Wonder Woman & Aurora: The Wastes of The Gods

Hi,

I am Abductorenmadrid and I frequently contribute stories to superheroineforum.com, the 'The Ultimate Superheroine Forum'. I have been contributing there on and off for a few years now but thought I would bring one of my earlier stories over to the Wizards Lair.

I discovered the Lair way back in the mid to late nineties and it was a place which was more influential in my discovery of my love for SHIP than any other aside from seeing Miss Slater in the phantom zone!

If you like this story and would like to see more of my work I have a page of more titles here;

http://www.superheroineforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=24569

or

you can contact me at abductorenmadrid@hotmail.com

Wonder Woman & Aurora: The Wastes of The Gods

PART 1 : Home from Home

The black haired beauty climbed each step with an incredible elegance considering her white high heeled shoes. Her white skin tight jeans and fitted jacket contrasted against her dark skin, her hair flowing over her shoulders down to her mid back. At the top of the stone steps lay the Athens Museum of Ancient Antiquities and the many secrets contained within. The woman pushed the revolving door and followed the curving flow of the pathway and entered the lobby. To one side was a ticket desk and the entrance to a gift shop, but she was no tourist. This mysterious lady had research in mind, probing questions to ponder, and insightful discoveries to make.

“Doctor Suarez?” enquired the voice of a man.

The tall dark skinned woman glanced over her shoulder to the source of the voice.

“Doctor Maniatis ?” the woman replied. Her bright eyes and warm yet slightly shy smile would melt even the most hardened person’s heart.

“Yes, welcome, welcome, it's a pleasure to finally meet you, Doctor Suarez” the bearded 60 year old man said. He was evidently enchanted by the presence of the young woman before him, his smile betraying him.

“Please, call me Aurora,” the young woman replied.

“You must be eager to see our new find,” Doctor Maniatis said enthusiastically.

“I would like that very much” Suarez said before she and Maniatis pecked one another on the cheek in greeting.

“Do come this way then,” Maniatis said as he gestured with his outstretched arm. “Just a quick formality to get you a badge and then we shall visit the restoration area. How was your flight from Uruguay

?

“Excellent, thank you, and the hotel you recommended is very good too,” Suarez responded, smiling as she followed Maniatis to the security desk then began the process of booking in.

Deep inside the museum beyond the neatly catalogued inventory and the warehousing were the restoration rooms. Here Maniatis prepared to show off his latest find for his guest. With his gloved hands Maniatis unfurled a manuscript, its coarse surface almost creaking in protest to being drawn out flat.

“Now, what do you make of that? Isn’t it beautiful? And you are amongst the first persons to have set eyes on this document for over, well, certainly the best part of three thousand years. We are still waiting on the carbon dating …... but here …... here is the symbol you had flagged,” Maniatis said, his skilled, careful hands pointing at the fading solid red five pointed star.

Aurora cocked her head as she studied the page, her eyes widening when she saw the symbol.

“Unusual in Greek symbolism, do you not think?” Maniatis continued, his wise looking between the ancient document and Suarez, gauging her reaction.

“Yes, exactly. The reason I’m looking into this is to study the cross-contamination of ancient symbolism and their commonalities in order to map human migration,” Suarez said, “By doing that we can help prove or disprove many human migratory theories,” she continued.

“It's all very exciting. I have not done much work on this myself yet but this appears to be a compilation of some kind. A collection of short stories if you will. Well, I shall leave you alone with your translation work. If you need anything you can reach me on the phone, just dial 226, though I will be at lunch from 1:00 till 2:00” said Maniatis as he rose from his stool at the table.

“Of course,” smiled Suarez as she placed her laptop down on the work surface only glancing back as she heard the door of the room close.

From her bag Suarez pulled out a black handheld device and held it above the ancient document then turned it on. A blue light danced across the surface of the old manuscript, scanning it micron by micron, perceiving even the faintest traces of the faded ink as it downloaded the imagery onto the laptop. Suarez glanced at her laptop screen as the progress counted ponderously onwards towards one hundred percent. Then she began to click away on her laptop, the faded text starting to be reconstructed. Fascinated, Suarez read the translation of the first short story....

PART 2: And fell one thousand hairs.

There was a Goddess whose beauty, so it was said, was so great that it was only for her that the sun rose each day in order to touch her face. Her hair was so golden that come harvest time the workers of the fields would say that she had slept in the sky above them and left her mark on their lands, the bountiful golden wheat was her gift to the people. It became such that each spring the men would carve fine combs and leave them as offerings so that she would let down her hair and bless their land with the life bringing harvests.

The Goddess, enchanted by the gifts offered from the world of men, began to walk amongst them, secretly, unseen, and unheard. But quickly she was corrupted by the things she learned in the realm below her celestial home. The most powerful corruption was the lie. A liar, a truly skilled liar, could achieve many things and harm no one person and no one thing. However, she soon learned the one important thing that only a true liar knows. A liar, no matter how good, needed to remember every single lie they told. The truth, she discovered, required no such thing.

And so, caught by one of her many lies, the Goddess was vanquished, thrown from the celestial realm to the opposite side of the world. It was a world without fields nor the need to work them. The Goddess, now a mere mortal was alone but by reaching again for purity and truth, she began to find new followers. They were strong noble warriors, but not those that had been corrupted by man, these were the women of the Great River. One by one the tribes of men fell as the warrior women led by their new queen conquered all the lands before they sought to reach across the great watery divide.

The Gods on Olympus looked across the ocean and knew that the new world and the old would destroy one another, so in their wisdom they offered the fallen Goddess the branches from the tree of enlightenment. The Goddess could return to her rightful place with the Gods as Queen of the Great River tribes. There could be peace, but at a price.

To preserve the peace the Goddess would pay one of her fine hairs from her head for each lie she had ever told and thenceforth grow a new one for each pure act that followed. The goddess with a heavy heart accepted the bargain and retook her place in the heavens. On the morning of the next day the sun as usual rose, but, with great respect kept his gaze behind the eyeless moon so that the Goddess could hide her shame. Unseen, one thousand of her precious golden hairs fell to earth just as she had agreed. Only the purest could touch the fallen gift, each hair was so laden with the discarded lies of the Goddess they could absorb no more. A lie could not even be uttered in their presence. The wise, knowing the virtue of the gift, took the unbreakable hairs which were endowed with all the strength and commanding authority of the Goddess and made them into rope using the ingenuous weaving and binding skills of an ordinary mortal man.

Suarez, leant back in her chair, her smile understating the joy of her discovery.

Part 3: Lightning Truce

Each Goddess sought to place their image on earth. Either to enchant man, to test man, or perhaps to capture one's heart. The King of the Gods, weary of their bickering as to who would gift a mortal with their form chose instead to take the best of each Goddess. The mortal was blessed with the hair of one, the eyes of another, the breasts of yet another more.

The mortal child grew into a beautiful woman. Men flocked from the corners of the old world to see her beauty. They aspired, they courted, they even fought, but the beauty knew that she was not of the world of men and desired to reach into heaven. Mankind, enslaved to this beautiful woman’s wants made war with the Gods in their battle to ascend her to her rightful place on the mount. The battles were bloody, mankind was punished, but the Gods knew that without worshippers they would be forgotten, their power diminished.

To show mankind that their effort was futile the Gods forged manacles. Cast in the heavenly forges their strength were unrivalled, and they placed them on their mortal rivals wrists, binding her to the earth. Mankind wept and begged and pleaded and made a bargain that if she was released they would not seek to place her in heaven. The Gods, in need of peace and worship, relented. A bolt of lightning, hurled by the King of the Gods himself ripped the manacles apart fusing the chain that had joined them into the base of the crescent hills. There their mortal foe had stood in the field of her fallen warriors, bathed in her own army's blood. Once released the mortal woman renounced her place in heaven and found peace with her place on earth.

Suarez stopped reading and glanced around. “Can it really be true?” she thought to herself.

Suarez closed her eyes, imagining what it would be like, if only! If only! Suarez placed a hand lazily between her slightly parted legs onto crotch and touched herself. The laptop bleeped and Suarez composed herself and read onwards as the next translation continued.

PART 4: The Games of Gods and Men

Apart from war, mortals sought to better themselves through the playing of games. The Gods, intrigued, created great arenas and set tests for men to prove themselves, to perhaps even become legends. The Gods competed to place on earth the best athletes, create the toughest challenges, and help attain the true purity of the sporting spirit. One mortal was gifted in such a way he was able to defeat any man at any challenge. He was as swift as the horse, could leap like the crickets, his strength matching the mighty oxen that worked the fields.

His victories were well known, men from afar would try to best him. They named any challenge, their best events, yet this mortal continued to win. The others asked him his secret but this supreme athlete refused to help improve his own rivals. The Gods were unimpressed, this man had firmly closed the gateway that led to mankind’s betterment. The mortal was enraged as challengers began to turn their backs on him. H goaded, he insulted yet no man desired to face him.

The Gods knew that only in defeat would this arrogant mortal's spirit learn humility. To that end they crafted a belt of power and delivered it onto a young peasant woman who was with child, working in the fields. The Gods commanded her to face the man in the arena and let him choose whichever test he desired. The man, so sure of victory chose the casting of stones, only to be overcome by one pace on each of the first two castings. On the third cast the man insulted his adversary and in her anger, she picked up The Sphere of the Titan and threw it from the arena into the great harbour. The water beneath the sphere twenty thousand paces from the great light towards the rising sun.

The Gods felt sure this defeat would be enough yet the man, enraged by the deception of the gods, stole the belt of power for himself. Little did he know that the Gods had foreseen his act and the belt, knowing it was no longer the peasant woman who wore it crushed him until he was able to tear it from his broken body? The crippled man finally repented. The Gods said that for each secret of his strength, his technique, or skill he shared with mankind, a limb, a bone, or a muscle of his smashed body would be restored.

Suarez stopped reading. Below, between her thighs, her hand played gently against herself. This manuscript was everything she needed and hoped for. Indeed it was what many who had searched before her had hoped for. Suarez began to pack up her things and noticed the time.

“Good, I can get out of here before Maniatis returns from his lunch,” Suarez thought.

The manuscript began to fade, its encounter with the blue glow of the scanner had destroyed the remaining molecules of colour giving ink and save for the translation, the ancient words from history were erased forever.

Part 5: X Marks The Spot

Aurora Suarez, her ponytailed black hair dancing on the light breeze pressed a button on the GPS unit in front of her. Next she turned on the ground penetrating radar and magnetic anomaly device and commenced her well measured walking steps forward. “Uno, dos, tres,” she counted in her mind as she began her walk. Ahead of her the neatly staked out white cord plotted the grid of her next search area.

Strapped over her shoulders the radar unit with its aerials bristling ahead of her began their electromagnetic search beneath the rich Greek soil. Off to her right stood the small villages of Prosilio and Orchemons, to her left a solar panel farm, and ahead lay a crescent shaped hill. Bleep Bleep Bleep, the equipment sounded as the anomalies began to be logged for later inspection. Suarez's face was fixed in concentration as she paced onwards confidently.

Meanwhile in the Aegean Sea.

Sploooooooooooooooooooooosh! The water splashed as a diver fell into it backwards from a boat.

Shpppppppppfft Cluck …..

Shpppppppppfft Cluck …..

The scuba gear hissed with each breath as the diver momentarily glanced back over the water's surface to the rock and the lighthouse at the mouth of the harbour.

The water bubbled as the diver exhaled then inhaled with slow measured breaths. He glanced at his watch again making sure the bezel was set correctly, clicked his torch on and off then set off downwards. His search had been going on for months now since the beautiful woman, Suarez, had contracted him to search with sonar in the warm clean waters beyond the harbour lighthouse of Andros. Its stepping stone rocks led from the sea into the harbour itself and, if legend be true, the ancient arena which was now sadly a modern running track.

At some depth the diver glanced upwards to make sure he had not drifted too far from his boat. It had been moored directly above the sonar contact which he had detected far below him. The black silhouette of the keel of his boat contrasted against the shimmering surface above while the anchor chain trailed off, the boat pulling gently with the slow current. Downwards and downwards the diver descended ….

Shpppppppppfft Cluck …..

Shpppppppppfft Cluck …..

The respirator hissed with each passing meter as the diver continued downwards.

Part 6: Swift Justice

Red Mask paced behind the line of bank tellers as they kept their faces down onto the cold marble floor. The quiet snivelling of the staff made for the new ambient background noise, replacing the quiet respectful murmur that had filled the room before the balaclava clad robbers had entered the room.

“I ask again! Does anyone else …...” began 'Red Mask' as he nudged the pinstripe suited body of the now dead bank manager with his foot before continuing, “...want to try and tell us to take it easy?”

There was a pause, only the gently sobbing and the subtle “oh my god” of the hostages stroked the air.

“Frickin A, now can we please go about making my WITHDRAWAL?” Red Mask yelled angrily.

Blue Mask and Black Mask who were in the bank lobby on the other side of the teller windows began to deploy their black nylon rip-stop bags on the counters then went near the bank entrance to check their car and driver were still waiting.

“Now then, who wants to play my favourite game?” Red Mask said, his voice taunting the staff.

There was silence save for the continuing sniffling sounds of distress. Red Mask looked down to the people on the floor, disgusted with their cowardice.

“Well!?” Red Mask demanded.

Silence.

Red Mask held his hand in front of him, mimicking a glove puppet

“Well gee Mister Bank Robber, what game is it you want us to play?” the faux puppet said in a crazed yet cutesy voice.

“Well Mr Glove-Bank-Clerk-Puppet, it's called 'GIVE ME MY FUCKING MONEY'!!” Red Mask snarled.

“Oh well, I don't know that game, what are the rules?” continued the hand puppet in a fake innocent voice.

“Well, it's simple! You put all the money in the nice black bags. BUT! BUT! If you so much as pull out one of those notes that make those stinking alarms go off I put a bullet in your face,” Red Mask said calmly.

“Oh no, vewwy bad! Vewwy, vewwy bad!” the hand puppet said with a mock trembling voice while shaking his faux head.

“And if you pull out one of those nice wads of cash that go boom boom all fucking purple ink style all over my nice clothes then so help me god I WILL SHOOT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU COCK SUCKERS !” Red Mask exclaimed.

The hand puppet trembled. “Well thank you Mister Bank Robber. Truly I now understand and I can say quite confidently that....” the puppet hand turned from facing Red Mask and aimed at those prone on the floor “....only a COMPLETE FUCKTARD WILL NOT HAVE UNDERSTOOD THE RULES!” the cutesy voiced hand puppet exclaimed sinisterly.

“Now please, who wants to volunteer for the game?” Red Mask asked, pacing between the prone staff.

A hostage, a female teller, stretched an arm out reluctantly.

“Ah finally! Please, please. Stand up,” Red Mask said encouragingly as he gestured with the muzzle of his pistol, its oversized silencer giving it almost comedic proportions.

“Look everyone! We have a contestant,” Red Mask said, pulling the woman close to him and gripping her arm.

“What's your name lady?” Red Mask asked like he was on a game show.

“Glo .. Glo ….” stammered the teller.

“Well, welcome to the show, Glow!” chuckled the robber. “Now you heard the rules right?”

“Ye ….. ye …... yes …....” she stammered.

“Good! Now we have 6 registers, 6 bags and you only have 5, is it 5?” Red Mask glanced at his companions covering the doorway. Black mask glanced at his watch then held out a hand, 4 fingers showing.

“Ooopsie! You have 4 minutes! So go go go …..” Red Mask insisted, clapping his free hand against the one holding the pistol.

Gloria, the woman's actual name, began to raid the tills of the bank, carefully extracting the safe bills and leaving the alarmed ones tucked under the spring loaded clips that held each denomination in place. Red Mask held out his wrist studying his watch, his pistol tracking Gloria as she moved gradually from one end of the row to the other. She worked quickly while carefully stepping around her work mates who continued their embrace with the floor.

“Nice, nice, nice!” Red Mask said as Gloria finished her work.

“Well done Glow, you win a cookie! Now make out with the floor,” said Red Mask, his gun waggling at the poor woman.

“Right you ass-holes, what you waiting for? It's time to leave !” Red Mask called to his fellow gunmen, “And as for you, you stay RIGHT there …....” he cautioned his prone prisoners.

Blue Mask and Black Mask took turns to return to the teller windows and grabbed two bags each while Red Mask walked around from behind the windows into the main part of the bank.

“Right, let's go!” Red Mask said, grabbing two bags and making for the exit. Beyond waited their car and they quickly made their way down the bank steps to the pavement.

“Oh booooooys!” called a playful female voice.

The three masked robbers spun around to see the source of the voice.

“Oh shit! It's Spangle Pants!” Black Mask exclaimed.

“Car! To the Car!” insisted Red Mask as he stepped backwards away from the tall confident brunette, her red top with gold thread catching the sunlight, her tight blue shiny leggings and red boots accentuating her long muscular legs.

Blue Mask glanced over his shoulder confirming his path was clear as he stepped backwards one pace at a time towards the waiting car. The driver glanced in his wing mirror searching for cops while gently blipping the throttle of the engine.

“Go go go go go go ….” urged the driver to himself, wishing his comrades would just get in.

“Nah naaaah” said the brunette wagging her index finger at the hooded trio. “Naughty, naughty!” the heroine teased then began to walk confidently towards the robbers.

Blue Mask glanced at the men alongside him. Were they just going to let her come right at them?

“Fuck this shit!” Blue Mask exclaimed nervously, his finger squeezing the trigger of his gun.

First the brunette heard the creak of the trigger pulling against the action of the gun. The the firing pin accelerated towards the chambered round that awaited the blow that would ignite it into action. Wonder Woman's left hand slowly began to rise up from waist height, her golden bracelet catching the sun.

The dull low thud crawled from the muzzle as the gentle fizz of the chemical reaction within the copper casing began, causing the intensifying light to chase the round from the barrel. The round made a smooth metal against metal sound as it began to spin on the spiral rifling of the pistol. Blue Mask's eyes glinted with the flash and his eyelids began their downwards descent as the most primitive part of his brain sought to guard his eyes from danger.

Wonder Woman's forearm began to cross in front of her body in readiness as BlueMask's first round exited the muzzle of his gun, chased by dirty black powdery debris. The trailing shock wave caused the puff of black smoke to tumble over itself into a smoke ring as the bullet sped out.

The brunette heroine leant forward slightly, bracing for impact. She had predicted the path of the incoming round and steeled herself. Black Mask's eye lids fluttered, whump, looked to Blue Mask, then whump, back to Wonder Woman, his eyes cringing as his finger strained at the trigger of his gun. Thuuuuuud went the second weapon as the trigger sent its slow motion firing pin crashing into the waiting round in the chamber. Black Mask's eyes began to flinch downward in response to his weapons bright reply.

Wonder Woman's right arm began to rise as she tracked the two inbound copper jacketed projectiles racing towards her.

PING PING - The bracelets sparked as the two bullets were harmlessly deflected away.

Blue Mask and Black Mask glanced at each other in shock before their weapons spewed forth more lead death.

PING PING PING sang the sparking bracelets as Wonder Woman began to close in on her prey. The gap was ten yards, then eight, PING PING PING PING – six yards- PING PING PING PING PING PING- then four - PING PING PING PING - CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK !!

Wonder Woman reached out for the pistols aimed in her face and snatched them away. Then she delivered an elbow blow to each of them rendering them broken nosed wailing thugs, left to crawl in pain on the floor.

Red Mask flung his two black bags into the rear seat of the waiting car and leapt through the open window into the front passenger seat.

“Go go go …..” Red Mask urged, pulling his legs inside the car and trying to get himself upright.

The driver forced the car into reverse and proceeded to pull away from the heroine. The driver looking over his shoulder performed a fast 180 so the rear of the car spun and faced their pursuer.

“Move!” screamed Red Mask looking over his shoulder out the rear window as the brunette began to trot then sprint at them. The gearbox clunked from reverse into drive and the tyres squealed into life.

The car accelerated forward leaving a small black cloud of tyre burn-off and exhaust fumes but …..

“Oh shit …...” exclaimed Red Mask as Wonder Woman punched through the cloud, now closer than ever to the car.

The tyres spun up and began to bite the tarmac but the red booted legs of the heroine closed them down, a hand stretching for the metal towing eye in the rear fender. The engine screamed, the wheels spun, but now the car came to a halt as it stood resting on its front wheels, the rear wheels lifted clear off the ground.

“And you said rear wheel drive was better !!!” yelled Red Mask as the driver slammed his fists against the steering wheel in protest, powerless to do anything. In the distance the wailing of police cars grew closer and closer. Red Mask leant out the window he had climbed through and raised his pistol. Opening fire he was hoping to encourage the heroine to release the car.

Pewwww Pewwww Pewww .. three rounds exited the silenced muzzle of the gun and the Brunette raised her free arm to defend herself.

PING PING PING

The bullets were deflected away, one straying back into the rear window of the car. The beautiful brunette, wary of the danger more stray bullets posed decided to end the violence and gave one good swing of her arm, flipping the car onto its roof. As the car settled, bonnet pitched downwards, exhaust angled up, Wonder Woman walked around to the side of the car. The heroine dragged the dazed Red Mask out of the wrecked vehicle, kicking his dropped pistol away as she did so. The brunette glanced through to the other side of the car to see the driver, was unconscious. He wasn’t going anywhere any time soon.

Sirens wailed, growing ever louder, then tyres squealed as police cars screeched to a halt. Two police officers got out of their cars and surrounded the three masked men, worse for wear, piled together in a heap. A third officer checked in the upturned wreck and found the groggy getaway driver just as he was starting to recover.

“Wow! Look!” exclaimed an officer as he caught the sight of the Wonder Woman give a farewell wave before she turned away and vanished out of sight.

Part 7: What lies beneath.

Suarez poured another jerry can of fuel into the fuel tank of the small electric generator before hitting the starter switch. The generator kicked into life and the neighbouring mobile light rig began to shine into the excavation that Suarez had been slowly cutting into the Greek hillside. Suarez walked back to the trench and hopped down into the hole and returned to her wooden toolbox, picking out a soft brush. She looked into the reddening sky of sunset above her a moment. Soon the sun would drop below the horizon and the rig would be the only source of light in the smooth mud walled work space.

This 10 meter by 10 meter hole had been the magnetic anomaly hotspot at the centre of an extremely rich site. She had catalogued a myriad of finds so far but none were what she hoped for. However, every arrow head, each remnant of a spear or rivet from armour told her that she was on the site of an ancient battle and she was hoping it was going to confirm an ancient story. Suarez had begun to peel back another layer of soil in the trench and had detected another artefact, the soft brush now starting to reveal what lay beneath. The artefact, whatever it was, seemed to be a thin strip of metal, rectangular in shape, about 4 or 5 inches long, about quarter of an inch wide. The brush continued to reveal its outline and then suddenly....

The fine brown dust shook gently causing mere wisps of particles to jump in the air like a subtle cloud. It seemed as if the metal strip had begun to move by itself until a fine sliver from down the long side, like a very fine needle snapped off. The metal sliver hovered slowly above the ground, then drifted until it rested against the sidewall of the trench, its journey impeded by the soil. Suarez fell back in amazement, her mouth open in disbelief before regaining her composure. Quickly she reached for the levitating needle, securing it in her grasp. The fine sliver of metal was practically weightless as it hovered, gently resting on the palm of her hand. Suarez slammed her hand closed as she looked back at the artefact in the ground, a small smile curling her lips.

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

Shpppppppppfft Cluck …..

Shpppppppppfft Cluck …..

The diver had found the source of the odd echo return on his sonar from another pass, a white patch of hard stone peeked above the layer of silt that he had gently brushed away. Still smooth and barely worn by the acts of time or tide he considered abandoning the site and moving on. Surely this 'thing' was too new to be what he had been asked to search for. Eventually curiosity got the better of him as he wondered what the extent of the object was so he continued gently cleared the surface, revealing a little more of his find.

Little by little the field of white stone grew and soon he had cleared a good 4 meter circle away with no signs of finding an edge. The diver began to suspect that the object wasn't flat as it first appeared. It certainly seemed that he was revealing the top of a dome. Quickly he realised that what had been barely quarter of an inch of silt to clear was becoming inches, and soon he would need to be clearing a foot of material if he was to pursue the white surface that seemed to dive further into the seabed. The diver checked his watch again and did some maths then decided to return to the surface once again. He was going to need help, he thought.

Shpppppppppfft Cluck …..

Shpppppppppfft Cluck …..

Part 8: Moral Compass

Suarez stepped onto the moored boat which bobbed playfully at the dockside. The man she had hired, Ianos cast off the lines and gently opened the throttle of his small vessel's engine, causing the craft to splash gently into the tiny oncoming waves as it headed towards open water. Suarez, duffel bag in hand walked into the cabin and dropped her gear to one side then went forward to the wheel.

“So, was it where I said it was, this object you found in the water?” Suarez asked as she gestured with her arm into the open waters ahead.

Ianos rolled his eyes,“Yes, Ianos is well, thank you. Yes, Ianos is not tired,” grumbled Ianos.

“I am sorry, Ianos, amigo, I have been working hard too,” Suarez said as she patted Ianos on the back.

“Well the truth is, twenty thousand paces, six or seven kilometres, more or less is one thing, but the rising sun? In winter is is over there!” using one free arm he pointed. “And in summer, more over this way,” his arm swinging to a new direction. “From there to there at six to seven kilometres from shore, that's a lot of water but yes, the object is in that general area”

Soon the small boat was moored on the small buoy that marked the spot of the artefact Ianos had found. Suarez unpacked her gear from her bag but watched as Ianos showed on his chart how the spot they were on fell within the cone of the search area Suarez had given him.

“Of course, I don't think the new sports arena sits on the ancient one that was said to be on the island, if it were so, we would probably be nearer....about here,” Ianos tapped his finger on the chart.

“OK, start the sounder , I would like to see ...” Suarez began as she placed some items from her bag on the chart table.

“What is that?” quizzed Ianos as he gestured at a clear bag Suarez had set aside. It held a fine shiny gold like needle, about 5 inches long inside.

Pew wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee – the sounder fired off, its searching pulses starting to build an image on the echo finder, pixel by pixel.

“I found it on the dig and I've never seen anything like it. It might be magnetic but it also seemed very light but now I'm not so sure,” Suarez said with a frown.

Suarez was distracted by the screen of the sounder and watched as the image built up. Certainly it seemed like a large contact was beneath them and the sounder even resolved some of the hard surface beneath the mud before it too was blind to see what lay beneath.

“Recovering this object will be impossible with just us two, I don't know if you have the resources to continue this project alone but you will need more than just me and this boat,” Ianos thought aloud as he played with the settings on the screen trying to get more detail of the object for his employer.

Suarez thought for a moment, weighing the options, “Perhaps for now we should try and just measure what we have and extrapolate,” she concluded.

“Perhaps, but...” Ianos winced like the idea physically hurt. “ ...but what you have so far could be literally a few feet short of all that is actually there. Or, it could be a building, and be much bigger than the part we see!Imagine that!” he said excitedly. It had been a while since a really important site had been found amongst the Greek islands.

“Let's measure it, then we shall see ..” Suarez said.

= == = = = = = = == =

Shpppppppppfft Cluck …..

Shpppppppppfft Cluck …..

Soon Ianos and Suarez were on the seabed together. The brightly coloured skintight wetsuit that Suarez wore kept no secrets from the eyes of Ianos who ordinarily would be focused on the work at hand. Suarez frequently caught her workmate glancing at her as they toiled. Measurements were taken, stakes were driven into the sea bed and soon their precious time was spent, sending them retreating to the surface. Ianos boarded the boat and offered his hand to Suarez who accepted and the pair began to remove their heavy gear on the wooden deck, carefully stowing their air bottles into racks. Ianos wearily dropped his weight-belt and, dripping with water, entered the cabin.

“Errr? What the?!!” Ianos said in surprise.

Suarez shook her head. “What now ?” she asked herself and entered the cabin to find Ianos gazing at the plastic bag which now levitated. The shiny metal sliver of a needle now pressed itself against the wall of the cabin.

“I know you said it was light but …” frowned Ianos, his jaw slack, mouth hanging open.

“What do you think it is ?” Suarez asked, her eyes wide with wonder.

“Well, it seems to want to go that way. You said you thought it was magnetic?” Ianos said as he tried to get his bearings. “But, no, north is not that way. This points westward. Perhaps you should follow it where it leads?”

“Amigo, perhaps I should!” Suarez replied, still agog.

PART 9: True North

The black clad warrior edged along the shadows cast by the floodlights in the storage yard of the factory. The warrior paused a moment and drew out a thin metal object which seemed to tug at their hand. The warrior's outfit was loose, almost ninja like, yet seemed to be of a different style. The warrior put the metal object away and proceeded along the side of the factory, occasionally looking through a window here or a doorway there.

Wonder Woman crouched behind a shipping container observing activities in the yard, her shiny blue legging clad legs just reflecting stray light from the floodlights at the perimeter. From one side the growl of a lorry tractor unit approached, its lights extinguished, evidently being as stealthy as it could be. The heroine knew that now was the time to get closer. The tractor unit would hitch up to a trailer, the drugs would be stowed on board and the whole lot would be shipped off across the country. She wanted to board that truck and get a tracking device onto it before slipping back into the night.

The black clad warrior froze in place, checking the metal sliver once again. The source of the powerful attraction was nearby. Across the way stood a lorry, the tractor unit just hooking up to a trailer unnoticed by any other person. The warrior considered that the lorry might actually be their quarry's target and sought to get a position which would give them an advantage.

That’s when disaster struck. Prone, on the roof of a neighbouring trailer, the warrior looked down to what they hoped was their target's objective. Wonder Woman carefully approached unseen, her proximity to the black clad warrior causing the metal sliver to rattle and pull in its pouch towards its desire, the heroine!

Zeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwww......

Wonder Woman barely had time to even flinch. Some weapon, a sort of projectile had been flung at her with blistering pace. Almost as fast as a bullet it had given little warning of its impending arrival.

“Nooooooo” cried a metallic voice in slow motion.

The brunettes wrists instinctively crossed in front of her body to deflect the incoming threat.

Zeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwww CLINK !

There was hardly a spark and the brunette barely had a chance to notice where the deadly looking projectile had been deflected to when she saw the black clad warrior rise to their feet. Wonder Woman composed herself then leapt in one bound onto the trailer then skipped to the next in pursuit. The lorry driver of the drug shipment caught sight of the brunette heroine as she leapt over onto his vehicle and he decided to get underway, first using his radio to summons help.

The black clad warrior reached the end of the trailer and jumped off, landed elegantly then ducked under a roller door that marked the end of the loading dock. Inside, conveyor belts chugged their goods one position forward at a time. Sparks would fly, another weld here, another paint layer there before the belts would carry materials forward another stage. The black clad warrior glanced around the busy scene then leapt up onto a higher catwalk.

Wonder Woman entered from the loading dock and checked herself a moment. Her adversary had gotten the jump on her once and blindly pursuing the might not be a great plan. She need not have feared an ambush though as she soon saw her would-be assassin trying to make their escape along the catwalk above.

A slight smile appeared on the heroine's face as she decided to try and head off her attacker a different way. She ran along the ground floor, leaping over areas where the factory machinery crossed her path saving only to glance up a moment and confirm the black clad warrior's position.

The warrior, sensing they were running out of room saw a route downwards approaching some kind of bulkheaded part of the plant. Dropping down, landing on their feet the black clad warrior surveyed their options and realised they were being watched.

“Nice try, nimble feet!” said the brunette, her closed fists lightly resting on her waist. The black clad warrior rose from their slightly defensive posture but said nothing.

“I take it that you are with them?” the brunettes thumb pointed back towards the drug shipment that was sneaking away. The black clad warrior shook their head then looked for escape.

“Hmm” Wonder Woman thought as she discreetly unclipped the lasso by her side. The black clad warrior noted the impending danger and tried to put distance between them but the brunette closed in faster than the warrior would like. With a back flip the warrior placed a conveyor belt between them and then seemed to run towards the bulkheaded part of the plant intending to escape behind a seal-able door.

“Got you!” Wonder Woman thought. Running a few steps she kicked with her legs and took to the air, all the while her lasso began to spin up in her hand.

The warrior felt the heroine in the air above her, her neck craning to look up in slow motion. The warrrior gasped as, above her she saw the heroine passing overhead, upside down. The pair made eye contact as the brunette winked, her throwing arm casting out the golden ring of the lasso down at her opponent.

The warriors heart skipped a beat, this would be her instant doom if she failed to act. She kicked off with one leg, mid step, and began to take to the air. Flicking one of her arms in the direction of her planned escape, a black yo-yo type object sped forwards from her wrist. The gap between the two combatants narrowed, Wonder Woman's arc was taking her to the ground, the assassin's path was taking them into the air.

The black clad warrior leapt through the golden ring that might have doomed her and the brunettes eyes widened in surprise. As the two combatant's paths crossed the assassin reached with a hand and for a fleeting moment touched the clasp of the belt around Wonder Woman's waist. For the first time ever the heroine felt an adversary try to take her belt from her and instinctively her hands reached for her sides.

The yo-yo in the meantime was still in mid flight and aiming at nothing, yet as the slow motion ballet played out the brunette was falling into its flight path.

WHEW-WHEW-WHEW-WHEW whirled the yo-yo as the collision course was set. Fixed in the yo-yo were blades yet Wonder Woman sensed they would miss her and didn't react. The yo-yo sped by but ..

FUT ! The Yo-Yo jammed but continued onwards, no longer spinning.

Wonder Woman heared the noise and began to glance back to see what had happened only to see that the yo-yo had snagged the non looped end of the lasso. The yo-yo dragged it from her hand, her grip more focused on keeping her belt, and the yo-yo sped on towards the bulkhead. The black clad warrior had begun a somersault and was lining up to catch the overhead catwalk, their eyes timing the catch.

Wonder Woman started to look about herself again to establish what all the elements of the room were doing when it struck her. The lasso was now being towed away behind her by the yo-yo .. that meant the loop of the lasso was …

CLANK. The brunette landed on her feet, her manoeuvre executed, only to discover she had landed inside the ring of her own lasso which now was taught around her own waist, the free end snagged on the yo-yo now embedded in the metal wall.

EEERRRRG, a klaxon sounded! The bulk head door opened again as more product came through. This mean the door was about to close again. The brunette knew if her rival took possession of the free end of the lasso it was over. Ironically it was the blue and red clad heroine who now needed to escape using the very route plotted by the assassin. Arms pinned to her side the brunette ran at the bulkhead doorway. The slack in the golden rope was quickly taken up and with a ping the yo-yo was yanked from the wall.

EEERRRRG the angry klaxon repeated and the doorway closed. The black clad warrior dropped from the gantry and collected the free end of the lasso trapped on her side of the bulkhead and dashed to the door. The heroine was visible through a large porthole window and had started to inch the golden line down to her hips.

“STOP” ordered the black clad warrior, their metallic voice slightly panting. Wonder Woman flinched as she heard the voice through the glass. She could feel it, her free will snared by the golden lasso and under her opponent's control.

“Please, turn around. Hands on the glass where I can see them,” the warrior requested as they glanced at the situation with the lasso.

It appeared the bulkhead door had rippled slightly but the door locks had managed to engage. Wonder Woman was resigned to the fact that in a few minutes the door would open, but then ….

“EMERGENCY PLANT SHUTDOWN …. SECURITY TO ZONE 1, SECURITY TO ZONE 1,” sounded the voice over a loud speaker.

The warrior put their masked face to the glass porthole and looked through at their rival. The plant fell silent … the door wasn't opening soon.

Wonder Woman remained still, her palms against the porthole, her breath gently fogging the glass with each breath. The heroine looked hard at the masked warrior trying to figure out who bested her but she didn’t have a clue.

“You fought well!” the warrior said with its electronic voice. The brunette blinked, and mouthed “thank you” in reply.

“There is no shame in defeat, it is how we become better,” added the warrior.

The brunette nodded in acceptance of the wisdom. The warrior looked at the frame of the door and noted there seemed to be some servos sealing it closed.

“Do you think you can force it open” the warrior asked calmly.

The brunette glanced at the door. “I think so,”

“Well?” the warrior hinted.

In the new silence of the factory the black clad warrior noted the sound of sirens in the distance. Soon the police would be arriving to deal with the trespassers. Well, mainly her, the brunette would have no such problems.

The brunette braced herself against the door and began to force it. The servos moaned and protested loudly over the slowly encroaching sound of the police. The warrior assessed how much time she had and realised it would not be enough.

“OK, stop, stop,” the warrior said, their head resting on the door glass, the body language of dissapointment.

“OK ..” apologized the brunette.

“Assume the position again,” the warrior ordered.

The brunette placed her palms against the glass, her slow slightly heavy breathing made more erotic by the subtle fogging of the glass once again.

“If it wasn’t for …..” began the warrior, annoyed, glancing at the door.

“Yes,” nodded the heroine. “I would be in your hands now,”

“I am sorry about the needle, that was not how it appeared. But now you must understand, what I ask of you now is what I would expect from you, if you had beaten me ...” said the warrior.

The brunette's eyes revealed her fear, trapped within her own magic gift's power.

“Belt, OFF!” ordered the warrior.“Use one hand!”

The brunette removed one hand from the glass and reached behind herself, her shoulder betraying her act of removal, her eyes not breaking contact with the warrior.

“Show me,” the warrior demanded.

Wonder Woman, her eyes burning slightly, planted her hand back against the glass trapping her belt in between. The heroine's eyes glanced sideways at the belt almost saying “See ?”

“Good, now toss it away” the warrior said.

The brunette, her eyes filled with a mountain of different emotions stretched her arm behind herself and let go of the belt then returned her hand to the glass.

“Good, now then. Bracelets, OFF!” ordered the warrior with their metallic voice.

The brunette took a breath. Her heart was racing as she crossed her wrists and released the bracelets , holding them up for her conqueror to see. The warrior merely motioned with their head and the heroine nodded before tossing the bracelets by the belt.

Wonder Woman detected the expression of the warrior which merely said … “Well ?!” as the masked eyes bored into her forehead.

Wonder Woman understood and carefully released her tiara from her hair and underhand tossed the tiara into the pile of discarded heavenly gifts. Then she returned to her submissive position , her palms on the glass, framing her face.

Flashlights flickered in the distance, “This way ….” a feint voice called.

It wasn't a laugh that escaped from Wonder Woman's mouth. It was more like relief, a very happy relief. She knew help was coming soon and a slight smile escaped from her mouth. However her gentle tormentor stayed focused on the task at hand.

“Boots, OFF!” commanded the black clad warrior.

Wonder Woman's eyes fluttered, was her conqueror going to make her strip naked? Her face betrayed her and the warrior could read this first hint of resistance.

“NOW!” the warrior insisted.

The brunette lifted a foot, reached for the zip and released her blue leggings clad leg from her first boot then repeated the same action for the other.

“Show me,” insisted the warrior.

Wonder Woman's two hands planted themselves up against the glass, her grip around the ankle part of each red and white striped boot. The brunettes eyes raged with emotion. The warrior was elated to observe their nemesis immediately shrink several inches in height.

“Good, now toss them,” the warrior said.

Panting hard, Wonder Woman dreaded what might come next.

“Now, one last thing. You will not remember the events that follow, understand?” asked the warrior.

“Yes ….” Wonder Woman gulped nervously.

“When you are not, this ...” gestured the warrior at the heroine, “Where do you go? Who do you become?”

Wonder Woman's eyes fluttered. She knew then that she was going to betray her alter ego, a betrayal that she was going to forget.

“Well, when I am not Wonder Woman…....” began the heroine's self betrayal.

PART 10: The Empty Well

When the police arrived the black clad warrior was gone. The heroine had now stopped considering the person who had defeated her as an assassin. Although she failed to see how the missile that flung at her as anything but an attack, the victor had even apologized for what had happened.

How she had come to be free of her lasso when the police arrived she wasn't sure, she assumed she had been ordered to step out of it by the warrior before they left. Fortunately she had recovered her boots and bracelets and tiara before anyone noticed she had been stripped of them.

When the bulkhead door was finally opened and the whole lasso returned to her she was distressed to see that the free end, the end that had encountered the yo-yo had frayed. The rope was weaved and then bound at each end and while the individual strands were all undamaged the binding had been cut and allowed the strands to begin to unravel.

Was this a tactic to try and take the lasso out of the fight, just a fluke, or something else entirely? Whatever the reason, the lasso was for the first time in her memory, damaged. Now she sat in quiet meditation seeking to convene with those who had given her the divine gifts that sat in front of her.

Wonder Woman's breathing gently slowed …... in …... out …...........in …...........................out.

She opened her eyes to find herself in the bright sunshine. The seagulls called out, filling the beach with their shrill voices over the sound of the waves lapping up onto the golden sandy shore.

“Welcome home dear child, envy of Aphrodite …..” greeted a warm friendly voice.

Wonder Woman's heart gladdened to be back at the hidden island of paradise. She looked down to see she was in a wispy light coloured tunic dress, her bare feet nestled into the sand. The voice belonged to a staggeringly beautiful blond, her curled ringlets framing her face, her long elegant peach dress flowing behind her.

“Thank you, and it is so good to be home,” Wonder Woman said, a hint of relief in her voice.

The blond frowned. “What troubles you, child?”

Wonder Woman raised her arms, holding out the lasso in front of her. “I encountered a warrior, a very skilled warrior and...”

The angelic woman accepted the lasso and seemed a little surprised as she examined it.

“I will consult with the others as to how this could have happened and we shall make it good once again, I am sure. I am not familiar with the history but the lasso has been with the Gods for a long time. It once was used in the corset of a goddess, and as the leash of a mighty titan. I know not how it originally came to be but I know its origin is Godly.”

“Thank you, the lasso is invaluable to me in the world of man.” Wonder Woman said, looking down on the fraying golden gift.

“Walk with me, tell me more about this warrior you encountered,” the blonde angel asked warmly as the pair began to walk along the beach.

Part 11: Gold Rush

Suarez glanced at her watch, it was time to get an update from Ianos on the other side of the world. She was lying on her apartment bed face down, legs crossed in the air behind her, laptop in front of her. Her three quarter length silver spandex covered legs showed off her muscles as did her matching top. Her white running shoes clunked as she playfully tapped her feet together.

The video phone app dialled up and the ringing tone played.

…..Connecting.....

The video link sprung to life, Suarez catching sight of her self in the bottom corner of the screen while Ianos filled the whole frame.

“Hey, hows it going ?” Ianos asked as he tidied up his messy hair.

“Very good, and for you ?” asked Suarez

“Yes,great. I have done all I can do for now. Truly you are going to need a bigger boat, yes ?” Ianos chuckled as he swigged from a bottle.

Suarez looked down in disappointment as she watched him drink.

“Hey it is water, alright! Get off case, yes?” Ianos said defensively in his broad accent.

“What have you got …..” asked Suarez with a sigh.

“I email you chart, OK? But if it is sphere then it is very big. You are talking hundreds of tonnes!” Ianos motioned with his hands like he was telling a fishing tale.

Suarez had left Ianos to drive metal stakes into the sea bed to find the general form of what lay beneath and it seemed sure that they had at least the upper half of a sphere. Ianos mailed the chart and by any measure, even if the sphere were hollow, there would be considerable weight involved.

“How did it go with your needle, did you find a pot of gold yet?” Ianos chuckled.

“Oh I struck gold,yes!” Suarez smiled, remembering her encounter. “Listen, I need you to get up to my dig site, there is something I need you to finish recovering for me there.”

“Sure but I will need some more money. I know you are good for it but I have bills to pay” Ianos said apologetically.

“Don't worry, Ill wire you the money and I will email you instructions soon.” Suarez said as she rolled to one side arm reaching for something.

“OK! We call again same time tom...” Ianos said before he was cut off.

“Yes, Ianos,” Suarez rolled her eyes “Tomorrow ...” her hand retreating from the mouse pad having killed the call.

Suarez rolled onto her back her hands above her face holding the puck like yo-yo. With a twist she began to separate the two halves and took out the disc blade from the middle.

Beneath, on the shaft was what she knew would be there. Wound round the shaft was a fine birds nest of gold. Suarez, tweezers in hand began to pick at the nest and teased out the knots. Gently she tugged, a little here, a little there and soon she found one end, pushing and pulling it through its route.

The strand she eventually freed was many meters long. It was a single individual strand from the lasso of truth ! Having cut the mortal made binding the spinning yo-yo had snagged one strand and tugged it clean out the length of the lasso onto its shaft. Confirming it was so, Suarez wound two short lengths around her two hands and pulled. The fine gold thread resisted all efforts to break it, truly it was one of the thousand hairs of the goddess, just as the story had said.

Suarez, closed her eyes and let her mind wander … one hand drifting down to her camel-toed crotch of her spandex running pants, another onto her breast and let out a moan as she played out a satisfying fantasy in her mind.

Part 12: Danger Close

Suarez placed one foot on the park bench and tightened her laces one more time then began her stretches. Her quarry had just arrived andwas nearby. Suarez wanted to get closer to the plain looking woman once she had started her run.

The plain brunette stretched briefly in her loose grey tracksuit bottoms and baggy t-shirt. Her hair was kept in a simple drawn back ponytail and oversized glasses gave her the look of a librarian. Suarez was disappointed, she knew the beauty that was hidden beneath and felt overdressed for their “date”.

Suarez maintained a watchful on her quarry and set after her at a gentle jog keeping a modest distance between them. Suarez was becoming quite sure that the brunette was deliberately under playing her actual fitness. With the belt of power or not she seemed to be capable of much more than what she was displaying. Slowly Suarez closed the gap between the two and soon she was just hanging behind the brunette's shoulder.

“Oh hey,” Suarez began, her breathing slightly taxed by the effort.

“Oh, hi!” panted the brunette softly, slightly surprised.

“Oh I hope you don't mind running with you. Its just, I noticed you the other day. You run the orange route, the 10k and you seemed to be about the same pace as me,” Suarez said between little gulps of air.

“Oh, sure” the brunette responded a little dismissively.

“I'm .. Aurora ….” Suarez offered the palm of her hand.

“Oh pretty name! I'm Dee, everyone calls me Dee!” the Brunette tapped down the palm of her hand against the waiting palm of Suarez.

The pair continued their run making small talk and a friendship was formed. The occasional laugh broke out between as they went but soon the run was over and the pair stood sweating and panting after their last playful sprint to the end of the park track.

“That...that was fun...for once!” Suarez gulped air as she spoke.

“Here...some...water …” Dee said as she unscrewed a cap from a bottle of cold water and passed it to her running mate.

Half of the water got gulped away and the remainder poured over her face, the water cascading down over her chest, her top now totally clinging to her body. Suarez knew that Dee had registered how good she looked. She had caught Dee looking but at her before instantly regaining her disinterested face as she began to drink from another bottle.

Suarez glanced at her watch like she had to go, she wanted the brunette to think that it was she who was leaving first.

“Got to go ?” Dee smiled, before taking another slurp.

“Yes...its been fun though …..... but ….... hey …....we should hook up again!” Suarez said.

“Oh sure, I come here often. I usually run at 6pm ….” started Dee, her innocent librarian act in full flow.

“Oh OK, but I meant … well, I'm having a house warming party at my apartment and I'm really worried about not having many people show. I don't live far from here …..” Suarez explained as she pointed to some nearby apartment buildings.

“Oh congratulations! Sure Ill come. I'm not really a party girl but...” Dee said tentatively.

“Me neither but thanks, it has been really great. I really do hope you can make it and if you want.....bring a friend!” Suarez gushed.

“Sure, give me the details,” Dee said as she pulled up her smartphone and began tapping at keys.

PART 13: Hidden Danger

Black is a safe colour, it's almost everyone's safe colour. Black goes with everything, even with white the most opposite colour you could get. The tight black leather fetish jeans, with their low cut and front to back zip was meant to go with high heels and not boots. They would be perfect! Knowing they would look awesome while at the same serving her purposes she had bought a pair, ready to create her sexy trap. Aurora had a good eye and this pair of jeans would fit Dee even if a little wiggling into them was required.

Back in her apartment Aurora set to work. Lying on her bed the new jeans laying out by her side she reached for her sewing kit and began. She placed the needle into the waistband, and plunged it through the material towing the gold thread behind it.. Her stitch work was beautiful and she neatly continued around the waistband following the work of the skilled factory worker who had made the piece. Soon she had done several neat laps around the perimeter of the waistband giving the jeans a feint gold trim that just showed when the light caught it. For the party in the darkened atmosphere no one would notice her handiwork.

Still, Aurora she had some way to go before she had used up the one single thread of the lasso and after passing over the belt loops several times she realised that she was struggling to hide and disguise the remaining length. Her heart fluttered when a wicked thought crossed her mind and so she began with her idea. Down she went, criss cross, criss cross she followed the stitch work holding the zip work. Down and down she worked, imagining Dee, the hidden superheroine in the jeans, stitching in the enslaving thread. Suarez continued, down the crack of Dee's behind, past her most sensual spaces, onwards over her clit, then upwards. The coup de grace was leaving a fine whisker of the thread exposed, just to the side of the button, somewhere where only she would find it.

The heart of Suarez beat like a drum, her sexy leather prison was ready for the heroine. If only Suarez could get her target into them! How delicious it would be! Suarez bit her bottom lip, she wanted to know, what it would feel like for her prey, sliding into the sexy but dangerous trap. Suarez peeled off what she was wearing until she was left in her underwear, entwining herself in the leather on the bed. She sat herself up and leant up against the headboard and presented one leg inside, then the other, her legs sliding in, deeper, deeper, until her feet battled momentarily with the narrow ends. Ping! Her feet slipped through. Suarez panted as she raised her self up and pulled the jeans up over her behind feeling the pleasurable material tight against her skin. She imagined that she herself was the brunette, yet the hand slowly inching up the zip, sealing her doom was her own. Closing her eyes, one hand gripped at her pussy as the zip reached the top. Suarez popped the button closed, imagening she had sealed Dee in her fate, while her own hand closed in on the fine whisker of gold thread.

BooooomBoooom thudded the heart of Suarez, in slow motion as her thumb and finger gripped the thread.

“You'll like it!” the electronic voice said sinisterly.

Suarez gasped! The black clad warrior had their hand against her throat. She was stood by the mirror and could see her foe's reflection behind her.

BooooomBoooom

“Let me touch you!” the electronic voice urged, the black clad warriors free hand playing vigorously against Suarez’s crotch. Suarez was now pinned with her back against the wall of her bedroom.

“Nhooo” wheezed Suarez, her air still being withheld from her, her hands trying to get the attacker off of her.

BooooomBoooom

“Ill try not to hurt you” the voice continued, whispering in her ear. Suarez was now pinned down on her stomach, hands held behind her back. Now she could feel the cool air between her legs, the zipper had been undone, exposing her.

“No …...STOP …... STOP ….” Suarez fought.

BooooomBoooom

“Go with it ..it'll be OK” the black clad warrior said, a strap-on slowly edging past Suarez's outer defences.

Suarez crossed her arms over her face, sobbing.

Beeeeeeeeeeeeep …............ Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep............Beeeeeeeep

Suarez gasped a huge gulp of air, her arms snatched themselves away from her body then she shuddered and shook for a moment. Her eyes stung, she had cried in real life as she had in her nightmare. A few seconds later she realised her laptop was beeping, it was a video call from Ianos. Suarez wiped the tears from her eyes and then accepted the call.

The familiar image of Ianos appeared in the main screen while her own camera image appeared in a corner.

“Hey, Suarez! Oh, you look like crap, you OK ?” asked Ianos with a frown.

“What do you want Ianos?” asked Suarez seriously.

“I have been working in tiny mud hole for you and that's all thanks Ianos gets?” Ianos scoffed. “No, I joke” Ianos said. He could see Suarez was in no mood for anything.

Suarez glared in response, wondering what the call was about.

“Anyway, I finish excavation! I think it is what you want eh! I send you photos. Decide if want Ianos to FedEx eh?” Ianos smiled.

“OK, thanks, Ianos. I am sorry, just right now is not a good time ..” Suarez apologized.

“I understand! I send pho..” Ianos began before he was cut off again.

“Yes Ianos, send me the photos” Suarez said.

Suarez curled up in a small ball, the leather jeans creaking slightly. She thought a moment about the nightmare. She wondered if being both the free mind that controlled the lasso and the enslaved mind trapped within enslaving ring had been responsible for what happened. She must of started some terrible feedback loop she hadn't even realised would happen. What she was really sure of was that the dominant part of her mind had mentally attacked the purer part of herself, a disturbing thought.

Suarez stepped off the bed and looked at herself in front of her mirror. “It will be OK, you will figure it out,” she said to herself.

Part 14: What colour, the boat house.

It didn't surprise Suarez, but her heart sank a little in disappointment as she swung open the door and found Dee, gift in hand, wearing something she thought her own mother would have worn, and in the 80s at that. The odd floral print dress seemed dated but the black wedged heels looked nice. Was this an extension of the librarian persona perhaps?

Suarez, in her tight blue jeans, sheer top and low heel knee boots greeted the brunette and pecked her on each cheek while swinging the doorway into her apartment wide open.

“Hey everyone, this is Dee! She's into running like me,” gushed Suarez.

A chorus of genuine, fake, interested and barely intelligible variations of “hi” bounced back from the myriad of faces in the room. A wide range of ages were represented and quickly it became apparent that Suarez had encouraged all her neighbours to attend and be part of the party rather than be kept awake by it.

“Oh,let me see,” Suarez squinted at the care label of the gift plant and chose a wise spot for it amongst the furniture and some of the remnant cardboard boxes.

“Let me quickly show you around and then Ill get you a drink,” said Suarez.

The tour inevitably ended with the master bedroom.

“This is my room,excuse the boxes. I'm getting there! And I have a balcony, en-suite bathroom just in there. If you need the bathroom you can come in here. I've told the guys to use the room by the hall,” Suarez explained.

Dee walked to the double doors of the balcony and checked the night time view of the city.

“Great isn't it?” enthused Suarez

“Yes, you’ve done well and you have a great view of the park.” commented the brunette.

Suarez felt her stomach sink. She had used her room to observe the park and Dee's coming and goings before their encounter.

“Well, that’s about it,lets party !” Suarez said, changing the subject.

Duff Duff Duff -Tissy …... Duff Duff Duff -Tissy- .. Duff Duff Duff- Tissy - So went the rhythm of the dance music.

Suarez managed to mingle with everyone but kept an eye on her prey who was making all efforts to stay sober. Suarez would occasionally check in on her but it seemed the librarian act extended into everything about her. If nothing happened soon she would be gone making this a lot opportunity. At least one of the neighbours, a teacher, seemed to be holding Dee's attention for now.

Suarez, with her keen senses could foresee a development forming. Just as easily as she had plotted the throw of her bladed yo-yo, she now plotted the manipulation of one of her guests. The music changed and a kick ass dance track from a decade before began to play.

“Yeeeeeeeeeey” cheered Suarez and others applauded recognising the track and her enthusiasm for it. Suarez grabbed the hand of a male guest and began to dance with him. Back and forth the two dancers moved, hands off, but together, eyes locked towards one another , or so the man thought. Suarez had her attention on another man with a tray of drinks. He had often been ferrying refreshments to the three air line stewardesses who shared apartment 2-08.

One and a Two and a Three-Four-Five counted Suarez in her mind and as she edged towards her dance partner. Dancing with his arms flailing somewhat the dance partner reversed smack clean into the aspiring young man with the drinks tray sending plastic cups flying.

“Oh god ..I'm so sorry” asked the dance partner as he spun around. “...are you OK?!”

The man who had been carrying the drinks glared for a moment but he knew it was an accident and was already looking for paper towels. Dee looked down at herself and realised she had caught most of the flying drinks all over her front.

“Oh jeez, I'm a klutz!” the dance partner said as he covered his mouth realising the full extent of his chaos.

Suarez pounced like a cat on a wounded mouse.

“Oh Dee! I'm so sorry, come on, lets get you cleaned up!” Suarez said before she looked at the mess. “Hey guys , could you get some towels on that while I sort Dee out ?”

“Yeah, sure” and other assorted replies came back as a small group organised the clean up.

“Oh its OK, there's no need to make a fuss ….” Dee piped up as she tried to keep the wet soggy mess off of her body, the clear and red drinks already sending her floral pattern into a pink frenzy of clashing colours. Suarez towed Dee by the hand to her room, apologies tumbling from her mouth even though her charge seemed to be reluctant to accept help.

WhumDumDum WhumDumDum WhumDumDum

The muffled bass of the music throbbed as Suarez pulled the door closed behind them.

"It's OK, accidents happen. I think your neighbour's pride is more hurt than mine." Dee said dabbing at herself with a paper towel.

"We should get that in the wash or it'll stain" Suarez urged her friend.

Dee tugged the soaking fabric from her stomach and sighed.

"Maybe I should head home, it's getting late anyway," Dee said theough she could see slight disappointment on the face of Suarez

"But I've had a good time. it's been great!" Dee added, her hand touching Suarez on the arm.

Suarez glanced at her watch, it's was barely gone 10pm. This was the librarian act again no doubt.

"How about you try something of mine on and I'll put your dress into wash n dry. You will have it back at midnight before your taxi ride home turns into a pumpkin and that guy you've been talking to all night chases you down with a glass slipper," joked Suarez.

Dee covered her mouth muffling a laugh. "The model steam train guy? Hell no!"

Suarez frowned. "The teacher? He's into that ? Oh I'm sorry you got trapped with him, I didn't know!" Suarez laughed, her hand trying to restrain herself.

BingBong rang the doorbell in the distance over the drone of the music.

Suarez glanced at Dee who was still fussing over her dress and then in a moment of impulse spun to her dresser draw and pulled out her sexy surprise from the bottom draw.

"Try these and... oh yeah! This will go....." Suarez said pulling out a slightly oversized white t-shirt.

BingBong protested the bell.

"I'll be right back" Suarez said hesitantly not knowing if the Dee was going to fall into her trap.

As Suarez left her room the bass of the music poured in through the door like water breaching a dam. Suarez just saw the brunette unzipping herself and preparing to step out of her dress as she closed the door behind herself.

Suarez passed by her guests and headed to the front door, nodding and smiling as they enquired after Dee before moving on to let the newcomers in.

"Hey Mikey!" exclaimed Suarez as she pecked a man on the cheek, accepting the small gift he carried in his hands.

After dashing through some introductions Suarez returned to her room door, her hand resting on the door handle. She took a deep breath and tapped the door, waited a moment and then opened the door slightly.

Glancing towards Suarez was Dee. There she stood, leather jeans on and barefoot, with her arms crossed over her bare chest. The t-shirt was not on yet but was in Dee's hand.

"Oh it's you, it's OK come in" Dee said.

Suarez sidled into the room closing the door firmly behind herself.

"Woah.... They're going to wonder where the other woman went!" giggled Suarez

Dee frowned." I don't think this is really me, are you sure this looks OK?" she said timidly looking down on herself.

"Put the t-shirt on and and let's see." Suarez said. She averted her eyes politely as Dee sorted herself out pulling the loose slightly long t shirt over herself. Suarez had chosen it as it was long. She knew Dee wouldn't go for showing off her leather clad form too much let alone her toned abs that she knew she kept hidden.

"Hot!" said Suarez as she encouraged Dee to stand in front of her facing the mirror.

Suarez rested her chin on Dee's shoulder and grinned."Forget the teacher and his model trains, there is the cute accountant from 6-10"

"Oh I know, isn't he !!" blushed Dee her eyes flashing mischievously.

"Come on, get your shoes on, it's time to party again" Suarez said as she turned away.

Suarez went out the door, Dee just behind her. The door closed to barely a narrow crack then opened again. Dee's head appeared for a second and glanced at her forgotten and discarded dress. She paused a moment then with a shake of her head turned away, closing the door behind her.

Part 15: Two is company but three is essential.

People had begun to group into clusters. There seemed to be a male, female, older, younger divide forming but Suarez drifted between them all while plotting her next moves which she would have to choose and time wisely.

Dee, had now become centre of attention from more men. Mr Steam Train now had competition from Mikey but the other man, the cute accountant apparently had a girlfriend away on business. It didn't stop him from flirting with Dee a little anyway.

Suarez, the next part of her plan in motion, plucked a bottle of beer from the plastic packaging and carried it over to the brunette who was empty handed. Suarez leaned in close putting her mouth to Dee's ear, holding the bottle to one side.

"I thought this might help you bear all the attention" Suarez said, competing with the loud music.

"You know what? I think I will!" Dee said glancing down at the bottle in Suarez's hand.

Suarez offered the neck of the bottle to Dee who tugged the ring pull a little clumsily then sipped off the small foamy head that formed at the top of the bottle.

Suarez was surprised it had been that easy to start Dee on her slightly drunken adventure. Now though Suarez had one other nemesis to deal with before the night was out, the sofa! Strategically speaking, having the sofa available was a problem, an oversight, and she needed someone to occupy it.

The music playing, the guests dancing, Suarez deftly opened a kitchen cupboard and pulled out a small cardboard box and from inside of that a little paper sachet. She took her time and assessed her potential targets. The toy train loving teacher had nothing to worry about, he lived in the building, as did Gary the accountant. But Mikey, sweet, nice guy Mikey? He walked about 5 blocks to get to her place. Suarez knew that with that thoughts of that walk ahead of him plus a mix of sleeping powder and alcohol coursing through his veins, the sofa would look very inviting for the night.

Suarez prepared a tray of drinks and did her rounds, ensuring everyone followed the ritual of clinking their glass with hers and taking a gulp. Suarez hedged her bets and repeated the ritual a few times as the evening wore on and ensured she only committed part of the powder each time, just in case someone took the wrong glass. Her handling was good though and soon Mikey, droopy eyed, started to struggle.

The night wore on and slowly guests departed and the slow retreat turning in to a slow motion rout. Dee hung on though but was a little bleary eyed. She truly must have been a light to non-existent drinker and the few bottles of beer that Suarez had encouraged her way had taken their toll.

“OK,good night,” whispered Suarez to the last of the stewardesses as she gently closed the front door.

“Are you sure you don't mind?” struggled Mikey. “I'm really sorry! I don't know ...how! I swear I'm not usually like this,”

“Its OK! You can crash here, it is not a problem,” Suarez said as she pulled some blankets from a cardboard box.

“Where is Dee?” Suarez wondered. She glanced around the room noticing her absence and knew she hadn’t left. But so far they hadn’t touched on the subject of her staying either so there was a little doubt about what was happening.

“Oh, the one who had the dress? She …...she was stacking plates up and then went off to the the room at the back,” Mikey replied groggily.

“OK, well you know where the bathroom is if you need it. I wiill see you in the morning!” Suarez said as she draped a blanket over her drugged friend.

Suarez stood up walked to the corridor and turned out the lights behind her and reached the door of her room. She opened the door slowly, little by little then entered. On her bed, barefoot, and bare topped but still in her jeans was Dee, slightly curled up, fast asleep.

On the floor was the dress. Sure, Suarez had planned to get her rival into her bed, but she did mean to wash the dress, didn't she? And why hadn’t the brunette reminded her about it? Suarez tried to put the thought out of her mind but it stayed in the background, niggling at her.

Suarez couldn't believe her luck though as the fantasy had advanced with little effort. She edged over to the bed, stripping off her own boots quietly, then her top, and then battled with her tight jeans. Dee stirred slightly and changed position as Suarez quietly eased open the second drawer of her dresser pulling out the strapless strap-on and easing onto the bed next to her victim.

Suarez then realised what may have happened, Dee had visited the little girls room and then, seeing the inviting bed had fallen onto it then dozed off, the crotch zip was undone and what looked like white satin underwear peeked through. Evidently was too drunk to finish tidying herself up and had just kicked off her shoes t-shirt and bra.

Suarez edged closer and closer, almost into a spooning position, her strap-on in her hand hidden behind her back. Suarez gulped as she tested the receptiveness of her guest to her advances. Dee rolled over, her arm crossed over her face and woke. With alarm Suarez forced the strap on under her own pillow quickly, hiding it from view.

“Hey, you OK? Do you want to crash here?” asked Suarez whispering.

“If I could! But please stop spinning the room” groaned the brunette.

Suarez let out a light laugh....... “It'll pass! Can I get you anything?”

“Could you get me out of these? I'm too far gone and I'm roasting” mumbled Dee.

“Sure ...” Suarez closed her eyes cursing herself silently.

Suarez tapped Dee on the side and motioned to her to get on her back. Dee did so, her forearm shielding her eyes from the light. Suarez hauled herself up, her hand reaching for the button on Dee's jeans and the fine gold thread she knew would be there.

BooomBooom thudded Suarez's heart, her hand closing in on the leather waistband of the sexy trap.

BooomBooom

Her fingers trailed lazily over the top of the waistband, the warmth of Dee's body radiating through.

BooomBooom

Her index finger felt the little whisker of the single strand of the lasso. Should she grasp it?

BooomBooom

Her body suddenly shuddered, the sensation from her nightmare pulsed through her body again.

Suarez's hand flinched away from the thrad and grabbed at the button, nervously popping it free. With a little force she parted the waistband next. Suarez sat up and reached around Dee who lifted her back clear off the bed and let Suarez tug the jeans over her behind. Suarez hopped off the bed, took the legs of the jeans into her hands and slid them off of her prey's body. Suarez looked at her prey who she had, for some reason, released from her trap. Folding the jeans up Suarez put them to one side before returning to the bed.

“Hey, I'd let you have the bed to yourself but Mikey is on the sofa” whispered Suarez into Dee's ear.

“It's OK, safe...with...you...” mumbled Dee

Suarez gently covered Dee with the duvet then positioned herself nearer to the edge of her side of the bed, lying flat on her back with her forearms crossed over her stomach. Even with the lights off the room was slightly lit by the city skyline and now and then Suarez would light reflections dance across her ceiling as she lay awake thinking.

Just as she had wanted to dominate the superheroine, Wonder Woman in the arena of the factory she had wanted to dominate Dee in the bedroom. Suarez had had her target at her mercy both times and yet she had failed to achieve a final decisive move. Worse, the wave of regret of what she had planned to do to the heroine's alter ego flowed through her.

Slowly the hypnotic dance of lights on the ceiling sent Suarez to sleep and the pair began the slow motion ballet that all people unknowingly perform in the depths of their dreams. Slowly the pair encroached on each others space and at some point Suarez woke to a new situation.

The duvet was kicked down below her knees and her right arm was a prisoner to Dee's embrace, the brunettes face resting on her muscled upper arm. Dee's other arm was wrapped over Suarez's stomach, the pair locked together. Suarez glanced at the clock, it was 5am.

Suarez rolled her shoulders slightly and brushed the brunette’s hair back with her free arm to reveal her companions face a little more. Dee woke with a start and discovered her situation, slightly confused.

“Hey,shhhhhh its OK” Suarez began.

“Where am …oh!” began Dee as she began to recoil a moment realising her position.

“Hey, hey, it's OK” Suarez responded gently, encouraging Dee to stay close. “You were at the party, remember?” Suarez said as she combed Dee's hair back with the fingers of her free arm.

There was a silence which seemed to last for an age.

“Aurora?”

“Uh huh?” Suarez answered.

“Have you ever …..” Dee said, pausing for thought, stopping Suarez's heart for a split second.

“What …?” Suarez answered her heart dancing back into motion.

“Have you ever had a moment and realised you've not been ….. you know …. living?” Dee whispered.

Suarez thought for a moment and decided that no … she had no regrets but she suspected Dee did and she answered the question with one of her own.

“Why? Do you think you've been sitting on the sidelines?” Suarez probed.

“You pulled me in here, dressed me up, made me feel, special and that's when I realized it.” Dee said as she nuzzled her head into Suarez's arm sleepily.

“You will be OK. Get some sleep ….” Suarez pecked a kiss on Dee's forehead and closed her eyes. She may have failed to dominate Dee but she realised that in fact Dee had succeeded in surrendering to her instead.

Weeyu Weeyu Weeyu Whiu Whiu Whioo Whoo Whoo

Dee woke, startled by the sound of police sirens wailing past the apartment block and into the distance. She then noticed the balcony door was slightly open allowing the cool summer air into the room. The sunlight that entered was slightly restrained by the fine white net curtains but was still sufficient to cause some pain behind the eyes. Dee drew herself up on the bed, her knees rising into her chest as she assessed her situation.

Her satin panties were on and the rest of her clothes were discarded by the bed. The jeans that Suarez had loaned to her were folded on top of the dresser. She remembered her dress and looked down to where she had discarded it to see it was gone. Gone also was Suarez though some discarded underwear on the bed made her think that she had gotten up and changed.

Slowly as Dees head began to re-boot she realised there would be a mountain of tidying up to do which she felt obligated to help with and then she remembered something about someone sleeping on the couch. The memories slowly piled on, she noticed some smudged numbers on the palm of her hand. Was that a phone number? Oh god, the toy train guy!

Dee glanced down at the empty spot beside her in the bed now occupied only by a discarded bra and panties. She remembered how, for whatever reason she came to haul herself up alongside Suarez, the one who had drawn her back into living life and she smiled at the memory. Dee dragged her hand over the sheets and scooped up the bra and panties. The bra carried the slight scent of Suarez, which triggered the memory of their conversation in the early hours. Dee's heart fluttered as she wondered; “What would it be like if ...if...if?” Slowly she drew the panties to her face and took a deep breath inwards...

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

In the en-suite bathroom the sound of a hair dryer blasted into life, and like a startled cat Dee slammed the underwear down onto the bed like her arm had been spring loaded. In her moment of vulnerability she dragged the duvet up to her chest and waited a second, her heart racing. The door opened and Suarez confidently stepped out , cable straining behind her, bath towel wrapped around her.

The hair dryer stopped and Suarez smiled “Oh, you're awake! How are you feeling?”

That prompted Dee to burst out laughing, not at the question, but at being nearly caught. Then she realised her head hurt prompting Aurora to smirk.

Part 16: Strike One

Suarez reversed herself against the door of the dishwasher which click closed and started running. The plastic cups and plates had been rinsed and stacked and ready to be recycled and the left over bottles and cans had been bagged up ready to be put out.

Dee sat back in her now clean dress hugging her mug of coffee at the small dining table and read out aloud the note left by Mikey.

“Thanks for the awesome party – had a great time – I've tidied up a bit, hope that's OK – didn't know how to work the dishwasher but it is loaded ready to go – gotta run – have a lunch date – Mikey.” Dee finished, putting the note down. “What a good guy,” Dee added.

Suarez looked about her apartment and seeing that there was progress paused and sipped her coffee.

“So, its Saturday, what plans do you have ?” asked Suarez. She didn't quite know how to proceed now after all that had happened.

“Today? Well I really need to get back home, I have chores, but I may hit the park later if my head feels up to it. And you?” Dee said.

“Me? More unpacking” Aurora said as she glanced at the unopened shipping boxes. “Then some shopping and then I don't know. We'll see”

There was a moments silence as each took in a secret glance at the other over the rims of their coffee mugs.

“About last night ...” they said in unison.

Dee smiled. “You go ….”

Suarez baulked, suddenly realizing she had been put on the spot. “No , I was just going to say I'm glad you had a great time. Getting drowned was pretty much the best thing that could have happened to you ….”

Dee looked down into her cup shyly. “I know, but I meant... afterwards? Are we like, still OK?”

Suarez looked over the brim of her mug of coffee, her broad grin barely hidden “Well, I didn't kick you out , did I?” her eyes flashing with mischief.

---

Dee's head peered over the edge of the bed, her hands gripping the edge either side of her , her eyes rolling back in her head. Dee's long dark wavy hair flowed down either side of her face towards the bedroom floor, her mouth parting a moment.

The disguised heroine's eyes closed as she bit her bottom lip in anticipation of the sensation that she knew was coming. Then she felt it, the smooth cool gliding surface which had been rubbing backwards and forwards over her fleshy slit presented itself to her moistening hole and plunged in.

Dee's head flopped forward as, slowly coming into view over her shoulder, was Suarez, her face in concentration as she eased herself deeply into Dee's body with the strap on, one hand gripping onto Dee's shoulder and the other wrapping a coil of Dee's hair around it.

Suarez leant forward as she twisted Dee's head with her hair to one side, licking her face as she started to pound at Dee from behind.

“Oh god yes !” Dee moaned.

Part 17: Small gifts from heaven

The old fisherman made the walk down the short steep hill from his modest little cottage to the rocky beach. He had done this short journey practically every day of his life since he could cast a net, just as his father had done and his father before him. There were fewer and fewer of his kind now, the ones that would take their small sail boat into the clear blue waters with nothing more than a flask of water and some provisions for the day, along with a fishing net.

He walked down to the shingle where his boat rested and then performed his daily ritual. Looking to the skies he gave thanks to the heavens for the favourable weather and for having protected his boat from the storm of the night before. His wise old eyes studied the planks of the timber hull and knew the old boat lived to sail another day.

As he pulled up the lines that had anchored the boat on the shoreline he noticed another line had become tangled, debris from the storm perhaps. The occasional glint in the sun on this other line caused the old man to become curious and he went to retrieve the nuisance fouling his ropes.

The old man shook the encroaching line clean and to his surprise it appeared golden almost. It seemed well made too save for being frayed at one end. The old man wrapped two coils around his strong fists and pulled the line, testing it. It was strong, it was beautiful, it surely was a gift he concluded.

The old man glanced at the flat sea, the blue skies, and movement of the few clouds. He listened to the kind wind and the cries of the gulls. Everything told him he had plenty of time to go fishing that day. Probably for the first time ever the old man turned, gift in hand, and began walking back to his cottage, patting the hull of his boat as he passed by.

In his cottage the old man, with patience and the skills gifted to him by his ancestors began to rework the rope, a task made difficult by not being able to trim it which vexed him. With his tools he began to prepare to bind off the end of the golden rope. He was most surprised when he was able to find a perfect match to bind it with amongst his materials. He didn’t recall ever having need of that colour before but there it was.

Eventually the rope was repaired and proudly hung on a hook, coiled neatly and as good as new. Then there was a tap at the door and the old man turned away to answer it. One of the widow farmers stood at the door, a small basket of vegetables and some fruit in her hand. Apparently the harvest had been good, so she told him, and there enough extra for a good meal to share. The old man glanced over his shoulder to say he had received good fortune too only to see the rope gone. He looked at the basket and the lady then skywards with a smile and acknowledged the work of the old gods.

Part 18:Check Mate

The blonde, her beautiful curled ringlets bobbing as she walked, strode elegantly waist deep from the pure waters of the island paradise. Her peach dress clung to her as she walked onto the shore, the lasso neatly coiled in her hand.

“Someone has been busy” said a friendly voice, a red headed beauty dressed in green. “I hope you have not been spending too much manna though, it is a precious commodity these days”

The blonde smiled “It is rare that I spend it and besides, it was necessary”

The red head offered out her arm hinting that they should walk together along the shore.

“For the lasso, perhaps, but really, using an old man ….and then to reward him with fruit?” The red head probed.

“Why do you only see the material gifts? There were two gifts there in front of him or do you not hear Aphrodite's song? Besides, by rewarding the descendant of the original maker of the lasso I thought I was being poetic” the blond said, justifying her actions.

“Oh , so you found out about that, did you? I heard you had been asking after your champion's little battle.” the red head said, her glance passing between the blonde, the gulls and the gentle sea.

“Oh, and what else have you heard?” teased the blonde. She had been asking questions of all the angels she thought might know of the origin of the lasso and also of the warrior who had bested her favourite champion.

“You know, I couldn't really say, and you know it when I say it, I REALLY can’t say. But perhaps...” the red head hinted, her eyes hinting at something as she spoke.

The pair passed by a cluster of trees beneath which was a marble table and benches. The table surface was chequered and adorned with chess pieces waiting to clash once more in battle.

The red head guided her friend to the table.“Do you play Chess? It is such an …. enlightening game” she said suggestively.

The blonde understood her friend’s code and sat opposite her “I don't play so much, perhaps you can teach me?”

The pair set up their pieces, the blonde took white, the red head took black. Soon the opposing armies stood in formation ready to do battle.

The blonde played her first move.“My champion” she hinted, placing her finger on a Knight which she plucked up and lead out on her first move.

“And there you see is your problem. MY champion looks like one of these ….” The red head plucked up a pawn and advanced two squares. “Your’s stands out, its moves well known, the Pawn, less so”

“But … the pawn IS your champion?” the blondes eyebrows rose as she smiled.

“Like I said … I really cant say ….” the red head reaffirmed. Even in code she was only prepared to tell so much.

The blonde plucked a pawn of her own and made her next move. “Is there any reason one might throw a poor Pawn at a Knight ….. in chess that is, just to be clear.”

“Oh come now, a naïve question ...” the red head followed out with another pawn “Positioning is one, sacrificing a pawn so the knight can be taken is another, but sometimes, for those who control the pieces, its just for the fun of it.”

The blonde placed her hand atop a bishop and it sped out on its diagonal run. “So it comes down to the pawn being used for strategy or amusement?”

The red head picked up a knight and started a new charge on the flank of the board. “You learn this game quickly. I would only say that in a game with no stakes, and …..” her tone turned a little more serious “and there are no stakes…. the game is played merely for amusement.”

The blonde glanced over the development of the game and took another Pawn from the ranks and sent it forward into battle. “Well, I would only wonder then, who would be need of amusement enough to want to see this battle of Pawn and Knight play out?”

The red head looked at the board and the blond. “I think you HAVE learned a lot from our little lesson and now my little black army and their King grows bored ...understand?” She placed her finger on the King, “He is bored” then tipped it over in resignation. “Do not RUIN his fun.” she warned.

The red head rose from the table and spun away. “Your champion returns soon, I am sure. I heard the angels of Mytilini singing in happiness for her while you were away. Give her the lasso if you think it will help her, but my pawn, it knows how to steal shields and swords and armour, and what good is your knight without those?”

The blonde rose from the table, lasso in one hand, her other hand over mouth.

The red head glanced over her shoulder as she walked away ….. “Remember ….. do not ruin his fun” she cautioned.

Part 19: Special Delivery

Suarez rubbed her eyes as she returned to her laptop, the progress bar on a transfer was complete and she plucked out the now full little USB pen drive and put it to one side. That was one of her tasks over with at least.

She opened up a browser page and loaded up the courier firm's website then copied and pasted a tracking number from an email from Ianos into the search box. Ianos had sent a package on just about the most expensive yet fastest courier network possible yet it was still a shock to see that the consignment was already marked “Out for Delivery”.

Suarez tabbed out and looked over the photo slide show again. She had received the pictures not long after her last conversation with her hard working contractor on the other side of the world then approved the item's despatch.

The diligent Ianos had photographed each stage of the excavation. He had chased back from the rectangular strip where the thin needle of metal had broken free, back into the earth, layer by layer revealing more and more of the artefact until it had been completely uncovered. The last photo showed the fully revealed item, and, like the small piece that came before it, it was levitating from the ground, barely overcoming its own weight.

BINGBONG

Suarez rose and went to the door and checked the spyglass, a man in a baseball cap, the courier company name on it, stood on the other side chewing on some gum glancing down at some handheld tablet.

Suarez opened the door and saw on the floor there was a cardboard box. The courier offered out his tablet and a touchscreen stylus and she signed her name. Barely a word passed between them, she said thanks drew in the box and the transaction was done.

Suarez looked down on the box with excitement and a little fear but knelt down and begun to slice open the tape that held it closed. The brown tape slowly began to get peeled away and then she was down to the packing chips. Catching her fingers on something Suarez realised that from the four corners of the box Ianos had fixed strong rubber bands and had suspended the precious cargo in a plastic bag at the centre. Suarez realised that he had weighted the box down with some lead from one of his diving belts and was trying to dampen down the motion of contents with the rubber bands. “Very clever Ianos, very clever”.

Right now the contents in the plastic bag hung under its own weight. Whatever magic that had caused it to levitate before was not in effect right now it seemed, but Suarez knew that like the needle before, it could come to life at any time. When the shy librarian, Dee, became the star spangled heroine the strange metal seemed to come to life. Suarez returned to her laptop and begun to compose her thank you message to Ianos.

PART 20: On Friendly Shores

Wonder Woman sat with her booted legs crossed in front of her. Her bracelet adorned forearms arms at were at ease in her lap. With her eyes closed she began her meditation, seeking the island paradise of the other realm.

The brunettes breathing gently slowed …... in …... out …...........in …...........................out.

She opened her eyes and looked down just in time to see the gentle lapping wave retreat to the ocean, the soft sand tickling between her toes as she felt herself sink just slightly into the golden grains of the shore.

“Greetings once again, you have good timing” greeted the blond, her peach dress fluttering slightly on the wind. In her hand was the lasso, repaired and gleaming in the sunshine. Wonder Woman smiled, her heart was still floating on air after her encounter with Suarez the day before and although their paths hadn’t crossed since they had plans to meet again.

“Oh, you have repaired the damage! Was it difficult” the brunette asked as she walked from the edge of the water towards the angel who had greeted her.

“Walk with me,” said the angel as she led the pair along the shore.

“Is everything OK?” asked the brunette.

“I have things to tell you … and I have things that I cannot,” the blond said cryptically.

“I don’t understand. Is it about the lasso?” frowned the brunette.

“That I can tell you about. I enquired about the lasso and how it came to be broken, as you and I both know, its strength is legendary, yet how it came into the world, less so” the blond explained, her ringlets swaying with each step.

“Was it damaged by another weapon of the gods or ….” queried the heroine as she glanced at the lasso.

“No, I don't think so, you see, the lasso, whilst being of the gods was crafted by a mortal,” the angel said. She held out the lasso to show the heroine something. “The strands are from the hair of a goddess, but the binding is not, it was this that was broken.”

“So, the warrior knew of this weakness?” puzzled the brunette.

“Possibly so. There are texts written by mortals that may have told of the provenance of the lasso,” the angel explained.

“And what of the warrior? Did you learn anything of them?” asked Wonder Woman.

“And alas we come to the part I cannot help you with” said the angel, resigned to her secrecy.

“But I do not understand ….” The heroine felt confused. Why did her angel act this way?

The pair continued on their walk, there was a stony silence for a moment while the pair gauged what to do next.

“I think you already know all you need to about the warrior. You think you do not but if you reconsider your previous encounter most thoroughly again you will see it is true,” the angel said in a moment of clarity.

Further inland, in a clearing on the grass, a group of angels in assorted colours were plucking fruit from a bowl, eating, and giggling. One covered her mouth as a happy laugh escaped, pointing in the direction of the angel and the heroine as they continued their walk. The assorted angels waved happily then resumed their chatter amongst themselves, sometimes whispering secrets into one another's ears.

Dee shyly waved back with a slight frown on her face. “Do I know them? I do not recall seeing them before” the heroine stated.

“Oh, them? They are some of the angels of Mytilini” the blond replied as she nodded respectfully in the direction of the playful group.

“Mytilini? Where is that?” the brunettes frown deepened.

The blond, her eyes wide, paused and placed her mouth to the brunette’s ear and whispered.

The brunette blushed.“Oh, I see!”

“You are the source of their happiness the last day or so ….....” the blonde said warmly.

The brunette shook her head as she cleared her thoughts and began to recall the events of her encounter with the unknown black clad warrior.

“So … the warrior knows of the lasso possibly. Maybe it would be pointless to use it again against them. But then again, maybe that is what they want me to think? Luckily I have my strength, my bel” the brunette cut herself off as she remembered something.

“What do you remember?” asked the blond with a smile.

“That warrior also nearly took my belt …. Either for their use, or to deny it from me, I don’t know.” the heroine said, the recollection unsettling her.

“Now you are thinking like a true champion. What does it all mean?” encouraged the blond knowing that she couldn’t openly tell to her champion what she knew herself.

“I guess it means I cannot rely on anything. This warrior knows they might be able to neutralise the lasso, they might even be able to take my belt, I guess even the bracelets are at risk. But what do I fight with?” the brunette asked of herself.

“You were born with speed and cunning, the belt, the bracelets, the lasso, they are merely tools to help you. They are not all that you are. If it were so they could have been given to anyone. You will figure it out ….” encouraged the blond. “Now, you should return to your own shores, you have good work to do and no doubt you will meet the warrior again”

The brunette nodded, accepted the gift of the lasso and headed towards the water.

The blond gave a gentle wave of the hand and turned back, she knew she had done her best to help her champion and not incur the wrath of the gods. Her champion was now as well prepared as possible and wouldn’t be going into danger completely unprepared. The blonds bright eyes glanced about, she sensed she had been watched but now was in the company of only the angels frolicking in the clearing.

The brunette opened her eyes, the lasso once again in her possession. She was now ready for the trials ahead.

============================

PART 21: Chop Shop

Wonder Woman peered over the edge of the roof of the workshop. Beneath she could hear the roller doors clank open inch by inch, the chain being hauled on by one of the men inside. The beautiful violet coloured sports car, a subtle glow emanating from all around its low profile skirting, edged into the workshop as soon as the door had risen far enough.

The heroine rose from her position and tip toed lightly to the skylight and looked down. A team of men surrounded the incoming car, scanning devices in hand looking for where the various trackers and anti-theft sensors were located. Rich boys and their stolen toys were not usually of her concern but today she was trying to close off a feedback loop to the drugs chain she had been trying to take down. And nothing hurt the flow of drugs like the sudden stoppage of money.

Wonder Woman quickly took in the layout of the workshop and noted a small fire escape door at the back. That would be her way in, dropping through the skylight was too risky. With too many directions to be seen from she would be exposed and there was no guarantee that she had seen all that there was to see in there.

Wonder Woman made her way along the roof to the back of the workshop, looked around to check the way was clear and dropped down. Somersaulting and softly landing on her feet, her heels barely made a click.

The heroine put her ear to the fire escape door and listened. The area behind was a whirr of pneumatic wrenches and power tools and the inevitable tapping and clanking that filled the air of most workshops. She placed her shoulder against the door and gently began to force it open.

The first thing she could hear was the metal lock push against the metal recess it sat in. The wooden frame creaked as the metal lock protested against the frame. The nails holding the frame of the doorway into the structure had their turn next as the frame, now twisting, tugged at the heads of the nails. The super high frequency of the squeaking nails as they were being dragged from the wood was only heard by Wonder Woman's keen hearing.

POP POP – The wooden frame began to fail. One by one the nails loosened as the frame and the metal jam rotated off the lock and the door was free to begin to swing open. The brunette paused, her fingers now gripping around the edge of the door to prevent it from flying open.

There seemed to be no reaction from inside so the brunette entered into the workshop under the cover of all the noise. At the back was what appeared to be boxes of spares, either bought in or stripped off of vehicles to disguise them? This presented the brunette an opportunity to get closer to goon number one who had his back to her. Clipboard in hand it appeared he was going through a checklist around a car, perhaps to make sure that nothing had been forgotten.

Stalking her prey she slipped in behind him locking one arm about his throat, the other over his mouth and slowly put out his lights, his muffled cries unheard. Dragging him beyond the boxes and out of sight she placed his sleeping body in the recovery position and then set out again to get to the next man.

The next one was almost as easy as the first, he was working on the interior of a Ferrari. Those seatbelts were standard and he was making sure they looked more like the custom optional extras instead. The brunette playfully tapped on the rear window and the craftsman, a frown on his face swung his head out the open window looking over his shoulder. The last thing he saw was the sole of the red boot that sent him to sleep.

Two men were now piled up safe and sound and judging from the tapping and clanging there were still more to go. A beautiful yellow Lotus was next, and although it was parked with the engine off it made a sound more akin to a dropped bag of spanners. The mechanic underneath tapped and ratcheted away at his task and …. Wait …. Was the car lowering on its jacks? …...Shit!

The mechanic in his panic laying on a dolly under the vehicle pulled himself out from under the car before there was no clearance to escape.

“Uh?!” said the man stunned as he found himself between the legs of the brunette, her long red boots, shiny blue leggings and red corset above. The smiling face above him winked, her hand offering a simple wave. Then she instantly dropped to her knees straddling his waist and ….. Whpaaam ! The clash of her forehead against his could only result in one conclusion.

The pile of sleeping bodies was growing yet there was more to do. Now came the tricky part. That violet sports car was being triple teamed by the scanning team. Taking them out silently was going to be a bit more involving.

Wonder Woman made her way back past the already cleared vehicles and turned a corner. There it was, and there they were, sensors in hand scanning away. The man with his head in the engine bay looked the most likely to be taken first. She crouched and sneaked up to the car and was practically beside the man and he still didn't know she was there. She could hear the other two talking amongst themselves and she figured that perhaps… just perhaps....

THUNK!

A swift move and the engine bay cover slammed down for just a moment, stunning the man working inside. His body dangled limply over the edge of the engine compartment his legs just touching the ground giving the illusion that he was happily working away inside.

The brunette made it slightly round the side of the car and that’s when her cover was blown.

Wonder Woman made eye contact with a shaven headed thug. Whump, his eye blinked, his mouth slowly opening in shock. She could see his chest inflate with his deep intake of breath. Usually with a lung full of air and the shock and a surprise of seeing her, a goons first words were usually ..

Fuck ….. Shit …...The name of a comrade ….. Stop her ….. Get her …... any of those variations.

“Christ !!” he exclaimed.

Close enough, thought the brunette to herself.

The shaven headed man stumbled back, the scanner in his hand dropping to the floor as his free hand reached a tool trolley, its top deck crowded with spanners.

A second man in a baseball cap who had been crouching by the opposite side of the car began to rise to his feet in surprise, his arm reaching out to brace the fall of his friend. Shave Head stumbled back into BaseballCap's arms. BaseballCap was shocked to see the heroine and gave his buddy a shove, pushing him towards the heroine while he turned to run.

ShaveHead, spanner in hand began his slow motion assault. With a long overhead arc the spanner came downward towards the heroine. Her wrists slowly rose together in an X and then there was a violent CLANG. The vibration of the strike rattled down the fingers of ShaveHead and he cried out in pain as he fell to his knees clutching his hands. As he dropped to the floor his reward was for his face to connect with the knee of the heroine and.... Lights Out!

BaseballCap paused and looked back to see his buddy slump backwards, the palm of the brunettes right hand guiding him on his safe descent to the floor.

“Jeezus …..” he exclaimed as turned to continue his escape. He made it to one car, then the next, calling the names that presumably belonged to his sleeping buddies out back. They weren't going to respond any time soon though.

“Oh man, this can’t be …....” whimpered BaseballCap as he fled.

Whew whew whew whew ….. the lasso whispered as it enveloped the man and he began to feel himself being reeled in like a fish until he was on his knees at the heroine's feet.

“Now, how many of you are there?” asked the brunette forcefully.

“Here? Now?” BaseballCap stammered.

“Yes, HERE! NOW!” Wonder Woman repeated.

BaseballCaps eyes blinked as he counted off everyone....... “Seven .. there are seven...”

BoomBoom - the heart of the heroine pulsed

Checklist lights out guy, 1 Ferrari facekick man, 2

BoomBoom her heart fired again.

Lotus straddle finish,3 Engine bay dangler,4

BoomBoom her heart raced.

ShaveHead Spanner hands, 5 BaseballCap bean spiller, …....... shit!

“Nice try! - Now, hands up!” said a voice directly behind the brunette, some kind of weapon muzzle to her head.

The lasso fell limply, the brunettes hands let go of the golden rope as her hands rose in surrender taking the unseen thug off guard. Suddenly Wonder Woman began to spin around, her wrist rising quickly.

The creaking metal trigger of whatever weapon the last man had begun to engage some strange sounding mechanism. Then she heard it, the high pressure air being released into the weapon. There was no chemical fizz, no pop, no mini explosion to drive out whatever deadly missile awaited, just cool expanding air. The missile rattled down the barrel of the weapon, there was no rifling in this gun, just a smooth bore and an ill-fitting round clattering inside.

The heroine's wrist rose at lightning pace and PING!

The pneumatic rivet gun chugged as another round danced into the chamber, the armed thugs face revealing his disbelief as the other hand of the woman filled his view, closer, closer ….. Pain …. Darkness.

Before the golden rope touched the floor the brunette caught it again in mid-flight.

“Next time,” the heroine cautioned BaseballCap, “Count faster!”

Bad guys secured the brunette stepped out of the building and prepared to call in a tip off to the police. Sure, leaving the roller door ajar was a little naughty but it meant the police would see the stolen vehicles plain as day from outside, no warrant required.

On the dockside in front of the workshop the brunette made the call. Reporting 'shots fired' wasn’t exactly a lie, it depended on how you defined the gun.

“You fought well, once again, and you have your lasso repaired,” called out a metallic voice.

Startled, the brunette looked up and saw the source of the voice, the warrior in black, on the roof of the workshop. The brunette calculated the odds, it would be pointless to try and leap up there to the warrior, it would only end badly.

“I take it you knew you could break it?” the brunette asked, fishing for information.

“Like you, I am a warrior. You should know that understanding your opponent is important” the warrior replied.

“What is this about, have I wronged you?” asked the heroine, her hands settling on her hips.

“Take this! It will help you with your little drug smuggler problem. We will meet again,” said the black clad warrior tossing something at the heroine. Wonder Woman watched the arc of the object in flight and turned side on to it as it fell harmlessly at her feet. She glanced back up but already knew that the warrior was gone.

=======================

Part 22: Mergers and Acquisitions

Dee scanned the contents of the USB drive very carefully before finally plucking up the courage to load the files. The files themselves had an odd extension and it took a while before she finally discovered that they were for some mapping software. Soon she had downloaded the software and begun to load up the data.

It seemed that something was being plotted across a map and she soon saw that it was the tractor unit that she had tried to intercept at the factory. She may have failed to tag it but it seemed her black clad rival had not. Slowly the plot continued to play out, retelling the story of the tractor unit's adventure.

The unit had sped off and stopped at a truck stop. It waited hours, then went on another journey, to the middle of nowhere, then waited some more. It then went to …... what was that? An industrial park? Then the tractor unit drove back towards the city, but this time to the football stadium, The Metro Monsters ground.

Ping ! An Instant Message pinged in the background. Dee brought the window out of hiding to see it was Aurora.

AURORA : “Hi, you there or afk ?”

“Oh, I'm here” responded Dee, typing with a smile.

AURORA: “Hey, I've been missing you, been doing anything exciting?”

Dee chuckled …. “had problems with a car …. it was in the shop”

AURORA: “Nothing serious I hope!”

Dee smiled … “no nothing too serious ….I'm sorry though, I've not been avoiding you ...”

AURORA: “I hope I didn't put you off”

Dee's heart raced a little as she recalled her encounter with Aurora. She had pierced through the cold dull wall that she had built up for so long to protect her identity and brought her out into the light. She had let Aurora take charge of her in so many ways, she had dressed her up then stripped her down, and she had fallen into Aurora’s arms.

AURORA: “Hey, you still there?”

Dee shook her head, she had been lost in her thoughts and saw that one hand had dropped between her legs. She bit her lip as she realised her loss of control and took a deep breath and put both hands back on the keys.

“Yes .. I'm here ….. I was just.....remembering …..” Dee typed with a blush.

AURORA: “You were one handed typing, weren't you?!”

“OMG, you can’t say that …!” Dee wrote, her eyes widening.

AURORA: “Well, I didn't say stop … did I?”

Dee's heart raced, she could almost hear Aurora saying the words out loud. “I can’t believe you said that!”

AURORA: “Listen, its been days! I am horny as hell thinking of you and if I can’t fuck you right now I at least want to be sure you are horny and frustrated too!”

Dee sat slack jawed at Aurora's revelation, her head flushing with hot blood, a smattering of exclamation marks firing back in Aurora's direction.

AURORA: “Get naked … if you’re not already ...”

Dee's arms closed around her body in protest, mouth agog. But...was she really going to do it?

Aurora looked at the chat box window. What was Dee going to say? She wanted to reinforce her demand but right now she was busy, one hand sitting on her spandex covered cameltoe while her other arm wrapped around a black backpack containing the brunette's impending downfall.

In a window separate to the chat box was some weight data she had been computing. The spherical object beneath the Aegean sea would indeed weigh about 500 metric tonnes. The force needed to pry open a simple bulkhead door, much less. Something didn’t add up and she was gambling that she knew the answer. A plastic bag from the pharmacy contained the experiment that would prove her right or wrong either way.

DEE: “OK …. but I hope I don’t regret it ...”

Aurora, heart racing, leant forward.

AURORA: “Top off ….slowly ...then your bra”

Dee peeled off her top followed by her bra as instructed, her heart running like a train.

AURORA: “You have great nips by the way”

Dee smiled shyly at the message and she cupped her breasts as Aurora had done the day she had let her take her for the first time.

AURORA: “Shoes … socks ….. off !”

Dee read the cadence … the manner of the instructions. Dee's head bowed for a moment as mentally she, her heroine persona, Aurora and the mechanical voiced warrior merged together into the fantasy.

“Belt …... OFF …..” the mechanical voice said.

Dee continued to read Auroras instructions but it was the warrior’s voice that she heard in her mind. Slowly being stripped of her belt, her bracelets, her own lasso holding her prisoner, the boots that symbolised her power, discarded on the floor. Her hand felt her body moisten at even the thought of it happening again.

Dee's head lolled drunkenly to one side as she returned to the moment. She had been adrift as she had abused herself at Aurora's command. The head rush was like a drug as, following her instructions, had gently eased her panties into her pussy to remain for the rest of the day, the associated thoughts and repercussions of which finally forced her over the edge.

DEE: “:blush: .OMG..I've O'd …..I ….I have to go ...I'm sorry …...”

AURORA: “Me too…... O'd and have to go …... I will see you again soon....right?”

Dee looked at the message and thought about all that had transpired, everything making sense.

DEE: “I think you already know you will … xx”

Aurora saw Dee sign off and was troubled. What did Dee mean by that? Fuck! Aurora looked down at herself and realised she needed to hit the shower.

===========================

Part 23: Tagged

The brunette, her heels clicking quietly on the hard tarmac of the epic empty parking lot made her way towards the side of the Metro Monsters home ground, “The Lair”. Its retro-gothic styling made for an awesome silhouette against the late night Metro skyline.

The brunette closed in on the loading dock area and begun to look for her rogue tractor unit. She wanted to know more about its mission, who loaded it, who unloaded it, what was hitched to it, everything she could.

Row after row of trucks were parked waiting in the bays. It seemed that anything that was merchandised was represented. Cold drinks, beers, candy, potato chips, t-shirts, hot dogs, paper cups, napkins, straws, official team shirts, foam hands, stupid drink hats. Everything had to be hauled to the stadium on a regular basis. Imagine just the 100,000 big paper cups used at each game, every other weekend. All that stuff added up.

Carefully Wonder Woman slipped passed one truck after another. Any passing worker at the stadium was never going to see her. Eventually she found the tractor unit she was looking for. Hitched up to it was a plain white trailer. She cautiously made her way to the back and looked for any clues as to the origin of the contents but saw nothing obvious. The brunette walked back alongside the trailer and then she noticed something. She was going to place a tracker on the trailer on the underside of a wheel arch above a wheel and noticed how much clearance there was between the tyre and its wheel well. This trailer was empty!

She ran through it logically. The tractor left the factory without a load, therefore it had come here with a new trailer. This was a new place for collection, not distribution. The drugs were on another rig, the transfer hadn't happened yet. She placed the tracker in place then, hearing voices, the heroine ducked under the trailer and listened.

“Yeah, the red one … the guy gave us an hour ...let’s get on it!” said a husky voice.

“Ill get the forks ...” said another.

Two pairs of legs parted ways, one stayed with the white truck, the other left.

The brunette reasoned there was a red truck somewhere and sneaked further down the line until she found it. She waited patiently and it was no surprise that that the fork truck trundled down right to where she waited, confirming her suspicions. Locator tags in place on the trailer and tractor unit, it was just a case of waiting for the coast to clear and she would be away, another network mapping session in progress and another branch of the poisonous tree to uncover.

The hour elapsed under the brunette’s watchful gaze and the switch was finished. The fork truck was parked away and the two men, Husky and ForkDriver went their separate ways. However all this had been arranged could be solved another day. For now the important thing was the deliverer and transporter of this deadly cargo were tagged.

The brunette rose from her hiding place by the loading dock and felt the sensation of being watched. The sound of crickets filled the warm evening air, no voices spoke, no birds sung, there were no cars, no planes, nothing, just crickets.

“Did it help you?” said a voice from nowhere.

The brunette looked about her but didn't see the source.

“Yes, but if you are not with them, and you are not with me, who are you with?” asked the brunette into the blind.

“Win or lose, you will learn all, but there must be a winner.” replied the electronic voice.

“And how do you define winning?” asked the brunette into the open air.

“When defeat comes we will know” the voice replied cryptically.

“Where?” asked the brunette.

“Our ancestors used to compete in the arenas, it is fitting we have one of our own! The turf shall be our new place to fight. Do not hold back, I will not, ” said the voice ominously.

PART 24: P x N

Wonder Woman cautiously made her way through a tunnel. In the silence she could imagine the roar of the crowds that would normally be emanating from the arena beyond. In ancient times it would be man against man, or animal, swords and shields clashing. There would be the roar of tigers and lions, the smell of blood, the taunts of the crowd as well as their cheers, their baying for victory or death. In modern times the sound of the crowd wasn’t much different but the clash of steel was now replaced by the crunching tackles of football and the echoing voice of the announcer on the speakers.

The heroine passed into the rows of seating. The field was lit under subdued lighting, only a few lamps of the great floodlight towers were illuminated. On the halfway line, in the centre something was stirring like a black twitching blob. What was that, a dog? Or a trap? The brunette felt that the encounter wasn’t going to progress until she investigated a little more closely.

Confidently yet with a hint of the butterflies in her stomach Wonder Woman walked down between the rows of seating. At the end of the row was the lip of the wall and the drop onto the green turf of the side lines. The brunette glanced down into shadows below. It was hard to tell but it looked safe and so, one hand planted on the wall and a quick kick with the legs she hopped over. She dropped the 18 feet or so on to the grass, her blue shiny clad legs bending at the knee on landing. A glance left and right assured the immediate area looked clear and she looked on towards the centre of the field and the twitching black mass.

From nowhere, following the brunette from above, the black clad warrior jumped down landing on the brunette’s shoulders, the warriors muscular thighs clenching around the brunettes neck in an attempt to force her to black out. Hands held the brunettes hair tightly in the bid to ride her to the point of asphyxiation.

Wonder Woman in her determination to break the hold took herself a pace or two backwards and estimating the wall to be close, slammed her unwanted jockey into the wall, provoking a grunt from her attacker.

Slam … “nghhhh”

Slam …. “hnghhh”

The brunette felt that she was having no effect and she was losing the battle for oxygen. Then in a moment of clarity she grasped one of her attackers legs below the knee and forced her attacker's foot close to her waist. Then with her free hand she began to unclip her lasso.

The warrior saw the development unfold, their heart racing. The brunette, her bracelets glinting with the subtle floodlights was going to just simply lasso her foot at point blank range. She would be an instant prisoner.

“Nghoo” grunted the electronic voiced warrior as they swung their free leg off the brunette’s bare shoulder and started to stumble back.

The brunette failed to keep her vague grip on the warrior as she tried to free her lasso and saw the warrior manage to backflip away landing between the sideline and the wall, the twitching mass way behind them.

Wonder Woman, lasso now in hand began to consider spinning it up to cast at her opponent but she remembered how the warrior had damaged the lasso once before and decided now wasn't the time to let loose her golden rope. She kept the lasso in one hand and sprinted at her opponent.

The warrior saw the brunette, her hair flowing over her shoulders approaching rapidly, coil of golden rope in her hand. The warrior flung out her arm with a subtle flick of her wrist towards the heroine. Wonder Woman's thighs were pumping, her toned stomach flexing, her muscular arms pounding at the air, literally hauling herself towards the black clad warrior.

The brunette could see the masked warrior blink, their right arm extending forward. The small black disc of the yo-yo ran down their sleeved arm ,the little blades starting their whispered song.

“Jump!” thought Wonder Woman and she took to the air.

The yo-yo set forth on its journey, but the warrior could see in the subtle smile of her nemesis that her weapon would not find its target. Her heart stopped, time stood still, but her red and blue clad opponent did not, her steady climb into the air already too fast for the warrior in black to track by eye.

The warrior, without thinking, reacted to the brunette's potentially winning move. She merely twitched on the fine cord attached to yo-yo like weapon and it began its hasty return towards its owner.

The brunette began to twist in the air so she would land looking back to where she jumped from but from the other side of her attacker. It was now that she could tell the yo-yo had been snatched back towards the hand of its wielder. Wonder Woman had already decided against casting her lasso from above her opponent, this was the failed move that she tried before. She wasn’t here to repeat her mistakes, she was trying to mix things up a bit, her previous round having been totally predictable.

The black clad warrior buckled at her knees, falling back onto their shoulders, one arm supporting themselves, their throwing arm extending behind them. The yo-yo whirred its way over the warrior's body but now going behind them and towards the heroine.

Wonder Woman's eyes widened. The yo-yo approached into the very spot she was going to land in. Her opponent seemed gifted in planning way ahead. The heroine kicked out with her legs, grasping her ankles and landed doing to the splits, then quickly lent forward placing herself flush to the ground. The yo-yo flew past overhead harmlessly, the ink black enemy who was clambering to their feet had missed!

Planting her hands onto the green turf Wonder Woman pushed herself to her feet and ran at the black clothed warrior again. The warrior felt the line of her yo-yo go slack. It had gone to ground while she had been getting onto her feet, she had failed to keep its flight alive but … perhaps.

The warrior gave a quick flick with her wrist and the whirring electric blade dug into the yo-yo's cord. Now it began to skip and bounce hauling back on itself. Wonder Woman had almost closed the gap to the warrior when a tap to heel mid stride tripped her to the floor. The brunette rolled over onto her back and prepared to flip herself on to her feet only to see the warrior drop around her waist.

A flick of her wrist and the black warrior produced a fine metal needle and plunged towards one of the brunettes upper arms. Wonder Woman blocked the thrust, but only just, her hands gripping the warrior’s hand that was trying to drive the needle home.

“Nghhhhh …. Noooo” grunted the brunette …. “pfffff” her lungs exhaled before she took another breath to help in her exertions.

The tip of the needle closed in on Wonder Woman's muscled bicep.

“Nooo ….. nghhhhhhh” the brunette protested, eyes widening.

Then it happened .. the tip breached the surface of the skin, the subtle sting of the liquid within began to bite the brunette.

“NO!” the brunette exclaimed and in one last effort she forced the hand of her opponent up, the needle dripping a few spots of its sinister cargo over the pair.

The brunette gripped the hand that had injected her and begun to twist it, slowly, slowly.

“Nghhhhh …...” grunted the black clad warrior.

The two locked eyes, the masked attacker could see in the eyes of the brunette that the reversal was assured. Wide eyed, the attacker's resistance fell and the needle plunged into their neck. Wonder Woman squeezed the warriors hand tightly, the bulk of the mystery liquid forced into their body. The brunette, catching the warrior in a moment of weakness shoved her opponent away then got up.

There was a natural lull, the brunette gripped her upper arm, unsure what the injection was about, while the warrior rubbed their neck.

“Wha ….what was THAT?” asked Wonder Woman, slightly out of breath.

“We shall see!” replied the black silhouette.

“Well I hope you’ve got an antidote for it because you got most of it,” Wonder Woman said.

“I don’t need one ….” scoffed the warrior confidently.

“What …. what do you mean by …... nghhhhhh …... what the!!” Wonder Woman struggled to say as she began to feel pain around her waist.

The black clad warrior stood triumphant , arms folded, as the brunette began to fall to her knees.

“Take it off ….” said the black figure coldly.

Wonder Woman grasped at her waist. The belt that had been a source of strength, of power, began to betray her, its slow crushing grip began to bite, the brunettes organs protesting. Quickly the Wonder Woman unclipped the belt as she felt the air being forced from her lungs and she let the golden band fall to the floor.

“What........what....... did you do !” demanded the heroine as she watched the writhing belt slowly fall still.

The warrior tapped the side of their masked nose. Evidently the injection was a secret for now at least.

The brunette slowly rose to her feet and began to spin up her lasso. Winded, ribs sore, organs tender, she prepared to take her shot at the black figure.

The yo-yo, now a knotted birds nest lay inert on the floor, but, the warrior had one more roll of the dice, the twitching black mass on the 50 yard line amid the logo of the Metro Monsters. She turned and began to somersault like a gymnast towards her ultimate weapon....

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 steps then bounce …. somersault …..... somersault …...

Wonder Woman gave chase, the black figure's arcs and distances changed on each bounce but then the heroine felt it, the right moment, the time for decision and she let her lasso hand loose.

There is a special moment that almost every person has felt and if not yet, they will one day. The feeling of the release of the ball from the hand, the swing of the bat, or racket, the cast of the fishing rod, the loosing of the arrow, the deft stroke of a pen or brush. That magic moment when, at the very instant you commit, you let go, you know, it is assured, you don’t even have to watch, it is fated, it is destiny. That ball, that arrow, that swing …. is perfect.

Whoowhooowhooowhooo.

“Noo” …. the black clad warrior fell to earth, landing palms first, feet bound together by the lasso.

The wind knocked from their sails, the warrior found themselves being hauled in by the brunette.

Wonder Woman gritted her teeth. Finally she had her nemesis in her grasp. She hauled and she hauled, her opponent suffering the humiliation of being landed like a fish. Eventually the black figure lay at the heroine's red booted feet.

“Finally, it is done! Show me! Show me who you are!” demanded the brunette, the lasso guaranteeing answers.

“I …. I am a daughter of the Great River tribes, follower of the Fallen Goddess with the golden hair” replied the voice.

The brunette glanced at the twitching black mass then at the warrior.

“Stay!” commanded the brunette and walked towards the centre of the field, playing out the lasso as she went.

“No .. don't ….. its …..” the fallen black warrior said weakly.

“Shush” the brunette replied, raising a finger at the prone prisoner.

Compelled into silence the warrior could only shake their head in protest. The brunette approached the mass which appeared to be a black bag. The contents seemed to be tugging away and then she realised the bag had been staked to the ground. The brunette cocked her head in puzzlement and then she could hear the ripping sound as the nylon began to tear at its seams.

Veeeewwiiiiiiiiiiiiip - tink-----tink----tink-tinktinktinktink

The brunette dived to the side as the clattering metal chain shot out of the bag. The black clad warrior watched wide eyed as one end of the chain did a loop the loop like it was reacquiring a target. Wonder Woman retreated as fast as she could towards her prisoner, the end of the lasso still tight in her hands.

The chain locked onto the brunette who paused to see what was happening only to see the truth play out in slow motion.

The chain seemed to be reaching out from the bag. The free end homing in on her seemed to be terminated like a T with two metal strips. They made a beeline right for her almost as if they were magnetised and defensively the brunette raised her wrists to block the bizarre missile.

CL-CLINK !

There was barely a spark, no deflection, nothing, but then the heroine felt herself dragged a few paces onto her knees.

“What the ….... what is THIS ?!” The brunette looked down at her wrists. The two thin metal strips she had seen had merged seamlessly with her bracelets, sealing them closed. A short chain joined them together and was united to the length that ran the distance to the bag on the centre spot of the field.

“WHAT IS THIS ?” demanded the brunette of the warrior.

The warrior rolled their eyes in response.

“You can talk,tell me!” ordered Wonder Woman.

“ZEUS !!” screamed the black clad warrior . “DO YOU HEAR ME ? THE TEST IS OVER!!”

“Yes .. I hear you, daughter of the tribes from the Great River! You may rise from the gift of the fallen goddess” a voice rumbled overhead.

“DO YOU HAVE YOUR ANSWER NOW?” yelled the warrior as they freed their ankles from the lasso.

The brunette watched on as the conversation continued, digging in her heels, resisting the drag of the chain.

“Yes, we were wise to bring the eternal peace between the old world and the new. Truly you mortals would have destroyed each other, you are too closely matched. The long asked question has been answered,” replied the epic voice from the sky.

“SHE PASSED THE TEST, SHE HAD DEFEATED ME …..” The warrior said, acknowledging her own capture.

“You do not understand, warrior of the new world, it was YOU who was being tested, now leave this place and leave your foe to her fate!”

The chain tugged firmly once again and the brunette was dragged forwards several more paces. It was then she noticed the ground beneath the bag starting to crumble, the bag and surronding soil being pulled under.

“ZEUS!?” said Wonder Woman fearfully.

“NO …. LET HER GO !” demanded the warrior.

“I cannot, you have sealed her fate! She is destined for the halls of HADES ….” boomed the bodiless voice.

“What can I do!!” begged the warrior.

“Why do you abandon me Zeus?!” Growled Wonder Woman.

“If your destinies are truly set together you might save her, but hurry!” the heavenly voice said as it faded.

“ZEUS !!!!!” screamed the black clad warrior.

Part 25: P-QN8(Q)

The black clad warrior realised that the great god Zeus was no longer with them. Head bowed the warrior reached for their hood and peeled back their mask.

“Aurora,” growled Wonder Woman.

“Gods, Dee, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!” pleaded Aurora.

“I knew in my heart it was you but what is this all about? I trusted ….Dee trusted you and ….” the heroine said with distress. Just as she tried to start making sense of it all she was promptly tugged another half a yard towards her doom.

Aurora placed her hands on her head. What was she going to do?

“We … we … your belt …... we need your belt!!” Aurora stammered. She was thinking on her feet.

“But … it nearly killed me!” Wonder Woman replied. “What did you do to me …?” she looked at her upper arm, the tiny stinging injection mark in her skin.

Aurora sped back to the sideline and found the belt that the heroine had discarded, her head in a whirl. How could she fix this? She scooped up the belt and dashed back to the battling heroine.

“Take this but don't put it on …. let me think!” Aurora said panting.

The chain tugged at the brunette again drawing her another foot or so closer to the centre spot of the field.

“What is THIS about? What did you do to me!?” insisted the heroine.

Aurora knelt behind the brunette and wrapped her hands around the heroine's waist.

“I injected you with testosterone ...” Aurora started

“What? Why ?!” the heroine snapped back.

“The belt only works for women. The more hormonal you get the stronger you become. I thought if I could trick it ….” Aurora began to explain.

“Oh great! And let me guess ….. nghhhhhh” the brunette groaned as she struggled with the chain which dragged her a little more.

“Yes, you managed to juice me up even more than I did you ….if I put your belt on I'll get crushed too!” Aurora said as she too struggled to keep Wonder Woman from being dragged forward.

“So, what the hell happened to my bracelets?” the brunette looked down at her wrists now enclosed in something more akin to manacles.

“The bracelets...” Aurora grunted as she dug in her heels, “They were originally manacles but they were destroyed by Zeus! You have been wearing what was left, very strong, bullet proof manacles. I found the parts that were smashed off. I knew they would restrain you but I didn't know about the part about being dragged to hell, I swear!”

“Would you mind, nghhhh, before I go to hell....grrrr.. tell me ... why am I here Aurora ….. why are YOU here ?!” Wonder Woman asked as she tried to reposition her feet in a bid to slow the game of tug-of-war.

“A long time ago …. a goddess fell from heaven ….. she was cast far from home …. and fell among my people, the tribes of my ancestors in central America,” started Aurora as she gritted her teeth in resistance to the never ending pull of the chain.

“The new world, the Great River? The River Amazon?” the brunette guessed.

“Yes! The golden haired goddess led my people. Upon her head was the same hair that is now part of the lasso. She was going to take my people and storm Olympus and reclaim her place. But it would mean ...” grunted Aurora

“Let me guess. Total war?” Wonder Woman managed as she fought the chain. “Oh this is strong! So Zeus took her back and the war got called off?.” Wonder Woman guessed as she fought with the chain.

“Yes, but ever since then the gods have argued how such a battle would have ended,” Aurora said bitterly

“So, they sent you to face me?” Wonder Woman said, shaking her head in disbelief.

“Yes, one day the old gods spoke to the elders of my village. They told them to prepare me to face you. They pushed me... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me …..” Aurora’s eyes misted.

“How can we beat this? Zeus would not have said it was possible if …....nghhhhhhhh” The brunette grunted as she lost her footing and was dragged another 5 feet before her heels regained her grip.

“Think think think!” thought Aurora to herself.

“OK, we could try and tie you off with the lasso. It's unbreakable, right ? Right ?!” Aurora began.

“It's unbreakable but I am not, I would get ripped in two !” the brunette said sarcastically

“Yes, yes,OK, OK! So something else? It must be something to do with the belt?” Aurora thought quickly.

“But you drugged me up! You don’t happen to have .. oh no!” the chain yanked the heroine again causing her to tumble on her stomach and it was only Aurora's grip on her that stopped her from beging dragged closer to her doom.

“Oestrogen? No, I didn’t need to make you stronger,” Aurora said almost cursing herself.

“So, if it IS the belt ….” the brunette struggled to think as she dug out more of the turf with her heel, the normally pristine red boots muddied from ploughing the ground.

“Oh! OK.. shit …...” Aurora said as she re-established her grip around the brunette’s waist, pulling herself in tight against the brunette’s body.

“What .. what are you doing ?” protested the brunette , trying to glance over her shoulder.

“Shhhh, shut up! Just close your eyes and listen! Do it!” Aurora ordered.

“What ?! Why?” the heroine asked, confused.

“TRUST ME!” urged Aurora.

The brunette tried to comply while fighting with the chain.

“Just listen to my voice. I need you to know that I …well... I like you. Way back they tried to make me hate you. They elders wanted me to win, but I didn't know I was going to end up liking you more than I should.” Aurora pleaded.

Wonder Woman, her eyes closed, frowned with confusion. “And? This helps me how?” she asked.

“Try the belt ...” Aurora begged.

The brunette began to wrap the belt to her body but before she even got close to buckling it up she knew it was preparing to crush her.

“Well, what did you expect?” Wonder Woman asked as she dug her heels in once more.

“OK OK, lets try this!” Aurora thought for a moment.

“Remember the factory! Remember it! Remember the sounds, the smells? Do you remember the doorway, the glass?” Aurora started.

“Uh huh …..” the brunette melted slightly into Auroras embrace. Aurora gripped the heroine tightly and helped her fight the pull of the chain, the source, the focal point of which grew nearer and nearer.

“Remember how I stripped you! I was going to strip you naked, Wonder Woman. I was going to take you down to the flesh and have you play with yourself for me …..” Aurora teased, but with a sense of urgency.

“Oh gods … don't stop!” moaned the brunette as she resisted futilely against the chain, another foot closer to her doom.

“I was going to order you to cum for me right there at the doorway, just for me because I wanted you!” Aurora continued, her imagination struggling to push Dee onwards on to more fantasies.

“Keep going …..” Wonder Woman urged.

“Try the belt ….” Aurora suggested as she fought to hold on.

The brunette tried again with the belt, pushing it against her stomach, its writhing more restrained than before.

“It’s working but keep going!” Wonder Woman said, some urgency in her voice, the gap between her and hell ever dwindling.

“You don’t remember because I told you not to. I asked you tell me all your fantasies, your desires so I could use them against you!”

“No, no” the heroine shook her head, “You wouldn’t!”

Aurora shook her head. She knew that wasn’t true either but she hoped the idea might turn on the heroine. Perhaps Wonder Woman didn’t think it would be in Aurora’s character to have tricked her that way, and that was all that mattered.

Aurora, running out of fantasy ideas decided that perhaps something more physical would help and placed her hand to the spandex covered groin of her lover.

“Aurora ! What are you doing!?” protested the heroine.

Aurora blinked. She should have realised Wonder Woman wasn't going to respond to that sort of thing in that particular moment.

“I'm trying to get you horny, get the hormones flowing!”

“I know, but I’m a bit busy fighting off my death!” protested the brunette as she was drawn to her stomach once again.

Aurora, her hand pinned to her lover’s crotch then discovered something.

“Wait! You... they are still....! Dee! That's IT!” Aurora exclaimed.

“What is it? Oh! Well...” the heroine would have blushed if she wasn’t already almost beetroot red from her struggle. She was now near the cone shaped hole in the ground, the chain pulling itself into the realm of Hades.

Aurora pulled Dee back onto her knees her arms wrapping low around her waist, her hands lingering on Dee's crotch. With prying fingers Aurora gripped what she could of the leggings and began to rip them open at the crotch.

Wonder Woman flopped back once again against Aurora and prepared for her to prise the panties that had been nestled inside of her from her body. Aurora gently tugged the panties from Wonder Woman's body until the damp fabric was in her hand.

“I love you ….” said Aurora as she presented the sticky mess to the brunettes face and forced her to draw in her own scent.

Wonder Woman held the belt to her stomach and felt that it was now finally at peace.

“Hold these in place while I get your belt on you ...” urged Aurora.

Dee managed to contort her body and placed her manacled hands against her face trapping the odour laden panties against herself. Aurora, hands now free , buckled up the belt.

“Now! Break these chains! Break them …...” Aurora urged the heroine.

Dee drew in one more deep breath and, with all her might she tried to pull the manacles apart but it was no use, she couldn’t do it.

“I can’t! They are too strong! There mus.......wait …......it's yours! Give me yours!” urged Dee.

“What?” Aurora was confused.

“Give me yours! Give me them now!” The heroine demanded.

Aurora placed her hands to her crotch and ripped open her loose black bottoms and revealed her panties beneath. Aurora clutched the fabric in one hand and ripped them from her body just as the heroine was dragged forward onto her stomach again. Wonder Woman's wrists were at the edge of the soil cone in the ground, the chain disappearing into the ground only a few feet away. This was the last roll of the dice.

Aurora reached round Dee's head and forced her panties against Dee's face.

“There, this is ME! Now learn that smell of your mistress!” Aurora said with fake menace.

Wonder Woman drew in the odour of the one had conquered her, the one she trusted, the magic of the words finally pumping the sexual excitement to the maximum.

“Nghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa” screamed the heroine, the chain and the manacles finally ripping apart, only the bracelets remaining once more. The last of the chain drew itself into the ground out of view, lost again for who knew how long.

Wonder Woman and Aurora stumbled forward into a heap, exhausted from their ordeal.

Part 26: Post Mortem

Dee walked up to the apartment door and gently tapped. She could sense the powerful dark haired woman, Aurora, approaching on the other side. Dee felt her face being scanned by an unseen eye through the spy glass. A latch, then another clicked and clunked and the door swung open.

“Hey!” Aurora said warmly.

Dee barely raised a smile “We need to, you know, talk. Get it all out”

“I know .. come on in” Aurora said , trying to keep the conversation friendly.

The door closed and Dee walked into the open plan kitchen and living room area and took a seat at the kitchen table.

“Coffee?” asked Aurora with a conciliatory tone.

“Oh,OK, sure,” Dee said neutrally. The pair had agreed to part from the stadium the night before but hadn’t really communicated again until now.

Aurora started to prepare coffee, gathering cups together. “If you pop open that laptop and go into recent documents there is a file there marked Relic Origins. Open it up and have a read.”

Dee flipped the laptop open and it woke up from its sleep. With a quick couple of taps the hard drive began clicking away as the file loaded up.

“Is this how you knew …oh … that’s the goddess ?” asked Dee as she began to take in the the first story. She could see the original which had been scanned and the translation side by side.

“There are other stories too” Aurora said as she continued her duties.

“I wasn’t told half of this stuff …my …well …my contact you might say. She had to go running off to even learn about the lasso,” Dee explained.

“I don't want to brag but I thought taking out the lasso was quite ...” Aurora began.

Dee shot Aurora a glare and so Aurora turned back to the coffee pot and finished making the drinks.

Dee's eyes scanned through the document discovering how Aurora had bested her and defeated the gifts that the gods had given her.

“So, the bracelets were just some pretty tough old handcuffs and the belt just a prank to play on some athlete?” Dee shook her head.

“Well to be fair they are pretty good at what they do. I mean, how many bullets have you deflected with those things? But yes it's the belt you need to think about,” Aurora said seriously. It was like a workshop for warriors, all tips and tricks to be discussed.

“Open up the file marked Sphere ...” Aurora added as she stirred the drinks and joined Dee at the table.

“This? This is the actual sphere from the story? It's actually there ? She actually threw it ?” Dee's mouth fell open.

“Yes, its really there, I saw it, touched it,” Aurora said enthusiastically.

“Who are you? Indiana Jones ?” Dee gawked at Aurora, the mood of the room rapidly defrosting.

“But seriously, the sphere is huge and ,well, I don’t think you’re capable of matching that feat. Either the belt is losing power gradually or as I suspect, its just all about hormones, the belt taps off of, well …... your femininity ...” Aurora said, trying to be diplomatic.

Dee glared again at Aurora.

“No I just mean …... the first woman was with child, and you are in a neutral feminine state and when I knocked you off balance with the testosterone the belt went nuts ...but you know … talking you through things … smelling your way through things ….. you were fine again ...” Aurora continued wondering if she was digging an ever deepening hole.

Dee closed the laptop and slurped some of her coffee.... “I’m going to see HIM” she said confidently.

“Who?” queried Aurora

“Zeus. I’m going to see him! He was going to let me get swallowed up!” Dee said annoyed.

“And how do you propose to do that?” Aurora frowned.

“Come with me, Ill show you! No, Ill even take you with me” Dee said ominously.

“What? No! You cant be… really ?!?” Aurora flapped.

Soon Aurora and Dee were sat facing one another, the lasso coiled into a ring was grasped firmly by the pair. Dee slowly talked Aurora through the gentle meditation, their breathing synchronizing.

In …. out …...in …..........out …..........................in …..................................... out.

The pair opened there eyes just as a large wave passed by them just over their belly buttons. Normally the brunette would arrive dry on the shore but Auroras first time in the other realm ended with them landing a little short.

“Uhwuhhhuuuuuu” warbled Aurora as the cool water took her breath away.

Dee looked back at her companion and took her by the hand and led up her up on to the sand. The two made it up on to the beach then onto the soft lush grass beyond.

“What is this place?” Aurora asked her eyes darting around at everything.

“Well its always been called the island paradise. I suspect it's like a kind of heaven,” Dee said as she took in the salt air.

Aurora looked down at herself, a light blue dress clung to her wet body. “What is the deal with this ?”

Dee let out a light laugh, and shook her head, it wasn’t like she had all the answers.

“So, where is everyone?” asked Aurora innocently not knowing any better.

Dee glanced along the beach and was somewhat surprised not to have been greeted. Normally her angel, the beautiful blond with the ringlets would be there waiting.

“Its because I am here!” said a voice from nowhere.

The pair were startled as behind them appeared a tall lithe crimson haired beauty, her eyes a deep green, her satin black dress shimmering in the sun.

“Oh? Hello, I don’t think we have met. I am ...” Dee started.

“I know who are you are ! And I know your friend too, if you can call her that.” the crimson haired beauty said with venom.

Aurora felt compelled to speak in her own defence but could only look to Dee for aid.

“Did Zeus send you ?” Dee asked, her eyes looking up and down at the stranger.

“Why yes! Yes he did. Very perceptive of you,” the flame haired woman said as she slowly circled the pair of visitors.

“And so I guess I will not be able to speak with him!” Dee said, a little annoyed.

“Let us be clear, the reason you are here is because you feel wronged. You feel that Zeus abandoned you, a beloved champion, and that he was going to toss you into hell” the green eyed beauty said with confidence.

Dee was silenced for a second. “So …. ?” was all she could muster.

The crimson haired woman smiled. “Well, the fact is, it's true. Had you fallen into that hole you would have fallen straight into the halls of Hades”

“She would not have fallen alone, that chain would have to have taken me too ..” Aurora said defensively.

“Oh it speaks ….” The green eyes of the woman met with Auroras for a second then fell back on Dee.

“Well, champion, you should be glad to hear that even though Zeus was happy to toss you away, it was only because it was an empty gesture. They have standards in the great fiery halls and so you wouldn’t have been there very long.”

Dee, glanced at Aurora. “Wait? It was just a test, to see if Aurora could save me!”

The crimson haired woman laughed. “Of course! Oh to see your face! 'Oh no … not Hades!'” she mocked. “Honestly! You could return to your world and burn down an orphanage or two and you still would have enough goody points to stay in heaven.”

Dee glanced at Aurora and thought for a moment.

“And what would have happened to Aurora, if she really had followed me down there?” Dee questioned the stranger.

The crimson haired beauty smiled. She had been figured out. “Oh, child, you are far too sharp! Truth be told, if Aurora had been dragged down with you there might have been a case for keeping her there. Of course she would have sacrificed herself for you which would count in her favour but she already has a little bit of, shall we say, negative credit?”

Aurora was speechless, her mouth moved but she seemed devastated at the revelation. It seemed hardly a mere accusation when it was those in the heavens who had already put her name on the 'go to hell' list.

Dee looked dumbfounded too. “What has she done that is so terrible?” Dee asked as she grasped Auroras hand.

The crimson haired one waved her finger at Dee “Ah -aaaah, all our sins are shared between ones self and the gods! So …...” the green eyed woman teased with a wicked smile. She then clicked her fingers and Dee was cast out of her meditation and back to the room, cross legged facing a meditating Aurora.

Aurora was almost in panic as she looked about her and found she was alone with the stranger.

“Aurora, I know all what you know so how about this for an idea. If you think you are truly in love, if you truly think Wonder Woman could love you back then tell her ...” started the black dressed nightmare of a woman.

“Tell her? Tell her what ?” Aurora blurted.

SMACK ! The crimson haired woman delivered a stinging blow across Auroras face.

“If you tell her EVERYTHING, even the things you are trying to bury from yourself in that dark little heart of yours then I will set your slate clean!” the crimson haired woman said, looking into the eyes of Aurora.

“And if I don't ?” Aurora said almost threateningly

“Nothing! Live the lie! See if I care! But one day you will be found out. And if by some chance you are not you eventually you still need to arrive either here ….... OR DOWN THERE! And your little black mark counts for a LOT”, the crimson haired woman said, sounding every sinister.

“I don't know what ...” Aurora began to say in confusion.

SMACK ! The crimson haired woman almost seemed to transfer into a monster as she reached out and grasped Auroras throat, pushing her down to the ground.

“Listen, you poisonous little wretch! I saw into your dark corrupted soul. Mixed deep beneath more pure thoughts lies something much more wicked! I am giving you a chance, daughter of the great river tribe. Confess to the champion and cleanse your soul before I reach into your deceptive whore body and rip it out of you !!!” the almost demonic voiced woman growled.

Aurora, her eyes wide in terror at the vision of the red monster above her shuddered until she lay in a heap by Dee's legs.

“What happened !!!?” Dee said visibly shocked. She hadn’t meant for this normally easy adventure to become so traumatic for her friend.

“Oh Dee. I’m so sorry! I swear, before the gods I will tell you,” sobbed Aurora.

Part 27:Confession.

“I .. I …... I don't believe it …..... she ….... that ….......she was the devil …....I .. I was speaking with the actual devil ….” Aurora trembled , curled up on her bed.

Dee gently stroked Auroras hair, she felt terrible at the ordeal she had put her friend through.

“Its over now, you don't have to do that ever again! I never met her before,I swear” Dee said as her mind whirled in confusion.

“There are things she wants me to tell you but I know they may hurt you just as much as they will hurt me. It's a cruel trick! ” Aurora was trapped between fear and anger, then hate and shame.

“Well, first do you want to tell me?” Dee asked. She genuinely didn't know how terrible this hidden truth might be? How much did she know of the woman beside her ? She knew she was resourceful and cunning, strong, brave, focused, chillingly ruthless to exploiting weaknesses, yet, in victory was honourable. These were all deep and powerful traits.

Aurora, eyes closed wiggled her head in a nod on the bed. Dee continued her soft stroking of her companions hair as she let Aurora consider her next move.

“Fucking bitch .. I'll … I'll show her …....hija de puta … diablo ….” muttered Aurora as she decided her next act. If she was going to be forced into this confession she was going to fall on her sword cleanly. No bullshit, no doubts, just a clean confession and cleansing of her soul. Aurora pushed herself up, gritting her teeth, her eyes a mess of tears.

She reached behind her head, grasped her top and pulled it over her head. She crossed her hands behind her back and plucked her bra clean off and let them drop off over her arms onto the bed.

Dee was dumbfounded “What are you doing ?”

Aurora stepped off the bed and roughly undid her jeans. Grasping them and her panties she drew them down her legs and stepped out, a follow up motion with each hand ripping off her socks leaving her naked.

“Why are you doing this?” Dee said in confusion.

“Go to the bottom draw. Get the black jeans, the ones I gave you to wear at the party” Aurora said, anguish on her face.

Dee frowned, she reached into the draw and pulled out the black leather jeans, their front to back crotch zip undone, waiting for someone to put them on. Auroras breath was ragged as she sat on the edge of the bed.

“Put them on me ….” said Aurora, slightly frightened

“What?” Dee responded.

“PUT THEM ON ME!” demanded Aurora.

Dee shook her head in slight confusion but crumpled up the jeans and placed the waistband around Auroras ankles guiding her feet into the legs and started to draw them up her muscular limbs. Up to her knees, Aurora rose to her feet, crossing her arms behind her head.

“Keep going!” ordered Aurora.

Dee blinked but wiggled the jeans higher then buttoned them up. Auroras head slumped onto Dee's shoulder as she asked Dee to do up the zip.

Dee carefully edged the zip on its journey sealing Aurora into the leather prison of truth until it was done.

“OK, but what is this about ?!” Dee begged.

Aurora, with her strong hands gripped one of Dee's forearms just by the wrist.

“Look at me!” begged Aurora.

Dee looked into Auroras eyes, still confused.

“Just remember,” sobbed Aurora,“In the end it was about what I DID do, not what I WANTED to do that matters.”

Dee looked down at her own hand as Aurora guided her to the side of the button of her jeans. Closer, closer, closer her hand moved as it closed in on the gold strand.

Dee looked up and her mouth dropped. The familiar look of someone's free will debilitated by the lasso appeared in Auroras eyes as Dee felt the coarse single hair between her thumb and forefinger. Dee's hands recoiled in revulsion as she realised some painful truths, releasing Aurora from her control.

“Please !” begged Aurora.

“What did you do!” Dee exclaimed as she looked down at Auroras jeans.

“I took one hair. Remember, when I cut the lasso open ? I ended up with one hair!”

“Fuck .. Aurora, why did you do this ! You made me wear these! WHY? I thought you were trying to …....... damn you !” Dee was in between anger and confusion.

“Dee I swear, nothing happened! You put them on but I didn't even have to try and make you do anything!” Aurora pleaded.

“What was the plan ? What were you planning to do that you didn't actually get to do !?” Dee ranted.

“I was going to totally fuck your brains out! THERE, I said it and you didn’t even have to touch the damned hair,” Aurora retorted.

The pair stood staring at each other, both panting from the exertion of the argument.

“But …. we …..... we did the next day ….” Dee's confusion deepened.

“EXACTLY, I didn't do what I wanted to do because I was too weak! You asked me to undress you and I did and then in the night we found each other! I didn't know what I wanted but we found each other, Dee! No tricks, no deceptions …...” Aurora pleaded.

“But before, was that going to be if I wanted to , or not ?” Dee asked as she suddenly discovered the difference between what might have been in her drunken state and their moment of discovery the next day.

Aurora held her head in her hands. Shaking her head she didn't know what to say. She tapped the waistband as she fought the tears, committed to her path to reveal everything. Using the 1000th hair, Aurora knew that Dee would get the real truth.

Dee walked up to Aurora and gripped the fine hair. Aurora gasped as she felt her self control slip.

“Aurora …. were you thinking of having sex with me in these jeans, against my free will?” Dee asked.

Aurora nodded, her teeth burying themselves into her bottom lip, “nghhhh there’s a gag...blindfold ….handcuffs ….. under my stuff ….... middle draw ….”

“But you didn’t do it! Why not ?” asked Dee as she glanced, shocked, at the dresser.

“Because I fantasized the same thing when I wore the jeans before the party. I touched the hair and …..” Aurora blurted.

“Yes, the nightmare!” Dee said knowingly.

Auroras face revealed her shock.

“Do you not think that at some point I had wanted to know what it was like to be under the control of the lasso ?” Dee asked angrily.

Aurora shook her head, she had never considered it.

“That feeling of losing control? Having to tell everything and I mean EVERYTHING?” Dee asserted. “I tried it ONCE! What I did to myself in that nightmare I will never tell a soul.”

Aurora looked on Dee in a different light. Whatever horrors Dee inflicted on herself deserved to remain a secret.

Aurora felt compelled to continue her confession “I, I attacked myself. My warrior persona , it took me …” Aurora confessed. “That's why I didn’t, no couldn’t do it to you. They tried to make me hate you Dee. Make me destroy you, but that’s not me, is it ?”

Dee had heard enough, she was tired and it was too soon to pass judgement on her friend. She released the golden hair and pushed Aurora back onto the bed.

“I need to think!” Dee said angrily. “Don’t try to contact me, understand?”

Aurora looked up in shame and nodded her head.

“You'll be OK for now, wont you?” asked Dee.

Aurora managed a nod then turned away only to hear the front door close behind itself a few moments later. Then the tears began to flow.

Part 28: Do-Over

BINGBONG

Aurora flinched, she had been napping on her bed after a mid day run. She hauled herself up and walked to the door. She peered through the spyglass and then she saw her.

The brunette, her magnificent hair draped over her shoulders winked just as she delivered a smashing blow to the door. Aurora put her arms up to protect herself as the door came crashing in on her.

“Noooooooo!”

BING BONG !! Protested the bell.

Aurora flinched and found herself on the bed. She had been dreaming, yet it really was the bell ringing. Aurora rose from her bed and she played with her hair as she walked to the door to see who was there, placing her eye at the spyglass.

In front of her was Wonder Woman, tiara gleaming!

“Jeez ..!” exclaimed Aurora as she double checked what her eyes were seeing.

The brunette glanced back anxiously into the corridor then back to the door.

CLUNK – CLINK

The door unlocked and swung open.

“Wha ….shit …..... get in ….. before someone sees!” Aurora floundered.

Wonder Woman entered. “Thank you ...”

Aurora closed the door behind her unexpected guest but didn’t know what to say. She felt a little vulnerable as her alter ego in the presence of the woman with whom she had fought.

“It's been weeks. I...I've been worried” Aurora began.

“I just wanted to know something,” the brunette said as she played with her own hands almost nervously.

“What ? I cant keep going back to this. Please …..” Aurora didn’t want to have to bare her soul again.

“When I was being dragged by the chain, you were trying to turn me on. You said you had asked me about all my fantasies when you had me in the factory. That wasn’t true though, was it?” the brunette asked.

“No. I would have told you anything to help you break free but no, I didn’t. All I did was find out about Dee, where she lived, how I would be able to meet her …..” Aurora explained.

“OK, only the Dee part of me was scared you knew things. That’s why she was upset” the brunette explained.

“You’re talking like you are different people. You’re not schizo or ...” Aurora frowned.

The heroine almost laughed. “No, its not quite that like that, but it is literally a transformation for me, to go from one to the other …..”

Aurora thought for a moment, “I don’t quite understand. I just put on my gear and ..”

The brunette shook her head. “I’m not going to do it in front of you but it's different for me. The main reason I'm here is to tell you about the nightmare. I didn't want to but you deserve to know the important part. Most people don't have the nightmare, only those who truly lead the 'double life' experience the effect if they trap themselves with the lasso.”

Aurora shuddered as she recalled how her warrior half and pinned down her alter ego in the bad dream and broke her. “I don't really want to go there again ...” Aurora said, head dropping in shame.

“But in your nightmare, it was you who was wound in the lasso, and your warrior self who controlled you, wasn’t it ?” the brunette pushed.

Aurora nodded reluctantly.

“In my nightmare it was ME who was ensnared, and Dee who was in control.” confessed heroine.

“But? What happened?” Aurora was surprised at the odd reversal.

“She made me do things TO her, understand ?” the brunette turned away ashamed that in the nightmare she had been forced to become the abuser.

“Oh gods ...” now Aurora understood.

“So, she thought you had found her out and abused her trust. But it's OK it just was coincidence ...” the brunette beckoned to Aurora. Aurora and the brunette shared an embrace. Aurora, who had been so strong, proud, free and independent hadn’t realised how much she had missed the touch of her friend.

“I think … I think Dee will be able to come out now ….” Wonder Woman smiled. “It has been much better talking to you as me rather than as Dee”.

Aurora nodded “I understand”

“Ill change in your bedroom, just give me a moment,” the heroine said as she strode into the corridor and out of sight.

Aurora waited patiently for a few minutes then, when curiosity got the better of her she returned to her room and slowly opened the door a fine crack, then some more. On the bed, once again sat Dee, her legs encased in the leather jeans, bare topped, bare footed, waiting. Covering her eyes was the blindfold that Aurora had confessed to being in the middle draw. Dee's hands were crossed behind her back, presumably trapped in the hinged metal hand cuffs and by her side lay the black straps of the ball gag.

Aurora pushed the door open gradually and walked over to the bed and sat next to Dee. With one hand she turned Dee's head and placed a firm kiss on her cheek.

“What’s going on Dee?” Asked Aurora

“I, well, SHE told you. The hot, confident, superheroine told you. Shy little me, the one who couldn't possibly be anything other than the safe, dull, office administrator has a secret. This girl has needs, very special needs” Dee replied into her blindfolded darkness.

“Do you have these needs because … your superheroine friend isn’t allowed them?” Aurora asked as she scanned the face of her lover.

Dee nodded shyly “You can have me but not the heroine. She's not … she's not ready. Just be patient and look after me for now.”

Aurora pushed herself back onto the bed and spread her legs to envelop the brunette sat on the edge of the bed. Aurora picked up the ballgag by its straps and presented it to Dee's mouth. With a quick wiggle the ball sat into place and Aurora buckled it up.

“Okay then …..” Aurora said as she cupped Dee's breasts, her thumbs gently teasing the brunette’s nipples. “...Where shall I begin?”

THE END