Warlords weren't within her usual MO, but Silvia had to make an exception this once. She'd been staying in an overpopulated South African town for the last few weeks, doing her part as the Reaper to take care of criminals and thugs threatening the good people there.
It turned out that the large number of missing children reported to local law enforcement were kidnapped by a militant group and being turned into child soldiers...and Silvia wasn't going to let that happen. A lot of the families she had met had nothing but their children, and now some dirtbag was stealing them. It made her angry.
At the moment, Silvia was holding onto the undercarriage of a truck supposedly belonging to this group. It had been driving for approximately fifteen minutes so far, and Silvia was barely feeling any aching in her tensed arms at all. She just hoped that the info about this truck was correct and that this wasn't a waste of time.
Silvia then felt the truck come to a sudden halt... The cab doors opened and the driver leapt out, planting his feet firmly on the ground. With a bored trot, he paced away from the vehicle, not unloading the cargo stashed in the back.
The Reaper rolled from beneath the truck and melted into the shadows like a ghost, behind a massive stack of shipping containers. The driver just wrenched open the door to one of the several warehouses on the other side of the courtyard.
Not being one for excessive stealth, Silvia bounded after him like a leopard, covering the distance in superhuman speed. Milliseconds before the door swung closed, Silvia snatched it and slipped inside. The driver paused but before he turned around, The Reaper sprung up, wrapped an arm around his neck and fastened a hand over his mouth. The man flailed madly, but Silvia had no trouble subduing him as he grasped onto consciousness.
Limp, the body dropped to the ground, and Silvia sent her eyes up. This place was laden with weapon crates and military hardware...and a dozen militants standing there and staring at her.
"Ah. Fuck."
The men roared, unleashing a hail of bullets as they dove behind cover. Silvia launched herself at a support strut, scaled up it like an ape, and traced along the latticed beams. Once behind the enemy's cover, Silvia pulled her two pistols from her leg holsters and fired a dozen consecutive shots as she swept them around in a precise motion.
All at once, the mercenaries screamed in agony, collapsing and clutching their legs. One of them still had the willpower to snatch out his radio and screech eager commands at it.Not being fluent in Afrikaans, Silvia was left puzzled by the sudden intense screaming. Until, that was, an extremely loud crash made her jump and bring her guns back into action.
A...tank just rammed itself into the warehouse. It stopped, then the turret rotated to stick Silvia in its sights. With an ear-shredding boom, the main cannon discharged, bringing down the entire warehouse with its explosive power.
Silvia was thrown from the site by the incredible force, glad that the gunner's aim was slightly off. Less glad, however, that she wasn't expecting a tank...and that this maniac just killed twelve of his friends trying to kill her. She landed on her back in the dirt, sighing "Man, talk about overkill."
The whirling of the tank's engine sounded as it pushed free of the debris, straight for Silvia. Suddenly, it grinded to a halt, howling in strain. It then seemed to hover about six feet into the air... Silvia quickly realised what was actually going on.A woman stood proud and strong, heaving the armoured vehicle over her head like it weighed as much as a straw basket. Diana's confident stare met Silvia's eyes and she flashed a warm smile.
"Fancy seeing you here." Diana quipped.
"...H-Hey. Wasn't expecting a tank. So you make jokes now?" Silvia said, pulling to her feet.
Without a single mote of exertion, Wonder Woman casually tossed the tank to her side, planting her hands on her hips. Superman would never have done something like that; there were militants inside the tank, so he would've set it down softly. It seemed that Wonder Woman wasn't as concerned as Clark was for those who choose to act wrongly.
As she stood there, Silvia stared at her bare arms, legs and shoulders...and was once again hypnotised by her the sheer strength radiated by her muscled stature.
"I always joke. Maybe you just need to get to know me." Silvia was a full head or two... or three shorter than the Amazon princess, who was about Superman's height. That paired with her musculature made her one imposing woman. She was taller than Batman... "I've been wanting to speak with you."
"Uh...really?" Silvia responded in a weak yelp.
"Perhaps over dinner? Once we take those children to safety, of course. They're in the building behind us." Diana said, an air of friendliness in her voice.
Silvia's breath hitched. "...Dinner? With me...?"
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Silvia had stayed away from major cities during her time in South Africa but Diana insisted that she join her for dinner at a fancy French restaurant in Johannesburg. They had just ordered their food, and were waiting for it to be brought out. Silvia was unnerved by this fancy establishment...and the fact that she was sitting opposite one of the strongest beings on the planet.
Diana was wearing a tidy black skirt, a loose white button-up shirt that masked her impressive physique and a pair of circular-rimmed glasses. She had her hair tied up in a ponytail. Despite efforts to blend in, Silvia still thought Diana stuck out like a sore thumb due to her size.
Silvia noticed that she was fiddling with a worn scrap of paper. "What's that?"
Diana smiled sweetly and passed her the old photograph. "His name is Steve Trevor...Colonel Steve Trevor."
Silvia plucked the small picture out of her hand and gazed at it. It was a very worn photo of a blonde man with a charming smile and rugged good looks. "Wow...he's...pretty hot."
"I was never one for technology...so I just keep that with me."
"How did you guys meet?" Silvia asked, after taking a sip of coke through a straw.
Diana took the pair of glasses off of her face, finally unable to contain her annoyance at them, and set them on the table. "He crashed his plane on Themyscira, the island home of the Amazons. He helped me foil the plans of Ares, God of War, and his planned conquest of Man's World.
"Oh. That's...different."
"There were no men on our island; the Amazons despised mankind. I was...young and curious of the outside world...I suppose he represented that for me."
"So he was the first man you ever met? And you fell for him?"
Diana laughed. "Hey now..."
"I bet your mom wasn't happy about that."
"Oh she was livid. Even more so when I left with him."
"Where is he now?"
"He died." Diana spoke, her voice soft and silken.
Instantly Silvia's heart sank in her chest. Her mouth opened and closed then opened again in shock at the sudden news. "O-Oh... I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have asked."
"There is no need. I am grateful to have met him, and though losing him hurt more than words can explain, I am at peace with it. Love is ruthless like that. It will give you great happiness and unbearable pain in less than an instant... You need to learn to live with both or deny yourself of the beauty it can give you." Diana smiled reassuringly, eyes glazing over the picture of Steve with a sad longing deep within them. "but enough about me, how have you been?"
Silvia stammered "I-I'm good. Yeah. How are you?"
Diana shook her head with a smirk. "You should know better than to lie to me."
"Y-You mean..."
"I know what happened with Clark. Talk to me." She laid her hand onto Silvia's and gripped it firmly. Silvia wasn't used to this physical contact at all... Diana was so compassionate and caring underneath that fierce exterior and it was so confusing for Silvia, seeing as she saw Diana impale and kill a kryptonian a few months ago. "I know you still love him."
"...I-I do." Silvia whispered, being sure that no one heard her speaking about mushy stuff. "...That's why I had to. I-I can't do it...knowing that could happen."
Diana took another sip from her glass of wine, keeping her other hand on Silvia's. When she was done, she fastened this other hand on Silvia's hand too. "So you're denying what you feel based on a possibility?"
Silvia bit her lip. She was already finding it hard without Diana's logical reasoning, but the possibility was too terrifying for her to ignore.
"I've been to my fair share of alternate Earths. There's a world where Clark crash landed in Soviet Russia and became a devout communist." Diana continued.
Silvia scrunched up her face and muttered "...What...? Really?"
"He was best friends with Josef Stalin." Diana nodded. "So let me ask you a question. Is Clark a communist here?"
"Um...no...?"
"Are you afraid of him becoming a communist?"
"...No...?"
"Then it's simple. That is not your Clark."
Silvia sighed. The simplicity of the argument struck her...maybe she was worrying too much.
Diana finally released her grasp on Silvia's hand and nodded confidently. "You both deserve to have each other."
Silvia was touched. She was really trying not to gush but she couldn't help it. "Diana...that really...thanks. I just don't know if I'm ready after all of that..."
"Take some time. Would you like more to drink?"
"Oh I-I'm okay, thanks. Did you really come all the way out here to make sure I was okay?" Silvia continued in hushed tones.
"I know how you must feel. The situation at hand is conflicting, yes, but it also brings all your other concerns to light. You wonder how you could possibly be enough for a being like that...and if you are strong enough to pick them up when they fall. Because if you aren't, it's more than just your love that will be at risk. Quite possibly the lives of thousands."
Silvia glanced at the empty table. She didn't trust herself, that she'd be able to stop Clark from doing those things even if she lived through it. "...Is mind reading a thing you can do now?"
Diana sighed softly. "Steve. There was this fractured timeline...we called it the 'Flashpoint'. There, my counterpart led my Amazon sisters on a terrible war against Atlantis; against Aquaman...my friend. I strangled Steve to death. I murdered thousands, and ordered the murders of hundreds of thousands. At least that twisted Clark sought peace. This version of me wanted conquest and the elimination of all enemies of Themyscira."
Silvia's breathing hitched as Diana continued. "Part of Steve's job was to liaise between the League and the US government; to ensure that both are on the same page, without forcing control of course. That means the explanation of our exploits and sharing what we know. When he learned about this one in particular...about the atrocities that I was capable of, he was frightened of that responsibility. He only thought of himself as a man, an ordinary man. Not someone who can calm an Amazon Champion."
"...What did you tell him?"
"I told him that I've learnt a great deal from my time in man's world, one of the most important things is that too many waste their time fearing, and forget to live."
Silvia glanced at the floor, trying to avoid Diana's sky blue eyes. Her heart was set but her mind urged her to stay away from Clark. Diana oozed inspiration; an aura from her presence and speech that could make one person feel like they could take on the world. In the way that Clark could calm you and make you believe a man can fly, Diana made you feel like a man, or woman, could hold the weight of the world on their shoulders.
"Diana..." Silvia felt the name slip from her lips, conflict still obvious in her tone.
Diana smiled sweetly and responded with a wink. "Say no more. The food is on its way."
Their immense conversation had made the time pass very quickly, their meals were both ushered to the table by a meticulously dressed waiter. Diana had ordered before Silvia had arrived, so one could imagine her face when the waiter set down a plate of something that she had never seen before. The waiter declared in a glorious French accent that this was the entree.
"Escargot." Diana pronounced elegantly. The waiter zoomed away and left the two women to the dish.
Silvia grimaced. "English?"
"Snails."
Silvia stared at the plate of steaming, cooked and seasoned snails.
Diana chuckled "You're brave enough to date an alien but not to add yet another Earth animal to the big list of ones that you've already eaten?"
"...I forget that he's an alien sometimes. And it's a little complicated right now." Silvia said, impaling one of the pieces with her fork and pulling it off into her mouth with her teeth.She had no idea how to describe the taste...but she didn't want to vomit, much to her dismay. "Oh god. Why do I like this?"
Silvia's main was the first to arrive. The waiter declared "Beef bourguignon." as he elegantly laid the dish before Silvia, whose eyes instantly lunged at Diana.
"...Really?"
"I know you like it too. We talk at work, you know."
"Not the point...I'm meant to be conflicted." Silvia retorted, mouth half full of the delicious meat. Its taste just reminded her of Clark and she suddenly missed him. Silvia was sure that was Diana's intention.
Diana's food was a rather large seafood platter that she insisted Silvia share with her, but the latter was a bit too filling to consider any more food. Plus, she had never liked seafood to begin with.
Diana ate with a certain elegance, whilst Silvia hacked her beef apart like it was a steak from the local pub. It was already late, so by the time the two had finished their meals and began talking again, they were the only patrons left. Chairs were beginning to be stacked onto tables and the floors mopped.
"Tell me about you and Clark. Did you guys ever...you know...get together?" Silvia asked, now full of alcohol.Diana also had her fair share of wine, but her Amazon physiology prevented her from being affected by such things.
"It was after Steve's death, and Clark had always been one of my greatest allies. As two of the strongest beings on Earth, we felt like it was an obvious match. We could be...physical...without any serious dangers." She laughed. "But it was about much more than that."
"Wow. So...do you...still...want to be with him?" Silvia asked quietly, nervous.
Diana shook her head. "Even at the time, I still mourned for Steve and Clark knew that. We understood each other well because we were so alike, and he said that people like us want and need a human side; a grounded perspective on things. We can't afford to be disconnected from who we're fighting for. The cost would be too great. My connection was Steve... and his is you."
Silvia sighed in relief. There was no competing with Wonder Woman in anything.
The warrior princess elaborated "And it couldn't work. It began to affect our work and that wasn't something that either of us wanted. So we're best friends now. Nothing more."
From anybody else, Silvia would've doubted it but Diana had this compelling aura of genuineness, like it was impossible for her to lie...much like Clark. "Thanks for telling me. Most people I've met would never even mention that." Silvia told Diana smoothly.
Diana looked back into Silvia's idolising eyes with a smile. "And please, regardless of what you choose to do now....thank you for being there for Clark. Even Superman needs someone to come home to."
Silvia felt her eyes glaze over but quickly wiped them against her shirt. Her heart was broken, she missed Clark, and on top of that Diana's compassion was impossible to not be overwhelmed by. "You don't need to thank me for something like that. I should be thanking him... I thought my heart was dead and buried before I met Clark. Me being there was for my own selfish reasons."
"Our selfish reasons to make the ones we love happy are sometimes all that keep them going." Diana's smile was soft, understanding and full of honesty. It made Silvia think that she felt similarly about Steve. "Whatever you decide, I'm here for you if you need me... Besides, I'm not the only one that's missing you. Dick is so worried he looks paler most days, and Kori is still trying to find you."
Silvia sighed guiltily. "I didn't want them to know I was leaving. They'd try to stop me otherwise."
"Well then I won't tell them where you are, but give what I've said some thought. If we lock ourselves up because of what might happen, then we'll never truly be living."
Her words were always so inspirational to Silvia. She could say 'hello' and the blonde would drown in a pool of her own tears. She supposed that Diana was a natural leader, and so part of that would include being good with her words. Still, it had just made Silvia miss Clark even more, and despite Wonder Woman's visit, she wasn't sure if she could push herself to go back. Any risk on Clark's life, or his mentality, wasn't one she was willing to take.
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