The Gods Decree

(The Previous day) 

In a S.W.O.R.D. facility on the coast of California in a room with a large bubbling cauldron and jars filled with both horrors and wonders enough to make a budding magician drool, sits a woman chanting as she waves her hands over a vial that is emitting a pale pink smoke.  As she utters the end of the incantation a second voice is heard coming from a mirror on the wall. "It won't work, I'm telling you. You are wasting your time." 

Tala, "Silence you, stop trying to interfere." 

In the mirror a head can be seen, an old man with the top of his head bald but long hair in the back. At Tala's words a gag appears over his mouth, and he makes a few frustrated sounds but is silenced otherwise. 

Tala walks towards a large figure covered with a tarp. Removing the tarp with a flick of her wrist, she then starts walking around it in a clockwise direction. Chanting again but this time her words are in the reverse order she walks around the Annihilator armor recently stolen from the Justice League watchtower and pours the vial's contents on the still armor. Once done with her ritual, she commands it. "Attack that wall." Much to her annoyance the armor does not respond. 

The figure in the mirror smiles and chides, "I told you soooo. My dear Tala, that is an artifact crafted at the hands of Hephaestus, no magic from the mortal realm can cleanse it of its built-in weakness." 

Tala, "Well if you had taught me properly my dear teacher, then I would have been well above the mortal realm in my casting. But you were too busy using my body as a release from your frustration's to be a proper teacher." 

Faust, "Fair enough, but you were such a pleasurable release my dear." 

Tala, "Your pleasure for my being taught. There was no pleasure in it for me, and very little true teaching. Of course, everything from you was very little." 

Faust, "Such words wound me deeply my dear student. I could only teach you what you could handle. As proven by your issues with this automaton, you just don't have it in you to learn the truly powerful stuff." 

Tala walks to the mirror and says, "Enough taunting from you, shade." She then pulls a cover over the mirror and walks out of the room. 

She is met by a guard in military uniform, he salutes and says, "The director would like to have words with you Lady Tala." 

Tala found herself sitting in front of a desk reading a name plate that filled ¾ of Washington with dread. Amanda Waller 

Waller, "Have you completed your task, Tala?" 

Tala, "Not yet, though I just caught an interesting lead. Faust knows something, I just have to get it out of him." 

Waller, "We spent a lot of taxpayer money and effort to get you into Tartarus to get his soul out, so he better be worth it. We need a way to make the Annihilator work for us, and if possible, we want it mass-produced. If one gave the Justice League trouble just think of what 100 could do. Nick got the remnants of the Destroyer and all he got was a fancy gun, we better get a lot more than that." 

Tala, "We both know that if I disappoint you, it's my soul headed to Tartarus next. I will get it done." 

Waller, "Good girl, run along now." 

Re-entering the room with the Annihilator in it, Tala approached the mirror and removed the cover from it. "Faust, both our souls ae on the line here. If you don't help me tame the Annihilator that ruthless gorgon will end both of us." 

Faust, "You know the saying love, Quid Quo Pro! Besides the spell would run a chance of pulling you apart." 

Seeing an opening in her teacher, "We can request you a new, more robust body if we succeed oh great one." Tala said in a tempting voice running her finger over the mirror. 

Faust, "Very well my dear apprentice, if you promise to speak on my behalf, I will help you. But be prepared for a pull on your soul like you have never felt." 

Tala, "Are you going to tell me? Or just keep tormenting me?" 

Faust, "Very well, repeat after me. By the power of Zeus, free his essence from this vessel and open the path to power." 

Tala, "BY THE POWER OF ZEUS, FREE HIS ESSANCE FROM THIS VESAL AND OPEN THE PATH TO POWER!" 

After a big lightshow there was no reaction from the Annihilator, turning to the mirror Tala said, "That didn't do anything, and I didn't feel a thing either. As disappointing as your love making!" 

Seeing no response from the mirror Tala got a bad feeling. She started to feel a pull on her soul and then she heard Faust, "Surprise sweetheart." From beside her. The pull on her soul drug her into the mirror she had trapped Faust in, and she trembled in fear and said, "This is bad isn't it!" 

Faust, "You have no idea!" He then moved his soul to the Annihilator and possessed it directly. The helm of the Annihilator shattered to be replaced by the ghostly face of Foust as he reveled in his newfound strength. He shouted "Hades I am coming for you! My betrayer." Walking through the wall like it was paper he simply marched into the tides of the ocean on a direct path to Themyscira and their gate to Tartarus. 

  -(Scene Shift to Metropolis Present Time)- 

As Connor, Diana and I give our statement to Detective Turpin of the Special Crimes unit, the police wrap up the crime scene with practiced efficiency. I requested that the credit go to the Circus and the League because it wasn't wise to advertise ourselves much until we were more stable in the hero world. 

I got the text from Dick about his trip to Atlantic City and made sure to give him a hard time about it. I never read the Nightwing comic, most of my knowledge came from the Batman side and the animated storylines. Still, something was nagging at me that this was an important time in his story. 

We started back to the hotel slowly as Connor was still suffering from the Kryptonite poisoning when something blasted through my mental defenses, {Are you ok Logan?} 

Logan, {Besides the migraine headache I'm going to feel for you blasting through my defenses I'm fine What's the panic? We just talked an hour ago.} 

J'onn, {Sorry, your defenses were stronger than I expected. There is a worldwide event effecting all magic users and I needed to assure myself you weren't affected.} 

Logan, {You know my powers are mostly the same as yours, along with my cosmic flow. No magic here at all J'onn} 

J'onn, {I couldn't be sure until I checked with you. Things are rarely simple when in the League.} 

Logan, {What's going on with them?} 

J'onn, {Every league member with magic even remotely involved in their abilities has gone mad, screaming nonstop about something called the gates of Tartarus swinging both ways breaking the balance. We have had to confine them in such a way that they can't cause themselves any damage. The Raft, Arkham and Belle Reve are all reporting the same issue with their prisoners.} 

Logan, {Hold on J'onn I'll ask Diana and Connor if they know anything.}  I turn to Diana and Connor, "You guys ever hear of a gate that can swing both ways breaking a magical balance?" 

Connor, "Not me, Magic is something I actively try to stay away from." 

Diana, "A gate of balance? Doesn't sound familiar. Maybe my sister or mother know something about it." 

Logan, {I asked Diana and Connor, they haven't heard anything in that context. Diana recommends asking her sister or if we have a way of contacting her mother, ask her.} 

J'onn, {I will continue to offer aid here, contact me if you need me for anything.} 

Logan, {Ok, I told Dick we would keep an eye on the Circus as it seems like someone is after it.} 

Turning my attention back to Diana and Connor I explain about the people with magic abilities going mad. We continued to the hotel, and I opened my room to see Dicks keycard on the floor. I handed it to Diana and told her that if she needs anything not to hesitate to ask. Connor stumbled in to lay on the couch, "Kryptonite hurts!" 

I look at him and say, "Nope no couch for the wounded, you get some good sleep and recover. Maybe we will go to the beach tomorrow and let you soak up some good sun. It might help to look at some beach body's also." 

Connor, "Ahh, M'gann could be any body shape she wanted. So nice!" 

Logan, "Man, she got you good didn't she. Well rest up my friend, things have a way of working out." 

Diana opened the room across the hall only to see a figure lounging on the couch eating. She got into a defensives stance and demanded, "Who would trespass in the room clamed for Diana of Themyscira?" 

"Relax Kid, it's the original speedster. I let myself in." Hermes said. 

Diana seeing the golden winged helm along with the winged feet and with the traditional toga quickly bowed, "What orders does the messenger of the gods have for me?" Diana said respectfully. 

Hermes, "Not from me dear these orders come from the top, King Zeus himself." He reached into his satchel and handed her a scroll from the dozens in there. 

Diana opened it and started to read, "For a good time, call Selene...." 

Hermes quickly grabbed the scroll and said, "Nope not that one, that's not for kids reading. Funny, a thousand years ago you would be a mother of 3 at your age but today you are still considered a kid. Strange times. Anyway, here is the one for you." Hermes clears his voice. 

"By decree of Zeus, Father of Olympus. It is so ordered. Diana of Themyscira will travel to Tartarus and set right that which has been disturbed." 

Diana, "Zeus is telling me to go to Hell?" 

Hermes, "Basically, Felix Foust is on the loose again." 

Diana, "Isn't he dead? Didn't my sister kill Felix Foust when he attacked Themyscira to set loose Hade's?" 

Hermes, "He is, and pretty upset about how it all went down. He has possessed a powerful weapon called the Annihilator, then he headed straight for the gates of Tartarus, and I do mean straight for it. The Amazons did their best to stop him and though they are good, they were out of their weight class on this one. Once inside Tartarus he went looking for Hade's, King of the dead and Master of Tartarus. Guess Foust is still pissed about the betrayal a few years back." 

Diana, "Yes, I was there. It got my sister banned from home!" 

Hermes, "And you will be there this time as well. You must defeat Foust and restore Hade's to the throne." 

Diana, "After he caused my sister and mother so much trouble as far as I'm concerned, they deserve each other. Why should I stick my hand in their battle?" 

Hermes, "You mean, other than the Direct Order from the King of the God's thing? Because there must always be a balance between Order and Chaos Diana. When there isn't, well get the Cosmic Flow kid Logan, to tell you about all the mess this is causing." 

Diana, "My friends, this is why they suffer?" 

Hermes, "They are in good hands Diana, Yours. Speaking of the Logan kid, he should go with you. The Gods decree it so!" After he finished speaking, Hermes disappeared. 

Logan hears a knock at his door and opens it up to find a Black-haired Diana telling him, "You're taking me to Themyscira and Tartarus tonight." 

I am a bit surprised, the fact that she is the Princess of Themyscira, and a teammate is the only reason I don't close the door in her face. "I am?" I said in confusion. 

Diana, "Something came up Logan, something I really need your help with." 

Logan, "What about watching over the circus Diana?" 

Diana, "Connor can handle that." 

Connor from the bed, "I'll be good as new in the morning, don't worry about it." 

Logan, "Well, who am I to turn down the Princess of the Amazon's. Do we get two-day shipping for free?" 

** I think what I will do is either vastly expand the chapters that aren't focused on the MC or just not count the non-MC portions towards the word count. Sometimes I just got to plot build. **