Chapter 17: Teacher-Student Heart-to-Heart
On the way to Salem, Diana was noticeably distracted, as if something weighed on her mind.
Luka was the one who picked up on it first and took the initiative.
"What's wrong, Ms. Prince?"
"Oh… I just wanted to tell you not to take Batman's surveillance personally," she said after a moment's hesitation. "That's just how he is. And the things he said back there…"
Luka raised an eyebrow in genuine surprise.
"Take it personally? Surveillance?" He sounded almost amused. "What's there to be upset about?"
Diana stared at him, dumbfounded. She remembered the fury she had felt when she had accidentally discovered a listening device Batman had planted on her.
Slightly slowing her flight speed, Diana carefully studied Luka's face. Seeing the genuine composure in his expression, she couldn't help but feel puzzled.
"You've only been on Earth for a short time and already discovered this. Doesn't this feeling of restricted freedom make you uncomfortable?"
Luka shook his head, paused for a moment to consider his response, and then a faint smile appeared on his face.
"I've been on Earth for almost twenty days now. If you don't count the three days I spent unconscious at the start, then the week I spent recovering, and these eight days training with you…" He glanced at her. "To me, all of it feels like a vacation."
"There's no training that pushes my body to its absolute limits. No one forcing me to fight other warriors my age, or even older ones, to the death."
"No instructors beating me or screaming insults at me."
His gaze drifted, unfocused, as if he were staring into memories he would rather not revisit.
"You know, it wasn't until I arrived on Earth that I heard the word 'vacation' for the first time. On Viltrum, leave is a privilege reserved for warriors who are at least five hundred years old, and even then only if they've earned exceptional merit."
"For the first ten years of my life, every day began with battle, injury, slaughter... and the instructors' insults and beatings."
When Diana had first received Bruce's message, she had treated guiding Luka as just another assignment.
She knew nothing of Luka's past and had simply treated him as an ordinary young warrior in need of guidance.
For Diana, the past week had felt like a replay of her training and education on Themyscira in her youth.
The only difference was that her role had shifted from student to teacher.
It wasn't until Luka recounted his past in detail that Diana felt a surge of pity alongside her shock.
"How could such a race exist?"
When Diana first arrived in human society and described life on Themyscira, the strange expressions on people's faces constantly reminded her how barbaric the Amazonians seemed compared to humans.
Now, she experienced that feeling firsthand.
Her impression of Viltrum plunged straight into the negatives, and her heart ached even more for the boy who so often wore a blank expression.
"So I should be grateful you didn't impulsively rush over and beat up Batman?"
Luka glanced sideways at the road ahead, speechless. Does this world's Diana have a personal vendetta against Batman? he wondered.
"After coming to Earth, I didn't hide most of my past or the nature of Viltrum culture. As a civilization that has normalized and glorified the invasion of other planets, it's only natural for some Earthlings to be wary of me."
Luke sighed.
"And to be blunt, Ms. Prince, I've seen many of the Justice League's exploits on television. Your members' personalities are quite evident in most interviews and the founding press conference."
"With all due respect, aside from Batman, most of the Justice League members exude a certain naivety."
"Superman, the Flash, and Shazam are the types who would easily trust someone who plays the victim. They're all vulnerable to targeted manipulation."
"Aquaman, Green Lantern, and you, Ms. Prince, are either burdened with managing your own people or distracted by other organizations. None of you can fully dedicate your focus to the Justice League."
Diana instinctively wanted to retort, but Luka spoke again.
"I read in an old news report that Mr. Bruce, who has ties to Batman, generously covered most of the League's expenses back then. You see, even the financial backing comes from Batman's personal connections."
This statement hid a secret that Diana had to keep, leaving her momentarily speechless and unable to respond.
"Funding, planning, communication, base relocation, danger alerts..."
"In a world-renowned organization, everything is actually being carried out by just one person."
Diana stared at him, eyes wide, unable to come up with a proper rebuttal. Two years ago, Batman had been the one most firmly opposed to forming the Justice League.
Now, he had become the very core that kept the League functioning.
"It's not just him," Diana finally managed to retort, her voice lacking conviction. "Cyborg is helping too."
Luka remained silent this time. He had a far more scathing assessment of Cyborg.
For instance, despite possessing cosmic-level advanced technology, Cyborg's primary function seemed to be serving as a super-server and artificial intelligence.
In this place that prided itself on freedom of speech, Cyborg hadn't intervened to control public opinion, even as the Justice League was being relentlessly criticized online.
Cyborg was also the only member who, after making a single public appearance during the Justice League's formation two years ago, had completely vanished from the public eye.
To most people, Cyborg remained merely a machine-augmented human with powerful technological firepower.
True information about Cyborg's capabilities was inaccessible through ordinary media channels, leaving Luka with no legitimate means of obtaining such intelligence.
Luka flew through a layer of clouds, exhaling a plume of condensed mist. He spread his hands toward Diana, who was still staring at him.
"I sense that you are all very kind-hearted people," he said. "So I understand why you find Batman difficult to get along with."
"But to me, Batman is simply direct in his speech. So far, he's been more understanding than even the gentlest instructor on my planet."
Luka wasn't exaggerating. From start to finish, Batman had done nothing more than warn him from Earth's perspective. That was far preferable to instructors who would casually shatter his leg bones for the slightest mistake.
This was the first time Diana had ever heard such a shocking take on Batman, and she grabbed a lock of her hair in visible anguish.
"Luka."
"Ms. Prince?"
Diana's teeth began to grind together forcefully.
"If you ever lose your powers one day," she said through clenched teeth, "I hope you remember to go rob a bank in Gotham."
...?
The remark made no sense and clearly fell into the category of comments best ignored.
Luka descended slightly, studying the city's layout below with focused attention.
"Are we already in Salem City, Ms. Prince?"