Circe had created an explosion in the chemical building. She waited patiently. She watched as her beasts were destroying the lab and keeping some people as hostages. The police tried to get to the building, but the eagles in the sky stopped them.
She needed to trap the amazon and had everything ready to finish her. Before she could keep going with her plans she needed to stop her first. She knew the only way to bring her down was to....
"Circe."
The sorceress smiled and turned around. "I've been waiting for you."
"And I was looking for you."
Circe raised her hand and threw a blast at her that the amazon blocked with her bracelets. Circe was almost hit by one of her own blasts. Diana moved back and Circe followed her.
Dinah looked up. The princess was distracting her. She shot a dart at the beast that was covering the hostages and it fell, unconscious, to the floor. She ran toward them.
"Hurry up," she said, indicating the exit. "We don't have much time." She heard a growl at her back. Immediately, she turned and shot twice toward an eagle and a big gorilla. She began to move back, shooting, trying to give the hostages time to run away.
"They are moving Oracle," she said through the mic.
::How is it going?::
"This is a zoo... there are so many." Dinah tried to shoot again, but the dart gun was empty, she tried to load it again, but she didn't have enough time. A kind of bear attacked her. She ducked and pushed it back with her telekinesis.
::The police are out helping the hostages.::
"That's good." Dinah kicked a beast with her feet and rolled on the floor. She stood up and saw she was circled by four big animals. "The situation here is a bit hostile."
"Seems as if Diana's destruction will require all my attention..." Circe smirked, throwing a powerful blast of energy at Diana, but the amazon stopped all her shots with her bracelets.
She smashed the sorceress hard with her fist. "Stop this madness!" she shouted at her.
Both women began to fight. Circe tried to hit her, unsuccessfully. One of the blows from the amazon made her crash her against a tree onto the ground. Wonder Woman was soon over her and took her by her shirt. "It's finished! Understand? It's finished!" she shouted.
Circe glared at her. She really hated that woman. She felt that Diana's existence did her harm. She needed to stop her, one way or another. "That's what you think. You will die tonight."
Dinah had a hard time trying to keep the beasts away from her. They were too strong for her to fight hand to hand. She had knocked out four but more arrived.
:: Dinah, how are you?"::
"A bit of trouble, nothing serious," she said trying to not worry her mentor. She used her telekinesis and threw a big bookcase over three beasts to stop them and get some time to escape. It worked, she turned and ran quickly. "Just tell me where the exit is."
::I see you, go to your right::
Dinah did as Oracle said. A hard blow hit her mbak making her fell to the floor. She rolled and saw over her a big panther with claws. Itt tried to bit her and she used her leg to kick it jaw.
:: Dinah move to your right::
The teen stood up and punched the panther, but it didn't move and scratched her with its claw. She felt a sharp of pain in her side and stepped back holding her waist. She heard another growl behind her back and, before she could turn, something grabbed her by her waist and began to squeeze her stomach. She struggled trying to free herself. Another gorilla was holding her and she couldn't breathe.
:: Dinah...:: she heard the worried voice of the red head.
"Oracle..." she gasped. The panther raised its hand and growled loudly. She closed her eyes waiting for the last blow.
Circe and the amazon were in a close match. The wizard raised her hand and shot another powerful firebolt. The amazon avoided it again. The sorceress, frustrated, flew toward the outside of the laboratories. Diana followed her.
"Stop or I will kill them!!" she shouted, pointing at police and hostages down below.
"You can't do that!" the princess yelled, looking down. She couldn't prevent the fatal blast from hitting the innocent people.
"You know I can."
"Circe, they are people!" A tail coiled around Diana's neck, choking her. She put her hands on her throat trying to free herself.
Dinah heard a loud thud and a familiar animalistic grunt. She opened her eyes. Helena was attacking the panther with all her fury. She tried to free herself and, looking up, she closed her eyes and managed to make a heavy locker fall on the gorilla that was holding her. It released her. She fell breathlessly to the ground.
:: Dinah, do you copy?::
The teen raised her head and watched the brunette knocking the panther around and charging against the other beast. "Huntress is here..." she gasped.
::What???::
"She is here..." Dinah coughed and kneeled on the floor.
"She was on the lower floor. I left her there," Alfred said, worried.
Oracle turned on the screen and looked at the images from the apartment. She began to examine all the rooms. She was not there. She turned on localizator, She had put the necklace on Helena. The signal showed her to be at the chemica; factory. "Dammit... she escaped, I don't know how, but she did it..."
::She saved me...:: Dinah coughed.
"Keep an eye on her Dinah."
Diana was struggling, trying to free herself from the tail that was constricting around her throat, when a powerful energy blast struck her in the face, knocking her out. She was knocked out immediately. The beast released her and she fell on to the rooftop a few meters below.
Circe cleaned a bit of blood from her lip and stood up, looking at the princess lying on the ground. "I have been busy for days, preparing the ritual to end your life, that day is coming. Bring her to me!!" she ordered.
The beast loaded Diana in its arms.
Huntress crouched in a defensive position, preparing to launch a new attack on the beasts, but it seemed as if she had finished with all of them.
"Huntress." Dinah went toward her and touched her shoulder. The brunette grunted, annoyed, still waiting for another attack. "It's okay, they're all gone. Oracle, it's okay."
Huntress raised her head and she saw that the beasts had her friend, the tall woman. She growled in annoyance and jumped to the roof top.
"Huntress, wait!" Dinah yelled.
::What's going on?:: Barbara asked.
"Circe has Diana. Huntress saw it and is following her. Dammit! I need back up..." she said, grabbing her arm. It hurt and was bleeding profusely. "I'm hurt."
"I'll be there in a few, Dinah" Oracle took the keys to the Hummer and turned to Alfred. "Emergency, I need the batcopter, now."
The old man nodded.
::Do you think the chopper will fly after all these years.?:: Dinah asked through the comm.
"Alfred keeps the equipment in working order all year, don't worry," Oracle answered, putting a comm. unit on her heard to keep in contact with the blonde.
::Do you know how to fly it?::
::I hope I remember it well.:: Barbara gave Alfred a laptop and wheeled toward the elevator.
::But in the chopper you have to use your feet. ::
"That's a minor problem."
::Maybe now you'll think about my suggestion to buy one.:: Dinah said, hopefully.
"Maybe," Oracle responded, as the door of the elevator closed behind her and Alfred.
Huntress raised her nose. She was in the middle of a forest. After a few minutes, she was able to find her trail again. Yes, her smell was unique. She began to run through the trees, following it. The beasts were really fast and she needed to hurry so as not to lose them.
Circe and her beasts arrived at a distant cave on the top of a mountain near New Gotham. Huntress had a hard time following them; she climbed up the sheer side of the mountain, burying her fingers in the small holes between the rocks. She stumbled a couple of times, but her sense to keep going was strong. Her feet slipped easily because it was hard to find a place to support her weight.
She finally arrived at the top. It was a cave. She crouched on the floor and sniffed. She moved inside trying to not make any noise. It took her several minutes to find the scent of her friend and follow it.
The smell took her through the corridors. She was careful not to be seen by Circe's beasts. The place was dark and just lighted with torches on the walls. She finally found her. She on the floor, inside a cage and was unmoving.
A beast was in front of the cell. Without hesitation, she charged against it. The beast was bigger than she, but she was agile and fast. She knocked it out with two fast movements. Huntress reamined crouched a few seconds, looking around before moving to the bars. She took it between her hands and began to make soft noises to call her friend's attention; the woman didn't move. She didn't like this place; just being there made her feel uncomfortable. She called her again with a growl, unsuccessfully.
She began to pull the metal bars to the side and, in a few seconds, she opened a small space through which she could pass. She went to her friend and sniffed her. Something was wrong. She moved her with her hand and growled softly, but the woman didn't answer her.
She wanted to leave that awful place, but she needed to wait for her. She crouched next to her for several minutes, waiting patiently for her, vigilant, keeping her eyes open, maybe the bad animals would be back again.
After a few minutes, Diana began to recover her senses. She fought against the blackness that was enveloping her. Slowly, she stirred, calling the girl's attention. She opened her eyes and looked at the girl, who was watching her and grunting softly.
"Helena...?" she mumbled, sitting on the floor rubbing her head. It hurt like hell. Circe had attacked her behind her back.
She was okay, the brunette happily moved next to her. Now maybe they could leave there. Diana smiled and brushed her hair. "Why are you here?"
Helena growled softly and, taking her hand, she pulled her gently to the exit. She wanted to leave that place. Diana stood up still feeling dizzy.
"What the hell are you doing here???" Circe shouted from the entrance of the cave.
Huntress growled. That woman was there.
Huntress, annoyed, tried to jump against her, but the princess held her. Circe easily would hit her with her magic and hurt her.
"Stay calm!" she ordered, and pushed the girl behind her back. The brunette was furious and growled. "Calm down!" The amazon grabbed her by her arm.
"I see that young lady is insistent," Circe said, looking at the bent metal bars. "And strong... very strong. Is she an amazon too?"
"That's not your problem." Diana prepared to attack. She looked for her lasso on her waist and she noticed it wasn't there.
"Come on, your highness." Circe laughed. "I suggest you stay calm. Maybe you can stop one of my shots... But could you stop two at the same time?" she raised her hands, one pointing at her and other at Helena.
Diana stepped back.
"Well done, princess." The witch raised her hand and created a magic barrier in front of the bars. "Just a few more minutes, princess, and I'll be back. Bye, kitten..."
Huntress jumped towards Circe.
"No!" Diana shouted.
The brunette hit the magic barrier hard and bounced back. Pissed, she stood up and charged against the barrier again.
"Hey, she is brave." Circe laughed. "I need to think of something special for her." The sorceress turned and exited the room.
Huntress smashed her fists hard against the invisible barrier. Diana grabbed her by her waist and pulled her back. "Enough, Huntress! Stop! I said stop!!"
The brunette freed herself from the woman's grip and, grumbling, began to pace. She didn't like to be locked up, she hated to be caged. She felt that woman wanted to hurt them. She didn't like it.
"Helena," Diana called her, but the girl didn't answer, she was furious and annoyed. She kept pacing looking through the door. "Huntress, listen to me!"
The girl ran, unexpectedly, against the magic wall once more and smashed her side against it, trying to break it; she bounced, falling backwards and increasing her rage. Before she could stand up, Diana held her down. "I said stop!!"
The brunette snorted.
"I need you to calm down." Diana said with a firm voice. "I need to figure out how to escape from here. I don't want you to do anything stupid. Understand? Keep quiet!"
Huntress, in bad mood, moved back and sat on the floor; she didn't like this. She wanted to attack; that woman was bad and they were trapped. Why didn't she want to attack?
Diana looked at the brunette and kneeled in front of her. "I know you don't like this, I don't like it either, but I don't want them to hurt you."
Huntress grunted again in disgust, avoiding her look.
Diana brushed her hair and smiled. "Hey, look at me."
Her voice was calming, peaceful, she didn't understand why, but it was. In a bad mood, she met her eyes.
"Trust me," Diana said "I haven't lied to you, right? Trust me." Huntress mewled and shuffled close to share her warmth, burying her head in the woman's neck.
She hugged her and looked around. She needed to find a way to escape. Circe would kill them both.