Legendary member of the Justice Society of America, Joan Dale-Trevor fought injustice during World War II. Still youthful thanks to the magic of the mysterious Trevor Island, she still fights for truth, justice, and the American Way as the Marvelous

Issue #6

The American Dream

Part Six

Written By Paul Daimler

Derek Trevor watched as Megaera and Tisiphone launched themselves at each other. Claws and talons clashed, and their guttural inhuman screams slide through his thoughts. Alecto came up beside Derek Trevor.

“Hurry, we must enter the Prince of Dream’s Dreamscape through the gateway while Megaera keeps our traitorous sister distracted.” Alecto said, leading Derek into the dark foreboding house.

Inside Derek found hallways and walls that were at angles and lengths that seemed improbable.

As if sensing this, Alecto said in her gravely voice, “The house only appears abnormal. It’s an effect of the gateway within it’s dark heart. Should we fail in defeating the Prince of Dreams, this will become truth. And the entire world will take upon this blasephemy.”

Derek felt a coldness in his heart, even as his nostrils bristled at the stench wafting from Alecto’s deep blue flesh.

“Why would she turn on you? I thought you three were on the side of the good guys. Doling out divine justice and all of that.”

“As she stated, she has grown tired of working through an insane avatar.” Alecto said quietly. “One of the caveats for Helena being her avatar is that she had to remain pure of body.”

“A virgin?”

“Yes,” Alecto said as they made their way up a wavering stairway. “But, Helena did not remain pure. And, truly it was unwise for Tisiphone to add such a burden upon one so young. Hormones and the young are not the best mix. So, while as Helena, she became mad and twisted, so long as she remained in her Fury form, Helena remained young and strong and sane. Yet as Fury she is compelled to do our bidding, settling old scores.”

“And there was no room for Lyta.” Derek said grimly.

“No. There was not.” Alecto replied, “A sad curse for the avatar of the Blood Avenger. She dedicated to primarily settling scores between family members was unable to raise her own daughter.”

“What happens if Megaera defeats her?” Derek asked.

“Uncertain.” Alecto replied, although Derek could tell by the tone of the voice the blue-skinned demon goddess knew and was merely not telling him.

Stepping through the gates of the Palace of Glass and Diamonds, the Prince of Dream’s lair here in the Dreamscape, Miss America found Dark Angel, the Mad Muses, and Mr. Chessire waiting for her.

“You’re here at last!” Dark Angel cooed, she moved up beside Miss America, sliding a cold arm around her shoulders. “We’ve been waiting.”

“Wherever did you disappear to?” Mr. Chessire asked, his voice was like chalk on a blackboard. “We couldn’t see you for a bit there.”

Miss America thought of the pretty dark-haired girl Miss Cosmos, who had led her into a sliver of reality from before the Crisis, to warn her—and to explain many mysteries about her life. She didn’t want to mention the girl. Miss America only felt the overwhelming need to protect the girl, although she couldn’t quite be sure why.

“Mother!”

Miss America’s head snapped toward the sound of Lyta Trevor-Hall’s voice.

“Lyta!” She rushed toward the beautiful blonde, encased in a giant diamond.

“Not so fast!” Dark Angel said, stepping between Miss America and the giant diamond imprisoning her daughter.

Miss America clenched her fists tightly, the air around them beginning to wax and wane with sparkles and glimmering specks of light.

“Your powers are unpredictable here.” Dark Angel cackled, “You can’t expect them to defeat me.”

“If my powers are unpredictable here, then so are yours.” Miss America replied coolly, “And I’m more than just transmutation powers.”

Before Dark Angel could reply, Miss America decked her, knocking the wandering spirit out of her way.

Dark Angel screamed in shock and surprise. Landing in a jumbled pile, she looked up confused.

“How is that possible?” Dark Angel muttered to herself. “I’m not true flesh and blood. I’m a spirit.”

“Physical properties are different here.” Mr. Chessire said, pulling her to her feet.

Miss America rushed toward the diamond holding Lyta.

“I’m going to get you out of there.” Miss America said, placing both hands against the cold smooth surface of the gem.

“You didn’t think it would be that easy did you.”

Miss America spun toward the sound of the voice, finding a tall thin man with alabaster colored skin and bright topaz colored eyes. He wore dark robes that rippled and wavered as if made of dreams themselves.

“I can hope.” Miss America said.

The Prince of Dreams laughed, deep, heartily. The sound echoed from his chest as though it was hollow.

“So glad you are here to witness your daughter and my wedding.” The Prince of Dreams said, his words both slippery and jagged.

“There will be no wedding.” Miss America said, putting her hands out in front of her. “I’m taking my daughter and we’re leaving your little dream dimension.”

“Oh no. The wedding will go on. And, once the marriage is complete, I will absorb your essence.” The Prince of Dreams said, his lips curling in a perverse smile. “You are the avatar of the American Dream. Once you’ve been absorbed into me, I will be able to slowly but surely take control of the dreams of the people of your country. And once Lyta gives birth to my child, and I cast my own consciousness into the child, my Dreamscape will consume the reality you’ve known all these years.”

“More mad prattle from another would-be despot.” Miss America said, “You all think you’re going to win. But, at the end of the day evil always loses.”

“Is that why your children are dead and buried?” The Prince of Dreams chuckled. “Did evil lose the day that Armageddon crushed her skull? Or when Dark Angel stole your child?”

Dark Angel laughed coldly.

“You don’t even know if your son is still alive, do you Miss America?” Dark Angel asked, her voice taunting and cold. “You often wonder if he’s in one of my traps, living one hellish existence after the other the same as Donna Troy. Would you like to know? Do you wish to know the fate of your son Derek Jr?”

Miss America clenched her fists tightly, anger spiking through her blood.

“When this is done Dark Angel, I will find you and you will pay for what you’ve done.”

“When this is over, your essence will have been absorbed by the Prince of Dreams, and your body will be a lifeless husk.” Dark Angel cackled.

“We waste time with all of this exposition.” The Prince of Dreams said, moving toward Miss America. “It’s time to get this show on the road, as the old saying goes.”

He reached toward Miss America, his hand pressing against her forehead.

“What are you doing?” Miss America moaned, everything going hazy. Bright white light filled her vision until everything washed away.

Joan Dale-Trevor stood back from the others, watching her family as they laughed and chattered, sitting around the dining room table. She had gone into the kitchen to get more gravy and the sight of her family through the doorway into the formal dining room caught her breath at the sight of it all.

Derek had just carved the turkey, and he was laughing at something his nephew Steve Trevor was saying. Steve’s wife Etta and Queen Hippolyta were engaged in conversation with Angela about Angela’s first year in college. Princess Diana and Derek Jr were discussing world politics, with Diana actually listening raptly to Derek Jr’s opinions, even though he leaned far more conservative than the Princess’s own politics. Helena and Lyta were cooing over baby Daniel, while Hector and Angela’s boyfriend were talking about baseball with Hector’s father Carter.

“Need any help?” Sheila Hall asked, coming up beside Joan.

“No.” Joan smiled. “I was just taking a moment to take it all in. Us being all together this way… it makes all the struggle and strife we’ve been through all these years seem worth it.”

“I know what you mean.” Sheila smiled, “Lyta and Hector are back, with Daniel. Hippolyta resurrected by the Olympian gods. Your children happy and healthy, going to college. Everything is as it should be.”

“It just feels like a dream, Sheila.” Joan sighed. “Like any minute it will all be taken away again.”

Sheila laughed, “I know after all the difficulty we’ve all endured it must be hard to look on the brighter side. But, things have a way of working out. Sometimes, the good guys win.”

Joan smiled, “I hope you’re right.”

The two women walked over to the dining room table, both taking their seats.

“Mom, Hippolyta was just telling us about the time you and her and Helena took on Armageddon and beat the stuffing out of him.” Angela smiled, her bright blue eyes and dark hair always startled Joan these days, as she looked like a mirror image of Joan herself at that age.

“Let’s not talk about him.” Joan said, a ripple of fear going through her.

“Why not?” Hippolyta asked. “He’s dead. He died during the war.”

Joan frowned.

She looked around the room, from face to face. Something was wrong here. None of this was right. Her gaze settled on Angela, then Derek Jr.

“Mom?” Angela asked hesitantly, “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know.” Joan’s gaze went to Derek, sitting at the head of the table. “Honey?”

Derek looked at Joan blankly.

Tisiphone’s black eyes sized up her sister, her red skin glistening like wet blood in the faint light that spilled into the street.

Behind them the house appeared to wax and wane as the forces within it surged.

“Looks like the Prince of Dreams has put Miss America under.” Tisiphone smiled. It was a horrible expression. “Once he has run her through the dream cycles and weakened her, he’ll be able to absorb her and then his influence will begin to seep into this cursed country.”

“You have lost your way sister.” Megaera said, drawing a deep breath. Dark black blood seeped from a gash in her left shoulder. She was getting weaker. The Furies had slowly but surely over the years weakening. As fewer people believed in worshiped them, their powers had waned. During World War II, they’d regained some portion of their former greatness when Helena had worn their standard and fought crime and injustice in their name. But, lately, Helena had been far less high profile, and what power she brought them primarily went to Tisiphone who Helena manifested in her Blood Avenger form.

For some time Megaera had suspected that Tisiphone was purposely diverting more and more energy from her sisters. Her actions tonight affirmed that.

“I’ve not lost my way. I’ve found a way to regain my strength and become as powerful as we were.” Tisiphone gnashed her teeth. “And when I slay you and pitiful Alecto, then I will absorb your energies and powers. That plus the status the Prince of Dreams will give me within his new reality will make me even more powerful than Zeus.”

“Pride will be your undoing Tisiphone.” Megaera said. “And, as the Fury who is responsible for punishing crimes, I shall make sure you pay.”

“Hardly.” Tisiphone hissed, launching herself at Megaera.

Their screams and grunts filled night, echoing down empty streets of the abandoned town.

“This is all wrong.” Joan Dale-Trevor said looking around the table and her happy family gathered.

“You always were a kill joy, Joanie.” Hippolyta groaned, getting out of her seat and going over to Derek. Taking the man in her arms, Hippolyta laid a powerful lip-lock on the man. Looking at Joan with an evil glint in her eye, Hippolyta grinned, “You know he’s always wished you were me don’t you?”

“No. He didn’t.” Joan shook her head. “I realize that now. He never really loved you. How could he? He didn’t really even know you. You were so ideal. Some dream he had. The powerful and mighty Amazon who fought off the Axis powers and flew around in an Invisible Jet, using a golden lasso of truth, and bouncing bullets off your bracelets. There was nothing real about you in his head. You always kept him at arms’ length, knowing that your time in the past was limited and that one day you’d be going back to your correct time-frame.”

“Poor mortal woman.” Hippolyta laughed, “Do you actually believe that?” Pulling Derek closer, hugging his head tightly to her bosom, Hippolyta awarded Joan with a cold cruel smile. “Derek is mine. He’s always been mine. And not even the gifts of Gaia you were granted on that island of yours could change that.”

The dining room around them faded out, the color draining away. It rippled and then in vivid hues a massive Greek temple appeared around them.

“What the--?!” Joan looked around as people appeared all around her dressed in fancy Greek robes, as well as formal dress. Her eyes went to the front of the temple where Zeus, King of the Gods, stood.

“Do you Admiral Derek Trevor take Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons are your lawfully wedded wife?’ The King of the God’s voice boomed.

“I do.” Derek smiled, his eyes gazing directly into Hippolyta’s.

Looking regal and adorned in gold armor and jewels, Hippolyta looked over at Joan.

“I told you.” Hippolyta’s smile chilled Joan to her very bones.

“Get away from my husband!” Joan screamed.

Hippolyta began laughing. Derek joined her, as did Zeus. Soon everyone in the temple was laughing at her.

“What are you going to do about it you old bag?” Hippolyta asked.

“THIS!” Joan screamed. The fury that filled her seized complete control over her, making her blind with rage. It was a rage she had not felt since she’d killed Armageddon in retribution for Angela’s death.

In her mind Joan imaged everything and everyone transforming into stone.

With her vision cleared of the burning anger, all she found was the assembled people and gods still laughing at her.

“You lost your powers ages ago Joanie.” Derek Trevor laughed louder than anyone else.

Alecto and Derek Trevor found themselves at the gate of the Palace of Diamonds and Glass.

“How do we get in?” Derek asked.

Alecto slammed a fist into the gate. The glass gate didn’t even tremble beneath her fist. Not a single diamond embedded in it quaked even the slightest.

“Not through might.” Alecto growled through her jagged teeth. “Damn my weakness!”

“How can this Prince of Dreams be stronger than the Furies?” Derek asked, feeling despair.

“It has been long since we’ve been truly worshipped.” Alecto sighed, “Our time has passed. Helena was meant to be the first of our new incarnations. Through her, we would grow stronger and empower two other mortals to take our next step. These bodies and forms would pass on, and our essence would entwine with our mortal replacements. And through acts of heroism and glory they would achieve levels of power we’ve not know in centuries.”

“But, Helena lost her mind.”

“Tisiphone made her gift a curse. She never wanted to let go and move on. Unlike Megaera and I, she has never wanted to accept that even gods move on at some point.” Alecto said.

“Where do gods go when they move on?” Derek asked quietly.

“No one truly knows. I hope to find out at some point.” Alecto smiled sadly.

“You guys need to go in there?”

Both Alecto and Derek turned to the voice.

A handsome boy in a red-white-and blue uniform smiled at them, the strangely colored light from the Dreamscape’s skies causing his blondish brown hair to gleam.

“Who are you?” Derek asked.

“I’m the All-American Kid of course.” The boy smiled brightly. Derek estimated him to be no more than eighteen or nineteen. “I know a back way.”

“I don’t know if we should trust you.” Derek said. “This is the Prince of Dreams world. And, suddenly a kid dressed like an American flag just pops up.”

Something about the kid seemed familiar, and that troubled Derek somehow.

“We can trust him.” Alecto said quickly. “He’s on our side.”

“What?” Derek spun toward Alecto. “How do you know that?”

“He was sent by Daniel. He smells of the Dreaming.” Alecto dismissed Derek quickly, “Where is your sister?” She asked the All-American Kid.

“She helped get Miss America past the dream diamonds and through the dream traps, so she wasn’t as sapped. The Prince of Dreams has put her under, but she’s only been in for a few minutes, and she just entered the second cycle of the Dream Trap.” The All-American Kid replied, motioning to them to follow.

Derek followed hesitantly, trailing Alecto who walked alongside the All-American Kid as he led them around the side of the palace, and toward a small alcove in it’s side. He picked three gems from the alcove’s wall, initiating a sequence of brightly blinking lights. The panel in the alcove slid aside, revealing a dark tunnel beyond.

“Come on Derek.” Alecto barked.

The All-American Kid made a move to follow. “No.” Alecto said, stopping him in his tracks. “Find your sister and get out of the Dreamscape.”

“But---“

“No, buts.” Alecto said, “When this place comes crashing down, I don’t want either of you in here. And, further more I need you both waiting out there in case we don’t win this. Daniel would have only sent you and Miss Cosmos to help guide us. He wouldn’t have wished for either of you to risk yourselves. He has safe guarded you both for many many years, as did Morpheus before him.”

The All-American Kid’s expression became grim, and then he looked at Derek.

“It was nice to finally meet you, sir.” And with that, the All-American Kid took off.

“What did he mean?” Derek asked.

“I’ll explain later.” Alecto said, “Now let’s get in there and save Joan from the Dream Trap. If we don’t get her out in time, the Prince of Dreams will steal her life’s essence and we most likely will not be able to stop him.”

“Let go of me!” Joan screamed as she was surrounded. Amazon warriors attending the wedding of Hippolyta and Derek Trevor seized her, dragging her toward Hippolyta, Derek, and Zeus.

“You will face the judgement of the gods impudent mortal!” The Amazon Artemis cried as she led the warriors that had seized her.

“How dare you interrupt the wedding of our queen to her chosen and preferred?” Phillipus, the Amazon General, shouted, placing the blade of her sword against Joan’s throat. The cold steel caused Joan’s flesh to tighten.

“KILL HER! KILL HER! KILL HER!!” The Amazons chanted.

Joan reached the platform where the wedding party stood.

Next to Hippolyta, in the role of maid of honor, Diana stood in her full Wonder Woman regalia.

“Mother… surely you could show compassion to this poor woman.” Diana said, her voice smooth and concerned. “She is madly in love with Derek Trevor, and merely misguided by her love to a place of anger, obsession, and madness. Surely Transformation Island would be the best place for her rather than death.”

“As normal my daughter you speak with the wisdom of Athena and the heart of Aphrodite.” Hippolyta said thoughtfully, “You appeal to our Amazonian ideals of peace, love, and compassion.”

“What of our other ideals?!” Artemis shouted. “What of battle and combat and justice? This woman has betrayed your friendship with her lust and obsession. She has forgotten the tenants of sisterhood because of her misguided love for that man. She deserves to face death as any who betrays her sister!”

Hippolyta looked between Artemis and Diana, then turned toward Donna Troy. “Donna, my adopted child, as a daughter of both Paradise and Man’s World you have the unique vision I need in this matter. Do I hold Joan Dale to the rules of Amazon society? Where betrayal of sister is the worst crime of all? Or do I listen to my beloved daughter and offer her a second chance and transformation into a better person.”

Donna Troy’s cool blue eyes looked to Joan Dale, then to her mother.

“You forget mother, that as the last child of the Titans, I have been given gifts by the Titans of Justice.” Donna said calmly, “Under those tenants, which I must follow here in the halls of Olympus, the interloper must be put to death!”

“DEATH!” The chorus of Amazons and gods cried.

“NO! Let me go!” Joan Dale screamed, struggling against her Amazon captors even though she felt the steel of Phillipus’s sword dig into her flesh.

“DEATH! DEATH! DEATH! DEATH!” The chant continued.

“Joan Dale, you may not be an Amazon,” Hippolyta said softly. “You will, however, die like an enemy! Amazons to your duty!”

Joan screamed as the Amazons drug her away, heading away from the grand temple in Olympus where the wedding was being held. Through chambers and hallways and corridors that made no sense to Joan’s mortal senses they led her to a guillotine.

“NO!!” Joan screamed.

The corridor that Alector and Derek Trevor made their way through was narrow. The goddess had to stoop to move, and Derek kept hitting his head against the roof.

“How much longer?” Derek asked after the dozenth time he struck his head against the corridor’s ceiling.

“We are almost there.” Alecto replied calmly, “You should be less worried about the distance and our arrival time and more concerned with how we’re going to rescue your wife, your daughter, and face off against the Prince of Dreams and his minions.”

Derek smiled grimly, “I have my service revolver. I figure it’s good for a villain or two.”

“These are not flesh and blood meat puppets we face. Dark Angel is a mystical being—a dark and twisted spell that has no soul and no compassion. Mr. Chessire is a deranged mortal granted god-like powers by the Prince of Dreams. The Mad Muses are as powerful as we Furies were at our heyday. And the Prince of Dreams himself is a demi-god at his current power level. Once he marries your daughter and uses her as the vessel of his rebirth, he will be a god. Once he consumes Joan he will be able to use the dreams of the American people to begin his take-over of your reality.”

“And I have bullets.” Derek replied dryly, “Bullets can stop just about anything.”

“Your faith in your weapon is at least something.” Alecto said with a heavy sigh. “At least you have your faith. That can be just as powerful as anything else in a place like this.”

As the Amazons and Joan reached the guillotine, she stopped screaming. Even as they began to tress her up and prepare to stick her under the glittering blade, Joan’s mind began to clear.

“This isn’t real.” She said softly. “There aren’t guillotines on Olympus. The gods would have smote me. This is some twisted dream.”

The Amazons’s grip on her began to loosen and the world around her began to grow hazy.

“I’m in a dream.” Joan said firmly. “I’m starting to remember. I had reached the Prince of Dreams’ throne room and he did something to me. He called it a dreamtrap.”

The shouting and angry cries of the Amazons began to fade to a dim murmur.

“This isn’t real.” Joan said, getting to her feet. The scene of Olympus around her was fading fast, blurring away and going out of focus. “None of this is real.”

With a fist, she punched at the fading scene before her.

The world around her shattered like glass, falling down in shards all around her.

Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she found herself back in the Prince of Dreams’ throne room.

“She broke free of the dreamtrap?!” Dark Angel’s shock was evident in her voice.

“This is impossible.” The Prince of Dreams stammered. “No one has ever freed themselves from the dreamtrap.”

“I’m not no one.” Joan said. She was still dressed as she had been in the dream. With a cascading wave of sparkling energy her clothes transformed back into her star-spangled uniform.

“I’m Miss America.” She said, her eyes determined and fierce behind her domino mask.

“I’m trembling in my boots.” The Prince of Dream chuckled. “You are proving to be more of a challenge than I expected. Color me pleasantly surprised. It will make your essence that much more delicious when I devour it.”

Miss America did not reply. The energy around her crackled and rippled.

The air above the Prince of Dreams suddenly became solid, transforming into a massive block of marble. Gravity caught it dragging it down on to him. It appeared to crush him.

The throne room filled with an oppressive silent as the Prince of Dream’s minions all caught their breaths.

The marble block exploded, sending pebbles and dust showering the room.

Miss America transmuted anything that got too close to her back into air.

Once the dust had settled, the Prince of Dreams looked at her, his eyes blazing.

“Is that the best you’ve got?” He asked, lifting an eyebrow.

“I’ve got a few more tricks.” Miss America smiled at him.

A bolt of energy shot from the Prince of Dreams’ hand striking Miss America down, sending her sprawling across the floor. She landed hard on her hip and a jolt of pain shot through her.

Sitting up, she looked at the Prince of Dreams.

“So are we just going to keep knocking each other down until one of us die?” Miss America asked pulling herself to her feet.

“No. We’re going to keep knocking each other down until you give up and accept that I’m going to win.”

“I never give up.” Miss America replied. “It’s un-American.”

“We’ll just see about that.” The Prince of Dreams growled, “Mad Muses do your duty.”

The Mad Muses fell upon Miss America swiftly.

TO BE CONCLUDED…