Disclaimer: All Characters are owned by Marvel & DC, respectively.
Thanks to those who've enjoyed the story so far, I'm glad that it's well received. As promised, a bit more action here.
Chapter 4: Hostile Territory
*Themyscera*
Daphne had stood watch over the southern tip of their island home for millennia, never deterring from her post, never wavering. Always, she stood her vigil. Even during the times of incredible boredom. And guarding a magically hidden paradise that had not seen invasion in millennia had its number of dull moments, namely every day. Nonetheless, her Queen had given her this duty, and she was bound to fulfill it to her death, which in retrospect, just meant forever. She was, though killable, an immortal. She had to just take to watching the beauty of the waves crashing onto the beaches. Soon, the night sentry would arrive to relive Daphne from her post, and she'd be on her way to tonight's feast. She had no worries.
So it came as a shock to her when a man flew down onto the beaches she watched over. A man! This was blasphemy! No men were allowed on-well that wasn't entirely true, for a number of males from the Justice League were always welcome, especially the dark one…and this man was quite handsome, appealing to the eyes. A magnificent set of golden locks flowed from his head, and his eyes were a lovely shade of blue, rivaling the colors of the oceans and the sky. And his figure was well-built, finely tuned with large muscles across his arms and legs. Yes, this was a truly appealing sight.
Nonetheless, this man was not member of the League, and she had never seen him before. He carried a small hammer in his gloved hand. He was clothed in battle armor complete with a silver winged helmet, so he was probably a warrior. This stirred concern in Daphne. Her eyes then widened with horror a second later as the intruder began making his way inland. This was definitely not good. Returning to where she left her shield on a nearby rock, she let out a small bird call, a code for other nearby Amazon guards that regularly patrolled the forest, alerting them of the intruder. Taking her weapons, Daphne then sprinted down the rocky slope after her prey, an easy task after practicing for thousands of years. Within a mere ten seconds, she had caught up to the intruder, and with a great leap, she did a somersault in midair, landing directly in front of him. Unsheathing her sword, Daphne took up a battle stance.
"Who are you, intruder?!"
"Odin's Beard!"
Thor got quite a shock when this woman suddenly jumped in front of him in full clad armor and well-armed. He actually had thought that this island was uninhabited, for such beauty in nature was almost never in peaceful coexistence with humanity. They tended to destroy the marvels of nature. Yet, here was a woman, and a beautiful woman at that. Crimson hair spilled out of her helmet, and her eyes were a lovely shade of green. Her legs were also very pleasing to the eyes, smooth and golden, probably due to the sunlight this island gained so much of. Clothed in ancient armor and armed with a sword and shield, it was clear from her body stance that she was a born warrior, and a skilled one at that. Had she seen him upon his arrival?
"Who are you, intruder?!"
Quite possibly so, he mused.
Taking a minute to recover from initial shock, Thor lifted his unoccupied hand, a sign that he was not a danger. "Stay your blade, maiden. I mean no harm. I come simply searching for a way to return to my home."
"And why do you presume that the way is here on Themyscera?" the warrior snapped back. "And how did you find this island?! It is cloaked by the gods!"
"The gods?" Thor suddenly felt hopeful. Did she mean Asgardians, perhaps? It couldn't hurt to find out. "I would wish to speak to these gods. Where can-"
"HA!" the woman laughed bitterly, stopping the words in his throat. "You think to visit the gods?! Only a select few can speak to them. No outsider is allowed to speak to them, let alone allowed on this island, period! Leave at once!" Her voice grew more aggressive as she began inching towards him, her sword glinting dangerously in the sunlight.
"Hear me, maiden," Thor spoke with calm, attempting to reason with this woman. He was not looking for a fight. "I just wish to return home. If you would just-"
"Daphne!"
A new voice came from behind him, also female. Thor turned to see a squadron of similarly dressed warriors running in their direction. They also were a sight to behold, each of them beautiful; and apparently, also skilled warriors, quickly surrounding him. Some were armed with spears, some with swords, but they all held fire in their eyes, a fire of determination and bloodlust. They were obviously well trained warriors that relished battle.
"Is this the intruder?" one of them asked the first.
"Yes, Phoebe. He flew onto the south beach and immediately began walking inland."
"Actually," Thor stated matter-of-factly, "I took a minute to take in the natural beauty of the island. 'Tis a very lovely island, maiden."
"Silence!" The leader of the squadron, the one called Phoebe, an attractive blond armed with a sword, seductive legs and an ample chest, walked over to him, her blade pointed directly at his face. "No man is allowed on Themyscera. Your passing here is a blasphemy and will be punished as such."
"I have come here in peace!" Thor's voice was now angry. Why did these women not listen to him, not see reason? Where all women on this island this stubborn? Where there no men he could speak to?
"You dare raise your voice to me, male?! Your arrogance will be your downfall. Take him!" she yelled as she thrust her sword at him-
Only for him to grab it by the blade out of her hand and fling it over the trees to parts unknown, immediately stopping all of the women in their tracks.
Checking his glove was not ripped by the sword, he looked back at Phoebe, maintaining eye contact. "I have no wish to fight you or-"
A hard kick in his back kept him from finishing the words, knocking him into the ground, Mjolnir dropping out of his hand. Then he got another kick in his face, sending his flying into a nearby tree. 'By the All-Father, these warriors are quite stronger than they appear.' Struggling to get up, he saw out of the corner of his eye two of them running at him, swords aimed to slash down onto him. Just as they came down on him, though, he raised his arm up to cover himself, the blades colliding with his armor with metallic chinks. Remembering a move that Captain America had shown him once, Thor pressed on with a sweeping kick at their legs, forcing them down. Immediately, a hail of spears began reigning down on him, from his left. Looking there, he let out a groan, seeing 10 more of these woman warriors, appearing out of nowhere, charging at him.
"Amazons, glory to the one who brings Hippolyta his head!"
Well, things had now escalated; they were out for his blood.
Three of the Amazons jumped at him, swords aimed at his face. Thor quickly ducked out of the way, making a dive for Mjolnir. He wasn't going to battle sword wielders with just his hands, though he could, for his armor could easily take it. Another Amazon made to tackle him, barely missing him. Making a sliding movement, he finally reached his hammer, quickly picking it and as he turned around on his back, he barely managed to block the spear making for his face with it. Standing up, Thor was once again quickly surrounded once more by the Amazons.
"Please, maidens, I have no desire to battle, I simply wish to return to my realm!"
"You chose the wrong island to try, intruder! Amazons, attack!"
With earsplitting war cries, the entire group of Amazons rushed him. Thor held his ground, deciding not to fight but to repel, show them he was not trying to harm them, that he simply-
THONK!
An Amazon pole jumped into him, sending him knocking into yet another tree.
Oh, who was he kidding? He lived for battle!
As another Amazon charged him with a spear making to impale his chest, Thor went on the offensive, grabbing the pole and smashing it with his hammer, then proceeding to send the warrior sprawling into the ground with a punch. Immediately another Amazon jumped onto his back, using her spear to headlock him, and two other Amazons grabbed him by the arms to keep him from breaking the spear, forcing him to drop Mjolnir. Another one took her blade, making to impale the Asgardian.
"Now, you die, male," the warrior said with a sneer.
"Not today! I will not fall!" Thor yelled out, using his godly strength to shake off the two Amazons holding his arms.
"By Athena, his strength rivals that of the Princess!"
Thor flung the Amazon on his back into the one who would impale him, sending both flying into the oncoming horde of Amazons. Picking up his hammer, he began whirling it.
"This ends now!" he cried, right before smashing it into the ground.
A giant tremor shook the entire island. The impact from Mjolnir caused it to crack in multiple areas, creating a tidal wave of dirt, rock and trees that flew in all directions. From the nearby cliffs, chunks of rock began cascading down. The Amazons, meanwhile, were caught in the land tidal wave, heaved into the skies weapons and all before plummeting back to the ground. They were no longer in any condition to fight him anymore.
Staring at his handy work, Thor shook his head. He had won the battle, and he had relished the fight, but he was not proud to have hurt these beautiful women.
"Maybe this will teach you to listen to reason the next time," he said loud enough for them to hear him.
A movement behind him caught his attention, and he turned to see one of the Amazons reach for a horn that had fallen from one of her comrades. Putting it to her lips, she unleashed a powerful blow from the horn for a good ten seconds before passing out.
The echo of the horn still rang out for a few seconds across the forest before dying down. Thor knew enough from his war days that that had been a distress signal. Apparently there were more of these warriors on this island, a lot more, judging by the loudness of the horn. These women fought with the fervor and viciousness of the Asgardian Valkyrior. They were mighty warriors, and would obviously not leave him be.
"Let them come," he told himself. "Let them test their mettle against mine."
Picking a random direction, Thor began running, letting his hammer guide him through the dense trees. Though it was not glowing any longer, the weapon tugged at him, showing him which direction to go in, showing him where the magical weak points for a gateway were. Following the tug, he continued running through the brush, finally coming into a clearing. Thor had to stop for a moment at the sight before him.
Beautiful temples and statues adorned the landscape before him, white as snow, probably made of marble. A few fountains decorated the streets, again holding sculptures of beautiful women, and glistening with pure, crystal clear water. There were gardens of beautiful flowers and lush vegetation, again similar to that garden in New York.
What caught his attention the most, however, were the dozens upon dozens of Amazons on horseback and even more on foot, all heavily armed and armored, that had stopped in their tracks at the sight of him, apparently en route to aid the ones who had attacked him earlier.
A regal looking Amazon, not armored like the rest but instead clothed in a plain white dress and lovely golden locks of hair, armed with a sword, shield and a beautiful face, walked forward.
"You are only being given one chance. Return to wherever it is you came from, intruder, or face the fury of the gods," she shouted to him.
"The gods?" Thor replied in anger. He had just about enough of all this. He was now angry and ready to battle his way home, if necessary. "The gods hold no fear from me. By the All-Father, I am counted among their number! I am Thor Odinson, God of Thunder! I will strive forward!"
"You dare to speak of yourself on the same level as the gods?! Insolence! Olympus will have your head! Amazons! Slay this blasphemer and bring me his weapon!"
With a unified roar, the army of Amazons charged at the Asgardian. He simply smiled, the adrenaline pumping throughout his body. Taking Mjolnir, he flung it directly at the oncoming hordes. As soon as the hammer left his fingers, he immediately charged at them himself, his trademark cry of "FOR MIDGARD!" echoing from his lips. He fisted the first Amazon he approached, sending her flying into some of the others, then tackled another, forcefully ramming her into a few more. Mjolnir had already knocked a good number of the horse riders onto the ground, now returning to its master's hand. Every time the hammer collided with a sword, thunder echoed across the skies. One by one, the Amazons fell. Hippolyta saw that this man held strength that rival that of Heracles, of the legendary Superman, of her own daughter.
"Do not falter, Amazons! We shall claim victory!"
"Arrogant warriors!" Thor roared out in complete fury. Lightning streaked across the skies, complimenting the now booming thunder as it reflected his rage. With another blow to the ground, he unleashed yet another land tidal wave, the tremors shaking the entire island to its core. The temples and statues threatened to topple and fall to their deaths. The Amazons were powerless to withstand the unrelenting force of the impact's ripples in the ground and their soldiers were once again flung skyward, only to crash down into the ground.
Hippolyta, stronger than the average Amazon, quickly recovered, picking up your sword. "I will not allow you to defile Themyscera, intruder. By Hera, you will fall."
"I do not know this 'Hera' of whom you speak, but I assure you, I am not so easily felled."
"We shall see. For Themyscera!" the Queen cried out as she lunged at him. Taking a simple sidestep to the left, Thor easily avoided the attack. 'This woman's judgment is clouded with rage,' he realized. 'She's making mistakes.' Around him, the other Amazons had regrouped themselves, getting up and retrieving their weapons. With a war cry, they charged at him again, swords and spears aiming for him, bloodlust and fury in their eyes. Ready to continue the battle, he raised Mjolnir again, making to fling it towards them-
When a golden lasso coiled itself onto the handle, preventing him from throwing it.
"Enough!" echoed a powerful female voice.
Immediately, all the Amazons, including Queen Hippolyta, stopped in their tracks, their gazes turning upwards. Thor immediately turned around, teeth snarling. Who dared to keep him from battle, and who dared to keep Mjolnir from attacking?!
His anger, however, quickly turned into complete surprise when he saw the one who had halted him.
It was, yet, another woman, but she was completely different from the other Amazons, partly because this was flying, but mainly because this one was beauty personified. Her long raven locks flowed freely in the winds, revealing a golden tiara, and her eyes were a captivating shade of baby blue. Her body was finely tuned, yet retained a pleasing, feminine form. A chest plate adorned with a golden eagle covered her torso, giving a lovely look of her very ample bust. Her legs glistened in the sunset lighting, smooth and silky, covered knees down by a pair of bright red boots. Her wrists were decorated with shining silver bracelets, and one hand held a glistening sword, while the other held a golden lasso.
It was the same lasso that was holding Mjolnir and his arm in place.
"I don't know if you are some prideful metahuman, or a man with a death wish. I will only ask once," the flying woman stated with an icy tone. "Who are you?"
Next Up: Initial discussions and the first punches are thrown! Enjoyed this chapter? Reviews and whatnot, again, are appreciated as always. Next Chapter up on Thursday!