"Undercover and Underneath it All"
By: The Angelic Temptress
Disclaimer: The usual. They're not mine, although I'd take them if they let me.
Spoilers: "Wildcard" and some for "Starcrossed" (Timeframe: Between those 2 Eps.)
Rating: PG-13 for language, drugs, and adult content.
Pairings: GL/HG (Of course!) BM/WW (Who knew I had it in me?)
A/N: I promise that there will be more Diana/Bruce stuff, but it's happening gradually.
A/N2: This chapter will be running on a fine line between PG-13 and R. BEWARE! ;)
)(
Chapter 4: Growing Pains
Diana took a quick glance of the empty hallway, pulled her keys from her blue purse, and unlocked her door. When she opened it, she was startled to find Batman's face only inches from her own.
Her heart skipped a beat, but instead of dwelling on the awkward incident, the princess brushed it off and closed the door behind her.
"What were you doing?"
"I was getting the door for you."
She turned her back to him and locked the door. Without him seeing, she slightly smiled before she ran a hand through her long, brown hair. For such a secretive and "unemotional" man, he couldn't hide the fact that he felt...something for the Amazon.
That same kind of something fluttered in her stomach, so she whirled around and tossed her purse onto the bed. With her eyes on his, she slipped off her heels.
"I suppose Hawkgirl hasn't returned yet?"
"Actually, she has. She's in my room at the moment and will be staying there all night."
She nodded with realization of the Thanagarian's situation. The girl needed someone to confide in, and neither Diana nor Batman could fill that position.
"So, she went through with it?"
"I'm not quite sure if she did."
Diana raised an eyebrow. "Since when are you 'Not quite sure?'" When he didn't answer, she changed the subject. "I spoke to half a dozen showgirls and learned that the owner stole the Euphoria recipe from two Thanagarians four years ago. No one knows what happened to them."
Batman didn't say a word. He crossed his arms over the bat on his chest and rubbed his chin; Diana had learned that he always did it when he was deep in thought.
"They assumed that he had murdered them," she added.
"I figured that much. Perhaps Hawkgirl isn't as far from home as she once believed."
"Perhaps." Diana bit her lower lip, wondering if Hawkgirl had known about the Thanagarians all along.
If she did, maybe she really didn't want to go back to Thanagar. Maybe she preferred the Justice League over whatever she had once belonged to.
"I remember the owner mentioning that three other Thanagarians had visited Torica before now. He had done business with two, and the third had been a cop." She thought for a moment. "Didn't Hawkgirl say she was part of the Thanagarian police force?"
He nodded and narrowed his powerful eyes. "I already knew she had been here before."
"But she didn't mention searching for two criminals of her own race, did she?" When he gave her a blank stare, Diana shrugged and once again turned her back to Batman. "You don't think she's hiding information from us, do you?" she asked as she attempted to get a hold of the zipper that held her captive in the dress.
She couldn't reach it.
"Would you mind unzipping me?"
He did as he was asked, and she slipped behind the changing screen. After pulling off the blue dress, she put on a pair of shorts and a white tank.
To her delight, she could feel his eyes on her.
She could always feel him watching her.
Batman was a strange creature – a man but not a Superman. He was an ordinary person who insisted on being a hero, even if it meant risking his own precious life.
The Dark Knight was a mysterious character, enveloped in the night's shadows and scared by his past. Although surrounded by a close "family," the Batman would somehow managed to be the loner, the man on the outside looking in.
All in all, he was a challenge.
This princess never shied away from a challenge.
)(
Shayera raised her head to look at the man whose strong arms she lied in. He was sound asleep, snoring away in the darkness. Although everything inside of her was still shaking, she managed a smile. No matter how troubled she was, John was the one thing that seemed so real.
He was the one person she could truly rely on.
Just being part of him for that little while had made all her pain melt away, but, now that she was once again able to reflect on the past, she could feel the pain slowly returning.
She remembered being the undercover cop assigned to destroy the drug ring on Thanagar. That was seven years ago, but it felt like yesterday. She kept in mind that it had taken only one night for things to go sour.
Shayera had tried the Euphoria to prove to the powerful and winged gangster that she wasn't a cop. Because she had been so high, she couldn't prevent one of the younger undercover officers from being killed that night due to his inability of being able to tell a convincing lie.
The kid was beaten to death right before her eyes.
She remembered feeling so helpless. So useless. She had failed that child's parents and his expecting wife because she was "good" at her job.
That failure had shoved her into a life of depending on something else to stop the hurting: Euphoria. After admitting that she had a problem, she was anonymously checked into a rehabilitation center, with the help of Hro's contacts, and was out within a month.
Shayera Hol was a good detective, a good infiltrator.
And she still is.
If only they knew...
Shy studied John's features, and kissed one of his closed eyelids. Without disturbing him, she carefully crawled out of the bed and pulled on the clothing he had brought her earlier. She sighed.
Shayera was Hro's good little lieutenant who never asked questions and followed orders to the best of her abilities. That's why she had been promoted after single-handedly dismantling the Euphoria kingdom.
That's why she had been sent to Earth.
Thanagar wanted to shield other planets from the Gordanians, and she was ordered to study the earth she and the rest of the League protected.
Four years ago, Hro had sent her information on two Thanagarians who had somehow escaped prison. They were headed in her direction. Hro had tracked them to Torica, where Hawkgirl believed they were staying.
She had never found them.
Shy stepped out of the motel room and silently shut the door behind her. The hallway was dark, dark enough for her to get lost in her thoughts.
"Feeling better?" Batman's voice questioned out of nowhere, causing Shayera to nearly jump out of her skin.
"God damn it," she mumbled and ran a hand through her damp hair.
"Why didn't you tell me that they were using women's blood as an ingredient?" he demanded and stepped in front of her, invading her personal space, trying to intimidate her.
"I had other things on my mind," she responded bluntly.
"Like what?"
Like not blowing her cover...covers.
"Like getting information. It's been a while since I had slept with a criminal to get what I needed."
"Did you?" he asked in a low tone.
She tightened her fists. "No. I didn't sleep with him."
He rephrased the question. "Did you get new information?"
Shy wanted to kick herself. "Yeah." When he waited for her to continue, she did. "He's alone in all this. The scientists don't even know the formula. They just do as they're told." The lieutenant of the Thanagarian Army stepped closer to the Dark Knight, showing that she still hadn't been broken. "I suggest that we annihilate it all tomorrow, including Max."
"He has a name?"
"Don't we all at one time or another?"
He didn't reply.
"Who told you about the blood?"
"His mistress."
She took a second to take a breath and recollect her thoughts. "That piece of information cost the girl her life." After seeing a quick flicker of some kind of emotion on his face, she added, "I saw them take her away, and I did nothing because... it was already too late."
"I know the feeling."
Shy nodded. "The drug lord is mine to deal with. You, Diana, and John can blow the place. I'm sure you've brought a handful of explosives that could bring down the whole building."
"Then we'll commence in a few hours. Most of the club will be clear of civilians after daybreak. I'll –"
"You know I have to kill him, right?" she interrupted. "If we just destroyed everything, he could easily rebuild it all. He's got money, and we'd just piss him off."
"You can't kill him. You're not a murderer."
"It's my call; I can handle myself."
"Like you can handle being a mole?"
Shayera's breath got stuck in her throat.
"You broke down. Your identity could've been exposed. "
"You couldn't possibly understand why," she countered.
"But don't I? You fucked up in the past, and you were worried you'd do it for a second time." He once again inched closer to her, and she could feel the door against her back. "The drugs. The espionage. It's all familiar territory, a field you haven't treaded in years, and you're scared."
She stared at him, meeting his blue eyes, and recognized the emotion there. He actually cared about her wellbeing.
She smiled and took an imaginary sigh of relief.
He hadn't put two and two together yet. Batman hadn't figured out who she was.
"You've been trying to toughen me up," Shy stated, "because I'm Thanagarian. You figured that I had been trained in that manner."
"The League's been too easy-going for your taste, so someone had to." Batman took a step back and returned to Shayera's door.
Before he slipped into the room, Shy whispered his name and said, "Thank you."
He gave her a quick glance and left her alone in the barren hallway. It was her cue to return to the Bat's room as well. She found John sitting up in bed.
"Where'd you run off to?" he asked her as she made her way to his side. After she sat down, he took hold of her left hand.
"I had to talk to Batman."
Anger quickly washed over his features, though she didn't understand why but didn't ask.
"I'm okay, John. I was just a little overwhelmed. I had to deal with a few inner demons, and you know that bit." She lightly caressed his cheek with her free hand and grinned at him. "We have to be up in a few hours. We're taking him out today."
"Good." A wolfish smirk then slipped onto John's lips. "That's more than enough time."
"Enough time for what?"
John leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, almost mimicking their first kiss. This time, Shayera gave into him a little quicker than before.
His arms wrapped around her body and pulled her toward him. When he got her onto his lap, John laid her down on the bed and slipped his right hand beneath her tee and onto her firm stomach. For some corky reason, he liked tracing her abs.
She didn't mind at all.
When his hand started to travel south, she actually giggled.
Shayera didn't even know she could giggle, but instantly noticed the amusement on John's face.
)(
"Batman and Diana in position." He looked both ways, searching for anyone who may question their presence in the club's back hallway. The duo stood only a few yards from the basement's entrance.
"Hawkgirl in position."
"Lantern in position."
The Amazon princess across from him had her blue eyes on his. Although his mind told him to ignore her gazes, everything else didn't want to. She was beautiful, more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen before.
If he allowed her into his life, really allowed her to get close...
The tabloids would have a field day with the trophy Bruce Wayne would have on his arm. He'd be forced to "show her off," take her to parties, and introduce her to other billionaires and businessmen.
She'd end up getting her heart broken. She'd find him unbearable to deal with. He'd obsess over his work, and she'd eventually hate him for it. She'd want him to confide in her and talk to her, but he would disregard her pleas.
Diana was a very open person; he was not. Why would she want that? Superman was more her type. He was the Boy Scout. He'd share his feelings, work on a relationship. He wouldn't ignore her gazes.
"Someone's coming," she said, interrupting his thoughts. Abruptly and unexpectedly, Diana shoved Batman into a chair and straddled him. Before he could get a word out, Diana's soft lips covered his.
He could taste the alarm in her kisses, mixed with the hunger she possessed.
The curious and naïve brunette wanted to experiment with the world; Batman had perceived that interest had been her motivation to coming to Torica.
Once the coast was clear, Diana pulled away and said, "Sorry," with a smirk. She crawled off of him, and he stood as well.
For a woman who had been sheltered from the rest of the world for most of her life, she learned quickly. Batman actually grinned at that thought.
"So you can smile," she observed and placed her hands on her hips. "You're not as frigid as I had thought."
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a man stepping out of the basement's entrance. Batman decided to use Diana's same approach. He forced her to the wall and whispered the words "I'm sorry" before placing his mouth atop hers.
This time, the kiss deepened and their tongues met for the first time. Diana wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his body closer to hers. His gloved hands made their way down to her hips.
A few seconds after they were alone again, Batman stepped back and said, "Let's go." He led the way to the basement, leaving her in confusion.
)(
The Green Lantern sat at the bar, holding a glass of bourbon that he hadn't tasted. He was the lookout watching everyone and everything that came in and out of Café Erotica.
"How many, John?" Shy's voice asked over the comm-link.
He counted. "Six including the bartender. I could get them all out in time."
"Good."
Before she could cut the connection, GL got her attention. "Shy?"
"What?"
"Be careful."
"You too."
)(
Hawkgirl sat in his comfortable, leather, spinning chair, facing the two pairs of large wings that hung on the wall. Her back was to the door of the trophy room, waiting for him.
And he came.
Max.
Bloodthirsty, sexoholic, killer Max.
"Who the hell moved my chair here?" he groaned and slammed the door behind him. His words got trapped in his throat when she spun around to make eye contact.
"Miss me?" she taunted.
"Hawkgirl? I should have known..."
"It's okay. Murdering and molesting manipulators aren't supposed to be quick."
He shook his head. "The Angel and the Devil. Cute. Real cute."
"I thought so."
"You didn't spend the night."
"You couldn't... keep it up." She smirked and crossed her legs. "That's what you get when you drink. You miss out on life's good things."
"Don't flatter yourself, Thanagarian."
"You weren't complaining last night."
"Neither were you, but I'll make sure to change that today."
Suddenly, a metal clasp gripped her wrists to the arms of the chair. She struggled, but couldn't break free.
Max laughed. "Now. Where did we leave off?"
)(
Chapter 5, the final chapter, coming soon...
By: The Angelic Temptress
Disclaimer: The usual. They're not mine, although I'd take them if they let me.
Spoilers: "Wildcard" and some for "Starcrossed" (Timeframe: Between those 2 Eps.)
Rating: PG-13 for language, drugs, and adult content.
Pairings: GL/HG (Of course!) BM/WW (Who knew I had it in me?)
A/N: I promise that there will be more Diana/Bruce stuff, but it's happening gradually.
A/N2: This chapter will be running on a fine line between PG-13 and R. BEWARE! ;)
)(
Chapter 4: Growing Pains
Diana took a quick glance of the empty hallway, pulled her keys from her blue purse, and unlocked her door. When she opened it, she was startled to find Batman's face only inches from her own.
Her heart skipped a beat, but instead of dwelling on the awkward incident, the princess brushed it off and closed the door behind her.
"What were you doing?"
"I was getting the door for you."
She turned her back to him and locked the door. Without him seeing, she slightly smiled before she ran a hand through her long, brown hair. For such a secretive and "unemotional" man, he couldn't hide the fact that he felt...something for the Amazon.
That same kind of something fluttered in her stomach, so she whirled around and tossed her purse onto the bed. With her eyes on his, she slipped off her heels.
"I suppose Hawkgirl hasn't returned yet?"
"Actually, she has. She's in my room at the moment and will be staying there all night."
She nodded with realization of the Thanagarian's situation. The girl needed someone to confide in, and neither Diana nor Batman could fill that position.
"So, she went through with it?"
"I'm not quite sure if she did."
Diana raised an eyebrow. "Since when are you 'Not quite sure?'" When he didn't answer, she changed the subject. "I spoke to half a dozen showgirls and learned that the owner stole the Euphoria recipe from two Thanagarians four years ago. No one knows what happened to them."
Batman didn't say a word. He crossed his arms over the bat on his chest and rubbed his chin; Diana had learned that he always did it when he was deep in thought.
"They assumed that he had murdered them," she added.
"I figured that much. Perhaps Hawkgirl isn't as far from home as she once believed."
"Perhaps." Diana bit her lower lip, wondering if Hawkgirl had known about the Thanagarians all along.
If she did, maybe she really didn't want to go back to Thanagar. Maybe she preferred the Justice League over whatever she had once belonged to.
"I remember the owner mentioning that three other Thanagarians had visited Torica before now. He had done business with two, and the third had been a cop." She thought for a moment. "Didn't Hawkgirl say she was part of the Thanagarian police force?"
He nodded and narrowed his powerful eyes. "I already knew she had been here before."
"But she didn't mention searching for two criminals of her own race, did she?" When he gave her a blank stare, Diana shrugged and once again turned her back to Batman. "You don't think she's hiding information from us, do you?" she asked as she attempted to get a hold of the zipper that held her captive in the dress.
She couldn't reach it.
"Would you mind unzipping me?"
He did as he was asked, and she slipped behind the changing screen. After pulling off the blue dress, she put on a pair of shorts and a white tank.
To her delight, she could feel his eyes on her.
She could always feel him watching her.
Batman was a strange creature – a man but not a Superman. He was an ordinary person who insisted on being a hero, even if it meant risking his own precious life.
The Dark Knight was a mysterious character, enveloped in the night's shadows and scared by his past. Although surrounded by a close "family," the Batman would somehow managed to be the loner, the man on the outside looking in.
All in all, he was a challenge.
This princess never shied away from a challenge.
)(
Shayera raised her head to look at the man whose strong arms she lied in. He was sound asleep, snoring away in the darkness. Although everything inside of her was still shaking, she managed a smile. No matter how troubled she was, John was the one thing that seemed so real.
He was the one person she could truly rely on.
Just being part of him for that little while had made all her pain melt away, but, now that she was once again able to reflect on the past, she could feel the pain slowly returning.
She remembered being the undercover cop assigned to destroy the drug ring on Thanagar. That was seven years ago, but it felt like yesterday. She kept in mind that it had taken only one night for things to go sour.
Shayera had tried the Euphoria to prove to the powerful and winged gangster that she wasn't a cop. Because she had been so high, she couldn't prevent one of the younger undercover officers from being killed that night due to his inability of being able to tell a convincing lie.
The kid was beaten to death right before her eyes.
She remembered feeling so helpless. So useless. She had failed that child's parents and his expecting wife because she was "good" at her job.
That failure had shoved her into a life of depending on something else to stop the hurting: Euphoria. After admitting that she had a problem, she was anonymously checked into a rehabilitation center, with the help of Hro's contacts, and was out within a month.
Shayera Hol was a good detective, a good infiltrator.
And she still is.
If only they knew...
Shy studied John's features, and kissed one of his closed eyelids. Without disturbing him, she carefully crawled out of the bed and pulled on the clothing he had brought her earlier. She sighed.
Shayera was Hro's good little lieutenant who never asked questions and followed orders to the best of her abilities. That's why she had been promoted after single-handedly dismantling the Euphoria kingdom.
That's why she had been sent to Earth.
Thanagar wanted to shield other planets from the Gordanians, and she was ordered to study the earth she and the rest of the League protected.
Four years ago, Hro had sent her information on two Thanagarians who had somehow escaped prison. They were headed in her direction. Hro had tracked them to Torica, where Hawkgirl believed they were staying.
She had never found them.
Shy stepped out of the motel room and silently shut the door behind her. The hallway was dark, dark enough for her to get lost in her thoughts.
"Feeling better?" Batman's voice questioned out of nowhere, causing Shayera to nearly jump out of her skin.
"God damn it," she mumbled and ran a hand through her damp hair.
"Why didn't you tell me that they were using women's blood as an ingredient?" he demanded and stepped in front of her, invading her personal space, trying to intimidate her.
"I had other things on my mind," she responded bluntly.
"Like what?"
Like not blowing her cover...covers.
"Like getting information. It's been a while since I had slept with a criminal to get what I needed."
"Did you?" he asked in a low tone.
She tightened her fists. "No. I didn't sleep with him."
He rephrased the question. "Did you get new information?"
Shy wanted to kick herself. "Yeah." When he waited for her to continue, she did. "He's alone in all this. The scientists don't even know the formula. They just do as they're told." The lieutenant of the Thanagarian Army stepped closer to the Dark Knight, showing that she still hadn't been broken. "I suggest that we annihilate it all tomorrow, including Max."
"He has a name?"
"Don't we all at one time or another?"
He didn't reply.
"Who told you about the blood?"
"His mistress."
She took a second to take a breath and recollect her thoughts. "That piece of information cost the girl her life." After seeing a quick flicker of some kind of emotion on his face, she added, "I saw them take her away, and I did nothing because... it was already too late."
"I know the feeling."
Shy nodded. "The drug lord is mine to deal with. You, Diana, and John can blow the place. I'm sure you've brought a handful of explosives that could bring down the whole building."
"Then we'll commence in a few hours. Most of the club will be clear of civilians after daybreak. I'll –"
"You know I have to kill him, right?" she interrupted. "If we just destroyed everything, he could easily rebuild it all. He's got money, and we'd just piss him off."
"You can't kill him. You're not a murderer."
"It's my call; I can handle myself."
"Like you can handle being a mole?"
Shayera's breath got stuck in her throat.
"You broke down. Your identity could've been exposed. "
"You couldn't possibly understand why," she countered.
"But don't I? You fucked up in the past, and you were worried you'd do it for a second time." He once again inched closer to her, and she could feel the door against her back. "The drugs. The espionage. It's all familiar territory, a field you haven't treaded in years, and you're scared."
She stared at him, meeting his blue eyes, and recognized the emotion there. He actually cared about her wellbeing.
She smiled and took an imaginary sigh of relief.
He hadn't put two and two together yet. Batman hadn't figured out who she was.
"You've been trying to toughen me up," Shy stated, "because I'm Thanagarian. You figured that I had been trained in that manner."
"The League's been too easy-going for your taste, so someone had to." Batman took a step back and returned to Shayera's door.
Before he slipped into the room, Shy whispered his name and said, "Thank you."
He gave her a quick glance and left her alone in the barren hallway. It was her cue to return to the Bat's room as well. She found John sitting up in bed.
"Where'd you run off to?" he asked her as she made her way to his side. After she sat down, he took hold of her left hand.
"I had to talk to Batman."
Anger quickly washed over his features, though she didn't understand why but didn't ask.
"I'm okay, John. I was just a little overwhelmed. I had to deal with a few inner demons, and you know that bit." She lightly caressed his cheek with her free hand and grinned at him. "We have to be up in a few hours. We're taking him out today."
"Good." A wolfish smirk then slipped onto John's lips. "That's more than enough time."
"Enough time for what?"
John leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, almost mimicking their first kiss. This time, Shayera gave into him a little quicker than before.
His arms wrapped around her body and pulled her toward him. When he got her onto his lap, John laid her down on the bed and slipped his right hand beneath her tee and onto her firm stomach. For some corky reason, he liked tracing her abs.
She didn't mind at all.
When his hand started to travel south, she actually giggled.
Shayera didn't even know she could giggle, but instantly noticed the amusement on John's face.
)(
"Batman and Diana in position." He looked both ways, searching for anyone who may question their presence in the club's back hallway. The duo stood only a few yards from the basement's entrance.
"Hawkgirl in position."
"Lantern in position."
The Amazon princess across from him had her blue eyes on his. Although his mind told him to ignore her gazes, everything else didn't want to. She was beautiful, more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen before.
If he allowed her into his life, really allowed her to get close...
The tabloids would have a field day with the trophy Bruce Wayne would have on his arm. He'd be forced to "show her off," take her to parties, and introduce her to other billionaires and businessmen.
She'd end up getting her heart broken. She'd find him unbearable to deal with. He'd obsess over his work, and she'd eventually hate him for it. She'd want him to confide in her and talk to her, but he would disregard her pleas.
Diana was a very open person; he was not. Why would she want that? Superman was more her type. He was the Boy Scout. He'd share his feelings, work on a relationship. He wouldn't ignore her gazes.
"Someone's coming," she said, interrupting his thoughts. Abruptly and unexpectedly, Diana shoved Batman into a chair and straddled him. Before he could get a word out, Diana's soft lips covered his.
He could taste the alarm in her kisses, mixed with the hunger she possessed.
The curious and naïve brunette wanted to experiment with the world; Batman had perceived that interest had been her motivation to coming to Torica.
Once the coast was clear, Diana pulled away and said, "Sorry," with a smirk. She crawled off of him, and he stood as well.
For a woman who had been sheltered from the rest of the world for most of her life, she learned quickly. Batman actually grinned at that thought.
"So you can smile," she observed and placed her hands on her hips. "You're not as frigid as I had thought."
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a man stepping out of the basement's entrance. Batman decided to use Diana's same approach. He forced her to the wall and whispered the words "I'm sorry" before placing his mouth atop hers.
This time, the kiss deepened and their tongues met for the first time. Diana wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his body closer to hers. His gloved hands made their way down to her hips.
A few seconds after they were alone again, Batman stepped back and said, "Let's go." He led the way to the basement, leaving her in confusion.
)(
The Green Lantern sat at the bar, holding a glass of bourbon that he hadn't tasted. He was the lookout watching everyone and everything that came in and out of Café Erotica.
"How many, John?" Shy's voice asked over the comm-link.
He counted. "Six including the bartender. I could get them all out in time."
"Good."
Before she could cut the connection, GL got her attention. "Shy?"
"What?"
"Be careful."
"You too."
)(
Hawkgirl sat in his comfortable, leather, spinning chair, facing the two pairs of large wings that hung on the wall. Her back was to the door of the trophy room, waiting for him.
And he came.
Max.
Bloodthirsty, sexoholic, killer Max.
"Who the hell moved my chair here?" he groaned and slammed the door behind him. His words got trapped in his throat when she spun around to make eye contact.
"Miss me?" she taunted.
"Hawkgirl? I should have known..."
"It's okay. Murdering and molesting manipulators aren't supposed to be quick."
He shook his head. "The Angel and the Devil. Cute. Real cute."
"I thought so."
"You didn't spend the night."
"You couldn't... keep it up." She smirked and crossed her legs. "That's what you get when you drink. You miss out on life's good things."
"Don't flatter yourself, Thanagarian."
"You weren't complaining last night."
"Neither were you, but I'll make sure to change that today."
Suddenly, a metal clasp gripped her wrists to the arms of the chair. She struggled, but couldn't break free.
Max laughed. "Now. Where did we leave off?"
)(
Chapter 5, the final chapter, coming soon...