"Conquest," said Barry. "I can't get over that name."
By now, Mercy had circled back to retrieve the team, and they had boarded the jet minus the Superior Man, but plus Doctor Magnus and the damaged Project: Platinum.
"Conquest," Barry said again, trying out different accents. "Conquest."
"The President is going to want a status report soon," said Mercy. "Retrieving Magnus and Platinum will be considered a mission success, but if you all want to form a plan to look for Superior Man, I'm willing to wait before I report in."
"Walk us through it again, Doctor," Slade said to Magnus. "Is there anything else you can remember? Every detail matters."
"I've told you everything. Conquest attacked the base, killed everyone else with a sword, and took me alive. He made me reprogram Platinum to fight you, then tied me up, and waited with me until you all arrived. I heard you all fighting Platinum, Conquest left, and you found me."
"There has to be something that we're missing," said Slade. "Why weren't Superior Man's powers working? Why couldn't he help us fight? And if he was all Conquest wanted, then why use government property as bait? Why not something that would attract less attention?"
"Go big or go home, I guess," Barry remarked. "The best way to get one person's attention is to get everyone's attention."
"As far as Superior Man's powers go, I might have an answer," said Victor. "My records say that he's especially vulnerable to two things. A substance called Kryptonite, and magic."
"Magic?" Rio chimed in.
"I don't know all the details, but those two things make him weak. At least that's what his files say," said Victor.
"If magic is involved," said Rio, "I can be a bigger help than I thought."
"Now that you mention it, there was something else," said Magnus. "Not long before you all arrived, Conquest did something to the house. It was like he was… casting a spell or something."
"That seems like a pretty big thing to forget about," Slade snarled.
"Give the guy a break. He's been through a lot," Barry defended the scientist. "Are you telling me you always operate at a hundred percent after something stressful happens?"
"Lightning, what do you know about spells?" Victor asked Rio.
"Not much off the top of my head, but I can try to contact my mentor and ask her about it," Rio answered.
"Mentor?" asked Slade.
"I can't really tell you too much about her," said Rio, "but if I have a mirror, I can talk to her."
"Well that sounds crazy," said Barry.
"Does it have to be a legitimate mirror? Or can it be anything reflective?" asked Slade.
"Well, I have used my phone before, so I guess the second thing."
"Could you use a knife?" Slade postulated, unsheathing a shiny, well-cared-for machete and handing it to Rio.
"Woah. Please be careful with that," said Doctor Magnus.
Rio accepted the weapon and turned it so she was looking into the side of the blade. Just as she had hoped, Francesca's face appeared.
"Francesca!" Rio said happily.
"What can I do for you, child?"
"We were hoping to ask you some questions about a spell."
"Who are you talking to?" asked Barry, leaning over to look at the knife. "I don't see anything."
"She's right here," said Rio, confused.
"Your friends cannot see me, Rio," said Francesca. "Only beings imbued with magic can commune with me."
"Oh," said Rio. "But, you can see them, right?"
"I can."
"Great. Doctor, tell Francesca about Conquest and the spell."
"You… want me to talk to the knife?" asked Magnus.
"Lightning clearly sees something we can't," Victor assumed. "It can't hurt to play along."
"Okay, well… when Conquest had me tied up, I saw him cast some kind of spell. I didn't understand most of what he was saying, but I made out the name 'Circe', like the character from the Odyssey."
"I'm afraid Circe is quite real," said Francesca, scowling at the name. "The only spells that would require invoking her name are spells used by the Greeks, a people who have lived without magic for centuries."
Rio repeated Francesca's message to the others, and Victor frowned.
"What about Superior Man?" asked Barry. "Wasn't he raised on an island by Greek gods?"
"Not gods," said Victor. "Amazons."
"Legendary warriors," said Slade, nodding.
Rio listened carefully to what Francesca told her next, then handed the machete back to Slade.
"I guess she hung up," Slade remarked. "What else did she say? Anything helpful?"
"Yeah," Rio answered. "She told me where we need to go, and how to get there."
"Well, what's our destination?" asked Mercy.
"Themyscira. Francesca thinks we need to go to Themyscira. The island of the Amazons."
