Author's Note: This is sort of a re-telling of the early George Perez era of Wonder Woman and Action Comics #600. Honestly, I'm about half-way finishing it and I started to wonder what was my point in writing this? IDK. :P This is the first fanfic of any kind I've written in four years so I'm a little rusty. Thank you for reading/viewing and please leave a review, comments, suggestions, constructive criticism, any thoughts of how I can improve. I do not own Wonder Woman, Superman or any other DC Comics characters. No copyright infringement intended.
Chapter One
Many, many years ago…
At first, the outside of the Hall of Justice building in Washington, D.C. reminded Diana of the great, large structures built by her Amazon sisters on Paradise Island. Inside, curiously, the white floors glistened pristine. Diana watched her reflection moving in the floor as she walked alongside J'onn J'onzz, the one called Martian Manhunter. He was the first to greet her. Diana hoped her sensation of surprise wasn't too obvious when she first saw the green skinned man. However, she instantly sensed his genuine warmth and was put at ease by how welcoming he was. He led her down the corridor to the conference room where everyone else was waiting.
Sliding electric doors parted and Diana repressed the urge to jump back. She was still so new to man's world back then. Not only in terms of the customs of society but also of all the modern technology. It all frightened and excited her at the same time. Inside, the conference room, costumed heroes mixed and mingled.
J'onn J'onzz gently guided Diana toward a statuesque, leggy blonde wearing a strapless one-piece bodysuit much like Diana's own, but instead of red, blue and gold, it was solid black leather. A cropped black jacket sat upon the woman's shoulders. Fishnet stockings adorned her legs and ankle boots completed the look.
"Princess Diana of Themyscira," J'onn J'onzz introduced. "This is Dinah Lance. She is known as the Black Canary".
Dinah Lance grinned and extended her hand. "I've heard so much about you!" She exclaimed.
The two women shook hands and a conversation began. Diana learned the woman called Black Canary was an expert, even almost deadly, hand-to-hand combatant. Diana was in awe. Outside her Amazon sisters, she had never met another female warrior such as this.
"You would make an excellent Amazon!" Diana told Dinah.
J'onn J'onzz continued to slowly introduce Diana one-by-one to each member in this team called by the press the Justice League of America. Each hero amazed Diana. She had no idea there were so many others out there with gifts, powers, and abilities to do things normal humans could never do. And all in the name of what was good in the world.
She met Guy Gardner, an obnoxious yet confident hero who belonged to an intergalactic space police force named the Green Lantern Corps. There was a friendly and humorous scarlet speedster named Barry Allen whose hero moniker was The Flash. There was a king of the underwater city of Atlantis named Arthur Curry, known as Aquaman.
Diana had a lively conversation with the cheerful Billy Batson known as Captain Marvel who apparently got his powers not only from some of the gods of Olympus that Diana knew and worshiped but from other gods as well she had never heard of before.
A tall, dark imposing figure came up beside Captain Marvel while Diana was conversing with him. Diana took in the sight of a strong, beefy man dressed in black and grey. A black bat symbol was stretched out across his muscular chest. A long black cowl concealed the upper part of his face and extended all the way down to his ankles.
"Diana of Themyscira," J'onn J'onzz said. "This is the Batman".
Diana noticed Martian Manhunter did not mention a real name of this hero. Diana hesitated. She wasn't sure if she should extend her hand for a shake or not. The darkly cloaked man gave off a strange vibe about him. He didn't seem unfriendly, but he didn't seem very welcoming either. Diana wasn't sure what to make of him. The Batman gave her a curt nod and left as quickly as he appeared without a word.
"Don't worry. He's not as scary as he looks," joked Captain Marvel as he gave Diana a playful nudge. "You'll get used to him."
Diana continued to meet all the others. After a while, she started to feel more at ease.
She heard the whoosh of air let in by the opening of the electric sliding doors. Someone else was walking in just then. The conference room which had been buzzing with a steady noise of conversation abruptly fizzled out. Diana could not yet see who this was but she already concluded whoever it may be was obviously very much respected by the members of this team.
She didn't even notice J'onn J'onzz had vanished by her side until she saw him walking back toward her. Only he wasn't alone.
"Great Hera…." Diana whispered. It was all she could say. Her breath hitched in her throat. She felt her heart racing. She was pretty sure time had slowed down. Alongside Martian Manhunter walked the finest specimen of man she had ever seen.
He was in a 6'3'' frame. The countless muscles underneath his blue suit looked like they had been chiseled out of marble. An inverted yellow triangle outlined in red with a big scarlet "S" was emblazoned across his massive chest. A yellow belt held up a pair of red trunks on the lower part of his body which left little to the imagination. Diana felt her cheeks flush. On his feet were a pair of red boots. A crimson cape was attached to his muscular shoulders. It mesmerized Diana the way it lazily fluttered behind him like in slow motion.
His thick hair was the color of onyx; it even gleamed like the gemstone when it caught the light. A single black curl fell across his forehead. Diana found herself staring into his brilliant cornflower blue eyes. His Grecian nose reminded her of the noses sculpted on the many statues of the gods back home on Paradise Island. His full lips formed a smile that revealed a perfect set of white teeth. A smooth, square chin held a cleft in the center.
By the Gods! Diana thought. It was like a dark haired, brightly clad Adonis stood before her. From where did this man come from? He couldn't possibly be real. Could he?
"This is princess Diana of Themyscira," J'onn J'onzz began but the Martian Manhunter was gently interrupted by the handsome superhero.
"Please don't trouble yourself, J'onn," His rich, baritone voice was like velvet. It had a strong and firm yet very warm and friendly tone.
"Hello," He said, extending his hand to Diana. "My name is Kal-El. But you may have heard of me by the name of Superman."
Kal-El. Superman. Yes, of course! Diana realized as she slid her hand into his hand to shake. This was the aptly named Superman who protected a city called Metropolis. The tales told about him were legendary. He was known around the world for all his heroics. People looked to him like he himself were a god although he never expected or demanded anyone treat him like one. Some people were even afraid of him, understandable given his tremendous powers, but he never gave anyone a reason to be afraid of him. He was once quoted in the Daily Planet newspaper as fighting for "truth, justice, and the American way." He was the literal beacon of hope in man's world.
"Hello," Diana answered. "I'm Diana, Princess of Themyscira but the press has been calling me Wonder Woman. I'm so pleased to finally meet you."
Kal-El smiled. "No, the pleasure is mine."
It was a simple, genuine statement but something about the way Superman spoke and looked at her gave Diana the strangest sensation inside her stomach. It wasn't a bad feeling; it was an exciting feeling! It was something she never felt before. It was like something was inside her, dancing and fluttering. It would be later to be explained to her by Vanessa Kapatelis as having "butterflies in the stomach".
Kal-El took over for J'onn J'onzz guiding Diana around the rest of the Hall of Justice. He told her of the Justice League's history and mission. The way he talked, Diana knew he was proud of the things the League was accomplishing by helping all of mankind. Yet, she wanted to know more about him. The man he was when he wasn't Superman.
It was all over so quickly. Superman asked her if she was interested in joining with him and his teammates, but she politely declined.
"I really do wish you would reconsider, Wonder Woman." He told her. "We certainly could use someone like you."
There was that tingling feeling again. The "butterflies in the stomach". Diana had not been in man's world very long. There was still so much she had yet to learn. But she sensed her feelings for him were mutual. He looked at her as if he liked what he saw very much.
"I'm sorry, Superman," Diana said. "I was sent here to be an ambassador to man's world. My mission right now is to teach mankind the way of my people, the Amazons. I just don't think it's the right time for me to join the Justice League."
Kal-El nodded. "I understand. Just know that if you ever change your mind, you're always welcome here."
They said their good-byes and Diana flew off back to the Kapatelis' summer home in Massachusetts. Julia would later pepper Diana with all sorts of questions about the Justice League and the different metahumans Diana met. But when Julia brought up Superman, Diana couldn't speak. She didn't even know where to begin to describe him or the feelings he stirred within her.
"What's he really like?" Julia asked.
Diana shook her head. "He's unlike anyone else I've met." She said softly.
"Is that a good or bad thing?" Julia chuckled. "How so is he different?"
But Diana couldn't tell the university professor who had become like a second mother to her. She barely understood it herself. She excused herself and went out to the lake's edge to think and pray.
Many weeks and months passed. A series of events forced Diana's mind off Superman for a while. Her publicist Myndi Mayer arranged a meeting with a woman named Barbara Minerva who had claimed to have possession of a second Golden Girdle of Gaea. Upon meeting Minerva, Diana discovered the British archaeologist was lying about having said artifact proven by the fact that Minerva was holding Diana's golden lasso in her hands at the time. Diana had never felt so deceived and betrayed before. That such trickery had come from another female added insult to injury.
Furious, Diana stormed out despite the pleas from both Minerva and Myndi, who said she had no idea Minerva was a fraud. Diana was starting to learn quick you couldn't take everyone at face value in man's world. Not long after the disastrous encounter, Diana found herself surprise attacked by a spotted she-beast, a Cheetah, in the woods near the Kapatelis' home. Diana had never faced a foe like this before. She and the Cheetah battled each other ferociously, the cat-like woman even drawing blood from Diana's skin with her razor-sharp claws. The Cheetah disappeared into the lake when Julia abruptly intervened and fired a rifle at her.
There were lots of questions. Who was the Cheetah woman? What was she after? Why was she trying to kill Diana? The questions had to remain unanswered for the time being. It was time for Diana to return home to Paradise Island. She exchanged a tearful goodbye with Julia and Vanessa and flew home.