"Princess, can you understand me?" "It's going to be OK Diana." "Just lie still, princess. You're amongst friends." The words seem to come at her in rapid fire fashion and are indistinguishable. The voices are familiar, however, as are the concerned faces that slowly come into view as her eyes begin to focus. "K .. Kara?" Wonder Woman asks weakly.
"She's coming around" Supergirl proclaims. Babs and Kara tend to the ailing Amazon princess who lies alongside the cave's underground stream. It has been nearly an hour since the heroines discovered their injured colleague. Although her dangerously high fever appears to be breaking, Diana is still in serious condition. Her lower legs have suffered hideous trauma the likes of which neither of her comrades have ever seen. From her knees down, the Justice Leaguer's limbs are almost unrecognizable. Her shins, ankles and feet have ballooned to nearly double their customary width. Orange puss oozes from countless open sores throughout the skin, which has taken on a sickly yellow pallor.
"Wh ... what happened?" queries Diana as she grimaces in pain from her wounded legs. "We're hoping you can tell us that princess." Batgirl responds compassionately. "You've been delirious since we found you. You were screaming something about 'get them off of me!'"
"I ... I remember!" Wonder Woman declares in horror. Regaining her composure, the heroine recounts her ill-fated journey in which she found the prophetic stone and the army of ravenous killer ants that protect it. "That meteor is large. We're definitely going to need our super powers to lift or destroy it."
"The meteoroid must be radioactive." Batgirl suggests. "That might explain the frenzied insects and perhaps even the bizarre nature of this environment. Princess, we need to know as much as possible about the ants that attacked you. Can you embellish any further upon them?"
"There were thousands and they seemed to come from nowhere. They attack with the viciousness of pirahna. The insects don't spread themselves out by climbing; rather they concentrate the assault upon the lower limbs. They seek to take the legs out from under their victims and finish the kill when the prey collapses. Judging from the scarred skeletal remains I saw in vicinity of the meteor, many cavemen have met such brutal deaths.
"I don't know if we can protect ourselves against these insects." Diana continues. "My boots were constructed from the most durable materials known to the Amazons. They could withstand super speed friction, pressure, and intense battles with super foes, but this mattered not against these ants. They ate right through them as though they were made from tissue paper. In less than a minute's time, my virtually indestructible boots were gone and I barely reached the Lex River to save myself."
It is difficult for Wonder Woman to concentrate, because she is in considerable agony. "Kara,' Batgirl reacts, "will you please head out across the plain to the blizzard region? We could use some ice to help control Diana's fever and reduce the swelling and pain in her legs." Supergirl willingly and swiftly complies with Babs' request.
Upon Kara's departure, Batgirl kneels beside the princess. There is momentary silence as the two women stare into one another's eyes. The caped heroine pulls back her cowl to reveal the face of Congresswoman Barbara Gordon. Wonder Woman manages a smile despite her predicament. "Somehow I knew there was more to this Bat than a multi-millionaire facade!" she comments.
Both ladies recognize the gravity of the situation. "It was wise to send Kara off on that errand." Diana observes. "She would simply complicate matters." Babs concurs with the Amazon princess. "Unfortunately, the two of us do have some important ground to cover."
"We both know what is happening." Princess Diana begins. "The bites from these insects have infected me with an acidic venom which attacks the entire limb. The ants strip animal flesh right down to the bone, but their initial onslaught targets the bones themselves. What better way to bring down a towering victim than to dissolve the very bones that support the entire structure?"
"Diana," Gordon responds ominously, "this infection is spreading ... rapidly. When you first arrived, it was evident just below both knees. Your knees have since puffed up and the lower halves of each thigh are beginning to show discoloration." Wonder Woman is neither shocked nor outwardly frightened by this revelation. "It's only going to get worse." the Amazon rules. "Listen," Diana continues solemnly, "if it were just me, I would tough it out to the bitter end. I can't do that here; not with our lives most likely being intertwined on this island. We must do what is in the best interests of the whole." The princess grimly pauses for a moment and the two heroines jointly voice the same fateful conclusion "amputation."
"NO!!!!" suddenly reverberates throughout the small cavern. Babs Gordon whirls around to see an incensed Supergirl charging towards her. The Kryptonian could not possibly have returned from her ice run so quickly. Batgirl recognizes that Kara must have anticipated the scope of their two-way conversation and remained to eavesdrop. To spare a wearied Wonder Woman from this argument, Batgirl insists that she and Supergirl step outside of the cave to discuss the matter.
"You can't be serious about amputation?!" Kara barks incredulously. Batgirl confirms that tragically it is the only reasonable course of action. Supergirl is distraught and struggles for a several moments to speak coherently. "This is Diana we're talking about!" she shouts as tears trickle down both cheeks. "How can you even think such a thing, much less actually consider doing it?!" Before Babs can even respond, Kara continues her tirade. "What if it was you lying there Congresswoman, and the two of us were talking about chopping your legs off?! How would you like to spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair?"
Babs Gordon remains calm as she attempts to address her hysterical young friend. "I would hate to spend the rest of my life crippled." she admits. "That's not the issue here Kara. Wonder Woman's infection is spreading. Her life is at stake and by extension so are ours. I truly don't want to do this, but there is no alternative. Diana understands this and accepts her fate. You must do likewise."
"Like hell I will!" Kara retorts. "Diana is sick and she isn't thinking clearly anymore. You're insisting upon amputation because you're afraid that if one dies, we all die. Well Batgirl, I've got news for you! While you're busy crippling Diana, little Kara is going to find the nearest cliff and take a jump! How do you like that? I'll kill myself and take you two with me!"
As Batgirl, Babs Gordon has faced many tense situations where one poorly timed action or word could trigger disastrous consequences. She senses such here with Kara. The Kryptonian is fiercely adamant in her position and Barbara considers her threat to be genuine. As such, she falls back upon her political skills to diffuse the matter. "OK Kara. Suppose we do it your way. Wonder Woman will be dead within 24 hours, probably a lot sooner than that. What do you propose that we do to prevent this?"
"Diana has been like a mother hen to us since we got here." Supergirl responds. "She has defended us against attackers. She has hunted and provided food. Wonder Woman found the meteor we've been searching for and she suffers terribly for it. Admit this. If we had been with Diana when she found it, there's no way we all would have survived that horrifying swarm of insects. Wonder Woman knows when to venture out alone and she has safely guided us through this dreadful place. Now, it's up to us to return the favor. Diana is hurting. She needs our help!"
To Barbara's surprise and relief, Supergirl is far more rational than she had believed. The girl of steel passionately argues that, under the cover of darkness, they should immediately carry the princess through the wilderness to the Purple Zone. Once there, her meta-human metabolism should at minimum halt the spread of the infection and possibly reverse it over time. Batgirl sees the logic in Kara's argument. Supergirl must eventually return to the Purple Zone to use her super powers to effect their escape from this infernal island. The longer they wait to do so, the greater the risk that one the many dangers of Perdition Isle will claim their lives.
*****
Over Diana's objections, the trio embarks on an extremely perilous overnight hike. They use Supergirl's cape as a makeshift stretcher to transport the injured Amazon princess. Barbara secures her wounded shoulder with her Batrope so that her cape can be wrapped about Diana's lower legs. They wish to keep the Justice Leaguer's limbs as stationary as possible given that the bone structure is breaking down rapidly. Supergirl leads the way with Batgirl in the rear supporting the Amazon's weight with her unimpaired left arm.
The trek is very tedious. The heroines have chosen not to bring torches, because they would act as beacons for their enemies. Moonlight visibility is poor, particularly in the forest, so they must walk cautiously to avoid pitfalls. They are most familiar with the terrain along the river's edge so they opt for that path even though it is a slightly longer distance than through the Firelands. There is as little conversation as possible so as to avoid attracting any unwanted attention. The women stop periodically for short breaks as the burden of the hike wears on them.
The expedition trudges through Buzz Swamp as the first sign of dawn begins to appear on the horizon. Diana has tried to remain awake during the journey but as her condition weakens she drifts in and out of consciousness. Kara glances back at Batgirl and nods her head to suggest they stop for a moment.
Suddenly the calm is broken by an ambush from three Neanderthal men who emerge from behind the thick brush. Supergirl is instantly felled by a club blow to the head which she never sees coming. Two savages pounce upon her perilously prone form while the third tackles Batgirl before she is able to mount an offensive. Gordon is driven back first into the grungy swamp waters. Powerful hands form a vice grip about her throat. Babs struggles valiantly against her hulking assailant, but the beleaguered heroine hasn't the leverage to fend him off. Each breath becomes increasingly difficult as the dual fates of drowning and a broken neck seem to compete in an effort to claim her.
The scream of agony is mercifully brief, yet ominously telling. The finality of death always is, particularly when its very presence claims three lives instead of the customary one. Batgirl feels the mighty fingers about her larynx go limp mere moments before her primitive attacker collapses on top of her. Gasping for breath, Babs pushes aside the caveman's corpse and staggers to her feet.
Confusion reigns when she realizes that she is the only one standing. The Amazon princess is unconscious while a motionless Supergirl remains sprawled on the very ground where she was waylaid. "How did the Neanderthals perish?" Batgirl wonders aloud as she verifies that Diana's vital signs are stable. Her answer is soon apparent when she recognizes the instrument of their demise. "I might have known!" Babs quietly marvels as she spots the apex of Wonder Woman's tiara embedded in the temple of one of the savages.
To her horror, Gordon discovers that Supergirl has been seriously injured in the melee. The club landed flush against the side of her face. Her left cheekbone has been shattered; likewise for the bridge of her nose. Kara bleeds profusely from two severe gashes opened up underneath the eye and along the side of her nose. Her left eye is already swollen shut and her opposite eye is on the verge of the same.
The Kryptonian is conscious, but extremely groggy. Batgirl insists that she sit still. Gordon hurriedly scavenges tattered clothing from their three attackers. Saturating the cloth in cool river water, Barbara gently applies the soothing compress to Supergirl's swollen left eye. This provides minimal relief for her pain, but the swelling is too far along to be contained. The flow of red from the cut beneath her eye ebbs as the blood clots; alas the laceration on her nose will require several stitches to seal. Wonder Woman awakens and she fights off her exhaustion to further tend to Supergirl's injuries. The Amazon fears that Kara has suffered permanent damage to her left eye, but they can't be sure for several days until the swelling subsides substantially.
Although neither Supergirl nor Wonder Woman are fit for travel, there is no choice but to persevere. Kara is temporarily blinded; therefore Batgirl takes the lead as they continue to carry the princess. It is a very tough go, because the Kryptonian is unsteady on her feet. Babs and Diana maintain an open dialogue with Supergirl, offering encouragement and prodding to keep the dazed heroine focused.
To their extreme relief, Batgirl spots the Purple Zone in the distance. This news bolsters Kara's spirits. With no enemy in sight, the women expedite their pace. They span the remaining open stretch of land as swiftly as possible and arrive at their destination without encountering any additional resistance.
*****
As before, the violet fog region restores the meta-human capabilities of Supergirl and Wonder Woman. Alas their respective maladies are too severe for their superior metabolisms alone to counteract. Kara remains blinded, although her Kryptonian physiology soon wards off her pounding headache and allows her cuts to cease bleeding. Diana's condition is still serious, but no longer life threatening. The degeneration of bones and flesh halts upon entering the Purple Zone, but the Amazon's body has been assailed for nearly ten hours. The affliction has ascended both legs. Her hips and lower torso show early signs of discoloration and breakdown.
The three women confer on the edge of the gaseous area. Supergirl gently lies Diana down inside the revitalizing zone so that only her head and shoulders protrude outside its confines. They must determine an effective plan of action to dispense with the meteoroid. This is problematic, for their original strategy is no longer viable. Supergirl can not utilize her heat vision to incinerate the meteor from afar.
"Since we can't destroy the meteoroid in its entirety," Batgirl theorizes, "we must remove it from the island. There's no reason to think our problems are solved if we simply smash the thing into thousands of pieces. Whatever radiation it emits would still be present, and worse yet it would be scattered throughout the landscape."
"We can use my magic lasso to lift it off of the ground and hurl it out into space." Diana proposes. "Agreed, your lasso is our best option, Wonder Woman." Gordon responds. "What concerns me is Mt. Circe. In order for us to see and access the target, we must level part of that mountain. We could have done so in a very deliberate fashion with Supergirl's heat beams. Without them, it's rather tricky. What if it is the proximity of that formation which allows this Purple Zone to retain its unique boundaries and qualities? If we disrupt that structure, this gaseous region could dissipate and your super powers would fade away along with it."
"I think that's a risk we have to take, Batgirl." Kara argues. "We would have basically had to do the same thing even if I had my vision powers. Without them, we'll just have to be a little more creative in coming up with a safe means of chipping away at the mountainside."
They ascend into the upper reaches of the purple fog. Separately, neither Supergirl nor Wonder Woman is currently capable of the necessary heroics. Together, they are. Diana has lost all motor control of her mangled legs, which are tightly wrapped in the capes of her comrades to preserve what little solidity they retain. The Amazon princess still possesses nearly all of her upper body strength and skills, however.
With Diana's guidance, Supergirl freezes a small patch along the slope of Mt. Circe with her super breath. The rock is rendered more brittle, thus allowing it to break apart more easily. With uncanny deftness, Wonder Woman repeatedly hurls her Amazonium-based tiara at the mountainside. Within minutes, the Justice League heroine carves a ten foot wide gorge through the mountain. To her credit, the princess' calculations prove impeccable, for the meteor appears in the direct line of sight in the distance beyond the chasm.
The golden lasso glides through the air with such authority that it would seem to be alive. Spanning the gorge, the mystically elongating lariat whips over the rough terrain until it snares its intended target. The massive meteoroid wobbles as Earth's most powerful super heroines exert their might. Slowly the massive rock rises from its deep crater, when suddenly it drops back down with a thud. The magic lasso has slipped off of it. Three subsequent efforts net the same result.
"The angle is just too extreme!" Diana laments. "We can't get the proper leverage and my lasso simply isn't able to get deep enough on the far side of the meteor to get a sufficiently firm hold." Supergirl groans in frustration. "What are we going to do now?" she wonders aloud.
"We have to secure the magic lasso around that meteoroid." Babs insists. "You two are both needed here. That leaves me. I'll go through the underground tunnel and hike along the base of the mountain until I reach the opposite end of the chasm. From there, I'll climb down the lasso to the meteor. My costume has lead lining which will provide me with short-term protection against radiation. I'll signal when the rope is locked in; you'll each be able to hear me even at that distance."
"Barbara," Wonder Woman gravely replies, "look at what those things did to me. You won't have a chance. They're tear you apart before you could ever secure the line. We have to come up with something different."
"Diana, whatever we do is very limited." Batgirl argues. "Your super powers are restricted to this corner of the island. Your lasso is the only long-range recourse we have to remove that damned rock. No matter how we all look at this, it boils down to the same problem. We have to find a way to firmly tie down that lariat."
Twenty minutes later, Babs finds herself suspended above the rolling hills which lead to the meteoroid. The ground is blanketed with frost, courtesy of Supergirl's freeze breath. With her legs coiled around the golden cord, Batgirl slides swiftly downward until her feet touch down on top of the meteoroid. Unfortunately, the upper surface is very slick, because blinded Kara is unable to expertly concentrate the focus of her powers. Her initial footing is very treacherous. Gordon nearly falls, but experience navigating snow covered rooftops in Gotham City proves vital. The heroine maintains her balance and cautiously inches her way towards the far end of the meteor.
"Diana, I'm going to need a few extra feet of slack on the noose." Barbara comments as she eyes a pronounced indentation which the lasso can be wedged into. Meta-human ears pick up her request and the lasso expands as per Wonder Woman's telepathic commands.
Batgirl is about to leap down to the ground to lock the lariat in place when she notices that the killer ants await her. The insects remain feisty despite the arctic frost. To her horror, they swiftly and deftly climb up the slick face of the giant meteoroid. An anxious Barbara Gordon digs into the compartments of her utility belt. Her once vast stock of potent crime fighting assets has dwindled to precious little. She has but two tear gas pellets left. Praying that they can do the trick, the daring heroine targets the ground and the ants closing in on her perch atop the giant stone.
She hasn't much time. Babs reasons that if the tear gas does subdue the pests, it will be a short term reprieve. If it doesn't, they'll reach her in seconds. "I've got to risk it!" she boldly reasons to herself. Wearing a small gas filter, Batgirl clutches the glowing magic lasso with her able left hand. She jumps twenty feet down through the thick tear gas cloud to reach the potentially perilous ground below.
The colony of radiation enhanced ants swarms her feet and shins as she pivots to secure the golden rope. Her pain is unthinkable. Supergirl's indestructible boots prove resilient to the voracious insects, but they pierce her own protective tights with ease. The ants bore into Babs' knee caps and crawl underneath the Kryptonian boots to further ravage her flesh. Barbara Gordon screeches in agony, but she has never been more determined. Ignoring her nightmarish predicament, Batgirl tucks the golden noose under the jagged edge. "NOW!!!" Batgirl bellows as she holds onto the golden line for dear life. The magical noose contracts tightly around the sphere-like object. Wonder Woman and Supergirl heft the meteoroid up and out of its crater. The lariat holds firm.
As per their emergency fallback plan, Kara and Diana swing the giant meteoroid out over the Lex River. An ailing Batgirl releases her grip upon the lasso and plummets into the current below. Her condition is such that it will be exceedingly difficult for her to stay afloat, but the water shakes loose the predators that seek to destroy her.
The troublesome meteor hurtles into the upper atmosphere. It grows smaller and smaller in the distance until even the keen eyes of Princess Diana can no longer spot it. The impact of its removal is almost immediate. The gases of the Purple Zone dissipate. The extreme weather patterns throughout the region melt away in favor of a pleasant tropical climate. Indeed, Perdition Isle is once again the Blessed Land.
With her powers restored throughout the island, Supergirl speeds to Batgirl's aid. The Kryptonian zeroes in upon Babs with her super hearing. Kara plunges into the rapids and pulls her semi-conscious friend out of the water. She returns to the river bank where Diana awaits them. Suddenly all three women feel a bizarre tingling throughout their bodies. A white light envelops each of them. Their forms vanish from the Blessed Land and reappear scant moments later on Phranyx' warship.
"She's coming around" Supergirl proclaims. Babs and Kara tend to the ailing Amazon princess who lies alongside the cave's underground stream. It has been nearly an hour since the heroines discovered their injured colleague. Although her dangerously high fever appears to be breaking, Diana is still in serious condition. Her lower legs have suffered hideous trauma the likes of which neither of her comrades have ever seen. From her knees down, the Justice Leaguer's limbs are almost unrecognizable. Her shins, ankles and feet have ballooned to nearly double their customary width. Orange puss oozes from countless open sores throughout the skin, which has taken on a sickly yellow pallor.
"Wh ... what happened?" queries Diana as she grimaces in pain from her wounded legs. "We're hoping you can tell us that princess." Batgirl responds compassionately. "You've been delirious since we found you. You were screaming something about 'get them off of me!'"
"I ... I remember!" Wonder Woman declares in horror. Regaining her composure, the heroine recounts her ill-fated journey in which she found the prophetic stone and the army of ravenous killer ants that protect it. "That meteor is large. We're definitely going to need our super powers to lift or destroy it."
"The meteoroid must be radioactive." Batgirl suggests. "That might explain the frenzied insects and perhaps even the bizarre nature of this environment. Princess, we need to know as much as possible about the ants that attacked you. Can you embellish any further upon them?"
"There were thousands and they seemed to come from nowhere. They attack with the viciousness of pirahna. The insects don't spread themselves out by climbing; rather they concentrate the assault upon the lower limbs. They seek to take the legs out from under their victims and finish the kill when the prey collapses. Judging from the scarred skeletal remains I saw in vicinity of the meteor, many cavemen have met such brutal deaths.
"I don't know if we can protect ourselves against these insects." Diana continues. "My boots were constructed from the most durable materials known to the Amazons. They could withstand super speed friction, pressure, and intense battles with super foes, but this mattered not against these ants. They ate right through them as though they were made from tissue paper. In less than a minute's time, my virtually indestructible boots were gone and I barely reached the Lex River to save myself."
It is difficult for Wonder Woman to concentrate, because she is in considerable agony. "Kara,' Batgirl reacts, "will you please head out across the plain to the blizzard region? We could use some ice to help control Diana's fever and reduce the swelling and pain in her legs." Supergirl willingly and swiftly complies with Babs' request.
Upon Kara's departure, Batgirl kneels beside the princess. There is momentary silence as the two women stare into one another's eyes. The caped heroine pulls back her cowl to reveal the face of Congresswoman Barbara Gordon. Wonder Woman manages a smile despite her predicament. "Somehow I knew there was more to this Bat than a multi-millionaire facade!" she comments.
Both ladies recognize the gravity of the situation. "It was wise to send Kara off on that errand." Diana observes. "She would simply complicate matters." Babs concurs with the Amazon princess. "Unfortunately, the two of us do have some important ground to cover."
"We both know what is happening." Princess Diana begins. "The bites from these insects have infected me with an acidic venom which attacks the entire limb. The ants strip animal flesh right down to the bone, but their initial onslaught targets the bones themselves. What better way to bring down a towering victim than to dissolve the very bones that support the entire structure?"
"Diana," Gordon responds ominously, "this infection is spreading ... rapidly. When you first arrived, it was evident just below both knees. Your knees have since puffed up and the lower halves of each thigh are beginning to show discoloration." Wonder Woman is neither shocked nor outwardly frightened by this revelation. "It's only going to get worse." the Amazon rules. "Listen," Diana continues solemnly, "if it were just me, I would tough it out to the bitter end. I can't do that here; not with our lives most likely being intertwined on this island. We must do what is in the best interests of the whole." The princess grimly pauses for a moment and the two heroines jointly voice the same fateful conclusion "amputation."
"NO!!!!" suddenly reverberates throughout the small cavern. Babs Gordon whirls around to see an incensed Supergirl charging towards her. The Kryptonian could not possibly have returned from her ice run so quickly. Batgirl recognizes that Kara must have anticipated the scope of their two-way conversation and remained to eavesdrop. To spare a wearied Wonder Woman from this argument, Batgirl insists that she and Supergirl step outside of the cave to discuss the matter.
"You can't be serious about amputation?!" Kara barks incredulously. Batgirl confirms that tragically it is the only reasonable course of action. Supergirl is distraught and struggles for a several moments to speak coherently. "This is Diana we're talking about!" she shouts as tears trickle down both cheeks. "How can you even think such a thing, much less actually consider doing it?!" Before Babs can even respond, Kara continues her tirade. "What if it was you lying there Congresswoman, and the two of us were talking about chopping your legs off?! How would you like to spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair?"
Babs Gordon remains calm as she attempts to address her hysterical young friend. "I would hate to spend the rest of my life crippled." she admits. "That's not the issue here Kara. Wonder Woman's infection is spreading. Her life is at stake and by extension so are ours. I truly don't want to do this, but there is no alternative. Diana understands this and accepts her fate. You must do likewise."
"Like hell I will!" Kara retorts. "Diana is sick and she isn't thinking clearly anymore. You're insisting upon amputation because you're afraid that if one dies, we all die. Well Batgirl, I've got news for you! While you're busy crippling Diana, little Kara is going to find the nearest cliff and take a jump! How do you like that? I'll kill myself and take you two with me!"
As Batgirl, Babs Gordon has faced many tense situations where one poorly timed action or word could trigger disastrous consequences. She senses such here with Kara. The Kryptonian is fiercely adamant in her position and Barbara considers her threat to be genuine. As such, she falls back upon her political skills to diffuse the matter. "OK Kara. Suppose we do it your way. Wonder Woman will be dead within 24 hours, probably a lot sooner than that. What do you propose that we do to prevent this?"
"Diana has been like a mother hen to us since we got here." Supergirl responds. "She has defended us against attackers. She has hunted and provided food. Wonder Woman found the meteor we've been searching for and she suffers terribly for it. Admit this. If we had been with Diana when she found it, there's no way we all would have survived that horrifying swarm of insects. Wonder Woman knows when to venture out alone and she has safely guided us through this dreadful place. Now, it's up to us to return the favor. Diana is hurting. She needs our help!"
To Barbara's surprise and relief, Supergirl is far more rational than she had believed. The girl of steel passionately argues that, under the cover of darkness, they should immediately carry the princess through the wilderness to the Purple Zone. Once there, her meta-human metabolism should at minimum halt the spread of the infection and possibly reverse it over time. Batgirl sees the logic in Kara's argument. Supergirl must eventually return to the Purple Zone to use her super powers to effect their escape from this infernal island. The longer they wait to do so, the greater the risk that one the many dangers of Perdition Isle will claim their lives.
*****
Over Diana's objections, the trio embarks on an extremely perilous overnight hike. They use Supergirl's cape as a makeshift stretcher to transport the injured Amazon princess. Barbara secures her wounded shoulder with her Batrope so that her cape can be wrapped about Diana's lower legs. They wish to keep the Justice Leaguer's limbs as stationary as possible given that the bone structure is breaking down rapidly. Supergirl leads the way with Batgirl in the rear supporting the Amazon's weight with her unimpaired left arm.
The trek is very tedious. The heroines have chosen not to bring torches, because they would act as beacons for their enemies. Moonlight visibility is poor, particularly in the forest, so they must walk cautiously to avoid pitfalls. They are most familiar with the terrain along the river's edge so they opt for that path even though it is a slightly longer distance than through the Firelands. There is as little conversation as possible so as to avoid attracting any unwanted attention. The women stop periodically for short breaks as the burden of the hike wears on them.
The expedition trudges through Buzz Swamp as the first sign of dawn begins to appear on the horizon. Diana has tried to remain awake during the journey but as her condition weakens she drifts in and out of consciousness. Kara glances back at Batgirl and nods her head to suggest they stop for a moment.
Suddenly the calm is broken by an ambush from three Neanderthal men who emerge from behind the thick brush. Supergirl is instantly felled by a club blow to the head which she never sees coming. Two savages pounce upon her perilously prone form while the third tackles Batgirl before she is able to mount an offensive. Gordon is driven back first into the grungy swamp waters. Powerful hands form a vice grip about her throat. Babs struggles valiantly against her hulking assailant, but the beleaguered heroine hasn't the leverage to fend him off. Each breath becomes increasingly difficult as the dual fates of drowning and a broken neck seem to compete in an effort to claim her.
The scream of agony is mercifully brief, yet ominously telling. The finality of death always is, particularly when its very presence claims three lives instead of the customary one. Batgirl feels the mighty fingers about her larynx go limp mere moments before her primitive attacker collapses on top of her. Gasping for breath, Babs pushes aside the caveman's corpse and staggers to her feet.
Confusion reigns when she realizes that she is the only one standing. The Amazon princess is unconscious while a motionless Supergirl remains sprawled on the very ground where she was waylaid. "How did the Neanderthals perish?" Batgirl wonders aloud as she verifies that Diana's vital signs are stable. Her answer is soon apparent when she recognizes the instrument of their demise. "I might have known!" Babs quietly marvels as she spots the apex of Wonder Woman's tiara embedded in the temple of one of the savages.
To her horror, Gordon discovers that Supergirl has been seriously injured in the melee. The club landed flush against the side of her face. Her left cheekbone has been shattered; likewise for the bridge of her nose. Kara bleeds profusely from two severe gashes opened up underneath the eye and along the side of her nose. Her left eye is already swollen shut and her opposite eye is on the verge of the same.
The Kryptonian is conscious, but extremely groggy. Batgirl insists that she sit still. Gordon hurriedly scavenges tattered clothing from their three attackers. Saturating the cloth in cool river water, Barbara gently applies the soothing compress to Supergirl's swollen left eye. This provides minimal relief for her pain, but the swelling is too far along to be contained. The flow of red from the cut beneath her eye ebbs as the blood clots; alas the laceration on her nose will require several stitches to seal. Wonder Woman awakens and she fights off her exhaustion to further tend to Supergirl's injuries. The Amazon fears that Kara has suffered permanent damage to her left eye, but they can't be sure for several days until the swelling subsides substantially.
Although neither Supergirl nor Wonder Woman are fit for travel, there is no choice but to persevere. Kara is temporarily blinded; therefore Batgirl takes the lead as they continue to carry the princess. It is a very tough go, because the Kryptonian is unsteady on her feet. Babs and Diana maintain an open dialogue with Supergirl, offering encouragement and prodding to keep the dazed heroine focused.
To their extreme relief, Batgirl spots the Purple Zone in the distance. This news bolsters Kara's spirits. With no enemy in sight, the women expedite their pace. They span the remaining open stretch of land as swiftly as possible and arrive at their destination without encountering any additional resistance.
*****
As before, the violet fog region restores the meta-human capabilities of Supergirl and Wonder Woman. Alas their respective maladies are too severe for their superior metabolisms alone to counteract. Kara remains blinded, although her Kryptonian physiology soon wards off her pounding headache and allows her cuts to cease bleeding. Diana's condition is still serious, but no longer life threatening. The degeneration of bones and flesh halts upon entering the Purple Zone, but the Amazon's body has been assailed for nearly ten hours. The affliction has ascended both legs. Her hips and lower torso show early signs of discoloration and breakdown.
The three women confer on the edge of the gaseous area. Supergirl gently lies Diana down inside the revitalizing zone so that only her head and shoulders protrude outside its confines. They must determine an effective plan of action to dispense with the meteoroid. This is problematic, for their original strategy is no longer viable. Supergirl can not utilize her heat vision to incinerate the meteor from afar.
"Since we can't destroy the meteoroid in its entirety," Batgirl theorizes, "we must remove it from the island. There's no reason to think our problems are solved if we simply smash the thing into thousands of pieces. Whatever radiation it emits would still be present, and worse yet it would be scattered throughout the landscape."
"We can use my magic lasso to lift it off of the ground and hurl it out into space." Diana proposes. "Agreed, your lasso is our best option, Wonder Woman." Gordon responds. "What concerns me is Mt. Circe. In order for us to see and access the target, we must level part of that mountain. We could have done so in a very deliberate fashion with Supergirl's heat beams. Without them, it's rather tricky. What if it is the proximity of that formation which allows this Purple Zone to retain its unique boundaries and qualities? If we disrupt that structure, this gaseous region could dissipate and your super powers would fade away along with it."
"I think that's a risk we have to take, Batgirl." Kara argues. "We would have basically had to do the same thing even if I had my vision powers. Without them, we'll just have to be a little more creative in coming up with a safe means of chipping away at the mountainside."
They ascend into the upper reaches of the purple fog. Separately, neither Supergirl nor Wonder Woman is currently capable of the necessary heroics. Together, they are. Diana has lost all motor control of her mangled legs, which are tightly wrapped in the capes of her comrades to preserve what little solidity they retain. The Amazon princess still possesses nearly all of her upper body strength and skills, however.
With Diana's guidance, Supergirl freezes a small patch along the slope of Mt. Circe with her super breath. The rock is rendered more brittle, thus allowing it to break apart more easily. With uncanny deftness, Wonder Woman repeatedly hurls her Amazonium-based tiara at the mountainside. Within minutes, the Justice League heroine carves a ten foot wide gorge through the mountain. To her credit, the princess' calculations prove impeccable, for the meteor appears in the direct line of sight in the distance beyond the chasm.
The golden lasso glides through the air with such authority that it would seem to be alive. Spanning the gorge, the mystically elongating lariat whips over the rough terrain until it snares its intended target. The massive meteoroid wobbles as Earth's most powerful super heroines exert their might. Slowly the massive rock rises from its deep crater, when suddenly it drops back down with a thud. The magic lasso has slipped off of it. Three subsequent efforts net the same result.
"The angle is just too extreme!" Diana laments. "We can't get the proper leverage and my lasso simply isn't able to get deep enough on the far side of the meteor to get a sufficiently firm hold." Supergirl groans in frustration. "What are we going to do now?" she wonders aloud.
"We have to secure the magic lasso around that meteoroid." Babs insists. "You two are both needed here. That leaves me. I'll go through the underground tunnel and hike along the base of the mountain until I reach the opposite end of the chasm. From there, I'll climb down the lasso to the meteor. My costume has lead lining which will provide me with short-term protection against radiation. I'll signal when the rope is locked in; you'll each be able to hear me even at that distance."
"Barbara," Wonder Woman gravely replies, "look at what those things did to me. You won't have a chance. They're tear you apart before you could ever secure the line. We have to come up with something different."
"Diana, whatever we do is very limited." Batgirl argues. "Your super powers are restricted to this corner of the island. Your lasso is the only long-range recourse we have to remove that damned rock. No matter how we all look at this, it boils down to the same problem. We have to find a way to firmly tie down that lariat."
Twenty minutes later, Babs finds herself suspended above the rolling hills which lead to the meteoroid. The ground is blanketed with frost, courtesy of Supergirl's freeze breath. With her legs coiled around the golden cord, Batgirl slides swiftly downward until her feet touch down on top of the meteoroid. Unfortunately, the upper surface is very slick, because blinded Kara is unable to expertly concentrate the focus of her powers. Her initial footing is very treacherous. Gordon nearly falls, but experience navigating snow covered rooftops in Gotham City proves vital. The heroine maintains her balance and cautiously inches her way towards the far end of the meteor.
"Diana, I'm going to need a few extra feet of slack on the noose." Barbara comments as she eyes a pronounced indentation which the lasso can be wedged into. Meta-human ears pick up her request and the lasso expands as per Wonder Woman's telepathic commands.
Batgirl is about to leap down to the ground to lock the lariat in place when she notices that the killer ants await her. The insects remain feisty despite the arctic frost. To her horror, they swiftly and deftly climb up the slick face of the giant meteoroid. An anxious Barbara Gordon digs into the compartments of her utility belt. Her once vast stock of potent crime fighting assets has dwindled to precious little. She has but two tear gas pellets left. Praying that they can do the trick, the daring heroine targets the ground and the ants closing in on her perch atop the giant stone.
She hasn't much time. Babs reasons that if the tear gas does subdue the pests, it will be a short term reprieve. If it doesn't, they'll reach her in seconds. "I've got to risk it!" she boldly reasons to herself. Wearing a small gas filter, Batgirl clutches the glowing magic lasso with her able left hand. She jumps twenty feet down through the thick tear gas cloud to reach the potentially perilous ground below.
The colony of radiation enhanced ants swarms her feet and shins as she pivots to secure the golden rope. Her pain is unthinkable. Supergirl's indestructible boots prove resilient to the voracious insects, but they pierce her own protective tights with ease. The ants bore into Babs' knee caps and crawl underneath the Kryptonian boots to further ravage her flesh. Barbara Gordon screeches in agony, but she has never been more determined. Ignoring her nightmarish predicament, Batgirl tucks the golden noose under the jagged edge. "NOW!!!" Batgirl bellows as she holds onto the golden line for dear life. The magical noose contracts tightly around the sphere-like object. Wonder Woman and Supergirl heft the meteoroid up and out of its crater. The lariat holds firm.
As per their emergency fallback plan, Kara and Diana swing the giant meteoroid out over the Lex River. An ailing Batgirl releases her grip upon the lasso and plummets into the current below. Her condition is such that it will be exceedingly difficult for her to stay afloat, but the water shakes loose the predators that seek to destroy her.
The troublesome meteor hurtles into the upper atmosphere. It grows smaller and smaller in the distance until even the keen eyes of Princess Diana can no longer spot it. The impact of its removal is almost immediate. The gases of the Purple Zone dissipate. The extreme weather patterns throughout the region melt away in favor of a pleasant tropical climate. Indeed, Perdition Isle is once again the Blessed Land.
With her powers restored throughout the island, Supergirl speeds to Batgirl's aid. The Kryptonian zeroes in upon Babs with her super hearing. Kara plunges into the rapids and pulls her semi-conscious friend out of the water. She returns to the river bank where Diana awaits them. Suddenly all three women feel a bizarre tingling throughout their bodies. A white light envelops each of them. Their forms vanish from the Blessed Land and reappear scant moments later on Phranyx' warship.
