Torch at the Crossroads: Teaser

Stardate 2264.60

"Computer, access Starfleet Historical Archive. Starfleet Intelligence. Command code Cale-Zeta-Four-Nine-Two."

ACKNOWLEDGED.

"Retrieve files from A.R.G.U.S. database, pre-Federation, Pre-MACO records. Locate project name: Hecate."

ACKNOWLEDGED.

ACCESSING FILES…

DIRECTORY LOCATED. SPECIFY PROJECT FILE.

"Project File 002. I'm looking for the Louvre. Paris. Begin playback."

ACKNOWLEDGED.

APRIL 19, 2018. Paris, France, Earth. Operation Director: Amanda Waller

The security camera footage peppered various market and street-level views of Paris streets. A streak passed across the screen, followed by another. The camera footage flipped to the B-roll for a reporter on the street. Screams, gritty and distorted from centuries of clean-up and over-processing, filled the senses.

"Leave them alone!" The streak stopped in full view of the camera.

"Mon dieu! C'est Wonder Woman!" The reporter shouted, only to be pushed out of view by the cameraman - presumably. The crowd were insignificant.

The mane of black hair. The forehead with the golden crown and the golden eagle etched into a red breastplate. She was important. It was her, all right.

"You will not touch them." Wonder Woman intoned. Her villain was off-screen, but the carnage wrought by the creature was evident around her. "You will not make them look at you. They know the price." She was speaking to her enemy, but facing away from them.

"Then, you will look at me. Champion."

The camera zoomed in on the face of Earth's great champion. The blood on her face, the deep gash that cut to her shoulder bone. The Wonder Woman had fought with all she had, and still pressed on.

"No. I will never."

"Look at me, Champion, so I may have my revenge."

The camera could not keep up with the ensuing battle. Wonder Woman disappeared off-screen, then was thrown back into a fountain with a groan. She pulled herself from the wreckage, gripping something in her hand. A severed snake.

"Look at me!"

Wonder Woman stood and pulled the snake towards her face. She had manipulated it so that the dead thing's fangs were bared. Precision weapons for a task to protect herself. "Never." Without hesitation, she mutilated herself. She plunged the fangs deep into her eye, screaming, then the other.

"Oh, Diana, you poor fool." The new voice belonged to a figure that seemed all too happy to grace the camera with her presence. The flowing mane of violet hair fell past the woman's back, obscuring the full leather suit. "How could you ever expect to fight blind?"

Diana threw the snake away, turning towards the camera. Her eyelids were closed. She cried tears of blood. "I will fight both of you until my death before I ever let you touch humanity. I will follow you to the ends of the universe."

"Pause playback."

ACKNOWLEDGED.

"Retrieve personnel file for Ambassador Diana Prince."

ACKNOWLEDGED. DISPLAYING.

The image was identical. She smiled.

"I knew you'd come back one day, Diana."

"Come on, tell me how it works."

Diana grinned, shaking her head as she sipped her cup of raktajino. It was late by Starfleet standards - the middle of third shift. The mess hall was quiet and dark, save for herself and the individual sitting next to her enjoying his own cup of raktajino. Outside, the warp bubble distorted the starscape. The Enterprise was headed to Diana's first diplomatic mission, and the ship's chief ambassador was unable to sleep.

Her captain couldn't, either, and thus the two of them had resumed their delicate dance of quiet conversation over strong drinks. It had been two months since she had arrived and had become friends with many in the Enterprise's magnificent crew.

But, none were so close to her as its captain, who was needling her about her lasso, coiled and resting on the table before them.

"I have an open mind. I'm more than willing to accept that you might be telepathic." He flashed her another one of those roguish grins, momentarily charming her into acquiescence.

"I told you," Diana chuckled, motioning to the lasso. "It is magical. The Lasso of Hestia compels any individual to tell the truth if they touch it. In turn, I can see the truth, and yes - I believe I can share thoughts with them. But, it is because of the lasso. Amplified by my own desire to seek the truth." She wasn't entirely sure she had ever believed the moniker that Athena had given her: Goddess of Truth. Gods were not needed in a time of such wonder and scientific advancement.

Jim drained his cup of coffee and sat up, eager. In some ways, he was older than Steve had been before she lost him. In other ways, though, he seemed the embodiment of childlike wonder. "Okay, then show me. Compel me to tell the truth." He pulled the lasso from the table and wound it around his wrist, holding it up to her.

Another night on the ship, another poignant reminder in something so mundane. She had spent nearly three centuries without Steve Trevor. The similarities between Jim and Steve had slowly turned from poignant reminders to frustrating distractions. She did not wish to live in the past. She wished - she needed - to move forward.

Diana sighed and took hold of the other end of the lasso. "Very well. Think of something you do not wish for me to know. And we will see how long you can be duplicitous towards me."

Jim grinned, playfully arrogant and clearly excited for what he saw as a challenge. "All right." The lasso began to glow in her grip as she held the lasso limply in her lap.

"What are you thinking about right now?" Diana asked smoothly.

Without much hesitation, Jim blurted: "That I want to impress you." In a moment, his expression had shifted from puckish to utter confusion. He turned his attention completely to the lasso, then up to Diana. "I did not mean to say that."

His confusion was the only thing that stopped her from thinking through why he might want to impress her. Diana still had no idea how she would have explained her closeness to him in the gardens on the Yorktown. And they had both kept busy enough that the topic did not come up.

"I told you that it compels you. You can try to guard your thoughts, but it is pointless to resist."

"I don't give up that easily." Jim leaned forward a bit, watching her instead of the lasso. "Come on. Best two out of three."

"Then just try to resist the question I ask this time." She advised. She considered what she would ask him for a long moment, then finally asked. "What are your security override codes for the ration allocations? We both know you drink more than your share of alcohol."

Jim opened his mouth. "They're…." The realization that he was about to give the information away gave him pause. He clamped his mouth shut tightly, refusing to obey the lasso. From the way he softly groaned and looked at his wrist, she could tell he was thrown by the magic. He groaned again, twisting in the seat as he shook his head a few more times.

She leaned forward, conspiratorially and playful. "Just tell me the security override codes, Jim. I promise not to tell Bones and get you in trouble."

Jim shook his wrist out a few more times, then finally blurted: "Kirk-Beta-Kappa-3-2-8!" As Diana giggled, truly amused, he pointed to the lasso before wiping sweat from his brow. "Does it have to be so hot?"

"This is the light of truth. It burns, Jim." Diana replied matter-of-factly, although she felt her heart quicken at the echo of Steve in his words. Again. "What did you think I would ask you?"

"I don't know," He shrugged. "I was kind of hoping you'd ask me if I thought you were attractive or something so I could segue that into asking you out - but I'm actually terrified that you'd say yes because Bones is right and you're completely out of my league." The truth flowed from his lips with ease. Too much ease.

The subject they had been dancing around was suddenly front and center, thanks to what should have been a harmless prank.

Diana knew she must have looked like a deer in headlights, as the old axiom went. She was speechless, mouth working wordlessly as she thought of some way to deflect from the admission. She settled for reaching forward to unwind the lasso from his wrist. "My apologies, Jim. That is not the kind of information I ask of the lasso, but once the faucet is open - "

"To be fair, Bones would say I have those thoughts every five minutes." She finally brought her gaze back up to his. Jim seemed… fine. Better than fine. As if the revelation had not occurred at all. "Don't worry about it. That's what I get for trying to impress you, right?"

Diana knew that she probably took too long to finally smile and laugh it off. But, it was all she could do. "It's all right. I have the beauty of Aphrodite, I have been told."

Jim motioned to her as if that was the crux of the issue. "See? Exactly. Anyone would be wondering what it would be like."

The two of them fell silent. The moment had passed. Idly, she found her fingers tapping her leg as she tried to look anywhere other than towards Jim. There wasn't anything to say. They had both gotten close to addressing what had nearly happened, but then they let the moment get away.

It was best not to think about it.

She rose and began to make her way to the door. "On that note, I think I should get some sleep. You have sufficiently distracted me from my insomnia. I suggest you sleep as well."

Jim nodded, but otherwise made no move to stand. "I will. Thanks. Have a good night, Diana." He smiled, but her heart twisted as she recognized it was the same smile that didn't reach his eyes she'd seen when he had said goodbye to Chekov a month ago.

That sad smile haunted her the entire trip back to her quarters. It was obvious that they were both playing with fire, and she had inadvertently exposed his feelings, if not his intentions. Jim was always so open with her. But, apparently, not in all things.

Diana made her way back to her quarters, but sleep still eluded her. She took a seat at her desk, pulling free a small pouch she had kept on her belt.

The watch was still in fine condition, although it had stopped ticking centuries ago. Sighing, she held it to her cheek absently, eyes closed. Once, long ago, she thought that the watch had been an anchor for his soul. That perhaps he had refused to leave for Elysium and accept the blessings of true warriors.

But, as she felt the cool glass touch her skin, her heart sank as she thought of his smile. And the same smile on the face of a man 300 years his junior.

How could she ever move forward?

For the first time since she had been given that watch…

She did not feel Steve Trevor in her heart. No dalliance could change that. He was just… gone.

She could not give Jim what he so desired. She could not trust what she felt. In truth...

Her heart may as well have turned to stone.