Capítulo 11: I'll Be Back!

Air Manipulation, but unlike Weather Report's trash usage of it, this is proper air manipulation. -Auther

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Steppenwolf backed away, his imposing figure shadowed by the fierce glow of his battle axe. Bloodlust still burned in his eyes, but the situation had shifted beyond his control. Diana of Themyscira had proven a formidable opponent, but it was the arrival of Queen Hippolyta that sealed the grim reality—he was outnumbered and outmatched. If he continued, he would lose, and Darkseid would never forgive another failure.

"Damn Amazon!" Steppenwolf growled, his frustration boiling over. His fingers twitched around his axe, the urge to strike overwhelming. But he knew better. If he stayed, he wouldn't make it back alive. "Next time... you won't live, Diana of Themyscira," he spat the words with venom before turning and running, his towering form vanishing into the chaos of the battlefield.

Diana's eyes blazed with fury. Her hand flew to her lasso, already preparing to chase him down. "COME BACK HERE!" she shouted, her voice echoing across the plains.

But before she could act, Hippolyta stepped forward and placed a firm hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Diana..." her voice was calm but firm, "you're still as aggressive as ever. Let him go. We've won."

Diana's frustration simmered, but she trusted her mother's judgment. She glanced toward the battlefield, where Amazons were tending to the wounded. Victory had come at a cost, and her mother was right—there were more important matters to attend to now.

With a sigh, Diana reluctantly lowered her lasso and watched as Steppenwolf's figure disappeared into the distance. She knew this wasn't over, but for now, the fight had been won.

A Sister's Request

As Diana began walking back toward the Amazon ranks, a familiar voice called out to her. "Diana!" She turned to see her sister, Donna Troy, running toward her. While Donna wasn't her biological sister, their bond was just as strong. Donna's face was lit with a mixture of excitement and exhaustion as she reached her.

"Yeah?" Diana asked, noting her sister's uncharacteristic enthusiasm.

"You've gotta take me with you when you leave next time!" Donna exclaimed, catching her breath.

Diana raised an eyebrow, confused. Donna had always been proud of Themyscira's traditions and had a deep-seated reluctance toward Man's World. "Why?" Diana asked, folding her arms. "I thought you hated Man's World."

Donna shook her head vigorously. "I did... but that was before. Now?" Her eyes widened as she spoke, "I almost lost to a MAN! Can you believe it, Diana? While I would've won eventually, I almost lost to him!"

Diana couldn't help but chuckle at her sister's dramatic retelling. The truth was, Jorno had dominated that fight. Donna hadn't even landed a punch, but Diana chose not to rub it in. "Sure," she replied, her tone softening, "we'll talk about it later."

In the Bat-Sub

Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne made his way back to the Bat-Sub, carrying an unusually large bowl in his arms. The vessel gleamed with intricate engravings, clearly an Amazon artifact.

As he climbed aboard, Alfred Pennyworth gave him a knowing look. "Master Wayne… you didn't steal that, did you?"

Bruce glanced down at the bowl as if he'd nearly forgotten about it. "No," he said casually, "I just borrowed it—as reimbursement for the $500,000 I wasted here. And for the… less-than-stellar hospitality."

Alfred couldn't help but smile at Bruce's deadpan delivery, though the thought of trying to explain this to Lucius Fox back at Wayne Enterprises was a headache he wasn't looking forward to.

As the Bat-Sub submerged and glided through the waters, heading back toward Gotham, Alfred busied himself with the usual tasks. He noticed Jorno had already curled up on a makeshift bed in the corner of the sub. "He really does have a habit of falling asleep during the day, doesn't he?" Alfred mused, placing another pillow under the boy's head.

Bruce, seated at the controls, remained focused on the mission at hand. He glanced over at Alfred and responded to the question that had been hanging in the air since before the battle.

"Arthur Curry refused," Bruce said, his tone flat, though the outcome was expected. "I saw it coming, but without him granting us access to Atlantis, he's on his own."

Alfred sighed, his hands folded behind his back. "It does seem… unwise, doesn't it? A modern man acting like a stereotypical king—so aloof and unreachable."

Bruce nodded, though his mind was already running through possible contingencies. "If he doesn't want to help, we can't force him. But Atlantis remains a critical part of the plan. We'll have to find another way." Bruce's voice was cold, detached. He didn't have time for ego or royal stubbornness.

"Do you think he'll change his mind?" Alfred asked, always the voice of reason.

"If the situation gets bad enough, yes," Bruce replied. "He'll have no choice but to face what's coming."

As the Boomtube opened once again to whisk Steppenwolf away from Themyscira, his mind churned with frustration. This mission had been another failure. His lips curled into a sneer as he glanced back one final time at the Amazonian warriors below, standing triumphant. But they had won only a battle, not the war.

Next time, Steppenwolf thought, I will not fail. And when I return, it won't just be for the Motherboxes. It will be for the Anti-Life Equation itself.

Darkseid's shadow loomed large in his mind. Failure twice would mean death, but this planet—this forsaken, rebellious planet—had defied them once before. And it housed something even more valuable than the Motherboxes.

He stepped through the Boomtube, vowing to return. The next time he came to Earth, he would make sure no god, no human, no Amazon would stand in his way.

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[Auther: Should I have written Bruce talking to Arthur Curry? I feel like that was rather a waste of time, since y'know...Arthur says no regardless.]