Chapter 6: The Lies of the Valkyrie

Sandra spent the rest of the day getting ready for the trip. The safehouse had a bunch of regular clothing for the both of them, although Diana had to wear men's sizes for a few things. Diana also packed a couple of weapons. Sandra saw Diana uncoiling and re-coiling another Golden Lasso. She also saw some jewelry Diana had, including a set of ruby earrings and a golden tiara. "These earrings," Diana said, "are magic. They will always attract towards each other, no matter how far apart they are". Diana threw the two up in the air in opposite directions. When they hit the ground, the two earrings dragged themselves to each other until they were touching. "See? I never have to worry about losing one ever again". Sandra also took the time – with the help of a local – to forge documents for Diana. Finally, Sandra arranged the meeting with Matteo.

The next day, their journey to Venice began with a bus ride to Patras. They then took a boat ride across the Ionian Sea to Bari, in the south of Italy. Finally, days after they had started their trip, Sandra and Diana arrived in Venice.

Venice at this point was still under the control of the Italian government, and its Fascist party led by Benito Mussolini. However, despite being allies of the Nazi regime, their security going forward was in question. Hitler had admired the party's tactics and ideology, but fundamentally viewed Italians as lower than Germans. And now that Hitler was in control of Overman, he no longer needed them as military allies. At points, the Italian army was more of a hinderance than a help to Germany. This had led Mussolini to become more paranoid and anxious, which showed in his erratic decisions. This, in turned, led to more resentment among the people, more acts of rebellion, and more repression conducted not by Italian forces, but by German ones. The question among the people at this point was not if Mussolini would eventually be deposed, but when.

Still, in Venice, the mood was light and cheery. People went about their day, buying and selling at vendors, and looking at all of the beautiful sights. The presence of soldiers was smaller than it was in Porto Kagio, despite the fact that it was a major city. If you didn't know better, you would not think this was a vital center for the war. But Venice was: many intelligence operations had set up in Venice, and this attracted many shady characters, either working for the Allies or the Axis, but always for themselves.

Sandra and Diana made their way through the city, this time without trying to dodge suspicious soldiers. Sandra was able to keep cool, but that couldn't be said about Diana. The princess marveled at the canals and the architecture of the city. Diana had seen just a few images of Venice while in Themyscira, but that paled in comparison to seeing the real thing. For most people, the city was a relic frozen in time, but for Diana, it was a radical vision of a new era.

The pair checked into their hotel room and started unpacking. "Alright," said Sandra, "we have some time before we need to meet Matteo. I know you are very excited to be out in the world, Diana, but I think we should wait here until then. This is a mission, not a vacation".

"I... understand," Diana replied, "buuuuuuuuut... I did spy something that could be useful to us. I saw a... uh, 'cinema', and it said that it was showing something regarding Brünnhilde!"

"Yeah, I saw that too," Sandra said. "It's probably just another newsreel that serves to boast about the Nazis' might. It's probably mostly lies".

"Ok, but what's a... newsreel?" Diana asked.

"Oh, right... well, it's a way of showing what's going on in the world to other people. What they do is shoot what is happening, then they take the film and project it on a big screen for an audience to see".

"Wait, why are they shooting at people?" Diana asked again.

"What?! They're not shooting at- well they're not 'shooting' shooting... I mean, you know". Sandra stammered as Diana looked on perplexed. Not wanting to spend the afternoon explaining the mechanics of motion pictures, she changed the conversation. "Look, you want to go? We can go. Maybe we'll gain something of value..."

The women headed to the cinema. The theater had several different versions of the same show in various languages. They arrived just when the last English showing of the feature film wrapped up and the newsreel was going to begin. The pair got in their seats as the narration began.

"As the Third Reich continues its glorious reign, all stand in awe of the glory of Overman and his New Reichsmen!" the narrator said as the screen showed Overman with his various compatriots, like Leatherwing and Underwaterman. "And now, a new warrior joins this pantheon of heroes!". The screen dissolved to show a woman stepping forward. "Brünnhilde is this hero! Brünnhilde, the most powerful woman in the world!"

Diana leaned forward. That woman seems familiar, she thought.

"But who is she? And how has she appeared to us today? To answer that, we must travel back to ancient times". The movie now depicted a river through a forest. "When our ancestors, the Aryans, ruled the continent, there existed the Rhinemaidens". Three women emerged from the water, their dresses clinging to their bodies and their hair covering their faces. "As mysterious as they were beautiful, the Rhinemaidens were the keepers of the Rhinegold, a magic ring that gave the bearer the power of the gods!" The picture dissolved to show a male warrior, continuing to pantomime the narrator's words. "It was used by Sigfried in his quests, but when he was betrayed by Hagen, the ring was taken by his lover, the Valkyrie, Brünnhilde. And when she honorably took her own life, the Rhinemaidens reclaimed the ring". The camera zoomed into the women holding the ring in their palms.

This imaged dissolved into the ring on a hand. "But now, as the German Empire has been resurrected, so too have the gods of old. And as they have been impressed by our might and glory, they have sent down the resurrected Valkyrie, to continue to inspire the good German people". The camera zoomed into Brünnhilde's face.

There's no way! Diana thought as she saw her face.

"Now observe how Brünnhilde defends the German race!" Brünnhilde was shown at a camp in front of a car. She bent over and lifted it from the rear with both hands. With a thrust, she flipped it over. The newsreel then cut to a path in a forest. Brünnhilde ran down the path with furious speed. When she got to the end, she leaped up into the air, over the large trees. Another shot farther away showed her landing from a great height. "With superior speed and strength, Brünnhilde can withstand anything the enemy could throw against her," the narration said. The movie cut to her surrounded by troops. They all ran towards her, but Brünnhilde fought them off, dodging every punch, throwing them into each other, and knocking them out with a single punch or kick. The movie then showed her at the end of a firing range. A man pulled out a machine gun and aimed it at the superheroine. As the man fired, Brünnhilde blocked every shot using the gauntlets on her wrists.

Diana stood up in shock. Great Hera! she thought. Sandra had to pull her back down into her seat.

"Yes, there is nothing that can defeat Brünnhilde! And now that she has joined the New Reichsmen, the Thousand Year Reich is secure in the knowledge that no force on Earth will be able to stop them!" The newsreel ended on a shot of Brünnhilde and Overman standing proudly in front of a map of the world.

As the movie concluded, Diana got out of her seat and left quickly. Sandra followed her outside. Diana walked around the front for a moment before Sandra spoke. "Diana, what's wrong?"

"I'm... so lost," Diana said. "That woman... she fights like an Amazon. She looks like an Amazon. But she CAN'T be an Amazon!"

Sandra stayed silent. Did she not know about Dalma? Should I tell her?

Diana continued. "And I have never seen an Amazon as powerful as her. I mean... Maybe the Valkyries and Amazons are related? I have heard stories of other tribes leaving Themyscira thousands of years ago, so, maybe-"

Sandra interrupted her. "Well, you need to remember that a lot of this is just lies. It's meant to reinforce the Nazis' worldview. They've lied about Overman, for example. They say he's a perfected man from the future come to teach us how to become like him. Really, he's just an alien who happens to look like us. You have to take what they've said with a grain of salt. A lot of salt, actually. A whole truckload of one, in fact".

Diana looked at her friend as Sandra held her shoulders. "Diana, I know this is a lot to take in. The city, the mission, the whole world! But there's a lot of bullshit around us and we just need handle it. Let's just head back to the hotel, wait until we can meet with Matteo, and we'll get to the bottom of this. Okay?"

Diana nodded her head. "Yes, we must be patient," she said. The women headed back to the hotel, both of them worried about what might come.

When the time came, Diana and Sandra went to a café on the other side of the city. A man in a white suit with slicked back hair approached the two women.

"I must say, Venice has lacked a certain charm ever since you last left us, my dear," the man said.

Sandra turned around. "Matteo, how lovely it is to see you. I take it everything is alright on your end?"

"Oh, yes, I had a bit of a scare, but it's all right now," he said. "Is she with you?" he asked, pointing to Diana.

Diana shifted uncomfortably as Sandra said, "Yes, she's new, but she's ok".

Matteo reached out his hand. "Matteo Di Largo, purveyor of fine goods, and altogether man of mystery. A delight to meet you, Miss...?"

"Diana," she replied flatly. "Nice to meet you too".

"Not the most sociable girl, I see," Matteo remarked as he sat down.

"Oh, she can be, but she's just nervous. She's just going to watch," Sandra replied. "Now look, I asked you about all of the information you had regarding Brünnhilde, and I'm hoping you have something good for me, like you always do".

"Well, that depends," Matteo replied. "Tell me, why are you so suddenly interested in Brünnhilde?"

"Do I need a reason for that? She's a Nazi. She's one of the New Reichsmen, and I want her dead," said Sandra.

"Oh-ho-ho," Matteo said. "You're quite bothered by her, huh, my dear Phantom Lady?" Diana stared at Matteo angrily. "Or maybe she's the one who's trying to eliminate her? Tell me, Miss Diana, are you the one with the specific grudge?" he said to the other woman.

Diana replied, "I have come to fight Brünnhilde because she has slain my s-" Sandra put her hand on Diana's arm.

"Relax, Diana, please". Diana sat back, still simmering. "Look, it's true that we've been a little more... deliberate in trying to stop the heavy hitters," Sandra said. "All you need to know is that there has been a change in our operations, and we are currently focusing on her".

"Well, alright, but usually I am to receive a bit of compensation for my hard work. Would you happen to have some for me here?" Matteo said.

"Er, no, we don't," Sandra said. "This was all put together last minute. But you've worked with us in the past, and every time we have paid you handsomely for your troubles. I'm sure you can hold out for a while as we do our work, before we come back with the check. Can't you give us a little break?" she asked, playing with her hair.

Matteo smiled. "It's a good thing I enjoy your company, Phantom Lady, otherwise I'd leave right now". Matteo took out a cigarette and lit it. "How about this: tell me what you know first and we can start from there".

"Well, it's not a lot," Sandra said. "She's super strong, can single-handily wipe out platoons, nothing out of the ordinary for supes. Diana and I actually saw a newsreel today regarding her. One of the Nazis' hack jobs I suppose".

"Not as much as you'd think," Matteo said.

"Alright, which part is true then?" she asked.

Matteo took a drag of his cigarette. "Well, you know how Hitler loves his magical artifacts. The Ark of the Covenant, the Spear of Destiny, et cetera, et cetera. He's spent millions trying to find them. And shockingly, he's found a few of them," he said.

"So, the ring...?"

"Yep, it's real. They actually had to find the Rhinemaidens, who apparently gave it up without a fight. That's honestly the part I find most curious," Matteo said.

"So, they gave it to some random woman, dressed her up as a Viking, and that's that?" Sandra asked. Diana looked puzzled.

"Not quite. The ring can bestow great power onto anyone who uses it. But it's not that simple. The legend went that it would only work on whomever had previously renounced love. What the Germans realized was that the ring was basically a rage machine. All the people who had tried it would become frenzied and uncontrollable. Some could withstand it for a time, while others would be messed up from the jump. Eventually, all would succumb to the madness. Some died of heart failure, some would die in accidents, and some had to be put down by Overman. But no one could use it for long".

"But what about this woman?" asked Diana. "What makes her special?"

"That's even a stranger story, my dear," Matteo said. "About a few months ago, Overman was attacked by a group of women. Apparently, they did quite the number on him. He actually had to flee from the attack, lest he be killed". Diana tensed up at this. "But, somehow, one of the women changed sides. They decided to try the ring on her as an experiment, and it worked. And that woman is who you see today".

Diana stood up from her seat. "What?!" she said. "What do you mean?!"

"Er, yes, what do you mean by the women who attacked Overman?" Sandra interjected.

"I mean they seemed to be some sort of mythical race. It doesn't make much sense to me, and the information is still scarce. But the woman is real. And she took out the rest of the group because of her new power," Matteo said.

Diana lunged over the table and gabbed Matteo by the lapels. "Who was she?!" she yelled.

"Hey, there's no need to get rough!" Matteo said.

"Diana, stop!" Sandra said.

"The woman, what is her name?!" Diana yelled.

"You're making a scene!" Sandra said, trying to grab Diana off of the man.

"I don't know. Stop it, please!" Matteo said.

"Diana!" Sandra yelled. Diana looked at her, and then let go of the man. "Stay put," Sandra said to Diana. She then put her arm around Matteo and started to walk with him. "Look, as you can see, my partner is quite passionate about this mission. She's also a rookie, so she's not equipped emotionally to handle some of these things".

"That may be," said Matteo, "but that's still no excuse to act so violently!"

"I know," replied Diana, "and I'm sorry. But you see, we had our suspicions about this sort of thing before. This wasn't really new information so much as just a confirmation. I appreciate the history lesson, Matteo. Really, I do. But what I really need is some detailed information about the woman. Strengths, weaknesses, you know, something actionable".

"My dear, I would like to help you. But between your friend and the scene, I don't think I can do business now".

"C'mon, Matteo, please?"

Matteo looked at Diana, then back at Sandra. "Well, how about you meet me later tonight? At midnight. On the roof of my store".

"That's fine. I'll see you there," Sandra said. "And Matteo, thank you for this".

"Of course, dear," Matteo said. He then shot a dirty look and Diana and left.

Sandra went back to Diana. "Diana, what were you doing?" she whispered.

"Did you hear him?" she replied. "He said one of my sisters betrayed the rest of them. I can't believe this". Tears were welling up in her eyes.

"Diana, did you hear about any of this while on the island?" Sandra asked.

"I didn't. Just that they were killed by this other woman. Did you hear anything?" Sandra paused. "Sandra..." Diana pleaded.

"Yes, I did," Sandra said.

"And what did you hear?"

"Everything he said. Brünnhilde was an Amazon by the name of Dalma. She betrayed the Amazons using some other power and killed them".

Diana's eyes stared past Sandra. "And who told you this?" she whispered.

"It was your mother," Sandra replied.

A gasp escaped from Diana's throat. It must be true, she thought as she closed her eyes. Damn you mother! Diana started running in a random direction.

"Diana!" Sandra yelled. Diana was much faster than her and disappeared into the network of side-streets. Sandra walked around them until she came across Diana crying in an alleyway. "Diana," she said approaching her.

"Stop," she said. "Just... why didn't you tell me?"

"Diana, I didn't know!" Sandra replied. "Your mother was so paranoid about it, and I didn't think she wanted anyone else to know".

"Well, it would have been good for me to know now that I'm out here," Diana replied. "You had plenty of time to tell me when we were traveling together".

"Diana, you weren't even supposed to be here!" Sandra yelled. "I didn't know how to handle it. I didn't know if it was a big deal to you or not. I don't even know if I can really trust you. I'm still wondering if this is some sort of test by... I don't know who!"

"Not a big deal?" Diana said. "What kind of world do you live in where your trusted sister murdering others is not a big deal?"

"I'll tell you. A terrible one. One where war rages everywhere you look. A world where one false move will cost you your life and the lives of everyone you hold dear. This is the world you wanted to see so badly, Diana!" Diana continued to sob as Sandra stood there. I may have gone too far with that, she thought. She knelt down to the crying princess. "Diana, I'm sorry about that. I may be a superhero, but all of this with the Amazons is still new to me. I didn't know what to do".

Diana took some breaths. "I just... I don't know why this had to happen to us. I can't believe it..."

"Diana," Sandra said, "A lot of people have felt just like you because of this war. And I don't have an answer for that. But what I can tell you is that the only way we can stop this, the only way we can get back to how it was, is to fight".

Diana wiped her eyes. "You're right," she said. "I promised that I would fight to avenge my sisters... and I will do so, regardless of... whoever would stand in my way".

Sandra helped Diana to her feet. "Alright," she said and gave the princess a hug. "It's alright. You're okay. We're going to go back to the hotel. You can stay there while I go talk with Matteo again. Then we'll discuss what to do next".

"Sandra, I'm still coming with you," Diana said.

"Diana, you're not in any state to continue today. And besides, you nearly blew our cover. I don't think Matteo will be keen to talk with you again," said Sandra.

"Okay, fine," Diana said. Suppressing all emotion in her face, Diana walked with Sandra as Sandra grabbed her hand. Diana knew she had to remain calm, lest Sandra lock her out entirely, but at this moment, Diana doubter her friend, her mother, her people... and herself.

At 11:59, Phantom Lady – decked out in her eye-catching costume – climbed onto the roof of Matteo's antique shop. She looked around for her contact. C'mon, Matteo, she thought, don't leave me out in the cold – literally. Soon, Matteo appeared from a door on the roof.

"Well, Matteo, now that we're alone, maybe you can give me what I really want," Phantom Lady said.

"My dear," replied Matteo, "It brings me no greater joy than to see you here, like this. But I'm afraid what you want to happen, isn't going to happen".

"And why would that be?"

"Well, for starters, we're not alone". Just then, men in trench coats came up onto the roof. They came through the door and they came from over the side. In an instant, Phantom Lady was surrounded. Phantom Lady tried to turn on her blacklight projector, but it was no use. Even in the dark, there were too many men to evade. The projector was turned off as several men dragged Phantom Lady to the ground. While there, the men remove her projectors and her belt. They put her in handcuffs behind her back and then lifted her to her feet.

"Matteo, you worm!" Phantom Lady said. "I knew money was your number one concern, but I thought you wouldn't be dumb enough to try and double cross us".

"Well, that scare I had a while back was more substantial than you'd realized," Matteo replied. "I was indeed captured, and I wasn't dumb enough to not offer my most valuable assets: my connection to the Freedom Fighters. But tell me, where's that little friend of yours?"

"Hah, unlike some people on this rooftop, I don't sell out my friends!" Phantom Lady said.

"Well, we'll see what happens when these boys turn the heat up on you," Matteo said. Men grabbed her arms and legs and the gang carried Phantom Lady to face her doom.