CONFLICT OF INTEREST
by David Schock <david1313@peoplepc.com>
Rated PG
Submitted April 2000

___________

On a fair and more equable world, Lois and her husband would have 
found themselves lying side by side on a beach some were under a 
hot tropical sun. In order to make this dream possible they had 
worked on holidays, weekends and traded the odd vacation day with 
their fellow staff members at the planet. They did all this in the 
hope they would be able to spend a little of their all to rare 
free time alone with each other.

   After all the sacrifices these two had made for the world 
through the years. It would seem only fair that the powers that 
ran the universe would allow them to have this one small gift just 
for themselves. To almost any one you would care to ask it would 
seem to be the only fair thing to do, but the world is not a fair 
place and neither is life and as for fate, fate is as the wise men 
say is the cruelest joke of all.

   If life were fair, or fate less absurd, Lois would be lying on 
the beach of some sunny tropical island. Or if not that, then at 
least lying happy and content in the arms of her husband and not 
standing alone on some elevator feeling sorry for herself.

   Most important of all Clark, her Clark would be with her now 
and not on... 'Well that is the question now isn't it?' Lois 
thought to herself as she found herself standing all alone in the 
elevator. As she stood there alone watching the dancing lights 
Lois thought to herself, 'At this moment in time just were was 
Clark, was he on New Genesis or God forbid Apocalypse?'

   The very name of the place made Lois shudder just to think of 
it. Or perchance the love of her life found himself on some all 
together unknown alien world. No matter the name or the place, 
Lois was sure that at this very moment her love was fighting for 
his life along side the rest of the Justice League.

   As for herself she was as always, left behind, left to wait, 
left to wonder and hardest of all left to worry. The elevator door 
opened and she stepped out on to her floor. To once more make that 
long painful trip to her now empty apartment.

   She was tired and only the force of her own incredible will 
allowed her to drag herself down the hall. Her fatigue was not 
brought about by over work, sickness or the time of day. In truth 
this sudden lassitude was brought on by to much fear, to much 
worry and the dread of coming home to an empty bed.

   When Lois was single and foolishly thought of herself as 
complete and fulfilled she did not mind coming home to empty rooms 
and frozen TV dinners. She had after all come to think of her own 
apartment simply as some place to rest and sleep between 
assignments for the paper. But ever since her marriage to Clark, 
rooms that were once cold and lifeless had been transformed into a 
home, their home and a home with out Clark she soon found out was 
almost unbearable.

   Lois fumbled with the key but finally managed to unlock the 
door and let herself in. Locking the door behind her she turned on 
the lights and started walking towards the kitchen. She was 
halfway across the living room rug when she first realized she was 
no longer alone.

   Standing up from her husband's favorite easy chair was a very 
tall and physically imposing women, wearing a colorful costume. 
The women standing before her was nearly six feet tall, with hair 
as black as a ravens wing and piercing blue eyes the color of the 
morning sea. She was well muscled, with an imposing athletic 
physique, she was also very very beautiful.

   Even with all her size and physical presence, it was those pale 
blue eyes that drew Lois's attention. The body and face of the 
women who now stood before her were young. But those eyes that 
seemed to draw her in seemed almost ancient. It wasn't that they 
looked old. For even with the passing of the years they remained 
bright and clear. But to gaze into them was to know that they had 
seen things that were never meant to be seen. Or perhaps they had 
simply looked to long and to hard on the passing of time.

   Lois was at first taken back by the sudden appearance of her 
uninvited visitor, but she quickly recovered from her surprise. 
Lois forced a smile as she asked her visitor, "Wonder Woman what 
ever brings you here?"

   "Please forgive me for forcing my way uninvited into your home 
Mrs. Kent," answered the powerful Amazon princess.

   Then suddenly it hit lois like a fist to the stomach. She 
suddenly felt all hollow inside and for a brief moment she 
actually thought she had forgotten how to breath.

   Lois began to shake as her heart started to race and her legs 
threatened to betray her. A sudden lump in her throat made speech 
nearly impossible. It was Lois's worst nightmare come to life. 
This was the way she always imagined it would be like, with the 
arrival of her husband's closest friend to bring her the news.

   It was then Lois thought to herself, 'Best friend or not why of 
all people, did it have to be her to bring me the news?' It was 
only Lois's own incredible will that allowed her to force the 
words past the lump in her throat as she asked, "Is it Clark?"

   Seeing Lois's sudden distress The Amazon princess quickly 
answered, "No it is nothing like that Mrs. Kent." She then added, 
"As far as I know your husband is alive and well and still on New 
Genesis. But he is the reason I am here and why you and I must 
talk."

   Some four days earlier on the moon, in The Justice League Watch 
Tower. Big Barda, one of the so called New Gods and proud warrior 
of New Genesis was making her report to the assembled members of 
the Justice League.

   "It would seem, "she said. "That Darkseid and his dreaded 
Parademons may once again be on the march." Barda than added, 
"Even as we speak the dark lord may well be preparing a first 
strike aimed at my own home world of New Genesis or perhaps his 
real target might well be earth."

   Always the skeptic, It was the Batman who asked, "What proof 
have you Barda?"

   Barda glared at him for a moment before she went on, "High 
Father has informed me that for the past three months there have 
been a sudden rash of unauthorized Boom Tube gate openings back 
home on New Genesis. They usually happen in the more sparsely 
settled areas of of my home world and almost always seem to happen 
at night."

   Barda then went on to say, "Even more disturbing then this 
discovery, are reports from this past week alone, telling of 
strangers who appear to have an unhealthy curiosity about our more 
important military centers."

   "Sounds to me like scouting parties probing for weakness in 
your defenses," said Wonder Woman.

   "More likely my father's filthy spies hell bent on our 
destruction," growled Orion.

   "Six of one, half a dozen of another," interrupted Batman.

   As acting chairmen Superman thought the best way to handle any 
meeting of these extraordinary people was by keeping the gathering 
as informal as possible. Because of this he encouraged every one 
who was present to contribute to the meeting with their own 
opinions and ideas. As he did with the world at large he never 
used his own incredible powers or abilities to dominate or force 
his will on the others.

   It was because of this belief that he told Big Barda, "Please 
continue Barda."

   Barda smiled warmly at the man of Steel before she explained, 
"Since Darkseid was so interested in us, High Father thought it 
would be only polite if one of the New Gods was to return the 
visit," Barda explained.

   Wonder Woman interrupted her by saying, "A most sensible 
precaution."

   Continuing on with her story Big Barda went on to say, "My own 
husband Scott was the one who volunteered to go."

   "Why your husband?" asked the Flash.

   "Because Wally, my husband Scott knew he was the one best 
suited to accomplish this mission."

   "How so?" asked the Huntress.

   For an answer Big Barda turned to her and explained," My 
husband Scott was raised on Apocalypse just as I was. He knows his 
way around and most important of all he knows how to blend in with 
out being noticed."

   "He is also with out a doubt the greatest escape artist on 
three worlds," Barda added with wifely pride. She then quickly 
added, "No offense meant to you Batman."

   "None taken," the Dark Knight quickly replied with a slight 
smile.

   It was Wonder Woman who interrupted them both when she asked, 
"Did Scott discover any thing of value while he was on 
Apocalypse?"

   Barda answered her, "Small things only, unusual troop 
movements, a substantial increase in small arms production, 
intensive training of the militia and there was a substantial 
decrease in the number of Parademon sightings while he was there."

   "Is that a bad thing?" asked the newest and perhaps the last of 
Green Lantern corps Kyle Rayner.

   "If your planning a military first strike, you would be wise to 
concentrate your best troops at the point of attack," explained 
Wonder Woman. She then added, "To do that you would first have to 
gather them together in one place."

   "Make sure you pay attention to that Kyle. That little lesson 
in tactics comes from someone who has been taught by women with 
over three thousand years of military history to call apron," 
explained Superman.

   For a come back the Amazon playfully elbowed The Man of Steel 
in the stomach and laughed as she asked, "Why do I suddenly feel 
so old?"

   "That's because you are old." said the file cabinet.

   This particular file cabinet's name was Eel O'Brien. For that 
was once his name when he was nothing more than a petty criminal 
and a bad one at that. That was until the day he fell into a 
special vat of acid while he was robbing a certain chemical 
factory.

   So the one time failure as a criminal became by the way of 
chance and a guilty conscious the superhero {?} known to the world 
as Plastic man. He had also become, since joining the Justice 
League the bane of Big Barda's existence.

   Dropping his file cabinet disguise Plastic Man stretched his 
malleable body over to were Barda sat and said to her, "If I'm 
lying, I'm dying big Mama, I mean Barda."

   Wonder Woman's reaction was to laugh at his foolish antics, 
Barda's reaction was to seize him by his throat, roll him up into 
a tight little ball then toss him back over her shoulder and 
against the wall as hard and as violently as possible.

   Big Barda already knew even as she threw him she would never 
really be able to hurt the insufferable idiot in this manner. But 
the sound of the splat, as his malleable body hit the wall of the 
Justice League Watch Tower was most gratifying.

   As Barda and her plastic playmate carried on together, the rest 
of the Justice League were with only a few exceptions laughing at 
their antics. Superman thought to himself how good it was to hear 
Diana laugh once more, as he watched the Amazon princess laugh at 
her friends comical feud.

   It had been almost a year since he and Diana found out some 
things about themselves and each other that they both could have 
done with out. Most of all a possible shared future that they both 
had mixed feelings for and perhaps even dreaded.

   "How many days was Scott on Apocalypse?" asked Jonn Jonzz The 
Martian Man Hunter.

   A visible wave of pain and sadness washed over her face as Big 
Barda answered, "Scott was on Apocalypse for three days before he 
was discovered."

   Concern for his two friends prompted The Man of Steel to ask, 
"Is Scott all right, did he make good his escape Barda?"

   Taking a deep breath in an attempt to once more regain control 
of her emotions, Barda was soon betrayed by the tears that began 
to well up in her eyes. All those who were seated around the table 
could not help but see the expression of pain on Barda's face as 
she told the rest of the Justice League, "Scott's an escaped 
artist, so he did what he does best by escaping back home to us 
with the information we sent him for."

   Barda shut her eyes as if to shut out the memory as she said, 
"But this time he paid a heavy price making good on his escape, in 
fact he was badly wounded."

   Big Barda had been raised and trained in the orphanage on 
Apocalypse by the sadistic Granny Goodness. Since birth she had 
been trained and schooled as a warrior and the future leader of 
the Female Furies. It was in the very shadow of the fire pits of 
Apocalypse that she and Scott first met and eventually fell in 
love. It was only the love they had for each other that allowed 
the both of them to find the courage to defy Darkseid and escape 
the hell that is Apocalypse.

   Superman and the others knew that with her back round and 
training Barda would never show such emotion in front of others, 
least of all cry. For her to break down like this in public, meant 
that Scott her husband must be in far worst shape then she willing 
to let on.

   Gently Superman asked her, "Barda stop trying to be the good 
soldier and tell us how Scott is doing?" He then added, "Sometimes 
sharing pain with friends can help."

   Diana held on to her hand as Barda tried her best to appear as 
impassive and stoic as ever. With a deep breath Barda then 
explained, "They are not totally sure he will live, if he does my 
love is facing months if not years of painful rehabilitation for 
his injuries."

   "I should have been the one to go on that mission," growled 
Orion.

   "NO," The Martian Manhunter said. "With your proclivity for 
violence and the hate you hold in your heart for your father 
Darkseid. You would have been far to busy fighting with your 
father's forces to gather any useful information."

   It was Superman who added, "Barda at a time like this your 
place should be with the man you love and not here with us."

   Barda sat up straight and proudly as she explained, "My duty as 
a warrior of New Genesis must take precedent over my domestic 
affairs. But I do have an urgent need to return home to my husband 
as soon as duty permits. So if you all don't mind I will be as 
brief as possible."

   She then went on to say, "The High Father believes that if the 
Justice League were to join forces with those found on New 
Genesis. Darkseid may be dissuaded from attacking in the face of 
this combined power and then perhaps no fighting at all would be 
needed."

   It was Arthur Cury, king of Atlantis and better known to the 
world as Aquaman who gave voice to the thoughts of many of the 
heroes that were gathered around the table this day by saying, 
"I'm truly sorry for all your troubles Barda and please believe me 
when I tell you, I wish only the best to you and yours."

   "But I want you to tell me why the Justice League should run 
off to some God forsaken alien world to confront Darkseid, when 
our time and best efforts would be better spent reinforcing our 
defenses here at home?"

   "Were trying to avoid a fight Arthur and a show of force on New 
Genesis might be the way to accomplish just that," observed 
Superman.

   "Besides," added Batman. "If we are forced into a fight, I 
would rather we do it on New Genesis or Apocalypse or any were 
else but here on earth."

   Superman then explained, "My suggestion then, is to have a 
strike force travel to New Genesis that is powerful enough to act 
as a deterrent. In this way Darkseid may have second thoughts 
about the wisdom of starting a war at this time."

   He then added, "To play it safe we will leave a sufficient 
amount of force here on earth to hopefully cope with any attack 
until we can return home to face it."

   When he finished Superman asked, "Does any one have any 
objections or comments on this plan?"

   When no one spoke up it was Wonder Woman who finally broke the 
silence by saying, "The only question I have is who among you will 
be joining me in confronting that pig Darkseid?"

   The laughter around the table only subsided when Superman 
asked, "Does anyone else care to make any suggestions about who 
goes and who stays?"

   When no one was forth coming with suggestions Superman looked 
around the table hopefully staring in turn into the face of each 
of his friends and allies. Waiting or perhaps even praying some 
one would at last speak up.

   When no one did he turned once again to Bruce Wayne, AKA the 
Batman and this time waited.

   'Damn you Clark,' Bruce thought to himself. 'Why is it that you 
never want to impose your will on others. You have all the power 
any one could ever want or need and after all these years your 
still so damn reluctant to use it.'

   Batman then spoke up, "I think our best deterrent force that 
will travel to New Genesis should be made up of the following 
members, Superman, Jonn, Diana, Kyle, Wally, Barda, Orion and 
Barda's playmate Plastic man. While the rest of us and the reserve 
members do our best to hold the fort back here"

   Batman's strange attempt at humor was lost on big Barda. For 
their part close friends Kyle and Wally, better known as Green 
Lantern and the Flash gave each other a high five and shouted out, 
"road trip."

   Plastic Man stretched his way over to were Big Barda was 
sitting and asked, "Can I bunk over at your house big bad Mama I 
mean Barda?"

   For an answer she seized him by the throat and when she was eye 
ball to eye ball with him then told him, "There is one good thing 
about you coming to confront Darkseid at my side."

   "What would that be? "Eel O'Brien asked.

   "If you annoy Darkseid only half as much as you do me, you 
won't be coming back," She answered with a wicked smile.

   "Does any one else wish to comment or make any suggestions 
about those of us who are going and those who will be saying?" 
Superman asked.

   When no one offered any further suggestions. It was The Man of 
Steel himself who then said, "Then I have a suggestion to make." 
All there turned to look at him as he took a deep breath to steady 
his nerves, then summoning up his courage he went on to say, "It 
is my sad judgment that Diana should be left at home and not be 
allowed to go any were near Darkseid."

   Wonder Woman's smiling face almost at once suddenly turned dark 
and foreboding as if a dark cloud had suddenly passed over it. She 
quickly turned to Superman and fixed her eyes on him as a snake 
does a bird. But Clark neither flinched or turned away from her 
glaring stare.

   Springing to her feet she stood over the still sitting Man of 
Steel. Shaking with rage Wonder Woman had all the look of a 
predatory beast preparing to strike. One quick look into those 
wild blue eyes made many of her fellow members of the Justice 
League suddenly wish they had in fact missed this weeks meeting. 
She took hold of him by the shoulder and tried to spin him around 
in his chair to face her royal rage.

   Diana quickly discovered that she would have had better luck 
trying to move a mountain than The Man of Steel. But failing in 
that didn't stop her from snarling at him, "There is no way I am 
going to be left behind and be cheated out of my chance for 
revenge."

   She then added in a cold and chilling voice, "I have a personal 
score to settle with Darkseid and no one is going to stop me from 
getting my chance at him, not even you."

   Clark looked up and in a calm voice told her, "That is why your 
not coming with us Diana. This is a mission to prevent a war not 
start one. In this instance your personal feelings may well cloud 
your judgment and lead you down a path that I know you would later 
have cause to regret."

   In a voice filled with bitterness and sorrow she told Superman, 
"What I regret most is having to watch as over fifteen hundred of 
my Amazon sisters were laid on their funeral pyres and than worst 
of all be forced to smell their burning flesh when they died in 
battle protecting our home on Paradise Island from that monster."

   When Wonder Woman finished saying her peace Batman than took 
the opportunity to tell her, "The Justice League is not in the 
revenge business Diana. Nor was it created as a weapon for you or 
any one else to use as an instrument to take your personal 
vengeance. If you have that strong a need for pay back Diana, then 
may I suggest you go somewhere else to find it."

   "You hypocrite," she sneered back at him. "You dare speak to me 
of vengeance when your whole career, your very reason for living 
is nothing more but one long never ending act of revenge."

   Batman rose slowly to his feet but before more words were 
spoken or something far worst happen Superman interrupted the both 
of them by saying, "This quarrying among ourselves is not helping 
matters."

   When both Batman and Diana once again took their seats Superman 
offered her an explanation, "There are other and far more 
important reasons why you are needed right here at home Diana."

   "Such as?" she snapped at him.

   He explained to her, "The shear raw power needed to protect the 
earth will be severely depleted when we leave for New Genesis. So 
some one with your power and abilities will be needed right here 
on earth."

   Superman then told her, "Like it or not Diana, Wonder Woman has 
become a symbol to the world. A symbol which human and meta human 
alike will rally around, but only if you are there to lead them."

   Diana hung her head in shame, humbled by her friend's simple 
but honest explanation. All most at once Diana found herself 
regretting her sudden and violent outburst. This in turn lead to 
the Amazon Princess saying, "It will be an honor for me to stay 
behind and make it my duty to help defend our mutual home."

   It was Batman who added, "I'm sure if fighting does break out 
Barda or someone else from New Genesis could open a boom tube back 
to earth so Diana and any of her Amazon sisters who wish to could 
get in on the fighting."

   "Take heart sister, perhaps we may both yet enjoy the sweet 
taste of revenge on Darkseid, You for your home and sisters and I 
for my husband" Barda replied with a sinister smile.

   It was then that Superman took the opportunity to stand up and 
say, If no one has any objections I move that both Batman and 
Diana stay behind preparing earth's defenses and rallying support 
among the meta human community, while the rest of us are gone."

   "He then added, "Since many of us have love ones to talk to and 
all of us have our own arrangements to make. I move we end this 
meeting and all of us who are going to make the trip to New 
Genesis report back here tomorrow no later than two o'clock"

   There were no objections so the meeting ended quickly and 
quietly as the colorful members of the Justice League began 
drifting away to the transport tubes for the trip back to earth 
and home. After the meeting had broken up Diana took Clark by his 
elbow and led he into a quiet corner of the room so she could tell 
him how sorry she was for her sudden outburst.

   Wonder Woman's mother Queen Hippolyta had always told her, 
'never apologize it's a sign of weakness. But more important still 
never do any thing you have to apologize for.'

   Sound wisdom for a young princess growing up in isolation on a 
island paradise. But in the real world such advise just wasn't 
enough. Not in man's world and most important of all not with 
friends especially this very special one.

   Diana was just about to tell Clark how sorry she was for her 
behavior. She just managed to say, "Kal I'm sor..." When he placed 
his finger over her lips and told her, "Hush there is no need for 
that between us."

   Then with a wink and a warm smile she knew all was right once 
more between them. What she did not see because her back was 
turned to him was Batman shacking his head in disapproval at the 
sight of the both of them together. It was then that Clark told 
her he was going to talk to Barda and maybe she would feel better 
if she tried talking things over with Bruce.

   Diana waited for Clark to leave to talk with Barda before she 
started to walk over to were Batman was standing alone. She was 
more than half way there when Orion beat her to the Dark Knight, 
as she watched they both started a conversation together.

   Not wishing to disturb them Diana turned and once more to 
looked for Clark, she found him with Big Barda. Barda was a huge 
woman, tall imposing and heavily muscled. She was also very 
massive but with almost no visible fat on her body. Even as big 
and as imposing a women as she was. Her body could never be 
mistaken for anything other than female. Scott Free her husband 
was at five foot six was all man. Just as his wife Barda at six 
feet four and some one hundred pounds heavier than her husband was 
all women.

   But standing next to Clark she looked almost petite, as she 
rested her head on his chest, as he tried to comfort her by 
holding her in his arms. Diana watched as Clark led her to a chair 
and sat her down. He caught Diana's eye and motioned for her to 
come and join them. When Diana got closer she saw that Barda in 
fact had been crying.

   "I have been trying to talk her into leaving so she could go 
back home and be with Scott," Superman explained.

   Barda replied, "I have my duties to perform here Superman. Ask 
Diana she knows all about a warrior's duty."

   Barda suddenly became very quiet before she went on, "Still all 
of this trouble could not have come at a worst time for Scott and 
myself."

   "Why is that Barda? "Superman asked. "I thought you of all 
people enjoyed a good fight?"

   "Not at this moment in time Superman, "Barda replied.

   She bowed her head and began to blush before Big Barda said, 
"Scott and I have been talking about starting a family."

   Diana smiled and asked tenderly, "Barda are you pregnant?"

   Barda had a coy smile on her face as she answered, "No not yet 
Diana, but Scott and I were planning to go off on a sort of a 
second honeymoon so we could start to work on it."

   Trying to cheer her up Superman teased her by asking, "Is that 
sort of thing considered work were you come from Barda?"

   She gave a school girl giggle in return and said, "Neither 
Scott or myself ever considered it so. But my love always did 
enjoy teasing me by telling me that it was a lot easier on his 
back when I carried him up to our bed, than when he got all macho 
and tried to carry me."

   She then added, "I always could get Scott to laugh when ever I 
told him there were far more enjoyable ways for him to risk 
hurting his back than by trying to carry my big carcass up the 
stairs to our bed chamber."

   When she finished telling her little joke she also began to 
laugh along with Clark and Diana until her pain filled sobs once 
again betrayed her emotional pain. Fighting for control once more, 
Barda took a deep breath and wiped away her tears with the back of 
her hand.

   When she finished wiping away her tears she said, "Self pity is 
disgusting, I should be ashamed of myself. I am a warrior of New 
Genesis, hand picked and raised by Darkseid himself to be the 
leader of the Female Furies and here I sit weeping like some 
school girl."

   Superman told her, "There is no shame in tears Barda, my mother 
always told me that tears are what we use to wash away the pain."

   "What about you Diana? Your a warrior born and bred have you 
ever cried? "asked Barda.

   Diana answered her, "It is different for us Barda. Amazons are 
incapable of crying, but there have been times when I wish we 
could." Suddenly Diana found herself lost in a sea of her own 
thoughts. She thought to herself, 'All of my life I have been 
taught that an Amazon can't cry. I have been raised to believe 
that simple truth, yet I have twice managed to do that which is 
supposed to impossible."

   It was ironic that the only two times she had managed to shed 
tears. The man standing next to her was not only involved both 
times, but might well have been the cause. The first time came at 
Clark's funeral, as for the second it happened a few months ago in 
Gateway city when a sweet beautiful dream came to an end and died. 
It was the sound of Clark's voice that brought Diana back from the 
depth of her own thoughts.

   "Is there anything either Diana or I can do for you Barda?" 
asked the Man of Steel.

   "Just make sure everyone is here on time tomorrow so I can 
complete my task and then be free to rush back back home to my 
husband," she said.

   "Why don't you go back home now, in fact this very minute," 
suggested Superman.

   Barda thought about it for a moment then sighed and said sadly, 
"No, as much as I want to be at his side and even as my own heart 
keeps telling me to leave. I still have my duty to perform here."

   "To hell with duty," said Diana. "It doesn't make a bit a 
difference if you open a boom tube to New Genesis tomorrow or some 
one else does it for you."

   "Diana is right Barda," said The man of Steel. "The only duty 
you have left now is to Scott and yourself. As your friend Barda, 
I'm begging you please go home!"

   Big Barda looked up into his earnest face, smiled and with a 
grateful smile nodded her head yes.

   Superman then said, "Diana please stay with Barda, I'm going to 
talk with Orion about taking her home."

   As Superman left to talk with Orion Diana sat down next to big 
Barda and took her by the hand to try and give her at least some 
small measure of comfort.

   While Diana sat there alone with Barda she thought to herself, 
'Strange how this women who is as fierce and as formidable as any 
warrior that could be found on Themyscira has the courage to weep 
and the strength to share her life with the man she loves.'

   Wonder Woman thought she would never again allow herself the 
gift of tears and as for the other. She looked over were Clark was 
talking to Orion and began to drift, perhaps someday we might 
yet.... 'NO, NEVER AGAIN!,' she thought to herself.

   "You must drive those thoughts deep down inside of you and 
never let them surface ever again. We already went through all of 
that in Gateway city, Clark has his love, his partner in life, the 
other piece of his soul and her name is Lois. As for me I have no 
right to dream of such things in my life."

   As Diana wrestled with these disturbing thoughts another one 
slowly began to take form in her minds eye. Of the memory of a 
baby son held in the arms of another Diana and a baby boy named 
Jonathan that she held in her arms and who more likely than not 
will now never come to be.

   Diana thought back to the day when she, Clark and Bruce had met 
their possible future counter parts. An learned of that possible 
dim future and the joy and tragedy that may yet be laying in wait 
for them all. It was at that moment that the Amazon princess 
longed to go into battle and lose herself in the conflict and thus 
drive such thoughts from her mind for at least a brief moment of 
time.

   Only concern for Barda allowed Diana to escape back the real 
world. "Barda have you and Scott decided on the sex of your child 
yet?" Diana asked.

   "NO, not yet," Big Barda answered. "Scott and I have both 
agreed that we should have our baby in the natural way and leave 
it up to nature to decide that and other things and not to depend 
on New Genesis technology to make the choice for us."

   "That is not the way such things are usually done back home is 
it?" asked The Amazon Princess.

   "NO, not normally but my husband Scott and I have spent many a 
happy year here on earth. We traveled together performing for the 
public, he billed himself as the worlds greatest escape artist and 
I was billed as the worlds strongest women."

   "In your dreams," Diana protested with a scowl.

   Barda was taken back by her friend's reaction, fearful that her 
story had offended The Amazon princess in some way. That was until 
he saw the mischievous gleam in her team mates eyes.

   A moment more and the two formidable women warriors were 
laughing in each others arms.

   Catching her breath Barda went on with her story, "Scott and I 
loved living here on earth. But it was in the United States were 
we shared our happiest times together." Barda then recalled, "We 
even bought a home in New England and I was content to play the 
domestic. I wore a dress, drove a car and even learned to cook and 
bake cookies."

   "You bake cookies?" Diana asked in total incredulity.

   "I make great cookies, if I do say so myself" Barda answered 
proudly.

   "Then you do indeed have me beat," admitted Wonder Woman. "For 
every time I try my hand at cooking, it comes out either burnt, 
raw and always inedible."

   Once more the two warriors started to laugh together only to be 
interrupted by the arrival of The Man of Steel. Encouraged by 
Barda's happier attitude he asked, "Mind telling me what you two 
ladies find so funny?"

   "Diana's cooking skills," answered Big Barda with a grin.

   Superman made a exasperated face of near total disgust and 
said, "Brrr.. Diana's cooking is worst than Kryptonite!"

   For an answer Diana once again threw her elbow into his 
stomach. But Barda saw in fact that she was smiling when she did 
it.

   Barda saw how well her two friends always seemed to get along 
with each other. Even after the argument they had earlier in the 
day she could see how close to one another these two still 
remained.

   She had heard all the rumors of a possible relationship between 
them but had always dismissed it as fantasy created by the news 
media. But seeing them in this way made Barda begin to suspect 
that there was more than just good nature horse play between them.

   Barda was running the idea thru her mind. But she quickly 
dismissed the thought when Clark told her, "Time to go home to 
Scott Barda."

   She jumped up and gave Superman a huge hug lifting him off his 
feet. Barda then turned around and she and Diana embraced and 
kissed each other's cheeks. Tears began to roll down Barda's face 
as she said, "You never did explained tears of happiness 
Superman?"

   "Because those are the most precious of all," He told her.

   "And the ones we Amazons miss having the most," added Wonder 
Woman.

   It was then that Orion joined them and asked," Ready to leave 
Barda?"

   With a huge smile and a simple "yes" she told him she was ready 
to take her leave.

   A simple command to Mother Box and a hole in space suddenly 
appeared in front of them. It was soon followed by a loud "BOOM!" 
as air rushed in to equalize the pressure.

   With a last good bye and a cry of, "Give our best to Scott" 
ringing in her ears. Barda and Orion walked into the hole and were 
gone as the Boom Tube collapsed shut behind them.

   Soon as Barda and Orion left Diana whispered, "That was a very 
nice thing you did for Barda Kal."

   "What was that?" he asked her.

   Convincing her to return home to be with the man she loves," 
answered Wonder Woman.

   Couldn't have done it with out your help," he told her with a 
smile. He then added, "Now I have a favor to ask of you?"

   Happy to be of service to her friend Wonder Woman said eagerly, 
"You only need to ask."

   Holding Diana by her hand the Last Son Of Krypton told the 
Amazon Princess, "The reasons I gave you and the others for you to 
stay behind were all valid. But I have to confess to you that I 
have a more selfish and personal reason why I wanted, and most of 
all need you to stay behind."

   "Just what would that be?" asked Diana.

   Humbly Superman asked his close friend, "I have a need to ask 
you to look in from time to time on Lois while I am away."

   Flattered by the trust that he showed he had in her, Wonder 
Woman said, "You have my word as an Amazon on it."

   "No Diana before you give me an answer and make a promise you 
have to know all of what I am about to ask of you," explained 
Clark. Superman was silent for a moment, trying to frame in his 
mind the right words he wanted to use to tell her.

   When he thought he found them Superman said, "When the rest of 
us take our leave. If you find out that in fact we have been wrong 
and that it is the earth that is Darkseid's real target. Your 
going to be finding yourself in one hell of a fight."

   "I certainly should hope so," she told him with a big smile on 
her face.

   Superman let out with a short laugh at what she had just said 
before continuing on, "If there is a fight Lois will be right 
there with you. Gathering the news and covering the story for the 
paper."

   Diana asked, "If worst comes to worst and there is a battle 
with the Dark Lord's forces. Do you wish me to make sure that the 
love of your life stays out of harms way?"

   "If only I could ask that of you Diana, it would take a 
terrible weight off of me, but I can't," He said.

   "Why not?" she asked him.

   He gave her a sad smile and then went on to say, "I can not ask 
that of you because I don't have the right. Before we were married 
Lois and I had to come to an understanding between us."

   "Lois convinced me, no to be honest with you she ordered me. 
That I had to let her be herself and allow her to do the job she 
was both trained for and loves.

   Superman then looked above him as if he was appealing to God as 
he said, "If she just wasn't so damn brave."

   "She is like you in that respect Diana. The both of you are 
almost totally with out fear. But I'm not, especially when it 
concerns her."

   Diana smiled sweetly and asked, "You must love her very much."

   For an answer Superman gave her a shy smile and with his head 
bowed told her, "More than life itself."

   She smiled back at her large friend and asked, "So what will 
you have me do?"

   Superman explained, "If you are forced to go into battle with 
the forces of Darkseid and you find that you can no longer hold 
the line against him. I want you to retreat back to Paradise 
Island and take Lois with you for a final stand. She won't want to 
go, but take her there any way even if you have to drag her by the 
hair to do it.

   Wonder Woman touched his cheek with her finger tips and while 
looking into his gentle eyes proclaimed, "I swear by my Gods, my 
life and my honor as an Amazon to protect your love no matter the 
cost to myself."

   Relieved at last Superman told her, "Of that I have no doubt." 
Reaching into his belt he came out with a piece of paper with an 
address written on it and handed it to her.

   "What is this for?," she asked him.

   He explained to her, "It's my parent's address back home in 
Smallvile. I want you to drop in, on them. You and Bruce are going 
to be very busy finding allies and preparing your defenses, your 
going to need a place to stay and to rest."

   He then added, "Most important of all you might discover you 
have a need for some one to talk to. There are many things about 
Bruce that I admire. But having a emotional heart to heart 
conversation with the Batman is not one of them. If you ever have 
need to talk over a personal problem with some one, a place to 
rest or just some great home cooking you will find that there are 
no better place than my parent's."

   Smiling Diana told him, "Seeing how their son turned out I can 
believe that."

   Superman was beginning to bush from his friends compliment when 
he said, "Now for the truly frightful part."

   "And just what would that be?" asked Wonder Woman.

   "Telling Lois about about the delay to our vacation," he 
answered her. "All you have to worry about is Darkseid. I have to 
deal with an angry Lois Lane Kent, now that is some thing truly 
frightening."

   Wonder Woman began to laugh at his joke as Clark bent over to 
kiss her good bye on the lips for the first time since that day in 
GateWay city.

   As their lips met once again Diana felt the same surge of 
excitement, the same Wonderful exhortation she felt months before 
in Gate Way city. As Superman straightened up Diana thought she 
caught a glimpse of something in his face that told her that she 
was not the only one who felt something very special pass between 
them. But she soon dismissed it as nothing more than wishful 
thinking on her part.

   Clark was making a high speed dash towards the air lock for the 
trip back home when she called out to him, "If you do come face to 
face with Darkseid give him a punch for me."

   "And I will make sure to tell him just who it's from too " he 
shouted back as he quickly disappeared around the corner.

   When she heard the air lock door close behind him and she was 
sure that she could no longer be heard not even by him she 
whispered, "And please be careful Kal!"

   Then he was really gone, gone back to his Lois and Wonder Woman 
was left behind with a smile on her lips and a ache in her heart 
she couldn't begin to understand. Diana was not sure how long she 
had been standing there alone with her thoughts. It was only when 
she turned around did she come to realize that in truth she never 
had been alone at all.

   For there standing directly behind her was Bruce Wayne, known 
to the world at large as the infamous Batman.

   How long he had been standing there behind her, Diana had no 
way of knowing. For she failed to either see or hear him arrive as 
he moved out of the shadows.

   Batman never shared with the Amazon princess the other part of 
his life. In the past she had met Batman as Wayne but never 
connected the two. It was when he and Diana along with Clark 
actually met up with their older counterparts from some possible 
dark and twisted future did his secret come out.

   It happened in a way he only had himself to blame. His older 
counterpart was not wearing his cowl when Diana met him. She 
didn't need the wisdom of Athena to make the connection, one look 
was enough.

   Bruce I thought you had already left," she said. Wonder Woman 
waited for him to speak. When he failed to do so she asked, "How 
long have you been standing there?"

   Lifting his mask and cowl off his face he told Diana, "Long 
enough for me to watch you and Clark perform your little mating 
dance."

   Diana forced out a nervous little laugh and said, "Don't be 
absurd, Kal is a married man deeply in love with his wife and I am 
an Amazon which means I have no interest in such things."

   "Then you won't mind telling me what Clark wanted from you 
Diana?" he asked.

   She tried to walk away but found her path suddenly blocked by a 
surprisingly agile Dark Knight.

   Starting to become annoyed she told him, "It was nothing that 
important, he simply asked me to drop in on Lois from time to time 
while he was away."

   "And your telling me you actually agreed to do this?" He asked 
in disbelief.

   "And why shouldn't I?" she asked right back.

   The Dark Knight asked her, "Do you think that is a very wise 
thing to do Diana, especially after what you discovered about 
yourself back in Gateway city?"

   "What happened back in Gateway city when the three of us had 
our little accident together was never that important," She 
answered.

   "Not important?" Bruce asked in disbelief.

   "He then added in an accusing voice, "Maybe that is what you 
want to believe Diana. But the only way your going to be able to 
believe that princess, is if you keep lying long enough and hard 
enough until even you start to believe the lie."

   Once again she tried to get away from Bruce before he could 
secede in tearing down the carefully constructed emotional facade 
she had built for herself to hide her true feelings. All the time 
Bruce was pushing the issue, Diana was in a fight with in herself 
to control her temper, struggling as hard as she could to retain 
her emotional control.

   She tried to leave but once again he was there booking her way 
of escape. Doing his best to tear away the emotional scab she had 
placed on her wounded conscience.

   He did this by telling her, "Don't try those denials with me 
Diana, remember I was also trapped in that fantasy world your 
subconscious created for you when your secret and more importantly 
true feelings for Clark began to surface."

   "The very same feelings you have always fought to keep hidden, 
even from yourself."

   Wonder Woman had grown wearily of trying to avoid The Dark 
Knight. So instead she moved eyeball to eyeball to him with only 
the width of a hand to separated them.

   IT was then that the daughter of Queen Hippolyta decided to 
respond to his accusations by saying, "What did or did not happen 
in Gateway city never has nor ever will have any effect on me."

   Seeing Wonder Woman in this way would intimidate almost any 
one, but Batman isn't just any one.

   So instead of cowering or retreating he instead attacked by 
asking, "What about what the three of us learned from our future 
counterparts. Or are you going to try and tell me that their 
revelations also has had no affect on you?"

   "Why should it?" asked Diana? "You know as well as I do that 
there is no guarantee that any of those events are destined to 
come about."

   She then added, "Or are you going to live the rest of your life 
Bruce, waiting for that nightmare to come true?"

   "As for me," she added. "I refuse to live the rest of my life 
on the basis of some possible nightmare or even less likely fairly 
tale."

   Wonder Woman finally managed to break away from Batman. She 
showed him the small of her back as she started to walk away.

   Only to be suddenly stopped in mid stride when Bruce Wayne 
asked, "Not even for the sake of your son?"

   "I have no son!" shouted Wonder Woman as she suddenly appeared 
in front of her tormentor.

   "That child belongs to some other Clark and some other Diana. 
They are living a life in a possible future that will ever be 
denied to me. Nor would I wish to have one like it, even if that 
life were possible."

   "If you must lie Diana, than lie to yourself, but don't try to 
lie to me. I was there, I saw the look on your face as that other 
Diana held her baby in her arms. I know just how much the sight of 
the two of them together ment to you"

   "NO!" she all but screamed in Batman's face. I will not live 
the the rest of my life built on a foundation of dreams. No matter 
how sweet that dream could be."

   "But still," Batman asked? "Even if you truly believe in every 
thing you have told me. Why put yourself through all of this 
pain?" "Every time you see Lois a thought must creep up from the 
darkest regions of your soul Diana."

   He quietly said to her, "There must be times when you think to 
yourself, 'If only she were gone. I could have all the things I 
ever wanted and all I would have to do is....'"

   Before he could finish Wonder Woman seized The Dark Knight by 
the front of his costume and lifted him off the floor with one 
arm. She held him suspended in mid air as she stared into his eyes 
and snarled, "How dare you suggest such a thing to me?"

   With out so much as a single flinch Bruce Wayne stared straight 
back into those ancient blue eyes and told her, "I dare say it 
Diana because I'm your friend and because I'm Clark's friend but 
most of all I dare because I care about you both."

   He then added, "But most of all I know better than most that we 
all have dark places in our souls. Places we keep hidden from the 
world and if were very lucky from ourselves as well."

   Going on he explained, "These are the same dark places we all 
must fight to keep under control, so tell me Diana just how good 
is your control?"

   Wonder Woman stared straight into the soul of Bruce Wayne 
before she said, "I have given my word to my friend to protect the 
most important thing in his life. This I swear I will do no matter 
what the cost may be. Be it in the here and now or in the future, 
no matter what that future may hold."

   "You also said that what happened in Gateway city had no affect 
on you. So what do you call this Diana?" asked Batman as he 
continued to dangle in mid air.

   Slowly almost as if she was offering an apology Diana lowered 
Batman back down to the floor with a mixture of shame and 
revulsion at her own behavior. When Batman was once again standing 
on solid ground Diana Royal Amazon Princess of Themyscira bowed 
her head in contrition.

   As she stood there trying to come to terms with her own pain 
and the shame, Bruce Wayne spoke to her, "Diana I know you truly 
want to believe ever thing you have just told me. I only hope for 
your sake it's true."

   She looked up at him and in a voice filled with pain and shame 
said, "I don't know what to do Bruce?"

   "Every time I see him, I hurt inside and if it's to long before 
I see him again it hurts even more."

   "I don't know what you should do either, "He said to her. "I 
only know one thing Diana, if you can not find some way to come to 
terms with your feelings, if you can't find someone to help you 
with this. Your running the risk of destroying yourself and 
perhaps even taking Clark down with you."

   Batman had left the JLA watch Tower to return to Gotham to 
begin the recruitment of earth's remaining meta human community. 
After her confrontation with Batman, Wonder Woman decided to 
remain behind so she could have some time alone with only herself 
and her conscience for company.

   She wished to have this time alone by herself in an attempt to 
find some way to think her way past the problems she was now 
facing. She had hoped to find some way to come to terms with the 
feelings she had been able to hide for so long and so well from 
herself. That was until The Dark Knight was able to tear down her 
carefully constructed facade.

   As Diana sat all alone, she tried to use meditation as an aide 
to calm her troubled soul. These techniques that she tried to use 
were thousands of years old. They were the same ones that she had 
been taught to her as a child by the best tutors on Paradise 
Island. Only now when she had needed them most, they sadly failed 
her. That was the reason why Diana soon found herself all alone 
starring out of a view port over looking the dead and barren 
surface of the moon.

   She sat there brooding alone over what The Dark Knight forced 
her to acknowledge about herself. The longer she thought, the 
worst it had become for her. She had feelings for a person, that 
as an Amazon she simply should not have. Every thing Diana had 
been taught since childhood denied it's very existence.

   The very culture she was raised in should have prevented it, 
but here in this lonely place was were she realized that it was 
all a lie. Since a child she had been raised on a diet of honor 
and attention to duty that would have crushed a normal person, but 
Wonder Woman came to thrive on it. So why now of all times, has 
the very pillars of honor and duty that were the foundation she 
had built her whole life on, had now become a threat to crush her?

   At this moment in her life, Diana's warrior's soul cried out 
for battle, so she could at last drive these disturbing thoughts 
from her mind. She longed to become one with the harsh but simple 
equation of war, were the mathematics of life were simple and easy 
to understand.

   In war, life's most difficult questions were reduced to life's 
most basic terms. Kill or be killed, alive or dead became very 
easy answers to life's most difficult equations. But there was no 
battle Diana could lose herself in. No chance for a glorious 
victory or even for a equally glorious defeat yet presented it 
self.

   Still Wonder Woman needed to find some form of escape from 
herself, some small respite from her own troubling thoughts. In 
was in the preparation for war, that Wonder Woman's troubled soul 
found at least the illusion of peace.

   Diana suddenly sprang from her chair knocking it over. A moment 
later a single powerful kick sent the chair flying across the room 
were it crashed into a trophy case. The Amazon Princess looked 
about her and realized just how quiet and lonely such a place as 
this could be.

   As she stood there all alone Diana said to herself, 'Your right 
Barda, self pity is disgusting.'

   With all that said and done. Wonder Woman used the speed of 
Mercury to make a high speed dash to the transport tubes for a 
quick trip back home to earth. Leaving the moon and arriving on 
earth, Diana's first objective was also her first duty.

   That duty dictated that she first return once more to her own 
queen and mother on Paradise Island. With in a few hours Diana 
found herself on bent knee, with her head bowed and her right fist 
crossed over her heart as she subjugated herself at the foot of 
her own mother's throne.

   After performing the Royal Amazon salute she was granted 
permission to stand by her mother. Then and only then did 
Hippolyta queen of the Amazon nation of Themyscira allow herself 
to walk down from the royal dais, to at last greet Wonder Woman 
not as a queen or as a ruler, but simply as her mother.

   For it was only as her mother, that Hippolyta could once again 
welcome home a daughter that had been absent far to long, just as 
any other proud loving mother would. As her mother once again held 
her only daughter in her arms. One of the most physically powerful 
people on the planet, perhaps second only to The Man of Steel 
himself could feel at this most precious of moments. The same way 
she did as a child, once again safe and secure in the gentle 
loving arms of her mother.

   It was later that day after Diana had cleaned up and exchanged 
her Wonder Woman costume for more traditional Amazon garb, did 
mother and daughter at last find themselves alone together in the 
Amazon's queen private chambers.

   Over golden goblets of chilled wine Diana told her mother 
almost all of what had unfolded on the moon. The parts concerning 
her own troubling thoughts about Clark or her even more shameful 
confrontation with The Batman she kept to herself.

   Diana had decided to hold back the rest because she convinced 
herself that her mother never could nor ever would be able to 
understand what she had been going through. Then again perhaps the 
little voice in her heart, the same one we all have and to few of 
us listen too, told her something else entirely.

   That annoying little voice told the Amazon Princess that there 
was another reason, a far simpler reason and in the end a far more 
honest one. Diana knew she was simply to ashamed to tell her own 
mother about what was really bothering her.

   As she poured another goblet of wine for herself and her 
daughter, Hippolyta told her daughter, "I am deeply saddened to 
hear from my child's own lips that she was so willing to obey the 
dictates of a man. Even if it meant losing the opportunity to 
avenge the death of her sisters."

   "You know better than most mother that Clark isn't just any man 
and I'm not just talking about what he can do," Diana explained.

   "When he told me I shouldn't be allowed to go with the rest of 
the Justice to confront Darkseid I admit I lost my temper and 
argued bitterly with him about it. At length he managed to explain 
his reasons to me and in the end I accepted them."

   Queen Hippolyta took a sip of wine then asked, "Do you mind 
sharing with your mother what these reasons were and why they were 
so important that you would forgo your righteous vengeance for 
your fallen sisters?"

   "Peace mother," Diana replied. "Or have you forgotten that is 
why the Gods created us and why I was sent to the world outside of 
our island home as our nation's ambassador?"

   Hippolyta put down her goblet before she stood up and in a 
harsh voice said, "I am queen of our people Diana and that means I 
can never forget anything when it concerns their welfare. Just as 
you should never forget your place, when it concerns your mother 
and your Queen."

   Both mother and daughter stared into each other's eyes before 
Diana's mother gently stroked her daughter's cheek and in a soft 
voice said, "You seem to have forgotten my daughter that it is 
indeed true that Ares The God of War is not the patron deity of 
the Amazon nation. But Athena along with Artemis is and Athena 
besides being the Goddess of Wisdom is also the Goddess of 
righteous warfare."

   Diana's mother then added, "I for one can not think of a more 
righteous cause than the confrontation of the evil that is 
Darkseid."

   Diana tried her best to explain to her mother by telling her, 
"I can only share with you what Superman told me mother. The 
mission he and the rest of my fellow members of the Justice League 
are about to go on is designed to avoid blood shed by preventing a 
war not by starting one. The one thing they don't need is having a 
hot tempered Amazon around to risk starting a war out of some 
misbegotten act of revenge."

   "Do you now agree with his judgment?" asked her mother.

   "I must admit not at first, but now I do," answered Diana

   Princess Diana didn't need the wisdom of Athena to see and 
recognize the look of disappointment etched on her own mother's 
face. She thought to herself, 'Has man's world so changed me, has 
Clark's influence become so strong that I am in danger of losing 
touch with my own cultural beliefs and in losing them perhaps 
losing my own mother as well?'

   It was her mother who interrupted her own musings when she 
asked, "You said that Clark had other reasons why he wanted you to 
stay behind. May your mother ask what they are?"

   It was then Wonder Woman laid out to her mother and queen the 
grave responsibility Superman had entrusted to her in preparing 
earth's defenses. Diana also took the opportunity explained to her 
mother the arrangements to bring her Amazon's into the battle if 
the Justice League failed in their mission and fighting in fact 
did break out.

   Queen Hippolyta listened intently to her daughter. When Diana 
finished telling her mother the Amazon's place in the possible 
upcoming battle. Her mother smiled and said, "Perhaps we have been 
to hasty in our judgment of Superman. He has proven himself to be 
a friend of the Amazons in the past and his love of peace is 
admirable and his plan use of my Amazons is military sound."

   A moment later Diana's mother added, "Let you and I meet with 
the the royal council so we may begin to make our preparations for 
any possible battle."

   As mother and daughter slowly walked arm in arm down the long 
corridor that led to were the royal council was in session, queen 
Hippolyta asked her daughter, "So just how is that big friend of 
yours doing since he has taken a wife, are they happy, are they 
expecting any children yet?"

   Diana told her mother, "I know nothing about their plans or 
hopes for children mother. I only know how his face lights up when 
ever Lois's name is mentioned or even when he simply has a reason 
to think about her."

   Later that afternoon after much discussion and no small amount 
of debate, it was decided that Queen Hippolyta would call for five 
hundred volunteers. These Amazons would be the spear head that 
would act as the strike force that Diana's nation would send if 
fighting did break out on either earth or New Genesis. The rest of 
Hippolyta's warriors would be organized to follow later when ever 
and were ever they would be needed.

   To accomplish this the call went out to the Amazon nation that 
they should all assemble in front of the temple of Athena. At top 
of the temple steps at the feet of the twenty foot tall statue of 
the Goddess of war and wisdom. Princess Diana dressed in her royal 
finery stood next to her mother. Queen Hippolyta fully dressed in 
her finest battle armor steeped forward to address her gathered 
subjects.

   She told her Amazons of the threat of Darkseid that not only 
loomed over Paradise Island but the rest of the world as well. She 
also told of the plans their own princess Diana brought back from 
the outside world to deal with the threat and the part that they 
as Amazon warriors were expected to play in this plan.

   It was then queen Hippolyta began to walk back and forth in 
front of the entrance to the temple of Athena, as she addressed 
the gathered sister hood. Doing her best to motivate her troops in 
the same manner any good general would.

   She told her subjects of the allies the Amazons would have in 
the coming struggle. Of the legendary Justice League and the 
powerful New Gods of New Genesis. Even the mighty Superman trusted 
friend of the royal family and whose fame is even known by the 
Gods of Olympus would be fighting at their side.

   Diana smiled as she witnessed the nods of approval from her 
sisters, at the mere mention of her friends name.

   Then Diana's mother reminded her subjects of the deaths of so 
many of their sisters at the hands of Darkseid and his forces, 
when they bravely fell in battle defending their island home of 
Themyscira. She then told her subjects of the possible opportunity 
they might have to avenge their fallen sisters.

   While her mother continued on with her speech Diana looked up 
at the imposing statue of Athena that loomed above her. She 
couldn't help but wonder what the Goddess would think of how her 
mother was wiping the sisterhood into a frenzy of blood lust. 
Diana was not sure that Athena would approve of her own mother's 
actions.

   True enough that this cold carved stone symbol to one of the 
Amazon's patron deities was posed with shield and spear while 
wearing a war helmet. But her shield and spear were held in her 
right arm, telling all who gazed on her she was the Goddess of 
war.

   But her left arm, the one closer to her heart perched an owl 
the symbol of wisdom. It was in this manner that the Goddess 
wanted to tell her children that wisdom and the love of knowledge 
were closer to her heart than the arts of war.

   It was the sound of her mother's voice calling for the war 
spear to be brought her that awakened Diana from herself absorbed 
musings. The high priestess of Athena came forth from the darkened 
center of the temple carrying a bundle. It was a spear, a near 
perfect copy except for the size of the one the statue of Athena 
herself carried.

   It was wrapped in the finest purple silk and it was Diana's 
duty in this scenario to unwrap the spear and present it to her 
mother the queen. The spear itself was of the darkest ebony with 
bands of purest gold etched through out the shaft. The head of the 
spear was made of a gleaming metal called Amazonium, the same 
metal that the bracelets that Diana and all the rest of her 
sisters wore.

   These bracelets were slave bracelets vivid reminders to all 
Amazons of the day when Hercules through lies and deceit had 
abused and enslaved Diana's mother and the rest of the Amazons 
with her. As Diana carried the spear to her mother she thought 
that these same bracelets were also a symbol of the pact that each 
Amazon made to one another. Never again to allow themselves to be 
subjugated by men, never to be dominated and never more to trust 
in the word of men again.

   For the ceremony Diana knelt at the feet of her mother, holding 
the war spear outstretched above her head. As she waited for the 
hand of her mother to take the spear from her. Diana caught sight 
of her own reflection in the bracelets she was cursed always to 
wear and then at that moment knew she would never be able discuss 
her feeling for Clark with the mother she loved. Not with the 
history the Amazons had with the world of men and especially with 
her mother's own history of sexual, physical and emotional abuse.

   When Hippolyta took the spear from her daughter, Diana then 
stood up and took her place next to her mother. As Diana's mother 
held the spear above her head all of the race of immortal Amazons 
gave forth with The Amazon victory cry. It was then that Hippolyta 
pointed the spear at the mass of women standing below her and 
charged any of them who wished to volunteer to step forward and be 
counted.

   It was then that the hearts of both mother and daughter had 
reason to swelled with pride as the whole of the Amazon nation 
steeped forward as one to volunteer in mass. Hippolyta thanked all 
of her gathered subjects for both their loyalty and their bravery 
and told them she would not only pick the five hundred warriors 
she wanted herself but would also lead them into any possible 
battle personally.

   Immediately her daughter Diana began to protest her plan 
saying, "Mother you can OT go into battle and leave the nation 
with out their queen."

   "Silence!" she told her daughter. "This is neither the time or 
the place to discuss such weighty matters."

   Later when both mother and daughter were with the royal council 
in their chambers a spirited argument broke out. Most of the 
members of the royal council along with their princess tried their 
best to convince their queen that it would be to dangerous to the 
nation for their queen to undertake such a dangerous mission 
herself.

   The debate went on for over an hour until the infamous temper 
of the Amazon queen Hippolyta exploded, cowering every one in the 
room save one. That one being the queen's own daughter.

   The result was that both mother and daughter lost their 
tempers. "You have forgotten your place Diana, I am queen here," 
said her mother.

   "No mother, it is you who have forgotten her rightful place. It 
is your duty to stay here at ohm and lead our nation, not run off 
to some alien world to fight.

   She then added, "The captains of your personal guard, Phillipus 
or Cassandra are more than capable of leading the volunteers into 
battle."

   "NO NEVER!," shouted Hippolyta. "I will never ask even one of 
my children to face any enemy that I myself would not be willing 
to face."

   After another bitter round of yelling and arguing between 
mother and daughter. It was Diana who finally conceded in the face 
of a simple fact. That her mother was indeed the queen and 
therefore her will was supreme her word the law.

   Later in the day in an attempt to make amends to her only child 
Hippolyta asked Diana to stay the night so they could talk. Diana 
was tempted at first to stay and try to explain to her mother what 
was troubling her about Clark. But a single glance of her mother's 
face caused Diana to think the better of it.

   Diana knew all to well that the Gods created the race of 
immortal Amazons from the clay of the earth and the souls of women 
who died before their time, more often than not because of the 
cruelty of men. Diana's own mother feel in love with Hercules the 
legendary hero and son of Zeus. Only to betrayed and physically 
and sexually abused by him.

   If Diana was to dare and tell her about her own feelings for 
Clark, Diana was sure that her mother would come to the conclusion 
that her own daughter not only betrayed her but her Amazon sisters 
as well.

   It was later that evening when Diana was preparing to leave 
that her mother came to her, so she might say her good byes in 
Private. Hippolyta held her child to her breast and kissed her on 
her forehead and told the daughter she loved, "Ever since you came 
back home to me, I could tell something has been troubling you. I 
am equally sure it has nothing to do with this mess with the 
monster Darkseid or the argument we had."

   She then asked, "Please my daughter won't you let your mother 
at least try to help you?"

   Diana was very tempted to unburden her soul to her mother but 
an almost unknown emotion to her called fear prevented her from 
doing so. So instead she gave her mother a bitter sweet smile and 
told her, "No moma I don't think you can help me mama, in fact I 
don't think any one can."

   Her mother tenderly stroked her cheek as she said, "It's been a 
long time since you called me moma little one."

   "Almost as long since you last called me your Little one moma," 
said Diana.

   It was then that Diana and Hippolyta hugged one another. Not as 
queen nor as princess but simply as mother and child. With a final 
wave and a last good bye Diana rose into the night sky and headed 
due south towards the Antarctic and The Fortress of Solitude.

   It was dark when Wonder Woman landed. This in itself was not 
surprising since it was June and that meant another three months 
of Antarctic winter, which also meant another three months of 
almost total darkness. It was a rare night for this time of the 
year in the frozen desert known as Antarctica.

   Here at the bottom of the world the ever present wind for at 
least this night seemed to be missing, instead it was replaced by 
a cold frigid stillness. With out the ever present gale force 
winds there was no wind chill to speak of, which meant that Diana 
found her self standing alone in the relatively balmy Antarctic 
night.

   That would be the case if your are one of the few people on 
earth who could consider forty below zero balmy. If you were 
someone like Wonder Woman, who had already in her life walked the 
surface of the moon with out a space suit and could survive the 
minus two hundred degree cold of airless space with out protection 
for short periods of time. Then forty below would seem rather like 
a warm spring day in contrast.

   Diana looked up into the clear night sky and watched the 
southern lights, the Aurora borealis of the frozen south dance and 
shimmer across a field of almost uncountable stars.

   She stood in front of one of the hidden entrances to her 
friend's Fortress of Solitude. Entrance was in reality a rather 
lose description. If truth be told the entrance to the Fortress 
looked the same as the rest of the area, nothing more than frozen 
rock, ice and permafrost.

   But Wonder Woman new better then all most anyone that looks 
could be deceiving.

   As she stood there all alone waiting and watching for the 
portal of Superman's secret Fortress to appear. Diana knew that as 
she watched, she in turn was being watched by the computer guards 
of the Fortress. Her height, her weight the very cell structure 
that made up her body down to the basic D.N.A that made up her now 
human cells was at this moment being studied and compared to the 
samples kept on file.

   This was all being done to insure that she and she alone could 
gain entrance to her friend's Fortress. After a few minutes of 
waiting, which to her seemed more like hours, she kicked the side 
of the mountain out of frustration and shouted, "Hey you in there 
open up!"

   When nothing happened she smiled and said to the vast emptiness 
around her, 'You would think Clark would simply leave the key 
under the floor mat like everyone else.'

   "Name?" A cold mechanical voice seemed to ask from out of no 
were.

   "Diana," She answered back.

   "Insufficient response," was the emotionless reply.

   "Wonder Woman," Diana replied.

   Once again the voice asked, "Code word?"

   "Lois Lane, "was Wonder Woman's reply.

   A few moments latter there was the sound of machinery as a 
portal opened up in what a few minutes ago appeared to be a solid 
rock wall. As Wonder Woman entered and the door closed shut behind 
her, she could hear the sound of machines being turned on and the 
faint hum of electrical circuits as bank after bank of once 
dormant computers were brought back to life.

   Diana had the distinct feeling she was being watched. She 
suddenly wirled around and much to her surprise, saw the cutest 
little robot she had ever seen. Diana was some what familiar with 
many robots in her career, but none of them were ever like this 
one.

   The ones The Amazon Princess was used to dealing with were 
usually twelve feet high, bad tempered and almost always doing 
their mechanical best to separate her various body parts from one 
another. This one was different, it or he {Diana couldn't be sure 
which term was applicable?} was only three feet tall with no legs, 
so it hovered some two feet above the fortress floor.

   Her robot host had two arms and a head but with out eyes or 
ears nor did it have a mouth. In fact it had nothing that any one 
who observed it could call a face.

   Bending over Wonder Woman asked, "What is your name my little 
friend?"

   "This unit is servo-druid aa-1, but I have been program to 
respond to the name Ke-lex Princess Diana."

   "Do you know me?" asked Wonder Woman.

   Floating higher off the floor so Diana could talk with it with 
out bending over Ke-lex responded, "Affirmative you are Diana also 
known as Wonder Woman. You are the trusted friend of my master Ka-
el. You have also been granted free access to the Fortress and I 
and all other droids and computers have been programmed to serve 
you."

   Wonder Woman smiled at her newest friend and said, "As my young 
friend Cassie would say, how about you giving me the ten cent 
tour?"

   "No remuneration is required for this service Mistress Diana," 
Ke-lex responded.

   "Then lead on Macduff," Diana said with a big grin on her face.

   "This servo-droids designation is ke-lex, but will respond to 
Macduff if the mistress so wishes."

   As Ke-lex began the tour of the Fortress Diana had a hard time 
keeping up with her new little friend. The reason for this was 
because she was laughing so hard.

   After the tour Diana found herself standing at the base of the 
statues of Clark's Kryptonian parents Jor-el and Lara. Each statue 
was about fifteen feet tall, they stood side by side and held a 
large globe of long dead Krypton between them and above their 
heads.

   As she stood at the base of their statues, Diana took the 
opportunity to study the faces that loomed above her. She could 
see the intelligence in both of their faces, the determination 
even their nobility. But something seemed to be missing. As Diana 
continued to study their faces she sensed something about them was 
lacking.

   What this missing quality was, at first eluded the Amazon 
Princess. Diana continued to stare up into the faces of Superman's 
biological parents. In the face of his father Jor-el she could see 
Clark's face except for the eyes. His eyes were a gift from Laura 
his mother.

   Wonder Woman stood there as the statues of Clark's parents 
stared down at her. They both looked grim and determined just the 
way her friend looked when ever he was forced to go into battle. 
Then as if she was struck by one of Zeus's thunderbolts it came to 
her.

   These sad reminders of a long dead world lacked any of her 
friend's warmth, compassion or kindness and most important of all 
his ability to love. Ka-el's love of family, friends and above all 
else his love of life it self were just not here to be seen.

   From Clark, Diana knew that Krypton had become a sterile place, 
were intellect was prized over humanity. A world were emotions 
withered and purity of thought became that sad world's highest 
virtue. Krypton had become perfect, pure and above all else 
sterile, but nothing can grow in sterility least of all love.

   That is how the Kryptonians had lost their humanity and in time 
became worshippers at the altar of science and reason. It was 
Clark's father Jor-el who began to rebel at this way of living.

   He had come to realize that when the people of Krypton 
sacrificed their humanity, their capacity to love on the altar of 
science, they were dooming themselves to eventual extinction.

   On a world were men and women were denied the physical act of 
procreation and children developed in artificial wombs. One man 
had the courage and foresight to save his child from the oncoming 
conflagration. He did this by sending him to a world were he would 
not only survive and flourish. But perhaps once more be able to 
reclaim the humanity that would have been denied to him if Krypton 
had not perished.

   Alone with her thoughts Princess Diana mused, 'Clark and I have 
many things in common and many more things that are different. But 
the two strangest ones of all that we do share is the fact that 
neither of us were born of woman and that we both died only to 
discover that death wasn't the end. What else will we share fifty, 
hundred or a thousand years from today?'

   Once more Diana princess of the Amazons looked up into the 
faces of the imposing figures above her. Here in the faces of 
Clark's biological parents, she found his physical power, the 
intelligence and most of all the determination. The things that 
drew her to Clark came from some were else. The love, the 
kindness, the honesty, his gentleness and above all else his 
compassion, were precious gifts given to him by two warm loving 
people living on a Kansas farm.

   It was then that Wonder Woman knew such things were not bred 
into the bone but in truth had to be taught. Diana did not know 
which God or Gods had guided Clark's birthing matrix to that 
particular farm and to those two very special people. The only 
thing Diana was sure of, that it couldn't have been be a simple 
matter of chance.

   For his sake and the sake of a grateful world she bowed her 
head and made a short heart felt silent prayer of gratitude to 
what ever deity was responsible for bringing Clark and his parents 
together.

   It was the tug on the golden lasso that fore ever hung freely 
from her waist that interrupted Wonder Woman's devotions. She 
turned to see Ke-lex floating beside her. As she looked down at 
him the little robot said, "All is in readiness mistress."

   Smiling at her strange diminutive companion Wonder Woman said, 
"Call me Diana Ke-lex."

   He responded, "Affirmative mistress Diana."

   "NO, Ke-Lex just call me simply plain Diana."

   "Affirmative, simply plain Diana and you can call me Macduff," 
answered Ke-lex.

   For a moment Wonder Woman wondered if her new little friend was 
laughing at her, or if he could laugh at all and then she wondered 
how does a robot laugh? Diana didn't have the time to ponder such 
matters because she soon found herself laughing so hard at he 
companions antics.

   As she followed Ke-Lex into his master's monitor room Diana 
made a mental note to ask Clark if it was the Kryptonian 
technology or his own personal programming that gave Ke-Lex so 
much personality. When Diana entered Superman's monitor room she 
sat down in the only chair that was to be seen. It was positioned 
in the center of the room. All around her in every direction she 
looked were rows of television monitors, computer screens and 
terminals.

   The chair it self was large and comfortable with high arm rests 
and computer controls at her finger tips. Every time she moved her 
head the chair would respond and move with her. The most 
fascinating aspect of this room was all of the information that 
came to her with the simple turn of her head. For there before her 
on all the screens and monitors was a virtual flood of information 
available at her finger tips.

   Information coming to her in the form of news programs, net 
work feeds, private government channels. She saw real time photos 
from spy and weather satellites. In the back ground Diana could 
her the incessant hum of the Fortress Computers as they monitored 
earth's electronic highway.

   Three thousand years ago the ancient Chinese Philosopher Sen-Su 
once told Diana's mother, 'That knowledge was power.'

   Wonder Woman knew that this room itself was a very powerful 
weapon, especially if it was ever abused. Diana knew that only 
some one like Clark had the moral and ethical code and most 
important of all the strength of his convictions not to abuse it.

   "Oracle are you there?" Diana asked.

   "Here," a female voice answered. She then added, "May I ask who 
is calling?"

   "Wonder Woman," Was Diana's simple reply.

   "My computers are not able to get a fix on your location Diana. 
May I ask were you are calling from?" Oracle, AKA Barbara Gordon 
asked.

   Diana replied, "At the moment I find myself in the monitor room 
located in Superman Fortress of Solitude." For a few moments there 
was nothing but a deathly silence at the other end of the com- 
link. At first Wonder Woman thought she had lost her connection to 
the Justice League's computer expert.

   She was about to ask Ke-Lex to re-establish the link when the 
voice of the one time Bat Girl came back on line. "You are kidding 
me right?" asked Oracle as she sat back in her wheel chair. "No I 
really am here," answered Diana. She then added, "But I don't know 
for how much longer I will be."

   Barbara Gordon used her hands to shift her life less legs into 
a different position as she asked, "Who was it that tried talking 
to me earlier?"

   "That would be my newest friend Macduff," Diana answered.

   "Who is Macduff?" asked Barbara.

   Wonder Woman told her, "He or it is one of Superman's servo 
droids or robots for lack of a better term. He was the one who set 
up this one way relay link."

   "In other words," Oracle said. "Superman's computers can call 
to me, but I will be unable to talk to them."

   "Correct," Said Diana. "In this way no one will be able to 
trace any information back here to discover the location of this 
place so it will remain secret. Also any attempts to hack into the 
Fortress computers will meet with failure."

   Wonder Woman then went on to explain, "The Computers here in 
the Fortress and their world wide sensor net will search for any 
unauthorized inter dimensional openings here on earth."

   "If any boom tube gate openings should occur his computers will 
inform you and you in turn will inform Batman or myself."

   "I understand," Oracle replied.

   Wonder Woman then asked, "Has Batman made contact with any of 
the meta humans on the list he made up together?"

   "Most of the reserve JLA members have already reported and a 
little more than half the names on your list have come on bad," 
was the answer Oracle gave her.

   Diana said, "Excellent, even better than we could dare hope 
for."

   Diana then said, "Inform Batman That I should arrive back in 
Gotham some time tomorrow."

   "Will do and good luck Diana," said Barbara.

   "Same here and good bye who ever you are," Said Diana.

   As Diana was getting ready to leave she was once again 
interrupted by Ke-Lex who said, "The master's Bio-computers have 
been monitoring your physiology, Simply Plain Diana and they have 
informed me that you are in grave need of nourishment and sleep."

   Rising so he would be face to face with Wonder Woman, the newly 
christened Macduff told her, "I have taken it on myself the 
responsibility to prepare a meal for you and a place to sleep."

   Diana was just about to refuse the invitation out of hand until 
she realized just how hungry she truly was. What's for dinner?" 
she asked. "Fresh green salad, Beef Bougignon and home made 
Rhubarb pie for dessert," Was the answer she received.

   "Fresh Green salad at the South Pole?" Diana asked.

   "Grown in the Fortress Green house," was the answer Ke-Lex gave 
her.

   Her curiosity aroused Wonder Woman asked, "May I ask were you 
got the Beef Bougignon?"

   "That and the rhubarb pie were made by the master's mother. A 
large supply of both and other selections are frozen and stored 
here," was his answer.

   Clark had always bragged about his mother's cooking, almost as 
much as he teased Diana's disastrous attempts at doing like wise. 
It would be most interesting to find out for herself just how good 
a cook his mother really is.

   After three large helpings of the beef and two large slices of 
the pie Diana was convinced that Clark was not extravagant in his 
praise for his mother's culinary skills.

   Diana was reaching for the a third slice of pie when Macduff 
asked if she was satisfied with her meal?

   "Most assuredly, "Diana reassured the faithful little droid. 
She also added, "I now have some idea how your master got to be so 
big!"

   Since her new little friend was right about the meal, Diana 
decided to take him up on his offer and catch a few hours sleep 
before heading back to the States. She gave order's to Ke-Lex to 
wait until she feel asleep then wait four hours before waking her.

   With all that said and done Princess Diana of the Amazon Nation 
of Themyscira soon found herself fast asleep in the bed of The Man 
of Steel.

   Almost four hours later measured down to the second after she 
fell asleep, Diana was awakened by Macduff. He or it, she could no 
longer be sure which description was correct hovered by the side 
of her bed holding a tray. As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. 
Diana noticed the pot of coffee, cup, cream and sugar that her 
little friend was patiently holding for her.

   Ten years earlier when Diana first arrived in Patriarch's world 
fresh brewed coffee was one of her first and most enjoyable 
discoveries. After two quick cups and a pleasant good bye to 
Macduff Wonder Woman found herself flying northward back to the 
United States.

   Diana was tempted to use her Wonder Dome as a mode of travel. 
It would have been faster and a great deal more comfortable. But 
with the American Military put on full alert, ever since Superman 
had informed the president of the possible threat by Darkseid.

   Diana reasoned the sudden appearance of a huge piece of alien 
hardware floating over the cities of America would not have been 
prudent to. That is why it took Wonder Woman, even with her speed 
all of two hours to land on the back lawn of stately Wayne manor.

   She was just about to knock on the back door when that same 
said door suddenly opened and she in turn was greeted by Alfred, 
Bruce Wayne's butler, friend, and confident. With typical English 
formality Alfred performed a slight bow and said, "Greetings Ms. 
Diana, master Bruce has been expecting you, please be so kind as 
to follow me."

   She followed him down the corridors of the mansion until they 
reached Bruce's private study. Stopping in front of a large 
grandfather clock Alfred reached up and turned the hands to 10:47. 
The whole clock move away from the wall in one section revealing a 
hidden stair way which led downward.

   With Alfred as her guide Wonder Woman followed him down the 
winding stairway until she entered the huge expanse of the 
legendary Bat cave. Looking past the gloom into the lighted 
section of the cave Wonder Woman could see Bruce and a young 
teenager sitting in front of separate computer screens.

   When they stopped Alfred with all due pomp and ceremony 
announced, "You guest has arrived Sir."

   With out looking up from his work Bruce said, "Thank you 
Alfred, that will be all." As Alfred walked up the stairs to 
return to his duties. Bruce {Batman} Wayne suddenly spun around in 
his seat and said, "Welcome to my home Princess. If I can not 
promise you a pleasant visit. I can at least be able to guarantee 
you an interesting one."

   Bruce Wayne got up from his computer and walked over to were 
Wonder Woman was standing. He put his hand out in greeting and in 
turn Diana reached out and gratefully accepted them. As she 
reached out and grasped his hand even Diana with all her power 
could feel the strength and most surprising of all the warmth that 
he always tried his best to hide as well.

   Before he let go of her hand Batman told her, "Welcome to my 
home Diana, and I really do mean welcome."

   Surprised by his greeting Diana said, "Thank you for such a 
warm greeting Bruce."

   She continued by asking, "May I ask why, especially after our 
little talk on the moon?"

   "There is such a thing as showing the proper hospitality to 
one's guest in your home. Most of all if that guest also happens 
to be a friend," he explained.

   Diana noticed that she was being stared at by Bruce's young 
friend. She had that effect on men. especially the young ones.

   When she first entered Man's world such behavior would 
infuriate her but in time she got used to it. Even more 
importantly she began to understand it.

   It was then that he said, "I seem to have forgotten my manners. 
Diana I would like to introduce you to my young friend Timothy 
Drake. He is the one who is standing there with his tongue hanging 
out." "And Tim, this is Princess Diana better known to the world 
at large as Wonder Woman," he added.

   Wonder Woman held out her hand to Batman's young ward and said, 
"It is an honor to meet you Timothy."

   It's an hon.. honn... I mean it's an honor Princess, "he 
stammered.

   "No need for formality on my account Tim. You just call me 
Diana," she told the young man.

   "Sensing his distress Wonder Woman asked, "Bruce would you mind 
if Tim here would escort me around to see the wonders of the Bat 
Cave?"

   Normally the Batman would take umbrage at any one who would 
dare to make such a request. But then again this wasn't just 
anyone, it was Wonder Woman who had made the request. Besides one 
glance at the anxious and very red face of the young Mr. Drake 
changed the Dark Knight's attitude and his mind.

   "What a fine idea," Bruce replied. "While I am finishing up 
here Tim can show you around the old homestead."

   Taking the young man by his elbow Wonder Woman could feel the 
tremors in Tim's body as they walked arm in arm around the cave as 
Timothy pointed out to his famous guest the wonders of the Bat 
Cave. When they had completed the tour Bruce was just finishing up 
on his own work when he said, "That's it Diana, A full two thirds 
of the world's Meta human community have come together and agreed 
to follow your lead for the duration of the crisis."

   Smiling Diana said, "That is more than we had any right to 
expect."

   Batman answered, "It only goes to show that if the common enemy 
is big enough and freighting enough, petty squabbles are quickly 
laid aside."

   "I also have good news," Wonder Woman reported. "The whole of 
the Amazon nation are preparing themselves to answer the call to 
arms. Even as we speak my mother and five hundred of her best 
warriors are prepared at a moments notice to travel any where on 
or off earth to confront Darkseid."

   "Very good, things are finally starting to look up," he 
answered in turn. After a moment of silence Batman spoke up once 
again by asking, "Don't you have some home work to finish?"

   Young Tim said, "Yea but!"

   "But nothing," Batman scolded as he interrupted his ward. He 
then added, "Now go upstairs and start hitting the books."

   He was about to protest once again, but one scowl from is 
mentor started him climbing however reluctantly up the stairs to 
the main house. Tim was half way up the stairs when he suddenly 
turned and said, "It was an honor to meet you Wonder Woman."

   Diana gave the youngster a warm smile and said, "The honor was 
all mine Tim."

   When he was finally gone Diana turned to her host and with a 
smile said, "When I was but a young Amazon growing up on 
Themyscira my tutors had the same problem with me about not doing 
my homework. But that was not the real reason you sent him away 
was it?" asked Wonder Woman.

   Sitting down slowly in a chair Bruce looked up at his guest and 
said, "Your right, Diana I wanted to talk to you alone about what 
happened between us on the moon."

   Wonder Woman slumped down in the chair in front of him and 
begged, "Please Bruce no more, I feel bad enough as it is. I have 
no wish to fight any more with you, most of all about that. So 
please I'm asking you just let it drop."

   "Wasn't there anyone back home you might have talk this over 
with, a friend or perhaps best of all your own mother?" He asked.

   She answered back, "You have no conception of the problems I 
face Bruce. How could I discuss this problem with my sisters let 
alone my own mother. That by all rights as an Amazon I should not 
be even having."

   "I only wish I had the sensitivity to help you Diana, but I 
don't," he sadly replied.

   He then asked, "Can't you think of anyone who you could talk 
to?"

   Diana was thinking all right, thinking of what Clark said about 
trying to talk to Bruce. But then she remembered something else 
Clark said. Reaching into her girdle Wonder Woman pulled out a 
slip of paper and clutched it as a drowning man would hold on to a 
life preserver.

   Bruce asked, "May I ask what that is Diana?"

   She answered, "An address, or perhaps a prayer. Or a better 
description might be my last best hope!"

   The past forty eight hours had been a very busy time in the 
life of Wonder Woman. With most of earth's Meta human community on 
board in the face Darkseid's potential attack, Diana thought due 
to the gravity of the threat from the Dark Lord of Apokolips the 
final reservoir of power to oppose him might yet be tappet.

   Most of theater governments around the world were following the 
lead of the United States and had already placed their militaries 
on alert.

   Wonder Woman thought the final well spring of potential allies 
to call upon in defense of earth might be found in the out law 
community. Diana's idea to seek out potential allies among those 
who on a regular basis preyed on society was to say at the least, 
vehemently opposed by the Batman.

   To describe his low opinion on these so called potential allies 
was to state the obvious, to him Diana's idea to call upon these 
misfits for help was too dangerous an even more potentially 
disastrous than The Dark Lord himself. It was only after Wonder 
Woman promised to by pass the more sociopath candidates did Batman 
at last reluctantly agree to her plan.

   With this in mind, for the next forty eight hours Wonder Woman 
had searched for support among these misanthropes, but sadly found 
very few converts. At the mere sight of the legendary Amazon, most 
either fled in a panic or attacked her out of shear terror. Only a 
few of them were brave enough or maybe intelligent enough to 
listen to reason or even delay attacking long enough to listen to 
Diana's offer as she tried telling them of threat they all now 
faced.

   In the end she could not call her attempt at this strangest of 
all her diplomatic missions a complete failure. In fact she was 
able to draft a surprising number of he Meta human communities 
darker individuals to the common cause. These few were the ones 
intelligent or perhaps simply brave enough to recognize the threat 
they now all faced together and were willing to help out in 
dealing with it.

   It was with these thoughts running wild in her head that Wonder 
Woman found herself winging through the sky to talk with the last, 
most intelligent and therefore perhaps the most dangerous one of 
all. Diana landed on a roof were once stood the world famous 
symbol of a once great metropolitan newspaper. Even after her long 
flight she stood there more to catch her thoughts more than any 
need to catch her breath.

   She looked up almost expecting to see the globe above her, but 
sadly it was long gone. Ironically she was here to ask for help 
from the one man most responsible for the loss of one of the 
fourth estates most venerable institutions.

   It was only recently that the Daily planet had once again 
opened it's doors. It gladdened Wonder Woman's heart to know that 
soon the globe the world famous symbol of great newspaper would be 
once again were it should have always been. She took off from the 
roof and flew slowly towards her objective.

   Busy pedestrians paused in their never ending race to look up, 
point at her and say, "Look, up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a 
plane, it's HEY! that isn't Superman."

   If those down below her were disappointed few showed it. Most 
of them still waved and smiled up at her, Wonder Woman forgetting 
her dignity as princess of the Amazons, could do nothing to 
prevent herself from smiling and waving back to the passing people 
below her.

   Wonder Woman at last arrived at her destination. Here was to be 
found the last name on her list, potentially the most useful and 
truth be told the the most dangerous. That was why Wonder Woman 
found herself entering the main entrance to the Lex-corp building. 
So she could have a personal one on one meting with Lex Luthor. 
Walking through the lobby entrance Wonder Woman walked past a set 
of two beefy rent a cops.

   With out bothering to turn her head she gave each of them a 
brief but informative glance. They were both large men with more 
beef than brains. Diana knew from their body language and her own 
Amazon training that these two posted at the entrance were 
strictly there to intimidate the locals. As she walked past their 
astonished faces Wonder Woman smiled, she instinctively knew that 
the only way these two slabs of beef could stop any determined 
attacker was if they tripped and fell on them.

   She noticed immediately that in the center of the lobby was a 
large circular information booth, manned as they say by two female 
employers sitting behind the booth. They were giving detailed 
instructions to the various visitors who stopped in front of them 
to ask directions. Wonder Woman patiently waited her turn to speak 
with one of the young women.

   As she stood behind a over weight business man she could sense 
that all of the eyes in that train station of a lobby turn in her 
direction. No one called out her name and surprisingly very few 
even bothered to point in her direction. But in a few moments the 
three hundred or so people gathered in that lobby knew she was 
there. It was if a electrical spark had jumped from one person to 
the next until every one there knew of her arrival.

   The corpulent business man, his questions answered walked away 
with out ever looking behind him and thus never knew who had been 
standing there all this time. The red head behind the large desk 
gave Diana the official Lex-Corp company smile and asked, "Can I 
help you madam?"

   Diana asked, "I wish to see Lex Luthor please?"

   The corporate shill behind the desk asked, "Do you have a 
appointment?" "No," was Diana's simple and direct answer.

   "Mr. Luthor never sees anyone with out an appointment."

   "He will see me," was Diana's short reply.

   Picking up a special red phone the red head asked, "Who should 
I say wishes to see Mr. Luthor?"

   Starting to become annoyed Wonder Woman said, "Tell him 
princess Diana, ambassador from the Amazon kingdom Themyscira is 
here to see him."

   After she repeated what the Amazon said, she listened intently 
then told Diana, "It's just as I told you Madam, Mr. Luthor 
refuses to speak with anyone with out an appointment."

   Having played Luthor's mind games long enough, The now 
bellicose Amazon said in a most menacing voice, "Tell your 
employer if he does not see me now, I will see him later, but 
under far less pleasant circumstances!"

   Frightened the young woman behind the counter panicked and 
began frantically pushing a button hidden under her desk. Wonder 
Woman saw all of this but did nothing to try and stop her.

   She continued to do nothing as the two slabs of beef left their 
post at the main entrance and instead now appeared suddenly on 
either side of the Amazon Princess. Diana remained calm as each of 
them held firmly to her elbows.

   With a calm reassuring voice Wonder Woman told the young woman, 
"Tell your employer Lex Luthor what I just said."

   After some frantic whispering the young women looked up at 
Wonder Woman and in a frightened voice asked, "They want to know 
upstairs if you have any identification to prove who you are?"

   Diana scowled and asked, "Do you see any pockets in this 
outfit?"

   "No MS. Wonder Woman," was the stupid answer the young woman 
gave.

   Annoyed by the rampant stupidity of those around her Wonder 
Woman started to lose her own temper, she decided to prove her 
identity in the most dramatic way possible.

   Suddenly and very majestically the two slabs of beef rose off 
the lobby floor until they found themselves suspended some twelve 
feet in the air. Terrified and ashen faced they clung desperately 
to the arms of the powerful Amazon as the three of them floated 
peacefully above the main lobby of he Lex-Corp building.

   Looking down from her elevated station Wonder Woman calmly 
asked, "Do you think this might qualify as identification enough 
your employer?"

   After a frantic description in to her phone of what she was 
witnessing, the shocked receptionist became very quiet as she 
listened intently to who ever was on the other end of the line.

   After receiving instructions from above, she laid down the 
phone and told Wonder Woman, "Mr. Luthor will make time in his 
busy schedule to see you now."

   Then and only then did Diana gently lower herself and her two 
terrified companions to the lobby floor. Looking first to the 
right then to the left Diana said, "Thank you gentlemen for being 
so kind as to help a women in distress."

   The two slabs of Beef mumbled something that Diana couldn't 
understand about being glad to be of service. Diana wanted to ask 
them just what they had meant, but for some strange reason she 
suddenly found herself very much alone.

   Turning her attention back to the young women behind the 
counter she saw the shaking girl point across the lobby and herd 
her say, "Across the lobby you will find a double red elevator 
door, that's Mr. Luthor's private elevator to his Penthouse 
office."

   Thanking the young woman for her help Diana began to stroll 
confidently across the lobby of the Lex-Corp building. There was 
complete silence from the hundred or so people gathered there in 
the lobby. They had momentary paused in their own frantic lives to 
stare at the legend that was calmly strolling in front of them.

   Looking neither left nor right Diana stared straight ahead as 
she slowly strolled across the lobby with her chin held high and 
her eyes looking straight ahead. When she reached the elevator 
door she was met by a short blond man with stringy hair who held a 
key to the private elevator in his right hand.

   It took Diana only a few moments of study for her to know that 
this unlike the other two so called guards she met earlier, that 
this one was indeed dangerous. It wasn't the bulge she saw from 
the shoulder holster under his tailored jacket, but the smile on 
his face. It was because of Diana's years of training and martial 
experience and her own insight she gained from being both a woman 
and an Amazon that allowed her to see behind his toothy smile.

   What she saw behind the facade was the face of a Hyena and more 
likely than not with a mind to match. Just as she suspected the 
closer one got to Lex Luthor, the more lethal became his 
protection. It was then she knew she came to the right place and 
more importantly still the right man.

   The two legged hyena was inserting his key into the lock of the 
door panel, while he was doing this Wonder Woman looked at the 
television camera that was keeping her under close surveillance.

   After he finished turning the key in the lock Diana could feel 
the vibrations as the elevator made a rapid decent to pick her up. 
In a very short time the car came to a halt and the door opened 
before her. Wonder Woman entered the elevator and turned around to 
face the lobby and was forced to endure the infuriating smile of 
the human hyena one last time.

   As the door slid shut, Diana looked over the control panel 
before her. She saw there were only two buttons, one marked P and 
another with an L. Assuming the P stood for the penthouse Diana 
pushed it and was immediately rewarded with a rapid acceleration 
upward, she estimated the speed was about three times faster than 
any normal elevator.

   Looking upward at the passing lights that marked her rapid 
assent Diana took notice of the ever present eye of the camera as 
it followed her every move. Wonder Woman had a sudden urge to put 
her thumbs in her ears and stick out her tongue. She smiled at the 
thought and began to Wonder if the ever farcical Plastic Man was 
beginning to rub off on her.

   The elevator began to slow and Diana began to wonder what the 
next level of Luthor's security would be like? Diana did not have 
long to wonder as she was greeted at the door by two large guards 
in black suits holding automatic weapons. She walked out of the 
elevator and was told by one of the granite blocks in a black suit 
to, "Please wait here for your escort."

   After five or six minutes two members of team Luthor came 
marching down the hallway, they were in full body armor and 
carried laser pulse rifles. With one of the men in front of her 
and another bringing up the rear the three of them marched down 
the long corridor and entered a small alcove. It was here that the 
trio stopped, it was also here that Wonder Woman was informed she 
would have to be searched before she proceeded further.

   Taking one step backwards Wonder Woman looked up at the ceiling 
and said, "I know you can see and hear me Luthor and I'm telling 
you right now, if you think I'm going to let one of your trained 
apes to put his filthy paws all over me. Then you really must be 
out of your mind."

   The bigger and less intelligent of the two trained Apes made 
the first of two terrible mistakes. The first was in shouting out, 
"HEY BITCH!... don't you ever talk to Mr. Luthor like that."

   The second and far worst mistake was when he put his hands on 
the Amazon Princess.

   Suddenly there was a loud crash and the sound of two pulse 
rifles going off, quickly followed by a sudden scream of pain. 
While all this was going on Lex Luthor sat back in a thousand 
dollar office chair watching the television monitor in front of 
him.

   Luthor puffed away on a ten dollar Havana as he enjoyed 
watching Wonder Woman deflect his men's laser bursts with her 
bracelets. Four seconds after discharging their weapons, those 
same weapons were to be found bent and twisted in the middle of 
the room.

   The men who were until a few moments ago were using these 
weapons were far luckier, only their armor was smashed and 
crumpled on the floor. As for the men themselves, the second was 
peacefully asleep on the floor in the far corner of the room. As 
for the other, the one who had made the terrible mistake of 
putting his hands on the Amazon princess, he was fully awake. But 
at the moment he was to be found hanging upside down from a light 
fixture that hung down from the ceiling.

   Wonder Woman's blood was now up and she found herself in her 
attack mode.

   Kicking the door down to the inner office Wonder Woman was met 
by four more members of team Luthor, all of them were wearing 
armor and all of them heavily armed. Before the members of 
Luthor's elite security force could react and bring their weapons 
to bear against the enraged Amazon, they became victims instead.

   The members of Team Luthor soon found themselves sailing 
through the air and bouncing off the four walls of the room. The 
leader of the team managed to get off two quick shots with his 
weapon that Diana defected with her bracelets. The third member of 
team Luthor was just getting back to his feet, when he was hit in 
the chest with a missile. This particular missile was the leader 
of the team who had fired the shots at Wonder Woman.

   After colliding with his fellow team members, the both of them 
collapsed to the floor in a tangled heap of flesh and smashed 
ordinance. Team member number two managed to get off two quick 
shots at Diana. The first missed, but the second one hit Wonder 
Woman square in the back, she grunted once and fell to her knees 
in pain.

   Her attacker lowered his weapon for a third and far more lethal 
shot. But just as he pulled the trigger, The Amazon princess had 
taking to the air, she managed to do a back flip at the apex of 
her leap that enabled her to land in back of her assailant, a 
heart beat after he pulled the trigger.

   Number three and the leader of the group had just managed to 
untangle themselves and get to their feet. But were immediately 
forced to dive for cover as the shots fried by the second member 
of the team had missed Diana who fortuitously for her was no 
longer in the line of fire.

   Unfortunately for Luthor's men they almost discovered to late 
that they had remained in the line of fire. This discovery was the 
reason they both found themselves diving for cover under a handy 
desk. Even with all they had been forced to endure at the hands of 
he enraged Amazon princess, after all things were considered it 
had been their lucky day after all.

   This was because the man who had shot Diana and had fired 
wildly in their direction, suddenly was no longer a threat to 
them. The reason for this was because the shooter was being held 
aloft over the Amazon's head. Diana held him there at arms length 
for a moment, as he squirmed like a turtle that had fallen on his 
back and was now trying to right it self.

   After a few moments of his frantic and ultimately useless 
attempts at escape, Wonder Woman grew bored with his struggles and 
ended the farce by throwing her attacker through the nearest wall.

   Just as she knew it would, his personal body armor had absorbed 
the brunt of the impact, but the blow was still violent enough to 
render him comatose. She stared at the men who had attacked her 
and seeing that one and three were still trying to get to their 
feet, she turned her attention to the fourth member of their 
combat team. Diana quickly spun around to confront this last 
member of Team Luthor.

   Diana was quick to realize that she had nothing to fear from 
this corner. She could see that number four at this particular 
moment in time was doing his best to fade into the wood work.

   This was because after one quick glance at the face of the 
enraged Amazon. The final member of this so called elite combat 
unit had become so frightened at the sight of enraged Amazon 
standing before him, he dropped his weapon and raised his hands up 
in total and abject surrender.

   The rest of the guards had once again regained their footing 
and began frantically to look around for their weapons. Diana for 
her part was just about to launch herself at the remaining members 
of Team Luthor. She had every intention to make a sudden and as 
violent an attack on these men as needed. So she might put an end 
to this senseless battle as quickly and as painlessly as possible.

   Before she could strike as unseen voice was heard, "Luthor one 
and Luthor three carry Luthor two to the infirmary. Luthor four 
Your fired! If there is one thing I hate even more than 
incompetence it's cowardice. You have exactly ten minutes to get 
your yellow ass out of my building."

   Suddenly the voice said once again, "I will leave it up to your 
imagination what will happen to you one minute after that."

   The unfortunate number four had no attention of waiting around 
to find out. He was soon seen rushing out the door and running 
down the corridor as fast as he could manage. Just as he left a 
door opened on the far side of the room and four fresh members of 
team Luthor came marching into the room.

   For the briefest of moments Diana thought she was in for yet 
another battle, but these fresh troops peacefully took up their 
guard posts and waited at attention. Instead of a fight, a door 
opened instead and a calm voice said, "Please come in."

   As for Wonder Woman, she began to wonder what new challenge 
awaited her on the other side of that door. Cautiously Diana 
walked through the door and into the next room. What she found 
waiting for her was something totally unexpected.

   Wonder Woman had expected yet another threat to herself or at 
least a further display of even more lethal security measures. 
Instead what Wonder Woman saw before her was a large office with 
four desks and what at first glance looked like four typical 
secretaries, typing busily.

   There were two desks on either side of a runway that led to two 
ornately double wooden doors. The doors swung open and Diana could 
see for the first time the bald head of Lex Luthor as he sat 
behind a large wooden desk. Believing the open doors to be an 
invitation she walked boldly but wearily between the rows of desks 
and towards his office. Wonder Woman noticed that all of the 
secretaries were very young and very pretty.

   Diana thought to herself, 'Luthor besides being a brilliant man 
of business and a criminal, he has shown himself to be just like 
any other stereotypical sexist male.'

   As she walked between the rows of desks on her way to Luthors 
office. It was only then that Wonder Woman noticed that all the 
ladies of the typing pool had stopped their typing. As she walked 
past each of their desks she noticed that every one of them had 
their hands buried in the top draws of those same said desks. 
Diana did not need the wisdom of Athena or a certain close 
friend's x-ray vision to now what each of these woman were 
clutching.

   Diana was amused to think that Luthor's apparent sexism did not 
extend so far as to prevent him from hiring the very best thugs 
money could buy. Soon as she entered his private office the twin 
doors closed behind her. It was then that Diana saw the women who 
walked over and stood protectively behind Billionaire Lex Luthor.

   The woman was tall, well built and had the look of a predator 
about her.

   She was wearing high black leather boots and a short gray 
skirt. Under her hand tailored jacket she had on a white dress 
shirt with a thin black tie. Her large hands were covered in tight 
black leather kid gloves. To top it all off she wore a chauffeur 
cap pulled low over her face. With a change of clothes and a 
different attitude, Diana thought she could have easily passed as 
one of her Amazon Sisters.

   Luthor smirked as he said,, "Please excuse my bad manners 
Wonder Woman. This ladies name is Ms. Mercy, she is my chauffeur 
and all around gal Friday."

    "Don't you mean body guard and personal hit man, or is it hit 
person?" Wonder Woman asked in a sarcastic tone of voice.

   Mercy glared at the Amazon Princess in pure hatred, Luthor for 
his part simply threw back his head and laughed. When he finished, 
he asked in an innocent voice, "What ever gave you that idea 
Princess?"

   "Lucky guess," answered Diana. "Or perhaps it was the twin 
shoulder holster your so called chauffeur carries under her very 
expensive jacket."

   She then added, "If I were to hazard a guess, I would have to 
say couple of nine millimeters or twin Baretta Automatics?"

   Once more Luthor roared with laughter and even Mercy had a most 
decidedly wicked grin on her some what feline face. Turning to his 
so called chauffeur Luthor said, "You can wait outside Mercy, we 
will soon be done here."

   As the formidable Mercy was making her way past Wonder Woman 
she suddenly stopped and said to The Amazon princess, "None of 
that modern crap for me, I prefer the Colt forty five automatic, 
model nineteen eleven, deep down inside I guess I'm just an old 
fashion girl."

   When she reached the door she paused for a moment and with her 
hand on the door knob turned and said to Diana, "Mr. Browning 
designed the forty five automatic so a serviceman could bring down 
a cavalry horse at a full gallop."

   "I will remember that next time I find myself in the middle of 
a cavalry charge," answered Wonder Woman.

   "Also comes in handy when you have to put down tired old war 
horses, especially the mares," said Mercy as she left through the 
door.

   Turning back to face Luthor, Diana watched as he sat back down 
and reached into his vest pocket and pull out a gold pocket watch.

   Flipping open the cover he laid it flat on his desk and said, 
"You have five minutes of my valuable time Wonder Woman, start 
talking."

   Looking him straight in the eye Wonder Woman told him, "The 
reason I am here is to ask for your help."

   He answered Wonder Woman's request by telling her, "The 
employment office is on the second floor. I do believe there are 
some openings in the secretarial pool or if you would prefer the 
janitorial service is always looking for a good cleaning women."

   Wonder Woman suddenly exploded, she had been harassed, 
attacked, pawed over and now finally insulted, enough was enough 
and Diana reacted accordingly. Taking hold of the end of Luthor's 
expensive hand carved desk with one hand, she sent it crashing 
into the far wall were it landed with a crash and a shower of 
splinters.

   Suddenly there came a second crash as the door behind Diana 
flew open and Mercy came into the office with a Colt-45 pistol in 
each hand. Four rapid shots came Diana's way one after another 
which the Amazon Princess easily managed to deflect into the far 
wall with her bracelets.

   For a moment Mercy paused in her attack to see what affect her 
bullets were having on the Amazon. This moment of hesitation 
allowed Diana to take her lasso from her hip and send it flying 
into the face of the lethal lady body guard. After ducking 
instinctively Mercy was quick to straightened up so she could once 
again renew her assault on the Amazon Princess.

   But it was to late, momentary distracted by Diana's lasso, 
Wonder Woman used the distraction and the speed of Mercury to 
suddenly appear in front of Luthor's body guard. She had already 
disarmed Mercy and was holding her pistols up to the lethal body 
guard's face. Lex Luthor's Girl Friday watched helplessly as Diana 
stood before her with one of her pistols in each of her hands. She 
then crushed them as we would an empty beer can.

   Mercy screamed, "My daddy gave me those pistols!" She then 
quietly added, "Except for the beatings, they were the only thing 
the bastard ever gave me."

   To demonstrate her point Luthor's body guard then proceeded to 
launch an elbow into Wonder Woman's face. Luthor heard a sudden 
cry of pain as he watched Mercy clutching at her damaged elbow 
joint as she fall down to one knee in pain.

   Looking down in sympathy at the stricken women kneeling at her 
feet, Diana told her, "I think it is a terrible mistake for a 
father to give such an awful gift to his child."

   Looking up at the Amazon princess that seemed to tower over 
her, Mercy snarled in a voice filled with hate and even worst 
memories, "In the end my father thought the very same way you did 
and he lived just long enough to regret it."

   Shocked at what the women at her feet just told to her, Diana 
let her guard down just long enough to permit the enraged body 
guard to leap to her feet and deliver a side kick to Wonder 
Woman's stomach. The kick landed with all the force Mercy could 
summon, but much to her horror she saw that it had no effect on 
the formidable Amazon. Mercy then tried a round house kick at 
Diana's head, who easily blocked the blow.

   Wishing to prevent the women from injuring herself any further, 
Diana took hold of her in a reverse bear hug and whispered into 
her ear, "Peace sister, you have no reason to continue this battle 
with me!"

   Mercy twisted her head around and sneered, "Yes there is, It's 
my job, it's what I'm paid to do." As Wonder Woman finished 
listening to the ranting of her brave but foolish opponent. Diana 
gently tossed her along the floor were she slid into the far wall.

   Turning her attention back to the true author of this one sided 
conflict, Wonder Woman said to him, "Call off your warrior 
Luthor."

   The only response Wonder Woman got for her request was the 
smirk on Lex Luthor's evil face.

   Infuriated by his attitude and his total lack of concern for 
his employee. Diana was distracted just long enough for Mercy to 
pounce on her back and begin to claw her leather covered fingers 
into Diana's eyes. This time it was the Amazon who finally lost 
her temper.

   Reaching behind her Diana took hold of her attacker and slammed 
her to the ground harder then she intended. Mercy lay there at the 
feet of the Amazon, stunned and with the wind knocked out of her. 
Regretting her own actions Wonder Woman extended her hand to the 
fallen women to help her up.

   To show her gratitude Mercy slammed the spike heel of her 
leather boot into Diana's face, just missing her eyes. Seeing that 
this at least appeared to have had some effect on the Amazon, 
Mercy lashed out with her other foot to try the same maneuver once 
again.

   Only this time Wonder Woman caught her by her ankle and held 
her suspended upside down above the Polished floor of Lex Luthor's 
office. As Mercy continued to struggle in a vain attempt to escape 
a grip that was second only to Superman's. She finally gave up and 
began cursing out the Amazon Princess instead.

   In her most menacing voice Diana warned, "Call her off Luthor 
before she harms herself. Because if you don't, I swear by all the 
God's it will be you who will be taking her place."

   Luthor was once again started to say something smart, but one 
quick glance into the strange foreboding eyes of Wonder Woman 
quickly forced him to change his mind.

   Instead he simply said, "That will be all Mercy your dismissed, 
wait outside until I have need of you."

   With that done Wonder Woman gently lowered her erstwhile 
opponent gently to the floor.

   When Mercy regained her footing she began to plead, "Lex honey, 
don't you think I...."

   Outraged that some one in his employ should be so personal in 
public, Luthor

   yelled, "I told you your dismissed, now wait outside."

   She turned and started to limp away but before she left she 
turned and addressed Diana one last time, "This isn't over Wonder 
Woman, not by a long shot."

   "It should never have even started my sister," was Wonder 
Woman's only reply.

   As he watched his body guard limp her way out of his office, he 
held his tongue until he saw the door close behind her. Lex Luthor 
then looked up from his desk at the tall women in front of him and 
asked, "What is the real reason you have come here today Wonder 
Woman?"

   Wonder Woman did not answer straight off, instead she went over 
to were her golden lasso lay and picked it up and replaced it back 
on it's home on her hip. Having done that she turned back and 
faced Lex Luthor.

   She began by saying, "The story I have to tell you started 
almost four days ago on the moon. I think it was four days ago. 
But I have been crossing and recreating so many time zones 
recently I can no longer be sure."

   Going on with her story Wonder Woman said, "Most of the Justice 
league was there and Big Barda one of our most trusted members was 
making a report."

   Diana then preceded to lay out to Luthor most of what had 
happened the last four days. Concerning the possible looming 
crisis the people of earth soon might be forced to face.

   When she finished Luthor looked up and asked her, "What does 
all of this have to do with me?"

   Pausing for a moment he then added, "Perhaps what I should be 
asking is what is in it for me?"

   "Nothing, except perhaps your life," she answered.

   "Always a most valuable commodity," he replied. "Still," he 
added," it wouldn't hurt to see what the other side is offering."

   It was now Wonder woman's turn to laugh, "Do you think you can 
make a deal with Darkseid Luthor?"

   She then warned, "I wouldn't try it if I was you." She then 
waited for a moment to let what she just said work it's way past 
Luthor's massive ego.

   She then told him, "Darkseid doesn't make deals Luthor, he has 
no allies and no friends, just victims and slaves."

   "So what can I do for you?" he asked.

   "You have a global organization," she told him. "You also have 
close ties to numerous foreign governments and certain criminal 
organizations scattered through out the globe."

   She then added, "You are a man of power who controls his own 
massive security force. You also have the ear of certain heads of 
foreign governments and the men and women who really rule those 
same said governments from behind the scenes. I am here to ask you 
that for once in your life to use these assets for the common good 
and the benefit of all mankind, as well as yourself."

   When she finished he asked, "May I ask, what will the rest of 
the Justice League will be doing while I am performing this public 
service?"

   "You already know that Luthor, I will be correlating the 
defense back here on earth, while Superman and the rest of the 
Justice League are on New Genesis as our first line of defense."

   Luthor then gave Wonder Woman the sweetest of smiles as he 
said, "I hope nothing bad happens to the big blue hero while he is 
away."

   "I find it very difficult to convince myself that you really 
mean that Luthor?"

   "That is the one thing you can be sure to believe about me your 
highness. The end of that egotistical, galactic wet back is 
something I have reserved for myself."

   "Only in your most deluded dreams Luthor," Wonder Woman 
replied. "But if the day ever comes when the impossible ever 
should happen. You better hope I too am long since gone. If I'm 
not, I will come to visit you again Luthor and on that day you 
will discover that I don't have any were near Superman's 
restraint."

   Waking over to the window she opened it and once again said to 
Luthor, "Don't bother getting up Luthor, I can see myself out."

   She stood on the window sill and opened the window and looked 
down one hundred floors to the street below her. Turning once more 
to Lex Luthor the Amazon Princess asked him, "When can I be 
expecting your answer Luthor?"

   "Two or three days," he replied.

   "Best you make your mind up quickly Luthor, before you wake up 
in a slave pen on Apocalypse or as simply one of the all to common 
victims here on earth," Diana advised.

   "Listen to me women," Luthor shouted! "Lex Luthor is no man's 
slave and I will never again be a victim!"

   "That is what I am counting on Luthor," Wonder Woman replied. 
She then added, "And that is why your going to be helping us."

   With that said and done Diana stepped out the window, soared 
upward and quickly was out of sight. For the next few minutes Lex 
Luthor sat alone, thinking and brooding.

   Suddenly in a loud voice he cried out, "MERCY!"

   The office door soon opened and Mercy quickly entered. "You 
called Boss?" she asked.

   "Who the hell else would be calling you?" he answered 
sarcastically.

   "Right Boss!" she replied.

   "Do you have your note pad?" he asked.

   For her answer Mercy reached inside her jacket and pulled it 
out.

   "You ready?" he asked.

   With a nod of her head Lex Luthor billionaire was off and 
running.

   "First I want you to double, no triple security around this 
building. Two, then cancel all of my appointments for tomorrow. 
Three, inform all Corporate heads and the various heads of my 
personal security staff to be here by ten o'clock in the morning. 
In the mean time order me a corn beef on rye with mustard and a 
kosher pickle cut length wise and don't forget the celery tonic. 
Four order a repair crew up here to fix this place up."

   He then added, "And Mercy."

   "Yes Boss?"

   "Get cleaned up, your a mess!"

   With that she turned and left. As the door closed behind her, 
Luthor said to himself, 'Only a fool fights in a burning house and 
Lex Luthor is no ones fool'

   If Diana wasn't feeling bad enough about herself before her 
meeting with Lex Luthor. The brief time Diana had been forced to 
wallow in the filth that was Lex Luthor's life made her feel even 
more guilty and ashamed.

   It had been her Idea that every possible avenue of support in 
the Meta human community should be attempted. She had been the one 
who thought to seek out those Meta humans who regularly prayed on 
society and try to gain their support to defend it.

   Wonder Woman still had her hopes, but the more contact she had 
with these lost souls. The more she began to think that she should 
have listened to the Dark Knight.

   With few exceptions only Lex Luthor with his vast fortune and 
ego could see the danger the whole world was facing and agree to 
give all his support to the cause of defending earth.

   Even if it had been her idea, the short time Wonder Woman was 
forced to spend with Luther disgusted her. Luthor was one of those 
individuals all to common these days. The ones who could all to 
easily justify in there own heart and minds their right to take 
anything or use anyone they so desired.

   This was the fear that had begun to eat into Diana's soul. That 
she too might begin to justify the needs and desires of her heart 
at another persons expense. The only thing that stood between The 
Amazon and her own heart's desire was the life of a good and brave 
women.

   A woman whose very life Wonder Woman had sworn to protect. She 
now realized this is what Batman had been trying to warn her about 
on the moon. Diana had nothing but contempt for the way Luthor 
lived his life. Perhaps he had an excuse because of the way he was 
brought up.

   Diana knew she had no such excuse, she was brought up better 
than that. She was raised with a sense of honor and dedication to 
duty and most important of all with love. This was the reason why 
she was revolted at her all to human weakness. Diana wanted to 
feel clean again, not just clean of body, but clean of mind, clean 
of heart and most important of all she needed to have her clean 
soul back.

   This was why the daughter of Hippolyta found herself racing 
with the rising sun as she headed westward and into the heart of 
the nation. Maybe here in the bread basket of the world she could 
at last find the help she now knew she so desperately needed. 
Perhaps a friend's family had the answers that her own family 
didn't.

   As she streaked westward Wonder Woman held tight to an address 
written on a scrap of paper as if her very life depended on it, or 
even more importantly in her case her very soul might be depending 
on it.

   When at last she reached her destination Wonder Woman made sure 
no one was around to witness her landing. She came to earth behind 
the barn and waited to make sure there were no curious eyes about 
to spy on her. She walked quickly to the back door of the modest 
but well kept farm house. Standing there all alone, she was about 
to knock on the screen door when she noticed her hand was 
shacking. It was only then tha