Firstborn exploded.
Flesh and blood scattered across the battlefield, and a wave of dark energy, glowing with black light, surged upward. The blast ripped through the clouds, piercing the sky before vanishing into the night.
Jack Kadere exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "As expected, he's cheating."
The thing that had just flown away wasn't Firstborn's body—it was his divine Origin. Even stripped of it, Firstborn still existed as a being of overwhelming power. Jack had seen this before: when gods or divine entities fell, their Origin could either dissipate, be passed on, or be absorbed by a worthy successor.
When Ares died, his mantle as the God of War passed directly to Diana. When Eris fell, her essence was absorbed by Artemis. But Firstborn's Origin didn't scatter or pass along—it fled.
That wasn't normal.
Jack narrowed his eyes. "So, they really don't want anyone inheriting his power. Not surprising. The Origin Wall probably used him to clean house. Firstborn slaughtering the Old Gods makes too much sense… and now there are barely any left."
As he muttered, the battlefield began to shift. All around them, the monsters Firstborn had unleashed on Themyscira started to collapse. Their bodies deflated like popped balloons, their forms seeping into the soil until they were gone.
Jack smirked. "When the big boss dies, the minions vanish. Classic cliché."
He turned casually—only to find a pair of piercing golden eyes staring right at him.
The woman who had been clutching the infant—her eyes now resembled those of a predatory eagle. Her fingers elongated, morphing into talon-like claws. With an unnatural flap of wings, she took to the air while clutching the baby tightly to her chest.
Even Hera looked startled by her sudden transformation.
Jack didn't give her a chance. With a wave of his hand, fire erupted and slammed into her back. The woman cried out and dropped like a stone, twisting midair to land with a violent crash against the pier.
The ground quaked under the impact.
Jack raised an eyebrow as she slowly rose, uninjured despite the attack. She clutched the infant closer, her eagle-like gaze fixed on him.
"What are you doing?" she demanded. But the voice wasn't her own—it carried an otherworldly weight, both regal and sharp.
Diana froze. "Athena?" she whispered. The voice matched the one that had spoken to her in visions.
Jack tilted his head. "So, the mighty goddess was hiding in plain sight. Clever trick."
Athena gave Diana a small nod. "Thank you, Diana. You helped my father return."
"Father…?" Diana's eyes widened as she stared at the infant. "Zeus? You tricked me!"
Athena's expression softened. "No, Diana. Long ago, I was reincarnated in this mortal body, my divinity dormant until the Firstborn's return. My mission was clear. Since Zeus once gave birth to me, I in turn have given birth to him. Now that he has returned, my role is complete. Do not stand in my way."
Her words hung heavy in the air.
Jack stepped forward, his gaze sharp. "And what if I do stop you? You think you or that little brat can take me on?"
He reached forward and poked the baby's chubby cheek, ignoring Diana's sharp intake of breath. "Hippolyta waking from her statue-state—that was you, wasn't it? Which means you can change her back just as easily. Here's a deal: restore everyone on Themyscira, and I'll let you waltz off to Olympus with your precious thunder god. Sound fair?"
The baby whimpered, then began to cry. His shrill wails echoed across the island.
Jack's eyes narrowed, his tone mocking. "Really? You think crying's gonna save you? You turned your own daughter into a mortal, then slept with her, and now you're reborn as your own child. Don't act innocent now. If you don't cooperate, I'll cripple your 'tool of crime' and make sure you never get to play king of the gods again."
The baby's cries stopped abruptly. His eyes lit with a crackling blue glow—raw lightning flashing within them.
A brilliant wave of energy surged out, and before their eyes, Hippolyta's stone form began to restore. The Queen of the Amazons blinked, alive once more.
Jack chuckled, shaking his head. "So it's true. You really are just an old pervert hiding behind thunderbolts." He looked down at the innocent, wide-eyed child. "Good luck, little one. Pray we don't cross paths again."
Athena, holding the infant tightly, stepped back, her face unreadable. Then, without a word, she spread her wings and shot into the night sky. This time, Jack didn't stop her.
The others stood silent, watching the goddess and the child vanish among the clouds. No one spoke.
Finally, Diana broke the silence, her voice heavy with disbelief. "So… Shirt Woman was Athena. And that baby… really was Zeus. Then what was all of this? A divine soap opera?"
Jack folded his arms, looking up into the night sky. "Welcome to Olympus drama. Try not to get crushed under it."
A sharp crack of thunder answered him. Lightning ripped across the sky as Hera appeared, her gaze simmering with fury. She lingered only a moment, then vanished back toward Olympus.
Jack chuckled. "And just like that, curtain call. Quite the performance, really."
The whole spectacle amused him. The Olympians were endlessly entertaining—jealousy, betrayal, schemes within schemes. Hera's spite had likely fueled much of this madness, letting the Amazons burn while Hippolyta suffered. Athena sleeping with her father only to give birth to her own father? That was the kind of twisted cycle that made even Jack whistle. And Zeus—threatened with losing his manhood—had folded without hesitation. "The gods of Olympus," Jack muttered with a grin, "they're worse than mortals in every way."
He turned to Diana. "Well, since the mess is wrapped up, I'll be on my way."
"So soon?" Diana asked before she realized. Her tone softened. "Why not wait until morning?"
Hippolyta, still recovering, nodded. "Yes. You've saved Themyscira again… and ended this chaos. Please, at least let us thank you properly."
Jack waved dismissively. "No need. You still have a mountain of problems to sort through, and I'm not interested in sticking around while you sweep up the ashes."
"Donna…" Diana's voice wavered as she glanced toward her sister. Then she looked back at Jack.
"Let's move." Jack called to Kate and Valentina, who had already shed their Firestorm forms, and gestured toward the Disciple. Laura, as always, stood guard by the ship.
"Wait!"
Jack paused at the boarding ramp. Diana hurried after him.
He turned.
Without hesitation, Diana leaned forward and kissed him.
For a heartbeat, everything froze. Even Jack blinked in surprise.
When she finally pulled back, Diana's eyes locked onto his. "Wait for me. In decades… maybe in a hundred years… I'll find you. And then—" her voice sharpened—"I'll challenge you."
Jack smirked, brushing his lips with his thumb. "A challenge? Is that your Amazon code, or is that something else entirely?"
But Diana had already turned, walking away with the unshakable resolve only she carried.
Jack laughed quietly to himself before boarding the Disciple. "Guess I'll find out one day."
Next stop: Central City, just after the Flash's birth.
,,,,
PS: Greek mythology never fails to be a mess. Zeus's "family planning" is beyond words. For now, it's a farewell to Diana, though I'll meet her again when Doomsday rises. Without Steve Trevor tying up the strings, and with this… bond we've forged, the future looks far more interesting. And plenty of new faces still await Jack Kadere's arrival.