Chapter XXVI

Day 1

My hash words lingered in the air as I sat there in my loneliness. Only the sound of her footsteps echoed as she moved away from me. I casted my eyes up to the ceiling as I brought my pipe up to my lips. I needed to block out the sound of her so I took a long drag. The intoxicating burn of kryptonite filled my lungs like a mighty wind. I held it in, allowing it to penetrate every fiber of my being. With every passing second, time about me slowed as the sound of her footsteps dimed to silence.

Calm…

Peace…

They finally came as I exhaled after god knows how long. The sweet burn of my lungs… Ahhh pain…

"Ultraman..."

My eyes opened at the sound of J'onzz voice splitting through my head. Through the green fog of kryptonite his voice rumbled like a crack of thunder. It bounced off my nerve endings sending a shiver down my spine. I knew what he wanted. He'd moved the Amazon from my bed. However the high part of me just wanted to embrace the burn. I told a breath. Something in the untainted air smelt different.

"Had that much time passed?" I thought.

I tried to speak but my words became lost in the smoke.

"Not... now," I finally slurred.

"... I've done as you asked but..."

I growled as J'onzz continued to speak, shaking the walls about me. The word 'but' infuriated me. My old friend saying 'but' meant something was off. The peace and calm that the Kryptonite had granted me, I couldn't allow it to be ruined by whatever he had to say. War was coming and I needed to prepare. In this moment, I needed a release. Since sex wasn't on the menu, I took another deep breath of the green smoke. I leaned my head back against the couch as I heard J'onzz voice continuing to drone on.

Staring up at the ceiling the faint sound of her heartbeat reached me. She was so close. I could just…

"I need you to focus Ultraman," J'onzz added but his voice was overtaken by the sound of her heartbeat.

"Shhhh," I exhaled.

I heard J'onzz cuss in my head. A sound that gave me great joy.

"There's someone in…"

In my hazy I lingered alone in the darkness. As the green puffs of smoke engulfed me I closed my eyes.

Thump, thump…

Her heart fluttered…

"Sun god..."

I heard a voice echo around me.

"Leave… me old … man..." I slurred as I waved my hand in front of my face.

Something cold and brittle suddenly grabbed me. My eyes shot open as a blast of fire came from my eyes. A deep cackle surrounded me.

"Aggression… good..." the voice added. "I can work with that…"

In my haze I looked around the room and found myself alone. Rage filled me. I felt something in my presence that I could not see.

"Show yourself…." I growled.

"In time…" the voice answered back. "Now tell me Sun god, how badly do you want her?"

His words rattled through my soul. I took a step back as I tried to shake his words from my mind. However, the further back I moved the louder the words became. I placed my hands on either side of my head and screamed. The voice merely laughed.

"Who's asking?" I asked as I looked from side to side.

"One who cares about her," the voice replied from behind me.

As the voice spoke an outline of a man took shape out of the corner of my eyes. I turned to face the male shaped shadow. It resembles an older man frail yet his blacked out eyes burned with fire. He stood before me with a bronze cane in his hand. The cane was placed in front of him with a Greek helmet as its hilt.

"I am Ares, Sun god," he said with a soulless grin. "You have served me well…"

"Served him well?" I thought

Whether it was my high or something else I knew that creature before me spoke true. Ares slowly walked towards me as the words left his mouth. The air about him smelled of blood and rotting flesh. With each footstep he left a trail of bloodied footprints behind him.

I opened my mouth to speak but Ares lifted his hand to stop me.

"All the blood that stained your hands," he continued as his bony hand grabbed my face. "I dare say, you have proven to be an efficient weapon, but my time is limited. Just answer me this Sun god, do you desire her, yes or no?"

The old Ares forced my gaze to remain locked on him. Even with the fire still burning in my eyes he didn't move away. The old god smiled.

"There are others who desire her as well Sun god," he said. "Other who are right under your nose…"

I growled, "Darkseid…"

Ares raised his eyebrow in amusement.

"I see you've chosen your vessel, brother…" Ares added with a scoff.

The god's words began to blend together... Chosen vessel? What was going on?

"Enough!" I growled.

I swatted the god's hand away. He laughed as my hand went clean through his.

"Keep that tamper if you wish to keep the Amazon for yourself Red Sun," he added as he appeared to my right. "You're going to need it."

I turned to meet him but once again he vanished into thin air. Only the cackle of his voice remained. It moved past me and headed down the hall. Stumbling to my feet I followed the sound of his voice. My drugged body hit the wall opposite the door.

"Come along Sun god'," he laughed.

"Stop calling me that…"

"What are you then?" Ares interjected as his voice moved further and further away from me. "Don't make me laugh, Sun god, Darkseid is a man who desires to make himself a god…. But you, you are not man enough to do the same?"

Ares's words fueled my rage and calmed my green haze. I used the corridor walls to hold myself up and followed where his voice led me. I walked for what seemed like an eternity until…

I found myself standing in a doorway.

"Are you man enough to kill a god?" Ares asked as I felt his boney hand on my shoulder.

I looked over my shoulder in shock. I was standing in front of her. She was fast asleep

"I don't kill…" I replied

Ares smiled, "Look again Sun god…"

I looked back over to Diana. She wasn't alone. There was a pale man knelt beside her. He gently brushed a dark curl away from her forehead. My gripped down hard on the door frame, crushing it between my fingers. Suddenly, the pale man's eyes met mine. They bored right through.

"My queen," he cooed.

The pale man leaned down and placed a kiss onto the Amazon's lips. I felt myself lung forward but Ares stopped me.

"Not yet Sun god," he said. "You aren't ready to handle him."