The Wonder

Chapter 2

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Editor's note: As for Castor's request the chapters of this story will be published in the order they're writtern, rather than the correct reading order.

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The wind blew through the meadow like a sharp breath of life. Every scent from the grass to the pine trees up ahead to the pollen to chill of the sea a mile away you could smell on it- all of was live. That's what Diana felt. that the wind it self was somehow alive against her face. Alive and free and fool of wonder.

She breathed, in and out and felt the power in her lungs, a primordial sense of something.

She ran in the meadow almost to test the breath. People talks of tests of strength of ones ability to lift, or carry, but there was something she realized to just the lungs to test there stamina there ability ot bring air into her body running faster then a sprinter to see where they would go out.

They did not go out. She could run and run and run as fast as legs could carry if not faster, jumping kind of dancing through the tall grass in just power, and she didn't feel tired. no, just an intoxicating sence of it all, a sence of joy entering into her from her own cardiovascular capacity, not at it in pride but from it. it was her life her something. her. There was nothing separate.

Nothing at all.

Diana took a second to realize that she had run about 2 miles in maybe 3 minutes and was far away from where she started. She laughed

There was a ravine breaking a river-that made it sound bigger then it was. it really was a creak that dropped maybe 15 feet into the ground, spread 10 feet between the hills

Diana ran to its edge and jumped into the air, and she was flying, flying into the air so free.

She was flying.

And she landed having missed the ravine, missed the edge and flown to a small brush of trees and caught her feet on the ground.

And jumped and flew again.

She back flipped for no particular reason. jumping in the air and spinning twice.

Which was perhaps a mistake as she fell backwards into mala with a clash, hitting the poor girl mid fall and causing both to tumble down, hitting a a small bush in a crashing ooof.

Diana for a moment didn't quite understand what had happened.

"Sorry"

And saw a smile. This was not a bother.

Malla was smaller then her, a year younger, and the kind of a year younger that would always be a year younger. There was something bountiful about how her cheeks where so red, her smile so bright, her eyes pretty. yes she had at some point turned into a hard sinew of a young women fit to power...but she was still a girl, as Diana looked at her, that gazing in her eyes made her feel young.

"Are you okay?" asked Diana.

Malla giggled "That was silly"

Diana smiled. That was true of her to she laughed at everything. And it was the laughter that reminded her.

"I have work to do" said Diana "Have to check the readings on the rain gauges on the western shore"

 When with an "oof" Malla pulled her to the ground.

 The dirt in the tall grass...felt surprisingly good. it was warm, and soft, and if well dirty in the way her mother would notice if she didn't check those gauges...well it was.

 And as Diana sat there for a minute-she noticed the sea.

 It was tall today, the winds and the tides picking it up. Her little island was a paradise, and it would have been a paradise for surfers-but Diana had never done it-was only dimly aware of it.

 And that dim awareness hit her brain for a moment. and the paradise went away.

 "Your a thousand miles away" said Malla.

"Hmm" said Diana.

"Your look like your thinking of China or or....what are the other places called i forget" said Malla.

"Surfing" said Diana.

"There's a place called surfing?"

"It something people do in the outer world" said Diana "something with a board and swim suits...and really specific music they play on a guitar...they have guitars out there"

"You think about it" said Malla. This wasn't a question

"Yeah" said Diana.

"When ever i do it frightens me" said Malla "Men...men with there cars...with there money. How do they ever get around, how do they manage.....here....here its paradise. Paradise as an island.

"We should be happy here"

"Its not trees, the breeze, the Kangaroos we have for some reason.....its not that makes it paradise. its Good people who work to make it happen"

"I should be working now"

"That's not the point-the point is-its paradise because of us. because of you..we all here make it paradise. Paradise is holding you.

And Malla leaned in and held Diana, with her arms uprisings even to her strength-and Diana smiled.

"Doesn't that feel better then surfing?"

"I guess"

"Better to have the paradise in front of then the world distant in the horizon"

Diana sighed softly internally. Paradise was also very very safe. very very

There was a boom.

A loud earth shattering Boom.

Diana was not quite sure when she thought of it, if she actually saw the plane, or if it was like its aperture truly invisible, by science or just the placement of her head. But she heard it blow something out. She turned her self and watched it crash black and dark into a small hillock a quarter mile and a foot. She watched it turn into a smoldering pile of metal....then watched it explode a moment latter.

And a moment latter she was on her feet, and she did not remember the less then a minute it took her to run over.

she felt the heat, as some gas or fuel caught fire for a second explosion bursting the small hill into flame.

Someone was inside that hell. That black metal monstrosity.

Someone.

Diana didn't know where what-was the cockpit..

She saw a raised indention on the top of the plane something moving.

And jumped on it, catching her dress on fire in the process stupidly pushing through it.

There was a hatch it was jaded. it didn't weigh much but metal jammed it. strong gleaming metal

She heard Malla screaming but she ignored her.

She pulled and in and in an instant it was off.

And inside there was someone.

A someone.

She reached in and pulled him out-this maybe was bad, maybe his back.

The fires raised and she pulled him out in a reach, disconnecting wires and tubes and...

The unconscious figure was out in her arms as if he weighed nothing.

And she jumped off the top of the plane to a small meadow before-of thorns yes, but better then this.

And as she did there was another explosion a ricocheting sound as the plane went to burn.

she breathed. she breathed. and then remembered to put the figure down.

The man down.

for as she looked at the figure, draped in some flight suit...it was a man. Burnt chard.

she pulled off his helmet. He was a man.

*****

The room was quiet still and smelled antiseptic.

Diana sat in the room looking at him. Just looking at him.

He was bandaged-burns very serious ones where on 50 percent of his body. legs and arms where broken muscles contused, lungs heart-he looked a wreck, which he was. His face was wrapped up.

He was also the most beautiful creature she had ever seen, and she knew in that moment would see.

And yet she lacked the language why.

Things like hair eyes, chins chest-all where covered up with heavy white gauze.

his hair was blond. Somewhere. but that.

she thought-she looked at him wounded and destroyed and when she had talked to the Doctors of Themyscara, maybe 50 percent of surviving-she saw something amazing, just wonderful

He moaned and coughed

the why went across her mind.

She knew something of the world outside. Men. she knew enough to know that it was a cliche, of the poor women who sees a man and instantly falls....she knew it was a cliche.

Well knowing it didn't stop it did it?

she put her hand on him. feeling the warmth from him. It was warm.

His penis what ever maybe-but she couldn't see it, nor scarcely knew what a penis was. There where no men on her island home, just her and other women living in harmony.

She didn't touch it....but....he was warm.

Warm It wasn't different then any other women that much-she yes had touched them, touched Malla-who was rather confused by it....but none felt like this, felt so...

This was also a cliche but she didn't know it, though if she did, what good would it do her?

So she looked at him. His dog tag was by the bed.

Steven Carmichael Trevor.

453789034

That was him. What the number meant she had no idea but was probably important in the world he came from.

So she looked at him. Thrashing about on bed. He was alive, but was he awake? was he conscious.

"There there" she said putting her hand "You'll be okay"

He moaned, but he moaned in the way of someone responding to her-well

"Don't worry...um Trevor. Mr. Trevor

"I....I"

What. He talked raspy wounded

"Sir"

"That's more like it. I didn't spend four years at Air force to be called Mr. Trevor-unless i have been captured by some foreign power.....in which case hey call me what you want, just not late for dinner"

"Your safe" Diana replied.

"and your voice sounds like honey onto of raspberries" said Trevor "are you my doctor."

"No" admitted Diana "I can get a doctor"

"probably at some point to tell me how much i am shit, but right now i just wanted to listen to your voice and be glad i am alive. Can i look at you"

His eyes.

"I'm not sure"

"i can open my eyes and see a white blur-which i am guessing is some kind of bandage-but my eyes"

"As far as i know there okay"

"That's good-when i get back in my plane, a pilot needs his eyes"

"Its probably going to take awhile" admitted Diana.

"Okay" said Steven "That's what it is....but can i look at you...i want the first thing i see the women with the honey raspberry voice. The Wonderful Woman"

Diana blushed....and moved a hand to push his bandages away.

she saw bruised skin..but around his eyes themselves they where okay-some kind of goggles had protected them....and his blue left eye.

He moaned.

"has anyone told you recently" said Trevor "Your a sight for sore eyes"

Dianna giggled "There not many of us here"

"What?" said Trevor

"Were A small society on this island" said Diana "there is just 43 of us on Themyscaria"

"Themawatia?"

Diana giggled "Yep that's it"

"this is an island?" said Steven " I didn't see it my plane"

"Then your a bad pilot"

"I was flying a top secret jet" said Steven "its designed to be invisible-the problem when you have an invisible plane, it often means that its not great at seeing itself"

"i could understand that- but then again i have never been in a plane. never been off this island"

"its fun, I'll take you on a spin sometime" said Trevor "when i get up into the sky"

 Diana smiled "I would love to fly an invisible plane"

 I get a girl is pretty as you would do great" said Trevor "My your gorgeous"

"Thanks"

"I bet all the guys tell you that"

"Actually" said Diana "Your the first guy i have ever met. On Themawatia....only women live here. Its part of our code, our rules. Frankly when you landed the people in charge My mother the queen had a fit-there probably talking very angry"

 "What the hell" said Trevor "what?"

 "I bet it sounds strange..."

 "I landed on the islands of the amazons" said Trevor" did i end up in ancient Greece by mistake"

 Diana shook her head "well in a way"

 "You can't be serious" said Trevor

"You crashed into" Diana sighed "The important thing is your alive. and that's what happened-i promise...i promise I'll make sure you get back to your people, and you'll be okay"

"I wasn't going that far" said Steven "And if this is ancient Greece how come your speaking English?"

And Diana laughed "Should you like some water?"

"Is it from some ancient vase with nymphs and satyrs" said Trevor

"No" said Diana "well let me check"

"Your doing great beautiful...you make me think of words i haven't thought in a long time, think things...god your beautiful...you look some goddess...and whats your name"

"Diana"

"is that a name of godless of beauty and strength"

"its a great name but not really"

Diana put a jug to his lips

"Well Diana....that water tastes...both the best and worst ever-but the best cause it came from you to a live man...but i am not in good shape"

"You'll get better" said Diana "I'll make sure of it"

And Diana found a small place of his arm free of bandages and put her hand on it...and heard a contented sigh

"Thanks toots...you know this ain't worth it, not for the trouble i am in.....but this is

And Diana sighed and shook her head.

When the door opened behind her.

It was her mother Hypolotya. Looking tall and regal and beautiful....if stern and unhappy. Next to her Was Artemis, who looked more fearsome.

And behind them where a group of Army men in fatigues. Holding guns.

And helicopters. and more army men everywhere with there guns.

And chaos in the small village as they pointed them.

*****

Half an hour latter the army men loaded Trevor onto there craft on a stretcher...and Diana watched it fly. Some one said kind words to there doctor Lyrisia, some general she took it said harsh words to Hipolotya. There arguments in a room away from her Diana could hear over the blades.

 Diana sat in the room.

 "Look me up " said Trevor "Would love to show you the sights"

 Was his last words as the army medics took him away.

 She sat there. Lyrisa explained it was some secret government mission and the plane was..

 Diana didn't hear them. She just sat there.

 Hypolota walked in.

 "The nerve of the men. this is how they come to my island. this is how they come. I am surprised there not taking over"

 "Are they leaving?" said Lyrisa

 "Yes" said hypolota "in due time, in due time".

 She scoffed.

 Artemis came after "There arrogance-there guns- i have thought we should have killed him".

 "No" said Diana.

 "That would have just made more a mess" said hypolota "There coming tomorrow to sweep every little bit of there top secret aircraft away. God"

 "I want to go with him" said Diana. quietly. more quietly then Diana ever remembered speaking

 "What?" said hypoltya, confirming that she had said it out loud. Diana knew if she had said it to herself and no one heard it she would never have the strength to say it again.

 "I want to go with him. i want to see the mans world, i want to leave and see the mans world".

 "Do you know what your saying child, do you have any idea?"

 Probably not, thought Diana. But still....she wondered.