Chapter 2

One Month Later

Themyscira

Within Medical Storage Room

Hafetulos, one of the nurses assigned to assist when Hippolyta gives birth, was busy on routine checks for supplies. Currently she was deep in thought about the currently suspended queen, she was caught in between where her loyalties lied. Queen Hippolyta was someone who has done a lot for Hafetulos since she began living in Themyscira and Hera was the god she was taught to put before every other god.

Normally it would be easy to just choose the queen, however, there's a rule Queen Hippolyta made that did not sit well with her. She had perished getting raped and abused by bandits who had taken their small town as theirs. So hearing that she couldn't get revenge on males, as she blamed males for last moments in her first life, kind of left residual hatred for Hippolyta.

"Am I interrupting something?" a voice called to Hafetulos breaking her from her thoughts.

Hafetulos turned around quickly looking at the direction of the voice only to see a woman who was beautiful with brown hair that had golden hairclips and brown eyes. She wore red lined with gold robes and golden bands on her arms and feet. She could not even muster a shout as she witnessed the woman levitate with the most beautiful feet she has ever seen.

"It seems my absence has changed the way I'm viewed by my own subjects. Why is it necessary for me, the one who you should be thanking for your extended existence, to remind you to bow?" the woman asked with irritation written all over her face.

'The only being that could be powerful or have the influence to do such is...' "Forgive me, Lady Hera. I just had never met a god before." Hafetulos answered bowing quickly.

"I see. That unscrupulous harlot you call a queen seems to be trying to erase me from the Amazons of Themyscira's history. First my marriage, then my crown and then my subjects. She should count her lucky stars while it is still dark, because dawn shall come and the shunned sun shall rise scorching all that oppose it." Hera spoke with an air of confidence as she neared Hafetulos, who could feel the taint within Hera's aura without even knowing how a godlike aura feels like.

"I'm going to rule this world without a man to hinder my rise back to the throne that I so rightly deserve. All those who oppose me shall perish and those who have wronged me I shall foresee their stay within the same pits that houses the titans who I've grown to surpass in strength. My father included." Hera boastfully proclaimed.

"Is there a reason you've graced me with your presence, Lady Hera." Hafetulos asked.

"Yes, there is. Amazons have their laws which I approved for both Themyscira and their counter parts, and yet two months ago I found out your queen is to bare a son for my soon to be ex-husband. A race which mirrored how I secretly wished to leave and would have if I had not been bound by duty. However, Zeus has released me from that insufferable marriage, thus I have not lost any followers. Meaning that I shall not perish by a simple thing like not having believers. Anyway, as the world seems to say today, long story short, I need you to abide by your own laws. They state, if an Amazon finds a way to bare a child that is a male, they should sacrifice them to the gods." Hera began on a rant before ending on a vague statement quoting the law of Themyscira.

"Your grace, y... you want me to throw Queen Hippolyta's child into the waters." Hafetulos asked shocked.

"I hope you do not have the implications that I'm asking when I am commanding, I am a goddess, am I not?" Hera asked flaring her godly essence before flickering away, leaving Hafetulos with the most difficult decision of her life. Duty versus religion.

Day of Labour

Outside Medical Room

Themyscira

'How am I going to accomplish Lady Hera's assignment when Lord Zeus has freaking hell hounds guarding the room!'

"Hafetulos! Queen Hippolyta needs assistance, yet you are gone to the land of dreams." Antiope stated breaking Hafetulos' from her thought process.

"I apologize for that. I am troubled that I shall make a mess with Lady Hippolyta's special moment and earn Lord Zeus' wrath." Hafetulos replied with half truths masking guilt, knowing Antiope would have sniffed her out.

"Relax. Queen Hippolyta's children are Amazons and that should be enough to calm you, however, if you need further reassurance, they are also gods. Demi-gods of course, but gods nonetheless, so take a deep." Hafetulos nodded before doing as she was advised to by Antiope "Now come we have princesses to deliver to Themyscira before journeying to our counter parts."

"We are going to..."

"Yes, but you know we do not mention them here, especially when the last reply was hostile. I think they are still bitter about the Heracles incident and Lord Zeus' lenient punishment, it also does not help that the queen and Lord Zeus are practically married leaving Lady Hera hostile towards Amazons as a whole. Without our number one protection towards other hostile parties, our counter parts are worried about their safety as we have Lord Zeus apparently staying here providing us protection." Antiope stated moving towards the labour room where Queen Hippolyta was currently using.

Hafetulos' nerves might have been calmed a little, however, dread and guilt still gripped her. Hearing Hippolyta's cries didn't ease her stress levels. Before she could enter the room she was greeted by the sight of Zeus being kicked out by Desdifoana from the labour room.

"Deepest apologies my lord, however, you being in this room defeats the purpose of Lady Hippolyta concentrating on delivering not one, not two, but three of your children. So please excuse us ladies and let us do our work." Desdifoana spoke pulling Hafetulos inside the room, closing the after her along with Hippolyta's faint whimpering.

"The nerve of that..." Zeus mumbled staring at the door with wide eyes "Who should command who? Am I not the god here?" Zeus asked staring at Antiope for answers.

"Well, god or not, my lord, the nurse rules the labour room." Antiope, who answered with an ironic statement, left the still overwhelmed Zeus giggling.

"These Amazons will be the death of me." Zeus stated shaking his head.

Before Zeus could find something to do he felt a familiar, but sinister, aura by the waters surrounding Themyscira. Quickly taking to the air to confront this unknown, but familiar aura. What he saw was shocked him, as the dark aura was coming from a god. Though it was not just any god, but someone he knew, it was Hera.

Hera had a drastic wardrobe change as she wore black robes lined with silver, hair was braided neatly like she was about to battle someone and silver bands with red ruby gems.

"Hera! What is the meaning of this? You flare your aura amongst mortals?" Zeus bellowed from the air gaining the attention of all the Amazons below.

"Zeus. A magnitude of time has occurred since we last crossed paths. Things have changed, Beloved." Hera answered by diverting the question.

"That is not an answer Hera." Zeus stated searching his brain for answers.

"Of course it is not. You shall have perished by the time I decide to tell you. So now I ask you, what is the use of me answering you?" Hera sarcastically asked flaring more of her aura. This caused the water to start moving violently and showing Zeus her true power.

'Hera? This is all my fault and now the Hera I knew and loved has perished. All that is left is the outside, while everything on the inside is gone.' Zeus thought to himself sadly before schooling his features 'Her power is strong enough to slightly surpass father, yet she still has the same tendencies. And that is why she will lose!' "So vengeance is the purpose of your little children's show?"

"Maybe your senses have dulled during your adulterous episodes, so let me enlighten you, Darling. I'm stronger than all the titans, including our dear Father, Cronus." Hera said with pride colouring her words.

"And yet I still do not fear you Hera. Even with all that power." Zeus replied levitating up to Hera's level.

Hera, taking offense to Zeus' snide remark, attacked Zeus with a heavy blow to his face, which Zeus blocked grunting at the unexpected power behind the fist. Hera did not stop there though, she quickly tried a spinning kick, missing fractionally as Zeus moved his head back. Before Zeus could counter, he saw Hera's smirk before pain was experienced by him, something he had forgotten when the Kraken was defeated a century ago. Shaking the dizziness away, Zeus sized Hera up trying to identify the source of the attack.

"Hurts, does it not? Well, Beloved, there is plenty more of those coming your way. I shall repay you a hundred fold more before your death. But do not trouble yourself too much, those former minions of mine shall perish too." Hera declared before charging at Zeus again.

Before Hera even reached Zeus, Zeus felt three blows connect. Two to the face and one to the gut. This all happened before Hera even lifted a finger to attack, however, Zeus recovered from the attacks to stop another punch by grabbing Hera's wrist. Hera in Zeus' solid grip could not escape.

"And that, My Love, is check mate." before Hera could counter with words, Zeus electrified her with all the energy he had, which he converted into pure lightning.

Hera howled as lightning coursed through her body disrupting her movements and disabled her. Zeus seeing the success of his attack was about to gloat, only for Hera to strike him with multiple invisible heavy blows.

"I'm not leaving because I lost, but because I accomplished my personal quest. I am not an imbecile, I know that I am not skilled enough to defeat you. However, I have techniques that I have developed, like my little game of pic-a-boo." Hera stated before disappearing with a bright light.

"And I thought I had flashy exits." Zeus mumbled to himself before pondering in his thoughts 'Hera invented a really irritating technique. What I can not figure out is how she does it, where she disappears to or what her mission is. No matter I'll figure it out later.'

Meanwhile On The Edge Of A Cliff

Hafetulos stood with a blond haired baby who was a male and had silver eyes. The young boy, recently born from Zeus and Hippolyta, destined for greatness and glory was about to be thrown in the waters used to sacrifice things to the gods of Olympus.

"Forgive me, young prince, but Lady Hera saved me from men who hurt me in numerous ways. The least I could do is complete this small quest before I go to Hades. But do not be troubled young one, you will not suffer the sickness all men are born with. Goodbye Prince..."

Those were the last words Hafetulos uttered from her mouth before she jumped with the little blond haired baby, who was crying, in her arms.