JLU 2001 Fanfiction - Wonder Woman #18

Today.

The flower smelled like paradise. It twirled in her hand, blown about by a soft breeze that roamed across the garden. The Gods themselves created the gardens of Olympus, like everything else in this place. They were lavish and deserving of adoration, fitting in perfectly inside the realm of the Gods. The deities would stand for no less.

Princess Diana took a final whiff, a slight smile upturning her lips. It felt like it had been so long since she had smiled or been happy. It was almost ironic that Diana could harbor such emotions in a place like Olympus. However, the very reason that she was here was enough to halt Diana’s usual cheerfulness.

The Lasso of Truth had been broken. Diana, seeking its repair, went to Hestia, its creator, who told her that she had to compete and be victorious in two out of three competitions against the very Gods that she had been raised to worship if she wanted the lasso reconstructed. The first contest had gone in her favor. Artemis had voluntarily sacrificed a victory to push along the Amazon’s campaign. That meant that Diana only needed to win one more competition.

And the next was forthcoming…

Diana sucked in a breath as she was nicked by one of the flower’s thorns. It fell from her hand, riding the breeze down to the ground. Thumb in mouth, Diana sucked the blood that oozed from the wound. It stung initially but the pain quickly died away. The flower was an ideal representation of the Gods themselves. On the outside they were beautiful, but closer inspection often led to injury. Diana had been the victim of more than one rogue god in her lifetime.

Olympus was a wonderful place, maybe more of a paradise than Themyscira, but Diana wanted nothing more than to return home and relax after her ordeals. Trips through time, to different realities, and to different dimensions had taken their toll. Even with godlike resilience, her hand still ached.

“Wonder Woman.”

“Hestia,” Diana responded, recognizing the voice immediately. “Is it time?”

“It is.”

Diana stretched her shoulder, feeling a satisfactory POP.

“I hope you’re prepared,” Hestia added. She stood with her arms crossed across her chest. Her demeanor was as cold as ice.

Wonder Woman scoffed. “I am not prepared for any of this. You decide to throw this whole competition at me, giving me zero time to comprehend what it entails. You put me into battles which I have no probable chance in succeeding. All because you think that I had some part in my lasso being destroyed. Let me tell you one more time: I am NOT responsible for what happened. It was circumstances beyond my control that are directly responsible for the lasso being frayed.”

“I must believe what I believe to be true.”

“Then believe me, Hestia. I have never told a lie in my lifetime. And in refusing to accept the truth, you have turned yourself into nothing but a vindictive elder with more power than any sane person should possess.”

Hestia was dead silent. Her jaw was set in a rigid line. Without a word, she turned over her shoulder and headed back into her home. Just before disappearing inside, she yelled over her shoulder-

“You have ten minutes. That is all.”

The Amazon Princess.....

Wonder Woman

'REGAINING GLORY'

Part Two:

WAR!

Wonder Woman #19 - March, Year Four

by Matt Hrubey

Ten minutes came and went faster than Wally West. Diana moved from the garden to the atrium and found that all of the Gods had already been assembled. They looked upon her with various expressions. Some, like Athena and Artemis, were her allies and wanted nothing more than for Wonder Woman to succeed in this contest. Others, like Ares, simply wanted Diana to perish and spend eternity in Tartarus. It was a mixed crowd but none of that presently mattered to the Amazon princess. She was in Olympus to win.

Hestia began to speak. “Diana, you—“

“We all know what’s at stake here, Hestia. Let’s just get to it.”

Hestia shrugged her shoulders and motioned to the assemblage of Gods. They parted and the last person Diana wanted to associate with stepped forward, a condescending grin on his face.

“Ares,” she muttered, a barely audible growl erupting from her throat. “It’ll be more than a pleasure making a fool of you once more.”

“The pleasure’s all mine.”

“I asked Ares what kind of contest he would prefer,” Hestia interrupted, “and he told me that a simple sparring match would suffice. I am in no place to deny the wishes of family.”

Diana knew that she had messed up. By berating Hestia, she had painted a target on her chest. Now, the Goddess was out to make a point that she was not one to be treated like an infidel.

Ares extended his hand. “Just because we are enemies, princess, doesn’t mean that we can’t show each other a certain amount of respect.”

It was a trick. It had to be. The God of War knew nothing of respect, especially when it came to Wonder Woman. There was a precedent to his behavior.

“Why should I trust you?” Wonder Woman asked, halting the advance of her hand.

“Even the God of War knows respect on the battlefield.”

Against her better judgment, Diana locked hands with Ares. At first, it was simple exchange of pleasantries.

WHITE

A light enveloped the pair. Diana slammed her eyes shut at the sudden assault. She attempted to pull away from Ares but his grip held fast.

When the light had died away, Wonder Woman and the God of War were nowhere to be found.

The first things Wonder Woman noticed when the light died away were the flames. A wave of heat washed over her, causing sweat to break out across her brow. She looked around, recognition flashing in her eyes.

The fist caught her flush in the face, careening her body down to the rocky ground. Diana recovered quickly and looked up at Ares.

“You brought me to the Underworld?” Wonder Woman asked. “Hestia could not have gone along with this.”

“Whenever have I ever cared, princess?”

He reached down and grasped Diana by the throat, lifting her high into the air. Her eyes flashed about, catching sight of the dead area. The river Styx floated along to her left, carrying the essence of the dead as if it were but specks of dust. Wonder Woman gasped for air, but her throat had closed up under Ares’ assault. She kicked her legs but they banged uselessly off the Gods’ armor.

“I must tell you, princess, just how infuriating it has been to have you sticking your nose in my business. If it hadn’t been for you and those damn Amazons, I would be ruling the world right now. This ridiculous contest that my sister concocted is my revenge. So far, everything’s worked out perfectly. There’s just one more thing I have to do now.”

Ares began to squeeze.

A stunned silence followed Wonder Woman and Ares’ disappearance from Olympus. The Gods looked among themselves, each wordlessly hoping that their brothers and sisters knew what had happened. A growl erupted from one of their number, growing quickly into a full-blown exclamation.

“What is going on here?” Zeus roared at the top of his lungs. “Hestia, explain yourself now!”

“This isn’t my doing!”

“It is obvious that you have some sick fascination with hurting Diana. She is telling you the truth that she isn’t responsible!”

“Father,” Hestia replied, tears in her eyes. “I swear that it wasn’t me. Ares—“

“Ares must be responsible,” Artemis interjected. “They disappeared when Diana touched him.”

This statement seemed to sooth the King of the Gods. He lowered his powerful fist and gave Hestia a look. It was a look that the rest of his family was used to. It was the sincerest form of apology that Zeus had mastered in his centuries of existence.

“Where could Ares have taken Diana?” Aphrodite asked. Her long, flowing hair shined, contrary to the lack of sunlight. “It shouldn’t be that hard to figure out. Ares was never that smart.”

“Earth?” Artemis asked. “Maybe he took her to Themyscira?”

“Why would he take Wonder Woman home?”

Artemis and Athena shared a glance. “No reason,” they answered simultaneously, drawing more than a few confused stares.

Athena snapped her fingers and crossed her arms. “I may have an idea where Ares and Diana went.”

To make her point, she motioned downward.

Diana gagged as she tried vainly to suck in oxygen. Her vision was beginning to dim and Ares’ gloating was slurring into nonsense.

“Ready to give up, Amazon?” the God of War asked, squeezing ever harder. He wondered briefly whether he could break the neck of Wonder Woman with his bare hands. It would be an accomplishment.

In a last ditch effort, Diana reached up, her hands roaming over Ares’ face. When she found what she was looking for, she pushed. The fingers of a princess dug into the eyes of a God. He screamed bloody murder right before dropping Wonder Woman to the ground.

Taking a deep breath, Ares smiled awkwardly through swollen eyes. “Is that the best you got?”

“Ares, your screaming has just begun.”

Wonder Woman pushed off the ground, streaking through the air. She ducked under a right hook from the God of War and caught him in the back of the head with an elbow. He fell forward, catching himself with his hands and throwing himself back to his feet.

“You’re going to pay for that one,” Ares responded, his smile having transformed into the ugliest of sneers. An ebony glow overtook his body that coalesced into his battle armor. It glowed vehemently with the reflections of fire.

He pulled his sword from its sheath.

“I’m going to make you pay for all of it, princess.”

Metal met metal as Ares’ sword collided with the Amazonian bracelets of Wonder Woman. Diana wasn’t worried about their stability; the bands had repelled far worse attacks then a mere parlay. She forced her opponent back and jumped away, facing off again.

The battle was going nowhere. Diana and Ares knew each other so well that their attacks cancelled out. Each had managed minor blows, but nothing life threatening. Exhaustion was beginning to set in.

“Tired yet, princess?”

“If defeating you means the repair of my lasso, then I will battle you until the End of Time, a place I am very familiar with.”

That was just what Wonder Woman needed at that moment. Drudging up harsh memories would do nothing but distract her. She required all of her concentration or Ares would land that fatal blow. He was playing for keeps here. Diana refused to kill but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t hurt that man that had caused her more grief than any one person should have to put up with.

“ARES!”

All fighting ceased as the voice rang through the Underworld. There was only one person capable of such an action in this place and, sure enough, when the combatants turned, they found the King of the Underworld standing before them. He was adorned in armor similar to Ares’. All that could be seen of his true form were his eyes, which surged with hellfire. He pointed at his nephew.

“You miserable whelp,” Hades said. “You bring your pitiful battle into my domain without addressing me? What gives you the right? You are nothing but an insignificant speck compared to your father and I. You will never rule in the manner at which you seek.”

“Stuff it, Hades,” Ares shot back, releasing his hold on Diana. “You are scum that seeks to poison Tartarus with your ambitious gluttony. One damned soul is never enough for you, is it, uncle?”

“It seems you must be taught a lesson of respect.”

Ares sneered. “It seems you must be taught a lesson about complying to your betters.”

The two engaged in battle, a weary Diana watching from the sidelines. Her chest heaved as she regained her breath. The two Gods bore into each other, each seeking to be the only one surviving. Yet, even the sheer ferocity of the fight, it was over before it even started. Hades ruled all of the Underworld, and as such, had more power than Ares could have ever sought to possess.

With a swift action, Hades impaled Ares on his sword. The God of War collapsed to his knees before falling to his face. He didn’t move. It seemed he wasn’t breathing either. Hades stood over his conquest, shaking his head.

“I had such high hopes for this one,” Hades said, speaking apparently to himself. However, when he looked at Wonder Woman, she knew the comment had been addressing her. “He was the one child of Zeus that appeared to have something a backbone. Pity.”

“You killed him?”

“No, of course not. Ares is immortal after all. What I have in store for him, though, he is going to wish that he was dead.”

Wonder Woman shook her head. “I can’t let you do that.”

“Always the admirable one, Diana,” Hades responded. “However, just like Ares, you have no say here. Zeus is expecting you back in Olympus. Go now before I go back on my word and flay the flesh from your body.”

Wonder Woman leapt forward, ready to fight the King of the Underworld for the safety of the man who had tried to kill her moments ago.

With a wave of his hand, Hades banished Diana. She disappeared in a flash of light, similar to the one that had brought her to Tartarus in the first place.

Later
Mount Olympus

Diana closed her eyes, feeling as if the very air of the God’s realm was reinvigorating her spirit after her trip to Tartarus. It had been nearly a week since Diana had last seen Ares, but since time moved differently in Olympus, it had only been about a day. Any wounds that she had gained in her battle had long since healed due to her accelerated healing factor. It was just one of the many gifts that the Gods had endowed her with.

A throat clearing drew Diana back to this so-called reality. Hestia stood at her side, sharing the view of the palace. She was dressed in robes of the deepest crimson, a color that matched her face. “I figured that I would find you up here.”

“What do you want?” Diana asked. Even though the ordeal she had gone through, her bitter feelings for Hestia had not changed.

“I wanted to give you some time to heal, but the contest must continue.”

This comment caught the princess off guard. “This contest is over. I triumphed over Ares.”

“Well, yes, technically.”

“I am here and he is being punished by your vindictive uncle. I consider that victory.”

Hestia shook her head. “I’m sorry, Diana, but I am not going to consider that battle with my brother a victory in this competition. He disobeyed the rules that were set forth. In the end, he may have lost, but he still hurt you.”

“I can’t believe what you’re telling me.”

“What is going to happen is this: if you don’t succeed in the next contest, then I will organize another task to replace my brother. If you win in the upcoming battle, then I will obey the rules and recharge your lasso.”

Diana shook her head and looked out over the Olympus environment. At every turn, this competition was becoming more and more haphazard. She had done nothing to deserve this test of worthiness.

“You are free to leave whenever you would like, Diana.”

“You know I’m not going to do that Hestia. This is what matters at the moment.”

Hestia nodded and smiled. “Good answer. The last competition will start very soon. Make your way to the main hall as soon as possible and hopefully this competition can reach a conclusion.

“For your sake.”

It happened just like before. Wonder Woman moved into the main hall, as per her instructions, and found that the assembly of Gods, minus Ares, had already gathered. They looked upon Diana as she entered, but this time, all she saw were grave expressions. Diana felt her stomach bottom out, actually afraid of what was forthcoming.

Hestia stepped forward. “When you arrived here, I told you that there would be three tasks. The first was one of skill, which you passed quite excellently. The second, a battle against your enemy, is being deemed a disqualification because of my brother’s foolhardiness. And I told you on that day that the third contest would involve you battling yourself.”

Diana heard footsteps at her back but didn’t turn to see whom they belonged to. She could feel the pressure building in the air.

“Diana, to win this competition, you must face yourself. You are a princess of an entire nation, but you are also a hero to those you protect. However, you are not the only one that has ever held the title of Wonder Woman.”

Oh no, she couldn’t…

“Diana, to win this competition, you must face…

“Wonder Woman!”

The footsteps had grown louder. Diana finally turned and felt the air catch in her throat.

Diana felt a tear trickle down her cheek at the sight of a dead sister.

“Artemis?”

To be continued...

Next Issue- The finale of “Regaining Glory” features a blast from the past as Diana faces the woman who once beat her out of the Wonder Woman title. It’s Artemis versus Diana in WONDER WOMAN #20!