Standing before them was the youthful, innocent version of Wonder Woman from this timeline, someone Adrian hadn't seen since their last parting in Shangri-La.
Lex looked at the woman in surprise, glancing at Adrian. He had no idea someone so striking would appear here.
Adrian, unsurprisingly, didn't flinch. His attention remained steady, calculating.
Lex's thoughts wandered to his wife, Helen. Though she had seemed happy upon his return, trust between them had fractured. Secrets lingered in every interaction, and both knew it. Looking at the woman before him, Lex couldn't help but reflect on how hasty his marriage had been.
Adrian addressed Wonder Woman calmly. "If you try to break me out of prison, Diana, even if I'm innocent, I'll still be charged with a serious crime."
"I'm not her," Diana said softly, eyes steady. "And she is not me. Two people with incompatible personalities cannot coexist without torment." She approached Adrian. "Think of us as identical in appearance but completely different in temperament."
"I heard you ran into some trouble," Adrian said, eyebrow raised. Diana smiled slightly. "I can help."
After meeting Lex, Adrian, Clark, and Diana returned to the farm to strategize against Devourer of Heaven.
Courtney, though unsurprised by Adrian's release, watched Wonder Woman closely. In her mind, no prison could contain Adrian for long. The real shock came from seeing Diana, particularly when she noticed the Amazonian presence in her chest, a comparison that made her flush in embarrassment. She cast a resentful glance at Pat, wondering if a lack of nutrition had hindered her own development.
"Wow, Sister Diana, you're an Amazon?!" Courtney exclaimed.
"Yes, from Themyscira," Diana said proudly, her posture radiating confidence. "Skilled in combat and renowned for military feats." She did not hide her identity from Courtney, a fellow self-proclaimed hero.
Pat, having just ended a call with his wife Barbara, stepped over. "Alan once mentioned a race on Themyscira, with strength rivaling Atlantians."
"Atlantians?" Courtney asked, curious.
"A sea-dwelling race," Pat replied, smiling faintly. "Don't you remember Adrian's 'Cthulhu' book upstairs? Maybe you can check it out."
Pat's expression darkened as he turned to Adrian. This Wonder Woman was the same woman who had threatened him at the auto shop, lifting a car above his head. Lucky for him, his head wasn't crushed. He warned Adrian about her two companions.
Adrian nodded calmly. He understood Pat referred to the future Wonder Woman, not the younger version before them. "I understand," he said with a slight tilt of his head.
Pat left to check on a combat robot hidden in the farm's storage room, his mind tense with the sense that the final battle was near. Outside, the daytime sky carried an ominous gloom, dim and foreboding as dusk. Pat busied himself preparing the robot, unaware of the dark shadow creeping behind him.
Upstairs, Courtney had just discovered Adrian's "Cthulhu" reference when a familiar figure appeared. Henry King—the son of Brainwave, the very one Adrian had turned to dust with the Star Scepter—stood before her alive.
"Henry!" she gasped, dropping the book.
"Surprised to see me?" Henry asked, his yellow casual shirt bright against the shadows. "You claimed life isn't black and white, but here I am—killed right before you, and you didn't act. Your hesitation proved your belief: I was beyond saving."
"No, I tried…" Courtney said, anguish in her voice.
"No, you didn't!" Henry snarled. "This world is black and white. Bad people exist, and worse ones too."
"I know you're not real, Henry. You're Devourer of Heaven's illusion," Courtney said, retreating.
"I'm real. Come closer if you doubt me!"
Adrian, meanwhile, spoke with Diana, listening patiently as she outlined potential strategies to face Devourer of Heaven. He needed more combat strength, especially magical allies, and Diana, as future leader of the Dark Justice League, was ideal.
Suddenly, her image shifted, morphing into Queen Maeve from The Boys. Adrian looked toward the gloomy sky, questioning if Devourer of Heaven had cast an illusion. Daylight offered no clarity, and his Homelander-like instincts began to take over.
"Maeve… let's get married!" Adrian blurted.
"What?" Queen Maeve, astonished, stared at him.
"I… I'm lost right now. Abandoned by everyone, I started doubting myself. I need to be noticed."
"You love me?" she asked, perplexed.
Adrian's words hung in the air. She recalled their shared dream-like battle: her Vulcan Sword slicing through enemies, his Heat Vision annihilating threats, the freedom of flying together, the exhilaration of power. Perhaps it was the shadow of love, or the echo of respect and trust.
"I will honor your proposal, Adrian," Diana said finally, eyes burning with seriousness. "But whether I marry you… I need time to decide."
Adrian nodded, summoning the Star Scepter from Clark's side. The chaotic edge in his mind steadied. He refocused, aware that the aura of Devourer of Heaven, which he had tracked in prison, was approaching. He had a plan, and the time for action was near.