After dismissing the station owner, Thea turned to face the dense swarm of bees, feeling a bit creeped out. Not that the bees were terrifying—it was pure instinct telling her to keep her distance.
Looking at the broadcast room covered in bees—on the ground, ceiling, wiring, every surface piled with them, the constant buzzing—even the secretary, who could take down a dozen American soldiers barehanded, paled slightly.
She carefully studied Thea's expression, reading her intentions after some observation.
With a wave of her hand, dozens of Queen Consolidated security personnel began clearing the area.
"Use electromagnetic weapons." Thea's gaze swept over the bees as she calmly gave orders.
The security team didn't know these were mechanical constructs and felt confused, but they switched weapons anyway.
A captain-looking officer threw an electromagnetic pulse grenade at the dense swarm.
An invisible wave rippled outward. Bees fell everywhere. Thea fought back her disgust and ordered the assault.
The subsequent battle was unremarkable. Without the bees, the woman was just an ordinary person, quickly handed over to the Star City Police by security.
Thea had Gideon download all of Larvan's experimental data. Combining the bees with the leather jacket man's cells seemed quite feasible.
Covering the mechanical bees' surfaces with bio-skin containing the jacket man's cells solved both the limited single-unit absorption problem and the moral issues. Imagine unleashing a swarm of bees on an enemy who immediately runs out of energy—what a magnificent sight. The only problem was Thea was slightly allergic to bees and didn't want to use this technique herself.
She instructed Gideon to work on combining the two and decided to ask around for a tough woman who wasn't afraid of bees. She'd teach her the technique.
Holding the fort in Star City for a week, taking down two gang factions—the young lady's current strength made dealing with these people like using an atomic bomb on a chicken.
Watching Oliver fish, Tommy paddle around, Superman home with his wife, Flash constantly flirting with Iris—since they'd all taken time off, Thea felt she shouldn't shortchange herself either.
She felt zero guilt about it. Leaving a duplicate in Star City for appearances, she took Diana on a girls' trip, dignifying it as "cultivation to expand her mental horizons."
Diana heartily agreed. Travel was good, but they made three rules: no magic, no magic, no magic!
Over the past few years, they'd both been constantly busy with rarely any proper relaxation time.
Thea needed to gradually adapt to her new identity, and Diana's source needed to grow. After telling the secretary not to call unless it was urgent, Thea grabbed Diana and headed out to wander.
Like ordinary people, they wore large backpacks, water bottles, sun hats, outdoor gear, and hiking boots as they began their pleasant journey.
Initially, Thea thought bringing all this stuff was completely unnecessary, but Diana insisted, so she agreed.
"It's easy at home; everything's harder on the road"—these words weren't wrong. Thea couldn't say she lacked wilderness survival skills, but her abilities were all built on magic's convenience and speed. Now that Diana demanded no magic to better understand ordinary people's hardships, she was immediately exhausted.
"Have we actually made it out of the mountains?" Thea asked, covered in dirt.
They were hiking across the Rocky Mountains. Initially traveling with a group, both women wore scarves and sunglasses so no one recognized them. Shortly after entering the mountain region, the hiking group said their goodbyes, leaving just the two women to climb.
Diana's wilderness survival skills were exceptional—whether from her century of solitary living or her recent journey seeking the "source," she was worthy of being a powerful warrior.
With Diana repeatedly emphasizing no magic, Thea could only trudge along honestly.
Even with a divine body as foundation, hiking like ordinary people? They'd die from exhaustion.
They'd already had the misfortune of encountering a black bear. Diana had stopped Thea's plan to roast it with lightning, forcing them to flee through the forest like ordinary people.
This foolish bear didn't know how lucky it was, chasing the two women for nearly a full day. Eventually—whether puzzled by their inexhaustible stamina or simply too tired itself—it disappeared. When Thea and Diana realized it was gone, they both breathed sighs of relief. That bear was too persistent!
"Haha!" Diana, seeing Thea's face like a dirty cat's, clutched her stomach laughing.
"What are you laughing at?! You're not much better!" Thea looked at Diana with exasperation. The female warrior had also suppressed her strength—otherwise, a thousand bears that level wouldn't be enough to kill.
During the bear chase, the long-legged goddess had stepped into a ditch and fallen in. Thea had pulled her out.
Looking at each other, both women couldn't help laughing.
Thea's fingers gently traced Diana's face. The warrior's face had quite a bit of dust, but her skin had incredible elasticity with a silken texture.
"Diana Prince, has anyone ever told you you're too beautiful? Meeting you has been an honor."
"Why so serious suddenly?" Diana seemed momentarily stunned, then seeing Thea's sincere eyes, she was infected by them. "You're the truly beautiful one. Even Aphrodite can't compare to you. My lover is the world's most beautiful goddess."
In that moment, language lost its power. Everything was expressed through action.
The two women's lips pressed tightly together. Diana's lips were fuller and darker, while Thea's were thinner and lighter. As their lips and teeth met, their tongues gently intertwined.
Thea hadn't expected Diana to be so passionate and was slightly unprepared, involuntarily swallowing. Diana caught this subtle movement and her tongue immediately pushed into Thea's mouth, freely enjoying the Goddess of Trade and Wealth's tongue tip.
"Mmm—" Thea was annoyed. This Diana had such a dominant personality, constantly fighting for control. She wanted to show her she wasn't to be trifled with either.
Taking advantage of Diana's distraction, she opened a second front. Her hand, originally at Diana's head, now slid downward, brushing past that slender neck.
Hot breath brushed her nose and cheek.
Simultaneously, Thea's gaze was electric. Her liquid eyes dissolved Diana's resistance. Thea pressed her advantage, lips still connected, grabbing Diana's hands and pinning them behind her back.
Just as Diana sensed something wrong, Thea freed one hand and pushed her down. Their indescribable parts pressed tightly together—the Goddess of Wealth on top, the Guardian Goddess-to-be beneath.
Their eyes met. Thea lightly sucked Diana's trembling lower lip, then the upper, before her tongue finally slipped inside.
Brief, deep, and thorough—this kiss.