Strangers In Paradise
Chapter 19: Pain and Sacrifice
New Mexico – Helion Solar Test Range
Lex Luthor never expected that his ascension to prominence would be easy. Having gone to such great lengths to unlock the secrets of the Olympians and outwit the beings that dared called themselves gods, he prepared himself for plenty of frustrations. Yet in the end, his greatest frustrations did not come from false gods. It came from an old and familiar enemy.
"Superman…I was hoping you and Wonder Woman would show up," said Lex Luthor from within the now massive Annihilator Armor. "You never can stop yourself from delaying my triumph, can you?"
"And you can never stop yourself from making an ongoing cataclysm even worse, Luthor," said Superman. "I know you're really enjoying your new god-like power, but we won't let you use it to wreck two worlds."
"You think I need your permission to remake these worlds as only my genius can? And they say I have an ego," he laughed.
Despite having just taken a powerful blow from Superman and Wonder Woman, Lex Luthor easily shook it off. The Annihilator Armor, along with the energy flowing through it, made it plenty resilient. He only stammered back slightly, more annoyed than disoriented. The arrival of these two pseudo-gods didn't concern him in the slightest. They might as well be flies buzzing around his face.
The stage was now set for the final battle in this war that had taken so many different turns. With the unstable Gate of Eos behind them, Superman and Wonder Woman hovered side-by-side in preparation for another attack. Luthor, his imposing form radiating the vast energies of the gods, stood ready to crush them and enjoy every second of it. Despite this overwhelming power, the two lovers stood ready to stop him from unleashing his madness on mortals and gods alike.
"You have more than just a bloated ego. You're wielding a power you can't possibly understand!" shouted Wonder Woman. "Do you have any idea the kind of damage you're doing, Luthor? Do you even care?"
"Whatever damage I do is justified. Whatever suffering my genius incurs is necessary," said Luthor without apology.
"Then it's necessary for us to stop you!" said Superman strongly.
He and Wonder Woman began their attack, flying towards him at high speeds again and seeking another strike. This time, they diverged from one another along the way, going in different directions so they could come in at different angles. They couldn't expect to catch Luthor by surprise again so they had to utilize new tactics.
Now flying around Luthor's massive form, Superman made the first move, hitting him with his an onslaught of his heat vision. Luthor instinctively blocked it with his arm, which gave Wonder Woman just enough room to fly in and strike at the torso. She tried leading with both hands, flying at speeds rivaling a bullet from a gun. It had an impact that Luthor clearly felt, but didn't leave much of a dent. This didn't stop her from attempting another pass, avoiding Luthor's efforts to swat her out of the sky in the process. Superman kept on hitting with his heat vision, but all that did was annoy him.
Luthor attempted to deflect some of the heat beams with his hand, nearly redirecting it right towards Superman at one point. It forced him to change directions in mid-air, making him vulnerable to one of Luthor's swats. He avoided it, but it put him on the defensive.
"Do you honestly think you can win like this, Superman?" laughed Luthor.
"I can still fight you. That's all I ever need with you, Luthor," replied Superman as he evaded the counterstrike.
"I'm not some mechanical monstrosity or phony god. I am a superior intellect armed with the power to raze entire worlds!"
"No. You're a man with a sick sense of entitlement who can't stop making excuses," shot Superman.
"And you're an alien pretending to be human. What's your excuse?"
Superman attempted to hit him again with more heat vision, but this time Luthor was able to block and redirect the blast so that it hit him with his own power. It left Superman stunned just long enough for him to finally strike him with a punishing swat that sent him tumbling through the air.
It was the first time Lex Luthor had been able to strike Superman himself in a way that actually hurt him. It was almost as satisfying as outsmarting false gods. With this power, he could show the world that Superman was no savior or icon. He was just another fraud.
"Why do I bother asking?" scoffed Luthor. "You can't possibly understand the beauty of my vision. A man usurping the power of the gods and using it to remake this imperfect world you constantly struggle to save – it's not just necessary. It's for the greater good! Surely you superheroes can understand that."
It took a moment for Superman's head to stop ringing so he could reorient himself in the air. Shaking off the pain and the echoes of Luthor's annoying proclamations, he flew in for another attack.
"You're not equipped to understand the greater good, Luthor," shouted Superman. "You keep confusing it with your ego."
"And you keep confusing justice with yours!" spat Superman.
"You don't understand justice either. Men like you never will!" yelled Wonder Woman who flew towards her lover.
"And women like you keep fighting fruitless battles."
While Superman was momentarily stunned, Wonder Woman flew in to attack his head again. Lex tried to swat her out of the sky again. He missed on the first attempt, but he struck her with the back of his hand on the second. This sent Wonder Woman crashing into the roof of one of the hangers, knocking her clear through the concrete and leaving a gaping hole.
Seeing this man strike her lover filled Superman with a more focused determination. Lex Luthor had committed many atrocities that he would never atone for, but this was one that could not go unpunished.
"You just made the worst mistake of your life, Luthor!" yelled Superman.
Lex just kept sneering and attempted to swat him out of the sky as well. He missed several times as Superman went on the evasive, utilizing his super speed to keep him off balanced. When he attempted to crashing between both hands, he stepped up his attack in ways he usually reserved for the most menacing of threats.
Before Luthor's hands could crush him, he shot up into the sky like a rocket. He quickly accelerated to hypersonic speeds, briefly exiting the atmosphere of the Earth and hovering miles above the surface. In doing so, he came face-to-face with the brilliant glow of the morning sun. Its nourishing yellow light filled him with a fresh surge of energy. After absorbing as much as he could, he shifted direction and flew back down towards the surface at speeds rivaling a comet. He moved so fast that he briefly took the form of a shooting star.
When he made contact with the Annihilator Armor, it unleashed an impact that shook the foundation of the entire test range, causing huge cracks to form in the concrete. Under the weight of such force, it should've shattered the Annihilator Armor like glass. It actually sent a sharp sting up through Superman's arm. However, the armor remained intact. It just left a massive dent in the chest of the armor, knocking it back a few hundred feet and causing it to fall flat on its back.
For a moment, the image of Lex Luthor's face faded briefly from the head. Then it reappeared, the snide look on his face not changing in the slightest.
"I sense I struck a nerve," he said.
"Go on, Luthor. I dare you to push your luck!" said Superman, clenching his fists in another threatening display.
"I don't need luck. I just need you to reveal your vulnerabilities."
"I'll show you vulnerability!" came Wonder Woman's voice from across the test range.
Superman didn't get a chance to silence Luthor. Wonder Woman, despite enduring a nasty impact, few out from the hole she had just made in the hanger. Like Superman, she moved at such high speeds that Luthor could barely see her. He only saw her ascending into the sky briefly before crashing down again, this time landing with her feet right at the head of the armor. This caused Luthor's face to flicker again. The impact even seemed to disrupt the energy flowing from the Gate of Eos briefly. Even with the Annihilator Armor, it had to have stung.
With her boots now dug into the head of the armor, she dared Lex Luthor to reappear. Her determined demeanor, even in the face of overwhelming power, put a smile on Superman's face.
"Someone had to shut you up, Luthor," she said firmly.
"And you couldn't have done it in a more satisfying way," said Superman.
"Thanks," she replied, smiling back. "You do know you don't have to defend my honor like that, right?"
"I know. You're plenty capable of defending it on your own. You just look a lot better doing it."
Even in the heat of battle, he still found a way to charm her. It actually made sharing the burden of battle more satisfying. It was an unexpected bonus, but one that made Wonder Woman even more determined to keep fighting.
Their ability to support and fight for one another was admirable, but it did little to impress Lex Luthor. Despite taking to powerful blows that would've rendered a lesser being paralyzed, Lex remained only mildly annoyed. He could feel the power within the armor growing restless. It wanted him to finish these two off. He had every intention of obliging it, but he also intended to savor their defeat every step of the way.
"All you've done is make this moment more satisfying for me," he said in a mischievous tone.
The image of his face appeared in the head of the Annihilator Armor again. He saw Wonder Woman still standing on top of him and Superman hovering over him. With the both of them now in his line of sight again, he channeled more power through the armor. It caused entire form to be surrounded in a bright yellowish aura. It also caused the nearby Gate of Eos to flicker again with growing instability, which distracted Superman and Wonder Woman for a brief moment. That was just enough time for him to unleash a concentrated beam of energy through the head of the armor.
"Ahhhhhh!" Wonder Woman cried out as the blinding beam of light briefly engulfed her.
Overwhelming force sent her flying and equally overwhelming pain followed, inflicting on her the punishment of a million armies. It left her unable to brace herself when she hit the hard concrete, leaving a sizable crater and putting her in a world of pain.
"Wonder Woman!" gasped Superman.
"Feeling vulnerable now?" taunted Luthor.
Just as he planned, Wonder Woman's distress distracted Superman just long enough for him to unleash another concentrated beam. He didn't get a chance to evade it. Just as before, the energy engulfed him and inflicted the kind of punishment from which his powers could not protect him. It sent Superman flying and rendered him just as paralyzed when he hit the ground a few feet away from Wonder Woman, creating another sizable creator in the process.
Their pained state allowed Luthor to finally pick himself up. The Annihilator Armor had a few dents, but they quickly fixed themselves as soon as he returned to his feet. He then made his way over to the two downed figures, leering over them as they lay weak and vulnerable.
"I hope that's not all you've got because I'm already bored," said Lex.
He now stood over them so that his massive form dominated their view. His shadow blotted out nearly the entire morning sky over the test range. They remained conscious and determined, but they now had a much better idea of the kind of power they were up against. They tried to pick themselves up, but only made it to their hands and knees. If Superman and Wonder Woman were at all smart, then they would brace themselves for defeat.
"You fight all the wrong battles in all the wrong ways for all the wrong reasons. But like every phony god and savior, you refuse to accept your flaws." he said to them. "Only a superior mind is able to do what needs to be done. And before you draw your last breath, remember the superior mind that defeated you!"
Lex Luthor raised the massive foot of the Annihilator Armor and prepared to crush the two phony heroes in the most inglorious way possible. He prepared to cherish this moment as much as possible. Ultimate triumph was finally within his grasp.
However, this moment was abruptly interrupted by the sound of several loud explosions within several of the hangers throughout the test range. It startled Lex, nearly causing him to fall flat on his back. He managed to keep his balance only to hear more explosions follow.
"The Cerberus Generators – they're overloading? That shouldn't be possible!" he exclaimed. "I cracked those designs months ago. I made sure they could handle it!"
"Then maybe…they're not overloading. Maybe…this is something else," said Superman, his voice still weak from the impact he absorbed.
"You're wrong!" shouted Luthor. "Nothing could've disrupted my plan. I took every possible precaution!"
"Lex…if you were a truly superior mind, then you would've seen what we were doing the moment we arrived. But you didn't," said Wonder Woman, having just struggled back to her feet. "Now you're about to learn the hard way why it pays to have faith in people."
For a moment, Lex's brilliant mind failed to process the implications. He thought he covered every conceivable loose end. He made sure no god, demigod, or alien could outsmart him. He checked and double-checked everything to ensure he would triumph.
Then, as more explosions rocked the other hangers surrounding the test range, it dawned on him. In that moment, Lex Luthor went from superior intellect to foolishly inept. And it promised to cost him more than just certain victory.
Meanwhile
"It's working! They're all crashing hard like my old laptop," announced focused yet stressed Jonathan Carroll.
"I can hear it! If my ears weren't ringing, I'd be dancing to the music right now," said an equally stressed but relieved Lois Lane.
Lois was used to being in the crossfire of a volatile situation. That didn't make these kinds of moments any less tense. Moments ago, she and Jonathan succeeded in the plan they both agreed was obscenely dangerous. But in her experience, obscene danger meant that they were in the best possible position to make a difference.
While the rest of the personnel and guards on the test range evacuated, they stayed behind and snuck into one of the hangers. They then made their way to one of the main interface terminals that connected to the array of generators, which had been running at full capacity for quite some time now. The minutes that followed were tense. Jonathan used his pocket-knife and some nearby tools to open the terminal while Lois made a phone call to a close friend of hers. The moment she uncovered that the hardware in these generators had been built by Lexcorp, she knew she had the key to stopping whatever Lex Luthor and his cohorts had planned. It was just a matter of turning Luthor's megalomaniacal tendencies against him.
This involved Lois doing some rewiring on the main circuits while Jonathan entered some creative commands into the console, courtesy of instructions sent by her friend over the phone. It was a bit crude, but it allowed them to bypass all the other security features that the folks at Helion Solar thought would be sufficient. They had to essentially crash the operating system, load the basic command prompts, and let Luthor's hardware do the rest.
"I told you that old hacker friend of mine would come through," she said proudly as she put her phone away.
"I never doubted you. Nobody should be surprised that someone like Lex Luthor puts self-destruct failsafes in all of his hardware," said Jonathan as he issued a few more commands on the console.
"He probably assumed nobody at Helion Solar would pick up on it."
"He also probably assumed nobody would be able to use it against him if he did," added Jonathan.
"He assumes way too much. It's a common flaw among egotistical assholes who think they're smarter than everyone else."
"Well given all the commotion we've been hearing, we'd be smart to get the hell out of here before the rest of these things blow up in our face."
Lois nodded and went to work preparing their escape, using the rifle she stole from one of the guards to pry open a sewer outlet built into the floor of the hanger. For the past several minutes now, they had been hearing a lot of dangerous noises outside. They didn't dare stop for a moment to see what was going on. When they felt massive tremors that shook the foundations of every structure on the test range, Lois knew their best bet was to finish what they started. If reporting on Superman had taught her anything, it was that getting distracted only made bad situations worse.
With their escape route set, Jonathan issued the final command into the control console. He could already hear the generators in nearby hangers exploding. He and Lois soon noticed parts of the generators in front of them sparking, a clear sign that Luthor's failsafe hardware had been activated. It wouldn't be long now before these generators blew up like the others.
"That's the last of them. Let's get the hell out of here!" said Jonathan as he disabled the console by hitting the screen with the butt of his rifle.
"Just try and keep up. I don't want to miss the fireworks. I just hope all that gear you set up back at the ridge got some juicy footage," said Lois.
"If all that commotion outside is any indication, then it'll probably be on the front page for the rest of the week."
Lois and Jonathan threw aside the rest of the gear they had stolen from the guards and slipped into the narrow sewer tunnel. As soon as they reached the bottom, they followed the walkway in the direction leading away from the test range. They could still feel the tremors and explosions rocking the facility above. Their destruction was sure to disrupt Lex Luthor's plans and piss him off a great deal, which always made for a good story.
New Mexico – Helion Solar Test Range
"No! The generators – they're cutting out too soon!" lamented Lex Luthor, already feeling the effects within the Annihilator Armor. "I need more power to absorb Erebus. Without them, I can't…"
An onslaught of very unpleasant feelings silenced him as the power that had been flowing into him reversed course. As soon as the Cerberus Generators started exploding, the forces flowing through the Gate of Eos changed in all the wrong ways.
In the absence of the energy from the generators, the power of Erebus reversed course. It no longer flowed from the gate into the Annihilator Armor. It poured out of him like a dam that just broke, flowing back through the Gate of Eos at a rate that Luthor couldn't alter. Massive bolts of dark, purplish energy shot out from the armor, creating a whirlpool around the glowing gate. He could even hear Erebus let out a deafening screech, as though Luthor's manipulations left it wounded. For a moment, its darkened form took a humanoid shape just outside the gate. It even fought being pulled back in, but the Gate of Eos wouldn't let it go. It eventually fell through, taking all its power with it.
"No! The power…" gasped Luthor within the Annihilator Armor.
As the power of Erebus left him, the armor began to shrink. Lex could feel all the power he absorbed abandoning him. That overwhelming strength that allowed him to wound Superman and Wonder Woman faded rapidly. It was painful, but not because of discomfort. Losing this power that he worked so hard to usurp was a blow harder than any god or alien could deliver.
Watching Luthor writhe and lament was immensely satisfying for Superman and Wonder Woman. This chaotic process lit up the early morning sky with its dazzling display of power. They were still sore and dazed, but they had since picked themselves up. They still kept their distance. Luthor was still plenty dangerous in the Annihilator Armor and Erebus remained uncontained, but both were considerably less dangerous once separated.
"You might be smarter than everyone, Luthor, but it takes more than intellect to control power," said Wonder Woman.
"It's easy for anyone to abuse power – be they man, god, or alien," added Superman. "You've always been too willing to abuse it. But even when you think you're not, you lack one important skill that always ensures you'll fail at wielding such power – humility."
Their words further added to his pain. By now, the Annihilator Armor had returned to its original size. Erebus had completely left him and was now trapped within the Gate of Eos. In the absence of the generators, he also lost the power that Ares once wielded over his armies. It left him vulnerable and weak, so much so that he dropped the Dagger of Deimos that he had been holding and fell to his knees. Such weakness humbled him in ways that made the extent of his failure even worse.
"I cannot…fail," said Luthor distantly as he gazed up at the Gate of Eos.
"It's too late for that, Luthor," said Wonder Woman as she and Superman approached. "You thought you could handle the power of the gods. We just proved you wrong."
"But…how?" he wondered, his brilliant mind still struggling to process everything.
"Your downfall was set up before we even passed through the gate," said Superman. "I saw it with my super vision. You were so caught up in channeling this power that you didn't realize that someone was already behind the scenes, sabotaging these generators that you so desperately needed."
"I already suspected that the energy Ares used to control his armies wasn't natural. He had to have help from the mortal realm and your very presence was the most telling clue," said Wonder Woman. "You willingly losing to me in our first battle was a close second though."
"We didn't need to overpower you. We didn't even need to outsmart you. We just needed to keep you distracted until a couple of very good friends of ours pulled through," Superman continued. "That's where the humility comes in. I never assume I'm too powerful. I never tell myself I'm anything more than a man because that's what allows me to effectively use my power."
"And see what others cannot or will not allow themselves to see," added Wonder Woman.
"Your desire to one-up the gods and embrace this power blinded you to what was going behind your back. You let your selfish desire to subdue me, Wonder Woman, and the gods you despise keep you from using the power you stole. Now you have to accept that no matter how brilliant or cunning you think you are, you're still human."
Their words effectively solidified the defeat of Lex Luthor. There would be no new order. There would be no vindication. Looking up at the Gates of Eos, Luthor saw that Erebus had been lost to him. And when he looked down at the discarded Dagger of Deimos, which was now charred black from all the power it had channeled, he realized he could not get that power back.
It was the worst kind of defeat in that Superman and Wonder Woman didn't overpower him. They just outwitted him. He didn't allow himself to even contemplate that somebody could sabotage his generators. He had been too eager to declare himself victories over the aliens and false gods he despised. Now here he was, defeated and humiliated, and he had only himself to blame.
Now without Erebus or the energy from the generators, he was just a man again. For an intellect like his, it was an insult that simply could not stand. He finally looked up and turned his attention back towards Superman and Wonder Woman, who were now standing before him. He might have been denied ultimate triumph, but he hadn't forgotten that he still wielded the power of the Annihilator Armor.
"No!" Lex exclaimed. "I am still superior. I'll prove it over your dead bodies!"
Once again blinded by hatred, he rose back to his feet and clenched his fists, still feeling plenty of strength within this enchanted armor. He locked his gaze on Superman and Wonder Woman. They clearly weren't at full strength after the beating he gave them earlier. This might be his best opportunity to finish them off. If he couldn't usurp the power of false gods, then he would accept their defeat as consolation.
"You ready to prove him wrong again?" said Superman.
"Of course," said Wonder Woman, already in a defensive stance.
"I'm assuming you're just as sore as me so just know we don't have an elaborate strategy this time. The only way we're going to beat him this time is head on."
"Wouldn't have it any other way," said the proud Amazon with a determined grin.
Luthor let out an angry roar and launched his attack, charging them both and attempting to strike them with the full power of the hulking armor. Superman evaded while Wonder Woman blocked and countered, hitting Luthor with a punishing uppercut. This did little to slow down Luthor. He just launched another attack, forcing Superman to counter this time with a flying punch. It still didn't slow Luthor down. The armor remained intact and he charged them again, forcing them both on the defensive.
"No more godly powers! No more tricks! This only stops when both of you are dead!" shouted Luthor.
His voice echoed with bloodlust that rivaled the God of War himself, but Wonder Woman wasn't going to back down from this fight. She didn't care that part of her uniform got torn from the last attack. She didn't even care she had some bruises along her face and arm. She was going to take Lex Luthor down and complete his defeat. Superman, who was just as disheveled, stood beside her every step of the way. He might not be a warrior, but he would fight as hard as necessary alongside his lover. They began this battle together. They were going to end it together.
Tomb of Erebus
The chaos that unfolded around the ruins of Erebus' tomb hadn't been seen since the great war with the Titans. The balance of forces had been utterly distorted. The collective efforts of Ares and Lex Luthor undermined the very integrity of their realms. The release of Erebus and the opening of the Gate of Eos created a massive storm that quickly spread like an infection. It darkened the skies, casting a deathly shadow over everything in its path. Even the malevolent creatures and undead soldier that once embodied this chaos felt it, making them even stronger and more menacing.
All this chaos created a battle unlike any other. The ruins of the tomb were now the epicenter from which death and destruction would spread. The glowing Gate of Eos acted like a beacon that drew in the bulk of the massive army that Ares and Lex Luthor controlled. They sought only death and destruction, the power released by Erebus imbuing them with unending bloodlust. They all converged around the tomb. Countless armies of undead warriors, harpies, cyclopses, minotaur, and creates that couldn't even be identified overran every gate and barrier in their path. It left the Amazons and the Sons of Lectura surrounded, outnumbered, and with no escape. But in being true to the warriors they were, they fought on.
"Fight on, sister! Do not relent!" commanded Hippolyta.
"For glory! For honor! For Sparta!" proclaimed King Agesilaus III.
Their battle cries were just one of many, but they all drew from the same fighting spirit. They had no intention of backing down. They also had no guarantee that Superman and Wonder Woman would triumph on their end. And even if they did, it might not be in time. It still didn't matter. They were either going to triumph or meet a warrior's death.
At the beginning of the battle, the two tribes formed a large battle line in front of the gates. The Sons of Leuctra formed a phalanx and the Amazons supplemented them at the flanks. Some stayed behind to act as archers and take care of flying creatures. Some Amazons even hitched a ride on the Pegasus-drawn chariots that the Sons of Leuctra brought with them, adding some extra firepower from above. With their collective power, they were able to stop the initial onslaught. But as the battle progressed, the tide turned against them.
As more and more of these creatures poured in, they pushed harder against their battle lines. Eventually, the Spartans and the Amazons had to fall back towards the ruins of the tomb. In the process, they formed a large circular line to help cover their flanks. It effectively boxed them in, but it put them in a position to defend every angle of attack. They made sure every creature that wanted to get through suffered for every inch. Blood, bone, and metal collided in an endless onslaught. It was like the creatures were trying to bury them, but the two warrior tribes had no intention of letting them.
The Amazons and the Sons of Leuctra fought as hard as any mortal or immortal could possibly fight. But as the battle progressed, they began taking casualties. It started in the skies with the Pegasus-drawn chariots. Massive clouds of flying beasts swarmed and battered them, eventually forcing most of them to crash to the ground. Some even purposefully crashed them into massive crowds of monsters in a kamikaze-style attack, doing whatever they could to beat back the onslaught. When their air forces dwindled, the casualties began to mount. That led to the battle lines getting increasingly fragile and closer. Even as they attempted to retreat farther, there was still no end in sight to the onslaught.
"They just keep coming. My sisters are falling!" cried Hippolyta as she ripped the wings off a harpy. "How much longer must we hold out?"
"As long as we must!" said King Agesilaus III as he decapitated an undead soldier with his sword. "Have faith in Superman and your daughter. They will find a way."
"And if they don't?" she questioned.
"If righting the many wrongs that have caused this chaos means dying a warrior's death, so be it!"
The Spartan King's words resonated with more than just Hippolyta's own warrior spirit. As she found herself punching and kicking her way through more undead soldiers, she recalled how many wrong decisions had led to this moment.
She lied to her daughter. She lied to her fellow sisters. She even lied to herself to uphold centuries of traditions that cast every man in the same light. Yet here she was, battling alongside male warriors in this chaos that all these lies had wrought. So many wrong acts created this war and so few had been willing to confront them. Her daughter had been the only one among her sisters willing to do the right thing. The least she could do as a mother was return the favor, even if it meant facing death.
'Diana…I don't know if my prayers will reach you or even if the gods even hear my prayers anymore. But if there is any power to my faith, I hope you'll how much I love you. I love you so much that I was willing to lie to you to protect you. I never trusted you to protect yourself.'
As a minotaur attempted to stampede past her and a nearby Spartan phalanx, Hippolyta grabbed nearby sword that had been discarded by an undead soldier and jumped up to attack the beast head on. It relentlessly fought back, hissing and snarling with feral rage. As she struggled to defeat it, her memories of all the love she gave to her daughter came rushing back.
'The lies end today. Even if I am to fall in battle, I will gladly fall knowing I finally trusted you as I should have. The gods might abandon and betray us, but I will never betray you, my daughter. I will keep fighting for you as you have fought for me.'
Hippolyta channeled an immortal lifetime of warrior instincts to overpower the minotaur, slitting its throat and wrestling it to the ground. Now covered in blood, she ripped the sword out and joined her sisters and the Sons of Leuctra in another attack. More beasts kept coming. Their lines kept getting pushed back. But that only made her and everyone around her fight harder.
The scale and extent of the battle kept escalating. More beasts fell. More Amazons and Spartans fell. They were running out of time and room to retreat. It promises to be a slaughter unlike any other. The only one who could admire it was the only one not participating in this battle was the weakened and wounded God of War. Ares, still lying in defeat near the base of the ruined tomb, watched this carnage unfold before his eyes. As the chaos closed in on him, the God of War resigned himself to this new fate.
"How fitting – the God of War consumed by a war he did not seek to create," mused Ares. "I sought to destroy Olympus and impose my new order. I only succeeded in part, but maybe this is exactly what fate has decreed. Chaos is the new order. For mortal and god alike, this is our destiny. We cannot escape it. We can only embrace it."
It wouldn't be much longer now. The battle lines shrank to the point where the Amazons and Spartans weren't too far from the base of the ruined tomb. Ares could actually feel trails of blood flowing from the battlefield and onto his position. The Amazons and the Sons of Leuctra just kept on fighting, delaying the inevitable. Like these brave warriors, he intended to meet his end with honor.
The Amazons and the Sons of Leuctra were poised to take their final stand against the next wave of creatures. Hippolyta and King Agesilaus III, now covered in blood and with more than their share of bruises, prepared to lead their fellow warriors into what could be their last battle. But before the charging horde of creatures could reach them, a deafening round of thunder erupted from the Gate of Eos overhead.
It was so powerful that it caused every creature on the battlefield to stop cold in their tracks. The unfettered chaos that Ares and Lex Luthor had been channeling underwent a dramatic shift. Every creature of chaos felt it and every warrior could now see it. The expanding darkness that had been spreading in all directions stopped, but did not reverse itself. The swirling gateway that had been powered by the release of Erebus warped, becoming more unstable. In the process, the massive beam of energy that had been shooting up through the gate faded. Then, the energy that once made up the beam turned into brilliant flashes of lighting that streaked through the sky. While it stopped the attacking hordes, it threatened to overwhelm them with a new kind of chaos.
"The Gate of Eos…what's happening to it?" wondered Aleka.
"I don't know. But I have a feeling Diana is responsible," said Hippolyta, smiling to herself.
"I fail to see why that's a good thing," replied the imposing Amazon.
"It isn't. We're way past that point by now," said Ares distantly.
Hippolyta and King Agesilaus III turned their attention to the wounded God of War. Frustrated at the many crimes this god had committed, the Spartan King grabbed Ares by the throat and held him up.
"Talk, fallen god! How much more damage will your treachery bring us?" spat King Agesilaus III.
"No more than necessary," said Ares with a sneer. "You should consider yourself lucky – albeit not by much. Lex Luthor has failed. He somehow managed to disrupt the flow of energy prematurely. Now the power of Erebus is flowing back into our realm."
"Tell us what that means so we can slit your throat to silence you for good!" demanded the Spartan.
"Do what you want. It won't change our fate. Erebus will still destroy us all. Without me or Luthor controlling its power, his chaos and darkness will reign supreme. That is our ultimate fate. It always has been."
He actually sounded amused by this, as though it didn't bother him in the slightest. King Agesilaus III was tempted to snap his neck just to wipe that look of his face. Hippolyta came in and stopped him. She and the rest of her fellow warriors remained fixated on the activity above, sensing that killing Ares at this point would solve nothing.
"Don't bother. He might actually enjoy it," she told him.
"He might be lying. It wouldn't be the first time," said the Spartan King, keeping his sword to Ares' neck.
"I don't think he is this time. Just look at the gate. Look at the creatures. They clearly feel it. All this chaos – unbound and without direction – it has been so disturbed that it even contain itself."
"So how do we stop it?" wondered King Agesilaus III.
"I don't know if it's even possible," said Hippolyta distantly.
A growing sense of dread came over the Amazons and the Sons of Leuctra. Through the Gate of Eos, they could see Erebus taking on a massive humanoid form. This form reached through with a giant hand, angrily thrashing around at the sky and letting out restless cries. These cries caused every creature surrounding the ruins of the tomb to retreat, letting out cries of terror along the way. But the two warrior tribes remained behind, still prepared for battle. However, this was one battle they knew they couldn't win.
"You can't stop it! Nobody can!" said Ares strongly. "Don't you see? This is the end. You could've served me. You could've fallen in battle honorably. But instead, we're all going to perish – warrior, beast, god, and mortal – we all fall the same!"
"No, my son. Nobody else shall fall today," said a booming voice.
Ares expression shifted completely upon hearing that voice. He recognized it instantly and so did the Amazons and the Sons of Leuctra. They finally turned away from the spectacle unfolding in the skies above and turned towards the fallen God of War just in time to see Zeus appear in a flash of lightning.
"Lord Zeus," gasped Aleka as she and the Amazons instinctively laid down their weapons.
"All hail Lord Zeus!" chanted some of the Spartans, who did the same.
The presence of the King of Olympus completely changed the ambience of this dire and bloodied battlefield. For the two warrior tribes, he was still the King of the Gods. He was also among those betrayed by Ares. The look of sheer terror on Ares' face hinted that all might not be lost.
"Father, I…" stammered the God of War.
"Not another word, Ares! You've said and done enough," said Zeus angrily.
He added to Ares' discomfort, firing off a stream of lightning bolts from his eyes that struck the God of War while he was still in King Agesilaus III's grasp. The Spartan King gladly let him go and watched him fall limply to the blood-stained ground. Already wounded from the Dagger of Deimos, he now writhed in pain in a way unbefitting of a god. It was a satisfying sight for anyone not affected by his deceit.
"That was too satisfying for words," said King Agesilaus III with a grin.
"It's still not nearly as much as he deserves," said Hippolyta.
"And were the circumstances at all more favorable, I would exact the justice he has earned," said Zeus. "However, I cannot concern myself with punishments at this point. There's a far more pressing matter to tend to."
The King of Olympus turned his attention towards the sky where Erebus was still clawing his way through the gate, ready to unleash his chaos upon this realm once more.
Zeus remembered being in this very predicament centuries ago. The chaos wrought by Erebus would've ensured that both the gods and the titans lost the great war. Containing that chaos was the only way to ensure their survival. But this time, doing so would require more than just great power. Even gods, at times, needed to trust in something greater.
"What are we to do, Lord Zeus?" asked Hippolyta, doing her best to hide her anxiousness in the presence of this god.
"You and your sisters need not do anything. You've done more than enough," said Zeus distantly. "The same goes for you, King Agesilaus. Enough blood has been spilled today. We need not sacrifice anymore."
This caught Hippolyta and many of the Amazons and Spartans off-guard. Any aid from Zeus usually required sacrifice of some kind. He almost sounded like a different kind of god now.
"As we speak, Hera and Hessia are freeing the other gods. They are retaking Olympus from my son's forces. But even their collective might cannot destroy Erebus. Might alone can never destroy the chaos that Erebus embodies. To contain this chaos and preserve the realms of mortal and god requires something greater…something that I've never been willing to give."
The skies above grew increasingly restless. Erebus was uncomfortably close to unleashing his wrath. For a brief moment, Zeus turned away and looked back at the warriors that still bowed to him. He was used to being worshipped, but he forgot the merit behind it. Many of these warriors knew of his exploits and his shortcomings, but worshipped him anyways. Knowing what had to be done to save these noble souls, Zeus had to make one thing clear.
"Please…do not bow before me. Not today. Not after I failed to stop this madness," said Zeus. "Like so many others – some of which I myself have condemned – I let my power and my pride blind me. I wouldn't allow myself to see the truth, nor would I allow myself to realize what needed to be done. I could not bring myself to understand what so many mortals have figured out on their own without the guidance of gods. But I understand now and for once, I'm going to use my power for the right reason."
Many of the Amazons and Spartans rose up, confused by Zeus' words and their subtext. He did not speak to them as a god or a king. It wasn't even clear that he was addressing anyone at this point. He was just saying what needed to be said so someone would know the context of his actions.
It drew the unmitigated scorn of Ares, still too weak to attack his father in any way. But for Hippolyta, it evoked a different kind of emotion. This was a man and a god who had a long history of doing as he pleased and imposing his will. Now he was talking about doing what was right instead of doing what was necessary. It both intrigued and worried her.
"You…coward," said Ares in a weak tone.
"Don't listen to him," said Hippolyta. "I know what you're going through. It's not pleasant…accepting the mistakes you've made and the chances you missed."
"It's ironic, isn't it? You might be the only one among mortals and gods who understands, Hippolyta," said Zeus, still not taking his eyes off the Gate of Eos.
"I also understand what it is you must give. Just know that you still have our prayers and we're willing to…"
Zeus raised his hand to silence her. He didn't need another reason to do this. He had asked enough of those who worshipped him. He needed to make sure this was done on his own terms.
"I do not need your prayers or your sacrifices," said Zeus. "This is something every mortal and god must learn– the value of sacrifice when power and might fail. I've waited too long to learn that lesson, but I will see to it that no more shall suffer for my failures."
The King of the Gods then turned to face Hippolyta again. She and King Agesilaus III remained respectful and willing of their god. Even after so many mistakes and loss, they still had faith in them. It was time he returned the favor.
"I only have one simple request of you, Hippolyta," he said. "Promise me that once this is done, you'll find our daughter. She's still fighting as we speak. She's going to succeed, as she so often does. She'll need her mother's love."
"Of course, Lord Zeus. It will be done," she replied without hesitation.
The King of the Gods smiled, trusting that Hippolyta would keep her word. He then turned his attention back to the Gate of Eos above where his fate would be determined.
By now, Erebus' massive form was halfway through the gate. His arms turned to countless tendrils that spread across the sky, creating more unfettered chaos that threatened to overrun this realm. The Amazons and the Sons of Leuctra were still ready to fight, but Zeus made sure they wouldn't have to. With all their anxious eyes watching him, he proceeded to make his sacrifice.
Surrounding himself in a shell of lightning, the King of the Gods ascended into the sky like a shooting star. Along the way, massive bolts of his lightning streaked across the sky, clashing with the dark tendrils of Erebus. Their respective powers pushed back against one another, creating a perfect storm of sorts that further destabilized the Gate of Eos. It caused Erebus a great deal of discomfort, causing him to unleash more angry shrieks that echoed in all directions. But Zeus did not relent, pushing the power of a god to limits it had never gone before.
He eventually reached the very face of Erebus. Zeus could tell that he recognized him. He had been the one that entombed Erebus before. Now he had to do it again, but this time containing him would come at a price. And for once, this was a price he was willing to pay.
"You've been corrupted, tainted, and manipulated, Erebus. I know you're in pain, but I'm here to tend it!" he yelled. "This time, I will not battle you. This time…I will sacrifice."
Erebus let out more angry shrieks, thrashing erratically as Zeus continued to release wave after wave of lightning to contain his darkness. As he pushed himself, his whole body became surrounded in a bright blue aura of energy. That aura became so bright that it gave off a radiance that rivaled the sun. It effectively blinded Erebus and stopped his encroachment through the Gate of Eos. His face began to contort erratically, his shadowy form being overpowered.
As the energy escalated, the dark clouds that descended over the runs of the tomb began to reverse course. Now flashing with Zeus' lightening, these clouds were drawn back into Erebus until they were completely contained within the Gate of Eos. By now, this energy Zeus unleashed became so great that he could feel his body burning. The strength and power that made him the King of the Gods burst out from him like dam bursting at the seams. It burned him every bit as badly as it burned Erebus. But he willingly endured the pain, knowing he had a promise to keep to Hera and his daughter.
"I may not…be powerful enough…to defeat you…by sheer force of will," grunted Zeus, his booming voice echoing over Erebus' cries, "But the power of will…can never be greater…than the power of sacrifice."
Erebus made one last attempt to overpower Zeus, but failed. As more power erupted from the King of the Gods, the entirety of Erebus was finally contained within the Gate of Eos. A massive cloud of bluish lightning now surrounded it, guided by the will and desire of Zeus. Under this immense power, Erebus' shadowy form shrank until it was the size of a large black cloud. This cloud then began to swirl like dust caught in the wind, becoming more and more concentrated until it formed a cone-like shape. Once fully trapped within this wind, Zeus made the final sacrifice.
He let out a determined grunt that echoed throughout Tartarus. His body shrank, almost disappearing within the blinding halo of bluish light. In doing so, the energy that had engulfed the Gate of Eos redirected Erebus back down to the ruins of the tomb below. When it hit, it released a shockwave that caused the Amazons and the Sons of Leuctra to shield their eyes and fall back. Once the shockwave passed, they all gasped as they watched the Tomb of Erebus rebuild itself before their eyes.
Piece-by-piece, the massive structure that Ares unlocked emerged. But this time, it was even bigger and more robust than before. As it formed, the shadowy form of Erebus was drawn into it. There was little resistance. This primordial embodiment of darkness and could finally be secured once more. Once the last of Erebus' form entered the tomb, another massive seal formed at the peak. This time, the seal was larger and more secure than before. Zeus even made sure it took on the shape of Diana's breast plate, a fitting testament to the daughter that inspired him and so many others.
"The tomb – it is restored," said King Agesilaus III. "Does this mean the battle is over?"
"I believe so," said Hippolyta, still watching the spectacle unfold before her.
"But what of Zeus?" he asked.
The Queen of the Amazons didn't bother answering, letting Zeus' actions speak for themselves. Once the Tomb of Erebus was sealed, the remaining aura of lightning that once surrounded Zeus' body began to fade. This also shrank the Gate of Eos until it was effectively closed. Once this dazzling display of energy ceased, a withered and weakened body reappeared and plummeted from the sky. Taking it upon herself to finish this fateful act, Hippolyta rushed over towards the base of the tomb and caught the body in her arms.
"Hnn…so tired," said Zeus in a weak voice.
"Shh…you can rest now," she told him. "It's over now. You did the right thing and it worked."
Her warm voice evoked a proud smile. Zeus, the mighty King of the Gods, had been reduced in stature to that of a sickly man of skin and bone. He was so emaciated that he had only a faint trace of life in him. But within Hippolyta's protective arms, he never felt stronger.
It was a jarring yet fitting sight, seeing the King of the Gods so weakened. But Zeus knew the cost of his actions. He knew he would make himself vulnerable and weak. That's what made it so honorable. It was an act Hippolyta herself should've done much sooner with her daughter. As she watched him close his eyes and slip into a deep sleep, she made a promise to herself and to the father of her daughter that she intended to keep.
"I'll make things right with my daughter and my sisters again. You have my word," she told him.
A strange sense of calm fell over the area. It finally allowed the Amazons and the Sons of Leuctra to stop fighting and process the battle they just fought. Having lost so much and made so many mistakes, there was so much to contemplate. As King Agesilaus III caught up with her, Hippolyta was ready to take the first vital step.
"Here. Take him back to Olympus," said Hippolyta, carefully handed off Zeus' weakened form to the Spartan King. "Have your men and my sisters tend to the wounded and the dead."
"It will be done, Queen Hippolyta," said King Agesilaus III assertively. "What about you?"
"I've got a promise to keep," she said strongly. "I'm going to confront my daughter and the man she loves."
New Mexico – Helion Solar Test Range
"I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU BOTH!"
Lex Luthor's angry voice reverberated in every direction. Still wielding the power of the Annihilator Armor, he attacked Superman and Wonder Woman, drawing on every bit of anger and hatred he could muster. With his plan now in ruin and the test range devastated, there was nothing left for him. He would only be satisfied once his hated enemies fell.
"How much longer can he keep going?" said an increasingly fatigued Superman.
"Does it matter?" said Wonder Woman, breathing heavily after countering another attack.
"Not in the slightest."
Superman and Wonder Woman still stood together, launching an attack of their own against the enraged Lex Luthor. By this point, the Gate of Eos had closed. Every Cerberus Generator had been destroyed. It was just them in Luthor, battling for survival.
The battle quickly descended to that of a brawl where every attack and counterattack just added to their wounds, becoming a struggle of sheer will over strength. It followed a devastating pattern. Luthor would attack one of them, forcing them on the defensive. He might have gotten in a few lucky blows, but he always left himself vulnerable for another counterattack. Then Superman and Wonder Woman would go on the offensive, using their remaining strength to beat and batter the Annihilator Armor to the point where they unleashed shockwaves and echoes that caused more cracks to form in the ground. While the armor remained intact, Luthor felt plenty of discomfort. They all endured the pain and the wounds, fighting as long as their will would allow.
However, Superman and Wonder Woman were getting to the point where their willpower was exceeding their bodies' ability to take the punishment. Between all the battles they had fought earlier and the battle they found themselves in now, the battle scars had really piled up. Superman's uniform accumulated a fair amount of tears, so much so that a good chunk of his cape was missing. Wonder Woman's uniform became quite worn as well, exposing more cuts and bruises. By now, they were both spitting up blood and blocking out pain. But they kept on fighting, coordinating on another collective attack that knocked Luthor flat on his back again.
"Do the everyone and the gods a favor, Luthor. Stay down!" demanded Wonder Woman, still breathing heavily.
"The gate is closed. Your plan is finished. It's over!" said Superman, wiping the blood off his lip.
"Over? Ha! You two are wearing down and I'm still in one piece," laughed Luthor, clearly hiding his own discomfort. "I don't care if we tear this desert another grand canyon. I won't stop until both of you are dead!"
His determined hatred assured them he meant every word he said, but Superman and Wonder Woman stood ready to match him every step of the way. Despite their growing fatigue, they watched Luthor return to his feet and prepared for another attack. The Annihilator Armor was dented and damaged, but was still going strong and showed no signs of letting up.
While Wonder Woman clenched her fists and prepared to attack, Superman wondered how much longer they could keep doing this. He and Wonder Woman had the strength and the resolve, but their bodies couldn't keep up at this rate. He still had no intention of backing down. Then he remembered something Ares told him earlier.
"Don't fight him," he found himself repeating.
"Hope you're not getting tired on me yet, Kal. I'm not done with this sniveling beast of a man!" said Wonder Woman, ready to attack before Luthor could regain his composure.
"Wait! I think…this is not the way to defeat him," said Superman.
"What do you mean? He's still standing and so are we!"
"Exactly! Luthor and that armor are still in one piece. No matter how much we fight it – it just keeps going. Maybe that's what's fueling it. Us fighting it keeps it going."
"So what are you suggesting? That we not fight it? That we just stand here and let him beat us?"
It went against every inclination Wonder Woman had as an Amazon and a warrior. Her enemy wasn't vanquished and neither was she. The idea of not fighting back seemed outrageous, but Superman looked dead serious.
He had a feeling she wouldn't embrace the idea immediately. He didn't attempt to hold her back. He just looked at her with the same caring gaze he showed on the first day they met. Knowing that Luthor was about ready to attack again, they needed to do this together.
"Do you trust me?" Superman asked her.
"Of course," said Wonder Woman without hesitation.
"Then let's do this. Let's win this fight by not fighting."
It still didn't make sense, but this man had done more than enough to earn her trust and her heart. Looking back towards Lex Luthor, who was still seething with hatred, she saw that what they were doing clearly wasn't working. They needed a new approach. In the same way she had to change the way she saw man's world, she had to change her approach to winning a battle. Looking back towards her lover, she smiled and nodded in a show of strength, ready to endure this with him.
"Fight by not fighting," she repeated in an effort to make it sound less ridiculous. "I guess it's worth a shot."
Wonder Woman and Superman unclenched their fists and relaxed their stance. All they could do now was brace themselves as Lex Luthor launched yet another attack.
"Time to end this!" he yelled.
Letting out another angry battle cry, Luthor charged them at full speed. This time, they didn't counter. They let him reach them and hit them with two devastating punches that send them flying back towards one of the still-intact hangers. It hurt, sending an unwelcome shot of pain through their already weakened bodies. But they absorbed it, resisting the natural instinct to fight back. Superman was going to take a chance and trust what Ares told him, hoping that the God of War was just as eager to defeat Luthor.
While still pinned against the hanger, Luthor came in for another attack. He grabbed them both by the neck and with seething intent, he repeatedly slammed their heads against the brick and metal. He slammed them so hard that he created a gaping hole in the structure. Once it became too bit, he pushed them back up against it and began punching them both repeatedly in the torso.
"I…will…beat you…to a…bloody…pulp!" Luthor grunted within the armor in between each punch.
More pain followed. More wounds formed, so much so that Superman and Wonder Woman began coughing up blood. But they didn't say a word and didn't raise a hand. They just let Luthor vent his hatred. It hurt, but at one point they were able to look towards one another and exchange a look of strength. It helped them further endure the pain, trusting that they would both be strong enough to get through this.
For Luthor, it was invigorating, being able to pummel these two pestilent beings that had ruined his plans. This time he didn't need any genius or cunning. He just needed his hatred and his desire to prove himself stronger. Feeling their bodies under his fists felt so satisfying, so much so that he didn't stop to wonder why they had ceased fighting back. He no longer cared at this point. He just wanted to see them fall by his hand.
But as he kept punching them, the Annihilator Armor began to react strangely. The exotic metal that made it so durable began to warp more than it had at any point since Lex Luthor's spirit entered it. The distinct luster that made it so strong began to rust, as though centuries of wear and tear from countless battles accumulated all at once. It made every one of Luthor's attacks weaker and less forceful. It eventually got to a point where they were so weak that Superman and Wonder Woman barely felt them.
"It's working!" said Wonder Woman, grinning despite her pain. "He hits like an infant now."
"And a very whiny, immature infant at that," added Superman, taunting Luthor in an effort to keep him unfocused.
"I'll show you weak!" Luthor shouted.
Their efforts worked perfectly. In another fruitless outburst, Luthor grabbed them by the neck again and threw them back across the test range so that they landed right in front of the now inactive Gate of Eos. When they landed, they didn't even get up. He then rushed over towards them, moving noticeably slower than before. This still didn't stop him.
When he reached their battered and bruised bodies, he focused on Superman. He grabbed him by the neck, staring at him with all the hatred and outrage he had built up since their first encounter. He didn't care how weak he was becoming. He still had enough strength to end the Man of Steel.
"No more games! No more elaborate plans! Now you die, Superman," seethed Luthor. "I failed to defeat an army of false gods, but I can still defeat you!"
He attempted to snap his neck to finish him off once and for all. However, Luthor discovered he no longer had the strength. He squeezed as hard as the Annihilator Armor would allow him, but it wasn't enough. In fact, it was nowhere close to being enough. It felt like he was squeezing a slab of granite. Superman, despite being plenty battered, didn't look the least bit uncomfortable. He just kept grinning back at him, still not fighting.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" he asked. "Don't tell me you wore yourself out."
"I…will…end you!" grunted Luthor as he continued to struggle.
"All I see ending is this overblown tantrum of yours. Is this really how you want to use that genius of yours? Outsmarting gods and battling aliens?"
"You…are an abomination. You…and all these false gods…will be the end of us all," said Lex, the armor now starting to crack.
"Lie to yourself all you want. Make all the excuses you need. You'll never understand. You'll only end up making the same mistakes and people like me will be there to stop you."
"I will not…fail."
"Sorry Lex, but you just did," said Superman, his grin widening as a familiar shadow fell over them.
Lex didn't even get a chance turn around until he felt a distinct crack in the torso of the Annihilator Armor. The image of his face in the head tensed, turning from hatred to dread. When he looked down, his dread was confirmed. Now sticking out of the torso of the armor was the Dagger of Deimos. It was in almost the exact same area that he had attacked earlier with Ares. But this time, Wonder Woman delivered the unexpected blow, effectively ending the battle and sealing his fate.
"No. Not again!" he groaned.
"Men like you – be they god or mortal – truly never learn," said Wonder Woman, now sharing Superman's satisfied grin.
Once again, Lex's determined hatred blinded him to the point where he overlooked one important detail. As he stood over Superman, still attempting to snap his neck, he forgot about Wonder Woman. Despite being every bit as battered as Superman, she was still conscious and able to retrieve the Dagger of Deimos that he had dropped earlier. He might as well have invited her to use it by focusing so intently on killing Superman. Now he had once again fallen at the hands of these inferior minds.
The dagger effectively delivered a mortal blow to the armor. Now lodged in the torso, a web of cracks formed and spread rapidly. The once unstoppable Annihilator Armor became brittle and fragile. Every last bit of strength it contained disappeared, causing him to release Superman from his grip and fall limply to the ground. Wonder Woman then let go of the dagger, falling right next to him and letting fate take care of the rest.
For a moment, the Annihilator Armor stood frozen in place. The cracks from the dagger spread to the point where it couldn't even move. It looked ready to crumble at any moment. The area around the head started to glow, the remaining energy within flickering like a candle that was about to be snuffed out. The image of Luthor's head began to fade. But instead of anger, he seemed to accept his fate.
"Until next time, Superman," said Lex.
"Not if we have anything to say about it," said Superman. "Unlike you, I'm not afraid to trust others to help me."
"Which means we'll be that much stronger," said Wonder Woman, "And you'll never match that strength."
This time, Lex Luthor didn't get a chance to respond. The Annihilator Armor finally fell apart, shattering like glass and collapsing unceremoniously into a pile of scrap metal. There was only a faint flare or purplish energy that escaped. The exact fate of Luthor's presence was unknown, but Superman and Wonder Woman assumed he was still in one piece. None of that mattered now. They had won the day.
With the early morning sun now fully risen, the test range finally fell silent. It was a welcome, surreal moment. Superman and Wonder Woman fought so hard and endured so much. Now here they were, so battered and sore they couldn't even stand. But they still had enough strength to reach out to one another. They couldn't reach very far, the pain they endured preventing them from doing so. Superman was only able to grasp his lover's hand and Wonder Woman only had enough strength to give it a light squeeze, but that was more than enough.
"We did it," said Wonder Woman breathlessly.
"Yeah…we did," said Superman.
"Together," she added.
"Yeah…together," he affirmed. "You…trusted me."
"You…earned it. You…endured all this…for me."
"You did too. If I knew Lex Luthor would get involved, I…"
But he didn't have the strength to contemplate all the ways this crisis had gone wrong. All the struggles he endured and the punishment that went with it came rushing back to him. Superman had never been this sore before. Then again, he never went up against gods or Lex Luthor in a god-powered suit of armor before. As much as it hurt, he had no regrets. Looking at Diana, a woman who changed his life forever on that fateful day they met in their youth, made every part of the struggle worth it.
"I love you, Diana," Superman found himself saying before the soreness got too severe.
"Of course you do," she said with a smile. "I love you too."
"There's still…so much I want to tell you."
"Me too," said Wonder Woman. "But with everything that's happened, I just don't know where we would…"
Her words trailed off. The two lovers were on the brink of passing out, the pain of so much fighting finally setting in. This was hardly the right place to rest. At some point, the authorities would show up. They were sure to have many questions, none of which they had the strength the answer. But they didn't have the strength to fly away either. Even in triumph, they seemed doomed to new complications.
But as they lay battered, a small portal formed in front of them. Before Wonder Woman's warrior instincts kicked in, she looked up to see her mother emerge from it and smile. A part of her was still concerned, having not forgotten about the lies that had been exposed about her conception or her ongoing relationship with a man. However, a caring smile from her mother helped set her concerns at ease.
"Rest easy, my daughter. It's over now," said Hippolyta as she knelt down to tend to her daughter and her lover. "Now it's my turn to aid you in your time of need. And this time, I'm going to do right for you and your lover. I promise."
Up next: Remorse and Reconciliation