Immortal Beloved

1

The Temple of Apollo, Themyscira

Five years ago

Under a new moon, three shrouded figures sought shelter in a well-lit temple. Crossing the threshold, the three figures placed their torches into a brazier. Lowering their heads, the central figure muttered.

"Blessed be the sun and huntress..."

"And they in turn welcome you, princess..." a warm elderly voice replied. "What brings the daughter of Hippolyta to us?"

The two guards surrounding the central figure lifted their spears and aimed them in the direction of two marbled statues in the middle of the temple. The remaining kneeling figure lifted their hand causing the guards to stand down.

"Lower your weapons," the kneeling figure ordered. "By Hades, Alexa... It's just a priestess..."

"And they can't be trusted," the figure on the right muttered under her breath.

"Mind your tongue, Alexa of Gaul," the voice hissed. "Or I'll tell you what waits you in Tartarus…"

"Forgive her, priestess," the kneeling woman said. "She is a barbarian and does not know our ways..."

The figure on the right rolled their eyes.

"I know enough not to trust my own gods," the figure on the right mocked. "Much less ones from the south..."

The kneeling figure lowered their head as they remove their hood. Underneath the hood was a woman with raven hair, blue eyes, and sun-kissed skin. Looking over her shoulder, she sighed.

"It will be fine, Alexa."

"I still don't trust them," the figure on the right replied. "... and you shouldn't either..."

Lowering their weapons, the figures on either side of the kneeling woman lowered their hoods. Hardened faces looked up at the statues before them. They reached into the rafters of the temple, with their golden crowns peak almost too far up to see.

"... And I do," the kneeling woman added as she turned her head back towards the statues.

The voice cackled, "That is a good thing princess. Now ask us what you wish."

"Ask us," Alexa snorted. "Shouldn't you already know why she has come?"

The kneeling woman closed her eyes and called upon Minerva.

"Alexa stop this nonsense," the kneeling woman begged. "It's just a formality…"

"Formality my ass…." Alexa interjected."Your spies didn't inform you of our princess's upcoming departure?"

The priestess laughed in amusement, "Ah yes, she fears Man's World will lure her beloved 'plaything' away…."

"Yes indeed," another voice added. "How annoyed will she be when 'he' takes her away from her…"

Alexa spat in the direction of the statue of Apollo.

"I'd like to see 'him' try…" Alexa grumbled under her breath.

The kneeling woman sighed. This whole trip was a disaster. She knew she should have

come to the temple alone, but her mother insisted that she bring Alexa along. She was acting an ass again, but this time it was in front of the gods. Gods that weren't known for being merciful, even to foreigners.

"I Diana wish to ask of my future," the kneeling woman asked as she lowered her head.

The pitched cackle of the priestesses were replaced by chants to Apollo and Artemis. The kneeling woman lifted her head slightly. Dark shadowy figures appeared on the outer columns of the temple as a plume of smoke seeps down from the mouths of the statues. Through the smoke, a lone priestess walked through the fog.

"Crimson eyes…" the priestess cackled.

"Beware…." the shadows alongside the temple walls answered back.

The kneeling woman's head shot up.

"Priestess?" she asked, her face puzzled.

"Beware the god with crimson eyes," the priestess continued.

"Of whom do you speak," the kneeling woman said. "I know of no red-eyed god amongst our pantheon…"

"He is from a far-away land..." the priestess replied. "Born of a red sun yet also made of the Earth."

The kneeling woman shook her head.

"Speak plainly," she said. "I do not understand what your words mean..."

"Told you they were full of shit..." Alexa mocked.

Suddenly, the priestess's body bent over as a plume of smoke crawled out of her mouth. The three women watched in horror as the smoked wrapped around the priestess's body. Fully covered in smoke, the priestess's blackened body slowly walked toward the kneeling woman. Alexa and the other guard moved in front of the kneeling woman.

"Stay back," Alexa ordered.

The smoke covered priestess laughed. Her voice was unearthly in tone as she continued to moved closer to the three women.

"What did you say, Alexa of Gaul," the priestess said in a two-toned voice. "I'd like to see him try and take Diana from you..."

"Abomination," Alexa hissed. "Diana stay back..."

The priestess laughed as she swatted Alexa and the other guard away. The kneeling woman stood to her feet. Reaching for her own weapon, an upside-down crescent moon appears atop the priestess's head.

"Come now, Diana..." the priestess muttered.

Reaching out for the remaining woman, the priestess's face melted. The smoke pulled the flesh from her bones, revealing a pale woman underneath. Her nakedness was barely covered by the smoke surrounding her.

"Is that how this will be... bastard..."

Diana took a swing at the pale woman, but she moved with inhuman speed.

"What trickery is this!" she hissed.

The smoke covered pale woman laughed as she reached behind her. Pulling a single arrow from her back, it was covered in blood.

"And to think our brother wishes to replace me with 'you'." the pale woman hissed.

Diana stopped in her tracks as her body was thrown backward. She wailed as her body cracked against the cool marble. The pale woman sauntered over to the pinned woman, leaving a trail of blood behind her.

"Unfaithful, unworthy," the pale woman hissed as she traced the lone arrow across pinned woman's cheek. "...Unfit to rule at our brother's side."

Diana struggled against the pale woman's grasp as she plunged the arrow deep into her chest. She screamed.

"Your heart will fall for the false red sun," the pale woman added, twisting the blade as she spoke.

The chanting around the temple increased until the temple pillars began to shake.

"Our brother will soon see you for what you truly are," the pale woman whispered as she leaned in close to Diana's ear. "A whore just like your mother..."

…..

*"Wonder Woman…." *

The column behind Diana began to crack under the pressure of the pale woman's touch.

"And when he realizes that, only I will remain... Dearest sister..."

*"Diana… Diana..." *

Diana's screams ceased as the world around her went black.

….

Present-day

Wonder Woman's eyes open to the large 'S' of Superman's uniform in her face.

"You must have been having some kind of nightmare there," Superman said calmly. "You were screaming so loudly; I thought I'd have to call J'onzz…"

As he spoke, Wonder Woman felt the heat rush to her cheeks from the closeness of his broad chest. He smelt of oak and ceder, it was almost intoxicating. And too dangerous.

"No, no, no, too close," she thought.

Immediately, she pressed her hands against his chest, forcing him further away from her body.

"Stand further off," she hissed.

Superman allowed himself to float back away from her.

"I'm sorry," he said. "But you were thrashing about…"

Wonder Woman sat up and looked around her surroundings. She was sitting in the medical bay. She sighed. Shit, she'd fallen asleep on duty... again.

"You carried me to the medical bay…" she said as she stood to her feet. "Because I had a bad dream…."

"There was a lot of screaming," he added shyly.

Wonder Woman took in a deep sigh. She closed her eyes and saw the haunting image of Artemis's face.

"Well as you see, I'm fine now…."

Superman stepped closer to her and reached for her arm.

"If you're having bad dreams maybe you need to talk with…." he started to say but she cut him off.

"I said 'I'm fine'," she replied coldly as she pulled away from his grasp.

Wonder Woman turned away from Superman and walked out of the med bay.

Alert…. Alert…. *

Incoming threat…

All Senior League members report to the teleporter *

Wonder Woman let out a blessing from her lips, "Gaia be praised."

Superman heard her but before he could speak to her, she had already made her way down the hall.

"She'll come around, Kal-El,"

Superman lifted off the floor as he heard J'onzz's voice.

"It's been over five years, J'onzz," Superman sighed as he flew down the hallway. "I don't think she'll come around. She just doesn't like me…"

"I highly doubt that is the reason she…."

Superman chuckled, "...Treats me like I am a demon…"

J'onzz laughed, "I wouldn't go that far with it…"

"Evil soul-sucking creature with a penis," Superman replied, with a shrug.

"Well, you said it,"

"Maybe if she talked with Lois, it might…." Superman said as he reached the teleporter room.

Wonder Woman's body was dematerializing as he approached. She rolled her eyes in his direction. Superman pointed back at her.

"You saw that, right?!"

"I don't think having your wife talk to her would help you, Kal-El," J'onzz replied as he stood beside Superman.

Touching his shoulder, J'onzz smiled at Superman.

"Remember the article she wrote when Diana first got here…."

Superman palmed his face in his hand. How could he forget.

"Lesbian, Bi or Queer: The Wonder Woman Question…." Superman hissed as he stepped on the teleporter pad. "You're right, having Lois speak to her would probably make her hate me more…"

J'onzz pulled Superman around to face him.

"Diana is fearful of something involving you," J'onzz said as he patted Superman on his shoulder.

Superman's face scrunched up as J'onzz spoke.

"She told you she fears me?" Superman asked.

J'onzz shook his head.

"Her eyes tell me all I need to know," J'onzz said. "Maybe you should try looking into them for yourself. You might learn why she treats you the way she does…."

"Sure…." Superman said as he started to dematerialize. "See ya top side…."

As Superman's body broke down into trillions of tiny pieces, he saw a bright flash of light blaze past him. It cracked like lightning. In-between worlds, Superman saw the flash of light land right beside Wonder Woman. It was a towering male figure with a weapon in hand. It looked like some kind of hammer.

"Shit," he cursed.

Rage filled him, but he wasn't sure why. It was the same kind of feeling the rose within him when he saw Colonel Trevor with her when she first arrived. Superman balled his hands into fists as his body came back together.

"... War god," the blond man said.

Once his body was whole, Superman rushed to the blond man. Grabbing him by his throat, he growled.

"Who are you?!"

The blond man's eyes turned white as the sky rumbled above them.

"You are fast boy," the blond man gasped. "But I am faster…"

A crack of lightning ripped through the sky and down to Superman. Wonder Woman immediately pushed Superman away from the blond man.

"Stop it," Wonder Woman hissed at Superman.

The lightning struck the ground at Superman's feet.

"Forgive the foolish mortal, Lord Thor…".

"Thor?" Superman asked. "Like the Norse god of thunder, Thor…"

Wonder Woman ignored Superman's question and pointed at the burning building off in the distance.

"Go handle that, Superman," Wonder Woman shouted. "This is no concern of yours."

Superman looked at her puzzled. A strange man with a hammer and lightning powers just appeared out of nowhere. There was no way he was leaving her alone with this man, even if she wanted him to.

"J'onzz and the others will handle that," Superman said, pointing to the blonde man. "I'm not leaving you with 'Thor' over there."

"I see the boy isn't as ignorant as I thought," Thor growled.

Wonder Woman turned her gaze away from Superman and back to Thor.

"He is a fool," Wonder Woman said coldly.

"Hey!" Superman said. "I'm standing right here."

"A fool with great strength, War god," Thor added. "I could use him in this battle…"

Wonder Woman shook her head.

"He is no use to you," Wonder Woman added as she stood between them. "I'll go with you. He will stay here."

Superman walked up behind Wonder Woman.

"You aren't taking her anywhere without me," Superman said.

"A willing soldier for the cause," Thor boasted clapping his massive hands together. "Your strength will be welcome in the battle of Ragnarök…"

A clap of lightning surged behind Thor as his hands touched, opening a white beam. As the beam moved to them, Wonder Woman tried to push Superman back, but it was too late. Thor had already opened the Bifrost. In a flash, the warmth of the Earth's sun vanished to the coldness of the World's Tree…