Gateway City
Officer Mike Schorr bit his lower lip. He hated situations like
this. He was a man of action -- someone who liked rough-and-tumble
situations where a quick hand and a smart mind could pull you
through. But talking down jumpers was a little out of his league.
He peered out the 20th story window at the 17 year old girl who
stood on the ledge and swallowed hard. He'd called for backup
and was hoping that somebody trained in these kinds of things
would be along soon, but until then it was up to him.
"Hi." He flinched inwardly as he said it. It sounded
so stupid to greet
a potential suicide with 'hi.'
The girl turned back to look at him. Her face was pretty and
smooth, with big blue eyes that stared back wetly at him. She
wore jeans and a t-shirt showing the characters of popular cartoon,
South Park. Schorr
thought the girl looked like she should be at the mall or at burger
king, not about to jump off a building.
"Hi." Her voice drifted back to him. She looked almost
relieved to see
him. Good, Schorr thought, maybe that means she just wants attention,
not death.
"My name's Mike -- what's yours?" Keep her talking,
he repeated to
himself, just keep her talking.
"J-J-Jennifer. You better stay away or I'll jump!"
Her voice trembled
when she spoke. She looked down at the crowded street and clutched
at
the building behind her.
"I'm not going to bother you, Jennifer. I just want to talk
to you. Your
parents are really scared, Jennifer. They want you to come back
inside.
I'll help you with whatever's wrong, I promise." Mike held
a hand out to her.
She flinched and pulled back. "You don't understand..."
"Perhaps I'll understand." Both Mike and Jennifer looked
up suddenly to
see a lovely vision floating in the air before them. It was Diana,
known
to the world as Wonder Woman. Mike Schorr suppressed a grin --
if
anybody could handle this, it was Diana. She could handle anything.
Jennifer gawked. "You're...you're Wonder Woman."
Diana smiled at Jennifer like they were long-lost friends. You'd
never
know that Diana was the daughter of Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons,
given birth by the Gods themselves. She seemed as peaceful and
open as
anyone's older sister or mother. "Yes, that's what they call
me. Why are
you here, Jennifer? Is something wrong?"
Jennifer nodded, her eyes filling with tears again. "It's...it's
my
dad...he..." The sobbing came again and Mike Schorr's heart
skipped a
beat. What if she fell...? But then he remembered Diana was here.
Diana moved closer, landing on the ledge next to Jennifer. "It's
okay,
Jennifer." She reached out and placed one hand on Jennifer's
shoulder.
The younger girl flinched but didn't pull away as she had from
Mike
Schorr. "Does he touch you or make you feel uncomfortable."
The girl nodded, moving into Diana's arms and sobbing. "Yes...it's
all
my fault. He says I tease him, that I..."
Diana kissed the top of the girl's head. "Shhhh. It's not
your fault --
it's really not. If you trust me, I promise I'll help you. I promise
that you won't have to feel alone or dirty anymore."
The girl looked up into Diana's calm blue eyes. "Really?
You'll help me?
But I'm nobody..."
Diana smiled sweetly. "Everyone is somebody, Jennifer. Do
you trust me?"
Jennifer stared at her for a moment and nodded. "Yes."
Diana helped her step back inside the window. "Then let's
get inside.
Officer Schorr is a good man, he'll help us."
Elsewhere in Gateway City...
"Dis is not de way, Barbara. We must not do dis." The
aged man known as
Chuma shook his head fiercely. He had known, and grown to care
for,
Barbara Minerva over the years, but he knew that today she was
taking a
step that would forever alter their relationship. Througout her
association with the Cheetah spirit, he had served her, but now
his
loyalty was in doubt.
Barbara Minerva stood nude in the center of a huge pentagram,
her eyes
blazing furiously. Set in front of her was a single candle, unlit.
The
shadows in the room danced wildly, thrown askew by the few rays
of
sunlight that filtered in through the drawn blinds. "I am
sick of living
my life in fear, Chuma. I have to do this. I have to cast that
demon out
of my life forever."
Chuma shook his head sadly. "Then whatever befalls you shall
be of your
own making, Barbara. I take pity on your soul."
Barbara sighed. "Just light the candle and leave the room,
Chuma. As my
friend and mentor, do this for me."
Chuma nodded, moving forward with a lit match. The candle flared
to life
and Chuma's heart broke. He was coming. The demon Neron was coming.
"You're incredible, Diana." Mike Schorr stepped out
of the building, the
Amazon princess at his side. When they'd first met, Scorr had
fallen
very, very hard for her -- but upon learning that she cared for
him only
as a friend, he'd been forced to back off. Sometimes, though,
it was a
hard thing to do.
"Thank you, Mike. But you should not undervalue your own
contribution.
Had you not kept her from jumping before I arrived, nothing I
said or
did would have mattered."
Mike shrugged. "Maybe. Listen, Diana -- you want to catch
a bite to eat
or something?"
Diana smiled. "I wish I had the time. But I am due to give
a lecture at
the museum. Helena* has warned me not to be late -- my presence
there
has led to much damage to the exhibits. They need me to help raise
funding for the renovations."
(* Helena Sandsmark, one of Diana's best friends in Gateway City.
Amazonian Barry)"Oh. Sure, I understand."
Diana lifted off into the air. "I shall see you soon, I
hope. Be safe, Mike."
Mike Schorr watched her graceful figure disappear into the distance.
"Yeah, you too, Diana. You too."
The smoke from the candle seemed to swell in size, until the
entire room
was covered in a haze. Barbara Minerva breathed in the acrid smoke
and
fought to keep down the pounding of her heart. She had lived her
life
unafraid, always confident in her own strength. But the power
of Neron
made her tremble...
The smoke began to clear and Barbara saw that she was no longer
in her
penthouse suite. Instead, she was in the hellish den of satan
himself.
Neron, tall and blonde, sat on his throne. "Well, well,"
His voice
sneered at her, with a sound like rocks crashing together, "If
it isn't
Miss Minerva. Been some time since we've seen one another."
Barbara Minerva stepped forward. "I want my soul back.*
I want to end
our bargain."
(*The Cheetah sold her soul to Neron in Underworld Unleashed
# 1.
Read-It-Twice-Barry)
Neron's eyebrows raised and he tilted his back, laughing. His
sharp
canines glinted. "Very rich, Miss Minerva." He looked
back down at the
nude woman, who seemed very small before him. "And why should
I give
your soul back?"
"Because I have renounced your gift. I shall be the Cheetah
no more."
"Go on, Miss Minerva. Do enlighten me."
"You increased my power and weakened my addiction to the
plant which
gave me my powers. But you also increased my feral nature. I became
a
wild beast, until Wonder Woman restored my humanity.* Now, I wish
to be
free of this curse and I wish to have my soul back..."
(see Wonder Woman vol. 2 # 119. Barry)
Neron stood, walking towards her. "Your refusal of my gift
is
interesting, but certainly does not mean that I owe you anything.
What
you seem to forget is that you gave me your soul of your own free
will.
I own it. I own you."
Barbara Minerva frowned. "I won't serve you. I'll fight
my addiction to
the plant...I'll find some way to defeat you."
Neron brought his hand up to her cheek and brushed it lightly
with his
fingers. He seemed on the verge of laughing again. "No, you
won't, my
pretty. But you have touched me in a way. Perhaps I will give
you your
soul back..."Barbara's eyes opened wide. "You will...?"
Neron smiled. "Yes, I think I will..."
The Gateway City Museum of Cultural Antiquities
"...and that's why the references to Antiope and Hippolyta
are somewhat
confusing. Any other questions?" Diana smiled at the professors
and
experts who had gathered to hear her speech. She enjoyed this
part of
her very much. It kept her grounded in her traditions, made her
feel
less alone sometimes. She dearly loved all her friends, but sometimes
she yearned for home.
Helena Sandsmark stepped up to the podium. She was a slight woman,
bespectacled, with an air of intelligence about her. She was also
one of
Diana's best friends. "I think that's all the time we have
for today. I
want to thank all of you for attending this presentation. Thank
you and
have a good day."
As the group filed out, Diana and Helena walked over to the one
remaining spectator. Young and beautiful, the spectator was highly
reminiscent of Diana herself. Her name was Donna Troy.
"You did really great, Diana. This job suits you."
Diana smiled. "Thank you, Donna. Do you really have to leave?"
Donna nodded. "Yeah, I do. I have to start over, Diana.
After everything
that's happened, I just want to get away for awhile."
Diana hugged her tightly. "Very well, sister. But you shall
always have
a home with me.""I know, Diana. You too."
Helena Sandsmark watched the two women silently. She liked Donna
Troy
and liked her influence on her daughter Cassandra especially.
But at the
same time, she worried what all this was doing to Cassie. Her
daughter
had already inherited the name and costume of Wonder Girl from
Donna and
seemed to have Diana's blessing, as well. It wasn't exactly the
life
Helena had wanted for her daughter...
Hell...
Neron stepped away from Barbara Minerva, reaching into his pocket.
He
retrieved a tiny, emerald sphere. He held it up in the air. "This
is
your soul, Barbara. But you might find it...different than before.
It's
been residing here for quite some time, after all, and that can
have
quite an effect."
Barbara Minerva reached for it, but Neron moved it farther away.
"Give
it to me, damn you."
Neron chuckled. "Very well, take it. Take back your soul,
corrupted as
it is with the evil of Hell itself! Take back your soul, Cheetah!"
He
threw the sphere to the ground, where it shattered. A cat-like
image
composed of green smoke rose from the broken glass, rushing into
Barbara
Minerva through her mouth and nose.
She fell to the rocky floor, coughing and wheezing.
Gateway City
Chuma was worried. He had heard coughing and screaming. He pushed
open
the door to check on his mistress but could see only smoke. "Barbara?
Are you in dere?"
Slowly, a feline shape began to emerge. Chuma heard a hiss and
then the
Cheetah's voice filled the room. "I am here, Chuma. The Cheetah
has
survived..." She stepped from the smoke, showing her tightly
muscled,
furred body. Her tail cut through the air side-to-side. Her eyes
glowed
with an emerald fire. "...and all of my enemies are going
to lie at my
feet! Starting with the woman who has always bettered me! Starting
with
Wonder Woman!"
NEXT ISSUE : The all-new Cheetah vs.
Wonder Woman! Plus, another Amazon comes to Patriarch's World...
AUTHOR'S NOTES
Welcome to the first Faux-DC issue of Wonder Woman! Diana is
one of my
favorite characters and I hope to do her justice here. Note that
this
issue picks up directly from the events shown in Wonder Woman
v2 # 136.
The numbering of this series continues from the last issue of
the
original WW series, cancelled back in 1986 (confusing, I know....).
Anyway, coming up in future issues you'll see an all-new Dr.
Cyber, the
return of Circe, and a shocking change in Requiem. I'll try to
fit in
everyone, but WW is famous for its huge supporting cast so it
may take
awhile to feature all of your favorites.
Let me know what you liked about this issue and what you didn't
like, as
well. Email me with suggestions, requests, etc. But most importantly,
stick with me. The fun's just starting...
Barry Reese 0706.98
