Chapter 555: Justice League (2)
The Grand Plan
When Diana spoke, her eyes naturally rested on Luke, but her expression was calm, showing no abnormality. Luke's gaze, however, began to wander.
"She went traveling. She'll be back after a while."
Traveling?
Did a Kryptonian need to travel?
Diana naturally didn't believe this explanation. Recalling the events of that night, she felt an inexplicable guilt. Could Linda have discovered what happened between her and Luke and left home in a fit of pique?
The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. The two, preoccupied with their own thoughts, instinctively avoided eye contact.
Since everyone had arrived, they could discuss business. Lois spoke first.
"Luke, are you going to speak, or should I?"
"You go ahead."
Lois nodded, relaying the conversation from earlier and detailing all the ideas regarding the Justice League, omitting no details. Everyone listened intently, showing expressions of surprise at the crucial points.
After the narration was complete, Clark added a final note.
"This can't be decided by one person. We need to consider everyone's opinion."
Barry couldn't help but ask, "Will the White House agree to this?"
Luke smiled. "They don't have many choices, and besides, I have other leverage." As to what the leverage was, he didn't say, and the others didn't ask.
J'onn fell into deep thought. After a long moment, he spoke.
"Forming the Justice League is very necessary, but I do not recommend making it public. That will only lead to trouble and even unnecessary conflicts."
Diana agreed with this sentiment. She was about to speak but glanced at Luke and chose to remain silent.
Luke wasn't surprised by J'onn's response. Among the people present, only Barry Allen and Lois were pure humans; the rest all had alien or unique backgrounds.
J'onn was a Martian, Diana was an Amazon, and Clark was a Kryptonian. The difference in their origins gave them a natural sense of vigilance toward human society.
"Barry, what do you think?"
The Flash hesitated after being called on.
"I also think it's better to keep it non-public."
With four out of five people supporting a non-public alliance, Luke immediately smiled. "It seems I'll have to take a trip to the White House."
"What for?"
"The President owes me a favor. It's a good time to collect it. I will persuade him to change the Elite Guard plan and exclude Clark from it."
At that, everyone's expressions changed. Luke made it sound simple, but the actual operation was likely incredibly complex. As one of the most powerful people in the world, the U.S. President's decisions were almost impossible to reverse unless a tremendous amount of leverage was paid.
Of course, they had no idea that the current President was just a clone of Luke's.
Clark felt a lump in his chest, filled with an indescribable sense of gratitude.
Lois said solemnly,
"Thank you, Luke. Thank you for your help."
"It's just a political transaction. No need to be so polite. Let's discuss the Justice League first. Where do you think we should build the base?"
An Awkward Ride
Time slowly passed. The group engaged in an in-depth dialogue about the alliance. Everyone offered their perspective, and a preliminary plan was only finalized late into the night.
It was very late. Clark and Lois headed home. Barry and J'onn also stood up to leave.
The atmosphere grew strange.
Only one man and one woman remained in the enormous room. The scene was eerily similar to that night at the lakeside villa. Diana, feeling uneasy, forced a nonchalant tone.
"Your medicine worked very well. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Luke picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and put it down. Drinking now would be like adding fuel to the fire. Carol and Linda were already a big enough headache; he didn't want to create new complications at this moment.
The two sat opposite each other, but neither spoke. The air was suffocatingly awkward. Having navigated the dating scene for so many years, this was the first time Luke had encountered such a situation.
"Where do you live? I'll drive you back."
"No need. I live in Washington. I can fly back."
Luke glanced at his watch. It was already midnight. Letting a lady travel hundreds of miles home so late was ultimately inappropriate.
"How about you crash at my place for the night?"
Diana's face stiffened, her thoughts surging like a tidal wave.
"That... wouldn't be appropriate."
"There's nothing inappropriate about it," Luke said with a smile. "I have several design concepts for armor and shields. I'm free tonight, so you can review them."
With the conversation at this point, Diana couldn't really refuse. She left with Luke. The restaurant owner was waiting in the lobby. Seeing the two, he quickly approached.
"Mr. Shaw, how was the food tonight? If there are any complaints, please let us know, and we will surely improve."
"It was excellent. It's been a long time since I've had such authentic Cantonese cuisine."
The boss gave a thumbs-up. "You're a true connoisseur! We hired two famous chefs from Guangdong Province specifically for you. I was hoping to surprise you, but you tasted the difference on the first try."
As he spoke, he looked aside. Seeing Diana's nearly perfect face, he paused for two seconds: What a beautiful woman! In his forty-plus years of life, this was the first time he'd encountered such an elegant beauty.
"Mr. Shaw, is the lady next to you... your wife?"
Luke quickly waved his hand.
"Don't get the wrong idea. She's my friend."
"My apologies, truly sorry."
The boss repeatedly apologized. Diana didn't say much and left the restaurant with Luke. They chose not to fly, driving back to the lakeside manor instead.
Throughout the journey, listening to the wind outside the window, Diana's thoughts drifted. Since Steve Trevor died, she hadn't had any intimate contact with anyone else.
Due to the unique nature of her identity, Diana had to change countries, cities, and jobs every decade or so. It had been this way for nearly a hundred years. She had grown used to living alone. Though she sometimes felt lonely, it was nothing for someone who had lived on Themyscira for thousands of years.
However, the calm waters had finally been disturbed.
Diana turned to look at Luke beside her. In the moonlight, his eerie green eyes looked like ancient, well-polished gems, radiating a profound light.
Luke coughed. "Is there something on my face?"
"No."
Diana retracted her gaze. After a moment's thought, she spoke.
"Did you and Linda have a fight?"
Luke was silent.
"She found out about that night, didn't she?"
"No, no. Don't think that. We didn't fight. She needed to leave for a while for reasons..."
"You're lying."
What the heck! How did you know?
Luke was stunned. Glancing down, he saw a gold chain flickering under Diana's sleeve, and his mouth twitched uncontrollably. The Lasso of Truth. The one artifact he hated most—the ultimate playboy kryptonite.
Diana continued,
"What happened that night was just a misunderstanding. I will explain to Linda and gain her forgiveness."
Screech!!!!
The Lamborghini suddenly braked, startling a few nightingales into frantic chirping.
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