Mount Olympus-Throne room
As Hera returned to Mount Olympus from her discussions on Themyscira, she unexpectedly encountered Athena in the throne room.
"Welcome back, my queen," said Athena, her smile revealing that she knew more than she should.
Despite taking precautions, Hera realized that Athena had discovered her secret visit to the mortal realm. This was against her own decree which stated that Mount Olympus was to be closed off, with only Hermes having permission to descend for the purpose of gathering herbs not found there.
Seeing no need for pretenses, Hera, carrying herself with the grace of a queen, made her way to her throne and sat down. Then she asked, "What can this queen do for you, Athena, goddess of wisdom?"
Athena, seeing Hera's straightforward approach, didn't hesitate to ask, "My queen, in this time of turmoil, with our god-king indisposed, why did you find it necessary to visit the mortal realm?"
If this had been the original Hera, she might have been angered by this questioning. However, after enduring many experiences in the mortal realm and learning certain truths about their entire reality, she had gained a new perspective. In response, she said, "Athena, do not fail your title. With Zeus absent, I lead Olympus. As such, I need to stay vigilant and informed. My descent to the mortal realm was precisely to gather the information I sought."
Hearing Hera's words, intrigue flashed through Athena's eyes. She asked, "Has something truly happened in the mortal realm? Were you seeking information about that energy spike we felt? Has a mortal truly gained such power?"
To her inquiry, Hera calmly replied, "Yes and no." Seeing Athena's confusion, Hera continued, "Yes, something significant has occurred in the mortal realm. Were you aware that the mortal realm was recently invaded by our old enemies? Countless mortals died!"
"What? How?" Athena was taken aback by this revelation. She continued, voicing her concern, "Hera, how did we miss an invasion? We're entrusted with defending the mortal realm against invasions by the forces under that new god. We've done so in the past. What's the situation on Earth? Has it fallen?"
Hera listened, then nodded and said, "It also took me by surprise. Learning what happened in the mortal realm made me furious. While mortals suffered, we gods, who should have been their protectors, were enjoying a party. Zeus must have known, but he continued his merriment. He should have rallied the gods and led us to defend the mortal realms against the invaders." Hera's words conveyed her anger and disappointment towards her husband, Zeus.
Athena, who had been listening, also felt a surge of rage towards Zeus. After a moment, Hera continued, "Thankfully, the mortal realms have champions as strong as the gods. They united and defeated the enemies, even managing to kill Steppenwolf!"
Athena was shocked to hear that mortals not only had champions as strong as them, but these champions also managed to kill their old enemy's elite general.
"Hera, is it possible to meet these champions?" asked Athena intrigued by the prospect of Earth having new champions since the days of old. Hera shook her head and replied, "Absolutely not. I might have allowed it if it were just the champions, but there is another player in the game now." Hera's solemn tone emphasized the seriousness of the situation. "A being from a 'Higher' realm has arrived in the mortal realm."
"Higher realm? What is that?" Athena asked, curious about this visitor.
"I don't know the specifics, but from the little I've seen, it appears to be similar to another dimension, yet much more powerful and beyond our understanding."
As Athena listened, she felt a pang of regret for what she had missed. Hera continued, "The energy spike we felt recently came from this individual. He has a powerful background. But there's more…" Hera paused, then snapped her fingers. A transparent barrier, infused with her divinity, enveloped the throne room. Athena realized that Hera wanted to keep the following conversation confidential. Once the barrier was in place, Hera warned, "Athena, what I'm about to reveal must remain between us until I decide it's time to inform the other gods." Athena nodded in agreement.
"I tried to probe this individual's mind after our emergency meeting," Hera continued. "Shockingly, I suffered a backlash that forced me to kneel. But it didn't stop there; the backlash caused me to lose some of my ichor."
Hearing Hera's account, Athena felt a sense of fear she hadn't experienced in a long time. Hera went on, "The backlash confirmed one thing: this individual is under the protection of a power beyond my comprehension. So, I changed my approach and discovered that a daughter of Themyscira is near this individual."
Athena was taken aback. "An Amazon in the land of man? Could it be…her?" she asked, a particular name coming to mind.
Hera observed Athena's changing expression, nodded, and continued, "Yes. As you guessed, it was Diana Prince, daughter of Hippolyta. Once I accepted that I couldn't probe this individual, I decided to track Diana's movements to gather information about this new power. When I noticed she was returning home with the mother box that was previously stolen from Themyscira, I decided to descend. That's when I learned about the events in the mortal realm. Eventually, I obtained the information I sought and discovered a great opportunity for our pantheon."
At this point, Athena's interest was piqued. She looked at Hera with the eyes of a curious child. Seeing this, Hera smiled slightly and continued, "Apparently, that individual and Diana Prince fell in love at first sight and got married without realizing it."
"WHAT? How is that possible? How can one unknowingly get married?" Athena was shocked.
Hera nodded, understanding her confusion. She continued, "I understand your confusion. This happened due to an extremely rare phenomenon, so they were unaware of the nature of their bond. They actually formed a soul bond!"
Athena was stunned to hear about this rare occurrence.
Amused by Athena's reaction, Hera continued, "Their relationship is going strong, so I've asked Diana to arrange a meeting. Ideally, we'd form an alliance, but if not, a non-aggression pact would suffice."
"Hera, I realize this individual is extremely powerful," Athena interjected, her voice filled with pride and cunning. "But shouldn't we use Diana's influence to bring him under our control? Would a non-aggression pact be enough?"
Hera stared at Athena, questioning her wisdom. After a minute, she said bluntly, "Do you have a death wish?"
Athena was taken aback by Hera's response. Confused, she asked, "My queen, where has my assessment gone wrong? Why can't we use Diana to influence this force to bend to our will?"
Hera sighed and replied, "That individual is under the protection of entities far beyond my comprehension. It's not only him, but when I visited Diana and helped her understand her power, I witnessed a primal and ancient force. This force could have easily obliterated me if I had any ill intentions towards her. Your idea is based on the assumption that Diana is still a mere Amazon who would obey us. However, referring to her as just another Amazon would be incorrect now. Since becoming that man's wife and gaining that primal and ancient power, her divinity has surpassed both Zeus's and mine. She is no longer Zeus's daughter but a divine queen in her own right! So, tell me, oh goddess of wisdom, where is the wisdom in targeting either of them when both are under the aegis of entities far mightier than a godking?"
Athena, her face flushed with embarrassment, had no reply. Hera, noticing her speechlessness, continued. "The best we can do is approach this party with the mindset of equals. Otherwise, we risk angering them and creating an enemy we cannot afford to offend, even if Zeus were present."
Athena nodded in agreement with Hera's plan. As she was about to leave, Hera stopped her. "WAIT! Athena, I have a task for you. Keep an eye on Aphrodite. She must not descend to the mortal realm. I am certain that if she finds her way to the mortal realm, she will try to approach that man and charm him. However, I'm certain her attempts will fail spectacularly and may even anger both Diana and that man."
Overwhelmed by everything she had learned, Athena was momentarily stunned. Hera, meanwhile, continued speaking. "Therefore, it's crucial to keep Aphrodite in check until the meeting. It's important we make a good impression on the other party and, if possible, form an alliance. If we succeed, we would not only have Diana, who has already begun her journey towards becoming a god-slayer, but also her tremendously powerful husband. We would then no longer have to fear any other pantheon. Do you understand?"
Grasping the significance of the upcoming meeting, Athena nodded, determined to ensure Aphrodite didn't cause any trouble.
Unbeknownst to the two goddesses, an entity was observing them from the shadows, keenly listening to their conversation. Upon detecting the energy spike and the closed gates of Mount Olympus, this entity decided to use her powers to infiltrate Olympus and gather information on the cause of this change. She overheard Hera and Athena's conversation. "Zeus is in a coma? The Mad gods' army invaded the mortal realm again? A being from a higher realm? Protected by entities beyond Hera's comprehension? What kind of beings could frighten the queen so much? Interesting... His power is genuine, judging by the energy he released, but I should still be able to observe him from the shadows. Maybe I'll go see what a higher realm being looks like after I'm done here," said the goddess of the night, Nyx blended into the darkness as she headed towards the locations of other gods to gather intel.