Although I set myself the task of making some transparent hints about a relationship and revealing the Amazon's feminine side, it's quite difficult, if not impossible, for me. But that doesn't mean it's impossible. The most important factor that can bring us closer is my approximate knowledge of her history, as well as access to general information about her appearance in society.
This girl was one of the official representatives of a US military unit under the "control" of a certain Steve Trevor, who was her curator and "mentor" and who introduced her to a world controlled by men. Although from the outside it looked more like a nuclear warhead with a clock mechanism, given the strength of this woman. I saw several videos posted online where she demanded a local merchant's ice cream cone at swordpoint, as well as how the locals reacted to her revealing outfit. It was awful, stupid, and ridiculous, but at the same time funny. After all, in all these videos, she always exuded carefree mockery and a blatant disregard for the opinions of these "stupid" mortals. What else did I notice? Her... limitations. Yes, that's the word for it. If you watch how Superman "works," you can easily see his passion and enthusiasm. Wonder Woman tries to do the same, but you can see that she is... disappointed and even bored. What could have caused this? The simplest and most obvious assumption is that her world does not provide her with enough "challenges." According to Steve Trevor's interview, she was sent by her people to show the outside world what the Amazons are capable of and to establish order and peace. What does the latter mean? I mean, the government of the United States of America also brazenly waged little "wars" in order to establish "peace and order." And the purpose of her arrival is different. After all, if you want a challenge, call Superman to battle and find out your limits. Perhaps it is just a normal fear that power will make her a monster in the eyes of people. After all, no one wants to be rejected by people if they have no good reason to do so.
I don't want to speculate and assume, so I'll just say that her interest in me is purely for "scientific" purposes. It's like finding a new toy in a shop that you hadn't noticed before. The only question is, will I stop being a toy for her?
I didn't give her my phone number or location, and she didn't give me hers either. She sat on a bench in the centre of the park. She was constantly followed by a trail of fans, as well as a small group of "haters" demanding that they leave her alone and finally get some decent clothes. One man even uttered a rather unpleasant word, loud enough for other people to hear, but Diane didn't care. Her gaze was empty and directed at nothing. It seemed like she was used to it. I even felt a little sorry for her... just a little. I was right next to her. Invisible, leaning against the nearest tree. After all, I did the right thing by getting rid of my aura. If it had been with me, Diana would undoubtedly have been able to sense me, but this way I would always be one step ahead. I quietly sat down next to her and, slowly removing my invisibility, unfolded the roll of newspaper, asking with a slight sneer:
"This fuss is rather unpleasant, isn't it?
"You? How did you...?" Wonder Woman smiled, deciding not to finish her sentence. "Yes, it is."
"What is it about me that interests you, Diana Prince of Themyscira, the strongest Amazon and only daughter of Queen Hippolyta?
"The fact that you so casually revealed information that no one but me should know. How do you know all this?
"No, no, I'm sorry, but I won't talk about that. At least not now. It would be too easy and uninteresting.
"What are you interested in, then?
"Hmm... I don't know," I shrug. "Let's play a game. It's pretty simple. It's called 'Truth or Secret'. But I'd really like it if no one interrupted us.
"And how do you plan to pull that off? I'm being watched not only by the locals, but also by the local government.
"Give me your hand. We'll just disappear from this world for a while.
I stood up, folded the newspaper, put it on the bench, and held out my hand to her. After a moment's hesitation, Diana took it. I used my invisibility spell, and we slowly vanished from the outside world in a mist. The locals became living witnesses to our "miraculous" disappearance. As a result, this buzzing crowd of fans/haters couldn't find the words to describe the current situation.
How did I solve her popularity problem? Nothing special. We just went into one of the local clothing stores and held a blade to the sales assistant's throat.
My desire was simple: to make Wonder Woman look like an ordinary woman in the eyes of ordinary people. Although... judging by the fact that we spent three whole hours picking out different clothes for her, I already regretted a little that I had decided to take her on a little shopping trip. I didn't think it would be so difficult.
"I'm sorry, but this is all I can do. I couldn't find anything less attractive for her," mumbled the saleswoman, bringing the clothes. A long grey skirt, black shoes, as heels were out of the question for Wonder Woman, a grey jacket, a white shirt and rectangular black-rimmed glasses completed her look. I would have joked about Superman's disguise, but not in this situation. The sword and her previous outfit were hidden in her own space.
"Can all women really walk around in something so... restrictive and uncomfortable?" Diana complained to me, to which I simply shrugged.
Apparently, while trying on the clothes, the employee forgot about the tension and threat from me. Wonderful, it's better for us. I even decided to thank her for her efforts with a rather generous tip.
"Well, thank you. Please don't tell anyone about what happened here, okay?
And so the operation to turn Wonder Woman into an ordinary woman was a success. Well, sort of. I mean, outwardly. We went into an unremarkable café and ordered a table for two. She adjusted her glasses slightly and said with a smile.
"I can't believe it worked.
"I hope you're not talking about my glasses, that would sound ridiculous.
"I'm talking about your clothes, what did you think I meant?
"Oh, nothing... I have a friend who has a funny hobby: he dresses up in costumes and wears glasses. Somehow, no one recognises him as a world-famous character." We ordered dessert and coffee. "Now that the fuss is over, shall we move on to some peaceful and pleasant conversation? Let's play the game I mentioned at the beginning of our meeting. The rules are simple. We take turns asking each other questions. We have a choice: answer honestly or reveal a secret. That way, even if we don't get a worthwhile answer, we'll still get to know each other better. Just a heads up. No Truth Lasso allowed. You go first.
"How do you know... everything?
"The truth," Diana raised her eyebrow in surprise, apparently not expecting me to answer honestly. "I don't know everything, but I know what I need to know. I can't know important details, but I can see the big picture almost entirely.
"Y-you didn't even answer my question!
"Didn't I?" I shrugged my shoulders in confusion and spread my arms with a fox-like smile. "You phrased the question so that I could answer it that way. And, please note, there is not a shred of falsehood in my words.
"Hmph..." Wonder Woman pursed her lips. "All right, I'll take that into account."
"So, what should I ask..." I pondered, putting my hand to my chin and taking a small sip of coffee. "How did you leave your island? Did you feel that you had done the wrong thing by leaving your sisters? Did you think about the consequences?" I pointed my index finger to my temple. "I remembered a phrase that my, let's say, 'mentor' often used: 'Think or don't think, and life will be easier. True, in the latter case, you will be used as a puppet to achieve someone else's goals, but at least you will be serving a greater cause!'"
"To be honest, I... never thought of it as something serious," she lowered her head and stared sadly at her coffee. The pause dragged on: Diana was apparently remembering the past. "Because... I thought I could come back at any moment."
"Really? But isn't your island protected from the outside world so that no one can find it? How exactly did you plan to return?
"I... don't know.
Ugh! I guess I hit a sore spot. Let's try to get back to normal.
"Although, come to think of it, if you weren't ready for such a test, I don't think your mother would have let you go so easily. She loved you very much, didn't she?
"Yes, and she always will.
"That's good," I nod slightly, seeing her mood return and a faint smile appear. "Perhaps you will find a way to her, but not now. Only in your hour of need... when you really need her help, she will reveal herself.
"How do you know that?..
"A premonition.
In fact, it was my own vision of the future, or rather a skill that was created by the Eye of Chronos for just a couple of seconds called "Words of the Future." When the words I say come true at a certain moment.
It finally dawned on her.
"You asked more than one question.
"It's not my fault you wanted to answer them. There's no mention of such a situation in the rules of our game. It's your turn.
"Where did you get this power?
"I'm sorry, but I'll pass and offer you my secret instead. My power is based on the will of an ancient god. He watches over me and saved me once. Not just once. I don't think I'd be sitting here with you right now if it weren't for him. Ah, I wouldn't mind meeting him and having a heart-to-heart talk. Although, I think whether I want it or not, that day will come someday and I will be able to find the answers to my questions. I just hope that when I find the answers, I won't get a bunch of more questions.
"You're blessed by the gods too?! Hera... what an interesting world.
And you, I see, have decided to share the secret of your power? Greek gods, huh? We'll remember that.
"What do you think of Superman and Batman? And the whole Justice League thing?
"You're asking more than one question again.
"You don't have to answer any of them. I don't think it's personal. I'm just curious about your opinion.
"Superman, he... at first I was interested in him. His strength and speed impressed me. But for some reason, he always seemed to keep his distance. And there was tension in him. It was as if he wanted to leave our team at any moment for something or...
"Someone," right? Yes, I noticed that too. Sorry to interrupt, please continue.
"That's why I decided that it's not worth being interested in someone who isn't interested in you. It... would seem too pushy and childish. I'm not interested in Batman in any way. Yes, he's quite strong for a normal person, yes, he uses some clever tricks or gadgets, but that's all.
He's a warrior with his own code. He lives by it, and he'll die by it. Unlike you, he can no longer tell who he really is. A man or a hero in a bat suit. At least I respect him for his determination to follow through on his word to the very end.
"I didn't expect you to say that about him.
"You just haven't seen him at work. To give your whole life to fighting evil and get nothing in return. Is that what they call a curse, or is it better to call it a sacred duty? It depends on how you look at it. I see it as two sides of the same coin. On one side, you're 'good,' but on the other, you're bound by chains and have no right to act. That's how the world works.
"The Justice League is a good solution for controlling heroes.
"Control, huh?" I ask mockingly.
"Some who are not very experienced could put themselves and others in danger," — ah, now I understand. She means Green Lantern, who only survived the incident with Darkseid thanks to the power of his ring. I wonder if his ring could have saved him from a direct hit by the omega beams? Perhaps, but that's not certain.
"Train them like real soldiers? I'm a little scared for the future of our world.
"Discipline and coordination don't make heroes into soldiers.
"Yes, but those are the very qualities that soldiers possess.
"Now it's my turn. I've answered enough questions to ask my own.
"Alright, I'll try not to disappoint.
"Why won't you open your eyes?! Are you blind?
I paused for a moment, then replayed her question in my head and chuckled slightly.
"Hey! That's actually quite unpleasant!
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, you're just the first person who's ever asked me that. No, I'm not blind. I can see you and the world around me very well. It's just that I have a special eye shape that allows me to do tricks like this. I can only open one eye, the other is only for people who are especially dear and close to me," without opening my left eye, which looked like a yellow clock mechanism, I slightly opened my right eye and, making sure that she had had enough of this rare sight, I returned to my previous expression. "That was too easy a question, so here's one for you. Why did you choose that costume?
"It's comfortable and easy to wear. I don't understand why all the locals call it vulgar.
"I should have guessed," I sighed wearily, and she either pretended not to understand or genuinely didn't understand why society so clearly criticised her appearance. "I think we should ask each other a question that we both want to know the answer to. What drives you, Diana? Justice? A thirst for battle with a worthy opponent, or the protection of the world?
"I want to protect this world.
"Even if it means getting your hands dirty with blood to save millions? Is one life worth more than the lives of thousands or hundreds of thousands of innocent people? That doesn't sound fair to me, do you think it is?
"I know what you're saying, and I'm prepared to shed blood if necessary. I'm not naive or stupid. I was taught to fight not only to defend myself, but also to take a life if there is no other way.
"That's wonderful! Just perfect! We have more in common than you might think. Only unlike you, I wasn't taught to be kind and gentle. My... former masters tried to turn me into an obedient dog, a toy or a doll, but alas, they failed, and I used the power they gave me against them. What motivates me and gives me the strength to move forward? I don't want to answer that question right now.
"Why? Wouldn't that be fair?
"I didn't say I wouldn't answer it. I just said I wouldn't answer it right now because I want to test a theory.
"Theory?"
"Yes, but we could use a place to be alone for that. And no, you probably didn't think what I thought you did. I want to... get closer to you. But not like that," I pretended to think for a couple of seconds, resting my palm on my chin. "I want to be your equal and show you something you may not have noticed before. Meet me tomorrow on the south-western road at twelve o'clock at the 138th kilometre," I stood up from my seat and, materialising a hat, put it on my head. The brim covered the upper half of my face, and only my crooked smile remained visible. "And yes, it would be great if no one else was there. You're curious to see what I've prepared for you, aren't you?"
On the appointed day, I stood in the middle of the road with a slight smile on my lips and waited for her to arrive. Cars rarely pass by this kilometre of the road because the US government built an additional road here. It is newer and more convenient for driving. No, cars did pass by from time to time, but you could count them on one hand. Wonder Woman arrived on time. Levitating in the air in her standard heroine costume.
"What are you up to?" — short and to the point. She doesn't like me playing games with her and frowns, but at the same time she can't shake her curiosity. Her interest in me. It's... amusing.
"Diana... from now on, I will speak without formalities. I have been as polite and courteous as possible to someone older and more experienced than me, but now..." The Talos dagger materialised out of the air, as if from fog. "We will be equals," I point the tip of the dagger at her.
"You want to fight? Is that why you called me here?
"Almost. The battle is just a pretext for self-awareness and understanding. I want to reveal another side of you. That's all. Besides, fighting without stakes is boring, so I want to set a small condition. The loser must fulfil the winner's wish.
"Aren't you being a little overconfident?" With a superior smile, Diana instantly materialises a double-edged sword in her right hand, which glows white, and also points it at me. "Battle is not a game, and I don't want you to get hurt. After all, you helped protect everyone in that global invasion."
My smile faded and was replaced by empty indifference.
"It wasn't for them or for you, 'Heroes'. I did it because I wanted to test my strength and lay the foundation for my future plan. Nothing more, nothing less.
"Your plan?
"Enough talk. To even the odds, I'll strengthen myself a little. You don't mind, do you, 'princess'?
"Do as you wish.
With a slight gesture, I summon Maria, and she, without hesitation, triples my stats for about five minutes. I think that should be enough time.
Without giving the command to start, I make my first move. I rush forward and the blade of my dagger crosses her sword.
"Perhaps," she parries with a flash of yellow sparks. "You didn't notice," I say, and a series of blows are deflected by her sword with incredible speed. The human eye cannot follow our movements, and only the clang of metal and yellow sparks indicate that a battle is taking place between us. "But you like to fight," I jump several metres into the air and, finding support in the air, lunge forward with all my weight, once again crossing our weapons. For the first time, she responds and cuts me in half with a single slash, but instead of flesh and shreds, I simply dissolve into an invisible mist and reappear slightly behind her.
"You are losing control and craving to test your strength. To test the strength of your opponent. With Darkseid and with me, you sometimes don't notice that stupid smile on your face.
"What are you trying to say? That I'm addicted to fighting?
"Almost. You're just like me. You crave to know what you and your opponents are capable of. Because they're so interesting, mysterious and unpredictable," I insert my index finger into the ring of the hilt and spin my ghostly dagger in front of me. "That's my answer. My motivation. My incentive to keep going. I can see you're still trying to hold back. Afraid you'll accidentally kill me if you misjudge your strength. Don't worry. You've seen what I'm capable of and what abilities I possess. Think of it as a kind of dance. A magnificent dance of death. Try to give it your all and don't think about the consequences of your actions. It's just you, me and this battle. Nothing else.
"Don't regret your words, boy," I say with a smirk, a barely perceptible movement, and another approach. The sword comes down on me from above, but I manage to block it with my dagger, and a small crater with a network of cracks forms under my feet.
"Monstrous strength," I smile to myself, and my own copy, created by the "Record" ability, attacks from behind. Diane has to quickly change her priorities and make an instant lunge backwards. For just a second, I feel a phantom stabbing pain in my throat. I check my throat with my fingertip.
"Everything's fine. It's just an illusion," I reassured myself and simply accepted that this would happen quite often in the future. Even considering that my aura had been destroyed. How did she know my doppelganger was approaching? Another feature of demigods? It doesn't matter.
"Nothing but tricks. That's not going to impress me, boy.
That nickname is starting to annoy me. At full speed, I formed a tornado out of dust and sand. Diana was in the centre of the tornado, and my clones attacked her one by one, but to no avail. Each blow destroyed them one by one with perfect precision. There were no flaws or miscalculations. Without a doubt, fighting even with increased close combat stats was a bad idea from the start.
"But still! I will make you admit defeat!
"Maria, please give me a little more strength!" My body felt light and weightless. It was as if I were the wind itself. The brief skirmishes and clashing weapons now left some consequences, namely real scratches on her body. She didn't notice it at first, but when a noticeable wound appeared on her palm, she whispered in amazement.
"My... blood?
As if she didn't recognise it. As if she had never seen it before. For just a split second, I noticed that the silver bracelets on her wrists were starting to crack! Looking at their detailed description, I learned one very small but very important detail about Diana Prince. The silver bracelets she wears were created by Hephaestus after her divine powers awakened, and since this power was too great, they decided to seal it away with the bracelets. So, attention, question! Would I have any chance of winning if I acted as a catalyst and destroyed them once and for all? Without the intervention of the power of time. Absolutely none. And to be honest, I'm still afraid of the consequences of this future, so I've decided to go ahead and do it anyway.
Time Stop
I know that she will never give up. She will never admit defeat. That was her special quality. "Fight to the end," read her status update. She would rather die defeating her enemy, so the only way to stop her was to deprive her of her strength or, to put it simply, "knock her out." The task itself is difficult because she is capable of enduring the most severe wounds and still continuing. If physical wounds are nothing to her, then what about mental ones? Robin's spiritual arrows were able to stop Darkseid for a while, so how is my dagger any worse? The main thing is not to overdo it.
Application: Cloning Objects
I finally understood the principle of cloning objects using the time of my dagger. This required knowing and understanding the structure of a given object down to the smallest detail. Otherwise, nothing would work. With a slight gesture of my finger, my ten daggers rushed towards her. Her entire body was pierced by them.
Time returns to its normal flow
After catching her breath for just a moment, she couldn't hold on and almost fell to her knees, but she managed to use her sword to support herself in time.
"I had to use my trump card against you. Please, I don't want to continue, because this is just sparring. If you continue, we could really kill each other," I raised my hands in a conciliatory gesture.
"You're funny... yes, I think we'll end it here. You won, even though I don't quite understand how. What do you want?
"What do I want?" I waved my daggers away with a light flick and then, with a short mental command, ordered Maria to heal her wounds. "No, no, no, I don't want it to be that easy. I don't want to waste such an opportunity so foolishly. There are so many possibilities! And you, princess, will not do anything that would compromise your honour and dignity, will you? Therefore, I will only demand it when I am certain of your loyalty to me.
"You're thinking ahead and waiting for the right moment? You're a sly fox.
"And now, instead of a boy, I'm a wild animal to you?! What a funny idea you have of me.
"What is it..." — she put her sword away and placed her hands on her waist, asking me with interest. — What are you planning?
"This world has its own ideas about actions and justice. I want to change that and do what others don't have the courage to do. It will be my own vision of justice. Perhaps I will find those who like this view, but there will also be those who clearly dislike it. In any case, I will try.
"Will the heroes like it?" — here she is hinting at herself and the Justice League. After all, they will definitely stand in my way when the time comes.
"No, I don't think so.
"Then what's the point of making yourself the world's number one enemy?
"That's my business. It's a game with no risk, and it's not a game at all. If I fail, I'll end up in a pile with the villains and the madmen. If I succeed, I'll be unique and inimitable!
"And I see you're not lacking in pride.
"Well, I'm proud that I was at least able to make you admit defeat.
"Just don't remind me of that every chance you get.
"I'm sorry, princess, but as sad as it may sound, I have to leave you and your world-famous club for a while. I have work that cannot be put off. Perhaps next time we will truly be enemies and fight to the death. So let me say something important before I go," I knelt on one knee and, like some kind of knight in shining armour, kissed her hand. "It was an honour to fight you," I said, my cheeks slightly reddened and my gaze soft. I'm going to disappear now.
"Until we meet again, Diana. May your gods watch over you.
"And your god will watch over you, Alex," she said quietly into the void, clenching her fists and flying off in her direction.
I had mixed feelings about this woman. Mostly positive. As I said earlier, she reminds me of myself and at the same time tries to adhere to the code of a hero, as she does not want to look like a monster in the eyes of ordinary people. Unfortunately, in carrying out my plan, I cannot initially claim her for myself and try my luck with such an...interesting person. If it were just her appearance, I wouldn't have given her such special significance. I was attracted by our similarity, which bordered on madness. After all, what normal person would crave battle with a stronger and more dangerous enemy? That's right, no one. Only those who have power will follow such a desire. She impresses me, and at the same time, I don't want to touch her yet because I still don't really know how, with her strength and toughness, I could... well, let's say... have normal sex? In some comics, where she was in a relationship with Superman, there was even a mention that their "hot games" could cause small earthquakes or even destroy the Earth itself! I don't believe that a man and a woman in a close relationship can live without sex. This act cannot simply be ignored and pretended not to exist. Otherwise, the fire of passion and love will quickly burn out, and only boredom and indifference will remain.
Okay, let's forget about Wonder Woman and get on with my plan.
My choice fell on Jump City. A small town that, in a short period of time, was able to expand its borders and achieve good results in its prosperity and growth. Why this one? The thing is, crime, heroes and villains haven't appeared there yet. At least, statistics showed a low crime rate due to its... "ordinariness." Soon, that will change. Not through any fault of mine, of course, but because for some reason, virtually all populated areas in the United States are always under the control of one villain or another. The country is their playground. That's why Jump City will soon be attacked by crazy villains, and new heroes will come to their aid. The second reason was that this city would become the base for the so-called "Young Titans" in the future. As the most respected and recognisable person in the city, I cannot allow such celebrities to be ignored by me. However, they, in turn, will not be able to ignore me for obvious reasons, so I would like to offer them a lucrative alternative.
Work for me or simply lose your jobs. With the help of my "Legion," I will be able to give people what they want, namely protection and hope for a better and brighter future. Even if it is a rather bleak future for bad guys. It sounds quite promising and risky, but that is precisely what my brilliant plan consists of. I will become a killer and a monster in the eyes of ordinary people, but who can you call normal in this world when everyone walks around in silly costumes and calls themselves silly names? I will give some of my enemies a chance at a new life, and I will do so based on two factors: if I am in plain sight and if I give the people watching a choice. And only if that person interests me. Heroes and villains have no idea what the power of public opinion is capable of, nor do they know what I want to do if they get a clear picture of it.
"Let the game begin, dear heroes and villains...
***
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