4. Star Sapphire
Erotica gazed down at the British landscape as she slowly circled high above, her massive wingspan allowing her to easily glide on the air currents as she scoped out her destination. It had been a long day, during which she had already carried out several important objectives at Dr. Pervo's behest, and she was now looking forward to this final task with eager anticipation. The big orange orb of the sun was hovering just above the horizon, and although it was clear, the air was crisp and unusually cold for mid-Autumn. Despite the skimpiness of her gold sequined costume that left most of her body exposed, the chill temperature did not phase the winged-woman in the least; however, combined with the onset of dusk, the brisk air had finally chased away the last remnants of the sparse crowd of late afternoon spectators.
Despite the high altitude, the golden garbed goddess, armed with her superior vision, had already spied the patch of earth for which she was looking. It was just outside the partial rings of the megalithic stone ruins. The massive gray sentinels loomed with majestic eminence, casting long shadows in the fading daylight, persistent reminders of an ancient and secretive past. Although Erotica was well aware of the extensive history pertaining to Stonehenge, the stories of bygone ages were completely irrelevant to her current mission. On the other hand, however, the endless procession of past migrants who had perpetuated the stories were of great significance.
She touched down on the patch of earth where, despite the fact that it had been over a decade ago when the ground was scorched by magic, she could nonetheless clearly see the elevated carbon and sulfur levels in the soil, as well as the slight discoloration of the newer grass—a miniscule variation that would be completely indistinguishable to human observation. Erotica closed her eyes as she felt the first stirrings of the vibrational amplitude. It was a singular frequency, like that of a tuning fork, and it grew in intensity until the resonance had become an infinite crescendo orchestrated by the countless souls who, for thousands of years, had been laid to rest at the feet of the giant sarsens. She raised her arms up high as she extended her great, black wings far and wide, drawing on the spiritual force that was surrounding her in an invisible vortex of magnetic energy. The blades of grass stiffened, and the ground trembled, as billions upon billions of tiny, glistening fragments began rising up from out of the earth and into the air, creating a swirling mist of violet iridescence. The glittering cloud condensed, gradually forming into a crystalline structure that glowed with an inner purplish hue, until it had finally solidified into the shape of a woman.
The spiritual chorus faded into the void, leaving behind only the stark solitude of twilight. Erotica stepped forward and placed her hand on the bosom of the sapphire formation, right were a human heart would be located, and a golden light radiated outward, spreading throughout the crystalline statue until the entire figure was imbued with dazzling luminosity. She removed her hand, and as the brilliance faded, an exceedingly beautiful and well-endowed woman with long, flowing dark hair, was standing before her, completely naked.
"Welcome back to earth, Remoni-Notra," Erotica greeted the befuddled woman. As if fearful of being attacked, the former Justice League nemesis—otherwise known as Deborah Camille Darnell—immediately assumed a defensive stance as she rapidly glanced around her. She grasped for something at her neck, but her necklace with the gem pendant was not to be found. "It's okay sweetie, you're not in any danger," Erotica assured her as she placed a comforting hand on Deborah's shoulder, which had the immediate effect of calming her.
"What's going on here?" Deborah demanded as an awareness of her surroundings quickly sank in, but confusion regarding the current situation remained. "Where are the others? The Spectre…" she trailed off as the memory of Spectre's words of condemnation, followed by her complete annihilation, returned to her conscious awareness. "And the Star Sapphire?" she inquired with a clear sense of helplessness as she held her hand to her bare neck. It dawned on her that she was totally nude, and she pressed her legs closer together as she used her arms and hands to cover herself as best she could.
"It's been over a decade since the Spectre sent you packin', baby girl," Erotica informed her as she held up an ornate golden box that seemed to have appeared from out of nowhere. It was engraved with a fancy pattern and set with black jewels. "But no worries because I've got an upgrade for you—provided you unconditionally agree to join our cause, that is."
"What kind of cause?" Remoni-Notra asked with clear skepticism that was imbued with an obvious sense of helplessness regarding her current predicament involving a complete lack of super powers and her attendant costume. "My god, it sure is cold out here," she commented with a shiver. "Couldn't you have brought me back in some clothing?"
"Sorry, sweet cakes, but I can only reanimate organic matter that's part of a collective, living whole," Erotica answered with a shrug of her shoulders. "You see, me and Dr. Pervo, we're recruiting super-empowered women to help us with our cause. We're gonna to convert this world to one of peace and love. War, hate, crime—and the resulting pain and sufferin'—must end! Sooooo, will you unite with us? We'd love to have a Star Sapphire on our team!"
"That sounds like a tempting offer, but being that I'm not officially Star Sapphire at the moment, I'm not feeling particularly compelled to go out on a limb for humanity. What's in it for me?"
"Well, now that you're returned from the dead, the Star Sapphire wants you to join their ranks," Erotica answered. "I can facilitate your assimilation."
"Their ranks?" Deborah Darnell looked supremely puzzled. "Is the gemstone in that box you're holding?" she added with expectant hopefulness, while consciously ignoring the winged woman's seemingly odd choice of words.
"In a manner of speaking," Erotica replied, "and provided you sincerely desire to team up with us."
"Okay. Sure. Count me in," Deborah agreed with an earnest smile. "I'm certainly willing to fight for a cause that promotes love, if it means I get to be Star Sapphire once again."
"One of many Star Sapphires," Erotica corrected. She then opened the gilded container, and a violet power ring instantly flew out.
It made a beeline for Remoni-Notra's right hand, where it firmly planted itself on her finger. 'Welcome to the Star Sapphire Corps,' the ring telepathically communicated directly into her mind. "Holy crap!" she exclaimed in response, looking shell-shocked as an entirely new costume automatically formed around her body.
"Come on, we gotta run now!" Erotica launched herself into the sky, and Remoni-Notra (aka Deborah Darnell), quickly regaining her wits, immediately followed.