"Princess Diana!"

"Yes?"

Diana walked into the room near the door, dressed in her Wonder Woman garb.

"What? You were supposed to change into some of my clothes!" Callista cried.

"Most of them were too small," Diana replied, "but I only needed one outfit!"

The Amazon pulled a golden mask from her girdle. She placed it gently on her face, and there was an explosion of blue electricity.

"Oh my God!"

When the electricity subsided, Diana was much changed. The bright colors and unique style of her costume were gone, replaced by a midriff revealing blue top and tight fitting black pants. Her curly hair was now straightened and cut so that it reached her jaw.

"Holy God . . . "

"The Mask of Proteus," Diana explained.

"Wow . . . " Callista snapped out of her stupor. "So . . . what do I call you now?"

"I hadn't thought about that . . . "

"Hmmm . . . Diana is a common enough name, so you can keep that. Maybe 'Princess' as a last name?"

"'Princess' sounds too . . . artificial. I think Prince is much better."

"Okay, then, 'Diana Prince' it is! C'mon! Let's go see Atlanta!"

"But Callista . . . what about your work?"

"Nah . . . I'm on leave for a few days . . . "

"If you say so . . . "

Now, Callista was once again struggling not to fall off her chair in laughter.

"Callista! I don't see what you find so humorous! I could have killed that man!" Diana growled.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Callista fell off her chair.

The pair had stopped at 'Taco Whiz' for lunch. Almost as soon as Diana bit into her greasy taco, she had spat it out full force. With enough force, in fact, to knock the man in her trajectory unconscious for ten minutes.

"I can't say I enjoy what passes for food these days," Diana said, wiping her mouth in disgust. Then she picked up her cup of Pepsi and took a huge gulp, managing to do it looking dainty. "This, on the other hand, is nearly as sweet as Dionysus's finest wine!"

"No hangovers, either!" Callista added, taking a slurp of her soda.

"Ha! We Amazons are immune to all but the strongest of poisons!" Diana laughed, walking up to the soda machine for her sixth refill.

Well then, better add caffeine up there with cobra's venom and deadly nightshade! Callista thought dryly.

There was a sudden crash, followed by loud screams and a stampede of people. The few customers in the Taco Whiz were gathered at the front window, peering outward. Diana, taller than everyone by far, was able to peer over their heads.

<"Suffering Sappho! Get back!"> Diana screamed, in her panic using Classic Greek instead of English.

Diana grabbed the customers and easily tossed them like rag dolls to the back of the store, as the front wall collapsed on her.

"Diana!" Callista shrieked. She hadn't known her for more than a day, but already she felt an unbreakable bond between her and the shining Amazon.

The handful of customers scrambled out of the back entrance, along with the employees.

"Diana! Are you all right?" Callista cried.

From underneath the pile of crumbled brick and glass, tiny bursts of electricity spurted. The rubble exploded away as Wonder Woman leapt into the street. Callista darted after her, performing an acrobatic flip over the rubble.

Gunfire sprayed from the blue wall of police and vehicles, bouncing uselessly off the thick black belts of the two monstrous hounds approaching. Their eyes glowed like bloody coals as they barked and growled menacingly.

"Black Hounds of Hades!"

"What the hell are they?" Callista cried.

"Exactly what I said! It wasn't just an exclamation! They're Hellhounds. Monstrous, canine demons, brothers of Cerberus, often sent by Hades or Hecate to hunt mortals down!" Wonder Woman cried. "Careful! Their breath is like flames and their strength is terrible!"

An explosion from a police bazooka caused one of the hounds to stumble, but it attacked with vigor, renewed by its fury, which ignited the air in front of it. A tongue of green flames struck a building, causing it to explode.

"I'll get one of those police bazookas! They seem to be working!"

"No, Callista! Stay and see if you can help to save those trapped in the rubble!"

"All right . . . " Callista sprinted towards the nearest crushed building and began to push away the bits of rubble that she could.

"Back to Tartarus, monster!" Wonder Woman cried as she picked up the Taco Whiz sign and heaved it at the monster.

The monster toppled over, just in time for its partner to send a torrent of flame toward Diana.

Diana moved quicker than thought, drawing out the tiny compact that was her Transparent Craft. It morphed into a wall in front of her, blocking the flames. Its shape wavered, before melting into a bubbling puddle on the road.

"Great Hera! You won't have such ease defeating my next weapon, beast!" Diana proclaimed, pulling her lasso from her girdle and dodging the hound's flame breath. She twirled the golden cord expertly, looping it around the hound several times, pinning its arms and legs. "I command you to sleep!"

The hound ceased struggling instantly, drifting into slumber. Diana began to untangle her lasso.

With a howl, the other hound pounced on the princess, who grappled with it, her strength and skill easily surpassing that of the monster. She flipped it over with enough force to crack its head against the pavement, sending it into unconsciousness.

There was a loud growl, and something slammed into Diana's side, sending her sailing the entire length of the city block. She bounced off the wall of a bank and hit the ground. The Amazon struggled to her feet. Every move caused pain to shoot through her side and she the coppery taste of blood filled her mouth. With a groan, she leapt into the air, gliding towards her canine opponent.

"It seems there is another misbehaving hound who needs a few good lashes with a sturdy switch!" Wonder Woman cried, her confident tone belying the pain she felt.

It took all her effort to dodge the next torrent of flame, but she couldn't dodge the paw that slammed her to the ground, barely holding on to consciousness. The hound's open jaws were now moving towards Diana's head.

"Oh my God! What am I gonna do?" Callista cried, beginning to panic.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Diana's lasso, lying where she had been forced to drop it.

"If the little animal control trick can work for her with this thing, maybe it'll work for me!" Callista cried. She sprinted over to the lasso and picked it up. "Now . . . how the heck do I use it?"

She decided to not bother with looping it and quickly tied the end around a hunk of pavement. Callista swung the lasso towards the hound's leg. It whipped itself around the large appendage.

"Stop!"

Callista almost collapsed with relief as the hound obeyed, its long fangs, dripping with saliva, halting inches away from the Amazon's pearly skin.

"Come here, boy!" Callista cooed. To her surprise, the hound obeyed. "Now sha- uh . . . I mean, roll over!"

The hound performed a roll.

"Oooh! This is fun!" Callista cried. "Good boy!"

Callista gently stroked the hound's huge head.

"Now boy, go night-night!" Callista commanded.

The hound lay down, its eyes fluttering closed.

"Great job, Callista!" Diana cried, shakily standing up and making her way over to her friend. "Handled like a true Amazon!"

"Th-thanks, Di-Wonder Woman!" Callista said.

Wonder Woman knelt and began to unravel her lasso, tossing the piece of pavement to the ground. She reached out to her melted craft. The glob oozed its way towards her. She gently placed her hand on its surface, and it shrunk back into a compact, which was placed back in her girdle.

"Perhaps we will meet again, sister!"

"Huh? Oh! Um . . . Yeah, I hope so! Just . . . glad I could help!"

Diana leapt into the air, gliding the wind currents out of sight.

Callista darted into an alleyway, just as the first news van arrived.

"Y'know, Diana, people are gonna start getting suspicious. You suddenly show up, and save me from one villain and having me help you with another, and then I suddenly have a friend move in with me who can knock people out by spitting her food, who has no past or occupation. Despite popularly held opinion in other countries, we Americans aren't stupid . . . well . . . most of us aren't . . . but people are gonna start putting two and two together. We aren't really strangers to super-powers anymore; most heroes probably alter their appearances with magic or technology."

Diana thought about this. "You speak wisely, but I really can't concentrate on this right now. I'd like to take a bath, if you don't mind, could you show me the way to the springs?"

"The what? I'll show you the guest's bathroom."

Resting her beautiful head on a folded towel, Diana began to ponder the day's events as the herbs combined with the warm water, soothing her tight muscles and already fading bruises.

Where could those hounds have come from? Diana wondered. I see not why the dismal king of the Underworld would have sent them here! Perhaps they were summoned with magic, but by whom?

What happened today was exciting! I hope we do more stuff like that. Just . . . not with such big monsters!

Callista dipped an apple slice into the container of caramel and began to chew on the sweet snack. She heard a small thump behind her.

"Huh? Diana?"

Callista turned to see nobody.

"Must be imagining things."

Callista turned back to her snack, and found herself staring into a pair of cold emerald eyes.

"Wha . . . AAAAAAIIIIIIIEEEEEE!"

Callista stumbled backward, and the crouching person on the counter stood up to their full height. Callista could see it was a beautiful woman, clad in a sort of small Egyptian battle dress. The woman was tall and muscular, with long red hair tied back in a ponytail that reached the ground. On her feet were sandals with small wings on the heels. Slung over her back was a sword and scabbard.

"Callista! What is it?" Diana cried as she rushed down the stairs in an instant. She was dressed in a fluffy bathrobe, but her bracelets were clamped on her wrists and her lasso was clutched in her hand.

"Ah . . . The Princess Diana! My, doesn't she look regal!" the redheaded woman taunted.

"Who are you? I demand to know!" Diana cried, holding up her lasso.

"No need for your silly rope, princess! I am Artemis, champion of the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall, known to the prissy weaklings that inhabit Themyscira as the Amazons of Ares! When you and your silly mother defeated all of us during the contest on Themyscira, we held our own tournament to see who would go and defeat you!"

"What? Why in Gaea's name would you do something like that?" Diana cried.

"Humph! And I thought you were a warrior! Have you no pride?"

"We of Themyscira have pride, Artemis! But true warrior's pride is not giving in, and honorably challenging the one who defeated you in combat! Not attacking their friends and them while they're weak!"

Artemis leapt from the counter, attacking Diana with a powerful punch that sent her careening through the wall. Artemis flew like lightning through the hole, into the large living room. She ducked one of Diana's kicks and swung upward, hitting her viciously in the side where the Hellhound had hit her before.

"Aaah!" Diana cried out.

Artemis nailed her again in the side. "Remember your little skirmish with the Hellhounds earlier today? Guess who they belonged to!"

Artemis punched Diana in the face, downing the Amazonian Princess. She pulled out her sword and held it above her head.

"Diana! Take this carrot top! Kiyaaaa!" Callista rushed Artemis with a powerful high kick. Artemis caught her ankle and tossed her away.

"Pathetic!" the raging Amazon spat as she rose into the air, the wings on her sandals fluttering furiously. She felt an iron hand clamp on her ankle. Using Artemis's leg as leverage, Diana swung upward, landing a kick to the back of Artemis's head. She then slammed her attacker into the ground. "Not bad, princess! But you can't defeat a true Amazon!"

Artemis rushed her, but Diana narrowly dodged, tossing her lasso at Artemis, who caught it in midair. She swung her leg into Diana's stomach, and then caught her with an uppercut. Diana collapsed.

"I'd kill you now, but I want to feel a the rush of true combat, not attacking some wounded weakling!"

Artemis sheathed her sword, then turned and flew out the window.

Callista moaned, pulling out of her daze. She clumsily made her way over to Diana, trying to make the princess come to.

"Oh . . . " Diana moaned in pain. She shakily sat up.

"Who was that?" Callista asked.

"She is an Amazon of Ares, or Bana-Mighdall. They are Amazons who split off from my tribe to worship Ares and war. They didn't bother to learn many Themysciran fighting techniques, like gliding on wind currents. The sandals she wore were the Sandals of Hermes, which grant the wearer incredible speed and the power of flight. She's dead set on killing me for her tribe's defeat in the contest."

"So we're in trouble?"

"No, I am in trouble. You are going to stay out of this!"

"Like hell I will!" Callista retorted.

"I can't argue this now. We should rest. Are you hurt?"

"No, just stunned."

"Good. I'm going to finish my bath. The herbs I brought, along with my natural Amazon Stamina, should have me healed soon."

"Okay. I'm going to the gym tomorrow to work out. You should go relax, you've had a tough day."

Diana nodded. "I'll do some shopping, maybe."

"You do that. Well, I'll see you tomorrow morning. Good night!"

"Sleep well, Callista!"