Morning light spilled across the garden, catching on the edges of leaves and turning the dew into tiny sparks of gold. Hippolyta moved between the rows of plants with an easy rhythm. One hand brushed over petals while the other adjusted a vine that had curled too far from its place. A soft hum slipped from her lips, the kind of tune that came from someone completely at peace.
She stopped near a cluster of white blossoms and tilted her head as she inspected them. A small smile touched her lips. There was a warmth in her expression that had nothing to do with the sun. It showed in the way her shoulders remained relaxed and in the faint glow that had not quite faded from her eyes since the night before.
A pair of eyes appeared just above the stone wall at the edge of the garden.
Harley squinted, her chin barely resting on the top as she peeked in like a suspicious neighbor who had already made up her mind. She said nothing at first. She simply watched. 'She looks so happy. Oh, John, you completely rocked her world. Next time, let's have a threesome... you, me and divine milf.'
Hippolyta sensed the presence and looked up. When she caught sight of Harley, she straightened slightly, one brow lifting as her quiet hum faded.
"What?" she asked, calm but curious.
Harley did not answer right away. Her eyes narrowed further as she looked Hippolyta up and down, as if examining evidence. After a moment, she leaned forward and rested both elbows on the wall, still silent.
Hippolyta sighed. "You are staring rather intensely for someone who has yet to speak," she said, her tone touched with mild amusement.
Harley finally broke, her lips curling into a slow, knowing grin. "Oh, I ain't gotta say nothin', Your Majesticalness," she replied, her voice suggestive. "I got eyes. And those eyes are tellin' me a whole story right now."
Hippolyta held her gaze, composed as ever, though a faint hint of blush touched her cheeks. "And what story would that be?"
Harley tilted her head and tapped her temple, as if assembling a theory. "Let's see. Glowin' skin, relaxed shoulders, that little floaty walk thing you got goin' on. Yeah, been there, done that," she said, nodding with quiet certainty. "Johnny boy really put in work last night, huh?"
Hippolyta's posture remained regal, but the corner of her mouth twitched ever so slightly. She turned back to the flowers and adjusted a leaf that did not need it. She cleared her throat before saying, "Your imagination is quite active this morning."
"Uh-huh," Harley said, unconvinced. "Imagination, my butt. I know that post-happiness aura when I see it. You're practically glowin' like a sunrise."
Hippolyta let out a quiet breath and glanced back over her shoulder. "Even if that were true, it would not be your concern."
Harley gasped softly and placed a hand over her chest in mock offense. "Not my concern? Wow. I am deeply offended. I am a supportive partner in this very functional and emotionally complex situation we got goin' on," she said. Then she leaned in again, her grin widening. "Also, I called it weeks ago. You just took your sweet royal time catchin' up."
That drew a small, genuine laugh from Hippolyta before she could stop it. She shook her head once. "You are impossible."
"Yeah, but I'm right," Harley shot back immediately, her eyes bright with satisfaction.
Hippolyta turned fully this time and met her gaze without deflecting. "He is remarkable," she admitted quietly. The weight behind her words softened the teasing tone.
Harley's expression shifted slightly. The humor faded just enough to make room for understanding. She nodded once. "Yeah," she said simply. "He is, isn't he? The way he kisses and looks you in the eyes... It makes me fall in love with him again and again."
A brief silence settled between them, not awkward, only honest.
Then Harley's grin returned as quickly as it had faded. "Still," she added, wiggling her brows, "you look like you slept real good."
Hippolyta picked up a small watering can and turned away, clearly finished with the subject, though the faint smile lingered. "I did," she said evenly. "Now, unless you intend to assist, I suggest you stop lurking and come inside properly."
'Humm... Should I get my hands dirty? Or have some hotdog? But I want to know the details,' Harley considered that for a moment before pushing herself up and swinging over the wall in one smooth motion. She landed lightly beside her and dusted off her hands.
"Alright, fine," she said. "But if I'm helpin', I get details later."
Hippolyta cast her a brief sideways glance, calm and unmoved. "You will get nothing."
Harley's grin widened. "We'll see about that. Oh, by the way, can I ask you something?"
"Okay," Hippolyta nodded.
"You have superhealing power, so does that mean that even though John took your virginity last night, your inner part healed up again? When you two have sex again, does that mean he has to break your seal again? It'll heal, and he'll break it again. So, does every time you have sex count as virgin sex?" Harley asked her weirdest question with a big grin, looking very curious.
Hippolyta went completely still.
The watering can hovered in her hand for a second before she slowly set it down beside the flowers. For once, there was no immediate answer, or calm wisdom ready to deflect the absurdity. Her brows drew together slightly as the question settled in her mind.
Harley was watching her face like she had just dropped the most brilliant theory of her life. "See? You didn't think about it, did ya?"
Hippolyta exhaled slowly, her composure still intact, though now threaded with something unfamiliar. Thoughtfulness. "It… is not something I have ever needed to consider before," she admitted.
Harley's grin stretched wider. "But it makes sense, right? You heal. Like, everything heals. Cuts, bruises, all that. So technically…"
She made a vague gesture with both hands, like she was presenting a scientific breakthrough.
"…reset button."
Hippolyta crossed her arms lightly, her gaze drifting away for a moment as she actually considered it. The logic was simple. Amazon healing factor.
Her lips parted slightly as the realization settled.
"…Then the body would return to its original state," she said slowly, almost to herself.
Harley snapped her fingers. "Exactly!"
"Which would imply," Hippolyta continued, more thoughtfully, "that each time would begin the same way. There would be… discomfort at first, followed by… familiarity."
Harley blinked once, then twice.
"…So every time is basically round one, huh?" she asked, her voice dropping into something closer to impressed disbelief.
Hippolyta did not answer immediately. Her gaze lowered slightly, thoughtful again, as if replaying the implication rather than the memory itself.
"It would seem so," she said at last.
There was a quiet pause.
Then Harley let out a low whistle. "Wow. That's… kinda intense," she said, clearly fascinated. "Like, emotionally and physically. That's a whole experience loop."
'Why do I keep getting dragged into her pace every time? Haaa... Harley, what am I going to do with you?' Hippolyta gave her a look, half warning and half resigned amusement. "You speak of it as if it were some form of entertainment."
Harley shrugged, completely unapologetic. "Hey, I'm just sayin'. That's some next-level commitment right there. Most people don't even get one proper first-time vibe. You get a repeat feature."
Hippolyta gently shook her head, but a small smile appeared on her lips. "You have a way of reducing even the most complex matters into… something else entirely."
"Memorable?" Harley offered.
"Unavoidable," Hippolyta corrected, though there was no real bite behind it.
Harley leaned closer again, lowering her voice like she was about to ask something even worse. "So… you gonna tell him? Or maybe test it when John returns at noon?"
Hippolyta's eyes narrowed slightly. "That is not a discussion you will be part of."
Harley placed a hand over her heart dramatically. "Rude. I'm invested now."
Hippolyta picked up the watering can again and turned back to the flowers, her thoughts clearly lingering elsewhere now. "Then I suggest you invest your energy into something more productive," she said.
Harley grabbed a nearby tool and crouched beside her, still grinning like she had just uncovered a secret of the universe. "Oh, I will," she said. "But I'm definitely gonna tell this to Maureen later. Maybe Kara too. And Ivy, Sparky, Huntress, and..." She was already counting with her fingers. Hippolyta gave her that look that made even Harley too shut up. "Sorry, I won't tell anyone."
...
[Meanwhile] [Space]
Far above Earth, space itself twisted.
At first, it looked like a ripple. A distortion in the dark that bent starlight in unnatural angles. Then the ripple tore open.
One wormhole split the void wide, jagged edges glowing violet as raw energy crackled across its surface. A second followed, then a third, each one larger than the last, stretching like wounds carved into reality itself.
From those openings, three massive ships emerged.
They were enormous, each one dwarfing anything humanity had ever built. Their hulls were dark and metallic, etched with faint red lines that pulsed like veins carrying energy through a living organism.
Inside the lead ship, the man in the black suit with the crimson S stood at the center of the bridge, hands clasped behind his back as he stared at the glowing blue world ahead.
"Finally found you, Kal-El," he said quietly, though there was clear interest in his tone. "To think, you grew up among these primitives."
Behind him, holographic displays flickered to life. Data streams scanned the planet in seconds, mapping energy signatures, satellite networks, and defensive systems.
One of the crew members stepped forward. "Planetary defenses detected. Multiple systems. Orbital platforms, surveillance grids, and meta-level response teams."
The man smiled faintly.
"Disable them."
A command was issued.
Across all three ships, energy began to gather.
Panels along their hulls shifted and opened. Light built slowly at first, then surged brighter, forming massive circular arrays that hummed with contained power. The glow intensified until it rivaled the brightness of a small star.
Then, in perfect synchronization, the ships released it.
A massive pulse exploded outward.
It spread across space in a wide, expanding wave, invisible at first but devastating in effect. The energy slammed into Earth's orbit in seconds, passing through satellites, stations, and defense arrays without resistance.
Everything flickered.
Justice League orbital systems went dark.
JSA monitoring stations failed one by one.
A.R.G.U.S. satellites lost signal instantly, screens cutting to black across command centers around the world.
On Earth, alarms began to scream.
"System failure across all sectors!"
"We just lost orbital feed!"
"Something hit every satellite at once!"
One of the ships adjusted its position slightly.
A section of its underside opened.
A beam formed.
It started as a thin line of pale blue light, then widened into a massive column that stretched downward toward the planet. Energy surged through it, stable and controlled, unlike the chaotic pulse that came before.
In Metropolis, people looked up.
The sky shimmered. Clouds parted unnaturally as the beam pierced through them, descending slowly toward the heart of the city.
Cars stopped in the streets.
Crowds gathered, pointing upward in confusion and growing fear.
The beam intensified.
Light washed over buildings, casting long shadows as it locked onto a precise point in the city center.
Inside the lead ship, the man stepped closer to the viewport, watching the process with calm satisfaction.
"Bring me the codex," he said.
--
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