“Diana, what have you DONE!”, came the voice behind her as she walked down the dark alley.

She didn’t even have to turn around to know who it was.

“Hal”, she said pleasantly, “what’s shakin?”

Without breaking a stride, she casually flipped her lasso around above her head, quickly flicking her wrist and sending it out to hit random objects. First a cat, then a garbage can. The man behind her floated there, disbelief flooding his facial features, even behind his mask. After awhile, she finally turned to face him, but her demeanor did not betray any emotions, especially considering her most recent activity.

The man behind her floated softly downward to the ground, and in a flash of green light, his clothing changed from the distinctive green and black uniform, into a pair of jeans. a white t-shirt, and a leather bomber jacket, that has belonged to his late father. He approached her cautiously, a faint, green glow emitting from the ring on his left finger. Even as he walked, he was transmitting information to OA and the Guardians, who watched with rapt attention.

“Diana, where’s Bruce?”, he asked.

He watched as she shuffled rocks with her feet, storms rolling across her face as she recalled. He half expected her to attack him, and as such, he instinctively curled his hands into a fist. She did not attack. As a matter of fact, she barely even moved. All she did was continue looking at the ground while muttering something to herself.

“Ring, amplify”, Hal said softly, and immediately his hearing was able to register the words that she was repeating over and over again. His face twisted from grief to anger as he realized the words that were coming out of her mouth,

“In brightest day, in darkest night,

No evil shall escape my sight.

Let all who worship goodness’s might

Beware MY power…”

Only Hal recognized the sacred Green Lantern Oath too slowly, and in the time that it took for him to spring his attack, he felt the noose-like grip of her golden lasso tighten around his neck. He ceased straining, knowing that it would do no good. No one escaped the lasso unless W0nder Woman wanted them to, so he relaxed and prepared himself for what was to come.

“Hal”, Diana whispered, “why did the League betray me?”

“The League did no such thing, Diana.”, replied Hal in a robotic, almost trance-like voice.

He gasped briefly as he felt the lasso tighten and begin to pinch the taut skin on his neck.

“You’re mistaken, Diana. The League did not turn against you. You turned against the League”, came Hal’s voice once again.

Diana paused to consider what he had said. She knew that those under the power of her lasso were bound to tell the truth, regardless of whether they wanted to or not. Reflecting on the events of the last year, Diana realized something, and decided to have a moment of clarity with her old friend.

“Here’s the problem, Hal”, she said, as she began walking down the alleyway and pulling the rope along with her, “We formed this group to protect the world from evil doers and criminals and the like, right? But….hmm..what’s that old adage…it’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind?” 

Hal felt his footing slip, no matter how he tried to use the grip at the bottom of his boots. He desperately tried to form a conscious thought and hone his will to making his power ring an active help, but his mental state was too frenzied. He was taken aback by this turn of events. Quite soon, Diana was running, then lifting from the group and taking to the air with Hal hanging with the lasso around his neck. He swung like a pendulum, back and forth, each movement cutting into his respiration more than the one before it.

To be continued……