"Perhaps she thought this was a way to kidnap her."
Adrian considered the situation for a moment before responding to Wonder Woman.
"Her idea of kidnapping is having dinner with you and your family?"
Diana's expression hardened with clear displeasure. "I have never heard of a hostage acting like that, taking control of the situation."
"She is trying something dangerous."
A strong sense of unease settled in her chest. "And she is provoking me."
Adrian glanced at her, mildly surprised. "How can you tell she is provoking you? Is that intuition as a woman, or as an Amazon warrior?"
"Is it not obvious?"
Holding her umbrella, Diana looked out over the city, where rain continued to fall and mist drifted between buildings. "Everyone knows you are my lover. If she is not blind, she would see it. Knowing that, if she still goes out of her way to create contact with you, I will not tolerate it."
"Mera is still useful to me for now. I do not want you interfering with her."
Adrian's tone carried a subtle warning. He knew Diana well enough to be cautious.
"Do you think if I act, I will kill her?"
Diana shifted her gaze from the skyline and shook her head. "I will not do that, not yet."
"Good."
Satisfied, Adrian relaxed and started walking toward the Justice Society headquarters, umbrella in hand.
Diana followed behind him. Her face appeared composed, almost indifferent, but a faint coldness lingered in her eyes that betrayed her true thoughts.
---
Meanwhile, in Smallville.
Chloe Sullivan sat across from her cousin, Lois Lane, inside the Talon.
Steam rose gently from their coffee cups as the afternoon crowd moved around them.
"Honestly, I rarely used to come here anymore," Chloe said.
"Why not?" Lois asked, leaning back in her chair.
"The place feels too familiar," Chloe replied quietly. "It reminds me of things I would rather not think about."
Her cappuccino sat untouched in front of her.
Lois nodded slightly. "Makes sense. The Talon belongs to Nell Potter. Lana used to work here. Of course it would bring her back."
Chloe's expression softened with a hint of pain. "Yeah. Sometimes it feels like just yesterday we were all sitting here, talking and laughing. Clark, Lana, Adrian, Pete… all of us."
She paused, her thoughts drifting.
"But it was not yesterday. It was a long time ago."
Lois sighed. "We cannot stay stuck in the past."
They both fell silent, watching unfamiliar staff move behind the counter, a quiet reminder that things had changed.
After a moment, Lois reached into her bag.
"Oh, right. Take a look at this."
She handed Chloe a photograph.
"A photo?"
Chloe studied it carefully. It was blurry, taken at night, with firelight casting uneven shadows. The angle was poor, but one detail stood out.
A man, holding two young girls, lifting them away from danger in what looked like a burning building.
"This is…?"
Even with a hat and glasses obscuring his face, Chloe's eyes widened.
"Is this Clark?"
Lois gave a small nod. "It looks like him. I cannot think of anyone else it could be."
"Where was this taken?"
"Riverside City, California."
"Riverside City…"
Chloe repeated the name, then abruptly stood up.
"We need to go. Now."
Lois did not move. "Slow down. What exactly do you plan to do when we get there?"
"Convince him to come back," Chloe said firmly. "Look at what Adrian is doing. He is going too far. I understand him, and I still feel guilty about everything, but this cannot continue."
Her voice grew more intense.
"I heard he has already started using military police to detain people with abilities. If no one stops him, who knows what this country turns into?"
Lois watched her for a moment, then took a sip of her coffee.
"You have changed your stance pretty quickly. You were the one telling me to stay level-headed before."
She set the cup down.
"But the future is unpredictable. If we want Clark back, we need to think carefully about how we approach him."
Chloe frowned. "You think he does not want to come back?"
"Maybe."
Lois stood, grabbing her bag. "Only one way to find out."
Chloe hesitated for a second, then followed.
---
By afternoon, they arrived in Riverside City.
The aftermath of the fire was still visible. Charred walls, collapsed structures, and the faint smell of smoke lingered in the air.
"This is where it happened?" Chloe asked.
"Yeah. Official report says electrical damage," Lois replied, her tone skeptical. "Whether that is true is another story."
She stretched slightly, breathing in the damp, post-rain air.
"So what now?" Chloe asked.
"We wait."
"For Clark?"
Lois smiled. "Exactly."
Chloe shook her head. "That makes no sense. Even with his abilities, he would not just know we are here. And he might not even still be in this city."
Lois looked out at the busy street, her confidence unshaken.
"We are reporters. We do what reporters do."
Realization slowly dawned on Chloe.
"You mean… investigate this publicly?"
"Exactly. If Clark wants to stay hidden, two reporters digging into a story like this will force his hand."
"And if he ignores it?"
"He will not," Lois said. "Clark is not the kind of person who watches from a distance while people get close to exposing him."
Chloe still looked uncertain.
"Clark is not some professional superhero constantly monitoring headlines."
Lois smirked. "Real superheroes stay completely hidden. Clark would not go that far."
---
Elsewhere, in Star City.
Oliver Queen slipped away from a party hosted by his friend Tommy Merlyn.
"Maybe just a hood… something simple," he muttered to himself.
He reached the back entrance, intending to change into his gear.
"Going somewhere, Mr. Queen?"
A voice stopped him.
Leaning against the wall was his bodyguard, John Diggle.
"I just want a little time alone, John," Oliver replied with an easy smile.
Diggle did not look convinced. "If you had not slipped away twice already, I might believe that."
Since the kidnapping attempt weeks earlier, Moira Queen had insisted on assigning Diggle to him full-time.
"The party is inside," Diggle continued, gesturing toward the door. "Your mother and sister are there."
Oliver sighed, playing along as he stepped closer.
Then, in one swift motion, he struck.
His arm locked around Diggle's neck, cutting off blood flow with precise pressure. The move was clean and efficient.
Within seconds, Diggle lost consciousness.
"Sorry," Oliver muttered, lowering him carefully. "I have work tonight."
He dragged Diggle into the stairwell, then quickly changed.
When he stepped back out, he wore a hooded outfit, a quiver strapped to his back, and a split recurve bow in hand.
The bow, with its heavy draw weight, was powerful enough to take down large prey. In Oliver's hands, it was just as deadly as any firearm.
This was not new to him.
He had learned to survive, and to fight, during his time on the island.
And tonight, he intended to use those skills.