𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐞 𝐈𝐧 𝐀 𝐅𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧?

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"I'm sorry, wait a minute," Wonder Woman questioned from the backseat of Milo's prized 2009 Honda Accord, "Princess Diana is dead? What happened to her?" she frowned, watching as Milo drove down the highway.

Milo continued to drive, nodding as Mel shifted in her seat to look at Wonder Woman, "Car crash but I bet you that fucking Royal Family was behind it." she muttered, not bothering to hide her disdain for the family.

Wonder Woman nodded and she leaned into the seat, "That's horrible. Diana was too good for this world. She was too good for him," she shook her head with a small smile, "I remember visiting her a few times a year. She was always ready for a movie or a night out. It was always fun to sneak her out with a few others."

The fond memories played through Wonder Woman's mind as the car went silent once more. While Wonder Woman was thankful for Mel and Milo's recap on everything she's missed in forty years, she was beginning to get a headache from all the talking and information.

Wonder Woman hadn't had a moment to process everything she's been told. The biggest being Soldier Boy's disappearance and possible death.

His death.

It didn't sit right with Wonder Woman. None of it sat right with her. Soldier Boy was the most powerful Supe in Payback—In all of Vought.

He couldn't have just died. It doesn't make any sense. Wonder Woman thought to herself, knowing she was ignoring the gnawing feeling in the back of her head.

The feeling that she was trying to keep herself in denial. The feeling of wanting to ignore the emotion of grief and pain. Wanting to ignore the fear of being the reason that Soldier Boy was gone.

Wonder Woman's eyes fell shut at the thought. She didn't want to think about it. Not now. Not when she didn't have the full story.

But it was hard not to think about. Anything about Soldier Boy always struck a sensitive nerve.

During the rising days of Payback, Wonder Woman and Soldier Boy went hand-in-hand. More so than Gunpowder, many others thought.

Long story short, Wonder Woman and Soldier Boy were the backbones of Payback. Along with Black Noir. The real heroes of the group. Everyone else didn't understand the values and virtues of being a role model to millions. They didn't understand each other like Wonder Woman and Soldier Boy did.

Wonder Woman continued to spiral, unable to imagine the moments before Soldier Boy's demise or disappearance. How it might've happened. Who might've been there to try and help Soldier Boy... Or if he was alone.

A chill ran through Wonder Woman's spine as the thought entered her mind. She didn't want to think about it this soon.

Wonder Woman shook her head, deciding to continue her catch-up session, "I'm a bit rusty when it comes to these new heroes. Would you mind telling me about them?" she questioned, seeing a billboard of a group of heroes pass by the car.

"Oh shit," Mel sighed, ignoring another call from Butcher, "Vought and the world's extensive line of heroes and shit. There's too many to count, but I'll just introduce you to the biggest dicks in the business."

"Always something so morbid." Milo shook his head while Mel grabbed her phone to get pictures ready for the Supe lesson.

Once Mel was ready, she managed to crawl to the back... Much to Milo's dismay and shouting, "Mel! I'm driving! Does that mean nothing?!" he questioned, trying to keep the car steady as Mel climbed to the backseat.

Mel ignored her boyfriend, sitting beside Wonder Woman, "Ok, this is A-Train. The fastest man alive, but he's the one who shot too much Compound V and now might have his last run because of it." she explained, showing Wonder Woman of the Supe.

Wonder Woman nodded, staring at the man, "I see. He must be good at marathons... Considering he's willing to die over it." she muttered, watching Mel scroll to the next picture, "All right, this is The Deep. Super-strength and all that shit. He can swim like a motherfucker and breathe underwater."

A look of confusion crossed Wonder Woman's face as she stared at the picture. She looked at his neck, seeing no gills or anything, "And his gills? If he breathes underwater, shouldn't he have gills?" she frowned while Mel shrugged, "He has a freaky set of gills, I wish I still had the picture." she snickered while Milo chuckled from the front seat.

"So, he's a merman?" Wonder Woman questioned, watching Mel shake her head, "He's anything but a merman. He's a creep and I bet he wouldn't be above fucking a sea animal." she explained, disgusted by the Supe.

Mel pulled her phone away to show Wonder Woman the next member of The Seven, "This is Starlight. Annie January. She and another bag of dicks are the leader of The Seven." she nodded, letting Wonder Woman see the woman in a white and gold suit, her golden hair reflecting off the lights.

She tilted her head, seeing that Starlight seemed to be the most tame of the team. Starlight had something in her that the others didn't have much of. Humility.

"She controls the light, so if she's near a lamp store... Shit's gonna go down," Mel added before swiping to the next member, "I think you might know this one."

Wonder Woman looked at her phone, stopping when she saw a picture of Black Noir. He hadn't changed, still dressed in his ominous attire.

Slowly, Wonder Woman reached out to take Mel's phone into her hands, "Black Noir," she whispered, staring at her former friend, "I can see that he hasn't changed. He remained the ninja of Payback and now The Seven." she frowned, shaking her head at the thought.

She remembered the early days of Payback. How she and Black Noir would have long conversations about making the world a better place. They even collaborated on a campaign that empowered women of color. A campaign that Vought quickly destroyed and covered up.

Other than that, Black Noir used to be fun and always talkative. All the memories of cooking dinner and having to throw out anything that involved tree nuts.

Black Noir and Wonder Woman once had a good friendship.

But then Wonder Woman went missing.

Wonder Woman quickly handed the phone back, not wanting to think about the mission that put her forty years behind everyone else.

"Who's she?" Wonder Woman questioned, ignoring the heavy pressure on her chest. She looked at the screen, raising an eyebrow when she saw that the Supe looked familiar.

Mel felt herself smirk, "That's Queen Maeve. Margaret Shaw. She look a bit familiar?" she questioned, making Wonder Woman nod, "You can say that. Let me guess, super strength?" she shook her head. Typical Vought fashion. She thought to herself.

"Exactly." Mel answered as Wonder Woman examined Queen Maeve. They had different builds, different hair, and different everything else... But their attire was nearly identical.

Wonder Woman soon tilted her head when Mel showed her the final member of The Seven, "This is Homelander? What does he do?" she frowned, examining the Supe's cape and his seemingly heroic personality.

Mel shook her head, "He's a dick." she simply said, not his biggest fan. Milo nodded, "He's the leader of The Seven. He has laser eyes, super strength, and never gets hurt. What else am I missing?" he questioned, making Mel think, "Flying and super hearing."

"Yeah, flying and super hearing." Milo added as he continued to drive down the highway. Wonder Woman nodded, "Does everyone not like him?" she asked, making Mel shake her head, "Only people who think it's in their right to be a damn asshole." she answered as the car settled into more silence.

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"We're here." Milo announced, parking the car in front of a five-story apartment complex. It looked like the rest of the apartments on the street. Clean but not something out of a Hollywood movie. It looked comfortable.

Wonder Woman followed Mel out of the car, looking up at the complex, "This is where you live?" she questioned, chuckling as Mel patted one of the walls, "It's home sweet home." she smiled while Milo grabbed his key to the complex.

As he unlocked the door, he glanced at Mel, "You think you should tell her? I'm sure she wouldn't know anyone, but in case they tell her?" he suggested, making Mel nod, "Yeah, good idea." she squeezed his hand before turning to Wonder Woman.

"You know WWE?" Mel suddenly asked, making Wonder Woman raise an eyebrow, "WWE? What, like WWF?" she frowned, not sure if they were talking about the same company.

Her answer seemed good enough since Mel nodded, "Exactly. WWF or WWE, doesn't matter. Point is, that company has been burned to the ground." she explained, stepping into the lobby once Milo unlocked the door.

"Thank you." Wonder Woman whispered, smiling at Milo as she stepped into the apartment's lobby. Just more of the same. The mailbox wall in the corner of the room, a staircase that led up to the other levels, and two apartment doors tucked beside the mailbox wall.

Once the three of them were in the lobby, Wonder Woman looked at Mel, "What happened to the company? It was never something I watched, but I never thought it'd go out of business." she said, confused on what happened to the company Soldier Boy was once a fan of.

Mel softly sighed, a small frown pulling at her lips, "Vought. A few months back, some sponsor thought it'd be a good fucking idea to say that WWE wrestling was a bunch of fake bullshit. I'm not even going to go into it, but Vought backed him up and soon went after WWE."

"No one thought it could happen," she continued, glancing at Milo, "Vought managed to buy and foreclose WWE within a few weeks. All their brands. Everyone on their roster was given four choices. One: wrestle in Vought's new collaborative wrestling promotion, Vought Elite Wrestling. Two: Get fired. Three: Go to the indies and find success there. Or four: Go to the place where Vought can't fuck you over anymore. Here. The whole place is run by Stephanie and her husband." she explained, motioning to the neighborhood and apartment complex.

Wonder Woman nodded, "That's horrible. I had hoped Vought wouldn't ruin any more lives... But I was wrong." she sighed, looking at Milo when he patted her shoulder, "Don't worry. We're all happy here." he smiled, trying to be optimistic.

"Oh, did you two wrestle for WWE?" Wonder Woman questioned, looking at the couple. She watched Mel shake her head, "Nah, not us... But the others in this complex were once part of the promotion." she explained, making Wonder Woman nod.

After a moment, Mel clapped her hands, "Come on, we're going up to our apartment and we'll get you some... Other clothes." she said, nodding to Wonder Woman's Supe attire.

Wonder Woman understood, "I'll take you up on that offer." she smiled, following Milo and Mel up the stairs and to the third floor.

The group of three soon made it to the second floor. Wonder Woman didn't question that the complex didn't have an elevator.

Just as Wonder Woman was about to walk up another flight of stairs, she stopped when apartment six's door opened.

"Hey, Randy." Milo greeted while Mel wrapped her arm around Wonder Woman's shoulder, "Don't look him in the eyes. He's batshit crazy." she snickered, laughing when Randy rolled his eyes, "Fuck you." he muttered.

Wonder Woman smiled, pulling away from Mel to shake Randy's hand, "Hello, it's very nice to meet you. I'm Diana Price." she introduced, smiling as Randy reached out to shake her hand.

"Nice to meet you?" Randy nodded, shaking Wonder Woman's hand with a small chuckle, "I'm Randy Orton." he said, watching Wonder Woman pull away and continue to follow Mel up the stairs.

When both women were out of sight, Randy looked at Milo, "Was that Wonder Woman?" he questioned, shocked by what had just happened.

"Uh, yeah. It's a long story, just a little job for Butcher," Milo nodded, a bright smile appearing on his lips when he saw a familiar white dog, "Luna! Hey, girl!" he smiled, leaning down to pick up the older dog.

Luna, the apartment complex's most popular tenant. She was a small Maltese with white fur that never seemed to stay clean. Not to mention her toothless gums that could never keep her tongue inside her mouth.

None of that seemed to matter since everyone loved her.

Milo held the small dog in his arms, kissing the top of her head a few times, "Who's she staying with tonight?" he questioned, chuckling when Luna huffed and got comfortable in his arms.

"I think Roman and Laila were gonna take her tonight." Randy answered, looking at Milo with his usual stoic expression.

Milo nodded again, handing Luna back to Randy, "Also, by any chance, is Zena out on the roof?" he asked, smiling when Randy wordlessly nodded. His roommate had a passion for gardening and caring for the animals that found themselves on the rooftop.

"Yeah, she went up about five minutes, and what are you two doing, still working jobs for Butcher. I thought Mel hated the guy." Randy sighed, his expression softening when Luna began to lick his cheek.

Randy's words made Milo nod, "I know, I know. She still does but he's saved our asses more times than we can count. We gotta help him with this job." he explained, watching Randy frown, "You kids in trouble or something?"

"Not yet." Milo softly smiled, patting Randy's shoulder before rushing up the stairs, knowing his girlfriend and Wonder Woman would already be in their apartment.

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"The clothes should fit. You looked like you were my size." Mel called from the living room. She was sitting beside Milo on their loveseat, resting her head on his shoulder.

Wonder Woman nodded from inside the bedroom, "Thank you." she answered, looking at herself in the mirror.

The Supe was no longer dressed in her attire, now dressed in a pair of jeans and a rather tight-fitting flannel jacket. The buttons were holding onto the flannel, nearly popping with every breath Wonder Woman took.

Wonder Woman continued to stare until she reached up to unbutton the flannel, leaving her with the flannel and a black tank top underneath.

This is what Wonder Woman once loved back in her time with Payback. At the end of everyday, Wonder Woman could take her attire off.

She could join the rest of the world and feel somewhat normal. That she was "gifted" with abilities of a warrior. Maybe Diana Prince could experience life as someone who didn't have to live this life.

Without the attire or anything else, maybe Diana could be an equal to the rest of the world. Not some Supe who worked for a company with crueler intentions to the world.

Just maybe.

Wonder Woman stepped away from the mirror and soon walked out of the room. She saw Mel and Milo on the couch, sharing hushed words.

Once Mel caught sight of Wonder Woman, she smiled, "They fit good. I knew you would be my build." she said, standing from the couch.

Wonder Woman nodded, tugging to the flannel's front, "It was a bit tight. I didn't want to rip your clothes." she said, raising an eyebrow when Milo began to laugh.

This new generation will just laugh at anything. Wonder Woman thought to herself as Mel elbowed Milo's side, "Anyways, are we going to see Butcher and whoever else?" she questioned.

Mel glared at Milo but shook her head, "Not yet. We still gotta get you settled in. You're gonna need a few things. A phone, a computer, a place to sleep, and clothes. Well, we got the last two things settled." she explained, making Wonder Woman frown.

"I'm sorry?" she questioned, looking at the couple, "I don't have a place to sleep, not anymore. And clothes? Well, I'm sure Vought was less than gracious with my items." she sighed.

Mel nodded, crossing her arms over her chest, "Yeah, I'm sure all your clothes have been donated and are now worn by teens and young adults who argue that "they were born in the wrong generation." she said, her tone blunt.

Milo chuckled at Mel's words before he looked at the Supe, "We got you covered with living somewhere. This place has vacant rooms on the fourth and fifth floors. Stepahanie doesn't wanna rent it out in case someone needs a place to stay." he explained while Mel nodded to her bedroom, "And clothes? I have a shit ton."

Their offering made Wonder Woman smile, "Thank you, truly. I owe you both a great debt." she nodded, following Mel out of the apartment, "We'll get you settled in later tonight. Until then, we got a few more stops to make. Milo, Randy said Z was up on the roof?" she questioned, walking towards the stairs.

Milo nodded, following behind Wonder Woman, "Yeah, she should still be up there." he called as they continued to walk up to the roof.

Perk of living in an apartment with no elevator, it was leg-day everyday.

"Zena's the tech-nerd of this place. She'll be able to get you a computer and phone. Easy." Mel smiled at Wonder Woman as they made their way up to the roof.

Once they made it, Mel pushed the door open and smiled when she caught sight of Zena kneeling beside a trough of dirt. It was always a shock whenever people learned that she was Randy Orton's roommate.

The woman who wasn't more than 5'2" and was more sensitive than most people expected. It was always a shock.

Mel walked towards Zena, patting her shoulder, "How's it going, Perez?" she questioned, smiling when Zena's smile brightened. She was always the brightest light in the entire complex. Zena never failed to make people feel welcomed.

"It's going. Look, I just got these succulents planted, don't they look nice?" Zena nodded, her smile fading when she caught sight of Wonder Woman, "Wonder Woman?" she suddenly blurted, shocked to see the Supe.

Wonder Woman looked at the woman with a small smile, "Hello, it's nice to meet you." she nodded, shaking Zena's hand in her usual gentle manner.

Zena continued to stare at Wonder Woman, as if she couldn't believe what was happening, "Wha... I'm sorry, aren't you supposed to be dead?" she questioned, making a small chuckle escape Wonder Woman's lips.

She soon nodded, "Yes, I'm supposed to be but I got better." she smiled, not stopping Zena from her continuous hand shakes. The Supe knew how much of a shock it would be to see her, living and breathing.

Mel was the one to break it up, cleaning his throat, "Uh, Zena, we need a favor. With Wonder Woman out and about, she's gonna need a few things. We're thinking a computer and phone, primarily one that Vought won't have their eyes on."

Zena nodded, pulling her hand away, "I have a few in the apartment. I can set it up and have it ready by tonight, you guys in a rush to go anywhere?" she questioned, her voice more serious than it was a few seconds beforehand.

Before Milo could answer, the rooftop door opened, "They're going to see Butcher again." Randy said, his voice unimpressed with their plans.

Zena looked at her roommate before shaking her head, "You two are still working for him? Didn't he say he'd much rather work with coked up strippers?" she questioned, making Mel roll her eyes.

Her words seemed to give Milo a bad taste in his mouth. He shook his head, "Doesn't matter. He was the one who called us. Not the other way around. Anyways, can you help?" he asked, not wanting to talk about Butcher longer than he needed.

The group went silent before Zena nodded, "I'll go get it right now. Where's she gonna stay? Across from Ali?" she questioned, placing some of the gardening tools away.

Milo nodded, rolling his shoulders, "Yeah, the fifth floor is haunted and you know it." he snickered, making Zena nod, "I've been trying to tell Randy, but he doesn't believe a word I say." she muttered, mildly annoyed with Randy.

It was always a shock to see how compatible the two were. Considering they were polar opposites.

Before anyone made a move to get off the roof, Zena grabbed Randy's arm, "Before we get to work, Randy, look. What do you think of this?" she questioned, showing off her trough of succulents, "I was thinking about putting in bird-feeder in the middle, maybe against the trough."

The scene was sweet enough. It made Wonder Woman smile with nostalgia and fond memories. It reminded her of early days with Soldier Boy.

How the two Supes used to wake up earlier than everyone else. After training and grabbing breakfast, they'd watch the sunrise.

Sit on the balcony of Soldier Boy' room and watch the city wake up once more. It was fascinating and gave Wonder Woman a sense of belonging.

While Wonder Woman wished to be an equal with the world, she knew of the responsibility to keep not only New York safe... But the rest of the world.

If only the sweet moment lasted.

Randy crossed his arms over his chest, listening to Zena's idea. It didn't take long before he shook his head, "It'll look dumb." he simply said, not giving any explanation.

All the happiness and excitement drained itself from Zena's face. She was quick to clear her throat, nodding, "Y-Yeah, yeah, it'll look dumb." she said, trying to make it seem like it wasn't a big deal.

Mel stared at the two adults and just as she was about to give Randy a piece of her mind, Wonder Woman held her back, "Hang on." she simply said, seeing this before.

The same thing happened to her when she had to take a promotional picture for Payback's upcoming movies and showed Soldier Boy the results.

He said the photo was less-than-flattering.

But he then said that it'd make the rest of the world jealous that there was not one other woman as beautiful as her.

"It'll look dumb without a birdhouse or birdbath."

Without another word, Randy was able to make Zena's smile return. Maybe even brighter than it was originally.

Zena was quick to nod, looking around the roof, "That's an even better idea, Randy. I gotta make a quick run to the store." she smiled, stopping when Milo cleared her throat.

"Right, sorry," Zena nodded, looking back at the couple and Supe, "I'll get everything set up in her place and have a key for her by the time you two get back." she smiled, confident in her own skills. She was the one to manage to get everyone in the complex set up with computers and phones in under a day.

Wonder Woman thought it was impressive. She also thought she had a lot of catching up to do in this new generation. More than just learning Princess Diana died and Soldier Boy was possibly met with the same fate.

The Supe only hoped she was wrong.