"Why are we out here?" Ororo asked, her brow furrowed as she scanned the empty expanse around them. It was a wide, open space with no buildings or people in sight, and the wind tugged lightly at her hair. She glanced at Anna, who looked equally curious, though less concerned.
"To tell you your duties without anyone eavesdropping," Jupiter said with a small smirk, letting his gaze linger between them. His hands were casually tucked into his pockets as though they were having a leisurely conversation, not discussing the responsibilities of apostles. "Do you know what makes humans worship gods?"
Anna crossed her arms and lifted her chin, her expression stubborn and matter-of-fact. "'Cause they need somethin' to believe in," she said bluntly. "Somethin' stronger than themselves to blame when things go wrong or to thank when they don't."
Jupiter's smirk widened, a faint chuckle escaping him. "Not wrong, Anna. And your thoughts, Ororo?"
Ororo's eyes narrowed slightly, the breeze tugging at the edges of her coat. "Fear," she said after a moment, her voice steady but calm. "And hope. Humanity worships what it cannot control… or what it depends on. It's a survival instinct as much as it's faith."
Jupiter nodded, tilting his head, his smirk softening into something more thoughtful. "Exactly. You're both right. Humans see a miracle, an illogicality, and immediately search for a divine hand behind it. It's their way of rationalizing the unknown, because their greatest fear is precisely that: the unknown. Death, for example. If death is nothingness, then life's meaning slips through their fingers. They create gods, Ororo, to give shape to that fear. And as you said, Anna, they need something or someone to shoulder the burden of their imperfections."
Anna blinked, her usual defiance tempered by curiosity. "So… you want people to rely on us? Not just on you?"
Jupiter's gaze shifted to her, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Partly. But reliance isn't enough. Humans are complicated. Lightning, fear, awe… those won't work anymore. Not in the modern world. My predecessor used force and intimidation. I won't. So the next step… adaptation."
Ororo tilted her head slightly, studying him. "You want them to follow you without fear, without coercion. That's… ambitious."
Jupiter shook his head, chuckling softly. "Ambitious implies it's optional. No, Ororo. It's necessary. Humanity doesn't respond to threats the way it once did. They admire, respect, even emulate. Fear is secondary, if it exists at all. I've seen it, Anna. People need something they can relate to… something tangible. And I intend to give it to them."
Anna raised an eyebrow. "And what's this adaptation, exactly?"
"Heroes," Jupiter said, voice calm, eyes glinting. "In today's era, humanity worships heroes. Always has, but now, in modern times, they are celebrated more than the gods themselves. So to adapt, to reach them… you two will be heroes. Heroes in my name."
Anna's arms dropped slightly as she looked up at him, a mixture of awe and skepticism in her expression. "Heroes? In your name? Like… saving people?"
"Exactly," Jupiter replied, his tone matter-of-fact, as if explaining the simplest of strategies. "You'll be a living testament to my ideals. The deeds you perform, the lives you touch, they'll resonate far more than any storm or lightning strike ever could. People remember what inspires them, Anna. Not what terrifies them."
Ororo's lips pressed into a thin line as she processed his words. "And you truly think people will believe in a god because of heroes?"
"I don't ask them to believe," Jupiter said casually, as if the answer were obvious. "I ask them to witness. And when the world sees you, what you are capable of, they will follow naturally. Belief will come after. Actions first, faith second. That is how humanity works now."
Anna glanced at Ororo, then back at Jupiter. "So… we're like… celebrity apostles?" she asked with a faint smirk, a hint of her usual sass creeping back.
Jupiter's smirk widened. "Call it what you want. Just remember, fame is nothing without substance. And substance… is what you two will provide."
Ororo's eyes flickered with a hint of a smile, though caution remained. "So our lives are now performances? Every act, every intervention… all for shaping belief?"
Jupiter nodded, folding his arms. "Not for shaping belief, Ororo. For showing it. You live, you act, you save. The rest… the world will catch on itself."
Anna let out a slow breath, shaking her head with a mix of incredulity and excitement. "Well… if I'm gonna be a hero, might as well do it with style."
Jupiter laughed softly, a low, confident sound that rumbled like distant thunder. "That's the spirit, Anna. People will relate to you through that. They'll see me not because they understand me, but because they understand you. Through your actions, they'll glimpse the divine."
Anna tilted her head slightly, her smirk softening into something almost thoughtful. Ororo, beside her, stood composed but curious, her arms crossed, watching Jupiter closely.
"I see," Ororo said finally, her tone calm but edged with discernment. "So we perform heroic acts and spread your name in the process?"
Jupiter nodded, unbothered, his eyes glowing faintly with that same electric blue radiance. "Exactly. If a task becomes too difficult for either of you, I'll handle it myself."
Ororo raised an eyebrow, exchanging a subtle glance with Anna. "Is this a worthiness thing?" Anna asked, her voice carrying that familiar mix of sarcasm and curiosity. "Like, you only show up if it's divine enough?"
"Yep," Jupiter replied without hesitation, his smirk widening.
Anna huffed out a laugh, crossing her arms. "Figures."
Jupiter tilted his head, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Conditions create meaning. If I intervene in everything, there's no reason for mortals or heroes to act."
"Spoken like someone who really likes to watch others do the work," Anna muttered under her breath.
Jupiter chuckled at that, unoffended. "I prefer to call it delegation."
Ororo rolled her eyes lightly, but there was a trace of a smile on her lips. "You mentioned adaptation before. I assume that means appearance matters just as much as action?"
"Precisely," Jupiter said, suddenly snapping his fingers. "Which brings us to the fun part." His grin turned sharp. "Costumes."
Anna blinked. "Costumes?"
"Completely modern?" he asked rhetorically, snapping his fingers again before either could reply. A blinding flash of lightning split the sky, striking both women faster than they could react. The air sizzled, the ozone thick, and when the smoke cleared, both Ororo and Anna were standing in completely different outfits.
They were in sleek, tight bodysuits that clung to them like second skin, accentuating their athletic forms. Ororo's was a blend of black and blue, with faint lightning patterns shimmering across her sides and shoulders. Anna's, by contrast, was a striking mix of red and white, bold and vibrant.
Ororo glanced down, her expression unreadable before her brow furrowed slightly. "Isn't this a bit too skin tight?"
Jupiter looked genuinely confused. "Then what about this?" he asked, snapping his fingers again. Another bolt of lightning struck, and when the light faded, both women were dressed in ancient Greek style garb.
Ororo's outfit was a sleek combination of black and silver blue, clinging to her like living lightning. Golden lines traced her arms and hips, glowing faintly whenever she moved. Anna's mirrored the design, though hers carried deeper earth tones, green and bronze, the colors of life and battle. The fabric hugged her figure like armor woven from flame and soil, her cloak frayed at the edge, giving her a raw, grounded look.
Anna took one look at herself and smirked. "Ah don't know," she drawled, glancing toward Ororo. "Kinda feels a bit old school. Like somethin' outta history class."
Jupiter frowned slightly, his arms crossing. "Really? I thought this looked good." He muttered under his breath, thinking back to how Hippolyta looked in Fate/Strange Fake. In his opinion, she looked incredible. "You two just have mid taste," he grumbled, almost to himself.
Anna raised a brow, clearly amused. "Mid taste? You dressed us like we're about to audition for a museum exhibit."
Jupiter exhaled, feigning exasperation, then grinned. "Fine. What about this?" He snapped his fingers one last time, and the lightning that struck this time was louder, sharper, more deliberate.
When the light cleared, both stood transformed once more, this time, the design was perfect. A fusion of ancient and modern, divine and heroic.
Ororo's armor gleamed like forged stormlight, black and gold with regal precision. It shaped elegantly to her form, a white half cape flowing from one shoulder like a banner of divine authority, etched faintly with lines of living lightning. Across the cape's edge, a bold X symbol rested beneath the sigil of Jupiter, an unmistakable union of the divine and the mutant.
Anna's mirrored her design but bore an earthier, fiercer tone. Dark green and bronze plates rested over a flexible bodysuit, her half cape torn at the edges as if she'd already fought through storms and fire. A Roman style belt hung loosely at her waist, faintly clinking when she moved.
Jupiter folded his arms, the faintest trace of pride in his voice. "Better?"
Ororo turned slightly, inspecting the craftsmanship of the armor, her expression softening. "This… this I can work with."
Anna glanced down at herself, then back at Jupiter with a crooked grin. "Yeah, this'll do. Though next time, maybe warn a girl before you throw lightning at her wardrobe."
Jupiter smirked. "Where's the fun in that?"
Ororo's lips twitched upward in faint amusement, though she spoke with her usual calm composure. "You're enjoying this far too much."
Jupiter gave her a knowing look. "I'm a god of thunder and spectacle, Ororo. Enjoyment is part of the process."
"Like speaking of" Jupiter suddenly said, "Ghost-spider is fighting that rhino dude again, so which one of you wants to fight it?" Jupiter asked as Ororo and Anna glanced at each other Ororo blinked. "Now?"
Jupiter nodded.
Anna stared at him. "Right now?"
Another nod.
Ororo sighed, folding her arms. "You do realize we were supposed to be discussing divine duties, not testing them on supervillains."
Anna scoffed. "Speak for yourself, I'm not ready to square up with a guy named after a horned animal five minutes after joinin' team thunder god."
Jupiter grinned faintly. "So, Ororo, I take it that's a yes?"
Ororo gave him a withering look, her eyes flashing faintly with lightning that danced like warning sparks. "If I must," she said, her tone calm but laced with that restrained storm that always simmered beneath her surface.
"Good," Jupiter said simply, tilting his head toward the city. "Then you know which way to go."
As he spoke, a faint pulse of divine energy flickered through the magecrest he'd given her. Ororo felt the tug instantly, an invisible compass aligning her senses toward the disturbance ahead. She nodded once, sharp and sure, before lightning gathered around her like a cloak. A second later, she was gone, cutting across the sky faster than she realized her body could even move.
Jupiter watched her vanish, the faintest hint of pride tugging at the corner of his mouth before his gaze slid toward Anna.
"So what do we do?" Anna asked, her arms crossing as she leaned slightly on one hip, expression caught between curiosity and mild suspicion.
Jupiter chuckled, that effortless, knowing sort of laugh that meant trouble. "You're going to Nepal, of course."
Anna's eyes widened. "Wha- why?"
"There's a natural disaster happening there," Jupiter said, his tone losing its teasing edge as his smile softened into something steadier, almost solemn. "An earthquake."
Anna blinked, caught off guard. "Nepal?!" she repeated, like the word itself sounded too far away to make sense. "You just, you just sent Ororo off to wrestle some big bad supervillain, and now you're shippin' me halfway across the damn world?"
Her accent came through thicker now, frustration and disbelief twisting her words as she gestured at him. "I ain't exactly a rescue team, sugar. What am I supposed to do, hug the earthquake till it stops?"
Jupiter just looked at her, calm, steady, with patience that could either infuriate or center someone depending on their mood. His silence was disarming enough that Anna's irritation wavered, her arms lowering slightly.
She sighed, running a gloved hand through her streaked hair. "You're serious," she muttered, her tone softening as she realized he wasn't about to laugh or explain it away. "Alright, fine. But you better tell me what exactly I'm walkin' into, because I ain't about to make my first solo mission end with me buried under a mountain."
Jupiter's gaze didn't waver. "You won't," he said simply. "You're going there to be hope made real. To remind them that gods may exist, but so does human courage."
"I wish for you to embody the Superman archetype," Jupiter said, his tone firm but patient.
Anna blinked, confused. "The what now?"
"Superman," Jupiter repeated. "A symbol of what humanity aspires to be. He represents the best parts of them, compassion, courage, selflessness. When people look at him, they remember they can be better. I want them to see that in you."
Anna tilted her head, brow furrowing. "You want me to be some kind of, symbol?"
"I want you to be the embodiment of humanity's hopes," Jupiter said quietly. "So that when the world shakes beneath them, they can still stand tall, because they see you standing."
For a long moment, Anna said nothing. The wind carried softly between them, rustling her half cape and the faint hum of lingering divine energy in the air.
She looked down at her hands, flexing them once like she could feel the weight of his words more than the charge in her veins. "You really think I can do that?" she asked, voice quieter now, uncertain, but sincere.
Jupiter didn't hesitate. "I know you can," he said, stepping closer and resting a hand on her shoulder. His tone softened, his usual confidence edged with something almost human. "You don't need to be perfect, Anna, you just need to care enough to try."
Her lips curved into a small, hesitant smile. "Guess I can do that," she said, looking away briefly before glancing back up at him. "But if I get squished by a mountain, I'm hauntin' you."
Jupiter's grin returned, easy and warm. "Then I'll make sure the mountain apologizes first."
Anna chuckled, shaking her head. "You're somethin' else, y'know that?"
"I've been told," Jupiter replied with mock solemnity, turning his gaze skyward as the air crackled faintly around them. "Now go. The world's waiting for its hero."
Anna sighed, rolling her shoulders as her grin returned, confident again. "Alright then," she said, taking a deep breath as divine light gathered faintly beneath her feet. "Let's go save the world, sugar."
And with that, she shot up into the sky, trailing green and bronze energy in her wake, leaving Jupiter standing beneath the fading glow, smiling faintly, but with eyes that already looked far ahead.