This time, Kaius didn't fly to Star City directly. At Diana's (Wonder Woman) insistence, the two decided to take a train together, blending in with the ordinary world.
Kaius wore his trademark lead glasses, a pair of thick-rimmed spectacles that masked his Kryptonian powers, and dressed down in loose sportswear. Diana opted for a casual outfit, carrying a small satchel over her shoulder. To an onlooker, they appeared to be two young travelers, perhaps on a sightseeing trip.
"Diana, what's in your bag?" Kaius asked, curious about why Diana always seemed to carry something.
"My armor," Diana replied matter-of-factly. "But I left the Aegis Shield and the Sword of Athena behind. Weapons aren't allowed on trains."
Kaius chuckled, shaking his head. Most women carried cosmetics or books in their bags; Diana carried her Amazonian battle gear. And from the way she spoke, it was clear that if weapons were allowed, she wouldn't hesitate to bring her sword along. Diana, after all, was anything but ordinary.
After a few hours, the train arrived at Star City. Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) had arranged for a driver to meet them at the station.
Twenty minutes later, Kaius and Diana arrived at the Arrow Cave, Oliver's hidden base. It was unusual for the entire Team Arrow to be present during the day, but today was an exception.
"Did everyone gather just to meet us?" Kaius teased, offering Oliver a warm handshake.
Felicity Smoak greeted Diana with enthusiasm, pulling her into a hug. Oliver stepped forward to greet Kaius. "Kaius, you're surprisingly... normal-looking. You don't exactly scream 'Man of Steel' in that outfit."
With his thick glasses and casual demeanor, Kaius certainly didn't resemble the typical image of a superhero, especially compared to the Avengers' larger-than-life personas.
A blonde woman stepped forward, her sharp eyes darting between Kaius and Diana. Oliver introduced her: "This is Sara Lance, also known as the White Canary. Sara, meet Avenger and Wonder Woman."
Sara extended her hand, flashing a sly smile as she lightly pressed Kaius's chest. "Wow, your muscles are no joke. Is it really like Oliver says—'a body of steel'?"
Kaius awkwardly stepped back, his instincts warning him of Diana's sharp gaze. He coughed and replied diplomatically, "Well, I do have... unique abilities."
"Impressive!" Sara grinned and then turned her attention to Diana. She threw her a playful wink, but Diana merely gave her a blank stare, unimpressed.
Nearby, John Diggle (Dig) stood with his arms crossed, his expression a mixture of amusement and pain. "Hey, Kaius, Diana. We've met before—remember me?"
"Of course, Dig," Kaius replied warmly. His smile faded when his X-ray vision caught sight of Diggle's injuries. "You're hurt."
Oliver's expression grew serious. "We had a run-in with some enhanced individuals while investigating a lead."
Diana's brow furrowed, and she glanced at Oliver. "Enhanced individuals? Explain."
Sara stepped in to clarify. "They were injecting innocent people with Mirakuru serum. We tried to stop them, but things got messy. One of the victims was Thea's boyfriend, Roy Harper."
Kaius's eyes narrowed as he scanned the team. "You all took on Mirakuru-enhanced soldiers? It's remarkable you made it out alive."
"Barely," Oliver admitted. "We're lucky we're all standing—well, most of us, anyway."
Diana crossed her arms, her voice steely. "We need to find out who's behind this and stop them. Mirakuru can't be allowed to spread further."
Kaius nodded. "Let's get to work."
Kaius had some vague memories of this plotline, but he wasn't naive enough to rely entirely on his memories from a past life to infer how this world might develop.
"In fact," Kaius suggested, "you just need to tell me where the Strengthener's base camp is. Diana and I can head over there and take care of the rest. Problem solved."
Oliver shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. "That stronghold has already moved. Remember what I told you? The man in the skeleton mask who leads the Strengtheners isn't the one pulling the strings behind the scenes. Luckily, we managed to recover an encrypted USB drive from one of the captured Strengtheners. If we can decrypt it, we might uncover the real mastermind."
Kaius hesitated, reluctant to reveal too much. If he wasn't worried about being disbelieved, he could have just said outright, "The person behind all of this is Slade Wilson."
But to Oliver, Slade Wilson was dead—lost on Purgatory Island. To him, it was inconceivable that a dead man could orchestrate such chaos.
"Decrypting an encrypted USB? For Felicity, that's child's play!" Kaius said, confident the task would be a quick fix.
Felicity raised an eyebrow and held up the USB stick from her workstation. "Child's play? Sure, if someone hadn't shot an arrow straight through it."
"I didn't mean to!" Oliver replied, smiling awkwardly. He quickly changed the subject, addressing Kaius and Diana. "Let's get you both settled. I've booked two presidential suites for you."
The mention of two separate rooms annoyed Kaius. "Two rooms? Seriously, Oliver? Are you even trying to get me to help?"
Oliver blinked, confused. Diana chuckled while Diggle came over and patted Oliver's shoulder. "Did you really not notice that Kaius and Diana are a couple?"
Realization dawned on Oliver's face. "Sorry! I didn't realize."
Despite Oliver's charm and history of complicated romances, his emotional intelligence in this instance seemed lacking. It was ironic, considering his ability to juggle relationships in the past without raising suspicion—a skill honed during his wild, reckless youth.
---
Later that evening...
Felicity invited Diana for some much-needed retail therapy. For Diana, shopping was second only to studying war history as her favorite activity.
Meanwhile, Oliver pulled Kaius aside. "There's someone I want you to meet," he said. The two of them donned police disguises and made their way to an abandoned factory on the outskirts of town.
Inside, a young man in a red hoodie stood waiting. Nervously, he asked, "Arrow, why did you ask me to come here?"
Kaius didn't recognize the boy, but he pieced it together. This was Roy Harper—Oliver's sister's boyfriend, injected with Mirakuru, destined to become Red Arrow.
It was clear, however, that Roy still didn't know Oliver's true identity.
"Roy," Oliver said in his gruff Arrow voice, "I brought you here to help you control your powers. The Mirakuru serum has enhanced your body, but it's also distorting your mind. If you don't learn to manage it, you could hurt the people you care about."
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