The Cat###s Trap - Part 1

(WW pays a painful ransom to my 'kidnappers' to try and secure my release)

by Miranda

"Batgirl!"

"Yes, Wonder Woman," Barb replies in the hallway as she turns toward the door of the communication room the Amazon Princess is exiting. "What's wrong?" she continues as she sees the look of concern deeply etched on the warrior's face.

"Our archivist, Miranda, has been kidnapped by Cheetah, or at least by some of her associates," Diana reports. "Word has just reached me, and apparently I am to be the ransom."

"How did this happen? When?"

"I do not know any of those details," Wonder Woman replies. "I have not been able to reach her at the hotel she is supposed to be staying at, or by our other usual methods. And I have not seen her since the day before she left for that weekend appointment across the country, so she really may be missing."

"Well, I'm free. Is there something I can do to help?" Batgirl offers.

"Thanks. Go to the lab," the Amazon Princess orders. "You need to make sure you have the antedote for the immobilizing powder that Cheetah uses. I have a limited amount of time to show up. If I meet the deadline, maybe that will buy some time for you to arrive as backup. My priority is her safety."

"Gotcha!" Barbara acknowledges nodding. "You go. I'll see you shortly." With that, she turns and heads for the lab while Wonder Woman sprints away in the other direction.

* * * * *

"Hi Babs. Have you seen, um, Wonder Woman? I can't find her anywhere."

"M - m - uh, Miranda!?!" sputters a surprised Batgirl as she gets up and turns away from the station in the computer room. "What are you doing here?!"

"I'm here talking to you, looking for the Amazon Princess," I respond, puzzled. When the Dark Maiden gets a little closer, I see the confusion in her eyes. "Why, what's going on?"

"Wonder Woman left here a little while ago to rescue you. She had a report you'd been kidnapped. Apparently, her presence was to be the ransom for your release. But where have you been?"

"Obviously, sent out of town as a decoy. I had an appointment, but whoever requested my services cancelled without ever showing up. By whom was I supposedly kidnapped?"

"Cheetah, probably, but we're still not certain. I would surmise that your mysterious client was somehow involved in all of this."

"I'd say you're right on both counts. Where am I being held?"

"I was leaving an update in the system before heading out on my way with some of the powder counteragent. I -

"No! This is my problem. Someone is using me to get to Wonder Woman, and I just won't have that."

"But -

"No 'buts'. You know as well as anyone how well I can handle myself. And Wonder Woman has told me she's relying on me to help her."

"Yeah, I know," responded Batgirl, her voice softening a little. Then she continues, very concerned, "But be careful. They're in this for keeps. And if I don't hear anything in an hour, the calvary's coming." She points to herself for emphasis, with a look that indicates 'no' is not an option.

"Sounds good," I agree. "But I'd better get going. Enough time has gone by already, and who knows what they've put her through."

* * * * *

When Wonder Woman arrives at the specified location, she realizes that it is the same place where she and Power Girl had their powdered encounter. With this final confirmation that she is indeed walking into a trap, she decides to find another entrance.

the Amazon Princess.

"Glad to see you can follow directions," she comments smoothly.

"Who are you?" Wonder Woman demands.

"My name is unimportant. Your presence is."

"Well, now that I am 'present', let Miranda go," Diana suggests urgently.

"Don't forget the situation, miss high and mighty princess," responds the brunette pointedly. "You are not the one who makes demands here." She then looks over her shoulder to where Miranda is still ensnared. "When we're through here, we'll see about letting her go."

"As you said, I came as directed," Wonder Woman reminds her, trying to keep the concern and edge out of her voice. "The deal was that when I arrived, Miranda would go free. Release her now."

"The deal was for you to arrive," corrects the brunette. "When I've decided you've paid in full, then we'll see." Pointing off to her own right, she continues, "You can start by going and standing with your back to that corner, removing your tiara, belt and lasso, and tossing them to the floor."

When Wonder Woman hesitates, the brunette snaps her fingers. Her partner in crime presses the knife a little harder into Miranda's neck. Glaring back at the brunette, Wonder Woman slowly does as she has been ordered.

"Good," states the brunette. "Now, lean back against that ringpost and put your hands on the top rope on either side."

When Diana puts her hands on the ropes, the brunette reaches into one pocket of her robe, pulls out two green objects, and tosses them across the ring where they land at the Amazon Princess's feet. After a short pause, each bursts open and sends two leafy tendrils shooting into the air.

"Suffering Sappho!" exclaims Wonder Woman as the tentacles quickly wrap themselves around her boots, then around the bottom ropes. A second offshoot from each tendril then spurts up and fastens Diana###s silver bracelets to the ropes. In only moments, the Amazon Princess is bound in place, unable to move despite her best struggles.

Turning around, the brunette orders, "Take her into the room. Everything is ready here."

"Have fun, Jalah," reponds the raven-haired accomplice with a laugh, then pushes the chair with Miranda past the door, closing it behind her.

"Oh, I won't be using any powder," responds Jalah as she clenches and unclenches her fists. Wonder Woman then notices that the brunette is wearing fingerless black gloves. "We figured you'd eventually find a way to negate its effects. So we've come up with some other goodies for you. They'll allow me to have some fun, before I have some fun. All you have to do is stand there."

Momentarily confused, Wonder Woman stands silently as Jalah approaches. As Diana sees Jalah adjusting the gloves, she notices that either this woman possesses the biggest knuckles ever seen on a human, or that those gloves contain foreign objects. The Amazon Princess concludes that those special gloves and these super strong vines are some of those goodies. And that the first fun aspect that this woman has in mind is a good pounding.

Judging from her looks, there is a softness about her which suggests she is not combat hardened. So inwardly, Wonder Woman relaxes as she decides this woman doesn't have what it takes to dish out sustained punishment, and that once the brunette tires out, she will become careless allowing Diana to make her move.

Those thoughts are blasted from her mind when Jalah throws her first punch. Its impact reminds Diana that even if someone is not a seasoned fighter, when they have that much mass behind them, their punch can still pack quite a wallop. That, plus whatever is in those gloves causes considerable pain to spread through the Amazon###s midsection. Wonder Woman manages to disguise her level of discomfort, and prevent any vocal manifestation of her pain from escaping her lips. But Diana knows that without the assistance of her belt, even she will be hard-pressed to endure a lot of these punches.

Jalah, however, is far from being finished. She continues to pound away at the Amazon's abs with both fists. She is keeping a steady unhurried pace that does not allow Diana much recovery time between each blow. Unbelievably, Wonder Woman realizes neither is Jalah's pace, nor the force of her punches lessening.

The number of punches and the amount of pain continues to climb. Soon, Wonder Woman###s head is hanging down as she tries to deal with it all. Her hair is bedraggled from sweat and from her head jerking as her body responds to the punches. Slowly, the memories of the nightmares she had been having creep into her mind, adding to her distress. Diana now not only is dealing with the pain, but is also fighting the fear that, as in that nightmare, Jalah may at any moment target her voluptuous volumes with those loaded gloves.

Since the punching had started, Diana is also aware that Jalah has not said anything more. She has simply continued to wordlessly pound at the Amazon Princess's abs. So Wonder Woman is surprised when the punching suddenly stops and she feels a hand on her chin lifting up her head so that she is face to face with her brunette tormentor.

"I do hope you're enjoying yourself," sneers Jalah. Wonder Woman simply stares back defiantly. "No? Maybe we need to bring your friend back out here to ensure your full co-opera - ."

"You leave her out of this!!" interjects Wonder Woman.

"Then you need to play your part better," responds Jalah. "I need to hear how much you're suffering, how much I'm hurting you. That way I can enjoy my task even more. You need to put your best effort into that, and spend less time worrying about how I can keep punching the way I have been."

"Wha - , I - ," stammers Diana in confusion.

Jalah laughs. "And you call yourself a superheroine. You're so transparent, it makes it so easy for me to set the agenda. You will do as I demand. You are not in a position to do otherwise." She leans in closer to the Amazon and snarls, "Remember, I'm calling the shots, as well as throwing them. I will decide where they land, how many, and for how long. Besides, you###ve already shown that you don###t want anything bad to happen to your - what, friend, confidante, luuuuver?"

Wonder Woman tries hard to keep her fear for Miranda's well-being out of her eyes. When Jalah resumes throwing punches, Diana finds herself torn. On one hand, her love for Miranda means she will do almost anything to protect her from harm. On the other, she knows she cannot give in to Cheetah and her confederates. Even if she does, there is no guarantee that giving them what they want will gain Miranda's freedom. And the Amazon is trying to decide what to do while her now very sore midsection is being subjected to the relentless pounding by Jalah's specially gloved fists.

As Diana mental and physical struggles continue, she begins to sweat perfusely. She calls upon the deepest aspects of her Amazon nature as she is detemined for now to suffer in silence, hoping against hope that she can find a means of escape for both Miranda and herself. Meanwhile, Jalah robotically continues to pound away at those rock hard superheroine abs, so focused on her target that she fails to notice the light bluish tinge of the perspiration running down Wonder Woman's arms and legs.