Diana's POV
I wrung my hands together as I made my way down the hallway, fingers lightly dragging down each of the gauntlets on my forearms. I had decided that wearing them at all times was completely necessary with the power I saw emanating from some of the other godly captives. My dark locks bounced as I walked with conviction to my room, deciding I needed a moment to sit and meditate on my current situation. It was an unfamiliar feeling to be at the mercy of space and time, a feeling of vulnerability that I quickly decided I had absolutely no taste for in the least. I walked into my room, turning to shut the door behind me, my forehead pressing upon it as I closed my eyes and let out a breath. I then turned and pressed my back to the door, looking up at the skies for a moment as if willing the gods to guide me out of this wasted dimension and that is when I spotted it.
My lips slowly parted as I darted over to the nightstand where my beloved sword was leaning against it. I immediately wrapped my hand around it and lifted it up with a huge smile, almost wanting to hug it if it weren't for its sharp edges. I secured it within my dress and turned to leave my room, a new hitch in my step as I decided it was time to have words with my dear sister, who I believed to know more about the current situation then she let on.
I spotted the blonde beauty hanging out in the commons like area where everyone was drinking, laughing, carousing, and listening to music. My eyebrows furrowed seeing this, as if all of these gods cared nothing for the fact that they were indefinitely trapped here. I moved through the crowd with caution as I made my way to Aphrodite and didn't bother with an invitation as I sat down at the table across from her.
"Sister! What a pleasant surprise!" Aphrodite shouted excitedly, almost a little too excitedly.
"Aphrodite, why is everyone behaving as if this was any normal, given day?" I asked, taking the moment to look around again at the obvious party that was underway.
"Oh this? This is all Dionysus's doing – I am telling you the man knows how to throw a party!" Aphrodite said as she took a swig of the red liquid that was currently sloshing around in her goblet. She turned around to fetch another bottle from the table behind her, another bottle suddenly magically appearing to replace it, which made me quirk an eyebrow.
"Who is, Dionysus?" I asked quizzically as she slid a goblet over to me with a smirk.
"The God of Wine, silly, who else? You should really try some of this, it's to die for," she remarked as she filled my goblet to the brim. My eyes widened as I watched her maniacal grin, taking more sips from her wine goblet. She let out a soft hiccup as I noticed her gaze moved to beyond my own and behind me.
"Mmm don't look now but something very tall, blonde, and delicious is walking this way," Aphrodite said, grinning into her goblet as her gaze remained on the obvious Thor who was approaching. I let out a huff of agitation, bringing the goblet immediately to my lips and downing the entirety of its contents.
"Well look at you, armed now and knocking them back like you were a Viking yourself," Thor said as he grabbed a chair flipping it around backwards before he sat, placing his forearms on the back of it and offering me a wink. I wiped one of my gauntlets across my mouth, save I developed a purple moustache.
"Not a Viking, an Amazon…far superior to your band of looters, thieves, and defilers," I said as Aphrodite just sat there smiling, her legs crossed and the top one bouncing up and down as she watched us. Thor smiled widely at me and nodded once.
"Very well, let us see who is stronger," Thor said with a raise of the eyebrows. I was a bit confused at this point considering that there were a numerous amount of ways to test strength, none of which I was the least bit interested in getting into with the Norseman.
"What do you want to do, arm wrestle?" I said with a smirk and all he did was continue to grin, raising from his chair and moving to the wine table. When he returned, at least fifteen wine bottles were cradled in his large arms and he set them all on the table. A rose an eyebrow, looking up at him speechless. He sat down as he grabbed a goblet and proceeded to fill it with the red liquid, tossing his head back to drain it of all its contents. He slammed the goblet down and continued to pour another goblet full, but also pour some into my own.
"Drinking contest," Thor said and I couldn't help but laugh at his suggestion.
"You must be joking, my tolerance for alcohol is extremely high," I said, having never actually been full-blown drunk and believe me I've tried on several occasions.
"Well, for one this is wine made by a god and two…" he started as he leaned forward into my face, his words laced with a mixture of defiance, sultriness, and mirth.
"…I beg to differ," he finished before sitting back into his seat. My fists clenched, along with my jaw as I wrapped my hand around the handle of my goblet.
"Fine. Care to make a bet?" I asked, knowing there wasn't a chance in Hades that he'd actually be able to win. Figured I might as well get a little something out of him in the meantime.
"Ooo, intriguing. What do you get if you win?" Thor asked and I looked up for a moment, thinking.
"You have to call me your Majesty whenever you see me as well as bow until we are free of this place," I said with a raise of the eyebrows. He gave out a hearty laugh and idly slapped the table making all the bottles jingle in protest.
"Fair enough. And if I win, you have to let me kiss you," he said and my eyes narrowed, probably should have predicted he'd suggest something as idiotic as that.
"Fine," I said with exploding irritation as I tilted my head back and drained my goblet yet again, slamming it on the table defiantly. Aphrodite hiccupped and waved her hand around; her speech was now slurred.
"Tat's feen, I probibly shen drunk mer anway," she said, both Thor and myself completely ignoring her as we downed goblet after goblet, never taking our gazes off one another.
An hour went by as we both continued to down our goblets, my eyes were starting to get a little hazy and I felt as if the room was beginning to slightly spin. I had never felt like this before and though it was a bit disorienting, I made every attempt possible not to let it show that the alcohol was starting to get to me.
"Who name's their hammer anyway?" I asked as I took it as an excuse to stop halfway in between my current bout of wine. Thor narrowed his eyes at me with a mischievous grin, glancing down to my half-full goblet.
"Gods do. Do you not have a name for your sword?" Thor asked as he easily downed his goblet, my annoyance level starting to peak, as he seemed completely unscathed by the alcohol. I finished my goblet with a stifled burp as I began to pour more.
"Mhmm, God Killer," I said staring at the liquid in my goblet as if I could will it into my stomach rather than actually drinking it. Thor smirked as he easily downed yet another goblet.
"Well, that is a stupid name," Thor said and I scrunched up my face at him.
"You are stupid," I said, even managing to stick my tongue out a little. By Zeus, was I seriously resorting to childlike insults now? What was even in this drink? I paid it no matter as I downed it again, having to pause a moment before finishing the very last bit. Thor laughed at my comment as he paused a moment before finishing his next goblet to lean over to me and wave his hand idly in front of my face. I was about a second behind at successfully following his movements and he laughed again.
"Is the alcohol starting to affect you there a bit, your majesty?" Thor said with the utmost sarcasm as he finished his goblet. I guffawed and rolled my eyes leaning forward now to peer at him.
"You think you are such a marvel with all your rigid muscle and your Fabio hair, but you are not fooling anyway, you…you…buffoon," I said as I gave his shoulder a poke with my finger. Thor glanced down to my finger after I poked and then looked down at me, his blue eyes turning upward slightly as a grin started to form on his face.
"Well, you certainly told me," Thor said condescendingly as I slammed back into my chair, grabbing one of the bottles and decided to forego the formalities of goblets and go straight for the clincher. I tilted my head back and began to guzzle. Thor watched me over the rim of his goblet as he was finishing his and quickly grabbed a bottle himself, eyeing me as he too began to chug. I let out a full on burp after I finished the bottle and placed a hand on my chest, widening my eyes with complete embarrassment. I cleared my throat as I grabbed another bottle and went to stand up, when I realized that the room was full on spinning now and my legs felt like jelly. I stumbled and almost dropped the bottle as I played a very uncoordinated game of juggling before slamming it down on the table, smashing it. Clearly, my strength power was not as controlled as I normally had it. Thor rose an eyebrow, looking at the red liquid as it began to drip off the edges of the table. He stood up and next to me, his hands extending to help as I quickly batted them away.
"I am fine!" I bellowed as I went to take another step and completely lost my footing, falling forward and straight into Thor's grasp as he laughed at me. I looked up at him, the man who was currently the only reason I did not fall flat on my face and blew a strand of dark hair from my eyes.
"I really do not need your assistance, I merely tripped," I stated, as I stood straight up now, the room spinning even more. He rose his eyebrows as he stepped to the side and displayed his hands out to allow me to pass.
"Please, by all means," he said as I nodded once and attempted to walk, my form bumping into a pedestal with a vase on it, causing it to crash to the floor. I continued to stumble forward bumping into several irritated people before I started falling straight to the floor…again. My face meet the marble floor however, as I found myself elevated six feet from the floor, draped in the arms of Thor. I furrowed my eyebrows at him as I idly punched at his chest.
"Put me down, you brute. Amazons need not be carried, I will crawl my way if I have to," I said with a huff as he continued to carry me down the hallway, completely ignoring my words and onslaught of punches.
"I do not think you would even make it to your room crawling at this point, Princess," he said as I let my head fall back in exasperation, laying limp in his arms like a noodle.
"Have you not ever been drunk before, Diana?" Thor asked and I let my head still hang down towards the floor as I spoke.
"Of course I-no, no I have not," I said, not having the stamina to bicker anymore at this point. Thor laughed again, as my head shot back up with a scowl.
"I feel honored to witness your initiation," he said, as we arrived at my room. He held me with one arm for a moment as he used the other to turn the doorknob and started to walk towards my bed.
"How are you not even slightly intoxicated?" I asked suspiciously and he grinned down to me.
"I am Norse. I have a millennia's worth of more practice than you," he said to me with a wink and I rolled my eyes again with a groan. He approached the bed and didn't lay me upon it but rather tossed me onto it and I scrambled to my knees in agitation batting my hair out of my face.
"Did you just…toss me?" I asked with a look of surprise on my face. He had started to make his way back to the door when he paused and turned back around to look at me.
"I did," he said simply and I sat back on my heels, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Are you not going to claim your bet?" I asked tilting my chin up defiantly.
"Not while you are amazingly intoxicated. One must actually remember a kiss from the God of Thunder," he said with a smirk and I again rolled my eyes at his words.
"I had assumed you were like most other men when it comes to intoxicated women," I said, my body slightly swaying from the inability to keep it still. Also, because I couldn't even tell I was swaying at that point. I watched as Thor's eyes narrowed, his arms uncrossed and he took several long strides to be standing directly in front of me from the bed.
"What kind of man do you think me, Diana?" he asked, all form of jokes and quips erased as I pursed my lips together.
"Selfish, pig-headed, arrogant, conniving…," I started as Thor let out a sigh turning from me and moving towards the door as I continued to rattle off just what I had thought of him.
"Goodnight, Diana," he said as he walked.
"…womanizing, disloyal…," I continued until the resounding noise of a slamming door that nearly came off its hinges caused me to jolt. I let out a sigh, probably going to regret going that far in the morning but for now, all I wanted to do was sleep as I let my body fall back onto the bed, sleep consuming me the precise moment I landed.
When I awoke the next morning, I half expected my head to be aching, my lips to be parched, and my stomach to be doing back flips as I had heard was such the symptoms of a hangover. To my astonishment, I felt completely fine, save for the mess that was my hair and the dried drool on my cheek. It was almost not fair that a god could seemingly reap the benefits of alcoholic consumption and be free of the consequences the following morning. I slid from the bed, changed my dress and tided myself up before exiting my room. I planned to immediately make my way to Thor's room and apologize for my irrational behavior.
Elsewhere…
A vase was thrown across the room as it smashed into a nearby wall. Aphrodite stood with her arms crossed, watching Eris have her temper tantrum.
"What did that vase ever do to you?" Aphrodite asked as Eris let out a growl, which caused Aphrodite's eyebrows to raise.
"I simply do NOT understand how these two are resisting absolutely everything we throw at them. It doesn't make any sense!" Eris said as Aphrodite shrugged her shoulders.
"This Contemplator guy obviously prizes these two for a reason, maybe they are really just that powerful," Aphrodite said as Eris was about to retort when the eerie voice they both recognized began to speak from behind them.
"Every being, every entity has the capability to become chaos. What you two fail to accomplish is the intricacies. I have stood back and watched you both fail enough times, it is now your turn to step back and let me finish the job," Laverna said as both Eris and Aphrodite slowly turned around to peer at her headless form.
Diana's POV
I approached Thor's door and knocked a few times, awaiting his response or for him to open the door. I waited several moments and pursed my lips together as I received neither of those responses. I looked around and then turned the doorknob to allow myself entry. I eyed the hammer resting atop the nightstand by the bed and started to walk over but paused a moment as I noticed Thor's half naked body lying on the bed beside it. His head was turned in the opposite direction and he lied atop his stomach, his back facing up as I decided to attempt it anyway, just very quietly. I tip toed over and wrapped a hand around the handle; my face grimaced as I went to lift it, expecting it to be difficult when all of the sudden it rose with ease. I smiled to myself.
"You would think an Amazon to be better at silent approaches," Thor suddenly said as I glanced over to him, his body turning to face me as I gave a sheepish smile.
"And do not get too excited about the hammer," he said as he gestured with his eyes for me to look. As I did, I noticed that a single finger of his was resting under the hammer. He quickly removed it and the hammer felt like it was pulled by a magnetic force as it landed on the nightstand again. My eyebrows furrowed as I attempted to lift it, but now found that I could not.
"Are you here to allow me to collect on our bet?" Thor said as he removed the covers and stood up from the bed, my arms still pulling at the hammer to no avail.
"What? No, no I came to apo-," I started to say as I turned to face him, being caught off guard by the fact that he was currently standing in front of me completely naked. I glanced downward and then immediately shot my eyes back up.
"Could you, could you not cover yourself?" I asked as he smiled, obviously enjoying my uncomfortableness.
"Have you not seen one before?" He asked and I looked at him with a narrowing of the eyes.
"Of course I have seen one," I said with irritation, his hands raising to grip onto my shoulders, turn me around and pull me towards him. His head dipped down to mine and I watched, as his lips grew ever closer to mine when suddenly he stopped. I looked up into his eyes and they seemed distant and foggy as I furrowed my brows.
"Thor?" I asked as he gave my shoulders a shove, which caused me to go on the defense, raising my fists. What had gotten into him all of the sudden, this was all completely out of sorts.
"You think my father was weak?" He asked and I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.
"Your fath- I have spoken not a word of your father," I said, when suddenly I felt an overwhelming bout of anger, jealousy, rage; a feeling that ran all the way down my spine and into my very core.
"Your father was weak. If he and Zeus would have ever met – Zeus would have burnt him to ashes in a heartbeat," I said, venom lacing my every word. Thor's fists clenched, as did mine.
Outside the door…
Laverna stood on the other side of the door as her hand moved about, a red aura swirling about her fingers as she did so when suddenly she snapped them. She caused Thor and Diana to appear in the atrium, their bodies now donning their appropriate uniforms. They both glanced down to themselves for a moment before making their gazes fix on each other again, fury building tenfold between them.
"A bedroom is certainly no place for the battle of the millennia," Laverna said as Thor and Wonder Woman charged at one another.