In the throne room of Themyscira, Steve stood at the center of the marble hall, surrounded by armored Amazons.
The Lasso of Truth glowed faintly as it coiled around his wrists and torso, binding him in place.
He swallowed.
"My… name is Captain Steve Trevor," he said, his voice steady despite the pressure. "Pilot. American Expeditionary Forces. Serial number 8141921."
The words came whether he wished them to or not.
"That's all I'm at liberty to—"
"Assigned to British Intelligence."
The words left his mouth against his will.
Steve's eyes widened in alarm. "What the hell is this thing?" he demanded, pulling against the glowing rope. Heat pulsed through it, not burning his skin, but pressing into him with relentless force.
Queen Hippolyta's voice remained calm. "The Lasso of Hestia compels you to reveal the truth. Resistance is useless."
Steve gritted his teeth, trying to clamp his mouth shut. The harder he fought it, the more the pressure built in his chest, like the truth itself demanded release.
"What is your mission?" Queen Hippolyta asked.
"Tell us why you are here."
Steve shook his head, breath unsteady. He tried to force the words down, but the heat of the lasso flared again.
"I am a…" His jaw clenched.
The pressure tightened.
"I am a spy."
The admission rang through the hall.
A murmur moved among the Amazons.
Antiope stepped forward, eyes sharp. "Where is your companion?"
Steve frowned. "He is not my companion."
"Then why was he with you?" Antiope pressed.
"I don't know," Steve answered honestly. "I just met him."
"Where is he now?" she demanded.
Steve turned his head slightly.
"He's beside me."
The Amazons followed his gaze.
There was nothing there.
Steve blinked.
Daniel was standing casually to his right, leaning against a pillar, calmly eating what looked suspiciously like an apple. He even waved once at Steve when their eyes met.
The Amazons saw only empty air.
Antiope's expression hardened.
"There is no one beside you."
Steve looked back at Daniel, who took another bite and shrugged.
"I swear he's right there," Steve insisted, frustration rising.
Daniel spoke, though only Steve could hear him.
"Technically," Daniel said mildly, taking another bite of the apple, "I am. They just lack clearance."
He glanced at Steve. "Only you can see me. So… good luck."
Steve stared at him in disbelief. "That's not helpful."
Then he turned back to the Amazons.
"He's saying you can't see him," Steve said, nodding toward the empty space beside him. "He's standing right there."
The Amazons followed his gesture.
They saw nothing.
The Lasso of Hestia glowed steadily around Steve's body. It did not flare. It did not tighten.
He was not lying.
A faint tension moved through the hall. Several Amazons shifted their stance, scanning the chamber as if expecting movement from empty air.
Diana stepped closer to where Steve indicated, her eyes focused.
"You say there is a man standing beside you?" she asked carefully.
"Yes," Steve replied. "Blond hair. Blue eyes. Calm as if none of this concerns him."
The hall fell quiet.
If the lasso confirmed his words, then there was someone present whom they could not see.
Daniel sighed, voice audible only to him. "Steve, no matter how many times you say it, they won't see me unless I permit it. Death isn't something everyone can look upon."
He took a step forward, though no one in the hall reacted.
"You keep forgetting," Daniel added calmly, "I am the god of death."
Steve exhaled sharply. "Now would be a good time to prove it."
Daniel tilted his head slightly. "And ruin the mystery? Not yet."
"Who is he?" Queen Hippolyta asked, her voice steady but sharp.
Steve tried to hold it back. The lasso burned warmer against his skin.
"He is… the God of Death."
The words fell heavy in the hall.
Murmurs broke out among the Amazons. They were not strangers to gods. They had been shaped by them, trained under their legacy, protected by Zeus himself. But the gods were said to be gone—slain in the great war against Ares.
"A god?" Antiope repeated, skeptical but alert.
Hippolyta's gaze hardened. "The gods fell long ago."
"Well," Daniel said lightly, "the cat's out of the bag."
Before the Amazons' eyes, the air beside Steve shimmered. A distortion rippled through the space, like heat rising from stone. Then a figure began to take shape—first a faint outline, then solid form.
Blond hair. Blue eyes. Calm expression.
Daniel stood there as if he had always been part of the hall.
"So," he said mildly, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve, "any questions?"
The response was immediate.
Dozens of bows lifted in perfect unison, arrows drawn and aimed straight at his chest and throat. Spears angled forward. The warriors did not hesitate.
Daniel glanced at the arrowheads, then back at their faces.
"Oh, I like this part," he remarked, amused. "The dramatic reveal. The weapons. Very traditional."
Antiope's voice cut sharp through the tension. "Stand down or be struck down."
"You know," he continued conversationally, "it does get tiring introducing myself. Everywhere I go, it's the same conversation. 'Who are you?' 'What are you?' 'Prove it.'"
He tilted his head.
"I try to look normal. It makes things easier. But apparently that only makes people suspicious."
He looked at the drawn bows and smiled.
"So if you want proof—here."
The hall went silent.
Not quiet.
Dead silent.
A crushing pressure dropped over the chamber. Every Amazon felt it—the cold certainty of a blade at the back of the neck.
Hearts pounded.
Breath shortened.
Several warriors dropped to a knee as their bodies reacted before their pride could. Hands trembled on bowstrings. One step. That was all it felt like. One step away from the end.
*****
A/N: If you'd like to read ahead of the Webnovel release schedule, you can join my Patreon!
The Patreon version is 30 chapters ahead.
👉 patreon.com/Universal_Peace