20 War is many things

If you wish to read more or simply support me just because ? than check out my patréon at

"https://www.patréon.com/Riadooo"

Don't forget to change "é" to "e"

//********************************************************\\

"Hello, Cassie!"

"Raiden!"

Cassie's eyes lit up upon seeing Raiden. She had been confined to this bed for a week now, and it's been rather dull, except for Raiden's visits. He has been entertaining her, sharing fun stories about heroes like her Aunt Diana.

"And then your aunt, using the Lasso of Truth, tied up Cheetah and made her confess to all her crimes. Keep this a secret, okay? Cheetah cried like a baby!"

"HAHAHA, the scary villain cried!"

"Yep, all because of your aunt's Lasso of Truth."

"You know, Raiden, Diana isn't actually my aunt," explained Cassie.

"Huh? Oh, is she a friend of your mom's?" asked Raiden, confused.

"Nope, we're sisters, stepsisters actually. We're both the daughters of Zeus! Except her birth is a bit special, I guess? She was made of clay!"

"Wow, Greeks are wild, huh?" said Raiden.

"Mr. Raiden, I see you're here again. I appreciate it. My work is a bit hectic, so thanks for staying by Cassie," said Helena.

"No need, Cassie is great company. She and I are becoming quite the friends. Isn't that right, Cassie?"

"Of course! Mom, did you know that Aunt Diana's Lasso doesn't work on him?" said Cassie in excitement.

"No... I didn't... That's very special, Mr. Raiden," said Helena, shocked a bit, as she knew firsthand how strong the Lasso is.

"Meh, it's just a byproduct of my powers," said Raiden, trying to downplay it.

"And what are your powers?" asked Helena.

"Yeah, Raiden, tell me! I'm curious!" said Cassie, excited.

"Well, this is fun, Miss Helena, you're an archaeologist, right? What would you do if you could talk to people of the past? Heroes and notable figures, to be specific," replied Raiden in a rather interesting question.

"There isn't a lot I wouldn't do to try and talk to them. I'm very interested in how they lived and their achievements," answered Helena diligently.

"Well, that's my power... Sort of. I can summon heroes of the past, notable figures, and use their powers and bodies as my own."

"WOAH," said Cassie.

"That's unbelievable, Mr. Raiden. If you don't mind, can you transform into one right now?"

"Not that I mind, but transforming puts me on cooldown and essentially exposes me to attacks, so I try not to transform as much. But I can show you a picture of someone you would be interested in, Miss Helena."

Raiden then pulled out his phone and showed a picture to Helena and Cassie. In the picture was a very handsome blonde man.

"This is Jason, the leader of the Argonauts."

"Woah! He's wearing a cool armor."

"This is incredible. I still want to see one for myself, but it's incredible that you have such a great power, Mr. Raiden."

"Okay, can we drop the 'Mr.'? It's like really awkward."

As if the fates have played with him, a doctor walked in and said, "Miss Helena, Cassie, and Mr. Raiden, good to see you all."

Raiden rolled his eyes as Helena walked forward and said, "Nice to see you, Doctor James."

"I'm sorry, but I carry very heavy news, Miss Helena. Can we talk in private?"

Feeling the awkward tension, Raiden looked at Cassie and said, "Alright, it looks like I have to go, Cassie. See you later."

"What! No, it's okay, Doctor James! Raiden is my friend."

"Doctor James, please just lay it on me," said Helena.

"Are you sure, Miss Helena? You might need to sit down," explained Doctor James.

"It's okay. Please, just speak."

"*sigh* Cassie is injured in her back, as you already know. Now, usually, we can easily heal it. We have many ways to do such a thing. Magic is one such option... However, we discovered that it's not working. None of the solutions we came up with are working. In fact, it seems that her injuries are almost sentient. It's rooting itself more and more into Cassie. In fact, if we don't stop it, Cassie might be crippled from the waist down... Forever."

"What! Then stop it! What are you waiting for?" said Helena in rage.

"We have been trying, but we only managed to slow it down. The injury... We found out its type... It's a curse. To be more specific, a godly curse. It was inflicted by a weapon made by a god. Such a weapon can only be wielded by a god."

Helena's legs felt weak as she finally took a seat in the chair in front of her daughter's bed. The horror of knowing that her daughter might never walk again has made her weak, and for the first time, wanting to pray for the man that impregnated her and left 'Zeus.

"Mom... Does this mean I can't be a hero anymore? I'm sorry, I just wanted to be like Wonder Woman."

"What is needed to cancel the curse? If it's a curse, then it's cancellable, right?" asked Raiden, filled with rage and regret. He had decided not to investigate further into the weapon manufacturers because he wanted to keep his promise of not doing anything too reckless, but now, for Cassie, he'll do it.

"Well, if we can get the weapon and analyze it, we might be able to cancel it... Or, well."

"Or what?"

"Or kill the god in question."

Raiden turned to Cassie, put his hand on her face, and said, "Cassie, you want to be a hero, right?"

Cassie nodded as tears filled her eyes.

"Heroes don't cry, Cassie. And heroes don't give up as well. I promise you, I will heal you, no matter what."

"Okay, I won't cry, and I won't give up. I'll trust you, Raiden."

Raiden then turned to Helena.

"Miss Helena, stay strong. Call Diana and tell her that I'll be waiting for her on the roof of Phander's Pharmacies."

"That's the building facing Buchanan International, the one Cassie got injured trying to infiltrate."

"Yes, tell her about what Doctor James said. She'll join me after knowing what is up. I'll get going now."

Raiden turned his back to everyone as he walked outside.

"Mr. Raiden, what are you going to do?" asked Helena.

"I'm going to kill a god."

...

"Whatever you're thinking of, I won't allow it," looked Wonder Woman at Raiden, where he had been waiting for her.

"So even knowing Cassie's case, you are unwilling to bend the rules a bit? SHE'S A CHILD, damn it! How can you stand there and defend the people that hurt her, crippled her!" spewed Raiden in utter rage, angered by Diana's thoughtless words.

"I'm a princess, Raiden, a

 princess of an island of warriors. In such a situation, do you think I, or any of my people, would care about the rules?" asked Diana.

"Then why?"

"Because I can't risk your life too. This is something that I have to do myself, a mistake that I have to correct," said Diana.

"A mistake? What are you talking about, Diana?" asked Raiden, confused about what Diana meant.

"Aeron Buchanan, the owner of Buchanan International. He's someone I know, someone I know very well. I fought against him over seventy years ago."

"Seventy years... World War 2," said Raiden.

"I thought I had won. I thought I had ended it, but no, he persisted. He is like a parasite that lives on regardless, fueled by humanity's hatred and greed. He's the man that is behind all wars, the god of war... Ares," spoke Diana with regret over her failed attempts to kill him. Both in World War 1 and World War 2, she had fought him countless times in that period, yet failed to kill him once and for all.

"I see, then I understand now, but I refuse to leave. I made a promise to her, to Cassie. I will kill the god that cursed her. Whether it is Ares or any other god, today, nothing stops me, not even you, Diana. So choose, step aside, or join me. Any other choice, and we'll have to cross blades," said Raiden, expressing his intention of not backing down.

Diana thought for a bit then said, "I do wish to cross blades with you, Raiden, but not as enemies, but as allies. As such, I will join you. I have failed twice now. Maybe this time, with your help, we can win."

"Let's do this, then."

...

Sitting in a fancy office chair, a blonde man wearing a black suit was sipping on wine as he watched multiple monitors showcase the war he had incited in Eastern Europe. He was proud of his work, delighted even, as he not only managed to start another war, but his powers had grown significantly over the years. Although the wars weren't on the level of World War 1 and 2, the buildup was almost the same, especially now that he managed to dig out Hephaestus's masterpiece, The Annihilator Armor, a self-propelled battle suit that fed off human rage and anger. He has been loading it up since the Cold War, and his power now was four times what it was back in World War 2.

"War is many things. It is a crucible by which mortals may discover—and abandon—their humanity. It is a forge by which they build and destroy their civilizations. But like the fire Prometheus gave to the mortals, war is always hungry."

//********************************************************\\

If you wish to read more or simply support me just because ? than check out my patréon at

"https://www.patréon.com/Riadooo"

Don't forget to change "é" to "e"