Ray felt like he was trapped in a never-ending nightmare. He couldn’t stand another minute of this. “All right,” he told Solomon bitterly. “You win. Let’s go.” Why drag this torture out a second longer? He could only pray that he hadn’t just condemned another Jean to madness, that she would somehow recover from this ordeal in time. “Take me back to Earth-One.”
“About time,” Jason muttered. He retrieved his knife from the floor. “The sooner 1 get back to Gotham—my Gotham—the better.”
“You are mistaken,” Solomon informed them. He pressed a stud upon his gauntlet and a shimmering golden sphere surrounded Ray, Donna, Jason, and himself. “We are returning to our own universe, but not to Earth. Ray Palmer’s destiny awaits elsewhere.”
“What?” Donna blurted. Fists raised, she eyed the Monitor warily. “Where are we going now?”
A cryptic smile appeared on Solomon’s face as he revealed their true destination.
“Apokolips.”
12 AND C0DNTIN6.
'•HUII3E iSLJMB.
The banquet hall in Athena’s palace was the site of a lavish feast. Long wooden tables were piled high with savory sturgeon, bread, cheese, figs, pomegranates, and honeyed wine. After subsisting on little more than gruel for weeks, the Amazonian initiates eagerly dug into the generous spread. Silver goblets and cutlery clinked as the fit young women chattered brightly amongst themselves, often with their mouths full. An elevated dais, garlanded with fresh flowers, looked down upon the festivities. Moonlight poured into the chamber from a marble archway behind the raised platform. Flutes and lyres contributed to the merriment. A roaring fire kept the winter chill outside. Drooling warhounds prowled the floor, searching for scraps, or else gnawed on bones before the hearth. The delicious aroma of the feast wafted through the air.
Not that Mary was in any position to enjoy the repast. Disguised as a lowly scullery maid, wearing nothing but a coarse burlap smock, she shuffled from table to table, refilling the other women’s goblets from a heavy clay amphora. Her mouth watered, and her stomach grumbled, at
EsamifisfP 111
the sight and smell of the tempting delicacies. Still, at least nobody seemed to be paying any attention to her....
“Watch what you’re doing, Cinderella!” Harley Quinn exclaimed as Mary slopped some wine over the edge of Harley’s goblet. The blonde was seated next to Holly Robinson at one of the benches facing the tables. Harley grabbed on to Mary’s hair and yanked her head down onto the table. “Relax,” Harley whispered under her breath. “I’m just reinforcing your cover, pretending to punish the clumsy slave girl.”
Mary’s cheek was flat against the grainy tabletop. “Hating you right now,” she whispered back. She held on tightly to both the amphora and her temper. Her jaws clenched as she forced herself to count to ten. Mission or no mission, Harley’s lucky I don’t have my powers anymore.
' * “Bad slave!” Harley scolded, to the amusement of the other girls at the table. She let go of Mary’s hair and roughly shoved her away from the table. “No more spilling the wine or I’ll bop you on the nose with a rolled-up newspaper!”
The derisive laughter of the Amazon wannabes scalded Mary’s ears as she stumbled over to the next table, laboring beneath the weight of the wine-filled vessel. That infiltrating the palace as an anonymous servant had all been part of Queen Hippolyta’s plan did little to ease her humiliation. Talk about pride coming before the fall, she thought. Getting made fun of by the Joker’s psycho ex was proof positive of just how far she’d sunk since accepting Black Adam’s toxic gift. Although I suppose it’s nothing more than I deserve. ...
She still wasn’t sure how much of her recent misbehavior could be attributed to Eclipso’s influence, Black Adam’s darkness, or her own human failings. Probably some combination thereof, she guessed, but that doesn’t really let me off the hook. I’m still accountable for my own actions... and for letting other people lead me astray.
The jeers and laughter died away, and an expectant hush fell over the banquet hall, as Athena herself, in full regalia, entered through the archway. The false goddess strode to the front of the dais. Her voice rang out over the assembly.
“After weeks of training, I know in my heart that the proud women in this room would rather drown in their own blood than yield an inch to their oppressors. Time and time again, each of you has proven her valor to me and to each other. Athena salutes you and embraces you all as sisters. Here you have been schooled in the noble art of combat. Here you have been given the skills to survive. And one day soon you will pick up your swords and thrust them into the hearts of our enemies.” Her voice soared as she held out her arms in benediction. “You fight like warriors. You bear the scars of warriors. You eye the world around you as you would an adversary. Soon you shall be ... Female Furies!”
Cheers erupted from the feasting women. They raised their goblets to toast the glorious future Athena had just laid out before them. But something about Athena’s stirring oration didn’t sit right with Mary.
Female Furies? Mary felt certain that she had heard that term before, but she couldn’t immediately remember where. Times like this she wished she could still rely on the wisdom of the gods, as opposed to her own fallible mortal memory. Not that that vaunted wisdom stopped me from losing my way in the end. . .
Athena snapped her fingers, summoning four young women via the archway behind her. Each of the quartet sported handcrafted armor of unique design. A crested helmet concealed the features of one initiate, whose six-foot frame was encased in lacquered black plate metal. Fearsome tattoos marked the face of a dark-skinned woman whose satiny, two-piece outfit had an exotic South Asian look; jewel-studded blades jutted from her knees, elbows, and collar. A miniature skull, chiseled from a glittering emerald, was lodged in her navel. Bladed Indian weapons known as katars rested upon her hips. Beside her stood a pale, deceptively slight-looking woman boasting a shaved skull and skintight blue leather. Artificial wings, and silver chain mail, gave the fourth and final woman the intimidating aspect of an avenging angel or Thanagarian. The women spread out behind Athena, standing stiffly at attention. Their faces bore looks of grim determination and/or unquestioning obedience.
Mary heard Holly gasp in surprise. “Tricia?” the Gotham girl murmured. Holly stared wide-eyed at the black girl on Athena’s right, the one with all the lethal ornamentation. Guess there’s some history there.
“Today,” Athena proclaimed, “these four of your sisters will show you the path ... as our first full Amazonian Furies!”
Mary wondered why Holly and Harley hadn’t rated 'such status yet. Could it be that Athena still had doubts regarding their loyalty? That doesn’t bode well....
The other initiates greeted their comrades’ elevation with enthusiasm. “FURIES!” they chanted, pounding their goblets upon the tabletop. Holly and Harley joined in the raucous chorus, the better to blend in with the rest. If anything, Harley whooped it up more than anybody else. She bounced up and down upon her bench. “FURIES! FURIES!”
Athena silenced the cheers with a gesture. “Heed my words, my sisters. The days ahead will sorely test our resolve. Brutish warriors from Man’s World will attempt to crush our spirit. Every nation will be arrayed against us. But take heart! They cannot conquer women such as we. Our strength and fury will drive them into the ground until rivers of blood flow—”
“That’s enough!” Mary hurled the amphora to the floor, where it shattered loudly upon the marble tiles. She just couldn’t take any more of this, watching all these gullible young women fall for Athena’s lies. “Are you people crazy? She’s trying to seduce you with flowery rhetoric about the glories of war and vengeance. I’ve heard this kind of talk from Eclipso—and this so-called goddess is manipulating you the same way!”
One table over, Holly buried her face in her hands. “Oh no, she is not doing this... !”
“She isn’t?” Harley gulped down the last of her wine. “Sure sounds like it to me!”
>
Athena was unfazed by Mary’s accusations. “Oh dear, it seems we have a disgruntled servant among our ranks.” She turned to the newly anointed acolytes behind her. “Furies, kill her!”
“With pleasure!” The one named Tricia launched herself from the dais. She plucked her katars from her hips. Defenseless, Mary braced herself for the Fury’s attack. Her back was up against a colossal stone caryatid. She realized she didn’t stand a chance.
' * I don’t regret a word, though.
“You’re not killing anyone, Trish!” Holly sprang from her seat, intercepting Tricia in midleap. Her fist collided with the other woman’s jaw.
Harley executed a backward flip off her bench, landing directly in front of Mary. “Keep behind me, big mouth!” The tall Fury in the ebony armor charged at Harley and Mary. “We have traitors among us!” she snarled. “Kill all three of them!”
“Wait!” Mary pleaded, even as Harley defended her from the armored stranger. The blonde parried the Fury’s blows with her Amazon bracelets. Mary shouted over the din of battle, “This is stupid! Athena is just using you!” Landing atop one of the banquet tables, Tricia recovered from Holly’s punch. She glared murderously at the impertinent redhead as she massaged her bruised jaw. “You dare attack me! One of Athena's Elect?” She slashed at Holly with her katars. The blades sliced the air as Holly dodged the strikes as nimbly as a cat. Cups and plates clattered to the floor as the two women dueled upon the cluttered tabletop. Food and drink spilled over into the other Amazons’ laps. Tricia’s tattooed face turned a livid
BDilTliSi 2BS
shade of purple. “I’ll gut you and feed the pieces to my dogs!”
Less than ten paces away, Harley flipped the black knight directly into the path of the pale, bald-headed Fury, who found herself knocked off her feet by her own comrade. Confusion reigned as the tangled Furies bowled over several of the jostling spectators as well, Harley laughed uproariously at the slapstick spectacle, and Mary had to admit that the irritating flake knew how to fight. “Come on, ladies!” Harley called out to the scattered initiates, who seemed tom between fleeing the violence and competing with each other for the best view. They crowded around the combatants, adding to the chaos. Harley wagged a finger at her audience. “What happened to the whole ‘Sisterhood of Paradise Island’ vibe we had going here?” “
> The same thing that happened with my best friend and soul mate, Eclipso, Mary thought bitterly. It was all just a scam to take advantage of vulnerable young women. . . and turn them into killers.
“Is that the best you’ve got, Tricia?” Holly ducked beneath the Fury’s katars and delivered a solid uppercut to her chin. Tricia toppled backward onto the tabletop, landing flat on her back amidst squashed cheese and figs. “Don’t you get special training points for brownnosing Athena?” ~ ‘ "
The winged Fury flapped angrily above them, looking for an opening. Holly grabbed a silver platter from the table and hurled it like a discus at the second-rate Hawk-girl impersonator. The spinning tray clipped the soaring Fury in the skull, throwing her off course, and she crashed headfirst into a nearby column. “Thank you for flying Air Paradise!” Holly quipped. “Happy landings!”
Up on the dais, the goddess finally lost her composure. “Why is this taking so long?” she screeched. “Kill them, my Furies! Kill them now!”
A new voice interrupted Athena’s tirade. “If anyone dies today, pretender, it shall be you!”
Hippolyta marched through the archway onto the platform. An unsheathed sword occupied her right hand. A gleaming shield, embossed with the emblem of a magnificent eagle, rested upon her strong left arm. Her purple cape rustled behind her.
“You!” Athena blurted. Her startled face betrayed her shock. “You can’t be here!”
“I’ve been away too long!” Hippolyta advanced on Athena. Her sword flashed in the moonlight. “This island is not your personal training ground! The gods bestowed it upon us as a place of peace and harmony!”
“Awesome! It’s the queen!” Harley pumped her fist in the air. “Kick her phony-baloney ass, your majesty!” Hippolyta swung her sword at Athena, forcing the false goddess to retreat to the very edge of the dais. “Peace and harmony are for weaklings!” Athena sneered. Bright orange bolts of energy blasted from her fingertips. “You should have stayed away, Hippolyta! You no longer rule here!”
“That’s where you’re mistaken.” Hippolyta jumped above the destructive blasts, which reduced a portion of the dais to splinters instead. Smoke rose from the charred timbers. “Show them who you really are! Reveal the true face of the deceiver!”
Her blade slashed past Athena’s defenses. The sword’s point sliced across the goddess’s porcelain features, drawing a crimson line upon her cheek. Athena squealed in pain. “My face!” she cried out—as a carefully crafted illusion shattered.
Athena’s regal fa£ade blurred and wavered, like an out-of-focus television signal, before blinking out entirely. The elegant, silk-draped goddess vanished, replaced by a stocky figure very different in appearance. Where Athena had been, there now stood a craggy-faced harridan whose matronly frame was corseted into studded leather armor. A mane of thick white hair framed her scowling face. Cruelty and contempt were etched upon her deeply furrowed countenance. Icy blue eyes peered out from beneath bristling black eyebrows. Scaly green chain mail protected her stout legs. A dark red cloak with a raised collar was clasped to her shoulders. Glowing energy-gauntlets hummed upon her wrists. Mary recognized the hideous crone at once.
Holy Moley! It’s Granny Goodness!
The name, bestowed upon the evil New God by Darkseid himself, was one of the Dark Lord’s crueler jests. Granny Goodness was infamous for the hellish orphanages she administered upon Apokolips, whose sole purpose was to mold the lost children of Armagetto into bloodthirsty minions of Darkseid. Mary’s heart sank as she suddenly remembered why the term “Female Furies” had sounded so familiar. The Female Furies of Apokolips were Granny’s prize students, the cream of her sadistic crop. Now, it seemed, she’d expanded her vile franchise to Paradise Island.
Did Eclipso know about this? Mary worried, disturbed to discover that she had not yet escaped Darkseid’s malign ambitions. Were she and Granny working together, or were they competing for the Dark Lord’s approval?
“Evil child!” Granny croaked hoarsely. Reddened fingers came away from her injured cheek. “You actually hurt your Granny!”
“You’re no kin of mine!” Hippolyta shot back. “And that wound is but a precursor to the punishment that awaits you!” Her shield deflected another blast from Granny’s gauntlets. “Alone against you, I knew I might not prevail, but with good, strong women at my side, you falter like the coward you are!”
“No! Damn you!” Immortal blood dripped down Granny’s face as she hastily depressed a button upon her gauntlet. A. thunderclap shook the palace as a swirling vortex opened up in the air above the dais. Fearing Hippolyta’s wrath, Granny darted into the vortex with surprising speed. She disappeared into the shimmering Boom Tube.
“Witness!” Hippolyta commanded all present. She raised her sword in victory. “Defeated, she flees with her tail between her legs!”
Mary breathed a sigh of relief. Had the evil infesting Themyscira been routed so easily? Abandoned by their goddess, and stunned by the revelation of her true appearance, the Female Furies looked floored by Granny’s retreat. Their arms drooped slackly at their sides. Tricia’s katars slipped from her fingers as she stared numbly at the vortex that had swallowed her divine leader. Like the other Furies, she didn’t seem to have any more fight in her.
It’s over, Mary thought.
Or maybe not.
“Hey!” Harley protested. Bounding onto a table, she ran the length of the table toward the lingering Boom Tube. “That ugly broad scammed us all! We can’t let her get
away!”
' > She dived into the vortex after Granny.
Maty and Holly exchanged disbelieving looks.
“She didn’t...” Holly muttered.
“Yeah, she did.” Mary took a deep breath as the Boom Tube began to fade from sight. Within moments, the portal would be gone for good, along with Harley Quinn. Mary glanced at Holly. “You wanna ... ?”
Holly ran toward the Boom Tube even as she shook her head in dismay. “I swear I’m going to kill her one of these days!”
“Not if I get her first!” Mary insisted. She sprinted after Holly, quickly catching up with her. Side by side, they raced for the portal, which was closing up right before their eyes. Infuriating or not, Mary thought, Harley did save my life just now.
Holly seemed startled to find Mary accompanying her. She looked dubiously at the unarmed girl. “Are you kidding, Mary? What are you going to do?”
The Boom Tube loomed before them, filling up Mary’s vision. She glimpsed a shimmering corridor, lined with bizarre, unearthly circuitry. Coruscating energies hummed and crackled. Her skin tingled. The scent of ozone invaded her nostrils. Nightmarish memories of Apokolips sent a chill down her spine.
“I’ll figure it out later,” she said.
They threw themselves into the unknown.
The vortex closed behind them with a resounding boom.
11 AND CODNTING.
. APOKOLIPS.
Despair burned freely from the planet’s core, fouling the atmosphere. The entire world moaned, a sound that chilled the soul with its dull emptiness and infernal malevolence. Walls a thousand feet high enclosed a sprawling megalopolis that burst upward like a pestilent boil as charnel winds extinguished the pallid stars from view. On the horizon, towering techno-temples rested on the halfcalcified bones of a billion failed genetic experiments, thrusting upward into the smoky black sky, while across this revolting graveyard of the universe, the muffled, maddening, and monotonous whine of blasphemous wails rose from inconceivable subterranean torture chambers. Gigantic Fire Pits belched enormous gouts of flame.
Donna gazed out over the hellish cityscape. The hot air scorched her lungs. “On my list of the worst possible places to be, this is number one.”
Countdown Page 25