belt that secured a pair of incredibly tight deep
blue bikini pants. A coil of
gold rope of hung from the belt.
Her incredibly long legs ended in a pair of calf-length red leather
boots. Silver bracelets circled
each wrist, completing the startling and erotic
outfit. Satisfied with her brief
inspection, she went to join Barbara.
The girl had donned her own jet black
outfit. Unlike Dians colorful
costume, Barbaras was stark, consisting of only two colours; black
and gold. It completely covered
her body from head to toe, but it was so tight that it revealed every enticing
female curve. Her head and half
her face were covered in a cowl that had been artistically modified to resemble
a bats face and ears. A
long flowing cape reached to her knees.
On her chest was emblazoned the yellow symbol of a bat and a yellow
utility belt girdled her narrow waist.
She wore gloves and her lithe, powerful legs ended in a pair of knee
high leather boots. Diana knew
that in the dark the statuesque beauty could almost disappear, using her
bizarre appearance to terrify criminals when she suddenly appeared from out
of nowhere.
Both women moved to the
balcony. Diana led the
way. For a brief instant
Barbaras eyes widened in shock as her new friend vaulted over the balcony
rail, seemingly headed for the ground thirty floors
below. But the scarlet and blue
heroine seemed to hover in mid air and then walk calmly away from the
building. The plane,
Barbara thought. A bit tentatively
she followed the older woman, trusting that what the Amazon could do she
could also.
Ridiculous, she
murmured. Why did the
Amazons plane have to be invisible?
It didnt hide anyone who rode in
it. She stepped out on the wing,
feeling very insecure. Below
her was a 250 drop to the street, and under her feet was an invisible
wing. She looked toward
Diana. The tall woman was looking
at her expectantly. With a shrug
Barbara moved toward her.
Get in behind me, Diana
instructed. Barbara did as she
was directed. Fumbling about
she found that there was a second seat in the plane, although to her it appeared
that both she and Diana were sitting in mid
air. As soon as she was settled
the plane moved off, propelled by some powerful but silent
force.
Amazing, thought
Barbara. I wonder if Diana
could get me one of these.
She checked the tracer.
Go a bit to the right, she
instructed. Diana
nodded. Without seeming to do
anything the plane banked, or at least Barbara felt it
bank. In a few seconds they were
following the beacon exactly.
Lets hope this works, Barbara
thought. If it doesnt
Kara could be in a lot of trouble.
Kara had about given
up. There seemed only one way
she was going to escape from Luthors clutches and that was with outside
help. She could think of only
one way that might happen. There
was a homing beacon in the chain that fastened her
cloak. If one of her friends
discovered that she was missing
and knew of the homing device she might be
found. But she had no idea whether
it would work in Luthors lead lined
lair. She could only wait and
hope. In the meantime she had
to survive Luthors numerous tests and experiments and she was not sure
she could do that without going mad.
After her faint she had awakened back in her cell,
completely healed as usual. So
far on this day she had been left alone.
If it was day. It might
be night. She had no way of
determining how much time passed.
It was all very disorienting as Luthor intended it to
be. She sat on the bed and waited,
trying to occupy her mind. Boredom
was another factor of her life in Luthors
lair. It occurred to her that
she was either bored silly or absolutely
terrified. There did not seem
to be any in between state. Perhaps
when Luthor showed up today she would ask him for something to
read. After all he could only
refuse. At that moment the door
of the control room opened and Luthor stepped in.
Ah, superheroine, he
said. I see you have rejoined
us. Good; I have quite a bit
planned for you today, but first there is something you should
know.
Kara looked at him, trying to disguise her
interest. There was no way she
wanted Luthor to think that he could manipulate her by dangling enticing
bits of information in front of her.
It appears, he said with a leer,
that you are about to be rescued.
Rescued!
What did he mean? Of course
he had to be tormenting her. Why
else would he taunt her with such
nonsense?
Two of your friends have shown up outside
my factory. They appear to be
searching for a way in. I just
thought Id let you know so that you can get ready to welcome them when
they are taken prisoner.
Karas hopes rose, but fear filled her gut
as well. Two of her
friends. Who were they?
she wondered. Perhaps she was
going to get out of here. But
Luthor seemed confident that he was going to capture them
too. Very
confident. Otherwise why would
he tell her they were on their way?
I was hoping for bigger fish, he
said. Superman or Batman,
but these will have to do.
Who are they? Kara wanted to scream,
but she kept silent. She was
sure Luthor would tell her sooner or later.
Its your two
girlfriends. Or I guess they
are your girlfriends, I dont know much about your private
life. Theyll soon blunder
into the trap I set for them, just the way you
did. Oh, and by the way, thanks
for luring them into my clutches.
Luring them?
What did the archvillain mean?
Oh no, the homing device!
Luthor must have found it and planted it in a place where he could
trap any would be rescuer.
As I said awhile
ago. You are incredibly
stupid. Did you not think that
I would check out every part of your
costume? I found the homing device
several days ago and have been waiting for someone to show
up. He grinned
triumphantly. Smile
superheroine, youre soon going to have
company.
Kara is obviously being held somewhere below
ground, said Barbara.
The tracking device indicates that she is almost directly below
us. The question is how we are
going to get to her?
If she is a prisoner then someone must be
holding her, and there must be some sort of entrance, suggested
Diana. She walked toward a large
steel cover and without effort lifted it from the
ground. How about through
here? she suggested.
Uhm, yes, said
Barbara. She was always impressed
by the displays of strength Diana and Kara were capable
of. Peering into the space revealed,
she shone a tiny flashlight into it.
Looks like some sort of service
tunnel. I can see an access
ladder.
Then what are we waiting for? said
Diana. Before Barbara could suggest
caution she dropped into the hole, not even bothering with the
ladder.
Damn, Barbara
muttered. Lowering herself into
the hole she gripped both sides of the ladder with her feet and slid down
the ladder. Diana was waiting
for her when she arrived.
I dont hear anything, the Amazon
said. But the tunnel runs
on for quite a distance. What
does your tracer say?
Its pointing down the tunnel,
Barbara said. But I dont
like this. Its a perfect
place for a trap. Anyone who
can capture Kara would certainly be a dangerous
opponent.
Point taken, said Diana
thoughtfully. What do you
suggest we do?
One of us should scout ahead to make sure
its safe. Then the other
should follow. If the scout gets
in trouble the other can help out or go for help.
Sounds slow, but safe, said
Diana. Lets hope
Kara can wait that long.
Beneath her cowl, Barbara
frowned. No wonder she
usually works alone, I doubt that anyone could stand her for
long. At the same time
she understood the Amazons
impatience. With Dianas
powers, she would probably have acted the same
way. With her tremendous strength
and other attributes, Diana was simply not used to having to use stealth
or prudence when she went after
criminals. For Barbara, however,
such precautions were almost instinctive.
She had to rely on her wits rather than sheer brute
force.
Diana moved quickly
ahead. She had regretted what
she had said the moment she had uttered the
words. Her short time with Barbara
had made her aware of the girls lively intelligence and there was no
doubting her courage. She knew
that during Barbaras short career as a crimefighter she had gone up
against some of the most dangerous criminals in history. Ill
have to apologize, she thought.
It was not an honourable thing to
say.
She stopped and waited for the black-clad heroine
to catch up. This part of the
tunnel seemed safe. Only the
dim light of Barbaras flashlight illuminated it, but Dianas super
sensitive eyes could see every detail.
They were in a long concrete service
corridor. Lining the ceiling
were high tension electrical lines, and water and gas
pipes. The tunnel curved slightly,
so she could not see more that thirty
feet. It was, as Barbara had
pointed put, the perfect place for an
ambush. But Diana felt not the
slightest hint of fear. Her great
strength and other Amazon skills gave her confidence in even the most dangerous
situations, and as yet there had been no real sign of
danger.
Barbara came gliding up behind her, moving with
her usual catlike grace. Diana
turned. Im sorry
Barbara; my words were spoken in haste.
I did not mean to impugn that you were lacking in
courage.
Forget it, replied the black clad
heroine. If I had your
powers Id be impatient too. I
must seem like a real stick in the mud, slinking along in the
dark.
Far from it, the Amazon replied, her
incredible smile lighting up the
darkness. I admire you
for your courage and persistence.
There is nothing wrong with using ones mind to overcome
adversity.
Barbara did not know whether to take the last
as a compliment or not, but she assumed it was meant to be
one. She wondered what Diana
meant by adversity. Was she referring
ordinary human abilities?
Probably. Diana did not
know what it was like to have to use her mind to deal with
criminals. Her strength always
won out. Not that Barbara did
not have some physical attributes.
She was amazingly strong for an eighteen year old
girl. Years of hard work in the
gym and dojo had given her a body as finely tuned as a concert
piano. But she had learned that
for her brains over brawn usually worked best.
Diana was off down the tunnel
again. Barbara let her get about
thirty feet ahead and then followed.
The indicator on the tracking device told her that Kara was very near
now. Increasing her speed, she
caught up to the Amazon who had stopped and was waiting for her to catch
up.
Kara is close, Barbara
said. Can you detect any
way out of this tunnel?
Not yet, replied Diana, but it must
go somewhere. Her
hypersensitive eyes scanned the darkness, looking for the faintest
clue. Perhaps over
there. She pointed to a
metal panel on the wall.
What is it? asked
Barbara.
Im not
sure. But that panel looks newer
than the metal of the pipes and
such.
Youre right, said
Barbara. It is much
shinier. Everything else here
is a little rusted.
Perhaps I can move it, Diana
said.
Wait, said Barbara, let me
check
Electrical sparks exploded from Dianas hands;
her hair stood straight out from her
head, and then a surge of electricity
threw her across the tunnel, bouncing her off the concrete
wall. She landed on the floor,
a look of stunned surprise on her face; her blazing blue eyes wide and
staring.
Diana! Barbara
screamed. The Amazon heroine
lay sprawled on the concrete floor of the
tunnel. The intensity of the
electric shock had blown open her bustier and left much of her clothing a
smoldering mess. One of her red
boots was twenty feet down the tunnel.
Her tiara had imbedded itself in the concrete of the roof and her
lasso was tangled about the pipes
overhead. Her golden belt had
burst open and was lying a dozen feet
away.
Oh God! said
Barbara. You would be in
such a rush! She knelt
beside the injured Amazon and placed a finger on her throat, feeling for
a pulse. Oh please,
Barbara, murmured, dont be dead.
From beneath her fingertips came a faint
beat. Diana was alive, but certainly
badly injured. Dianas wide
staring eyes frightened her.
Desperately, Barbara tried to think of something that might help her
friend.
The belt!
Barbara remembered reading that Diana was a mere mortal without
it. Perhaps it would help if
she put it back on. Scrambling
to her feet, she located it and scampered back to the heroines
side. Lifting the Amazons
hips, she tried to slip it beneath her in order to strap it on, but that
was as far as she got.
A bright light dazzled her. It came from a powerful flashlight directed by someone standing a few feet away. Barbara scrambled to her feet. Her hand went to her utility belt, seeking her batarang. She never saw the dart that struck her. It came out of the light and lodged in her right breast. For a second, she stared at it stupidly, and then plucked it out, but she was too late. Already the drug was coursing through her system. Try as she might, she could not keep her knees from buckling, and then stars flashed in front of her eyes and she knew no more.
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