Uncanny Wonder Woman

Chapter 34: A Holiday For Diana

By

The Uncanny R-Man

Disclaimer- All familiar characters belong to DC Comics.

The Royal Palace, Themyscira-

Diana and Bruce Wayne were taking some time away from their usual pursuits of fighting crime and saving the world from metahuman threats. Bruce had narrowly avoided being seriously injured by the muscle-bound villain known as Bane while Diana had only just managed to defeat the combined forces of the insane speedster known as Zoom and the feline villainess, Cheetah. Hera knew what would have happened if she hadn't had assistance from the Flash.

The pair were in Diana's quarters located in the royal palace with their infant daughter Cassandra. However, Bruce was pacing the room impatiently.

'Bruce, sit down.' Diana told her lover. 'There really is no reason to worry about Gotham. It isn't as if the city is totally without people to defend it.'

'Crime won't rest just because I've taken a vacation.' Bruce frowned. 'It only gives criminals an extra excuse when Batman isn't there to defend the city.'

'Bruce, stop it!' Diana snapped angrily. 'We came to Paradise Island to spend some time with our daughter, not worry about whichever of your enemies is causing trouble while you are gone. Robin and the others are more than capable of handling things. Now, come and join me will you?'

Diana patted the bed beside her. Bruce sighed heavily and trudged over to the Amazon princess. There was no use arguing with Diana sometimes; she was just as stubborn as he was.

Diana put her arms around Bruce's shoulder and pulled him close, kissing him strongly on the lips. Bruce responded by putting his arms around his lover's waist and falling back onto the bed.

'Now, this is what I call a vacation.' Diana smiled as she began to disrobe. Unfortunately, the pair wouldn't get to have any private time together as Phillipus, Queen Hippolyta's second-in-command, walked into the room.

'Sorry to disturb you Princess, but your mother requests the presence of your consort at the royal stables.' Phillipus stated.

'Can't my mother wait?' Diana frowned. 'I came here with Bruce to relax.'

'I am afraid that it is quite urgent.' Phillipus apologised. 'Shall I tell the queen that you will be along momentarily?'

'Very well.' Diana huffed. 'Don't be long, Bruce. I'll be waiting for you.'

The Royal Stables, a little while later-

Bruce did as he was told and headed to the royal stables where Hippolyta, the queen of Themyscira and Diana's mother, was waiting.

'I hope I didn't keep you waiting, Your Highness.' Bruce said.

'I have learned to be patient in the many years I have been alive.' Hippolyta smiled. 'Let's take a walk together, Bruce. Every now and then I like to visit the royal stables where we keep our menagerie.'

The Amazons in charge of the stables opened the doors as their queen and her guest walked towards them. The stench of stale straw and animal waste hit Bruce almost instantly.

'Apologies for the smell.' Hippolyta told her companion. 'You'll get used to it eventually.'

Bruce followed Hippolyta into the stable where the Amazon queen stopped in front of one of the stalls that had a white winged horse residing within. Hippolyta reached into the stall to stroke the horse's muzzle. The winged horsed snorted happily.

'With all due respect Your majesty, but did you summon me for something more than a tour of the royal menagerie?'

'All in good time, Bruce.' Hippolyta smiled as she moved on a few more stalls. Bruce sighed to himself. He hoped this wasn't some Amazon way of fazing prospective mates.

The Queen of the Amazons stopped beside a stall that housed a creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. The creature reared up and screeched at the sight of the stranger.

'SKREEEEE!'

'No! This man is not food!' Hippolyta admonished the creature. 'He is a friend. Cease!'

The creature did as its queen commanded and curled up in the corner of its stall.

'Sorry about that, Bruce.' Hippolyta apologised. 'The griffons are a little uneasy around strangers. You should think yourself lucky. It seems they like you. If that was not the case, they would have torn you to pieces.'

'Lucky for me.' Bruce nodded in agreement, not completely ungrateful.

'Well, it seems like you passed the griffons' test.' Hippolyta said. 'Now I have to ask you a very personal question, Bruce. Do you love my daughter?'

'Of course, your Majesty.' Bruce answered. 'We wouldn't have had Cassandra otherwise.'

'Hmm. Good.' Hippolyta nodded. 'I gather you will protect her, keep her from harm?'

'Diana is usually capable of looking after herself.' Bruce said. 'But I see where you're going with this. Yes, everybody in the Justice League looks out for each other.'

'I do not just mean your team of heroes.' Hippolyta stated. 'Will you protect my daughter from those that would wish her harm, as well as my granddaughter?'

'Always, Your Majesty.' Bruce said. 'I would protect them with my very soul.'

'Excellent.' Hippolyta smiled as she motioned to another Amazon with short red hair and a knotted rag tied around her head. 'Ah, here is Io…'

'I have completed your request, your Majesty.' The Amazon weapons-mistress said as she handed her queen something long and thin wrapped in a red cloth.

'Thank you, Io.' Hippolyta stated as she handed the object over to Bruce. 'This is for you, Bruce. You are now an Amazon.'

'An Amazon?' Bruce blinked in surprise. 'How…?'

'How could a man become an Amazon?' Hippolyta chuckled. 'You are not the only man to have caught an Amazon's eye. It has happened before.'

'I'm honoured.' Bruce said as he unwrapped the package. It was an ornate spear with a tip that glinted in the sunlight.

'A fine weapon, isn't it?' Hippolyta smiled. 'Io is an expert at forging weapons. She makes all of the weapons here on Themyscira. Now, I believe you had prior business to attend to with my daughter…'

Meanwhile, in the Garden of the Gorgons-

A heavily-armed band of men cautiously picked their way through the ruins of the Garden of the Gorgons. The garden was where Medusa was supposed to dwell with her sisters Stheno and Euryale. Whereas Medusa, the more famous of the sisters, was hideous and could turn men to stone, Stheno and Euryale were beautiful and had golden wings. Medusa had perished in battle with Wonder Woman, leaving Steno and Euryale to live in the garden on their own. (1)

'No signs of life so far, mistress.' The soldier in charge spoke into a walkie-talkie. 'Do you wish for us to continue?'

'I am not going to leave without a drop of a gorgon's blood.' A woman's voice responded. 'Now, move on or do I need to tell you what happens to people that fail me?'

The soldier with the walkie-talkie wisely chose to keep quiet and led his men onwards.

FWOOSH!

A golden blur dashed past the squad snatching up one of the soldiers.

'Aaaaugh!'

CHOMP!

The man's screams were cut short by the sounds of breaking bones and tearing flesh.

'Open fire!' The soldier in charge ordered. 'OPEN FIRE!'

BUDDABUDDABUDDA!

The soldiers opened fire all around them, obliterating the crumbling statues that dotted the garden into dust.

'Cease fire! Cease fire!' An attractive woman with raven-black hair commanded the men. The woman was Talia Al Ghul, daughter of the seemingly immortal master criminal known as Ra's Al Ghul. 'I only wanted a drop of blood. I didn't want them dead. They could have had a use in the future.'

'Oh, don't worry about so much, mortal.' A voice chuckled from the shadows. 'It'll take a little more than your silly little guns to hurt us.'

That was when Stheno and Euryale made their presence known. The sisters were indeed as beautiful as the stories suggested, with stunning golden wings and long raven-black hair.

'What do you want, mortal?' Euryale, the more vicious of the sisters, demanded. 'What makes you foolish enough to enter our garden?'

'Yeah, these things aren't just any old statues.' Stheno, the more fun-loving sister, said as she jerked a thumb in the direction of the statues. 'There hasn't been any new additions to our collection since Medusa died. Now we just eat any trespassers.'

'I beg your forgiveness.' Talia bowed her head. 'I came here to ask your assistance.'

'Not interested.' Euryale dismissed Talia and her goons with a wave of her hand. 'Leave now before I decide to devour the rest of your lackeys.'

'Hey, wait a minute…' Stheno said as she put an arm around her sister's shoulder. 'I bet these people are here to get revenge on that tramp Wonder Woman, right?'

'What makes you think that?' Talia asked.

'That's all anybody comes to see us about.' Stheno sniffed. 'So, what do you want? I'll tell you right now, we don't do team-ups. Not since that farce that Circe got us involved in when she tried to invade Paradise Island.' (2)

'I require the blood of a gorgon.' Talia stated.

'We can't turn people to stone, if that's what you want.' Euryale said. 'Only Medusa could do that after that cow Athena cursed her. Our blood does have certain magical properties, however. How much do you need?'

'Only a few drops.' Talia explained. 'Then I will be on my way.'

'Fine, you will get your wish.' Euryale frowned. 'Stheno, get me a sword, will you?'

'Right on it, sis.' Stheno nodded as she grabbed a sword from one of the crumbling 'statues', pulling off its arm in the process. 'I got something to carry the blood in too.' The gorgon sister placed a battered bronze amphora on the ground. 'You wanna go first, or shall I?'

Euryale snatched the sword from her sister and cut a long gash on her arm.

'You talk to much, sister.' Euryale glowered as she held her arm out over the amphora and let her blood drip down into the brass vessel. 'You spend to much time with these mortals.'

'So what if I like to have fun before a meal?' Stheno shrugged. 'I like to relish a meal instead of guzzling it down like a pig. You know how you are. Om nom nom.'

'That is more than enough, thank you.' Talia said as she picked up the amphora of blood. 'I cannot tell you how grateful I am for your help.'

'You take care now, y'hear?' Stheno smiled as she waved Talia and her goons goodbye. 'You have fun killing Wonder Woman!'

'Stheno!' Euryale hissed. 'What do you think you're doing?'

'I'm saying goodbye to our guests.' Stheno rolled her eyes. 'Just because we're immortal monsters doesn't mean we can't be polite.'

TBC…

Next: Blood of the Gorgon

When Wonder Woman is poisoned by the blood of the gorgon sisters, it us up to Batman to find a cure. With no cure in sight, the Dark Knight has to make a deal with one of the Amazon Princess' oldest and most deadliest enemies.

Author's Notes-

(1)- Wonder Woman killed Medusa in Chapter 12.

(2)- Stheno and Euryale assisted Circe's failed invasion of Themyscira in Chapter 25.