The Amazon’s patrol route was a routine she could walk in her sleep, but today something felt off. A faint cry, a sound like an injured woman, drew her attention to an empty barn on the edge of the woods. Against all her training, she followed the sound.
The cry was a ruse. As soon as she was inside, a shadowy figure dropped from the rafters and landed silently behind her. She didn't even have time to turn before the sharp crack of a whip echoed in the confined space, the braided leather snapping just inches from her ear. The sound alone was a jolt of pure, primal terror. The whip-wielder stood in a ready stance, the coil of leather held loosely in her hand, a silent but clear threat.
"Don't even think about it," a woman's voice, low and crisp, commanded.
The warrior’s mind raced, searching for an escape. The thought of the leather lashing across her bare skin was a cold dread that froze her courage. Without a moment's hesitation, she slowly raised her hands, her body slackening into a posture of surrender.
"Now," the infiltrator said, "the uniform."
With a trembling sigh, the Amazon began to unbuckle her gear. She unlaced her sandals and stepped out of them, her bare feet touching the wooden planks of the barn floor. She was a stark figure of submission, standing in only her undergarments, her entire black uniform piled neatly at her feet.
The infiltrator, moving with practiced efficiency, retrieved a length of rope from her belt. She tied the Amazon's wrists tightly behind her back and then her elbows, using a series of complex knots that were both secure and deeply uncomfortable. The way the ropes were bound was so precise and methodical that the Amazon knew instantly that any struggle would only tighten the bindings and prove futile. With a forceful push, she made her kneel, then sit on her buttocks, and bound her feet tightly. The warrior didn't struggle; she didn't even flinch. The infiltrator moved her hands to the back of the kneeling Amazon's neck, then placed a blindfold over her eyes. The world went black.Finally, a strip of cloth was wrapped around her head and forced into her mouth, silencing any protest or cry. She was helpless, completely at the mercy of her enemy, all without so much as a single attempt to fight back.
She heard the rustle of fabric as the infiltrator began to change into her uniform. The new clothes were a perfect fit. The infiltrator then knelt beside her and placed a hand on the Amazon's shoulder.
"Good girl," the infiltrator said, her voice softer now, almost friendly. "You're a fast learner. Now listen carefully. When you are found, you will tell your superiors that you put up a tremendous fight. You will claim that I caught you off guard but that you were able to hold your own for a time before I finally subdued you. Say nothing of this... easy surrender. I assure you, it will save you a court-martial."
The infiltrator then stood, grabbed her own discarded jumpsuit, and walked out of the barn door, now fully disguised as the Amazon warrior.
