The Return of My Sister
Rated: K
Disclaimer: Believe me, all characters are not mine. They belong to DC Comics. And I made no profit at all. Instead, this comic and fan fiction frenzy has cost me lots of money! Thanks to Jennifer Larissa for the great beta and for all readers for their precious feedbacks.
Chapter 7. The Love of a God
As a primordial Sun God, Hyperion was a highly tempered deity. I had seen Thia, his wife, in anger before, but not the Sun God himself. And now clearly, even Lord Apollo's wrath would be pale in comparison to his predecessor's.
I turned my attention from the raging Hyperion to my sister. I studied her in awe. As soon as I learned what the Titan Gods truly wanted with Minosyss, I was at a loss. I knew that they would use Minosyss as the hostage to force Donna to obey them, and naturally Donna would not want to sacrifice Minosyss. So, her choice was to save this universe and send the Gods to another universe and let them 'reshape' the new universe at will, or just deny their demand and continue fighting with near zilch chance of success.
And then suddenly Bruce spoke up, doubting Donna's ability in navigating the stargate. At first, I was confused. How could he become so calm and join the discussion as if it's just an ordinary scientific seminar? Then I saw Donna, puzzled as well at first. When she spoke to me, stating that she would open the stargate anyway, my heart sank. There should be another way. But what?
Then suddenly, it dawned on me. Batman, the tactician as always, had actually hinted Donna to steer the stargate somewhere other than the universe targeted by Titans of Myth. And in the midst of crisis, Donna got the message. As the result, Oceanus-Tethys, Iapetus-Themis, and Crius-Mnemosyne were sent to Tartarus.
Tartaurs. The eternal prison of all entities that do not abide by the compassionate way of Gaea. It was the one place the Titan Gods feared the most. Eternal punishment reserved for the vilest of deities. Burning and freezing at the same time. Watching animals eat your innards, knowing they'll grow back for the next feeding time.
Donna Troy, my smart sister, had sent the Titan Gods to Tartarus. What a smart move. I tilted my head to look at the Batman, and found that his lips formed a smirk. He also saw Donna's strategy as a good choice. Then I looked back at Hyperion. He finally realized what this meant for their mission.
"No…" he whispered. "My brothers and sisters…" Then he turned at Troia, his red eyes glowed in rage. "Bring them back!"
"No," folding her hands, her left fingers drumming her right arm, Donna rejected sternly. "I almost did that. I almost set you free. But you never would have stopped conquering and killing. I'd die before letting that continue."
The Sun God clenched his jaw. "So be it."
And the Sun himself exploded his fire at my sister. But he was one second too late, as I had moved myself in front of Donna and blocked Hyperion's fire.
"Diana!" Donna jumped next to me, her arms crossed to help me dodge Hyperion's attack. "Get back! This is between me and him!"
"Not anymore, Sister! This involves me as well!" I did not lower my arms even the fire had ceased. "Hear that Titan Gods! I will not let you harm my sister anymore!"
"You witch!" Hyperion raised his arms again, ready to multiply his attack. "You two will die in vain today!"
Yet, at the exact time, a red arrow flew towards Hyperion's head. The Sun God had only a split second to avoid the arrow, which landed on the stargate and detonated it in a series of blast.
"No! The stargate!" Thia screamed. "You destroyed it!"
"Enough to abort any efforts to bring your siblings back here. Not to worry, the gate to Tartarus is still open for a few minutes," Donna smirked and tilted her head at the new intruder. "Join the party, Roy!"
I turned to see Roy Harper, the Arsenal, standing tall and aiming his next arrow at Hyperion's head. "This one's for your head! God or no God, I'll kill you myself if you harm one hair on her head!"
The archer's red arrow flew again towards Hyperion. The Sun God raised his hand and melted the arrow midway. He then roared in anger and blasted his sunburst at Roy, burning his expensive Promethium-Kevlar suit into a million-dollar dust.
"Foolish mortal man! You have no concept of what I am! I am the embodiment of the Sun itself. And you, are a creature with sticks and string!"
I gasped and readied myself forward to protect him. Yet, the Batman had already jumped between Arsenal and Hyperion.
"Arsenal! Get down!"
"The caped hero? Then you will die, too!"
Hyperion's second flare was even more intensive than the first one. However, my fears soon turned to relief as I saw Batman and Arsenal unharmed inside a semi-transparent globe. Bruce had apparently utilized all of the Lansinarian malleable substances to create a solid sphere that had protected him and Roy from Hyperion's wrath.
My relief did not last long as I had to move and block Thia's sunburst aimed at Donna.
"How do you hold such sway on all their hearts? How!"
Poor Thia. She did not realize that her very attitude was the exact reason that repelled even her husband from her. While blocking her fire with my vambraces, I kept walking slowly towards the fuming Sun Goddess. Donna moved along with me, and in a swift movement crouched and swept Thia's legs out from under her. The Sun Goddess lost her balance. I saw with excitement how my sister made a roundhouse kick that sent Thia flying towards the other end of the room.
Without a second to lose, Donna and I then flew towards Hyperion who was still busy charging Batman's sphere with his sunburst. I saw Roy gasping and holding his burnt shoulder. I noticed sweat dripping down Bruce's cowl, a sign that he was using all his willpower to maintain the globe construct. I was afraid that he might not make it, as the temperature around the globe was already a few hundred degrees. Donna and I stepped into Hyperion's fire and blocked it with both our arms crossed.
Our actions were seemingly to no avail. From the corner of my eye, I saw Thia get up and raise her hands as well. I moved to the other side of the small globe, blocking her sunburst. The four of us were effectively surrounded by two mad Sun Deities who had no hesitation whatsoever in burning us alive. I felt the room's temperature increased to nearly a thousand degrees. I frowned at the grim prognosis. Lady Hestia had blessed me the sisterhood with fire that allowed me to stay alive in extreme heat. Donna had that gift as well. But Batman and Arsenal were humans. They would not stand the heat for long, even protected by the Lansinarian sphere.
I glanced at Coeus, another Titan God that until now had not made any move at all. I gulped. Coeus was flying forward and raising his hands. Gaea preserves us! We were barely surviving Hyperion-Thia's attack. What would happen if the Moon God took part?
xxx
The Moon himself, Coeus was naturally a loving husband and a gentle lover. He loved Donna Troy with all his heart. Choosing between her and the rest of his Titan family was painful for him. Before trying to step into the Nexus, he had kept his last hope that Donna would forgive him. Yet, as he realized that Donna had instead sent his whole family to Tartarus, he realized that her love for him had indeed become history.
However, he found it inexplicable that he was not at all angry with Donna. Strangely, he could understand why Donna had done that. And when the heroine called Wonder Woman, claiming to be Donna's twin sister, rushing in to aid Donna, he could not help but to envy the sisterhood both women shared. The spiritual bond between two women was much more obvious than the bond he shared with his brothers and sisters.
And when the other hero in red suit charged Hyperion, and another hero in dark cape who came with Wonder Woman aided him in the process, he could see the camaraderie he wished he had with the rest of the Titans of Myth. All in all, he could not help but admire the four heroes that were about to be burnt alive by his Titan brother.
Coeus closed his eyes desperately. He hated doing what he knew he should do. He opened his eyes again and happened to see a coil of golden lasso hanging on the hips of Diana, Donna's sister. He had learned that it was the Lasso of Truth, forged from the very sacred girdle of Gaea. He clenched his jaw as he made up his mind.
"So this is what Love is. Sacrifice," he flew towards the Sun Deities. "You would give your love for them, as they would for you. A lesson we have failed to learn over and over." He raised his arms up high. "But now…let me prove to you that I can be as noble as them." He looked at the slumped Arsenal. "As this Earth-born Titan fellow."
Slowly, cool darkness clouded the factory. Hyperion frowned and looked at his brother. What did he want this time?
Hyperion's expression turned to horror as Coeus aimed his arms towards the sun-eater. "No! Coeus! Don't you dare!"
Indeed, Coeus had just activated the one weapon that could destroy his brother: The Sun Eater. Rising from the platform, it began to consume Hyperion and Thia – the living embodiments of the Sun.
Screams of horror filled the entire room as Hyperion and Thia frantically tried to escape the sun-eater's power through the open Nexus. As the result, their bodies were torn apart by the creature's power and the teleportational pull of the portal door. Technically, the Sun Deities were dead.
xxx
Donna lowered her crossed arms and breathed heavily. I saw the semi-transparent globe construct vanish as Batman relaxed his shoulders and slouched to sit down on the floor. I immediately supported him to keep him from collapsing. Donna did the same thing for Arsenal. I looked up and saw Coeus floating tall in front of the glowing Nexus.
"That's it then," he spoke.
"Lord Coeus, thank you very much," I felt the urge to speak.
He turned at me and cast a calming smile. In a split second, I realized that Donna might have fallen in love with him one day, had he not chosen to manipulate her mind the way he had.
"That is the least I can do to undo the damage I have done," He turned to Donna, who was still holding Roy Harper, and smiled again. Donna returned his smile in relief.
"Coeus, thanks a lot. I…I think we're even now."
A sad smile. "At least you forgive me now." Then he turned towards the bright Nexus.
"Where are you going?" Donna blurted out.
The God of Intelligence halted and turned to Donna. "The Nexus is closing soon. I have to go to join my siblings. I will bind myself to Tartarus and spend eternity guarding them so that they do not try to taint another world. Never again shall I let that happen."
Tears welled in Donna's eyes. This time, she did not fight them back. "You sacrifice yourself for that?"
"Isn't that what love is? Sacrifice?" This time, a solemn smile covered the god's face. "My dear Donna, I have learned so much by loving you. And now it's time for me to practice what I have learnt so far. Yes, this is my sacrifice. The one I gladly do for love."
The Nexus' light was fading. With determination, Coeus walked into the fading light.
Holding the panting Bruce in my embrace, I held my breath. Blinded by starlight and the heat of a sun, Coeus' glory was difficult to describe. Except, at that moment, he was the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen.
"Remember me fondly, my child. My love."
Then, with a compassionate look at my sister, the Titan God of Moon vanished completely in peaceful light. Donna herself was too awestruck to response on Coeus' parting remarks. She kept gazing into the vanishing Nexus in admiration.
"I will, my love. I will." Donna's whisper was audible in the silent aftermath.
xxx
"Donna! Diana! Quick, we have to get out!"
Rumbles of stones and constructs jolted me back into reality as Batman dragged me back on my feet. Hades! It turned out that the emergency activation of the sun-eater also triggered a series of quakes that destroyed the factory's constructs. Donna was also busy helping Arsenal on his feet. Suddenly, I heard another shout from the tunnel above us.
"By Hera! Come on guys! We have to get out!"
Wonder Girl, followed by Athyns of Karrakan, hastily flew towards us. The four of us helped Batman and Arsenal through the tunnel, flying towards Minosyss' surface, just before the entire factory exploded. It seemed that the controllers who created the sun-eater factory knew that the planet's ores were immune to the sun-eater's power. The landslide, triggered by the battle in the planet core, created the perfect prison for such a monster.
As we reached the surface, I found that the war had ended. Coeus apparently gave one final gift before he vanished in a burst of nocturnal power – a signal for his armies to end the war. I smiled in gratitude. Lord Coeus might turn into one of my favorite Gods, in addition to Lord Hermes. I looked around to see how Donna was coping after all these events. I caught her in a deep long kiss with Roy Harper.
I felt my heart blooming with happiness. I turned and bumped Bruce in the process.
"Careful, Princess," he whispered. "You don't want to sprain your ankles after the battle we had just now."
I chuckled. "No. Definitely not. And have I said how relieved I am to see you alive here?"
The Batman gave me that look. "No, you haven't." Then he kissed me hard and passionately, I almost jolted back in surprise. I had only a split second to think 'The Batman kissing me in front of the crowds?' before kissing him back fiercely.
We finished our series of kisses a few minutes later. I felt my cheeks turned scarlet as he kept giving me the gaze. He then reached for his belt and returned the malleable Lansinarian substance to me.
"I hope I don't need to use it that way again," he said in a grim tone. But his relieved smile did nothing to fool me. I smiled, stored the substance safely, and walked to join Donna and Cassie, who were busy hugging each other. Other Outsiders and Titans also joined the reunion happily.
Well, not very happy, actually. The casualties in Minosyss were high. Many damaged buildings would need to be rebuilt. Countless Minosyssians were injured and they needed to be taken care of. In addition, the armies of the Gods were now just people without a home. They surrendered to the Minosyssians. Together, they would be the ever-vigilant guardians of the sun-eater.
Later on, Batman, Donna, and I expressed these concerns with Athyns, who immediately responded by stating that he would stay in Minosyss. Athyns of Karrakan was the sole survivor of his planet, a hero without a people. His leadership would provide valuable assistance for Minosyss. I could not think of another hero more suitable for the job.
xxx
Our trip to Minosyss ended shortly thereafter. We stayed for another couple of hours to help the civilians. Afterwards, the Outsiders and most of the Titans returned home to Earth with the travelsphere. Batman had opted to go with them. I did not object, as I knew that he would have wanted to return to Gotham immediately and make sure that everything was still in order. For the Batman, 48 hours out of Gotham was like eternity.
"Not exactly like that," Bruce seemed to read my mind. "I just have some catching up with Oracle about the League of Shadow. And with Nightwing going home with the travelsphere as well, I think I can get more updates from him about Poison Ivy and Scarecrow."
"Sure, Bruce, I understand," I placed my hand at his shoulder to assure him. "I need to stay here with Donna and Cassie for a while, helping Athyns with the more trivial matters. I will catch up with you soon."
"Will wait for that," his response was quick and formal. Then he leaned forward and whispered in my ears with a very different tone. "I'm sure you realize how dirty you are after the battle. You might want to shower here, but dare I remind you that the Manor is equipped with much better shower facilities?"
I tried to suppress my mischievous smile. I nodded seriously. "With hot shower and a Jacuzzi, I believe. But with extra massage?"
"Anything you want." I don't have to explain how his whispers tickle my ears.
I smiled. "I will update you on those aspects soon enough." My manner was formal, matching his earlier tone.
The Batman nodded once and then turned to look at the Outsiders and the Titans. In a second, I felt a change in his demeanor. Was he afraid? To go with a bunch of Outsiders and Titans? I arched my eyebrows. No, he wasn't afraid. He was more of annoyed, actually. I looked at the superheroes that stood in front of the glowing travelsphere. All of them were beaming. The ever-jovial Garfield Logan almost cracked his face into two as he grinned at Kid Flash. Starfire and Cyborg exchanged meaningful looks with each other. Even Raven was half smiling! By Hades! Did they think of Donna and Roy reunion as that exciting?
Then, understanding dawned on me. They were not teasing about Troia and Arsenal. Instead, they were…
"So, Dad!" the long-haired Richard Grayson casually rested his elbow at Bruce's shoulder. "Ready for a long interview on the way back home?"
"It's a half an hour journey, Nightwing," the Dark Knight hissed. "I suggest we focus on something more important."
"Aaww…c'mon, Bruce! Lighten up! You think Babs is not gonna love it?" He gave Bruce one of his most charming and also annoying grins. "Hey, did you know that she and Dinah actually placed a bet on you two?"
I heard Cassie's giggles and Donna's suppressed laughter behind me. I turned away to hide my grin. It seemed that the Dark Knight might have a tough journey back home this time.
-TBC-
Author's note:
Most of the dialogues of the Gods were taken from 'Return of Donna Troy'. I have to say I like Coeus better by the end of the day!