Hello, dear reader! First, I want to start by thanking you for giving this little fic a try! I hope you're not disappointed. Second, the story alternates between Steve and Diana's POV. The first 4 chapters will be 100% dedicated to each character, in other words, chapters 1 & 3 are from Steve's POV and chapters 2 & 4 are from Diana's POV. Starting chapter 5, we will have both their POVs in one chapter (maybe they will even come face to face?). Third, this story is set after the events of the WW movie and before the events of Justice League. Even though I talk about a great evil, that will not be my focus point, but Steve and Diana ONLY! So don't expect to see a great battle with this evil.
Okay, that's it! Enjoy!
1
The floor's wet. That's the first thing I'm aware of; and my ears are buzzing. Where the hell am I? I try opening my eyes but they feel so heavy. I take a few seconds to assess my body for injuries. Nothing feels broken, nothing hurts. My mind feels foggy. Did I drink too much last night? Goddammit, Sammy! That wasn't just beer you gave me, was it? I told him I neede – Diana!
My eyelids snap open and suddenly a flood of images and feelings come crashing down on me. The German plane I stole; crash-landing in the ocean; Diana looking down at me after pulling me out of the sinking plane; no man's land; swaying; I love you; Diana's face, pull the trigger, the heat… and then nothing.
I'm dead. Or am I? I can't be alive. If I were I would at least have my body burnt.
What is going on?
The buzzing in my ears starts to lift and suddenly I'm aware of the heavy footfalls of someone running towards me. I still haven't found the strength to sit up, but as if I weighed nothing, I feel someone hook their arms under my armpits and lift me up.
"Stand up! Move! Now!", a female voice shouts with urgency at me. Her accent is just like Diana's.
I feel exhausted and my head lolls forward. I try to put one foot in front of the other, but it's as if the signals my brain is sending to my feet are getting lost somewhere along the way.
I'm not exactly sure for how long I was dragged by this woman before we jumped down… somewhere. It felt like we were on the air, dropping, for an eternity. When we finally hit the ground I felt like my knees had shattered into a million pieces. It was the most intense pain I have ever felt (physical at least). But as soon as I felt it, the pain was gone just as fast.
What is going on?
We must have walked for a couple of minutes, but for all I knew, we walked for hours. I was deposited (for lack of a better word) on the floor, my back against, what felt like, a huge boulder.
"General! What happened? I thought you had everything figured out. Were you mistaken?'"
Another female, same accent. Am I in Themyscira again?
I try to focus on them and my surroundings but everything is blurry. I screw my eyes shut and will myself to snap out of whatever haze I'm in. Slowly, the moving blotches of colour start coming into focus. We're in some kind of cave, a big cave. I can't even begin to tell where the top of this thing is or how far along it goes. There are torches on the walls creating some light.
I lower my eyes and find myself being stared at by a group of about 20 women, much like the time I was lassoed in front of Queen Hippolyta. That's when I realize that once again I'm surrounded by Amazons.
"I was not mistaken, Aella. I was interrupted by him," She says jerking her head in my direction. "Just as I jumped to the gates, he dropped from them."
I remember her. She's Diana's aunt. What did she call her? Anteepe? Antelope? Antiope! I groan and try to sit up a little.
"You're dead. I saw you die. So I guess… I'm dead too?", I ask unsure of, well, everything.
Her hard stare makes me feel like the biggest lump of garbage, but I look at her with as much intensity as I can muster.
"Yes, you're dead, as are we. Welcome to the Underworld." She says sarcastically.
My eyes widen a little at that and I nod my head slowly.
I'm dead.
And since Diana is not here, she must've killed Ares. Or are they still fighting? How long was I unconscious before I came to? Does time move the same? Is there time here?
I'm about to voice all of my questions when the Amazon Aella speaks again. "What is your plan now, General? Will you attempt your escape again at the next opening of the gates?"
Escape? You can go back?! Man, they got it all wrong back home.
"Yes, I have to try. I will have to keep watch of the gates and time it out all over again. I have to get out of here. I have to warn them."
Warn them? Who's them? Does she mean Diana and her Mother?
It all starts feeling like a little too much and I find myself spewing question after question.
"Can somebody please explain to me what the hell is happening?! You have to warn whom? And what is this place exactly? Cause I sure as hell never picture heaven to be this unpleasant!"
Approximately 20 pairs of eyes look at me as if I were stupid. As if my questions had the most obvious answers. Then I remember whom I'm talking to. Diana kept talking about Ares and Zeus and magic. All of them were created by freaking Zeus! Of course they know the answers to my questions! They always have! But I, a mere human, know nothing. So I need them to answer them now!
Antiope seems to reach the same conclusion as I do and she visibly relaxes. She goes down on one knee and rests her arm on it.
"We didn't exactly have a chance to introduce each other. I'm Antiope. General of the Amazonian Army and sister to the Amazon Queen, Hippolyta,"
She says it with pride. The same pride Diana had when she almost introduced herself to Sir Pat - Ares.
"Captain Steve Trevor. Pilot of the American Expeditionary Force, assigned to British Intelligence… and spy," No point in keeping that a secret, since I'm dead.
Antiope gives a resolute nod, "Nice to make your acquaintance, Captain Trevor. And to answer your questions, this is not heaven. Like I said before, this is the Underworld. A place in between if you will. This is the place where souls go while the judges of the Underworld decide where to send us,"
Okay, her answers are just generating more questions.
"As soon as I arrived here, I heard whispers of a great evil coming. An evil that would threaten all of mankind. As Amazons, it is our fore ordinance to fight for and with mankind to protect Zeus' creation,"
I try to absorb all she's telling me, but it's hard to understand something you have so little background knowledge on.
She continues, "I needed to find out more about this great evil, and so I went to great lengths to gather information. I risked my soul to find out more, barely made it out. But my risk paid off. I have now enough knowledge to provide my sister and soldiers, hopefully, some advantage,"
I slowly feel my jaw hitting my lap. It seems we are condemned to endless war, no matter what. I saved today, but then tomorrow it's as if my sacrifice was for nothing. How many more would have to die before we get to live in peace? By the end, will there even be anyone left?
"Do you mean to tell me that I sacrificed myself for nothing? Do you mean to tell me that I left Diana on that hangar for nothing? Please tell me this is some kind of cruel joke,"
Antiope looks at me confused at the mention of Diana's name. Her lack of an answer puts me on the edge and I feel the anger reaching its boiling point.
Suddenly finding myself full of energy, I stand up and start punching the boulder with all that I have. A desperate and angry scream becomes the soundtrack of my misery as I reduce my knuckles to nothing. The physical pain comforts me, keeping me distracted from the agonizing pain in my chest.
Nobody even attempts to stop me, so I keep punching the boulder. I'm not sure how much time passes before I feel my knuckles crack. With one last guttural scream, I deliver one last punch and I lean forward, pressing my forehead against the cold surface of the rock.
I feel the steady trickle of blood pouring from the gash in my knuckles and the pain is almost blinding. But just like my knees, the pain is gone within seconds.
"You can't hurt yourself in the Underworld and no one can hurt you, except of course a God," She sighs. "I understand your frustration. We all here died before we would have liked to and we all left behind people we love,"
At the mention of love I look at her and I can see in her expression that she knows how I feel about Diana. I try to fight the urge to cry, but I feel my tears spill over before I can stop them.
"It wasn't enough. I barely got to spend time with her. I need more. I need her," I put my hands on my knees and bend forward trying to steady my breathing.
3 weeks. That's all the time I got to spend with Diana. From the moment I saw her I was a goner. Seeing her face for the first time with the sun shining brightly behind her, almost creating this aura around her like an angel.
It took me all of 5 minutes to realize how caring, compassionate and unapologetically good she was. To find one of those qualities in a person is rare, but to find all of them in a single body? Is almost unheard of.
We went through so much in such little time. Maybe even more than most people do in a lifetime. When we were 'swaying' outside Café Buvette in Veld, I knew. I knew right then and there that I had never known love. Not like this anyway. As a spy and captain, I didn't exactly have a lot of time to go out and look for love, but I had been with other women and none of them came even close to making me feel how Diana did.
Screw death, I need more time with her. I stand up straight and look Antiope directly in the eyes with newfound determination. "You said you were about to escape. I'm coming with you,"
Her eyes widen with the realization of my statement. "Absolutely not! You think that escaping the Underworld is as easy as opening a door? You think Hades would make it that easy for souls to escape? I heard tales of the arrogance of men, but this is ridiculous!"
She turns around, hands on her hips to look at the other Amazons and they are all shaking their heads in disapproval with my decision. This is a fight I am not going to lose. I'm getting the hell out of here.
"You can't stop me. We're not on Themyscira anymore. You have no power over what I do or don't do. Even if you don't let me come with you, I'll find a way to get out myself. But I would really appreciate it if you'd let me tag along, since I'm still not sure what the hell is going on here," I say moving my forefinger in a circle.
She looks at me annoyed and I fear she might punch me. I find some relieve in knowing that if she does, it won't hurt for long.
She shakes her head and exhales loudly from her nose. "You have no idea the things that live here. The chances of me getting out are low and I'm an Amazon. Are you really willing to risk your soul, knowing that if we get caught by Hades himself or one of his many monstrosities, we would be lucky if our souls get obliterated into nothingness? Escaping the Underworld is a very difficult feat, Captain. Are you ready to risk everything for a very small chance of returning?"
I feel myself stand up straighter and when I say my next words, I make sure she understands every single one, "All my life I've fought for everything that I ever had. For everything I am. The chances were always slim, but that never stopped me. So when you say there's a chance of escaping, I don't care how big or small that is. A chance is a chance and normally, that's all the motivation I need, but this time is different. This time all my motivation is coming from one source and trust me, even if my chances were zero, I would still try with all that I have to go back to her."
I take a step closer to Antiope, feeling a fire inside of me I have never felt before. "So to answer your question, yes. I am willing to risk everything for the chance of getting back to Diana. I need more time with her. Hades be damned."
She raises her chin and the corner of her mouth rises slightly. "Then lets get back, shall we?"
AN: How was it? Did you like it? If so, leave a comment! Even if you didn't, tell me about it! But be nice. It's all love here.
I hope you comeback on Wednesday to see what Diana is up to! See ya!