Were one to simply happen in upon this scene, he would bear witness to an extraordinary workout. All facets of physical ability are put to the test. Speed. Quickness. Strength. Agility. Sight. Hearing. Endurance. Skill. One needn't recognize the trademark costume or her inimitable presence to understand Diana is special. She performs her super-human exercises with apparent ease; she neither works up a sweat nor even breathes heavily. To most observers, Wonder Woman would seem her usual formidable self. Her grim expression suggests otherwise, however.
"Continuing Justice League personal log." the heroine dictates. "Using Thanagarian diagnostic equipment, I have verified much of my interpretation of the nightmare induced by Circe. Her sorcery is indeed robbing me of my Amazon powers across the entire spectrum. Since our encounter 28 hours ago, my meta-human powers have been reduced by about 17%. At this rate, they will be completely exhausted in another 140 hours."
"My tests indicate that Circe's spell acts completely independently from my activities." Diana continues. "This has both negative and positive implications. I can not rest for the purpose of conserving my strength; it will fade steadily regardless. Fortunately, I can use my remaining powers with impunity in that I won't deplete them any faster."
Wonder Woman warily eyes the clock on the Hawkship monitor panel. Hastily, she scrambles to complete her latest oral entry. "I have arranged with mother to have private use of Olympian Ridge on the remote corner of Themyscira. So far as she and my Amazon sisters are concerned, I am utilizing the Hawkship on important Justice League business and am not to be disturbed. My top priority is to use every means at my disposal to counteract Circe's wizardry. Magic typically defies Earth science, but hopefully my alien friends' ingenious craft contains my answer."
"I must now temporarily step away from my work here. My weekly 'Meet Wonder Woman' session begins within the hour. Given the circumstances, I am tempted to cancel, but Circe's incantation compels me to keep steady contact with the JLA. Since I must return to Patriarch's world for a short while, I will simply use my prior commitment as the setting. As for the colleague to join me, I have a specific individual in mind ..."
*****
"Hello Ralph, it's Diana." Her voice is typically upbeat and quite expected, although not via the telephone. "Diana?" the Elongated Man responds in a somewhat surprised tone. "Where are you? I thought you'd be here by now. You know that if I'm going to join you in Phoenix, I'm going to need a lift."
"Ralph, may I ask a favor?" the princess queries. Diana hates this. Deception is difficult for her, although she somehow manages to pull off her Diana Prince guise. She wavers for a brief moment, but quickly reminds herself that there will probably be much more of this to come in the next few days. "Please don't be offended, but would you mind bailing out on today's appearance? I ... I would like to apologize to Barry for slugging him yesterday, but I'd rather not seek him out specifically for that purpose. Could you come up with an 'emergency' that will keep you away, so that the Flash can take your place?"
Ralph Dibney chuckles. For all of Wonder Woman's extraordinary talents and attributes, humility does not come easily. He would like to be a fly on the wall for this apology, but he graciously plays along. "Sure, Diana." he replies. "I'll give Twinkle Toes a call and he'll be in Phoenix before you are!" Diana smiles on the other end of the line. "Thanks Ralph. I owe you one!"
*****
Diana finds the Flash chatting with principal Jessica James in her small, cluttered office. Understaffed and overworked, Ms. James had secretly prayed that her petition to Wonder Woman would be successful, although realistically she figured the chances were nil. Her Cordoba Elementary School is just one of literally thousands formally seeking to partake in the Amazon's weekly charity tour. James made her case in a very inspiring, heartfelt letter and to her genuine surprise, the famous super heroine selected the small Scottsdale, Arizona school.
Three years earlier, the Justice League held its first annual mega-fund raiser for assorted charities throughout the world. So impressed by the productivity and good will that project generates, the princess opted to give two hours of her time each and every week. Diana visits schools throughout the world in an effort to meet the children and raise needed money for education. Her colleagues fully endorse the 'Meet Wonder Woman' initiative. While a few Leaguers are not particularly comfortable making public appearances, the majority readily take turns accompanying Wonder Woman as her mystery super guest of the week.
"Wonder Woman! It is such an honor and a privilege to meet you!" Jessica James lauds sincerely as she greets the Amazon. "My kids are so excited to see you! We've got a packed house in our auditorium and there are even TV crews here from Phoenix and Tempe." Diana acknowledges Barry and smiles graciously at her host. "We very much appreciate your invitation to come to your school and we're pleased to be able to help." The heroine glances briefly at the Flash before continuing her thought. "Principal James, I suggest that you prepare the audience for our arrival. Flash is a last minute substitute and I'd like to confer with him for a moment so that we can come up with a spectacular entrance for you."
Princess Diana has known Barry Allen for nearly as long as she has been in mans' world. They have worked together since the formation of the Justice League of America. The two share mutual admiration and respect for one another, although occasionally their personalities clash a bit. Barry is very regimented with somewhat old-fashioned values. He can feel uncomfortable around the Amazon, a remarkably powerful woman with a strength of will to match her physical gifts. Over the years, the pair have developed a better understanding of each other and, while they will most likely never be close friends, they now tend to get along quite well.
Wonder Woman is very leery about sharing the Cordoba Elementary School stage with the Flash. As a police scientist in his civilian life, Barry Allen has been trained to be observant. His super speed allows him to see and process things in the blink of an eye. The Flash therefore ranks amongst the most likely of her Justice League colleagues to recognize the drop off in her meta-human powers. Further troubling is the fact that Barry alone saw the temporary ill-effects of Circe's spell upon her person. As a result, he is inherently skeptical of the princess and is predisposed to the notion that she may not be in proper health.
Despite these concerns, Diana has chosen Flash because he is the only JLA member whom she knows is not a threat to her. Barry made physical contact with the princess after the casting of Circe's spell. In attempting to aid the Amazon, the speedster unwittingly demonstrated that he is not the hero or heroine whose touch is now deadly to Wonder Woman.
"So what sort of entrance do you have in mind, Wonder Woman?" Flash asks. The question goes over the heroine's head, for she is momentarily lost in thought. "Wonder Woman?" Barry follows. "Huh?" the Amazon responds as she snaps out of her fog. "Oh, I'm sorry Flash. I was just preoccupied. There's a lot on my mind, that's all."
"Barry," Diana whispers to ensure privacy, "I'd like to apologize for what happened yesterday. I was a little disoriented when I lashed out at you." Flash shrugs it off as if to suggest an apology is not necessary. "You were right in what you saw. My body was being ravaged by Circe's vile sorcery, but thank Hera the effects were short-lived. Once she was banished, my Amazon physiology quickly warded off the malaise. I know you still have some doubts, but I assure you that I'm fine."
"Diana, I just know what I saw." Barry replies. "I thought you were going to die right there in my arms. A minute later, you're on your feet and back to normal as though nothing had happened. I've seen plenty of strange things, but that's a hard one for even me to believe." Flash pauses to weigh his words. "Look, I trust you and I want to believe you. Just don't forget that you've got friends in this league. If you need help, don't be too proud to ask for it!"
The irony of Barry Allen's advice is jarring to the Amazon princess. "Wonderful sentiment Barry." she thinks to herself. "I only wish it could be that simple!"
*****
Although she still possesses most of her great powers, Diana sees no reason to perform any extraordinary stunts which could reveal her compromised condition to the Flash. As such, she arbitrarily cites the small auditorium and overflowing crowd as justification for limiting the volume and scope of their super feats. The bulk of their two hour visit is therefore spent speaking to the kids. The Justice Leaguers captivate their audience with exciting stories of their exploits. They field scores of questions from their enthusiastic young fans and admirers. The two hours fly by and the heroic pair remain for an extra half hour to pose for pictures and sign autographs.
"You simply amaze me Diana!" Barry Allen marvels as they depart Scottsdale in the invisible jet. "I mean ... I think it's important for the JLA to do its occasional share of charity work. How do you manage to do this every single week? I'm the fastest man alive and even I don't have that kind of time to devote!"
"No matter who we are, Barry, we all have only 24 hours in the day." Wonder Woman remarks. "You asked me how I find the time. Did you see the looks in the faces of those children the whole time we were there? That's your answer. The money we raise is important, of course, but the joy that we can bring to the young people is the motivation for me. It's time very well spent."
*****
The invisible plane touches down just outside of Central City. "I know you probably could have arrived home a little faster on foot, but I'm glad we had a few extra minutes to chat. Thanks again for stepping in for Ralph. I owe you one and so does he!"
"Any time. Like you said, it is for a good cause." the Flash concedes. "Say Diana, why don't you drop by the house for a short visit? Iris baked her special lemon meringue pie last night and it's out of this world!" Wonder Woman politely shakes her head. "It sounds delicious Barry, but I'm afraid I'll have to take a rain check. I've really got to ..."
The calm is suddenly interrupted by a distinct and ominous buzz which both the princess and speedster recognize all too well. An anxious Wonder Woman grimaces at the sound of the Justice League emergency signal. She wants very much to return to Paradise Island to continue searching for a remedy to Circe's incantation. The last thing she wants is to be drawn into a major Justice League case.
"Flash here." Barry quickly declares as he calls in to the satellite headquarters. "Barry, we've got ourselves a serious problem." The sentence is uttered by the Batman, a hero who is by no means prone to exaggeration. "The Hawkship has been stolen by an unknown party! Given its vast technology and the security information stored in its computer, our mystery thief has to be deemed a major threat the entire JLA!"
"Continuing Justice League personal log." the heroine dictates. "Using Thanagarian diagnostic equipment, I have verified much of my interpretation of the nightmare induced by Circe. Her sorcery is indeed robbing me of my Amazon powers across the entire spectrum. Since our encounter 28 hours ago, my meta-human powers have been reduced by about 17%. At this rate, they will be completely exhausted in another 140 hours."
"My tests indicate that Circe's spell acts completely independently from my activities." Diana continues. "This has both negative and positive implications. I can not rest for the purpose of conserving my strength; it will fade steadily regardless. Fortunately, I can use my remaining powers with impunity in that I won't deplete them any faster."
Wonder Woman warily eyes the clock on the Hawkship monitor panel. Hastily, she scrambles to complete her latest oral entry. "I have arranged with mother to have private use of Olympian Ridge on the remote corner of Themyscira. So far as she and my Amazon sisters are concerned, I am utilizing the Hawkship on important Justice League business and am not to be disturbed. My top priority is to use every means at my disposal to counteract Circe's wizardry. Magic typically defies Earth science, but hopefully my alien friends' ingenious craft contains my answer."
"I must now temporarily step away from my work here. My weekly 'Meet Wonder Woman' session begins within the hour. Given the circumstances, I am tempted to cancel, but Circe's incantation compels me to keep steady contact with the JLA. Since I must return to Patriarch's world for a short while, I will simply use my prior commitment as the setting. As for the colleague to join me, I have a specific individual in mind ..."
*****
"Hello Ralph, it's Diana." Her voice is typically upbeat and quite expected, although not via the telephone. "Diana?" the Elongated Man responds in a somewhat surprised tone. "Where are you? I thought you'd be here by now. You know that if I'm going to join you in Phoenix, I'm going to need a lift."
"Ralph, may I ask a favor?" the princess queries. Diana hates this. Deception is difficult for her, although she somehow manages to pull off her Diana Prince guise. She wavers for a brief moment, but quickly reminds herself that there will probably be much more of this to come in the next few days. "Please don't be offended, but would you mind bailing out on today's appearance? I ... I would like to apologize to Barry for slugging him yesterday, but I'd rather not seek him out specifically for that purpose. Could you come up with an 'emergency' that will keep you away, so that the Flash can take your place?"
Ralph Dibney chuckles. For all of Wonder Woman's extraordinary talents and attributes, humility does not come easily. He would like to be a fly on the wall for this apology, but he graciously plays along. "Sure, Diana." he replies. "I'll give Twinkle Toes a call and he'll be in Phoenix before you are!" Diana smiles on the other end of the line. "Thanks Ralph. I owe you one!"
*****
Diana finds the Flash chatting with principal Jessica James in her small, cluttered office. Understaffed and overworked, Ms. James had secretly prayed that her petition to Wonder Woman would be successful, although realistically she figured the chances were nil. Her Cordoba Elementary School is just one of literally thousands formally seeking to partake in the Amazon's weekly charity tour. James made her case in a very inspiring, heartfelt letter and to her genuine surprise, the famous super heroine selected the small Scottsdale, Arizona school.
Three years earlier, the Justice League held its first annual mega-fund raiser for assorted charities throughout the world. So impressed by the productivity and good will that project generates, the princess opted to give two hours of her time each and every week. Diana visits schools throughout the world in an effort to meet the children and raise needed money for education. Her colleagues fully endorse the 'Meet Wonder Woman' initiative. While a few Leaguers are not particularly comfortable making public appearances, the majority readily take turns accompanying Wonder Woman as her mystery super guest of the week.
"Wonder Woman! It is such an honor and a privilege to meet you!" Jessica James lauds sincerely as she greets the Amazon. "My kids are so excited to see you! We've got a packed house in our auditorium and there are even TV crews here from Phoenix and Tempe." Diana acknowledges Barry and smiles graciously at her host. "We very much appreciate your invitation to come to your school and we're pleased to be able to help." The heroine glances briefly at the Flash before continuing her thought. "Principal James, I suggest that you prepare the audience for our arrival. Flash is a last minute substitute and I'd like to confer with him for a moment so that we can come up with a spectacular entrance for you."
Princess Diana has known Barry Allen for nearly as long as she has been in mans' world. They have worked together since the formation of the Justice League of America. The two share mutual admiration and respect for one another, although occasionally their personalities clash a bit. Barry is very regimented with somewhat old-fashioned values. He can feel uncomfortable around the Amazon, a remarkably powerful woman with a strength of will to match her physical gifts. Over the years, the pair have developed a better understanding of each other and, while they will most likely never be close friends, they now tend to get along quite well.
Wonder Woman is very leery about sharing the Cordoba Elementary School stage with the Flash. As a police scientist in his civilian life, Barry Allen has been trained to be observant. His super speed allows him to see and process things in the blink of an eye. The Flash therefore ranks amongst the most likely of her Justice League colleagues to recognize the drop off in her meta-human powers. Further troubling is the fact that Barry alone saw the temporary ill-effects of Circe's spell upon her person. As a result, he is inherently skeptical of the princess and is predisposed to the notion that she may not be in proper health.
Despite these concerns, Diana has chosen Flash because he is the only JLA member whom she knows is not a threat to her. Barry made physical contact with the princess after the casting of Circe's spell. In attempting to aid the Amazon, the speedster unwittingly demonstrated that he is not the hero or heroine whose touch is now deadly to Wonder Woman.
"So what sort of entrance do you have in mind, Wonder Woman?" Flash asks. The question goes over the heroine's head, for she is momentarily lost in thought. "Wonder Woman?" Barry follows. "Huh?" the Amazon responds as she snaps out of her fog. "Oh, I'm sorry Flash. I was just preoccupied. There's a lot on my mind, that's all."
"Barry," Diana whispers to ensure privacy, "I'd like to apologize for what happened yesterday. I was a little disoriented when I lashed out at you." Flash shrugs it off as if to suggest an apology is not necessary. "You were right in what you saw. My body was being ravaged by Circe's vile sorcery, but thank Hera the effects were short-lived. Once she was banished, my Amazon physiology quickly warded off the malaise. I know you still have some doubts, but I assure you that I'm fine."
"Diana, I just know what I saw." Barry replies. "I thought you were going to die right there in my arms. A minute later, you're on your feet and back to normal as though nothing had happened. I've seen plenty of strange things, but that's a hard one for even me to believe." Flash pauses to weigh his words. "Look, I trust you and I want to believe you. Just don't forget that you've got friends in this league. If you need help, don't be too proud to ask for it!"
The irony of Barry Allen's advice is jarring to the Amazon princess. "Wonderful sentiment Barry." she thinks to herself. "I only wish it could be that simple!"
*****
Although she still possesses most of her great powers, Diana sees no reason to perform any extraordinary stunts which could reveal her compromised condition to the Flash. As such, she arbitrarily cites the small auditorium and overflowing crowd as justification for limiting the volume and scope of their super feats. The bulk of their two hour visit is therefore spent speaking to the kids. The Justice Leaguers captivate their audience with exciting stories of their exploits. They field scores of questions from their enthusiastic young fans and admirers. The two hours fly by and the heroic pair remain for an extra half hour to pose for pictures and sign autographs.
"You simply amaze me Diana!" Barry Allen marvels as they depart Scottsdale in the invisible jet. "I mean ... I think it's important for the JLA to do its occasional share of charity work. How do you manage to do this every single week? I'm the fastest man alive and even I don't have that kind of time to devote!"
"No matter who we are, Barry, we all have only 24 hours in the day." Wonder Woman remarks. "You asked me how I find the time. Did you see the looks in the faces of those children the whole time we were there? That's your answer. The money we raise is important, of course, but the joy that we can bring to the young people is the motivation for me. It's time very well spent."
*****
The invisible plane touches down just outside of Central City. "I know you probably could have arrived home a little faster on foot, but I'm glad we had a few extra minutes to chat. Thanks again for stepping in for Ralph. I owe you one and so does he!"
"Any time. Like you said, it is for a good cause." the Flash concedes. "Say Diana, why don't you drop by the house for a short visit? Iris baked her special lemon meringue pie last night and it's out of this world!" Wonder Woman politely shakes her head. "It sounds delicious Barry, but I'm afraid I'll have to take a rain check. I've really got to ..."
The calm is suddenly interrupted by a distinct and ominous buzz which both the princess and speedster recognize all too well. An anxious Wonder Woman grimaces at the sound of the Justice League emergency signal. She wants very much to return to Paradise Island to continue searching for a remedy to Circe's incantation. The last thing she wants is to be drawn into a major Justice League case.
"Flash here." Barry quickly declares as he calls in to the satellite headquarters. "Barry, we've got ourselves a serious problem." The sentence is uttered by the Batman, a hero who is by no means prone to exaggeration. "The Hawkship has been stolen by an unknown party! Given its vast technology and the security information stored in its computer, our mystery thief has to be deemed a major threat the entire JLA!"
