𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐞 𝐈𝐧 𝐀 𝐅𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧?

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Wonder Woman was quick to grab her shield, blocking Butcher's heavy fist from striking her next. She pulled her shield away to kick Butcher's chest, sending him across the room, "We have bigger problems. Homelander needs to die." she said, looking at Soldier Boy and Phantom.

"Deal with him, we got this." Phantom said, her eyes burning red as she blasted Butcher with another shot.

Wonder Woman and Soldier Boy shared a look before she leaped across the room and towards Homelander, spearing him through another wall.

Once Homelander was down, Maeve took advantage and began to kick at his defenseless body. Her actions were cut short when Homelander punched her across the face, "Enough." The Supe said, looking at Maeve and Wonder Woman.

Neither of them said anything until Wonder Woman grabbed her lasso, swinging the weapon until it wrapped around Homelander's neck.

She yanked him to the ground, keeping a strong hold on the Supe as Maeve continued to kick and punch him, beating him with everything she had.

Wonder Woman only hoped that Phantom and Soldier Boy were having an easier job with Butcher.

And maybe she was right.

"Look out!" Phantom shouted, curling her fingers and catching Butcher's forearm with tendrils of red. She was strong enough to fight off Butcher's incoming strikes and attacks.

She soon released the man, ducking and flipping back when he tried to attack her once more. It was easy to forget how flexible Phantom was. She always did win in Twister.

Phantom gave Soldier Boy enough time to hit Butcher until the man fell to the ground. She grabbed his collar, lifting him but she quickly dropped him when she was elbowed in the ribs.

She grunted, forming a shield to block Butcher's lasers as Soldier Boy got behind Butcher. He grabbed Butcher's shoulder, swinging him across the room and through the news desk.

While Soldier Boy grabbed his shield, Phantom stared at her friend. She felt her fingers clench themselves into fists, watching Soldier Boy raise his shield to put an end to Butcher's life, "I'm sorry, SB." Phantom whispered.

Phantom extended her arms out as Soldier Boy's body was soon surrounded with red. She grit her teeth, grunting as she threw Soldier Boy into the corner and through another wall.

Just as Soldier Boy landed, Phantom turned when M.M. and Starlight ran into the room, holding guns and other weapons. The sight made her smile, "Cutting it a bit close, huh?" she questioned, walking towards them.

Starlight nodded, "Mel and Milo got held up by security." she answered, having seen the aftermath of all the security dead after Milo and Mel were done with them.

Phantom chuckled once more, the sound dying on her lips, "Ah shit, I'm sorry about this. I am." she muttered, holding her hands out once more before M.M. and Starlight were pinned against the walls.

When their bodies hit the wall, Phantom turned back to Soldier Boy and raised her hands towards the ceiling and walls. Clouds of red and energy spiraled across the ceiling before forming a cage-like shield around herself and Soldier Boy.

"What the hell?" M.M. questioned when he and Starlight were released. He raised his gun and attempted to shoot it down, the bullets holding no real damage to the extent of Phantom's abilities.

Starlight's eyes began to glow as she tried her hand at taking the shield down. All it did was make the building shake while the shield remained strong.

Not bothered by their attempts, Phantom turned to Soldier Boy with a frown, "We need to talk. The three of us." she said, turning to watching Wonder Woman continue her fight against Homelander.

But the fight only stopped when Phantom snapped her fingers.

Wonder Woman pulled her fist back and was about to deliver another blow to Homelander when he suddenly disappeared and she punched nothing but air.

She was no longer in Vought Tower, seeing that Phantom and Soldier boy had followed her to this new place they currently stood in.

Another realm maybe? Wonder Woman thought to herself as she looked around. The sky was red while darkening clouds covered whatever bits of the sky there were. There wasn't any type of concrete or gravel. The ground was a mixture of blood and mud, yet hard enough that it wouldn't be possible to sink in like quicksand.

Wonder Woman quickly turned when she heard Soldier Boy's voice, "Where they fuck are we, Marie?" he questioned, his voice gruff with rage.

Phantom looked towards the clouds, listening to the distant rumble of thunder and future storms that weren't far, "Somewhere safer than anywhere else. I've only been here once and I'm surprised this place hasn't tried to kill us yet, but that doesn't matter right now. We need to talk because what the fuck is happening?!" the Supe exclaimed, exasperated with how things were falling apart.

Her words did nothing but infuriate Soldier Boy, "Don't you point a finger at me, I'm the only one who's actually sticking to the fucking plan. Butcher and everyone else wants to waste their breath, trying to kill me. Tell me how the fuck that makes sense," he spat, turning to Wonder Woman, "and you. You just wanna sit around and play fucking peacekeeper all the time." Soldier Boy hissed, walking towards Wonder Woman.

Wonder Woman stared at Soldier Boy, her heart beating against her ribs while her ears rang and pitched with every word that left Soldier Boy's lips.

She continued to stare, her fingers clenching themselves into fists that caused her hands to shake with burning rage. A burning rage that had been burning ever since Mel and Milo woke her up.

"You... You son of a bitch." Wonder Woman finally whispered, her eyes narrowed with fury and hostility. Something that Wonder Woman would never have in her eyes. Nor would Diana Prince.

That's because it wasn't Wonder Woman or Diana Prince.

It was Whitney "fucking" Monagrey.

Whitney stared at Soldier Boy, ignoring his and Phantom's look of initial shock when they heard her curse. It was something Wonder Woman never did, not even once.

But times were different now.

She grabbed her lasso, walking towards Soldier Boy, "Of course I'm playing peacekeeper, ben, it's my job to be a peacekeeper! I'm protecting you from getting killed. I'm protecting you because the moment you kill Homelander, Butcher will kill you!" she shouted, her voice echoing in the air before disappearing into the graying clouds.

Soldier Boy didn't seem worried about Wonder Woman, rolling his eyes, "Butcher said blood didn't matter." he retorted, sending Whitney's rage higher than before.

"He's a child!" she shouted, grunting when Soldier Boy suddenly shoved her back and onto the ground. Whitney landed against the mud and blood, the substance covering her arms and gear, "Don't do this." she warned, not sure if it was a warning for Soldier Boy or herself.

Soldier Boy stepped back, rolling his shoulders, "You don't have the fucking guts." he snarked, grunting when the Lasso of Truth found it's way around his neck, pulling him through the air.

The sound of Soldier Boy's body hitting the blood and mud echoed in the air. Whitney held onto the lasso, walking towards his fallen form, "Everything I've done, I've done it for Payback." she hissed, swinging her fist.

Her fist was about to come in contact with Soldier Boy's head, but her fist was forced to a stop when she was an inch from hitting him.

And Whitney knew Soldier Boy would've been dead if it wasn't for Phantom stopping her.

"Whitney!" Phantom shouted, knowing they weren't dealing with Wonder Woman or Diana. She kept Whitney's fist in a tight hold of red, "Whitney, this isn't the way you deal with things. Don't let him bring you down to this." she pleaded, trying to console her friend.

Phantom's words went through one ear and out the other. Whitney only scoffed, strong enough to break free of Phantom's hold, "Everything I've done, I've done it for you." she whispered, grabbing her shield and aiming to hit Phantom with the weapon.

Before anything could happen to Happen, Whitney grunted when Soldier Boy kicked her to the side. Whitney fell back to the ground but she stood just as quick, "Everything I've done, I've done for you." the Supe hissed

Whitney glared at the two Supes, bringing her arms to her chest in the 'x' formation. The action forced a powerful explosion of energy from her Bracelets of Submission. It was strong enough to send Phantom and Soldier Boy.

As their bodies fell, Whitney walked across the wasteland of mud and blood. Her eyes were cold and no longer warm.

No longer was she the Supe that once cared about bringing everyone home. Whitney finally saw the new generation for what it was. She finally understood why so much hate and anger had been born in her absence.

Once Whitney stood above them, her chest was rising and falling at a faster pace. As if she ran across a stadium twenty times over.

Everything was too much. The emotions that had been suppressed and jarred away. Each one was finally breaking the jar's glass and climbing back into her head. It was too much and now Whitney was paying the price.

Whitney's darkening facade only crumbled when she caught sight of Soldier Boy using his body to shield Phantom from any further harm.

The sight made Whitney's vision blur with tears. She slowly stepped back from the both of them, tugging at her hair with a shaking hand, "'m s-sorry. 'm s-so sorry," she whispered, letting go of her hair to pull her taira from off her forehead, "I... I did everything for the both of you. Even outside of the both of you, everything was for Vought and anyone who didn't believe their voice was loud enough. I did everything for them and was still casted to the side."

"I remember Stan Edgar calling me into his office. I didn't even make it into his office before he told me to stop being so loud. That I needed to stop casting so many waves," Whitney chuckled, the sound empty and deprived of any real joy, "and everyone knew that I'd find you if they kept me around to see the both of you go."

"And the bitch of it is, I finally remember what happened to me. Back in '82. It was going to be a routine mission. A supposed trafficking ring that was running its operations in some abandoned laboratory." Whitney said, kneeling down to be at eye level with Soldier Boy and Phantom.

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Wonder Woman held her shield as she made her way through what seemed to be an abandoned laboratory.

She continued through the lab, not sure if she was dropped to the right location. There was nothing that gave any indication that a trafficking ring was being operated.

When Wonder Woman made it to the middle of the lab, she slowed to a stop. Just when she was about to call for more information, Wonder Woman quickly looked up when she heard something beginning to fall towards her.

The object was too fast, not giving Wonder Woman enough time to react. She fell to the ground as chain nets landed over her body.

Wonder Woman grunted as she tried to break free from underneath the chains that weighed her down. As she continued to struggle, different men and women began to surround her body.

"No! Get away from me!" Wonder Woman shouted as she began to rip each link of steel, attempting to free herself.

She finally reached her arm out, trying to shove as many people off her body. Wonder Woman grunted and continued to fight, feeling different needles and syringes begin to pierce through her skin.

"Grab her!" one man shouted before four men held her down, giving a woman the chance to pierce her with another needle, "Hold her down!" she shouted when Woman Woman managed to kick her shin.

Wonder Woman grit her teeth, trying to break through the chain. She had to get back. She had to make it back to Payback. To Phantom. To Soldier Boy.

"Neutralize her." another woman said once they noticed Wonder Woman's fights were growing weaker. Her eyes were becoming hazy while her pupils were blown wide.

Wonder Woman tried to remain awake, needing to get back to her family. She wanted to fight back but she was unable to lift her arms, feeling that the limbs weighed hundreds of pounds.

Just before Wonder Woman slipped under the darkness, she heard someone's voice from a distance, "We'll hide the body."

And she was gone.

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"But even then," Whitney sighed, standing from her spot besides Soldier Boy and Phantom, "I wanted to get back. I needed to get back to the both of you. I tried." she explained, helping the Supes stand.

"Fame or fortune? I never needed any of it... Because I had the both of you. To be honest, I never cared about being Vought's puppet, and sometimes I never cared about being a Supe. As long as I had the both of you, I was happy," Whitney sadly smiled, "Ben, I'm terrified. I'm terrified of what'll happen when this is all over. That you'll be gone again and I don't want that to happen because I just got you back, and I don't wanna let you go again. I can't." her voice lowered to a whisper, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Wonder Woman didn't know what to expect, but her eyes widened when Soldier Boy reached out to caress her cheek.

His touch was gentle, a stark contrast to his usual brutality and rage.

Wonder Woman leaned into his touch, her own hand coming up to rest against Soldier Boy's, "I'm always gonna find you. I'm always gonna find the both of you... And you'll just have to give me time to find you again." Soldier Boy whispered, noticing that they began to lean towards one another.

Once their lips were inches apart, they suddenly reappeared in Vought Tower.

"Kisses can come later. We still gotta find a way out of this mess," Phantom said, looking back towards Starlight as she continued to try and bring it down, "I can keep this shit up for as long as I want, but I doubt we wanna be here anymore." the Supe said, looking back at her friends.

Soldier Boy thought of something before he turned to Wonder Woman with a small smile, "I'll find you again. The both of you," he promised, looking back at Phantom, "drop it." he ordered, his chest beginning to glow.

It was odd to see. It felt like it was the first time Soldier Boy was able to control his newfound abilities.

Phantom's eyes began to glow as she readied herself, "See you on the other side, SB." she whispered, dropping the shield and allowing Wonder Woman to pull her back.

As Soldier Boy's chest began to glow, Phantom curled her fingers and different shields formed themselves around Ryan, Kimiko, Starlight, and M.M.

She was hoping Soldier Boy would take out Homelander and the rest would be safe, watching steam emit from Soldier Boy's body as the radiation continued to grow.

Phantom soon caught sight of Maeve in the corner of the room, "No!" she screamed, her eyes wide when Maeve speared Soldier Boy through the window and out the tower.

Wonder Woman watched them fall until she let go of Phantom and ran towards the window. Without any hesitation, she leaped through the broken glass, grabbing her lasso and swinging it towards Maeve. She was trying to reach Maeve before any harm could be done to her.

As Wonder Woman leaped through the window, Phantom heard Starlight warn her against following. Phantom ignored her words, jumping out the window and towards the destruction.

Phantom held her hands out, keeping herself levitated as she caught Wonder Woman in the red wisps. She knew Wonder Woman had Maeve tied in the Lasso of Truth, keeping them suspended as Soldier Boy exploded with power and destruction.

The sudden explosion made Phantom gasp as she tried to bring them to safety, cursing when she saw Maeve was still hit with the blast of power, "Hold onto her!" she shouted towards Wonder Woman as she flew across the city and towards a barren alleyway.

Wonder Woman held onto her lasso, pulling Maeve up and into her arms, "We have to set her down! She needs help!" she yelled up to Phantom, trying to find Soldier Boy in the rubble and debris of Vought Tower.

Without a word, Phantom lowered the three of them down in the shadows of the alleyway where Milo's car was parked.

Wonder Woman kept Maeve in her arms while Phantom knocked on the windows, "Maeve, if you can hear me, I'm sorry. They'll find you, I promise." the Supe promised, looking up when Mel got out of the car, "Hey, hey, it's ok. It's ok, Diana." she assured, taking Maeve from her arms.

Mel held Maeve up for a moment before setting her against the wall, "Milo already called Hughie. They'll know where to find you." she nodded, caressing her cheeks with gentle hands, "I promise you'll be ok, Maeve." she whispered, feeling herself smile when Maeve groaned, her good eyes barely opening, "T-Thanks, 'ou f-fucking bitch." she coughed out.

"We'll see you around," Mel said, stepping back and turning to the two Supes, "let's go. We still gotta find Soldier Boy." she said, climbing back into the car.

The moment Phantom climbed into the car, she froze when a dog found its way onto her lap, "Um, what the hell?" she questioned, looking down at the small, white dog.

Wonder Woman climbed in behind Phantom, stopping when she saw the dog, "Luna? Why's she here?" she questioned as Milo quickly drove off.

"We can't go back to the apartment. Not after this. Vought's gonna find us out and we can't be at the apartment when they do. Everyone's already cleared and we got to keep Luna." Milo explained, speeding through the streets.

Mel rolled her eyes at the thought, "So much for a safe haven. We packed our shit and now can finally activate Plan B." she soon smiled, looking through the windows as she tried to find Soldier Boy's body.

As they continued to search, there was nothing but rubble and debris of what was once Vought Tower. Milo continued to race through the street, avoiding the authorities as they evacuated the area, "He couldn't have died, right?" he asked, his voice low as he gave Mel a look.

But Wonder Woman was still able to hear his words. Her grip tightened on her lasso, trying to keep her head clear and not jumping to any conclusions.

She needed to focus. She needed to find her friend. Her love? No. Maybe. Fuck labels.

There was Whitney again.

"Oh! Oh, I see him!" Phantom shouted, pointing at a figure that was under the rubble. Wonder Woman was quick to open the door, gritting her teeth as she swung her lasso towards Soldier Boy.

The moment the lasso wrapped itself around Soldier Boy's torso, Wonder Woman grunted as she yanked him from the rubble and into her arms.

Phantom was quick to hand Luna to Mel before she was squished by Wonder Woman and Soldier Boy, grunting as her body was all but shoved into the car door.

Wonder Woman didn't pay any mind to anyone else, looking down at Soldier Boy with a warm smile. She gently caressed his cheek, running her free hand through his hair, "I'm here, Ben. I'm here, my love." the Supe whispered, her voice quiet enough for only Soldier Boy to hear.

At the sound of Wonder Woman's voice, Soldier Boy slowly raised his hand, his fingers wrapping around Wonder Woman's hand in a light grip. He was still there. He wasn't all gone.

It gave Wonder Woman peace of mind as they drove away from Vought and the rest of the city.

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After a few hours of being on the road, the car finally slowed to a stop in front of what seemed to be an abandoned warehouse with extra floors built on top.

It looked similar to the one Wonder Woman was trapped under for all those years. She eyed the building, nervously, standing beside Soldier Boy.

Milo held his and Mel's bags while Mel held the keys to the warehouse. The couple gave each other a look, having a conversation with one look.

They'd be safer out here than in the city. Everyone would be safer this way. They thought to themselves.

Phantom was holding Luna in her arms, not wanting to let the older dog out of her sight. It had only taken ten minutes before Luna and the young Supe would be inseparable. She even convinced Milo to start buying more sweaters for Luna, wanting to get a few matching ones, as well.

"It's not that I don't trust you two, but the last time I was near a building like this, I was frozen for over forty years." Wonder Woman said, turning her head when Soldier Boy placed his hand on the small of her back. A silent gesture of reassurance.

No harm would come to her. To either of them.

Milo softly smiled when he heard Wonder Woman's words, "Don't worry, Diana, it's nothing like that. Mel and I have had this place set up for years, and now we have a reason to use it." he explained, looking at the door when it pulled itself open.

And a young man appeared.

He was around Milo and Mel's age, dressed as if he just climbed out of bed with his pull-over and sweatpants; but Phantom was rather fond of his fuzzy socks and slippers.

He stared at the group before breaking out in a smile, "It's about time, assholes. We've been waiting ages." he chuckled, running his fingers through the black locks that curled with a single touch.

Mel stepped forward, reaching out to adjust his black-rimmed glasses, "Sorry, Wally, shit went down and now we have three more guests. We still have those open rooms, right?" she smiled, making Wally nod as he playfully slapped Mel's hand from his glasses, "Yeah, you're lucky Damian finished those." he answered, looking back at the group.

Milo chuckled at their antics before nodding for the three Supes to follow him, "Come on. We've got work to do and we sure as hell won't get anything done from out here." he said, following Wally and Mel inside.

Wonder Woman looked at Phantom and nodded for her to follow, "Go on, we'll be in soon." she assured, smirking when Phantom gagged, "Ew, guys, don't be fucking gross." she teased, walking into the warehouse and leaving Wonder Woman and Soldier Boy alone.

Once they were alone, Wonder Woman looked at Soldier Boy, "We're in deep, huh?" she softly chuckled, intertwining their fingers together.

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Soldier Boy chuckled, leaning forward to brush their lips against one another, "thank God we're still Wonder Woman and Soldier Boy." he whispered, his voice rough but finally familiar after all this time.

Wonder Woman smiled as she reached out, caressing his cheek, "Thank God we're still Whitney and Ben." she gently corrected, feeling Soldier Boy pull her closer, "Thank God for that." he whispered as Wonder Woman pulled him in for a proper kiss.

Finally, after all this time, being stuck in 2023 didn't seem so bad anymore.

But there was still the lingering thought of a certain Supe with the glowing, red eyes, because everything has never been what it seems.