"Olympus and Asgard…at war…"

Thor tried to grasp this situation in his mind. The Olympians and the Asgardians had always been on good terms with one another. They had combined their armies in the past, such as when Thanos united with Darkseid and his forces on Apokolips to wreak havoc upon the universe. But aside from a few petty squabbles between Zeus and Odin, there was little bad blood between the two realms.

What had Ares and Amora done? What machinations did they orchestrate to manipulate two pantheons of gods into war?

Thor looked his adoptive brother in the eye and pointed his hammer towards him. "Explain, brother! Now!"

Loki looked down at the hammer, pursing his lip. "I do not know the full story myself."

"And why had word of this not spread to us before?!" Thor barkingly followed up with, spit roaring out from his mouth. "Heimdall, Valkyrie, and Sif should have sought my aid in stopping the war! And Athena and Hephaestus should have come to Diana to ask for her intervention!"

Thor felt a firm tap on his shoulders. Wonder Woman stepped forward. "It was likely that Ares had little trouble in dealing with Hephaestus. My brother may be the greatest weapons smith in Olympus, but he is not a warrior born like Ares." she clarified, before moving her attention from Thor to Loki and Donna. "But what has become of the others? I highly doubt Athena would find it wise for Olympus to test its might against Asgard's."

"You know your patron goddess well," Loki replied, pointing at Wonder Woman as he began pacing around. "Athena and Heimdall have both been imprisoned. Where, we don't know. Now, we must go."

A blue, whirling portal opened up behind Loki and Donna. It had a peaceful and soothing hum to it. A shame that a ravaged, worn-torn land was likely what awaited on the other side.

"Every moment's delay could have dire consequences if the gods continue to wage war!" Donna stated, signaling her arm towards the portal. "We have no more time to waste! We must go now!"

And so, the party of Amazons and Asgardians ran through the portal, leaving the Earth for worlds beyond.

Asgard.

Normally, it was a majestic sight. Few mortals had seen the wonders of its gleaming spires or the dazzling sight of the Bifrost Bridge. Its luminating, overwhelming golden towers that touched the skies were layered across its lands. The skies were colorful and bright, and a gorgeous sea surrounded the main city. It was a spectacle that would put even metropolises like New York or London to shame, making them look like small towns in the rural middle of nowhere.

But the capital city of Asgard seemed to shrink away as Poseidon commanded a gigantic wave of water from the nearby sea as a weapon to crash against the walls of The Golden Realm. He had long blue-ish gray hair and a flowing beard, while wearing green armor with yellow plates across his shoulders and arms. And he roared his heart out as he tried to lay waste to Asgard. As Poseidon attacked, two warriors charged to meet Poseidon in battle. Lunging towards the Ocean god first was Lady Sif, with her sword swung high into the air and her shield firmly in place, in front of her chest. Balder the Brave was by her side as well; he was clad in a light cerulean color, with a dark blue helmet and a white fur-cape. And he snarled at the Greek God of the Seas as he drew his own sword that seemed to shimmer with light and slashed Poseidon in the chest with it.

And then there was Hades, charging across the Bifrost Bridge at countless Asgardian soldiers, who wielded swords, spears, and axes that they all swung around at him. Hades may not have lived alongside the other Olympians, but somehow, the God of the Greek Underworld had now joined forces with his brothers in this conflict with another pantheon. In his hands was a long and dark blade, one which he used to cut down the soldiers of Asgard like a scythe through a field of crops. He was clad in entirely black armor, with red lines along the forearms, and wore a horned helmet atop his head. Valkyrie was riding towards him on her Pegasus, and she lunged her spear forward, striking his chest. Valkyrie already had several cuts and bruises across her face and arms, but she still bore hellbent determination in her eyes. She may not have been an equal to Hades, but her homeland was at stake, and it was clear that she would fight to the last breath for it.

Not too far away from Hades, one of Zeus' many bastard children was also battling against a trio of Asgardian fighters. This was the legendary demigod hero; Hercules. A redheaded man with a bulging muscular physique and a thick, lustrous beard. All he wore was a green-and-gold toga with some sandals that would have been commonplace in Ancient Greece. He combatted the Warriors Three: Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg. Fandral's face was identical to that of Oliver Queen's, right down the blonde goatee, and he even sported the same green color scheme. But instead of a bow and arrow, he wielded a sword, one that he stabbed Hercules in the leg with. Hercules responded with a swift backhand to the face, which sent Fandral the Dashing flying away.

Volstagg the Voluminous was a behemoth of a man, even for an Asgardian, with an orange beard a foot long flowing from his face. A portly warrior who wore all-red leather with the addition of a large golden helmet, he wielded no weapon. Instead, he grabbed Hercules by his neck and slammed him into the ground half a dozen times. And finally, there was Hogun the Grim. He was not Caucasian-looking like most Asgardians; rather, he could pass as someone from East Asia. He sported a black handlebar mustache, wore dark blue with brown boots and gauntlets, and wielded a mace. One which he used to smash into Hercules' back, after the latter struck Volstagg with a devastating uppercut, tossing him a dozen feet into the air.

Nearly every god from Asgard or Olympus, no matter how minor, seemed to have been dragged into the war. Aside from Athena, Heimdall, and Hephaestus, the only other one that appeared to be absent was Hera. Frigga, stepmother of Thor, was levitating above the Bifrost rainbow bridge. Adorned in all-gold and having her gray hair combed onto the very top of her head, she glared down at her opponents, who were none other than the Amazons. Queen Hippolyta, mother of Wonder Woman, led the charge. Her appearance was strikingly similar to Wonder Woman's, Diana was truly the was the spitting image of her mother. Her armor called to mind the Spartans of old. She took the spear that was in her hands and hurled it at Frigga. Frigga deflected the spear, sending it down into the lake that bordered the Bifrost, before lunging down towards Hippolyta. Mother battled against mother without quarter.

And then there were the Allfathers. Zeus and Odin. Two of Earth's most powerful Skyfathers glared at each other at the very front end of the Bifrost Bridge. Zeus looked exactly as he was always depicted in man's stories and myths. Both of them held their stare for just a moment, before they charged one another. The one who ruled over all of Olympus, and the one who kept Asgard under his one watchful eye, clashed with such fury that it was almost blinding.

"You will pay for your treachery, Allfather!" Zeus bellowed as he hurled a crackling thunderbolt at Odin, knocking the Asgardian ruler to the ground. He grabbed Odin with electrically charged fists, before decking Odin in the face. "To think that I thought you an ally all these years! All your subjects will burn in Tartarus for what you have done!"

Odin roared back, "And I should've known better than to trust a based charlatan! Asgard has never fallen! Surtur was fated to destroy it, but he has been slain! If he could be vanquished, what chance do you have?!" He headbutted Zeus and fired an almighty energy blast from his spear Gungnir, sending Zeus spiraling out of the battlefield.

Thor had to let every sight sink in. Every clash, every blow, every weapon swung, every body that fell to the ground. Asgard was used to sending its armies to battle in defense of the kingdom or to aid the other Nine Realms. But rarely had it faced such an imposing enemy force outside its gates. He stood at the entrance gate between the Bifrost and the rest of the universe outside of Asgard. Diana, Loki, and Donna by his side.

"As you can see, our two pantheons are not exactly in negotiable moods," Loki uttered out, waving his hand out towards the complete chaos in front of them.

"Great Hera, they might well destroy each other at this rate!" Wonder Woman exclaimed.

Loki nodded. "Indeed. It seems neither army will stop until the other has been laid to complete waste," he said. Then he looked down at the ground and chuckled. "But I wouldn't invoke Hera's name like that. You know better than most that she doesn't really give a damn about this war and what happens to everyone once it's over."

Just then, there was a gargantuan crash. Thor jolted his head around to see that it was Volstagg. His helmet had been knocked clean off his head, and blood was trickling down all over his face. Nonetheless, Volstagg was quick to get back onto his feet. And just in time, for Hercules dropped from the sky and smashed into the ground, a foot away from where Volstagg had been.

"Stop! What is the meaning of this, Volstagg?! The Olympians have been our allies for ages!" Thor shouted out, placing his hands on his comrade's shoulders before he could start fighting again.

But that rage was still flaming within Volstagg's eyes. Even when face-to-face with an ally, whom he had a friendship that lasted many mortal lifetimes, it didn't smolder away. Not in the slightest.

"Heimdall has fallen! And it is because of Zeus! Zeus must pay for what he's done, Thor! Join us!"

"He lies!" shouted Hercules, pointing his finger directly at Thor and Wonder Woman. "I still trust you, Odinson. But your people invaded Olympus and murdered Athena! You must help us fight your traitorous kinsmen! And your help is needed too, sister!"

Wonder Woman, her face aghast, sneered. "Brother, you cannot possibly believe that Asgardians would murder Athena! You have been deceived!"

Hercules sneered. "You never thought highly of me, did you, Diana? No need. We'll reduce Asgard to ashes without you."

And with that, Hercules swung his leg high into the air and struck Volstagg directly in the gonads. Volstagg collapsed onto the ground, holding onto his crotch with his hands while whimpering and whining. Hercules was always one for sneak attacks.

Thor tilted his head back to take a look at Frigga. To see even his mother blinded by the hatred that had consumed both realms. To see her veins come close to bulging out of her neck, to see her eyes bare not the slightest hint of compassion, to see her attack Hippolyta with the intent to kill the Amazon queen…as much as he loved the rest of his fellow warriors, to see them lost in the heat of battle was not that far of a stretch. But Frigga? The Asgardian goddess whose specialties were wisdom and foresight? Who loved Thor and Loki like they were her own blood? Who was even wiser than Athena or Heimdall, who had both vanished? It boggled Thor's mind.

"I cannot fathom the dark magic that Ares and Amora must have used to cause this…" Thor uttered absentmindedly.

"The universe is a massive place," Donna Troy replied, stepping forward amidst the carnage. She pulled out her silver lasso, the Lasso of Persuasion, counterpart to her sister's Lasso of Truth. "There are many possible sources of such powerful magic. But between our lassos and Loki's own magic, we can hopefully reverse this."

"I think not."

That voice rang a familiar bell throughout Thor's mind, but it was one he had not heard in quite some time. Nor was it once he heard that often anyway. But he looked over his shoulder, and there she was.

Hera.

Flowing from her shoulders was a green cape. She sported golden armor spread across her body, with black areas filling in the spots in-between. In those black areas, the very stars appeared to glisten. And by her side were many more Olympian soldiers, seemingly under her direct command rather Zeus'. These soldiers had a lifeless and pale quality to them, and they oozed out a green energy from their bodies.

Thor looked over to Diana. "What is she…"

"Not even I've ever seen these soldiers before."

Hera had a smug, superior smirk on her. "Take those four with me! They are not to intervene in any way!"

The Olympian soldiers under her command charged towards the four. Before any of them could react – before Thor could unleash the fury of his thunder, before Wonder Woman and Donna could whip out their lassos, before Loki could use any kind of magic to attack or even flee – the soldiers suddenly hurled magical green chains around the group. Their strength was such that even Thor, the God of Thunder, who had taken down opponents ten times his size as if they were flies or ants, could not break free from their grasp.

What in the name of Valhalla was this sorcery, Thor wondered? Why, despite his incredible might, could he not shatter them these chains as easily as string?

"Bring them to Olympus. Let them get what they truly deserve."

Olympus.

It had not been dealt any of the ravages of war, since the Olympians laid siege on Asgard before the Asgardians attacked first. As such, its grandeur remained intact and untouched. Whereas Asgard had an overwhelming golden tint to it, Olympus was marble and white. Rows upon rows of temples, halls, homes, and even a few stadiums were scattered all across this realm. A pearly white sky shone upon the land, with nary a cloud to be found. The pillars and structures that the Greeks had built in ancient times paled in comparison to what was found here.

But it felt quiet. Completely, utterly silent. That is, except for Hera, and the soldiers that had taken Thor, Loki, Donna, and Wonder Woman prisoner. They were heading towards one of the towering temples, and it was only moments before they passed one of its pillar and led inside the marble structure. Immediately upon entering, a hunched figure in chains was being forced to forge weapons of war for Hera. This was the Greek god of blacksmiths, Hephaestus. His head balding and his eyes sunken and swollen, Hephaestus went to work bringing down his hammer again and again. Like many of the other Gods, he had a mountain-man beard on his face, but his skin was quite different, being a purplish pale color. He was shriveled of foot, both his feet a tad crooked, as they had always been. He appeared to sport the mind and will of a drone, continuously forging new items with his hammer. Several new weapons, of varying sizes, were already laying scattered on the floor.

"Keep at it, you lowly beast," Hera snarled.

Right as she said that, Hephaestus stopped for just a moment, to take a breath. Hera stormed over to Hephaestus and slapped his face, then elbowed his cheeks. "I said keep at it! You don't get a break!"

Hephaestus took another deep breath, and then she stomped on his crooked bare feet with her heeled boots. After that, Hephaestus returned to his bitter work, while Hera took a final moment to spit in his face.

Thor watched as she walked over to them. The chains were still in place on him and his comrades, and all they could do was stand there. He had only seen Hera a few times in his life; whenever the Asgardians did cross paths with the Olympians, it was often Zeus, or Athena, or Hercules that would represent them. Sometimes, Poseidon or Hades would enter the picture, but Hera rarely ever did. She was always in the background, watching with a dark ire in her eyes. This was the first time Thor could recall being directly face-to-face with the Goddess of Marriage.

"What has Amora promised you?!" Thor shouted out as Hera was done stepping forward. "I know Zeus has been most unfaithful to you over the years! The legends of his debauchery are known even in the halls of Asgard! Has she promised that Zeus will fall in this battle?!"

Wonder Woman followed that up with, "I do understand your frustrations with Zeus. Who hasn't he angered over the centuries?! But how could you betray Olympus for Ares like this?!"

Hera just stood there for a few moments. And then she jolted her head up with uproarious laughter. She laughed for what felt like several eternities.

"It couldn't have been that funny…" Donna whispered to herself and to the others.

"Oh, but it is!" Hera responded. She began pacing around the others. "Ares and Amora have both told me nothing! I have no idea why they've tricked Olympus into attacking Asgard, what they hope to gain from it, or where Athena and Heimdall have been taken. And Hephaestus, who's hardly worth warm spit…I don't know what they're making him build. I only acted that way because his deformed kind don't deserve compassion."

Hera looked over to Thor, and began stroking his long hair. All Thor could do to react was to furrow his brow. "You're a handsome one. If you were a woman, Zeus would've made countless attempts to court you already. I'm surprised he hasn't tried to utilize some magic to make you female, the disgusting scoundrel that he is!"

Then she lightly tapped his cheek. "That's why I'm in favor of Olympus burning to the ground. I'm the Goddess of Marriage, and yet my husband has had as many affairs as there are stars in sky! I tire of being cast aside while he gets all the glory, helping himself to whoever he pleases! I tire of the mortals idolizing the likes of Athena or Hercules! No. Wherever Athena is, let her rot. Let Zeus and his army burn! Let his empire crumble! It matters not to me anymore!"

Thor heard a chuckle from Donna. Then she said, "I agree that Zeus' history of cheating is a terrible insult against you, but don't you think you're being a little petty? You care more about your own ego and image than the fate of two pantheons. I mean, how pathetic can you get? You're basically being 'Wah, I want more attention, now everyone needs to burn because they're stupid'!"

"It's unwise to mock her, Donna," Wonder Woman said, before whipping her head over to Hera. "But you were supposed to better than this Hera…please,"

"Come now," Loki replied. "When Heracles took his Roman name to distance himself from Hera, that should've clued you in that you shouldn't hold her on such a pedestal."

Hera sneered. "You will die first. And you're supposed to be a Frost Giant? Look at you. No wonder your father disowned you."

As she said that, as she threatened his adoptive brother, Thor strained with all his might to break free from the chains that had held him and the rest in place. Something about them made them thicker than a mountain. But what kind of god would Thor be if he couldn't destroy a mountain in one fell swoop? His veins were practically bursting out as he strained, pushed, and flexed against the grip of the chains. From the corner of his eye, he could see Wonder Woman and Donna doing the same. Hera was droning on, but her words were falling on deaf ears to the Asgardian prince.

And then he finally did it. In an instant, the chains snapped into countless shards, and Thor practically roared as he broke free. It was only moments later that Donna and Wonder Woman both did the same.

Hera's mouth went agape for a moment. After regaining her bearings, she lunged towards the four. But despite her power, she was never the most combative of the Olympians. Donna slammed her foot upon the goddess' kneecaps, while Wonder Woman elbowed her in the stomach before uppercutting her chin. And Thor grabbed Hera by her shoulders and her legs, lifted her up, and slammed her down onto the ground with such force that the marble flooring cracked nearly everywhere. Thor pulled Hera up forcefully, and gripped her arms tightly to prevent escape. Then Wonder Woman got out her lasso, began swinging it around, and in moments, Hera was imprisoned by the Lasso of Truth.

"Tell us now, Hera," Wonder Woman stated, her eyes downcast and her mouth a dark frown. "Do you have any idea where Athena and Heimdall are being kept, and where are Ares and Amora? And how they get the gods to go to war?"

Hera sighed. "In the realm of Hel. Hades cares too much for his niece to allow her to be imprisoned in his domain, but Hela doesn't give the slightest damn. Amora used her enchanting mind control magic, on a scale I thought she was incapable of, to persuade the gods that one side had betrayed the other in order to go to war. She and Ares are hiding somewhere on Earth, but that is all I know."

Donna, with one hand on her hip, looked over to the God of Mischief. "Well, looks like you're about to have some quality father-daughter time."

"We have no time to waste," Thor interjected, finally pulling out Mjlonir and raising it into the air. "We depart for Hel at once. Ares and Amora may have bewitched the rest of the gods, but they will tremble before us and pay for what they've done!"

In the back of his mind, he wondered how Amora had increased her magic to the point of enchanting the minds of both pantheons. But the answer to that question would have to wait until she and Ares were both vanquished once and for all.