Chapter 5: Kal vs. Ares
Diana stares at Ares. She could feel the bile rising in her throat. She raises her sword.
A mildly amused expression forms on Ares’ face. “Ah you want another lesson.” Ares draws his sword “Very well then.”
Diana attacks. As she expected Ares blocks. She has learned from last time. She needs more patience and wait for a hole in his defences. She circles him.
“Not bad Diana. You’re learning. A few more centuries you might actually be a challenge.” Ares moves onto the offensive.
Diana blocks Ares attacks. She notices a small look of frustration on his face. She blocks an attack and his arm moves off to the side. Diana takes the opportunity to kick him in the stomach.
Ares staggers slightly. Ok he’s getting annoyed now. His momentary stagger has given Diana the chance to attack. Ares is on the back foot. He blocks a blow and Diana lowers his sword to chest level. She looks him in the eye. Ares smirks and summons a small ball of energy with is other hand. He blasts Diana and she flies back and lands on her back. Ares moves quickly to try and land a fatal blow. Diana rolls to the side as he does so. Ares’ sword slides into the ground. Diana kicks him in the head and he staggers back, losing his sword in the process.
Ares rubs his head where Diana kicked him. While not exactly a hammer blow it wasn’t exactly pain free either.
“I’m still waiting for that lesson Ares.” Diana mocks him.
“Oh be careful what you ask for Diana. However many gifts the Gods gave you, you are not one of us.”
“Hera will have your head for this.”
Ares laughs. “Well that’s if she and Zeus ever make up. I wonder who was responsible for that in the first place.” Ares has a knowing look on his face.
Diana studies the look on Ares' face and the truth dawns on her “It was you!”
“Of course. Who else? Even my dear sister Athena would have to be impressed by my cunning.”
“Athena hates you.” Diana reminds him.
“Well yes. She’s just upset because I stole her beloved owl once. It was only a joke. She simply has no sense of humour. But enough about my family lets talk about yours. You know your sisters up there.” Ares points at the ceiling “How long do you think they’ll last?”
Diana glares at him and launches herself at him. He blocks her fist and slaps her sending her flying. She groans. She had forgotten how strong he was. She stands up to find an energy ball flying at her. She can’t get out of the way and simply has to absorb the blow. Pain racks her body as she is hit. She finds herself unable to get up and Ares standing over her.
“Goodbye Diana.” Ares summons another energy ball. Before he fires it someone taps him on the shoulder.
“Excuse me.”
Ares spins round only to find a fist flying at him. It hits him and he flies over Diana and lands on the ground in a heap. “Ow.” That had actually hurt.
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Kal had woken up from being blasted, which had hurt by the way, to find himself buried. He easily pushes the debris aside. He finds Ares standing over Diana preparing to hit her with one of his energy balls at point blank range. He can feel a rage forming in the pit of his stomach. He is not going to lose someone else he loves. He zips over and taps Ares on the shoulder. He draws his right fist back and as soon as Ares turns around punches him as hard as he can. He watches in some satisfaction as Ares goes flying off. He runs over to Diana and holds out his hand “You alright?”
Diana takes Kal’s hand and he hauls her up. “I’m fine thanks. You ok?”
“No I’m annoyed. This is my favourite suit.” Kal looks at the tears in his suit. He sees Ares stand back up and narrows his eyes. He flies at him and starts to punch him.
Diana watches Kal hit Ares several times in a row and Ares is knocked to the ground. Diana could sense the power in the punches from here. Kal wasn’t holding back at all. Ares stood back up and to Diana’s surprise there was actual blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Ares spat the blood out of his mouth. The Kryptonian was stronger than he remembered. Ares studied the look in his eye. Interesting there was pain and anger there, perhaps something he could use. “Well, well I see you’ve developed a hard edge since we last met. After all you use to be so careful around others. Personally I’m delighted. I’m a big fan of anger. Men do the most terrible things in fits of rage.”
Kal ignores Ares’ jibes. “Diana destroy the key.” Kal never takes his eyes off Ares.
Diana starts to move towards the key. She keeps half an eye on Ares as she did so. She didn’t trust the look on his face.
“I can’t let you do that.” Ares states.
Kal snorts “Like you can stop her.”
“Oh I think I can.” Ares summons a ball of energy in his right hand but finds Kal’s hand around his throat trying to squeeze the life out of him. He chuckles. Just the reaction he thought he would get.
Kal tries to understand Ares’ reaction. Then it occurs to Kal that’s he sweating. He never sweats except around Kryptonite. Kal’s eyes look down. The ball of energy dissipates and in Ares hand is a chunk of kryptonite.
“Surprise.” Ares then swings his hand and hits Kal right in the face with the kryptonite. Kal flies back and falls to the ground. He can taste blood in his mouth and feel the pain of cuts on his face. He has enough awareness to see that Ares is taking aim at Diana again. He shakes his head to clear it and in the blink of an eye flies at Ares. He collides with Ares and the both fall down in a heap. Kal feels the kryptonite radiation poisoning his system. A few years ago he would be totally paralysed by now but all the years living on Earth had slowed the effect kryptonite has on him. He forces himself to his feet, his strength slowly draining away.
Ares gets to his feet. He notes with interest that the Kryptonian is standing as well. Ares can see him sweating but it seem kryptonite doesn’t affect him like it use to. Ares backhands him and he flies off and lands on the ground with a distinct painful groan. Oh well it has certainly weakened him.
“Kal!” Diana shouts with worry as she sees Ares holding that sickly green rock.
“I’m fine. Destroy the key!” Kal shouts back.
“You don’t look fine but I’ll get back to you in a moment.” Ares says. He has to stop Diana who is quite clearly hurt from his earlier blast. She has scraps and bruises and is moving quite slowly for her. “Oh Diana!” Ares calls as he summons a ball of energy into his hand. He lifts his hand up to throw it when his hand is suddenly struck by 2 red beams. Even Ares screams at the intense heat. He spins round, eyes full of rage.
Kal is back to his feet. God he would give anything for some sunlight about now but at least Ares made the mistake of moving away from him with the kryptonite. “We’re not done.” Kal tells Ares.
“No we’re not.” There is an unmistakable menace to Ares’ tone now. Ares summons a ball of energy around the kryptonite. The ball has a eerie green glow to it. He throws it and Kal rolls to the side. Flying would drain too much of what strength he has left. He quickly has to dodge another one and then another. Boy is this hard work. Kal is tiring and eventually one hits him and he collapse to the ground.
Ares turns his attention to Diana who has now reached the key. Ares pulls out a dagger and is away to throw it at her when he hears a whoosh from behind him. He spins and stabs Kal in the stomach.
Kal doesn’t yell at the sudden pain. He can’t distract Diana. Obviously the kryptonite has made his flesh vulnerable. Ares has a grin on his face and the kryptonite is still on his hand. He brings it to Kal’s eye level. Then suddenly he is distracted by Diana’s screams as she grabs the key.
Kal summons what strength he has left and grabs the hand holding the kryptonite. He squeezes and the crushes the kryptonite but he doesn’t stop. Kal keeps squeezing. Ares drops to his knees as the bones in his hand are broken.
Diana smashes the key to pieces and a suction begins as the gateway begins to close.
Ares tries to break Kal’s grip. His hand is broken. His hand has never been broken. “You can’t do this. It’s not possible.” Ares grits out through the pain.
Kal lets go and picks Ares up “I have had enough of you.” Kal then tosses Ares towards the gate. The last thing he sees before he finally succumbs to the blood loss and the kryptonite poisoning is Ares crossing the threshold into the Underworld.
Diana falls to her knees after she destroys the key. Gods it had hurt worse than last time. Kal. Where’s Kal? She looks around and sees Kal pick Ares up and throw him over her head. Ares screams at her as he flies over and through the gate. Kal had done it.
Kal collapses to the ground and Diana rushes over. Around him are tiny bits of kryptonite and a pool of blood. Diana turns him over to find a dagger protruding from him. “Oh Gods Kal!” The suction from the closing gateway increases. She has to get them out of here. She picks him up and struggles against the pull as she inches away.
CRACK!
Diana hears the sound. The roof of the chamber is cracking and collapsing. Huge chunks fall down and she can see sunlight. A sizeable hole appears and through the hole comes Ares’ army. Thousands of them are being sucked through the gate. Diana manages to get herself and Kal behind a small rock outcropping. She ignores the cries and curses as Ares’ army disappears into the Underworld. She holds on to Kal.
Eventually the suction eases and the gate closes. Diana lets out a breath and turns her attention to Kal. She picks him up and flies up through the hole in the roof of the cavern. She finds her sisters standing around the edge of the chasm.
“Your Majesty.”. It is Phillipus. She is concerned at all the bruises and small cuts on Diana.
Diana lands and places Kal down. “Summon a healer, please.” Tears are in Diana’s eyes.
Phillipus sends a warrior off to get a healer and kneels next to Diana. She examines the wound. It’s serious. She knows that and from the tears in Diana’s eyes she knows it as well.
A healer come and removes the dagger. The fact that the wound doesn’t heal instantly only confirms Diana’s fears that he had been exposed to the kryptonite for too long. His pulse is practically non-existent and the worse thing of all is even after all these years she has no idea if that is normal for him. The wound is binded and Diana insists on Kal being placed in her chambers. Diana sits next to him, afraid to leave his side in case he doesn't recover. No he will recover. He has to. She can’t lose another friend. She won’t lose another friend.
She won't lose another person she loves.
