Sarah Hines Stephens - Creature of Chaos

Published by Stone Arch Books
A Capstone Imprint
1710 Roe Crest Drive
North Mankato, Minnesota 56003
www.capstonepub.com

Copyright 2013 DC Comics.
WONDER WOMAN and all related characters and
elements are trademarks of and DC Comics.
(S13)

STAR13059

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hines-Stephens, Sarah.

Creature of chaos / by Sarah Hines Stephens ; illustrated by Dan Schoening.

p. cm. -- (DC super heroes. Wonder Woman)

ISBN 978-1-4342-1885-8 (library binding)

ISBN 978-1-4342-2256-5 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-1-4342-9867-6 (ebook)

[1. Superheroes--Fiction. 2. Pride and vanity--Fiction.] I. Schoening, Dan ill. II. Title.

PZ7.H574Cr 2010

[Fic]--dc22 2009029098

Summary: When riots erupt in downtown Washington, D.C., only one person can stop them... Wonder Woman! But as she attempts to calm the crazy crowd, the super hero is suddenly caught off guard by an even bigger problem. Devastation, the mind-controlling super-villain, is out to destroy Wonder Woman once and for all. If the Amazonian Princess is going to stop this Creature of Chaos, shell have to face her greatest weakness... and learn from the lessons of her past.

Art Director: Bob Lentz
Designer: Emily Harris

The setting sun cast a rosy glow over the city of Washington, D.C. But all was not well on the streets below. Diana knew something was wrong when she heard the shouting. She felt a chill run up her spine. Somewhere in the city a fight was breaking out.

Diana was ready for her real work to begin. The only thing missing was the right outfit. Like a cyclone, Diana began to spin. She became a blur of red, black, gold, and blue.

Her movements were faster than the eye could track. When she twirled to a stop, Princess Diana had vanished. In her place, Wonder Woman had appeared!

Dressed in her warrior garb, Wonder Woman looked every inch the Amazon princess she was. She was always ready to carry out her mission of peace. Since her arrival from Themyscira, the Amazons hidden island paradise, Wonder Woman had settled hundreds of human problems.

It was not hard for her. She had love and compassion for all living things. Those were two of the most important laws in the Amazon code. She also had reason. These three things were usually enough to help humans get along peacefully. When they werent, Wonder Woman would then be forced to use her amazing strength.

She was also armed with powerful weapons. They were gifts from her mother, Hippolyta, the queen of Themyscira. A Golden Lasso forced humans to tell the truth once they were wrapped in its coils. Shining bracelets could repel bullets and arrows. Her crown-like tiara could fly through the air and slice through metal, or even concrete. These Amazonian treasures were almost always enough to tip the scales in her favor.

She moved at top speed toward the angry voices. The shouts grew louder as Wonder Woman closed in. Breaking glass added to the many noises. The uneasiness Wonder Woman felt was growing as she ran. Something told her this was no ordinary disturbance.

Then, she stopped dead in her tracks.

She had seen her fair share of senseless violence, but nothing compared to this. Everywhere she looked, people were fighting with each other.

Outside Bentleys Bakery, four men pounded on one another with their fists. Two doors down, groups of children ducked behind stairs to throw rocks and insults. A pair of teens yanked each others hair and screamed like cats.

In the crosswalk, an angry woman was attacking a car that was in her way. The woman pounded the windshield with her umbrella. She struck the glass until it cracked, which sent pieces flying everywhere.

Several feet away, a father and child stopped arguing long enough to protect their faces from the glass pieces.

Ill take that, Wonder Woman said. Calmly, she pulled the metal-tipped umbrella from the womans hand. The woman looked stunned as Wonder Woman opened the black dome. She held it over their heads.

Wonder Woman had acted just in time. Several objects struck the umbrellas fabric and bounced off. A shower of dishes rained down. Glasses and plates shattered around them.

Hey, that could have hit me! the woman said, ducking away from Wonder Woman. She pumped her fist at the person throwing things from a window overhead.

Youre welcome, Wonder Woman mumbled.

Usually the people she saved were grateful. But not this time. The old woman had gone back to yelling and swinging her purse. The little girl nearby was too busy kicking her fathers ankle to notice Wonder Woman. Everyone on the block seemed blinded by rage.

Wonder Woman quickly realized something. She could probably get the people to stop fighting long enough to talk to them. But there was no way they would be able to see reason.

Taking great strides, Wonder Woman walked deeper into the heart of the chaos. She knew there was more to the mess than her eyes could see. She needed to find the source of these strange events. Along her way, Wonder Woman disarmed more brawling citizens.

Jutting out a powerful arm, Wonder Woman grasped a bat. She yanked it from a thugs hands before he could pound his victim. With the quick swipe of her heel, she toppled another attacker. He fell flat on his back.

Her efforts were not enough. A moment later, the attacker was back on his feet and swinging his fists. Wonder Woman needed to find the real culprit quickly.

Just then, she spotted the source of the chaos. A young girl was sitting on top of a smashed car. Her hair was red and wrapped in barbed wire. Her black suit and purple cape set off her pale skin and icy eyes. Her smile was cruel and full of mischief.

Wonder Woman knew that child.

She was Devastation.

Devastation looked at the fighting in the streets and giggled. Nothing made her happier than spreading misery. After all, it was the reason shed been created.