Chapter 3: An Alliance
Themyscira: 3 Years Before the Formation of the Justice League
Inside of the Amazon Palace, a lone figure was sitting in the elegant throne room whose detailing and design contained unmatched artistry. Queen Hippolyta was sitting on her regal throne, lost in her current thoughts. She had asked her royal guards to leave her for the time being, as she was currently debating on what to do with the current issue she has on her hands.
Sensing that someone entered her throne room, Hippolyta looked up to see the leading general of the Amazons standing before her.
"Your majesty," Philippus reverently greeted. "I am sorry to disturb you, but I wanted to inform you that the final preparations for the Tournament of Champions are underway."
"Very good, Philippus. I know many Amazons have been preparing for this tournament. Mala and Demetria wouldn't stop talking about it," Hippolyta said with a small smile.
Philippus noticed that something was on Hippolyta's mind. "My Queen, is there something wrong?"
"No, nothing major Philippus," Hippolyta answered. "The only concern I have is about Diana."
"What concerns you about the princess?" Philippus asked, slightly confused about why Hippolyta seemed worried about Diana.
"As you know, this tournament is one that is only held once a millennium," Hippolyta responded. "While we have other small contests throughout the decades, this is a tournament that shows who the best Amazon is amongst our people. Diana was not around for the first tournament, but she is for this one."
"And this worries you, My Queen?" Philippus questioned. "The tournament can show that Diana is the best among the Amazons."
Hippolyta released a small sigh, something she rarely does with her royal profile. Thinking back to that first day on Themyscira and the prophecy the goddess Hera mentioned, Hippolyta looked up at Philippus with a mother's concern in her eyes. "That is what worries me, Philippus."
X X X
Metropolis
"Bruce Wayne?!" Superman said in almost a whisper due to his shock.
Batman continued to look up at Superman, betraying no emotions through the white lenses of his cowl. Superman floated down and came to a stop before Batman, worried that he had just crossed a line that he was not supposed to.
"Why did you say that name?" Batman asked in a threatening voice, walking up to Superman until he was only a few feet away from him.
Superman took a slight step back from Batman, worried as to what the Caped Crusader would do. "It was an honest accident! I was just looking for where the assassin went using my x-ray vision and—"
"X-ray vision?" Batman growled.
"It's one of the many abilities I have," Superman clarified. Taking a deep breath, he decided to approach the situation more calmly. "Now listen, I didn't mean to look under your cowl. I understand how important secret identities are to our causes and protecting those we care for. You can trust me, Batman. While many people are skeptical of me and these powers I have, I only have good intentions. Your secret is safe with me," Superman said with the utmost truth.
While Superman was talking, Batman was analyzing his speaking patterns. Noticing that Superman always maintained eye contact, along with the seriousness that he spoke in, he knew that he could trust him.
Still, that did not mean that Batman would let Superman off the hook.
"Fine," Batman began. "I trust your words. For now. However," Batman reached into the lead lined pocket of his utility belt and pulled out the green alien rock he obtained.
The effects were immediate. Superman looked shocked, and instantly groaned out in pain. He tried to back away from the rock, but stumbled in his footing and fell onto the floor of the rooftop.
Batman advanced onto Superman, holding the rock right in front of his face.
"How... how did you get that?" Superman weakly asked.
Batman ignored his question. "Make no mistake, if my name appears linked to Batman out in the general public, and I find out that it was you who put those I care about in danger, I will make your life a living hell," Batman said.
Pulling the rock away, Batman was about to put it back into his utility belt before he continued. "Don't mess with my life, and I won't mess with yours, Clark Kent."
Superman, who had briefly recovered from the weakness that the rock caused, recoiled in shock at what Batman said.
"Wh-what," Superman began.
"No time for pleasantries," Batman said. "It's time to catch an assassin." He held a hand out for Superman, the latter looking at the hand for a moment before taking it. After helping Superman up, a silence fell upon the two while Batman flipped open a panel on his gauntlet in order to update his files on Superman.
"Which way did you see him go?" Batman asked without looking up from his gauntlet, breaking the silence between the two.
"I saw him running west about nine blocks down," Superman said.
"Try to scout ahead and see if you can find him, but make sure you stay hidden. It's clear that he was sent to kill you," Batman said, still typing on his gauntlet.
"Got it," Superman answered before taking off.
Batman typed in a last phrase into his gauntlet before snapping it shut and looking ahead in the direction Superman took off in. While there was definitely tension between the two, he was certain that Superman would not betray him, as they both had blackmail on each other in the forms of their identities.
Batman took out his grapnel gun and pointed it at a nearby water tower. Shooting off the grapnel, he flew through the air to see what Superman had found.
X X X
Themyscira
All of the Amazons were packed into the Great Colosseum, eager to see the competition that was about to take place. There has not been a tournament like this one in a thousand years, and this time there was a new contestant to compete in the trials.
While on the smaller side, the Great Colosseum of the Amazons was a piece of magnificent craftsmanship. Its beauty rivaled that of the royal palace's. It looked as new as the day it was built, with marble decor placed throughout the stadium that acted as decorations to give it a prestigious look. There was an oval-shaped arena in the center of the colosseum which usually was bare except for the dirt floor. However, due to the Tournament of Champions, there were various obstacles set up across the colosseum arena in different sections where Amazons would test their skills against their sisters.
The arena was surrounded by a 270º view of seats, forming a U shape around the arena. There were a few small doorways on the level below the seats that acted as an entrance into the colosseum for contestants. On the far end of the colosseum which contained no seats, there was a flat portion that was on the same level as the first row of viewing seats. On this flat portion was a massive doorway accented by a great archway that acted as an entrance to the colosseum for viewers.
Above this archway was an elegant balcony decorated in the finest of materials, showing that it was made specifically for royalty. It had the best view in the colosseum, with a clear view of the arena and all the Amazons that were seated in the stands.
Sitting upon her royal viewing balcony, Queen Hippolyta had her usually calm, emotionless façade. However, on the inside she was feeling anything but.
General Philippus, the only other Amazon in the private viewing balcony, looked upon her queen with some concern. She had seen Queen Hippolyta throughout the day ever since the final tournament preparations had been put into place. While most people would not recognize the Queen's nervousness, those who truly knew her could see that she was having an internal struggle.
"My Queen, I know that you are nervous about the outcome of this tournament. However, I feel as though there is nothing to worry about. I won the Tournament of Champions the last time, and while it earned me my spot as the captain of your honor guard, I was not selected by the gods to go out into Patriarch's World," Philippus said, hoping to ease the worry that was plaguing the Queen.
Hippolyta turned to look at the general of the Amazon army. Almost every Amazon would never question her Queen, however Philippus was not just another Amazon. She was one of Hippolyta's closest advisors. The only other person that knew Hippolyta better than Philippus was her own daughter.
With a nod, Hippolyta considered what Philippus said. "I understand that, Philippus. We have held this tournament before, and even though you came out victorious, you were not chosen to be the Amazon Champion. What concerns me is that almost a millennium has passed since that tournament. While we do not, things out there change over a thousand years. I'm afraid that whatever changes have occured might have been for the worst," Hippolyta said.
"Do you think Princess Diana will win the tournament?" Philippus asked, although she knew it to be a pointless question.
"I have the utmost faith that Diana will win the tournament. Not only is she the best combatant on the island, but she also has the best battle sense and awareness of any Amazon I have ever seen fight. I tried to ban her from participating in the tournament, saying that royalty should not interfere with the results. However, you know how that went down," Hippolyta replied with a sigh as she thought back to the time when she advised Diana not to participate in the Tournament of Champions.
Philippus slightly cringed at the memory of that exchange. She had never seen such fury in Diana's eyes. Philippus could not help but sympathize with the Queen when she reluctantly allowed Diana to participate.
"My Queen, there is nothing we can do by worrying about the potential outcomes of the tournament. We just have to wait and see," Philippus replied.
Hippolyta nodded her head in acceptance, but she was still concerned over the tournament. She could not cancel the Tournament of Champions, as it was one of the most revered contests amongst the Amazons. She remembers the decades where Diana would always talk about how she could barely wait for her time to participate in the tournament, and it seemed that time was coming up shortly.
Looking back down to the colosseum, Hippolyta watched as an Amazon appeared out of a door at the opposite side of the colosseum from the entrance. Cheers rang throughout the colosseum, as the Amazons knew that the tournament was about to begin.
"Amazons!" The announcer shouted out. "The Tournament of Champions is about to begin!"
Applause once again rang throughout the colosseum, and the cheering the Amazons were producing could be felt across the entire island. It would be impossible to find a single Amazon not excited for the upcoming tournament.
The Amazon announcer held her hand up, signaling to the gathered crowd that she was about to speak again. "Before the tournament commences, I ask for our Queen to give our tournament a blessing."
Queen Hippolyta stood up from her seat and walked to the edge of the marble railing on her balcony. She looked down upon all of the Amazons, hundreds of eyes upon her as she prepared to say the prayers of worship to the goddesses. She raised both of her arms towards the heavens, and looked up into the sky as she began to petition the patron goddesses.
"My Lady Hera, Queen of the Gods, may we ask you that our tournament be blessed by your watchful eye, and that the women here today may please you in their efforts to show how strong they are," Hippolyta began.
"Lady Athena, we ask that you grant these fine warriors with the intellect to overcome any obstacle that they face, and that their skills in battle will assist them through their challenges.
"Lady Artemis, we ask that these warriors possess the drive to push themselves to the limit, and that their battle senses assist them as they try to navigate this difficult course.
"Lady Demeter, we ask you to give the Amazon challengers strength when they face adversities in this tournament, as your blessings can help them persevere and succeed.
"Lady Hestia, we ask that you allow these warriors to understand the truth about themselves and help them reach their full potential.
"And finally, Lady Aphrodite, we ask that our sisters remember that while this is a competition, the love they have for their sisters is something that will always win."
Hippolyta lowered her arms and looked back down to the Amazons in the stands.
"Amazons!" Hippolyta shouted. "Let the Tournament of Champions commence!"
Loud horns were played throughout the colosseum, indicating that the tournament was set to begin. The Amazons in the crowd once again started cheering, excited to finally witness the legendary tournament after a thousand years.
The announcer produced a scroll that was attached to her belt and opened it up in order to recite the list of events that would be going on today.
"Today is a tournament not based solely on an Amazon's combative abilities," the announcer began. "This is a tournament that will test everything about the warrior: her mind, her heart, her body, her spirit, and her will. Only the strongest of the Amazons will make it through this tournament, and the winner will be recognized as the Amazon Champion."
Turning to face and point at the first obstacle, the announcer indicated what would be the first trial. It contained a large number of pillars, ropes, platforms, netting, and much more that made the course look almost like a jungle.
"The first challenge the contestants will have to face is the Trial of Endurance," the announcer began. "In this trial, the challengers must navigate through the obstacles and reach the other side. Not only will every challenger be attempting the course at the same time, but there will also be other factors that will try and prevent the challengers from completing the course."
As if on cue, a group of six Amazons came from one of the colosseum's lower tunnel doors, all of them holding bows and a quiver full of arrows. The Amazons split into two seperate groups on each side of the course. They placed their quivers on the ground and took out one of the arrows to show the audience. These were modified arrows, which still had a normal nock and shaft, but instead of the pointed spike at the front of the arrow there was a flat portion so that none of the Amazons would be potentially killed during the trials.
"The Amazons who finish in the top 20 of this challenge will progress onto the next round, while the others will be eliminated," the announcer said.
"Now, introducing the challengers!"
Hippolyta watched with bated breath as Amazons appeared from the lower tunnels after their names were called. She watched until there were almost 40 Amazons standing in a line in the arena.
"And finally, a new challenger to the Tournament of Champions: Princess Diana!" the announcer proclaimed. Cheers erupted from the stands as Diana walked out from the lower tunnel. She looked as elegant as ever, with her raven hair flowing freely around her face. She was dressed in the same armor that the other challengers were dressed in, and she had her sword and shield firmly grasped in each hand.
"Challengers! Take your positions!" the Amazon announcer ordered.
All of the Amazon challenges lined up in front of the first trial course, with Diana being directly in the middle. From her balcony, Hippolyta could clearly see Diana's face. It contained a look of sheer determination and battle-planning, a sign that Diana was going to give this her all.
Diana looked at the course ahead of her. While her sisters had an advantage on her in terms of course knowledge, she knew that she was more skilled than her fellow Amazons in many other attributes. She took a glance over the course, planning the best course of action that could get her through this trial in the fastest time possible.
She knew that traversing the course would be easy; it was just the six Amazons on each side of the course with bows that would be the biggest issue. Not only does Diana have to navigate through this difficult course, but she also has to avoid being hit by the arrows flying at her.
Diana looked to the side and saw the Amazons preparing to blow the horns, which would signal the start of the trial. She planted her feet formally into the ground, preparing to pounce at the course like a cheetah pursuing its prey.
"Ready!" the Amazon announcer began. All of the contestants got into position, ready to take off and attempt the course. Diana looked down to the floor, taking a deep breath in order to center her mind.
"Set!" the announcer continued. Diana looked up, determination flashing in her aquamarine eyes.
"Go!" the announcer finished. All 40 Amazons sprinted full speed at the course, hoping that their skills would assist them in getting through this first challenge.
Diana took a very early lead, navigating the course as if she has done this multiple times before. She was extremely efficient, as she would jump from pillar to pillar while still blocking the arrows being shot at her with her bracers.
Diana jumped from a pillar and grabbed one of the hanging ropes, swinging across the course. She landed perfectly on her feet upon a platform, and without hesitation she continued her dominance on the trial.
Hippolyta watched her daughter with awe. Diana was putting every other Amazon to shame in this trial. The closest Amazon was only halfway done with the course, while Diana was about to finish it. While all of the Amazons knew of Diana's excellent combative skills, this trial showed that her evasiveness should never be questioned as well.
Diana navigated the course with ease, going from obstacle to obstacle with a flawlessness that had never been seen before in the Tournament of Champions.
Nearing the end of the course, Diana reached up to grab one last hanging rope. She swung through the air, blocking an arrow that was being sent her way, as she elegantly flipped from the rope and landed on her feet at the end of the course.
Diana turned around to see that she was the first Amazon to finish the course. While she was elated on the inside, her royal and Amazon upbringing would not allow her to boast in front of her fellow sisters like that. She waited patiently for the rest of the Amazon challengers to finish the trial. By the time the twentieth Amazon crossed over the finish marker, horns were blown throughout the colosseum, signaling that the trial's winners were determined.
The Amazon announcer walked back out to the center of the colosseum.
"Amazons!" she began. "The winners of the first trial have been determined!"
Cheers erupted from the stands, congratulating and celebrating the victories of these 20 Amazons.
"Now, meet the challengers of the next round!" The Amazon announcer said. "Finishing with the fastest recorded time in the history of the Tournament of Champions, Princess Diana!"
Diana raised her fist into the air, proud of the achievement that she earned. All of the Amazons cheered in the stands, excited that they were witnessing new history being made.
Hippolyta watched her daughter from her royal viewing balcony. She saw how impressive Diana was in completing the first trial, and while she was proud of her daughter for once again proving her skills, it did little to settle Hippolyta's fears about her concerns of the chosen Champion.
"Diana was very impressive. I've never seen an Amazon move that fast through these trials before," Philippus commented, amazed at Diana's skills.
"She truly is an unique Amazon," Hippolyta replied, a distant look in her eye.
Out of the corner of her eye, Philippus looked down to her Queen. She could see the worry hidden in the depths of Hippolyta's eyes. Philippus understood what Queen Hippolyta's concern is rooted in. She knows that Diana is the perfect candidate to be selected as the Amazon Champion, and if anyone had any doubt before, this first trial removed any doubt that there has never been an Amazon as talented as Diana. Philippus could only imagine what the next trials will reveal about the Princess of the Amazons.
X X X
Metropolis
Batman swooped down, landing silently next to Superman who was positioned behind a billboard.
"Did you find anything yet," Batman asked from behind Superman, causing the latter to slightly jump out of surprise.
"Jeez, I didn't even hear you arrive," Superman said. "Anyway, I kept back like you said and followed Deadshot to this alleyway. He jumped down and is now on a phone call."
Batman peered over the rooftop and spotted Deadshot next to a dumpster in the alleyway talking on the phone with an unknown contact.
"Can you hear what he's talking about?" Batman asked.
"Yeah, give me a second to listen in," Superman replied. Batman watched in silence as Superman tilted his head in the direction of Deadshot.
"Yeah, the Bat got in my way. I was told that there was going to be no interference in this operation, Luthor. I would've had Superman dead by now if it wasn't for him," Deadshot said into the phone, pausing to hear what Luthor had to say.
"Listen, you don't know Batman like I do," Deadshot exclaimed. "I'm honestly more worried about him than the alien. He has the skills and resources that can leave you out to dry."
"Don't worry, I'll complete the hit. You'll have Superman's body by nightfall," Deadshot said into the phone. He ended the call, cursing Batman in the process. As he went to put his phone back into his bag, a sharp object struck his hand, making him drop his phone.
Deadshot grunted in pain, looking to see the batarang on the ground. He quickly turned around to see a large shadow crouched upon a fire escape above him.
"This doesn't involve you, Batman," Deadshot said in a voice that was surprisingly steady with the Dark Knight sitting only fifteen feet above him. "This is between me and the alien."
"Why does Luthor want you to kill Superman?" Batman questioned from his perch.
"That's client confidentiality," Deadshot replied. "Besides, I don't care why Luthor wants this 'Superman' dead, as everyone is calling him. I'm just here to make the hit and get paid."
"You're in over your head, Floyd." Batman rasped in his deep voice.
"Maybe," Deadshot said nonchalantly. "But that's never stopped me before, now has it?"
Without warning, Deadshot whipped his wrists up to Batman, intending on shooting him with the guns armed to his wrists. Before he even had time to pull the triggers, a man appeared in front of Deadshot almost at the speed of light, ripping the wrist guns off of his arms and crushing them into tiny bits and pieces.
Deadshot looked down at his now-gunless wrists, shocked at how fast this being moved. Looking up, Deadshot came face-to-face with the man he was hired to kill.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Superman replied sternly.
"So, you formed an alliance with Batman?" Deadshot asked. "Killing both of you with double the pay on this job."
"Not going to happen," Superman said. He picked Deadshot up by the front of his shirt and flew him up to the roof of the building above them.
Superman dropped Deadshot onto the roof, and before he could even get up, his arms and legs were immediately tied together by bolos that Batman threw. He looked and saw that his weapons bag was tossed to the side behind Superman as well.
"Listen up, Floyd," Batman began as he started walking towards Deadshot. "I have questions, and you got answers."
"What makes you think that I'll talk, Batman?" Deadshot replied.
In response, Batman grabbed Deadshot by the front of his shirt and hauled him to the edge of the building. Superman stayed behind on the building, interested as to how Batman would get answers out of the assassin. With one arm, Batman held Deadshot over the side of the edge, making him face down to what would certainly be an instant doom.
"Please, Batman," Deadshot started with exasperation in his voice. "I'm one of the best assassins in the world. The techniques you use on those petty criminals in Gotham won't work on me."
Batman stared at Deadshot through the lenses of his cowl, exposing no emotion. Leaning in close, he decided to take a more personal approach."I assumed so, but would you really want to miss Zoe's graduation since you were put into a body cast?"
Deadshot froze in Batman's hand, realizing the implications of the situation.
"You wouldn't," Deadshot said, turning his head to face Batman.
Batman narrowed his eyes, staring straight at Deadshot. "Try me."
Deadshot quickly looked between Batman and the ground below him, considering what would be his best option. Finally making a decision, Deadshot sighed, knowing he was not going to win this battle.
"Fine, I'll talk," Deadshot grudgingly responded.
"Good choice," Batman replied. He then threw Deadshot back onto the roof, wanting to get answers out of him.
"Why were you assigned to kill Superman?" Batman asked Deadshot.
Superman flew down and landed onto the roof next to Batman, curious to see what Deadshot's response would be.
"About two weeks ago, I received a message from some girl named Mercy telling me that she had an offer that I couldn't refuse," Deadshot began. "She left an address in the message to some building in Metropolis. At first I ignored the request, but after a few days I decided to go check out the job. When I arrived at the place, I came face to face with Lex Luthor himself."
"What could Luthor possibly want out of attacking me?" Superman asked.
"No idea. He just said that I was tasked with killing you, and that once the hit was done five million dollars would be transfered to my bank account. Seemed like a good deal to me," Deadshot nonchalantly answered.
"Why you..." Superman began to say as he walked towards Deadshot, intending to knock him out and take him to the police. Before he could fully reach Deadshot, a black glove grasped Superman's arm.
"I have one more question to ask," Batman said, staring down Superman as if he was threatening him to challenge his request.
Superman looked down at Deadshot, the back up to Batman. He gave a slight nod and backed away from Deadshot to let Batman continue his investigation.
"How did you get the mineral?" Batman questioned, interested in how Deadshot was about to acquire the green rock that affected Superman.
"Luthor gave it to me. He said that it should be enough to take down Superman, but if I needed more I could go back to him," Deadshot responded.
Batman and Superman both looked at each other, knowing that Luthor was up to something. So far, it did not seem good.
"Thanks for your help," Batman said to Deadshot. With a quick right hook by Batman, Deadshot was out cold.
As Batman finished securing Deadshot and his weapons, Superman was still thinking about the information they learned.
"I don't get it. Luthor is a billionaire with an equally billion dollar business. Why would he be so interested in me?" Superman asked Batman, who had just brought Deadshot and his weapons to the edge of the rooftop.
"At the moment, I'm not sure," Batman said. "I've dealt with Luthor before due to his multiple hostile attempts to try and take over Wayne Enterprises, all of which have failed miserably for him. I always thought something was up with Luthor, however I never did a full-scaled investigation into him."
"Well, he's definitely planning something, and we have to stop it," Superman said. Batman nodded at Superman, surprised at how easy it was to work with someone he just met not even an hour ago.
"I have an outpost that I can access my network from. We can start digging up some information on Luthor there, then we can visit this address," Batman said as he held up a piece of paper.
Superman took the paper from Batman's hand, reading the neat handwriting of the message that Deadshot described earlier.
"Where did you find this?" Superman asked.
"I found it in Deadshot's bag while you carried him up to the roof," Batman said. "That address is where Deadshot met with Luthor. It would be a good place to start once we get to know Luthor better."
"Agreed," Superman said. Batman moved to the edge of the roof, opening up a panel on his gauntlet to call the Batmobile to his position.
"Take Deadshot to Metropolis P.D. I'm going to head over to the outpost to get a head start," Batman said. He reached into his utility belt and took out a commlink, tossing it to Superman.
"Once you're done with Deadshot, contact me and I will give you the location of the outpost," Batman said.
"Got it," Superman replied. He put the commlink in his ear, and he grabbed Deadshot and his weapons to head off to the Metropolis Police.
As Batman watched Superman fly off, he shook his head, wondering how he formed an alliance with someone so quickly.
X X X
Themyscira
Hippolyta sat upon her royal balcony, looking down at the final members of the tournament. She was thoroughly pleased with the success of the Tournament of Champions. It was a competition whose enthusiasm and competitiveness had never been seen before on Themyscira, and she was confident that the tales of this tournament will be told for centuries to come.
There were only two contestants left, Diana and Artemis. The final trial, the one whose winner would be crowned the Amazon Champion, was a trial by combat. The first combatant to either draw blood, knock the other combatant unconscious, or force a yield would win. While Hippolyta knew that Artemis was a very experienced fighter, she knew that the fiery red-headed Amazon would be no match for the Princess.
After the Amazonian announcer described the details of the final trial to the viewers, Diana and Artemis were allowed to grab their weapons, both of whom received a traditional sword and shield. The two combatants met in the center of the arena, giving a bow out of respect to each other.
"Amazons! On my mark, the trial shall commence!" The Amazonian announcer proclaimed.
Diana got into her fighting stance, analyzing the opponent in front of her. She had sparred with Artemis many times before, and while she would have to focus on the attacks she would use, Diana never really had any trouble defeating the Amazon. The easiest part about defeating Artemis was getting her temper to ignite, throwing her off balance. Diana slightly smirked to herself, knowing that a few failed offensive attacks by Artemis alone could do that.
Diana watched as Artemis gripped her sword tightly, anxious to get into the fight. Diana herself adjusted her grip on her sword, making sure that she was ready to attack or defend quickly if needed.
"Fight!" The Amazonian announcer commanded. Almost immediately, Artemis launched at Diana, intending to end the trial quickly by knocking her out. However, Diana quickly evaded Artemis's attack, ducking into a roll and quickly righting herself.
Diana wasted no time in her attack, quickly going on the offensive against Artemis. They traded sword blows, each hit enticing the crowd to cheer for their favorite Amazon. The skill of the two combatants was mesmerizing to watch, and every Amazon was invested in seeing who would come out on top.
While both were skilled fighters, it did not take long for Diana to recognize a weakness with Artemis, which happened to be her weak sword grip. With a series of punches and strikes, Diana was able to knock the sword in Artemis's hand to the ground, leaving her with only her shield.
Artemis glared at Diana, knowing she was at a serious disadvantage. Here she was, with only a shield against the best combatant on the island. She barely had any time to raise her shield as Diana struck with a quick slash of her sword. Artemis tried her best to keep up with her opponent's extremely fast pace, but she knew that her efforts would be in vain.
Diana knew that she had a good chance at fully taking control of the trial now that she was the only one left with a weapon. With skill that was unmatched, she quickly struck Artemis's shield with her sword, and at the same time she landed a hit to Artemis's right forearm. Artemis, who was unprepared for the attack, dropped her shield, leaving her completely defenseless.
Diana did a sweeping kick, knocking a shocked Artemis on her stomach to the floor. Before Artemis even had the chance to recover, she felt the weight of a foot being planted on her back.
"Yield, Artemis! This is a battle you cannot win!" Diana commanded.
Artemis tried to wiggle out of Diana's hold, but the Amazon had her pinned to the ground. The only way Artemis could get out would involve her receiving a major injury.
Accepting defeat, Artemis slammed her hand to the ground, not happy with her defeat by the Amazon Princess. She turned to get up when she saw Diana's offered hand. Artemis smirked, and took Diana's hand to get back up to her feat.
"You put up a good fight, Artemis," Diana said. "It was an honor fighting against you in the final trial."
Artemis chuckled at Diana, finding the Princess's description of the fight was not matching up with what just occurred. To Diana, it seemed like a fair fight. To Artemis, she was just humiliated.
"You and I have very different opinions on a good fight, Diana," Artemis said.
Diana and Artemis turned to face the Queen's balcony, watching as Hippolyta stood up to announce the new Amazon Champion.
Hippolyta looked down to her daughter, the pride in her eyes easily being seen.
"Amazons! Your new champion has been determined!" Hippolyta announced. "Princess Diana has proven today at the Tournament of Champions that she is among the best of us, and that she deserves the title of the Amazon Champion!"
A loud cheer was emitted from the crowd showing their excitement of the new Amazon Champion. While all of the Amazons knew that Diana had the best chance of winning, her actually earning the title sealed the deal.
Diana looked around the colosseum with a large smile up her face. This is everything she had ever wanted, to be labeled as the best amongst the Amazons. Now, through the Tournament of Champions, she had done just that.
Diana looked up to her mother, their eyes locking and sharing a connection that only a mother and a daughter could experience. The pride in her mother's eyes made Diana swell with warmth, happy that her mother was proud of her achievements.
Diana was so overjoyed with winning the Tournament of Champions that she did not notice the slight tingling sensation in her arms and legs, believing that it was just adrenaline. However, six beings knew exactly what had happened to Diana.
X X X
Mount Olympus
The patron goddesses watched through their vision cloud as Diana was named the Amazon Champion. All of the goddesses were overjoyed that Diana had proven herself to be the best of the Amazons, as she was their favorite.
"Diana has succeeded," the goddess Artemis commented.
"Yes, she has," Hestia replied, "However, was there any doubt that she was not the prophesied champion?"
"She is a fine warrior," Athena commented, "Her skills and strategic mind make her a formidable opponent in battle."
"With her compassionate heart, she will represent us well," Aphrodite remarked.
Hera watched as Diana celebrated with her fellow Amazons, all of whom were excited that their princess was named the Amazon Champion. The goddesses had just given Diana the blessings that their chosen Champion would receive, and now it was only a matter of time before Diana realized her full potential.