"I won."
Diana smiled—relieved, satisfied—and slowly tilted forward. Then she collapsed face-first onto the ground, unconscious.
The moment she fainted, the scattered Source of the God of War stirred. It flowed rapidly into her body, and she began to rise, floating upward like the sun cresting the horizon at dawn.
When Eris died, Artemis had actively absorbed her Source. But now the Source of Ares sought Diana out on its own.
And unlike Artemis, who had taken much longer, the light surrounding Diana faded within minutes. She drifted back down.
"So it can work like that?" Jack Kadere shook his head, clicking his tongue. "Some kind of internal designation, huh?"
He stood, coiling the Lasso of Truth and tucking it away.
Donna Troy's divine power had returned with the lasso's release. She struggled to her feet and stared at Diana in disbelief. "I heard what happened to Artemis—she became the new Goddess of Discord after absorbing Eris's Source. So now Diana is... the new God of War?"
"Pick her up and come with me."
Jack glanced toward the distant sounds of commotion and chuckled.
"Where?" Donna asked instinctively.
He didn't answer. He simply turned and walked away.
Donna grabbed her shield, hoisted Diana over her shoulder, and followed.
They moved quickly across rooftops. Before long, they reached the hotel.
The window was open. Jack leaped inside. Donna followed with more effort, hauling Diana's limp body through the frame.
Click.
The light came on.
The dim room flooded with brightness. Donna found herself staring at a strikingly beautiful woman with an impressive figure—completely naked—who had just flipped the switch.
"What happened to Diana?" Lilah looked surprised by the stranger's presence, but her attention quickly shifted to the unconscious woman.
"Put her on the bed," Jack told Donna.
Donna hesitated, then laid Diana down.
"Strip her."
"What?" Donna gaped at him.
"Forget it. I'll do it myself."
Jack walked over and removed Diana's armor and clothing with practiced efficiency. He looked down at her unconscious form and curled his lip.
"Pretty faces are everywhere. Interesting souls are rare." He tilted his head. "Looking at her like this... it doesn't feel the same as before. Maybe I'm only attracted to her when she's in the middle of something impressive."
He turned to Donna. "Are you staying to sleep with us, or leaving?"
Donna froze.
She hadn't known Jack Kadere long, but he'd already left her stunned more times than she could count.
"I..." She swallowed. "I can sleep on the floor."
"Suit yourself."
He switched off the light.
The sudden darkness disoriented her. She heard the rustle of clothing being removed. In the pale moonlight filtering through the window, she could just make out Jack pulling Lilah into his arms as they lay down together.
Oh god.
Diana was going to lose her mind when she woke up.
But what had his words meant? It almost sounded like... he didn't want to kill Diana anymore?
At least Ares is dead.
In the silent room, Donna slowly slid down the wall and drifted into uneasy sleep.
---
The night passed quietly.
By morning, the site of last night's battle had been placed under martial law. In an era without surveillance cameras, investigating the truth wasn't easy. And though this was technically a non-combat zone, strange things happened in wartime. Neither military command nor civilians were greatly disturbed. Ares had held a particular identity in the mortal world, and the incident was ultimately classified as a large-scale assassination.
Warm sunlight fell across Diana's face. She let out a soft, contented hum and stretched lazily, her eyes fluttering open.
Then she froze.
She was lying in Jack Kadere's arms—together with Lilah—completely naked.
Diana's mind went blank. Then memory rushed back.
She had defeated Ares. And then... passed out.
He brought me back? Did he do that to me again? Wait—where's Donna Troy?
"I'm here." Donna's voice came from across the room, faint but steady. "I'm fine. He... he only took off your clothes. He didn't—didn't do anything to you."
Diana raised her head slightly. Donna sat on the floor in the far corner, looking exhausted but unharmed.
Awkward silence filled the room.
Diana didn't know what to say.
Slap.
A sharp sound broke the stillness. Diana flinched, then grabbed the hand that had just smacked her rear, shoving it aside. She twisted around to glare.
"If you're awake, get up. Don't bother me." Jack rolled over irritably, pulling Lilah closer. "Knew it was a mistake using you as a body pillow."
"You—"
Diana was too furious for words. He stripped her. He slept beside her. And now he was complaining?
She watched him settle back into sleep with Lilah in his arms, jaw clenched. Then she rolled out of bed, found her clothes, and dressed quickly. She exchanged a look with Donna Troy, and together they slipped out into the hallway.
---
In the corridor, Diana asked about Donna's identity and about Themyscira.
Learning she had been gone for half a year hit her like a blow.
Themyscira had never tracked time precisely, and Diana hadn't thought to ask when she first arrived in the world of men. She hadn't realized so much time had passed for her people.
Hearing that her mother, Artemis, and the others were all well eased some of the tension in her chest.
"What will you do next?" Diana asked. "Return to Themyscira?"
"Yes." Donna met her eyes. "What about you?"
Diana opened her mouth to answer—
A sharp pain lanced through her skull.
Athena's voice followed immediately, echoing inside her mind.
"What? This is impossible!"
"No... not Ares?"
Diana's face twisted. Her expression darkened.
Donna reached out to steady her. "What happened?"
After a long moment, Diana gently pushed her away. Her voice was grim.
"We were wrong. We found the wrong target."
"The disaster that destroys the gods—it wasn't Ares. It's—"
BOOM.
A thunderous roar from outside the hallway window cut her off. Diana spun toward the sound.
A spaceship hovered just beyond the glass.
The Waverider.