At the Justice Society Headquarters, Adrian stood by the window, staring into the night skyline.
Footsteps approached from behind.
He turned and saw Diana, Wonder Woman, walking toward him.
"Shouldn't you still be in the hospital?" Adrian asked.
Diana let out a faint scoff. "After what you caused at the metahuman prison, do you really think I can just lie in a hospital bed peacefully?"
She stopped in front of him. "You should be more concerned about the people opposing you now. Especially your brother. Clark is among them."
Her gaze sharpened slightly. "He knows your weakness now. If he teams up with the others, he could seriously complicate things for you."
Adrian didn't react immediately. After a moment, he said, "Clark's strength has already weakened."
Then he asked, "Do you know his weakness?"
"I do," Diana replied. "Kryptonite."
Adrian shook his head slightly. "Not entirely. Kryptonite is only part of it. His real weakness is kindness."
Diana blinked, genuinely surprised. "I always thought someone like you would never say something like that."
She tilted her head. "So you actually see Clark as kind."
"Is that strange?" Adrian replied. "You make it sound like I'm some irredeemable villain who can't recognize anything good. I'm not a comic book monster, Diana."
Diana's expression softened into a small smile. "I thought you didn't care much for Superman. Turns out you do more than you admit."
"I appreciate you not reducing me to a stereotype," Adrian said flatly.
Diana stepped closer and gently grabbed his collar, her gaze steady.
"I understand you, Adrian. Maybe better than anyone else," she said. "I know what's inside you."
Her voice lowered slightly. "No matter what happens, I will stand with you. Even if the whole world stands against you."
She continued, "Some enemies don't fight fair. They use civilians, deception, anything to win. You can't afford to be soft with them."
Her tone remained even. "That's why I never try to turn you into someone like Clark. Because you are not him."
Adrian looked down at her. "Am I supposed to feel insulted or appreciated?"
"That depends on you," she replied calmly.
Then, without warning, Diana pulled him closer, her arms looping around his shoulders.
"I want you," she said directly.
Her expression softened, losing its warrior edge for a moment.
"Today, when that nuclear shockwave hit me, I saw it. You reacted. You were afraid of losing me."
Adrian frowned. "That's nonsense. Losing a useful ally would be inconvenient."
Diana shook her head. "No. It's more than that. You fear loss itself. I heard it in your voice when you called me."
Before he could respond, she guided him down onto the sofa and straddled him.
But instead of continuing immediately, she paused.
"There's something else I want to tell you," she said casually.
Adrian exhaled slightly. "Now?"
Diana nodded. "When I first arrived in America from Themyscira, I bought property in several cities."
Adrian paused. "You bought property?"
"I took it from corrupt men," she said without hesitation. "They didn't deserve it."
She leaned back slightly as she continued. "A few days ago, I got a call from an agent about my Central City apartment. He wanted me to sell it."
Adrian's attention sharpened. "Central City?"
"Yes," she said. "They kept pushing. Talking about rising prices, investment opportunities. Even claimed the apartment next door had already been sold."
She continued, "The market there is chaotic. Foreign buyers are flooding in. Some people say entire districts are being bought out."
Adrian listened quietly as she kept going.
"Everyone says it's the best time to sell," Diana added.
Adrian finally interrupted. "So you've become a real estate analyst now?"
"Maybe," she said lightly.
Then her tone shifted.
"But the real reason Central City's market is unstable goes deeper."
She became serious. "It started with S.T.A.R. Labs. Professor Harrison Wells designed a particle accelerator meant to revolutionize science. But during its public activation, it exploded."
Adrian's expression tightened slightly.
"The explosion caused massive destruction. And many believe it contaminated the city with radiation."
Diana watched him closely. "The particle accelerator accident in Central City."
Adrian's mind immediately shifted.
S.T.A.R. Labs.
Particle accelerator.
A lightning strike.
He already knew what that meant.
The birth of a speedster.
Smallville existed in a world where events like this did not stay simple. They always escalated.
The Flash.
Barry Allen.
A man who could move beyond time itself.
Adrian's thoughts drifted into deeper analysis. Speed Force anomalies. Timeline disruption potential. Reality instability risk.
Diana watched him. "You're thinking about something dangerous."
"I am," Adrian admitted. "Someone similar to Bart."
"Speedster?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Do you want me to locate him?"
"No," Adrian said immediately. "If you can't match his speed, engaging him directly is a mistake."
Without hesitation, he shifted position and pinned Diana beneath him instead.
"I need you to investigate the Central City incident," he said. "Find out exactly why the accelerator failed, and what caused the lightning strike."
Diana didn't hesitate. "Understood."
Her arms slipped around him again.
"And I accept the mission," she added softly.
Their conversation ended there in silence.
The details that followed were left unspoken.
Five hundred words omitted here.
The next morning.
Adrian and Diana arrived at Kent Farm in Smallville.
Adrian had received a call from his mother, which delayed his plans regarding Central City.
Inside the house, a simple breakfast was laid out, mashed potatoes, carrots, and chicken.
A traditional home cooked meal.
Diana glanced toward the kitchen. "I can warm this up. Cold food isn't ideal."
"No need," Adrian said, taking a seat. "I prefer it this way."
He picked up a piece of chicken and ate it.
"Not bad," he said, nodding slightly toward his mother as she entered the room.
Martha smiled. "It's improved, hasn't it?"
"It has," Adrian admitted. "Significantly."
It wasn't empty praise. Compared to before, it genuinely was better.
Martha's cooking had always been inconsistent, but recently she had clearly been improving.
"Between studying your father's election notes and experimenting with recipes, I've been busy," she said proudly.
Adrian paused slightly. "Where's Rachel?"
Martha's expression shifted. "She went out with classmates. Something about a seminar in Central City."
Adrian frowned slightly. "She's staying out late?"
His tone darkened a little. "That needs to be addressed."
At the mention of Central City again, his expression sharpened.
Elsewhere, in Metropolis, Lex Luthor had already begun paying attention to related movements as well, including Rachel's involvement in academic circles tied to Central City research institutions.