Thunder cracked across the sky, and the air became heavy with divine energy.
To the Amazons, only one being came to mind—Ares, the God of War. Such overwhelming force, combined with the ability to drop Diana with a single blow, could belong to no other. It explained his sudden appearance on Themyscira, his brazen defiance, and his apparent knowledge of the God Killer's existence.
He was here to destroy Diana.
Because Diana was the prophesied God Killer—the only one capable of ending Ares' life.
"No! I will never let you harm my daughter!" Hippolyta cried, snatching up a sword from the sand and charging toward Jack Kadere.
Jack simply turned his head, raised a finger, and unleashed a crackling bolt of divine energy. Lightning exploded outward, striking Hippolyta squarely in the chest. She screamed in pain before collapsing to the ground.
"Mother!" Diana's voice was fierce with rage. Her fists clenched, her legs coiled, and she leapt with all her might. She shot through the air toward Jack like a spear.
From the other side, Antiope—wounded but far from defeated—scrambled to her feet, sword in hand, and launched her own attack.
Crack… crack… crack!
Electricity filled the air, snapping louder and faster. Jack's eyes glowed as his power surged.
"Tenfold amplification," he muttered under his breath. Then, louder: "All of you—stay down."
A blinding flash erupted from him, so intense it seemed to dim the sun itself. Golden light and jagged lightning radiated outward in every direction, a shockwave of raw godlike force.
Antiope and Diana were lifted off their feet and hurled away like rag dolls.
BANG!BANG!
They hit the ground hard, both knocked unconscious.
The blast tore across the shoreline. The ocean itself seemed to recoil, waves splitting apart and surging back in a massive wall of water. The cliff face behind them crumbled away, rock and earth collapsing into the sea. The shockwave didn't stop there—it rippled deep into the heart of Themyscira, toppling buildings and sending up choking clouds of dust. Screams and cries of alarm echoed from the distant settlements.
When at last the tremors eased, the devastation was staggering. From where Jack stood, he could see that nearly one-third of Themyscira had been reduced to rubble.
"This… feels incredible," he breathed, gazing at his own hands as arcs of golden light danced across his skin. The intoxicating rush of divine strength thrummed in every muscle, begging to be unleashed again. It was a wild, destructive urge—one that could easily consume someone without iron discipline.
No wonder Hippolyta had hidden Diana's true heritage for so long. Without unshakable willpower, such power could corrupt anyone. Perhaps that was why the gods of Olympus had often acted with such reckless cruelty; this energy was not meant for mortals—or even demigods—to wield lightly.
Jack took several deep breaths, and the haze of exhilaration began to clear from his mind.
Surveying the wreckage—the shattered cliff, the ruined beach, the dozens of unconscious Amazons—he wondered what the Legends would think when they returned. The original temporal deviation involving the Birds of Prey was still unresolved, and now an even greater disruption had been created. Fortunately, Themyscira was hidden from the outside world. Unless Diana's fate itself was altered, the damage here might go unnoticed… for now.
His thoughts shifted. Diana was destined to leave this island one day with Steve Trevor, to face Ares. But with her lying unconscious at his feet, Jack now held a variable that could reshape that history entirely.
He found Diana, Antiope, and Hippolyta amidst the wreckage. Antiope's injuries were more severe, but the queen and her daughter were simply unconscious—though their Amazonian armor lay in tatters from the force of the blast.
"Paradise Island indeed," Jack muttered. "In the comics, even Hercules preferred to enslave the Amazons rather than wipe them out. I can see why."
With a flick of his hand, lightning coiled around his fingertips, forming into glowing ropes. One by one, he bound the three women and began dragging them toward the Amazon living quarters.
By the time he arrived, half the city's graceful architecture had been reduced to smoking ruins from the earlier shockwave.
"Who goes there?!" a voice shouted.
"It's the Queen!" another voice answered in alarm.
"And the General… and Princess Diana!"
The nearby Amazons quickly recognized their Queen, General, and Princess. Gasps echoed through the crowd—some warriors froze in shock, while others charged forward, weapons raised, determined to rescue their leaders and stop the intruder.
Jack didn't break stride. He didn't even veer from his path. As the first warriors came within reach, arcs of electricity and divine power surged from his body.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
They collapsed in his wake. Stepping over the fallen, Jack spotted a squad of royal guards approaching from the far end.
"Release them!" barked a female warrior at the front.
Jack paused, his gaze locking on her. "Your name?"
"Menalippe, Vice General of Themyscira."
"Go save your people," Jack said evenly. "With luck, some might still be alive. But if you try to stop me, you'll lose your Queen, your General, your Princess—everyone. Including… Themyscira itself."
He tapped his foot lightly against the ground.
Divine power rippled outward. From the point of impact, a jagged crack raced toward them, the earth trembling beneath their feet.
Menalippe steadied herself, her eyes narrowing. "You heard me—go! Save who you can!"