Legendary

I woke up the next morning feeling as sprightly and supple as a plank of redwood. I managed to get out of bed without waking Iris, who unconsciously oozed into the warm place I'd left. After dressing quickly, I went outside into the gentle dawn light and began stretching. It helped, but it also let me know just where each and every bruise and cut was. I lay down in the grass to stretch my piriformis, and looked over as a footstep caught my attention. It was Antiope. She just came over and wordlessly assisted my stretches, then tugged me to my feet. "I wanted to see how you were," she said. "This has been a rather ugly introduction to our home."

"It's been awhile since I had to fight like that," I acknowledged.

Antiope nodded. "Even here, we rarely practice full out."

"I wasn't going full out," I said. "It was supposed to be a friendly bout, not a fight with serious stakes, and with Diana upset, it wasn't wise to push too much. I wanted to show you some of the valkyrie training. If I'd been serious, the damage I inflicted would be a lot greater. To be honest, I didn't really want to hurt her, not in front of the home crowd, her sisters, who haven't seen her since I don't know when. Not to mention her mom."

"You were holding back?"

"Yes. No mistake, Diana is stronger than me and she has a lot of gifts I lack. But I learned techniques from many different traditions and I'm quite good at what I do. Preferentially I don't fight with a sword and shield, and when the stakes are high, I don't scruple to fight dirty. Diana uses only one system of combat and still might have beat me, but she'd have been the worse for wear." Yeah, I know, I'm not the most gracious loser, but it was true that I hadn't been as fully prepared as I had been going into Ragnarok, for example. And one's approach to combat informed one's action too; I was a lot more ruthless than Diana was. My approach to protection of innocents was to at least severely damage the bad guys, whereas Diana's was to incapacitate in a ...less violent manner. One that would allow them to see the errors of their ways. I wasn't terribly concerned about that. Bruce and Diana shared the strong desire to avoid killing, but my experiences had left me with the understanding that this was a luxury that wasn't always possible. And if I'm truly threatened, it's no contest between my skin and the bad guy's.

Antiope looked interested. "What weapons do you prefer?"

"Two swords when fighting with old-school weapons on the ground. Bow and arrow and javelins for aerial combat. I prefer unarmed combat, though, but when modern weapons are in play, I'll use an energy pistol." She smiled.

"I was going to go to the archery range before breakfast," she said. "Would you care to accompany me? Not for a competition, just practice. I believe that after the meal you are to tour the city before leaving."

I accepted with pleasure, and brought a sleepy Iris with me. The range was near a grove of olive trees, and once Iris got bored, she went back to sleep cuddled among the roots of a tree and Antiope and I chatted about battles we'd fought. Their bows weren't as strong as the ones I was used to, but I didn't embarrass myself. She was a little repulsed when I mentioned how I'd used my spare bow string as a garrotte during Ragnarok but said it was clever. "I begin to see what you mean by fighting dirty," she said.

"Well, I wouldn't say I was fighting dirty," I said, drawing for my next shot and letting the string roll off my fingertips. "That was the use of all my equipment as fully as I could. Stakes couldn't be higher; the destruction of at least the Nine Realms, so I was motivated. Fighting dirty is throwing a rock at somebody to distract them so another person can get in with their weapons. Throwing dirt in somebody's eyes. Scratching, although I prefer to throw a punch." The arrows came close to the target center.

"Do you always talk when you're concentrating?"

"My uncle, who was my first hand-to-hand instructor, always talked when we practiced. It helps me because I'm used to distractions when I fight." She seemed struck by that.

"What did you think of yesterday's... revelations?" she asked quietly before she loosed her arrows in quick succession. "I ask only because Diana is returning to men's world with you and to your grandson."

I thought about that as we walked toward the targets to retrieve our arrows. "I have sympathy for Diana. I'm compassionate because that was upsetting for her to learn, I think the raw explanation of the time the Amazons spent in captivity, even though detail was lacking, was the most upsetting part, but I think once she thinks about it, she'll be fine. Her mother couldn't just think of herself or her during that horrible time, she was also the queen and had to lead her people. She did the best she could in extraordinarily...difficult circumstances, and I'm confident that Diana will understand that perspective after a bit. I'll be available if she wants to talk about it, and I'm sure Torunn will too. Torunn wasn't raised with the expectation of rule, but she understands the sacrifices that entails and has her own perspectives. Asgard is very much a patriarchy although it is changing. My aunt Emma made an initial push and Odin and Thor actually had to start thinking about what it's like for women under the rule of men, and Sif is exerting both overt and covert influence for change. Her sons certainly don't underestimate women, and I have had a small part in that as well. But Torunn has lived in that atmosphere longer than I have and I think can relate to both mother and daughter."

"I am relieved to hear that," she said as we returned to the firing line for a last end. "I worry for her, alone in a hostile world."

"Well, she may not have the Amazons by her side," I said, setting my feet and stretching my neck again. "But she's got a lot of people who have her back. The Justice League, for one, which overlaps with my family. And the public trusts and loves her, more than any other superhero. She is the only one of her kind out there, but she is not alone." Antiope thought about that silently, then showed me the basics of shooting multiple arrows off one bowstring. The Hawkeyes could do that too but I'd never learned. It's a lot harder than it looks.

Iris woke up about then and laughed to see my arrows going everywhere. "Mama always hits the target," she said, laughing,

"Thanks, kid," I said, and sent her off to find and retrieve the arrows. It's nice to have a tiny minion.

Then there was a hearty breakfast, and Iris went for a farewell ride, Martha and Torunn went swimming, and Diana silently joined me on the tour of the city, pointing out a few details that Ipthime didn't. We visited a quarry not far from the city to see how they cut and shaped the stone for building, and I got to try my hand. Then we went down to a beach, broad and gently sloped, where they were building a shrine to the Nereids. "These daughters of Nereus and Doris represent all that is beautiful and kind about the sea," Ipthime said. "There are fifty of them, and they carry Poseidon's trident when they are in his entourage, a position of responsibility. Amphitrite is one of them, wife to Poseidon. They help to keep sailors away from Themyscira, for which we are grateful. This beach is is one where we gather to swim and have picnics, and on occasion, some of the Nereids will join us." She introduced me to the construction crew, who were putting the columns together and showing me how the pieces were stacked and the fit refined. The surf lapped at the sparkling beach enticingly, and when I picked up a sample of the sand, I saw that it had not only lots of small nuggets of quartz but also mica.

"Perhaps next time you visit, there will be more time for fun," Diana said, her voice questioning, as if she wasn't sure I'd want to return.

"That would be nice. This is gorgeous." Both women smiled, and we went back to the city, where we picked up our bags, collected our companions, and said goodbye to the queen and the council.

"I very much appreciate the opportunity to come here," I said as I clasped arms with all of them. "I am grateful for your hospitality."

"Perhaps next time we can do better," Hippolyta murmured.

"I would love the opportunity to return." As my daughters and Torunn thanked our hosts, I walked with Antiope to the horses, and, after rummaging in the bag with my arms and armor, gave her one of the daggers I'd made and carried into Ragnarok, then we rode down to the dock and soon were on the way back to Athens. Sofia and Diana chatted and I listened to how my daughters had passed their time on the island. They had had a great time.

When we got to Athens, we thanked Sofia for the ride and took a cab to a hotel where the accelerator should be waiting for us. It was, accompanied by my husband. "Daddy!" caroled Iris, and she ran over to him to be picked up and hugged. Martha also got a hug and kiss, Torunn and Diana a warm greeting, then it was my turn. It was quickly decided that Martha, Torunn, Iris, and Diana would check out the temple of Ares while I had the worst of my cuts treated, and then we would stop by--briefly--in Rome to check up on Bruce before going home.

Damian just shook his head as I explained the fight, although all I said was that Diana had been at odds with her mother. Even my husband didn't need to know the information that was given to me in confidence. He listened closely as I told him what information I'd learned about Diana's suspicions. He carefully arranged the accelerator over the hole in my wing, holding the feathers back, before he groaned. "The gods, really? Just what we didn't need. And Phobus and Deimos. They're the personification of panic, flight and rout, and terror and dread, respectively. They are Ares' charioteers, and spread panic and fear in their wake along with fear of loss, which is dreadful in battle, and can turn victors into victims if they can't overcome these feelings. I talked with those who had encountered them in battle when I was in the underworld--they may go veiled to the point of invisibility these days but they are always present and their impact is considerable."

"Great," I huffed, depressed. Then I smiled at him. "I met Antiope," I said conversationally, as he put away the accelerator and sat up, dressing. He'd healed the cuts; the bruises could wait until home. I changed to clothes he'd brought with him that didn't have any little bloodstains on them.

"Antiope who?" he said absently, and we were interrupted by Martha, who had come up to see if I was done yet.

"One of your flings in the underworld, Father," she said impatiently. "I can't believe you didn't warn Mom about her. She was caught flatfooted."

"Oh, damn," Damian said, flustered, remembering. "She's an Amazon? She never said. She wasn't forthcoming with the personal information and I didn't press for information she didn't want to give freely. I'm sorry, Sweet pea," he said, turning to me and putting out his hand. I took it, and Martha rolled her eyes and picked up the equipment case and the small bag that had held my change of clothes as he kissed my fingers. She charged out ahead of us. "I am sorry," he said again, real contrition saturating his voice. "She told me very little about herself and we weren't together long."

"I'm not surprised," I said, thinking about what had happened to the Amazons in captivity.

"What did you think of her?" he asked tentatively.

"Tall, blonde, gorgeous, nice, she's exactly your type," I said a little ruefully.

"Sweet pea, you are precisely my type," he said, stopping me on the stairs and turning me to look at him. "You may not be tall, but you're not stubby, I love the richness of your dark hair, you're beautiful too, and you're nice," he said logically, and I burst out laughing. He smiled too and offered his arm. "You're saved from entire perfection because you're a little stubborn," he teased, and I laughed again. But he stopped me at the foot of the stairs. "If I can't have you, I don't want to be with someone whose hair is not the perfect shade, who is not the correct height, who is not a pale imitation of what I cannot have. She must be a good person, but know this, Alixzandrya, no one can compare in my eyes with you. Your intelligence and goodness have marked my heart as yours in life and beyond. I may have dallied with other women when you were beyond my reach, but none of them have claimed my heart. I was fond of them, but I never felt the inferno of love that I have for you."

I snuggled in briefly. "I wasn't angry," I said, "just taken aback. And she is formidable. And I really have no room to talk. You work with Tony."

He waved off the issue of Tony. "But she was nice to you, right?" He sounded worried.

"Very. She taught me to shoot multiple arrows off one bowstring," I said, and he squeezed me gently. "I was jealous, but she wouldn't stay in the outer world with or without you, so I figured you were safe." I smiled and reluctantly stepped away. He just smiled slightly and touched my face lightly.

In the suborbital, Diana said grimly that construction had begun on several temples but Ares was the farthest along and the restorations looked quite grand. None of the workers could or would say who had commissioned the work. After that, Iris took over and we were glad to let her tell her dad all about what she'd done and seen on the islands. I noted with amusement that she softpedaled the stunt riding that she'd apparently learned. It was a short trip to Rome, where we had lunch before going to the hospital. Iris was delighted to see Tabby again and Selina indulged her interest as we checked in with Bruce. It was odd to me that the niece was older than her aunt. He was irritable about being bedbound, but there was nothing that could be done for that, his own stubbornness had put him there, and he waved us off after a short visit. Selina cut off his impending sulk by handing him his daughter. I smothered a laugh with difficulty to see him cooing and cosseting her as much as she'd allow; she was an active child and wanted to crawl around. Even Diana smiled to see that. Selina accompanied us outside where Tabby could hit the grass, and we took our leave.

When we got to the landing field, Alfred and Alan were waiting for us, and Daniel leaned against the fender of his smaller aircar with a pensive expression that eased as we exited the suborbital. Alfred's eyebrows rose fractionally as he recognized the case for a portable accelerator, but he didn't say anything. Daniel had a hug for me and we managed to find a little bit of time the next day when I could speak privately to him. Martha insisted on getting a cab home, which miffed Alfred a bit. Then the rest of us crowded into our aircar and we all hit the road.

I casually snagged the bag with my armor when we reached our house, and took it as nonchalantly as I could down to my forge, tossing some of it in a bin to be scrapped; the damage was too great to be repaired. Then I considered, and tossed it all in. I needed a new design to keep a visual distance from the Winter Knight. Alfred came in while I was on the phone with Uncle Steve, setting up an appointment with him, and he stared at the bin contents in consternation. I hung up and smiled ruefully.

"My demonstration was rougher than I'd anticipated," was all I said, and he nodded.

"Will you be require the full accelerator treatment, Miss Alex?" he asked, and smiled sightly when I agreed. I followed docilely and waited while he programed the instrument. After that, feeling much less creaky, I went upstairs just in time for Miles to be returned; J had taken him as a treat overnight while Damian had gone to meet us. Miles was thrilled to see us and I got to hear all about the ballet he'd seen, the zoo, Uncle J. Iris jealously countered with tales of horseback riding, climbing trees, and swimming in the ocean. Time with Uncle J was a treat for all my offspring and much prized. Miles wasn't that interested in the horses, but he was a little sulky over the swimming. Damian rubbed his face.

"We'll go to the ocean this summer," he said. "Everybody can have fun playing in the surf."

The kids were enthusiastic and we kept them talking, with Alfred chiming in with some clarifications of what Miles had been up to and a few questions for Iris about her activities. Then coffee and tea in the library--the kids stayed with us for the cookies before going to do their own things. Eira was set to come back the next day, and Torunn said she'd bring her home when she checked in with her uncle. Torunn then left for her own suite, and Miles insisted on telling me more detail about the ballet and enthused about his new lessons. Some of the girls treated him like an interloper, but then, they were all still at the stage where they were nervous about cooties. Other little girls thought he was more of a curiosity--he was the only boy in the class--but were friendly, and the teacher was thrilled to have a boy student, especially one with as much potential as Miles had. Then it was time for the kids to go to bed, and after we tucked them in, we went downstairs and waited for the Alliance members--for the purposes of this threat, the League and the Avengers had decided to have a formal team-up--to arrive. First up was Steve with Bucky, and as Damian greeted Superman and updated him about Bruce's condition, I took my uncles to my smithy, showed them the damage, and then asked for new designs for armor and a costume.

Bucky smacked his head. "I didn't even think of that, sweetie," he said ruefully.

"Martha's right, there is too much similarity," Steve said, disgusted with himself. "It would be a selling point if you joined the Avengers and your identity was known, but it's not smart now. " He shook his head. "I think I'll try something less traditional with your costume, more cutting edge. I'll make some designs for your armor that will integrate, and you can tweak them however you'd like," he promised, and we rejoined the group.