Prologue: Seven Cards
Gotham, Wayne Manor 1865
The darkness of Wayne Manor is broken by a single burning candle slow moving down the old manor's corridors. A tall man dressed in a black evening coat scowls as the light from the candle hits his face.
"Master Bruce?" a voice calls behind the man in black.
The man in black stops dead in has tracks. Looking over his shoulder he lifts the candle in his hand up just high enough to make out his old butler Alfred's face moving towards him.
"Has she arrived Alfred?" the man in the black asks.
The old butler moves quickly as he makes his way towards the man in black. Upon reaching the man in black the old butler breathes hard. The butler finds himself unable to speak as he fights to catch his breath so he just nods to his master.
"Yes, Master Bruce," the old butler wheezes. "She is waiting for you in the drawing room."
The old butler Alfred bows his head as he extends his hand pointing the way to the drawing room. Bruce nods back to the old butler before continuing down the hall. The pair walked for what seemed like an eternity down the long dark corridors until they stopped in front of a large set of double doors.
"She better be worth all of this Alfred," Bruce grumbles as the old butler get in front of him.
The old butler places his hands on either side of the double doors.
"I hear her people are very powerful Master Bruce," Alfred replies as he pushes the doors open.
"She is some kind of Romani woman is she not..." Bruce asks as the doors open.
As the door fling open Bruce loses his train of thought. For he finds a beautiful dark skinned woman seated behind an oval shaped table riffling a deck of cards in her hands. She looks up as she hears the door crack open. Her piercing blue eyes stare through the man in the black coats soul. She smiles at him as she places the deck of cards on the right hand side of the table.
"... I am Amazonian Dr. Bruce Wayne..." she replies as she places her hands in her lap.
"Forgive me," he replies scowling at her.
"For what Dr. Wayne?" she asks as she tilts her head. "For you calling me a Romani or that face you are staring at me?"
Her eyes, they burn clean through him. Bruce did all he could not to be captivated by her rare beauty. Bruce shallows hard as he regains his composure.
"Both Miss," he replies.
"Your kind never ceases to amaze me Dr. Wayne," she replies back.
"How so?" he asks.
"You hide behind that scowl but..."
She stops speaking. Her blue eyes shift from him and back to the cards on the table beside her.
"But what Miss..." Bruce replies as steps into the room.
The seated woman reaches her hands towards the top of the card. Pulling
them to the left she drags them across the table.
"Miss Prince, Diana Prince," she replies as her hand finally stops. "For a man of science you surly delve into the realm of the supernatural to find your answers."
Slowly she looks up at Bruce.
"Sometime science isn't enough," Bruce replies as he stops in front to the table.
He stares down at Diana as he watches her lift her hand of the cards and lean back in her seat.
"You are correct Dr. Wayne, sometimes science isn't enough," she replies with a smirk. "Pick card seven cards sir. Let us see what they say."
Bruce raises his eyebrow.
"Seven cards will tell me my future?" Bruce asks as his face darkens. "There is a mad man on the loose..."
Diana smirks as her blue eyes stare him down.
"Pick seven cards Dr. Wayne..."
Bruce sighs, "This is pointless."
"We shall see won't we," Diana replies.
Bruce lifts his hands over the cards but Diana grabs his hand.
Bruce stares at her in shock. She was touching him. He squints his eyes at her. Every movement, every touch, every sensation was telling him about her. Her grip was tighter than any women he had ever met. The scientist parts his brain began to races.
"What manner of creature was she?" he thought to himself.
A silence filled the drawing room which is only broken by Diana's voice.
"Be careful good Doctor," she replies releasing his hand. "Choose wisely."
Bruce looks between her face and the cards. Slowly he slides seven cards towards her.
"Well?" Bruce asks as he looks back onto her face. "What do they say?"
Diana looks over the card on the far left side of the table. Gently she lifts the card and flips it over.
"Hmmm," she replies. "The demon."
Bruce looks down at the card and sees himself.
"What manner of trickery is this?" Bruce asks slamming his hands down onto the table.
Diana doesn't reply, she simply moves on the next cards: a man of both flesh and metal.
"The creature," she replies as she flips the card over.
She smirks at Bruce for his face almost looks in shock. Moving on to the next card she reveals a hooded man holding a green lantern.
"...The reaper,"
Turning over the next card a man is seen crawling out of the water.
"...The Kraken,"
Bruce gulps hard as he leans back in his seat. Diana's hand moves over to the next card: a man running away from a picture.
"...The immortal..." Diana continues never taking her eyes off of Bruce. "Dr Wayne?"
"I am fine!" he shouts. "Just show the least two cards and be none with this game Miss Prince."
She smiles, "As you wish..."
Reaching from the second to last cards Diana slowly flips it but a shock of pleasure ran through her body. It was if a warm hand was dancing across back. The card falls from her fingers drops landing picture side down. Diana stares at the card breathless as her eyes grow wide for the sensation started to spread to her inner thigh. Callous and warm she found herself lost in the sensation.
"But the gods," she whispers under her breath as he lips part open.
Bruce stares at her. He knew all to well the expression spreading across her face. It was one he loved to see on Selina's as he pleased her yet unlike Selina this woman had an expression of sheer pleasure just from barely touching a tarot card. Intriguing, he thought. He needed to know more so he reached for her hand.
"Are you alright Miss Prince," Bruce asks as his hand touches hers.
She quickly pulls her hand away from him leaving his hands above the last two cards. Bruce looks at the last undisturbed card on the right. Something was calling him to it. His hand reached for it and flips it over.
"The emperor..." Bruce says as he places the card onto the table.
Diana looks down at the card. Her heart races as she glances at it. There stood a man with and wolf facing each other: their eye as red as crimson fire. The sensation of pleasure only builds as she sees the pair of red eyes on the card move looking towards her own card on the right.
"Miss Prince... Miss Prince," Bruce calls to her.
Bruce's voice startles her back from the brink of limitless bliss. Diana shakes her head before look back at Bruce whose hand was reaching for the last card. She grabs his hand once more stopping him.
"Find the emperor," she replies her eyes haunted. "...unite the seven and the evil shall fall."
Bruce finally breaks his scowl as he brushes off her hand.
"Alfred was right you are good Miss Prince," Bruce replies as he gets up from his seat. "And where shall I find this emperor?"
"... Look for the eyes of crimson Doctor Wayne," Diana replies as she eye fall to the unturned card. "Locomotion shall bring to the city of tomorrow."
Bruce smile, "Alfred had a room prepared for Miss Prince."
"Yes Master Wayne," Alfred replies.
The old butler bows before turning to leave the room.
"And inform the others," Bruce continues rising his voice. "We are going to Metropolis..."
"As you wish," the butler answers from down the hall.
Walking to the doorway Bruce looks back towards Diana who he finds still staring at the lone unturned cared on the table.
"Aren't you going to turn it over Miss Prince?" Bruce asks.
Diana doesn't answer him just replies, "Good night Dr Wayne."
Bruce stares one last time before replying with his own good night. As he walks off down the hall Diana waits before reaching for the unturned card. Reaching downwards she lifts the card before placing it back down. She sees herself.
"The lovers..."
Her body was intertwined a male figure with crimson eyes, the emperor.
"This can not be," she whispers.
Gazing at the card the sensation of heat engulfs her. The image of flesh upon flesh
fills her mind: pale hardened steel against darkened marble. Hot breath breathes into her ears causing her eyes to roll into the back of her head. Her nails dig into the table scraping up thick chucks of the wood.
Looking back down at the card she sees the scrapped up table pieces. Shaken by what she had done she reaches for another card.
"... The lovers..." she whispers as she places the card on the table. "No..."
Again she reaches for another card.
"... The lovers..." she whispers.
Almost placing the card on the table she notices that this card is different. It was
herself and the wolf this time sharing the lover card. Lifting the card in front of her face she watches the cards image start to move. The wolf stalks behind her. The crimson in its eyes seeps out of the corners. She watches herself turn to the beast and before her eyes she watches it turn into a man. He walks towards her claiming her lips.
"Mine..." the cards whispers. "Mine goddess..."
Diana's heart races as she quickly getting up from the table throwing the chair back behind her. She reaches for the cards shoving them onto the floor. Looking down at them they were all 'the lovers' card. Her and the red eyed emperor depicted as embracing lovers.
"Miss Princess..."
Diana looks up and sees Alfred standing in the doorway. She panics. He could not see these cards so she quickly drops to her knees.
"Your room is ready Miss," he continues.
"I am sorry Alfred," she replies as she picks up the cards from the floor.
"Don't worry about it Miss Prince I'll clean them up," the old butler says as she walks into the room. "It is late and you need your rest."
Diana sits up on her knees. The old butler extends his hand down in front of her. She takes his hand.
"Yes it is late," she replies taking his hand.
Getting back to her feet she steps over the fallen cards. Looking back one last time she notices all of the cards were back to normal. She swallowed hard as she leaves the room. Closing the door behind them Alfred leads Diana down the hall. Closing her eyes she sighs.
"All a dream," she whispers.
"What Miss Prince?" Alfred asks looking back to her.
"Not Sir," she answers.
They walk together in silence until they reach her room.
"I hope everything is to you liking Miss Prince," he says as he opens the door.
"Oh I am sure it is lovely Alfred," she replies with a half smile. "Thank you."
Stepping into her room she looks around it is all a deep crimson red; the bed the walls the sheets. The color of lovers, lust and passion surrounded her.
"You are most welcome Miss Prince," he replies. "Until tomorrow then, good night."
"Yes," she replies look back at the old butler. "Until tomorrow..."
Diana watches the old butler closer the door leaving in this red room. Walking further into the rooms she walks towards the bed. Slowly she runs her hands over its silk crimson sheets. Pale steel pressing against darkened marble flash in her mind. These images intertwining between the crimson sheet as her hand moves across them.
"Cards you lie to me your goddess this night," she whispers to herself as she lifts her hands from the sheet. "You lie..."