Chapter 28

Ares held me back as I watched Apollo bend to kiss the Amazon. It was forceful, vile, and made me audibly growl. Ares's grip tightened around my arms. I tried to pull away from him.

"You aren't ready to handle him..." Ares whispered.

Flakes of golden hair brushed against the Amazon's cheek as Apollo's eyes slowly met mine. He glanced at me as if he heard Ares's whisper. Black soulless eyes stared back at me. Taunting me.

"Is this your champion Ares…" I heard him say as he slid his hands down the Amazon's body.

She shudders from his touch. A lone tear fell down her cheek as he ripped the neckline of her nightgown. He cupped her breast and took one of her dark buds into his mouth.

"It'll calm you soon enough beloved," he said as he broke his kiss from her breast. "You are just not used to my divine touch…"

I shot a blast of pure red fire directly at Apollo's head. He laughed as my blast went right through him, shattering him into a thousand pieces. Leaving the lingering sound of his laughter behind him, the Amazon's body collapsed onto the marble floor. Instinctively, I rushed to catch her but Ares continued to hold me back.

"Now you've seen your true enemy," Ares hissed into my ear.

I struggled against Ares's grasp.

"Good…" Ares continued. "Remember this image. How it felt to watch his hands holding her… His lips suckling on her breast. Use it when the time comes and you will be a god amongst men because of it."

After he spoke, Ares released me.

"BASTARD!" I growled as Ares let me go.

I turned to face him but he had reappeared beside the Amazon. He held her closely in his arms. I felt my hands ball up.

"Diana," he said softly as he caressed her cheek.

Slowly her eyes opened.

"Brother…" she said as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

She looked around. She seemed lost without a clue how she'd gotten outside of her room.

"How did I end up…" she said as she suddenly realized where she was. "Where am I…"

Ares placed a kiss on top of her head.

"You were sleepwalking my dear," he lied calmly.

I watched him look up at me as he tried to calm her. His eyes never left mine.

"It was he who found you, sister," he said. "Isn't that right Ultraman…"

I shrugged. I didn't want to lie to her but it might be for the best. At least until I learned more about the ass who touched her…

"Brother I was so scared…" she said. "I felt someone…."

"Shhh, my dear," Ares added. "It was all a dream. Ultraman will take you to his room and watch over you..."

"She can go back to the room J'onzz gave to her," I hissed back harshly.

She was startled by the harshness of my voice and kept her gaze away from mine. Then I smelt it. Her fear, her fear of me. Ares stood to his feet and picked the Amazon up in his arms.

"Close your eyes child," he cooed. "Kal-Il will protect you…"

I tried to protest, but Ares vanished into thin air. Taking the Amazon with him, I knew where they had gone. Rushing past several of my men, I made it back to the penthouse. As I reached my room, I saw her body spread out over my bed with no Ares in sight.

"What game are you playing," I growled.

"The one that keeps my sister safe," I heard Ares's voice reply.

As he spoke, I looked around for him but he was nowhere to be found.

"I'm not a pawn in your game Ares," I hissed back.

"Oh, my dear forgotten boy, you're so much more than a pawn," he added. "A king needs a queen and my dear boy you will be a king…"

"Leave me out of your games…" I grumbled under my breath.

"Then that pale ass I call brother will take her…."

"NO!" I hissed.

My mouth moved without thinking.

"Damn the Kryptonite must have worn off,"

I began to pace back and forth in my room. I forced myself not to look at her almost naked body in my bed, but I couldn't shake the thought of how beautiful she looked laying there. Her breasts were just slightly exposed due to the deep 'v' Apollo ripped into her nightgown.

"... Now sleep boy…" Ares's voice echoed within my bed chambers.

My eyes started to grow heavy. My legs moved on their own in the direction of my bed.

"I'm not…."

My words failed me. The next thing I knew I was smelling the sweet smell of orchids.

Apokolips Inkorporeyted in St. Petersburg

A bright light burst into Darkseid's office. The grey fleshed man watched in horror as Apollo's body formed in his office. Darkseid gulped as he sat up straight in his seat.

"My lord,"

Apollo waved off Darkseid's greeting.

"He seeks to challenge me!?" Apollo grumbled.

Darkseid leaned back in his oversized chair and took a drink from a shallow dark the waves of reddish hellfire radiating off his master, Darkseid figured he had met Ultraman.

"I see you've met your brother's champion," Darkseid said as he placed his drink back down on his desk.

"Met him! MET HIM... I smelt his hands all over her," Apollo hissed as he slammed his hands on Darkseid's desk.

The pale god leaned closer to Darkseid. The smell of burnt wood filled the office as Apollo's hands started to burn through Darkseid's desk.

"I smelt yours too," he added.

Darkseid sat stone-faced in front of Apollo and folded his hands in front of him.

"I meant no disrespect my lord," he replied."I tried to bring her to you... I grabbed her to..."

Apollo leaned closer to Darkseid.

"You grabbed her?" he asked.

Darkseid fell silent with a look of fear in his eyes. Apollo lifted his hand and a pale arrow came rushing toward Darkseid. It pierced his blue button-up shirt and went through his shoulder. Darkseid winced in pain.

"The woman is off-limits," Apollo grumbled.

Darkseid pulled the arrow out of his shoulder and placed it on his knew from wince it came, it was Artemis, the moon. She never missed. Apollo wanted to make a point. Wherever his sister was, she could end him at any moment. He needed to play it smart, but this level of disrespect wasn't to be tolerated. His mouth moved on its own.

"Then you better tell that to the man she's staying with," Darkseid said under his breath.

Apollo lunged to Darkseid and jammed two of his pale fingers into his shoulder wound. Darkseid started to scream as smoke oozed from his wound.

"Well then you better get a move on in removing her from his side," Apollo hissed as he yanked his fingers out of Darkseid's wound.

Apollo stood up and adjusted his suit as Darkseid fell to the floor.

"Eliminate him Darkseid or I'll eliminate you," Apollo added as he opened a portal. "In this world you are replaceable. I'd hate for all my hard work to go to waste with another…"

Darkseid looked up at Apollo and nodded.

"Good,"

Apollo stepped through his portal leaving Darkseid alone.

"My lord," Desaad said as he rushed into Darkseid's office.

Darkseid shoos his old friend away as he stood back to his feet.

"I need you to set up a meeting,"

"With whom?" Desaad asked.

Darkseid sat back down in his seat and folded his hands onto the burning embers of his desk.

"Lois Lane, the Superwoman…."