7

Diana's POV

"...don't want to leave…"

As the words left my mouth, I felt a gust of wind as a flesh toned blur rush past me. A wave of water was left in his wake. I stood in silence. He offered me a home, a safe place away from whatever dangers may have been waiting for me upon my return home.

His words from before rang in my ears, my own mother sent me to die here. Had she ever loved me, probably not. There was a weakness inside me. My attempt on his life wasn't me. It wasn't the woman I wanted to be. It was her, my mother- the violent woman, who tried to get rid of her greatest failing, me.

The door slammed.

"What had I become?" I thought.

I felt sick to my stomach as I crumpled to the shower floor. My arms wrapped around my body as I brought my knees tightly into my chest. I closed my eyes. Images of the green blade haunted me as I saw myself stabbing him over and over again.

"Gods forgive me," I muttered

Tears fell down my cheek as shame washed over me. I opened my eyes to the cream dress I wore; it was still stained red from Circe and Ultraman's blood. Even the hot water of the shower couldn't wash away the mark of my transgressions. It was a symbol of purity and I tarnished it. Slowly, I slid the dress off my shoulders. Unlatching the waist of my dress, it falls to the ground. Naked and weeping, I let the hot water wash over me. The scorching water cascaded down my body yet I felt dirty.

"I am not one of them…"

Meanwhile in the Royal Palace on the Island of Themyscira

Queen Hippolyta stood in front of her own throne room with her most trusted lover and advisor General Phillipus. The formal nature of the god's call had the Queen worried. They never sent Hermes unless they wanted something and the timing of this was, precarious. A part of her wondered if they had been told about how she'd sent the child away.

"Who's in there?" the Queen asked as she stared at the massive door in front of her.

"He doesn't want his presence known," Phillipus growled.

The Queen sighed. At least it wasn't Hera. The amount of damage that she could do when angered would be a blood bath.

Keeping her head forward the old general replied, "Who am I to say, they aren't too pleased with you."

The queen rolled her eyes.

"When are any of them ever 'pleased'?"

The general scoffed but soon became serious

"Be cautious my Queen," Phillipus said. "There are those who care about Clay in high places. Telling them you sent her to die, might end in death for us all."

The Queen nodded, signaling Phillipus to open the throne room doors.

"You may enter my queen," a deep voice growled.

By the sound of the voice, it wasn't Zeus. It was a deep smooth voice, unlike the ruff nature of the King of the Gods. The Queen gulped hard. Who was waiting for her in there? General Phillipus pointed at the two guards stationed on either side of the throne room entrance.

"Open!"

As the doors opened, the Queen saw Apollo seated on her high throne looking down. His eyes were a golden yellow but his body was as black as night with wisps of red, yellow, and orange swirling about his skin.

"Come in," Apollo said

His voice echoed throughout the throne room as the Queen slowly entered. She felt his molten eyes on her. Something was up, but the Queen just couldn't put her finger on it. Why was Apollo here and not Zeus? Did the son want a taste of what his father once had?

"Lord Apollo," she said as she knelt before him. "What do I owe this visit?"

"Does a god need a reason to visit?" he asked.

"No," the Queen replied. "But it is an honor to have the SUN in my humble home…"

The Queen watched a smile spread across the sun god's face. There was something off about it. It sent a shiver down her spine as Apollo stood to his feet.

"Humble home," the sun god said. "Hippolyta, my dear, there is nothing humble about you…"

A heat wave oozed from his body as he made his way down the narrow steps. With each step, the room grew hotter. By the time he stopped in front of her, sweat was pouring down her cheek.

"Hippolyta, the mortal who brought Zeus to his knees," he continued. "The one who dared steal him from the witch Circe…"

Apollo lifted the Queen's chin, forcing her to look into his golden eyes.

"… and ask him for a child,"

The Queen looked up at Apollo's face in horror.

"And where is that child now, Hippolyta?" he asked.

The Queen didn't reply so he yanked her upright.

"A god has graced this shit hole with his presence," he continued. "Why aren't all of this household present to greet him?"

"The young princess is away on a mission, my Lord Apollo," General Phillipus interjected.

Apollo threw his head back in laughter.

"Damnit Phillipus!" the Queen hissed.

"I'll give you credit, old woman," Apollo said coldly. "It takes guts to lie to a god to their face…"

The smell of burning flesh filled the throne room as a sun flare burst from the finger under the Queen's chin. The Queen let out a scream.

"Don't…" he ordered.

Placing his blackened hand over her mouth, the Queen's lips burned.

"My lord," Phillipus said.

Falling to her knees, the old general began to beg.

"It was I who lied to you,"

"Tsk, tsk," he replied. "Was it you who sent my prize out of my sight?"

The general lowered her head for it wasn't her order that sent the princess to her death.

"… Thought so…"

Turning his attention back to the Queen, Apollo continued.

"My father gave you something meant for me. Where is she Hippolyta, where is Diana!?"

"I know not of the place," the Queen screamed in pain.

Apollo cursed as he released her face.

"Pray you figure it out soon," he replied.

There was a coldness to his voice.

"For I am not a patient man,"

Back in Metropolis

My world was spinning. A fever had taken hold of me with images of blood covering my hands. They were wrinkled now, how long had I been in the shower?

"About an hour," I heard a voice.

Quickly I got to my feet and turned off the water. I looked around the bathroom through the glass. Realizing I was alone, I said.

"Show yourself!"

"Well, my dear," the voice replied. "I might be a criminal but I am still a gentleman. It wouldn't be fitting for me to show myself with you still…"

I looked down as he spoke. Immediately, I place my hands over my breasts.

"I am J'onzz by the way," he added with a light chuckle.

"Hi," I replied. "How are you talking to me?"

He laughed, "I am a telepath. It comes with being not of this world."

"Are you one of the gods?" I asked.

"No," he replied. "Like Ultraman, I am from the stars…"

"The gods are from the stars too," I replied. "If you are from them, then how are you not one of them…"

He let out a sigh.

"Diana…. Can I call you Diana?" he asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Yes,"

"I am an alien from the planet you call Mars," he continued. "But I'm sure you'd rather ask me questions clothed..."

"But I have nothing to wear," I replied as I looked down at my wet dress.

"I've placed one of Ultraman's tees on the bed," he replied. "You can wear that until I have some clothes sent over."

Something about this wasn't right. This J'onzz had no reason to be kind to me yet he was showing the same level of kindness as his boss hand.

"Why are you being kind to me?" I asked.

He laughed.

"You're not the first woman to try to kill him," he answered. "

He spoke my eyes were drawn to the green blade still on the ground. Whatever he was saying seemed to fade away into nothingness. The blade taunted me. I needed to get away from it. Swiftly, I stepped out of the shower and there was a towel resting beside the sink. As I picked up the towel, I noticed the same 'S' on it that was on Ultraman's back.

"...You however are the one he seems to have let get close enough to stab him. And that's an achievement,"

J'onzz's words 'to get close enough to him' rang in my ears.

"I didn't mean to…." I said stumbling over my words.

J'onzz sighed with a sense of familiarity in his voice. A softness.

"You were following orders. Child," he said. "And that is something 'he' understands all too well."

"What do you mean he can understand?" I said as I wrapped the towel around me. "Did his mother ever ask him to kill someone?"

There was a long silence between us as I walked out of the bathroom. My legs wobbled as I leaned against the bathroom door frame. Holding myself upright, I noticed the pile of vomit I'd sprayed across his white marble floor was gone. Maybe this J'onzz alien creature cleaned it for me.

"He said there was a shirt…." I thought to myself.

As I scanned the room, my eyes fell on a red tee shirt resting on the bed.

"Bingo," I muttered.

After taking several deep breaths, I hobbled my way to the bed. With a thud, I stumbled into one of the sharp edges of the bed. It matched the symbol on Ultraman's back and the towel I wore. I wondered what the significance of the symbol was to him. A signal maybe or a family crest. With the amount of wealth surrounding me, it could have been either.

Lost in thought, I let the towel around me fall to the floor. Reaching for the shirt, I heard a knock from the outside of the room.

"How do you find the shirt?"

"It's fine," I replied as I slid the shirt over my head.

The shirt was huge. It covered me down to my knees.

"I will have someone pick you up some clothes for in the morning," he said.

Finally clothed, I sat on the edge of the bed with my elbows resting on my knees. The room started spinning.

"May I come in?"

"Yes," I sighed.

"I've got something to help take the edge off," J'onzz said as he entered the room. "I've told him to keep his drugs to himself…"

It finally clicked. The brief contact I had with the man in yellow had done this to me. What matter of drugs had he taken that resulted in this… feeling? J'onzz's footsteps were slow and light. I barely noticed him when he finally reached me. He was a towering, green-skinned man with whited-out eyes. He was inhuman but possessed a gentleness in his face.

"It's an old recipe my mother taught me," he added with a smile.

With an outstretched hand, he held out a cup. The moment he held it up to my face I was hit by the foul stench of death.

"What was in it?" I asked as my face scrunched up.

"You don't want to know," J'onzz replied. "But from what Kal-El told me…."

J'onzz's words started to trail off. What an odd name...

"Kal-El?" I asked.

J'onzz stared at the puzzled look on my face.

"Oh," he said softly. "That's Ultraman's real name…."

With the cup still in hand, J'onzz knelt in front. His gentle face turned serious.

"...But I'd advise you to forget you heard me use it," he said as he handed me the drink. "He will be a harsh man if you do."

He will be… I gulped hard. I'd just seen his harshness. I held my breath as I took the drink into my hands and brought it up to my lips. The taste made me gag as it slipped into my mouth.

"By Gaia, are you sure you aren't trying to kill me?" I asked as I took a sip.

"No," he replied. "It's just something to help you sleep it off."

The drink went down well enough. J'onzz remained kneeling me until I drank the last drop. He didn't speak, but his eyes studied me intensely. He was trying to figure me out. Now was my moment to ask him about Kal-El, as he called him, but suddenly I felt my eyes grow heavy.

I called out J'onzz's name. He smiled at me.

"Sweet dreams," he mouthed.

Standing to his feet I reached out for his hand. He was about to walk away from me. I needed him to stay...

"I can't sleep now," I replied as my hand failed to reach him.

I watched J'onzz's mouth move as he turned away from me. I called out for him once more but he was a million miles away.

"You know she's been looking for you?" J'onzz said.

"So, she can kill me…" I heard Ultraman's voice reply.

J'onzz's voice was going in and out. I fought to remain conscious

"...She said that she was sorry…"

I fumbled over my words.

"Forgive… me…"