Lady Trident Issue 4: Intervention

[ladytrident]

Dedicated to my fans: Cara Lace, Mystic Blades, and Sister Rose - without whom I might have taken forever to finish this whole thing.


Andrea felt the cold early morning air as she held the rail of the ferry. She tried to feel happy; she was finally joining Cori at home. She’d tried to get Cori to the island a few times this past year, even to get closure on the passing of Trikonis.
She knew this had been a hard year. First Trikonis, then Jim, all piling on to the long lasting scars of her mother’s disappearance when was only seven. Although, that had been when Andrea had come to the island full time to care for the young Coryphaena while Trikonis dealt with the loss.
The ferry pulled up and Andrea helped the old ferry man tie off the boat and gave him a pair of coins. He waved good bye as she walked up the well-worn path to spacious and beautiful Delphinidae compound. Usually a bustle of staff, security, and with an archeological command center for aquatic digs. Now, with the passing of the paternal head of the family and Cori yet to reactivate operations – the command and control room was covered with sheets and locked. The staff had returned to their families, and only the ancient temple ruins remained to guard the island like Sentinels of the Ages.
She opened the latch to the gates, the hinges rusted from disuse and the salt air. It was as quiet as a tomb, which was curious. Cori would be awake by now; she had always been an early riser. Andrea slid her hand to the small of her back to slide the strap off her Beretta Px4 subcompact pistol, snugly in its holster. Her tucked in top into her jeans with a light jacket over them made it easy to hide her weapon.
She slid the back patio door open and walked inside. Her booted foot kicked an empty beer bottle into another empty. They were scattered over the floor. She bent down to examine an empty pill bottle and looked up at the sound of coughing, heaving, and flushing. “Oh, Cori…”
Andrea had held her hair, helped her clean up and go back to bed. The beer bottles were cleared up along with the other wreckage. A few additional pill bottles were also found, emptied and flushed. She recalled the only thing that Cori had said to her as she helped her back to her room with her arm over Andrea’s shoulder. “I hate my life.”

Andi walked up the curling staircase balancing a breakfast tray. Seeing her still asleep in the bed took her back to when she was still just a kid, positively swallowed by a huge bed. Now, she looked like a sleeping beauty. Cori rolled over and groaned as the sunlight hit her face, she mumbled something incoherent and pulled a down feathered pillow over her head.
Same old Cori.
Andrea set the tray down and pulled her pillow off. “C’mon, your highness, get up, it’s past three in the afternoon.” She handed Cori a lemon water and cracked the top off a thirty-two ounce Gatorade. “When did you finally go to sleep?” she asked concerned.
“When you got here.”
“All night drinking? I taught you better than that.”
“Andi…”
“Don’t ‘Andi’ me. I gave your first beer so you would at least know good beer from bad.” She sat down on the bed when Cori scooted up to sit up straight. “What’s going on?”
“Well, for starters, Dad isn’t dead.”
“Cori, your dad is-“
“Andi, Dad is Poseidon. As in Greek God, Posiedon.” She said, apparently believing every word.
Andi deflected, “Gods, what have you been on?”
“Dammit, Andi, “ she hopped out of bed, “Look at me, I’m as a tall as you!”
“What happened to you,” Andi was stunned, Cori had ended up shorter than her by five inches, this was amazing. Not only was she taller, she was stunning. The older woman hadn’t even thought about earlier when she had helped her up the steps and got her into bed. Looking back, she should have noted the different frame and weight. She had gotten tunnel vision, she quietly cursed herself, soldiers couldn’t afford that luxury.
“Did you hear about the alien invasion in Metropolis?” She asked excitedly, Andi got the idea that Cori hadn’t had a chance to really talk about this yet, not to someone she’d trusted.
“I was in Coast City, yes, I noticed.” Andi’s mind flashed back to the screams of people running for their lives and traffic backed up on the Pacific Highway. She sighed inwardly, Cori had always been a little self-centered.
“I was taken aboard one of the ships and ended up like this.”
“So you got abducted by aliens and they gave you an extreme makeover?” She asked smiling slightly.
Cori put her hands on her hips and looked exasperated.
“I’m just teasing, but you look great.” Andi couldn’t help but tease, but, did try to assuage the temper. She needed Cori to focus on something else so she switched her role. “Oh, by the way, “ changing the subject. “Pills, really?”
Cori looked down, clearly ashamed, with her classic “busted” face.
“How long has this been been going on?”
“About six months now, since Jim.”
“I’m sorry about Jim, honey; but, this has to stop. As in immediately.”
Cori just nodded in understanding.
She noticed a few tell-tales; one didn’t play poker with Andi, causing to ask “You can’t stop taking them, can you.”
Cori shook her head ‘no’.
“Damn, ok, well, we might have to get you checked out by a doctor. Maybe even checked in somewhere.”
“Yeah, well, that’s going to be interesting.” She shuffled her feet, clearly hiding something.
“Why?”
Cori’s eyes lit up and the room began to chill. “I didn’t just get taller.”
*
Andrea Athenis was the Delphi Consortium’s Head of International Security, so she knew judging from Cori was talking about for powers, traditional rehabilitation wouldn’t be able to hold her. Addicts would agree at first, only to find themselves unable to stop from wanting and feeling the hunger for their chosen poisons.
That’s why they were addicts.
Add the power set that Cori was talking about having, and there was no way a facility could hold her back from getting what she wanted. Keep her back from it long enough without allowing for a detoxification to take place and someone could get hurt.
She contacted the Justice League’s Watchtower by following Cori’s instructions and arranged to have specialists meet them. She had asked her as she has she covered the mouthpiece on the phone with her hand, ‘Do you trust these people, Cori?” Her former charge had only answered, ‘Do I trust Wonder Woman? Andi, really?’
They were teleported aboard the Watchtower and brought to the Medical Section, just adjacent to the War Room. Wonder Woman met them and quietly escorted them. She had understood the need for privacy and dignity in this situation and respected that. After introducing them to Doctor Midnite, Cori was examined, blood taken, and answered a few questions in private. Andi had waited outside with Diana, who thankfully didn’t press her identity – though it was obvious from her demeanor that she wanted to ask. ‘I’m here for Cori’, was all Andi would repeat to herself in her mind, the other history and missions can wait. Her true reason for being her would be evident enough. She knew of Diana’s penchant for the truth, but Andi understood the need for deception; the truth would take care of itself.
Doctor Midnite gathered his findings and sat down with the two of them, Wonder Woman hadn’t joined them. This was for family. “As far as I can tell,” the daylight blind superhero said to them, “her body is in perfect health. Very likely, it is a psychological need at the root of this. Though I believe with continued abuse her new body would develop a chemical addiction too.”
“So what are the options we are looking at, Doctor,” asked Andrea.
“I recommend a psychic cleansing similar to detox, but you are correct. Given the stresses, she could hurt herself.”
*
Cori watched the world turn the wrong way once again from the viewport. Before she had thought about her life changes and how they were beyond her control, now she was back again thinking about mistakes that were all her own.
“You’re wondering what to do now,” a low voice said behind her. She turned to see the Batman. Even with her additional height, he was head and shoulders taller than her. The lights seemed darker with him standing over her and with his glowing white pupil-less eyes looking at her, she felt dissected under his gaze.
“I came across someone in your situation and after numerous attempts to reach him; he still wouldn’t listen to reason. All that mattered was the next dose; that next hit.”
She narrowed her eyes, wondering if it had been someone else, or was this a more personal experience. “What happened to him?”
“He spent a month in a very dark place and came out stronger and wiser.”
“To hold me, apparently, it would have to be one helluva secure place." I don’t know anywhere like that.”
His eyes narrowed as he thought. She could almost see the information scrolling in front of his eyes. Finally, he spoke, “One place could.”
*
Three days later-
Cori and Diana regarded the simple cold wrought-stone cell. “This couldn’t have been made for me…”
Diana shook her head no, “Themyscra fought the forces of Ares and won. As punishment for his crimes, Ares was held here.”
“How many years?”
Diana simply looked down at the younger woman, “Many.”
“Ok, so a month shouldn’t he an issue.” Cori was nervous, she tended to prattle on, as her British friends had once told her.
“I have faith in you.” Diana simply replied. The goddess wasn’t getting out until she was ready, a month, three months, or more. Diana hated to do this, but they could not have someone with a substance abuse problem running around with Lady Trident’s level of power. So, willing or not, Cori was going into the cell. Diana truly hoped she would go willingly. She looked at the frightened young woman. Good, the fright wasn’t one of panic, something that Diana had seen on the battlefield. It was a fright of the unknown, and what she could tell was acceptance of the unknown. The fear showed wisdom, in its own way. The acceptance of that fear, the understanding and acknowledgement of it showed her something else that Diana respected even more, True Mettle. This was a woman that would fight by her side and that Diana could possibly even fight back to back with.
Whether she was worthy of the honor of that would be determined not as the woman she was at this moment, but whom she was when she emerged.
“Diana…” Cori’s voice broke her train of thought.
“Cori, I have faith, that’s the truth. Live with that.” She smiled to herself; this Lady Trident didn’t stand on pep talks and false bravado. Much like the cold wind she represented, she cut through the horse dung of false courage and went straight for your core. She brought out the truth.
Diana could respect that.
Cori only nodded; giving into that simple notion of hope, Diana only prayed that it wasn’t a fool’s hope.
*
Andrea approached the Amazonian throne, “Your highness, may I have a word?”
Hippolyta looked from a tome she was reading and regarded their guest’s guardian, seeming to consider her request, she simply said, “Leave us.” Her guards acquiesced and left the room. Once they were alone, “Hello, Andromeda” The queen smiled at her old friend.
“Hello, Hippolyta,” Andi’s smile joined her’s and they hugged.
They left the throne room to walk privately in the gardens adjacent to the main palace. “So, how long has it been? A hundred years at least.”
“I’d say so, no, wait. Crete. That bar in the town square with the piano player. What was his name?”
“David?” Hippolyta offered, “No, Steve!” They giggled like two old friends, remembering days long since gone by, and happy memories in the midst of a terrible Second World War. Hippolyta had been Wonder Woman back then, Andromeda had been working to free the Grecian Islands before the Nazis could gain access to the Olympian Armory, much as they were trying to find other magical artifacts from around the world. Ironically, the Blessings that Cori was destined to wear were among that collection.
“Yes, Steve! Steve with those soulful blue eyes.” They sat at a bench, “So, are you still with Artemis?”
“Yes, still her Captain of her Honor Guard. In fact, I’m on the job now.”
“Oh, you’re assigned to watch over Poseidon’s child. This Coryphaena…”
“Yes, and before you say anything Lyta, she’s a good kid. It’s been hard for her these last few years.”
“It won’t get any easier, she is still destined to wear the Blessings, isn’t that correct?”
“Oh yes, but first we have to get her straight. I’m sorry to call on you like this, Lyta. I’m still undercover as a mortal, she doesn’t know. I was to help raise her when her mother, well, was called to service.”
“Oh yes, her mother…” Hippolyta nodded in understanding, “Coryphaena doesn’t know?”
Andromeda looked harshly for a moment at her old friend, then her face softened, “I haven’t had the heart to tell her.”
Hippolyta put her hand on her centuries long friend’s shoulder, “She is about to face the Light of Truth, if she comes out the other side, don’t do her the disservice of hiding something so important.”
“Lyta, how can I tell her that her mother is still alive?”
*
Cori slowly walked through the large stone door and knelt in the center of the room as she had been instructed, Diana following her holding a golden lantern, the wick lit within it. Diana placed in front of her and walked out. The amazon guards waiting to seal the chamber. “We will be waiting for you after you finish this journey.”
With that the door closed and was sealed.