Wonder Woman #21: War of The Gods Part II

Diana looked through some books as she looked for something that didn’t seem to catch her attention until now when she realized that things were being orchestrated by the mysterious figure known as ‘Zirronis.’

“Who was he?” Donna looked over Diana’s shoulder.

“Ancient Homo Magii.” She said quietly.

“What?” Donna raised an eyebrow at that.

“Magic users that have the natural gift to be able to wield magic.” Diana closed the book and looked at Donna. “Back when things were a lot more complicated.” She smiled at Donna who gave her a ‘whatever’ look.

“Does the war have anything to do what this then?” Donna asked.

“Yes, I think that Ares is in league with this Black Magic person..”

“How can we confirm it?”

“I think I have an answer for that question.” Both women turned their heads as they saw Professor Templeton with a mysterious figure with him.

“Professor?” Diana raised an eyebrow.

“Diana, I would like you to meet Arion.” The great wizard extended his hand to shake Diana’s.

“I understand that you are the champion of the Amazons.” Arion spoke softly.

“I am the champion of freedom.” She confirmed with a nod.

“Good, then we’ll need you.” Arion looked at Donna. “You’re the heir?”

“Whatever!” Donna turned on her heel and went over to the couch and slumped into the cushion, as she hated being called the junior member instead of Diana’s equal.

Diana just shook her head. “How can we stop Zirronis?” She said.
“He and I have faced each other before, but it will not be easy that’s for sure.” He nodded his head in a slow incline to her. “The problem with this mission is that Zirronis is as powerful as Ares in most respects and can even kill the God of War if needed.”

“Why would he kill his supposed ally?” Diana was slightly shocked by that.

“Power and ultimate glory.” Arion looked at Templeton who had remained silent until now.

“I think it has a lot to do with the aspect of the Atlantean Gods and the Olympian Gods.” Templeton said.

“Atlantean?” Diana was confused.

“Before time there were beings such as Zeus and High Father which brought order to the worlds that they bestowed with their seed of creation.” Arion had begun slowly. “Many people have their take on how the world began but few were around when it actually did.” Templeton continued. “I have a broader knowledge about how Atlantis became what it is, but I can truly say that since the Olympians took the place of the Atlanteans, the world has become what it is today bereft of magic and the understanding of the arts.”

“While I don’t understand that fully, Professor, I can see what you’re saying.” Diana nodded.

“I think that I can explain it after we’ve brought Zirronis and his witch-queen down for good.” Arion spoke up.

“That would be good.” Diana nodded.

“About time we do something!” Donna jumped up and rejoined Diana by her side.

Diana curved a smile as Templeton and Arion chuckled at the young warrior.

~*~

Cade McClellan was looking through the files and realized that he was going to need to talk to Diana Prince about some things he was started to realize. He hadn’t been able to talk to her since his conversation with Templeton. He knew that she was on a similar mission herself, but he knew that he had to try and reach her with some of his questions later.

“Cade!” The voice of the Director Thibideaux of the Department of Extranormal Affairs had rocked his attention. He turned his attention to her as she came by his desk. “Wonder Woman has been spotted in Manhattan at the United Nations.”

Cade raised his eyebrow. “What is she doing there?”

“I am not sure.” Thibideaux tapped her finger on his desk. “Advising the Atlantean I wouild assume of the war of magic.”

“How do you know that?” Cade raised an eyebrow.

“Because the Atlantean delegate had come by to see me.” She sat down and looked at him with her fingers steepled in front of her face.

“Why would they bother?” That revelation bothered Cade as he waited for his boss’ reaction to his question.

“Since the government’s involvement with the genetic soldiers that Rockwell’s firm was trying to propagate their ‘super soldiers’ program a few months ago, we learned more about the metahuman community than we ever had.” She paused. “We’re worried about escalation like we had when their kind nearly toppled our government.”

“Escalation for what?!” McClellan seemed alarmed.

“There was a battle that took place between Clea’s forces and Ptra’s island. Wonder Woman came to their aid as did Aquaman.” Thibideaux nodded.

“Why is that any of concern of the United States?” He looked at her.

“That battle has triggered a military action by Atlantis to defend its borders, and now with the emergence of Ares and his demon forces…”

“You think that this would cause war between us and the Superhero community?”

“We’re on the threshold of having our world destroyed by them!” She exclaimed. “I’ll be damned if I allow them to destroy our world and humanity.”

Cade almost said something, but he just decided to keep his mouth shut as he just let her rant about how dangerous it was to let humanity’s fate rest in the hands of the superhuman community.

“Anyway, I’ll be sending you to New York City and I’ll need you to try and find Diana Prince. We need to bolster field operations in the region.” She clenched her fists. “I’ll be damned if I let this little magic war erupt into World War III.”

Cade bit his tongue again but he knew that she was right in a way. Whenever humanity had depended on the metahumans, it always seemed like it was from chaos that had stemmed from them in the first place. He knew that he had some questions to get answered so he stood up and nodded. “I’ll find Diana.”

~*~

Diana looked at Sanji who merely seemed disinterested in Diana’s pleas of help against the armies of evil that she knew would be gathering. But, she knew that he was extremely loyal to his King Orin. He had quickly left when he learned of Zirronis’ goals of conquering Atlantis as well. Diana and Donna left the United Nations together as Diana looked at Donna with a wry smile. “I am proud of you Donna you’ve really become extraordinary.”

Donna was lost for words as she looked at Diana. “I guess I don’t know what to say… I never expected to hear that from you.” Donna had tried to earn Diana’s respect but she had seen less and less of her since she had decided to become part of the Teen Titans.

“You really don’t have to say anything….” Suddenly there was a loud clap of thunder as it interrupted the sisters’ bonding. Both women looked over head and saw Apollo appear.

“They have launched their assault did you notify Orin?” Apollo asked as the New Yorkers were pointing to the Olympian and Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl.

Diana nodded. “I told them and they shall be ready.”

“Then we go to war.” Apollo solemnly added.

“Alright!” Donna exclaimed. The three of them flew off into the skies over New York. The citizens of New York were cheering as they them flying off overhead.

~*~

Zirronis stood on the edge of the cliff and looked to Lilith. “This is our time finally.”

“Once we have victory, we will make this world ours’ forever!” She exclaimed in the excitement in the air.

The cries of battle had begun as the demon armies fought by air with the winged demons fighting against the winged horses and Amazons and on the ground. The clangs of swords and cries of agony as the flesh of the soldiers was torn open by the blunt blows of the armies as they battled each other with fervor and guile.

Diana leapt up to the air as she flew overhead and landed in front of Zirronis. She looked at Ares and shook her head. “You’ve made a mistake by siding with a demon!” Diana raised her shield as Zirron waved his hands and the powerful bolts of magical energy bounced off Diana’s shield.

Donna grabbed Lilith as she flung her against a pillar and the witch queen crumpled to the ground from Donna’s sudden attack.

Zirronis’ eyes glowed a dark red as he looked at Wonder Woman. “This isn’t your fight, Diana!”

Diana shook her head as she responded simply. “It is when you threaten my people, Lord Zirronis.”

Arion sided by Diana as Zirronis smiled. “Ares deal with Diana, I have my ancient score to settle with my old enemy.”

Ares grabbed his sword from his side and swung for Diana’s head, but she was able to leap into the air with a somersault and landed behind Ares. She sent a boot to his back as the unprepared Olympian fell to his knees from Diana’s surprise attack.

Arion created a blue shield from the red energy of Zirronis’ attacks. “I have waited for this day as well, Zirronis.” He was able to use his power to keep Zirronis at bay, but he couldn’t have predicted what would have come next.” Cade picked up a spear and flung it at Circe and Clea as at they had gathered behind Zirronis and Lilith. The spear went through them and found its mark as it embedded into the heart of Lilith. With a shriek of horror as her body fell to the ground as blood spewed out of her stricken body.

Zirronis’ glowed a darker red than they had before as he shook his head. “No!!!!” He ceased his attack on Arion for the moment as he fired magical bolts at Cade. Donna realized that the attacks were coming and she leapt and tried to keep them away from Cade but it was took late as his magical energy had reduced Cade McClellan to ashes on the ground.

Diana had gained the upper hand as she had grabbed her golden lasso and swooped up into the air as she bound the Olympian into the rope. “Yield, Ares!!” Diana exclaimed as she looked into his eyes.

“I will never yield to you child.” He shook his head as he started to grow in size, as he was now three times the size of her. Her lasso still was around his arms so that he couldn’t raise his sword to her.

Suddenly in the distance Diana saw a welcome sight as Orin rode in with the giant seahorses with him. She saw Garth by his side as she realized that the demon armies were now started to finally be repelled by the Venturian and Amazons as they had worked together to decimate the demon army.

Zirron took up the defense as Arion looked at him into the eyes. “This is not the time for this….we’ve so much to do.”

“I am not your servant any longer, Arion!!” Zirronis seemed a shell of himself with Lilith destroyed. “I don’t wish to live with her!”

He started to spin around faster and faster as Arion was forced to back away. Ares had been able to free himself of the golden lasso as he had become his normal size as he grabbed a sword and swung for Diana’s head but instead of fighting her any further he flung the sword into the whirlwind that Zirronis had created with his spinning. The miraculous thrust of his sword quickly found it’s mark as Zirronis gasped for his life as the sword pierced his heart. The dark lord fell to his knees as he let a scream of demonic energy. All of the battlefield had been wiped clean by the Amazons and Venturians with the aid of Orin’s reinforcements.

Zirronis fell dead at Arion’s feet as his body started to shrivel into skin and bones until nothing of life or the like of the darkness had remained. Arion looked at Apollo who now had descended, as Diana had been able to apprehend Ares again with the golden lasso. Arion lifted his hands and looked at Diana and Templeton who now appeared from behind a stone pillar and looked at Diana and then back to Arion. “While this battle was fought with quick results… I know that the dark lord will be back someday… it’s my hope that humanity will be free of my cousin’s tyranny for all time.”

“Where are you going?” Diana looked at Arion. “We have so much to learn from you…” Diana hoped that her appeal to him would convince him to stay.

“I must return to my realm, Diana… this world needs you though for your people are not yet satisfied.” He smiled. “Your time will come and you will be a great leader.” With that Arion disappeared with the bodies of Zirronis and Lilith.

Donna had been able to defeat the weakened Circe and Clea rather easily as she had bound them both up in her golden lasso. “What about the Three Stooges?” She asked Diana.

“Ares and his people must return to Tartarus.” Apollo intervened. “Balance and ordered must be restored.”

“We will return, Apollo.” Ares looked at him with hate. “We’re not done by any means.”

Diana shook her head. “Done for now.”

Apollo took them as he disappeared himself with Ares and Circe in tow. Clea remained behind as her daughter took custody of her. The armies that had been fighting below had just become one as the Venturians and Amazons were celebrating their stunning victory.

Donna joined her sisters down below in the celebration as Diana looked over as Templeton handed her an envelope that had Cade’s handwriting on it. “I grabbed this before we left…. I know it’s for his friend Diana Prince, but I think he wanted you to read it as well.”

Diana looked at Templeton and nodded. “I appreciate this… I’ll make sure she gets it.”

Templeton shook his head. “You’re a great woman, Wonder Woman… I hope you never leave humanity to fend for itself…” Templeton took a few steps away and then turned away as he took a winged horse mount as an Amazon soldier flew him back to his home in San Francisco.

Diana opened the letter and read it:
“Diana,

I know that we never had much of a chance to talk about… what could have been. But, I want you to know that I love you very much… just for the short months that I have known you. I have some things to discuss with you when we are able to get together. I need you to tell Wonder Woman that I think the U.S. Government is trying to set up the metahumans for something…. I am not sure what yet, but I just wanted to tell you my fears and feelings…

I love you,

Cade.”