Godfather Owl: Guardian of Batman

A streak of red lightning enveloped Bruce and Diana, transporting them to a completely unfamiliar place.

What unfolded before them was a city perched atop a mountain peak, shrouded in mist and clouds, like a paradise beyond the mortal realm.

The city of Olympus, the dwelling of the gods.

Halley let out a burp, expelling a puff of dragon breath.

After completing its delivery mission, its eyes grew heavy with drowsiness, and it curled up in Diana's palm, quickly falling asleep.

"It seems this kind of task is still too much for it," Diana observed.

Kathoom snatched Halley back from Diana's hand and tucked the tiny dragon into the small leather pouch on his chest.

"Let it have a proper rest," he said.

Carrying two humans and a bird, wrapped in the Speed Force and traversing the barriers of time and space, had indeed been taxing for the palm-sized dragon.

Diana, meanwhile, was transfixed by the distant view of Olympus.

"So this is… the divine realm," she murmured, her voice tinged with awe. "The place where Zeus resides."

Even now, Diana refrained from addressing Zeus as her father. The stories she had heard from her mother had imbued her with a certain filter when it came to the gods.

She hadn't yet fully embraced her identity as a demigod, still holding onto the belief that, aside from Ares, the gods were lofty and untouchable.

Bruce, however, was entirely unimpressed.

Old gods, at the end of the day, were just powerful humans. From what he'd seen of Ares, they too were driven by base desires and emotions, incapable of transcending worldly concerns.

"All right, Diana, we need to find Hephaestus," Bruce reminded her. "Let's try not to draw any unnecessary attention while we're here."

According to Amazonian lore, Zeus had supposedly passed away eons ago.

Bruce was skeptical. He had seen far too many cases of death being little more than a temporary inconvenience. If Zeus suddenly decided to make an appearance, Bruce wouldn't bat an eye.

That said, Zeus wasn't currently in Olympus.

The one leading the gods now was Hera, Zeus's wife and the queen of the heavens.

This posed a bit of a problem.

Kathoom had mentioned that, in Hera's eyes, Diana's mother, Hippolyta, was essentially Zeus's mistress.

Now, if the daughter of said mistress showed up on her doorstep, it wouldn't exactly be a heartwarming reunion.

This situation had been referenced in Injustice: Gods Among Us as well.

"Let's stay low-key, find Hephaestus, and get out of here," Bruce reiterated.

Scanning the divine realm, Bruce searched for any signs of the god of fire.

It wasn't particularly difficult.

Hephaestus had built his forge inside a volcano, a place ablaze with light and resounding with the rhythmic clang of hammers. It was an unmistakable landmark within Olympus.

Before long, Bruce spotted a volcano spewing molten lava, its fiery glow painting the sky a vivid red.

As they approached the volcano, the sulfuric stench hit their noses, causing them to cough. The surrounding heat was unbearable, prompting Bruce to conjure a spell to create a bubble of cool air around them, offering some relief.

But not before Diana had already discarded her mortal attire, reverting to her Amazonian warrior garb.

"This is much more comfortable," Diana remarked. "Bruce, are you sure you're okay? Want me to whip up something for you too?"

Despite the cooling air spell, waves of heat still caused beads of sweat to form on Bruce's brow.

Clad in a tightly tailored British-style suit, he was covered from head to toe, which prompted Diana's offer.

Bruce declined without hesitation.

The very idea was ludicrous—Amazonian armor was strictly tailored for women, consisting mainly of chest plates, skirts, and thigh-high boots. It looked fantastic on Diana, but on him? Ridiculous.

Meanwhile, Kathoom was growing impatient.

"Forget about what you're wearing and hurry up!" he urged.

The oppressive heat didn't bother him much physically, but it gave him an unsettling sense of being slowly roasted.

"Let's just get this over with."

At the base of the volcano, a massive cavern loomed, its entrance impossible to miss.

Following the cavern path downward, the temperature rose with every step.

Diana was fine, being a demigod accustomed to extreme environments.

Bruce, however, was only human. He had to continually cast cooling spells to keep himself from succumbing to the suffocating heat.

"You know, you could just wear the Hellbat armor," Kathoom suggested. "Pushing yourself like this is going to backfire eventually."

"I'll use it when I absolutely have to," Bruce replied, shaking his head. He didn't want to rely on the Hellbat suit for everything, believing the intense heat was a good way to temper his willpower.

Seeing his resolve, Kathoom decided not to argue further.

Some people just liked to suffer. There was no convincing them otherwise.

---

Bruce had no idea how long they had been walking through the mountain's tunnels.

He only knew that after what felt like an eternity of darkness, a red glow appeared ahead.

It marked the end of the passage. Beyond it lay Hephaestus's workshop.

The clang of metal against metal echoed in their ears—sharp, rhythmic sounds of hammer striking anvil.

Finally, Bruce and Diana stepped out of the tunnel and into a crimson-lit world.

The hollowed-out mountain housed a massive forge at its center.

A human figure standing before it would seem like an ant before a vast expanse of sky.

The forge itself dominated the space, connected to numerous cauldrons of molten metal.

Wheels and pulleys spun, drawing searing lava from the central pool, which was then funneled through pipes into the forge.

Molten droplets occasionally splattered onto the ground, releasing white smoke with a sharp hiss.

A towering figure stood before the forge, gripping a hammer, striking it against the anvil with precision.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Each strike sent reverberations through the entire volcano.

The sound carried a strange, rhythmic quality, almost like a melody.

Bruce recognized the figure immediately—it was Hephaestus, the god of fire.

A grand and imposing deity, his unconventional appearance was unmistakable. Handsome? No. Striking? Yes, but for all the wrong reasons. He was the kind of being whose identity could be discerned from his silhouette alone.

As Bruce and Diana approached, Hephaestus halted his hammering.

Turning around, his visage sent a shiver down Diana's spine.

He looked like something out of Tolkien's descriptions of orcs.

"Diana?" he said, his voice resonant. "Are you Diana of Themyscira?"

Hephaestus didn't wait for Wonder Woman to introduce herself. He already knew who she was.

"You know me?" Diana asked, startled.

"Don't act so surprised," Hephaestus replied. "I should be the one who's surprised."

Though his demeanor was calm and steady, he showed little outward emotion. Setting his hammer aside, he moved to the far side of his workbench and retrieved several iron goblets.

He then picked up a teapot, pouring out a glowing liquid that resembled molten lava, emitting a faint red light.

"I've seen you before," Hephaestus said, placing the goblets—or what looked like them—before Diana and Bruce. "Though it was when you were much younger."

The goblets, perfectly sized for Hephaestus's hands, were absurdly large for Bruce and Diana—more like iron barrels than cups.

"I never expected you to come here, let alone seek me out," Hephaestus continued, downing his own drink in one gulp.

"And I certainly didn't expect… you to have a boyfriend," he added, glancing at Bruce. "Diana, you're only five thousand years old. Isn't it a little early for dating?"

"I—what? That's not—"

Hephaestus's words left Diana feeling awkward. She wanted to explain that her relationship with Bruce wasn't what he thought.

But Hephaestus didn't give her the chance to elaborate.

In truth, his remarks weren't even meant for her.

"One of these days, I'll take you to meet your sister-in-law," he said. "She can vet him for you. You're still too young and naive, an easy mark for unscrupulous men."

This was the crux of Hephaestus's speech.

As the ugliest god in Olympus, yet somehow married to Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, Hephaestus never missed a chance to flaunt this triumph.

Diana was at a loss for words, stammering out, "Sure… thanks, brother."

The term "brother" clearly delighted Hephaestus.

"All right, back to business," he said, leaning casually against his workbench. "What brings you here? Let me guess—you need weapons or armor? That's about all I'm good for."

He was so direct that it made Diana feel self-conscious.

"Don't be shy," Hephaestus said with a dismissive wave. "Forging is my craft and my passion. You're my sister—it's our first time meeting, so of course, I'll gift you something."

He glanced at Bruce and Diana, noting that both were unarmed. Diana's shield was strapped to her back, but it lacked a companion weapon.

He caught on immediately.

"Lost your weapon, huh?" he asked. "Come on, I'll take you to my storage room. Take whatever catches your eye."

Standing up from the workbench, Hephaestus gestured for Diana and Bruce to follow him.

Though the volcano's interior had been hollowed out, not all of it had been converted into a forge. Hephaestus led them through a network of passages until they reached a massive iron door.

The door was thick and heavy, but Hephaestus pushed it open effortlessly.

Inside, a dazzling array of treasures unfolded before Bruce and Diana.

Hephaestus casually picked up something Bruce never expected—a heavy machine gun on wheels, resembling a Maxim gun from World War I.

"What about this?" he said. "It's based on human weaponry, but modified. I call it the Vulcan Water-Cooled Heavy Machine Gun Mark II. Forged from divine metal, it can punch through an asteroid with a single burst."

What the…

Bruce was momentarily dumbfounded.

He hadn't expected Hephaestus to suggest such a thing—but on second thought, it made sense.

As the forger of weapons for the gods, Hephaestus was essentially Olympus's arms dealer. Keeping up with modern trends was only natural.

"Not impressed?" Hephaestus scratched his balding head as he noticed Bruce's expression. "I thought you humans were all about this kind of stuff these days."

Muttering to himself, Hephaestus set the Vulcan gun aside and pulled out another item—a grenade.

"This is the Vulcan Grenade," he explained. "A throwable weapon capable of wiping out an entire city. I'll give you 24 of them—that should handle any enemy."

"No, no, no!" Bruce exclaimed, hastily declining. "Hephaestus, sir, that's not the kind of weapon we're looking for!"

He was here to procure weapons for defeating villains and protecting civilians—not tools of mass destruction that would indiscriminately level everything in sight.

Diana nodded emphatically in agreement. To be honest, she had no idea what Hephaestus had been showcasing or how to even use it.

"We want a sword!" Diana interjected. "A sword that can pierce any armor or shield!"

"Oh…" Hephaestus's face lit up in understanding. "You're old-school types, huh? Why didn't you say so earlier? Come with me!"

Dropping his arms-dealer persona, Hephaestus led Bruce and Diana to another section of the warehouse.

This area was dedicated to traditional weapons—blades, spears, axes, shields, and armor.

Finally, Diana saw something she could recognize.

"If it's a sword you're after, I recommend this one."

Hephaestus used two fingers to pluck a sword from a rack, handing it to Diana.

"This was a weapon I forged for Ares long ago, but I never got the chance to give it to him before he was banished from the divine realm," Hephaestus explained. "It's a fine piece, though the design is a bit dated. If you like it, I can reforge it to suit your style."

A weapon forged for Ares?

Diana gripped the sword, feeling its weight and the chilling aura emanating from its blade. It radiated an unmistakable killing intent.

A deadly weapon—but also an extraordinary one.

"This… is impressive," Diana said hesitantly. "But you're right, brother. The style doesn't quite suit me."

"No problem. I'll reforge it in no time," Hephaestus assured her, taking the sword back. "By the way, do you want me to upgrade your armor and shield while I'm at it?"

Diana hesitated. Her current equipment was forged using Amazonian techniques—not bad by any means, but still a step below Hephaestus's craftsmanship.

"I don't think that's nec—"

Before she could finish, Bruce cut her off.

"We'd be grateful!" he said quickly.

"No trouble at all," Hephaestus replied. "A new set of armor and a reinforced shield won't take much time."

He was already planning to go all out. If he was going to give his sister a gift, he might as well do it right. A golden armor set to protect her in future crises seemed fitting.

"What about you?" Hephaestus turned to Bruce. "What do you want, Diana's little boyfriend? Something similar to her setup?"

"Well…" Bruce thought for a moment. "Actually, I don't need a new weapon. I already have one—it's just broken. I was hoping you could repair it."

"No problem. What weapon is it? Show me."

Hephaestus radiated confidence. As the god of smithing, there wasn't a single weapon he couldn't repair.

But when Bruce pulled out the shattered pieces of Mjolnir from Kathoom's feathers, Hephaestus's expression changed instantly.

The towering god lunged forward, cradling the fragments like priceless treasures, his face a mix of shock and excitement.

"A completely different technique…" he murmured, awestruck. "I can feel it—this craftsmanship is extraordinary. Unlike anything I've ever seen. Fascinating… utterly fascinating."

Hephaestus, the master craftsman who had witnessed countless forging techniques across the cosmos, was utterly captivated.

"This is… a masterpiece," he muttered, as if in a trance.

For the first time, Hephaestus looked at Bruce not as Diana's tagalong, but as an individual worthy of respect.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Bruce. Bruce Wayne," Bruce introduced himself.

"Bruce Wayne…" Hephaestus repeated, the name vaguely familiar. "Hmm… I feel like I've heard that name before. Oh well, doesn't matter."

Suddenly, Hephaestus's eyes gleamed with anticipation.

"Little Bruce, can you sell these fragments to me? I'll trade you everything in this warehouse for them."

Bruce shook his head. Though tempted by the offer, he declined firmly.

"Sorry, Hephaestus. This weapon is too important to me. I can't sell it. All I ask is for you to repair it. If you insist on buying it, I'll have to find someone else."

This last comment seemed to rattle Hephaestus.

"Find someone else? Impossible! I'm your sister's brother—if I push you away, I'll never hear the end of it."

After some thought, he made a compromise.

"Fine. You won't sell it, but let me keep it here for three days to study it while I repair it."

"One day," Bruce countered. "I need it to defeat my enemies."

"Three days!" Hephaestus bargained, but Bruce was unyielding.

Eventually, Hephaestus sighed. "Okay, how about this: you give me three days, and I'll let you take two items from my warehouse—anything you want."

"Anything?" Bruce confirmed.

"Anything," Hephaestus nodded. "That way, we both win."

"Deal."

Though reluctant, Bruce agreed. Hephaestus, thrilled, immediately whisked the fragments away to his forge, leaving Bruce and Diana alone.

Bruce turned to Kathoom. "What do you think will come from combining Mjolnir with Zeus's lightning?"

"No idea," Kathoom replied, clenching his wings. "But that's not our concern right now."

Right now, their focus was on raiding Hephaestus's armory.

---

Ahem! Gather close, esteemed audience! Do you comprehend the privilege of basking in my radiance? Truly, you're witnessing history in the making—a performance unparalleled in the annals of Fontaine!

Ah, but don't get distracted! Let me be clear: this brilliance isn't conjured from thin air. No, no, no! It requires effort, dedication, and… well, a touch of your generosity. If you fancy being part of something truly extraordinary, do step forward here: [patreon.com/WiseTL].

Oh, but wait! You're probably wondering, "Furina, how can someone as magnificent as you need assistance?" To that, I say: why deny mortals the honor of contributing to such greatness? Supporting me is supporting art, and who doesn't want to say they were instrumental in a legend's rise?

Now, off you go. Make your offerings, and perhaps, perhaps, I'll acknowledge you in my next soliloquy!

— Furina ✨