Superman: Mythos #8 "Among the Amazons"
"The Wonder Woman, I presume?" the High Seer interjected. Clark paused his tale to finish the last of his alien pork, nodding as he chewed. "I thought so, we have not dreamed of her much. But when we do, never is she too far from you… Is she your mating companion?"
Clark nearly choked on his food, having to thump his chest and wash it down with a few sips of wine. "No, God no…" He managed to say between coughs as he regained his composure.
"Apologies, I'm not familiar with Earthling mating terminology, so excuse me if I use the wrong vernacular. Would you prefer it if I referred to her as your wife?" the High Seer continued, trying her best.
"No," Clark said more sternly. "We're just friends, coworkers really."
"Ah, I see. So like the Lane woman?" Aretea asked.
Clark sighed, wanting to further explain, but he didn't see the point in doing so. "Yes, just friends. Just like Lois."
Three Weeks Earlier
Clark slowly awoke and felt the golden rays of the sun pouring through his bedside window, rejuvenating his tired body. Long white curtains flowed as a warm breeze filled the ancient marble room he'd been resting in. Clark arched his back up in the comfortable silk bed, quickly realizing he was devoid of his suit, or any form of clothes for that matter. Beside him, incense wafted, along with jars and bowls of crushed herbs and other strong-smelling ingredients.
His memory of what happened the day or so before was starting to come back to him when he heard chatter from just outside his room. The shadows of three figures stood just outside a closed door. They were trying to whisper, but one didn't need super-hearing to figure out what they were saying. Or rather, what they were arguing about.
"Daughter, please. You must realize, even for you, this is highly irregular," a mature female voice spoke. "It's only been three years since-"
"Five years, mother," another retorted. Clark clearly recognized the voice, it was Diana's. "It's been five years since we became known to Man's World. And time moves a lot faster for those who aren't blessed by the gods."
"Admit it, sister," the third and final voice snapped. "You've brought your male plaything here for your own selfish desires. Who knows what could be following him, what dangers he might bring to our land."
"Artemis, I thought you were a warrior? Scared of the terrors of Man's World, are you?" Diana teased. "Trust me, a mortal's wrath hardly compares to that of a god. The latter of which we have plenty of experience with."
"That isn't the point, Princess, and you know it!" Artemis growled. "Tell her, my Queen. We should banish this so-called Superman."
"No, no, Artemis," the Queen said in a soft tone, yet with a hint of concern in her motherly voice. "Diana is right. She was sent to be the bridge between us and the world of man. And he is the greatest of men, so we are told. It would be unjust not to accept him and lend him sanctuary. When he is well, he may come before the court and we shall uncover his intentions fairly."
"Thank you, Mother," Diana said.
"I respect your judgment, my Queen," Artemis said before a brief pause, turning back to Diana with a stern finger. "But I remain wary of yours, sister…"
Clark heard the two Amazons walk away, leaving just Diana's shadow standing before the door. A quiet moment passed before the door creaked open and Diana entered Clark's room with a weary smile on her face. Clark managed one back as she came up beside his bed.
She was, well, wondrous. A shimmering golden tiara was nestled in her long flowing black hair. Her bright blue eyes had seen so much, yet still, they looked out upon the future's horizon with hope. Her defined warrior's body was protected beneath her gold and crimson breastplate, ending at her waist where it gave way to a star-spangled battle skirt. And on her waist was strapped the glowing golden Lasso of Hestia, capable of compelling anyone to tell the truth.
Clark's eyes then lingered away from the Amazon and out the window of the infirmary. Through the thin billowing curtains, he looked out across a shining Greco-Roman city, the likes of which made ancient Athens look like Smallville. Amongst the more standard architecture of antiquity, there were also grand machinations of advanced technology. The likes of which Clark couldn't even begin to think of what their purposes may be. They were impressive nonetheless, with the entire city being built upon a lush, rocky terrain common to most Mediterranean isles.
Clark shook his head with a soft chuckle, hardly believing the reality of where he was. It was as if he'd stepped right into the pages of myth. He then looked down at himself, his bare chest and his nude lower body which was still concealed beneath the sheets.
"I see you've-" Clark began, his face growing slightly red.
"Taken the liberty of washing your uniform, yes," Diana finished. "And Kal, please. It's nothing I haven't seen before." She smirked, while Clark winced in embarrassment.
"Well, thank you," Clark continued. "N-not just for the suit, but for the save. And for bringing me here." His gaze once more turned out the window and onto the opulence of Themyscira. It was a place he'd only heard stories of from Diana, never did he think he'd actually make it there for himself. "Come to think of it, why were you there? On the Cyclopean Isles, that is?"
"Same as you, I presume," Diana said. "I was following a lead. A new substance has been making the rounds in this corner of the world. Lotus, they call it. Recreationally and on its own, it is not harmful. Unless it's used in tandem with a plant elemental metahuman. I ran into one by the name of Black Orchid in Southern Turkey. She was able to use her powers to take control of anyone who ingested the drug. Building an army for herself and funding it by selling Lotus to the very people she took over."
"Same story here, well, with a few more pies involved," Clark said, to which Diana gave him a puzzled look. "Don't worry about it. Point is, I was able to find out who's truly behind Lotus."
"Who?" Diana asked.
"LexCorp Industries," Clark answered.
"Luthor…" Diana growled between clenched teeth.
"I know," Clark said, getting up out of the bed, making sure to wrap the sheets firmly around his waist. "Guess this is why Bruce always wants us all to compare notes."
"And then the moment you step into Gotham, you've somehow sabotaged a three-month-long Riddler investigation," Diana said with a laugh, making her way to a pillar in the corner of the room which had Clark's suit placed upon it, clean and neatly folded. "Don't even get me started on him."
"Bruce can be difficult," Clark said, following Diana.
"That's an understatement," she said, handing him his suit.
Clark paused with his suit in his hands while Diana stood before him patiently. An awkward moment passed before it occurred to her.
"Ah, yes, of course," she said, making her way to the door in order to give Clark his privacy. "Now then, ready yourself. Soon you shall meet the Queen."
"Wait, I'm going to meet your mother?" Clark said, his words cut short as Diana slammed the door closed behind her.
Clark was soon dressed in his iconic Superman costume and met with Wonder Woman outside the infirmary. The two exited the Amazonian medical facility and crossed through the heart of Themyscira towards the royal palace. Clark remained in awe of the city, meanwhile, the local Amazons glared at him as he walked by. He was clearly out of place in this society of female warriors, but he had practice feeling like an outsider, so it wasn't a bother.
They soon came before the palace of the Queen. It was the grandest of all the structures on the island and it was also clearly the oldest. Its age was not evident through any decay, it was in pristine condition. Instead through its sheer presence and scale, it conveyed its antiquity. They traveled up the palace's many steps and entered its spacious throne room, lined with colorful marble pillars, quarried from all four corners of the Old World.
At the very end of the room, on an elevated platform sat Queen Hippolyta with a line of her most loyal advisors on either side of her. One of which hovered close to the Queen's right hand. The Amazon in question was scowling down at Clark with a bit more ferocity than the others. He assumed she was the one named Artemis. She was distinct from the other Amazons, with her red hair tied into an extremely long ponytail, a massive battle axe strapped to her back, and dark red and black armor that was almost the opposite of Diana's.
The Queen herself was the picture of warrior royalty. She had on a long purple cloak, over a similar set of armor to Diana's, but in violet hues. On her head she wore an ornate golden crown with her long, curly black hair done up in intricate knots behind it. She looked like her daughter, but her eyes held a sadness and tired weary not present in Diana's.
Clark and Diana both stood before the Queen and her line of Amazons as a silence hovered. Diana quickly nudged before dropping to her knee. He then quickly followed her lead and dropped to his knee as well.
"Rise," the Queen spoke. They rose. "Welcome to Themyscira, Kal-El of Man's World. Though you did not hail from there originally, yes?"
"No, ma'am. I come from the doomed planet of Krypton. The yellow sun of Earth gives my people great power. A power I've chosen to use to better mankind… And womankind, of course. And everything in between," Clark explained, trying his best to shed himself in the best possible light, though he found the task rather difficult. Superman appraisal was often reserved for his articles in the Planet, but even then, behind the guise of Clark Kent, it felt like theater. Now, he had to make this look real to a group of people who thought the words super and man should be as far apart from each other as possible. "But I assure you, your highness, I may not be human, but I am an American."
"An American, you say…" Hippolyta said, raising her brow. "I've only met one other who claimed to hail from this infant race of the so-called New World. His name was Steve Trevor…"
The Queen's eyes darted over to Diana, who turned her head to the side to avoid eye contact with her mother. The long pause made Clark worry. Worry about what Steve might have done to warrant such a dramatic interlude, whoever he was.
"And he was as noble as a man could be," she continued, letting Clark and Diana take a collective sigh of relief. "I have heard a great many things about you, Kal-El of Krypton."
"All good I hope," Clark said cheerfully, turning to Diana with a grin that she did not reciprocate.
"Yes…All good," Hippolyta said, repeating Clark's simplistic word choice. "And I have no doubt that you are a man of honor and justice. However, I've been deceived too many times by men who feign such virtues. My sisters and I have decided it would be best to remove your memories as they pertain to Themyscira and all her wonders."
"Mother-!" Diana interjected.
"Quiet, Diana!" Artemis shouted, stepping out of the line of Amazon advisors. "You know it's for the best!"
"What do you know of what's best? You have not walked amongst men in millennia! None of you have!" Diana shouted.
"Silence! Both of you!" Hippolyta commanded. "You may be the Wonder Woman, Diana, but I am still the Queen and my word is law. You will take Kal-El to the wellspring of the River Lethe and he will drink from it, forgetting his time here. From there you shall transport him back to Man's World. And to make sure the task is done, I will send with you my most loyal advisors."
Hippolyta then turned to her line of Amazons and spoke, "Artemis."
Artemis smirked, stepping forth from the line and down next to Clark and Diana. Diana crossed her arms and glared at the smug Artemis. "Mother," she began, "is an escort truly necessa-?"
"Nubia," Hippolyta continued, ignoring her daughter's defiance of her judgment. A second Amazon stepped out of the line and joined the group. She had big frizzy locks of hair and dark skin. She wore similar armor to both Diana and Artemis but colored golden and light blue. She stood taller than most of the other amazons, with a stern expression on her face and a fearsome spear at her side.
"And lastly…sister Maxima," Hippolyta spoke.
Clark immediately felt his stomach drop upon hearing the name. He looked up and was shocked to see none other than Queen Maxima of Almerac herself step forth from the line of Amazons. She wore their armor, but her long red hair, piercing green eyes, and devilish grin were unmistakable. It was her.
Clark clenched his fists as Maxima joined the escort. The alien queen appeared to be reveling in his anguish, having somehow disguised herself among the Amazons. Some kind of twisted magic must have been afoot, a power Maxima couldn't have been capable of alone. Clark turned to Diana, whose attention was still on her mother; she had hardly reacted when Maxima was called forth.
"Excuse me, ma'am," Clark addressed Hippolyta. "May Diana and I have a few words before I, well, lose my memories."
"No," Artemis said, pressing her axe blade against the Man of Steel's shoulder. "Enough delay. We should have never even let you step foot upon Themyscira, this whole thing has been an utter waste of our time."
"Patience, Artemis," the Queen spoke. "Let Kal-El speak with my daughter. The Superman has done nothing to harm us. His punishment is merely a precaution. A debt his forefathers leave him to repay."
Artemis scoffed and backed away from Clark while he led Diana to the side, away from Maxima and the others. Once behind the shadow of the marble colonnade, he turned to her with concern.
"I am sorry, Kal. But my mother is stubborn. All my people are slow to change. I'm sure you can understand," Diana apologized.
"What? No, of course I understand. The Amazons may do what they please. It's not that," Clark said, placing his hands on Diana's shoulders, his grip getting tighter as he spoke. "It's Maxima."
"Sister Maxima? What about her?" Diana asked, puzzled by Clark's frantic concern.
"What do you mean? Queen Maxima is the alien tyrant who came to Earth looking for a suitable mate. The one who tried to… you know," Clark struggled to explain. "Long story short, I beat her a few years back and now there she is! Back!"
"Kal, please," Diana said with a laugh, shrugging his hands on her shoulders. "You must be mistaken. I've known Maxima all my life. She is a loyal Amazon, through and through. A true champion of Hera."
Clark looked away from Diana and to the group of Amazons, only to find Maxima staring right back. That grin still plastered across her face. Even Diana had been fooled. All of the Amazons were caught in a terrible spell. Clark backed up against a column and clutched his forehead in distress. "Great Scott…"