[Caterpillar] Chapter 42 - Godhood (Patreon)

"Will you follow me to Olympus today?" Athena asked.

Naruto glanced at the slumbering fox on his shoulder and then at the bloodied appearance of Wonder Woman.

"No. We need some rest. We can't start a war now. Not when we are not at our best."

Planting Hiraishin markers on his spaceship and on satellites outside of every planet he visited, using shadow clones to investigate his enemies before attacking, keeping an eye on his chakra consumption, trying to think of strategies when fighting against powerful foes instead of just throwing flashy techniques around, carrying nutritional pills in case he remained stranded in space, refusing to accept the bounty of assassinating Darkseid in his own homeworld and so on - these were just a few examples that spoke of his cautious nature. Nearly a century of adventuring in a world different from his own was enough to smarten up even a blockhead like his teenage self. He would never be considered academically smart or a genius but a lifetime of experiences had made him a wiser person. That said, he was definitely not going to fight against the alleged king of the Olympian gods unless he, Kurama, and Diana were at their 100%.

"Understandable." the goddess acknowledged. A peculiar pendant appeared in her hand. It was made of stone, and circular, and it depicted the head of a screaming woman with snakes for hair. It looked like Medusa's head. Handing it to the Amazon princess, she said: "Take your time and recover. When you are ready, you can use this relic to summon me."

A blue light shone from the goddess's palm and a human-sized oval portal appeared. Naruto secretly glanced at her with a calculative look in his eyes.

'Hades is supposed to be a major god according to Diana, he's the God of the Underworld. He can't make portals to escape from this realm... but Athena can. She also took one of my tailed beast bombs and survived. I better not take her lightly if we crossed paths again in the future.' he mused.

⁂

"I'm so tired. And filthy." Wonder Woman grumbled.

After more than 24 hours of sweating in the pits of Tartarus, slaying demons, and cutting a goddess in half, her appearance was a far cry from usual. It was only after stepping out of the portal and setting foot on Themyscira that she became aware of her deplorable state. Dried blood, ash, dirt, and sweat covered her from head to toes. It made her long black hair itchy and scruffy and her skin clammy. She did not remember if she had ever been so dirty.

"Ah, my cloak is ruined." she bemoaned when she looked at her previously white cloak. It had more than one hole in it and its colour was unrecognizable with all the stains and dirt on it.

Her white and golden breastplate, her greaves, her pauldrons, her bracelets, and her tiara were of a magical nature. It was an armour set crafted for her by the God of Fire, Hephaestus. It would be very easy to clean. However, her ear-wing ornaments and her white cloak could not be salvaged. They were ordinary objects that she wore just to make herself look more fashionable. A warrior she may have been but she was a woman at the same time too. She liked to kick ass but she wanted to look good while doing it too.

"Why are even wearing that cloak? Doesn't it get in the way? You'd be lying if you told me nobody tried to grab you by the cloak and slam you around." he said snidely and sniggered.

She threw a mean look at him. "The pot calling the kettle black. You're wearing a cloak too!"

He grinned at her and said: "Well then, be my guest. Try to grab me by my cloak."

She huffed at him and quickly grabbed the edge of his fur-collared black cloak. But, to her surprise, the buttons holding it together around his neck snapped and she pulled the cloak directly off him. When she threw it to the side, her eyes widened as she found herself with the blade of a dagger pointed at her neck.

"Bet you didn't expect that," he said smugly. "It always takes my opponents by surprise when they try to grab me by my cloak. Not only that they never expect it to come off so easily and it makes them become still for a moment, but the cloak also hides my hands from their view, allowing me to mount a sneak attack. So my cloak looks cool AND it's useful too."

"Show off." she pouted.

Not minding his presence, she started taking off her clothes and armour and threw them on the floor. Now completely naked, she threw a sultry look at him as she headed towards the bathroom.

"Care to join me?"

He had never taken off his combat suit and clothes any faster before.

⁂

He let out a silent yawn and a groan of comfort. He could not recall ever sleeping better than the previous night. Washing each other's bodies, making love, and then falling asleep in each other's arms, exhausted both from their trial in Tartarus and from their intimate activities, he slept like a baby.

'Mmm, boobies.' he thought and buried his face deeper into her chest.

He felt her arms slightly tighten around his head and pulling him deeper into her and her leg that was draped over his waist rubbed along his side for a moment.

'This has to be heaven. Heaven on earth, no doubt about it.'

The feel of her softness and her sweet scent were like a drug for him. Although he was fully rested, the comfort of sleeping in Diana's arms and with his face buried in the valley of her breasts was just too comfortable. He fell asleep again.

But his blissful lethargy was not meant to last. All of a sudden, a loud yell deafened him of one ear and a particular set of paws started shaking his shoulder roughly.

"NARUTO! NARUTO! WAKE UP!"

His annoyance was threatening to blow up.

"Damnit, Kurama, whatchu want this early in the morning?" he snapped in a loud whisper at the hyperactive fox.

But when he raised his head from Diana's embrace and opened his eyes to look at the fox, he became speechless.

"The hell-?!" he sputtered in surprise.

The fox cub standing on his chest was almost...sparkling. He still looked like a fox cub but his crimson-red fur had become completely golden.

"I am a god! I even got 10 tails! Wahahaha!" Kyuubi threw his head back and laughed out loud.

Naruto's eyes were drawn by the fox's words to his tails to count them.

"Ten tails. Wow!" he said in pure admiration. Sitting up to take a better look at the golden ten-tailed fox he asked in curiosity: "Anything else that has changed at you?"

The Fox God raised his snout proudly in the air. He revelled in the attention and admiration he was receiving from the blond.

"Watch." Kyuubi said smugly.

All of a sudden, goosebumps appeared on Naruto's forearms and his spine chilled. A feeling of oppression like he rarely ever got to experience washed over him. He felt tiny, insignificant. It was reminding him of how he felt the first time he sensed the Rabbit Goddess's chakra when she resurrected. But Kyuubi's aura was levels above that.

The fox reigned in his divinity. Then, he hopped into Naruto's arms and snuggled with his head into his chest. His tails were wagging around crazily, like a helicopter. He was acting like an overexcited dog that could not contain its enthusiasm. Kurama had resolved himself that from the moment he became a god he would start acting in a dignified fashion but he could not keep up a proud and smug appearance in the present at all. He had spent several months thinking that he was going insane, with a constant buzz of voices in his head. But now, he was finally free and more powerful than ever.

Naruto laughed in delight too at the fox's contagious happiness. How could he not be happy for him? Kurama was his lifelong best friend, like a brother. His success and happiness were his own as well.

"I don't need you to feed me chakra anymore either." Kyuubi said and then repeated himself: "And I have 10 tails!"

It looked like having 10 tails was the ultimate proof for the fox that he was a god now. He kept repeating that he had 10 tails.

The ruckus that Kurama and Naruto were causing naturally startled Wonder Woman awake from her sleep as well. They were so loud and rambunctious that they would wake up even the dead.

Diana raised her arms above her head and her body shivered pleasantly for a few seconds as she stretched. Despite how loud the man and the fox were, she could not bring herself to be annoyed. Her mood was simply too great.

'Last night was...'

She almost let out a moan just at the memory of the previous night. During their first time, so many years of bottled-up physical and emotional needs burst at once and they went at each other wildly, filled with lust. The previous night, however, was completely different. For hours, they made love to each other, worshipping each other's body and pouring all their feelings and heart into it. Closing her eyes, she bit her lower lip and shivered. It had been perfect.

However, after a few moments, she became aware of the silence that had been instilled in the room as Naruto and Kyuubi abruptly shut up.

"Diana?" Naruto asked tentatively. He swallowed a node in his neck. "Are you okay?"

She opened her eyes but when she was about to reply, she was momentarily stunned.

"Kurama! Your fur is-" she began to say.

"Yes, I am a god!" the fox said with a grin. But he asked a bit worried: "But I'm not the only one who changed... look at yourself."

It was then that Wonder Woman finally caught the sight of her long hair. Her previously raven-black hair was a pure silvery-white colour now. She was so startled that she unconsciously released her aura too. It was the aura of a goddess.

Naruto looked at her in awe.

He had always found the Amazon Princess attractive, even before falling in love with her. As he had said under the coercion of the Lasso of Truth, he saw her as divine, perfection given human form. But now, she somehow became even more enchanting if that was possible. When he first noticed that her hair had turned white he was afraid something bad happened to her. But once she released her divinity and his worries disappeared, only astonishment remained.

⁂

Two days later, Naruto and Diana said their goodbyes to Hippolyta and the Amazons and returned to her apartment in New York.

Now, a golden fox cub was flying around in the living room like a shuttle. Despite his great power, Kurama had never been able to fly before. But now that he was a god and that he could fly effortlessly, he was milling around, stirring winds in his passing.

"By the void, cut it out already!" Naruto yelled at him incensed from his seat on the sofa. He couldn't pay any attention to the large TV in front of him because of the fox. He was as obnoxious as a bee incessantly buzzing around inside a room.

As if to spite him, Kyuubi flew in front of Naruto, between him and the TV. He floated in mid-air and sat like a human in a crossed-legged position and unfurled his 10 golden fluffy tails like a peacock, blocking his sight completely.

The blond reached the end of his patience. A shadow clone came from the office room of the apartment and handed the original Naruto a paper slip. Enough was enough.

Kurama did not realize what was going to happen until he felt someone slapping his back. When the paper slip was stuck on his back, the fox cried out in surprise when his powers were all of a sudden cancelled and he dropped down on the floor with a thud. Before he could make out the situation, Naruto grabbed the little golden fox by the scruff of his neck and dragged him to the kitchen.

"You wanted to fly, didn't you? Then fly!" the blond yelled in a mean voice and threw the fox through the open window. They were on the top floor of a skyscraper with over 70 floors.

"Narutooo! Fuck you!" Kurama hollered as he plunged towards the ground.

Hearing the vague sound of a car getting smashed to bits and several alarms starting to blare, Naruto smiled in satisfaction. It was almost like music to his ears.

"Seriously you two! You're like Tom and Jerry! Not a day passes without one trying to drive the other nuts." Diana admonished lightly when he returned to the living room.

He chuckled lightly in spite of himself and plopped down on the sofa next to her. But what was on his mind was left unsaid however when the anchors started talking about a particular news report. A title written in bold and uppercase letters occupied the bottom centre of the screen:

WONDER WOMAN EXPELLED FROM THE JUSTICE LEAGUE

The anchor proceeded to say:

"Here is what the spokesperson of the Justice League, Martian Manhunter, had to say at the press conference held earlier this morning:"

The image changed and a different footage started playing. Still wearing nothing except for his purple cloak and briefs, the green-skinned alien spoke in front of two dozen of microphones belonging to media outlets from all over the Globe.

"Maxwell Lord IV killed the Blue Beetle, one of our members 4 days ago. However, he should have answered for his crimes in front of the court, according to the Law. The Justice League does not condone Wonder Woman's actions. Our purpose has never been to take the law into our hands but to keep people safe. As a result of her deeds, with a heavy heart, we hereby announce that Wonder Woman has been officially removed from the ranks of the Justice League. Wonder Woman has been one of the founding members of the Justice League and she has worked together with us to protect the Earth for years...nevertheless, nobody is above the reach of the law. We all have to be held accountable for our deeds."

Martian Manhunter's words were met with chaos as tens of reporters started yelling questions at the same time. One of the reporters with stronger lungs managed to scream his question loud enough to cover everyone else:

"WHAT IS THE JUSTICE LEAGUE DOING TO APPREHEND HER?!"

The ruckus quickly died down. Everyone wanted to hear the answer to that question. The way that Martian Manhunter's previously stoic face grimaced made the reporters start panting like a pack of starved wolves at the smell of blood.

"We have strongly suggested Wonder Woman to turn herself in to the authorities. She is a person of character and we believe that she will-" Martian Manhunter started to say only for the same reporter to cut him off and yell:

"What if she refuses to do so? Surely you do not think that regular police officers will be able to overpower her, do you? Have you not seen the devastation that her battle against Superman created in the Andes Mountains? The two of them reshaped the land! Geographers are now working to redraw the map of the levelled portion of the mountainside in Chile. For god's sake, she almost KILLED Superman!"

At his words, the other reports all started yelling their agreements and bombarding Martian Manhunter with another wave of questions.

The screen of the TV went black as Naruto used the remote control to turn it off. He looked at Diana with a troubled look in his eyes. But, to his surprise, she appeared to be completely calm. He had expected her to show a pained look or some frustration but there was none of that. Her expression was the epitome of serenity.

"You don't need to worry about me," Diana said with a small smile. "I don't regret what I did. If I had to go back and be faced with that situation once more I would make the same choice every time. It was the life of a criminal for the sake of thousands of innocents or more. I don't blame the Justice League anymore either. Thinking about it, when the other dimension Superman lobotomized that alien creature in Metropolis a few months ago I did not react well to his actions either. I can't be too harsh on others now, can I? Furthermore, I think that that incident with the Justice Lords where it was revealed that they had taken over the planet in their dimension has made everyone very sensitive to such matters. I understand why they do not want to accept the fact that Maxwell had to be killed. It's because they are scared. They are afraid of falling into the footsteps of our counterparts from the other dimension. They do not want to become tyrants too."

She took his hand in hers and interlocked their fingers as her blue eyes peered lovingly into his.

"It doesn't matter what they think about me anymore. Your love and support are all I need. My mother is proud of me too. Nothing else matters."

Naruto brought their interlocked hands up and kissed her hand tenderly.

"Good. For a moment there, I thought you'd actually go along with this farce. I'd never let them parade you around on meaningless trials. I won't let anyone disrespect you like that."

She leaned into his chest and he embraced her dearly with an arm and caressed her silky white hair with the other hand.

"How does it feel to be a goddess now?" he asked after a while.

"Not that different I guess? I mean I noticed the big difference between before and after my mother unsealed my powers as a demigoddess a few months ago. But now the difference isn't that big. I guess I feel calmer and a bit less emotional?" she said rhetorically.

"Did you become the goddess of something? Like, do you have a domain of sorts or something you preside over? Did you become the goddess of marriage and childbirth like Hera?"

Diana giggled at his words.

"Of course not, you silly goose! How would I be the goddess of something like that when I'm not married and have never given birth?"

He chuckled too. "Well then? Don't keep me in suspense."

"I don't have a domain. Most of the Olympian gods were not born with a domain, it was the faith of the people that gave them attributes. Take goddess Athena for example: people praised her for her wisdom, skill in battle, and talent in handicrafts. In time, she became the patron goddess of Wisdom, War, and Handicrafts. When she started showing favouritism towards heroes and supported them in their trials, she became the Goddess of Heroes too."

"Ooh! I was wondering why I didn't get any special power besides flying and being able to regenerate my chakra!" Kurama exclaimed, popping up seemingly out of nowhere.

"You came back for more?" Naruto asked belligerently. "God or not, I'll still kick your furry ass to Sunday and back if you don't settle down."

The fox snickered unrepentantly. Completely ignoring his question, he asked one of his own:

"Well then, when are we going to the Vega System?"

The wagging of his 10 tails betrayed his excitement. He could not wait to get there. He was swooning at the image of thousands of people bowing or kneeling in front of him, worshipping his glorious self.

"Sheesh, get a grip already, you're drooling."

While the three of them were chatting merrily and poking fun at each other, a glowing relic flew from the bedroom into the living room and stopped in mid-air in front of the sofa where they were sitting. It was the stone pendant with the snake-haired woman that Athena had given Diana before they left Tartarus.

The clear voice of Athena rang:

"Zeus left Olympus two days ago. I thought that he had gotten wind of Hera and Typhon's deaths and that he went to check the situation himself. But he is nowhere to be found and my sources tell me that he never went to Tartarus. After further consideration it became clear to me: Zeus had run away."

When the voice stopped, the stone pendant lost its glow and landed softly on the coffee table.

Naruto and Diana looked at each other wide-eyed.

"Oi, oi, why would he run away? Didn't Athena say that Zeus was so confident in his power that he disregarded even Darkseid?"

Kyuubi let out a confident chuckle and flexed his paw.

"Isn't that obvious? He noticed my power. He sensed my divinity. Ahahah!"

Naruto and Diana rolled their eyes, having become accustomed to the fox's bragging and boasting a long time ago. They knew that now that Kurama was an actual god, his pride and ego would get much, much bigger than before.

Little did they know, however, that Kurama's boastful words were not empty. When Kyuubi released his aura two days ago for Naruto to see it, it struck horror into Zeus's heart. After Athena 'coincidentally' informed him of Hera's and Typhon's deaths too, the so-called King of Gods became certain of his next course of action: escape!

⁂

One week after Maxwell Lord IV's death, Green Arrow was patrolling his hometown, Star City, when he received a peculiar phone call.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"It's me, Diana."

Green Arrow looked around carefully and brought a hand up to mask his mouth as if to stop potential eavesdroppers from reading the words on his lips.

"Are you out of your mind? Why did you call me of all people? The whole world is out to get you now and the Justice League is watching me carefully too since I was the only one to speak in your defence. They will find you in a matter of seconds!" he almost shouted but in a whisper.

"I wanted to thank you for standing up for me." Wonder Woman said. "I wish I could have conveyed my gratitude face to face but, as you said it yourself, that is not really an option for me right now."

"No need to thank me." Green Arrow said and shook his head. "I only did what I thought was right. Everyone is harping about you being a 'murderer' but they're conveniently forgetting how you prevented probably tens of thousands of innocents from being harmed. They forgot how many people were killed by Superman in Metropolis a few years ago when Darkseid brainwashed him. They seem to have forgotten how deadly a Kryptonian with no morals can be. It's easier for them to paint you in a bad light and use you as a scapegoat."

A soft sigh came from the other side of the transmission.

"It is what it is. With that said, I won't come back again. The Justice League has grown large and powerful so it doesn't need my strength anymore...and it certainly doesn't deserve my time anymore either. I'm going to leave the Earth."

Green Arrow was stunned by her words.

"Leave? And go where?"

"The Universe is a large place. I can go anywhere. Besides, I get to be together with the man I love. If I'm being honest, I've always wished to go with him but in the past, I could not just ignore my responsibilities as a member of the Justice League and leave. But now, there is nothing to stop me any longer."

Not only that the Justice League was out to arrest her and hand her over to the authorities to be trialled by the International Court of Justice, but her mother and the rest of the Amazons were going to leave the Earth soon too. There was really nothing holding her back anymore.

"So you and that alien mercenary are serious about your relationship?"

"Do you know me as a frivolous woman? We've been serious about it from the beginning."

Green Arrow winced at the sharpness in her words.

"Not at all. Well, as long as you're happy, I wish you all the best."

"Thank you again, Oliver," Diana said in a softer tone and used his real name. "It meant a lot to me that you tried to defend me. I will not forget your support."

"As I told you, I only did what I thought was right."

"I understand. But I still appreciate it. Listen to me, I have solid reasons to believe that Darkseid will attack the Earth again sometime in the future."

Even with the mask that he was wearing it was easy to see the sceptical look on Green Arrow's face at her words.

"Darkseid is dead. I was there when he died, together with another nearly 100 members of the Justice League."

"He is far more powerful than the JL gives him credit for. Apparently, it's not the first time he got killed. Darkseid will be back, and he will be back with a vengeance. He will never give up on Earth."

"And how do you know all this?" Green Arrow asked, now starting to become nervous.

"It was Goddess Athena that informed me of it. To understand how serious it is, Goddess Athena and the rest of the Olympian Gods are preparing for an Exodus. They are going to leave this dimension together with the Amazons very soon."

The bow-wielding vigilante exhaled loudly.

"My God, you dropped one hell of a bomb on my lap now."

"Would you have rather not known?"

"No..." he admitted. "...It's better that you told me. What should I tell the Justice League?"

"It's not a secret. I told you this so you could inform everyone. Although I will no longer be on Earth at that time, I don't wish to see this planet destroyed. There are millions of people on this planet who did nothing wrong. They do not deserve to die. Besides, I'm pretty sure Batman or Cyborg are listening on our call as we speak."

"I don't think so, princess." Green Arrow retorted. "This is a secure line."

"No technology is secure anymore ever since Batman created that artificial intelligence named Brother," Diana said and Green Arrow got the impression that she shrugged her shoulders. "Anyway, that's all I had to say. I'm going to leave Earth's atmosphere in about a minute so I can't talk much longer. Thank you again. And if you ever find yourself in dire need of help, go to Doctor Fate and ask him to contact us. Naruto gave him a device that he could use to call us regardless of how many galaxies away we might be. I will return your favour when you need it the most."

Green Arrow let out a sigh.

"Alright. Thank you for calling me and for warning us about Darkseid. I will let the Justice League know what you said. You take care of yourself, princess."

"You too, Oliver. Bye."

⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂

AN: You can google "Wonder Woman white hair" to see her new appearance.