So the battle's over, and Hades has taken his steps to unleash his armies upon the world. Time to see what happens next. I thank everyone once again for their support for this story, it means a lot. Here is the next chapter, as promised: The invasion begins, and Thor as a prisoner. And post battle talks. Enjoy!
Chapter 8: Second Thoughts
"THOR!"
With a jolt, Diana opened her eyes, making to return to battle, to return and defend her mother, her sisters and her home. But a split second later, she realized a few things: one, she was no longer outside but in her palace chambers; two, she was in a bed; and three; her entire body screamed in pain at her movement, telling her she was badly hurt and injured. Yelling out in pain, she grasped at her arms and chest, the aches coursing through her body.
At her cries, the doors opened and three guards ran in, swords drawn, followed by Hippolyta, who also came in brandishing a sword.
"Diana!" she cried, rushing to her daughter's side as two Amazon healers raced into the chambers and came to her side also. "My daughter, are you ok?!"
"I feel…like I just fought Superman…and Darkseid, Doomsday, Supergirl, Power Girl…all at once…my entire body aches, mother," Diana admitted. She was never one to admit defeat or fear of defeat, but Thor's brute strength and his control of lightning had drastically cut down her down in pride and in combat; for a rare instance, Diana had felt unconditional fear. "The last thing I remember was…poisoning Thor and then falling-"
"You fell unconscious, my daughter," Hippolyta said. "The fight had taken much too great a toll on you and you were knocked out, as man says. We rushed you here as fast as we could. You've been out for almost three hours. It is already night." Diana saw she was right as she saw the beauty of the full moon in the gorgeous night sky.
She realized that she was no longer in her Champion armor-which lay once more at her bedside, damaged and chipped-but a simple chiton, and she could clearly see the various bruises, cuts and marks all over her body, still in the process of healing.
"This Thor, my daughter, seems to have proven himself quite a match for you. I pray that the gods punish him severely for his actions-to Themyscera and to you. Now, you must rest, my little sun and stars, you still have much to heal for. Let the healers tend to you," Hippolyta said with tender and loving words; she had secretly feared for her only daughter's life during the battle and praised Hera and Zeus that they had protected and guarded her.
"Very well, mother," Diana sighed as she lay back, allowing the healers to begin administering their herbal medicines. But then, a thought crossed her mind. "What's happened to the island since I fell unconscious?"
"We've begun trying to rebuild everything that has been destroyed and replant the gardens. Thor's hammer, still unmovable, is being guarded by two legions of Amazons near the temple of Apollo."
"And Thor himself?"
"Our prisoner; chained and shackled in the palace plaza."
Philippus stepped back, straightening herself up once more as she looked at Thor with contempt and hatred, an evil smile on her lips. Before her, Thor maintained his defiant stare at her, a thin trickle of blood oozing from his mouth's corner.
The effects of whatever poison Wonder Woman had used on him had partially worn off from him, but not enough to return him to full strength and power. He had no idea where Mjolnir was. At the moment, he was presently shackled in front of a large palace, on his knees with his arms stretched out at his size, being guarded by this Amazon general and a number of her soldiers. He knew that when he returned to full power, he'd easily snap these chains and teach these women a lesson, then finally continue on his quest to return home; all this time on the island, and Thor still had no idea where the weak points between realms and universes were.
In all honesty, Thor was surprised at the outcome of his battle with Wonder Woman. He was a god, and all poisons from his world never had any effect on him. Being this was a whole new world and universe, there was clearly things here capable of bringing deities down; this world, despite how unwelcoming it was to him, earned a respect from him, this world were mortals can match gods and titans.
He'd actually decided he'd like another battle against her, to see which one of the two of them was in fact the better warrior, a clean, fair battle. But that was a problem for another day. Right now, as a prisoner of the Amazons, he had been beaten by this general…this coward. Attacking him while he was weak and unable to fight back?
"Truly, Amazon," Thor said, smirking, "there is no honor inside of you. You dare to strike at me when I am chained, unable to retaliate? Mark my words, woman, when I am free, you will pay dearly."
"You are nothing here, intruder," Philippus snarled at him, fury brimming in her eyes. "Break free, and we shall gladly put you in your place as our princess did."
"You mean the princess that I nearly killed in battle?"
Perhaps that was a poor choice of words, Thor wondered as Philippus back handed him. In reality, he kind of respected Diana: a born warrior, as he was, who despite the odds against her refused to stand down for the sake of those whom she is sworn to protect. Thor could easily relate to that.
"Philippus," Hippolyta said as she approached them, flanked by four guards. Her eyes were cold and filled with hatred as she stared down at the Asgardian. "I trust the prisoner is not giving you trouble?"
"Only idle threats that if he breaks free he will kill me, your Highness-"
"WHEN, not if, wench."
Slap! Philippus back handed Thor with all her might as she screamed, "YOU DARE SPEAK IN THE PRESENCE OF THE MOTHER OF THE WOMAN WHOM YOU ALMOST BEAT TO DEATH?!"
"Is that really the best you can muster, Amazon?" Thor smirked, his eyes burning with hatred. "And I speak to you, not your Queen."
"Philippus, I'd like to speak to the prisoner; alone."
"My Queen," Philippus said as she turned to Hippolyta. "While I am very confident that the poison will make him unable to act on his threats for a very long time, and that you are more than capable of defending yourself, I must advise against that."
"I'm afraid you don't really have a say, Philippus," the queen replied. "Go." With hesitation, the Amazon took her guards away until the Queen was done.
Turning to Thor, Hippolyta frowned. "You have caused my people much pain and suffering, Thor. You almost killed my daughter. I'm surprised the gods themselves have not descended from Olympus to smite you for doing that to their Champion."
"I've faced many gods before, Your Highness. Yours hold no fear from me," Thor replied simply, causing the Queen to arch her eyebrows in surprise. "The only one I've met so far in this new world that managed to make me exhibit any fear at all was Wonder Woman. I began to wonder if I would lose at her hand, for she is mighty. But it seems she was not mighty enough, having to resort to deceit to make me fall; not very honorable, where I come from."
"You actually dare to speak about my daughter like that? In front of her mother?" Hippolyta's voice was not so much furious but rather, perplexed, despite her facial expression conveying hatred. "Are you really that careless and brash?"
"Not at all; I just find you to be more honorable that your subjects here," the Thunder God replied, enticing a look of shock from the Amazon Queen. "Every single one of your Amazons that has passed by me, they hit me, beat me, spit on me…they've attacked me in one form or another, as I kneel here bound and impaired by this poison. You, however- the mother of the warrior princess I mercilessly fought, who I assume came out as bad as I since she is not here-have not laid a finger on me at all. You have made not threat, no remark…nothing. It shocks me, of course, because any parent would do all of that. You…haven't; it leads me to believe that you are very honorable, not only as a queen, but as a person. Or am I wrong about that? Why have you not struck at me?
Hippolyta thought about Thor's words as she stood in silence. Finally speaking, she replied, "In all honesty, I do not know; know that I hate you, just because you are a man and more so because you defiled our home and almost killed my daughter. However, I guess I can say that I learned a while ago that I can't strike at everyone who hurts Diana. Sometimes, she has to do the striking herself."
With that, Hippolyta walked away.
*An Hour Later*
The demon possessing Fiona was certain all was ready.
The plan was set. The princess was weakened, their Queen could not stop them, and the Amazons would fall beneath their superior numbers, numbers that with every death in existence increased. Their lord literally had an unlimited army at his disposal.
Now, they just needed to figure out how to draw them there…
She was mostly healed up; granted, it was still a bit painful to walk, but she was Amazon-she could manage. It probably wasn't a smart move putting her Champion armor back on-that had hurt like Hades-but she didn't want to appear weak to her sisters; she didn't want to appear weak to her mother.
She definitely didn't want to appear weak to him.
Diana stared at Thor, her hand at the ready on her blades hilt, should the need arise.
Thor stared at Diana, wondering what to expect.
For a few minutes, there was simply silence between the two warriors, as they kept their gazes locked on each other, not diverting their eyes for any reason. At this hour, most of the island was asleep, and the guards that were keeping eye on Thor had been dismissed by Diana.
"You are a mighty warrior, Wonder Woman," Thor said, breaking the silence. "You fought well, and gave me quite a challenge…and quite a thrashing. That's something I don't receive that often."
Diana took in his appearance. The guards had removed his helmet and tattered cape and gloves, casting them aside. She could see that though most of the wounds she had given him were healed, some were still in the process of healing, including the gash she had given him on his chest. "You are a mighty warrior as well, Thor," she replied. "I must admit, I am also not one to be challenged like you challenged me. It was…an exhilarating experience. You fought well, also."
"I thank you," Thor replied. "But something bothers me: why resort to trickery? You say you are an honorable warrior-quite frankly, I think you are the most honorable person on this island-yet you poisoned me to gain the upper hand. You do realize that as so, you have not truly bested or beaten me, correct?"
Diana couldn't help but smirk a little. "Yes, I am well aware of that, Thor. Believe it or not, I am actually wanting to face you again, a fair fight, see who is truly the better between us."
"It would be a hell of a fight, as my friend Wolverine would say," the Asgardian chuckled. "The two of us, raised as warriors, and to be heirs to the thrones of our kingdoms. It would be quite a fight, one I must also admit I would look forward too."
"Yes, it would," Diana replied. "As to your question…well, we both seem to be on par in powers, except you have the factor of lightning control. Our battle consumed Themyscera; look around you to see what I mean. I feared I could not beat you, and so to ensure the security of our home and people I-wait, why am I telling you this?" She stepped back, her face beginning to hold disgust. "You attacked us and here I am, speaking to you as I would my friends and allies in the Justice League."
"I remember that you said when we first spoke that you wanted to give me the benefit of the doubt," Thor offered. "Perhaps you are trying to do so again. In honesty, if you came to my universe and arrived at Asgard and destroyed it and such, I would probably have killed you instead of chaining you in front of the palace where I sleep."
Diana chuckled, suddenly realizing how stupid the idea of chaining their attacker in front of the palace was.
Thor continued, "I see honor inside of you, Wonder Woman. Honor that I rarely have seen in my world. My allies: Captain America, Spider-Man, Beta Ray Bill…your honor rivals their own. I see you have a pure spirit, one that can see the good in anyone, that knows when one is fighting for good or evil. I ask you, Wonder Woman, to look into my eyes and tell me: Do you truly believe I have come here to destroy this island paradise, to bring harm to your people? Do you truly believe me to be a liar, to be evil?"
A minute passed as they stared at each other.
"No." It was brief and simple, yet to the point. "I see none of that in you."
"That is why you speak so freely unto me."
Diana began wondering. Even if what he said about his godhood and his divinity were lies, she sensed-no, she knew that this man was one of honor, heroism and justice. A hero, as he said he was from his world. He was…worthy.
"Your hammer," she suddenly asked, remembering something. "I tried to pick it up earlier, but I could not budge it. The inscription said only the worthy can lift it. Am I not worthy?"
"Honor and worthiness," Thor said with a crafty but genuine smile, "are not the same, Amazon. Although they are tied together-the allies I mentioned earlier have proven to be worthy of lifting Mjolnir, and they are honorable men. I do not know why for-wait, why would you want to lift my hammer?"
Diana smiled. "I am blessed by the gods and I am their champion, their embodiment of the values of truth and honor. I was curious."
Thor let out a laugh. "You are indeed like no other I've ever met, Wonder Woman."
"As are you, Thor; so," Diana said as she took a nearby casket of water, "I assume my sisters have not offered you any refreshment." She brought the casket up to his lips, allowing him to drain the liquid from it. Setting it aside, she brought a nearby rock in front of him and sat down. "I am curious-although we both know I really doubt the legitimacy of your godhood and divinity, I am intrigued by your story of another universe. If there is truth to that, I'd like to hear about this other world.
Thor arched an eyebrow, letting a small smirk graze his lips. "There is quite a lot to tell, but I guess I have no where I am going to."
Fiona had sent one of her guards to them, to get help. Two of the gates' guard had suddenly fallen unconscious, and another was beginning to feel very hot, claiming to be hallucinating.
Hippolyta, Philippus, a healer and six guards raced down the stairs leading to the cavern where the gates were located, following the guard she had sent them.
"How did this happen?!" Hippolyta yelled.
"We do not know, my Queen," the guard yelled back. "We thought perhaps it might have been some after effect of the battle on the surface, or perhaps standing close to the gates is starting to take a toll on us! Come, my Queen and sisters, we must hurry!"
'Something doesn't bode well here,' Philippus couldn't help but think. She felt it in her gut-something was not as it seemed about this situation.
They arrived into the cavern, and Hippolyta and Philippus were shocked to see…everything was fine. Fiona and her squadron were perfectly fine; no one was unconscious or burning up. The guard who brought them down walked ahead, past Fiona and towards the gates.
"Fiona, what is the meaning of this?"
"Oh Fiona isn't home, Amazon Queen," a demonic voice answered from Fiona's lips. Her eyes then went black. Then the other guards also revealed their true nature, all eyes going black.
"Hera, no!" Hippolyta cried out as Philippus and the six guards with them and the healer formed a defensive formation around her. "Demons."
"Yes, wench. You see, the gates were actually hit during whatever battle was occurring up on the island surface. The locks were hit and they broke, and the gates opened ever so slightly, allowing us to escape and take possession of your precious little Amazons. Oh, their fear," the demon possessing Fiona cooed, rubbing her head. "Their fear is delicious."
"You will pay for this, you vile creatures! Amazons, destroy them-"
"Oh, but I didn't get to the best part, Amazon. The gates were never locked back up."
All the Amazons suddenly paled in fear. "No…"
Yes, Hippolyta…now, I take my vengeance and the world. NOW MY DEMONS!
The guard that brought them down there obeyed the booming voice and opened the gates to the Underworld. Immediately, demonic beasts, skeletons and spirits of all sorts poured out and with a roar, made for the Amazons and the stairs that would take them to the surface, to the outside world…to a new kingdom.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
And there it goes-the gates to the underworld are now fully opened and the hordes of Hades are unleashed.
Liked it, didn't like it, anything I can improve? I want to hear from you! Reviews and whatnot are welcome always.
Next up: in Loki's word- "THE WAR! Speaking of Loki, expect a scene from "Thor: The Dark World" to be incorporated in here ;D
Sidenote: I just turned 19!
'Til next time, readers.
A/N: I'm curious, how did everyone like the game Injustice: Gods Among Us? Was the game's story good? Have you guys read the comics that dictate how it all led up to Superman's regime?
Tell me what you liked about it.