"Steve Trevor, Mala, Orion... I think it's time we revealed the whole truth," Diana said finally.
Trevor looked uncertain. "Diana, once we cross this line..."
"We crossed it the moment we decided to help," Diana replied. She turned to face the assembled group, her posture taking on an unmistakable regal bearing. "My name is not Diana Prince. I am Diana of Themyscira, Princess of the Amazons, daughter of Queen Hippolyta."
The tent went dead silent. Howard's wrench clattered to the floor. Jay's constant vibration stopped entirely. Alan's ring flickered as his concentration wavered.
"Amazons," Howard breathed, his scientific mind struggling to process what he'd just heard. "As in... the actual Amazons. From Greek mythology."
"This is Mala, my protector and one of the finest warriors of our people," Diana continued. "And this is Prince Orion of Atlantis, heir to the throne of the ocean kingdoms."
Jim's flames sputtered out completely as he stared at Orion. "Atlantis. The lost city under the sea."
"Not lost," Orion said with quiet dignity. "Hidden. We exist, Captain Rogers. We always have. But we've remained separate from the surface world for millennia."
Alan was the first to find his voice. "Wait... you're telling us that all the old stories, all the myths we learned as kids... they're real?"
"Not myths," Mala said quietly. "History that your people have forgotten or chosen not to believe."
"But why?" Jay asked, his form beginning to vibrate again with nervous energy. "Why reveal yourselves now? Why come here, to our war?"
Diana's expression grew somber. "Because what you face is not merely human evil. The weapons your enemies wield, the corruption spreading through this conflict... these are not natural phenomena."
"I came here seeking your world's champion," Diana continued, her voice carrying the weight of divine purpose. "My people believe that Ares, the god of war himself, has returned to corrupt your conflicts. The weapons that erase matter itself, the enhancement of soldiers into perfect killers... this bears his mark."
Steve felt something cold settle in his stomach. "You're saying a god is behind HYDRA?"
"Not behind," Diana clarified. "But influencing. Corrupting. Turning what should be a struggle for freedom into something darker, more twisted. That's why I left my home, why I risked everything to come here."
"To find me," Steve said, the weight of it hitting him.
"To find humanity's champion," Diana confirmed. "Someone who could stand against the darkness, who could remind this world what it means to fight for something greater than conquest or revenge."
Howard's scientific mind was racing. "This explains the energy signatures we've been detecting. The impossible physics of these HYDRA weapons. If they're drawing on... divine power somehow..."
"The Tesseract," Trevor said grimly, his expression darkening with remembered horror. "I saw it firsthand during my infiltration of the Ultra-Humanite's facility. A blue cube that pulses with cosmic energy, powering weapons that can erase matter from existence. And that was before HYDRA got their hands on it."
He ran a hand through his hair, clearly reliving the nightmare. "When HYDRA forces chased me to Themyscira, the weapons they brought... I've never seen anything like them. Energy beams that could disintegrate entire structures without leaving so much as ash behind. Soldiers moving with inhuman coordination, like they weren't entirely human anymore. And the sounds those weapons made..." He shuddered. "Like reality itself was screaming."
"The weapons were just the beginning," Trevor continued, his pilot's training making him catalogue every detail. "Their aircraft moved in patterns that defied aerodynamics. Their armor absorbed impacts that should have shattered them. Whatever power source they're tapping into, it's beyond anything conventional science can explain or counter."
Orion's expression grew troubled. "Cosmic artifacts have a way of attracting those who would misuse them. If this Tesseract has fallen into mortal hands..."
"Then every moment we delay gives them more time to corrupt its power," Diana finished.
Trevor nodded grimly. "Which is why we'll need every advantage we can get. I've seen what these people can do, what they're willing to do. They're not just enhanced soldiers... they're something else entirely. Something that conventional military tactics can't touch."
The tent fell silent as everyone absorbed the magnitude of what they were facing. Finally, Jay spoke up, his voice carrying a note of wonder mixed with determination.
"So let me get this straight. We've got actual mythological royalty asking for our help to fight a god of war who's corrupting the biggest conflict in human history, using weapons powered by a cosmic cube that can literally erase people from existence." He looked at each of his friends in turn. "And here I thought my biggest problem was learning not to run through walls."
Alan picked up his lantern again, cradling it like something precious. "Maybe this is why all of this happened. The ring finding me, Jay getting his speed, Jim becoming more than Dr. Horton ever imagined. Maybe we were meant to be here for this moment."
"You understand what you're risking?" Steve asked, looking at each of them. "Not just court martial. Howard's right... they'll want to study you, lock you up, treat you like weapons instead of people. Everything you've built here, all the progress you've made..."
The tent fell quiet as the weight of his words settled over them. For a moment, doubt flickered in several faces as the reality of what they were contemplating truly hit home.
Then Jay spoke up, his voice carrying a note of realization. "You know what, Steve? You're right. We are risking everything. But you've already done that, haven't you?"
Steve looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"I mean you've been carrying the weight of being America's symbol for months," Jay continued, his form beginning to vibrate with barely contained energy. "Every time you put on that costume, every time you stood on those stages, you were risking being seen as a fraud if you couldn't live up to what people needed you to be."
Jim's synthetic features composed themselves into an expression of understanding. "But you kept doing it. Even when it meant dancing like a monkey instead of fighting like a soldier. Because you understood that sometimes people need something to believe in."
Alan nodded slowly, his ring beginning to pulse with green light. "You've been their symbol of hope, Steve. Even when you didn't feel like you deserved it. Even when it was killing you inside."
Steve felt something shift in his chest, a recognition of truth he'd been avoiding. "Maybe. But maybe symbols aren't enough anymore. Maybe the Allies need something more."
"What could be greater than a symbol?" he asked, the question hanging in the air between them.
Diana stepped forward, her eyes blazing with ancient wisdom. "A hero," she said simply, her voice carrying the weight of three thousand years of Amazon history.
The tent went silent, every eye fixed on the Amazon princess as she continued.
"In my world, we remember the old stories not as myths, but as history. Perseus was once just a young man who wanted to save his mother. Hercules began as a prince struggling with his own strength and the expectations of others. Theseus was simply a youth who refused to let innocent people die in a labyrinth."
Her voice grew stronger as she spoke of legends as if they were old friends.
"None of them started as heroes, Steve Rogers. They started as men who saw suffering and chose to act. Men who understood that having the power to help meant having the responsibility to use it. They became heroes not because they were perfect, but because they were willing to risk everything for others."
She gestured toward the assembled group, her expression fierce with conviction.
"You have already shown us what it means to be a symbol. Tonight, you can show the world what it means to be a hero. Not the dancing performer, not the propaganda tool, but the man who puts his life on the line for people who can't save themselves."
Alan lifted the lantern, and it began to glow with brilliant emerald light, responding to the hope that Diana's words had kindled in all of them.
"She's right," Alan said, his voice carrying new certainty. "We've been playing it safe, learning control, staying hidden. But what's the point of having these abilities if we don't use them when it really matters?"
Jay's vibration steadied, becoming purposeful rather than nervous. "To hell with the progress we might lose. What good is being able to run faster than sound if I'm too scared to run toward danger when people need help?"
Jim's flames reignited around his synthetic form. "Dr. Horton created me to be something new, something better than human limitations. But he taught me to value human connections above all else. Bucky, Peter, Ted... they're your family, Steve. That makes them worth fighting for."
Alan's voice rang out with absolute conviction as he spoke his oath:
"And I shall shed my light over dark evil, For the dark things cannot stand the light, The light of the Green Lantern!"
The construct that formed above the lantern was magnificent... not just light, but hope made manifest, a beacon that seemed to strengthen everyone in the tent.
"Besides," Alan added with a grin, "I've always wanted to punch a Nazi. Now I get to punch super-Nazis with mythological backup. How often does that opportunity come along?"
Howard looked around at the group with a mixture of admiration and concern. "You know I can't officially endorse this insanity. And I have to admit, Patrick Wayne is going to be incredibly disappointed that he missed this conversation. He's supposed to arrive tomorrow, and he'll never forgive me for not waiting to include him in what might be the most important decision any of us ever make."
He moved toward an equipment case. "But if you're going to throw away months of careful development for a mission that will turn you from secret assets into public heroes, you're going to do it with the best gear I can provide."
Steve felt something powerful building in his chest. The knowledge that he wasn't alone in this choice, that his friends understood not just the stakes, but the deeper meaning of what they were choosing to become.
"Orion, you've done more than enough already. You don't have to..."
"I appreciate the offer," Orion interrupted with a smile, "but I believe I'll remain here. I've had quite enough flying for one lifetime." He grew more serious. "Besides, someone should coordinate from this end, ensure your extraction route remains open. My people can provide support if you need rapid evacuation."
Diana placed an affectionate hand on Orion's shoulder. "Thank you, my friend. Your courage brought us this far."
"Just bring everyone home safely," Orion replied, looking particularly at Trevor. "All of them."
"Some choices are bigger than personal comfort," Mala said quietly. "In my experience, the decisions that define who we truly are rarely come at convenient times."
"The question is logistics," Trevor said practically. "How do we reach Austria? It's hundreds of miles behind enemy lines."
Howard's grin widened. "I've been modifying a captured German transport. Should get us close without detection."
"How close?" Jay asked.
"Close enough to parachute in before they shoot us down," Howard replied cheerfully.
"Your confidence is inspiring," Trevor said dryly.
Diana stepped forward, her eyes blazing with purpose. "Then we go tonight. It's time to show Ares that there are still those willing to stand against his corruption. Time to prove that heroes are not just stories from the past, but living forces in the present."
Steve looked at each of them. "Bucky, Peter, Ted, and every other prisoner in that facility. We're coming."
"No one left behind," Alan confirmed, his ring pulsing with steady light.
"For friendship," Jim said, his flames dancing higher.
"For justice," Diana declared.
"For the chance to finally use these abilities where they matter most," Jay added.
"For getting this right," Trevor said grimly.
"For the most dangerous night of my engineering career," Howard laughed, though his expression carried real concern.
A moment of silence settled over the tent, heavy with the weight of their commitment. Then Alan spoke up, his voice carrying anticipation mixed with nervous energy.
"So... what now, Cap?"
The word hung in the air between them. Cap. Not Steve, not Rogers, but Cap. The leader they were looking to; the symbol they were choosing to follow into the unknown. Steve felt the weight of that title settle on his shoulders like a mantle he was finally ready to wear.
He straightened, his voice carrying new authority when he spoke. "Now we suit up."
Diana moved to where her traveling pack rested against the tent wall. "If we're to face HYDRA and whatever corruption Ares has wrought, I cannot do so in mortal disguise." Her hands moved to the simple navy dress she wore, and with fluid grace, she began to remove it.
Beneath the mundane surface clothing was revealed armor that seemed to shimmer with its own inner light. The bronze breastplate bore the distinctive eagle with outstretched wings, its intricate metalwork catching every beam of illumination in the tent. The red bodice beneath was made of materials unknown to the surface world, flexible as silk yet stronger than steel. Her skirt, deep blue like the Mediterranean depths around Themyscira, fell to just above her knees. Bronze greaves protected her legs, their surfaces inscribed with protective symbols that had guarded Amazon warriors for millennia.
As Diana fastened the golden belt around her waist, she seemed to transform before their eyes. Gone was the diplomatic refugee. In her place stood a warrior princess, daughter of an immortal queen, trained since childhood in the arts of war and justice.
Mala stepped forward to help adjust the fit of Diana's bracers. "These have protected our people for three thousand years," she said quietly. "Tonight, they protect one who fights for both worlds."
"Now that," Alan said with genuine awe, "is what a real superhero looks like."
Jay reached into his own travel pack and withdrew a dented steel helmet, painted olive drab and bearing the distinctive shape of American military headgear from the previous war.
"This was my father's," Jay said softly, turning the helmet over in his hands. "He wore it in the Argonne Forest, carried it through Belleau Wood. Brought it home and kept it on the mantle." He looked up at Steve. "I know it's not much compared to divine armor, but..."
"But it's yours," Steve finished. "It's what connects you to everyone who fought before us."
Jay nodded, settling the helmet on his head with careful reverence.
"Feels right," Jay said. "Like it's been waiting for this moment."
Jim Hammond stepped forward, his synthetic features composed with quiet dignity. The carefully modulated flames that had danced around his fingers expanded, wreathing his entire form in fire that somehow gave off warmth rather than heat.
"I was created to be something new," Jim said, his voice carrying through the gentle roar of flames. "Tonight, I choose what that something will be."
Alan Scott stood apart from the others, the green lantern cradled in his hands like a sacred relic. As the ring on his finger began to pulse with emerald light, the lantern responded, its glow growing stronger until it filled the tent with radiance.
"For months I've been learning to control this power," Alan said. "Learning to shape will into reality. But tonight isn't about control. Tonight is about letting the light shine as bright as it needs to."
He held the lantern aloft, and the construct that formed above it was unlike anything he had created before. Not a simple shape or tool, but something that seemed to embody the very concept of hope.
Howard moved between his friends with practiced efficiency, distributing equipment. Communication devices that could penetrate HYDRA's jamming, medical supplies designed for enhanced physiology, tactical gear modified for superhuman capabilities.
"I can't give you invulnerability," Howard said as he worked, "but I can give you every advantage that science can provide."
Trevor checked his sidearm and holstered it, then moved to where his flight jacket hung on an equipment rack. The leather was worn from months of dangerous missions, bearing the scars of his infiltration into enemy territory.
"One more flight," he said quietly. "Let's make it count."
Mala moved to where Diana's sword rested against the tent wall, drawing the blade partway to check its edge. The metal sang softly as it cleared the scabbard.
"The Godkiller," she said simply, settling the weapon at Diana's side. "May you never need its true purpose, but may you have the strength to fulfill it if necessary."
"I need you all to understand something," Steve said, his voice carrying the authority of true command for the first time. "After tonight, there's no going back. Win or lose, the world will know about us. About what we can do, what we represent."
"Good," Diana said simply. "The world needs to know that there are still those willing to stand against the darkness."
"Then let's give them something to believe in," Steve replied.
As they made final preparations, Peggy appeared at the tent entrance. "Howard's transport is ready. But I should warn you... Phillips is asking questions about the missing personnel. You'll need to move quickly."
"How long before they realize we're gone?" Steve asked.
"You have maybe an hour head start," Peggy replied. "After that, they'll know you've gone rogue."
Steve nodded grimly. An hour wasn't much, but it would have to be enough.
"Howard, how long to reach the drop zone?"
"Four hours, assuming we don't get shot down," Howard replied.
"Then we'd better get moving." Steve hefted his shield, feeling its weight differently now. It was no longer a prop or a symbol. It was a promise.
Diana stepped up beside him, the Godkiller at her side catching the light from Alan's constructs. "Ready, Captain?"
Steve looked at her, then at the others. "Let's go save our friends."