Leaving

Cir-El and Markus flew around Olympus for quite some time trying to figure out how to leave the damned city. But no matter how far they flew they couldn't find the exit.

" Hey, you guys know, Olympus is a world or more like a universe of its own. You're not gonna get out that way." Hermes spoke. He suddenly appeared behind Markus and Cir-El from out of nowhere. He wasn't a god of speed for nothing.

" How do we leave?" Cir-El asked the man, she had been carrying Markus for quite some time as the man was no longer able to do so himself. So, for the time being she was the one asking for directions.

" Same way you got in." Hermes told the woman. But first, how bout we make a quick stop at Hephaestus' workshop. I have a feeling he's gonna need medical attention." Hermes told the woman.

" Why would you help us?" Cir-El asked the man.

" I may be loyal to my father. That doesn't mean I want any of my siblings to die. That's something you gotta learn about us. We ain't all like Ares. Now come on, sis. Let's go!" Hermes yelled. He grabbed Cir-El's arm and pulled her off like a child.

As swift as the wind was Hermes. He carried Cir-El and Markus to Hephaestus' workshop in seconds. Appearing in front of the giant God-Smith.

" Hermes, what are you doing here? Who are these people you've brought with you?" Hephaestus asked the man.

" Hermes? Hermes what has happened?" Diana, who had been given a job by Zeus himself descended into the chamber with the goddess Aphrodite when she had heard Hermes name called.

" Hey, Diana. Hey Aphrodite. Listen Hephaestus, I was hopping Aphrodite would help take care of our brother's wounds. He's pretty banged up." Hermes told the man.

" This is him?" Hephaestus asked the man. " He looks like Zeus when he was younger. He messed up my armor!"

" Now, Hephaestus calm down. He did fight Ares." Aphrodite told the man. She rubbed his chin with one of her soft and delicate fingers and instantly quelled Hephaestus' anger. " Now, Hermes bring him to my chambers. " Aphrodite told the man.

" Right away." Hermes grabbed Markus and sped away.

" HEY!" Cir-El yelled.

" Easy sister. There is no greater healer on Olympus than Aphrodite herself. He'll be in good hands." Diana told the woman. She reached out and grabbed Cir-El's shoulder stopping her and comforting her. " Why don't you join me, while we wait. There is still much I wish to know."

........

A few hours later.

Markus, passed out for quite a while. He had lost quite a bit of blood. But finally, Markus reawoke.

His eyes were still heavy and so was his body. His arms felt like lead, and his legs like an entire ocean had been thrown atop of them. But his injuries, they were healed. Quite well actually. Not even a scare remained from where he had been cut open.

" Miraculous? I know." Markus' attention was grabbed by the soft voice of the beautiful goddess sitting beside his bed. " You lost a lot of blood you know. Far more than you reasonably should. But... Thankfully Hermes got you to me when he did." The woman stared at Markus' face for quite a few moments before she realized he was confused. " Oh, I'm sorry. We haven't properly met. I'm your big sister. Aphrodite. You passed out from the blood loss. Thankfully Hermes found you and your friend and brought you both back to my home. This is Hephaestus' workshop."

" Thanks. I appreciate it." Markus told the woman.

" You're welcome. Now, up. Your friend has been constantly asking about you for hours." Aphrodite told the man. She ushered the man out of the bed with a wave of her finger and gave him a new set of clothes to wear since his old ones were destroyed and his bracers.

" Hey, what happened to my armor?" Markus asked.

" Oh, those things? I threw them out. The top was shredded completely, and the pants were full of blood. No good at all." Aphrodite told the man. Markus' jaw opened to say something. " Oh, don't worry. Hephaestus will make you another. It is his job after all. Now come on, hurry up. The sun isn't gonna set slower." Aphrodite exclaimed. She clapped her hands three times and Markus quickly started throwing on the clothing he was given, which was just a toga and a pair of sandals.

Markus threw the toga over his shoulder and slid up the girdle. Then he slipped his feet into the sandals.

" Excellent, let's go." Aphrodite spoke.

Aphrodite slinked out of her chambers and Markus followed after her. Together the two of them walked down the flight of stairs from Aphrodite's room, down into Hephaestus' workshop.

" And then, he went around the entire planet starting rainstorms. He brought life back to places that had been dead and desolated for hundreds of years." Cir-El said to Diana.

" That is amazing. I wish I could have witnessed it myself." Diana replied.

" Thank you, Diana. I am sure Markus would be happy to have heard you say that." Cir-El told the woman.

" Has life really been that hard for the two of you?" Diana asked.

Markus walked up behind the two women and jumped down between them, hugging both with his strong arms. " Oh yeah. It was pretty bad for a real long time. But it's all better now." Markus spoke.

Cir-El was flustered. The loud sounds of Hephaestus hammering away at his forge had distracted her senses, preventing her from hearing Markus approaching.

" Markus, how are you feeling?" Cir-El asked the man.

" I'm feeling pretty great right about now." Markus responded.

" It gladdens me to hear that, Markus. I was not sure how your fight with Ares would go. Nor had I expected you to speak with Zeus in such a way. Not many are that brave." Diana told the man.

" Hah! Not many are that foolish." Hephaestus bellowed.

" Who's that?" Markus asked.

" Who am I? I'm the one who made the armor you messed up. The least you could do is apologize for destroying my creation." Hephaestus shouted. He turned and pointed his hammer at Markus and glared at him.

" Heh! Is that right?" Markus asked nervously. " Sorry about that." Markus told the man.

" Hephaestus, easy now. Markus has had a long day. Now, honey. Could you do me a favor and reforge the armor?" Aphrodite asked the man.

Hephaestus' attitude did a one-eighty.

" Fine. You know I can't say no to you, dear. But you better not mess it up again." Hephaestus exclaimed. " Now get out, I'll have it delivered to you when it's done."

" If it's alright with you, I'd prefer to-"

" I said out!" Hephaestus bellowed.

" Uh-oh, we better go!" Hermes yelled He grabbed Markus, Diana, and Cir-El just as Hephaestus was raising his hammer and sped the three of them away to safety.

........

Hermes exploded through the dimensional barrier between Olympus and Earth, and in seconds he dropped the three of them back off on Themyscira.

" Alright, folks. That's the end of the Hermes express. Felt like Hephaestus was about to blow a gasket back there." Hermes spoke.

" I appreciate it, Hermes. But how is Hephaestus gonna deliver the armor if he doesn't know where I live?" Markus asked.

" Oh, the same way Ares got to Valdr, and the same way many of us Gods travel. I mean... Who do you think sent it to you in the first place?" Hermes asked. " We don't have to travel through space like everyone else does. Me? I go with the wind. wherever the wind may blow, I can go. Zeus through the lightning. Demeter through grass and plants, Poseidon through the water, Hades and Ares through the fire. It's part of our magic." Hermes explained.

" So, you're saying I can travel anywhere lightning exists?" Markus asked.

" Maybe! I don't know if that's a gift you got from Zeus or not. But it doesn't hurt to try. Just imagine where you want to go and let the energy flow through your body. Come on, why don't you give it a shot. Envision where you want and let it flow." Hermes told the man. " Oh! But first, make sure you can properly visualize where it is you're going, else you may just blow up a building. Lightning is a little more explosive than wind." Hermes chuckled.

" Oh, what the heck. Why not?" Markus shrugged his shoulders and did as Hermes told him. He took three deep breaths and then imagined being in a few feet away from where he was standing. No point in going too far and risking hurting himself or someone else.

Markus felt the surge of lightning running through his veins and as if instinctively he raised his hand to the sky and a bolt of lightning blasted down and he was gone. Then moments later, another bolt of lightning struck down ten feet from where he was standing before, and Markus landed on his ass.

" OW!" Markus yelled.

" HAHAHAHA! WIPEOUT!" Hermes exclaimed. He looked down at Markus and pointed at him as he laughed.

" Okay, that's not fun." Markus groaned.

" Are you sure? It was pretty fun for me." Hermes stated.

Markus crawled out of the dirt and rubbed his back as he stood up. " I don't think I'm gonna do that again."

" Oh, don't be like that. Despite your rough landing, you actually were able to do it your first try. Congrats. Oop! Looks like Zeus wants me back in Olympus, well, it was fun meeting you brother. But I gotta go!" Hermes disappeared into the wind leaving his brother behind with a gift. His horn to call him.

Markus thought he was a little annoying, but he appreciated Hermes at least a little.

" Alright, I think it's time to get going. I've had enough of whatever this was for a lifetime." Markus groaned.

" Wait, Markus. Are you going home so soon?" Diana asked. " I was hoping we could have more time together." Diana told the man.

" Sorry, Diana. But I don't have time to just sit around. My people need me. But hey, it's not like this is goodbye or farewell. I'll see you again, I'm sure. And hey, Valdr is only a few weeks of a trip through space from Earth. If I really book it, only a few seconds. I'll visit anytime I can. And hey, I'll give you the planets coordinates so you can stop by. It'll be nice getting to know my sister." Markus told the woman. " And if you want, you can bring Superman. It would be nice to settle the score."

" I'm sure he'd like that too, Markus. Take care of yourself. And here, take this." Diana reached into her armor's breastplate and pulled out a small device and handed it to Markus. " If you ever need help, you can use this to call the justice league. I'll come help you." Diana told the man.

" Likewise, Diana. I'll get in touch with your justice league as soon as I get home. If there's nothing else, we should get going." Markus spoke. He gave Diana one last hug goodbye, and then along with Cir-El he started floating into the sky. " Oh! One more thing, tell Superman to ditch the cape, it's only gonna get in his way!" Markus yelled to the woman.

Diana laughed and waved as Markus flew away, she had been telling Clark the same thing for months. But he just never listened.

" Oh, goodbye brother. Take care of yourself." Diana muttered. She watched as Markus and Cir-El's silhouettes vanished above the skyline. She had a great sense of happiness knowing she had a brother out there looking out for her. " Clark is gonna be so upset about that cape."