Strangers In Paradise
Chapter 15: Heart Shaped Box
Oblivion Prison
"How does it feel, father?" taunted a victorious God of War. "Is it as tortuous for you as it was for me? I imagine it's infinitely worse for the former King of Olympus."
Zeus remained silent, refusing to give his son the satisfaction of a response. Now trapped in a special cell specifically designed to imprison gods like himself, the King of the Gods had been reduced to an animal in a cage. He and every other Olympian now floated in the endless abyss of the Oblivion Prison, unable to wield any power or exercise any authority. It was the worst kind of torment for any god, but that wasn't enough for Ares. He just had to shove it in his face.
"I'll take your silence as a telling hint," he said. "You never were good with words. You let your actions and authority do most of the talking. Take that away and you're nothing but a glorified statute. Soon, you'll be nothing but a monument to a bygone era."
Ares leered at his unflinching father, grinning smugly with every word. Zeus just continued frowning at him, his arms folded in anger as he stood behind a special barrier that kept him from unleashing the full wrath of Olympus on him. After securing every other god in the Oblivion Prison, the God of War singled him out for additional boasting. He stood mere inches from the barrier so his father could see what true triumph looked like.
It was a moment the former King of Olympus should've seen coming. He was as mad at himself as he was with Ares. He shouldn't have been so merciful with his son when he stole the Dagger of Deimos, but he also should've prepared for this. He had been so consumed with containing the chaos in Tartarus that he didn't see the greater threats emerging within his own domain. Had this occurred at a time when mortals still worshipped him, Ares never would've gotten this far. It was sobering in that it revealed how the passing centuries had affected him. It also reminded him how cruel and unoriginal the fates could be.
What Ares was doing was not dissimilar to what he did to his own father, Cronus. The entire war with the titans was sparked by conflicts between father and son. That conflict has now manifested in a new form with Ares, but unlike the war with the titans, the scale of this war would go far beyond the realm of gods. It would consume both Olympus and the mortal world, leaving little untouched. Nothing less would satisfy the God of War.
Despite his father's harsh gaze and heavy silence, Ares remained very satisfied with what he accomplished thus far. By keeping Zeus and his fellow gods imprisoned, they would bear witness to far greater accomplishments.
"I'm sure you're probably curious about how I was able to exploit your ineptitude from a cell just like yours. I'd love to tell you just so you could scold me more, but I prefer to focus on future battles instead of past victories," said Ares. "As I speak, my army is securing the Underworld. Once any lingering resistance is subdued, I'll proceed to knock down another one of your monuments – the Tomb of Erebus."
Zeus' expression tensed with further disdain. His son's reckless arrogance truly knew no bounds. Few words could've conveyed the outrage he felt for his son, but none would've made a difference.
"Yes, I know. That's a bit of a sore subject for you," said Ares curtly. "He's the most dangerous titan for a reason. He embodies and spreads the very chaos the gods sought to contain. But unlike the others, you couldn't defeat him. Maybe you could've done more, but you chose not to. You just imprisoned him. Sure, that would doom the gods to an endless and futile struggle against the forces of chaos, but that didn't bother you, did it?"
The God of War leaned in closer, scrutinizing his father's stern. This was where the conflict with his father became less about battles and more about the order the gods preserved.
"Maybe I'm asking the wrong question," he went on in a more serious tone. "Did you even bother to contemplate a different approach? Did you see this endless struggle as a means of maintaining your power? I certainly wouldn't put it past you. After all, that is all you've ever seemed to care about – maintaining your power and imposing it on others."
Zeus gave him a different look. This time it was one of bemusement. Ares just sneered and shook his head.
"I know what you're thinking. You're saying I'm guilty of the exact same thing. You're partially right. Where we differ is our ability to see the bigger picture – to want to win the war and not just win battles. Unlike you, I'm willing to go farther and think bigger than any god has ever dared."
Now he wasn't just boasting. Ares was attacking the very principles on which Zeus built his order. His father had to know on some levels that those principles were doomed to fail. He was just the one capable of exposing their shortcomings.
"This is where I'm actually saddened," said Ares, showing only mild distraught. "I was willing to go this far without going through you, father. For centuries, my loyalty to you was true. I never planned or even contemplated undermining your rule. I sought to serve my father and my fellow gods."
Zeus was surprised by this admission. He didn't doubt for a second that it was only partially sincere at best, but it was still a startling admission from the God of War.
"Make no mistake. I'm not you and you're not Cronus. I wanted to do more than preserve this order. I wanted to improve it. And so long as titans like Erebus exist, that cannot happen. I came to you with so many plans, but you rejected them all. However, it was the last plan you rejected that destroyed my hope for your rule. I know I should've expected it because of who it involved, but that didn't make it any less disheartening."
The mention of this plan caused Zeus to shift once more. Over the centuries, Ares had brought forth many such plans of varying levels of ambition. He rejected them all for good reasons, but the one that upset him most was might have been the one that led him to this point.
"Diana," said Zeus, finally breaking his silence.
"I had a feeling that would rouse your tongue," said Ares with a half-grin. "She was destined to be at the center of this conflict. From the moment she was born, I sensed in her immense potential. Had you heeded my request to make her my pupil, I would've turned her into the ultimate warrior. Entire armies would've surrendered at the mere sight of here. Every creature in Tartarus would've fled in terror at the mere mention of their name. Titans like Erebus would've fallen in defeat, never threaten gods or mortals again."
He presented such an appealing scenario. Zeus could tell he had envisioned it in great detail, but he could also tell that some of those details were more disturbing than he was willing to reveal. Even if he did have Olympus' best interest at heart, his own interests always took priority.
"I don't regret my decision," said Zeus sternly.
"Therein lies the problem, father. You refuse to question yourself or your methods," said the God of War. "That's what led me to go behind your back in ways I once never dared. That's why I stole the Dagger of Deimos and attempted to seek a new champion."
"You mean the mortal called Superman that once visited Themyscira," said Zeus.
"Would it have not been fitting? Would fate have even put him there if he weren't destined for something greater? If I couldn't use Diana, I could at least prove that the concept was viable."
"Yet that plan still failed," he pointed out.
"Only because you refused to support it," retorted Ares. "All of this – the constant threats to Olympus and the escalating threats in the mortal world – it could've been an afterthought. I had the power and the will. It would've served you, Olympus…everybody!"
The God of War had never talked down to his father like this. He had never been in a position where Zeus couldn't just silence him with his authority. It allowed him to pin the blame for the current state of Olympus all on him. He didn't expect it to change Zeus' mind about the decisions he made, but it made clear that those decision made this war necessary.
"You just had to shrug it off. You just can't think beyond your own stubborn arrogance, can you?" he continued, his tone once again filled with smug bitterness. "It's always so damn black and white with you. It has to be in line with your will or it's inherently wrong. Is that not the extent of your judgment?"
"And yours is any different?"
"If it weren't, then you wouldn't be in one piece right now. Trust me when I say that if I were to approach this like my typical battle plans, you and every other god on Olympus wouldn't have been granted such mercy."
"Are you expecting me to be grateful?" scoffed Zeus.
"Ha! Gratitude is beyond even your power, Father," quipped Ares. "That's why I intend to make a much greater impression. The other gods might not appreciate it, but I know you will be especially intrigued."
Ares finally stepped back from the floating cell and formed another portal using the same power he used to subdue the gods. The portal formed right next to him in a swirl of purplish energy. As it came together, it revealed events unfolding just outside of Olympus.
Despite having just secured the defenses throughout the mountain, Ares' army of monsters and undead soldiers faced a daunting new threat. Diana, who was supposed to be exiled from Themyscira and the domain of the gods, was on a warpath towards the summit of Olympus. She fought with a tenacity worthy of a proud Amazon, tearing through hordes of harpies, cyclopes, and undead. She didn't even bother using a sword or a shield. She just punched her way through, armed only with her magic lasso and magic bracelets. It was crude, but effective. It would only be a matter of time before she reached her destination.
Seeing her, who was once his darkest yet proudest secret, fight so hard struck the former King of Olympus in an unexpected way. For once, his angry expression faltered. At that moment, Zeus became a father watching his daughter enter a danger that she did not understand.
"Is this how you intend to punish me, Ares? Making me watch while you denigrate my daughter just as you have denigrated everything I hold dear?" asked Zeus angrily.
"Dear Father, you make it sound as though I've no reverence for family – even if that family is another illegitimate bastard," said Ares snidely.
"You're going to regret this. Mark my words!"
"You've nobody to blame but yourself. You put her in this position when you belittled my loyalty. Her feeble heart and warrior pride did the rest. Now she's going to be the spark that ignites my new war. It didn't have to be this way, but you made it necessary."
Zeus closed his eyes and held his head low, ashamed and appalled that his own son had fallen this far. He was really willing to go through with this. He was willing to unleash the destructive power of Erebus just to prove that he could bring order better than his father. It was petty and pathetic, qualities that often went hand-in-hand with renegade gods. This was one instance where one act of defiance could finally bring the reign of the Olympians to an end.
But as Zeus took in everything his son had just told him and the imagery of Diana fighting his way through Olympus, his demeanor shifted again. Much to the surprise and chagrin of his son, he started laughing.
"I was expecting a more profane response than this," said Ares in annoyance. "You dare to find humor in my war?"
"No Ares. It's not your war I find so humorous. It's your assumption that you can subdue Diana," said Zeus, still shaking his head in bemusement.
"I defeated you and the entire pantheon of Olympus. You think I'm not equipped to deal with one Amazon exile?"
"Oh you might think you're equipped, but you grossly underestimate her ability for defiance."
"Why? Is it because she's your daughter?" scoffed Ares.
"No. It's because she's capable of fighting on a level that you can never match – one not even a god can match. Mark my words, Ares. Bringing her into your war will lead to your downfall."
He sounded pretty confident for a god that had been humiliated and defeated. When his laughter subsided, Zeus cast him one of those harsh glares that he always gave when one of his children did something foolish. It annoyed Ares to no end, but he didn't waste time arguing with his father. He intended to prove to him and every other god on Olympus that he could win this war. Diana was nothing more than a pawn. He had taken all the necessary precautions. There was no way the coming battle would end in anything other than her defeat and his ultimate triumph.
New Mexico – Helion Solar Test Range
"The things I do for friends and their girlfriends," sighed Lois Lane as she finished her second cup of coffee.
There was a reason why Lois avoided getting too deep into debt when it came to favors. It often led to her getting caught up in affairs she neither understood nor had any business being part of. Clark Kent was among the few she didn't mind indebting herself to, mostly because he rarely asked for anything in return. That's part of what made him such a decent man. However, one of Clark's more annoying qualities involved his ability to cross paths with the wrong people.
As soon as Clark left her apartment, Lois went about delivering on her promise. That involved going over some of the notes on Helion Solar he emailed her and calling in a few sources at wholly unreasonable hours of the night. They all told her a similar story. Helion was one of those companies that liked to keep a very low profile, but there were rumors that would've made a great news story if there had been any facts to back them up.
One in particular involved them conducting research of a very illegal kind at a former nuclear test site. Clark's notes mentioned this site, but he never brought it up to Perry. He must have suspected that there was something deeper at work here. Had it been mentioned in print, it would've likely been lost. He understood, as did every competent reporter, that the dirty details of a story had a way of disappearing when they got printed prematurely. If anyone was going to uncover Helion Solar's dirty secrets, then they would have to go beyond basic reporting.
This led Lois to jump on the first flight to New Mexico. However, just getting to this test range wasn't as easy as cashing in her frequent flyer miles. She needed to get there covertly. That meant hopping aboard a chartered flight from a private airport that only a well-connected war correspondent could get her on. As it just so happened, she was dating just such a man. Jonathan Carroll had many qualities she loved. Chief among them was his ability to get into places few could and an inability to refuse a favor from his girlfriend.
"Helping a friend is hard enough. Needing another to get the job done doesn't help. I don't even want to think about how I'll have to make this up to Jonathan," sighed Lois as she closed her eyes and waited for the caffeine to kick in. "If we're lucky, he'll get some footage that'll keep him from demanding a trip to a nude beach in the Bahamas."
Lois sat back in the passenger's seat in the rented car that she and Jonathan picked up shortly after their flight landed. She then spent the next two hours going over more of Clark's notes about Helion Solar. He was extremely meticulous as always, but he was vague on what to expect.
They arrived at the site a couple hours before sunrise and it wasn't the most hospitable location to say the least. The research facility itself was as heavily secure as she expected and then some. There were gates, walls, and sentries patrolling the whole facility. It had the kind of security that the White House would envy. The closest they could get was a small mountain overlooking the southernmost ridge. They parked the car near the peak. It was hardly ideal, but then again doing favors for a friend wasn't supposed to be.
"Hey Lois! Open up," said Jonathan, knocking on the car window and jolting Lois from her drowsy state. "I need some help out here and another cup of coffee. You know I can only do so much for my girlfriend when I'm overworked, sleep-deprived, and thirsty."
"No need to remind me. I wasn't going to nod off on you," assured Lois as she opened the door.
"I know you weren't. It's just a lot harder to stay energized when one of our quiet evenings together turns into overtime," he said, not hiding his dismay over their sudden change of plans.
"Believe me, I'm as thrilled as you. I would love the trade the last 12 hours for a couple of TV dinners, a movie, and a bottle of massage oil. But I promised Clark I would take care of this for him and that's what I'm going to do."
"You're way too good a friend, Lois," sighed Jonathan as he reached for his coffee inside the car.
"I also owe him way too many favors," she added. "Besides, this could end up being one of those stories that's worth the frustration."
"Are you really trying to be optimistic this early in the morning?"
"I'm a reporter. I don't do optimism. I just assume that any place with this much security has something to hide."
The army brat in her was already forming connections. While Jonathan took a quick breather and drank his coffee, Lois made her way to the setup he had been working on for the past hour or so. It involved equipment Jonathan had used many times before in hot spots all over the world. It included a couple of highly sensitive cameras that could see in infrared, ultraviolet, and a few other parts of the spectrum that took a degree in physics to understand. It also included some sensitive detectors designed to pick up on certain energy spikes. If Clark's notes were any indication, they would have plenty to detect.
Trusting that Jonathan had assembled the equipment and set up the generator, she turned on the sensors and powered up the laptop. This sort of gear was hard to come by and even harder to borrow. Jonathan had to pull more than a few strings to bring it with them. She didn't bother asking what he had to do or who he had to beg. She just assumed she would have to make it up to him at some point. If this was as suspicious as she suspected, then they needed to gather more facts before they dug any deeper.
"Hang in there a little longer. We're about to find out how much sleep we'll be losing for the next day or so," said Lois as she loaded a few programs on the laptop.
"What's the worst case scenario? I need to know so I can adjust our coffee budget accordingly," said Jonathan.
"I don't want to say just yet, but expect a few adjustments," she said as she turned on more sensors. "After reviewing Clark's notes, I called an old friend of mine at the Wayne Enterprise Green Energy Initiative for a little intel on Helion. She didn't know as much as I'd hoped, but she's the one who told me about this cozy little facility."
"It's got to be more than a little cozy. This place is listed as an old military dump on the map and that's why the locals stay away from it."
"They're misinformed, but not entirely wrong," Lois went on. "This whole site was originally used for covert nuclear tests during the Cold War, namely the kind that certain treaties said they shouldn't be doing. At one point, it became such a huge political thorn that the US military just outright abandoned it. Then Helion Solar came along and bought it from them. Near as I can tell, they got a bargain. The old men in uniforms were just too eager to get this place off their hands."
"But why would a solar energy company want a place like this to begin with?" wondered Jonathan as he looked out at the site in the distance.
"I asked that same question too. That's why I called another friend at Star Labs who has connections in the solar industry. He knows some people who did a little consulting with Helion. They claim this site is being used for some very dangerous (and probably illegal) experiments that mix solar energy with some exotic form of nuclear energy."
"How exotic are we talking here?"
"I don't know. Those are his words, not mine," said Lois. "He got quiet real quick when I mentioned the story that the Planet had to retract. I don't think he knows more than he told me, but I also think he suspects something that he's too scared to investigated."
Now Jonathan was started to get intrigued. Since he began dating Lois, he experienced some of the more subtle methods of reporting the news. Reporting from a war zone was pretty basic. He just followed the sound of bullets and mortars. Lois specialized in the stories about who pulled the strings of those firing those shots. Sometimes it put them in danger that matched most war zones, but that was part of what he found so compelling about her work and her.
"What about you? What do you suspect?" asked Jonathan.
"I have my theories," said Lois as she let the programs run. "Most of them are probably dead wrong, but I'm okay with that. Being wrong in this case might only make this story even more…"
Lois stopped herself in mid-sentence when one of the sensors in the setup started blaring. The detectors hadn't been online for more than a few minutes and already they were picking up something significant. She immediately cast aside some of her original theories and began a few additional tests.
"Whoa. I spoke even sooner than usual," said Lois as her vision narrowed on the monitor.
"What is it?" asked Jonathan, setting his coffee aside and joining her near the setup.
"Well either you did a terrible job calibrating this thing or it's picking up an energy spike that would give Einstein himself a seizure," she said.
"I know how confident you are in my technical skills so go ahead and run some diagnostics while I check the cameras."
She was already hard at work, making sure this wasn't just an anomaly. As she ran the necessary programs, Jonathan rushed over to one of the large cameras pointing towards the center of the test range. He couldn't see anything in the distance, but when he looked through the special lens he shared Lois' reaction.
"Whoa. I think you can skip the diagnostics, Lois. I'm pretty sure the machine is working fine," he said.
"That's what I was afraid of," said Lois. "Guess this officially means Clark's gut instinct was spot on. I really need to stop being so surprised at this point."
Jonathan didn't know Clark's instincts as well as Lois, but he knew a bigger story when he saw it. In this case, he saw what appeared to be plumes of radiation shooting up from the central test area. It couldn't be seen with the naked eye, but it was clearly visible through these special cameras. What made it even more disturbing was that the plume was actually growing, expanding to a point where it reached the clouds above.
As this radiation grew, it showed on the detectors that Lois was monitoring. More and more sensors went off. Some even gave warning signs that the energy levels were too high for them to make sense of. Not being a technical expert, Lois let the computer sift through the data. While it was processing, she grabbed a pair of powerful binoculars from nearby and tried to get a better look at the test range.
"There's no way this place is just testing new solar cells. Radiation can't be used to charge a cell phone," said Lois as she peered through the binoculars.
"So what could they be working on? Why would a solar company even be interested in experiments like this?" asked Jonathan as he began recording some of the readings.
"I don't know and for once, I don't have any crazy theories."
Lois struggled to make more connections. As she looked out over the site, she adjusted the binoculars to utilize night vision. The sun wouldn't be rising for another couple hours or so and by then, everything worth seeing would be hidden from view. This might be their only chance to get a glimpse of something worth seeing.
'What did you stumble into, Smallville? I'm usually the one that gets herself caught up in dangerous stories. You can't be stealing my thunder like this. A solar power company conducting high energy experiments in a way that's too secret to be legal – what does it mean? What am I missing that'll make this a worthwhile story?'
She went over a number of possibilities in her mind. None of them made enough sense to run with. She just kept watching through the binoculars, looking for anything to explain the data. The site was clearly very active. All the gates were heavily manned. There were dozens of people running around, many while wearing protective uniforms. Something big was unfolding in this place and based on the readings, it was already underway. Whatever was generating those readings had to be concealed either underground or in one of the many hangers on the base.
While Lois studied some of the hangers, she noticed some new activity near one of the gates. A large convoy of trucks had just arrived along with a few SUVs. They passed right through the checkpoints and pulled up to one particular hanger located on the west side of the test range. When one of the SUVs opened, she saw a neatly dressed man in an Italian suit step out. A woman wearing what looked like a robe and a headdress followed. She didn't recognize the woman, but she did recognize the man.
"Hey Jonathan, get a shot of the hanger near the west gate. I think the guest of honor just arrived and he brought a date," said Lois.
"And now we're officially paparazzi? This just keeps getting better and better," commented Jonathan as he adjusted one of the cameras.
"Don't feel too bad about snooping on this guy. That's Alfanso Viniccilli, the charismatic yet reclusive CEO of Helion Solar. If he's here at this hour, then there's definitely something big going down."
"What about the woman? Do you recognize her?" asked Jonathan.
"Not sure," she said. "She could be his wife, his mistress, his daughter – anything is possible with guys like this. I've never met a man who wears an Armani suit to an old military base without causing trouble."
Lois kept her eyes on the man. She watched him bark orders to some of men nearby, who all complied immediately. The woman looked somewhat anxious though. She kept hugging her shoulders and looking around, as though she expected someone to be spying on her in a place like this at an hour like this. The man had to take her aside to calm her down. In doing so, he revealed something that further defied explanation.
"Um…did you just see that, Lois?" asked Jonathan, who had been observing him through his camera as well.
"I saw it. And before you ask – no, I didn't spike our coffee," she said.
For a moment, they were speechless. For a brief instant, the man's head and eyes flashed brightly. Had they not been using night-vision, they never would've seen it. For a moment, they flashed with a kind of light that caused some errors in their equipment. Nobody else on the test range saw it. If they did, they made themselves forget it. The man might not have meant to show it, but he was clearly agitated with the woman and it showed in unexpected ways.
In covering Superman, Lois had seen more than their share of superhuman manifestations. This was not the most spectacular, but it was definitely telling. She still couldn't make any connections, but it did add a new dimension to this story.
"You ever meet a man in an Armani suit who did that?" asked Jonathan.
"Not that I recall," she said.
"He also looks tense. Everybody looks tense. Either somebody screwed up or they're behind schedule. It might even be both," he speculated.
As they continued to watch, another detector went off from the setup. Lois briefly set aside her binoculars and checked the readings on the laptop. What she saw finally helped her make a few disturbing connections.
"Well this is way too disturbing to be coincidence," said Lois as she watched some of the charts. "Now the sensors are picking huge spikes in solar radiation."
"At this hour?" questioned Jonathan. "How is that even possible?"
"I don't know, but it's not coming from the sky. Some of it's coming from some of the hangers, but a lot of it is coming from underground. I'm no physicist, but I'm pretty sure this kind of solar radiation shouldn't be possible outside a nuclear reactor or the sun."
"That can't be safe, even in a place like this."
"It gets worse," said Lois with more dread.
"Is that supposed to surprise me?" he scoffed.
"Well this might," she said as she singled out a few bits of data. "The solar radiation is coming in at varying wavelengths. One is just basic yellow sunlight. The other is red sunlight. Then there's this other wavelength I can't even begin to make sense of and I'm not sure I want to. But if we're talking yellow and red sunlight, then I think it's we both know who this might affect."
At this point, Jonathan started filling in the blanks as well. Among the many well-known facts about Superman was that his powers came from the sun. But another lesser known fact was that the light of a red sun drained him of his powers. For all he knew, this other wavelength Lois described would do something even worse. Somebody who went through the trouble of separating the two had to know this on some level. Any time Superman got involved, it became personal for Lois and dangerous for many others.
With these dangers in mind, Jonathan looked back through one of the other cameras that could see the energy plume. At this point, it had grown to a level where it took on a new shape. It was now swirling like a solar flare from the sun, arching over the site and focusing on a few key areas. It was getting pretty volatile and with the sun rising soon, it could only get worse. As he contemplated the possibilities, he looked back towards Lois.
"You've got that look in your eyes again, Lois. I know what you're thinking," said Jonathan, already shaking his head.
"Good. Then that means we can skip the argument I know you want to have," said Lois as she closed the laptop.
"This always happens when Superman becomes a factor. You always have to be at ground zero when the worst part of the storm hits. It doesn't matter how risky or dangerous it is. You can't tear yourself away from it. You still see yourself as the only one who can tell the story that Superman wants told."
Lois didn't respond at first. She just grinned towards him and began packing up the equipment. He knew her well enough at this point to understand how she approached issues involving Superman. It used to evoke jealousy, her going out of her way for Superman like this. Now he understood it was a responsibility she took upon herself. Somebody had to be that human connection between Superman and the rest of the world. However, part of being that connection involved being in the line of fire when the danger escalated.
"Well? Are you going to help or what?" asked Lois, still giving him that coy look.
"You've already come up with an incredibly risky way to get into that base, haven't you?" said Jonathan, shaking his head.
"The sooner you help me pack this stuff up, the sooner I can fill you in."
"You're lucky I'm so madly in love with you because I just know this is going to get much crazier before all it said and done."
"Admit it. It's because things get so crazy that you fell madly in love with me in the first place."
Jonathan just grinned and sighed. He knew from the beginning that dating Lois Lane would be an adventure. It still shocked him just how adventurous it got at times.
"I'll just shut up for now and set the cameras to auto-record," he said. "I'm not even going to speculate how crazy this is going to get. I'm just going to assume it's way worse than we think."
Mount Olympus
"OUT OF MY WAY!" yelled a determined woman in a voice that echoed throughout the whole of Olympus.
Wonder Woman was on a warpath like no other. The moment she entered the Gates of Tartarus, she had one mission in mind. She was going to get to Olympus, free her sisters, save her mother, and make Ares pay for what he did. It didn't matter how big an army he threw at her. She was going to get to him at all cost.
Hundreds of undead soldiers attempted to slow her down. She showed no mercy in fighting through them. As soon as she reached the base of Olympus, they attempted to swarm her. She punched and kicked her way through the initial onslaught, knocking their heads clear off in some cases. Then their sheer numbers threatened to bury her, she summoned a level of strength that rivaled Atlas himself and knocked them off with relentless force. They attempted to claw, swipe, and bite her every step of the way. This only made her more determined.
"Ares! I know you can hear me!" she shouted up at the mountain. "I'm coming for you. I don't care how many sisters or gods have fallen. You will answer for what you've done!"
The exiled princess didn't dare slow down. Getting through the first parts of Tartarus had been the easy part. Navigating its terrors to reach Olympus proved far more difficult. The realm of the gods had many levels. Tartarus was just part of it and Olympus was the most fortified. There was always plenty of chaos, but Wonder Woman noticed early on that this chaos took a very different form compared to what she and her sisters battled for so many years.
The various creatures and undead were not scattered about, randomly attacking and destroying anything they came across. They were more organized, as though they were being controlled. This wasn't supposed to be possible, even by the gods. The forces involved were either dangerous or forbidden. She could actually sense the unstable energy throughout the realm as she flew through. She also noticed how it affected the creatures that opposed her. They weren't just stronger than usual. They were employing tactics of a sort.
For some reason, these tactics often involved retreating towards Olympus as Wonder Woman drew closer. They could've easily overwhelmed her or at least slowed her down before she reached the base of Olympus, but they didn't. They essentially let her reach this most sacred of sites within the realm of the gods.
It raised more than a few concerns in the back of her mind, but she couldn't afford to overthink at this point. She had to keep fighting.
"Gods…I know you cannot hear my prayers now, but I still pray to you," said Wonder Woman as she watched more creatures converge on her location. "Please…give me the strength to exact justice!"
The next wave of creatures pouring out from Olympus included more undead soldiers, a swarm of harpies, a hoard of gorgons, and a stampede of minotaurs. Clenching her fist, Wonder Woman took to the air and flew right into the brunt of the attack, striking the first harpies and undead soldiers that she encountered. She pushed right through them like a speeding ram, disrupting the minotaur stampede and knocking away more undead soldiers in the process. Many attempted to reinforce the gates at the base of the mountain to deny her entry. She had no intention of taking that route anyways.
Once she got near the gate, the minotaurs and undead soldiers tried to swarm her again. They all gathered around and tried to pile on. The undead soldiers clawed her at her skin while the minotaurs tried to stomp on her head. She was able to shove them off and endure the beating. Then a couple of gorgons slithered around and encased her in their serpentine grasp. They also tried to get her to look them in the eyes so as to turn her into stone like Medusa.
"Submit! For Lord Ares!" they hissed.
"Never!" exclaimed Wonder Woman.
With another burst of strength, she broke the grip of the two gorgons. She then grabbed both of them by the neck and smashed their heads together, rendering them unconscious and seriously wounded. Another attack ensued, but she fought them off too. More and more creatures poured out from the main gates for reinforcement, including a hulking cyclops armed with a club. This actually gave Wonder Woman the opportunity she had been waiting for.
"Finally! An actual challenge," she said.
The cyclops let out menacing roar, swinging its oversized club wildly and knocking out a number of undead soldiers along the way. When it finally reached Wonder Woman, it attempted to smash her head on. She evaded it, taking out a few more undead soldiers in the process. While the cyclops attempted to regroup, she turned her attention to one of the minotaurs.
Evading more attacks by the undead, she charged towards the minotaur full speed. The angry beast charged back, armed with an oversized spear. She waited until it got close enough before narrowly avoiding the spear, letting it graze her hair in the process. While in mid-air, she used her magic lasso to latch onto the neck of the minotaur. The creature let out a choking gasp, dropping its spear in the process. Wonder Woman then landed right on its back and, with a firm tug of her lasso, guided the raging beast right towards the cyclops.
The rampaging creature collided with the hulking beast just as it was about to swing its club again, disarming and disorienting it just long enough to make her move. After giving the minotaur a hard kick to the head to knock it out, she took to the air again and changed her strategy.
"As much as I would love to defeat every one of you, I don't have time for this," she said strongly.
Her lasso still in hand, Wonder Woman threw it so it wrapped around the hulking cyclops at the waist. It attempted to pull back at first, but she made sure it didn't get the chance. Summoning her strength again, she took to the air once more and flew up over the fortified gates. The creature proved heavier than she expected, causing strain that might have slowed her down under different circumstances. She didn't let that happen this time.
As soon as she was airborne, harpies and winged creatures above swarmed her. They formed a massive screeching army wall around much of the mountain, making it next to impossible for her to get through. This forced her to stay low initially, but now she had a chance to make an opening. Despite her muscles being strained, Wonder Woman picked up more speed. She could still feel the angry cyclops tugging at her lasso, attempting to climb up and attack her. At one point she could smell the creature's breath. That's when she made her next move.
"You mindless beasts might as well be good for something," she grunted.
The harpies and winged demons were already set to swarm her. Wonder Woman waited until she got close enough before slowing down and spinning the bound creature in her lasso around at high speeds. She spun it so fast that she created heavy gusts of wind that disrupted the incoming creatures. And once she built up enough velocity, she recalled her lasso to let the creature go.
As soon as she released it, the howling beast flew right towards the side of the mountain at high speeds. It plowed through the cloud of winged creatures like a boulder until it struck the rocky walls of Olympus. It hit with such force that it formed a sizable hole that wasn't fortified like the rest of the gates. Seeing this as her opening, Wonder Woman flew towards the hole at high speeds. A few creatures tried to obstruct her path. She knocked them away with ease, her ears ringing with their deafening screeches every step of the way.
The moment she made it into the opening, she hit the roof over her with enough force to cause part of the structure to collapse. This effectively sealed the hole she just entered from the creatures. Now she was within the inner sanctums of Olympus and one step closer to Ares.
"That was too hard in some ways – too easy in others," said Wonder Woman while attempting to catch her breath. "Ares is throwing all these creatures at me, but they're holding back. I can tell."
The determined warrior in her gave way to experienced Amazon for a moment. She had experienced enough combat as both an Amazon and as Wonder Woman to recognize strategy when she saw it. She should expect nothing less from the God of War. Just throwing armies of monsters at her and expecting that to subdue her just wasn't cunning enough. He had to have something else in mind.
"You want me to confront you. Don't you, Ares?" said Wonder Woman, knowing the God of War was listening. "You'll your wish soon enough. I'll make sure you regret it!"
She should've rested a bit longer. Fighting through Tartarus and the gates of Olympus was taxing, even for her. But Wonder Woman would not grant herself such mercy. Every moment she spent resting was another moment Ares tightened his grip on her mother and her sisters. She could not let that stand. She needed to push forward.
Despite plenty of soreness, she took to the air again and flew through the vast corridors of Olympus. Amazons were rarely allowed to visit Olympus and when they did, they were only allowed to see a fraction of its magnificent structure. It had so many vast halls and spacious domains. Some even acted as gateways to realms within this realm, allowing the gods the various feats that made them gods. Wonder Woman had no intention of exploring every area of this domain. She already had a good feeling about where Ares was hiding. Being the ambitious war monger he was, he would only accept Zeus' throne room as his base and that happened to be one area that most Amazons knew very well.
As Wonder Woman navigated through the various sanctums of the mountain, she encountered more of Ares' forces. They consisted mostly of trolls, undead soldiers, harpies, and a few random monsters. She made quick work of all of them, deflecting attacks from those that tried to knock her off course and punching her way through those that stood in her way. They were annoying, but hardly overwhelming. That didn't dampen her determination, but it did give her other reasons to be concerned.
'These beasts aren't even trying to defeat me. They're just frustrating me. Ares wants to stoke my anger. He wants me to be more emotional and upset than I already am. Most Amazons would. I can't play into his hands. The more emotional I get, the more likely I am to make mistakes. Just remember what you've learned from fighting alongside Kal as Wonder Woman. Don't try to suppress your passions. Channel them.'
This proved more challenging than usual. Thoughts of her mother, her sister, and the gods she once worshipped kept tempting her to fight with blind rage. That was exactly what Ares wanted. The undead guarding one of the critical gateways separating the lower sanctums from the summit made it even harder. They all gathered around armed with spears and bows, unleashing a barrage that forced Wonder Woman to defend herself with her bracelets. In doing so, she had to further temper her passions. This caused her thoughts to drift back towards her lover.
'Kal…I can't forget about you either. I made you a part of this when you didn't have to. I trusted you to help me because I don't trust myself to outwit the God of War. Alone, we might stand only a slight chance of surviving a battle with Ares. But together, we can do so much more. We'll have to – for each other and for the world as we know it.'
Without letting her passions falter, Wonder Woman braved more incoming spears and arrows to make it through the gateway. She made sure she took down a good chunk of the undead along the way, hitting various parts of the supporting structures and allowing them to collapse. The remaining creatures kept trying to shoot more arrows at her, but they weren't enough to hold her back.
As she ascended through the upper atrium of Olympus, her thoughts lingered on Kal-El and the role he now played in this. In fighting all these monstrosities, the full weight of her choices caught up with her. By trusting Kal to take part in this battle, she was trusting him on a level she had never even trusted her sisters. It was a lot to ask of him and herself. Their relationship had progressed so quickly. It had to for reasons beyond their control. But if they made it through this, it would grant them something more precious than progress.
'I don't know if I'm ready for this, Kal. I know you think you are, but you worry just as I do where this will lead us. You've shared so much of your world with me. Now I have to share mine with you and that world might end up destroying us both. But if it doesn't and our love endures…'
Wonder Woman had to stop herself from entertaining such thoughts. It would only distract her from the task at hand. No matter how daunting or appealing those possibilities might be, she needed to stay focused.
She encountered more minor resistance as she reached the mid-point of the atrium. A few large harpies and some undead soldiers armed with bows kept trying to frustrate her, but Wonder Woman didn't give them the satisfaction. She just kept evading and deflecting with her bracelets, her every thought now centered on finding Ares. She sensed he was close. The stench of all the blood that had been shed in his name filled the air.
The summit of Olympus was within her reach. She was about to make her final push to the top when she heard a distinct voice cry out from another area within the mountain.
"Diana…forgive me," cried a tortured voice.
That voice shattered Wonder Woman's focus in a way no army of monsters ever could. It was the voice of her mother, who she hadn't seen in over a year. She was close and she was in pain. All the emotions that drew her towards Ares now drew her in another direction. As those emotions overwhelmed her and the arrows from undead soldiers kept flying around her, she made a decision.
"Mother," she said solemnly. "Damn you, Ares."
Following the echo of the voice, Wonder Woman changed direction. She no longer made her way to the summit. She flew down a darkened corridor to the east. It was an area of Olympus no Amazon had ever gone or ever wanted to go. This led to what the priestesses called the Olympian Brig. It was essentially a holding cell where those condemned by the gods would remain until their punishment was decided. It was a dark, cold, confined area meant to weaken the spirit. The idea that her mother was being kept her proved too much.
"Mother…I will save you!" she called out.
Her voice attracted more harpies and few other creatures that guarded this part of Olympus. They included large, spider-like creatures that crawled through cracks in the wall and set up webs to prevent anyone from rescuing the prisoners. She made quick work of the harpies, but the spiders proved more difficult.
They let out these terrible hissing noises and spat venomous webs at her. She evaded some, but got hit with a few sticky globs. It was disgusting and it burned her skin like acid, but she didn't let it slow her down. She just wiped it off and punched the creature that spat it, crushing its skull in the process. This caused it to let out another sharp hiss, which seemed to attract the attention of even more spiders.
"The gods…are truly without mercy," said Wonder Woman as more spiders converged on her.
Ignoring their hideous hissing and disgusting attacks, she pressed forward. She flew through the elaborate webs, avoiding claws and stingers in the process. She also used her lasso along the way, roping a few particularly large spiders by their legs and slamming them against others, which helped tear some of the webbing in the process.
A few smaller ones tried to ambush her by jumping down from the roof and landing on her back. One even got lucky enough to try and bite her. But she managed to grab its face before it could sink its claws into her flesh.
"Argh! No beast…or man…touches me without permission!" yelled Wonder Woman.
She ripped the legs of the spider off to prove her point and threw its corpse at others trying to slow her down. The determined Amazon then sped up, flying faster and punching her way clear through one of the larger spider-like creatures blocking her path. It covered her in more disgusting entrails, but she didn't care. She kept flying into the darkness. Once she put some distance between herself and the spiders, Wonder Woman heard another pained cry.
"Diana…Hera…gods…have mercy on my soul."
It was her mother again. Clenching her fists, Wonder Woman followed that voice deeper into this forbidden sanctum. Eventually, she reached a massive wall of black stone that seemed to radiate utter despair. Within this wall were a number of cave-like openings. Each one of these caves gave off a very tormented feel, as though they were meant to make death seem merciful. The idea of her mother being in one was a torment in and of itself.
Still following overwhelming waves of emotion, Wonder Woman scanned these caves as quickly as she could. She eventually identified one that that had a dim light coming from it. With her mother's presence now tantalizingly close, she flew towards the cave as fast as the winds of Hermes would take her.
"Mother! Mother, I'm here!" she called out.
But upon entering the cave, Wonder Woman was not prepared for what she encountered. The moment she saw her mother, she froze in mid-air.
"By the gods…" she gasped.
For the first time in her life, Wonder Woman saw her mother in a state of utter defeat and complete submission. She sat with her back against the wall, her wrists shackled and strung up over her head by chains. She had been stripped of her legal garb, now dressed only in dirty rags. Her strength, grace, and spirit were gone, leaving only a broken woman. It was the worst possible state for any Amazon, let alone the queen.
When Hippolyta heard her daughter's voice, she only slightly raised her head to acknowledge her presence. She revealed a pale complexion, a distant case, and eyes stained by many tears. It should've been a moment of joy, seeing her daughter again for the first time in over a year. Instead, it only added to her sorrow.
"Diana…my precious daughter," said Hippolyta in a weak tone.
"It'll be okay, Mother," said Wonder Woman as she flew in closer. "I'm here to free you and our sisters. Just hold on and I'll have you free in…"
"No! Don't come any closer," she warned.
Wonder Woman stopped again, shocked and confused by her mother's words. She spoke with such pain and sorrow. Her just being close to her only added to it.
"Please mother…let me help you," said Wonder Woman. "I know there are many things we need to discuss, but none of that matters now."
"You're…you're wrong," said Hippolyta sadly.
"But…" she began, only to be cut off again.
"You shouldn't have come here."
Still confused and distraught, Wonder Woman didn't notice a purplish wall of energy forming behind her. If she had, she would've seen the imposing figure of the Annihilator armor step through it and into the cave. But Hippolyta saw it and unlike her daughter, she already knew how this battle would play out.
"She's right. You should've listened to your mother," said the snide voice of Lex Luthor.
Wonder Woman's Amazon instincts kicked in. With superhuman reflexes, she turned around and attempted to strike the source of the voice. She only ended up with her arm being grabbed by the unbreakable grip of the Annihilator armor. She didn't recognize the armor or its imposing power, but she did recognize the ghostly face within the helmet.
"Lex Luthor!" she exclaimed.
"Ah, so you know me," he said with a grin. "Good, because I know you too. And I've been waiting a long time to do this."
While still holding onto her arm, Luthor delivered a devastating right cross that sent Wonder Woman flying back into the rocky wall right next to her chained mother. It was a blow harder than any she had ever endured. It left her stunned and sore. For a moment, her whole body stung. It felt like her internal organs had been tossed around and rearranged. Coughing up a bit of blood, Wonder Woman could only clutch her side and lean back on the wall for support.
Luthor's grin within the Annihilator Armor widened as he approached the wounded woman. He hadn't forgotten how this woman ruined his plot against Superman with Metallo. She was a big reason why he had to go on the run in the first place. Now he was in a position to get revenge in so many satisfying ways.
"So you call yourself Wonder Woman? From where I'm standing, I don't see much wonder," he taunted. "I only see another fraudulent savior of mankind. The only difference between you and Superman is that you insist on dressing more provocatively."
"Luthor…what have you done?" groaned Wonder Woman, struggling to stand under her own power.
"Exactly what I hoped to do before you so rudely disrupted my plans over a year ago," Luthor replied. "The only difference now is that it's going to hurt a lot more."
"That would be an understatement," came a new voice back from the purplish wall of energy.
Wonder Woman's pain gave way to anger again as she recognized the menacing voice of Ares, the God of War. His sinister face had formed within the portal, complete with a devious sneer. It allowed him to look down on her and her mother like in ways only an arrogant god could.
"Ares…" said Wonder Woman with burning hatred.
"Nice to see you too, Princess. Or should I say former princess?" Ares replied. "Given the state of your mother, I'm not sure the rules of royal lineage apply anymore."
"Call me whatever you want. It won't make what I do to you hurt any less."
"You threatening to hurt a god is like an ant threatening to harm a mountain. You've just proven that for all your warrior spirit, you're still as flawed as every other mortal. You hear your mother's feeble cries and you willingly put yourself in the exact position I want. It would be so satisfying if it weren't so pathetically predictable."
It was a painful realization in more ways than one. Wonder Woman should've seen it coming, but this cunning god manipulated her emotions. She did exactly what she promised herself she wouldn't do. She did her enemy a huge favor and played right into his hands. She looked over towards her mother, who only held her head low in shame for the part she played in it. She then looked back at Ares, who kept grinning as though he had already won.
"What's pathetic is you, Ares. Defying Olympus…using my sisters…teaming up with Lex Luthor," said Diana, wiping more blood from her mouth. "Do you really think you can win? That you can use me to get your precious war?"
"I don't think I can, Diana. I don't need to," scoffed Ares. "Just look at what I've accomplished since you last interfered. I got you to exile yourself. I got your sisters to expose your mother's dirty little secret. I even got my darling mother to go through the trouble of subverting my father's authority."
Wonder Woman's eyes widened with a new kind of anger upon hearing this. She turned to her mother again, who just gave her a solemn glance to confirm his words. This arrogant god just kept finding new ways to enrage her.
"You…you were responsible for that?" she exclaimed.
"Directly in some – indirectly in others," he said in an all too casual tone. "Again, it would've been much more satisfying if it weren't so easy."
"So everything that tore me and my family apart – that was you!"
"It would've happened sooner or later. I just sped up the process and made sure it worked to my advantage. Now, thanks in no small part to you, I've subverted my father, subdued every god on Olympus, and put myself in a position to launch the war I've been planning for centuries. I would say thank you, but I know you'll never appreciate it."
He was a god mad with power, but it was a power she helped him achieve without knowing it. Wonder Woman knew as well as any Amazon that the gods could be manipulative, but never like this. The gods were supposed to be just, their tendency towards manipulation always being a means to an end. Ares had gone much further. He shunned all the ideals and values the gods were supposed to uphold. He was a walking affront to everything the Amazons stood far. She could not let this stand.
Now simmering with rage, Wonder Woman returned to her feet. But Lex Luthor stood ready to face her within the Annihilator Armor. Ares was goading her into unleashing her full wrath and doing way too good a job of it.
"Are you finished taunting her yet, Ares? I'm in this obscenely powerful armor and I'm getting bored," he said, cracking his knuckles within the armor.
"I think I've said all I need to say," said Ares. "She clearly thinks she can fight the God of War. It's only proper that she go through one of my greatest weapons to earn that privilege."
"No weapon will stop me…from getting to you," said Wonder Woman with fierce determination.
"Well if you're that confident, then by all means. But I advise you make it a quick battle. My army is almost ready to attack. And guess who's going to be on the front line?"
In yet another brazen act to provoke the angry Amazon, the image of his face faded from the purplish wall of energy behind Luthor. Then, within this wall of energy, a portal formed that revealed a disturbing vision. It showed the entire Amazon army, dressed in new attire bearing the emblems of the God of War. They stood side-by-side in perfect harmony, their eyes glowing with the same ominous purplish energy. They had no will or spirit of their own. They were clearly just slaves to the will of Ares now.
It was another disgusting act of submission and manipulation. The spirit of the Amazons that were supposed to be free so they could fight with all their hearts now lay in the hands of this mad god, who would not hesitate for a second to sacrifice them in his war. It effectively refocused Diana's determination and spirit, overriding any lingering pain in her body.
"My sisters…I won't let you use them anymore!" said Wonder Woman with a burning determination.
"That's just what I was hoping to hear," said Luthor.
She didn't even hear his words at this point. She was too consumed with anger to hear anything other than the defeated cries of her enemy. With unrelenting fury, she took to the air again and flew towards the Annihilator Armor at full speed. She struck him right in the chest. Luthor attempted to block her, but she struck with such force that she drove him back towards the portal and they both ended up flying right through it. She didn't care where it led her or what danger it entailed. No matter where Ares was, she was going to find him and defeat him.
As soon as she and Luthor entered the portal, they disappeared into the purplish haze. It instantly transported them out of the cave and into the unknown. Hippolyta, who tried in vain not to watch, let out another cry of anguish.
"Diana no!" she exclaimed.
Once again, the former Queen of the Amazons felt an overwhelming despair. Her daughter once again played into the hands of Ares. She was now doomed to a battle she could not win.
"I'm so sorry, Diana. I failed you…again," Hippolyta lamented.
"Oh don't feel too bad, Hippolyta," said Ares. "She was always destined to serve a noble purpose. She just had to make it harder on herself."
Through the still open portal, the figure of the God of War emerged. He entered the cave, his every stride smug with victory. He approached the bound Hippolyta and looked down on her with the utmost pity. The former queen, despite her despair, looked back at him with utter disdain. This god that the Amazons once actually worshipped was using them in ways even Hercules never dared. It filled her with so much anger, but there was nothing she could do. For once, the proud Amazon could not fight back.
"How much more punishment do you intend to inflict on me, Ares? Do you want me to envy Prometheus himself?" spat Hippolyta.
"My dear Hippolyta, you presume too much," said the God of War. "I'm not Hera. I'm not my father either. I've no intention of tormenting you more than you deserve."
"I'd say it's far too late for that," she muttered.
"Also unlike my fellow gods, I am not without mercy. You might not think it so, but I believe that even lying harlots like yourself deserve to witness moments of glory."
Ares then proceeded to grab the chains that bound Hippolyta's wrists and ripped them out of the wall. He made sure the former Amazon queen remained bound and restrained, holding her up so that her arms could not move. For a moment, he just glared at her face-to-face, taking in the hatred and despair. It was such a satisfying sight for the God of War, but not as satisfying as the victory that lay ahead.
"Now come," he said as he carried her back towards the portal. "Join me as your daughter helps unlock the Tomb of Erebus. Watch as she and your fellow Amazons help me unleash the greatest war that gods and mortals have ever seen!"
Themyscira
Returning to Themyscira was a bittersweet moment for Superman. On one hand, this was the place where he met Diana, the woman he fell so madly in love with. On the other, this was same place where an army of immortal women wanted to put him on trial for the crime of being shipwrecked. He had many mixed feelings about this island, but he figured it was would have to return to it at some point. This island was part of Diana's life. As such, it was destined to be part of his life. He just wished he had returned under better circumstances. Then again, such circumstances might not have been possible.
'There it is – Themyscira, the beautiful island where I met the love of my life and a xenophobic tribe of immortal women. It's funny. I knew the moment I got involved with Diana that I would have to come back at some point, but I still feel woefully unprepared.'
Guided by the Pennant of Athena that Wonder Woman left for him, Superman successfully navigated the waters of the Mediterranean and bypassed the mystical shroud to reach this secluded island. He tried not to slow down and take in the view, even as he passed over the very shore on which he first laid eyes on the woman that became his lover. He had to stay focused. Wonder Woman needed him use this pennant to reach her before the gods lured her into a battle she couldn't win. He had to be her lifeline in a battle neither of them understood. Unfortunately, this involved relying heavily on magic, a force Superman didn't particularly care for.
'I'll say it once and I'll say it again. I hate magic. It's not just one of the few things that hurts me. It's hard to handle, impossible to predict, and blows up in my face more often than not. But for Diana – if it works, I'll handle as much as I have to.'
The pennant's power seemed to increase as soon as he passed over the shores of the island. It hadn't changed much since his last visit. However, Superman did notice that a dark overcast had descended over the island, which didn't seem natural. It gave him a very bad feeling because it meant that many more mystical forces lay ahead. Unlike the other threats he often faced, he would not be able to rely on strength alone to get him through this.
Superman soon came across an even more ominous sign as he flew towards the center of the island. Using his super vision, he saw that there had already been a pretty significant battle and from the looks of it, the Amazons lost. A good chunk of their settlement was devastated. It looked as though an army had stormed through, destroying everything in its path. Whatever came through her had to be pretty powerful, which was a distressing sign in and of itself.
'Wow. It looks like there was a pretty big battle here already. Not sure who won, but the Amazons are supposed to be tenacious warriors. Anyone or anything that can fight them and cause this much destruction has to be pretty potent. And if Diana has to go up against something like this…'
He had to stop himself from think about the terrible possibilities. He couldn't allow himself to even entertain such thoughts. He had to trust his lover just as much as she trusted him.
'No. Don't think that way, Clark. Diana's tougher than that. She's probably already punching her way through whatever monster is stupid enough to get in her way. Don't waste your time worrying about her. She's a warrior. She knows how to fight. Focus on getting to her so you can fight this battle together.'
With this added motivation, Superman flew in lower and landed in the middle of the devastated settlement. The pennant started glowing brighter. He could feel its power increasing. It felt like it was now trying to shove him towards his lover, but at the same time it also felt like it was trying to warn him. Hessia did tell him that the pennant reacted strangely when Wonder Woman activated it with her blood. This might be part of that reaction.
Before following the pennant any farther, he used his super vision and super hearing to scan the settlement. He could hear nothing but the wind and saw nothing but more destruction. Superman had learned from experience the value of assessing a situation before he rushed into battle. This situation was already raising more than a few red flags.
"No bodies…no blood…nothing," said Superman. "I'm not sure if that's a good or bad sign. I don't know what happened here, but I'm pretty sure it was just a prelude."
He followed the pennant a little farther, passing by a few destroyed homes and a temple that had sustained heavy damage. He kept his eye out for any Amazons that might still be hiding. He still remembered how hostile they were to men trespassing on their island. For all he knew, some were using a mystical cloak he couldn't sense to prepare an ambush.
Remaining as vigilant as possible, Superman scanned the area a bit longer before he risked following the pennant any farther. He was just about ready to take to the air again when he was startled by the sound of breaking glass.
"Guess I spoke too soon," he said.
Superman immediately took a defensive stance and looked over towards the source of the noise. But to his surprise, it didn't come from anything hostile. Instead, it came courtesy of an elegantly dressed woman wearing a peacock-like gown stammering out of the temple. He could tell from a distance she was visibly drunk, but not nearly as hostile as he expected.
"What's this? A man dares to set foot on this sacred island?" said the woman in a slurred tone. "Is there no end to my humiliation?"
Superman gazed at the woman with a raised eyebrow and relaxed his stance. However, he remained careful in approaching, not knowing what to expect from this island that had been so unwelcoming to him.
"Uh…ma'am? Are you okay?" he asked, his farm boy manners kicking in.
"Ma'am? Do men still say that? Then again, I can't remember the last time a man showed me that kind of respect," she laughed as she glared towards him. "What are you trying to pull? Are you another one of Zeus' bastards? Because if you are, be quick with your wrath and leave me alone."
"Please ma'am, I'm not here to hurt anybody," said Superman with a peaceful gesture. "I'm here because this is Diana's home and she sensed it was in trouble."
"Well look around. Do you sense the little harlot was right?" she said dryly.
"I'm not here to state the obvious. I'm here to help her. And I'd appreciate it if you not call her a harlot."
Hera sneered towards the man as she stammered over towards him. She already had another bottle of wine in hand that she had every intention of opening and consuming whole, if only to annoy this man for trespassing on her sacred island. But as she approached, she recognized the pennant he was holding.
"Hey…is that the Pennant of Athena? I thought she stopped making those," she said.
"I don't know much about it. I just know that it's supposed to help me get to Diana. And if you could offer any clue as to what she's facing, I would really appreciate it," said Superman.
"You want to help her? Against my son, the God of War?" Hera laughed. "You either have a death wish or you're too soft on illegitimate bastards."
The imposing man frowned at her again, not appreciating her remarks towards Diana in the slightest. Hera had plenty more she could've gone over and she was plenty drunk to list them all. But once she got closer, she recognized more than just the pennant.
"Unless…you're that man, aren't you?" she said. "You're the one that wooed the princess all those years ago."
"I'm not sure what you mean by wooed, but yes. I am that man," Superman affirmed.
"Then that would also make you the one that inspired her to exile herself. Guess that means you did a lot more than woo her."
"I didn't do anything. Diana made her own choice. She also chose to go back to her home. Now I'm choosing to help her."
Hera looked at this man with a raised eyebrow for a moment, her demeanor shifting from one of drunken disdain to one of drunken curiosity. It had been a long time since she interacted with a mortal man. She found many of them boring or brutish. But this was the man who triggered such upheaval among the Amazons by leaving such a strong impression on the princess. He had to be more than that to accomplish such a feat.
"Choice? Ha!" she scoffed in a slurred tone. "A man choosing to put his life on the line for a woman – a woman choosing to leave her life behind because of a man– I want to say it's pathetic, but who am I to talk? I've only known men to choose in accord with their interests or their loins, whichever comes first."
She almost sounded sad when she said this. Superman didn't sense that this woman was hostile, but her behavior started to concern him. She knew of his connections with Wonder Woman and his history on this island. She also reacted strangely to what he said. The very idea of him wanting to help her for a battle she deemed unwinnable baffled and intrigued her. He questioned whether he should expect this woman to help him in any capacity.
"But you're a different kind of man, aren't you?" said Hera in a less snide tone. "You're the kind of man who actually loves her and actually does the right thing, even when he doesn't have to. You'd have to be that kind of man for Diana to make such a choice."
"You'll have to ask her about that," he replied.
"I don't need to. I already spoke with her when she arrived. And before she ran off to fight a losing battle, she made one thing clear – she doesn't regret her choice. She must really love you. Just saying that out loud makes me want to cry like a baby."
Her tone became solemn. She went to open the bottle of wine she still had in her hand, but she stopped herself this time. No amount of alcohol could make the facts any less damning. Now it was just a matter of salvaging a shred of dignity.
"At least she has decent tastes," said Hera, now admiring his manly features. "I remember you being a goofy, rather unremarkable boy. Now here you are – a fully grown man in a remarkably manly body. For you to influence Diana so profoundly, I bet you have an endowment that would make a titan sick with envy."
"Ma'am, I don't know what you're dealing with right now. But if this is the only assistance I can expect from you, then I should probably leave you to sober up," said Superman with a touch of embarrassment.
"And you even have manners – real, actual manners!" she said in astonishment. "You know, if I weren't the Goddess of Marriage, I would do things to you that would make Aphrodite herself jealousy."
She then reached out to touch his chest, following both her jaded emotions and drunken inclinations. However, this man wouldn't have it. He grasped her wrist to stop her before she could feel what Diana had probably felt to such bliss. He made it clear that he would not be swayed by her charms or distracted from his mission. It only made him far too decent for a conflict like this.
"Ma'am – or Hera, as that would make you – I don't mean to be rude, but I don't have time for this," he said strongly.
"For once a man doesn't follow his loins and I'm disappointed. Just my luck," she muttered.
"Now I don't know what I'm up against. From what you've said, I gather it's pretty dangerous. You seem pretty confident that Diana won't win this battle."
"Nobody can win this battle. Ares has already made sure of that. If you or Diana or any other pitiful soul opposes him, you'll fall. It's that simple," said Hera as she yanked her arm out of his grip.
She spoke in such absolutes, like he had already won. Superman had heard people say that a situation was beyond hope. He committed himself to proving those people wrong the day he put on his cape. Now that the woman he loved was involved, he had even more incentive.
"I don't believe that. I won't," said Superman strongly. "I don't care if I'm dealing with a god. I'm going to help Diana. I'm going to find a way to stop this before it hurts her or any innocent people."
"Innocent people?" said Hera. "You would fight for both them and a disgraced princess? Now it sounds like you're compensating for something."
"I'm not compensating for anything. Why would I?"
"I don't know. What are you trying to prove? That you love Diana enough to die for her? That doesn't prove anything other than how cruel love can be."
"I don't need to die for her to prove that I love her. She already knows I love her. What I'm doing – what she's doing – isn't about us. It's about doing the right thing. I'll find a way, she'll find a way, or we'll find a way together. I don't care what you call it. This is my choice."
He left no room for argument. He spoke with an authority and certainty that rivaled any god. If Hera weren't so drunk, she might actually respect it. She could tell he still wanted her help. But even without it, he would move forward. And since he had the Pennant of Athena in hand, he was destined to be on the front lines of Ares' war. It struck the former Queen of Olympus in a way that transcended her intoxication.
It seemed so alien to a god, choosing something just because it was the right thing to do. Hera was surrounded by gods who just chose and gave no thought to how right or wrong it was. Their authority was the only reason they needed. However, this man that had captured the heart of an Amazon Princess wielded his power differently. He didn't need to be persuaded, forced, or tricked into doing the right thing. He just did it on his own accord. Something about that made him more powerful than any god and the idea of just sending him to his death didn't sit well.
Superman gave her a few more moments to reconsider. Eventually, he turned around and prepared to leave her to her drunkenness. He was fully prepared to follow the Pennant of Athena the rest of the way to his lover, despite not knowing just how overmatched he was. And because Hera did know, she decided to make a fateful choice of her own.
"Wait," she said before he could leave.
"If you're going to give me more warnings, ma'am – you should know I'm not going to change my mind," said Superman.
"I'm used to having my advice ignored so I won't bother. But if you insist on being this honorable – well, I wouldn't be much of a goddess if I didn't offer some help."
"Thank you," he said graciously. "Anything you can offer would be a help at this point."
"Then manage your expectations because I can't offer much," said Hera, shaking off her drunkenness regaining what little poise she had left. "There are a few things I know about my son that few others do. And if you do as I say and are as strong as you claim, then you just might stand a chance. If nothing else, this will piss him off in ways you and Diana should find very satisfying."
Up next: Front Lines