The Evil Long Forgotten

Chapter 3

By Christopher W. Blaine

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DISCLAIMER: All of the characters and situations contained in this story are ©2003 by DC Comics Inc. and are used without permission for non-profit, fan related entertainment purposes only. This original work of fiction is ©2003 by Christopher W. Blaine and may not be reproduced in any manner, in part or as a whole, without the express permission of the author.

The exotic eyes of Wonder Woman darted back and forth from one monitor to another as her razor-sharp mind took in the information being displayed and then laid it out in an orderly fashion. There was a unique air about her; her aura was that of something beyond human yet full of compassion.

She possessed a flawless body, crafted from clay by her mother's own hands. It was not the body of a super-model, but more like one of an ultra-super-model, yet she did not carry the arrogance that many beautiful women had. She knew she had physical beauty, but she was someone who was more concerned with the inner self. Her people paid very little attention to the outer trappings and ever since she had arrived in the so-called Man's World, she had been bemused at people's fascination with her looks.

It was only in the company of her fellow super-heroes that she found people who were willing to accept as more than eye-candy. Here they valued her knowledge of history and geography, her battle skills and her willingness to listen and advise. Certainly there was some physical attraction, but that was to be expected when healthy, well-adjusted adults worked together. The most powerful and honorable men in the universe surrounded her, so it was natural for her to sometimes allow her eyes to wander.

There was no time for those thoughts this day she reminded herself. She was trying to coordinate two different JLA teams from their headquarters, the Watchtower, on the moon. Superman and Green Lantern were working on saving victims of a flood in Alabama, while Plastic Man led several reserve members on a hunt to look for a sighting of the Star Sapphire. It was highly unlikely that it was she, but one never knew and it was prudent to check it out.

Plastic Man had whined about having to lead the reserve members and many of the reserve members had griped as well. Wonder Woman had politely pointed out that the League charter required that any missions were to be headed by active members before senior reservists. So far, it seemed to be going well but she was keeping an eye on the monitor and an ear on the communications between Plastic Man's team.

The Martian Manhunter, a tall, green humanoid with bulging muscles, stood behind her and closed his eyes. He was using his telepathic abilities to maintain a link between himself and Superman, advising both Wonder Woman and Green Lantern as necessary. She was thankful to have his company this day. Too often, she spent many hours alone up on the moon. The allure of looking at the Earth on the horizon had lost its appeal several months before.

She had considered inviting someone up to keep her company and had just about decided it was time for her and Donna to catch up when the emergencies happened. Donna Troy was a fellow super-hero and Diana's twin sister, created through magic and then lost to Wonder Woman for many years. Because of the circumstances surrounding Donna's disappearance, there was a slight age difference between the two women and that had led to some barriers. Donna, as Wonder Girl, had been living in this world outside the paradise of the Amazons for several years and Diana was still a relative newcomer in comparison.

In recent weeks, Diana had been trying to get closer to her sister. It was a trade-off of sorts as Donna was interested in learning more about her Amazon heritage and Diana wanted to have a confidant.

"Perhaps you should still invite her," the Martian Manhunter said, smiling.

"Find anything interesting in there?" she asked, her voice heavy with her accent. It was something akin to Greek.

"You think things through too much sometimes."

"Says the man who stares out into space for hours on end," she replied.

He shrugged. "I was raised looking at the stars; they are my companions, my link to the past. Your sister is your link."

"The past is sacred to your people, is it not?" she asked.

"Is it not so with yours? The past is nothing more than the beginnings of the present. How can you understand where you are now if you cannot comprehend where you have been?" He opened his eyes and looked down at her. She seemed to feel his eyes boring into the back of her head and she turned to regard him. Even he, as a Martian, found her appearance inspiring. "You should call."

"I should not think so much around a telepath," she explained with a wry grin.

"You have pure thoughts, Diana."

"You haven't caught them when I watch Batman work out," she snickered before turning back around.

"I mean that there is no corruption to your thoughts. You're internal expression is enlightening. It is much like linking with Superman." The Manhunter closed his eyes again and then sighed. "That is good. All of the victims of the flood have been rescued. Superman is leaving Green Lantern in charge while he returns to Metropolis."

"That is good…eh?" she questioned as a third monitor came to life. The floating animated head of Oracle appeared on the screen. The real person, Barbara Gordon, was on the Earth, secreted away in her private apartment in Gotham City. As Oracle, she headed the Birds of Prey investigative group and was a reserve member of the Justice League. And she did all of this from a wheelchair.

"Wonder Woman, forgive the intrusion, please," the animation said.

Diana changed her chin-mike's channel to the third monitor. "Go ahead, Oracle, I'm listening."

"I just got wind of a report going to the United Nations Security Council regarding a situation in Germany." The image flickered slightly and then continued. "My German isn't so good, but it sounds like one of the Global Guardians has been murdered."

Wonder Woman handed the green-haired woman with the olive skin another tissue. She thanked the Amazing Amazon in her native Spanish and blew her nose hard. She had been upset ever since Wonder Woman had broken the news to her. She had wished that Booster Gold had been here to soften the blow, but he was busy helping Plastic Man. Regardless of circumstance, the business of justice and protecting the peace had to go on.

"Did you know him well?" Wonder Woman asked.

The woman shrugged. "As well as any of the others; I was really only close to Tora, but it is still sad. From what I remember of him, he was a gentle man." Despite the frail image she currently projected, the woman was in fact a former member of the Justice League in good standing. As Fire, she had served several years with the team when it was under less-than-perfect management. As the Green Fury, she had represented her native Brazil in the Global Guardians.

The Global Guardians was a loosely organized group of super-heroes from several countries around the world. Because most heroes came from America, many other solitary heroes did not benefit from many of the resources available in the United States. Both Fire and former member Ice had been enlisted from the Guardians for the League. Ice, or Tora, to her friends, had been killed while on active duty with the League.

After that, most of the other members of that incarnation of the Justice League had drifted away to rediscover themselves. Fire and Booster Gold, another former member, had begun to develop a romantic relationship when their team had disbanded. Seeing that she now lived in Brazil where she worked as a model and actress and he remained in the United States, it was a pretty safe bet that their passion for each other had cooled.

Still, he had been the one to know her best and Wonder Woman was faced with a difficult situation. The United Nations security council had been informed by the Berlin police that the body of a man identified as the Seraph, the national hero of Israel, had been found in some woods several kilometers outside the city. The Seraph was a member of the Global Guardians and his death, especially in Germany of all places, had serious implications.

Wonder Woman had been officially designated, because of her status as a UN ambassador, to investigate the matter, since it was believed only another metahuman could have taken down the Seraph. She needed to get as much information out of Fire that she could before she could proceed.

The problem was that the death of the Seraph had triggered memories of the death of Ice and now the Brazilian hero was, like many humans, in throes of grief. The Martian Manhunter, who had led Fire's team, had left to get some water and was now walking back in to monitor room. He handed the glass to Fire and then pulled Wonder Woman to the side.

Wonder Woman possessed some limited telepathic ability and the two of them conversed through their minds. "She is in no condition to help out. Tora's death truly devastated her and she realizes it cost her membership in the League and her relationship with Booster."

Wonder Woman nodded. "I don't feel comfortable going to Germany to investigate this myself; I'm not a detective, but the German government was quite clear that they would not allow the Batman to enter the country, or Aquaman."

"I can't believe that the rift between Atlantis and Germany is that wide still," the Martian Manhunter thought.

"On the surface it isn't, but there is still a lot of resentment for the war. German naval forces decimated allied shipping and a lot of the vessels that were sunk fell onto Atlantean colonies and dwellings." Wonder Woman sighed. "The Atlanteans have been demanding reparations for the past decade. They asked for the same thing from Japan and received them, but Germany says that if Atlantis had made itself and it's waters known, then the situations could have been avoided."

"Idiotic political rhetoric. On Mars we didn't have such things."

"Yes, but look what happened to your people because the dialogue was stymied by one party. The White Martians devastated your planet through war. As long as the parties are talking to each other, then there is hope for a diplomatic solution."

The Martian Manhunter conceded the verbal argument to her and then suggested she ask her sister to go. "Certainly they would not disapprove of her, given that her nationality is now a matter of public record. Germany and Themyscira are on excellent terms are they not?"

"Yes, it's true. Themyscira is enjoying our trade relationship with the European Union," she tapped her chin with a forefinger. "Donna does have some practical investigative skills, but she's no Batman."

"I suppose I could ask the Elongated Man to join you," the Manhunter suggested.

"That will not be necessary, J'onn," Wonder Woman said out loud. She then moved over to comfort Fire some more.

"Germany?"

"They have requested Justice League aid in the investigation. Both the German and Israeli governments want to keep this low key otherwise they would ask Superman to help out," Wonder Woman said from her side of the communication.

Donna Troy, the former Wonder Girl, the former Darkstar and current Titan scratched her head. She looked a mess having been up all night working on a photo layout for a major magazine. Unlike her sister, Donna survived by working, not on the funds supplied by their mother's government. Of course, she didn't really consider Hippolyta her actual mother.

A victim of the magics of the Dark Angel, a World War 2 foe of the queen, Donna's life was split into a thousand alternate realities when she was still a child. Each of these realities had a Donna Troy who was destined to live a miserable life, a life full of tragedy. The spell had originally been meant for Diana.

In this reality, this true timeline, Donna had been adopted, ignorant of her true heritage. Her mother was not the queen of the Amazons. "It sort of sounds like fun, but I have so much work to do…"

"Can you finish it?" Diana asked, hopeful.

Donna had to admit that she really did want to spend some more time with Diana. As children, they had been playmates and as time went on, more and more of those memories were coming back to her. She had always admired Diana and now that they had a true connection, she wanted to explore it. "Maybe I should ask Dick to come along?" she asked, referring to Nightwing, the former partner of the Batman and a fellow Titans.

"No Dick on this adventure I'm afraid," Wonder Woman replied. The Germans had also been quite clear about anyone associated with the Batman. They weren't sure if they could be trusted.

Donna started laughing. "I don't know if I want to go then!"

Wonder Woman gave her a blank stare and then figured out what she had said. She blushed. "I guess I don't think about things like that as often as you do, little sister."

"Shoot, put me in a room with Superman for five minutes and I'll think of more than that!"

"He's married," was the quick response and Donna got the idea that there was a slight twinge of regret there.

"I only want to borrow him," Donna said, having made up her mind. "Okay, okay; do we fly in your jet or mine?"

"I thought it would be nice to fly with the people. In today's times, it is important to show solidarity with the people we protect. We can't make it seem as if we won't fly in the same planes as them."

"Sure; give me a couple of hours to get cleaned up, shave my legs…I'll have to call Dick…"

Wonder Woman burst out in laugh and Donna just shook her head before finishing her sentence. "To tell him I won't be available for Titans duty for the next few days."

The Amazing Amazon blushed again. "Sorry. I thought we were still talking dirty."

"You don't get out much, do you?" Donna asked.

"Yes, I just think about different things is all."

"Call me at noon," Donna said before saying good-bye.