Hi everyone, next chapter is finally up. I do not own DC Universe, the Justice League, or any of it's characters. Once again any helpful criticism or encouragement is appreciated especially for the action scenes...

As the group split into teams of two I found myself paired with the Flash. Doctor Fate had assigned us the area to the south of the village and as soon as we passed through the tree line a sense of foreboding filled the atmosphere. "What I don't understand, Diana, is why the villagers nearest to the blast are only in a coma while those further away are dead? Forensically that doesn't make sense!"

"We're dealing with magic, Wally, it doesn't have to make sense. Besides, once we discover the culprit I'm sure Doctor Fate or Zatara will be able to explain everything." Flash kicked a rock and watched it sail through the trees before turning back to me. "Last one to those ruins over there's a rotten egg!" Before I could stop him, he zoomed away and I could just see a red and gold blur dashing through the jungle. My first instinct was to rush after him, but Zatara's words kept me at a smooth pace. I had almost reached the ruins when I heard the buzz of electricity and a yelp of pain. Wally. Taking a deep breath I alit off the ground and darted toward the sound only to see the Scarlet Speedster entrapped within a ring of stones. "Wally, do you ever listen?!" He smiled sheepishly.

"Just get me out of here, Diana, before any of the others see. Please?" I took slow and steady steps around the circle, searching desperately for a loophole.
"I don't know about this, Wally. I should probably get Zatara or Doctor Fate. These aren't some iron bars I can bend or cage I can lift. I assume, from what I heard, that it shocked you when you tried to step out?" Flash nodded.

"If you go get the others I will never hear the end of it!" I let out a frustrated sigh. How did I let Wally get me into these situations? "Let me get a stick. Maybe I can push one of the rocks out of place and break the flow of magic. If this kills me I will haunt you." I knelt down to the ground to take a closer look at the rocks. Each one had a strange rune etched into it and any time my hand even neared it they would glow furiously. Standing, I finally took a good glance around, only to be disgusted. "Artemis, have mercy!" Around the clearing animals lay on the ground, unmarked just as the people before them. "Flash, were these animals here when you arrived?"

He straightened, making a shrewd sweep of the area. "I would love to say no, but to be honest I wasn't really planning on stopping in this precise location, Diana. This trap kind of...trapped me. I have no idea if they were here the whole time or not."
I took wary steps over to a small brown monkey. It wasn't breathing and I imagined that if I went to check the others they would be in the same state. "Those closest to blast knocked unconscious...and the rest dead without a scratch." I turned to Flash. "Did you lose consciousness at any point in time?"

"Well, my vision went black for a moment when I tried stepping outside the circle, but I don't think I actually lost consciousness." Making my way over to one of the trees I snapped off a long branch before making my way back to my bumbling companion. "Let's say that by stepping in the trap you let loose whatever was unleashed last night. It puts you in a coma just as it did everyone else nearest to the point of origin, but your rapid regeneration yanks you out of it. Then it proceeds to slay all the animals in the vicinity."

Flash grew silent, a miracle in and of itself. "You mean, that if I wasn't me, I would be drooling into the dirt right now?" I neared him with my chosen weapon, taking a deep breath before reaching the tip toward the largest of the rocks. As soon as the objects joined small tingles of electricity streamed up and down my arms. When I didn't pass out or die, I used the stick to pull the rock away slowly. I observed Flash closely, but he looked no worse for wear. As soon as the stone broke free the rocks grew dim and unnoticed tension dissipated from the air. Hesitantly, Flash stepped free of the circle before glancing at it warily. "That was close, Di. We need to get the heck out of here."

"I agree. Doctor Fate and Zatara need to know what we've learned about the circles."

"I meant out of Africa!" I glared at him. "I mean, you're perfectly right, Wonder Woman."

When we finally found the others it was with heavy hearts. Doctor Fate and Zatara were kneeling over the still form of Plastic Man as Vixen stood by, nervously pacing. "He mumbled something about 'shiny, worth lots of money', I walked into the next copse of trees, I come back and he's like this!"

It was hard to read Doctor Fate's expression through his mask, but Zatara's features were grim. "Flash, contact Mr. Terrific and have him beam up Plastic Man. I will get in touch with John Constantine and, Zatara, if you would please summon your daughter. We will have them meet Plastic Man at the Watchtower. If they can work on breaking the coma, we can finish our search for the source."
As the little group complied, Vixen turned to me. "Did you run into anything out there?"

"We stumbled across one of those circles, I think we disabled it. All the animals in the vicinity were slain without a scratch. Have you ever seen anything such as this before?"
"Never. I've seen tons of atrocities in my life, Diana, but never such as this. These people, these animals...whatever magic was at play here didn't even give them a chance to protect themselves or fight back. This cult...there are no words." Vixen fingered her amulet absentmindedly. "You always inspire such hope! You speak and people listen. I've seen men drop their weapons without a fight, little children follow their dreams, and downtrodden realize they can be something more. I have always wanted to know, how do you do it?"

I was speechless. I knew I was a powerful, but as a warrior. I had never seen myself as a motivator. "I-I don't know. I guess I just see the potential in people and want them to be who they are inside." My thoughts wandered back to Bruce. With all the commotion I had actually managed to put him from my mind for a little while. All my thoughts rested upon him lately. He had so much potential, and while his ability as a fighter, an inventor, or an investigator couldn't be denied, he had yet to fully adjust into his life as a human being.

He had made progress, however, this much I knew. The short moments I had spoken with Alfred or his ward, Dick Grayson, had proven that. Our conversation dropped as the sorcerers returned. Zatara was the first to speak. "Doctor Fate and I have decided that although it is surely a trap, we have no choice but to wait for nightfall. We have inspected these circles more closely and after another conversation with Constantine have come to the conclusion that the real fun won't begin until darkness has arrived. As for now, let's set up a defensive up on that ridge."

I have to admit I felt pretty useless as the others set up camp. Doctor Fate and Zatara set up magical boundaries and even Vixen was able to use her abilities to make our location unnoticeable, even to the wildlife. I was left to merely observe and after a while my eyes found the stars as they became visible in the night sky rather than my teammates. I immediately found Andromeda, the princess. It was my mother's favorite constellation, as she said it reminded her of me. Finally Flash's voice caught our attention. "Guys, you might want to come and see this!" We dashed to the edge of the ridge with bated breath. From our stance we could see five beams of light shooting up from the jungle floor into the sky, As we watched a fire burst out, creating a pentagram between the beams. "I guess they fixed the ones we broke."

Zatara's Italian accent was heavy as he spoke. "This is worse than anything I could have ever dreamed of." Doctor Fate's eyes seemed to glow brighter. "We need to act quickly, if we don't stop this tonight great evils beyond anything we have ever seen will be released. If these men know what they are tampering with I pity their souls!"
"What is it, Doctor?" Flash asked the question on all our lips. "They are messing with the world beyond. Realms, dimensions, time-travel, alternate realities...these are all child's play compared to the world beyond. If we don't stop them the universe will come unfolded, death will no longer remain in the grave, unspeakable evil will be released from the pits of the earth!"
"Geez...bring on the party."
Vixen stepped forward and triggered her amulet, a luminescent blue form of a cheetah forming around her. "Then we should get started."

The stench drew us to the epicenter of the disaster. The pentagram's fires roared and before our very eyes the animals, already decaying in the African heat, began to stumble to their feet. Flash gagged. "Man, I'm going to have nightmares for weeks!" The safari tour of animals looked to us with glowing green eyes. White smoke poured off of them and they began to attack. The pack had us surrounded in mere moments. "I thought zombies were supposed to move slowly!" Flash piped up.
None of us had time to respond as the animals pounced as one. A gorilla flew at me first, and I immediately wished I had kept my stick. My fist hit him in the ribs and when I pulled it away it was covered in goo and fur. My punch sent the gorilla rolling away from me and I circled it nervously, waiting for it to get back up. It stayed down. A ferocious roar pierced the air as a lion came up behind me, urging me away from the carcass. Using my lasso I kept it at bay. Taking a quick glance around I took inventory of my teammates' whereabouts. Vixen was wrestling with an alligator, quite impressively I might add. Flash, as normal, was zigzagging through the carnage punching or tripping whatever slipped into his path. Zatara was in the middle of a band of chimps, casting spells furiously and when I finally laid eyes on Doctor Fate he was chanting furiously over one of the glowing circles.

Eventually, the lion had enough of my lingering and snapped at my lasso, catching the end in his teeth. To the outside it probably looked similar to a game of tug-of-war with your house pet. Not so much after I used it to flip him over my head and pound him into the ground behind me. Doctor Fate's voice rose above the battle. "Draw the animals into the center of the pentagram! I think I may be able to perform a counter-curse!" Adrenaline rushing, we enveloped them and began to push them toward the center. It felt as if hours had gone by before we pushed them sufficiently inward. Doctor Fate's chanting grew louder and suddenly angry clashes of thunder and lightening filled the sky, the flashes of light illuminating the animals as they bared their teeth and claws. Rain began to fall in angry waves. And then, it was still.

In one accord they fell to the ground, resuming their previous state of extermination as the beacons one by one went dark and the rain quenched the fiery lines of the pentagram. I neared Zatara's side and spoke quietly as I was afraid speaking any louder would break whatever hold Fate had on the spell. "Will this heal those in the coma as well?" His eyes were melancholy, but then again they usually held a sadness about them. "I long to say yes, Wonder Woman, but I'm afraid breaking the hold on those still alive will take more time and study.
"With the dead there are less dangers...their souls are already departed. We do not have to worry about their mental faculties, their memories, their auras. With the living it is more complicated." I nodded, sending a prayer to the goddesses that this would be resolved quickly.

By the time I was beamed back to the Watchtower I looked as though I had braved the Underworld, and in a way I guess I had...the outskirts of it at the very least. My armor was dirty and covered in substances that I refused to name and the rest of me was soaked to the bone from the rain. I plodded in my wet boots toward my quarters only to find Alfred Pennyworth waiting outside the door.
"Well, isn't this a surprise! What brings you to the Watchtower, Alfred?" He straightened, a warm smile in place. "My, my, you look as if you will freeze to death, Princess!"
"I'm alright, Alfred." He nodded, squelching the urge to coddle me. "I came to extend an invitation to dinner tomorrow night. Master Richard has just gotten his report card, you see, and he is quite nervous to how Master Bruce will react to his grade in his English Class. I was thinking maybe if you were in attendance Master Bruce may not be so..."
"Volatile?"
"Precisely."
A smile slid onto my face. "Of course, we mustn't let Dick be punished too harshly. What time is dinner?"
The twinkle in Alfred's eye made me wonder if Bruce knew how often the old man manipulated him. I wouldn't be surprised if, at the end of it all, we found out Alfred pulled the strings of the universe. "6:30 sharp. You know how Master Bruce gets when he is kept from patrolling."
"I am afraid I do. How's he healing?"
"Quite nicely. I have successfully managed to talk him into only donning his cowl for a couple hours a night this week while he recovers. Now, I am afraid I must be off before he misses me. We shall see you tomorrow, Miss Diana."

I managed to get a couple hours of sleep before I was set to meet Oliver, though my excitement prevented me from getting the rest I truly needed. By the time I reached his office I had to remind my feet to stay on the ground. As soon as I gave them my name I was ushered into an elevator and to the top floor. Oliver sat at his desk with the chair turned toward the door. "Oliver?" He swiveled around, a smile on his face. "Diana! Come, take a seat! I have your legalized documents right here. I also have a phone here for you and a rental agreement ready for your signature." I took a seat, straightening my dark gray skirt and suit jacket as I did so. "Clark said you would be thorough."

"I am beyond thorough. I have here a birth certificate, social security information, a driver's license, a pilot's license, a school record, dentist records, medical records, previous addresses and even a signed letter of recommendation toward any career you would like to pursue, if that is the route you choose."
I smiled. Apparently Clark had understated Oliver's abilities. "My government contact, however, told me something quite interesting."
"Hmm?"
"He said his grandfather fought alongside you during the second World War. Apparently his grandfather told him stories of a flying woman warrior who could take down a tank easier than a cat catches a mouse. My contact works for the United Nations and offered you a job if you're interested. His name's Jonathan Trevor." My mind reeled. Steve Trevor...I hadn't thought about him in a while. I had met him when the League followed Vandal Savage through time. We had been together for only a short time, but in that time we had grown close. He was my first kiss.

"He would like to meet you, if you are up to it of course. He mentioned he was available Wednesday afternoon."
My heart felt as if someone stomped on it. "Tell him I will meet him." Oliver, clueless as to my sudden somber air, turned back to his paperwork. "Okay, I just need a few signatures and you are all set. Jonathan ran through lists of names of the deceased to find an alter ego for you and he stumbled across a war nurse named Diana Prince. I thought it was kind of fitting so I told him to run with it." Even I found the humor in it. "Guess I need to work on a disguise."
"How about some glasses? It seems to work for Clark."
"And mystifies the rest of us as to how it tricks society. I need something better than that."
"Colored contacts could do the trick. Get rid of those baby blues, put up your hair, slouch a little, and add some of those dreaded glasses and the world will never know."
"I'll think about it. Thank you, Oliver, for all you've done for me. It's above and beyond." He waved me off. "Don't worry about it, Sweetheart. You'll be the first one I call next time Star City has an emergency and then we'll be even." A few minutes later I found myself strutting out of his building, apartment keys in hand as well as a folder containing all my documentation. I now belonged in Man's World.

It took me forever to get ready for dinner and I felt like such a disaster. What happened to the confident woman who stormed into the Manor earlier this week? Surely she hadn't completely disappeared. If my sisters were to see my current state they would laugh in pity. An Amazon, driven from her wits by a man. I took a seat on my bed and took a deep breath. If I didn't pull myself together soon I would be late for dinner. Knowing the Waynes the way I did, the dinner would most likely be semi-formal. Bruce never did anything halfway. I finally, after a few more deep breaths, felt my composure return and made my way to the small closet, pulling out a simple white gown that reminded me of the togas on Themyscira. At least I would have something to put me at ease.

I pulled my hair into a loose braid and donned a pair of silver sandals before making my way to the transporter. Martian Manhunter hovered near the system, tinkering with the bells and whistles. I was barely inside the room when he spoke. "Going to visit Gotham, I see. The transporter is ready for you." I smiled. J'onn could probably hear my thoughts across a dozen solar systems, let alone across the Watchtower. "Thank you, J'onn. I have my communicator if you need me." The silent type, Martian Manhunter acknowledged me with a simple nod. Dismissed, I stepped into the teleporter and within a blink of an eye I found myself in front of Wayne Manor's large double doors. I had only to knock. This time with a gentle hand I rapped on the wooden structure and could be seen standing as a lady when Alfred opened the door, not a raging bull.

Alfred's crisp British accent filtered through Gotham's night air. "Miss Diana, welcome! You're right on time! Believe me, Master Richard is going to be delighted that you've joined us."
"And Bruce?"
"None the wiser. Why spoil such a pleasant surprise?" The irony in Alfred's voice was evident. Bruce was not one for surprises. "If you would follow me to the dining room, Miss Diana, I will gladly serve the meal." I hesitated for a moment before letting Alfred guide me through the manor. Bruce was going to be furious. It was quite the trek to the dining room and, though I had seen it a few times before, the ostentatiousness still grabbed me. The sense of wealth poured from the room in a way quite different from the natural grace shed from the palace in which I was raised.

At the long table Dick sat pouring over a textbook, a look of intense concentration on his face as he nibbled on the end of an unsharpened pencil. His dark hair fell into his eyes and the only acknowledgement he gave upon my entrance was a half-hearted wave. "Master Richard, dinner will be served momentarily." He sighed in relief and closed his book. "Finally! Thanks, Alfred!" He turned towards me, his blue eyes tired. "Bruce has had me studying relentlessly for the last day and a half! Who knows what heinous punishment he'll design once he finds out about my English grade!"
"What was the exam on exactly?"

"It was just a simple vocabulary exercise. She said I failed to follow instructions and that I was taking the root words 'too seriously'. All I wanted to know was why there was a disaster but no aster. I mean, it has a prefix!" I had to hide my amusement. I definitely could understand the teacher's point of view, but I also was intrigued by the boy's argument. "Is that what you are working on now?"

"No, this is for my history test on Friday." He grew solemn. "Thank you, Diana, for coming for dinner. When Alfred mentioned that you being here might help Bruce calm down I was all for it." He gave me a sweet smile that warmed my heart. Bruce's adoptive son was, though many rejected the idea based on his age, his perfect crime-fighting counterpart. Bruce brought the flair, the deception, and the genius while Dick brought the agility, the imagination, and the inspiration.
I had not as of yet made my appearance in Man's World when Batman introduced Robin, the Boy Wonder, to Gotham's corrupt streets but I had heard that it made quite the splash. At fifteen he was already a warrior respected amongst many of the League's finest. I watched him closely as he gathered his papers and placed them along with his book onto a nearby credenza. "Bruce is going to ground me until I'm forty."

"I'm sure that's not true, Dick. You'll be twenty-seven at the most." Dick burst out laughing and I could see the stress shed from him. "Dick! I thought I told you not to leave your bastons on the stairs! If you leave them on the stairs for me to trip over one more time they are mine!" Bruce shuffled through the door frame with a pair of metal sticks in his hands. Dick's eyes widened. "I'm in for it now."

Bruce's jaw dropped, argument forgotten, as he discovered that the little family squabble was being observed. "D-Diana!" He glared at his ward and handed him the weapons. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"
"Alfred mentioned that some dinner company would be lovely and invited me to stop by. I hope it's not any inconvenience." Bruce shook his head as he fiddled with the cuffs on his gray button down. He looked better than the last time I had seen him, well-rested as a matter of fact. I briefly pondered how Alfred managed to get him to take it easy for as long as he had.

"Well, Alfred promised us chicken parmesan. He usually prepares a feast large enough to feed half of Gotham!" Dick continued to prattle from his spot at the table, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the room. "I can leave if I'm intruding, Bruce. We never really had a chance to speak about what happened the other night and I'd understand."
"Stay for dinner, Diana. We would love to have you." I gave him a half-smile before taking the seat beside Dick. I felt bad using the young man as a shield, but he would get repaid once he was forced to relinquish his report card. "Anything exciting happen at school this week, Dick?"

His expression was that of a cat who ate a canary. "Barbara and I went to the movies last Friday! She told me she loved me." Bruce's eyebrows rose. "Oh, really? And how did you respond?"
"I told her I loved her back, of course. I'm not stupid." I brushed back a loose strand of hair. "Did you mean it?"
"Yeah, I guess...I mean she's pretty, smart, and cool. She told me that we are going to be together forever and I believe her. Barbara is never wrong!" Bruce began to respond before being cut off by Alfred entering with the food. "Dinner is served!" As Alfred worked his way around the table, depositing plates and serving mounding spoonfuls, he spoke to Dick softly. "Now would be the perfect time, Sir."

Dick let out a low groan. "Alright...Bruce, do you remember that English quiz last week? Apparently, Ms. Loween thinks I read too far into the English language and now my grade point average has become a loving home to one glowing F." I glanced across the table at Bruce who appeared to be trying to meditate. Silence reigned for a few moments with the exception of silverware clattering on plates. Dick spoke again, ignoring the pointed looks I flashed him, warning him to stay quiet. "So, how dead am I?"
"I haven't thought up a suitable punishment yet, Dick, but I'm leaning toward cancelling your patrols until your grade is back at an A."
"That sounds fair." Dick answered, though still looking very disappointed, but at least he wasn't grounded until he was forty.