Ares, born to Zeus, King of the Gods, and Hera, Queen of the Gods, stood among the twelve Olympian deities—and shared blood with Wonder Woman herself.
He had walked among mortals for millennia, whispering in the ears of generals and politicians, stoking conflicts across continents. War fed him. The more bodies piled in trenches and burned in cities, the stronger his divine essence grew.
He had been there when Steppenwolf last invaded Earth, standing alongside the other gods to repel the threat. But external enemies rarely held his interest for long. Fighting amongst themselves after solving external threats was not merely human nature—it was the nature of gods.
Ares had challenged his father, Zeus.
After poisoning humanity's hearts and slaying the other Olympians, Zeus sacrificed himself, expending every last drop of divine power to banish Ares. Before fading, the Sky Father left behind the God-Slaying Sword in Themyscira—the only weapon capable of ending the God of War permanently.
Trapped on Earth, Ares spent centuries planning wars and conserving his strength. During World War I, he manipulated both sides into escalating carnage, intending to drown humanity in endless conflict.
Killed all the gods. Brought down Zeus.
His achievements sounded glorious, but the details reeked of exaggeration.
The sudden appearance of Eris proved the gods weren't all dead, and while the old lecher Zeus had certainly "died," whether that death was genuine remained uncertain. It seemed far more likely he had faked his demise through Ares's hand, attempting to avoid certain matters—the rise of the New Gods, perhaps, or some greater crisis that would consume Olympus entirely.
None of that mattered to Diana and Donna Troy. To them, Ares was simply powerful, and they were losing.
Under the night sky, a nimble figure traversed the rooftops, leaping between buildings until the battlefield came into view.
Diana and Donna Troy stood again, battered and bruised, their armor scuffed and hair tangled with dust. Blood trickled from a cut above Diana's brow. Donna's left arm hung at an awkward angle. They exchanged a glance, nodded, and prepared to continue.
A figure descended from the sky between them and Ares.
"Jack Kadere!"
Diana's eyes narrowed. The familiar scent of him—something clean and sharp beneath the metallic tang of the battlefield—hit her before she fully processed his presence.
"He's Jack Kadere?" Donna Troy studied the newcomer. Hippolyta had spoken of him at length—the man who had enslaved Themyscira, who had taken Diana. Seeing him now, she felt a spark of hope. "With his help, we can defeat Ares."
"He's not a good person," Diana murmured, her expression complicated. She raised her voice. "What are you doing here? This is my fight!"
"This can be my fight too." Jack's chuckle carried easily across the rubble.
Diana snorted. "You don't need to meddle in my affairs."
"So..." Jack tilted his head, smile widening. "I'm here to help him." He pointed casually at Ares.
Silence.
Diana blinked. Donna Troy's mouth fell open. Even Ares paused, armored hand half-raised.
"You... came to help me?" The God of War pointed at himself, genuine confusion bleeding through his usual contempt.
As if in answer, the world shifted.
Every piece of metal within a hundred yards floated upward, then rocketed toward Ares in a spiraling storm.
The objects transformed mid-flight—doors flattening into plates, engine blocks reshaping into pauldrons, rebar twisting into chain links. They wrapped around Ares's form, clicking and fusing, building layer upon layer of improvised armor.
When the chaos settled, Ares stood like a dark god reborn. Segmented plate covered him from throat to ankle. A massive double-headed axe materialized in his grip, its edge catching the distant streetlights. His helmet's eye slits blazed with cold fire.
This mortal thinks he can stand beside a god?
"I need your help?" Ares's voice rumbled with amusement. "Boy."
"Yes." Jack nodded seriously, hands in his pockets.
"Is that so?" Ares took a single step forward, the ground cracking beneath his weight. "Then tell me—why would I, in a situation where these women cannot match me, need assistance from garbage like you? A human I could crush at any moment?"
"Because..." Jack began.
The smile on his face didn't change. It simply... froze. The warmth drained from it like water through a sieve, leaving something cold and flat.
He moved.
"There shouldn't be many humans who can match my speed," Ares was saying, axe rising, "but unfortunately, in my eyes—"
A fist buried itself in his chest.
"—it's too slow. You can't hurt me. You can't even get through my—"
The breastplate shattered.
Metal fragments exploded outward in a spray of twisted steel. The impact cratered inward, driving into divine flesh, and Ares felt something he hadn't experienced in centuries: genuine pain.
Impossible.
His body bent backward. His feet left the ground. The punch carried enough force to pierce the heavy armor, and it was still pushing, still driving, still—
A hand clamped over his face.
The world inverted.
Ares slammed into the earth with enough force to crater the battlefield. The earth cracked outward in spiderweb patterns. A shockwave rolled through, knocking Diana and Donna Troy back several steps.
"Because..." Jack bent down, fingers wrapped around Ares's skull, "if I don't help you, I'll have to kill you."
The helmet's cheek guards had shattered on impact. Jagged metal pressed into Ares's face, cutting into divine flesh, making it difficult to breathe. His magnificent armor—his pride—cracked along every seam and fell away in pieces.
Unbelievable.
Ares couldn't speak. His eyes bulged with shock, darting across Jack's face, searching for some explanation.
How? Why? What is he?
"Oh, right." Jack's expression shifted, brightening into something almost cheerful. "I didn't catch what you said. My speed is too slow? I can't get through your armor... what was the rest?"
He lifted Ares with one arm, raising him like a trophy.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
Armor fragments clattered to the ground in a steady rain.
"See, if I moved at full speed, you wouldn't even see it coming. What's the fun in that?" Jack's eyes narrowed to crescents. He turned, still holding the God of War aloft, and smiled at the stunned Amazons.
Diana stared. Donna Troy's jaw hung loose.
"When something interesting becomes boring, I don't mind stopping halfway." Jack shrugged. "So I want to make this exciting. If I don't help you... well, then I just have to kill you to end it."
He brought Ares close, their faces inches apart. The god's feet dangled uselessly above the ground.
"Now," Jack asked, enunciating each word, "do you need my help?"
Could he refuse?
Ares didn't understand how a human possessed such power. But the feeling in his gut was undeniable: if he said no, Jack Kadere would kill him. Could kill him.
Even though he was a god.
"Y-yes..." The words scraped past his bruised throat. "I need... your help."
"That's right!" Jack's smile turned radiant.
He released his grip. Ares crumpled to the ground in a heap of broken armor and wounded pride.
"Cough—cough—"
The God of War hacked and wheezed, clawing at his ruined helmet until he wrenched it free. Deep gashes covered his face, already beginning to knit closed with sluggish divine healing.
Jack ignored him completely.
"You." He pointed at Donna Troy. "From now on, your opponent is me. So—are you going to fight seriously, or are you going to slack off?"
"What's... happening?" Donna looked to Diana, utterly lost.
Diana shook her head slowly. She hadn't expected Jack to intervene like this, but somehow... it fit.
He had enslaved Themyscira because he wanted to ride a horse. He had killed Eris instantly because he didn't want to dirty the Lasso of Truth. Crushing Ares and then offering to help him? Entirely consistent.
That's just who he is.
Donna Troy squared her shoulders, rolled her injured arm to test the joint, and raised her fists toward Jack Kadere.