"Lady Diana, did you meet Lady Victorious?" Mirela asked in a soft but curious voice.
"Do you mean Zora?" Diana blinked, the sudden change of subject catching her off guard. She was still sitting on the sofa in the room.
"Yes." Said the redhead standing in the same spot, her eyes lighting up. "She is an angel and a good person, don't you think?"
Diana's expression hardened. Her eyes, still red from crying, narrowed with barely concealed contempt.
"I hate that woman." The Amazon princess said with complete sincerity.
Diana did not want to hate someone manipulated by Doom. But the woman loyal to him had brought it on herself. Diana knew the reason she hated her was because she had used excessive force when she punched her in the stomach, driven by her desperation to escape from here.
"I think you are wrong, my lady. She deserves your respect. Did the master not tell you that she pulled him out of his self-imposed exile?" Mirela's smile faltered, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"What do you mean? How has Doom been in exile?" Diana's eyes widened slightly as she stretched her legs forward.
Mirela leaned forward, her expression turning thoughtful. She seemed to be weighing her words, deciding how much to share.
"I am going to inform you." The Latverian woman said slowly. "The terrorists… people who oppose the master, tried to seize power in Latveria. I do not know the reason for the master's exile. The terrorists hacked several Doombots. Lady Zora ordered the resistance against them one night in the middle of the war; she did not yet have her power at that time. Andrei and I were among them."
Diana continued listening, her mind racing.
"Terrorists? Doom exiled? Doom was expelled from his own country? Zora's powers?"
"The terrorists also seized Latveria's military weaponry. Many of ours have…" Mirela's voice grew somber. "Been wounded, and others were not so lucky; they died. Lady Zora went to find the master; according to our rumors, he was isolated inside Castle Doom. She pulled him out of his own exile."
Diana absorbed her words, her heart heavy.
"He was hiding. Isolated. Alone. Why?"
"She convinced Lord Doom to return." Mirela continued. "The master executed all the terrorists without mercy, destroying his own creations that had been hacked. He announced his return with that."
Diana remained silent, processing the information.
"He executed them. Doom showed no mercy. But they had attacked his nation, killed his citizens. Would I have done the same in his place?"
"That night. The master called Lady Zora as Victorious. He granted her his blessing and powers. I do not know the details." Mirela shrugged slightly.
"She has powers because of him. She is his champion. His Victorious."
Diana thought of Zora, of the yellow armor, of the staff that hummed with cosmic energy. She had sensed it when the reddish-haired woman had tried to attack her for asking about the location of the showers.
"I did not know that." Diana admitted, her voice softer. "But she is rude to me. That is why I hate her attitude."
"I think you are exaggerating, Lady Diana." Mirela tilted her head, a soft smile playing on her lips.
Then, with a mischievous glint in the redhead's eyes, she added: "I think you are jealous."
"Do not say things that are not true, Mirela. Now I am angry with you." Diana's eyes snapped toward her, her expression hardening.
Mirela's smile vanished. Her face turned pale. She quickly fell to her knees, her hands clasped together.
"Forgive me… my lady." She said, her voice trembling. "It was only an innocent joke. Please, do not tell the master. I do not want him to execute me. I do not want my child to live without his mother."
Diana stared at her, stunned by the sudden change in attitude.
"That bastard Doom has them well controlled and frightened. Everything looks nice on the outside but is macabre on the inside."
"Please, forgive me…" The young mother swallowed hard.
Diana extended her hand, resting it gently on Mirela's shoulder.
"No, Mirela, I will not. Do not worry. I simply did not like the joke."
Mirela was still trembling.
"Calm down, child. I will not tell him. Do not be afraid."
After several seconds, the Latverian's shoulders sank with relief. She looked up, her eyes shining with gratitude.
"Thank you, Lady Diana… That is why you are the only one who can face the Master's character."
Mirela formed a smile with a gleam in her teeth. Diana found it strange, almost unsettling.
"She is so devoted to him. So terrified of his punishment. What kind of rule creates this?"
"My lady, did you met Kristoff?" Mirela had another question for her future queen.
"Kristoff? I remember. The name Larin mentioned this morning."
Before Diana could answer, the bedroom door opened. Andrei entered, closely followed by Victor von Doom. The ruler's armored form filled the doorway, his green cape flowing behind him like a banner of authority.
"Mirela." Andrei said, his voice warm but urgent. "The master is telling me that lady Diana and he have to leave right now. It is late, dear."
Mirela looked at the clock on the wall. It read 8 PM. She rose from the floor, brushing off her tunic.
"It is true." She said, her voice sincere.
Doom's masked face turned toward Diana. His voice was low, almost mocking.
"It is time, Diana. Did you enjoy playing at being a mother?"
Diana sighed in annoyance, her jaw clenched.
"Playing at being a mother. He makes it sound so casual, so dismissive. As if my pain meant nothing."
She rose from the sofa, her legs unsteady beneath her.
"Andrei, you will not believe it." Mirela said, her voice controlled by emotion as she formed a smile. "Lady Diana has powers. She just confessed it to me."
Andrei's eyes widened.
"Is that true? No wonder when I shook her hand I felt tremendous strength."
Doom observed the scene; his mask betrayed nothing.
"She has stupendous strength." Victor von Doom said in a flat voice.
"I did not hurt you, did I?" Diana looked at Andrei, her expression softening with concern.
"Not at all, Lady Diana. I cannot complain about you." Andrei shook his head, a warm smile spreading across his face.
"What have lord Doom and you been talking about all this good while?" Mirela interrupted, looking toward Andrei, her curiosity awakened.
"Talking and planning the wedding."
Andrei's smile widened.
Diana felt a chill run down her spine.
"Wedding?" She asked.
"Our wedding. Lord Doom is so kind that he is going to cover the expenses." Andrei nodded enthusiastically.
"I thought they were already married." Diana thought with relief.
"Your Highness, we did not expect your great charity and we do not want to be a bother to you." He turned toward Doom, his voice full of gratitude.
"You are not. Just seeing you happy with your partner and my godson as well, my little subjects." Doom's voice was soft and almost paternal.
He extended his hand, his gloved hand stroking Andrei's hair with surprising gentleness. Andrei relaxed under his touch, his eyes closing briefly in contentment.
Diana watched the scene, her emotions a tangled mess.
"He is so kind to them. He cares about them. He saved their son. But he is also capable of executing terrorists and his own people without mercy."
"It is time, Diana." Doom withdrew his hand from the young man, his mask turning toward Diana.
Diana nodded slowly, forcing herself to move a little. She turned toward the young couple, her voice warm despite the turmoil inside her.
"Thank you, both of you, for your hospitality." She said with complete sincerity. "Good luck to both of you in life and little Luka. Hera blesses you three."
"The honor is ours, Lady Diana." Mirela's eyes shone with warmth.
"Protect the master with love…" Andrei stopped, his eyes studying Diana's face more closely. His expression shifted from warmth to concern.
"My lady, have you been crying?" The young father asked in a soft voice.
Diana's hand flew to her cheek, her fingers brushing the remains of her tears and her red face.
"No." She said quickly, her voice too sharp.
"It is true." Doom's mask turned toward her.
Diana met his gaze, her voice defiant. "No."
"Do not lie to me, Diana. I still see your dried tears on your cheeks. Tell me what happened." Doom's voice was low, insistent.
Diana remained silent, her jaw clenched. She could not tell him. She could not reveal her pain, her longing, and her shattered dreams. Not to Doom. Not to her captor.
Mirela was silent, her eyes downcast. Andrei's face was full of concern.
"If you are not going to tell me, then come to me and I will comfort you." Doom extended his arms, his voice softening.
Diana stared at him, her mind reeling.
"Comfort me. He wants to comfort me. The same man who kidnapped me, who violated my mind, who wants to force me to carry his child in my womb. The one who wants to impregnate me. Make me his future queen."
Her head began to hurt, a dull throb pulsing behind her eyes. The memories, the tears, and the confusion all swirled into a chaotic storm.
She believed the tyrant was still mocking her in secret.
"No." Diana said, the word escaping before she could stop it.
She touched her head, grimacing in pain. The young couple still watched with concern. Doom remained in the same position, arms extended, waiting.
Diana looked at him, at the man who had taken everything from her. She hated him. She resented him. But she could not deny the pull she felt toward him, the strange and unwanted tenderness that stirred in her chest for him.
"Why are you doing this to me?" she thought. "Why are you making me feel things I do not want to feel?"
She did not move. She could not.
"I will understand what is happening to you, darling." Doom still waited with his arms extended; his mask betrayed nothing.
She closed her eyes tightly. She did not want to look at the image of Victor von Doom, who claimed her as his own. She did not want that.
Then she opened her eyes again. The world had shifted. Now she was somewhere completely different. She was no longer in the young couple's cabin. She blinked, disoriented. The warm glow of the lamp in Mirela and Andrei's room had been replaced by the soft amber light of a large fireplace. The smell of farm animals had vanished, replaced by the scent of old books, polished mahogany, and the faint touch of night air.
She recognized the surroundings. It was familiar. Very familiar.
She was standing in the common room of Wayne Manor.
Her heart raced.
"Bruce's home. How did I get here?"
She looked at herself. She was still wearing the pink tunic Larin had given her, the soft fabric against her skin. She touched her face, feeling the lingering moisture of her tears.
"This is real. This is happening… I am free."
But it could not be. She had been in Latveria, standing before Doom, trapped in his world. How could she have shifted from one place to another, to her home?
"I am free…. Free from Doom…"
"Diana, are you all right? Why are you dressed in that medieval tunic?"
The voice was familiar, warm, and full of concern. She turned, her breath catching in her throat.
Bruce Wayne stood in front of her, only a few centimeters away. He was dressed in his black business suit, his dark hair slightly disheveled as if he had just returned from a long day. His blue eyes were fixed on her, his brow furrowed with concern.
She felt a sob rising in her chest.
"Bruce. He is here. He is real."
"Diana?" Bruce spoke, trying to pull her out of her mental trance. "Is everything okay?"
"It is real. Yes… I am back… Away from Doom. Away from that false utopia… I am home."
"Bruce!" She cried, running toward him. "Thank Hera!"
She threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. The tears came freely, hot and desperate against the fabric of his suit. She clung to him, her fingers digging into his shoulders as if he might disappear.
Bruce stiffened for a moment, surprised by the intensity of her embrace. Then his arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer.
"Diana, what is going on?" the billionaire asked, his voice soft but confused. "Why are you crying? What is wrong?"
Diana began to cry harder, terrified by what she had lived through with that bastard Doom. Her sobs echoed throughout the mansion.
Concerned for his ex and friend, Bruce sat on the floor, pulling her body down with him so they were both on the ground. Carefully he removed his black jacket and draped it around Diana's helpless body. He hugged her again.
"Shh!… Shh! It's okay, Di. I've got you."
Diana was still in a state of shock. Her mind spun in a thousand directions. The tears soaked into the white business shirt of the man.
"Shh! Calm down. You're home."
Seconds passed. Then minutes. They stayed like that for a good while. Neither of them calculated how long they remained in that position on the floor.
"Diana. Please! Tell me what is happening to you. I really need to know."
Trembling, Diana turned her gaze toward her ex-partner. She looked into the man's blue eyes. Their faces gently met.
"It was…. it was…. terrifying. He…. He... me…. at his... cy…. escape." She spoke desperately, stuttering.
"Calm down, Diana. Slowly." Bruce's grip tightened.
She sighed, steadying herself, and spoke softly.
"I felt broken, Bruce. It was terrifying. He isolated me from all of you. He kidnapped me. He kept me at his mercy. Please, do not leave me, Bruce. Do not send me back to him."
"From whom?" Bruce blinked, his expression shifting from concern to confusion.
"Doom." She said, frightened.
"Doom?"
"He violated me, Bruce. He violated me." Diana sobbed, her voice breaking. "He forced me."
"What?" Bruce's voice hardened, his eyes gleaming with cold fury. "Tell me that guy's full name. Tell me who he is so I can crush his face. Please, calm down. Tell me. He will regret it now."
"The guy… who stole Barda's Father Box…. The one with the hood and green cape…. From the recording you showed me… The one with the white eyes." Diana's hands trembled as she gripped his arms.
"Diana. Tell me. Where does he live?"
"Bruce… He ambushed me at the Watchtower. He defeated me. He forced me… He is forcing me against my will…"
"Di. I want to help you." Bruce's jaw clenched.
She took a trembling breath, her voice barely above a whisper.
"He is forcing me… to have a child with him…. He wants to make me the queen of his kingdom."
"What the hell?" Bruce looked at her, his expression a mask of controlled rage.
"It is true. Please, do not leave me alone today. Please, let us be together again. Together like before, keep me away from that masked guy. He has his entire nation manipulated the same way Darkseid does." Diana's tears continued to fall.
"How did things happen? How did you escape from that man, Diana?" Bruce asked, his hand wiping the tear-stained face of hers, keeping their foreheads together. His touch was gentle, his voice softening.
Diana tried to compose herself, her voice trembling. "I escaped from that guy's Earth. I do not know how, but I am here."
"Earth?"
"He comes from another Earth. He has subjected me to a brainwashing that forces me to love him. I need J'onn and Zee now so they can check my mind. He is using a copy of me to pose as me so that Clark, the rest of the League and you do not notice my disappearance. It is a robot disguised with my appearance. Please, tell me. Did you discover it?"
"I believe you, Diana. I see the truth in your eyes." Bruce's eyes narrowed with hers. "It seemed to me that you had a different personality. I am going to call Clark and J'onn to deal with that copy of you."
Diana nodded, relief flooding her. "Thank you! Thank you, Bruce. I love you."
"Di. Tell me which Earth? So I can find him." Bruce's expression softened, but his voice remained firm.
"I do not know. He told me it is beyond our multiverse." Diana shook her head, her voice trembling.
"I will investigate further. I will need your help to achieve it." Bruce squeezed gently. "Now, tell me the guy's full name."
Diana remained silent, her eyes wide open to nothing as if she had seen a monster. Her hands trembled at his sides.
"Diana, tell me the guy's name. When we have him here, I will make him pay." Bruce's voice repeated.
Diana shook her head, her voice full of fear.
"Please, Bruce, do not do it alone. That guy uses magic. That is why he is manipulating me. He has my belongings in his castle. My Wonder Woman suit. We have to go all together. That way we will defeat him. That guy does not deserve to be free. He is powerful. He has an army of robots and people loyal to him."
"All right. Now calm down, tell me his full name." Bruce nodded, his expression determined.
Diana took a long, shuddering breath. She looked into Bruce's eyes, her voice barely audible.
"Victor…. von…. Doom... Victor von Doom."
"All right. I will not leave you alone now. You are safe in my arms." Bruce's eyes hardened.
"Thank you, Bruce. Your security is unique. That is why I fell in love with you." Diana's face drew closer to Bruce's, her body still trembling with sobs.
Bruce held her close, his hand stroking her hair.
"Di. I am sorry for what happened between us. I was trapped between Selina and you. I regret ending what we had."
Diana pulled back slightly, her red-rimmed eyes holding his.
"I forgive you. But please, do not let that guy take me again and take me back to his home."
Bruce's voice was firm. "I will not, darling. I love you too."
Diana's heart swelled. She leaned forward, pressing her trembling lips to his. The kiss was tender, desperate, and full of all the pain.
"Thank you, darling." She whispered against his lips.
Bruce smiled softly. "It's okay, Diana."
She stayed in his arms, feeling the safety of his embrace. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, she felt safe since that horrible day Doom had appeared in her life.
Then the temperature in the room dropped.
"Mr. Wayne is embracing my future wife. Doom does not like you kissing my woman."
A sinister metallic voice cut through the warmth like a blade.
Diana's blood ran cold. Her body went rigid; her breath caught in her throat. She knew that voice. Doom.
"You betrayed me, Diana. You will be executed by my own hands when we return to Latveria." The voice retained its European accent.
Bruce tensed, his arms tightening protectively around her. He turned, eyes narrowed at the dark figure standing in the shadows several meters in front of them.
"Bruce! Get him away from me. Protect me." She spoke weakly, curling against the man from Gotham.
"You! Showing up again, you bastard. Months trying to find your whereabouts." Bruce demanded, his voice sharp and dominant. "How did you get in here?"
Diana turned, her heart pounding in her chest. The figure emerged from the shadows, his green hood casting his face into darkness, his emerald cape billowing behind him as if caught in an invisible wind.
"Diana. You did not tell your ex about us."
"Stay away from me, monster!" Diana screamed, the sound tearing from her throat.
Bruce held her tighter, as if her life depended on him.
"Victor von Doom..." The billionaire roared with fury.
"Just Doom to you." The figure kept his voice dripping with cold amusement.
"Bruce, do not let go of me." Diana gripped Bruce's arm, her voice frantic.
Bruce's jaw clenched. "Why did you dare to violate Diana? Answer me or I will make you pay for what you did to her!"
"I am the one who holds the power here, bat." The figure laughed, a low and chilling sound that resonated through the room.
Bruce's eyes widened.
"How do you know that?"
"Doom knows many things, Bruce Wayne. He knows your secrets, your fears, and your weaknesses. I am the man who hacked your satellite." Doom took a step forward, his presence filling the room like a storm cloud. "You are weak against Doom's intellect. He knows you failed to protect Diana Prince. And now, she belongs to him from the day I captured her."
"She does not belong to anyone!" Bruce's fists clenched, his face contorted with rage.
Diana remained frozen, still curled in Bruce's arms, not looking at her captor.
"Return my future wife to me." Doom's voice was calm, almost conversational, as if he were discussing the weather instead of threatening the lives of everyone Bruce loved.
"Never." Bruce's jaw tightened.
"Mr. Wayne would not want to know what I did to his butler and that annoying boy. He would not want to enter his Batcave." Doom's masked head tilted slightly, a note of dark amusement creeping into his voice.
Bruce's eyes widened. His grip on her loosened slightly as his body tensed with barely contained fury.
"What did you do to them, you bastard?" He shouted.
Diana's heart raced. She could feel Bruce's anger radiating from him like heat from a furnace. She clung to him again.
"Bruce, calm down. Do not let him provoke you. Do not leave me." She spoke with terror.
Bruce's eyes fell on her for a moment, a flash of hesitation in his gaze.
"Cooperate, Batman. You would not want to know what I did to your son from Blüdhaven with the blue and black suit or to your runaway son with the red helmet." Doom's voice cut like a blade.
Bruce's face went pale.
"What?"
"Do not forget the redhead with glasses. That Asian girl. Your other adoptive son. The blonde girl with the purple mask." Doom continued, his voice dripping with malicious pleasure.
"What did you do to them, you bastard?" Bruce's voice rose, raw with rage. He tried to stand.
Diana made the effort to keep him with her, her voice breaking.
"Bruce, please, do not go with him. Please."
"See for yourself." Doom's smile widened under his mask.
The ruler of Latveria reached inside his tunic, pulling out objects that made Diana's and Bruce's blood run cold.
Dick's electric escrima sticks, their tips faintly glowing, thudded to the floor. Jason's broken helmet, its red paint chipped and cracked, stopped at Bruce's feet. Tim's Bo staff, snapped in half. Barbara's broken glasses landed near Diana. Stephanie's purple mask, dirty only with blood. Cassandra's disarmed black rope, and Damian's broken mask followed, each one a silent accusation.
Bruce stared at the objects, his face a mask of horror and fury. His hands clenched tighter, his knuckles white.
"Bastard!" He roared with tearful eyes. "I am going to kill you!"
"No, Bruce. He is trying to make you lose your sanity." Diana's grip tightened on his arm, her voice desperate.
"Hand over the Amazon, Mr. Wayne. You would not want to see the worst."
Bruce took a step forward. Doom reached inside his green tunic again, this time pulling out an elegant black whip. The leather gleamed in the dim light, its handle familiar and unmistakable.
Bruce froze. His eyes fixed on the whip, his face draining of all color.
"Selina's whip." He breathed.
"I took care of that cat. Now you really are alone forever." Doom's voice was soft, intimate.
Bruce's face contorted with rage. Without a word, he lunged at Doom, his fist swinging with all the strength of a man who had lost everything.
"Bruce! No! He is going to kill you!" Diana screamed. "Do not leave me!"
But it was too late. Bruce crashed into Doom, driving him against the bookshelf; several books fell to the floor and onto the two men. Bruce pinned the hooded figure beneath him, his hands tearing at the green hood.
The Bat ripped the hood away.
Underneath was a robot. Faceless.
"What?" Bruce's eyes widened in shock.
Doom's voice resonated from the robot's speaker, cold and mocking. "I have killed her. I killed your lover."
"Damn it!" Bruce's face twisted with fury as he sobbed.
His fist fell with devastating force, punching through the robot's front plate. Sparks flew, circuits crackled, and the machine crumpled beneath him.
"Damn it. Damn it!" Bruce stared at the ruined robot, his chest heaving.
"Bruce, come here. He is gone. It is one of his tricks. Please, calm down. I need you." Diana's voice was soft behind him as she tried to stand, trembling.
Bruce turned, his eyes still burning with rage. He looked at her, his expression a mixture of fury and helplessness.
"Darling, he chose the cat over you. Let us go now, Diana."
A cold voice resonated behind Diana. Doom was behind her.
Diana turned. A portal had opened behind her, its edges crackling with green energy. Inside it looked like the mouth of hell itself: dark, vast, and full of invisible horrors.
In the middle of the portal stood her captor. Doom's unrestricted hand extended, wrapping around her right ankle and pulling her toward the abyss.
"Bruce, help me!" Diana screamed, her fingers clawing at the floor.
"Diana!" Bruce's eyes locked on her. He lunged forward, his hand reaching for hers.
But Doom's grip was relentless. He pulled her closer, his voice cold and triumphant.
"The pathetic bat chose his lover. You do not deserve to be with the weak like him."
Diana's fingers scraped against the floor, trying to find purchase. She had no strength. Her eyes fixed on Bruce's, her voice desperate.
"Bruce! Do not let him take me. Do not leave me!"
"Doom will grant you your wishes. The children you wanted with the blond pilot. Doom will give you everything he denied you." Doom's voice was dark, promising.
"Get away from me! I want nothing from you, monster!" Diana screamed, her voice raw with terror.
Bruce's fingers brushed hers, his voice desperate.
"Diana, do not go! I have you!"
But Doom's grip was stronger. Diana felt herself being pulled deeper into the portal, the darkness swallowing her inch by inch.
"Bruce, help me!" She screamed.
The last thing she saw was Bruce's face, twisted by desperation and rage. His hand did not reach hers; the distance was too great.
And then the darkness consumed her.
Now Diana gasped with her eyes open.
She was back in the Ivanov cabin. Mirela and Andrei were near her, their faces etched with concern.
Doom was here, in front of her with his arms still extended, his masked face tilted slightly as if he had been waiting for her.
Diana's chest heaved. Her face was full of tears. Her body trembled uncontrollably.
She looked at Doom, and for a moment she could not tell what was real and what was a nightmare.
"You are back, Diana." Then Victor spoke, his voice low and soft. "Come into Doom's arms."
She had had a premonition, a vision of the future or a nightmare moments ago. A replica of a nightmare. She did not know exactly how to put it. Her mind was her own enemy. Doom was her enemy.
But the nightmare still clung to her like a second skin. She could still feel Doom's grip on her ankle, still hear his mocking voice, still see Bruce's desperate face as she was dragged into the abyss.
Diana's breath caught in her throat.
She wanted to scream, run, escape, and cry again.
"Lady Diana, are you all right? Please, cooperate with the master." Mirela pulled her out of her trance, her voice soft and concerned.
Diana's eyes cleared further and locked onto the threat. She saw more clearly that Doom was still standing where she had left him. His masked face betrayed nothing, but she could feel his gaze on her, patient and waiting.
Something inside Diana broke.
"No!" She screamed, her voice raw with anguish. "I want nothing from you!"
Andrei and Mirela froze, their eyes widening in shock. The warmth of the cabin seemed to drain away, replaced by a cold, tense silence.
"Diana, stop your tantrums. Not here." Doom's voice was calm, almost dismissive.
Again, Diana's tears flowed freely down her cheeks. Her body shook with the force of her emotions.
"I do not want this life! I want nothing from you, von Doom! I do not want this life of yours!"
The peaceful sleep of baby Luka was shattered by Diana's screams. The little one's cries pierced the air, high and frightened.
"Perfect. Look what you have done, Diana." Doom's voice hardened.
Mirela went to her baby, lifted him from his crib, and tried to calm him.
But Diana was beyond concern. She was beyond reason. The nightmare had stripped away the last of her composure.
"I want to go back to my world!" She screamed, her voice breaking. "I cannot stand being here! I want my family! I want Bruce! I want Steve! I want to go home!"
She walked quickly toward the door, her movements jerky with barely controlled panic.
She needed to get out. She needed to breathe. She needed to escape right now.
"Diana, you are not going to escape from here." Doom's hand closed on her shoulder, his grip firm but not painful.
She spun around, her hand flying up to shove his arm away. The contact was brief, but the fury in her eyes was unmistakable.
"Do not follow me, monster!" She spat, her voice trembling with rage and tears. "I will destroy you if you try to stop me! I do not want you!"
"Do not do this, Diana. You are scaring the lads." Doom's voice was low, dangerous.
Diana froze. Her eyes darted to Andrei and Mirela, huddled together with the crying baby. Their faces were pale, their eyes wide with fear. They looked at her not with anger, but with confusion and concern.
The sight of them. The family Doom had saved, the people who had welcomed her into their home, brought her back to reality.
"I am sorry." Her voice dropped to a whisper.
She turned toward Doom, her eyes still burning with unsettled tears.
"I hate you." she said, her voice low and venomous. "I hate you with all my soul. Athena hates you, you damned bastard."
She turned and fled, running.
The door slammed shut behind her as she left the cabin. The night air struck her face, cool and crisp, carrying the scent of animals, pine, and earth. The stars shone above like a thousand distant promises.
Diana ran. She did not know where she was going, only that she needed to escape. The gravel crunched beneath her sandals as she ran across the yard, past the grazing livestock, past the quiet barn.
And then she was in the air, floating at great speed.
Her Amazonian strength propelled her upward; her body rose above the trees. The wind whipped her hair, cooling her face with its scratches.
The cabin door opened again; the sovereign of Latveria stepped outside with complete calm. He now stood in the open air, watching the direction where Wonder Woman was going.
"This woman does not learn." He whispered.
From his right wrist, he pressed a technological button.