Had Diana been kidnapped during her first solo outing? Though Gotham City had its fair share of villains, it didn't seem like things could escalate to that level.
"Diana is no longer in Gotham City." The Eye of God couldn't find her. It was hard to believe that someone could kidnap Wonder Woman—after all, she was one of the founding members of the Justice League.
Liu A'dou was a bit worried. He knew Diana wouldn't just leave without a word, but who could possibly have the power to kidnap Wonder Woman?
"I guess it's time to use that method," Liu A'dou suddenly stood up, startling Ada.
"You scared me. What did you think of?"
"I still have my magical divination." He thought of it and immediately started preparing the materials. He even used a frying pan from the kitchen as the container.
He threw together a bunch of random ingredients, but of course, the most important thing was a little bit of magical energy.
Ada and the Ice Queen watched the whole process. They both agreed that preparing for divination was pretty much the same as cooking.
"Finally, it's done." White mist started to rise from the pan, covering the surface of the liquid. "Tell me, where is Diana?"
The mist began to change, morphing like clay in a child's hands, and eventually, it was shaped by an invisible hand into the form of a hammer.
"Is your divination result telling you that Diana was kidnapped by a hammer?" Ada asked skeptically.
"Ada, don't laugh," Liu A'dou said. The two girls didn't recognize the hammer, but did Liu A'dou not recognize it?
It was Thor's hammer. "I have a good idea of where Diana is. Get the plane ready, I'm heading out."
"Should we come with you?" Ada asked. Someone who could kidnap Diana was no ordinary person.
"No, Ada. Take Elsa to New York and get settled. I'll head to New York and find you guys," Liu A'dou said.
Ada didn't insist. She trusted Liu A'dou to rescue Diana and handle everything.
In the desert of New Mexico, there was a small town—no supermarkets, no 24-hour fast food joints, and it was an hour's drive to the nearest county. But this small town, aside from the local residents, had attracted some of the best astronomers and energy physicists in America.
This was due to an unusual electromagnetic field in the desert, which occasionally caused strange weather. Plus, the town offered a great spot for stargazing, and researchers could get extra subsidies for working here.
The conditions were tough, but scientists weren't picky.
Liu A'dou arrived in such a remote town. "Boss, one Mexican wrap and a juice, cold," he said, sitting down at the only restaurant in the town. He planned to gather some information from here.
"Coming right up."
There was only one other customer in the restaurant, so Liu A'dou didn't have to wait long. In just a few minutes, a decent-looking meal was brought to the table by the owner himself.
"Boss, have you ever seen a woman dressed in a bikini, with a body more beautiful than any supermodel?" Liu A'dou asked.
"No, if there was a woman dressed like that, I definitely wouldn't forget her," the owner said.
Liu A'dou wasn't disappointed. He asked again, "Then, is there a hammer around here that no one can lift? It looks like a meteorite that struck the ground and created a big crater, but no one can pick it up."
The owner shook his head. "If we had something as interesting as that, we'd have developed a tourist industry by now."
Still no hammer? So Thor hadn't arrived yet? It seemed like he only had one last question left. "Last question, do you know where a professor named Jane, an astronomer, lives?"
"Oh, I know that. But you don't look like a scientist," the owner said, showing some good judgment.
"I'm a reporter," Liu A'dou smiled. "I'm here to interview them about their research."
"I see. They live on the west side of the town. Just keep walking and you'll find it," the owner replied.
Liu A'dou nodded, acknowledging, and downed his juice in one go. "Here's twenty dollars, no change necessary," he said, tipping the extra amount.
"You haven't eaten yet," the owner remarked.
Liu A'dou picked up the Mexican wrap. "I'll take it to go."
There wasn't much to see in this small town, so he went straight to find his target.
The research institute's building had glass walls, and Liu A'dou thought to himself that Americans sure knew how to enjoy life. A greenhouse like that without air conditioning would be suicide, especially in the desert. You could imagine what a waste of energy that would be. No wonder the Americans didn't care about cutting costs—this kind of greenhouse must consume tons of electricity every day.
Liu A'dou couldn't help but worry about unnecessary things as he peered through the glass, spotting three people inside, busy with their work.
Knock knock.
A busty woman walked over. "Hey, handsome, are you lost?" Daisy said playfully. She wasn't frivolous, just liked to joke around.
"I'm looking for Dr. Jane Foster, the famous astronomer," Liu A'dou got straight to the point.
Daisy looked disappointed. "Jane, someone's here to see you."
"You are?" Jane, who didn't recognize Liu A'dou, asked.
"You can call me Liu. I'm a reporter. I know you've been researching electromagnetic storms, so I came to film them," Liu A'dou lied smoothly.
"Sorry, we haven't predicted any electromagnetic storms. I think you've got the wrong idea."
"Are you Dr. Jane Foster?"
"I am." Seeing that Liu A'dou didn't seem like a bad guy, Jane confirmed.
"Then I'm not mistaken. I've always wanted to capture the beauty of the night sky, but I've never had the chance. If you have any nighttime observations, would you mind if I join? I'd love to get some footage." Liu A'dou made up another excuse.
"Jane, aren't we going into the desert tonight? Let him come along," Daisy said, clearly eager. She hadn't seen a handsome guy in a long time in this little desert town. Bringing a good-looking guy was much more fun than dealing with her aging mentor.
"But!" Jane looked toward Dr. Eric, the project leader, who was still busy. They needed his approval.
Dr. Eric kindly said, "I don't have any problem with it. I know you two young ladies must be tired of looking at my old face." He walked over to Liu A'dou and asked, "Young man, where's your camera?"
"It's in my car. Do you agree I can come along?"
"Why not?" Dr. Eric was glad to share the stargazing experience with others. After all, young people who enjoyed looking at the stars were rare these days.
"Awesome!" Liu A'dou pretended to be thrilled. "I'll go grab my gear."
"Very energetic young man," was Dr. Eric's opinion.
"Handsome," was Daisy's.
But Jane still felt something was off about Liu A'dou.
The town was small, and a round trip to the invisible plane only took about fifteen minutes.
"Oh my God!" Daisy gasped when she saw the professional camera on Liu A'dou's shoulder. "That's your 'camera'?"
Liu A'dou puffed out his chest in pride. "Yep, this is my meal ticket."
Seeing the camera, it was easier for everyone to believe Liu A'dou was indeed a reporter.
"Do you think I'm camera-ready?" Daisy struck a seductive pose, running her hand through her thick brown curls and placing one hand on her hip.
"Very camera-friendly, but I think you're more suited to being a scientist."
With the lively Daisy around, Liu A'dou easily blended in. Finally, the evening arrived, and it was time to head out. Since he had a camera, Liu A'dou was assigned to the front passenger seat.
Off they went, heading to the desert to stargaze, meet Thor, and pick up a hammer.