At Minerva’s apartment, Chuma raises the ceremonial knife and moves it towards Minerva who is naked on a table with cheetah fur draped over her. Chuma has performed this ritual many times before, and he always wished that this was the last, as this was Minerva’s time to satisfy her taste for blood. He makes his way to Minerva and cuts her wrist and lets the blood drop down to a bowl. Then he takes the bowl to the plant and adds a sacred potion that he has been preparing for hours and pours it onto the plant and Chuma returns Minerva to her bed.
In the Massachusetts, things couldn’t be better as Wonder Woman is flying high in the sky while Myndi Mayer is enjoying her new found wealth. She comments on Minerva’s letter, stating that her letter couldn’t come at a better time and that it isn’t bad publicity either. Julia adds that Myndi would publicise Mother Teresa if she could. She apologises for her statement, only worried for Diana’s safety. Myndi cannot understand why Julia is worried, as Diana is higher than a kite. Julia warns Myndi warns her about Minerva, as she has been known about her reputation and her shady character. Even so, Myndi and Diana have discussed this and Diana is keen on meeting this Minerva. Later, Myndi and Diana go up to Minerva’s apartment and Diana is nervous. Myndi tells her to loosen up telling her that nothing will go wrong. But Diana insists that this is very nerve-wracking as this new artefact could change why she is here on Man’s World and affect the destiny of the Amazons. They arrive on her floor as Chuma shows them inside. Minerva asks Chuma to prepare some refreshments for the guests as she asks Diana if she has the Lasso of Truth and Diana reaches in her handbag and brings out the lasso and asks her to bring her artefact down. She asks Diana to wait as she goes upstairs to retrieve it, but her speech begins to waver and then she slowly states that there is no such artefact. She weakens at the look of the lasso and she falls to the ground as her assistant tends to her. Diana picks up the lasso and tears begin to run as she feels betrayed by such lies. Minerva pleads not to leave; she merely wanted to talk with Diana. Myndi comforts her, but Diana now believes that Julia was right all along. Minerva only was selfish and only cared for herself. She is only interested in exploiting the Amazons. With that, she flies out through the window and she cries out to the gods looking for some sort of sign.
Later at the Kapatelis house, Vanessa receives a message from Myndi, asking Diana to listen to her, but Vanessa doubts that she will and says that this isn’t a good time to have a talk with Diana as Julia is comforting Diana. Outside, Diana confides in Julia, telling her that she has more questions than ever before. She doesn’t understand why Man’s World is so complicated and asks if she has even taught anything to the people living on this world. Julia replies by telling her that time is what this place needs to understand her, but Diana is still upset as time is very limited on her watch.
During night, at Minerva’s plant, Chuma kneels by the plant, chanting and plucking berries off it and crushing them. In her room, Minerva prepares herself for the battle ahead, painting her face and contemplating on having the lasso. Chuma has the elixir ready and she gulps it down in one go. The elixir starts taking effect and the ceremonial skin she was wearing is one with her. Her voice becomes a growl, and her eyes are shiny black now with teeth sharpened. She makes her way down the building with her claws and stalks in the shadows.
At the apartment of Etta Candy, she receives a phone call from Steve Trevor and in the background, the news of a murder is reported, a man named Tamsyn McConnell, but Etta is unaware of this as she continues talking with Steve. Steve tells Etta that he won’t be coming home because he has received a letter telling him that his father is dying. Etta passes on her sympathies.
At the Kapatelis home, Vanessa is trying to look for Diana and she asks her mother if she has seen her. Vanessa is worried why Diana is out so late in the woods and Julia replies that she is just communing with nature. She adds that Diana will be come inside when she is ready as she is one to take care of herself. Suddenly, Julia notices something out the window, something like an animal. But she doesn’t worry about it, as it probably has something do with Diana.
Nearby a lake, Wonder Woman sits by a tree, patting a racoon and above the tree, something rustles. The Cheetah is above, studying her target, and below, the racoon darts away, something obviously wrong and before Wonder Woman can react, a tail comes down around her neck choking her and flings her into a tree as it breaks in half. Cheetah knows from that that Wonder Woman is strong, and that she must finish her enemy quickly. Wonder Woman realises that she is against a big cat and before she can defend herself, Cheetah brings out her claws and swipes it across her body. Wonder Woman cries in pain and just avoids a second swipe from Cheetah and disappears into the undergrowth. Wonder Woman launches herself into the air and unhooks her lasso, looking for her enemy, but Cheetah attacks once again kicking her in the back. Wonder Woman is so surprised that a human can move like this. Cheetah dives onto her with Wonder Woman frantically trying to keep those claws away and she realises that she needs to fight back before her eyes are scratched out. Wonder Woman punches her and the Cheetah flies back. She stands her ground for a moment but then darts back into the bushes.
Wonder Woman gets up with blood coming from the claw marks, however Wonder Woman is the Goddess of Hunt, increasing her awareness around her and she listens for a second heart beat. She hears it, and throws her lasso towards the bushes dragging Cheetah out. At first it seems if Cheetah is succumbing, but then she pulls Wonder Woman towards her. She cannot believe this as she digs her heels into the ground. Cheetah then charges at Wonder Woman and sends her crashing into another tree. The trunk topples over Wonder Woman, and trapped, Cheetah leaps for the kill but then Julia shoots Cheetah in mid-air. Wonder Woman cries out “No!” as she races towards the lake, where Cheetah had fallen into. Wonder Woman asks why she shot Cheetah, and Julia replies that she would have killed her if she hadn’t had shot her. She pulls her lasso out with no Cheetah on the end of it. She dives into the water looking for her, but there is no sign of her. She climbs out of the lake, as Vanessa comes out to see what is happening. Wonder Woman tells Julia that she has lost Cheetah and that the "she-beast in that ebony deep."
Many days later Myndi Mayer is in the gym and receives a phone call from her assistant telling her that Wonder Woman is heading home and she cannot believe it. There was the contract and the tours!
Meanwhile, Julia, Vanessa and Wonder Woman prepare to say their goodbyes. Wonder Woman tells her that her Amazons need to go back home, she regrets having to leave and that Man’s World has become her second home. Vanessa tells her that Wonder Woman has become her sister but Wonder Woman tells her that she needs to stay strong and look after her mother. Wonder Woman turns her to Julia and she tells her to take care of herself. Wonder Woman explains why she didn’t understand why the gods led her to Julia, but now she sees as Julia is a wise woman. Wonder Woman owes her time to Julia, as she has showed her so much and hug each other. Julia then hands a bag over to Wonder Woman containing some souvenirs of Man’s World during her stay. In the bag are some photo clippings of Vanessa and Julia and Wonder Woman thanks her. Wonder Woman lifts herself up in the air and does the Amazon salute, the “X” formed by crossing her arms with her bracelets touching. Sobbing, Julia and Vanessa watch their friend disappear before their eyes.
Notes:
- "Thanks to Bob Smith"
- First post-Crisis appearance of the Cheetah.
- First letter column titled "Postscripts to Paradise." Gary J. Satterlee of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma submitted the winning title.
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