Reading settings
Chapter 572: Clark, Diana
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
Under the night sky, a cool breeze arrived, creating gentle ripples. The brilliant moonlight cast a soft silver curtain over the tranquil world.
Clark subconsciously turned his head, his gaze meeting Diana's beautiful, curious eyes. Her dark pupils were like massive vortexes.
After a pause, Clark averted his gaze and said, "That cemetery... I remember Tony buried his good friend there."
"You're terrible at changing the subject, Clark." Diana stuck her hands in her leather jacket pockets, faced the wind, and looked into the distance.
Although the bustling city had suffered the invasion of the Parademons, it had recovered quickly. The adaptability of the human species was surprisingly strong; they could wage war and rebuild at the same time without missing a beat.
Clark was in no mood to talk, simply staring into the distance in a daze.
The atmosphere instantly became awkward. Diana was still waiting for him to start a conversation, and if neither of them spoke, it would be very strange.
"I heard everything, and I'd already expected it, Clark. She's just an ordinary human. You can't force her to do anything for you, because she can't."
Diana said softly, "Remember when you were revived by Tony and walked out of the medical room? The look in Lois Lane's eyes wasn't right then. She was incredibly afraid of this new, unfamiliar you."
Clark's voice was hoarse. "It was her choice, and the right one."
"You didn't tell her you would recover?"
"That was only a possibility, and not a very likely one at that. I might have remained in this form even after my evolution was complete." Clark's voice was low. Though he remained calm, he couldn't hide his dejection and sorrow.
"If I were her, I wouldn't stay with a monster either," Clark said in a low voice.
"Are you sure about that, Clark?"
Diana had a strange expression on her face. "With your super-vision, you can see through Lois Lane's flesh in an instant, even the millions of mites crawling on the surface of her skin. Your nose can smell the odor on her that even the best body wash and perfume can't conceal. Your super-hearing can pick up on every one of Lois Lane's mood changes. She has absolutely no secrets from you."
"But you still accepted it all, maintained your feelings for Lois Lane, and spent your days and nights with her, never disliking her for such superficial things."
"To your senses, Lois Lane is actually very... well, you understand what I mean, right?"
Diana gestured with her hands. She had wanted to use the word "ugly," but ultimately left it unsaid.
Indeed, Lois Lane was just an ordinary human, covered in countless parasites and needing to use the toilet. To put it bluntly, she was just a chunk of flesh—composed of blood and bone—that could be easily seen through.
As for being beautiful? To an ordinary human, Lois Lane was very beautiful. But when you tear away that outer layer of skin, much of what people consider "beautiful" is actually incredibly ugly.
Yet Clark had accepted all of Lois Lane's shortcomings without the slightest revulsion.
A mortal could never hope to have secrets from a being like Superman. It was impossible.
From the very beginning, it was always Clark who was accommodating Lois Lane, tolerating her flaws, and trying his best to block out his senses, pretending to be completely unaware of her secrets.
But the reality was... Lois Lane had always thought she was the one accommodating Clark.
She had no idea how strong Superman was, or to what extent his power reached. She thought that by being in a relationship with Superman as an ordinary human, she was the one silently enduring her lover's adventures, his need for secrecy, and the so-called "secrets" she knew.
But Clark had endured far more.
Even in human society, there is the concept of being well-matched, with everyone striving to break through the barriers between social classes. But if that barrier is elevated to one between a mortal and a demigod... it becomes a celestial chasm.
Clark stared silently at the night sky.
A cool breeze caressed them, a gentle and comfortable touch.
"Want to go for a drink?"
Diana waited a while, and seeing that Clark wasn't talking, she took the initiative to invite him. "This state you're in isn't good. If outsiders saw Superman like this, they would become even more worried."
"Losing Lois Lane also means you've lost a weakness. For you, and for Earth, it might not be a bad thing."
"Alcohol has no effect on me, Diana," Clark said bitterly.
"I have some special liquor that will work on you. I had a hard time extorting it from Tony," Diana said with a grin.
"How did you extort it?"
"Beat him up, then robbed him."
"...That's great..."
Clark was speechless. He wanted to laugh. The image of a bruised and battered Tony screaming miserably somehow made him feel much better.
"Once we've annihilated the remaining Parademons, Earth can finally have a period of peace, and we can all breathe a sigh of relief," Clark sighed, taking the lead and flying down.
Diana followed, jumping down and shrugging. "You can't be sure about that. There might be even more terrifying enemies on the way. Haven't there been plenty of powerful foes defeated by Tony over the years? The only reason we've suffered such heavy losses is because Tony is gone."
"So from now on, we have to rely on ourselves even more," Clark said resolutely.
The massive, two-meter-tall figure strode forward, with the statuesque Diana keeping pace beside him. The two walked together under the bright, clear moonlight.
"I guess we can only rely on ourselves," Diana said softly.
"I'm putting together a team. Are you interested?" Clark said slowly.
"Who's on it?"
"Me, Batman, and Green Arrow."
"Only three people... Your team is a bit too bare-bones."
"But with you, it'd be four, wouldn't it?" Clark said stubbornly.
Diana looked at Superman, who was staring fixedly at her, and her red lips parted slightly. "Are you inviting me?"
There was a strange hint in her voice.
Before Clark could answer, Diana continued walking and speaking, "When I first left Paradise Island, I discovered that in the outside world, men and women weren't at war. This shattered my preconceptions. Clark, do you know what that feels like, to have your entire worldview shattered?"
"Men and women accompanied each other, completely different from what I had known. I once thought that love was very simple. I simply fell in love with someone, and then, during a war, I lost him forever," Diana said.
"...Love is complicated, and so is war. When those two things mix, everything changes. We're not gods, but we're also not like ordinary people. We always have to bear certain heavy burdens." Clark looked at her, the wide cape behind him rustling.
Diana walked with her hands behind her back, her long legs moving in a cat-like stride, silently following beside Clark.
"I think... we also need to change..." Diana said suddenly, staring intently at Clark, an inexplicable meaning flashing in her eyes.
(end of chapter)
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
Under the night sky, a cool breeze arrived, creating gentle ripples. The brilliant moonlight cast a soft silver curtain over the tranquil world.
Clark subconsciously turned his head, his gaze meeting Diana's beautiful, curious eyes. Her dark pupils were like massive vortexes.
After a pause, Clark averted his gaze and said, "That cemetery... I remember Tony buried his good friend there."
"You're terrible at changing the subject, Clark." Diana stuck her hands in her leather jacket pockets, faced the wind, and looked into the distance.
Although the bustling city had suffered the invasion of the Parademons, it had recovered quickly. The adaptability of the human species was surprisingly strong; they could wage war and rebuild at the same time without missing a beat.
Clark was in no mood to talk, simply staring into the distance in a daze.
The atmosphere instantly became awkward. Diana was still waiting for him to start a conversation, and if neither of them spoke, it would be very strange.
"I heard everything, and I'd already expected it, Clark. She's just an ordinary human. You can't force her to do anything for you, because she can't."
Diana said softly, "Remember when you were revived by Tony and walked out of the medical room? The look in Lois Lane's eyes wasn't right then. She was incredibly afraid of this new, unfamiliar you."
Clark's voice was hoarse. "It was her choice, and the right one."
"You didn't tell her you would recover?"
"That was only a possibility, and not a very likely one at that. I might have remained in this form even after my evolution was complete." Clark's voice was low. Though he remained calm, he couldn't hide his dejection and sorrow.
"If I were her, I wouldn't stay with a monster either," Clark said in a low voice.
"Are you sure about that, Clark?"
Diana had a strange expression on her face. "With your super-vision, you can see through Lois Lane's flesh in an instant, even the millions of mites crawling on the surface of her skin. Your nose can smell the odor on her that even the best body wash and perfume can't conceal. Your super-hearing can pick up on every one of Lois Lane's mood changes. She has absolutely no secrets from you."
"But you still accepted it all, maintained your feelings for Lois Lane, and spent your days and nights with her, never disliking her for such superficial things."
"To your senses, Lois Lane is actually very... well, you understand what I mean, right?"
Diana gestured with her hands. She had wanted to use the word "ugly," but ultimately left it unsaid.
Indeed, Lois Lane was just an ordinary human, covered in countless parasites and needing to use the toilet. To put it bluntly, she was just a chunk of flesh—composed of blood and bone—that could be easily seen through.
As for being beautiful? To an ordinary human, Lois Lane was very beautiful. But when you tear away that outer layer of skin, much of what people consider "beautiful" is actually incredibly ugly.
Yet Clark had accepted all of Lois Lane's shortcomings without the slightest revulsion.
A mortal could never hope to have secrets from a being like Superman. It was impossible.
From the very beginning, it was always Clark who was accommodating Lois Lane, tolerating her flaws, and trying his best to block out his senses, pretending to be completely unaware of her secrets.
But the reality was... Lois Lane had always thought she was the one accommodating Clark.
She had no idea how strong Superman was, or to what extent his power reached. She thought that by being in a relationship with Superman as an ordinary human, she was the one silently enduring her lover's adventures, his need for secrecy, and the so-called "secrets" she knew.
But Clark had endured far more.
Even in human society, there is the concept of being well-matched, with everyone striving to break through the barriers between social classes. But if that barrier is elevated to one between a mortal and a demigod... it becomes a celestial chasm.
Clark stared silently at the night sky.
A cool breeze caressed them, a gentle and comfortable touch.
"Want to go for a drink?"
Diana waited a while, and seeing that Clark wasn't talking, she took the initiative to invite him. "This state you're in isn't good. If outsiders saw Superman like this, they would become even more worried."
"Losing Lois Lane also means you've lost a weakness. For you, and for Earth, it might not be a bad thing."
"Alcohol has no effect on me, Diana," Clark said bitterly.
"I have some special liquor that will work on you. I had a hard time extorting it from Tony," Diana said with a grin.
"How did you extort it?"
"Beat him up, then robbed him."
"...That's great..."
Clark was speechless. He wanted to laugh. The image of a bruised and battered Tony screaming miserably somehow made him feel much better.
"Once we've annihilated the remaining Parademons, Earth can finally have a period of peace, and we can all breathe a sigh of relief," Clark sighed, taking the lead and flying down.
Diana followed, jumping down and shrugging. "You can't be sure about that. There might be even more terrifying enemies on the way. Haven't there been plenty of powerful foes defeated by Tony over the years? The only reason we've suffered such heavy losses is because Tony is gone."
"So from now on, we have to rely on ourselves even more," Clark said resolutely.
The massive, two-meter-tall figure strode forward, with the statuesque Diana keeping pace beside him. The two walked together under the bright, clear moonlight.
"I guess we can only rely on ourselves," Diana said softly.
"I'm putting together a team. Are you interested?" Clark said slowly.
"Who's on it?"
"Me, Batman, and Green Arrow."
"Only three people... Your team is a bit too bare-bones."
"But with you, it'd be four, wouldn't it?" Clark said stubbornly.
Diana looked at Superman, who was staring fixedly at her, and her red lips parted slightly. "Are you inviting me?"
There was a strange hint in her voice.
Before Clark could answer, Diana continued walking and speaking, "When I first left Paradise Island, I discovered that in the outside world, men and women weren't at war. This shattered my preconceptions. Clark, do you know what that feels like, to have your entire worldview shattered?"
"Men and women accompanied each other, completely different from what I had known. I once thought that love was very simple. I simply fell in love with someone, and then, during a war, I lost him forever," Diana said.
"...Love is complicated, and so is war. When those two things mix, everything changes. We're not gods, but we're also not like ordinary people. We always have to bear certain heavy burdens." Clark looked at her, the wide cape behind him rustling.
Diana walked with her hands behind her back, her long legs moving in a cat-like stride, silently following beside Clark.
"I think... we also need to change..." Diana said suddenly, staring intently at Clark, an inexplicable meaning flashing in her eyes.
(end of chapter)
