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Ares, the God of War, paid the warm sun and shimmering waters surrounding Themsycira no mind as he neared the shoreline. He made no effort to silence the clunking sounds his armor made as he walked. Queen Hippolyta, he was certain, was well aware of his frequent visits but had chosen not to interfere. Most likely because she didn’t care-no one on the island cared for the person he was visiting.“Ares!” was the only warning he received before a small body slammed into him, arms wrapping around his waist. “I missed you,” Donna smiled up at him.Ares chuckled in amusement and returned the hug. “I can see that. Tell me, sister, have you fared well while I was gone?”Donna shrugged and pulled away so she could re-adjust her white tunic. “It was okay. Nothing exciting happened but Mother says they’re going to go on another raid soon.”“Lovely,” Ares deadpanned as he rested his arm on her shoulders. “I bring news of our other sister,” he said casually.“Really?” curiosity shone in her blue eyes. “How is Diana doing?”“It would appear that,” Ares forced himself not to break down in laughter as he had earlier, “she has a son.”“What?!” Donna’s mouth fell open and she stared at her half-brother in shock. “She has a son?” the thought of her sister having a child was difficult to comprehend let alone a male child.Even though his helmet covered his face Ares’s smile could still be heard as he said, “Oh yes and not only that but he has five fathers, none of whom is Steve Trevor.”“Hera,” Donna gasped then looked worriedly at Ares. “Will she kill me for saying her name?”Ares shook his head. “Despite what your mother would have you believe the gods do not take notice of someone speaking to or about them. If they did then I have no doubt that they would already destroyed humanity.”Donna giggled. She had heard some of the twisted versions of the gods’ tales and was certain that her father would not be pleased. “I want to meet my nephew,” she decided. “Can you take me to Man’s World?”Ares looked in his sister’s large eyes and sighed. “Of course I will but you are aware that Diana will not allow you to return and spread news of her son.”It was a statement, not a question and Donna nodded. “It’s alright-there’s no one to miss me except for Mother and even she won’t care that much.”“As you wish,” Ares grabbed Donna’s hand and teleported, leaving an empty beach.In her private chambers Queen Hippolyta started, one hand flying to her chest. “Oh great Athena, I ask you-keep my daughters safe. Let them remain uncorrupted by Man’s World so that they can spread our message of peace and love to all others.” She hesitated then added, “I pray that, if nothing else, please allow my precious Donna to break free of her curse and give her strength so that she may break the chains of fate that bind her.” “Whatcha doin’?”Diana looked up to see Billy standing in the doorway, curiosity written all over his face. “I am returning to Themsycira for a short time so that Mother does not worry about me so much,” she answered.“Cool,” Billy fully entered her room, eyeing her small bag. “You’re not taking a lot,” he said doubtfully.Diana graced him with a smile. “I still have most of my clothes there,” she explained. “Besides, most of this is presents-things I thought my Mother and sisters would enjoy.”“I thought you only had one sister.”“While it is true that Donna is my only biological sister living there I count all of the Amazons as my sisters. We are all one family: our bond of sisterhood ties us together and nothing can ever change that.”“Uh-huh,” Billy was still looking at her skeptically and she winced when she realized just how corny that sounded. Perhaps she had been spending too much time with Clark. “Can I come?” he asked eagerly.Diana froze mid-movement and slowly turned her head to look at him once more. “Absolutely not!” horror seeped into her voice, her expression mirroring the sentiment. “It is forbidden for a male to step foot on Themsycira. It was bad enough when Steve crashed on the island-to knowingly bring a man would violate the sanctity of our refuge and the goddess Athena would surely abandon us, if not outright destroy us.”Billy blinked. “Don’t you think you’re overreacting just a little bit?”Diana continued speaking as though Billy hadn’t said anything. “Not to mention what Mother would say. She would be humiliated beyond belief. No, I simply can’t take you-I would never live it down. Besides, it’s not like you’re my son or anything. I mean, you’re not even a real person.”Billy’s bottom lip quivered then he turned and fled, tears welling up in his eyes.“Wonderful,” Diana groaned. She and Batman (and Superman-once or twice) had been on the receiving end of more than one lecture concerning Billy’s fragile mental state. Apparently spending one’s entire life being tortured resulted in mental instability-another weakness of man. She was certain that if Billy had been created as a female then there would be none of this nonsense-no power surges or bursting into tears every few minutes. After all, women had much better control over their emotions then men did after all. Still, she should probably go and see if she could placate him with a gift from Themsycira or something to that effect. The board meeting was beyond tedious and only years of training kept Mercy Graves from yawing. She stood in the corner, slightly behind Lex, her eyes flickering over each board member, quietly assessing their potential to be a threat. Richard Stack, one of her biggest concerns, was droning on about how napkin rationing was supposed to shave over fifteen thousand dollars every year. Mercy didn’t really care and she knew that Lex didn’t, if the twitch in his right eye was anything to go by.It was a bit of a shock when someone’s cell phone went off. Everyone jumped and reached for their phones. Mercy glanced at hers and raised an eyebrow when she realized that hers’ was the one ringing. The caller id startled her even more and she bit her lip before glancing at Lex who nodded. She left the room, ignoring the irritated grumbles behind her as she closed the door and nodded to Raoul who gave her a thumbs up before entering the conference room.“Hello?” Mercy waited until she was in Lex’s office before answering. If this conversation went south then she would rather deal with the fallout in a private setting.“Hello, Mercy,” even though she knew it was him hearing her father’s voice still came as a surprise.“Why are you calling me?”There a chuckle on the other end before he said, “That’s my girl-always expecting the worst. I’m going to be in Metropolis this afternoon and I was wondering if you would like to have lunch with me.”Mercy stiffened but managed to not break her phone. “I-I don’t know. I’d have to check Mr. Luthor’s calendar first.”“That’s fine-just let me know. Bye.”“Goodbye.” Mercy hung up then fell into one of the overly comfortable chairs Lex had for meetings, her mind in a daze. What on Earth was she going to do? The park that Billy had zetaed to was beautiful but he paid his surroundings no mind as he sat on a bench and wrapped his arms around his legs as he pulled them to his chest. He sniffled, desperately trying to hold the tears back. He knew that she hadn’t meant to be cruel, to hurt him that way but she had. He didn’t see what was so bad about being a boy-all of the other members of the Justice League were guys too. Batman had said it was an Amazon thing so did that mean everyone she knew thought the same way? He was so caught up on his thoughts that he didn’t notice someone coming up behind him until a large shadow fell over him. Billy looked up and let out a loud shriek of terror.
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“Did you have to tell him that?” when he wanted to Clark could be very intimidating and right now he did.“Yes. He had to understand why he couldn’t come with me.” Diana crossed her arms and glared right back.“We’ve been over this before, Diana,” Clark sighed.“Two years of torture and mind control have messed with his ability to control his emotions,” J'onn explained for the umpteenth time.“We’ve been through this before, J'onn, I know.”“Obviously not or you wouldn’t keep doing it,” Hal countered.“Hey, um, guys?” Flash sounded nervous as he interrupted the budding argument. “I found Billy-he’s at a park in Fawcett but he’s not alone. There’s a girl with him and it looks like she’s wearing a toga? Not really sure but the guy (at least I’m assuming that he’s a guy) that’s there too has on an awful lot of armor and he looks really scary.”Diana blanched when the image appeared on the main screen. “Hera, help us,” she gasped.“The fact that you’re scared isn’t good, is it?” Hal groaned.“Who is it?” Superman frowned. Diana looked even more nervous than she had while fighting Darkseid and she hadn’t even been nervous then.“My brother Ares, the God of War,” she didn’t take her eyes off the screen.“Who’s the girl with him?” Batman asked.Diana was slow to respond, her voice quiet when she finally did. “Donna-my twin sister.”“The one that was cursed?” J'onn confirmed.“Yes,” Diana nodded. “I haven’t seen him in years since he stopped teaching me how to fight.”“So, uh, any idea why he’s here now?” Flash tried to sound casual but failed miserably. If someone had told him after he got his powers that he would spend most of his time fighting actual gods and space aliens he probably wouldn’t have ever used them.“Whatever it is it isn’t good. Regardless, I need to go before he hurts them.” Before they could say anything she had taken off, flying towards the zeta-tube.“This is going to be fun,” Flash groaned. “It’s so nice to meet you!” Donna squealed as she threw her arms around Billy.“Um…hi?” Billy was very confused but warily returned the hug.“Sister,” Ares scolded as he pulled Donna back. “It is not considered polite to hug people before introducing yourself.”“Sorry,” Donna blushed. “I guess I got a little bit carried away.” She straightened her shoulders and (with no small amount of pride) said, “I am Donna, Cursed Princess of Themsycira and twin sister of Diana, whom you know as Wonder Woman.”“And I am their half-brother Ares, the God of War,” Ares bowed formally.“Billy Batson,” Billy held out his hand.Ares was about to take it when someone slammed into him, knocking him back several feet. Dirt and grass flew from the shock of the impact and the ground shook. Panicked screams filled the air as the civilians rushed to get out of the way.“Stop it, Diana,” Donna yelled but her sister paid her no mind.“Whatever evil deeds you hope to accomplish shall be stopped here and now!” Wonder Woman followed her words with a punch to his left eye that would have seriously harmed anyone else.Ares, however, simply shook it off and returned the blow, throwing her off of him so he could stand up. “I have no desire to fight you, sister. I did not come here seeking battle.”“You are War,” Diana countered as she drew her sword and held her shield at the ready. “You desire nothing more than to cease death and destruction wherever you go. You have forsaken peace and try to stir up chaos among those near you.”“Are you sure you aren’t just describing yourself?” Ares smirked as he easily blocked her wild swing. “You’re the one that attacked without provocation,” he pointed out.Diana’s next swing would have sliced his left arm off if he hadn’t anticipated it and jumped back just in time. “It was only a matter of time until you attacked someone-you love death far too much.”“I thought you were supposed to spread peace and love, yet here you are, attacking your own brother and not even thinking of the civilians you are supposed to be protecting.”Ares's jeers enraged Diana, allowing him to plant a foot in her stomach even as their heads collided. A grunt of pain escaped Diana as she rose from where the kick had sent her. “Why have you brought Donna and Billy into this?” she demanded. “They do not desire battle-nor do they seek to harm the innocent.”“She is our sister and he is your son-I only wanted to spend time with them. It’s only natural after all.”Diana flushed crimson. “He is not my son! I will not claim him as mine!”Billy flinched and Donna hugged him. “She doesn’t mean that,” she attempted to reassure him though she did not believe her own words. Once the meeting was over Lex made a beeline for his office, Raoul following at a discrete distance. The henchman stopped at the door as Lex continued inside. Mercy was slumped in one of the chairs, biting her nails while her other hand idly played with her long braid.“What’s wrong?” Lex pulled her hands away and propped himself on the edge of the desk.Mercy scowled and sank down further in her seat. “My father called,” she admitted.Lex raised an eyebrow. “Well that’s certainly a surprise. Did he say what he wanted?”“To have lunch,” she rolled her eyes. “He obviously wants something else but he refused to say.”“Hmm.” They fell silent for a few moments before Lex gathered up the courage to ask, “Do you want to see him?”Startled, Mercy looked up then slowly nodded, a hint of red dusting her cheeks. “It’s stupid-I know. The man abandoned my mother and I then he did the same to my step-mother and younger sister but I still want to know him. I need to know why he left us-all of us.”Lex smiled sadly at her. “It’s not stupid at all. In fact-I think you should meet him. If it doesn’t go the way you want it to then you can break his nose.”“That does sound like a good idea,” Mercy smirked as she stood up, adjusting her skirt. “I’ll call and let him know I’m free. Raoul can keep an eye on you for a few hours.”“Let me know how it goes,” Lex called as she left the room.“Will do.” “So when are you friends coming?” Donna asked. She and Billy were sitting on one of the park benches as they watched Diana and Ares continue fighting.Billy shrugged. “It could be awhile. Batman said Clayface and Solomon Grundy were on a rampage in Metropolis and those guys are heavy hitters so all of them had to go,” he explained.“Ah,” Donna nodded in understanding. “If they intend for us to wait another hour then they are mistaken for I weary of this. I shall put an end to this foolishness,” she declared, hopping off the bench.“Wait, I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Billy called but she ignored him.Courage was an admirable trait-one that Queen Hippolyta had encouraged in her daughters. The two of them had gotten in a lot of trouble using that trait and today was no exception. It was easy for Donna to approach them unnoticed. She stood to the side for a moment and waited until there was some distance between them before stepping in the middle.“Stop it!” Donna cried.Upon seeing his sister Ares barely managed to stop before crashing into her.“Move!” Diana ordered as she continued her charge.Trust in her sister and their shared combat abilities kept her where she was. “No,” Donna said firmly.Realizing that her sister was not planning on moving out of the way Diana tried to stop but it was too late. Donna screamed as the sword hit flesh and a moment later Diana dropped her bloodied sword as a horrified Billy looked on. The restaurant her father had picked out was only a five minute drive from LexCorp so it wasn’t long before Mercy was seated in one the leather booths, pretending to look at the menu even though she knew it by heart. It was one of Lex’s favorite places: he loved holding business meetings here as the comfortable atmosphere put his rivals at ease mere moments before he crushed them.At the sound of footsteps she looked up, her face expressionless even as she said, “Hello, Father.”“Hello, Mercy,” Steve Trevor smiled down at his daughter.
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For a brief moment the fear on Donna's face was mirrored on Diana’s and she was frozen, unable to move her arm as time seemed to stand still then, suddenly, Ares was there, his body wrapped around her protectively. Diana could only watch as her sword pierced his back. Donna screamed and time began to move again.Diana dropped her sword and stared at Ares in shock. “You saved her,” she whispered. “Why?”Ares didn’t even bother looking at her as he replied, “Because I care for her as I do you. I am not a monster nor did I ever wish to be. All I want is to spend time with you, to get to know you and Billy. You may not wish to claim him as your own but that does not mean he isn’t blood.”“Are you okay?” Billy interrupted as he ran over to them, clearly worried.“You’re bleeding,” Donna cried, not seeming to notice that there was now blood on her tunic as she desperately tried to stop the bleeding.“It’s merely a flesh wound,” Ares tried to reassure her. “It’s already beginning to heal.”Donna's frown didn’t lessen as she whirled to face her older sister, angry tears welling up in her blue yes. “Why didn’t you stop?” she demanded. “If you had simply bothered to talk to us first then none of this would have happened!”“I thought he was trying to hurt the two of you,” Diana's attempt to defend herself was not well received if Billy and Donna's glares were any indication.Flash chose that moment to arrive, causing even more dirt and grass to go flying as he skidded to a stop. “Billy, are you alright?” he eyed Ares warily but made no move to attack him.“Diana tried to kill Donna!” the boy was still a little shaken as he moved closer to Donna.“It was an accident,” Diana protested.“Is everyone alright?” Superman asked as he and Martian Manhunter landed far more gracefully on the grass.At that moment Green Lantern and Batman touched down, the latter having reluctantly agreed to be carried in one of the former’s energy constructs. “Thank you for flying Jordan Air. Please exit the aircraft now and as always we hope you had a good flight.”Batman threw him a dirty look-one that promised extra monitor duty in the future. “What’s the situation?”Before anyone could speak J'onn interjected, “How about we go to the Watchtower?” he suggested. “There are less civilians and I don’t think we want to cause anymore of a scene then we already have.”Batman groaned once he caught sight of the numerous media personnel (complete with cameramen and photographers) taking notes and interviewing several bystanders, including the police that were still trying to keep people out of harm’s way. “That’s not a bad idea,” he admitted.“Come on, Billy, you and Donna can ride with me,” Hal offered. Something occurred to him and he turned to Ares. “Do you need a ride too?” he asked.Ares nodded. “While I can teleport it’s not a good idea when I have never been there before.”“This is going to be a fun ride,” Batman sighed. After the waitress had taken their orders they sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes before Steve spoke, “Have you spoken to your sister lately?”“She called a little over a year ago,” Mercy informed him. “She wanted to know if I would help her form a drug cartel: I told her no.”Steve raised an eyebrow. “Considering all of the illegal stuff your boss is involved in I’m surprised you didn’t.”The glare Mercy directed at him was filled was venom that leaked into her voice as she hissed, “Despite our reputation LexCorp does have some standards. Drugs and human trafficking are at the top of the list of things that we don’t do.”“Whoa,” Steve held his hands up in mock surrender. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you.”Not the slightest bit mollified Mercy schooled her features so that it appeared she was and changed the subject. “I was sorry to hear about Tiana-all things considered she was a nice woman.”Steve looked at her blankly then brightened once he realized who she was talking about. “She was always a little unstable but she was an excellent cook,” he sighed wistfully.“She was,” Mercy agreed. She took a deep breath then plunged into a conversation she had been waiting to have since she was a little girl. “Why did you abandon us? I can understand Mom and Tiana-they were just your girlfriends after all but Hope and I, we were your children so why did you leave us?”Steve shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat before saying, “It’s not that I didn’t love the two of you-I do but I had more important things to take care of.”Mercy bit her tongue to keep from sharing her (and Lex’s) option on priorities. Causing a scene in such a public place where reporters lurked, hoping to catch a glimpse of Metropolis’s elite would only cause embarrassment for LexCorp and she refused to let that happen.“Why did you decide to meet with me today? What do you want?” she asked instead, deciding to get to the heart of the matter so she could go home and pour herself a glass of strawberry wine.Steve chuckled and smiled at her, looking almost fond for a second. “I want you to come and work with me. Together we can be an unstoppable force for truth and justice.”Mercy choked on her drink. Once she had managed to catch her breath she stared at her father and demanded, “Are you kidding me? You expect me to quit my job at LexCorp so I can come and work with you?”“In a manner of speaking, yes,” Steve’s smile wasn’t at all reassuring. “You are still technically considered a villain after all so you would have to make a deal of sorts.”Mercy’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of deal?” she had absolutely no intention of taking it but it was always best to be prepared. Knowledge was power after all.This was obviously what her father had been waiting for. His eyes brightened as he leaned forward. “All you would have to do is offer them someone they want more than you. Someone much more…powerful.”It took Mercy all of three seconds to connect the dots and when she did disbelief and a great anger swelled within her. She was so angry she couldn’t even speak and Steve took that as a sign to continue speaking.“When she sees Lex Luthor at her feet and you at my side Diana will have no choice but to recognize us as Amazons.”
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The laugh that escaped Mercy’s lips was short and bitter. “I should have known that’s what this was all about. I hate to tell you this, Father, but she will never accept you. Your own mother threw you in the ocean for crying out loud. If even she couldn’t find it in her heart to love you what makes you think that Diana will?”Steve flushed angrily. “She will-I know she will. Diana has a big heart-she saved my life after all.”“She wanted to get laid: that’s all. Despite what you think she’s not perfect.” Mercy stood up abruptly. “It doesn’t matter: I’m not leaving LexCorp and I would never betray Lex. Besides my mother and the Outsiders he’s the only other person that truly loves me. In fact I pity you because you will never find anyone like that. Goodbye, Father,” and with that she stormed out of the restaurant, ignoring the puzzled waitress who had just arrived with their food.The limo was already parked in front, Timothy no doubt having expected this outcome. It wasn’t until she was in the car and the door shut that she began wiping her eyes angrily. She was the right hand of Lex Luthor after all; she had an image to protect. “It appears as though your wound has already healed,” J'onn wasn’t at all surprised, having witnessed Diana’s healing abilities on several occasions.“See,” Ares told Donna. “There was nothing to worry about. The only reason she was even able to wound me was because her sword was magical.”Donna nodded but still didn’t look very happy. Since her tunic had bloodstains on it Billy had graciously loaned her a pair of jeans and a Superman t-shirt.“I am sorry,” Diana still looked embarrassed. “But I honestly thought you were trying to harm them.”“Didn’t we have a really long talk the other day about not jumping to conclusions?” Flash pointed out.“She wasn’t the only one that lecture was directed at,” Batman reminded him.To everyone’s surprise it was Ares that spoke up. “In my sister’s defense I do have a reputation for being a bloodthirsty killer that preys on the weak and incites violence wherever I go.”Superman frowned and asked, “Is that a well-deserved reputation?”Ares hesitated then nodded sheepishly. “I’m afraid so. When I first became the God of War I was overcome with a great lust for blood and battle. It’s taken me several millennia to overcome that lust enough to be around people again without desiring to kill them.”“So how did you become the God of War?” Green Lantern had created a couch for him and Flash to sit on, the kids perched on the ends. “I’ve studied Greek mythology but some of the details are sorely lacking.”“Those stories are funny,” Donna giggled.“If you don’t mind my asking that is,” Green Lantern added hastily.“I don’t mind at all,” Ares assured them. “You may not believe me but when I was younger I was a pacifist.”“What’s a pacifist?” Billy wanted to know.“Someone who doesn’t believe in violence,” J'onn explained.“My father was very unhappy,” Ares continued. “All of his other sons were big, strapping men who reveled in fighting whereas I would shy away from all conflict. One day he grew so angry that he cursed me and turned me into the God of War. My mother’s intervention was the only reason I didn’t slay him on the spot.”Flash blinked. “That sounds like a very cruel punishment,” he said.“It was,” Ares agreed. “By the time I managed to get control of myself I had slaughtered millions. None of my siblings wanted anything to do with me for fear that I would kill them as well so when I heard of the birth of my sisters I knew it was my last chance if I ever wanted to have a relationship with any of them.”“I’m surprised you were allowed anywhere near them,” Batman commented. “Given the Amazons feelings towards men.”“My mother was unaware of his presence even though he trained both of us in secret,” Diana explained.Ares coughed. “Actually your mother was fully aware of my visits. I imagine that she never confronted me because of her,” he inclined his head towards Donna. “Given the circumstance surrounding your births she probably figured I was the best hope she had for a normal life.”“What circumstances?” Superman couldn’t help but be intrigued. Diana rarely mentioned her sister and he was eager for any glimpse into her past.Upon seeing her teammates’ eager faces Diana sighed and surrendered to the inevitable. “The night that we were born Menalippe, my mother’s favorite oracle, prophesied that Donna would sow the seeds of chaos and strife wherever she went and would ultimately bring about the ruin of the Amazons. Menalippe wanted my mother to slay Donna on the spot but my mother refused.”“She was an outcast,” Ares cut in. “No one wanted to be near her-they were terrified of her.”“Can you blame them?” Diana snapped. “She’s my sister and even I am scared of what she could bring about. Coming to Man’s World is a serious crime-one which I cannot forgive.” Diana took a deep breath then turned to her sister. “You are aware of course that I must forbid you from ever returning to Themsycira.”“I know,” Donna's voice was unwavering. “There is nothing left for me there anyway. After I was cursed by Circe and stopped aging I became even more isolated and Ares was my only friend. Now I at least have a chance to make friends.”“So you’re going to stay in Man’s World?” Billy asked eagerly. “That’s so cool!”“Joy,” Flash deadpanned.Ares stepped forward and cleared his throat, making sure he had the children’s attention before speaking. “Actually, I was going to say-if you wanted that is-the two of you could come and live with me.”
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As soon as they arrived back at LexCorp Mercy made a beeline for her personal quarters. They were located on the top floor, immediately next to Lex’s. On the floor immediately below them was what Mercy referred to as the defensive layer where any two members of the Outsiders could be found at any given time as they took turns keeping watch over them.She took the service elevator so she wouldn’t be noticed and ignored Jonah’s worried call as she brushed by him. Mercy had no doubt that Lex would be up in a minute so she plopped down on the black leather couch and kicked off her red boots.Less than twenty minutes had passed when Lex entered the family room, closing the door behind him. “What’s wrong?” he frowned as he sat down beside her. “You’re crying,” he observed even as he fished the green handkerchief out of his breast pocket. Mercy had spent countless hours trying to make sure that the stitches were perfect and that his initials were even. It was a labor of love that she had vowed to never undertake again. The fact that Lex had liked it had made it all worthwhile.Mercy blew her nose before answering, “He wanted me to sell you out so Diana would fall in love with him.”“Like that’ll ever happen,” Lex snortedMercy’s smile was watery as she nodded in agreement. “I asked why he abandoned us: apparently, he had ‘more important things’ to do,” she rolled her eyes. “What did we ever do to deserve having such horrible fathers?”“I wish I knew,” Lex sighed as he opened one of the cabinets before pouring a glass of wine.“Lex, no,” Mercy protested when he tried to offer it to her. “I know you don’t like the small of alcohol.”“It’s alright, Mercy,” Lex assured her. “You’re not my father: I know you’ll never hurt me.”Mercy still didn’t look very convinced but she drank the wine anyway. “How did I get so lucky?” she leaned her head against Lex’s shoulder.“I ask myself the same thing every day,” Lex wrapped his arm around her. They sat in silence for a few moments then Lex abruptly asked, “Do you remember what you told me that day in the hospital?”Mercy sniggered. “I had just gotten my arm blown off by a sniper firing armor-piercing bullets-I find it difficult to forget anything about that day.”“When you came to I asked you why you took the shot for me. Do you remember what you said?” Lex persisted.“I know where you’re going with this,” Mercy told him, “but yes, I do. When I came to the first thing I saw was your face-I was so relieved that I smiled and said, ‘I’m glad that you’re alright.’ You asked me why-why I had been willing to die for you and I said, ‘My mother told me when I was very young that families are mad, not born.’”“Exactly,” Lex smiled at her triumphantly. “Our little family may be dysfunctional but it’s ours. Now, why don’t you get some rest? You look tired.”Indeed, Mercy was yawning and she didn’t protest when he draped a blanket over her. “Are you going to do anything foolish, sir?” she asked sleepily when his phone dinged, signaling he had a text message.“Mercy,” he faked a shocked gasp. “Would I do something like that?”“Absolutely,” Mercy didn’t even hesitate. “Just be careful.”“Always,” he promised. He waited until she fell asleep before slipping of the room, checking his phone as he did so. The smile that spread across his face as he read the test was not a nice one and had sent lesser men running.
We have him.
“I should have known that you were behind this,” Steve sneered as Lex entered the warehouse, straining uselessly against the chains binding him to the chair.Lex ignored him, however, and turned to the man at his side. “Did he give you any trouble?”“A little,” Timothy grinned, “but he doesn’t hit as hard as Mercy does.”“Excellent,” Lex nodded in approval then redirected his gaze back to Steve. “Do you know why you’re here?”“Because I’m a threat to you,” Steve couldn’t help but feel smug. He, of all people, was a threat to Lex-the man who faced down the entire Justice League without a trace of fear. This, more than anything else, only served to prove Steve’s point-he was more than worthy to join the ranks of the Amazons. It shouldn’t be hard to convince Diana to present him to her sisters. But, to Steve’s surprise, Lex merely threw back his head and laughed.“You? A threat? Hardly. If you were then I would’ve simply had you killed. No, this is about something more…personal. You made Mercy cry and that is simply unacceptable.”His face was dark and twisted with hatred, a grin worthy of a crazed serial killer complementing his expression. As Steve looked up at the person in front of him he felt the first twinge of fear race down his spine.“You won’t kill me,” false bravado filled Steve’s voice, making him sound more confident than he really was.“Oh, really?” Lex raised an eyebrow. “And pray tell why not?”The answer came quickly to Steve and he didn’t hesitate to blurt it out. “The same reason that we’re having this conversation in the first place: Mercy. Whether she’s willing to admit it or not she still loves me and would be devastated if anything should ever happen to me.”“That certainly is true,” Lex admitted and Steve’s hopes began to rise once more. “However, she will still have me and the Outsiders to comfort her and once her grief passes she will no longer think of you. But for her sake, I won’t kill you-this time. In exchange I want you to stay away from her until you’re ready to be a father. Do we have a deal?”Steve wanted to argue but couldn’t. There was a part of him that wanted to protest-to say that he had a right to be involved in his daughter’s life but another part (a much larger part) pointed out that he could always pursue a relationship with Mercy after securing his place among the Amazons. Slowly, reluctantly, he nodded. “We have a deal,” he said stiffly.“Excellent,” Lex looked extremely satisfied as he headed back towards the door. “Oh by the way,” he added casually, “if you ever make her cry again I will kill you.”“And if he doesn’t we will,” Timothy shot him a dirty look before following his boss out of the building. Despite Lex’s attempt to stay quiet Mercy still raised her head, sleepily muttering, “Lex?” as he entered the room.“Yes, Mercy?” he tried to sound casual and not as if he had just returned from threatening her father.Unfortunately for him, even half-asleep, Mercy knew him all too well. “Is my father still alive?”“For the moment,” Lex sighed as he sat on the coffee table in front of her. “I told him to stay away from you until he was ready to be a father.”“In that case I’ll probably never see him again,” Mercy joked. Her smile turned serious and she grabbed Lex’s hand. “Thank you-for everything. I’m so glad I kidnapped you that day.”“Me too,” Lex smiled. “Me too.” “Are you sure about this?” Ares asked yet again.“Yes,” Donna smiled up at her brother. “I know you’re worried about me but I’ll be fine. I want to experience everything that life has to offer. Man’s World just seems like a good place to start.”“Yeah and I’ll visit her all the time,” Billy chimed in. “We’ll have lots of fun.”Seeing that Ares still didn’t look convinced Diana took the initiative. “She will be perfectly fine, Ares. Man has made many advances in both magic and technology-they may be able to lift the curse that Circe put on her. Besides, I trust Steve-he’s a good man. He’ll take good care of her, I promise.”Ares sighed heavily then turned to Steve, ignoring the excited scientists whispering amongst themselves as they stood in front of the research facility. “If anything happens to my sister and I will remove your head and hang it in my dining hall.”Not even fazed by the threat Steve nevertheless nodded. “You have my word that nothing will happen to your sister.”“Very well,” Ares sighed. “I shall return and visit you shortly.” He hugged Billy and Donna then teleported away.“Come, Billy,” Diana put her hand on the boy’s shoulder. “We should return to the Watchtower.”“Okay,” Billy sighed. “Bye, Donna.”“Bye,” Donna waved cheerfully as they left.“Do you think she’ll be okay?” Billy looked up at Diana, worry written all over his face.“Donna is an Amazon-she will be fine,” Diana assured him. She hesitated then said, “If you would like I can teach you some fighting moves that my mother taught me.”Billy’s eyes widened. “Wow, really?”“Really.”“Thank you,” Billy wrapped his arms around Diana’s waist. She looked startled for a moment then returned the hug.“You’re welcome.”