Legends of Wonder Woman #3

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Legends of Wonder Woman #3
Creating Her Destiny Part Three

Written by Dean Grey (Circe55)
Edited by Daniel Dyer (Spider-Man Beyond)

(All dialogue translated from the Greek language)

There’s that feeling in the air. The tension so thick it could be cleaved in two.

<“Cease, my son!”> a voice boomed like thunder. <“Do not make me raise my hand to you.”>

Emotions running high. Anger, jealously, resentment, fear, hatred. That moment when you pray to God for help.

<“You think I fear you, Father? For that you will be the first to fall!”>

But what happens when it involves the gods themselves? What do they do when backed into a corner by one of their own?

<“I am not afraid of any of you! I’m the most powerful Olympian now, Father. You and the others know it!”>

High above, in the heavens of old, among full clouds as big as ships, lies the fabled Mount Olympus; the home of the Greek gods. On this timeless, magical place, in the soaring royal temple, a tempest was brewing. Ares, the god of war prepared to destroy the other Olympians who dared to challenge him and his mad plans.

<“You have gone unchecked for too long, Ares,”> Athena confidently said, her eyes locked with his. <“It looks like I will have to put you in your place... again.”>

The nearly dozen gods present who witnessed all of this unfold were off to the sides, clenching their classical Greek robes tight as they nervously waited for what will happen next. Only Athena in her golden armor and Artemis with her longbow outstretched faced Ares directly, nearly fifteen feet away.

<“Foolish, Athena, your aegis and spear will not save you this time!”> Ares shouted. His deep voice echoed in the marble halls and his eyes glowed an intense red. <“Strike at me with your arrows, Artemis, if you dare!”>

Ares’ dark blue, dark violet armor violently glowed a deep red. The power that erupted around his strong form snapped and sparked and made the immense temple tremble.

Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty interrupted the fray. Dressed in soft, detailed robes she came directly in between both Athena and Artemis on one end and Ares on the other, her arms outstretched towards each side.

<“We don’t need to do this, especially here of all places,”> Aphrodite said, her lovely voice clearly tensed. <“This is our home. This place is sacred!”>

<“Move out of the way, harlot,”> Ares ordered as he aggressively gestured at the love goddess. From underneath his dark, horse-plumed helmet, his fiery eyes stood out from his shadowed face and stared her down. <“You have caused enough chaos in my life, woman! You won’t be doing so now of all times.”>

<“Please, Ares,”> Aphrodite begged. She slowly moved towards him, her flowing robes made her almost appear to be gliding. <“We have heard what you had to say.”>

<“Step aside, Aphrodite,”> Athena calmly said, her spear readied in her skilled hands.

<“Come for me, Sow!”> Ares challenged at Athena, from over Aphrodite’s shoulder. He spit on the cool mosaic floor and screamed, <“Let me see what Father’s favorite can do!!”>

<“No, Athena! No!”> Aphrodite pleaded, having turned to face the goddess of warfare and wisdom. Athena did not back down, but honored her sister’s request and didn’t go through with the strike. Aphrodite faced Ares again and by now was mere inches from him. <“Please, Ares,”> she gently whispered, the way lovers do when they want the other to do something. <“Please... not here. Not now.”>

Aphrodite’s legendary beauty was intoxicating to both mortals and gods. Ares took in her flawless face, framed by layers of bright blonde hair. Her sea-blue eyes and the way they sparkled like water. Her curvaceous figure. The power that madly danced around Ares began to turn pale and quiet. Soon the god of war was calm again.

But Ares had been through this times before and when he quickly came to his senses he backed away from Aphrodite's seductive charms. The war god grabbed his dark violet cape with one hand and violently pointed at the remaining Olympians with the other. With gritted teeth snarled like a rabid dog, Ares said, <“I give you no more warnings. The world and its mortals are mine for the taking. Oppose me,”> he calmly stated, then finished by screaming, <“and I will destroy all of you!!”>

An instant later, Ares, the Greek god of war sparked away in a flash of crimson light and left the remaining Olympians alone to ponder... to worry.

~*~

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Down below, on Earth, on the hidden remote island called Themyscira tension was also in the air. The mighty Amazons of myth had visitors on their “Paradise Island” this day, but the outsiders were all dead.

The eastern end of the island has the smallest beach. On its coral colored sands were gathered a handful of female warriors clad in golden Grecian-styled armor. Underneath billowy clouds overhead, they stood by along the shore for their beloved queen to give her next command. Usually matters about the island were dealt with directly by Queen Hippolyta herself, but this day her daughters were present as well.

In front of the royal guard, at the very edge of the shore, were Princess Diana and Princess Drusilla. The choppy waters kissed the pair’s sandaled feet and the warm breeze caressed their light purple tunics. Both waited to hear their mother’s decision.

Diana, 24, was a raven-haired beauty. Words cannot do her justice. Quite tall and shapely, her piercing blue eyes were transfixed on the unfamiliar small boat which lightly rocked from side to side in the ocean up ahead.

Drusilla, ten years younger and several inches shorter, shared her older sister’s black hair and blue eyes. She could see the distressed look on her mother’s face. Hippolyta waded knee high in the waters 20 feet away from her daughters on the beach.

<“What have you discovered?”> Queen Hippolyta called out at the sea towards the tiny ship. Philippus, Captain of the Amazon Guard, swam from the boat to the Queen. Once the sandy ocean floor could be felt underneath, Philippus stood in the cool waters. She walked up to Hippolyta as water gushed out from her bulky armor.

<“They died of starvation or dehydration,”> Philippus stated. <“Epione looked over all three crew members’ bodies and believed they died nearly a week ago. Their ship must’ve gotten lost out here and they ran out of supplies.”>

<“And just the three?”> Hippolyta asked.

<“Yes, My Queen. Two males and one female.”>

By now, the lively sea had splashed the Queen’s thighs so many times it made her deep purple, royal robes clung to her legs. Her usual regal, stoic demeanor could not hide the fact that she was clearly worried. <“In the nearly 3,000 years we’ve lived on this island, we’ve managed to live in peace and solitude,”> Hippolyta said, her dark full eyebrows furrowed on her dark olive face. <“In the past few centuries we’d find a stray body out at sea or dead crew members who’d lost their way. But now in these last several decades it’s becoming almost commonplace. ‘Man’s world’ is clearly growing bigger and bigger. It won’t be long before we find someone alive again.”>

Hippolyta looked Philippus straight in the eyes and asked, <“What will we do when our secret paradise is no longer a secret?”>

Philippus placed her strong hand on Hippolyta’s shoulder. <“We have survived this long, my old friend,”> she gently said. <“What should we do with the bodies?”>

The Amazon Queen looked up ahead at the small boat then ordered, <“Dump the males out in the ocean but bring the woman to the shore. Tonight we will give her the proper funeral she deserves.”>

Philippus brought her closed palm to her armored chest. <“At once, My Queen,”> she replied in a military-like fashion.

The Queen turned in the direction of the shore and took large steps towards the beach, which made her soaked robes splash in the water behind her. Once she reached the sandy shore she saw her children’s inquisitive faces. Hippolyta walked past them, snapped her fingers, and in her usual direct way said, <“Come, Daughters, there’s nothing more to see here.”>

Drusilla quickly followed her mother up the beach to the horses waiting for them. Diana looked at Philippus who still waded in the waters, then stared at the tiny ship in the distance. The oldest princess took a few moments, then finally turned around and followed her younger sister and mother as they all rode to the royal chambers.

~*~

[Spider-Man Beyond]

At that moment on Mount Olympus...

<“We cannot wait any longer,”> Athena said, her brave voice filling the vast temple. <“We must act now.”>

<“But what can we do against Ares on Earth?”> Artemis asked. <“Mortals no longer believe in us. Our reach is limited.”>

<“The Amazons,”> Zeus said as a smile spread across his bearded face. <“They still worship us. Their faith is strong.”>

<“They used to worship Ares at one time, too,”> Apollo stated.

<“That was thousands of years ago,”> Hermes added, somewhat annoyed from the other end of the floor. <“They have taken Athena and Artemis as their patrons now. The Amazons have shown their loyalty to us many times over.”>

<“Then it is decided,”> Zeus said, having stood from his mighty throne. <“One of the Amazons will be sent to the outside world with our blessings to stop Ares.”>

<“A chance for one of our brave and noble warriors to prove themselves,”> Athena said proudly. Artemis nodded and added, <“Yes, one that can show the rest of the world all the Amazons have learned.”>

Hera, who wore a golden crown on top of her head, stood right next to her husband Zeus and said, <“She may even help mortals believe in us again.”>

Aphrodite appeared a bit frustrated. <“Stopping Ares should be the main goal,”> the goddess of love and beauty interjected.

Zeus turned to Aphrodite. <“My beautiful daughter, you can see where Hera is coming from. Love will always exist on Earth, so you will always have power in your veins. We other Olympians are not so fortunate. What is wrong with the Amazons gaining us worshippers?”> he asked with a sly look on his face. <“After all, the Olympians created the Amazons. They should do as we wish.”>

<“We need a catalyst,”> Athena said, her brilliant mind in deep thought. <“Something clever to unite the Amazons with the rest of the world.”>

Aphrodite closed her blue eyes and placed her hand on her heart. She slightly glowed a soft white and appeared to be searching for something far away. When the love goddess finally found the specific emotions she was looking for Aphrodite excitedly said to the rest of the Greek pantheon, <“I know how it can begin. I can start as early as tomorrow.”>

~*~

[Spider-Man Beyond]

The eastern shore of Themyscira (Paradise Island)...

It’s nightfall. The moonlight softly illuminated the lively ocean as it ran up the cool, sandy beach towards the ceremony up ahead. The two princesses have never actually seen the sacred funeral pyre, only heard about it. The other Amazons, however, in all their many battles over thousands of years, have had many such rituals.

Normally the sacred funeral pyre involved all the Amazons, but since the woman found earlier in the day wasn’t an Amazon, that wasn’t the case this time. Only the Queen, her two daughters, and the handful of female warriors when the small ship was initially discovered were present.

All the women were similarly dressed in long dark Grecian robes. Even the Queen and her daughters’ usual royal attire were not being worn. All had their faces painted with black tribal markings that cover the eyes, forehead, and cheeks.

Menalippe, the High Priestess and Oracle, led the procession. The women encircled and knelt in the sand around a large mound of sticks. On the pile was the dead female crew member carefully wrapped from head to toe in fine garments. At her side were the offerings to the gods; a slaughtered 12-pointed stag, bowls of fruit, jars of wine, and fresh picked flowers.

Low chants filled the darkened beach as the warrior women prayed in unison, the Oracle leading the way.

<“O, noble Hades, have mercy on her soul,”> Menalippe shouted into the chilled air as her palms faced the ground. <“As this woman’s body merges with all-powerful Gaea, let Hermes guide her spirit to the Elysian Fields.”>

And then the wooden stack was lit. As the flames grew, inching their way to the female corpse and the offerings, the chants got much louder. Diana and Drusilla became uneasy as the other Amazons began to wail.

Twigs wildly snapped and sparked like a thing alive. The two princesses watched their “sisters” moan and slap their own bodies. The fire was intensely hot and bright. Everything in the pyre was aflame now.

From the corner of her eye, Diana discreetly watched her mother pound the sand with clenched fists. The others had tears in their eyes. Menalippe, with eyes glazed over, seemed to be in a trance while she shouted the same prayer over and over again into the smoky air.

As the fire eventually died down, so did the intensity of the chants. Soon the frenzied emotions were calm again once the pyre was nothing more than smoldering ash.

The final and perhaps the most important part of the ceremony began. All the Amazons present dug a shallow hole on the beach and buried the cremated remains and sacrifices, which essentially connected the unknown woman and the offerings with the island forever.

~*~

[Spider-Man Beyond]

The very next morning...

After eating the royal breakfast, Princess Diana, in her light purple tunic, meandered alone through the enchanted gardens. Her airy garments kicked up behind her with each stride of the young woman’s long, lean legs.

The enchanted gardens contain the most magic on the island’s topside. Here, among the many full trees and occasional small boulders anything is possible. It was so early in the day that a shimmering fog rolled along the hilly ground around the intricate statues and bubbling fountains that dotted the lush garden space.

<“Hey, Diana, wait up!”> a youthful voice called out from behind. It was her younger sister, Drusilla, who jogged up to Diana. She was also dressed in a similar soft purple tunic, her black hair tied into a loose pony tail. <“Where’re you headed?”>

<“Ipthime finished her latest sculpture and I promised I would go see it,”> Princess Diana explained. Nearby, several clusters of bright orange flowers opened, closed, then bloomed all over again in mere seconds. <“Care to join me?”>

<“Sure, let’s go,”> Drusilla cheerfully replied. Both sisters took off their sandals and let their bare feet walk on the pillowy carpet of green moss. <“Last night was pretty intense, huh, Diana?”>

<“Yes,”> Diana agreed as she stopped in place and looked quite serious. <“We’ve both heard the stories about Mother and the other Amazons’ hardships in the outside world. The suffering. The loss,”> she said quietly. <“Even after all these countless centuries that pain they carry could be seen on their faces yesterday.”>

As the pair started up the verdant pathway again, Princess Drusilla tried to lighten the mood back up and with a playful smile asked, <“Did you find out anything about the crew’s ship and their possessions? I thought you of all people would be the first one to learn anything.”>

<“I checked with Mnemosyne as soon as I awoke today,”> Diana explained. <“The small ship and the crew member’s belongings are currently in the great library undergoing examinations and studies. But Mnemosyne said it’s too early yet and that she’ll tell me everything she discovers as it’s made available.”>

The oldest princess sighed and added, <“And you know how Mother is. If she finds out I’m looking at remnants from the outside world, well, you know how she gets.”>

<“Definitely,”> Drusilla agreed as she watched a butterfly change five different colors as it lazily fluttered by.

Diana’s face smiled the most perfect smile and she stopped walking again. <“What was it like, Drusilla... the outside world?”> she asked with excitement in her singsong voice.

Both sisters sat down in the middle of the enchanted gardens and stretched out their feet.

<“Oh, I don’t know, Diana. I was only like five. I do remember my dad had a mustache and my mom, my real mom, had brown hair, or was it red?”> the teenaged princess mused to herself and then her pretty face turned sad all of a sudden.

<“What is it, Drusilla?”>

<“Sometimes... sometimes I wish things were different, you know? Believe me, Diana, I’m so thankful to be with all of you, but sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if the Titan Rhea never brought me here.”>

<“But you would’ve died in that fire just like your parents,”> Diana tried to reassure her.

<“I know that, but Rhea could’ve saved me and sent me to my other relatives in the outside world. Surely I must have aunts and uncles that are alive. But instead Rhea brought me to Paradise Island and gave me to Mom to quiet the feud between the Titans and the Olympians. I was used... like a pawn.”>

Drusilla, with tears in her blue eyes looked up at her older sister. <“Diana... don’t tell Mom, okay?”>

<“I won’t,”> Diana said softly. She warmly hugged her younger sister from the side and whispered, <“For what it’s worth, Drusilla, I’m glad the gods brought you here to Paradise Island. My life would’ve been lonely without you in it.”>

Starting to feel better, Drusilla let out an annoyed sigh. <“Drusilla... ugh, I always hated that name. I wonder what my real name is, you know the one my birth parents gave me?”>

<“What else do you remember about the outside world?”> Diana asked as she became excited once again.

<“I remember cars. They’re like chariots but bigger and they run without horses,”> Drusilla explained.

Diana’s beautiful face lit up, a full smile ear to ear.

<“Let’s see,”> the youngest princess continued. <“There were animals that we don’t have here and other flowers too.

<“Oh, and Diana, the weather, it’s so different,”> Drusilla enthusiastically said with a raised voice. Diana’s eyes were wide-eyed as her sister went on. <“Here we have perfect, temperate weather year round. But in the outside world we have Spring, Fall, and Winter, too. Oh the snow! Diana, you’ve never seen it. How it falls from the sky like dancing white flies!”>

Drusilla stopped talking when she noticed Diana become quite sullen and teary-eyed.

<“Diana?”>

<“I’m the only one here never to have gotten to see what the outside world is like,”> Diana sadly said as she wiped away falling tears. <“By the gods, Drusilla, if I could have just one day... one day...! to see what it is like, I know I would be content.”>

Drusilla placed one hand on her sister’s knee and wrapped her free arm around Diana’s shoulder while she gently replied, <“I know you’ll see it one day. I just know it.”>

Just then, on the other side of the island a strong mechanical screeching could be heard, followed instantly by a large explosion which could be felt by the two sisters.

<“What in Gaea’s name was that?!”> Drusilla nervously asked.

<“I don’t know, but let’s find out,”> Diana bravely replied as she helped her sister up. The pair raced towards the direction of the commotion.

About halfway through the island, now in the great forest, the two princesses encountered Hellene, dressed in white robes who ran towards them. All three stopped.

<“Princess Diana, Princess Drusilla, come quick! A flying aircraft from ‘man’s world’ has crashed on the island!”>

All three began to run again towards the direction of the crash. Diana slowed herself down so the other two could keep up.

<“It flew? Like a bird?”> Diana asked while she jogged alongside Hellene.

<“Yes, Princess, and the pilot is still alive.”>

<“Did someone notify Epione at the hospital?”> Diana asked. <“If the pilot is badly injured, we have to get her medical attention as quickly as possible.”>

Hellene stopped in mid-run. Having seen this, Diana and Drusilla stopped running as well to find out what was wrong.

<“You don’t understand, Diana,”> Hellene said, a bit distraught. <“The pilot isn’t a woman... it’s a man!”>

...To be continued.