Laurie S. Sutton - Wonder Woman vs. Circe

CHAPTER 1

Circe, the immortal sorceress, chanted a powerful spell. In darkest night, let shadows might, with mighty force, bring chaos forth!

A strange brew bubbled in a stone pot despite there being no fire beneath it. A circle of thirteen candles surrounded the pot. They emitted a pale, sickly light. Circe tossed a pinch of mystic powder into the cauldron. FWOOOOOSH! Tendrils of flame and scarlet light twisted into the air.

Powers of flame and thunder, Circe chanted, destroy the woman of wonder!

Circe was nearly shouting now. Her hatred of Wonder Woman was fueling the spell. Her emotions became as intense as the blaze, which made the flames grow even stronger.

KABOOOOM! The spell exploded in a puff of smoke. Curses! Circe exclaimed. This is the third time in a row my spell has failed.

She stepped away from her cauldron and walked toward a wall of shelves. It was filled with books of all shapes and sizes. Every spell the sorceress had collected over the centuries was in this library. It held a vast amount of magical knowledge... but not a single spell that could destroy her archenemy, Wonder Woman.

SCRATCH! SCRATCH!

SCRATCH! SCRATCH!

Strange sounds suddenly came from a long-forgotten mirror in a corner. A mirror Circe hadnt thought about for many, many years. At first she did not even remember what was concealed there.

At last! In my hands... the great power! a voice hissed from the dark corner.

Circes eyes went wide. Memories hit her like a tidal wave. She had recently cast a spell on a certain artifact. And the spell had worked just not on the target shed expected.

Circe ran toward the whispering voice from the magical mirror.... all the evils of the world... , the voice whispered.

Circe grabbed the mirror with both hands. Images moved across its surface. The sorceress could see a man wearing dusty clothes.

Circe saw that the man was holding up a clay container. That box emanates magical powers, Circe said, sensing its strength. It will be mine!

Circe spoke a teleportation spell. POOOOF! She disappeared in the blink of an eye and instantly reappeared in a dark tomb. A man was kneeling on the ground in front of Circe. He held the clay box in his hands, almost dropping it when he saw her.

Ill take that, the sorceress said. She lifted the artifact from his shaky grip.

Youre... , the man stammered.

Circe, the sorceress confirmed. You know who I am. But who are you? Circe looked into the mans eyes. Her powers let her see his entire life in mere moments.

You are Dr. Leo Roberts, she said. A tomb raider.

Yes, I am, he said guiltily.

The sorceress held up the artifact. It looked like an ordinary clay container, but Circe recognized it immediately.

You have found Pandoras Box! Ive been looking for this for thousands of years! she declared, grinning at the man. You have served me well in this task. Now you will serve me forever.

The sorceress lifted a hand, starting a spell that would turn him into one of her slave creatures. The tomb raider raised his arms to shield his body.

Please spare me! he blurted. If you do, Ill tell you where the Trinity Beast is hidden!

Circe stopped her spell in the middle of a syllable. Sparks jumped from her fingers and drifted down, vanishing in the dirt.

The Trinity Beast? she repeated. The combination of the forms and powers of the Hydra, Griffin, and Gorgon? Circe laughed at his boast. How can a mortal like you know where it is? The original statue of the Beast was broken into three pieces and scattered across the Earth.

It is my business to know, the tomb raider said. I make a lot of money finding ancient things.

Circe knew the mans reputation. He went to risky lengths to get the goods.

Thats why I was looking for Pandoras Box, he explained. Its the only thing that can safely hold the Beast.

This made sense to Circe. Pandoras Box had the strength to hold all the evils of the world until Pandora opened it. It could contain the power of the Trinity Beast.

Very well, Dr. Roberts, Circe said. Tell me where to find the Trinity Beast, and I will spare your life.

The tomb raider almost sobbed. I only know where one fragment is, he confessed.

Circe held down her anger. She wanted the whole Beast for one reason: with it, she could destroy Wonder Woman!

One piece will lead you to the others, Dr. Roberts said. The three fragments are connected. Find one, and it will lead you to the rest.

Tell me where the first fragment is! Circe demanded.

Its hidden in fire, the tomb raider said. Its buried in Mt. Vesuvius.

A volcano? Circe grumbled. That must be the work of Hephaestus, the god of fire and the forge.

The sorceress waved her hand and completed her spell. POOF! Dr. Roberts transformed into the combination of a lion and a bird. He flapped his wings in surprise and roared.

What are you complaining about? Circe asked. I promised to spare your life. I never said youd spend the rest of it as a human.

CHAPTER 2

Circe rode on the back of her new slave. They flew above the crater of Mt. Vesuvius. Steam hissed from cracks in the rocks. The cone had collapsed in on itself after an eruption long ago. But the mountain was not dead. It was just sleeping.

Powers of flame and fire, Circe chanted, take me to what I desire!

A blaze of energy shot from Circes hand. KA-BLAM! It blasted a hole in the floor of the crater. A deep tunnel dropped down into the earth.

Spell of safety I invoke, Circe said, to form on me a protective cloak.

A shimmering bubble appeared around the sorceress and her creature. They flew into the volcano.

Smoke and steam formed a fog around them as they dropped deeper and deeper underground. Circe could smell the stink of sulphur through the protection spell.

Suddenly the tunnel got very narrow. The glowing orb of the protection spell hit the sides of the wall. Every time the globe bounced against the walls, Circe was tossed around like a bug in a jar.

Clear my way now, I say!

BLAM! Another blast of energy erupted from Circes hands. The tunnel expanded all around her.

The passage was wider now, but the magic blast had weakened the tunnels walls. BLOOOOSH! Magma broke into the tunnel. The slave creature did not like that. He flapped his wings to escape. Circe slapped him on the head.

Dont act like a chicken, or Ill turn you into one! she said. My spell is strong enough to protect us.

They rushed toward the magma waterfall. SPLOOOSH! They plunged into the lava. The slave creature was relieved to find he was still alive.