Wonder Woman Beyond #5

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Wonder Woman Beyond #5
The Power of Words Part One

Written by Dean Grey
Edited by Daniel Dyer

Six months ago, early Spring 2046...

Rain pelted the untamed countryside with a vengeance as the morning began in Thrace, on the northeastern corner of Greece. In March and April the climate here is usually mild, but can be quite unstable at times. The violent weather coupled with the remote location left this particular area devoid of any tourists at the moment.

Over time, many battles have been waged here. In Ancient Greece, Thracian soldiers known as Peltasts were the first line that fought against an opposing army. They harassed enemy troops and disrupted enemy formations. The Peltasts taunted the opposing infantry, lured them away from safety, then struck their enemy down. Nothing remained from those days but fallen monuments.

But now, among the sparse ruins that dappled the green hills, two visitors roam these ancient sites. They are Circe the sorceress, daughter of the Titan Helios and Ares, the Greek god of war. They have been here barely a half hour and they are already soaked. Raindrops loudly pinged upon contact with Ares’ dark blue, dark violet armor. Circe’s dark green tunic and robes are so drenched they clung to her body like a second skin. She shook the slushy mud from her golden-laid, sandaled feet.

“Why have you brought me all the way here, Ares?” Circe asked as she wrung the wetness from her dark purple hair.

“This is Thrace. This is my city. I was worshipped here once, in these very temples,” Ares boasted in a deep voice hidden under a dark blue Grecian helmet, while his dampened cape draped his protected form.

“Yes... once,” Circe said mockingly. Her jewelry clanged upon itself as she twisted off the excess rain on her garments. “There is nothing left here but ruins, rubble from the past. I am interested in the future and beyond!”

“As am I,” Ares darkly stated, having gestured towards the gloomy, gray horizon. “The world will worship me and these mortals will taste my bloodshed once again. This time greater than ever before! Once the other Olympians are dealt with nothing stands in the way of my destiny.”

“Our destiny,” Circe said coldly. The storm continued.

“You have served me well,” Ares replied. “With Wonder Woman and the Amazons out of the way I have managed to steadily increase my powers.”

“Served?” Circe angrily questioned. “I do not serve anyone. You received my help so that I could get revenge upon the Amazons and finally free our daughter. Now I ask you again, why have you brought me all the way here Ares?”

“I thought it would be the perfect place for you now that I am powerful enough.”

“For me?” Circe asked.

Ares’ dark blue, dark violet armored form began to glow. Red energy crackled violently around his muscular body. His teeth flashed a devilish grin from behind his detailed, horse-plumed helmet. “Yes, a perfect place to spend all eternity!”

Circe braced herself and began to speak ancient, mystical words. But it was too late for that. Before she could even perform a single spell Ares surrounded her with the crimson energies. The god of war willed his power, that now swirled wildly about Circe’s form, and in seconds the daughter of Helios found herself sinking, merging with the ground itself.

“--Aressss!”

Only Ares remained. He stood on top of a cracked stone floor that during Ancient Greece was an elaborate temple dedicated to him. Ares watched the red energy as it faintly sizzled and dissipated from the ground until the only thing that stirred was the stormy weather overhead.

“Once I control the Amazons, the Olympians will be next!” The rain continued its onslaught against the hilly terrain. And amidst the booms of thunder in the distance, a war god could be heard laughing.

~*~

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Present day, Fall 2046
The Nikolaos household in Gateway City, CA.....

It was a moment Natalie Nemos-Nikolaos dreaded. One she knew was coming, but never thought this soon. Just five minutes ago she entered her home only to discover her 15-year-old nephew, Nathan, had found the Magic Lasso in her bedroom. And now as he confronted her about it she is at a loss for words. She watched the innocence on his boyish face, not wanting him to get caught up in this madness she’s found herself in recently. Too late for that.

Natalie stared at the glowing, golden lariat her nephew held in his hands. She could lie to him. Make something up until the time was right. But her nephew was always open with her and has revealed very personal things about his life in the past. It just wouldn’t be right.

She softly smiled and as her dark blue eyes met his light-blue ones Natalie calmly said, “Nathan... I’m the new Wonder Woman.”

“Aunt Lee?” Nathan asked clearly confused. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

“I know, dear, it didn’t to me either at first,” Natalie replied as she then looked off to her left. “It’s okay Aphrodite, he was going to have to know eventually. You can become visible again.”

“Aunt Lee?” Nathan asked again not knowing what was going on.

Natalie looked off to her left once more and gently nodded. “It’s okay.”

Just then an incredibly beautiful woman appeared, in a dazzling display of shimmering light, seemingly out of thin air. Curly, bright blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes, she still wore her long, clean, white trench coat. Nathan Nemos instantly stumbled back and fell on the carpeted floor, dropping the Magic Lasso from his hands.

“Oh... my... God!” he gasped, his pretty eyes opened wide, not believing what they saw.

Natalie grinned from ear to ear, gestured to her left and said, “Nathan, meet Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty.”

~*~

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Meanwhile, in an undisclosed location...

He sat there quietly, brooding. Raging torches crackled and illuminated his dark blue, dark violet armored body. His glowing red eyes stared at the decor. He’s in a temple adorned with marble statues of warrior women and intricate motifs that lined the chamber walls. Gold, jewelry, and exquisite Grecian vases throughout the vast room, almost as if for royalty. And on a throne that appeared to have been made for a female form, Ares now sat. In the eerie shadows someone stirred.

“Father?”

“I was wondering when you would show yourself,” Ares stated in a deep voice, hardly moving from the throne.

“You have done it then? You have defeated the other Olympians?” the young man asked as he finally came into the flickering torchlight. He also wore Greek-styled armor. Dark blue, it covered his entire body. Even his horned helmet hid most of his face.

“Defeated? No, my son, I destroyed them and Mount Olympus as well,” Ares said with such aggression that spit spurted from his snarling mouth.

“Then we can strike the outside world now that we stand unopposed,” the young, armor-clad man said.

“Phobos, you coward! Coming here like a sniveling dog, only when the other Olympians can no longer reprimand!” Ares’ voice boomed as he stood up from the throne, his dark violet cape followed like a thing alive.

“Father, I have come to honor you, to help--”

“--Yes, when it is convenient, when it is safe,” Ares scolded, enraged and now only several feet from Phobos. Their shadows danced violently behind them from the sparking torches, almost mocking the fight. “I no longer need you now. My powers have grown at least ten fold!

“Eris and Deimos are the same,” Ares added. “You, your sister, and your other brother have failed me time and time again. Now that I control the Amazons you are not necessary anymore.”

“But Father, I can--”

“Silence! You are worthless to me now!! Begone from here Phobos, your presence begins to sicken me.”

Phobos backed away into the shadows not speaking another word. In an angry burst of dark energy Ares’ son dematerialized and left.

~*~

[Spider-Man Beyond]

An hour and a half later at the home of Natalie Nemos-Nikolaos...

Natalie, her teenaged nephew Nathan, and Aphrodite all comfortably sat on the long couch and recliner in the living room. Natalie wore a cream-colored top and brown dress pants, while Nathan was in an old t-shirt and jeans, and the attractive Aphrodite had on a combination of her own soft, white fabrics and a light skirt borrowed from Natalie. Cups of warm tea laid on the coffee table alongside the neatly coiled Magic Lasso.

“Okay, so I get the part about Ares attacking Mount Olympus and that he has to be stopped, but why you, Aunt Lee?” Nathan asked. “Why were you picked?”

“Well according to Aphrodite we’re actually descendants of the Amazons, on YaYa Helen’s side,” Natalie explained, as she pushed her dark brown hair off her shoulders.

“We have Amazon blood in our family tree? Schway!” her nephew enthusiastically replied.

“What is this... ‘schway’ you keep mentioning?” Aphrodite questioned clearly off topic.

“Oh it’s something you say that’s real positive,” Nathan tried to explain. “It means something’s cool, you know?”

“Oh,” Aphrodite said though still not quite sure.

Nathan got back to his initial question and asked again, “But Aunt Lee, why did the Greek gods specifically pick you?”

Natalie became silent and appeared saddened. Seeing this, Aphrodite tried to explain for her. “Ares has managed to escalate the wars and violence in the world, especially over the last two years.”

Nathan Nemos had a perplexed look on his face, still not understanding the connection.

Natalie softly smiled and looked her nephew in the eyes. “I was picked because of your dad and your Uncle Jason.”

That single sentence brought Nathan’s usually upbeat demeanor down. “Oh,” he quietly replied knowing exactly what his aunt meant. As he looked down and hung his head, his jet-black hair spilled onto his boyish face. After a short pause he looked at his aunt’s comforting eyes.

“Aunt Lee? You have to make sure you stop Ares.”

Natalie grabbed her nephew’s hand and gave it a tight squeeze. She gently smiled and nodded. “I will Nathan... I will.”

~*~

[Spider-Man Beyond]

At that moment on the East Coast
S.T.A.R. Labs (central branch), Metropolis, Medical Unit...

Leila Altair is heavily medicated but she’s aware of what’s been happening to her. This is her fourth surgery in the past week. She knew the explosion in Tel Aviv disfigured her body. How badly she’s not sure, the doctors won’t tell her.

The feeling in her left arm is gone. It’s so fully covered with bandages maybe it’s missing completely, blown off by the homemade explosives, or simply amputated by the doctors. Her body is quite sore. She noticed her right eye is also bandaged or maybe that’s gone too.

The chief surgeon walked into her room and stood next to the bed she laid in. He had a kind face. Even though he knew what the Palestinian teen did seven days ago, he took pity on her. “Don’t you worry, young lady, we’ll get you back to normal.”

Leila Altair tried to moan, tried to scream but nothing came out. Instead of her voice came only searing pain.

“In this day and age we have the latest technology here at our disposal,” the chief surgeon said. “After this next operation you’ll be able to speak again.”

~*~

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Back at the Nikolaos household, even though it’s quite late, the trio’s discussion is in full swing.

“Wait a minute!” Nathan Nemos thought out loud with a frantic look on his face. “If you’re the new Wonder Woman that means you’re the one who fought that Cheetah person. It was in all the newspapers several days ago.”

“Yes, dear, that was me, I--”

“--But you could’ve been killed! How did you stop her? Did the Cheetah hurt you? When did--”

“Nathan, one question at a time,” Natalie interrupted. “Unfortunately, the Cheetah got away. Thankfully, though, she didn’t cause me too much pain. I have powers of my own.”

“Do you have them now?” Nathan asked. You could see the excitement in his light-blue eyes.

“I only have Wonder Woman’s powers when I’m wearing Diana’s bracelets,” Natalie explained. “Aphrodite said the Greek goddesses placed Wonder Woman’s powers in her bracelets and I only wear them when I transform.”

“Well how do you transform?” Nathan impatiently asked.

“With this,” Natalie said as she picked up the Magic Lasso from the coffee table. Natalie walked over to the center of the living room, winked at Aphrodite, and gestured at her nephew. “Now watch.”

Natalie took the glowing, golden lariat and began twirling it above her head with her right hand. As she brought the lasso’s loop down over her body, towards her feet, Natalie’s slender form sparkled and danced with light. When the Magic Lasso reached the floor Natalie was clad in an almost identical version of Wonder Woman’s patriotic red, white, blue, and gold costume; bracelets, tiara and all.

“That is so schway!” Nathan shrieked in a high-pitched tone, which made Aphrodite giggle. “But Aunt Lee... you look... so different.”

“I know,” Natalie sighed. “It has something to do with abilities Aphrodite gave Wonder Woman.”

“Yes,” Aphrodite chimed in. “When Princess Diana was created by the Olympians each of us bestowed gifts to her. Among mine was great beauty. So every time your aunt transforms that gift takes effect.”

“I wonder if she had problems adjusting to it?” Natalie asked. “But I guess Diana was born with it so she’d never notice.”

Natalie looked at herself in the medium-sized mirror off to the corner of the room. “It’s the strangest thing. Every physical imperfection is suddenly “fixed”. My face is now perfectly symmetrical. My eyes appear bluer. My lips are fuller, so is my hair. My body is toned and curvaceous. I’m several inches taller! Even my breasts are--um--everything is.... enhanced!”

Natalie took hold of the Magic Lasso once more and stood in the loop’s center, which laid on the tan carpet. She deftly whirled the lasso, this time from her feet upwards toward the ceiling. Bathed in dancing, glittering light, Natalie looped the glowing, golden lariat over her head. She was once again her everyday, average looking self, in her regular clothes.

“At least no one will recognize me,” Natalie said as she disappointingly tugged on her face in the mirror’s reflection. “There’s a resemblance, of course, but no one would suspect me and the new Wonder Woman are one in the same.”

Nathan hugged his aunt at her side. “I think you’re beautiful just the way you are, Aunt Lee.”

“Thanks, dear, but you’re my nephew, you’re supposed to say things like that.”

“Jamesina is never going to believe all this,” Nathan said slightly giddy.

“Nathan, you can’t tell your friend any of this,” Natalie replied quite seriously.

“But Aunt Lee, she’s as big a Wonder Woman fan as I am. I’ve got to tell her!”

“Nathan.”

“Aunt Lee!”

“Young man, if you’re going to stop listening to me I’m sending you back to your stepmom’s.”

“You know what a blabbermouth she is,” Nathan bitterly replied as he rolled his eyes. “If she finds out why you’d want me to move back in with her, half the city will know you’re the new Wonder Woman by the end of the week.”

Natalie slapped her hand to her forehead and sighed, “Oh Nathan. You can’t tell anyone about this. Promise me.”

Nathan could see the frustration on his aunt’s face and didn’t want to give her anymore grief. “Okay Aunt Lee, I won’t tell, promise.”

“Good, I think we’ve had enough excitement for one day,” Aphrodite said as she started to yawn and stretched out her shoulders. “Your aunt needs time to prepare for her speech.”

“What speech?” Nathan asked.

“It was Aphrodite’s idea,” Natalie explained in a serious tone, as she picked up the empty cups from the coffee table. “I contacted the U.N. as the new Wonder Woman and they’ve arranged for me to give a peace talk the day after tomorrow. It’s in the most violent, war-torn region, between several opposing tribes. In Kasnia... where your dad and your uncle were killed.”

~*~

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Several hours later
Across the globe, in Thrace, Greece...

Dusk is born this evening on the hilly, verdant terrain. What’s left of the setting sun spotted the broken pillars and aged monuments of civilizations long past.

In Ancient Greece, to combat the attacks of Thracian soldiers, known as Peltasts, an opposing army developed their own strategies. They countered the Peltasts move for move, essentially mimicking the Peltasts’ tactics. The opposing army would outwit the Thracian soldiers and when the time was right claimed their victory and liberation.

Today however, the remote countryside brought only a few tourists, who at the moment take pictures and view what’s left of the ancient ruins. Among the small band of people that dotted the hillside is a man named Michael Lykaios. Unbeknownst to him, he is a modern-day, blood descendant of the sorceress Circe. He is nothing more than a petty pickpocket who preyed on unsuspecting tourists.

But today is different. Michael Lykaios had traveled many miles to this location and didn’t even know it. His dark eyes glazed over, he walked mindlessly among the ancient sites. The man stopped at an isolated, cracked temple floor, its walls and ceiling long gone. He blankly stared at the wild grass that poked through the rocky surface.

As if in a trance, Michael Lykaios spoke ancient, mystical words. His voice was quiet and tensed. In a matter of minutes strange energies slowly manifested around the man. And as he continued to mindlessly speak, these energies glowed and began to singe his skin. In a brilliant flash of light Michael Lykaios dropped to the ground, dead and badly burned over his entire body. Standing next to his charred form was Circe.

“After all these months... I am free!” the sorceress exclaimed as she reached towards the sky. Circe looked at the fallen body near her feet. “So this is what my bloodline has come to? Disgusting.” She spat on the smoldering corpse and adjusted her dark green robes. “Draining your life force to allow my freedom means little to me.

“And now that I am finally free I can get my revenge upon the one who imprisoned me here. I am coming for you, Ares!”

..........to be continued