72: Strength
¡BRUUM!
The roar of thunder echoed through the entire passenger cabin, followed by chaotic gusts of wind that unleashed violent turbulence.
Anna hugged her daughter, pressing her as close to her as she could while clenching her teeth upon feeling another strong jolt. The impact opened several of the overhead compartments, causing the luggage stored there to fall down in disarray.
"Don't worry, sweetheart, it's just a bit of wind. Everything will be fine," she whispered with all the calm she could muster, but even to her own ears, the words rang hollow. She only hoped her little girl hadn't noticed.
Through the window beside her, she glimpsed with growing panic how the storm clouds surrounding them grew denser and denser. The lightning flashing between them lit up her face, which was looking paler by the second.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we're experiencing some severe—" The flight attendant's voice came through the speakers, but Anna could hardly pay attention, as her eyes—still fixed on the window—were drawn toward the plane's wing and the faint orange glow beginning to surround it.
Flames! The plane's wing was starting to erupt in flames!
The warning scream she tried to let out got caught in her throat when a bout of turbulence, much stronger than the previous ones, violently shook the aircraft.
"This is your captain speaking. We are making an emergency landing. Please follow the crew's instructions and remain calm." Such words only added to the panic already gripping the passengers; still, everyone listened as the flight attendants began shouting instructions hurriedly.
With her head bowed, Anna clung even tighter to her daughter's body, whispering prayers under her breath.
'Oh God, please save us,' she begged, tears beginning to slip down her cheeks.
"It's okay," unexpectedly, it was her young daughter who remained calm despite the situation, gently trying to comfort her.
Unlike her, she didn't seem to feel any fear or concern; no, in fact, her eyes were shining.
"Don't be afraid, Mom. Defiant is going to save us, I know it!" she said with a huge smile, and Anna couldn't help but look at her in disbelief, unable to grasp where the absolute confidence in her voice was coming from.
Of course, the idea that the hero would arrive soaring through the skies to rescue them had crossed her mind, but Anna was more realistic than that: the world was too big, and no matter how incredible Defiant was, he couldn't be everywhere.
Hoping he could save them seemed pointless, but… weren't her prayers just as pointless?
Thinking this way mere moments after praying was certainly hypocritical, but when all seems lost, it's hard to hold onto any hope.
"Y-Yes, you're right… He's going to save us," she finally said, despite what she really thought.
She couldn't keep being so pessimistic. For her daughter's sake, at least, she needed to have hope. Maybe the landing would go well. Maybe she was just overreacting, letting fear take over. Whether it was God, a hero, or simply luck, she needed to believe that things would turn out okay.
The tears stopped flowing, but only for a moment, because despite her prayers and hopes, things didn't get better. On the contrary: everything got worse when the plane began to spin.
The sudden shift in position triggered the alarms even louder, soon drowned out by the terrified screams of the passengers; some threw up, and others were injured by the luggage now floating freely.
Anna swallowed hard and shut her eyes tightly. The tension she felt reached its peak; the fall seemed almost endless. A part of her just wished the impact would come already, while another kept praying that, against all odds, at least her daughter might survive.
But then everything came to a sudden halt.
As if the storm surrounding them had ceased to exist, the turbulence battering the plane vanished completely. Though the change was abrupt, unexpectedly, no one was hurt or thrown from their seats; it was as if they had gone from being in the middle of a maelstrom to suddenly finding themselves in the calm waters of a beach.
In confusion, Anna raised her head and looked out the window at the dark clouds still surrounding the plane, though fewer than before.
The storm hadn't vanished; the strong winds were still there, but, against all logic, the plane that had been plummeting now remained steady in the sky, not moving an inch.
"What the hell…?" someone exclaimed, and soon everyone began snapping out of their daze, asking what was happening.
Slowly, the plane began to move again, but this time its descent was controlled.
The passengers could only watch in disbelief as they approached the ground. Still held by Anna, her daughter nearly vibrated with excitement in her seat.
"It's Defiant! He surely saved us!" she shouted, drawing the attention of several people around them. And, one by one, many began to murmur with the same excitement, nodding in agreement.
'Really?' thought Anna, still in shock, her body trembling.
She simply couldn't believe that, when all seemed lost, salvation had suddenly arrived. She didn't know if her prayers had been heard or if she had just used up all the luck in her life, but right now she didn't care. No… right now she could only begin to cry and laugh, overwhelmed with relief.
Without her knowing it, her daughter wasn't entirely right, but neither was she completely wrong, for the hero who had saved them wasn't exactly the Defiant she imagined.
.
Holding the plane from underneath, Carol adjusted her grip with as much care as possible. The structure was much more fragile than she had expected, and she had almost pierced through it by accident when intercepting it mid-fall. Fortunately, her reflexes were quick, and she managed to adapt mid-movement, thus avoiding a greater disaster.
"There's an available airport twenty-three kilometers to the northeast," her mother's voice came through the speakers in her helmet, and turning her gaze slightly, Carol easily found the indicated location despite the distance.
With a simple thought, she adjusted her flight direction and slightly increased her speed.
From that point on, she let her body move on autopilot, her mind returning to the reason why she had been crossing the Pacific Ocean from coast to coast for the past several hours.
"Where are you?" she wondered, furrowing her brow with concern.
It had all begun in the early hours of the night. As usual, Carol was finishing up her tasks for the day and waiting for Daniel to return from his patrol so they could meet, when suddenly she heard his heartbeat become erratic.
For a second, she wondered if he had run into some kind of monster. Unlike before, Carol no longer became immediately alarmed upon hearing his heart rate increase, as over time she had grown accustomed to it happening suddenly for various reasons—ones that didn't always mean he was in danger.
So, instead of worrying unnecessarily, she remained calm… for the most part.
She was about to use her new glasses to check the news, just in case, when she heard his heartbeat begin to move away rapidly. And before she could react, she had already lost it. That, of course, caused her calm to vanish immediately.
Thinking fast, she asked Lara to access Earth's satellites and use the images captured by them to figure out what was happening. However, the only thing they managed to detect was a blur of blue light, too fuzzy, moving away from the solar system.
That result made her grit her teeth and decide that she needed to put a Kryptonian satellite into orbit as soon as possible, to prevent something like this from happening again.
In a hurry, she finished what she was doing and, while her parents were distracted, rushed to put on her suit, ready to go and check for herself that everything was okay.
Of course, she had never left the planet before, and certainly didn't have much knowledge of space navigation, but what did it matter? None of that could stop her.
Just as she was about to take off, Lara interrupted her with new information.
Using the best tools available on Earth, the alien artificial intelligence had managed to follow Daniel's trajectory and noticed that he had abruptly turned around midway, returning to the solar system at full speed.
That brought her calm back. Letting out a sigh of relief, she almost took off the helmet and suit she had just put on—only to be interrupted by Lara's exclamation. Her surprised cry confused her, but she soon understood why when a flash of blue light lit up part of the night sky for a fraction of a second.
"What was that?" she asked, and her mother responded with a hint of disbelief in her voice.
"That… I have no idea. Light shouldn't be traveling that fast."
Lara was, truthfully, a little frustrated. Earth's technology was far too limited; even with the Fortress's computational systems assisting, obtaining accurate data was extremely difficult. It had been nearly a miracle that she had managed to track Daniel's flight path in the first place.
"What's going on with Daniel?" Carol asked, once again worried, but Lara reassured her.
"He's still on his way. He should be back soon." And true to her mother's words, Carol once again heard the sound of his heartbeat echoing in her ears.
This time it was much calmer, steady, and if it had all ended there, it would have just been a minor scare—something she could laugh about later.
The problem came when Daniel didn't return.
No, if that had been all, it wouldn't have been such a big deal either. But… why did he stay still?
Even though her sense of hearing wasn't so exaggerated that she could claim to perceive every small movement he made, it was sharp enough to calculate the distance between them. And no matter how long she waited, Daniel still wasn't moving.
He wasn't moving away, he wasn't coming closer... he was just still, like a statue.
This time she couldn't remain idle any longer, so she took flight and went to look for him.
Finding him should have been easy. It always had been. As long as they were in the same world, Carol never thought they could truly be separated, no matter the distance.
But the more she searched in the direction her ears told her he should be, the more desperate she became.
And so, after several hours of searching from north to south, east to west, going from coast to coast, crossing the entire Pacific Ocean without any success, she came across the plane that was about to crash.
It wasn't the only incident she had to intervene in. Without Daniel nearby, the world felt far too defenseless. And although a big part of her only wanted to focus on finding him, she didn't ignore that smaller part telling her she could still help.
So she did.
'But I have to head back soon,' she thought, glancing at the sun in the sky.
She had used the night to leave; luckily, her parents hadn't noticed. But soon dawn would break over Smallville, and if she wasn't home by then, things would get complicated.
Sighing, she let her feet gently touch the ground and then began to lower the plane, allowing it to rest on its landing gear. At this point, she was no longer needed there: the airport staff was prepared, having received notice of her arrival in advance, and now it was their responsibility to take care of the passengers.
Daniel probably would've stayed longer. He would've opened the plane doors himself and made sure every person got out, even if he had to carry them. Maybe he would've comforted them too, offering some words of encouragement or something like that. But while Carol was willing to help, she wasn't willing to go that far.
Once she was sure the plane was steady on the ground, she lifted off again, ready to leave. Of course, she didn't forget to deal with the flames on the wing, extinguishing them with a quick exhale of her freezing breath.
As she did so, she caught the gaze of a little girl and her mother, who were watching her in awe from one of the windows. She hesitated for a moment but finally raised her hand and gave them a quick wave before turning around and speeding away.
"You still haven't found anything?" she asked, for perhaps the hundredth time in the last hour.
Despite not having a physical body, Lara couldn't help but want to roll her eyes. Even so, she was patient, as she herself was puzzled by Daniel's disappearance.
Logically speaking, with her help and Carol's super senses, they should have found him almost immediately. But somehow, that didn't happen.
Saying she wasn't curious would be a lie, but at the moment, there was little they could do that they hadn't already tried.
"Nothing. He definitely fell somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, but we've already gone over every area dozens of times, and there's still no clue about his whereabouts. Whatever situation he got into, it seems like it's something he'll have to resolve on his own."
That, clearly, wasn't what Carol wanted to hear. Holding back a growl, the girl came to a halt mid-flight and looked down at the waters beneath her feet with a complicated expression.
"You should head back," Lara reminded her after a few minutes, prompting Carol to let out a long sigh.
She knew her mother was right. There wasn't much more she could do here, and above all, Carol firmly believed that Daniel was capable of overcoming any difficulty that came his way.
So then, why was she so worried? Well, that was simple: emotions rarely listen to reason. Even if she had full confidence in Daniel, that didn't mean she liked seeing him face danger or be in the middle of risky situations.
Besides, just as he helped her all the time, she wanted to do the same for him. Otherwise, if she only received and gave nothing in return, she'd feel useless… and deep down, she also feared that it might eventually lead Daniel to grow tired of her—something she definitely could never accept.
"I still have a few minutes. I'll make one more round," she murmured to herself, clenching her fists slightly.
Having to wait while stuck in class was going to be torture, but she had no other choice—she still wasn't ready to talk to her parents about her 'secret identity' and everything that came with it, though she knew she'd have to tell them sooner or later.
'Ugh, why did I have to think about that now?' Shaking her head, Carol focused on her search, determined to push aside any unnecessary thoughts.
She'd deal with that problem in the future. For now, the only thing that truly mattered was Daniel returning safe and sound as soon as possible.
.
.
.
.
.
.
If it were possible, Daniel wouldn't mind staying in Themyscira much longer.
Not that he had seen much of the island itself, since he was still inside the strange cave/lair where he had woken up—only now, he found himself in a different room.
A slightly more welcoming one, resembling a cozy sitting area, with a large sofa covered in comfortable pillows that nearly encircled a small white marble table placed right in the center.
The interior design was certainly beautiful and memorable, clearly influenced by ancient Greek aesthetics, yet with its own unique charm that set it apart.
But none of that had anything to do with the reason Daniel was seriously considering extending his stay. No, his reason was much simpler—and at the same time, far more important.
"This tastes amazing!" he nearly shouted, staring at the fruit in his hand in awe.
One simply couldn't describe its flavor with words alone. It looked like an apple, smelled like an apple, but somehow—it was a thousand times better…
Diana watched with amused curiosity as he devoured it in quick bites, before diving into the bowl filled with a wider variety of fruits, which she had hastily brought him as a polite gesture of 'welcome.'
The truth was, she had never had a guest in this place before—this cave was her secret hideout on the island, one not even her mother knew about. She didn't keep much food or drink there, but luckily, she had fresh fruit she grew herself in a small nearby garden for her own consumption.
She was glad he liked them so much. She wondered whether such foods were scarce in the outside world, though it was hard to imagine. If they didn't have fruit, then what else did they eat? They couldn't just hunt all the time… right?
She had far too many questions—so many that it would probably take her days just to formulate them all. Of course, she didn't rush to overwhelm him with them; patience was something she knew well. And although she was eager to learn more, she understood she couldn't hurry.
"Tell me—does everything here taste this fantastic? Because if it does, I'm seriously considering moving in."
Upon hearing that, Diana's smile faded slightly.
"I don't think that would be possible. I forgot to mention it earlier, but it's strictly forbidden for any man to set foot on Themyscira," she confessed, causing Daniel to stop eating and look at her thoughtfully.
"Uh… is that going to be a problem? You know, I've already taken like a dozen steps around here. Will I have to pay a fine for that? Or maybe do some community service?" he tried to joke, but Diana's expression only grew more serious.
"As long as you stay hidden, everything will be fine. But if any of the other Amazons were to find you, we could both be taken to trial… Honestly, I don't know what would happen then," she admitted with a hint of worry.
"I see... In that case, I'll make sure to be completely invisible! No one but you will know I'm here. I promise," he assured her confidently before tossing a couple of grapes into his mouth.
His words seemed to have the intended effect, as the tension in Diana's face visibly eased.
Of course, it wasn't as if she believed him just because. Since he was still wearing the lasso tied around his arm, Diana knew that everything he said was sincere—making it much easier to trust him.
As if suddenly remembering something, Daniel furrowed his brow slightly before asking another question—this time, with much more caution.
"This might sound a little weird, but just out of curiosity… how do you maintain your population?" he began.
"I mean, without men to… you know, repopulate, it seems kind of difficult for any place to keep thriving." Of course, Daniel had a few ideas in mind thanks to his memories, but he needed to know which one applied in this world.
Diana raised an eyebrow at the trace of hesitation in his voice. Even so, she didn't think too much of it and answered, seeing no problem in explaining.
"Themyscira is unlike anything you could imagine. Every Amazon has been blessed by the gods with the gift of eternal life. Having children isn't a necessity for any of us. Though, from time to time, we do receive new members due to… exceptional circumstances."
Daniel narrowed his eyes. He was tempted to ask directly if they were the version that kidnapped the men to force and then kill them—along with the baby—if it dared to be born with "something between its legs." But in the end, he held back; he didn't want to make things awkward.
"This place keeps getting more interesting and intriguing. Still, I think I've asked enough questions for now. You're probably dying to ask yours too, right?"
Diana blushed—was it really that obvious? As if reading her mind, Daniel let out a small chuckle before offering her half of the orange he had just finished peeling.
"I think we're both really curious," he said with his usual smile.
"So how about we set my story aside for now and just exchange information? You know—you ask your questions, I'll ask mine. Of course, if there's anything too personal or off-limits, we can skip it. What do you say?"
Taking the orange, Diana didn't see any need to think it over before nodding.
"That sounds fair."
And so began a long and pleasant conversation. At first, Diana's questions were simple—basic things that allowed Daniel to instill in her much of the common sense of modern society. The Amazon was immediately fascinated by the vast differences between the two cultures and didn't stop asking about every little detail.
As for Daniel, although he asked his own questions, they weren't nearly as numerous or varied. He focused only on obtaining certain key pieces of information, which he then supplemented with the meta-knowledge already stored in his mind.
"And this is the eye of the cyclops that was causing the earthquakes. I had to explore almost every cave on the island before I found where it was hiding," Diana said proudly as she showed him a massive glass jar, inside which floated an eye the size of her head, suspended in some kind of liquid that Daniel assumed was meant to preserve it.
They had moved locations a while ago, and now Diana was showing him different areas of her hideout. Of course, upon seeing so many "trophies," Daniel didn't take long to ask about them, which led Diana to brag a little—proudly showing off the prizes she had earned during her hunts.
"Incredible. Judging by the size of it, that cyclops must've been nearly twenty meters tall." Daniel hadn't expected there to be actual mythical monsters living on the island—at least, there was nothing about that in his memories.
"This might be a strange request, but... could you let me try fighting one?" He couldn't help himself; he genuinely wanted to meet in person the kind of creatures he'd only heard of in stories and legends.
Hearing his request, Diana grimaced.
"Unfortunately, I killed almost all of them a long time ago," she admitted, with a hint of shame as she recalled one of the biggest mistakes of her past.
Back then, she hadn't thought too much about her actions or their consequences; if something seemed like a threat to her sisters or her home, she would simply draw her sword and charge into battle, determined to destroy it.
It wasn't until much later that she realized she might have gone a bit too far. After all, not all monsters were mindless beasts—many had a degree of intelligence, even comparable to that of humans.
But her younger self hadn't been particularly interested in conversations or attempts at understanding. And so, the vast majority ended up dead at her feet.
"You said 'almost'—that means there's still at least one left, right?" Daniel wasn't ready to give up so easily. He was already here, and he didn't know if he'd ever get another chance. If he left without seeing at least one mythical creature, wouldn't that be far too disappointing?
At his insistence, Diana hesitated. If one of her sisters had made such a request, she would've refused without a second thought—because the few monsters still alive weren't the kind of beings you could "play" with.
However, she still remembered the way Daniel had fallen from the sky. According to everything she knew, no mortal—unless divine or extremely blessed, like her—should have survived a fall like that.
And if what he said about having no connection to the gods was true, then where did his power come from?
She still remembered that strange energy she had felt the first time she touched him. It wasn't magic—she could say that with certainty. Even if she wasn't a skilled practitioner of the mystic arts, she was familiar enough with their use to recognize it.
At the same time, she couldn't say for sure that it wasn't divine. The feeling it gave her, while different, was also strikingly similar, which was why she had been confused at first and asked if he was a god.
'This could be a chance to see what he's really capable of,' she thought with a flicker of excitement.
The mysteries surrounding him were many, and Diana wouldn't have minded unraveling them slowly… if it weren't for the fact that she also had to look out for the safety of her people. After all, she was still the princess of Themyscira.
So far, Daniel hadn't shown himself to be dangerous or antagonistic—but a warrior must always be prepared for the unexpected… and claiming she wasn't interested in knowing how strong he truly was would've been a lie.
Too long had passed since her last real fight—since she'd last had to even try—so long, she was almost starting to forget it. The prospect of finally having found a remotely worthy opponent, someone who might actually make her push herself again, made her blood boil with a thrill and anticipation she thought long lost.
If not for her remarkable self-control, she probably would've already dragged him to a training ground to test his mettle.
"If you insist, I can show you one. But I must warn you—it's extremely dangerous and deadly. Even with me by your side, I may not be able to guarantee your safety. Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked seriously.
Despite her curiosity, Diana wasn't someone who would carelessly put others in danger. If Daniel chose not to take the risk, she wouldn't force him.
'For someone like her to say it's dangerous, then it must be something powerful,' Daniel thought, the corners of his mouth curling slightly.
In truth, Diana wasn't the only one eager to test his strength. Daniel himself wasn't entirely sure how strong he was at this moment. He had been through too many life-threatening situations in such a short time. Given the way his physiology worked, just how much had his body changed?
"Don't worry, Princess. I can take care of myself," he replied confidently.
"Very well. Then let's go." Diana didn't try to dissuade him any further. Even though she hadn't heard his full story yet, what little she had come to know of him told her that his confidence wasn't baseless. Besides, the Lasso of Truth wouldn't allow him to lie—not even to himself.
Soon, the two set off, passing through several rooms and long hallways until they finally reached a vast chamber—or rather, an enormous cavern, at least the size of three football fields.
Unlike the other rooms, this one was clearly a natural formation, with few adornments, except for several large pillars placed at key points to support the ceiling, which was covered in stalactites.
The entire space was lit by more of those strange crystals Daniel had seen when he first woke up, along with a few scattered torches.
"This was a natural cavern I found while exploring. Because of its size, I decided to turn it into a training arena—though I don't use it often," Diana said, introducing him to the place.
"I see you enjoy building things," Daniel commented absentmindedly as he looked around. His sharp eyes noticed faint, almost invisible carvings along parts of the walls, the floor, and even the pillars. He didn't know if it was his imagination, but he could somehow feel a kind of… energy coming from them.
He wondered if they might be some kind of magical runes. He'd have to ask about that later.
"When you have enough time, you need to spend it on something. Architecture is just one of my hobbies," Diana said as she stepped closer to him and began untying the lasso wrapped around his arm.
"You must have a lot of interesting hobbies, then."
Once Daniel was free, Diana pulled out an object she had taken from among her trophies before coming.
It vaguely reminded Daniel of one of those ancient war trumpets made from a horn, but this one had a shiny metallic hue and was covered in numerous scales, with a serpent's head at the front end, its mouth opened wide.
"This is the Horn of the Silver Serpent. It's one of Themyscira's most valuable magical objects. Its power allows the bearer to capture the monsters they defeat, imprisoning them inside," Diana explained, showing him the artifact.
'This is actually pretty useful,' Daniel thought, wondering what its limits might be. It probably contained some kind of pocket dimension inside. Maybe he could create something similar using technology—then he wouldn't have to worry about not having a place to lock people up.
"The monster I'm about to show you is extremely aggressive. It doesn't submit easily, and if it thinks it can escape, it'll try—even at the cost of its own life. Once I release it, it will attack immediately, so you need to be ready. Do you need a weapon or a shield?"
At the offer, Daniel shook his head. Truth be told, he didn't have much experience with melee weapons, so there was no point in asking for one just to embarrass himself later by showing he didn't know how to use it.
"I'll face it with my bare hands," he said, prompting her to raise an eyebrow.
"Very well." Diana didn't press the matter. As they both reached the center of the large chamber, she brought the thinner end of the horn to her lips and began to blow.
The serpent's eyes lit up with a blue glow, and from its open jaws a dense mist began to pour out, gradually taking the shape of a beast.
It was massive—at least four meters tall. With a sharp thud, its form dropped heavily to the ground on all fours, and from its torso, two heads rose toward the sky—one unleashing a piercing roar that echoed throughout the cavern, while the other let out a bleat just as intense.
From its rear, a long appendage lashed about—almost like a thick, muscular tail, but instead of ending in a single tip, another roar—louder and more deafening than the previous ones—erupted from a third head.
Finally, two pairs of wings, resembling those of a bat, spread out from its back, stirring up powerful gales with even the slightest movement.
"¡Hahaha!" Daniel couldn't help but laugh with excitement as he took in the beast in all its splendor.
A chimera! A true creature of legend stood before him.
Though he had already faced countless monsters, those had been genetic abominations—things that shouldn't exist, evoking nothing but fear and disgust at the sight.
But a mythological monster was something else entirely. It was intimidating, no doubt—but above all... magnificent.
It would have been an even more beautiful sight to behold—if all six pairs of its eyes weren't locked on him with every intention of tearing him to pieces.
"GRRRAAAAAHHH!" "BREEEEEEH!"
With a single stomp of its paws and the thrust of its wings, the beast launched forward with a speed and agility no creature of its size should possess.
Of course, to Daniel, it might as well have been moving in slow motion. Still smiling, he easily dodged its first swipe, its long, razor-sharp claws slicing through the air less than a centimeter from his face.
Spinning effortlessly around it, Daniel carefully studied its strange and fascinating anatomy, showing not the slightest concern for its attacks.
With a thunderous sound, the beast's claws slammed again and again into the ground, leaving long, deep scars carved into the stone.
'Those hits should be doing more damage,' Daniel thought with a frown.
Focusing, he closely observed the effect the chimera's rampage was having on the terrain. Thanks to his sharp eyesight, he noticed the strange engravings he had seen earlier glowing faintly with each impact.
'Do they reduce the damage? Or just harden the material?' He'd definitely need to ask about them later.
Ducking down, he let the long, scaly tail pass over him. Its movement, fast and violent like a lash, sliced through the air with force. But the attack didn't stop there—twisting with surprising agility, a dragon-like head aimed straight at him, jaws wide open.
From deep within, fire erupted at full force, searing the air and instantly raising the temperature in the cavern by hundreds of degrees.
The chimera growled in satisfaction, thinking it had finally caught the bothersome human—but it didn't get to enjoy the moment for long.
Feeling a sudden weight land on its back, the beast tensed to the extreme—its instincts screamed at it—but before it could react, a fist struck the side of its lion head with such force that its jaw cracked, and its massive body was launched like a cannonball, crashing against one of the walls.
With a pitiful groan, the chimera staggered out of the crater its body had carved, blood and broken teeth gushing from its mouth.
"It's pretty tough." Although Daniel hadn't used his full strength, he hadn't held back much either. He was honestly surprised the chimera had managed to take the hit without falling unconscious.
Letting out heavy, pained breaths, the mythological monster quickly recovered from the impact and looked at Daniel with greater caution. Its eyes, full of fury, now seemed to show a hint of reason, and unlike before, it didn't rush to attack.
Leaning its body forward, it allowed its massive wings to fully extend, then began flapping them in his direction, sending out violent gusts of wind that could have lifted an elephant into the air.
For Daniel, it felt like a light breeze brushing against his face, one that merely served to annoyingly ruffle the white sheet draped over him.
Not far from them, Diana—who had been silently observing the "confrontation"—remained just as unaffected by the strong winds. Only her long black hair was disturbed, but contrary to what one might expect, it didn't whip about uncontrollably. Instead, as if some kind of supernatural power surrounded it, it swayed softly and slowly.
Seeing that its attack had no noticeable effect, the chimera narrowed its six eyes. With a loud hiss, similar to that of a snake, its long scaly tail rose once again. But this time, the dragon head didn't release its fiery breath immediately; instead, it appeared to hold it back, swelling until it could bear it no longer.
'So you want to burn it all down, huh? Let's see which breath is stronger, then.' Daniel let out a low chuckle before planting his feet and taking a deep breath in.
At the same moment the dragon's jaws opened wide, unleashing the fire within like a volcano erupting, Daniel exhaled the air in his lungs without holding anything back, releasing a furious storm of ice.
In an instant, both forces collided head-on, clashing for half a second before an explosion of steam flooded the entire chamber. The ground trembled, the walls cracked, and from the ceiling, dozens of stalactites came crashing down one after another.
Several seconds passed before the fog cleared enough to allow clear sight once again. With his hands on his hips, Daniel looked toward the chimera… or rather, at the enormous glacier now imprisoning it.
The beast was frozen in mid-air, a look of terror visible on its three faces. It seemed to have tried flying away before the freezing breath reached it, but without much success.
'Uh, maybe I overdid it a little?' Daniel looked at the monster with concern—fortunately, it seemed to still be alive.
In moments like this, he envied Carol's heat vision. Without it, getting rid of all that ice was going to be a real pain.
'Though maybe...' Thinking of something, he looked at the palm of his hand and focused. Slowly, small blue electric arcs began dancing between his fingers.
He still didn't know what this energy was truly capable of. Maybe, if he handled it carefully, he could use it to melt the ice… or blow everything up.
'Better not.' Experimenting now would be far too reckless. Suppressing the urge, he let the energy settle back within him and turned to Diana, who had already walked up beside him.
Looking at the chimera's condition with an unreadable expression, the Amazon blew the Silver Serpent's Horn once more, causing the monster to dissolve into a mist that was quickly drawn back into the horn, imprisoning the beast within once again.
"Sorry, looks like I made quite a mess," he apologized with slight embarrassment, but she shook her head.
"Don't worry. Fighting monsters rarely ends without something getting broken. I'll clean it up later."
"I still feel like I went overboard… you think anyone might've noticed?" He had no idea where on the island they were, but if they were too close to the main Amazon settlements, their fight had no doubt drawn attention, considering all the tremors it caused.
Diana frowned briefly before replying with confidence.
"No. We're too deep underground for anyone to have noticed anything. Besides, I covered the entire chamber with protective enchantments for situations like this. You broke several, but most of them are still intact, so the tremors shouldn't have reached the surface."
"Enchantments? So you know a thing or two about magic?" Daniel's interest was immediately piqued.
"I told you I have many hobbies. I won't say I'm an expert, but I can handle myself pretty well when it comes to the mystic arts," she said, smiling proudly as she pushed her chest forward slightly.
In truth, not many Amazons took an interest in mystical studies, so knowing even the basics was something worth showing off a little.
Her sudden motion made Daniel's gaze drift for a moment before quickly returning to her face, as if nothing had happened.
Diana, of course, wasn't blind and noticed it easily, though she didn't seem to fully understand the gesture, so she just raised an eyebrow, not paying it much mind—her mind focused on something far more important to her.
'He's very strong,' she thought, glancing at him sideways as a shiver ran down her spine.
Unable to help herself, her fists clenched and her muscles tensed. That feeling of anticipation, which had been building uncontrollably with every passing second as she watched his fight against the chimera, now seemed to have reached its peak—multiplying dozens of times over in a sudden surge.
Breathing heavily, Diana wetted her lips, coming to a decision.
"Fight me," she said bluntly—almost more a command than a request.
Daniel blinked, surprised by the forcefulness in her voice. Her blue eyes were fixed on him with such intensity that he almost expected lightning to shoot from them.
Swallowing silently, he seriously considered taking a step back and refusing—but only for half a second. After thinking it through, he chose to stand his ground and gave a slow nod.
There were more reasons to accept than to turn her down. Worst case scenario, he'd walk away with his pride slightly bruised after taking a beating. On the other hand, he could take the opportunity to find out where he stood compared to one of the best fighters this universe had to offer.
He had already experienced what true martial skill felt like when he fought Daredevil—but back then, he'd had to hold back far too much. This time, he had a feeling that even with his recently enhanced strength, he'd have to give it everything he had just to avoid being utterly humiliated.
"All right."
Diana could no longer contain her excitement. With a wide, fierce grin spreading across her face, the stunning Amazon discarded her sword and lasso, taking a stance that made it clear she'd face him in a hand-to-hand duel.
Daniel had no objections; in fact, he would've suggested it himself if she hadn't gotten ahead of him. Taking a deep breath, he retreated a few paces, smoothly settling into his own fighting stance.
Their eyes met. A silent understanding passed between them, and without another word, their feet struck the ground like thunder, propelling them forward like two missiles tearing through the skies at hypersonic speeds.
In an instant, their forearms clashed and their bodies collided in midair with such force that the shockwave tore through the room's magical protections and made all of Themyscira quake.
¡BOOM!
.
.
.
.
.
.
Note:
Almost seven thousand words!
I don't have much to say. This little interlude with Diana should come to an end in the next chapter. Of course, that doesn't mean we won't be seeing more of her or the Amazons in the future. One way or another, Daniel will end up being a frequent visitor to the island—at least until Diana decides to leave her home and venture into the strange world of men.
On another note, our hero will soon begin to investigate his new power further, gradually learning about its potential and uses, all while continuing to save the world.
The Mandarin is still out there, as are many other threats.
Maybe soon we'll see how Reed has been doing on his interdimensional journey, or perhaps we'll explore what Harleen has been up to. The Fantastic Four (Three) will have their moment too… just be patient with me, haha.
With that said, I'll take my leave. Thank you for the support. If you spot any errors, please let me know so I can correct them.
Remember that you can already find the next chapter of this story on Patreon( patreon com/EmmaCruzader ) All the support received is appreciated ;D