Post by DiscipleofBob on Feb 1, 2013 2:35:26 GMT -5
Issue 3: Paradise Lost, Part 2
The jeep bounced along the wooded country road. Even with the brights on, and Vanessa's familiarity with the area, the road was treacherous with barely enough room for two lanes. Fortunately there had not been any traffic in either direction for miles now. Vanessa drove as quickly as the terrain would allow, going well over the speed limit. Etta rode in the passenger seat while bundled in the back with makeshift bandages was the still unconscious woman from the circus. At least Vanessa hoped she was only unconscious.
"I got a bad feeling about this," Etta warned.
"You said that already," Vanessa replied.
"Yeah, and you listened so well the first time. We should take her to a hospital."
"They'll just turn her over to the police," Vanessa argued.
"Okay, then we'll go to the police. Save them the trouble."
"She saved my life and you want to throw her to the Gateway City police?"
"She's the one who decided to bust up a circus! I mean, seriously, who does that?" Etta asked.
"Do you really think it's a good idea to throw her in with a bunch of thugs dressed like that?"
"So she's got bling. She just took on Attack of the 50 Foot Woman and won! I think she can handle a couple purse snatchers in the clink."
"Yeah, and I'm sure she'll get a fair trial when she pummels a bunch of inmates into the wall. And that's if she decides not to do the same to the police."
"So you're going to let her crash at your place? Oh I'm sure that’ll work out MUCH better." Etta rubbed her eyes. The excitement of the night, combined with how late it had gotten, was starting to get to her.
"Look, we’ll just..." Vanessa hesitated, not entirely sure what she was doing herself, "We’ll just go home. Make sure she's all right. When she wakes up, if she leaves, fine. We're square. If we can, we'll see what her story is. Maybe she just doesn’t know any better. She doesn't exactly look like she’s from around here."
Etta shook her head, resigning herself from getting Vanessa to see any reason. "I get to say 'I told you' later."
===WW===
Hiding along the coastline and assuring that no patrols would come their way, the three women quickly slipped out of their wetsuits, revealing their tailored Grecian-style dresses underneath. The idea was to blend in, but the way two of the women started taking personal inventories of pistols, knives, and other assorted weapons suggested otherwise.
"I already told you, Baroness, no guns," one of the women spoke, the only one who remained unarmed, letting her purple hair fall down her back. "The last thing we want is to bring all of Themyscira down on us. Bullets won't work on the Amazons anyway."
"Not unless you know where to aim, darling," replied a woman with blond, elegant hair, tousled from the trip until she took the time to fix it in a small makeup mirror. She thoroughly examined a luger pistol to make sure it was loaded and in working condition, as well as an antique curved knife for decoration as much as it was for causing painful wounds. She smiled at each sadistically glamorous implement as she concealed them within the folds of her dress. "It's my trip, Circe. I decide what to pack. Don't worry, I won't go shooting off at the first pretty little thing that comes my way. I have other tools to work with."
The third woman, an exotic muscle-toned beauty with an icy expression and a predator-like focus in her eyes, gave no response as she quickly and efficiently inspected her more modern and practical gear.
"There's no possible chance they would expect outsiders," Circe reiterated, "so as long as we look the part, it should buy us enough initiative to take care of any guards we come across. Just don't make a huge noise or mess doing so. The less time they have to rally their forces, the easier this will be."
"Which building's the target?" the third woman asked.
Circe pointed out the large palace, easily visible above the tree line. Without another word, the woman leapt into the brush and vanished, barely even rustling the leaves.
"Can she be trusted?" Circe asked.
"The Cheetah comes highly recommended. I've used her for a few other tasks before. Don't worry. She'll get the job done, and get it done right. You're the wild card here, dearie," the Baroness said while suggestively pointing a knife.
"As long as everyone plays their parts correctly, then we have nothing to fear. Just don't go overboard," Circe warned before she vanished in a puff of purple smoke.
With no one left to talk to, the Baroness continued her witty banter to herself. "Me? Overindulge? Why whatever was she implying?"
The three had their parts in the plan, their own paths to take according to their respective strengths and natures. The exotic enigma known as the Cheetah would stick to the shadows. Circe would leap across distances unseen with her magic. The Baroness, however, walked along the main path in the open. It wasn't long until Baroness could hear the idle chatter and footsteps of two guards approaching.
"Time for my award-winning performance," she said softly as she adjusted her disguise and confidently walked out into the open.
<"Who's there?"> one of the Amazons called out at the sudden appearance. <"What are you doing out so late?">
Baroness had to suppress a smirk. The disguise worked like a charm, but Circe was right, they had no reason to suspect any intruders ever. Now it was time to check if her language studies over the past months had paid off. <"Me? Just taking a midnight stroll. Is there a problem?"> the Baroness asked as innocently as possible.
<"What's wrong with your voice?"> one of the Amazons asked with a raised brow. Baroness noted no suspicion, just curiosity. Studying Greek and various ancient dialects of the language was one thing, but the subtle variations this society had developed, but Baroness knew that there would be some subtle differences unique to Themyscira's development that would be impossible to study. Still, if all she was suspected of was a funny voice, she considered this a success.
<"Sorry, I think I'm just feeling a little faint,"> she quickly lied, stumbling forward. It was a tactic that worked in many bars, pretending to have had one too many drinks, an act of lowering others' guards by pretending yours was down. None the wiser, both Amazons rushed to her side to help her to her feet.
<"Let's go see if the healer's still awake so we can get you fixed up. You should be more careful. You could fall into the ocean down here in your condition.">
Baroness found their concern adorable. <"Sorry."> Motioning that she was okay to at least walk on her own, she moved purposely sluggish so the two Amazons were a few steps ahead of her.
One of the Amazons asked, <"I don't recognize you. Are you one of the gardeners or..."> She never got to finish as the Baroness reached around her neck with a hidden blade. One quick slash and the Amazon's words were cut off. Her voice quickly reduced to a gurgle as she fell to the ground clutching her neck.
<"Wh-What?!"> The other Amazon gasped as the Baroness lunged towards her. The Amazon's bracelet intercepted the Baroness's strike, only for her to be struck by lightning. Or at least feel like it as electricity surged through her body. Her muscles spasmed as she lost consciousness.
The Baroness's taser crackled in one hand as she licked the blood off her knife in the other. "Too easy. I may have to disappoint Circe and alert the guards myself if I'm going to get any enjoyment out of this."
Her white tunic already had blood spatters from the first kill, ruining the whole disguise factor, but she could still get some use out of it yet.
It wasn't along until she encountered the next Amazon, this one alone. Time for a different approach. The Baroness put on her best distraught face and ran to the Amazon. <"Please help! Someone's hurt!">
<"Where?! Show me!">
She led the Amazon over to the scene of the crime, and when the Amazon leaned over to inspect the bodies, the Baroness slowly drew her knife, savoring the moment...
===WW===
She had many names and aliases, but the most common and easiest for her employers to remember was 'The Cheetah.' She adjusted her outfit, a white, nearly form-fitting tunic. Cheetah would prefer modern clothing like pants and more comfortable places to hide her weapons, but at least she wasn’t being forced to wear some toga that would get caught in every plant and bush she passed. Crouching in a tree branch, she surveyed what she could of the layout, analyzing every possible route and shortcut as well as the movements of the guards.
Circe was right. The Amazons had no idea that they could be infiltrated or attacked. Despite being burly Amazons, she had seen better security coverage from mall cops. As far as Cheetah could see, there were two routes. One went the long way around the garden, but careful timing between patrols meant she could slip past everyone to her target without anyone being the wiser. Everyone walks away clean.
She chose the more efficient path instead, quickly cutting across the branches and the tops of stone arches. Hiding in the dark shadows of a bush, she waited for the lone guard to wander over, her unsuspecting back turned to the mercenary. Cheetah slowly unsheathed a wicked knife curved like a claw and slipped it between her target's ribs. Her other arm quickly wrapped around the Amazon's neck, crushing her windpipe and cutting off any cries for help. In seconds, Cheetah pulled the guard and laid her body in the bush. The other Amazons would not discover her body until the three of them were long gone.
As she planned her next kill, a horn sounded across Themyscira. Cheetah could hear the confused scrambling of guards. She knew one of her partners would get sloppy, probably her employer. The Baroness was never one for subtlety. She leapt off a stone column to reach the ledge of the main palace, hugging the wall until she finally slipped in through an open window.
===WW===
"That bitch," Circe muttered in annoyance. "She couldn't go five minutes without waking everyone on the island." She had expected to sow a few more seeds of chaos before the alarm was sounded, but she was quickly surrounded by Amazon guards.
<"Intruder! Surrender now or face the pride of the Amazons!"> one yelled at her.
Circe's fiery gaze turned to the de facto leader of her enemies, her hair changing to a brilliant, unnatural red that danced like fire. <"Pride? Don't make me laugh. What sort of pride can vermin have anyway?"> Most of the Amazons were cautious, but some charged forward with swords in hand anyway. Not that it mattered one way or the other, because with a wave of both hands, and a flash of magical light, the swords and armor clattered to the ground. Their previous owners had vanished and all that was left was a small herd of rabbits clamoring on and around the abandoned equipment.
<"So much for the chosen warriors of the goddesses. Your time in this sanctuary has made you soft and vulnerable,"> she grabbed one of the rabbits by the scruff of the neck, the others apparently having enough of their sentience to be able to watch in horror. <"This form suits you far more. You are all fit to be slaughtered."> Her grip tightened around the creature's neck until a sickening crack rendered it lifeless. The other rabbits quickly fled at the gruesome sight, just in time for another squadron of Amazons to arrive on the scene.
<"Let's make this a bit more interesting,"> Circe said with a wicked smile as another motion of her hands transformed this group into wild cats, completely deprived of their human minds and instincts. Feral minds knew to avoid the human predators but the scent of prey sent them after the rabbits with grace and cunning. No doubt the beasts would eventually come across other Amazons, and with no context that the creatures were once their sisters, no matter which side killed the other, it was one less Amazon for Circe to deal with. "Prey, predators, and hunters. Now the circle of life is complete.:
===WW===
Amazons all over Themyscira scrambled to the alarm, taking up arms, taking up formation, trying to remember their training. Many still thought it was just a drill until they found the bodies and wild animals.
Hippolyta rushed from her bedchambers to the main hall of her palace, where her royal guard awaited. Aklyone, Myrto, Charis, and Philomena. Four of the strongest warriors of Themyscira, besides Artemis herself, had already assembled to protect the queen.
<"What's going on?"> the queen demanded.
<"My queen!"> Alkyone quickly answered. <"Intruders have been spotted!">
The very idea was impossible. Even if something had managed to enter their waters, to penetrate the shield which isolated Themyscira, the breach should have warned them. "Intruders? Impossible. But how?"
<"I know not, my queen,"> Alkyone said gravely, <"but one thing is for certain: Themyscira is under attack.">
The great stone doors of the palace burst open from a powerful, multicolored wind as a sole figure stood in the doorway.
The Royal Guard readied their spears and took up formation. "Stand back my queen. Whomever this opponent is, they shall not best the Royal Guard of Themy-"
Before Alkyone could finish her sentence, a bright flash cut her off, and the weapons and armor of the royal guard clattered to the ground. In their place were four small dogs. <"Your lapdogs cannot save you, Queen Hippolyta.">
Hippolyta gasped in horror. A sorceress who transformed man into beast. She knew her tale as well as any of the ancient stories. <"It can't be... Circe? How?">
The sorceress strode majestically into the hall, the four lapdogs rushing towards her to nip at her heels. Another wave of her hand and the dogs vanished like mirages. <"It was surprisingly easy. Circumventing your island's impenetrable cloak took mere decades. For an enchantment erected by the gods, I expected better.">
As Hippolyta weighed her options on how to perhaps take the sorceress by surprise, another voice echoed sweetly from the entrance. "Circe, did you start without me? Naughty girl, and after that lecture on sticking with the plan." Hippolyta turned, her eyes widening at the sight of the woman drenched in the blood of her subjects. It soaked every inch of her clothes and dripped from her hands.
"You're the one who gave us away!" Circe snarled at the bloody woman.
The Baroness shrugged, "After all this time planning our little vacation to paradise, you couldn't possibly believe I wouldn't enjoy every single moment, could you?"
"I suppose it matters not at this point," Circe conceded. "As suspected, even the proud warriors of Themyscira would become docile in their sanctuary."
Hippolyta wasted no more time. Grabbing one of her fallen guards' swords, she charged forward. Rushing Circe with her magic could be suicide, but at least she could kill the other attacker and avenge her subjects. Despite being supposedly distracted by the conversation, the Baroness quickly sidestepped as the blade gashed her arm. Her knife lashed at Hippolyta's throat but the Amazon queen quickly deflected the blade. Baroness's other arm lunged for her gut, wielding another hidden weapon. Hippolyta grabbed the Baroness's wrist, only too late seeing what the Baroness was hiding.
-BANG-
The shot pierced clean through just under Hippolyta's right breast. "I told you, Circe, you just need to know where to aim."
Queen Hippolyta fell to her knees to finally see the smoke rising from the barrel of the Baroness's pistol. She could feel the shattered rib, and possibly a punctured lung. The pain was too much for her to stand, almost too much for her to breathe. "How...? How are you still alive?"
The Baroness leaned over, grabbed Hippolyta by the throat, and whispered to her ear. "You aren't the only one to elude the inevitable, my dear."
"That's enough, Baroness. We may still need her majesty to get what we came for."
"You mean what YOU came for. I only came for her," the Baroness replied.
"We have an agreement!" Circe snarled, "I need her alive."
"Oh don't worry, dearie," the Baroness said sweetly, "I'm not planning on killing her for a good, long time. That wouldn’t satisfy me at all. Now," the Baroness dragged Hippolyta to her feet, "you look like you could use some air. Let’s go for a walk." Prodding her with the pistol, Hippolyta was forced to walk.
A pair of manacles materialized around the queen's arms. "Just in case," Circe said. They walked to the massive vault door which housed the artifacts of Themyscira.
"Open it," Circe ordered.
"You’ll have to kill me first," Hippolyta replied with conviction.
"Gladly. But the longer you resist, the more of your subjects' blood will be on your hands."
"Oh please, resist. Do it for me," Baroness pleaded. "Perhaps we can conjure up a cute little rabbit or mouse left on the island. That way whichever Amazon we actually kill can be a surprise!"
Hippolyta reluctantly weighed the options. On the one hand, her only chance to save any portion of Themyscira lay in cooperating. On the other, the damage they could do with what lay inside was far worse.
Her decision was interrupted by the loud rumble of the vault door opening... from the inside. Out stepped the third of the villainous trio, clutching a large bag filled with items from within.
"Cheetah, darling, we had wondered where you’d run off to," the Baroness said with a smile.
"I found another entrance."
"Looks like you lost your only chance, my queen," Baroness sneered. "Now you're all mine to play with."
"Wait," Circe stopped her before turning back to Cheetah. "Is everything on the list accounted for?"
"All but one item. The 'Box' you wanted wasn't there."
"You're sure?"
"I swept the place twice. It’s not there," Cheetah confirmed.
Hippolyta's eyes widened as she realized what they were talking about. "You can’t be serious?"
"You know exactly where it is. Tell us," Circe ordered.
"I would sooner see my entire dominion burned to the ground," Hippolyta forced through gritted teeth.
"That was my original idea, but I found it too unoriginal," Baroness commented.
<"Mother?"> a voice from across the room drew the attention of the four. Diana, still in her nightgown, arrived with Troia and Lyta. The three had rushed down, grabbing whatever weapons they could along the way. <"Mother, hold on!">
<"DIANA! RUN!"> Hippolyta yelled desperately.
The three youths charged, but before Baroness or Cheetah could react, they vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Why ever would you waste the perfect hostage, Circe? I mean her daughter? Come on, it was perfect," Baroness complained.
"The time for hostages and threats is over. Now that we have the contents of the Hall of Wonders, they are completely unnecessary," Circe calmly replied as she fished through the bag until she pulled out a golden coiled rope. Hippolyta grimaced at the sight of it.
"I take it you know what comes next, your majesty." She tried to resist as Circe tied a lasso around her torso, but Cheetah and Baroness held her still. "Now. You know what item we seek. Tell us where it is."
The lasso glowed as it worked its magic. Hippolyta tried to resist, but she found her mouth move and her voice speak of their own accord. "There is a secret chamber in my throne room, accessible from a switch on the left side of the throne. It is there."
"And are there any traps?" Circe prudently asked.
"Yes."
"Describe them."
"If you approach the box directly, the entire chamber will collapse in on itself."
"Ooh, can we make her grab it for us?" Baroness suggested.
Circe shook her head. "My magic will be sufficient. Do with the queen what you wish, but keep her alive and conscious for now. Until we leave this island, we may need more of her knowledge." The sorceress teleported away, leaving Baroness and Cheetah to deal with Hippolyta.
"I am loving these little trinkets. So now you have to answer everything I ask with complete honesty, hm?" Baroness said as she circled her prey. "How about a game of twenty questions? Think about it. All of your deepest, darkest secrets laid bare." She slowly drew the blood-encrusted edge of the knife across Hippolyta's cheek, not enough to cut but to still leave a trail of Amazon blood on the queen's face.
Hippolyta cringed at the touch, trying desperately to remain stone-faced, to resist the enchantment of the rope around her.
"But what should I ask first?" the Baroness pretended to wonder. As she positioned herself behind Hippolyta. "Okay, I've got one. Now remember, you have to answer honestly," she said in a singsong voice as she swung the knife overhead deep into Hippolyta's shoulder as she let out a blood curdling scream.
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"
"How much does this hurt, love?"
===WW===
When the smoke and light cleared, Diana and company found themselves back in Diana's bedroom at the top of the tower.
<"We have to get back there!"> Diana rushed for the door only to find it locked, which was odd considering the door did not have one. She charged into it shoulder first, but even with her Amazon strength the door didn’t budge. <"Something's holding it closed!">
<"The windows too!"> Troia confirmed as a set of shutters that were never there before sealed all of the windows. They too, seemed impervious to force.
<"It's magic. I'm sure of it,"> Diana quickly deduced. <"Lyta, we need you to get us out of here!">
<"M-me?!"> Lyta said flustered.
<"You're the only one with any knowledge or ability in magic! Take down the barrier or teleport us out of here or something! Please!"> Diana begged.
<"I-I’ll try,"> she replied unsure. She raised her arms to the door, concentrating. <"Whatever sort of enchantment this is, it's powerful. It'll take time.">
<"Please hurry!">
===WW===
<"That was quite informative, your majesty!"> Baroness said giddily. More wounds were carved into Hippolyta's flesh, and the Baroness was a woman who knew her craft. She knew the best ways to inflict the most pain for the least damage, and how to keep her subject alive and conscious of every second even without drugs. <"Now what to ask next?">
At that moment, a large blade thrust through the Baroness's chest from behind. She watched in shock as she fell to the floor, blood spilling from the sadistic woman's torso. Standing behind her a good twenty feet, Artemis grinned at her impaled target. <"You should have asked for mercy.">
Cheetah had briefly let her attention wander, never guessing that any more Amazons would have followed them here or they'd be able to sneak up on them. She watched her employer's blood spill into a bright red pool. "Well, that's inconvenient," she sighed.
<"You're next, coward!"> Artemis drew her other weapon, a two-handed greatsword holstered on her back.
Cheetah drew two combat knives and rushed forward with a cold efficiency. Artemis swung her greatsword overhead but the Cheetah quickly sidestepped the blow, trying to slash under her guard. Artemis's arms quickly matched her opponent's speed, parrying the knives with the bracers. A large horizontal swing of the sword forced Cheetah to drop down and tumble behind Artemis to slash at the back of her knees. The Amazon leapt, somersaulting in the air and thrust downward. The Cheetah contorted her body in the nick of time so that the blade just missed her by inches.
Cheetah dashed back for more ground, but Artemis quickly pursued. <"You'll need more than those flimsy little blades to defeat me.">
"I don't actually speak the language, Red," she said as she dodged a barrage of slashes and thrusts, some by less than an inch of margin, "That would be the lady you just skewered. Of course you probably don't understand me either, do you?"
<"Your strange words hold no power over me!"> Artemis shouted in defiance, her opponent's words meaning nothing to her.
"Figured. I could use the old 'Look there's someone behind you' trick and you wouldn't even know what I was talking about. Which is good I guess, since there actually is someone behind you."
On cue, a blade pierced through Artemis's chest, one that she quickly recognized as her own. <"Is this yours? You left it in my sternum,"> the Baroness said with a smile, still showing the injury but no sign that it actually affected her.
Artemis fell to the floor much the same way her target did earlier, but she wasn’t getting back up. <"How? You should be dead!">
<"You really should make sure your target stays dead next time. Otherwise something unfortunate like this could happen,"> Baroness lectured as she pulled out her pistol. <"See your queen and I are actually having a wonderful time. I really don't have any interest in you. Say hello to your friends for us, will you?"> She smiled as she pointed the gun at the back of Artemis’s head.
-BANG!-
Baroness clutched her hand in agony as her gun slid along the floor. Both she and the Cheetah turned to see another of the Amazons dressed in green robes, holding a smoking gun. "That will be quite enough of that," Amelia said in perfect English, her voice holding a calm, controlled rage.
Cheetah dashed towards the interloper only for two more shots to cut her off, nearly grazing her legs. "You're quick, but I sincerely doubt you're faster than a speeding bullet. If you come any closer, I'm sure I can find one round with your name on it," Amelia warned.
"I thought Circe said that these savages didn’t use guns," Cheetah growled.
"They don't," Baroness replied half-distracted, "This is someone different. Someone special." Her cheshire grin slowly returned. "Could it really be that you're still alive?"
"I wouldn't be the first, Baroness Paula Von Gunther," Amelia replied, "But it looks like you won't be able to say the same for long."
"I wouldn’t be so sure," a voice echoed as the sorceress reappeared a good distance behind Amelia, holding a small, dark, ornate box. Amelia grimaced, suddenly surrounded.
"So how many bullets are left in there anyway?" the Baroness sneered, "Because there are three of us, one of which has all sorts of magical goodies to protect her, and it'll take more than one bullet to put me down."
"A... melia..." Hippolyta managed to speak in between coughs of blood, "Whatever you do... don't let them escape... no matter what..."
Amelia remained silent, her finger steady on the trigger, considering her options. "Yes, ma'am."
-BANG!-
The Baroness recoiled back as the bullet struck right between her eyes, taking her off her feet. Amelia wheeled around to try and get a second shot off, but Circe was faster. She dropped the gun as her hand vanished and her arm shriveled and cracked as it grew black feathers. Amelia tried to speak but all that came out was a hawk's screech. She quickly took to the air, zipping towards cover.
"Bitch! That really hurt!" Baroness complained as she stood up, the hole in her forehead seemingly no more than an annoyance. "Circe, darling, I'd like to renegotiate our deal. I want that one as a souvenir instead," she said pointing to the quickly fleeing hawk.
Circe shrugged, "As you wish. It matters little to me." Holding the black box in one hand, her other conjured a golden birdcage. The door to the cage opened of its own accord and a small golden chain shot out, locking on and latching onto the hawk's leg, quickly retracting and entrapping the bird in its cage.
Amelia screeched and rattled against the bars to no avail. "NO!" Hippolyta screamed, but she no longer had any strength left to stand.
"Well, I think we've had enough fun for one night. Thank you for a delightful time, your majesty," the Baroness cooed, "but I think it's time for me to get going. Now don't be a stranger. You should come visit me next time. I'm looking forward to it." The Baroness dropped her façade for the last sentence, her voice dripping with hate and venom as the three vanished with Circe's teleportation.
"No..." Hippolyta sobbed, her blood and tears mixing together.
"Mother? MOTHER!!!" Diana and Troia rushed onto the scene, Lyta still recovering from breaking the magical barrier. Diana cradled her barely conscious mother in her arms. "Troia, find a healer! ANY healer!" Troia wasted no time and dashed off. "Hold on, mother!"
===WW===
Getting back to the submarine was much easier than infiltrating the palace. The three materialized near where they docked, carrying their spoils including the many pilfered artifacts and the caged bird.
"We should finish them off while we're here. Burn the whole place to the ground. No survivors," Cheetah suggested, "No sense letting them recover and chase after us."
"That is NOT why we’re here," Circe scolded.
"Besides, getting chased is half the fun," Baroness smiled as she admired her captured prize. "I didn’t come all this way after all these years just to quickly kill and run. That would be a waste." She surveyed the damage of Themyscira. She could still hear the screams of the wounded, the alarms of the rest of the Amazons being roused only too late, the frantic orders of trying to not only find and heal the wounded, but catch all the wild animals before they could kill each other. "I want this to last. I want to savor it. I want to remind the dear queen just who and what she tried to forget. I want to go back to the Golden Age of War."
"You make it sound like it's some sort of game," Cheetah commented.
"War is a game. Life is a game. Death is a game. Everything is all a game. We just tagged her, and now she's it."
Cheetah sighed. She might have argued with the lunatic, but she was getting paid well enough not to. She did notice the blood pool forming at the Baroness’s feet. "You're still bleeding," she tried to point out.
"It's my bloody submarine and I’ll bleed wherever I bloody want to in it," the Baroness yelled back in the tone of a spoiled child as the three boarded the submarine and left the way they came.
To be continued...