Meanwhile, on the western side of Downtown Manor's courtyard where Diana stood, countless Gotham residents had already surrounded her, preventing her from getting anywhere near Clark, who had just managed to stand back up.
More and more people flooded into the area until Diana barely had room to move. Some of the bolder thugs were even secretly trying to steal the Eastern magical artifacts scattered across the ground.
Seeing the chaos around her, Diana gritted her teeth and forcefully sheathed her sword.
"Gotham really is a city filled with lunatics. If I had a choice, I would never come back here again."
After cursing under her breath, she prepared to leave the manor.
Despite her anger, Diana was still a superhero. She could not simply attack a crowd of civilians, no matter how violent they became.
Besides, her true target was Axel, and Axel was nowhere to be seen.
With that in mind, Diana leaped into the air and prepared to leave the manor entirely.
But the moment she rose into the sky, her eyes suddenly locked onto the southern side of the estate.
At the same time, Axel stood within the crowd below, shaking his head regretfully.
So much for the excitement of staying out all night.
Although the experience itself had disappeared thanks to the strange time difference, the thrill had already been felt. That meant it would never feel special again.
Thinking about that, Axel slowly raised his head and met Diana's gaze.
The moment Diana saw him, her eyes instantly sharpened with fury.
Axel grinned and casually waved at her.
As he moved, the armor on his body clanged heavily against itself. The sound echoed through the air, and Diana's expression stiffened immediately.
"That armor..."
Her pupils narrowed.
"Dr. Kent might actually have been right."
"Even if I don't fully understand Eastern mythology, I can still recognize the Phoenix Wing Crown!"
"Could he really be Sun Wukong?!"
Shock filled her thoughts as she raised her sword high into the air.
Seeing her reaction, Axel casually reached toward his ear.
In the next instant, the Ruyi Jingu Bang appeared in his palm.
Holding the staff, he spun it effortlessly before resting it across his shoulder.
Thump!
The heavy impact echoed deeply.
Hovering in the air opposite Diana, Axel looked completely relaxed.
Diana stared at the crown, the armor, and the staff.
Then she finally cursed aloud.
"I considered countless possibilities for your identity, but I ignored Kent's earliest theory!"
"Sun Wukong!"
"I thought someone tied to that mythology would symbolize hope, rebellion, and freedom!"
"But you're nothing more than a monster hiding behind legends!"
"Your existence has turned Gotham and half of America into chaos!"
Before Diana could continue, Axel lazily interrupted her.
"Why are you yelling so much? Calling your dad?"
The instant the words left his mouth, Axel swung the staff.
The golden rod stretched across the sky at terrifying speed.
Diana barely managed to raise her sword in time.
Boom!
The impact blasted her backward several kilometers.
Before she could regain control, she suddenly felt something press against her lower back.
Axel had already appeared behind her, stopping her momentum with one foot.
"Damn you!"
Diana twisted around and slashed immediately.
Axel calmly caught the blade with his bare left hand.
At the same time, he pointed the staff toward her chest.
"Get lost."
The staff extended violently again.
Diana was launched hundreds of meters away, and her sword was instantly ripped from her grasp.
As she tumbled through the sky, Diana forced herself to focus on Axel's position.
But the moment she lost sight of him, a dangerous feeling surged through her mind.
She immediately spun around to defend herself.
Too slow.
A heavy impact struck her abdomen before she even realized what happened.
Thud!
The stolen sword pierced straight through her body.
Blood burst from the wound as the blade emerged from her back.
Diana's body crashed directly into Axel's arms.
Axel calmly shrank the staff and returned it to his ear before wrapping one arm around her waist as though holding a lover.
Ignoring the blood staining both of them, he leaned close to her face.
Diana glared at him through the pain, struggling violently despite her injuries.
Axel only smiled.
"You superheroes really love giving speeches."
He pulled the sword free slightly, causing Diana to shudder from the pain.
Then he leaned closer to her ear.
"But Gotham doesn't belong to heroes anymore."
Diana clenched her teeth and tried to knee him.
Axel twisted the sword inside her wound.
Agony instantly tore through her body.
Her voice broke into a painful gasp.
Axel chuckled quietly.
"Sister, that expression looks painful."
"Want me to stop?"
"Too bad."
Without hesitation, he drove the sword deeper again.
Blood spilled from Diana's lips as her body curled instinctively.
Axel grabbed her chin and forced her to look directly at him.
"Diana."
He smiled casually.
"Let me explain one more time."
"I'm not Sun Wukong."
"The armor and staff belong to him, sure, but bad guys steal things. That's kind of the point."
The next second, flames erupted around them.
Both vanished instantly.
Moments later, they reappeared inside a luxurious presidential suite in a five-star hotel somewhere in Europe.
Diana's vision blurred heavily from blood loss.
Before she could understand where they were, Axel threw her onto the bed.
Her injured body slammed heavily into the mattress.
The sudden softness beneath her stunned her briefly, but before she could react further, the sword pierced through her shoulder from behind, pinning her firmly to the bed.
"Agh!"
Diana cried out in pain.
Axel stepped beside her and pressed both of her weakened hands together above her head.
Then he slowly pulled the sword free.
Resting the blade against her restrained hands, Axel smiled faintly and patted the back of her head.
"Diana."
"Ever had an experience like this before?"
"Honestly, this is pretty exciting."
Before she could answer, Axel drove the sword down again, pinning her hands firmly against the bedframe.
Diana screamed as pain shot through her arms.
At the same time, flames flickered across her armor, causing it to disappear completely.
Axel removed his own armor as well before stepping behind her.