When Kaius and Diana came home that night, Uncle James wasn't there.
He had left a note on the table: "On duty all night. Please take care of yourselves."
"Sure enough, I can't count on him for dinner," Kaius muttered, shaking her head helplessly. It was one thing to fool around when she was alone, but now that Diana was staying with him, he couldn't be so casual about meals anymore.
Fortunately, Oliver had given Kaius plenty of meal vouchers before. Even if he ate out at the best restaurants in the city, the vouchers would last for years. For now, financial concerns weren't an issue.
The moment Diana entered the room, she ran to the sofa, grabbed the remote control, and shouted, "Kaius, Kaius, come here and help me turn on the TV! I want to watch the show we saw last time!"
"Didn't I already teach you how to use the remote?" Kaius asked with a smile, recalling the many times he had shown Diana how it worked.
Diana retorted bluntly, "The remote you showed me in Star City isn't the same as this one. Yours has so many buttons!"
So it had a few more rows of numeric keys—was that really so complicated?
Kaius sighed, sat down beside Diana, and patiently explained. "Press this button to turn on the TV. Then, use the up and down buttons to change channels. The show we watched last time is on channel 14."
Following Kaius's instructions, Diana successfully switched to channel 14.
The show was a drama set during the First World War, about an American spy infiltrating enemy lines, foiling a conspiracy, and rescuing his captured partner.
The two of them spent the evening watching the show on the sofa. The finale aired, wrapping up with the male and female leads embracing and kissing.
"I don't understand," Diana said, clearly dissatisfied. "Shouldn't they be rallying the troops to win the battle? Why are they kissing now?"
Kaius, engrossed in the scene, chuckled at Diana's reaction.
Diana preferred the war scenes to the romantic interludes. Whenever the villains plotted something sinister, she would grit her teeth and exclaim, "Don't let Ares trick you! These people are unbelievably foolish!"
Her critiques of the villains' intelligence always made Kaius laugh.
"Diana," Kaius began, trying to explain, "the kiss is just a way to show their emotions. The hero fought so hard to save the heroine, and this moment is a climactic point in the story."
But Diana wasn't impressed.
"Meaningless behavior," she declared. "I've read 12 monographs on physical pleasure by Clio, and I still don't understand how kissing brings enjoyment. Humans are so peculiar. I lived on Paradise Island for centuries and never felt such things."
Her firm, almost academic tone made Kaius grin mischievously.
"Is that so?" Kaius said, his voice teasing.
Before Diana could reply, Kaius leaned in and gently pressed his lips to Diana's.
Their lips met briefly—soft and cool like silk. A faint, electric spark ran through both of them. Kaius was gentle, but Diana's body stiffened, her cheeks flushed with an unfamiliar warmth.
Kaius could hear Diana's heartbeat even without superhuman hearing—it pounded like thunder, trembling with intensity.
"Do you still think kissing is meaningless now?" Kaius whispered softly, his breath warm against Diana's ear.
The heat sent an electric shiver through Diana's body, leaving her entirely overwhelmed. Her mind went blank as a wave of unfamiliar sensations washed over her.
Seeing Diana's stunned state, Kaius boldly leaned in and kissed her lips again. His hands gently encircled Diana's waist, the touch firm yet careful.
Diana's breathing quickened, and her body grew weak and unresponsive. She had no idea what was happening to her. Having never left Paradise Island in this universe, Diana had no experience with such emotions or physical closeness. She initially resisted, but Kaius's tenderness gradually wore down her defenses.
Unable to resist any longer, Diana surrendered, her blush deepening as her body softened. Kaius took her surrender as encouragement, kissing her lips, cheeks, and trailing down to the delicate curve of her neck.
Diana's breath came in soft gasps. Her hands rested against Kaius's chest in a feeble attempt to push him away, but her strength betrayed her. Her body trembled, twisting into the sofa as her gaze turned hazy with confusion and vulnerability.
Suddenly, a system notification chimed in Kaius's mind:
"Ding! Friendship level has upgraded to lovers. Main card effect increased to 55%, and secondary card effect doubled!"
Kaius barely registered the message, too absorbed in the moment to pay attention to the system's mechanics.
As the night deepened, the moon seemed to shy away from witnessing the intimate scene, retreating behind a veil of clouds. Outside, a mysterious tremor shook the town—a series of rhythmic quakes lasting for hours, puzzling the residents.
Meanwhile, in Metropolis...
Lois Lane rushed through the streets, tirelessly gathering clues about the destruction left by Jor-Lar's mysterious appearance. Her report, titled "Shocking! The Destroyer's Secrets Unveiled", brimmed with excitement as she handed it to her editor.
The editor, a gruff, impatient man, barely skimmed through the manuscript before throwing it back at her.
"This is absurd!" he barked. "Lois, you can't use blurry internet photos and low-resolution videos as evidence for a story! You're a journalist, not a science fiction writer. Journalists need solid proof!"
Lois bent to retrieve her scattered papers, her temper flaring.
"Those photos are evidence!" she argued. "Do you really believe the government's claim that terrorists caused the destruction? I saw that man with my own eyes when I was at the North Pole! He has powers unlike anything we've ever seen!"
The editor crossed his arms, unimpressed. "Eyewitness accounts don't count as proof in journalism, Lois. Bring me something tangible, or this story won't see the light of day."
Frustrated but determined, Lois clutched her notes tightly, vowing to uncover the truth no matter what.
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