Part III: An Awakening

The interrogation of the man Steve Trevor was unsettling. Not only was Themyscira hopelessly outgunned if more men invaded, but there was a war that had cost tens of millions of lives. Of course Diana knew what this figure meant, at least intellectually. But even she could see how rattled her mother was by this statistic. How many people live in the world of Man if they can lose twenty-something million in a four year war? Diana's thoughts were whirling around as 'Steve Trevor of the Expeditionary American Forces and British Intelligence' submitted wholly to the compulsion of Hestia's gift to the Amazons.

"A war to end all wars," it was exactly as her mother had told her all those years ago. It was exactly what Ares wanted. And that very same war had killed her only friend, her aunt, her confidant, her mentor, her Antiope.

When Hippolyta wasn't hearing sense, Diana broke in, "Excuse me, Senator. This is Ares. Millions dead, a war without end? How can you not see it?" Hippolyta flinched, but before she could cut off her daughter again, Diana continued, "How can you say that? 'It's not our war?' What do those words mean to you? Even if it wasn't our duty from Zeus to balance the world of men–,"

Hippolyta thundered back at her, "You're not an Amazon like the rest of us! We will do nothing." She whipped around and her entourage followed. Though the red-eyed Menalippe lagged behind. On a whim, Diana briefly grabbed the new General's arm in solidarity.

Seeing her grief mirrored back tenfold in Menalippe's face, Diana threw caution to the wind as she shouted after her mother, "Antiope is dead! Is murdering the best of us not cause for action? Your sister? Your new General's beloved? After all this time, did she mean nothing to you? She's dead, mother. If it were you, she'd never stop until you were avenged. And doing otherwise is shaming the mercy Zeus granted us! It's cowardly, mother, and you disgrace her–"

Menalippe squeezed back, gently stopping Diana from wandering into irretrievable waters. Hippolyta was already metres away on the walkway, but she stopped, turned around, looked at Diana as though clearly for the first time, and said: "If you want to go so badly, then leave. No daughter of mine would speak thus." Without a further word, she swept her cape behind her as she stalked around the corner and out of sight, followed by her senators and advisors.

For the first time, Diana faltered. Menalippe's breath hissed out in barely controlled emotion. Diana knew what her mother said, and she knew what her mother was really telling her. And so did Menalippe.

'Get out. You're no daughter of mine.'

It was banishment in all but name. Menalippe had known her queen since the uprising when Antiope liberated her from the fighting pits all those millennia ago. And only thrice had she spoken so to one of their people.

Only traitors.

Wartime traitors.

Diana looked just confounded. The implications of what just happened were not being processed by her brain just now. Menalippe on the other hand understood perfectly what had to happen now.

"Diana, I want you to listen to me," the grieving General spoke softly. She spoke softly to the girl that she had helped train since she was a teenager. "Diana," But Diana was still in shock. Not jostling her too much, Menalippe did something that she never had before, drew the younger woman into a hug. It wasn't the warmest hug, but the firm embrace of a soldier, layered in emotions. "You were Antiope's greatest pride. She told me the night after you sought her out that first training session in the shadow of the tower when you were but half your height now." Menalippe took a deep breath before speaking some light treason, "You're right about Hippolyta. But you need to leave." Diana broke out of her haze, and stepped back from the General Menalippe with tears in her eyes. Menalippe continued, "You need to leave, not because your mother is a coward, and is wrong, and always has been when it's come to you, but because my love Antiope pleaded with you to as she d..died." Menalippe's voice cracked.

Diana, realising she was speaking to her only ally on Themyscira, nodded, shaking the tears from her cheeks and onto the marble they stood on. "Retrieve Godkiller, your rightful weapon. Also take with you Antiope's old armour, it's red and gold, you'll know it when you see it. And this," Diana gasped as Menalippe unclasped her shield from her back and handed it to her. The metal was barely scratched by the punishment it took on the beach that day. As Diana held the shield out in front of her in awe, Menalippe glanced around to make sure there were no witnesses before laying the Lasso of Hestia atop the shield.

"Take this too. If we've learned nothing today, it's that the world of men is filled with lies and violence." Menalippe practically whispered.

Diana threw her arms around her last friend and pulled her close, "Thank you."

Menalippe wasn't expecting the embrace this time, but it reminded her of Antiope, so she didn't mind it. As Diana separated and began to make her way towards the tower where Godkiller resided, Menalippe offered some last advice, "Diana. Antiope used to tell you that 'your are stronger than you believe, that you have greater power than you know'." Diana nodded hesitantly. "She wasn't being affectionate. She was telling you the truth without violating Hippolyta's decree. You are stronger than you believe. You've already experienced it today on the training ground. And you are more powerful than the rest of us because you're not an amazon. You're so much more." Diana was reeling with this new information that had been knocking on the barrier of expectations in her own mind. "Diana, believe that you can be the woman that Antiope knew you could be. I certainly do."