Chapter 2: I Can Save This World
I was soon transported to Olympus to be praised by the gods for my success. Athena would become the new goddess of war and I was to be rewarded as well. I could ask for anything as my reward for solving the God's problem. Could it really be so simple? It wouldn't be impossible to bring someone back to life, Zeus had done it for the Amazons. But I suspected that this all had been a test to see where my loyalties would lie. I had been created as a tool for the Gods to use to protect themselves, so placating me and giving me what I wanted was probably in their best interest. On top of all that I am a godkiller. They were afraid of what I could do if I was their enemy. I guess they wanted to keep me happy, so they could exercise their control over me directly. Determining the reasons why the Gods did the things they do would drive even the wisest person mad.
An amazon never submits. I would not be some tool for the God's use or misuse. I had no true way to show my defiance toward them. The prospect of bringing Steve back to life was too great for my aching heart to ignore. They knew what I would ask for, but I still said it aloud. "Bring Steve Trevor, the man that I love, back to life". It was a selfish request, but I knew the Gods would not stop all conflict or bring back every person who had died due to Ares' meddling. That was simply not their way. They granted my request and rewarded me further by giving me a seat on Olympus. I was a tried and true goddess after my encounter with Ares and my place would be with the Olympians. The Goddess of Truth would be my new title. I smirked as I denied the offer to sit amongst my fellow Gods and Goddesses. An amazon never denies the Gods, but I would.
For my refusal to stay on Olympus I was banished from Themyscira till I reconsidered and obeyed them. I would be forced to live an eternity in Man's world. Watching the people around me die of old age as I lived on, never aging. I should've been more upset. Not being able to see my mother or my sisters ever again wounded me deeply. But my newfound ability to see the truth told me that I would see them again. So, I left the Gods fuming on Olympus. Being denied by their chosen champion did not sit well with most of them. When I returned to Man's world, I found Steve in a hospital not very far from the memorial of lost soldiers. O how I did adore him. He thought he was in heaven being visited by an angel. However, a quick kiss brought him back down to Earth with me.
We would go on to live happily ever after in a way. I didn't reveal myself to the world, but I still fought when and where I was needed. I even got to kill a hydra! Steve doesn't like when I bring it up, but it was so exciting! It took him weeks to get the stench of hydra blood off his uniform. It's safe to say he did not enjoy the heat of battle as much as me. He was always partial to the spy game as opposed to direct confrontation. He even taught me his spy craft as he called it. I became adept at sneaking in the shadows with him and gathering valuable intel. Of course, I could only show so much patience before kicking in every door and serving punishment to the foolish arms dealers and warmongers who thought they could escape us.
I couldn't have asked for a better partner. Many years had gone by since Ares. Sometimes we yelled and argued but we always came together in the end and had each other's backs. We never officially married since I technically was not a citizen of Earth and had no paperwork to get some type of marriage license. But he did buy me a ring and proposed to me nonetheless. We had a small gathering with people we trusted to keep my secret. If only my mother could have seen me now. I think she would have had a heart attack or tried to kill Steve.
Time went by and the Gods curse did come to fruition. Many of our allies had perished and eventually Steve had to retire. He had grey throughout his hair, but he still looked like the man I met on the shores of Themyscira not so long ago. No more spy craft. Just quiet days enjoying the peace we had earned through battle and resolving conflict. It had been 50 years since Ares when he became bedridden. He wanted me to leave him, so I wouldn't see him like this. He didn't want me to watch him die. But I made a vow to him, "Till death do us part". So, he made me make another promise. That when he passed away I wouldn't punish myself and cut myself off from the world. He made me swear to grieve and mourn but then to move on and keep living my life to the fullest.
I thought I would be ready for the day, but I wasn't. I brought Steve back just, so I could watch him die again. By the time he passed it looked like I was his daughter or even granddaughter. The Gods can be cruel, and they knew what they did when they banished me from my home. They even probably saw bringing Steve back to punish me further. But they were wrong. I learned so much about love and about humanity. I also learned that something isn't just beautiful because it will last. I will remember him and the things he taught me forever. He will always have a place in my heart.
The world had not changed very much despite our attempts to stop evil from triumphing. The world was still full of hate and needless violence. One of the arguments me and Steve always had was about revealing myself to the world. He agreed at first that I should stay hidden, but as new wars and conflicts loomed on the horizon he began to doubt that plan. Steve always told me that I could save the world if I wanted and show people a better way to live. The things I realized about mankind had always haunted me. How could one person, even a goddess, change and inspire people enough not to continue going down their destructive paths.
I grieved and mourned Steve as he thought I would. I spent 5 years finding new things to hit very hard before I finally settled with him being gone. I still couldn't complete Steve's vision of me saving this world from itself. I picked up a hobby while I was smashing things. Finding and curating artifacts from Man's history. I could easily spot fakes given that I was the Goddess of Truth. The intrigue of the story the artifacts could tell and the mystery of where they would be drew me to continue looking for relics or the past.