Chapter 5: Hidden in the Mountains

Unknown Location: 6 Months Before the Formation of the Justice League

Deep inside of an underground facility, a man was on a raised lift, tinkering with a massive machine, occasionally looking up to a monitor near him that was playing a news report.

"In Washington D.C. today, Superman met with the Secretary of Defense to further the United States' endeavour to usher in an era of peace. Working together with Superman, the United States has taken dramatic action to limit its military power, setting an example that many other nations in the world are starting to follow. With this move, war may be a thing of the past..." the anchorwoman reported.

The man paused in his work to look up at the monitor. He watched as Superman shook hands with the Secretary of Defense, both men smiling for the cameras as behind them hundreds of missiles and weapons were being carted off into storage.

The man looked over to his machine, one that was the length of an entire American football field, with an evil glint in his eye.

"They believe war is a thing of the past," Vandal Savage said, a sinister smirk on his face. "Yet the true war is just beginning."

X X X

9 Miles West of Gotham: 1 Week Before the Formation of the Justice League

Batman was positioned outside of a secret government base, one several miles away from Gotham that was unknown to the majority of Americans. Gotham has been quiet the past few nights, so it was easy allowing Nightwing and Tim to go on patrol. Although Tim has been Robin for almost a year now, Batman was still uneasy about Tim patrolling at such a young age, especially with what happened with Jason.

Although Dick became Robin around the same age as Tim, Bruce would never allow Dick to patrol Gotham without being in close proximity to him. Tim, although much more reactive than Dick had been at his age, lacks the combat ability that Dick has now. Batman knew, however, that Tim wanted to be in the field as soon as possible, and that a quiet night in Gotham would be the best practice for him.

Tim was unlike any of the other Robins, actually discovering that Bruce Wayne was Batman on his own. Bruce knew that Tim wanted to become the next Robin, with him stating that even the legendary Batman needed people to work with. Bruce tried everything he could to dissuade Tim from joining this horrid work, especially with the death of Jason still fresh on his mind even though it had been over two years since he had died. However, the young boy was consistent.

Tim never had a mother figure in his life since she left almost immediately after his birth, and his father was abusive to him both emotionally and physically. Batman felt pity for the boy who only wanted to help do good, and once Tim's father died of a drug overdose, he started to train him to become the next Robin.

Bruce had to admit that he was very impressed with how well Tim handled the pressure of becoming Robin. He was a dedicated student, one that would take his mistakes hard yet accept helpful criticism. While serious about his studies, he also had a sense of humor that was refreshing to see in the Manor. Although slightly concerned about bringing a new member into their 'Batclan', as Dick had dubbed it, both Barbara and Dick quickly grew to appreciate Tim and his skill set. Tim had a drive that reminded Bruce of his own, and it only took a little under seven months before he allowed Tim to finally don the Robin uniform.

While Batman had never let Robin patrol by himself as of yet, Bruce did have to admit that Tim was performing much better than both Dick and Jason had when they first became Robin. He was strategic in battle, knowing when he should attack and also knowing when patience and observation would be a better choice than battle. Allowing him to patrol Gotham tonight with Nightwing had actually been an easier choice than Bruce thought it would have been. Now, while Nightwing and Robin were patrolling Gotham, Batman was watching this secret military warehouse.

The base was in the middle of a very small mountain for both protection and secrecy, with the nearest neighboring house or road being almost five miles away. It was mainly underground, however there were a few secret entrances positioned strategically around the base in case of an evacuation.

Batman picked up a message from an encrypted connection that detailed a break in to the base, however he was not able to track who either sent the message or recieved it. There were also no details of what was attempted to be stolen, which really made Batman interested in these potential thieves.

Although he has dealt with many highly trained enemies in his eleven years as a crime fighter, the messages that Batman intercepted concerned him. These men obviously had access to military-grade technology, maybe even military-grade weapons. Based on this assumption alone, he knew that someone who had this type of technology trying to break into a military base was a serious threat. What's worse is that this base was one of the many secret bases that were built to house the military weapons that were being discontinued, meaning that the thieves might be trying to steal violent weapons.

Before Batman could continue his thoughts, an alarm started going off from inside the military base. He knew that the most likely exit that the potential thieves would take was the farthest emergency exit from the main entrance of the base, as there was much less security at this part of the base than the main entrance.

Batman patiently waited, counting the minutes that went by as the alarms of the military base continued to blare, his focus only on the hidden emergency hatch that he knew was located several feet away from him. He was currently hidden behind a large rock, effectively shielding him from anyone that comes out of the hatch.

Soon enough, the hatch quickly opened up, snapping back to allow those that opened the hatch to get out. Two people dressed completely from head to toe in black clothing ascended through the hole in the ground, with the first one giving a hand to the second one in order to help him up. They both appeared to be male, and the second man was carrying some type of hard drive that was obviously stolen from the military base. Based on their clothing and weapons, Batman could tell that these were mercenaries.

Batman did not give them time to escape. Quickly, he pounced on the man with his fists out that was not carrying the hard drive. Unprepared, the man quickly fell to the ground on his back, staggered by the blow. The man with the hard drive turned towards Batman, and although everything but the man's eyes were covered, the fear portrayed in them alone was clearly noticeable.

He pocketed the hard drive, making sure it was secured in his belt. The mercenary then charged at Batman, intent on taking down the urban legend that so many people outside of Gotham only heard rumors about. He heard how skilled the Batman was in fighting, and he was about to put those skills to the test.

Batman saw the mercenary charging him, knowing that he had to be more cautious in his movements. These were not the normal thugs he dealt with in Gotham that could barely throw a proper punch. This was a mercenary, someone that had proper training in combat.

The mercenary first threw a right hook at Batman, which was quickly blocked by a gauntlet covered arm. A kick to Batman's shin's also missed, as he backed away far enough that the kick only hit open air.

The mercenary then threw a jab at Batman's right shoulder, missing as the Dark Knight side-stepped the blow. Batman immediately followed up with a low punch to the mercenary's lower right ribs, causing the mercenary to stumble back a few feet. He immediately capitalized on the mercenary's stumble, throwing a series of jabs and punches that the mercenary could not manage to block. A kick to the mercenary's right leg knocked him to the ground, the breath being knocked out of him as his back connected with the hard rock.

While the first mercenary attempted to regain his breath, Batman looked up to find the secondary mercenary completely gone, no trace as to where he could be. Batman cursed under his breath, silently berating himself for letting the other mercenary get away.

Looking down at the mercenary on the ground who had now rolled over onto his stomach, Batman took a few steps up to him. He roughly placed his right foot on the mercenary's back, before grabbing the mercenary's right arm and pulling it upwards.

The mercenary, who had just barely regained his breath, immediately lost it again as he felt a black boot push violently into his back. Once he felt his arm being pulled up above his back, he groaned out in pain, feeling the bones in his shoulder creaking under the pressure. He did not know how his arm was not dislocated already.

"Who are you?" Batman growled at the man under his boot.

"M-my name is Blake Seritini. I work as a... a mercenary for hire," Blake said, struggling to form a sentence with the pain in his arm.

"What were you trying to steal in the military base?" Batman interrogated, his tone venomous.

"It... it was a hard drive containing the locations of every single military weapon storage. Any location that contained the weapons the military discontinued are on the hard drive," Blake replied, his arm feeling numb at this point.

"Who hired you," Batman questioned.

"I-I don't know," Blake answered. At this, Batman pulled more on Blake's arm, causing the mercenary to cry out in pain. His arm was on the verge of being dislocated.

"Not the answer I was looking for," Batman growled.

"I-I swear!" Blake exclaimed. "The number was anonymous! I had no idea who the contractor was. They just gave me instructions to steal the hard drive and to message them once the job was completed so I could get my money!"

"Who was the other mercenary?" Batman questioned, an iron hold on Blake's arm.

"I... I never met him before in my life," Blake admitted. "We were both hired to work together to do the job. His name's Monto Berlioz. That's all I know I swear!"

Batman stared down at Blake, believing that he did not have any more useful information. "I believe you," Batman replied. He released Blake's arm, before quickly dropping his right knee onto the back of Blake's head, knocking him out.

Quickly securing Blake, Batman searched him until he found the hard drive contained in a pocket on the mercenary's belt. Placing the hard drive inside of his utility belt, Batman picked Blake up, taking him to the front of the military base where the authorities could deal with him.

Moving back towards the emergency hatch, Batman quickly searched the area, finding no sign of the other mercenary anyway. The only evidence that Batman could find were tire marks on a nearby path, showing that the mercenaries must have had a getaway car nearby which the one mercenary sped off in.

Calling the Batwing through his gauntlet, Batman quickly went over the evidence he had gathered from this encounter in his head, already planning on finding everything he could on Monto Berlioz.

X X X

Gotham: 1 Week Before the Formation of the Justice League

Batman sat in front of the Batcomputer, thoroughly reading a file that detailed Monto Berlioz's mercenary life. So far, Bruce had determined that he was not a well-known mercenary, meaning that he was probably hired for a small amount of money. This would make tracking him much harder, especially since he had no noticeable bank transactions in the past few months.

So far, this entire investigation has piqued Batman's interest. Why hire mercenaries to steal such important documents from a high security military base? Earlier Batman had reviewed the information on the hard drive, confirming the story that Blake told. Batman knew of the locations of the military bases due to his ability to access highly classified government documents and data through the Batcomputer. However, the bases were meant to be kept in secret so no one would try to obtain the deadly weapons stored within these secret warehouses. Why someone would want to know the locations of these bases was concerning.

While looking at the Batcomputer's monitor, an alert popped up on the side of the screen, indicating that the sensors at the Batwing tunnel's entrance had been triggered. Knowing that there was only one person on the planet that could fly through the Batwing tunnel, he dismissed the alert so the Batcave defenses did not activate.

Superman flew through the Batwing tunnel that would lead to the Batcave, wondering if Bruce would even be here this 'early' at night. He chuckled at that thought, thinking about how an hour past midnight was considered early to Bruce.

Arriving in the Batcave's main hanger, Superman took a moment to once again appreciate the grandeur of the Batcave. Once he and Bruce had become friends, although Bruce is still reluctant to use that term, Clark was given access to the Batcave in order to contact Bruce for emergencies. However, to Bruce's annoyance he was sure, Clark regularly came to the Batcave once a month to check in on Bruce and talk to him. Although Bruce was sometimes hard to talk to, Clark appreciates the moments where they can sit back and talk about almost anything, something Clark can only do with Bruce, Lois, and his parents.

Flying up to the main platform that housed the Batcomputer, Superman found Batman sans-cowl researching through a file. Landing on the platform, he was about to greet Batman before Bruce began talking first.

"Isn't it past your bedtime, Kent?" Bruce sarcastically said, his focus still on the monitor.

Clark let out a small chuckle. "Hello to you too, Bruce," Superman greeted. "How come you're not patrolling Gotham?"

"It's been quiet these past few nights, so Dick and Tim took over tonight while I went on my own mission," Batman replied.

"'Quiet Before the Storm', huh?" Clark commented.

"Unfortunately so," Bruce responded. Superman walked up to the side of Bruce's computer chair, briefly reading through the article to see what Batman was researching.

"Who's 'Monto Berlioz'?" Superman asked.

"He's a mercenary that attempted to steal a hard drive containing information regarding the locations of secret military warehouses throughout the country, the same ones that store the weapons which were recently discontinued. I encountered him outside one of these military bases several miles outside of Gotham," Batman revealed. "There was another mercenary with him whom I caught, but Monto got away."

"Why would mercenaries be tasked to steal such important documents?" Superman asked. "Are they planning on stealing the weapons?"

"That's what I'm concerned about," Batman commented as he leaned back in his chair. "The mercenary I caught barely knew anything about his employer, making it difficult to track down any potential suspects."

"Well, it seems like you had an investigation on your hands," Clark said with a smirk.

Bruce scuffed at Clark's comment. "When do I ever not, Clark?" Bruce sarcastically joked. He leaned forward and closed down the file, determined that there was not much more he could learn about Monto Berlioz.

Turning towards Clark, Bruce decided to engage in some small conversation. "So, how's Lois doing?" Bruce asked.

Clark gave Bruce a small smile at the thought of the feisty reporter. "Lois is doing good. She's still trying to get over that bombshell we dropped on her a couple of months ago," Clark replied.

Bruce knew all too well what Clark was referring to. About two months ago, Lex Luthor had made another attempt at Superman's life, shooting him with a kryptonite bullet. Although the bullet hit Clark in his shoulder and did not mortally wound him, it still had to be removed. Superman barely made it back to the apartment he shared with Lois, using all of his remaining strength to fly through their window. Barely conscious, Superman told Lois to contact Bruce, that he was the only one who could help him.

When the Batman arrived twenty minutes later instead of Bruce Wayne, someone Lois only knew truly existed because of Clark, it did not take long for the investigative reporter to put two and two together. As Bruce worked on removing the kryptonite bullet, he was slightly thankful that Lois's shock allowed him to work uninterrupted, as he was able to remove the bullet in under ten minutes. However, once that was taken care of, he immediately had to deal with a fiery reporter that wanted to know more about his double life.

Luckily for Bruce, Lois understood the importance of a secret identity and she promised to keep Bruce's identity a secret like she did with Clark's.

"I bet she's still asking questions," Bruce said with a smirk.

Clark chuckled at Bruce. "You know Lois, she wants the full story on everything. I think the biggest shock to her was that Bruce Wayne, the airhead who can barely tie his two shoes together, was Batman."

Clark refrained from telling Bruce about the discussion he had with Lois regarding the death of Bruce's parents. He did not know if Bruce would want him telling her information that is sensitive to the Dark Knight, but Clark knows he can trust Lois. He remembers her reaction when he told Lois the true story of the Waynes' death, not the casual mugging story that everyone had heard. She had broken down in tears for Bruce, and as they both hugged each other to provide comfort, Clark wondered how one man could survive with so much pain and heartbreak in his life.

Bruce looked at Clark, noticing that the latter had gone silent for a few moments. Standing up from his computer chair, Bruce decided to change the topic. "The Watchtower was just launched into orbit," Bruce told Clark.

"Still can't believe that no one had any suspicions over that at all," Clark said, snapping out of his thoughts and giving a small smile.

"If anything, I know how to be discreet," Bruce quipped. "I slipped this into the Space R&D budget, mainly to act as an outpost for space exploration and experiment. Although, the true purpose will be for monitoring both worldly and outer-worldly threats, making sure that we know about them before they occur. No one will even know that it's tied to Wayne Enterprises."

"And who will operate the space station?" Clark asked.

"I'm still trying to figure that out," Bruce responded. "I might have a skeleton crew operate on the 'Tower when you or I can't be up there, but then again it's a risk to our identities by bringing others into this. Right now, I can remotely control everything from the Batcave, so I can focus on that issue later."

"Interesting," Clark replied, actually impressed with the technology Bruce had developed. Although Clark has seen various different forms of technology, what Bruce develops are some of the most sophisticated and functional pieces of technology he has ever seen. Some of the things Bruce has designed are decades ahead of anything that the general public or even government organizations have.

"Well, since Nightwing and Robin haven't contacted me for any emergencies so far, I think I'll get changed and check on Alfred before coming back down to review more on these mercenaries," Bruce said.

"Ok, I better get going anyway," Clark replied. "Lois is probably wondering where I am. Plus, I have an article that I have to start typing up at the Planet tomorrow at seven."

"Try to not get shot by a bullet again," Bruce dryly joked.

"I'll do my best," Clark said with a smirk. Bruce always had the strangest sense of humor. "Although, people have given me a new catchphrase: 'Faster than a speeding bullet'. I think it's pretty good."

Bruce scoffed at Clark. "Well, we learned two months ago that wasn't true," Bruce responded with a rare smile.

Clark slightly glared at Bruce, but the smile on his face showed that he was not truly angry at Bruce's comment. "Just wait till you get shot again sometime and I'll have to take the bullet out of you."

"That's what Alfred is for," Bruce said, the amusement in his voice.

Clark chuckled at Bruce, once again appreciating that he had someone else in this superhero business that he can talk to about anything. Although they have only known each other for less than three years, Clark had formed a sort of brotherhood with Bruce, one that grew every time they were together.

"Goodbye, Bruce," Superman said. He lifted off of the platform, before flying out of the Batwing tunnel.

Batman, who was still on the platform near the Batcomputer, briefly thought over the strange relationship he had with the superpowered hero. He and Clark had formed a bond, not only based on their professions, but also based on their morals. They were complete opposites on the outside, yet they both had the same standards when it came down to what mattered most. Somehow, against all odds, Bruce had gained a friend in his secret life.

X X X

Bavaria, Germany: 5 Days Before the Formation of the Justice League

Monto Berlioz cautiously entered into the secret facility, watching his surroundings in case of a trap. He quickly entered into the elevator at the end of the hall, pressing the down button almost immediately as he got inside.

Shortly after he escaped his encounter with the Batman, Monto had quickly messaged his employer that the mission was a failure. Monto expected a harsh reply and his projected payment to be revoked, so he was understandably surprised when his secret employer messaged him an address and a time. Monto assumed that he was still being paid for his work, even if the mission did fail.

Still, Monto was not stupid. He knew that he was potentially being led into a trap, so he made sure to keep all of his surroundings in check. The facility was in Germany, hidden in a mountain range so dense that it would be impossible for anyone to spot the entrance unless you were looking for it. It was a long flight from Gotham, but he made it.

As the elevator continued to travel downward, the concrete wall that Monto could see from outside the metal mesh of the elevator soon disappeared, revealing a massive underground facility lined with three machines with numerous workers melding and placing panels onto them. At first glance, Monto thought that they were submarines with how large they were. However, upon further inspection, Monto realized that they were not submarines. He could not make out what the true purpose of these massive machines were, however Monto did notice the large drill attached to the bottom of each one. Looking even closer, the workers that Monto saw were not human. No, in fact they were instead machines as well, dozens of humanoid robots that were working endlessly on constructing these massive contraptions, their red lights for eyes unnerving Monto.

Eventually, the elevator came to a stop at the bottom of the concrete facility. As the doors opened up, Monto was shocked at how vast this facility was. How no one knew about this large of an underground cavern perplexed him, as he had to assume that the facility took up the entirety of the mountain range that lined Bavaria.

Monto was so amazed at the vastness of the machines and the facility, that he did not notice the man waiting for him right outside of the elevator. Monto walked right into the man, stumbling back a few feet from the encounter.

"S-sorry, mister..." Monto began to say before he looked up at the man. Monto tried to suppress a gasp at seeing the man before him. He had what looked to be a neck brace on. What shocked Monto even more was when the man talked not from his mouth, but instead from what seemed like a speaker in the middle of the neck brace.

"My name is Malcolm Vox. I'm your employer's right hand man," the robotic voice informed. Monto could only nod his head, his mind puzzled and fearful over what he had found so far.

"Follow me, the boss wants to meet with you before you receive your payment," Vox said. Vox turned abruptly, walking towards a doorway close to the elevator. Monto sprinted slightly to keep up with him, and eventually the two found themselves walking up a staircase.

At the top of the staircase, Monto saw a large man standing behind a sizable desk looking over a tablet, his back towards the two new occupants of the room. From his position, Monto could only see the grey suit he was wearing and his slightly long black hair. His facial details were hidden at the moment. He was standing in front of a glass window that overlooked the underground facility.

"So, you're Monto Berlioz," the man suddenly said, his back still facing the two men.

Monto, who was surprised the man even knew they were in the room, quickly straightened himself to be presentable.

"Y-yessir, I was one of the mercenaries you hired to retrieve the hard drive," Monto replied.

"Yes, I remember," the man said, still looking at his tablet. After pressing a few more icons on the screen, the man placed the tablet down, before turning towards Monto. Now seeing his face, Monto could see the circle beard the man had, the same color as his hair. "I heard that you were unable to get the hard drive for me. Care to explain?" Vandal Savage calmly asked. Monto took that as a good sign.

"B-Blake had the hard drive, everything was going perfectly," Monto began. "We just made it outside of the military base completely undetected when out of nowhere I was tackled by what I thought was a demon. It took me a few moments to regain my bearings, but once I did I saw Blake fighting freaking Batman! I didn't even know that guy really existed!" Monto exclaimed.

Vandal Savage stroked his thin beard, thinking about what Monto had told him. Monto watched as Vandal became lost in thought, likely considering the drawbacks of not having the hard drive.

"This is most unfortunate," Vandal Savage commented. "Although I have never seen him in person, I've heard the stories about how resourceful this 'Batman' is. He is a great detective, and now that he knows I was going to target the military bases, my plans have been set back greatly."

Monto moved slightly forward, hoping he could redeem himself. "Please, I-I can try and steal another hard drive... one identical to the one you wanted! Plus Batman might've not even figured out that you were targeting the military bases! H-he might think that you're doing something else!" Monto tried to reason.

"It seems that my plans must be altered," Savage continued, completely ignoring Monto's outburst. He picked up his tablet again, pressing a few icons and typing a few new lines of information into the tablet. "I wanted a few more weeks to work out any mishaps within my technology. But due to this... inconvenience, it seems that my plans have to be moved up." Pressing a final icon on the tablet, Vandal looked up through the window to see a bright green light appear on each of the three machines, indicating that they were ready for use.

"While I appreciate your attempt at stealing the hard drive for me, you know too much about my operation to walk free," Savage said. "Vox, please take care of Mr. Berlioz for me."

Monto's eyes widened, shocked at what he just heard. He tried to make a run for the staircase, but Vox stood in his way.

"Please! I can do some other job for you! Hell, I'll work as your shoe shiner if you want! Please, don't kill me!" Monto pleaded, however his words had fallen on deaf ears. Vox grabbed Monto by his shirt collar, dragging the screaming and kicking man outside of Vandal's office.

Vandal Savage looked upon his machines, a sadistic smirk appearing on his face due to being proud of what he was able to accomplish. After living thousands of different lifetimes, seeing countless wars and conflicts, he was finally about to bring the Earth to its knees.

X X X

Themyscira: 3 Days Before the Formation of the Justice League

Diana was on the training grounds, practicing her hand to hand combat against a custom practice target. While similar to the normal practice targets the other Amazons use, this one was made using a thicker bag, one that was able to withstand the heavy blows that Diana dealt without tearing.

It had been almost three years since Diana had gained her blessings from her gods and goddesses, and she has spent almost all of that time training to understand these new abilities she now has. One of the abilities she quickly was able to learn and control was her strength and speed.

She was now as strong as ten of her Amazon sisters combined, and almost five times as fast. One thing that took Diana much longer to control was her ability to levitate off of the ground. Originally, she believed that she had an enhanced jumping ability, since she could jump from one side of the Great Colosseum to the other without breaking a sweat. However, Diana quickly found out that it was just another ability that she had yet to master.

One day, Diana was practicing her elongated jump on a cliff near the arching fields when she accidentally over jumped her target. She went right over the side of the cliff, and Diana closed her eyes while she waited for the cool feel of Themysciran water to encompass her. However, after a few moments, Diana still did not feel herself fall into the water. Peaking her eyes open, she was astonished to see herself floating above the water, somehow levitating as if she was sitting on air itself.

Flying was definitely Diana's favorite blessing she received, and she made a mental note to thank Hermes whenever she saw him again. Flying was an experience that Diana never knew she was missing in her life, but one that she feels she cannot ever be without again. She feels so free while flying, as if she is a part of the clouds that she passes while she is in the air. She does not fly far from the island due to the magical border, but that still did not stop her from spending large portions of her day gliding around Themyscira, basking in the warmth and freedom she feels while performing the action.

Giving one final punch to the practice target, Diana stepped back and regulated her breathing, giving her body time to calm itself after such an intense workout. Diana always enjoys practicing on the training grounds, with the thrill and adrenaline flowing through her as she attacks one practice target after the other. It was the closest thing she has had to actual combat against a true enemy.

After her breathing had calmed down, Diana took to the air, flying high over Themyscira and almost into the clouds. She looks down upon the island that has been her home for centuries, both saddened that she will have to leave this paradise for a short time while also excited about what she will discover past the protective borders that shield the island from outside eyes.

Diana flew down to the Temple of Athena, landing in front of the large entrance. The temple was prodigious, with its size only being rivaled by the Temple of Hera. Diana made her way into the entrance of the temple, passing by the guards and giving a slight nod of recognition as they bowed to their princess and Amazon Champion. After passing in a hallway lined with support pillars made out of marble like the rest of the temple, she eventually arrived into the cella, the main chamber of the temple.

Inside of the cella, there was a large and elegant statue depicting Athena, dressed in her warrior garments and armed with her spear in one hand and her shield in the other. On her shoulder rested her owl, a symbol that represented her wisdom and proper judgment. In front of the sumptuous statue, a table containing the armor and weapons of the gods was bathed in both natural light from a skylight in the temple and from the surrounding torch flames, creating an almost angelic glow which was being casted upon the divine gear.

Diana stopped just before the table, looking at the armor that she, the chosen Champion of the Gods, would soon wear. On the table was an elegant breastplate, entirely red besides a double golden eagle—a symbol of strength, courage, and immortality—that ran along the top of the breastplate. Next to this was a golden belt, formed with the same double eagle that acted as the buckle of the belt. Beside these two items was a blue warrior skirt, made out of fine leather and etched with stars on the sides of the skirt, and a pair of red heeled boots, ones that appeared to go all the way up to the knees. Finally for the armor, a golden tiara rested in front of the armor, a single star engraved into the middle of it. The symbol of a star was symbolic, as it meant that whoever wore the crown and armor was favored by the gods.

Lying next to the beautiful armor were the weapons created by the gods. What caught Diana's eye first was the Lasso of Hestia, one that prevented any lies from being said while under its power. Positioned next to the lasso was the Sword of Athena, one whose blade was sharp enough to pierce the skin of any god, and the Shield of Athena, one that was strong enough to take a full blow from a god and remain intact without a scratch.

Diana marveled over the exquisiteness of the Champion's gear, still amazed that she was chosen to don such important armor and become a representative of both the gods and the Amazons. Although it has been almost three years since she first received her blessings, Diana could just feel that she would be wearing the armor soon, starting her mission as the Champion of the Gods. There was something out there in Patriarch's World, something that has been waiting for her. Now, as the god's champion, she would find out just what that something was. But for right now, she will wait until her gods call her to battle.