Chapter 85: CHAPTER 84: Another World
DC Universe
Paradise Island — Themyscira
Paradise Island, known to its inhabitants as Themyscira, is a hidden realm in the mortal world, protected by divine magic and surrounded by impassable seas. Concealed from the eyes of men, this sacred land is home to a legendary civilization composed exclusively of women: the Amazons.
Created by the goddesses of Olympus, the Amazons are immortal warriors, gifted with superhuman strength, agility, and wisdom. They live in perfect harmony with nature and with one another, following a society founded on justice, honor, and balance. In addition to being incredibly beautiful, they are trained from a young age in the use of a wide array of weapons, hand-to-hand combat, and military strategy.
According to legend, Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons, wished for a child but was infertile. One night, she molded a child from clay and prayed fervently to the gods. The next morning, her wish was granted. A miracle stood before her: a living baby girl, whom she named Diana.
---
It was a clear morning in Themyscira.
The sky was cloudless, and the sun cast its golden light over the sea. Then, something unusual happened.
A few meters above the island, a blinding blue light burst forth. A portal opened in the sky like a wound in the fabric of reality. In the midst of the swirling energy, a figure was violently ejected from the rift, falling through the air in a wild, uncontrolled descent.
That figure was our protagonist, Arthur Morgan. Dazed, his body reeled from the side effects of the passage, as if cosmic forces had compressed him with a pressure he had never felt before — even greater than what he experienced when he was sent to Miles' universe.
His suit was in tatters. His elegant pants were torn in multiple places, his shirt stained and ruined, and his blazer barely clung to his frame, shredded by the brutal impact of the interdimensional crossing. It was all that remained of his former elegance — mere remnants consumed by the fury of space and time.
With a muffled splash — Plop! — Arthur crashed into the crystal-clear waters surrounding Themyscira. Any ordinary man would have been destroyed by the fall. But thanks to his enhanced body and superhuman resilience, he survived the impact.
---
At the Edge of Paradise Island
Walking along the shore, a majestic figure gazed at the horizon. Her hair flowed like a cascade of silk, and her eyes, a deep blue, seemed to hold the glow of distant stars. It was Diana, Princess of the Amazons — daughter of Queen Hippolyta.
As the heiress to Aphrodite's grace, her beauty was astonishing, praised even by the gods. However, her attention was suddenly drawn to something strange: a silhouette falling from the sky and crashing into the sea.
"What was that?" Diana murmured, intrigued.
Without hesitation, she sprinted toward the water and dove in with incredible speed. Within seconds, she reached Arthur's unconscious body.
Seeing him up close, Diana was taken aback. She had never seen a man before — much less one with such harmonious features. His face was calm, almost serene, even while unconscious. It was as if he had been sculpted in the image of Apollo himself.
Regaining her focus quickly, Diana wrapped her arms around Arthur and began swimming back to the surface. She didn't yet know who this stranger was or how he had arrived, but something inside her told her his arrival was no coincidence.
You're probably wondering how Arthur ended up in this situation, right?
To explain that, we must go back... six incredible hours earlier.
---
Arthur walked toward his car, a Mustang Boss 429 gleaming under the city lights. The engine roared as he turned the key, and within seconds, he was speeding away from downtown, heading toward the address on the elegant golden invitation he had received days earlier.
The party was being held at a secluded mansion on the outskirts of the city. The place radiated wealth and sophistication, with white marble columns, illuminated gardens, and a long staircase leading to massive oak doors. Men and women in luxurious attire mingled throughout the grand hall, champagne flutes in hand, forced smiles on their faces. The background music was soft — almost boring.
Wearing a perfectly tailored black suit, Arthur entered with calm steps, his keen gaze analyzing every corner of the event. He wasn't particularly excited — parties like this were never his thing — but he couldn't just turn down an invitation from a fan who happened to own one of the world's largest automotive companies.
Hours dragged on slowly. Shallow conversations, occasional laughs, meaningless toasts. Arthur drank little, just enough to seem sociable. At one point, he stepped away from the crowd and made his way to a side balcony, seeking some fresh air.
Turning back to the balcony, he leaned on the railing and looked at the horizon. That was when he remembered something important — a certain reward he had received from the system. A special Infinity Stone. The Space Stone.
On a sudden impulse, he opened his system storage menu and retrieved it.
The blue gem pulsed with intense energy. But before Arthur could even examine it properly, it shot toward him at insane speed and pierced his chest, merging with his body.
"ARGH!!" he cried out, clutching his chest as searing pain surged through him. A blinding blue light formed before him, spinning in the air — a portal.
"WHAT THE HELL...!" Arthur shouted, quickly calling Ruby through the small earpiece. "Ruby! Tell Jean and Gwen I'm gonna disappear for a few days... I don't know where this thing is taking me, but... tell them I'll be back as soon as I can! I promise! Tell them not to worry—"
[MASTER!!]
Before he could finish, his body was violently sucked into the blue vortex. Within seconds, the portal closed, leaving only the night wind and silence behind.
---
And now, back to the present...
After surfacing from the crystal-clear waters, Diana swam to the shore with Arthur in her arms and gently laid him on the warm sand.
She knelt beside him, observing his wet face intently. Even unconscious, there was something captivating about his features. Without realizing it, she extended her hand and softly touched his cheek.
"He looks like... Apollo," she whispered. The most beautiful of all gods. That was the only comparison her mind could make at that moment, even though she had never seen Apollo herself.
Suddenly, Arthur coughed violently, spitting up seawater before slowly opening his eyes. The sunlight made him squint, but soon his gaze met something even more dazzling — the beautiful figure leaning over him.
"Wow... you're beautiful," he said, almost in a whispered reflex.
Diana furrowed her brow slightly. She understood the tone and part of the words, but they didn't make much sense to her. Did the language of the world of men change this quickly?
Curious, she asked calmly but firmly, like the sound of leaves in the wind:
"Are you a man?"
Arthur blinked several times, surprised by the question. "Yes... I am. And... where exactly am I? Who are you?"
He sat up with difficulty, rubbing his face and trying to process everything. Inside, his mind raced — between the sun, the stunning woman, and the paradise-like setting, he already had a strong suspicion of where he'd landed.
Diana hesitated for a moment. Her mother's words echoed in her mind: Men are dangerous, Diana. Never forget that.
But... as she looked at the stranger before her — wounded, lost, yet with a serene expression — she felt something different.
"You are in Themyscira," she said, withholding her name out of caution. Just mentioning the place was already a massive concession.
Arthur sighed. Themyscira. I should've known the moment I saw her.
He was about to say something else, but suddenly stopped. His body tensed, and a dull pain sparked in his head — his instincts were warning him. They screamed one word: danger.
His eyes scanned the vegetation around the beach.
"...We've got company. And they don't look very friendly," he said, locking eyes with Diana.
She noticed it too. A considerable number of Amazons were approaching swiftly, likely already alerted by the unusual presence.
Arthur looked into her eyes, urgency in his gaze but no fear.
"Listen... I have no bad intentions toward this place. Or toward you. I just need a bit of time to figure out what's going on. Can you trust me?"
Diana felt a faint warmth rise in her cheeks. It was the first time a man had ever looked at her like that — or rather, the first time a man had looked at her at all.
"...I trust you," she replied, without thinking.
Those words fell on Arthur like a soothing balm.
"Thank you. Seriously. If you can help me buy a little time... I promise I won't cause trouble. I just want to figure out how to get out of here. The last thing I want is to become an enemy of the Amazons."
Diana remained silent for a few seconds. She looked at the trees, then back at Arthur. Her heart was beating a little faster than usual, and she wasn't sure why.
"...I promise I'll help you."
(End of Chapter)
Give me some power stones there you go~😉