Whenever anyone brought her up, Clark's face darkened with sadness.
He sighed heavily and confessed, "I went to see Lana the night I came back, but ... but I found out she was already Whitney's girlfriend."
"Whitney? That quarterback?" Kaius asked, raising an eyebrow.
He suddenly remembered she had obtained Whitney's "character card" from an unusual source.
"This guy," Kaius mused, "has all the charm skills maxed out: the King of White Cards, a glamour bonus, dating expertise, pop culture knowledge, and, of course, a 'girl killer' ability."
Thanks to his own enhancements, Kaius's emotional intelligence had improved significantly. He turned to Clark with a sympathetic look.
"Brother, that's tough. But hey, what about Chloe? She's the editor of your school magazine, and, let's be honest, she's your little fangirl. She practically adores you," Kaius suggested earnestly.
Clark shook his head firmly. "Forget it. She's a reporter. It just wouldn't work. We're not compatible."
Kaius sighed and shrugged, turning his attention to Diana, who was quietly listening to the conversation.
"Diana, to help you adapt to modern life, I've arranged a school transfer for you. I know high school seems a bit much at your age, but luckily, you look like you're barely eighteen. How about experiencing high school life?"
"Don't bring up my age again, or I swear, I'll punch you," Diana protested, playfully hitting Kaius's chest with her fist.
Kaius grinned slyly. "So? Are you going or not?"
After a moment of thought, Diana nodded. "Fine, I'll go. It's better than staying home bored all day, especially since you won't let me explore."
Clark, who had been watching the exchange, shook his head and muttered, "I'll leave you two lovebirds to it." He walked away, visibly irritated.
Thus, Diana temporarily enrolled in Smallville High and quickly adapted to her new environment. Months passed peacefully, with no major incidents. Even General Zod, who haunted Clark's thoughts, hadn't appeared. Whether he was lost in the universe or delayed for some other reason, no one knew.
Kaius, however, was certain Zod would eventually arrive. As long as the codex resided within Clark, it was only a matter of time.
During her time at high school, Diana integrated seamlessly into modern society. She embraced her new role and proved she could handle challenges far beyond Amazonian traditions. At least she no longer risked picking up random objects and mistakenly summoning a god of war.
One quiet afternoon, Kaius and Diana returned home from school and began cooking together in the kitchen. Despite her royal upbringing, Diana's Amazonian heritage included survival skills, including cooking with a wide range of ingredients. Together, they created meals that could rival the most ambitious culinary shows.
As they worked, laughing and experimenting, Kaius's phone rang. Hee grabbed it with a slightly annoyed expression.
"Hello? Who's this?" He asked.
A deep, gravelly male voice on the other end responded ominously: "Kaius Rogers, you have failed this city!"
From the way Oliver Queen spoke, Kaius immediately pieced together who he was dealing with.
"Oliver Queen, you'd better have a good reason for calling me, or do you want me to somehow reach through this phone line and break your leg?" Kaius quipped, half-jokingly, with a sharp edge in his tone.
On the other end, Oliver hesitated briefly, realizing he might have caught Kaius at a bad time. But, pushing forward, he explained, "I do have something urgent. Remember last time you mentioned the enhancer 'Mirakuru'? We've found a lead."
Kaius's voice softened slightly, intrigued. After all, he owed Oliver one after accepting a favor from the Green Arrow recently. "Oh? So, you've tracked down the mastermind?"
Oliver sighed audibly. "Not quite. But I've identified the source of the Mirakuru. It's linked to a councilman named Sebastian Blood. Locally, he's known as 'The Mayor.' While his connections are suspicious, I doubt he's the one truly pulling the strings. I've investigated him before—he doesn't have the resources or knowledge to create something as advanced as Mirakuru."
Kaius frowned, the name triggering a memory. Sebastian Blood—he'd heard of him before, a key player in the chaos behind Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke. "Go on," Kaius urged, sensing there was more.
Oliver's frustration was palpable through the line. "Sebastian has been distributing Mirakuru through blood drives, supposedly for the 'good of the community.' He's even been stockpiling sedatives and other medical supplies. Dammit! I didn't suspect him sooner, and he did all of this under my nose!"
Kaius's brow furrowed. In Star City, businessmen and politicians often collaborated, a murky network of alliances that left room for such schemes. As CEO of Queen Consolidated, Oliver had often worked with people like Blood.
"So, let me guess," Kaius said, piecing it together, "He's building an army of enhanced soldiers?"
"Exactly," Oliver replied, his tone grim. "We've located their base. I've expanded the Green Arrow team, but even then, I'm not confident we can take them down alone. Kaius, I don't like involving others if I can avoid it. I'd rather face them myself than risk my team, but this time... I need your help."
Kaius exhaled sharply. Like many heroes, Oliver carried the weight of responsibility alone, never hesitating to risk his own life but reluctant to endanger those around him. The mention of Mirakuru struck a personal chord—it had already caused him immense loss and pain.
"No problem. A few enhanced soldiers are no big deal. I'll swing by school this afternoon, make up an excuse for leave, and head over."
For a moment, there was silence, and then Oliver spoke, his voice heavy with gratitude. "Thank you, Kaius."
As the call ended, Kaius noticed Diana watching him with an amused smile. Feeling self-conscious, he asked, "What? You want to come with me?"
"I would, but I don't want to miss Mr. Mevis' lecture on World War I," Diana replied, her expression conflicted.
Mr. Mevis, their history teacher, had a knack for war stories that fascinated Diana. As an Amazon adapting to the modern world, her interest in history—especially battles—was unsurprising.
Sometimes, Kaius wondered if she was more the daughter of Zeus or Ares.
"Have Clark take notes for you," he suggested. "You can catch up later."
"Alright, fine," Diana conceded, returning to her lunch preparations.
Kaius rubbed his chin thoughtfully. What excuse should he use to leave school early?
Got it. "James had an accident and is in the hospital. I need to take care of him." Perfect excuse.
With that decision, he quickly fired off a text to James, letting him know about his plan.
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