Transformation in the DC World

Thea strolled up to the three priestesses with an easy smile. “Didn’t keep you waiting too long, did I? If you don’t mind, then maybe we can—”

Before she could finish, the tall, muscular woman dropped to her knees with a thud. She held out her short sword with trembling hands, tears welling up in her eyes. “You are the only true representative of Artemis in this world! I am willing to renounce my divine name and become your eternal servant, to continue serving the Huntress! Please… please accept me!”

Thea blinked, her gaze sweeping over the crowd. No one looked like they’d prompted this—it was purely the warrior’s own choice.

Smart move, Thea thought. The woman was quick on her feet, cutting her losses and shifting her allegiance before anyone else could react. She’d lose her divine title but keep her honor. And since Thea wasn’t leaving the island anytime soon, no one could drive her away.

Of course, that whole "eternal servant" thing… a bit heavy-handed. Probably she figured Thea wouldn’t live long anyway. Too bad for her—between divine blessings, the Chosen’s status, and the life bond she shared with her unicorn, Thea could easily live for millennia.

Still, it wasn’t a bad plan. The woman clearly wasn’t all brawn.

Should I accept her or not…

Out of the corner of her eye, Thea caught Queen Hippolyta giving her a slight nod. Thea was never one to obey blindly, but since she wasn’t particularly opposed, the Queen’s gesture made up her mind.

“What’s your real name?” The warrior hesitated, her voice low. “Niobe.”

Thea took the short sword, flipped it once, then handed it back. “I am Thea Queen, the Chosen of Artemis. As the sole earthly executor of Her divine will, I accept your loyalty—until your life’s end. You may continue to serve the goddess.”

Then she lightly brushed Niobe’s shoulder with her Silvermoon Bow. “Rise, warrior of the goddess. Now… your first task.”

Niobe looked up, bewildered. Thea pointed toward the elk. “You’ll be in charge of feeding it from now on.”

Yes, that was the real reason Thea decided to accept her. She wasn’t about to waste her time playing zookeeper. If this muscle-bound woman already had a bond with the elk, she could handle the feeding duty from now on.

The entire exchange happened so quickly that the crowd barely caught up. Niobe had willingly given up her divine name, effectively ending the contest. Moments later, a wave of shocked murmurs rippled through the audience.

“The Chosen?!” “That’s an honor only ancient heroes could earn…” “The goddess’s voice on earth… her living emissary—by the heavens!”

The three old priestesses stood there, utterly deflated. Their most powerful warrior had just defected, and the remaining Amazons now looked at them with open doubt. Even if the Chosen was appointed by a single deity, her authority was absolute.

The priestesses had always claimed to speak for the Twelve Olympians together. But now? Artemis had her own representative. They couldn’t very well announce divine decrees “on behalf of the Eleven Gods.” That would shatter their five-thousand-year tradition. It felt unreal, like the ground had vanished beneath them.

Thea didn’t bother with their existential crisis. All she wanted was to get back and study her new divine abilities—and that Silvermoon Bow.

But before she could slip away, Hippolyta caught her by the arm, raising it high. In a loud, solemn voice, the Queen declared, “From this moment forth, she is our Artemis—our sister!”

The crowd erupted. “Artemis! Artemis!” they chanted. Diana’s voice was the loudest of all.

So… I’m in now? Thea thought, watching the excited faces around her. This wasn’t just reputation anymore—having received the goddess’s name, she was officially one of them. By law, by emotion, by every measure, she was now an Amazon.

And honestly, since she’d be stuck here for a few more months, that wasn’t so bad.

She accepted their cheers with grace—even the priestesses’ forced congratulations.

Hippolyta ignored their sour faces. “Diana, take Artemis to change clothes. The rest of you, follow me—prepare the ceremony to welcome our new sister!”

“Come on, Thea—oh, wait, Artemis! Let’s go! They’ll be ready soon!” Diana grabbed her hand and dragged her off, the elk trotting after them. Niobe sighed and followed close behind.

“Diana, just call me Thea…” “No!” Diana snapped, cutting her off. “You must show respect to the goddess—” and then launched into a full lecture.

Thea tuned her out. Respect the goddess? Please. The woman was maybe one step above a cosmic troll. And Diana’s devotion? Totally one-sided. For all the divine talk about “sisterhood,” Artemis hadn’t even mentioned Diana until the very end of her oracle—proof that even a thousand Dianas wouldn’t outweigh that deer. The so-called “blessings of the gods” were probably just Zeus forcing everyone to humor his favorite daughter.

Thea sighed inwardly. She needed to fix Diana’s worldview fast—or she’d end up getting flattened by her next divine half-brother down the line.

The three women and one elk dashed down the tower steps. Thea, now unshackled by the island’s magic restrictions and bolstered by divine power, could feel her strength surging. She might not have Diana’s sixfold blessings, but with her ten years of stored magic and a spark of godly essence, she was already stronger than a power-suppressed Diana.

The elk was born to run, Niobe was fast as ever, and within minutes, they reached their quarters. Diana tossed her a set of Amazon armor. “Here—change into this.”

Thea sighed. Uniformity, of course. If she was joining the club, she had to look the part. “Can’t I at least wear underwear?” she asked, eyeing the half-armor suspiciously.

Diana hesitated. They tried it with Thea’s black undergarments, but she quickly shook her head. “No… no good. The straps show through the back. You’ll just have to… get used to it.”

Well, at least ancient Greece had shorts. She wasn’t completely exposed under that battle skirt. Still… the “fresh breeze” look wasn’t exactly her style.

Thea’s frame was slimmer than most Amazons, but her height helped. She wasn’t as tall as Diana—who stood a full six feet—but she blended in well enough.

Once she finished putting on the Amazon uniform, she checked herself in the bronze mirror. Not bad. Throw on a cape, grab a spear, shout “Sparta!” and she could walk straight onto a movie set.

Finally, she tucked the mechanical arm components safely into her storage space with a flicker of magic. After all, this ceremony valued simplicity—and too many accessories would only make her stand out.

Thea changed into her new outfit and followed Diana at a run. “Why are we coming here? Isn’t the temple the other way?” she asked as they stopped before a massive cavern. The place looked oddly familiar—close to where they had once had their rather frank philosophical discussion a few days ago.

“This is where all our sisters were first born,” Diana said simply, stepping inside without further explanation.

So the Amazons were literally made from this dirt? Thea’s eyes flicked across the stone walls, the mineral seams, the damp soil underfoot. Maybe I should take a sample home for testing...

They wound their way through narrow tunnels for several minutes before the cavern suddenly opened up— “Whoa—this place is huge!” Thea gasped. The cave stretched like an underground plaza, the ceiling twenty meters high. Hundreds of Amazon warriors knelt in unison, chanting an ancient hymn in low, rhythmic tones.

Queen Hippolyta opened her eyes as they arrived and gestured toward a shallow pool before her. “Step into the water.”

Thea took two steps, but Diana stopped her. “What now?” Diana tilted her chin toward the pool and whispered, “Clothes. You have to bathe.”

Thea blinked. “Right now? No changing room? You mean I just—take it all off and walk in?” Diana nodded firmly. No negotiation.

Oh my god… you people really take that whole “ancient Greece” thing seriously.

But the bow was drawn—no turning back. Thea grit her teeth, muttered a silent prayer to modern modesty, and stripped. Fine! They’re all women anyway—no big deal, right?

She handed her clothes to Niobe, her newly appointed servant. Having renounced her divine name, Niobe wasn’t allowed to participate in the ritual—she could only stand by and watch. “Shoes, too!” Diana reminded.

Thea sighed and kicked them off. The cave wasn’t cold, but she could still feel every chill of the air and every pair of eyes that followed her. Thirty meters to the pool—normally she’d cover that in a second. Now it felt like a thirty-minute trek.

She could feel their gazes: on her back, her legs, and plenty of… other places. Her bare feet pressed against sharp gravel, and though her god-touched body wouldn’t be harmed even by walking over blades, she still felt phantom stings beneath her soles. Her nerves were stretched tight, her face composed only through sheer willpower.

At last, she reached the pool. At Hippolyta’s signal, Thea stepped in, sinking until the cool water reached her neck—and only then dared to breathe again. Thankfully, the bathing was brief; they couldn’t very well have fifteen hundred Amazons watching her scrub herself raw for half an hour.

A quick rinse, and she was pulled out again, half-dressed, half-dazed. Then came the chanting—a long, ceremonial hymn in praise of Zeus. Fine, Thea thought. The old guy’s arrow quiver was decent enough, I’ll humor him. She hummed along, more or less in tune.

Queen Hippolyta led the formal welcome, and one by one—fifteen hundred and fifty sisters—came forward to offer blessings. By the time it ended an hour later, Thea’s hair was nearly dry again. As the crowd dispersed, she exhaled in relief. Finally done.

But then— “Diana, take Artemis to the temple to leave her image,” Hippolyta commanded. Thea froze. There’s more?

When they reached the temple and spoke with several Amazons, the truth dawned on her—this “image” was a statue. One to stand beside the goddess herself. If this were still the age of divine worship, she’d practically be halfway to godhood already. Well, Artemis has treated me decently—pet, bow, blessings… having my statue next to hers isn’t embarrassing. So Thea agreed without hesitation.

She shouldn’t have.

“What do you mean, take my top off?! It’s just a statue!” Thea stared in disbelief.

The sculptor—a capable woman who could pass for a professional artist even in the modern world—gave a helpless smile. She’d already spent half an hour explaining. From art theory to ritual symbolism to religious doctrine, she’d covered it all. She even took Thea on a tour of the hall to show her that every single statue wore little more than a strip of cloth around the waist.

Seeing Thea still hesitate, the sculptor launched another passionate speech—about aesthetics, honor, and the power of faith.

Thea tuned most of it out… except that last part. The power of faith?

That got her attention. Divine faith might not crown new gods anymore, but belief still carried strength. Over time, that strength accumulated—and Thea, who planned to return to her original era a century later, could convert that into a serious amount of divine energy.

“All right,” she said after a moment’s thought. “But can we at least do this inside the temple?” “Impossible!” the sculptor gasped. “The dust would defile the sanctity of the temple! The plaza is perfect—open air, sunlight, inspiration!” She was immovable.

Thea weighed her options and sighed. Fine. For faith energy, I’ll risk it. She glanced up at the sky. The gods are gone, the Watchtower won’t launch for another hundred years… no one’s watching.

So, for the second time that day, she removed her armor. Wearing only a linen wrap around her waist, she stepped into the sunlit plaza.

Then came the final indignity—the quiver strap. It was slung diagonally across her chest, the leather strap pressing right between... well, two very sensitive points. She tugged at it, adjusted it several times, until it was just barely tolerable. Then she raised the Silvermoon Bow, trying to look fearless and divine while her heartbeat pounded like a drum.

“Hold that pose! Perfect!” the sculptor called, picking up her hammer and chisel. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs NoveI[F]ire.net

Three hours later, Thea was still holding the same stance. The sculptor was nowhere near finished. Thea’s arms ached, her breath steady only through sheer control. She’d tried casting a Haste spell on the woman, but the island’s magic field instantly dispelled it.

So… only self-casting works here. Great.

As the sun dipped low, Amazons finishing their training passed by the plaza. Each one paused to salute the new “goddess” in mid-pose.

It was torture. Holding a heroic expression while half the island admired her “divine form” was—without question—the most excruciating acting exercise of her life.

So Thea did what she always did under pressure— She buried herself in thought. If she couldn’t move, she’d at least brainstorm new combat techniques. Anything to keep from dying of embarrassment.