The impact from Diana fist against Cassandra Sandsmark’s shattered the windows out of three floors of STAR Labs as well as most of the windshields in the nearby parking lot. Nearly five miles away, people raked leaves in their yards, and wondered why there was thunder on such a sunny autumn day.
Contact between the two did not have the outcome that Wonder Woman had expected. She knew there would be pain, but the impact sent them both hurtling away from each other like magnets in a high school science experiment. Diana not only struck, but went through several trees before she landed on top of, and crushed, a picnic table. Her fist throbbed with excruciating pain and for a moment she wondered if the bones in her hand were actually shattered.
Diana crawled from the wreckage of the wooden table barely in time to see the young blond girl in a blur, with a blow that staggered her.
“Die, Amazon Warrior!” Cassie screamed with such rage in her voice that Diana was taken aback more by her hate than the blow itself.
“Who are you, child, to have such venomous feelings towards me?”
“I know only that my purpose is to break the Queen of Themyscira in two,” she retorted, swinging a right hook that was blocked by Diana.
Diana grabbed the arm and tossed the child a few feet back at the building. Her brain told her it wouldn’t be enough to take her down, but her heart was fighting her; refused to allow her to strike the child at even half strength. There had to be a way to reach the young one.
Cassie stood up quickly, shaking off the toss as if she had just fumbled a cartwheel. “Your hesitation will be your death.”
Wonder Woman braced herself as her young attacker came after her again. Who was this person? She didn’t speak like a normal teenager. Her strength rivaled that of Athena or Hercules. The lasso at her side sang in her head with a song she had never heard before; as if it were welcoming this girl who was so desperately trying to kill her. A thought began to formulate in the back of her head, but could her hypothesis really be true?
As Cassandra hurled herself once more toward her unexpected foe, Diana took a deep breath, prayed to Athena that her wisdom would guide her in what she was about to do.
Cassie clasped here hands together, raising them over her head, ready to bring them down atop Wonder Woman. She was not quick enough though, as Diana’s own arms reached up, stopping the entwined fists in her left hand. Both women’s arms trembled as they fought the force of each other's strength.
“You have caught my attention, and whoever you are, your strength is formidable; you are not, however, a warrior born and raised,” she proclaimed as she brought her right fist hard into the stomach of her attacker.
This time the punch carried nearly all the strength she possessed. Cassandra Sandsmark was hurled straight back; her arms and legs out in front of her as if she were being pulled back by an invisible string. She disappeared into the same hole that the two of them had originally created.
“Hera, show me that my decision was the right one,” diana begged out loud as she flew after the girl.
When she entered the destruction of the STAR lab, she was caught off guard. The girl was gone!
*******
While the battle raged above them, two laboratory assistants jogged toward their destination two sub-floors below. Alarms sound everywhere, the need to evacuate was strong in both of them, but they also knew that they had to save their patient.
They both worked in one of the highest classified areas of Metropolis’ STAR Labs Headquarters; both worked for the premier biophysicists in the nation. The two doctors were not around, leaving both assistants to follow their instructions in case of the level one emergency that they now faced.
Daniel Hammer placed his hand on the security plate and the door slid open; his partner, Robert Curtis followed close behind. They were greeted by the familiar sight of several lab tables, several monitoring systems and one rather large stasis tube, that contained a kind of mist.
“Where do we start?” Robert Curtis asked anxiously.
“Calm down,” Daniel snapped. “We’ve been briefed over and over on protocol.”
“But how do we know they’d want us to do it now. We’re two levels below ground. I know we’re at level one, but once we do this, it can’t be undone,” Robert reminded him.
“Do you want to wait and see? Level one mean meta-human activity with heavy damage. Standard procedure is to evacuate all high priority patients with risk of contamination.”
“But we have no idea if she’s a danger to anyone,” Robert replied. “As far as we know she’s perfectly safe. Maybe we should ask her what she wants.”
“My God! When did you turn into such a pansy? She hasn’t even communicated with anyone since she was found and brought here. We’re doing what we’re told, no two ways about it. Now get the stasis tube ready for transport.”
Even through the bunker-like walls they could hear the rumble or explosion of the commotion that was going on two levels above them. That was all it took for Robert to do exactly what he was told.
Unfortunately as he got to the transportation panel the lights suddenly dimmed. Both of them looked up at the ceiling before exchanging worried glances at each other.
“Generator will kick in. This is state of the art equipment we got here. I mean, come on, we’re the world headquarters for STAR Labs,” Daniel assured his partner.
Then everything went completely black. The room became as black as night.
“You were saying?”
“The containment field,” Daniel called, stumbling toward it. He hit his shin on the corner of a lab table, doubling over as he cursed out loud into the inky blackness. He froze when a third voice suddenly came out of no where.
“Where am I?” the child like voice asked. “Who am I? What’s going on?” The girl’s voice sounded panicked.
“It’s okay,” Robert called out, his arms stretched out in front of him as he tried to feel his way towards the oddly-sounding voice. “You’re safe. You’re in...”
Daniel interrupted harshly. “Will you shut up? We can’t tell her, you idiot, we don’t have the authority.”
The almost haunting voice came at them again. “Please help me. Where is this place? Who am I?”
“I’m really sorry,” Robert called out. “It’s kind of a secret.”
“Secret...” the voice whispered, now seemingly farther across the room from where she once was.
“Wait! Trust us, don’t leave!” Daniel begged. But he already knew that she was no longer in the room.
They both stood there in the silence, in the darkness, neither saying a word as they both hoped that perhaps she was still near.
Finally Robert whispered to his friend. “Now what?”
“Only one thing we can do. Wait until the lights come back on and then clean out our lockers and get the hell out of Metropolis.”
“Why do these things keep happening to us?” Robert whined.
“Shut up.”
*******
A quick scan of the lab that the school girl had hurtled back into proved to be empty but for the gross mutation of the young man that had started the events. Wonder Woman did see that the door out into the hallway had been torn open. Was the girl now trying to escape?
She leaped over the unconscious creature, and made her way down the long sterilized white hallway. Pulling the lariat from her side, she held it in both her hands, ready to finally end the unwanted battle before anyone else would get hurt.
She was amazed and puzzled at how her lariat seemed to pull her to the child. It had never acted in that fashion before. What made this blond girl so special? Was she (as Diana was now beginning to suspect), the product of one of the gods? If so, which one? Zeus? It wasn’t as if he hadn’t had his share of indiscretions with the ladies. Or could it be Ares? She shuddered at the though. Still, she knew the God of War well enough to know he would never sully himself with a mortal woman of any stature. Still, it was apparent that this teenager had been given powers that could someday rival hers and Donna’s.
The lasso seemed to pull her toward the elevator. As she neared it, the power suddenly went out in the building. It was not a coincidence; the wisdom of Athena told her that much. It was at that moment that the door to her left opened and several armed men came running out, followed by the head of security. When the slightly gray haired man saw the Amazon Warrior the relief on his face was obvious.
“Wonder Woman, thank God you’re here.”
“Which one do you thank?” she joked as she felt along the seam of the elevator doors.
The security officer was caught off guard. “I’m sorry?”
Diana stopped and turned to him, her face turning slightly red. “No, I’m sorry. An attempt at levity. Can you tell me what’s going on?” she asked wanted to change the subject.
“All power in the complex was suddenly disrupted and redirected to only one lab. I’m guessing that whoever was attacking you is down there; though what they’re trying to do, I have no idea.”
“Give me the directions to the room and I’ll take care of it. Have your men make sure that everyone is evacuated.”
One of the guards, a young man of no more than twenty, stepped up to her. “Are you going to be calling in the Justice League?” The hope in his eyes was obvious.
“No, soldier, not yet. If I cannot handle what lies beneath us, first I will turn to you and your comrades for assistance.” Her confident smile made the man's chest swell, and skipped the heartbeat of the rest of the squad.
“And we’ll be there!” the young soldier answered proudly.
She nodded. “I have no doubt. For now, though, you must hurry. There are school children that must be saved.”
Without further word they turned, running in the opposite direction. She considered the young man’s question for a moment before realizing that there was, perhaps, one call that she should make. There was one person whose help she may need.
When she had finished the communication, she wedged her fingers between the two doors of the elevator, tearing them apart as if they were nothing more than papier-mâché.
She didn't hesitate as she leaped into the shaft, her body like that of a human torpedo as she plummeted three stories down. She crashed through the roof of the elevator car, landing cat-like on the floor of the lift. She stood back up quickly and tore open these doors as she had done above, and stepped out cautiously into the darkened hallway.
Her eyes adjusted to the dim light for a moment, then she saw the faint glow of light coming from between the seams of the metal doors in the laboratory in question. Whatever this girl was up to, Diana was about to put a stop to it.
*******
As leader of the world’s most prestigious superhero team, Wonder Woman was used to several different scenarios playing out in her head during missions; rarely, she admitted to herself with modesty, was she taken completely off guard.
This was one of those few times. The last thing she expected to see when she entered the lab was the young woman on an examining table, strapped down, electrodes protruding from her forehead; a female doctor in a lab coat worked feverishly at a control panel next to the girl. The woman looked up in shock as the mental doors caved inward and Wonder Woman stepped over them, her arms going instinctively to her waist as she looked around.
“What in Hera’s name is going on here?” the Amazon Queen demanded.
“Wonder Woman,” Dr. Zeul started, “please do not interfere. This child was gravely injured in your battle. I’m doing what I can to resuscitate her. Just give me a few moments.”
She did not need her lariat to tell her that this woman lied. She headed to the control panel. “I must ask you to cease what you’re doing, until such time as my friends can arrive and ascertain the extent of her injuries.”
Just as she reached the console, Doctor Zeul suddenly lashed out at her. “NO! I’m too close for you, or anyone else, to ruin this!” She reached out to shove Wonder Woman away, and while doing so, her body suddenly enlarged by several feet.
The sudden surge of strength in the shove combined with shock at the sudden display knocked Diana off-balance, crashing into a metal wall, leaving an indentation of Wonder Woman’s body.
“What are you?” she asked as she rose from the ground, her ears ringing.
“I’m Doctor Zeul, one of the greatest minds this world may never get the chance to know if I can’t save myself. This young girl’s sacrifice will make her the unknowing savior of the entire human race.”
Diana was measuring the woman as she continued to question her, gauging her size and strength. “How are you able to grow, to become so strong?”
Zeul shrugged. “During your battle in the lab upstairs, chemicals spilled on me. I guess they had a mutagenic reaction. It doesn’t matter, though, for this body does not have much longer to live; it’s decaying from the inside. If my genius is to survive, I must transfer all that I am into the body of the girl.”
“I will no allow that,” Wonder Woman said and clenched her fists.
“Then try to stop me,” Zeul challenged.
“Athena guide me,” Diana whispered to herself as she shot into the air, striking the still-growing woman under the chin.
The Amazing Amazon was not prepared for how quickly the doctor reacted, however, when the back of the doctor’s hand struck her as if swatting away a flying insect. For the second time, Wonder Woman flew across the room, smashed into unused equipment as she landed. This time, she lay stunned, barely able to move. Her eyes shut for a moment as she fought the urge to pass out. She couldn’t. She did not have that luxury at the moment. When she opened her eyes again they grew wide as she saw the extraordinarily large foot of the doctor just milliseconds away from crushing her.
A pair of hands grabbed the giant foot before it could connect with Diana.. Wonder Woman looked up to see the young woman, now awake, braced against the floor as her arms trembled from the pressure she fought against.
“Thank you, little one,” Wonder Woman said as she began to climb to her feet.
“It is not this giant’s right to kill you – it’s mine.”
“Well as long as your heart is in the right place,” the Amazon muttered.
It took all of Cassandra's strength to hold Zeul back, but then Wonder Woman stood next to the young woman, pushing as well,, their hands next to each other, touching.
“Then let us take care of this giant of a woman so that you can do what you must.”
The doctor laughed. “Giant of a woman? Sure, call me
Giganta, why don’t you. Your kind love hiding behind false names, I might as well do the same before I crush you and rip the mind out of the child.”
Wonder Woman realized that the doctor continued to grow, now caving in the ceiling above them as she fought against the strength of the two ladies. Her teeth were clenched, her muscles screamed in agony.
Still, when she spoke, it was without the slightest hint of concern, only that of confidence. “I hide behind nothing, crazed one. I am Queen Diana of Themyscira, proud daughter of the great Queen Hippolyta, sister to all women of this planet, and a warrior of justice.”
As she began to push upward, Diana’s eyes locked with the young lady’s, and something seemed to change in them. They began to soften – to change with understanding.
“Yeah! And I'm Cassandra Sandsmark, daughter of Doctor Helena Sandsmark. I hide behind nothing either, and I'm nobody’s puppet!” She exclaimed as she pushed with all her might.
The newly proclaimed Giganta screamed out in rage because she knew she was losing. The force she was up against had increased ten fold and though she continued to grow, tearing through several floors above her – it was to no avail. She felt herself being toppled. She began to fall, and as she did so, more of the STAR Lab building was destroyed, as if plowed down by a gigantic bulldozer.
Then just as quickly as she fell one direction, she found herself pushed back the other way. She slipped into a mindless fury as she was shoved around yet again. Zeul felt the person push her back and swung around, hoping to catch them off guard, to swat the person again..
The young woman ducked the blow as her black, star-field costume and raven hair glinted in the bright sunlight while the roof shattered around them all.
“Troia, we must get Giganta out of here before she demolishes the entire complex!” Wonder Woman shouted.
Donna Troy nodded. She looked down at her sister, then up at the sun. “Second star to the right and
straight on til morning!” she called down.
The Queen of the Amazons nodded in understanding. She turned to Cassie. “Step back, little one. This is going to be dangerous.”
It did not surprise her when Cassie shook her head, her face set in defiance. “No. I helped create this mess and I’m going to help clean it up. Besides, you’re gonna to need me.”
As Diana took to the air it also did not surprise her that this young woman named Cassandra Sandsmark followed without a second thought. “You are wise beyond your years, little one.”
Zeul had lost all sense of composure. Her plans, now completely thwarted, had sent her over the edge. Most of her body was now standing above the building, but from her thighs down she was still several feet under the earth. As she swung at Troia, her legs were moving by inches, causing structural damage to the building.
“Follow my lead,” Wonder Woman told Cassie as she grabbed a hold of Giganta’s right leg, holding on to as much of it as she could. Cassie instinctively understood and did the same with the left leg.
Troia flew lowand smashed her fist into the side of Giganta’s face. It stunned their newest nemesis, caught her off-guard, and gave them the seconds that they needed. Straining with all their might, the two of them began to lift the woman out of the hole.
After her sudden attack, Donna flew lower, going under one of her arms as she too began to fly upward, forcing her muscles to work as they had never done before. At first it didn’t seem to be working, but then the three of them felt just a hint of movement.
“Do not let up, my sisters!” Diana screamed, sweat pouring down her face.
There comes a moment when a nail ispried from a piece of solid wood, when loosened enough it suddenly comes bolting from its lodging place. The same effect happened as the three of them felt the enraged body of Doris Zeul explode out of the destroyed portion of the building. They carried her up over Metropolis, finally dumping her into Happy Harbor.
“I’ll kill each and every one of you!” she screamed as she began to trudge toward the shore. It was a small feat as her mammoth body found footing fairly quickly.
The three woman hovered high in the sky above her. Their bodies cried out for rest, but it was apparent to each of them that it wasn’t meant to be yet.
“On three, sisters,” Wonder Woman commanded. “Three!” she cried as she raised both arms over her head and dived towards the target. Cassie and Troia followed quickly behind; the three of them formed a perfect triangle as they hurled themselves into the face of Giganta.
The simultaneous blows did the trick and Zeul swayed for a few seconds before she began to fall forward. As she did, her body rapidly shrunk to the point that when she hit the water she was back to her normal size. Her body then began to sink under the water.
Wonder Woman dove after her, splitting the water like a professional diver. It took her seconds to find the unconscious doctor and bring her back to the surface. As she lay the woman on the closest dock, she made sure Zeul breathed before binding her with the lasso.
“This will hold her until we can get her to the proper authorities,” she told the other two as they flew down to join her.
Cassie was looking at Donna in amazement. “You’re... you’re Wonder Girl,” she said in awe. “You’re one of the Teen Titans! I’m a huge fan.”
“Thank you, but I go by Troia now. I’m glad you called me,” she said to Diana as they studied the young girl.
“Why were you trying to kill me, little one?” Diana asked her.
For the first time in years, Cassie suddenly felt as though she was going to explode in tears. She was confused at her own actions. She was at a loss. There was no explanation to give. Her anger had come out of no where. Her abilities had suddenly manifested themselves. Now that she had time to reflect, it began to scare her. Who was she?
What was she.
Both Diana and Donna sensed her fear, her confusion, and quickly wrapped there arms around her.
“It’ll be alright,” Diana assured her. “I am certain that we will get to the bottom of this, together. Just as I am certain that your true origin lies in the knowledge of the gods. My instincts tell me that you are a true sister and the first thing you must know is that we are always here for each other. Is that not true, Troia?”
“Of course! Come on, Cassie, let’s get you back to your home and we’ll figure this all out. Your timing couldn’t be more perfect. It seems that there’s an opening for a Wonder Girl,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.
Diana flashed her sister a look. “One step at a time, Donna; she’s got quite a long road a head of her.”
“Wonder Girl...” Cassie mused, wiping away some of the tears that had fallen down her cheek in spite of her best efforts. “I think I could learn to like that idea.”
“We’ll see, little one,” Diana said with a touch to her cheek.
“Yeah, about that ‘little one’ comment – it’s really not growing on me. Seems kind of condescending, actually.”
Diana stepped back, her eyes widened as Donna chuckled softly. “She’s her own person, that’s for sure. Another sign of a true Amazon.”
Seconds later the police had arrived to carry the unconscious body of Dr. Doris Zeul away. Only then did the three ladies take off into the late morning sky. Their destination: the truth about Cassandra Sandsmark.
As Donna flew next to Diana she spoke in a quiet tone. “Perhaps she is a parting gift from Hera, herself?”
Diana’s eyes were focused on Cassie, just a head of them, feeling the freedom that was inherent with a first time flier.
“Perhaps...” Diana answered with doubt in her voice.
None of them saw the teenage boy who had just flown past the circling globe of The Daily Planet, the red S covering his black t-shirt. Conner Kent, or Superboy, as he liked to be called, stopped in mid-air at the sight of the blond girl who was now leaving his town.
“Whoa! She’s gorgeous!” he said to himself, whistling under his breath. “What I wouldn’t give to meet her!”
The Beginning!
