Red and Black
The Watchtower – Diana's Room
Artemis held Diana as the tears of grief continued. She had no words of comfort, as there really weren't any to give. She simply was there for Diana and perhaps that's all anyone could do in a similar situation. Diana needed this time alone, to let the full weight of what had happened sink in. Artemis knew the others were waiting outside, but she decided to just let them wait. Diana came first.
There was another knock on the door and this time it was a bit more insistent. Artemis had to stifle a few choice words and tried to ignore it. It was Diana that finally broached the subject.
"I should answer that,' she said.
"You don't have to,' Artemis replied. "Let them wait for as long as you need."
"Thank you,' Diana said with a sad smile. "But I have responsibilities too. I'm Queen now and that means I have to think of others first. With what's happened our sisters will turn to me as Queen to set the tone."
"As your adviser, I think you should tell them to go to hell and leave you alone."
"I see why the council named two advisers,' Diana replied, somehow even in her grief finding the ability to tease her friend.
Artemis gave her a look and a bit of a sneer in return.
"Okay, as you friend then," she countered. "If you're not up for seeing them, don't."
"You're more than a friend, Artemis and thank you,' Diana said. "There will be plenty of time for grieving. It seems being Queen is what I was meant to be."
Artemis could see the resolve in Diana's sad eyes and reluctantly went over and opened the door. General Phillipus and Dinah were standing there.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, my Queen, but we have vital news,' Phillipus said with a bow.
"Come in, General, Dinah,' Diana replied.
The two women entered and the door shut behind them. They could see the emotional toll this had taken on Diana, but she put on a brave face.
"So what is this important news?" Diana asked.
Phillipus and Dinah looked at each other and Dinah signaled for the General to begin.
"We have evidence that the events of today are not what they seem."
"How so?" Diana asked.
Slowly the two women laid out what they believed had happened. At one point Diana had to sit down as they related their belief that her mother wasn't actually died.
"What?" Artemis shouted before Diana could speak.
"Something changed,' Dinah replied. "When Aphrodite spoke to me just before the energy burst from Mary, I think she was trying to alter what was supposed to happen. My sonic blast mixed with the energy and changed things. I don't think that vortex opening was part of the original plan."
"So she might be alive?" Diana said, almost afraid to believe it.
"We think so, my Queen." Phillipus replied. "There is more."
"More?' Artemis said in shock.
"Yes,' Phillipus said with a nod. "The why of all of this."
"What do you mean?" Diana asked.
"We believe someone has manipulated dreams and the Oracle,' Phillipus began. "I know that Hippolyta believed that this was going to happen, that whoever wore the armor of the Champion was destined to die."
"Why didn't she tell me?" Diana asked. "Or if you knew this, why didn't you tell me before?"
"Because she knew it wouldn't stop you," Phillipus replied. "Hippolyta swore me to secrecy. I admit I've struggled with this, but I couldn't ignore that she was willing to do this. I also know what you mean to her, Diana. She knew you wouldn't accept this as fate if that's what it was."
"So she changed fate for Diana,' Artemis added, finally understanding what was happening.
"She took my place to save me?' Diana said. "I would never want another to die in my place, especially my own mother!"
"She knew that too,' Phillipus replied. "That's why she did what she did. Your mother loves you more than life itself. She was willing to make any sacrifice if it meant you lived."
"She did this for me?'
The words were barely above a whispered, as fresh tears came to Diana's eyes. All the questions, anger and doubt she'd had since the beginning of this was washed away with this revelation. She felt so many different emotions, from shame over all the things she'd thought were the reasons to sadness over her mother's sacrifice to an overwhelming love for her. Diana felt Artemis' arm around her shoulder gently holding her and this only added to her tears.
"All this time I've thought so many things about why she did this,' Diana said. "I thought the worst and now it seems it was for the most noble of reasons."
"So she never had an affair with Superman?" Artemis couldn't help asking. Dinah shifted uncomfortably at the question, as it hit rather close to home.
"No, she was with him, too,' Phillipus replied. "Perhaps knowing her death was approaching she sought out the company of him, I don't know.'
Dinah didn't want to think about Clark and Hippolyta together now, so she changed the subject.
"I know this is hard to hear, Diana,' Dinah interjected. "But we don't think this was an accident. We spoke to Jonn earlier and it seems someone has also been manipulating Mary Marvel. Whoever was behind this orchestrated all of it to get Hippolyta away from the island so they could kill her. They might have succeeded if your Goddess hadn't interfered."
Diana wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at the others. Grief was suddenly gone from her expression and a barely contained anger replaced it.
"Someone is responsible,' she said. "We must find them and make them pay for what they've done. They will pay dearly, I promise you all."
Before the others could reply, there was a knock on the door. Artemis opened it and Wally and Zee came in.
"Sorry to interrupt,' Zee said. She glanced at Wally and he nodded for her to continue. "I know this will sound crazy, but do any of you have memories of Wonder Woman fighting in World War II?"
"I wasn't even alive back then, Zatanna,' Diana replied.
'We know, but do you have any memories of it?"
Diana was just about to reply that of course she didn't, when Dinah interrupted.
"That's weird, I know it isn't possible, but I do have memories of it."
"But how?" General Phillipus asked.
Everyone seemed for a moment at a loss for words, but finally Artemis spoke up.
"Hippolyta. She's alive, only she was thrown back in time!"
The Second World
The time jumps began, except now Clark was falling forward in time towards the end of the Second World. How far ahead each leap was, he didn't know, but each moment he reemerged into time it was in the midst of the final battle. How long it had lasted before the end he had no idea. It was a hellish orgy of unequalled violence on a colossal scale. All the Old Gods of the Second World had converged here to finish it once and for all. Most were monstrous in Clark's eyes, defying description, as words couldn't convey how far beyond any nightmares imagined by men these creatures were.
He didn't understand any of it. It seemed the universe had gone mad and was rushing towards its annihilation willingly. Clark had no stake in any of this, yet with each jump that seemed to matter less and less. Whatever issues or principles had been there at the beginning seemed to be lost as the fighting continued. Eventually it got down to what all wars are about, living or dying. You kill or you are killed. It was the struggle between life and death as simple as that.
This went against every instinct Clark possessed. All his life it had been about control, never crossing the line, never testing the limits of his abilities. It had always served him well and become ingrained in him almost like breathing. Suddenly the world around him changed and he was struggling to adjust. Out of habit he pulled his punches at first, but this nearly cost him his life. These beings weren't holding back and had no moral qualms about killing him. He was just another combatant on the field of battle to be struck down like anyone else.
At first the only thing that saved him were the time jumps, but as the interval he spent in each period length things turned grim. He took tremendous punishment, yet managed to survive. He inflicted his share of damage, but couldn't seem to match the ferocity of those around him. It was during the third time jump that he became aware of her watching him, the Golden Goddess. Even amidst all the chaos swirling around him, he found his eyes continuing to return to her. She had none of his reservations and eliminated anything in her path. Even here among all these Gods, she seemed apart from them.
It was in the fifth jump that she finally spoke to Clark. He was bleeding, his uniform and cape in tatters, yet they continued to assault him. They weighted him down as they tried to rip him limb from limb, to end his life with each blow. It wasn't that she came to rescue him. She didn't seem to care one-way or the other about him. The moment came when the group attacking him strayed too close to her. An inadvertent swing of a sword got her full attention. Clark heard the screams, but was too busy fighting for his life to see what was happening. Suddenly the monster on top of him went still and he finally tossed it aside. She was there looking down at Clark. She seemed to be able to look through him. She shook her head.
"You surprised me lasting this long, Mortal,' she said to him. "Your luck won't last much longer. Everyone here fights for something. You fight for nothing, so you will lose."
Before he could reply or even get to his feet, she was moving away and joining another battle. For a brief moment there seemed to be calm all around Clark. Her words seemed to repeat over and over in his mind. He fought for nothing. Looking all around he saw the others and could see the fire burning within them. He realized they fought for hate and anger or simply for blood lust. He knew he would never be able to match them in this and that even if he somehow could it would be pointless. Hate creates more hate; anger creates more anger and in the end destroys everything it touches. He had to find something else to motivate him, something else to fight for, but he didn't know what. The grip of time took hold of him once more and he vanished from the battlefield.
Europe – 1948
It was night and the moon shown overhead as Zeus led Hippolyta into the small secluded grotto. She felt a bit overwhelmed by all of this. Her God's appearance and then his revelation that he'd saved her were still swirling around in her mind. She felt grateful, confused, awestruck and so many other things. Zeus smiled at her again. He was in his human form and that was of an incredibly handsome man. As they reached a small clearing, the moon shone down on them. Zeus turned and reached out towards Hippolyta. Her natural reaction was to step away, but this was her God she reminded herself.
"Don't be afraid,' he said in his kindest voice.
"I'm afraid I still don't understand all of this,' she admitted. "You saved me?"
"You are here, aren't you?" He replied.
A cold wind suddenly blew through the grotto and Zeus' face turned stern as he stared off into the distance. He shouted some words that Hippolyta didn't understand and the wind died out. He turned back to her and his smile had returned.
"What was that?' She asked.
"Nothing to concern yourself with, my dear. Tonight is only about us,' he replied.
"Us?"
"You are a beautiful woman, Hippolyta and for many years you have been on my mind,' he gently said. He eased her into his arms and looked down into her eyes. Hippolyta wasn't sure what was happening, yet felt mesmerized as she looked into the God's eyes.
"My Lord, I …" She started to say, but he put his fingertip to her lips to stop her.
"The time for words is passed my love,' Zeus said. In the next moment he was kissing her. Hippolyta wanted to resist, but couldn't seem to. Her mind briefly flashed on Clark and she managed to break the God's kiss.
"My Lord I don't understand."
"There's nothing to understand, you're a woman and I'm a man,' Zeus whispered to her. "The man that saved your life."
Hippolyta felt the heat suddenly burning through her body. She watched as if almost outside herself as Zeus kissed her again. The passion in the kiss seemed to take her breath away. Her mind couldn't seem to focus, as if he were overwhelming her senses. A need seemed to overcome her; a desperate longing that was a mystery. Before she knew what was happening they were naked on the ground and he was moving over her.
The cold wind came again and for a moment Hippolyta's head seemed to clear. She realized what was about to happen and didn't want it.
"No, my Lord, please!" She gasped, but his lips cut off any further protest. As quickly as her reason had returned it was washed away in his embrace.
Tokyo
Kijuro Makuda's own personal geisha, the grand dowager Rie Saga moved silently to the front of the shrine. She knelt and proceeded to light several candles to the ancestors. She was alone, as all of Makuda's remaining men were on guard for an attack. The rest of the shire was empty, but Rie had chosen this one with care. As she knelt with her eyes closed she knew Masami had arrived.
"You may come out now,' she quietly said. The curtains rustled slightly and then Masami stepped forward. She quickly bowed to the older woman.
"It is good to see you,' she said to Rie.
"And you, young one,' the older woman replied. "You have made them desperate, but now must be even more careful. The finale is almost at hand."
"I know,' Masami said.
Rie looked at the younger woman and saw something unusual in her, confusion.
"Something troubles you, what?" She asked.
"There is another involved,' Masami replied. "A man, a Bat man."
"The American?"
"Yes,' Masami said. "He has followed me back here."
"He is an outsider, don't let him interfere with what must be done,' Rie told the younger woman.
"He was there at the lake." Masami whispered. "He spoke to me about another way, another fate. He seemed to understand. He said it didn't have to be this way."
"No, little one, it does," Rie countered. "Don't let this man confusion you over what you must do. You have dedicated too much of your life and others have sacrificed too much for you to walk about now. He seeks only to confuse you and get you to hesitate on your path. Do not let him."
"But is there another way?" Masami asked. "His words, I can not shake them."
Rie suddenly stood up and took the younger woman by the shoulders. She stared hard into her eyes.
"Honor must be served!" She practically hissed. "The spirits of our ancestors, your ancestors call out for this! Your mother and father's deaths cannot go unavenged! What he did to the others and me cannot go unavenged! Too much has been sacrificed by all of us to get you to this place. Your fate was sealed that day in the street never forget this. Finished what you've started, Masami!"
"They will die,' Masami said, her voice cold and without emotion. "I will not let anything stop me from my singular goal. Kijuro Makuda will watch as all those around him die, just as he made me watch my parents die all those years ago. Then I will finish it and cut off his head."
"See that you do,' Rie replied. "Let the long nightmare finally end."
"I live only for that,' Masami offered and then she was gone. Rie slowly walked back over to the candles and knelt again. She slowly lit a few more.
New York
Mordred knew he had to get out of the city. By distracting Morgaine, he had revealed his location. She would be coming for him. He knew only too well she would not be pleased. Even with these new powers he was still afraid of her and what she might do to him. He couldn't let her find him until he found the woman in black. She had been the target of Morgaine and Circe's manipulations, yet when Mordred had seen her on the television he felt a strong pull, as if they were connected somehow. He seemed to sense the woman in black was having the same struggles as he was. He had to find her.
The loud speaker announced that it was time for him to board the train. He moved along with the others and found a seat towards the back of car. Others filled up the seats all around him. As sense of anticipation came over him as he felt the train car jerk and start to move. He was heading for the woman in black and perhaps they would both find the pieces that were missing.
The train picked up speed as it left the station. Mordred sat looking out the window as the city rushed by. He began to relax as the train moved further away and then they were over the water rushing towards the woman in black. Just as they reached the middle of the trestle the train violently came to a stop. All around him people were screaming and being thrown about. He held onto the seat with all his might, his mind racing.
There was a moment when everything fell silent. Passengers looked all around, confused and frightened. It started with of bolts coming undone. Suddenly the entire car was ripped open like an egg being cracked in half. Chaos broke out in the train car as people panicked and struggled to hold on. Mordred was on his feet ready to flee, but then he saw her.
Morgaine floated up from beneath the trestle and hovered in the air above them.
"You've been very naughty lover!" She shouted. "Did you think you could just leave me and I wouldn't come looking for you?"
The passengers were scrambling for safety, as Mordred turned to face his mother.
"I will no longer be your toy to take down from the shelf when you want to play, Morgaine! I'm a man now!"
"Yes, you are,' she replied with a wicked smile. "I'm not done with you lover and what I say is all that matters."
"I will not return to you or your bed,' Mordred shouted.
Morgaine floated a little closer. The smile on her lips was cold as winter. She looked Mordred deep in the eye and then looked around them. The other passengers were huddled in fear.
"Then I will kill them all,' she causally said. "Our relationship ends when I say it does, not before."
Mordred looked at all the others on the train. They were strangers to him and it shouldn't have mattered what their fate was, but it did.
"Their deaths will be on your head, Mordred,' Morgaine said, seemingly knowing what was going trough his mind. "Time to choose, lover. Do they all die or will you come with me?"
Mordred looked at the other passengers once again and knew he had no real choice. She would kill them and still not let him go. Once again he was a captive of her whims.
"I will come with you, mother,' he finally said.
"I told you not to call me that!" She spat out. "I will have to punish you when we get home, lover."
The Second World
His mind had been torn before trying to survive and the Golden Goddess' words. Clark had made another jump in time and if anything the battle was even more savage. All around him they fought and died, yet the pace of the slaughter only increased. He realized if he fought for just survival he would never even have a chance to make it back to his own time. Clark thought of all the other battles he'd been in and tried to remember why he had fought them. That corny slogan that had been attached to him kept coming back to his mind, Trust, Justice and the American Way.
They seemed so foreign even concepts here, but as he continued on the defensive his mind frantically searched for something deeper. Truth was a noble goal, but there was only one truth here, life or death and that didn't seem enough against these beings. He felt the sting of another sword slashing across his back, but managed to avoid the killing blow. Anger flashed across his face, but he knew he would never be able to fight just for sheer anger and hate. In rejecting them, his mind turned to the opposite, love. He realized that just as hate creates more hate, the opposite was true. He had known love in his life and while he wasn't sure what his future might bring he hoped for it again. He thought of Ma and Pa Kent, Lana, Lois, Hippolyta and Dinah. Some were from his past but some might be in his future or at least he hoped they might.
It was then that Clark realized what he'd always fought for, hope and the future. The future represented the possibility of things. The possibility of love was worth fighting for. Hope was worth fighting for. A strange calm seemed to come over him as this realization sunk in. It was as if all the cacophony of sound surrounding drifted away and he was frozen in silence. Clark just closed his eyes and lifted into the air. His arms were at his sides as he rose higher and higher. It was as if he were diving up. All around him other winged beings turned and headed straight for him, yet he didn't stop and continued to climb.
As he reached the atmosphere he opened his eyes and looked all around him. Death was everywhere. These Old Gods fought mindlessly and hastened their own destruction. That's what hate gets you. He would not be a part of it. He had the future and the possibility of something else. If that meant he had to fight every one of the beings that surrounded him he would do it. A cold determination came over Clark and the last vestiges of him holding back slipped away. He would fight and he would survive.
The Gods of the Air were almost upon him. Clark began to spin, moving faster and faster. The very air around him began to crackle with energy. In this moment he stopped being Clark Kent and even Superman. Instead he was simply an adult Kryptonian at the height of his powers under two massive yellow suns. His people had been warriors and since they chose not to leave their own planet, the galaxy had never seen a true Kryptonian in battle. The Gods of the Air were the first to witness just what a Kryptonian was capable of when they didn't hold back.
Marionette
The last attack came about an hour before sundown. The vampires came in force, desperate as the night drew to a close. They breached the perimeter and the fighting took on a close quarters frantic nature. Vigilante and Vampirella tried to go on the offensive, but there were just too many vampires for them to deal with. They finally fell back towards the hotel, killing everything in sight. It didn't seem to be enough, as more just kept coming.
Wildcat had been on the roof, but as the assault continued he was driven back down into the upper story of the hotel. Room by room he fought; yet he couldn't help the overwhelming sense of hopelessness that seemed to linger around him. They seemed to be herding him and before he realized it he was back into a corner in one of the top floor rooms. He pressed his back against the corner wall and waited for them to attack, but they seemed to hesitate. Two vampires were standing in the doorway holding nasty looking swords and then they parted and another one came into the room. He seemed to be in charge and he smiled a cold smile at Wildcat.
"You realize this is hopeless, don't you?' the vampire said.
"What?"
"I can see it in your eyes, Wildcat,' the vampire replied. "Oh, yes, I know who you are. I know who you all are. The other two won't listen to reason, but you might."
Wildcat didn't move, just waited for the attack he was sure was coming. He would probably die in this room tonight, but there didn't seem to be any way out of it.
"What do you want?" He asked.
"I want you to be reasonable, Wildcat,' the lead vampire replied. "You know this isn't your fight, I can see it in your eyes. So why die? You can walk away right now and we'll let you."
"What about Vigilante and Vampirella?" Wildcat asked.
"They won't see reason, they will have to die,' the vampire nonchalantly said. "Along with those in the town that thought they could oppose us. You on the other hand can just walk away, right now."
"I can't do that."
"Why?" The vampire asked.
Wildcat was at a loss for words. He didn't have an answer to the question. Suddenly a memory, one he didn't even know he had came to his mind. London, during the war, he was in those dark, dank tunnels. He saw himself waiting to confront someone. There was movement and then Wonder Woman stepped around the corner, only it wasn't Diana it was Hippolyta. She said something to him and then he heard himself ask the same question of her.
"Why?"
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"Why are you doing this? This isn't your time and you'll probably be bouncing out of here sooner or later when that portal opens, so why are you in this fight?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" She replied.
"Because anything you do now, will end as soon as she disappear,' he said. "I've heard what the others theorize and have seen it myself. You have no stake in this fight and will be long gone before it ends, so why fight?"
Hippolyta weighted her answer.
"Yes, all that you say is true, but I'm here, now,' she flatly said.
"So?"
"Whether I'm here for the end or not, doesn't matter,' she explained. "I fight for one simple reason; it's the right thing to do. Legacies will be decided by others, they always are. No matter when the time or situation, there is only really now and my choice doesn't depended on either of those. I fight because I'm here now and I can. Life is only this moment and I chose to participate in it. When I'm dead none of this or anything else will matter. Death means life stops and no matter what your beliefs once life stops there can never be any more changes. Only life offers you that chance. As bleak as things may seem in the moment as long as you have life there is the possibility of change. With that possibility comes hope and that's worth fighting for."
The memory shook Wildcat. It was so clear, but why hadn't he remembered it before?
"Why, Wildcat?" The vampire repeated. "Just walk away."
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because of something a lady said to me a long time again,' Wildcat replied. "I fight because I'm here now and I can. I won't just walk away."
"So be it."
The vampire turned and started out of the room. The two with swords lunged at Wildcat. He dodged the first strike and the sword smashed through an oil lamp that was sitting on the table. The lamp crashed to the floor and flames shot up. The second vampire lunged at Wildcat. He sidestepped the sword and grabbed the vampire's wrist. With his other hand he drove his claws into the vampire's chest with all his might. The vampire seemed to shudder and then Wildcat pulled his heart out for all of them to see. As the vampire fell away, Wildcat snatched the sword from his hand. The oil from the lamp had ignited it and he raised it above his head to strike at the others.
Downstairs a desperate struggle was going on. The main group of vampires was attacking on mass Vigilante and Vampirella. Their sheer numbers were starting to overwhelm them and things looked bleak. She ripped them apart one after another, yet still they came. Vigilante emptied round after round into them, but still they came.
"God damn, I hate vampires,' Vigilante complained. He felt Vampirella glance at him. "Present company excluded, darlin', of course."
"Save your charm for afterwards, Vigilante,' she snapped.
"I'll look forward to that,' he joked.
Their conversation was cut off as more vampires poured into through the doors and windows. Vigilante fired again and again, but now there was no time to reload. The vampires forced him to the floor and were just about to tear him apart, when he saw something with flames coming off it separate their necks from their bodies. He looked up to see Wildcat holding two burning swords.
"Why do I always have to save your ass?' Wildcat said as Vigilante scrambled to his feet. Wildcat slashed through several more vampires before Vigilante could respond.
"I wouldn't say always, pardner, but it's appreciate this time."
"Let's kill these sons of bitches,' Wildcat growled.
Vigilante glanced at the burning swords as he finished reloading.
"Going medieval on them, huh?"
"That's right, we're going to do this old school."
"Let's kill us some vampires," Vigilante shouted, as he followed Wildcat's lead and went on the offensive. They linked up with Vampirella and managed to push the vampires back out in the street. The sun was just coming up and the vampires knew they had lost. They all fled, leaving the three standing alone in the street.
"I've never been so happy to see the sunlight,' Vampirella mused.
"It ain't over, darlin', those werewolves will be out any minute,' Vigilante replied.
"Then let's kill us some God Damn Werewolves,' Wildcat growled and raised the two burning swords in the air.