Wonder Woman was created by Dr William Moulton Marston in 1941 and is the © copyright trademark of DC Comics. My Wonder Woman stories are only fan fiction and based, primarily, on the 1970s CBS TV show (albeit, updated to the present time of writing). However, any resources from adaptations and comics may be utilized. All characters are entirely fictional. Except for any characters found in DC Comics or related adaptations, these stories and characters are my creations, unless otherwise stated. In my stories, Wonder Woman is the only known superhero.
08 Bad blood
“This is all my fault,” lamented Diana. “I should never have got Warren involved.”
“Don’t beat yourself up about it, Di. Besides, I’m convinced I was Hung’s target,” Roger replied. “I should have finished him off when I had the chance.”
They sat in a waiting room at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Roger studied Diana as she rubbed her brows. He could only imagine her inner turmoil. Nonetheless, he sensed her concern for Warren wasn’t the whole story. Ever since he rescued her from the mountainside, Diana looked vulnerable, almost gaunt, while her demeanour swung between stoic determination to sullen despondency.
They sat in prolonged silence until the surgeon greeted them with an update on Warren’s condition. “I’ve removed a bullet from his lung. The other only scraped his right upper arm. We’ll have to see how it goes now. Bear in mind, he isn’t a young man and has lost a lot of blood.”
“Warren’s no quitter,” Roger stated after the surgeon departed.
“I know,” Diana replied. “Excuse me.”
“You need the restroom again?”
“I didn’t realise you were counting!”
“I’m just concerned, Diana.”
“Don’t be. It’s Warren who needs our attention.”
On her return from the ladies, Diana recognised the golden-haired gent in a formal claret jacket approaching her.
“You look like you have an update for me, Inspector Kelly.”
“Indeed, Agent Prince. Your hunch was a good one. Mr Chase and the Chinese party checked out of the Park Hyatt. I looked at the flights and ports. It seems they’re still in the country at present, but who knows where.”
“I want them found, Inspector,” Diana insisted, sternly, stopping to face the detective. “It could be a matter of national security for both our countries.”
“We’re doing everything we can…”
The detective kept talking as Diana became distracted by a short Asian nurse who hurried by. Although she didn’t get a good look at her face, Diana thought she resembled Mei Li.
“You’ll be the first to know if there are any developments,” assured Inspector Kelly.
“I won’t keep you from your duty any longer, Inspector.”
“Sure enough, Agent Prince,” said the puzzled Inspector.
The detective watched Diana hurry along the corridor when he almost literally bumped into Roger.
“Where’s Agent Prince heading, Inspector.”
“Your guess is as good as mine, Mr Macintosh.”
“There’s been another development in Mr Wakeman’s condition. He has been put into a medically induced coma. I better catch her up and let her know.”
Spying through the glass panelling on the stairwell, Diana watched the nurse scurrying down a flight of steps. A fire erupted inside her at the indignation of the Chinese agent’s audacity to visit the hospital where Warren lay fighting for his life.
A group of ascenders accidentally blocked Diana’s path on the stairs. Although the elegant, wooden-panelled foyer was crowded, Diana spotted the nurse’s head in front of the stained-glass windows as she left through the main entrance.
To Diana’s frustration, she arrived in time to witness the nurse ride away in a cab. Nevertheless, she was in luck, for a black station wagon pulled over. Diana opened the driver’s door. An older man sat at the wheel looking confused.
“Out!” she snapped.
“Hey?”
“I’m a US government agent and I’m commandeering your vehicle.”
“Soz, lady, I’m collecting the wife.”
“This is an emergency!” Diana emphasized with vigour.
Roger and Inspector Kelly arrived in time to witness Diana grasp the unfortunate mature driver by his shirt collars and drag him out of the vehicle.
“Crikey Mikey! What does she think she’s doing?” said the inspector.
“I’m not sure I know,” Roger replied, watching Diana skid away in the station wagon.
Weaving between the vehicles on Missenden Road, Diana drew up behind the cab at a red-light junction. Turning right, onto Carillon Avenue, she tailed the taxi to a house in the suburb of Stanmore.
Watching the back of the nurse enter the premises, Diana padded sweat off her cheeks; though a moderate temperature, she found herself perspiring profusely. Her head began swirling on her way to the house. She acknowledged feeling ill, but somehow her bubbling sense of injustice overrode such concerns. She thumped on the door.
“What can I do for you?” said the nurse.
For a second, Diana stared at the nurse. She felt like she had just got off a roller coaster. Nevertheless, Diana could still tell the Asian lady wasn’t Mei Li. Just as she found herself feeling lucid, an inner rage tore apart her rational thought.
“Where is she?” Diana seethed.
“Where is who? Agnes?”
Diana shoved the nurse aside. In the small living room sat a frail octogenarian lady in an armchair.
“Hello, dear, who are you?”
“You can’t just barge your way into someone’s home,” said the nurse in distress.
“Satori, I’m scared. Who is this woman? What is she doing in my house?”
Diana pressed a hand against her forehead. She washed away the moisture. Nothing made sense. The women’s faces spun around her.
“Are you alright?” the nurse said.
But Diana was not all right. She fainted on the floor.
In the spherical lounge of the strange spaceship, occupied by Chinese agents, Mr Chin berated Boi Hung.
“You are a lanky buffoon! Your orders were to finish Macintosh, discreetly, not in the full view of the whole world. Why do you think we went to the trouble of setting up a honeytrap with Kay-I when Mei Li could have done the same thing? Huh? So, we could lay the blame on her and say we were investigating a North Korean plot. The Americans would have no choice but to accept their own bundling. Thanks to your stupidity, we’re now wanted for murder!”
“I beg for forgiveness, sir. I should have been more disciplined,” Boi admitted, “but I wanted vengeance – I wanted Macintosh dead.”
“And you couldn’t even do that,” Mei Li said, breezing into the lounge. “You shot the cab driver.”
“Their female agent put me off,” Boi hastily replied. “She’s still alive.”
“He speaks the truth,” said Mei Li, relaxing in the moulded seating. “Diana Prince chased me out of the hospital, but, naturally, I lost her.”
“Did you notice any ill effects?” said Jun De Wang. He stood in the doorway to the control room with his arms folded in a macho stance.
“None. The woman came after me like a bull.”
“Interesting. Visitant predicted her demise within twenty-four hours.”
“The plan is going wrong, Jun De Wang. You promised me great success!” Mr Chin said, angrily.
“The plan is right on schedule,” Jun smoothly countered. “Diana Prince may be alive, but the evidence suggests Wonder Woman is neutralized thanks to the Visitant. Wonder Woman’s fight with Mei Li has proven that.”
“Nonsense, darling!” protested Mei Li. “I beat this so-called Wonder Woman in a fair fight.”
Jun winked playfully at Mei Li. Boi looked put out.
Mr Chin brought the conversation back on point. “Disabling the American heroine is an impressive feat but taking control of a nuclear submarine is a much bigger endeavour.”
“Indeed,” agreed Jun.
He invited Mr Chin into the control room with a hand gesture. It was pitch black except for backlit consoles and blue circular lights over on the far side. Jun sat with his hands pressed against one of the controls.
“The user interfaces with Visitant via the touchpad, in a similar way I do through psychic powers, but the connection is more like a programmable language using thought alone. The connection takes a few seconds to establish…”
An unsettling gurgling pulsated the room.
“What’s that?” said Mr Chin in earnest. “It sounded like an animal.”
“That’s the connection,” replied Jun. “The Visitant is in part an organic machine. Don’t worry, my friend, he won’t harm you.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“My gift has allowed me to develop a special bond with him like a man has to a dog.”
“Visitant – Captain Edward Griffiths’ view,” commanded Jun.
The circular lights beamed a hologram of the captain’s field of vision and everything he heard. It showed him walking through a naval submarine.
“The scophoza inside him is a living, breathing bug who is transmitting every glance or utterance that Captain Griffiths makes back to the Visitant,” said Jun. “However, it’s much more than that. The Visitant has complete control over the captain’s actions, which means we can get Australia’s first nuclear submarine to do anything we please.”
“I am impressed,” replied Mr Chin, “The submarine is to be sent to a Chinese port for examination. The West still won’t be able to prove we were behind the boat’s disappearance and the Australians will never be trusted with such powerful American weapons again. I shall send a report to Beijing right away.”
“Beijing doesn’t need to know just yet, my friend,” replied Jun.
“What do you mean?”
“Come…”
He took Mr Chin around another passageway to some doors which looked familiar to him.
“This is where the prisoners are kept,” said Mr Chin.
“Indeed.”
Jun spoke through the intercom to the inside of a cell. “Return the money from your bank account and we’ll let you go free, Mr Chase.”
“I don’t believe you, man,” Jase replied, nervously.
“The mercenary has come unstuck,” Mr Chin remarked.
In the next cell, Jun checked on Kay-I through the intercom.
“I did what you asked. I want to see my family,” she told him.
“Soon you shall want for nothing,” replied Jun ambiguously, “I can assure you of that.”
“She served us well,” Mr Chin said. “We will keep our word of honour.”
“That may not be possible,” Jun returned.
“What do you mean?”
An adjacent door opened to Kay-I’s cell.
“After you…” said Jun.
Mr Chin entered the room and the octagon door slid shut behind him.
“As I was saying, after you were imprisoned, there was a change of plan,” said Jun through the intercom.
“This is treachery! Let me out,” boomed Mr Chin.
Back in the lounge, Boi Hung was still reeling from his dressing down. He lit a cigarette with a shaky hand. He blew the smoke upwards in careful contemplation.
“You’ve always been his favourite. He thinks you can do no wrong,” he complained bitterly to Mei Li.
“That’s because the leader likes efficiency,” she retorted in a sarcastic tone.
“What does Jun like?”
The remark from the quiet man surprised Mei Li. She sat up to listen.
“Do you think the leader doesn’t notice when you make your fraternisation so obvious?”
“I’m past caring. You’ll see,” she said playfully.
“Huh?”
“She means you’re the one who is a liability and surplus to requirements,” said Jun De Wang standing behind him.
Boi Hung spun round on his seat.
“Mr Chin has been too soft on you,” Jun continued. “You’ve failed us at every turn.”
“Who put you in charge, monk?” said Boi rising to his feet. “You’re not even a thoroughbred Chinese man, but mixed blood.”
“I’ve assumed the role,” Jun replied with a pearly white grin.
Without a second thought, Jun slapped Boi by the knuckles across the face. The gangly man was caught off balance and collapsed upon himself like a squashed spider. Boi had had enough of being everyone’s punchbag, literally and figuratively. He stood to his full height. A moment later, he swung his best surprise haymaker in his attacker’s direction. Jun saw it coming. He cooly sidestepped the assault. Before Boi could face him, Jun twisted the man’s wiry wrist behind his back and restrained his other arm. Boi yelled in an embarrassingly effete pitch. He couldn’t move, locked in the iron vice of his strapping opponent.
“I have a special mission for you, Boi,” informed Jun.
Jun marched him out of the lounge and up the incurved passageway to an innocuous silver door. “We’ve finally found something you can’t fail at, comrade.”
The entrance sprung open and Jun violently shoved Boi into the room. After the door sprang shut, Boi found himself in the dark with water up to his ankles. There was an ominous presence about the place. He heard the force of heavy breathing, which resonated through his eardrums, and made him shudder. He froze before frantically banging at the door. Unbeknownst to Boi, this was the worst thing he could have done since it alerted the creature to his position. Hearing the man’s final screams from the other side satisfied Jun’s interest. He returned to join Mei Li in the lounge.
“Is it done?” said Mei.
“It’s done,” Jun confirmed.
“Then the world is our oyster,” she said.
They embraced for a passionate clinch.
“Tell me, darling,” she said, “Am I a better kisser than Wonder Woman?”
“Of course, you are,” he lied.
Through blurry vision, Diana awoke to the sight of medical staff in white protective suits with transparent face visors. “She’s awake!” said one of them; and Diana recognised him as her friend.
“Roger, what’s happening?”
“You’re in hospital, Diana. It’s alright, we know what’s wrong with you,” he assured her.
“First of all, how’s Warren?”
“He’s in a coma.”
She sighed heavily.
“Okay, what’s wrong with me?”
A tall man wearing glasses underneath his visor stepped forth.
“Hello, Diana, my name is Doctor Morecambe. You’re suffering from acute radiation sickness of a different kind than what I’ve ever seen. Your blood tests suggest your immune system has been wiped out. Have you been vomiting?”
“Frequently.”
“When was the first time?”
“A few hours after I was exposed.”
Doctor Morecambe paused for thought. “I’m afraid that doesn’t bode well.”
“You don’t have to soft-soap it, doctor.”
“We’ll do everything we can. Mr Macintosh says you have special requirements?”
“You might say that I’m a great believer in a natural recovery.”
“Well, you’re going to need all the help we can give this time.”
The doctor left while Roger remained. Diana called him over.
“Roger, if my immune system is depleted, I’m probably going to need some help. I want you to contact Steve Trevor and request any of my unused blood samples from Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu be sent to this hospital.”
“What for?”
“To be injected back inside of me. The sample will contain my rather unique immune cells which should aid my recovery.”
“Err, sure. Anything else?”
“I’m afraid so. I recall my uncharacteristically erratic behaviour before I collapsed. Forgive me. However, if I get my strength back, I can’t guarantee it won’t happen again. That’s why I need you to collect my bracelets. They should deter any further aggressive instincts.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely,” Diana affirmed with a wry smile. She knew Roger was struggling to get used to his friend’s true nature. “You see, I never transformed back to Diana Prince. In your terms, I’m still Wonder Woman.”
“Right…”
“If I’m unconscious, place them on my arms.”
“Will the bracelets be contaminated and conspicuous?”
“Contaminated? Unlikely. Conspicuous? Yes, but staff safety is a greater concern – not that I’m confident in ever finding my strength again.”
“Di, I heard what the doctor said, but he doesn’t know who you really are. What do you think? Are you going to recover?”
Diana paused for thought.
“The truth is I’m getting worse when I should be getting better.”
“Then let the hospital do everything they can for you.”
“Don’t you see, Roger? There’s nothing more they can do. I’m in the hands of the gods now…”
For Part 9: click here
An effective illustration, by Ed, shows Diana in her hospital bed after she was found to be suffering from radiation sickness. Check out Ed’s other great work: click here.
Mercian Comics 
# 1 read it fast, a complex period in my life, hope to be back to usual comments soon. Only one now: looks like Mei Li really has taken it personally with Wonder Woman aiming to best her under all point of view 🙂
Hi # 1, I hope you’re doing well. Thanks.
Although you sounded concerned (in your front page post) about a lack of action here, this chapter really had emotional pull to it, which was dramatic in its own right. It also had the drama of what is happening to Diana and whether she’ll navigate her troubles.
I’ve always said that I love how your stories explore areas the TV show never went, and this is no different. In the TV show, we already would have had Diana healed and off to fight Mei Li again, and handily defeat her again without effort or challenge in a rematch, as Wonder Woman would never lose once, let alone twice or go through something like what Diana is now experiencing, so after even a minor setback, the viewer always knew what was coming next. Really, the initial defeat and power loss wouldn’t have even happened in the first place in the TV shoot. Different times and all that, but the TV show, for as many gifts as it gave us, was pretty vanilla and predictable.
As #1 alluded to, it was interesting seeing Mei Li’s reaction to the suggestion that she couldn’t entirely take credit for the defeat of Wonder Woman. That reminded me of the earlier story with the Lost Siren, where it was the toxin that gave the Lost Siren the edge, and the Lost Siren felt cheated.
I like how you explored how Diana is still technically Wonder Woman right now, as she never transformed. Thinking through all of what that means can make one’s head hurt (believe me, I’ve tried to think through something similar a few times in my stories). Related to that, there are some things I’m not clear on (and not just the Visitant, who we’re increasingly getting info on as the story progresses). I I assume more will be revealed as we go forward. Diana’s instructions concern the bracelets, for example — maybe that is a nod to the comics? I’m no expert and never read them, but I’ve seen mention that without her bracelets she goes crazy in the comics? Is that what was causing her strange behavior? We’ll see! And we’ll have to see if her immune system can rebound with the aid of her own blood. Looking forward to more!
Hi CJ,
I’m glad you found it interesting. I never know how the emotional angle is going to play with the reader. I think I worry too much about straying into non-genre areas. However, those who comment, such as yourself, are always fine with it.
I’ve probably said this before, but I think the TV show would have kept its viewer share if had taken more risks. It was vanilla and I’m conscious of how dark my writing can be by comparison. The real shame is I believe Lynda had the acting chops in the CBS series to convey Diana in similar situations to my stories. The Bionic Woman had more challenging situations from what I remember. Lindsay Wagner is a good actress.
Mei Li’s reaction reminded me of the Lost Siren, too, but I went with it.
Yes, Wonder Woman’s transformations can make your head spin! Sorry, that was a lame joke. Being without bracelets in these conditions is what created her fury while the radiation was making her ill. It is a nod to comics However, as we’re in unknown territory, I have my own take on it.
Thanks, CJ, it’s good to know your thoughts on the chapter are positive.
Author
Even though you mentioned a possible lack of action, as CJ commented, you really got Diana’s psychological and emotional drama right in this chapter.
At least for my taste!
We talk a lot about your deeper approach to the character than what is shown on the TV show, which is a great source of inspiration for your stories, and for the magic of Wonder Woman, and I think your approach brings much more emotion and interest, because the denser and more in-depth factor with which the characters and the story evolve leads us to a sensation never achieved in the show’s often vanilla narrative.
The idea that blood samples could be a way out of this unprecedented danger that Diana faces is clever, and it hadn’t occurred to me that she hadn’t transformed back into Diana, and that, technically, she’s still Wonder Woman, even in this state. of weakness in which he finds himself,
Genius!
And I also liked your reference to the comics, and the anger that grips Wonder Woman when she has her bracelets removed. Even though it’s not part of the TV character’s “Canon”, it brings an extra layer of emotion and memories of the comics.
Jun and Mei Li, together with the visitor, seem to be achieving all their goals so far, even with some setbacks, but it seems to me that Mei Li still hasn’t realized that, no matter how good she is, she is no match for Diana if she doesn’t had been stripped of her powers. But this could pay off a lot if/when there is another confrontation between them.
Let’s see what awaits us in the next chapter, but so far, I think it’s really good!
Congratulations author!
And in this chapter, I only have a simple image to continue illustrating the story.
https://www.deviantart.com/edlochem/art/Diana-At-The-Hospital-1001179522
Hi Ed,
It’s good to see readers like you and CJ appreciating the emotional side of the chapter; it feels worth doing. I know you appreciate the psychological aspects in these stories too.
These longer stories in particular kind of have a movie feel to them in my head. I would have loved to have seen Lynda star in a Wonder Woman movie in the 1980s. It feels like such a lost opportunity, and I suppose this is the closest I can get to it.
Thanks! Much like a movie, it gives me wider scope to try things out which haven’t been explored before, or rarely. Diana trapped in a weakened state of Wonder Woman and unable to return to Diana Prince seems original enough, particularly since they don’t utilise her alias much these days.
I do like to be inspired by the comics where possible. In the back of my mind, I want to tie the loose ends up by writing my versions of cool ideas in Wonder Woman’s history.
Ed, you are so quick at coming up with illustrations. This one was another effective shot with the right type of environment and a carefully chosen expression on Diana’s face. I note the shadow under chin is nice touch in making it look authentic. It’s always enjoyable to see what you will come up with next and this sstory is better for it.
Thank you very much.
“Diana trapped in a weakened state of Wonder Woman and unable to return to Diana Prince seems original enough.”
That quote really got me thinking, and you are right. I couldn’t think of another example, even for other heroes. She’s fortunate, at least, that she can physically change outfits, and doesn’t have to go around recognizable as Wonder Woman in her iconic costume. That would be a real bitter pill to swallow, especially, now that she’s vulnerable, if someone “normal” got the best of her (beyond a skilled fighter like Mei Li) and witnesses didn’t realize she didn’t have powers. I’m not even sure how one would write things to put her in a situation where she’d put the costume back on without powers, anyway. It reminds me a bit of the Superman movie (I don’t remember which one, but one of the Christoper Reeve movies) where he gets picked on after losing his powers. But even that was as Clark Kent, if my memory is right. I think that involved normal thugs he fought in a diner, if my memory is right, but that is going way, way back. That would have been quite the sight for people to see him getting picked on/beaten up if he had actually been recognizable as Superman, and also quite interesting seeing the psychological effect on him.
Hi, CJ, there probably have been some since it’s very difficult be original so far down the line. The normal person idea is used in the Wonder Woman TV series when she loses her belt – I suppose it is why that device is popular. I must say I find it interesting for a superhero to lose their power when they should be at full strength, but it isn’t the direction of this story.
I just of a thought of example in the Dean Cain Superman TV series. Although I watched it, I wasn’t the biggest fan of this series, but I became glued to the screen during the Ultra Woman episode 😁. Teri Hatcher looked drop-dead gorgeous as Ultra Woman. To get back on point, Superman loses his powers to Lois, and in turn, Ultra Woman loses her power in the middle of an action scene. It’s a bit silly, but who cares about the story? It’s just a shame we didn’t get more scenes of Teri in the Ultra Woman costume…
I love the first three Christopher Reeve Superman movies (and Supergirl). The scene you’re thinking of is from Superman II. In fact, Diana’s scenes in this chapter were inspired, a little, by Superman-gone-bad in III. Thanks CJ.
# 1 Merry Christmas to the Author and to everyone !!!
Merry Christmas to you, #1! Update soon.