Going
There
Themyscira
A small fired burned along with torches, illuminating the fine white sand of the beach. Diana sat on a blanket and took what could only be described as a 'chug' from the wine bottle. She was drinking the good stuff, wine given the Amazons by the Gods. It wasn't her first by far and with the mood she was in, it wouldn't be her last. Anger, shock, confusion, surprise, betrayal, dismay and another dozen emotions were all jumbled up in her mind since she'd heard Donna blurt out their mother was having an affair with Kal.
Her first instinct was to fly to Metropolis and kill Kal and then her mother, but the others had talked her of out of it. Part of her still wanted to, but in her current state she doubted she could fly ten feet never mind all the way to Metropolis.
"Bastard!'" Diana grumbled, the word rather slurred but the anger behind it unmistakable. She'd thought he was different, a true friend, but now it turned out he was just a horny pervert like all the rest. No wonder we Amazons hate men, Diana thought, I hate them too! They are all whores, man-whores that will sleep with anyone! Kal's the worst! He's sleeping with my mother! That makes him a motherfuc… Oh, I'll kill him when I see him!
The sound of splashing made her looked up and Diana saw Artemis stumbled around in the surf.
"What are you doing?' Diana managed to ask.
"I'm-I'm-I'm swim-swimming,' Artemis stammered in reply. It was obvious she had been drinking quite a bit as well. The fact was since Donna's revelation, the four women had all been drinking. It had started out in the Queen's offices and eventually moved to the beach.
"You're not swimming, you're falling down drunk,' Diana shouted back.
"You say potato, I say pa-tat-o,' Artemis pronounced very carefully and then started to laugh. She lost her balanced and fell into the surf. She tried to stand but the waves kept swiping her feet out from under her. Diana finally set the wine bottle down and staggered out to rescue her. Normally this would have been an easy thing to do, but they were both five sheets to the wind.
Diana reached for Artemis, but when the next wave hit, she found herself falling into the water with her. They struggled again and again to stand, but as unsteady on their feet as they were they kept being knocked back into the water. After several minutes, Diana managed to pull them both up to the surf line and they crawled back up the beach.
"Don't paw me,' Artemis complained when she was able to speak again.
"Oh, shut up,' Diana replied, wiping her soaked hair from her eyes.
"Ye-Yes, my Queen,' Artemis said and then broke into a fit of laughter. Diana growled at her, but Artemis was laughing too hard to notice. On shaky legs, Diana stood up and went back to the fire. They were both soaking wet, but the warm breeze coming off the water kept the chill away. Diana picked up the bottle of wine and took another long drink.
"Where's Donna and Philli-Phill-Phi-the General?' Artemis finally said, as she started to crawl towards Diana.
"Donna passed out a while ago."
"Lightweight,' Artemis chuckled as she lay next to the fire and opened a new bottle of wine.
"Phill-Philli-Philli-the General said she would take her back to the palace', Diana continued.
"That means more for us,' Artemis said, taking a long drink from the new bottle. They sat there, side-by-side, soaking wet and drinking for several minutes in silence. New bottles were opened and they started making a dent in those, before either of them said anything.
"I hate men,' Diana muttered.
"Me too," Artemis agreed as if it were a toast.
"Really?' Diana asked.
"No, not really, just most of them,' Artemis replied.
"Well, I hate them, especially-especially Kal!"
"Well, naturally, he's screwing your mother,' Artemis said as she took another drink. The look Diana gave her stopped the bottle just as it reached her lips. "Sorry."
Diana took another long drink and made a huffing sound as she thought about Kal and Hippolyta together.
"I'll kill him,' she whispered in anger.
"It sounded like she was willing,' Artemis offered.
"I'll kill them both!"
"Yes! That's the warrior spirit,' Artemis said. "Let's do it tonight!"
She started to stand and then fell back to the ground on top of Diana.
"Get off me!' Diana complained, pushing her away.
"Don't paw me, I don't like to be pawed,' Artemis replied, finally shifting off Diana.
"Well then you better stay away from Kal,' Diana grumbled. "Apparently he likes to paw Amazons!"
"No, I always figured he'd be the gentle type, you know?' Artemis offered. "He'd take his time and make sure you enjoyed it."
"Do you mind? That's the bastard that's sleeping with my mother!' Diana shouted.
"I was just hypothesi- hypothes- speculating,' Artemis replied. "I don't have any first hand knowledge or anything. Hippolyta does, but I don't."
"Shut up! I'm already angry enough without you twisting the knife,' Diana groaned.
Artemis wisely didn't reply and they sat drinking in silence. The corners of Diana's lovely mouth were turned down in a deep frown. In her admittedly inebriated mind, she wasn't sure which she was more angry about, that her mother had slept with a man or that the man was Kal. Yes, she knew they were both single adults, but that didn't make it any better. Neither one ever seemed to notice the opposite sex from Diana's observations, but now they were having a torrid affair.
On second thought she was definitely madder at Kal. He hadn't just crossed the line, he'd obliterated it. When she'd first arrived in the Man's world he had been one of the men she thought were different than the ones the Amazons had dealt with all those years ago. They become friends, best friends, Diana had thought, but that only made his betrayal all the worse. No matter what culture you come from, there are certain rules between friends and sleeping with your friend's mother is high on that list. Yes, she was definitely madder at Kal.
As the night had gone on and the wine began to add up, Diana's views on what they were doing had changed. After the initial shock had almost wore off, Phillipus had offered the cautionary note that Donna didn't actually have any proof they were having an affair. It was after the fifth bottle of wine that Phillipus admitted to seeing them kiss. They just kissed, Diana thought, as she drank more wine in her chambers, but by the time they all made their way down to the beach, she was thinking they had slept together. It shifted to the idea they were sleeping together as the wine flowed and now they were having a torrid affair.
Why her mother, she glumly thought, why not… Oh, she really hated him now.
"You know you could do a lot worse than Superman as a step-father,' Artemis suddenly offered.
"Wh-Wh-Wh-What?' Diana gasped in horror.
"I'm just saying, you could do worse,' Artemis replied. "Just trying to look on the bright side, you know. Of course it would be weird calling him 'Daddy', wouldn't it?"
"SHUT UP!"
"Just trying to help,' Artemis offered.
"Well, you're not, you're making it worse!"
A disgusted shiver went through Diana at even the thought and she finished off the bottle of wine and grabbed another. Artemis finished her bottle and picked up a new one. Again they drank silently for several minutes.
Diana was still lost in her thoughts when she noticed Artemis was quietly chuckling to herself.
"What?' Diana asked.
"It's nothing,' Artemis replied.
"No, its something, tell me,' Diana said.
"No, you'll just get angry again,' Artemis said with a shake of her head. "Just forget about it."
As drunk as she was, Diana was curious.
"Just tell me, will you?'
"No."
"I could command you, I'm Queen you know?'
"You're not going to like it."
"Tell me anyway."
Artemis sighed and took a long drink from her bottle before sitting up and moving over next to Diana. There was a smirk on her face as she looked around to make sure no one else was listening. Diana looked too, even though she knew there wasn't anyone for miles. Artemis finally leaned in and whispered to Diana.
"I'm a little jealousy of Hippolyta."
"What? Why?"
"Come on, Superman, he would make a fine breeder,' Artemis whispered. "We Bana prize that highly in the male half of the species."
"Shut up!"
"Oh, come on, are you saying you never thought about,' Artemis asked.
"No, of course not,' Diana replied. She suddenly had an almost imperial air about her, as if such thoughts were beneath her.
"Oh, right, I forgot, the virgin Princess, oops, excuse me, Queen is above such thoughts,' Artemis sarcastically said. Diana hit her for this. "Ow!"
"Just because I'm not driven by my most base urges like you, doesn't mean anything,' Diana complained. "I've heard about you Bana and your men, I suppose you were oh, so eager to join right in, weren't you?"
Now it was Artemis' turn to be offended.
"I didn't say I'd done it, just that I've thought about it,' she said in her defense. "At least I'm honest, my Queen."
"You've never?' Diana found herself asking, a little surprised by Artemis' confession.
"Well, no,' Artemis admitted, blushing as she did. "There have been offers and one man interested me very much, but no."
Diana suddenly burst out laughing and fell back on the sand. Artemis scowled as she watched her.
"You think that's funny?"
"Oh, yes,' Diana managed to say between giggles. She was holding her sides, as she was laughing so hard.
"It' not funny, stop it!' Artemis shouted, taking another long drink from her wine bottle. It took several minutes, but finally Diana as able to get her laughter under control. She was a little lightheaded as she finally sat up and smiled.
"So the wild and rowdy Artemis has no more experience than I do,' Diana said with a big smile. "I guess you won't be giving advise in that area, will you?"
"No, but then you could always ask your mother,' Artemis fired back. Diana smiled instantly disappeared.
"You've got a nasty streak, don't you,' Diana grumbled, taking another drink.
"Well, you were laughing at me,' Artemis said in her defense. "Besides, it doesn't look that complicated or hard to me."
"Oh really?"
"Well, I've seen animals do it, I'm sure it's basically the same."
"Lovely, 'Diana said with distaste. "Aren't you a romantic?"
"I was just saying, it's the same basic idea,' Artemis replied. "Of course there would be more to it!"
"Like kissing,' Diana absently said as she remembered a kiss she once got. She took another drink, feeling woozy and melancholy all of a sudden.
"Kissing isn't very hard, I've done that,' Artemis remarked. "I imagine I'm be very good at it."
"Do you now?'
"Yes."
As if to prove her point, Artemis suddenly leaned over and kissed Diana. Diana's eyes went wild in shock and when Artemis pulled away she gasped and looked at her in astonishment.
'What the hell was that?"
"Just proving a point,' Artemis said in satisfaction. "You're not very good, though."
"You kissed me!' Diana gasped. "I wasn't expecting you to kiss me!"
"It wasn't that good, so don't get all bent out of shape about it,' Artemis replied, taking another drink from her bottle. She leaned back on her elbows and looked up at the sky.
"You-You-You caught me off guard, that's why,' Diana said in her defense. "I wasn't expecting you to kiss me."
"Okay, whatever, still wasn't that good is all I'm saying,' Artemis replied.
As Diana sat there, all the anger she'd been feeling along with the confusion and drunkenness seemed to mix together into a rather confused, yet powerful emotion. Almost as if she were answering a challenge, she leaned down to Artemis and gave her a scorching, lingering kiss. It was Artemis' turn for her eyes to open wide. She frozen for a second and then the alcohol seemed to work its magic and she responded.
When they finally broke apart, the two drunken young women were breathing hard and more than a bit excited.
"Still say I'm a bad kisser?' Diana whispered.
"No, not at all,' Artemis murmured in reply and then kissed Diana again.
The Watchtower
Hippolyta was feeling somewhat more relax now that she'd talked with Superman. He'd even introduced her to some of the other members as they were heading into the meeting. She'd met most of them before, but that was a different time and place. She could tell they were nervous around her and tried her best to put them at ease.
As they moved into the conference room, she suddenly felt a shift in the atmosphere, as if the temperature had suddenly dropped. She turned to see Batman standing at the table looking at her.
"Hippolyta,' he said in a formal tone.
"Batman,' she replied.
"There's an open seat over there,' he said, pointing across the table. She heard Superman groan and saw several members cringe. Not sure why, she moved over to the seat Batman was pointing to. Just as she was sitting down, she noticed the seat next to Batman had the WW of Wonder Woman on it.
"Isn't that the seat of the Amazon champion?' She asked.
"No, that's Diana's seat,' he replied.
"Diana's Queen now, Batman, I'm the new champion,' she said. "For all practical purposes, I'm Wonder Woman now."
"No,' he said, his voice low and gruff. "You're not."
"This feels like Thanksgiving at my parents house,' Wally whispered to Zee.
"Right now I'd like to be sitting at the kiddies table,' she whispered in reply as they took their seats. They both looked back and forth from Bruce to Hippolyta. They were staring at each other, neither giving an inch.
"You have a problem with me being here, Batman?' Hippolyta asked.
"Yes."
He'd had a really bad day and Crane's murder was still on his mind. Selina had been wrong; it wasn't that he was going to shed any tears over Crane's death. Hardly, the man was scum and the world was better off without him. What troubled him was that it was murder, plain and simple. If Crane had stood trial and been convicted and sentenced to death, Bruce would have breathed a sigh of relief when they pulled the switch.
No, what bothered him was that it was vigilant justice, a charge that had been made against him many times. While he had flittered with that line he'd never gone over it. It might seem like a minor distinction to some, but it was very important to Bruce. It was the difference between justice and vengeance, the rule of law or the rule of the jungle. Every year it got harder for him to remember where that line was as he watched the revolving door that was the penal system. It forced him deeper and deeper into his mission and he became Batman more and more.
Now this 'Dragon Lady' for lack of a better name had come to his city and was on a personal mission of her own. He wasn't sure, but guessed the Makuda Yakuza had done something horrible to her, but that didn't justify what she was doing. Something about it echoed within him and he found it most disturbing. It was like a voice whispering to him from the darkness. It was a voice that had been getting louder with each passing year.
It was with this frame of mind he arrived for the meeting. Bruce had never liked change and seeing Hippolyta only reminded him that Diana wasn't going to be there.
"You never stuck me as a shy, Batman, let's hear what your issue is,' Hippolyta said to him.
"You're not Diana, you're not Wonder Woman,' he flatly stated.
"Yes, that's who I'm not, but you know nothing about who I am,' she replied.
"Bruce is this really necessary,' Clark asked, trying to head off the confrontation.
"No, Kal-El, let him say what he wants to say,' Hippolyta said. "Let's clear the air right at the beginning."
Clark looked at the two of them and knew there was nothing he could do. He sighed and took his seat, waiting for the explosion.
"You were saying, Batman,' Hippolyta asked.
"With all due respect, Hippolyta, you haven't earned this chair,' he started. "Diana has, but you haven't. Just because you wear the armor, doesn't make you her."
Everyone was on edge, yet Hippolyta remained calm.
"The armor is a symbol, Batman, nothing more, of the Amazon champion which I am,' Hippolyta explained. "I won it in the tournament against my daughter and others. As far as earning it, the chair means nothing to me; it's just a chair. What does matter is that you respect me for who and what I represent. You may not like me replacing Diana, I understand that, but you will respect me, is that clear?"
They were both on their feet, leaning towards each other. The tension was smothering the room and everyone felt it.
"You're still a novice as far as this organization is concerned, Hippolyta," he said, slowly, emphasizing each and every word. "This isn't personal, it's about earning a place at this table. That's something you haven't done yet."
"Fair enough,' she replied. "I ask you only to judge me on my actions, nothing more, nothing less."
"I think we understand each other,' Batman said.
"I believe we do,' she replied.
They both sat down and there was a collective sigh of relief. Jonn and Dinah were about to start the meeting when Hippolyta felt compelled to add one last thing.
"Just so you know, boy, I was fighting demons and Gods thousands of years before you were born, so I'm hardly a novice at this."
Before anyone could react, the sirens went off and Mr. Terrific informed them of an emergency. They were all moving towards the door in the next moment. As they reached it at the same time, Batman turned and whispered to Hippolyta.
"I guess you'll have a chance to prove it now."
She just nodded and continued out the door with the others.
Themyscira
The first light was coming over the horizon and the birds were calling to one another. Diana raised her hand to shield her eyes, her head pounding from all the wine of the night before. She started to try and sit up, but there was an extra weight on her. Groaning, she squinted down and heard a moan. Her eyes opened wide, but the sun made her snap them shut again. It must be a dream, she thought, but when she squinted again, Artemis was looking back at her. It took a moment, but then it finally seemed to register in Artemis' mind too. Her eyes went wide and she awkward pulled away from Diana.
"Morning,' she said, blushing furiously.
"Um, morning,' Diana offered. As she sat up, she realized they were both unclothed and gasped. "Oh, no, this is a nightmare!"
Artemis looked at her and scowled.
"I'm not happy about it either, but you don't have to act like that,' she grumbled. "I wasn't expecting you to rush out and buy a corsage this morning."
Fawcett City
"Shazam."
A nervous hand wiped the steam from the mirror. The strange, yet familiar face looked back at Mary. Another restless night of not knowing why was upon her. The face in the mirror wasn't giving any answers.
Swallowing nervously, she let the towel slip away. Goosebumps form on her skin. Feminine curves, all hints of adolescences removed. Fingertips tremble, reach up and touch the angled curve of her cheekbone following its line down to full lips. They quiver just a bit under her touch. Swallowing down the nervousness, she continued letting her hand move to her slender neck.
"They can't forget you now, Mary,' the voice whispered seductively. "Not now."
Mary shook her head, trying not to pay attention to the voice. Tracing her collarbone, she watched her chest rise and fall with each breath. The difference is so striking and noticeable. A little shudder went through her as she let her hand skim over them. Her fingers descend through the valley between towards the narrow waist. Her index finger touch her navel as her other fingers spread over the slight curve below. Too nervous or ashamed, she moved her hand no lower.
"They won't understand, but they will still desire you, Mary," the voice continued its seduction. "All of them will want you, even Billy, but others will be jealousy. They will whisper behind your back trying to spread fear about you."
"Be quiet,' Mary whispered, afraid Billy would hear.
Her eyes glance at the door, making sure it's locked before continuing the journey. From the trim waist, full rounded hips lead to tapered legs. Even her feet seem different. She's an adult, at least in appearance. Whatever caused this has burned away the last vestiges of puberty.
"Embrace who you can be, Mary, don't let the fears of others stop you."
"This-This isn't me."
"Isn't it, Mary,' the voice teased. "Look again."
Mary found herself looking back in the mirror at her reflection. She could still see her former self in the reflection, but saw the changes as well. Mary had always been modest about her looks, but liked to think she was attractive. Cute was the word most used to describe her. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, the thought that she's now beautiful came to mind.
"You are beautiful, Mary,' the voice whispered, almost as if it were reading her mind
Mary blushed at this. Was it so wrong to consider yourself beautiful, she wondered? When she used to transformed into Mary Marvel, she had closely resemble her mother. Her mother was beautiful in Mary's eyes. She could see traces of her in this new reflection. Something was gone, though. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, she couldn't help noticing how sensual the movement seemed in this new form.
Wholesome and innocent was the box most put Mary in. Lately she had begun to feel constrained by it. Her cheeks flushed as she looked at herself now. Her reflection certainly wouldn't be described as wholesome or innocent. In the old movies she and Billy watched the name for women that looked like the image in the mirror was femme fatale. Was this reflection a reflection of who was now? Does how we look on the outside tell whom we are inside? She didn't feel any different, except more confused but she'd noticed others reacted differently to her now.
"Enjoy, Mary, no one will ignore you anymore,' the voice hauntingly whispered. "Go on, if you don't believe. Venture out and see."
Looking at herself again, Mary realized she couldn't remain as she was. The limbo she'd been living in was at an end. Even if she wished to stay the same like Billy, change had been thrust upon her. Reaching down, she picked up the towel and wrapped it around her again. As she straightened up, she looked into the mirror at her eyes and saw a glimmer of something move around her cornea. Taking a step forward she wanted to see what it was.
"Glimpse just a moment of what might be, Mary,' the voice said.
Then the world slipped away.
Themyscira
The awkward beach moment seemed to linger. Both were trying to grasp what had happened and what they'd done with each other. Images and sensations from the previous evening seemed to flash through their minds. How much did we drink last night, they both wondered? Both were feeling vulnerable, they also felt confused and shocked over what had happened. Neither could say they were taken advantage of, as they had both actively participated.
Diana sat with the blanket pulled tightly around her, trying to process the events of the night before. Artemis stood and started walking towards the water.
"I'm-I'm going in for a swim,' she softly said, not turning to look at Diana.
"All-All right,' she replied weakly. She ventured a glance at Artemis and flushed a little seeing her walking towards the waves. Diana quickly looked away. Sitting there on the fine white sand, Diana wrestled with what happened. She might be a Princess or now Queen, but like most she was trying to understand what it meant to give yourself to someone else for the first time. She blushed a little, remembering the passion, the excitement and the desire that seemed to have overtaken them.
It's a strange thing, the first time. You think you know what it will be like, can even imagine it, yet when it happens you realize how completely unprepared for it you were. You will never be as vulnerable as you are that first time. You find yourself being so awkward as the madness overtakes you. Technique and skill rarely play a large part the first time, as it is all about sensation and feeling.
The morning after the night can be stranger still. You've done this thing, this seemingly monumental thing for the first time. You don't know what to expect. Will everything change? Have you changed? What does it mean? These and a million other questions rush through your mind. Then there are the questions about the person you were with. What did it mean to them? Did it mean more or less to them than it did to you? What does it mean going forward?
Then there are the vanity questions. Was I good? Were they satisfied or disappointed? Will they reject me now that it's over? Did they think I looked funny or strange during it? Did I make some weird face or noise? These and others add to the mix and confusion.
Artemis moved slowly through the water, every once and awhile glancing at Diana. This was her first time too and she was experiencing the same questions, doubts and worries as Diana. Feeling vulnerable wasn't something she was used to, but it was the predominant emotion this morning. She was just as startled by the events of the previous evening and was trying to handle them. As reluctant as she was to admit it, Artemis knew they needed to talk about this.
On the shore, Diana grudgingly glanced out at Artemis and knew they needed to talk about this.
Fawcett City
After what seemed like one long awkward moment after another with Billy, Mary decided to go for a walk. Her old clothes didn't fit any more, so she'd gone to the second hand store and picked up a few things. She didn't have a lot of money, so she made due with what she could afford. Dressed in a black sweater and charcoal gray slacks, she headed out to try and clear her mind.
It felt strange walking, as this new, more mature version of herself even moved differently. Her stride seemed off, the roll of her hips more pronounced as was the bounce of other parts of her new anatomy. It made her very self-conscious and embarrassed as she felt others looking at her. Crossing her arms in front of her, Mary continued to walk keeping her head down.
The voices had been quiet since the apartment. Flashes of things, feelings, sensations, desires had swept over her for the briefest moment in the bathroom and then disappeared. Mary still shivered a bit when she thought about it. They had been so foreign, yet familiar, strange, exotic and immodest feelings. They had left her confused and rattled. Being around Billy didn't help. He was ill at ease whenever she was in the room with him. He didn't seem to know where to look and mostly sat staring at the TV with a pillow on his lap. The level of discomfort got too much and she hastily made an excuse and left the apartment. Billy didn't object or even ask where she was going.
She'd just been walking and walking. Mary stopped at the street corner and finally looked up to see where she was. Downtown or more accurately, the nightclub district, a part of town she usually avoided. She knew people from school that came down here, but she hadn't. She told herself she should probably leave, but instead her feet started forward. Bars and clubs line both sides of the street, neon lights flashing, offering temptations and good times.
As she walked along the sidewalk, Mary felt people looking at her. Several men called to her, making suggestive remarks and lewd comments. She didn't turn and kept walking. She could hear music pouring out of many of the clubs, along with many voices and loud laughter. Doormen smiled at her and offered to let her in free to several of the clubs, but she shook her head no and continued on. Mary's pace had slowed as curiosity started to get the best of her.
The voices had said people would notice her now and in that they had spoken the truth. Mary caught her reflection in the glass of one of the clubs and it took a second to remember the adult looking back was she. It dawned on her the doormen and men in general weren't trying to lure some underage girl into their clubs or cars, but offering an adult woman those things. I'm an adult now, Mary thought. She suddenly had the urge to go into one of the clubs. She figured if they carded her, she could just say she forgot it and walk off. Which one, though, that was the question in her mind.
She looked at sign after sign and then stopped as she saw it.
DREAMACHINE.
It was one word, black on a white background.
"Yes,' the voice whispered.
Mary looked around, but of course there was no one there. Chewing her lower full lip, she wondered if she should? It really wouldn't do any harm to just go in for a while, she thought. Her hands shaking, Mary pushed open the front door and stepped inside.
"Welcome, welcome," a young man with a beard and mustache said with a smile to her. "Are you ready to have your mind blown?"
"Um, I guess,' Mary replied, feeling stupid as she said it.
"Then walk this way, baby,' he replied, putting his hand on her lower back and ushering her through the beaded curtains. It was a small bar and a series of alcoves off to the left. Groups of people huddled in a circle around some flickering object, but Mary couldn't see what it was. The young man ushered her over to the bar and asked what she wanted.
"Diet Coke."
"Diet Coke, seriously? How about a Long Island Ice Tea, instead,' he replied.
"Ice Tea? Um, okay,' she said, wanting to fit in and thought she'd always liked ice tea. The young man smiled and signaled the bartender. Moments later a large glass with fruit on top and two straws was placed in front of Mary. She hesitantly sipped it and found it wasn't bad. It didn't taste like any ice tea she'd had before, but it was good.
"Your enjoying that, aren't you, honey?"
"Um, yeah, I mean yes, thank you."
"There's more where that came from," He said. "So what's your name, baby?'
"Mary."
"Well, it's good to met you, Mary, I'm Paul."
"Hi Paul,' Mary said, smiling a little and blushing. She took another drink from the straw and definitely liked the ice tea. There was a pungent odor in the air almost like incense and Mary noticed it was rather smoky in the bar. Paul was talking to her, telling her how beautiful she was. Mary said he hardly knew her, but liked the compliments. Paul said he could just tell she was special. Mary blushed as she took another sip from the straw and then turned away so he wouldn't see this. She looked at the alcoves again.
"So what are those, Paul?' She asked.
"Those? Those are the main attraction, Mary, the Dreamachines,' he said. "Come on, why don't you give it a try?"
Mary wasn't sure, but nodded in agreement as he put his arm around her and led her over to one of the alcoves. The space was empty except for a three-foot cylinder with slits cut in the sides. It was resting on an old turntable with a light bulb suspended in the center of the cylinder. Paul told Mary to kneel down in front of it and when she did he turned the turntable on. It began to spin and the light came oscillating out through the slits.
"Is that it?' Mary asked.
Paul was kneeling right behind her and whispered in her ear.
"No, it's just the beginning, Mary. Close your eyes and keep looking at it."
Mary did and at first nothing seemed to be happening.
"Oh,' she gasped as increasingly bright, complex patterns of color began to appear behind her eyelids.
'Go with it, Mary, feel it wash over you,' Paul whispered, his hands moving down from her shoulders to her arms. Mary nodded, not opening her eyes as the patterns began to change and become shapes and symbols swirling and surrounding her with colors. Mary's breathing picked up as the experience grew more and more intense. Bursts of color seemed to explode in front of her eyes and then the shapes shifted again. It was as if pictures were floating in front of her, moving pictures. She saw herself, Billy, Freddie and others. They were like fragments of glass swirling like snowflakes in front of her.
"It's amazing,' she whispered.
"Yes, it is,' Paul replied, but his eyes weren't on the Dreamachine, but on Mary, or more specifically, her body. He slipped his hands down to her sides and then slowly began to stroke her sides. He couldn't believe his luck that this incredibly hot chick had just walked in off the street. She looked twenty-five, but acted a little naïve. Well, it didn't matter, she'd soon be ready, he thought.
Mary's mouth hung slightly open as she kept her eyes closed and the images continued to change and multiple. They seemed to be from her past, then the present and then images that were unfamiliar to her. She saw the Justice League looking at her, their expressions shock and surprise. Mary's eyes popped open and the images disappeared as she felt Paul slip his hands up the front of her sweater.
"Not the attention you want,' the voice said to her.
"Stop!" Mary gasped.
"Don't be that way, baby, you know you want it,' Paul replied, continuing to move his hands higher.
"He's ignoring you, Mary, teach him how wrong that is,' the voice said to her.
"I said stop!" Mary shouted and swung her arm back at Paul. She made contact and pushed him away. She knelt there, rattled and flustered as she realized what he was trying to do. The sound of tables and chairs being knocked over and then shattering glass came to her ears. People were screaming and shouting. Mary slowly turned, expecting to see Paul still there, but she gasped at what she saw. He was gone and behind her tables and chairs were smashed and scattered on the floor. The front window of the club was broken and people were running towards it.
She slowly got up and made her way over to the crowd. The noise was deafening. When she finally managed to see what had broken the window, she gasped as she saw the bloody body of Paul lying on the street surrounded by broken glass.
"He'll remember next time, Mary," the voice said with a throaty chuckle. Mary's eyes went wide in panic and she ran from the club.