Chapter 8: Amazons at the Gates
≻─── ⋆✩⋆ ───≺
"Themyscira does not exist in any time or place such as mortals understand, Jay Garrick;
and this gives my island kingdom the ability to be anywhere we wish it to, so too can it be anywhen."
—Hippolyta to Jay Garrick
≻─── ⋆✩⋆ ───≺
...
-⋆Hippolyta⋆-
...
Their journey to Ansel was the affair of a few short and pleasant days.
Finally, after so long, the golden age of the Amazons was within their grasp. This coven was an opportunity none of them could pass up. Forging alliances was already well underway, the immortal witches and their seemingly equally undying husband have proved to be trustworthy allies.
She was eager to present her three wonderful children. Diana, Jason and Pyrrha.
Thanks to Lady Tyche, Hera's wrath was quickly thwarted by Lady Hestia, Lady Hecate but more curiously, Lady Nyx and Lady Gaia. When she had her affair with Zeus, she didn't expect to have a child, let alone three. Two girls and a boy. What could she have told her Amazon sisters? That the gods had given life to clay figures created by her own hands, or something equally idiotic?
Fortunately the hundred or so years spent on Remnant, has had the positive effect of soothing the spirit of the Amazons against their outlook on men. And so, her son, Jason, became the first Amazon male in Themyscira history.
But she greatly dreaded that Hera, that bitch, would do more than just try to take revenge at some point. Oh yes. She knew why her former lover Herakles, or Hercules nowadays, had gone mad and... did what he had done to the Amazons. She believed for a long time that her father, Ares, was responsible for Hercules' madness.
Hera did not want followers, but faithful and obedient worshippers. And what was the best way to achieve this? Send Zeus' bastard on a rampage, accidentally framing the god of War, her own son, Ares, in the process, and then rescue the poor girls.
One stone, three birds.
Most of Olympus was in uproar when the whole truth was revealed. Hera is still not the most popular goddess at the moment.
From the top of her horse on a high hill, she could clearly see the 'castle', as Nicolas, that handsome and kind man called it. Did she have a...what does the younger generation call it? Ah, yes, a crush... Maybe.
She was always attracted to powerful men, yes, but Nicolas has qualities none of her past lovers ever had. A true, and good heart. Someone who is bound to action by his words and convictions. "An Arc never goes back on his word".
Did the Arc know that every time he says those words, a sort of mystical Pledge between an Oath and Geas is formed? Knowing him… Probably not.
And how is she sure that he is a good man? Well, otherwise Circe will already have transformed him into an animal and then used him as a rug, and not become his 'not yet' wife.
And by the stars it has been a long time since she had a man in her bed, and no, Zeus didn't count, he has been a one night stand and nothing more. Hippolyta is pretty sure Salem and Circe wont say no to her seducing Nicolas, knowing them, they will most probably help her court their husband, to then join their bed.
Yes, Hippolyta craved both physical and emotional affection. In other words, she was horny, and not ashamed of it.
She is tired of sleeping by herself, and in general, of being alone. And sure, sometimes other Amazons warmed her cot, but they were never her equals, in and out of bed. Salem, Circe and Nicholas on the other hand... If she plays her cards well enough, she could gain more than lovers and allies. Themyscira could become a power that none would dare to challenge.
Finally gazing with her own eyes at the "castle", Hippolyta can only gape. The Arcs were known to be defenders, but that is an outrageously humble statement regarding the blonde swordsman's family.
The ancestral Citadel of the Arc family, the 'Arx Lucis' is something to behold.
Located in the mountain ranges between Vacuo and Vale. Round, nearly a hundred kilometres across, massive in size, impregnable, immaculate white walls which have remained unshakeable for the last three centuries. The town around the crater that serves as a lake, which looks more like a city, is more than well protected within its fortifications, and from here she can see the hive of activity within it.
Various businesses are open to all, be they Faunus, Humans, Amazons or the rare Dwarves of Niðavellir.
Looking at the ramparts, she can perceive the placement of the weapons mounted on the walls. Every fifty metres, is an advanced automated point-defence system, Magnetic Accelerator Auto-cannon, hydraulically driven, more than probably enchanted and firing 30×165mm ferric-tungsten projectiles, at twenty six times the speed of sound and at a whopping 4600 rounds a minute.
Capable of cutting any Grimm, or aircraft, in half in its sight and repelling invading forces, may they be magical or otherwise, with the most absurd of ease. These are beauties she wants so badly. But those are the ones you can see. Behind those walls are others like the Heavy Mortars capable of firing High Explosive, Fragmentation, Thermite, Illumination, Smoke and Dust Shells.
That and probably much more hidden.
These weapons are apparently developed here, with the help of Circe and her capacity to visit other worlds. And unlike the Amazons, she wasn't limited to just Terra.
Then there are the Hard-light, Gravity Dust shielding and mystical wards protecting the whole Citadel like an invincible bubble. The ramparts, created by the best workers, artists and Semblance masters of stone, wood, metal and Aura, measure 180 metres in height, with 120 metres deep foundations and 40 metres in thickness. But that wasn't enough for the two immortal witches. Oh no! They had to mystically reinforce, engrave with protective runes and then place more than a dozen other kinds of protections with sufficient power to reduce even the most powerful of demons who touch these walls to ashes in under a second.
Salem is not deemed the Sorceress Supreme of Remnant for nothing. The mystical and magical defences are fueled first by a local but powerful Leyline, and then by other unknown means.
The more technological ones are apparently powered by multiple… "What was the name again? Oh, yes. Palladium 'Arc' fusion reactors. Designed by Howard Stark and Anton Vanko on Terra."
When Circe toured Russia a few years ago, she... 'encountered' a certain Ivan Antonovich Vanko, the son of a Russian physicist who had, before his downfall, helped Howard Stark design the Arc Reactor, but who had been subsequently deported from the United States when it became clear that he was working for the money rather than for the benefit of mankind.
The young man, Ivan, seemed to be knowledgeable in the fields of physics and mechanical sciences.
Circe wanted to know if the son had received schematics of the reactor from his father, who was still in prison at the time. And he did. After an hour of... 'negotiation', Circe made a deal Ivan literally couldn't refuse. Circe would free his father and then take them both to a new world, where the Arc reactor would be their invention.
And in exchange both men had to make a binding oath to the Red witch, to only work for her and the Arc family.
Less than a week later, Circe and both Vankos were on Remnant. The two men were greatly surprised and excited for a multitude of reasons. Aura, new forms of science, metallurgy, substances known as Dust and Promethium metal. New technologies like mechashifting and holograms, and many other things to explore.
The Arc reactor's productions were in place a year later. But that wasn't all. The two Russian started working on deadlier weapon platforms against Grimm, and pretty much anything else really, that and the more advanced "force-field" systems to protect towns, outposts and roads against both bandits and Grimms.
Then Pietro Polendina came along. One of Atlas' finest minds...
That is until Arthur Watts and Atlas' military tried to... appropriate his research on Aura transfer, highly advanced Artificial Intelligence, and his personal project, P.E.N.N.Y.
Together, the three men began working on the most advanced robotics in Remnant history.
And this, of course, caused a chain reaction. A few months later, Doctor Merlot, founder and owner of the research and development corporation named 'Merlot Industries', came asking for an audience with the Evernight Queen.
Salem was ecstatic after the meeting. Why? Even Hippolyta's best spies had no ideas. All she knew was that the Queen and Arc started funnelling an absurd amount of money into creating roads and a large and EXTREMELY long tunnel to the east, specifically to Mountain Glenn, where the HQ of Merlot industries is.
Mountain Glenn… After the miners' discovery of important and massive veins of Dust, orders by the council of Vale were given, Mt Glenn's funding strangely disappeared into thin air and their resources, of course, dried up not long after. And so Vanko Corp was tasked by Salem and Circe to oversee the construction of better defences and habitable structures for Mountain Glenn. And thus, Salem, Circe and Nicolas became the unofficial leaders of the new city.
Vale's council, of course, didn't and still don't like it, but couldn't do anything about it since the Arcs and their family-owned business are the first and only suppliers of Promethium metal, one the best substance for any kind of alloy.
Apparently, Circe stole the formula and method of creation of the Artificial metal, from a man on Terra, "Steve Dayton or something." Hippolyta could care less about the name of a dead man. But what is troubling, is that Circe did so before his strange demise happened, which Circe swore on her honor it wasn't her nor that she had any links to it.
Circe loved her new home, and wasn't going to watch it burn and be taken from her by anyone, may they be men, demons, or gods. And Hippolyta respects that, for she wants the same thing. Coming here is a way of getting all of that, and more, and if she has to give the knowledge to reproduce and operate the healing Purple-Ray technology, then so be it. But those are not the only purposes for which she has come here. Her sweet Pyrrha is one of those reasons. Her "dreams" are becoming more and more frequent. The last one in particular, traumatised her quite badly. Flashes of... dying at the top of a tower, an arrow in her chest.
The Fates had warned her that the girl's future could be somewhat tragic, but that there is always Hope.
A lone ethereal light, shining brightly into the darkest of nights, where Destiny has no power. Their sight couldn't see what it was, a 'blindspot' they said. Something, or more probably someone, could and can say NO to Fate and Destiny themselves.
The Moira had directed her right to that place, and it coincides with what her little Pyrrha can see in her dreams. "A partner and friend, a swordsman holding more his shield than his sword, a certain 'vomit boy', a Jaune Arc". Those were the little girl's words.
But apparently Hippolyta isn't the only one searching. Lord Herebus, Lady Nyx and Lady Gaia are on the hunt too, and working as one of the most dangerous teams in the cosmos. The chances of the two daughters of Kaos coming here are high.
Primordial beings of their level, work in... not so mysterious ways.
But Gaia has other reasons to be here. The daughter of her son Thor, little Nora, and Gaia's sisters in all but blood, Queen Frigga and Lady Idunn are to be here. There are also rumors about one of Gaia's Chosen accompanying the Sorcerer-ess? Supreme of Terra. She just hopes that the two primordial women won't get in her way.
And who knows, maybe they might help her?
Other goddesses like Hestia, Hecate, Hebe, Persephone and her mother Demeter have already confirmed their attendance. And she has heard rumors that Hephaestus, the god of the Forge and Eitri, the King of the Dwarves of Niðavellir, will attend a private meeting with Nicolas during the occasion.
Hippolyta is accompanied by her sister Antiope, General Philippus, Hessia the pathfinder and truthseeker, Nubia the Counsellor, Healer Asclepia, and Althea the Chief engineer and head scientist of Themyscira. Other Amazons wanted to join them, mainly those who came from Bana-Mighdall, but due to their more violent attitude towards men, had to remain on Themyscira. And will stay there for a few more years.
Bana-Mighdall… It was a city-state in Ancient Egypt and inhabited by a dissident faction of Amazons.
This part of Egypt later became Qurac, whose country now stretches along the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula from Oman and the Rub' al Khali in the south, Saudi Arabia and the Summan in the west, and Iraq, the Emirate of Karrocan and the Wadi al Batin in the north. And it turned out that the nation of Qurac, which had tried to expel the Bana from their home for some time, and for justified reasons, finally managed to penetrate the magical sandstorm that protected them.
If Teth Adam, now known as Black Adam, and his two wives, from the hidden country Kahndaq, which is situated somewhere on the Sinai Peninsula, had not been warned by the goddess Nephthys, then every Amazon, their Shim'Tar included, would have been slaughtered.
Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on the point of view, their Queen, Anahid, that mad woman, didn't survive the fight.
The Amazons of Bana-Mighdall brought this fate upon themselves after deciding that the best way to perpetuate their race was to kidnap men from the neighbouring towns, and use them as breeders. The captive men were kept in stables like... animals, and were only called upon when their reproductive services were needed. Baby born males were simply killed…
Hippolyta is well aware of the rumors spreading around Themyscira.… Rumors of them raiding ships on the high seas and having the men lay with them. Only to then eliminate them and dispose of their corpses overboard after mating…
She is sure that Strife is responsible for those…
She may be many things... A killer, a thief and a liar, yes. But a hypocrite and a monster, she is not. Due to Athena and their own advancement, the Amazons are at least a century ahead of the Earthlings in terms of technology, and have been so for the last three millennia. Not only that, but Hippolyta, thanks to Circe and the permission of Salem, had created her own business in Greece, Anima, Sanus and Ménagerie. This venture had quickly paid them back very well, and not just in terms of money.
And yes, sperm banks, for their growth and survival is a necessity since they arrived on Remnant, even if more and more Amazons have been taking men as lovers.
Three other women are accompanying them. Medusa, Arachne and Medea, all three had come with them to stay for probably half a century, or more, with the witches.
Medusa, the Gorgon, decades after Persephone took pity on the girl and freed her from the underworld, is now here riding her Pegasus. Even with her more animalistic features, the violet-haired goddess is the image of true beauty.
Fortunately for everyone, her gaze was neutralised by some sort of enchanted and invisible glasses crafted and given to her by Salem, Nicolas and Circe a few years ago.
It took Circe some time to help the now very tall woman, even by Amazonian standards, to partially free herself from her curse.
And, yes, Arachne is there too, probably seeking help for her own curse.
If Circe could help Medusa fight her darkest impulses, then she can surely do the same for her, and Hippolyta is sure that the daughter of Helios certainly would be willing to.
Arachne time in a world filled with faunus and Amazons had done good for her psyche and self-esteem. Hippolyta could even tell that Arachne, with her long, silky, wavy black hair, had happily gained weight, and now had an attractive, voluptuous figure. She is making heads turn even if her lower half is still that of a spider.
Medea, Circe's niece, an incredibly beautiful and mystically talented woman with noticeable blueish-hair and elven's features in the form of knife shaped ears, has travelled with them. Even with the Amazons, the girl is a loner. After being cursed to blindly love a man she had never seen, just because he was favoured by the goddess of beauty, she was then used, betrayed and cruelly thrown away by both men and gods.
Hippolyta can understand why her only friends were her aunt and the two equally cursed women, well three if you count Salem. Poor women... Damned and abused for such petty things, by such petty gods and goddesses. Yes, Hippolyta had learned not to trust all of those Pseudo-deities.
Hera made sure of that.
With them right now, are five other young children.
Artemis and Akila of Bana-Mighdall are both seven years old. The girls, who were only four during the attack and destruction of their former home.
And the three other little girls, all at six years old, were all rescued by Hessia on Terra. Grace Choi, the daughter of an Amazon of Bana-Mighdall, was found in the foster care system of the United State of America.
The remaining two were found together, and their situation is… of a more tragic story.
Barbara Ann Minerva, born in Oakstone Abbey, Nottinghamshire, the only child of Lord and Lady Cavendish. After her mother's death, the little thing becomes increasingly introverted. Under the guidance of her tutor, Mrs. McLeod, little Barbara, became very interested in mythology.
Her father and Mrs. McLeod, to indulge her, decided to travel through Africa. This would be their first, and last mistake.
A few weeks in Africa, a... Gorilla, named Grodd, killed Barbara's father and tutor, to kidnap her after.
The other, who, for good reasons, kept calling herself Giganta, but for legal reasons, was given the name Doris Zuel by Hessia. She is- was a young female gorilla, from Gorilla City. The city, apparently, is what most people would consider a technological utopia, well hidden somewhere in Africa and inhabited by an intelligent gorilla species... "Why can anything stay simple anymore?"
Giganta was taken by Grodd and then genetically engineered into a human girl, which accidentally activated her Metagene, something about mass transference, capable of shunting, absorbing and exchanging excess bulk from another dimension called the Mass-Zone.
Grosso modo, she has the power to change her anatomic frame, along with her strength and toughness to gargantuan proportions without losing much speed.
And why did Grodd have to kidnap little girls?
To offer them to a Pseudo-god of course. Urzkartaga, a powerful and ancient plant-god. One of these girls would be chosen to become the new Cheetah, the bride and protector of Urzkartaga, blessed with long life and power. The girl had to be a virgin, otherwise…
Grodd planned to free Urzkartaga from his prison and become his avatar, then raise an army after sacrificing the rest of the girls, to conquer... Gorilla city. "I am pretty sure Circe is gonna love that story." Hippolyta ponders to herself with a sigh.
Hessia and two Dora Milaje, an elite group of Wakandan special forces, had heard about the disappearances of girls around Bwunda, a rogue state deep in sub-Saharan Africa.
This led them to the Urzari jungle. The confrontation didn't last long, and Grodd quickly found himself one head shorter. But the damage was done, and poor Barbara had already been turned into the Cheetah. The changed and traumatised orphan girl cried herself to sleep in Hessia's arms barely an hour after.
The two Dora Milaje took most of the girls. But Giganta, now human, couldn't return to Gorilla city, and poor Barbara… Well she had no family to return to, and even if she had, Meta-Humans and 'Mutants' didn't last long enough by themselves.
And so, all the girls were brought back to Remnant, where Barbara could pass as a Faunus, and the ability of Giganta could be disguised as a Semblance.
Diana, Jason, Pyrrha, Artemis, Akila, Grace, Barbara and Giganta, all were here to have their Aura unlocked by Nicolas. Because apparently, unlocking the Aura of gods, demigods, Meta-Humans and other mystically changed personnes, isn't possible by mere mortals.
Sure, if Hippolyta had found another trusted Auric-Master, Artemis, Akila and Grace would probably have their Aura released by now.
But for the last decade, Nicolas had been her number one choice, and yes, some rare times when a few Amazons weren't comfortable with men, Glynda took it upon herself to do the job.
Speaking of Glynda. Most of the Amazons are pleased with the Goodwitch's sense of duty and the fact that she is rather tall and powerful, even though she is not an Amazon, she is quite the turn-on for many girls on Themyscira. That or the riding crop… She'll never know.
"Magnificent..." Says the Gorgon, her eyes on the Citadel.
"Yes, and look at those defences. And do you think they will part with the schematic for the fusion reactor, my Queen?" Althea, her head engineer asks.
"Probably not… And until we find a better form of alliance, I don't think Circe will just give Themyscira that kind of power." Hippolyta responds, General Philippus gives her a smile and says.
"Yes, a… Closer 'alliance' seems good. And I am quite sure it would be quite… enjoyable, for us. Would it not be correct, my Queen?" Most of the other women laugh, understanding quite well the plan of their Queen.
"Mother? What is an ala- an ali-alliai-" "Alliance?" "Yes! That." Asks a young Diana. Hippolyta takes a few seconds to formulate something that can make sense to the children.
"It is a formal agreement or treaty between two or more sides to cooperate for specific purposes. a merging of efforts or interests by persons, families, states, or organisations, that kind of thing."
"Do you understand why it is important for us to join forces with the Arc family?" Hippolyta says, gesturing to the Citadel.
"... I understand, but." The little girl with a confused expression says.
"But?" The Queen asks, not understanding what her Diana could-
"Are we going to have new mommies and a daddy?" Thankfully Hippolyta isn't drinking, the rest of her party explodes in laughter, which confuses the poor girl even more. Hippolyta can even see the three cursed women lightly smile at that.
"Hmm, who knows? Would you all like to have other siblings to play with?" She asks all the children. Most girls, Pyrrha included, seems too shy to respond, Diana nods her head so fast that she become a blur, and Jason asks;
"Are there any other boys! 'Cause you know… that would be great."
A boy... Hippolyte's eyes narrow, as well as her grip on the horse reins, at that mention. Her spies had brought her unusual sightings, reportedly, Nicholas had been spotted in Vale with a blond child, a male, with odd Faunus features, so odd that it created a commotion with an old Crone.
The lack of information and name is killing her…
The three Moira had warned her of the Void spreading itself like a blanket around the Arc family. But thankfully, today's coven will answer many questions.
"We'll see. But for now, Amazons! YAH!"
...
Chapter End Notes:
Themyscira, since WW2, is on Remnant. After all, what better world for an all species of female warriors to live in than one filled with monsters made of darkness!
Amazon in this story are freaking tall!
Pyrrha Nikos is now the sister of Diana and Jason (who is Diana's twin in the comics), but also the daughter of Hippolyta and Zeus?
I think you can see a pattern forming, right? And yep, Pyrrha has prophetic dreams, just like the oracles of Greece and the sibyls of Rome of old (who were women chosen by the gods through which divine advice would be spoken through them).
Medea is the same as in Fate, and in lore was a niece of Circe and the granddaughter of the sun god Helios.
Medusa is the same as in Fate, but in her Gorgon form. She is a very tall lady who enjoy traveling, and at least on Remnant, in a world full of Faunus, not many people will try to curse her, cut her head to then use it to kill titans.
Arachne is also one of those poor women who was treated like sh!t by the gods and goddesses, and who seeks help from the Arc family in breaking her curse, even if partially.
Cheetah and Giganta are both raised among Amazons.
...