Disclaimers :: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N :: Still un-Beta ;w;b This chapter contains possibly extreme violence and strong language. Please do not try it at home! Or in front of your parents!
Looked like a lot of people skipped the last chapter because of the warning LOL Sorry ;w; But Don't worry, not much of Amazonian coupling anymore than this, I believe.

To the chapter!

Chapter 7 :: What Lies Beneath

It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.
-William Blake

She remembered the stars were so bright that night of her fifteenth birthday. Lysandra was sitting on a thin blanket with a basket of fresh strawberries in her lap. She was by the edge of her favorite cliff, enjoying the night breeze of Midsummer's eve. Looking out at the dark sea. Thinking about the life outside, the life she could have lived, the people she could have met and knew, if her mother was still alive. Or if she never left Man's world.

She learned things about outside the island with Artemis in Afternoon sessions, Temple of Athena provided them with grand knowlegde, about a live of normal people on the main land. How they didn't have to learn the way of swords and shields anymore. How to notch the arrow, to hunt for a game. How modern technology worked. As if she would one day needed it.

And with all the things she'd learned it made her wonder what it would feel like to have a father.

To have someone, a man giving you endlessly without asking you back for anything. It was different kind of bond you had with a mother, who carried you for months before you were born. It was only natural for her to love you, since you shared blood and food and everything else together for 9 months. You were her flesh and blood, you were part of her.

But for a man, to feel just same for you, to be there for you and protect you from all the harms. To have a man, telling about how you needed to go to bed early and you were not allowed to play with sharp objects and fussing at you when you only ate strawberries for dinner. And the next minute he would tell you that you are beautiful even you woke up with a bad hair day, or encourage you to be yourself even sometimes what you did was something stupid that he would yell at you later. But he did all those because he cared. He would want what best for you, always.

That kind of bond she never had. Because she'd lived on a remote island full of female warriors. There was no man.

She tried to recall the words from her mother about the man she loved, Her father.

Apparently he'd also lived a complicated life. She felt bad for frequently hating him. She knew that it wasn't fair for him to be hated by her, a daughter he never knew existed. But she did, when her mother was gone, she blamed him for not rescuing her. She hated him when she was all alone in the medical wings after injured herself so badly at training. She hated him for being a reason of her weakness. his blood in her veins made her weaker than other Amazons. She also hated him everytime she realized he was never at fault for anything. And she hated herself for blaming him with no reason. When she knew it was her own fault.

Even with all the facts, she hated him still.

Despair was about to sink her down in the bottomless pit. When Artemis came and gestured Lysandra to make room for her to sit.

She wanted to tell her mentor to sod off and leave her be. It was after all, her birthday and she deserved sometimes without hearing Artemis's voice resonated in her head, telling her to do another drill. But she was too tired. Whatever it was that Artemis wanted, Artemis always got it. So why would she waste time and energy now? Lysandra just clicked her tongue and slid to her side, letting the redhead settled next to her.

But moments passed and Artemis still said nothing, she just sat there looking out to dark color of the ocean. Instead Lysandra was the one who couldn't stand itchy urge to know what Artemis was thinking. So she spoke.

"….So?"

"So what?" Her voice was clearly annoyed, Lysandra scowl at her tone. She should be one who was annoyed! She was the one Artemis interrupted her self-drowning-in-sorrow time. Lysandra clicked her tongue again.

"What do you want, Artemis?"

"Why would I want anything? Couldn't it possibly be that I just want to enjoy the stars and the night wind and maybe my favorite student?"

Lysandra snorted at her words. "Artemis, are you drunk?" Intoxication was probably the only possibility, Lysandra remembered how Artemis would started singing some weird song about how to decapitate monsters after many jars of wine were drained at Dionysus Festival. The thought made her chuckle a bit. It was funny to think of Artemis's horrid expression the next day when she found out what had happened.

"Shut up, brat….and just enjoy the moment…..it's been a long day" Artemis elbowed her lightly after she saw Lysandra's expression before stretched her arms before let it sat next to her body as she leaned back.

And It was indeed a long day. They started morning train early, Lysandra went through group session twice, just to amused herself when she blindfold the second time. Knocking people with her fists, feet, knees and elbows. She also bruised herself several places because of that. They skipped the afternoon study in Athena temple and Lysandra sparred with Epione instead. Though Epione reluctantly did it while fussing about the bruises on her face. After that she went to archery range, practice her aim for few hours. She went to her mother temple after dinner, Spent hours, just sat next to the foot of her stone before came here.

But curiosity killed the cat they say.

"Come on, Artemis…..it's not like you to be wasting time sitting at a cliff and looking at the stars and sea. I've known you for years….."

"Tsk!" It was Artemis who clicked her tongue this time as she tosses something in her strawberries basket, it was wrapped in maroon cloth. Lysandra looked down and then looked back up at the redhead amazon who pretend to look out in the dark sea again.

Lysandra unwrapped the object in her lap, revealing the slick surface and narrow blade, the point was needle like sharp. The hilt was decorated with several small red jewels. It gleamed in the moonlight as she held it in her hand. It was light as she swung and twirled it in her hand.

Lysandra looked back at her teacher. "Artemis…..are you giving me a gift?…." She must be intoxicated.

Her mentor didn't answer. So she pressed harder. "Why?"

"Because, Princess…." Artemis turned, her green eyes was gleaming like jade. "…someday you will need it to protect yourself"

"You know that I know hand-to-hand fighting, you taught me yourself"

"This is not just a dagger, kid. It's made of Adamant. It will cut through anything even though the gods' skins" Artemis quibbled.

"And why would I need something like that? I can't even get out of this forsaken island…."

"Because, brat…..you have a habit of pissing people off, including the gods"

"True"

And they both laughed. Lysandra felt warm and safe when she gripped the hilt of that dagger. And when she felt Artemis's body shook from laughter. She knew Artemis always cared for her, in a weird way but still.

Maybe she didn't need a man for a father, Maybe Artemis was more of a Father to her than anyone ever could

So when she saw what went on two years later, in her mother's temple. She felt those feelings were ripped away from her. Her heart pounded so hard she felt it might have slammed against her ribcages.

Two people that she felt ever cared for her, her entire life. Were there, one battered and bloodily laid on the floor. Another was just as bad, with sacred object that wasn't supposed to be there in her hand, it glowed guiltily in the darkness around them.

"….Artemis?...What have you done?!"

Lysandra shouted and ran to Selia's unmoving body that laying by the foot of her mother statue. The blood was gushing from her head wound. She was unconscious. Something inside her ticked, even with she injured herself all the time but she had never seen so much blood. It stained her hands and her clothes but she didn't care...

"We don't have time for this. You must leave now!" The redhead grabbed Lysandra's arm and yanked her away from Selia, her expression was serious, almost panic. The young princess shoved her off.

"I am not going anywhere with you!" She screamed as she hooked Selia's arm over her shoulder and tried to help her up. All of the sudden, Selia stirred.

"Princess….what?" The brown hair amazon blinked for a few minutes, she looked like she was in a daze until she saw Artemis who stood nearby with horrid expression.

"….. YOU!" Selia shouted at Artemis as she tried to not to stagger. She pointed angrily at the redhead "You traitor! You are the thief!"

"What?!"

And then Lysandra saw everything in slow motion, Selia threw herself at Artemis. Their limps tangled as both tried to fend for themselves. The crystal orb dropped from her hand on the marble floor before rolling to Lysandra's feet who was still shocked and stood frozen.

"Princess! Take the crystal and go! GO NOW! I WILL HOLD HER OFF! GO!"

Lysandra snapped her mind out of the daze when she heard Selia's screamed, she grabbed the crystal orb, it warmed up in her hand and for the third time that night, she ran without looking back.

Her heart pounded hard as she ran as fast as she could, ignoring the aching in her legs. She didn't know where to go but she just ran. She didn't want to stop, she had this feeling that if she did, all her emotions would burst out of her.

Artemis? Her teacher?

Why would Artemis wanted the feather of Hermes? Why did she attack Selia?

Feather of Hermes had ability to open the gate. There was only one gate which supposedly sealed off and heavily guarded. The gate to Underworld!

But why would Artemis want to open it?

Why? Why? Why?

Lysandra just didn't know she could really handle all the answers. But her mind was still racing in thought as well as her legs still moving. She needed to go somewhere and let someone know about this. In any case that Selia…

No! Even though Artemis was much stronger than her, But Selia was also a royal guard she should be able to hold her fort. In the mean time she needed t.…

"Princess!"

Familiar voice of Epione called her out before the feeling of a pair hands were pressed to her bare forearms, stopping her, Epione who was in her guard armors, her sword and daggers dangling from her belt, holding her helmet between her arm. Her hands were warm and suddenly Lysandra felt safe and secured again. But she was out of breath from running, Lysandra didn't even know where she was until she blinked and looked around herself, she almost reached the hallway before the queen's private chamber.

"Epione?" She said in a daze voice.

"Great Gaia! Are you hurt?!" Honey color eyes of Epione bore down on her, making her to look back at herself. Her chiton was torn in several places, and blood stains on it. She was still clutching the crystal orb. Lysandra instinctively hid it behind her. Not that Epione was in the mind to notice what was in her hand, she was fussing over the blood on Lysandra.

"It's not mine….It's Selia's" She said as if she was in a trance of thoughts. She still wasn't sure what just happened.

"…..Selia's?"

Epione's voice seemed to fade into the background as her hands touched her cheeks tenderly. Lysandra almost forgot the fight they just had not long ago. She almost didn't mind the warmness that patted her caringly, she knew it then wouldn't be fair to Epione after this, when all Lysandra did now was leading her to think it was alright to touch her that way, to show her that love. But Lysandra didn't care then. She just wanted - needed those touches right now. To reassured her, there was a safe place somewhere still, that she could still count on someone. And she would take what she could get.

And it worked, her mind, even though still racing as the same pace of her heart beats. But it was easier for Lysandra to concentrate now. And something wasn't right in the picture.

Selia's blood.
Selia was hurted by Artemis.
Artemis tried to steal Feather of Hermes.
Feather of Hermes had ability to open any gates and dimensions.
It just didn't make any sense. She knew something was missing. But what was it?

"Princess!...By the gods are you listening to me?" Epione's voice caught her back. but she didn't know what Epione was saying. she could only even her breathing and reply.

"…I, I'm good. I am not hurt but I need to speak to the queen….." Lysandra gripped the crystal ball harder in her palm. There was something, didn't make sense in all of these. And whatever it was, the Queen should know what was going on. She was the one who knew both Selia and Artemis best. Not that Lysandra wanted to run to her for help but this was not the time to be insolent about things. The sacred item was stolen, someone….that might be her mentor was trying to open some kind of gate, possibly gate to underworld. And this was not a small matter.

Lysandra needed to believe in her instinct. And deep in her soul she believed that Artemis was not a thief.

"Oh, no….that won't be necessary….." The voice called out made both of them turned.

Selia stepped casually into hallway. Her chiton was stained red with blood, so as her hands. The wound on her head seem to stop bleeding but the gash was still opened. There're bruises on her face. And several cuts on her skin. Her face was painted with menace expression. She said coolly "…..I've taken care of the nuisance…..now back to my main business..."

"Selia, what did you do to Artemis?" Lysandra's heart sank. when she notice the amount of blood in Selia's hand.

"Somewhere nice and quiet..." Her smiled twisted as she answered.

"Selia! Are y…!"

But Epione didn't have a chance to finish. Selia waved her hand and with unseen forces, both her and Lysandra was hit hard in the guts. Sent them flying across the hall, slammed into the wall. Lysandra felt her head banged against the hard surface. And her body crashed down hard. The crystal ball flew out of her hand. In the corner of her eyes she saw Epione hit the wall before slump to the ground. She tasted blood in her mouth and vision starting to turn red from the blood that seeped from her gash. Lysandra tried to get back on her feet but she felt like her whole body was broken and she couldn't move. Her breath caught when she saw the blood stained sandals in her view. Before feeling the grab at the back of her neck, lifting her whole body from the floor. Selia's dark eyes bored down into her blue ones. She twisted her lips into a smile. Before slammed her fist to Lysandra's face. Her ears rang as an impact and she saw stars.

"I always wanted to do that….and more" Selia said before shoved Lysandra's face to the nearest wall, her body pressed to Lysandra's back. She whispered. "You have no idea how much I hate your whining about your pathetic little life…."

"….Selia…why…..?" Her heart cracked as the same as her body. She didn't know which one hurt more. The tear that she never shed for years formed behind her eyes.

"…..Because I hate you and your face…..yes your pretty face that look just like your mother….I hate her too by the way" Selia hissed in her ears. "And I stuck on this pathetic island as a stupid Amazon for years. YEARS! ... Because the gods wanted to keep your sorry life safer. As if they could do it!" She smashed Lysandra's face into the wall again. the marble started to crack from the impact "…And you were just….so stubborn! Too stubborn to die! Ugh! I even poked those angry Amazons to assault you, pushed you off into a stupid cave and you still live!...why can't you just die? huh? And my job will be MUCH easier…So I don't have to pretend to pampered a brat like you….."

"….S….elia…."

Lysandra tried to form the words out of her but her throat wouldn't let her as the realization hit her there. It assaulted her with such force, it pained her more than her physical body.

All those times, it was Selia, she was the one who gave the Amazons the idea of hatred. She was the one who pushed her into that stupid hole. And Lysandra bet there were probably more of those near-death incidents in her life, caused by Selia.

And those misfortunes she had ran in….She'd blamed the Fates. She was deadly wrong.

Selia'd hated her. Those words of comfort were lies she told as if it was just a breeze from her mouth.

And she almost believed Selia about Artemis, Almost. But it was probably too late now.

Artemis….was probably…..

"Stop calling me that stupid name! ugh…" She screamed in her ear and brought her back a little. She slammed Lysandra face to the wall again. Pain erupted in her as her hand tried to pry Selia's grab off but her consciousness was slipping away.

"…My name is Eris, you pathetic mortal…"

Another hit against the hard wall. Lysandra heard her skull cracked and the blackness consumed her whole.

Lysandra blinked when she opened her eyes. It wasn't night, instead the sun shone down on her. She wasn't in the hallway near the queen's quarter. But on the ledge of her favorite cliff. Looking down at the strong waves hitting the sharp rocks down below. There was no pain, just the calmness that the air brought her.

She felt at ease as she inhaled deeply, taking in the fresh scent of the sea.

"I never thought you would like this kind of place"

The familiar voice came from beside her, Lysandra turned so quick she almost slipped off the ledge.

"…mother?"

Her mother stood there, smiling at her.

"Why yes, my love….." She said with a kind smile before put her arm around her shoulder. The golden tiara gleamed in the sun on her forehead, so as a pair of silver bracelets on her wrists. She was in a red bustier, across her chest was golden eagle chest plate and her star-spangled super short bottom revealed her long legs in a red and white boots. Lysandra remembered this outfit. It was Wonder Woman's.

Then Lysandra remembered.

She remembered running with Hermes's feather in her hand from Artemis and Selia, then Selia showed up tossed her and Epione around before telling her, she had tried countless time to kill Lysandra, that she'd hated her so, that all her kind words were lies and Selia wasn't her name. it was Eris…. Familiar name…but something just blocked her mind from remember it.

"Am I dead?...or something…?" Lysandra asked, her voice trailed off before ending the sentence.

"Oh, no baby. You are not…." She smiled warmly. Lysandra stared at her.

"Am I dreaming then?" Even if it was, Lysandra didn't care then….Her mother was there. Her touch was warm, it felt so real to her.

"Not quite….." Her mother still smiled warmly. She looked just like eleven years ago, just like that last day without the tears on her beautiful face. Her blue eyes were bright and comforting. Her touch was warm. Lysandra just stood there, didn't know that to do.

"…we don't have much time…" She moved behind Lysandra, who still stood by the edge of the cliff. The wind patted her skin. If this was a dream, it was too real. Her heart cringed, she couldn't take it.

"…mother, I….." She tried to speak but Diana hushed her.

"It's ok, my little star. I know….that you are strong. You will be alright. Don't let heartbreaks cloud you, Everything has beginning and the end…."

"But mother…..I can't. All of the things that happened today….The queen…"

"Grandmother…" Diana corrected.

"Fine! Grandmother….and Epione then Selia, now I don't even know Artemis's still alive…I just, I don't know anything is real anymore. How can I believe in anything when I cannot trust in something or someone at all?"

"You can, My little star" She said and hugged Lysandra from behind. "When there's nothing left for you to count on ….you can trust yourself"

"But how do I know if I was right?" Lysandra argued. Diana giggled a bit by her ear as she pressed closer.

"Maybe you might be wrong but it's ok, everyone makes mistakes and we learns from them"

Her mother's body was warm, so as her gentle voice. She missed these, all of these. She missed her so much. Her eyes ached from holding the tears, she didn't want to cry now. Not in front of her mother, after all these years. Even this was just a dream. She never dreamed of her. She wished she could but she never did. Only memories but never a dream.

She lifted her hand up to touch her mother's arm that draped around her. It felt real. And she didn't care if all of this was just something in her head. She didn't want it to end. Not yet.

"…Don't be silly, my little star….of course you must head back soon. I'm just here to remind you to Not to lose your way…." She said as if she read her mind. Lysandra gripped her arm harder.

"Mother….please stay with me, I…..I can't…." She didn't know if she could let go again, she didn't want to. Her heart was tearing up.

"Yes, sweetheart. You can. You must" Her mother released her and turned Lysandra's body around to face her. Their blue eyes met. She brushed the hair out of Lysandra's face with a smile "…you look so much like your father….." her face sadden then. Her hands moved to her shoulder and pulled Lysandra out within her arm length.

"…My little star. Remember, Do not be afraid…."

And with a hard push, Lysandra fell backward off the high cliff, arms spread out trying to reach for her mother, eyes widen in shock.

She fell...

And fell...

And fell...into nothingness.

The last thing she saw was her mother, smiling through tears.

This time when Lysandra woke from a scream she knew wasn't her own, she was in darkness. There was no sun and wind to comfort her. Her mother was gone, again.

Her vision blurred, it was the smell that brought the attention to her. She remembered it well. That rotten smell of souls that reeked out from the forbidden gate of Underworld. She was here only once before with Artemis when she was twelve. Her mentor had showed her that The Amazons was tasked to guard the Door to Hades as atonement from wars. Also the reason why her mother was exiled the first time. Because she bought men on the island, to help the amazons. Not far from the Gate, sat the feather of Hermes on a broken ruin. It glowed vividly.

The pain awaited for her when she stirred. Her whole body screamed right back when she tried to move even slightly. Her head throbbed with pain and she could feel her mouth split and swollen, tasting of her own blood. She knew her cheek was pressed to the floor. Her vision came to focus slowly, seeing those blood stained sandals right front of her.

"Oh! The Princess decided to wake from her beauty sleep!" Familiar voiced called and she felt a hand around the back of her neck and a minute later she was yanked up from the floor. Her body limped away as she was tossed to sit on her knees. Same hand yanked her hair back and Selia…..or whatever her name was's face came into view. Her throat hurt when she tried to speak so she glared at the woman instead.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk…..such manners. But to be expected from a mongrel….Don't you agree, Artemis?" Lysandra's mind caught up at her words before her eyes tried to search for her teacher.

Artemis was slumped on the floor, bloody and battered. There were cuts on her face, on her arms and her legs. Her hand was pressed to her torso, trying to stop the blood from gushing out. Her breathing wasn't very strong.

Not far from her, Epione. Sprawled on her back, her weapons was nowhere to be found, She was trying to get up though not as bad as Artemis, Lysandra could see her face was cut several places. She wanted to shout and asked them if they were alright but in her situation at the moment, she knew that she was probably in worse shape than both of them, considering that she could not even get up on her own.

But, Artemis and Epione were both alive.

"You need to kneel in the presence of Goddess like me you mutt!" She spat at Lysandra before kicked her in the torso. Lysandra tried not to let her cry from the pain went out to satisfy her assaulter.

Goddess? She tried to collected her thought with her brain though the pain.

Eris?...a Goddess….She heard this before from her lesson, about the judgment of Paris, the fall of Greeks and the rise of Romans…the golden Apple of Discord…

"Hah! Finally know who I am, you mongrel?" The gripped in her hair tightened. Lysandra flashed her a fierce glare.

"Why….?" Lysandra hissed. That was all she could manage. Her body still need time to heal, she needed to prolong it.

"…Because, The time for revolution has come. And my Lord King shall rule this mortal plane but before that we need to get him out of the pit hole first…" The goddess said with a twisted smile. Lysandra still didn't get what she said. Eris seemed to notice so she continued "Well, to enlighten you before I kill you….let me tell you a story….it began long long time ago when Troy fell to its destruction….And let me tell you that was my brilliant handiwork!...only take an apple!"

Eris tossed her backward and Lysandra hit the hard ground. She didn't seem to pay no mind as she continue talking

"Those dumb Olympians always blamed each other and civil wars between them was almost the only way to distract them from seeing what I was trying to do. My lord king almost be able to get out that time, But Athena took notice so she and Hades took a temporary truce and decided the gate to Tartarus need to be revision…ugh now instead of one. I have to break seven seals before get to my lord!" Her voice seemed annoyed. She paced back and forth in front of the Gate.

Lysandra gritted her teeth. Remembering the time when she climbed the hole with broken leg. I will not fear pain. She told herself. If she wanted to survive she needed her body to move.

I will not fear pain. She screamed in her mind.

I will not fear pain! She tried to move first from her finger. Then her arms. Then her legs. The pain exploded in her body. She almost cried but she kept telling herself. I will not fear pain.

Move. You must get up. She hissed as she looked over to Eris who still talking. Ignoring the pain, Lysandra tried hard to crawl over to Artemis who still slump on the floor. At the same time Epione did the same.

"…..I'd probably succeed if Hades got out from Tartarus but your stupid mother and her friends shut him back! Ugh! Do you know how much work I have to put in that? Teaching Felix Faust and got him the Amulet of Medusa… then your mother decided to miss home and came back!...What a annoying bunch of mortal freaks!…."

"…..Lysandra…are you alright?" Epione whispered when both succeeded to get to Artemis. Lysandra nodded, tried not to pant hard.

"It will take a little time to heal my body but it is better now than when I woke up" She grunted quietly as she answered.

"Princess…." Artemis called. She seemed to be in worse shape from before, her wound was deep and still gushing blood. "Do you still have that dagger I gave you?..."

Lysandra blinked and moved her hand to her right thigh. Where she always strapped Artemis's gift there. It never left her side, ever. Only time was when she bathed. When her finger touched the leather sheath, Lysandra suddenly felt flush of energy inside her. Her pain seemed to be lessened and her vision became much clearer. She knew that this dagger, didn't have any mystical power to do those to her body but it did her mentally. She didn't seem to feel helpless anymore. It secured the knowledge that she was be able to fight. Now, she only needed her body to be able to move and use it.

Lysandra met Artemis's green eyes and nodded.

"….good. You need to get out of here…"

Lysandra scowled at Artemis's words. "No. We need to get out of here"

"No, Princess.….The feather is only good for one person. And Eris is not just a second rate goddess, she is the goddess of Discord, daughter of Ares. Only three of us won't be able to defeat her…we need reinforcements" Artemis said in a low voice, eyeing Eris who was now examining the crystal orb without touching it.

"But the amazons hated me! They won't listen to me" Lysandra forced herself not to scream at the remarks. "And I thought that feather was supposed to be for opening the gate?"

"Just go to the queen, she'll know. And it's a false information in case something like this happened…." Artemis hissed under her breathe "….Epione and I will distract her, one of us will get that crystal for you. Your dagger is the only thing that could cut through it…..When it breaks, just think of the queen's chamber…." She pulsed and tried to sit up and turned to Epione "…Epione, do you think you can do this?..."

Epione's honey color eyes looked at Lysandra's blue ones. Holding the gaze as she answered "….Yes, Artemis…"

"You do know what this mean, don't you?" Artemis asked again. Epione didn't look at her, instead still locked her eyes with Lysandra. Something flickered in those ember eyes.

When she broke the eye contact with the young princess, Epione replied with raspy voice "…..Yes…."

"What are you two talking about?" Lysandra frowned. "And I'm not even agreeing to any of this yet"

"We don't need your approval, Princess…." Artemis said without looking at her, she eyed the goddess who didn't pay any mind to them. Her green eyes shone like emerald flame. "…And believe it or not you are not the only one who can piss off the gods…."

She turned to Epione "Ready?"

Lysandra opened her mouth. But as soon as Epione nodded her head in reply. Artemis took a deep breath and struggle to her feet with help of Epione, and she shouted loudly to the goddess.

"You don't know how that thing work, do you?"

Eris narrowed her dark eyes at them. "…..And you do?"

"Of course, I am its keeper for years" The redhead amazon answered, Lysandra noticed the knives in Artemis's hand as she passed one to Epione behind their backs while talking to Eris. "…..Before I told you how, I just wanted to know….Who is your Lord King?"

Lysandra's eyes widen at her question. Why would Artemis want to know that know? Is it just a distraction strategy? She didn't think Eris would be that stupid to actually answer. But Lysandra watched the goddess carefully as her face twisted into a smile.

"…..who else would that be?….The eldest King of the god" Oh….maybe she was.

"…..Kronus….." Artemis hissed grudgingly.

"Now, tell me how do I open the gate to Tartarus?…." Eris eyes Artemis dangerously.

The redhead Amazon chuckled, her body shook a little. She nodded at Epione before answered "…..Like this!"

And Both Artemis and Epione hurled themselves into the goddess who tumbled backward in surprised. She screamed as the knife in Artemis's hand pierced into the flesh of her palm while Epione grabbed the crystal ball and shout to Lysandra "Princess, catch!"

And she caught it. The orb illuminated brighter in her hand. Lysandra bit her lip as she put the crystal on the ground in front of her and unsheathed dagger. But something stopped her from doing it she had a bad feeling about all of this

"You trickster whores!" Eris's scream pierced though the air. She wailed as Epione stabbed her knife into her other hand, now both of them were pinned on the ground.

"I thought you are the trickster here….Even you are a goddess, but you took a mortal form to stay on this island undetected…. Now you shall join us in a club of mortal pain, you bitch!" Artemis laughed in her face as her and Epione pinned her struggling body down.

"I WILL KILL YOU! HOW DARE YOU POMPOUS LITTLE SHIT!"

"LYSANDRA! DO IT NOW!" Artemis shouted back to her, who still hesitated. The princess held the dagger in her hand. "DO IT NOW OR WE ALL DIE!"

"YOU MONGREL WILL PAY FOR THIS! I WILL RIP YOU TO SHRED!"

"LYSANDRA! NOW!"

With that, Lysandra stabbed the crystal as hard as her broken body would let her. The sharp point penetrated the stone with an impossible swift motion. It cracked opened with a bursting light. Lysandra concentrated the picture of the queen's chamber in her racing mind. The energy that combusted out of the crystal poured out and evolved around her body. The single glowing feather started to dissolve. Her skin started to tingle in that bright light.

She gasped as her body started to glow brighter when the feather dissolved completely. She knew right then, her destination won't be the queen's chamber as Artemis had told her. "..wha..? WHAT HAPPENING?!"

"You see, my lady…." Artemis jeered. "…the feather was only given to the Amazons for only one purpose. It won't open any gate for you…..it's only to send the princess to a place she could fulfill her destiny!"

"LIES! I ASKED HERMES HIMSELF, YOU LYING TRICKS!" Eris screamed back to Artemis.

"Then you were lied to, Eris!...this must be karma…..!" Artemis laughed. As she turned to Epione. "Epione, it's been an honor serving with you….."

"Likewise, Captain…." She said, struggled to give Artemis a smile. Before turning to Lysandra whose body started to glowed in white light. "Princess!...I told you I could die for you!"

"NO! you are not going to die Epione! What's happening to me?!" Lysandra screamed when she saw the black hole opened behind her and started sucking her whole illuminated body into it. "…..ARTEMIS!..."

"I CAN STILL GO BACK TO MY GOD FORM AND I SHALL RIP YOU TO SHRED! YOU AMAZON TRICKS!" Eris sneered still trying to get off from under both Amazons.

"Princess! Close your eyes! DO IT NOW!" Artemis shouted.

"DIE YOU MORTAL BITCHES!"

And she instinctively did. As soon as they shut tight, Lysandra heard the screams from both Artemis and Epione. She could hear her last words.

"AT LEAST I SHALL DIE AS AN AMAZON!"

"ARTEMIS NOOOOO!" Lysandra screamed as her whole body was sucked into the portal. Her eyes still shut tight as she enter. A moment later, the only thing she could hear was her own scream. But Artemis's and Epione's wail of pain was still resonated in her ears.

Lysandra could feel her body was tossed harshly on the ground as her back connected to the hard surface. The impact caused her pains to erupted again. She was sure more bones in her body were probably broken. And the gash on her head started to bleed. Her mind was fading again….

She forced eyes to open as she laid on her back. The sky was dark, there were no stars. The smell of rotten food assaulted her sense. She didn't know where she was but she knew she was no longer on Themyscira….

She escaped. With the lives of two people she cared about as sacrifices.

Lysandra felt the tears poured out from her eyes. The dam she built for years to retain all her unshed tears broke. She didn't care anymore. She felt so tired….

Artemis was dead. Epione was dead. Selia was a treacherous liar who had been trying to kill her….

She was all alone, again.

Lysandra sobbed silently, suddenly realizing how exhausted she was. Her conscious was slipping….

When there's nothing left for you to count on …..trust yourself….

Her mother words echoed in her mind. But she didn't acknowledged them then. Lysandra weeped until her body was about to give out, when the dark figure appeared into her view.

And she heard the voice, male voice said.

"Hello, Angel…"

But her conscious betrayed her as it slipped away and the darkness devoured her whole.

It wasn't a busy night in Gotham city. There was no major Arkham breakout, no major burglary, no one tried to blow up Gotham, even the streets were quiet. The only major thing Batman and Robin did was stopping the drug shipment at the shipyard.

Batman didn't like it. He had gut feeling that something was waiting out there tonight. Something very horrible, awaited in the darkness of the night, preparing to devour the city. In one big swallow. So when the Oracle contacted him through the commlink in his ear about unauthorized teleporting right in the middle of crime alley. He almost shouted at Robin to take care of the rest and wait for Gordon's arrival. Before leaping into his Batmobile.

"Batman….I sent coordinate to your Batmobile…" Oracle's voice stopped when he got in the vehicle. "….Batman….Maybe you should send Nightwing to check this one out instead…"

"Why?" His voice was harsh as he turned on the engine.

"…it's in that alley…"

"I'm on my way. Batman Out."

With that the let the black vehicle leaped into the street.

He didn't like these gut feelings he had all night, it got even stronger when he stepped into that dark and dinky alley. He hated this place, for it hold the reason of his lost. The place where the Batman was born. That place where he wished never existed in his memories.

But it did, and he was the one who stopped the demolition those years ago, as Bruce Wayne. As though he wanted to preserved those memory, even he didn't want to. Just for Every year he could revisit the site. And it would remind him the purpose of his being.

The smell of rotten garbage mixed with Marijuana stung his nose. It would probably from those drug addicts who just left the alley. Even though it was dark but with his night vision lenses he could see there was no one there. But something caught his eyes.

He stepped closer to the puddle in the middle of the street, switching off his night vision to regular lenses when he crotched down and touched the dark liquid on the ground. The rusty, irony smell dedicated that it was blood.

Batman raised one of his brow under the cowl. It might just be animal blood, but if it were, Human's, whoever laid there in that big of a blood pool, he didn't think would be alive for long from that much of blood lose.

He clicked his commlink "Batman to Oracle"

Oracle's voice boomed in his ear "This is Oracle…did you find anything?"

"No….just the pool of blood, lots of blood…."

PS :: Yep, and Just like that, I end the chapter. *ducks shoes*

It was a very hard chapter to write for lots of reasons, first there're many actions! *gasps* and many Emotion monologues from Lysandra, as she(from last chapter) rode roller coaster from fighting with the Queen, got love declaration from Epione, then saw Artemis seemingly beat Selia unconscious. Then with all those combined with what happened to her this chapter. I feel really bad for what I have to put her through *sniffs*

But finally! Lysandra is Out of Paradise Island! And, I will miss writing Artemis ;A; she was my hero….*sobs* Also I base Eris's origin from the comics(not from new 52) that she was daughter of Ares instead of Zeus(like in Mythology)

So next chapter will be in multiple point of views now, Not just Lysandra's. Not sure what I got myself into. It will be post around Wednesday since my work schedule had changed. So who's the mysterious guy Lysandra saw before she passed out? And will Batman found his daughter? Until the next chapter!

But don't forget to Read and Review…you guys broke my heart as chapter without reviewing ;A; So I can only assume that you don't like it. *double sobs*