Diana finished her tale.
Clark frowned. "So... your mom is prejudiced against men because of a cultural thing?"
"Clark! You don't understand; she was the Amazon queen in that story! She lived through all that torture; all that pain, and she's been alone with our sisters on Themyscira for the past three thousand years."
Clark nearly took a step backward in surprise. He should have figured that out already, but he hadn't realized just how old Hippolyta really was. She only looked to be about forty.
"You've got to understand... my mom... she's seen the absolute worst of mankind. Up until about a year ago, she hadn't even seen a man in—literally—ages. When we first came to America, it was really hard for her to get over the idea that all men weren't out to harm her—and me."
"What was it that changed her mind?"
"Nothing," Diana sighed. "Just time. She's still got a bit of anger, as you noticed. But at least she doesn't snap at the slightest thing a man says or does anymore. She's normally a pleasant person with them, actually."
Clark frowned again. "Then why did she just treat me that way?" he asked.
Diana scrunched her face and sighed again with resigned frustration. "It's because you're with me."
Clark suddenly felt a little embarrassed. "Uh... what?"
"The last boy I brought to meet my mother was Hal," Diana explained. "She decided to trust him, and... well, after Hal and I broke up, I was... I was hurt. So she got really mad. I think she's worried that you'll do the same thing to me."
Clark was feeling even more uneasy. "Uh... Diana, we're not... 'together'..."
"I know," Diana said in a slightly hushed tone. "But you're taking me to the Christmas Formal, so that's close enough for her."
Clark wanted to roll his eyes. From his perspective, it seemed more like she was taking him to the formal.
"I'm really sorry," Diana said apologetically. "I know you don't deserve her judgment."
Clark wanted to throw his arms in the air and yell "REALLY? YOU THINK?!" but he restrained himself.
"I mean, you're practically the only guy on the planet who's completely honorable," Diana joked.
At this, Clark took offense. "What?" he said, half-squinting his eyes at her.
Diana shrugged, as though she was surprised he didn't agree. "Well, you kinda have to agree, Clark. Most men are chauvinistic and self-centered."
Clark was shocked, and more than a little ticked off. He didn't know what to say; his head was spinning. He was disappointed in her as a friend, but in other ways, too. Whether or not he'd admitted it to himself, he'd come over for dinner at the Princes' not only because Diana had "asked," but because some part of him was actually somewhat interested in her, and wanted to know if perhaps she was someone he could see himself dating. As it was turning out, however, that possibility was getting less and less likely. Even if she wasn't nearly as bad as her mother, Diana was simply too judgmental and closed-minded.
Clark turned to lean over the balcony, taking a deep breath.
Girls were constantly frustrating for him. Lana Lang, the girl he'd had a crush on back in Smallville, hadn't really given him a second look. Chloe was an amazing friend, and Clark knew that she had romantic feelings for him, but he wasn't sure that changing their relationship would be a good idea, especially since she was in Smallville and he was consciously trying to spend as little time there as possible. Diana was stunningly gorgeous and had powers like Clark, but, as Clark was now discovering, she had some nightmarish beliefs about humankind. The only other girl in Clark's life was Lois.
Lois was a constant enigma to Clark. Ultimately, she was Bruce's girlfriend, and that was the end of it. Clark would never even let himself think about Lois as long as she was still with Bruce. And yet, it felt as though something was... there. Clark couldn't understand what it was, exactly. He figured most people would call it chemistry, but that didn't quite match up. He found himself constantly aware of where she was and what she was doing. It was as though his super-hearing somehow locked onto her, and wouldn't let go. Even though he normally heard all the city noise—every car horn, every TV set, every voice—as one constant blaring jumble, he could distinctly hear her scream from across the city.
Lois had a tendency to get herself into trouble. Clark figured this was the reason his brain seemed a little fixated on her: she, more than anyone else, seemed to be in danger very often—the kind of danger he could probably save her from.
Clark mentally winced at his own mental phrasing. "Save her from." He hated thinking of himself as a savior. Even though he had incredible powers, he liked to think that he was only doing what he could with his personal ability, just like every other person on the planet.
Clark now wondered how long he'd been sitting there thinking without saying anything to Diana. He could never tell; he was pretty sure his brain ran a little faster than humans' brains did. He guessed he'd been there for about three seconds.
Suddenly, he heard something—something terrible; something painful. It cut through the city night like a knife, digging what felt like a hole in Clark's heart. Clark almost turned back to Diana to ask if she'd heard it, too, but he stopped when he realized that he was the only one who could hear it.
A half-mile away, alone in her parents' apartment, Lois was crying.
Clark forced himself to remember what Diana had said a few seconds ago: "Well, you kinda have to agree, Clark. Most men are chauvinistic and self-centered."
He turned to her, a determinedly serious look in his eyes. "No, they're not. Not the way you think. The sooner you realize that, the better. I'm sorry; I have to go."
And with that, he lifted off the floor, floating up into the night, leaving Diana speechless.
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