The sun, as warm as ever

The waterfalls, close enough to hear the relaxing sounds of water

The wind, gentle in its journey

The wildlife and the trees sounded busy, yet remained calm in its actions

Combined, these elements resulted in an unmatched harmony. Intuition would say that no man lived in this paradise island

And in a way, that was the case

A carefully crafted wooden door opened, allowing the sunlight to sneak into the room belonging to the only exception of that rule:

You

Upon feeling the light warm up your face, you groaned in annoyance, not getting to enjoy more of that sleep you were so fond of

"It is time, Y/N"

You heard a female voice announce. Once your eyes adjusted to the place, you spotted a redheaded young woman standing at your door

You knew her as Artemis

"Good morning to you too" was all you could say before reluctantly sitting on your bed, getting your body ready for the day

The woman rolled her eyes with a smile, showing that you two had known each other for a while

Artemis: Come on, the queen is waiting for you

You: Alright alright, I'm coming

You stood up and walked towards her, still stretching a little. Artemis' smile only grew wider when she realized just how sleepy you still were

Artemis: In your sleeping clothes?

You looked down to confirm what she said, sighed and then snapped your fingers and in the blink of an eye, you were already wearing the outfit that the residents made for you

You: Happy now?

Artemis: Much better

She chuckled before she began to walk away, getting to the task at hand with you following suit

Once you got out of your small house, you were met with the wonders of nature combined with a Greek structure. Such harmony was what made Paradise Island so remarkable for those who knew it existed

You breathed the fresh, welcoming air of the place and found yourself smiling in no time

You: I'll never get tired of this place...

Paradise Island or Themyscira was very much your home, coming only second to the house of mystery, your actual home

While you spent the first seven years of your life in places like the tower of fate and the house of mystery, you spent the rest of it (until now, at least) in this place

It was prophesied that you would bear a great destiny, nobody knew what it was exactly, but if you were to become something great, you had to be the best version of yourself

As a magic-user yourself, you were trained by the likes of Zatanna, Dr. Fate and Constantine himself, your father

Your body, on the other hand, was being sculpted by the mighty Amazons that inhabited this very place

At first, their leader, queen Hippolyta rejected the idea of a man in Themyscira, but once Dr. Fate himself told her about the legacy that you would live to uphold, she found herself making an exception out of you

Needless to say, she trained you as harshly as she could, sometimes you would end up bloody and full of bruises due to the warmup alone. However, you were too stubborn to just give up, so you managed to endure it one way or the other

No wonder why the Amazons have such great physique if they trained like that

As for the redhead guiding you, her name was Artemis of Bana-Mighdall. She was not from Themyscira, but still helped to train you

Of course, being as cruel as she was, she would hardly show any mercy towards you when training and would not talk to you if it wasn't important, but in time she became fond of you mostly due to your sarcastic remarks on almost every single thing once given the chance

She would later become what you could call a "best friend" and even if she didn't like to admit it, she would look up to you too

Your morning thoughts were interrupted by an always pleasant noise, a river. You saw that not so far away, a bunch of Amazons were in the river nearby, enjoying the water.

They had gotten used to your presence, in fact, some they had even come to like you. A smile grew on your face the moment you noticed them

You: Well hello to you, ladies~

You bowed to them respectfully with a smile, earning some giggled and of course, flirty responses from the women while others just scuffed or rolled their eyes

You chuckled at this, but the moment was short-lived due to some scoffing you heard. When looking for the source of that sound, you found your companion not amused by your behavior

Artemis: Are you done?

You laughed nervously at her and scratched the back of your neck

Perhaps you have spent a lot of time in Themyscira, but not everyone has the fortune of living on an island full of heavenly women

You: Right, let's go

She sighed as she turned around to lead the way yet again, but shortly after, your own curiosity brought you something to talk about

You: So, Artemis, why does the queen need me today? Another wise lesson of power and responsibility?

She chuckled at your comment but kept the same voice tone

Artemis: You're going to like this one

But then you realized something once you actually paid attention to the path you were walking

She was taking you to the Colosseum

You: (In mind): Bugger, not one of these again...

When Artemis moved a bush out of the way, the view in front of you confirmed this, the Colosseum

Acting out of pure instinct, you froze in place once you saw the building. It never did leave pleasant memories

Your friend noticed this and acted on it, putting a hand on your shoulder

Artemis: Hey, you're going to do fine, trust me. I have seen you fight

You: Then I guess you've seen me get annihilated.

Artemis: You're much better now, you can do this, Y/N. The Amazons know it, I know it, and you should too

You looked away from the building and into Artemis' eyes. You did not spot a single bit of doubt in her eyes, she was always a comforting figure once she tried to

You: *Sigh* If you say so... Then I might be up to a good match today

Seeing you embrace the upcoming event draw a smile on her face, nodding in reply

Artemis: That is the spirit

After that, you followed her into the Colosseum and surprisingly enough, it was filled with Amazons expecting to see something

You could already feel the tension returning

In the highest point of the place, was the queen of the Amazons herself, but she was not alone. Dr. Fate was there as well

As soon as you spotted the queen, both you and Artemis got on one knee as a sign of respect

Artemis: I have brought him here as you requested, Hippolyta

The woman in question stood up from her seat and raised up her hand, making the crowds to become silent. Once this was done, she looked down at Artemis

Hippolyta: Thank you, Artemis.

Then, with the same serious gaze, she looked at you and motioned you to stand up, which you did

Hippolyta: Y/N Constantine, born from a strange union between worlds, it was prophesied that your actions would help shape the world

As requested by Dr. Fate, we have taken you to live amongst us and train to become something better, worthy of your destiny

After she said that, you could barely spot the hint of a smile on her face. Was she...proud?

Hippolyta: Not only have you completed all of the assignments you were given but also became part of our community by a respectful treatment. That is something to be recognized

You are here today because this is the day of your last trial. Your last objective before you can be considered as ready for your next phase

Those words had an immense impact on you, seeing as it broke your concentration straight away. There had been so many tests, you never actually questioned when they'd finish

You did ask, but never actually got an answer...until now

The next thing you knew, Artemis was standing in front of you, enough distance for a standard encounter. Not good

Hippolyta: Before you, stands one of our greatest warriors. A woman that you have befriended as well and thus, the best candidate for this.

Your last objective, Y/N, will be to overpower an Amazon in combat. Everything that has been taught to you shall be put in practice today, do not hold back

Out of instinct, you looked at Artemis, as if you were hoping her to clear every doubt that you had at the moment, everything was just so sudden

And you got just that by her showing you a confident nod, confident not only on herself but on you. Artemis was a rough person, but her emotional support was definitely there

Hippolyta: Call on your weapons, so we can proceed

Artemis extended her hand to the side and called her weapon with a gentle phrase

Artemis: To me, Mistress

Then, a giant axe flew into her hands. Her preferred weapon, enchanted just for her

Once armed, the warrior looked up at you with a smirk

Artemis: You heard the queen, do not hold back

It was never easy to not stare at the size of that thing, but if she was going with her best weapon, so would you

You: Alright, then, if that's how it's going to be...

You extended your fists in front of you, together at first, you started to separate them and as you did so, a black sword began to take form

This enchanted sword had some charm to it, you had a name for it (Which will be represented as Weapon name- W/N)

Hippolyta: Let the battle begin!

Immediately, Artemis rushed out and swung her giant axe at you, barely giving you any time to react. Jumping back, you swung your sword at her only for her to sidestep and hit you with the massive handle of her weapon just enough to send you back again

The Amazons cheered at this initial display

Right after that, you rushed violently towards Artemis. It was your turn

She anticipated this and prepared another swing. However, once you were in range, you threw your sword at her, throwing her off guard at first

While she deflected it with her weapon, you managed to slide under her and recover the weapon just in time to land a hit on Artemis' back

You heard her let out a pained grunt, looking at you with a smirk as a result. She hated the feeling, but you could tell she was proud of you

Artemis: My turn

She used the axe to create space between you before she threw the entire thing your way. You managed to jump over it and land safely on the ground, but the moment you did, it was already coming back

You (In mind): Right, it's enchanted 

When it did come back, you used it to boost yourself and jumped towards Artemis starting an assault on her

She tried to disarm or incapacitate you multiple times, but every time it seemed like she was doing it, you just kept coming back again and again

The objective of this assault was only to tire her down and judging by the speed of your own actions, it was working

She was much better in combat, but you were too stubborn, every failed attempt to strike her would be met with yet another

Decided to finish the conflict, you jumped back, finally giving her room to breathe. You saw the redhead immediately charge at you as she let out a roar with her steel companion not so far behind

With a grin, you charged at her as well and started to swing to gain momentum

When the time came and your weapons finally clashed again, even some dust was raised as a result of how powerful this action was

As your weapons greeted each other in a clash, you could see her so focused on you, it was the perfect moment to overpower her by using your own tricks

In a matter of seconds, you suddenly stepped back and used the momentum that caused Artemis to move forward, against her by sweeping her legs

She fell to the ground and her weapon fell as well, but before she could reach it, you stepped on the blade. Artemis still lifted the weapon and used the chance to throw you into the air

Then, she grabbed your leg to smash you back down, but before she could, you kicked her using your free leg and landed safely

She growled and threw a punch at you with her right arm as she stood up at the same time.

Not only did you grabbed her arm, but you also turned around to the left, swinging the blade at her before she could use her weapon to defend herself

You chose to stop your blade the moment it was just about to touch the side of your opponent's neck

The Amazons gasped the moment that this happened, especially considering how quick did everything took place

Once the dust settled, it was clear now, you had overpowered Artemis

Hippolyta: I have seen enough

After hearing her imponent voice once again, you decided to lower your guard

Shortly after, the queen herself stood up from her seat and with the help of a portal from Dr. Fate, she appeared on the arena in front of you as she decided to speak

When you saw her again, you got on one knee yet again, ready for what the queen might have to say next

Hippolyta: Y/N Constantine. From the world of man to Themyscira, you have proven yourself to be not only a great warrior but decided to show one of the greatest qualities in any person:

Mercy

And for that, you have passed your trial

The crowd of Amazons cheered again, but this time, it was for you. Upon peeking slightly, you saw that Artemis was even clapping as a celebration

The queen moved a sword near your shoulders, identical to how a queen announces a new knight in the kingdom back in London

Hippolyta: You are a son of Themyscira now, make us proud wherever destiny takes you, young one

Then, she turned around and announced to the crowd:

Hippolyta: Before you, stands the newest member of our society!

To have a colosseum worth of cheering Amazons spoke volumes of your bond. It was no secret that they despised mankind, and that same fact made this a moment for the ages

A proud smile appeared on your face shortly after, a token of genuine happiness

You: I won't let you down, queen

Hippolyta: I know you won't, Y/N...

"I know you won't"

You were given the rest of the day to say goodbye to your home. It would have been easier to do if you were actually told that it was your last day in Themyscira, but this opportunity was better than nothing

So you spent the day with the friends you made along the way, even those with whom you might have had a disagreement with showed up to say goodbye

Some of them were kind enough to give you a parting gift, something to remember them by

When the night arrived, you gathered your belongings as you had been called to the temple of Athena, one of the most sacred places in the entire island

Illuminated by the kind torches of the temple, you stood there with queen Hippolyta and Artemis, Dr. Fate had returned for you as well

Hippolyta: Your journey must continue, Y/N. It was an honor for me and my people to aid in your formation

Dr. Fate: Your destiny is awaiting

There was a portal next to you opened by the man in a helmet, waiting for you to step through. Even though you had the entire day to prepare, you were not so ready to say goodbye

Artemis herself approached you, holding a sheathed item

Artemis: You might already have been given gifts by the girls, but I believe it is my turn now

She handed it over. You unsheathed the sword, revealing an ebony blade, it still looked as if it were still burning, but it didn't actually hurt you

It was your sword, but noticeably improved, it even felt much lighter than before, yet not less powerful

Artemis: I took the time to improve upon your design, it's the best version of your sword. Is enchantment follows only your command

Impressed by this gift, you swung it a couple times before finally putting it back on its sheath and look back at them

You: I... I don't know what to say, thank you!

The redhead nodded, giving you a somewhat tender smile. This same smile brought upon you a feeling of bitterness, you were never one for good-byes

Your friend noticed this, she made you look at her by placing a hand on your shoulder

Artemis: We will always be in touch, Y/N

Her statement helped to ease the burden, just enough to allow you to answer

You: Right, I'll be sure to send you a postal or something

She chuckled at this comment but then decided to embrace you in a comforting hug which you inevitably corresponded

Artemis: Good hunting, my friend

Not really wanting to go, you patted her back, but still tried to keep a happy attitude

You: You too, Artemis, take care

Shortly after that, you heard Fate's echoing voice once again. At least he was patient

Dr. Fate: It is time, Y/N

Concluding the hug, you looked at the armored sorcerer as you gathered enough strength to walk into the portal

You: Right behind you, doctor

He nodded before entering the portal back home, you followed suit, but before you crossed it entirely, you looked back at the women and waved goodbye before finally crossing

The portal closed once it sensed you were away, leaving the Amazons alone as a consequence

Artemis:... Queen Hippolyta?

Hearing her voice made her turn around to face Artemis

Hippolyta: Yes?

Artemis: Do you really think Y/N can live up to his fate? I believe in him firmly, but I have never heard it from you

Her queen just looked at the sky, with both hope and concern

Hippolyta: This kid does show a lot of potential, I hope Fate is right about him

For everybody's sake...

3 Years Later...

Gotham Square Garden

A nocturnal sky roamed above the lights of the city of Gotham, where a crowd of people was in a small building for a show that they always enjoyed so much:

The beautiful and talented magician Zatanna and her young assistant

"Thank you, Gotham, you have been a lovely audience as always!"

A charming voice told her audience, this voice belonged to the stage magician herself, Zatanna Zatara

She was on a white stage, the crowd in front of her and some lights in strategic places to keep the place from being entirely in the dark, but just enough for comfort

Zatanna: Now, for the last trick of the night, I'm going to need help from my assistant. Please welcome the fearless man!

After saying that, she swiftly tossed her hat to the floor, the public was excited to see what would happen next

Shortly after, a cloud of f/c smoke rose from the ground, under the hat to be exact. Slowly, a figure rose from the ground, as if it were emerging from the very hat

It was a young man wearing a mask, cape and holding three daggers appeared to catch the hat

This individual was you

After revealing yourself to the public, you bowed to them, hearing their praise your dramatic appearance

And also, they knew that if you were going to be present, a different trick would be performed

Smiling, you tossed the object back to the woman and she smiled back

Zatanna: Very well, then, let us begin!

While she chanted something, you threw the daggers on the ground, each one nailing itself in a different angle

Then, Zatanna conjured a giant safe floating above you, then looked at you and nodded

You returned the gesture before turning towards the audience as you extended the cape using both hands like a bird presenting its wings

And then, the safe fell on top of you

The audience gasped by this, some of them were shocked by how there was no other sound than that of metal hitting the ground

After a moment of silence, the door of the safe opened, revealing a green version of your figure inside

Then an orange version came from behind the safe

And then, a purple one that came from below the safe.

Each one of those figures, holding their respective dagger

They all came together and after a flash of light, it was you again, your normal self

The crowd was so amazed by your act, all of them either cheered or clapped at your performance. Another successful night

Both of you happily thanked the audience for their presence as you bowed to them.

However, when you looked over at the seats, you saw that one in the front row was empty

The seat reserved for John Constantine

You sighed, but kept the happy attitude towards the crowd, they did not deserve to see you like that just because of the failure of one man

After a while, you two finally walked backstage, in the room that Zatanna was given before the act. She was currently reading the notes from the admirers that came along with the bouquets of flowers

Zatanna: That was an amazing performance, Y/N, great job

You: Yeah, thanks, aunt...

Over the course of the years, you started calling her that, subconsciously but crediting the major role she took in raising you. perhaps Dr. Fate had taught you how to use your magic, sometimes Constantine would too

But Zatanna taught you how to be human as well, something the others had clearly failed to do

Your mind was focused somewhere else, it didn't need a magician nor a psychic to know that, just intuition

The woman looked at you using the mirror in front of her, concern was visible in her eyes

Zatanna: What's wrong, Y/N? Was it because...

You: Yeah, the bastard didn't show up again

A sigh could be heard from her, the woman stood up and hugged you shortly after. At this point, you have gotten used to it

After a while, she broke the hug and looked at you straight in the eyes while cupping your cheek

Zatanna: Hey, don't worry about it, you know that if he isn't around, maybe it was because he was working on something important

She was not wrong, the man was constantly interrupted by his own work. Even though it was a good argument, it wasn't good enough, it didn't feel like it

But you didn't feel like arguing with Zatanna either, so you chose to just leave it like that

You: That I can't argue with, thanks, aunt

She nodded before opening a portal and then looked back at you with a smile. Your duty in this place had concluded, and so had the day

Zatanna: Come on, let's go call it a day

You agreed and walked into the portal, leading to the house of mystery, your actual home

But it was then, that you saw the last person that you were expecting to see in there

Your own father

So that's why you felt the argument was not good enough

Constantine: *Sigh* Bollocks...

The man was reading a book but once he spotted you and Zatanna, he reluctantly turned around to greet you with a fake smile

Constantine: Allo, Z! Hey, kid!

You simply glared at him while crossing your own arms, not giving any kind of answer. Even Zatanna found herself irritated at this mockery

Your aunt was trying to keep a good image of this man to you, only for Constantine himself to let you down... Again

Constantine:...Yeah, guess I deserve that

As soon as his voice was heard, so did Zatanna's

Zatanna: Where were you, John? You promised to see at least this one!

Constantine: I know, I know, it's just that I was busy!

You: Doing what? By drinking and smoking?

You chose to enter the fray with quite a sentence, getting Constantine's attention straight away

Constantine: Hey, that's not true!

You looked behind the man, only to find a glass of half-drunk alcohol and a cigarette nearby, then looking back at the man, even angrier than before

The detective realized the quality of his lies wasn't up to their usual standard, they never were when it came to lying to his own son

Constantine: Okay, okay, but It's not what you think

Zatanna: Then what is it?

Constantine: *Sigh* I was...how to put it... contemplating something

You: What could possibly be so important for you to just lie there to think for entire hours!?

Your assault gained an equally strong response from the blond, who didn't try to sugarcoat what he was about to say

Constantine: The possibility of you joining a bloody team! There, you happy now?

This information paused any hint of rage that you had, replacing it with shock for a moment

You:... What?

Zatanna: What are you talking about, John?

The man sighed deeply yet again. This topic was not one he was comfortable talking about, and letting out the information just like that didn't help either

Constantine: The bat himself told me to invite Y/N to a team of kids his age, the Teen Titans, I think they're called

The woman next to you appeared to be surprised by this team, her facial expressions gave it away

You: What is it, aunt? Is this team that good?

Zatanna: It has stopped as many world-ending events as the Justice League or us on their own, so, yeah, it is

Constantine: Bats says that it would be good for you if you learned to work with more people, besides, they could use some help

You: Wait, since when do you take parenting advice? And from that guy, nonetheless?

Constantine: The bat is not one for that matter, but when he tells you something, you have to at least listen to him

Seeing what you were trying to do, the woman stopped your plan by gently putting a hand on your shoulder, her expression alone told you that this was an opportunity unlike anything else before

And you trusted the woman's judgment with your life, there was no doubt on that. However, even if the Teen Titans were as good as they said, they would probably slow you down

Regardless of their age

Constantine: So, what's it gonna be, kid?

You:... No

That answer was sudden, to say the least, none of them was expecting something like that from you, but before they could say anything about it you chose to flee the conversation by walking up the stairs

Constantine: Hey, get back here!

You ignored the man and shut the door of your own room, practically locking yourself in. The adults were quick to get their act together, especially Zatanna who was already on her way up

Constantine: Bloody hell... Am I really that hard to deal with?

Zatanna: No, Y/N is way more charming

With that said, she continued to walk upstairs, heading to your room

Shortly after, she found Boston Brand, (a.k.a Deadman) in front of your door and about to knock on it, when he spotted the stage magician

Deadman: Hey Zatanna, you know what's up with Y/N? He looks upset

Zatanna: I'll take it from here, Boston

Seeing that motherly gaze of hers in action, the spirit agreed to let her handle the situation

Deadman: Alright, good luck

She smiled before the ghost decided to float away, allowing her to think her words and how to proceed

After all, if there was someone that could talk some sense into you, it was Zatanna herself

Zatanna: Y/N? It's me, Zatanna, can I come in?

She knocked on the door a couple of times, that and a couple seconds of pondering were all that it took for the door opened on its own

She took that as a yes. Your aunt entered the room and saw you looking out the window, with a clearly troubled expression

She closed the door behind her as she approached you, not wanting anyone to peep on you two

Zatanna: I know you stopped trusting John long ago, but you still trust me, right?

That sudden question made you look at her immediately

You: Why, of course I do, aunt!

But then, your gaze softened into one of hurt and confusion as you looked to the side

You: It's just that... *Sigh* I was never a fan of them capes and tights, you know?

I mean, we deal with things they could never imagine! They would be annihilated when a real threat comes!

A sympathetic look was written all over the woman's face, she was part of the Justice League for a reason

Zatanna: I won't deny that, Y/N, but that's another reason why they need you

She then sat down next to you, looking at you with tender eyes. It was so easy to mistake her for your actual mother

Zatanna: I know that you feel a lot of pressure just by the constant mention of the fate that you will have to uphold, and that's why I let you have some fun as my assistant, but having kids your age to hang around with? There's nothing compared to the feeling of being accepted

You looked down at the ground after she said that. She was not wrong, though

Zatanna: And besides, you could use some practice with your spells

She smirked after that, making you raise your gaze to meet hers, conflicted

You: But what about the tricks we do? Doesn't that count as putting them to use?

All you got from her was a chuckle, that and her moving her head side to side slightly

Zatanna: As much as I love performing with you, we both know you are capable of much more

She leaned in and gave you a peck on the forehead before she stood up, walking away from you

Zatanna: You should consider it, Y/N. But for now, get some rest, okay? We'll talk tomorrow, calmly

You: Right... Thanks again, aunt Zee

She showed you that smile of hers one last time as she nodded and without further due, she closed the door

As you watched her leave, you were left in the dark of your room, what felt like the moon being your only source of light, as you preferred it to be

However, in a room as dark as yours, certain objects tend to stand out from the rest. This time, it was a sword

It was the sword that the Amazons had given you years ago, now hung on the wall as some sort of trophy

It felt as if it was calling you, aching for a battle. And so, with a serious look to your face, you extended your hand and looked sternly at the object

You: To me, Hunter

The sword then floated in your direction, shaking off the dust that covered it from being in repose for so long

Once the sword was at hand, you turned around to look at your reflection as you unsheathed the weapon

The blade was still as shiny as it was when they gave it to you

They too, believed that you would achieve something great, and the Amazons aren't exactly known for trusting anyone

You practiced a couple of swings with it, it was still as powerful, still as beautiful, and the feeling you got when using it was ever so familiar

Your destiny talked about something huge, something world-changing, but the world, its many realities are far too vast for one person to shape alone

But perhaps, with the Titans' help, you might be able to

...After all, wasn't that team made to change the world?