The Transparent Craft shot through the air at blinding speed, cutting the clouds and creating powerful winds.

"I really, really wish this thing was opaque!" James Grande moaned from his seat beside Wonder Woman. Seeing the ground rush by you at 'speeds matching those Hermes' was extremely nauseating for him.

Diana ignored him.

"All right, James. Here's the plan. When we locate Callista, I'll deal with Artemis. I'll telepathically steer the plane away. It will land, and you must sneak back to free Callista! Artemis has most likely bound Callista with chains of Amazonium alloy . . . Amazonium is the hardest metal on earth, only found on Themyscira, but it is still rare. As the princess, I have access to all the Amazonium, so I can make my weapons from them. This sword is made from pure Amazonium. Use it to cut Callista free."

Diana handed James a silver colored sword, which was surprisingly light, since it was supposed to be crafted from the strongest metal on earth.

"Okay . . . How are we going to find Callista?"

"Though Artemis's magic is blocking my natural Amazon ability to sense magic, I can use my own magical power to locate them. Through mystical training, I was able to develop some telepathic abilities. With the aid of an Amazonian device, I can boost my powers to find Callista easily!"

Artemis paced back and forth in front of her, shaking her long red mane impatiently. Callista was reminded of a lioness she had seen at the zoo when she was nine; totally confident and utterly sure of herself.

"Diana's gonna kick your butt, you know," Callista taunted. She knew it was dangerous, as she was defenseless against Artemis's fury, but Callista knew that if the raging Amazon hurt her, Diana would make her pay even more.

"How little you know, mortal!" Artemis growled. "A peace loving Themysciran fool can't defeat a warrior of my caliber!"

"Awfully proud, aren't we?"

"Be silent!" Artemis hissed, turning on the mortal woman, her green eyes flashing dangerously.

Callista stared defiantly back. One of the first rules of business was never to let someone know they're intimidating you. That rule apparently applied to being kidnaped.

Resisting the urge to throttle Callista, Artemis resumed staring at the darkening sky. Callista felt a small spark of pride, knowing she had won a small psychological battle.

"This is my Mental Radio," she said. "We Amazons used to use only magic, but an alliance with a different kingdom earned us their advanced technology. This is but one of our inventions."

"Wow."

Concentrating hard, Diana reached out to Callista. The screen flickered briefly, and the image of Callista, chained to the rock appeared.

"Holy God! Look at her face!" James cried out.

Large bruises and a black eye marred Callista's normally gorgeous face. Through the one eye that wasn't swollen shut, James could see a waning spark of the woman's fiery determination.

"Great Hera! Artemis is going to pay," Wonder Woman vowed.

The Amazon concentrated hard, and the Transparent Craft became invisible to the outside eye. Wonder Woman willed the plane in the direction she felt Callista in.

Callista clumsily clambered behind the boulder and peeked out at the confident Amazon's back.

C'mon, Diana! Where are you?

"It seems your Themysciran friend couldn't make it in time!" Artemis taunted. She twisted her sword, letting the dimming sunlight flicker across its deadly edge.

Callista backed away.

"Artemis! Hold!" Wonder Woman appeared from nowhere in all her glory, the dying sun catching the metal of her breastplate just right as she hovered on the air currents, bobbing gently up and down.

"Diana! Thank God!" Callista cried.

"It seems you aren't as cowardly as I originally thought!" Artemis laughed. "No matter!"

"Come, Artemis, let's begin!" Wonder Woman challenged.

"Humph! So eager to die! And so foolish for attacking me unarmed!"

Artemis flew into the air towards the Amazon Princess, who twisted, letting her opponent's blade pass through the air near her harmlessly. Wonder Woman lashed out, catching Artemis on the cheek with her fist and knocking her from the air.

Diana dove like a falcon, trying to knock Artemis away from Callista. Her fiery opponent dodged and kicked out, nailing Diana in the stomach and sending her flying backward. Artemis pounced on her opponent, and Diana caught the sword blow on her bracelets with a loud clang. Diana rolled back, using her legs to flip Artemis high into the air.

Winged sandals fluttering furiously Artemis managed to right herself and dove again. Wonder Woman leapt up, letting the blade slash the ground. She tossed her lasso at Artemis, only to have Artemis narrowly avoid it and kick it out of Diana's hands.

With lightning speed, Artemis backhanded Diana, sending her shooting like a comet into the mountains.

Diana looked around, and a heavy weight slammed into the back of her head, sending her headfirst into a mountain. She barely rolled away in time to avoid Artemis's sword.

Artemis attacked again, but Diana blocked each strike with her bracelets, the clangs echoing over Arizona.

"Um . . . Calli-oomph!"

Callista sprang up and caught him in the stomach with a powerful right hook. He collapsed, holding his stomach in pain. She nailed him in the face with a dropkick, sending him onto his back.

James struggled up as Callista attacked with a ferocious left hook. He rolled with it, and used her momentum flip the rich publisher over his head and onto the ground. She cried out in pain as the landing jarred her wounds, her eyes tearing as she struggled to stand, but barely made it to her knees.

"Oh God . . . Are you all right? I'm so sorry!"

"Go to hell! I know you're with that redhead! If you're going to kill me, go ahead!" Callista cried, her melodious voice strained with pain and broken by sporadic winces.

"No, no Callista, I'm here to help you? Remember me? James Grande? The kid whose collarbone you broke with a tornado kick?"

"Huh?" Callista looked up, biting back the pain. "J-James? What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help. It's a long story, which Diana and I will explain later, just hold still!"

James raised Diana's sword high into he air. Callista shut her eyes tight as the blade came down, slicing the chain away inches from her leg.

"Mary Mother of God! You think you could've cut that a little closer?" Callista cried.

"You haven't changed much. Dang, that psycho must've treated you pretty badly. Your kicks and punches used to hurt a hell of a lot more!" James commented, rubbing his chin. "And that was when you were eight!"

"That stupid barbarian . . . I got about two small glasses of water and no food . . . And she hit me at least ten times, not counting when she knocked me out back at the gym! I hope Diana takes that ugly hair of hers and crams it up her butt!" Callista looked up, shaking with anger, and screamed.

"Jesus! Not in my ear! What's wrong . . . " James trailed off as he felt a hot breath on his neck. He turned slowly. "Aaah!"

The Hellhound lunged and, as more of a reflex action rather than a practiced strike, James drew the sword across its wet nose. The beast snarled in rage, sending James sprawling with a head butt. As its teeth descended toward the cowering novelist, it opened its mouth wide, and howled in pain. James saw a long shaft sticking out of its eye, and turned to see Callista holding a bow.

"Where'd that come from?"

"That stupid witch left it here!" Callista said. "Look out!"

James yelped as he narrowly avoided the hound's snapping jaws. It charged towards Callista, who also dodged, but stumbled, and the Hellhound swung its head. Callista was struck and fell to the ground, landing on her arm with a snap.

"Aaaaahhh!" Callista collapsed, clutching her broken wrist to her stomach. The hound knelt to finish her off, but collapsed.

"That arrow must have been dipped in poison!" James cried as he knelt to examine Callista's hand.

Callista gazed at the fallen Hellhound, and sniffed in sympathy.

"I feel so sorry for it!"

"Hey! It tried to eat us!"

"I said I felt sorry for it, not for killing it!"

There was a loud crack and a small shape was seen sailing towards them . . .

She hit the ground fifteen feet away from Callista, James, and the dead Hellhound.

"Oh my God! Diana!" Callista screamed.

Wonder Woman groaned, pushing herself to her feet. Artemis flew behind her, slashing out with her sword. Diana threw herself back, but the blade sliced through the bright metal of her costume and into her skin.

"Aaaaahhhh!" Diana screamed in pain as she was kicked into a mountain.

She left a trail of blood along the dry slope as slid slowly down.

"Diana! Diana!" Callista's screams were growing distant to the Amazon Princess. There was an explosion of howls and growls, and James yelled out. Callista screamed as the remaining two hounds converged on them.

Diana moaned, pushing herself up. She felt so weak . . . It would be so easy just to give in! Callista and James's cries of terror grew even further as the darkness permeated the Amazon Princess's senses. Artemis's triumphant laughter echoed over the landscape.

<"Gaea give me strength . . . I-I won't give in! I am an Amazon . . . and I swear . . . by all good spawned from the swirling winds of Chaos . . . you won't win! YOU WON'T WIN!">*

(*-Translated from Ancient Greek-Kevin)

Diana's bracelets snapped up in time to deflect the killing slash of Artemis's sword, already speckled with the Amazon Princess's blood. Artemis slashed again, but Diana, in a flash, pulled off her tiara, parrying the blow. With a flick of her wrist, she shattered Artemis's sword into three pieces. Diana kicked Artemis onto her back and raised her tiara; its deadly point aimed at her exposed throat. Artemis's eyes were wide with fright.

"My . . . tiara is pure Amazonium as I . . . am pure Amazon! Despite being one by birth, you forsake your heritage the moment you start down the path of hatred and violence! An Amazon is a warrior, through and through, but a true warrior . . . knows not only strength and skill, but compassion and . . . mercy!"

Diana twisted the tiara, bringing its blunt part down upon Artemis's head, sending her into unconsciousness. The princess managed to send out a single telepathic command, before sliding into a comfortable blackness.

Up on the mountain, the Transparent Craft dropped the veil of its invisibility and floated downward.

The side of the jet warped, as two hands appeared, gently scooping up Wonder Woman, Artemis, James, and Callista.

The remaining Hellhounds milled about, before vanishing to the Underworld.

James held Diana in his arms, his shirt tied as a makeshift tourniquet around her wound to stay the blood. The princess was still unconscious, but her breathing was strong and steady.

Callista lay across from them getting some much-deserved sleep.

Finally, Artemis, still blacked out, was against the back of the plane, bound in Diana's lasso.

James saw the plane begin to descend towards the roof of a large building, which he recognized as a hospital near where he lived.

The plane landed softly and several hospital workers stepped out.

"What the heck-"

"Who's this?"

"Is that Wonder Woman?"

The plane formed a ramp, and James cried out.

"A little help, here?"

"Hello, James."

"Diana! Thank God you're all right!"

"I hear you tied a tourniquet to stay the blood of my wound. Thank you for that!"

"I . . . uh . . . it was . . . something," James finished softly, as Diana planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

The princess turned toward a doctor. "How is Callista?"

"She's fine. We've set her wrist in a cast, and she's sleeping now. She shall awake in a small while."

"Thank Hera!" Diana said.

"I must say, Miss Diana, you're physical abilities are . . . amazing!" the doctor commented. "Your wound, having been inflicted as long ago as Mr. Grande claims, should not have healed so quickly!"

"We Amazons heal much faster than normal mortals."

"What about Artemis?" James asked.

Diana frowned. "Artemis has had her bracelets bound by a male doctor . . . if an Amazon's bracelets are bound together by a man, she loses her powers, an old curse inflicted upon us by Aphrodite, at Zeus's bidding, after other gods complained we were too powerful . . . and the Transparent Craft is carrying her back to Paradise Island as we speak. She shall be rehabilitated in the temple of Aphrodite."

"Rehabilitated?" James cried. "She tried to kill you!"

Diana shook her head. "Though an Amazon doesn't hesitate to kill if absolutely necessary, we have found rehabilitation to be the best way of dealing with criminals."

"Are you sure about that . . . ?"

"Yes. No matter how evil a villain or villainess is, within them always lies the potential to be fair and just."

Diana watched out the large window as her Transparent Craft shot out of sight.