63 Tribunal 1

How can anybody live in a world that's so cruel and beautiful?

Always asking why we're really here

Losing all of our control to our fears

Some of us are strong, some of us are weak, but still we seek...

For a new day that can offer more

Do we really know the world we're fighting for?

********

"Welcome to Thymescria," Hippolyta greeted us in a flowing toga as Wonder Woman led us down from the League plane.

Apparently, it was impolite to teleport everywhere.

Who knew?

"I'm home, Mother," Wonder Woman said as she stepped forward and pulled her mother into a hug, getting some warm smiles from the two amazons acting as ceremonial guards beside the Queen.

I recognized them both from Diana's Semblance, though I couldn't put faces to names. Though they smiled at the heroine, they returned their focus to the four of us and kept a firm grip on their spears.

As I said, ceremonial.

The Queen returned the gesture affectionately, embracing her daughter tightly, but her eyes never left our group.

Diana watched on, a complex whirl of emotions held tight by her self-control. Still, I saw the way her hands twitched, the half-step she took when Hippolyta opened her arms, and the look of recognition in her eyes as she saw the guards.

Artoria sensed her friend's inner conflict and placed a reassuring hand on the heroine's shoulder in solidarity.

None of us were children, but we could all sympathize with the desire to embrace friends and family lost to us. Even if they weren't identical versions of the people we knew.

When we had first landed on Earth, I had searched to see if there was an equivalent of myself and my loved ones here. I don't know what I would have done if I had found anyone I was familiar with, but I had been lucky, in a way, to find almost every different than my home version of Earth.

Diana was a different kind of lucky.

Unlike Emma, who almost despised her past, Diana had done everything she could to recapture what she once held. She returned to hero work, rejoined the League, spent time with her old friends, and even fought some of her old rogue's gallery. The only thing missing to make this world a second home for her was the acceptance and love from her mother and sisters, both biological and social.

Diana's Semblance, the manifestation of her soul, was summoning that same family to fight beside her, so I could only imagine what emotions were warring inside her right now. Thankfully she had Artoria to help her right now.

Robin and I, we were concerned about more physical dangers.

Even before we had landed, I am sure the former Strawhat Pirate had seeded eyes and ears all over the island. She would alert me to anything of note, whether it was some juicy secrets or an army of angry amazons gathering to play 'pin the sword in the dragon.'

Her ability to create tiny lips to talk through in our ears was an incredible boon for Op-sec. Combined with my illusions and nobody would know.

Originally, Ranni was supposed to come too, but she had decided to stay back. Both to avoid stepping on divine toes and prepare for the Charity Gala later tonight. So it was just the three of them and me, and I kept my eyes locked on our 'Welcome Party.'

Hippolyta took it all in, Diana's movements, Artoria's response and Robin's wariness with the cunning of a woman who had led her people since before the Trojan War over three thousand years ago. A woman who could be a Heroic Spirit without any extra comic bullshit. This world's first Wonder Woman, who had fought in both world wars alongside the original Justice Society of America.

Depending on the media, era, or timeline, the amazons of Thymescria varied. They ranged from traumatized serial rape victims hiding from the world after it hurt them all the way to a militaristic, misandrist society wishing for the erasure of all men. Their powers also varied depending on the depiction. They could be as weak as mortal, if well-trained, women to being able to rival Kryptonians.

Their attitude, as well as their powers, would determine how well things would play out from here.

It didn't matter if I was on my best behaviour if this was a trap of some sort.

Thankfully, I was in luck.

I didn't feel any animosity in her gaze.

I had no empathetic powers like Raven, but I did have my experiences, Social Talent, and more smarts than the average bear. After centuries of living every day surrounded by legions of enemies waiting in the wings to feed me my entrails told me that this woman was dangerous but not hostile.

Wary, but not malevolent.

I gave it a day before I pissed her off enough to want me dead.

Which is why I was only staying a few hours.

Not only did I have that Gala later, where I'd meet up with Emma, but after I had to interrogate Priscilla's newest Spirit Ashes. It was going to be a long day as it was. No need to antagonize people just yet when I could do it later.

I was going to be on my best behaviour, as promised, but I knew myself well enough to know this island wasn't for me, no matter how beautiful the warm weather of the Mediterranean was.

There are certain places or cultures that one only wants to visit once and then leave. Places to do the tourist thing, see the sights, learn the history, and maybe talk to a few people before getting the fuck out.

Thymescria was a beautiful hell for me.

But I was on my best behaviour, so I didn't say that.

At least not yet.

We'd see how this went.

"Greetings, Elden Lord," Hippolyta nodded at me in acknowledgement. Not deferential in the slightest.

She looked like her daughter. Slightly shorter and with darker eyes, but she had the same dark hair and solid features and held herself with the same easy confidence that I found so appealing in Diana.

But there was a wisdom in her eyes, one I saw in my wife but was lacking in this world's Wonder Woman. The understanding that years brought with them. Of innumerable battles and tragedies and the internal strength gained from overcoming them.

That wisdom was turned on us.

She recognized how we had subconsciously positioned ourselves, Artoria and Diana to my left and Robin to my right, and judged that the other three would follow my lead. She also didn't call me by my name, just my title. This wasn't a greeting to a 'son-in-law' but a 'fellow leader.'

"You are among the few males to have ever set foot upon our home," Hippolyta continued. It lacked the warmth present when talking to her daughter. Polite is what it was. Measured. "It is a high honour. Most who fall upon our shores do not survive the experience."

Translation: We're not going to try and kill you. For now. But that can change.

Politics.

But what for? Just a test, or was there some deeper meaning?

Still, two could play this game.

"Thank you for having us, Queen of the Amazons," I nodded back with a smile. Friendly, but not warm. "Your home is lovely, and I thank you for the invitation to visit. Diana has sung its praises so well that I have had the strongest urge to visit. Other concerns have, unfortunately, kept me occupied."

Translation: I'll be good, but I can come and go as I please, and you can't do anything to stop me. I am playing nice for my wife. Don't push it.

"That is unfortunate, as I have heard some curious tales about your family. Still, I am hearted that one of ours still calls Thymescria home, even if I wish I had been there when she visited the first time."

Translation: I know you can. You already did. Your wives invaded my home without my permission.

Even as Artoria and Diana winced, my smile deepened.

She was good.

"We apologize for the confusion we may have caused," I lowered my head slightly. The guards beside the Queen tightened their hold on their spears. "We sometimes forget that others are not as well travelled as us. It is as you said. Unfortunate. Even if this is but one of infinite versions of Thymescria, the call of home is loud. We had no peaceful way of reaching out that wouldn't further exacerbate the issue as communication channels are limited."

Translation: Sorry, not sorry. It's your fault for not understanding multidimensional parallels and thinking my wife was your daughter. And if you didn't isolate yourselves, we could have cleared it up earlier. Also, you are utterly replaceable to me. So nyeh~.

"I can't imagine many are as well-travelled as you," Hippolyta answered lightly. "Still, all women can find sanctuary from the cruelties of men in Thymescria. I would just ask for no more unannounced visits. Please pass any messages through official channels if any of your family wish to visit."

Translation: That is not a valid excuse, but I'll let it slide for the moment but will bring it up when it is convenient to me. Also, when the women in your family want to ditch you, we'll welcome them with open arms. Nyeh~.

"I see no reason not to agree to such a reasonable request, so long as those channels are open," I 'agree.' "I understand how…limiting it can be to have such a small embassy, so I hope you can forgive us if any communication is delayed again."

Translation: I am not an insecure husband. I have complete trust in my relationships with my Family, so much I don't even need to address that point. Also, you only have Wonder Woman as an ambassador. Without her, you have no official channels. So it's your fault anyway. Nyeh nyeh~.

"I am glad you can sympathize. Sometimes my daughter is indisposed by her duties protecting the world from threats. As I understand it, you also live on an island, much like ours. Have you considered diplomatic envoys of your own? Having qualified people to rely on has lessened my worries considerably. If you do, I am sure such misunderstandings will be lessened."

Translation: I know you don't have anyone but your family on your side, and there aren't enough of you to match us. You are a ruler of land but not people. Also, I know you're why Wonder Woman was 'indisposed.' That too, I will bring up later when convenient. Nyeh nyeh nyeh~.

"I admit, I am jealous you can count on so many people. Still, wanderers that we are, we don't have any plans for such an institution. It is better that way. A smaller, more intimate group travels easier. Less risk of factions forming. We might not have the… diversity of talent you call upon, but I believe we make up for it with communication, individual ability, and cohesion. I have apologized to your daughter and am willing to fix the issue at any moment. It was never my intent to be a source of distress for the heroes of the world."

Translation: We have fewer people, but we are better than you as a whole. I also know about your internal divisions. Don't push, and I won't. Look at what happened to the last time people 'misunderstood' me. Also, I can solve the 'Insight Issue' at any point. Again, your fault. Nyeh to the fourth power~.

Hippolyta opened her mouth to reply, probably something to the effect of 'Nyeh x5', but she was interrupted by her daughter speaking up.

"There is nothing to fix. I have it under control, though I appreciate the sentiment," Wonder Woman said, eyes darting back and forth between me and her mother as she spoke.

Something about her actions sparked some giggles from Robin, and Artoria smiled slightly.

Diana looked as confused as me.

All the women with me were familiar with politicking and its language, even if they didn't enjoy it. They had been able to follow the back and forth easily enough to know that, though I was the one apologizing, I was 'winning' the verbal bout. But it was in no way a sure thing. There was a genuine possibility that she could negotiate me into a more perilous position.

Hippolyta, as I said, was good.

Really good.

Though we were speaking politely, flattering each other, and employing every nicety one would expect from people of our 'station,' a battle was waged with every one of our words. A battle Hippolyta was fighting magnificently. For every one of my barbs, she had one of her own.

The repartee between us was damned impressive when you consider that she was a queen of a nation of isolationists who hadn't left her island in seventy years. Her words flowed smoothly, showing a level of awareness about the outside world that had caught me a bit flat-footed.

I also had yet to learn what her endgame was. What did she want with me? Why had she 'summoned' Diana and me? What was her goal in these 'negotiations?'

Without knowing that, I had no confidence in keeping her on the back foot.

If things had kept going, I had no guarantee I would 'win,' which was why I was enjoying myself before Wonder Woman ruined my fun.

By interrupting her mother, she had 'conceded' the match, meaning if Hippolyta tried to bring up the same points again, she risked being seen as petty or incompetent.

Probably not a significant risk for the Amazonian Queen, her rule was pretty established, but the loss of pride would mean the Greek woman would hold herself to her 'loss.' In politics, reality came second to perception.

By the way Hippolyta's eyes flitted to her daughter and narrowed slightly, I could see that she, too, understood the situation.

But, and I cannot repeat this enough, Hippolyta was good, so the shift didn't stop her for more than a moment.

"That is good to hear. You know I worry about you." Wonder Woman winced at the gentle rebuke that suggested she was less able than her mother. Still, the heroine did not look regretful as she continued to watch Hippolyta and me like a hawk. "I have been remiss in my duties as hostess, however. As I said, you are all welcome here, and I hope you will enjoy your time on Thymescria."

With the fluidity of an experienced politician, Hippolyta smoothly turned from talking to me to addressing us each in turn. Her tone was warm, warmer than when speaking to me at least, and welcoming but not intimate. She was greeting guests, not friends.

"Nico Robin, my daughter has told me about your interest in our history and Atlantis. Our chronicler is more than happy to speak with you if you so wish?"

"It would be much appreciated, your Majesty," Robin smiled at the Queen.

"Wonderful. We are always happy to share our culture with those interested. Artemis will show you the way to our archives."

Without another word, the guardswoman on her right saluted the Queen and turned on her heel to lead Robin away. The pirate sent me a look but turned to follow anyway.

"And you must be Artoria," Hippolyta smiled warmly at the blonde, greeting her by name, not title. "I admit, I am a bit star-struck. Even here, on our small island, have we heard of your accomplishments. Or at least our King Arthur. Your tales of chivalry give us hope for man's world. My daughter tells me you live up to your fame and more."

"You flatter me, Hippolyta," Artoria also responded without titles but with a nod of respect. "My kingdom has long faded while yours still stands even after all these years. It is a testament to your sage rule. I count your daughter as a friend and Diana as a sister. Both have nothing but praise for you."

"I am sure we have stories to share over your time here," the Queen said lightly with a slight chuckle. I would bet my left kidney that she caught the subtle warning in Artoria's words. A sage ruler doesn't make needless enemies. "Before that, I wonder if you can indulge a small, selfish request of mine?" Artoria said nothing but tilted her head to show she was listening. "You remember Phoebe?" She gestured to the remaining guard on her left.

"I do," the King of Knights nodded to the woman in greeting.

"She, and the others you met weeks ago, have not stopped bragging about their encounter with you and Scathach. Once she heard you were returning, she practically begged me for permission to a rematch with you. Would it trouble you to indulge her request for a spar?"

There was a brief pause as the blonde looked at the Queen, then to the guardswoman, whose expression hadn't changed the entire time. Then Artoria looked at Diana and me before slowly nodding her head.

"It is no trouble at all."

As the last guard led Artoria away, Hippolyta turned to Diana.

For the first time since we had landed, I saw the Amazonian Queen hesitate.

Like Diana, I imagine she was feeling a conflicting mix of emotions.

This was her daughter, but she also wasn't. A woman older and more mature than the one standing beside her but having the same face and enough similarities in experiences to claim to be the same person.

The uncanny valley alone was something I did not envy.

But both were strong women, and the hesitation lasted only a moment.

"Daughter," Hippolyta spoke, turning away from Diana to look at Wonder Woman. My wife wilted slightly but held firm at the perceived rejection. "You've been away from the island. Please perform the necessary absolutions and purifications before our meal. I know you returned recently, but it is necessary for every Amazon who leaves and returns from Man's World." There was only a brief pause before she continued. "Guide Diana as well. There might be differences between dimensions."

"Of course, Mother," Wonder Woman gave my wife a smile of encouragement. Diana had perked up noticeably at Hippolyta's roundabout way of acknowledging their relationship.

It was not a hug, but it was a 'welcome home' in its own way.

"Thank you, Queen Hippolyta," Diana bowed slightly at the olive branch extended.

I was sure it wasn't what she had hoped for, but it was the first step.

"No thanks are needed," the Queen of the Amazons said lightly, looking at Diana and then at my gentle smile and back. "So long as they abide by its spirit, Thymescria will always welcome its daughters home, no matter how far they wander from its shores."

My grin widened as Diana straightened up and nodded solemnly at the welcome and the warning in that statement.

Wonder Woman turned to lead my wife away but paused, eyes darting between me and her mother once more.

"Are you certain I should not accompany you, mother?"

"I am more than capable of handling myself in this situation," the Queen chuckled lightly again.

Her words were light, but the slight glare she sent her daughter's way ensured no further disagreement with her will.

Wonder Woman continued to look between us, clearly worried about something, but she held her tongue and turned to lead Diana away.

Not before my wife sent me a glare that said: 'Behave.'

I don't know what she was so worried about. I was on my best behaviour.

As the pair of women disappeared into one of the temples of Thymescria, I turned to the Queen of the Amazons.

"So, now that you've non-too-subtly isolated us all, are you going have your wicked way with my poor, virginal body?"

See, best behaviour.

********

This man, this Elden Lord, was Dangerous.

Dangerous in a way few men ever were.

Her daughter had warned her of his terrible sense of humour, awful fashion sense, and habit of poking and prodding those around him.

The floral print shirt, the crass joke, and how he had subtly taunted her during their verbal bout corroborated Diana's words, but she had not been prepared for the sense of threat she felt after only spending five minutes in his presence.

Perhaps her daughter was simply too naive, too new to the world, despite her age, to understand what sort of monster hid behind that crooked grin.

Hippolyta had seen Kings. Heroes. Gods. Whether in the times of ancient Greece or in the decades fighting in the twentieth century, the Amazon had seen and fought against men of power.

Hippolyta was not discounting the threat women could pose to her people and the world as a whole. Even to this day, Circe continued to be one of her most stalwart foes. But women rarely had enough political, monetary, military, or magical power to pose a threat.

It was a sad but absolute truth that women were subordinate to men for most of history.

Before the modern age, Hippolyta could count on two hands the number of mortal women who could pose a threat to her people and still have fingers left over. The last century or so had seen that situation change, but Hippolyta ruled for millennia over a people most of the male-dominated world would love to see despoiled and enslaved.

For every Red Sonja, Scathact, or Shi Yang, there were thousands of Alexander the Greats, Qin Shi Huang, or Columbus.'

The Elden Lord was none of those men.

Despite Hippolyta's worst fears when her daughter had told her of a man of power married to twelve women, it was clear after only a few minutes in his company that he was no Saladin, Agamemnon, or Ghengis Khan.

He cared about the women with him, and they returned that affection. They might be controlled, but his affection for them was genuine. Hippolyta had seen men that used despicable means to achieve love, and the ritualistic absolutions the other version of her daughter was going through would remove such magical control.

But she had very rarely seen love like that from the type of men who would use such means.

The way he communicated with them without words.

The subtle touching of reassurance as they separated.

The warm smiles, the looks of concern, the trust in each other.

They all spoke of a healthy, loving relationship so rarely found but dearly sought out.

Which made the Elden Lord Dangerous.

There were three types of people Hippolyta considered a threat.

Madmen, for you never know what they might do.

A man of cunning, for their lack of power only heightens their threat.

And a man in love, for a man in love will walk into Hades with a smile.

Hippolyta had known the Elden Lord was the first kind of being, thanks to her daughter's 'insight' into his existence.

The little test upon his first arrival had proven he did not lack cunning and wit, despite his power.

And he was deeply in love with his wives.

Hippolyta had learned all that in less than five minutes in the man's presence.

She might not have the raw intellect of Bruce Wayne, Tony Stark, or Reed Richards, but her experience and lack of ego made the difference. She saw deeper than anyone else.

At that moment, Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, understood Mikael more than anyone on the planet but his family.

Robin's joke about Mikael accidentally seducing Wonder Woman's mother was closer to home than she could have ever expected. In many ways, both were incredibly compatible with the other. But the heroine had no reason to worry about a torrid romance between the pair.

Hippolyta's heightened understanding of the Elden Lord did not attract him to her.

It terrified her.

At that moment, when she realized what kind of monster she was dealing with, Hippolyta wished nothing more for the Elden Lord to leave her island, planet, and dimension.

Preferably leaving them intact.

But none of that showed on her face.

Instead, when the monster in a shape of a man tried to get her to lower her guard and underestimate him, she continued without breaking stride as she led him along a path that wound around a small peninsula of Thymescria, far from any interruptions or fragile things.

Like her city.

"I doubt anything about you is virginal," Hippolyta joked lightly, unwilling to let his words disrupt her.

"My feet," the Elden Lord responded incredibly seriously. "I'm not into foot stuff. Complete turnoff for me."

Despite her reaffirming her dedication to not underestimating the being walking beside her not even seconds ago, Hippolyta could not help the slight stumble in her step at the absurdity of his words.

"Of course, I don't judge if you are into that," he continued, his stern look fading to a slight smile.

Hippolyta inwardly cursed, realizing he had still managed to get her despite her wariness. And after less than thirty seconds. If her probing with politics had been her test for him, then this had been his test for her. One she had failed in the first round.

But it gave her another insight into his character.

He wasn't the type to rise to his foe's level but brought them down to his. And he entirely lacked any sense of shame.

"I would ask that you keep such jokes to yourself while on Thymescria," Hippolyta conceded the round to the victor. "My sisters are not as... inured as I am to the humour of man's world. Many will negatively react to a man bringing up such subjects."

"Sure," the man agreed easily. Too easily. Hippolyta's surprise must have shown on her face because he chuckled and explained. "I have a terrible sense of humour. I know that. I like dark jokes and gallows humour. I have always believed that you must laugh at the worst the world has to offer because it's either that or cry about it."

"That is one way to look at it," the Amazon conceded politically, which got another chuckle.

"It's not for everyone, but it is for me," he shrugged philosophically. "Still, there are some things I don't do. Don't make a dead-baby joke to someone who has lost a child. Don't joke about suicide to the suicidal. Don't joke about death to those who are about to die and fear it."

The Elden Lord paused and gave Hippolyta a look filled with compassion and sympathy, and she got the rest of his message.

Don't joke about sex to rape victims.

"Having rules like that goes a long way to not alienating potential allies and making friends," Mikael continued.

But to his enemies, everything was fair game was the unsaid message.

Hippolyta allowed herself to smile and nod in agreement.

The Elden Lord was still Dangerous, but he wasn't completely mad. So long as they did not cross his bottom line, they could trust his love for his wives and his limited morality. But he was undoubtedly cunning. Hippolyta didn't doubt for an instant that he had chosen such a topic to see how she would react to it.

The pair walked in silence for a few minutes, Mikael taking in the emerald waters of the Mediterranean Sea, the picture-perfect weather, and the Greek architecture of her home.

Hippolyta was content to let him do so.

She hadn't been lying when she told him it was rare for someone to visit her home. She would be denying the truth if she didn't admit to a surge of pride that filled her as she watched him survey her home.

It wasn't him in particular that was the cause, but just the sense of fulfilment that came when one got to brag about a project to someone who understood the effort it took to complete.

Hippolyta had fought and bled for Thymescria for thousands of years and was proud of what her people had achieved here.

"Your home is as beautiful as it is peaceful," Mikael eventually said as they stopped at the eastern edge of the small peninsula, the paved path winding along a cliff top to look out at the sea.

"Thank you," Hippolyta accepted the praise graciously, despite something in the way he spoke that hinted at a hidden meaning in his words. "Is your home similar?"

"My Island is much larger, no less beautiful, but in no way is it peaceful," he answered with a lopsided grin.

"I can't imagine there is much that can pose a threat to you?"

"There isn't, but it is a difference in preference. When I look at your home, I see order. Beauty in symmetry. The triumph of civilization over the wild. My home is chaotic, deadly for all but a handful of beings, and completely untamed except for where I live. To your people, it would be hell on Earth, but I would choose to spend eternity there rather than here."

"Because it is your home," Hippolyta nodded as they continued along the path.

"No. Because it changes. Monsters slaughter each other in the thousands daily as their areas of control vacillate. One day the drakes will hunt a hydra, and the next, they will be eaten by another. Biomes expand and contract in an ever-shifting clash of nature as they but against each other."

"It's a mess," Hippolyta subtly criticized without offering a real opinion one way or the other. If he wanted to keep talking, she would let him. The more she learned about Mikael, the better.

"A glorious mess," he grinned. "I spend hours every day flying over my home, never knowing what I will see."

"I can see the appeal," the Amazon said lightly. "But I prefer peace to change."

"There is nothing wrong with that," Mikael shrugged for the third time. "Just a difference in preferences. Contrary to what some might say, there is no better or worse civilization or way of life. There is just what we, as people, can accept and what we cannot. I accept the risk of an open sky, where danger lurks below and above. You accept the bird cage, gilded and safe. Neither is wrong."

"Thymescria is no cage, as you are well aware. I have left and returned, as has my daughter and many of my sisters," the Queen responded, not letting the words offend her but denying their core.

"Just because the owners can open the door to the cage does not make the bird any freer when they can close it as well," Mikael responded readily. "And have they not done so to some of your sisters? Those who refuse to follow the house rules will invariably fly away, forbidden to return. Those who remain will be the ones who come when called. Who sing when told to sing. Who lure in other birds at their master's command."

The conversation had been light so far. Aery words were exchanged in light tones as if talking about the weather or reminiscing over a cup of coffee. Even the Elden Lord's last statement had continued in the same friendly tone.

Hippolyta froze mid-step.

The Elden Lord kept walking, not speeding up or slowing down.

To her credit, the Queen of the Amazons regained her stride in an eyeblink.

"And yet the bird flew in, knowing the door might close on them."

"No cage can hold me," the Elden Lord laughed.

"Many men have thought so, only to be proven wrong," Hippolyta cautioned. The dragon didn't say anything, just smiling at her before returning to his sightseeing. "How did you know?"

"Process of elimination," the monster shrugged. "You asked for Diana and me, not Artoria or Scathach, so it wasn't about their little visit. I figured it was some sort of ambush to free her from whatever dastardly mind control I must have on her. Once separated, you can use your magic to cleanse any controls on her and then pile up on me and whoever came with me individually. Kudos on the whole purification nonsense. Very well done."

"There really are rituals to observe whenever one of us returns home," Hippolyta denied. "They were quite an annoyance when I spent time in Man's World."

"Fair enough," he conceded. "But I don't think I am wrong about anything else. Only one point didn't make sense to me before I arrived. Why summon me at all?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why not have Diana come alone or with only women who might also be under my control? It wouldn't be suspicious. You guys aren't known for welcoming men. From there, you would not only have more fighters on your side, but I would have less on mine. If you were subtle about it, I might not have suspected anything until everyone was freed from my dastardly, and totally not fictitious, control."

"You said it didn't make any sense before you arrived. Do you have an idea now?" Keep him talking, Hippolyta. Just keep him talking.

"It was really obvious, now that I think about it," he chuckled. "Despite the armed guards with you, no one else on this island is prepared for battle, not even you. Which means I was completely wrong, and I owe you an apology or..."

"Or?" Hippolyta felt a pit form in her stomach.

"Or it is not the amazons I would be fighting in your ambush," the monster disguised as a man shrugged. "Again, it should have been obvious to me, looking back. I am a bit above your weight class. I got the last clue I needed while we were walking. On that note, can you get your gods to stop trying to teleport me away? It won't work without my permission and gets annoying after the first dozen attempts."

"I am afraid I can't do that," Hippolyta answered firmly.

For the first time in their walk, the Elden Lord stopped his meandering gait and turned to face her full-on, draconic eyes staring down at her as he quirked an eyebrow and gave another crooked smile.

"Oh?"

The sun seemed to dim, and the waves quieted in her ears.

Hippolyta felt fear bubble up. Fear for herself, her people, and the island they stood upon.

But she was familiar with fear and would not bow before it.

Hippolyta kept walking, not speeding up or slowing down.

"I can't," she repeated, her voice as steady as before. "It is not up to me to dictate to the gods."

"And thus, the caged bird sings only when told."

Despite his mocking words, the Elden Lord's voice was light again as he casually caught up to her, his face set in an amused grin.

Hippolyta didn't let any of the relief she felt show.

"Call us what you will, but I will not jeopardize my people for your comfort. Nor do I have any way of reaching them from here."

"I guess I'll just have to wait for them to get bored," he shrugged. "I imagine they've only tried so many times because they can't see what's happening here without me allowing it."

"You are taking this very well," the Amazon noted. "Most men would have lashed out, run away, or done anything else but speak calmly when they realized they walked into a trap."

"Most men are not as awesome as me," Mikael bragged, pretending to buff his nails on his shirt. "I'm so badass, I can walk into a trap set by gods and swag my way out."

Hippolyta gave him a doubtful look until he relented, rolling his eyes.

"I am not doing anything for three reasons," he explained. "The first is that I care about my wife and any potential relationship she might have with Thymescria. You might not be her mom, and these might not be her sisters, but that doesn't change the fact that she is trying to build something here. If I go Godzilla on you all, I can't imagine it will go over well for either side. Unless you give me a reason, I'll be sleeping on the couch for a week. Metaphorically."

"I do not know what 'Godzilla' means, but I can appreciate your care," Hippolyta nodded, a bit ashamed. But not enough to regret the actions she had taken.

"I swear, you need to get internet here," Mikael sighed in exasperation. "Anyway, the second reason is that, as far as traps go, this one is pretty shitty. Neither I nor mine have been harmed in any way. We're not hurt, not even inconvenienced, so we won't hurt you. Your entire premise was built on false information. The assumption that my wives were being controlled. That I could be teleported away without my permission. That I wouldn't recognize what was going on. It is ignorance, not lack of skills, that kills people."

"You are not wrong," the Amazon allowed herself to sigh. How many more things was this man hiding?

"If I ever get the chance, remind me to tell you about Patches. Now there was a man who knew how to set a trap," Mikael said fondly. "For your information, I didn't kill him either. He was too useful to me, and I eventually counted him as a friend. It's the same principle. If I killed everyone who tried to screw me over at one point, nobody would be alive. Not even me. God knows past me screwed me over a bunch of times."

"What is the third reason?"

"You." Mikael stopped once more, eyes meeting hers again. This time Hippolyta stopped as well and looked up at him. "I like you."

"What do you mean?"

"When you separated us, I let the others know that what we would do would depend on you," he said, not explaining how he communicated with them. "A possible relationship and a badly laid trap are not a good foundation to build trust upon. For all I know, you can take advantage of Diana once I leave to set a much more nefarious trap. So I needed to make a judgment call. I decided to leave it up to you. If you lashed out when confronted, I would too. Even if I did not burn this island to dust, I would have left my mark."

"But I didn't."

"You didn't," he agreed his grin in full force. "In worlds like this, many people think with their fists first. They impose their morality, their beliefs, and their laws upon others. My Island is hell to you. Yours is hell to me. You disapprove of my relationships. I think you are a pet on a leash to the gods. You planned to kill me. I planned to devastate you. But, and this is the key, neither of us did. We talked. We joked. We are not friends, and we do not trust each other. But we understand each other. What the other values, and what cannot be touched."

"You are expecting a lot from a half an hour's walk."

"Am I?" Mikael grinned smuggly. "Then let me ask you, before today, did you think it was a good idea to set up this ambush?"

"As I said, it is not up to me to dictate to the gods," Hippolyta tried to deflect, but the man was having none of it.

"The pet may be loyal, but it can have its own opinions," he pressed.

"From everything I have heard of you," Hippolyta sighed, seeing he would not let this go. "I did believe that bringing you in front of the gods was a good idea. I will clarify that, as far as I am aware, they only wish to speak with you and ask questions. The Blinding, as well as your arrival, have stirred the divine waters. I was given explicit orders not to antagonize you."

"And now?" Mikael's grin was sharklike. "Do you still think this was a good idea?"

"Meeting you face to face was absolutely necessary, as is ensuring that you are not enslaving the women you claim to love," the woman glared up at him, but his smile did not relent. "But, I see now placing you in the same room as Lord Zeus and the Olympians would be a catastrophe."

"See, you do get me," Mikael said with a chuckle, resuming his walk. "I will clarify that if they had approached me openly, I would be willing to talk. Just like we are doing now. Maybe sit down with a few beers. I don't hate gods. They are just people to me. Slightly stronger and with bigger egos, but just people. I could even see myself being friends with a few of the Olympians. But, that ship sailed when the god of hospitality violated his sacred charge."

Hippolyta grimaced openly this time, well aware of the enormous breach in social etiquette that was welcoming someone into your home only to for it to be a trap.

If the other pantheons ever learned of this, the Greeks would be a laughingstock for centuries.

"If, after learning I wasn't following their script, the gods descended in a tide of lightning and violence, or you tried to rally your sisters to attack me, I would have had to respond in kind. Just as I would have done if the offer of hospitality had been made in good faith. My Family and I all knew the risks when we came here. We left it up to you."

"And I passed your little test," Hippolyta couldn't help the bite in her words.

"Just as I did yours," he reminded her. "Do not think I belittle you. Your choices, not your gods', saved this island and your people. Not bad for a bird in a cage."

"You speak as if your victory is certain in a conflict."

"When one side is immortal and cannot be held imprisoned, their victory is not a question of if, but when."

Hippolyta couldn't disagree with that, even if she didn't believe he was truly as immortal as he claimed. She had met hundreds who had asserted the same, only to fall in some manner to the mortals they looked down upon.

"I meant it literally when I said I would bet on you," Mikael explained after a beat of silence, diverting the topic. "Medea and I had a wager, you see. About what would happen when I walked into this trap. She thought the gods she despised, and those who served them, would be the same as she remembered. I disagreed. So far, the people of this world have pleasantly surprised me. I keep having these expectations, mostly negative, and you all keep proving yourselves much better than the two-dimensional characters I imagine in my head. I bet you would surprise me as well."

"And what was this wager," she asked, morbidly curious.

"Looser had to wear a naked apron for a day," Mikael grinned lasciviously. "I felt safe taking the bet. I win either way."

For the first time since meeting him, Hippolyta felt the expected reaction to a man landing on her shores.

"Ugh. Men."

Mikael's laughter boomed across the island, and the rest of their walk was spent on lighter topics.

********

"It feels almost like home," Diana said softly as she lounged on a terrace overlooking Thymescria. Freshly bathed, in a new toga, and lightly dining on some fruit, the woman felt more relaxed, more whole than she had in years.

"It is home," Wonder Woman insisted, taking a sip of wine as she lounged in a nearby seat.

"It isn't," Diana denied with a smile. "But it feels like it. And that is enough."

"Give mother time. She will come to know you as I have."

"That is not it," Diana shook her head but didn't explain more as Artoria came to join them.

She, too, must have bathed and had her hair done. The heroine inwardly swore to get the blonde to wear her native clothes more often. Artoria in a toga was not something Diana knew she needed in her life until now but damned if she was going to live without it.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" She asked as the King of Knights took a seat and helped herself to some dates.

"Very much so," Artoria nodded at Wonder Woman. "Though lacking your strength and speed, your fellow Amazons acquitted themselves very well. Your sister shows promise, even if she is too eager and inexperienced."

"I've been thinking of having Donna spend some time with one of the younger PRT teams to allow her to gain experience," Wonder Woman admitted. "I know she is eager to leave the island and see the world, but I have hesitated to bring it up as I do not want to instil false hope. My mother has the ultimate say on the comings and goings of our people."

"Who were you thinking of?" Diana asked her counterpart.

"I had been debating between the Teen Titans or Young Avengers before the Trigon disaster. It would not be wise to burden the former with a new teammate so soon after their ordeal."

"I would not discount those six," Artoria counselled. "Not only are they strong men and women, but Glynda tells me they are recovering well. And if you did decide to reach out to them, and they accepted, she would be getting instructions from one of the greatest combat instructors I have seen. And Raven keeps a close eye on that group, so she would be safe while remaining independent."

"I will give it some more thought," Wonder Woman accepted. "I am in no rush and have not even brought up the subject to my mother yet."

"What subject?" Hippolyta asked as she joined the trio.

"We were discussing your other daughter's performance in the arena," Artoira said as all three stood at the Queen's arrival. "She performed well, despite her youth. You must be proud."

"I am. Of both my daughters."

Wonder Woman smiled at her mother, and they all returned to their seats except Diana, who looked at the Queen with a furrowed brow.

"Pardon the question, Queen Hippolyta, but where is my husband?"

"We split ways when I was called away by a message from the Oracle some forty minutes ago."

"Anything to be concerned of," Wonder Woman asked her mother, understanding that communion with the gods had been rare to nonexistent in the last few weeks.

"A message from Lady Hestia," Hippolyta explained to her daughter. "Its contents were unclear, however, and the Oracle asked for my presence so we could attempt to speak to the goddess directly. No such luck, I am afraid. We will have to await another message. As for your husband, he said he would join Nico Robin in the archives."

"He was not there," Artoria chimed in, her face set into a frown now. "I was just there to ask if she would be joining us. She will not. I doubt a herd of horses could pull her from your library."

Diana and Artoria shared a look.

"Robin?" Diana asked the air around them. "Where is he?"

"The arena," a pair of lips formed in midair spoke simply before dissolving into a flurry of petals.

There was a beat of silence as the four women all took the news with varying degrees of worry.

"He did promise to be on his best behaviour," Artoria tentatively offered some reassurance.

It worked.

Diana only powerwalked out of the room instead of running.

********

They found him in the center of the arena sitting atop a pile of weapons as if a throne. Around him lay dozens of women, most sporting bruising or light injuries. Front and center was Donna, looking to have gotten the worst of it.

The four women froze at the scene before them.

It was not the signs of battle that froze them, as it was clear nobody was seriously hurt, but the literal scene playing out before them.

The sky's light was artificially dimmed by the illusion of a massive tree and roots that curved along the walls.

The floor was covered by an illusionary pool of water rimmed by white flowers dyed red by blood.

In the center, a massive scarlet flower bloomed.

"The scarlet bloom flowers once more," the scarlet-haired woman said as she rose upon enormous wings, her nudity allowing the enraptured audience to see her three prosthetic limbs and lack of eyes. Illusory butterflies filled the arena. "You will witness true horror. Now, rot!"

She attacked, long golden blade sweeping down at her illusionary foe.

The crimson goddess's lunge was met midair by a dark-haired man clad in badland leathers and wielding a blade that glowed blue. His lips moved, but no sound escaped them.

The dance of blades that followed was one Diana would never forget.

Over and under, at blistering speeds, they crashed, clashed, and wove their way together in a series of movements so coordinated, the heroine would have believed it to have been staged had each twitch of their bodies not furthered their goal of slaying the other.

The two fighters never touched the ground, a bird of red and gold dancing with one of black and blue.

No.

Not birds.

They were rivers, Diana realized as she watched the dance of death.

Flowing into each other, every move resulted from the preceding one and led to the next. There were no errors. No flaws. Every movement was so natural, so perfect, that to think of them doing anything else was alien.

This man and woman, these waterbirds, were harmonious. This was the art of violence at its peak. No extra flourishes. No embellishments or tricks.

Diana found herself envious of the scarlet woman.

Would she ever be able to dance like that?

But all things must come to an end, and the rapturous bout of violence could only end in one way.

Death.

Two blades impaled two chests, but only one fell.

"Your strength, extraordinary... The mark... of a true Lord..."

"The next time you think gender has anything to do with skill or danger or that I look down on you because you are women," Mikael spoke to the group around him, but his eyes never left the scarlet smile on the fallen woman's lips. "I want you all to remember this."

"O, dear Miquella..."

"A blind, crippled woman was the Elden Lord's greatest foe."

"O, dearest Miquella, my brother... I'm sorry. I finally met my match..."

The scarlet goddess died with a smile on her lips.

The illusion faded and, with it, the mood that had held everyone captive.

Mikael found himself inundated with questions and requests for rematches from a hoard of eager Amazons, Donna first among them. It shook him from the funk of reminiscence.

Mikael laughed at the clamour, standing atop the pile of weapons. He looked down at the group as a familiar blue blade appeared in his hands, his smile taunting but not cruel or mocking.

"If you all think you are the equal to the Blade of Miquella, I welcome the challenge. But you must prove yourself worthy if you want me to dance."

Diana watched the familiar faces of her sisters bristle at the challenge and couldn't help but smile at her husband.

This was what she had been looking for.

Not a recapture of her old world but a joining of her new one.

The past meeting the present for a better future.

Surrounded by friends, family, and Family, Diana felt at peace.

This was home.