Never give up!

The check arrives. Your date pulls out a shiny black credit card whose limit has gotta be 10x yours, but you wave her off. “It’s the least I can do,” you insist as the waiter runs your card. Diana is nonplussed, but shrugs as if to acknowledge it’s the closest to an apology she’s likely to get.

Neither of you say a word as you rise and head for the elevator – what is there to say? You’re only vaguely aware of the other diners as you cross the room, and barely hear the hostess’ polite sendoff.

The elevator door opens and Diana precedes you inside. You stand side by side, awkwardly staring at the door. (At least it feels awkward to you.) The car starts moving upward, but after only a couple second it starts slowing down again. Your companion tenses and shifts her weight into a more balanced stance as she realizes it’s far too soon to be at the surface. She shoots you a look, which you ignore as the car stops and the doors open to reveal…

…a parking garage. “My car is here,” you mutter as you step out of the car into the small, mostly empty garage. You turn back towards Diana, beautiful in her slinky green dress, relaxing as she realizes there’s no threat here. You reach out and press the call button to hold the door open and say, “Do you have the lasso with you? I would like to promise you something.”

The Amazon gives you an appraising stare, but you can’t risk looking her in the eyes so you keep your head down, doing your best to look hangdog. She nods and produces the lasso from somewhere.

The moment the golden rope comes into view, you press the button next to the call button. The one that triggers the old H.I.V.E. security system you restored. Diana’s athletic body stiffens as she’s hit with enough high voltage current to fry a normal person. She throws her head back and lets out an pained cry.

Which means the gas sprays right in her face and she sucks in a lungful before realizing it. Her expression goes from agony to horror as the oily smoke coats her lungs. Struggling against the electricity surging through her body, the Amazon braces one foot against the back wall of the car, and launches herself forward out of the elevator. She succeeds in breaking free of the current, and face plants unceremoniously on the floor in front of you.

Almost instantly the warrior princess tries to stand, but the gas is already affecting her nervous system and disrupting her balance, so she barely makes it to her knees. Her black hair comes free and whips back and forth as she shakes her head to try and clear it. One hand tries to wipe the stinging vapor out of her eyes with her scarf; ironically she wouldn’t be able to see at all if those oversized glasses hadn’t caught most of the spray. The other hand goes to her neck as she struggles to breathe through the crap in her lungs.

But neither hand manages to hold onto her lasso, and you’re able to snatch it up where she dropped it. At the last instant she senses what you’re doing and swings a fist in your direction, but she’s off balance and you were expecting it, so she misses you. It’s a simple enough matter to drop a loop of golden cord around her shoulders and pull it tight.

Wonder Woman lets out a wild cry like a caged animal, but between the lasso and the gas she barely resists at all as you push her down onto the floor. Nor does she resist as you pin her arms behind her back and tie her wrists together.

She’s breathing more easily now as the spray in her lungs is absorbed into her bloodstream, but her breathing is slowing way down. She tries to say something – probably calling you a mendicant or whatever – but her words are slurred and hard to make out.

Still straddling her pinned and bound body, you grab a handful of black hair and pull her head back so you can see her face. Her eyes are unfocused and she’s fighting a losing battle to keep them open as you lean close and whisper in her ear, “I promise…that we are not done with each other. Not by a longshot.”

You think she heard you but you can’t be sure. Her eyes flutter closed and her whole body goes limp as the gas puts her to sleep.