"Paragon, I do remember saying to you that I would fight with Vanguard whenever you called. But I imagined you would give me more than a seven-hour warning."

Doc Paragon smiled. Lykopis and he were standing in the main hall alone. The Amazon was wearing her battle armor. Since it was chilly in Germany, it was her winter gear. Which meant she wore a massive wolf-hide coat in addition to the corset and girdle. Even the leather boots were lined with fur. "I am sorry, dear Lykopis. But I would advise you to get use to it."

Lykopis frowned, but she did not seemed truly bothered or irritated. "I think," continued Paragon, "you have the capacity to adapt well."

Lykopis was looking at Penny's desk. "Yes. I have found myself making more changes in the past year than in the past decade." She picked up a framed photo. "Hmmm...she did strike me as a cat person." She spoke louder so Paragon could hear her. "Honestly...why did you pick me? What could you possibly see in me?"

"You struck me as very independent--"

"Which is why I am called a castrating bitch behind my back."

"I wasn't finished, Lykopis. You use to be part of one of the greatest armies History can recall. And you were one of their champions.

"Now sing to me, Calliope*, fair-voiced Muse,
Of Athena's beloved
Lykopis, who sung as she slayed.
Artimis blessed this she-wolf,
Giving her long life.
How she bays at the door of men,
Dragging them to the street,
drinking their lifeblood in the evening.
Whilst she laughed
And drew her bow across the sky,
Sisters, mothers, daughters,
Fell one by one.

But look now, Melpomene**!
How the wolf must hunt alone,
And sleep alone!
Shut in her cave,
Seeking no challenger,
Waiting to be greated by
Persephone***, pale Bride of Hades.

"Are you surprised I knew this old poem? Etched on the foot of a statue of Artemis and a wolf. I read that poem on a trip to Rome. And I heard of Merlin's Lykopis and put two-and-two together. And I thought to myself 'this is a sort of girl that needs to be on a team, otherwise, she's unhappy. Vanguard is just what the doctor ordered."

Lykopis laughed. "It was mistranslated. I did not 'sing as I slayed'. I know this sounds very stupid nowadays, but I...use to howl. I suppose when one does not have access to cable or a phone, seeing a girl covered in blood with a sword and howling is rather frightful."

"What was it like? Being an Amazon and everything."

Lykopis raised and eyebrow and looked thoughtful. "Pretty much what you have read in the books. We pillaged. Destroyed towns. Leveled cities. Sometimes I think we wasted our powers. Imagine if we had used our deathlessness to better our countrymen.

"But I was young and stupid then. I only cared about the killing. That is why they called me Lykopis. I always worshipped Artemis in my own manner, and I wanted to name myself after one of her creatures.

"Do you know why I don't warm up to anyone? Paragon...I have seen people I loved bleed and die. I am the last of my kind. What is the point of making friends? I outlive all of them."

Doc Paragon smiled. "I would watch my back if I were you, Lykopis."

The Amazon didn't return the smile. "In what way?"

Now Paragon was laughing. At least his laughter wasn't annoying like Merlin's. "You are well on your way to growing a heart."

Lykopis was going to say something mean when Drake entered the room. "Boy. Danny would freak if he saw that coat."



*Muse of epic poetry
**Muse of tragedy
***Hades kidnapped his wife from her mother, Demeter