Chapter 21:
– Wonder Woman, Injustice –
Diana stood firmly on the side of justice. She always had, and that's why she justified killing Mr. Terrific. It was necessary, she told herself. Batman and his little resistance group couldn't be allowed to upset the new world order! Sacrifices were inevitable, and this was just another one for the greater good.!
The little blonde girl who had popped out of the portal—a younger, peppier version of Power Girl—had been cute, and probably not much of threat, but Diana knew she would have been just the beginning. If that portal had stayed open, they would have faced an entire United Justice League from another dimension. That would have been a fight they might not win, no matter how strong their regime was.
Diana's gaze shifted across the room. Titus stood next to Power Girl, Raven, and Batman. Titus looked particularly grim as he stared at the melted-down remains of the portal machine. Diana realized with a pang that the portal must have been his way home—back to his own world, back to his real mother.
That thought unsettled her. She'd barely had any time to spend with Titus, this young man who, in another life, could have been her son. Yet somehow, in that short time, Batman had already managed to sink his claws into him and turn him against them!
Damn Bruce for corrupting HER SON!
...Then again, perhaps the regime's own actions had contributed to his defection.
Titus came from a more peaceful world, where the Justice League was united and pure. From his perspective, they must look like villains. Diana could understand that. But she also knew, deep in her heart, that what they were doing was necessary. This chaotic world needed order. It needed a strong, guiding hand to set it back on track!
She stepped forward, addressing Titus directly. "Titus, why don't you, Power Girl, and Raven come back to our side?" She kept her voice calm, almost inviting. "Things have gotten a bit out of control, I admit, but we were all having a perfectly normal and happy time just a few days ago when we first met."
Power Girl immediately stepped in front of Titus, crossing her arms. "You literally murdered Mr. Terrific."
Diana glanced down at her bloodied sword. "Sacrifices have to be made in the name of justice," she said firmly.
"Exactly," Superman said. "There was no other way to stop him."
"Yes…" Diana agreed. "There was no other way."
Titus stared at them like they were all idiots. "There's like twenty of you," Titus pointed out bluntly. "And all of you together couldn't have just subdued him and taken him alive? I didn't know the guy at all, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't that powerful..."
Diana's smile dropped, and the room went quiet. The rest of the regime glanced at each other, looking uneasy.
– Titus –
I knew we weren't getting anywhere with this. My mind drifted back to when I first arrived in this weird alternate world. Waking up naked in a random farm had been a pretty freaky experience, but honestly, the people here had been surprisingly cool about it. They'd taken me in without any questions or judgments, so I hadn't been all that worried at the time.
Now, standing against them with Batman, I couldn't help but feel like kind of a dick. These were people who had helped me when I needed it. But what choice did I have? They'd killed Nightwing. They'd killed Mr. Terrific. That wasn't justice, it was murder.
This wasn't my world, but it was Shazam's, and Billy was my friend. I wasn't going to stand by while everything burned around him. Then there were Raven and Power Girl. Sort-of girlfriends was probably the best way to describe what we had going on, and even though they both wanted to ditch this Earth and come with me to mine, I knew they weren't the type to walk away while things here spiraled out of control. Not if there was a chance to fix it.
I held my hands up and took a few steps toward the regime. Specifically, I looked Superman and Wonder Woman right in the eyes as I spoke. "Look," I said, "you all killed an innocent man here today, and yeah, we beat up a bunch of your people. It's a mess, but it's not too late to calm down and talk this out…"
The room was silent for a moment. Then, Flash spoke up. "Maybe he's right. Maybe we should just calm down and try talking things out one more time." He shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Superman. "The portal machine's broken. It's not like we have to worry about any other Justice Leagues showing up. Let's all just chill for a bit!"
It was surprising to hear Flash voice that opinion. I'd pegged him as one of the regime's more loyal members, but maybe even he was starting to have doubts.
Not everyone was on board, though. Ra's al Ghul scoffed "The leaders of the New World Order cannot afford to appear weak," he said. "Talking is a waste of time. We've already come this far! Let's kill our enemies and finish this!"
His daughter, Talia, nodded in agreement. "If you show hesitation now, it will only embolden your enemies," she said. Her eyes flicked toward Batman, and I could feel the tension between them from across the room. "You know what needs to be done, Kal-El."
All eyes turned to Superman.
"No…" Superman said simply, his voice cold and final. "My father was killed! We are not talking!"
Then, without hesitation, he pointed his yellow lantern ring directly at Flash.
My eyes widened in shock as I saw Flash's face. At first, there was confusion, then betrayal, and finally… acceptance. I could barely even process what was happening, a beam of yellow light shot through the air and tore a hole clean through Flash's torso!
…He could have dodged it. He was the fastest man alive, but for some reason, he just stood there and let it happen. Maybe it was some kind of stupid atonement. I didn't know, and honestly, it didn't matter. Flash crumpled to the ground, his lifeless body slumping at Superman's feet.
That was it. All hell broke loose.
I didn't hesitate anymore...
My body moved on instinct as I shot forward in a blur and slammed into Superman with everything I had. The force of the impact sent both of us hurtling backward, crashing through the walls of the power plant like they were made of paper. Concrete and metal shattered around us as we tore through the structure, and before I knew it, we were outside, the freezing Alaskan air biting at my skin.
"It didn't have to be like this!" I shouted, hurling Superman toward the ground with all my strength.
He stopped himself mid-air, hovering just above the snow-covered ground. His yellow aura flared brighter as he straightened up, meeting my gaze with those cold, unyielding eyes of his. "No…" he said, his voice steady and unshaken. "It didn't. But this is where we are now!"
– Power Girl –
Karen couldn't believe what she had just witnessed!
The Flash was dead. Superman had just murdered one of his oldest friends, just like that. Even though Karen knew something was seriously wrong with this world, she hadn't thought it would come to this. It felt unreal. Even Diana, who had killed Mr. Terrific earlier, looked shocked. Diana seemed like she needed time to process what had just happened, but no one was going to get a break.
"Get them!" Ra's al Ghul shouted.
Diana snapped back to reality, her gaze locking onto Karen and Raven. Her face twisted into anger. "You two have clearly been a bad influence on my son! This is all your fault!"
"What?!" Karen shouted in disbelief. Beside her, Raven let out an angry growl.
"He's not your son, bitch!" Raven shot back.
Before Diana could respond, a voice identical to hers rang out from behind the regime members.
"Justice League! Attack!"
A swirling portal appeared out of nowhere! Through it, Justice League members began pouring out and immediately started fighting members of the regime!
Karen's eyes immediately darted around, trying to take everything in. She saw Wonder Woman—Titus's real mom, she was sure of it—engage this world's Diana in a fierce sword duel. Sparks flew as their blades clashed, each swing more powerful than the last.
Martian Manhunter—a hero who had died years ago in this world—was battling Cyborg, their powers colliding in bursts of light and sound. More and more heroes spilled out of the portal, their presence tipping the scales in a way Karen hadn't expected.
Then, a girl who looked like a younger version of Karen flew over.
"Whoa! Are you me?" the girl asked, her wide eyes full of wonder.
Karen smirked and crossed her arms over her chest, which was noticeably larger than the younger girl's. "No, you're obviously me… a downgraded version, too."
The younger version sputtered, clearly taken aback by the comment, before quickly shaking her head. "Which side are you on?"
"We're obviously on Titus's side," Karen said, her tone making it sound like the answer was obvious.
The younger girl let out a sigh of relief. "That's good. I wouldn't want to fight an older version of myself!"
Karen smirked again. "Don't forget bustier!"
The younger girl pouted but quickly recovered. "I'm Supergirl," she said, introducing herself.
"I'm Power Girl, and this is Raven," Karen replied, gesturing to her friend.
"Nice to meet you both!" Supergirl said quickly. "Where's Titus?!"
"He's fighting Superman outside," Karen explained, glancing toward the broken walls leading to the frigid Alaskan wasteland.
Before they could say anything else, another Batman walked over to them. He stared silently at the Batman already with them. The two of them exchanged a single nod before turning and running off to join the fray, fighting side by side.
"Can you all find a better time and place to have a friendly conversation?" Batman's familiar gruff voice called out. Although she wasn't quite sure which Batman had chastised them…
– Titus –
The cold Alaskan air didn't bother me, but Superman's glowing fist slamming into my gut was definitely annoying. I felt the impact, but it didn't hurt as much as he probably wanted it to. I was sent flying backward through the sky. I smashed through a few cloud formations, then stopped myself midair.
"That all you got?" I shouted, shaking off the blow and flying back at him, fast enough to cause a sonic boom that echoed for miles.
Superman's yellow lantern ring glowed as he blocked my punch with a glowing shield, but I followed up with a sharp kick to his ribs. The force sent him tumbling through the air, but he quickly recovered, retaliating with a beam of yellow energy. I raised my arms, letting the blast hit me head-on. It stung, but it didn't slow me down. Gritting my teeth, I charged straight through his attack.
I slammed my fist into his jaw, sending him flying. He stopped himself midair, his yellow aura flaring as he glared at me. "You're strong," he admitted, "but you're too young and arrogant for your own good!"
"We'll see about that," I shot back, diving at him again. My fist connected with his chest, sending shockwaves through the air and displacing the snow below. Superman countered with a punch to my face, which barely fazed me, though I felt the sting. He followed up with a kick aimed at my stomach, but I caught his leg before it landed and swung him around, throwing him toward the ground.
He crashed into the snow with enough force to leave a crater but shot back into the air like it hadn't even happened. He tackled me mid-flight, his momentum pushing us higher into the sky as he rained punches on me. Each hit stung, but that was all they did. I caught his fists, locking us in place for a moment.
"You're wasting your energy," I said, smirking as I twisted his arm and headbutted him. He reeled back, but his yellow aura surged as he steadied himself.
Superman shot another beam of energy at me, and I sidestepped it, closing the gap between us in an instant. I drove my fist into his midsection, forcing him back. He gritted his teeth and countered with a flurry of punches. I took them all, the stings barely registering as I fired back with a punch that knocked him higher into the sky.
I could feel the divine power inside me surging to the surface. My body began to glow with a golden light, brighter and brighter with each passing second. Superman hesitated for just a moment, and that was all I needed. I charged at him again, this time moving faster than even his enhanced reflexes could keep up with.
My punch connected with his chest, and the impact sent him hurtling backward, his yellow aura flickering under the force. He stopped himself midair, but I could see the strain in his movements now.
"What's the matter, Superman? Evil ring not working the way you hoped it would?" I taunted.
Superman growled, his ring glowing brighter as he summoned more energy. He fired another massive beam of yellow light at me, but this time, I didn't dodge. I let the blast hit me, my golden aura absorbing the energy like it was nothing.
"You don't get it, do you?" I said, stepping forward through the blast, my voice calm and unwavering. "I'm not just a kryptonian! I'm also the son of a goddess!"
Superman's eyes narrowed, and he charged at me, his fists glowing with yellow energy. We collided midair, the impact shaking the skies. His punches came fast and relentless, but my divine power was in full swing now. Each blow he landed barely made me flinch, while every hit I delivered pushed him further and further back.
I drove my knee into his stomach, making him double over, then followed up with an uppercut that sent him spinning through the air. He caught himself, panting slightly as he glared at me.
"You're not going to win this," he snarled.
I smirked, the golden light around me pulsing like a heartbeat. "We'll see about that."
"Yes WE will!" he smirked like he knew something I didn't.
Before I could press my advantage, a sudden barrage of yellow energy blasts rained down from above. I barely had time to react as twenty yellow lanterns appeared in the sky, their rings glowing as they unleashed coordinated attacks. My golden aura flared instinctively, shielding me from the worst of the damage, but the sheer volume of attacks was overwhelming!
"What the hell?" I shouted, dodging a particularly large blast that shattered the air around me. My focus split as Superman came at me again, his fists glowing brighter than before. He took advantage of the distraction, landing a solid punch to my side that sent me skidding backward in midair.
I gritted my teeth, my aura flaring brighter to tank the incoming blasts. Each hit sent ripples through my energy shield, but I held firm, refusing to give an inch.
"You think you can handle all of us?" one of the yellow lanterns shouted, his voice echoing across the icy landscape.
"Let's kill this asshole!"
"He's going to learn what fear is!"
Superman joined the group, hovering just above them, his yellow aura crackling with power. "You're outnumbered, Titus," he said. "You should've stayed out of this."
I clenched my fists, golden energy radiating from my body like a small sun. "I don't care how many of you there are. I'm not going down without a fight."
I shot forward, weaving through the barrage of attacks as I aimed for the nearest lantern. My fist connected with his chest, sending him spiraling out of formation. Another tried to flank me, but I twisted midair, dodging his energy blast and countering with a kick that sent him crashing into the snow below.
The attacks kept coming, and I could feel the strain building as I fought to keep my aura strong. Superman darted in again, his punches coming faster and harder. I blocked most of them, but a few got through, each one stinging more than the last. Still, I refused to back down.
"I'm not going to lose!" I shouted.
"Damn right you're not!" a voice suddenly called out from higher up, louder than the noises of the yellow lanterns' attacks.
I looked up to see Grail descending above one of the yellow lantern aliens. Before he even realized she was there, she casually ripped his head clean off. Her glowing red eyes locked onto me, and she smirked before tossing the severed head with enough force to blast another yellow lantern miles away.
"You look like you could use some help, Titus," she said, her voice carrying that familiar cocky attitude. "I'll deal with these assholes. You handle Superdick."
I couldn't help but laugh as she tore into the yellow lantern aliens with reckless abandon. It was exactly as I remembered her—brutal and completely unapologetic. Sure, someone was probably going to reprimand her for all the murder later, but at the moment, I didn't care. Maybe it was wrong, but I'd never been a fan of races that didn't even remotely resemble humans. Watching her rip through them like paper didn't exactly bother me.
"Who the hell is that?!" Superman shouted at me, his face contorted in anger and confusion.
"Oh, that's Grail," I said casually, watching as she obliterated another yellow lantern with a blast of omega energy. "She's from my world, and she is Darkseid's daughter. I'm not really sure how she got here, but I'm definitely not complaining."
Superman's face twisted even further in rage. "You allied with the daughter of that monster?! I misjudged you!" With a roar, Superman charged at me again, his fists glowing with yellow energy. I met him midair, our collision sending shockwaves rippling across the snowy wasteland below. At least now it was back to a one-on-one fight.
– Wonder Woman –
Facing off against her evil doppelganger was definitely one of the stranger experiences Diana had endured in her long life. Their swords clashed again and again. Every strike she delivered was met with equal strength, every parry returned with the same frustrating precision. They were annoyingly evenly matched.
"How did you get here? We destroyed the portal device!" Evil Wonder Woman shouted angrily, her frustration boiling over as she pressed forward.
"Some mystic magical bullshit," Diana replied honestly, deflecting a downward slash with her bracers before swinging her blade in a tight arc. She wasn't entirely sure what Constantine had done, but the guy had kept his word. He'd opened a portal for them, saying it would last a few hours before disappearing. Then, predictably, he'd fucked off somewhere, clearly uninterested in sticking around to help further.
Evil Wonder Woman's face twisted in anger. "You're ruining everything! You should have just stayed away! I would have straightened Titus out, and he could have stayed here as my son!"
"Excuse me?" Diana bristled, her temper flaring. She met her counterpart's next strike head-on, their swords locking together. "He's not your son. He's mine!"
"Not if you're dead!" Evil Diana snarled, her strikes becoming more aggressive and unrelenting.
Diana matched her blow for blow, holding her ground even as her counterpart's movements became more erratic. She kept her focus sharp, not just on the duel but on the battles around them.
This evil Justice League—the one Supergirl had warned them about—had no shortage of reinforcements. Yellow Lanterns, Atlantean soldiers, and League of Shadows assassins kept spilling out of boom tubes, bolstering their already considerable forces.
"Shayera!" Diana called out, glancing toward her ally. "You need to help Manhunter take out Cyborg! He's bringing in reinforcements!"
"I'm a little busy!" Shayera shouted back, her voice strained as she clashed with Aquaman. Her mace crackled with energy as it collided with his trident, sending sparks flying.
"We're on it, mother-in-law!" a familiar voice called out playfully from nearby.
Diana's evil counterpart was temporarily blasted away by two beams of red heat vision. Two beautiful women flew over to her. One of them looked like an older and sexier version of Supergirl. The other was a stunning woman with similar proportions, long dark hair, and pale skin that almost made her look like Grail's sister.
"Mother-in-law?" Diana chuckled despite the situation. Why was she not surprised that her son Titus had bagged two beauties even while lost on another earth? She supposed she knew where his priorities lay. Not that she could blame him, she had been just as frisky when she was younger.
"Are you both fucking my son?" she asked playfully.
The pale-skinned girl blushed slightly while the older Kara laughed. "Not yet for me, but Raven definitely has!"
"Oh?" Diana raised an eyebrow, smirking. "It's always the shy ones, I suppose." She winked at Raven.
That clearly made the girl act even more embarrassed. "I'll go help take down Cyborg. His technology won't counter my magic well," Raven said. She suddenly disappeared into her own shadow, leaving only a faint ripple where she had stood.
The older Kara introduced herself as Power Girl and smiled. "Need a hand with evil you?" she offered.
Diana nodded. "I appreciate it. I have a feeling she and I would end up fighting for hours if it were just the two of us."
Her evil counterpart burst out of the rubble a moment later, her armor scorched and her hair disheveled. She glared at Diana and Power Girl with unbridled rage. "I'll take you both on!" she screamed before lunging at them with her sword raised.
Diana raised her blade, stepping into the attack to meet it head-on, while Power Girl darted around to flank her.
XXX
I have a patreo n. My subs can read advanced updates of my stories ahead of standard release and even check out pics for some of the more naughty chapters.
Link:
Patreo n .com (slash) Starwaves
Here is the list of Current Advanced Chapters:
The Fallen Gamer ch 313-317
The Titan ch 23
The Fox Hole 46
Thunder and Black Wings ch 6
The Fox Hole ch 45
The Blood Queen ch 30
The Titan ch 22
The Fox Hole ch 44
The Blood Queen ch 29
The fox hole ch 43
The Fox Hole ch 42
Thunder and Black Wings ch 1-5 (New Story)
