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Enter the Debauchee! – Part 01

Wonder Girl Episode 2

Illustration & Story by Bon & Coup

Comic Manhattan, February 1929 Issue

The capsule splashed into the sea off the coast of Babylon City, briefly creating a column of water.

Wonder Girl was inside this capsule, a giant spider-like machine that had traveled through outer space. Suddenly, cracks appeared on the glass window, shattering, and seawater started flooding into the cockpit.

“Ah!”

Tossed about by the tepid seawater, Wonder Girl spun round and round in the cockpit and hit her back against the wall. She almost fainted from the impact. As she tried to catch her breath, she accidentally drank the salty water and coughed violently.

“I… I can’t… breathe!”

Desperately, she opened her eyes, only to see a vast expanse of deep blue sea. The sunlight turned the water into a sparkling mass of jewels. Wonder Girl reached out frantically towards the shimmering light, but the capsule, along with her, slowly sank to the seabed. The beautiful light faded away, and darkness engulfed her. Seaweed, schools of fish swimming by, the unfathomable abyss. She descended into a place as dark as outer space.

“I’m losing consciousness…”

Her eyes were closing.

But then, she pursed her lips, opened her eyes, and tried to swim, thrashing her arms and legs. With her immense strength, she managed to swim out of the broken cockpit. Despite nearly running out of breath, she let herself land on the dark seabed, then with a powerful kick against the sandy bottom, she jumped underwater with all her might.

Her long silver hair glistened like dorsal fins, and her slim body began to shine brightly underwater.

“Haah! Hiyah!”

She kicked the water repeatedly, increasing her speed. She ascended rapidly as if there were a straight path in the water. She pushed through the lukewarm seawater and soon saw light once more, bright like a cave’s exit. Young, vibrant sunlight illuminated the new world. A smile gradually appeared on Wonder Girl’s anxious features.

“Hyaah!”

Wonder Girl leaped towards the light. And with a splash, she burst out of the sea.

Off the coast of Babylon City’s harbor, a young orca playing in the water yelped in surprise, then leaped up.

---

“Not even a nibble this… morning… Huh? Aaaah!”

A young Chinese boy named Linlin, who was fishing at the corner of the harbor, gaped in astonishment when he noticed something approaching from the sea.

It was a quiet morning in Babylon City, with its residents still asleep amidst the hustle and bustle. The harbor was enveloped in silence.

A shiny black-and-white orca cut through the blue sea. Upon closer inspection, there was a girl riding on its back. A beautiful girl, about the same age as Linlin, with flowing silver hair.

“Ahh? Wha… What?”

The orca drew closer, and its large body loomed right in front of him.

“N-No! I don’t want to catch such a big fish! Go away!”

Terrified, Linlin almost closed his eyes. But then, from the back of the orca, the beautiful girl spun in the air before landing elegantly. Her silver hair partially hid her body, and drops of seawater fell from her hair and face.

“Hello! Where is this?”

“Where? More like, where did you come from? This is Babylon City, the magnificent neo city, the gateway to the great United States of America.”

“Babylon City?”

“Yeah. Look!”

Linlin gestured while pulling in his fishing line. Wonder Girl looked up at the sky.

Skyscrapers towered high, with one particularly large futuristic tower standing tall, jet-black and sinister. Undeniably impressive in appearance, the cluster of high-rise buildings exuded an eerie atmosphere.

“So this is Bluestar. The gateway to the sea of the neo city, Babylon City!”

“Yup! So, where are you from? What were you doing here? And what’s your name?” Linlin bombarded Wonder Girl with curious questions.

Wonder Girl blinked repeatedly, then proudly said, “My name is Wonder Girl! I come from the planetary city of Wonderstar in the far reaches of space. What was I doing? Well… umm…”

She pondered for a moment, trying to recall Wonder Queen’s words at their parting. Wonder Girl raised her head, this time with a hint of uncertainty.

“To use my power to uphold what I believe is right… I think that’s it!”

Linlin handed her a breakfast bun, and Wonder Girl eagerly took a big bite. Linlin, with a pensive expression, nodded and said, “I see. In that case…”

“What?”

Linlin pulled down the flagpole flying the American flag and, somewhat shyly, handed it to Wonder Girl. Noticing she was naked, Wonder Girl casually wore it like a cape, draping the blue, white, and red, star-patterned fabric over her.

Linlin glanced at her forlorn profile. “You’ve got enemies to fight,” he said. “Babylon City might seem gorgeous, but evil runs rampant, and plenty of people are hurting.”

He gazed up at the sky, at the towering buildings and the ominous black tower.

The morning breeze blew, tousling Wonder Girl’s silver hair and the flag that served as her cape. Her lovely lips parted.

“Evil is rampant here? That’s terrible!”

Wonder Girl has arrived in our city!

To be continued!

---

Chapter 2: Enter the Debauchee!

The pale moon hung in the sky, though the stars remained faint.

Whoosh!

The streets of Manhattan dimmed. Stone buildings flanked the sidewalks, illuminated by the flicker of street lamps. People in suits hurried past. The subway entrance yawned open like a gateway to the underworld. Whoosh! A foreboding sound reverberated through the air.

Abruptly, black-uniformed police officers began herding pedestrians, announcing, “The subway’s closed for the night!”

Perplexed, Kazuya asked, “Excuse me… It’s closed?”

The officer cast an annoyed glance at the seemingly destitute young man from the East, but ultimately ignored him. But upon noticing his fluent English, the officer turned to him. “Yeah. We had the victory parade earlier, and tonight there’s a party for the completion of the Apocalypse. Roads in this area are all shut down.” He paused. “Where are you headed?”

“To Greenwich Village.”

“Huh? That posh neighborhood? Planning some mischief?”

“What? No. My relative… my sister lives there. I think…” Kazuya’s voice trailed off in uncertainty.

The officer raised an eyebrow. “You think? Well, either way, you’re stuck till morning. Better find somewhere to settle in.”

“That’s a problem. My companion is exhausted. We just got off a ship, and the immigration process was tough.”

“Hmm… Why not take refuge at the church? They’re offering food there.”

“Ah, I see. Thank you.”

Kazuya nodded appreciatively, but the officer, preoccupied once more, soon forgot about the young immigrant.

“Victorique!”

Kazuya rushed to the corner of the sidewalk where their suitcases were piled. There sat Victorique atop the stack—on the large brown suitcase, the medium-sized black one, and the small camel-colored one—gazing at her attendant.

Her hair, resembling strands of silver silk, shimmered in the wind, occasionally taking on a platinum hue. Wrapped in coarse gray cloth, her petite figure appeared even smaller. Her chubby cheeks glowed softly under the moon’s faint light.

Kazuya narrowed his deep black eyes, gazing up at his sole princess. As regal and enchanting as ever, Victorique de Blois still exuded an aura of fragility and transience. Kazuya’s heart clenched. Memories of their conversation on the immigrant ship flooded back.

“You think I’ve grown weak. And perhaps you’re a tad disappointed in that!”

Kazuya shook his head vehemently. No, Victorique, that’s not it. I’m just glad you’re safe, to be here beside me again, getting mad and occasionally smiling. Besides, you’re…

And he shook his head once more. Sensing his gaze, Victorique turned to him. Kazuya forced a smile and playfully poked her cheeks.

“The roads are closed, apparently. Talk about bad luck. We were hoping to find Ruri’s place.”

“Hmm…”

“They say there’s a soup kitchen at the church. Let’s check it out.”

“…So, where’s this church?”

“Now, where could it be?” Kazuya scratched his head. Then, the evening bell began to chime. He smiled. “I deduce it’s in the direction of that sound!”

“Deduce? You used to confidently blurt out incorrect things like the pumpkinhead that you are, but these days… Who knows?” Victorique retorted quietly.

The church, which they found by following the sound of the bell, stood around a corner. It was a magnificent Gothic structure, its large cross reaching skyward, appearing as if it might topple over at any moment.

A web of ropes crisscrossed the space between apartment buildings, each line filled with laundry of various colors—white, brown, camel—swaying in the breeze like a monochromatic flag of many nations.

While the main street exuded grandeur, this area was a stark contrast with its uneven cobblestone paths. It felt like glimpsing the back side of a beautifully painted town.

Impoverished individuals, not seen on the main street, sat there. They looked up at them with lifeless eyes. Kazuya nervously went on, shielding Victorique.

“More of them?!”

“Day in, day out, more immigrants!”

“There’s barely any jobs left. Since the war ended, the population keeps going up!”

The air hung heavy with the scent of alcohol. Many bore visible injuries on their limbs.

Children wailed, mothers yelled, and the aroma of food mingled with the stench of decay, accompanied by the sobs of inebriated men. The acrid odor of alcohol wafted from shattered bottles.

Then, rain began to drizzle.

Kazuya furrowed his brow, stopping before the imposing church. An elderly man squatting in the alley lifted his head.

“Apocalypse, my ass!” he bellowed, startling Kazuya. “Dozens fell to their death during its construction. They make us do dangerous work for peanuts. Lots of guys get hurt and can’t work anymore. Being an immigrant is nothing but trouble! It’s not just the Apocalypse either. The buildings on the main street, the roads, the subway, the parks… They’re all built on the blood, sweat, and tears of nameless guys. Unmarked graves, no epitaphs!”

“Excuse me…”

“You folks just arrived today, didn’t you?”

“Uh, yes…”

“You were expecting splendid, glittering paved roads in the New World, weren’t you? Well, too bad! That’s not the case. America is a muddy wilderness! We bust our backs paving our own roads and building fancy buildings we can’t even live in!”

“We’re here for the food.”

“The food? Broke fucks! If that’s what you want, hurry up and go to the back! If the nuns are still around, they might give you some hard bread and salty soup.”

At that moment, a shrill scream came from above. It sounded like a domestic quarrel. Children’s cries mingled with the commotion.

All the laundry hanging outside was worn out. Patched clothes, sheets, towels. The smell of dirt spread as the rain fell.

Kazuya entered the church alone, searching for the nuns but struggling to locate them. When he finally found them, he learned that the soup kitchen had closed for the day. Disappointed, he was instead handed a portable radio left behind by some other person. He thanked them, feeling perplexed, then returned to Victorique.

He piled the suitcases onto the main street, with Victorique perched on top.

They found themselves before a flashy tobacco shop. Boxes of “Miss Cigarette” were prominently displayed in the storefront window. The package art, depicting a petite woman with silver hair dressed as the Statue of Liberty, adorned both the blue box and the wall. Fancy lettering proclaimed, “Miss Cigarette instead of candy!”

Concern etched Kazuya’s features as he glanced up at Victorique. She appeared utterly drained, even paler than before.

“Wait here a moment,” he said. “I’ll go find some warm tea or soup.” He handed the radio to Victorique, then hurried off.

First, food. I have to take care of her. Victorique only has me now. Teach, her friend, they’re not here. I have to… I have to give it my all!

Panic filled his mind.