Chapter Four
Diana walked into her private training room, the temperature comfortable 85⁰ degrees. The motion sensors activated the lights and stereo as entered.
"Good Morning Diana" a female computerized voice said.
"Good Morning KANDCS". Kal's insistence on having a computer with a distinctive female voice was one of the things that she didn't understand but meant to talk to Kal about.
How can I assist you today? The voice asked.
Diana responded, "Play track 4 of Diana's workout please, and increase arena gravity by factor 1.
"Certainly" responded KANDCS. And immediately a beautiful aria started playing through the Fortress's audio system. II Dolce Suono from the opera Lucia Di Lammermour.
Diana sat Indian style crossed-legged on the floor of her home made arena. She could feel her muscles begin to tense as she adjusted to the increase pull of gravity. Her body weighted as much as a battleship as Kal's graviton machine was calibrated in millions the music played she rolled her head side to side, back and forth trying to relive the tension in her muscles. She stretched her arms out to her sides, over her head, then in front of her bowing her body towards the floor. Raising herself up, Diana moved into a press handstand with her legs still crossed her rhythmic breathing a testimony to her conditioning. Holding the position for ten seconds Diana moved in a straddle stretch her body in forty-five degree angle. Tucking her head Diana rolled forward and stood up. Extending her right leg Diana performed three side kicks, shin high, waist high and then head high hold the last kick for a ten count. She then repeated the sequence with her left leg. Lowering her leg she did two slow cart wheels and two back hand springs and finished in a back stance exhaling as she landed her hands guard positions. Diana continued stretching and contorting her body into complex yoga positions and martial arts stances. Her mind focused on her breathing and form which was exquisite. Diana had just completed the Garadasana, or eagle pose when there was a slight pause in the music and the tempo increased and at that very moment six Mangalore Warriors armed with Klingon Bat'leths materialized in Diana's private training area. Growling and snarling, they charged at her.
Diana smiled to herself and said "Clark you are such a geek! But I love you!" leaping into the mob of aliens Diana roared in excitement.
Superman had told Diana that he had a surprise for her as he had re-programmed their personal battle simulator to be more and challenging for them, but he never told her what changes he had made. He simply said "you'll see". One of Clark and Diana's first movie dates, Clark had invited Diana to the fortress for dinner and after dinner they watched the Fifth Element with Bruce Willis. It amused Clark how excited Diana got during the fight scene. He knew that Diana would appreciate a movie with a strong female character as well being able to identify with the character as she herself was new to man's world. She had a type of empathy with the character that few would understand. Clark would laugh to himself as he watched Diana critique the fight scene saying "she should have done this… or this would have been more effective… or that's not the way I would have done it. The movie quickly became one of Diana's favorites.