Chapter 4: Unexpected Baggage
In the miles of bunkers underneath Berlin sat Colonel Dotsch at his desk. He was reviewing a report regarding the New Reichsmen's latest conquest in Africa when a messenger approached.
"Sir," he said, "Reconnaissance Plane NF009 has gone missing. Its last communication was over 12 hours ago".
"That's the fourth one in a row," Colonel Dotsch growled. "Have there been any salvage operations?"
"Yes sir," the messenger replied. "Two ships were sent along with a squadron of fighter planes. The operation was called off after several hours with no results. One odd fact: the planes became separated from the boats by dozens of miles. We are examining everything to see if this was the result of some systemic issue, or just human error".
It's neither, Colonel Dotsch thought. The Amazons are foiling us somehow. "Is that all?" he asked.
"Actually sir, there was one other thing. Minutes prior to their disappearance, NF009 reported that they had found the woman called Phantom Lady hidden on their plane".
Colonel Dotsch shot up. "What?! What happened?!"
"Well sir, they said they had her secured and were planning on handing her over to you after they were done with their flight. Of course, they didn't return".
The colonel dropped his head. Not only had another flight disappeared, but so did his best chance of compromising the Freedom Fighters along with it. He tried taking comfort in the fact that she probably died, but it didn't work. I won't be convinced she is dead until I am able to spit on her lifeless face, he thought. The number of times she has been "presumed dead" or "missing after a terrible accident" or "captured with no hope of escape and facing certain doom" only to survive makes me think she may actually be a phantom.
Colonel Dotsch walked around his desk. "Call Sargent Koning. Tell him to double our efforts on the salvage operations and on the reconnaissance flights".
"But sir, is that-"
"That is my order, and you will relay it!" The messenger was shaken and confused. But then again, he would be. He didn't know anything about Themyscira, or the Amazons, or the true nature of Brünnhilde's origin. All he saw was Overman's toady, who fashioned himself as some sort of herald of the gods, sending men to die in a random part of the Mediterranean Sea. The messenger said yes, saluted, and then left.
The colonel turned to a map he had on his desk. I hope we find Phantom Lady dead, he thought. If we don't, then she's probably made it to Themyscira. And if the Freedom Fighters find it before we do, it may be the end of Third Reich.
The morning sun peered out over the horizon on a cool morning in Themyscira. Sandra Knight, having just finished a delicious breakfast, was being lead down a long set of stairs to a dock. On it were Queen Hippolyta and a few of her guards.
"I trust your night was comfortable?" she asked her guest.
"Oh, it was very nice. I'll be sure to recommend the resort to everyone," said Sandra. The queen raised her eyebrows in shock. Sandra tried to play it off. "Kidding... I'm kidding. I understand you want secrecy".
Queen Hippolyta turned to the side of the dock. "While we have cut off most communication to the rest of the world, we do have our ways of reaching out," she said. Tied to the dock was a small boat that had several boxes in it. "You will travel alone on this boat to the mainland".
Sandra looked at it puzzled. "Are you telling me I'm supposed to get on this dingy? I wasn't expecting an ocean liner, but come on! This thing will never survive the sea!"
Queen Hippolyta smirked. "Oh, it will. Our magic extends out to the sea considerably. You will be quite safe on this vessel".
As her guest continued to look at the boat, the queen signaled to some more servants. "Here," she said, pointing to what a servant was holding, "we have also taken the liberty of mending your "costume". It should be more useful in combat". Sandra grabbed the garments from the servants and examined her new suit. The suit was similar in design overall, but covered more of her hips and torso. The material was different than what she had previously: it shimmered in the sun and felt lighter, though she could tell it was tougher than what she had on before. "That fabric cannot be pierced by sword or arrow," Hippolyta said. Sandra moved on to looking at the belt and broach. "We have replaced your belt buckle with one inlaid with gold, and have added a large emerald to your broach. Take these as a sign of our hospitality, and a reminder of your vow to us".
Sandra grabbed the clothing from the servant. "You are too kind, your majesty," she said. Still, she felt a tad disappointed. Sandra was hoping to see one more face again before she left, but the mysterious servant who had enchanted her was not present. Resigned to the fact that she would never see her again, Sandra got onto the boat.
As the other women got the boat ready to sail, Queen Hippolyta stood above Sandra. "The boat contains various provisions that will assist you on the trip: food, water, weapons, and money. You will not need to adjust your boat while sailing. The current will carry you the entire way," she said. "It will take you a little over a full day. Once you land, you will be on your own. I trust you can handle yourself from there".
"As long as you aren't sending me straight to the Nazis, I'll be ok," Sandra said. The servants removed the ropes from the boat and shoved it from the pier. As if on its own, the boat turned around and began moving away.
"Goodbye, Sandra Knight, Lady of the Phantoms!" Queen Hippolyta yelled. "The fate of Themyscira is in your hands!".
As the boat traveled through the sea, Sandra grew bored looking out at the seemingly endless sea. You know, could they have least packed me a book? Sandra thought. She felt the sun's rays on her body. I should probably find some way to shield myself, before I get cooked, she thought. Sandra stood up and slowly walked down the boat. At the bow of the boat were various crates and a section covered with a blanket. Thinking that this was what she needed, Sandra bent down and grabbed the blanket. When she pulled it off, she found something she wasn't expecting: another person had been crouching under the blanket
In a heartbeat, Sandra turned around and grabbed an oar below her. She spun around and swung it wildly, hoping to hit the potential attacker. When Sandra did that, she heard a loud CRACK! The oar shattered against her target. However, instead of seeing a limp body in front of her, Sandra saw the person still standing, their arm frozen in a blocking position. Before she could react, the other person pounced on Sandra, knocking her back. Sandra started clawing at her attacker. Her opponent tried to defend themselves, blocking and grabbing Sandra's arms without striking back. Sandra heard the assailant speak.
"Stop! Stop! It's just me!" they said. Sandra stopped to see who her attacker really was. It was the servant girl Diana.
"What, Diana?" Sandra asked. "What are you- what are you doing?"
"Sandra... I'm sorry about this," Diana replied. "Let me get off of you so I can explain". Diana stood up as Sandra sat up and adjusted herself.
"Did you come here to spy on me?" Sandra asked. "That paranoid queen definitely couldn't trust me, so she must've sent you!"
"No, I'm not here to spy on you," Diana said.
"Alright, then why?" Sandra said angrily.
"I snuck aboard because I wanted to join you on your mission," Diana said sheepishly.
"What?" Sandra asked.
"Yes. I want to see the world and I need to get revenge for my fallen sisters. This boat was the only way off the island, so I hid myself under those blankets to leave".
Sandra let out an exasperated breath. "Oh jeez. Okay, first of all, I cannot be babysitting a slave girl while trying to figure out how to defeat a murderous super-woman – " Diana rolled her eyes at the insinuation that she needed to be babysat – "And second, as if I didn't have enough pressure on me from that kooky queen, I am now certainly going to be hunted down and murdered by a cadre of soldiers on the basis of kidnapping!"
"Sandra, don't you talk about Queen Hippolyta like that!" Diana exclaimed.
"What? Why do you care? You clearly have an interest in the rest of the world, and that bitch just wants to hide away for the rest of her life – even though she's immortal, I think? But it's pretty obvious she's just a control freak!"
In a flash, Diana grabbed Sandra's dress and pulled her close. "You do NOT say that about her! How dare you be so vile!"
Sandra put her hands up. "Alright, okay, I'm sorry, but... you did sneak away, so it is somewhat true, right?" Diana sighed and let go of the other woman. "You know, she must have done something right to inspire such passion from you. I couldn't imagine any servant sticking up for their master like that".
"Well, you see, I'm not a servant," Diana said. "I'm... er... her daughter".
Sandra's eyes went wide. "What?!"
Diana straightened her back. "I am Diana, Daughter of Hippolyta, and Princess of Themyscira".
Immediately, Sandra started looking around the boat. "Oh no. No no no no no no no! I am definitely not doing this. I need to turn this boat around!"
"What? Why?" asked Diana.
"Why?! Because I have the freaking princess of the island on my boat! Everybody is going to think I abducted you!"
"That's not going to happen," Diana replied.
"It absolutely will!" Sandra said. "And I'm not about to be hunted down because of your stupidity!"
"Stupidity?!" Diana cried.
"Yes, stupidity! Did you really think this wouldn't have repercussions?"
"Look, I needed a way out, and I took it. I'm sorry if this complicates things, but I didn't see another way".
"But why do you need to leave the island so badly?!"
"Because I had to!" Diana yelled. Tears began to well as she sat down. Sandra watched silently, unsure of what to say. "I was born on the island. I knew of no other world. It was beautiful, but I always wanted to know more, to see everything that was out there. My mother loved me, but she wouldn't let me leave. She told me of her plight and what they did to her people. She showed me the horrors of the world. She showed me the good too, but I never forgot what was out there. And so, I was satisfied. I could see enough from the safety of the island without having to do anything. I saw the beginning of the war, but I figured it was just another sad chapter in the sad history of man. And then Steve Trevor came".
Again, it comes to this Steve, thought Sandra.
"You know, I was the one who saved Steve. I was on the cliffs looking over the sea when I saw his plane crash. I dove in and saved him from the wreckage. Not knowing what to do, I brought him through town, to the queen. There, he told us all about what was really going on in the world. None of this would have happened if I had let him drown. Including..." Diana trailed off.
Including the deaths of the others, thought Sandra.
"When he came, I spoke to him, and he told me all about America and his life and everything. I knew then that I wasn't actually satisfied with my life on the island. I pleaded with my mother to join him and leave, but she denied my request. She said that I had to be safe, that I was the heir to the throne and that my place was in Themyscira. So, I obliged. But that decision gnawed at me ever since". Diana looked at Sandra. "In Themyscira, we believe that fate always insists upon itself. When Steve left, I thought that maybe I wasn't meant to leave. But when you came, I knew it was a sign".
Sandra sat next to Diana. Sandra saw that, despite the poise and maturity one would expect from royalty, Diana was still full of youthful exuberance and determination. "Diana," she said, "I know you mean well, but I cannot have someone like you on this mission. The world is very dangerous, and already a whole group of your warriors has been destroyed. What makes you think you can succeed where they failed?"
"You know," replied Diana, "when the queen was first deciding who to send, she conducted a tournament to determine the best warriors. Do you know who won that tournament?"
"You?" said Sandra.
Diana nodded her head and smiled. "I try to be humble, but to be frank, in that tournament I beat everyone soundly. The expedition force that was sent was made of all of the top finishers in the tournament, except me. That was supposed to be me out there. Maybe I couldn't have done anything. But it was my right to try!"
Sandra could see Diana felt guilty. She also saw she was angry with her mother and a bit fearful too, afraid that all of her doubts were correct. She could tell because these were all things Sandra had felt too. "Diana," she said, "when I started as Phantom Lady, I didn't tell anyone. My father was a lawmaker, and a powerful one at that. He was always so protective of me. It was just assumed that I would become another "Washington Daughter": look pretty, entertain Daddy's guests, never do anything of importance. If I had told him what I was doing, he would have flipped his lid. But, years later, when the war got bad, I finally revealed myself. And he said he could not have been prouder of me. Diana –" Diana looked directly at Sandra – "Your mother wants what's best for you. But I know if you really want this, she'll come around".
"Thank you, Sandra," Diana said.
"Of course, that assumes she isn't sending an entire armada after us at this very moment," Sandra replied.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Diana said. "You were watched the entire time, so there was no way for you to kidnap me. Plus, I got a few friends to cover for me for a little bit. By the time anyone realizes what happened, we will be nearly to our destination. After that, who knows? She has promised not to send more troops out into the world, and explaining that she has to break this promise to rescue her own daughter would be rather embarrassing".
Sandra stood up. "Very well," she said, and extended her hand. "You can join me, but only if you do exactly what I say. If anything should happen to you, I would not be able to operate while your friends searched for me. Understand?"
Diana grabbed Sandra's hand with both hands. "I swear that I shall watch you closely, so that I may learn your ways, and that I shall be by your side until my comrades are avenged and your homeland is freed. This, I vow!"
Sandra felt the strong grip of the Amazon warrior as she said this. Jeez, she thought, who's going to be protecting who?