As the international situation fluctuated dramatically, the quiet days were always short-lived. As the seeds buried deep underground began to sprout silently, Hal, clad in his pilot jacket, once again came to Kent Farm.
Bruce opened the door. Seeing Hal's expression, he knew that the news he brought was sure to be good.
Hal walked forward as soon as he saw Bruce, shook his hand firmly, and then hugged him. He patted Bruce on the arm, saying, "Bruce, I really have to thank you this time."
"Come in then, it seems like you have something good to share."
Hal hesitated for a moment, peering inside. Clark came out to greet him, opened the door a little wider, and said, "Spring plowing is nearing its end. My parents have gone to town to return the rented equipment. They'll be in town for three days, handling a lot of minor details. It's just us here for now."
Hal's eyes fell on Diana's face. Bruce turned to look at Diana and said, "For now, she's one of us, or rather, she's on the same a side as you."
"You mean she…" Hal mimicked a flying gesture with his hand. Bruce nodded, and said, "You probably don't know, but Oliver definitely would. All Amazon women have special abilities. Diana served in both World Wars."
Hal was a bit skeptical, but after a moment he finally went in, saying, "If you vouch for her, then there's nothing wrong with her joining. Don't blame me for being overly suspicious, after all, this is a matter of great importance."
As soon as Hal entered the house, he smelled the aroma of cooking. Clark pointed to the kitchen where Diana was washing her hands, and said, "Only one of us here can't really cook. I won't say who, but you should know."
Bruce rolled his eyes, walked over to the dining table and sat down, while Hal surprisedly raised an eyebrow and said, "You're actually admitting it? Your mental health has improved quite a bit. In the past, you would've learned to cook a hundred dishes or so just to prove you're not worse than them."
Soon, Diana came out of the kitchen with her hands on her hips, proudly announcing, "I made two Amazonian dishes. They're guaranteed to melt your tongues."
Clark, wearing gloves, brought out a bowl as big as a basin, filled with an entire fish. He put the dish down, clapped his hands together, and said, "I don't know how this compares to Martha's secret roasted fish, but I think it's not bad."
"In your eyes, there's no comparison as nothing can beat the taste of mom's cooking." Diana shrugged and chuckled.
Hal was taken aback by the fish platter. He instinctively commented, "Roasted and then steamed. This method seems similar to how my dad cooks fish. Westerners usually don't cook fish this way, do they?"
Hal immediately took a fork. Extending his hand, he said, "Sorry, but I need to taste it."
He picked up a piece of fish and put it in his mouth. Diana's eyebrows twisted subtly, seeming to find his action a bit impolite, but very quickly, Hal's face revealed a look of shock. He looked at Diana and asked, "Did you by any chance know a pilot named Steve Trevor?"
At the sound of that name, Diana's face changed. After a moment, she seemed to realize something, scrutinizing Hal before asking, "What's your surname, Jordan? Are you Jordan's son or nephew?"
"If the Jordan you're referring to is Martin Jordan, then yes, I'm his son." Hal nodded in confirmation.
Diana immediately walked to the dinner table anxiously and asked, "Is he alright?"
"He's fine, other than getting on in years, along with minor health issues. Everything's good."
Seeing Clark's baffled look, Hal explained, "My dad was also a pilot. He told me about his adventures during World War II. He had a superior officer, who was also his comrade, named Steve Trevor."
"Once, they were involved in a major accident in the air, Steve saved him. Otherwise, my dad would've lost his life. However, they were assigned to different departments later. My father tried to reach Steve, but could not. He's always wanted to repay the debt of saving his life, even after all these years."
"But unfortunately, my father is just an ordinary pilot. There's no room for promotion, no connections. During the war, everyone was simply trying to save themselves. My father didn't have the energy to search for Steve. And after the war ended, everyone settled in different parts of the world, making it even more difficult to reconnect. Now, the only way he can commemorate his old comrade is by looking at their group photo every day."
After finishing, Hal glanced again at the young and beautiful face of Diana, stroking his chin and saying, "Are you Steve's daughter by any chance? But you don't look alike. I've seen his picture. Or maybe, you're his other relative?"
Diana lowered her head, took a deep breath, then slowly shook her head. Bruce tugged at Hal's sleeve, but Hal didn't seem to catch on.
"Is he alright?" Hal asked.
"He's passed away." Diana replied softly, her lips pressing into a thin line. She turned her back to them and said with a complex tone, "That was a very long time ago."
The atmosphere in the room sank into silence. Just as Clark was about to speak, Hal beat him to it, saying, "When my father reminisces about Steve, he often mentions that Steve was a man of 'great love.' I don't quite understand what 'great love' means, but I know that he was a good man."