"Stop. Stop. Stop. Do not say his name!"
The moment Booster Gold mentioned Wraith, Zatanna lost control.
Her hair stood on end as panic hit her instantly. She screamed and triggered several pre set spells within the tent.
Blinding flashes filled the space.
Booster Gold and the Witch vanished.
Zatanna staggered backward, then rushed to her bed and curled into herself, trembling uncontrollably.
---
High in the Himalayas, the two reappeared.
Booster Gold let out a long sigh and spread his hands, glancing at the Witch, whose face remained expressionless, though her eyes showed clear contempt.
"I am completely out of ideas. Even someone like Zatanna is terrified of Wraith."
He shook his head.
"The Zatara family is supposed to be the strongest magical bloodline on Earth, yet she ended up like that."
He lowered his voice.
"I am starting to think we never should have gone after that guy."
Then he leaned closer, speaking in a whisper.
"How about this. I help you get your heart back, you help me recover my time travel device. We deal with each other first, then we figure out a way to deal with Amanda."
"Hey."
Amanda Waller's voice cut in through their earpieces.
"I heard that. That makes sixty two times in twelve years you have suggested taking me down."
Her tone turned colder.
"If that number reaches three digits, you are not leaving this era. Not under any circumstances."
Booster Gold straightened immediately, saying nothing more.
---
Far away, within Themyscira, inside the Great Memorial Hall.
Diana sat in her armor, holding a piece of papyrus. After a long moment, she lowered it and looked up at the domed ceiling.
Her expression carried clear frustration.
Beside her, Queen Hippolyta cleared her throat softly.
"It is only a setback. Are you giving up already?"
Diana shook her head.
"Failing to find information about Wraith is one thing."
She exhaled.
"But not finding any weakness, and not even daring to appear in front of him, that is a real problem."
Her eyes darkened slightly.
For a moment, the image of Doctor Fate's broken body surfaced again in her mind.
Hippolyta studied her daughter, then spoke carefully.
"Could this be connected to the Mother Box?"
Diana frowned.
"Not everything comes back to the Mother Box. Aside from that incident during World War II, it has been silent."
She rubbed her eyes and returned to the stack of papyrus in front of her.
Hippolyta gave a quiet laugh.
"It was the greatest threat we ever faced. It is only natural I consider it whenever something new appears."
Her voice softened.
"I lived through that war. Even with the Amazons, Atlantis, humanity, and the gods united, we nearly lost."
She paused briefly.
"Many enemies have appeared since then, but none have matched that level of danger."
Hippolyta stepped closer and placed her hand on Diana's shoulder.
"So do not rush yourself. No matter how troublesome Wraith may be, he is unlikely to surpass the threats we faced in the past."
She added,
"If he truly had that level of power, the gods would have responded already."
Diana looked up.
"They have not responded at all."
Hippolyta nodded.
"Exactly. Not even Zeus has answered your calls. That suggests Wraith has not drawn their attention."
Diana hesitated.
"...Or he is so dangerous that even they do not want to get involved."
"Do not say that."
Hippolyta cut her off immediately, though her tone remained composed.
"The gods have never been defeated. Even the one connected to the Mother Box only matched them."
She gave Diana a firm look.
"You must show them proper respect."
Diana sighed.
"I have heard that my entire life."
She stood slowly.
"But whether it was Ares, or now Wraith, I am always the one dealing with these problems."
Her voice sharpened slightly.
"What more do I need to do for them to pay attention?"
Before Hippolyta could respond, a guard rushed in.
"Your Majesty!"
Hippolyta turned.
"What is it?"
"Three intruders have entered Themyscira. One of them is a man."
The guard hesitated, then glanced at Diana.
Diana gave a small shrug.
"They are here for me."
She stepped forward.
"Doctor Fate has been gone for some time. His allies were bound to show up."
She walked toward the exit, waving a hand.
"I will take them somewhere private. No one else needs to see them."
Hippolyta smiled faintly.
"That is not exactly how we preserve tradition."
Then she added,
"But your situation allows for exceptions."
Diana nodded and left, taking flight toward the location the guard had indicated.
---
Moments later, she arrived.
Her eyes immediately locked onto Doctor Fate.
The figure standing before her had a different build, but the armor was unmistakable.
Emotion flickered across her face.
She landed in front of them.
Doctor Fate inclined her head slightly.
"Greetings, daughter of Zeus."
Diana raised her hand quickly.
"No formalities. And I am sorry. I could not protect Doctor Kent."
Doctor Fate shook her head.
"He did not need protection. Death was simply another path for him."
Despite the composed words, there was a faint tremor in her voice.
Diana nodded.
"Then... you are?"
"Inza. His wife."
Diana acknowledged her, then glanced at the other two.
"And Hawkman and Hawkgirl. You fought alongside him during World War II."
Hawkgirl stepped forward and shook her head.
"That was us, but also not us."
She continued,
"We have reincarnated since then. Different lives, same essence."
She extended her hand.
"You can still call us Hawkman and Hawkgirl. It saves time."
Diana accepted the handshake without hesitation.