Ultimate Wonder Woman #2: Paradise Lost, Part 1

[DiscipleofBob]

Issue 2: Paradise Lost, Part 1

Vanessa reached into the debris, clearing whatever pieces she could lift. Finally, she reached the warrior woman trapped underneath, bleeding from a head wound. Unsure of whether she'd be able to get her completely out on her own, Vanessa tried lightly shaking the woman awake. "Lady, you okay? Come on, wake up!"

===WW===

It took a moment for the nudges to be effective, slowly jarring Diana awake.

It took her another moment to recognize her surroundings. Instead of waking up in her soft bed to the morning light of her bedroom window as she wished, she was in the libraries of Themyscira, having fallen asleep during her studies. Diana slowly sat upright, taking care to not wrinkle her regal, white waist-length dress and straighten the gold trim. She briefly ran her fingers through her long luxurious black hair, taking care that her unexpected nap would not disrupt the lesson further.

Too late, however, as her mentor had already taken notice. "Does the princess require more beauty rest?" she asked crossly. It was a form of sarcasm Diana was all too familiar with, made up of nauseating layers of politeness and formality which were then punctuated with her official title.

"I apologize, Amelia," Diana said slightly blushed. Even with two other students to cover for her, it was still impossible to deflect her mentor's attention for even a moment.

To her left, sitting next to the window overlooking the gardens of Themyscira, her best friend Troia shrugged apologetically, having tried unsuccessfully to wake Diana while Amelia's back was turned. Troia had features so strikingly similar to Diana's, they could easily be mistaken for sisters or even twins. For this reason Troia tried to dress more simply than the princess, tying her black hair back and wearing a modest magenta dress.

The third of the students had to stifle a small giggle. Lyta's purple full-length gown was rather plain in design, but she needed no help drawing attention to herself with her multicolored streaked hair.

"If everyone is finished with their midday naps, I hope we can resume the lesson?" Amelia wore a long, green, hooded dress. Although the Amazons of Themyscira were almost all women perpetually in their prime, all in peak physical condition, Amelia was one of the few Amazons to have the wrinkles of age. Although spry, the days where she could keep up with the younger warriors were long gone. These days where she organized the archives, scribed new works, and taught academia to the rest of the Amazons. "Diana, since you have been so kind to grace us with your attentions once again, perhaps we can begin with you telling us about the various factors leading up to the Trojan War?"

Ancient history again. Not Diana's favorite subject. "Mythological or historical?"

Amelia smiled. "Why not both?"

Diana sighed and slowly stood, forming her thoughts. "From the historical perspective, Troy was a major port city in the center of several major trade routes. A major portion of the city's income came from docking fees from shipments going all across the Mediterranean. However, Troy started charging more and more, and eventually started demanding stock percentages of the cargo. Their greed eventually made enemies out of their economic rivals who formed an alliance, thus causing the war.

"From a mythological perspective, the war was originally caused when one of the Golden Apples of Discord briefly caused a feud between several of the Olympians. When Paris, the prince Troy, held the apple before the Olympians, three of the Olympian goddesses claimed it should be paid to them as tribute. Athena offered knowledge. Hera offered power. Aphrodite offered the hand of Queen Helena of Sparta, despite her already being married to King Menelaus. Paris gave the apple to Aphrodite."

At that moment, the brief, distant twang signaled the arrow that soared through the window, inches in front of Troia's face nearly piercing Diana's cheek if not for her arm already raising to block it. The arrow sparked as it deflected off of her silver bracelet, a staple for all Amazons, regardless of trade or class, before imbedding in the chalkboard next to Amelia.

Diana finished her answer without interruption, "But when he went to Sparta to claim his prize, they would not surrender Helen, so he kidnapped her and took her back to Troy, thus starting the dispute which caused the war."

Amelia sighed at the arrow, unsurprised at its sudden entrance but not appreciative. "And to what do I owe this interruption, Artemis?"

The owner of the arrow leapt through the window, bow in hand, smirking. Even by Amazon standards the red-haired Artemis was still muscular and powerfully built. There was rarely a moment in the day when she wasn't fully dressed for war, even now she wore the leather training armor and functional weapons. "Not bad, princess. Your reflexes are still sharp despite relaxing," Artemis used the word 'relaxing' to describe anything not physically intensive in nature, such as these scholarly studies. She turned to Diana's handmaiden. "You, on the other hand, should be more aware of your surroundings. It is your duty to take an arrow before the princess can. The same can be said of all Amazons, but for you, Troia, it is the most important of your duties." Troia's face reddened.

"It is still time for Diana's studies, Artemis. Must you interrupt every lesson with arrows and swords?"

"Not every enemy will wait for a more convenient time to attack, nor will they always announce their presence. One must always be ready should the tides of battle come in!"

"And I'm certain that you speak from experience of the many wars that Themyscira has had over the course of the past millenia. How many were there again?" Amelia asked as Artemis scowled. "I know mathematics are not something you consider an appropriate past time for a warrior, so I'll save you the complex calculations that must result from counting. The answer is none."

Artemis grimaced as her hand subconsciously reached for the hilt of her sword. "If you desire to test my patience, bookworm, perhaps you and I should meet in the sparring ring."

"Oh I don't think that would be necessary. I do not have much time to tame savage wildlife these days."

The red-haired Amazon could only growl in response. Diana struggled to suppress her laughter, but her fellow students weren't so successful, Troia giving a light snicker and Lyta giggling softly, but both were quickly silenced from Artemis's sharp gaze. "I shall see the three of you in combat training. Do not let Amelia's precious books delay you," she said with a wicked grin. The three of their faces turned white with the same dread as Artemis left with a smirk, this time through an actual door.

"Well, there goes my plans for the evening," Lyta said with a soft, submissive sigh, "They required the use of my legs."

"I'm certain it won't be that bad. Artemis just likes to put the fear of Hera in her trainees. That's all," Troia reassured her.

===WW===

Hours later...

The force of the kick sent Troia flying across the battlefield of the open-aired coliseum. She barely managed to hold on to her sword as she waited for the muscles in her gut to allow her to breathe again. She briefly considered running to the weapons rack on the sidelines, one of the few places she could run where Artemis would not immediately follow, and switch out her sword for perhaps a trident or net. But deep down Troia knew that no combination of weaponry between the three of them, fully armored and equipped, would be able to bring down the champion of Themyscira, who hadn't even broken a sweat despite her students exhausting all of their energies on her.

Lyta had already taken several hard blows from Artemis and was attempting to stay out of the fight, far enough to stay out of Artemis's range but close enough that she wouldn't be seen as retreating and thus draw her trainer's fury once again.

Diana currently held Artemis's attention, swinging her gladius two-handed with as much strength as she could muster, but even with the extra force Artemis had no trouble deflecting each strike with her one-handed shortsword. Deciding she had humored the princess enough, Artemis parried and dislodged Diana's sword from her hand. The Amazon princess had barely enough time to register her disadvantage before Artemis bashed her in the side with the pommel of her weapon, knocking her back towards the other two.

"Have you been practicing as I instructed? It certainly does not seem so," Artemis said as she casually walked over to the three exhausted Amazons. "Perhaps I should speak with the queen and extend your training sessions, lest you become complacent."

Diana was the first back on her feet. "All right. Troia, you and I will flank her. Keep her as occupied as possible. Lyta, hold back and wait for an opening. With one eye on each of us she should..."

"Forget it, Diana. It's Artemis we're talking about here," Lyta interrupted between breaths, "She could be blindfolded and bound and we still would not be able to win."

"We have to try! Our pride as Amazons is at stake!"

"No offense, Diana, but if losing to Artemis would forfeit our pride as Amazons, then that was lost many years ago," said Troia. "Lyta's right. Against Artemis, the tactics do not matter. There is nothing we could do that we haven't tried many times before."

"Come on! There is still fight left in our us!" Diana tried once again to rally the others.

"For you maybe. I wish Artemis would go easy on us for once," Lyta complained.

"Artemis never goes easy," Diana said.

"She does for you," Lyta replied.

Diana scowled. She would have denied the statement if Artemis's shadow hadn't enveloped them as she stepped closer. "Break's over." Her sword clashed down between the three causing them to scatter. Troia followed Diana's plan of attack as the two circled their opponent. In a fit of desperation, Lyta's eyes glowed a deep violet. With a wave of her hand, a nearby weapons rack flung its contents at Artemis, showering her in a wide array of blades. Alerted only by the clanging of metal on metal, Artemis reacted on instinct, throwing her arms up to deflect each blade. Various swords and spears sparked off her silver bracelets before embedding themselves in the ground.

Diana and Troia, just outside the field of weaponry, hastened to grab new armaments before Artemis could charge one of them. Diana took a sword and shield while Troia grabbed a trident and net. The latter charged forward with the trident, only for Artemis to shift to the side and grab it under her arm. Diana rushed forward, her shield raised and her sword ready to strike at Artemis's exposed guard.

Despite one arm occupied and the awkward angle, Artemis parried the sword with her own and thrust both to the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, Artemis saw Troia rear back to throw the net, so she quickly kicked the center of Diana's shield, throwing the Amazon princess on her back. With one threat momentarily out of the way, her sword switched hands so her now free arm could catch the net by the edge before being caught. A quick throw entangled Diana in the net instead, and before Troia could react, Artemis quickly jerked the trident until Troia lost her grip, bashing Troia in the gut with her own weapon and snapping the handle up into Troia's chin, sending her to the ground.

Lyta focused her magic to levitate several unused weapons and throw them at Artemis, but this time the red-haired Amazon was faster. In the blink of an eye, Artemis dashed at the terrified sorceress, maneuvering between the blades, and bashed her in the side with the flat of her blade, all before the trident she dropped hit the ground.

Diana only just now freed herself from the net but could watch as Lyta and Troia were easily taken down. Standing up and rushing forward, her blade clashed with Artemis's, the latter effortlessly parrying each swing and returning in kind, Diana only able to keep up with her shield. Still Diana could not help but notice Artemis's slower movements and seemingly weaker attacks than what quickly took down Troia and Lyta.

"Why do you hold back against me, Artemis?!" Diana shouted between swings.

"You thought I ever fought with full strength against you?" Artemis replied casually as she forced Diana to slowly retreat.

"No, but Lyta's right. You fight harder against she and Troia, as well as the other Amazons you train."

Artemis chuckled. "How cute. You must have thought you were doing better all this time. I would have thought that sort of false confidence should have somewhat improved your performance."

"Answer the question!" Diana demanded.

Artemis shrugged, putting so little effort into her swordplay it looked as if she was hacking weeds in the garden, "Very well, princess. Lyta is frail and reliant on magic, so I must train her until she is actually strong enough to call herself an Amazon. Troia is your shieldmaiden. Her main duty is to be your bodyguard, so she must constantly be trained to handle any threat."

"And I am not?" Diana grimaced, her back nearly to the wall of the coliseum.

"You are the princess of the Amazons, and Queen Hippolyta would be very cross if you were hurt in mere combat training," Artemis continued, her voice dripping with condescension. "Therefore you must be handled like the delicate flower you are. I am not one so heartless that I would harm a child."

Diana's face grew hot with rage as she suddenly lunged forward, striking with a previously unseen ferocity that finally managed to get Artemis to retreat, each word punctuated with another strike of the sword, "I. AM. NOT. A. CHILD!!!"

Artemis quickly brought her sword in an overhead arc down on Diana's shield, forcing her to one knee. Her rage not allowing her to retreat, Diana parried the sword away with her own so she could free her shield to swipe at Artemis's legs.

For once, the red-haired Amazon did not have a counter and her feet were scooped from under her as she fell to her back. Diana quickly leapt on top of her, struck the blade from Artemis's hand, and pressed her own blade to Artemis's throat.

"YIELD!"

Artemis grimaced and her legs folded up behind Diana and pinned her head between her thighs, throwing Diana off to the ground. Artemis quickly leapt to her feet, kicked Diana's sword away and pressed her boot to her chest. "The strongest warrior of Themyscira does not yield in combat, even for royalty," she said through gritted teeth before releasing her hold, walking out of the coliseum leaving the mess of weapons and the three trainees to lick their wounds. "I think we're done for today."

===WW===

Queen Hippolyta slowly walked through the majestic hall lined with alabaster pillars, the architecture mirroring the ancient temples of before. Much of Themyscira was hand-carved by the master architects of the Amazons, divinely inspired by Hephaestus himself. All of Themyscira was sacred, but this place held a particular reverence as several displays lined the hall between the pillars. Artifacts that shined as if they were new but in truth were older than Themyscira itself.

Simply describing the artifacts as well-crafted would be an insult. The various items were gifts from the gods, molded by divine hands and enchanted by divine magicks. In this hall, the ancient myths came to life. A helmet once worn by Achilles in the Trojan War. The lyre Orpheus played before Hades in the bowels of Tartarus. A set of damaged wax wings, carefully preserved, that once flew too close to the sun.

Hippolyta's long, flowing purple gown trailed behind her as she stepped towards one particular display. One hand gently brushed aside a black, curly lock of hair the rest of it flowing down her back. She stood in front of a red and gold breastplate, different from some the artifacts in that this armor was forged for a woman's body. Its basic design and structure was similar to battle armor used by all Amazonian warriors, but the craftsmanship for this armor was infinitely superior. To compare the material to iron, gold, platinum or any earthly metal would be an insult. Nothing in the armor could be found naturally in the mortal world. Everything was divine, including the workmanship.

Hippolyta's finger traced the impossibly smooth elegant curves. Staring into the light reflecting off of the gold trim was like watching the fires of Hephaestus's forge while staring into the bottom of the Aegean sea. A sudden wave of nostalgia caused chills down Hippolyta's spine.

A sudden but brief knock awoke her from her trance. "Who's there?" she called. Apart from members of the royal lineage, very few of the Amazons were allowed in these halls.

"I'm sorry. I did not wish to disturb you. Shall I seek you out later?" Amelia asked as she approached.

The sight of an old friend relaxed Hippolyta once again. "No, by all means, stay. I was merely... reminiscing."

"Indeed?" Amelia walked next to her as both admired the beauty around them.

"It's been a long while since I've had to don this mantle. Almost too long."

"You long for war?"

"No, not for war. Never for war," Hippolyta paused as she tried to put her feelings into words, "But there is definitely a part of me that wishes to serve the gods once again."

Amelia listened attentively. "Be thankful that you are not required to risk your life, and be thankful that the gods do not require your service."

"That is what I worry of the most, that the gods no longer need me," the two continued walking opened into a large circular room, nearly the size of the coliseum. It dwarfed the hall of artifacts before in sheer height. The walls contained carvings of the history of the Amazons, pictorials of the many battles and hardships since the founding of their culture dating back even to the early years of ancient Greece. The room appeared to be empty, as it was meant to. Hippolyta closed her eyes and touched one hand to a cool metal surface, invisible to the naked eye but well known to both her and Amelia. "It has been far too long. Surely if I were still the chosen of the gods I would be given some quest by now." She ran her hand along the streamlined fuselage, under the wing towards the tail, taking up most of the room.

Amelia's hand joined hers, pressed against cool metal, the slight wrinkles of her age which contrasted visibly to Hippolyta's flawless, vibrant skin. "To spend our peacetime worrying about the possibility of war is to deny the gift of peace. Perhaps the gods' absence is a blessing from them in itself, for you to enjoy the many rewards they have given you for your service. After all, what loving goddess would be eager to separate a mother and daughter?"

"How is Diana?" Hippolyta asked quickly, changing the subject.

"She is excelling in her studies, and if Artemis's increasing bad moods as of late are any indication she's an exceptional warrior and only improving," Amelia could not help but smile. "To her peers she is a born leader."

Hippolyta waited for the inevitable. "But...?"

"She is restless, like her mother. Distracted. Increasingly temperamental," Amelia turned to face Hippolyta directly, "Among other things, she wishes to leave the island and see the outside world."

Hippolyta sighed and the two continued walking along on their tour. "Diana knows that's impossible."

"Does she?" Amelia replied.

They exited outside onto a balcony overlooking all of Themyscira, sealing the thick stone door to the vault behind them. Ornate, hand-carved marble buildings dotted the landscape between lush forests. A waterfall ran down a single mountain into a clear blue pool which drained into a winding river out into the ocean. There was a coliseum, a library, several carefully tended gardens along with a denser forest for wild game, all in pristine condition. To the far right were the residences of the Amazons, including a tower linked to the main palace where Diana and her friends slept peacefully at night. Very few windows in Themyscira lacked a breathtaking view of the island, as there was almost no other way to look at the paradise. "We are here and safe from the influence of man's world thanks to the will of the gods. To leave would be to expose our paradise and invite corruption. To leave would be to go against the will of the gods."

"You've left before and seen the outside world," Amelia reminded her.

"That was by divine command. One does not refuse the request of a goddess."

"But even if you could have, you would not have refused," Amelia challenged to Hippolyta, who had no reply. "We may live in a paradise by the grace of the gods, but a lifetime in a paradise is still a lifetime in one place. No matter how elegant the cage, Diana will remain unable to spread her wings and fly. Don't misunderstand, I'm not suggesting she leave tomorrow, just that you accept that one day Diana will need to experience the world of man for herself, especially if you intend for her to be queen someday. And while I mean no disrespect, I'm not even sure the gods' will could stop her."

Hippolyta turned to her friend, uncertainty in her eyes. "Then what must I do?"

"Talk to her. Listen to her. Understand her. She needs to know that she is more than just a princess. For at least one moment, you need to forget about being a queen and just be a mother," said Amelia.

"And say what when I can barely convince myself to stay?" Hippolyta sighed. "Why must it be my daughter who yearns for the outside world? Were it any of the other Amazons I feel I could speak what was needed."

"The Amazons all have duties to occupy our time. I read and write and teach our students who learn. Artemis trains our warriors who keep vigilant. Our gardeners have a paradise to cultivate and our architects build and renovate wonders every day. You rule us all. Tell me, what does a princess do?" Amelia let silence punctuate her explanation as the words hopefully sank in.

"I will speak to Diana," Hippolyta turned to leave, "when I know what words to say."

"Be careful, Hippolyta. Themyscira and the Amazons may be timeless, but your daughter will not wait forever," Amelia warned.

Hippolyta nodded, silently acknowledging her friend's word and left. Amelia took the moment to herself. Truly the Amazons were blessed to have such a world to call home, unspoiled by the influence of the rest of the world. Still, while other Amazons could conceivably remember an ancient time before Themyscira, filled with strife and hardship, Amelia knew that the three young students who had spent their entire lives here could not see this sanctuary as anything but an unchanging status quo.

Her serenity was interrupted by the approach of rough stomps which could only belong to one Amazon. Artemis climbed the stairs a little more disheveled than usual until her eyes met with Amelia's.

If it isn't the old bookworm," the warrior greeted curtly.

Amelia frowned. "Shouldn't you be training Diana right now?"

Artemis smirked and stretched her arm, "The princess actually managed to land a few blows today. For a moment I actually had to fight back."

"You didn't hurt her, did you?" Amelia's voice suddenly strained.

"I had to let myself go before I could truly let myself go." The implied meaning was not lost on Amelia. The scholar briskly walked off in search of Diana, but not before Artemis spoke once more. "I was serious about getting into the ring with you sometime. My warriors might be stronger overall, but they're predictable. You at least manage to keep things interesting." Artemis grinned, baring her teeth like a tiger. Amelia only briefly paused before deciding a retort wasn't worth it.

===WW===

Few places on Themyscira could truly be deemed isolated. The island was by no means cramped, but a quiet space for personal reflection was sometimes difficult to find.

Diana had a lifetime to find such locations though, such as this portion of the west flower garden, partitioned off by hedges large enough for a maze yet open enough to appreciate the beauty. Flowers of various colors and breeds were in full bloom, as they always seemed to be. The light trickle of a small fountain in the center, combined with the chirping of nearby birds provided respite from complete silence.

She had several such locations memorized on the island in case she had ever needed to be alone. They were never completely hers, as occasionally other Amazons would already occupy said locations, either working or seeking private relaxation themselves. It occurred to Diana that she probably wasn't as well hidden as she thought, that perhaps the other Amazons would purposefully leave her alone.

The idea infuriated her even more. On a logical level, she knew that they were being kind and considerate, but she still could not help but think of it as Themyscira coddling the mere fragile princess.

"It's not FAIR!" As the rage inside her built until she visibly trembled, Diana slammed her fist down, smashing most of the marble bench into rubble.

"And what is not fair besides your current mistreatment of furniture?" Diana quickly turned to see Amelia calmly step from behind the hedge corner, "Was it not comfortable enough?"

"Amelia! I'm-I'm sorry," Diana stammered out an apology, completely surprised by anyone's presence, much less her mentor.

Amelia stepped between the pieces of rubble on the ground as she approached Diana, sitting beside her on what little remained of the bench. "What troubles you, Diana?"

"It's nothing. I'm-" Diana started before Amelia put a finger to her lips.

"Lies do not become an Amazon," she warned.

Under her mentor's gaze, Diana felt completely transparent as always. "Today in training, I learned that Artemis has fought me with a mere fraction of the strength she uses on the other trainees. Even Troia and Lyta receive less mercy than I."

"Mercy upsets you?"

"Until now I believed that I was a skilled warrior, if only because I seemed to be faring better against Artemis where others failed. I thought Artemis at least would treat me as a warrior, and a princess. I know this now to be not so," Diana explained. "But it's not just her, it's everyone. I can count on one hand the number of people in Themyscira who call me Diana instead of princess. I am a grown woman, yet I am treated as a child by the people I am supposed to rule over."

"It is difficult for a mother to acknowledge a daughter as their equal, for fear of losing the youth and innocence in their own lives," Amelia replied, choosing her words carefully. "You must remember that to many, you are the daughter of Themyscira. Between you, Troia, and Lyta, there have been no other children for a very long time, something that many Amazons regret. To lose a child but gain an Amazon would be bittersweet for many, even if they would not admit so."

"Am I doomed then, to be the child of the Amazons and never an Amazon? What sort of life is that?" asked Diana.

"A question that faces many women, not just in Themyscira, but the world. The youngest generation is often seen as immature by the elder generations in many cultures. Even more so, many patriarchal cultures outside of Themyscira treat the women of their populations the same way."

"Even in the America that you speak of so fondly?"

Amelia smiled and nodded. "Especially there. Despite preaching equality, many women are there expected to be nothing but wives and mothers. Legally they may claim to have all the rights of men, but from a sociological perspective, there are little options that don't include being completely ostracized as a side effect."

Diana sighed. "Can we spare the lecture for now? I'm in no mood for extra lessons."

"I apologize, Diana. I suppose the point I'm trying to make is that it's not uncommon for certain members of any society to suffer what you're going through. Even if the society, much like Themyscira, believes they are doing a favor by treating women and children as delicate flowers to be carefully preserved and cared for."

"But I am not a flower, I am an Amazon!" Diana exclaimed.

"Indeed you are, Diana, and one day you will have the chance to prove it."

"When?!"

Amelia calmly put one arm around Diana's shoulder. "That I cannot answer. As your mother would say, the gods work in mysterious ways. Have patience. You will know that you are truly an adult when you long for childhood."

"Then did you ever coddle the other Amazons so?"

"And what does that mean? You think I am older than everyone on the island?"

Diana winced at the unintended meaning of her own words. "You are the only one on the island to possess the signs of age, and you are far wiser than anyone on the island. Did I say something wrong?"

Amelia laughed, "Not if your goal was honesty I suppose. I suppose your observations are logical, though I must warn you to never judge a book by its cover. It's true I am past my prime, but age is a difficult thing to calculate in Themyscira. Most of the Amazons could live centuries without showing any signs of age. Consider yourself fortunate that you are only seen as a child. You could very well have remained physically a child for much longer. At least now you have grown to the point where you can look your fellow Amazons in the eye."

"Then I shall grow even taller until they feel like children in my shadow!"

"Never lose that spirit, Diana. It is one of the most precious commodities only found in youth," Amelia stood and turned to leave Diana to her thoughts.

"Amelia?"

"Yes, Diana?"

"Could you tell me more about the outside world?"

Amelia smiled warmly and sat back down. "Very well, what should I speak about?"

"How about Gateway City?" Diana offered.

"Again? You always did love hearing about that place." Amelia spent the rest of the afternoon with her favorite student, regaling her with tales of the world of man. All of the time she had known Diana, she had made a point in treating her not as a princess, but as of a growing young woman, but even now she couldn't help but partially see the little girl to whom she would read stories by the firelight.

===WW===

Themyscira was just as beautiful at night as it was in the day, though in a much different way. There was rarely a night when the stars weren't in full view. Most of the Amazons were asleep in their beds inside luxurious alabaster quarters, even if they paled in comparison to the high tower where Diana and her friends slept. A few guards patrolled the grounds, but they were really more of a formality and to make sure no one (especially a certain princess) was sneaking off to the library, the coliseum, or the gardens when they should be in bed.

No one would even think to look on the horizon, where a small ripple in the air suddenly appeared and disappeared near the invisible shield protecting Themyscira. No one could see the large black shape beneath the waves slowly and silently dock on a covered coastline. The shape slowly surfaced, its black metal exterior parked in the shallows. A hatch opened, and three feminine figures in dark wetsuits emerged.

"Ladies," one whispered to the others, "welcome to Paradise Island."