Chapter 14:
– Titus –
"So, you're Superman and Wonder Woman's son from an alternate Earth?" Batman asked me, even though he obviously already knew the answer.
I crossed my arms and frowned. "How do you even know that already? The news barely made it through the regime a couple hours ago."
Unless…
"You still have spies in the regime who work for you?" I asked. It wasn't really a question. I already knew the answer. That would be a Batman thing to do.
Batman's lips curled slightly beneath his cowl, but he didn't confirm or deny it. Typical.
"You don't need to tell me anything about your Earth," he said. "I'm already caught up on all that. What I want to ask you is whether or not you're going to step up and do what's right? Will you stand up against the regime and help make the world right again?"
"You can't just ask him to participate in a fight that's not his problem," Power Girl said from the back of the room. She was standing next to Nightwing and Raven. This empty warehouse on the edge of Gotham wasn't much to look at, but it was away from any prying eyes—or ears—from the regime or anyone else.
Batman glanced at Power Girl. "I could have said the same to you when you came to our Earth. Instead you immediately joined the Justice League and got yourself involved with our world. And now you're abandoning the home that took you in because things have gotten too hard."
Power Girl clicked her tongue and turned her head away. She didn't have a rebuttal, at least not one she wanted to say out loud.
"That's not a fair thing to say," I cut in. "Power Girl and Raven have acted like heroes. They've probably saved thousands of lives since coming to this Earth. If they want to leave, then they shouldn't have to justify whatever their reasons are."
Batman gave me a long look, like he was reevaluating me. "Interesting… I wasn't expecting the son of the League's two most aggressive fighters to be so… well-spoken or logical. Regardless, I now know the answer to my question. Come along, Nightwing." He turned and walked away, showing his back to two members of the regime like it was nothing.
Nightwing hesitated. "Err… that's it? I mean… right. See you all around, I guess. Hopefully not on the battlefield." He jogged after Batman, disappearing into the shadows.
Power Girl huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "This was a waste of time."
"No," Raven said. "Batman came here to see if Titus would side with him, and he got his answer…"
I sighed. "I'd rather not get involved in a war over an Earth that's not my own. I'm not exactly thrilled with the regime's command structure, but what else was Superman supposed to do when the supervillains had entrenched themselves in every corrupt government? Where the hell did the Joker even get a functional nuclear bomb, anyway?"
Raven and Power Girl both blinked at me.
"You know… I don't think anyone has actually gotten around to answering that question yet," Raven said. "We all just assumed the Joker built it himself."
"No way," Power Girl said. "The guy is smart, but he's not nuclear-physicist-level smart. Even Harley Quinn was only a psychiatrist, which is barely a real doctorate. Most of them don't even try to fix people because if they do, their patients stop showing up and stop paying." She went on a small rant before blushing. "Sorry, I always hated Earth's health care. Krypton was definitely not a perfect society, but we at least had that."
I guess we should head back now," I said, glancing at Power Girl and Raven. We had been out for a while.
"No way!" Power Girl said, practically bouncing in place. "Raven wants to have some more fun before we go back to the Watchtower with all of its stuffy rules!" She shot Raven a wink as if that sealed the deal.
"Don't put words in my mouth," Raven muttered. "Although, I wouldn't mind staying out a bit later…" Her voice trailed off as she looked anywhere but at the smirking Power Girl.
"Yay! Let's go!" Power Girl grabbed both of us by the hands before I could say anything else and shot into the air. I barely had time to register what was happening before we were flying at full speed. It didn't seem like she had any specific destination in mind, or did she?
Eventually, we stopped in front of a ridiculously extravagant hotel. Power Girl grinned. "Let's have a threesome!" she declared.
Raven immediately bristled, yanking her hand away with her pale face turning bright red. "Absolutely not!" she sputtered. "We just met… and I've never even kissed a boy before… and…"
"Oh my god, your face! Hahahaha!" Power Girl started laughing, flying in circles around Raven. "I've never seen you this embarrassed before. I was just kidding!" She shot me a wink, but I wasn't entirely convinced. Her costume didn't exactly leave much to the imagination, and I could practically see her nipples poking through. I had no doubt that if Raven had said yes, we'd already be inside that hotel room.
"Let's go to a club instead," Power Girl said suddenly, taking off again without waiting for an answer. Raven and I exchanged glances before following her.
We landed a few blocks away from a building with loud dance music blaring and a long line of people waiting to get in. Even with America on the verge of collapsing under a superpowered dictator, it seemed young people still wanted to party.
"Can you use your magic to change our costumes?" Power Girl asked Raven as we walked closer.
Raven rolled her eyes but waved her hand. A moment later, their costumes were replaced with regular clothes. My boring farm outfit was also changed into an expensive looking suit.
"Very nice!" Karen looked at me up and down while licking her lips.
"You two look amazing as well."
"For the rest of the night, I'm Karen, and she's Rachel!" Power Girl said happily. She was now wearing tight blue jeans and a very low-cut white tank top. Raven—Rachel now—wore a similar outfit in all black, but hers didn't show nearly as much skin. They both looked incredible, though. Their bodies put supermodels to shame.
Karen grinned at me and Rachel. "Let's make a lot of guys jealous!"
By the time we reached the club entrance, I had an arm around each of their shoulders. Karen leaned into me, while Rachel blushed furiously but didn't pull away. The bouncer barely looked at us before stepping aside and letting us in. I couldn't help smirking as I heard the guys in line complaining.
"Hey! What the hell!?"
"Damn rich playboy gets to skip the line," one of them muttered.
Inside the club, Karen laughed as she pulled us toward an empty booth. "That was funny," she said, leaning into me even more as we sat down.
Rachel groaned and scrambled to the seat across from us, burying her face in her hands. "That was so embarrassing! We looked like a pair of slutty groupies."
Karen smirked. "It worked, didn't it? We didn't even have to show IDs, and we skipped the line. It was great."
Rachel peeked through her fingers, still blushing. "You're impossible."
Karen laughed again. "And you love it."
I couldn't help but laugh. Karen and Rachel were definitely best friends. Their banter was something else.
A waitress approached to take our drink orders.
"Give us the strongest thing you've got, for all of us!" Karen declared.
"Ok…?" The waitress raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. She disappeared and came back a few minutes later with three cups full of alcohol so strong that the fumes made my nose burn a bit.
Karen grabbed her cup and slammed the entire thing back in one go. She let out a satisfied sigh. "That's some good stuff..."
Rachel grimaced slightly after draining her cup. "It's certainly strong… The taste leaves a lot to be desired though."
"Can you two even get drunk?" I asked them, genuinely curious.
"For about five minutes before my body burns away the alcohol," Karen said sadly. "It's a fun five minutes though."
"The alcohol lasts about ten minutes for me," Rachel added with a nod.
That made me wonder if it would affect me at all. I grabbed my cup and drained it in one go. My throat burned as it went down, and I grimaced. Still, I felt a slight warmth spread through me, maybe even a hint of looseness. Definitely not drunk, though. I figured I'd need something a lot stronger—maybe something godly. The thought of introducing Karen and Rachel to Themysciran booze crossed my mind. If we ended up heading back to my home, that would definitely be an experience for them.
Karen stood up suddenly. "Let's dance before my buzz wears off!" She reached over to grab Rachel's hand and then scooted us out of the booth.
I couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. We made our way to the dance floor, which was packed with people moving to the loud, thumping music. The bass was so intense I could feel it in my chest, but my focus was entirely on Karen and Rachel. Karen smiled flirtatiously as she danced close to me, her large breasts pressing against my chest as I held her waist. Karen stared up at me as we locked eyes. And then Rachel practically shoved Karen out of the way and took her place! I couldn't help but laugh at Karen's pout as Rachel and I danced together for a minute and then I wrapped an arm around both of them as we all danced together. This was my first experience in a club like this and I was having fun.
"Ugh, the hottest guy in the club is already taken by two floozies!" one girl nearby said, causing me to almost choke with laughter.
Karen cracked up as well. She turned to the girl who'd said that and stuck her tongue out at her. Rachel's lips quivered upward, but she didn't say anything. I could still tell she was enjoying herself. We stayed on the dance floor even after they're powerful constitutions burned through all the alcohol.
"Who does this fucker think he is, hogging those two hot babes all to himself!?"
"We should kick his ass when he goes to the bathroom or something."
"Fuck yeah let's do it!"
A group of three guys in the corner were shooting me some very hateful looks. It seemed that not everyone in the club was having a good time, and they were about to have an even worse time…
…
I was in the club bathroom, washing the blood off my knuckles. The water turned pink as it swirled down the drain. Those guys who tried to jump me outside—I didn't kill them, but I gave them a beating they wouldn't forget anytime soon. I glanced into the mirror and sighed.
"Can I help you, kid?" I asked, not looking away from my reflection.
"You met with my father and brother earlier," came a voice from the shadows. A Robin I didn't recognize stepped into the dim light.
"And you are?" I turned to face him.
"I'm Damien Wayne. Bruce Wayne's son and the current Robin. I'm a member of the regime, but I wasn't in the Watchtower when you showed up."
Batman had an actual kid in this reality who wasn't adopted? That was… interesting. I wondered if Damien existed on my Earth too. I supposed I'd find out whenever I got back. No doubt my Batman would want to know everything about this world to create contingencies so it never happened on ours.
"Listen, kid, I'm here on a date with two beautiful women who are waiting for me. Yeah, I met with Batman earlier, but it didn't amount to anything. He asked me if I was willing to take down the regime, but I turned him down. It's not my fight." I paused. "Not unless I witness something absolutely horrible."
"Good," Damien said. "I would hate to have to deprive Superman of his son," he said cockily. He rested a hand on the katana on his hip and unsheathed it a couple of inches. The blade glowed green. A kryptonite katana.
"That's cute," I said, reaching out and grabbing the hilt before he could react. Damien's eyes widened as I unsheathed the entire blade and stared at it. "But kryptonite doesn't affect me." I handed the blade back to him as if it was a stick.
That wasn't entirely true. That sword would be able to harm me, but only if it was wielded by someone a lot stronger than a regular human. Still, no point in letting him know that. I walked past Damien and headed back out into the club. Karen and Rachel were waiting for me, and I wasn't about to let some random kid who was trying to act tough ruin my night…
…
We got back to the Watchtower a few hours later. As soon as we stepped out of the teleporter, someone loudly cleared their throat. Wonder Woman stood there, tapping her foot with a frown.
"And where did you three run off to?" she asked, looking at us like a judgmental mother. "It's dangerous for us to venture out right now, especially since the government just made a move on Jonathan Kent."
"Nothing happened, Diana," Karen said. "We took Titus out to get some dinner and then spent a couple hours at a club dancing. It was pretty fun." She grinned. "You should come next time! You used to be a lot more fun before Superman took over."
"I wouldn't say nothing happened," I said. "I had three drunk, jealous guys try to beat me up."
Karen chuckled. "That doesn't count. If anything, watching that guy break his hand punching you in the face was one of the highlights of the night."
"One of the highlights?" Wonder Woman asked. "What were the others?"
"I don't feel like listing all of them, but I can show you the last one." Karen winked at Rachel before she leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. "Good night, Titus!" she said, sauntering away. Her hips swayed back and forth as she disappeared down the hallway.
Wonder Woman sputtered, staring after Karen.
I felt a tug on my sleeve and turned to Rachel. An instant later, I felt a soft pair of lips press against mine. She pulled back quickly, her face bright red. "Good night," she mumbled before sinking into her own shadow and vanishing.
"Two at once?!" Wonder Woman exclaimed.
I shrugged. "Yeah, it just kinda happened. Karen and Rachel said they were both from other Earths as well, so that's what attracted them to me in the first place."
Wonder Woman sighed, rubbing her temple. "Just… try not to get them pregnant." She looked at me for a moment and then asked, "Do you have some free time before bed? I'd like to get to know you a bit more."
"Sure," I said. I wouldn't mind finding out how this Wonder Woman differed from my own Diana.
– Damien –
Damien stood in the dimly lit chamber, the faint glow of torches casting flickering shadows on the ancient stone walls. Across from him, Ra's al Ghul sat on an ornate chair that looked more like a throne. The old demon's piercing eyes locked onto Damien as they discussed the newest visitor to their world.
"You're telling me kryptonite didn't affect him at all?" Ra's asked.
Damien shook his head. "He held the kryptonite katana himself and didn't even flinch. If it did affect him, then he's a master actor."
Ra's leaned back, his fingers tapping on his armrest. "Hope for the best, plan for the worst. We'll go forward with the assumption that he doesn't share the same weakness as Superman. That will make dealing with him difficult but not impossible in the event he tries to side with your father and ruin our plans."
"Of course, Grandfather," Damien said with a nod. "What should I do going forward?"
The old demon's lips curved into a faint smile. "Try and set up a meeting with Superman and me. Now that he's finally seen the reality of this cruel world, I have a feeling the regime and the League of Shadows might have a lot to offer each other." He paused. "As for this Titus… keep an eye on him. If he simply leaves and returns to his own home before our plans come to fruition, then it's no skin off our backs. And if he doesn't… Well, nobody is invincible. I'm sure he has some kind of weakness we can exploit. Possibly even one of those two girls he was on a date with."
Damien grimaced. He'd recognized one of the girls in the club with Titus. It was Raven. He'd always had a crush on her, even if he would never admit it out loud. Seeing her with Titus had been a bitter pill to swallow. He'd thought she was better than to be part of some kind of harem, but it looked like he was wrong!
He clenched his fists at his sides. "Understood," Damien said.
Ra's studied his grandson for a moment. "Something bothering you, Damien?"
"No, Grandfather," Damien replied quickly. "I'll handle it."
"Good," Ra's said. "Because if this world has taught me anything, it's that distractions are deadly."
Damien nodded again, but his mind was already spinning. He'd have to prove himself—to his grandfather, to the regime, and to Raven. He'd show her that Titus wasn't who she thought he was, and he'd prove that he was the better choice… even if it meant taking Titus out of the picture entirely!
– Nightwing –
Batman and Nightwing stood in a dimly lit hideout beneath Gotham, the hum of machinery filling the silence between them. The hideout was one of many secret locations Batman had around the city, equipped with everything they might need for a night's work—or a war.
Nightwing leaned against a console, his arms crossed. "I'm sorry the meeting with Superman's alternate son didn't go well."
Batman didn't immediately respond, his eyes focused on a monitor displaying surveillance feeds. After a moment, he turned slightly. "Who said that?"
Nightwing frowned. "What do you mean? Titus turned you down," he pointed out.
"Did he?" Batman said. "He simply said he didn't want to get into a fight that didn't involve him. But whether he likes it or not, a fight is coming that he'll be dragged into. At that point, I know what side he'll choose."
Nightwing's eyes widened. "He'll side with us…?"
"Nothing is certain," Batman said. "But it's highly likely."
Nightwing straightened, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Huh, what do you know? We got some good news for once."
Batman didn't reply, turning his attention back to the monitor. Nightwing couldn't tell if his mentor was pleased or simply planning the next move, but for now, it seemed like a small victory—one they desperately needed.
XXX
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Here is the list of Current Advanced Chapters:
The Fallen Gamer ch 302-306
The Fox Hole 31
The Titan 16
The Fox Hole 30
The Blood Queen 20
The Blood Queen 19
The Titan 15
The Fox Hole 29
The Supe Devil 13
The Blood Queen 18
The Fox Hole 28