Malrick froze.
Diana's innocence was almost disarming. Her pure, curious gaze made her seem as transparent as glass — untainted by deceit or malice.
In that moment, Malrick felt as though her presence could cleanse his very soul.
Unfortunately, not even Diana's purity could wash away the years of influence Tony Stark had had on him.
His hand, gently guided by Diana, was just about to press against her chest when his inner voice screamed in alarm.
Damn it, Tony! What have you done to my sense of restraint?!
Malrick silently cursed his brother, blaming Tony's endless flirtations and bad habits for this situation. He endured the turmoil in his chest, bracing himself for the inevitable contact — but before it could happen, a furious voice tore through the peaceful air.
"Diana! Step away from him! Bastard, take your hand off her!"
The sharp command cracked like thunder over the cliffs.
Diana stiffened, her entire body tensing like a startled doe. In an instant, she moved protectively in front of Malrick, shielding him with her body.
"Mother, wait! He didn't mean any harm — he came here by accident!"
Her voice was filled with panic and sincerity, like a child caught doing something wrong but trying to defend her friend.
The woman who had spoken was none other than Queen Hippolyta, ruler of the Amazons and daughter of Zeus himself.
She arrived astride a white warhorse, flanked by a squadron of Amazonian warriors, each armored in gold and bronze. Her expression burned with divine anger, her piercing eyes fixed on Malrick as if they could slice him apart.
Even for someone like Malrick, who had faced gods and monsters, that gaze made his heart tremble.
For a brief second, he felt like Romeo — caught in Juliet's garden by her furious parents, mid-scandal.
Except this time, he really wasn't doing anything improper.
Well… not intentionally.
"This is a misunderstanding, Your Majesty," Malrick said calmly, lifting his hands slightly in surrender.
But Hippolyta wasn't in the mood for explanations. Her fury only deepened. With a flash of steel, she drew her sword, its edge gleaming with divine light as she pointed it straight at his throat.
Malrick's pupils narrowed, instincts flaring. He was ready to act if needed.
But then—
"Let go of my hand!" Hippolyta roared.
Malrick blinked, confused. He looked down — and realization hit him.
Diana, still shielding him, had unconsciously pulled his hand tightly against her chest, clutching it as though protecting him from the world.
His fingers were pressed softly against her — and he hadn't even noticed.
Oh, for God's sake… this looks terrible.
He quickly stepped back, guilt flashing across his face. "This isn't what it looks like," he muttered under his breath.
He forced his thoughts into order. He absolutely hadn't meant for this to happen. The situation had simply spiraled out of control.
With an awkward half-smile, he thought back to Tony's promise months ago — that he was going to quit drinking and gambling.
"Yeah," Malrick sighed inwardly. "Maybe I should quit something too — like attracting trouble."
Straightening his posture, he took a calming breath and faced Hippolyta.
"Your Majesty," he said evenly, "I came to Paradise Island by accident. I mean no harm to your people. In fact, I might be of some help."
The Queen's jaw clenched. The sheer audacity of this man — standing there, confident and polite, after that scene — made her grip tighten around her sword.
Behind her, the Amazon warriors shifted uneasily.
But instead of anger, a strange silence spread among them.
It wasn't because they were shocked by Malrick's behavior. It was because none of them had ever seen a man before — and the first one they saw looked like that.
Calm and Handsome in a way that felt almost unreal.
A few warriors lost control of their horses for a moment, the animals snorting and pawing at the ground. The sound of shifting armor filled the air as the women tried to compose themselves, their eyes flicking between Malrick and Diana.
Some of them even looked… jealous.
Who is he? one thought. Why does he look like that?
Another Amazon almost blurted out, "Diana, move aside and let me—" but quickly bit her tongue.
Hippolyta noticed none of it. Her eyes were locked solely on Malrick, her mind already working through ways to expel this uninvited stranger.
She would admit — he was striking. But Paradise Island had thrived for centuries without men, and she intended to keep it that way.
She raised her sword, preparing to give the order to capture him.
Then the world exploded.
A thunderous roar ripped through the air.
The sound of shells firing echoed from beyond the island's shimmering barrier — the divine veil that Zeus himself had woven to protect Themyscira.
Every head turned toward the ocean.
A massive steel battleship had appeared just offshore, cutting through the waves with black smoke billowing from its funnels. Its cannons gleamed in the sunlight, then thundered again.
The first shell streaked across the sky, followed by a dozen more.
Themyscira's peaceful coastline turned into a war zone in an instant.
The sky darkened as the bombs fell.
For the Amazons, who had lived isolated from the world for thousands of years, it was an incomprehensible sight. Many had never seen modern weapons before, let alone faced them.
Their warhorses reared in terror. Armor clanged. Warriors shouted in confusion.
"Shields up!" one cried.
But even those trained for combat froze at the sight of the falling fire.
The shells whistled through the air, cutting down through the sunlight like metal comets.
For a heartbeat, Queen Hippolyta could only stare.
Then instinct returned. "Take cover! Quickly, move!" she shouted, diving from her horse.
But it was too late.
The shells were almost upon them.
General Antiope, standing beside the Queen, lunged without hesitation, tackling Hippolyta to the ground.
The Queen's breath caught as she looked up — the next shell was heading straight for them.
Diana, standing on the cliff above, froze in terror. Her grip on Malrick's arm loosened, and she turned, helplessly watching the bombs fall.
The sky was filled with fire.
For a moment, it seemed as though Themyscira's ancient glory would end here — destroyed by the same humanity the Amazons once tried to save.
The shells screamed closer, less than ten meters away.
And then —
Malrick moved.
His eyes shifted from black to a burning crimson.
The transformation was instantaneous. The warmth in his face vanished, replaced by a cold, devastating focus. The air itself seemed to hum with energy.
The playful traveler who had stumbled onto the island was gone.
In his place stood something far more dangerous.
Twin beams of red light erupted from his eyes, splitting the sky apart.
The sound was deafening — the air igniting with pure heat as the beams tore through the incoming shells.
Metal dissolved into vapor. Explosions vanished midair.
The battleship that had fired them began to melt, its hull glowing white-hot from bow to stern. Within seconds, it disintegrated into slag, hissing as it sank beneath the waves.
The sea boiled red, reflecting the infernal glow across the coastline.
When the beams finally faded, silence returned — broken only by the hiss of steam rising from the water.
Malrick's eyes slowly dimmed, returning to their normal shade.
He had deliberately left one shell untouched.
It crashed harmlessly into a forest at the island's edge, detonating in a shower of fire and splintered trees. The explosion rumbled like thunder, shaking the ground beneath their feet.
The Amazons stood frozen, their horses trembling.
No one spoke. No one moved.
The forest burned in the distance, flames licking the sky. The warriors stared at the stranger — at the man who had single-handedly stopped the destruction of Themyscira.
Queen Hippolyta slowly pushed herself up, still dazed. Her heart pounded in her chest as she looked at Malrick, whose eyes still glowed faintly with the last traces of red.
For a heartbeat, she felt a chill — not from fear, but awe.
Those eyes were not human.
For a fleeting moment, she felt as though she was staring into an abyss that could swallow the world whole.
When the glow finally vanished, Malrick exhaled softly and lifted a brow.
"You see, Your Majesty," he said casually, "I told you I came to help."
The deadly tension shattered like glass.
The abyss was gone, replaced once more by the calm, composed young man who had fallen from the sky.
______
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