The flight to Italy got a slight delay due to a little bit of a messup of control tower that nearly caused a crash between two planes about two hours before their planned take off hour, but except setting foot at the Guglielmo Marconi airport in Bologna half an hour later than expected, there were no problems at all with the flight. As they were waiting for their baggages to arrive on the conveyor belt, right beside the exit, suddenly Diana had a random thought running through her mind.
"Steve, can I ask you a question?"
"Uh? Sure, ask away!"
"About a week ago, you said you wanted to ask my mother the permission to marry me. But yesterday you said you didn't want to, that I am more than capable to handle things on my own and make my own decisions. What made you change idea?"
His lips twitched in a short, but gleeful smile. "Not what, but whom. I told you I asked a couple of favors from your family, specifically from your uncle. When I told him I wanted to ask your mother permission to marry you, he said she would never consent, because I asked her and not you. I realized I was being a little too backwards, both for this century and for your mother, that I didn't need her permissione because you're your own person and you can make your own decisions as you think it's best. But I do want her to know her beloved daughter will be treated like the princess she is, and that I will make sure she will be happy, as long as I live."
"Oh… I never thought about this aspect from that point of view. But Hades is right, my mother would never consent to our wedding if you ask her permission. I'm not an object after all. She would never allow you to marry me if you asked her the permission like she owned me."
He nodded. "Exactly. That's what Hades said. You're not an object and while I never thought of you as one, the custom of asking the father of the bride permission to marry his daughter, or in your case asking your mother, does make a wedding look like a sort of trade. And I don't like it one bit."
"Did I remember to tell you that I love you today?" she asked him, playfully. Having spotted both their bags on the belt.
"Not today, but I think you screamed it, yesterday. Just before midnight."
"Oh come on I didn't scream!" she laughed, hard.
"My dear Diana, you certainly did. What can I say, you seem to enjoy sex a lot. If I remember correctly, you weren't exactly silent that night in Veld too." They grabbed their bags and headed for the exit. "Not that I'm complaining."
She gave him a quick and playful slap on the butt. "I certainly hope not!"
They finally walked in the general area of the airport, where people waited for their loved ones or generic people they were supposed to pick up and take anywhere. The airport wasn't massive, so the area wasn't that big, but it was big enough to host a lot of people. "Now what do you have planned?"
"Now we should look for…"
Diana felt an arm wrapping around her shoulders and it wasn't Steve's. "Me?" Came a voice to her left. "Hi Diana, it's finally a pleasure meeting you. And it course it's nice to see you again, Steve."
The tall man behind them had actually hugged them both, one arm each. With long, dark sleek hair pulled back in a ponytail and a long braided beard. By the description Steve had given her, and the voice from from the short phone conversation they had in December, she guessed that man was Hades.
"I suppose you're my Uncle, right?" she asked, a little wary of the whole situation. He sounded nice enough on the phone, but she had no idea he would be so friendly.
"The one and only God of Underworld. But you can call me Hades, or Jack if you prefer using the name I usually go by. My, look at you. You're a splendor, Diana. You remind me so much of your mother… except the colors. Those are all my brother."
She nodded. "Zeus said the same."
"I bet he did. He used to pride himself of his thick dark hair and look at how he walks around now! He's immortal, and he wants to look like he's in his sixties. I get that women these days seem to appreciate a mature lover but still…" he shook his head and smiled. "Anyway, come with me. I've got the car parked just outside and we have a lunch appointment and thanks to that itty bitty issue at the airport, we are kind of running late. Good thing I called to change the time of the reservation."
He led them to the parking lot. As soon as they stepped out of the front door, out of the air conditioned area, they were hit by the hot air of the Italian summer. It was a bit of a shock to both, but while Diana's godly nature allowed to keep going without an issue, Steve seemed a little distressed by the sudden change of climate. "Is it always so hot down here?"
"Steve, it's Bologna. In the middle of August. It can only get worse," replied Hades as they finally reached the car, a bright red Alfa Romeo Giulietta. "Get inside, I'll set the baggages in the trunk."
"Where are we going?" asked Diana.
"Told you, lunch. A little belated, but I know the owner of the restaurant. He's going to keep the restaurant open for a while longer. It's not 2 PM yet after all, and it takes about ten minutes to get there. Hop up, I'm kind of hungry!"
He drove quite conservatively, but his prediction turned out to be true. They reached the center of the city and managed to find a spot in a parking lot close enough to the restaurant in fifteen minutes or so.
"Traffic was easy today. Come, we better hurry."
Much to Diana and Steve's astonishment, he walked with a sense of security in the maze narrow streets sided by porches all over the place as if he knew it by heart, like he was a frequent visitor of that part of town. All they could do was following him and let him be their guide, but Diana felt like there was more than hunger in the speed of his steps. He looked like he couldn't wait to see someone. He was fretting, his steps were longer and faster the closer they got to their destination. And when they finally reached it, he burst through the door like he owned the place, breath shallow and eyes darting all over, looking for something. Or someone.
She threw a hesitant look at Steve, but they followed him. The moment they stepped inside the restaurant they heard a high pitched scream and the noise of a chair being dragged on the floor. "Hades!" someone said, in such a joyful tone Diana felt her heart soar for a moment. "I missed you so much!"
"I missed you too my love… It's so good to see you before September."
There was a woman with long dark hair and piercing blue eyes, she was the only client in the restaurant and she was currently hugging the God of Underworld like her life depended on it.
"Is that who I think she is?" asked Steve as they observed the couple momentarily lost in their own world.
"I…" Diana didn't really know what to say. "I guess she's Persephone."
The woman, in a fleeting moment of attention to someone rather than her husband, finally noticed them as they stared, quite impolitely, and immediately let go of Hades. "By Zeus' thunder Diana!" She stepped away from the god and walked towards them. "Finally I get to meet you!" They shook hands, a warm and comfortable handshake that made Diana feel very welcome, in total contrast of her idea of the Queen of Underworld. "And Steve, my dear Steve Trevor…" She actually hugged him, a hint of longing in her voice. "The Underworld is not the same without you. But it's better to see you here rather than down below."
He was baffled. He didn't really know how to reply to such a warm welcome. "I guess it is…" he murmured, slightly embarrassed.
"Oh, of course, you don't remember! Well, it's better this way. For both of you. Dark and gloomy don't fit neither of you."
She talked so fast and with a voice so full of joy Diana couldn't really believe she was the spouse of the God Of Underworld, but in any case she couldn't really believe said god had a soft spot for Disney movies. Instead there they were so bright and full of life, she could barely believe her eyes. The look in Hades' eyes, so soft and loving as he looked at his wife made her heart melt.
"Well, I guess…"
"Uncle Hades!"
They turned towards the door that led to the back of the restaurant and saw a man in his thirties, wearing black pants, a white shirt and a loosened black tie standing on the doorstep with a wide smile on his face. "Uncle Hades is so good to see you!" He walked towards the older man and hugged him tight. "What kept you so long?"
"Delayed flight, nothing too bad. Hope the kitchen is still open!"
"For you and Aunt Persephone, it always is. Just give me a moment to change. I know I need to keep up the appearances for the sake of the restaurant, but that doesn't count with the family. Hey Diana, nice to meet you. And Steve, right?" he asked. The situation was getting more and more absurd. "I'm Dionysus, welcome to my humble abode. Sit down and check the menu, I'll alert the chef!"
He disappeared once again in the back and Hades turned towards them, chuckling. They must have had a very baffled and stupefied expression stamped on their faces. "Too much?" he asked them. "I'm sorry, but I had little time to organize this thing. You could have called a little earlier, you know?"
"Hey, I have a job too!" replied Steve. "And Diana didn't get the official vacation plan until I called you."
"Anyway, it's not too much," added Diana. "Just unexpected."
He nodded. "I get it, and I'm sorry, but I wanted to see my wife and this was the best chance to do so. And Dionysus has the best restaurant in town, I thought…"
"Stop, Hades," interjected Diana. "It's alright. No need to apologise for anything. Why don't we just sit down and get something to eat and drink? You're not the only one who's starving."
She could barely believe she was having lunch in Italy, in a renowned venue, with her uncle, aunt and half brother.
They ended sitting around the table for hours, enjoying the food and the wine Dionysus, also known as Enea in his normal life, provided from his personal wine cellar, just talking and getting to know each other. Diana couldn't help but feel a slight warm sensation in the pit of her stomach, being surrounded by these legendary people that, for the longest time, she had believed dead and gone. People that had been described to her in a way, then she learned to know in a completely different light when she had read what the ancient myths told about the Gods. Seeing them acting like a big family that rejoiced in each other's company like her sisters Amazons would do back on Themyscira showed them a third, more inspiring point of view on them. On the other side of her family. They were so much different from Ares, there was no will to impose on humanity, they didn't want to be acknowledged as gods, they had no wish to be crowned once again as rulers over their creatures, created at their own image. They actually looked, acted and talked like normal people, not different from the people she had shared the table with less than a day before.
It was both amusing and confusing. But food and wine were great.
"He makes it, you know?" said Persephone hinting at Dionysus, as she poured another glass of wine in her glass. "He's the owner of one of the most important vineyards in Italy."
"And not only Italy!" he added. "I have some in Greece, France. Spain… lately I've expanded my brand and bought a couple of small breweries, upgraded their systems and we produce small scale, locally sourced beer. It's not as remunerative as wine, but it's nice to change scenery, sometimes."
"Hey, you promised me some kegs and they never arrived! I get it, it small scale and locally sourced, but give me something to sell and you'll get some good publicity!"
"Beer is volatile, uncle. The kind they produce wouldn't stand the journey, let me see how the industry goes, then I'll see if I can buy a brewery closer to Metropolis so I can provide fresh beer anytime you need it."
Steve looked completely baffled. "Let me get this straight. You're the God of Winemaking, right?"
Dionysus nodded. "Yes. And many other things. I'm the god of wine and Winemaking, of ecstasy and in small part, fertility. Mostly when it comes to fertility of the soil, but it's actually Aunt Demetra that takes care of that. And Aunt Persephone, in smaller part."
"So you use your special abilities to produce wine and run a restaurant?"
Again, another nod. "What can I say, it's what I love. It's remunerative enough but I don't have to be a constant presence in the vineyards, so I concentrate on this place and have fun with mortals. You like the food?"
The man was incredibly affable and handsome, thought Diana. A youthful kind of handsomeness, completely different from Steve. He was tall and lean, with jet black hair and dark, piercing eyes. He was clean shaven, but his hair could use a haircut. He reminded her a little of Barry without the awkwardness.
"Oh yes, it's great," she replied. "Listen, I don't really want to impose if you have to open tonight."
"Diana, please, you're not imposing at all. Nor is Steve. I like you guys. Also, Uncle Hades couldn't manage to get you here earlier than this, you know, with planes and stuff. It takes nearly eight hours to get from here to Amalfi by car. And trust me, you should take your time going south. And it would be a good idea to stop by Montepulciano, in Tuscany. I know you two live in France, but the wine there is way more than amazing."
"Maybe on the way back?" proposed Steve. "I mean, we wanted to leave as soon as we could."
"I get it. But I wouldn't really try to take the highway today. Way too many people start their vacations today, you don't want to travel today. Take your time, visit the city and leave tomorrow at first light," explained Dionysus. "That way you should find less traffic and you should arrive in Amalfi just in time to eat and then leave. Oh and please, go and visit Uncle Poseidon's restaurant."
"They are kind of forced, he keeps all the documentations they need for the boat. It might be Zeus', but Poseidon keeps it for him."
"Wait a moment…" snapped Diana. "We're going to use Zeus' boat?"
"One of the many," clarified Hades. "What? You don't want to? He rarely uses it anyway, it's better you borrow it and take it out to the sea rather than let it rot in the harbor. My brother… Poseidon I mean, took great care of it and even made sure it is seaworth. You can trust him, he knows his way around boats."
"That's not what I meant, I thought we would rent something or… anyway, no problem. I was just surprised, that's all. Can I ask you all a question?" The three gods nodded. "I gathered that you Dionysus own this place and a large winemaking business. You Hades own a pub and so does Aphrodite, my father deals with energy. But the others? Do they all have a day job like you? And me too, I guess."
"I teach agriculture technology here in Bologna. During spring summer I stay here permanently to help both with lessons and with actual crops. I take care of Dionysus' vineyards for example, or do consulting work. During fall and winter, I come up only when I'm needed."
"Does that ring a bell?" asked Hades.
"Yeah, the myth we were taught in school," replied Steve. "That you kidnapped her, but her mother was so sad that the earth started dying so you came up with the system of six months up here with your mother and six months down with him."
Both Hades and Persephone burst into a fit of hysteric laughter. "Oh Gods… they still teach it that way? I never kidnapped anyone!" snickered Hades.
"Make it he begged me to marry him. And while my mother never really got over it, earth wasn't dying, it was just winter. But yes, I come up here in spring and summer to help earth to bear fruits again, along with my mother, but it's getting harder and harder these days, with all the pollution. But, to answer your question, yes, most of us have day jobs like us, and you."
Hades nodded. "Yep, we still meddle into mortal affairs, only in more… normal ways? Hermes got in IT, communication systems, instant messaging between smartphones and email cryptography for example, but he also does a lot more. Apollo and Artemis recently got in the business of eco sustainability aimed to develop cleaner ways to breed cattle and grow crops, you know… systems powered by solar energy and non intensive breeding farms. Athena is one of the most important law professors in England and often travels around the world for conferences and such. By the way, Aphrodite doesn't really own that pub she just drops by when she wants to. That one is still mine, she just likes to go down there from time to time and have some fun. The rest of us… let me thing."
"Hephaestus is still a blacksmith, right?" asked Dionysus. "Last time I checked, he was still working in Norway."
"Oh, yes, he's still up there, banging steel with his hammer," said Persephone. "I heard he's into high end reproductions of movie props. I'm really not surprised, he's a bit of a geek after all."
"Right. Then let me think… what is Hera doing these days?"
"Civil rights movement for equality between men and women. She's been behind the movement from the very beginning, she still hasn't let it go."
Steve smiled. "I like that!"
"Tough fight, but she's done a lot. Before she started the movement, I spent all winter down in Underworld and while I love my husband with all my heart, it can get a tad too dark for my tastes down there," said Persephone.
"So you chose a line of work close to your previous occupations and roles?" asked Diana.
"Kind of. Most of us did, I… I would have been a highly paid gravedigger, if I had chosen a job close to my role or standard occupation. Getting in the industry of entertainment sounded nice. Owning a pub or two allows me to be close to some people that sometimes need someone that would listen to them without judging them. I like to think that somehow I relieve the load of Underworld a little, preventing some untimely death caused by alcohol poisoning or worse, suicide."
Diana nodded. "You must have seen a lot of people throwing their lives down bottles of liquor."
He sighed. "Or slaughtered in senseless wars like their lives meant less than the soil they were standing on when they died. Sincerely, I hurt every time the Fates send down a soul, because that means someone up above is mourning and grieving for their loss. The only loss I ever had to endure was that one of a choleric nephew who wanted to destroy everything for no reason at all, so I can't compare, but it still hurts, mostly when they were good people. And about Ares, thanks again Diana. He got what he deserved."
"You're welcome," she replied.
"Hey, you alright?" murmured Steve, grabbing her hand and holding it tight.
She gave him a quick nod, and sighed. "Yes just… bad memories. I'm not proud of that night."
"You should be," said Hades.
Dionysus sighed himself and stood. "Anyone wants coffee? I'm going to make coffee." He excused himself and stood from the table.
"What's up with him?" Steve wondered aloud.
"He doesn't like to talk about Ares," explained Persephone. "He was almost killed, back during the war. Ares went to him first, hoped to entice something in Zeus and to force his hand to join him in his deranged plan of purging the world of mankind. It took him decades, if not centuries to get over it. He just doesn't want to talk about it."
A God with PTSD? I guess they're similar to humankind than what I imagined. Thought Diana. "Why should I be proud of it?"
"First because you overcame your doubts and your own insecurities. Second, you didn't allow him to exploit your of grief to turn you into something you're not. Third, you did what a platoon of gods never even got close to achieve. Diana, you're a wonder!" he exclaimed. "You are the best of two worlds that one way or the other failed humanity. We gods disappeared because we had enough. The Amazons, who were brought to life specifically to inspire humankind to be better but all they do is train for a war they will never fight. That's why I say you should be proud of how you behaved that night. Because you went above and beyond any expectation, and you unleashed a power I never thought I would ever see. You hold the power of creation in you, Diana, the rawest, purest form of power there is in this world. You could use it to destroy, to kill and maim and ruthlessly rule. You're more powerful than Superman in many way and yet your self control is so great you managed to kill only a handful of people in your life. Do you have an idea of how many have been killed as collateral damage by Superman, Batman and all the other superheroes? You could have hacked your way through No Man's Land and the German trenches, blood dripping from your sword and drenching your hands but no, you stayed true to your teachings."
"What teachings?" asked Steve.
"Don't kill if you can wound, don't wound if you can subdue. Don't subdue if you can pacify. Don't raise your hand at all until you've extended it," she recited, her voice filled with sadness and longing. "I know. But there were moments when I… when I faltered."
"Who wouldn't?" said Dionysus, coming back with a tray with five cups of espresso. "Diana, you may be a demigoddess born from the fiercest Amazon that ever walked on earth, but you're still human. Your nature, it makes you a caregiver, not a warmonger. Tell me, when you go the hang of what was happening during World War II, when you understood what the Final Solution was going to be, what did you do, uh? Did you go straight for the battlefields, to kill as many Nazis as you could, overloading Uncle Hades' system?"
The God of Underworld chuckled. "You went to the concentration camps, to the ghettos around Germany, Poland and the rest of the area. You smuggled people to Switzerland so they could fly away to the United States and be safe. What did you do, two years ago after Doomsday murdered Clark? You took care of Lois, became her friend and helped her back on her feet. That's your nature, and as long as you follow it, you should be proud of every breath you take."
"He's right, you know? There's so much more in you, you can't even imagine. I can't really wait for you two to have children. I mean… you're going to have the most beautiful babies in the world!"
Steve snorted so hard Diana saw tiny droplets of coffee coming out of his nose. She couldn't really not laugh at both the joke and and his reaction. She grabbed a tissue from a packet in her purse and helped him clean up while he tried to recuperate his dignity, coughing and sputtering.
"See what I mean?" prompted Hades. "I think you're the only person in this deranged world that loves for the sake of love itself. You're not capable of hating, not even if you tried with all your might. You are Wonder Woman, but not because you can do unimaginable things just as easy as you drink a glass of water, but because you are and despite all the grief, the pain and the suffering you've endured, all the crap you have seen going on in this last century alone, you still care, you're still uncorrupted. You managed to change Batman's heart too, and that guy's messed up pretty bad."
She took a deep breath, mulling over their words. Was she really uncorrupted? Was she still really capable of loving for the sake of it? She glanced at Steve, who was smiling lovingly at her, his thumb tracing ghost patterns over the back of her hand. He looked so proud of her, because she knew he thought the same about her and sometimes exposed his admiration in even more hyperbolic words. They all seemed on the same page, when they spoke about her.
"Still undecided about believing us or not?" prodded Hades.
"Kind of. It's tough, you know? It's hard, accepting compliments like these."
He nodded. "I see and I understand. But tell me, would you consider accepting the offer of the best ice cream you can get in town? My treat."
Knowing very well of her weakness towards ice cream, Steve started convulsing on the chair trying to suppress his bout of uncontrollable laughter.
She rolled her eyes and nodded. "I will gladly accept the offer."
The god smiled. "Persephone, lead the way. I can't remember the way to the shop from here, so… lead the way."
True to Hades' words, the ice cream was truly phenomenal.