Chapter 8
Summary AU!: Eighteen years ago, the wolf goddess, Lupa, adopted the demititan son of Atlas. Out of the five years, she adopted the clone of Superman. She raised the two as her own, turning them into something more. Something the world needs now more than never.
Viribus takes in a deep breath as he stares at the front of him. After stopping by a flower stand that survived the invasion, the son of Atlas made his way towards his sister's apartment.
He rings the doorbell and waits. He grips the roses in his hands tightly, he hadn't spoken to his sister in almost two years. They both traveled the world constantly, but surprisingly never run into each other.
The first time they met was when he was 14. It was one of he and Atsáli's earlier quests together. They weren't as close back then, but it was a direct order from Lupa herself.
He and Atsáli had to retrieve Apollo's chariot after he carelessly crashed it into a glacier in Antarctica. How he got from A to B, Viribus will never know.
If they hadn't been there, the heat the chariot gave off would've caused a major drouth.
The sound of locks clicking brought him out of his thoughts. He was met with turquoise eyes mixed with shock and joy.
"Viri!"
Viribus sighs into the hug he was pulled into. He hated the nickname his older sister gave him, but he didn't have the heart to tell her.
"Oh my gods, are you ok?" Calypso exclaimed, pulling away and looking him up and down, "were you attacked? Is the pack safe? Is Atsáli safe? Where is he?"
For a moment, Viribus forgot about the invasion. Suddenly he was more nervous about confronting his family than Darkseid himself.
"He's fine. We're fine. We sent the pack into the nearby mountains" Viribus says, calming his sister down.
"...you mean you weren't with the pack?"
'Shit' the son of Atlas thought as she met Calypso's frown, "Unfortunately, no. Me and my brother made the right choice. The mortals were in danger, it would've been a perfect time to prove ourselves"
"You weren't thinking about them, you were thinking about that stubborn pride. You could've risked exposing our existence, Viribus!" Calypso stated angrily, "you could've gotten Atsáli killed. You could've been..."
Viribus watched sadly as his sister choked back some tears, and he understood. They lost their sister, Zoe Nightshade, years ago, to the hands of their father.
His pride was wounded when she joined Artemis' Hunt. He made them suffer and Zoe was killed in the end. Her pride made her strong, but her undying loyalty to her goddess made her fight her father alone.
He also heard a daughter of Hades was killed during the quest.
"I'm sorry, sister" Viribus whispers as he pulled her into a hug, "I vowed to be better than that bastard, but here I am. Half way there"
"...did you eat yet?"
"Some ambrosia"
Calypso released him and looked up to him, "Come inside. I have some left over pancakes from this morning"
Viribus followed her into her house while realising why Lupa sent him here. Not to be irritated by his brother in law, but to learn. To be reminded that actions had consequences.
He sat at the table, looking down. He could see his reflection slightly and sighs. He's only seen him twice, but he looked just like his father. And he loathed it.
"You're better than him"
Viribus looked up to see Calypso holding two plates stacked pancakes. A small smile was present on her face.
"There's compassion in your eyes" she continued as she placed a plate in front of him, "empathy for those who are not as strong as you"
Viribus watches silently as she applied syrup on top of his breakfast, "You did make the right choice. Stupid, reckless, and dangerous...but it runs in the family"
Viribus smiled slightly as he took his sister's hand, "...I'm sorry I worried you, Calypso. I'd swear on the Styx I wouldn't do it again but-"
"You would only condemn yourself to a fate worse than hell. Denying your instincts" Calypso smiled and cupped Viribus' cheek with her hand, "just.. stick to the world of gods and monsters. Extra terrestrials will just make our life crazier"
Viribus shared a laugh with his sister as they began to eat breakfast. The children of Atlas ate in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company.
It was then Viribus asked the question he's been dreading, "Where's your husband?"
Calypso paused putting another pancake square into her mouth. She slowly sat it on her plate and wiped her mouth with her napkin, "He's on the roof, working on Festus. Not even an hour after the invasion, Leo went to work on the building's defense systems"
Viribus saw the worry in her eyes and understood what was on the son of Hephestaus' mind. Fear of the future, paranoia of another war. From experience, he knows what it can do to man with everything to lose.
Especially after losing a dear friend not too long ago.
"I see" Viribus nods in understanding, "...do you want me to...check on him?"
Calypso blinked in surprise, "You want to see him? Willingly?"
"It's the least I can do, sister" the son of Atlas says as he finished clearing his plate, "after all, that elf is now part of the family"
Calypso smiled at him as he got up to wash his plate, "Thank you, Viri"
Viribus simply smiled and made his way to the door. As he was about to exit, Calypso asked, "Wait speaking of family, where's Atsáli?"
Viribus' smile widened and responded with, "Oh don't worry about him, he's becoming a man"
"...WHAT?!"
When Atsáli opened his eyes, he was met with a ray of sun light. He growls and rolls to his other side and into the blonde curls of the Goddess of wisdom.
He breathed in her lemony scent and smiled. His mind and body felt at peace, as if the war with Darkseid had never even happened.
"I take it your awake?" Athena's voice brought him out of his thoughts. He gives a hum in response as he played with her hair.
"You know we didn't have sex, right?"
Atsáli smiled and answered with, "Because your brother interrupted us"
"Good thing too" Athena said as she turned to face him, her stormy gray eyes filled with shame, "I almost broke my vow. How stupid of me"
"...It was my fault" Atsáli said as he locked eyes with her, "if I had better control over my instincts, I wouldn't have lead you on-"
Athena scoffed at his words, "You? Lead me on?"
"Sorry" the son of Steel chuckled, "had to come up with something"
"You're a sweet boy. Smarter than that brother of yours"
Atsáli's smile dropped slightly and he turns to face the ceiling, his eyes narrowed slightly. Athena sighs and gets out of bed, the covers draping off her body. She looked back to see if she could catch Atsáli staring, but the wolf didn't even glance.
The goddess of wisdom summoned a grey dress on her body and says, "I only meant that as a joke, you know? You two have the potential to be the strongest versions Romulus and Remus. Maybe even greater than Jackson and Grace"
"I doubt that" Atsáli said as he rose out of the bed. He swung his legs over the side and reached for his pants.
"But I must know" he says as he slid his pants up, "when will you see us as allies of Olympus? What else must we do in order for you to see that we only wish for peace?"
Athena stares at him as he buckles his belt. The scars on his body faded over time, but were still visible to the naked eye. His tattoos of service were presented proudly on his left arm. Only five were present, but only he knows what has happened over the years. She almost felt sorry for him.
Almost.
"After an invasion like this, you've manage to earn most of the Olympians respect. You were pushed to your limit and still fought your father to a standstill with only five years of experience. That is impressive"
"And my brother?"
Athena needed to chose her words carefully for that question. Her brain came up with twelve logical answers and reasons, "Due to his...heritage, it's understandable why the council doesn't trust him fully. Atlas was the strongest Titan in the world, right behind Kronos. We've seen what he could do, experienced what he's capable of. Viribus' strength doesn't seem to have limits like..."
"Like me" Atsáli chuckled bitterly as he puts his shirt back on.
Athena regained her composure, her eyes void of emotion as she told him, "Precisely"
"I see" he replies as he made his way out the room, leaving Athena alone in her thoughts.
As Atsáli left the goddesses' palace, he bumps into someone. The unwanted contact made him even angrier and he turned to tell the unlucky person off. But it quickly melted away when he saw who it was.
"Oh, it's you" Atsáli said, shocked to see it was Wonder Woman, "sorry about that"
"No, the fault was mine" the Amazonian princess said as she rose to her feet, "I was looking for you anyway"
"You were?" Atsáli asked, surprised. His brother had more interaction with her during the battle than with him.
"Yes, however I was surprised to find you without your brother" Wonder Woman says while looking around, "you two seem inseparable"
"We aren't" Atsáli responded, "but Lupa gave us different punishments"
"And is spending the night in one of the maiden Olympians palace one of those 'punishments?," Diana asked with mischievous grin on her face.
The super clone's cheeks flushed but he quickly cleared his throat, "We didn't do anything last night...well we could've but..."
"Ares?"
"Um, no surprisingly" Atsáli chuckled, "Apollo was the one who interrupted us"
"Really?" Diana asked, "Apollo of all gods?"
"Yeah, he was banging on the doors of the palace for ten minutes straight" the super clone says as they walked through Olympus, "Athena couldn't hear him and I really didn't want to kill the mood, but that guy lit up the entire palace with a sun blast"
Diana lets out a laugh, "The biggest flirt of Olympus stopped a young warrior from sleeping with a woman. Doesn't sound like him at all"
"You forget that Athena is his sister at the end of the day" Atsáli says as he looked into the sky, "brothers will do what they think is best for there siblings"
"...is that why he allowed you to go save Superman?"
"I wanted to go" Atsáli said, "it was destined to happen, but..."
"It wasn't how you imagined" Diana finished, making him lower his head, "the Fates tend to mix their sick sense of humor into their work"
"So it seems" Atsáli says, "I'll never be nothing more than an eyesore. A disappointment"
Diana frowns at his words. How could a warrior say such things about themselves?
"And do you believe that?"
"No, but everyone else does"
"Not Viribus" Wonder Woman countered, "not Lady Lupa. and certainly not Lady Athena"
Atsáli didn't even smile at the joke. Wonder Woman slowly takes to the air, but not before turning back to the young wolf.
"Don't compare yourself to anyone, Atsáli" Diana says, "you are your own person. More than what you were destined to be"
And without another word, Wonder Woman flew away, leaving Atsáli alone in his thoughts.
Maybe she was right. Maybe he was more than just a clone of Superman. More than a weapon for humanity and the gods.
More than Project Kr.
More than just Superboy.
He is Atsáli. The proud son of Lupa, The Wolf goddess, Mother of Rome. Brother of Atsáli, the son of Atlas.
And with that resolve in his mind, he lifts his head to meet the gaze of Lady Lupa.
"Mother" Atsáli greeted. The wolf mother smiles, "Son. Did you learn your lesson?"
"I have an idea of what you were trying to teach me"
"Oh? And that is?"
"...I'm more than what I was made to be"
Lupa smiles at her youngest son and reaches her hand out, "Very good, my boy. Now then, lets go save your brother from his in-law"
"Oh Styx" Atsáli laughs as he grabs Lupa's hand.
And in a flash, the two were off Olympus.