Chapter 705: Wonder Woman's Gentleness
A Fateful Friendship
The coming together of Barbara and Diana was both an accident and a twist of fate.
After graduating from college, Barbara left her hometown to develop her career in Washington. Being new to the city, she was cornered by three thugs on her very first night. Diana happened to pass by and helped her, but left without giving her name.
The next day, Barbara reported to work at the museum. The director assigned her to be Diana's assistant.
From then on, the two became inextricably linked.
Diana was a stunning, ice-cold princess. She stood nearly six feet tall, with the physique of a top supermodel. Her features were sculpted yet soft, her appearance refined, and her demeanor elegant. Every movement was natural, like an ancient princess, radiating endless charm. The men who pursued her could line up for two blocks, yet she ignored them all. She spent her days in the studio studying ancient artifacts and went home immediately after work, never attending social events or parties.
Having lived for over twenty years, this was the first time Barbara had encountered such a woman. She couldn't help but become curious. After nearly two years of interaction, the two finally evolved from ordinary colleagues to colleagues with a decent relationship.
Barbara couldn't hide her disappointment, but she quickly put it aside when she recalled Diana's attitude toward everyone else. Some relationships take time to brew. If two years weren't enough, then three or four. By the fifth year, they finally became close friends who could talk about anything.
Barbara revealed everything about herself, but Diana chose to hold back, only sharing her experiences from the last decade and glossing over everything else.
Some things didn't need to be said; her eyes conveyed everything.
A woman with a story and a history.
That was Barbara's assessment of her. But she never imagined that her friend's past would be so horrifying.
The Choice of Life or Death
The Sword of Hephaestus ran through Barbara's chest, pinning her to the tree trunk. The hilt was held by Diana; if she wished, she could split the woman in front of her in two at any moment.
"Make your choice! Life or death?"
The cold, clear voice echoed in her ear, sending a chill through her. Barbara looked up, but saw only cold, emotionless eyes. An inexplicable panic flared within her, and the words she wanted to say caught in her throat.
Neither she nor Urzkartaga, who was hidden inside her body, wished to die. One was a young woman in her twenties; the other was a Cheetah Goddess who had endured thousands of years.
Death was the last thing they wanted to face.
"No answer. I'll take that as your consent."
Diana took out the Lasso of Truth and bound her. Then, holding the rope, she started walking away.
"Where are you taking me?"
"Where you belong."
A spaceship descended from the sky, carrying the two rapidly westward.
Minutes later, in the Justice League's underground prison, Diana opened a cell door and threw her "friend" inside.
"You think a place like this can hold me?"
Diana crossed her arms. "You can try."
Barbara sneered and suddenly attacked. Her claws slashed through the air, leaving a series of sonic booms, and struck the wall fiercely.
Boom!
The wall rippled like water, absorbing the impact and converting it into a sound wave roar.
The almost material sound wave shock resonated back and forth in the narrow cell. The ripples overlapped, escalating the destructive force. It was like countless heavy hammers continuously striking Barbara's body.
Her body took tens of thousands of hits in a short period. Her internal organs were nearly shattered. Blood seeped through her skin, staining her fur a deep red.
She covered her head with her hands. She wanted to beg for mercy but couldn't make a sound. Her eyeballs swelled as if they were about to burst.
Diana's heart ached, but she forced herself to say,
"This cell was designed by Luke specifically to deal with people like you. If you don't want to die a horrible death, stay put."
The Soft Strategy
The news of the Cheetah Woman quickly spread within the Justice League. Several members rushed to the base, observing the human-shaped monster who had caused so much chaos in Washington through the screen.
"The Cheetah Goddess!"
Clark shook his head helplessly. His journey to the Underworld had shown him the true nature of the Gods. The so-called Gods were merely powerful humanoids, far less magnificent than imagined.
Barry Allen asked with a slight hesitation,
"What are you planning to do with her?"
"Those actions weren't Barbara's doing. Urzkartaga is the one causing trouble."
Diana pulled out a pitch-black, dull dagger. "I found this at her house. The God-Slayer Dagger, the Cheetah Goddess's weapon."
The two understood immediately. Although Diana didn't explicitly say it, everything she said and did was to protect her friend, to keep her from bearing the guilt of murder and cannibalism.
Clark frowned, but in the end, said nothing.
"What's your plan?"
"I'm going to test something first."
Diana turned and walked out, taking the stairs down to the underground prison. Seeing her, Barbara couldn't help but sneer,
"What? Finally remembered me, great Wonder Woman?"
Diana took out the God-Slayer Dagger and tossed it on the floor. "Do you recognize this?"
Barbara's pupils constricted.
"You... how is this possible?"
"Nothing is impossible. Finding things is easy for the Justice League."
"Barbara, no, perhaps I should use another name: Urzkartaga, the Cheetah Goddess from Africa. I know everything about your past: born into the Sihn tribe, ambitious, but with a tragic end. Your body was burned to ashes, your head became a drinking cup, and your skin was made into lanterns."
"You want to use her body to resurrect. With me here, that will never happen."
Barbara frowned, looking confused and slightly incredulous.
"Let's make a deal, Urzkartaga. Leave her body, and you can name your terms."
"I am not Urzkartaga."
Barbara bared her fangs, roaring word by word, "Don't ever call me by that name again!"
"But you are her. Your appearance, your body, your divine power, and your toxin-laced fangs... they are all the same as the Cheetah Goddess. If you're not her, then who are you?"
"I am..."
At that, Barbara suddenly fell silent. She looked down at her furry hands and feet, unable to determine who she was. She knew she was Barbara, but a voice in her mind told her: You are Urzkartaga, the Queen of the African savanna.
Sensing her shift, Diana didn't press further. Instead, she turned to leave.
"Urzkartaga, we'll talk again tomorrow."
Back in the monitoring room, Barry couldn't help but ask,
"Why did you call her Urzkartaga?"
"It's a technique I learned from a psychologist. The current Barbara is like a patient in the throes of dissociative identity disorder. The dominant personality is blinded by jealousy and can't see the reality of the situation. To awaken her, I have to guide her indirectly."
"The purpose of me calling her Urzkartaga is to trigger a sense of crisis in her primary personality. No one wants to be replaced. As long as she still wants to live, she will subconsciously wonder why she's turning into Urzkartaga and fight the change."
"The clash between the two personalities—that is our opportunity."
Clark and Barry suddenly realized, nodding in agreement. She truly was a woman who had lived for thousands of years to devise such a strategy.
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