Vision felt a sense of relief wash over him as Queen Hippolyta's words echoed through the grand hall of the palace.
He wasn't sure what he had expected—the skepticism in her gaze when she first laid eyes on him had been palpable, but her eventual welcome was warm and reassuring.
Although with recent events with the Justice League, men were not totally forbidden from the island, they were still generally seen with annoyance and apprehensiveness, so Vision was quite happy that he was welcomed with mostly open arms.
Hippolyta, now standing mere feet away, offered him a small, knowing smile, "I see why my daughter has brought you here. You carry a great power within you, Vision. I can sense it."
Vision listened and just nodded. Although he hadn't trained at all or tested the full limits of his power, he could already tell how powerful he was just from the limited things he had done.
Plus, this was just his untrained self. He was going to be trained by Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter, so his level of power and control should only improve in the future.
"But power alone is not what makes a great warrior. It is how that power is wielded. And that, my daughter, will no doubt teach you in time." Hippolyta's gaze briefly flicked to Diana, a look of pride and confidence in her eyes.
Diana was the jewel in her palm, the creation she was most proud of in her eyes, and she had no shame in proudly flaunting off Diana to the world.
"Don't worry about your origins Vision. That is in the past, what matters is the future. I trust Diana to train you well, and believe in yourself most of all." Hippolyta said and nodded towards Diana.
Hippolyta turned to Diana, her expression softening,"You've done well to bring him here, Diana. I trust you can teach him well."
Diana smiled warmly, her pride in Vision apparent, although they hadn't met for long, she could tell he was a good person at the heart, and that was what matters most.
"Thank you, Mother. I believe in him. I believe Themyscira is where he needs to be." Diana said.
The Queen nodded, her eyes briefly scanning the room before settling back on Vision and Diana, "Well carry on. Make sure he gets the full Amazonian experience Diana."
Without further ceremony, Hippolyta walked away and returned to her throne, her flowing gown and armor making some sounds as she moved with the grace of a warrior queen.
As Queen Hippolyta gracefully returned to her throne, Diana gestured for Vision to follow her out of the grand hall. They walked side by side through the marble corridors of the palace, the sounds of Amazon life echoing from the courtyards outside.
Vision just quietly took everything in, the statues, the vibrant murals that depicted epic Amazon battles and the gods who watched over them.
He was very interested in all the art and the various forms of language the Amazonian's used to depict things, committing them to memory.
"Come," Diana said, her voice warm yet commanding. "There's something I want to show you."
They walked in comfortable silence for a time, until they reached a large wooden door flanked by two tall marble columns. Diana pushed it open with ease, revealing a vast chamber beyond.
As Vision stepped inside, he realized they had entered Themyscira's legendary library. The space was breathtaking. Towering shelves made from ancient oak wood stretched from the floor to the ceiling, filled with books, scrolls, and tomes.
The most incredible thing was all of these books, scrolls and tomes looked of incredibly high quality, as if they were all written yesterday, leading Vision to believe there was some sort of quality maintaining spell over the Library.
"This," Diana said, pointing to around her for Vision to see, "is the Library of Themyscira. It holds the combined knowledge of our people, collected over thousands of years. There are texts here on everything, from the history of the Amazons and their battles, to ancient magic, to the gods and the powers they bestow."
Vision's gaze swept across the room in awe. This was not just a library; it was a vault of knowledge beyond anything he had ever encountered.
"I was not the biggest fan of here. I spent most of my time fighting, but I figured you'd appreciate reading more than most, so here was my first stop after visiting mother." Diana explained.
"Thank you," Vision responded, his eyes returning to the Library.
He could feel the potential power stored within the books, scrolls and tomes, the hidden secrets of ancient magic, powerful runes, and Divine History, and he was determined to learn them all.
Without thinking, Vision allowed the Mind Gem embedded in his forehead to activate. A soft hum resonated from the gem, its glow intensifying as he subtly channeled its energy.
In mere seconds, invisible waves of energy pulsed from Vision, scanning the entire library. The books, scrolls, tomes and artifacts shimmered briefly as the Mind Gem worked, copying their contents into Vision's mind.
Within moments, an entire vault of knowledge, every single book, tome and scroll was transferred into his consciousness, where it would be read, analyzed and organized by his mental clones within the Mind-Scape.
He could sense the clones in his Mind-Scape getting to work, filtering the information, from the histories of the Amazons, ancient languages, spells, and runes from long-forgotten eras before they began to read it.
It was a flood of information, but Vision's mind was built to handle it. In the blink of an eye, every piece of text in the library had been cataloged and begun being read by his clones, feeding back information to him.
Diana, who had been standing beside him, noticed the faint glow of the Mind Gem and raised an eyebrow, "What just happened?"
Vision hesitated for a second before turning to her with a small, almost sheepish smile. "I… scanned the library. Everything in here has been copied into my mind. I have… clones of myself in my Mind-Scape that will read and analyze everything. It's how I process information more efficiently."
Diana's eyes widened in surprise. She had seen incredible feats before, from gods and demigods alike, but Vision's ability to absorb knowledge at such a scale was something new, even to her.
"You… copied every single book? Instantly?" Diana asked, astonishment evident in her voice. She took a step closer, as though she needed to confirm what she had just heard.
"Yes," Vision replied, his tone measured. "It allows me to learn quickly. I haven't mastered the information yet, but my mind will work through it all in the background. It helps me to focus on what I need to know and access it when it's relevant."
Diana stared at him for a moment, clearly processing the enormity of his abilities. "That's… incredible. No wonder my mother could sense such great power in you."
Vision shrugged modestly, "It's just a tool. Knowledge is important, but as your mother said earlier, how you wield that knowledge is what truly matters."
Diana smiled, impressed. "That's very true, Vision. But still, I've never seen anything like that. The way you can learn and process information… it's remarkable." Diana praised.
She paused, her gaze lingering on the glowing Mind Gem for a moment before continuing. "This library holds secrets of magic and wisdom even the greatest of minds have spent lifetimes trying to decipher. If you can master what's in here… you'll become a force unlike any the world has seen."
Vision nodded, appreciating the gravity of her words.
"Now that we've achieved the purpose of coming here," Diana said, her tone shifting from reflective to determined, "it's time for the next step."
Vision looked at her curiously, noting the change in her demeanor. "The next step?"
Diana nodded, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "Combat training. Knowledge is important, Vision, but a warrior needs to know how to fight, especially when they're as powerful as you. You'll need to master your body just as much as your mind."
Diana said, "You've probably learned all about various fighting styles using that tool, but without experience putting them into action. You'll be like an uncut jade. I'm here to sharpen you into a true warrior."
After saying that, Diana began floating, signaling Vision to follow her before shooting off.
Although Vision hadn't flown before, the basics were easy and he quickly followed, the world blurring around them as they moved with a speed and grace that defied physics, moving towards the training grounds.
They landed smoothly in the dueling grounds, an open expanse surrounded by lush greenery. A group of Amazons nearby practiced sparring, their swords clashing as they honed their techniques.
Diana gently set Vision down in the center of the arena, the solid ground beneath his feet giving way to the faint scent of earth and grass.
"This is where you'll learn to fight," Diana said, stepping back a few paces to give them both space. She began to stretch her arms and roll her shoulders, preparing for what was to come.
"Themyscira's greatest warriors trained here, myself included. It's the perfect place for you to develop your combat skills." Diana explained.
Diana gave him a steady look, her expression one of both encouragement and challenge. "We'll begin with basic hand-to-hand combat. No powers, no weapons. Just your raw physical skills."
She took a few steps back, assuming a loose combat stance. Her movements were fluid, almost too natural, as though fighting was simply an extension of herself. Vision mirrored her stance, a surge of anticipation building within him.
"On the count of three," she said, her voice calm and controlled. Vision nodded, his muscles tensing as he prepared for the fight.
Diana's gaze remained fixed on him. "One—"
Before Vision could get into a suitable combat stance, Diana lunged forward, with determination to engage the battle on the front foot.