Chapter Two

Ever since Diana had let her escape death, Dr. Maru had been in hiding. After all, she was one of the prime people that was responsible for creating that chemical catastrophe. If anyone ever found out that she was still alive, she knew that a trial awaited her; a trial and a slew of persecution. She would be seen as an enemy of the people instead of a genius. All she ever wanted was to be recognized for her genius work, but now that she had laid down with the devil, she had to deal with the consequences.

The storm continued to rage outside the ramshackled house she was situated in. She sat hunched over the desk, looking at the wild spread of notes before her. Flames from the fire lit her messy scrawls up, making them look like wild animals of some sort. Surely she was brilliant enough to reconstruct her weapon of mass destruction.

"Come on…" Dr. Maru muttered out loud to herself. She felt tears prick her vision; tears that she swallowed immediately. She wouldn't let this defeat get to her. She was stronger than that. She had always been strong enough to survive what had been thrown her way.

A knock suddenly sounded out at the door. It was a knock that startled her. Maybe it was just the thunder from the storm outside. That was a thought that she allowed herself to be teased with until she heard the knock again. This time it was much louder than before.

She forced herself up from her chair. Her shadow was elongated along the chipped floor beneath her feet as she walked towards the door. She stood in front of the huge oak doors as lightning outside lit the whole room up for a moment. Forcing herself to remain strong, she moved a hand forward to open the door. Her eyes widened when she saw who was standing on the steps, soaking wet. She made a move to shut the door when the person reached out a hand to stop her with a surprisingly strong grip.

"Hello, Dr. Maru," Steve Trevor's voice came to her ears.

She looked at him as a Cheshire cat grin lit up his face. It unsettled her. She watched as Steve's stronghold on the door pushed it in more, causing her to stumble back from the door a bit.

"Do you not remember me?" Steve asked, looking offended. He began to tsk as he stepped into the room, moving to shut the door.

Water still dripped off him as he turned to face her once more. He rubbed his soaking limbs, shivering slightly. His eyes looked over her face for a moment longer before he noticed a fire going in the fireplace by her desk. It was a crude fire since the fireplace seemed to be falling apart, but it was one that Steve certainly wouldn't take for granted. He began to walk towards it as Dr. Maru stared at him.

"You certainly must not remember me. Not that we knew each other well, but…" He chuckled a bit then as he stood in front of the fire. He moved to lean an arm against the fireplace as he looked down into the flames and continued, "Would think you might have known me some. I was certainly a fan of your work. Not everyone has the gift to tear others apart. Not everyone has the gift for destruction."

Dr. Maru felt a shiver race down her spine. She watched Steve stare down at the flames in the fire with a mild smirk before turning to face her fully.

"I used to be known in the flesh as Sir Patrick," he admitted, looking at Dr. Maru as he tilted his head to the side. "But you must have found out what a sham that was, yes?"

Yes. Yes she had. She had seen what had happened that night between Diana and…

"Ares," she said in a half terrified whisper. How could he be here? He was suppose to be dead.

"You look as if you've seen a ghost," he said before chuckling. He moved to take a few steps closer to Dr. Maru. "I've come to strike a bargain with you."

"What can you possibly want with me? You're Ares...You're the god of war…"

She watched Steve closely as he came to stand in front of her. She had no idea where the real Steve Trevor was now, but he certainly wasn't this man standing in front of her with eyes flashing with the thought of bloodshed.

"I want you to work with me…" He said in a whisper. He was now standing mere feet from her. She watched as he reached out a hand to run it gently over her cheek. She immediately recoiled from the gesture; an action to which he chuckled.

"There is no need to be afraid of me," he whispered. "I want you to fight by my side against Diana...I know that you hate her as much as I do. I can see it. I can sense it."

"How could I possibly help you?" Dr. Maru asks.

"By doing what you do best," he replied. "Those chemical weapons will be an asset. You are an asset."

He drew his hand back from her cheek then, letting it fall to his side once more.

"You're afraid to face Diana again, aren't you? You fear that the next time you two meet face-to-face that she will annihilate you."

Dr. Maru didn't realize that was a fear she harbored until Ares said it outright like that. She thought that the only reason she had gone into hiding was to hide from the persecution. Yet, now that Ares mentioned it, she could feel the fear of dying creep up in her. Next time she faced death, it might not be brushed aside as easy. Diana had lost someone she loved. Lost love could make people do things they wouldn't think themselves capable of otherwise.

"If you agree to assist me, I can promise you something that will dash that fear right from that brilliant mind of yours." He paused, moving to walk over to the desk to look over her notes. "I can grant you immortality."

When she didn't respond and instead stood in her place, he turned to face her again.

"I can grant you immortality," he repeated. "You could fight by my side. Forever. Nothing would be able to stop us. You would get the recognition that you deserve. You and I could lead my army together..."

"Army? There are more?"

"There are players yet to be gathered, yes," He responded as he moved to come back to stand in front of her, seemingly satisfied with what he had seen of her notes for now. Once again, as he stood in front of her, he placed a hand on her cheek.

"Join me…" He whispered softly. "Say you will…"

Dr. Maru honestly didn't know what to choose for a moment. There was a small part of her that told her not to give in to such darkness again, but then again she also realized that the only way she'd get the recognition she wanted was to fight back. This seemed like the only viable option at the moment. She found herself nodding her head.

A grin spread over Steve's face. He leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to her temple, whispering in her ear in a low and tantalizing voice, "Welcome to the Resurgence, Dr. Maru."