(Aden's P.O.V)

It was done. Beelzebub had been an immense help in figuring out the ins and outs of a soul contract. It was simply forcing someone to lower their mental walls and using their own consciousness to place a bind on them. For it to work though, the one forcing the bind had to be stronger and the target had to be in a helpless state.

Suffice it to say, I had the Olympians by the balls. A list of demands that they had to abide by were quickly drawn and for their freedom, they were all to eager to sign.

Before letting them go, I had to deal with something or rather someone else first. I knew she would be waiting for me when I stepped out of the boom tube. I didn't even try to waste time and simply created the portal where the fluctuations from the battle between Ares and I was most dense.

Wonder Woman unsheathed her sword and turned around quickly, pointing it straight at me. Flanking her was Superion who was surveying the area around the crater and Darken who was lightly rubbing the soil.

"Careful that might not be what you think it is. I have it in good authority that someone was ashyfied, that a word? Anyway turned to ash on this very spot."

"Three guesses as to..." Then I saw the helm in Wonder Woman's grip.

"Nevermind."

"Where are the gods? What did you do to them?!"

Diana let go of Ares helm and pulled closer to me threateningly.

My energy sense registered something different about her. She had grown immensely stronger due to the blessings given by the gods but now...now her strength felt more tangible. Diana had ascended. I smiled, having foreseen this result after keenly reading how the god's divinity manifested in Diana as blessings.

All that power had undergone a mutation of sorts, suffusing Diana's whole body with divine energy tailor made for her. She had a domain and knowing her, it was a domain that could more than help me. I just had to play my cards right. Luckily, I knew what angle to push from.

I placed a finger on the pointy end of the god killer sword and turned it away from my face. A tiny scratch was made from that brief contact. What a scarily sharp sword. But meh, Equity was even sharper.

"First of all, how are you feeling Wonder Woman?"

I asked.

"Don't act like you care Aden. What are you up to this time? Answer my previous questions!"

It was really funny seeing the normally stoic Wonder Woman lose control. I held up my hands.

"Geez, take a chill pill. The gods are alright, just... occupied for the time being. Whether or not they remain that way is going to depend on the conversation you and I are about to have." A boom tube appeared to my side as I added,

"Privately."

Judging by the low growl I heard, Connor didn't like the sound of that.

"I'll meet you both back at the hall of gods."

She addressed the two teens and walked forward at a sure pace through the boom tube. Dumb but expected. Dumb because what if it was a trap? Expected because come on, she's frigging wonder Woman.

I shook my head and followed her, throwing a wave over my shoulder at Connor and Paige as I left.

Naturally for a talk like this I needed some place quiet. The boom tube emptied out in the air dimension on a peak where Iroh and I usually meditated. The whole realm felt a bit different though. A certain vibration of potential rang out as the swaying shrubs, grass, stones and clouds seemed eager for something.

Weird.

I crossed my legs and fell into a short meditation. Diana on the other hand ignored me in favor of floating up and looking out into the valley infront of us. A few minutes later, I felt her sit down before me.

"This is your dimension."

She stated.

I nodded in confirmation.

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"It's very peaceful."

I smiled at the compliment.

"Thank you. Its one of my favorite places."

A brief silence fell before she broke it with a simple order.

"Start from the beginning."

I narrowed my eyes at the tone.

"Please. Make me understand, Aden. It's a request not an order."

She added with a small blush. At least she wasn't as stubborn as Batman. Wonder Woman, while set in her ways knew that nothing was ever black and white.

In the presence of others, she wouldn't have readily acted so amiably and hear me out. It's something I'd noticed from before. The pressures of being a leader meant that you couldn't lower your head in certain situations lest the ones under you lose faith in your leadership.

"I'll try to keep it short."

I decided.

"No. Don't leave out anything."

Wonder Woman countered.

"Are you sure you want that? The longer we take the more Olympus is at risk of getting destroyed."

She sucked in a deep breath.

"Keep it short then."

"Zeus sent Apollo to forcefully capture me. The true motive however was even more nefarious..."

So I told her everything. About how her father had tried to turn me into a slave. How Artemis had attacked me to save her brother. I watched her face change dozens of times. In disbelief, anger, sadness and finally resignation.

"I...I am sorry you had to go through all that Aden."

She finally spoke up.

I waved the apology away.

"Don't sweat it. Your dad is the dick not you."

I had told her everything. And anyone unbiased could see that I was actually not the one in the wrong. However...

"Regardless..."

"Oh come the fuck on!"

I threw my hands up.

"There is no regardless, no buts, no looking back and telling me I should have chosen another option than what I did."

"Violence is not always the way."

Wonder Woman admonished.

"And I fucking agree. Believe me, I do." I told her with as much intensity as I could.

"But I'm not someone you go after and expect no retaliation. I am more than just a man Diana...and it's high time people started understanding that."

"This is getting us nowhere. I need to know one last thing. What now?"

Our eyes established contact.

"You already know what's coming next. I'm going to choose the next Sky Father and hopefully put this enmity with your dad's side to rest."

"And you already have a replacement in mind."

She said sourly.

I laughed at her statement.

"Literally anyone would argue that you can't do worse than Zeus."

"He is there for a reason. He's ruled for millenia."

"I..." All too late I realized something. We were falling back to old habits. Arguing over our ideals and principles.

"Look Diana, let's be real. I hold the power here. And a simple talk over who's right or wrong won't change that."

I could see, I had grabbed her attention with that.

"You already suspect who I'm going to install on that throne."

"Vaatu."

She said and I did not deny the claim.

"And he listens to you. This was your plan all along. You knew the gods would never accept an outsider to lead them not even if your power is stronger than all the 12 Olympians. But Vaatu is the son of Zeus and Metis. If anyone should rule...it's him."

She concluded, connecting everything together.

"Now the question remains...what can you offer me to stop all that from happening?"

My smile was predatory. Diana had a bitter expression in her face.

"What do you want?"

She bit out.

"Easy." I leaned in. "I have a few strong suggestions that I would like the Justice League and by extension The UN to consider. And by consider I mean accept."

It took a split second for her to refuse with a resounding, 'no.'

"I will not compromise the integrity of the Justice League for your selfish desires."

She told me in no uncertain terms, making me sigh.

"You're acting as if I told you to make the death sentence an option for villains with too many strikes."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Ok fine. That was one of my suggestions. But your passive nature is no less annoying now than it was 3 months ago."

I admitted.

"How about a compromise?"

I spoke up before she could.

"I'm listening."

Diana replied.

"Getting the death sentence might be too much of a stretch for you do gooders, so what of I told you, I had an alternative? An inescapable prison where we could stash the worst of the worst."

Now one thing you need to understand about Wonder Woman, she was not opposed to Killing because of a personal principle to safeguard all life.

She was 5000 years for Chrissake. The past century she spent in man's world could not completely overwrite 5 millenia of hardcore warrior training and vicious demeanor. She was passive because that's what the League stood for. But now things were different. She was a god. And if I was right about her divinity which I suspected was either of two domains, then all the passive bullshit the League was known for would subtly change under her rule.

Its like a domino effect, push one piece and the others start falling. Diana had easily become a major player.

"An inescapable prison? The League will have to investigate it before any decision can be made."

Not an outright acceptance. I dug in my heels.

"Then I guess Olympus is as good as part of my domain now."

"Don't test me Aden!"

She shouted, a glowing symbol of a shield shining on her Glabella.

"Test you? You still lie to yourself that you hold any power in this negotiation Princess. I. Am. The. One. With. The. Power."

I roared in my own defiance, my aura spreading out to suppress her very new divinity.

An in depth scan of her divinity with my energy sense, rewarded my suspicions with confirmation. Her domain felt like clashing steels, bravery, Rocky riffs before a Tsunami, a single shield blocking millions of arrows yet remaining steadfast and lastly a roster of obscure but familiar characters all surrounding a statue of Wonder Woman.

"Do not make a true enemy out of me, god of Heroes."

I spat out and by the widening of her eyes, I knew I was right.

A brief silence settled between us.

"Fine. You win. For now. I will make sure that your suggestions go through as long as they're reasonable and do not hurt what the Justice League stands for." Diana finally agreed.

I held out my hand to shake hers.

"This is the start of a great relationship."