Hearing her daughter's question, Queen Hippolyta did not give a direct answer.
Instead, she rose to her feet and turned her back to Diana Prince.
"Regardless, I'm glad you've awakened," Hippolyta said after a long silence.
Diana immediately understood what that meant, even without further explanation.
Her expression darkened.
She stood and walked behind her mother, tension tightening every step.
Outside the courtyard, Ares stood waiting.
His dark armor emphasized his towering, oppressive presence.
Diana had not noticed when he arrived.
Her eyes narrowed with immediate hostility.
"Why are you here?"
Before Ares could respond, Diana moved.
She seized him by the throat and lifted him cleanly off the ground.
A heavy impact followed as she slammed him into the marble wall.
Cracks spidered across the white stone, dust falling from the force of his armored body hitting it.
Diana's bare feet pressed into the cold floor as she leaned in, teeth clenched.
"If anything happens to my mother, I swear I will make you regret it."
Her other hand was already coiled into a fist, ready to strike with lethal intent.
Ares had been slain before by her and Adrian, yet here he stood again.
War never truly died, only changed shape.
And seeing him again only deepened her anger.
From behind his helmet, Ares let out a low, amused sound.
"I look forward to the day you come to collect that debt."
Diana stared at him, fury burning in her gaze, but she did not strike.
Instead, she slowly lowered him back to the ground.
"Where is Adrian?"
Ares' helmet tilted slightly, his glowing eyes seeming to assess her.
After a pause, he answered.
"Things have changed since you fell unconscious."
Diana's expression tightened.
"What happened?"
Her unease sharpened instantly.
---
At the same time, within the shifting temporal chaos of the Tower of Fate, another conversation unfolded.
"Forget the Homelander regime. He's out cold. This is your chance to fix the world," said John Constantine, exhaling cigarette smoke as he leaned against the wall.
Across from him stood Batman, his cape still, his back turned.
The match flared briefly, illuminating Constantine's face in orange light.
"You got what you wanted. We won."
"No," Batman said sharply as he turned.
There was no triumph in his voice, only exhaustion.
"There are no winners. Everyone has been damaged. Some more than others. That includes you and me."
Constantine inhaled slowly, filling the room with smoke before answering.
"You've always been dramatic, but I didn't take you for a pessimist."
"Do you consider yourself optimistic?" Batman asked.
Constantine crushed the cigarette under his boot.
"Not even slightly. We're the same kind of problem, you and I. Two clever men who don't trust anyone, not even each other. Just different reflections of the same flaw."
A rare seriousness flickered across his expression.
"Except I'm better looking, more charming, and undeniably more fun."
"And you can't stop smoking," Batman replied.
Batman turned his attention to the fire.
"If you truly believe Adrian has fallen, then you and I are nothing alike."
He paused, then added more quietly.
"In that case, we have nothing in common at all."
He turned and walked toward the exit.
"Where are you going?" Constantine asked.
"To speak with my allies," Batman replied, opening the door.
"Need backup?" Constantine added, lighting another cigarette almost immediately.
"If you put that out, I might consider it. Right now, no," Batman said without looking back.
Constantine smirked.
"It's a ritual, you know. Ancient practices. The Mayans believed smoke carried prayers upward. Shamans used it to enter trance states and communicate with spirits. It's history, mate."
Batman didn't slow down.
"You're justifying addiction with anthropology."
Constantine exhaled again, undeterred.
"Call it what you like. Artists, philosophers, even poets have treated it as sacred. Smoke, stories, inspiration. It's all connected."
Batman opened the door.
"I prefer a simpler truth. It makes people disappear into corners."
He paused.
"Thank you for the lecture. I'll be waiting for the day it kills you."
The door closed behind him.
Constantine remained alone, watching the smoke drift upward, expression briefly unreadable.
---
After leaving Themyscira, Diana rushed directly to the Justice Society headquarters.
"Shazam?"
She spotted Shazam in the corridor and immediately approached him.
"How is Adrian?" she demanded.
The unease from her dream still clung to her.
Something about it felt real, too real.
"He's not well," Shazam replied, leading her forward.
In the lounge, Adrian lay motionless on a bed.
Around him stood Sinestro, Green Lantern, the Wonder Twins, Catwoman, and Mera.
"What happened?" Diana asked sharply.
Sinestro tilted his head.
"It's a spell. Something interfering with his consciousness. Batman is responsible."
Shazam nodded grimly. "He altered Adrian's mind. Kept him from waking."
A new presence entered.
Ares.
He crossed his arms.
"This is familiar magic. Wonder Woman has experienced it before. It is not simple to break."
Diana turned instantly toward him.
"Can he be awakened?"
Ares looked at Adrian.
"That depends on him."
Diana stepped closer, voice tightening.
"I only want a yes or no."
"I cannot give you that answer," Ares said evenly.
Diana's control fractured.
She grabbed his armor.
"Then fix it."
Ares did not move.
"You need to calm yourself."
"I can't," Diana snapped. "I promised him I would stay with him, no matter what. And now he's lying here while you tell me to stay calm?"
Her voice rose.
"If I break that promise, then what am I?"
Silence followed.
Catwoman stepped forward.
"You're not helping anyone like this."
Diana's eyes turned sharply.
"I don't need advice from someone who stands on unstable ground."
Catwoman's expression hardened.
"Unstable ground?"
Diana's voice turned colder.
"You're tied to Batman. Everyone knows it. If you had courage, you'd go to Gotham and force him to fix this instead of standing here."
The air shifted instantly.
Diana moved first.
Shazam stepped in.
"Diana, stop!"
But Ares reacted faster.
He struck Shazam aside with a single blow, sending him crashing into the wall with enough force to crack it.
"This is not your conflict," Ares said.
"Nor yours," Diana snapped at him.
Mera stepped forward beside Catwoman.
"You Amazons always confuse strength with wisdom," she said coldly.
That was enough.
Diana's aura sharpened like a drawn blade.
"You'll learn what Amazons are," she said.
And the room fell fully into confrontation.
===
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