A/N: Sorry for the delay. Meant to get this out about a week ago, but my work schedule was kicking my ass a bit much. Not entirely pleased with this chapter, but at least it's here now.

"Steve put his hand on her shoulder as she took in the horror, the despair, and the waste until she could look no longer. This is what must stop , she told herself. This is why I must stop it. She took a firm grip on Steve's arm and they turned away from the hospital ship and towards the next dock." - Nancy Holder, Wonder Woman movie novelization

Events have moved swiftly.

Antiope frowned as she gazed out over the darkening water of what Captain Trevor had called the English Channel from where she was standing at the railing of the tugboat slowly chugging its way across this piece of ocean.

Too swiftly, as a matter of fact.

The frown turned into a grimace as this thought came into her head, and yet it was something the Amazon couldn't deny. Ever since she'd had that strange dream (which she was now nearly certain was a vision of some kind sent by the Moirai ), it seemed as if they were being swept along by an unseen hand, one that was not allowing them any control over what was happening.

The glimpse she'd had of Ares in that drinking establishment the night before had done nothing to shake Antiope's belief in that notion. Her features hardened as she recalled the amusement in his eyes, knowing that she recognized him but couldn't do or say anything about it. It had frustrated Antiope to feel helpless in a way she hadn't been for so many years.

In any case, she had been grateful to not only leave that building, but the place called London as well the next morning, after a night of fitful sleep. The next phases of their journey to the front began at a place the men called Paddington Station, where they boarded a contraption that the Captain called a train (known as an "Iron Horse" in his home country). Diana was awestruck by the sight, while Antiope had found herself mildly impressed with the handiwork into the machine. Hephaestus could not have done a better job, she believed. Still, once she was inside, she found she couldn't escape the feeling of being shut up in a tomb, with the air so stale and so little space around her…

She shuddered then, remembering how close she'd come to having that been her fate such a short time ago. And what it may yet prove to be. With Ares watching from the sidelines, it wasn't out of the realm of possibility should he choose to interfere, and Antiope had no doubt that he would at a time of his own choosing. Likely when he believed their guard to finally be down.

She shook her head in an attempt to banish the thoughts from her mind and tried once more to focus on their journey, smiling as she recalled getting off that train into the seaside settlement called Dover. It had been crowded and noisy, reminding Antiope of marketplaces both on the Helias mainland that she had visited at one time and in Themyscira. They had only stayed long enough to hire the boat they were now on before heading out to sea, but they had been there long enough to see what Captain Trevor referred to as a hospital ship arriving at the docks and their passengers being unloaded. Diana's face when she'd seen those men brought down on stretchers had been heartbreaking as she first glimpsed them; but it seemed to harden into a fierce resolve as the Captain had laid a hand on her shoulder to guide her away.

In some ways, it was good that Diana was so dedicated to her task to help the world of Man, but at the same time, Antiope knew that some naïveté still remained. The Amazon was uncertain how many of her lessons were reaching her niece's mind, but she at least seemed to be listening.

Perhaps it was only experience that could reach her, Antiope reflected, gazing into where the darkening gray sky met the equally darkening ocean. Youth had an idealism that only time could shake; it wasn't something that could be demonstrated in words, merely actions.

And Antiope couldn't help but feel that her own time might well be running short, that she would be unable to pass along much more of her own hard-earned wisdom and experience.

The Amazon sighed softly and clinked her bracelets against the boat's railing. She couldn't regret her choice, even with her own suspicions on how it would end. All Amazons wished for a worthy death and keeping a threat from destroying the very beings that Zeus had created would truly be one such; even if her sisters in arms would never know of it.

Only the stars would know , thought Antiope, turning her gaze to the sky, where Callisto and Arkas lay hidden by the clouds, with Pegasus not far afield from them. Perhaps there was a way to let her sisters know her fate, whether they succeeded or failed. Closing her eyes, she sent a plea to the heavens.

Pegasus, child of Medusa and Poseidon, messenger of the gods, if you remember the Amazons still, then I ask you mark the battle to come, and take word to Queen Hippolyta of the result when it ends, be it for good or ill.

There was no answer, but then, the stars would always keep their own council until a time of their choosing, Antiope knew. Somehow, though, she had the feeling she'd been heard, and that was something at least.

"So what was that all about?"

Antiope didn't even startle at the unexpected sound of the voice. "Captain Trevor," she greeted, choosing for the moment to ignore the question the man had asked. "I assume you have not been able to sleep?"

"No more than you, I would guess," Captain Trevor replied. "But that doesn't answer the question."

Antiope smiled wryly. "If I knew what exactly you were referring to, I would answer, Captain. But those words could be referring to a number of incidents since Diana and I have come into your company."

Captain Trevor turned his gaze out towards the water, his features pensive and grim. For a minute or two, he said nothing, then he looked back at Antiope. "What happened in the pub there with Sir Patrick?" he clarified. "I noticed how you spoke to him, not to mention you seemed hostile as long as he was around. It seemed to me that there was something you didn't like about him, at the very least."

Antiope's features flattened out into a blank mask, and just stared hard at Captain Trevor. After a few minutes, he started to seem a little uncomfortable, and she then turned her own gaze back out towards the Channel.. "Perceptive," she replied finally. "Diana has chosen well when it comes to you."

"Still doesn't answer my question," the Captain pointed out.

"No, it doesn't, does it?" Antiope frowned, pondering on whether or not it would be wise to share the information she knew with the man. On the one hand, he had proven to be a good ally and guide; not to mention his care for her niece's safety spoke well enough of the man. Given his actions on the beach of Themyscira, he was apparently a warrior as well, something the Amazon could respect. Diana could have chosen far worse, she believed..

Still…

Even in her short time away from Themyscira, Antiope had seen enough to know that the time of the gods was long forgotten by Man. It was as if the knowledge of them had dimmed in the collective mind of the mortals from the moment Ares assassinated them to the lastl. Captain Trevor was agreeable when it came to wanting to stop a weapon, Antiope knew, but she also had noticed how he seemed to be skeptical of the idea that Ares wasn't a figure from a long ago legend, but the last of the true gods.

Even if he did believe, Antiope reflected, it was highly possible that he would do something that couldn't be reversed, such as throw himself on a figurative sword. And right now, that was not what they needed.

Decision made, she turned her gaze back towards Captain Trevor. "That is something I cannot tell you, Captain," she said calmly but firmly.

A flash of annoyance moved across the man's features, and he opened his mouth to speak, likely to argue with her, Antiope felt. She raised a hand in a quelling gesture and elaborated on her words.

"I cannot tell you for two reasons. First, if I told you why I acted as I did, you would not believe me. While you have proven to be open-minded in most respects, even I could not expect you to believe me without any particular proof. Second…," and here Antiope let out a heavy sigh, "Even if you did believe me, I couldn't ask you to keep this information from Diana; which is what I would have to do on the off chance you did accept my words."

Captain Trevor just blinked, his expression indicating that Antiope had blindsided him with those words. After opening and closing his mouth a couple times, he said, "I...What?"

Antiope smiled. "I am not blind, Captain. If you might recall, I did remark on your interest earlier. More specifically, I believe I implied what I would do if you harmed her in any way," she replied wryly.

She chuckled as his expression became even more gobsmacked, and she went on. "Since then, I have seen how you behave towards her. In spite of your disbelief in the gods, you have gone out of your way to help her; going so far as to defy your chain of command and go almost alone into a situation that may well kill you. She exasperates you, and yet you can't allow her to head off alone into certain danger."

"It's not...I mean…," he stammered, and the Amazon chuckled again as she saw the man's cheeks darken in the dim light.

"Peace, Captain Trevor. I have no objections should you wish to court her once all this is over," Antiope said. Then her face became serious. "But your feelings for her are exactly why I will not tell you, Captain. Forcing you to keep silent would not be fair of me to ask of you, knowing as I do that you are falling in love with Diana. Partners should have no secrets from each other."

To his credit, Steve Trevor didn't deny her argument, turning his head towards the Channel as he considered her words. For a few minutes they stood quietly, as the sea and sky grew ever darker.

Finally, the Captain broke the silence. "I understand," he said quietly. "And I appreciate that. Thank you."

Antiope nodded. "You are quite welcome, Captain."

"Just answer me one question though, if you can without giving anything away," he went on, still softly.

Another nod. "Ask," she said.

"Diana thinks Ludendorff is this 'Ares'," Steve Trevor said, looking her dead in the eyes. "But he isn't, is he?"

Antiope looked up towards the cloudy, nearly black, sky. "He isn't," she confirmed quietly.

Captain Trevor nodded. "You seem more sure of that than Diana." His voice was careful, probing.

"When Ares wiped out the gods so long ago," Antiope replied, "he acted openly, not in the shadows. A woman came up with this poison gas and a man authorized its use. And they did so in secret. Ares would have acted long before now, if it were truly he who was behind this threat."

"I see," Captain Trevor murmured.

"He would take advantage of the situation, allow it or instigate it further, but he doesn't need to create a means to do so usually," Antiope finished.

Trevor didn't reply this time, and kept gazing out towards the horizon, his features blank. "We'll be in Flanders shortly after sunrise tomorrow," he said.

Antiope hummed thoughtfully. "Near the front, I assume."

"Yeah.." A heavy sigh.

Antiope could hear the weight of the world in that sigh, and felt some sympathy for the man. "Then perhaps we should both get some rest. We will have a long day ahead," she stated, pushing herself away from the railing.

"I'm not that tired at the moment," Trevor replied. "If you could let the others know I'll join them soon, though…"

"I will," Antiope replied quietly, and started walking towards the stairs that led into the interior of the tugboat.

As she reached the stairs, Antiope suddenly felt a chill. She paused to turn around,and froze.

Behind Captain Trevor stood an ethereal figure, dressed very similarly to the Amazons. Her hair was silver and pulled up into a bun upon her head. In one hand was a pair of scissors and the other was pulling a thread out of a loom, which had appeared just above Trevor's head.

As if she felt herself being watched, the ghostly being turned her head to meet Antiope's gaze, and smiled softly, her eyes old and tired.

Then she vanished as if there had been no one there at all.

Atropos...

Antiope felt the sense of dread she'd had earlier come back stronger than ever. Without speaking a word, the Amazon moved swiftly down towards where her niece and the other men had retired for the night.

Diana stirred and looked up as her aunt joined them, the smile on her face faltering as she seemed to catch something in Antiope's demeanor.

"Are you all right?" she asked, as the elder woman sat next to her.

Antiope wanted to tell her what she'd seen, that the soul of the Inflexible One had crossed over from the Realms of the Dead in order to give a warning.

But something in her kept her silent. If this particular Fate had appeared, then it meant that the events to come, whatever they may be, were destined to happen; that at least one of them would not return.

And in spite of the fact that everything in Antiope was screaming that she should say something, the Amazon knew all too well that if the Fates dictated something would be, then it would be unwise to make any attempt to alter the situation.

She laid down, clasped Diana's hand and smiled.

"Yes, Diana. I'm fine.

"Just fine."

A/N 2: Put a few references to Greek Mythology in this chapter.

Moirai: The Ancient Greek term for the Fates. They were later called Parcae by the Romans, who seem to have been very nearly correct with their interpretations on what the Fates actually were to the Greeks.

Hephaestus: Greek mythology paints him as the God of Blacksmiths and Fire. A craftsman, basically.

Callisto In Greek Mythology, a lover of Zeus. Was turned into a bear by Hera, and later placed in the heavens as a constellation, now called Ursa Major or the Big Dipper. Found in the Northern Hemisphere.

Arkas: In Greek Mythology, Callisto's son. Was turned into a bear by Zeus to prevent mother and son from killing each other and also placed among the stars. Is now called Ursa Minor or the Little Dipper. Found in the Northern Hemisphere.

Pegasus: Northern Hemisphere constellation. In Greek Mythology, Pegasus was a winged horse created from the blood of the Gorgon Medusa, following her beheading by Perseus. Placed among the stars by Zeus at some point. Name is derived from a Greek term for "springs" (pegai).

Atropos: The Fate who cuts the thread of life.

Sources: www . constellation-guide . com & greekmythology . com