Do not own CW or DC characters
Chapter 2 Blood bond
Diana stood in the street in front of L Corp. She tapped the golden wrap above her right bicep and closed her eyes.
Kara was okay. She had made it back to the safe house. The bands had been a gift from her Mother before she left. Enchanted bracelets that allowed the two to always know where the other was, no matter what realm. Her Mother wore one like Diana when she was a young girl, probably why Hippolyta always knew when Diana was about to come to some grievous harm from jumping over a wall and was there to catch her.
Kara's presence was vague, meaning the protection spell Diana had been given before she left was working. She had no doubt her charge had followed orders and taken Lena Luthor to the hidden house.
Police rushed around her, but none approached or spoke to her. She knew she was a sight, standing in her armor, sword in her hand, a sword that was black from the ectoplasm left when the cyclopes bodies were destroyed by her blade.
The unnatural beasts had been strong, and she had arrived at L Corp moments too late, judging by the property damage and bodies on the street. Diana hoped her and Kara could arrive before the creatures were summoned but when it became obvious they were too late she had sent Kara after Lena, and like a true Amazon, Kara had followed orders and succeeded.
Diana noted that a few officers were looking her way now, those who had avoided staring at her on arrival. She had no desire to speak to them, not even knowing where to begin the tales and knowing the perpetrator would have to face Amazon Justice, not Man's.
Before she could jump away, he arrived.
The woman fought not to roll her eyes. She had hoped with him in Metropolis and her objectives not in Metropolis she could avoid this. But of course, it was not meant to be.
"Diana." The man greeted her, landing softly in front of her
"Kal El. It is good to see you well." She answered neutrally. It wasn't good to see him, but she was glad he was well.
Superman looked around him. "I guess you know what this is all about. I doubt you were just passing by."
Diana laughed. "Of course, I know what this is all about. It isn't a concern of yours. You could not help. Those creatures were conjured by dark magic. This is Amazon business, not yours. I will handle it."
Clark placed a hand on her shoulder before she could leave. Diana looked at the hand then looked him in the eye.
Superman saw enough in that look to remove his hand quickly.
"I haven't seen you in a decade. Can we talk, please?"
Diana shook her head. "Look around you Kal El. This isn't the last time this will happen unless I can complete my mission. I must go. If you want to help, tell your police friends that Lena Luthor is safe and will be in a secure location for the foreseeable future."
Diana walked away, bumping his shoulder a bit.
"I want to help." He said again to her retreating form.
"Magic, Superman. It can harm Kryptonians. There is no need to risk you getting involved." Diana told him.
"Then why have you gotten Kara involved?"
The Amazon stopped walking and turned back to him.
"Bruce was watching…" he started to explain.
Diana chuckled. "I'm glad to see he hasn't lost his voyeurism fetish."
"He was watching the street cameras while I was flying here. He saw her, three blocks from here. He saw Kara. She used heat vision then flew off with Lena Luthor after beheading it with a sword. Why have you brought her into whatever this is, if it was dangerous to Kryptonians?" Clark asked, impatience beginning to show on his face.
Diana shook her head. "Kara is Kryptonian by birth, but Amazon by choice and effort. As my daughter she requested to help me with this mission as is her right. Kara is trained to fight, not only physical but metaphysical threats. She understands magic and how to defeat it. You don't. Its really as simple as that."
Superman stepped closer to the woman, a scowl on his face. "Your daughter? Have you done some Amazon brainwashing thing to her?"
Diana smiled fondly. "She calls Alura her Mother when she speaks of her. When she speaks of me, I suppose it depends on what language she feels like using that day. When she speaks English, she calls me Mom. When she speaks Japanese, I am Haha, German I am Mutter, in Tagalog I am Nanay. I can go on. She speaks hundreds of languages. Do not worry. She has not forgotten her Kryptonian heritage as some have. Kara embraces both. I'm sure you can understand that. You have embraced your human heritage whole heartedly."
The scowl left Superman's face and one of regret took its place. "Could I see her? Would you take me to her? Bruce lost track after she flew away with Luthor."
Diana shook her head. "I am sorry Kal El, but I cannot. When we first arrived, I asked her if she wished for me to find you. She told me that she did not want to see you. I cannot disrespect her wishes. Once this is over, once we have stopped what is coming, we will both be returning home."
Superman looked to the sky and smirked. "I could follow you." He told her, hoping he would just tell him where Kara was.
"I could shove my sword into your heart. I doubt either of us wants that. In a decade she has not mentioned you, not once has she spoke your name. You let her go and she let you go. We have a mission, one that if is not successful will change the fate of your world and ours. I truly wish I could give it to you to take care of. Kara is training a new horse and we have a ball coming up to celebrate her birthday. We want to be home, soon. Unfortunately, duty comes first. Take care of yourself, Kal El….and make sure Bruce stays out of this. I don't need him poking around, finding himself in need of my protection. Tell him to stick to clowns and penguins."
Diana turned and jumped, high and fast. Despite her warning Kal El followed.
Until a storm gathered overhead, the onset coming so fast he knew it was not natural. He saw Diana slow in the air and begin to fall.
Then her lasso reached out and he swore it caught on a lightning bolt, swinging her further into the storm.
From a distance he saw her, swinging on lightning bolts as if they were ledges, appearing at her command.
Then she was gone, and the storm gone as quickly as it came.
At the house Kara and Lena were waiting, Kara sat on the end of the couch, leaned on the arm with her head leaned into her hand, her legs crossed, and smiled at the woman who had not spoken since she handed her a beer. Instead Lena fidgeted, looking at Kara then looking around the living room, never moving from her seat, deep in thought.
"I know I said we should wait for Mater to answer your questions, but we can talk."
Lena raised an eyebrow and took a sip of beer, her face showing displeasure at the taste.
"I would give you one of the beers we brought, much better than this American stuff from what I understand. Unfortunately, it is made by the Amazons, meaning it is endowed by magic, strong enough for me and Mater but not one for mortals. You would be passed out before you got a quarter way through. We don't have wine. The house was arranged by a contact on short notice."
Lena thought of being called a mortal. She supposed she was, but it had been a very long time since someone saw her as just another human.
"Mater?"
"Latin for Mother. It was the first language Mom taught me. I think she prefers it to ancient Greek, but she would never admit that. So, is it okay if I were to call you Lena?"
The woman slowly nodded her head.
"What is it you do for work, Lena?"
Lena's mouth nearly dropped open. "I saw you use Heat Vision. You said you were an Amazon…but… that heat vision and the flight…you are…"
"I was born a Kryptonian. I became an Amazon. So…your business?"
Lena shook her head. "You have really never heard of me? My brother, Lex? What he did, what he tried to do?"
Kara shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry. We don't get a lot of news about the world of man. Any news actually. What did your brother try to do?"
"Are you related to…Superman?"
Kara took a deep breath and stood up. "We knew each other, briefly. I suppose technically we are cousins, but I have…disowned him I suppose. I don't consider him family. Why?" she asked, walking to the minibar and bringing out a brown unlabeled bottle, twisting off the top and taking a long drink.
"My brother, Lex Luthor, he tried to kill Superman. He killed a lot of innocent people in the attempt."
Kara walked back over, bottle in hand and resumed her previous spot.
"And did he succeed?" Kara asked. "In killing Superman, I mean. Did your brother kill him?"
Lena watched her very carefully, but Kara's expression was hard to read, her voice neutral, just slightly curious.
"No. I had nothing to do with it, but I suppose you could say the Luthor name is a defining characteristic when it comes to people judging you. I thought you knew. I assumed I was attacked, all those people hurt…I assumed they were coming after me because of who I am."
Kara shook her head. "I'm glad we don't have surnames on Themyscira. Most of my sisters and grandmother were created by the Gods of Olympus. Only another and I faced the trials to become Amazons. As far as why you were attacked, its not because of who your family is, but what is inside you. That's a matter for Mommy to talk to you about. The Mommy one really annoys her so don't let her know I called her that." She smiled mischievously.
"This armor, kind of pinches my armpits when I sit for too long. Yes, indestructible skin shouldn't pinch but like I said, everything made by the Amazons out of materials on Themyscira originally comes from the gods and is therefore magical in nature. Would you mind if I change? I've got my sword and ever-present heat vision if we are attacked but I promise we won't be."
Lena agreed, thinking perhaps if the blonde wasn't dressed the way she was, perhaps she wouldn't be so distracting. "Of course, I don't mind."
Kara smiled brightly and stood up. "Thank you. Would you mind unlacing the back?"
The blonde stood with her back to Lena whose mouth was suddenly very dry. Lena took another long drink and sat the bottle down, standing up. Kara smiled over her shoulder and lifted her blonde hair from her shoulders.
It was then Lena saw the ink her hair had been covering, on the right side of her upper back.
"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves." Lena read the words etched into Kara's back in blue calligraphy.
Kara smiled fondly. "Mom made me read everything Shakespeare ever wrote. Over a million words I found overrated and that phrase was the only one that struck me as meaningful. For a long time, I struggled with letting go of the destiny I thought I would have, to embrace the one I could have. I stopped looking to the stars for answers and found them in myself instead."
Lena was struck by the sincerity in Kara's voice. She wanted to know more about her. Whoever this Kryptonian cousin of Superman was, she was not her cousin. This girl was complicated, and Lena suspected had a tragic story that forced her to become wise beyond her years. Of course, Lena had no real idea of how old Kara was. Her almost indifference to what Lex had tried to do to Superman caught her off guard as well. They were cousins but had only met briefly. Lena thought if Superman did have any family, he would want her close.
Instead of asking more her hands began working at the leather straps that held Kara's top together in the back. The material was as tough as it looked, the front armored and the back, more leathery but harder, as strong as the armor that made up the front.
As her fingers made their way down, they would catch the blonde's skin, making her hands shake and Kara's skin pebble.
"You have really soft hands." Kara breathed out quietly.
Lena reached the bottom and to her shock, Kara let the top fall to the floor. The armor made a sound when it struck the hardwood floor, but Lena didn't notice.
The blonde stood with her bare back to Lena, and the woman could see how slender and ripped the girl was. There didn't seem to be an ounce of fat on her, but she still looked…soft in a way.
"Kara, put your top on. We aren't on Themyscira and this isn't the communal pool."
Diana walked in, making Lena jump and Kara giggle, crossing an arm around her chest.
"Fine. I was just going to change, and Lena was helping me out of the top." Kara explained innocently.
Diana grinned and pointed to the bedroom.
Kara walked off, not hurrying and Lena did her best to not stare at the new beautiful brunette that had just walked in, still decked out in the armor she had been wearing battling the monsters who wanted Lena dead.
"Lena Luthor, I am Diana." The woman greeted her with a soft, genuine smile and offered her leather covered hand.
"Wonder Woman." Lena said, taking the offered hand, in awe at seeing her teenage idol so close. The woman was truly breathtaking.
Diana cringed a bit. "I prefer Diana. In this world, I am Diana Prince. Obviously, you have met my lovely, shy daughter, Kara. I apologize for the excitement this morning. We had hoped to get to you, retrieve you before she was able to track the source, but we were too late."
Lena wasn't sure what to make of that. The source? The source of what?
"I will explain everything, but would you mind if I change first? Ectoplasm from conjured creatures dissipates easily enough but left on long enough and it causes a bitter smell, like sulfur."
Lena nodded her head and Diana offered her another genuine smile and went down the hall in the direction Kara had gone in. With nothing to do, she sat back and tried to clear her head, hoping answers came soon. Obviously, someone wanted her dead and the only thing she knew about ectoplasm was from some ghost comedy she watched as a child.
Diana walked into the bedroom where she and Kara had thrown their luggage into a large closet. Kara was dressed now in black yoga pants, a red sports bra and a white tank top. She was pleased to see she hadn't taken the wrap around her upper arm.
Diana walked into the closet and changed quickly, into a blue pants suit with a white blouse and high stiletto heels making her even taller.
She stepped behind Kara who was still running her fingers through her hair in front of a mirror and wrapped her arms around the girl's chest, pulling her close from behind.
"Since when do you need help getting out of that top? I've seen you change into and out of it in less than a second." She asked Kara.
Kara shrugged her shoulders and placed a hand over Diana's. "I was a bit sore from the fight, maybe? Or my arms were cramping, and I didn't feel like reaching around, or maybe…"
Diana squeezed her harder. "Or maybe you wanted to take your top off in front of a beautiful woman. We are here to protect her, Kara, not seduce her."
Kara rolled her eyes and stepped away, plopping on the large bed. "Koja previše duga mama?"
"Spanish or English please. We are in America and we speak primary languages when visiting other countries. Again, this isn't Themyscira." Diana told her.
"Don't remind me. I wasn't here for long the first time and forgot how bad it smells. The pollution, the noise, the violence, did I mention the pollution. Its hideous here. I only had to deal with one cyclop. I was hoping Circe would come after Lena herself, but she sent one of her slime cyclops knockoffs instead. She needs Lena dead. She knew where the power source was coming from if we did. Why didn't she try and finish the job herself?" Kara asked.
"I don't think she can." Diana guessed. She had thought of this since they had left home. "If she kills the host the power could come into her because of the dark magic in her soul. Power would be drawn to power at close range She needs the piece in physical form. That means killing the host and collecting it once it is free and solid. It must be done violently and quickly but if she were to be the cause of that violence it could enter her. She needs those stones out of the hosts, not stuck inside her for the ritual to work."
Diana leaned against the dresser and took her daughter in, glad to see her head was in the game and she was asking the right questions. She too wished she or Kara had gotten a glimpse of Circe. Either of them could have ended this. It was ironic that she was not surprised to find Kara topless in the house. It had taken Diana a year to convince Kara that she could use the communal bath with the healing water all Amazons used after training. The girl had defintely grown out of her shyness. Kara was more Amazonian now than Kryptonian in Diana's opinion.
She was her blood. Diana glanced at the scar on her right palm, like the one on Kara's palm. It was a permanent reminder of the day Kara and she had sworn themselves to each other.
9 and a half years ago
Diana found Kara where she expected, sitting cross-legged on the cliff, looking down at the beach where she had first pulled Steve onto the shore, the spot Antiope died saving her. She knew that Kara looked off that night at dinner. It was a weekly feast with the Senators in the palace and while the girl did her best to smile and appear happy, Diana knew she was not. She had put the 13-year-old in bed after dinner and Kara had feigned sleep. Diana let her sneak out and gave her time, watching her from a distance as she looked out over the water and then at the stars in the sky.
Diana approached her an hour before dawn. She sat beside the girl; her knees curled up. She didn't speak, knowing Kara would when she was ready.
"I love it here. It's so beautiful." The girl finally said quietly.
"You weren't happy tonight." Diana told her.
Kara took a deep breath. "I know you said blood doesn't matter. I know we are different. You have the blood of a god running through your veins and I have the blood of a dead race running through mine. But everyone has made me feel so welcome."
"But you still don't feel like you belong. Blood was important on Krypton. You do not share blood with Amazons." Diana finished.
Kara shrugged her shoulders and looked at Diana. "It's ridiculous, isn't it?"
Diana shook her head. She reached to her boot and pulled a small knife out. "Everything on this island came from the gods. I know you are susceptible to magic. That makes our steel dangerous to you. You can be cut. Do you remember?"
Kara nodded. "Its why you won't train me. You don't want me hurt."
Diana wrapped her free arm around the girl. "I haven't trained you because you need to deal with the hurt inside before you focus on anything else. Soon you will be ready. But first, you must come to peace with yourself. You look to the stars every night, but the stars do not hold the answer you seek. You will only find that in yourself. I understand though. Blood can be important. You bleed with your sisters; you spill blood with them. You spill it during training if you aren't careful, you spill it during war. Blood is important in its own way and more so to you because of where you were born."
Diana removed her arm and placed her palm in front of her. She took the blade and sliced her skin, red blood welling up.
"What did you do?" Kara gasped.
Diana raised her bloodied hand and gave her the knife.
"It is your choice. It doesn't have to be now, but if you ever…"
Kara's eyes widened in realization and she laid out her palm cutting it. She took Diana's hand and the two squeezed.
"Now we are blood." The Amazon told her. "You have the blood of the daughter of Hippolyta and Zeus, running through your veins. You have my blood and I have yours. We belong to each other now." Diana told her, squeezing the girl's hand even harder. "An unbreakable bond so you will know in blood and spirit, you belong, here with me as an Amazon. You are my daughter. Where you go, I go, always."
Tears welled up in Kara's eyes. "Thank you."
"You are very welcome, Kara. Now we should go back to the palace, find some bandages and get some sleep. You can have the day off from your studies. In the morning, do you believe you will truly be ready to start training? Ready in your soul?"
Kara nodded her head. "I am."
"Excellent. Donna has become quite cocky lately. I want to show my Mother soon that my daughter can beat her daughter any day."
Kara blushed brightly. "I like Donna. She is kind to me."
"Everyone is kind to you, Kara but I understand. I know you like her. That's why you need to knock her down a peg. Its for her own good."
Present
"I am not sure how long Persephone's potion will last in this world. If it fades, Circe will be able to locate her." Diana mentioned.
"Let her come."
Diana shook her head. "We must find the other two. Circe may have given up on Lena for now and decided the others are easier targets. We must seek them out. The surest way to protect Lena and the source inside her is to bring her with us. Once we find the three together, let her come then. We can protect them and take down our enemy."
Kara shrugged her shoulders. "Lena is a CEO, right? You told me she runs a company. I doubt she will have time to go globetrotting with us."
Diana let out a breath. "I saw your…I saw him. He knows you were there."
Kar scowled and lay her head back on the bed. "We don't need these superheroes screwing this up. This isn't a battle they can win. Only our steel can take her down. Goddess forbid if we fail, there will be literally hell on Earth. Circe will tear these heroes apart with no effort. Her control of ectoplasm…those cyclopes were tough. She could have raised as many as she wished or created something worse. If not for my shield that blast would have gone through me."
"I told him to stay away but I doubt he will listen. It isn't on you if he or any of them get themselves killed. There is one other person who can help, one of us. I think I know how to find her. I suspect after today she will find us or try. The more of us there are, the easier it will be to protect these women and stop Circe."
Kara sat up and looked at Diana with a blank face. "You told me we could handle this ourselves."
Diana sighed, knowing this would be Kara's reaction. "She is one of us, Kara. She carries our weapons. She…"
"Left." Kara finished. "She wanted to go for four weeks. She told me she would be back in four weeks! Its been years! You know how I feel about people that abandon me. I have no use for them. She swore she would be back and yet she stayed here. If she is one of us, why did she stay? She has known how to come home this entire time and yet she is here, in this horrible world."
"Kara, I know how you feel…"
Kara stood from the bed. "How I feel? She told me she loved me. I loved her! She said she would come back. She would find information on her parents and then come back. She left me and I am done with her. She turned her back on us. Let her be human."
Diana walked closer to her and placed a hand on her cheek.
"This isn't about your love. This is about protecting these innocent women who have had something placed in them they do not know about or want. Its about a sorceress trying to get these sources of powers from their dead bodies and raise Hecate. I told Kal El this was Amazon business. She is an Amazon. Don't you want the woman in there to have as much protection as we can provide?"
Kara turned around and crossed he arms. She kept her eyes closed to fight off the tears, thinking of her first love and the one who had broken her heart with no explanation.
"Fine. Call her. Perhaps she has forgotten she is an Amazon and embraced her humanity fully. Perhaps she is in league with Kal El. They would like each other."
"Kara…"
"Do it. Call Donna Troy. Let her search for these others. Just tell her to stay away from me."
Diana wasn't sure this was the best idea, but she saw no other option. "I will send Donna to find Catherine Perkins. I will find Lauren Haley and you will protect Lena Luthor while she goes about her day. If Circe makes another attempt, you can fly her to safety quickly enough. Once we have all three women, we will bring them together here. Circe will have no choice but to reveal herself and challenge us."
Kara nodded and took a deep breath, then planted a smile on her face. "Good plan, Mom. Now you can explain to Miss Luthor that she has a part of Hecate's magic hidden inside her that has passed through thousands of generations without them knowing and Circe wants her dead so she can place this magic in a physical form, and use the stones to raise Hecate from the darkest part of the underworld and let her reign over Earth. I'm going to make a sandwich. Have fun."