Chapter 13: A Pleasant Pastime

While I set myself the task of dropping some subtle hints about our relationship and revealing the Amazon's feminine side, it's quite challenging, if not on the brink of impossible for me. However, that doesn't mean it's undoable. The most crucial deciding factor that can bring us closer is my approximate knowledge of her history, as well as access to general information about her integration into society.

This girl was one of the official representatives of a US military unit under the 'supervision' of a certain Steve Trevor, who was her 'mentor' and the one who introduced her to the world controlled by men. Although, from the outside, it looked more like a Nuclear Warhead with a timer, considering her strength. I've seen a few videos posted online where she demanded an ice cream cone from a local vendor at swordpoint and how the local people reacted to her revealing outfit. It was horrifying, silly, and ridiculous, but at the same time, amusing. In all these videos, she always exuded carefreeness, mockery, and just plain disregard for the opinions of these 'silly' mortals. What else did I notice? It's her... limitedness. Yes, that word fits perfectly. If you watch how Superman 'works,' you can easily see his passion and enthusiasm. Wonder Woman tries to do the same, but you can sense... disappointment and even boredom in her. What could have caused that? The simplest and most obvious assumption: the local world doesn't provide her with the right 'challenge.' She was, according to Steve Trevor's interviews, 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 exactly? I mean, the government of the United States has also shamelessly instigated small 'wars' in the name of 'peace and order.' And her reasons for coming here vary. If you want a challenge, then challenge Superman to a fight and find out your limits. Maybe it's just the fear that her strength will make her a monster in the eyes of people. After all, no one wants to be rejected by humans without good reason.

I don't want to speculate and make assumptions, so I'll just reduce it to the fact that her interest in me is purely for 'scientific' purposes. It's like finding a new toy in a store that no one noticed before. The question is whether I'll 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 center of the park. She always had some sort of fan following her, as well as a small group of 'haters' demanding that she leave them alone and finally pick out some decent clothes. One guy even uttered not the most pleasant word, loudly enough for other people to hear, but Diana didn't care. Her gaze was empty and directed nowhere. It seemed she was used to it already. I even pitied 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 the aura. Because if she were with me, Diana would undoubtedly be able to sense me, but this way, I'll always be one step ahead. I quietly sat down next to her and, slowly removing my invisibility, unfolded a newspaper, asking with a hint of mockery:

"All this fuss is rather unpleasant, isn't it?"

"You? How are you?..." Wonder Woman smirked, deciding not to finish her sentence. "Yes, it is."

"So, what has piqued your interest, Diana Prince from the island of Themyscira, the mightiest Amazon and the only daughter of Queen Hippolyta?"

"The fact that you've been casually sharing information that no one but me should know. Where did you get all this?"

"Oh no, I won't talk about that. Not now, at least. It would be too easy and uninteresting."

"Then what is interesting to you?"

"Hmmm... I don't know," I shrugged. "Let's play a game. It's quite simple. It's called 'Truth or Secret.' However, I would really appreciate it if nobody interrupted us."

"And how do you plan to accomplish that? I am under surveillance not only by the locals but also by the local government."

"Extend your hand to me. We'll simply disappear from this world for a while."

I stood up, folded the newspaper, placed it on the bench, and reached out my hand to her. After a brief pause, Diana took it. I activated invisibility, and we slowly faded away from the external world in a mist. The local people became live witnesses to our 'magical' disappearance. In the end, this buzzing crowd of fans/haters couldn't make sense of the current situation.

How did I solve her popularity problem? Nothing special, really. We just entered one of the local clothing stores, with me holding a blade to the throat of the sales consultant.

My simple desire was to make Wonder Woman appear as an ordinary woman in the eyes of regular people. Although... considering that we spent a whole three hours picking out various clothes for her, I already regretted deciding to go shopping with her. I didn't think it would be this difficult.

"Sorry, but this is all I can do. I couldn't find her a... less attractive look," the saleswoman muttered, bringing the clothes. A long gray skirt, black shoes, as heels were becoming something incomprehensible for Wonder Woman, a gray jacket, a white shirt, and rectangular black-framed glasses, completing her look. I could have made a joke about Superman's disguise, but not in this situation. The sword and her previous outfit were hidden in her own space.

"Can all women comfortably wear something so... restrictive and uncomfortable?" Diana complained to me, and I just shrugged.

Apparently, during the fitting of the clothes, the employee had forgotten about the tension and the threat from my side. That's great for us. I even decided to thank her with a fairly generous tip for her efforts.

"Well, thank you. Please, don't spread the word about what happened here, okay?"

So, the operation to turn Wonder Woman into an ordinary woman succeeded. Well, partially. I mean, externally. We entered an inconspicuous café and ordered a table for two. She adjusted her glasses slightly and said with a smirk.

"I can't believe that worked."

"I hope you're not talking about the glasses, or it would sound awkward."

"I'm talking about the clothes. What did you think?"

"Oh, just... a friend of mine has a funny hobby: disguising himself with glasses. Somehow, no one recognizes the world-famous hero in him," we ordered dessert and coffee. "And now, with all the fuss behind us, why don't we move on to a 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. This way, even if we don't get a satisfactory answer, we'll still get to know each other better. I'll let you start, and I want to make it clear that using the Lasso of Truth is prohibited. The floor is yours."

"Where do you know... everything from?"

"Truth," Diana raised an eyebrow in surprise, apparently not expecting me to answer honestly. "I don't know everything, but I know what needs to be known. I can't know important details or specifics, but I see the overall picture almost completely."

"Y-y-you didn't really answer my question!"

"Didn't I?" I shrugged with a mischievous smile. "You asked the question in a way that allowed me to answer like this. And, please note, there is not a bit of falsehood in my words."

"Hmph..." Wonder Woman pursed her lips. "Okay, I'll keep that in mind."

"So, what should I ask..." I pondered, placing my hand on my chin and taking a sip of coffee. "How did you leave your island? Did you ever feel that you were doing something wrong by leaving your sisters? Did you consider the consequences?" I pointed to my temple. "I remembered a phrase that my, let's say, 'mentor' often used: 'Think or don't think ever, and life will become easier. True, in the latter case, you will be used as a doll to achieve their goals, but at least you will serve the greater common purpose!'"

"Honestly, I... never thought about it as something serious," she lowered her head and stared sadly at her coffee. The pause dragged on; it seemed Diana was reminiscing about the past. "Because... I believed I could return at any moment."

"Really? But isn't your island protected from the outside world so that no one can find it? How did you plan to return?"

"I... don't know."

Whew! I must have hit a sore spot there. Let's try to steer the situation back to normal.

"Although, if you think about it, if you weren't ready for such a test, I don't think your mother would have let you go so easily. After all, she loved you very much, right?"

"Yes, and she always will."

"That's good," I nodded slightly, seeing her mood returning and a faint smile appearing. "Maybe you'll find a way to her, but not right 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 reality, it was my own vision of the future, or rather, an ability created by the Eye of Chronos for just a couple of seconds, called 'Words of the Future.' When the words I speak come true at a specific moment.

Finally, it dawned on her.

"You asked more than one question."

"I'm not to blame that you wanted to answer them yourself. Our game rules don't mention such a situation. It's your turn."

"Where did you get this power?"

"I'm sorry, but I'll decline and offer my secret instead. My power is based on the desire of an ancient God. He watches over my actions and saved me once. More than once, actually. I think without him, I wouldn't be sitting here with you right now. Ah, I wouldn't mind meeting him and having a heart-to-heart conversation. Although, I think whether I want it or not, that day will come someday, and I'll be able to find answers to my questions. I just hope that finding answers to them won't lead to even more questions."

"You're blessed by a god too?! Hera... what an interesting world."

And you, I see, decided to share the secret of your power? Greek gods, right? Noted.

"What do you think about Superman and Batman? And the whole Justice League thing?"

"You're asking more than one question again."

"You can choose not to answer one 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 maintain a certain... distance. There was tension in him, as if he wanted to leave our team at any moment for something or someone..."

"Someone, right?" I interjected. "Yes, I noticed that too. Sorry for interrupting, please continue."

"And so I decided that it wasn't worth being interested in someone who wasn't interested in you. It would seem too pushy and childish. Batman doesn't interest me in any way. Yes, he's quite strong for a regular human, yes, he uses some tricky tactics or gadgets, but that's it."

"He's a warrior with his own code. He lives by it, he'll die by it. Unlike you, he can't distinguish who he really is anymore. A man or a hero in a bat costume. At least I respect him for his determination to follow his word to the end."

"I didn't expect such words about him from you."

"You just haven't seen him at work. To devote your whole life to fighting evil, getting nothing in return. Isn't that what they call a curse or, rather, a sacred duty? It's all about perspective. I see it as two sides of the same coin. On one side, you're 'good,' and on the other, you're bound by chains and have no right to act. That's how this world works."

"The Justice League is a good solution for hero control."

"Control, huh?" I clarified with a smirk.

"Some inexperienced ones might put themselves and others in danger," she continued, apparently referring to Green Lantern, who only survived the Darkseid incident thanks to the power of his ring. I wonder, could his ring have saved him from a direct hit by Omega Beams? Perhaps, but it's uncertain.

"Train them like real soldiers? I'm a little scared for the future of our world."

"Discipline and teamwork still don't turn heroes into soldiers."

"True, but those qualities are characteristic of soldiers."

"Now it's my turn. I've answered enough questions to ask some of my own."

"Alright, I'll try not to disappoint you."

"Why don't you open your eyes?! Are you blind?"

I froze for a moment, then replayed her question in my mind and chuckled lightly.

"Hey! That's actually quite unpleasant!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You're just the first person to ask me about it directly. No, I'm not blind. I see you and the world around me very well. It's just that it's a special design of my eyes that allows me to perform these tricks. I can open one eye, the other is reserved for very special and dear people," without opening my left eye, which was a yellow clockwork mechanism, I slightly opened my right eye, making sure she saw this rare sight, and then returned to my usual mask. "It was too easy a question, so it's my turn to ask one. Why this costume in particular?"

"It's comfortable and easy to use. I don't understand why all the locals call it vulgar."

"I should have guessed," I sighed, and she either pretended not to understand or genuinely didn't get why society criticized her appearance so openly. "I think we should ask each other a question we both want to know the answer to. What drives you, Diana? Justice? The thrill of fighting a worthy opponent, or protecting 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 innocents? Doesn't sound fair, do you think?"

"I know what you're talking about, and I'm ready to shed blood if necessary. I'm not naive or foolish. I've been taught to fight not only to defend myself but also to take a life if there's no other way."

"That's just wonderful! Just excellent! And between us, we have more in common than you might think. But unlike you, I wasn't taught to be good and righteous. My... previous owners tried to turn me into a obedient puppy, a toy, or a doll, but they failed, and I used the power they gave me against them. What motivates me and gives me strength to keep going? I don't want to answer that question right now."

"Why? Wouldn't it 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."

"A theory"?

"Yes, but for that, it wouldn't hurt to have a place to be alone. And no, you probably didn't think of that. I want... to get closer to you. Well, not like that, - I pretended to think for a couple of seconds, put my hand on my chin. - I want to be equal to you and show you something you might not have noticed before. Let's meet tomorrow on the southwest road at twelve o'clock at the one hundred and thirty-eighth kilometer, - I got up from my seat and, materializing my hat, put it on my head. The brim covered the top half of my face, and only my crooked smile remained in place. - And yes, it would be wonderful if there was no one else there besides you. Aren't you curious about what I've prepared for you?"

On the appointed day, I stood in the middle of the road with a light smile on my face and waited for her to arrive. Cars rarely passed through this kilometer of the road because the US government had built an additional road here. A newer and more convenient one. No, cars did pass through it from time to time, but you could count them on your fingers. Wonder Woman arrived on time. She levitated in the air in her standard superhero costume.

"What are you planning?" - short and straight to the point. She doesn't like that I'm playing with her, and she frowns, but at the same time, she can't get rid of the feeling of curiosity. An interest in me. It's... amusing.

"Diana... from now on, I'll have this conversation without formalities. I was as polite and courteous as possible to those who are older and more experienced than me, but now... - I materialized Talos' dagger out of thin air, as if from the mist. - We'll be equals," - I pointed the tip of the dagger at her.

"Do you want to fight? Is that why you called me here?"

"Almost. Battle is just an excuse to understand and realize yourself. I just want to reveal you from a different angle. That's it. And also, fighting without stakes is boring, so I want to make a little wager. The loser will have to fulfill the winner's wish."

"Aren't you too confident in yourself?" - With a superior smile, Diana instantly materializes her one-handed double-edged sword in her right hand, also directing it towards me. - "Battle is not a game, and I don't want you to get hurt. After all, you helped protect all the people in that global invasion."

My smile disappeared, and I was left with only empty indifference.

"It wasn't for them or for you, 'Heroes.' I did it because I wanted to test my abilities and lay the foundation for my future plan. Nothing more and nothing less."

"Your plan?"

"Enough words. To even the odds a bit, I'll empower myself a little. You don't mind, 'princess'?"

"Do as you wish."

With a slight upward gesture, I summoned Maria, and without any delay, she boosted my stats threefold for about five minutes. I think that should be enough time.

Without giving a command to start, I made my first move. A sudden approach, and the blade of my dagger clashed with her sword.

"Perhaps," - she deflected the blade with yellow sparks flying off to the side. - "You haven't noticed," - a series of strikes were parried by her sword with incredible speed. The naked human eye couldn't keep up with our movements, and only the sound of metal clashing and yellow sparks indicated that a battle was taking place between us. - "But you enjoy fighting," - she jumped up several meters and, finding support in the air, lunged at me with her whole body, crossing our weapons once again. For the first time, she responded and cut me in half with a single diagonal strike, but instead of flesh and debris, I simply dissolved into invisible mist and reappeared just behind her.

"You're losing control of yourself and you're eager to test your strength. To test the strength of your opponent. Whether it's Darkseid or me, you sometimes don't notice that silly smile on your face."

"What are you trying to say? That I'm addicted to battles?"

"Almost. You're just like me. You crave to discover what you and your opponents are capable of. After all, they are so interesting, mysterious, and unpredictable," - I insert my index finger into the ring of my ethereal dagger and spin it in front of me demonstratively. - "That's my answer. My motivation. My drive to keep going. I see you're still trying to hold back. Afraid of accidentally killing, underestimating your strength. You don't need to. You've seen what I'm capable of and what abilities I possess. Consider it a kind of dance. A magnificent dance of death. Try to go all out and don't think about the consequences of your actions. Just you, me, and this battle. Nothing else."

"Don't regret your words, kid," - a smirk, a barely noticeable movement, and another approach. Her sword comes down on me from above, and I manage to place my dagger, creating a small crater with a network of cracks under my feet.

"Monstrous strength," - I smirk to myself, and my own copy, created by the ability "Record," attacks from behind. Diana has to quickly change her priorities and make a sudden leap back. For a moment, I felt a phantom piercing pain in my throat. I checked my throat with the tip of my finger.

"Everything's fine. It's just an illusion," - I reassured myself and simply accepted the fact that this would happen quite often in the future, even considering that my aura had been destroyed. How did she manage to sense the approach of my double? Another feature of demigods? Doesn't matter.

"Just tricks. That's not something that can impress me, kid."

This nickname is starting to annoy me. At full speed, I create a tornado of dust and sand in the air. In the center of this tornado was Diana, and my clones attacked her one by one, but to no avail. Each strike perfectly and precisely destroyed them one after another. No flaws or mistakes. Undoubtedly, fighting even with the increased stats in close combat was initially a bad idea.

"But still! I will make you admit your defeat!"

"Maria, please, give me a little more strength!" - my body felt light and barely noticeable. It was as if I were the wind itself. Short clashes and weapon crossings 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 recognize it. As if she had never seen it before. In just a fraction of a second, I noticed how the silver bracelets on her wrists began to crack?! Looking at their detailed description, I learned one very small but crucial detail about Diana Prince. The silver bracelets she wears were created by Hephaestus after her divine powers awakened, and since there was too much of this power, they decided to seal it with these bracelets. So, attention, question! Will I have any chances of winning if I serve as a catalyst for their ultimate destruction through my actions? Absolutely none. And if I'm honest, I'm still concerned about the consequences of this future, so I decided to achieve my goal anyway.

Stopping Time

I know that she will never give up. She will never admit defeat. It was her special quality. "Fight to the end," her status message read. She'd rather die, defeating her enemy, so the only way to stop her was to deprive her of her powers, or in simpler terms, "knock her out." The task itself was difficult because she could endure the heaviest of injuries and keep going. If physical wounds meant nothing to her, what about mental ones? Robin's spiritual arrows managed to stop Darkseid for some time, and how was my dagger any worse? The key was not to overdo it.

Application: Object Cloning

I finally managed to understand the principle of cloning objects using the time of my dagger. To do this, I needed to know and understand the structure of a particular object down to the smallest detail. Otherwise, nothing would work. With a light pointing gesture, my ten daggers rushed towards her. They pierced her entire body.

Time returns to its usual flow

For just a moment, she, losing her breath, almost fell to her knees but managed to use her sword for support in time.

"I had to use my trump card against you. Please, I don't want to continue because this is just a spar. If you keep going, we might actually kill each other," I raised my hands in a conciliatory gesture.

"You're amusing... yes, I guess we'll end it here. You won, although I didn't quite understand how exactly. What do you want?"

"What do I want?" - with a light wave, I dissipated my daggers, and then with a short thoughtful command, instructed 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. So many possibilities! And you, princess, won't do anything that would compromise your honor and dignity, right? So, I will demand it only when I am sure of your loyalty to me."

"Planning ahead and waiting for the right moment? Cunning little fox."

"And now, instead of a kid, I've become a wild animal for you?! You have quite an amusing view of me."

"What kind of...?" She put her sword away in her space and put her hands on her belt, 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 for. This will be my own vision of Justice. Perhaps I can find those who will like this perspective, but there will also be those who will definitely not. In any case, I'll try."

"Will the heroes like it?" - she hints 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. A game without risks is not a game at all. Fail, and I'll join the common lot of villains and lunatics. Succeed, and I'll become unique and unrivaled!"

"It seems you're not lacking in pride."

"Well, I'm proud that I was able to make you admit defeat at least."

"Just don't remind me of that at every convenient opportunity."

"Sorry, princess, but as sad as it may sound, I'll have to leave you and your world-famous club for a while. I have work that can't be delayed. Maybe next time, we'll really be enemies and will fight to the death. So let me say something important before I go," I knelt down and kissed her hand like a

"knight in shining armor." Blushing cheeks and a gentle look. I disappear into invisibility.

"Until we meet again, Diana. May your gods watch over you."

"And may your god watch over you, Alex," she quietly spoke into the void and, clenching her hands into fists, flew off in her direction.

I had mixed feelings for this woman. Mostly positive. As I said earlier, she resembles me and at the same time tries to adhere to the code of the hero, because she does not want to look like a monster in the eyes of ordinary people. Unfortunately, when executing my plan, I cannot initially appropriate it to myself and try my luck with such... an interesting person. If it was all about her appearance, then I wouldn't attach such special importance to her. I was attracted by our similarity, bordering on madness. After all, what normal person would crave a battle with a stronger and more dangerous enemy? That's right, no one. Only those who have the power in their hands will follow such a wish. She impresses me, and at the same time I don't want to touch her yet for the reason that I still have a bad idea how with her strength and strength I can ... well, let's say... have regular sex? In some comics where she was in a relationship with Superman, there was even a mention that their "hot games" could cause as small earthquakes, and completely destroy this very "Earth"! I do not believe that being in a close relationship, a man and a woman are able to live without sex. This act cannot simply be ignored and pretended not to exist. Otherwise, this very fire of passion and love will quickly go out, and only boredom and indifference will come in its place.

Okay, let's forget about Wonder Woman at last and get down to my plan.

My choice fell on Jump City, a small town that had managed to expand its boundaries and achieve decent results in its prosperity and growth over a short period of time. Why this city? The reason was that there had been no significant crime, heroes, or villains there so far. At least, the statistics indicated a low crime rate due to its... "normalcy." Soon, that would change. Not because of me, of course, but it was a fact that for some reason, almost all populated areas in the United States always came under the control of various villains and heroes. The country was their playground. That's why Jump City would soon be attacked by abnormal villains, and new heroes would come to their aid. The second reason was that this city would be the future base for the so-called "Teen Titans." As the most respected and recognizable figure in the city, I couldn't allow such celebrities to be ignored by me. However, they, in turn, wouldn't be able to ignore me for quite understandable reasons. So, I would like to offer them a profitable alternative.

Work for me or just lose your jobs. With the help of my "Legion," I could give people what they wanted: protection and hope for a better and brighter future. Even if it was a rather bleak future for the bad guys. It sounded promising and risky, but that was the genius of my plan. I would become a killer and a monster in the eyes of ordinary people, but who could be considered normal in this world where everyone wore silly costumes and gave themselves equally silly names? I would provide some of my enemies with a chance at a new life, but only based on two factors: if I were in plain view of everyone and if I gave people who were watching a choice. And only if this someone piqued my interest.

"Let the game begin, esteemed heroes and villains..."