Edward had dozens of screens before him and countless papers and scrolls around him. Sometimes, he finds his mind more at peace or refreshing when writing on paper using a pen or pencil. Morgana suddenly appeared next to him.
"What was the result?"
"The same," replied Morgana. "The ship we sent was lost in another timeline and never reached the destination."
Edward groaned. They've tried thousands of tests by now, but the result is the same—the drone or ship sent was lost in the Multiverse.
"Did we at least get some useful data?"
"Yes, but nothing too big."
Edward looked at the data and began to analyze and process the result. He was so glad he first went to the Doctor Who Universe and learned about the Time Vortex and Higher Dimensional Physique. Otherwise, he doubted he would get anywhere with the new navigation system.
Despite his frustration at the situation and desire to leave this world as soon as possible, Edward slightly enjoyed himself because he found a challenge. Plus, the situation allowed him to process all the knowledge he acquired from the Time Lords completely and integrate them into his magic system.
While deep in thought and focusing on his work, he sensed someone flying over, and he knew who it was.
"You seem in a bad mood," said Edward without raising his head.
"It's my mother. She can be so insufferable and stubborn," complained Diana.
"What is it this time?"
"Your prediction was correct. A grand war is rapidly spreading in the world of men. Now that it's in its infancy, it's the perfect time to intervene and stop it. But she refuses to allow me to live, saying things like they were not prepared for my existence. What a bunch of nonsense."
"She's right," said Wang Wei casually.
"What! You're on her side."
"I'm not on anyone's side; I'm just telling you how things are," continued Edward. "The world outside is not yet developed technologically and socially to accept your existence, especially since you're the daughter of Zeus."
It would be fine if this world were the comics or a timeline where many heroes appeared as early as World War I since Diana's presence wouldn't catch so much attention. But now, she might cause more trouble than good.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Do you know the main cause of war in the outside world?"
"Not really."
"It's religion," answered Edward, multitasking with the screens before him. "Despite the current level of technology, human's desire for the divine has never stopped. So, what do you think will happen when Zeus's literal daughter shows up, displaying unimaginable powers?"
Diana did not answer, so Edward answered for her:
"First, people will be happy and celebrate; they've finally found concrete proof of the existence of God. So, they will search for proof from the other Pantheons, and with their current disappearance, no one will find anything. So, they will reject your existence, claiming you're a fraud and a liar."
"But I am not a liar."
"Yes, but that does not matter," explained Edward. "That's how human psychology operates."
Diana thought momentarily, "If what you said truly happens, I would not mind being labeled a liar if I could help the world achieve peace."
"Oh, no, things will only get worse from now on. I won't mention how most governments in the world will want to capture you to study your biology and try to replicate supersoldiers. So, let's focus on the religious aspect.
"Currently, roughly one-third of the human population identifies as Christian; in other words, they are the largest and most powerful of the bunch. Meanwhile, religions like Hellenic Paganism, which worships Zeus and other Olympian Gods, are considered cults or treated as such by much of the world.
"Now, imagine what these people would do knowing the only proof of the Divine in the world claimed she was the daughter of Zeus? They would use your name to rally more believers and spread their name; they would probably claim their Pantheon was the one and only true religion."
"Isn't it easy to just tell the truth?"
"The crux of the issue is it will be your words against many. You may tell the truth, but could the members of your delegation be willing to give up such an opportunity? They only need to secretly spread the news you're a kind individual who does not wish to cause more harm to the world, hence why you're saying this nonsense."
"I think you're being pessimistic," argued Diana. "I can hide my identity and origin."
"True, but humans do not take kindly to the unknown. They will want to know where you came from and how you got your powers," replied Edward. "You could lie and say you're an alien, but that would only bring up another issue: is the human race ready to confront the fact they are now alone in this vast and dangerous universe?
"You could say your power is from some magical power or artifact you accidentally acquired in some unknown place. However, such a lie won't hold much when people do not find such powers or do not find any information about them in any country.
"My point is your involvement with humanity at this time is far from a good idea."
"So, you want me to wait while the world suffers?"
"As cruel as this may sound, humanity must experience certain things before we grow and learn. The aid of any divine being is not a good thing in our early stages of development."
"When can I intervene?"
"In a few decades. By then, threats we were unprepared to deal with will appear, and they will need your help. We will also have evolved enough to accept the existence of the divine without allowing it to crumble our society.
"By then, there will also be many heroes with strength and power that will share a similar mission as you."
"I understand." Diana stayed with Edward for a while but was distracted the entire time. Finally, she flew home as she needed time to calm down and think. A few hours later, Edward received another visitor:
"Queen Hippolyta, what do I owe this visit?" asked Edward while still doing calculations.
"I came to thank you," said the queen. "It's sometimes hard to get through to her, so I'm glad you could make her understand."
"Your problem with communication is because you refuse to see her as nothing more than your little girl. I don't have any biological children, so I cannot comment on your unique relationship, but it's evident that if you could see and treat her as an adult, telling her even the harsh truths and reality, you wouldn't have many problems in your relationship."
The queen was quiet momentarily before saying, "Maybe you're right."
Time passed, and it was soon the year 1925. After more than a decade of trial and error, Edward finally created a Navigation System that used an artificial Time Network to navigate this turbulent Multiverse. Since the city was using its own Time Network, it was no longer affected by the chaotic space-time continuum of this world due to the convergence. He could find his destination even if these timelines constantly moved or changed.
"Can you not stay?" asked Diana.
"I'm afraid not."
The Amazonian Princess sighed, "Will I see you again?"
"I have a place to go, but I will come see you before I return to my dimension."
"Then it's a promise."
Edward smiled before a small wooden box appeared in his hand, "My departing gift."
"You shouldn't have," said Diana, but she still opened the box to see a bracelet. "What does it do?"
"It allows you to convert your pure divine power into elemental divine power, lightning to be precise. Plus, it's also indestructible."
Diana put the bracelet on, and with a thought, a bolt of lightning appeared in her, exactly like her father.
"So, you did figure out the secret of the Lasso."
"Yes, a unique material blessed by the Universe Will. As long as the Multiverse exists, the lasso won't break."
Diana did not understand much of what he said, but she did not focus on that. "So, you've successfully recreated it?"
"In a manner of speaking. I link the artifact to your Lasso. So, as long as nothing happens to the Lasso, nothing will happen to it."
"I love it," she said. "It's unfortunate I did not prepare one for you. How about this: I will return the gift when I see you again."
"Alright, I look forward to it."
Edward said his goodbyes before entering the city and preparing for departure.
"I thought you would try to trick her into going home with you," said Morgana with a look of derision.
"A few nights of romantic passion is more than enough for our romantic relationship." A woman like Diana would never allow herself to play second fiddle to anyone else, so there was no hope in the first place; anyway, he was satisfied with the few moments they shared together and made a great friend.
"Let's go."
