Massive white pillars of gray sedimentary rock, adorned with statues of goddesses, supported the towering and expansive Amazon palace hall.
Inside the hall, only a few individuals stood.
Antiope, Phillipus, and Artemis stood below.
Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, sat on the throne. Her beautiful face was solemn, her gaze filled with deep worry.
Surprisingly, a man was present in the main hall of the Amazon palace.
After the battle for the Green Lantern Ring, Hal had failed and was manipulated by the energy of fear.
Diana had been defeated in space and was captured by Bardi as a trophy.
Victor Stone had cut off contact with Batman and returned to Paradise Island, seeking to harness its power for their cause.
"We've contacted powered individuals across the globe and are preparing to infiltrate the Barmulodi Group."
"As long as we can get inside and retrieve the kryptonite, we still have a real chance to win!"
"Queen of the Amazons, to prevent future doomsday and to bring Diana back, we need your help!"
Victor firmly explained and made his proposal.
They needed to rescue Diana. They needed kryptonite. They needed to confront Barmulodi.
In the vast and majestic hall, silence fell.
The atmosphere was so still, one could hear a pin drop.
Artemis, eyes blazing with fury, stepped forward. She broke through the air and slammed a fist into Victor's chest.
Victor was not wearing his exoskeleton device. Nor had he fused with the Mother Box to become the Cyborg known in the future.
With his mortal body, it felt as though he'd been struck by a truck. The violent force crashed into his chest, instantly breaking his sternum and compressing his heart. Pain radiated outward. He was hurled through the air and smashed into one of the giant white pillars.
Victor's lower back ached. His breathing faltered, his blood flow disrupted. He coughed up another mouthful of bright red blood, his vision dimming, and he watched as Artemis strode toward him.
"From the very beginning, you were liars! You used visions of the future and knowledge of Diana's past to deceive her into leaving Paradise Island and opposing Barmulodi!"
"And now, you still want Paradise Island and the Amazons to pay the price for your so-called battle against evil?"
Artemis glared with rage. The knuckles of her clenched fists turned white, her teeth gritted with fury.
"I... didn't... lie to you."
Victor gagged on his words, speaking with difficulty. His vision blurred as Artemis approached, her presence like a war goddess. Her iron boots stomped across the palace floor, each step echoing with anger.
"We investigated everything about Barmulodi! You spoke of tyranny, cruelty, and evil—but what did we find?"
"In the country he governs, the people are happy and healthy. Laws are clear. Discipline is strict. Society is orderly. Crime is at its lowest."
"In the desertified Middle East, he supported the restoration of oases."
"In areas plagued by terrorism, he protected civilians."
"During war, he was the one who safeguarded the common people."
"In famine-stricken African tribes, he secured civilian safety."
"Gotham, America's crime capital for centuries, has become the city with the lowest crime rate in recent years."
"The charitable foundations he created saved tens of millions of refugees and orphans."
"This is what you call the suffering of ordinary people?"
Artemis did not pause in her anger. Her iron boots echoed heavily as she approached, standing over Victor with a cold and towering presence.
In the decade altered by The Flash, Bardi had never once set foot on New Guinea. To governments and superheroes, he was seen as a tyrant, a power-hungry demon scheming to control Earth.
But to ordinary people, Bardi was the greatest philanthropist in history. He performed countless good deeds for the masses, saved more people from disaster than any hero, and led the progress of an entire era. He was a great man.
"And you! You deceived us, painted him as a tyrant and a monster, and pushed Paradise Island into conflict with him. Now Diana is captured, her fate unknown."
"Paradise Island was bombed."
"The magical barrier is destroyed."
"The Amazons have become prey."
Victor coughed blood and looked up at Artemis with great difficulty. "This is not the real future. This is only his disguise!"
The true future should be one where superheroes and supervillains rise—a world shaped by their battles. Not this so-called peaceful age under Barmulodi's dominion.
Whether the era of superheroes and villains, or the age of great unity under Barmulodi, was better—Artemis could not judge. She only cared about Amazon survival.
She punched Victor in the stomach, folding him over like a shrimp. His body trembled. He spat blood again and passed out from the pain.
Artemis's gaze was cold and full of disdain. If the world could move toward a better future, why shouldn't it? In such a world, civilians could live peaceful, fulfilling lives, rather than cowering beneath the collateral damage of superpowered battles.
She looked down at the unconscious Victor, shook her hand, and let his body drop to the floor. Then she called the guards outside and had Victor dragged away and imprisoned.
Artemis had no intention of praising Barmulodi, but these were undeniable facts. The three of them had left Paradise Island and confirmed it with their own eyes.
There was no doubt that Barmulodi harbored great ambition and sought world domination.
But he enforced strict discipline among civilians and his military. For those who did not stand in his way, life was peaceful and safe.
Only his enemies suffered his cruelty.
Unfortunately, Paradise Island became one of those enemies. He had nearly annihilated it with a nuclear bomb.
Artemis still harbored hatred for Barmulodi's assault on Paradise Island, but once she returned, her rational mind grasped the full picture.
More importantly, Paradise Island had been used by those resisting Barmulodi. They had become the blade of rebellion, provoked his wrath, and became the target of his retaliation.
And these were the consequences.
"Your Majesty, I will offer Victor to Barmulodi—but it's not enough."
Artemis turned to face the throne. The anger and coldness in her eyes faded into silent concern.
The room remained silent.
Hippolyta gave no objection to Artemis's actions. The Amazons could not oppose this force with their limited numbers, nor could they bear the cost of resistance.
"What Victor said, about uniting powered individuals from across the world, infiltrating the Emperor's Mansion, stealing kryptonite, and saving Diana…"
General Phillipus spoke hesitantly.