On the periphery of Paradise Island, a magical field of protection, set by Zeus, surrounded it.
To outsiders, this area appeared perpetually shrouded in thick thunderclouds, making Paradise Island undetectable by modern instruments or technology.
Kaius held Diana as they flew through the dense dark clouds. Gradually, the sky and earth returned to their natural colors. Stretching out before them was a breathtaking view of the horizon, where the blue waters of the ocean met the vast expanse of the sky.
"Wow, it's so beautiful!" Diana exclaimed, her eyes sparkling like jewels as she gazed at the endless ocean with wonder.
Although Diana was familiar with the ocean, her experience had been limited to the waters visible from Paradise Island.
Now, as she left the confines of her home for the first time, she was awestruck by the immensity of the open sea.
"There are even better views. Do you want to see them?" Kaius asked, ruffling Diana's hair with his free hand.
Diana didn't resist and instead nodded eagerly, her curiosity piqued.
"Okay! Yes, please! Where are you taking me?" Her voice brimmed with excitement.
At this moment, Diana didn't resemble the strong and composed heroine of Wonder Woman. She seemed more like a curious, wide-eyed girl, seeing the world for the first time.
And in many ways, she was. Despite being older than most people's grandmothers, her upbringing as a demigod made her relatively adolescent in her maturity. Having spent her entire life on Paradise Island, Diana's understanding of the world was limited to what she had read in books.
Books described the ocean as vast, but just how vast? Only those who had seen it could truly understand.
"Hug me tightly. I'll take you to see the sky," Kaius said, adjusting his grip on Diana.
Diana instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, and with a burst of speed, Kaius rocketed into the sky.
They soared higher and higher, eventually breaking through the ozone layer. Diana struggled to breathe for a moment, but her demigod physiology quickly adapted to the thin air under Kaius's guidance.
"Look around. Isn't it more beautiful here?" Kaius said softly into Diana's ear.
"It's incredible! I never imagined the world could be this big!" Diana's voice was filled with awe as she gazed at the stars scattered across the vast expanse of space.
Suddenly, she turned her head and pressed a gentle kiss to Kaius's cheek.
The cold yet tender sensation sent a jolt through Kaius's body. His heartbeat quickened as he glanced at Diana, who was blushing deeply and looking down, avoiding his gaze.
What just happened? I got kissed… by her! Kaius's thoughts raced, caught between surprise and disbelief. He even briefly considered teasing her, but before he could act, Diana raised her hand and pointed at a distant black speck in the sky.
"Kaius, what is that?" she asked curiously.
The "black spot" she pointed to wasn't small—it was simply far away. As they approached, the object became clearer, revealing itself to be an artificial satellite.
"That's a satellite. Specifically, one owned by the Lex Group," Kaius said with a sigh, his mood shifting slightly. The sight of it reminded him of the dangers ahead.
He glanced back at Diana. "Diana, we need to leave."
Although Diana didn't understand what a "Lex Group satellite" was, she trusted Kaius's judgment.
"Where are we going now? Are we heading to confront Zod's remaining forces?" she asked.
As they soared above the earth, her question gave Kaius pause.
Good question. Where are we even going?
He glanced down at the vast expanse below—a patchwork of grasslands and forests. For a moment, he was at a loss.
We're at an altitude of ten thousand meters, and the nearest landmass is… just wilderness. Great. Now what?
Forgive Kaius; his geography teacher had "died early," leaving him unable to determine what kind of climate or terrain he was flying over.
Now, he found himself tragically lost.
Forget it! Let's just wing it!
At least Diana wouldn't notice he didn't know the way. His plan? Fly aimlessly until he spotted a city and then ask for directions.
Sure enough, Kaius flew around the earth three times, and Diana didn't seem to notice anything unusual.
As for satellite monitoring, Kaius wasn't concerned. As long as he kept moving, any captured images would only show a blurry ghost-like figure.
"What are those stars on the ground? They're so beautiful!"
Diana pointed at the glowing patterns of lights below. Kaius had descended to an altitude of five kilometers, where the illuminated sprawl of a large city came into view.
"That's a human city. Those lights are created by people so they can continue their activities at night," Kaius explained.
Diana nodded thoughtfully. "Why do people still move around at night? On Paradise Island, we rest when the sun sets."
"That's because you haven't experienced human nightlife yet. Let's go check it out!"
Kaius noticed the streets below were labeled with signs written in Chinese characters. Judging by the bustling activity, they had likely arrived in a city in China, but he wasn't sure which one.
Landing seemed like the best option to figure out where Metropolis was or at least locate a town to guide them.
Kaius and Diana descended into a small alleyway. Diana stepped out cautiously, her wide eyes taking in the bright lights and moving vehicles on the main street.
"What are those moving iron boxes?" she asked, pointing to a sleek Mercedes sports car.
"That's called a car. It's a modern means of transportation," Kaius replied.
"Then why are the people here dressed so strangely?"
Kaius was caught off guard by her question, then realized the irony—they were the ones dressed oddly.
He was still wearing the alien uniform he'd found aboard Faora's spacecraft, while Diana was clad in her Amazonian armor, complete with the Sword of Vulcan and the Shield of Divine Power.
"It's not that their clothing is strange—it's ours that stands out. I'll explain more later when I have the chance," Kaius said with a small smile.
Unfortunately, he didn't have any valuables on him, except for a lead box containing a kryptonite necklace. Otherwise, he would've bought modern clothes from a nearby shop to blend in better.
As they stood in the alley, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed from the other side. Before Kaius and Diana could react, a group of four men appeared, whistling at them.
"What's with those outfits? Did you two just come from a movie set?"
"Hey, this chick is stunning. Standing here all dressed up—she must be looking for some work!"
"Yeah, that uniform is spicy—I like it!"
Their crude words meant nothing to Diana, who didn't understand the language, but the leering looks made her uncomfortable. She instinctively moved closer to Kaius.
Kaius's expression turned ice-cold. He stepped in front of Diana and glared at the group.
There were four of them, dressed in shabby, mismatched outfits. Their eyes darted greedily over Diana's figure, making no effort to hide their intentions.
Kaius shook his head and said, "In this city, there are hundreds of thousands of people you could have messed with. And yet, you picked me. I can't tell if you're unlucky or just plain stupid."