Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

The Wayne Legacy: Rise

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 19:

Wayne Manor

“I know you are worried, but everything here is okay. Kara just came down with a cold and is in isolation. This happens sometimes. We are just taking precautions.” Steve said, trying to placate Tommy who had been calling Kara’s phone, then Diana’s and receiving no answer since the night before.

“If it’s nothing to worry about, why do you have Diana’s phone? You are telling me Kara is sleeping constantly to rest but Diana isn’t so why can’t I talk to her?” The worried man asked.

Steve couldn’t tell him that Diana, her freakshow brother and Dig were raiding some mystical underworld, hoping to find a cure for Kara.

“She doesn’t like to be bothered when Kara is like this.” He said truthfully.

Diana tended to shut herself off from everyone besides Steve and Alfred during times Kara was sick. Instead of speaking, she stayed in the isolation chamber with Kara, only leaving her side to go to the restroom or eat whatever Alfred brought her just outside the room.

“She stays in the chamber with Kara and doesn’t like to talk to anyone.” Steve explained. “Look, I realize this is strange to you…”

“She was fine when I talked to her yesterday morning, then a couple hours later I can’t get her to answer the phone and I found out she wasn’t in the office.” Tommy interrupted, frustration in his voice. “Now the manor is on lockdown, very scary men with guns won’t let me in, and for someone who has a slight cold, she is apparently being kept sedated. Yeah, Steve, I find it a little weird.”

Steve hated to do this, but he had no choice. “Look Tommy, when Kara is sick, you are going to have to back off. You’ve been in her life a of couple weeks. Stay around for a couple years and there’s a small chance Diana will let you come inside when she is sick. Right now, you are still an outsider. What goes on in here when she is sick is family business. She’ll call you when she is feeling better.”

Steve ended the call and cringed. He looked to Alfred who shrugged.

“So you won’t be his favorite person for a while.” Alfred said, brushing it off. “It’s for the best. Too much is going on for visits from those outside of the know. Even if this didn’t involve mystical elements and Wayne family secrets easily exposed if we’re not careful, Kara wouldn’t want him to see her like this.”

Steve knew Alfred was right. “I know, but I hated being rude. The guy is head over heels for her and I effectively cut him off at the knees and told him he couldn’t see or talk to her, and that her condition was none of his business.”

“Because it isn’t, Steve. As her best friends, Alex and Barbara have a greater case for being here when she is ill than he does, but even they aren’t allowed. Neither is Silver St. Cloud who has been Diana’s best friend since kindergarten.” Alfred said, not bothering to sugarcoat his point. “Welcome to the Wayne family. You are one of only seven people who know all our secrets. Now you know the specifics of why it has always been important for us to remain closed off from the public.”

Thinking the worst tasks involving the outside world might be behind him, Steve refocused on Kara. Because the virus was not airborne, he was able to wear scrubs, gloves and a surgical mask rather than the extremely uncomfortable clean suit normally worn by everyone in this room. Her heart had not given out since Eliza had placed the chest tube in, but neither had she gotten better. Eliza was doing everything she could do to fight this virus. Multiple wires and tubes ran into Kara’s body, not including the one running down her throat.

Eliza was outside the room, running tests through equipment she had delivered by Wayne Security and Alfred had brought down. She had multiple blood and saliva samples and hadn’t appeared happy with anything she had seen judging by her face.

The doctor walked back in the room and changed saline bags and fought with herself over whether a blood transfusion was the way to go. The only blood she had stored was Kara’s in the event she was ever cut badly, but her blood would be useless now. It would be virus free, but this virus was multiplying faster than she could give Kara the cloned stem cells she had designed specifically to beat viruses of this nature.

She finally sat down next to Kara’s bed and hung her head.

“Damn it, Alfred, if Diana doesn’t find something… I think this is it. I told her that we would keep her alive for three days at least. I can keep her on life support indefinitely but soon her organs are going to begin failing, one by one until it reaches her heart. Once the failure begins, it will be impossible for her to live, even if Diana finds an antidote.” Eliza said, defeat in her voice.

Alfred placed a hand on his old friend’s shoulder. “Diana isn’t looking for an antidote. She is looking for something else, something that will save Kara, heal her, so long as she lives.”

“Yes, Diana disappeared with Bruce in a bat costume along with the witch that poisoned Kara to find some ladies called the ‘Fates’ who Diana hopes can cure Kara. I’m not holding my breath.” Eliza placed her hand on her forehead. “I’m the only shot at keeping her alive. No one knows Kara’s body better than I do and I am out of options, Alfred. God forgive me, I don’t know what to do. For the first time since I laid eyes on this girl twenty-one years ago, I am out of ideas.”

Steve felt Eliza’s pain, wanting to comfort her but not really knowing how. Eliza was despondent and he had never heard her this way. She was always the epitome of confidence, even when Kara was at her worst and Diana was unreasonably berating her for Kara’s poor health, she remained stoic and calm.

The fact that she was despondent now, told him all he needed to know. It would take a miracle, one he desperately hoped the love of his life could pull off.

The large monitor on the wall of the basement lit up and Barbara Gordon’s face was on it, hovering above them all. Alfred stepped out of the isolation room quickly and marched over to it.

“What the hell is going on, Al?” Babs asked. “Kara isn’t…”

The redhead stopped speaking, no doubt checking her monitors and gasping when she saw Kara hooked up to a life support machine.

“That’s not right. I saw her minutes before she was taken from the building, and she was fine. I knew something was wrong when she didn’t answer my texts. How can she be this sick so quickly? Where the hell is Diana? What is going on?” The hysteria in her voice elevated with each question.

“Diana forbid you from using Athena to look in on the house.” He told her, futilely hoping she would be intimidated and not ask questions, forgetting momentarily that intimidation was never something that worked on the redhead.

“Yeah and Diana should have received an alert letting her know I was coming in. She didn’t contact me to stop it. If she wants to fire me, she can fire two thirds of me. The one third that will remain hired wants to know what the hell is wrong with my blonde bestie. How has she fallen so ill so fast?”

Alfred groaned and looked back at Steve and Eliza hoping for an answer. Eliza was still despondent, and Steve shook his head having no idea, so he decided a partial truth was better than trying to come up with a spontaneous lie.

“Barbara, this is to remain confidential. No one, not Alex or anyone else is to know of this. Not even our security branch knows.” Alfred said, pausing momentarily as he took a deep breath, the words seeming to stick in his throat. “Kara was… Kara was poisoned. A waterborne virus was slipped into her tea. It was a deliberate attempt on her life.”

Barbara’s face turned pale, her eyes widened in shock, but she retained enough presence of mind to continue her barrage of questions. “Where are Diana and Dig? I know the chopper landed with both of them in it and neither have left the manor. Where is Bruce? I know he was allowed in. You’re lying to me, Alfred.”

Alfred shook his head. Tommy Merlyn was easily handled in his opinion. No one at the office would question if Kara had a slight cold and Diana stayed home for a few days with her.

Barbara Gordon was a different story.

While Diana’s call sign was ‘Nike’ and Kara’s was ‘Mechanic’ given them by security, Barbara’s, whose position required her own security at times, was ‘Oracle’. Diana had personally gifted her with this name after Barbara and Kara had completed Athena with Babs doing most of the work. In a way, Barbara knew all and saw all. There was a tremendous amount of trust placed in her hands by the Wayne sisters.

“I am not lying to you. I am telling you all you need to know right now.” Alfred said before hedging the truth slightly. “Before Kara went under, she asked that you, Tommy and Alex not know. I am keeping her trust and you should respect her wishes by not looking into this any further. I promise she will be fine.”

“I can see her, Alfred. She is not fine! She has a chest tube and is on life support! The last time she looked like this… I’m going over her readings and it looks like she went into cardiac arrest a few hours ago!” Barbara exclaimed, obviously upset.

Alfred’s face turned red. “Stop looking into things that are not your business, young lady!”

“She is my business! She is my best friend! If you are angry, send Diana to yell at me. You can’t though because even though Diana hasn’t left, somehow she isn’t there!” Barbara pointed out emphatically.

“Barbara Gordon, enough!” Eliza snapped, walking out of the isolation room.

Barbara quieted when faced with Alex’s mom. “I realize you are emotional, but this is beneath you. You do not invade the privacy of those in this house. You do not demand answers that may not be your business. That is not the behavior of the girl Alex and Kara have grown up with.”

Barbara stayed quiet but scowled at the two. Without another word, the monitor went dark.

“She is scared.” Eliza told Alfred, her resignation clear. “Now she is also angry. We should have used Diana’s voice to call her before this. Barbara isn’t going to let this go.”

“She had no right to infiltrate the security system Diana entrusted her with.” Alfred complained.

Eliza sighed, the weight of the argument with Barbara adding to her already burdened shoulders. “Good luck locking her out considering its her system. Kara is like a sister to her, and Barbara is one of the very few people on Earth that isn’t intimidated by Diana. She wasn’t going to sit in her office and not find out what was going on when Kara is reportedly sick.

“Besides, taking orders is something neither Alex nor Barbara have ever been good at. They aren’t Kara, Alfred. They don’t put their heads in the sand and hope Diana will take care of whatever the problem is.”

Alfred shook his head. “I don’t know how Diana is going to explain this to Barbara, her absence…”

Eliza looked at Alfred in disbelief. “Do you think that’s the biggest problem we are facing right now?”

Alfred waved his hand toward the clean room. “Kara will be fine. Bruce and Diana will save her.”

“Bruce and Diana could be dead! They could have walked right into a trap. Kara is dying and Diana isn’t sure if the woman who poisoned her is even telling the truth! Don’t you get it? The Wayne children could all be dead by this time tomorrow. Barbara Gordon is the last person we need to worry about!” Eliza said, finally losing her composure.

Alfred took a deep breath and reached out to Eliza, pulling her into his arms. She immediately began crying.

“It’s going to be alright, Eliza. I have no doubt Thomas and Martha are watching over her now, willing her to live. Keep treating her. Keep doing your best. You are right, they all could be dead by tomorrow. All we have left is hope and faith. Hope has gotten us through before. It will again… and I have faith in Diana and Bruce.

“Now… let’s return to Kara. Diana has always said that even in a coma, Kara could feel people around her. We need to be near her now.”

---

Tartarus

“This is going to be one hell of a walk back up.” Dig stated, leading the twins in the darkness as the tunnel led them deeper into the cold underworld. Only Dig’s shoulder mounted light was showing them the way. If not for that, they would be surrounded by complete darkness.

Diana wasn’t concerned about visibility as much as distance and time. “Once this is done, we are taking the express elevator out of here. How much farther can this really go down?”

Dig snorted behind his full mask. “It’s the not-so-mythological underworld of the dead. Seems like it could go down as far as it wants.”

“We are running out of time. I have no way to keep track of the hours without the stars.” Diana pointed out.

“It’s been three hours since we started our descent.” Dig informed her. “I’ve got a clock on my LED display.”

“You’ve got an LED display?” Bruce asked, not able to keep the jealousy out of his voice.

Dig nodded, excited to describe his gear, missing Bruce’s envious tone. “You should see the targeting system this helmet has. Lines up in sync with whatever weapon is in my hand and gives me laser scope precision shots. I’ve never been much of a sniper, but I don’t have to be with this beauty. I don’t know how she did it, but it is beautiful.

“The armor is so lightweight and flexible too. The boots can actually change tread, depending on terrain and whether a stealth mode is needed. There are magnets all over the body that can hold any weapon secure even when moving in a sprint… it’s amazing. You wouldn’t believe how dexterous these gloves are either. I have no problem handling even the smallest rounds…”

“Would you shut up already?!” Bruce growled.

Dig looked at Bruce over his shoulder but kept his light in front so couldn’t see him. “Did I say something wrong?”

“You know how little boys get jealous of others’ toys, Dig.” Diana said and, though he couldn’t see her, he could hear the amusement in her voice and imagined her smiling. “Bruce is jealous of you.”

“I see.” Dig stated understandingly. “I guess something like this suit would be helpful when you are doing what you… do. Though I’m not exactly sure what that involves beside a few headlines and beating people up. This armor is geared more towards advanced warfare.”

“I get it though. Kara won’t make you anything because… the two of you aren’t getting along.” He added somewhat diplomatically.

“She hates me.” Bruce grumbled.

“I don’t think she hates you.” Dig argued.

“Has she said any different?”

Dig chuckled. “She doesn’t mention you at all and I sure as hell don’t bring you up. I like getting advanced armor and weapons… and I’m pretty sure she hates you, so I stay away from that subject.”

Diana let out a breath, barely holding in a laugh. Even Bruce chuckled. She knew what Dig was doing and appreciated it. The deeper they went, the more ominous this journey felt. He was keeping up a bit of levity, so it didn’t weigh them down. She had a feeling this was not the first time he had done so in battle.

“I think I see a torch up ahead.” Dig told them. “Switching to thermal imaging.”

“Of course you are.” Bruce grumbled, but though he tried, the playful banter was gone from his voice. He was tense again, as he knew Diana to be.

They walked slower and Diana came to walk beside Dig, ready to throw him behind her if necessary.

Five minutes later, they entered an immense cavern and found the torch on the banks of a what appeared to be a river. Other torches were spread out along both banks, burning brightly.

“The river Styx.” Bruce guessed. “Hecate said Charon was destroyed so I guess we don’t have to worry about running into him.”

The trio took in the river more closely. The waters were still, nearly unmoving, more lake than river. The width of the river was not as wide as they would have imagined, perhaps one hundred feet across.

On the other side was a ferry tied to a small dock. It was in obvious disrepair, but being Tartarus, that could be its constant state.

“Okay, we are not swimming in that, right?” Dig asked.

His answer came when Diana picked him up and jumped them both across the river. Dig was set on his feet in time to see a grappling hook striking a rocky ledge over the river. He turned to see Bruce flying over the body of water, his cape spread out wide, looking just like a bat.

“Diana, you are going to need me confident. Carrying me bridal style in the air is not giving me confidence.” Dig complained.

“Dig, is there really any way I could carry you that wouldn’t wound your masculine pride?” Diana asked as the three began moving toward another downward looking path.

Dig thought for a moment then shook his head. “Point taken…. what the hell is that?”

Diana, Bruce and Dig took in the massive skeleton lying in front of them. The bones were huge, as were the three skulls that were attached into a single vertebra and a skeletal frame that was about the size of a T-Rex. The skulls had massive teeth that were obviously very sharp.

“Cerberus.” Diana guessed. “Glad it’s dead.”

“I thought it would be bigger.” Bruce joked, kicking one of the ribs. “Where to, Diana?”

All three heard a sudden “Shush!” from the shadows as a wraith-like figure slowly moved towards them. It appeared to be a blond woman, a young girl actually, perhaps no older than Kara.

The girl was beautiful and seemed otherworldly. Her skin gave off a slight glow. The threads of her dress appeared to be woven with silver strands and white satin. Interspersed on the dress were flowers of multiple kinds, appearing fresh and wonderfully scented even in this dark and damp space.

Dig had a handgun raised, ready to fire if needed.

Instead of talking, the girl walked slowly up to Dig and raised her hand, gently wrapping it around the barrel of the handgun then running her fingers over it, obviously studying it.

“I have a feeling she has never seen a gun before.” Dig said, gently pulling the weapon back and holstering it to his hip. She could suddenly turn into a monster, but he figured Diana could stab her faster than he could pull a trigger.

Still, he didn’t feel threatened. She had an air of innocence to her, a brightness he had not felt since he had arrived on nightmare island and began this descent into darkness.

“You speak the tongue of men from the new world. I know this language.” The girl said in a hushed voice. “We must be quiet. He knows you are coming but I have hidden here for years. I don’t want him to find me.”

Before Bruce could ask her name, Diana spoke it, though quietly as the girl had bade them. “You are Persephone. You were here when the attack happened?”

The young girl shook her head. “I was on the island, spreading life as is my nature. I hid but when I saw Cronus take the gods and Amazons into the underworld in chains, I knew my beloved had to have fallen.

“I snuck in, following after the prisoners and the army. My husband was trapped in the cell the others were put in. I could not fight an army, so I hid in the underworld waiting for a chance to free him. I only leave in the spring to ensure life remains anew above, even as those creatures stamp it out.”

Bruce was intrigued. “How do you get in and out? How do you hide?”

The girl smiled. “Above and below are my homes. I know the underworld better than Cronus ever will.”

She then looked to Diana. “I don’t know your companions, but I know you. You are Diana, Princess of Themyscira, also known as the godkiller. You were the child Hera wanted dead, the one the gods protected, and bestowed many gifts upon.”

“That’s what I have been told.” Diana admitted.

“You have come to kill Cronus and free your people, your mother and father, uncles and aunts, brothers and sisters.” Persephone said, her eyes wide with hope.

Diana let out a breath, not wanting to waste time arguing. “I don’t suppose you know where the Fates are? The ones you call the Moirai? I need to get to them and ask for a favor in return for freeing them. I will torture them if they don’t do as I say.”

“They are with the gods and Amazons. I will take you there and you will save my husband.” Persephone said. Smiling, she added, “The Moirai don’t respond well to torture.”

“I don’t respond well to being told ‘no’.” Diana replied, returning her smile. “I need to find Cronus and my allies need to find this prison and release its occupants. Time is of the essence.”

Persephone walked to the ferry and motioned for the others to follow. The trio looked at each other and realized quickly and quietly that their best chance to reach their destination lie with the goddess.

Without a word, the blonde began rowing them along with the river.

It was during this trip that Diana, Bruce and Dig realized the true horror of the underworld. Along both banks were people that appeared solid, but the group knew they were not. They were haggard, some torn to pieces, some had great weights around their necks. As they floated along, the people were getting even more gruesome, and the groans became louder. Many were hung by their necks, with birds picking at their eyes and other parts of their bodies.

“This is how the dead are treated in your world?” Diana asked quietly, the horror in her voice unmistakable.

Persephone shook her head. “These are where the evil souls come for eternal torture. The souls of heroes like your fallen sisters reside in the other direction, in a paradise not even Cronus can reach. The farther down the river goes, the greater the evil, the greater the punishment. Cronus is near. He likes to hear their groans and the cries of the gods in the nearby cells demanding release.”

“Hey, Diana?”

“Yeah, Dig?”

“Don’t know if you’ve noticed… but things are beginning to get weird.”

Diana and Bruce both laughed as quietly as they could, their thoughts taken away from the horrors around them to the absurdity of Dig’s comments.

“Thanks, Dig.” Bruce told him. “I needed that.”

“I did too.” Diana agreed. “I haven’t heard you laugh like that in years, brother. It sounded wonderful.”

Persephone held up a hand. “Quiet, we are almost there.”

“He knows we are coming.” Diana told her.

“He does not know I am here. I have masked my presence from him for decades.” She explained. “He won’t expect your brothers to find the prison so quickly. He will expect you to wander the area, among the dead, searching for him.”

The ferry pulled next to the shore and the foursome stepped off.

Persephone pointed to Diana’s sword. “I know you will need it, but it will take the Sword of Athena to cut the lock to the prison. Once the lock is cut, the chains will fall away from the prisoners, and they will be free. The sword can then be returned to you. Until that time, you must use your wits and physical strength to hold on.

“I would suggest we free them first, but Cronus will hear and come after us. Fighting both him and his minions would not be a wise decision.”

Diana’s grip tightened on the hilt. “Then I suggest we make an unwise decision. This sword will only be taken from my dead hand.”

Bruce stepped towards the young goddess, showing her Soultaker. “This sword is strong… and enchanted. Can it cut the lock?”

Persephone took the blade and Bruce allowed her to hold it while Diana kept a close watch on the young-looking woman.

The blonde approached a dead soul on the ground, his legs gone, pulling himself along the bank by ravaged hands.

She swung the sword into the soul and the man was gone, the katana lighting up as his soul was sucked into the blade.

The girl smiled and nodded, handing the katana back to Bruce. “It is easily powerful enough. I’ve never seen a blade like this. Where did you acquire it?”

“Ex-girlfriend. Probably a murderer among other crimes.” Diana answered for him. “Where is the room he holds court?”

Persephone pointed to a dark tunnel in the nearby rock.

“Take that path. There is a great hall past the curve. If he knows you are here as you say, he will be waiting. Your brothers will follow me down that path.” She said, indicating a different corridor. “It will lead us to higher ground. I have no doubt reinforcements are in front of the cell. Cronus can hear the cries of the gods but not see them through the rock. When you attack, we will attack. His army will be focused on us.”

“Us?” Bruce asked. “You can help?”

Persephone looked down for a moment then met his eyes. “I have waited twenty-eight years for allies to free my husband. I will do what I can.”

“You will.” Dig told her. “You are going to show us the way then stay back. I know you are a goddess, but you aren’t exactly a goddess of war, are you?”

Persephone looked surprised. “You have heard of me where you are from?”

Dig nodded. “You’re a famous case of Stockholm Syndrome.”

“Then you know I am strong and can fight.” she said stubbornly.

Dig looked at Bruce who shrugged. “She probably doesn’t know what that means… and the myths could be wrong, who knows.

“Let’s go. Spring goddess can lead us.” Turning to his twin, he wasn’t sure what to say. “Diana…”

Diana grabbed her brother and hugged him. “I’m not going to tell you to be careful. Just win and come back to me alive.”

Bruce nodded, wrapping his arms around her, feeling closer to her than he had in years. “Make sure you are alive for me to come back to. We won’t fail her.”

“No, we won’t.” Diana agreed.

“Dig…” She turned to her sister’s bodyguard; a man who, through bizarre and extreme circumstance, was now family.

“You have no idea how much of a raise I am going to ask for after this is done.” He cut her off, lifting his mask up and smiling widely.

Diana shook her head and offered her hand. They clasped forearms. “Thank you.”

“Thank me when our sunshine is back on her feet.” Dig said sincerely. Pulling his facemask back down, he looked at Bruce. “We should move.”

Leaving Diana behind to prepare for her own encounter, the men followed Persephone up a large, rock staircase. Once they reached the top, all three crouched down and moved silently as possible to a ledge overlooking an expansive cavern with a thirty foot drop to the floor.

They had a clear view of the solid, black wall fifty yards from them. In the center of the wall was a large door with bars that reached at least three stories tall. Near the ground was a large, glowing lock holding a glowing chain around the door.

Dozens of monsters roamed in front of the gate, but these looked nothing like the ones they had fought so far or like anything Bruce recognized from Greek mythology. They more closely resembled orcs from those ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies Kara loved so much as a kid. They varied in size, anywhere from five to seven feet tall, ebony-skinned, large claws, bald and muscular, with large eyes. They wore ragged armor, though it mostly appeared ineffective or flimsy, giving Bruce hope that it would not be too strong.

Then again, one chain and one glowing lock should not be able to keep a large gate closed against mythological gods, but it did. He could take nothing for granted here.

“Persephone, stay back.” Bruce whispered.

“Why?”

“Because your dress is glowing.”

“Oh… right. Sorry.”

The woman shuffled back, and Bruce and Dig were able to once more blend in to the shadows. The only lights were the small torches that hung along the walls in a ring around the cavern.

“Must be two hundred or so on the ground, definitely waiting for us.” Dig said. “They are looking forward, so I am guessing there is a door there they are expecting us to arrive through.”

“A door most will exit when Diana starts fighting Cronus.” Bruce surmised. “We can’t let them get out. Once the sound of that battle begins, we have to attack. I think now is a good time for you to use that grenade launcher. Take out as many as you can to the right and left with explosives and cover fire. I’ll glide down as close to that prison door as I can. I just need to get to the lock and cut it. Persephone says the chains will fall off those inside the moment it’s severed.”

“Assuming she is right.” Dig said.

“I can hear you… and I am right.” The spring goddess whispered from somewhere behind them.

Dig pulled a large rifle from his back then pulled out a rectangular attachment and snapped it onto the front of the barrel. Bruce took it in and saw over fifty tiny missiles inside.

“I thought you would be firing an RPG.” Bruce remarked curiously.

“Nah, too little damage.” Dig replied. “Kara showed me this in the ballistics gel lab. They are hooked in to a guidance system in my helmet. They use gunpowder blast to ignite small projectiles that can lock onto multiple targets over an area and guide each missile to the exact location to do as much damage as possible to the maximum area where hostiles are located.”

Bruce was somehow not surprised. “Kara does love fireworks. Fourth of July was always her second favorite holiday right after Christmas.”

Dig chuckled quietly, knowing the truth of that statement. “Leave me the grappling gun. I need a way down once I run out of explosives. The ones in the middle can converge on you before you have a chance at the lock. I can support you better on the ground.”

Bruce handed over the grappling gun and crouched in preparation. Dig aimed his gun at the clueless orc-like creatures and waited for the moment that Diana engaged the titan.

Barely a minute later, the sound of metal clashing rocked the walls of the underworld.

Dig fired.

Fifty missiles struck the ground to his right, the explosion shredding the enemies to pieces. He fired a second salvo to the left and Bruce jumped.

The concussion from the left, disturbed his glide but he corrected and then landed, in the middle of the panicking monsters. His correction left him short of the target with a mass of bodies in front and behind him. Tossing two grenades behind his back and moving forward, he began to swing the katana, cutting anything close.

Shrieks of pain erupted in the room on the heels of the explosions, as did gunfire. Dig was picking those off who neared him, while Bruce waded into the pile.

Some creature grabbed his cape and pulled, dragging him back until he twisted, pulling his mask off his head and ripping his cape from his shoulders. He felt a claw hit his back, tearing through the fabric, but when he turned, the creature’s head exploded. Dig was on the ground, firing at will with two handguns.

Bruce jumped, vaulting straight up, climbing on the shoulders of his enemies and running across them, avoiding their hands and making his way towards his goal.

The sound of single gunfire gave way to the sound of automatic gunfire. Bullets flew past him, hitting enemies closing on him with pinpoint precision.

Jumping off a monster’s shoulders, Bruce flipped ten feet closer. Another explosion rocked the room, throwing him to the ground. He looked towards Dig who was looking up at the ledge where Persephone held another grenade.

“Be careful where you throw those!” Dig shouted up to her.

“Sorry!”

“You gave her grenades?!” Bruce shouted but doubted Dig heard him. Hands were grabbing him, and he nearly lost his grip on Soultaker. He began to kick, sweeping legs and stabbing as they fell, then stabbing backwards, taking those who fell behind them. They weighed a ton, but Bruce managed to roll them off, Soultaker drinking more in those few moments than it had in many years.

He took a blow to the jaw that knocked him back to the ground, the katana slipping from his hand. He could taste blood in his mouth, acutely feeling the many blows he had absorbed in close-quarters combat.

Pushing through his pain, Bruce rolled onto his back, searching the floor for Soultaker, finding it just as he was about to be struck again. He raised the weapon, feeling and tasting the nasty blood as the enemy’s hand was cleaved from its body.

Dig jumped over him, tackling monsters in front and then standing tall, pushing the group back like an offensive lineman in football.

“Use my shoulders!” the man shouted.

Bruce didn’t hesitate, jumping on top of Dig, pushing off into the air and coming down, right next to the gate. His momentum made it almost easy as he swung the blade downward, cutting through the lock as if it were made of paper.

The entire room went deathly quiet.

The monsters stared in fear toward the now open gate. Bruce saw the chain had dropped and a shirtless, exceptionally large, dark-haired man and an equally large, bald-headed man stepped out next to him, deadly looks on their faces.

“Thank you. We will take it from here.” The dark-haired man said to him in a deep voice, the chains from his neck and wrists falling free. The sounds of chains dropping could be heard echoing in the room and Bruce wondered how far back it went.

An imposing, blonde-haired woman came out next and Bruce stood to the side and looked into the room. It was a vast cavern filled with thousands, mostly women from what he could see. The woman who had stepped out touched his shoulder. “I am assuming Diana is with you… where is she? Where is my daughter?”

“You mean ‘where is our daughter’?” the dark-haired man said, a slight rumble in his voice. The monsters were fleeing from the room and the gods let them, knowing Hades would deal with Cronus’s creations later.

An explosion was heard on the other side of the ground floor door, this one different than the sound of battle. It was a continuous roar, sounding as if rock was being busted and dropping to the floor.

“Sounds like Diana, my sister, just took Cronus for a ride to the surface. What is the fastest way?”

“Follow me.” Persephone told him, appearing suddenly. A tall man in black robes, a youthful, clean-shaven face and long white hair had his arms around the blonde and moved quickly with her, staying close.

Bruce looked for Dig and found him to be in good shape. They had both taken hits, but nothing that seemed too major. Bruce also had cuts on his body and his lip was bleeding, but Dig’s specialty armor had obviously protected him. At a quick glance, it showed dirt, but no damage.

Dig nodded at Bruce and the two began running after Persephone, desperate to get to Diana quickly.

Behind him, he heard a woman yell for the Amazons to rise to the surface, protect their princess and take back their home.

Little did they know that it was too late for Diana to be protected. She was locked in battle and wouldn’t stop until she had killed her foe or died trying.