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Chapter 47: Apolutrosis I
January 2nd
Age 763 (2013), Kami's Lookout
"Well, this is certainly unexpected," Mr. Popo said as he eyed the Olympian hovering in front of him.
"Trust me, this isn't by choice," Hermes grumbled and frowned as he landed on a tiled floor. Athena was practically blackmailing him into doing this. "But back to the subject at hand, I need to borrow some sacred water."
"Borrow?" Mr. Popo repeated. That was an odd term to use, considering the fact that the messenger god had no intention of returning the aforementioned item.
"Okay, maybe that's not the correct term," Hermes begrudgingly conceded. "But I do need some sacred water."
"What for?" Mr. Popo questioned. He'd encountered the Olympians before, and they rarely did anything that was beneficial to humanity.
"Athena said you'd be helpful, but so far, you're proving to be the opposite," Hermes' mission was already irritating enough, without Mr. Popo's constant stream of questions.
"Well, you'll have to excuse me, Hermes, but I'm not too fond of the Olympians, and that should be no surprise to you." Wonder Woman's banishment during her adolescence was just one of the numerous acts that Mr. Popo took issue with.
"I'm not fond of all of my relatives either," Hermes sighed, thinking especially of one god in particular. "But I need the sacred water to help Diana."
"What's happened to her?" Kami and Mr. Popo had assisted Wonder Woman's family and friends on numerous occasions with their attempts to locate the princess, but each endeavor had ended in failure.
"How stupid of me, of course, you don't know," Hermes palmed his forehead. It was common knowledge that Themyscira was out of Kami's sight. "Diana and Themyscira have been trapped in a dimension that Hera created."
Mr. Popo gawked and placed a hand on his chin to think. That perfectly explained why Goku had never been able to find Themyscira, even when he'd flown to its geographic location. "And the sacred water will help free her from that dimension?"
"Not exactly," Hermes chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head. Things were a bit more complicated than that. "The sacred water will help release the Amazons from a spell they've been under."
"A spell? What kind of a spell?" Mr. Popo gulped and anxiously awaited Hermes' response. From what he knew about Hera, her wrath made the Demon King Piccolo's rage look like child's play.
"To summarize it shortly, it was a spell that caused dissension and strife throughout Themyscira." This was more information than Hermes had planned on sharing, but Mr. Popo's curiosity was seemingly insatiable.
"I've heard enough; you can take as much sacred water as you need."
"Really?"
"Yes, really." Mr. Popo confirmed with a head nod. Hermes was still apprehensive but followed the genie as he led him towards the main building on the lookout.
"Your tone changed in an instant once I mentioned Diana," Hermes said as he walked beside Mr. Popo, matching his stride every step of the way.
"I'm wary of the Olympians, and for good reason, but if Diana is in need, I'll do anything in my power to help her."
January 2nd
Age 763 (2013), Themsycira, The Resistance Camp
"I was one of the few who held out hope, but several Amazons assumed you were dead." Philippus didn't know whether to smile or to pinch herself. It was incredibly eerie seeing Diana alive and healthy. Both Amazons were seated at a table in Philippus's tent eating lunch, and the heir to the throne had never looked so happy before.
"There were numerous occasions where I thought I would perish, but thank Athena; I overcame those moments." Wonder Woman said as she slowly took a sip of her tea. It was steaming hot to the point it nearly burnt her tongue, but that was the exact sensation she had missed so dearly. "I'll never take small luxuries like this for granted again."
"Neither will I," Donna added from beside her as she took a big bite out of a piece of chicken. It was cartoonishly large, and the grease from it dripped all over Donna's lips, but the Amazon didn't seem to care. "I almost forgot what real food tastes like."
It was a light jab at Diana's cooking, which didn't go unnoticed by the princess. "Hey! I did my best to keep us alive down there." The look on Wonder Woman's face was stern, but Donna simply rolled her eyes at her sister's playful banter.
"While I appreciate that, I've had enough of your cooking to last a lifetime, and I refuse to try it again."
Both sisters shared a laugh, but Philippus's face hardened. "I brought you here as a gesture to Diana, but I haven't forgotten what you did." The captain of the queen's royal guard scowled and shot a glare at Donna. "I don't trust you."
Donna finished chewing and dropped the piece of poultry in her hand on a nearby plate. "I can't expect you to forget what I did or to forgive me." As apologetic as she now was for her previous actions, Donna's sins were too great to be ignored. "I participated in a civil war that led to the eventual downfall of Themyscira."
"That's putting it lightly," Philippus said through grated teeth. She had been a fool to bring Derinoe's weapon to their camp. "You were the main cause behind the war!" The ebony woman stood up and angrily slammed her hand on the wooden table, causing it to shake.
"Sister, please calm down." Diana tried to be the broker of peace, but her former teacher wouldn't have it.
"How can you sit here and talk with her like nothing happened? Have you forgotten about all the Amazons who died because of her? The real Amazons?" Philippus quickly shifted her gaze to Diana. Even a passing glance at Donna was a painful reminder of what her people had lost.
"I haven't forgotten a single thing," As Diana closed her eyes, the sights and smells from the Amazon's civil war bombarded her. Dozens of her sisters, people she had loved dearly, had been butchered during Derinoe's uprising. "Those visions will haunt me forever."
"And things are even worse now," Philippus slithered back into her chair and rubbed her temples despondently. "Alkyone has nearly total control of our island."
"WHAT?" Donna and Diana exclaimed simultaneously.
"H-how did that happen? Where is Derinoe?" Though she tried to suppress it, Donna still held concern for her maternal figure.
"She's dead," Philippus said bluntly. Her focus was still on Diana, but she saw Donna's head droop slightly out of the corner of her eye. "Nothing of value was lost either." They were harsh words, but knowing how much they stung made them even better to say.
"It's even worse than what Donna had said; Alkyone betrayed Derinoe in the worst possible way." Diana leaned back in her chair and ran her fingers through her hair, trying to come to grips with the news. "How did she die?"
"She was executed in the coliseum. Once Alkyone's faction tossed Donna into Doom's Doorway, they murdered her master. Derinoe was useless without Donna's muscle to back her." The events of that day had been a gruesome sight, but Philippus didn't have any sympathy for Derinoe. If anything, she was jealous that she'd been unable to take Derinoe's life with her own blade.
"But how did Alkyone conglomerate power so quickly? Surely her followers put up a fight," Diana questioned. Derinoe had garnered a loyal legion of followers in her quest to supplant the throne from Queen Hippolyta.
"Through propaganda, lots and lots of propaganda. And all of it starts with your mother. The civil war started because of the numerous lies Hippolyta told her citizens." Philippus grimaced. She had been the queen's most trusted advisor, confidant, and friend. But their decades of friendship had seemingly meant nothing because Hippolyta had chosen to lie to her every single day.
"I…I know it must be difficult to come to terms with what my mother did, and Donna's presence must make things unbearable." The pain was evident on Philippus's face as Wonder Woman sorrowfully gazed at her. Hippolyta's duplicity had been a tough pill for Diana to swallow as the queen's daughter, but time had healed that wound. However, it didn't appear that Philippus would ever overcome what her mother had done.
"Truthfully, I'll never get over it," No one could see it, but underneath the table, Philippus's fists were balling. "All I want is an explanation, but I'll likely never get one now." Hippolyta had been turned into a clay sculpture, and even if she somehow was still alive, no magic the Amazons possessed could reverse Hera's power.
"My mother isn't dead, so there's still a…."
"No," Philippus cut Diana off. "Hippolyta is gone, and neither one of us is capable of restoring her."
"Maybe the gods will restore her?" Donna offered, but Philippus was adamant in her refusal.
"The gods have done nothing for us since Hera transported us into this dimension; why would they help us now?" The words felt almost blasphemous to say, but they were the truth. Numerous Amazons still prayed to the gods, but Philippus had long since rescinded her prayers.
"That's not entirely true," Diana countered. "Hermes helped us escape Doom's Doorway, and he did so at Athena's request.
"And where is Hermes now?"
"I don't know, but…"
"Exactly. You don't know." Philippus folded her arms and sighed. "So much has changed since you've been gone, Diana, and I don't think things will ever be the same again."
Wonder Woman could see the distraught look on her former teacher's face. While she had been fighting for her life in Doom's Doorway, Philippus had been dealing with her own set of difficult circumstances. "Things may have changed, but the Philippus I know would never give up so easily."
"Easily?" Diana's words struck a chord deep within Philippus's heart. "I haven't given up, and I don't plan to either. You haven't been around. You don't know about all the difficulties and challenges we've had to face just to survive! The food you and that creature are eating will cut our food rations in half for a month." Philippus had dozens of soldiers under her command, and they were all barely nourished. But the royal guard captain had still elected to treat her guests with the best possible hospitality.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know," Donna wiped her mouth and stared at the abundance of food on the table. There were plates full of grapes, pineapples, chicken, rice, and there was even a massive salted fish at the center of the table. Donna and Diana's cups never ran dry, whether it was from wine or tea, so neither sibling had considered where all this food was coming from.
"Of course you didn't," Philippus didn't bother to look in Donna's direction; her prickly words were enough.
"Where is this food coming from?" Diana asked the question on both siblings' minds.
"Between the non-stop battles and my troops' constant scurrying, it's almost impossible to find food." Waging a guerrilla war left no time for farming. "Alkyone has cut off almost all of our supply routes, and the few animals that we do manage to hunt are usually devoured within a few days. The food that you've been eating was supposed to be our reserves. Admittedly it wasn't the wisest decision, but we decided to honor you, Diana."
As sweet as Philippus's gesture was, Wonder Woman couldn't help but feel guilty. This extraordinary act of kindness would hurt the Amazons in the long run. "Who did you mean by we?" Diana inquired. She intended to apologize to each one of her sisters once Philippus named them.
"I was referring to my council of advisors. We discussed it before we brought you to our camp. I may lead the troops, but this is a group effort from all the remaining loyal Amazons.
Donna was hesitant to speak. Philippus's disdain for her was apparent, and while it was warranted, the captain's words and expressions still hurt. "How were you able to get this many Amazons to join your cause?" Donna asked, finally gaining the courage to voice her thoughts.
Philippus looked irritated but answered anyway. "After the civil war which you started, there were very few Amazons left to oppose Alkyone." The royal guard captain wouldn't miss any opportunity to remind Donna of her deeds. "I was one of the few Amazons who didn't eat the golden apples on the day of the feast."
"You mean the feast that was hosted before Derinoe overthrew my mother?"
"Yes," Phillipus nodded to Diana. "The morning of that day, I had a bad feeling that I couldn't shake, and unfortunately, my intuition was correct. I warned our sisters not to eat the apples, but of course, some of them didn't listen. In fact, most of them didn't listen. Once they ate the apples, it's like they became hypnotized with hatred."
"Derinoe and Alkyone planned things masterfully. The apples of discord inflame the hatred in a mortal's soul, and once they revealed the truth about Hippolyta's deceit, it easy to overthrow her." Donna had been a firsthand witness to how quickly things had gotten out of control day. In hindsight, she regretted her participation in the event, but she couldn't deny her creator's ingenuity.
"Everything Donna said is correct," Both siblings were stunned that Philippus actually called Donna by her name, but neither Amazon brought it up. "The Amazons who turned against the queen considered everyone who disagreed with their logic as their enemy. I galvanized the remaining Amazons who were still loyal to the throne and fought back against Derinoe and Alkyone's forces. We were overwhelmed, outmatched, and were ultimately defeated, taking numerous losses along the way." Philippus was on the verge of tears as she spoke but held them back. Crying wouldn't return her sisters from the grave.
"I'm so sorry," There was nothing that Diana could say that would ease Philippus's pain, but her former teacher wasn't alone in her sentiments. "You said you took numerous losses, but at this camp, there are still dozens of Amazons under your command." That was the first thing Wonder Woman had noted when Philippus had brought her to the resistance's stronghold.
"I was able to bring some of Derinoe's followers back to their senses," Philippus couldn't contain her smirk. It had been a short-lived occurrence, but it had nearly changed the course of her war against Alkyone.
"How did you do that?" Donna leaned against the table and listened with attentive ears. Derinoe had been so convinced that the Amazons under her jurisdiction would never turn against her.
"I did it with the Purple Healing Ray," Philippus said matter-of-factly. Donna was perplexed and was about to pose another question when Diana interrupted her.
"It's an invention that can heal injuries," Wonder Woman's response was concise but did nothing to halt her sister's incoming flurry of questions.
"How does the Purple Healing Ray work? Who created it? Can it heal mental wounds? Where is it located now?" Donna's mind was racing a mile a minute, and the only thing faster than her thoughts were her lips.
"So many questions at once, calm down," Philippus chided with a stern look. "Io created the Purple Healing Ray. As Diana said, it heals injuries, and I believe that's self-explanatory. The Purple Healing Ray couldn't initially cleanse the Amazons of their brainwashing, but Io reprogrammed it to possess that capability, but unfortunately, the device has since been destroyed." Any sliver of hope Philippus was given always ended in disaster. It was beyond frustrating at this point.
"Through deceptive means, Alkyone's forces were able to capture the Purple Healing Ray and crushed it. Theoretically, Io could construct a new Healing Ray, but we don't have access to the tools necessary to build one."
Food, medical supplies, machinery, the list went on and on. Philippus refused to say it, but it was evident to Diana that her former teacher was on the losing side of the war. One more critical loss would be the proverbial nail in the coffin.
"Donna and I will do everything in our power to assist you, Philippus," Both siblings shared a reassuring look. "Whatever you need us to do we…."
"I'm sorry to interrupt your meeting Philippus, but I come with urgent news." The tent's occupants turned towards a weary woman as she barged into their meeting. She was sweating profusely, and from the expression on her face, the news that would leave her lips was anything other than good. "Alkyone's forces have found our camp!"
January 2nd
Age 763 (2013), Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Superman bobbed and weaved as Vegeta launched a vicious combo of punches and kicks at him. The Saiyan seemed to be toying with the Kryptonian, not taking things seriously, smirking, even as his attacks missed their target. The prince was overly confident to the point of disrespect, but truthfully Clark had given Vegeta no reason to doubt his prowess. As powerful as he was, Superman's attacks were clumsy and uncoordinated. This was a reoccurring theme for him against more skilled opponents.
Superman had lead Vegeta to the sky to limit casualties, and while that had been a good idea, the man of steel had distanced himself from his teammates. With the exception of J'onn, none of the other Justice League members were capable of flight, and for whatever reason, the Martian was allowing Clark to face Vegeta on his own. The onlookers down below surveyed the melee in the clouds with oohs and ahhs. They were at a safe distance, but a single off-target Ki blast could endanger those citizens. So Clark fought on two fronts; protecting himself from Vegeta's attacks as well as protecting the crowd.
"Is that all you've got, Kryptonian?" Vegeta goaded as he threw another punch at Superman's head. Kal-El didn't respond and parried the strike before it could reach its destination. Undeterred, the prince feigned an uppercut that the steel man fell for and struck him with a knee to the gut, causing the Kryptonian to double over in pain. It hurt like hell, but Clark had no time to dwell on the pain and was forced on the defensive once again as Vegeta summoned a Ki beam to his palm.
There was no time for Superman to brace himself, and the Kryptonian was forced to take the brunt of the attack head-on as he was sent sailing in a trail of smoke. But surprisingly, the Ki beam's effect was weaker than any one of Vegeta's strikes had been. Clark looked up in time to see the Saiyan rocketing towards him with a full head of steam. Superman's frost breath managed to slow the prince down slightly as he was forced to alter his course of movement and jump out of the way.
"You're full of surprises," Vegeta noted before resuming his charge. Superman allowed him to draw near, not bothering to raise a defense which perturbed the Saiyan, but not enough to halt his stampede. The prince was mere inches away from the Kryptonian when Clark's eyes suddenly turned red. Vegeta briefly pondered if he was possessed but had to toss the thought aside when two beams of fire ejected from Superman's eyes. The Saiyan raised both hands to intercept the beams and instantly regretted it as the scorching heat burned his palms.
"Argh!" The prince screamed in frustration as his hands briefly went numb from the pain. Superman pounced on the momentary lapse of Vegeta's defenses and attacked again, this time with a bone-rattling punch to the chin. The prince's eyes and head rolled back as Clark continued peppering the Saiyan with blows that echoed across the skies. To the spectators down below, they sounded like tremendous thunderclaps. Superman was unleashing more and more of his strength.
Clark's blows would've killed an ordinary man, but Vegeta had proven on multiple occasions throughout their fight that he could handle them. Superman punctuated his assault with a headbutt that left Vegeta's ears ringing like a bell and retreated to gain some distance. The man of steel panted as he took a moment to catch his breath. Even with all of his stamina, Superman still wasn't used to drawn-out fights like this.
"I have to applaud you Kryptonian, you've actually managed to make me bleed," Vegeta said as he wiped a stream of blood trickling from his nose. "With proper training, you might be able to defeat me, but unfortunately for you, you won't get to live that long!"
With those parting words, Vegeta vanished. Superman's eyes darted around as he tried to locate the Saiyan. He could still hear Vegeta's heartbeat, so he was somewhere nearby, but it was like he was invisible.
Where are you, Vegeta…
The Saiyan in question was eventually found as he reappeared behind Superman, placing the man of steel in a headlock. For a man of his stature, Vegeta was surprisingly strong. Saiyans were naturally stronger than humans, but not to this extent. As the prince's stranglehold grew tighter, Clark realized Vegeta was amplifying his muscles with Ki. It was an ingenious strategy, but it wouldn't work for long.
Superman began vibrating his body, and before Vegeta even realized what had happened, Clark had literally phased out of his grasp.
"How did you…" The prince asked with a bug-eyed expression, too stunned to even finish his thought.
"You're not the only one with tricks up your sleeves," An unusually cocky smirk settled onto Superman's face as he zoomed towards his foe. Vegeta was caught off guard as Clark's fist slammed into his nose. A right hook to the cheek sent the prince sailing, but not far enough to keep Superman from pursuing him. In the blink of an eye, the Kryptonian materialized behind Vegeta kneed him in the back. The prince yelled in agony as he felt and heard several bones crack from the pressure Clark was applying.
Superman's knee dug deeper and deeper into Vegeta's back. With each passing second, the prince could feel the pain intensifying. It annoyed him to no end that a Kryptonian had pushed him this far, but the prince would soon rectify that. Flaring his Ki, Vegeta flung Superman back. Clark was knocked back several feet as a white aura sizzled around the prince. He should've expected it; Turles had pulled a similar move on him during their fight in the Mojave Desert.
Vegeta shouted at the top of his lungs as he gathered more and more ki. The once pristine blue sky began to twist and darken to a dour gray. It was an ominous feeling, like the prelude to something disastrous. Clark swallowed hard and strengthened his resolve. Whatever stunt Vegeta was about to pull, he would be ready for it. Superman expected the Saiyan to unleash a hail of Ki beams but was left gawking as Vegeta instead elected to race towards him.
The prince's newfound speed was mindboggling. Clark could see Vegeta's attack coming, but his body was still too slow to react to the Saiyan's movements. Vegeta's elbow arrived first, knocking the air from Clark's lungs. As Clark's head lurched back, the prince's hands grabbed his head and violently tugged it forward, slamming it on his knee. Streams of blood spewed from Superman's nose as the Saiyan repeated the action over and over again.
The only thing that managed to stop Vegeta's onslaught was his boredom. After a few minutes of battering the Kryptonian's face, the prince decided to end the battle once and for all. The Kryptonian had proven to be a decent challenge, at least initially, but after powering up, the gap between their power was as wide as a football field. Barely hanging onto his consciousness, Clark was powerless to stop Vegeta as the Saiyan rammed his fist straight through his stomach. Blood soaked the prince's knuckles as his fist came out of Superman's back.
"A Kryptonian will never be able to match a Saiyan!"
A big thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter 46!
Q/A:
King Julius: Maybe.
darkmist111: Lucifer Morningstar was mentioned in the first chapter of this story. He's way above Beerus.
NirvanaFrk97: Everyone can still be revived; it hasn't been a full year yet. Vegeta, Nappa, and Turles arrived on Earth in November, Age 762 (2012). The current chapter is taking place in January, Age 763 (2013).
Woodboy: This version of Gohan has even more hidden power than in canon, and in the previous chapter, I explained why. Super Saiyan God won't be the same as it was in canon.
Martiz S.G: We'll get more Goku and Superman interactions once the entire cast is back together. Aquaman and Vegeta will meet each other too.
scl04: J'onn isn't familiar with the Saiyan species. What he knows about them is pretty much what the rest of the public knows. Vegeta was actually partially responsible for bringing J'onn to Earth back in chapter 23, so he wasn't around for most of the fight. You may not be a psychic, but your guesses are usually on point, lol. The PTO and the Green Lanterns pact will have more light shed on it. Goten will still appear in this story, but his origin will be altered. Yes, Goku and Diana will have a daughter, and she'll be featured in a story arc very soon.
Ppsspp: I'm not a fan of One Piece, so that's not going to happen.
oscuro oscuro: Beerus es parte del panteón Kaioshin, simplemente no lo mencioné.
Okhwang: It means sisters.
Noideas38: As far as the Martian Manhunter thing, you'll see what happens with that very soon.
DRAGONDAVE45: Yes, the Amazon resistance is still loyal to Hippolyta. Diana hasn't returned to Earth yet though, Themyscira is still trapped in another dimension.
Dontus -not Donut- Powerus: I find that strange because Kami didn't appear to have God Ki to. His Ki was able to be sensed. Yamoshi probably isn't going to appear in this story. I'm unsure whether anyone besides Gohan will have God Ki in this story.
Fuckmegun: Yes.
