Wonder Woman – Volume 2 – 78

Synopsis

Ares Buchanan and his attorney, Donna Milton, are watching footage from a video surveillance camera taken a couple of months ago. It shows an assassin named Mayfly who after taking out a top leader in Japan, had found herself trapped in a dead end corridor by a crack team of thirty security personnel. But they do not stand a chance as Mayfly moves like a blur, cutting them all down with her teflon coated rocket propelled bullets! She moves so far she even appears to be able to step through their oncoming fire.

Ares nods his head, impressed and Donna asks why she is called Mayfly. He tells her that it has to do with the briefness of that creature’s life span and is apt considering the assassin’s line of work. Donna then confirms that she has been in contact with this Mayfly who has accepted the contract to kill Wonder Woman.

Meanwhile at Diana’s apartment room a visiting Etta is surprised at juts how small the accommodation is. Diana tells her friend that right now it is all she can afford. But Etta remarks that she does not even have a real bed! The Amazon Princess replies that she is used to sleeping on the floor when she used to go on hunting trips and besides, the couch is comfy. Etta flops onto it and cheekily asks whether it is big enough if she gets “lucky”? Diana knows she is referring to Ed and playfully chastises her friend for insinuating such a thing.

Etta then notices one of the “Dueling Countess” posters on the wall and asks if that is who her landlady purports to be? Diana nods, adding that it does seem far fetched but Etta reminds the Amazon of her own fantastical lifestyle! She then looks in a reference book she has brought along and reads the entry on Camille Sly. The actress was born in 1889 and was often called the “female Fairbanks”. Sly did most of her own stunts and even directed upon occasions. After the introduction of the “talkies” she dropped out of public sight. Etta then shows her a picture of the young Camille and asks if it looks familiar. Diana cannot be sure and it would mean that her landlady is well over one hundred years of age.

Just then Camille walks in and says that it is rent day. A hesitant Diana rummages under the couch cushion for some money and hands over all her cash, before checking her jean pickets for a few more cents to try and scrape together enough to cover the monthly rent. She is a cents or two short and Etta obliges saying, “this one is on me!”. Satisfied, a smiling Camille exits the room and a grateful Diana thanks her friend. After they have finished tidying the room and leave the apartment building Etta says that she did not realise just have tight things were for the Amazon Princess money wise. She offers Diana a loan and the grateful Amazon declines, adding that she is OK and does not need much to get by day to day and beside – Etta has a wedding to pay for! As they walk down the street Diana explains that just as soon as the Justice League get their computer records straight and start paying her a salary again everything will be fine. Etta offers to at least pay for lunch later. As the two women head off they are unaware that Mayfly has been watching their every move and has her gun-sight trained at Diana’s head. “Bang” smiles Mayfly…

Next Diana helps Etta at the bridal shop as her friend tries on some wedding gowns. As she tries each one on Etta remarks that they all make her look fat. Diana replies that she is talking nonsense and in fact Etta has clearly lost a lot of weight while the Amazon had been marooned in space. Etta is pleased that Diana has noticed she has shed almost twenty pounds but adds that she wishes Steve would not go on about her losing too much weight as if she is anorexic or something! After all, didn’t the Amazons used to fast to help clear their minds? A concerned Diana asks just how much Etta is eating nowadays her friend decides that she cannot find anything to fit her and that they should come back next week as she is sure to have lost a little more weight by then.

She then holds her head momentarily, complaining about the lousy headache she has had al day before suddenly collapsing on the floor. As Diana calls for the shop assistants to get a doctor she tends to her unconscious friend, once more unaware that Mayfly has her in her gun sight once more like a cat playing with its prey. “Bang, Bang” the assassins smiles…

A minute or so later Etta comes to and find Diana’s looking down at her. The concerned Amazon asks when Etta has least had a decent meal? When Etta says breakfast the previous day the Amazon’s suspicions are confirmed and scooping the protesting Eta up in her arms, she carries her friend across the street to a restaurant for lunch. Again, Mayfly keeps her weapon trained on the unsuspecting Diana once again, passing up the opportunity to simply blow the Amazon’s brains apart!!!

Sitting down, Diana puts a bowl of salad in front of Etta and says that she has to eat. Etta protests that just for once in her life she wants to look as great as Diana does. But the Amazon Princess explains that she had been blessed by the Gods and that Etta will never have her strength, gift of flight or her thinness. However, Etta has plenty of other gifts which she will lose if she does not eat. But Etta replies that she is simply not hungry.

Diana picks up a radish from the plate ad offering it to her friend, pleads for her to eat just one thing. Suddenly the radish disappears from Diana hands and surprised, they both turn to see Wally West – otherwise known as The Flash – standing there with it in his hand. Flicking it into his mouth he pulls up a chair and seating at the table, drags Etta’s untouched bowl of salad over to him and starts eating!

Diana decides to give up trying to persuade Etta to eat on this occasion and asks What Wally is doing here? He casually tells her that someone has been hired to kill her. She opens her eyes surprised and asks who wants her dead? He shrugs his shoulders and replies that the Justice League do not know – they only know the name of the assassin and have sent him here as a bodyguard. She presses him again for a name and he tells her the killer is called Mayfly. Diana is surprised to hear it is a woman as Wally continues to tell her that she has super speed and is a dead shot, using some kind of high velocity rifle with explosive rocket slugs. She supposedly gets a million dollars for each kill, but it is understandable why she would ask so much considering that each contract is more dangerous for her than for other assassins.

As Etta decides it’s time to reclaim her salad a bullet slices through the air and shatters the plate. As Diana shoves Etta to the floor The Flash lifts up the table as a shield juts as a couple more bullets hit the table top. Etta pokes her head over the top, wishing she had her gun and Diana pulls her down again just in time as a bullet strikes the table.

As several more bullets keep them pinned where they are Diana cannot believe that a woman would let herself be hired in order to kill other women. Flash sarcastically adds that he’s not too thrilled about it either at this precise moment!

Diana then asks what he had meant when he had said about it being more dangerous for Mayfly than other contract killers? Flash replies that the assassin is a Hemophiliac and that the slightest scratch or bruise could kill her. Mayfly has been hired for dozens of high-profile hits over the years though and if she could be captured alive and plea-bargained, her testimony could put away dozens of mob bosses – including who wants Diana dead.

The Amazon Princess agrees that Mayfly must be captured alive to prevent further killings. “We need a plan” she adds. But Flash responds that what they need is him. That is why the Justice League had sent him because of his speed is more than a match for Mayfly’s.

Before Diana can protest he leaps up and runs across the floor and easily dodging a bullet begins thinks that he just needs to spot where she is concealed. But another volley of shots cuts him down, as several bullets hit his legs sending him tumbling before crashing at great sped into tables and chairs. Etta cannot believe that Mayfly has managed to shoot the Flash but Diana calmly decides it is time they all got out of here and that they need a distraction. She unhooks her lasso from her belt and looping it over the sprinkler valve above them, wrenches it off so that the restaurant is suddenly filled with a mini indoor rainstorm! .

But as Diana prepares to short out he lights she hears Mayfly’s voice behind her and turns to see the smiling assassin pointing her gun directly at the exposed Amazon Princess. “Bang. Bang. Splat. You’re Dead”!