Wonder Woman Beyond #12

[Glippernip]

Wonder Woman Beyond #12

“Family Matters” Part Four

Written by Dean Gray
Edited by Joel Sawyer

(These events take place prior to the events of Titans Tomorrow Annual #1)

The air was rancid. The open sky bleak. Even the full clouds were now gray from all the smoke and floating debris. This timeless, mythical place was once home to the Greek gods. Now ruins scattered here and there softly dancing in midair was all that remained of Mount Olympus.

The mountain itself was gone, having withered away after Ares and his mind controlled Amazons attacked this sacred place. [See Wonder Woman Beyond #1 and #2 for details]. With his surge in power, Ares managed to break the seals that kept the Olympians’ home intact. The very barriers that kept it outside the laws of time and physics.

Many gods were slaughtered almost a year ago on that bloody day. But some like Zeus, his wife Hera, and a handful of others fled to safety deep within other realms only gods can traverse.

Today, among the free-floating columns and crumbled rooftops that hovered about supporting nothing, was a very frightening god. His dark blue Grecian armor became lost among the gloomy skies. From underneath his two-horned helmet he watched strong winds as they swirled chunks of marble and ash about in mini cyclones. Something for the bored wind nymphs to play with to pass the time.

“I’ve come here just to see you,” the lone god said in an eerie voice. “I have need of your power.”

The winds howled madly in response, defiantly whipping the god’s dark cape around upon itself.

“I am not asking you....I am telling you,” he replied as his red eyes glowed brighter. “My father destroyed this place. Now with Zeus gone and the barriers breached you’ll have no one to protect you,” his shadowed face smiled, “from me.”

The winds died down a bit almost as if they were scared.

The lone god outstretched his hands to the open air and shouted, “Lend me your power, O mighty Aurai, daughters of Boreas, or I will subject you to never-ending fear!!”

All the floating debris in the sky at that moment hung still. Not even the clouds stirred. And then after what seemed like tense minutes, the wind nymphs picked up again, sending soft breezes about the god’s sandaled feet.

“I knew you would see things my way,” Phobos grinned.

[Glippernip]

Down far below on earth, the morning is just beginning on the west coast of the U.S. in the large metropolis called Gateway City. In the north side home of Natalie Nemos-Nikolaos everyone is up and about. Here in the slightly messy but bright kitchen, two very different women sat together enjoying some much needed peace, quiet, and a hearty morning breakfast.

One was the beautiful and fabled Aphrodite still in her form-hugging bed robe. Once the goddess of love and beauty, she now becomes more human and less powerful each passing day.

Seated across from her, almost fully dressed in her work clothes, was Natalie. An average looking, working professional who was chosen to become something more. To become the new Wonder Woman to stop the growing threat of Ares, the Greek god of war.

“Did you see the morning paper?” Aphrodite asked with her usual lovely voice. She handed the today’s Gateway City Gazette to Natalie.

Natalie took the newspaper and with a quick tug made it taut in her hands. She smiled at the front cover then looked at Aphrodite. “Yeah, I saw it when I woke up,” she replied.

The headline read, “Wonder Woman helps stop Museum Blaze” with a full color photograph of the new Wonder Woman underneath. “I placed the paper off to the side because I didn’t want Judith seeing my picture. I was afraid she might see some type of resemblance, you know?”

Aphrodite cut into her omelette with the side of her fork. “Did you read the small article on the inside?” the love goddess asked quite seriously. “The one about the prison break?”

“In Star City?” Natalie replied with a nod. “I saw that too. Somehow Baqir Al-Asad managed to escape.” [Read Black Arrow #7 for details]

“You’re not worried, Natalie?”

“No, more annoyed than anything.” Natalie folded the morning paper and tucked it under the side of her plate. “He’s the one that should be worried. That crazy lunatic, Angela Colletti, is still out there somewhere. Once she finds out Asad is free and on the loose she’ll be after him. Asad is going to have a really hard time with the police and the Cheetah hunting him down and tracking his every move.” Natalie sipped on her hot coffee with a playful smirk. “I’m not worried at all.”

Just then, Judith Nemos, who was visiting for the week, stormed into the kitchen. Even though it was still early in the morning, her hair was styled, her face made up, and she was already wearing her day clothes. She was clearly tensed and upset. You could see it on her attractive face. Her eyes were a bit bloodshot like she had been crying.

“I think it’s best I leave sooner than I planned,” Judith said with a cracked voice.

Natalie rose from her chair and stood next to her. “Judith, what’s the matter?”

“Nathan doesn’t want me here, Natalie.” Even though Judith’s hair was perfectly in place she repeatedly fixed it almost like a twitch. “I don’t even know what I’m doing here. I feel foolish for coming all this way.”

“Judith, what happened?” Natalie asked trying to get a direct answer.

Judith Nemos looked away and winced. The tears in her eyes made it clear it was too painful to talk about. “If I’m such a burden to my stepson I might as well go,” she said in a raised voice. “I know when I’m not wanted.”

Nathan’s stepmother stormed back out of the kitchen. “Judith!” Natalie called out to her. There was no reply. Seconds later, at the other end of the house, the front door could be heard slamming closed.

Natalie turned and looked at an equally confused and shocked Aphrodite. “What the hell happened?” Natalie said.

[Glippernip]

The outskirts of Tel Aviv, Israel.....

From the remote hilltop she squinted far ahead at the recent skyscrapers being erected in her capital city. Tel Aviv, now nicknamed “New Tel Aviv”, had undergone many changes in the past few decades. Like many other major cities across the world, it’s finally starting to become “hi-tech”. Even the centuries-old architecture is slowly being replaced with more “futuristic design”. Maveth Ruah wasn’t sure she liked the changes.

“Nothing stays the same,” the young Israeli thought to herself starting to become bored. Cool breezes skimmed through her short, wavy brown hair causing the 23-year-old to hike up her light jacket.

“I’ve returned with your gift,” an eerie voice called out from behind her, “just as I promised.”

Chills ran up Maveth Ruah’s spine. She gasped out loud and quickly turned around. “You scared me,” she said in her distinct accent.

That made his shadowed face smile.

Mortals have rarely seen him and yet all know his presence. He is one of many children belonging to Ares and Aphrodite. He is Phobos, the god of fear.

Dressed from head to toe in his usual dark blue Grecian armor, he smoothly walked over to the young Israeli. He reached around from behind his cape and pulled out a glowing orb.

It was the size of a small soccer ball. A swirling mass of energy. The orb glowed an intense purple color. Maveth Ruah almost couldn’t look because it was so bright and yet felt compelled to.

“This is the power of The Aurai, the mighty wind nymphs,” Phobos boasted. From underneath his two-horned helmet his red eyes sparkled. The god of fear softly added, “And now it’s all yours.”

Maveth Ruah took a step back, clearly afraid.

Phobos seemed irritated at her slight rejection of his offering. “With this,” he said slyly, “you’ll be able to destroy the woman responsible for killing your mother.” He smiled at her again. “Isn’t that what you want?”

Maveth Ruah took a step closer, anger in her light-brown eyes. “What do I have to do?” she asked.

“You just have to receive it,” Phobos explained. “Of course, you still are a mortal so The Aurai will assuredly resist. But I will use my power to ensure the fusion is complete. Are you ready?”

Maveth Ruah became quiet and looked at the ground. Phobos placed his icy hand on the young woman’s chin and raised her face to meet his. “Are you ready?” he repeated.

Her thin body trembled and her pale skin flushed. “Yes,” she said with tears in her eyes.

“Excellent,” the god of fear replied. “The binding process will hurt you,” he warned, yet in an almost human sounding voice he added, “but I’ll be right here with you.”

Maveth Ruah nodded and smiled a bit.

“Are you still frightened, Child?”

She nodded again.

Phobos grinned and whispered, “You are so very beautiful when you’re afraid.”

The young Israeli took Phobos’ outstretched hand in her own. She placed her free palm on the glowing orb that Phobos held in his other hand.

“Remember,” he said, “no matter how intense the pain may be....I will be with you.”

The god of fear concentrated his power on the sphere of energy. In seconds, Maveth Ruah was surrounded by swirling, bright purple energy that tickled her skin. Then the young woman felt awesome power slowly sear into her very being and Maveth Ruah screamed like never before at the top of her lungs.

[Glippernip]

15 minutes ago, Nathan Nemos’ bedroom, back in Gateway City.....

It had been three days since Nathan Nemos was attacked and almost killed by the Cheetah [see Wonder Woman Beyond #8]. The teenager believed it was coming in contact with Wonder Woman’s Magic Lasso during the fight that saved him. That some of the lasso’s magic played a role in his miraculously fast healing. But Nathan still felt that same warm, tingling feeling....like part of the Magic Lasso was still with him.

He had trouble sleeping ever since the incident and yet even with almost no rest these past few days the 15-year-old is unnaturally energetic and hardly tired. Presently, though, his mind had been preoccupied with other things.

Nathan’s stepmother came to visit for the week to see how he was doing. Unfortunately, Judith Nemos and Nathan don’t get along. Judith never really approved of Nathan and Nathan never really approved of his dad marrying her....especially so soon after the teen’s mom died.

She saw him quietly sitting on the edge of his neatly made bed wearing his usual jeans and t-shirt. His combed, jet-black hair spilled onto his boyish face while light-blue eyes focused intently on a needle and thread and dark blue fabric in his hands.

“What’re you doing?” she pleasantly asked standing just outside the teenager’s bedroom door.

Nathan looked up at her clearly annoyed. “Hi Judith,” he said flatly. “There was a small tear in my leotard and I’m sewing it up so it’ll be ready to wear for when I go back to class next week.”

Nathan’s stepmother unconsciously grimaced her face a bit. “Oh....how nice,” was all she could think to say.

Nathan looked even more annoyed. “I’m so sorry to be doing something so girly while you’re here,” he said sarcastically. “I know how much that bothers you. Maybe I can find a football to toss around later on and cheer you up.”

“Now, Nathan, I want to apologize about my comment at dinner last night. I didn’t--”

“--Why bother? You won’t really mean it anyway?”

“Nathan, that’s not true. Whether you believe it or not, I do care about you. I may not have agreed with all your decisions in life but I--”

“My decisions, huh?" Nathan interrupted with anger in his voice. “That’s what’s bothering you? Look Judith, I’m really busy right now, can’t you go talk to Aunt Lee or something?”

Nathan’s stepmother looked frustrated. “Nathan, I’m trying. I swear. Just give me a chance.”

“I gave you too many chances already and you’ve blown them all.”

“But your dad and your mother would’ve wanted us to work things out. You must feel that.”

Nathan took his leotard and slapped it down on the carpeted floor. He shot up from his bed and puffed up his skinny chest. “First of all, Judith, you never knew my mother. She died before you met my dad. You have no idea what she wanted for me.”

Nathan took several steps towards his stepmother and pointed right at her. His pretty face snarled as he angrily whispered, “Let’s get this real straight. You’re not my mother so stop pretending to be. All you are to me is just some woman my father remarried after Mom died.”

Judith Nemos’ heart sank and her body went numb. Her lips began to quiver and her eyes welled up so much she could no longer see her stepson standing angrily in front of her.

All Nathan’s stepmother could manage to mutter was a quiet “sorry” before she ran out of the teen’s bedroom.

[Glippernip]

Tel Aviv, Israel.....

It had been almost half an hour before she regained consciousness. Her head hurt like hell. Her eyes felt heavy and when she finally managed to open them the sky looked different. Among the thin clouds she could see bright purple silhouettes. Winged female forms swirling and dancing about overhead.

The young woman was still a bit dazed. She thought maybe what she saw was just a hallucination. “Did it work?” she groggily asked still transfixed on the female blurs in the open air.

“Yes,” he smiled sitting right next to her. “The fusion was complete.”

Phobos stood up and helped Maveth Ruah to her feet. The young Israeli, now a bit more coherent, finally noticed the form fitting, Grecian-inspired body suit she was wearing.

“What on earth is this?” Maveth Ruah asked somewhat shocked. She tugged on the purple fabric, trying to hide her cleavage and exposed legs with her hands. “What did you do with my clothes?”

“Those mortal garments no longer suit you,” the god of fear replied. “Now you are something so much more.”

“I feel so different,” the young Israeli said while soft breezes swirled about her. Maveth Ruah watched the female silhouettes as they rose then dipped about in a circular fashion just overhead, almost as if riding the wind currents.

Phobos smiled. “It’s all yours. Try it.”

The young Israeli closed her eyes and outstretched her thin arms. With but a thought, the wind picked up about her, tossing her short, wavy brown hair and dark purple cape about in a playful fashion. Maveth Ruah smiled and laughed out loud.

“We cannot celebrate yet,” Phobos said, his tone becoming quite serious. “We still have unfinished matters to tend to.”

Maveth Ruah turned slightly somber then quickly became angry at the reminder of why she did all of this in the first place. “I’m ready for her,” she bitterly said.

The god of fear became quite angry as well. “I will show Father that I cannot be replaced!” Phobos yelled. “And you, Child, will finally get to avenge your mother and kill the Black Swan. My father’s champion shall be destroyed by own!!”

Phobos placed his cold hands on Maveth Ruah’s shoulders while the playful Aurai danced above the pair. “You shall be the deadliest gale mortal or god has known,” he said seductively with a mad grin upon his shadowed face. His voice raised with mad excitement. “You shall be my Death Wind!”


.............To be continued.