Attempt to catch the thief

Defender knew she couldn't just ignore the Phantom Ace. She had to bring him to justice. Wit the thief long gone, she decided to return home. Once she arrived, she ran some test on the playing card to see if there was anything she could descern from it but there wasn't much. No finger prints, no transmitters, as far as she could tell, it was just a regular playing card. Coming up empty, she decided to call it a night. Stripping off her costume, she didn't even bother to put nightware as she fell into bed. As she lay there her thoughts drifted to the thief. Despite her own frustrations with him, she couldn't help but admit that there was something about him. He knew the source of her powers, had her at his mercy yet he chose not to do anything with that knowledge. There was a strange sense of honor to him. Not to mention he was rather easy on the eyes. Rebecca shook her head. These where not thoughts she wanted to have.

The next morning, Rebecca called out of work and called in a favor with one of contacts to get the blue prints for the museum. She combed over them for hours, trying to figure out some way for the thief to get in but she couldn't think of anything obvious. She decided that her best bet would be to be the final line of defense. Dressing in her typical star spangled bikini unitard and cape, she headed over to the museum. THe police on guard where more than happy to let her into the display. Locking the doors behind her. Once thing that Defender noticed that she found strange was that Felix Hardy wasn't among them. She pushed those thoughts out of her head as she waited for the Ace.

"I must say dear Defender, Red White and Blue suits you much better than black. Very fetching." Defender looked all over the display room, looking for the source of the voice she recognized as the Ace. "Show yourself thief. Right now!!!" As Defender made a 180 turn she yelped as she was suddenly meant with the presence of the Phantom Ace. "Evening Love." "I TOLD YOU TO STOP CALLING ME THAT!!!" She yelled as she dove towards the Ace, who casually stepped out of the way as she hit the ground. The Ace just laughed as he walked away towards the painting. "You are just too much fun Love." Defender got back up and took a fighting stance. "Don't even think about it Jack. I'm not letting you out of hear with that painting and neither are the police. Their all over the place." "Where..." "What?" "They where all over the place. They all kind of ran off in pursuit of the Phantom Ace." Defender was confused. "But....wait....you're." Ace looked over his shoulder at the heroine. "Hardy told me you where crafty." Ace chuckled. "He'd have caught me by now if I wasn't." "Well like I said, You aren't getting out of here with that painting." Ace turned around to face the Heroine. "And how do you intend to stop me if you can't even touch me?" Defender again took her fighting stance. Really she didn't have plan. She wasn't sure how she was going to stop Ace.

Her thoughts where interupted however by the sound and sight of something smashing through a wall and into the display room. As the dust settled, Defender's eyes settled on something she really didn't want to see right now. Standing in the rubble was a woman who stood 10 ft tall. She was dressed in a manner similar to a Spartan, complete with armor and all. Defender recognized her: Sparta. The two had tangled before and Defender had yet to actually get the better of her. She had foiled her plans on a few occasions but never won a fight against her. She looked towards the two. She could see a the same cold look in her eyes she had come to know all to well. "Defender? Why am I not surprised that you are here." Defender took another fighting stance. "What do you want Sparta?" "My business isn't with you Defender." She pointed at the Ace. "It's with him." Ace pointed at himself. "Uh...me?" She started taking slow mencing steps towards the two. "Yes. This town belongs to The King. No crimes happen without his say so. You are trespassing on his turf." The Ace chuckled. "Oh Kingpins. They always think they can stop me." Defender was dumbfounded. This monster of a woman just busted through a wall he was laughing at the fact she was coming for his head.

Sparta was standing just next to Defender now. Looking down on her with seething hatrad. "As much as I would like to pummel you Defender, my business is not with you. Stand aside or else." Defender thought about this. She knew she couldn't just let Sparta kill Ace but then again, what could she really do to stop her? She'd just be getting into a fight she couldn't win.