Chapter 93:

That Move Was Almost Suffocating

DC: The Infinite Villain

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The First Born exploded.

Flesh and blood scattered everywhere. A powerful force, glowing with black light, surged out with the blast, shot into the clouds, and vanished.

"He really was cheating."

Damon clicked his tongue.

The thing that had just flown away should have been the First Born's source. Whether as the nameless god or the destroyer of souls, even if the First Born did not hold a defined office, his source was real. Based on past cases, Damon should have been able to obtain that source and inherit whatever divine office came with it after killing him.

But other sources had either scattered like Eris's or chosen an inheritor directly like Ares's. None had flown away like the First Born's.

It was obvious something did not want anyone inheriting the First Born's source.

"Did I guess right? Was the Source Wall really using the First Born to wipe out the Old Gods? After all this, there are not many Old Gods left."

Damon muttered, then noticed that the monsters attacking Themyscira suddenly shriveled like punctured balloons. One by one, they sank into the ground and disappeared.

"The boss dies and the minions vanish automatically. How stale."

Damon complained as he turned. The moment he did, he saw a pair of eyes shining gold like a hawk's.

Zola.

Her hands had transformed into birdlike talons, and while holding the infant, she actually rose into the air.

She... flew?

Her sudden change caught even Hera off guard. Seeing Zola about to fly away, Damon waved his hand and sent a streak of fire into her back.

Zola groaned and dropped from the air. Midfall, she turned her body so that her back hit the ground first.

Bang.

Zola slammed into the ground.

Diana and the others had not yet reacted to the change.

Holding the child in both hands, Zola slowly rose, apparently unharmed.

"What are you doing?" Zola's hawk-like eyes stared at Damon, and her voice was completely different from before.

"Athena?"

Diana looked at Zola in shock. That voice was identical to the one she had heard in her mind before.

"She is Athena?"

Damon looked at Zola in surprise.

"Not bad. You hid quite deeply."

"Thank you, Diana. You helped Father return."

Athena spoke to Diana.

"Father? Zeus?"

Diana looked at the infant Zeke in her arms, astonished, then said angrily, "You lied to me."

"No, Diana. Long ago, I was reborn inside this human body. My divinity slept within her until the First Born returned."

Athena lowered her head and looked at Zeke.

"Since Zeus once gave birth to me, and I have now given birth to him, my mission is complete once he returns to the throne."

"So... do not stop me."

Athena said it to Diana, then raised her head toward Damon as he approached.

"And if I do stop you? Can you stop me, or can that little brat?"

Damon stood in front of Athena and poked the seemingly innocent infant.

"Hippolyta waking from stone was your doing, was it not? Then you should be able to restore her completely too."

"I promised Diana that everyone on Themyscira would be restored. So restore Hippolyta, and I will let Athena take you back to Olympus to reclaim the throne. How about that?"

"Waaah!"

The baby seemed unable to understand him and started crying in fear.

"You had the wild idea to turn your own daughter mortal, sleep with her, and have her give birth to you. Do you really think pretending to be stupid works now? Be quick and do not waste my time. If you refuse, I will ruin the tool you use for your crimes. Once you grow up, you will never go around sleeping with anyone again."

Damon smiled brightly.

The baby's crying stopped abruptly. His eyes shone with a thunderous blue light.

In the next moment, Hippolyta returned from her stone state.

"You really are an old lecher."

Damon laughed despite himself and looked at the wide-eyed, innocent-looking baby.

"Good luck. Try not to meet me again."

Athena stepped back half a pace and flew up with the baby in her arms. This time Damon did not stop her.

Everyone watched silently as they disappeared into the night sky, and for a while no one knew what to say.

Zola was Athena.

Zeke was Zeus.

Then what had all of this been?

"Hmph."

A cold snort sounded. Lightning flashed, and Hera returned to Olympus as well.

"Looks like everything is over."

Damon chuckled, finding it very interesting.

These gods were certainly interesting.

Queen Hera was jealous and vicious. Whether she had stood aside and let Amazon warriors die, or whether Hippolyta had failed to recover, both might have been deliberate on her part.

Athena had slept with her own father and then given birth to that same father. That kind of maneuver was almost suffocating.

And Zeus... calling him an old lecher was not unfair. The moment Damon threatened the tool of his crimes, he obediently complied.

"The gods of Olympus. Heh."

Damon gave a soft laugh and turned to Diana.

"Since everything is settled, I am leaving."

"So soon?"

Diana spoke by reflex.

"Why not leave tomorrow?"

Hippolyta added, "Yes. You saved Themyscira again, and... ended this chaos. Stay and let us express our thanks."

"Forget it. The matter may be over, but you still have a mess to clean up. I have no interest in staying for that."

"Donna..."

Diana answered softly.

"I am leaving."

Damon waved and called Lilah and Valentina, who had already ended their Firestorm state, to return to the Disciple. Laurie had been obediently guarding the ship the entire time.

"Wait."

Seeing Damon about to board, Diana suddenly called out and chased after him.

Damon turned.

Diana kissed him.

"Ah..."

Diana's action was unexpected.

After a long moment, they separated.

Diana looked at Damon.

"Wait for me. Decades, or a century. I will find you, and then... I will challenge you."

"Challenge me. Is that a double meaning? After all..."

Looking at Diana, who turned away cleanly after saying it, Damon touched the corner of his mouth with a soft laugh and boarded the Disciple.

Next stop: Central City after the birth of the Flash.