I was fucking doing it. I was flying, actually flying. No wings, no strings, no nothing, just something weird about my Viltrumite Form allowed me to fly. It was so freeing. Able to go where I wanted, when I wanted, at a pretty damn good speed too. I dove down, letting the air hit me as I picked up speed. Each moment making me more confident with the power as I flew through the air. 

“Calm it *bur* down,” John said, trying not to puke. He was dangling from my hands. Having refused a piggieback ride, and since I denied him a seat on my back, we were left to me holding him in one of the most uncomfortable ways imaginable. 

“Slow it down!” Raven yelled from behind. Black magical energy in an aura around her. She flew after me. We had been at it for two days by that point, and she was just now close to half the speed I could handle. Her own magic awakening having taken a dark turn I woke up from my Viltrum caveman flight dream to find John fighting off another dark octopus. Tabi helped us subdue it and we got Raven into check once more. She and I rather excited to try out flying. 

As I opened my mouth another popup appeared. 

A smile splitting my lips even more, I had been receiving notifications like this sporadically since the vision Constantine gave me. Unsure if the form was as easy as this to raise, it had raised over 3% in the last two days, and didn’t seem to be slowing. 

“I’m going as slow as I can,” I lied as I slowed down. I really wanted to just fly as fast as possible. My body pushed forward by some invisible force. I began zigging and zagging in the air around her. 

“Stay fucking still,” John said. He had been trying to read a book, holding onto me with one hand. “I can’t get any-” He cut off as he began to cough. Dropping his book, it fell toward the ocean. I rolled my eyes having done this three times already that day. I swooped down, picking John up in a princess carry. Then dropped a little more until I got his book. 

John coughed hard, both hands covering his mouth as he sounded like a velociraptor calling for others. Each hack was worse than the last. My face twisted in a frown. I felt bad that I couldn’t do anything to help the guy. Though I didn’t know his end goal, I could tell he was a good person. No one deserved the kind of pain he was in, but no one could stop it. 

As the coughing subsided, Raven flew up next to me. Our faces mirror images of the other. She opened her mouth to say something, but John cut her off. “No, we keep going,” he said. “I’m not dead yet.”

“Sure,” I said, continuing to fly with him in my arms. When he was well enough he made me drop him down so we were just holding hands. Somehow less gay, we flew in silence for a time. Eventually he began to speak. 

“Paradise Island is an ancient haven for the Amazons,” he said. I slowed down so Raven could fly next to me as he spoke. “Also known as Themyscira. They used to be a part of the rest of the world, but with Greece and eventually Rome constantly at war with someone or another, they wanted to break away from that. The matriarchal society was gifted a new home by Aphrodite herself.” 

“Like the goddess?” Raven asked. 

“No the pop singer, of course the fucking god,” he said. I frowned, convinced for half a second there was a pop singer named Aphrodite. “The deal is that as long as they stay on the island, they don’t age. Most of the women on the island are thousands of years old.”

“How do they…you know. Scratch the itch?” I couldn’t help but ask. The other two looked at me like maybe that wasn’t the first question I should ask.

“No idea. Some leave, never to return. But I’m fairly certain there are a lot more on the island than there used to be. Maybe they just recruit other men-haters or kidnap sailors for a fun weekend,” he said.

“Could I join the Amazons?” Raven asked excitedly. 

“Probably,” John said. “I think I heard you have to show your fighting spirit though. I helped their queen with a roaming spirit once upon a time. I was secluded and eventually got it, then she threw some gold in my hand and I woke up in Africa.”

“This is around where I was found,” I mused. I was told the ship was just west of Africa or Spain when I was found a few days ago. “Maybe I went here.”

“I doubt it,” John said. “Men are only let inside rarely. Which makes this ordeal a real bitch.” He shook his head, his haki curious if the fight was going to be worth the golden fleece. 

“What the hell does the golden fleece do anyway?” Raven asked. 

“Again, I have no idea. There are a lot of rituals with ancient artifacts most people haven’t heard of. But this thing is as old as, if not older than, the Holy Grail, so I doubt it does anything good. I’ll have to…alter the Fleece a little before I give it to Myrddin.” 

“Jeez, you walk a tight rope. How have you not died yet?” I asked down at him. 

“Not for lack of trying,” he said humorlessly. We quieted after that. Asking questions sporadically as we flew East. The sun dipping away under the horizon, we were guided by a silvery compass John held in his hands. Eventually he waved his hand for me to slow down. 

“There it is,” he said. We were high in the air, only the moon giving us light. I thought I could see something in the vast ocean, but it was too dark to tell. “Start descending slowly,” he said. Raven and I did so. She was getting rather good with her magic, the black aura of her spell casting a dark and dim light around her. 

We moved down in sync until eventually we passed through some invisible threshold. The veil of the illusion being dropped, the black of the ocean turned into land. Trees far below, there were a few mountains scattered around us now, none taller than the illusion, but still obviously a mountain. 

“Holy shit,” Raven said. “You were right.”

“And people question me no matter where I go,” John said tiredly. “Do you see that town over there?” He pointed his head to the main source of light on the island. Near the coast it seemed to be a small village. With only candlelight and fireplaces to light their homes it was rather dim. 

“Yeah,” I said. 

“Let’s go there. Get some clothes to blend in, and then I’ll gather info,” he said. I nodded and flew in the town’s direction. 

“Do we need to worry about being spotted?” Raven whispered as we flew. 

“Yes,” John said. “But I should have bypassed their defenses that monitor people entering the illusion around the island. Just don’t let anyone see you.”

“That’s real reassuring,” I mumbled. We skirted the forest below. My eyes watching owls, mice, and even some deer scampering through the quiet forest. We got to the edge of the town without incident to find huts made of clay and brick. The roads and path between homes made of the same hand-formed clay I couldn’t help wonder who built it for them. 

“They built it,” John said.

“Sure,” I said, not believing him. 

“What? Do you think women can’t build stuff?” Raven asked. Her eyes dark from under her hood. 

“No, I’m sure they could. Would they want to…” I asked with a shrug. “What?” I asked as her look somehow grew more dark. I wasn’t exactly sure where my confidence in my supposed gender beliefs came from, but I felt like I knew people. 

“Maybe I am sexist,” I mumbled, trying to understand my thoughts better. “Obviously women are capable of surviving without men. But I sure as shit wouldn’t want to live without women.” I was speaking from my own thoughts and Raven’s attitude got worse. “We simply go together too well, like pancakes and syrup, or chicken and the egg. These Amazons are the weird ones for not wanting men here.” 

“Are they though? Do you even know why this place was made?” Raven asked. 

“Do you?” I asked with a laugh, annoyed by her Haki. There was a mix of disgust and annoyance. “Do you know what Amazon means?” She opened her mouth but didn’t answer. “One boob. Because back in the legends they would cut off a boob so they could shoot an arrow more easily.” That knowledge was from one of my nerdier lives. “No, I don’t know why the Amazons were formed. Probably some patriarchal hate against women. But shit sure has changed out in the world.” 

We had landed near the town, staring at one another. Raven and I at least anyway. John was busy looking around and ignoring us. 

“They have their reasons,” John said, his own haki annoyed with me for talking too loud. “We can figure out the monarchical issues with the sexes later, for now just focus," John said. “Let’s get some clothes. I’ll go out into town and see if I can gather some information on the Fleece. I want to be out of here before dawn.” We stared at one another, but each nodded slowly. 

Raven squinted her eyes as John walked away. “Is that really what Amazon means?” She asked. 

I opened my mouth but let out a breath. “I thought so, I can’t remember now,” I said. It sounded right but maybe I was thinking of some other boob. Memory was a fickle bitch. “Are you and I fighting?” I asked confused. 

“Uhh, yes, you said sexist stuff,” she said, crossing her arms, but still talking in a whisper. 

“What? That women don’t like to build things?” I laughed. “Men don’t like to build things either. We just do it to impress girls.” She rolled her eyes, but let out a small smile. She began to look around as she did. We were next to one of the clay huts. No candles lit inside. I couldn't feel anyone there, so I felt generally safe. Other huts with people inside weren’t too far off though. John disappeared between homes, his brown trench coat helping him to disappear into the darkness. 

Our thoughts our own, we were both quiet until Raven actually bounced slightly as she waved her arms trying not to clap. “This is so exciting,” she said as we walked, moving on from our conversation. There was a small home not too far away with some laundry hanging outside. 

“What’s exciting? The stealthy part, stealing part, or the fact that we are on an island with nothing but women?” I whispered. 

“All of it,” she said. “Weston, this is the first time in…I don’t know how long, that I felt a little, I don’t know, confident maybe.”

“Why’s that?”

“I always thought my power was impossible to control. John showed me it really isn’t that hard,” she said. “I mean, my body wants to use it.” She whispered and a small black flame appeared in her hand. With a flourish it disappeared, showing her wide smile. Her hood was still covering her forehead of course, the brim hiding the blood seal Constantine had drawn there. 

“Good for you,” I said, patting her shoulder. “Come on, I’ll boost you.” We came to the side of the two-story home and I helped her up to the second floor. She reached down to help me but I actually jumped and caught the edge. 

“Show off,” she said, sticking her tongue out. 

“You know it,” I said, remembering that I could have just flown up, but ignored it. In front of us was a line of clothes hanging on a string. The clothes were white and red. “Who do you think has to…you know?” 

“I don’t know,” she said confused. 

“Who has to do the laundry? The bitch or the butch?” I asked. 

“Bitch or b…oh you’re saying they’re lesbians?” She asked, her eyes wide.

“Duh,” I said as if it were obvious. “I mean, there is no way you’re living forever without getting any.” I moved to the clothes, pulling off the archaic wood pins to release them. I must have went to a world with robes once upon a time, because I threw the garments over my shoulders and expertly tied the sash around it. I even had to help Raven put hers on over her clothes. 

“You think the women here are…of that persuasion?” Raven asked, her face twisted in a very un-Ravenlike way. During the cartoon she was always so confident and dreary. Like a magical goth with daddy issues…so a normal goth. Currently she felt like an excitable and inquisitive girl. “You really think they’re…” 

“Lesbos?” I asked, a little louder than I should have, making her duck down. I did the same and as someone yelled out to us we moved to the edge of the roof and jumped off. Running into the street we got back to where we landed and leaned against the small abandoned home.

“Yes, lesbians,” Raven said. 

“Probably,” I said. The situation almost felt familiar. An island full of women, something about…saving them or protecting them was on the tip of my memories, but it was like an echo of an idea. Maybe some old fantasy I had as a kid while reading about this place. But I couldn’t hold onto the idea. Instead I eyed Raven, she was still a little annoyed with me, but her giddiness was too great. I started to suspect it wasn’t just from the island. 

“So you learned to use magic?” I asked. “What did the late great JC show you to allow you to use it?” 

“You can fly now, what did he show you?” She retorted, a lone eye peeking out from her hood. 

“A…memory,” I said. 

In my status screen I had a Viltrumite Form with a certain percentage, which had raised almost a half a percent since the last time I looked at my status screen. Originally I thought I wasn’t exactly a Viltrumite, but with the vision John showed me I started to suspect I had actual Viltrumite blood. Since the civilization and planet destroyers weren’t from DC, no one knew about them. It was hard to explain what exactly I went through, and since John hadn’t hinted at what I went through, he must not have seen either, or I was sure he would have had some questions. 

As a human we of course had our own ancestors that were cavemen. Maybe stronger than normal people are today, but nothing too special. Those Viltrumites were something else entirely. Even thousands of years ago they could jump farther, hit harder, and even fly long before any humans could, and for good reason. The animals on their planet were so much bigger and more menacing than what humans had to put up with. They had pretty much taken on dinosaurs during the reptile's heyday. No wonder they were so fierce. 

“I saw the origins of my flight,” I ended up on. 

Raven nodded, staying quiet with her own thoughts she admitted, “Me too.” She let out a long sigh. “Apparently I’m magic,” she said, a smile on her lips. One of many I had seen on her in the last few hours. Far more than I had seen before. 

“So you can pull rabbits from a hat?” I asked, quirking my eyebrow.

“Maybe,” she said with a chuckle. “Maybe…more.” The words were almost fearful, but mostly excited. I could tell she didn’t know all of her capabilities, but she was excited to figure them out. I guessed I was the same. There was so much I still didn’t know. 

For now I had Hoken, flight, and my Soulsword. That was enough to make me dangerous, but my status screen hinted at a whole lot more I could do. Though I didn’t want to admit it, it seemed my memories only came back when I needed them or I was in similar dangerous situations. Not looking forward to awakening more through danger, I wished there was a way to skip all this waiting, but that was life. Or at least that was what I remembered about life so far. 

I leaned against the house unable to get the thoughts out of my mind. I was strong, but there were people much stronger than me in this world. Much like the Viltrumite whose memories I received. That strength built into them since they were born. It was in their blood. I was merely a…that kid that played Shazam. Granted powers and trying to figure out your limits. 

I frowned, agreeing with the comparison to Shazam. I couldn’t remember his name for some reason. As I tried to recall it, a thought struck me. He was in this world. I wondered if I should find him. 

“Do you know who Shazam is?” I asked. 

“Sham wow?” She asked. 

“No Shazam-ah doesn’t matter. Let’s just say its…” I trailed off as I felt John get closer. He was still wearing his trench coat and no robes. He nodded at us as he approached. 

“I think I found where they keep all of their artifacts. It’s on the other side of the island,” he said. I nodded, taking his hand like a long lost lover. He put a disgusted look on his face and I laughed.

Moving behind him I put my hands in his arm pits. “I will show you the world,” I sang in his ear. 

“Ah fuck, kill me,” he said. 

“Sorry, you’re not dying yet,” I assured. JC was about to say something, but I picked up speed, ready to finish yet another quest.