No matter what they rode, the Amazons of Themyscira were never gentle toward intruders—especially not one who had openly provoked their Queen and refused to be taken prisoner.
Without even waiting for Hippolyta's command, the surrounding warriors moved as one, loosing a deadly rain of arrows.
Jack Kadere leaned back sharply, bending his waist in a fluid motion. Supporting himself with one hand against the sand, he flipped to the side. His free hand shot upward, snatching several arrows out of the air by their shafts.
Upon landing, he hurled them back with expert precision, using a throwing technique that would have impressed even the League of Assassins.
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!
Several Amazons charging with spears and short swords cried out as they fell, their weapons skittering across the sand.
Jack didn't pause. In a blur of movement, he closed the distance, fists and feet striking with the ferocity of a predator. His attacks were efficient and merciless—no wasted motion, no hesitation.
The Amazons were fierce and disciplined, but against someone who had copied countless combat styles and fighting experiences, they were outmatched. Even without tapping into his enhanced strength multipliers, Jack overpowered them in a single exchange.
In moments, they were all down. Even Hippolyta herself—who had drawn her sword in fury and swung with practiced skill—found her blade knocked aside. Jack's foot swept her legs, sending her sprawling.
He seized her wrists and forced them behind her back with one hand, pinning her to the ground. With the other, he picked up her fallen sword and pressed its edge lightly against her neck.
"If you won't let me ride a horse," Jack said with a smirk, "I'll just have to ride someone instead."
He tilted his head toward her. "Don't blame me—blame the ones who sent me here. I warned them they'd regret it. If anyone brought trouble to Themyscira today, it wasn't me—it was them."
Hippolyta gritted her teeth. "You will pay for this. I swear it."
Jack's smile widened. "Who's going to make me pay? You? Or maybe your daughter, Diana? Could be Zeus… though I doubt it. And Ares? Please. You'd be lucky if he didn't wipe Themyscira off the map himself."
Her eyes narrowed. "How do you know these names?"
The Queen's mind raced. The God Killer—known to the outside world as a mythical weapon forged to slay deities—was a sacred secret of Themyscira. The truth, known only to Hippolyta, was that the "God Killer" wasn't a sword at all. It was her daughter, Diana. Only a god could kill a god.
Yet here was this stranger, not only wielding dangerous skill but also speaking openly of the island's most guarded truth—and with no reverence toward Olympus.
"Queen!"
"Mother!"
Two voices rang out as riders approached at speed. One was Antiope, general of the Amazon army and Hippolyta's sister. Seeing her Queen pinned, she didn't hesitate—before her horse even slowed, she drew her bow and loosed an arrow straight at Jack.
The second rider wore golden armor that left her shoulders bare, a battle skirt that allowed free movement, and her dark hair bound in a braid. Her beauty was matched only by her fierce, commanding presence. She was Diana of Themyscira—Wonder Woman, champion of the Amazons and one of the Justice League's greatest warriors.
Jack's lips curved. "Well… this just got interesting."
He swung the sword in a quick arc, splitting Antiope's arrow clean down the middle. The halves zipped past him harmlessly.
In the same motion, Jack sprang forward, vaulting high into the air. His body sailed over Antiope's charging horse, and as he passed above her, he brought the sword down in a precise strike, knocking her from the saddle.
When he landed, Diana was already closing the distance, but her steed was a fraction slower. Jack stepped into her path and swung a devastating punch—not at her, but at the horse's head.
CRACK!
The blow connected squarely with the horse's head. The beast crumpled instantly, collapsing mid-stride. Diana was thrown forward, tumbling across the sand until her armored form slid to a stop right beside her mother.
"Mother! Are you hurt? Who is this man? Did Ares send him?" Diana asked urgently, already helping Hippolyta to her feet.
"I don't know," Hippolyta admitted, her eyes narrowing at the stranger.
Antiope, undeterred by her earlier fall, was already loosing another volley of arrows as she closed the distance. Amazonian archery was powerful and precise, designed for decisive strikes rather than trick shots. Her rapid-fire barrage came in hard and fast—but each arrow was met with the ringing clang of steel as Jack's sword intercepted them one by one.
When she was within striking range, Antiope abandoned her bow entirely and swung it at him like a staff.
Jack moved a fraction later but struck first, his blade flashing in a decisive arc. The bow split cleanly in two.
Before Antiope could recover, his boot slammed into her chest. The force cracked her breastplate and sent her sprawling in the sand.
"Aunt Antiope!" Diana cried out, fury surging through her.
"Diana, wait—!" Hippolyta called, but her daughter was already moving.
Diana launched herself into the air, coming down on Jack like a thunderbolt. The sand beneath them exploded upward as she struck, but Jack had already slid back, avoiding the brunt of the blow.
He didn't counter immediately—until Diana's head snapped up to locate him. That was when his fist, glowing with a golden aura, flashed into her vision.
BANG!
Her world spun. The impact hurled her backward, and when she hit the ground, her limbs refused to obey. She pushed once, twice, then collapsed again, her breath ragged.
Pain like she had never known radiated through her skull. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had hit her like that.
Jack stood tall, golden light radiating from every pore, divine power thrumming through his veins like wildfire.
He had copied Diana's abilities.
Born of Hippolyta and blessed by the old gods of Olympus, Diana's strength, speed, and resilience had been amplified beyond mortal limits. She carried within her a spark of divine energy—small compared to the might of the full gods, but formidable nonetheless. Even though many of the old gods, like Zeus, had faded from the world and the New Gods had risen to prominence, that ancient power still burned bright in her.
Unfortunately for her, Diana had yet to fully embrace her true nature or wield her abilities at their peak.
As Jack's body absorbed her essence, arcs of blue lightning crackled around him, mingling with the golden radiance. The combined energy made him look like something out of legend—a war god walking the earth.
"Ares…" Hippolyta breathed, the name slipping unbidden from her lips.