Chapter 33: Emancipation 4

Since you've gone, I've been lost without a trace
I dream at night, I can only see your face
I look around, but it's you I can't replace
I feel so cold, and I long for your embrace

********

"Pain! Suffering! Agonneeeeeee!"

Robin didn't know if she should be amused or worried.

She did not expect this when coming to the kitchen for a fresh coffee and a late afternoon snack.

"Ugh!"

Artoria was sitting at the counter, idly toying with her food.

The King of Knights not eating was a sure sign of the apocalypse, if there ever was one, so Robin did feel that concern was warranted. The dopey smile on her face, her eyes focusing on the unseen distance, and the full-body blush told Robin that the blonde was probably reminiscing about last night, so she settled on amusement.

Medea sitting beside her friend, drinking her tea with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, told the former Strawhat Pirate that this part of the tableau was not of genuine concern.

More concerning was Mikael, sprawled out on the floor, staring vacantly up at the ceiling and making groaning noises.

Once Robin carefully stepped over the man, making sure not to step on the phone beside him, the brunette reached the pot and poured herself some more black gold.

Thus armed, she felt comfortable asking the pertinent questions.

"So," she took a sip. "How was your night?"

"Wonderful," Artoria sighed airily. "The spoils of victory were truly worth the campaign."

Medea and Robin shared smiles as the blonde's blush deepened.

"Mikael?" Robin asked, still amused. He would be one of the first to respond if there was a severe issue, so the brunette wasn't worried.

Just curious.

"There is no Mikael," the man said in a monotone. "There is only the floor. I am Floor, Floor art I. We have become one."

The effect of his dramatic words was ruined when Medea, the cat, came trotting in. Deciding his prone form was the perfect place to sit, she placed herself on his chest like a loaf of bread. Mikael lifted his head slightly to give his pet a deadpan look, though the feline was already asleep.

"He was having breakfast," Medea explained at Robin's questioning look. "He was on that phone, checking the news, when he collapsed onto the ground and started making noises of despair."

"Ah, understood," Robin nodded simply.

They had been around the man long enough to know that he became way less dramatic when the chips were down, and things got serious. Something had happened, but it wasn't a serious concern.

In other words, Mikael was just being a ham.

"I have realized the folly of my action," he continued in his monotone. "All effort and care, preparation and concern were a mistake. But now my eyes have been opened. The truth is revealed. I know what I must do."

"And what is that?" Robin asked, playing along. While the man had drawn them all to laughter at one point or another, Robin's sense of humour was most closely aligned with his. She wanted to know where he was going with this act.

"I must assume my final form," he said.

"How frightening."

"Indeed," he nodded imperiously. Which was impressive since he was still on the floor with a cat on his chest. "I wish it hadn't come to this, but I must discard my human body the day I received it. To become the ultimate being. One whose mere existence precludes me from needing to worry about anything. I shall become... a Potato!"

There was a pause, the women in the room wondering what sort of new bullshit this was.

"A... potato?" Medea asked dubiously.

"The perfect being!" Mikael exclaimed passionately, still sprawled out on the kitchen floor. "A potato need not care for the opinions of others. A potato need not hide what it is. A potato needs only to sit in one place, embrace mother earth, and live out its existence peacefully. Though my shapeshifting remains limited, I shall still aspire to achieve that bliss. From now on, you may find me embracing the Potato Way."

"And the Potato Way involves laying on the kitchen floor?"

"No," Mikael shook his head, his hair sprawling below him. "I achieved knowledge on the Potato Way after becoming one with the floor. To fully embrace it, I need to be on cushions, with video games in hand, a mini fridge filled with junk within reach, and a deep feeling of self-disgust. Only then can I call myself a Couch Potato!"

Robin giggled, Medea groaned, and Artoria went back to her fantasies.

"My reason for being on the ground like this is different," Mikael continued. "You see, I discovered some shocking news. So surprising was it, you could say it floored me!"

Medea's groan got louder.

"Did you do all this," Robin gestured to his sprawled form even as she continued giggling. "Just so you could make puns?"

"Of course," the man finally sat up, carefully cradling the cat who gave him the stink eye for daring to move and picking up his fallen phone. "What better way to distract yourself than to engage in the lowest form of humour? It is the only thing to do on the Potato Way when your spirit is in taters."

"Enough!" Medea said as Robin devolved into chuckles. "No more puns. What was so surprising?"

"Spoilsport," Mikael pouted. Nevertheless, he fiddled with his phone a bit before sliding it along the counter for the greek to look at. Robin opened an eye on the witch's shoulder so she could see. Even Artoria broke herself out of her daze to read.

"'Glory Girl Back From The Dead!'" Medea read off the titles of the various news articles. "'League of Lies; The Red Queen Lives!' 'Who is Mikael?!' They have pictures of all of us!"

"Not all of us," Mikael clarified, face set. "Everyone from the park, as well as Glynda and you, though the media think you are called Raven. Those that talked to Strange will know differently. They also have a picture of Ranni from when she was fighting the League. They have no knowledge of Emma, Diana, or Melina."

"There was no one with us," Robin insisted. "I had eyes and ears all over the district, and Emma, Raven, or Yoruichi would have sensed any I missed."

"And our Defences protect us from remote viewing," Medea pointed out, deep in thought. "Magic, divination, any sort of ESP are all covered by the Defences."

"I think that is where we went wrong," Mikael sighed, retaking his seat at the counter and taking up his cup of tea. "We were so focused on ensuring Victoria's return wasn't traced to us, guaranteeing no higher power was watching, and ensuring that they couldn't tell others that we overlooked something fundamental. Hidden cameras. Something so mundane that it is explicitly stated to not be covered by the Defences."

"None of us are very technologically focused," Robin nodded. One of the perks Mikael had purchased, Grail Knowledge, allowed them all to know how modern appliances work, but it did not change the fact it wasn't any of their specialty.

"I just criticized Xavier about this, too," Mikael groaned. "'When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.' Or, in this case, 'When you have magic, every solution is a spell.' The oldest failure of wizards ever."

"So," Artoria finally spoke up, her blush receding slightly. "Has this changed our plans? We had always planned on moving more openly once you had a body."

"I'll go over any info I can find with a fine toothcomb, but I don't think it does," Mikael said.

"We knew Glory Girl would never be kept a secret for long," Medea nodded. "Our involvement in the situation being discovered is sub-optimal but not catastrophic. If anything, we can spin this as a net positive."

"While people bugging us for resurrections will be annoying, it will be only that," Mikael nodded in agreement. "I do not intend to bring anyone back again, seeing as everyone I do is bound to me, but very few people are likely to mess with me when they know they can't escape even in death. I am more concerned about what else they managed to ferret out. We are all smarter than the average bear, but this world has some capital G Geniuses. People who pull Deus Ex Machina solutions out of their asses whenever a writer wants them to. They make inventions in a day that don't follow logic, science, or even common sense. Our lack of ability with tech puts us at a huge disadvantage."

"Should we consider changing Worlds?" Artoria asked neutrally, her tone not betraying which way she leaned on the subject.

"I do not think we need to go that far," Medea shook her head. "We have only been here for a month. Though things have yet to go exactly how we wish, they are not terrible either. We have yet to antagonize anyone. They are wary, yes, but they are not enemies. Even if they were, our forces are considerable."

"I still need to talk to Death," Mikael pointed out. "Even if that happened today, I would still be against leaving so soon. Not only would that feel too much like running away, but it would set a bad precedent. We must consider this world as one of millions to come. I would hate to start a trend of fleeing the second things got a little inconvenient. Besides, I just got my body."

"I have never remained in one place for long," Robin said, thinking of her childhood and her time with her crew. "There is a big difference between being chased out and leaving when the time is right. Not only does one feel horrible, but the other allows for the possibility of returning. To see old friends, visit familiar places, and feel welcome rather than vilified."

A hand on her arm startled the former Strawhat from her thoughts. Looking down, she found her cup in a white knuckle grip. Looking from the crackling porcelain up the arm resting on her own, Robin saw Mikael smiling softly.

Robin hurriedly raised her cup to her mouth and looked away. Even after her time with the Strawhats and the year on the Island, the tall woman was unused to such concern.

The way he smiled. A sad, gentle smile as if he knew her thoughts and feelings. More than any other, he understood how it felt to move from place to place, never truly being welcomed.

The way his eyes, slit and draconic yellow, narrowed in concern. Asking her if she was going to be okay.

It made her heart beat irregularly, and Robin felt surprisingly bashful.

"We will need to let the others know," Arotria said, finally digging into her plate of food with gusto. "We shall start moving more openly. No need to announce our presence but most of what we wished to hide has already been discovered. We should let the others know."

"I'll talk to them," Mikael said, turning from Robin. She was a little disappointed. "I need to touch base with everyone anyway. By the by, how did Emma handle last night? I haven't seen her today."

"Not well," Medea said with a smile. "When Charles Xavier explained how he got one over on her, she looked furious. The worst part was that she was much more powerful than him but didn't catch his trick. I saw her earlier. She looked less mad but definitely more determined. She went to work like a woman on a mission."

"I'll give her a day or two to calm down before I bring it up," Mikael sighed. "Emma isn't my biggest fan at the moment. She doesn't like how passive I'm being. How about the others?"

"Tsunade and Yoruichi headed to Japan. It's night there, and they were going bar hopping. I also heard something about an Onsen." Medea listed off her fingers. "I have yet to see Ranni or Melina. They continue to do their own thing, and I am getting worried. Emma took Glynda with her today. Scathach is somewhere in Russia. I believe she is hoping for a fight with their 'Winter Guard.' Not having to be discreet anymore will make her happy. Priscilla is still working on her project."

"What project?" Mikael asked, looking confused. He looked unbothered by the idea of Scathach causing a ruckus. So long as nobody died, they could spin it as 'teacher of heroes testing the new generation' or something.

"I do not know the exact details, only that the idea came from Victoria. You and Pricilla were the only two who could interact with her. When I asked, all she told me was that she was trying to become a 'modern bard.'"

"I'll ask her about it," Mikael sighed. "What about Diana?"

"I am right here," the Amazon said as she entered the kitchen. She paused, looking Mikael up and down. "You look good. I trust your body works to your specifications."

"Ask her," Mikael nodded teasingly at Artoria, who flushed again. Wonder Woman let out a tinkling laugh as she sat beside the blonde.

"Do not worry. I shall get all the gruesome details from her at a later time. I was tending to Dun Stallion and Torrent since I did not expect either of you to leave the bedroom today."

"That was the plan," Mikael nodded, smiling smugly even as Artoria covered her face in her hands. "But after she passed out for the third time, I figured it was time to give her a break."

"Sir Mikael..." the King of Knights whined piteously as the group looked at the pair in surprise.

"How?" Robin asked, bewildered.

While there was some debate on who was the strongest, deadliest, or most dangerous out of the thirteen women on the Island, it was unanimous that Artoria was the toughest. Not only was her endurance ranked A+, but she had Avalon, which provided instant healing.

Though she had been technically a virgin, by classical definitions at least, the blonde should have outlasted even the most skilled lover.

"Everyone gets Body Talent, but I am the only one with Sticky Fingers and Inexhaustible. They overlap with my Life Element." Mikael said with a surprising amount of seriousness. "I am not joking here. I could take on dozens of sex goddesses in a single night and come out the victor. The only beings that could be better than me in the bedroom are conceptual beings of desire. Even then, I would probably give as good as I got. I didn't realize this at first, and I went overboard."

"So if I managed to capture Aphrodite..." Medea asked with a cruel look on her face.

"While I wouldn't touch the bitch with a ten-foot pole, let alone my dick, I could mind-break her in a matter of days, yes." Mikael deadpanned.

Robin noticed Diana looked uncomfortable on the subject. From their talks, she knew Themyscria mainly worshiped Artemis. Still, Aphrodite was one of the goddesses that blessed the Amazons, and the women were very religious. Diana was always conflicted regarding the subject of the greek deities.

On the one hand, Medea came from a different timeline. Their gods were different. Still, Wonder Woman couldn't say that her version hadn't performed similar deeds to the one in Medea's home world. Caught wanting to defend her religion, as well as the goddess she had actually met, against her friendship with Medea and the woman's understandable grievance against the greek deities, Diana tended to avoid the subject at all possible.

It didn't help that Mikael was incredibly blasphemous and dismissive of any religion.

Especially the greek gods.

Robin didn't know if it was from his time in the Soulsborne worlds or when he was a regular human, but she decided to give the woman a way out.

"How did things go last night?"

"I wasn't able to find her," Diana responded with a grateful smile at the former pirate. "She wasn't at her apartment, nor have I seen her at our usual haunts."

"You can't expect those places to be the same," Mikael pipped in, idly scratching Medea's ears. "Unlike in your world, as far as I can tell, Cheetah is a complete villain here."

"I know the odds are slim," Diana nodded sadly. "But I owe it to my friend to give her a chance. With the research we did to get you a body, fixing her condition should be simple. I just need to talk to her."

"Would you like some help?" Robin offered, pouring a cup of coffee for the woman and passing it over. Her plan for the day had been to spend it reading, and she was in the middle of an exciting book on ancient Egypt archeology, but helping out her friend was more important.

"Unfortunately, I do not believe you can help." Diana shook her head as she took the drink gratefully. "I have no idea where on earth she is. Once there is a sighting, I would appreciate your aid."

"If any of us can help, let us know," Mikael said as he finished his tea and stood up. "I'm going to look for the others to tell them the news. Do you mind filling Diana in?"

"What news?"

"Mikael has decided to become a vegetable," Robin said seriously. She then dodged a swat from Medea.

"Last night was recorded," the witch said instead as the pirate giggled to herself.

Robin's eyes tracked Mikael as he left the room. She briefly wondered if they would be forced to leave this world soon. She knew he was itching to leave though he had not said anything.

Mikael, for all that he enjoyed hamming it up, was the type of man who kept his cards close to his chest. His humour and drama covered his true thoughts and acted as a barrier to the rest of the world. This man hadn't left the Island for weeks until his Medea had given him an item that masked his existence. He spent days formulating a plan to keep his interaction with Amelia and Victoria hidden.

He never said anything about it, but Robin believed he was still adjusting to having so many people around. He had spent the last century primarily by himself, and it would take time for him to adapt. Compounding on that was how overt his entrance to this world was.

He could ignore his dragon form being the center of attention because he could still operate incognito in his avatar. It was the freedom that secrecy brought that he desired. The thought that everyone on the planet knew who he was, what he looked like, and what he could do, was probably tearing him up inside. Eyes would always be on him now unless he walked around with Medea's bracelet 24-7. If she were in his place, she would be looking to move on ASAP.

Robin's eyes landed on Diana, listening to Medea, and her mind slid to Emma and Raven.

The pirate smiled to herself, taking another sip of her coffee.

Mikael had promised to support them all, and he was keeping his word.

The Family came first, his desires second.

Still, Robin decided to keep an eye on him.

Mikael could be stupidly noble at times, the 'suffer in silence' type. If he looked out for them, they needed to do the same for him.

That is what Family was for, after all.

********

Wonder Woman threw her head back with a loud moan, pleasure overtaking her.

Once she blinked the stars from her eyes, she looked down at the messy blonde hair and green eyes of the woman between her legs. Unfamiliar though the face was, the amazon felt its stoic features were too smug for her liking.

Pulling the blonde up on the bed and giving the woman a kiss, she returned the favour with interest.

After all, it wouldn't do for the student to surpass the master. She would shame her fellow amazons if a woman, barely introduced to pleasure, could exceed her centuries of experience.

Even as she started to work over the blonde's most sensitive spots, Artoria was already moaning.

"Diana, Diana," the blonde panted her name even as her hands gripped her black locks tightly. "Diana, Diana, Dia-"

********

-na!"

Wonder Woman awoke with a start.

Her body was covered in sweat, and she was breathing as if she had just gone six rounds in the ring with Ares. It took a moment of blinking for her to recognize the room's blank walls and bare features.

"Diana!" Bruce's voice came from the speaker on the wall. He was the one who was chanting her name, not the unfamiliar blonde.

"I am awake," she finally answered as she threw the plain covers from her form. She needed a change of clothes and a shower, but that could wait. "What has happened?"

The standard protocol for M/S confinement was to keep interactions to a minimum. Though she was a bit lonely, Diana did not blame any of her peers for the situation, even after a few weeks. Ever since they had discovered the... connection between her and the Elden Lord, they had all agreed it was better to keep her in isolation. J'onn filled in for her at a few events to keep up the charade that Wonder Woman was still active.

Contact had been scarce, though the Amazon knew they kept an eye on her. Any time she discovered anything new, she would write it down in a paper journal and then pass it through a deposit box for them to evaluate.

Her discoveries were few and far between over the weeks, but some nuggets came to her.

Like today.

You are reading story Rapturous Rhapsody at novel35.com

She discovered a new name.

Artoria.

Diana didn't know why she dreamed of being intimate with the blonde, but she recognized the foreign influence for what it was. This was no mere wet dream but a by-product of whatever connection between her and the monstrous Dragon.

"Yesterday morning there was an incident," Bruce reported. "We will be using the Facility for two more people."

"Who and why?" She asked as she dressed.

The Containment Facility could house a dozen heroes in case of mass exposure, either in complete isolation or with joint use of communal areas. Despite existing for over five years, Diana was only the fourth person placed in it. Most of the time, J'onn or other telepaths could handle dismantling the Master or Stranger effects.

For two people to be admitted at once was unusual, to say the least.

"Amelia Dallon and..." Bruce paused, and Diana took a moment to contemplate why the reformed healer would need to be in M/S. Had another group discovered her survival? Villains perhaps?

Either way, Diana would be there for the heroine. The amazon was very proud of the woman she had become. It took great strength of character to let go of the quest for vengeance.

"Who else?" She asked, now realizing the uncharismatic silence for what it was.

Worry.

"And Victoria Dallon." Bruce said slowly.

What.

"What?" Diana asked sharply.

If it had been anyone else but Batman who said that, she would have thought it a joke.

While the young blonde had never been a sidekick or apprentice to the amazon, the similarity of their abilities and the closeness of their cities meant that Diana had tutored the young Glory Girl a time or two. They were not best friends, but close nonetheless.

Only her dedication to justice, concern for the newly formed Justice League falling apart, and the vindictive pleasure at the sight of what Amelia did to the Joker kept her from ending the clown then and there.

"It appears," Bruce explained as if the words were being dragged from his lips. "That the Elden Lord can bring the dead back to life. In exchange for Victoria's return, Amelia gave him the human body he was looking for. He was unaware that the entire process was filmed by hidden cameras. Everyone in the world saw it."

"What?" Diana asked again. There was so much to unpack there. She didn't even know where to begin.

"Indeed," Bruce, at least, shared her disbelief. "You can imagine we will keep a close eye on the sisters to verify their states. Your familiarity with both will help. We want to ensure it truly is Victoria and any influence the Elden Lord might have over either. He explicitly stated that only his will kept her alive, and he did not want knowledge of his abilities spread. We do not know if he knows of the video, though it is safe to assume he will discover it soon."

"And when he does, he might kill this 'Victoria' again," Diana said grimly. If that happened, there would be no helping Amelia. They would be forced to put her down.

What a terrible thing to experience.

"'Victoria' insists he won't," Bruce continued, sounding dubious. "She has repeatedly voiced opinions in his favour. He also did something to Amelia, altering her powers. Not only are you to make sure Victoria is who she says she is, but you are also to ensure he is not controlling her or Amelia. Ideally, you will also be able to gather more information they did not reveal to us in interrogation."

Left unsaid was what she would need to do if Victoria proved to be a fake or if Amelia was... distraught.

"Understood," Diana said. Though she had just woken up, she suddenly felt exhausted.

The Justice League was licensed to employ lethal measures if the target was a verifiable threat to humanity. The Elden Lord, by his sheer size and power, did fall under that category, as did the Red Queen due to the potential of her abilities. Most League members, Batman and Superman especially, did everything they could to prevent things from getting to that point.

Sometimes it wasn't enough.

Then they turned to Diana.

Though she didn't enjoy it, her culture and experience meant it was less burdensome for her than the others.

This would be the first time she was forced to kill her friends if it came to it.

"They will be there in five minutes," Bruce said. "I have asked for Amelia to provide a check-up for you. Her experience with the Elden Lord may explain your connection that J'onn failed to find. Ask her about her changed abilities when she does."

"Before that," Diana said as she finished clasping her chest piece. "I had another dream. And another name."

"Describe it," Bruce said in a no-nonsense tone.

Diana did, not feeling embarrassed by the nature of the experience. She trusted Bruce to be logical, and embarrassment was not a concern when lives were potentially in danger.

"The blonde, Artoria, was with him yesterday night," he said after listening to her explanation. "As was Yoruichi, the dark-skinned woman you described, though he did not say her name. The intimate nature of the dream is concerning. The Elden Lord explicitly stated he was not searching for new 'consorts,' though we must take that with a grain of salt. Any new insights?"

"None," Diana shook her head. While the dreams were straightforward, the 'insights' were random and almost complete nonsense.

In the meeting following the League's failure to stop the Dragon from reaching the earth, someone had casually asked if anyone knew how old the thing was.

'35,866,943 years old,' Diana had answered without a second thought. That had been the first tip-off about the connection between the two.

They had tried asking various questions, and only occasionally could Diana form a coherent answer.

Favourite food? Varied based on time of day.

Favourite colour? Royal Purple.

How many people had he killed? 2,783,924 'people.' For some reason, Diana had been forced to put people in air quotes, prompting further investigation.

How many humans had he killed? 2,124,136 humans.

How many things had he killed? 9,546,434 things.

How much death had he caused? Incalculable.

Those were some of the few insights Diana had on the Elden Lord. More helpful questions, like weaknesses, motivations, abilities, associates, or anything else the League could use to banish the Dragon, went unanswered. That wasn't even considering some of the nonsense answers.

How would he describe himself? 'I am Da Dragon.'

Does he have any other titles? Queen of England.

His greatest enemy? Corporate Contractual Clauses.

For the last few weeks, Diana had been asking herself every question she could think of to try and gain more information about the biggest alien on earth. She had less than a dozen answers to show for her efforts, most of them being worse than useless.

"They will be there momentarily," Bruce continued when Diana did not contribute more. "Have your weapon on hand and armour nearby in the coming week."

"You do not need to tell me to be careful." While she appreciated her friend's concern, Diana was no novice. Even in isolation, she would take appropriate precautions when nearby unknown variables.

"Not from them. Be ready for extraction at a moment's notice." There was an undercurrent in his gruff voice that most would not have noticed.

Worry.

"Bruce?" Diana frowned at the speaker.

"They are here," he said before going silent.

Indeed, Wonder Woman could hear a voice echo through the underground halls of the facility.

"Woah, this place is pretty swanky. Way nicer than regular confinement."

The voice was familiar, sending a pang of pain and nostalgia through Diana.

She found the pair of young women near the communal area of the facility.

Amelia looked better than Diana had ever seen her. Like someone had taken an artistic brush to all her features. No more eye bag, nor freckles. Despite looking more beautiful than ever, she was slouched over the dining table as if exhausted.

The other woman, blonde and bright-eyed, was hovering in the air and pilfering stuff from the fridge.

"You want something, Ames?" Victoria asked as she pulled out some yogurt and fruit. "I'm trying out that cooking ability. I'll turn down the addictiveness, but it'll be great."

"Hurry it up," the healer grouched. "I want to get some sleep. Powers or not, I'm tired. If you wake me up for anything less than the world ending again, I'll find a way to turn your boobs small again."

"Nyeh," Victoria took her head out of the fridge to stick her tongue out at her sister. "That doesn't work on me any- DI!"

Having spotted Diana approaching, the blonde left her fridge to fly towards the amazon, arms wide.

Wonder Woman accepted the hug. Even if Victoria was fake, it felt good to hold the younger woman in her arms again. She felt her eyes moisten but shook it off.

"It is good to see you again," she said as she separated herself from the recently resurrected heroine.

"Totally," the blonde nodded happily. "How've you been! Are you and Steve still going out? Have you decided to tie the knot? Any recent ass-kicking I should know about?"

The blonde babbled happily for a moment, asking all sorts of questions. It was like Victoria had never left.

"I am doing well," Diana interrupted, knowing it would never end if she didn't reign in the younger woman. "Steve and I broke up a few years ago, though we are still friends. I am currently single and not looking for anyone at the moment. The League and my duties as a diplomat keep me too busy. As for 'ass-kicking?' I have a few stories to tell if you're interested."

"Totally," Victoria repeated before pausing. "Wait! How come you're here? Not that it's not awesome to see you again, it totally is, but I thought me and Ames were supposed to be in confinement."

"To babysit us," Amy snarked, head resting on her arms while she eyed the two from her position at the table.

"Actually, your arrival surprised me," Diana explained. "I am in confinement as well for much the same reason. Our Draconic arrival is making a habit of targeting women with his influence."

"What?" Victoria asked, looking confused. "The Boss did something?"

"We do not know what happened," Diana nodded. "I find myself with a connection to him that was concerning enough to have me placed here for the last few weeks while we evaluate the possible effects."

"What type of effects?" Amelia asked, perking up in interest.

"Memories not my own, random insights into various facets of the Elden Lord. It is all very confusing and haphazard."

That was the most concerning thing for Diana personally, the randomness of everything. She was no stranger to being targeted, either for her beauty or abilities. Ranni had straight out threatened to kidnap her, a common threat levied at heroines, but since the conflict in space, nothing had come of it. Diana much preferred a danger she could face head-on, with a clear cause and effect, than one that had her running in circles looking for answers.

"That doesn't sound like the Boss," Victoria mumbled, thinking deeply. "He's very hush-hush, ya know? I was with them for a few days, and he kept me with him or another one of the women. Made sure I didn't see much, though he did tell me about these nifty abilities I got. Either way, giving out knowledge isn't the type of thing he'd do."

"You said you have Insights?" Amy stood from the table and approached the pair. "What type? Seeing things nobody else is? Babbling nonsense? Suddenly knowing things you have no right to know?"

"The latter," Diana said, surprised the healer could guess that.

"Do I have permission to heal you?" Amelia asked hand outstretched for Diana to grab.

Though the healer was here in case she was under the influence of the Elden Lord, Diana decided to trust her. This wasn't the first time the biokinetic had healed her. Diana placed her hand in the open palm.

Amelia almost immediately frowned, her mouth turning downward as her eyes closed. After a few seconds of silence, she let go of Diana's hand with a sigh.

"Well, I know what's wrong," the healer said, massaging her temples.

"What?" Victoria asked.

"She looked into the abyss, and the abyss socked her in the face," Amelia deadpanned before thinking better of it. "Actually, it's closer to the abyss bopping her on the nose. She gained Insight alright, but only enough to be noticeable, nothing beneficial."

"What?" Diana asked, feeling like she was missing something.

"Ohh," Victoria, on the other hand, seemed to understand. "Like what happened to you!"

"Close, but not exactly," Amelia shook her head. "I got too much too fast. It overloaded me, and I would have been reduced to a babbling fool if it weren't for Mikael. She's in much better shape. She's building it up slowly, much safer than diving headfirst into crazy town. Though how she's getting it, I don't know."

"Do you mind explaining in more detail?" Diana asked, feeling even more confused. "And who is Mikael?"

"Mikael is the Boss."

"Basically," the healer decided to explain when it didn't seem like Victoria would be much help. "What Mikael, the Elden Lord or whatever, is, is not something mortal minds can naturally grasp. It is too much. He limits himself to mortal standards, so he doesn't overwhelm our senses. If, however, we gain access to more of the Eldritch Truth through some sort of medium, like my powers, then that knowledge can overwhelm us. Insight is knowledge. The more you have, the more you know and the more susceptible you are to madness."

"I have met deities before," Diana frowned at the thought that she was possibly going mad just from knowing a bit more about a being. "Many, in fact. They were not so hazardous."

"I've met Thor too," Amelia pointed out, reaching for her pocket for a cigarette. Victoria and Diana gave her disapproving looks, but she lit it anyway. "Relax, I'm sure ventilation down here is state of the art."

"But it stinks!" Victoria pouted.

"Tough. The best way to describe Mikael's existence isn't using terms like a god. Think of everyone on earth is blind, and we communicate solely through sound. A regular person can talk at normal volume, someone with abilities can scream, and a god is a car horn. Stronger, sure, but fundamentally the same basis. Mikael is the colour spectrum. He is something we just can't perceive."

"So Insight is the ability to see colours in this world? How does that work?"

"Through the Eyes." Though Amelia said that, she pointed at her temple rather than her face. "That's the best way to describe it. When you gain Insight, you gain Eyes in your brain. My power can see them, but I can't touch them. Even if I did brains, which I don't, I wouldn't be able to mess with them. They are only biological half the time, blinking in and out of existence."

"So I have eyes in my brain?" Diana raised her hand unconsciously to her head.

"Three of them," Amelia nodded. "Give or take one. It's hard to say for sure since they are so finicky. That's why I said you were lucky. I have forty-two. Imagine a blind person's first sight is the sun on a bright day. That's what happened to me. You are starting to see, but you are wearing dark-tinted glasses at night."

Diana took in the disconcerting thoughts with a frown.

Why her?

Though Ranni had focused on her, it couldn't solely be due to her beauty. Captain Marvel had also been there, and the goddess had never even looked at the blonde.

Had the blue woman felt the connection she shared with the Elden Lord even then? What sort of connection was it? Was this how the Dragon chose its 'consorts?' Find women, gift them with Insight, and take who survived?

"So you are not able to remove these Eyes? This Insight?" Diana asked, pondering whether she should reach out to her mother and the sorceresses of Thymescria for help rather than spend more time in confinement for something that wouldn't go away.

"I can't remove them, but I can do to you what Mikael did to me," Amelia said, turning away from the pair of women and pulling down the back of her shirt.

There, where her shoulders met her spine at the base of her neck, was a symbol carved into her flesh. It looked almost like a menorah, only with seven candle holders instead of the traditional nine.

"This is Deep Sea, a bulwark guarding the mind and is an augur of Mikael's eldritch Truth. I can give you one too. Unlike the others, this one is solely dedicated to resisting the negatives of Insight buildup, so it should help you if you don't want to deal with the after-effects."

"I shall hold off for now," Diana denied. Even if she was annoyed by the random knowledge, carving mysterious symbols into her flesh seemed like a bad idea.

"Suit yourself," Amelia shrugged. "I'm going to crash. Let me know if you change your mind." The healer trundled off towards one of the bedrooms.

"Don't mind her," Victoria said with a smile, floating over to the kitchen. "Let me make you something. The food is supposed to be awesome. You can tell me what I've missed. Is Batman still such a sourpuss?"

"He is," Diana welcomed the change of subject. The man was probably watching this right now if he wasn't already dissecting all that Amelia had revealed. A perfect opportunity to tease the man for keeping her in the dark.

Whatever Bruce was worried about and hiding from her, it better not be too serious, or she would read him the riot act.

********

I'll end it there. A shorter chapter to get back into the flow is exactly what the doctor ordered. I had initially planned another scene, but that one got a bit... larger than I was expecting. While this chapter acts as a way to touch base with a few characters and is a bit slower than I like, it is also important as it leads into the second half of Emancipation and numerous plot points for the rest of the fic.

Things have primarily settled down IRL, so I am happy to get back to regularly scheduled releases. The after-effects of Emancipation 3, the Third Miracle, will be felt for a while, but the story moves on.

Next chapter, you can look forward to some familiar faces, more from the League, copious foreshadowing, some important Marvel characters' first appearances, and a return to Mikael's perspective.

I'll see you all next time.

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