Diana had heard Jack Kadere and the Legends mention many times that she would become Wonder Woman in the future, so when he said he'd seen Wonder Woman, her first instinct was to point at herself. "Me? I've been here the entire time."
"You are Wonder Woman, yes—but Wonder Woman isn't necessarily just you. That's what makes it interesting. To actually see another Wonder Woman here... Who is she? Where did she come from?" Jack Kadere's lips curved, his eyes bright with curiosity. "I'm eager to find out."
"Where did you see her?" Diana wanted answers just as badly.
He shook his head. "She's already gone, but since she appeared in this city, finding her shouldn't be difficult. Let's secure a good vantage point first."
"Perhaps she's also here to deal with Ares," Diana speculated.
"Who knows."
He had originally planned to wander around before seeking out Ares directly, but now Jack Kadere changed his mind. He booked a room on the top floor of the tallest hotel in the city. Under the envious gazes of the staff, he escorted Diana and Lilah straight up.
"Not a bad view." Jack Kadere stood by the window and nodded with satisfaction. From here, he could see most of the city. If that other Wonder Woman was also here to cause trouble for Ares, they'd spot the fight the moment it broke out.
He turned and pulled Lilah—who had been curiously examining the room—onto the bed.
Her coat came off first, then her corset. Jack Kadere rested his head on her lap as he untied the stays of her dress. The fabric fell open, baring her completely. He cupped her breasts idly, rolling her nipples between his fingers while addressing Diana, who had moved to the window and was gazing out at the cityscape.
"This Wonder Woman must be connected to Themyscira. I'm wondering if your mother found a replacement after leaving you with me—someone to take your place and fulfill the mission. If she can defeat Ares, so much the better. Even if she fails, at least you're safe, and you'll still have a chance to complete it yourself."
"My mother never mentioned anything like that." Diana turned at his words—and froze.
Jack Kadere lay sprawled across the bed, his head in Lilah's lap, one hand teasing her breast while the other slipped between her thighs. Lilah wasn't resisting. If anything, she was arching into his touch, her fingers threading through his hair as she caressed him in return.
Diana's eyes widened. "You two are shameless."
"Shameless?" Jack Kadere glanced up at Lilah. "Are we?"
Lilah smiled sweetly, her cheeks flushed. "Of course not."
He laughed, pleased with himself. "You're allowed to disapprove, Diana. But don't complain—otherwise I might decide to do something truly excessive to you. Though I suppose I've already done plenty." The Lasso of Truth materialized in his hand, its golden glow casting soft light across the sheets.
Diana turned away without a word, fixing her gaze on the city beyond the glass.
"I love that look," Jack Kadere murmured. "That expression of disgust when you can't do a thing about it."
He rolled onto his back and glanced at Lilah. She understood immediately, climbing over him and straddling his hips. Her dress pooled around her waist as she sank down onto him, taking him inside with a soft moan.
The sounds that followed were obscene.
Demons, Diana thought. They sound like demons.
This was worse than Athena's voice echoing endlessly in her mind. Every wet slap of flesh, every breathless gasp from Lilah, every low groan of satisfaction from Jack—it scraped against her composure like a blade. Several times she nearly walked out, but she knew Jack Kadere well enough by now. If she fled, he'd remember it. He'd find some new way to torment her because of it.
So she stared at the unchanging skyline and refused to turn around.
She didn't understand human cities well enough to find the view boring. That was her only saving grace.
But Jack Kadere was a devil. He must have guessed her thoughts, because he seemed determined to outlast her—to see who would break first. Would Diana turn her head, or would he finish?
Life is so tedious, she imagined him thinking. You have to make your own entertainment.
One hour passed.
Two hours passed.
Lilah rode him until her thighs trembled, until her moans turned ragged and desperate, until she could barely hold herself upright. Jack Kadere held her hips and kept her moving, his pace relentless, drawing it out with casual cruelty. The bed creaked. Lilah sobbed his name. Still Diana refused to look.
They were evenly matched in stubbornness—but Lilah was the one paying the price.
"Enough!" Diana finally whirled around, her voice sharp with frustration.
The moment she spoke, Jack Kadere thrust up hard and came with a satisfied groan.
"I win," he said, grinning.
"Childish," Diana spat.
He shrugged, climbed off the bed, and strolled toward the bathroom, leaving Diana fuming and Lilah limp against the sheets, her chest heaving, her thighs slick.
They stared at each other—the Amazon princess and the exhausted human woman—with nothing to say.
After a while, Jack Kadere emerged from the shower, humming an unfamiliar tune. He glanced at Lilah, who had passed out, then lay down beside her and looked at Diana.
"Want me to save a spot for you?"
Diana's expression turned to ice. "I don't know why my mother believed I'd be better off with you. But if I have to endure this to grow stronger, I'd rather give it up entirely."
She straightened, her jaw set.
"I will find Ares. I will defeat him—or be defeated by him."
Without another word, she opened the door and left.
Jack Kadere watched her go, then chuckled softly to himself. "I am an obedient child, unchanging until death—but I only obey myself." He settled back against the pillows and pulled Lilah's warm body against his. "So there's no need to pretend to be good. Just do what you want."
As for Diana?
Who cared.
---
Night fell, and the city grew quiet.
Then flames erupted on the horizon, accompanied by the distant rumble of explosions.
Jack Kadere and Lilah woke at the same moment, startled from sleep by the noise. In the darkened room, they could see dazzling light in the distance, bright enough to stain the night sky orange.
"Where's Diana?" Lilah murmured, still groggy.
"She left." Jack Kadere rose and moved to the window.
Among Diana's abilities was a gift from Artemis, goddess of the hunt—enhanced senses that sharpened her sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch far beyond mortal limits. It granted her extraordinary vision, helping her track targets and strike with impossible accuracy. It was also the reason she could deflect bullets and lasers.
Jack Kadere had copied that power long ago.
Even at this distance, he could see clearly. With a few mental adjustments, the scene sharpened as though viewed through a high-powered telescope.
Amid the flames, Wonder Woman fought an old man in brutal close combat.
The old man was Ares.
"So she really did come for him," Jack Kadere murmured, watching with interest.
Her equipment looked similar to Diana's—the same style of armor, the same warrior's bearing. But her weapon was a silver lasso rather than gold. One gold, one silver. No one would believe Wonder Woman didn't have a thing for matching sets.
Her strength wasn't trivial, either. She was clearly superior to ordinary Amazons. Few warriors possessed both the power and the credentials to replace Diana as Wonder Woman.
Which meant she was probably...
Donna Troy.