Chapter 27


Earth-36

2044

Mount Olympus

Kal could happily strangle his father-in-law. Damn the meddling god. What in the hell did he think he was doing? Diana was in no frame of mind to confront Athos. In fact, Kal had never seen his wife more out of sorts and less like herself than he had in the minutes and seconds before Zeus snatched her out of his arms and her bedchamber.

He knew she would take the news of Athos killing Hippolyta hard, but Kal had no idea what he would unleash by telling her all. And it had hurt his heart to see Diana in so much pain. Sonic waves of fury a tangible thing, vibrating off her in ragged pulses of sorrow and retribution. She wasn't thinking, he knew. At least not rationally. Kal could see it in the blue eyes that had dimmed to a desolate gray then white. His words, Athos' shameful secret, draining the color and the warmth from Diana.

And she had been so cold when he fought, with all his might, to restrain her. Weeping a watershed of tears and screaming her agony. No, Kal had severely underestimated how Diana would react. Which was why he was tempted to find that father of hers and teach Zeus a little something about sticking his big nose in another man's business.

Instead, Clark was wading his way through the labyrinth that was Mount Olympus. Flying at an accelerated speed, trying to reach Diana before she went inside Athos' prison. Once inside the kryptonite force-field, there would be little Kal could do to help his son or his wife.

As he rounded the corner that led to the antechamber where Athos was held, he heard his wife's wild roar of "Murderer." Kal flew faster, already knowing he was too late.

He burst through the huge marble doors to the chamber, demolishing them in his haste to reach Diana. As he expected, Diana was already inside, and she had just knocked the holy hell out of Athos. Sending her son across his bedroom and into a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf.

After that, the speed at which Diana attacked Athos was mindboggling. As were the martial maneuvers she used on him.

Kal ran closer, yelling her name. She didn't seem to hear him. He yelled louder. His pleas for her to stop mixing with the ones coming from Athos. Still she attacked, her eyes a putrid shade of white.

He went closer still, falling on his knees when he was twenty feet from the force-field. But Kal had to stop her, had to put a halt to what he knew she would do to Athos. On his hands and knees, Kal dragged himself closer to the field. Pain from the kryptonite making him weak, making his insides burn and bleed.

Down went Athos.

Again.

On his belly now, fingers outstretched, Kal slid across the floor. Hearing the boom of thunder from outside, he knew what Diana was about to do. And it would be painful. It might just kill their son.

One inch.

Two inches.

Four inches.

Kal gritted his teeth. The pain was nearly unbearable. Darkness threatened. But he couldn't pass out. Not now, not when his wife needed him.

A trembling hand reached out and made contact with the field just when bright bolts of lightning crashed through the ceiling. Followed by the raging howling pain of Athos.

Kal wanted to howl as well, the kryptonite doing its damage and leaving him on the brink of unconsciousness and eventual death.

"Diana, please stop," he rasped. He didn't know for certain whether she heard him. Hell, Kal couldn't be sure that he'd even uttered the words aloud as opposed to having screamed them in his mind.

Eyes barely open, hand fell from the force-field. He felt himself draining, quicker than he would've imagined and far too rapidly to save his wife.

"I got you."

A whoosh of wind swept over and under Kal, lifting him into the air and away from the force-field. He struggled to see what was happening, who'd taken hold of him in a fireman's carry and removed him from danger. Surely not Zeus, or, heaven forbid, one of Diana's insane brothers.

"I got you," the male voice said again. "Take deep breaths and breathe. Yeah, just like that. That's good. Just like that. You're going to be fine."

Propped against the remains of one of the entry doors he'd broken, legs stretched in front of him, head hung low, Kal finally placed the voice.

"Thank you, Superman," he said. Speaking more to his chest than the man who'd just saved his life. Taking three more deep, cleansing breaths, Kal lifted his head. And met the concerned eyes of his younger self.

Diana had been right, this Superman, this Clark Kent was a near mirror image of Kal. From the build to the cleft chin, to the black hair and ever-annoying spit curl that refused to behave, Kal and Superman were no doubt cut from the same Kryptonian cloth.

"Thank you," he repeated, throat cracked and dry but, thankfully, healing rapidly. "W-where did you come from? Why are you here?"

Kal made to stand, but his legs had different plans. Then he remembered and cast his eyes past Superman and to the fight taking place inside the force-field. And what Kal saw shocked him more than being rescued by a guy from another Earth and thirty years in the past.

With help from the wall and Superman, Kal was able to finally get to his feet.

"T-that's Wonder Woman?"

"Yeah, that's my Wonder Woman, and" —Superman ran a worried hand through his hair— "she just challenged your Diana. She didn't tell me that was her plan."

Kal stared from Superman to Wonder Woman, and then to Diana, who had just caught what looked like a damn sharp sword from the other woman.

Now able to stand on his own, Kal blurted, "Is she out of her damn mind? Can't she see Diana is out of control? Why in the hell did she just give my wife a weapon?"

Diana, in her unpredictable state of mind, would barrel through Wonder Woman in order to get to Athos. From here, Kal could see that his Diana, his sweet, loving wife was lost to the horror of the fateful night that had claimed her mother and so many of her sisters. Back then, her guilt at not having been there to save them had caused what amounted to a demigod ulcer. Now, well, her guilt had to be massive. Her ulcer returned and bleeding to the point of dulling her morality and good sense. Leaving only ugliness, anguish, and regret in its wake.

"Get the hell out of my way!" roared Diana. "This has nothing to do with you."

Wonder Woman stood her ground. Lasso at her side, sword in a ready position from which she could strike or counter-strike. The Amazon looked deadly, fierce. But she wore her power-inhibiting bracers and wasn't in a seething rage like Diana.

"She's going to slice through Wonder Woman to get to Athos. We can't let that happen."

Kal felt as weak and helpless as a six-month old baby. But … "Do something, damn you. Don't let the women engage." With a paltry shove, he pushed Superman in the direction of the force-field.

Back to Kal, Superman only shook his head. "And end up like you, barely able to keep upright. Besides, Wonder Woman knows what she's doing."

"You don't sound as convinced as you're trying to make me believe."

The younger man had the nerve to shrug, then glance over his shoulder at Kal and smile.

"I couldn't wait to meet you, by the way. The situation isn't ideal, but I'm glad we made it in time. Trust Wonder Woman. If Diana can be brought back from the brink, Wonder Woman will find a way. I trust her. You can too."

Trust? What a thing to ask of Kal now. He didn't know the woman who had stepped between his wife and his son. But she had stepped between his wife and his son. Surely that action alone spoke to Wonder Woman's character. And, really, what choice did Kal have but to trust Wonder Woman? Neither he nor Superman could do anything but watch from the sidelines.

Falling back against the wall, Kal sighed. "I really hope she knows what she's doing. Or it will be her funeral."

Superman didn't respond, but he did move to stand beside Kal. And, together, they watched and waited and prayed for the best.


Diana of Mount Olympus wasn't at all acting like the cool, collected woman who'd come in search of Clark and Diana a mere week ago. That Diana had been full of regal grace and poise, with more than a fair share of godly privilege and entitlement. But this Diana, the one with bleached-out eyes and a firestorm raging in her belly, was something out of a horror movie.

She floated several inches off the ground, her blade pointed at Diana in a double-hand, overhead posture. The demigod was wrath personified.

And Wonder Woman refused to back down.

"Move!" Diana demanded.

"We can move together. We can walk out of here together. There is no need for you to stay. You've more than made your point."

And in spectacular fashion, at that. Wonder Woman having witnessed mother attack son, unleashing her fire and brimstone.

"You have no idea what he's done. The unspeakable, the unforgivable."

Tears rolled down Diana's cheeks, and Wonder Woman's heart constricted at the pain she saw in the watery depths of eyes too white, too wide, and with a homicidal glow.

"He took the lives of my sisters … and my mother. Can you fathom that, Wonder Woman? A grandson so wicked that he would raise a mortal hand to his own flesh and blood?"

No, she couldn't. But the slaying of Diana's mother by her son more than explained her current state of mind. But she wouldn't stay in this unthinking, pain consuming state forever. Eventually, she would calm. And when she did, Diana would have a new level of pain and guilt. For no mother, regardless of the villainy of her offspring, could live with having taken the life of her child.

Diana had traveled to another Earth and three decades into the past to retrieve people whom she thought could help cure her son. Even with doubts, she'd undertaken the mission. She loved her son. That, Wonder Woman had never questioned. A mother didn't go from absolute love to absolute hate in a matter of seconds, minutes, or even hours. If Wonder Woman stepped aside, permitting Diana to finish what she started, she would be condemning the woman to a fate worse than death.

She wouldn't do it. There was another way, a better way. But first she needed to help Diana burn away all that fury that was clouding her mind. And no amount of talking or cajoling would do it.

"You asked me here to help, Diana. And that's what I'm going to do."

"By standing in my way? By standing between me and that beast who wears the face of my son. He doesn't deserve to live, Wonder Woman. He doesn't deserve your mercy or kindness."

"No, he doesn't. But I'm not here to save Athos. I'm here to save your soul, your mind, your heart."

Each time Diana's eyes shifted from Wonder Woman to the downed Athos, Wonder Woman lost more and more ground. The woman was so far gone, so deep into her misery that Wonder Woman began to wonder if she would reach her in time.

If they fought, and she had little doubt they would, the destruction could be devastating. Then again, this was Mount Olympus. It could weather the brewing demigod storm.

"You're Queen of the Amazons, as am I. I challenge you to a duel. Whoever wins submits to the other."

"I submit to no one."

Wonder Woman snorted. "You will submit to me. On your knees, with the tip of my sword at your throat. I vow."

All of the rage that had been focused on Athos, now turned on Wonder Woman. Just as she wanted.

"You arrogant brat," was the last thing Diana said before she swung her sword at her, drawing the sword up and to the outside. The point aimed at Wonder Woman's face, then slashing toward her.

A quick parry had Wonder Woman avoiding having her throat slashed from ear to ear.

Transitioning the way a well-trained Amazon would, Diana lowered her weapon to the middle, moving into a plow position. The point of her sword was now aimed at Wonder Woman's chest, the hilt held to the side in front of the hip rather than dead center between the legs. On her right leg she lunged forward, slashing at Wonder Woman.

Another deft parry put Wonder Woman just beyond Diana's blade point. But still the demigod charged, varying positions but always seeking a killing blow.

Clank.

Clank.

Clank.

Their swords met. Offense versus defense.

Clank.

Clank.

Clank.

Wonder Woman's roof guard, placed over her right shoulder, hilt in front of her collar, was all that prevented what would've been a debilitating injury. With a counter sweep to Diana's leg, the Amazon fell but quickly recovered.

Her eyes were still white but a little less so.

Not enough. Diana still burned hot and heavy. Wonder Woman had to do more, had to press the woman to the point of exhaustion, to the point of clarity and sanity.

And while Diana of Mount Olympus was a challenging opponent, well-schooled in many different sword styles, the woman, compared to Diana, was rusty. That was her undeniable edge.

It would have to do, because Diana was demigod swift and Amazon mad.

Wonder Woman went on the offensive, swinging her blade fast and furious.

Clank.

Clank.

Clank.

Keeping her body balanced, properly positioning her sword - strike, strike, strike.

Distance between feet, keeping track of all the moves of her opponent - strike, strike, strike.

Making good judgments of her surroundings, analyzing all the weak and strong points of her opponent - parry, counter, strike.

Accuracy and agility, crucial elements of a sword fight. They would determine the outcome of this fight. But supple movements and skill would almost guarantee Wonder Woman's victory.

Gray eyes. Better than demigod white, but still not enough.

Clank.

Clank.

Clank.

They circled each other, Wonder Woman holding her sword mid-level, both hands gripping the hilt.

"Remain calm and confident at all times, Diana," Hippolyta would be sure to remind Wonder Woman each time she took up her sword to spar. "Poise can decide a fight as surely as the sword and is an effective stratagem."

Clank.

Clank.

Clank.

"If you are nervous or frightened, daughter, your opponent may take advantage of your lack of confidence and attempt to goad you into making a fatal mistake."

Parry.

Counter.

Parry.

"Cool warriors tend to make others wary, or even unsettled. You may also choose to show aggressiveness and intimidate your opponent instead."

Clank.

Clank.

Clank.

"Remember, Diana, the most important thing once the fight begins is to find the flow of battle and attempt to control it."

Wonder Woman glided from one movement and into the next, finding the patterns and flow of the fight, controlling her opponent.

"Every part of your sword is a weapon, including the point, each edge, the handguard, and the pommel. Along with this your body is a weapon and anything around you can be a weapon. There is no reason why your sword fight should be restricted to your blade. Use whatever you can to win."

Diana and Wonder Woman may have both lost their mothers, but Wonder Woman hadn't forgotten the wisdom and teachings she'd learned at her mother's knee. In this, Queen Hippolyta would always live on within Wonder Woman.

In her blinding rage and desire for revenge, Diana of Mount Olympus had obviously forgotten the fundamentals of Amazon sword combat.

"Conserve your energy. It is well-known among the elder Amazons that a fight to the death takes an incredible amount of effort, so don't waste your time with fancy maneuvers or unnecessary motion. Your survival, Diana, may depend on this."

From the corner of her eye, she saw Clark and Kal. They wore matching expressions that screamed at her to hurry up and get Diana under control.

She was trying, but the Amazon was stubborn. But she was also waning, tiring. Her movements becoming sluggish, less accurate. Her strikes fewer and not nearly as powerful as when they first raised swords against each other.

She wondered how long they'd been fighting. At least two hours, maybe three.

Diana lunged.

"Never dodge like a maniac. Look to where your opponent is aiming and move as little as possible. If he lunges and you sidestep, you will most likely have a clear shot. Take it."

Wonder Woman did. Sliding several inches to her right, and then countering with a pommel strike to Diana's middle. The Amazon went flying, smashing into already downed and destroyed furniture.

As Wonder Woman flew at Diana, she saw the faintest embers of blue in her dazed eyes. Pressing her advantage, she struck, kicking the sword out of Diana's hand. On a yelp, signaling that, yes, Wonder Woman had broken Diana's wrist with her kick, she drove her shoulder into the woman's already bruised middle.

Crack.

That would be Diana's first rib.

A palm-heel strike.

Crack.

The second rib.

Diana stopped moving.

Wonder Woman stood, recalled Diana's sword to her bracer and lowered her own to the Amazon's throat.

Diana's chest heaved from exhaustion, brow sweaty and hair matted to head. Wonder Woman didn't need a mirror to know she looked the same.

"Submit."

One blue eye and one white eye glared up at Wonder Woman.

"He's your son. Now submit."

Diana shook her head. "He's a monster."

"But he's still your son. Do you really want your child's blood staining your hands? Is your sorrow so great that you would offer up your virtuous soul to Hades?"

Diana winced when she made to drag herself to her knees. With grimacing effort, she managed to get to her hands and knees. Her head held high, chin lifted at an arrogant angle that reminded Wonder Woman so much of Hippolyta.

A true Amazon queen, even in the face of defeat.

"Did Hippolyta teach you to wage war against an enemy who refuses to fight back, who refuses to defend himself?"

If Diana's mother was anything like Wonder Woman's, she knew the answer.

"Did she teach you to kill after a battle has already been decided, your victory undisputed? Or did she teach you mercy and humility?" Wonder Woman recalled her own sword, then dropped to her knees, facing her counterpoint. "Would she want you to kill your own son on her behalf? Would she want you to have to live with the kind of pain that such a final act would surely bring you? Or would she want you to find another way? To accept the friendship and help of a sister Amazon?"

Wonder Woman raised her hand and brushed her fingers over the tears that fell from Diana's sea blue eyes.

She was back.

"Will you submit, sister?"

Diana lowered her eyes. A nonverbal submission, but a submission all the same.

Wonder Woman got to her feet. Held out a helping hand to Diana and said, "Rise, sister, an Amazon queen doesn't belong on her knees."

Grasping the offered hand, Diana rose. Not gracefully, not regally, but calmly, coolly, and in control.

With slow movements and not looking at her son, Diana walked around broken and destroyed everything. When she reached the edge of the force-field, she turned back to the son who had killed her mother. But Diana said nothing, nor did she attempt to further punish him for his crimes, his sins of the heart. No, she simply stared at him, Athos unmoving and face down.

And Wonder Woman saw much strength and pride in Diana of Mount Olympus, but also a tragic story that had yet to unfold fully. The woman had been thoroughly gutted, in the worst possible way. No wonder she went off the deep-end. If Diana had been in her shoes, she didn't think her reaction would've been much different from Diana's.

After two silent minutes of just staring at her son, Diana turned away from him and walked through the door of the force-field. And she continued forward, never once looking back. Kept walking, head high, back straight, and heart in tatters.

Then her husband was by her side, lifting Diana off her feet and carrying her away from what could've been a murder scene. Yet, Diana's invisible blood stained every bit of this place. The real thing wasn't necessary, after what she'd been through this day.

Wonder Woman began her trek to the exit of what had to be the most posh prison cell in existence. At the still prone Athos, Diana stopped then bent.

"Stop pretending. I saw the moment you regained consciousness."

Not at all surprised, Athos lifted his head. His face bruised and swollen from the butt kicking he'd earned.

And Athos Kal-El, despite it all, was one undeniably handsome cretin. No wonder Diana had been taken in by him. The man oozed a kind of lethal charm.

He smiled at Diana, and then winked.

"You're as beautiful as Mother." Another wink, then a lascivious perusal that ended at Diana's breasts. "Let me guess, you were the reason why Mother was gone for a week."

Diana didn't respond. She didn't have to. Athos was clearly no fool.

She leaned in closer. So close their foreheads were nearly touching. "Understand this, Athos Kal-El, I saved your life today, which means it now belongs to me."

"What in the hell is that supposed to mean, bitch?" he snapped, some of the monster shining through, making him far less attractive and creepily deadly.

"It means, you piece of malignant Doomsday flesh, that I have a promise to your mother to keep."

"What promise?" He made to lift himself up, but one of Diana's forceful hands had him smashing back to the floor.

He grimaced and shot her a lethal look.

"I promised to help cure you. And I will. I will help cure you right out of existence. Now that is my promise to you."

Like Diana before her, she turned away from Athos and never looked back. If she were very lucky, they would never again cross paths.

But Diana had never had that kind of luck.


Twelve Hours Later …

Athos lay awake in bed. Thankfully, no longer nursing his injuries. The last of them had healed finally about nine hours ago.

So, the old man really spilled the beans. That son of a bitch. He ruined every damn thing. Mother was supposed to be mine. Now she hates me, wants me dead.

Athos looked around his prison. Ares and Apollo had come along about ten hours ago to sneer at and threaten him.

"Now that Diana knows the truth," Ares had said, "I'm sure she wouldn't be upset if we took you off her hands."

That had been Ares' less than intelligent way of saying he and Apollo intended to kill him. Well, fuck that and fuck them. Athos wouldn't be around long enough for his uncles to wipe his Kryptonian ass much less claim his life.

It had all become crystal clear to him today, when he saw the other Diana. Damn, but she had looked just like his mother—gorgeous and sexy as hell. But it was obvious she was younger. But she was no less stunning, no less fierce. He liked that. Very much.

Yet there was something about her that set her apart from his mother. Something Athos sensed but couldn't quite put his hand on. But he knew who would know. Knew who had to be ultimately responsible for bringing another Wonder Woman to this universe.

Bruce Wayne. You conniving piece of shit. You tried to kill me once, when I was a stupid kid and trusted you. Are you up to your old tricks? Have you tricked Mother into doing your dirty work by bringing Wonder Woman and Superman here to defeat me?

Because, without a doubt, Athos had seen a Superman that wasn't his father, waiting in the wings. Reaching out and pulling Wonder Woman into an intimate and relieved hug before escorting her out of the chamber. Yes, he'd seen them. And only one man he knew would have the knowledge, capability, and personal interest to make something like that happen.

The fucking Batman.

Well, Athos thought, taking one last look at what had been his prison for the last ten years. Now that Mother knew the truth, there was no reason for him to stick around. Flipping off whomever might be spying on Athos through Zeus' scrying pool, Athos called on his powers. His hands morphed into claws, large, sharp exoskeleton breaking through flesh. With perfect concentration borne of hours of uninterrupted silence—a decade's worth—Athos slashed the air and created a dimensional rift.

It swirled black-and-blue in front of him and was large enough to accommodate an escaped prisoner. Perfect. A chilly wind current blasted from the rift, twirling with power and possibility. And Athos would take hold of that possibility with both clawed fists.

Stepping through the rift, Athos made a silent promise. I'll return for you, one day, Mother. I promise.


TO BE CONTINUED


Author's Note:

I worked hard to complete this chapter today, for my readers. I really wanted to get this one out because it begins the final arc of this story. Over the next few chapters, all major plot points will be addressed. Whether to your satisfaction or not is for you to decide. I already know the how, what, when, where, and why of the concluding chapters. All I need to do is find time to get it organized into digestible, logical chapters.

And to the guest reviewer who thinks this story has gotten to be "dark and boring" and that it's a "cliché" to have the villain(s) face-off against the heroes, you may not want to read the rest. Because, hell yes, there's going to be some facing-off. Earth Prime Diana and Clark will deal with the mess and the three Athoses. In their own way. Why? Because they are superheroes with hearts. They're fighters, but they're also thinkers, strategists, and humanists. And I intend to show it all. For better or for worse, I always write my stories the way I want to tell them. I don't pander, and I do take this seriously enough to take my time so I can deliver what I hope will be an enjoyable and satisfying reading experience. More like reading a novel instead of a monthly comic. That's always my goal. If you want to dialogue about my perspective, pacing, or anything else SM/WW related, then get an account and we can talk.