Chapter 1: A Normal Life

Heat rolled off of the pavement in visible waves, making the air above the ground seem to quiver. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face and she wiped it away with the back of her free hand. The summer sun beat down mercilessly and not single breeze was present to stir the air. Why had she decided that walking to the grocery store in June was a good idea? The answer evaded her, naturally.

As she rounded the corner, her apartment building came into view and with it, the promise of air conditioning and a refreshing shower. Reaching into her back pocket, she fumbled for her keys, encountering some change and a receipt, but no keys.

"Wonderful," she whispered under her breathe.

If she didn't know herself better, sometimes she would begin to believe that perhaps she was actually a civilian. She certainly fumbled and forgot little things enough to forget that she was actually a Princess, an Amazonian Princess to boot. Oh and the whole super hero thing. You'd think that would offer some amount of exception from daily nuisances.

She shifted the brown bag from her left to her right arm, and search the other back pocket. No such luck.

"Alright, front pocket it is…" she thought to herself.

She placed the bag on the ground and plunged both hands into her two front pockets. Much to her relief, the rough edges of the pesky objects grazed her fingertips. Picking up her groceries again and opening the door the apartment complex, Diana let herself in. Instantly, a wave a cold air washed over her and as she closed the door behind her, the harsh rays of the sun were also blocked out.

Her steps echoed through the central stairwell and bounced off the fake marble walls. It was seven floors up to her apartment, and though she expended almost no energy climbing all seven, she couldn't help but wish in this instant that she could just fly up. But as of right now that was not an option. She was still relatively new to this apartment building, and didn't know the comings and goings, or how nosey her new neighbors were. Until then, she could not get away with any short cuts that could give away who she was.

Of course, it wasn't like she had a super secret identity like Clark or Bruce either. Since starting her work as an ambassador for Themyscira, she found it easier and more professional to use her first name. But she never appeared out of uniform to those meetings. Yet though she doubted anyone would recognize her without her uniform on, she went to great lengths to try and make herself as inconspicuous as possible when she wasn't fighting the bad guys or arguing with politicians. She preferred simple clothes in mostly neutral colors that did not draw attention. She also pulled her hair back in a ponytail, instead of letting the dark mass fall loose on her back. It wasn't much, but Great Hera, if Clark could hide the fact that he was super man with a pair of glasses and notepad and pen, then by the Gods she could blend in too.

With her "disguise" in place, she felt free. No journalists taking pictures or asking her questions. No astounded looks cast her way. She was free to go where she pleased and go about her business in peace. This had been the lifestyle she chose for herself after two years with the League, when not on duty of course. Those two years had offered her all the time in the spotlight she could have ever wanted, and now, she just wanted anonymity above else. Time where she didn't have to be Wonder Woman, she could just be Diana.

Arriving in front of her door and breaking from her reverie, she unlocked the door and pushed it open. The apartment itself wasn't much. It had simple, light gray walls, and light colored wood floors. The front door opened right into the main space of the apartment, which was a combination of living room, dining room and kitchen. Down a small hallway there was a bedroom, bathroom and a small guest bedroom/ office. It was sparsely furnished since she had had almost no time off from League work.

But grandeur wasn't what she had been looking for. What had attracted her to this place in particular were the windows, and the openness of the space. Two large bay windows took up almost the entire wall of the living room, letting in light and offering a wonderful view of the Central City skyline. And with no walls separating the kitchen from the living and dining area, it reminded her of Themyscira. There, her home had been full of wide open spaces which, in her mind, fostered a feeling of cohesiveness.

Closing the door behind her, she kicked off her sandals into the designated shoe corner by the door and made her way the kitchen to unpack her brown bag plunder. She placed the colorful fruit in a bowl on the small, granite topped island and began sorting through the rest. As she did so, she couldn't help but smirk a little. If only the public could see her now, the great Wonder Woman, who ate Frosted Flakes and Oreos just like them. She could just see the headline now.

Her smirk grew to a smile as she pictured her mother's face if she ever saw her daughter eating " that disgusting Man's World" food. In all honesty, though much less healthy, Diana could not imagine going back to her Amazonian diet of pure fruit, vegetables and rather bland meat. I mean, she had tasted Chinese! It had taken Wally and John ages to convince her, but once they had, it wasn't uncommon for her to indulge in a bi-weekly General Tso's.

Once everything was in order, her made her way to the sanctuary of her shower. That was another thing she was not immune to, sweat. Looking at her face in the mirror as she shed her rather smelly and damp clothing, she felt assured that no one would ever recognize her in this state. Her face looked tired and shiny, and perhaps it was better not to start on the state of her hair.

Kicking off the last article of clothing, she turned on the water and waited for it to reach a lukewarm temperature before stepping in.

But suddenly her heart sank strait to bare feet. A distant and quiet beeping was barely audible above the sound of the shower, but her keen hearing picked up on it none the less. She was being called to duty. On her day off.

Shutting off the water she hurried into her bedroom where she found her com-link on the dresser. In all honesty, she should have never taken it out, but she hadn't thought that she would be needed today.

"J'onn? Are you there?" she asked as she pushed the small machine back into her ear.

"Diana," J'onn's monotone voice stated, "You are needed in the watchtower. We have a situation developing."

"It is my day off J'onn, I thought Wally was next on call," she regretted how whiny the statement sounded, but she had not had a day to herself for a long while.

"I know, and I am sorry. But this is something that you will have particular interest in."

Letting out an inaudible sigh, "Alright, give me two minutes and then send me up. Do you have my coordinates?"

"Locking on now."

"Okay, Diana out."

Clicking off her ear piece, she quickly made her way to her closet for her uniform. She still felt sticky from her afternoon grocery trip, but hygiene would have to wait. Duty called. She wanted in silence for a moment before she felt the familiar warm tingle of the transporter's beam on her. Her eyes blinked and when she opened them in the next second, her bedroom had been replaced by smooth gray metal and a view of space.