Ultimate Wonder Woman #2: World of Wonder pt.2

[jackalope]

Ultimate Wonder Woman #2
#2 World of Wonders pt. 2

Angelo Bend and Bobby Horn stand in the dark alleyway. A fairly well off part of town, at 3.13 in the morning, Jay Street was abandoned. Across the road Thornton's Jewellers sat, clean glass windows caged in thick steel bars. Angelo checked his watch and stepped back, pulling Bobby back with him. A cop car, red and blue lights flashing, pulls around the corner and cruises by, engine rumbling. The sound fades and Angelo leans out around the corner, watching it drive a block downwards and turn off right.

He whispers. “Do you know why they call me the angle man?”

Bobby shrugs. “Is it 'cos your... you know... sticks out at a weird an...”

“No!” Angelo harshly whispers at him, “no, they call me the angle man because I know all the 'angles'.”

Bobby stares at him, his eyes cynical. “..right.”

Angelo smirks pulling out his balaclava. He points to the top right corner of the jewellery shop. “See there, that’s a Mitron 43 security camera, it has a 108 degree range of vision, with a 75 degree range of motion.” He points to the opposite alleyway, “13.4 feet down that alleyway, 18.7 feet up on the left wall there is a window with a window catch that will open 18 degrees. 93 degrees across and 37 degrees down from the window lies the security panel. In the left top corner of the shop there is a Mitron infrared motion detector on a 55 deg...”

“Ok, ok I believe you.” Bobby pulls his balaclava over his face, “are we goin' to do this?”

Angelo looks at his watch, holding his finger up. He whispers under his breath, “five, four...” He pulls out his silenced pistol and aiming up at 49 degree angle he squeezes the trigger. The street light bursts, sparks falling and fading. Pulling down his balaclava he walks briskly across the road, followed closely by Bobby.

As they enter the alleyway, Angelo whispers back, “like I said we have 6 minutes.”

“I know, I know.” Bobby takes off his backpack, pulling out coiled rope. “So do people really call you 'the angle man', or do you kind of just call yourself that?”



44 Fathom Road, apartment 6

On a brown sofa, Diana sits in front of a blaring television. In her hands a pottle of Hokkien hot 'n' spicy noodles currently half consumed, by her side two more noodle pottles, beef and chicken, empty. Click. The channel changes. Two cowboys shoot each other and collapse dead. Click. The Yen is down against the Dollar. Click. A woman crying in front of a picture of Paris begs not be eliminated from the competition. Click. A cartoon rabbit with a cape and the picture of a carrot on his chest leaps into the sky. Click. A man stands over a bloody corpse and says, “looks like she won’t be home for dinner,” then whips on his sunglasses. “Y..” Click.

She slurps her noodles and starts munching, her dark eyes wide, entranced, reflecting the TV’s light. She hits the channel up button with her toe again. Click. Beautiful doctors take turns staring dramatically at each other whilst a dying man squirts blood from his opened chest. Click. The American President shakes hands with the Queen of England, cameras flash. Click. A bearded man is saying how this is simply the best steak knife he has ever used. Click.

“She can't stay here.” Iris Kravitzes whispers, pointing at Diana’s back.

“Why not?” Aria Kravitzes asks gently as she makes her way to the fridge.

Folding her arms Iris leans back against the kitchen counter. “You can't just take people in off the street! She could be anyone...”

Aria pours milk into her coffee and replaces the lid. “She is a good girl, and she does not have anywhere to go.”

Iris pauses trying to fill her mouth with an argument. “Where is she going to stay?”

The old lady sips her coffee with a patience that infuriates Iris. “She can stay on the sofa, and then later I can find her a room...”

“A room!” Iris says, louder than she intends. The TV screams and then there is the sound of rapid gunfire mixed with laughter. Click. Iris whispers again, “you're giving her a room?”

Aria smiles. “You forget granddaughter, I own this building. I found you a room.”

Iris sullenly follows her Grandmother back into the lounge. She glares at Diana who is wearing one of her old Gateway University t-shirts, which her grandmother made her lend. She can make out the leather armour, that Diana refused to take off, under the over-sized t-shirt, and of course the shining silver bracelets held on by a leather wrist guard. Diana is scooping the final remains of the noodles into her mouth with a fork. She shakes the upturned cup and places it with the others. She turns her head to Aria and Iris smiling, pointing at the cup she speaks. “Good.”

“You can get another one.” Aria says as she sits.

Diana shakes her head, then angles it in contemplation for a second. “Ok,” she nods and climbs over the back of the couch into the kitchen. The cupboard bangs shut and soon the microwave is on.

Iris changes channels onto the news. “..police do not as yet know how the criminals are pulling off the crime spree,” an attractive blonde anchor-woman says, “which so far includes fourteen jewellery stores, two banks, and one antique dealer. The Gateway Police Department have yet to release an official statement.” The camera switches to a male anchor. “In international news the European subsidiaries of several of the wealthiest American corporations have been attacked in what Interpol is calling a coordinated terrorist attack on American corporate interests.”

As Diana walks back in, and returns to her place on the sofa, the television is showing pictures of burning office buildings. “The companies attacked include those of Kane Industries, Cale Incorporated, S.T.A.R. Laboratories, Queen Industries and the newly expanding Zeus Corp. Representatives of those companies failed to officially comment except to say that they are all committed to supporting the authorities in catching the terrorists, and bringing them to justice.”

Aria shakes her head, “terrible.” Diana, noodles hanging from her mouth, watches Aria's reaction, then turns back to the TV.

“In other news international tension mounts as between America and the Middle Eastern country of Bialya, over intelligence reports claiming that the country is trying to obtain nuclear weapons...”

Click. Aria changes the channel. “That’s enough fear for tonight. My show is on.” The theme tune for Desperate Heiresses starts, and she settles back. Iris slouches in her seat. Diana chews and bounces her foot up and down. Desperate Heiress Ilene is trying to convince the pool boy not to tell her personal trainer that she is sleeping with them both. Diana's eyes go wide and she blushes. Little does the Heiress know that they too are sleeping with each other. Diana coughs then seems to choke on the noodles, her coughing becoming stronger until Iris leans over and offers her a glass of water.

Smirking, Iris pats Diana on the back. “Are you ok?” she asks. Diana nods; her face flushed and eyes watering, and takes a drink of water. She look back at the television, another Desperate Heiress has been told she has cancer, to cope with the shock she rips off the doctors shirt. Diana spits her water out and Iris can't help but laugh.

Diana sheepishly turns to Aria and quietly says in Greek, “<I might explore the outside area.>”

Aria smiles, “Iris, why don't you show Diana around the neighbourhood, but come back when it gets too dark.”

Diana turns to Iris delighted. Iris rolls her eyes. “Ok, come on.”

The long summer days were stretching out into the night and as Diana and Iris left the house the sky was still a light blue but the light was slowly fading. The city was winding down, the post-work traffic having made its way home. They walk through groups of people waiting for the bus and others returning from the supermarket. Old men sit outside their houses with brown paper bags, smiling in the warm wind. Children hang about in circles rolling dice and cigarettes. A woman is being pulled forward by six dogs of leads. Iris watches Diana's face as she encounters each of these mundane everyday happenings and seems fascinated by them all.

“Kinda' new around here aren't you?” Iris says.

Diana opens her mouth to say something but stops, frowning in concentration.

“It's ok, I know you can't speak English. I can't speak Greek, no matter how hard my Grandma tried to teach me.” Iris cannot tell if Diana understands but she seems relieved. They walk in silence for a while. Diana looks around corners, down at the pavement cracks, and up at street signs. When she bends down to look in a basement apartment window, Iris pulls her back up in embarrassment.

“Since you're new, you should probably know some things.” Iris points down one road. “Don't head down that way, that’s Burning Dragon territory.” She points down in the other direction, “two blocks down that way, past the old warehouse there is the West Street Tigers. Where we are, this is South Snake-Fangs territory, so just be careful. Especially if you see someone in green. There's always stuff in the newspaper about how the police are having trouble with gang violence.”

Diana stopped walking, Iris turned to see what was happening. Diana pointed to her right, “Dragons.” Pointed left, “Tigers”, and pointed at her feet, “Snakes.” Iris nodded. Diana looked satisfied.

Iris looked out at the quickly fading daylight as the street lights came on. “We should head back.” They had gone out further than she thought, Diana walked fast. “Come on, I know a short cut.”




“'Ant it early? Like way too early?” Bobby Horn asks in a horse whisper. He tries to calm the twitchy paranoia that is creeping up on him, and leans back against the glass panel.

“At this time of night there is a blind spot in the rotation of the camera's on the opposite building,” the voice comes over the two-way radio. “I told you, the 40 degree angle of the...”

“OK OK! Can you just hurry up?” Bobby looks about. The only light this far in from the streets is the moon, which is near full tonight. Out down behind the finance office building he's on look out.

“Relax, didn't you hear about us on the news, the 'invisible cat burglar' who the police have no leads on except for a mysterious protractor left at every crime scene.”

“That was fucking you!” He has to calm himself. “Are you crazy? Do you want to get caught?” He's really good, Bobby thinks, but he's getting cocky. Though, it's not the police they're worried about out here, it's the gangs. Bobby checks his gun is loaded and blows his breath out through his lips.

“Don't you believe in the 'Angle man'? After all we've done? Bobby, I'm disappointed.” The radio is silent for a moment, then, “Done.” Bobby looks up at Angelo's head that pokes out three floors up. Angelo lowers his body from the open window. He then leaps out backwards towards the opposite building ten feet away. His foot grips the wall enough to be able to push himself back. He leaps back and forth between the buildings, lowering himself until he drops safely to the ground. He pulls his balaclava off, swings his backpack around and opens it. “Look, look! Cash! Who has this much cash in an office?”

Bobby smiles relieved, as Angelo headlocks him, pulls off his balaclava and messes his hair. “Who'd have thought it Bobster, from cell mates to career criminals?” Bobby looks up then freezes, Angelo keeps laughing, until Bobby pulls free. He looks. Two young women are standing looking at them. Angelo whisperers, “how long have they been there?”

“Ca-reeer Crim-min-elss.” Diana sounds out.

“Shit,” Iris and Bobby say.

Angelo and Bobby point their pistols. Iris collapses back in fear holding Diana's hand. Diana stands defiant; looking up at her Iris swears she is still smiling.

“Should we kill them?” Bobby asks, hesitant.

Angelo sighs, “I think we'll have to...”

Iris whimpers. Two shots are fired and a window smashes. Diana stands, her wrist braces poised in front of her. Angelo and Bobby look at each other then shoot again. Diana's arms move with blurring speed. More windows shatter. Diana starts to walk towards them. They start shooting faster but the bullets deflect off her. Angelo runs and Bobby starts shaking as Diana speeds into a jog. She leaps and kicks him 20 feet into the distance, narrowly missing Angelo, who turns rapidly around a corner.

Diana increases into a run. Turning the same corner she sees another long narrow brick alleyway with six turn offs down the sides. Bang, she hears the bullet ricochet off the walls until she just deflects it with her bracelet. Bang. Bang. Two more ricochet at unexpected angles. She manages to deflect them too. She runs. Bang. She narrowly dodges a bullet heading for her leg. At the second to last turn off she skids to a stop and sees him. He grins, with the gun aiming at the walls he opens fire. Her arms blur, and she marches towards him until a bullet strikes her arm. She winces, and he smiles, but when she looks up and continues towards him he starts pulling the trigger. The gun clicks. Out of ammunition.

Iris pants, the fear growing, until she spots Diana carrying an unconscious full grown man over her shoulder. She smiles and drops him on the ground with the other one. Iris run and hugs Diana, who winces slightly. Iris spots the bullet wound. “Oh, crap, we have to get you to hospital.” Diana nods and goes to pick up the bag of money.

“No, that’s not ours, leave it for the police.” Diana frowns at her, then shrugs. Iris puts an arm around Diana, “Come on.”



The next day

Sgt. Mike Schorr and Sgt. Harold Champion stood looking at the two men tied up with a belt that sat in the middle of the alleyway.

Harold sipped his coffee. “The crime geeks are saying at least thirty bullets were shot. Probably more, they found hundreds of ricochet marks. And blood.” He blew and sipped again.

“You have to shoot a pistol on a pretty precise angle in order to get it to ricochet like that.” Mike looked up at Harold, who towered over him. “There were protractors in the bag with the money.”

“Think it’s them?”

Mike stared at the two who were sitting, looking miserable. “Yea.”

Harold smiled, “Chief'll be happy.”

Mike nodded. He wasn't smiling. “But now we have to find out who caught them...”