View source for 2012-02-20 - Establishing Hierarchy

{{Logsummary|
Title=Attention, Earth-Fools!
|Summary=Maxima arrives at the Watchtower to make known her queenly intent. Assuming she can sweep in and have her every demand met, she fails to reckon on the pride and power of a certain Amazonian princess.
|Who=[[Wonder Woman|Wonderful Woman]], [[Maxima]]
|Date=2012-02-20
|Where=Hangar - Watchtower
|}}


A new life; a new home. Diana of Themyscira was still uncertain of her place in the world at whole. No, not Diana of Themyscira, at least, not on the island. 

Diana the Exile. 

What she had done had been for her sisters, but what she had done had flaunted the ancient laws, and now she was here. The League had been happy to take her in, but the world below was nothing like the world she had come from. Nothing like what she was used to, trapped, so to speak, in the metal belly of this wondrous floating city, dreamed up by the best and brightest of Man's World. 

These thoughts, and more, ran through the mind of the Amazon as she stands upon the deck of the landing bay, the still, recycled air almost abhorrent to her senses. But her blue eyes were fixed upon the slowly spinning globe the station orbits, distant as her eyes were, Diana breathing in a deep breath through her nose before she releases that breath, along with many of her tensions with a sigh. 

A new life. She must make the best of it.


Oh, it must hurt to be an exile.

Not that anybody would ever exile /the Lady Maxima/. No, she's here because she wants to be. She'll be going home anyday now with her betrothed at her side, and a thousand worlds awaiting to be conquered by their combined might. This is just a small excursion from her loyal subjects; they're assuredly waiting with baited breath for her return, that they may be crushed once more beneath her gold-plated bootheels.

Said heels are, at this moment, planted firmly on the deck of her personal battleship, in much the way that her mighty hands are planted 'pon her womanly hips. Maxima's dizzyingly soulful eyes are almost transfixed on Diana's own as she approaches the Watchtower, lips curled into a triumphantly expectant smirk. Her own thoughts are on... well, children with abdominal muscles you could grate cheese on and chins that could deflect meteorites. Because that's what she'll have, soon. Why ever would she be thinking about anything else?

The Almeracian Royal Flagship is like something out of a pulp sci-fi novel - in fact, it practically embodies the genre, eleven hundred feet of majestic chrome curves bristling with turrets and cannons of several dozen progressively-alarming varieties. They're all highly-polished and probably don't see much use; purely there for aesthetic appeal, and the fringe possibility that planets seeing Maxima's fleet approaching might just put down all their weapons and surrender. It's much easier to crush them into submission when they've... already submitted, and contrary to the belief of many a Proud Warrior Race, it can still be incredibly good fun.

Thankfully for the denizens of Earth and its satellite guardian, as the battleship comes looming into view it does not open fire - it shows no signs at all of starting anything, until suddenly the in-station speaker system crackles to life with a burst of static, emitting several bizarre frequencies before it can be brought under control by whoever's crewing the control room today. And then...

The voice just bursts into the minds of everybody within.

"Attention, Earth-fools! I am the Lady Maxima, Empress of Almerac, and I demand entrance to your backwater planet. Please feel free to be incredibly honoured as I invade your shores with the most peaceful and GLORIOUS of intentions; for I am here to claim your god, Superman, as my betrothed! ...oh, and Sazu says she might like to go shopping for a few days. I SHOULD LIKE THAT TOO."

The final resounding boom of her voice delivered, Maxima turns away and allows herself a laugh. If her /voice/ was loud, good heavens, it's like if she found something sufficiently humorous she could cause continental drift. It's bad enough for anyone inside her craft; which as it happens means just her and a rather bored-looking Royal Advisor, currently grooming her nails over the comms system. But it's worse for those still inside the Watchtower... because it seems Maxima didn't bother breaking the psychic link.


Do keep in mind that Diana of Themyscira is essentially new to things like plumbing, and automatic door openers. 

Being dwarfed by the deck of the station that she was on was something entirely less than comfortable; much more so was the sensation of being on something quite large, and looking out across the empty void of the galaxy, and seeing something that seemed to be much larger barreling down at you. Contrary to popular belief, Diana did feel fear, and now was certainly one of those times. 

The Amazon had just done an excellent job of mastering her fear. Just about right away, she could tell that this problem was out of her hands. Suspecting some odd technology to be at fault for the booming voice of the woman, Diana's hand drops to the holster at her waist, the one holding the communicator for the Justice League. She barely had time to flick it on before that booming proclamation shatters through her senses, the sheer power being transmitted through the psychic link enough to drop her to one knee. 

Gritting her teeth, she is forced to wait until the last syllables stop bouncing around her head, her thumb moving to flick the communicator on. Her voice was grim, as she holds the device to her lips and speaks into it: "This is Wonder Woman. We have trouble in orbit." 

Understatement of the year, no?


"I'm intercepting a signal, milady."

Really? Wasn't she doing her nails just now? Maxima doesn't seem to regard it as a problem, stifling her glorious laughter to glance over toward the Royal Advisor, hands back upon her hips and an eyebrow curving toward the curled mass of her hair. "A signal, Sazu? Are they paying me tribute? How delightful!"

"Not... exactly. I'll play the recording."

A casual flick of a button causes Diana's voice to filter through into the command deck, Maxima stifling a yawn halfway through the incredibly long message; after all, it's at least four seconds of something that doesn't directly concern her or her (not-at-all-misguided-you-shut-up) plans for a better tomorrow. "And which small, insignificant Earth specimen is that one? Have you identified them?"

"I believe that's the one they call Wonder Woman, milady," The Royal Advisor matter-of-factly states, in a crisp and formal tone that suggests only she is ever willing and able to serve. Slipping her precision-laser emery board into her palm, she reaches over the command console to deftly tap a couple of buttons, and a holographic image of the iconic Amazon flashes up a few feet to Maxima's left. "Our scouts discovered a small amount of footage depicting her at Superman's side. She seemed to be fairly potent in her own right."

The Empress glances the flickering display over imperiously, paying close attention to the chest and legs, before tossing her scarlet mane and folding both arms across her bountiful chest with a 'hmph'. "Very well, Sazu, I shall speak to this 'Wonderful Woman' and force her to provide instruction as to the whereabouts of my mate. While I am gone, scan the planet below regarding contemporary style and fashion. If we are to go shopping for brideslaves I will not have them clad so laughably!"

"You mean 'bridesmaids', milady?"

"THAT'S WHAT I SAID, SAZU."

"Of course, milady. May I suggest, perhaps while you are aboard the Earth satellite you could show them your benevolence by instructing her in some of our Almeracian beauty directives? It would be a small tribute that surely one of your kindness and--"

"SHUT UP, SAZU."

Maxima is already fading from view, her eyes rolling as she disperses into a collection of glittery molecules. The Royal Advisor breathes a long-suffering sigh and turns back to her nails, spinning her emery board around before going at it with the slow, careful aplomb of one who realizes they could be doing this for a long time; and that rushing will just make the time pass even more slowly. Meanwhile, her mistress flitters out into space, a cloud of scintillating colour rushing to the hangar bay before coalescing just outside of the force-field into the majestic form of the Empress, arms spread wide and head flung back.

"Behold, Wonderful Woman! The Lady Maxima! Warrior Queen! Head of the Royal House and leader of all Almerac!"

Yes, they can hear each other in spite of the vacuum. Don't ask. It's probably a psychic thing.

"...you may bow whenever you feel ready."


Diana could almost imagine a ringing in her brain that was not quite altogether there, as the Princess rises to her feet once again, drawing out a breath. Bringing the communicator to her lips again, Wonder Woman's had drawn a breath to speak further, when her brow furrows with concern, her original words fading into some recess of her mind. "Make that..." she says, "Trouble on the Watchtower." Flicking the toy of Man's World design off, she lets the communicator fall to the metal deck of the landing bay. 

After the brief headache that the psychic assault - was there really any better word for it? - faded, Diana had a moment to think rationally. This was a people - more like a person - not of Earth, of some distant world. The babbling about the Gods had little meaning in her mind. She was quite certain that while Zeus might... no, it was for the best not to mention him. 

Lifting her chin tall, she steps forward, closer to the force field that the alien hovered behind, her jaw steely, and her stride confident. "Lady Maxima!" Diana says, lifting her voice out to carry across the hangar - hopefully it would be able to be heard by the Almeracian. "I am Princess Diana of Themyscira, and I bow to no one!" she says. "If you wish to come in peace..." she adds, before she lowers the steel in her voice a few notches, "Must you shout so loudly?" she adds, quirking her lips in a smile that she did not altogether feel. Best to be diplomatic, after all.


Psychic assault or greeting, coming in peace or effectively invading; they're all the same thing really! Maxima doesn't like to play around with words, simply calling everything as she sees it. Don't make a mistake, here - there's nothing at all twisted about her world view, if only because she doesn't have one. She has a universe view. A universe that doesn't extend very far beyond her bust.

Okay, it's more like a Maxima view.

"How odd," The Empress comments, tapping a finger to her chin as Diana delivers her own formal announcement, complete with proper titling, "My Royal Advisor suggested your name was Wonderful Woman, and that you were a close colleague and confidante of my husband's! THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING." Grinning savagely from ear-to-ear, she claps both hands to her hips and leans closer to the barrier, something like a demented tigress as she eyes the Amazon like a shark stares at its next meal. No, we're not mixing metaphors. We're Maximaing them.

"If you're Princess Diana of Themyscira, then I'm afraid you must bow; for I am an ordained Queen, sovereign-Empress of the glorious galactic nation of Almerac, and superior to all but the man I marry. HOWEVER." Good grief, she actually appears to be getting a little bit louder, though it could just be that she's about two feet away now. Her chest heaves as she inhales a deep breath, drawing herself up and waving a hand in the air, what she imagines is a very dainty and proper gesture befitting a benevolent matriarch. "If you would prefer to pay tribute by furnishing me with access to your precious backwater, and directions on how to converse with your supreme ruler and god - my betrothed, Superman - then I, LADY MAXIMA, shall accept this!"

"...incidentally, my dear," she leans back, suddenly chirpy and all smiles, "I'm not shouting; you Earth-fools just speak too quietly for Almeracian ears. We could change that if you'd submit to our rule, though I'm afraid Sazu has informed me you're not worth the time and effort of actually conquering. Sorry about that!"


Diana does come to a stop, standing at what she had thought was a reasonably respectable distance from the other, the (much) younger Themysciran princess lifts her chin again. Her overall demeanor was not quite hostile, or even defiant; although one certainly could interpret it as such. What Diana was hoping to project was confidence. The concept of 'husband' was one nearly as alien to her as the woman standing before her, but it was a concept that Diana had quickly picked up on. She still was not certain what she thought about it, in the end, really. 

But one digresses. 

Wonder Woman starts with surprise when she mentions that. "Your... husband? Superman is your...?" Quickly that surprise fades into a look of cautious thought. The second insistence to bow, she simply ignored at first. But internally, there was a scoreboard of sorts, and Maxima was losing points terribly quickly. "As I have mentioned before, I bow to no one. Not my queen, and not to you, Lady Maxima. Do not ask again," she says after a moment of composure, steel sliding into her voice. Hippolyta had never asked her daughter to bow, regardless. 

"But as for Superman? I suspect he is already on his way. Your... greeting did not leave much doubt. And neither will I grant you access to the lands of Gaia; such a decision must be made in a council." A pause, and Wonder Woman lets her smile fade the rest of the way away. "Superman... erm. Your husband cherishes the people of this world." Why didn't Superman talk about being married before? "I am certain that he would appreciate them being treated kindly, and if not he, then I would insist," she says.


Regrettably, the Empress of Almerac is only as psychic as she can legitimately be bothered to be. She doesn't go around reading minds because if the mind isn't hers, it must be filled with boring thoughts like 'the Lady Maxima is looking ravishing today' and 'my, if only I looked as young and pretty as the Lady Maxima, who most assuredly cannot be a day over seventeen even though she is as powerful and graceful as any woman in the universe'... and, well, she already knows all of that. If she wants a reminder she can ask Sazu, who has been sworn to honesty on pain of hideous torture and death so surely wouldn't lie to her.

"Mmmhm," comes the immediate response as realization finally dawns upon Diana. If it were possible to make those smugly affirmative syllables any louder, scientists would want to know about it. Like everything about Maxima, they're very difficult to miss, as she reconfirms by sticking out her chest and posing as if to say, 'of COURSE I'm his wife' because clearly nothing could be more obvious. They're perfect for one another.

She's so pleased with herself that she seems to entirely miss the utter refusal to pay tribute, off in a world of her own where tiny half-Kryptonians run around on the smoking ruins of once-verdant planetoids, giggling as they trade five hundred kiloton punches with their loving father and mother. She only comes around when Wonder Woman mentions her betrothed again, ridiculously preened eyelids batting as she glances down and through the forcefield. "On.. on his way?" She echoes, mouth turning up until she looks like a giddy schoolgirl. A high-pitched squeak escapes a moment later, her hands bunching to fists beneath her chin. She even does a little dance. It would be pretty ridiculous if she WEREN'T a tall, space-age sex bomb. As it is... 'nuff said.

"Well, of course he would wish his slaves to be treated kindly! If you do not punish them frequently to show them you care, they do terribly poor work. My betrothed will be the fairest and most gracious of all tyrants! Which is why, Princess Diana of the Earth-fools-" she already forgot the rest, like she's forgotten anything beside 'Superman is coming', including the fact there's a barrier in front of her, apparently. She suddenly strides forward, unbelievably over-confident and smug from golden high-heeled bootheels to the little smile on her heavily painted lips as she barges through and onto the hangar deck of the Watchtower.

Behind her, the force field fizzes and sputters. That... probably isn't quite right.

Spreading her arms to her sides, Maxima does a twirl and comes around with hands back on cocked hips, brilliant white teeth flashing as she spares Diana a movie star grin. "Which is /why/, he will be more than happy for HIS BEAUTIFUL LADY-WIFE to await him upon his orbital battle-station. You may escort me to the bridal suite; I will await him there and make my preparations once my flagship is docked and Sazu has carried my luggage aboard. I trust you can provide ample slaves to assist her!"


It was to Diana's understanding that the 'force field', or whatever it was called, was vitally necessary to keeping space out, which likewise, was bad. So that flickering causes Wonder Woman's face to somehow grow even more stern, eyes narrowing sharper. Perhaps it was best that Maxima was not fond of casual mind-reading at this point. But it did not take a mind-reader to tell that Diana was not pleased with the way she was squeeing out there. 

"You have... odd mannerisms. Are you the same species as he?" Diana asks, audibly puzzled, even if not visibly so. Sadly enough, though, it seems that Maxima had to continue carrying on, each word out of her mouth ticking more and more notches out of that internal scoreboard that Diana was carrying. At least, until Diana carried the mental image of the scoreboard just crumbling to rubble. 

"For a man that does so much good on Gaia..." Diana says, taking a step back. There was little grace to her form. Wife of Superman be damned. Curling her hand into a fist, Diana pulls it near her side. "He has POOR choice in companions!" It was impulsive, and it generally was a terrible thing to strike out at people who were potentially wives of friends. "Wait in your ship - there is no respite for you /here/, Lady Maxima!" Diana says. 

Impulses were generally terrible things to indulge. 

It was the impulsive nature of the punch that Diana throws at Maxima's face then that might steal a bit of force from the blow. Although Diana was not sparing force as she might upon a human foe - it was sloppy technique more than a lack of strength. The blow itself was almost a backhand, with Diana whipping her fist before herself, and hopefully across Maxima's cheek.


Maxima's arrogance is not born entirely of ignorance; or rather... it is, she's just got genuine reason to believe that it's absolutely not. Despite Sazu's records insisting that Wonder Woman is competent, every other report regarding Earth has marked the inhabitants as both WEAK and LAZY - explaining why they haven't conquered any star systems, even including their own. Maxima Logic thus dictates that everybody on Earth who isn't Superman must pay homage /to/ Superman and be vastly inferior to both him and all of Almerac.

Which is why she's not even keeping half an eye on Diana, idly looking around following her declaration.

"Of course we're not the same species," she purrs with a faux-indulgent titter that shakes the deck beneath her feet, turning around in the very instant that the Amazon decides enough is enough. Naturally talking over her in the process; but she already said Earthlings speak too quietly, so she has plentiful excuse for this! Regardless: *WHAM*. The fist plows into her perfect cheekbone, raising a shockwave that would probably cause serious damage to anything constructed to lesser specification than the Justice League's orbital HQ. A few shouts raise up from the crew as it is, and a Javelin jerks upon its bearings. Wonder Woman hits /hard/.

Making it all the more disturbing that the Empress Maxima just sort of makes this... face.

Like she just smelled something slightly appalling but is trying not to think about it.

"If we were the same species," she continues slightly distantly, clearing her throat and reaching up to brush something from her cheek, "Our many children would not grow so strong and beautiful in my ROYAL W-- wait..." It's probably the fact her hand just brushed an unfamiliar one resting against her face, coupled with the fact her words were coming out rather oddly due to her face being smooshed against a mighty fist, but realisation suddenly dawns. Wide eyes stare at Diana for a long, tense moment. And then... and then...

The Lady Maxima throws back her head and unleashes a single, barking syllable of laughter. "HA!!!"

In the back of the hangar, a crewman falls over as though he's been shot, eyes spinning.

"That actually hurt!" Proclaims the Ruler of Almerac, her expression tearing into a frightfully broad grin, eyes bulging out as she takes a step back from Diana of Themyscira. There's a red welt appearing on her cheek, which she's going to be REALLY UNHAPPY about it in about two minutes, but for now she's still tittering as she backs up, coming to a stop halfway between the Amazon and the still-fizzling forcefield. "I do believe Sazu was right about you, WONDERFUL WOMAN. And my betrothed must choose the finest companions even in this backwater! As a gesture of respect to your royal person I will gladly await aboard my flagship; though let it be known that I will not wait long. I desire a bath and we have run out of Almeracian salts. SAZU!"

She glances over her shoulder, still posing magnificently of course. Then, she's once more a whirl of vibrant colours, an odd little hum of residual energies left in her wake as she whisks away into the vaccuum and back toward the waiting bulk of her massive battle cruiser. This might be a lucky escape for Diana...

But it remains to be seen whether it's the start of something terrible for mankind!