Ray Palmer: AKA The Atom, stood there staring at the resident Justice League physician Dr. Wexler in shock. No, shock was far too trivial a word and yet one that was more appropriate failed to come to mind.

“You want me to do what?” he asked dumbfounded.

“We have tried everything,” the young pretty doctor said, her red locks billowing over her shoulders. “It is some kind of parasite and it’s evading all of our attempts to neutralize it.”

“Hold on,” Ray said, raising his hands, his fingers outstretched. “So you want me to shrink down and take a look for myself?” he asked. “You want me to go inside Wonder Woman?”

Just asking the question was enough to make Ray feel aroused. Ever since she had put him in her cleavage during the battle with the alien doomsday robot, he had dreamed about getting that close to her again. It had been a dream come true for him and he wondered if Diana even knew what that simple action had done to him. To be stood there and to see the giant crevice between her breasts had been akin to being in heaven. To be asked to go inside her was another matter altogether.

“Are you alright?” the doctor asked.

Ray focused on her and then frowned. “What?”

“You zoned out there for a few moments.”

“I was just thinking about how crazy this idea is. Are you certain this is the only way?”

“I’m sorry, but there is no other way,” she said. “Even so, we will need permission.”

Atom felt his heart fall. There was no way that Wonder Woman was going to agree to let him, a man of all things, go inside her, even if it was non-sexual.

Then again, he never would have expected her to drop him into her cleavage, either.

“You haven’t asked yet?” he said, focusing on the doctor’s luscious lips.

The doctor sighed. “I was hoping to get your approval first since you’re going to be the one doing the shrinking and the unpleasant act of going inside her.”

“If you’re certain it’s the only way,” he said, doing his best to subdue the rising excitement he felt.

The last thing he wanted was to seem overly eager about the prospect of going inside Wonder Woman. He didn’t want to come off as a creep.

The doctor shook her head slowly, before swiping some of her red locks out of her eyes. “At this point, I’m out of ideas. Though I am worried about telling her, because if she declines then I’ve got nothing else.”

“Then it might be best not to tell her, for her own sake.” Atom said. “But I don’t feel comfortable going in if she doesn’t know,” he quickly added.

“It will be easier for you to get in if she does. From what we can tell it is in the upper part of the small intestine just below the stomach. It would be far easier to go in through the mouth than to trek from the anus. A colonoscopy proved that. Well, before it was destroyed.”

“Destroyed?” Atom asked, feeling slightly alarmed. “How?”

“Crushed. We caught a glimpse of something and a lot of redness, swelling, and strange growths along the walls of the upper small intestine. There was also a strange structure further down in the wall of the large intestine.”

Ray rubbed the back of his neck. “Is she in a lot of pain?”

“A lot of discomfort which we've dulled with medication. When she was brought in by Supergirl she was unconscious.”

“Do you know what happened?” Ray asked.

“They were called to a meteor crash that turned out to have some kind of machine in it. According to Supergirl, Wonder Woman cried out and collapsed when they got near. Supergirl promptly vaporized the machine with her heat vision.”

“That’s unfortunate,” Ray said. “We might have learned something about its origin if we had been able to study it.”

“Supergirl thought the machine itself was hurting her,” the doctor explained. “That was why she destroyed it, thinking that it would stop whatever was happening to Wonder Woman. It didn’t stop.”

“Where is she now?” he asked.

“In one of the sickbay rooms.”

“I meant Supergirl.”

“Oh. She’s gone home. I gave her a once-over to make sure she wasn't also infected with anything. She appeared to be okay, but doing my job is next to impossible when it comes to Kryptonians. Wonder Woman is a difficult case, too. Their physiology makes my probing a billion times more difficult.”

“I see,” Atom said. “I suppose we should speak with Diana. See what she makes of all this.”

“Good idea,” the doctor agreed. “We need to still figure out how you can fight the parasite if or when you come in contact with it. I suggest having something that can cut. Even if you can’t fight it, being able to collect samples would be an advantage.”

“There might be something in storage we can use,” Atom suggested.

“Perhaps,” the doctor said. “Let’s go talk to her.”

Ray suddenly felt nervous as he followed the doctor through into Wonder Woman’s room. She was sitting in bed, staring at the back wall in a hospital gown. At first glance, nothing appeared to be wrong, but after looking at her for a few more moments he noted that she looked a little pale.

She looked over at them. “Good afternoon, doctor. Atom.”

“Good afternoon,” the doctor said. “How are you doing?”

“I have been better,” Wonder Woman answered sourly. “Have you found a way to get this parasite out of me and kill it?” she asked.

Doctor Wexler glanced nervously at Ray. “Well…”

“Well, what?” Wonder Woman asked, looking between them. “I have a feeling that I am not going to like what you have to say.”

“Well, I have a plan,” the doctor said. “It has taken some effort convincing Atom and… Well…”

“Spit it out, sister,” Wonder Woman said. “I want this thing out of me.”

The doctor ran her hand through her vibrant red hair. It was obvious that she was nervous, maybe afraid of what Diana would think of her plan.

Ray, being the man he was, decided to take the pressure off of the poor woman. “Her plan is for me to shrink down and deal with the parasite inside you myself.”

“I thought that was what you were going to say,” Wonder Woman said glumly. “Why else would you be here.”

“I suppose it is kind of obvious,” he agreed. “I was pretty surprised when she dropped it on me.”

The amazon focused her gaze back onto the wall, her expression growing fierce. “The answer is no. Find another way.”

“Understandable,” Ray said.

The doctor took a nervous step forward. “We believe this is the best option available,” she said. “Please, do it for me.”

The amazon frowned. “For you? I was not aware that we had any kind of relationship that would warrant such a statement.”

“We don’t,” the doctor said, her voice cracking. “I’m sorry, I overstepped my bounds there.”

“Regardless, how will you even get him inside me?” Wonder Woman asked. “Injection?”

“Inside a pill,” the doctor answered. “You will swallow it and he will enter through there.”

“And how will he deal with the parasite?”

“That’s the question,” Ray said. “Give me a day and I will come up with something.”

The amazon didn’t look convinced. She looked back at the doctor. “Any ideas?”

“Well, it might not be something he can fight depending on what it is. I told him he needed something that can cut so we can get some samples. Even if he can’t destroy it, at least he can bring me something to study.”

“Fine,” Wonder Woman said, relenting. “I shall give you one day to get prepared.”

“So you agree to the procedure?” the doctor asked, sounding a little too excited.

“Yes. And as I said, I shall give Atom one day to prepare.”

The doctor nodded. “That should be okay.” She looked at Ray. “I'll contact you if her condition worsens while you are getting ready.”

"Please do," he said.

“One more thing,” Wonder Woman said, looking at the both of them. “Tell no one else of this. This stays between the three of us. I do not want anyone to know that a man was inside me, shrunken or not.”

Ray made a zipper motion across his lips. “I’m not gonna tell anyone.”

“Doctor, patient confidentiality,” the doctor said. “And I would never do anything that would hurt you.”

Diana looked Ray in the eyes. “I know you are putting yourself at great risk. Thank you.”

“Think nothing of it,” Atom said.

“But also know this: do not take advantage of this situation, or you shall live to regret it.”

“I understand,” he said, placing a gloved hand on his chest. “I am a gentleman. I will do what I have to do to get rid of the parasite, nothing more.”

“Good.”

Ray turned for the door. “I should prepare.”

“Yes,” the doctor said nodding. “I shall send you everything I have on the parasite. Which honestly is next to nothing.”

“It will be needed, thank you.”

“Remember, you will need something that can cut so that you can collect samples.”

“I think I have some old energy cutters I might be able to use.”

With a slight skip in his step, he left the room and made his way swiftly out of the Watchtower’s medical center. He felt genuinely excited about the mission ahead, something he hadn’t felt in some time. He was the only person on the planet that could do what was required and it was always nice to be needed, especially when considering what the mission at hand entailed.

Despite his excitement, he would still be a professional about it. Diana was in danger and it had been put to him to help her. He would do everything in his power to ensure whatever was inside her was expunged.

He was a superhero after all, though that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy himself while doing it.