Chapter 111: That's Too Fast, Isn't It?
Four in the afternoon, at a certain mythology museum.
"What we're looking at now is pottery crafted by the ancient Greeks."
The docent stood beside a group of people, pointing at a small earthenware pot in a glass case. The small pot, about a foot high, was cylindrical and made of fine clay, its surface covered with a layer of pale yellow glaze.
Even more eye-catching was the unsettling character in the center of the pot. It was a female figure with inhuman features, high cheekbones, and a slightly raised bridge of the nose. Her long hair was entwined with snakes, and their eyes stared straight ahead, as if they could pierce through the fabric of time and space.
"This is Medusa, the terrifying snake-headed gorgon from Greek mythology. Anyone who looks directly into her eyes will be turned into a stone statue. But legend says it wasn't always this way. Medusa was once a maiden of devastating beauty, but she was extremely arrogant, boasting that her beauty surpassed that of the goddess Athena."
"But when word reached Athena's ears, the enraged goddess placed a curse on her, stripping away her beauty and transforming her into a hideous, snake-headed monster."
"Uh, excuse me, sorry to interrupt."
A voice came from the crowd. Everyone turned to look and saw that the speaker was a particularly striking woman among the tourists. She had a tall figure, with long hair like a waterfall in the night, and the contours of her exquisite face were soft and elegant.
She was the rare kind of woman who, no matter when or where she stood, would automatically become the center of attention for all the men present.
"Actually, I wasn't going to say anything," the woman said, stepping out from the crowd with a smile, "but what you just described is really just one version of the myth. The Amazons believe those are dramatic embellishments of Medusa's story. In the earliest accounts, Medusa was born a gorgon."
"She is extremely dangerous, an opponent even the gods feared. So if you ever encounter her, please, show her no compassion."
"Oh, right. And another thing about your description of Hades. You seem to think he's some kind of demon who rules hell, but that's not accurate. Hades's domain is, in fact, the underworld."
"The underworld is where the soul of every deceased person goes, not a place of punishment for sinners. Heroes and mortals alike go to the underworld after death..."
As she spoke, the woman seemed to recall something she had missed. "Oh, I'm not saying this to speak well of Hades. He's a god, not a demon, but he's hardly a good one."
"In fact, he once tried to force me to marry him, but thankfully I escaped. Oh, and he's also my uncle. It's pretty crazy, but they're gods, you know, they're all like that."
Everyone listened to her, stunned, their minds seemingly struggling to process the information they were receiving.
The docent stared blankly for a good while before asking, "Miss, may I ask who you are?"
"Diana Prince. Just call me Diana."
Diana offered a gentle smile.
Yet, while the same expression on Superman's face would seem sunny and infectious, on her, it carried the approachable air of a queen.
The conversation might have continued, had a sudden commotion outside not drawn everyone's attention.
Diana followed the crowd onto the sidewalk outside the museum, where many pedestrians had already gathered on the street. People were pointing and murmuring, some holding up their cell phones to take photos and videos of the sky.
Diana followed their gaze and saw that, at some unknown point, darkness had silently shrouded the sky. The sun was blotted out, as if being slowly devoured by some unknown creature.
Finally, the sunlight was completely swallowed, leaving a dark sun hanging in the deep sky. The remaining corona of light formed a brilliant halo, like a giant diamond suspended at the edge of the sky.
"A solar eclipse!"
"But there wasn't any announcement?"
"..."
Diana's expression turned grave, as if she had a premonition that something was about to happen.
Sure enough, just a dozen or so seconds later, screams shattered the peace of the street.
The crowd further down the street to the northwest suddenly started to flee, their panicked screams filling the air. Diana swiftly pushed against the current of people and immediately saw the source of the disturbance.
A troop of horrifying skeletons. They wore silver chainmail and helmets adorned with soaring wings. Their armor was inlaid with masterful copper spaulders. In their right hands, they wielded blades of fine steel, their edges etched with the passage of time. In their left hands, they held rock-solid shields covered in thick copper plating.
"Hera."
Diana frowned slightly. In a spin so fast it was nearly invisible to the naked eye, her civilian clothes flew off. When she came to a stop, she was already clad in her light Amazonian armor and combat boots, complete with silver gauntlets and her golden tiara.
Wonder Woman.
With a *shing*, she drew her sword. Just as she was about to charge, a roaring sound made her look to the side. A figure in red and silver armor was slowly landing.
"Diana Prince?"
Orin Vale, who had descended after tracking the anomalous magical energy signature, was also a little surprised to see her.
"You know me?" Diana was startled.
"I've met your mother; she mentioned you to me. But let's take care of this mess first and talk later."
Though puzzled, Diana knew it wasn't the time for talk with enemies present. She nodded and readied her sword.
The skeleton soldiers on the street were multiplying, swarming in from four directions. Diana focused on the ones ahead. With a powerful kick of her combat boots and a great shout, she launched herself forward like an arrow from a bow, instantly diving into the horde of monsters.
Wonder Woman was essentially a perfectly balanced warrior; she had no real weaknesses. She possessed super speed as well. Although in The League, which was teeming with god-like beings, she couldn't match Superman or, especially, The Flash, being faster than a bullet was still effortless for her.
Her sword a blur too fast to see, trailing a silvery stream of light, she cut through the skeleton horde. In just over ten seconds, Diana wove in and out of the enemy ranks multiple times. As she slid to a stop, the skeletons behind her clattered to the ground in heaps.
One wave taken care of, three more to go.
Diana halted and turned, ready to charge again, but froze in astonishment.
A single glance revealed that all the skeleton soldiers from the other three directions had been completely dismantled, their parts scattered across the ground. The red and silver metal figure was just standing there with his arms crossed, watching.
From his posture, it looked as if he had been waiting for her for some time.
Diana was a little surprised.
Blessed with innate divine power, she had rarely encountered anyone who could match her speed.
How could he be that fast?
While she was still astonished, another loud crash echoed from behind. Diana whipped her head around to see the museum's wall being smashed open by a monstrous force. A stone statue of a warrior in armor, which should have been an exhibit, had come to life. Its towering helmet was adorned with intricate reliefs, making it look like a glaring beast. Wielding a greatsword, it roared and charged toward Diana!
Diana was startled but felt no fear; on the contrary, her fighting spirit surged. She spun around, sword at the ready, her eyes sharp. She prepared to meet the giant, magic-surging stone statue in a head-on charge.
However, before she could even take a step, a stream of azure light shot over her head. It blasted straight through the statue's chest, and for a moment, pale blue electric serpents writhed within the massive hole. A few seconds later, the giant statue exploded violently, sending countless fragments scattering through the air.
Still poised to charge, sword raised, Diana froze in place once more.
She slowly turned her head to look at the red and silver figure behind her, from whose hands specks of blue light and lingering electrical currents were now dissipating.
Her peculiar look seemed to say, "That was a bit too fast, wasn't it?"
(end of chapter)