Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

The Wayne Legacy: Rise

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 14:

Former Falcone Estate

It had been three days since Diana’s press conference and engagement party, and Bruce, feeling lonelier than ever, kept himself busy.

Last night had been a simple recon mission while patrolling the streets of the Narrows. His muscles were not torn, his bones were not bruised or broken, yet he still had the same problems dropping off to sleep he always had. Despite that, he found himself slowly waking after a rare few hours of deep sleep, the past few days finally catching up with him. He kept his eyes closed, drifting in and out of sleep.

Thanks to the heavy curtains and the large trees that surrounded the mansion, it was pitch black in his room, forever keeping out the light of day. The room was cool, but Bruce was aware of her in his slowly wakening state. Her skin was warm as it pressed against him. She felt wonderful, somehow soft and hard at once.

Bruce sat up abruptly and confirmed he was not dreaming.

Talia was in his bed.

“Talia! What the hell are you doing here?!” Bruce exclaimed, trying not to stare at the exotic beauty as she sat up, letting the sheet slide down her uncovered body.

“I was resting. You were sleeping so soundly when I arrived, I thought I would join you. It hasn’t been that long since we last shared a bed.” Talia replied with a small pout.

Bruce stood from the bed and moved towards the bathroom where he donned a robe and grabbed another for her. She was waiting for him, standing by the bed when he entered and caught the robe he tossed in her direction. Talia raised an eyebrow.

“So shy. You act as if we have never woken up together before.” She mentioned coolly as she slipped the robe on, only loosely belting it, a smirk on her face.

“You cannot just come into my house and slip into my bed!” Bruce told her angrily.

Talia raised an eyebrow, amused at his diatribe. “Apparently I can. You never could hear me. No one else escapes your awareness… only me, the one you should have been more aware of than any other. Or perhaps it’s because your body instinctively knows to drop its guard around me.

“As much as I was enjoying myself, I didn’t come here to sleep. I’ve come to help.”

Bruce shook his head. “My mission has nothing to do with you.”

“I could care less about you beating on low-level scum who amount to nothing in the grander scheme of things.” She replied derisively. “Make tea. We need to talk.”

Bruce tore his eyes away from her, irritated, though he made his way to the kitchen, preparing tea from habit, just the way she liked it.

The two sat at the table, one of the few pieces of furniture Bruce had acquired and drank in silence, Talia content to let him sit and stew in his annoyance.

“So, what is it we need to talk about?” Bruce finally asked, losing his patience.

She leaned back, suddenly serious. “A dark evil has arrived in the city. I don’t know what it is or where it is, but I can feel black magic in the air.”

Bruce had seen many strange things in his time away. He had seen the actions of the Lazarus Pit but also other, stranger things. He had met a British man who could summon demons as well as exorcise them. He had been sent after what Ra’s called ‘objects of power’ and could feel an otherworldliness emanating from them.

Talia’s use of the Lazarus Pit would have naturally made her more susceptible to the feel of dark magic, so he knew better than to dismiss her words.

“When did it arrive? When did you first feel it?” He asked.

“Two days ago. I felt it most strongly last night and tried to track its source, but I was unsuccessful. I believe it is a living being, not an object.” She replied, standing and motioning for him to remain seated. “Stay here.”

Talia walked back into his bedroom and when she returned, she was dressed in a blood red, form-fitting dress with a black sash. She was also holding a long ornate box in one hand and a necklace of some sort in the other.

She placed the box on the table and handed him the necklace. On closer inspection, it was a leather cord with a small, green stone hanging from it.

“This amulet will keep you safe from most spells. Wear it always.” She told him.

Talia then opened the polished wooden box, various ancient, oriental symbols covering the top. Bruce nearly lost his breath when she opened it.

There didn’t seem to be anything special about the contents on first glance. It appeared as any other katana, a black hilt with small golden studs embedded in the handle, a blade forged as hundreds of thousands had been before.

But this blade was vastly different.

Bruce had never been in the waters of the Lazarus Pit but even he could feel the energy of this blade. It was power personified inside an ordinary disguise.

“What is it?” he asked quietly, reaching out to touch it but pulling back at the last second.

“Take it in your hand.” Talia told him quietly, taking his hand and guiding it back towards the blade.

Bruce’s shaking hand wrapped around the hilt, not surprised to feel the warmth it emitted. He lifted the blade slowly, raising it up in front of him to examine it more closely.

“I don’t kill, Talia.” Bruce told her shakily, trying to adjust to the effect of the blade’s power, a suspicion as to its identity growing.

“Not much is known about the origins of this blade.” She said quietly, almost reverently. “It has been passed through many hands over its long existence. I discovered it ten years ago and knew what it was the instant I laid eyes on it. I have never used it. That power you sense… those are the trapped souls of every person whose life has been taken by this sword. Its name is…”

“Soultaker.” Bruce finished. “I thought it was just a story… a fairy tale. I didn’t think it was real, but you’ve had it this whole time.”

Talia nodded. “You have been trained to fight with a katana. You know this type of weapon as intimately as you know me. No magic can harm it, no magic can stop it. It can cut through anything, concrete or steel as easily as slicing through water.

“You say you refuse to kill people. I could discuss your hypocrisy for days, but we have no time. I told you this source of evil is a living being… I never said it was human. Keep this blade on you, Beloved. Should it be needed, you will have it. This blade is a slayer of men and monsters.”

Bruce stared at the blade he held wanting nothing to do with such an instrument of death.

But if Talia were speaking the truth and he had no reason to doubt her, the sword could be useful, possibly the difference between victory and death.

“Thank you.” He told her sincerely.

Talia smiled, pleased to get a bit of gratitude from a man who so rarely showed it. “Hold onto it until the darkness has passed or I have returned. When I leave, you will not see me for some time for I must take care of myself now. If there is dark magic here, I am in no position to fight it, or even determine if it something that needs to be fought so it is best if I am not here.”

Talia kissed Bruce on the cheek and walked outside. As she was getting in the car, Bruce called to her. Talia stood by her door and waited.

“Was there something else, Bruce?” she asked when he said nothing further.

“Where are you going?” He finally asked. “You seem to know where I am at all times. It seems fair that I would have knowledge of your whereabouts.”

Talia smirked. “No worries, Bruce. I have no plans to introduce myself to Diana or inform her of the existence of the Lazarus Pit… at least not yet. I am returning home for now.”

Bruce nodded, happy that she was leaving but worried she still hinted at blackmail when it came to Diana.

“After all, it has been three months since we last slept together.” Talia continued smoothly. “Only six months to prepare now. Time does fly.”

Bruce felt a chill go through his body. He was familiar with her tells, not that she had many, but he knew she was an exceptional liar. Bruce wouldn’t put it past her to use the threat of a child as another form of control over him. They had been together for three years and it had never been an issue.

With a hint of glee in her tone, she added, “I’m thinking of Miranda for a girl and perhaps Henri or Damian for a boy. Give it some thought, Beloved. I will ask your opinion when we next meet.

“Be safe, Bruce. Keep the Soultaker and the amulet with you at all times.”

Before Bruce could say anything, Talia was in the car and peeling out of his driveway.

---

Wayne Tower

Diana paced back and forth in her office, restless and unable to focus all morning. This uneasy feeling had started two days ago, a disturbance in her sleep.

At first, she thought Steve or Kara was having a nightmare. Diana was sensitive to negative energy, especially Kara’s, and she instinctively knew when her little sister was having a bad dream. She was getting a feel for Steve’s emotions the longer he stayed in the house.

She saw Steve sleeping peacefully next to her, so she had made her way to Kara’s room to find her sleeping soundly as well.

She went to Alfred’s room only to find it empty. He was apparently off with Bruce or watching over him. Though irritated at the man, his absence did not matter now. Something was wrong. Diana could feel it in her soul.

She spent yesterday at the office, trying to shake the feeling there was a growing darkness in her city, one she had not felt since the year after her parents’ death.

Now, with her agitation increasing, she addressed her super computer. “Athena, where is Kara?”

Kara had begun visiting Tommy after his lunch rush every afternoon for at least twenty minutes. Diana had instructed Dig to double her security but had not restricted Kara’s movements. She was close to doing so now.

“Kara is currently in the aeronautics laboratory with General Lane and Air Force Chief of Staff, General Sandow. She is accompanied by Steve Trevor, John Diggle and Barbara Gordon and is preparing a product presentation .” The calm voice replied.

Diana waved at the screen behind her desk and a camera view of that room appeared, verifying what Athena had told her with her own eyes.

Kara was safe, yet the feeling of darkness in the pit of her stomach continued to grow. She felt uncomfortable in her own skin… dirty, as if she had been walking through the manor’s underground caves before they had been renovated. The damp walls, the mud-like gravel, the icy blackness.

Seeing her sister wasn’t enough for Diana, she needed to go to her, hoped being in physical proximity to her light would dispel this dark feeling.

She pulled a small device from her desk and placed it in her ear. “Athena, we are taking a walk to the Aeronautics lab. Please inform Kara to wait for me before she begins.”

As Diana exited the elevator, she saw the hallway was full.

“Social interaction activated, Athena.” Diana whispered.

As she walked down the hall, several employees approached her, greeting her happily. Athena scanned each one and told Diana through the earpiece their names, positions in the company, the current projects they were working on and the names of their family members.

Diana greeted each one by name, showed her brilliant smile and shook each hand, radiating her warmth through them. As usual everyone who came across her was enamored. It was rumored that, despite the thousands of people working in Wayne Tower, Diana knew each and every one of them including their family. No one had an idea that Athena was in her ear, providing this information.

Kara had a mind for names and small details about people. Diana simply had no time to learn about everyone nor did she have Kara’s seemingly infinite capacity to hold and recall information within seconds.

The last man she ran into was a new hire with a bright smile and hope in his eyes that he would be acknowledged.

Athena’s soothing voice filled in the information she needed. “Warren McGinnis, PhD, hired three months and three days ago as research chemist. Currently working with team headed by Dr. Marjorie Newsome on a new polymer for possible use in next generation stealth technology and heat shielding in chemical factories as well as other potential uses. His wife is named Mary. The two have been married for four months. No children, no pets. His only hobby is golf. ”

Diana stopped in front of the man and offered her hand. “Warren! How have you been doing? Is Dr. Newton…”

“Newsome. ” Athena corrected.

“… Newsome, treating you well?”

“Yes, Miss Wayne!”

“Please, I know you have picked up by now that everyone calls me Diana. How is Mary doing? Are the two of you adjusting to married life? I’m a bit nervous about it myself. The other half doesn’t turn into a completely different person, do they?” Diana asked, her natural charm captivating yet another member of her team.

McGinnis laughed. “I assure you Miss… sorry, Diana. I can assure you, in my experience, they do not. Mary is doing well.”

“Have you taken advantage of the Wayne Enterprises’ Executive Golf Course?” Diana asked. “I play myself but am afraid I am not all that talented at the sport.”

“No, I haven’t had the opportunity. The project is taking up most of my time.” the smiling man replied.

Diana shook her head. “Do not forget to enjoy your life, Warren. My boss, Kara, reminds me of this constantly. You have a beautiful young wife and a peaceful hobby. Be sure to take time for both. Work will always be here.

“Speaking of my boss, I must find her. Have a wonderful day, Warren. It was so lovely to speak to you.”

“You as well, Diana.” The man assured her. “It was truly a pleasure.”

Diana walked off, pleased that conversation, as well as the others, had gone well. She wished she knew every detail of her employees’ lives beside whether they were a security threat, but it wasn’t possible.

She finally made her way to the end of the hall where two, permanent Wayne Security guards stood, wearing suits hiding their firearms. There were also two Military Police officers present with them as bodyguards for the attending generals. This was one of the rooms no one was allowed without her express permission or Kara’s. Barbara was given unrestricted access but not allowed to bring anyone in, as was Steve given his position of military liaison.

The only security personnel allowed inside was John Diggle who accompanied Kara everywhere.

All the men dropped their heads a bit at her approach and the door was opened for her without hesitation.

Inside, she found Steve, Sam Lane, Blake Sandow, John Diggle, Barbara Gordon and Kara. They stood around a large table that had a hologram of a large aircraft projected over it.

Kara looked at her, obviously exasperated she had to wait for her big sister.

“Okay, the other boss is here. What is this, Kara?” Steve asked, excitement and awe in his voice, staring at the hologram over the table.

“This is the C-5 Super Galaxy’s replacement. The best troop carrier in the world, or it will be when we build it. This baby can carry ten heavily armored vehicles, six helicopters and up to five hundred troops. What makes this different from the C-5s of the past is… well, everything.” Kara told him proudly, standing tall.

“As you can see, it appears much more maneuverable, and it is. The top speed is 818 mph, an improvement over the Galaxy’s 518. It has shorter wings but is armed to the teeth and can defend itself in the air if needed.

“It also has VTOL engines.” Kara finished proudly, referring to the versatile vertical takeoff and landing engines.

“Bullshit…” was Steve’s shocked reaction.

“Oh Captain, Captain, Captain…. you’ve said that to me before. How did that work out for you?” The blonde asked smiling widely, playfully scolding him. Steve sighed, mumbling under his breath much to the amusement of everyone else in the room.

Kara was still smiling as she continued. “Seriously though, my new vectored thrust engines can do it. The engine prototype has been tested at Wayne testing grounds and has the right thrust wind ratio to provide Harrier-like capability to a troop carrier this heavy. This craft can stop in midair and hover, fire to provide cover for troops disembarking in hot zones, then launch again and hit top speed in less than three minutes.”

“The technology for something like this has never even been discussed.” Steve pointed out, wide-eyed as were the two generals in the room.

Kara waved her hand, and the model was replaced with the design of a large jet engine.

“Why would it? My job is to make the impossible happen, to dream of solutions to problems no one else ever considered.” She pointed out. “When I was sixteen, I figured out how to turn remote-controlled, handmade planes into hover jets… something no one else had considered doing much less thought possible.

“Now, I am going to have a place big enough and equipped to build it. While the engines are the most important part, the wing design has to be perfect. It’s going to work.”

“And what is it going to cost?” Sandow asked, eyes still drawn to the 3-D schematic floating in front of them that had returned to the image of the craft.

“I’m showing you nearly the equivalent of a flying aircraft carrier and you are worried about cost?” Kara snorted, shaking her head. “This should be the first project our aeronautics plant works on. Once you see one, you will want more. I can probably get Diana to lower the minimum order of one hundred. Right, Di?”

Diana nodded, smiling proudly at her little sister. “Given the nature of this particular project, I can see somewhere in the neighborhood of ten or so. It’s a number that can be negotiated with legal.”

The generals looked satisfied with that answer.

“We can work with that.” General Sandow said. “So, what else can this beauty do?”

“We can land battalions on the ground anywhere in the world. My next gen attack helicopters will be attached to the wings. Just as an aircraft carrier group is considered to have instant superiority over the area it travels in, this is the same, only this craft can go anywhere in the world. Basically, instant repression of hostile activities by our soldiers and best armored ground and flight equipment.” Kara replied, ticking off some of the amenities. “So, what do you think, Generals? Aren’t you tired of the Navy carrier groups being the biggest military threat in the world? This type of craft can be a moving forward base anywhere, set up as soon as it touches ground without the need for an airport.”

“I’ll take the design to the Air Force Design Committee personally.” Sandow agreed, excitement in his eyes. “How soon can a prototype be built?”

“Once the plant is in operation, eighteen months. This isn’t upgraded tech, it is brand new tech, never tried before. It will work but it will take at least eighteen months. If this is something they are interested in, I can begin itemizing what I will need and discretely stock piling it.” Kara told him. “The cost will be the engines and the stealth angles of the transport. The challenge will be the software and hardware, but that challenge is nothing for Barbara Gordon. Your got into business with Wayne Enterprises because you wanted big. It doesn’t get much bigger than this.”

Steve patted Kara on the back. “No, it doesn’t. If this works…”

Steve stopped, seeing the look on Kara’s face. “Right. When this works, this is going to change conventional warfare… you beautiful, blonde bimbo.”

Kara punched Steve in the ribs then looked at Barbara. “Looking forward to making the motherboard and CPU for this big lady?”

“I’ve got some ideas.” Barbara nodded, a gleam in her eye. “She is going to be a beautiful, intelligent brute but versatile, as easy to fly as driving a car.”

“What do you think, Dig? Would you have flown in one of these?” Diana asked, obviously pleased.

Dig was surprised to be included in the discussion, having been content to stay in the background. He shouldn’t have been because, if there was one thing Kara and Diana had made clear, it was he would be their friend and a respected former soldier, not just a sentinel for Kara.

“Absolutely. Beats jumping out of planes or rappelling from helicopters. Hell, most of the enemy would be terrified at the sight of that bird and run. It’s everything… a weaponized forwarding base, stronger than any base in the world, and is able to carry more armor and firepower? Yeah, I would like my chances going into a warzone in this monster.” He stated emphatically. “What are you going to call it?”

Kara shrugged her shoulders. “It’s the scariest thing an enemy will ever see. I’m thinking Kanga…”

Diana cut her off, placing a hand on her shoulder. “We will give it some thought. For now, I think Project 723 works.”

Everyone agreed except an annoyed Kara, but she said nothing. She had created the scariest troop carrier in history and to her, it would always be Kangaroo 1.

The room emptied out and Kara begged off going back to her office, needing to work with Barbara before her daily allotted office time was over.

Diana was uneasy leaving her. As soon as they parted, she felt the oppressive pressure that had lifted in Kara’s presence around her once more. Determined to get to the bottom of this, Diana made her way back to her office.

She checked in with Cathy, pleased that no last minute conference calls or requests for her time had been made.

She sat down and ignored Athena for once, searching her computer herself for any signs of anything different in the last couple days.

Finding nothing, she called Eliza and was reassured that Kara’s results from Saturday showed she was doing well, and her immune system was performing as expected.

So what could it be?

No news of any strange deaths or death rates increasing, nothing unusual.

To her irritation, there were more sightings of a good Samaritan dressed like a bat, and a few eyewitness reports saying an actual demon was in the Narrows, attacking criminals.

Some of the criminals in question, those who had been injured and released as there was no evidence to hold them, told the paper that it was not a man but a ten-foot, black demon or bat.

Diana rolled her eyes. Bruce was pushing it. The more he was sighted, the faster he would come on Gordon’s radar. Perhaps she should tell her brother that Gordon had ten of Kara’s drones that used infrared and could track moving objects on rooftops easily.

She decided against it. She had told him she wouldn’t turn him in, but she wasn’t going to assist him. If he saw drones tracking him one night, it would be his problem… unless he broke them, and Diana had to donate more to the police department. Then it was affecting her bottom line and that was an issue.

Cathy buzzed her and, speak of the devil, her brother wanted to speak to her. Diana had her put the call through.

“If it isn’t my wayward, ten-foot tall, black demon bat brother. How can I help you?” she greeted him.

Bruce did not rise to the bait. “Diana, have you felt anything… strange the last couple days?”

Diana was immediately alert.

“Have you?” she asked, wondering why the hell Bruce would know anything.

“I take that as a yes. A… friend of mine…”

“You have friends?” Diana interrupted in surprise.

Bruce ignored the comment. “I have a former acquaintance who visited me. She…”

“She?” Diana asked, knowingly.

“Diana, please listen! She has experience with black magic. She warned me that something dark had entered the city…”

“Two days ago.” Diana finished.

“So you have felt it? I thought perhaps with the weird feelings you have had all your life, you may have some clue as to what was going on.” Bruce said, then asked, “Can you come to my place? I have something to show you. My old acquaintance gave me an amulet and a katana. I was told to keep them on me, but I would like you to take a look.”

Diana was intrigued but wanted to know more. “What did this friend tell you about this magic?”

“Not much, other than something dark is in the city and she thinks it is a living being. What do you know?”

“Nothing.” Diana admitted. “I’m not an expert on magic, Bruce.”

“You own a magic rope.” He pointed out.

“Can we keep that off of unsecured lines?” Diana asked. “I don’t know how it works.”

Bruce was not put off. “And your feeling?”

“Like a weight on my chest, restlessness, a cold feeling no matter the temperature. At times I feel… dirty. Whatever is causing this in my city, I want it gone. Is your friend still around?”

“She left town. I don’t expect to see her for some time, and I doubt I could believe anything she said anyway.” He admitted.

“So… she is an ex.” Diana figured correctly. “You always had the best taste in women. This ex is familiar with black magic and gives you a mystical katana and amulet. Why am I not surprised?”

Bruce practically growled. “Do you want to figure this out or not? Since both of you have been feeling something, I am going to assume the threat is real. What are we going to do about it?”

Diana raised an eyebrow. “We? If it becomes an issue, I will deal with it.”

“It’s my city too, Diana.”

Diana almost told him that he lost that right when he left the city long ago but held herself back. She was curious about his woman and the two items she had left with Bruce.

“I won’t argue with you, Bruce.” She said. “I’m the one with a magical rope. You have a sword and a necklace given to you by an ex. Incidentally, is she a criminal?”

Bruce hesitated, giving Diana all the answer she needed. “I thought as much. Keep it up and perhaps you can manage a ménage á trois with her and Selina Kyle.

“I’m going to accompany Kara home. I don’t like being far away from her right now. She does live in a home with a magical rope, and I doubt John can be effective against some sort of magic. I’m not sure we are.

“Once I have her safely home, I will visit you at your crime lord’s residence and examine these items. Perhaps between the two of us, we can figure out some way to track down… black magic.”

“Thank you, Diana.” Bruce said slightly relieved, ignoring all her barbs.

“Just please do not be dressed as a bat when I arrived. If we are going to be in the same room together, I want to pretend for a little while, that you are still sane.” Diana said, throwing more shade at her brother.

“All while we discuss black magic, magical ropes, amulets and swords?” Bruce fairly asked.

“Good point.” Diana admitted, then ended the call.

“You two have a very complicated relationship. So much love… and anger.” A voice stated, seemingly out of nowhere.

Diana’s head snapped up and she was utterly shocked to find a woman in front of her window, looking out over the city. She could think of no way this woman should have been allowed in, much less sneak up on her.

The woman turned towards Diana, and she could see the pale-skinned woman was beautiful. She had long, auburn hair; intense, emerald-colored eyes; and wore a floor-length, dark-red dress.

“Don’t bother calling security. My magic is weaker in this realm, but it is enough to assure we have privacy.” The woman told her.

“I had no plan to call security.” Diana said heatedly, walking around her desk.

The woman snorted. “Of course you don’t.”

She turned back to the view of Gotham. “So this is the view from Olympus where the daughter of Zeus and Hippolyta rules the land of men. That should probably be changed, no? After all, it is your world now.

“I have looked for you for twenty-eight years. I knew you would be powerful, be a ruler of some sort. I wasn’t sure where the Moirai had sent you, so I checked royal families throughout this world. It was only when I saw your press conference, that I realized my mistake in where I was focusing my search.

“You are indeed the most powerful woman in the world, and you are the girl I have looked for all these years.

“On closer inspection, I can easily see the similarities to her in your physical appearance, but your hair and eye color are the same shade as his.”

The woman almost seemed amused as Diana approached.

“Name yourself, woman, before I throw you out of my view of the world I rule.” Diana demanded, walking slowly towards the auburn-haired woman, the feeling of wrongness in her becoming stronger with every step.

The woman turned fully to Diana. “I have many names, but you can call me Hecate.”

“Hecate. The triple-form goddess.” Diana realized. “Greek goddess of boundaries, crossroads, magic, necromancy… sorcery…”

The woman smiled, obviously pleased. “You know your mythology. I am relieved. I wasn’t sure how difficult it would be to convince you. Shall we sit, daughter of Zeus? I am in need of your aid.”

Diana waved towards her couch and took the couch across from her. “What could I do to help one with your dark magic? I am no witch.”

The woman nodded. “I know you are no witch. You are the gifted one, the one stronger than Hercules, swifter than Hermes, more beautiful than Aphrodite and wiser than Athena.”

“Athena would disagree.” Diana said, maintaining a façade of relaxation while remaining on high alert. “Why do you call me the ‘daughter of Zeus’ ?”

“I see Antiope told your adoptive parents very little. She was most likely in a hurry to return and die with her troops.

“You, Diana, are the daughter of the god, Zeus and Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. You were born on the day of the great attack. Even Hades, death himself, was subdued.”

Diana held up a hand. “You speak of these gods as if they are real.”

“You feel my power, yet you have trouble believing this?”

Diana admitted to herself the witch had a point. “You say I am the daughter of Zeus, a god known for cruelty and shape-shifting to have children with every woman who caught his attention. That’s not very flattering.”

The woman laughed, a bell-like sound that unnerved Diana, not something easy to do.

“You do know your mythology. You are also wise enough to know humans embellish the stories of old.” Hecate said, obviously pleased. “It is true the gods have not been worshipped in thousands of years, but they still exist on their own plane, as do your people. Not all the Amazons are dead. Many are imprisoned with the gods in Tartarus. They need someone to rescue them.”

Diana snorted. “Rescue? From Tartarus? The realm of the dead? I thought those who visited that place had to be dead. Now you want me to rescue the dead? You are a witch, a necromancer. Bringing back the dead should be your job.

“So why are you here? Why have you been looking for me? Do you wish me harm? I promise you, magic or no, I will defeat you. I don’t lose. Ever.”

“I don’t imagine you ever have.” Hecate chuckled, agreeing. “The day you were born was a dark day in my realm. All Amazons awaited your birth. Many were nervous, wondering if Hera would attack due to jealousy, despite the age long split between Zeus and his wife. The gods and Amazons were prepared to protect your mother during your birth… and an attack did come.”

“Hera?” Diana asked doubtfully.

Hecate shook her head. “Worse. The father of the gods, Cronus, the first Titan, escaped his eons long imprisonment. He called to the underworld and monsters answered his command. Cyclops, minotaurs, shades of the restless dead made whole… all attacked the underworld, overran Hades and the rest of our protectors. Charon was wiped from existence.

“I warned the others on Themyscira. Hera had already arrived and been killed by Ares, arguments were breaking out among the gods, the Amazons were protecting their Queen as she held you and then… chaos.”

“Cronus? The father of Zeus who was imprisoned by his son?” Diana was following the witch but was having a hard time believing what she was hearing.

“Yes. He and his monsters attacked. In an act of desperation, knowing they would lose, Zeus asked the Moirai, or those who you may know as the three Fates, for guidance. They told him to send you away to man’s world where you would be hidden. Your mother ordered her sister and general to take you to the family the Moirai had selected for you.

“Seeing you were gone, and the battle was lost, I hid. I watched the Amazons fall, some to death but many to imprisonment as the remaining gods did themselves. Cronus had been building his powers for thousands of years and when he unleashed it, he overwhelmed all. He called every monster cursed to existence by the gods to do his bidding. Your people and the gods were imprisoned in Tartarus, the place where Cronus had resided.”

“But not you.” Diana pointed out.

Hecate shook her head. “I am the protector of the crossroads. I hold the keys to all realms, all the hidden places in this world. I escaped.”

“You ran.” Diana pointed out.

“I retreated.” Hecate countered.

“Call it what you want. I am still not sure what this has to do with me and why I should become involved in this fantasy you have. If you have researched me, if you have lived in this world for twenty-eight years, you know ruling it is not easy. It’s much more complex than sitting on a throne and leading a single island.

“It isn’t my problem and I have my own affairs to attend. I would suggest you leave my city before I become your problem. Find another champion or fight yourself for once.” Diana told her firmly.

Hecate frowned at her, hearing the conviction in Diana’s voice, puzzled by her reaction. “You don’t want a chance to save your race? Your sisters and mother, your family?”

“For all I know, you may be leading me into a trap. I don’t know you and I don’t know this family you speak of. I have my family here that needs me.” Diana replied.

Hecate nodded. “You speak of your sister.”

Diana stood up quickly, fists balled. “And you will not speak of her.”

Hecate stood as well. “I understand she was left on the street like garbage, deathly ill, only to be saved by your family. You must realize that child should have died long ago. She only lives because you shared your divine light with her, kept her alive these years but how long do you think that will last?”

Diana grabbed the woman by the collar of her dress. “Medical science and love have kept her alive and will continue to do so. Speak of her again and I will send you back to Hades. That’s what this is about, right? Hades was a brother, or lover? You want him back and he is trapped with the others.”

Hecate smiled at her, not bothered by the threatening tone in her voice.

“You believe your divine light has nothing to do with your sister’s life? Let us see what happens when your light is cut off from her. Only the Moirai could heal her then. The three Fates who are imprisoned by Cronus. Themyscira is located in this realm, but it is hidden from mortal eyes. I can give you the keys to enter.

“When you realize what you must do, say my name. Summon me and I will give you the key. You will save your people, the gods of Olympus and defeat Cronus or die trying. If you do not, your beloved sister dies. I will keep your divine light from reaching her until she has succumbed to the darkness and enters whatever underworld awaits the humans of this world.”

Diana screamed and swung her fist towards the woman but was met with nothing but air.

“Diana?”

Diana turned towards the door and saw Cathy.

“Are you okay? I came back from my break and heard voices. No one should have been here this afternoon, so I checked, but… are you okay?” Cathy asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

Diana realized one hand was in air where she had felt the woman’s collar and the other was curled into a fist in front of her as if she had been swinging through air.

She took a deep breath and dropped her hands. “Everything is fine. I was doing some visualization exercises and speaking some chants. A friend of mine taught me new relaxation techniques.”

Cathy smiled brightly, relaxing instantly. “I knew it must be something like that. Can I get you anything?”

Diana was about to tell her no, when her phone alerted her using the emergency tone indicting John Diggle was calling.

“John?”

“Diana, Kara just suddenly broke out in a fever. I’m activating isolation protocols and getting her to the manor.” Dig told her, his calm tone not hiding the underlying anxiety in his voice.

“I will meet you on the roof.” Diana told him and ended the call. “Cathy, have copter one prepared for immediate take off. Call Eliza and have copter two sent to her building immediately for pick up. Tell her it’s a level one scenario.”

“Right away.” The woman said, leaving immediately.

Diana stood frozen, not sure what had just happened. When Cathy had walked in on her alone, she thought perhaps the whole incident was some induced delusion she had, caused by whatever dark energy she had been feeling.

But this was very real and before Diana could do anything, the witch had attacked Kara.

She ran to Kara’s location with only one thing on her mind: her little sister’s health.

Once Kara was okay, Diana would find that bitch, Hecate, and cut her in half with her sword.