"How could you do THAT?!" The angry words, painful enough to hear just once, reverberate within the closed confines of the cave. The echoes are a chilling reaffirmation that week-long tensions are approaching the boiling point.
"There was no alternative." Batgirl responds sternly and confidently. "We were in no condition to cross the river, search the unknown or defend ourselves against a hostile force. Our only reasonable option was to regroup and the safest place to do so was right here."
"Safest?!" Diana retorts sarcastically as she rises to her feet over the objections of her colleagues. "Do you two plan on living the rest of your lives on this accursed island? That's what we're in for if we keep following your lead, Batgirl. 'Let's be prudent. Let's play it safe.' you say. You've been undermining my authority from the moment we got here. That ends right now!"
Whether it be debate or physical combat, Babs Gordon isn't inclined to back down against anyone, especially when she knows she is right. It therefore takes considerable discipline for the masked heroine to resist engaging in a nasty war of words. Remaining calm, Batgirl stares up into the aqua blue eyes of the statuesque Amazon princess. Wonder Woman is frustrated. The adrenaline rush sparked by her ire serves to temporarily override the ill-effects of her concussion. Given her current disposition, the JLA heroine will be very difficult to reason with.
"Princess, I respect you more than mere words can describe." Babs diplomatically begins. "Supergirl and I want to leave this place as much as you do. All of our waking efforts are geared towards that end. It is unfortunate that yesterday's excursion failed, but we will try again." Sensing a slight softening in Diana's stance, Batgirl urges the princess to relax. "Let's all just sit down and we can figure out our next move."
"No!" Diana bellows. "I've lost Hestia's golden lasso because of you two. I'm not about to sit around here sketching maps. I'm going to retrieve my magic lasso before it's lost forever and while I'm at it I'll find the damned stone we're looking for."
"It's too risky princess." Batgirl coolly rules. "I appreciate the tactical importance of the golden lasso. I also know how significant it is to you personally, but the three of us can't jeopardize our lives to get it back."
"Who said anything about the three of us?" Diana snidely remarks. "I'm going this one alone. I can accomplish far more on my own than I can having to shield and nursemaid the two of you!"
"Please don't leave Diana! We have to stick together." Supergirl pleas as Wonder Woman marches towards the cave exit. Steadier on her feet, Batgirl intercepts the Amazon as they reach the outside grass. "Listen to Kara." she insists. "You're not fit for travel or activity. You must rest!" Babs argues.
The elbow is lightning quick and delivered with uncanny precision. Batgirl drops to her knees, having taken a blow to her solar plexus. So skilled is Diana's foray, it momentarily robs Babs of her breath. Wonder Woman deftly seizes upon her vulnerability and lands a formidable right-handed chop to the neck which fells the caped crime fighter.
The Justice Leaguer whirls around to face a shocked Supergirl. The Kryptonian tries yet again to reason with her friend, but her appeals go unheeded. "Don't oppose me Kara!" the Amazon warns as she backs away from the scene. "I don't want to hurt either of you, but I will do whatever I must to escape this place and avenge myself against Phranyx!" Supergirl takes a step in Diana's direction, but she advances no further. The two women stare one another down. They each recognize the score without another word being said. Wonder Woman departs with the satisfying knowledge that Kara is too intimidated to challenge her.
*****
Supergirl squats beside a stunned Batgirl and gently helps her into a sitting position. Babs rubs her throbbing neck and reassures Kara that she is fine. "I just need a few minutes to recover my senses." she groans. "I've never been hit like that before." Gordon adds. "The fighting skills that woman possesses are unfathomable! And I thought I was good! Her punches land with pinpoint accuracy for maximum impact. I'm lucky she is so precise, because she would have broken my neck had her blow been off by as much as a centimeter!"
Batgirl and Supergirl opt against venturing out in pursuit of Wonder Woman. The Amazon has too great a head start. Barbara figures that they can't make it across the Lex River unless they utilize Kara's tunnel. Without the princess, it is too great a risk to hike ten miles through enemy territory to reach the Purple Zone. Although it is an undesirable and seemingly timid strategy, their best recourse is to stay put and hope that the Justice Leaguer can handle herself in the wild.
"I just can't believe Diana attacked you." Kara remarks. "I know we're all under a lot of stress, but Wonder Woman is always so cool in tough situations. She remains calm and her steadying influence rubs off on others. Pressure brings out the very best in Diana. It makes no sense that she would crack like that."
"Maybe it does, Kara." Batgirl replies. "I have a theory that I've been developing over the past few days. I'm kicking myself for not voicing it earlier, but I wasn't all that confident in its validity until now."
Babs proceeds to explain her thoughts to a curious Supergirl.
*****
We already know that Perdition Isle has had certain negative effects upon us. You and Wonder Woman have been robbed of your super powers. None of us can read. I now fear that we are all experiencing yet another setback. Our minds seem to be under siege in what could be the early stages of a permanently debilitating breakdown of our mental faculties.
We are all exhibiting signs that our personalities are regressing. Our life experiences and values make us the adult women that we are today. Deep down in our psyches, however, reside our formative years. We each come from different backgrounds; therefore the core essences of who we are vary. It is these deep-rooted traits which are manifesting themselves with greater force as time passes.
Take me, for instance. I was born and raised in the big city. It's a tough environment with many bad temptations, but from a young age I drove myself to rise above that. I was an intellectual girl, spending much of my free time in the library. It wasn't until my mid-teens that I discovered an appreciation for physical fitness and the martial arts.
I have never liked the wilderness. Grass. Trees. Rivers. Bugs. I hate bugs. Give me a concrete jungle and smog any day. Perdition Isle is all forms of nature on a small landscape. With each passing day, I find myself more and more uncomfortable here. It takes that much more of a concerted effort for me to persevere. My fighting skills seem less and less honed and I feel an ever increasing tendency to rely upon analytical means to figure a way out of trouble.
Forgive my presumptiveness Kara, but in your case I see a scared young child underneath your heroic exterior. Tragic circumstances left you an orphan and sent you to a foreign world. Who wouldn't be terrified? Sure, you inherited great powers and have grown into the remarkable Supergirl. I can see from your own expression though that you concur with what I'm saying. It's the frightened little girl within that you struggle to overcome while on this island.
As for Wonder Woman, she is known throughout the Earth as an ambassador of peace. She is a founding member of the Justice League and a royal princess. We mustn't forget however that at the very heart of her persona, Princess Diana is an Amazon warrior. Her heritage is one of scorn, followed by oppression, self-achieved liberation and finally greatness. In fact, it is those Amazonian battle instincts, properly tempered by wisdom and goodness, that make her the inimitable woman that she is.
The warrior within her is now surfacing. Notice how well she has adapted to this environment. Diana is right in her element on this island, surviving off the land. Her courage is a given, but she grows increasingly aggressive each day. Wonder Woman is taking more and more risks. Her patience with us continues to dwindle, because we don't measure up to her Amazon standards. She sees you and I as a hindrance and believes she can do more on her own. To an extent she's right, but I worry that her zealousness will be the doom of us all.
*****
Her pounding headache intensifies with every mile she covers, but Diana of Themyscira refuses to yield. She stealthily makes her way through Neron Forest and Buzz Swamp. Feeling serious fatigue, the Amazon pushes herself to reach the safe haven of the Purple Zone.
Once inside the gaseous region, Diana sits down for a much needed respite. Her meta-human metabolism asserts itself. Aching muscles feel almost immediate relief. Her head injury takes quite a bit longer. Forcing herself to be patient, Wonder Woman spends a full hour in the Purple Zone, leaving only to breathe at twenty minute intervals.
Judging herself to be fit, the heroine flies to the upper heights of the fog region. From there her keen eyesight spots her magic lasso dangling from the very precipice at which it was lost. "Thank Hera, it's still there!" Diana exclaims as she swoops down towards the underground tunnel. "Now it's time to go to work!"
The sun slowly descends on the horizon as the Amazon wrests her prized golden lariat free from the cliff face. "I'd best get a move on." she thinks to herself. "There's only and hour or so of daylight left and I would prefer to find our mystery rock today."
Her journey takes her northward into a series of rolling hills. Deep green brush appears sporadically on the rugged landscape. Diana treks a half mile when she comes across a gruesome sight. Lying in a small trench are the skeletal remains of a large humanoid male. The body is completely devoid of all flesh. The bones show signs of scuffing which could be attributed to the weather or hungry predators. The skeleton is intact with the odd exception of the feet and ankle bones which appear to have eroded away.
Wonder Woman cautiously continues up the next hill. Upon reaching the crest, she spots a large reddish-brown meteoroid in the valley. It is partially buried within a crater which it surely created on impact. "That has to be the 'stone' the prophesy refers to." Diana concludes. "Without my Amazon powers, how can I possibly move something that big? And who or what is the 'army' that protects it?"
The Justice Leaguer discretely approaches the meteor which she estimates to weigh ten tons. As she closes to within fifty yards, she discovers another skeleton. It too has been stripped off all flesh. The jaw bone is agape, suggesting that this Neanderthal man suffered a terribly painful death. An eerie chill courses through Diana's veins when she notices other unburied remains. In all, five mangled skeletons litter the ground in close proximity to the meteor. "Merciful Minera!" she cries. "What in Gaea's name has happened here!?"
Wonder Woman removes her tiara so that it is immediately at hand for defense. Diana shifts laterally to attain a different vantage point without getting any closer to the menacing rock. She is in full alert mode, expecting an assault of some kind. The Amazon detects no potential threats when she unexpectedly feels a sharp piercing pain in her right foot.
Diana looks down in horror at the source of her discomfort. The ground teems with diminutive killer ants. The insects swarm her feet and lower legs. They attack with unprecedented ferocity and effectiveness. The ants chew clear through her scarlet boots to reach her skin underneath. The princess can not believe the excruciating agony the thousands of tiny mouths inflict.
With no way to shake them loose, Wonder Woman desperately runs for her life. Hundreds of killer ants cling firmly to her lower limbs. They relentlessly shred her tattered boots and dig into her flesh. She has but one hope. In the waning sunlight, Diana sprints for the Lex River. She knows full well that if she falls, her vicious attackers will never allow her to rise again.
*****
It's a curiously tranquil evening. Crickets chirp in background as Supergirl sits lost in thought in front of the cave entrance. Batgirl rests soundly, but for Kara it figures to be a long, fitful evening. The Kryptonian is worried sick about Diana. She tries convincing herself that Wonder Woman is fine, but she remains quite fearful.
Kara hears something strange in the distance. She awakens Babs and the pair ventures out into the darkness. Under the light of their torch, Supergirl spots the source of the sounds.
"Oh, dear God! Diana!!!!"
"There was no alternative." Batgirl responds sternly and confidently. "We were in no condition to cross the river, search the unknown or defend ourselves against a hostile force. Our only reasonable option was to regroup and the safest place to do so was right here."
"Safest?!" Diana retorts sarcastically as she rises to her feet over the objections of her colleagues. "Do you two plan on living the rest of your lives on this accursed island? That's what we're in for if we keep following your lead, Batgirl. 'Let's be prudent. Let's play it safe.' you say. You've been undermining my authority from the moment we got here. That ends right now!"
Whether it be debate or physical combat, Babs Gordon isn't inclined to back down against anyone, especially when she knows she is right. It therefore takes considerable discipline for the masked heroine to resist engaging in a nasty war of words. Remaining calm, Batgirl stares up into the aqua blue eyes of the statuesque Amazon princess. Wonder Woman is frustrated. The adrenaline rush sparked by her ire serves to temporarily override the ill-effects of her concussion. Given her current disposition, the JLA heroine will be very difficult to reason with.
"Princess, I respect you more than mere words can describe." Babs diplomatically begins. "Supergirl and I want to leave this place as much as you do. All of our waking efforts are geared towards that end. It is unfortunate that yesterday's excursion failed, but we will try again." Sensing a slight softening in Diana's stance, Batgirl urges the princess to relax. "Let's all just sit down and we can figure out our next move."
"No!" Diana bellows. "I've lost Hestia's golden lasso because of you two. I'm not about to sit around here sketching maps. I'm going to retrieve my magic lasso before it's lost forever and while I'm at it I'll find the damned stone we're looking for."
"It's too risky princess." Batgirl coolly rules. "I appreciate the tactical importance of the golden lasso. I also know how significant it is to you personally, but the three of us can't jeopardize our lives to get it back."
"Who said anything about the three of us?" Diana snidely remarks. "I'm going this one alone. I can accomplish far more on my own than I can having to shield and nursemaid the two of you!"
"Please don't leave Diana! We have to stick together." Supergirl pleas as Wonder Woman marches towards the cave exit. Steadier on her feet, Batgirl intercepts the Amazon as they reach the outside grass. "Listen to Kara." she insists. "You're not fit for travel or activity. You must rest!" Babs argues.
The elbow is lightning quick and delivered with uncanny precision. Batgirl drops to her knees, having taken a blow to her solar plexus. So skilled is Diana's foray, it momentarily robs Babs of her breath. Wonder Woman deftly seizes upon her vulnerability and lands a formidable right-handed chop to the neck which fells the caped crime fighter.
The Justice Leaguer whirls around to face a shocked Supergirl. The Kryptonian tries yet again to reason with her friend, but her appeals go unheeded. "Don't oppose me Kara!" the Amazon warns as she backs away from the scene. "I don't want to hurt either of you, but I will do whatever I must to escape this place and avenge myself against Phranyx!" Supergirl takes a step in Diana's direction, but she advances no further. The two women stare one another down. They each recognize the score without another word being said. Wonder Woman departs with the satisfying knowledge that Kara is too intimidated to challenge her.
*****
Supergirl squats beside a stunned Batgirl and gently helps her into a sitting position. Babs rubs her throbbing neck and reassures Kara that she is fine. "I just need a few minutes to recover my senses." she groans. "I've never been hit like that before." Gordon adds. "The fighting skills that woman possesses are unfathomable! And I thought I was good! Her punches land with pinpoint accuracy for maximum impact. I'm lucky she is so precise, because she would have broken my neck had her blow been off by as much as a centimeter!"
Batgirl and Supergirl opt against venturing out in pursuit of Wonder Woman. The Amazon has too great a head start. Barbara figures that they can't make it across the Lex River unless they utilize Kara's tunnel. Without the princess, it is too great a risk to hike ten miles through enemy territory to reach the Purple Zone. Although it is an undesirable and seemingly timid strategy, their best recourse is to stay put and hope that the Justice Leaguer can handle herself in the wild.
"I just can't believe Diana attacked you." Kara remarks. "I know we're all under a lot of stress, but Wonder Woman is always so cool in tough situations. She remains calm and her steadying influence rubs off on others. Pressure brings out the very best in Diana. It makes no sense that she would crack like that."
"Maybe it does, Kara." Batgirl replies. "I have a theory that I've been developing over the past few days. I'm kicking myself for not voicing it earlier, but I wasn't all that confident in its validity until now."
Babs proceeds to explain her thoughts to a curious Supergirl.
*****
We already know that Perdition Isle has had certain negative effects upon us. You and Wonder Woman have been robbed of your super powers. None of us can read. I now fear that we are all experiencing yet another setback. Our minds seem to be under siege in what could be the early stages of a permanently debilitating breakdown of our mental faculties.
We are all exhibiting signs that our personalities are regressing. Our life experiences and values make us the adult women that we are today. Deep down in our psyches, however, reside our formative years. We each come from different backgrounds; therefore the core essences of who we are vary. It is these deep-rooted traits which are manifesting themselves with greater force as time passes.
Take me, for instance. I was born and raised in the big city. It's a tough environment with many bad temptations, but from a young age I drove myself to rise above that. I was an intellectual girl, spending much of my free time in the library. It wasn't until my mid-teens that I discovered an appreciation for physical fitness and the martial arts.
I have never liked the wilderness. Grass. Trees. Rivers. Bugs. I hate bugs. Give me a concrete jungle and smog any day. Perdition Isle is all forms of nature on a small landscape. With each passing day, I find myself more and more uncomfortable here. It takes that much more of a concerted effort for me to persevere. My fighting skills seem less and less honed and I feel an ever increasing tendency to rely upon analytical means to figure a way out of trouble.
Forgive my presumptiveness Kara, but in your case I see a scared young child underneath your heroic exterior. Tragic circumstances left you an orphan and sent you to a foreign world. Who wouldn't be terrified? Sure, you inherited great powers and have grown into the remarkable Supergirl. I can see from your own expression though that you concur with what I'm saying. It's the frightened little girl within that you struggle to overcome while on this island.
As for Wonder Woman, she is known throughout the Earth as an ambassador of peace. She is a founding member of the Justice League and a royal princess. We mustn't forget however that at the very heart of her persona, Princess Diana is an Amazon warrior. Her heritage is one of scorn, followed by oppression, self-achieved liberation and finally greatness. In fact, it is those Amazonian battle instincts, properly tempered by wisdom and goodness, that make her the inimitable woman that she is.
The warrior within her is now surfacing. Notice how well she has adapted to this environment. Diana is right in her element on this island, surviving off the land. Her courage is a given, but she grows increasingly aggressive each day. Wonder Woman is taking more and more risks. Her patience with us continues to dwindle, because we don't measure up to her Amazon standards. She sees you and I as a hindrance and believes she can do more on her own. To an extent she's right, but I worry that her zealousness will be the doom of us all.
*****
Her pounding headache intensifies with every mile she covers, but Diana of Themyscira refuses to yield. She stealthily makes her way through Neron Forest and Buzz Swamp. Feeling serious fatigue, the Amazon pushes herself to reach the safe haven of the Purple Zone.
Once inside the gaseous region, Diana sits down for a much needed respite. Her meta-human metabolism asserts itself. Aching muscles feel almost immediate relief. Her head injury takes quite a bit longer. Forcing herself to be patient, Wonder Woman spends a full hour in the Purple Zone, leaving only to breathe at twenty minute intervals.
Judging herself to be fit, the heroine flies to the upper heights of the fog region. From there her keen eyesight spots her magic lasso dangling from the very precipice at which it was lost. "Thank Hera, it's still there!" Diana exclaims as she swoops down towards the underground tunnel. "Now it's time to go to work!"
The sun slowly descends on the horizon as the Amazon wrests her prized golden lariat free from the cliff face. "I'd best get a move on." she thinks to herself. "There's only and hour or so of daylight left and I would prefer to find our mystery rock today."
Her journey takes her northward into a series of rolling hills. Deep green brush appears sporadically on the rugged landscape. Diana treks a half mile when she comes across a gruesome sight. Lying in a small trench are the skeletal remains of a large humanoid male. The body is completely devoid of all flesh. The bones show signs of scuffing which could be attributed to the weather or hungry predators. The skeleton is intact with the odd exception of the feet and ankle bones which appear to have eroded away.
Wonder Woman cautiously continues up the next hill. Upon reaching the crest, she spots a large reddish-brown meteoroid in the valley. It is partially buried within a crater which it surely created on impact. "That has to be the 'stone' the prophesy refers to." Diana concludes. "Without my Amazon powers, how can I possibly move something that big? And who or what is the 'army' that protects it?"
The Justice Leaguer discretely approaches the meteor which she estimates to weigh ten tons. As she closes to within fifty yards, she discovers another skeleton. It too has been stripped off all flesh. The jaw bone is agape, suggesting that this Neanderthal man suffered a terribly painful death. An eerie chill courses through Diana's veins when she notices other unburied remains. In all, five mangled skeletons litter the ground in close proximity to the meteor. "Merciful Minera!" she cries. "What in Gaea's name has happened here!?"
Wonder Woman removes her tiara so that it is immediately at hand for defense. Diana shifts laterally to attain a different vantage point without getting any closer to the menacing rock. She is in full alert mode, expecting an assault of some kind. The Amazon detects no potential threats when she unexpectedly feels a sharp piercing pain in her right foot.
Diana looks down in horror at the source of her discomfort. The ground teems with diminutive killer ants. The insects swarm her feet and lower legs. They attack with unprecedented ferocity and effectiveness. The ants chew clear through her scarlet boots to reach her skin underneath. The princess can not believe the excruciating agony the thousands of tiny mouths inflict.
With no way to shake them loose, Wonder Woman desperately runs for her life. Hundreds of killer ants cling firmly to her lower limbs. They relentlessly shred her tattered boots and dig into her flesh. She has but one hope. In the waning sunlight, Diana sprints for the Lex River. She knows full well that if she falls, her vicious attackers will never allow her to rise again.
*****
It's a curiously tranquil evening. Crickets chirp in background as Supergirl sits lost in thought in front of the cave entrance. Batgirl rests soundly, but for Kara it figures to be a long, fitful evening. The Kryptonian is worried sick about Diana. She tries convincing herself that Wonder Woman is fine, but she remains quite fearful.
Kara hears something strange in the distance. She awakens Babs and the pair ventures out into the darkness. Under the light of their torch, Supergirl spots the source of the sounds.
"Oh, dear God! Diana!!!!"
