Callista lashed out with a powerful kick to the punching bag, swinging it back and forth. She launched herself into a flurry of punches, peppering the small bag with them. She vaulted backward, turning head over heels several times, the sprinted forward.

She attacked with a powerful enough kick to send the bag sailing from its hook across the gym, leaving a trail of sand.

Panting heavily, Callista wiped the sweat from her brow, and walked slowly over to the drinking fountain. She bent her head and slurped the water down. She straightened up and wiped her mouth.

Callista turned, to see a fist whistling towards her face.

"Hmmm . . . This store looks nice . . . " Diana side thoughtfully, walking into a large, elegant looking bookstore.

Diana walked slowly, looking at the books. She paused at a section on mythology. After looking over the books and their titles, she grabbed a thick one, and began to leaf through it.

It covered basically everything, Perseus and Medusa, The Odyssey, Heracles, the Gods, and much more. Diana was able to spot fifteen mistakes on the first chapter about Aphrodite. She put the book back on the shelf, and continued to browse.

"Are you looking for anything in particular?"

Diana turned to see a handsome young man, taller even than she, with blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

"Hi, I'm James Grande. My father's the owner of this store."

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Diana Prince. And no, I'm just looking, but thank you."

The pair shook hands, a little longer than one would have expected, before drawing away.

Suddenly, an elderly man cried out.

"James! He's getting away with the money!"

A man dressed in black, his face hidden by a ski mask, rushed towards the door, a sack in his hand.

"Hey, stop!" James yelled. The thief whipped out a gun and aimed it at James's throat.

Before he could fire, Diana kicked the pistol from his hand and nailed him in the jaw with a right hook. Careful to only look like she was an ordinary woman deploring her self defense skills, Diana grabbed the man by the shirt and flipped him onto his back, sufficiently knocking him unconscious.

"Wow . . . " James was stunned. "What was that?"

"Hmmm?"

"What martial arts style do you practice?"

Realizing how strange 'Amazon Grappling' would sound, Diana quickly thought of an Eastern martial art. "Aikido."

"Oh . . . You've been practicing it long?"

For 3,200 years, mortal! Diana thought. Instead she replied, "For awhile."

"That's cool. I've practiced judo since I was thirteen."

"Must be in good shape, then," Diana said. "Martial arts really help people in life. They don't just teach people to fight, they help people stay in shape, or get in shape, as well as learn the path of righteousness and honor."

"You're in pretty good shape yourself," James thought aloud.

He said it so quietly that a normal woman would have heard only a mumble, but Diana's keen ears picked up everything clearly. She was a little puzzled at first, but realized what he meant, and told herself he didn't deserve to be struck; he WAS only a man . . .

"James! Are you all right?"

An elderly man walked from behind a book display. He was obviously old, but still spirited.

"Yeah, thanks to Miss Prince, here."

"Oh, hello young lady. I'm Jeremiah Grande. Thank you so much for saving my store!"

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Grande!" Diana said, shaking hands with Jeremiah. Young lady? I'm a good three thousand years older than you!

"Hey, Miss Prince-" James began.

"Please, call me Diana."

"-Diana, would you like to have lunch with us at our café? It'll be on the house!" James offered.

"Oh, I don't know. I can pay for it!"

"Diana, I insist!" James said, pulling on Diana's arm.

Even though a flick of her wrist could send James sailing through the wall, Diana allowed him to pull her through a door in the side of the bookstore into an empty café, filled with tables and plants.

"This place is usually brimming with customers, but there's school and work right now. We'll eat before the rush comes in!" Jeremiah said.

The three sat down at a round table, and James handed Diana a menu.

"Just tell me what you want and I'll get it for you."

Diana glanced over the menu. "I'll have a large Pepsi and a . . . um . . . Caesar salad."

"Great choices. I'll get you your usual, Dad."

James walked quickly into the kitchen.

Jeremiah leaned over to Diana. "He likes you, you know."

"Excuse me?"

"He has his eye on you, darlin'. You're a beautiful young lady, with strong morals and a stronger will. You'd be great for James."

Diana smiled at the praise. "How do you know I have strong morals?"

"I can just tell that about people. It's a natural talent. You're a beautiful person, inside and out."

"Why thank you," Diana responded, flattered. Neither Jeremiah nor James is like Alexander . . . Even in mother's recent adventures, she told me that many men, even occasionally the heroes she worked with, were chauvinistic.

James arrived with the food. Diana immediately began to sip her soda.

"So, Diana, what line of occupation are you in?"

I am Princess of Themyscira and emissary of peace to Patriarch's World, Diana thought. "I'm unemployed right now. I recently moved here, and I'm staying with a friend of mine, Callista Domaine."

"Oy . . . Callista," James laughed. "She must be fun to live with."

"James, she's friends with her. Callista is a very nice young lady, even if she does have a bit of a temper."

"A bit of one, Dad? She put me in the hospital for three days when I was fourteen because I called her a wimp during Judo Class!"

Diana laughed along with Jeremiah.

"It was just hilarious!" James grumbled.

"Callista's a sweet and intelligent girl, too. She has a bit of a merciless streak, and she's a mean business woman, but she has a heart of gold underneath all that."

"Fool's gold," James grumbled, earning a thump in the back of the head with Jeremiah's cane, while Diana hid her laugh behind her hand.

"So Diana," Jeremiah said. "Where'd you come from?"

Diana thought quickly. "Crete."

"Your accent is Greek," Jeremiah said. He spoke rapidly in Modern Greek.

Luckily, Queen Hippolyta had brought back a great deal of texts on different languages to the Amazons. Their natural learning abilities allowed them to become versed in several languages, Modern Greek being one of them. Diana replied smoothly.

<"I hate it when you do that, Dad!"> James said in French. <"You know I can't speak Greek!">

<"That's what parents are for!"> Diana responded in the same language.

James groaned and laid his head down.

"So James, do you work here?"

"Yeah. I help manage the bookstore, but I also write books."

"Like what?" Diana said, interested.

James shrugged. "Just different fantasy ones. I write the 'Tales of Greek Mythology' series. Each book tells a different myth, but it's a full blown story."

"Amazing, I love Greek Mythology!" Diana exclaimed. How could I not? I am a part of Greek Myth!

"Do you? I'll give you some copies of the different books," James said. "Any particular ones?"

"Oh . . . maybe one about the Amazons . . . " Diana said.

"I've written chapters on them, like when they were defeated by Heracles and Theseus . . . "

Diana frowned. "Through trickery and deceit!"

"I'm sorry?"

"Oh nothing," Diana replied. "Have you written anything about the goddesses?"

"Well, they've appeared in all of them, but nothing really staring them, except a collection of tales on Aphrodite and Athena."

"Sounds interesting!"

The trio chatted on for a while.

"Aaah!"

The sun was bright and beating down on her. She was hot and parched, her dry mouth aching for water.

She lay in the dust, which billowed about her, stirred by her movement, causing her to cough.

Callista looked around, her vision bleary from pain. She could see distant purple mountains, and large cacti. A horny toad scuttled across the dry ground. She quickly found a sort of thermos. She screwed the top off and gulped the water inside greedily. It was cold, so her attacker must have recently left it there for her.

Callista tried to stand up, but something caught her foot. She twisted around to see a heavy chain, about ten feet long, clamped onto her leg, with a huge boulder rolled over the other end, so no matter how hard she tugged, it wouldn't come loose. Callista collapsed in despair.

"Help!" she cried. Her voice was weak and shaky. "Somebody! Can anyone hear me?"

Not one word came in reply.

She crawled slowly to the other side of the boulder, into the shade, for some small relief from the sun.

James walked Diana up the driveway.

"You really don't need to walk me up to the house," Diana said.

"It's no big deal," James replied.

Diana began to feel offended, because it seemed James was implying she couldn't handle herself, but decided that it must be part of the etiquette of Man's World.

"Do you need a drink? I'm sure Callista wouldn't mind!" Diana offered.

"No thanks, I'm fine," James replied.

"I insist, come on in."

"If you're sure Callista won't be angry . . . " he said, remembering the beating Callista had given him years ago.

Diana tugged James in. The novelist whistled at the sheer size of the foyer. He looked up at the immense crystal chandelier.

"Um . . . Diana? Is there supposed to be a woman with long red hair and big sword hanging from the chandelier?"

"What do you . . . Suffering Sappho!"

Artemis dropped with the grace of a cat from the chandelier, brandishing her broadsword threateningly. Diana threw James behind her.

"It seems the princess has a prince with her!" Artemis laughed.

"What do you mean? I'm no princess! Who are you?" Diana demanded, faking her identity.

"Hmmm . . . You don't look like Diana . . . but then again, there is a scent of ancient magic about you . . . "

Artemis struck Diana in the face with an open hand strike. The mask of Proteus was dislodged and sent sailing into a wall. There was a brilliant crackle of energy, and Wonder Woman appeared.

"I knew it!"

"Holy . . . " James gasped in astonishment.

Diana reacted with anger, slamming her fist into Artemis's face. The Amazon of Ares was lifted clear off the ground and into a wall. Artemis rolled to the side as the enraged Amazon Princess's boot smashed the floor where Artemis's head had been.

"It wouldn't be wise to kill me, princess!" Artemis cried. "For only I know where that pathetic mortal friend of yours is!"

"Callista!" Diana cried. "Artemis! Tell me where she is!"

"Do I really want to?" Artemis said with a sly grin. She suddenly found Diana's lasso around her.

"Tell me where she is!" Diana snarled into the violent Amazon's face.

"She's in the Sonoran Desert, which I'm sure that man can tell you where it is. Of course, I have a black magic spell around the area, so you won't be able to sense my trail! And if you kill me now, well, the mortal is tied up in front of a mystical cage encasing my hounds. Its magic should wear off in about oh . . . three hours and ten minutes. You had better meet me in three hours, Diana! We'll engage in personal combat, for the life of your mortal friend."

Diana clenched her fists in anger, glaring at Artemis. She jerked her lasso, sending her foe tumbling to the ground.

"With Athena as my witness, I swear I shall defeat you!" Diana cried.

Artemis scoffed. "Your oaths mean nothing to me! Remember princess! Three hours!"

With that, Artemis flew out the open skylight.

"You're Wonder Woman?" James cried.

Diana could only nod. "Now, where is the Sonoran Desert?"

"I can't believe YOU are Wonder Woman!" James mumbled, as if the shock was over-whelming him.

"Great Aphrodite, James! I am Wonder Woman! I'm Princess Diana of Themyscira, also known as Paradise Isle! I'm the daughter of Queen Hippolyta! And that violent redheaded offal-spawn is going to KILL Callista if you don't snap out of your cursed stupor and tell me where on Gaea the blasted Sonoran Desert is!" Diana screamed in James's face.

James shook his head. "It's in the Western U.S.! I can lead you there!"

"Good," Diana said. "We should arrive on time then. I pray Callista will be all right!"

"Huh? If you're sure we can get there in time to save Callista, why are you so worried?"

"The Amazons of Ares, the tribe of Amazons Artemis is from, are notorious liars. I fear Artemis is going to kill Callista if she begins to lose!"

There was a soft breeze and Callista looked up to see her captor.

Artemis laughed. "Your puny strength can't break that chain, mortal!"

"Go to hell!" Callista snapped.

Artemis slapped her prisoner.

"I could shatter your skull with a tap of my finger, mortal. I suggest you stop misbehaving!"

Callista stood up and punched Artemis with all her strength. Artemis rubbed her chin slightly.

"That almost tickled!"

Artemis gave Callista a backhand that knocked her into a deep, black oblivion. She fell to the ground, a small trickle of blood seeping from her mouth.

"Come princess! Come and try to save this worthless mortal! I thirst for combat!" Artemis let loose an evil laugh that echoed over the desert.