Ch. 1: Custody Trial
Diana sat on the witness stand preparing to be grilled by the odious lawyer that was prepared to interrogate her. This was a back-and-forth case, and even with the support and testimonies of her mother, her sisters, her friends in the Justice League, and all others, this was shaping up to be a very hard case for the jury to convict. She knew the day would come when the discovery of her charge was made, but she didn't imagine anything like this.
Finally, the bailiff of the court held a Bible in front of her as she placed her hand on it.
"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you God?" The nailiff asked.
"I do," Diana nodded.
"Be seated," The bailiff instructed as she took her seat. Her testimony was about to begin, and first up was her attorney fighting to keep custody of her charge in her care.
"Miss Diana," her attorney began, "Can you tell the court your relationship to the one whose custody is in question?"
"Yes," Diana replied, "I'm his mother."
"Objection, Your Honor," the defendant's attorney spoke, "The child in question did not come from Miss Diana's womb, we all know that."
"A woman doesn't have to give birth to a child in order to be its mother, we all know that as well, Your Honor," her attorney protested, "The child's mother died years ago when the child in question was only a baby, and my client has been raising him as her own ever since. She's the only mother-figure he knows."
"Overruled," the judge spoke, "You may continue."
"Thank you, Your Honor," Diana's attorney spoke, "Now, Miss Diana, how did the child in question happen to end up in your custody? Can you take us back to the day you met him for the first time?"
"Of course," Diana spoke, "It was during the summer of 2010. I was on Themyscira taking a walk along he beaches. It was a peaceful night…the stars were shining brightly, and the moon was full….
"Ahhh!" the gorgeous and powerful Wonder Woman sighed with a stretch, "There's nothing like a nice moonlit walk on the beach after a long day of training and thwarting Lex Luthor alongside my friends. You know? It's been awhile since I was home. Perhaps I should pay my mother and sisters a visit. I'm sure they'd welcome- huh?"
She was cut off by a loud wailing noise to the left of her. It sounded like a baby crying. Worried that one of the Themysciran children had wandered into the ocean water, she floated in the air and followed the sound to see to her surprise a small metal speedboat that had been wrecked on the shore. The wailing noise was coming from there, so she looked inside to see a poor motionless young woman with water oozing from her mouth.
"Poor thing," She sympathetically whispered, "You've drowned at sea," then the wailing from before caused her to look further into the boat to see a squirming cloth inside.
"Huh? Your baby?" she spoke as she picked the bundle up and unwrapped it to see a naked and hungry little infant child inside. She frowned at the sight between the infant's legs.
"You're a boy," She deduced, "Men aren't allowed here without permission, but I guess you aren't technically a man y-"
But then she let out a gasp as suddenly a hand grabbed her by the wrist as she looked to see the child's mother, or whoever this lady was, was holding her wrist and looking up.
"You're alive," Wonder Woman exclaimed, "Don't worry, I'll get you some help!"
"My…baby…" the lady croaked out desperately.
"He's fine, just a little hungry," Wonder Woman assured her, "I'll get you back to the mainland as soon as you're better."
"Don't…have much…time…" the sickly woman croaked out struggling to speak, "…please…look out for my son…."
Realizing the poor lady was about to pass on, Wonder Woman spoke out, "Where will I find his father? That's who he belongs with right-"
"NO!" the poor lady yelled out, "….please…don't let…his father find him….he must not….find him….you…must keep…my son…away from his father. He…must not…grow…in his care…take…take care…of him…."
Put on the spot, Wonder Woman frantically wracked her mind at what was happening. A dying woman was asking her to take care of her son and keep him from the hands of his apparently abusive father. It was her dying wish, and Wonder Woman was the one on the spot. She had never raised a child before! Much less knew the first thing about taking care of a boy!
But suddenly her thoughts were cut off by movement in her arms as she looked to see the baby had stopped crying and was nuzzling in Diana's chest with a tired look on his face as he started to close his eyes. The dying mother smiled.
"My son likes you…" The poor mother whispered with a smile, "I can rest peacefully now…."
Gritting her teeth, Diana looked from the baby to the mother over and over before sighing out loud as she found herself rocking the baby in her arms.
"Wait," Diana spoke as something occurred to her, "Your child. What do I call him? What's his name?"
Struggling to look Wonder Woman in the eyes, the dying woman feebly croaked out, "His….his name is….is….is Z….Z….Z….." The poor abused woman's eyes closed as her head fell to the ground. No more air either entered or escaped her lips, only the water that had entered her lungs earlier.
Knowing the poor mother was now dead, Wonder Woman let out a sob as she knelt beside her.
"I'll have my sisters arrange a funeral for you," The Themysciran Princess softly whispered as she turned her attention to the sleeping bundle in her arms, "But first, I need to explain to my mother and sisters about you. Then get you back to the mainland. I'm sure your father can take better care of you than I can..."
Searching the woman's things for any form of identification, she took out her wallet from her purse and looked at the name.
"'Rea Chrono,'" Wonder Woman read out, "I guess I'll have to look out for you until we find your father. I…I'm sure my mother will agree to let you stay the night so that I can recharge for the long flight to the mainland. That and it's late. You must be really tired. We'll start looking for your father tomorrow."
"And did you start looking for Mr. Chrono the next day?" Diana's attorney asked bringing Diana back to the present day.
"Yes," Diana answered, "After a lengthy explanation about the boy being on Themyscira in the first place, and the fact I witnessed his birthmother's death on the shore, the boy was kept in a cradle in the nurseries of Themyscira for the night. The next morning, we had the funeral for the mother, and some sisters of mine and I journeyed to Chicago to locate Mr. Chrono."
"And did you find him?" Diana's attorney asked.
"Unfortunately, yes," Diana grumbled.
"Objection!" Mr. Chrono's attorney spoke up.
"Miss Prince, please refrain from giving answers other than 'Yes' or 'No,'" The judge instructed.
"I'm truly sorry, Your Honor," Diana answered.
"Can you explain to the court the day you found Mr. Chrono starting with the moment you entered his apartment building?" Diana's attorney asked.
"Yes," Diana answered, "My sisters and I were pushing a stroller holding my son inside of the lobby when I went to the lobby's reception area asking to speak with Mr. Chrono. She told me that no one saw Mr. Chrono without an appointment." Rolling her eyes, Diana added, "Then she asked me if I was his new penthouse pet and was here to give him a good time."
The courtroom giggled at this for a moment as the judge banged his gavel to quiet them.
"Did you tell her that you had his son in your care?" Diana's attorney asked.
"No, I didn't," Diana asked.
"Why didn't you tell the receptionist that you had Mr. Chrono's son?" The attorney asked.
"There was something about the derogatory way that receptionist spoke to me," Diana explained, "When she asked me that, I found myself remembering the fear on his mother's face when she gave him to me, and it told me that I had better wait and investigate."
"I see," Diana's attorney asked, "And what did this investigation uncover?"
"Well, I snuck into the maid service changing room, and put on a maid outfit," Diana explained, "I then looked up the floor Mr. Chrono lived on and rode the elevator there. When I was outside his penthouse front door, I listened in as I heard him speaking with his attorney there."
"And what were they talking about?" Diana's attorney asked.
"How they had legally had the baby boy cut out and ripped forcefully from his mother's womb just because his father would only give him his entire fortune if a grandchild was born before he died," Diana shuddered as the jury and courtroom gasped.
"Did they show any concern for the baby or his mother?" Diana's attorney asked.
"No," Diana answered, "In fact, I heard Mr. Chrono say that the only use he had for the baby was to improve his image. He didn't care what happened to the baby, just so long as it made him look good. Then I heard something that told me to get out of there."
"What did you hear?" Diana's attorney asked.
"I heard a young lady's voice speak out to Mr. Chrono asking him to return to bed with her," Diana spoke, "Then I heard him yelling at her and saying words to her I dare not repeat. Then I let out a gasp as I heard a massive slap and a feminine crying through the door. I knew now why the mother had left, and why she didn't want her son around his father. I knew I had to get out of there and get the baby to safety."
"And you did just that when you brought the baby back to Themyscira and raised him as your own," Diana's attorney spoke to the jury.
"Yes," Diana spoke, "I still remember the day I explained the situation to my mother…."
"I can't send him back to his biological father, mother!" Wonder Woman protested, "Not only did I hear him admit that the only reason he had the baby was to get his father's fortune, he forcefully ripped him from her womb!"
"I can concur that, my Queen," An Amazon healer spoke up, "When I was tending to her corpse, I saw a deep cut in her belly that was crudely stitched up as if it was done by an amateur trying to hide the injury."
"Then I heard him beat up a young girl behind a penthouse door!" Wonder Woman continued, "Now I understand why his mother wanted to keep him away from his father, and I don't want him to grow up there either! It's not right!"
"Alright," Queen Hippolyta nodded, "Then what about an adoption agency? Surely they can find him a home."
"When you're as rich as this Chronos guy is, you can find anyone anywhere in the city," Wonder Woman answered, "He's not safe anywhere in the world of humans…"
Giving her daughter a knowing look, Queen Hippolyta crossed her arms and said, "Diana…are you thinking what I think you're thinking…?"
Looking back at her mother, Diana spoke, "What other choice have we?! Send him back and run the high risk of him being abused and ultimately turning into an abuser himself? I can't do that…" Clenching her fist in anger and determination, Diana growled out, "I…I…I WON'T do that!" Picking the baby in her arms, Diana spoke out loud to her mother and her sisters, "This little boy needs me, and I've come to an important decision! I'm going to raise him as if he were my own child! If you all have a problem with that, I don't care! You want to banish me from Themyscira forever? That's fine, because I'm taking him in as my own with or without your help or approval!"
The Amazons looked at her wide-eyed. They had never seen her like this before! So focused. So sure of herself. So passionate…
Then the silence was broken as Queen Hippolyta cocked her head to the side and sighed.
"You've grown up, my daughter," She spoke with a soft smile, "I just hope you know what you're getting yourself into."
Nodding, Diana answered, "I'm sure motherhood will be hard, mother, but I know with your support I'll be the best mother ever."
Nodding, Queen Hippolyta smiled, "Yes, yes, I'm sure you will. Then so be it. The boy is your son now, and he will be raised with the same love and care as I raised you," Then Queen Hippolyta frowned, "But…what will we call him? Did you find out his name at least?"
"No!" Diana gasped unable to believe she had forgotten that, "I was so angry about the abusiveness, I forgot to find out his name!"
"Easy, my daughter, easy," Queen Hippolyta gently explained, "I'm sure we can find a good name for him. You can name a good name based on what you know of a child, even if you know very little.
"Then let's see, what do we know about you?" Diana asked as she cradled the baby.
"Hmmm," Queen Hippolyta spoke then suddenly she lit up and smiled, "Well his mother's name was Rea Chrono. She fled from her abusive husband who seeks children for power, and arrived here where a tribe of wise and beauteous Greek women agreed to take him in and raise him…" She spoke, "And when you asked her what his name was, she responded with the 'Z' sound before she died. A mother named 'Rea,' an abusive power-hungry and greedy father named 'Chrono,' brought to an island to be raised in secrecy by a tribe of women, and his first name starts with a 'Z.' Does that sound familiar, my daughter? It should…"
Then it dawned on Diana what her mother was talking about, "'Rea/Rhea.' 'Chrono/Cronus.' Amazon Tribe Guardians/Nymph Tribe Guardians. And a first name that started with a 'Z.' Somehow, it was like it was meant to be…
"'Zeus,'" Diana whispered as she held the baby boy close to her heart as tears streamed down her eyes, and her mother nodded with a smile, "I'll call you 'Zeus.'" Hearing the Amazons cheer at this declaration, Diana kissed little Zeus's head as she whispered, "May my good father's name, and my love give you strength after enduring the hard start that you have…my son