Old Habits Die Hard

by Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

After thousands of years stuck living the same lives over and over again as a conquerer, with the only thing to look forward to being his next battle, Jung Woo grew tired. He wanted a different kind of life this time, a more peaceful one unlike his previous incarnations. However, old habits die hard, and he's going to realize that as he tries to lead a normal life in Gotham City.

(DISCLAIMER: I do not own RV, YJ or DC)

AN: Hello there everybody! It's been a LONGGGG while, yes I know. I'm just going to get it out there and explain it plain and simple; I was busy LMAO. Yep, I haven't updated for many months because I've been very busy irl (school and shit) and also because I just lost interest in writing as a whole for a while until of course I decided to get back into it just in time for Christmas, so here it is, one of many other updates which will be posted on Christmas day as a gift to you all for all the support and for reading my stories, and not absolutely despising them.

This here's one of 6 new stories which I will be posting on the same day, so expect there to be more updates other than this one. This is a crossover fanfic between Young Justice (Pretty sure y'all know) and the webtoon, Reverse Villain which is quite clearly the lesser known fandom among the two. For those who don't know a thing about RV then no need to worry as you need 0 knowledge of the fandom to read this story. I've interconnected both fandoms easily as I found it easy for both lores to mesh well with the history and shit. Pretty much the MC from RV will be reincarnated as Bruce Wayne's older brother, that's the short explanation for it LMAO.

Now one last thing before we get started. I will say this in my other new releases as well but I've had this chapter already written many, many months ago just like the others. They've just been gathering dust in my google docs ever since, so yeah here they are. Unfortunately, you'll all have to wait for a few more months probably for any new chapters since I've just gotten back to it; I'm sticking to it this time, another promise LMAO. I can't promise regular updates nor quick ones, since you all know by now that I mostly break those anyway, so yeah. But, I will promise to update. Don't know how long some updates might take due to life but rest assured I won't quit writing anytime soon.

Anyways, now without further ado, let's get started!

Merry Christmas everyone! And enjoy reading!

/ - /

Chapter 1

/ - /

Blood dripped down Jung Woo's armor. The blood of his enemies, all of whom were now surrounding him, laying on the ground lifeless.

Bodies, limbs, and guts were strewn throughout the battlefield. The thousands of trained warriors all felled, but one man with long blue hair stood amidst all the corpses.

Newly-made craters, the results of the one-sided fight between him and those who stood in his way, littered the ground. The battle was hard-fought, but all the collective efforts of those who opposed him were for naught. From the beginning, they had underestimated his power. Now they paid the price with their lives.

A single man coughed out a mouthful of blood, still alive, the only one left. Though that wouldn't be the case for long as the soldier was impaled on a spear.

"Ooh, still alive are you?" Jung Woo said amusingly, turning to face the man. His light, playful voice sounded like a complete contrast to the demon-like personality that he portrayed.

The man gritted his teeth in anger, clenching the spear that was inside him tightly.

"Damn you…you villain…" The man spat out. "You've killed so many people. A-aren't you afraid of God?" he asked, staring at the man in front of him.

Jung Woo's piercing, ruby eyes stared back into the man's, grinning maniacally as he did.

This was the man who so many men, women, and children feared greatly. No one knew where he came from or how he came to be. Everyone had theories about the frighteningly powerful warrior's origins. But, one thing everyone had a common agreement in was that he was the embodiment of evil.

He had no remorse for anything he did. No guilt for the countless crimes he committed. No fear for the judgment or retribution which many believed would soon come to him. Those who survived Jung Woo's wrath all had the same thoughts whenever they stared into his eyes during battle.

His sadistic nature during battle. His bloodlust. It was all so terrifying. What kind of monster could have given birth to such an abomination?

"God?" Jung Woo darkly grinned. "All I'm doing is making good use of the powers I've been gifted with. So why should I be afraid of God? I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"

His grin grew wider, seeing the look on the man's face, especially when life left his eyes soon after, his hands dropping to the ground.

"More importantly, I had fun as a human being!"

"Aren't you human too?!"

The words surprised Jung Woo, who thought he had killed everyone. His shock was short-lived however as his battle-hardened instincts kicked in and he turned around to block the blade which was about to come crashing down onto him from the sky.

The collision between both his and his new opponent's blade caused a huge shockwave and made a huge crater on the ground where Jung Woo stood.

Jung Woo reeled back after the meeting of their blades. He stepped back and took a moment to look down at his hands, which felt the force that came from the man and grinned.

This was going to be interesting.

Looking up from his hands, Jung Woo then got ready to resume the battle, holding his sword in a proper stance before rushing the blonde-haired man in front of him.

The battle was long. As the fight stretched on, Jung Woo was being convinced more and more that the man he was fighting was the strongest warrior he had ever gone against. The thought excited him even more, as both his and the man's blades clashed.

It shook the Earth each time their blades met. Their movements were so swift that any normal man would only see mirages of the men. Most of Jung Woo's attacks were always dodged and blocked, but each time he wounded his opponent, so was he.

Though he didn't want to admit it, the truth was plain to see. They were equally matched.

But that didn't stop him. He was confident in his abilities and he would defeat this valiant warrior just like all the others.

"Fuck off!" Jung Woo said as he attempted to end the fight with one last strike. But that moment was just what his opponent needed.

"You, what are you doing!?"

"You vile demon! Receive this heavenly retribution! If I can't vanquish you, I'm going to take you to hell with me!"

"You expect me to just accept your punishment?!"

"Stop, you sonofabitch!"

"No!"

"NO!"

/ - /

That was the first he met him. Jung Woo's fated rival. The one man who would somehow always appear to oppose him. The only man who could fight him at his best, Shin Ryong.

Jung Woo was not one to let his pride get the best of himself, so he acknowledged Shin Ryong's strength and he acknowledged his defeat against him. But even if he was defeated, he didn't let that stop him from achieving his dream in the next life that he was reborn in.

Ever since Ha Jung Woo was born into the world as the embodiment of evil, all he ever wanted to do was conquer. And he would not stop or hesitate to do whatever it took until he got what he wanted. His first loss did not deter him at all.

So he tried again. In his second life, he tried to conquer the world again, but before he could even take over Murim, he was once again stopped and defeated by Shin Ryong. At his second defeat, Jung Woo vowed to get revenge in his next reincarnation.

But, he was defeated in that next life too. And the next one as well. Over and over, Jung Woo was bested in combat no matter what he tried to do. He would be lying if that had not dealt a blow to his ego even a little bit. But it just gave him even more of a reason to drive his blade through Shin Ryong's heart.

It was now his fifth life.

Jung Woo took a deep breath and stepped back, dropping the dagger on his left hand as he did so. He blinked. Then he blinked again.

Once he saw that the sight of Shin Ryong kneeling in front of him with his sword piercing his heart was real, Jung Woo's first instinct was to chuckle. It started low and soft, but it gradually got louder and louder as time went on until he was now laughing hysterically.

He jumped up and down cheerfully like a little kid who was full of sugar. He pranced and danced around his mortal enemy's corpse happily. All just to taunt the man.

It may have taken him a few centuries, sure. Maybe in terms of score, it would still be four to one, but that didn't matter to Jung Woo.

He did it!

Jung Woo shouted to the skies with all the energy he could muster, "How does it feel, you little ass-licking, mouthbreathing piece of shit! Enjoy it up there with your pansy-ass God!"

He directed his eyes back to Shin Ryong's dead body as he wanted to take in the sight for just a bit longer, basking in the glory and pleasure that defeating his rival brought him.

After his momentary celebration of victory, Jung Woo chuckled softly as he grinned evilly. He turned around slowly, taking in the scent of blood in the air as his crimson red eyes landed at the millions of dead bodies behind him along with the thousands of destroyed buildings, which were all annihilated during the battle.

With Shin Ryong dead, Jung Woo didn't have anyone left to rival him, but that didn't mean his work was done.

Without turning around, he raised his arm, opening his hand as his sword magically found itself detaching from Shin Ryong's body and flew over to Jung Woo's hand.

He had conquered Murim, but there were still many other continents to dominate and Jung Woo already had his eyes on his next target.

The West.

/ - /

Babylonia

Marduk, the demigod hero, stood before his two children who were currently bickering in front of him. He didn't pay them much thought though as he was pondering about the same matter they were arguing about. Only he was keeping his thoughts underneath his serious and stoic demeanor rather than explicitly voicing them out.

The tall young woman with light brown eyes and black hair turned away from her brother in exasperation and directed her focus to her father.

"Father, you must agree with me. This random plebeian has already taken over many of our territories. It will only be a matter of time until he and his army come for us. We must strike now! You, Nabu, and I. Let's take our most skilled warriors and end this once for all!" Marduk's daughter, Ishtar said.

"Sister!" The tall, dark-skinned man who donned a golden helmet said in protest.

"That is the exact kind of thinking that will get you killed. And most likely the same thinking which had started this whole debacle in the first place! We must first reason with this man and try to lessen the casualties to the utmost minimum. Violence will only lead to more collateral damage!" Nabu argued.

"Peace?" Ishtar scoffed at her brother's words. "This outsider started this whole war and you expect us to still opt for peace? He has razed so many of our towns and settlements. If we do what you say, what kind of message will that send to the rest of the neighboring kingdoms? We both know how bad our relationships with them already are."

"Showing weakness when we're in such a vulnerable state? Brother, you're asking for Babylonia's extinction at this point. With a head as big as yours, I wouldn't have expected you to even consider such an idiotic idea," Ishtar chuckled, earning a glare from her sibling.

"Silence," Marduk finally spoke up in a stern, but soft tone which was enough to make both of his children speechless. "Ishtar, the task that I gave to you. Report." He turned to his daughter.

Ishtar looked at her father in confusion for a moment before she remembered what he had asked of her a few days ago.

"Oh, yes erm," She paused to clear her throat. "Not much is known about the man. His name is Ha Jung Woo and he is from the East—"

"The east?" Marduk wondered aloud. "Didn't we sign a treaty with the Murim Alliance years ago?"

"Yes, we did. But this man isn't affiliated with the Murim Alliance or with any known cult or sect. And as far as I know, this man has conquered all of Murim. Some say that he has massacred millions with only his sword alone and that he single-handedly brought Murim to its knees. They call him the embodiment of evil itself," Ishtar stated, causing Marduk to widen his eyes a little.

"It's just hearsay anyway, so we need not worry about such rumors. It's not the first time some random conqueror wins a few battles and suddenly gets an ego the size of a planet, proclaiming themselves to be gods."

"And what if he is as the rumors say? Underestimating the enemy could be the end of you, remember that, daughter," Marduk said, earning a confused nod from his daughter.

He paused for a moment, biting the corner of his lip subtly.

"Do you know what he looks like?" Marduk asked, thinking that the man he was at war with might be a Chaos Lord, though that confused him as he initially thought that the only Chaos Lord on his Earth was Klarion. And as far as he knew, it didn't seem like the witch boy to do something like this.

"Tall. Pale complexion. Long, blue hair. Red eyes," Ishtar said.

Okay, so at least it wasn't Klarion. Marduk didn't want a repeat of Atlantis if he had to stop the witch boy from terrorizing his kingdom once more. But, then again, if this man wasn't Klarion then could he be…

'No.' Marduk firmly thought. It was just a possibility and he wouldn't know for sure until he saw this man for himself. But, if he does prove to be another Lord of Chaos, then this demon would be a valuable asset.

"Get ready, we're going to battle," Marduk said, causing Nabu to frown and Ishtar to smile. "Get all your troops ready and send a messenger to Ha Jung Woo, tell him that I would like to formally meet him in person."

"Yes, father," Ishtar bowed, smirking as she did, making sure that her brother noticed it. It only grew wider as she felt him glaring directly at her. Once she raised her head, she nodded once more in acknowledgment to her father before walking away.

Nabu was displeased with his father's decision, but he knew that arguing would be but a waste of time. So he nodded at his father begrudgingly before following in his sister's footsteps to do what has been asked of him.

Now alone, Marduk could finally think in peace as he had to prepare for his upcoming meeting with the so-called embodiment of evil.

/ - /

Blades clashing with each other violently, bodies falling, blood gushing out of said bodies, war cries and bellows coming from the soldiers that fought on the godforsaken battlefield.

And in the middle of the two opposing sides clashing, there were two who weren't participating in the fight with their respective armies. They were more preoccupied with staring each other down.

Marduk was busy analyzing and examining the rumored Devil of Murim, who was doing the same as him only with a huge grin plastered on his pale face. Both highly revered conquerors were only a few feet away from each other.

"Are you thinking about your last words?" Jung Woo said with a raised brow, breaking the silence between them. This wasn't his first time in battle with a conqueror like him and it wouldn't be the last. Conqueror or not. Demigod hero or not. This man would fall to his blade, like everyone else.

Marduk still kept his impassive expression as he narrowed his eyes at Jung Woo.

Seeing as the demigod wasn't going to reply, Jung Woo snickered. "Well, it doesn't matter. You're already dead." He said and in the blink of an eye, he disappeared from Marduk's field of vision.

Said demigod widened his eyes. If not for his quick eyes that had formed through his hundreds of years of living, he wouldn't have seen how Jung Woo disappeared. But, it mattered not if he did as his eyes and body weren't quick enough to react to what happened next.

Just as quickly as Jung Woo had vanished, the sound of metal piercing flesh reached his ears. His eyes looked down to see Jung Woo, who had reappeared in front of him, crouched on his knees holding the sword that was currently impaling his chest.

It took his body a moment to register the wound as the pain of being stabbed finally came flooding into his senses. Before he could even take his next breath, Jung Woo pulled his sword out of Marduk with great speed.

Dropping onto his knees, Marduk coughed out a handful of blood onto his hand which was already stained by the blood spurting out of the center of his body. Feeling his life being drained with each passing second, Marduk painfully looked up at his soon-to-be killer in the eyes, unable to do anything rather than stare directly into Jung Woo's bloody orbs.

"I heard great things from you. What a shame, I thought you'd be interesting and different from the others," Jung Woo pouted.

"Oh well." He shrugged. "As you are dying, I'd like to know. Is my Akkadian good? I picked up a thing or two along the way. I didn't have a proper teacher, so I will admit I am not the most proficient speaker of your language, but—"

"Father!" Two distinct voices called out, cutting Jung Woo off as both Ishtar and Nabu sped through the many bodies lying on the ground to get to their father.

"Oh good, very good," Jung Woo said with a malicious grin as he turned his focus away from Marduk and to his children. "I hope you two don't disappoint. If I'm going to conquer the world, then make it fun at the very least!" He said as he pointed his sword at the duo, who glared deeply at him but only for a moment.

Seeing their concerned gazes towards their father, Jung Woo chuckled. "Don't worry, he's dead. You'll join him soon." He said, the tone of his voice turning dark as his eyes began glowing red with power.

In tandem with the two children of Marduk, Jung Woo also got into his stance as he gripped his trusty blade tightly.

But, just as they were about to start fighting.

"Wait!" A familiar gruff voice spoke up, capturing their attention.

Unlike most, Jung Woo wasn't surprised at all to see that Marduk hadn't died and that the place where there was supposed to be a hole caused by his blade was not there. Instead, he was intrigued.

"Oh? Still kicking the bucket, I see," Jung Woo said with an amused grin, watching as Marduk stood up perfectly fine.

Seeing his children switch glances at both him and Jung Woo, while also keeping their hostility known, Marduk raised his hand to interfere with whatever plans of action his children had in mind.

"Stand down," Marduk said as he began making his way closer to the man who had just killed him.

"But, father!"

"No."

That word alone was enough to make both of his children nod their heads obediently as their bodies relaxed, though it was obvious they were both still quite tense, staring down Jung Woo fiercely.

"Are you a Lord of Chaos?" Marduk asked bluntly as he stared unwaveringly into the eyes of the man who could so easily kill him repeatedly and his children.

The question made Jung Woo chuckle in reply.

"So you know about them, mortal?" Jung Woo asked, earning a nod from the demigod, which he laughed at in reply. "Good question, but the answer's no. Let's just say I've got fewer restrictions than them. And while those imps do know how to party, they eventually get boring to play with."

"You could say I'm more unhinged than them," Jung Woo chuckled darkly. "Anyway, what do you want?" He said, taking a seat on the ground while resting his head on his hand.

"I mean, you didn't just come back from the dead to ask me a question. Come on, hit me with it. Since you've piqued my interest, I'll indulge you just this once, mortal."

"Leave all of the Western and Northern territories alone, regardless of if they are in my possession or not. Return to Murim and you may continue to conquer all of the East and the South."

"And? What do I get out of this exactly?"

"A business partner. I'll conquer my half of the world, you conquer your half. What's mine will be yours, and what's yours will be mine. If you need my aid, I will come to you and if I need yours, you will come to me."

"You know I could just kill you and take over the world myself so that I wouldn't need to share. As of now, right here, in front of me, you have nothing to offer that I would want. So why should I accept?"

"Give me time and I'll show you why."

"How much time?"

"That's up to you."

"Hmm. Forty years."

"Is that a yes?" Marduk asked, staring into Jung Woo's eyes.

Jung Woo laughed in reply. "Yes, it is a yes. So far you haven't disappointed me one bit, mortal, so I will play this game of yours."

"But, if I find out that somehow you've tricked me. Just know, there is no place, no barren land in this godforsaken world, where I will not be able to find you. And when I do, I'll make you wish for something as merciful and as sweet as death." Jung Woo said, his red eyes glowing dangerously as he emitted a powerful amount of bloodlust, which greatly unnerved Marduk, who was having trouble with keeping a straight face.

"It's a deal then?" Marduk reached his hand out.

"It's a deal," Jung Woo grinned widely as he took Marduk's hand and shook it vigorously.

/ - /

A Few Years Later

From that fateful day onwards, what Marduk said came to pass. Both he and Jung Woo continued what they were best at and conquered the world. The whole planet already had problems handling just one of them, but together, they were unstoppable.

Marduk's carefully and well-thought-out battle plans gave him countless victories, making him unmatched in terms of power and intellect on his side of the world. Jung Woo's overwhelming power and skill alone didn't need any strategy though. No matter the foe, no matter the decisive battle plans which his enemies devised, his battles still ended the same way; with him standing on top, leaving behind thousands of mutilated bodies in his trail. Together Ha Jung Woo and Marduk became the two most powerful men in the whole world.

At the present, Jung Woo was frowning as he sat lazily on his throne. With the whole world dominated, being swept up in both his and Marduk's grasp, there wasn't much fun left now. He hasn't experienced any exciting battles as of late, which irked him to the core as the one thing that kept his bloodlust sated was nowhere to be found.

So now there he was, staring at the ceiling with a bored expression, waiting for the next rebellion which would most likely rise to oppose him sooner or later and attempt to dethrone him — not that they'd succeed of course as the only reason he let distaste among his people grow was so that they'd rebel and provide him with a battle to partake in.

"Milord—" That made him whip his head towards the voice, finding himself looking down at one of his men.

Jung Woo didn't open his mouth to reply, instead waving his hand aimlessly at the man, signaling him to continue.

"Milord, Lord Marduk has sent a message meant for you—"

That was all it took to immediately lighten up Jung Woo's mood as his previous frowning face now grinned, his eyes brimming with excitement. Marduk always found a way to quench his boredom and now here he comes again to the rescue.

"—uhh milord?"

"Hm?" Jung Woo asked as he finally snapped out of his thoughts, not having heard any of the man's words.

The man cleared his throat before opening his mouth. "Excuse me, milord. What I said was, Lord Marduk had sent a messenger earlier today to relay a message. He asks you for your presence in his kingdom as he needs your aid. In what? That is what I don't know, unfortunately—"

"No need, I already know that whatever it is, it's going to be exhilarating!" Jung Woo shivered arousingly as he grinned, his body aching for whatever Marduk had in store for him before abruptly stopping himself, seeing his servant still there, looking at him weirdly.

"You may go now," Jung Woo spoke, earning a nod from the man as he left him alone.

Just as his servant left, Jung Woo jumped off his throne full of vigor. His business part— no, his ally needed his help and so he must not waste another moment.

/ - /

"Ah, well this doesn't look good," Jung Woo chuckled, his expression looking the liveliest among him and the other three standing beside him.

He didn't expect this upon entering Babylonia, then again it looked like Marduk didn't either. Ishtar, Nabu, Marduk, and Jung Woo were currently on the high ground, watching the Babylonian army — which was now apparently being controlled by some kind of starfish-looking alien, circling them, waiting to tear the four apart once they got close enough.

Aliens? Who would've guessed? Not Jung Woo.

Yes, it was quite a weird time for him at that moment. But that didn't change what he came to do, which was to help Marduk.

"So, you want me to exterminate them or what?" Jung Woo asked, turning to Marduk who was busy thinking while staring at the army below him.

"No! We need a plan of attack, we can't just jump into the literal den of the lions!" Nabu protested, earning a snicker from Ishtar.

"Is that what you're worried about? Or are you just hesitating, because we have to kill those monsters down there," Ishtar retorted, causing Nabu to be speechless for a few seconds as a frown crept up his face.

"They aren't monsters," Nabu growled, pausing momentarily before he continued.

"In this situation, since there is no way to reverse the effects of mind control that thing has on our soldiers and as the safety of our people are at risk…" Nabu paused to take a deep and saddened sigh. "We have no choice, but to kill them." He said, mentally cursing. He never had any qualms with killing or vanquishing his foe in battle if needed, but only if necessary. Nabu despised useless deaths, especially if they could have been avoided through more peaceful and orderly means.

"For the greater good of the greater majority," He added, trying to convince himself that this was right as his mind began to see the many husbands, fathers, wives, siblings, and mothers who'd be waking up the next day to find their loved ones killed.

"Yes yes, for the greater good or whatever. Can we go fight now?"

"We still need a plan of attack!"

"And I have one," Marduk finally spoke, getting all eyes on him.

"Listen to me very carefully now—"

"Snoozefest," Jung Woo cut in, not being able to restrain himself any longer.

"I already have a plan. Attack!" Jung Woo's voice echoed as he leaped off the edge quickly, in a rush to join the battle that was ensuing below. With his blade on hand, he willingly free-fell into the sea of Babylonian warriors without a sliver of hesitation.

Much to both Marduk and Nabu's dismay, Ishtar, who had always admired and respected Jung Woo for his chaotic and battle-hungry nature, followed after the blue-haired man shortly after.

'Oh, shit…'

/ - /

The sound of the various buildings and infrastructures, which have been demolished in the long battle, being rebuilt reached Jung Woo's ears as he stood by, watching the Babylonians pick up the pieces that the aftermath of any war would always leave behind.

Some beads of sweat ran down Jung Woo's pale, toned body as the fight was quite harder than he had initially imagined. He, Ishtar, Nabu, and Marduk won the fight against that Starro-creature — Marduk called it, but not without struggle.

He had to admit, he hasn't been that exhilarated in a fight since Shin Ryong and though the creature's strength wasn't on par with his rival's, it was still very powerful compared to any other monster or mortal he has fought in the past.

Jung Woo never really entertained the thought of an alien coming from space before, but after the encounter, he was now looking forward to seeing the kind of fights the other monstrous beings from space could provide him with.

Snapping himself out of his thoughts as he felt a familiar presence walking up to him, Jung Woo turned around to lock eyes with Marduk, who, as always, looked like he was angry due to the nature of his resting expression.

"Jung Woo…" Marduk began, inching closer and closer to Jung Woo, who was curious as he was invading more of his personal space than usual. "What you did was infuriatingly reckless. While I'm sure that your methods worked flawlessly in your part of the world, what we were up against was something neither of us have encountered before. Your thirst for the thrill of the battle almost got all of us killed. You didn't even bother to think first."

"You could kill me without even breathing but what if you went up against someone stronger than you? You need to use your brain more, Jung Woo. You are undoubtedly the most skilled swordsman in the world. Even without your powers, just with your skills alone, you could kill me. But, strength isn't everything. You need intellect, wits…the list goes on and I want you to take me seriously. I despise seeing wasted potential."

"Alright, so... did you just come here to lecture me, or what?" Jung Woo quirked a brow.

Marduk sighed, his face softening now, which mildly shocked Jung Woo as the demigod continued.

"You are without a doubt, the biggest hindrance to my plans. You are the biggest nuisance to me, you're a thorn on my side. You are so frustratingly…you that it pains my mind to have to deal with you every time. Your immaturity. Your impulsiveness. Your recklessness. Your unpredictability, I hate it," Marduk said, still with a soft expression as he frowned, though Jung Woo noticed that the demigod wasn't by any means mad, judging by the look in his eyes.

"But…"

Marduk trailed off as he stared at the blue-haired man in front of him.

Gah!

He wanted to say so many things to the man in front of him. How he affected the way Marduk was. How he always seemed to get a rise out of him. How he was always able to rile him up like no other. How he infuriated him to no end and that he constantly contemplated many times before to break off their partnership. How he…he—

So many thoughts swirled in Marduk's head and it just irked him even more as he didn't even know where to start with Jung Woo.

All his life, ever since he was enlightened all those years ago, all that mattered to him were two things. His mission and his children. It was self-explanatory as to why his mission mattered to him; it was the single most important thing to him in his life as it was the purpose for his entire being.

For his children…he always had a soft spot for his kin. He could have cared less for the mothers as they were just a means to an end, not harboring any romantic feelings for any of the women he impregnated. But his children were always his greatest weakness for they made him soft at times, something no other but they could do.

Thankfully, after having suffered many losses throughout the countless years he lived, he has learned to care less about his children. Though he still had affection for them, it was only to a certain extent so that they could not influence his plans or his mind.

So everything was going great for him for a time. That was until he met Jung Woo.

He couldn't find the words, if there were even any, to describe what kind of a pain in the ass the man was. At first, he didn't care much for Jung Woo, just another powerful ally, like Klarion, who he could use to benefit his interests. Unlike the witch boy though, Jung Woo was more present in his day-to-day life as the man often visited him.

And if it wasn't a leisurely visit, Jung Woo would be fighting by his side on the battlefield. He got used to his presence eventually, but he never was able to get used to him in particular.

He didn't know what it was about him, but…

Jung Woo did something to him, the more he spent time with him and his children. For the life of him, Marduk couldn't find what it was about Jung Woo which impacted him so much.

Marduk was always a serious man. A man who always went straight to the point, all business as usual. A man who had a hardened exterior and an even tougher interior. All his life, it was the same; conquer, conquer, work, work. It wasn't mundane by any means but he was always so engrossed in his mission and work that he never indulged in the simple things.

That changed of course when Jung Woo came along, as the man had somehow broken down his walls little by little every day. Bit by bit, Marduk was being changed because of Jung Woo. Back then, he naturally didn't notice it until it was too late.

Jung Woo had already broken down all his walls as Marduk reminisced about all the times he spent with Jung Woo and his children. The rare times when he cracked a smile. The rare times when he laughed. The rare times when he actually had fun and forgot about his mission, even if just for a day.

And now, as he was face to face with the man who was the cause of all his troubles, he couldn't help but admit it to himself when he saw that familiar grin that was almost always plastered on Jung Woo's face. That now, there was one more thing that mattered to him other than his children and mission.

Someone who he genuinely cared for like a friend. A comrade. A companion. A brother and that someone was standing right in front of him…

"Hello? Hello? You there? Hellooooooooo—" Jung Woo's voice shook Marduk out of his thoughts as he came face to face with the man who has been pondering about.

Seeing Marduk blink, Jung Woo spoke, "Finally! What in the hell were you thinking about? I could hear all those old cogs in your head turn." He snorted.

"But?" Jung Woo reiterated what Marduk's last spoken word was before he went deep into thought.

Having accepted the fact already and just wanting to face it head-on, Marduk took a huge breath for both a dramatic effect and to prepare himself for something he has never done before.

"Thank you," Marduk said softly, not giving Jung Woo any time to be surprised as he leaned in and embraced the blue-haired man tightly.

Ha Jung-Woo was shocked, which was an understatement. He widened his eyes as he felt the warmth coming from the hug that Marduk was giving him.

What the fuck!?

Okay, back up, back up.

Marduk. The Marduk said thank you? In a genuinely grateful voice that wasn't his usual monotone one? And he was hugging him?

Okay, again. "WHAT THE FUCK!?"

Marduk pulled away at that, the moment ruined as he raised a brow at Jung Woo.

"Don't you even dare, what was that about?!" Jung Woo growled, still reeling back as he was not used to the affectionate gesture.

"I merely conveyed my happiness and gratefulness through words and a hug, because…you're a good friend, Jung Woo," Marduk said, still with his soft voice, calming Jung Woo down a little but still confusing him. "And, also I'd like to thank you for saving my son." He said.

In the battle with the Starro creature and the Babylonian army which was under its control, Nabu almost got killed if it wasn't for Jung Woo who had swooped in and saved him. He didn't know what he would have done if Nabu did die, as this time, there wouldn't have been any benefit.

His ordeal with Klarion was what caused this whole debacle and instead of the Starro being of use to him, all it did was cause death and destruction. In the end, it proved to be a waste and it could've also been the cause of his son's death. Another shattering reason as to why he was so…emotional at the moment.

But he didn't even care at this point.

Jung Woo looked less angered now as he began calming down, while also taking time to register Marduk's words.

Friends? The man considered them friends?

…

He knew what the term meant, but Jung Woo had never cared for anyone like that in his whole life, hell, he has never cared for anyone in any way and he wouldn't start now. Period.

But…

He had to admit to himself that Marduk was the first person he had found to be immortal like him in a way and wasn't his enemy. He has spent a lot of time with Marduk and his children whenever he wasn't on the battlefield and the trio eventually grew on him.

He knew he liked the man, that was easy to admit. But, to let himself be swept up by humane emotions? To let himself become soft and care for someone other than himself? That was much harder.

As he looked at the soft expression on Marduk's face, Jung Woo gulped.

Dammit. He wanted to hug the demigod back. Shit.

"Yeah, well what are friends for, eh?" Jung Woo chuckled awkwardly, not wanting to stay silent any longer, while also thinking of a way to steer away from the particular subject of friendship. But, alas, his body betrayed him at that moment.

He quietly made his way closer and closer to Marduk whilst screaming at himself.

What in the deepest depths of Hell was he doing?

'Fuck me.' Jung Woo found himself initiating the hug this time, feeling Marduk's muscles tense visibly at the unexpected outcome, but that didn't mean it wasn't welcome as the demigod eased into the hug eventually and hugged back.

Both men embraced each other, while also mentally rethinking the previous events which transpired between them, not knowing what the fuck was happening.

But deep down, they knew why they were doing what they did.

Both conquerors had never truly found someone to care about before. Someone, they'd always feel comfortable around. Someone they wanted to be around. Someone they wanted to fight alongside. Someone they could let their guards down around. Someone they could laugh with, bicker with, smile with.

They were both too preoccupied with their goals and world domination that they never stopped to enjoy the pleasures being a human entailed like friendship. After all, no matter how much people revered or feared both individuals, seeing them as gods, they were still human.

And now, after such a long time being lonely, their primal instincts for companionship immediately reached the surface and didn't intend on leaving anytime soon.

No matter what they thought at the moment, the truth was plain to see. Jung Woo and Marduk were both happy as at that exact instant they knew. They knew that they weren't alone anymore in their never-ending conquest for greatness and power as they had each other now; friends, brothers-in-arms.

/ - /

12th Century

It has been quite some time since that day. Since both admitted to themselves that they have grown soft, which was a lie as both became much stronger after, a result of their strengthened bond.

Both Jung Woo and Marduk eventually came to merge their empires, creating the biggest empire ever known to man.

One day though, Jung Woo had died due to old age. He was immortal in a way that he'd always be reincarnated in a few hundred or so years later, but he was not immortal like Marduk who never aged. Of course, his friend was worried at first but after Jung Woo explained it to him, the man's worries were expelled.

After the embodiment of evil died, Marduk just continued with his life, though a bit sadder as he came to eventually witness Ishtar and Nabu pass away like Jung Woo. But he was used to it, having lived a long time, but that time was different as he had Jung Woo now, whose return he patiently waited for.

In Jung Woo's next life, the first thing he did before going to look for Marduk was to train. As it was his next life, it also meant that it was Shin Ryong's next too, so he had to kill him once more. The battle was fiercer than before but filled with determination to defeat his mortal enemy once again, Jung Woo fought hard and long. He had beaten him before, he would do it again; that he did.

He wasn't as happy as he was the first time he defeated Shin Ryong before, but it pleased him nonetheless. Either way, he didn't care about Shin Ryong anymore as he was no longer a threat to him and he had to meet up with a certain someone.

It took him a while to find Marduk, but thankfully, having known the man for a while helped him in his search.

When they reunited, he joined Marduk's empire and they both became allies once again, doing what they did best together. The reason being, Jung Woo had slaughtered all the influential leaders of Murim and took their place at the top in his previous life, so with his absence, Murim had no leader and eventually fell due to their strongest warriors being killed by him as well.

And, he was lazy. That too.

Then in the next life after that, they repeated the process. Marduk would wait for him, Jung Woo would get reincarnated, gather strength for a while in his early life, become more powerful than he was in his past lives and kill Shin Ryong to eliminate the threat he posed, then he'd reunite once more with his old friend to set out to do what needed to be done.

Throughout history, the epic tales and myths of their different lives' accomplishments were recorded. And throughout their different lives, their bond also grew much stronger. Being two immortal best friends tended to do that as they had a bond like no other, forged through their many years with each other.

After having known each other for more than hundreds of years, Jung Woo and Vandar — what Jung Woo now regularly called him as after learning of Marduk's other different names throughout history, considered each other like real brothers.

It was now nearing the end of the 12th century and Vandar, who was going by Genghis Khan, stood in front of his army. Beside him were two of his meta-human sons, who had superhuman abilities like him, and of course, his most trusted ally, Jung Woo.

Jung Woo didn't look any different from his last life or his previous ones. Still, the same blue-colored hair, though it was now shorter and more disheveled. Still the same body and figure, with the slight difference of apparel as he wore thicker clothing which covered his whole body this time. He never really entertained the idea of wearing armor, but the weather as of the moment was too cold to let him wear anything revealing more skin.

Though he wasn't comfortable with what he was wearing, he'd soon be distracted from such petty hindrances as he looked over at the huge army which stood behind him and Vandar, before turning to the army in front of him.

He grinned widely as he saw the huge difference in number between Vandar's army and the opposing one's. Most would've been discouraged by the fact that they were greatly outnumbered, but Jung Woo wasn't, even if they were against another alien this time. He didn't know who the huge talking boulder was, but it seemed strong just like its army which consisted of insect-looking creatures and two other aliens, who looked different from the rest; more hideous.

Speaking of which.

"Dibs on that ugly bastard on the left," Jung Woo whispered to Vandar's ear, as he sent a wink towards the alien's way, garnering him a scowl from it. To add fuel to the fire, he flipped the monster off with a huge grin.

The monster growled, seeming to want to tear Jung Woo apart, but held himself back.

"Your resistance is futile, human," The creature that looked like it was made of rocks said to Vandar from atop a floating red platform. The alien's voice was deep and intimidating, enough to discourage those of Vandar's army who heard it.

Unperturbed by the enemy's number nor its leader, Vandar took a step forward, looking deep into the menacing red eyes of his opponent.

"Who are you?"

"I am Darkseid," It said. "And you will be kneeling before me soon enough."

"Yeah yeah, don't go monologuing on us now. Let's get the ball rolling already you piece of crap!" Jung Woo said, annoyed as he wanted the battle to commence already, tapping his foot on the ground impatiently.

"You insolent mongrel! I'll make sure to have all your limbs cut off, especially that tongue, for your disrespect!" The 'ugly bastard', who was standing beside Darkseid, said.

"I hope talking isn't the only thing you're good at or are you just scared to come over here and fight me yourself?" Jung Woo chuckled, earning an even harsher glare from the man. Before Jung Woo could say anything else, his arm was grabbed by Vandar.

"Good work," Vandar muttered softly, seeing the alien who Jung Woo provoked being taken over easily by his taunts as it would make the creature prone to make mistakes for being consumed by its temper.

"If you so strongly insist on war, then I will give it to you," Vandar said, pointing his sword towards Darkseid, causing Jung Woo to prepare himself as well, which caused a chain reaction among his army and children who got ready for the battle to start.

"Kill them all," Darkseid ordered, as utter silence followed.

Both armies stared each other down with bated breath, waiting for something or someone to ignite the battle.

"Don't hold back, Jung Woo," Vandar said, causing the man to grin even wider as he gripped his blade tighter.

"Qù"

With that word alone, Jung Woo was ready.

He let out the battle cry he was holding with a loud bellow, reaching the ears of Vandar's whole army. He didn't wait for anyone and just charged forward with his sword in hand.

As Jung Woo ran straight at the enemy, so did the army as they followed suit, battle cries resonating throughout the battlefields as the two opposing armies clashed with each other.

/ - /

Jung Woo smiled happily as he dashed through another five insects blocking his way, their bodies falling with a thud and blood spurting out of them.

Sounds of countless soldiers dying in anguish reverberated throughout the battlefield. The musk of blood filled the air. Adrenaline pumped throughout his body. This, this familiar feeling of war. He loved it.

Thanks to him, Marduk, his children, and a few of the more highly-skilled warriors among the army, the battle was looking to end at a tie. But, he didn't care about the outcome of the battle, Jung Woo was just focusing on whichever bug came at him next.

He struck any that were in his way, none were a match for him as they all fell prey to his blade. He grinned as some of them began to step back, thinking that they felt scared at seeing him kill so many of them with ease.

"Come on, then!" Jung Woo yelled with a sadistic grin, pointing his bloodied sword at them. "Come at me all at once! Afraid?"

"No, they just want to witness your death," Someone spoke out from his right, causing him to turn towards the voice. He smirked at seeing who it was; the ugly one.

"Oh, hey! I was wondering when your ugly mug would roll around, what took you so long? Had to change your diaper?" Jung Woo asked mockingly, earning a harsh glare from the alien as it walked closer to him. "Aw, what? No more death threats left for me…what's your name again? Or do you not have one? I can understand if daddy threw you out because of that unsightly thing you call a face."

"I am Kalibak, Son of Darkseid," The alien said, barely able to hide the rage in his voice. "And I'm going to enjoy torturing you for your impudence."

"Alright, nice last words, anything else?" Jung Woo asked nonchalantly.

"Your arrogance will be your downfall," Kalibak said. "DIE!" He said as he jumped at Jung Woo with his blunt weapon.

Jung Woo easily blocked it, grinning at Kalibak as they fought to the death.

As the battle raged on, his grin grew wider and wider, enjoying the fun that his short-tempered opponent gave him as Kalibak put up a good fight; at least he wasn't all talk. But, just like the other insects, he wasn't a match for him either. Kalibak wasn't even able to force him into giving it his all, which was disappointing, to say the least.

Oh well, time to finish this, Jung Woo thought as he quickly sent a flurry of blows towards Kalibak, which just exhausted the alien even more. As it was heavily panting, he used the opportunity to find an opening, which wasn't that hard to find, and just as he was about to kill Kalibak—

"Agh!" The pained voice of Vandar reached Jung Woo's ears, causing him to look away, seeing the man with a literal hole in his chest. Wanting to get to him, Jung Woo kicked Kalibak, sending it flying away before running over to Vandar, slashing all insects that blocked his path.

Jung Woo ran in front of Vandar, shielding him with his body as he turned to look at Darkseid, who had a slightly raised brow at seeing how Jung Woo defeated his son with ease.

"You know, if you wanted a fight with me so bad, you should've waited. I was almost done with your kid over there," Jung Woo said, staring straight into the glowing red eyes of Darkseid with a grin.

Darkseid didn't say anything, his red eyes glowing stronger and stronger as beams suddenly shot out of them and targeted Jung Woo, who simply raised a brow; he stood still, waiting for the beams to hit him.

"Ouch, that stings," Jung Woo winced, looking down at his body. The beams had easily penetrated his armor and more importantly, they left a significant burn mark on his chest, which intrigued him more than anything else. He may not be immortal like Vandar, but his body was by no means weak as it was close to invulnerable.

Darkseid was also surprised by the look of it, his eyes widening slightly as his omega beams only left a mark, instead of killing him.

"Well, I don't want to do that again," Jung Woo said, before immediately rushing Darkseid.

/ - /

The sound of flesh being torn reached his ears.

Jung Woo blinked.

He blinked again.

And again, before he found himself breathing sporadically.

He looked down slowly and there it was. A huge, rocky fist inside his gut.

Blood was seeping out of the hole that was punched into him by Darkseid. Jung Woo couldn't open his mouth, feeling a mouthful of blood threatening to come out if he did, so instead, he just looked up.

'So close.' He thought as he stared at the blade he had so close to Darkseid's throat.

Their battle was intense. His battle with Darkseid had to be admittedly the hardest one he's had yet. While he wasn't as skilled as Shin Ryong in terms of combat, his raw power was unimaginably powerful. He thought he had already won when the fight was reaching its climax, but with the big hole in his chest, that wasn't the case.

"F-fuck," Jung Woo said weakly, blood spurting out of his mouth violently.

Darkseid looked at him with a neutral expression, holding back the pains he felt inside his body. This human…was strong, really strong. As he looked at the blade which was inches away from his neck, he thought about the possibility of Jung Woo killing him if he had help.

The thought that there was someone like him that could pose such a threat both unnerved and intrigued him. While this man, if given more time to train and amass a bigger army, could take his whole kingdom down, Jung Woo also had the potential to be one of, if not his most valuable asset.

Not one to waste an opportunity which was right in front of him, Darkseid retracted his arm from Jung Woo's body, causing the man to fall onto the ground. He wasn't worried at all that Jung Woo was dying.

On Earth, there may have not been any way to save Jung Woo from his fatal wound, but on Apokolips, Darkseid had the necessary resources and technology to keep him alive.

As he was just about to approach Jung Woo to carry his body, he was stopped by Vandar who walked towards him, looking unharmed, which once again intrigued Darkseid.

…These humans were more interesting than he thought.

Vandar shielded Jung Woo just as the latter did for him earlier. He was not worried for his brother's health either, pushing away the concerned thoughts he had as he wanted to focus on the matter at hand.

Both he and Darkseid were thinking along the same lines.

An alliance was about to be made.

/ - /

"Thanks a lot, plot armor," Jung Woo muttered as he coughed out another mouthful of blood.

It has been a few minutes since he fell onto the ground. His body was too weak to move, so he was stuck in his current position, only being able to stare out into the sky. He didn't know what was happening around him as the sounds of war had ceased and all he could hear now was the sound of Vandar talking.

Who was he talking to? What he was saying? That was what he didn't know.

Another minute passed and Jung Woo heard footsteps. His eyes locked onto the imposing body of Vandar, who was now crouched by his side.

"Yo, did we win?" Jung Woo asked weakly.

Vandar looked at his friend with a speck of sadness in his eyes. He knew that his friend would come back to him someday as it has happened many times in the past, but it still hurt, seeing his brother in such a vulnerable state.

"Yes, I believe so," Marduk said in a tone that was different from his usual monotone as his expression softened. "I struck a deal."

Jung Woo chuckled in reply. "Sounds like you."

"So, what now?"

"For me or you?" Vandar asked.

"Both?"

"I'm going to think," Vandar said, eliciting another chuckle from Jung Woo. "And you are going to focus on dying sooner."

"Do you want me gone that much, old friend?" Jung Woo pouted, before laughing. "But yes, I can understand. I should be dead right now, but you know. Plot convenience and all that. I'll probably be kicking the bucket anytime now…"

…

Nothing.

"Any second now…"

"In 3…"

"2.."

"1…"

Still nothing.

Jung Woo blinked. "You know what, can you just snap my neck real quick? There aren't any truck-kun nearby, so you'll have to do it."

Vandar nodded, hesitating for a moment before taking Jung Woo out of his misery.

/ - /

17th Century

"You know…"

"I'm gettin' a huge sense of deja vu right now cap'n," Jung Woo laughed, coughing out another mouthful of blood.

Jung Woo was laying on a bed, his life slowly slipping away with each passing second. Vandar, who was going by Blackbeard at the current time period, sat by his brother's side. While Jung Woo's death wasn't something new to the two, this particular time was different.

"Are you sure about…" Vandar asked with a soft expression, one he found himself always having when it came to his brother.

"Yeah…" Jung Woo smiled. "When I'm back, if you need my help, just ask. But, I won't be a part of it anymore. I wanna try my hand at that simpleton shit. I see those mortals out there, living with a wife, a kid. I don't know, maybe it'll be fun."

"Hey, don't worry. I'm just gonna test it out, see where it leads. Whether or not I enjoy it will not change a thing, old friend. You'll always be my brother," Jung Woo smiled at Vandar, reaching out his hand.

Vandar grasped it tightly as the two brother's stared into each other's eyes. He felt an empty feeling, knowing that in his next life, he wouldn't have Jung Woo by his side this time. But, as he said, they'll always be brothers. Even if Jung Woo will be living a normal, boring civilian life for once, he will be continuing on his path to greatness.

"You better introduce me, when the time comes. I'd like to get to know my nephew and the woman who somehow got the embodiment of evil to settle down," Vandar said with a grin.

"Yeah, yeah, you bet your ass I will. And who said it'd be a woman? You know better than anyone I swing both ways, old friend," Jung Woo said teasingly, causing Vandar's cheeks to heat up slightly.

"So are you going to die now or what?"

"I am, it's just taking some time," Jung Woo said with a pout. "Fucking plot armor is broken."

SORRY, but I am busy fixing the fourth wall you broke, dick. Exactly. The last time we had this much trouble was... 350 years in the future? That asshole in the red? Wait, no, different universe.

"I think you know what to do, old friend."

"Indeed."

"You'll be just fine without me, brother. You're the fucking Vandal Savage, you don't need me."

Vandar kept silent as he went and snapped Jung Woo's neck for the second time.

He frowned. He never was able to contain his sadness whenever he saw his friend pass, even more so now, knowing his friend will have a temporary break from their mission. But, as he looked out at the window of the room, staring at the gray clouds which had begun to dissipate, letting sunshine pass through, he thought that it was perhaps for the best.

And maybe, Jung Woo's choice to pursue a life of peace would prove to benefit him as well.

Nevertheless, whatever would happen in Jung Woo's next life, Vandar knew everything would change.

For better or for worse? He didn't know, but he did remember Jung Woo's 'wise' words.

"Well, not knowing makes it more exciting!"

/ - /

Gotham City

July 15, 1976

Both Thomas and Martha Wayne smiled at each other happily, feeling ecstatic as Martha held their son in her arms.

Their first-ever child — hopefully not the last either, they each thought as they gazed into the newborn's beautiful, red eyes. Surprisingly, the baby was not crying like any other newly born child as he was instead staring at both of them. Though the two overjoyed parents didn't care as they were too busy ogling at their son.

"Our baby boy…" Martha gasped, forgetting all the pain that she had gone through because of the operation in an instant when she laid eyes on her son.

Her lips parted for a moment, though no words left her mouth as she turned up to look at her husband, sharing a knowing look with him before setting her eyes back on their child.

"James Wayne."

/ - /

AN: Anddddddd done! Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! If so, then please follow and favorite, it would be greatly appreciated! If not, then you don't need to. Also review! Love it or hate it, I'd like to hear all your thoughts, comments and as always, constructive criticism is welcome!

Out of all my new stories that I had written, this is one of the ones I'm most excited to write and all of you will see why later on. So there's the first chapter for ya'll and I hope you all had fun reading as I had writing it. Lots to unpack and lots of questions, I'm sure about our MC, Ha Jung Woo, his origins, powers and etc, rest assured they will all be answered with time. Our MC's good friends with good ol' Vandal Savage so that's obviously going to affect how this story and the entire plot of YJ will go. And, coincidentally, our MC's also been reborn as the older brother of our boy, Batman, so that'll be very interesting to see. Lots of changes to canon will obviously be made as a result of our MC's existence alone so get ready for a whole lotta shit. Essentially, this story's about an overly, ridiculously overpowered MC reborn as Bruce Wayne's older brother, the adventures and shenanigans he'll stumble upon, interacting and crossing paths with the Light, the League and the Team numerous times over, him building relationships with each and every single one of them, facing against enemies with faces you all might know and faces that you all might not know but he will. AND of course, we cannot forget the very wholesome brotherly bond between MC and Bruce, and MC and Vandal; story'll have a lot of both so look forward to those moments LMAO.

Pretty much a self-indulgent fic, filled with humor and comedic moments, MC easily overpowering people, etc. Plot-wise, there'll be a lot of it many ways down the road as this story won't solely focus on the comedy. There'll be tons of deep lore from RV coming in later on, as well as ROMANCEEEE, so I hope you're all as excited as I am for this crazy ride.

Now, I just wanna take the time to, once again, thank everyone for following and still reading my stories till now. ALSO, some, if not most of you may have surely noticed by now that some of your favourite PJO (or even other fandoms) authors have also updated their stories on the same day. That is because Beats has once again organized a mass update among the authors in the EL server as a way for us authors to give back to the community.

If you don't know, the Emerald Library discord server is a place where both readers and authors can hang out, chat, brainstorm ideas and many more. The link to join is in my profile (It won't expire). So anyway yeah, go ahead and join if you have discord, I'm online there a lot (admittedly not as often nowadays but the server's still going strong and growing each day so come drop by and say hi to the authors you might know when you have the time!), though mostly lurking.

Anyways, that's all for now! Thank you all for reading and I will see you all in the next chapter!

And once again, Merry Christmas everybody and have a wonderful day!