Trials of Hera 4

[Arnold POV]

I was led to a room and I was left there, alone, in total darkness. As I was wondering where I was, a torch suddenly lit up illuminating the room. It was then, that a weird hologram made of blue light formed right before my eyes.

She was wearing light robes and had her hair tied in a bun with a Tiara adorning her head. She walked towards me, stopping a few feet before me and saying "Rejoice, mortal… For you are now in the presence of a god. Kneel, so that you may be blessed with the wisdom of the goddess Athena."

I immediately retorted "Sorry, but I'm an atheist."

She glared at me before saying "You sure have a lot of pride for a mortal. Although, I suppose it is to be expected from a man."

I answered "Hey, don't get me wrong. You started it. I can talk to people properly, it's just that, if you come to me with an ego, you shouldn't expect me to just bend over. I'll match you with an ego ten times the size of yours. In the first place, respect is a reciprocal trade, and you haven't earned my respect yet."

On hearing this, she said "That is… respectable. Very well, I shall begin with your second trial. I am Athena, and I shall be conducting your trial."

But before she can continue, I ask her a question "Wait, what are you in the first place? I know that it's probably some kind of magic but, are you the real goddess of wisdom?"

"I am merely a projection. You can think of me as a shred of her soul and mind, seperated for carrying out a function, those functions being conducting this trial as well as maintaining the Library of Alexandria stored here." she replied.

"Wait, wasn't that burned down?" I blurted out.

She explained "In the annals of history, yes it was. But before the books stored inside could be harmed, the gods interved and magically transported the entirety of it here, for its preservation. If your curiosity has been quelled, we shall continue, this time without distractions."

I said "Huh, the more you know… Anyways, please continue."

She then snapped her fingers, causing more torches to light up, illuminating the entire room. Now that it was properly lit, I could see that it was actually a massive library. She then said "Your being here implies your mastery over the art of combat. So now, I shall test your mastery over your own mind. Now, we shall commence the second trial."

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[3rd Person POV]

"He is becoming more and more of an enigma" said Superman.

He was currently sitting down on a table alongside Wonder Woman and Batman, discussing the previous fight. On the other end of the table, Batman was seated. To an outsider, it would look like Batman had his usual emotionless expression on his face, but due to knowing him for years, Clark could tell that he was slightly tense, which was rare. He didn't seem to know exactly why, but Batman disliked Nostradamus.

He asked Diana "Did you really fight him without holding back?"

She replied "No. Since he didn't use all of his abilities, it wouldn't be honourable to unleash all of my strength."

"Was he strong?" Batman asked, in a blunt tone.

"He was. Him making me bleed was no trick, his blows did have the force behind them to make me draw blood. Also, they were oddly sharp, like being punched by a net of blades." she explained.

"But seriously, practical immortality, huh. What an unbelievable power. How long do you think it lasts for?" Superman asks.

"4 minutes 11 seconds" Batman replied.

Superman said "Of course you counted. I should've known. And this is on top of all his other abilities and equipment. I bet he could even give me a challenge. I really think we should get him to join the Justice League, maybe he will change his mind."

Batman says "Leave it for now, it's not what we're here for. For now, we should focus on the girl."

Wonder Woman explained "She shall start her training in a week. In three weeks, we shall reach her about this world, as well as her powers, what they entail, as well as the responsibility that comes along with walking down her brother's path. After that, it's her decision. Clark, will she be able to speak English by then?"

"Yes. She's learning fast and although you won't get a linguist, she'll be able to participate in basic conversations with everyone." Superman replied.

Meanwhile, Batman was thinking something else entirely 'Theyre distracted. Immortality, was it. I'll need to update my files. If he keeps showing new abilities at this rate, it'll be harder and harder to deal with him. At this point, the only reliable way to deal with him is to trap him in another dimension. The portal to the Phantom zone attached to the Fortress of Solitude is an option, but not much else. Even if it exists, we still have to find a reliable way to get him inside the portal. It's not like he'll walk in by himself. Maybe if I…'

Just as he was finishing that thought, the doorway, near them opened, and Nostradamus walked out. Alongside him, exited a hologram, which all three of the bystanders knew belonged to Athena.

Before any of them could say anything, the hologram said "This man passes the second trial. You may move on to the show of trust."

Saying this she exits, leaving the three heroes as well as our protagonist behind.

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A/N: I could have written the trial, but I realised that it wouldn't really add anything new. I mean, would you really want to read another chapter of the MC being asked riddles written by AI or taken from Google l? So I just skipped past it and instead just wrote this.