"It's about damn time you got back here, missy!" the Joker snarls. Wonder Woman ignores the cranky ramblings of the injured harlequin. She hefts the pile of debris off of his legs, thus allowing him to move. The villain crawls awkwardly, dragging his left leg along the floor. He wails in agony and Diana insists that he remain motionless.
"I'm afraid your left shin is broken." the Amazon observes after a quick examination. "Yeah, ya think!?" the Joker sarcastically snaps. "Listen dear, I don't want a star-spangled nursemaid." he criticizes. "I need a doctor ... a real one, not the Freudian disciples with their glasses, white coats and straight jackets!"
Princess Diana assures the antsy felon that, although not technically a physician, she is well-schooled in Amazon medical techniques. The heroine would prefer not to burn precious time tending to the notorious maniac, but in good conscience she can not leave even him in this great pain for any longer. She quickly sets the leg and dresses the wound, all the while taking constant flak from her ungrateful patient.
Wonder Woman is tired physically, mentally and emotionally. She has had very little sleep over the past few days. Her power level has been shaved in half. Diana has basically recovered from the effects of her brush with death, but the visual remnants remain. Her skin is laden with partially healed scabs and scar tissue, much like the aftermath of a bad case of the chicken pox.
The super heroine seals the Joker inside Lex Luthor's damaged sanctuary. This won't hold the nefarious arch criminal for very long, but his broken leg is quite inhibiting. The Amazon informs him that she has an important errand to run. She warns him that she will not be gone very long and that it would be foolhardy to attempt an escape.
To appease the hungry villain, Diana provides him with a 12 inch hoagie and a large soft drink which she had the foresight to stop for prior to her return. The Joker is genuinely surprised by her consideration, but he's far too vain to admit it. "The sandwich looks pretty good," he jests, "but you should know that a Bloody Mary is my libation of choice!"
*****
"Your actions trouble me, my son." Zeus declares. Assembled are many of the legendary gods and goddesses of Greek myth, here to witness the judgment of Heracles. Apollo, Hermes and Eros find themselves aligned with Hera's quartet of goddesses in opposition of the demi-god. Poseidon is neutral. Ares claims to reserve opinion until Heracles is heard from, but his past disdain for the Amazons is such that he leans towards his half-brother in this matter.
Seeking to prevent a long and tedious proceeding, Zeus allows but one of the goddesses to speak before the group. As such, Athena presents the complaint against Heracles. The goddess of wisdom does not argue with the passion of Aphrodite or the boldness of Hera, but her words are well considered and her diction is flawless. She calmly articulates their position and subtly implies that Olympus should intervene to set things right.
Zeus momentarily glares at Athena, because he does not wish for this to become an open forum on the topic of aiding the Amazon princess. He holds his tongue, however, and redirects his attention towards his son. "What have you to say on your own behalf, Heracles?" the king of Olympus asks.
Throughout Athena's statement, Heracles quietly listened. Now his turn to speak, the son of Zeus faces the tribunal with an expression of smug defiance. He readily stipulates to all of Athena's allegations, but maintains that his actions are justified. He refuses to surrender Hestia's lasso and he offers no apologies. Furthermore, he charges his accusers with misguided and vindictive persecution towards him.
"Here I stand accused of violating Olympian ideals and endangering the very sanctity of our palatial home." Heracles pontificates. "What nonsense! For centuries upon centuries, we all have witnessed Aphrodite and Athena extol the virtues of their chosen race. The Amazons are lauded as the matchless example of human perfection. Themyscira is the last bastion of purity left on Earth, an isle where the inhabitants graciously pay homage to the splendor that is Olympus."
"By this mindset, have we not unwittingly elevated the Amazons to a status which neither they nor any other mortals merit?" Heracles continues. "We derive strength from their faith, but our reliance upon these women is too great. Consider the current threat of Circe. There was a time when many of us would have relished the opportunity to crush such an adversary. Now we prefer not to sully our hands, choosing instead to call upon the champion of the Amazons to fight our battles."
"Perhaps Heracles forgets that the Princess Diana has bested him before?" Artemis goads. A chorus of snickers follows from the assembly. It is common knowledge amongst Olympians that Heracles' defeats against the daughter of Hippolyta are a very sore subject for him. "It would seem that infamous ego demands petty vengeance for having been felled by a woman!"
Heracles grins confidently as he allows his detractors to have their momentary laugh at his expense. "It is no secret that I seek to avenge my failings against Diana." the man-god concedes. "This is hardly unusual. We all have our personal crusades which drive us. For me, that crusade is the princess. I will best the Amazon and consequently lay claim to her."
Aphrodite begins to chastise her half-brother for his attitudes and tactics, but Heracles will not allow her to finish. "You're a hypocrite, sister! You're all hypocrites!" he brazenly charges. "You constantly espouse the greatness of the Amazons, particularly Diana. You hand select the Amazon champion to dispense with Circe. You all deem her worthy to represent Olympus in battle, yet you advocate defending her the moment things get a little rough? Hardly the endorsement of a great champion."
"It's quite ironic, isn't it? I have far more confidence in Princess Diana than her very own patron goddesses!" Heracles observes. "Aphrodite fears for Diana's life. I do not. I have fought the princess. I am familiar with her abilities and her resolve. Despite our differences, I admire her warrior spirit. No matter how difficult her predicament may get, she will ultimately overcome her nemesis Circe. And in the event that she does not, we will take care of the witch ourselves, as we should have done from the beginning!"
*****
He stares at a blank white screen as his mind wanders. So acclimated to his civilian role as a news reporter, it is usually quite routine for Clark Kent to compile yet another first rate story. On this afternoon, however, he just can't seem to piece together the opening sentence. For security reasons, the majority of Superman's firsthand knowledge is off limits. The rest remains mostly a mystery.
"Take a walk." The words partially register in Clark's mind as he gazes towards the doorway of his office. "I knocked three times." Lois Lane attests. "Even the best of us suffer from bouts of writer's block." she notes. "The best thing to do is a take a walk. It'll clear your head. Works for me."
Clark and Lois are friends and colleagues who share a competitive, although good-natured rivalry. As Superman, he and the endearing Ms. Lane share special relationship which continues to blossom over time. He respects her professional opinion and the experience behind it. "Perhaps you're right, Lois." he responds in the intentionally meek tone of his Kent persona. "I'll try that if the ice doesn't break soon."
The mild-mannered reporter returns his attention to his computer screen. A few moments pass before he again notices that he is not yet alone. "Lois," Clark groans, "I told you that I'd ...". He fails to complete his statement, for the woman standing before him is not Miss Lane. To his astonishment, his visitor is Wonder Woman, dressed incognito in a dowdy raincoat, horn-rimmed spectacles and prim hairstyle.
Diana is uneasy but determined as she closes the door behind her. Dealing with Superman is particularly risky, because it would be disastrous should he recognize her depleted strength. The heroine would prefer to avoid Kal-El, but she reasons further extreme deception is required to ensure that neither he nor anyone else surmises the real truth.
Clark Kent springs from his desk chair to confront the princess. "Not so fast Mr. Kent!" the Amazon warns. "This is an office building, remember?" There is a sinister snarl in her tone which accompanies her devious smile. "It is a rather curious venue for this historic meeting, face to face just the two of us. Imagine that we have that accursed Amazon princess to thank for it!"
"Circe!?" Clark exclaims as she boldly strides towards him. Diana cackles nefariously while privately praying that she can pull off an impersonation of her arch enemy. "Yes, and no." she responds while motioning for him to take his seat. "Dear Diana is here with us. Essentially, I wear the Amazon's physical form while suppressing her mind. She fights me, of course, but my sorcery is too much for her."
"We knew you were somehow involved in Diana's defection." Clark asserts. "You're responsible for Flash's insanity, Hawkgirl's abduction and the disease that nearly killed most of the JLA!" Wonder Woman proudly smiles and nods affirmatively to Superman's accusation. "I've just been toying with you." she responds. "The fever incantation was harsh, even by my standards, but I had to teach this stubborn Amazon a lesson!"
Diana slips her arms out of her cumbersome raincoat and sets it aside. Sporting a short tan skirt and tight-fitting, dark green blouse, she sits atop the reporter's desk. The Amazon kicks aside a stack of papers, pencil sharper and the telephone. She extends her long legs across the length of the desk so that her feet rest directly in front of the monitor. "As you can see from these pock marks, I inflicted Hippolyta's daughter with the virus too." the princess explains. "It's a rather glorious arrangement, actually. I reap all the benefits of Wonder Woman, all of her great powers. Naturally, pain is different. I allow Diana the privilege of experiencing that herself!"
Clark gnashes his teeth. He desperately wants to lash out at this obnoxious woman whom he believes to be Circe, but he prudently holds back. Magic is a vulnerability for him. He also reasons that any action he takes here would harm Diana as opposed to the witch. As the Amazon expects, Kal holds off on calling in JLA reinforcements due to the threat to civilians. "What is it that you want, Circe?" he asks reluctantly.
The super heroine mischievously grins. She removes her glasses and casually lets her hair back down to its customary sub-shoulder level. Suddenly Diana thrusts herself onto the startled reporter. The desk chair rocks backward and the two topple to the office floor. She intentionally shreds the front of his shirt, thus compromising his secret identity should he attempt to detain her. Wonder Woman strokes Clark's shoulders and locks lips in an intense 5:52 PM 10/6/02kiss.
Kal wants no part of this attempt at seduction. "You're wasting your breath, Circe." he declares sternly while rejecting her tasteless advances. "I shall not be tempted by the likes of you, even when it is the form of my friend that you use."
"Your friend?" the princess mockingly laughs as they both rise to their feet. "Oh come now Mr. Kent! I know everything Diana knows. She is far more than just a friend to you and your JLA pals. Super hearing reveals an awful lot. Just imagine the private conversations she's overheard. Curious how heart rates tend to shoot up the moment she walks into the room! You're no exception Superman. Even the married guys Katar, Barry, Ray and Arthur can't help but stare!" The insinuating banter proves irritating to the Kryptonian. Diana cringes on the inside for she loathes resorting to such seedy deceit. Her efforts are succeeding, however, insofar as she is diverting attention away from her true troubles.
Wonder Woman continues to strike at a personal nerve of her colleague. "It's hardly surprising that you have deep seeded feelings for this princess which you're too intimidated to act upon. What I find very interesting is how she feels about you! Outwardly, her affections are directed at Steve Trevor. In actuality, her fiery passions are really devoted towards you, Kal-El! It just kills her to watch you waste your time with that pesky little viper Lois Lane!"
"Enough!" Clark demands. "You will not prey upon us! Diana and I both know unequivocally where we stand with one other. You can not distort or twist that reality into something it is not." The Kryptonian boldly stares down his intruder. "Now I ask you again, Circe, why are you here?" The Amazon feigns amusement at Superman's denouncement of her overtures. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out Green Lantern's power ring. "Call this a token of Diana's love." the heroine notes as she hands it to him.
With the Guardians having deactivated its power battery, the ring is useless to Diana. She reasons that if she can not overcome Circe on her own, the Justice League will inherit that responsibility. As such, they must be as close to full strength as possible. This necessitates the returning of both Hal Jordan's power ring and the Hawkship.
"Meet me at Paradise Island in one hour!" Wonder Woman mandates. "There I will relinquish the Hawkship and Hal Jordan's power battery. Only that wench Hippolyta can join you. Try anything funny and both Hawkgirl and lovely Diana will experience my wrath!"
"I'm afraid your left shin is broken." the Amazon observes after a quick examination. "Yeah, ya think!?" the Joker sarcastically snaps. "Listen dear, I don't want a star-spangled nursemaid." he criticizes. "I need a doctor ... a real one, not the Freudian disciples with their glasses, white coats and straight jackets!"
Princess Diana assures the antsy felon that, although not technically a physician, she is well-schooled in Amazon medical techniques. The heroine would prefer not to burn precious time tending to the notorious maniac, but in good conscience she can not leave even him in this great pain for any longer. She quickly sets the leg and dresses the wound, all the while taking constant flak from her ungrateful patient.
Wonder Woman is tired physically, mentally and emotionally. She has had very little sleep over the past few days. Her power level has been shaved in half. Diana has basically recovered from the effects of her brush with death, but the visual remnants remain. Her skin is laden with partially healed scabs and scar tissue, much like the aftermath of a bad case of the chicken pox.
The super heroine seals the Joker inside Lex Luthor's damaged sanctuary. This won't hold the nefarious arch criminal for very long, but his broken leg is quite inhibiting. The Amazon informs him that she has an important errand to run. She warns him that she will not be gone very long and that it would be foolhardy to attempt an escape.
To appease the hungry villain, Diana provides him with a 12 inch hoagie and a large soft drink which she had the foresight to stop for prior to her return. The Joker is genuinely surprised by her consideration, but he's far too vain to admit it. "The sandwich looks pretty good," he jests, "but you should know that a Bloody Mary is my libation of choice!"
*****
"Your actions trouble me, my son." Zeus declares. Assembled are many of the legendary gods and goddesses of Greek myth, here to witness the judgment of Heracles. Apollo, Hermes and Eros find themselves aligned with Hera's quartet of goddesses in opposition of the demi-god. Poseidon is neutral. Ares claims to reserve opinion until Heracles is heard from, but his past disdain for the Amazons is such that he leans towards his half-brother in this matter.
Seeking to prevent a long and tedious proceeding, Zeus allows but one of the goddesses to speak before the group. As such, Athena presents the complaint against Heracles. The goddess of wisdom does not argue with the passion of Aphrodite or the boldness of Hera, but her words are well considered and her diction is flawless. She calmly articulates their position and subtly implies that Olympus should intervene to set things right.
Zeus momentarily glares at Athena, because he does not wish for this to become an open forum on the topic of aiding the Amazon princess. He holds his tongue, however, and redirects his attention towards his son. "What have you to say on your own behalf, Heracles?" the king of Olympus asks.
Throughout Athena's statement, Heracles quietly listened. Now his turn to speak, the son of Zeus faces the tribunal with an expression of smug defiance. He readily stipulates to all of Athena's allegations, but maintains that his actions are justified. He refuses to surrender Hestia's lasso and he offers no apologies. Furthermore, he charges his accusers with misguided and vindictive persecution towards him.
"Here I stand accused of violating Olympian ideals and endangering the very sanctity of our palatial home." Heracles pontificates. "What nonsense! For centuries upon centuries, we all have witnessed Aphrodite and Athena extol the virtues of their chosen race. The Amazons are lauded as the matchless example of human perfection. Themyscira is the last bastion of purity left on Earth, an isle where the inhabitants graciously pay homage to the splendor that is Olympus."
"By this mindset, have we not unwittingly elevated the Amazons to a status which neither they nor any other mortals merit?" Heracles continues. "We derive strength from their faith, but our reliance upon these women is too great. Consider the current threat of Circe. There was a time when many of us would have relished the opportunity to crush such an adversary. Now we prefer not to sully our hands, choosing instead to call upon the champion of the Amazons to fight our battles."
"Perhaps Heracles forgets that the Princess Diana has bested him before?" Artemis goads. A chorus of snickers follows from the assembly. It is common knowledge amongst Olympians that Heracles' defeats against the daughter of Hippolyta are a very sore subject for him. "It would seem that infamous ego demands petty vengeance for having been felled by a woman!"
Heracles grins confidently as he allows his detractors to have their momentary laugh at his expense. "It is no secret that I seek to avenge my failings against Diana." the man-god concedes. "This is hardly unusual. We all have our personal crusades which drive us. For me, that crusade is the princess. I will best the Amazon and consequently lay claim to her."
Aphrodite begins to chastise her half-brother for his attitudes and tactics, but Heracles will not allow her to finish. "You're a hypocrite, sister! You're all hypocrites!" he brazenly charges. "You constantly espouse the greatness of the Amazons, particularly Diana. You hand select the Amazon champion to dispense with Circe. You all deem her worthy to represent Olympus in battle, yet you advocate defending her the moment things get a little rough? Hardly the endorsement of a great champion."
"It's quite ironic, isn't it? I have far more confidence in Princess Diana than her very own patron goddesses!" Heracles observes. "Aphrodite fears for Diana's life. I do not. I have fought the princess. I am familiar with her abilities and her resolve. Despite our differences, I admire her warrior spirit. No matter how difficult her predicament may get, she will ultimately overcome her nemesis Circe. And in the event that she does not, we will take care of the witch ourselves, as we should have done from the beginning!"
*****
He stares at a blank white screen as his mind wanders. So acclimated to his civilian role as a news reporter, it is usually quite routine for Clark Kent to compile yet another first rate story. On this afternoon, however, he just can't seem to piece together the opening sentence. For security reasons, the majority of Superman's firsthand knowledge is off limits. The rest remains mostly a mystery.
"Take a walk." The words partially register in Clark's mind as he gazes towards the doorway of his office. "I knocked three times." Lois Lane attests. "Even the best of us suffer from bouts of writer's block." she notes. "The best thing to do is a take a walk. It'll clear your head. Works for me."
Clark and Lois are friends and colleagues who share a competitive, although good-natured rivalry. As Superman, he and the endearing Ms. Lane share special relationship which continues to blossom over time. He respects her professional opinion and the experience behind it. "Perhaps you're right, Lois." he responds in the intentionally meek tone of his Kent persona. "I'll try that if the ice doesn't break soon."
The mild-mannered reporter returns his attention to his computer screen. A few moments pass before he again notices that he is not yet alone. "Lois," Clark groans, "I told you that I'd ...". He fails to complete his statement, for the woman standing before him is not Miss Lane. To his astonishment, his visitor is Wonder Woman, dressed incognito in a dowdy raincoat, horn-rimmed spectacles and prim hairstyle.
Diana is uneasy but determined as she closes the door behind her. Dealing with Superman is particularly risky, because it would be disastrous should he recognize her depleted strength. The heroine would prefer to avoid Kal-El, but she reasons further extreme deception is required to ensure that neither he nor anyone else surmises the real truth.
Clark Kent springs from his desk chair to confront the princess. "Not so fast Mr. Kent!" the Amazon warns. "This is an office building, remember?" There is a sinister snarl in her tone which accompanies her devious smile. "It is a rather curious venue for this historic meeting, face to face just the two of us. Imagine that we have that accursed Amazon princess to thank for it!"
"Circe!?" Clark exclaims as she boldly strides towards him. Diana cackles nefariously while privately praying that she can pull off an impersonation of her arch enemy. "Yes, and no." she responds while motioning for him to take his seat. "Dear Diana is here with us. Essentially, I wear the Amazon's physical form while suppressing her mind. She fights me, of course, but my sorcery is too much for her."
"We knew you were somehow involved in Diana's defection." Clark asserts. "You're responsible for Flash's insanity, Hawkgirl's abduction and the disease that nearly killed most of the JLA!" Wonder Woman proudly smiles and nods affirmatively to Superman's accusation. "I've just been toying with you." she responds. "The fever incantation was harsh, even by my standards, but I had to teach this stubborn Amazon a lesson!"
Diana slips her arms out of her cumbersome raincoat and sets it aside. Sporting a short tan skirt and tight-fitting, dark green blouse, she sits atop the reporter's desk. The Amazon kicks aside a stack of papers, pencil sharper and the telephone. She extends her long legs across the length of the desk so that her feet rest directly in front of the monitor. "As you can see from these pock marks, I inflicted Hippolyta's daughter with the virus too." the princess explains. "It's a rather glorious arrangement, actually. I reap all the benefits of Wonder Woman, all of her great powers. Naturally, pain is different. I allow Diana the privilege of experiencing that herself!"
Clark gnashes his teeth. He desperately wants to lash out at this obnoxious woman whom he believes to be Circe, but he prudently holds back. Magic is a vulnerability for him. He also reasons that any action he takes here would harm Diana as opposed to the witch. As the Amazon expects, Kal holds off on calling in JLA reinforcements due to the threat to civilians. "What is it that you want, Circe?" he asks reluctantly.
The super heroine mischievously grins. She removes her glasses and casually lets her hair back down to its customary sub-shoulder level. Suddenly Diana thrusts herself onto the startled reporter. The desk chair rocks backward and the two topple to the office floor. She intentionally shreds the front of his shirt, thus compromising his secret identity should he attempt to detain her. Wonder Woman strokes Clark's shoulders and locks lips in an intense 5:52 PM 10/6/02kiss.
Kal wants no part of this attempt at seduction. "You're wasting your breath, Circe." he declares sternly while rejecting her tasteless advances. "I shall not be tempted by the likes of you, even when it is the form of my friend that you use."
"Your friend?" the princess mockingly laughs as they both rise to their feet. "Oh come now Mr. Kent! I know everything Diana knows. She is far more than just a friend to you and your JLA pals. Super hearing reveals an awful lot. Just imagine the private conversations she's overheard. Curious how heart rates tend to shoot up the moment she walks into the room! You're no exception Superman. Even the married guys Katar, Barry, Ray and Arthur can't help but stare!" The insinuating banter proves irritating to the Kryptonian. Diana cringes on the inside for she loathes resorting to such seedy deceit. Her efforts are succeeding, however, insofar as she is diverting attention away from her true troubles.
Wonder Woman continues to strike at a personal nerve of her colleague. "It's hardly surprising that you have deep seeded feelings for this princess which you're too intimidated to act upon. What I find very interesting is how she feels about you! Outwardly, her affections are directed at Steve Trevor. In actuality, her fiery passions are really devoted towards you, Kal-El! It just kills her to watch you waste your time with that pesky little viper Lois Lane!"
"Enough!" Clark demands. "You will not prey upon us! Diana and I both know unequivocally where we stand with one other. You can not distort or twist that reality into something it is not." The Kryptonian boldly stares down his intruder. "Now I ask you again, Circe, why are you here?" The Amazon feigns amusement at Superman's denouncement of her overtures. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out Green Lantern's power ring. "Call this a token of Diana's love." the heroine notes as she hands it to him.
With the Guardians having deactivated its power battery, the ring is useless to Diana. She reasons that if she can not overcome Circe on her own, the Justice League will inherit that responsibility. As such, they must be as close to full strength as possible. This necessitates the returning of both Hal Jordan's power ring and the Hawkship.
"Meet me at Paradise Island in one hour!" Wonder Woman mandates. "There I will relinquish the Hawkship and Hal Jordan's power battery. Only that wench Hippolyta can join you. Try anything funny and both Hawkgirl and lovely Diana will experience my wrath!"
