After their encounter in front of the room where Raven was staying, Arias and Diana went further up to his residential floor. There, she invited herself to bathe with him, an activity that had become quite common between the two. It was the only time Diana could express her curiosities and observations to Arias about the world outside her home.
Some time had now passed, and she was slowly becoming more knowledgeable about matters and people, but she was still largely ignorant. Even now, as she and Arias relaxed in a large hot bath, leaning on opposite edges, she couldn't help but spark a loaded conversation.
"Although I like that your former accusations were proven false, I can't help but miss your island home. It reminded me of my own. It was peaceful and calming… in comparison to your big cities."
Diana sighed regretfully and leaned her head back while staring at the large reflective glass walls that offered a stunning view from Arias's private penthouse suite.
He followed her gaze and gave a light nod. "True, but strangely enough… I personally find it harder to relax in calm places."
Diana looked to meet Arias's gaze with a worried expression. "My mother once told me the greatest of warriors can never experience true peace until all that troubles them is gone, and even then, it's rare that their minds recover. I think that's what you're feeling."
Arias couldn't help but smile slightly, realizing Diana's words carried some truth. He did indeed prefer keeping his mind sharp, with threats lurking around him in different forms. But as of late, that preference had begun to shift into something… far more.
"Perhaps. Only time will tell. But shouldn't that apply to you too? You said it yourself, you're second only to your mother." Arias shifted the focus of the conversation from himself to Diana, his intent unclear.
Diana, completely comfortable around Arias, didn't suspect a thing. To her, his words already carried the wise truth of a kind and trustworthy person. With an image like that in her mind, she no longer hesitated when speaking about her people in front of him.
"I thought so too, but to be quite honest, around you, I feel safe, as I do when I'm home around my sisters, but it's different somehow. You could've fooled me like your government, filled my mind with lies, but instead, you showed me friendship and shared with me your true thoughts… I can't help but feel peace around you."
Diana spoke honestly and proudly, never one to feel shy or mince her words, always speaking truthfully. Arias found her words interesting. Considering they were completely honest, one might think them moving, but Arias only saw them as naive.
He felt that if he hadn't manipulated her, someone else would have, whether from the side of good or evil. Arias believed he belonged to neither, pursuing no grand purpose aside from his own.
"That's because you're honest, Diana. You have firm principles and live by them… not blindly, though. You're smart enough to realize when tough actions are necessary and unafraid to pursue them. I admire that nature of yours."
Arias spoke half-truthfully, mixing factual words with false emotions, causing Diana to smile proudly, her loyalty and trust in him rising to new levels. With that in mind, Diana felt complex emotions when looking at Arias. She had a strong desire to be closer to him, a burning, yearning feeling deep inside her that she couldn't explain.
Unlike most of her thoughts, she found it very hard to voice this feeling in words. Soon her lips parted, and she was ready to speak, but Arias's phone, which sat on the edge of the bath, rang.
Without showing much of a reaction, Arias reached for it and answered.
"Mercy?"
"Hey, is your little side stop over? I've managed to arrange an off-radar flight for you to Metropolis, exactly 43 minutes from now. Or have you changed your mind?"
"No, nothing's changed. Thanks. I'll communicate with you once I'm done."
"Right. Just do me a favor and make sure that Lois bitch knows her place. Always hated her uppity, know-it-all attitude when she dated Lex."
"I'll see what I can do."
Click.
Arias ended the call and sighed before standing from the bath, his gaze focused on Diana as he revealed, "It's time for me to leave. Let's revisit this conversation when I'm back."
Diana, unsurprised but disappointed, could only show acceptance for Arias's decision. "Travel safe. I shall hold you to your words, then, Arias. I expect you'll bring tales of victory from your trip. I shall await them eagerly."
Arias turned to leave but gave Diana a departing smile as he did so. "I'll try not to disappoint, then," he replied cryptically.
…
Later that night, as most considered the day to be ending, a smiling Lois Lane left her office at the *Daily Planet* in high spirits.
*A reporter's work is never done,* she sighed as she exited the building, vigor fueling her moves as she actively waved for a taxi. It stopped like clockwork, and she confidently entered before addressing the familiar man.
"Working late again, Joe? Martha isn't gonna like that."
The driver laughed heartily at the comment. "You know me, Lois. My day ain't over until high rollers like you clock out. You still staying at the same place?"
"No need to mock a gal, Joe. Where else am I gonna stay with my shit pay? I'm nothing but a pretty little face in this testosterone-run industry." Lois jokingly replied, though her face showed visible displeasure.
At that point, the driver, Joe, started the car and continued the conversation.
"It's a tough world for all of us out there, Miss Lane. We can't all be like those flashy billionaire playboys. Quite frankly, I'm glad you're bringing out the truth that the government is trying to hide." The driver proudly showed support for Lois's recent stories, which had caught the media by storm.
She could only smile but was inwardly concerned over the story herself. After pursuing stories about Superman relentlessly, she found herself worrying for the Metropolis hero more than she had expected.
The rest of the drive was filled with idle chatter until Lois finally reached her destination, a penthouse in Metropolis's middle-class district. Before she could enter the building, though, she saw a familiar figure leaning against the hood of a luxurious sedan, his gaze directed at her.
"Arias Markovic…" Lois muttered softly, a part of her concerned by his appearance.
Arias, however, soon showed a faint smile and asked, "May I have a word, Miss Lane?"