Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

The Wayne Legacy: Rise

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 20:

Tartarus / Themyscira

Diana took a deep breath and then another. She steeled her mind… ripping her despair, her doubts and her fears far away from herself.

All that remained was the determination to destroy her enemy. It was a feeling she had felt many times in her life but never to this extent.

To save Kara, she had to kill this final monster and Diana Wayne would not fail.

The woman ran into the dark tunnel using all her speed, stopping just short of entering the room.

Throwing her shoulders back, she held her head high and stepped out into the large, dimly lit, circular room, her eyes drawn to the armored figure standing on the other side of it.

Clenching her sword, shield in hand, Diana took in the ancient god.

On the journey down to the underworld, she had imagined him being twenty feet tall, in some monstrous form, perhaps surrounded by flames and carrying a twenty foot long sword.

The reality, if one could call any of this reality, was that he appeared to be just a man, the same as Diana appeared to be a woman.

He was perhaps six and a half feet tall, extremely muscular in true body builder fashion but not obscenely so. He sported a beard that hung just past his chin and his eyes were a dark blue, bordering on black. He wore an armored chest piece and brown leather pants. As far as ancient, super evil beings went, he was kind of a let down by his appearance.

But she knew better than to go by appearance alone. Diana could feel the power emanating from him, and it was overwhelming. A small part in the back of her mind wondered if this was the way people felt around her when she was angry or trying to force her will on others. If so, it was no wonder why she won so many arguments.

“The godkiller has come home.” He said in a deep voice, breaking the silence for the first time since she entered his throne room. “I had thought you would battle me, attempt to kill me then release my prisoners as a conquering hero. Instead, you send mortals ahead to free them, no doubt hoping they will help you… but that is not the way of the gods, godkiller. You must fight your own battles. It is the way of our kind.”

“Why do you call me that? Godkiller? My name is Diana.” She asked, trying to buy a little time for her brother and Dig.

“I know who you are, granddaughter.” He assured her, smirking a bit. “You were to be another bastard child of my son, Zeus. A demigoddess with no true power. But when the gods realized my wrath was upon them, many bestowed their powers on you. A bastard child became a true god, stronger than most… but they were desperate because they knew… only a god can kill another god. You were their greatest weapon and hope for rescue one day… the hope you could kill me.

“Perhaps I should call you ‘titankiller’ .”

“I prefer Diana.” She told him, beginning to circle from a distance, her sword in her hand, twirling casually as she looked for an opening.

“We don’t have to do this. I have no doubt that coward, Hecate, told you I wanted you dead or imprisoned. The truth is, I am lonely here. I am not strong enough to attack the outside world. My victory over my children and your people was hollow. My enemies are now locked in a cage closed with a lock no mortal can breach, protected by an army of accursed. Gloating has become boring.

“You, however, could brighten up this dreary place. You could rule by my side as my blood, bring beauty back to Themyscira, make the island to your liking. You could create your own paradise.” The Titan offered, turning to face her as she moved.

Diana scowled. “I prefer power. I have my own world to rule, one quite a bit larger than this one. You are right though. We don’t have to do this. Give me the three Fates, the Moirai, and my companions and I will be on our way.”

Cronus seemed shocked at these words. “You would leave your people behind? Your mother? Your sisters? You have spent too much time in the mortal world… even in death you would not be reunited with them. Your soul is destined for the place where mortal souls reside.”

Diana nodded, watching him closely as she continued to circle. “The Amazons are not my people… the mortal world is my world as are its people. Reuniting with them after death is the idea, but it is also beside the point.

“Give me the three Fates and we will walk away. As much as I would love to save the Amazons and these so called gods, I have a larger priority and I need the Fates. I don’t need the Amazons or the other gods.”

“Ahhh… I see now… you want the Fates to change a mortal’s destiny?” The Titan asked incredulously, then threw back his head, his laughter echoing loudly around the chamber. “Foolish girl… they have not become involved in the affairs of mortals for centuries, ever since mankind stopped worshipping the old gods. They will not become involved because you rescued them from me.”

“I can be very persuasive.” Diana said. As she circled him, she was frustrated. He seemed at ease, but he was protecting any possible openings she could use against him.

“I doubt you have unlocked many of the gifts you have been given. Have you ever fought in a true duel with that blade?” He asked in a mocking tone.

“I’m a fast learner. Since you aren’t giving me the Fates and my brother apparently can’t get through the lock holding my reinforcements back, I guess I will just have to kill you. You won’t be imprisoned under Tartarus this time.” Diana replied, still working to find an opening she could exploit in attack.

“Bad form, granddaughter. Not even my son could bring himself to kill his father.” Cronus said condescendingly.

“You aren’t my father, nor is he.” Diana told him, the truth unmistakable in her tone. “Who makes the first move? Since you are older and no doubt slower, I shall give you the choice.”

Despite her bravado, Diana did not feel it inside. He had hit on too many points. She suspected she didn’t know how to use many powers inside her, never having an interest in anything beyond the obvious.

She had never been in a true duel or fought against an opponent stronger than herself while he had no doubt fought and won many battles. He had defeated an entire nation of Amazon warriors and the Greek pantheon, imprisoning those who survived his attack.

Her senses were on edge as she slowed her movement, her eyes intent on her adversary when suddenly, without another word and moving fast enough that she was nearly caught off guard, he was in front of her, swinging his harpe sword in an overhead swipe. Diana raised her sword to block, only to have the sickle end of the harpe hook her weapon and wrench it from her grip.

She rolled back and brought her shield to the front, blocking another overhead strike.

When he raised the sword once again, she swept his leg, sending him into a tumble, and struck his chest with her fist before he hit ground. Leaping over him, she retrieved her sword and faced him.

He rushed her and she dropped her sword and shield, slamming her gauntlets together with a scream. The force of the concussion blast sent him flying across the great cavern, into the far wall. Grabbing her shield while picking up her sword with her foot and flipping it into her hand, she jumped after him as he lay prone on the floor.

Before she could slam her sword into his chest, his boot struck out while she was flying towards him, hitting her jaw and sending her back across the great room.

Diana sat up on the ground, rubbing her jaw and tasting blood in her mouth. Cronus was rising as well, approximately two hundred feet away on the other side of the chamber.

He was not breathing hard nor rubbing any part of himself, but Diana could tell he was hurting by the way he carried himself, perhaps surprised by her strength.

“It’s not too late to give me the Fates. I only came here to cure my sister.” Diana bluffed, knowing she would have to kill him but hoping to put some doubt in his mind, make him think of other options. He was as strong as she was, probably stronger. She still tasted fresh blood in her mouth and her jaw felt cracked. She was healing slowly, but it wouldn’t be fast enough as they continued to battle.

“You have no true sister in Man’s world.” Cronus taunted her, obviously trying to rattle her.

“I do and you should check the news sometime.” She replied, throwing the taunt back in his face. “It’s my world. I’ve worked hard to run it.”

Cronus twirled his sword. “Unfortunately, you don’t have much longer to call it anything. I’ve been testing you. You are good and you could have made a great goddess. By my side, the two of us could have conquered the mortal world but alas, it is not to be. You aren’t good enough to defeat me, but you are too dangerous to be left alive.”

Diana barely had time to block his blow with her shield. He had moved across the expanse between them in a blink.

He continued to beat at her shield, forcing her back into the wall where he effectively had her pinned.

Lashing out with her sword, she struck his knee, feeling the blade bite deep, causing him to let her go.

Standing up, she used her head to strike the bottom of his jaw, snapping his head up. A push sent him back a few steps but once again, his sword reached out, pulling hers from her grasp. Another strike rained down, but she blocked it with her gauntlets, twisting with his sword between them and sending it to the ground.

Another strike to his knee resulted in him crashing down giving Diana a split second to counterattack. She jumped over the bent form, wrapping her lasso around his neck, then twisting and jerking the golden rope forward as soon she landed, sending him back across the hall.

This time, she followed, grabbing her sword on the sprint over and stabbing him in the shoulder as soon as he hit the wall. She had been aiming for his chest, but he had shifted at the last second.

Pulling her sword out, Diana planned to go for his neck, when he struck her in the chest, sending her flying.

Thankfully, she landed close to her discarded shield, which she retrieved from the ground and stood, taking in slow deep breaths. Her sternum felt cracked despite the armor protecting her chest. More blood pooled in her mouth causing her to spit before she choked.

Cronus was picking himself off the ground, his right leg obviously lame and blood pouring from his shoulder. He also had blood slipping from his mouth onto his beard.

Despite her own pain, Diana smiled widely, enjoying the look of agony on his face.

Cronus said he doubted she knew most of the gifts she had. It was time to show him some of the ones she had discovered.

This room had been dimly lit by torches on the walls in the great chamber. The torches were falling due to the damage the walls had taken during the battle. This meant soon she would be in the dark, fighting in close quarter combat with a man who was stronger than her.

She needed room and light.

Cronus screamed and rushed her once again, his sword high in the overhead strike he preferred. Rather than blocking with her own once again, Diana swiftly sheathed her sword and jumped high in an arc over him, wrapping her lasso several times around his torso.

Rather than fall, she shot into the air, one arm holding the lasso dragging him with her and the other holding her shield above her head, breaking rock as she continued to fly upwards.

Diana was not sure how high she flew. Rocks were exploding around her, she had to keep her eyes closed to ensure she kept her sight despite most of the debris being blocked by her shield. She could hear him below her, being dragged up and yelling as tons of rock struck his trapped form, causing him further bodily damage.

Finally, she broke free of the underworld, feeling sun on her face.

Diana landed and pulled, swinging Cronus out of the hole she had made and into the air, unwrapping the lasso as she did and watching in satisfaction as he cratered into the ground.

Diana waited a few seconds, catching her breath while he attempted to stand. Once he was on his knees, she moved, striking him in the jaw with her knee and sending him back down. As soon he hit the ground, she drove her sword for his heart. The sword of Athena had broken his armor already while hers had held, giving her an advantage.

He rolled quickly, something she had not anticipated considering his state. She struck his injured shoulder, just under his collarbone this time.

Unfortunately, with her sword stuck in his body, he raised his and slashed her just above the armor of her chest, nearly catching her throat. Diana leaped back, yanking her sword from him and then jumping further back.

The cut was deep and wide, from one shoulder to the other. Diana refused to think about it, refused to dwell on the pain.

Cronus was bloodied as well. He stood carefully, his injured arm useless, hanging loose, but his other hand still clasped that damn sword.

“I was hoping to rip your chest open. You are more of a challenge than I expected, granddaughter. I regret my earlier doubts.”

He paused, spitting blood to the ground.

“You still aren’t me. You cannot win this fight though you gave a valiant effort. You are not healing quickly enough and still losing blood. Surrender… join me. Perhaps we can torture the Moirai into saving this mortal you love so much.”

Diana smirked, happy that he was trying to bargain with her. She now knew she was causing him as much damage as he was causing her, perhaps more. She kept quiet while he continued to gloat.

“But truly, this mortal is meaningless. All mortals in that world are meaningless to us, their lives finite. You, however, will live forever by my side or you can die now by my hand.

“Even should you survive, the mortals you just left behind in the underworld will soon die, whether here or in few decades of decay.”

Diana walked closer to him, her arms hanging loose, sword in her right hand and shield attached to her left forearm.

“The fact that you are talking so much, tells me you are afraid. You say I cannot duel yet your technique is no better than a caveman… all power, no finesse. Shall we continue or will you surrender to me? You appear to be healing no faster than I am. This will come down to who wants it more and frankly I have more to lose than you do.”

“All that means is you fight with fear.” He retorted haughtily.

“As do you.” She replied. “Soon your prisoners will be here. You will be surrounded by your children, and they will be very angry.”

He cackled at her words, shaking his head. “I told you, that lock cannot be broken by any mortal weapon.”

Diana laughed lightly. “You believe the only magical weapons come from the Greek gods? You are as arrogant as you are ignorant. My friend holds my sister’s weapons of destruction, the likes of which the ancient Greeks and their gods never imagined. My brother’s enchanted sword will cut through your army and your locks easily.

“Tick tock, Cronus. You are the god of time so you must know yours is running out.”

Cronus roared. Instead of attacking, he grabbed a chunk of marble column and tossed it at her. Diana sliced through it easily with her sword and stood ready, expecting another reckless attack by Cronus.

She didn’t expect hundreds of arrows raining down on her. Discarding her shield, she instinctively took her lasso and began spinning it, shredding arrows as they fell on her. She heard noise behind her and found other centaurs sending arrows her way.

This time, Diana lowered her shield exploding forward. She swung her sword in a frenzy, ripping through dozens, even as the centaurs who first shot at her gathered, attacking her at close range.

Diana barely heard herself screaming in rage, ripping swiftly through her enemies, soaking in their blood. She threw her arms back as they touched her and an incredible energy burst forth, burning those nearest to her and causing any survivors to run for their lives.

Exhausted from still healing wounds and the power she had exerted, she turned to look for Cronus, only to find a fist in her face.

The Titan continued to pummel her, landing shots to her face and gut, raking his fingers across the deep cut under her neck. He hit her with the hilt of the sword on top of her head, sending her to the ground then picked her up by the neck and tossed her in the air. Before she could hit the ground, Cronus had her by the head, slamming her into the ground face first.

Diana coughed up blood and dirt, trying to pushed herself off the ground.

She made it to her knees and wiped her nose of the blood. There wasn’t a part of her that wasn’t in extreme pain.

She thought of trying to get off her knees, but that thought was pushed to the side when Cronus grabbed her hair and forced her to look up at him.

“You fought valiantly, child.” The Titan’s voice was ringing low in her ears. “The outcome was never in doubt though. You shall keep your head and I will burn you as fitting your warrior status.”

Cronus pulled back his sword and drove it towards her chest, completely assured of his victory… a presumed triumph that never came to fruition as Diana caught the blade between both hands.

She looked up at him and Cronus saw something he had not expected. A shiver of fear crawled down his spine at the memories the sight of her evoked.

Her eyes were electric, sparks dancing across her pupils.

“You should know something about me, Cronus. I never lose!” Diana exclaimed as her anger powered this unexpected, newfound ability.

Diana pushed the sword back toward him and stood, kicking it out of his hand with an armored boot and striking his chest, sending him flying away from her.

Cronus got up to his feet slowly, in shock that she had stopped his attack with her bare hands.

It was then that the storm clouds rapidly gathered over Themyscira. He observed Diana, electricity dancing out of her eyes as she looked up at the sky with her arms raised.

Cronus began to panic, remembering his defeat at the hands of his damn son, Zeus, who called down the lightning, sending a bolt through his body causing him to be incapacitated.

This felt like a lot more power, enough to set his teeth on edge.

The Titan was weak. He had given everything he had in this battle. He had hurt her, thrown her around, stabbed and sliced her, broken her bones, made her bleed inside.

Yet she was still standing.

A bolt of lightning fell from the sky and Cronus flinched. Instead of hitting him through, it struck Diana.

He nearly laughed at his good fortune, feeling immensely relieved, glad the little goddess had no idea how to use her father’s power.

His celebration lasted only a moment though.

He saw her standing, lightning dancing around her gauntlets, electricity visibly flowing up, down and around her. Her body was glowing, and her eyes were such a brilliant electric blue, not even her pupils could be seen.

She rose into the air, looking down on him, her face one of absolute fury and slammed her gauntlets together.

Instead of a concussive blast, a great bolt of lightning erupted, striking the Titan in the chest, spreading instantaneously over his entire body.

Cronus knew no more. He felt nothing, not even his body disintegrating, his entire existence being burned from the physical world by the Princess of Themyscira, daughter of Zeus… the woman who had now earned her title as the ‘godkiller’.

Diana poured everything she had into the final blow, watching the Titan’s body turn to ash under her onslaught. She had instinctively commanded the very storms in the sky to do her bidding and it had worked.

Feeling literally drained, she began slowly drifting to the ground, her legs collapsing beneath her as she fell to one knee, willing her breathing and heart rate to return to something close to normal.

She was vaguely aware of approaching lifeforms but had nothing left in her to do anything about it. She stayed down but raised her head and took in her surroundings.

Large, human-like beings she assumed were the gods were standing around her, gawking and unmoving. Hundreds of armored women were with them, none moving towards her, but all were staring at her in awe.

She relaxed, assuming and hoping they wouldn’t attack her, dropping her head again as she tried to catalogue her wounds. She could still feel the deep cut across her chest, but it wasn’t as bad as before. She no longer felt weak from blood loss. Her insides were not on fire, the burning she had felt was easing. Her jaw was sore, perhaps still cracked, but she could tell it was mending. Her legs ached and a sharp pain ran up her left leg, perhaps indicating a broken bone. She was having some difficulty breathing through her nose, and she could still taste blood in her mouth, but it was no longer pooling.

All in all, it could be worse. She was alive at least. It was understandable if she took five minutes to rest.

“Move out of my way!” Diana heard Bruce’s voice from somewhere. Her ears had stopped ringing, but everything sounded muffled.

Diana felt herself lifted off the ground. She recognized her brother’s smell and the feel of his arms wrapped around her, holding her up as he carefully helped her stand.

“Dee? You gotta wake up now. Don’t fall asleep.” Bruce sounded distressed and that bothered her. She had never liked seeing him upset.

“She looks half dead.” She heard Dig say to Bruce.

“The half that isn’t dead can hear you.” Diana told him, leaning heavily on her brother. “I guess you succeeded judging by the paparazzi surrounding us. Where are the Fates?”

“They are here.” Bruce assured her, the relief in his voice obvious. “Where is Cronus?”

Diana pointed lazily to her right. “That pile of ashes over there… somewhere. Didn’t you see?”

Bruce shook his head and lightened his hold on her as she stood straighter, taking on more of her own weight. “I couldn’t get past the thousands of Amazons.”

Diana nodded and took a deep breath. “That’s too bad. I summoned a thunderstorm, charged myself up with the electricity in the air, then disintegrated him with a bolt of lightning from my arms. It was really cool.”

“She’s obviously got a concussion.” Dig said, moving to her other side. “Just stay awake, Diana.”

“Her words are true.” A new voice said, a female voice Diana had not heard before. “Our healers are gathering bandages, but I can see she is healing on her own. Diana, can you look at me?”

Diana forced herself to focus on this woman she had never seen before but seeing the look of concern and regal bearing, she could take a guess as to her identity.

“Hippolyta, is that right?”

The woman smiled, obviously pleased. “Yes, I am your mother. You have come home.”

She reached out to touch Diana’s cheek, but Diana moved away from her, leaning into Bruce and the familiarity of his arms once more.

“I don’t know you… I’m sorry, but Martha Wayne is my mother, and my home is Wayne Manor.” Diana ignored the hurt look on the woman’s face. She didn’t want to be rude, but she had more important things to do than soothe the woman’s feelings.

Looking around, she asked, “Where are the Fates?”

Bruce guided her into the crowd, the two holding each other up. Now that they were moving, it was obvious to Diana that Bruce had sustained injuries of his own, evidenced by the blood on his face and his missing bat cowl looking as if it had been ripped off.

“Are you okay?” she asked, concerned. “And Dig?”

“We are both fine.” Her twin replied, then added, a smirk on his face. “Turns out armies of orcs don’t do so well against Kara’s firepower. There was a bit of a scuffle, but Dig is a special forces nightmare and I’m a ten foot tall demon bat. Persephone nearly killed everyone with a grenade but any battle you can walk away from is a successful one.”

As they made their way through the crowd that parted for them, the twins finally stopped in front of three glowing women.

Diana stood tall, throwing her shoulders back, feeling Bruce drop his arm from around her back, leaving her to stand on her own. Her legs were still in great pain, but she wouldn’t seem weak in front of these three.

“Clotho, the spinner.” Diana greeted the youngest looking of the Fates, the young woman nodding in confirmation.

“Lachesis, the allotter.” She said, acknowledging the middle-aged looking woman, receiving a nod.

“Atropos, the cutter.” Diana spoke to the old woman, who greeted her in return.

“Do you know what I want?” she asked, directing her question to Lachesis.

“We do.” The woman answered. “Though we have not been involved in man’s fate for centuries, Princess, we would do this for you if we could. My sisters and I wish we could give you what you ask for, but we cannot make a fate where there was none.”

“One of your kind did this.” Diana insisted. “You are going to fix it.”

“You do not understand.” The woman appeared sad and shook her head. “The girl’s fate was to die three weeks after her birth. It was because of you, and you alone, that she lived. You decided she was yours and unknowingly shared your celestial light with her, keeping her alive. That was never supposed to happen. You beat the fate of man’s world through sheer force of will, but it could only last so long. With Hecate’s attack, the darkness will claim her. It is inevitable.”

“Not if you change it.” Diana told her, trying to reason with Lachesis before she struck the woman down with her sword and asked one of the other two.

“We cannot.” Atropos spoke this time, diverting Diana’s attention from her sister. “We cannot extend her life without another taking her place. As hard as it is for you to hear, her fate was to die. The universe is now achieving balance.”

“Then take me.” Bruce offered, stepping up beside Diana. “Take my life for hers.”

Diana looked at him sharply. “Bruce, no one is giving up their life… no one is dying. Not you or Kara.”

“Don’t you understand, Diana?” Bruce asked, pleading with her. “Even if she lives, Kara will always be fighting the darkness unless someone takes her place.

“It was talked about in the place I was at. There must be balance… as she said, the universe demands it. Even the Lazarus Pit took something from the dead who were revived and those whose lives it extends.”

“I’ve failed you both in so many ways… please let me do this.” Turning to the Fates, he asked, “Will it work?”

“If you wish to give up your life for hers…” Lachesis began before Diana cut her off.

“No!” Diana snapped. “No one is dying. There has to be another way!”

Staring intently at Diana, Clotho spoke up, her tone serious. “The balance must be maintained, one life for one life… or many lifetimes for one.

“There is a way you can save her, Princess, but at a great sacrifice.”

The meaning of the Fate’s words, in addition to a comment made by Cronus, rang crystal clear to Diana.

“Many lifetimes…” Diana felt hope rising in her chest. “I am immortal. That is what Cronus meant, right? That is what you mean?”

“Yes, you understand.” Clotho smiled gently.

“Then take my immortality so my sister can live.” Diana said without hesitation. “I am offering you thousands of lifetimes for one lifetime with her.”

“Diana, no!” Hippolyta screamed.

Diana ignored the Amazon queen, staring intently at the three Fates. “Do we have a bargain? I will live one life, this one… with my sister fully healed and in perfect health. Give her the immune system her body is missing so she can have a normal life and be able to live without fear. In return, I offer you my immortality to maintain balance.”

Clotho looked at her two sisters who seemed surprised. “We can heal her, give her that which was missing from her birth. You understand you will be mortal? You could be dead in as little as six decades.”

Diana nodded her affirmation. “In six decades, I will be eighty-eight. I’m good with that.”

“You may not live six decades. Nothing is guaranteed.” Atropos replied. “Your immortality will fuel her life force, but it cannot be separated from you while you live. For you both to live, your life force… your life thread, must be tied with hers.

“While you will lose none of your abilities, none of your powers, you will age as she does. When she dies, you die. If you die, she dies. It is the only way to achieve balance and still give you what you desire.

“So… understanding fully what is required of you… will you take on her existence as your own?”

“Yes.” Diana replied with no hesitation, then continued to seal the terms of their agreement, negotiating in full CEO mode for the most important deal she would ever make. “You are to promise Kara will be healthy. She will be able to live a normal life without constant fear of illness and death.”

“These requests are not beyond what we are allowed to give you, Princess.” Lachesis promised.

“Then heal her body from the damage Hecate’s poison has done, give her an immune system so she can live a normal life and tie my life force to hers. That is our agreement.” Diana stressed. “Do whatever you need to do but please, do it now.”

“It will be done.” Lachesis agreed and looked to her younger sister.

A chair and a loom appeared, and Clotho sat. She raised her hands to her loom, plucking a black, shriveled thread seemingly out of the air. A much brighter thread, vibrant and strong, appeared beside the first. Clotho fed the strands into her loom, spinning two new threads.

Two lines of various, shifting colors appeared in the air in front of Lachesis which she gathered and began weaving into a single glowing thread pulsing with life, binding them together irrevocably.

Diana suddenly stiffened, her eyes began glowing, and a brilliant, white light engulfed her.

As Lachesis continued her weaving, vivid hues from the entire color spectrum erupted, racing around Diana’s body. Dig and Bruce stood mesmerized, neither making any move to interfere.

Several minutes later, Clotho ceased her spinning and the newly woven thread disappeared from sight. The bright glow around Diana faded out, her eyes returning to normal, and her body relaxed as she took a deep breath, trying to center herself after feeling almost pulled apart before snapping back to normal.

“We have done what we can.” The spinner said. “Your sister is healing as we speak. She will live and be well. Your lives are tied together from this point on.”

“Thank you.” Diana said, feeling almost giddy in relief, sensing the truth in Clotho’s words.

“Be well, Diana of Themyscira.” The spinner said and with those words, the Moirai of Greek myth vanished before their eyes.

Hippolyta walked up to her, tears shining in her eyes.

“A part of me hoped you would never risk your life to come and free us. Another part hoped you would, and we could live together forever. Now, you have given up your life…” The woman stopped speaking, visibly upset.

Diana shook her head. “I never knew I was immortal, so I have given up nothing. Instead, I have gained everything. With my gifts, I can protect my family and yet grow old and die. It is the natural order of my world, and my world is where I belong.”

Another Amazon warrior walked up to her. “Diana, I am Antiope.”

“You are the one who delivered me to my parents.” Diana realized.

Antiope nodded. “I too had hoped you would never come. More than anything, I wanted you to be safe. I should have known no daughter of Hippolyta would ever stay safe.”

“I only came here to save my sister. Cronus was just in my way.” Diana replied, then started looking around. “Speaking of that, where is Hecate? That bitch and I have unfinished business.”

Hippolyta and Antiope looked towards the tall, shirtless, dark-haired, muscular man. Diana didn’t have to be introduced. She knew instinctively this was Zeus.

“I shall summon her. What do you plan to do with her?” the large man asked.

Diana raised an eyebrow. “She attacked my family. What do you think I plan to do with her?”

“She is a demigoddess, daughter.” Zeus replied.

“I didn’t ask for her rank. I want her brought before me.” Diana said, feeling her anger growing once again.

Zeus shook his head. “Let it go, daughter.”

“Bring. Her. To. Me!” Diana demanded.

“Is it really worth the war her death would start? You have everything you wanted.” Zeus reminded her. “Hecate did this because she wanted her family freed and her home back. She saw no other way to accomplish this. Your reasons for being here are the same as hers… you wanted to save your family.

“Should you kill Hecate, her daughter, Circe, will come for you eventually. Another of her allies may as well and your weakness is known. They wouldn’t have to come at you directly, they could kill your sister and both of you would be dead.

“Do you want a battle in which this girl you love so much would be hopelessly ensnared? Can either of you truly have a normal life waiting for an attack from a powerful sorceress?

“That is no way to live, daughter, for you or your sister.”

Diana heard his words, her anger subsiding slightly to be replaced by reason. Unsure of what to do, she looked at Bruce to gauge his reaction. He was obviously torn. He wanted that witch’s blood as much as Diana did.

But would it be worth the cost?

The counsel she needed came from the man who she now considered a close friend if not another member of her family.

“Diana, this isn’t really my business, but I doubt I would be any more effective protecting her from a sorceress than I was from a witch.” Dig told her quietly.

Diana closed her eyes and released her anger. Taking a deep breath, she nodded.

“I will do as you suggest, but know this…” Opening her eyes, she addressed the king of the gods. “I know the location of this island so if that bitch ever comes near me or my family again, I will bring war to you all, backed up by powers you cannot comprehend. Keep her in the underworld or you are all dead.

“Do we understand each other, Zeus?”

Zeus nodded, a look of approval at her counter threat.

A man larger than Zeus walked up, a fierce look on his face, holding Diana’s sword and shield. He handed both to her.

“I believe these belong to you, sister. I watched, waiting to step in should you fall. You were magnificent, the most natural born warrior I have ever laid eyes on. Congratulations.” He complimented her.

“Thank you.” Diana looked at the man suspiciously, taking the items he offered her. “Who are you?”

“Ares, god of war. You are my new favorite sister. I am curious about the weapons your friends were using below…”

Diana raised her hand, stopping him. “I don’t have time to talk… we must get back.”

Diana backed away, suddenly feeling crowded. Hundreds of Amazon warriors were surrounding her, though she heard screams in the distance where apparently many others were taking back their home.

Diana saw Hippolyta had tears in her eyes, knowing she was preparing to leave. She knew the woman was grieving her loss yet again. At another time, Diana would have stayed a while. As a girl, she had given quite a bit of thought to where she came from, how she had her powers, and what she was.

Now she had the answers. Now she was among others like her. There was so much she could discover here, so much to learn: about herself, magic, her blood and other planes of existence.

Yet it held no interest for her now.

All she wanted was to go home and hold Kara, tell her that she would be okay, that she would have a normal life or at least as normal as one could be for a Wayne girl.

Diana understood, with no lingering doubt, that she did not belong here. These were not her people, these were not her sisters. She had one sister she needed to get back to. She had an empire to run, a man to love, to marry, and possibly have children with in the future.

She had not come back to save these people. She had come back and fought like hell to save Kara, as had Bruce and Dig.

Bruce offered to trade his life for Kara without hesitation. Diana would not have allowed that. She would have given up hers if it came to that. Since her parents’ death, it had been her responsibility as leader of the family to keep them safe. Bruce made it difficult, but he was her brother and if she could give up her life for him and Kara, she would be satisfied.

Fortunately, she had thousands of lives to give up and still got to live the only one that mattered to her.

It was time to get back to that life and the little blonde girl she loved most in the world.

“Hecate said only she could take us home, so how will we get there?” Diana asked those assembled around her.

“You can’t stay?” Hippolyta asked. “Even for a while? I haven’t been able to watch you grow, be there for you for your entire life… I’ve missed so much. Your aunt, your sisters, your people, don’t you want to know them?”

“Once upon a time, I might have wanted that, but now… now I know I do not belong here. My world needs me, and I need to return to my heart.” Diana told her, not wanting to cause the woman pain, but desperately wanting to go home.

Seeing the king of the gods was still watching them, she asked, “Zeus, you got Antiope to Wayne Manor twenty-eight years ago. Think you could do the same for us?”

“This is safe, right?” Dig asked.

Before he could get an answer, all of them were surrounded by a bright light. When the light faded, they found themselves in the darkness of night standing outside of Wayne Manor’s back door.