Metropolis, LexCorp Headquarters
In the dark of night, a black van bypassed the main entrance of LexCorp and drove directly into a secret underground laboratory through a concealed entryway.
At the entrance to the lab, a group of about two dozen people waited. Leading them was a bald young man—Lex Luthor himself.
"Is the cargo here? And you're sure you didn't attract any unwanted attention?" Lex asked as three men stepped out of the van.
The burly man from the front passenger seat grinned confidently and replied, "Relax, boss. The package has been delivered. As planned, we set up a patsy to take the fall. Now there's no trail leading back to us—no one will ever find out."
These men were LexCorp's private mercenaries, trusted by Lex for their efficiency and discretion.
The team moved to the back of the van. As the doors opened, the so-called "cargo" was revealed—a body wrapped in rough sackcloth.
One of the mercenaries reached in and pulled back the sack, revealing the pale face of the deceased.
"I can't believe this guy's an alien. He looks just like us!"
"Yeah, but I saw photos from the town yesterday. This guy was jumping over buildings, punching through walls, and acting like nothing could hurt him."
"Pfft, 'nothing could hurt him,' huh? He still ended up like this. You know who's really unstoppable? That Avenger guy!"
The group buzzed with chatter about the previous day's events—a sudden alien spacecraft appearing in a small town, followed by a destructive alien rampage. The incident had been swiftly suppressed by local authorities, but Lex's extensive intelligence network ensured he knew every detail.
While his men marveled at the alien's strength, Lex's focus was entirely on the body's wounds.
The man had been dead for over 24 hours, yet his skin was eerily intact, fresh-looking, and far from the pallor of a typical corpse. If not for the green-tinged wounds scattered across his body, one might think he was merely sleeping.
"Get him into the lab immediately," Lex ordered sharply. "I need to know what killed him. Those wounds… their color reminds me of something."
Lex's men carried the body into the underground lab as a female researcher in a lab coat spoke up, "Mr. Luthor, could it be the green meteorite found in the town?"
"Exactly. The green meteorite," Lex replied, his mind already racing with possibilities.
---
Paradise Island
Meanwhile, on Paradise Island, Diana was searching for the divine weapons stored within the tower. Unbeknownst to her, her mother, Queen Hippolyta, was approaching the tower with a contingent of Amazon warriors.
Kaius hovered in the air above the scene, arms crossed as he observed the Queen's party.
"Your Majesty," he called down with a faint smile, "Did you bring all these people just to see me off?"
Queen Hippolyta, astride a regal warhorse, looked up at Kaius with a complex expression. "Mr. Kaius," she began diplomatically, "please allow me to address you this way. I respect your intentions, but Diana must remain here. You have no right to interfere."
Kaius smirked and shrugged. "Your Majesty, I think you misunderstand something. If you want Princess Diana to stay, you shouldn't be telling me. You should be telling her."
Hippolyta's face hardened. "You don't understand, Kaius. Diana is special. She has a destiny unlike anyone else's. I cannot allow her to leave this island and face such dangers. Please, don't force my hand—I don't want things to escalate."
Kaius's eyes sparkled with amusement, but he didn't reply. He simply floated silently above, watching as the situation unfolded.
Queen Hippolyta subconsciously placed her hand on the hilt of the saber at her waist, her mind stubbornly convinced that Kaius intended to abduct Diana.
In fact… that wasn't entirely wrong.
Ares, the god of war, had not yet made a move, but Zod, the alien invader, had. Kaius, aware of the unfolding events due to his knowledge of the plot, unintentionally stirred the restless Diana, who quickly connected the dots and decided to leave the island with Kaius to preserve world peace.
"I know Diana is special," Kaius said, his voice calm but firm. "We all know it. She's Zeus's daughter, right? Queen Hippolyta, do you really think you can keep this secret forever? Do you think you can shield her from her destiny? Or that your cowardly reluctance will protect her for a lifetime? Stop deluding yourself!"
The surrounding Amazon warriors exchanged confused glances, unsure of the full context of Kaius's words. Queen Hippolyta, however, stood silent, her expression darkening under his accusations.
First, Kaius had casually alluded to Diana's divine heritage—her true parentage as the illegitimate daughter of Hippolyta and Zeus. This was a closely guarded secret, known to only a handful. To Hippolyta, the fact that Kaius could mention it so nonchalantly confirmed her suspicion: he must be connected to Olympus somehow, perhaps even a demigod himself.
Second, despite her indignation, Hippolyta couldn't deny the truth in his words.
Over Diana's century-long adolescence, she had grown from a willful child into the island's most formidable warrior. Even Hippolyta herself had nothing more to teach her.
If danger came to their shores, Diana wouldn't need their protection. It would be Diana protecting them.
After a tense silence, Hippolyta finally spoke, her voice trembling with resolve. "Can I trust you, Mr. Kaius?"
"You don't have to trust me," Kaius replied sharply. "You only need to trust Diana."
At that moment, Diana emerged from the tower. She was clad in the full armor of Wonder Woman—the divine shield in one hand, the Sword of Vulcan in the other, and the golden Lasso of Truth coiled at her waist.
With a graceful leap, she descended from the tower to the ground below, landing before the assembled Amazons. Her gaze swept across the warriors and settled on her mother, her expression a mixture of sorrow and determination.
"I'm leaving, Mother. No matter what, I'm going."
Her voice rang with conviction. "The entire world is in peril. Innocent people who cannot defend themselves may lose their lives. I must fight for them. I will defeat General Zod and crush Ares's schemes. This is my duty, and I must go."
"Diana," Hippolyta said with a heavy sigh, "if you leave now, you may never return."
"I know," Diana replied, her voice steady. "Perhaps this is my destiny."
She turned to Kaius and extended her hand toward him.
Seeing the moment was right, Kaius cleared his throat and addressed Hippolyta one last time. "Your Majesty, I've left my friend's spaceship in your jungle. Please take care of it."
Before Hippolyta could respond, Kaius took Diana's hand and pulled her into his arms. With the Amazons watching in stunned silence, he launched them both into the sky. The air burst with a thunderous sound, and in an instant, they were gone from sight.