Glass Shadow 6

I cannot give you cheering crowds, showers of medals, monetary rewards enough to live out the rest of your life in comfort. All I can offer you is pain, blood, and tears. You will face foes beyond reckoning, every time outgunned, outnumbered, and outmatched. You will be buried in an unmarked grave if you are lucky, your carcass fed to the vultures if you are not.

So I ask you again. Are you willing to fight?

-The Paladins

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Diana's eyelids fluttered open, and she grimaced in pain from the sensations all over her body. Ooooh, where am I? I feel so weak.

She found herself in darkness, unable to see a thing. She also noticed the coldness of metal surrounding her neck, arms, and legs. Restraining clamps, she reasoned, to remove my powers. If they think to retain me like this, they are sorely mistaken. She felt soft carpet under her, which seemed incongruous to her current plight.

She wriggled around trying to reach for a hidden compartment in her boots, where there was a set of lockpicks and a small blade for use in emergencies. She managed to get a hand into the boot, but to her surprise, the items were missing.

Somebody spoke in Greek. "Looking for something?" Followed by mocking laughter.

The lights suddenly came on, which caused her to wince as the bright beams invaded her sensitive eyes.

"Where am I?" She demanded imperiously in her native tongue as she carefully observed her surroundings, blinking her eyes rapidly to adjust to the light. She was in a relatively large room with racks of weapons on all sides. But her attention was closely drawn to the tall dark figure standing a few meters away from her prone body. His trademark crested helmet made his identity clear to the fallen Princess.

"Ares…" She hissed. "What are you up to this time?"

"Tsk, tsk, Princess, is that any way to greet your superior, your god?" Ares snickered.

"You are no god of the Amazons!" Diana shot back, angry that he had done this to her. She had not forgotten the time she had spent as the Goddess of Truth on Mt Olympus, and she had learnt far more of the dark god of war than she had ever wanted to. Not even the Banas worshipped Ares; he was simply too vile.

"No matter." Ares waved away her statement.

"Then why have you brought me here? When Hera finds out, I swear you'll…"

"Shut up." Ares said softly, with all the weight and power of his godhood behind the words, cutting her off in mid-rant. Wonder Woman was cowed momentarily, but she was an Amazon, and she would never submit easily! She glared at the God of War.

"You'll not succeed in whatever nefarious scheme you are up to. I will see to that!" She declared, confident that Ares would somehow slip up and grant her a reprieve.

Ares raised an eyebrow under his helmet. "Oh, is that so?" He gestured with one hand, and Diana narrowed her eyes as she saw another man appear in the room beside Ares. Even though he now wore a black mask in stead of a helmet, she recognized him as the same man who had led the forces which had ambushed her. "I suppose I should introduce my latest and best minion. Princess Diana of Themyscira," Ares gestured theatrically, "Meet my Marshal of Chaos. He captured you, and it was his plan. Competent, isn't he?"

The man stepped forward, but did not utter a sound.

"What are you planning this time?" Wonder Woman spat, while wriggling her body, trying to find a way out of her predicament.

Ares laughed, a evil laugh that sent chills down the Amazon Champion's spine. "No plan. You see, I work differently nowadays. I identify threats first, and seek to eliminate them before anything else. And you, dear princess, are a threat."

Ares continued, "But let it not be said that Ares is a dishonorable warrior who relies only on tricks and traps to achieve victory! I grant you one chance to escape, Wonder Woman, and if you succeed, you'll be free to go."

Diana perked up. She was sure Ares was making a mistake now. She swore that she would make him regret his overconfidence. "I will defeat any challenge you might name."

"Very well then." She could make out the faint hint of a smile under his helmet. "I am sure you would wish to take some measure of revenge on the good Marshal for humiliating you. Well, here's your chance."

Ares waved his hands, and suddenly, Diana found her restraints gone. She sprang to her feet in an instant, but held off from attacking. Strange, I don't feel as strong as I normally should. And my lasso's missing. So are my bracelets and tiara.

Ares confirmed her suspicions. "I have taken certain steps to ensure that this would be a fair fight. Inside this room, you are restricted to your normal skills and abilities. The same goes for my champion. For years you have claimed that the Amazons are the best warriors in the world. Time to back up that claim." Ares stepped back, allowing the Marshal to move forward. "If you can defeat him, I'll return you to the world, along with your possessions. I'll even apologize to your goddesses for my temerity." His smile indicated he didn't think that likely though. "If you lose…"

"I will not." She would not even think of defeat. Diana narrowed her eyes, searching for a suitable weapon set from the walls. She walked over and selected a sword and shield, the set used by most Amazon warriors. She walked to near the center of the room, and took up a battle stance.

The Marshal did not walk over to the walls to select his weapons, but he simply drew out a sword and dagger from his robes, holding one weapon in each hand. He mirrored her position in the middle of the room, except that he started weaving his weapons in slow, sinuous movements in front of him.

Diana recognized the movements as intended to confuse her, to lure her into attacking. The way he moved the swords in steady, flowing movements also hinted that this man would be no easy foe.

But of course, Ares would have selected only the finest warrior to be his champion,_thought the female champion, _he would settle for nothing less. But in the whole world, there were few warriors that could be regarded as the best, and with the ability to defeat her in a fight without superpowers. Batman, Lady Shiva, Cain, Deathstroke, Nightwing, Batgirl. Outside of this small elite group, she did not know of any else. Apparently, Ares should know that too…

The Marshal came in, his sword and dagger a blur as they twirled towards her. She moved her shield up to block, and countered with a swing at the Marshal's head. He jerked his head back, but his sword smashed against her shield, while the dagger flowed up and tried to slash at her sword arm. The sound of clashing steel echoed throughout the room.

Diana pulled back her sword, and used the shield to batter forward. The Marshal did not flinch from the blow, but instead moved shuffled closer, his dancing feet bringing a shoulder up to the shield and stopping it before it had built up any momentum.

By Hera! Diana thought as she blocked a stab from his dagger with her bracelets. This is going to be far more difficult than I had thought!

Ares watched the fight with interest. As per his instructions, the Marshal was actually holding back, allowing the Amazon to display her full repertoire of martial arts and skills, which was considerable. It would all play into his hands.

Ares smiled as he sensed the Crystal of Calai gaining power. He had not told Wonder Woman the complete truth. Her powers were blocked from her because the room was channeling her magical energy towards the Crystal. In effect, Ares was stealing her powers, her magical energy. It would last only when she was in the building, of course, due to the runes he had inscribed on the floor, hidden by the thick layering of carpet.

Come on, little Amazon, display everything that you know. He needed not only to defeat her physically, but also to break her spirit completely. She would be forced to go all out, use everything she knew, to try to defeat the Marshal. And when she did and knew it, and knew that they knew it as well…

Then the real fun would begin. The Marshal would show her just how pitiful her skills were.

Ares still didn't know who Charade was prior to his appearance during the various bush wars in Africa, but it was obvious the man was a trained killer. In fact, he had barely shown any restraint in his first few training sessions with Ares' myrmidons, cutting them down instead of merely disabling them. It had taken quite a cost in resources to teach the man to hold back from his all out offensive style.

Being what he was, the God of War was still slightly unnerved by the fact that his minion did not know the difference between training and actual fighting. He trained as if every session was a real fight. Ares suspected there were skeletons in the man's dark closet that might frighten even him.

He concentrated on the fight again. The Amazon Princess was unharmed, but she had not made any headway against the Marshal either, who was using his speed and technique to counter her moves. The man could fight defensive when he had to. Ares had made sure of that.

"Stand and fight!" She shouted in frustration as she pulled off a dazzling array of moves that would have incapacitated any other opponent, but the Marshal quietly and smoothly blocked her blows, instead of scooting away. No, it would not do for the Marshal to give the impression he was running away. They had to show her that her skills weren't impressive at all. That she was successful only because of her Olympus given powers. That without them she was nothing. Just a big breasted slut.

Ares admired the firm tone of her arms, the sleekness of her long legs, the sculpted perfection of her torso as she exerted her utmost against his Marshal. There was a time when he had wanted nothing better than to take her body and fuck her brains out, especially when she was also the goddess of truth. But no, he had now set his sets on somebody else, and it wasn't even Aphrodite. It would be the culmination of his plan, literally the climax of his victory as he claimed the throne of Olympus for his own.

Diana paused, her chest heaving, her sword held in a guarded position. Ares could see the faintest bit of uncertainty and doubt creeping into her blue eyes, and that was when he nodded almost imperceptibly to the Marshal, whose own clothes, especially the black robes he wore, were already in tatters.

The Marshal exploded into action, a new pattern coming into play as he attacked.

Diana gasped as one elbow smashed into her right breast, driving out some air from her lungs. She was more than a bit concerned by this point. She had gone all out to put down the Marshal, but it had not been good enough. What was even more distressing was the fact that he did not seem to be as tired as she was. Had he been holding back?

She tried to retake the initiative, her sword stabbing out in a quick thrust that would have skewered him cleanly through his stomach.

Except that he somehow managed a short leap, his legs impossibly curling around her sword, his black boots and knees trapping her sword by the flat of its blade and pulling it out of her hands. She stood in shock as he flipped the sword away.

And he spoke for the first time. "Now for your shield." Her eyes widened. The voice sounded familiar…

There was no more time to think as he brought up his dagger, and she instinctively raised her shield. Only for him to yell as he swung his sword with bone jarring force into the edge of the shield, the blade digging into the metal and jamming itself into the shield.

Diana saw the danger immediately, and tried to pull her shield away, but the man was already flowing into his next move. While the sword was still stuck in the side of the shield, he twisted the sword up and around, trying to wrench the shield and her arm away.

Wonder Woman screamed as she reacted just a bit too slowly, twisting her body to prevent her arm from being torn from her shoulder socket. She managed to turn around in time to save her arm, but not fast enough to prevent the removal of her shield.

She was now unarmed.

The Marshal of Chaos paused in his attacks, observing the unarmed Amazon in front of him. She stared back with grim defiance, but he could detect fear and despair on her beautiful face. Her body trembled from the pain of his previous attack, and he could not help but feel a bit guilty at having hurt her.

Why did I think her beautiful? He shook his head slightly to rid himself of that useless thought. Damn it, I don't feel this way when looking at the woman of Ares' harem. Why is it different with her? Focus, focus!

He straightened up from his combat stance, which brought slight surprise from the Champion of Justice. "You are now unarmed," he declared, "But you are not yet defeated." He saw the confidence bleed back into her eyes as she realized she had a second chance.

And that is the last and only chance you will get, he promised himself. He flung his weapons away, the sword and dagger stabbing into the walls of the room. He grabbed a handful of his torn robes, and threw them away from his body, revealing his nondescript black t-shirt and track pants under the robes. He did not need the robes hindering his movements or allowing the Amazon the chance to pull him off balance.

He raised a hand up, palm facing her, and then turned the palm, beckoning her forward, "Come."

Diana swung into action first, her well honed body responding to hours of training by lashing out with a kick at the man. He blocked it with an arm, stolidly standing his ground.

Going on the defensive again, are you? She knew better than to overextend herself this time. Two can play at that game. I have faced Lady Shiva, Cheetah, and Killer Croc in unarmed combat, and won. I have lost in weapons only because I have not trained in them for some time. But now this is my turf. I must win!

But a tiny corner of her mind reminded her that she had her powers then, and that without them she was nothing. She shut the thought aside, and focused on her battle.

She was gratified when she connected with a blow to his head, a vicious roundhouse punch that sent the Marshal reeling back. She moved forward to press the attack…

Only to be lifted up into the air as he flipped backwards, his feet snapping her chin up. A dazed Wonder Woman fell back to the floor, slamming onto the ground. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the stars flitting around her sight.

She glanced up to see the Marshal standing in a ready stance, but not making any moves to capitalize on her vulnerability. How strange… he fights with both honor and skill… Diana felt a strange feeling come over her as she swept her gaze across his lean, strong body, down to his groin…. She shook her head again as she stood up. No, what am I thinking? This is no time for stray thoughts!

This time the Marshal took the offensive with a flurry of punches, and Diana raised her hands, while looking for an opening to exploit. She managed to hit him several times, but the Marshal was also able to get his licks in. Many times, they hit each other almost simultaneously. Diana could not see how she could get in her shots without taking some risks. He was just as fast as she was.

It was only after the fifth minute of combat that she deduced his strategy. By this time, she was limping slightly, and with bruises along her arms, while the Marshal did not seem hindered by the damage he had taken. She noticed that when they exchanged blows, the Marshal tended to inflict the more damaging hit, while sustaining her blows with stoic silence. It was a battle of attrition, and as a male, this sort of fighting favored him.

She tried for a paralyzing nerve strike, only for him to grab one of her hands, slowed by the amount of energy she had expended during the battle. While normally Wonder Woman was capable of fighting for prolonged periods without resting, the removal of her powers had reduced her to the stamina of an ordinary woman, even though it was that of a woman at the peak of her fitness.

He dodged a jab from her other arm, and struck a point under her shoulder. Diana screamed in pain as he hit a crucial nerve point there. The intense pain threw off her concentration long enough for him to launch a series of pin point strikes on her body. While Amazons were possessed of greater strength and abilities than normal humans, they still have all of the human body's frailties and physiological characteristics. Including nerve points.

Wonder Woman choked back a sob as she collapsed to the ground, weakened by the intense pain and weakness flowing throughout her body. The Marshal had hit many of the nerve points to induce pain, as well as those causing paralysis. Taken together, his blows had reduced her strength to that of a newborn child.

Ares clapped, his mocking laughter sending despair into her Amazon heart. How could this happen? I've lost!

He stood back from the prone Amazon, panting slightly from the battle. He ignored the pain from the places where she had hit him. It was inconsequential, minor. And there was something that told him that he had suffered far, far worse in the past.

It had been a lucky break when he had managed to catch her hand, an opening which paved the way for his victory. Fights often end with such mistakes, where a simple error, a single misjudgment, could lead to defeat.

Ares came up beside him, a dark grin under his helmet. "Well done, well done."

"Thank you, master." The Marshal replied. Somewhere in his mind, something whispered,well bargained and done…

Where did that come from? He thought.

"So, Princess, it seems you are indeed as weak as I have surmised. Are you ready for your punishment?" Ares spoke to the prone Amazon, lying on her back on the floor, her arms splayed out to her sides, her generous bosom heaving with effort as she tried to gather her strength to get up. Her black mane of hair, slick with sweat, clung to her face.

"Go to hell…" Diana choked out, but the fear in her voice was plain to all.

"My Marshal," Ares declared as he stood over the fallen Wonder Woman, "you have done well in carrying out your tasks for me. But all this time, you have not asked for much, indeed, for anything at all! Since I am in a generous mood today, I shall grant you one thing today."

The Marshal did not know why, but he felt ice and fire whip through his body in equal amounts as he heard Ares' proclamation.

"I grant you Diana of Themyscira, Amazon Princess, the Goddess of Truth, Wonder Woman, as a whore for you to enjoy."

Diana gasped in shock as she heard Ares' words. "No! You cannot allow this!" She yelled in fear.

Then to the surprise of the other two people in the room, the Marshal said, "My lord, I have no idea what you mean."

Ares laughed even louder. "My good Marshal, you have to be joking." Then Ares suddenly stopped laughing, and leaned forward to look at the motionless Marshal seriously. "By Olympus, you are not joking!"

Ares strode up to the Marshal, who seemed extremely uncomfortable under the god's stern gaze. "You really do not know?"

"I am in your service, but I truly do not understand your words."

Despite her hopeless situation, Diana could not help but smile as Ares slapped a hand on his helmeted head in frustration. "You are a warrior! What do warriors do?"

The Marshal answered, and Diana listened in amazement as he replied, "To wage war. To fight. To win."

Ares asked, "No, no, no! What happens after they win?"

"To prepare for the next battle." Diana could not detect any duplicity from the man. He truly believes that!

"What about slaughtering their men, raping their women, and hearing the lamentations of their children?"

The Marshal sounded puzzled as he said, "True warriors fight warriors, not civilians."

Diana swore she could hear Ares gnashing his teeth in irritation.

"Very well then. In any case, she is yours to do with as you deem fit." Then Ares' voice turned crafty. "But before I leave," Ares took out two bottles, one green and one red from under his armor, "Once you have settled down, drink the contents in the green bottle, and give her the contents in the red to neutralize her strength. It will help you decide what to do next. And remember what I told you before."

"As my lord commands!" The Marshal accepted the bottles, then saluted as the God of War faded away, disappearing from the room.

Diana saw the Marshal walk up to her hesitantly. He leaned down, and said, "I do not know what to do next, but I guess I cannot leave you on the floor like this." He lifted her up, and put her over one shoulder. Diana groaned in despair as she was slung over his shoulder. She did, however, get a good look at his behind. His muscular legs and back stirred feelings in her which she had thought she had shut away.

He took her out of the fighting chamber, past a door into another room, and onto a bed. Diana noticed he took care not to jostle her too badly as he moved her, and his gentleness was an unexpected contrast to the strength he had displayed earlier.

She laid on the bed, and they stared at each other for long moments before the Marshal broke off from her steady gaze as though in shame. She still could not move, but she was thinking of a way to get him to release her nerve points before he could use the bottles Ares had given him. She could guess what those were for. She noted that his eyes were blue like hers, intense yet with a touch of weariness. I have seen those eyes before, but where?

"You have not eaten since your capture. You must be hungry." The Marshal said as he walked away.

"No," said Wonder Woman, "Please stay. I'd… I'd like to talk." I have to try to get him to release me…

He turned to her knowingly. "Do not expect to trick me into releasing you. I will not." Then he walked away to look for food.

Diana closed her eyes, summoning up her will to gain enough strength to move, to get away from this dreadful situation. But despite her best efforts, it all came to naught. She could not even lift her arms. Wonder Woman tried to hold back her fear, focusing on the identity of her foes, and possible weaknesses she might be able to exploit.

The Marshal returned a short while later with a tray of several pieces of bread and a glass of water. He placed them by a small table near the bed. Then he took out the red bottle.

"Keep that away from me!" Diana's eyes grew wide as she tried to shrink away from him. She had no idea what that bottle contained, but it would not be anything good.

The Marshal shook his head. "You will take this potion." He held the bottle over her mouth, and used his other hand to pinch her nose, blocking her air passage and forcing her to open her mouth to breathe. "My master commands it."

Wonder Woman tried to hold her breath for as long as possible, but without her powers, she was soon forced to take a gasping breath through her mouth. The Marshal poured the contents of the bottle into her mouth as she did so, and Diana shuddered as she swallowed involuntarily, wondering what the effect would be.

He waited for a minute to allow the drugs to take effect, then hit her nerve points to release them. Diana whimpered as she found herself able to move again, but she felt extremely weak, her strength not even that of an ordinary woman. She moved a hand to her forehead, trying to gather her thoughts.

"Oh Hera…" She whispered as he took out the blue bottle. "Please, don't drink it. Please." She held out her arms, and tried to reach him, but she did not have enough energy to do so. Please, don't do this, she thought. For the first time in her life, she was truly afraid.

The Marshal looked at her, his eyes cold. "No." Then he swallowed the contents with a single gulp.

Wonder Woman watched him with fear, not knowing what was going to happen exactly, but she had some inkling of what was to come. "Hera, give me strength."

The Marshal of Chaos did not know what he was supposed to do next, but he felt a strange urge come over him after he had drank the bottle Ares had given him. It was something he was sure he had never felt before. His body grew hot, blood and fire flushing from his head down to his feet, intensifying when it passed by his groin. He clamped down on the sensation growing in his loins, unwilling to relinquish his iron self control.

Then his eyes passed over the Amazon's flawless body.

Before he knew it, he was all over her, his hands tearing at her uniform, while she shrieked in dismay. He rained kisses on her neck as she squirmed under the weight of his body.

"No, please don't!" Wonder Woman pleaded as he continued to paw her, his tongue licking her face, down to her neck, and then to her firm breasts. "You can't do this!" Secretly, she felt her own body start to betray her, the Marshal's strong body bringing forth her deepest desires and fears.

The Marshal was beyond her words, his entire being under the insidious influence of Ares' drug. He grasped her twin mounds, cupping and caressing them gently with his hands and mouth, eliciting a soft moan from her luscious red lips. The remains of her red and gold bustier was left in scraps around the bed, even as they rubbed against each other, the close contact of their skin inflaming and overwhelming their senses.

"Ugh, no! Ugh!" Diana moaned in shame and humiliation, knowing that only a miracle could save her now. She could not deny the pleasure attempting to overpower her mind. Wonder Woman clung onto her status as an Amazon Princess and the champion of Themyscira, hoping against hope to retain her dignity in the face of this dreadful assault on her royal body. "Noooo!"

The worst part of it was that she did feel attracted to this minion of Ares. She had seen how skilled and strong he was. She had seen his honor and integrity. She did not know why such a warrior would serve the detestable God of War. At any other time, she might be really tempted to know him better, and perhaps could even fall in love with such a man. But not like this. And not without her consent.

The Marshal had discarded his own clothes by now, revealing a body covered with scars from a variety of sources. His rigid tool slid over her thighs, and he sensed her shudder weakly, unable to buck and push him off. He grinned. However, he felt… restrained. He could feel the drug pushing him to be even more brutal, to take her body and ravage her, to conquer her completely, but it all felt wrong to him, so he held back. But the pleasure he was deriving from this was astounding. Strangely, he knew that he had never done anything like this before.

Acting on the drug's insidious commands, he finally closed his mouth over hers to stifle her protests. He stabbed his tongue into her, overpowering her. He savored the sweet taste of her mouth, which was just as wonderful as the rest of her.

The Princess of Themyscira struggled vainly, her hair slick with sweat and pasted to her face. She tried to speak through the gag of the Marshal's mouth, but was only able to emit a muffled "Umphh!" Meanwhile, she felt her body's resistance continue to dwindle, her struggle against the man lessening as she lost what strength she had left. No, this cannot be happening!

He rubbed his body against hers, enjoying her silky smooth skin, her firm perfect breasts, and her flat, toned stomach. One hand reached down, rubbing the entrance to her sacred temple, which had never been defiled by the assault of man before. Until now, that is.

She moaned in agony at his touch, and he continued rubbing her lips for several long minutes, guided by the potion he had ingested. The Marshal finally sensed the timing was right when he felt her physical resistance completely gone, and guided his pole in between her thighs, rubbing the insides of her strong legs as he did so. He sensed the wetness around her crotch, and smiled darkly.

With her body even arching up instinctively to his move, Wonder Woman was unable to resist him physically, but she still had a final attempt at stopping him. "Please stop! I'll do anything! Just don't put that… that thing inside me! Please!" She begged, tears starting to well up in her steely blue eyes, normally full of confidence and courage.

Diana tried to deny the pleasure sweeping through her. She was an Amazon Princess! She had meant to present her virgin body to the man she loved, not to an evil warrior under the vile control of Ares! "Goddesses, give me strength." She whispered, closing her eyes for the inevitable.

Just before he was about to plunge his member into her, he paused for just the slightest of moments, his desire warring with what remained of his control, but the outcome was never in doubt.

He penetrated her with a swift stab, piercing her hymen and bringing a sickening cry from the world's mightiest superheroine as her virginity was lost.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Diana screamed in agony as the flash of intense pain threatened to overcome her, feeling as though she was being ripped apart. She shook her head from side to side in denial as the Marshal continued to thrust into her, her tears flowing freely now, her voluptuous bosom heaving with sobs as she realized her fate. To be a slave of Ares for the rest of her life, abused like a common whore! "Stop! Argh! I am Wonder Woman! You cannot do this to me! Stop! It hurts! Ugh!"

They came together with a powerful lurch, their bodies slapping onto each other. Diana groaned in shame and humiliation, while the Marshal laughed with joy. She could feel her own blood flowing down her thighs, blood from her ruptured hymen, mixed with juices from her and her rapist.

Almost immediately, the Marshal attacked her again, slamming into her with even greater force. Diana bit her lips, drawing blood as she tried to suppress the intense pain from her insides. "Oh Hera! It hurts so much!"

She turned her head to the sides, again to force the pain away, when she saw one of his hands. There was a neat bullet scar in the middle of his left hand.

In that instant, Diana realized who the Marshal was. It also made some weird sense. Ares was well known for using his foes' friends against them. This must be another of his stratagems.

She also knew that Andy would never willingly hurt her. He had saved her twice, after all, and asked for nothing in return. Wonder Woman considered him to be an erstwhile ally, if not a close friend. She always wanted to get closer to him, to find out more about the mysterious man. After their dinner together, he had disappeared, despite her best efforts to find him.

She had thought at the time he was simply avoiding her. Now she knew. He was obviously under Ares' control. The Amazon Princess reached out with one arm, summoning the last vestiges of her fading strength, and pulled off his mask. Sure enough, it was Andy's face, and she nearly wept at the hideous expression on his face. I've got to bring him out from Ares' control. But how?

He lunged into her again, and Diana bit back another scream. A desperate idea occurred to her. I was the goddess of truth, and I still retain some of that power. I hope this works. Hera, hear my plea!

As Andy's tool plunged deeply into her, she concentrated everything she had left, focusing onto the hard member in her, pushing her energy, her power of truth, into it. She felt darkness close over her as she poured her entire essence into Andy, trying to help him see the truth and break free of Ares.

There was a sudden roar.

Jake peered warily into the compound. "What makes you think sneaking in will work any better than a frontal assault?"

Artemis shifted the bow in her hands. "There're too many guards to fight through. We must rely on stealth." She had identified the entire scheme as Ares' work, and this made her very nervous. If she had time, she would have called in some Amazons from Themyscira to back her up. But there wasn't, and so she was stuck with this past middle aged man obviously trying to relive some past glory.

Jake sighed. "I disagree. Look, the guy who beat you the first go-round isn't here, and I'm pretty sure those goons are pushovers, if what happened in the café was any indication. I say we don't waste any time, and make a beeline for the gateway."

They had been arguing for the past five minutes, and Jake was tired of arguing with this red haired, headstrong Amazon, even if she was a rare beauty. Sure, he appreciated strong women as much as anybody else, and had even known more than a few of them, but he had the feeling Artemis was scared. Scared of the guy who'd defeated her? Possibly. Maybe even more scared of failing. Well, there was one quick and easy way to get things moving. He hefted an RPG, and before Artemis could react, he fired it at the nearest concentration of Myrmidons.

"Time to rock and roll." Jake grinned as he stood and started firing with his machine gun, alerting all the Myrmidons to their position. It's not like he was hard to miss. "Come on!"

Artemis looked up at him in surprise, incredulous at his gall. She had not asked this crazy giant to help her, and he seemed unusually cheerful in the face of such potent foes. But there was no doubt that they had stirred up the hornet's nest now. She cursed him fluently in ancient Greek, even as she leapt up from behind their cover, laying down arrows as fast as her injured shoulder would allow.

She recognized her foes now. They were minions of Ares, the God of War and perennial enemy of the Amazons. The entire scheme reeked of the Dark God. She only hoped to rescue Diana before it was too late.

Jake led the charge towards the magical gateway, blazing away with his machine guns, and firing an occasional grenade from his grenade launcher. It was only several minutes later that she realized that their foolhardy assault had actually managed to sweep away most of the defenders.

They burst through into the warehouse, and Jake swept his gunfire around the entire area. It was a good thing there were no civilians around. He _hated_complications.

Artemis glanced at the shimmering doorway, which she knew led to Ares' realm. There, he would hold all the cards. "You don't have to do this, you know. We'll be entering a god's realm, and guns are unlikely to prevail there."

Jake snorted. "Lady, I said I'll help you. And that means to the end, if needs be. I'm a man of my word." Besides, my gut tells me that I need to do this. Does it have something to do with Andy or Vale? "God or no god, guns or no guns, I don't care. Let's do it."

He walked in without a second thought, the portal surface glowing as he passed through to the other side. Artemis glanced at his back for a moment, before following him in. What an interesting man.

Ares narrowed his eyes. The Myrmidons guarding the entrance had fallen. He had planned to send a few more Myrmidons through along with the Marshal in a few more hours, to solidify his hold and to take over the local mob. But somebody had defeated them, and was even now entering his realm. Oh well, so much for that part of his plan. It wasn't important anyway.

Why not have some fun? He thought. "Lord Conquest, attend to me!"

"Yes, my lord?" The black man asked as he appeared almost instantaneously to Ares' summons.

"There are intruders through the gate. I want them in the arena. Herd them there."

"Your will be done, Master." Conquest bowed as he left. "And after that?"

"Make them fight Myrmidons until they fall."

The first thing Jake noticed as he stepped into Areopagus was that it looked a lot like the dirtholes he had been throughout his career as a soldier. Brown, uneven terrain, with a few scattered hills and sparse vegetation. What an ugly place. Hardly fit for a god, I think.

Artemis came up beside him, an arrow notched across her bow. "Be on your guard. Ares probably knows we are here."

She noted a slight tightening of his eyes, even though the smile on his face remained there. She also heard him mumble under his breath.

"What was that?" She asked.

"Nothing." Jake replied. "So what's your beef with this Ares? Aren't gods like him supposed to be above meddling in worldly affairs?"

"He is a vile and despicable god who relies on cruelty and trickery to achieve his goals. Several times, he had come close to igniting all out war in the world. He hates the Amazons of Themyscira because we are dedicated to peace."

"So you are diametrical opposites?"

"Yes. We Amazons are warriors, yet we do not wage war for its own sake. We strive for equality and peace. Ares would destroy Man's World with his actions by playing on man's hatred and jealousy."

Waging war for its own sake. Now where had I heard that before? Jake shook his head. When I was younger, I fought to live, and I lived to fight. This Ares would have fitted right in.

There were a whole series of philosophical and social expositions on waging war for its own sake, and Jake knew them all. He bit his tongue, refraining from voicing them out loud to Artemis. Having seen and experienced first hand such a society, he was not convinced that would lead to ruin. But he kept quiet anyway. And furthermore, he knew Greek mythology pretty well, and the reasons why Amazons tend to hate men.

"So any idea what we're going to do" He asked instead.

"We have to find Wonder Woman and release her. Then we try to escape."

"So how are we going to find her?"

"You won't." They stopped in their tracks as a tall man stepped in front of them. He wore a typical Grecian helmet to hide his face, and was apparently higher ranked than the myrmidons they had fought. "I am Lord Conquest, and I welcome you to Areopagus, my master's domain."

Jake raised his machine gun, but Artemis placed a hand on his arm. She said, "I am Artemis, the Shim'Tar of Themyscira. Where is Princess Diana?"

"You don't expect me to tell you that easily, do you?" The figure waved a hand. "Entertain us first." Sand and wind started to whirl around Artemis and Jake, trapping them inside the column.

Artemis widened her eyes in surprise as she realized Conquest had cast a teleportation spell. "No!" She yelled, firing off several arrows at him, but he had already disappeared.

"You should have allowed me to shoot him." Jake grumbled as the column of sand died down, revealing a vast coliseum. "Now, is this what I think it is?"

Artemis sighed as she prepared for battle. "I'm afraid it is. I'm sorry."

"Never mind." Jake grinned. "Always wanted to go out in glory."

"And glory you shall have!" Ares declared from the grandstand seat, a huge figure filled with power and purpose. "Little Amazon, you are audacious indeed, to enter my realm like this!"

"What have you done with Diana?" Artemis demanded.

"Oh, that." Ares smiled, which sent chills through Artemis. "Take a look." A shimmering screen materialized in front of her. Images moved across it.

Artemis paled as she saw a helpless Diana in her costume, defiled by a man as he plunged his tool into her repeatedly. Diana screamed in pain and humiliation as she was raped.

Ares laughed. "Behold the Champion of Themyscira." The screen faded away. He had placed a spell within the images, that would take away a person's will to fight. Artemis had fallen into his mind trap spell.

"No." Artemis murmured. "No, this cannot be." She felt like fainting. Wonder Woman had fallen. What chance would they have? Her legs felt weak. A concerned Jake walked next to her, holding her up by wrapping an arm around her.

"Artemis." Jake hissed to her. "Artemis! Get a grip on yourself!" He turned to Ares. "Hey asshole! What do you want? What have you done to them?"

"Ah, you must be a good Samaritan. I had not planned for you, but I shall enjoy your death anyway. Artemis will end up like the Princess, a whore and slut for my armies to enjoy. As will the rest of their pathetic nation. That is what I want. She has fallen under a mind trap. It'll take quite a while for her to shake it off."

"Go fuck yourself." Jake's easy grin was gone now, replaced by a snarl. He had long wondered what the Greek gods were like in reality, and he sure didn't like this first taste.

Ares did not reply, instead pointing at them. Jake narrowed his eyes as he saw a group of Greek warriors appear in front of him. He raised his machine gun.

Ares shook a finger. "No cheating." The guns disappeared. In fact, all his modern equipment went poof.

Jake stared at Ares angrily. "Then give me a weapon. You want to be entertained? Fine. I'll put on a show you'll never forget."
Ares smiled. This warrior had potential. He might just spare his life after all. "Very well, what weapon do you want?"

"A halberd, adjusted for my height."

"Done." A massive halberd appeared in front of Jake, who seized it with one hand. Artemis still clung to him, her face pale. He laid her down on the floor slowly. "Artemis, I need you to fight. C'mon." She did not reply, her mind in the thrall of the terrible spell. Looks like I have to go this one alone. Fine. I've never shied away from a fight. But she'll be defenseless until she recovers.

"Don't touch her." Jake warned Ares, who nodded. The Greek warriors started marching towards Jake.

"You who are about to die, I salute you!" Ares shouted in glee as he saw the lone giant start the battle, his halberd slicing the first warrior into two with a giant swipe.

He was holding a human hand, the hand of a child. The hand belonged to one of his siblings. He gnawed on it, to assuage his terrible hunger.

He stood in a room, the walls splattered with red blood and body parts from a variety of beasts. He had done this with a small knife. He was a killer.

A grinning man on a throne of skulls, black shadows constantly reforming around him as he beckoned him forward with a black tendril. His father. A human who'd dared to become a demon.

An old woman, cooing gently over her plants. Agnes. She'd saved his sanity, and his life.

He's on a cliff with an elderly man. The man had a shock of white hair, and an eye-patch over one eye. His remaining eye glistened with tears and regrets. Focht. The man who helped give him purpose.

A city street. The sound of battle and gunfire filled the air. He gripped his weapon angrily, pouring Ingram SMG fire into a screaming skeletal figure charging straight at him. A Helghast. His enemy. One of many, many enemies.

A giant figure of a man marched in front of him, as they moved through the battered landscape, loaded down with weapons. Jake. His best friend and commanding officer.

He was aboard a ship, a horror stormship.. It was burning. There were children in the holds. They were burning, screaming in anguish. Somebody asked, "Dammit, something has got to give. These children or an entire world?" Vale. A good soldier who would follow him to hell. And did.

The cooling remains of a private laid in front of him, while a dozen angry soldiers covered him with their weapons. "If you had done your jobs properly, this kid would still be alive. If your men don't move, you have to make them move. If they don't obey orders, you have to make them obey orders. Piss me off enough, and you'll be transferred out in a body bag. If you think you can relieve me*, go ahead and take your best shot." His first regular command.*

A valley, once beautiful and green. Now the rivers were red, choked with flaming corpses. Broken swords and machinery were scattered across the landscape, accompanied by a deadly silence. He stood alone in the middle of the valley with his shattered blades, tears of blood running down his face…

"YARRGHH!" Andy screamed in rage as his memories came back to him. All the anger, all the regret, all the pain, slammed into him like an avalanche, shattering the pleasure of raping Diana. He staggered up and back from the bed, his member pulling out of Wonder Woman's battered vagina with an audible pop.

He looked up with fear at Diana, who was lying motionless on the bed. He rushed over to her side, cradling her still and battered body in his arms, ignoring the siren call of the drug Ares had given him. He placed a hand on her wrist, trying to determine her pulse.

"Diana!" Fear raced through his heart as the memories of what he had done to her came to him. "Wonder Woman!" He called again. Her pulse was weak, and extremely slow. She looked a mess, bruises all over her body, and fluid running down her thighs. He had done this to her… He was an animal. Not that he had ever considered himself human in the first place.

Andy clenched a fist in silent anger, his rage a white hot furnace that he knew would be put to good use soon. Ares, you will pay for this. And after that, I will.

Jake panted for breath as he leaned hard on his halberd, several carcasses piled around him. Not for the first time, he was reminded why he had decided to retire from the 'business'. I'm getting too old for this. My eyes are failing. My reflexes are slowing down. I'm nearer to 50 than to 40. Why the hell am I still doing this?

He glanced at Artemis, still curled up in a ball on the ground, holding her head in her hands. It was then he realized he had done it all for. A pair of blue-green eyes. Red hair the color of flame. And a body to die for.

Jake snorted inwardly. Wasn't he also too old for this sort of tail chasing? I'm also getting dumber by the day. He had tried playing the field when he was younger, but he had never been satisfied with such casual dalliances. And there had been Lita…

Sensing his opponent's distraction, an enemy warrior slashed in, and Jake used the halberd to trap the sword against the floor, then stepping in to deliver a bone crushing punch to the warrior's face, sending him reeling back before he cut his opponent in half with the halberd. He ignored the painful lacerations on his knuckles, the skin torn from punching too much metal in the battle.

Done for the moment, he went back to leaning on his weapon, trying to catch his breath until the next warrior from the circle around him approached. They were now very wary of him, after he had taken down more than ten of them with vicious sweeps of his massive halberd.

But Jake was hardly unscathed. Blood oozed from various wounds on his arms and legs, though Jake privately considered them trifling compared to some of the wounds he had taken in the past.

There was clapping from Ares. "Magnificent! Truly, you are a warrior among warriors! I have misjudged you, giant. Tell me, who are you?"

"Jake Kabrinski." Jake wasn't going to waste precious breath talking more then was needed. His lungs were still burning, and his limbs ached like hell. Sweat poured down his brow, and he was getting thirsty from fluid loss.

It was Lord Conquest who spoke next. "Tell us more."

"Zip. Go find out yourself."

"Lord Conquest?" Ares gestured.

"Gladly." Lord Conquest leapt down from the grandstand onto the arena floor. A few strides brought him to just a few meters away from Jake. He held out a hand. "You are a fine warrior, and we applaud such courage and skill. Submit to us, and we shall grant you such honor and glory as you have never known before."

Honor? Glory? Jake began to laugh, before his mirth died away. "I don't need honor. I don't need glory. They're just dreams, fading away on the wind." I had enough of glory and honor. What are they compared to the memories of friends and comrades sacrificed on the altar of war?

"It would be a waste to destroy you."

"Is it? I think otherwise. I also think I'm an old solahma who should be dead long ago. So cut out this 'come over to the dark side' bullshit, and do what you gotta do."

"Do you realize what an opportunity you have been given here?" Ares roared. "The chance to rule a country of your own? Near limitless power? The adulation of the masses?"

Jake looked calmly at the God of War. "Yes, I do know all of that. But no thanks." Ares was taken aback by the way the man had given his statement. There was a strange acceptance behind the simple words that spoke of a serenity that Ares for a moment envied.

Lord Conquest looked to Ares, who said coldly, "Then die. Conquest, kill him. Then stick his head on a pike as a warning to those who would oppose me."

Lord Conquest, also known as Major General Jackson Creed in the real world, was a soldier. He was a very good soldier, having attained numerous citations for bravery and valor in battle.

He was also a black man.

Jackson had heard more than his fair share of criticism claiming that he had gotten where he was at the Pentagon by his skin color, not by his abilities. He had spent nearly his entire life showing up his doubters, pushing himself to his limits.

Even in Ares' service, claims of PC inclusiveness were not absent. He knew that the Earl of Greed George Gecko and Baron Blitzkrieg Hans Gruber were behind many of those charges, Gecko because he was a bigoted pig, and Gruber because he was a Nazi.

Jackson would like nothing better than to choke Gecko by his own pompous necktie and shove his pistol down Gruber's throat. He had earned his position as Lord Conquest fair and square. Ares had enough of cronyism, and now used a real incentive and punishment scheme to entice maximum performance from his minions. Meritocracy at work, even under a madman.

Five years ago, after distinguishing himself in a major combat action in Africa, where he had gotten a Congressional Medal of Honor, he had been promoted to Colonel, and given a secret black ops unit to command, with free rein to recruit mercenaries for battle.

He had also been contacted by a special agency on the lookout for talent. He had accepted, and that had led him to Areopagus, where he was now fighting against one of the mercenaries who had served him. Of course, Ares could not be allowed to know this little factoid.

He remembered Jake, who called himself Yogi and Andy, who was Charade, as well as the third member of the trio, Wild Hunt, well. They were frightfully good as a team, taking on missions most people would consider impossible, and coming away intact most of the time.

As far as he knew, the trio dropped out of sight a year ago. Yogi and Charade had melted away into the shadows, while Wild Hunt stayed in the business as a successful bounty hunter.

So Creed had to fight hard to contain his surprise when Charade turned up as the latest member of Ares' team to conquer the world, and even more so when Yogi had entered the Areopagus beside Artemis. Those two facts alone told him that something big was up. But what?

He stabbed with a sword for it to be blocked, then went back onto the defensive as Jake swung his halberd with hideous, but still human-level strength. Conquest used his own god-augmented strength to push away Jake's halberd.

Dammit, how am I going to let Jake walk without making Ares suspicious? Because he wasn't really Ares' creature. And he really didn't want to kill Jake.

Five years ago, the agency which contacted him was a non-government organization which called itself the Order of St Augustine, which was wholly different from the public organizations with the same name.

It was a secret cabal of high ranking military officers, concerned government politicians, businessmen, and religious clerics from all over the world. Their goal was simple, but a bit of a cliché. World peace. After they had kicked and wiped the asses of anybody who disagreed. By hook or by crook. By crook, preferably, since open conflict cost lives.

They were dedicated to democracy and free representation, as well as the overthrow of tyrannies. They had been operating since the 16th century, and included many luminaries in their ranks. Wellington, Patton, Rommel and even Eisenhower. Despite the name, they were not restricted to Christians alone. Hell, even the Dalai Lama was a current member.

Members in free countries worked to change public opinion to support of democracies and the overthrow of despotic regimes, while members in despotic regimes worked to change the system from the inside. It was only after he was inducted that Creed learnt that many of the conspiracies attributed to the Illuminati was actually the Order's work.

A few years ago they came up with a real humdinger of a plan after Ares had nearly brought the world to all-out war(several times). He, Jackson Creed, was to infiltrate into Ares' forces, posing as a disgruntled general, and…

He didn't know what was supposed to come next, except that he was supposed to use his brain to think of something. Well, if noting else, at least he was passing information to the Order. He had a plan for getting Wonder Woman out, but that would take time. And he really hadn't counted on her fellow Amazon Artemis from dropping in. And then there was Jake!

Creed barely dodged one of Jake's extremely long reaching lunges, his sword dancing down to block Jake's follow-up as he swung the halberd to try to catch Conquest in his side. Well, on the plus side, I did pick up a few tips from Charade in swordfighting. He didn't just kick my ass all over the floor.

He noticed Jake was visibly slower than he was at the start, and tiring fast. From the looks of things, Ares was getting impatient, Conquest having learnt to read his master's moods well. Dammit, what to do next?

Andy tore apart the linen sheets of the bed, wrapping them around Diana in her badly torn costume to hide her near nudity, and to keep her as comfortable as possible. He placed a hand on her forehead, trying to soothe the pain she was undoubtedly feeling. Without any further physical assault on her, she seemed to be slowly recovering. But she would need to be outside the building and have access to her powers if she was to regain any semblance of normality instead of the wrecked woman she currently was.

Skye had clothed himself in the black robes Ares had ordered for him, after washing himself clean of semen. He had also used a sponge to clean Wonder Woman up, though he was overcome with self loathing every time he looked at her. I am a beast. I should have done better when Ares attacked me. I should have fought harder against his commands. I should have stayed away…

Andy knew Ares had chosen him because he had drawn attention to himself. He remembered everything he had done for the God of War, and while what he had done in the mad god's service was peanuts compared to what he had done before, it was this latest act of rape that made Andy really sick. Kill soldiers? Fine. Murder some high ranking officials? No problem. But raping women? No way. He was a soldier. An assassin. But not a rapist.

He equipped himself with the weapons in the combat room, taking the same sword and dagger combination he had used against the Amazing Amazon, plus several more devices which he found particularly useful.

He also took a bag to contain her artifacts and weapons, especially her tiara, and her lasso of truth.

Ares had thought to use him as a pawn to sow chaos and destruction. The Marshal of Chaos intended to show the God of War just how costly pawns can be.

Artemis struggled against her mental bondage, trying to summon the willpower to shatter the spell holding her mind and body captive. She stared at Jake's desperate battle as though through a haze, here eyes tearing up at the thought of the man's doomed stand against Ares.

I have to break free! Artemis screamed. She focused on the shared love of her Amazon sisters and friends, the ties of friendship and sisterhood that tied every Amazon to one another. She could not fail Diana!

As she looked at the weary and tiring giant who had willingly walked with her into the midst of danger, Artemis suddenly found the strength to break free.

Jake could barely follow the tempo of the battle any more, his arms too tired for any more offensive moves. He concentrated on blocking Conquest's swift attacks, of which thankfully few had slipped his staunch defense.

But he could not keep this up forever, and the end looked very near right now. Jake gritted his teeth. There was still one more move he had up his sleeve, and he was just waiting for the best opportunity to use it.

Conquest swept in on one side again, and Jake was about to block when he heard a female voice shout out, "Duck!"

He instinctively did so, and two arrows flew past the area vacated by his head, Conquest was forced to defend himself as he just managed to slap the arrows away with his sword.

Jake look back at Artemis, who looked back to her normal self. She smiled at him, a glorious expression which strangely brought new life and vigor into his drained body. Jake backtracked a few steps, so that he could stand back to back with her as the Greek warriors started to close in on them again.

"Glad to have you back." He mouthed softly to her.

"Glad to be back too. And thank you." Her voice was gentle, in stark contrast to the forceful tone she had previously used.

"Kill them all!" An enraged Ares roared.

This time, the enemy warriors came in a single undulating wave. Jake gave off a blood curdling roar of his own, which sounded very much like a giant bear, and it sent shivers through the spines of all those present.

Artemis fought with grace and skill, despite being pressed hard by superior numbers. Jake was tired, but he fought with renewed vigor, determined to stand by the Amazon. They knew they were going to die, but somehow, Artemis realized that she did not mind dying in battle alongside Jake.

Meanwhile, Conquest stood away to one side, desperately wracking his brain for ways of getting the two warriors out of their fix. But he was simply unable to think of any which would not compromise his cover.

A warrior finally managed to catch Artemis with a blow to her head, and the dazed Amazon slid to the floor while they surrounded her to finish her off with spears

"No!" Jake summoned up the rest of his waning strength, and smashed a path through to Artemis, just in time to take several spears through his body.

Artemis looked up in horror as she saw Jake pierced by the spears meant for her. The giant did not scream, just grunted in seeming annoyance, his face scrunched up in a grimace as he collapsed beside her.

"Why did you do this?" Artemis cried to Jake as she waited for the end, as several more warriors gathered with spears ready.

He was still conscious, snarling through the pain. "Don't worry. I've taken worse." Incredibly, he managed to get back unsteadily on his feet, using his bloody halberd to support himself. The enemy warriors moved around him warily, waiting for the blood loss and pain to overtake his resolve.

Artemis also managed to climb back to her feet, though she was filled with worry for Jake. He had no less than five spears through his torso, and she judged them to be piercing his lungs and stomach in awkward directions. She could even see the blood leaking down from the sides of his mouth. She could not imagine the pain he was currently feeling. Even when she had been killed by the White Magician, she had only an arrow through her chest, not five spears!

For Jake, this was nothing new.

The pain was unimaginable.

Closing his claw around the remnants of Jake's front armor and the bones of his shattered ribcage, Malavai Fletcher dragged Jake across the roof to the edge of the platform. With a sickening sound, he pulled the claw out of Jake's chest and held it in front of his expressionless faceplate, as though admiring the gore and Harjel dripping from his sharpened steel fingers.

Fletcher's voice boomed out from his speakers again. "I have to hand it to you, cub. You have guts." Metallic laughter erupted as he thrust the blood-drenched claw in front of Jake's faceplate. "See? Here they are."

Conquest had finally decided to heck with his cover and was almost about to help Artemis when an arrow flew in out of nowhere to explode amongst the attacking minions of Ares, flinging them away from the beleaguered would-be rescuers. Several more arrows followed, each one exploding in such a way that forced the warriors away from Jake and Artemis.

"Who dares?" Ares bellowed. Conquest turned around in surprise to see the Marshal of Chaos, this time without his mask, holding up a bow and loosing another arrow into the arena from his position in the audience seats. Wonder Woman was draped on his back, apparently unconscious.

He managed to break free! Conquest thought in relief. And Wonder Woman is safe. Well, Jackson amended as he looked at a fuming Ares, who had left the grandstand and was walking towards the Marshal with menacing strides, relatively safe.

"I dare, Ares," Andy Skye hissed. Conquest flinched from his ominous tone. "I dare to oppose you and all that you stand for. You are a weaseling coward, a gutless leader, and a fool playing at war."

Ouch. Conquest winced. That has really got to be bruising Ares' fragile ego. Wait for it, here it comes…

"How dare you?" Ares yelled as he unleashed a bolt of energy at the Marshal. Conquest held his breath as the bolt hit the place where the Marshal was standing. Ares ranted, "You know nothing of war!"

"Oh yeah?" Again, the cold, seemingly emotionless tone of Skye's voice. Conquest and Ares turned in surprise to see him moving quickly down the audience seats down to Jake and Artemis' position. "You're the fool who can't even tell a simple basic illusion spell from the real thing."

Brilliant, Creed thought in awe.

Andy gasped in surprise as he descended the final few steps of the seats, and then jumped over the edge to land on the arena floor. "Jake? What are you doing here?"

Artemis raised her bow towards him, but Jake managed to choke out, "Artemis, no. He's friendly."

Artemis flared her nostrils. "But he was the one who led the attack for Ares! He cannot be trusted!"

Andy shook his head as he walked forward to gently place Wonder Woman on the ground. "Ares mind controlled me. None of that was of my own volition."

Jake came to his defense. "I know him well. He would never willingly do such a thing."

Artemis ignored him for a moment, rushing over to her sister in worry. "What have you done to her, you beast?" She cried.

Andy closed his eyes. "Things I will regret forever. It was Wonder Woman who managed to bring me out of Ares' thrall, but not before I…"

"Boy," Jake asked wearily, his wounds clearly causing him great pain, "What did you do?"

"Not before I violated her…" Andy whispered. Artemis glared at him, and if looks could kill, he would have been drilled with a dozens arrows.

Then a stomp reminded them of Ares' presence. "You will all die!" The god blustered.

Andy took out a small blood drop from his pockets, and tossed it to Artemis. "Crush the drop. It'll form a short lived gateway back to New York. Jake, I don't know what you're doing here, but you get out as well. You're going to die of you don't get medical attention soon. Get Wonder Woman out, no matter what." He turned to face Ares.

"What about you?" Jake wheezed.

"I'm going to buy you the time for the gateway to form." Andy started walking towards Ares. "I'll pay for my crimes with my life."

Ares glared at his enemies as though if he could stare hard enough, they might spontaneously combust. He wished he had heat vision right now.

He spied his former Marshal walking towards him with a sword and a dagger, and Ares fought down a slight quivering of panic. Skye's expression was utterly emotionless, but Ares knew that was just a mask to hide his anger and fury. No matter.

"I am a god here, my Marshal. Do you think you stand any chance here, in my domain?"

"We'll just have to find out, won't we?" Andy replied casually.

"I offer you a choice. Serve me willingly, and I will grant you your deepest desires. I know you desired the Amazon. Who would not? And what you did to her proves it."

Andy's voice dropped several degrees. "Maybe, but not like this. You took control of my mind, Ares. You treated me like a puppet."

"An honored puppet." Ares interjected, "A most exalted servant."

"I don't care. You're gonna pay. You're going down."

Ares laughed. "You think too highly of yourself, Skye! Have you any idea who and what I am?"

Andy replied with a steady string of insults that almost sent Ares over the edge. Ares noted that Artemis had already crushed the portal charm Andy had given her, and the air in front of her was shimmering as the portal formed.

"If you will not submit to me freely, I'll have to convince you." His eyes glowed intense red as he used his mind control power again.

Except that this time Andy was ready. Ares glowered as the two men faced each other, their minds grappling in silent combat. Ares' mind assault found itself floundering on the spiked defenses Andy had set up, an intricate shield that actually hurt Ares back. Those were pinpricks, but as he was unaccustomed to pain, they hurt far more than they should.

How did he obtain these psionic abilities? Ares grunted as he finally broke off his futile mind attack. He began to suspect that Skye had hidden away more of his secrets than he had revealed to him. What else is he capable of?

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me," said the swordsman. "So, what else are you going to do?"

"This." Ares launched an energy bolt at Artemis and Wonder Woman, but the Marshal moved to block it. The thunderous explosion gave Ares some hope that his attack had removed this nuisance, but as the smoke cleared, Andy was revealed with his blades crossed to defend against the blow.

Ares narrowed his eyes. "Interesting. I have removed my gifts to you. You shouldn't be able to block that attack.

"There's lots of things you don't know about me, Ares. I have some tricks of my own."

"A mere trifle compared to my own powers!" Ares yelled as he finally decided to go for a head on confrontation, his favored axe materializing in his hands. "Now, prepare to die!"

Artemis and Jake had been keeping an eye on the portal and also on Ares. They had been scared for an instant when Ares had tried to fry them, but apparently Andy was up to the task. Artemis was also tending to Jake's wounds, taking out some of the spare bandages they had brought along and pulling out some of the spears that did not pierce his vital organs. Jake had by now collapsed on the floor, and Artemis was trying to keep him awake by talking to him constantly.

As Ares charged, they saw Andy crouch down low, his feet spread apart one before the other, while he pointed his sword downwards, the tip scraping the ground. His dagger arm was held close behind his back.

Jake whispered, his words almost inaudible.

"What was that?" Artemis asked.

Jake sighed. "Ares may be unkillable in his own realm, but he has no idea… Urghhh…" His voice trailed off as he was hit by another spasm of pain.

"So you're saying this man has a chance?"

"Not 'this man". He has a name, you know."

Ares was almost upon Skye when the swordsman finally moved, his sword snapping up and sending a burst of sand right into Ares' eyes. Skye easily avoided Ares' axe, and he spun around the blinded Ares several times, his blade opening up wounds on Ares' legs and arms, and drawing the blood of a god. The wounds closed up immediately, but Ares staggered for a while, which meant that Andy did hurt him.

He spun away just as Ares recovered his sight, and took up another stance. "You see? It's as quick and easy as that."

"Insolent whelp!" Ares lashed out with his axe.

The Marshal of Chaos did not avoid the axe this time, instead redirecting the blow away to one side, sending the axe into the ground while his sword snapped again at the suddenly defenseless Ares, who unleashed a blast with his other hand in desperation.

The blast managed to thwart Andy's attack, as he had to dodge quickly to avoid getting hit, but he had flicked his dagger at Ares at the same time. Right into the god's right eye, between the thin slits of his helmet.

Ares roared in pain and anger, and the ground around the two combatants shook violently as the God of War loosed an area effect blast. The Marshal danced away in time to avoid it, before sweeping back in, his sword drawing more blood from the mad god as he took advantage of Ares' preoccupation with the dagger in his eye.

Jake recognized Andy's style for what it was. Sword 21 is truly a vicious technique. Even if he hasn't mastered it completely, Andy's abusing Ares. So far.

The Lord of Areopagus had managed to remove the dagger, and he was extremely angry. More so than he had ever been before. He concentrated on his connection with the Areopagus, using it to sense the Marshal's movements.

Andy slid in for a low stab at his knees, and Ares created a wall barrier that effectively blocked the attack, and then followed up with a invisible ramming punch spell that would have killed Andy outright.

Andy just managed to sense the incoming blow, and dodged to his right just in time. A thin line of blood across his left cheek indicated just how close the blow had come.

"Impressive," Ares muttered, "But that will hardly save you from my wrath!"

Andy flipped backwards as Ares unleashed a barrage of battering force. He blocked some and avoided others, but Ares noted with gratification that some of his shots had indeed hit his opponent, though not enough to put him down.

Andy gritted his teeth against the hits, and danced away, his fleet footwork bringing him around in a spinning arc for another slash at Ares, while picking up his dagger at the same time.

They brought their weapons together this time in for coup a coup, but before Ares could use his vastly superior strength to smash past Andy's defense, Andy released his grip on the sword, the sudden disappearance of resistance from his blade unbalancing the god of war.

And opening him up for a devastating slash across the throat with a dagger.

The god of war stumbled back in pain, and thrashed out a heavy fist that took Andy right in the chest.

Andy crashed back down onto the ground, but he flipped himself upright almost immediately. Blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, and his insides hurt like hell, but he was still mobile and ready to fight. He picked up his sword, intending to continue the battle.

Ares had sealed his throat wound, and he was angrier than ever that he could be so outmatched by a mere mortal.

A 'whump' brought their attention to Artemis, as the portal completed its formation, a red circular haze hanging above the ground.

"Get out now!" Andy yelled. "And don't come back! I'll hold him off as long as I can!"

Jake used his remaining strength to shout back, "Don't… be a… fool boy! Pull… back!"

Keeping his eyes on his opponent, Andy shook his head slightly. "You need me to keep him busy until the portal fades!"

"You can't beat him!"

"You don't know that! Artemis, get Jake and Diana out, NOW!" He put in every bit of authority he could muster into the command, and the Amazon nodded as she lifted Diana through the gate. Jake would be next.

The two combatants circled each other warily, the god of war having recovered from his injuries almost instantaneously, and the wounded mortal warrior he faced. They both recognized that it would be a fight to the death, and that there could be only one outcome.

As Jake disappeared with Artemis through the portal, Ares took care to place himself between Andy and the portal.

"You can't be thinking of walking backwards through the portal, can you?" Andy taunted. "And you know better than to show your back to me."

"Indeed." Ares smirked. "I just want to cut you off from any possible retreat. I will slake my thirst today with your blood."

"Maybe, but I won't hold back anymore."

"If you were holding back just now, you are even more of a fool than I imagined."

"No, I just didn't want to endanger Jake and the others." Andy threw his sword down to the ground, much to Ares' surprise.

"Fighting without your weapon?"

"I have other weapons." The Marshal of Chaos held out his right hand, and Ares watched in alarm as the air above the palm began to glow, forming a bright series of intricate patterns. "Let me show you what I'm really capable of." He charged forward.

Ares gasped in astonishment. What is this?!?

Diana slowly regained consciousness, pale moonlight streaming through her eyelids. She felt solid ground below her.

Her powers restored to her, Diana was able to sit up almost immediately upon regaining her sense. She saw Artemis desperately trying to staunch the bleeding from a giant.

Her memories were fuzzy, but the pain in her loins reminded her of…

Wonder Woman shuddered as her memories came back to her. She wanted nothing more than to weep over what had been done to her, but she forced her humiliation and shame aside. There were things to do.

"Artemis!" Diana cried to her sister and friend. "What has happened?"

Artemis turned back to her. "Praise the goddesses! Diana, you are awake!"

"Where are we?" Diana looked around her. It was a grassy patch near the sea. There weren't any buildings around them. Or manmade features, for that matter. Only the pale moon above them. A pale flickering portal stood just a few meters away.

"I do not know. All I know is that we are out of the Areopagus."

"What happened?" Artemis was silent for a while. "Artemis, how did we get out?" Diana pressed.

Artemis sighed, "There was a man who gave me the portal charm, the same man who captured you and wounded me in the shoulder. He stayed back to delay Ares. I do not think he will. He cannot be trusted."

"You're wrong." The giant stammered weak, while still on his back. "Andy is a good man. Get him back."

Artemis rushed over to the giant. "Jake, stay down and don't talk," she urged gently, "Conserve your strength."

"Please," Jake asked again, his voice insistent, "Get Andy out. Please…" He fainted, which sent Artemis into a frenzy. The Amazon took out a communicator to call for help from their fellow Amazons. At this point, only Themysciran medical technology could save Jake.

Diana forced herself to stand up. She still felt weak, but not so bad as before. Furthermore, she could feel her powers coursing through her body, lending her confidence. She saw a small bag near her feet, and was relieved to find her lasso and tiara in it. She took up the lasso, hanging it by her side, and gripped her tiara in one hand.

"Diana! Where are you going?"

"I'm going to get Andy Skye back from the Areopagus." Diana said as she summoned up her flying power and burst through the portal.

Ares panted for breath as he surveyed the remains of the destroyed coliseum, while his remaining minions led by Conquest stayed from the two combatants at a considerably safe distance. Andy Skye was on his knees not far away, blood trickling down his mouth and from wounds all over his body.

The Marshal of Chaos coughed, a hideous sound that sent another goblet of blood dripping down onto the ground. He looked up at Ares, and the growl was that of a berserk animal instead of that of a man. He tried to get up on his feet, but the broken bones in both his legs prevented him from doing so.

Ares staggered forward towards him, feeling his strength slowly bleed back into his body, healing his terrible injuries, injuries that could have killed even him if he had not been in the Areopagus. His helmet had been knocked loose, his cloak blasted away, and what was left of his armor left in forlorn pieces hanging around his body.

He had no idea how Skye had managed to possess such frightful powers, but he was intent on finishing the wayward minion once and for all. And ending the threat once and for all.

Ares drew back a fist as he towered over Skye, ready to smash the man into the ground. Then he punched down.

Only for a golden rope to whip around Skye, pulling him back away from his blow.

"Who dares?" Ares demanded.

"I dare, Lord of Areopagus." Wonder Woman declared as she grasped the Marshal. "This contest is over."

"It is not over until I say it is over!"

"Get out… of here." Andy managed to croak out as she held him close to her.

Diana looked at him. He was badly injured, and close to death. "No, I will not abandon you," she told him.

She turned to Ares as she landed gracefully on the ground near the portal. "Lord Ares, I do not care if you do not allow this futile battle to end. I will depart through the portal with or without your consent!"

Ares glared at her for a long moment, before he finally nodded grudgingly. "Fine. You have won this round. All of you. But remember, one battle does not dictate the outcome of a war. I will crush you. Sooner or later."

Diana did not bother to hear his final sentence, having flown through the portal already, which winked out of existence almost after she had gone through.

Their ordeal was over.

"Hey, you're up. It's about time."

Andy woke to a pounding headache. He saw a grinning Jake sitting beside him. The massive man bore no sign of his wounds. And Andy realized he didn't have any wounds from the battle against Ares on himself either. He was on a soft bed inside a darkened room. The furnishings reminded him of what he had back in the Areopagus, except they were somewhat more refined and… feminine.

"Where are we?" He asked Jake.

"The Themysciran embassy. They brought over a healer from Themyscira to treat us. For services rendered to their people. Those healing spells were really nifty."

Andy closed his eyes. "Why didn't you let me die?"

"Damn it, boy, not this bullshit again." Jake said angrily. "Get that fucking death wish out of your head! We're still alive. We are free to live as we want! Why let the past continue to choke you?"

"How about what I did to her, huh?" Andy shouted back. "I was a monster back there!"

"It wasn't your damn fault."

"Excuses are for the weak." Andy said coldly. "I simply wasn't strong enough." He got off the bed. "That was how Ares managed to control me."

"And like anybody else could have done better?" Jake retorted. "Andy, you lost to Ares. He's a frikkin god, if you haven't noticed! Losing to him holds no shame."

"Then what I did to the Princess did. Are the Amazons lining up to lynch me for raping her?"

Jake sighed. "They aren't going to lynch you. In fact, they're going to hold a feast here in honor of our courage."

"She didn't tell them what I did to her."

"Look boy, that's her choice."

"Well, one way or another, I'll pay for it." Andy started walking for the door, which he assumed would lead to a corridor.

Jake shook his head resignedly.

Diana was inside her office with Artemis and a few other Amazons when Andy walked in with a dagger in his hands. She was trying to wash away the pain of her ordeal by sharing it with her sisters. Their love and courage would help vanquish the evil memories. Or so she hoped.

"What is this?" She asked as the reason for her nightmares raised the dagger to his own throat, eliciting gasps from the Amazons in the room. Jake followed him in, a disgusted expression on his face.

"Give the word, Princess, and I'll pay for my crime against you," he said softly.

Diana glanced at Artemis, who had been ready to let the man die when she had brought him out of Ares' realm. But now, the red haired Amazon was as shocked as the others.

"Andy, you don't have to do this…"

"Did you tell them?" He asked simply. "About what I did to you?"

Diana saw the various questioning looks here sisters were giving her. "No, I did not."

"Why not?" He turned to look at each of the Amazons in the room. "Do you know what I did to your precious Princess when I defeated her in Ares' realm? When she was helpless before me?"

Diana looked on in horror as she saw realization and rage dawn in the eyes of the Amazons. She did not blame him. It simply wasn't his fault.

Andy's voice was even, emotionless. Cold as he spoke to her. "I raped you. I took you like a common whore."

Diana cried, "Andy, stop!" Tears were brimming in her eyes. "It wasn't your fault!"

He continued in the same flat tone. "I enjoyed the feel of your helpless body. I especially liked the moment when I took your virtue." Diana could see more than one furious Amazon preparing to strike him down, their hands clenching into fists.

"So if you think I'm a monster, just give the word. Or one of your sisters could kill me instead." The dagger pressed harder against his throat, starting to draw a thin sliver of blood from the edge. "Come on."

Diana shook her head as she brought her emotions under control. "Andy, please, put the dagger down. None of us wanted this, and if you kill yourself now, Ares would have won."

She saw puzzlement on his face, and pressed her point. "Ares wants to hurt me, by any means necessary. If you kill yourself now, that will bring me even greater pain and sorrow."

"But I hurt you. I should be punished."

"You were forced to. I do not hold you responsible for the pain and humiliation I've suffered. I wish the whole thing had not happened, but it has, and so we must deal with it." She swallowed hard. "Death is not the way. You have friends and loved ones who would grieve for you. As will I." She poured all her concern for him into her words. I don't want to lose a friend.

"Why? Why do you have to be so understanding?" Andy lowered his dagger as he slumped to his knees. "Don't you realize that I'm a monster? The things I've done?" Diana noted with sorrow the self loathing in his voice. It was not just from his raping me. There's so much anger, so much despair behind him…

She reached for him, and before she realized what she was doing, she was hugging him tightly, the two of them sharing their pain through the embrace.

"I'm sorry we couldn't have the feast for you," Diana apologized to Jake as the two men prepared to leave the embassy. "One of my sisters might just decide to poison the soup to kill the two of you."

"Never mind," the big man said easily, "Just make sure to come down to my café when you're free," he noted her raised eyebrow, and grinned, "After the repairs, that is."

"And what about him?" Diana gestured to Andy, who was already outside the embassy door, his hands tucked into his nondescript jacket. He was staring out into the sky.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine. I'll keep knocking sense into him. I've been doing that for as long as I've known him anyway."

"As long as he doesn't hit you back." Artemis walked up, and Jake smiled back at her. "Mister Kabrinski, I hope I'll be seeing you soon again, because you'll need…"

"To teach you how to make coffee." Jake smirked.

Diana glanced at Artemis, using all her considerable willpower to refrain from commenting at the way her close friend was talking to Jake. The attention they were paying to each other was plain for all to see. Seems like Artemis has got quite the catch. You go, girl!

"Hey, we had better get going!" Andy yelled as Jake was about to say more. Shaking his head in exasperation at Andy's impatience, the big man walked out, but not without a final smile at Artemis. "Well, gotta go! See you soon, Artemis!" He walked up to Andy, and the two men hailed down a cab.

"Well, that's the end of this, I hope." Artemis said with a sigh as she watched Kabrinski squeeze himself into the cab, while the nervous taxi driver seemed to be praying for his cab to survive the trip.

Diana thought back to Ares, and his final words before she left the Areopagus. "No, this is not the end. This is only the beginning."

---

Profile: Jake Kabrinski

Birthplace: Strana Mechty

Hair: Brown

Eyes: Black

Height: 2.49 meters

Weight: 170 kg

Age: 48

Marital Status: Single

Engineered to be one of the massive infantrymen known as Elementals, Jake Kabrinski was destined for glory and fame since attaining two victories in his graduating Trial of Position, gaining the rank of Point Commander.

On Bearclaw, as the Ghost Bears beat back the attacking Hell's Horses, Jake met and fought Khan Malavai Fletcher of the Horses to a standstill, cementing his reputation as an up-and-coming warrior. Aristar. He earned his Bloodname in a field filled with veterans, winning the inclusion of his genes into the clan eugenics breeding program.

Two years later, he accomplished the impossible by defeating an Atlas battlemech single-handedly during the Combine's raid on Alshain, a feat which stunned many. After taking command of a Supernova as a Star Captain, Jake fought in the Combine-Bear conflict, and met true failure for the first time in his life.

On Idlewind, he was defeated in single combat by a black clad female commando. The DEST warrior would meet him 3 times throughout the conflict, and Jake came away every time the loser. Eventually his unit was recalled to Predlitz for rest and refit. But the real reason was because Jake had lost his confidence and his commander did not trust him to fight effectively.

On their way to Predlitz, Jake regained some of his lost honor when he planned the near suicidal capture of the DCS Urizen II. However, he paid a high personal price for the victory, losing one of his closest friends to a sniper.

On Predlitz, the mad Khan Malavai Fletcher came calling. After a desperate battle where he almost died, Jake managed to defeat the Hell's Horse Khan, thus ending the Horses' abortive assault into Bear territory.

Jake's struggle against Fletcher made him realize one thing. That losing was not the same as being defeated. He resolved to apply himself better, and to learn all he could against his enemies. On Courcheval, where he faced off against his nemesis for the 4th time, he finally managed to defeat her. He also realized that she had been trying to teach him something, and that she was pleased that he had learnt the lesson of humility and determination well.

Jake would utilize his lessons well in the next 5 years, serving in various battles as the Ghost Bears defended their territory in the Inner Sphere. It was during the 1st Wave that his life would change irrevocably.

On Predlitz, he would meet a young Andy Skye, on special assignment on Anastasuis Focht's orders to infiltrate and remove Ragnarok terrorist elements. From that moment on, Jake's life changed forever.

For further details on the early parts of Jake's life, please read the novel Test of Vengeance by Bryan Nystul, available at all bookstores. Bryan, if you are somehow reading this(shame on you!^_^), please don't kill me for using your character in this sort of fic!