[hider=Trouble in Paradise]
Night had long fallen on Paradise Island and a piece of the starry sky seemed to walk along the beach. Princess Donna Troy gazed wistfully over clear dazzling water. Her home was so beautiful. On nights like this, Diana and her sister used to lay on the beach and trace the constellations. The strongest warriors and greatest heroes were enshrined in the stars after death, forever leaving their mark on the universe. Donna knew that when Diana died, the gods would make her the most brilliant body in the heavens. That was how she knew Diana was still alive, despite what some of her people believed. Her sister, so beautiful, so strong, was still out there somewhere. And Donna would stop at nothing to find her again. 

"Donna?" Aresia's smooth sun-kissed face crinkled in concern, the moonlight reflecting off of hair so blonde and pale it was almost white. They were both Princesses of Themyscira, though it was Hippolyta's bloodline that was supposed to inherit the throne. However Diana's disappearance had given rise to opportunists with their own designs on the order of succession. Diana had been the rock of their people, Hippolyta's pride and joy, and Donna's personal hero. Now nothing was as it should be. The politicking was tearing their nation apart, and there was nothing Donna could do. 

Aresia was a great source of comfort in these times, Donna remembered their childhood days, the petty rivalries and grudges and smiled sadly at her cousin. If only Donna could go back to those days, when they were all young princesses and had nothing more to worry about than song, dance, and sparring. Now Lyla was a full-blown Oracle, Artemis was a Huntsister, Alexa was a Senator, Drusilla joined the Muses, and if the worst came to pass Donna would be Heir Apparent. She prayed fervently that it would not be so. Donna spoke up, "I'm fine, Aresia. I'm just thinking of days gone by. Remember when Diana went too far out into sea and came back to shore riding a hippocampus?" 

Aresia laughed, "Yes, or the time she went into the Griffon's nest? She wanted to raise her own and ride it." The memory made Donna laugh herself. That was her sister. So daring, so courageous, she was the happiest when she went to take some outrageous risk. As a child, Donna thought her older sister was invincible and that nothing could hurt her. [i]Would be that that were true. Where are you sister?[/i] Aresia seemed to read her mind and slipped a comforting hand around her shoulder, leaning in and smiling, "Don't worry Donna. Diana is the most stubborn woman I know. She'll be back, no foe could keep her imprisoned for long. You watch, soon she'll come back with a smile on her face and a tale about her adventure." 

Donna nodded and leaned in to her cousin, "I hope you are right. Mother is beside herself with worry, and these political games are tearing our people apart. Barely a month and already the vultures are trying to get Mother to declare Diana dead and choose a new heir. And more than a few have their own ideas about who that should be." By tradition Donna was next in line, but many desired contests of strength or a great council to determine Hippolyta's heir. None would have dared challenged Diana's right to the throne, but it seemed they did not fear her younger sister near so much. Donna never cared for the throne, but the way that so many were willing to give up on Diana as dead infuriated her. She had vowed that she would not let any steal her sister's birth right. 

Aresia frowned, "Yes, and I suspect we have Eris to thank for much of that. She does so enjoy her games. If not her, some god or another is likely behind much of the tension. Regardless, these are tumultuous times. You were right to send Cassandra and Lyta away, they are unaccustomed to life among the pantheon. I fear if they had stayed this game of thrones would have claimed them." Cassandra and Lyta Sandsmark were not Amazons but they had Donna's blood. Donna knew they were out there in Man's World, helping their heroic colleagues fill the void that the Justice League left as Wonder Girl and Fury. Donna knew she should be out there as well, but she thought her mother needed her, she needed at least one of her daughters. 

Donna gestured at the small group of armored Amazons walking behind them, their honor guard, "It is dark times indeed when one must walk Paradise Island with guards. I thought we were above this, Aresia. Humanity has it's natural greed and avarice, and the gods play their games out of boredom. But I thought we were better than this." Amazons from all over the Isles had come to Paradise Island, and there had been many brawls and even a few deaths. The uncertainty caused by Diana's disappearance made many tense and suspicious, some thought there was some grand conspiracy at play, that perhaps there were traitors in their midst. Perhaps they were right. 

"Evidently not, cousin." Aresia stiffened and threw Donna down to the ground, drawing her sword and calling out, turning to face a rocky hill overlooking the beach. An arrow narrowly missed the space that Donna had just occupied and Aresia slashed another from the air with her sword. Their guards raised their shields and drew their weapons as a volley of arrows fell from the hill. Donna rolled into a crouch, avoiding the deadly projectiles as Aresia blocked them with her gauntlets or her blade. Donna drew her own sword and sprang into action, she leaped up over the hill in a mighty bound. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, adrenaline and training already kicking in, she identified a good dozen or so archers on the hill, hiding in the brush. They were incredibly skilled to have been able to sneak up on Donna and her guards. But they wanted a long-range fight, and Donna did not plan to oblige them. 

As she came down on them, she lashed out with her foot, caving in one of their throats with a sickening crunch. Donna rode the assassin's body to the ground and jumped on the closest archer, the archer had a concealing outfit of dark cloth but Donna thought the assassin had a woman's form. That had grave implications. Pushing those thoughts aside, Donna bashed her sword against the archer's temple and moved on to the next one. This one had time to draw and fire, releasing three arrows at Donna at close range. Donna swiped them all out of the air with her gauntlet and charged forward, driving her sword through her foe's chest. By now the rest of them had thrown down their bows and drawn short swords, and three came at her from all sides. 

Donna pulled the blade from the dead woman's chest and met all of their strikes with her own sword. They were good, they handled their blades with ease and grace, working in tandem with skill born of years of combat. But Donna was better, Donna caught one blade on a gauntlet and parried a second blow with her sword, kicking the third assassin in the chest before her strike could land. The woman went flying as Donna shoved the first assassin away. Donna parried another blow from the remaining swordsman and disemboweled her opponent on the backswing. Donna spun and rolled to the woman she shoved and her blade came up and through her belly. The woman groaned softly as Donna twisted and pulled the sword out, drawing her dagger and sending it flying into an assassin who tried to charge her. The dagger buried itself in the warrior's temple as Donna strode forward to the woman she had kicked. By now, Aresia and her guards had followed her onto the hill and were fighting the rest. 

Donna ignored them all and pricked the assassin's throat as she lay on the stony ground, "Who are you? Who sent you?" 

The assassin said nothing, her hand blurred as she drew her dagger. And buried it in her own throat. Donna cursed as the assassin's lifeblood spilled on the ground. She turned and saw Aresia decapitating the last assassin. They had fought to the last. Commendable. Aresia flicked the blood off her sword and sheathed it, "Are you well?" 

Donna grimaced, "I'm fine. There is one that I struck on the head. Is she well?" Aresia shook her head, "She came to and tried to rush me with a dagger, I had to kill her." Donna cursed. She pointed at her guards, "See to my mother and have the guard on the palace doubled. The same with patrols in the city. Go." They bowed their heads and rushed to obey her command as Aresia came forward, "It is a lucky thing I always had keener ears than you cousin." Donna nodded, "Indeed. But this is ill Aresia. These are sisters. We have traitors among our midst, as you suspected. This could mean war. I must go to mother." 

Aresia shook her head, "Go, but afterwards you must leave. The Queen must sit the throne, but it has become too dangerous for you. You are the biggest threat to the different claimants with eyes on the succession. You have the blood and the skill to challenge any. With you out of the way, there would be almost nothing stopping them. You must go. Go to your friends in Man's World. Our Huntresses will keep looking for your sister. And I will see to the safety of our family, and our people. Say goodbye to your mother, prepare for your journey. But then you must go, it is too dangerous." 

"But-" 

"You must, Donna. I swore to Diana and your mother that I would protect you, and I will. And the best way to do that is to send you away and root out the treachery here without having to worry about your safety. Out there, they will have a harder time getting to you. You must go, it is our duty to the realm, to our family, to Diana." 

Donna sighed. It was time to take up the sword again. It was time to say goodbye to mother, gods willing it would not be the last time.

[/hider]

Donna had been to the Watchtower many times before, but it never ceased to amaze her. A castle among the stars, the mightiest fortress Donna had ever seen, an eighth wonder of the world. Donna had loved to stand at Diana's side and gaze down on their beautiful blue planet, and to look out into the stars as none on Themyscira had before. But without Diana, without Kal-El's smile, without Hal Jordan's easy laughter, without Barry Allen's kind face, even without Batman's silent but steadying presence, the Watchtower felt an empty place. A shadow of its former self without the gods that had walked its halls. 

Now the Watchtower was filled with those trying to preserve the League's legacy, the heirs, the second generation, the allies and comrades who had fought alongside the seven for years, as well as many that were simply inspired by their example. Donna knew most of them by name, and many more by reputation. It was good to see familiar faces, or the lack of one, in Question's case. Snapper Carr was a good friend, and Donna knew he must be worrying about the Justice League as much as she did. She decided she had to go to him and comfort him when they had a moment. Donna smiled at the sight of Nightwing and Seraph, she thought of her days in the Teen Titans. Charmed times, to be surrounded by such gallant, charming, and yes attractive men. And she had always loved Static's sense of humor. Even Mark Moonrider was a valiant comrade, they had fought side by side on many occasions against the forces of Apokolips. She had missed them all dearly. 

Then the klaxons blared and they were called into action. Two violent riots in Tokyo and on Stryker's Island. Donna saw Nightwing go to Tokyo and knew the situation was well in hand. Besides she was much more familiar with Metropolis, and there would be all kinds of dangerous inmates running amok if Stryker's Island was not pacified. Donna dove into the teleporter to the Island and assessed the situation. Her combat-honed senses quickly took in the battlefield. There was a full-blown riot in progress with the inmates overrunning the guards. On closer inspection Troia saw that many of the assailants were civilians under the thrall of Starro. Troia's teeth gritted at the memory. Starro had been a formidable enemy and had come very close to overthrowing the Justice League, were it not for her team. Well it seemed it was up to them again. She saw what seemed to be Captain Comet in combat with Manchester Black and at first she welcomed the assistance of the mighty hero, but she cursed when she saw that he was enthralled and was trying to do the same to Black. 

Question was in combat with Bloodsport, Troia knew that he needed no help. It seemed that Shrapnel was contained by Jon-El and Julian Luthor. It was always good to see Jon but Julian gave her more pause. She misliked Julian's appropriation of the El Crest. He had no right to it. She did not know if Shrapnel would remain contained in the electrical field but even if he wasn't, Jon and Julian were strong enough to deal with him, her sister had defeated him in combat once and she thought three heroes of their strength were overkill. Troia also saw what seemed to be a demonic costumed lunatic rampaging among the rioters. Troia did not recognize her, but she seemed to be on their side. The real threats were Manchester Black and Captain Comet. Comet was a formidable hero, one of the strongest, and it bode ill that he was under Starro's thrall. Red Arrow and Moonrider seemed to be focusing on freeing Comet or knocking him out of the fight, but Manchester needed to be contained as well. He was one of the strongest telekinetics alive, he could not be allowed to become enthralled or to escape. 

Troia flew into the air at the battling telekinetics and drew her lasso, she flung the enchanted rope at Black, hoping to lasso the villain and draw him away from Comet and pull him towards her for a chokehold. She needed to separate him from Comet and knock him out of the fight before he could bring his telekinesis to bear against her. She thought a silent prayer as the lasso flew at Black.