XXV

Meanwhile (Diana's POV) Three weeks later

My eyes opened as the shades covering Ultraman's bedroom lifted to the ceiling. The glare of the sun scorched my eyes as its light reached them. I grumbled under my breath as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. Another restless night.

"Morphius," I prayed. "Take these terrors away from me…"

I sat up in Ultraman's bed in silence. I hoped the god of dreams had heard my prayer. Sadly, I got no answer. With a heavy heart, I looked over to the phone that Ultraman had given to me. 2:00 pm. Unlocking my phone, my eyes were met with no messages or missed calls, just an empty screen staring back at me. I slumped back down into the bed and let my phone land beside me. I couldn't look at its blank screen anymore. Its emptiness haunted me. No, it taunted me.

"You're mine,"

In the darkness of my mind, I heard my brother's voice.

"You're not real…" I whispered as I covered my ears with my hands.

"Tsk, tsk my beloved Diana," his voice continued as I felt the cold burn of his touch grow nearer.

His touch had pushed its way in-between my arms and made its way to my cheek.

"No one will have you but for me…"

I held my eyes closed tighter as Apollo's cold burn caressed my cheek. I muttered he wasn't there over and over until the sensation of his touch had left my face. Once freed, I gasped for air. It had been another day-terror. He wasn't here.

"Get a grip Diana," I told myself. "Neither he, my mother, nor Darkseid could harm me… As long as you are near Ultraman."

My heart sank. Was I only going to be safe at Ultraman's s side? I hadn't seen Ultraman for weeks. Whether he was actively avoiding me or not, I didn't know. His avoidance made me question whether I was ever going to be safe if he tossed me out? With Ultraman's absence from the tower, I began to wonder how much longer he was going to tolerate my presence. I was a problem he didn't need. I brought Darkseid to his front door. I was expendable to him. However, despite what I'd witnessed over the past few weeks, I still felt safest near him.

"What are you doing to yourself, Diana," I said to myself. "He's going to kick you out as everyone else has done so before…"

Ring, ring…

My phone ring pulled me back into reality. I immediately reached for it and as I unlocked my screen I saw J'onzz's name. I clicked on it.

"Afternoon Diana, Ultraman requests you join him for an event later this evening," the message read. "An attendant will be over shortly to help you prepare."

Ultraman wanted to see me... My heart began to panic. This couldn't be good, but I was excited that he wanted to see me.

"Ok, I'll be ready in 10," I replied as I got off the bed.

My fingers replied without thinking. As I hit send, I came back to my senses. What had I just done? Why was I so happy? What if this was the end and he was going to send me off to the wolves?

I looked back down at the phone in my hand.

"I'll be ready in 10," I reread with a sigh.

I got to my feet and I made my way to the bathroom. Removing the oversized shirt I'd grown accustomed to wearing, I stepped into the shower. As the hot water caressed my skin, my mind wandered back to Ultraman. I couldn't wrap my mind around why he requested my presence nor my eagerness at it. As my mind lingered on Ultraman, once more my brother's haunting voice began to ring within my head.

"No one will keep you from me…"

At the sound of his voice, I plunged my face under the scorching hot water pouring down from overhead. The hot water reminded me of the warmth of Ultraman's touch. Immediately, Apollo's voice left me. As fast as I stepped into the shower, the faster I stepped out of it. Stepping out of the bathroom there was a tiny woman in a nurse's uniform waiting for me.

"Afternoon ma'am," the woman said with a slight bow.

"Did J'onzz send you?" I asked as I watched the woman look me over.

The woman scoffed before she pointed to an oddly shaped table next to her.

"J'onzz suggested you might enjoy a massage before getting ready," the woman added, coldly.

I walked over to the woman and she told me to disrobe as I reached her. I held onto the towel wrapped around my body tighter. The small woman cracked a smile as she watched me holding onto my towel.

"Shy are we?" the woman asked as she raised her eyebrow.

The woman's voice trailed off as she turned her back to me. I knew she had said something about me, but I let it slide. My mind was preoccupied with the thought of being naked in front of another person.

"Please remove your towel and lay down on the table ma'am," she said.

I stood there for a few moments as I watched the woman staring at the ceiling of Ultraman's room. She shuddered as she noticed the scorch marks on the ceiling.

"He's an animal…" she muttered.

With the woman's attention elsewhere, I let my towel slide down my body. Naked as the day I was born, I lay face down on the table. Staring at the floor, the woman told me to close my eyes and to relax. I did so the moment I felt something warm trickle down my spine. The intoxicating scent of sweet oils filled Ultraman's room. It lulled me in and I felt at peace.

Suddenly there was a loud crash.

"Ma'am?" I asked as I tried to sit up.

"Everything is fine, Amazon," I heard a deep voice growl above me.

A shiver went through my spine as I breathed hot breath into her ear. "I've got it from here woman."

"Ultraman," I gasped.

My face flushed as I felt each breath Ultraman made brush up against my neck. The heat radiating off him was palpable. It oozed off him and engulfed me. I felt as if I would melt if he reached out and touched me. With my back to him, we lingered in silence until he hissed in disgust.

"No," he growled as I felt him move closer to me. "You will call me by my name, Amazon."

I gulped, "Kal…"

His true name slipped out of my lips as if it was my breath.

Ultraman growled sent a wave of heat radiating off him, "Beautiful…"

I couldn't reply. My words left me as I tried to cover myself from his glance. The scars upon my back weren't beautiful, they were reminders that I was a failure as an Amazon. I recoiled inwards trying to distance myself from him mentally.

Suddenly, his warmth touched me. His lips pressed against a scar on the lower part of my back. I gasped.

"Please…" I muttered as I looked over my shoulder.

Ultraman's eyes looked up at mine. They were burning crimson red. Fear of him should have gripped me, but the desire for him did instead. He brushed his fingers up my side and up to my cheek. He hesitated for a moment until pulled his hand away for a moment.

"I've brought you something to wear this evening," he said as he pulled away from me.

Leaving me on the table, Ultraman left me. Slamming the door behind him, I heard him curse.

"J'onzz!" he shouted.

I lept to my feet and wrapped my fallen towel back around me. Rushing to the door, I flung it open. J'onzz was there waiting for me.

"Is everything alright?" I asked as I stood in the doorway.

J'onzz greeted me with a smile.

"Of course Diana," he replied. "Ultraman just had an errand to run."

I knew he was lying. I sighed as J'onzz asked to enter Ultraman's bedroom.

"I see her brought you your dress for this evening," J'onzz added as he walked past me.

Entering Ultraman's room, J'onzz walked over the bed and lifted a beautiful shimmering dress with a plunging neckline into the air.

"It's beautiful but isn't it a bit revealing?" I asked as I admired the dress.

"Nonsense my dear," J'onzz replied. "I was planning on bringing this personally but I see someone felt the urge to do it himself."

J'onzz winked at me as he spoke. Once more my face flushed.

"Let's get you ready for this ball Cinderella," J'onzz said as he pointed to the bathroom.

"Cinderella?" I asked.

"Oh, it is a fairy tale of a young peasant girl going to a ball and meeting a prince," J'onzz added.

"I see," I replied. "So I am that peasant girl tonight?"

J'onzz reached out and grabbed my hand.

"Well, technically you're Le Belle," J'onzz continued as he lead me to the bathroom. "But Cinderella is usually associated with going to a ball."

"You've lost me," I said as J'onzz sat me in front of a mirror.

J'onzz chuckled, "La Belle et la Bete, Beauty and the Beast. A tale of an innocent girl who fell in love with a beast…."

J'onzz leaned in closer to me and placed a kiss atop my forehead.

"He's missed you, you know," J'onzz added.

"I doubt that," I replied as J'onzz began to brush my hair.

"Little one, did his actions just now not tell you how much he did…"

J'onzz smiled, "You truly are an innocent child aren't you. That's what draws him towards you. For a man like him…"

J'onzz paused as he lowered the brush in his hand and placed it back onto the countertop. He turned me around to face him. Looking into my eyes he said.

"Darkness consumes him, child. You are the light in that darkness. Once he got a taste of it, he will never let it go."

And just like that J'onzz turned me back around to face the mirror and began brushing my hair once more as if nothing had happened. We spent the next several hours in silence as he helped get me ready.

Several hours later…

"And now the final touch," J'onzz said as he held out the blue dress.

I took the dress from him and headed toward Ultraman's closet. Stepping into the dress, it fit me like a glove. The silken fabric felt wonderful on my skin. Slipping the straps over my shoulder, I headed back out to J'onzz.

"I can't get the zipper," I said.

"Then let me be of assistance,"

Looking up I found Ultraman standing in the middle of his bedroom. He wore a dark blue suit with a matching waistcoat. His hair was still damp as a single long curl rested on his forehead. He began to approach me. My heart began to race as I turned for him to zip me up. Once more I was engulfed by the heat oozing off him. As he zipped me up I felt his warm fingers brush up against my back.

"Thank you…" I paused for a moment. "Kal-El."

A guttural growl filled Ultraman's room, sending a shiver down my spine.

"Shall we?"

I nodded. Walking around me, Ultraman offered me his arm. I slid my arm in between his. Walking out of his room together he said softly.

"You look beautiful tonight Diana,"

"As do you," I replied bashfully.

Ultraman laughed, "I have been called many things Amazon, beautiful hasn't been one of them."

"Well neither have I," I replied as we reached the elevator.

Ultraman raised his eyebrow.

"Then the women of your island are fools," he replied. "For all I see is…"

The elevator door opened before us. Hal and Barry stood in the open elevator door.

"Nice tits," Hal blurted out.

Barry's jaw dropped.

"Do you want to die?" he added as he placed himself in front of Hal.

"But they're nice titties," Hal added as he pointed at me. "Am I not supposed to look?"

"If you value your life, you will never look at her again," Ultraman hissed from behind me.

"Sorry boss," Hal said as Ultraman and I stepped into the elevator.

Barry elbowed Hal in his back.

"He isn't the one you need to apologize to you fucking idiot,"

I placed my hand over my mouth as to not laugh out loud. Ultraman had placed himself between his men and me. He cleared his throat and waited for a moment.

"But Boss said not to look at her," Hal added. "If I apologize I've got to look at her…"

"Apology accepted Mr. Jordan," I said as the elevator door closed.

Hal let out a sigh of relief.

As the elevator went down to the ground floor we picked up the core members of Ultraman's team. All dressed to the nines, Ultraman lead his men out of his building to several black SUVs. The men muttered amongst themselves as they branched out to the various trucks. They spoke of someone not going to be happy about my presence at the ball tonight. Their words shook me to my core. What was I about to walk into? I remained at Ultraman's side as he led us to the first SUV. Arthur was waiting there with the backdoor opened.

"Evening cousin," Arthur said with a nod.

I replied in kind.

Ultraman helped me into the trunk before getting in the vehicle beside me. Once Arthur closed the door I turned towards Ultraman.

"Is my presence going to make someone mad?"

Ultraman laughed, "Yes…"

Ultraman paused as Arthur got into the vehicle.

"His wife," Arthur said.