Diana vanished from sight, knocked away like a ragdoll.
Jack Kadere rose from the ruined throne, brushing dust from his shoulders, and walked forward step by step.
Menalippe felt despair settle into her bones.
When Diana had erupted with divine power moments ago, she had believed—truly believed—that victory was possible. But Jack Kadere was too strong. Even Ares himself might not be his match.
The atmosphere was suffocating. The Queen defeated. The General defeated. Even Diana, awakened to her birthright, defeated.
Who could save Paradise Island now?
Menalippe drew a slow breath, her eyes hardening with resolve. If death was inevitable, the Amazons would never surrender. She reached for her weapon—
Someone rushed past her.
Artemis.
The name belonged to the goddess of the hunt and moon, one of the Twelve Olympians. It also belonged to the fiercest warrior in the Amazon guard.
Menalippe moved to rise and fight alongside her, then froze.
Artemis stopped a few paces from Jack Kadere.
And knelt on one knee.
"Master!"
The word struck Menalippe like a physical blow. The other Amazon warriors stared in disbelief. Even Jack Kadere paused, studying the woman before him with sudden interest.
Long black hair. Silver armor in the traditional Amazon style. She was shorter than Diana but more powerfully built, her features sharp and striking beneath an expression of absolute composure.
"Do you want to save them?" Jack Kadere asked lightly.
"No." Artemis's denial was immediate. "I want to inform my Master that I come from the Lost Amazons. I am not the same as them."
She kept her gaze lowered. "Long ago, my tribe abandoned the worship of the Olympian gods. We turned instead to the Egyptian goddess Isis, who shielded us from the outside world with a permanent sandstorm."
Jack Kadere said nothing, so she continued.
"Later, we came into conflict with the Amazons of Paradise Island. Our home was destroyed. We had no choice but to merge with them, and we have lived here since." Artemis paused. "Therefore, I beg you, Master—give me a chance to prove the loyalty of the Lost Amazon tribe. I will handle everything. I will make every woman on Paradise Island your most obedient slave."
She lowered her head and waited.
Jack Kadere smiled.
"Make everyone on Paradise Island my most obedient slave?"
"Yes. I promise."
"This way they won't die, right?" His eyes narrowed.
Artemis trembled slightly but said nothing.
Silence stretched between them.
Then Jack Kadere chuckled. "Go. Have your Queen and General taken for medical treatment. If they die, your efforts will have been for nothing."
He turned away. "And send someone to retrieve Diana."
"Yes!"
Artemis rose and rounded on the guards. "What are you standing around for? You heard the Master's command. You—take them to the healers. You—notify the perimeter guards to find Diana."
Her voice cracked like a whip. "Move!"
The sharp command jolted the dazed warriors into motion. Menalippe stared at Artemis for a long moment, her expression unreadable, then moved to help carry Hippolyta away.
Hippolyta and Antiope were borne from the hall. A search party set off in the direction Diana had fallen.
With Jack Kadere's permission, Artemis gathered the guards who would follow her orders and assembled every Amazon on the island. She announced their fate: slavery.
Some refused. Some resisted.
Artemis crushed them without hesitation.
She hanged the defiant ones in public as an example, then bound the rest with iron chains and handcuffs.
"Master, do you have further instructions?"
She returned to Jack Kadere's side, the situation controlled in a matter of hours.
"What you've done will make it impossible to stay on Paradise Island after this is over." Jack Kadere regarded her with mild curiosity. "You know that."
Artemis had acted to preserve lives—but there were plenty of Amazons who would rather die than submit. And she had been ruthless enough to earn his trust, which meant ruthless enough to earn their hatred. Even if they understood her reasoning, she would never be welcome here again.
"As long as you are satisfied with me," Artemis said quietly, "that is enough."
"You remind me of someone named Helena." Jack Kadere rested a hand on her shoulder. "She sacrificed herself the same way to achieve her goals. Never cared what anyone thought of her."
He smiled faintly. "As for me—I love novelty and tire of routine. I won't stay in one place for long. So as long as they don't do anything stupid, they'll have their freedom once I leave."
He let his hand drop. "Different times, different places, different amusements. You're welcome to come with me, if you're willing."
Artemis's expression didn't change.
"I won't use the Lasso of Truth to verify your loyalty," Jack Kadere added. "Don't disappoint me."
"Yes."
Her voice was low, her thoughts impossible to read.
Not long after, the search party returned with Diana. She was still unconscious, limp in their arms, seawater dripping from her hair.
"Fetch the Lasso of Truth," Jack Kadere instructed. "Have someone clean her up and take her to her room."
Artemis acknowledged the order and left. She returned shortly, the golden rope coiled in her hands.
The Lasso of Truth was one of Diana's signature weapons. Legend held that Hephaestus had forged it from the golden belt of Gaea herself. It was unbreakable. Almost no one could escape its grip, and those it bound were compelled to speak only truth.
Whether it worked on gods was unclear—but when Diana was bound by it, she grew weak and lost access to her divine power. The effect was similar to Kryptonite on Superman, though less severe.
Jack Kadere took the lasso from Artemis and weighed it in his hand.
"Want to try it?" He smiled at her. "The odds of defeating me are zero, of course."
Artemis shook her head and said nothing.
Jack Kadere tossed the lasso back to her.
"Come with me to see Diana." He started walking. "She's my greatest amusement."
Artemis caught the rope, startled. She hadn't expected him to give it to her. After a moment's hesitation, she hung it at her waist and led the way to Diana's quarters.