#amazonian

Rain falls harshly from above as it starts to pour more harshly. Almost seemingly theatrically planned as the casket lowers into the ground. Silent tears cascade down your face along with the rain coming down as your hair gets drenched further.

As more bodies move to leave, you’re given apologies and reassuring touches. It doesn’t help the numbness as the casket is covered with dirt. Your eyes are unfocused, staring silently where he’s forever to lie.

You feel a stronger grip squeeze your shoulder. You don’t move. Just merely stare ahead, numbness seeping into your heart as a black void swallows your emotions and makes its home in your aching heart.

“He loved you,” you hear Jon’s voice. “He was our best friend, I don’t know…I don’t know how…” tears spill from his eyes as he breaks down, wearing. Your eyes finally move, and you pull him into your arms, hugging him.

“I know,” you whisper, clutching him more harshly. Your heart stings as you feel him cry into your shoulder. As you hold him closer, you whisper. “It wasn’t his time, but Thanatos still came for him. It is unfair.” You hold yourself back from falling apart like the man holding you. Your lips quiver as his sorrow bleeds through him into you.

You pull back as Jon’s sobs quiet down, and he pulls away from you. You hold his shoulder, giving them a gentle but firm reassuring squeeze. “This is not the end, Jon.”

Jon nods sadly as he takes your words as reassurance rather than fact, as the sky rumbles and darkens above you. “I know, but…” he bites his lip and shakes his head. “You know.”

You nod to him wordlessly. He whispers a goodbye before flying off into the rumbling clouds above. You don’t look up at where he flew off to; you just stand numbly looking at the freshly buried dirt in front of you.

Your soul feels numb. Your body reacts with tears, but your mind is numb. No words come to you. No prayer to whisper. No last words to give to him.

He wasn’t supposed to die. He gave his life up. He sacrificed himself before it was his time. Just like his father had. The two were more alike than Damian would’ve probably liked to admit.

You can’t even force a soft smile at the thought of him giving an irritated scowl at such a notion. It just makes the pit inside you widen. Your frown deepens as your fist clenches.

You can’t let this be the end. You won’t let it be the end. You’re going to get him back.

As your mind starts to spiral, you feel a presence step next to you. You don’t need to look over to know who it is. It’s your mentor. Her presence ever vibrant as she stares at the grave next to you.

“I won’t stop you,” she says. No hint of any emotion in her voice as she speaks numbly. “But do not be foolhardy in your endeavor. Something like this requires permissions and forgiveness from the gods. The imbalance this will bring will require a price or a bargain.”

You don’t move to respond. Your younger years, growing up in Hell along Circe, have taught you quite a bit about how all things come with a price. “I know,” I mumble to her. “But it wasn’t his time. It is as the sacrifice of Alcestis. They must understand.” Your brows furrow in frustration.

“The gods aren’t always kind. They can be cruel and unforgiving.” She reminds you, as she has done a thousand times, with the same tone of endearment in her voice. She understands as deeply as you do. The want to defy the gods and to find a way to bring back someone dear to you.

The silence stretches longer as you both stand next to each other, unmoving. As the rain keeps pattering against the ground and your clothes soak, you stand there in sorrowful silence as she stands next to you, as the grounding rock she has been since you’ve been able to come out of Hell.

“Come, we should return to Themyscira,” she doesn’t give room for a reply nor an argument. It’s more of a command, and as part of you wishes to stay grounded where you are forever, the other part knows you must leave and continue on. So you follow her wordlessly back home.

…

Weeks have passed. You have done nothing but either train or lie in bed. You’ve become more brutal when fighting your fellow sisters, and although you should feel shame for it, you feel nothing.

You look upon the shores of Themyscira, its crystal sand gleaming in the sunrise. The palm trees slightly rusting in the wind as the sound of waves softly crash against the beach, the water gleaming as brightly as the sand, and as you look upon the familiar, beautiful sight, it all feels dull. Lifeless.

The world has become duller. Shades of green around the island almost seem grey. The vibrant and bright fruits you’d snack on lost their appeal. The books you’ve been giddy to start have lost their allure. You’d pick up a book only to catch yourself re-reading the same paragraphs till you tire yourself from trying to focus, leaving you to lie back down to sleep. These days, it hadn’t seemed there was much need to leave your bed.

Your sisters have started to worry for you. Trying to communicate with you, pull you from your room to do activities. Each time you decline, not having the heart nor energy to do anything besides leave your room to train, and even then, you seem to be lacking, your mind always elsewhere.

As you’ve spent more and more time dwelling in your sorrowful thoughts, you can’t help the pang of hurt and yearning each time you think of him. You just want him back. It’s not fair that he was taken from you. It wasn’t his time.

Your eyes well with tears are you curl in on yourself once more. Repeating it as a mantra.

It wasn’t his time.

Your ragged breathing stops as you think back. Like Alcestis. The gods have been understanding once before. They have no reason to deny you of this.

…

You stand in front of the lake with Diana by your side.

“Are you certain this is a journey you’re willing to take?” Her voice laced with concern, “Hades might not let you return. You’ve been subjected to Hell before. I do not wish you to be taken from us again.”

“I’m certain. I will bring him back. I can’t leave him there,” you turn your voice steady and affirming. “The world needs him back, and I will stop at nothing to return him to me.”

“Oh, sweet child,” Diana sighs as she looks up, whispering a prayer up to Olympus. “I won’t stop you, even if I tried, I know I wouldn’t hold you for long,” a gentle maternal smile graces her lips as she places a kiss to your forehead and holds your face in her hands.

“Go as your heart commands, and may your path be true.

Let Hestia grant you warmth and clarity amidst the darkness.

Let Aphrodite guide your steps with love and compassion.

Let Artemis steel your heart and make you fearless.

Let Athena lend you wisdom and strategy to see your journey through.

And may Hecate guide your path through shadow.”

Diana steps back, pitch black hair reflecting the moon light as her eyes stare into yours. “Be careful.”

Nodding in return as you look towards Lake Lerna, the bottomless lake to the Underworld. The moon reflects off the still lake, rippling softly as a water spider skips by.

You take one last look back at Diana as she gives you a reassuring nod. Turning back, taking in a deep breath, and start stepping into the lake ahead of you. Each step submerges you further into the dark lake. Once you’re waist-deep, you pop open a vial from your satchel by your side before downing the contents. You suck in a deep breath and dive into the lake.

Staring down into the abyss below you you don’t let it stop you as you swim straight down till you're fully submerged in darkness, the elixir allowing you to continue farther and farther down. Deeper till you can’t even see your hands in front of you.

At this point, you can’t tell which way is up or down. You just keep swimming in the same direction you believe you’ve been swimming. Your lungs start to burn as your strokes become more desperate to reach the bottom. With each movement of your arms, your lungs strain for a breath and as you feel yourself about to give way, your hand reaches through into dry air and you fall through. Air rushes past you as your stomach drops, the sensation of falling enveloping you.

With a harsh thud you land, red clay sand floating up to make a dust cloud around you. As it dissipates, you brush off your skirt and stand up and look around you, only to spot the large white a stone archway leading to Hades’ halls.

No doubt his doing, that you conveniently landed here.

Arms flexing, you instinctively make your way inside the arches, seeming to grow in size as you approach. No guards are visible; the world is eerily quiet around you, as the only sound made is from your footsteps. Making your way inside with stone now beneath your feet, your boots tapping against the hard ground, the air shifts to feeling still and cooler as you see your breath in front of you mist oddly rising to your shins as you move forward.

“Halt!” an echoing voice commands. Behind a pillar comes forth one of Hades’ sentinels, a large, blue flamed form resembling a male figure with a staff, shield, and a helmet. “You have no business here, Amazon!” it bellows, sounding odd as it seems to speak in unison with several other voices that you don’t see the owners of.

You bow politely, “I’m here to make a request, something from Hades, though I suppose he already knows this.”

The sentinel is silent, seemingly listening to commands whispered to him from seemingly nowhere.

“Enter,” two large doors appear behind it as it moves out of the way, and the doors creak open, slowly revealing a thrown room.

At the center of it sits a large figure also consumed by blue flame, the light around him flickering as he breathes. He seems bored, staring at you, one hand resting on the throne's armrest with a fist supporting his head as his legs are laid out lazily.

You approach without hesitation and kneel. “Sire, I've come to make a deal.” You keep your head angled down as you wait for him to acknowledge you.

“Yes, I’ve guessed that, princess,” venom dripping off each word as his eyes narrowed at you, glowing harshly. His eyes then move to one of the sentinel flame creatures, “Why did you not remove her weapons?”

“She had none, sire,” the flame being replied, looking downcast.

“Nearly everything she’s wearing is a weapon, you insolent fool. Disarm yourself, Amazon.” Hades orders eyebrows knitting together as he leans forward.

You begrudgingly remove your armor, each piece dropping onto the ground with loud echoing thuds.

“Better?” you ask, looking up at him unamused as you jut your hip out with your hand on your waist.

“Do you think I can’t smell an enchanted pouch? Do you think I’m stupid?” You practically feel the anger radiating off the god’s body as heat swells in the room. “Empty it.”

You sigh as you pull out Athena’s blade and your lassos, dropping them in front of you.

“Just what every growing girl needs,” Hades remarks dryly. “Now that that’s over and done with,” he leans forward, “What do you want?”

“I want Damian’s soul back. I’m here to bring him back.”

The hall rumbles as Hades laughs; he pretends to flick a tear out of his eye. “That’s precious,” he mocks before returning to being dead serious as his red crown floats above his head and shines bright with authority, “But that’s not how it works. You have nothing you could possibly bargain with your unusable items in front of you, hold little value to me.” He pauses, looking away as if in mock thoughtfulness, before looking back at you. “Your soul, however, that is of interest.” He practically purrs at the prospect of it.

You feel fury boil up inside you, whatever it takes. You’ll find a way out of hell, out of Hades’ grasp. You knew you'd have to pay a high price for him to come back, but you weren't leaving this place without him.

“How about this? It’s been a long while since I’ve had some real entertainment down here. I’ll let you have him if you win, just one battle.” His cocky smirk widens at you cunningly. “And I think you can assume what happens if you lose?”

Eyebrows furrow as you think to yourself, you knew you’d have to strike some form of deal against him, one battle doesn’t seem bad, but it depends on your opponent.

“You don’t even have to kill him, only subdue,” you look up at Hades sharply.

“What do you mean? Who is my opponent?”

Hades clicks his tongue and wags his finger, “Now where’s the fun in that? Just one fight against one opponent in the Arena of the Damned.”

“I won’t make a deal with you without knowing who I’m up against.”

“Then I suppose Damian can rot down here with the other sad souls,” Hades says as he mockingly makes a gesture to examine his fingernails in disinterest. Heart sinking at the thought your dread already creeping through your veins feeling the familiar suffocating feeling constrict your throat.

Silence falls down upon the hall as you begrudgingly know the only option you have is to take his deal. “Fine. I’ll take your deal.”

The feeling of dread now pools in the pit of your stomach as you see the wicked grin return on his face.

“Oh, don’t look so worried, you can use all your fun little trinkets,” he motions to your items lying around your feet, “it’ll make it more satisfying when you lose.”

…

The world shifts, and suddenly you’re dropped into an arena, the Arena of the Damned, more specifically. Hades has a sick joy in watching others maul each other to death; the arena is encircled by large blue flames, creating the perimeter, a dark contrast against the dark red hue of the sky.

You look down beneath you, seeing all your items as you, put your lassos back into your pouch and your armor placed back on. Leaving Athena's Blade out as you hold it loosely in one hand.

Your head snaps up as you hear a too joyous clapping, "It has been far too long since we've had an Amazon in our arena, don't you think, dear?" Hades seems all too giddy and confident as he speaks to Persephone, who sits by his side.

"You promised me a fight!" your voice booms as you point the blade at Hades. "Where's my opponent?"

"So impatient," he dismissively flaps his hand, "our audience isn't even here yet," he snaps his fingers, and your eyes widen.

Damian appears next to the god, bound in chains coated in blue flames, mouth covered as you hear muffled sounds come from behind his bindings, accompanied with that ever-familiar scowl on his eyebrows.

"Damian!" You shout, reaching out to him in disbelief as you let your blade move down.

"Ah, he's finally here, don't worry, I'll make right by our deal," the god is all too cocky in his remarks, making you seethe in anger. "Don't worry, seems my dear wife here has bet on you for this fight, how kind of her.” He motions to a unimpressed Persephone beside him. All you can do is grit your teeth at the mockery. Your nostrils flare as you try and compose yourself. Having a god taunt you as he dangles Damian in front of you like a carrot on a stick makes every part of you burn in hatred. You finally see him alive and breathing, not still and lifeless; as much as you want to relish in that thought, it's cut short as a flap of wings sounds behind you.

On instinct, you whirl around at the sound, both hands curling around your blade, holding it up defensively. Your heart drops at the sight in front of you.

"Thanatos," you say in disbelief. The personification of death stood before you. Your opponent for Damian's soul and the keeper of his soul as well; it's only befitting you suppose.

You can hear muffled yelling coming from behind you, and then you hear a loud thud as Hades grumbles at Damian, "Silence."

Although every instinct in you is screaming at you to turn around and aid him, your brain knows that if you move your eyes off the being in front of you, you'll die.

"Thanatos, I do not wish you harm, merely the return of Damian's soul. It was not his fate to die, you know this. He scarified himself willingly, balance will not be harmed if he returns." You try and plead with him. This is not a fine you're sure you can win. You now understand why Hades said all you needed to do was subdue him, as the being in front of you can't be killed.

"I apologize, child of the Amazon; however, you've made your bargain with Hades, so it is written." His wings flare out as he takes a step closer, spear in hand. Half his face reveals a skeleton underneath as a dark cloth is draped around his body, dark shadows following his form. Curling and winding around him as if it were sentient.

"I beg of you, Thanatos--"

"Oh, hush! Get on with it, Thanatos!" Hades interrupts dismissively and the blink of an eye literal death is upon you spear missing you by a hair.

The world seems to still as your senses zero in on the fight. Instincts and training washing over your body and tacking control. You duck as Thanatos comes flying at you spear in hand, rolling out of the way as you quickly block a blow from him.

Letting magic pour into the blade you yell as the blade grows twice it's size and slices through the air cutting Thanatos slightly. Though it has no effect on him as he feints left before his spear flies to the right jabbing into your shoulder.

You let out a yell, pain strikes through your body as you move back tearing the spear out blood oozing out, with a quick spell the bleeding slows, however your opponent gives you little chance for much else as you dodge again.

"Quit dodging!" Hades groans and let's out a whoop as your sword meets Thanatos' spear, clashing together loudly.

The fight keeps moving on as you either dodge or meet Thanatos' blows, however unlike you he doesn't seem to be exhaustible while your movements start to feel sluggish. As he jabs the spear again you quickly reach in and grab the Nemesis Lasso hooking it too his spear and yanking it forward, however Thanatos doesn't let go of his grip on the spear and flies towards you with it, a boost from a flap of his wings hurling him towards you.

Quickly gripping the sword you slash upwards cutting off his left hand as golden ichor pools on the ground as he curiously looks at his now amputated hand. You take this moment to catch your breath as you, then yell, "Goddess Athena aid your humble servant in striking true. Let the Athena Blade break upon it as waves cutting through stone!" gripping the blade with a new sense of vigor you charge at your opponent the blade once more growing in size and now glowing as you swipe to cut Thanatos in half. It cuts true, slicing him in half ichor once more splattering everywhere.

You stare in disbelief, then quickly turn to Hades, "I've done it, I defeated Thanatos, release him!" you voice booms through the arena.

Hades just gives you a bored expression back, "No you haven't" he points behind you and before you can process your body is flung across the space crashing down onto the ground a small crater forming around you as your breath is knocked out of you.

"What do you think, Bat? Want to wager?" Hades asks before letting out a chuckle, "Right, forgot I had you muzzled."

You have no time to think as Thanatos once again is coming towards you now fully recovered from his injuries. Your eyes widen as you grab the Nemesis Lasso hooking it around his foot making him stumble, buying you time to scramble to your feet, breathless.

Lasso still in hand you tug harshly with your strength making Thanatos fly through the air and slam back down on the far side of the arena away from you. You quickly locate your sword and throw it as if it's a spear straight into Thanatos' chest as you watch him try and get up, the sword striking true making him grunt and get pint to the ground.

With shaking breath you look up at Damian in worry before taking out the glowing green lasso. Damian's eyes widen and you can tell he's trying to yell at you to not do it. You quickly make work of wrapping it around your arm as you start to speak focus moving into the spell, "I am become Her. She who is terrible and tragic. Cursing and Cursed." Another loop around your arm tightens as the green glow brightens. "Forever entwined in injustice, a living hell. This mantle must I accept today, for a far greater god." You stop binding it as you see Thanatos start to slowly get up from the other end as you yank on the lasso.

You feel your vision start to fog over in green as you continue, "In hope and faith, that I will once again someday return to myself," you give Damian one last glance with a smile, "Please do not forget me...for now.." your speech slurs as you quickly turn your back to him scales forming on your body as your body sizzles and mist forms around you.

"For now.." you croak out again as the scales overcome your body, "for now...I am become doom. I am Medusa," you let the hiss leave your lips as you glare at Thanatos in front of you, and none that see my face shall live." The power of the lass wholly overcomes you your sense of self lost memories overtaken by the creature you now embody.

Thanatos freezes as his body turns to stone. The arena succumbs to silence.

"Well didn't know you could do that," You hear Hades' voice from behind you, but before you can turn you feel a binding spell holding you in place, no doubt the god of Hell stopping you from turning them to stone.

"Deal's a deal I guess, though not sure how you and lover boy will make it out now that you're a snake," Hades chuckles. With a clap of his hands the bindings around Damian release, and as soon as he lands he strikes towards Hades who flicks his hand knocking him back, "don't be foolish mortal," Hades warns with a glare.

Damian spits back a growl, "turn her back!"

"Why would I do that?" the flames around the god flicker in amusement, "the deal was I release your soul, nothing about helping her out of her foolish and drastic decisions," Hades waves his arms dismissively.

"Good luck with her I don't think my binding spell will work for long," he laughs at Damian's inner turmoil as he looks at your now scaled back with snakes hissing around your head. He's in utter confusion of what he should do.

"She needs to be reminded of who she is," the kind voice of Persephone whispers to Damian.

"What?" Damian demands brows knitting together in confusion and frustration at the utter helpless situation he's in. Stuck in hell with two gods, while his beloved is turned into a mythical monster struggling against the bindings Hades has put on her.

"She has become something else, she needs someone to remind her of who she really is," Persephone repeats to him.

Damian's eyes widened as hope rushed through him. He runs towards you, your back still facing him he then tears his shirt to tie it over his eyes as he comes around in front of you.

"Now, why would you help him?" Hades pouts at his wife as he looks at the two.

"You've played your cruel games and had your fun, the girl has won the battle, let them have this," she tells him, tugging him away. Hades just scoffs as, in a blink of an eye, they disappear, blue flames surrounding the arena extinguish with them.

"(Y/N)," Damian whispers quietly, looking up to where he believes your eyes are. The snakes around your head hiss as they zero in on him. Your head turns to him, glowing eyes glaring, but you stop as he repeats your name. Something sounds so familiar about the way he says it. Makes your mind relax.

"I know you're in there, I'm not going to let you stay like this and let your stupid self-sacrifice separate us, that's my job," he yells up at you, and you feel another pang hit your head as you hold it in agony. The familiarity of that voice keeps your head pounding as it feels like scales are falling off of you.

"Stop it!" you cry out in pain, wanting whatever he was doing to you to stop.

"Like hell I will, you're not getting rid of me, this pathetic excuse of a mythical beast doesn't intimidate me," the voice bites back as your eyes fly open, meeting sharp green ones.

You blink slowly, "Damian?" you ask, confused as green mist starts to form around you, transforming you back to your original form.

"Who else?" he rolls his eyes, before you can even think, you wrap your arms around him, smiling with glee. You feel him wrap his arms around you as you fall into him.

"You're here," you say breathlessly, feeling his heat against you.

"Yes, I am," he mumbles against your hair. As a moment passes, you feel Damian stiffen slightly at the contact and hear him cough as he pulls back.

“Enjoying this reunion?” he murmurs, a slight redness brushing at the tips of his ears as he looks away from making eye contact with you. “Because we are still in Hell. I would prefer to leave before something else with a god complex notices.”

You pull back just enough to look at him, a small laugh escaping you. “You always know how to ruin a moment.”

“I saved you from eternal monstrosity,” he replies flatly. “You’re welcome."

You smile at his antics as he looks around you two, "Come on," he tugs at your sleeve, making to start picking up your dropped magical items and returning them to you. "Get us out of here. I refuse to spend another second in this place."

Smirking up at him playfully, you poke him teasingly, "Jon will be happy to see you back."

"On second thought, damnation sounds preferable," his tone is flat as a deadpan expression crosses his features.

You roll your eyes before readying a spell to bring you back to Earth, "I didn't do all of this just for you to stay here."

"I know," he mumbles under his breath, his voice coming out a bit too earnest.

As your spell completes and crackling tears open a portal, you stand up and motion for him to follow you. Before you can think, you feel him catch your wrist and pull you against him, capturing your lips in a kiss.

In your dazed state, you barely have the chance to kiss back before he pulls away. Your wide eyes meet his hungry ones before he straightens himself and pushes you towards the portal, "Stop delaying and go through."