4/16/05 - 8:23AM - Crater Lake - US Naval Diving and Testing Grounds - Smallville, KS

To say the guard on duty was bored out of his mind was a monumental understatement. For good reason of course, let it be a lesson to never get drunk and have a marvelous time with a gorgeous woman who happens to be a captain's daughter. Hours of ridiculous guard duty watching over a series of nearly abandoned firing ranges sitting in an office while the officer on the watch, the only officer in this place looked over his shoulder.

"Seaman Deodato." the officer spoke.

"Sir."

"Look sharp and inform the guard at the gate he's got someone coming to see me right now."

"Yes sir!" he replied to the officer and turned to his radio to the channel at the gate. "This is Seaman Deodato. Report."

The voice at the other end sounded almost as board as he was, yet answered pretty crisply from military discipline. "What is it?"

"You've got a car coming in. Prepare to receive them."

The guard at the gate got up and stood to receive a taxi. From the taxi came a female NCO in crisply ironed Navy Blues. For a moment he was out of breath as he saw a pair of pretty gorgeous legs, although decently covered, were pretty long. The rest looked pretty decent with a chest that was bulging yet still managed to revel not a glimmer of skin. Her face looked okay, but seemed to be blocked by a pair of thick regulation issue glasses that made her look like a cross between a librarian or a school teacher. Though as she got closer he saw a very beautiful oval face with very pouty lips.

"Petty Officer Diana Prince to see Ensign Moulton." she declared as she presented her credentials out of a black satchel to the guard.

The guard took the credentials and motioned her to the office at the far side of the facility, seeing her first to a meager staff car. The car took her to a very small building that was visible across by less than a hundred yards. From the drive Diana noticed a very small number of US sailors keeping in sync as the jogged around the perimeter. To call this a base was a terrible understatement. Yet she noticed a firing range and several men and very few women letting off some rounds. While disciplined they didn't have any fight in them. It was a disappointment.

The driver of the staff car having picked her up didn't speak a word until he dropped her at the office. "There you go ma'am."

"Well done sailor."

She entered the officer as the man sitting behind the desk looked upon her as he addressed her. "Petty Officer Prince?"

"Yes, sailor?"

"Take a seat please. Ensign Moulton will be with you shortly."

Diana sat down by a small set of chairs as she removed her hat placing it her lap while the case remained at her feet.

Seaman Deodato looked her over and noticed by the looks of the Petty Officer that she appeared to be really pretty. Seeming to have a nice figure under that outfit of hers. Yet those glasses gave him memories of the mean librarians at his school and after removing her hat which revealed a sharply pulled dark hair in a very tight bun. There's one girl that won't give me a demotion. His thoughts ended almost at the same time Ensign Moulton appeared. Diana stood up with her hat to her side and case in hand with a ramrod posture and awaited his recognition of her.

"Petty Officer Prince?"

With a click of her heels coming together she addressed in a clear voice. "Yes, sir!"

"At ease. Come into my office."

Diana entered a small room set up almost spartan, with the exception of a few photographs and plaques. A bookcase stood underneath a small window with books that looked pretty worn. And of course a desk with a placard that read Ensign Charles Moulton, but other than that very well kept.

"So Petty Officer Prince. What can I help you with?"

"I was sent here to pick up a set of reports for the check ups and necessary financial records for the naval offices at Tinker." Diana was referring to the US Air Force base in Midwest, Oklahoma. While an air force base it still had a small number of naval facilities in what was once a joint military base alongside the Department of Defense.

"We already sent that information days ago."

"Duplicates Sir. I didn't create the bureaucracy. I even hear a DOD official is here to meet you later."

"Yes I'm well aware of that." Not even five minutes and he seemed to be getting annoyed. "Forgive me Petty Officer Prince but I'd really appreciate you not reminding me about that."

"Sorry sir. I shouldn't even be here."

"Its all well and good hey at least its good to know the navy watches its own, even if it is miles from the ocean."

He stood up offering a set of hard copy files placing them on the desk. Diana requested to look them over and saw several files of the bases' personnel, other necessary information and saw that the information was well and good. A good scan of the documents took several minutes during which time the Ensign provided her something to drink. To which she refused. But what really drew Diana's notice was a notification for the acceptance of funds from LuthorCorp. A part of her would have respected the facility to continue its good work but she knew LuthorCorp was not the place to accept any money.

"Hmm." Diana looked over really being serious now. "I see here you are approving a recommendation of funds from LuthorCorp."

The Ensign knew that it was a touchy subject hoping that it would be overlooked but he realized he couldn't hoodwink a brother or in this case a sister in arms. "This place used to be a half decent diving school, we are still on call with the Sheriff's department whenever something is lost in the water but most of the facilities with the exception of Fort Riley could be here quicker than us. Besides it could be more profitable for the town. There is less than fifty men here that could find a better placement. We could hand over the gun range or turn this office and barracks into a decent summer camp for the kids."

And end your discomfort in what you might consider a dead end job. Diana thought. "Well, I'll see to it that an addendum is included, I'll work on that back at Tinker maybe even here in the barracks or at the closest hotel. Other than that I'm pretty much finished, thank you Ensign Moulton."

The Ensign still continued. "There is a few things to deal with. You can continue working in the office next door on your recommendation..."

Diana interrupted. "No, I'll just leave at that. I know you hoped not to start working as I arrived here but need some time to do this myself."

"Well I'm afraid this place is going to be even more barren. I have the rest of the men on a Sunday leave out on the town and to be honest I recommend some relaxation. Your job here is done Prince. Relax, consider that an order."

"Very well." Diana said as she got her things as she bid farewell and was led out of the office into the staff car leading her to the female bunks. She entered the place seeing how very spacious yet considerably more quiet than the ones she glimpsed by the men's bunks at the opposite end. She entered the area noticing a set of lockers to which she placed away the information. She removed a small case in which she kept what on the surface appeared to be service issue automatics which were in reality custom made golden pistols by the mighty Hephaestus. An exceptional set of weapons that could kill or debilitate.

She spoke briefly to one of the sailors suggesting a place around town she could stay. The sailor mentioned a small hotel just outside the town where she could stay, but even more importantly to check the town itself. It was small, but very quaint. Diana then shifted into her superfluous mode asking if she knew a few places she could get some really good clothes to enjoy herself for a night out. Because other than her uniform and athletic gear she had nothing else and told the female sailor that she wanted to look good out there.

"I know what you mean honey." said the sailor called Seaman Holloway. "Here's a good place Elizabeth's Dresses, some good get up for a party but be careful its the school's Prom coming up, that can get tricky getting anything even if its not custom. Best place outside of Metropolis."

Diana also asked for more things about the town, did it have a department store, a place to get money, a decent cup of coffee, etc. She got all this and more but as for the money she mentioned the bank or any local ATM to which she side stepped when she heard mention of an antique and jewelry shop nearby. Thinking she just wanted a homey souvenir the seaman offered the information without question. For that's where she was going to get her money. She opened up the locker with her things and gathered herself out of the base.

It would appear the previous night went off without a hitch, sneaking in and doctoring some paper work at the base hours in advance. Coinciding the paper work early and in good timing with the DOD inspector which the poor Ensign was meeting in another four hours. The gate guard called in a taxi, though dressed in her athletics this time earning even less attention from the men before. A Navy NCO in uniform was to earn respect. Out of uniform and into sweats that were one size larger alongside her glasses and hair wrapped up in a bun made her look completely unappealing to these hormone crazed men. The taxi arrived and as her disguise was completed with a necessary back-story for she couldn't just enter Smallville impersonating a Navy NCO without risking anyone bumping into her. But most importantly if she was going into that town, she was going to need a weapon and if she remembered what Kal-El said about how ingratiating you had to be with the Sheriff back then, she needed a way to avoid being locked up. Especially with the pistols she kept in her bag. But right now it was time to gather intelligence. Athena guide me.