Chapter 4: The Hunt Begins
"My lord, you honor us," she said, and the figure coalesced into a wiry young man with shaggy blond hair and golden skin, sporting winged sandals, a long white tunic belted with gold, and a winged helm.
"Hermes?" Menalippe remained on her feet, utterly dumbfounded.
The young man barely spared a glance for her and Bruce, instead focusing on Diana at his feet. "My dear sister," he said, and Bruce would have qualified it as gushing, "What in Gaia's name was that miraculous machine you rode here?"
Diana slowly rose, then stood at what must have been attention: left arm behind her back and the other first over her heart, feet set.
"My lord Hermes, it is called a Javelin," she answered. Bruce was pleased to note that she didn't have the same starstruck expression that Menalippe wore. Instead, she watched the deity carefully through her respectful gaze.
"At ease, my dear," Hermes said, leaning over the edge to peer down. He leaned far enough that he tumbled down but his winged sandals and helm gave off a golden glow, and he floated in midair. "I cannot see it from here," he said, disappointed. His feet settled back on the earth."But what a sight it was. Only slightly less exciting than it might have been to see you fly up like the sister of Hermes you are." His tone turned chiding, and he crossed his arms.
Diana smiled. "I do not often use your gift among the mortals without necessity, my lord. It frightens them. And I am not so divine that I am immune to the clouds and bugs, such as yourself."
He laughed, delighted.
"My lord, may I present my aunt, Menalippe of Themyscira, General to Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons."
Menalippe bowed from the waist, straightened again.
"And my friend and comrade, the Batman of Gotham City, the Dark Knight and the World's Greatest Detective."
The man in question simply stared. Diana hid a smile. To Bruce and Menalippe, she said, "May I present Hermes, the Swift-Footed One, Friend of Travelers, and Messenger of the Gods."
Hermes offered a bow and came up with a flourish. "Thank you, sister. Well met, travelers. Welcome to Olympus."
Diana and Hermes came down from the outcropping, joining Menalippe and Bruce. Bruce watched the messenger god with open suspicion; Menalippe, for once, seemed beyond speech.
"My lord Hermes," Diana said, "We thought you and all of the Olympians were dead, killed by Ares."
Hermes scowled, tossing his hair. "Of course you did, because who was left to spread the stories? Ares himself. There is truth mixed in, of course-Queen Hippolyta is trustworthy, after all. All of us followed Zeus to defend the Amazons; we were entranced by your sisters, just like the world of men. And Ares did attack us."
Menalippe said, "My lord Hermes, I was there, beside Hippolyta and Antiope and all of my sisters in that battle. We could see the battle in the skies; we saw Ares strike you down."
Hermes nodded at her, a spark of recognition in his eyes. "Of course you did, Menalippe," he agreed. "Ares attacked and weakened us all significantly, even Zeus himself. Zeus created Themyscira as one of his final acts on this mortal plane, and left behind the Godkiller so that Ares could be defeated once more." Here, he smiled at Diana. "And so she did. Well done, my sister."
Bruce tensed when Hermes touched Diana's face. She, however, continued to watch the god, her face carefully neutral. If Bruce recalled his lessons accurately (and he always did), Hermes was also the Trickster of the Greek pantheon.
"For millennia, we have been unable to cross over to this plane, especially as our worship waned. Even my half-brother Ares who managed to stay on the mortal plane, was weak for so long, until your Great War broke out and gave him strength. We did not die; it only appeared so, both to your eyes and even to Ares. All these years, we have been on the other side of the veil, watching, barely able to influence anything at all."
"What changed?" Bruce's question rumbled through his voice modulator.
Hermes gave Bruce a longer, more curious glance, but his eyes were inevitably drawn back to Diana. "She did," the Messenger said with an affectionate glance. "Diana, one hundred years ago, there was an entire village that believed in goddesses again. Their belief woke us from our lethargy; we too were outraged when their lives were cut short."
Diana's face hardened, but her lips trembled.
"And yet, some believers survived," Hermes continued. "Sammy. Charlie. Napi. Etta. Steve, for a time. They saw Ares, and believed he was real. They saw you, what you could do. They believed in you. And though you hid your nature from many, you did not hide it fully, my dear sister. Every child you rescued, every woman you saved, every civilian you rescued during wartimes... they saw glimpses of your divinity, and believed. Your aunt Antiope believed; now, so too does Menalippe."
Diana risked a glance at her aunt, who nodded slowly, a half smile barely moving her lips.
"And even this man- the skeptic of skeptics!- he believes. He sees me now, but more importantly, he knows you. He believes."
Bruce glared at Hermes, but said, "I see you both, but don't count me among your devotees."
Diana smirked, and Hermes waved that off, as if Bruce had said something nonsensical. "Not mine, certainly," he said, looking significantly at Diana.
Menalippe coughed, and Diana, feeling awkward, asked hastily, "My lord Hermes- the god of war... does he live?"
Even through his scowl, Hermes was beautiful, almost androgynous. "In a way, my-half brother lives, but you need not lose sleep over him, Diana. You borrowed the powers of Zeus in that moment, one hundred years ago, and like Zeus once had the power to do, you sent Ares to Tartarus with a thunderbolt. It would take another divine action to free him, and none of us are lining up to do it, even my father himself. I would not worry, dear sister."
Menalippe muttered, "Good riddance," but Diana appeared troubled.
"I do not regret my actions, as Ares sought to spark an endless war that would destroy all of patriarch's world," she said, "yet... he was family. I would not have wished Tartarus on him."
Hermes waved that carelessly away. "Of course not, you are blessed with Athena's righteousness. Besides, you may count the rest of the Olympians alongside the Amazons among your family now, Diana. You yourself could claim a seat among us, one day. Zeus has made mention of wanting to instate you as Goddess of Truth."
Inside, Bruce reeled, but fought it ruthlessly down to maintain his neutral gaze. Menalippe was not so skilled; her mouth hung upon almost comically. Diana, however, mimicked Hermes in waving the suggestion thoughtlessly away.
"Zeus is most gracious, of course, but I shall have to speak with him about this. I feel I have work yet to do here in patriarch's world. They have lost one of their great heroes; they need protection that I can help provide."
Hermes nodded solemnly. "You mean to replace the Kryptonian, yes. I would caution you to know that you are not quite so invulnerable as he, Diana, but then again... you are here and he is not. Even he was not infallible, and you have trained for centuries; he did not. You could be an excellent successor for him, dear sister, if you are willing to be as visible as he was."
As Diana pondered this, Hermes sent a sympathetic look towards Bruce. "We watched the battle from our side of the veil. You, Bruce Wayne, surprised us all. Athena herself was intrigued, but we we are too weak to interfere. Just crossing over into your plane, as I am now, takes some doing, but it's getting easier. Perhaps in another few centuries, things will be different. Then, perhaps, you may want to join us."
Bruce struggled to stay present, remembering suddenly, vividly, that Diana, being half-divine, was as immortal as Hermes. Not quite the same as the gods perhaps, as she was not invulnerable in the same way they were. She could heal quickly, but an undeflected bullet or knife, aimed with precision, could do the job. And she would die, so far as anyone knew, rather than fade away to the spirit realm of Olympus. Bruce hoped not to find out, hoped she would outlive him. Yet, knowing he would continue to age, while she would not... He forced himself to tune back in.
"... the reason why Zeus has summoned me here?" Diana was asking.
Hermes positively chortled. "Why?! My dear sister! To show you off, of course! What does Zeus love more than setting challenges before mortals and demigods? What nonsense did your oracle say, again? Ah, yes. To "reckon" with you! The Great Father has summoned you to Olympus to meet each of your patrons and pass a challenge. I am simply the first of them all, and Zeus, of course, will be last."
Diana suspected she was meant to be pleased by the great honor extended to her, but she flicked a glance over to her companions and instead felt regret that they'd been pulled into this divine game. The gods may be her patrons, but Diana didn't doubt there would be considerable time and risk involved in their tests, even if Zeus simply desired to test her mettle in a way that would make her look good to the pantheon.
"That sounds invigorating, my lord, but time-consuming. Perhaps we might release my companions."
Bruce straightened, the refusal to leave her already on his open lips, but Menalippe was faster.
"Send me not from your side, Diana," she said sharply. "I am loyal. I will protect you."
Diana glanced at her, offered an appreciative smile. If she was tempted to clarify that she needed no protection, she did not give in. And then her eyes flicked to Bruce.
He felt her gaze deep in his chest, but he tried to affect nonchalance, crossing his arms. "I'm already here, Princess," he said. And he left it at that. Diana gave a deep nod in response, the ghost of a smile hiding in her eyes.
Hermes watched these exchanges with interest, and under his fascinated grin, the silence became awkward. Bruce, ever inscrutable behind his cowl, simply stared. Menalippe shot the Dark Knight an annoyed look, then decided to ignore him. Hermes grin widened, and Diana deigned to roll her eyes.
"Well," she said, smiling some. "Let it at least be declared that my two companions may come and go from this quest as they please."
Both companions in question opened their mouths to comment on this, but Hermes simply said, "Of course. They've only to shout my name at any time, I shall return them to this very spot. Now, off we go!" He lifted his hands, clapped twice, and a bright light blinded them all.
XXX
When Bruce opened his eyes, he saw a lush wood filled with a shimmery fog. The gentle sounds of a river flowing tickled his ears, and he turned, seeing a dark wide line of water heading into the woods. The sight, beautiful though it was, filled him with some untraceable sadness.
Diana, he thought suddenly, and she was there, gently touching his left hand and then pulling away. Next to her, Menalippe stood, tense and angry in her crimson and gold armor. Had she been wearing that on the Javelin?
"Diana," she hissed, raising a spear she certainly hadn't brought on the Javelin. "Do you know where..."
"To the River Styx," came Hermes' voice behind them. Diana and Bruce whirled, but Menalippe's focus was on the River. In the fog, she thought she could make out the outline of a boat and a rider...
"I hope you have your coin, Diana," Hermes said. "If you aren't keen on joining the Pantheon, your mission in Man's World may bring you here again soon than you think."
Menalippe paled visibly, which sent Bruce's instincts on alert. But Diana merely slid two fingers under her gold belt and produced a shiny coin. "I am always prepared, brother," she said. "And as a warrior, I never expected to live as long as I have anyway. If I fall, I know you will not fail to lead me to the ferryman. Perhaps then, I may be reunited with those who have gone before me." She slid the coin back in its place, and paused a moment to study the approaching ferry with solemn eyes. Then she sighed, turned away from Styx. "One day far from now, if I am lucky."
The boat appeared to be getting closer, Bruce noted, and Menalippe was still pale, eyes fixed on the shadow.
Hermes merely smiled, pleased with her faith. "Of course, I'll not fail you, dear Sister. And I trust Charon is not coming for any of us at this moment. But this place is a crossroads, and we could not but pass by. Now come, we go to meet the first lady in the woods, and as god of travelers, I am fit to guide you."
"Do you not have a test for me, Lord Hermes?" Diana wondered, following him into the treeline.
Bruce noticed that the man didn't exactly walk, but float; his winged sandals kept him alight above the ground.
"You have already passed it, my dear," Hermes said over his shoulder, continuing to float through the trees.
Bruce cocked an eyebrow, surprised that the Greek Pantheon's trickster would let Diana off so easily.
"Have I?" she wondered.
Hermes hummed in assent. "Certainly. You have demonstrated faith in me as your guide, and you have left the Ferryman behind to follow me. I have seen you fly. As your patron, all of this pleases me. But perhaps most noteworthy is this: not many who have lost as many loved ones to death as you have, Diana, would turn their back on the River. This terrible temptation was my challenge, and you have passed."
Diana did not look back, Bruce noticed, and her answer to Hermes was lost in the wind as Bruce himself turned back to study the river and check for Menalippe. With fear and longing warring on her face, the Amazon gazed toward the approaching ferry.
"Menalippe," Bruce said.
She jumped, and the vulnerable emotions settled into stone as she scowled at him. "I come," she snapped, and jogged lightly past him to catch up with Diana and Hermes.
Bruce turned without another thought to the strange boat in the mist; perhaps, before he met Clark and Diana.
XXX
As they went deeper into the woods, Menalippe eventually stomped to the head of the line alongside Hermes to begin her own interrogation. Amused with her aunt, Diana dropped back to walk with Bruce, who still wore his cowl. She didn't begrudge him; though she didn't hide her face, the legends of the Wonder Woman were still barely whispers from ghosts.
"You were not tempted by the river, Bruce," she observed, matching his pace.
He enjoyed the sound of his name on her lips entirely too much. He shrugged, as if dislodge the warmth in his chest. "Not this time, Princess." He considered some of his darker years... his parents... losing Jason... Barbara's paralysis... "There might have been moments where it would have been harder to resist the temptation earlier in my life."
He offered it expecting her to ask questions, surprised at his willingness to answer. But Diana merely mulled over his answer with an empathetic nod, which troubled him.
"You have led a difficult life," she ventured quietly. "Yet I can't imagine you ever having the impulse to give up."
Was he really discussing suicidal thoughts with Diana? It was surreal and disturbing, yet he felt little of his usual compunction to hide.
"I could say the same for you, Princess," he said. "But you're right. I never truly considered ending my life. I'm not a religious man, and I never have been. I never thought death would be means to see my parents again. It would simply be an ending. And I was too driven by my mission, even when I was young, to consider ending myself. Depression, believe it or not, was not my particular burden. But I have other weaknesses; not all of Bruce Wayne's exploits were staged."
Diana glanced at him, treasuring this confession for the rare gem that it was. She smiled as he lifted a branch from their path. "I feel that I understand this part of you, Bruce; it feel familiar to me, this sense of being driven. For most of my life, I was simply driven to please my mother, to impress Antiope. Then I left Themyscira, and I took on a new mission in Patriarch's World. And it is a surprising mission, for a lifelong warrior, to be a peacemaker.
"But I was tempted, at times, to hasten the end. I am a warrior; I do not fear death. And I have always believed in the gods, so I always knew I would see Antiope and Steve in the underworld again someday."
Bruce's mind rebelled, as it always did, against the unexplainable. "I highly doubt Captain Trevor was a devotee of the Greek Pantheon," he said.
Diana smiled. "No, Steve was a Christian as you might have guessed. But there can be many paths to the same destination, Bruce Wayne. I devote myself to my patrons; others may choose Christ or Allah or Shiva or the Buddha; still others follow their own moral compass and experience the spiritual world in other ways. They are all valid expressions of our humanity if they teach us to love our neighbor, to welcome strangers, to protect the vulnerable. Many paths; one destination."
Bruce could hear birds singing in the woods, could trace the sunbeams breaking in through the canopy. The sense of peace that flooded him gave Bruce the inexplicable urge to reach for Diana's hand. His fingers twitched. He said, "Perhaps humanity would not have started so many wars over religion if more shared your views, Diana."
Diana, it seems, did not resist the urge. She took Bruce's hand, squeezed gently as they walked. "You are too kind," she said. And Bruce wondered if anyone had ever said that to him and actually meant it, as she clearly did.
"I have my own failings," she continued. "For a peacemaker, I am still inclined to a quick temper. I have taken lives in battle. I am given to periods of melancholy, when homesickness or loneliness overwhelms me. I am impulsive, and some would say, self-righteous." She said it all with a little smirk, completely comfortable with this assessment of herself. But she sobered when she said, "And I have hidden myself from the history books and the television cameras, Bruce, in favor of keeping my anonymity." Her grip tightened, just the tiniest increase of pressure.
He waited a beat, then wondered, "Are you expecting me, of all people, to judge you?"
She shrugged. "Clark and I are similar in many ways. Perhaps in battle we would be close to evenly matched; or perhaps I am being pompous," she said, laughing at herself. "But the world knew him," she concluded, sobering again. "They did not know Clark, perhaps, but they knew Superman. But for me? The world does not know Diana or Wonder Woman. Perhaps I could have been more visible, done more over the years."
Bruce glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, marveling that he still held her hand in his. Perhaps it was this magical wood, he mused, making him soft. Perhaps he should let go. Yes. any minute now.
"You do not need to be recognized by the masses, Diana, in order to make their lives better. You already do that."
Her grip tightened again. "Bruce," she said, but her next words were lost. Her eyes widened. "Down!" she shouted, and pulled them both to the ground. He heard her grunt, and he rolled into crouch. A golden arrow embedded in a tree, an angry red line seeping blood down Diana's arm, Hermes and Menalippe shouting all registered in an instant. But when he whirled to confront the threat, batarang in hand, Diana seized his throwing arm by the wrist.
"My lady," she called, though Bruce saw no one but their own party, "our apologies. We meant no offense."
Diana pulled Bruce to his feet as a woman dropped from the trees in front of them, silver bow and arrow in hand. She wore a short tunic in the palest ice blue, a golden belt, and her wavy black hair bound up in a silver circlet, out of her face but for a few wild curls. She gave off a soft silver glow, not unlike moonlight. She glared at Bruce.
"Diana," she said incredulously. "This man dares to touch you?"
Diana lowered herself to one knee, heedless of the blood covering one arm. The wound wasn't closing, he noted with concern.
"My lady Artemis," Diana said. "This man is my friend. Hermes has brought us and my aunt Menalippe into your wood as guests."
Artemis, Bruce remembered, had been the goddess of the hunt, the moon, the wilderness, and perhaps most relevant at the current moment, virginity. She spared Hermes a baleful look, then shouldered her bow. She twirled the arrow she'd been ready to fire.
"You, sister, I expected," the goddess said, frowning deeply. "But I have suffered few men but my brothers into my forrests. And certainly none with a mind to defile my sister." She glared at Bruce; she'd been aiming at him, Bruce realized. Not Diana.
Bruce glared back, ignoring Menalippe sputtering in outrage behind them. Hermes stomped to the front, placing himself between them all and Artemis.
"Oh, and you decided to shoot first and ask questions later, I see. They are travelers and under my protection," Hermes declared. "And also, you missed. You hit Diana."
Artemis crossed her arms, transferring her glare to her brother. She pointed at him. "Take back that blasphemy," she declared. "I did not miss. Diana moved. She is not predictable, like prey. She shielded him."
Artemis turned, studied her half-sister, and a pleased smile split her face. "And she is fast. You are fast, my sister. Well met, Diana of Themyscira."
"Of course, she's fast," Hermes declared, outraged. "The swiftness of Hermes, remember?!"
"Am I not the The Sure-Footed One?" Artemis challenged, before returning her attention to Diana.
Figuring no apology was forthcoming, Diana stood and offered a bow. "My lady." Beside her, Bruce very grumpily set about cleaning her wound and tying a field dressing over the gash on her arm, muttering under his breath. Though his work stung fiercely and her arm throbbed, Diana smiled.
While Artemis and Menalippe greeted one another and Hermes fretted, Diana whispered to Bruce, "Artemis's arrows were forged by Hephaestus himself; they are divine weapons. I imagine my wound will be slow to heal. So thank you."
He replaced his supplies back into his utility belt, nodded shortly. "No, thank you. I'm certain I would fare even worse." He said it bluntly, unbothered by his mortality.
Diana nodded, confirming his suspicion. "Indeed. It's a flesh wound, and I'll heal...at a normal speed. It should be humbling experience for me," she teased.
"I wouldn't be so cavalier," he said quietly. "Any vulnerability of yours could be exploited by them."
She sobered, nodding. The wound was in her dominant arm, so she tested her range of motion, wincing slightly. Bruce frowned, but she continued to stretch and move it until she was used to the sensations. She nodded again to herself, then turned back to their companions.
Menalippe was eyeing the gods with a mixture of suspicion and awe. The two divine beings had returned to arguing about who had blessed Diana with her speed. Diana interrupted.
"My lady Artemis," she called. "Zeus has summoned me to your realm to face the tests of my patrons. Hermes was so good as to guide me to you; I am honored to prove myself."
Bruce rolled his eyes, but the goddess lapped it up, and sincerity oozed from Diana's every word. She could be nothing but honest and sincere, after all.
Artemis returned the arrow she'd been twirling to her quiver and finally focused on Diana. "Right." There was something wild about her, in her messy hair and the twigs, dirt, and leaves that clung to her body and clothes. Her expressions and mannerisms were not quite right, as if she was not used to interacting much with others.
The goddess raised her fingers to her lips and whistled sharply. Baying and barking sounded in the distance and the rumbling of little paws pounding on the ground sounded; seconds later, Artemis was surrounded by eager hounds. She knelt, greeting them all with joy and affection.
"Sometime today, perhaps, my dear sister," Hermes grumbled, floating in the air and turning a lazy flip with his winged sandals.
Artemis stood, ignoring her half-brother. "How else would I test you, Diana of Themyscira, but with a hunt?" she cried. The hounds howled their approval, and when Artemis lifted her hand, they quieted, waiting on alert. An instant later, a glowing silver stag shot through the clearing and then vanished again into the wood.
"Bring me the Silver Stag as a sacrifice!" Artemis cried, the hounds baying in response to her shout, each vibrating with the need to give chase. "And do it before I loose the hounds. Go!"
Diana shot into the air like an arrow from a quiver, quickly disappearing in the trees.