Chapter Eight

Dread

Belle Reve Sanitarium

"What's his condition," asked Dr. Williams.

"No change, Doctor," she said while referring to a chart. "Mr. Lord is still going through an endless series of REM pattern."

Dr. Williams looked at his watch. "It's been over twenty-four hours. This has to stop. We have a deadline."

The physician's assistant looked a bit frustrated. "We've tried every stimulant you've prescribed, Doctor; any more and we risk coronary ad…"

"Do not dare remind me about how to do my job," he snapped. "Increase the epinephrine another five milligrams, and if that doesn't work try throwing a bucket of cold water on him."

0

Kent Farm

"What is it you do again?" Dead Girl asked in a disenchanted tone.

Oliver shifted. "I don't really have a power, per se. I'm …"

"Uh huh."

"I'm pretty good with a bow," he responded with a bit of pride.

Dead Girl raised an eyebrow. "You mean like Cowboys and Indians? Did you just come here to play with the cows?" She saw the look on his face and tried to play it off. "I mean it's okay; the cows are pretty fun."

Oliver didn't really lose his cool: except for that time with the drugs, but he really didn't count that since he was under the influence of a mind altering drug at the time. However, the ability of this pre-teen girl to work on his nerves was almost super-human in and of itself.

"I didn't come here to play with the cows!" he snapped at almost a yell.

Dead Girl jumped back in surprise and bumped into a post where Clark stored the pitchfork he used to bale hay. Oliver watched as she tripped and he saw which way she was going to fall. He honestly tried his best to catch her before the inevitable happened. The pitchfork found its way through her back and the business end poked its way a good four inches through her chest.

"Oh my god, CLARK!"

Dead Girl looked at Oliver with a ticked off face. "Awww Man! I just stole this shirt last night!"

Oliver looked at her like she had lost her mind. "I—you—"

She held out her hand. "Help me up 'Mr. I-have-no-patience.'"

Everyone had gathered around and Clark tried to stop her from moving. "Dee, stop."

She shook her head, rolled her eyes and huffed. "How many times do I have to say this: I'M DEAD, IT'S MY POWER!"

Oliver stood there open mouthed. "I thought …"

Clark helped her up. "It doesn't even hurt?"

Dead Girl tried reaching behind her back to pull the pitchfork out, but wound up turning in a circle almost whacking Oliver in the arm before he ducked out of the way. Clark stopped her from spinning around anymore. "You'll be okay if I pull this out?"

"Ugh," Dee. "Pull it out already!"

Clark gave a swift tug and she was freed. He turned her around and X-rayed the holes the prongs made. "The wounds, they're knitting themselves up."

Dee sighed. "Now if only my shirt could …"

Before she could finish everyone around watched as her shirt mended itself in the same fashion as her skin.

Mary bent down and picked up the pitchfork. "Cool, can I stick you a couple of times."

0

Diana led the first lesson in close-in fighting. Most of the crowd was sitting under large oak hanging over the drive watching Clark and her with a long wooden pole each.

"The quarterstaff is one of the easiest weapons to master and can be applied to a variety of uses when not in an actual combat situation." She raised her pole in a crosswise stance. "For this demonstration Clark will attack me and I will defend only."

Clark lunged immediately stabbing forward as Diana spun her staff easily knocking his out of his hands and to the side. The Amazon twirled her staff into a one-handed hold much like a natural extension of her arm.

"Hold the staff loosely, as to not jar your muscles to instinctually release the weapon, but not too lightly as you can lose the grip."

Maya watched with intent each move Clark made and Diana's counter until they switched offence and defense. Then she only had eyes for Diana: her footwork and the way her hips swiveled to the side when Clark swung from above in a downward stroke. The battle went on for half an hour until Diana thought to progress to the girls.

"A volunteer?"

Mary, Talia, and Dee watched as Maya jumped to her feet with no other encouragement needed. Clark smiled and tossed her the pole. Maya tested the weight and twirled it a few times to get used to the imbalance of the weapon.

Diana got her attention and looked at her strangely. "Maya, do you understand me?"

The deaf girl nodded and pointed to her own lips.

"You can read my lips?"

Maya nodded.

Diana smiled. "Very well. I want you to attack me and not hold back. I can withstand any potential damage from these weapons."

Maya nodded.

"Begin."

Diana took a defensive stance to allow her opponent a little confidence. Maya twirled her staff in front of her gradually increasing speed. Her eyes moved over Diana's body noting tightened muscles and others that were loose as well. She took half of a step backward and then quickly forward and leaped into the air in mid twirl. Her staff switched hands one last time at the top of her leap and came down to Diana's left side which the Amazon deflected at the last possible second.

Everyone watched as both poles broke apart in a shower of splinters.

Maya landed in a crouch at Diana's side a foot away and found she was holding almost nothing in her hand.

Diana grinned and her eyes sparkled in excitement. "Clark, we need suitable weapons, strong metal if possible. Hurry please."

He thought on it for a second and dashed off to the barn returning with two seven foot pry bars. He handed one to Diana. "These are hardened steel."

She hefted it and noted the better balance. "Excellent, thank you."

Diana grabbed the other and tossed it to Maya who was pacing back and forth in eight foot lengths never losing the sight of her opponent.

"Again," ordered Diana.

Maya felt the weight of her weapon. It was much heaver than the simple wood of before and this took a different tactic she decided. She held the bar between the thumb and forefingers of each of her hands and began a slight swaying that arced a bit wider with each revolution.

Diana let her staff stand vertical slightly off center and waited for the girl to attack. When she saw that Maya was keeping her stance Diana went on the offensive flipping her staff over the top and bringing it down in an aggressive chopping move.

Maya pivoted to the side bringing her own staff down atop of Diana's and trapping it to the ground. She used the momentum to vault herself into the air and kick out at Diana's head. The Amazon ducked and jetted her hand out palm-wise shoving at the midsection of Maya's chest and knocking her back ten feet to the ground.

Maya lost her weapon. She spat out the mouthful of dirt she almost ate and spun around in a low crouch, anger on her face.

Diana smiled wistfully. "You've fought before."

Maya shook her head once. "No."

The Amazon twirled her weapon. "Well then, come again."

Maya looked briefly at her fallen staff behind and to the right of her opponent then jumped up and dashed toward Diana. The Amazon took a broad stroke sideways and watched as Maya jumped into a dive over the staff and landed in a roll toward her own. Hefting it up she rolled again to the left away from what could have been a painful stroke from Diana that landed where her she had been.

She swung her staff at knee height around to Diana's legs. The Amazon jumped in place avoiding the attack. Maya was to her feet a moment later and they engaged in a multitude of attacks on one another. Clang after clang sounded in the air and the ends of the hardened-steel bars started to blur to the human eye.

A battle excited wide grin appeared on Diana's face as each attack she put forth was repulsed by her student and that she was beginning to lose ground. Grim determination took over Maya's features and sweat poured down her face. Her lungs labored as she was forced to a more defensive stance taking ever increasing harder blows from her tutor.

She felt her strength waning and in a last ditch attempt at control of the fight Maya snapped her hand out and grabbed Diana's staff. She felt the bones in her hand give way and gave out a cry of pain, but at the same time she landed a staggering blow to the side of Diana's head.

The Amazon lost her footing and fell to the side as Maya hefted her staff and stabbed downward with a killing stroke. It was blocked by the left arm bearing Diana's bracelet and the Amazon grabbed the staff holding back any further attempts.

"Enough!"

Maya's wide eyes took in the scene. Her labored breathing brought her down to her knees as the pain of her injured hand truly made itself known.

"AAAAaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhggg!"

Clark stepped forward and saw what was left of Maya's hand. The bones of the palm were crushed forcing her hand into an unnatural position; blood dripped freely from the palm.

"Diana, damn," Clark cursed uncharacteristicly.

The Amazon scurried forward and took hold of Maya's hand. She looked upward. "Ares! Your daughter is in need."

The deaf girl fell to her side and her back arched; her cry of pain reduced to an internal moan of a searing burn.

"Your bloodlust has run itself out, Ares. Care for her, please."

Everyone gathered around watched and heard bones shift themselves underneath the skin of Maya's hand. Tears fell freely from her eyes in silent agony until her hand had righted itself and the blunt trauma cut in her palms ceased its bleeding.

Relief inched into Maya's eyes and her breathing eased to quiet sobs, but before she could release herself into the arms of her friends a searing pain burned into her chest. Her hands ripped at the tank top she was wearing scrambling at the burning.

Diana grasped at the tank and pulled it away. "Get her hands, Clark!"

He took a wrist in either of his hands and pulled back as Diana looked as to what else was wrong.

Centered in Maya's chest above the cleavage of her breasts stood an angry red coloring of a mask or possibly a helmet of dreaded intent marked on her skin.

"Deimos," Diana whispered.

Chloe leaned in. "Deimos? What's a Deimos, and where the heck did that tattoo come from?"

A gasp came from Maya's lungs and she finally relaxed into a hazed stupor.

Mary stood back and leered warily at Diana. "Holy freakin' crap. No offense lady, but you can keep your combat training."

Diana fell back on her butt in confused concentration as Clark lifted Maya into his arms and took her inside to the couch.

Still outside Oliver knelt down in front of the Amazon. "I've heard of Deimos before; something in Greek mythology?"

Diana nodded. "Deimos was the one of the sons of Ares and Aphrodite. He was known as the personification of dread." The look of confusion still took her face. "Ares has marked her as one of his own."

Chloe looked from side to side from Diana to Oliver. "And this is a bad thing?"

"You do not understand, Chloe," the Amazon said. "The gods have not taken unto themselves any mortal for centuries, well over two millennia in fact since … before…"

A look of recognition appeared on Oliver's face. "Deimos was the battle herald of Leonidas of Sparta."

Diana nodded. "That herald, which adorned the shield of Leonidas, now rests on the breast of the girl in that house."

Chloe still didn't understand and so she repeated herself. "And this is a bad thing why?"

Diana scrambled to her feet. "Chloe, the appearance of a mortal marked by the God of Savage War is not a good omen."

She looked off into the direction of the noon sun. "A battle approaches, and it will not end with a tactical gain as most modern battle are fought. That falls under the auspices of Athena." She closed her eyes in regret. "The coming battle will be a bloodbath in Ares' greater glory, and Maya will be in the middle of battle driving the will of Ares like a chariot of blood and loss."

"Oh," Chloe whispered.

"Deaf Girl?" Mary said in disbelief.

"Mary Walker, do not let her appearance deceive you. You saw how she battled me?"

"Beginners luck?"

Diana shook her head. "Maya has been blessed or cursed with what I could explain as photographic reflexes. After only a half hour of observing me train she could mimic my every move. It would explain her sudden ability to read lips as well," she further explained. "She's been doing it her whole life only now she has a reason to use that hidden talent. Her infection has increased that ability a hundred fold."

"Is she going to be okay?" Talia asked.

"As long as she has friends to keep her grounded she will be well."