Chapter Nine
"Diana, wait." Clark called out. He caught her arm in a futile effort to change her mind. "I can get to him without having you fight him. I'll hold him until the police get here to arrest him."
"No, Clark. I appreciate the gesture, but I need to take care of Etheon myself. I've fought him, and he's much stronger than your police can handle." Diana saw her guards come up behind Clark. "Do not interfere, my sisters. As Themyscira's Champion, I have proven to be our people's best warrior. I do not need to worry about Etheon harming you." She reached around and pulled out Delleia's sword. "I'm borrowing this."
"Diana…"
"I'll be fine, Clark." Diana turned, stepped out onto the front porch, and descended the steps. She looked on her opponent without apprehension or hesitation as she marched towards him. She halted to stand several feet away from him and readied her stance.
"Are you done saying your goodbyes, Princess? It must pain you to leave your new lover's side. You know, I almost considered waiting for another time to take your life. Imagine your mother's reaction when she finds out that her own daughter has fallen for a man. I would've enjoyed seeing the look of disdain and disappointment on your mother's face before killing you both."
Unfazed by his remarks, Diana asked, "Are you going to bother raising that sword in your hand? Or do you intend to bore me to death with your prattle?"
"You're direct, aren't you? What a shame. I like that in a woman." Etheon raised his sword and made the first move.
Diana easily blocked his high blow with her sword. The strength behind the blow was more powerful than any of the other Amazons she had sparred with back home. But that did not cause her to worry. If anything, that caused her to concentrate even more. There was no question holding back on this immortal. But Diana needed to remain calm and composed as she sparred with him. She knew that with one fatal strike, her short time on this earth would end. Whereas for Etheon…Diana was not sure how his life could possibly end. She would have to find another way of ending his vendetta towards her and her people.
They circled warily around each other. One at a time, they took turns striking, testing the strengths behind each other's blows. Once Diana and Etheon tested their mettle, the pace of their sword fight became fast and furious. Sparks flew off their swords as they delivered and parried with blows that held immense force and speed. Strikes and counterstrikes were exchanged. One moment, Etheon advanced and pushed Diana back, and the next moment, it was Diana pushing the immortal back.
As they continued to parry and strike, the group at the house came out to watch the battle in front of them. The secret service agents made sure that Martha stood behind them as Clark and the Amazon guards had ventured closer to Diana and the assassin. Clark, Martha, and the agents had never witnessed a swordfight before that day. For Clark, this was like watching a well choreographed fighting scene that he had only seen in movies. He had never truly seen Diana, or anyone really, skillfully use a sword against a worthy opponent such as Etheon. The Amazon guards had never seen an opponent such as Etheon battle with their Princess. The entire group was transfixed with what they were watching. And each one of them prayed silently that Diana would come out of this alive.
From the corner of his eye, Clark spotted a white SUV make its way down the farm's driveway. It stopped right in front of the barn, and two men came rushing out of the vehicle. One of them carried a video camera and he recognized Jack Barton as the other. It was apparent that they came to record and report the fight between Diana and Etheon.
At that moment, Diana and Etheon used their swords to push at each other until they broke apart.
Etheon was not out of breath, but his breathing was a little ragged as he said, "Very impressive, Princess. But you should know that I've had thousands of years of practice." Another smirk appeared on Etheon's face. He expected to instill some fear and erode her confidence.
Instead, Diana grinned back at him. "I don't fall prey to mind games. And I'll have you know that I've bested all my Amazon sisters who have had as much practice time as you."
"But you can't kill me, remember? So, I won't stop until you die."
"I may not be able to kill you, but I can still cut you." With that statement, Diana cut a deep gash along his sword arm.
Rage began to build inside him. He did not feel the sting of the slash. He never felt any real pain. But no one, especially a woman, had ever managed to cut him so.
The fight went on again. And Diana laid another cut on Etheon. This time, the slash was to his thigh. The expletives that came out of his mouth brought a wider grin to her face. She was relaxed and confident with herself.
"It seems that I've underestimated your skills with a sword. Well done, Princess," spat Etheon.
"I'll be sure to thank my mother for you." Diana spied the two reporters who stood several yards away behind Etheon. "Tell me how you got away from the rooftop and how you got here so quickly. Do you have the ability of flight or speed of Hermes?"
Etheon pointed to an elaborate ring on his left hand. "This ring here takes me wherever I want to go. I merely have to envision my destination, and it opens up a portal. Another gift from Ares."
"Why don't we take the rest of this fight between us somewhere else?"
"Oh, but I want the world to see the death of the Princess of Themyscira!"
"Wouldn't you prefer it if we went to the place where Ares' granted you your powers? I think it would please him more for his subject to honor his patron god in such a manner. I'm sure he'll reward you for ridding the Amazons of their champion."
"Hmm…You may be right. That indeed sounds much better. I can always come back here and bring back your head as proof of your defeat." Etheon raised his other hand, and willed the ring to open up a portal.
Clark came closer to Diana and Etheon. "Diana, what are you doing?" he called out. The concern in his voice was evident.
"Any blood spilled here must not be viewed for all to see. It only strengthens the violence for those who thirst for it, such as the God of War. And as an ambassador of peace, it would not be appropriate for me to be seen like this."
"Well, Princess? Your last wish on this earth has been granted. And to show you that there are no tricks on the other side of this portal, I shall go first. Remember, I can come back here if you do not come through." Etheon's laugh trailed as he stepped through the portal.
"I must go. I'll be back." Diana reassured Clark before she charged through the portal.
Clark watched Diana disappear through the portal. He knew that she did not want him to interfere, but he could not let her follow Etheon to God knows where. Without further delay, Clark ran through the portal just as it collapsed.
Delleia and Melina rushed to where the portal had opened. Fearful for their Princess' life, they stood helplessly as they berated themselves for not being close enough or fast enough to follow her like Clark did. Martha, and everyone else stood rooted to their spots, unsure of where to wait for the outcome.
***********
Clark emerged from the portal to find Diana and Etheon were about to pick up where they left off. He looked around to check out their surroundings. From the chill in the air and the pressure of a high altitude atmosphere, they were obviously on the plateau of a mountain top. Statues and pillars of Greek design where scattered throughout. If Clark were to guess their location, he would say they were somewhere on Mount Olympus. And he was not wrong.
"Welcome to Mount Olympus!" Etheon cried out as he left a cut on Diana's arm.
Diana winced at the sting of the cut. She swore to herself that was the last time she was going to make a mistake like that. In just a few swift moves, Diana disarmed Etheon. His sword had been flung away from his reach, and the sword Diana held was now pointed at his throat.
"You may be a mighty Amazon, but you are too honorable to run that sword through an unarmed man. I doubt you've even killed anyone before."
"There's always a first time." Diana pursed her lips. The damned immortal knew she could not kill anyone who was unarmed. "Okay, then." She tossed her sword away from them both. "Let's do this the old fashioned way," and readied her stance for hand-to-hand combat.
Clark finally called out, "Diana, I can end this. Let me help."
"No, Clark. This is my fight."
"Don't worry, boy." Etheon snickered. "I'll fight you, too. You won't have long to wait to join her as soon as I'm done with her."
Diana and Etheon charged at one another. Arms blocked blows. Hands gripped limbs. Kicks contacted with bodies. And fists struck flesh and muscles. The violence of their combat had in no way diminished.
With the skills they were demonstrating, Clark almost had second thoughts about taking Etheon on. He realized he relied too much on the power of his strength and his other abilities to take on any of the villains he had previously encountered. Once this was over, he was going to learn some actual fighting techniques.
With a side kick to his chest, Diana sent Etheon crashing into a rock wall, causing some rocks from above to tumble down on him. The dust did not even begin to settle when Etheon managed to get up and remove himself from rubble around him. The rage in Etheon's eyes was unmistakable. He ran at full speed towards Diana, lowering his head and shoulders as he advanced.
Just as he was about to make contact, Diana simply ducked beneath him, and flipped him off her back. Etheon broke a pillar as he fell to the ground. It took a moment, but he let out a roar as he got up slowly. He was gulping deep breaths while Diana stood watching. Even after all this time of battling him, she barely broke a sweat.
"I can see you're getting tired. You can't die and I have more stamina than you can guess. We can continue fighting each other for how long Gods know when, or you can end your obsession of vengeance right here, right now."
"You think after all this time I can easily let go of my quest for revenge? How naïve are you?!" Etheon could see that Diana did not see his point. "There are nations that have been at war for centuries. They can't remember how their wars have started but they mean to fight to the death. Do you also think that your words of peace and wisdom will convince them to stop their animosities overnight? You're in for a surprise, Princess. I'm betting most of them don't even want to hear your preaching."
"I can certainly try to dissuade new wars from emerging and old wars from continuing. I am fully prepared to talk to those who have known nothing but war about the benefits of living in peace. Even if it takes me a lifetime to accomplish this mission, I can at least have made an attempt for the greater good of mankind."
"You are indeed naïve." Etheon's laughter filled the air. "In that case, let's continue so that I can save you the trouble of failing in your flawed mission."
Clark quickly stepped forward between Diana and Etheon. "Wait!"
Diana warned, "Clark, I told you to stay out of this."
"Just let me talk to him for a moment." He stood a few feet away from Etheon and turned to the angry immortal. "Listen to her. She's giving you a choice to walk away from this. Diana's mission to bring peace to the world could use some help from someone like you. Someone who has been alive to see so many wars and unnecessary blood spilled time after time. It's something you could share so that the people she's trying to teach will understand that living in peace is far better than waging war. You could be a part of something that would make a difference in this world."
Etheon looked from Clark to Diana and back at Clark. "Your idealism is just as absurd as her naïveté. You're just a mere mortal who has fallen for her beauty and her false teachings." Instead of brushing past Clark, Etheon threw a fist into his chin. Although Etheon felt real pain in his hand, the strength he possessed still sent the unsuspicious and unprepared young man to break the statue of a god with his body.
"Clark!" Diana shouted. She rushed to his side.
Clark was stunned by what had just happened. He was about to take Diana's offered hand to get up amidst the broken marble pieces around him but she fell unconsciously to the ground next to him.
Etheon had used a piece of marble to hit Diana in the back of her head. He sneered at Clark. "I see her weakness is caring for others more than herself. I should've gone after you first."
Clark quickly got up, unhurt. "For your information, I'm not a mere mortal." He pushed Etheon away, sending him skidding across the ground dozens of feet away. A cloud of dust to trailed after him.
If Etheon was surprised that Clark possessed super-human strength, then he was shocked to find Clark also had the gift of super speed. Etheon was still lying on the ground when Clark appeared right in front of him. "And you can't get rid of me as easily as you think." He picked Etheon up and tossed him across the plateau.
Etheon lay prone for a moment. He looked around to get his bearings and spied his sword. It was within his grasp. He stretched for it and flipped his body up to face Clark, who had once again used his super speed to stand a few feet away from him. Etheon plunged his sword into Clark's chest, but it broke into pieces instead of inflicting a fatal strike. "What manner of man are you?!" Etheon cried.
"One who's not from around here." Clark replied. "Stop this insanity of yours."
He still held the hilt of the broken sword. A jagged piece remained attached to it. "Never." Etheon tried to stab Clark's neck. Clark blocked the descending arm and punched Etheon in the jaw.
The punch sent Etheon flying again, and he landed next to Diana. She was still unconscious. His mind raced. They were high above the clouds and only several steps away from the edge of a cliff. The pain in his jaw throbbed and his entire body hurt, but Etheon quickly got to his feet as a new thought popped in his mind. He lifted Diana and flung her over the cliff's edge.
Clark stood helplessly as he watched Diana begin to fall to her death. "No!"
The anguish in his voice brought a jeering grin to Etheon's lips.
Clark had to do something. Anything. So he raced towards Diana's falling form. All he could think of was getting to her. Heedless of any harm to himself, he launched himself over the cliff. And as he sped towards her, he could feel a change in the weightlessness of his body. As he concentrated on reaching her, Clark felt a jolt of speed course through him. He was not just falling. He was flying!
Clark finally caught Diana near the bottom of the ravine. Relief swept through him as he enveloped her in his arms. A low moan escaped her lips, letting him know that she would soon wake up. There was no place safe to put her down, so he flew them back up to the ruins of Gods and Goddesses.
He spotted Etheon kneeling in front of an altar. Because Etheon's back was to them, Clark quietly and gently placed Diana on a marble slab on the far side of where Etheon knelt.
"We're not through, yet, Etheon!" Clark's voice caused a slight tremor across the plateau.
Etheon whipped his head around. He could not believe his eyes. Clark stood next to Diana's prone form. Neither one of them appeared to have suffered further injuries, or death, that a fall of thousands of feet could cause. "How did you…? Who are you?!"
"I am Kal-El, last son of the planet Krypton. Remember that." Clark started marching towards Etheon. But a bright beam of light stopped him in his tracks.
An unknown voice, full of fury and displeasure, came out of nowhere. "I've had enough of watching you fail, Etheon. I give you the gifts necessary to exact your revenge, and you failed me! You even broke my favorite image of me."
"But my lord, Ares, she would've died had this alien not interfered." Etheon cried out.
"Spare me the excuses! If my own subject cannot accomplish a simple task of killing the Amazon Champion, then why should I allow you to continue dishonoring me?! I am taking back those gifts. You can protest all you want to your new lord, Hades."
"NO!! Lord Ares, please. I just need one more chance…Argh!"
Clark watched as the life force drained out of Etheon and he turned to dust. Another moan caught his attention, and he returned to Diana's side.
Diana slowly opened her eyes. The throbbing pain in her head caused her to shut her eyes for a moment. She could feel a hand supporting her head and another hand holding one of hers. She knew it was Clark, and forced her eyes open to focus on her surroundings.
They were still on the plateau. She was lying on an altar. Etheon was nowhere to be found, so Diana rested her eyes on Clark. "What happened? Where is he?" She asked.
"You took a nasty hit to the back of your head." Clark said softly. She tried to get up. "Take it easy, Diana. He's gone. Apparently, Ares didn't think Etheon was doing a good job representing the powerful God of War. Ares took away his powers and he became a mound of dust."
"Oh. Well, then, I guess I don't have to worry about Etheon anymore." She tried to smile, but even that hurt to do.
"Clark, how did I get on this altar? The last thing I remembered, you were lying by the broken pieces of Ares across from here."
"I carried you here. Why?"
"Because that statue behind us is Aphrodite and this is her altar." Diana answered. "She's one of my patrons, and you're sitting next to me." She smiled at the puzzled look on his face, despite the discomfort she felt. "Let's just say we're fortunate to have her blessing."
Clark smiled down at her. He bent his head and brushed her lips softly with his. "Then we're two extremely lucky people."
"We need to get back to Smallville. My guards and your mother are probably beside themselves with worry." Diana sighed as she finally sat up. "Just give me minute, and I'll take us back there."
"Don't worry. I can get us back to the farm." Clark scooped Diana up and lifted them off the ground.
Diana stared open-mouthed at him. "You can fly? Since when?"
"Since Etheon threw you over the cliff." Diana could only gape at him. "I had to try to save you. I should've known that my last ability would've manifested itself sooner or later. Kara said so herself before she left."
Diana remembered Clark talking fondly about his cousin. "I'm glad it did when I needed you most. And I'm sorry for telling you not to interfere."
"Don't be. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. If I didn't get hit, you wouldn't have lost your focus."
"It's over now." She simply grinned at him. "Wow. You can fly, too. This is nice, not having to do the flying for a change. But you really don't have to take us all the way back. I'm fine to fly beside you."
"Just relax. You deserve it." He grinned back at her. "Hang on tight. We're going to fly faster than what you're used to. And I don't want to have to catch you again if you fall."
Clark flew them home as fast he could run. The speed was exhilarating. Once they got back to the farm, he landed them far away from the house, not wanting to chance being seen.
"You know you can put me down now." Diana said to him.
Clark simply smiled and kept walking with Diana still in his arms. "I know."
At Diana's insistence, Clark finally put her down as they neared the house. Side by side, they walked the rest of the way back in silence.
From the front porch of the house, Martha was the first person to see them approach. She started running towards them, with her secret service agents and Diana's guards close behind. All of them were especially thankful to see the couple.
Barton and his photographer had also stuck around. They were both relieved to see Princess Diana and Clark Kent come back alive. Barton nudged the photographer to capture the moment.
The rest of the day's news were filled with reports and speculations about the confrontation between Diana and her would-be assassin. Set aside were the morning's earlier gossiped photos of Clark and Diana as the news networks broadcast the scenes of Diana combating Etheon and her triumphant and safe return with Clark. More news crews had shown up at the Kent farm, including Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. Even those two were kept at bay by Diana's guards and Martha's security team from coming into the house.
That afternoon, Martha and Diana gave their statements to the press about the day's events, while Clark remained inside the house. The only recount Diana gave of what had transpired at Mount Olympus was that Etheon was eventually punished by one of the Ancient Greek deities for his actions against her. She also told the press that she and her guards were going back to Metropolis that evening to get some much needed rest. Later, a limousine arrived to drive Diana and her guards away from Smallville.