WONDER WOMAN

iii; iii

December 1991

"Howard, call me as soon as you get this. I want to know what the hell SHIELD is doing." I hang up from the phone call and stare at the television screen. The muted screen shows Howard Stark announcing the successful recreation of the serum that created Steve. "I'm going to kill Howard and Peggy." I bring my hand up to my bite my nails. After a few minutes of sitting and not doing anything I pull out my phone to call Howard one more time.

"Diana, now isn't such a great time for me to talk."

"Are you out of your mind? Tell me are you clinically insane?"

"You have to be a little more specific Diana. Maria are the bags ready?"

"You made a super soldier serum. No man should be allowed that much power and ability."

"Steve was allowed this much power-"

"Stop it with Steve. Even with someone as pure of heart as Steve was, people can still be corrupted."

"The bottom line is that this world is unprotected and we need people to protect it. Now I know about your little show in '84, but you keep going back into retirement. We need people who choose they want to save the world."

"You should have left well enough alone." I hang up the room and drop my head in my hands.

Days later I received a call about Howard and Maria's death. I stand away from the funeral watching all the loved ones Maria and Howard had. I didn't notice a woman walk up to me.

"Diana." I glance at the woman and see a muched aged Peggy Carter. "You haven't aged a bit."

"I guess that tends to happen when you are a half-goddess."

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to pay my respects to the late Starks."

"It's tragic what happened to him."

"Any idea what happened?"

"Car accident."

"I don't believe that."

"Of course you don't. I'm assuming you want to get you a copy of the video."

"You would be correct."

"Say I could get it to you, what then?"

"I figure out if it was actually an accident or not, and if it's not then I find the person who killed him."

"I hope for your sake it is an accident. I won't be able to help you out of the trouble you get yourself in."

"I wouldn't expect any less."

--

Present

"It was him," Steve says after a few moments of silence in the van. "He looked right at me like he didn't even know me." Steve's gaze finds mine. "You knew this the entire time?" I look down guilt filling me to the bones.

"How is this even possible?" Sam questions. "It was like seventy years ago."

"He survived his fall," I state the obvious. "When Steve found him in a well-guarded base known as Azzano. Dr. Zola experimented on jim. I think whatever experiments they proceed within the camp changed his gene structure to be more like Steve's and Red Skulls. Made him into a super soldier."

"Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky."

"I'm sorry I kept it from you, Steve."

"Why did you?" His voice raises in volume.