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Femina Economica Monster – Part 01

Wonder Girl Episode 5

Illustration & Story by Bon & Coup

Comic Manhattan, May 1929 Issue

“Heeelp!”

In Babylon City’s downtown, the cry of an elderly man erupted out from a small grocery store that was still lit late into the night.

There was no one on the streets. Crows flew lazily overhead. A black cat curled up in an alleyway.

Bang! A gunshot rang out.

On the other side of an old glass window was a large Italian shopkeeper wearing an apron. He had a round bruise on his forehead, and his face was tense. He was being robbed at gunpoint. A small red hole appeared and widened on his chest. His face took on a sorrowful look.

“I have to support my son… my wife… with my own hands…”

Standing in front of him was a young man with a tattoo on his shoulder, chains dangling from his pants, giving the impression of a thug. He was holding what seemed to be a fifty-cent coin taken from the shopkeeper between his left thumb and index finger.

He sneered at the shopkeeper with a gun in his hand. “You’re willing to lose your life over just fifty cents, huh, old timer? Should’ve just handed it over quietly.”

“Guh… Our livelihood depends on this… You wouldn’t understand…”

The old man raised both hands into the air. “C-C-Coup de grâce.”

“What?”

He collapsed behind the counter, vanishing from sight. The young man reached for the cash register, grabbed some coins, and attempted to stuff them into his pocket, when the poignant cry of a child sounded from somewhere. But there was no one around. It sounded like a young boy.

And then, someone peeked out from the back of the store.

The man turned around in surprise, but to his astonishment, it was a little schoolgirl in a checkered miniskirt, a white blouse with a round collar, and a heavy leather bag clutched in her arms.

“Just a kid,” he scoffed.

The girl looked at the robber without fear. Her expression gradually turned curious. The man sneered at the girl, aiming the gun at her.

“Are you, um, a robber?”

“Yeah! So what if I am?”

“Um…”

Abruptly, the girl jumped and hit her head on the ceiling. Yelping in pain, she fell behind the counter, making a loud clatter. And then it went silent.

Did she faint? Even the robber was taken aback.

“Wh-What was that just now? Are you okay, little girl?”

And then from behind the counter, a figure resembling a petite girl with silver hair down to her back burst out with a bang.

Blue, white, red. A swimsuit-style costume with stars and stripes, red boots, and a bright blue cape. A blue planet on her forehead. Flowing silver hair. She stood tall at the counter.

The robber staggered back. “Wh-Who the hell are you?!”

The girl threw her chest out. “I am… Wonder Girl!”

“Damn it! So you’re the superhuman kid going around beating up my buddies, huh?! Ah, crap!”

As the robber tried to grab the fifty-cent coin from the register, Wonder Girl started throwing coins at him, pelting him all over like he was being shot at with a gun. Slowly, he collapsed.

From behind a barrel of wine, Linlin, a Chinese boy, peeked out. Once he saw that it was safe, he hastily crawled over to the counter and lifted up the shopkeeper.

“Hey, mister? Hang in there!”

The shopkeeper, who should have been shot in the chest, opened his eyes.

“Th-That scared the hell out of me!”

It seemed he was okay. Another sob sounded.

Looking up at Wonder Girl, who stood gallantly on the counter, the shopkeeper remarked, “I heard rumors lately about a superhuman girl teaming up with an Asian boy to take down robbers and thugs. And to think it was my regulars, Candy and Linlin.”

“Please keep this a secret, Uncle Toto. Candy goes to school during the day and has just started working hard as a hero at night. It might not look like it, but she’s just a normal girl. And… she’s a really good kid.”

Linlin’s cheeks turned red. Uncle Toto nodded and patted his chest. A little blood trickled from the hole in his apron. Was he shot, after all?

“Of course I understand! Rest assured. You saved my life. I would not blabber about it. I’ll keep it a secret for sure.”

“Great!”

Wonder Girl and Linlin exchanged smiles.

Then, the thug who had collapsed on the floor started muttering, “P-Please, no… Lord… Grim…” He trembled violently and disappeared into thin air, leaving only gray smoke.

Wonder Girl and Linlin stared at the floor in shock.

Uncle Toto crossed his thick arms and shook his head. “I knew it!”

“Candy, Linlin. This city’s been getting dangerous lately. Apparently, there’s some evil mastermind pulling the strings of these people. They eliminate their failed henchmen like this, turning them into smoke.”

“An evil mastermind?” Wonder Girl asked as she took a bite of Toto’s homemade ice cream.

Linlin got one too. Uncle Toto nodded with a sigh. Blood continued to trickle from the hole in his apron.

Beyond the window glass stretched the night view of Babylon City. Tall towers illuminated by moonlight, impressive buildings, a brick city hall, tightly packed shops, restaurants. Suddenly, a large gray shadow seemed to pass by.

Wonder Girl shuddered. Linlin stood shoulder to shoulder with her, tilting his head with concern.

“Word on the street says their nickname is…”

Uncle Toto’s face turned pale as death. He gazed at Wonder Girl intently, as if wishing for something. As if praying to use some mysterious power to change an irreversible past.

The sobbing of a child sounded again. A gust of wind blew, and dry leaves filled the alley outside. A crow flew low overhead. Wonder Girl’s silver eyelashes shimmered.

“Grim Reaper!”

Rumors of an evil mastermind ruling Babylon City?!

To be continued!

Chapter 3: Femina Economica Monster

In a corner of the Lower East Side’s East Village, just north of the New York Harbor, a unique building known as the Carousel stood with its round, shell-like design. Inside its domed structure, tropical trees flourished, and peculiar creatures like birds with vibrant wings, penguins, and tortoises roamed about.

Beneath the spiral staircase leading up to the high ceiling was a dim, semi-basement space. Two desks, facing each other, were arranged within.

One desk was adorned with a tablecloth featuring stars and stripes in blue, white, and red, covered in numerous photographs. The other desk was cluttered with typed manuscripts. A photograph of a small elderly woman and a large Italian man stood prominently, captured behind a grocery store counter. Beside it lay an apron, the same one in the photo, stained and marked with a circle resembling a bullet hole, and blots akin to blood.

The walls were decorated with paintings and photographs depicting the cityscape.

The space was dark, with star-shaped lamps hanging from the low ceiling like fixtures in an attic. Various sweets dangled from strings, including large donuts with red and white patterns, gummy candies shaped like furniture in hues of blue and green, and cookie-like treats wrapped in yellow and orange paper. Were they real or merely wax imitations?

A faint rattling emanated from somewhere in the room. At the back, a large young man dressed in black was hunched over uncomfortably, sewing away at a sewing machine.

Half-coerced into the dimly lit underground chamber, which served both as a residence and a workspace, Kazuya found himself led by Bon Vivant, who was showing off a large blue lollipop. Anxious, he scanned the surroundings.

I’ve ended up in a weird place. Where’s Victorique?

Meanwhile, Victorique lounged nonchalantly in a grand chair, indulging in a striking blue lollipop, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. She appeared more content, her complexion slightly improved.

The young man at the sewing machine rose to his feet. Kazuya instinctively tensed at the sight of his large, muscular back. Surprisingly, he addressed Victorique in a gentle tone.

“I’m currently crafting your dress for the party.”

Victorique glanced up at the man.

His face remained obscured by shadows. “You’re a recent immigrant who just arrived at Ellis Island,” he said, drawing closer while concealing something behind his back.

Kazuya grew even more cautious, positioning himself in front of Victorique. The man had a handsome countenance, with large, dark eyes that seemed distinctly Italian. A long, red bruise marred the skin beneath his left eye, resembling a tear. Putting on a timid smile, he peered at Victorique.