The clash of gods is here. Diana shall prove herself. That is all. Enjoy :)
Chapter 10: Thunder, Brimstone & Worth
Diana was having…well, the worst day of her life, which was probably an understatement.
Struggling to get up, she could barely see from her bloodstained eyes that the Amazons who had been trapped when the army was divided by the hordes of Tartarus where either knocked unconscious or barely able to fight back against the unending onslaught. She figured that Hades probably had a reason for not killing the Amazons instantly…probably some malicious motion for revenge for how Themyscera had repelled his last attempt of escape and planetary conquest.
A powerful armored foot slammed into her back, forcing Diana down again onto the rocky ground the sudden hit and impact forced her to cough up blood, making her choke slightly. This battle was worse off than when she had faced Thor, especially since she was still recovering from that fight. A flaming hand then grabbed her hair and dragged her up, enticing an anguished scream from the Champion of Amazons.
"Ah, still you persist in trying to delay the inevitable," Hades smirked, his black hair billowing from the harsh hot winds blowing from the gates to the Underworld. "You've lost, Diana of Themyscera; accept your fate…surrender, and I may let you live and keep you as my personal mistress."
"You…would abandon…Lady Persephone-"
"I never said that, Amazon," Hades laughed as he slammed her face once more into the ground. "Now, bow before me and admit-I AM YOUR SUPERIOR."
Wonder Woman, champion of Olympus and founding member of the Justice League, found the strength to raise her blood covered face, stare defiantly back and snarl: "Like Hell I will."
Finding new strength, Diana rushed up, slamming into Hades and once more began punching him viciously in the face, ignoring the roars of the demons around her, the pain coursing through her body, the unyielding war cries of the Amazons-
Until Hades unleashed a powerful blast of fire into Diana's face, enticing more screams and allowing the God of the Underworld to once more take initiative and retaliate by grabbing the Amazon by the throat and slamming her face into his knee.
"I AM YOUR GOD, YOU PATHETIC EXCUSE OF A CHAMPION! NO ONE CAN STOP ME!"
Hippolyta had trained all her immortal life on this island, her and her sisters. They had perfected countless of their strategies and tactics and she was confident of her armies' abilities to face any situation head on without fear and with military precision that was of the code of Amazons.
Seeing the strategies and tactics of this Asgardian…blew her mind.
"You seven, take that left flank!" Thor commanded as he and a squad of Amazons pressed through the throne room of the palace. He had succeeded in leading the Amazons against the onslaught of Hades, his almighty hammer smiting thee infernal hordes and his unheard of-and working-battlefield tactics allowing the Amazons to regain their ground.
"Your Majesty, lead those 10 and maneuver around that group of demons!" Thor turned to Philippus. "You-flank their rear guard with these other 10!"
"I would to better on the vanguard!"
"That was how this happened in the first place, NOW MOVE!"
The Amazon general reluctantly agreed, leading the Amazons to flank Hippolyta and her squadron.
"We are pushing them back, Amazons! Forward, warriors of Themyscera, for today we shall smite our foes and face this threat with the fury of the Valkyrior!"
'What is a Valkyrior?' Hippolyta asked herself.
The Amazons had all but lost the cavern.
Whoever wasn't unconscious or taken prisoner by the demons and skeletons-about 15-saw that all hope was lost, yet they continued to fight on, refusing to surrender to the hordes; but their morale was greatly diminished, faltering as they saw their mighty Princess, their champion, crumble under the might of Hades.
"At last," the lord of Tartarus roared in triumph as he held a decimated and bloody Diana, barely managing to get in any oxygen into her lungs, in his hand. "The mighty Wonder Woman has fallen beneath me! Now, my minions," he added as the demons, spirits and skeletons roared in triumphant frenzy, "there is nothing stopping us from taking this world!"
"HADES!"
Hippolyta and hundreds of Amazons began pouring back through the cavern stairway, pushing back the hordes of the Underworld.
"This is your final chance to abandon this hopeless cause and return to your dominion! Refuse and you will be badly beaten!"
"Please Hippolyta," Hades smirked as his demons swarmed together, preparing for a massive attack. The Amazons prepared themselves, readying for the ensuing bloody battle. Hades then threw the battered and bloody body of Diana at her mother's feet, knowing that the sight would fill her with fear and horror. "Your champion is bloodied and beaten; your gods have abandoned you; your heroes are nowhere nearby to come to your aid. Where is my disadvantage? How, Hippolyta, can you hope to battle a god?"
Hippolyta had always cherished her gods, never forgetting them, always trusting them, for it was only right for everything they had done for her and her people. But seeing Diana at her feet, after going one round with Hades, she was filled with fear and horror…but also anger. And that anger, despite knowing it was not something she should say, rallied her to say these words:
"With a god."
BADABOOM!
Hades was slammed into a fallen pillar by some kind of weapon-a hammer?! That barely registered as he was suddenly bombarded heavily with massive bolts of lightning, coursing through his body, enticing agonizing screams and roars of pain from the God of the Underworld. He realized that this was no normal or regular lightning; that kind would never harm him like this…this lightning-it was celestial.
As Diana slowly began opening her eyes, she heard it, and she began to believe there was hope yet.
She had heard the thunder.
Hades was astonished; walking up to him was a warrior-a warrior unlike any he had seen before, armed with a small hammer and clothed in armor unfamiliar to him. But what set him of the most was the aura he sensed around this warrior. Like his fellow god Ares, Hades automatically recognized this warrior as some kind of god.
"Hear me, Hades," the warrior snarled. "I am Thor Odinson, God of Thunder and Prince of Asgard. But today, above all that, I am an Avenger, a protector, and now, I am this planet's guardian. To your attempt to take this world, I say thee…NAY!"
Thor slammed Mjolnir across Hades' face, sending the god right into his armies. The demons and skeletons of Tartarus immediately swarmed against the Asgardian, making to strike with all their infernal weapons. Thor simply smirked and with a yell, slammed Mjolnir into the ground, sending out massive shockwaves all around. Luckily, the Amazons had prepared for this and had all jumped high as they could in co-ordinance, Hippolyta grabbing Diana. They demons fell back and the skeletons crumbled into dust, effectively out of the game. Then Thor aimed his hammer at the gates, and send lightning bolts flying right at it, forcing the escaping hordes back, keeping them at back; then he aimed at the cavern ceiling above, the bolts breaking off massive chunks and sending them cascading onto the gates, sealing them temporarily.
"AMAZON, TO THE DEMONS-SMITE THEM WERE THEY STAND!" the Asgardian roared as he charged the Greek god once more. "I SHALL DEAL WITH HADES!"
"You amuse me, warrior," Hades roared as he fired another blast of infernal flame at the Thunder God. "I saw your battle with the Amazon, how you almost felled her before she resorted to trickery to capture you. I had assumed you were of some forgotten warrior race or some powerful champion from the stars-but you have the aura of gods! Never have I ever had the prospect of fighting such a powerful opponent as you!"
"You talk too much, demon," Thor roared as he whirled his hammer to dispel the infernal flames. "Show me your mettle is as mighty as the Amazons say!"
Diana saw the two gods clash as her sisters and mother battled the hordes of the Underworld. She could feel that her divine healing was beginning to heal her wounds and bruises, but she was nowhere near able to once more join the battle once more. But she couldn't remain this way, helpless and unable to do anything…she was a warrior born, and she needed to be in the action. At the moment, her mother had placed her by the cavern entrance to heal while she and her armies battled against the demons and creatures. But Diana, she was not to just stand by and do nothing. She had to do something, and so she began to start-painfully-getting back up.
Hades punched Thor into the ground, who retaliated with a swift and powerful kick into his throat, sending him flying into the cavern ceiling. Another blast of lightning hit the Greek god square in the chest, sending him falling face flat into the ground.
"I recommend," Thor snarled as he walked over to Hades, "you stand down-"
Hades rushed the Norse god, forcing him to drop Mjolnir, slamming him into the cavern wall and began repeatedly punching him in the face and stomach. "You DARE strike a God of Olympus?! I, who shall never meet death and shall always, be the final holder of life in this universe!? I AM HADES, GOD OF THE UNDERWORLD, AND ALL SHALL FALL BEFORE ME! ALL SHALL-"
"You sound like my brother Loki," Thor remarked as he grabbed Hades' fists with his own hands, his own face partially bruised and bloody. "He happens to lose every time he attempts to best me, demon god." With a brutal head butt, the Asgardian hit the Lord of the Underworld badly on the forehead, sending Hades staggering a few steps back, dizzy and eyes watering. "And in case you're wondering, I don't need my hammer to best you, evil one." With that, Thor began punching the Greek God of the Underworld, mercilessly throwing punch after punch against this god who would try to enslave humanity. But Hades, being a god, was on par with Thor in strength levels, and began brutally fighting back. Within minutes, the echoing booms of the battling gods roared across the cavern.
Meanwhile, Hippolyta and the Amazons were managing to succeed in beating back the demons and creatures Tartarus, especially since the numbers weren't as bad to deal with. Thor had smote all of the creatures that had managed to get to the surface, and the gates had been temporarily blocked by Thor's assault. But it was only temporary, and the demons behind the other side of the gates were slowly breaking through the stone blocking the gate. Sooner or later, they'd break free and they'd be back at square one, unless Thor could defeat Hades.
Speaking of which…
The Amazons were scattered as Thor was thrown into their ranks, the wind knocked out of him, followed by Hades slamming into him, making a crater in the ground, his hands ablaze with infernal fires.
"Amazons, help Thor!" Hippolyta roared as she charged at the Greek god, soon followed by a good number of Amazon warriors. They were flies to Hades, and with a surge of brimstone and fire, they were sent flying backwards, straight into the arms of the god's armies. With a powerful blast of flame, Hades destroyed the rock blocking the gates, allowing his armies to pass uninterrupted once more. Hades then grabbed Thor's throat and started squeezing. At that, the Asgardian began fiercely punching the Greek god's face, mustering all his strength while realizing that this god was attempting to choke him. Hades merely laughed and spewed flames from his mouth, enticing a roar of pain from the Asgardian.
"After I destroy you, god-like creature, I will burn this island to the ground, and slaughter the Amazons one by one, personally. Wonder Woman will witness it all, to her mother's own death and then only then will I end her misery. Then I will take this world by storm-"
"NOT WILL I STILL DRAW BREATH, HADES!" Diana roared as she jumped onto his back and plunged a sword through his spine, at which the god of the underworld roared in pain. With this distraction, Thor escaped Hades' grasp and landed a devastating uppercut to his chin, sending him flying into his armies. Thor was just about to summon Mjolnir back to his hand when he got a good look at Diana.
She was barely able to keep herself standing, and her arm was bathed in blood. Her armor was falling apart and her legs had multiple gashes lined across them. Thor could instantly tell that Diana could not hope to get into this fight, but she refused to let herself stay out of the battle.
"Wonder Woman, you must stand down! You cannot hope to make it through this-"
"He attacked my people and threatens my world, a world I have sworn to protect with my life! I refuse to stand by and be denied the right to-" Diana was suddenly slammed into the ground by demons tackling her, enraged at what she had done to their lord. The pain she was already experiencing and the new pain attacking proved too much for her, and she collapsed, screaming in anguish.
Thor made to rush to her, but was cut off by a billowing blast of infernal flame and Hades jumped right onto the Amazon, kicking her mercilessly, her sword in his hand, dripping his blood.
"YOU DARE TO STRIKE ME, DIANA OF THEMYSCERA?!"
"HAVE AT THEE, HADES!" Thor roared as he tackled the Greek god, but Hades whacked him with Diana's limp body, and tossing her aside he jumped back onto Thor, and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him up, his armies screaming and roaring in delight.
"You have proven to be a worthy foe, warrior," Hades snarled as he slammed Thor onto the ground. "But here, I am the superior one." He picked him up and turned him so his back was to him, and grabbed his arms and began pulling, enticing screams from Thor. Hades was trying to rip his arms off. "You were foolish to stand against me, and now you shall pay for your mistakes in full!"
Diana barely managed to look up with her bloody and marred face, one eye swollen, at Thor screams. He was indeed truly powerful, but Hades was just as powerful, and now he had the upper hand. Diana could see the Amazons battling futilely against the now thousands of unending hordes of Hades' armies. She had to do something, but she…was so tired, so weak, and she could never hope to stand against Hades, even in her prime. This was truly a lost cause, they were beaten…
No, she realized. I am Diana of Themyscera, and I am Amazon. We never surrender and we will fight until the end; my end is not yet here, and I shall continue fighting.
These words echoed over and over in her mind as she struggled desperately to stand up. Hades saw this and laughed.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You still think you can try to best me, Diana? I have beaten you and I will make you watch as everything you hold dear burns!"
"No Hades," Diana managed to spurt out, blood soaking from her lips, still trying to get up. "I will never stand down. I will fight forevermore, because that is my cause-to …champion this world, and I will n-never stop-" she faltered slightly and in balancing herself, she grabbed the handle of a nearby weapon- "until I defeat you…I…I-I am Princess Diana of Themyscera, C-Champion of Olympus and a hero of…the Justice League…! I will…not-not…I will…not…be DENIED!"
Mustering the last bit of strength she had left, Wonder Woman pick up the weapon she had grasped and stood up.
What happened next would forever be retold in Amazon lore.
A fresh, divine surge of newfound strength flowed through Diana as the cavern was suddenly filled with the booms of thunder and dancing flashes of lightning. The Amazons & infernal hordes stopped their fighting to gaze at this spectacle. Hades stood flabbergasted, utterly shocked at what was happening before him, forgetting his hold on Thor. And Thor himself, he could only stare in awe and wonder, muttering the words, "Odin's eye…"
Diana was shocked at what was happening, and only by turning her head to her hand did she realize what was going on.
In her hand was Mjolnir, the divine & mighty weapon of Thor Odinson.
And there were new words on its side.
Whosoever holds this hammer, if he or she be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.
Instantly a lightning bolt consumed her, unlike in her battle with Thor, this bolt revitalized her, restoring her armor and strength. Best of all, Diana now sensed that thunder and lightning now bent to her will.
"Ok, Hades," she yelled. "Now you shall face the power of an Amazon's unadulterated rage! For Themyscera!"
XXXXXXXXXX-A/N-XXXXXXXXXX
Well, what did you think? Like, didn't like, etc...you all know the drill.
Now, didn't I say to all you folks you say Diana is indeed worthy that you'd be happy in the long run? I did tell you ;)
How're you guys liking the story so far? Tell me, please! Soon, it shall be over, and the sequel shall come.
Next chapter: the might of an Amazon & Asgardian unleashed. Until next time readers.