CHAPTER 4: THE END OF THE BEGINNING
It was the next morning, and Steve and Diana were walking through Columbia City, trying to get some new clothes for her. The way things were, walking outside in her usual garb would only have brought undue attention. He'd had to explain that someone wearing a sheet in public was no better.
So here he was, waiting outside a fairly cheap shop, for her to change out his own ill-fitting clothes into something more appropriate. Paper money had been a novelty to her, and he'd had to explain that Susan B. Anthony was the only woman to be immortalised in the US currency.
After a while, she came out of the store, decked out in a modest tank top and a pair of jeans that were just tight enough, a bag full of other clothes hanging from her arm. Steve tried his best not to gaze too long, but he couldn't help himself as he took his change back.
"You…look great."
"Why, thank you, Steve."
He looked at the bag. "What else did you get?"
"Have a look."
She pulled out a number of shirts and pants, and a casual dress. "They didn't have any tunics or chitons."
"Well, this isn't Ancient Greece any more, princess. Look around you; skin is in."
At that moment, a gaggle of teenage girls, all in belly shirts and short shorts, passed by. They were chattering about boys and school and other daily topics.
Turning her head, Diana said, "So I noticed. What's our next course of action?"
"Well, I still think it wouldn't be wise to show yourself just yet. The whole city's looking out for you."
To illustrate this point, Steve pulled out a copy of The Columbia Column. On the second page, a blurry photograph of Diana in her armour was beside an article about the events of the previous night.
Continuing, Steve said, "We can figure it out over lunch. Come, I'll show you what a good American meal tastes like."
As they walked through the city, now awake and alive, Diana wondered and looked around at all the new sights surrounding her. All of what Steve had said was true; buildings as tall as hills spread far and wide, horseless chariots – "cars" – roared past on all the roads, and images danced on screens all over the city.
One of them, in particular, attracted her attention. A man in a garish outfit, decorated in leopard print and with a fur draped over his shoulders was singing about women and money, while a number of scantily-clad women groped about him or danced sultrily behind him.
"Excuse me, Steve, but who are that man and those women?"
Steve stopped and turned. "Oh, that man's Kojo North. He's a rapper. Those women are his hangers-on, I guess. He's never anywhere without them."
"And what do they do?"
"They're eye candy, I guess. They're there to make him look good."
Diana asked, pointedly, "And they're satisfied with such a life?"
"It pays pretty good. More than what, say, I'd earn, even on an overseas mission."
"They don't care that all they do is…"
Steve replied, "As I said, it's fame and money for them first."
"Rather a sad existence, that."
"I doubt they mind."
With a sharp sigh, Diana said, "They should."
=w=
Meanwhile, on the Hellas Planitia, Ares stood atop a massive cliff, looking down upon his legions of loyal troops; men and demons alike. They stood in their neat rows and columns, ready with their weapons – swords and spears and shields all glistened red, not with blood but with iron. For now.
Ares raised his hand. "Sta ópla! To arms!"
A thunderous roar rang out. "Sta ópla!"
With great tread and deliberation, Ares began his speech.
"My friends, our time has come! We stand on the cusp of our greatest victory yet! This time tomorrow, we shall destroy the hated Amazons!"
A cheer.
"But the greatest irony is that we shall have to do naught; their own foolish nobility and ideals shall do that for us! The fools have far underestimated Man's capability for hatred, and their incredible new weapons of war!"
A greater cheer, with babble about Man's new technology.
"Yes, it seems in our absence their science has granted them incredible inventions; means of travelling the world in a matter of days, instant communication between continents, but far more importantly…new chemicals to poison themselves with, bombs that can destroy whole cities, and weapons that can kill a man from a whole stadion away!"
The army exploded into discussion and curiosity, only to be stilled by Ares's raised hand.
"Yes, yes, you can all play with them with very soon. Very soon…but first, my dear daughters have gone forth to lure their so-called 'champion' out. Then, when the time is right, we shall strike! Death to the Amazons! To arms!"
Ares's legions raised their weapons, cheering again and again. He turned around to Phobos and Deimos, who had been standing aside him through the whole speech.
"Once I give the signal, open the portal. We shall strike in the city the Amazon princess has decided to call home."
"Aye, master."
Ares paused, staring Phobos in the eye. He then raised his hand, using his fingers to hold up his son's chin. "Come now, Phobos, no need to be glum. Today shall be a glorious day!"
Phobos's mouth spread into a forced smile. Ares dropped his hand, and marched to his private chambers, his boisterous laughter nigh echoing through the entire crater. Phobos and Deimos merely looked at one another, then at the back of their father and lord.
=w=
Diana and Steve were waiting for their food at a fast food restaurant, decorated in patriotic colours and featuring a cartoon eagle as its mascot. When their waitress, dressed in a short top and a pair of Daisy Dukes handed them their orders, Diana took a long look at her, then at her rather more covered male co-worker.
Steve's eyes followed hers. "You're not going to start again, are you?"
"No, I'm simply…curious."
"Well, there's a lot to learn about the world, and you're only about 48 hours in. Heck, people don't quite understand it when they're 48 years old. Now, why don't you try and figure out our food?"
Turning back to Steve, Diana said, "A wise man once said, 'knowledge is the food of the soul'. Maybe it works the other way."
With that, she opened up her paper box, revealing a chicken drumstick and a number of small, yellow sticks. Some of them looked stiff, others rather limp. Holding one of them up, she asked, "What are these, pray tell?"
A bite of hot dog caught in his cheeks, Steve mumbled back, "They're called French fries."
"What're they made of?" she said, still looking sceptically at it.
Swallowing his bite, he replied, "Potatoes…or at least they're supposed to be."
"What're those?"
"Oh, right! You've never seen one before…they're like, uhh…a kind of root…I think. Just try it."
She bit into the fry and then swallowed it whole, and started to choke. "Ack! It's salty!"
"Take the drink, then. It's Cola."
She sipped it, then suddenly sat bolt upright. Her eyes even seemed to narrow a bit as she stared astounded at the paper cup.
"Incredible! What goes into it?"
"Caffeine and lots of sugar. Guess that's another thing you haven't heard of before."
As she took another sip, the two slowly became aware of a deep rumbling from the streets beyond. Sirens began to blare everywhere, and a police helicopter thundered past. A fire began to blaze from the same source. Out from the flames stepped forth Kyriefsi, attired in the same garb as the night before, now wielding a cruel battleaxe in one hand, and a curved dagger in the other. The blood of innocents stained her weapons – and her fangs.
A police van stopped right before the figure – only to be curtly thrown aside. It, too, exploded, adding to the flames. Raising her head to challenge the skies, Kyriefsi bellowed:
"WHEEERREE IS SHE?! Let the coward Diana, so-called 'Wonder Woman' show her face! Else a hundred more innocents shall face my blades!"
Diana looked for a moment, then down at the haversack that Steve had brought. She turned to him, taking a talisman from it.
"Here, take this."
Steve examined the pendant. "What is it?"
"It was a charm that I took. Ares appears to have made his move. The enchantment upon it might confer some protection from his evil."
Steve pocketed it. When he looked up, Diana was gone, dashing through the streets of Columbia City, tearing off her faux-leather boots and donning her mystical winged slippers.
The next, Wonder Woman, champion of the Amazons dressed in her full gear, sped through the skies at Mach 1 - directly at Conquest. The two collided with an incredible KRA-THAAAMMMMM, shattering all the windows of the nearby blocks. Overturned cars sounded their alarms into eternity, and stunned passers-by found themselves thrown to the ground.
Conquest's body dug a deep furrow in the concrete as Diana rammed into her with full force. Blow after superhuman blow smashed into Kyriefsi's face, but her demoniac constitution only meant she only felt the slightest pain from it. She caught Diana's fist and proceeded to throw her into the nearest store.
A piano sounded its discordant last chord as Wonder Woman fell through it, and then some guitars. An antique violin, loosened from its rack, dropped onto her forehead, breaking in two as it struck the ground after that. Diana had been confused before by Conquest's presence. Now she was just angry.
With a warrior's cry on her lips, she rallied, throwing her tiara like a blade. Its sharp edge cut a jagged line across one of Conquest's eyes. Green blood trickled from her ruined eyelid down to her fangs, where her forked tongue licked it up appreciatively.
From the dust thrown up from her forced entry into the music shop, Diana emerged, swinging her lasso. The passers-by who had managed to recover caught their first clear glimpse at the Amazonian wonder. One of them caught a photo just quickly enough – it was an image of a champion, wielding no weapon bar a golden thread, calmly charging forth to protect innocents from a hellish enemy.
The loop of the lasso sailed through the air, encasing Conquest in the girdle of Gaea. The next moment, Diana took to the skies, pulling Kyriefsi along. Her trussed enemy could do naught but twist and shout – the lasso was unbreakable, and was too taut to prove escapable.
The two were soon above the bay of Columbia City, where merchantmen languidly bobbed and swayed in the waves. Lonely ships from foreign corners brought goods from each corner of the known world to America. A red lighthouse in the middle of the bay gave direction to them.
The seeming calm of the night sea was abruptly ended by Diana flinging Conquest into the bay right by the water's edge. A thunderous wave was thrown up by the impact, splashing up into the waterfront district, and rocking some of the merchant ships to and fro. The police cars that had been following the two were now accompanied by another set of vehicles – military police.
Troops with the badge of James Garfield Air Force Base on their sleeves, armed with Colt M1911A1s and XM177s filed out of the jeeps and trucks, nervously watching the turmoil under the water's surface. They were led by Staff Sergeant P. Nexia, a recent transfer. She was a short, staunchly built woman. Her eyes shone an unnatural black as she hungrily took in the scene.
The battling figures burst through the surface of the water, into the air again. When they landed, Diana and Conquest, both drenched, immediately resumed trading blows. As the troops and policemen alike raised their weapons to eye-level, a sudden, thick, fog began to erupt from the water's surface. For moments, nobody could see what was going on. Only sounds of violence were audible.
Conquest, now in the form of a bloodied and bruised MP, came crawling out of the fog, coughing up a broken tooth. His right hand was numbly gripping the mangled upper receiver group of his Colt Carbine. From the fog emerged Wonder Woman, her knuckles dripping with blood. Immediately, a dozen pistols and rifles were cocked and readied.
"Wait! I did not harm your-"
Pleonexia, goddess of greed, wasted no time. "OPEN FIRE!"
After a moment of hesitation, the MPs and police alike pulled on the triggers of their firearms, sending a hail of bullets flying towards Diana. She raised her arms to guard, deflecting the vast majority of them. Still, the sheer volume of projectiles was too much, and bullets began to graze her arms and face.
She then decided enough was enough. The lasso flew forth again, this time whipping the guns out of their hands. She took a few steps forward, before hearing a thunderous roar behind her. It was beyond belief. Legions of otherworldly soldiers, all armed to the teeth and accompanied with beasts and monsters of legends past, were erupting from the sea.
From high above, Lady Deception snapped her fingers behind her. Now, all the soldiers and policemen saw were Diana similarly transformed, marshalling her forces in an assault against the city. Some of the troops grabbed their weapons fast enough to squeeze off a few rounds. Most were swept up by the charging horde, with a few stragglers thrown to the side. Diana was hopelessly lost in the melee.
Kyriefsi and Pleonexia looked at each other understandingly. In the flicker of an eye, both had turned back to their classic forms, ready to command the troops of Ares. All was going precisely to plan.
=w=
Meanwhile, Steve was still trying to make head or tail of just what had happened, and had dashed to the scene of the first battle. Casualties were being carted into ambulances, and cleanup crews were trying to take debris away already. All down the street, there were overturned cars, broken windows, the works. The place looked like a war zone.
One store had a whole row of TVs in it, some big, some small, some plasma, some cathode-ray. The one thing they had in common was that they were all showing the same broadcast: A sudden newsbreak by the CC Gazette, showing a horde of…things…in ancient armour appearing by the waterfront. Caught in the middle was Diana herself!
Soon, the music video on the big billboard too, had switched over to the same newsflash.
"This is Timothy Trumbull reporting for the CC Gazette. As I speak, what can only be described as a 'demon horde from the depths of a Greek history textbook' appears to be emerging from Delaware Bay. It has made a foothold in the Bowers area and appears to be heading north. They appear to be led by this woman…"
A picture of Diana, not quite looking like herself, and wielding a sword towards the camera, as she sent 'her' troops forward replaced the previous picture. The rest of the report passed by Steve. Something was wrong. Somehow, he needed to get the truth out. However, that was not to be.
"Capt. Steve Trevor, USAF?"
Steve wheeled around to respond to this unfamiliar voice – and found himself staring right down the barrel of a Beretta M9. On the other end was a shades-wearing MP from the air base.
"…Yes?"
"You're under arrest. Special orders from Genl. Darnell."
Before he could protest, handcuffs locked themselves around his wrists and he was being carted into the back seat of an Air Force car. Things weren't going well at all.
=w=
Ares's horde slowly made their way through the city. Some of the luckier ones fondly cradled their new weapons of war as they carelessly shot through the streets of the Bowers district. Deep in their midst, Diana struggled against the giant arms of a Cyclops pinning her to his own chest. Upon his shoulders were Conquest, Deception and Greed, now all in their full attire, surveying the chaos before them. Conquest leaned close to Diana's ear, whispering coarsely.
"Deíte ti échete sfyrí̱lato? To athánato legeónes tou Ári tha ekkatharísete ton kósmo tis eirínis … óla exaitías sou! See what you have wrought? The deathless legions of Ares shall purge the world of peace…all thanks to you!"
"Giatí gia ména? Because of me?"
"O, nai. Anóito sas antilípseis tis 'eirínis' kai 'adelfótita', prépei óla na sárose safís. To mínyma ton Amazónon tha akoúsei poté! Oh, yes. Your foolish notions of 'peace' and 'sisterhood' shall all be swept clear. The message of the Amazons will never find voice!
Diana defiantly spat, "Óchi! Den tha kerdísei! Áris den tha petýchei! No! You won't win! Ares will not succeed!"
With that, and an almighty burst of strength, Diana tore free of the Cyclops' grasp, giving it a swift kick in the eye for good measure. Ares's three lieutenants took to the skies as the giant stumbled and staggered. Deception turned to Conquest, a sly look in her eye.
"Den échei syneiditopoiísei óti paízei sta chéria mas , den eínai? She doesn't realise she's playing into our hands, does she?"
Apati turned back. "Fysiká kai óchi. Of course not."
With the swift flapping of bat-like wings, Apati turned to Diana's direction, treading the air currents in hot pursuit.
=w=
Steve Trevor was curtly thrown into the holding cell, the heavy bars of the jail closing with a thunderous clanging. He slowly picked himself up off the floor – no easy feat, considering his cuffed hands – and took a seat on the bed hanging from the side of the wall. Soon, footsteps began echoing from down the hall.
General Phil Darnell appeared, dressed in the standard Battle Dress Uniform with a turtleneck. He extracted a pipe from his mouth as he turned to Steve.
"So, Trevor. Never thought a good kid like you would be caught in this mess. That woman you brought with you was nothing but trouble."
Steve tried to stand. "General! You gotta believe me! She's not responsible for…"
Darnell snapped, "QUIET, Trevor! No later than 48 hours after she turns up, she's seen leading some monster horde and you've got the gall to say she's got nothing to do with it? She's going down, Trevor, and once the National Guard gets here, your little farce will be over."
With that, the conversation was at an end. Darnell walked off, drawing on his pipe. Steve looked down at his cuffs, and at the drab corridor beyond. Then, he saw the nametag he'd forgotten to remove from his shirt…and the safety pin attached to it.
After a quick look around, he adjusted his angle so all the security camera saw was his back, and got to work.
=w=
In the meantime, the small numbers of Air Force MPs were aiding the local police in setting up barricades throughout the city. Several Avengers armed with Javelins and Stingers, dusted off and returned to operational capability, were rolling into the streets. Civilians everywhere were being escorted into bomb shelters, with only a few news trucks behind the barrier.
Then, up in the sky, a dot appeared. It took the form of a person, and the OIC of the ground forces, Lieutenant Hendricks, pulled out his binoculars to take a look. It was the same woman he'd been briefed about. He turned to the troops around him.
"Load and ready. Full auto."
Suddenly, a voice boomed out. "Wait!"
It echoed throughout the streets, silencing what little bustle there had been in the first place.
"Let me speak."
The lieutenant raised his hand, and the MPs half-lowered their weapons.
"I am not the one responsible for this invasion. Please, let me stand by your side."
The lasso that hung from her hands not only translated her every word, but did so with the ring of truth. Soon, all the doubt and fear in the men's hearts melted away, and their guns no longer pointed dead ahead.
However, that moment was short-lived, as Apati turned into a wisp, flittering past and into all of their eyes and ears, making them see what she wanted them to see – Diana in the form of Kyriefsi. Within moments, through their senses, they could only see a monstrous amazon, wielding a bloody sword, and about to charge.
"FOOOLLLSS!", rang out a mighty roar which passed through no being's lips yet filled the ears of all present.
A moment's hesitation ended the calm before the storm. A hail of bullets and missiles flew towards Diana. Fast as she was, she could not avoid them all. Her body struck the ground, nearly knocking her unconscious. Bleary eyes barely stayed open long enough to see on one side, Ares's armies making their first steps into the city's streets, and on the other, the desperate faces of soldiers who had no idea what they were up against.
=w=
The guard paced down the corridor, peeking into the holding cells. All were supposed to be empty – save one. Captain Steve Trevor had been caught in cahoots with that crazy warrior princess, and he was going to be held here until…well, whenever. Prowling duty was a chore, but someone had to do it, he supposed.
He turned the corner – to see an empty cell. Glancing around to make sure Trevor wasn't trying anything funny, he took a peek inside. Then, waving the business end of his XM177 inside, he made his first and last mistake – sticking his head in between the bars.
With a yell, Steve dropped from his alcove at the ceiling, grabbing the guard's head in the crook of his elbow.
"Sorry, bud," he muttered as he squeezed the breath out of the guard. Moments later, the guard's head gently struck the floor, out cold.
Steve tried to reach the other fellow's pockets from in the cell, but had no luck. Guards didn't carry the keys with them. Instead, he gingerly grabbed for the carbine, and then headed over to the cell door. He'd managed to get some of the tumblers in the lock moving just now, but there was no time for subtlety now.
With a WHTUNK, the butt-stock of the XM177 smashed against the lock of the door. Nothing gave. Another WHTUNK and it bent a little. Steve carried on, praying to himself that nobody else was coming down the corridor. Five or six hits later, the bolt finally came loose. Steve scrambled over to the downed guard, then lifted a loaded magazine from its pouch.
After testing the rifle (just in case all that pistol-whipping had damaged it), he loaded the magazine in and flicked the safety on. He had to stop whatever Col. Darnell was planning. God help whoever got in his way.
=w=
Diana found herself alone; the raging battle had shifted elsewhere. Violence was erupting closer and closer to the city centre, leaving death and destruction in its wake. She stumbled among the bodies of the wounded and the dead, putting the injured at ease and giving solace to those beyond her ability.
She turned back to the thunderous sounds. This was not a fight she could handle; not alone, at the least. She took to the skies, beyond the gleaming towers of Man's world, beyond the clouds, nigh to the stars.
She summoned a mighty breath, then bellowed to the heavens. "HERMES! Listen to your child from the earth below! Hear her prayer!"
A thunderclap sounded from the skies, then followed by the cries of a host of eagles. They surrounded her, flying in circles about her form. A lone bird, with a mighty crest, landed on her shoulder.
She whispered, "Thank you."
The eagle turned attentively to her, ready to pick up her every word.
"Go to my mother. Tell her the forces of Ares have attacked Man's world. We must help them."
The bird nodded twice, then, along with the rest of its cohort, flew towards Themyscira. Diana looked back down at the fires raging in the city. The lives of innocents were at stake. She could not turn a deaf ear. Not while she still lived.
=w=
Johnny Griggs was on his usual rounds, pacing down the corridor down to cell blocks. His radio buzzed away with messages from Mission Control, calling for Bud Bailey. Guy probably was just stuck in the toilet. On the other hand, they'd been trying to message him for the past quarter of an hour…
Just before Johnny Griggs turned the corner, he sensed something was up. When he felt the pressure linger near the temple of his head, his hand went straight for the magazine release. It was a hair away from the button before when he heard a hoarse whisper.
"Don't."
He whipped his head around – and found himself staring straight down the business end of a XM177.
"Please."
Captain Steve Trevor, hotshot pilot, was at the other end of the gun.
Griggs blurted, "Trevor?!"
"Yeah. Hi, Griggs. Sorry we had to meet again like this."
"The hell are you doing?"
"You have to believe me."
"About what?"
"The General's up to something. I have to stop him, Griggs. Here and now."
Trevor slowly lowered the gun. The two men looked at each other.
"Please."
Griggs stopped to think. All his years at JG Base, Capt. Steve Trevor had been nothing but a good fellow. He couldn't help but shake the feeling that he was genuine. And it was true that the old man had been acting weird recently…
"All right. But make it look good," said Johnny Griggs, letting his gun arm hang to one side.
"Sure thing, pal."
Steve gave Griggs a decent hit in the stomach, followed by a blow to the back of the head. A kick to the jaw cemented the deal.
The radio crackled, calling for a status update. Steve pulled the receiver over, turning to Johnny Griggs.
"If you don't mind…"
"Sure thing, pal," muttered Johnny, before he spoke into the receiver. "Green 6 to Mission Control. All fine here. Think Bud Bailey's stuck in the WC. Over."
"Roger that. Out."
Steve leaned over. "Loaded mag?"
Johnny dug the STANAG magazine, loaded with five rounds in it, out of his pocket and slid it over. "Here you go, dude."
"Thanks again."
That was all Steve had left to say; swift but silent steps took him down the hallway, to where he next had to go.
=w=
Meanwhile, on Paradise Island, Hippolyta and the other Amazons were going about their daily routine. Many of the wounded were back on their feet, ready to train and learn again. The Amazon queen stood alone on a cliff top, gazing to the horizon. For days now, terns and gulls had been going to and fro, giving morsels of news from Man's world.
The news had been uneven, so far. Her daughter had had ill luck in talking to the authorities, and was still too close to that man, Steve Trevor, for her liking. She patiently waited for the next despatch.
When it came not in the form of gulls and terns, but with a massive flock of eagles, she knew that it could not be better. There had to be twenty to thirty of them, and they spread all over the city. The last of the pack came to rest on her shoulder, and began to speak into her ear.
The message was dire. The armies of Ares were at hand, striking at the city that Diana had chosen residence in. It had been the duty of the Amazons to protect the world from Ares's evil. They had failed once before. Not again.
Hippolyta stared down at the city square. The eagles were everywhere; all activity had stopped in a moment of stupor. Having delivered their message, they left as swiftly as they came. Among the assembled, only Nathifa broke from her spell, dashing up the hill to her queen.
"My queen! Did you hear…?"
"Yes, I have."
Nathifa paused. "What would you have us do?"
"We go to war. Ares' evil must be stopped here. Now."
"Aye, my queen."
With that, both women rushed to their people, readying them for the battle ahead. For the second time in days, armour and arms were drawn from their stores, and now hundreds of winged horses were driven from their stables. Little did the Amazons know that even by this reaction that they were playing directly into the hands of Ares.
=w=
Wonder Woman wasted no time once she had passed her message. Battered and bruised, she dived straight back down into the city, into thick battle. Even if the men of the world could not see the truth of the matter, that was no cause not to aid them in their hour of need.
From her view in the skies, she could see a convoy of military trucks, including one with a long barrel sticking out of the front, approaching the city. The troops inside were all armed with what seemed like the same kind of gun that the others were using.
Then, a dozen harpies broke off from the main battle group, and charged towards the convoy. The soldiers in the trucks raised their weapons, but the harpies were too fast for them; some fell to the bullets, but the others easily snatched the rifles from the men, turning them on their former users in an instant.
Before they could pull off their first salvo, though, Wonder Woman ploughed into the harpies, tearing the weapons out of their hands and dropping them back into the hands of the soldiers. She turned to them with a yell.
"Help me out here!"
With that, she dove to one side, leaving the harpies right in the troops' arc of fire. One solid burst of gunfire later, it was over. She paused for a moment before the troopers.
"What are you waiting for? The city is still besieged!"
She darted down the road, right into the raging centre of the fight. Moments later, the whole convoy charged down the same path, ready to take on what lay in wait.
=w=
High in the skies, Nathifa marshalled the Amazon forces on their winged steeds, the taste of anticipation and desperation mixing in their throats…
=w=
Hallways away from where Steve Trevor was skulking in the shadows, a sudden, enormous, blip appeared on the long-range radar…
=w=
Mortals and monsters clashed in the streets of the city, the former uncomprehending of the latter, which cared naught as they wrought havoc…
=w=
Caught in the middle of this was the will of one woman, in whose hands the fate of the whole day, maybe that of the whole future lay…