FicWad

Throttle of Themyscira
Chapter 5: Throttle, Prince of Themyscira

Note: The first part of the fic is a recount of the story "The First Statue", first printed in /Wonder Woman Annual #1/, but with Throttle added to the scene. The second part is Throttle's adoption as the first prince of Themyscira.



"As you might expect," Throttle continued, "buildin' the new Amazon city was the first thing on the Amazons' 'ta do list'...."

~~*

Throttle swung the axe, causing chunks of wood to go flying from the tree. Sweat matted the gold fur on his bare torso as he worked. He grunted with the effort, but kept swinging. He had felled several trees that way, a member of Phillipus' detail.

He paused for a moment to wipe his brow. The work was coming along nicely, and several trees had been chopped down already, piled and ready to be transported to the site of the new city. Before long, they would have a new home town.

At this rate, he thought, we'll have enough wood by nightfall. He admired the Amazons' plan. Fell just enough trees for construction and no more than that. Marble and other stone would be quarried the same way. Take only what's needed, and leave the rest. /That's the way to build a city!/

Egeria, the captain of the royal Amazon guard, was heading the group collecting the lumber. She was a big, muscular woman, auburn-haired and beautiful. Her golden armor gleamed in the sunlight as she oversaw the lumber-gathering.

Throttle looked over toward the ominous cave that was nearby. Doom's Doorway, the Amazons called it. He gave an involuntary shiver as he thought of the horrors that lurked inside. Another name for Doom's Doorway was Pandora's Box.

The mythical container for all the world's ills, he mused. Then, he noticed something odd at the cave's entrance. Some dark cloud -smoke, maybe-seeped from a crack, moving far too slowly to be normal.

Phillipus was near the cave, mounted on her horse. She started acting strangely, as if in a trance. She turned her horse toward the cave and rushed toward it.

"Phillipus!" Throttle heard Egeria call out. "Where are you going?"

But the dark-skinned Amazon either ignored her, or could not hear. She continued toward Doom's Doorway.

The black cloud was coming out faster, now, and when Phillipus' horse was right up at the entrance, the cloud enveloped him. The evil cloud burned the poor animal, changing him into a black skeleton nightmare of a horse. Phillipus was thrown off, and became a target for those fiery hooves.

"Phillipus!" Throttle shouted, but Egeria was already on her way. She managed to get the other safely out of the way. Then she and several others beat back the undead horse.

Phillipus was sprawled on the ground, watching as her captain raced toward the cave entrance. Egeria now had her back against the rocks, blocking the cave entrance, attempting to keep the evil energies and creatures inside.

"Calyce!" she shouted to an Amazon standing beside the pile of logs they had collected so far. "Release the trees! You must barricade this portal.../NOW/!"

"Captain, /NO/!" a brown-haired Amazon shouted. "The trees will crush you!" Throttle's blood froze when he realized what Egeria had ordered.

"It is your d...duty! Do it!" the Captain called out. "Please...it is...my last...command..."

Reluctantly, Calyce did as she was commanded. She swung her ax, cutting the rope that held the logs in place. The wood rolled down the hill, and crashed into the cave entrance -and Egeria. Doom's Doorway was sealed again, but at a terrible price.

Egeria -strong, beautiful Egeria -was dead.

~~*

Throttle stood at the queen's side as Egeria's funeral pyre burned into the night. The mourners -including Throttle-were dressed in long, green robes as Menalippe prayed for Egeria's soul. Throttle, himself, added one to Father Ares and Mother Mars, hoping they would hear him so far away in space and time.

The next day, a competition was held to select a new captain of the royal guard. The winner was Phillipus, who was named the new captain. And the first thing she did was build a stronger door for Doom's Doorway.

~~*

The city gleamed in the sunlight, an amazing metropolis of white marble and gold. Throttle gazed out from a terrace in the Royal Place, admiring the beautiful architecture, sculptures, and landscaping. True to their plan, the Amazons left the surrounding forest alone, building only a little more than the city.

Beautiful! Throttle thought with a smile. Stunningly beautiful! And in so short a time, too.

"Enjoying the morning, Throttle?" a voice behind him asked. He turned around to see the queen, Clio, and Myrhha coming toward him.

"Just admiring the view, your Highness," he answered. "The city is breathtakin'."

"Yes, it is," she smiled as she and other two woman came up to stand with him.

"Throttle," Clio asked. "I have been wondering..."

"Yes?"

"We Amazons must wear the manacles as a sign of penitence." She showed him the iron writs bands that Throttle and the Amazons all wore. "But why do you? You are not under penitence."

"Well," Throttle began, "I need to ask you ladies a question. Am I a member of your people, or am I an outsider?"

"You have fought at our side, journeyed for three months on the path to Paradise Island, helped us build our city," the queen said. "You are as much a part of the Themyseirian civilization as any Amazon."

"Then why should I be the only one not wearing the bracelets? If I'm going to be a part of this civilization, I should follow the rules and customs -correct?"

"Yes," Hippolyta smiled proudly. "And Themyseirian enough to be my son."

"Whaaa..." Throttles ruby eyes went wide in surprise.

"Throttle, son of the red planet Mars, I wish to adopt you as my son, the first prince of Paradise Island."

Throttle was too dumbstruck to respond. A prince of the Amazons? /Him/?

~~*

Throttle stood in the temple of Hera, facing Queen Hippolyta. Both were in front of the alter, and the Amazons filled the building, spectators to a once-in-a-millennia event: The adoption of a male into the Amazon civilization.

Queen Hippolyta wore purple robes, a gold crown and jewelry, and carried a long staff with a gold eagle perched on top.

Throttle wore his biker pants and boots, but on top of that, he wore a Greek tunic, pinned at the right shoulder with a mouse-head pin. Around his waist was his silver biker belt and green utility belt.

Menalippe now approached them, with Niobe right behind her. Niobe carried a box, carved in beautiful ebony wood, and inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

"Hear, O gods and goddesses of Olympus, on this most joyous occasion; Hippolyta, queen of Themyscria, takes Throttle of Mars as her son. Bless both mother and son as they embark on the journey though life."

Menalippe took an object from the box. It was a circlet of gold, with a ruby at its center. She waited as Queen Hippolyta handed her staff to Myrhha, then presented the ring of gold to the queen.

"Kneel, Throttle," Hippolyta commanded. He did so, dropping to one knee. Hippolyta held the circlet above his head, which Throttle bowed respectfully.

"I, Queen Hippolyta, crown Throttle of Mars, Prince of Themyscria and my son, from this moment forth. Let all of Olympus bear witness."

She slipped the circlet onto Throttle's head. He raised his head to look up at the queen.

"Rise, Prince Throttle," she commanded. Throttle rose gracefully to once again stand before her. "My son."

"It is done," Menalippe announced. She crossed her arms, the bottom of the bracelets touching, and her hands formed into fists. She held her arms above her head. "For the Glory of Gaia!" she cried.

"For the Glory of Gaia!" the Amazons responded, their hands held in the Amazon salute.

"For the Glory of Gaia!" Hippolyta and Throttle echoed, their own salute completing the tableau.

"Welcome, my son," Hippolyta smiled, drawing him into an embrace. He stepped into her arms, smiling back as he hugged her.

"Thank you...Mother," he said softly.

~~*

The new prince of Paradise Island began his studies in earnest. History, customs, more language, lore, and many other aspects of Amazon life. Epione taught him medicine, Oenone taught him botany, while Phillipus taught him Amazon fighting techniques. He learned to hunt, fish, and gather fruits. Euboea taught him diving and swimming, and the importance of honoring Poseidon and the Nerids.

Throttle adapted to life on Paradise Island, falling into a rhythm not unlike his life in the Freedom Fighters. The lessons took up most of time, while what free time he had was spent enjoying the beauty of his new home.

Everyone on the island helped out, from gathering of food, to cleaning the sewers. Throttle only cleaned the sewers once, though, for without his bike helmet, the stench of the sewer system was overwhelming to his sensitive sense of smell.

"Reminds me of Limburger on his worst stink day," he told the queen one day.

"He must smell extremely hideously, then, my Prince," Clio smiled from the side.

"You'd better believe it!" Throttle grinned. He held his nose in illustration. "Peehew!" His comment caused the Amazons who were listening to laugh aloud.

~~*

"I learned a lot from the Amazons," Throttle told his audience. "Did I think about Mars? Yeah, I thought about it -a lot. I thought about all of ya, too, and how much I missed ya. But I knew that if I spent all my time mopin' about everyone I missed, I would miss out on livin' to get to ya.

"My adventures on Paradise Island could fill a library with scroll -'suse me-/books/. There's no time to relate them all. But there are two stories in particular you need ta hear, because they are very important."



Next: Chapter 6: Changes. Throttle relates two important events in Amazon history: The arrival of Diana Trevor, and the birth of Princess Diana.