Wonder Woman
Diantha of Themyscira was angry. She was pacing back and forth at the edge of a battlefield in Elysium. She was wearing celestial bronze greek armor and she had a spear and shield. She glared at the battlefield through her helmet, watching her sisters fight the Laestrygonians. The cannibal giants were throwing rocks into Amazon formations. They were a bit taller then someone on a horse when they stood. She could see one of her sisters being stabbed by one of them with a spear that was nothing more then a shaved tree. The giant lost focus on the battle and was eating the body.
Damn it! Diantha was doing fine on her own but Zeus had pulled her back to guard the damned Pagkosmia Petropyli. She knew the little portal stone was important but she wanted to fight! Zeus had told her that the portal stone was the only thing that kept monsters from this realm from going into the mortal realm. That was fine. She understood the importance of it. She just didn't think that she should be stuck on guard duty! She was the daughter of Hyppolita, Queen of the Amazons! Guard duty was beneath her.
Klymene was here to guard the Petropyli. Let her, Diantha thought. She can do that job and free Diantha to fight like she was born to do! She paced back and forth like a caged animal. She had pulled ahead of the others in her joy of battle and this angered Zeus. Why? Why restrain us? She had been on her glorious warhorse Podarkes, the swift footed! It was the immortal horse she was given when she was a child. She had leapt ahead and been the first to take out one of the Laestrygonians with a swift slice to the knees with her spear and then shoved the spear through his mouth into his brain as soon as it screamed it's pain. She had the first kill of the battlefield! She should be in a place of honor! Not guarding this stupid rock!
Why didn't Zeus guard this thing better himself? How did that sorcerous Xenocrates get it in the first place? He didn't get very far with it did he. Now his Laestrygonians and those monsters he had called up with his magic where in a fierce battle at the very foothills of Mount Olympus! She could see Zeus pounding one of the monsters the size of a small island with lightning bolts. She could see Athena directing battle formations of Amazon warriors against another monster.
Then she saw her sister Antimache fall nearby. She was beset by three Laestrygonians!
Diantha turned to Klymene, "I will be right back!" and she whistled for her steed Podarkes.
Klymene yelled, "No Diantha, we must stand guard!" but Diantha leapt to her horse's back and took off towards Antimache.
The cannibal giants had not killed her yet, but they had stripped her of her armor in preparation. They glanced over and saw Diantha charging at them and were afraid. They ran away, down the hill, but they dragged Antimache after them, still conscious and screaming.
Podarkes lept from rock to stone beyond what any mortal horse could and was upon them in an instant. She rode Podarkes up the back of one of the giants, gouging hoof prints in it's back as it climbed. The giant went down under the weight of the horse and rider and as they came off the front of the giant Podarkes kicked back and bashed it's brains in.
Diantha threw her spear into the forearm of the giant who dragged Antimache. The giant dropped her and kept running. She reached down and pulled Antimache up across her saddle. Then when she passed that giant she grabbed the end of the spear again and let her motion with the horse carry the end of it forward. This rotated the spear in the forearm of the giant snapping it's bones and then caused it to slide out as she moved by, tearing the flesh with the back end of the spear blade. She swung the spear over her head like a staff and on the next arc she threw it into the base of the skull of the giant in front of her that was fleeing. That one fell like the strings had been cut from his puppet body. She rode up his body and retrieved the spear again with the arms and legs twitching. Then she circled and looked at the giant with broken arm.
Diantha pointed the spear at the giant. He had stopped and was cradling his ruined arm.
He yelled at her, "King Xenocrates will feast on your liver and crack your bones for the marrow!"
"Your king will die this day so you may tell him that we will wipe out his kind from this world and any other we find them in!"
"You can't stop us! We will spread into..." and he disappeared.
Diantha looked around in surprise and realized that the battle sounds had died out as well. Oh no! She charged Podarkes forward back up the hill and saw Klymene's body laying among two giant's bodies. The chest with the Pagkosmia Petropyli was gone! Xenocrates must have it now and he used it to take his forces into the mortal world!
And it was her fault!
Diantha was kneeling in front of Zeus. Zeus was semi-transparent as he stood at the foot of Mount Olympus. The Gods were not entirely physical and that was why they needed their demigod children to work and fight for them. They could direct large forces but smaller things were harder to manipulate for them. They could take the form of an animal if they wanted to actually deal with something smaller but it was not always that useful.
Zeus was angry and it showed in the lightning that ran along area around him. "I told you to guard the Pagkosmia Petropyli my daughter! Why did you disobey me?"
Diantha looked up at her father, "I was drawn into battle from worry for my sister Antimache. I was blinded by my rage. I have failed you Father."
Her mortal mother Hyppolyta stood to the side of Zeus looking at Diantha. The rest of the Amazon warriors were to the left. Athena and her warriors were to the right. These were primarily men.
Zeus looked down on her, "I created the Pagkosmia Petropyli in order to prevent the creatures from our world from entering the mortal realm so that they could grow up on thier own and not have to deal with the constant creatures of the Titans and their attacks. I swore an oath centuries before you were born to protect that realm. Now this sorcerer is loose and he has the ability to call monsters into their realm now!"
"If you were not my daughter I would kill you for your disobedience!" said Zeus. "However I have a more suiting punishment for you. Since you believe that you are able to handle everything on your own you will go alone into the mortal realm and retreive the Pagkosmia Petropyli. You will kill Xenocrates and any other monster that he brings forth into that realm. This will be your penenace for leaving your duties. You will continue this duty until it is complete or until you die!" Zeus floated up along the mountain and became a cloud that entered the temples far above.
Diantha stood and looked over at her mother. "I'm sorry I failed you." Diantha said.
"I understand. You did not mean for any of this to happen." her mother said.
Athena said, "This is a punishment that is harsh but fitting. However we do need for you to succeed and I do believe that with the right gifts you will be able to." She took off the two bracers she wore. "These were created by Hephestus for me. I give them now to you."
They shrank down to fit on Diantha's arms. She took off her old ones and replaced them with the wonderous new ones. They were also made of celestial bronze but of an incredible workmanship.
"Focus on the one on your left arm and it will create a sheild." said Athena.
Diantha did and an incredible shield appeared on her arm. It was covered in celestial bronze and had intricate details relating to Athena.
"If you touch them together and think about a shield then a dome of magic will appear around you." Athena said. "Now focus on your favorite kind of weapon in your right hand."
Diantha did and a celestial bronze spear appeared in her hand. She thought again and a sword appeared.
"It will only make melee weapons but it can make some impressive ones!" said Athena.
Diantha bowed to Athena, "Thank you wise one."
She turned back to her mother, "Mother, I..."
Hyppolyta stood in front of her and took off the belt around her waist. Her robes disappeared and revealed the armor shoe wore underneath them. "This will disguise you so that you can walk in the lands of men with calling too much attention to yourself."
Diantha put the Girdle of Hyppolyta on. This was a magic item that had been worn by the Queen of the Amazons for centuries. They could use it to look like they were wearing whatever they wanted. She looked like she was wearing robes and a cloak now.
Then Hyppolyta took off the Lasso of Hestia and gave it to Diantha. "You will need this to send the more powerful of those creatures back to the realms where they belong. Loop this over them and demand that they tell you where they belong. They will have to speak the truth and that admission will break the binding that allows Xenocrates to pull them into another realm."
Diantha nodded and attached it to her belt under the robes. "Goodbye Mother."
Hyppolyta pulled her into embrace, "You are named after the Dianthus – the Flower of the Gods. You will bloom anywhere. I know you will. I have faith that I WILL see you again."
Diantha turned to Athena, "How will I get there?"
Athena wistled and Podarkes came forward. She bent over and ran her hand through his mane. It changed from a brown color to pure white and his eyes glowed. "He will now be able to move from realm to realm and carry you with him. He will be able to navigate the ways between the realms with complete accuracy. I have even told him of a realm he can go to when you don't need him with endless grasslands and no predators. He will be able to hear your call from any realm he goes."
"Thank you wise one!" said Diantha as she bowed.
She collected her reins and leapt onto the magical horse. She turned to look at her sisters and mother, "Farewell."
She turned and rode away from Mount Olympus and disappeared into the mist below.
Diantha of Themyscira appeared out of the mists under a bridge in Chicago. It was raining and she pulled Podarkes out of the road but still underneath the bridge. She looked out at the city. It was so drab and strange to her but she had been here before during World War 2. It was a few years ago for her but she wasn't sure how long ago it was here. Time moved differently in different realms.
She knew that Podarkes would be seen as too strange here so she turned and nuzzled his face a moment before telling him to hide in that other realm. He shook his mane for a moment, turned, and disappeared into the mist.
She watched the people and found a woman wearing clothes she liked, appropriate to the weather, and touched the belt. Her clothes changed to match the woman's. It included a raincoat that she pulled around her. She wasn't used to the cold. Then she stepped out into the rain in search of an old friend who could help her. She just hoped he hadn't forgotten her. She chuckled to herself at the thought.
She walked up the streets looking at all the changes. There were so many new signs, some of them were like a huge color tv on the side of a building. It seemed so crowded now. Was it this crowded before? Shops spilled out onto the sidewalk. It seemed like there was writing on every available surface. Nothing was simple.
She walked over to a newspaper stand and picked one up to check the date. 2013! She was last here in 1943! That was 70 years ago! Maybe she really should worry if Steve would remember her, or anything at all! He was in his mid 20s during the war so that would make him in his 90s now! Well so much for that idea. Even if Steve Trevor was still alive he wouldn't be much help.
She tossed the paper back in annoyance. So if that was years ago then Xenocrates has been here for at least a few days. It was only a couple of hours to her. That means that he could have gone anywhere by now. She knew that most giants could make themselves human sized and look human to blend in. She couldn't just start asking people on a street corner if they have seen a 10 to 12 foot tall ugly giant walking around the streets of chicago. She also had the problem that she had no local money. Steve had helped guide her when she brought him back from being accidentally pulled into her realm during the war. Now she needed to figure this world out on her own.
She wondered if anyone in the Justice Society was still alive. Dr. Fate was the one that she thought would be most likely to still be alive since it was a spirit in the helmet that was Dr. Fate and the host could change. If she could find a place to meditate then she should be able to mentally connect with him. He had connected with her mind in the past so it should be possible. She just needed a quiet place to focus. She asked the paper vender for directions to a park and headed out.
She walked calmly to the park making sure not to run since she was much faster then a regular mortal. She looked at all the changes in the shops and buildings, all the ads, and all the changes in clothing style. It was a significant amount of change for a normal person but it had only been four or five years for her so this was an incredible amount of change to her. Once or twice she saw what she thought was a monster learing past their illusions but it just turned out to be rebellious teenagers trying to dress as horrendously as possible. She wondered if their parents knew what they were doing.
She found the park after a while. It was fairly artificial to her but at least there was some nature to connect with here. She wandered a while before she found a secluded spot. As she was settling down a mugger came closer and closer. This was mostly just amusing to her at this point. The mugger grabbed her purse and ran. Once the "purse" was more then a few feet from the Girdle of Hyppolita it disappeared. The mugger stumbled looking confused and looked back at her. She touched the Girdle and she showed her true form, an Amazon warrior in full armor.
He ran.
She chuckled to herself. Then she sat cross legged in the grass and relaxed her mind. She let it drift back to her time with the Justice Society of America. She let her thoughts focus on Dr. Fate and the times that he connected everyone's mind for combat coordination. She thought about the feel of his mind and sent out a call, "Dr. Fate! I, Diantha of Themyscira, call you! Come to my aid!"
She felt a very old mind turn it's attention to her and she felt his recognition. Then the connection was closed. She opened her eyes and stood, clad in her full armor, though she took her helmet down.
A large gold ankh appeared in the air and Dr. Fate appeared from the light. Then it disappeared and Dr. Fate floated down to the ground.
"Greetings Diantha of Themyscira. How fares thee?" said Dr. Fate. "I have been expecting you. Are you ready to search for your monters?"
"Greetings O Prophet. I am. Tell me, is the Justice Society still intact?" said Diantha.
"Nay. However it has a worth successor in the Justice League. They will help you in your quest, I am sure of it." said Dr. Fate. "Come, I will introduce you to them." He opened another ankh portal and they both stepped through.
Diantha and Dr. Fate appeared in the control room of the Watchtower. There were several people there going about their duties at various control panels. They stopped to see the new visitor but they didn't seem startled by their sudden appearance. They must have gotten used to Dr. Fate coming and going through portals. She was surprised to see so many normal mortals. When she was with the Justice Society it was made up of costumed superheroes. Most of these people were dressed in grey utilitarian clothing.
Then she saw the windows. They were four stories tall and allowed you to see the Earth from above. It was breathtaking. She had never seen any of the worlds she had visited from such lofty heights. It was as if they were even above the Gods on Olympus. She could see the other side of the clouds.
Diantha said, "I did not realize that they had made it into space. This is amazing!"
"Humans have indeed made it into space yet this Watchtower is the work of benevolent alien organization called the Green Lantern Corp. They have constructed this station as a step towards the Earth defending itself from aggresive incursions as well as to help bring humanity into their League of Planets." said Dr. Fate.
"Is that like the League of Nations that the President put forth?" said Diantha.
Dr. Fate said, "You have some catching up to do for the events of this realm. However that can wait. Why don't we introduce you around first?" He turned and gestured towards Abin Sur and the rest of the Justice League. They were just coming into the control center. Diantha figured that Dr. Fate had mentally notified them.
The Flash said, "Hey! It's Wonder Woman! See this is shaping up to be the Justice League!"
Most of the rest of them glanced over at the Flash confused.
Dr. Fate said, "This is indeed Wonder Woman. We fought together in the Justice Society of America during the second World War."
"Greetings, I am Abin Sur, ambassador from the Green Lantern Corp." said Abin Sur. "These are my Trainees Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and Kyle Raynar." They nodded to her. "This is Kal-El, also called Superman"
Superman shook her hand.
"This is a Vector Cyberion, also called Cyborg" said Abin Sur.
"Actually I decided to go by Victor Stone on Earth" he said to Abin Sur while shaking Wonder Woman's hand.
"This is Micheal Holt, also called Mr. Terrific." said Abin Sur.
"Mr. Terrific! I knew Terry Sloane." said Diantha.
"I took his name in honor of him. I would love to talk to you more about him some time." said Mr. Terrific.
"This is Barry Allen, the Flash." said Abin Sur.
"Hi Diana. Nice to meet you again." said Barry.
"Have we met?" she said as she shook his hand.
"Not before in this reality but I have met other versions of you." said the Flash.
"Steve Trevor used to call me Diana. I guess it is easier for Romanized tongues to get used to." she said. "I can use that."
"The rest of the Justice League is on various missions." said Abin Sur. "I will introduce them when they come back up. What can we do for you?"
She looked back at Dr. Fate and then at Abin Sur. "There is a giant sorcerer called Xenocrates that has come into this world. He can summon creatures of Titan's blood and direct them. He will do great damage to your world. I know that you could fight most of the creatures he would brign forth but some of them are immortal and can only be banished. I can do that but I need all of you help to take this mad creature down."
Superman said, "You have come to the right place."