Chapter 10: Zeus
Diana jerked awake with a quick gasp through her nose. She sat up, heart-pounding, hand flying to the back of her neck to feel... nothing. Just smooth skin and tangled hair. She stared, taking in the sight of Delphi around her- the crumbling columns where the circle of prayer once was, and beyond, rolling green swathed in dusk's rosy glow. She felt the muscles in her body slowly relax as she took in the beauty; all of the drawings in hier history books had done the landscape of Delphi no justice.
She saw no one else around her, heard nothing but the quiet breeze. Maybe Apollo heard her prayer, brought her to Delphi... maybe it was too late. Maybe her body had succumbed to the venom, and she'd died. Panicked, she reached for her belt and sagged in relief when she found her coin there. She studied it, her heart pounding.
"Put that back," a deep voice rasped. Diana jumped, then leaned over to peer at the floor. Beside the legs of the high stone table where she lay, Bruce Wayne sat up, rubbing his eyes. Of course, she thought. Of course he'd sleep easier in the day. Then, horror suddenly filled her.
"Bruce?! Did Cerberus bite you too?! Hera, I will never forgive myself."
He blinked, processing. Then, of all things, he laughed. She gawked at him as he pulled himself to his feet then sat on the table next to her, still chuckling.
"Diana," he said, "you're not dead. Neither am I. Apollo heard your prayer. He and Hermes whisked us here, to Delphi, where his power is strongest. He healed you. So, despite your best efforts to the contrary, you are not dead but blessedly alive."
Ah, under that tired laughter, she heard it. He was angry. Angry and blessedly alive, like her. Diana grinned, her head slowly clearing, and swung her legs around so they dangled next to his.
"Oh? Is this upsetting to you?" She couldn't stop smiling now, drunk on defeating death, drunk on life, hers and his.
"Well this entire mission- well, most of it," he allowed, "has been pretty fucking upsetting to me if you want the truth, Princess." His anger burned hot with something else in his eyes, something exciting that she felt fluttering in her chest. "Especially the part where you were careless and almost died!"
Frenzied, he hopped off the table and began to pace. "How could you be so irresponsible? Diana, the world needs you! Clark's gone; we can't lose you too!"
Diana slid off the table, testing the steadiness of her legs. Bruce watched her like a hawk in case she fell, but her legs were strong and her divine grace returned. She felt energized and content. Bruce's gaze followed her as she approached, followed her hand as she laid it on his chest. "We?" she repeated softly.
His eyes darted to her face, then away again. "We, yes. The world. Humanity."
She smiled, her hand sliding over his chest, then down his arm to grip his hand. "Humanity gets on fine without me most days. They have other heroes. They have each other. They have you, Bruce."
He opened his mouth to say it, that he couldn't bear to lose her, that he needed her as much as the rest of humanity, or more maybe, but she silenced him with a finger tip to his lips enjoying the flush that started in his cheeks.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. His mouth shut; his eyes burned into hers.
"When I was dying," she said, "regret was my only thought. I was not afraid to die; I never have been. I was only sorry to hear your fear. I was impulsive, yes." She smirked. "I often am. And at my age, I probably always will be. Until I die."
He flinched, just slightly; closed his eyes and shuddered.
"And I will, Bruce. One day. I am a warrior. I have never expected to live forever."
She touched his cheek, pressed gently so he would look at her- she could have forced him, he knew. She didn't; he allowed it.
"Bruce, your fear, your sadness, your anger- they are gifts to me. They show us the measure of what would have been lost. And I feel them too. I feel sad to have caused you pain, and I am angry at myself. And when I was dying, I feared losing you." Her voice wavered, but her gaze was steady. The tears gathering in her eyes nearly did him in. "Especially as I've only just found you, Bruce."
"Impossible woman," he said. "I'm trying to be angry here." And he kissed her. It turned frantic quickly, almost desperate with none of the gentle seduction of the previous night. They clung to each other, devouring each other until Brush pushed her against the table. She pulled him on top of her, gasping as his hand found her breast and his lips, her neck.
He was losing himself in the soft sounds she made and the taste of lips when he heard a cough behind him. Bruze froze then let his head drop onto her shoulder, letting out a loud moan of frustration. Diana blew out air through her lips and sat up, giving him a final, gentle kiss on the cheek. He stared her down as she did it, making her smile.
The two gods watched; Hermes, with glee, and Apollo, with curiosity.
"Lord Apollo. Lord Hermes," she greeted them warmly, standing to offer a short bow. "I owe you both a great debt."
Diana elbowed Bruce discreetly.
"I hate you both," Bruce said.
Diana gasped, but Hermes laughed, deep from his belly. "I'm sure you do," he wheezed, slapping his thigh.
Apollo ignored all this to study Diana, pleased with the healthy flush in her cheeks and the smoothness in her movements. "I could not have healed you without Bruce Wayne," Apollo said. "Perhaps, one day, you will get to enjoy his music."
Curious, Diana glanced at Bruce, but he'd pulled his cowl over his face and his lips were flat. She filed it away for later.
"For now," Apollo continued, "night is falling- it is time for me to meet my twin sister in the skies."
"Tell Artemis thank you," Diana said, "for her blessing before our battle with Cerberus. And thank you, Lord Apollo, for your healing. I will not squander it."
"I would expect nothing less of our champion," he said, smiling. "I hope you will not have need of my blessing again, unless it is for music or a glimpse of your future." He looked at Bruce. "If you care to know it, that is."
Bruce stiffened, but Diana waved that away, smiling. "I will discover it soon enough in my own time," she said. "Thank you, my lord. Sunset awaits."
"Indeed," Apollo said. And with sharp whistle, a glowing gold chariot burst into being, pulled by white winged horses. Apollo jumped in, snapped the reins, and soon, they were streaking across the sky toward the sun. They all watched him, as his chariot pulled the sun below the horizon, and then, their eyes found Artemis's silver chariot, pulling the moon to replace it.
Hermes broke the awed silence with a long-suffering sigh. "Those two, so dramatic."
The white lenses of Bruce's cowl narrowed at Hermes. The god of travelers blinked innocently, then grinned.
"Bruce," Diana said. "This is your third night away from Gotham." She squeezed his hand. "If you need Hermes to return you to the Javelin, I understand. I will face Zeus and Hera tonight."
"Don't be a fool," Bruce said, watching her bristle with insult. "I am with you to the end." And just as quickly, her indignation faded to a soft smile as he squeezed her hand in return.
"Thank you," she said. "I am glad not to have to face them alone." Her eyes went back to the darkening sky and the stars slowly appearing there. "Tonight, I may learn the truth about my birth. I am not sure which outcome I dread more- learning that my mother lied or learning that Queen of Heaven lied."
Of course, he thought. Of course the truth would matter most to her.
"Whatever you learn, Princess," Bruce said, "it does not define you. You define yourself."
Hermes nodded. "Yes. You have proven your worthiness time and time over. Whatever the Great Father has planned, I know he will be proud. That was his end game, after all, to show you off. And the Queen Mother... perhaps, you may win her over yet."
"Whatever will be will be," Diana said, and squared her shoulders. "Take me to them, Hermes. Let us end this tonight."
XXX
True to his nature, Hermes transported them into the fray with a flash of golden light and while Bruce and Diana's eyes adjusted, shouted out their arrival, heralding Diana in true royal style. Bruce could have rolled his eyes if he wasn't tense enough to shatter.
"Behold Diana of Themyscira, Princess of Themyscira, Champion of the Amazons, and the Chosen One of Her Patrons!"
Bruce, relieved to be excluded from that nonsense, surveyed their surroundings from behind Diana and Hermes. They found themselves in some sort of outdoor throne room. A man in a large golden throne- Zeus, he decided-sat at the center of a semicircle of six smaller thrones on each side. He recognized Hera to Zeus's right, seething in her sumptuous emerald toga and golden crown. Down Hera's side of the semicircle was Poseidon-hard to get that wrong with the man's giant trident and crown of giant shells- followed by Aphrodite, Demeter, and Dionysus. The final man had to be Dionysus since he was draped in grapevines, shirtless, and grinning wildly with the gleam of drink in his eyes. An empty throne sat between Aphrodite and Hera; in it rested a helmet and a spear. Ares, Bruce guessed. The evidence of Diana's victory over a god before their eyes.
On Zeus's left was Athena, Artemis, Apollo, Hephaestus- Bruce guessed by the giant blonde man's disfigured leg and giant hammer- then Hestia, and finally, an empty throne. Hermes, his duty complete for the moment, kissed Diana's hand then flew with his winged sandals to rest on the throne next to Hestia.
Batman counted several unknowns- Zeus, being the greatest- as well as Hephaestus, Poseidon, and Dionysus. Actually, he put Aphrodite in the unknown camp as well; she'd been aggressive and cruel, angry at Diana for casting Ares to Tartarus. Vaguely threatening to himself. Even though Diana's own heartbreak and compassion had brought the goddess of love to tears, Batman didn't fully trust her. That put nearly half of the Pantheon in the unknown camp.
Threats? Hera.
Allies? Batman counted on Apollo and the rest of Diana's patrons: Artemis, Hestia, Hermes, Demeter, and Athena.
He didn't like it.
While he analyzed, Diana spoke. She didn't step forward, staying nearly flush with him, his left shoulder at her back. She offered her salute, closed fist over her chest, slightly bowing her head while keeping her eyes on them all. "Hail to Zeus, Great Father, and to Hera, Queen of the Heavens. Hail to the Pantheon. You honor me. I come peacefully."
At her hip, the lasso glowed, showing the truth of her words.
Zeus spread his hands in a welcoming gesture. Despite his thick wavy beard and long hair, an unruly light brown streaked liberally with gray, the King of the Gods appeared younger than Batman expected. His eyes were ice blue, his skin tanned from sun, and on his head rested a golden crown of laurels, much like the one Hestia had given Diana. He wore simple white toga, fastened over one shoulder, without the finery that several of the other gods and goddess draped themselves in. The god king's muscles bulged; Bruce guessed by his size sitting that he'd be nearly seven feet tall standing.
"My child!" Zeus cried. "Flesh of my flesh! You are most welcome."
And with this confirmation of her parentage, Diana's life changed forever.
XXX
Bruce felt Diana suck in a sharp breath, knew she would be reeling with the knowledge that her mother had lied to her, lied to every Amazon. And while he expected her show, he didn't expect the anger in her tense shoulders and clenched fists.
"My Lord Zeus," she said, and he heard it in her voice too, "My mother Queen Hippolyta told me a story of my creation- that she desired a child so badly, she sculpted an infant from clay and begged you to give it life. This, she has always said, was the miracle of my birth."
She was daring him to discount the myth, and she would make him say it aloud, in front of the entire Pantheon. Batman tensed, readying a batarang and letting one hand hover over the grapple gun at his hip.
"This was the story that had to be told," Zeus declared. He stood, and every other god on the dais watched his movements. "The story that would keep peace on Themyscira and protect you from the wrath of other Amazons. In this, you became a gift from Olympus, not the evidence of a Queen who would betray one of the first and oldest Amazonian laws." Regret tugged down his eyebrows and the corner of his lips as he approached Diana. "It had to be so, Diana. Your destiny was to defeat Ares, and so you did. It had to be so."
Batman watched Diana's hands clench and unclean in his peripheral vision, keeping his focus on Zeus. The king of the gods continued to take slow, cautions steps toward them. Next to him, Diana vibrated with tension.
"Then tell me, my Lord," Diana bit the words out, clinging to the edges of her temper with all she had, "was my mother willing?"
Silence descended, broken only by a couple gasps from the divine semi-circle. Zeus's expressive face turned to stone.
"What are you asking me?" he said, not loudly, but still somehow sounding like breaking thunder. Diana did not flinch.
"I am asking, my Lord Zeus, if you raped my mother."
From the corner of his eye, Bruce monitored Hera's reaction; the queen's eyebrows shot up, and she leaned forward into her seat.
The seconds of silence dragged on unbearably as Zeus and Diana stared each other down. For the first time, Bruce missed having Hermes at their side; the other god was watching the confrontation intently like everyone else, eyes straying to the sparks coming off Diana's fists. Zeus, jovial as he'd been when Diana arrived, stared back, face unreadable. Diana leaned in, unphased by the god's advantage in height. Several more charged seconds passed as everyone gathered held their breath.
"No," he said finally. "Hippolyta was willing."
Bruce saw Hera sit back on her own throne, crossing her arms. He wondered if which outcome was better or worse for her. At the height of her power, Hera stood for and protected all women; at her lowest, she hunted down all of Zeus's lovers; the lucky ones would die; the unlucky ones suffered freak eternal punishments.
Diana's fists relaxed, and the tell-tale glow of the power she'd inherited from Zeus faded from her hands. "You speak the truth," she said. "Good." And as she stepped back, the lasso broke contact with Zeus's body and the glow faded. Bruce almost smirked, feeling proud.
The king of the gods took a step back, frowning at the lasso, then at her. "This is not the introduction I had hoped for, Diana."
She shrugged, brushing against Batman as she moved out of Zeus's personal space. "Have I not overcome the tests that the gods lay before me, just as you desired, my lord?"
"I was hoping for a happier meeting, but I am proud to say you have passed every test we laid at your feet."
"Lies!"
Heads whirled as Aphrodite sprang from her throne. "She failed Athena's test of wisdom!" the goddess of love screamed. "Her strategy wasn't enough to subdue the Hound of Hell. This child fell to Cerberus; she should be riding the ferry to the Underworld as we speak, but you interfered!" She pointed a slender finger at Apollo.
The sun god regarded her with boredom, yawning as he leaned back into his throne. The sun was long gone, after all. "She prayed for my help," Apollo said. "I answered. It is my right. Don't look to me to help you with this grudge, Aphrodite."
Quietly, Athena stood too, crossing her arms. Like Zeus, she commanded the attention of the dais. "You dare to question my wisdom?" she demanded.
Aphrodite stomped her foot, and the dais shuddered. "I dare to question all of this!" Even in anger, her rosy lips looked inviting. Her flush warmed her cheeks with flattering color, and her eyes glittered. The pink and gold silk draping her accentuated every curve, and- Bruce shuddered, wrestling his mind back to focus. This was one of Aphrodite's powers over mortals, he remembered, brushing against Diana to re-anchor himself. The goddess of love was still shouting.
"-destroyed Ares! What's to stop her from destroying us all!?"
"Fool!" Athena fired back. "You have watched all but seen nothing!" To the entire dais, the goddess of wisdom said, "Diana could have destroyed Cerberus; she did not. She calmed him, she persuaded she meant him no harm. And she did this at great risk to herself, and even sustained a grievous wound. Even on the brink of death, Diana knew exactly whose help she needed. She is wise; that wisdom governs how she uses the gifts we gave her. Her power is tempered with compassion. Diana would rather suffer harm herself than cause harm unnecessarily to another. And I think we all know that attempting an Olympic coup is a completely unnecessary use of Diana's time and strength." She sat, crossing her arms. "She has better things to do than meddle with the tedious affairs of forgotten gods. Ares brought his fate upon himself."
Murmured agreement seemed to ripple around the semi-circle, leaving only Aphrodite and Hera still frowning. The rest either looked bored or pleased. Zeus himself looked thoughtful, scratching his beard as his attention shifted between the Pantheon and Diana herself.
Speaking of Diana... subtly, Bruce observed her, grateful for the white lenses that would hide his gaze. Though Zeus's news had been a bomb, instead of looking distressed, Diana's expression gave nothing away. It was a neutral, blank, aloof expression that he felt overly familiar with, having seen its likeness in the mirror for the past several decades.
"What say you, daughter?" Zeus prompted, voice thundering and echoing, breaking all chatter.
"I have passed Lady Aphrodite's test, by her own admission. I have passed Lady Athena's by hers. If there is anything I may yet do to honor the gods and prove my devotion, speak. Allow me to do it. Otherwise, I desire to go back home to continue my mission in Patriarch's World."
"Your honor is seen by us all!" Zeus boomed. Lighting struck a tree somewhere down the mountain, which trembled with his enthusiasm. "No one could challenge it."
But, from behind the king of the gods, a voice broke on the breeze, quiet but strong.
"I challenge it," said Hera, Queen of Heaven.