Prologue - The Vision



Thunder crashed-

Lightning lit up the sky above the small island.  Since the beginning, it had been hidden away from the eyes of the outside world.  On the island, nicknamed Paradise Island by its inhabitants, a race of female warriors lived, secluded from western ideals and the advent of violence that such ideals inevitably led to.

Themyscira.  That was the island’s proper name.

Ever since the first Amazons had arrived on the shores of Themyscira, a veil of amenity had floated around the island.  The patriarch’s world knew nothing of the island or the amazing women that lived there.  The Amazons preferred it this way.

However, as they would soon learn, sometimes they had to put aside their beliefs for the betterment of the world…

On this night, the storm had blown its way through Themyscira, sending all of the Amazons into their homes and prompting many to turn in early and refresh themselves for the next day.

Inside a dwelling less than a hundred feet from the Royal Palace, a young woman was sleeping fitfully.  She moaned in panic and refused to stay still for less than a few seconds at a time.  Finally, with a scream from the bottom of her very being, the seer Penelope sat up in bed.  She took a deep breath, trying her hardest to calm her frantic nerves.

The images that she had seen continued to play across her eyes even in her conscious state.  This was an impossible occurrence.  Whatever these images showed, they sent bad tidings upon the world.

She saw fear-

She saw hate-

She saw the return of a being most foul-

She saw-

Penelope had to bite her lip to keep from screaming once more.  An ancient evil was returning to man’s world.  A power was once more present that the patriarchs were incapable of defeating by themselves.  The Amazons, with their skills in battle, would be needed to end this threat.  That must have been why she had received such a premonition.  That was the best reason Penelope could come up with.

Yes, the Amazons were needed.

The hard part would be convincing Hippolyta, the queen of Themyscira and the Amazons, that such action needed to be taken.  Hippolyta had sworn off the influences of man’s world long ago and it would take drastic measures to change such beliefs.  Fortunately, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance, Penelope found herself up to the challenge.

She rose from her bed and headed into the Royal Palace.

ww The League of Kingdoms....

Wonder Woman

"Worthy"
Wonder Woman
2004 Annual
  August, Year 0-A 		by Matt Hrubey


Part One - The Plan

Minutes passed like hours to Penelope before she was graced with the queen’s presence.  Penelope rose to her feet as Hippolyta entered, looking exceptionally exhausted and angry.  Without a word, Hippolyta ascended her throne and took a seat.  She gazed at Penelope for a moment before speaking.  “There had best be a good reason that she had awoken me from my slumber at such an early hour of the morning.  A queen needs her beauty rest after all.”

“I’m sorry, my queen,” Penelope offered, knowing that her words would be nothing to once such as the queen of the Amazons, “but a matter of urgency has arisen.  I had a premonition this night.”

“You are always having premonitions, Penelope.”

“And have I yet to be wrong, my queen?”

“No, I suppose not,” Hippolyta responded.  She ran her fingers threw her raven black hair.  “What did you see?”

“An evil the likes of which Themyscira has never seen.  An evil capable of destroying not only us but man’s world as well.  An evil that-”

Hippolyta waved her hand.  “I understand, Penelope.  You need not go any further.  Do you know where this evil originates from?”  Penelope shook her head-

“I know very little, my queen.  I simply sought to bring this to your attention.  This situation demands the presence of the Amazons of Themyscira or the world is doomed.”

“Go back to bed, Penelope.  Don’t stand before me again until you have solid proof of this evil.  I trust in your judgment, but at this time, I don’t want to rouse our people.  However, if this evil is as dire as you believe, then the Amazons shall stand ready.”

“But, my queen-”

“You have heard my will, Penelope.”

The youthful woman nodded.  “Your will be done, my queen.”

With one last look at Hippolyta, Penelope turned on her heels and headed back to her home.  She would not sleep for the rest of the night.


That night, the visions continued unabated.  Penelope’s body arched in agony as terrible sensations rolled over her synapses.  Images of atrocities played across the underside of her eyelids like a movie that refused to end.  Penelope screamed as the series of images began anew-

A God among men stood, taking pleasure as one of his most trusted minions killed in his name.

Bodies were piled up as yet another massacre took place.  An entire town was wiped off the face of the planet.

A young girl was screaming in pain, watching as her parents were murdered by faceless demons.

There was one picture among the rest that stuck in her mind though.  It was different than all of the others.  It didn’t show evil.  Instead, it inspired a vague sense of hope.  Penelope saw a group.  No, it was more than that.

It was a league.  A league of great men banded together to fight the evils that were overrunning man’s world.  Evils that would inevitably find their way to Themyscira and the Amazons.  These men and women would fight bravely but Penelope wasn’t sure that they would be enough.

Penelope snapped awake.  She felt a moment of clarity-

She now knew what needed to be done.

"I heard you paid a late night visit to my mother, Penelope."

"Leave me alone, Donna.  Now is not the time to test my patience."

"I beg to differ.  This is the perfect time.  You know you can't lay a hand on me."

"I would like to test that theory."

"Anytime," Donna, the Themysciran Princess, replied.  "You're having the visions again, aren't you?"

"That is no business of yours."

"My mother doesn't believe in your visions.  She thinks that you're crazy but she's too nice to tell you to your face.  I think you should stay away from her."

"It doesn't really matter what you think, little princess.  Contrary to your beliefs, you hold no sway over me or any of the other Amazons.  You are but a nuisance begging to be put down."

Donna placed her hands on her hips.  "If that is the way you feel then fight me now."

"I will not give in to your petty banner, Donna.  Your mother has ever taken heed of my premonitions.  More often they not they come to fruition just as I have told her.  Hippolyta has learned through past offenses not to ignore my words."

"Believe what you would like, fool."

"Donna, go away before I tell mother that you were antagonizing again," a new voice interrupted.  "You know that she won't be happy after the last time."

A pair of shadows had overtaken the immobile form of the seer, Penelope.  She shielded her eyes from the sunlight and found the shadows belonging to the second and only other Princess of Themyscira, Diana, and the head of the royal guard, Phillipus.

Diana was the one that had spoken harshly to her sister.  She turned briefly to Phillipus.  "Do you mind escorting Donna back to the Royal Palace?  I would like to have a word with Penelope and I don't trust my sister to follow my instructions."

"Not at all, Diana.  Good day."  Phillipus motioned for Donna to walk.  With a huff, the princess obeyed.

When they had gone, Diana sat down by Penelope's side.  The seer found herself unable to look at Diana in the eyes, though they had formed a kind of friendship based off a mutual respect that they shared for one another.  Penelope knew what the Amazons thought about her.  They believed that she was sick in the mind and that her supposed 'visions' were nothing but a cry for attention.  What the tribe of warrior women didn't know was that each premonition the seer had had up to this date had come true in some facet.  If the public had known that, perhaps they wouldn't be so quick to judge.  But alas-

"I believe you," Diana stated.

"Excuse me?"  The seer had been taken off guard with these words.  It was a strange way to start a conversation.

"I believe you, Penelope.  My mother told me all about the conversation that the two of you had last night.  Though my mother has her doubts, I believe that your prophecy is correct."

"How do you know?"

"Call it...intuition if you will."

Penelope sighed.  "Diana, face it.  It doesn't matter how many believe me if your mother doesn't.  She has the final word so if she doesn't believe then-"

"Penelope, please, leave my mother to me," Diana replied, smiling.  "What you can do is tell me exactly what you saw in your premonition."


Part Two - The Challenge

As the sun rose into the noon sky, Penelope stood before Queen Hippolyta, the princesses, and an assembly of the queen’s most trusted.  The seer had informed Diana that she had new information that could help influence the queen’s decision and Diana had immediately gone about setting up this private meeting within the Royal Palace.  At the queen’s behest, Penelope stood up and took her place before Hippolyta’s throne.

“I know what needs to be done,” Penelope stated.

“Well, please, don’t keep us in suspense.”

“I apologize, my queen.  I had more visions last night and the answer occurred to me then.  I saw that the greatest warriors from all over man’s world were coming together to fight the ancient evil that has begun to rise.”

“Is there a point to all this?” Princess Donna asked, irritably.  She sat uncomfortably upon her throne at Hippolyta’s side.

Diana glared.  “Silence, Donna.  Let her speak.”

“Thank you, princess.”  Penelope turned back to the queen.  “I recommend that we send a team of our greatest warriors to man’s world to take part in this league.  If Themyscira is in danger, then I believe that we should take part in the effort to protect us all.”

Laughter met the end of the Seer’s statement.  The reverberations bounced off the walls of the throne room and collided with Penelope.  Instead of being deterred, her face set in a stern expression.  Her eyes scanned the crowd and found that everybody was laughing.  Everybody, that is, except the queen and Princess Diana.  Penelope thanked the Gods that there was still someone on her side.

“What you suggest is extremely radical,” Hippolyta finally responded.  “Since its creation, Themyscira has maintained a strict level of separation from man’s world.  What you are suggesting goes against everything the Amazons have stood for since the beginning.  I know that you are serious about what you are telling us but I don’t believe that one person’s testimony is enough to warrant going back on centuries worth of precedent.”

“How about the testimony of two, mother?”

Hippolyta gaped as Diana rose from her chair and took a spot next to Penelope.  The princess looked across the gathering.  “You all know me and the ideals that I hold.  I would never blatantly lie to any of you so you must understand how serious I believe in Penelope and her visions to do what I am doing.”

“And what exactly are you doing, daughter?” Hippolyta asked.

“This girl sees things that the rest of cannot.  She gives us an early warning of a threat that could mean the end of the world and what do we do with this information?  We ignore her!  We jeer her!  We do everything but what needs to be done.  Mother, I understand that you don’t want to enter man’s world but I think in a situation like this, a compromise must be made.”

Donna laughed.  “Oh, you're going to get it--"

“Donna!” the queen interrupted.  “Diana, I know you mean well but this is not the way to go about this.  There must be something we can do that can help man’s world while maintaining our veil of separation from the outside world.”

“I don’t see how, mother, but perhaps there is a compromise that can be made.  Penelope suggested we send a team, but what would happen if we sent one.  One woman.  The greatest of the Amazons.  She could go as our ambassador into man’s world, spreading our word of peace while at the same time taking part in any plans to protect the world from the growing evil.”

There was no laughter this time.  Having seen Hippolyta’s concern for Penelope’s beliefs, the others were starting to realize that this situation wasn’t going to go away as easily as they had all thought.

“On the off chance that I agree with this compromise, daughter,” Hippolyta said, “how do you suggest we go about finding the one Amazon that will represent us all?”

Penelope raised her hand hesitantly into the air, drawing all attention back to her.  “If I may, my queen, I may have the answer to that.”


"A contest?" Hippolyta asked once more, almost in disbelief.

"Yes, mother," Diana responded.  "If you look at it, a contest of the Amazons is the most unbiased way to choose one warrior to send into man's world."

Mother and daughter stood inside Hippolyta's royal chambers.  After the meeting, the queen had requested Diana's individual attention.  Knowing immediately what it would concern, Diana was hesitant to follow Hippolyta out of the throne room.  However, her mother was also the queen of Themyscira, a fact which, Diana seemed to take for granted, so the princess knew she had to obey.

Hippolyta was silent for a moment as she shed the gaudy robes that she wore in the presence of her subjects.  She threw a glance at the princess, who was shifting uncomfortably.  "You seem...eager, Diana."

"I'm simply waiting, mother."

"And what would that be for?"

"For you to say what is truly on your mind."

Hippolyta was halted by the bluntness of the words but quickly recovered.  "Alright, Diana.  What you did was horribly out of line.  If you had wanted to bring this contest idea before me, you should have done so in private."

“Mother, you and I both know that if you had it your way, you would ignore all of this until the last possible moment.  By doing what I did, I’m getting a reaction.  The things that Penelope tells me are absolutely out of this world.  Ancient magicks, resurrected demons, and other things that would quiet even the Amazons.  Themyscira cannot stand back and let the world fight her battles.  We have to take action before it’s too late.  The contest is the answer.”

Hippolyta rubbed her forehead, an dull ache moving around her head.  “Why do you hate me so much, Diana?”

“Excuse me?”

“You hate me.  I mean, you have to, to go behind my back the way you did.”

Diana threw up her hands in a grand gesture.  “Mother, this has nothing to do with you and me.  This is about continuing Themyscira’s existence in a world that’s about to become much more deadly.  Bad things are coming.  We must be prepared to be steadfast in our retaliation.”

As Diana spoke, Hippolyta had moved to the window and was looking out over the lust pasture of the island.  She wanted to throw down her responsibilities as queen and simply enjoy Themyscira for the natural beauty that it possessed.  But alas, duty called and Hippolyta was about to make one of the most important decisions she had ever made as queen.

“Alright, Diana,” she responded.  “Have it your way.  The contest will go ahead as discussed.  However, I have one compromise of my own to throw on the table.”

“And what would that be?”

“You and Donna,” Hippolyta answered.  “Neither of you are permitted to take part in the contest.  I will not have my own flesh and blood break Themysciran tradition and step foot into man’s world.”


As the sun went down on Themyscira, a group of four young women, including the two princesses, sat together on the beach, huddled around a small fire.  Diana had spent the last ten minutes telling the girls what had been discussed during her conversation with her mother.  The looks she got upon the completion of her story varied from general indifference to starry-eyed surprise.

“Are you going to listen to her, Diana?” Aella asked.  She was sitting wrapped up in a blanket of fantastic Amazon design.  She was staring at Diana as if the princess possessed all the answers in the universe.  “There are certain ways around this.  I mean you could disguise yourself and win the contest easily.  I’ve seen the way you fight and carry yourself in battle.  It would be easy.”

“Not even an option, Aella.”

“Why not?” Timandra, the other girl, asked.  She was sitting at Aella’s side, her knees pulled up to her chest.

“If I blatantly go against my mother’s orders again, especially in this circumstance, then she could overrule her past decision.”

Donna sat forward in her chair.  “Why does it even matter?”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“Oh, wouldn’t I, Diana?  I’m sick of your patronizing tone whenever you speak.  I’m not the child that you think I am!”

The princesses had risen to their feet and were squaring off against each other.  Diana didn’t want to fight and kept a very calm exterior.  On the other hand, Donna had quickly become angry and was balling up her fists in preparation for a forthcoming attack.  Aella and Timandra had jumped up and stepped between them.

“Now is not the time for one of your infamous fights,” Timandra told the princesses.  “We have a serious matter before us.  Diana, you keep telling us how important going to man’s world is.  That’s why we have the contest.  Now, your mother has barred you from the taking part in the contest.  What are we going to do?”

Diana shrugged.  “The contest will take place and we will have our champion.  I don’t see why are you hesitant.”

“It’s just that…well…” Aella looked to Timandra before speaking again.  “We just assumed that since you are so gung ho about the contest that you would want to be the one sent to man’s world to protect us.”

Diana was halted.  “Well, I mean, I never really thought about it.  No matter how you view me, I’m not a warrior.  I figured-”

“You don’t want to go,” Donna stated firmly.  “It’s as simple as that.”

“But, Diana, if its not going to be you,” Aella began.  It was Timandra that finished the statement-

“Then who is it going to be?”


Part Three - The Contest

The day that the contest was scheduled to begin arrived fast.  The sun rose, welcoming a glorious new morning to the island.  The Amazons gathered early in the morning before the Royal Palace where a fenced off area had been turned into a make shift battleground.  Those that sought to participate in the contest were told to assemble in the middle of the battlefield and wait for the arrival of the queen.  There was an anxious feeling in the crowd as they waited for Hippolyta to open the festivities.

Diana stood a ways off, watching as the Amazons excitedly chattered about rumors of participants and tasks that they would be put through.  As of yet, the battleground the gathering had taken place at hadn’t been explained but everyone had their own story as to the field’s purpose.  Diana scouted the group of participants and found that the gathering was a small one.

Timandra was at the side of the princess.  Answering Diana’s unasked question, she said, “Nobody wanted to enter the contest.  They think that life on Themyscira is too sweet to go gallivanting off across the globe.  Only a select few warriors feel proud to take on that burden.”

“I wouldn’t have thought that the Amazons would be so concerned with-”

Timandra interrupted Diana’s focus with a question.  “Did you hear about Aella?”

Diana turned to her friend, curious.  “No, but I was wondering why she wasn’t here.”

“She’s entering the contest.”

“What?”

Timandra nodded.  “That was pretty much my reaction too.  She said that since you weren’t taking part, someone trustworthy needed to be victorious.  I wouldn’t enter so Aella believed that meant the responsibility fell to her.”

“The contest is for warriors.  Donna fights better than Aella.  She’s going to be hurt!”

“There’s still time to convince her to get out before your mother-”

“My fellow Amazons!” a voice boomed, “The time has begun!”

Timandra was silenced and both she and Diana turned to see Hippolyta addressing the assembled Amazons.  The queen stood regally in her robes as she spoke.

“What was that, Timandra?” Diana asked, seeing their one opportunity gone.

Timandra rubbed the bridge of her nose.  “Oh, Gaea!  Aella is beyond help now.”


The rules of the contest were simple.  There would be two rounds of competition with participants being knocked out each round.  The last two Amazons standing would compete in combat and the winner would be elected representative to man’s world.  What would happen after that, nobody, including the queen and her family, were quite sure.  Hippolyta had agreed to take things one at a time.

The first competition had been an obstacle course around the perimeter of Themyscira.  There had been a variety of tasks that had felled a handful of Amazons.  By the competition's end, the number of Amazons seeking a bid to man's world had been cut in half.  Diana and Timandra had been surprised to find that Aella was one of those that had successfully passed the obstacle course.

However, as they both realized, this was only one day.  The tasks were going to get progressively more dangerous.

The biggest surprise of the day was the woman that had finished the obstacle course ahead of all of the rest.  Her name was Artemis.  By nature, she was a loner.  The rest of the women hardly knew a thing about her, but, due to her performance, she had quickly become well respected and the obvious choice to win the contest.

As she strode by, Diana locked eyes with Artemis and found the spirit of a warrior staring back at her.  Yes, Artemis would be a fine choice to represent Themyscira.

Diana kept moving, stopping when she reached Aella, who was breathing heavily from the recent exertion of her body.  "You did well, Aella.  But I must wonder why-"

"I was so afraid when I entered, Diana!" Aella responded, enthusiastically.  "But now that I've gotten into the second round, I know that I'm going to be victorious overall!  Nothing can stop me now that I-"

"Diana!"

The princess turned at the call of her name and found Penelope running toward her in a panic.  "What is it, Penelope?"

The Seer's chest was heaving but it was not due to the sprint.  Penelope had been crying-

"Diana, we're running out of time!"


After parting ways with Aella, Diana led Penelope into her private quarters.  Sitting the oracle down on her bed, Diana looked into her eyes and asked what she had seen.

"Its face!  I saw its face, princess!  It was hideous!"

"Who's face did you see?"

Penelope looked to be on the verge of tears once more.  "The reason that this contest is going on.  The evil that is rising will be here soon with forces that even the Amazons cannot seek to conquer.  I see his face!  It was like rock, gray and chiseled.  I'm afraid of what I've seen, princess, but the message of the vision was clear.  Time is running out!"

Diana motioned for Penelope to calm.  "Take a deep breath.  The contest is underway and we will have our champion soon.  Themyscira will not be defenseless."

A great pain overtook Penelope at that moment and she crumpled, rolling off the bed and onto the floor.  Diana knelt at her side and tried to keep the writhing form still.  Penelope was having a vision, obviously rather vivid in imagery.  Trying to keep the seer conscious, Diana began screaming out her name, trying to snap her out of her current state.

Through the chaos, Penelope repeatedly screamed, "They know what we are doing.

"They're coming!"


The contest continued the next day with a series of challenges that tested a variety of abilities, from archery to attack strength.  The scores from all of the events were added up into a composite score and the top two were chosen to participate in the final duel, the winner being sent to man's world almost immediately.  Not surprising, Artemis had the highest score of all the Amazons.  Aella was eliminated in this round, crushing her dreams of being a figurehead for the public unveiling of the Amazons.  The opponent of Artemis was an older woman called Epitis.  She had barely succeeded in passing the obstacle course but her scores in the second round had been extraordinary, on par with Artemis.

As the sunset and the Amazons departed for their homes, Diana found herself summoned to the throne room by her mother.  The princess swept in past the guards, her robes fluttering at her feet as she moved.  Hippolyta was awaiting her daughter from her throne and a smile grew on her face at Diana's appearance.

"Daughter," Hippolyta welcomed her.

Diana responded with a simple nod.  "You wanted to see me, mother?"

"I heard that there was a situation with Penelope today.  I must admit I was rather distressed to hear about it from Phillipus rather than my own daughter but I digress.  Tell me about it, Diana."

"She had another vision."

"Penelope seems to be having them more and more frequently now."

"I believe that is because, as she told me, we are running out of time.  With the days of deliberation that led up to the contest, we wasted precious hours that should have been spent building up our defenses.  I do believe that Themyscira shall soon find itself under attack from the forces that you didn't believe existed.  We must have our champion and she must be sent before it is too late."

Hippolyta was shaking her head as she rose from her throne.  "You are upset with me, I see that now.  You are angered because I did not let you compete-"

"THIS IS NOT ALWAYS ABOUT YOU AND ME, MOTHER!"

Hippolyta was caught off guard by the outburst.  Embarrassed, Diana placed her hand over her mouth, fearful that if she didn't, the angry ranting would continue.  The queen scowled and moved to her daughter.

"Is it truly wrong of me to want to keep my family close to the bosom of home?  You and I both know that you could win this contest without trouble, daughter, but I don't want you to leave me.  I realize it is selfish but I am queen of Themyscira and you must do whatever I tell you to do."

"Your selfishness is going to get Themyscira destroyed, mother."

The statement put a bitter end to the conversation.  Hippolyta turned and headed toward her room, leaving a bewildered Diana standing, wondering what had caused her to give voice to all the frustrations she had been feeling.  Her anger had been growing for months, since Diana had realized that life on Themyscira no longer made her happy.  She longed to make a difference.  She hadn't wanted to admit it until now but she had seen the contest as her pass off of Themyscira.  Hippolyta had stolen that from her and Diana had directed all her anger, warranted or not, toward her mother.

Shaking her head, Diana was on the move.  Time was still running out.


The next day, the entire island turned out to see the conclusion to the contest.  The area in front of the Royal Palace had been surrounded on all sides by Amazons.  Artemis and Epitis stood on opposing sides of the makeshift rectangular arena, both growing with anticipation.  The queen and her daughters watched the event from a high rise atop the palace.  They appeared professional but Diana could not have been more uncomfortable.  Hippolyta rose to her feet-

"Amazons of Themyscira!" she began.  "The great evil continues to rise!  After today, we will have our champion and she shall go forth into a New World and teach them who the Amazons are!"

Cheers rose throughout the crowd.

"Themyscira will survive whatever is coming.  Individually, we are strong, but together, we are nearly unbeatable.  Take heed, my sisters, for today begins a new era in Themyscira.  For our part, we must rise to meet it!

"Let the contest conclude!"

And with that, the two combatants began to circle.  There were no immediate attacks as Artemis and Epitis sized up each other.  The Amazons watched attentively, waiting to see which woman would become their representative in a new, unknown world.

After a considerable stretch of time, Artemis lunged forward, flipping over the head of her opponent and landing squarely.  The favorite to win chopped Epitis in the back of the neck, sending the girl to the ground.  She wasn't down long, however, as Epitis flipped back up to her feet.  She dodged several attacks from Artemis before connecting a right cross and an uppercut to the stomach.

As the fight progressed, a shadow fell over the field of battle.  Diana was the first to notice.  She looked up and felt her jaw drop.  A black cloud had formed over the heads of the Amazons.  Upon closer inspection, however, Diana found that said cloud was not made up of air particles, but rather living individuals.  Wings stretched and flew as the cloud came closer.

"Mother," Diana muttered, barely audible.  "We're out of time."

Hippolyta, confused by her daughter's vague statement, saw her path of vision and looked upward.  She rose to her feet in a panic and turned to address the gathered Amazons.

Before she could utter a word, however, the cloud began to descend quickly.


Part Four - The Attack

Hippolyta watched motionlessly as the Amazons came under attack.  She felt helpless at the moment.  The enemy had appeared so quickly that there hadn't been proper time to mount an offensive.  Her legs began to shake as lives were taken and she reached out to grasp the stone armrest on her chair.  "Diana, Donna..."

Diana was in a similar state as she watched those that she loved fight for their lives.  She longed to jump into the fight and protect Themyscira but rushing off headlong in battle would only get her and even more killed.  The Amazons needed a plan of action.  Diana turned.  "Mother..."

"What are those things?" Donna asked before Diana could continue.  "They look like-"

"Harpies, sister," Diana responded.  "That is most definitely what they are."

"I thought the harpies were only a myth?"

"Myth, most definitely not," Hippolyta responded with a headshake.  "However, they have not been seen in many decades.  I assumed they had died out but it seems that I am wrong."

Diana grasped her mother by the shoulders.  "We have to get down there and rally our forces before it’s too late.  The harpies are tearing through the Amazons.  If we wait too long, we will have missed our chance."

Moving away, Diana was stopped as her mother pulled her back.  "Diana, what is this?  What is going on?"

"Just what I told you, mother," Diana replied.  "The evil that I have been trying to prevent from reaching Themyscira has moved faster than I could have thought possible.  We must act now or everyone on Themyscira will die!"


Artemis, like her namesake, hunted gloriously.  She stalked through the crowd of Amazons, crouching down so that she couldn't be seen.  When one of the harpies was overhead, she would push off the ground, taking the demon by force and pulling it down to the ground.  This tactic worked several times.

"Die, vile demon!" she exclaimed after a punch to the head of her third victim.  The harpy continued to wriggle until Artemis gauged it in the throat.  She heard a gratifying crack and only after moments without movement was Artemis satisfied that her foe had been defeated.  "That will teach you to invade my home."

Without another thought, Artemis moved onto her next target.


All around Themyscira the Amazons were fighting back.  After the initial surprise of the harpies' attack, the female warriors had managed to get their acts together and their hands upon weapons.  Casualties fell on both sides of the struggle as the sun rose high into the sky.

On a cliffside in an isolated part of the island, Penelope stood staring out over the crashing water.  She figured it would just be so easy to end it all.  The visions would stop.  The worrying would stop.  Life would be over and she could finally rest peacefully.

And, just as she began to fell forward, a hand reached out and pulled her back.  Penelope was thrown to the ground.

Her vision hazed and the severity of what she had almost done to herself began to press upon her like a sandbag.  Tears streaked down her face as she openly wept.  "Oh, Gaea..."

"What were you trying to do?"

The voice caused Penelope to perk up.  She cleared her eyes of all tears and looked up into the face of Princess Diana.  The princess was visibly angry.

"How dare you try to do something like that to yourself, Penelope," Diana responded.  She looked ready to pummel the seer.  "Life is to precious to give up.  You are too valuable an asset to lose right now.  Themyscira is burning."

"What are you talking about?  What have I ever done?"

"You were the one that told us about the forces at work here.  I don't want to imagine how different things would have been had we had no warning whatsoever.  People will live this day because we were taking the necessary precautions to protect Themyscira from the outside world and this evil that-"

"Darkseid."

Diana was halted by the sudden outburst.  "Excuse me?"

"The evil.  It has a name.  It's Darkseid.  He's a warlord that's returning to destroy the planet."

"How do you-"

"I had another vision.  It was intense.  I think that's what caused me to come out here and-"

Diana helped Penelope to her feet.  "Let me get you inside.  It's only a matter of time before th4e enemy makes its way out here and I want to make sure you're safe."

"What are you going to do, Diana?"

The face of the princess was set in grim determination.  "What I do best."


Hippolyta strode through the Royal Palace toward the entrance hall.  Against her wishes, her daughters had ran off with every intent to get involved in the battle.  That had been nearly an hour ago.  By now, the queen was sick with worry.

A figure past by and, upon realizing who it was, Hippolyta called out.  "Phillipus!"

The Amazon stopped in her tracks and turned.  She gave a slight bow to her queen.  "What is it, my queen?"

"I need a report."

"The fighting has subsided temporarily.  The harpies have gone into hiding but don't be fooled.  They are waiting for the perfect moment to strike back at us.  We cannot give them that moment."

"What of our champions?"

"Epitis has already fallen.  Artemis is...well, no one has seen her since the beginning of the attack.  I'm not sure what to think."

"And my daughters?"  This question was posed through an attempt to hold back tears.

"I have just seen Donna, my queen.  I believe she is in the palace someplace.  Diana, however, has not been seen since around the same time as Artemis.  Our two greatest warriors have disappeared to parts unknown, my queen, what are we going to do?"

The queen offered no response.


At that moment, Artemis stalked through the outskirts of the royal city.  The attack of the harpies had been fast and well executed.  Many had fallen.  However, when the harpies had the upper hand and could have defeated Themyscira, they had disengaged and headed off for parts unknown.

Due to her self-taught tracking skills, Artemis had found what she believed to be one of several makeshift bases that the harpies had instituted with the island's perimeter.

Moving quickly but silently through the brush, Artemis pushed aside a stray branch and felt a smile come to her face.

She had been correct.  A small cadre of harpies had gathered after the attack.  They talked in an unknown tongue but their laughter was obvious.  They thought the Amazons defeated.  It was a premature assumption that would cost them in the end.

Artemis reached for her bow and a handful of arrows.  Using a talent that had been honed over many hours of practice, Artemis pulled the bow taunt and let the arrows fly.

Six arrows broke through the brush.  Six harpies fell with mortal wounds.

Those that had been lucky enough to survive the attack let out a hiss that made the skin on Artemis' body shiver.  The harpies split up.  A few took to the air, breaking through the natural canopy of the trees.  The others spread out in a circular pattern, confident that one of them would come across the offender.

Too bad it would be over before then.

Artemis reached for more arrows and let them fly.  Harpy after harpy fell in the wake of Artemis' attacks.

And, just at the moment of her victory, the brush was parted and one of the harpies stood over her.

"You will die for your insolence," it muttered, still speaking in a tongue that Artemis couldn't decipher.

Artemis rolled back, avoiding the harpy's first attack.  Back on her feet, Artemis executed a perfect roundhouse, catching her opponent in the side of the neck and sending it to the ground.  The harpy attempted to return to its feet but Artemis was a step ahead.  The warrior grasped the head of her opponent and twisted until she felt it crack.  The harpy fell back to the ground, instantly dead.

Without a thought of her victory, Artemis had her bow and was moving again.

This was just the beginning.


The royal city had fallen eerily quiet.  Diana couldn't help but consider it a ghost town as she walked toward her destination.

Her conversation with Penelope had been informative and she now knew what would be required of her.  Her mother would be devastated but that didn't slow the princess.

A scream split the air.  Diana was shocked to a stop.

A second followed moments later and Diana was in motion.  She ran a block, following a continual issuance of screams. 

The sounds of panic were coming from a place of worship, dedicated to the goddess Athena.  Diana didn't slow as she came across a locked door.  The wood splintered and shattered underneath the force of her blow.

Forcing her way inside, Diana was shocked to see a trio of harpies finishing off a small group of Amazons that had found protection among their deity.

"You monsters!" Diana exclaimed.  She launched herself forward.

The first of the harpies to come up against her was felled immediately.  Diana had gone for the kill, punching into the face as hard as she could muster.  Bones had broken and the harpy had fallen dead without so much as a squeak.

The sight enraged the leftover pair of invaders causing them to hiss with anger.  Diana stood over the carcass of the one she had just killed and motioned for them to attack.

The harpies fought as one.  Diana was hard pressed to dodge the attacks that came in twos and always blocked her obvious path of evasion.  She blocked a kick with her wrists and simultaneously jumped over a leg sweep aimed to knock her off balance.

Diana managed to connect with one of the harpies, a punch that sent the invader careening away.

One on one, the second harpy fell easily.  For good measure, she grasped the harpy by the neck and snapped it.

The final harpy rose to its feet and screamed in anguish seeing that it was all alone.  Its wings fluttered and it ran forward.  Diana grabbed a standing candle holder and impaled the harpy.  Its blood rolled across the ground, its life essence fading forever.

Finally having a moment to rest, Diana searched the interior of the place of worship and found that everyone that had hidden was now dead.

With a feeling of defeat, Diana muttered, "Your deaths will be avenged, my sisters."


Part Five - The Mastermind

The queen sat upon her throne, staring off into space.  Hippolyta had been sitting there for longer than she could remember.  The only movement that her body afforded was a solitary blink coming at regular intervals.  Tears rolled down her flushed cheeks.

It was her fault that the harpies had attacked.  She had ignored both the oracle and her daughter, both of whom had tried to tell her on more than one occasion that the Amazons were in danger.  Yes, she had abandoned the pleas of those closest to her, seeking instead to believe that everything was as it should have been.  And now, due to her foolishness, Themyscira was paying the price.

Perhaps there was still time to remedy her actions.  If the Amazons survived the ferocity of the harpies, maybe there was a chance that the Amazons could still give their aid to man's world, hereby breaking the Themysciran belief of isolation.  Was it really worth it?  Was it acceptable if the rest of the world was destroyed and only Themyscira survived to keep the world going?

Hippolyta winced at the evil thoughts in her head.  She wondered whether she was truly willing to sacrifice the rest of the world to save herself, her daughters, and those faithful to her.  Her body was wracked with sobbing-

"Mother?"

Hippolyta looked up through tearful eyes.  Donna was moving slow and methodic like through the expanse of the throne room, crossing the distance from the entrance to her mother.  The signs of battle were obvious on the youngest princess.  Cuts and scrapes covered her body and there was a wound on her head that had long sensed dried up.  Hippolyta jumped to her feet-

"Donna, my daughter, are you alright?"

"I'm fine.  I was just sideswiped by a pair of harpies hiding outside the palace.  For some reason, they refused to come in."  The princess took a step toward her throne, smaller but quite as dignified, a slight limp in her movement.  "Mother, where is Diana.  We need her if we are to cast back the harpies."

"I have been asking that question all day, Donna.  Your sister seems to have vanished.  As always, my mind stimulates horrible images.  I fear that Diana has been lost."

Donna gritted her teeth.  "Why would you say that?"

"Truth is a virtue, daughter, especially on Themyscira.  I would have hoped you learned at least that.  It accomplishes nothing to live your life with delusional thoughts floating around your head.  It is very possible that Diana is dead.  That is the truth."

"And you wonder why Diana hates you so--"

There was a great rumble as a portion of the roof caved in, covering the end of Donna's comment.  They both looked up as two harpies streamed in, their wings pulsing as they flew laps around the interior of the throne room.

Hippolyta turned to Donna.  "You said they would not enter the building."

"Things change, mother," Donna responded, harshly.  "That's the truth."  She moved to engage one of the harpies before Hippolyta could respond.

Though she was nowhere near the warrior that her sister was, Donna didn't hesitate to jump into battle.  One of harpies tackled her to the floor and they rolled over and over until Donna ended up on top.  She punched the harpy in the face, stunning it into submission.  She kept fighting, however, until the harpy was writhing in pain, unable to protect itself.

The second harpy had looked past the beating that its brethren was receiving and found the queen standing stock still.  Hippolyta was gawking as she witnessed the brutality with which Donna fought.  The girl had never seemed to take interest in the ancient ways of the Amazons, such as learning self defense to protect the island should it ever fall under attack as it had today.  However, seeing Donna now made the queen realize that she should have given her daughter a little more credit.

Its wings flapping, Hippolyta looked up and sneered.  "You will not find me easily taken, monster!"

The two were engaged, the harpy trying to maintain a safe distance from the queen's strikes while lashing out with its own attacks.  The queen dodged a punch and ripped the harpy from the air, throwing it down to the ground.  Out of its element, the harpy fell quickly.  Chest heaving, the queen glanced upon her conquest with a look of defiance.

"Mother?"

Hippolyta looked.  Donna had successfully defeated her own opponent and was looking at her mother with a strange look on her face.

"It's over, daughter.  The Amazons will be triumphant.  We will--"

A mark on the left cheek of the downed harpy caught her eye and her jaw dropped.  For a moment, she looked hesitant but a heavy realization fell on her.

"What is it?" Donna asked.

"I know who sent these vile creatures here," Hippolyta said.  "I know of the evil Penelope spoke of.  He died long ago, being defeated by myself and a handful of others.  Its name is...

"Darkseid!"


Part Six - The Champion

The boat had departed Themyscira in a silence that had yet to be broken.  The lone passenger on board had used her great strength to steer the boat out into the middle of the ocean.  When she had reached a good distance from her home, she stood and stared back at it.  The island was paradise.  Yet, it was no longer home.

Diana couldn't help but wonder how long it had been since she had started to feel out of place among her people.  It was a nagging feeling that she had denied for months.  It was a pity that it had taken an attack on Themysciran land and the deaths of a countless number to make her see the truth.

The winds pushed the boat farther out to sea.  Diana did not end her watch until Themyscira was nothing but a pinprick in the distance.  She hefted a sigh and took a seat, grabbing an ore in the process.

She dipped the tool in the blue water and the boat lurched forward.

The contest had been interrupted before a winner could be chosen.  Epitis had been killed and, last Diana had heard, Artemis had been missing in action.  It had been at this point that Diana, against her mother's wishes, had chosen herself as representative to Metarun.  She didn't know when Hippolyta would find out, but, whenever it was, it would be too late.

The world was ending.  But it would not go down without a fight.

Penelope had seen the formation of a league, combining the greatest warriors from all the great cities around the world.  Though Themyscira had remained isolated from such places as Metropolis and Gotham, the Amazons were still a powerful force and that strength would be needed if Darkseid was going to be stopped once more.

She was Diana, Princess of Themyscira.

She was Diana, representative of the Amazons.

She was Wonder Woman!


Part Seven - The Secret

The tide was turning and it was only a matter of time before the harpies were wiped out.  Fighting was taking place all over the island, but strangely all fighting had ceased in the royal city.  The palace was empty all save one, who had lost all strength to battle.  The silence of her bedroom was broken by her sobs.  Hippolyta lay upon her bed, thinking over the realization that she had had.

History was repeating itself.

It was true that Hippolyta knew of Darkseid and the threat he posed to the entire world.  It was also true that she now knew it was necessary for Themyscira to become involved in this oncoming war or the planet would die.

She had a secret that only a few Amazons knew.  And most of those that knew had perished in some fashion or another.

Hippolyta had, during the tyranny of Darkseid the first time, left the shores of Themyscira and traveled to Metarun to put an end to the dark ruler.  It was not a fact that she liked to fess up to, especially after denying her daughter's request to do the same, but if Hippolyta had not been there, then Darkseid might not have fallen.  It had taken the combined efforts of a society of heroes to do that which the world at large couldn't.

Darkseid had been defeated.

Metarun had fallen into a kind of peace.  Themyscira had been spared.

Hippolyta had returned to the island, saying that she had been stuck in bed with a deadly illness.  Nobody had asked questions.

Everything had been right again.  Or as right as it could possibly be.

But now it seemed that Darkseid was back.  It was apparent from the brutal attack on Themyscira that he wanted revenge on those that defeated him the first time.  Metarun was not safe.  Themyscira was not safe.  The world was doomed as long as Darkseid lived.

The seer had said that a league was forming, almost like history was repeating itself.  The greatest heroes of Metarun would be all that stood between Darkseid and his complete dominion of the world.  It was only fitting that Themyscira send a representative.  Hippolyta sighed.  It didn't take an idiot to realize that Diana had gone, throwing herself into harm's way just as Hippolyta had done years ago.  On the one hand, the queen was proud, but her belief in the unwritten rules of Themyscira held steadfast.

The queen didn't know what to think.

As the night turned to day, she found herself wide-awake, her mind turning a mile a minute.

But, amidst conflicting thoughts, one held true always: she hoped that Diana would be safe.


Epilogue - The Beginning of the End

It took a bit of time but inevitably the last of the harpies were rooted out and defeated.  Most of the intruders had been killed during the initial battles, but those few that survived were banished from Themyscira and told never to return, lest they face a horrible death that they couldn't even fathom.  The defeated harpies had given it a single thought before they flew off with their figurative tails between their legs.

The process of rebuilding Themyscira was a task that would take a great deal more time.  Ancient buildings had been destroyed, taking history along with it.  With a heavy heart, the Amazons set about repairing these places, knowing that their home would never be the same.

After the battles, the citizens of Themyscira had come together and a search went on to find whoever wasn't present.  The dead were countless.  Artemis was nowhere to be found, the assumption having been quickly made that she had died in service to Themyscira.  Names of other dead or missing kept pouring in, overwhelming the queen.  The sorrow caused her to move into her bedroom, the extravagant bedding welcoming her with open arms.  The tears started then when she was all alone, no one in the world to talk to.

And it was a perfect time for there to be a knock on the door.

Hippolyta sat up, wiping away the tears.  "Come in."

Donna, noticing that her mother was no longer present, had went off in search of her.  Having checked the throne room first, the princess was glad to find Hippolyta in one piece, fearing that she had been scarred by her sorrow.  "It's okay, mother.  We loved Diana but we can get through this as long as we stick--"

"She is not dead, Donna."

Looking at her mother through tear soaked eyes, Donna looked as if a cruel prank was being played on her.  "Mother, what are you--"

"She is not dead," Hippolyta repeated with a stern confidence.  "In fact, your sister is very much alive and on her way to Man's World."

"What?" Donna asked.  "How do you know this?"

"I know the way that Diana thinks.  When the attack came, we lost one of our potential champions and the other ran off into battle.  Diana is always thinking of one thing at a time and, assuming I am correct, when about electing herself representative to Metarun against my wishes.  She knew that they needed the experience of an Amazon on their side.  And, after seeing who is responsible for the attack, I am inclined to agree with her one hundred percent."

Donna was flabbergasted.  "So, you're saying--"

"Diana has gone off to become a part of something that neither of us could fathom.  Penelope's vision said a league was forming.  This world will not fall to the tyranny of Darkseid, especially if Diana has something to say about it."

Hippolyta sat down next to her daughter and wrapped her arms around her.  "This world will be preserved.  We will see Diana again.  I love you both more than life itself."

With a heavy heart, Donna excepted her mother's embrace.  The woman was speaking with such great passion, but something inside Donna told her that things would not end so merrily.  Before this oncoming war was finished, there would be casualties.  There was even a possible that Diana, Princess of Themyscira, could be among them.

As she hugged her mother, Donna wept.

Next Issue:  League of Kingdoms is quickly approaching its dramatic conclusion.  As the heroes gather, the world of Metarun falls into chaos, heralding the return of the Dark Lord- Darseid!  Will the assembled heroes be able to turn back the tide of the great darkness sweeping across their lands as their ancestors did, or will the world fall to shadow in the end?  Find out in the next exciting episode- the JLA 2004 Annual!  Coming soon!

Story © 2005 Matt Hrubey and may not be reproduced without permission.