Charles tailed the Amazons escorting Erik. He did not know how he felt about Erik - on one hand, Erik had saved his life from the invaders. On the other, Erik was the one who had led them to Themyscira in the first place and caused the death of Antiope. Either way, Charles wanted to be there while the Amazons questioned him.
Erik eyed the lasso as one guard tied it to him and recoiled as it started to glow. Once everyone had quieted, Hippolyta stepped forward.
“Erik…” He strained a little, the lasso growing slightly brighter. “Lehnsherr. I’m a pilot for the Brits.”
“Why do you wear the same clothes as the invaders?”
“I am…” Erik clenched his fists. “I am a spy. I was assigned to impersonate a German military pilot. I was born in Germany, so I was the best man for the job.” Charles smiled a little, but it faded as Erik went on to explain his predicament involving Doctor Poison’s journal. “It could stop the war.”
“War?” Charles blurted out, “What war?”
“The… the War,” Erik looked appalled. “The war to end all wars? Four years, twenty-seven countries, 25 million dead. Innocent people.”
Erik explained more, and then it dawned on Charles: “Ares.”
“Charles,” Hippolyta scolded. He fell silent as she continued.
After the interrogation, Charles confronted his mother. “Excuse me, but after everything he’s said, it must be Ares!”
Another woman asked, “What are you talking about?”
“Forgive me, Senator,” Charles turned to her. “But the man called it a war without end. Millions of people already dead. Like nothing he’s ever seen. Only Ares could do such a thing.” A few Amazons frowned, others nodded. “We can not simply let him go, we must go with him!”
“I will not deploy our army to go fight their war,” Hippolyta said stiffly.
“It’s not their war! Ares is corrupting them!” Charles’s voice rose. “As Amazons it is our duty to stop the god of war.”
“But you’re not an Amazon like the rest of us!” She snapped. Charles was taken aback. Hippolyta readjusted herself. “So you will do nothing. As your queen I forbid it.”
Charles excused himself and left the Amazons. He wandered until he found a balcony with a nice view.
“You are not an Amazon like the rest of us.”
The words rang in Charles’s ears. He had thought they were past this. With tears in his eyes, he remembered the last time Hippolyta had said this…
“Mother, may I speak to you alone?”
“Diana, I am in the middle of a meeting with the Senate. can it wait?”
“N-no, I wish to talk now.”
“Well, whatever you have to say you can say to all of us.”
“Well… okay. I… I wish not to be a woman.”
“I do not feel like a woman. When I look at myself, I see a man.”
“You do realize that Amazons are women, not men, correct?”
“I do. But… I could never be happy if I lived as someone who I was not.”
“…Very well. I accept that you are a man. Is there another name you wish to be called?”
“Charles… So, what will become of me as a man?”
“The Senate and I will discuss it. You are dismissed.”
Charles left the room and stayed at the door to eavesdrop. He was indescribably relieved that his mother had not objected to his request, but he had no idea what they would decide.
“Obviously we cannot send him away from the island.”
“And you know him, he’s wanted to battle since he first saw us training.”
“We’ll never be able to stop him from trying. We might as well help prepare him.”
“But we are only women! He cannot be an Amazon.”
“I propose a compromise.” Charles’s heart lifted at the sound of his aunt’s voice. “He can be a man who fights alongside the Amazons.”
“Seconded. We shall continue his training.”
“Charles, you may return.”
“You are family to all of us and will remain here. You will continue your training, but not as an Amazon. You shall be a man fighting alongside us. Understood?”
“Yes. Thank you,” Charles took a small bow and fled from the room.
He was almost out of earshot when he heard his mother say, “He will never be an Amazon like the rest of us.”
Charles picked a flower from a plant climbing up the building next to him. His gauntlets glinted in the sunlight. What had happened at training earlier? All that energy felt like it had come from… him. But that couldn’t happen, right?
“She didn’t mean it like that,” said a voice behind Charles.
He didn’t jump. “Hello, Melanippe.” He tore up the flower and let it fall down the cliff.
“Hippolyta is just worried about you,” she said, leaning on the ledge next to him. “She didn’t mean ill. You are her son, and she wants you to be safe.”
“She’s only said that once before, and it wasn’t about keeping me safe.”
“Well it is this time,” Melanippe pointed to Charles’s arm, which was wrapped in a bloody makeshift bandage.. “You should get that wound cleaned.”
“Alright,” He turned around, trudging towards the medic.
“Oh, and also,” Charles looked back to see Melanippe wink. “I hear they’ve allowed the prisoner to bathe.”
Charles smiled and ran on his way. The baths were right near the medic’s station.
Erik examined the surface of the water. Did everything in this paradise glow? Perhaps it made up for the lack of any electric lights. Seriously, why did an entire island have no technology past that of ancient Greece?
With a start Erik realized he was not alone. Charles was standing in the doorway. Was it a doorway if it was just a cave formation? Erik stood halfway up in surprise before he stopped himself, remembering he was naked.
Charles surveyed him. “I wanted to know… Are you an accurate representation of your sex?”
Erik considered this. Formalities aside, he answered, “I am… above average… I suppose.”
Charles walked a bit further into the cave. “What is that?” He asked, pointing vaguely in front of him.
“Er…” Then Erik realized what it was he was looking at. “Oh, that’s my watch.”
“Yeah… You know, watch? Tells time? So I know when to be places.”
“You let this little thing govern your life?” Charles smirked.
“No, but…” Erik chuckled a little. “Can I ask you a question?”
Erik took a deep breath. “Who are you? Why don’t you know what a watch is? How do you speak English? Why are you the only man on the island?”
Charles looked flattered. “This is Themyscira, home of the Amazons. Zeus created this place before he died to protect the Amazons. We are the bridge to a greater understanding and know hundreds of languages. As to why I am the only man… I was born and raised here, so I could not leave.”
“How were you born if you’re the only man?”
“My mother sculpted me from clay and Zeus brought me to life.”
“Right. But… If Amazons are only women, why would your mother sculpt a boy?”
“I, erm… She didn’t sculpt a boy. She sculpted a girl.”
“Oh,” Erik looked down and used the awkward silence to put on some pants and a shirt.
“So,” He began once he was done. “Why’d you come down here?”
Charles sighed. “I believe that this war you are fighting was brought about by Ares, who the Amazons are meant to defeat.”
“Ares,” Erik furrowed his brow. “The god of war?”
“Yes. My mother forbids me to do anything, but I believe it is necessary to interfere.”
“And… How do you plan on doing that?”
“I will help you escape,” Charles voiced the plan he had been formulating up to that point. “And you will take me to the war.”
Erik considered this. Charles was quite capable in a fight, he knew that for sure. Then again, he also believed in Zeus, Ares, and all the other Greek gods. Although, that lasso they’d tied around him had mentally pushed him to tell the truth, and that glowing water was definitely not natural. Maybe these Amazons were onto something.
“Alright. Where do we start?”
“You will stay here. I’ll break into the vault and steal the Godkiller, the lasso of truth, a shield, and some better armor.” Then Charles left.
Erik wasn’t too pleased about sitting around and waiting, but he supposed someone with years of training with the Amazons would be more capable than him. In the absence of anything else to do, his mind wandered to the tight armor Charles was wearing, and his small but toned muscles… Erik shook himself out of his thoughts and gathered his things.
Charles looked over the ravine separating him and his goal. It was a reasonable distance, but he could probably make it. Just in case, he turned around and jumped the other way, about the same length. Smiling, he returned to the cliff and leaped onto the building. He caught hold of a brick sticking out with one hand.
As he was reveling in his feat, Charles lost his grip. He scraped the wall wildly until he caught hold… by punching a hole in it. He was surprised but pleased, and bashed another hole. Slowly he made his way up the building, leaving a trail of smashed bricks below him.
Finally, Charles reached the top. He grabbed the shield, sword, and lasso from their stands. He saw the red, blue, and gold peeking out at him from behind a wall and couldn’t resist. He grabbed it, took it to the forge to fit it to his dimensions, and put it on.
When he arrived back at the cave in his cloak, Erik was ready to go. Charles mounted his horse and handed Erik the bridle for the other, then set off for the docks. Unfortunately, their departure had not gone unnoticed. Hippolyta and a couple of her henchman arrived shortly after Erik had started getting the boat ready to sail.
“I am going, mother.” Charles drew himself up to his full height, trying to look confident. “I cannot stand by while innocent lives are lost. If no one else will defend the world from Ares, then I must.”
Hippolyta looked sad, but she smiled. “I know. Or at least I know I cannot stop you. There is so much… So much you do not understand.”
“I understand enough. I am willing to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.”
“You know that if you choose to leave… You may never return.”
“This is not a decision, mother. It is who I am. I cannot stay.”
Hippolyta took Antiope’s headband from a pocket. “Make sure you’re worthy of this.”
“I will,” Charles took it and turned to board the boat. He waved as the Themyscira faded into the distance.
