A spotted blur darted over the detecting laser alarms, deftly avoiding the security cameras. The blur whirled through the air, too fast for the untrained mortal eyes of the nightshift guard to see anything more than a flash of teeth and claws, before he fell to the ground, a growing crimson pool forming beneath his body.

The attacker flipped over the glass counter, finally standing still long enough to be seen clearly. A woman stood, gazing at the shimmering jewels beneath her with a predatory gaze. She was beautiful, in the same exotic and dangerous way a tiger or lion was. Yet the spotted fur that covered her skin and her wild mane of black hair spoke little of either of those felines. She most resembled a . . .

Cheetah!

The Cheetah shattered the glass counter with one swipe of her shimmering claws, the alarms disabled by those same weapons. She carefully selected the most beautiful and stunning gemstone, a deep, blue sapphire that almost glowed, reflecting in Cheetah's catlike eyes.

"Purrrrfect . . . "

Cheetah turned and bounded with feline agility out the shattered skylight of the jewelry store.

Diana Prince unconsciously smoothed out the wrinkles in her ebony gown. Her dress was custom designed, and appeared almost Grecian in style. Her hair, which she had allowed to grow out in her secret identity, was carefully styled, resting on one shoulder. Around her slim, white neck was a thin, glittering silver chain. The appearance Diana had chosen to adopt for her secret life as Diana Prince was very similar to her true appearance. The hair was roughly the same length, but her skin was a pale white, as apposed to the Mediterranean olive hue her skin normally held. Her eyes were still bright blue, but larger and softer, much like a lot of the ‘divas' she had seen on television. She was shorter, too, by about five inches, and slimmer, her body still athletic, but not as muscular as it normally was.

The air around the princess was filled with the intoxicating smells of exquisite cuisines, expensive champagne, and large amounts of perfume and cologne. Anyone with an undisciplined mind would have gone wild at the way these scents permeated Diana's Amazon senses.

I would have to say this is not enjoyable, Diana telepathically told Callista. These people . . . especially the males are staring at me . . .

The rich owner of Domaine Publishing nearly laughed aloud. She fingered the golden cat pendant she wore around her neck. Callista was dressed in a glittering, sequin-covered ebony dress that clung strapless to her athletic frame. The cat pendant had been polished and slipped onto a nicer chain to eliminate most of its garishness.

Oh please! she thought back. Your gold mask thing is only changing your facial features and hair. You've still got the body to drive guys wild!

True, Diana's curvy, voluptuous frame was attracting stares from the entire male attendance. Callista wasn't without admirers herself.

James never gawks at me like this . . .

"Calli!"

A pretty young woman decked out in a bright blue dress rushed towards Callista, her long brown hair streaming out behind her. Callista groaned as the woman pulled her into a tight embrace. The woman obviously paid a lot of attention to her appearance, as her skin was delicately powdered and her hair was shining in the light.

"I haven't seen you for SO long!" she cried. Callista was obviously uncomfortable, as several of the other partygoers were staring at the woman's exuberant display of affection.

"It's . . . um . . . nice to see you, too Debbi . . . " Callista mumbled, pulling out of the woman's hug.

"Who's your friend here?" Debbi asked, turning toward Diana.

"I'm Diana Prince. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Diana reached out to shake hands with Debbi.

"I'm Debbi Domaine, Calli's cousin! I'm so glad to meet you!" Debbi gushed, shaking Diana's arm enthusiastically.

Ditzy Debbi, Callista telepathically told Diana. Although she got better grades than I ever did.

"So, Calli, what's been up with you? I'm here to meet with a company about their new environmentally friendly processes . . . They've been polluting so many rivers, but it's starting to slow down now!" Debbi chirped.

"Debbi's an environmental zealot," Callista explained.

"Yep!" Debbi said proudly. "Why Calli, that's a gorgeous pendant . . . "

Debbi reached for Callista's golden pendant, but her hand was pushed away. "So . . . Callista, how has YOUR environmentally friendly way of gaining the paper for your magazines been going?"

Callista looked embarrassed. "Um . . . I have to go to the bathroom . . . I'll see you two in a sec . . . " Callista wove through the crowd to the side.

"So . . . Diana, was it? Where are you from? What do you do for a living?" Debbi probed, turning towards Diana. The princess gulped, as Debbi's demeanor reminded her of characters from some of the Japanese animation she watched on occasion.

"I'm from Crete. I really don't have an occupation, currently. What about y--"

"Oh. That's nice. Did you know that Blaire Warner, the hostess of this party, is going to present her newest acquisition tonight, the Hope Diamond? That's the reason for this whole shebang!"

Shebang? Diana thought quizzically. Angela Redgrave* never mentioned that word . . .

*( Angela Redgrave was the World War I pilot that crashed on Paradise Island. She taught Diana and Hippolyta how to speak English, in exchange for information about Amazon martial arts)

"The Hope Diamond?" Diana questioned.

Debbi was shocked. "You don't know about the Hope Diamond? Diana, dearie, you REALLY need to get out more! The Hope Diamond is an incredibly beautiful and valuable jewel that is rumored to bring bad luck to its owner."

"Really? Why would someone want it, then?" Diana was intrigued, but a loud shriek split the air.

"What the . . . ?" Debbi spun, chestnut hair whipping around her head.

Diana stepped carefully away from Debbi, weaving through the crowd in the same direction Callista had taken earlier.

"Diana, we'd better . . . Diana? Diana?" Debbi glanced around, but her companion had already vanished.

Diana ran into the bathroom, checked to make sure no one was there, and pulled the Mask of Proteus off her face. There was a crackle of electricity, and her stylish party dress became patriotic armor.

Wonder Woman sprinted out of the bathroom and back into the pandemonium of the ballroom.

The Amazon glided above the heads of the astonished crowd of millionaires, landing on the ground gracefully, only to behold a horrendous scene.

"Black Hounds of Hades!"

Three shapes lay in pools of blood, tattered strips of blue uniforms all over. Two other men clad in expensive suits were supporting a large woman clad in an unflattering velvet gown. She had obviously fainted.

"What happened here?"

"I'm not sure . . . I heard Madame Warner scream, and I ran in here. She had fainted, these guards had been killed, and the diamond was gone!" one of the men explained.

Wonder Woman felt a tingling on the edge of her senses. She spun, just in time to be tackled to the ground by a hissing figure. She felt a sharp sting in her shoulder; a claw had scraped across her olive skin, drawing a thin trickle of scarlet blood.

"By the Gods!" she cried. She shoved the monster's head away from her throat. Diana kicked out, and her leather sandal found its way into her attacker's torso. The feral monster was hurled away by Wonder Woman's powerful kick. She crashed against the wall, falling to the polished floor amidst flakes of plaster.

Diana leapt to her feet, and sized her opponent up. She wasn't as monstrous as Diana had first perceived. It was a catlike woman, with spotted fur. A long tail twisted around her in agitation, as two feline eyes glared at Diana with a cold, calculating rage. In one clawed hand she clutched a glittering gem.

Wonder Woman raised her fists, muscles tensed to fight. Her bracelets gleamed in the chandelier's light.

"Who are you? What do you want here?"

The creature smiled at Diana, fangs glistening with her saliva. "I'm the Cheetah! I want this jewel, and I'm gonna take it! But I'll kick your star spangled butt while I'm at it!"

"I don't suppose words can deter you from what you want to do, but I'll give you one chance to surrender!"

"Thanks, but I'll pass!"

Cheetah was a blur as she hurtled towards Diana. Centuries of Amazon training rushed back to Wonder Woman, and she rolled with the attack, using Cheetah's momentum to toss her through the air.

"Nice try, but it won't work!" Cheetah crowed as she flipped in midair, landing gracefully on her feet.

Wonder Woman sprinted towards her feline opponent, lariat in hand. The golden rope whirled towards Cheetah, who narrowly dodged it. Cheetah slashed out, talons aimed to rip open Diana's throat. The shimmering claws met one of Diana's Amazon Bracelets and glanced away with a horrible clang.

Cheetah attacked viciously and with deadly precision, managing to scrape Diana across the arm. Drops of crimson blood cascaded across the marble floor. Ignoring the pain, Diana leapt over Cheetah and nailed the feline monster with a powerful high kick to the back of her head. Wonder Woman pressed the attack, but Cheetah flipped out of the way.

Suddenly, Wonder Woman found something strong coiled tightly around her neck. She realized with horror that it was the Cheetah's tail, and was choking the very breath from her, yet holding the Princess of Themyscira a good distance away, so that her kicks and punches could not land.

Cheetah laughed as Wonder Woman struggled to pull the prehensile appendage away from her throat.

As stars began to blink before Diana's eyes, the Amazon realized she had to exert brutal force, or else she would be defeated, and Cheetah would be free to make off with the Hope Diamond and slaughter more innocents.

Diana grabbed Cheetah's tail and tightened her grip, exerting a powerful strength that could move mountains. The bones in Cheetah's tail began to buckle and snap, and the feline cried in pain, flinging Diana into the wall.

"Oomph!" Wonder Woman struggled up, breathing hard. Though she could hold her breath for hours at a time, she had not been able to inhale before Cheetah's attack.

Cheetah turned towards Wonder Woman, and pounced on the Amazon, her eyes flaring with an animalistic rage.

"Gaea!"

Diana fought back fervently, but Cheetah was driven by her fury, and the Amazon Princess was sent to her knees before the raging creature, her bruised and bloodied frame was flung back with a sharp crack against the wall. The brave souls who had not fled gasped in astonishment and horror, as their heroine was defeated before their eyes.

O Gaea . . . divine Earth Mother . . . you who birthed the sky and the sea . . . I pray thee, send thy wayward daughter aid!

The earth lurched and the mansion shook violently. Flakes of plaster tumbled like snowflakes from the ceiling, and the quake sent the terrified partygoers to their knees. Cheetah did not fall, but let up on her violent attack for the moment Wonder Woman needed to strike.

And strike she did, sending the feral villainess into and through the wall. Cheetah was hurled into the next room in a shower of plaster.

Cheetah groaned, in a daze, as Wonder Woman advanced once more, bleeding profusely from her fresh, yet already healing wounds. With a hiss, Cheetah darted to the side, away from Wonder Woman's lasso and hurled a huge chest of drawers towards her, which smashed the princess back through the hole in the wall.

Diana burst from the splinters of wood, but Cheetah had gone.

"Son of a Sire!" Diana cursed.

Wonder Woman darted at high speeds into the restroom. She pulled the flexible metal of the Mask of Proteus from her girdle and pressed it to her face. With a burst of light, she was Diana Prince. She gazed at her cut and bruised body in distaste, and ripped her clothes where her cuts were located.

I will just have to say I had a run in with the horrible monster!

Diana turned, and gasped at the sight. Callista lay on the floor, unconscious.

"Callista!" Diana knelt by her friend, shaking her softly. Callista moaned, pushing up. Before she could speak, she cried out in pain, holding a slender hand to the back of her head.

"Aaah! Oh my God . . . "

Diana moved swiftly and gently, turning Callista over and examining the back of her head. Diana could feel a large lump swelling beneath Callista's fair hair, and her slim index finger pressed a pressure point to numb the pain.

Callista groaned, blue eyes fluttering. "Oh . . . what happened?"

"I think you were attacked by the Cheetah . . . "

"The wha . . . ? Blaire keeps a cheetah . . . ?"

Diana shushed her friend. "I explain when your wound has healed. For now, we had better leave."

Callista pushed herself into a sitting position, earning an angry protest from the large cat sleeping on her stomach.

"Sorry Phil . . . Wha . . . what happened?" she moaned. Callista's memories of the last few hours were a fragmented swirl of pain, screams, and . . . a cheetah?

"Callista! You're awake! Thank Hera!"

Diana walked slowly into the room, still disguised as Diana Prince. She wore, however, a loose violet blouse and a black skirt. Her raven hair was pulled away from her concerned face into a ponytail.

"D-Diana, what happened?"

"You were attacked, Callista, by a villainess known as ‘The Cheetah' when she tried to rob the party. I attempted to stop her, but she escaped."

"W-wow . . . "

Debbi, Ororo, and James Grande followed Diana into Callista's bedroom.

"Calli! Thank goodness you're all right!" Debbi cried, giving Callista a huge hug after setting the ginger colored cat in her arms onto the ground.

"Oof . . . Debs . . . you're squishing me!"

"Oh! Sorry . . . "

"I am thankful you have not suffered too great of injuries, Callista," Ororo said politely. She was clad in traditional African attire; a long, colorful dress. Her flowing white hair was pulled from her head by an equally vibrant ribbon.

"Yeah, I'm glad too," James mumbled. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a jacket pulled over a rumpled shirt. A Braves baseball cap was arranged on his head, and Callista guessed that Diana had woken him up. "Diana's a whiz with shiatsu and stuff . . . "

"What are you two doing here?" Callista mumbled, pointing at Debbi and James.

"Well, of course I came to see if you were okay!" Debbi cried, almost insulted. She faked a pout.

"Di called and said you had been attacked at a party, so I came to see if you were okay," James explained.

Callista sighed. "Thanks. You too, Debs . . . But I think I need some sleep . . . "

"Yes, the pressure points and herbs Ororo and I used to heal your wound do have a tendency to make users rather drowsy . . . Everyone out!" Diana ordered.

Diana began to steer the group out of Callista's room, and the socialite lay down and began to drift off into a deep sleep, aided by the incense that Ororo had placed by her bedside.

One of the large doors to Callista's bedroom creaked open, as a dark, feminine figure stole silently in, bare feet padding across the plush carpet. She glanced around. Callista was sleeping soundly on a huge bed, a tiny dresser with incense burning silently stood next to the large bed. Silken curtains covered the huge window, and chairs and dressers were arrayed tastefully around the humongous room. A glimmer of gold caught the corner of Debbi's greedy eye, and she spun towards the small dresser near to Callista's bed.

Debbi crept over, scooping the gold necklace into her hands. She breathlessly beheld it, running the tips of her fingers over the intricate carvings, feeling the cold metal against her warm skin. Her long fingers played with the fine links of golden chain.

"Beautiful," she purred. She began to creep away, but Callista suddenly sat up straight in her bed, startling Debbi. Callista's eyes were tired and red rimmed, and her usually neat blonde hair was ruffled and disorderly. The look of anger she gave Debbi chilled the party-girl to the bone.

"Put it back, you little bitch!" Callista cried. She kicked off her silken sheet and rolled out of bed.

Debbi turned to run, but Callista dove at her, tackling her around the waist. Debbi spun and scratched her cousin's face; her manicured nails drawing red lines across her cheek. Callista responded by slapping Debbi across the face, then judo tossing her across the room.

"You've gotten better at your kung fu!" Debbi laughed.

"Much better than you'd suspect!" Callista smiled evilly, dangling the pendant from its long chain.

"How the—"

Callista slipped the pendant around her neck, as Debbi attacked again, only to hesitate, when the pendant disintegrated into a fine yellow mist. Callista inhaled the mist, and shuddered in ecstasy. Her nightgown melted away as her blonde hair darkened to black and flared out in all directions. A fine fur sprouted over her skin, and her nails elongated into sharp, wickedly curved claws.

"Oh my God!" Debbi screeched, backing away in fear.

"I'm not sure if you saw me at that snob-fest, but allow me to introduce myself anyway. I'm the Cheetah, feline plunderer of treasure," Callista laughed. Her voice had gone from a lilting, musical tone accented with a slightly Southern touch, to a rough hiss, like dry leaves tumbling in an autumn breeze.

The Cheetah began to creep towards her slowly, as Debbi uttered a low moan of terror. A sudden war cry rang out, and a blur smashed into Cheetah. Diana of Themyscira, wearing a silken Greek tunic, slammed the beast into the ground.

"Debbi! Get away!"

Cheetah hissed and used her powerful legs to assist her in judo throwing Diana into the wall.

The Cheetah advanced on Diana, but a bright streak of lightning struck her in the side.

"RRAAARRRROOOOWWRRR!" Cheetah yowled as she spun, her fur standing on end and tendrils of smoke curling up from her body, to face Ororo.

Diana sprang forward and punched Cheetah squarely in the back, sending her flying toward Ororo, who battered her with winds. The two began a sort of volleyball game, sending the feral villain sailing back and forth between them.

Cheetah's tail whipped out, grabbing the chandelier that hung from the high ceiling of Callista's bedroom. The chandelier fell from the ceiling, unable to support Cheetah's weight.

Cheetah hurled the chandelier at Diana, and then whipped her tail across Ororo's face before scrambling out the window to freedom.

Diana brushed off the shattered crystal, and walked towards Ororo, checking the bright red welt that was forming on her face.

"Are you all right?" she asked Debbi as she confirmed that Ororo was only stunned. The demigoddess was already beginning to regain her senses.

"Diana Prince? Is that you? You're Wonder Woman?" Debbi asked in amazement.

Diana nodded. "Yes I am. Where is Callista?"

"You saw her! I'm not sure what happened . . . but that cat-thing was her!"

"Bright Lady preserve us," Ororo gasped. "I thought I had recognized the pendant she was wearing! It was the Amulet of Bastet, the Cat Goddess of Ancient Egypt. It is said to give the wearer of it extreme power and the skills of Egypt's finest warriors. It transforms them into Bastet's ‘avatar' . . . "

" . . . And, bound within it, is a strand of Gaea's Lasso!" Diana realized. "I remember when the Amulet of Bastet was created! The Cat Goddess wished to give it to her highest priestess, and Gaea gave her a strand of the lasso to meld into it to grant the necklace indestructibility!"

"I guess it's my turn to add to this," Debbi said.

"Yes?"

Debbi's face was full of concern. "It's something Callista probably never told you, but . . . "