Giant-Sized All-Stars #1: WONDER WOMAN!

PROLOGUE
Washington, DC—1985
In the dark of the night, in the luxurious apartment, Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, tossed and turned in her bed. Sheets askew, brow damp with sweat, her lips murmuring nonsense noises, she was helpless as Nyx, Goddess of the Night, swept down from long-separated Olympus and offered the bridge of darkness that was key for her child of Dreams. Special dreams, dreams of the future, dreams of what Hippolyta needed to do, and they pressed heavily into her mind’s eye: a steaming and smoldering pit of bubbling mud and clay and brackish water deep within the bosom of Mother Earth, a slender golden thread dropping from the heavens above into that pit, from which hands thrust up, gripped, clutched at the life line, no more aptly named life line than the this treasure of the Fates. The arms pulled at the thread, but Hippolyta’s eyes snapped open, staring up into the night-dark ceiling, shadows looming over her as a cloak looms behind a departing figure. Nyx was gone now, and Hippolyta knew what was needed of her. The gods had breached their centuries-long silence to tell her the time had come. She must give birth to a very special daughter. She sat up slowly, her brain still heavy with sleep, and caressed her temples with her fingers. She had one last mission, and then…she would have to leave Man’s World again.

ACT I
Office of Lt. Col. Steven Trevor
“Well, I hope you have good luck with your mission, Polly,” Steven Trevor said as he stood up and reached over his desk to shake her hand. He was a tall man, with broad shoulders and a solid, if not overly muscular, build. He was stylish in his tailored brown suit, chestnut hair stylishly combed in place, his deep brown eyes once more enjoying the sight of the elegant lady before him. There was no question that Steve Trevor cut a dashing figure, and not less than a few ladies of the Inter-Agency Defense Command swooned and eyed the man. But it was a lost cause, they all knew it. For Steve Trevor, like his father Derek Trevor before him, had eyes only for Wonder Woman.

Hippolyta was dressed in a deep blue dress that draped her lush figure, playing down the curves and musculature as much as possible. Her hair was bound up in a long thick black braid as she looked back at her long-time friend. The entire Trevor family was close to her heart, as close as any family she might have had. Derek and his wife, Diana, were wonderful people, and even when she’d returned to Paradise Island in 1949, she’d had her oracles and seers maintain a watch over the pair. There was no way she would let harm come to this treasured family of Man’s World.

“Thanks, Steve,” she said sincerely as she shook his hand. It was a strong, firm grip, and she enjoyed it for what it was to her. It had taken a long time, but she had come to accept that there could be men she’d find her equal, and call friend. Steve was chief among them. “I don’t think you quite understand though. I won’t be coming back. What I have to do, it will ultimately take me away from Man’s World. You, and your father and mother, you’ve been like family to me, but now, I need to start my own family. To do that, I need to follow the visions my gods have given me, and then return to Paradise Island.”

“Oh,” Steve said as he slowly sank into his seat, the twinkle in his eyes fading. He stared up at Hippolyta and then gave a long exhale. “I see. Well, let me come and help you then. I have a ton of leave built up. It would be child’s play to pass on this latest case. It’s nothing another agent can’t handle. I could help you out. For…old time’s sake. Starting a family, you’d need a, uh, ‘father’ of sorts, right?” he grinned, trying to use a joke, innuendo to again get across how his heart felt for her.

“That wouldn’t be possible, Steve,” Polly said slowly, giving a wan smile in response to his humor. She appreciated how he could find the joke in any situation, even now. This was breaking her heart. She never expected to have to leave her surrogate family again, not like this at least, but the will of the gods, and her royal duties, demanded it. “This is…not something I can involve mortals in. It’s…a quest from the gods. My gods. It’s like a holy vision. You have to understand.”

Steve nodded slowly. He didn’t understand, not at all. He did understand that once more, Polly completely missed how he implied his feelings for her, but there was something about the woman that kept him from being able to actually speak directly on the subject. Something about how she controlled conversations that just stopped him short, each time. How she looked at him in the beginning like a favored nephew or cousin, and he figured it was his age at the time. He was nearly forty now though, dammit! He thought to himself. What’s wrong with her? With me?

“Of course I understand. It’s just tough, that’s all. Saying good-bye. Dad told me how hard this was back at the end of the war,” Steve said, covering up his true feelings once more. “He and Mom, they both loved having you around. It wasn’t easy seeing you leave then. I can let them know it’s no easier this time.”

“I’ll stay in touch as best I can, Steve,” Polly said, and she meant it. She’d sent letters in the quarter-century she’d been away, and tokens of affection for their annual celebrations of the turning of the year. She would again, for certain. “Good luck to you. You’re going to be as big a hero as your father. I’m very proud to have known you, to have worked at your side, to call you my friend.”

Steve stood up again, and walked around his desk. He used that opportunity to wince inwardly at the dreaded word. Despite what he told Wonder Woman, he recalled his father’s words on the departure back nearly four decades now. How it had broken his heart to see her leave. He’d loved her, and she left him. Now it was Steve’s turn. “I’m thrilled to have gotten to fight along-side the famous Wonder Woman, and gotten to be your friend too, Polly,” he said and offered her a hug. She returned it, pulling him tight to her, and they embraced for what seemed an eternity. Neither wanted to break the hug, and Steve felt the warmth and affection between them. Somewhere inside, his romantic side screamed for him to kiss her, to use this moment of emotion to sway her and win her heart. But she controlled the hug like she’d controlled their long talks, and he stayed himself, and merely hugged her tightly.

“Fare thee well, Steve Trevor,” Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons said as she finally broke the embrace. Her voice grew husky from emotion and she stepped away toward the door of his office. “May fortune smile on you for many, many years to come.” And then she was gone, the door swinging closed behind her.

Steve stood and stared at that door for a long time. He didn’t move, couldn’t move, didn’t want to move because then it was truly done and over. But move he did, turned toward his desk and pulled up the file and forced himself to read the words. Some bomber, some fanatic, threatening the Golden Gate Bridge. Child’s play, he thought to himself. Won’t even need a Wonder Woman to save me this time. He chuckled ruefully.

In Hawaii
“How much longer is this going to take?” growled the man in his green and burned orange robes. Lord Naga, Kobra, master of the secret society that bore his name, stared hard at the minion working the controls. The large bank of computers flashed blinking lights and hummed with power, as seven monitors each displayed a different person, seated cross-legged, all holding a forked stick, the dowsing energies channeled to the central databank that this very minion feverishly operated. “I want answers, and I want them quickly!”

“It shouldn’t be much longer, Lord Naga-Naga,” the minion answered in a trembling voice. Hands raced over dials and flipped switches, and pressed rows of buttons. On another wall, a display of the Earth was marked by a red dot that skimmed the surface, twitching from landmass to landmass as if in response to the rods clutched by the dowsers, as they jumped and jerked in their hands. “We’re narrowing it down quickly. It’s just…there’s so much to go through. The world’s so…large…” He let his voice trail off as he listened to himself sound so completely stupid.

“The world is large,” Lord Naga growled as his fingers stroked the thin beard that clung to his jaw line. “That is a…unique excuse for the delay.” He chuckled, a deep, wicked chuckle that did nothing to relieve the tension from the flunkie. “My diversion will not keep Wonder Woman or her damned IADC friends from my activities for long. So see what you can do to either speed up the process or…” He paused and stared at the little man in the white lab coat.

“Or…?” The man pressed the glasses up against the bridge of his nose, gulping, staring in fright.

“Or shrink the world.” Naga laughed at his joke and stormed off.

A fortress in Santa Prisca
Alarms sounded and soldiers raced down ancient stone halls, hurried boots filling the complex with echoes. The din was increased by the sounds of gunfire and the screams of injured men and the clash of steel. Closer and closer the noises crawled, toward this last point of defense, where Ubu stood, tall and defiant, surrounded by the elite of his Master’s guard. He clutched his scimitar, and gazed down the last short length of corridor, not able to believe the truth of the matter, that all the men at his disposal could not turn away such an incursion. He never believed his father’s stories before now.

Wonder Woman threw the last of the soldiers to the side and turned the corridor to face the last dozen guards, and their leader. She recognized the face and shook her head in disbelief. “It can’t be you?” she asked, her gleaming silver shield in one hand, her sharp, unyielding sword in the other.

“It can’t be, Wonder Woman,” Ubu replied in stiff Greek, his sword clutched in both hands. “I am his grandson. But the legends and the stories are true. It is indeed you. And you are everything my father, and my Master, have said you are.”

“Then get out of my way,” Wonder Woman commanded, stepping toward the guards, all nervous, all fearful despite their training. They stared at the warrior and knew that firearms, melee weapons, grenades, armor…nothing was keeping this majestic woman out. “I would have words with your…master.”

“I can’t permit it,” Ubu replied. “He is not predisposed to discussions at this time.”

“So be it,” Wonder Woman replied with a tinge of pity in her voice. The guards were shocked to hear such a thing from her, until they realized why, hours later, when they had reawakened in the infirmary, not even remembering the brief seconds between those words and darkness.

“Now then, Ubu, do you open this door, or do I open it with you?” she asked him, her hand clutching a fistful of chest hair, her nose pressed to his.

He stared at her, into those deep, dark eyes, and struggled to regain his composure, despite the pain in his chest. He was about to defy her, knowing it could well be his last act, when there came the sound of a bell from the heavy metal door behind him. Ubu was startled at the noise, but spoke up anyway. “The master will see you now.”

She moved him to the side and dropped him to the ground, and stepped through the opening doorway. “Thank you, Ubu. You are a magnificent servant.”

“Thank you,” he said in a soft whimper.

Wonder Woman marched through the doorway and into the audience chamber. Long and narrow, constructed sturdily of heavy stone, high-vaulted ceiling looming overhead, blazing torches casting an eerie flickering light, glinting off of her silvery shield.

“Welcome to my home, Your Majesty,” said the figure on the uncomfortable metal chair. It was small, and built at tight angles and seemed painful to look at. Hippolyta knew at once that it was a substitute for whatever throne normally stood there.

“Ra’s al Ghul,” Wonder Woman said in an even voice. “I would have words with you.”

“Of course,” he answered as he leaped to his feet and stepped down quickly, until he was no more than a foot from her. She could now see his smooth, clean features, the aquiline noise, the tanned complexion and dark glittering eyes. His gray-black hair swept back from his head, and she saw the bared chest, lean and muscular, smooth and unmarred. He breathed heavy and quick, and his entire carriage spoke of energy and youth. For the first time in long, long years, Hippolyta found herself stepping back.

“You’re his son?” zhe asked, staring at him and then she shook her head. “No. You’re Ra’s. The same Demon’s Head I fought four decades back. The stories are true. You can rejuvenate yourself.”

“It’s true. You have caught me soon after such a rejuvenation, actually,” he said as he paced her, like a predatory cat, too much energy to contain in a simple stance. “Why have you bearded my den, Hippolyta?”

“What you call the Lazarus Pit truly exists then?” she asked, as she sheathed her blade. She needed answers, and she wanted to avoid a battle that this man clearly wanted, at least on a physical level. “I need to know.”

“Yes,” he said simply as he paced a circle around her, eyes gleaming, his face racing through emotions of anger, frustration, anxiety and lust. His eyes took in the strapless scarlet tunic, bordered along the top edge in gold, a stylized eagle draping into a shoulder guard for her right arm. Her strong, long legs clad in blue leggings ending in red boots trimmed in gold. A line of white stars trailed the outside of that lush left leg. She was womanhood and wartime personified. “Majesty, the Pits are more than one. They only survive one use, the…unique chemistry settles into the body. Occasionally, a Pit might rejuvenate as well, but there is little guarantee.”

“I need one.” She didn’t know how else to put it. She was sadly at this man’s mercy, and he didn’t seem to have any at the moment. “I need the clay, with that chemistry. Our mother…you touch our Mother with those pits, and I need the life she gives.”

He nodded. “Gaea’s last gift to her children of Humanity. I can take you to one such pit. I will need to reclaim it from my enemy, to deny him and to ensure myself. I will go with you.”

“No.”

“This is not a bargaining, Queen Hippolyta,” he said, eyes flaring with passion. “I will go with you. You need me to grant you this favor. I will help you claim your clay.”

“And you get your pit in return?”

“I am going to claim this place anyway,” Ra’s replied grimly as he stalked up to his throne and grabbed up the Lincoln green cloak that hung off its back. He swept it onto his shoulders and spun back to Wonder Woman. “I was unprepared to bargain. You have caught me unawares. We will claim this pit, you will get your clay and you will…owe me a favor. And believe me, I will collect it, whatever it might be.”

Hippolyta stared hard at Ra’s and pursed her lips. Her hands rolled up into tight fists as she thought over what he said, what he offered. She gave a long, low sigh and shook her head. “Very well. I agree. But I will not betray my beliefs, whatever favor you try to extract from me. Make sure you understand that.”

“Of course,” he said with a low bow. He stood and marched out of his audience chamber, snatching a belt from a hook near the door. His saber was sheathed at it as he buckled it around his waist. “Come. We march on my enemy. On all our enemy.”

“Who?” Hippolyta stormed after him, curiosity peaking now.

“Kobra.”

ACT II
Niihau, Hawaii
The smallest of the inhabited Hawaiian islands was wholly owned by a private family, the Robinsons, and thus isolated from the rest of the state. A small U.S. naval post had been established, but no permanent staff was present. As the small watercraft neared the shores of “the Forbidden Isle”, Steve Trevor considered all these factors, and how they made it perfect as a haven for KOBRA. After stopping the bomber, the trail led here, without question. Doubtless, the man who named himself Lord Naga-Naga had imposed his will on the island, a perfect base to hide and plot from.

He glanced from his craft and dozen men, to the dozen men in the craft near his. They were as quiet as they could be, paddling toward the shore in the still of the night, dark shapes against the dark flittering shapes of the waves. The two rubber boats scraped up onto the sands and the highly-trained soldiers leaped to the beach, dragging the boats to a secure height on the beach. They unshouldered their rifles and Steve Trevor pulled out his revolver, then led the charge. Surveillance of the island had led Trevor to believe that Kobra’s base was in Paniau, the small mountain of the island. They charged quickly toward the peak, determined, silent, grim.

As they reached the base of the peak, Steve Trevor grew more wary and alarmed. Men of KOBRA were scattered about like a littered trail, leading the soldiers straight to the once-hidden entrance, now torn away. He ran his fingers along the ruined hinges and frowned. He’d seen this sort of damage before…too many times. It was unmistakable. Deeper in the complex could be heard scattered fighting, so the group charged into the depths.

Down the corridors they followed the trail of broken and unconscious KOBRA followers. Finally, they reached the central room, the last of a brutal battle reaching its conclusion as Steve Trevor watched his beautiful Amazonian Queen in action, next to another man, a lithe and powerful figure in a sweeping green cloak tearing into the minions with ruthless abandon. He signaled to the men to secure the rest of the facility and remained to watch as the fight ended without him.

“Well, fancy meeting you here, Wonder Woman,” Steve called out with his customary smile and stepped toward her. “IADC is one step behind you again, I guess.”

The two people turned to face Steve, Ra’s with his bloodied saber at the ready and he stepped threateningly toward him. Steve instantly recognized the legendary face of terror and lifted his revolver. “You!”

“The secret agent,” sneered Ra’s with a combination of contempt for his duties, and respect for his abilities.

“Stop it, both of you!” Hippolyta commanded as she stepped between the two men. Her hand rested on the ends of each weapon and pressed them down toward the floor, her eyes gazing first at Steve, then at Ra’s.

“So this is why I couldn’t go with you? Because you’ve thrown in with this scum?” Steve accused, not wiling to believe it even as he said it.

“Watch who you call names, Agent,” Ra’s threatened in a low voice as he cleaned off the blade and slid it away. “She was given little choice but to allow me to come along. And you’ll notice that my men are nowhere to be found. This is all her operation.”

Steve looked to Hippolyta and relaxed a bit, holstering his firearm as she nodded in confirmation. “I needed his help to find a Lazarus Pit, Steve. That’s all. He’s abided by all my terms so far. Despite the blood, he’s even refrained from killing needlessly.” The three people looked at the dozen men scattered around the room and even Steve was forced to admit that not a single life-threatening injury could be noted.

“Lazarus Pit?” he glanced at Wonder Woman as Ra’s moved away from the three and started to work the controls of a monitoring station.

“One of the things I’m questing for,” Hippolyta replied. “Rare areas of the world, where Gaea’s presence grants life-giving properties.”

“I see,” Steve said. He’d seen enough weirdness in his career, and at Wonder Woman’s side to not dismiss her comments, but this magic stuff always went over his head. He looked at Ra’s and then asked, “What’s he doing?”

“I am trying to uncover where our enemy is,” he replied curtly, as he centered on a file, examining it closely. “Lord Naga should be here, but he is not. There is evidence he was involved in something, but I am not sure I make much sense of this.”

Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor flanked him, and also looked over the project report, the dowsers connected to the satellites above and the stations worldwide, coordinating and triangulating for a specific signal. “The chamber with the dowsers has been filled with poison gas,” Steve said as he turned and looked over other controls and activated the monitor. “Whatever they were working on, I’d guess they found it, and Kobra didn’t want it getting out.”

“I know what he is looking for,” Hippolyta said softly, her voice laced in concern. “Where I was headed next. Someplace Kobra must never reach.”

“Where is that, Your Majesty?”

“The home of the Fates,” she answered solemnly as she turned and stormed from the chamber. “We have to intercept him.”

“How are we going to find him?”

“We are not, Steven Trevor!” she snapped, spinning on a heel and cutting the secret agent off quickly. “This is still a quest from the gods, and no place for a mortal such as yourself.”

“The Agent raises a good question,” Ra’s replied as he stepped up next to Trevor. “Or are you going to tell me I am unable to accompany you? My enemy, the enemy of Gaea, is at large, and I will stop him.”

She took a deep breath and nodded her head, unable to deny the man. Steve caught the look and his face darkened. “Oh no. No! I don’t trust him, not one bit! Not after the stories Dad told me about, with your first confrontation with him! Not with the files we have on him and his organization. There’s no argument, Wonder Woman. Not this time. No, this time, I’m putting my foot down. If he goes with you, I go with you. End of story!”

A day later, over the Mediterranean
The jet streaked over the bright blue waters, arrowing through the skies, its destination set. Aboard, four people sat quietly, blanketed in their thoughts, concerns and suspicions. The tension was thick, and Helena Kosmatos, the newest of the quartet, couldn’t help but notice the constant glances darting between the other three figures in front of her.

Helena was a Greek expatriate nearly five decades ago. Her bright white hair clashed with the olive skin and wide face and dark, dark eyes. She was an Amazon now. It had taken her many, many years to accept that she was more than just a resident of Paradise Island, that she was a sister in truth. Her Queen had helped her with that, as she had helped Helena with her powers back in the Second World War. It had been a long time since she’d last worn the golden chain armor she wore again now. Emblazoned with a brilliant scarlet bat-winged creature over her full chest, she was again the Fury, and she was uneasy about her lack of recent experience. But her Queen assured her she was necessary, and she was capable. It was this armor, its powers, her connections to the Fates through the incarnation of the Fury Tisiphone, that her Queen needed, to find the home of the Fates. And she would never, ever let Queen Hippolyta down, even if she didn’t exactly trust the two men with them.

The jet dropped down and headed for their destination, deep within the vast ranges of mountains that littered northern Greece. Steve easily maneuvered the jet according to the directions offered by Helena. The craft found a plateau for the vertical landing capabilities, and the four figures now stepped from the jet and looked around, wind whipping at each of them.

“This way,” Helena said softly as she started out onto a mountain pass, heading into a deep valley, steep, rough cliffs and mountainsides boding a rough climb. “This is the way, my Queen, I am sure of it.” She lightly leaped down from stable shelf to strong boulder, at a slow but steady pace, allowing the others to keep up.

“After you, Ra’s,” Steve said, pointing toward the barely visible path.

“Thank you, Agent,” Ra’s said warily as he began the descent.

The women used their strength and endurance to great advantage in the descent, but even the well-trained, physically fit bodies of Ra’s al Ghul and Steve Trevor were pushed hard by the climb, the wind cutting across them due to the effects of the mountain passes.

Down and down they followed the gold-armored heroine, her platinum locks flipping in the wind as she glanced backwards from time to time. A sudden break of rock from above made Wonder Woman and Fury stare up in horror as a thin shelf gave out beneath Ra’s al Ghul.

“Hey there, watch your step,” Steve chided with a smug grin as he clapped a strong hand onto the elder’s forearm and stopped his slide. “You want to get to that enemy of yours in one piece, I assume.”

Ra’s found more certain footing and stared back up at Trevor with an indiscernible look. “Very true, Agent.” Then again, the four continued the climb.

After an unknown amount of time, Fury’s voice drifted up the winds to her companions. “Here! In this—“ Her words were suddenly cut off as two fists came flying from a dark crevasse in the mountain face. The arms seemed impossibly long, and caught her by surprise, making her spin off to the side and crashing out of sight.

“Fury!” Wonder Woman cried out in alarm as she dropped down to the cave entrance. Within was a man with brownish skin and garbed in a simple blank tank-top and shorts. “Who are you?”

“The Master calls me Malleable Man, but you can just call the end of the road, toots,” the greasy looking thug said with a grin as his arm stretched out to wrap around Wonder Woman’s waist. His torso stretched out now, dragging Wonder Woman off the side of the mountain.

“I don’t think so, foolish man,” Hippolyta growled as her powerful hands dug into the flexible arm of the Malleable Man and pried the grip off of her. She clung to him though and used the arm as a rope to climb back up, her eyes never leaving the new target.

Steve and Ra’s arrived at the entrance to the cave, and Steve held his revolver to Malleable Man’s head. “Don’t do anything fancy, rubber man. This might kill you, it might not, but either way, at this range, I am sure as shooting positive it will hurt like hell.”

Ra’s merely rolled his eyes up in disdain at the display, and marched into the cavern to seek out his foe, to stop Naga at long last.

Wonder Woman now stood face to face with Malleable Man and he gave a hard swallow as he watched the powerful fist streaking toward his face, in slow motion. The soft, wet smacking sound filled his ears as his face collapsed under the blow, and her hand plowed into his head and even Steve winced at the sight. After several long moments, Malleable Man finally fell to the ground, his face still scrunched up like putty.

From within the dark depths of the cave, the clash of steel could be heard and Steve and Hippolyta started to head in, until both stopped and looked back over the edge.

“What about Fury?” Steve asked.

“We do need to make sure she’s okay, but Ra’s needs help,” Wonder Woman said. “Kobra is a powerful fighter. You go in, my greater strength will navigate the mountain side better.”

“’Kay,” Steve said and charged into the depths of the mountain as Wonder Woman headed back out and looked over the edge.

“Helena!” she called out, to see if the woman was even still conscious. The answer made her face blanch. “Hera help me,” She murmured as she watched the response speed up toward her.

Steve raced into the cave to find Lord Naga-Naga and Ra’s al Ghul facing each other in mortal combat, the steel of their blades hissing and clanging against each other as they paced in circles. Beyond them lay a large natural cavern, the stalactites acting like massive spindles, clutching what seemed to be an unending supply of golden thread. Spinning wheels of interminable age littered the floor, though nobody seemed around.

“This ends now, agent of Chaos,” Ra’s growled as he thrust and parried and lunged. “I will not allow you to devour this world in your bloodbath!”

“You’re insane, al Ghul!” Kobra replied as he ducked and slashed and blocked, his eyes staring hard into his enemy. “We both want the same thing, why are you opposing me?”

“I don’t know either, but you know what?” Steve asked as he leaped out and tackled Kobra, knocking him to the floor and rolling with the villain, struggling to knock the sword away. “I don’t much care! If Wonder Woman’s right, if those are really what they are, there’s no way you’re getting them!”

The sounds of battle were harshly quelled by a sudden, ferocious cry, a blood-curdling howl of rage and fury from the entrance that made all three men turn, their blood turning to ice.

Fury tore into the cavern with terrifying speed, but she looked visibly different. Her eyes were blood red, and her hair was night-black. Her armor’s colors were reversed, the chain blood-red, almost dripping, while her bat-like heraldry was lit with a fiery yellow. Her fingers seemed to stretch into wicked looking talons and she rapidly fell on Steve Trevor, the first intruder she spied in the cavern.

Her claws dug deep, drawing a splash of blood as he cried in pain. Words rang from the chamber, as the Fury snarled in anger and Kobra rolled from the pair, snatching back up his sword and racing for the way out.

“You have intruded where mortals are not welcome,” came the eerie, ethereal voices filling the chamber. “You will now face the wrath of Tisiphone, and die for your intrusion!”

Ra’s watched Kobra race past him and growled angrily. He turned from his foe and leaped to Steve’s defense, his sword slicing uselessly against the crimson armor, though it drew Fury’s attention.

“Stop! I beg you, Fates, stop!” Hippolyta pleaded, as she staggered into the room. Her shield displayed wicked marks from Fury’s talons, and similar rents slashed over Wonder Woman’s stomach, blood leaking down her body. “We are here to supplicate you, on behalf of the gods themselves! And to act as your guardians against the beast of Men, Kobra!”

Fury spun and sliced down on Ra’s, who narrowly blocked with his sword, only to watch her part the steel of his blade handily, shards of metal flying away. Steve stood on the other side, blood pouring from the wicked wound from shoulder to chest, but ready to fight as well.

“Queen of the Amazons,” the voices said, and an image of an elderly woman appeared, staring at her. She was dressed in ancient garments, seemingly coated in heavy dust, long black hair waving in ethereal winds. “We know of your quest. You have done us service, but we would deny you the thread regardless.”

“Wait!” Steve said, as he clutched the wounded shoulder. “This is real? Those are…lives…life forces…whatever? Up there?” As the Fate turned and nodded to Steve, he continued to speak. “Polly’s gone through so much to get here, to get all this. She obviously needs it badly. Badly enough that she tried to sever her ties with her family,” Hippolyta turned her head away at the shameful truth he spoke, “worked with an enemy and terrorist, and owing him a favor, and protecting your chamber, in order to get here. If it will help, then I’ll give some…of my threads…if you give her what she needs.”

“No! Steve I won’t let you!” Hippolyta snapped her head back to face Steve in shock.

“Not this time, Polly. You’re not in control here,” Steve said as he stared her back. “This time, I’m getting my way. Family…it does this for each other.”

“You are a good and loyal man, Steven Trevor,” the Fate said with a nod of his head. “We agree to your offer, in return for the service Queen Hippolyta has provided.” She reached out and sliced away several golden strands, passing them to Wonder Woman.

At first, she didn’t want to take them, but she knew the Fates well enough. They had agreed to the bargain and most likely, had removed the life from Steve already, so if she refused, then his sacrifice was for nothing. “Thank you,” she said softly.

“And now, go. Do not seek our home again, or the repercussions will be most dire.” She faded away, and as she did, Helena’s normal hair and eye color returned, the armor shifting back to a golden color as the talons vanished. She dropped to her knees, exhausted from the transformation.

Hippolyta helped Helena to her feet and slowly helped her out to the entrance. “Let’s go home, people.”

Ra’s offered a supportive hand to the weak and wounded Steve, who accepted it. “The Fate was correct, Agent. You are a very good, and very loyal, man.” He said nothing more, neither of them needed to.

The climb back up was much harder and much slower than the climb back down. It was done in silence, each person knowing that the Fates would move their home elsewhere, and that they would never return to it. Nor would Kobra ever find it again. He had also vanished, but all knew that they’d face him again in the future. For now, each dwelt in their own thoughts, dealing with individual aftermaths of their trip to the Fates.

EPILOGUE
Eighteen months later on Paradise Island
All the struggle seemed worth it now, Hippolyta thought as she sat next to the cradle, in the nursery. She looked down on the sweet, black-haired baby that she was rocking in the crib and let out a long, low sigh. She felt old as she thought of what it took to reach this point, but her beautiful Diana had been gifted to her and the Amazons, and she was growing strong and healthy. She glanced at the letter she’d received from the Trevors, thanking her for naming the baby after Steve’s mother. Steve was somewhere in the world, Derek wrote to her in that letter, out of communication, but he was happy for Hippolyta too, she was assured.

She didn’t believe that. She knew much better now. Steven had fallen in love with her, and like Derek had before, she now understood. She felt a longing to go and make things up to Steve. But there was nothing to make up. So she turned back toward Diana and tucked her in gently and put foolish, useless thoughts aside.

“Your Majesty?” interrupted a herald softly. Hippolyta looked up at the woman and nodded. “There is someone in the audience chamber for you. A…” She looked around, as if fearful to say the next word, “…man. But he held your seal. He is watched carefully.”

Hippolyta stood and grabbed her mantle, donning the royal purple cloak and marched to the audience chamber. There she saw Ra’s al Ghul, standing tall and proud and defiant in a circle of spear-wielding warrior women. He gave a low bow, out of sincere respect, and then spoke, words that rang across the marble halls.

“Your Majesty, I have come for that favor you owe me.”