The Retired

"Uhm...Hello?" ask Alex before getting slap to the face. He cried out a yelp as he felt his jaw almost tore off and his cheek burned up from the superpowered slap she gave him.

"What the hell Diana! Why the heck did you slap me?" Complained Alex thankful that his healing powers were quick in the uptake at fixing his jaw and soothing the sting he felt from his cheek.

"I THOUGHT YOU DIED!? WE-I MOURNED FOR YOU! HOW ARE YOU EVEN ALIVE!?" Diana shouted as she felt her mind go into turmoil with lot of mix emotion she was feeling right now. At first she was angry, angry because he tricked her and didn't even bother to atleast tell her that he was alive and second she felt glad, glad that her long time friend is alive. She tried formulating more logical words to convey what she felt but her eyes betrayed her at this moment as they started tearing up.

Alex eyes widened when he saw her tear up, this drive him to panic as he didn't know what to do. People whispered around them and with his enhance hearing he heard all of the damn whisper.

"Whoah! That guys a total asshole to make a girl cry like that!" Said a passerby.

Another one commented about how he was a lucky son of a bitch which made him roll his eyes at the show of jealousy.

He did the only thing he could think of at that moment, he grab hold of the tearing woman as he then teleported both of them into his house but not before changing his and Diana's face in the surrounding people's memory.

He sat the woman in the couch and sit just right next to her side trying his damnest to comfort Diana.

After awhile of sitting there in silence, Diana finally uttered a word. "I-I really thought that you died back then...I blame myself of your death for years and even now I still feel guilty about it."

She then wipe the tears off her face as she turn to look at Alex. "If it wasn't for me Ares wouldn't have been there, I-I brought Ares there. All of those Deaths was on me and...and your Death was among the heaviest that I felt."

Looking at the guilt ridden eyes of Diana made him feel guilty for doing the things he did back then, this wasn't the Diana she know whose all talk later punch now! This was a broken girl who was still unable to let go of the past.

He hug her once again and muttered the only repeating word on his mind right "I'm Sorry...I'm sorry you had to feel that way...I was selfish..."

Diana then look him in the eyes and shook her head as she tried to stop him from blaming himself from his selfish deed but Alex just stop her and said. "No, I was really selfish back then...I-I felt sick of the things that I have done during the war and I was getting tired of it...I wanted to get out..maybe I should have said atleast some goodbyes to you and the others...I'm really really sorry Diana..."

Diana gave him a comforting hug once again and Alex returned it in kind. They both stayed like that for a while before they separated and Alex gave her a smile.

"So It seems like it's almost lunchtime and If I remember correctly, you really like my Honey Garlic Salmon recipe back in the days so what do you say, would you care to have a lunch date with me and also maybe we could have an Ice cream for dessert as well later." Alex offered which made Diana's eyes sparkled in a comical way, he chuckled and lead her to the kitchen.

*****

"So how did you manage to survive?" Diana ask as she took a sip on her glass of wine. They just finish lunch in Alex veranda overlooking a beautiful beach.

This is one of Alex' oldest property, a beach resort in Greece and really all of his investment back in the day really paid off this time as his resort was one of the most recommended place to visit in Greece.

Alex pondered on how to tell her about his power and come to a decision that he'll only tell her half the truth as she was now a member of the league and as much as possible, he want to make sure he has an ace on his sleeve especially because Batman will be getting much more interested in him from now on.

"I...have a healing factor...a really good one at that, I manage to survive the explosion and regenerate my body but when I wake up...the war was over, I did try to find you and Steve but I wasn't able to. I then retreated back to Canada and start a new life and search for you once again when I found out that Steve died but when I got to London, they say you were going home so I assume you were going back to Thymescira. The next thing I know you joined the JSA, I wanted to join you in combat again but I became very busy doing outreach program and building orphanage around France and Greece." Alex explained.

Diana smiled when she heard the last part, even back then Alex have always a soft spot for kids. He always finds time to spend time teaching orphan kids in the orphanage how to read and write. He would often save up money to buy food for the orphans, this little gesture of his really restored Diana's faith in humanity and ...that might be also why she felt drawn to him back in the days.

She felt something for him even now but she don't know what to do, she was always in a dilemma back then about her feelings. On one side she felt something for Steve the man who showed her the world and on the other hand she felt drawn to this man who showed her how the world could be so much better. Yes, Alex might not be clean but it was war and war always blur the line of morality and the only way to not get suck into it is to make your own code and follow that code to the bitter end. She just don't know what do with her current feelings.

"Diana?" She was pulled out from her musing when Alex called out to her and ask about the Justice League.

"The world needs a hero and I really think that the Justice League can fill into that role being a group that will symbolize freedom and good, how about you Alex? I'm sure the League could always use someone with your ability" She wholeheartedly replied.

Alex smiled at her truthful answer, this was the Amazon he knew always fighting for truth and Justice though He gave her a sad smile for her offer to join the League. "I'm sorry Diana but I don't think that I could join the League not with my kind of skill set." Alex remembered the no killing rule of the Justice League and felt it was a bit of Naive but at the same time a true rule for a hero.

Diana was saddened to her that and just said "It's okay but if you want to join remember the door is always open for you."

Alex nodded and replied "I'll be sure to remember it and also If you want to let loose or just wanted a spar, I have a very nice bas.e.m.e.nt down below where we can do a spar without problem that is, if you're not scared or something."

She gave me a grin only an Amazonian can pull off and replied "Oh your on-"

Before she can finish her words her beeper alarmed goes off and Diana then said to him "It seems like my presence is required in the base so I'm sorry to cut this short but thanks for the lunch."

Alex smiled and replied "It's okay Diana, I'll teleport you back into Metropolis now." Diana nodded and Alex teleported the both of them in the park and Diana bid her farewell but before she leave, with a bit of hesitation she reach out to him and kiss him in the cheek. She then turn around and flew off, leaving Alex there standing dumbly while touching his cheek.

"..."