Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from DC or Marvel. Characters such as Superman, Jor-El, Zor-El, and Alura In-Ze belong to DC Comics. Only original characters such as Von-Ra El and elements created for this story belong to the author.
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Diana moved.
Not like the warriors Von-Ra had fought before—not like Zod's tactical precision or the hybrid children's enthusiastic aggression.
She moved like water.
One moment she was ten feet away, spear at rest.
The next, the tip was screaming toward his throat.
'SHIT—'
Von-Ra's Viltrumite instincts exploded into overdrive.
Time didn't slow—his perception accelerated, smart-atoms flooding his neural pathways with combat data, Zod's genetic memories overlaying tactical responses, his own analytical mind processing vectors and force calculations in microseconds.
He twisted.
The spear passed so close he felt the displaced air kiss his skin.
BOOM.
The weapon buried itself three feet into solid stone where his head had been.
The crowd gasped.
Diana didn't pause.
She wrenched the spear free and spun, the shaft becoming a blur as she attacked from seven different angles in less than two seconds.
Von-Ra moved—
Not blocking.
Evading.
Each strike missed by margins measured in millimeters. He could feel the Viltrumite smart-atoms in his body learning, adapting, creating new neural pathways dedicated solely to tracking Diana's combat patterns.
'She's fast. God, she's fast. Not Superman-fast, but fast enough that I can't afford to think—only react.'
Diana's eyes narrowed.
She changed tactics mid-attack.
The spear became a feint—her real attack was her foot, sweeping low, targeting his knee with enough force to shatter concrete.
'There!'
Von-Ra didn't dodge.
He dropped.
His hand hit the ground, converting downward momentum into a spinning kick that forced Diana back three steps.
The first time she'd moved backward since the fight began.
Silence fell over the arena.
Then—
Applause.
Not from everyone. But from the veterans. The warriors who understood what they'd just witnessed.
"He made her retreat," someone breathed.
"Impossible—"
"He read her feint!"
Diana's expression didn't change.
But her eyes burned brighter.
'Oh no,' Von-Ra thought. 'That look. I know that look from the movies. That's her "okay, now I'm interested" face.'
She attacked again.
Faster.
This time she abandoned the spear entirely, closing distance with pure hand-to-hand combat. Her fists and feet became weapons of impossible precision—each strike targeting nerve clusters, pressure points, structural weaknesses in human anatomy.
Except Von-Ra wasn't human.
His Kryptonian-Viltrumite hybrid biology meant his nerves were denser, his bones stronger, his muscles capable of withstanding impacts that would pulverize normal flesh.
But that didn't mean it didn't hurt.
CRACK.
Her fist connected with his ribs.
Von-Ra felt something flex under the impact—not breaking, but definitely protesting.
He countered instinctively, his own strike aimed at her shoulder—
She deflected it with her bracelet.
The divine metal met Kryptonian-enhanced flesh with a sound like a bell ringing.
Shockwaves rippled across the arena floor.
"What—"
"Did you see that—"
"The force—!"
Von-Ra's hand stung.
'Okay. Note to self: the bracelets are NOT just for show. Those things are probably forged by Hephaestus himself. Hitting them is like punching a mountain.'
Diana pressed her advantage, raining down strikes with surgical precision. Von-Ra blocked, deflected, absorbed—each impact teaching his smart-atoms new configurations, new densities, new response patterns.
He was evolving in real-time.
And Diana noticed.
"You're adapting," she said, voice carrying curiosity rather than concern. "Every strike I land, you become more resistant to the next."
Von-Ra grinned despite the pain.
'Viltrumite biology' he said to himself.
"We're very good at not dying."
"Then let us test that claim."
She vanished.
Not metaphorically.
Her speed crossed a threshold where Von-Ra's eyes simply lost her.
'Where—'
WHAM.
Impact from behind, driving him forward.
CRACK.
Impact from the right, spinning him.
BOOM.
Impact from above, slamming him into the stone.
Von-Ra hit the arena floor hard, creating a small crater.
Dust billowed.
The crowd held its breath.
'Okay,' Von-Ra thought, spitting blood. 'That hurt. That REALLY hurt. She's not holding back anymore.'
He pushed himself up slowly.
Diana stood fifteen feet away, not even breathing hard.
"You are durable," she observed. "More than I expected. Most would not rise from that combination."
Von-Ra wiped blood from his lip, his healing factor already knitting damaged tissue.
"Most haven't trained with General Zod's combat algorithms since infancy."
"Then show me," Diana challenged. "Stop defending. Fight."
Something in Von-Ra's chest stirred.
The divine essence of Rao, dormant until now, responding to the challenge in her voice.
Gods recognize gods.
And Diana—blessed by Olympus itself—was calling to the divine spark within him.
'She wants to see what I can really do,' Von-Ra realized. 'Not the careful, measured response. She wants me to actually TRY.'
He stood fully, rolling his shoulders.
"Alright," he said quietly. "But don't say I didn't warn you."
His eyes began to glow.
Faint at first—a soft golden light that intensified with each heartbeat.
The divine essence of Rao awakening.
The Amazons in the stands reacted immediately.
"That's—"
"Divine power—"
"He carries a god's blessing!"
Hippolyta leaned forward, eyes sharp.
"Impossible," she murmured. "Kryptonians don't carry divine essence. They're a scientific civilization."
But the evidence was literally glowing in front of her.
Diana's expression shifted—surprise, then understanding, then excitement.
"You have been holding back," she said, and there was no anger in it. Only delight. "Good. I hate when opponents don't try."
She moved again—
And this time, Von-Ra matched her.
The fight transformed.
What had been one-sided demonstration became genuine combat—two enhanced beings pushing each other to limits they rarely reached.
Von-Ra stopped purely defending. He attacked—not to win, but to test. To see what Diana could do. To push her the way she was pushing him.
His fist met her bracelet.
CLANG.
Her knee struck his ribs.
CRACK.
His palm deflected her spear.
WHOOSH.
Her elbow caught his jaw.
WHAM.
They broke apart, both breathing harder now.
The stone beneath them was shattered—a ten-foot radius of cracked marble marking where they'd fought.
"You're good," Diana admitted, genuine respect in her voice. "Better than I expected from someone so young."
Von-Ra laughed despite the pain.
"You're terrifying. And I mean that as a compliment."
They circled each other, both assessing, both learning.
'This is insane,' Von-Ra thought. 'I'm actually holding my own against Diana. Against WONDER WOMAN. If my past-life self could see this, he'd absolutely lose his mind.'
Diana struck again—
This time with a smile.
Because she'd found what she'd been looking for.
A challenge.
TWENTY MINUTES LATER
The fight finally ended not with a dramatic finish, but with mutual exhaustion.
Diana lowered her spear, chest heaving, a thin sheen of sweat on her brow.
Von-Ra dropped his defensive stance, nursing bruised ribs and what felt like a cracked collarbone that was already healing.
"Enough," Hippolyta called from above. "This bout is concluded."
Silence.
Then—
Thunderous applause.
The Amazons rose as one, cheering—not for victory or defeat, but for the fight itself. For witnessing two warriors push each other to their limits.
Diana walked forward, extending her hand.
"You have earned your place here, Von-Ra of Krypton," she said formally.
Von-Ra took her hand, shaking it firmly.
"Thank you, Princess. That was... incredible."
Up close, he could see the slight surprise in her eyes.
"You are the first in decades to make me work for victory," she admitted quietly. "I did not expect that from someone your age."
Hippolyta descended from the royal box, her expression unreadable.
"You fought well, Kryptonian," she said. "You may remain on Themyscira. But understand—you are a guest. Our laws apply to you as they do to all."
"I understand, Your Majesty."
Hippolyta's eyes narrowed slightly.
"My daughter has requested permission to train with you. To learn from your... unique perspective. I will allow this. But—"
Her gaze became steel.
"—if you bring harm to her, there is no force in this universe that will save you from my wrath."
Von-Ra met her eyes steadily.
"I would expect nothing less from a mother."
For a moment, Hippolyta's expression softened almost imperceptibly.
Then she turned and walked away, leaving Von-Ra alone with Diana.
"So," Diana said, a hint of a smile playing at her lips. "Tomorrow morning? Dawn training?"
Von-Ra groaned internally.
'Dawn. Of course. Warrior cultures ALWAYS train at dawn.'
"I'll be there," he said aloud.
Diana's smile widened.
"Good. I will enjoy beating you repeatedly."
She walked away, leaving Von-Ra standing in the shattered arena.
'I just fought Wonder Woman,' he thought, the reality sinking in. 'I actually just fought Diana Prince. And survived. And she SMILED at me.'
Ruby's voice came through his neural implant.
"Master, your vitals are elevated. Are you injured?"
"Physically? A little. Emotionally? I'm having the best day of both my lives."
THAT EVENING — CLIFFSIDE OVERLOOK
Von-Ra found a quiet spot on Themyscira's northern cliffs, watching the sun descend toward the horizon.
The sky blazed—crimson and gold painting the clouds, the ocean below reflecting the celestial fire like a mirror.
'This place is paradise,' he thought. 'Literal, actual paradise. And I'm standing in it.'
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
Von-Ra turned.
Diana had approached silently, now dressed in simpler clothing rather than armor. She looked... younger somehow. Less warrior princess, more young woman discovering the world.
"It is," Von-Ra agreed, turning back to the sunset. "I've traveled across star systems, seen wonders that defy description. But this... this has something else."
"Magic," Diana said simply. "Divine blessing. The gods' protection."
She stood beside him, close enough that he could smell flowers and combat—an oddly intoxicating combination.
"Tell me about the outside world," she said suddenly.
Von-Ra blinked. "What?"
"The world beyond our shores," Diana clarified. "Mother says it is cruel. Violent. Filled with men who make war and destroy beauty. But you... you don't seem cruel."
'Oh God,' Von-Ra thought. 'This is pre-WWI Diana. She hasn't seen the world yet. She's still curious about it, not cynical.'
"The world is... complicated," he said carefully. "Yes, there is cruelty. War. Suffering. But there's also beauty. Art. Music. Love. People struggling to be better than they are, even when it's hard."
Diana listened intently, her eyes reflecting the sunset.
"I want to see it," she admitted quietly. "Mother forbids it. Says I'm not ready. But I feel ready. I feel like there's something out there, waiting for me."
Von-Ra looked at her—really looked.
This was Diana before she became Wonder Woman. Before Steve Trevor. Before the Justice League. Before everything that would make her legend.
This was just... Diana.
A young woman trapped in paradise, dreaming of a world she'd never seen.
"When the time comes," Von-Ra said gently, "you'll know. And when you step into that world, you'll change it forever. I'm certain of it."
Diana turned to look at him, surprise and something else in her expression.
"How can you be so certain?"
'Because I've seen it,' Von-Ra thought. 'I've seen what you become. Who you become. The hero you'll be.'
But he couldn't say that.
"Because I've seen your strength," he said instead. "Your compassion. Your desire to understand rather than judge. The world needs people like you."
They stood in silence as the sun finally vanished, stars beginning to emerge.
Diana's hand brushed his—accidentally or deliberately, Von-Ra couldn't tell.
"Thank you," she said softly. "For fighting me honestly. For not... condescending."
"Thank you for not killing me," Von-Ra replied, making her laugh.
The sound was like music.
Behind them, hidden in shadows, Hippolyta watched.
Her expression was complicated—pride, worry, and something calculating.
'He is dangerous,' she thought. 'Not in combat—though he proved formidable. Dangerous because Diana likes him. And that... that could change everything.'
She turned and walked away silently.
Leaving the two young warriors standing under emerging stars.
Neither knowing that this moment—this simple, quiet conversation—would echo across both their futures in ways they couldn't imagine.
MEANWHILE — SPACE
Far beyond Earth, beyond even Mars, a fleet of ships drifted.
Kree warships, cloaked and silent.
Inside the command vessel, Supreme Intelligence analyzed data.
"The Kryptonian energy signature detected on Earth has intensified. Subject Von-Ra El appears to be integrating with local populations. Recommendation: accelerate observation protocols."
The ship's commander nodded.
"Begin phase two surveillance. We need to know what he's building."
In the shadows of the galaxy, forces were moving.
And Von-Ra, standing peacefully on Themyscira with Diana—
Had no idea that the real game had just begun.