She has committed herself to her present course of action. She can not turn back, although she would very much like to. 6/10th of a second ago, Princess Diana knew that her health was quickly failing. During this fleeting interval, the heroine has come to realize how deathly ill she truly is.

For years her superhuman body chemistry has created and stockpiled antibodies. Rarely has this invaluable defense mechanism been sternly taxed. Today is quite different. Unbeknownst to Wonder Woman, these valuable reserves have not only been challenged, but obliterated. Any further resistance of the mystical virus is therefore dependent upon her weakened, meta-human immune system.

Diana has persevered through her mounting symptoms to close in on the location of Green Arrow and Black Canary. Exertion seems to exacerbate her condition, but she is the master of her pain. "It's only fifty feet away." the heroine reasoned as she darted out of the elevator at super speed. "Should be no problem."

Despite her waning power level, Wonder Woman is still capable of extraordinary physical feats. Her burst of speed is indeed swift enough to elude the sentry's gaze. Unfortunately, her respiratory system can no longer withstand such extreme meta-human strain, even over a short duration. Upon enduring the additional shock of this latest sprint, the
relative condition of her lungs deteriorates to that of a 90 year old emphysema patient.

The super heroine reaches the nurse's station unseen, but she does not avoid detection for long. Gasping for each and every breath, her frighteningly hoarse coughing echoes throughout the floor. She is dizzy and disoriented. Guards and doctors cautiously rush towards the desk as Diana desperately tries to remain standing. "I've got to charge through them!" she thinks. "It's my only chance of reaching Dinah or Ollie." The disguised super heroine takes one step towards the sealed ICU only to have her legs give out underneath her. "Get up!" the Amazon groans as she struggles to rise. Alas it is not to be. Diana slumps to the floor with no fight left within her.

*****

"Silence Aphrodite!" The powerful command echoes throughout all of Olympus. Although the words are directed at the goddess of love and beauty, it is clear that this command applies to any and all who contemplate dissent. Zeus emphatically denies Aphrodite's petition to aide the beleaguered Princess Diana. The king of the gods remains steadfast in his decree that Olympus shall not interfere in the affairs of mankind.

Zeus retakes his seat as the tension somewhat dissipates. He understands his daughter's objection even though he refuses to allow her to voice it. Given that Heracles has already intervened with and sabotaged Wonder Woman's battle against Circe, there is ample cause for a corrective godly measure to restore the proper balance. Zeus sees the logic in this argument and he is tempted to make an exception. Before so doing, however, he opts to address the cause of this maelstrom.
"Bring Heracles before me!" Zeus righteously demands.

*****

"Back off! Let us do our jobs!" "Where'd she come from?" "She's burning up!" "Maybe it's contagious!?" "Who is she?" "Better quarantine the building!" "I don't recognize her. How did she get by security?" "Bring that stretcher over here!" "We need ice, pronto!"

Diana is semi-conscious as the hectic scene unfolds around her. She hears a variety of anxious voices. She feels the cool metallic stethoscope as it is pressed firmly against her upper chest. The heroine detects an increasing sense of urgency in the doctor's tone as she is lifted onto a gurney.

"You're not bringing that woman in there!?" police Captain Charlie Riker reacts incredulously. He intersperses himself between the patient and the doorway leading into the ICU and motions several of his officers to stand beside him. Dr. Stephen Altman strongly objects to these tactics. "Get out of our way, Captain! This woman requires immediate medical attention!"

As an argument ensues, the princess struggles to remain both awake and alert. Diana is exhausted. Her fever is such that she is on the verge of delirium. "This can't happen!" she insists to herself. "I must stay focused and remain in control!" She prays that she is taken inside for treatment, thus bringing her close to her ailing colleagues.

No one recognizes that the controversial disease victim is Wonder Woman. Superficially, this seems rather odd since the Star City Police Department has received word that the heroine is considered a dangerous fugitive. It is not her civilian disguise which now cloaks her world-renowned identity; rather her appearance is so much different from the norm due to the affects of Circe's spell.

Within just the past couple minutes, the Amazon champion's physique has seemingly metamorphosed into a grotesque mockery of its former self. All of her joints are hideously bloated. Her skin is riddled with rash and assorted open sores throughout the body. Diana's face is wrenched with torment as she strains to breathe from the oxygen tube affixed over her mouth. She is literally drenched in sweat as the vile fever threatens to dehydrate her.

"I understand your concern over the safety of Black Canary and Green Arrow." Dr. Altman concedes. "My priority lies with my patients ... ALL of them, including this poor young lady!" Captain Riker grumbles in disagreement, arguing that the new patient is an intruder with hostile intentions. "Look at her Captain!" Altman retorts. "She suffers from the same affliction as the Justice Leaguers, only her case is even worse. She will die if we don't get her on a respirator and an IV, ASAP! Is that what Green Arrow or the Black Canary would want?"

*****

Diana drifts in and out of consciousness as Dr. Altman and his skilled team of specialists work to stabilize her condition. The heroine does not recall the resolution of the conflict in the outer hallway, but to her relief Altman obviously managed to persuade the police to relent. She is uncomfortable. A respirator tube protrudes from her mouth, the end of which rubs irritatingly against her tonsils. She feels the prick of a needle as a nurse draws blood from her left arm. Her right forearm also feels strange, the result of an IV bag in place to help restore her fluids.

Wonder Woman begins to experience slight improvement. She is breathing a little easier. The pain in her joints is not nearly as severe and her stamina seems to be slowly returning. While it is possible that the efforts of the medical staff are helping, Diana believes this is mostly attributable to another factor. "Praise the gods!" she privately rejoices. "I must be in close proximity to Dinah and Ollie. But where are they, exactly?"

Although Wonder Woman tries to be subtle, the nurse notices that she is starting to come to. The princess is legitimately in much agony; therefore Dr. Altman opts to use a mild sedative. "Great Hera No!" she silently objects. "If they put me under, the consequences could be disastrous! I can't allow that!"

To the pure astonishment of her doctors and Captain Riker, the Amazon sits upright and defiantly extracts the thick tubing from her mouth. "Guards! Guards!" Riker and Altman scream ecstatically as they all attempt to restrain their apparently crazed subject. The IV line rips loose from her arm as she reaches her feet. Diana is dizzy but more determined than ever. She clobbers the policeman first and easily sheds the overmatched physicians.

Wonder Woman staggers twenty feet across the room where she spots the comatose form of Ollie Queen. Uniformed SWAT officers barge into the ICU with their weapons drawn as Diana reaches Green Arrow's side. The police are reluctant to fire for fear of injuring the hero. Instead, they opt to stall for time.

"If you harm the Arrow, you'll never get out of here alive." Sergeant Rich Aimes declares. The Amazon squats next to Ollie, being extra careful not to make physical contact with him. She is momentarily content with this standoff, for she feels her energy returning steadily the longer she is near her Justice League comrade. Diana is forced to rethink her strategy, however, when her heightened sense of hearing detects a whisper from Aimes to the dazed but uninjured Captain Riker. "Got word to the JLA. Superman's on his way!"

There is no choice at this point. Diana wants no part of crossing paths with Superman, yet it is also imperative that she do everything within her power to negate Circe's mystical virus. She must accelerate the recovery process despite the personal risk. As such, Wonder Woman places her right hand on Ollie's exposed forearm. This action triggers a negative consequence. Fortunately it is not the instant death Circe's wickedness forewarns; rather the SWAT unit perceives the Amazon as escalating the threat she poses to Green Arrow. Officers strategically encroach upon the prone Justice Leaguer and his apparent enemy.

Diana is fearful of gunfire within this confined space. At her reduced power level, she hasn't the quickness of hand to deflect bullets. Shots fired will surely injure her or Ollie. Without identifying herself, the heroine calmly attempts to convince the police that her purpose is not hostile. She implores them to lower their weapons, but her pleas go unheeded.

Wonder Woman's fever has broken and her light-headedness is virtually gone. Green Arrow is still unconscious, but the instruments monitoring his breathing and heart rate indicate improvement. Her efforts have clearly succeeded, but there are too many antsy cops poised to shoot. Diana slowly pulls away from Ollie's side and raises her arms to demonstrate she intends to offer no resistance.

As the SWAT team cautiously approaches the Amazon, Dr. Altman suddenly notices Ollie's vital signs. "Look!" he exclaims in amazement. "Green Arrow's vitals are stabilizing! He's warding off the affliction!" The doctor's alarming cry draws the attention of everyone within the ICU. Wonder Woman graciously welcomes this fortuitous distraction. The Justice Leaguer surges toward the nearest windows. Before the officers can react, she smashes through the glass, taking out the metallic frame and a sizable chunk of concrete in process. No shots are even fired, for the Amazon disappears from sight too swiftly for the men to even target her.

*****

"I've never seen anything like it Superman." Dr. Altman comments. "Green Arrow and Black Canary were both in critical condition just five minutes ago. Now they've each regained consciousness and are breathing on their own! I can't explain it."

Superman understands the surgeon's bewilderment. "I'm getting similar reports from cities throughout the country." the Kryptonian responds. "The Batman is recovering in Gotham City, Elongated Man in Central City, etc.. Thankfully, it appears that all of my colleagues are going to survive."

Dr. Altman asks the man of steel about his mysterious patient who seemed to recover just prior to the others. Superman clenches his teeth and stares grimly at the gaping hole in the wall of ICU. "I'm afraid I know who she was, doctor." he offers. "What I don't yet know is why she was here or what she's going to do next!"