Diana's heart rate sped up. There was her answer, then. Natasha was just hopped up on the emotional manipulation of Shrinking Violet. If that was the case, then three girls would have to stay tiny: with a four-dose bottle, and seven total shrunken girls, the math did itself. Still, Diana had trouble deciding who.

Natasha was a definite. A girl like that, with the deal placed before her as it was . . . There was no question. 

Val was also a definite in Diana's mind, for a totally different reason: she was too smart, too manipulative, too goddamn good at playing Diana's heartstrings to be kept in her home any longer.

Becky was pretty likely, given that she was currently needing to be licked and warmed by Diana's tongue- the tiny girl wouldn't survive much longer, all things considered.

That left Rei, Tamara, Paris, or Kayla as the fourth potential Musketeer to be set free. There was good reason for Diana to let each go: Rei was apparently the planning type, Tamara was damn-near innocent all things considered, Paris was definitively harmless, and if the lanky ravenette had to hear Kayla's irritating voice again she would scream.

However, something snapped Diana from her thoughts. 

"STOP, PLEASE, I JUST CAN'T-" Becky screamed, struggling against the wet muscle that gripped her.

Diana pulled Becky up to eye level, where the little one was sobbing uncontrollably. "What's going on here, Becky? Give me the truth, and everything will turn out okay."

"I was gonna get you on my side, and Val, and Natasha, and fucking Val, and, and, and . . . I can't. I'm scared," she deflates, devolving into pathetic weeping.

"That answered no questions, Becky," Diana sighed. "Try telling me again."

"Val's gonna get away with killing Lynn, and Penny, and Andrea . . . I didn't want that to happen," Becky said softly. 

"And you tried to seduce me, like Val did, to get rid of Val herself." Diana had begun to catch on. "That doesn't strike you as ironic at all?"

Becky nervously shrugs. "I-I don't know, I mean- I've never been very smart, and when I started getting really cold my brain just kinda closed up shop." The tiny, skinny girl trembled, before adding, "Please don't hurt me."

Diana frowned. "While I don't appreciate you trying to lead me on, I get why you did it. Just promise me you won't do that again, and all's forgiven. Okay?"

Becky immediately brightened. "Okay. I can do that!" Noticing Diana had yet to put her down, however, her smile faded. "What . . . what're you . . . thinking about?"

Diana sighed. "Well, a plan like that doesn't spring up from a lack of brainpower. It's really stupid, yeah, but it requires some thought. Someone put you up to this," Diana said seriously, her eyes passing over the girl's on the table. "Who?"

"Val did!" Becky quickly squeaked.

"Val?" Diana deadpanned. "Val . . . who tried to murder you all out of selfish motives, including to to save her own life . . . suggested you try to get in my pants, to kill her." The Amazonian ravenette raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't that sound just a little weird to you?"

"It's the truth, swear to God it's the truth, Diana," Becky quickly said.

"Even if it is," Diana said angrily, "it's suspicious as fuck! Unless she's suddenly gone suicidal, there's probably a plan!"

"Why don't you try asking me?" Val purred from within her glass prison, visibly shivering.

*** NATASHA ***

The mute immediately had alarm bells go off. This was planned, some  kind of trapand if Rei was awake, she probably knew that, too and could plan around this plan. Pinned down in her comparatively titanic captor's cleavage, Natasha struggled to distract Diana from Val just long enough to keep her safe.

From above her, Diana asked, "So? Why would you want me to kill you?"

"I just said that to tempt her, I'll admit," Val grinned, "because honestly, I knew that you wouldn't go for it what with Natasha snuggled up in your chest. That's why I had to go to this extreme- you won't even talk to me with that little mute by your side."

"So you had something you needed to say to me?" Diana asked. "Spit it out, then."

"Just wanted to let you know that Rei fancies herself my replacement . . . the girl in charge, the one with power over life and death," she said smugly. "Thought you ought to know."

"Don't lie," Rei started, before being silenced by Diana with a single finger.

"I already knew that, Val," Diana said calmly, "and believe me when I say that she's going to be punished. Any more old news?"

Rei and Val simultaneously panicked. "Did you know Natasha was-"

"The one Rei set up to manipulate me? Yes," Diana sighed, sounding bored. "You're bad at being a tattletale, Val, you've been beaten to the punch."

The silence, the stillness in the room was threatening in and of itself. Finally, Diana said, "I'm willing to talk with you, Val, but I think I might have a girlfriend now."

Natasha beamed and blushed as the other girls all simultaneously freaked out. As they all began shouting at one another, Diana calmly upended Val's glass on the table and delivered an edict: "Val, you want someone to talk to, talk to the others. Becky, you want to punish Val, do it on your own. Rei, you're exiled. Anyone caught talking to you or sharing warmth with you until Saturday goes in the glass."

Natasha tried to keep a straight face as she was deposited on the table and the other girls pestered her with questions as to the identity of Diana's new girlfriend. [She's quiet, she's kinda athletic, and before we were shrunk I saw her every day.] All true, Natasha thought with a grin, even if the last one only counted due to the mirror, but the others were already theorycrafting.

*** DIANA ***

"Feels good to be the one manipulating people," Diana sighed as she got to work on her homework. "No wonder Val did it."