Chapter 6: Preparation

Their meeting place did not, technically, exist. It was a dimensional plane that was neutral ground for all the gods because none of them operated there. It was a perfect place because it was usually empty.

Ares has barely finished the dimensional shift when his partner barked at him.

"You're late."

"Barely," he replied, bored already. He had carnage awaiting him.

"I heard Hera is having second thoughts about the Amazons' involvement. How serious are they?" Loki's voice was unusually panicked. The Norse trickster had literally arranged for another god's murder but he was not used to having to rely on others. He was used to taking care of situations on his own. In fact, when he had been in the good graces of Odin, he was used to have the Father of the Gods rely on him to solve problems.

"She is easy to handle. I am appealing to her thirst for power."

Loki glared at him. He was somewhat shorter than the god of war, but equally handsome. His temper and patience were no better than Ares'.

"I have not been working on this for so long in order to have your goddess mess it up at the last minute," the shape shifter snarled.

"I am sure you didn't call me here to tell me that," Ares said. "There are at least 12 minor battles that I could be overseeing."

Loki sneered at him. "Do they miss you?"

Ares gave him a disgusted look. "I am quite certain that is not the issue."

"That is the issue exactly. And while you've had a little luck on that recently, don't try to fool me. I know how little the luck has been."

"It was a glorious conflict that made this all possible."

Loki snorted. "You had nothing to do with it."

Ares sighed. "Perhaps not. But can we get to the point?"

"Did you know your Amazonian princess has taken a lover?"

"Not my department," Ares said.

"But it kinda is. I mean, as you have been known to sleep with Aphrodite."

That seemed to finally get Ares attention. He glared at the Norse god for a moment, as if considering denying it. He thought the better of it.

"And so?"

"I was thinking you could use your influence to help our cause," Loki said with a smirk.

Ares considered for a moment. "Oh, a scorned woman and all that nonsense. But I don't know. Aphrodite is quite proud of herself on that match. She may not be willing to mess with it."

Loki rolled his eyes. "I don't want them separated. In fact, I want them so gloriously happy that maybe a few little details slip their attention." The disgust in his voice should have been overpowering, but Ares was not paying enough attention.

"That I can get her to do," Ares said. "Assuming she has as much influence as she says she does."

"A lot of that going around, huh?" Loki sneered and, without further word, shifted back to his own home.

Ares stood for a moment considering how to bring the topic up to Aphrodite but the rush of battle called to him.

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Once the javelin was at a comfortable cruising altitude, Batman turned to Diana.

"I don't disagree with your conclusion," he said. "But I can't help wondering why?"

"Why what?" Diana asked.

"Why any god would want to restage the Battle of Blóta?"

Diana laughed. "My experience with the gods is that they really don't regard the concept of motive in the same way that we do."

"Granted," Batman said. "But why, after all this time, would the Norse and the Greeks start talking again?"

Diana considered for a moment. "I am not completely convinced that they are. From what I can tell, the Greeks are working alone. Ares spoke to Atreus and Hera spoke to my mother. They may be working alone."

Batman paused. "I don't think the Greeks have that much influence on Blóta. I heard people thanking Odin, thanking Thor and even Freya while we were there. Never did anyone mention one of the Greek gods. At the end of the day, I don't think Ares could do much more than worry Atreus."

"But if the invading army is of Amazons, Ares doesn't have to do anything else. Plant the seed in Atreus' head and when the delegation from Themyscira comes, the whole battle could be over a misunderstanding."

"But Atreus came to you instead of preparing for a war. The Greek gods just don't hold that much sway with him."

"You are assuming that I have helped. I was the one who suggested that the gods want to start the battle again."

Batman groaned, remembering how the Fates always got their way.

"Why do I feel like I'm trapped in the sequel to The Iliad?" the Dark Knight asked.

"Oh, don't flatter our situation," Diana said with a wide grin. "If you're right, we are going to end up battling the gods. It'll make Troy look like a bar brawl."

"Sounds like fun," Batman said dryly.

Diana winked at him.

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In the end, Bruce did ask Alfred to arrange to have a box delivered to Diana's room in the Watchtower since the butler was as capable of being secretive as his master.

It was a black leather case with a small gold lock. There were four dials; each dial contained the entire alphabet. There was a note on top of the box that read simply "Shakes Son 91."

Diana looked at the box and the note briefly upon her return to her room. She recognized the handwriting immediately. When the answer didn't come to her as quickly, she returned the note to the top of the case and put both items from her mind. She needed to workout and think about next steps.

When she returned from her workout, all she wanted was a shower and some sleep.

But, she tried one word, 'love' on the lock, knowing that it was not the four letter word he would use because it was too sentimental. When it didn't open and she realized she was going to have to solve the riddle of the note, she decided the box could wait.

The bigger mystery came first.

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Bruce Wayne emerged from the Batcave. He was tired, hungry and could see by the look on Alfred's face that he was not going to be able to get a couple of hours of sleep before patrol.

The butler was standing in front of the Manor's hidden entrance to the Batcave with an expression that was both amused and concerned.

"You have a visitor, sir," he said evenly. "He is waiting in the library."

"Who?" Bruce asked with frustration in his voice.

"He says his name is Blindr," Alfred replied.

Bruce stared at Alfred waiting for the punch line. None came.

"'The blind one?' That is what he said?"

"Yes, sir," Alfred seemed mildly insulted.

"Blue cloak and one eye?" Bruce asked.

"Yes, sir," Alfred said. The tone suggested that Alfred also knew who their guest was.

"Alfred," Bruce said, forcing a light tone, "why is Odin in my library?"

"He did not confide in me, sir," Alfred replied.

Bruce swore quietly but with much enthusiasm. Alfred waited patiently before continuing.

"I have provided him with the best Scotch we have and a variety of hors d'œuvres. I informed him that dinner would be served after your arrival. I have arranged a bedroom for him should he require it."

"Thank you, Alfred. I would not want to appear to be a poor host to a Norse god. As usual, you make me look good."

"Of course, sir," said Alfred. "And if I may, I will go see to dinner."

"Yes, of course. Thank you, Alfred."

"It is truly my pleasure, sir," Alfred said warmly.

Bruce watched Alfred head to the kitchen. It occurred to Bruce that a variety of odd people had come into the Manor over the years but that probably the head of the Norse gods was among the highlights.

He walked towards the library door with the uncomfortable and extremely rare feeling of walking into a situation he knew nothing about. He paused for a moment at the library door, took a deep breath and opened it.

Bruce, being both tall and strong himself, was not easily intimidated by anyone's appearance. Odin nearly was an exception. Even reclining and drinking in front of the fireplace, Odin was clearly both taller and stronger than Bruce. When Odin heard Bruce enter the room, he turned towards the man, but did not smile.

Odin, Bruce recalled from what little he had read, had enjoyed traveling throughout the world stopping at peoples' houses and, in Bruce's opinion, testing them to see if they were good hosts. If they were, they were rewarded. If not, they weren't so much punished as ignored. There was a tendency for all the young women to be pregnant after he left whether the hosts were generous or not. However, in this case, Bruce had a nasty feeling Odin was at his final destination.

"Welcome Blindr," Bruce said. "I'm sorry I was not here when you arrived. But how can I assist you now?"

Odin considered him for a moment with his hard blue eye.

"What should I call you," Odin asked. "When you think of yourself, is it Bruce or Batman?"

The usual "I don't know what you're talking about" was on his tongue before it occurred to him that was probably not the right attitude to take with a god.

"I am not the only one known by more than one name," he responded instead, but still with some venom.

Odin smiled then. "That is true. You are dressed as Bruce so I will respect that. Bruce, you can assist me by telling me why you were on my island."

"That was unusually direct for you," Bruce said.

"Perhaps. Things are happening, Bruce, involving my people but without my knowledge. You are one of the few people who could understand my feelings. Do you know what would have happened if Atreus had told you the location of Blóta before he knew that the Amazons had been told first?"

"No," Bruce said.

"I would have made him immortal, immediately. And then I would have killed his children in front of him. Afterwards, I would have made him kill his wife. In other words, I would have taken away the present he loved and the future he was looking forward to. He is spared that because of the circumstances. I am telling you this because you must understand how important Blóta is to me."

Bruce said nothing. Odin continued.

"Now, I need to go to Zeus and demand an explanation. And no matter what he thinks about his wife, he is not going to punish Hera and he certainly is not going to allow me to do it. Which means war. I will fight them and I will win. But I do not relish the thought of going to war when I don't know why. Hera is not the reason for this, I am confident of that. I also suspect that the Greek behind it is working with one of us. And I will find and punish the one among us."

"I can't imagine that the gods could battle and Blóta could remain hidden," Bruce said. He finally sat down across from Odin in a matching leather recliner. Until then, he had been standing with his arms crossed across his chest.

Odin looked mournful. "No, they will come out of legend. I will simply have to move the island to a new location. It will take several hundred years, but they will sink back into myth."

Alfred politically knocked and announced dinner. The two followed him to the dining room as the conversation continued.

"I have said much," Odin said finally. "But you know my reasons. Now, I need you to speak and tell me what you know."

During the soup course, Bruce summed up his friendship with Atreus and his request to meet Diana.

When the steaks arrived, Bruce outlined the visits to Themyscira and Blóta. Odin, who had been eating with enthusiasm, was silent for several minutes after Bruce was done talking.

Finally, he looked at Bruce with a small smile.

"That was fact-filled and opinion-free. What do you think?"

Bruce looked back at Odin. "I was going to ask you what your conclusions were. You know the potential players better than I do."

Odin threw back his head and laughed. "I like you, Bruce Wayne. You have my protection. Of course, that doesn't impress you any more than I do."

Bruce smiled slightly and said nothing.

"But I want your opinion, mortal," Odin said firmly.

Alfred arrived with dessert and the two men ate in silence for a moment as they thought. Finally, Bruce answered.

"I think someone very smart has figured out a way to create a war. That entity created a situation where if the Berserkers and Amazons didn't start the battle and force the participation of the gods, then the gods were going to start the battle and force the participation of the Berserkers and Amazons. There has to be a reason – someone planned this too well for there not to be. I suspect you would know better than I what would be gained from the battle."

"But not Ragnarok," Odin replied as a statement of fact.

"I wouldn't be too quick to decide it isn't the end of the world," Bruce replied.

"The signs have not come," Odin answered. "So, I will survive this battle."

"How nice for you that you can say that," Bruce said.

Odin laughed again.

"I will discuss this with the others," Odin said. "I will come again, Bruce Wayne. Believe in me. And please, tell Alfred I would love to see what he can do with salmon."

With that, Odin disappeared. Bruce sat for a moment in reflection for activated the communicator that never left him.

"Batman to Wonder Woman," he said darkly.

A sleepy voice answered. "This is Wonder Woman. This better be good," she said.

Bruce smiled.

"Princess, you will not be disappointed," he said, darkly.

She paused for a minute. "Atreus?"

"Oh, better."

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AN:

It must be Friday, I am finished a chapter!

A quick thanks to Browniesprite for the edit on the previous chapter! And thanks for telling the pace is working – I thought I was going a little slowly but really have every intention of keeping this pace. However, by the end of the next chapter- the conversation with Ares and Loki will make a little more sense.