54This is the Third Chapter, and where the story will really kick off! Sorry if the last chapter seemed somewhat rushed, but I really wanted to get to Chapter 3, because I knew that this is what I wanted to write all along!
New Genesis
Izaya the Highfather's head rang with warning from the Source of all things. He could not remember when the ringing in his head was so fierce. He managed to carry himself to the Source, surrounded by his cohorts who wanted to support their leader.
Izaya bowed to one knee and raised his hands to commune with the Source so that he could interpret the warning more clearly. As he chanted in his head, the ringing stopped and Izaya was able to form the warning words.
'The Destroyer of All Things have returned. All of existence is in danger.' Izaya paled at this warning.
'Highfather?' One of his children asked as he slowly rose up. 'What has the Source told you?'
'The Destroyer of All Things have returned. He who has existed before will come to destroy us all.' Izaya has whispered. 'He is older than I, this universe even. And he hates everything...' The Highfather looked at his children. 'I must commune with other members of Quintessence. Leave me.' Izaya ordered and his children left as Izaya called other members of the Quintessence.
SO SMALL, ALL OF YOU...That same voice again. A slightly deep masculine voice that was slightly like Conner's. But this voice...it was full of so much...anger...
Everything was so silent...the air around the forge...the earth...everything...like the calm before a storm.
Everything then exploded. A burst of unbelievable energy burst from the cauldron, incinerating the entire forge and causing the volcano to erupt. Clark managed to fly out with Hephaestus in his arms out of the erupting Mt. Etna.
"The volcano..." Hephaestus muttered. "You didn't cause that, did you?" The Forge God looked at Clark, who shook his head. "I thought so...but who did?"
Suddenly, something massive emerged from volcano. A giant bird of fire rose from the volcano. A bird covered with red, yellow, and white flames that seemed to burn nearly anything around it.
"A phoenix..." That was best way Clark could describe it. He was right. It was a Phoenix. So large that it seemed to cover and light the entire sky. It then burst into the air, flying toward the sky. It made the entire sky light up in red and yellow, as if the sun suddenly exploded. Its flames were so fierce that the ocean next to Mt. Etna were slowly evaporating.
"It is going toward Mt. Olympus!" Hephaestus yelled. "Kryptonian! We must get there before that thing attacks Olympus!"
Clark shook his head for a second to try to understand what happened, and then realized that Diana was on Olympus. "Agreed. Let's go." Clark flew up to Mount Olympus with Hephaestus in his arms.
"Do you know what that thing is?" Clark asked and the Forge God shook his head.
"I don't, but I do know that thing is not good." Hephaestus glanced at Clark. "You know...that thing actually might be your younger brother."
Clark looked at him in confusion. "My brother is half-Kryptonian, half human. Not a phoenix!"
"Listen to me, Kryptonian." Hephaestus spoke as they passed through the magical barrier. This time there was no violent winds or meteors. "I have seen so many weird things in my life that I basically threw away what I thought was possible or not. And the cauldron in my forge is special. Normal forge fires are used to burn away impurities. Mine is the same, except it burns away any impurities, physical or mental."
"So you are saying that my brother could still be alive and just be transformed into a Phoenix?" Clark wondered that. "That seems farfetched."
"When you live in the realm of Gods, Kryptonian, there is no such thing as far fetched." Hephaestus spoke. They rose out of the clouds and saw Mount Olympus.
Or at least what was left of it.
The proud and majestic Mt Olympus was burned so badly that it was still burning and pieces of it was slowly falling off.
"Mt. Olympus is..." Hephaestus stammered as Clark's eyes widened. "Diana!" Clark burst forward toward Olympus.
"Go through that crack, Kryptonian!" Hephaestus pointed at the large crack. "That will take us straight to Apollo's temple!" Clark and Hephaestus flew into the crack.
Apollo's Temple Room
It was instant, like a hydrogen bomb went off. Suddenly, Mt. Olympus exploded and burst into flames, destroying nearly everything inside and outside. Diana was knocked off her feet and barely managed to escape death by immolation. The flames were no simple fire. The fire was so intense it could burn the very pillars of Olympus, forged by Gods and their magic. She slowly fell unconscious by the heat of the flames.
When Diana came to, she saw Apollo's room was a wreck, with pillars destroyed and everything pretty much still burning. She looked around for Strife and Apollo to see if they were alive.
"gurrr..." Diana heard gurgle and ran to its source and saw Apollo, who was on kneeling on the ground with his neck in the hands of a dark stranger facing away from Diana. She hid behind column and leaned forward to see the stranger's face, but all Diana could make out was that the stranger was male and that he had very long mane of raven black hair that reached his knees.
Apollo, you insignificant worm... The stranger spoke in a voice so cold that even Diana had the chills. His voice was like power itself, as if he spoke and the entire atmosphere fell silent to listen. You are like all the rest of your pitiful kind...not knowing your place in this universe...not knowing how insignificant you really are... The stranger gripped Apollo's neck tighter, causing the God of Sun spit fiery ichor.
But your insolence and arrogance have awoken me from my slumber. Thus I shall reward you...with eternal pain. The stranger did something that Diana could not see, but Apollo began to scream in pain so loudly that the halls of Olympus echoed. Diana focused and saw Apollo's body nearly bursting with black flames. Apollo writhed and coiled with pain, but the black flames didn't burn out.
The Amazon Princess walked out of hiding and unsheathed your sword. "Face, demon. Who are you?!" Diana demanded and the stranger turned to face her. He was truly unlike any being she had ever seen. He was extremely tall, with Diana reaching only his chin. He had mane of black hair that reached his knees. He wore black robes that Diana swore looked familiar to her in some way. He had icy blue eyes and his face was very beautiful and handsome and had slight resemblance to her Kal, except the stranger looked sharper. He looked like in his mid-late twenties, though Diana doubted that was actually his age.
Foolish demigod. The stranger spoke and suddenly the entire atmosphere became oppressively heavy and hot, so hot that Diana was sweating profusely. Not even Hephaestus's forge could make her sweat and burn. Like Apollo, you do not know your place. Diana's sword burned so hot that Diana had to drop it and she watched it melt on the ground. Diana stanced to attack, but found herself pressed down to the floor on her knees by unimaginable pressure.
"Who are you?" Diana demanded. "And why have you attacked Olympus?"
I have returned...that is all you need to know. The stranger stood still, but he did something, for the pressure around him intensified so much that Olympus was breaking apart far more quickly. The giant walls of Olympus were cracking and breaking, making the entire mountain collapse onto itself. Diana was barely able to keep herself up on her knee.
"Diana!" Diana turned to see her lover and her half brother arrive. Clark landed next him and Hephaestus next to Diana. "Are you okay?" Clark also buckled at the intense gravity, as if gravity was suddenly increased a billion fold. Of course he didn't fall down, but it definitely made him buckle slightly.
"I am, but Olympus is not." Diana pointed to the stranger. "And he is responsible."
Clark also turned to the stranger. "Who are you?" He didn't look like anybody that Clark ever met, though he did seem familiar to him for some reason.
It seems that Jor-El continues to annoy me even now. The stranger spoke. Billions of years pass and nothing changes.
"I don't understand." Clark continued. "What are you? Are you Conner?"
That boy no longer matters. He was merely a means to an end for me. The Stranger slowly levitated into the air. What does matter is that I have returned. He created a spherical field of black energy around himself. And that you will die.
Clark's eyes widened as he predicted what would happen. "Look out!" Clark grabbed Diana and Hephaestus and flew as fast as he could. The spherical energy field expanded at an exponential rate and destroyed Mt. Olympus inside and out, causing the entire thing to fall. Giant pieces of once great palace fell like giant meteors to the Earth.
Jor's blood has been weakened. That boy can't stop me. There is only one more obstacle now. The Stranger slowly faded away. I still have not fully returned to my original form. I must enter hibernation to regain all of my strength. He disappeared completely, but not before releasing an explosive wave that began to affect the Earth.
Meanwhile, Clark and Diana flew around, avoiding the falling pieces of once great Olympus. Diana was holding onto Strife, who was badly burnt and unconscious while Clark held onto Hephaestus and a badly injured Apollo.
'Kal! We have to save whom we can!' Diana yelled. 'Drop them off at Themyscira and come back as quickly as you can!'
'I got it!' Clark flew down to leave the two Olympians down on the beaches of Themyscira. He dropped Hephaestus down and gently put Apollo in Hephaestus's arms.
'Is he okay?' Clark asked the God of Fire, who clicked his tongue as he looked upon his half-brother.
'The God of Sun, burnt out like a dying candle...' Hephaestus grumbled. 'He is not dead yet. Go up there and help Diana.'
Clark didn't wait for Hephaestus to finish and flew up as fast as he could. As he flew up, he began to think about the being he saw before. For some reason he looked familiar, though Clark was sure that he had never seen that kind of being before. But that being mentioned Jor. Was he talking about his father? What did Jor-El have to do with him? And what happened to Conner?
Clark arrived back up less than a second on Olympus, where Diana was holding up the rest of the Olympians: Artemis, Eros, and Aphrodite. Hermes however was flying.
'Any other survivors?' Clark asked and Diana shook her head. 'They are all there is left, except for Hera who is still in London.' Clark offered to help and Aphrodite flung into Clark's arms.
'Hello, Kal-El.' The goddess of Love cooed. 'Thank you for rescuing us.' Clark looked at Diana with slight discomfort and Diana returned it.
Clark and Diana dropped the rest of the Olympians on the beaches of Themyscira. Artemis ran to her near-dead brother while the other Olympians regrouped.
'I will bring Hera here. No doubt she has at least felt what has happened here.' Diana flew away and soon brought Hera, Zola, and Zeke along with here.
'You fool.' Hera walked to Apollo's body and kicked sand over him. 'What have you done now to doom us all!?'
'Stop it!' Artemis shoved Hera back. 'You Mortal cannot attack your King.'
'This King and your fool of a brother just led Olympus to destruction. Not even Zeus was this foolish!' Hera pointed at baby in Zola's arms. The Olympians knew already that Zeke was the child vessel of Zeus. They decided to let Zeke grow naturally so that Zeke would perhaps become a better being than Zeus was.
Zeke looked at the Olympians with a curious look. Then he saw Clark and Diana, his favorite couple, squealed, and raised his arms.
"Well that's cute." Strife snorted as Clark lifted and held Zeke closely. 'I bet Father never held us like that.'
'Enough!' Hera yelled. 'I demand to know what is going on.' She snarled at Artemis, the nearest goddess to her. Artemis growled and formed wolf-like teeth, but Hera slapped the shining goddess. Hermes broke the tension and went to explain the situation. While the Gods bickered, Diana, Clark, and Zola moved to the side. Zeke held onto Clark's finger tightly as the three adults talked to each other.
'There is a chance that Conner is alive.' Clark said to Diana. 'It is possible that the being we saw before is another form of Conner.'
'Are you sure? Conner was a Kryptonian hybrid. That being I felt, however, was most definitely a God, more powerful than any I have ever felt.' Diana stated. 'But what was he exactly?'
Suddenly, Diana heard something large approaching them and turned, only to see something she did not expect. Her Amazon sisters, led in force by Phillipus and the Amazon Queen Hippolyta. They were all armed to the teeth, ready to fight against any invader. But when they saw the Olympians, they lowered their weapons.
"By-Zeus..." Hippolyta whispered. "Diana!"
"Mother..." Diana whispered and ran to hug her mother.
"I thought you transformed them into snakes." Zola looked at Hera, who was dumbfounded as well.
"I did! But for some reason, they are back in their human state!" Hera walked forward to greet the Amazons once again. As the former Queen of the Gods approached the Amazons, the Amazons lifted their weapons again.
"That will not be necessary." Hera responded and once again, Hera and Hippolyta faced each other again after so many months.
"Hera." Hippolyta bowed before her once more and the God Queen, unlike raging like last time, only sighed.
"Hippolyta. I must confess that I did not expect to see you and the Amazons back." Hera stated and Hippolyta looked up at her.
"You mean, you did not forgive us?" Hippolyta asked.
"Far from it. But now is not the time for forgiveness." Hera pointed at Apollo. "That fool's son nearly destroyed Olympus and we are the only survivors. For some reason that attack turned you all back into humans. So while you are still guilty of your crimes, Hippolyta, I am willing to set them aside for now for the good of Olympus."
"I understand." Hippolyta stood back up and looked at the rest of the Olympians, along with one she had never seen before. He was much like the Gods, except a more fairer and more powerful looking if that was ever possible. He was taller than the Olympians and had a very lean and muscular build. He was also wearing a blue clothing that accentuated his muscles and a red cape behind him. "But what is he and why is he here?" Hippolyta asked and Diana immediately knew she was talking about her Kal.
"He helped save us Olympians along with Diana." Hera answered. "He is not an enemy of Olympus or Themyscira."
"I...understand." Hippolyta motioned her army to stand down, but then saw Diana floating to him and touching his face affectionately. They shared a few words in a language she could not understand and in a way between lovers. "Diana?"
The Princess looked at her mother. "It is what you believe, mother. This man is my lover, Kal-El, otherwise known as Superman in the Man's World."
That immediately riled things up. The Amazons immediately raised their weapons and shields, ready to kill the man upon the Queen's order, but Hippolyta was too confused and overwhelmed by this new information. Meanwhile Strife cackled at the chaos, Aphrodite giggled, Hermes rubbed his forehead, Dionysus poured another cup of wine, and Hephaestus crossed his arms and grunt.
"Diana. How could you!?" Hippolyta asked. "How could you take a man as your lover? Have you already forgotten what men are?"
"Mother, I remember how hypocritical you and my sisters have been for centuries!" Diana argued and her mother fell silent. "I know what the Amazons have done. Luring men in see, mating with them before killing them, selling boys for Hephaestus's weapons. I know it all!"
Hippolyta's face paled even more so and looked down at her ground in shame.
"I believe that the Amazons were honorable and just, up until I found out the Amazons were no better than the beasts they described men to be." Diana spoke, striking outrage at her sisters. "So please tell me, mother. From what high ground do you judge me?"
Hippolyta looked at her daughter's face and saw great anger and sadness. Clark was about to go, but Hermes stopped the Kryptonians.
"This has to happen. Don't interfere." The pale messenger god stated and Clark reluctantly agreed. He saw Hippolyta trying to form justification for Amazon's atrocities, but failing.
"I wanted to tell you that I forgive you for the lies you told me about my birth. That was the last thing I wanted to do before I saw you turned to stone." Diana started. "But now...I don't know if I am ready to..."
"Diana..." Zola spoke softly. She was the one who had convinced Diana to forgive her mother in the past.
Suddenly, a boom tube opened and a figure came out, the Highfather Izaya of New Genesis and his foster son Orion.
"Highfather." The Olympians briefly bowed their heads (except for Apollo, who was moaning in pain on the sand). Izaya nodded and he walked to Kal-El.
"Son of Krypton, we must talk." Izaya started.
Quintessence Meeting Dimension (A few moments ago)
'He has returned, can you not feel it?' - Izaya asked the four other members.
'We can all sense it.' Phantom Stranger echoed. "What do we do now?"
"We must seek Lord Ad'un at once.' Ganthet pleaded. 'He is perhaps the only one who can stop the Destroyer.'
'Lord Ad'un has not been seen for eons. The only person who knows where or when he is perhaps his previous student Zeus's daughter Athena.'-Shazam offered.
'But would he even receive us? He cast out the Elder Gods from Eden for their selfishness and has rarely interacted with the world since?' Izaya asked. 'He has even judged the Guardians as unworthy.' He pointed at Ganthet, who could not hide his disappointment.
'There is one whom Lord Ad'un would receive.' Stranger spoke and the other three knew of whom he was talking about. 'Let one of us go to him.'
Themyscira
Diana had take her mother and sisters to inform them about what happen to them and Olympus. She had a great deal to talk with her people, so she started as quickly as she could. She told her mother and sisters about Hera's vengeance against the Amazons by turning them into a statue and snakes, the ordeal with Zola and her son Zeke, the disaster of the First Born, and most important of all, her relationship with Clark. To avoid any sudden attacks, Diana decided that she talk with her people in the city while Clark talk with the member of Quintessence at the beach.
Clark looked up at Izaya. "You mentioned Ad'un. That is the Kryptonian God of Wisdom and Knowledge. How is he involved in this? Just what is going on here?" He glared at the All-Father.
"It is rather complicated to explain it all." Izaya tapped his scepter on his hand. "Tell us what you know of the Kryptonian Gods and I will try to fill in the blanks."
Clark nodded. "There was Rao, the Sun God and Father of the Gods. Un'oh'na, the Mother Goddess of Life, Ad'un the God of Wisdom and Enlightenment, Ha'o the God of Destruction and Honor, and Jor, the God of Strength and Hope." He recited what he had learned.
"It is more accurate to call them Primordials. They are actually beings who existed long before I, or any being, did. In fact they were the first who came into being in this universe. They are behind many of the creations in this universe, including the very first Kryptonians." Izaya explained. "The one who destroyed Olympus was none other than Ha'o the God of Destruction. He is the original Destroyer." Izaya barely hid his stutter.
"You fear him." Clark noticed the slight shudder and began to wonder what kind of being Ha'o truly was.
"A being whom Darkseid reveres to be is worthy of such terror." The All-Father walked with Clark along the beach. "He was so powerful that he was only stopped by your ancestor Jor-El. Jor-El somehow defeated him and made it such that Ha'o could not return to this universe for billions of years, until now."
Izaya stopped walking. "The only one who knows how to defeat Ha'o is Lord Ad'un. He is Ha'o's elder brother and considered the wisest being in this universe. Even we of Quintessence bow to him in wisdom. But he has not been seen for billions of years."
"Then how can we find him?" Clark growled at the all the dead ends. He had to find the only being who could stop this all-powerful destroyer and even the All-Father did not know where he was.
"There is one who may know." Izaya answered. "Athena. She was Ad'un's student long ago."
"Then I have to ask Diana." Clark said to himself and flew to where Diana and the Amazons were. Izaya watched the Last Son of Krypton fly away and sighed.
"Highfather." Orion asked. "What is your command?"
"Have everyone return to New Genesis and prepare the Mass-Exodus." Izaya said to his foster son. "We must prepare for anything that may happen."
"Understood." Orion was about to use his mother box, but then suddenly decided to fly to where the Amazons were using his Astro Harness.
Amazon Arena
Diana had rallied the survivors of Olympus and her Amazon princess to the Arena. The very same arena where Diana confronted her mother about being the daughter of Zeus. The very arena where her sisters were turned to snakes and her mother a statue. For some reason, the transformations were reversed and the Amazons had returned to their human selves. The Olympians could not understand how or why.
Hera, Hermes, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Strife, Apollo, Zola, and Zeke were the only ones who had survived the destruction of Olympus. Apparently Hermes had teleported all that he could to another dimension before Olympus was destroyed. When they returned to the real world, Olympus had already fallen and Diana led them to Themyscira to safety.
Their arrival to Themyscira wasn't exactly friendly. Last thing Amazons remembered was the vengeful Goddess of Marriage turning them into animals. They quickly picked up their weapons to defend their queen and themselves, but Diana blocked them. She told them everything that she could to pacify the Amazons.
In short a lot had happened.
All of the Olympians were shaken to say the least. Apollo was in by far the worst condition. His body was akin to a burnt out coal still burning with black flames. Hermes and Hera did what they could to help, but nothing they did worked.
"Diana!" Everybody turned to see a flying man with a red cape. He landed near Diana and Diana immediately ran and hugged him. The Amazons were still shocked and angered at this display of affection while some of the Olympians chuckled (Strife snickered). Hippolyta could only watch as the two of them shared a brief kiss.
"Kal, did you learn what you wanted?" Diana asked, touching his face affectionately.
"I just hit a dead end, but I think I can overcome it." Clark answered and turned to the Olympians. "I must speak to Athena. She knows the being I have to meet."
Olympians looked amongst each other. "Athena? We haven't seen her in years." Strife commented. "Right after she and Zeus argued over something."
Hera stood up as dignified as she could. "Zeus exiled her because she had a plan to save Olympus and he didn't like it."
"Another dead end." Clark muttered.
"Not exactly." A foreign female voice came from Zola's body and suddenly her eyes turned to those of an owl's. "I have been reincarnated into this mortal Zola's body for sometime." She spoke much to the shock and awe of others. "Only Diana knew of my reincarnation, and that I bore the vessel of my father as he once bore me in his head." Athena spoke in a much deeper voice than Zola's own.
"Did that just happen?" Dionysus asked and the Olympians sighed. "We have seen and heard of stranger things." Hermes muttered.
"Grey Eyed one." Diana bowed before her. "I beseech your wisdom and help."
"I need to know where Ad'un is." Clark asked the goddess in a mortal's body.
"Lord Ad'un." Athena repeated his name. "Yes...I know him." She stared out into the sky. "He was my mentor millennia ago, mentoring me in everything I know. He currently resides in the Hyper Dimension."
"Ad'un?" Hera's eyes widened. "The Supreme God of Wisdom?"
"You know who he is?" Diana asked and Hera nodded.
"Ad'un is the being from which all knowledge flows. He created every form of knowledge in this universe. Of course I never met him, neither has Zeus. But we were told him during our early years." Hera answered.
"A being older than this universe, more powerful than even we gods can understand, and almost incomprehensible unless he wants you to." Athena spoke. then she lifted her hands to her left eyes and slowly pulled it out, much the disgust of those around her. Athena's left eyeball then shined to form a key. "This key will open the way to the Hyper Dimension, a dimension above all the others." Athena gave the key to Clark. "However, he must allow you enter the Hyper Dimension."
"Why?" Clark asked.
"Hyper Dimension is above all laws of this dimension and the next. It is the highest dimension possible and unless he allows you to go, you will die." Athena spoke. "But you will go regardless, am I right?"
"Yes." Clark clenched the key in his hand. "I have to know what happened here, and Ad'un is the only one who can tell me."
"That is understandable." Athena then turned to Diana. "Diana, you go with him as well."
"Me? But why?" Diana asked, looking at the one-eyed goddess.
"Lord Ad'un help me understand and settle myself before I became the Goddess of War and Wisdom. If he sees you fitting, then he may also train you." Athena spoke. "Now Son of Krypton, lift and twist the key."
Clark did as she ordered and a portal opened. "Go quickly! Before the portal closes!" Athena yelled and Clark and Diana held hands and lept into the portal, just before it closed. Athena picked up the left-behind key, placed it on her eye and she had two eyes once again.
"Athena, what do you foresee?" Hermes asked.
"I see the two of them, standing between us and destruction of the universe." Athena whispered.
So that was my fourth chapter. Sorry for the late update. I will try to update soon as possible.
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