11.25AM, Washington DC
Steve and Diana were seated in his car, an all black government issue Lincoln Navigator,slowly crawling through traffic.
They were on their way to a Very Important Meeting, as Steve had put it. Because this is as official as it was ever going to get, Steve was wearing his complete Air Force service dress uniform. His normally unkempt blonde hair had been trimmed and combed back neatly, and he had shaved his customary 3 day stubble. The whole look gave him a dignified air. At the coffee shop on the way here everyone had moved out of the way once they saw him. Many people thanked him for his service. Even the cashier had shamelessly flirted with him, writing her number on his coffee cup and slipping him an extra muffin. She now understood what mortal women said about 'men in uniform'.
Diana thought he looked rather dashing.
For her part she wore a simple black dress. She hoped it wasn't too severe. She was still trying to learn how to dress for different occasions. She fidgeted with the brooch on her dress. As if sensing her discomfort, Steve glanced at her and said,
"You look great by the way. You'll knock 'em dead."
"Are you sure? Black is not too... sombre? Too dull?"
"Nothing could look dull on you." he found himself saying before he could stop. Diana blushed and looked down at her hands.
Way to make it awkward Trevor. Gotta defuse it.
He cleared his throat.
"So, how was work yesterday?"
"Ugh... its terrible. Yesterday I had to talk to these representatives from Nike, they want me to endorse their shoes, I told them I can't do that..."
Bingo. Ask about their day at work. That always got them talking. Shutting them up was the hard part. Did I water my house plants before I left the house this morning? I don't think so... I don't even remember checking on them.. Actually, when is the last time I even spent the night at my place? I can't remember... I thought I left active duty to be at home more often. The irony. I should apply for leave sometime soon. Yeah right, like I'll ever get it. At least my pay grade has gone up now I'm a Colonel. Maybe I can finally buy that place in Cali. I think Diana's talking to me...
"Don't you think so Steve?"
"Oh yeah. Totally unethical. I mean, its not like you're an athlete or something. I don't even know what the ramifications of that would be. But you know what? You could endorse them and then donate all the proceeds to charity."
"I was talking about buying a motorbike."
"No you weren't." He said with a smug smile.
"Ok, so I wasn't. I thought you weren't listening to me, that's all."
"I wasn't. An old trick I picked up as a pilot. Disassociating. Absorbing information without consciously paying attention. It helped when monitoring the instruments and processing Intel on long haul flights. Especially when I had taken go-pills."
She punched his arm.
"Ow! Damn Diana! I think you broke it!." He yelled, grabbing at his arm.
"Oh god! I'm so sorry Steve! I didn't mean to, I swear I-" She was interrupted by Steve's loud laughter.
"Asshole!" She screamed, before storming out of the car and slamming the door. The windshield cracked and the door dented slightly. The car was rocked by the force of the blow.
'Jesus, its like courting a teenager. It was just a small prank. Or am I just too old? Maybe I am too old.' His musings were cut short by Diana, who returned just as quickly as she had left.
The occupants of the car on his left watched his vehicle with bemused expressions on their faces. He was grateful for the heavily tinted windows of his car.
"Um, what was all that about?"
"Nothing."
"Really? Because the first thing men learn after putting down the toilet seat is that nothing means something."
"Nothing!-this time almost everyone in their cars turned to face Steve's vehicle- "Is wrong." she finished in a quieter tone.
"All right. I guess you'll tell me when you're ready." He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. He guessed from her explosive reaction he had touched on something from her past. It was an immature joke, he realized.
"Uh, sorry about that. It was childish."
Silence.
"Sorry about your car." she mumbled after some time.
"Don't worry about it." He glanced at his black Aviator watch. They were running late. He flicked a switch beside the steering wheel, activating the sirens in the grille of the Navigator. He drove quickly, taking full advantage of the sirens. He glanced at the dash. The needle was a little too close to the bottom of the dial. He glanced at Diana. Most women would be horrified at the speeds they were going. She looked...excited. Go figure.
The car pulled up with a screech at a side entrance of a thin black gate. It was only as they drove in at a leisurely pace that Diana realized why it was a Very Important Meeting. She turned to Steve.
"You could have told me this is where we were going."
"What, and ruin the surprise?" he said with a boyish grin.
"Colonel, Princess, this way please." A Secret Service guard who came to meet them said by way of greeting. Steve handed the keys to the man, who didn't even raise an eyebrow at the dented door and cracked windshield. They were subjected to various searches before they went in to the building proper.
"I hope you don't mind." Steve said as they approached their 3rd security checkpoint.
"Not at all. On Themyscira it is not uncommon for outsiders to be stripped completely before entering the Royal Chambers."
"This way sir, ma'am." said another nondescript agent, leading them to a foyer. The walls had several paintings, some of which looked to be several centuries old to Diana's practiced eye. They sat here for nearly an hour in nervous silence before they were finally cleared to proceed into an inner room.
"Princess Diana. Welcome to the White House. I'm sorry you had to wait so long. We were just finishing off our little meeting. Pains of ruling a nation. You understand."
"Completely. I'm honored to meet you Mr President."
"Likewise your highness. Captain Trevor." He held out a hand, observing the extra stripe on his uniform. "Oh, its Colonel now actually. How are you?"
"I-I'm great. Sir. Mr President. Sir." Steve said as he shook his hand, dumbfounded that the President knew his name. He snapped to attention when he spotted the senior military officers in the room.
"At ease, no need for those trivialities here. You know these men I'm sure. Admiral Magnus Simpson, US Navy." First Steve, then Diana shook hands with the man. He had silver hair and crows feet around his mouth and eyes from smiling so much. He looked like someone's dad as he smiled at Diana,but lurking behind the friendly countenance was a steel she had seen many times in the eyes of her sisters. He had a very firm handshake and an alertness to his movements uncommon in a man his age. Because it was summer he was dressed in white. His uniform was impeccable, not a single wrinkle or stain on it, and the bronze buttons gleamed as though polished. He was decorated with the most medals and epaulettes of all the men in the room,testament to his battle prowess. Above all the medals was a single gold trident depicting a globe and an anchor with an eagle clutching a flintlock pistol.
"Commandant Francis Bailey, US Marine Corps." He was a huge bear of a man. Chocolate skinned, with a barrel chest and broad shoulders. His hair was clipped short. His uniform was a dark brown. The two took turns shaking his massive paw. "Firm handshake. For a Princess." He commented jokingly after Diana shook his hand. She smiled politely.
"This man needs no introduction to Colonel Trevor. General Joseph Dunford, US Air Force."He looked very aristocratic. Tall and wiry with a well groomed mustache that was slightly grey at the edges. He looked to be the youngest of the Generals, which wasn't saying much. His dark blue uniform was much like Steve's, except that it was much more embellished. "Colonel. Princess." Was all he said.
"And last but certainly not least, General Samuel Lane, US Army." He was a portly man with a pear shaped face and iron grey hair. His uniform was olive colored and though he also wore medals, his dress was fairly spartan in appearance save for the stars on his shoulders. He shook Steve's hand stiffly, crushing it in his grip. Steve's smiling face betrayed nothing. He tried the same with Diana, and the smug expression on his face disappeared almost immediately upon making contact. Diana held on for a few more seconds, pumping slowly before releasing his hand. He gasped as he wiggled his fingers awkwardly, his face pale. The other men smiled knowingly.
"So, to what do we owe the pleasure, lady and gentleman?" The President asked as he motioned all into their seats. Diana took note of the guards stationed around the room, like sentinels in their black suits and dark glasses they stood unmoving. Until one popped a stick of gum into his mouth. A secretary came in carrying a tray with coffee.
Diana spooned several heaps of sugar into the mug and added copious amounts of milk and cream, then she picked up a bagel and slathered it in butter before taking a hearty bite. The coffee and muffins she had had earlier had been burned out of her system pretty fast. She realized all the men were watching her. She paused.
"Forgive us Princess. It's refreshing to see a woman actually...eat." Said Commandant Bailey.
"Well sir, to answer your question, its a request. You know about our project. We'd like to speed it up. An official launching of the Justice League of America."
Diana almost spurted the sweet coffee through her nose. She glared at Steve. He hadn't said anything about that the whole way here, and now he just sprung it on her like that. His face remained serious but his eyes twinkled with humor. She had suddenly lost her appetite, no small feat for Diana.
"What exactly does that entail Colonel?"
"Well sir,we need assurance that all League members, those currently in the roster and any that we may recruit in the future, will not be hounded by any branch of the Police. Or the military." Here he glanced at Lane meaningfully.
"And how do we know you won't turn around and enslave us all?"he barked. His question was directed more towards Diana.
"General Lane."
"Yes sir Mr President?"
"I'm not sure I like your tone. You may not like them, but the Princess and Colonel are guests of the White House. She is royalty and a foreign dignitary, he is a decorated veteran. You will treat them with the same respect you would treat any others in their station."
"Yes sir." Lane said with a tone of embarrassed deference.
There was no mistaking the authority in the rich baritone of the President. Though he was much younger than the assembled men, wore no military dress and probably weighed less than she ate in a day, Diana could see clearly that he was in charge here. A stark difference from home, where even her mother, the Queen, had been an experienced soldier long before she became a politician.
"Forgive my colleague's brusqueness, Princess Diana."said Admiral Simpson with a hard edge in his voice. He glared at Lane with a raging fire in his eyes. Lane shrank into his seat ever so slightly.
"What he means is, what are your intentions, should you be given Carte Blanche?" he asked.
Diana cleared her throat nervously. Steve had told her nothing at all to prepare her for this, and she found herself blank. She would have to, as they said, 'wing it'.
"Take your time miss." Admiral Simpson said gently, with an understanding smile. There was the dad again.
She glanced at Steve, who was sitting right next to her. He squeezed her hand reassuringly. The movement did not go unnoticed by anyone in the room. The men all shared a quick, knowing look, so brief neither Steve nor Diana took note of it.
"My intentions are noble, I assure you. I am an ambassador of peace, that is all I wish."
"You wish to spread peace through violence?" General Dunford asked skeptically.
"If it is necessary, yes. It would not be wanton violence of course."
"Of course." General Lane mumbled with ill-concealed sarcasm. This time Commandant Bailey glared at him, and the General busied himself staring at the patterns on the carpet.
"Surely you of all people can understand that sometimes peace is forged through conflict." Diana continued.
All the men nodded sagely.
"That may be so," General Dunford interjected, "but we follow rules. A system. The people elect the politicians, the politicians set the policy, and we formulate and follow orders based on those policies. The same cannot be said of you, or any other metahumans for that matter."
Again the men nodded.
"That is true. But I can promise you this, to an Amazon, all life is sacred, even that of a criminal. I will not take a life without just cause."
"Therein lies the problem. Who decides what is a just cause? And where does it start and stop?" asked Commandant Bailey.
Steve cleared his throat. The attention shifted to him.
"That's where I come in, sirs. As government liaison to the Justice League of America, I would act as a middleman to both worlds. Any misgivings you have would be relayed to them through me and vice versa."
General Dunford chuckled.
"You know Trevor, I knew your mother. She came in to the Air Force 21 years old. By the time she graduated she was one hell of a pilot. Could fly an F-16 blindfolded, with both arms tied behind her back. She probably never told you this, but she had originally tried to join the Army as a SOAR pilot before she joined the Force. But this was long before GI Jane, back when women in the military were stuck in administrative positions. No way they were going to let one so much as try to become a Night Stalker. When you came in, 18 years old and thin as cheese wire,somehow I knew you would be just like her. And you were, for the most part. You had a promising career ahead of you with Team 7. I guess I just never figured you for the pen pushing type. You sure this is what you want?"
Steve smiled, placing a hand on the medals of his uniform.
"Well sir, I think I've seen just about enough action to last me a lifetime. It's the Chair Force from here on out. So yes, this is what I want."
"I still don't think this is a good idea. You people probably caused about a billion dollars worth of property damage these past few years. And your people might be able to vouch for you Princess, but what about Superman? Are you planning on recruiting him? He's an alien. Maybe more of them are out there, just waiting to colonize this place. Then there's that Bat-character, and countless other freaks. How are we supposed to trust them?" Lane grumbled.
Steve opened his mouth to reply, but Diana raised her hand.
"If I may." She said.
"By all means." Steve said.
"Metahuman incidents increase in frequency around the globe with each passing day. Not all of those metahumans that emerge will be a force for good, just as not all humans are a force for good. I too was against the idea of such a team, albeit for reasons far different from yours, but over time I have come to see the necessity of it. You know and I know that none of us can do this alone. Even with all your vast resources you would be hard pressed to manage the ever-growing metahuman problem. Eventually, you would be overstretched. The primary goal of a military is to defend its host nation from hostiles, wherever they may be. Your military is currently engaged in various places around the world doing just that, in varying degrees of success and intensity. You cannot do that and handle the metahuman threat at the same time. As for trust, I will let our actions speak for us. All of you are experienced warriors. You have studied us, of that I am certain.
You know that if it really came down to it, you would not stand a chance. You know that if Superman, or I,or any of the other powerful metahumans on this planet wanted to kill you, we could, with frightening ease. Superman alone could easily lay waste to the entire military force of this nation in a matter of hours, to say nothing of what I could do with Olympian weaponry, magic, an army of immortal Amazon warriors and the wrath of the entire Greek Pantheon. And that does not even take into account the millions of metahumans around the world,who only grow in number with time. Why do you think we have not done that? United and risen up against you? Do you think it is because we fear you?"
The men shifted uncomfortably in their seats. The Secret Service agent stopped chewing his gum.
"We do not do so because we do not want to do so. We have no interest in world domination. We have no interest in the subjugation of mankind. Most of us just want to lead normal lives. Many more view their abilities as a burden, not a thing to be abused. Being powerful does not make us evil. If that were the case, you would be one of the most evil nations on the planet. Indeed there are many who view you in that light, just as there are many that view us in that light. I do not ask for you to trust us blindly. That would be foolishness. I only ask that you judge us, and the others that may come after us,by the merit of our deeds. Judge us by what we do, not what you fear we will do. This is our home too. Human,metahuman,demigod and alien alike. We are not about to go anywhere, so you had better get used to us. And with all due respect, your Military causes just as much, if not more, collateral damage as 'we' do. So I'd say 'we' probably caused about 500 million dollars worth of property damage these past few years. The other half is on you."
There was a terse silence. Steve was getting ready to prostrate himself and beg for mercy. With any luck they wouldn't get locked up in a deep dark hole for what amounted to threatening the heads of the armed forces and the head of state.
Then the President smiled. Commandant Bailey laughed outright. Admiral Simpson and General Dunford grinned. Even the normally stoic Secret Service agents afforded shadows of a smile. Only Sam Lane remained stone-faced.
"Well damn! I don't know about you, but she's got my vote. This lady has got some ovaries gentlemen. I'd like to see anyone else walk into the Oval Office and give it to us straight like she just did, royalty or not. I think it's high time we had such people on our side. I for one am tired of these mealy-mouthed, politically correct, think-tank types whose only experience of anything comes from reading a book."
"You can count on my vote too. Admiral?" Said General Dunford.
"Well, we don't vote in the Navy, I'll do whatever my Commander"-he motioned to the President-"tells me to. But for what its worth, you have my support."
"That leaves you, Lane. Yes or no?"
Lane grumbled for some time, then mumbled a feeble "Yes."
The President finally spoke. "Then it's decided. The Justice League of America is green lighted. We'll let you know when the official launch will take place, but as of now, you're free to operate without any interference from any armed forces, including the Police. We'll also contact all friendly nations and relay the message."
"Thank you Mr President, and thank you sirs." Steve said. He couldn't believe that had worked. For all her denial of it, Diana was a damn good politician. Everyone rose. Diana looked in the faces of each of the men as she shook their hands. Sam Lane avoided eye contact.
As they left, Steve was called back.
"Colonel Trevor, a word." said Admiral Simpson.
Diana paused at the door.
"It's all right, just some inter-service gossip. Nothing important." General Dunford said.
She smiled and nodded, before leaving the room under the escort of the Secret Service guards.
Commandant Bailey turned to Steve, placing a heavy hand on his shoulder.
"I hope you understand the implications of what you're doing Colonel."
"...Sir?"
"She's a gorgeous woman Trevor. Prettiest I've ever laid eyes on. Don't tell my wife that. She's smart too. And feisty. I get it, really I do. You're a big boy, we can't tell you what to do. God knows that never worked on you before, if the stories General Dunford tells me are anything to go by. So we won't hold it against you. I just want to make this clear, if and when this... whatever it is you two are doing goes south, we can't have a diplomatic mess on our hands, understood? I have visions of lightning bolts raining down from the sky and invasions by angry Amazon warriors, and I do not need that on my record in my last term of office. We'll still need you two to act professionally at all times. That starts right now. Public displays of affection are an absolute no-no. We don't want this on TMZ or some such rag." said the President.
Steve blushed to the roots of his hair as he struggled to formulate a coherent response.
"Oh come on Trevor. We're old, not blind. Understood?" Lane asked.
"Good. Dismissed." said General Dunford.
Steve walked out of the room numbly, to find Diana waiting for him in the foyer. They fell into step together.
"Well. I think that went well."
"You really think so? Because the next time you spring something like that on me I will eviscerate you Steve!" she hissed.
"I know so. They loved you. And stop acting angry. We both know you wanted this, you just needed the push. I mean you absolutely killed it in there! If that was you spit balling, I'd like to see what you're like with prep time. You were born to lead Diana, whether you admit it or not."
"Not all of them loved me."she said, avoiding his latter statements completely. He didn't push her. This was progress enough.
"Don't mind Lane. He hates meta's, specifically Superman. Wait, did you say 'spring'? You're learning our slang pretty fast."
"Its not that hard to fathom. That was not what I expected."
"How so?"
"On Themyscira, meeting a ruler is no easy task. There is much ceremony involved. Even I cannot simply walk into my mother's quarters, though I am the Princess."
"Oh, this wasn't easy Diana. I had to pull every string and call in every favor to get that meeting. So what did you think of them?" He asked as he paused to sign them out at the front desk.
"General Lane I didn't like so much. Too much posturing. I'm indifferent about General Dunford. Admiral Simpson and Commandant Bailey were nice. Both respectable and courteous. They strike me as hardened warriors. I think General Phillipus would have liked them very much. Such a shame they're male."
"Funny you should say that about them, because those two are living legends. Admiral Simpson was a SEAL in Vietnam, way back before it was cool to be one. He was also Commander of Naval Special Warfare for a while. He's a tough SOB, got 2 Purple Hearts, 3 bronze stars, 2 silver stars, a Navy Cross AND a Medal of Honor. And those are just the big ones. As much as it pains me to say it, Commandant Bailey is a tough SOB too. He was with Force Recon in Beirut, also back when it wasn't cool to be a Marine. He got 2 silver stars, 2 bronze stars and a Purple Heart. He's actually one of the guys that formed MARSOC. I won't even get into how they earned those awards because those tales would fill up a book the size of a dictionary. So yeah, I'd rather get dumped in the jungle Bear Grylls style than fight with either of those men."
"Why does it pain you to say that? And what is an SOB?"
Steve opened his mouth to respond, but they were interrupted by a voice behind them.
"SOB means Son-of-a-Bitch, Princess, if you'll please excuse my french. As for the other thing, the Air Force and Marines don't exactly get along. You see they're jealous because we are the premier elite fighting force."
"Please Bailey. You damned Leathernecks don't get along with anyone. Elite fighting force my ass. One SEAL platoon would have finished the job in Beirut within a month." Said another voice, but the tone was that of a well worn inside joke, there was no real malice in the words. Both Steve and Diana turned to find Admiral Simpson and Commandant Bailey standing behind them.
"Uh..uh.. I didn't see you there sirs.." Steve stuttered nervously.
"You don't say? Relax Colonel Trevor, your secrets are safe with me." said Admiral Simpson with a wink. "Princess." He said with a nod before wearing his hat and marching out.
"And me." Commandant Bailey added. He slapped him on the back, hard. Steve winced. "You just keep stepping right in it, eh Trevor? Pleasure to meet you Princess. You have our total support."
"Thank you Commandant Bailey. Please, call me Diana. That title feels so serious."
"Ma'am, my mother would jump out of her grave and slap me into next week if I ever addressed a Princess by her first name." He said as he picked up his wide brim hat from the table and walked out. Steve sighed with relief.
"Lets get out of here before I do something really stupid."
"Steve?"
"Mhmmm?"
"What is Berr Grells?" Her tongue struggled to pronounce the odd name. Steve chuckled. Even her ignorance was endearing.
"Not, what, who. Bear Grylls is a man. Ex military, SAS I think. He's a survival expert of sorts. We'll watch an episode of his show, you'll see. But hardly anyone watches him anymore. Everyone watches Naked and Afraid now."
"Oh. Steve?"
"Yes Diana?"
"You never told me what awards you won."
"...uh?"
"You've never told me. I always hear you're a war hero,a 'decorated veteran'. But you've never actually told me what awards you won or why you won them."
"Well... I don't really talk about it."
"I know. That's what I'm saying."
He was silent for a few steps.
"You really want to know?"
"Yes."
Time to step off of that cliff, he thought.
"How about I tell you over dinner sometime?"
"Aren't you worried about the diplomatic mess that might ensue? Or that TMZ will hear about it?"
Once again Steve blushed crimson to the roots of his hair and was rendered speechless.
Diana laughed all the way to the car.
As he passed by the expressionless Secret Service agent at the front desk, he was hit by a twin realization:She had excellent hearing, and she hadn't said no.
A/N: I hope I got all the military titles, uniforms and descriptions right. I'm a stickler for detail when it comes to real world stuff. Read and Review brethren.