The Serendipity.

She had taken Clark’s advice to heart. For over a week Diana had made an identity for herself, bought a wardrobe, signed up for a job at the local museum, and practiced hundreds of times in front of the mirror and with her friends for what she was doing right now. Standing in front of the door of an apartment building, she checked herself over, tried to make sure her appearance was just right as she stared at the front door to HIS apartment.

Breathing in and exhaling slowly, she looked at the doorbell to the left of the door frame and pressed the button…

*

A knock at her door woke Diana from her dream, forcing her to sit up when the door came open and three guards stepped inside in full battle garb, crouching to one knee with spears in hand as their princess sat up from her bed, surprised by their appearance.

“What is the meaning of this? What has…?

“My princess! Our afflicted sisters have escaped!”

“What?” Wonder Woman gasped.

“It is true, my princess. Dhala was found slain in the dungeons and all the prisoners are gone.”

“That is not all, the oracles have demanded your attention.” Declared Eoboea, her head low. “They stated it cannot wait; we have a horse ready for you to speak with them now.”

Quickly getting out of bed and changing into her panopy of the Wonder Woman, Diana headed out of her quarters with the guards in tow, finding it was still the dead of night outside. Seeing a horse made ready for her and being held by the reigns by a fourth guard waiting outside, she took the reigns and mounted the steed to head towards the temple of the oracles to get answers. The ride took only a few scant minutes to reach the mountain’s cliff side where she spotted lit torches at the entrance where she could find her mother’s personal guards there waiting for her.

Dismounting, Diana approached the two guards, who guided her inside with a look of alarm on their faces. “Quickly my princess, they are waiting for you inside!”

Heading into the mausoleum by torchlight, Diana quickly entered the hallowed seeing room of the three Oracles of Themyscira, the trio were already conjuring a vision through the smoke of their fire, molding it like one would clay in their hands. Standing nearby with two guards by her sides was Diana’s mother, looking up at the vision with a stern look of worry.

“What has happened?” Diana demanded, looking up at the vision being shown, one of a cruise ship out at sea. “What are you trying to show us?”

“The self-made beasts have escaped their prison; they seek to make the innocent suffer so others may suffer.” Recited Castalia, her hands molding the smoke and fog to show a scene of terror, people being attacked by bird monsters.

“They wish to leave a spectacle, one that would start a war between the men of Man’s world and the Women of the Amazons.”

“Aello, Ocypete… What have you done?” Whispered Hippolyta, seeing the scene play out in front of her in stark detail. Steeling herself, the queen turned her attention back to the oracles showing them all the future. “WHERE is this calamity going to happen?”

“Follow the green star to the east.” Answered Coliope. “There you will find the metal island of merriment and romance, before it becomes a blade oiled in blood and tears.”

“GO my daughter, save them! Save them all from our lost sisters.”

Charging out the temple and out of the mausoleum, Wonder Woman gave the two guards at the gate a start when she stopped only briefly to look up into the night’s sky to find the green star Coliope mentioned. Finding it, she crouched low… And exploded up into the air with a gust of air and silt that **** both guards to back away as Wonder Woman flew under her own power out into the sea with all the speed she could muster.

Back in the temple, Hippolyta watched as the scene continued to play out, over and over again. Breathing in sharply, she gripped at her sword pommel, wishing she could follow.

“Tell me, will my daughter make it in time?”

Trading looks, the three oracles lowered their head, unwilling to give their queen an answer that would satisfy her.

*

Somewhere, out in the Atlantic Ocean…

Stepping out of the dance floor at the main floor of the pleasure cruise ship the Serendipity, a man looked around at the main deck and found a railing where he could be alone and find a place to smoke. Off on his 15-minute break from serving drinks to families in the dining hall, the man checked his pocket and pulled out a cigarette to light and inhale, exhaling a plume of smoke as he looked up at the night sky and the crescent moon overhead.

“Nice night…”

The passengers were a mix of families and couples who decided they wanted a trip around the Atlantic, see some whales, have a nice dinner, dance the night away and maybe watch a show or two. The usual fare on the ship.

Hearing the door where he came out from open, one of his co-workers poked their head out to find him.

“Hey Logan! Your break almost done? Because the cooks are prepping a plate of tempura shrimp and need another server.”

“I’ll be right in a few minutes Marv, just let me finish my cig, alright?”

Getting a wave from the man, the door closed, and Logan huffed in annoyance. “The hell that was fifteen minutes…” Slumping down with his arms crossed over the railing, the man took another huff of his cigarette when he heard something overhead. The sound of an eagle screech.

Confused and looking up, he didn’t see anything, not in the dark. He thought he saw black shapes, like sea gulls, but couldn’t quite make them out.

“Huh, maybe we’re close to an island or something.”

A thump behind him startled him enough to stand up and turn around. What caused him to stop, and gasp was the hideous face of a creature leering back at him with a crooked, jagged toothed smile, just as he felt something sharp and quick slash through his neck and rob him of his voice. Clutching at his slit throat and gurgling out a mute cry, the harpy clutched at his face between two outstretched talons and brought her other to bring a clawed finger to her thin lip.

“Sssssssssshh, no cries for help from you man-animal.”

Shoving him back, Ocypete watched with sadistic glee as he fell over the railing, where a splash was heard seconds later. Looking up at the sky where the rest of the harpies circled, they each landed one by one until the lot of them perched over the front deck of the ship.

“Come sisters, the charnel house is empty. Time to fill it.”