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I don't own Justice League, though I damn well wish I did. Or maybe just Supergirl. Oh yeah. Her, a tropical island, and some coconut oil. That's all I'd need.
Athena receives the armor she commissioned Hepahestus to make for Wonder Woman, and takes it to Themyscira to give to their Queen, Hippolyta. However, what comes next is not what either Goddess or mortal expect. Set many years prior to the events of Justice League, including a glimpse into 'Secret Origins.'
Steady was the beat of the hammer, the never-ending music filled the forge as Hephaestus worked. Always worked. Day and night, working on his inventions. His beauties. Each and everyone his own personal creation, marked with his symbol. The volcano surrounded by lightning bolts. Each one as beloved as if they were his own children. His legs may have been close to useless but his hands were not, and they lovingly crafted every rivet, flow, and chink in his creations.
Right now he was working on a special project, done in secret. His employer was very stressful on that fact. No one was to know of his current work, and most especially not his half-brother, Ares. The God of War would doubtlessly benefit greatly from the knowledge of a weapon being forged to combat him, but as it is, he was blissfully unaware.
Finishing a final beat of his might hammer, Hephaestus picked up the item he'd been working on with his tongs and thrust it into the cooling water beside it, letting a great deal of steam rise up high into the air, momentarily blinding the aged smith. When it cleared, he drew back, holding up the item in question with the tongs, and lovingly admired his finished work.
A golden tiara, with a red star in the center.
As with all of his things, a tiny mark of his symbol had been branded onto the back of the tiara, but only someone actually looking for it would notice.
He sensed, rather than saw, he had a visitor. "Welcome," he said, turning around to face her, still holding the tongs and the tiara in his hand.
His visitor merely quirked an eyebrow, all calm and composed as she made her way down the stairs and into his sanctum. She was a Goddess, a radiant being of power, though now she'd assumed the guise of a lovely maiden with ivory-white skin and pure, crystal blue eyes. Her features were refined, classic beauty with high cheekbones and a pert nose. Hair as black as the midnight sky fell down to the middle of her back, between her shoulder-blades, and her lips were smooth, full, and red as apples. They were smiling now, as she entered Hephaestus's forge. She paused for a moment at the bottom of the stairs to lift up her snow white robes out of the soot, as she stepped forward to greet the grand smith.
"Greetings, my brother," she intoned, her voice musical. "I see you have been hard at work, as always."
"'course I have. And you, as always, are right on time," he replied with a big, toothy grin, "I'd just finished."
He placed the tiara down amongst the other items he'd crafted, including a pair of silver gauntlets, a golden lasso, some red boots, and a suit of armor specifically designed for a woman's build. The items glittered and shined with distinct red, blue, gold, and white colors. Quite a change from his usual armors of steel gray and night-black.
Athena stepped alongside the items, admiring them, but she too raised an eyebrow at their unusual coloration, glancing at Hephaestus.
"My wife decided to add a number of touches to them," he explained with a faint blush to his cheeks. "I cannot say no to her."
"Indeed," replied Athena with a faint smile. It was fairly common knowledge among the Olympians that Hephaestus, while a genius in the arena of smithing, was hopeless in the art of love. His marriage to the single most desirable woman in the heavens (or so some thought) had been a vast surprise to everyone, himself most of all. He did everything he could to try and make himself worthy of her, even if his attentions sometimes were misguided.
"Everything is as you specifically commissioned," he stated, his chest swelling with pride in his work. "This armor will make the perfect warrior out of its wearer."
"Perfect... warrior?" asked Athena lightly, curiously.
Hephaestus only smiled. He hadn't forgotten. "As I said, -all- of your specifications. A warrior for the cause of peace," he said, repeating her request. She, unlike her irritating half-brother Ares, did not simply want warriors who blindly followed her every whim. She did not want simple raw power, but principles and values and virtues. She was glad to see that Hephaestus had listened to her.
"My thanks, Hephaestus," she said, lifting up the armor to examine. It would indeed be a perfect fit for the Queen of Themyscira. She paused, however, as she noticed the brand on the inside of the belt. It reminded her of another small detail she thought best to sort through here and now, before taking the armor. "It's weakness?" she asked lightly.
"Now you know I don't go around telling everyone what those are," he said, folding his arms, the tongs still in his hands. He looked almost disappointed in her. "I'm glad you knew to ask though."
"So will you tell me?" she prompted quietly, placing the armor back down amongst the other items, hands clasped in front of her, awaiting patiently his response. It never failed. She could be incredibly patient when she wanted to be. One reason why Athena was often victorious in her clashes with Ares. His rage was often his undoing.
Hephaestus finally smiled, and placed his tongs away, lumbering his way over to the armor to admire as lovingly as he did all his creations. Some of the most powerful items in all the world had been made right there, at his forge. The bolts of lightning Zeus rained down upon the world. The Aegis Athena herself wore into battle, the chariot of Helios, and even the shield of Hercules. "Oh the armor has a weakness, no doubt about it there. But I won't tell you what it is. However, I will tell you this, and I think it'll please you," he added, holding up the tiara. "The strength of this armor lies in its wearer. As long as they themselves have faith, as long as they fight on the side of justice and peace and truth, this armor will ensure they are always victorious," he said with a dramatic air. With a flourish, he handed the tiara to Athena, who accepted it gratefully.
"Thank you, Hephaestus."
"Always a pleasure," he replied, lumbering back over to his forge and picking up his great hammer. "Now, you'll have to excuse me. Zeus has commissioned another half a dozen lightning bolts for a storm in the morning. I really should get to work... you know how he can be when he gets angry," he added meaningfully.
Athena smirked at that, knowing exactly how her father was. And thought, for that matter. A small side-effect of her most unusual birth. With a polite curtsey to Hephaestus, she gathered up the items and hid them within the folds of her robes (though they seemed to vanish into thin air) and departed, shaking the soot from her robes as she climbed up the stairs and departed the great smithy of Hephaestus. Behind her, again she heard the music of the forges and the roar of the bellows.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
And now, she thought with a wry grin, mother of Diana.
She stood, ending her prayers, and made her way to the window, peering out at the streets of her fair city. She could make out Diana easily amidst the other Amazons. She was the only one who was a child, of course. Well, apart from her newfound adopted sister, Aresia. Ah, there they were now. A black-haired girl of perhaps ten years of age, followed by a blonde perhaps a year or so younger than she. They were running down the streets. Racing, really, though they were running laps around the city under the watchful eye of General Phillipus. As Hippolyta watched, Phillipus gave them an encouraging yell, and the two young ladies continued their run, each doing their best to beat the other.
For what, she couldn't say. It wasn't as if either would be rewarded for finishing first. It was just one of those instinctive things with children, or so Hippolyta assumed. The Amazons of Themyscira were immortal, they did not grow old and die, and because there were no men, there had been no new amazons in nearly a millennia until Diana had been born. And then Aresia had arrived, safely brought to them by the heroics of the sea captain.
As always, thoughts of the captain she pushed away from her mind, trying not to think of it. After she'd buried him she'd had a number of thoughts run through her mind that she could not dwell on as Queen of the Amazons. Like the wonder if some men truly could be noble. But whenever she did, she was reminded of the war that drove out Aresia's family in the first place, and even after that of the pirates who had left them all for dead.
Hippolyta realized she was thinking about such things again and shut them away, taking the steps down the temple to the exit, wandering down into the very streets where her daughters had run past moments before.
As she did, a sudden sound caught her attention, and her head snapped up to a nearby rooftop. It was a hoot, and sitting there was an owl. Curious, she thought. She didn't think many owls would be up at this time of day. This one would be finding a perch to sleep for the evening.
Instead, the owl suddenly took flight and, to Hippolyta's astonishment, drifted down gracefully to meet her. As it did, it changed. It's snow white feathers became snow white robes. It startling blue eyes shifted, his beak becoming a nose, ebon hair flowed out from behind her head as the owl vanished, replaced by a young woman who dropped gracefully onto the ground before Hippolyta. Having just been inside of her temple, the Queen of Themyscira recognized her instantly.
"Athena," she breathed reverently, dropping to one knee respectfully. Nearby, the other Amazons who had spotted the Goddess made similar gestures. The coming and goings of Gods, while not frequent, were not unheard of in the least. On an Island removed from time, they still believed and worshipped the Olympian pantheon where most of the world had let it fade into legend and myth.
"Rise, your Majesty," said Athena diplomatically, waving a hand to bid Hippolyta rise.
At the far end of the street, completing yet another of the laps General Phillipus had ordered of them, Aresia and Diana skidded to a stop, looking on in awe. At such a young age, neither of them had yet seen a Goddess on Themyscira, yet there was no doubt in either of their minds they saw one now. She was incredibly beautiful, graceful, and held an aloof manner that could've only made her an Olympian. And since of them had received the absolute best education available on the Isle, they immediately identified her as Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom.
"Should... should we bow?" asked Aresia quietly, whispering to Diana.
"I'm not sure," replied the little Princess. "She doesn't seem to want us to... we're too far away and she's not even asking Mother to. See? She's asking her to get up."
"Okay, that's good," said Aresia, who didn't like to bow all that much anyway. But she did because she was supposed to.
"I wonder what she's here for," asked Diana thoughtfully.
Athena interrupted the two of them, waving her hand at the gathered Amazons dismissively. "Be about your regular duties, my sisters," she said, her voice reaching each and every one of them. "I have a matter of importance to discuss with your Queen."
With that, Athena and Hippolyta re-entered the temple of the former, while Phillipus set up two guards by the entrance, well out of ear-shot of the two inside. She'd heard the tone in Athena's voice, and while not an expert on Goddesses she'd dealt with politicians and the Queen enough to recognize a desire for privacy when it was spoken. She did not want to have them interrupted.
Most of the Amazons wisely took the cue and turned back to their duties as they had before. However, when all was said and done the dark-skinned general found two who hadn't left. Diana and Aresia.
"You two aren't allowed to enter," she stated darkly, hoping to intimidate them away. They were notorious trouble-makers, but they always had respected the rulings of the Queen and the General in matters before. Phillipus liked it that way. She wanted them to be just a little scared of her, at least.
"What are Athena and mother talking about?" asked Diana curiously.
"That is none of your concern Princess," replied Phillipus. "Now both of you get out of here. You're done for today but you'll have plenty to do tomorrow. Now get!" she said, relieved when both the girls ran back down the street, glad to have some free time to play. It wouldn't last. Tomorrow Phillipus would work the twice as hard. It was part of her duties, making sure they grew up as proper Amazons. Hippolyta and some of the scholars were handling their non-physical education.
General Phillipus stood by the stone staircase anyway, arms folded across her breastplate. She had an uneasy feeling something profound was going to come from the conversation inside. Rarely did anything involving a Goddess mean anything less.
Athena nodded sagely. "For a while now I have grown concerned with the progress and advancement of Ares and his wars. Already the world is soaked in bloodshed and it grows worse with each passing generation. I and the other Gods and Goddess do what we can, but we must work indirectly. Our true power lies with our followers. With mortals."
"And you wish one of the Amazons to become this Wonder Woman and enter man's world?" asked Hippolyta. Athena nodded simply.
"Then there must be a way to choose such a worthy individual," said Hippolyta, thinking aloud and barely paying attention to her divine patron as she strode throughout the temple. "A tournament perhaps, to see who is most suited to the rigors of the assignment. All could..."
"No Queen, you misunderstand," said Athena, interrupting her gently. Hippolyta stopped dead in her tracks, glancing over at the ebon-haired Goddess. "An amazon has already been selected by myself. And she has shown considerable promise. She is fearless, she is quick-witted and skilled with blade and bracer. And she is a skilled diplomat capable of solving problems without the need to rely on violence, as a follower of Ares would."
"Who?"
"You."
Hippolyta's crystal-blue eyes widened in near shock. She hadn't wielded a blade in almost three centuries now. She felt herself stiffen fearfully as well. Man's world? And not an hour earlier she'd just though of how glad she would have been to see it purged. Go forth and protect its people? She did not know if she had the strength of character to accept such a mission.
Athena, not able to sense her thoughts, guided Hippolyta over to a nearby altar and swished her robes across the top. As it cleared the stone, the armor became visible beneath, placed on the altar and spread out. The sunlight, just having peeked over the horizon, lit up the items and made them glitter like gold, some of which were. Bright blues, reds, golds, silvers and whites, all repeating a star image and bearing the mark of Hephaestus. Truly, were any worthy to wear such armor?, Hippolyta thought. It seemed almost... improper... for any being other than a Goddess to wear.
"I... I am not certain what to say," she breathed out quietly, a myriad of thoughts going through her head. Athena raised an eyebrow in confusion. Had she been mistaken? Hippolyta was the epitome of the Amazon way, she was perfect for the Wonder Woman she was asking for. Still, she could not force the Queen if she did not wish for this. But how had she erred?
"What troubles you, your Majesty?"
"I. I believe I am unworthy of this task," she replied, bowing her head before Athena. "I am already bound to this Isle, I am bid to guard the Gates of Tartarus until such time as my own sentence is up for my unwitting betrayal of you and your brethren. As such... surely I cannot be the Amazon you seek."
"A crime of circumstance," said Athena. "I can have such lifted if that is truly the case. I sense there is more, however," she said, her crisp blue eyes, so much like Hippolyta's own, boring into hers. "Please continue."
"I cannot leave. The others, they look to me as their Queen. I have a responsibility to my people before the people of the world," argued Hippolyta, keeping her head lowered. To think, she was almost defying a Goddess. She should have been ashamed of herself, yet instead she felt oddly calm. Athena had a way of doing that. Making cool heads see reason and wisdom. She was doing so now.
"Your daughter will make a worthy replacement for you," said Athena, smiling again. "Perhaps you are right, however. This is not a decision to be reached lightly. I will therefore give you time to think on this and prepare yourself for whatever decision you make."
The Goddess of Wisdom stretched out a hand, lightly touching the armor on the altar. Again, it sparkled with an inner glow. It seemed brighter now, however. Hippolyta watched in awe.
"This armor cannot be stolen, cannot be moved, cannot be touched, by any whom I do not deem worthy to bear the title of Wonder Woman. Thus, until such an Amazon comes forth, whomever they may be," she said, peering up at Hippolyta again. "It cannot be stolen by others."
"Thank you, Goddess," said Hippolyta, bowing low before her. It was only respectful. "I promise, I will not waste this time that has been given to me. I will prepare for the future."
"You have my gratitude," replied Athena. Then, her business with Hippolyta complete, she metamorphosed into an owl and flapped her wings, flying out of the temple and startling the guards posted there, flying up into the sky. She'd intended to return to Mt. Olympus, but one final thing remained before she departed. She drew her wings in close and dove back down towards another part of the Amazonian city, unnoticed by its inhabitants.
The endless combat training Phillipus had drilled into Aresia and Diana was being put to use for a less noble means as the two young ladies rough-housed. They weren't truly fighting, of course. They were just having fun, and they loved a good tussle as much as any activity they could find on the very quiet, peaceful island of Themyscira.
Diana swung out her arm, aiming for Aresia's head but the blonde was ready and blocked, her arm neatly connecting with Diana's and pushing it off, breaking inside of her guard. She brought her knee up, aiming for her black-haired siblings stomach but Diana crossed her arms and blocked the knee, pushing it back down. Switching tactics, Aresia lashed out with her foot but Diana grabbed her ankle and twisted, spinning Aresia off balance and letting her fall to the ground with a rather ungraceful thud.
"Give up?" asked Diana.
"Rrrr!" growled Aresia, who hated losing. She swung out a fist suddenly, angrily, nearly breaking Diana's nose as it swung past her cheek instead, the Princess managing to dodge aside in time. Diana quickly grabbed her arm and, using what Phillipus had taught her, restrained Aresia in a headlock rather than hit her again.
"Come on Aresia give up! You've lost!"
"NO!" shouted the other girl, struggling futilely against Diana's grip. It was hopeless. They were evenly matched for strength (being as strong as fully grown women despite their young age) and Aresia's leverage was all wrong. Still, she fought like a wildcat, squirming against her sister, refusing to be beaten, even though Diana had clearly won. Still, the young Princess was being as merciful as she could. She wasn't hurting Aresia, at least.
An owl on a nearby rooftop watch the tussling Amazon's, its unusually blue eyes blinking as it peered down at them.
"Perhaps another Amazon can fill the boots of Wonder Woman," mused Athena aloud. "Time will tell," it thought, as Aresia and Diana reluctantly separated and ended their little fight. Aresia had also managed to calm down considerably. They were like sisters after all, they loved one another deep down, even if they were always in fierce competition.
Unnoticed by either the Amazons or Athena, a black crow had fluttered down onto a rooftop opposite of where the snow-white owl was roosting. It too was peering down at the sisters with blue eyes, though its eyes were dead and lifeless as rock.
"Can't best me, little sister," hissed the crow in a voice that, had any of the Olympians been present to hear it, would have recognized it as belonging to Ares, the God of War. "I've caught wind of your little plan to spread peace. It won't work. You're not the only one who can find those to work for you," he added thoughtfully, as Aresia and Diana reluctantly separated and ended their little fight. And though she was calm now, Ares had seen a fierce, burning rage inside the blonde false Amazon. Rage he could exploit.
If Athena would have her Wonder Woman, Ares would have his Fury.
The owl and crow departed, though they were fully aware of each other's presence, neither the sisters nor the Amazons noticed their going. But General Phillipus had been right. Something profound had happened on Themyscira that day, and it rested in the hands of three Amazonian women: Hippolyta, Diana, and Aresia.
The dreams had come again this night, shortly after she'd fallen asleep. Dreams, calling out to her. Not visions, not divine in origins, but something strange. Like a sorcerer's work, perhaps. Some strange man called for aid in defeating his enemies. Enemies of all mankind, of all the world. She could sense it, she could sense deep down the Gods would not be able to protect Themyscira from this evil. Not if they stood aside and did nothing.
Thus, there was only one option.
Princess Diana stepped forward towards the altar, where rested the armor Athena had delivered unto them what seemed like ages ago, when she'd been only a child. Hippolyta had told her of its significance, and of the significance of the warrior who would one day don it. Wonder Woman.
She lifted the cowl from her head, revealing her features. For a moment she hesitated, almost sensing the spirit of her mother hanging over her shoulder. She turned as if to face it, speaking to the night air.
"Mother... forgive me," she intoned softly. Then, steeling herself, she shed the robe from her body and reached down to take the armor. If Athena found her worthy, she would be permitted to take it... if not...
She reached for the lasso first, and then the tiara, placing it atop of her head. To her vast relief, nothing happened. Smiling, she grabbed up the armor and placed it on, piece by piece, until she stood a changed woman. The armor was a little tight in places, but that was because she was slightly more endowed than she was, slightly different of build, with more muscles and longer legs. Still, she'd never worn anything so comfortable, anything that felt so right against her skin. This was right, she realized. Her choice, her decision. It was her destiny. Diana smiled as she felt an instinctive urge to lift herself up into the air, and to her vast delight she flew. The air rustled through her black hair as she departed the Isle of Themyscira, flying towards the call from the strange sorcerer a changed woman.
Wonder Woman.
She watched with a sense of pride the achievements of her chosen Wonder Woman, Diana of Themyscira. Hippolyta's earlier refusal had, ultimately, been for the best. Diana was truly the better choice. The images in the water proved this to her as she saw her. Hippolyta would have settled her argument with the Lantern then and there, and likely beaten him senseless instead of chiding him with his own uncouth observation (rookie indeed). Or done the same to Batman. Instead, did Athena perhaps see something between those two warriors? She smiled as she saw how devastated her warrior looked when she thought the Dark Knight dead. That was good. She cared. She cared for people who were virtual strangers to her. She cared for their happiness.
She would be a perfect Wonder Woman.
A sudden burst of flame nearly startled Athena but she managed to appear as calm and collected as always as Ares made his usual dramatic appearance. She supposed she shouldn't have been surprised, the room was a common one on Mt. Olympus and while Ares was one of the most active gods and often away, he was always coming back to deal with one matter or another. Evidently, now, his interest was in her and her chosen warrior.
"So this is your warrior?" asked Ares, peering over her shoulder at the images of Diana battling the alien invaders. A smirk was on his lips, his tone was condescending, but Athena could sense even Ares was impressed. "She is not half bad," he said. Then added, hissing into her ear, 'For a girl.'
Athena did not rise to his challenge. Of all the Olympians she alone could maintain a level head in any situation. She would not permit her hot-headed, arrogant half-brother irritate her. She would not give him the satisfaction. Instead, with a smirk, she stretched out a hand and pointed her finger. Ares, confused by her lack of retort, followed it... and watched as Wonder Woman drew back the alien craft with her golden lasso and, with the aid of fellow heroine Hawkgirl, destroyed the Imperium and ended the threat, smashing the black ship into the alien structure and killing all on board.
Ares felt a part of his wretched soul quake at the sight of such destruction. And yet, at the same time... he also felt thrilled by it.
"Hephaestus certainly did good when he made Wonder Woman's armor, didn't he?" she asked lightly, taunting him instead now, and watched as Ares stalked out furiously.
"Perhaps I'll speak to him about a suit of my own!" shouted back the God of War over his shoulder.
Athena, now alone, allowed herself a self-righteous grin. Victory was hers yet again. "Very good armor indeed you did make, Hephaestus," she whispered to herself. "But as you said, it is the warrior who makes the armor. And I found the most perfect imaginable. If she fights for the just causes, for truth and justice, and her faith never breaks... she will indeed be invincible."
Is it just me, or is JLU jam-packed full of Wonder Woman? So far she's the only member of the League to appear in all four of its first four episodes, plus she's really starting to steal the spotlight away from Flash and J'onn. And now, more Wonder Woman. Or at least, the secret origins of her costume. Anyway, references and such. Let's see. Athena's appearance I modeled largely after Wonder Woman herself obviously. I always wondered why Diana, an amazon and coming from a people who obviously want little to do without the outside world, got a costume that is emblazoned with the red, blue and white stars and stripes? (any doubts, see the soldier's reactions to her in the 'Savage Time') So I could only conclude that Aphrodite did it. Obviously, to stay in continuity I couldn't very well reveal the weakness of Wonder Woman's armor (in case the writers want to do it later in the show) but I did imply it had some inner, unseen powers of its own. Athena's unusual birth is a well document greek myth that states she sprung, fully grown, right out of his skull (he'd swallowed Athena's mother, Metis, a bit prior). Aided by Hephaestus, actually. Athena's symbol is the owl, in case anyone did not know that, and she often assumed its shape in the myths she was involved in. Hippolyta's punishment involving the guarding of the Gates of Tartarus are shown in 'Paradise Lost,' and Aresia comes from 'Fury,' obviously. The idea of holding a tournament to find an Amazon worthy to become Wonder Woman is the comic secret origins of Diana, who entered the contest in secret (and defiance of Hippolyta still) to win the title. Also comic related is the mention of Aresia as 'the Fury' which was her title in the old comics when she was a servant of Ares (still might be, if she isn't dead) and worked his will to sow chaos and destruction. The second-to-last scene is, of course, taken directly from 'Secret Origins,' whereas the last one is simply some final sibling rivalry between Ares and Athena that leads into the events of 'Hawk and Dove.'
