The souls, streaks of searing white light, wailed about the Stygian darkness like tiny comets. On a ledge of rock thrusting into the Well of Souls, two divine apparitions stood, staring at the souls.

"These are the souls of women, who were slain in the past by Man's brutality!" the first spoke. She was the taller and clad in flowing robes blue as a light summer sky. She had brown curls that flowed from under her shiny golden helmet. Her soft, gray eyes had an all-knowing gaze, an ancient wisdom that belied her youthful appearance.

"Aye, Athena," the second replied. Despite the other being's incredible beauty, this one was far more attractive. Her golden curls bounced about her captivating and flawless face. A robe of soft pink material floated about her lithe frame. Her alluring voice could captivate the strongest of wills. "You know what we must do?"

"Aye."

The two women held their slim arms out to the wailing souls. The streaks of light swirled about in a rising crescendo of speed as they began to gather in the center of the well. With a brilliant explosion of light, they vanished.

"Come, Aphrodite."

The two goddesses were bathed in a warm golden glow. When it subsided, they were gone.

Aphrodite looked at the woman in the front of the mass. Her raven hair was long and wavy, her skin soft and white.

"She shall be Hippolyta," she whispered to Athena. "Her might and courage shall make her the queen of this race."

Athena nodded, glancing over the women again. She spotted another, a tall woman with long blonde hair, surveying her sisters.

"She shall be Antiope, and she shall be the general of their army because of her loyalty."

Aphrodite pointed to another woman, who was gently stroking a dove perched upon her finger.

"She shall be Menalippe, and her affinity for nature shall make her the oracle of this race."

The mysterious Magala became keeper of the mystic arts. The wise Mnemosyne became manager of knowledge. And so it went. The two goddesses granted each woman a name and rank. To the whole race, the bequeathed the duty of championing the Greek Gods and bringing peace to the world... to the entire group they granted the name... Amazons!

The gods rewarded the Amazons for their faith and courage. When valorous Hippolyta slew a demon that aimed to kill an oracle of Gaea, the earth goddess rewarded her with the Magic Lasso, a long shimmering rope, which could not be broken, even by a god!

Hephaestus rewarded the Amazons when they rescued his smithy of Cyclops from a raging Apollo by teaching them forging techniques. They used these to create mighty weapons. Throwing weapons that could slice stone and unbreakable bracelets that could withstand the strongest of blows.

Queen Hippolyta walked through the black night, creeping silently into her towering palace.

"Your majesty."

Hippolyta was not startled as she turned. "Good evening, Menalippe!"

"I trust your evening with Lord Agamemnon was most enjoyable?"

"Yes, he is truly amazing... for a mortal man."

Menalippe laughed. "Yes. You know, I have had dreams that Lord Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra will make amends and remarry."

"Of course they will. That's how men are like! If he wants to choose that hound over the Queen of the Amazons, it is his loss!"

Menalippe smiled. "There are also prophecies, O Queen, that you will be having a child by Agamemnon!"

"Gaea! Are you sure?"

"The prophecies never lie."

Hippolyta rushed joyously into the palace and Menalippe smiled at the back of her retreating queen.

Hippolyta knelt at the shore in the wet sand of an Aegean beach, the warm waters sweeping up past her knees, pulling her flowing lavender garments back and forth. The setting sun cast its brilliant array of colors across the queen's beautiful body. Her supple arms held a bundle of blankets. Two small, chubby arms reached out, tugging gently at Hippolyta's raven curls.

Hippolyta held the giggling baby up to the sky. "Gods and Goddesses of Olympus! I thank you with all my heart for this most great gift! Not power nor wealth nor the entire of creation could please me so! I name her Diana, and I implore you, immortal and splendid gods, to bless her!"

With a soft glow of light, a beautiful figure appeared, floating on the soft wind.

"Lady Aphrodite!" Hippolyta cried.

"Hola, fair daughter!" Aphrodite greeted, holding a glittering hand in the air. "May I see the Princess Diana?"

"Yes, O Goddess," Hippolyta replied, holding the baby up to the love goddess, who took Diana gently in both hands.

"She is certainly a beautiful child," Aphrodite replied. "Her beauty nearly reaches mine! She shall grow up to be an amazing child! I bless her to be the mightiest and wisest of the Amazons! She shall surpass even you, Noble Hippolyta."

Hippolyta gasped out. "O Amorous Goddess! I thank you for this!"

Hippolyta was the mightiest Amazon, and the knowledge that her daughter would surpass even her brought great joy to her warrior's heart!

Princess Diana stalked angrily into the palace. Menalippe rushed toward her.

"Princess, what vexes you?"

"That pig of a man, Alexander!" Diana growled. "He told me I was hideous as a harpy, and I was undeserving of him! He said he wished to move on to other women, not a violent Amazon! The nerve of him!"

"You speak of him as if he is gone, Princess."

"He is! He moved on to insult the Amazons and I struck him. He attacked me with his blade, and in self-defense I killed him! I would have only knocked him into unconsciousness normally, but my rage took over me!"

Menalippe frowned. She opened her mouth to say something, but froze, her eyes wide and blank.

"Menalippe? Are you well? Shall I summon the healers?" Diana asked, concerned.

A brilliant flame flared up around Menalippe, and she screamed, collapsing, as the flame extinguished itself, no damage to her viridian robes.

"Gaea!" Diana knelt to easily scoop up the oracle. Menalippe's eyes were burning a shocking blue. She spoke in a misty voice.

"Towards where Helios completes his path
Stirs a mighty empire and a fearful wrath
Swords clash and arrows fly
And our world begins to die
Mighty states come up in arms
The enemies attack in swarms
Greece's children began to pass
Olympians weep and mourn in mass
Yet still hope glides on rosy wings
Sail away from Selene as her chariot rings
Children of our myth gather here
Upon this island; Gaea's tear
A mighty hawk shall lead the way
Follow him, if you wish to stay!"

Menalippe groaned as the fire left her eyes and she fell limp in Diana's arms.

"Great Hera..." she murmured. Carrying Menalippe as if she were a doll, the valiant princess sprinted away to warn the rest of the Amazons.

Hippolyta gently held the tiller, her ship leading the others towards the horizon. Diana and Menalippe led the two ships behind her.

"By Gaea," she moaned. "Where are we to find a hawk to lead us? Not but Poseidon's children swim so far from our shores."

"Perhaps, O Queen, I can provide an answer!"

Hippolyta turned swiftly. Before her stood a dark skinned amazon, clad in baggy, unflattering robes.

"Magala the Mystic!"

"Aye, Noble Queen. A dream graced my mind only yestereve. Wise Athena spoke clearly, of ancient spells and magic."

Not explaining further to Hippolyta, the mystic raised her arms, mouth open in a wordless song.

The wind began to whistle, playing Hippolyta's raven locks about her head. Mists drifted along the wind from Magala's outstretched fingers, twisting into a sharp curved beak, long slashing talons, and wide feathery wings.

"Now, we let Aphrodite guide it!"

The wind picked up, driving the avian fog across the azure sky.

"We have naught to lose," Hippolyta thought before following the hawk.

The Amazons faithfully followed the hawk for days, until a large island loomed on the horizon.

"Hola! Land! Our journey o'er Poseidon's home is complete, sisters!" Hippolyta cried.

The Amazons raised their voices and hearts in cheer as they leapt from the ships, paddling towards land.

In an explosion of light, Aphrodite appeared, sparrows and doves floating about her frame.

"Lady Aphrodite!"

"Hola, daughters! You have journeyed long and far, and have proven yourself to the Gods of Olympus! Here you will live, creatures of myth alongside you, in eternal happiness! Bountiful fields and forests and springs sit upon this isle. Below the surface lie hordes of gold and marble. Just beyond these shores fierce winds and raging waters will stay the approach of invaders! It is a paradise... Now build, my daughters, build your glorious city!"

Hippolyta stared out from her palace window to the spot where they had first landed upon Themyscira.

Hippolyta's gaze drifted out to the horizon, where the sunset played its golden rays across her face. It was... beautiful, as all sunsets were on Themyscira. Perhaps one of the goddesses' greatest gifts was that nothing grew old to the Amazons. When they glided upon wind currents, engaged in a spirited dance, or fought in honorable combat... they never tired of it. Each experience gave the thrill that it did the first few times they experienced it.

"It is beautiful."

Hippolyta spun to see a figure clad in emerald robes. Menalippe smiled at the queen.

"Hola, my queen!"

"Hola, Menalippe. What brings you to my chambers?"

"I have been experiencing strange sensations as of late, O Queen," the oracle replied.

Hippolyta was puzzled. "Are you ill, dear Menalippe?"

"N-no, O Queen, these feelings are similar to those that I experienced before I-I predicted the fall of Greece!" Menalippe gasped, her eyes blanking again.

"Great Hera!"

Hippolyta caught Menalippe before she collapsed on the marble floor, carrying her to the bed.

"Whatever you are about to foretell, dear sister, I beg Aphrodite that it is not dire!" Hippolyta prayed, memories of Menalippe's last prediction akin to this flooding the Amazon Queen's mind.

Menalippe's eyes flared blue as she spoke in a misty voice.

"Fires rage and violence leads
Man commits treason and brutal deeds
The love of the goddesses is torn asunder
Mankind shall torture, destroy, and plunder
Yet the maiden of wonder
Shall correct Mankind's blunder
She shall bring peace
And war shall cease!"

Menalippe's eyes ceased their glowing as she laid her head back on the pillow, the tension flowing from her body.

"By Gaea..." Hippolyta murmured. "I suppose the prophecy must speak of me!"

The Amazon Queen had decades ago clad herself in patriotic armor and gone to fight for America at Aphrodite's bidding. It had been entertaining and exciting, she would admit, but she didn't wish to return to the wars and senseless violence that were the everyday occurrence in Man's World!

A groan issued from the bed. Menalippe was awakening.

"Menalippe, are you well?" Hippolyta asked.

"Yes, O Queen, I am fine. You know of whom the prophecy speaks."

"Yes, but I do not wish to return to Patriarch's World!" the Queen cried out.

Menalippe pondered this. "Perhaps, O Queen, I have come upon a solution."

"Yes?"

"What if you were to propose a contest for the right to become Wonder Woman?"

"By Athena! Menalippe, you are a godsend! Of course! I simply compete, and easily allow myself to be beat, perhaps at wrestling or archery..."

"O Queen, it is not wise to so fragrantly defy a prophecy!" Menalippe warned.

"Well, I shall gracefully disobey it, then!" Hippolyta replied. "If you wish to do this, O Queen, I shall not stop you, but I cannot say I concur!"

Queen Hippolyta opened her mouth to respond, but stopped, her gaze turning to a giant pillar.

"Diana! Appear!"

An irritated sigh came from behind the column as a tall woman stepped from behind. She was even taller than Hippolyta, and greatly resembled the Amazon Queen.

"Diana! Were you eavesdropping?" Hippolyta demanded.

"Aye, mother! Yet, I do not see what warrants your anger!" the princess replied.

"You certainly are not thinking of joining the contest?"

"I shall, mother. I see not why I should prevented from doing thus!" Diana calmly stated.

"You shall not participate, Diana! You do not know what it is like in Man's World!"

"I do not know and I shall not I am prevented from participating!" Diana cried.

Hippolyta glared at her daughter. "That is of no consequence!"

Diana clenched her fists. "With Hera as my witness, I shall compete!"

The princess turned, stomping out of the queen's quarters.

Hippolyta glowered at her daughter's retreating back.

"O Queen, the Princess Diana has duly followed your commands for centuries! Do not be distressed; this is but a long overdo rebellion!" Menalippe assured. "It seems, though, that the Capricious Fates have played a hand in this! Our sisters have little hope of besting Princess Diana, but you have a small chance of doing such!"

"By Gaea, you speak true. It seems I have no choice! I must compete to the best of my ability, or lose Diana to Man's callous hands!"

Menalippe nodded. "I shall notify the Amazons of the impending contest, O Queen."

"Yes, Menalippe. I will go to rest."

Menalippe walked out of the queen's chambers, closing the large doors tightly before sending a prayer to the goddesses that Hippolyta will find peace in Morpheus's arms.

Inside, Hippolyta slid between her sheets and fell swiftly to sleep.

Hippolyta pulled her thick black hair into a ponytail, then proceeded to perform some basic stretching exercises. She and Diana had been placed in different divisions, much to her chagrin. It seems she would have to wait for the chance to save her daughter.

Hippolyta bent her knees, the sprang up in a tremendous leap that carried her high into the air and the fifteen feet into the sandpit, where she was to wrestle her opponent.

"Greetings, queen."

The words were dripping with loathing and sarcasm.

Hippolyta gasped. A savage looking woman with several scars on her body stood before her, her scraggly hair tied roughly behind her head.

"Great Hera! An Amazon of Ares? Seems I forgot to tell Menalippe to exclude you!"

Long ago, a group of Amazons split off from those of Themyscira, choosing to walk the path of violence. They worshiped Ares and his children instead of the other Olympians, dedicating their lives to war.

"Ha! Pray to your gods! Your words are but rubbish, pompous witch! You shall fall before the savagery of a true Amazon; I, Atropos!"

Hippolyta readied her fists. "Though your mother named you after the most terrible of the Fates, you shall find humility in the form of the Amazon Queen!"

The two Amazons charged. Hippolyta grabbed Atropos's shoulders and flipped up, trying to use her momentum to toss the vicious fighter.

Atropos was too agile, and twisted out of Hippolyta's grip in midair, flinging the queen to the ground with her own flip.

Locking her legs around Atropos's, Hippolyta performed a handstand, and then fell forward, slamming Atropos into the sand. Quick as a fox, Hippolyta pinned Atropos to the ground, until Penthesilea, the tall golden haired Amazon who was watching the match, intervened, declaring the Amazon Queen victorious.

"Now violent one, who is the true Amazon?" Hippolyta taunted. Atropos snarled, then turned and stalked off.

The rest of the Amazons charged forward on their stallions with mighty battle cries and the small circle drawn on the ground became a writhing arena of battle. Amazons struck with precise and powerful attacks, their poles sending each other to the ground, whereupon that Amazon would concede graciously and leap out of the ring.

A hard pole struck Diana's back, nearly toppling her and splintering upon impact.

"Amorous Apollo!" the Amazon cried, looking at the shattered remains of her weapon in disbelief.

"Valiant attempt, sweet Eurionome," Diana responded as she sent the beautiful Amazon before her to the ground with a single sweep of her staff. Eurionome rolled away to avoid the thunderous hooves of her steed as she exited the arena.

Despite gallant tries, each Amazon fell to Diana's superior skills, and the princess was soon declared the victor.

The queen and princess proved themselves victorious through each, until the final event came.

"Bullets and Bracelets!" the Amazons cheered.

Hippolyta and Diana faced each other, fifteen feet apart. A gun was clutched in each hand.

Penthesilea cleared her throat. "Each of you may fire the gun five times, and the other must catch each bullet upon their bracelets, or be wounded! Princess Diana, you shoot first!"

Diana moved like liquid lightning, firing the bullets towards her mother. The queen's bracelets were flashes of silver as each bullet bounced harmlessly to the ground. Diana set her pistol down and readied herself. Hippolyta held the gun towards her daughter, her grip tightening on the trigger, before...

"No! I cannot!" The Amazon Queen tossed her weapon to the ground. "I cannot bear to harm you in such a way, daughter!"

"But mother! We've sparred before, and I can be healed with utmost ease by the healers!" Diana cried.

"Yes, but still; the pain of a bullet wound is incredible, and has happened to me before when my bracelets had been stolen, and I was shot at! I could not bear to harm you! I-I concede!"

"Queen Hippolyta has surrendered! Princess Diana is the victor!" Penthesilea proclaimed.

Hippolyta held back her dismay, letting a small ounce of pride seep into her awareness.

"We congratulate you for your victory, Princess Diana!" Penthesilea stated. "In one hour, adjourn to the Temple of Aphrodite to accept your armor! You have the remaining time to ready yourself!"

Princess Diana, garbed in flowing white robes, her hair combed into loose curls, walked gracefully through the temple's shiny halls, Antiope, the Amazonian General, walked beside her. She soon came to the end. At the feet of an immense statue of Aphrodite lay armor of red and gold, as well as a star spangled loincloth and red sandals. A tiara lay above, the sharp edges gleaming in the light seeping in from the window.

The Magic Lasso lay next to the armor, glowing softly.

"Hola, Princess," Menalippe walked up to Diana, carefully holding a violet pillow. Positioned on the pillow was a golden mask, decorated on each side, as well as a small circular object that looked like it was made from crystal. "These are new artifacts to assist you in your mission!"

Diana looked with interest as the oracle held up the golden mask.

"This is the Mask of Proteus! Place it upon your vestige and it shall transform your voice, features, and body into those of another woman! Your garb shall also vanish. And this," the oracle explained, "is the Transparent Craft."

Diana touched the small artifact, and she felt closeness to it. "It responds to your thoughts, Princess, and can form itself to whatever you please. You can control it with your thoughts as well, but it cannot change as long as you are not in contact with it."

Antiope spoke. "With this garb, these weapons, and your Amazon Power you shall tear the violence of Man asunder!"

"Aye, Noble Antiope. That I shall," Diana replied, for the first time becoming somewhat apprehensive of her mission.

"Then come, Diana, you shall leave with the night!"

Diana, dressed in her armor, the lasso upon her girdle and the mask and craft tucked in near it, stood on the outcropping, her hand raised to the heavens as the rising sun cast an ethereal look about her.

"Sisters! I bid you all farewell, and by my Amazonian Heritage, I swear I shall bring peace to Man's World!"

Hippolyta gazed at her daughter.

"I pray to all of Olympus and the Fates themselves, bathe my daughter in your glory! She now holds the title I once held. She must embrace her role as... Wonder Woman!"

Princess Diana clutched the transparent controls of her craft carefully in her hands, guiding the machine through the thin, cold air of the upper atmosphere.

<"Gaea! This machine moves swiftly..."> the Princess thought out loud, speaking in Ancient Greek.

The Amazon Princess was bubbling with emotions. Most prominent among them were excitement and apprehensiveness. Seeing new lands was always thrilling, but she did not know how the people would accept her.

<"Mother had... less than appealing stories of Man's World, like how war seemed to be a common past time, yet there were some tales, of mighty men and women who battled for justice alongside Mother. Tales of a man who could out race even her, and a man who could make his thoughts come alive as emerald structures! And even a tale of a woman, far weaker than any of we Amazons, who still fought, with incredible warrior's skills!"> Wonder Woman mused. "I suppose, if I am to talk to myself, I should speak in English!"

Long ago, a woman in a flying machine had crashed upon the shores of Themyscira. The woman was a spy, named Angela Redgrave, who fought for America. She taught the Amazons some languages from the outside world, including English.

Suddenly, Diana felt a slight tugging at the back of her consciousness. She turned, to see a black, triangular object with a jagged edge hurtling towards her. Bright red energy lanced from the nose of the object.

"Suffering Sappho!" Diana tried to avoid, but the fusillade of energy blasts struck the plane, sending it careening through the air. Twisting the controls, Wonder Woman managed to right the craft and concentrated in an attempt to fight back, but more energy blasts struck the craft. The princess felt the controls liquefy beneath her hands. The whole plane began to lose shape. According to Menalippe, the craft transported inanimate objects within it to a sort of 'pocket dimension' when it shrunk too small to hold them. It simply spit out the living ones, as Diana soon found out.

The Princess positioned her body to glide the wind around her, but energy lanced from the object again, forcing her to lose her balance on the winds and deflect the blasts.

By now, Wonder Woman was falling too quickly to catch herself on currents of air. She could hold her breath for a great deal of time, but this talent was useless, as a fall from thirty thousand feet could knock the breath out of even the Amazon Princess.

Callista Lyta Domaine rolled over in her king-sized bed, savoring the final minutes before she would awaken to begin anew her daily routine. 'Monotonous' was one of the many words she spat out to describe her rituals and her work as the incredibly rich president of 'Domaine Publishing', one of the largest publishing companies in the world, printing everything from beauty magazines to comic books.

Callista was definitely kissed by Lady Luck. After moving from Greece when she was five because her father had died, her mother tried to set up business in Atlanta. The failing organization kicked off after a few years, and some assistance from her grandfather, rocketing the Domaine's into the 'ungodly rich' social class. Callista had straight A's throughout school, a ninth degree black belt in Judo, trophy after trophy in gymnastics, and the looks of a beauty queen. Despite all this, her dating record left much to be desired, a result of her high expectations and devotion to her pets, a myriad of cats of all sizes and breeds.

In her dream, a beautiful woman was visiting Callista. Dressed in robes of all shades of green, the woman had begun to chant.

"You will welcome her! You will welcome her!"

Just then, her alarm clicked on track eight of her favorite CD.

The music pulling her from her dream, Callista sat up and stretched, her back popping several times.

Twisting her neck to elicit a series of cracks, Callista rolled out of bed and continued on with her daily rituals, monotonous to only a handful of multimillionaires across the globe.

Wonder Woman drifted through the inky water haphazardly, her mind fighting to surface from the sea of tar that was unconsciousness.

'Gaea! That machine... It was far more powerful than any of the machines Mother mentioned! I feel so weak... By Gaea! I am an Amazon! No mere machine of Man can down me! I refuse to be defeated so early! Hera give me strength...' Diana thought.

The Amazon Princess's bright blue eyes fluttered open and a stream of bubbles rushed from her crimson lips as she struggled to get her still-numb limbs to heed her commands.

With series of mighty kicks, Diana drove herself upward fifteen feet through the cold waters and surfaced, taking in a deep breath of air. Even though her gods-given immortality insured that she would not die, she needed to have air to remain conscious, and being unable to breathe was still an uncomfortable situation.

Scanning the skies, she soon noticed the tiny machine shooting across the sky, no doubt checking to confirm that its Amazonian prey was indeed defeated.

Diving beneath the surface, Diana concentrated, clearing her mind, and felt a small tug to her left. Spinning and paddling it that direction, she soon located a contorting, transparent mass.

Kicking forward, she thrust her fingers into the twisting matter. It stopped writhing and began to shrink. It twisted into a battle chariot, the sides decorated with scenes of the gods; Aphrodite defeating Ares in combat and Eros firing his arrows. From the front, a mighty eagle's head thrust forward.

"Hear me, monstrosity of Man's violence! Know that you face an Amazon!" Wonder Woman cried as she rose from the sea with a mighty splash, the golden lasso clutched in her grasp. Energy streaked from the machine, but glanced harmlessly off the Amazon's bracelets. She tossed the lariat's coils around the nose of plane expertly. She twisted, easily pulling the plane down to the waters so that it could rest, bobbing up and down gently. "Now, let's see who pilots this!"

She sank her fingers into the roof of the plane, gently, yet easily pulling away the top.

"Great Hera!" Wonder Woman gasped.

Naught but clicking machines were inside the plane.

"Mother said that there were always pilots on these..." Diana mused. "Mother used to believe the sun was a chariot piloted by Helios. Around the times of my birth, that belief changed to the sun being a giant ball of fire whose movements are controlled by the Sun God! Perhaps that can be applied here, with the wizardry of Man's technology? Anyway, Menalippe said she was arranging for someone I can stay with. I shouldn't be late. These currents should bring the... what is it called... plane to the shores of that island... Gaea!"

The princess's gazed at the side of her attacker. A large symbol was patterned in white skulls.

"A swastika..."

Her mother had told her about the symbol of the Axis powers, but she had also said that the Nazis were defeated!

The Transparent Craft contorted again, twisting around the Amazon to once more take the general form of a plane as Wonder Woman continued on the way to America.

Callista leaned back into the plush seat of her stretch limo. She had a corvette, which she could drive wherever she pleased, but today she just wasn't up to it, so her faithful butler, Charles, naturally drove her.

Charles suddenly slammed on the brakes and the limo screeched to a stop. Callista was jerked forward in her seat, then slammed back.

"Ow..." her shaking hand scrambled for the speaker button. "Charles! What the hell was that?"

"I am sorry, mistress," the English accented voice replied. "We seem to be in a bit of a jam... I cannot see the problem!"

"I'll find out," Callista sighed. Unbuckling her seat belt, she ran out the door to look down the long line of cars.

"Mistress Callista, wait!"

Callista saw where the jam had started and sprinted towards the problem.

"Hera, it's so crowded... Maybe I should land by that park..."

She felt a small tugging on the edge of her psyche once again, and she turned the plane in that direction.

"Hey! It's that Domaine-chick! Bet she has some good credit cards!" one of the thugs jeered as they advanced threateningly towards Callista.

"Hold!"

There was a rush of air and noise as transparent jet flew overhead. It paused, hovering, as a woman clad in the colors of the United States floated gracefully downward.

"Who...?"

"Holy... it's Wonder Woman!" an elderly man cried out. "She saved our tails many a time back in the war!"

Diana smiled. "Yes, I am Wonder Woman!"

"She can be Wonder Woman or Great Gal... Who cares? Blow her away!" one of the thugs said.

A spray of bullets erupted from the thugs.

Wonder Woman moved like lightning, catching every bullet on her bracelets and deflecting them so that they benignly bit into the pavement.

"What the..."

The Amazon sped into the midst of the thugs. With a strong uppercut, she knocked out the largest. Spinning, she downed three more with a single kick.

The frightened leader backed away.

"G-get away from me! Marko! Get her!"

A figure sprang from the tank, a burly man wearing jeans and muscle shirt. He gave Wonder Woman an arrogant stare.

"The name's Cain Marko, baby, but you can call me... Juggernaut!"

The man raised his arms, and he grew in size, gray armor appearing from thin air to cover his massive frame, including a huge helmet over his head. Printed boldly on his chest was a swastika, patterned from skulls, identical to the one Wonder Woman saw on the plane!

"But add 'The Unstoppable and Indestructible' to that!"

The Juggernaut rushed towards the Amazon, who deftly sprang into the air above him, lashing out with a kick that sent him sailing into a wall.

"You're fast, babe, but that can't beat the Juggernaut!"

Wonder Woman sprang into the air, gliding across the air currents towards the charging Juggernaut, who swung his fist forward, sending her sailing into the fiftieth story of an huge office building.

"Oh my God!" Callista cried. Cries of dismay issued from the crowd.

The Juggernaut turned. "Ha! Pathetic heroes!"

Something hard connected with his back, plunging him into the pavement.

"No man can best an Amazon!" Diana proclaimed from her place on the Juggernaut's back.

The Juggernaut managed to catch her with a glancing blow that sent Wonder Woman arching high over the street. She flipped in midair, landing gracefully on the pavement.

The Juggernaut stampeded towards the princess, enraged. Wonder Woman calmly rolled with his attack, using his own momentum, and her titanic strength, to send him flying down the street.

"That's an awfully bulky helmet for someone with such acclaimed invulnerability!" Diana noted, pulling her tiara. She tossed it expertly, its sharp point digging between the helmet and the armor, and knocking the headgear to the ground.

Wonder Woman launched herself into a powerful flying kick, which smashed into his face. The Juggernaut fell to the ground.

Callista ran up.

"Wow! That was too cool!" she cried. "Hey, you might wanna get outta here before the media comes."

"What?"

"Never mind. Can you fly?" Callista asked.

"No, but we Amazons learn how to ride wind currents as part of our training."

"Great, let's get out of here!"

Diana grabbed Callista and leapt into the air, high above the mass of reporters. She easily rode the winds, summoning her invisible jet. Carefully lowering Callista in, Diana hopped in after. The Amazon closed her eyes and began to concentrate. Soon the jet vanished, right before the astonished media's eyes.

"Wha? What's going on down there?" Callista asked.

"I turned the jet invisible," Diana responded.

"Wow!" Callista asked. "So... do you have a place to stay?"

"Not yet. The oracle said she had arranged for me to stay somewhere..."

"Hmmm..." Callista's thoughts drifted back to her dream. "Oh! Can the oracle send dreams?"

"Yes. She's an expert at arcane spells."

"That's what the weird dream I had must've been about!" Callista cried. "You can stay at my place!"

"Thank you! I have gold in the back of the craft," Diana said.

"Anyway... I don't wanna seem like one of those reporters down there... but I run a publishing company, and one of our magazines, 'The Inside Scoop', is failing, but I think some pictures and a cover of you doing your super-heroics, as well as a biography, might save that magazine, and strike fear into the hearts of any criminal who reads it!"

"But I didn't come here to be a policewoman! I'm an emissary of peace! The Amazon oracle was plagued by visions of destruction here in Patriarch's World, and we held a contest to find the mightiest Amazon, which I won."

"How exciting! We've got an Amazon Champion to help us!" Callista squeaked excitedly.

"Where is your mansion, Miss Domaine?"

"Please, call me Callista! And it's over there, just fly in that direction! You can't miss it!"

Diana drove the craft across the sky, until a large mansion came into view.

"Suffering Sappho! That house is almost as large as the palace back on Themyscira!" Diana cried.

"Well... I'm fairly well off," Callista said, smiling.

Diana landed the plane and Callista exited. Diana shrunk the plane back into a disk and slipped it into her girdle.

The duo walked into the house, and several cats scurried up to them, rubbing against Callista's legs. One of them, a tiny gray kitten tentatively approached Wonder Woman, sniffing at her cautiously, then rubbed its tiny head against her sandals. Diana scooped up the tiny creature and began to pet it softly.

"How adorable!" Diana cried. "We have cats back on Paradise Island, which we brought from Egypt before we moved there, but none are this adorable!"

"That's Achilles. I just adopted him from a friend of mine. He's been having trouble adjusting. You can have him, if you like!" Callista said.

"Are you sure?" Diana asked.

"Of course, I've plenty others!"

"Thank you, he's so sweet! Callista? I have a question. That symbol on The Juggernaut's chest armor; it's a swastika, is it not? My mother told me that the Nazis were long since defeated."

"Yeah, but there are some Neo-Nazi groups around, y'know... But now's not the time for that! I've got the whole city of Atlanta to show you!"