The living room was a minefield of snack bowls and empty make-up cases, mostly thanks to Vanessa Kapatelis. After all, it had been her idea to spend the evening snacking and lounging with her surrogate sisters. Princess Diana and Donna Troy had been extremely busy in the past few weeks, between Donna’s work at the college; Diana making a name for herself as Wonder Woman, Boston’s new guardian; and the pair of them working together to strengthen Donna’s supernatural skills. It was a welcome change of pace for the both of them to relax with Nessie (as they called her), pints of various ice creams, and cheesy movies.
Diana learned the joys of television after she'd her brief run-in with reality shows, and now sci-fi B-movies captured her attention. They watched an older film tonight, starring a young Garfield Logan; so entranced by the display of cheesy cardboard sets and “giant” insects roaming the post card city she didn't hear the phone ring. Only when Julia Kapatelis called out to Diana did the Amazon's attention snap back to the living room.
“Hello?” Diana paced from one end of the kitchen counter to the other, and back, just as Vanessa did when on the phone.
It was a surprise to hear Steve Trevor’s voice on the other end of the line. “Diana, it’s good to talk to you. I’ve got something to ask you, if you’re up for it.”
“Is something wrong?” Diana asked, standing up straighter. Steve's voice remained distant, even after their most recent adventure together, the Quest for the Sun Chariot. He had seemed to grow closer then. He even helped her find an old farmhouse a few miles from Julia’s home to keep the Chariot and its horses safe, but then returned abruptly to Washington DC. Since then, she'd not heard one word from him.
“Not ‘wrong’, exactly,” Steve started, “not yet. It’s Red Panzer.”
“He’s escaped?”
“He’s been attacked,” Steve told her, speaking faster to keep her listening until he could finish. “Twice, now. He wasn’t going to agree to roll over on his Nazi buddies, but apparently now, he figures he has to if they're going to take him out like he will. That way, he gets protection from the government.”
Diana nodded. “Sounds logical. What do they want you to do about it?”
“Panzer talked about a Ryche base in the Antarctic. IADC can’t really spare the people to investigate. They want me to come in and talk to Panzer myself…and they wanted me to ask you to go see if he’s telling a true story. My bosses are just loving the thought that they can call Wonder Woman to help them out,” he added with a small, dry chuckle.
Diana grinned and paced more excitedly now, as Julia watched from doorway out of the kitchen. It reminded the older woman of her daughter and reminded her that the princess wasn't all that much older than Donna and Nessie. “Of course I’ll help, did you think I wouldn’t? You should hear the stories Mother tells of fighting Nazis. I suppose it’s only fair that I get my turn.”
“Boston won’t suffer without her newly-beloved heroine?” Steve asked, a lighter tone in his own voice.
“Boston will survive,” Diana smiled, noticing Julia’s laugh from the other room and winking at her. “Donna will be here. She’s been training so well, I fully trust her to take care of anything that comes up in my absence. You should see her one of these days, she’s remarkable,” she gushed as the proud mentor.
“That's great. As soon as we have the info you need, I'll make sure they send it to you.”
“Of course. Tell your supervisors that I’m happy to help. My evening right now is just taking it easy anyway,” she added, “We’re watching ‘Return of the Saucer People’.”
“Ah, that old clunker?” Steve actually laughed now, some of his strictly professional manner dropped.
“Don’t be mean,” Diana chuckled. “Donna loves it, and I’m having quite a lot of fun.”
“Yeah, I love it, too,” Steve admitted, and cleared his throat. “I’ll talk to you again soon. Thank you for your help.”
“Thank you for asking,” Diana smiled, and hung up the phone, returning to her movie until Wonder Woman would be needed again.
*****
The next day...Vanessa spent more of her time at school after her close encounter with Dr. Psycho; against all her better judgment, she liked being back. With encouragement from Diana, and attention from her mother, Vanessa again felt pride in good grades on papers, or high test scores. Her new friends bitterly teased her now, after she had 'abandoned' them, but Nessie’s old friends, the ones who she had left behind to fall in with the bad crowd, they welcomed her back with open arms. There was drama club, a project on fashion history, greasy pizza for lunch and a school dance coming up in a couple of weeks.
Then there was the new kid.
He had introduced himself as Chet Copper, a new arrival at Nessie’s Salem high school from Gotham City. He clearly came from money with the sweet car that drove him to school; he proved athletic when he took center on the basketball team and became a star; but an easy demeanor and bright smile made him one of the most popular kids in school.
Despite all that, there was something about him that Nessie didn’t trust. That didn’t stop her from hanging out with him every time he showed interest. They were walking home together that day, after what had looked like a heated argument with his driver from Vanessa’s vantage point.
He always seemed to be trying to shake somebody off. It wasn’t that Chet had done anything to make Vanessa suspicious—it was more about what he didn’t do. He had yet to invite anyone to his home, despite his popularity and how much everyone would love a party. He avoided questions about his family and about Gotham. But no matter how shifty he seemed like he might be, Vanessa wasn’t about to pass up the walk when he offered.
“So…”
“Yeah…”
Chet laughed, making Vanessa blush. “Sorry about this…figured I’d be more of a talker than it turned out.”
“No no, you’re still really, really cool,” Vanessa insisted, feeling her cheeks get hotter.
“You say that like you’re not,” Chet returned, flashing her a perfect white grin. His mop of sandy hair sat adorably ruffled over his head, and he walked close to her, his athletic body warm.
“You’re just saying that,” Vanessa protested, an accusatory note in her voice.
Chet put his hands up defensively at her tone, and dropped them back into his pockets. “Hey, no, just saying.”
Vanessa cursed herself under her breath as they walked together in awkward silence. She was making herself sound like an idiot, but after the way she’d fallen Psycho’s flattery, she struggled to take his words at face value. Especially with someone who kept looking over his shoulder, like he expected to be followed.
“I get it, though,” Chet started the conversation back up, smiling again. “You must get that a lot. You being all hot. And cool. Unless you’ve got some deep dark secret I don’t know,” he added teasingly.
Nessie laughed a little, and reached her arm to take his. “Nah. Not so long as you don’t.”
Chet gave her another flashy smile, and held her arm until they reached Vanessa’s house. “So...goodbye for now?”
“Just for now,” Nessie answered, self-consciously holding onto his arm a moment longer. When she let go, he still walked her politely to her front door before leaving. Nessie ran to the window once she was inside and watched as he made his way back down the street, still looking over his shoulder.
There was something that Vanessa just couldn’t trust about Chet Copper. But she very much wanted to.
*****
Donna Troy wandered the campus of Miskatonic University with time to kill until her next class and heavy thoughts on her mind. Diana had left that morning on her latest adventure, and despite all the training she had been though, all of the progress she had made, Donna was left at home again. From the way she had asked Donna to stay behind, it had sounded as though Diana hadn’t even considered taking her along. Donna let out a sigh and leaned against a picnic table near the cafeteria. Was she just not good enough yet to follow Wonder Woman around the globe? Would she ever be?
Her musings were interrupted by the rowdy laughter of a group of boys at one of the other tables. She glanced toward them and had to double-take before she believed what she saw. The powerfully-built, black-haired man would stand out in any crowd, but Donna had seen him before, and he caught much more of her interest. The chiseled jaw, the barrel chest, even the way that he wore his clothes so loosely cemented his identity in her mind.
With an irritated sigh, Donna straightened up and marched over to the group. The older man and three jocks from a nearby frat house all laughed at their crude jokes. She could hear the conversation more clearly as she got closer. “Comin’ to Saturday’s party, sir?”
“It’s probably not appropriate,” the man said with a laugh, and slapped the student's shoulder, “but I don’t think that’ll stop me.”.
Donna tapped the man’s shoulder, looking straight into his face when he turned around. Heracles stared back at her, cleared his throat then glanced between her and the boys. “Excuse me,
Sir,, can I talk to you for a minute?” She asked, her voice cold.
The jocks whistled and laughed again, and started to walk away. One of them called back before he left, “See you Saturday, Mister Fernandez.”
There was a long moment of quiet after they left, as Donna and Heracles stared at each other, each as baffled as the other.
Donna spoke first. “Fernandez?” She hissed, an incredulous whisper. “You know that Greek and Hispanic don’t look a thing like each other, right?”
He cleared his throat. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here. I wouldn’t expect you to know this, but a man by the name Fernandez stole my name for his professional wrestling career. I thought it only fair to return the favor.”
“And do what with it?” Donna hissed and glanced around the area. She stood close to him, not the least bit afraid. Despite his bulk and muscle, she had fought against him once.
Heracles cleared his throat, and took a step away from her. “I don’t see why my life has to be your business, Troy.”
“And I don’t see why you’re on my college campus warping already-warped young minds,” Donna countered. “What do you want here?”
The way he fidgeted under her gaze was baffling. Heracles shifted his feet and kept his hands in his pockets, rolling his eyes so that he managed not to look directly at hers. “If you really must know, I’m making a living. Not that I need to,” he added defensively. “But I’ve been offered work. And as demigods have plenty of time to spare, I decided to take it.”
Donna blinked. “A job? Doing what, exactly?”
“It isn’t important,” Heracles said quickly. But Donna’s piercing look drew a frustrated sigh from his throat. “I hate determined women. I’m coordinating the physical education at this school.”
“Hercules is a gym teacher?” Donna asked, and covered her mouth to turn her laughter into a cough when she saw the look on his face. “Whatever keeps you out of my backyard, I guess.”
“I’ll thank you to call me Fernandez,” he said in a hush, sparing a look around them, satisfied that no one had overheard them. “Not that anyone would believe you if you revealed my true name, of course.”
Donna shrugged. “Fine. Just don’t try anything. I’ll make sure I know if you do anything weird.” She checked her watch, and left him standing alone by the table without another word. Now she just had to concentrate on her history class, instead of the strangeness of the modern world.
*****
Diana tied a scarf over her mouth and nose to protect them from the Antarctic air. She trudged over the last mile toward the coordinates that IADC had given her, not wanting to draw attention by landing any closer. Steven’s bosses had offered to send her a plane, but time was of the essence, and airplanes could be disrupted by the frozen weather. But the Chariot of the Sun could not.
It had been a small disappointment to Diana that the real sun still rose and set even after she had taken the Chariot. But it meant that she was free to use the reward of her quest. Somehow she knew that it would not be harmed, either by the snow or by any misfortunes that may happen while she investigated the Ryche base. The Chariot would care for itself, and return to her in the end.
She was amazed at how cold she didn’t feel. Wrapped in long blue pants, thick red sleeves and a heavy cloak, all made of thick thermal fabric, she had still expected to be slowed by the cold. But when she had taken the reins of the Chariot, its warmth had spread into her body, keeping her safe from the frozen air. Even now, this aura lingered as she trudged over the icy waste.
The base came into view slowly over a steep hill of white. She could just make out the roof and guard towers of what must be a huge complex, settled in a valley in the snow. As she started to climb the hill, Diana saw her first opponent.
They stared each other down, the Amazon woman and the tall Ryche soldier. He wore thick blue armor, splashed with black and yellow warning signs, the symbol for nuclear energy, and danger. As he came closer, Diana could see the mechanical strength in his armor, and she felt a strange chill pass across her shoulders in the wind.
“Welcome, Wonder Woman.” The man stepped up to her, standing only a few feet away now. Diana was already in her defensive stance, her silver bracelets on the outside of her long sleeves and reflecting the blinding sunlight. “We are honored by your arrival. Won’t you come inside?” He asked, a mocking lilt in his voice.
“I’d rather fight here,” Diana returned.
The man nodded, and immediately sprang forward, a sharp blow barely missing her head. As she charged into him, the sun retreated behind a thick black cloud, the weather changing in no time at all and snow began to fall around her. The man ducked the first throw of her lasso, and Wonder Woman straightened up to look at his face. “I’d also like to know who my opponent is.”
He gave her a small, oily smile and threw a punch that she dodged. “They call me Nuclear…for good reason.” He brought his arms back to his sides, concentrating hard until the snow began to melt in the air around his body. Even as he heated, Diana felt colder, more snowflakes whirling around her face and blurred her vision. The next time she ran to strike him, Diana’s fist hit the armor over his chest, and she pulled her burned hand back with a stifled cry of pain.
“It can’t be this easy to capture the great Wonder Woman?” Nuclear laughed, the smile wiped off of his face when her leg connected with the back of his knee.
“No, it can’t.” She let herself grin as she swept his leg out from under him. Nuclear stood back up quickly though, and Diana could feel the sharp sting of hail on her back. She spared a glance up at the sky. Could the weather really have changed so fast?
In the moment that her attention was divided, Nuclear pressed a signal on his wrist, and a wave of heavily-armored soldiers came up over the hill. By the time Diana looked back, the trained men had made their way to surround her, more used to traveling over the snow, the flakes and hail concentrated around her own body. It couldn’t be natural—it was clearer by the minute. The furious look in Diana’s eyes made Nuclear grin again before she could even ask.
“I’ve a friend, safely settled inside, working against you,” he explained, and drove his red-hot fist into her stomach. The pain wasn’t enough to stop her, but the other soldiers closed in, two of them grabbing at each of her arms in her moment of weakness. “Minister Blizzard will be pleased to know our plan worked. And my
Panzer Soldaten seem pleased as well,” he added, nodding to the soldiers as they held on to a struggling Wonder Woman. “You may as well give up. But I’d be happy to make you stop wriggling that way.”
Her teeth were grinding in her mouth, but Diana fell still. She couldn’t fight them all, not without considerable damage to herself. And by now she knew that there was no way for her to get inside unnoticed. Swallowing her own pride, a hot lump in her throat, she allowed the soldiers to march her toward the base, Nuclear walking smugly and slowly behind them.
*****
“HA! Take that, slime! Think I’m just some pretty boy? Well think again!” The Olympian barreled and brawled his way through the three bank robbers, resorting to pure physical power after the hostage negotiations had failed to work. Screams echoed through the marble halls, and gunshots joining them, as the panicked bank tellers and patrons started to scramble out of the building.
Olympian’s thoughts weren’t on the ricocheting bullets, even as several came barely short of landing in the people he tried to rescue. Instead, he was busy pounding his fists into the only one of the robbers who hadn’t been able to flee. “This something a fag can do?” He hissed, repeating the insult that had been thrown at him just a few minutes ago, but not wanting the word to carry in the marble halls. Didn’t need the press hearing that one. All they needed to see was the way the robber collapsed with a bloody mouth and nose.
A meager cheer rose up from the audience, and Olympian swaggered forward as if it had been thunderous applause, the Golden Fleece whipped around his shoulders as he turned back toward the cops and spectators. “Nothing to fear, folks! All under control now,” he announced as he leaned against a police car to watch the crowd expectantly. A few of the people who had gathered outside were snapping pictures and giving him the wide-eyed awe that he deserved, but the ones he had rescued were too preoccupied reuniting with their loved ones.
Olympian shrugged and headed toward the police officer who seemed to be in charge. “Well then, another job done,” he said loudly, slapping the other man’s shoulder with a broad grin. “Now don’t you boys let me take
all the work away from you, alright? You feel free to turn me away.”
One of the other cops gave a dry chuckle. “Yeah, you bet. We’ll call you next time we need a lullaby.”
Ari felt his jaw clench, but controlled the impulse to start another brawl. His powers came from the Golden Fleece, and all of the heroes who had put their particular strengths into the cloth – Hercules’ strength; Jason’s leadership; skills with astronomy and navigation and controlling animals; with wrestling and archery; with music and manipulation and more. Today the calming, hypnotizing music was a good power to pull out of the bag of tricks, but if this was the response he would get for using the less-manly skills, it may be the last time he used it. The lulling melody from his small lute had distracted the robbers long enough for Olympian to attack them and made the rescue significantly easier. But it wasn’t worth the sneers and sniggers he was getting now.
“I see everything is under control, so I’ll just be going,” Olympian started, but stopped his farewell speech when a voice crackled out of the police radio.
“Attention all units, all units, requesting backup at 204 Atlantic, massive attack on the building. Suspect is described as tall, brutally strong and must be considered dangerous. Identified by metal implanted in his skin. Officers already injured, all units, please respond!”
“Well now,” Ari stroked his chin with two fingers, turning his back on the police and started toward the address. “That sounds interesting.”
*****
The cold of the floor seeped through Diana’s long pants as she was tossed to the ground in the throne room. She contained her anger at the treatment and pulled herself to her feet. Her wrists may have been bound behind her back, but she was otherwise unrestrained, and able to stand tall.
“How good of you to visit,” came a deep voice from a dark man. She studied the armor, broadening the man’s shoulders and accentuating his muscles, a large cross branded over his chest plate. He was tall and stocky, and radiating an aura of authority as he stood from his throne at the back of the room.
Diana’s brow furrowed as she looked at him, remembering back to the stories that her mother used to tell. “You appear too young to be Baron Blitzkrieg,” she mused aloud, though that was the name coming to mind.
The man chuckled, a dark sound that echoed through the cold air. “Indeed. And you are too young to be Queen Hippolyta. I admit that I am honored to keep the legacy of both our families alive,” he said with a cruel smile, his eyes raking over her still-bound form. “I am the Iron Cross. The Baron was my father, and left his life’s work for me to continue. We are doing splendidly, too. Allow me to show you around,” he told her, beginning to offer an arm before drawing it back, another smirk falling on the ropes around her wrists.
“A warmer welcome than I seemed to be getting outdoors,” Diana said pointedly, then followed him as he began to walk through the halls.
The Iron Cross glanced back at her face, and at the soldiers trailing behind her. “A warmer welcome than we often give those who attack our troops.”
“I had no intention of attacking your men,” she answered coldly. “Though if I hadn’t, I’m sure I wouldn’t be in the good health I am now.”
“Surely. A wise decision, the one I myself would have made in your place,” Iron Cross nodded, pausing as the hallway opened into a larger room, sparsely white and built to impress. “Welcome, Wonder Woman, to Neuschwabenland.”
Diana could see the extent of the building’s size, could feel the heat pumped through the halls to keep the soldiers warm. Iron Cross led her through the high-ceilinged rooms, and explained about the German expedition that had claimed and named this chunk of Antarctica, only half-listening as she kept her eyes focused on observing everything. The walls were heavily reinforced, the security strong and precise. With the men working in every room, and with the Iron Cross watching her carefully, it was still too risky to attempt an escape. She tuned back to his conversation as they crossed through more hallways, away from the more bustling rooms.
“As emissary for the United States, you of course have no right to stop anything in German lands,” Cross said, another leering look thrown at her face. “But since you have come here we must be gracious hosts.”
“Of course,” Diana replied, keeping her voice level. “But I don’t understand. Why are you all here, where it takes so much energy and money to simply survive?”
“Ah, there lies the beauty of our cause.” Iron Cross gave a genuine smile. “My dear, have you ever heard of the Transcendent Peaks?”
Diana began to answer, but paused as the name rang a bell in her mind. “I may have. A mountain range with mystic properties, correct?”
“I’m impressed, not many people know even that much.” Cross stopped in front of a wide thick window and gesturing to the mountain range just visible in the snow. “They are not fully of this world. An American expedition from Miskatonic University were the first to realize, I believe. There is magic that may never be tapped, deep in those rocks. But we will not rest until we find out what power they have.”
“And what power is that?” Diana prompted, anxious to get the information while she was still not considered a threat.
“Creation,” replied the Iron Cross, turning to look at her directly, a zealot’s fire in his eyes. “A new land…the chance to build a new people. A perfect people in a perfect home.” When she didn’t reply, he continued. “There is a new world beyond those peaks, and it will be our homeland. The Aryan race will live apart, above, as glorious as it has always deserved to be. And then, from there, the Ryche will spread across this globe!”
*****
The address that Olympian had overheard was for a reinforced building, just a few stories tall, near the edge of the city. It was designed not to attract attention, but today there was no way to miss it. The polished double-doors at the main entrance had been reduced to splintered lumber, the sounds of crashing and shouts from inside a better marker than any siren that something terrible was happening.
Ari stepped up past the line of police cars, shaking off the cops who tried to block his way, and walked right through the front door, hoping that someone in that crowd had a camera to capture his brave act.
The scene inside had only been going on for a few minutes, but one would never know from the look of it. The well-furnished lobby was in tatters, a trail of destruction led up to the second floor, and Olympian hurried to follow it. He had to duck as soon as he made his way up the stairs, dodging a bullet as it whizzed through the air. Once a reception area, the open space was now a war zone; the huge man with the shimmering metal in his skin stared down a group of IADC security barricaded behind the door to the rest of the hallways and offices.
“I will give one last chance,” declared Mourn, glancing at Olympian’s arrival and dismissing it immediately. “Let me through to Panzer. Or I will clear the way myself.”
They knew that he could make good on the threat—Steve Trevor and his three men were in bad shape behind their barricade, from the fighting that had taken place before they could retreat to this position. But Steve was determined, and the arrival of someone who might actually be able to match Mourn’s strength made him hopeful. The talks he’d had with Diana made Olympian easy to identify, and Steve could count on him doing what he did next.
“I think you’ll just be leaving these civilians alone,” Olympian announced, with a crackling his knuckles, then stepped between Mourn and the agents.
The cold chuckle from the man’s mouth didn’t seem to register in Ari’s hearing. “Fool boy, you know nothing. These are no civilians.”
Olympian only shrugged. “Whatever they are, you’ll be leaving them alone if I have anything to say about it.”
The door from the stairs swung open again, and all eyes turned to Donna Troy. She looked around the situation, her bright bracelets glimmering in the dull florescent light. The distress call had made its way to Donna’s ears too, and she had rushed to the scene, ready to finally prove herself.
Steve’s mind raced as he worked the new arrivals into his plan. Three doors down, Justin Streiger hid. He needed to be protected, and that meant he needed to be escorted out of the building before anything worse happened. Without backup, there had been no way to leave the situation long enough to be sure of everyone’s safety. Now though, there was a way.
“Go get him out of here,” Steve quickly ordered two of his men, jerking his head toward the hallway. They hurried off, and Steve kept his attention divided between the escape, and the stand-off in the lobby. Mourn was just beginning to attack again, and Steve saw Donna gulp as she held up her meager-looking weapons. “You can do it, Donna!” Steve called out to her. “Make her proud!”
Mourn charged now, headed for Donna first. He had no qualms about hurting women when they stood in the way of his duty. But as he reached her, Donna threw up her arms as she had been trained, and Mourn bounced off her shield.
Olympian whistled low, returning Mourn’s indifference by pausing to compliment her. “That’s some fancy arm-work.”
“Not now!” Donna snapped at him, her full attention on the enemy.
Another loud crash sounded as Mourn stood, more angry than ever. “You have all had your chance,” he growled, and rushed them again.
This time it was Olympian who got the better of him, nimbly grabbing the Golden Fleece from his shoulders and tossing it around Mourn’s legs. The huge man fell to the ground again with a roar, and Ari smirked. “Who’s showing who now, huh?”
Donna’s shout was not the impressed cheer he was expecting, but a warning cry. “Look out!”
Olympian would have told her not to worry, if Mourn’s metal-marbled fist hadn’t connected with his head, sending the young man across the room.
Now it was finally Donna’s turn to shine, quite literally. She took a long breath and focused it, her wrists tingled under the bracelets' gems as they began to glow, a brilliant silver aura surrounding her arms. The strange and still-unexplained power flowed through her limbs, and Donna ran forward. She channeled all that power through her fist and straight into one of the metal rivets in Mourn’s back. The shock of the blow rang through his body, distracting him from making the final blow to Ari’s head, and something clicked in Donna’s mind as she got a close look at the man’s skin.
There were metal deposits all through his back, but there was more than that. Where his spine would be, Donna could see the dark outline of the same sort of metal, buried beneath his skin. The more closely she looked, the more she could make out his metal bones, his skull making his bald scalp grey, his muscles covering up most of the skeleton. But she had seen enough to get an idea.
On the wall behind her, Donna could see where Mourn’s damage to the building was most dangerous. In the fighting before she had arrived, he had exposed a cable junction behind the wall and ripped open the casing, exposing several glistening electrical wires. Donna focused hard, panting under the strain of building up her strength, and grabbed Mourn’s arm, tossing him hard across the room and into the box.
She aimed well. The exposed wires connected with a line of metal, and Mourn screamed as the electric current raced into his back, down his spine and through every bone in his body. He was still after that, a disturbing curl of steam rising up from the body as the assassin finally fell.
*****
Diana’s tour of the Antarctic base, and the Iron Cross’ wide-eyed explanation of his plan, were interrupted by a Ryche soldier running up to them. The man cleared his throat nervously, and said something quietly to his commander, while Diana’s fingers worked at her bonds.
“What?” Iron Cross shouted, and the soldier cowered. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, sir, we’ve lost all contact, and we’ve intercepted an IADC signal. They have him.” The man glanced in Diana’s direction, but Cross was too angry for him to hold back the information in her hearing. “A-an Olympian defeated him, and a girl.”
Iron Cross ground his teeth, and Diana felt her heart swell with pride. Whatever it was exactly that Donna had done, it made the Nazis panic, and that was just what she needed.
She had been working them over subtly during the entire tour, and with one final strained tug, the manacles snapped, leaving Diana ready to fight once more. With Iron Cross still distracted, Wonder Woman took her opportunity and punched between the plates of his armor over his stomach, hard. She took a moment’s satisfaction from the act as she backed up, glancing around the hallway to find her best strategy.
This hall was crowded with machinery and controls, although Iron Cross had ordered the men experimenting there into other rooms when he had passed through. It was only the three of them, a wall full of expensive and intricate equipment, and a window looking toward the Transcendent Peaks.
Her moment was up, and she snapped back into the time stream at Iron Cross’ shout. “I have treated you kindly until now! You will appreciate that while you freeze in true captivity!”
Diana wouldn’t waste her time or her breath with a retort. Instead, she leapt into the air, crashing the heel of her boot into his chest plate and landing on her feet. The fight was on, and while it lasted, it was brutal. Wonder Woman showed no signs of the pain she felt when Iron Cross’ thick gauntlets connected with her body; neither did the Nazi show any discomfort when his arms were bound tightly at his sides by the glowing lasso. When she pulled her arm back, the coil unwound and sent Iron Cross spinning dangerously, and he crashed into the wall, sending a flurry of sparks and crunched machinery into a cloud around him.
The man swore loudly and threw himself back into the fray, the fire in his eyes boring into Wonder Woman’s skin. “You will pay for daring to cross me!” He shouted, but his furious steps were cut short when the floor began to shake beneath them.
Both of the combatants stopped the fight, Diana looking around in confusion, Iron Cross in horror. Both of their eyes finally found the window, and the smoke and crumbling rock that were beginning to cloud the sky. The thunderous noise rang across the frozen land, the wildlife fleeing the area all around the mountain range.
The Transcendent Peaks had opened.
