CHAPTER TWO (sequel to Monitor Duty).All characters belong to DC comics. This story is based loosely around the Justice League Unlimited cartoon.

SUPERMAN VS WONDER WOMAN.

The golden lasso yanked the Flash's feet together. The scarlet speedster fell heavily to the floor and felt the tip of a metal blade at his back.

"You are undone,Wally,"said a triumphant female voice above him.

He turned and looked up at Wonder Woman with a grimace."You caught me off guard this time,Diana."

She sheathed the double edged sword in its scabbard at her hip and, with a simple tug of her free arm,pulled the lasso away from the Flash's ankles. She offered him a hand up.

"If you had paid attention to where you were going and not leered at the female figures in the program then you might have had a chance..."

"Hey,it isn't fair slipping in such hotties in the simulation!How can any man worth his salt not notice?"

She sighed as she wound the lasso and attached it to her belt."I do not see why males get so silly and distracted by the sight of female flesh."

"You're one to talk with that uniform of yours!"

She looked at him with a frown."What is wrong with it?It is strong and functional..."

Flash replied, amused,"Yeah,you believe that,god bless you."

"Wally!"

"I'm worn out!",he began, changing subjects swiftly,"You're on a roll this week. You've bested me,Lantern and Batman. You like to win,don't you?"

She said,"There's no point in doing anything half-hearted."

The Flash looked up to see, through a viewing port,Superman wander into the gym adjoining the simulation area. He said,"You want a real workout?Fight him."

Wonder Woman's eyes followed his. She said dryly,"He never seems to want to...Each time I hint at it,he says he is busy."

Wally did not even have to move or shout;he casually said,"Hey,Clark,get in here!"

Superman heard him and looked up from his inspection of a new piece of equipment and came around to the door of the room. He open it and stepped in."Yes,what is it?"

"How's about a workout?"

"I'm not in the mood to race,Wally."

The Flash thumbed in the direction of the Amazon Princess."Not me,farmboy!Her!"

The Man of Steel glanced at Wonder Woman."Didn't you just finish an exercise?"

She nodded and gave a disapproving glance at the Flash."Yes,but it was a bit of a one-sided contest."

Flash cried defensively,"Hey, no fair!I gave you five solid minutes with me,sister,and that's like a lifetime in my world!"

"Five solid minutes of wise-cracking,when I had a goal to achieve."

Flash said wryly,"See,Supes?She is no fun. She gets too competitive and intense..."

She rebuked,"Wally,these exercises may save your life one day. You must take them more seriously."

Superman agreed,"You do take things for granted sometimes,Flash."

He looked at Superman in mock despair."Et tu,Clark?Of all people,you going against your racing bud!You all need to lighten up in here..."

Superman smiled,not offended at all;he looked curiously at Diana."What were you hoping to achieve?"

She withdrew the sword from its scabbard."I really wanted to practice with this."

He folded his arms and looked at it speculatively."Nice looking sword. I have not seen it in the armoury before."

Diana replied proudly,"That is because it belonged to my mother."

"Your mother. I see..."

"No,you don't see. It is over three thousand years old. It was fashioned by the god Hephaestus himself..."

The Flash piped in,"Yeah,Clark,this ain't no ordinary blade. It's magic..."

"Magic,"Superman almost repeated it with distaste.

"So don't think you can get away by snapping it into two!Diana's quite formidable these days...she kicked my butt in less than five minutes. And last week she whipped John and Bruce's. Come on,you gotta get one back for the boys!"

Superman began to walk away."I only came in to look for some software for Jonn.I had no intention..."

Wally dashed in front of him."Don't chicken out,Clark!"

"Chicken out?Really,Wally!"

"It'll give you a chance to face one of your vulnerabilities...and to be honest,I can't see a nicer looking vulnerability to face than her,"he winked and pushed Clark towards Diana.

Wonder Woman rolled her eyes .She heard the remark;she said with a kind of resigned impatience."Kal,if you have better things to do..."

Superman interrupted,"Okay."

She blinked."Okay?"

"I can give you fifteen minutes...though I am not sure I will be needing all that much time...",he replied.

Her brow quirked."How very presumptuous."

"I take nothing for granted",he returned.

"Oh,"began Flash eagerly,"this is going to be good! I'll be up there, folks. Carry on."

He dashed out and in seconds had taken a place in the viewing gallery above. He had detoured to the kitchen and grabbed a large drink and sandwich. He put his feet up and waved from behind the glass pane.

Wonder Woman inquired briskly,"Do we put on a program?Or shall we just do it on the mats?"

Superman looked at her and shook his head in self reproof. He muttered,"Concentrate."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Nothing."

They faced each other. Diana held her sword aloft in an attacking stance. The blade gleamed tantalizingly under the lights. Superman moved swiftly,launching himself at her,going at once for the sword. She anticipated him and somersaulted into the air,landed behind him and kicked him in the middle of the spine. He went sprawling to the floor. She came over his shoulder and brought the sword down;a powerful forearm took the force of the blade and swatted her backwards.

Diana went flying and hit the wall with a thud. She straightened up to see him rising to his feet and looking upon his forearm. The blue sleeve was sliced open and crimson droplets leaked to the floor.

"You have drawn first blood,"he commented lightly,looking at the cut impressed. No metal from the earth could hurt him. One forged in the fires of Olympus was another matter.

Diana looked a bit guilty."I'm sorry. I ought to have used the flat of the blade."

"I heal fast,"he dismissed and took a stance in the middle of the floor."I'm waiting."

She came at him again. Intense red beams fired at her;she deflected it with the blade of the sword and her bracelets as she bore down on him. His right hand curled about the wrist that held the weapon,his left enclosed her balled fist. They grappled and pushed at each other;strengths matched. The floor sparked with the friction of her booted heels as he shifted her backwards. She let out a growl of determination and pushed back with all her might. They levitated into the air,Wonder Woman pushing him upwards and slamming him to the ceiling. He grasped the blade of the sword,heedless of the fact it was biting into his palm and he swung her around with it. Diana hit a pillar and slithered to the floor.

She stood up shakily. He flew towards her. She had no chance to react. He had her around the waist and was taking her towards the far wall. Diana knew if he managed to pin her back she would lose any advantage she had. She grabbed a handful of hair and yanked his head back with all her might.

He let out a grunt."Damn it,Diana!You know hair-pulling is off limits!"

She panted, as he dropped her,"One must...try to win...at all cost!"

He gingerly massaged his scalp and the back of his neck."You wouldn't be against fighting dirty then?"

"If I was going for dirty I'd have booted you in the groin already. It takes strategy,not power to win a fight."

"Ah, through the voice of moderation cometh the mantra of the Batman..."

She suddenly stiffened at his sarcastic remark."What does Bruce have to do with anything?"

"I don't know. He keeps his cards pretty close to his chest. You seemed to take a shine to him..."

She appeared to grow irate."There is nothing between me and Batman!"

"No?Did you two not go on a date?"

"I never went anywhere...",she fumed, wiping her brow.

"Not for want of trying?"

"What do you think, I am desperate or something?"

Superman shrugged."I heard a lot of things last year."

"You should not listen to gossip."

"I said I heard",he indicated to his ear.

She was taken aback. She had never assumed he knew. He always seemed so unconscious of what was not his business. But the man had super-hearing and sight. It was foolish to think he did not know what was going on around him. She ought to have known better.

But she went on the defensive."You listened?"

"Believe me,I could have done without it...John and Shyera was bad enough without you two adding to the mix."

She put one hand on her hip and her sword arm in repose."You are being unpleasant and judgmental now..."

Wonder Woman let out a surprised gasp as a blur of motion grabbed her and threw her to the floor. She screeched in anger,"Sneaky son of a sire!That was..."

He countered innocently,"Strategy?"

He grabbed her right wrist and she gasped as she felt it being bent backwards. He could easily snap her bones but he seemed intent on only getting her fingers to loosen its hold of the sword. Diana saw the corner of his mouth turn upwards and she felt a rush of blood to her cheeks. How dare he laugh at her?

In the blink of an eye the Amazon princess head butted Superman with her tiara, all her pride and strength,went behind it. He went tumbling backwards.

Upstairs the Flash let out a whistle."You'll have a headache for hours,BigBlue...Glad it's not me..."

"What's going on here?"

Wally looked over his shoulder. The Batman and, Robin,from the Titans, stood behind him. The Dark Knight had been taking the youngster on a tour of the JLA headquarters;something most of the Leaguers did from time to time with their proteges.

Flash said,"Oh,the Amazon and the Kryptonian are sparring."

Robin hurried to the glass and cried eagerly,"Oh,please,Batman,let me watch this!"

"We have a tight schedule,Robin."

"Come on,Bats",said Wally,"it'll be a good learning experience for him. It's not everyday we see two of the Leagues' best hammer each other."

"Please,"begged Robin.

Batman relented."Very well."

Superman landed on the floor yards away,with a grunt of discomfort. He held his forehead. He could almost feel the imprint of the star from her tiara in his flesh.

He stood up and met her smug gaze. He said wryly,"Nice move."

She inclined her head coolly."Glad you liked it. That was one of mine."

She watched him warily,as he approached. This time a blast of cold air came at her. She tried to shield her face from the force of frost and ice. She felt for her lasso. Going at him with the sword would be a long exhausting exercise. She needed to combine her gifts. She needed to distract him to get the girdle of Gaea on him. No one,not even he,could resist it.

Diana hurled the sword like a javelin at him. He saw it coming;he barely moved in time to avoid it piercing him. He flew upwards,as it embedded itself in the wall. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her hover off the floor and release the golden loop at him.

The lasso caught him. But not precisely where she wanted it. It only managed to go about his right wrist. Diana pulled with all her might,only to feel herself being dragged forward. Superman used his other free hand to yank her towards him. They collided mid-air;the sound reverberated around the room like two trucks smashing head-on into each other.

They fell heavily to the floor,both entangled in the glowing lasso of truth.

"Whoa!",exclaimed Robin in awe.

Flash stood up and cried,"That's gotta hurt!"

Batman was silent.

Wonder Woman opened her eyes,dazed;the impact had knocked the breath out of her. She was lying on her back and Superman was over her,a powerful forearm pressed against her neck,keeping her pinned to the floor.

His face was only inches from hers." Care to fight anymore?"

Diana felt her heart begin to race rather unnaturally."Shall we call it...a draw?"

He moved the arm from her neck and murmured,"Pax?"

"Pax,"she whispered.

Robin demanded,"Why aren't they fighting?Superman so had her just now!"

Wally scratched his head awkwardly."Er,I guess the collision was too much for them. Let me see if they are okay."

In the blink of an eye, Flash was before them. He picked up an end of the lasso and tugged on Superman's wrist.

"Hey,got to get this off ya,Supes!"

Superman felt the tug and looked startled. He flushed and moved back from Wonder Woman.

Flash said urgently,"Come on,Diana,get up and take back your lasso..."

Diana sat upright,looking bewildered and shamefaced."What?I...yes..."

Wally said through smiling teeth and tilted his head up towards the gallery."We've got a PG-13 crowd in,you know."

The lasso fell off the pair. They got to their feet and looked up to see the Boy Wonder waving at them. Both turned a bright red. Superman stepped away from Wonder Woman.

He mumbled,"Well,um,that was interesting..."

She began winding her lasso,unable to look at him."Yes...Thanks for..er...the..workout..."

"I'll just go then..."

"Sure..."

Superman turned and retreated,leaving Diana to face the knowing twinkle in Flash's eyes.

Flash was rubbing his chin in mock curiosity;he opened his mouth only to have her cut him short."Not one word out of you!This is your fault."

She yanked her sword out of the wall and stomped out.

Wally folded his arms with a snort."Well, there's gratitude for you!"

He looked up to the gallery. Batman and Robin had vanished too.