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"Hey, Lady," the police officer stopped her short from slipping through the yellow tape that separated her from the ugly scene just a few feet ahead.
She turned to the man with a charming smile and said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know." She slickly dug out from her purse her ID. "I'm Linda Park with the Central City News, and I—"
"You're off-limits from questioning any of those men working there—"
"It'll take a sec, I promise," she butted in as she tried to slide by him. But he was resolute.
"Ma'am… you wouldn't want to make a scene, would you?"
Linda smirked at him. "Any scene would be fine by me as long as I don't have to let my viewers on commercial-waiting. Now… just like you, I got a job to do."
The officer arched his brow skeptically at her.
"Look, I'm not like any of those grating reporters or journalists you deal with. I always get my job quicker than average and I stick to the point without delay. C'mon… just an interview wouldn't kill your position and the public has the right to know what's happening." She made another try to slide by him but he just shook her head.
Meanwhile, Wally was intently focused on the corpse's manicured fingernails when his colleague brushed past Wally's bent form to take continuous photos of the victim.
When he was done, Paul Matthews stood up and whistled a pitiful tune that made Wally look up.
"Feeling for the dead guy, huh?" Wally asked with a frown.
"No such luck." Paul took another shot at the corpse from where he was standing. "If my guess is correct, he was planning to make out with a raw chic at the bar."
"And if your guess was wrong?" Wally asked as he stood up.
"Then I pity his untimely death… slightly."
The dead victim's name was Dylan Fitzgerald. For the past six months, he had filed three divorces, broke up with his new girlfriend two weeks ago, and was seen smooching an unidentified college student not too long ago.
He owned a limousine rental agency, which also included loaning massive, expensive cars of eminent brands known in the world as of today. His income wasn't impressive, but his good looks and charm must have swooned many blinded girls to think that he was some business hotshot.
On that fateful night, the victim was instantly shot by a stray ricochet from an easy bank robbery not too far off from where he dropped dead. The forensics team later found out that he had no prior engagement with anyone, and his car was parked in front of the local bar, where the team was now groping for witnesses, pictures, and required data for filing a report that would be categorized as nothing more than an accident.
Paul asked, "Why were you looking at his fingernails anyway?"
Wally sheepishly scratched his head. "Didn't think that guys would go to salons to have their nails done."
"Must be bi," Paul said jokingly. "C'mon, Wally, we're done here."
"So much for bringing my eye of matchless scrutiny and limitless knowledge of medical jurisprudence," Wally said as he took off his plastic gloves. He then added quite sadly, "Just have to reserve it for another dire loss."
Paul only shook his head and patted his friend's back. "Wally, Wally, Wally…" He stopped when he noticed some commotion in the restriction lines. "Isn't that…?"
Wally looked up and saw Linda Park being pulled away by two burly police officers from behind.
"Hey! Watch it. You don't have to push me like that," Linda tried to wrench her hand away from the guard's strong grip. When he let go of her, she narrowed her eyes at him. "I'll be on my way then… alone."
She impulsively looked back to see the languid scene behind her but her glance caught Wally and Paul staring at her. A thought abruptly clicked in her head and she grinned wildly.
"Adieu, officers," she addressed them sweetly, and then eyed her cameraman to stay put. She made a move to go resignedly, her eyes occasionally watching the officers ignoring her. When the guards finally looked away, Linda Park darted past them, ducked below the line, and ran straight towards Wally and Paul.
As soon as she caught her breath, she smiled and said, "Hello."
Paul whistled a tune that seemed to say, 'You thrashed them good,' and he held out his hand to shake Linda's. Wally, on the other hand, continued to gape at her.
When Linda caught Wally staring at her, she asked, "Your first time to meet a reporter up close?"
Shaking his head, Wally replied with a grin that was beginning to pull at the corner of his mouth, "Not one as slick as you."
Paul raised his brow at Wally, but Wally ignored him. Amused, Linda held out her hand, "I'm—"
"Linda Park. I know. My name's Wally West," Wally took her hand and shook it amiably. He tried to look away from her dark eyes, but he seemed mesmerized by it. Mustering all his courage to speak at the very least, he commented, "You sure could run with those heels." He stole a glance from her two-inched sandals. "Looked almost impossible… like wow."
"Was once part of the track team." She filled in for him, smiling.
She chuckled when she saw him quite speechless. When Wally still didn't say anything but kept looking away, she said, "But I can't beat the Flash of course," Her cheeks were starting to flare up. "He seems to be a nice guy, huh?"
"Yeah," Wally said with a shy grin. Paul heard enough to know that he had something he'd probably forgotten to do. He waved Linda goodbye and smacked Wally's back hard… really hard that Wally's eyes widened with shock and sudden, minor pain.
When they were alone, Wally cleared his throat and was about to ask Linda's reason for sprinting when three police officers approached them.
One of them looked sternly at Linda and said, "Ma'am, I believe you have to come with us…"
"Whoa… dudes." Wally slipped in between Linda and the officer who spoke out. "She's with me."
The police officers exchanged glances. The one who spoke out earlier said, "Mr—"
"West. If you have to check, I work here, and Ms. Park's with me. So I suggest that y'all could go away now. "
When they still didn't make to leave, Wally thrust his wallet out and showed them his ID. Still retaining their grim stance, Wally sighed. "Want my green then?"
Hearing this, they scowled and shook their heads. "We don't work that way, sir. But…" Their somber gaze fell on Linda. "Tell Ms. Park to next time abide with our orders, otherwise, she'd have to spend one night in the cell and by then a lot of green could only rescue her."
When they were walking away, Linda yelled at them, "Yeah? Well, maybe next time you don't have to turn Mr. West into a conduit for your haughty, wet blanket, lily-livered act and just tell it to my face. I'm far from the level of illiteracy, mind you!"
As much as Wally wanted to laugh, he covered Linda's mouth with his hand. She looked crossly at him but he said, "Keep riling them, they might just do what they said to you through me."
Calming down a bit, Linda pinched the bridge of her nose. "Sorry, they really are pompous jerks for doing that. It's like they think I'm dim-witted."
"Maybe it's because the direct approach didn't seem to work for you…" Wally pointed out.
Linda scowled at him. "I really wanted to get my story… My story!"
"What?"
"Quick, quick. Tell me all about it."
"What?"
Exasperation creeping into her face, she said as calmly as she could, "The dead victim. How'd it happen? I need details concerning the bank robbery and how the police eased it down. I also need to know how was he killed. I hear that a ricochet…" While demanding information from him and simultaneously leading him to her cameraman, Wally inwardly smiled.
'Hmmm… commanding and sweet. Still as cute as our—Flash's first date. Oooh… what's that new smell on her hair… is it orange or lemon? And those eyes… I can't seem to stop looking at her eyes…'"Mr. West? Are you even listening to me?" she asked accusingly as she fixed her hair.
"Of course, and call me Wally. I don't much like using formalities, you know?"
Linda smiled brightly at him. "Of course you don't. Of course you don't."
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"Maybe the Amazons are right about men," Dinah said as she leaned back on the brick wall.
"Which one? The fact that they're hoarding snakes or ignorant pigs?" Helena added as she played idly with her crossbow's trigger.
"Pretty much both," Dinah smirked. "You wouldn't believe how suffocating Ollie is."
Helena hollowly laughed at Dinah's complaint. "So you despise the way guys constantly flit around you? Try Q. He lacks all of it."
Dinah shifted her gaze on Helena. "Q, eh? I wonder…"
Helena waited with a curious face.
"How's he in bed?" Dinah asked with a mischievous wink in her eyes.
Helena started to laugh, and she didn't care if a few passer-bys found Justice League's most feared martial artist and one of Gotham's ruthless vigilantes hanging out together in an alley, talking about how their men have done their deeds.
"Initially… he was awkward that it absolutely turned me on," Helena admitted with a flighty tone. "The second time was mind-blowing." She stifled a chuckle. "And guess what I found under his bed."
"What?" Dinah asked eagerly.
"Erotica for Dummies."
Dinah laughed so hard that a few people stared apprehensively into the dark alleyway.
When she finally composed herself, Dinah said, "Wanted to impress his darling, eh?"
Helena shook her head with a cheery sigh. "When I showed him that I'd found his latest treasure, he freaked out." She started to remember his shocked green eyes. "The sight of his reaction made me hornier."
"You've… got… to be kidding," Dinah said through breathless bursts. She had to clutch her abdomen that ached tremendously… but in a good way. To further stop the pain from asphyxiating her lungs, she knelt down, still leaning on the wall until she could breathe steadily again.
Huntress just stood across from her, chuckling at Dinah's amused expression. "So… how's Sickly Sweet doing?"
Dinah smiled. "Sickly Sweet was good… very good. And expected."
"Oh?"
"He's a ladies' man. You could only expect him to be experienced and breath-taking. And the latter was literal."
Still unsatisfied, Helena asked, "That's it? There's gotta be more."
Dinah had to laugh. "Sorry, Helena, but Sickly Sweet is great in bed and too caring… and an insufferable brainiac." She only shrugged her shoulders when Huntress scowled at her.
"That's no fair. You're keeping something from me."
Dinah grinned at Helena. "Or I could tell you that when he saw my butterfly tattoo on my butt cheek, he couldn't keep his eyes off it."
Helena laughed.
Dinah continued, "Well, he was stunned for the most part of the evening that I, for once, dominated the man."
Helena had to lean on the garbage can near her with ecstatic revelation crossing over her face. "You're an uncontrollable feminist."
"And you're usually horny."
Both of them laughed until they checked the time to see that it was already past midnight.
"Just when everything was getting exciting…" Helena said as she climbed onto her bike and brought it to roaring life. "I have to teach tomorrow."
"Justice League in three hours," Dinah shook her head wearily.
"Then quit," Helena said, one foot on the floor to stop her bike from falling over as she waited for Dinah to wear her helmet.
"I don't work that way, Helena," Dinah said with a smirk.
Helena smirked back at her. "Fine by me."
When both of them were ready, they looked at each other, challenge etched in their faces.
"Ten bucks on who wins."
"Deal." Dinah leaned forward while Helena showed her an inverted thumbs-up.
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"Hey, have you seen Diana lately?" Bruce asked John as they were walking along the steel, cool hallway.
John's forehead crinkled in worried expression as he replied, "I was wondering the same thing. I've tried to reach her through JL line, but she's not responding, and she hasn't punched in yet, which is so unlike her."
"I know," Bruce said, scowling. "Something's off."
"Well, Diana isn't the only one who's off, but a fourth of the league…"
Bruce turned to see where John's line of sight was aimed at. The two of the them watched as a few of their colleagues made a manageable throng around Diana in front of the elevators. But apparently Diana wasn't their focal attention. Instead, a chattering brunette who resembled Diana's features and physique stole the limelight that Bruce also kept staring at her as John wondered who she was.
"Troia," he ultimately muttered in recognition.
John turned to him inquisitively. "You know her? How?"
"She was one of the Titans before they disseminated," Bruce answered. "She's Diana's sister."
"That explains their striking resemblance… but what is she doing here?"
"Do you think I know that when I just saw her now?" he retorted gruffly. He walked away from John's side and strode straight toward the way they came from.
"What's eating him?" John muttered to himself.
"Donna!" John's wandering thoughts were instantly vaporized when Wally's loud, ecstatic exclaim resounded along the hallway.
"Wa—Flash!" Donna shot back happily when he whooshed before her and hugged her tightly.
When they finally let go of each other, Flash asked, "How are you? What's happening? Why are you here?"
By now, the small crowd dissipated and Flash, Donna, and Diana were left alone. Flash took a short glance at Diana and greeted her, "Hi, D. Didn't notice you awhile ago. Where'd you gone? Oooh… nice necklace."
But Diana glared at him sharply and said, "Go away, you tardy-gaited, onion-eyed varlet!"
Flummoxed, Wally said warily, "Okay… didn't get that, but are you all right, D?"
"I don't pity your barren skull, you infectious, pox-marked git!" Diana yelled at him unceremoniously.
Wally anxiously looked at Donna, who was giggling hysterically that she nearly fell to the floor.
"If you think this is funny, Donna, I think it's bizarre. Too weird in fact that I think…" Diana squinted her eyes vehemently at him. "I should go."
"Wally—wait! Haha! Stop! Hahahahaha. Hear… ha! Me… out…" she said between chuckling gasps. "It's a long… story."
"Okay… what's going on?"
"Let's talk in a room where we won't be interrupted, huh?"
"Sure," Wally smiled at Donna but frowned when Diana stepped between her sister and Wally, pushing Wally curtly in the process of starting their way along the hall.
When they were by their lonesome in Flash's room, which was filled with news clippings about him, Donna then giddily told him everything. From the time when Diana returned to Themyscyra for quiet reflection to their visit to Cupid's splendid abode, she disclosed every detail to her friend.
When she was finished, Wally gaped at her. Then he started to laugh. "You've got to be kidding. That's like… whoa…"
"Haha… I know," she said as she leaned her head on the table. "It never fails to crack me up." She glanced at Diana's silver necklace—it was the orb's disguise—and grinned.
"I can't wait to see Bruce's reaction to Diana's grouchiness. He'll fumble like a mad rabbit if he hears what Diana has to say to him," Donna added.
"But I bet his jam-packed skull could understand what Diana has to yell at him… where'd she learn that stuff anyway?"
"It's how we describe men in Themyscyra," she beamed at him. When he only frowned, she said, "It's funny when you're not a guy though."
"I bet," Wally said sarcastically. "That's harsh, Don."
Donna patted his hand, which prompted Diana to stand up brusquely and leave the room without another word.
"She's just as cold as the Bats," Wally commented with a shiver.
"That's the plan," Donna patted his hand. "So, Wally, how's life?"
Wally leaned back on his bed with a satisfied sigh, his hands crossed behind his head. "I'm a stud! Could you believe that, Don?"
"Not really," she said with a perky tone and leaned closer. When Wally just smiled dreamily at the ceiling, she rolled her eyes and asked, "Well…? Aren't you going to tell me?"
"Which sounds better, Mrs. Beatriz West or Mrs. Linda West?"
"Oh sweet Hera, you're two-timing them? That's… that's… like crazy!" she playfully slapped his rock-hard six-pack.
He eagerly sat up and said, "I know! So… what do you think? Which one?"
"Wally… I don't even know them. Do you?" Her face was beginning to turn serious, and Wally knew what was coming his way: more advice and less fun.
"Well… I went out on a date with the both of them… separately," he said tentatively. "They're both gorgeous, fun, and irresistible."
Donna smiled. "I'm sure they are. But seriously, Wally… one date each? You gotta give them more if you wanna know who's the one. And contemplating on whose name sounds better with the flourishing West lineage doesn't sum much." She shook his head like she was his older sister. "Although… Mrs. Linda West sounds cute." When Flash's huge grin couldn't please her more, she quickly asked, "What do they do anyway?"
"Beatriz is Fire… she's Justice League. And Linda's a reporter from Central City News. And just hours back, I asked Linda on a date."
"And…?"
"She said she's dating somebody else already… And hearing that, it doesn't ease my guilt of virtually two-timing them. I'm not really a cheat, Don."
"I know that, Wally. You're a good guy," she said assuredly. After a short pause of silence, she asked, "She means the Flash, right?"
"Oh yeah," he said almost wistfully. When Donna was about to speak, he interrupted her. "But there's Fire, who's still very, very available," he finished with a contented yawn.
Donna mulled over this for awhile. By the sound of his voice, she knew that he was also very much interested in Linda. "But that doesn't mean you should stop right there. There's a huge chance that when you keep pushing, she'll start to see that Wally West isn't just a handsome forensic scientist."
"But I'm really not just a handsome forensic scientist." He darted to the door. "I'm the city's most loved superhero, the Flash."
"No doubt about that." She flipped a lock of black hair behind her ear. "But she doesn't know it, does she? If you like her to know just Wally West, and that doesn't include letting her know you're the Flash, just be yourself, you know?"
"But Beatriz isn't that bad—"
He was cut short when the door slipped open and Beatriz herself stood at the doorway.
"Wally—" She stopped when she saw Donna sitting on Flash's bed. "Who are you?" she asked quite rudely.
Donna's eyebrows shot up in shock, but she said, "My name's Donna Troy, friend of Wally's, Wonder Woman's sister. And you are?"
"Beatriz, but everyone here knows me as Fire. I'm sorry about sounding rude, but if you were in my place, I'm sure you'd have felt the same way."
"It's fine," Donna said with a flippant wave of her hand.
Fire then turned and started to approach Wally coquettishly, "Wally, could I talk to you?" Without turning around, she asked Donna, "That is… if you don't mind Ms. Troy—"
"That's Troia for you."
"Okay, sorry," she turned apologetically at Donna. "Mind giving Wally and me some alone time?" She leaned her hands on his chest, making Wally flush like a boiled tomato on the spot.
Before Donna walked out of the room, she gave Wally a disgruntled look when Fire was looking elsewhere and then she impulsively turned left as the door closed behind her.
"You really didn't have to ask her to go just yet…" he said with a sigh. But he quickly put that thought away and grinned at Fire. "So… what do you have to say that's awfully important?"
"This." She tiptoed toward him so she could touch his lips with hers while her hands fiercely wrapped around his frozen neck. "You're quite stiff." Her hands languidly massaged the small of his neck, making him tremble with inept respite.
"Aw… Quite," he said with a blush creeping fast to his cheeks. Still massaging his neck, she kissed him deeply. When she let go, Wally felt like crumbling to the ground with sheer ecstasy.
Before she could lock lips with him again, he murmured drowsily, "You got good hands."
Quite surprised, she noticed that he wasn't looking at her directly… but was falling asleep.
With a disappointed sigh, she managed to pull him to the bed and settle him there as she tentatively left him snoring loudly.
"That's the last time I ask 'love' advice from Ice," she muttered to herself.
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"Looks like a breach in UBS's security system… in Switzerland" Mr. Terrific observed the screen that showed earth's violated areas. Without wasting time, Mr. Terrific started serving orders as he typed in the coordinates from the Watchtower.
"Batman," Refusing to take his eyes off the active screen, Mr. Terrific continued, "You lead the team. I assume you know the organization's blueprints." His fingers were a clacking blur as he automatically designated which location they were to be teleported to.
Batman hovered beside him and checked the security cameras in the building—an advantage the Justice League attained—and saw Luthor's crew creating chaos amidst screaming personnel and injured guards.
"Typical," he mumbled. He turned around and started calling names. "Vixen, Green Arrow, Stargirl and S.T.R.I.P.E., you distract Luthor's minions while Shayera and Wonder Woman… you two know what to do once we get there," He glanced at the teleporter below. "Let's go—"
"Eat a crocodile, you cankerous, swag-bellied gudgeon!" Diana abruptly countered. Everyone present in the room stared oddly at Diana, who then added, "I don't need a male such as your dour stature to order me around."
She glared evilly at Batman and was about to say something else when Donna unexpectedly appeared behind Diana. "Haha! There you are. I've been looking for you everywhere, Sister. Um…" she focused on Mr. Terrific's confused face instead of Batman's brooding curiosity and said, "Excuse her for awhile, eh? Thanks, bye."
She nudged Diana to accompany her out the door before any of them attempted to question Diana's weird state.
As Diana led the way silently to her room—considering that Donna pleaded to her mercilessly to take her there—Donna sighed heavily.
'This is no fun,' she thought to herself. 'Having to watch my sister's scary move all the time…' But she was thankful that Wally was on her side. A small smile formed in her lips. He always understood her, and if she remembered well, he was even the first to greet her with sincere eagerness when she decided to join the Titans.
As soon as Donna fell back on the bed, Diana asked, "Sister, why do we have to be here?"
Confused, Donna sat up. "Uh… what do you mean?"
Diana approached her sister and sat down. "Why must we help the Man's World when they discriminate and alienate their own world—and they treat our world just the same." She looked sternly at Donna, making Donna want to tear off the necklace at that instant. "I do not wish to have close relations with any of those brute men."
"But, Sister, they haven't done anything to you…" Donna felt an uneasy sensation in her gut. She was getting the feeling that the orb had completely erased Diana's memory of ever founding the Justice League and that fact inwardly bothered her ever since Diana insulted Wally when they first arrived. It sounded fine when Cupid first told them about it—that Diana would appear aloof in the presence of men—but now, it too gave her the goose bumps. She suddenly missed her sister's old self.
Diana narrowed her eyes at Donna. "Have you forgotten what Mother taught us, Donna?"
"No!" Fear and unexplained impulse throbbed in her veins as she saw Diana's frightful change before her very eyes. Without further hesitation, she reached for the necklace and pulled it off.
As if a bolt of lightning struck her, Diana quivered and fell back, her eyes shut tightly as if an excruciating headache was burning in her head.
"Ooww… what ha… happened?" She touched her head and closed her eyes. The pain was terrible. It was as if a boulder full of her memories came tumbling down her, and she couldn't move. "I…"
"Shhh… don't speak. Cupid warned you that it would hurt." She gently brushed her sister's hair away from her face. "You want anything? Tea?"
"I want to know what just happened," she said as she tried to sit up, but Donna pushed her down.
"Don't move, I'll tell you," she began with an uncharacteristic sad tone. "You insulted Wally, then the other Justice League guys. And I… I got scared that I might lose you…" She looked down to see Diana's prone figure lying helplessly beside her. "Cupid was right that the result would be nasty… so I just took it off because it was really spooky."
Diana knew that Donna wasn't the only one who was worried about the whole Orb of Apathy scheme. Before they left for earth, Cupid had warned her for the nth time that the orb would take away the memory that had led her to feel extreme emotion towards the person who made her feel sad or angry. Or both. In other words, she wouldn't just forget about her love for Batman… but the beginnings of her interest in men would also drift away. Admiring and desiring to protect the Man's World was the inception of her eventual admiration for Bruce. That's why the orb erased her memory of liking men—because it was the root of digression against Amazon principle and the cause of her current broken spirit.
Besides, there was nothing to worry much as long as Donna promised to watch over her if things came to worse. And she would be safe if she only wore the orb within twenty-four hours. So, she was practically safe and sane deep down… right?
Before she could reply, Donna stood up and said, "Don't say anything. I'll get your tea first." She smiled at Diana's pained face. "It might help soothe your nerves a bit. And an ice pack."
As she walked in the direction of the cafeteria, she sensed silent footsteps following her along the hallway. She immediately turned to see Batman stopping in his tracks. She could see that he cursed under his breath and she sneered at him.
"Stalking me now, huh?" she asked mockingly. "Don't bother, I'm not showing any of my weaknesses to anybody, and that includes you." She resumed her stride but stopped when Batman asked,
"What has Diana done to herself?"
She glared at him and retorted angrily, "Why should you care? It's not like you do."
Bruce only stared with a stunned expression as Donna walked away from him. He pondered over Donna's hurtful words. 'But I do care. You just don't understand. None of you do…'
He knew Diana well enough that she had done something to herself. And he also knew that she must have flown home for comfort from his painful words to her and incidentally had done something either extraordinarily good or bad. But he was betting on the latter.
He never meant his bitter words really, it was his anger talking, the Batman shielding the emotional, kind-heartened, soft…
Since he wasn't allowed to set foot on Diana's home, it would take ages for him to unravel the truth that laid behind her sudden cold exterior. He had to find out quick through another medium, unless he would rather live his years full of bitterness towards his colleagues and himself.
He fished out his tiny communicator from his utility belt and dialed a number he thought he had already removed from his memory.
"If you're salesmen trying to coax me into buying your cheese biscuits again, I swear I'll dump them all in a boiling cauldron and hang you above it, and let's see how you like it when your advertising crap is being pushed in your face—"
"Dick, I thought I told you to stop snapping at salesmen before they flare and bombard you with their advertising crap. Your reaction just instigates them to keep teasing you," Bruce said, his voice almost sounding fatherly.
Silence dominated the line, and Bruce knew the reason. His eyebrows twitched in frustration and he barked, "Dick!"
"Now that's the tone I remember," he answered wryly.
Bruce nearly cut off the connection, but as much as he hated admitting it, he needed help. Especially from the former Robin.
"Well, you better zip your sarcasm because you need to do something for me."
"The Batman asking for a favor? Wow… that's pretty rare—"
"I'd shut up now if I were you and start listening closely to what the Batman has to say, understood?" Bruce moved away from the hall and started along the route to his room.
"Whatever your Grouchiness has to say…" Nightwing shifted the phone to his other ear. "What's your favor about?"
"Don't push it, Dick," Bruce grumbled in the mouthpiece. When he was safely in his room, he continued, "I want you to catch up with an old friend of yours."
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To be continued…
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