Clark Kent (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
stands_for_hope) wrote2014-08-18 10:14 pm
stands_for_hope) wrote2014-08-18 10:14 pm
Entry tags:
The Metropolis Not!Vengers in... The Sins of the Mother!
[continued from here]
Autumn had well and truly come to Metropolis and things had settled down into a steady routine.
That was why Clark and Lois were back to work, Clark holding the fort while Lois was on location in Bialya. It made Clark a little tense and constantly distracted since he was keeping one ear on her almost perpetually, but she was a big girl and it wasn't as if they were any farther away than a phone call and a supersonic flight.
Clark kept that thought on repeat pretty much every waking hour.
Steve and Diana were also back to work, and thankfully the children were well behaved enough that their classes both ended on time. Steve helped Diana to neaten up the gym, and Diana helped Steve to clean up the art room, and then they started on their way home. Everything was pretty peaceful and things had been relatively quiet.
Which was why, of course, something had to happen.
Neither of them were strangers to people floating down from the sky (Clark did it all the time, and a visit from Thor, Tony, or Sam was something to be welcomed), which was why they only stopped and started tensing up when the purple glow faded and the figure proved to be both unfamiliar... and smirking dangerously.
"My my my, you really are the spitting image of your mother," she said as her feet touched the ground. She wore a classical dress in purple and her flaming red hair cascaded down a complicated updo past her shoulders. Her eyes, however, were focused on Diana.
Who Steve was surprised to notice seemed to recognize her.
"Circe," she said, angry as he rarely saw her.
"Yes, of course. I'm assuming you've heard the stories. Seen the paintings and the sculptures. Read that ridiculous tripe Homer scribbled down about me--"
Steve, who hadn't added much to the conversation (such as it was) blinked and things started falling into place. Because he'd gotten that reference. Which meant--
"What do you want with Diana?" because he wasn't letting any harm come to her if he could help it. After what had happened to Jim, he was more than a little twitchy about the idea of old trouble coming for any of them and with Lois out of the country, he was especially sensitive.
"Oh, nothing much. After all, it's not as if her mother saw me banished to an island far away from civilization for thousands of years or anything. Oh wait..."
"You were banished because you thought your power gave you the right to cause havoc and harm to anyone you chose for your petty amusements."
Circe's face scrunched up in distaste. "Men! A few... dozen men, turned to the pigs they really are. Where's the harm in that? It's not as if your mother held much affection for them anyway. It was spiteful, really."
Diana shifted back behind Steve and the two shared a look; she wasn't leaving him to defend her, only to block what she was doing, namely pulling out her bracelets from her purse. But Circe smiled, almost as if Diana was doing exactly what she'd planned on.
"And here you go, princess of the Amazons, Hippolyta's little darling, walking alongside a man. Steve, isn't it? Where's the other one? Your 'James'--"
"You leave him out of this!" and Steve had hoped that this could be talked through, because he didn't have his shield and he'd been planning on doing up a nice dinner for everyone tonight, but if this lady threatened the people he cared about, Jim especially...
"Oh, don't worry. I intend to. At least, in one respect. No, no, Steve Rogers. You're the one who'll be enjoying a bit of my wily ways."
Which was when the purple glow that had enveloped her coalesced in her hand and went shooting out at Steve, striking him full in the chest and knocking him back past Diana into the grass. He didn't roll up, which made Diana cry out in rage as her sword came free of it's sheath and she charged. Circe laughed and floated up out of the way before shaking her head.
"Sloppy. Your swordmistress would be ashamed."
"What have you DONE?!" Her only hope lay in the fact that Steven did not appear to turning into a pig, but he did appear... deflated. Smaller. His clothing was loose over him and she wanted to see more, except that she refused to turn her back to Circe.
"Oh nothing. Just... a little charm. Something to get the ball rolling."
"Tell me what you've DONE!" Diana demanded, flying up with startling speed to put the blade to Circe's throat. For her part, Circe didn't even flinch. Her smile just got wider.
"Oh, Diana. The more important part is how to undo what I've done, which is really up to you:
"To restore the man from out of time,
You must abide by Circe's rhyme:
Without a lasso, in full, not part
The princess must release her heart."
Diana stared at her, uncomprehending and angry and worried about Steven but Circe refused to even twitch in any kind of worry. Instead, she winked.
"Have a lovely day, my dear. You'll see me again when you figure it out. I wouldn't miss that for the world."
There was a flash of purple light and Diana was suddenly floating alone in the air, sword held against nothing. Her useless sword was slung back into it's sheath as she flew down to check on Steven... and her eyes went wide as soon as she flipped him over, happy at least to see him breathing.
Then she was changing back and reaching for her phone.
Jim, if you are at the apartment, I would appreciate if you could come to the corner of Cornell and Johnson. I require your assistance with Steven.
Autumn had well and truly come to Metropolis and things had settled down into a steady routine.
That was why Clark and Lois were back to work, Clark holding the fort while Lois was on location in Bialya. It made Clark a little tense and constantly distracted since he was keeping one ear on her almost perpetually, but she was a big girl and it wasn't as if they were any farther away than a phone call and a supersonic flight.
Clark kept that thought on repeat pretty much every waking hour.
Steve and Diana were also back to work, and thankfully the children were well behaved enough that their classes both ended on time. Steve helped Diana to neaten up the gym, and Diana helped Steve to clean up the art room, and then they started on their way home. Everything was pretty peaceful and things had been relatively quiet.
Which was why, of course, something had to happen.
Neither of them were strangers to people floating down from the sky (Clark did it all the time, and a visit from Thor, Tony, or Sam was something to be welcomed), which was why they only stopped and started tensing up when the purple glow faded and the figure proved to be both unfamiliar... and smirking dangerously.
"My my my, you really are the spitting image of your mother," she said as her feet touched the ground. She wore a classical dress in purple and her flaming red hair cascaded down a complicated updo past her shoulders. Her eyes, however, were focused on Diana.
Who Steve was surprised to notice seemed to recognize her.
"Circe," she said, angry as he rarely saw her.
"Yes, of course. I'm assuming you've heard the stories. Seen the paintings and the sculptures. Read that ridiculous tripe Homer scribbled down about me--"
Steve, who hadn't added much to the conversation (such as it was) blinked and things started falling into place. Because he'd gotten that reference. Which meant--
"What do you want with Diana?" because he wasn't letting any harm come to her if he could help it. After what had happened to Jim, he was more than a little twitchy about the idea of old trouble coming for any of them and with Lois out of the country, he was especially sensitive.
"Oh, nothing much. After all, it's not as if her mother saw me banished to an island far away from civilization for thousands of years or anything. Oh wait..."
"You were banished because you thought your power gave you the right to cause havoc and harm to anyone you chose for your petty amusements."
Circe's face scrunched up in distaste. "Men! A few... dozen men, turned to the pigs they really are. Where's the harm in that? It's not as if your mother held much affection for them anyway. It was spiteful, really."
Diana shifted back behind Steve and the two shared a look; she wasn't leaving him to defend her, only to block what she was doing, namely pulling out her bracelets from her purse. But Circe smiled, almost as if Diana was doing exactly what she'd planned on.
"And here you go, princess of the Amazons, Hippolyta's little darling, walking alongside a man. Steve, isn't it? Where's the other one? Your 'James'--"
"You leave him out of this!" and Steve had hoped that this could be talked through, because he didn't have his shield and he'd been planning on doing up a nice dinner for everyone tonight, but if this lady threatened the people he cared about, Jim especially...
"Oh, don't worry. I intend to. At least, in one respect. No, no, Steve Rogers. You're the one who'll be enjoying a bit of my wily ways."
Which was when the purple glow that had enveloped her coalesced in her hand and went shooting out at Steve, striking him full in the chest and knocking him back past Diana into the grass. He didn't roll up, which made Diana cry out in rage as her sword came free of it's sheath and she charged. Circe laughed and floated up out of the way before shaking her head.
"Sloppy. Your swordmistress would be ashamed."
"What have you DONE?!" Her only hope lay in the fact that Steven did not appear to turning into a pig, but he did appear... deflated. Smaller. His clothing was loose over him and she wanted to see more, except that she refused to turn her back to Circe.
"Oh nothing. Just... a little charm. Something to get the ball rolling."
"Tell me what you've DONE!" Diana demanded, flying up with startling speed to put the blade to Circe's throat. For her part, Circe didn't even flinch. Her smile just got wider.
"Oh, Diana. The more important part is how to undo what I've done, which is really up to you:
"To restore the man from out of time,
You must abide by Circe's rhyme:
Without a lasso, in full, not part
The princess must release her heart."
Diana stared at her, uncomprehending and angry and worried about Steven but Circe refused to even twitch in any kind of worry. Instead, she winked.
"Have a lovely day, my dear. You'll see me again when you figure it out. I wouldn't miss that for the world."
There was a flash of purple light and Diana was suddenly floating alone in the air, sword held against nothing. Her useless sword was slung back into it's sheath as she flew down to check on Steven... and her eyes went wide as soon as she flipped him over, happy at least to see him breathing.
Then she was changing back and reaching for her phone.
Jim, if you are at the apartment, I would appreciate if you could come to the corner of Cornell and Johnson. I require your assistance with Steven.