Curia the Amazonian Wonder Woman returned home at the end of her long work day, tired but content after thwarting a supervillain's world-threatening scheme, stopping a dozen major crimes in the city, and rescuing several residents from an apartment fire. Today had been the last of her four scheduled shifts in a row. Now she would have time to herself for the next two days. She could relax, get in some reading, catch up on Netwatch shows, and maybe even go out in her civilian identity to enjoy the world without having to protect it.

To start it all off, she would indulge in a hot shower, followed by a spin in her massage chair. Yes, that's what she would do. Carefully removing her golden tiara, lasso, belt, and bracers, she placed them in their protective holding case in her armoire. Then she unzipped her knee-high red boots and stepped out of them. Now dressed only in her red bustier and blue skirt, she walked barefoot over to the mirror to observe herself. Without ego, she eyed her tall, leanly muscular physique approvingly. She still had what it took to fight the good fight.

But she did notice a weariness in her own eyes. Even Amazons could eventually get tired. All right, then, she thought. Shower. Massage. Two or three episodes. A chapter or two in bed. Then...sleep. She smiled at her plan and moved to carry it out.

Several minutes later, the shower remained dry and unsteamed. Despite her promise to herself, Curia had diverted from the bathroom to her den. There, she had opened up her official heroine email and begun reading through the messages that she hadn't had time to check while on duty. Just for a minute, she told herself. Just to make sure nothing urgent came through. And then I can relax. Then I can enjoy my days off. Shower, massage, shows, book, sleep...in just a minute.

Perhaps if she hadn't come across that one particular message, she would have stopped in just a minute, or perhaps she wouldn't have. But she did come across it. And it derailed everything.

The message originated from City Watch, a joint police-hero task force that Curia was a member of. It provided information on an unidentified civilian woman and asked for all personnel to be on the look-out for her. It also included a video that city detectives had procured. Curia clicked on the file to open it.

The video showed a nightmarish scene: A woman whose face had been digitally obscured sat in something akin to dentist's chair. She wore a blouse, skirt, and nothing on her feet. Thick metal bindings around her wrists and ankles kept her firmly in place. A small, dome-shaped helmet covered the top portion of her head. Amber light pulsed rhythmically inside it. The woman squirmed helplessly and pleaded in a voice that had been electronically distorted:

"No! No, please! Stop! Stop, please! My head! My head! I can't…! I don't…!"

Curia watched in horror. What was being done to the poor woman? Who was doing it? What did they want? The woman in the video continued her utterances.

"I...I...I obey...I obey. I obey my master. I obey my master. I obey my master…."

Brainwashing! Curia thought as the video ended. We have to help that woman! I have to help her! But how?

She replayed the video, looking for any possible clues as to who the woman was and where it had been shot. But she could find none. The background was nondescript. The woman's face and voice were masked. Curia found herself at a loss and realized that City Watch probably did, too, hence their sending out the file to members in the first place.

Again and again Curia watched the video until, finally, she admitted that she had no ideas. For the moment at least, she would have to let it go.

Now exhausted, she forewent her shower, massage, shows, and book, and went right to bed. But sleep eluded her. All she could think of was the poor woman in the video.

She got back up, returned to her den, and rewatched the video. It continued to both bother her and provide her with no new insights. Sighing wearily, she went back to bed.

Curia slept little and got up the next morning still feeling tired. She made coffee, fixed breakfast, and then carried both into the den. She watched the video. Neither caffeine, nor food aided her in finding out anything useful. She pulled herself away and took a shower. She dressed in a clean bustier and skirt, and then sat in her massage chair. Halfway through the massage, she stopped it. Back to the den and the video. Nothing new. She exercised and practiced battle maneuvers. She knew the routines by heart, but she wasn't into them today. Back to the video. Still nothing. She painted her fingernails. Video. Nothing. Then she painted her toenails. Video. Dead end. More coffee. More food. Video. Video. Video.

Nightfall brought a despairing sense of failure. The predicament of the woman bothered her. But upon the umpteenth viewing of the video, Curia realized something else bothered her, too. What was it? Why couldn't she let it go? Numerous detectives, crime fighters, and heroes had received the message from City Watch. Wouldn't one of them solve the case, even if she couldn't? Yes, that was likely. So what bothered her?

Curia pushed herself away from the desk--and from the video that played on her screen--and closed her eyes. What is bothering me? she asked herself. Think. I know myself. I know how I feel. I know what makes me tick.

Her eyes shot open as realization struck her. No! It couldn't be! But it was. Curia knew now that the video didn't just bother her. It hot and bothered her. She was aroused by what was being done to the woman.

In disbelief, she started the video again. She watched the helpless woman, who was bound, barefoot, and being brainwashed. Curia's cheeks flushed, partially in embarrassment and partially due to arousal. She had sometimes desired other heroines before and occasionally acted on that desire. But this wasn't a heroine. It was a civilian. She didn't know the woman, and she wanted desperately to help her. But, apparently, her body wanted something else.

The video stopped. Curia started it again. Then she sat back in her chair and put her bare feet up on the desk on either side of the screen. As the scene before her played out, she put one hand down the front of her skirt and the other into the cup of her bustier. She began touching herself in all the ways she enjoyed.

When the bound woman in the video exclaimed for the final time, "I obey my master," Curia let out of wavering sigh. She removed her hands from herself and lowered her feet.

"Oh, boy," she said. "Well, hopefully that cleared my head. I think it's time to remove myself from this case and let someone else handle it. I have one more day off, then it's back to work. So, time for some Netwatch."

Curia watched a couple of episodes of her favorite show. They amused her, but not in any fulfilling way. She turned to the book she'd been reading. It garnered the same result. Now it was late, and she decided to retire for the night.

In bed, she got herself off again to her mental image of the bound, barefoot, brainwashed woman. Feeling better if somewhat guilty when she had finished, she drifted off to sleep.

She began the next morning with her bare feet up on the desk and touching herself, as she stared at the video yet again. But this time, it didn't work for her the way it had before. At first she was glad. Maybe she really had gotten it out of her system. But then she realized no, that wasn't it. The video still aroused her. But she needed something else, too. What was it?

"Oh my gosh," Curia said when she finally realized what it was she needed to satisfy herself. "I can't believe it. Why would I want that? Well, I do. So, here goes…"

The video began again, and so did she.

"I want...I want to be...I want to be brainwashed! I want to be brainwashed! I want to obey my master! Make me obey, master! Make me o-oh-ohh! Ohhh!"

Curia finished with a huge grin on her face. She had never reached such heights, nor felt so amazing. Nor had she ever known that she possessed such a fetish. Did she really want to be controlled? Brainwashed? Made to obey? Her still tingling body said yes.

For a time, she was sated. She got back to her normal routine for the day--exercise, practice, shower, eating, reading, relaxing in front of the TV.

In the evening, though, she began to feel the need again. Seated on the couch with a book in her hand, she shrugged and decided to get in as much as she could while she still had time. She put the book down, her feet up, and her hands in place. Then she closed her eyes and thought of the bound, barefoot, brainwashed woman in the video.

"I want to be brainwashed! I want to obey my master! Make me obey, Master!"

But as had happened that morning, she couldn't get satisfaction this time. Did she need to actually watch the video? No, she had the images firmly implanted in her mind. Had she been mistaken about her desires, about her newfound fetish of being controlled? She didn't see any way that was possible, after the amazing results from earlier. Then, what?

Instinctively more so than by rational thought, Curia got up and walked to her bedroom. Once there, she took off the clothes she was wearing. Then she took out and dressed in civilian garments, specifically a blouse and skirt. Leaving her shoes off, she walked over to her mirror. With a brush and some hairpins, she styled her hair differently than she wore it as a heroine. When she was finished, she exited the room.

Back in the den, Curia started up the video again. As soon as it had started and the woman had come onscreen, she paused it. Even with the woman's face obscured and the helmet covering the top of her head, Curia could make out much of her hairstyle. Her blouse and skirt had always been clearly visible.

Curia looked carefully at the woman on the screen and then down at herself. She did this several times. Then she nodded. It was clear. So perfectly clear. How had she not seen it before? How had she not noticed?

The woman's hair, blouse, skirt matched Curia's perfectly. They matched because the woman was Curia.

The Amazonian Wonder Woman sat back in her chair. She put her bare feet up on the desk on either side of the screen and then restarted the video. As the scene before her played out, she put one hand down the front of her skirt and the other inside her blouse. She began touching herself in all the ways she enjoyed.

"I have been brainwashed! I have been brainwashed! I must obey my master! I must obey my master! Command me, Master! Command me, Master!"

Curia finished with a dazed expression on her face. She stared blankly ahead as she removed her hands from herself and put her feet down. Reaching for a phone, she dialed a number that she didn't consciously know and had never called before.

"Yes?" a voice on the other end of the line said.

"This is Curia. I have been brainwashed. I must obey my master. Command me, master."

"Excellent. My experiment worked. You remained in my power, even after I awakened you and let you go. Now, here are your instructions, slave…"

Curia listened intently to her instructions. She acknowledged them obediently, then hung up the phone. She stood, raised her arms out in front of her, and walked out of the room. She returned to her bedroom, stripped off her civilian clothes, and dressed in her Amazonian uniform.

"I must be barefoot for my master," she said, leaving off her boots as she had been commanded to do.

Then, holding her arms out in front of her as she went, she exited her home. She took to the air in flight, repeating over and over again her mantra of submission:

"I have been brainwashed. I must obey my master. I have been brainwashed. I must obey my master…."