JLA 15 (Patreon)

The audience shrieked as Superman and Darkseid began to jump, hair and bodies bouncing. At first, they each stuck to regular jumps, each one just getting comfortable and in time.

“Remember,” Green Lantern called out. “If neither of you misses, the winner will come down to style points.”

“You ready to get serious?” Superman said.

“Whenever you are."

Superman started to do Mummy Kicks, sticking a leg straight out, toes pointed.” Cheers.

“Omigod,” Darkseid smirked, “is that all?” He matched the Mummy kicks easily.

Meanwhile, Wonder Woman and company were watching on a monitor. “Let’s go,” Wonder Woman said.

Zatanna nodded, conjuring a glowing portal that shimmered into existence, cutting the air with swirling patterns of red and black, smoke twisting around the border as the smell of ozone filled the air.

Wonder Woman and Huntress plunged through the portal, followed by Hawkgirl and Zatanna. As they hoped, Circe and Silver Sorcerous were watching the content, albeit using Circe’s crystal ball instead of a monitor. Wonder Woman hurled her lasso, the golden rope flying through the air, the loop spinning above Circe’s head, while Huntress fired a tranquilizer dart at Silver Sorcerous.

Something seemed to warn Circe, who vanished in a cloud of smoke just before the lasso would have wrapped around her and bound her to Wonder Woman’s will. Silver Sorcerous was not so lucky. The dart pierced her neck, and she spun, furious, hurling a bolt of energy through the air that clipped a leaping Huntress, sending her spinning through the air and crashing into the wall. Silver Sorcerous, already woozy and stumbling, tried to throw more deadly bolts, but Hawkwoman’s bolo caught her hands, wrapping around them, halting the spell even as the drugs in the dart fully reached her brain and sent her crashing to the ground.

“Tie her up and gag her,” Wonder Woman said, gathering her lasso, looking around for Circe. “You okay, Huntress?”

“On it.” Hawkwoman gagged and trussed Silver Sorcerous.

“I’ll live,” Huntress said, rubbing her leg were the bolt had struck.

“Circe!” Wonder Woman shouted. “Show yourself.”

“She’s gone,” Huntress said. “We’ll have to track her.”

“I don’t think so,” Wonder Woman said. They were in what looked like an old castle, the walls made of stone, torches blazing from sconces. “As soon as you’re ready, we’ll search the tower.”

“No need,” Circe’s voice called, seeming to come from everywhere at once. “Meet my friends.”

The thumping of many feet filled the room, and soon every door crashed open as an army of stone statues stormed into the room.

“Circle up!” Wonder Woman shouted.

“Your turn,” Superman shouted, turning as he jumped so he could face every side of the audience.

“Try and keep up,” Darkseid said. They were both keeping smiles on their faces, and bright happy tones in their voices, but each one was determined to prove that he was the best jumper. Darkseid started to do half and full twists.

Superman giggled. “Fun.” He matched the twists.

More cheers as the two kept jumping.

“Careful,” Darkseid said.

“I’m fine,” Superman said. The time was clicking along. Neither seemed likely tired. “Let’s take this up a notch.” Taking a moment to measure his speed, he started to do double under, whipping the rope around rapidly, making a whistling sound.

“Double unders,” Darkseid said. “Love them.”

He matched the double-unders.

Meanwhile, Darkseid’s court started to call out, trying to throw Superman off— jump! No! Look! Your mascara is running!”

“Don’t listen to them!” Batman yelled from Superman’s corner.

“Try and keep up,” Superman shouted, now doing double under crossovers.

Darkseid matched the move, the ropes whistling through the air in a blur, Superman and Darkseid jumping, bouncing.

Batman glanced at the clock. Time was running down. Neither had missed, and they had each done all the same tricks. His heart started to race. Superman had to win. He had to! It was just so important. “Go all out, girl!” He yelled. “Be the hero!”

Wonder Woman, Huntress, Zatanna and Hawkwoman had formed a circle. Statues after statue charged, smashed to pieces by fists, kicks, magic bolts. The shattered piles of stone began to accumulate around them, like a circle, and they were pushed closer and closer, the circle becoming smaller and smaller. Knuckles bled, and their skin shone with sweat. “There are too many,” Hawkwoman shouted. “We have to get out of here.”

“Keep fighting,” Wonder Woman said, slamming her fist into the statue of an ancient knight, watching the stone crack and crumble. Zatanna pulled back from the edge of the circle and gathered all her power. “Duck!” She shouted.

The women all ducked as a disc of mystic energy spread out from around Zatanna, cutting the statues in half, sending their tops tumbling to the ground, their legs running around aimlessly.

“Let’s go,” Wonder Woman said, charging toward a pair of double doors from which most of their attackers has emerged.

Zatanna, exhausted from the effort of her spell, sank to one knee. “Go,” she said. “I’ll catch up.”

Wonder Woman nodded, pushing through a few clawing stone hands, followed by the others. As they pushed through the doors, they found themselves entering a throne room. Circe sat upon the throne. Huntress and Hawkwoman hurled their projectiles while Wonder Woman leapt into the air, hurtling across the room like a missile. Wonder Woman crashed into the throne, the illusion of Circe vanishing, the dart and bolo slamming pointlessly into the now broken throne.

Cursing herself for being fooled, Wonder Woman rolled across the floor, popping to her feet even as a glowing cage of mythic energy dropped over her. She slammed into the bars, trying to break them, even as she watched both Huntress and Hawkwoman caught up in a glowing web, each one struggling, helpless.

Circe emerged now, removing the spell of invisibility that had shielded her. “Well, well,” she said. “Looks like I have the upper hand.”

Wonder Woman grabbed the bars of the cage and strained, trying to bend them, break them.

“Why are you here?” Circe said. “We made the world a better place. We got rid of toxic masculinity. You should be happy, Amazon.”

“You know what? You’ve convinced me. You’re right. Just get rid of this cage, and I’ll be on my way.”

“Ha! I never knew you had a sense of humor. I am serious, however. Look.” She created a magic portal where they could see Superman and Darkseid jumping rope, a huge crowd and pretty, smiling men watching.

Superman, hearing Batman’s encouragement, took it to the next level, rising into the air, spinning his whole body 360 degrees in the air as the rope became a blur.

Darkseid used his telekinesis to rise in the air as well. Neither could pay attention to the other now, each one just totally in the zone as they sought to dazzle the world with their skills. The pretty smiles had vanished, their soft, sweet brows now furrowed in concentration, each one totally focused, determined to win.

“Wonder Lass,” Circe said. “Isn’t she so much cuter and fun than that— lump, Superman?”

“You don’t really think you’e going to convince me?” Wonder Woman said.

“No,” Circe said. “But I do believe I can cast a spell on you that will make you more than happy to live in a world ruled by women.”

“Don’t be so sure.”

“Let me start with your friends.” She cast the spell. The web vanished. Huntress and Hawkwoman fell to the ground, got up. “She’s right,” Huntress said. “This is better.”

“The world is better off,” Hawkwoman said.

“Your turn,” Circe said, preparing her spell.

“Don’t.”

“You’ll thank me in a moment.”