Countdown. Part 14

So how come it feels like I'm doing time anyway?

Just beyond the razor wire, a mountainous sand dune awaited them. Harley charged up the forty-five-degree slope with Holly right behind her, struggling to keep up. Rumor had it that Harley's former BFF, Poison Ivy, had enhanced Harley's athletic abilities with some sort of herbal concoction of her own devising. Watching Harley blithely scale the dune, Holly was inclined to believe it. Running uphill through the s.h.i.+fting sand proved incredibly exhausting; Holly's own legs felt like lead. She heard the rest of the girls gasping and wheezing behind her. "Oh man, this is murder!" a breathless voice exclaimed. "It's too much!"

Holly looked back to see Tricia feebly battling the hill. The young black woman was a distant third behind Holly and Harley. The remainder of the initiates hadn't even cleared the razor wire yet, let alone made it to the dune. Stalled halfway up the slope, her whole body sagging, Tricia looked like she was on the verge of giving up.

Not a good idea, Holly thought. Their Amazon hosts frowned on failure; Tricia would be lucky to get fed tonight if she didn't complete the course. "You can do it, Tris.h.!.+" Holly shouted. "Use your momentum!"

"Easier said than done!" Tricia grunted. Still, she took a deep breath, reached down deep, and came up with a fresh burst of speed that carried her another few yards up the slope. For a moment, Holly thought that Tricia might catch up with her, but then the other woman's feet slid out from under her and she went tumbling down the hill, churning up a huge cloud of sand as she lost all the ground she had made before finally coming to rest at the very base of the hill, where she collided with Marta, a refugee from Bludhaven's gang scene, who had just made it past the razor wire. The two women collapsed into a tangle of sweaty limbs. "Dammit!" Holly cursed in sympathy.

"On your feet!" A female warrior, in full armor, showed the fallen women no mercy. She prodded them with the blunt end of her lance. "An Amazon never surrenders!"

Holly paused at the crest of the hill, tempted to lend Tricia and Marta a hand. Her hesitation did not go over well with the drill sergeant in the tower. "Keep moving!" the Amazon barked. "What are you waiting for, an engraved invitation from Olympus?"

"But . . ." Holly gestured at the floundering women below. What about teamwork and sisterhood?

"Every woman for herself!" the sergeant bellowed. She pointed to the dense woods beyond the sand dune. Holly saw Harley waiting for her at the bottom of the hill. "Into the brush, you two! Go! Go! GO!"

Holly got the message. Reluctantly abandoning Tricia and Marta, she scrambled down the opposite side of the dune to join Harley at the edge of the forest. Together they plunged into the thick underbrush. Inhospitable branches and leaves scratched against Holly, adding to the numerous small nicks and abrasions stinging her sun-baked hide. Gnarled roots threatened to trip her. Sunlight filtered down through the leafy canopy overhead. Drenched in sweat, she pined for the comfy hot tubs and saunas back at the women's shelter. At her new digs in the initiates' spartan barracks, ice-cold showers were the only amenities. "For this, I kicked a.s.s in the arena?" she griped aloud. "Remind me to flunk next time."

Harley merrily led the way. She whistled a Disney tune as she plowed through the verdant foliage; if there was actually a trail through the brush, Holly couldn't see it. Tall pines and laurel trees blocked her view. Th.o.r.n.y bushes grabbed at her tunic. Small animals scurried through the brush. "C'mon, admit it," Harley teased her. "This is exhilarating!"

"You think?" Holly said dubiously. A displaced tree branch came whipping back toward her face and she ducked beneath it just in time. She tried to remember what sort of venomous reptiles had infested ancient Greece. Wasn't Orpheus's bride killed by a nasty snake?

"Sure!" Harley chirped. Annoyingly, she wasn't even breathing hard. "This is us, Holly . . . doing what we want, instead of being defined by someone else."

Holly wasn't so sure. Sometimes she suspected that Harley had merely transferred her blind devotion to the Joker to Athena instead. She sure seemed to have bought into the Amazon party line. Once a follower, always a follower.

But am I really all that different?

"Ooh! Check this out!" Harley enthused as they reached the perimeter of the training grounds, as marked by a chain-link fence topped by coiled razor wire. A narrow path ran along the base of the fence. Holly guessed that it circled back to the beginning of the obstacle course. She expected Harley to turn onto the path, but the blonde surprised her by running full-bore toward the fence.

"Harley?" Holly slowed to a trot, completely bewildered as to what her nutty new acquaintance was up to now. "Where . . . ?"

"Adventure beckons!" Springing into the air, Harley caught hold of an overhanging laurel branch and used it to flip herself over the top of the fence, clearing the razor wire by a matter of inches. She touched down lightly onto the ground on the other side of the fence. "Hah! They call that a wall? Back at Arkham, that wouldn't even stop Tweedledum and Tweedledee!"

Holly stared at Harley through the chain-link fence. "You're going AWOL?"

"I'm living life on my terms!" Harley exulted. She beckoned for Holly to follow her. "For the first time ever!"

I'm not sure this is such a good idea, Holly thought. Athena and her lieutenants had declared the rest of the island off-limits to the newcomers. Then again, maybe it was worth the risk to find out just what, if anything, Athena might be hiding beyond the fence? And far be it from me to discourage Harley from showing a little independent thought....

Sighing in resignation, Holly launched herself at the same branch Harley had employed only moments before. Hours of gymnastics practice back in Gotham paid off as she successfully duplicated her cohort's acrobatic feat, nailing the landing just like a cat. Harley applauded loudly, obviously delighted that Holly had chosen to accompany her, and took off into terra incognita. Holly tagged along after her, hoping that she hadn't made a dreadful mistake. She wondered how long it would take the Amazons to figure out that she and Harley had strayed from the path, and what exactly the penalty was for desertion.

What's the Amazon equivalent of a firing squad?

Past the fence, the terrain rose steeply toward a range of rocky hills. The uphill climb was a challenge after the arduous obstacle course, but Holly took comfort in the fact that they would be heading downhill on the way back. Perhaps the alt.i.tude would afford them a good view of the rest of the island? The prospect kept Holly trudging upward, even though her throat was parched and she would have killed for a bottle of cold water. She kept her eyes peeled for any fresh streams or springs. Her stomach grumbled.

"Look!" Harley pointed excitedly at a shadowy cleft at the base of a granite cliff face. Darkness swallowed up the sunlight just beyond the lip of the opening. "A cave! Just like you-know-who's!"

Holly knew whom Harley was referring to. Selina had been known to visit the Batcave on occasion, although Holly had never personally w.a.n.gled an invite from the Dark Knight. She doubted, though, that the nameless cave ahead held anything half as impressive as Batman's secret headquarters. "So?"

Harley insisted on seeing for herself. "Let's explore!"

"You're kidding, right?"

Harley smartly saluted the cave opening. "Junior Spelunker Harleen Quinzel, present and accounted for!"

"Not kidding," Holly realized glumly. She tried in vain to sound a note of reason. "Just for the record, this is an incredibly bad idea. Two unarmed women entering a pitchblack cave." She shook her head at the fact that they were actually contemplating such a foolhardy move. "That always goes well in the movies."

"See," Harley replied. "So there's no worries." She marched briskly into the darkness. "C'mon."

Clearly, Harley had never seen The Descent. "Sarcasm's completely lost on you, isn't it?" Holly asked as she bowed to the inevitable and followed Harley into the cave. Probably full of bat guano or bears, she thought crankily. She strained her eyes to see into the gloom. All she could make out at first was a dimly lit grotto that appeared to extend deep into the hillside. The sudden shade chilled her sweaty flesh. Goose b.u.mps broke out across her skin.

Harley seemed disappointed by Holly's lack of enthusiasm. "What kind of a sidekick are you, red?"

Sidekick? Holly thought indignantly. When did I become your sidekick? She let her eyes adjust to the murky interior of the cave. Stalact.i.tes jutted down from the ceiling like dragon's teeth, and Holly had to duck to avoid b.u.mping her head into one of the calcite fangs. Sleeping bats rustled overhead. She heard water dripping deeper within the cavern and debated whether it was worth looking for in the dark. Naturally, neither of them was equipped to go caving. They didn't even have a matchbook between them, let alone a flashlight.

She dimly glimpsed Harley's outline ahead of her. "You do realize we can't go back now. We've been gone too long. They've got to know we're missing by now."

Harley shrugged. "You worry too much. We're on a magic island, Holly! Maybe we'll find a flying carpet, or a lamp with one of those genie things inside!"

"Wrong culture," Holly pointed out, treading carefully over the uneven floor. "Try a winged horse, or Pandora's box, or . . ." Her voice trailed off as she heard herself playing along with Harley's magical treasure hunt fantasy. "I can't believe I'm having this conversation with you!"

Harley gave no indication that she was listening to Holly. "Yowza!" she exclaimed. "Get a load of this!"

Indirect sunlight, invading the cavern from outdoors, exposed a sizable cache of Amazonian gear. Swords, spears, s.h.i.+elds, battle-axes, scrolls, a bedroll, armor, a quiver of arrows, a bow, and amphorae of various shapes and sizes were stacked haphazardly against the rugged wall of the cavern. Peering at the supplies, Holly saw at once these were no long-forgotten artifacts. Everything looked new and in excellent condition. The blades and arrowheads were freshly sharpened and free of rust. No dust had settled on the various pots and vases.

Harley reached the obvious conclusion. "Somebody's living here!"

"Indeed." A lurking figure lunged from the stygian depths of the cave. Striking with exceptional strength and speed, their attacker sent Holly flying across the grotto with a single blow, while simultaneously knocking Harley off her feet with a sweep of her arm. Armor jangled loudly. An unsheathed sword flashed in the dim lighting.

"Holy-!" Harley gasped as she hit the ground hard. "Did somebody get the license number of that Batmobile?"

"Harley, focus!" Holly s.n.a.t.c.hed a sword from the piled gear and jumped to her feet. She tossed a spear to Harley, who wasn't too dazed to snag it from the air. The two runaways took up defensive postures, raising their weapons against . . . who?

Their foe stepped into the light, revealing a striking, raven-haired woman clad in ornate golden armor and sandals. A cloak of imperial purple was clasped to her shoulders by a pair of intricately detailed gold brooches. An eagle motif was emblazoned upon the woman's gleaming breastplate. A silver girdle circled her waist. A golden tiara, studded with rubies and sapphires, crowned her regal brow. Although she appeared older than either Holly or Harley, perhaps in her early fifties, her face had a timeless beauty that looked vaguely familiar. Nor had her age diminished her obvious fitness and vitality. Holly got the distinct impression that this woman could wipe up the floor with both of them without even trying.

"Hades beckons, false Amazons!" she denounced them angrily. Her own sword stood poised for combat. "Soon you will know it all too well!"

False Amazons?

"Whoa! Time-out!" Holly protested. "We're not with those Amazon chicks out there."

"Yeah!" Harley confirmed. "We kinda quit their stupid club!"

The fury in the older woman's eyes was replaced by a more thoughtful expression. She eyed Holly and Harley warily. The tip of her sword dipped slightly. She nodded toward the cave entrance-and the training grounds beyond. "Those are not Amazons."

"Yeah, we're tumbling to that," Holly said. She had been suspicious of this whole setup since day one. What kind of mythical sisterhood increased its ranks by putting homeless young women through h.e.l.l? That hardly sounded like the kind of culture that would produce someone like Wonder Woman.

"My own people have departed the mortal realm," the armored stranger declared. "I alone remain in penance for past sins. I know not where these imposters hail from, but they are not of the sisterhood."

Okay, Holly thought. Now we're getting somewhere. This woman sounded like she might be able to help them get some answers as to what was really going on here. She cautiously lowered her sword. "We cool?"

The woman returned her blade to its scabbard. "Were you lying, I would know. Were you lying, you would be dead."

Holly gulped. "Good to know."

"What makes you so sure those Amazons are bogus?" Harley asked.

The formidable stranger addressed them solemnly. "I am Hippolyta, Queen of Amazons. I know my own kin."

Of course! Holly realized why the woman's face seemed so familiar. She's Wonder Woman's mother. Now that she knew what to look for, Holly could see the family resemblance. She thought she remembered reading that Hippolyta had died a few years back, but apparently the reports of the Amazon queen's death had been somewhat exaggerated.

But what's she doing hiding out in a cave on her own island?

"So even this Athena is bogus?" she asked.

"Athena?" Hippolyta's voice dripped with scorn. "She still calls herself Athena?"

"Duh!" Harley answered. "Where you been, living in a cave?" She glanced around. "Oh. Right."

Hippolyta disregarded Harley's babbling. "Athena," she repeated darkly. "There is irony in that."

Holly didn't get it. "How so?"

A cold smile played upon Hippolyta's lips. "She has taken the name of the G.o.ddess of wisdom." Her hand rested on the pommel of her sword. "None who dares trespa.s.s against me can truly be called wise."

Holly was suddenly very glad to be on Hippolyta's good side. The Queen of the Amazons was obviously no one you wanted to mess around with.

"Hey!" Harley blurted. "If that's not really Athena, then who've I been busting my hump for?"

Good question, Holly thought.

Hippolyta held up her hand abruptly. "Quiet!" She swiftly retrieved the bow from her armory and plucked an arrow from the quiver. She spun to face the mouth of the cave, where an enormous black dog suddenly filled the entrance. Drool spilled from its ma.s.sive snout as it sniffed at the ground. A spiked collar girded its thick neck. A low snarl reached Holly's ears.

c.r.a.p! Holly recognized the beast as one of the savage warhounds Athena's lieutenants used to patrol their encampment. On occasion, the guard dogs had even been employed to "motivate" the initiates to run faster during training. Holly had vivid memories of the fierce canines nipping at her heels while heartless women warriors yelled at her to pick up the pace. No doubt the phony Amazons had set the dogs to track her and Harley down.

And people wonder why I'm more of a cat person!

Picking up their scent, the warhound bounded into the cave. Rubbery black lips peeled back, baring the beast's yellow fangs. It charged at them like Ace the Bat-Hound's meaner brother.

Hippolyta let loose her arrow, which thwacked into the dog's snout, narrowly missing its eye. The warhound growled in anger and kept on coming. Leaping at Hippolyta, it clamped its jaws around the bow and wrenched it from her grip.

"Bad doggie!" Harley scolded. "Bad! Bad!"

The warhound snapped the bow in two and spit the pieces onto the floor of the cave. It whirled around to attack Hippolyta once more. Holly didn't think she could get to the dog before it tore the queen's throat out, so she hurled her sword like a throwing knife. The blade sank into the beast's shoulders, eliciting a furious yelp from the enraged hound. Forgetting Hippolyta for the moment, it turned on Holly, who found herself unarmed against the bloodthirsty canine.

"Oh, come on!" she complained to no one in particular. "How is this fair?"

But before the beast could lunge at her, Hippolyta s.n.a.t.c.hed the spear from Harley's grasp and vaulted across the cavern. Gravity added to the force of her thrust as she drove the point of the spear deep into the warhound's skull while alighting upon the ground. The monstrous dog convulsed once before dropping lifelessly at the queen's feet. She nodded in satisfaction as she wrested the spear from the dead hound's corpse.

"This breed has proven difficult to slay," she observed calmly. Canine blood spattered her face and armor.

"Not your first?" Holly guessed, grateful to be alive.

A look of weariness came over the queen's n.o.ble features. "There have been others," she conceded. She nudged the b.l.o.o.d.y carca.s.s. "This one was set on your trail. There will be more."

"There's a piece of good news," Holly said drily, not that she hadn't figured the same. Wouldn't you know it? I'm a fugitive again.

Harley dropped to her knees beside the vicious brute that had nearly killed them. Her eyes were moist as she stroked the dead dog's fur. "Poor puppy . . ."

Hippolyta regarded Harley with puzzlement. "Is that one well?" she asked Holly. "She shows no outward sign of combat trauma, and yet . . ."

"Let's not go there," Holly recommended. They had more urgent problems to deal with than Harley's questionable sanity. "They've got a small army of those warhounds back at the camp. If they're all after us . . . ?" She didn't need to complete the thought. "Don't suppose you have a boat handy?"

Hippolyta shook her head. "You wouldn't be the first to try to escape. It never ends happily."

Holly remembered the sea monsters prowling just beyond sh.o.r.e. "I'll bet." She glanced around the cave, which didn't really seem large enough to hide all three of them on a permanent basis. "Any other ideas?"

The Amazon queen pondered the matter. "Perhaps, if you are glib enough, there is a way you can return without fear of execution . . . and be of some use to me."

"I'm listening," Holly said.

Hippolyta indicated the carca.s.s on the floor. "Were you to return with this kill, and a thrilling tale of initiative taken . . ." She peered into Holly's eyes to ensure that the younger woman took her meaning. "The pretender and her acolytes tend to look favorably on blood sports. And I could make use of eyes that see from within her ranks."

She wants us to be her spies, Holly realized. Undercover Amazons.

Harley contemplated the ma.s.sive corpse. "I dunno. Looks awful heavy."

"You won't need the entire carca.s.s," Hippolyta a.s.sured them.

She raised her sword high....

17 AND COUNTING.

APOKOLIPS.

Night, or what pa.s.sed for night in the smoldering Armagetto, had fallen by the time a bizarre-looking figure furtively crawled out of the blazing Fire Pit. Dark green scales, each as thick as a tortoise's sh.e.l.l, covered Jimmy's body, s.h.i.+elding him from the all-consuming flames, just as they had for hours now while he hid within the pit. Gouts of bright orange flame escaped his lips every time he exhaled. Intricate designs, like circuit diagrams, were etched into his fireproof sh.e.l.l.

How 'bout that? Jimmy thought. Looks like my crazy plan worked after all. Just as he'd hoped, his unpredictable powers had activated in time to spare him from total incineration. Granted, he hadn't expected to transform into some sort of fire-breathing turtle-man, but he wasn't about to complain. Better a reptile than a pile of ashes.

Peering out through the smoke and flames, he scanned the ugly industrial complex beyond the pit. The overslavers and their wretched charges seemed to have retired for the evening, or perhaps they had simply moved on to feed another pit. In any event, the coast was clear. Jimmy took advantage of their absence to scuttle away from the smoky inferno behind him. Crouching low, and clinging to the shadows, he located a ventilation shaft leading into one of the megalopolis's many weapons factories. His scaly hands pried open the hatch and he crawled inside the shaft. A low ceiling forced him to stoop uncomfortably as he made his way down the horizontal vent. His fiery exhalations lit his way through the darkness. He fretted about setting off some sort of sprinkler system, but then again, that a.s.sumed that Darkseid actually cared about the safety of his slave labor.

Okay, first things first, he thought, as he paused to consider his next move. How do I get off this crummy planet before Darkseid's goons find out that I'm still alive? The key was finding Forager. She brought me here. She can darn well get me home, if only I can find her.

Maybe this way? He started moving forward again, driven by an inexplicable certainty that he was heading in the right direction. He couldn't explain how he knew this, but he felt strangely confident that Forager was up ahead somewhere. Another facet of his puzzling new abilities, or just wishful thinking on his part? The circuitry inscribed upon his sh.e.l.l began to emit a faint golden glow, which steadily increased in intensity the farther he proceeded. Jimmy chose to take that as a good sign.

He crept stealthily through an intricate maze of vents, service tunnels, and other conduits. The rumble of heavy machinery reverberated ceaselessly in the background. Periodic gusts of hot air and exhaust made him grateful for his impervious exoskeleton. Occasionally he heard footsteps in the corridors outside the tunnels. Jimmy froze and held his breath until the unseen guards or servants pa.s.sed. Alien rodents, twice the size of Terran rats, hissed angrily at the fire-breathing intruder before scurrying in retreat. Greasy lubricants and industrial waste dripped onto his head and shoulders, streaking his sh.e.l.l. The cramped pa.s.sageways smelled like gasoline and brimstone.