******Breathless Chapter 26******
******Can We Come Too?******
******JLA Universe******
******Oa******
Kilowog, Boodika, Hal, Golin and Santur stood before the diminutive, yet powerful, guardians as they informed them of the disaster that had overtaken them. The few times that Hal had been in the presence of the guardians he had been extremely nervous. Today that was not the case. He was filled with rage. He was all for immediate pursuit. Hal wanted instant justice for the betrayal and atrocities of his treacherous mentor.
After his third angry outburst, Hal was sent out of the hall to await the decision of the guardians. Golin and Santur joined him while he waited impatiently. They watched silently and respectfully as he paced back in forth in frustration mumbling how he should have been allowed to pursue and take down the traitor.
The wait was not long. Kilowog, Boodika and one of the guardians exited the hall. Hal stopped his pacing and rushed to them to hear the plan. It was the guardian that spoke first.
"There will be no pursuit at this time, Lantern Jordan," He began.
"What?!" Hal exploded.
Kilowog gave Hal a stare that made him close his mouth.
"Former Lantern Sinestro has allied himself with the Qwardians and has received from them a yellow power ring. The Qwardians are weapon makers and fairly skilled warriors. While I believe that our Lanterns are better trained for combat than the Qwardians, they possess yellow armor, weapons, and, like Sinestro, yellow energy rings. Most of our Lanterns have not developed the ability to overcome the power of the yellow rings with their own. So to send an army of Lanterns into a hostile dimension would not only leave our universe more vulnerable, but we would be sending most of our Lanterns to certain doom," The Guardian continued.
"That is such a stupid weakness." Hal muttered under his breath. He shook his head then shot a look at the Guardian and Kilowog. "A Lantern can learn to overcome his vulnerability to the color yellow?"
Kilowog snorted. "Yes, Pooszer. You can learn to overcome it, and I'm gonna teach ya how to do just that."
Hal's angry demeanor calmed somewhat. "Teach me, and let me tell my friends back on earth. I know a couple of them at least who could probably mop the floor with the whole Qwardian dimension."
"You are referring to the one known as Superman?" Boodika asked with more interest than usual.
"Um, yeah. The one known as Superman." Hal responded with a just a hint of irritation.
The guardian had listened silently for the last few minutes. "I would like to meet these friends of yours. If they possess half the power you claim they do then it would seem wise to ask them for help in this situation."
"That's great. Then I'll be heading back home. Would either of you like to come back with us?" Hal asked Kilowog and Boodika.
Hal was surprised that both showed interest.
"Sure, Pooszer. We'll go. It will give me a chance to teach you some new tricks and how to deal with the whole yellow mess," Kilowog responded.
"Yes. And it will give us the opportunity to meet your powerful friends and see if all that you say about them is true," Boodika added.
"Sounds great Kilowog…Gee, thanks Boodika. I love being called a liar by hot, pink, warrior babes." Hal spat out the last part rather grumpily.
"My friends, you are all so focused on this Sinestro that it seems you have forgotten about Tor-den and the dangerous man in red armor that aided in his escape. They seem much bigger threats to us than your traitor," Golin pointed out.
Hal, Kilowog and Boodika stopped in their tracks. It was true. They had ignored the two more dangerous characters.
The guardian spoke up. "We are aware of the danger they pose to us, as well as bits and pieces of the enemies agenda. While this Tor-den and the man in red armor are more powerful than Sinestro, they are not an immediate threat. While it is true that Sinestro may not be one either, he will be the easier of the three to deal with. And we must deal with him. He is one of our own."
Golin's concerns were expelled. The little blue man had not forgotten. He had made a strategic choice. "Very well. But I must remind you that this Tor-den promised to murder us all, Sinestro did not."
"Worry not, my friend. We will be keeping an eye on this wicked Tor-den." The guardian assured them all with a smile that told them they would learn no more.
Somewhat reassured, the five departed for earth.
******Syndicate Universe******
******Floating Fortress******
For a moment Di-ana was frozen in fear, but the seconds ticked by and no attack came. Still tense, Di-ana slowly began to breath, and think logically once more. She knew that if Jur-li were in the Floating Fortress then she was already discovered. She could not be quiet enough that he would not hear her or fast enough that he would not catch her.
As she steeled herself and made her way towards the monitoring room and the closest exit hatch, she briefly wondered if her husband would ever look at her as he had before. His sudden coldness and cruelty since discovering her with Owlman had left her truly terrified and nearly broken.
She reached the escape hatch. She could not return to the Island and there was nowhere on earth she could escape his detection. She decided she would head into space. She had visited many planets as a syndicate member. Thanagar was the most appealing to her. They were fierce warriors. She would be able to blend in and hopefully disappear from her husband's radar at least until his murderous rage had passed.
Di-ana dropped out of the hatch and allowed her self to plummet. The lansinarian disc molded to her and engulfed her as it responded to her mental commands. Forming into a sleek spacecraft the disc turned from a watery look to completely invisible. Turning towards deep space, Di-ana's invisible ship disappeared in a blink en route to Thanagar.
******JLA Universe******
******Central City******
******Wednesday evening******
Wally was hanging out with his uncle Barry. There had been no serious emergencies necessitating the intervention of the Flashes in the last couple of days. The two had eaten dinner with Wally's mother, who had gone to bed early. Dinner had consisted of several large pizzas, a few pieces for his mom, and a few pizzas for his uncle Barry and himself.
He had spent the last three days cooped up in school. He would finish his assignments quickly then find himself replaying and reliving the amazing adventures of the weekend, while recalling every detail of the beautiful Amazon princess they had helped. If he wasn't doing his assignment or daydreaming he was fighting boredom. He didn't have enough to keep his mind occupied in his classes. His brain processed information at such amazing speeds now that he had to consciously hold back on blurting out answers and appearing like a showoff.
He had brought up homeschooling to his mother on a few different occasions. She had said 'no' every time, but he had seen her googling the topic as well as different curricula. His persistence was wearing her down. It gave him hope and he determined to keep up his insistence, and maybe, if the circumstances were just right, and his mother was in just the right mood, he would show her what he could do. He hoped that revealing his new abilities to her would bring them closer and convince her to let him home school. Trusting her with his secret was something he was dying to do, and yet it scared him as well.
Wally's thoughts zipped back to the present. He still felt a little miffed at having been left out of his uncle's adventure earlier in the week, but since then he had met his uncle's friend the Atom, as well as the new, super, alien couple that hoped to join their group. In addition to his uncle's new friends he had also spent time with his friend, J'onn. Life was getting better. The recent pain of his aunts' murder and the more distant pain of his father abandoning him and his mother still hurt, but his new friends and new life helped distract him from the pain in his heart. The main reason he wore the costume was to save others from suffering the pain he had experienced. There were so many good things in his life. He thought of his mother, his uncle Barry, his new friends, having met Superman. These thoughts filled him with excitement and hope.
In the last two days he had traveled several times between Central City, Ivy Town and Middleton via phone line at subatomic size. He was not the bookworm that his uncle Barry was let alone professor Ray Palmer, but he was beginning to see the benefit of serious study and he was now more determined to focus on his schooling, make his mother proud, and take care of her the way she took care of him. He knew with his new abilities, school had become a piece of cake. He could get educated and save the world at the same time. It would not be a problem. Wally was grinning as he contemplated finishing his homework while battling alien invaders.
Something he had been mulling over in his mind since Monday morning crawled back to the forefront of his thoughts. He knew he wasn't invited, but he hoped with all his might that he could convince his uncle and Superman to let him accompany him back to the beautiful Brazilian island where all the pretty Amazon women lived, especially the young princess girl. He had to see her again.
He would have to convince Superman and his uncle tonight because Superman was supposed to head back in the morning. He decided to contact Superman through their new com-links before talking to his uncle. He didn't want to get talked out of his idea. Taking a deep breath he tapped the communicator, forgetting for the moment that they had not yet individualized the com-links and that the whole group would hear him.
Wally whispered, "Superman? Are you there?"
******Space******
Hal and his friends slowed as they approached the earth. The three Lanterns willed themselves to be invisible to detection from earth long before they made their descent through the atmosphere.
Hal felt the relief and comfort of being home again as he took in the clouds, oceans, and rapidly growing North American continent. He instinctively headed towards their temporary mountain cave. It was already late on the west coast, he knew it would be later on the east coast where Superman made his home, but he figured it best that he contact him right away and let him know what was going on and ask for his help.
Taking a deep breath Hal tapped his communicator forgetting for the moment that everyone with a com-link would hear him.
"Superman? You up? I need to talk if you could spare a moment."
******Metropolis******
Clark sat in his modest living room with the balcony sliding door open. It wasn't snowing at the moment and he enjoyed the feel of the fresh air as he listened to the night sounds of the busy city and scanned for sounds of conflict and criminal activity.
The cold weather, along with his persistent presence and interference, had the common criminals seeking shelter. Most seemed smart enough not to risk confronting the super-powered guardian of the city.
He was busy reading what little he had found on the Amazons as well as the city of Atlantis. He chuckled at numerous theories that were so wide from the truth. The Amazon women were certainly fierce, but they were not into self-mutilation or ugly. And while they were tall as far as women went they definitely were not giants.
Clark sat back with a sigh as his mind took him back to his interactions with the little princess Donna, the princess Diana, and the queen. It was going to be a long night. He wished he could will it to be morning so that he could again lay eyes on the lovely and kind princess Diana. He would remember his manners and show the lovely warriors the utmost respect.
He was smiling as he remembered his conversation with Diana. His beeping com-link brought him back to the present. Checking it he saw that he had communications from both Hal and the Kid Flash.
He would have to talk to Batman and Kator. They needed to set up their com-links so that they were individualized and at least the option for privacy if so desired. It was something he would bring up next time they met. For now everyone would be able to hear what was said.
Picking up the communicator he responded to both. "Hi guys. What's up?"
Wally answered first. "Awesome! You're still awake! Can I come over? Or maybe in the morning? I know I'm not invited, but I would love to go with you, and anyways it would show all of those ladies that we are a team. You know what I mean?"
Hal followed not long after. "Hi Superman, just arrived back on planet. Have two of my Lantern trainers with me. We have a pretty serious situation on our hands, and we could really use your help. Can I meet with you somewhere to talk details? It's something that is right up your al…Wait. What? What ladies? Where are you going?"
Barry came on next. "I thought we already talked about this KF? We weren't invited this time. I'm sure there will be a next time. Stop bothering Superman. Sorry, Superman. This is all rather new and exciting for all of us. Have a great time tomorrow. Give my respects to the Amazons."
Hal's voice came back over the com-link baffled and confused. "What?! Amazons?! What did I miss?!"
Clark was thinking quickly and grinning from ear to ear at Wally and Hal's communications. "I can meet with you guys now if you like. How about where we were all together last? Just give me a second or two."
******Central City******
"We'll see you there," Barry confirmed. He had stepped into the kitchen to get a snack for Wally and himself when Wally had surprised him with his call.
Now Wally just stared at him grinning nervously.
"Well, it's done. Let's suit up and go meet Hal and Superman." Barry smiled.
Wally let out a whoop and the two were gone.
******Metropolis******
Clark smiled to himself. He loved Wally's enthusiasm. He hoped he could take both Barry and Wally with him to the island. Activating his belt, Clark waited until his dark blue armored suit covered him completely then zipped out the window and headed to the west coast.
******Mountain Cave******
Hal was feeling rather grumpy. Clark was feeling rather uncomfortable. Barry was rather amused. Golin and Santur registered mild amusement as well. Wally couldn't stop staring. Kilowog didn't seem to take notice. Boodika, the cold, calculating, focused warrior was showering Superman with questions, smiles and the occasional suggestive look.
In her defense, she was well versed in the history of Krypton, it's horrific end, and like many others across the galaxy, had heard the rumors that a few had survived and were scattered across the galaxies. She had been told that a Kryptonian at full power was next to impossible to defeat. Having been raised in a warrior culture, Boodika was drawn to, and appreciated strength and power. As far as mates went, she would not even consider one weaker than herself.
Now, standing before her was one of the rumored survivors, a peerless warrior and the ultimate choice for breeding strong children. It was somewhat unfortunate that he was not pink; instead he shared the same basic skin color as that of the appealing Hawkmen, and the weakling Hal Jordan. But Boodika had been to several galaxies and star systems, and she still found this Kryptonian Superman to be quite physically appealing.
Clark was polite and friendly, but after seeing that Hal's pretty, pink, warrior friend was not going to let him speak to the others anytime soon, and that she was doing some awkward, space warrior version of flirting, he became a little uncomfortable. Noticing how taken Wally was with Boodika, Clark quickly developed an escape plan.
"Wally! Hey, listen. While I talk a couple of boring details over with your uncle and the guys, why don't you take Boodika here for a tour of the cave and maybe the immediate surrounding area? Think you can manage it without being seen? I'm sure she would love that."
"What!?" Wally couldn't believe his ears. "Yes! Of course! Come on Lady Boodika!" Wally steered the confused alien warrior away from the group enthusiastically.
"No need to super speed! We have plenty of time!" Clark called after them cheerfully. He felt rather relieved, and quite proud of himself.
Barry was grinning uncontrollably. Golin and Santur, although not given to much mirth, found themselves fighting not to laugh. When the four happened to share a look there was a sudden, ten second fit of uncontrollable snickering, shaking and wheezing, which had Kilowog completely confused.
Hal didn't notice at first. He was staring off after Wally and Boodika. He was dying to join them on the tour. It would not be time alone with the object of his affection, but as close as he would be getting any time soon, he was sure. He was relieved that with all the obvious advances Boodika had made on Superman, his new friend had showed zero interest.
Hal's train of thought brought him back to the issue at hand. He looked up to give Superman a friendly, thankful smile and noted his four new friends in the contagious throes of suppressed laughter. Kilowog was looking at him curiously, wondering when he was going to get to the point. He took a deep breath to calm himself, and focused on the task at hand.
Superman and the Hawkmen had already regained control of themselves. Barry was almost there. Superman made it easy on Hal by starting the conversation.
"I already know what Kid Flash wants. We can wait until the two of them return to talk about that, in the meantime, Hal, what is the situation and how can I help you, my friend?" Clark asked.
Hal felt instantly at ease. Everyone was. Even Kilowog seemed to take an instant liking to the blue, armor-clad Kryptonian standing before him.
"We have two problems. First you should know that our mutual friend, Tor-den, has escaped. He had the help of a big, wicked looking, yellow man dressed in animal skins and red armor, as well as one of our own; a Lantern, one who trained me along with Kilowog here, and Boodika. Several Lanterns are dead." Hal went on to explain the details of Tor-den's escape and the treachery of the former Lantern Sinestro, as well as his current home in the anti-matter universe.
Superman was intrigued. The mission was serious. The enemies were truly deadly. His new friend needed his help. He had never been far into space, but far enough to know that he could survive just fine there. He came to his decision quickly.
"Of course I'll help you in any way I can. I am making a trip back to Themyscira this morning. I'll be picked up. As far as I know I am the only one they are expecting, but I will ask Artemis for permission to take you, Barry and Wally along with me. I am hopeful that Queen Hippolyta will allow it. Would the rest of you be willing to wait for us here until we return?" Superman looked questioningly at Golin, Santur and Kilowog, hoping they were not offended.
The Hawkmen were not offended. Kilowog grunted out his agreement to the plan with a rumble from deep in his chest. He would wait, but he would need something to do in the meantime. He was not one to stand around idle for long.
"Great! After our trip I will be completely at your disposal." Superman reassured his friend.
Hal was intrigued.
Wally and Boodika returned.
Boodika seemed to have taken a liking to the young speedster, but was visibly excited to again be in the presence of Superman. Wally, as usual, was nearly vibrating with excitement.
"This mountain cave of ours is sweet! It goes for miles! Pretty sure we went pretty deep under ground and the entrance to our cave is pretty high up! We could turn this into a pretty awesome fortress!" Wally suggested.
They all liked the idea.
Kilowog knew instantly what he would be doing while he waited for the others in the group to return from their strange errand.
Superman, Barry, Hal, and the Hawkmen were all interested in exploring the cave further, the possibilities of somehow purchasing the land, and fortifying the cave and mountain were very appealing.
Superman agreed to explore the idea further with his new friends, then he changed gears and brought Wally and Boodika up to speed on his plan to request that Wally, Barry and Hal join him on his trip back to Themyscira.
Boodika seemed quite annoyed with the idea.
Wally could barely contain himself.
It was agreed that Kilowog, Bookida, Santur and Golin would wait at the cave while the other four were gone on their visit. Saying their temporary farewells, Superman led his three friends out a ways from the cave then turned to them with a smile and a sigh. He had been thinking it through ever since the rest of the team had revealed their identities and more so since Wally's request to visit him, and accompanying him back to Themyscira.
"Okay, guys. The three of you shared your secret identities with the entire group a few days ago. Batman and I did not. I can't speak for Batman, but I know that I just wasn't ready for such a sudden step of vulnerability and trust. But I am now. We haven't known each other very long, but we've been through a lot, and trusting you just seems right and natural now. I'm nobody special. My name is Clark Kent. I am currently an investigative reporter. I am going to take the three of you to my apartment where we will wait for Artemis to come pick me up. I'll still have to request permission from the queen, for you guys to join me, but I am hopeful that she will agree. I will go alone, speak to the Queen and if she agrees, I'll come back for you three." Superman confessed and explained.
All three agreed to his plan and shook his hand warmly.
"So we can stay at your apartment tonight?!" Wally asked excitedly.
Clark chuckled. "What is left of the night? Yes. It's time we were back. I'm going to show you something pretty neat. Everybody stand close and touch shoulders." Clark directed and demonstrated by stepping closer to Barry and placing his right hand on his shoulder.
Hal and Wally completed the circle and waited to see what Superman was going to do.
Superman touched his belt and spoke two words, "Apartment. Four."
There was a quick scan from Clark's belt and the next moment the four were standing in his living room. Three mouths were open in awe.
Clark grinned proudly and offered everyone snacks.
All three were hungry so Clark ended up making sandwiches for everyone.
Wally followed Barry's example and forced himself to eat slowly and respectfully.
"What do we do now?" Wally asked Clark.
"We wait. The sun will be up in another hour. I'm sure Artemis will be here not long after. I gave her instructions on how to find me. I am confident she will be able to. It didn't seem to pose much of a problem according to the Queen," Clark responded.
The four sat down in the living room. Too wired to doze, they found themselves deep in conversation, sharing and learning about each other. The hour seemed to fly by, while the trust they felt instinctively for one another continued to strengthen.
Superman straightened suddenly. "She's here. I'll be back in a little bit." And he was gone.
******JLA Universe******
******Mars******
Protex spun around several times as he stared in horror at the familiar landscape. It was the doing of J'onnz. This universes version of his hated enemy was still alive! The humiliation was nearly too much to bear. Now he was stranded on a dead planet. He could survive for quite some time without food or water, but not forever.
Protex went into a berserker rage. He shrieked at the sky while searching for something to destroy. Something living. Something he could feel die in his hands.
There was nothing.
After some time of pounding his clawed fists into the scorched, red, sand and shrieking to the heavens, Protex collapsed in defeat and despair. All of his careful plans had once again been dashed. And by his hated enemy J'onn.
Leaping into the air Protex went in search of shelter. He was not done despairing, but he needed to continue his tantrum somewhere out of the blazing heat. His shrieks echoed for miles across the dry seabed as he flew towards the nearest mountain range.
******Syndicate Universe******
******Syndicate Satellite******
Jur-li was in his quarters. He lay on his bed staring at the ceiling while he contemplated the last few days, as well as his own actions. He realized that for the first time in his life he had come across opponents that could potentially be a threat to his person. He had defeated the strange alien creature in the glorious space battle, but it could have easily gone the other way if the powerful creature had touched him or even struck him a decisive blow at full strength. He relished meeting and destroying the monster in the future.
His thoughts shifted to his younger twin. He found that he was fascinated that he had an other-dimensional double. While he had seemed somewhat inexperienced at hand-to-hand combat, and perhaps a little less powerful, he had moved every bit as fast as he and had learned and mirrored his skills while battling. He found himself hoping to meet him in combat once more. Jur-li decided that he did not want to kill him; the thought of having someone to mentor or even befriend seemed more appealing as time passed. They had much in common, not only their powers, but their choice in mate was the same.
For a moment Jur-li felt what he could only categorize as regret, for his treatment of his twins mate. Rage and lust had taken him over. He knew that he had made a mortal enemy of the one person he was curious to get to know a little better. He knew that there was a very strong possibility that he would have to kill his "little brother" when next they met, but he decided that he would attempt to avoid it if possible. He would simply defeat him, humiliate him in front of his friends, and then spare him. He would have little choice but to accept his offer of friendship.
Jur-li smiled with confidence. It would work. He was an unstoppable Kryptonian. Two Kryptonians would be able to accomplish whatever they desired. The universe and any parallel universe they desired to visit would be theirs for the taking. His smile slowly disappeared. He understood that there was a strong possibility that his twin did not share his dreams of conquest and power, and that he would refuse his offer of friendship. He did not relish the idea of killing him.
Jur-li decided to be noble. He would not pursue his twin. He would not seek him out. He would give him time. Once a few years had passed he imagined that his offer of partnership and later friendship would be more palatable to the young warrior.
Jur-li sighed. He was alone. His murderous rage was gone for the moment. His thoughts turned to Di-ana. He found that he missed her. Desired her. It filled with rage all over again. Her treacherous ways drove him insane. Then he remembered having her at his mercy. The memory of her pleading for him to stop hurting her made him close his eyes tightly in shame. He knew that he had crossed a line. With all of his many lusts, and faults, he had never harmed her. But she had brought it on herself. She had asked for his contempt and loathing. She had asked for humiliation.
For a moment he wondered if there was any way for the two of them to be together once again. He had no idea how, but he found the idea appealing. Perhaps time; just like with his twin. He would not seek her out, not engage her. If he came into contact with her he would refrain from harming her. He smiled once again. She would have learned her lesson by now. She would see that he was not seeking to harm her. She would not again pursue another man.
Once again a smile came to Jur-li's lips. He would have his wife back, and he would have a new ally. He just needed to give them both time.
Jur-li had plenty of time.
But waiting requires patience.
And patience was a virtue Jur-li did not possess.
******JLA Universe******
******Mountain Cave******
Kator, Shayera, and four handpicked Hawkmen stood just inside the mountain cave. The Star Freighter and three of the Star Fighters waited on the moon cloaked and invisible to earthly detection. The fourth Star Fighter was parked at the base of the mountain. Like its brothers, the fourth Fighter was also cloaked.
"Captain!"
Kator, Shayera and their four companions turned to see their fellow warriors Golin and Santur emerging from the depths of the cave with two Green Lanterns accompanying them.
The Thangarians greeted each other warmly and the six new arrivals were introduced to Kilowog and Boodika.
Boodika found that while she had little personal interest in Hal Jordan, she very much enjoyed the company of his many warrior friends. She found each of the hawk warriors to be physically appealing especially the large dark haired leader. But he seemed to be attached to the small redheaded female so after a few admiring looks she ignored him and his little bristling female.
Golin and Santur explained the whereabouts of Superman, the Flashes and Green Lantern.
Anxious to begin their construction project Kator decided to contact the remaining members of the team.
******Middleton******
J'onn, Scott and Barda had been up for several hours. Their alien physiologies did not require the kind of rest that humans generally needed. They had shared openly about their planets, backgrounds, tragedies, and triumphs. Some of the tragedies made the triumphs seem of little consequence, but the friendships and bonds they had forged added meaningfulness and hope. Having found meaning and hope magnified the strength of their triumphs. In many ways the tragedies they had endured had made them stronger than their triumphs.
In the few days that Scott and Barda had known J'onn, Barry, Wally and Ray they had grown to trust them. Kindness was not a virtue one experienced on Apokolips. The trust was mutual. The others felt the same about the new alien couple in their group.
They were discussing the members of the group they had not yet met, and amusing communications from Wally and Green Lantern to Superman when J'onn's com-link began beeping, letting him know that a communication was taking place.
J'onn was surprised and pleased to see that the communication was from Kator. He immediately responded.
******Outskirts of Gotham******
******Wayne Manor******
it would be a few more minutes before the sun rose. Bruce had been asleep for nearly an hour. But with the beeping of his com-link he was instantly awake. He was pleased to see the communication was from Kator. Fully alert, he reached for his com-link to respond.
Not many miles away, Dinah slept soundly. The last couple of days she had enjoyed spending time with Bruce. They had spent hours learning about each other and had even patrolled together. She was in complete awe of his method and tactics for taking down criminals. They never saw him coming and never knew what hit them.
She had been asleep for just about an hour. She slept right through the beeping of the com-link. Oblivious to the world, she slept soundly until noon.
******Themyscira******
Artemis stood before her queen and two princesses. The princesses were both visibly excited. The Queen, as always looked composed and calm. "I am ready, your Majesty," Artemis announced. On the outside she was all business, but she was nervously anxious. She had not left the island in several months and never on such an errand as the one set before her.
A small part of her thought the Queen had lost her mind. Welcoming such a powerful man to their world seemed ludicrous. But remembering his actions, demeanor, and character set her mind at ease once more. He would certainly be a great ally to have in times of crisis. The young king and queen of Atlantis had proven to be so.
Superman certainly made her nervous, but also excited her. She had decided that she would seduce him. It would be safer for all if he felt an emotional connection to them. He would then be more reliable in a future time of need and less likely to turn on them if his lusts were being satisfied. He would be less of a danger to the Queen and the Princesses.
Noting the excitement of the Princesses caused Artemis to feel an odd sense of guilt over her plans. It crossed her mind that the Queen hoped to mate Princess Diana with this hero. If that were the case then it would make Artemis something of a slut. At the same time, it would demonstrate the flawed character of this new man that they all adored, and save them all much future heartache. She decided that she would go forward with her plan of seduction. She would do it for her queen, and for her friend and princess, Diana.
"Do not be nervous, my dear Artemis. Your mission is simple. We foresee no danger. You will be given the sandals of Hermes for your trip. Menalipe here will open the portal for you. The Mirror has already located the building he calls home in the city of Metropolis. When you step through the portal, you will already be near his home. Locating him should then not be problematic for you. The Sandals will not only give you swift flight, but will bring you back once you have located Superman. Just strike them gently together and say 'Home'. Are you ready, my child?" The queen studied her young, loyal, warrior carefully and questioningly.
Artemis nodded her beautifully fierce head. "I am ready, my Queen." She stole a glance at the princesses. Both were beaming. Little Donna managed to make 'standing still' look like a strenuous activity. It nearly made her mouth curl into an involuntary smile, but a twinkle did sneak into her eyes.
One of the queen's royal guards brought the sandals of Hermes to her. They were whitened leather with a material that looked like silver. Each had two white wings of a bird. The wings seemed to have a life of their own and when she donned them she could feel the sandals connecting with her and willing her to take flight. She checked to make sure that her dagger and short sword were secure and her small shield that doubled as a discus was secure on her back along with her quiver and bow. She would not take her long sword or spear. They would be two cumbersome and she did not foresee a need for them. With a grunt of satisfaction she nodded that she was ready to step through whenever the queen wished.
Diana came forward and hugged her friend. "You look like you are going hunting!" she giggled. "Make sure you do not shoot our new friend when you find him. Bring him back in one piece," she teased.
Artemis smiled. "I will do as you ask. It is not so much, this Superman I am concerned about. It is a big world and there are many dangers in the world. I would not be taken unprepared."
"You most certainly will not, dear friend." Diana agreed as she stepped back.
"Do not worry, Artemis. If you do get attacked by a danger out there, Superman will help you just like he helped us." Donna encouraged her.
"Yes. He does seem very useful." Artemis admitted.
"Whenever you are ready, child." Hippolyta smiled.
"I am ready, my Queen." Artemis replied.
Menalipe opened the portal for her. "Then step through child. May you be safe and your quest successful," she prayed.
Artmeis squared her strong, slender shoulders and disappeared through the portal.
******Metropolis******
Clark zipped up high over his apartment complex and looked down towards the park in front of his building. He saw her instantly. She was floating in the air spinning around searching with a look of bewilderment. He floated down towards her slowly and with plenty of distance between them, greeted her warmly in her language. "Welcome, Artemis. I am ready to go whenever you are."
Artemis spun around to face him, tensed for battle, but quickly relaxed at his tone and demeanor. She found that it was difficult to remain suspicious of him, and so easy to see him as a friend; all the more reason to be cautious. "Hello, Kal-El. We can return whenever you wish. However there is no rush. If there is anything you need, we can take care of those needs first." She moved in close to him. She had lain with a handful of men in the past. They had not been difficult to seduce. In fact, she had not needed to expend any effort in convincing them to have sex. Her beauty had made them willing puppets.
Now she suddenly felt awkward. This Superman was not eyeing her with the desire she was used to seeing in the few men she had dealt with. She had to pursue him. She realized in that moment that she was hunting and that Superman was not the easy prey she had expected.
Clark was a little taken aback. Artemis had moved in close to him and had smiled knowingly when she had suggested he take care of his needs. He certainly had his needs. He groaned internally as he remembered nearly having them met by the treacherous Di-ana. Artemis was beautiful and she seemed to be doing some vague version of flirting with him, but he wasn't sure that it would be the greatest idea to start off his relationship with Diana by sleeping with one of her friends.
Of course, she was armed. That didn't help matters either. He hoped she would not try to shoot or stab him when he said no. He almost laughed. The warrior woman who was so fierce and all business was trying to seduce him with her charms. She certainly had her physical charms, but she had no idea how move her body seductively. There was nothing girly about her, for sure.
"I can't think of anything, off the top of my head. I have taken the day off from work so I am free to spend the day with you all if the Queen wishes me to. I am ready to go. I do have a request, but I suppose it would be best to ask the Queen in person," Clark responded politely.
Artemis decided to be blunt. This Superman seemed blind to the great honor he was being offered. Artemis did not offer her body to just anyone. "Since you have a day free of responsibility, there is no hurry. You may share your requests with me and if you would like to enjoy a morning of physical pleasures I am willing and able to satisfy your desires as well as my own."
There would be no question now as to what he was being offered. She could see the shock in his face along with a little serious consideration. It was only natural. He was a man. Men desired women. She was a beautiful woman. He was a young and powerful man. Coming together with her would only be natural.
Now Clark was truly stunned. He had not expected such an offer. It was tempting. She was beautiful and ever since his time with Di-ana, he ached for a physical relationship. But he could not do this. He had promised himself that he would do things right with Diana. He wanted to show her that he was trustworthy and that she could depend on him. He remembered enough from Sunday school that immediate self-gratification without thought of others didn't generally end well.
"Artemis. I'm flattered that you would make such a tempting offer to me. And believe me, you are tempting. But I cannot accept your offer. I do not want to do anything that will upset the queen or the princesses. I want to keep my word to them in returning today. I know there was something they wished to show me or discuss with me. So I would like to hurry to them. Please do not be offended. You are beautiful. It has nothing to do with you." Clark replied sincerely.
It was Artemis's turn to be shocked. She had most certainly not expected the hero to say no to her advances. But instead of becoming angry, she found she had new respect for him. He had passed the test with flying colors and he was certainly very kind and flattering. "Very well," she smiled genuinely. "We shall return now. The Queen and Princesses are waiting impatiently for you. You can make your requests to her in person. Take my hand." She commanded as she took his hand. She felt small next to him and her hand was swallowed in his.
"Home." she said as she clicked her sandals together.
The next moment the two were gone.