Draugzel
patreon
Chapter 62: It's done
🕑 Added 2022-08-22 13:01:11 +0000 UTCKara sighed out as she looked at the clock on the wall with her head resting in her palm. She had only begrudgingly left for school because the other two had insisted that she needed to go. It was truly unfair!
She had to sit here, boring herself to death with subjects that she already knew by reading through the entire school book in seconds, while the two apparently had to deal with a 'hostile' Justice League. Just because she had 'no' friends...
"Kara? Are you alright?" A voice whispered to her. Kara turned around and looked at a concerned Courtney, her - admittedly - only friend beside Raven. Did Nathan count as a friend? He was her boyfriend, but were boyfriends considered as friends as well? Not that Nathan's concerns for her lack of friends would diminish, it probably would increase instead if she argued the point.
"Yeah, I am alright." She tried to wave off her concerns, but that didn't seem to be effective since she scooched closer with her chair before raising an eyebrow as if to say, 'Go on. I am listening.'
"...My cousin had an 'altercation' with my boyfriend, and I don't know what to do." She said before she stared blankly at the front where the teacher talked about how to pay taxes, but a look around the classroom showed no one paid him any attention, like any other subject in school, really.
"Oh? Your hunk of a boyfriend with the crazy hair has beef with nerdy Clark? Was Clark fed up with you two making all that noise at night?" Courtney wiggled her eyebrows in a suggestive matter, which made Kara roll her eyes, but it lifted her mood up.
Kara snorted before responding. "Usually, I visit his house, but no. I don't know any specifics but it had something to do with Nathan helping a mutual friend... Clark said that she was a bad influence for us, but he just misunderstands her... Judging her for who her dad is."
Courtney frowned slightly. "Huh. Are you sure that's the case? I mean, I have met Clark a few times, and he didn't seem the judgmental type... Maybe - and please don't take this the wrong way -s, but maybe he thinks Nathan cheats on you with her? Maybe Clark just wants to protect you."
Kara shook her head, "No. I know it has nothing to do with that. Sorry, Courtney. I can't fill you in. Maybe I will tell you when everything has been resolved." She looked at the clock's hand reaching the desired hour. The bell rang, but she didn't stand up just yet since 'the bell didn't dismiss them, the teacher did'.
Courtney shook her head before waving her goodbye when the teacher announced the end of the lesson. Kara bolted out and headed straight home, apologizing to the few that tried to talk to her. Joining a club really did wonders about her popularity, even if it was just the school's news club. It really helped diminish the feeling of being an outcast...
She ran back home and stepped on the stairs to head up to her room, where she wanted to change before heading out to visit Nathan. Just as she was about to fly up the stairs, she stopped. Her super-hearing picked up the heartbeat of someone familiar.
She frowned before she headed to the kitchen, where Kal-El was sitting at the table, eating some pie. With her arms crossed, she stared at him from the doorstep. He smiled wryly as he hurriedly stood up and wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"Kara, just listen. I know we made a mistake, but-" He started, but Kara would have none of it.
"No, buts! You made a mistake. You judged her because of something that she has no control over and even attacked her! That's fucked up! She isn't what you think of her! She is smart, brave, kind, and supportive, and certainly not the demon you think you are. She is-" [A/N: Cue the Invincible Opening]
Kal-El flinched before raising his hands in a placating way as he interrupted her, "I know, I know. I am truly sorry for what happened. We messed up and, for what it is worth, I am glad we were wrong."
Kara was about to continue her speech before she realized he admitted their wrongdoings. "...What? I mean, you better be sorry! Did Nathan finally beat some sense into you?!"
Kal-El scratched his cheek at that, "Yeah, he vouched for Raven, so you won't have to worry about the Justice League anymore. Look, Kara, I know I wasn't the best cousin since you arrived. There are a lot of things I need to take care of and I should have visited more often." She snorted at that. More like he hadn't seen her since forever.
"-When we saw her in the house...we were just worried about Nathan. I thought he was in danger and Raven was the threat, so we acted upon it. Just know that I had the best intentions in mind." He sincerely said with guilt in his eyes.
Kara stood there with her arms crossed and an unwilling expression on her face before she sighed out, defeated. "So this is how it feels to be on the other side?" She muttered before approaching Kal-El to give him a hug. Shit happened, and he was still her baby cousin. The only relative she had left.
"Everybody makes mistakes and I guess on paper it sounds bad that she is a demon, daughter to Trigon... Just talk to me beforehand. I don't want another misunderstanding to occur which could have been prevented by some communication." She chuckled slightly at how ironic it was for her to say this.
Kal-El nodded before he opened his mouth, hesitating to say something. She picked up on it and sat down to invite herself to a piece of pie as well, "Go ahead. I am all ears."
His lips thinned slightly before he sighed out again. "I didn't know that you were together with Nathan..." He said nothing afterward. Kara froze with a fork in her mouth before she looked at him with a confused expression.
"What are you talking about?"
"It's a bit complicated... We had returned from a mission when someone known as Vandal Savage changed something in the past..."
...
"Master Bruce. You ought to take a break." Bruce ignored Alfred's plead since this was just too important to delay.
"Alfred. We changed the time. Who knows what else had changed? What else that I wasn't seeing simply because it hadn't happened in my timeline?" His eyes flickered through the paragraphs of text at what most people would call impossible speeds, while countless ideas and contingency plans formed in his mind.
The speed at which read nowadays was something that he could only do because of his training in the arts of Chi, or rather Ki, as Nathan referred to it. It had helped him immensely in the past and he was still learning, improving, though that didn't mean that staying up for several days now didn't take its toll.
He truly had learned a lot through Nathan, and now he had to investigate him. Of course, it didn't feel good, but there was no such thing as being too safe. Bruce wasn't sure if this Nathan was capable of what this timeline's Batman thought he was doing, but some sort of connection with the former mafia group 'Westmob' was still questionable, even if he was seen stealthily heading to San Francisco. However, Bruce couldn't deny the high probability of Nathan's cooperation with the former mafia group.
Westmob, a group that had never seen the light of the day like it had now. Not to mention how it 'turned' its back to the criminal side of San Francisco. Just another puzzle piece that was added to the massive pile. All clues that cropped up in this timeline all came back to one person. Nathan.
Bruce had already analyzed most of the data available. He could already argue that the instant the changes started wasn't with them changing the past. Nothing changed even with them being present in the second world war, supporting the idea that Vandal Savage had somehow created a fixed timeline, but that theory collapsed the moment their intervention was witnessed by Nathan.
It was unclear how and why it would only cause waves after Nathan had witnessed their time-traveling incident. He was like a crooked puzzle piece that forced the surrounding pieces to change with him, but why? It was like his existence didn't follow the rules of the universe. Why was he an anomaly?
Not to mention that he himself had changed according to other theories of time travel. It was an excruciating topic to unravel.
"I believe the time will continue being changed after you have had a good night's sleep, sir." Alfred said, and Bruce would have to admit that he couldn't continue to work effectively like this forever.
"Prepare a coffee. I am going to implement the Uberman sleep cycle for the next several days after a Coffee-Nap."
"7 or 8?" Alfred asked with a sigh.
"Make it 6." The Uberman sleep cycle was a polyphasic cycle comprising 6 to 8 equidistant naps across the day, each lasting 20 minutes. It was a schedule that Bruce had wanted to implement continuously, but it wasn't something that he could sustain for several decades without his body and brain breaking down, especially if he needed to skip a nap. His performance would decrease tremendously. Still, it was an excellent alternative for emergencies.
Alfred sighed again and walked out of the cave to prepare a coffee. Bruce, in the meantime, searched for all and any changes, especially the ones in Gotham. Without Nathan's interference, a lot had changed, especially the Joker... he was still alive. Something that was like a weight returning on his shoulders... At least he was still in Arkham.
His eyes sifted through the names of his rogues' gallery, noting that most had been locked up. He momentarily stopped at the name Selina Kyle before he shook his head. She was a low priority right now. She had been lying low and there were other names that needed more of his attention, especially when he noticed the traces of the Court of Owls.
He had defeated them once and now, after knowing their modus operandi, he would take them down with ease, but before that, "Sir, your coffee is ready." He couldn't help but smirk when he heard Alfred speak out 'coffee' with such disgust apparent in his voice.
He needed the rest, but only to come back with full strength. The streets of Gotham would not be ready for what was to come. Just as he was about to head up and rest his eyes, something-someone popped up, someone that this timeline's Batman had been trying to get a glimpse of.
However, the name was so glaring to him that a connection in his mind was instantly made, especially considering the lack of training equipment in the Watchtower that Diana pointed out to him.
...
Kara flew quite slowly through the midday sun. She was almost reluctant to face Nathan, even though she didn't know why exactly. After all, the other Nathan in the other timeline had nothing to do with her, right? The Nathan now was probably just wired differently...
The door opened up just as she landed in front of it. He obviously had sensed her life force. "Why are you so late? We already finished training." Nathan called out from the kitchen. He then peeked out of the door, "What are you waiting for? Come in."
She stepped inside and was almost surprised when he gave her a brief peck on her lips. He frowned slightly, noticing that she behaved differently.
"Hey." She called out with a forced smile, which only made Nathan worry more. He guided her to the chair at the table. "I... I just had a talk with Kal-El about what had happened... Do you think they are telling the truth?"
Kal-El and she had talked for several hours about how different it was and how he handled everything. What he wanted to do better now. Of course, she couldn't hold back and after his little reminiscing, she knew that he had been closer to Nathan than in this 'new' timeline. In a timeline where Nathan and Wonder Woman were a thing.
"Most likely. I already have my scientists go through the data Batman had presented. As of now, it seems to be all in place, but I still want to make my own tests soon."
"I see..."
Nathan rubbed her back, "Look, whatever happened in that timeline it has nothing to do with us. So, you don't have to worry about Wonder Woman or any-"
Kara held a hand up to interrupt him. She smiled at him sweetly, "I am not worried about that. No, really, don't look at me like that... It's just that... from the sound of it - you were really happy and more closely connected with the others-"
"And you think it had something to do with you? That I would have been better off with someone else? Really? We had this talk."
"No! I mean, a little, but I don't really think it had something to do with me." Kara drifted off in thought. "Kal-El had said that you acted differently from the moment you entered the library in San Francisco and saw them in a newspaper of the Second World War. Probably when you were researching in which universe you are. He had asked me if I knew something, which of course I declined, but it made me think about the how and why."
Nathan gave her a slow nod as he thought with a frown decorating his face, "...It probably had something to do with me remembering that time travel was a thing."
Kara nodded at that, "I know and I figured... if-if you didn't know it was possible or maybe if you hadn't decided to-"
"You think I would be happier if I discontinued searching for a way to return to my past universe? That's what you wanted to get at, right?" It was subtle, but his tone was harsher than before and he slightly leaned back as he placed the hand that was rubbing her back onto the table.
"Yes, maybe-" She admitted, but before she could dare to continue, he shook his head.
"Kara, I can't stop now, especially after all the things I did... I have to see it through and now, with their time machine, I am closer than ever. If I stop now, it will all be for nothing." He stared at her almost pleadingly that she would stop this thread of thought.
"If you are happier because of it, then it wouldn't have been for nothing." She started, but he stubbornly shook his head.
"Maybe I would have been happier if I had given up on my return from the beginning when I didn't realize that time travel could help with that. Perhaps I moved on and was happier for it, being able to live in the present than obsessing about something that might not be possible, but you can't expect me to do the same now.
I won't be able to rest after being obsessed with the possibility of me returning. Even if I discontinued my research, I can't just erase my thoughts, feelings, my hope. I won't be like my other me. Maybe if I fail, I will be able to let it rest, but not now and not without reason..."
Nathan argued and Kara knew he was right. He had already set his mind on trying to return to his past universe. There were just no arguments that could sway him the other way. Perhaps, him failing truly was how he could let it rest, but until then he would refuse to give up.
At least, it won't be long until he achieved his goal. If he could replicate the time machine, then his day of return won't be long away. The if had already turned to a when. It was just a matter of days.
Although she knew it was too late now, a voice in the back of her mind kept nagging at her she shouldn't have supported him when he opened up to her when he was spiraling down this path. Stopping him now would only make it worse, not better, she rationalized. She just hoped that regardless of the answer he found, he would heal from it.
...
My goal was at arm's length. The papers that I had transcribed not only had the theory but also the needed materials to build the time machine. The best about this was the fact that we had all the materials from the time machine that Vandal Savage had used.
I had taken it with me and even though some of the core parts were fried by the previous activations, it wouldn't take too long until my research team would reinvent the necessary parts with the already finished theories to guide them.
I sat down on the couch in the living room and thought about what Kara suggested. A glance at her talking to Raven distracted me for just a moment before my thoughts went back to my time machine that was in the making.
That I was desperately holding onto the past wasn't something I hadn't realized, but that didn't mean I could just let it go and be 'happy', especially since this wouldn't diminish the thoughts about it if I decided to disperse my research team.
It was only days away, and I just had to wait, but honestly, the waiting part was always the worst. Thoughts of discontinuing to use my time-slowing device for my training also came up, but this just made me realize I was too anxious. Besides, relaxing with a long and challenging workout would be best for exactly these sorts of scenarios.
Raven and Kara sat down, though Kara was a bit tense, presumably because she thought it would be best for me if I didn't linger in the past. Ironically, something that I had been trying to convey to her for some time now.
I reached out to her arm, to her surprise, and dragged her to me, making her lean against me. She breathed easier, knowing that I didn't take her perspective on this to heart, especially since this time it hadn't been about her status in my heart, but because she had my well-being in mind. Although I strongly disagreed and wasn't willing to budge on it, it was still endearing.
Raven was texting someone after groaning for a moment. "So, Raven, how is crime in Jump City?" Raven finished typing before she glanced up from her phone at my attempt to start a conversation before she got lost in thoughts again or her demonic side popped up.
"Small-time criminals, just like usual. Cinderblock was the only real villain we had yet to face, which is... a good thing." She decided before continuing to tell me about Jump City instead. About the people, how they readily accepted their team (though I suspected it was more because they were like an attraction to the city, bringing tourists to the city).
It also helped that the Justice League was generally accepted, so it wasn't surprising that the public looked forward to another superhero team. Of course, there were some haters, but those showed up for anyone and anything.
Obviously, currently, after having fused with her demonic side, she wouldn't dare to step out on the streets. She would have to wait until she truly meshed together with her demonic side so that she could be emotional without changing her shade.
Her mind had been constantly on this after we were attacked by the Justice League, which had only fortified the feeling that she wouldn't be accepted if people knew what she was, though in the same vein she wanted to accept the fact that some would be hostile regardless of how she truly was.
When the topic of her control came up, we slowly drifted to her, wanting to tell the other members of the Teen Titans about her demonic side. Of course, the attack had shaken her desire to come clean quite a bit, but she knew it was something she couldn't hide forever.
There wasn't much we could do to help her since we couldn't really force her to talk to her team members about it, but we encouraged her. She knew how the others were, and even if she found some of their quirks incredibly annoying, she couldn't deny the fact that they were good people.
"If you want to, I could show you my room in the Titans Tower. We just have to stay inside. I can't really trust myself not to change." Raven said with a small smile on her face after I had voiced my desire to see the tower from the inside.
I just couldn't help myself from asking. After all, it would be a dream come true to set foot in the real deal. Maybe even talk with the other members. Given Raven was and would continue to be my favorite member of the team, but to see the others in real life would be really exciting.
"Sure-" Just as I agreed, Dr. Wakati contacted me on my phone specifically for Westmob deals. I couldn't disturb him during his analyzes, otherwise, I would have maintained a telepathic connection.
Dr. Wakati initially didn't have my number, but now I found it prudent to give him a way to directly contact me instead of going to Westmob and having them contact me. The fewer people were involved, the fewer things could go wrong.
The two saw I answered the phone, so they said nothing. "It's done. Your time machine is done. This is revolutionary! You can't believe what this might mean for the future progress of-" Dr. Wakati enthusiastically said as soon as I picked up.
"What do you mean by 'It's done.'?" I sat up straight, waiting for his answer. The time seemed to crawl slower and my focus was razor sharp, listening to every mumble that Dr. Wakati was uttering over the phone.
"The machine that you have brought hardly needed any repair, and we were able to replace the few core parts with replicas that we were able to recreate after analyzing the remains. We just need a power source and we have a functioning time machine-"
"How long until you have a suitable power source?" I asked, getting to the crux of the reason he was calling.
"We could use the same method that powers the time-slowing device, but for that, we need a sizable chunk of the plutonium. What we have left won't be enough for even a test run. The one that you use, however, should be more than enough to operate the time machine." Knowing what he wanted, I hung up.
1 day! It had taken Dr. Wakati only 1 day to not only go through the papers I had sent him but also to repair and replace the broken parts.
I stood up and looked at the two, "It's time. It's ready." They were also invested in this and would certainly want to know when it was finished. I didn't worry about any devices that would listen in since I had already swept through the house every day several times and came up with nothing. I had even disconnected any other device.
They immediately knew what was going on and stood up abruptly before we headed down to my training hall. Afterward, we turned our casual wear into something inconspicuous, with a mask helping to disguise us before I headed to the center of the hall. With my telekinesis, I pried open the floor by moving away a slab and directly took out the energy source of the time-slowing device and the gravity chamber, which was embedded in the ground.
The hall immediately dimmed, but I ignored my surroundings in favor of putting the radioactive material inside a suitable container. I carried the container underneath my arm before I looked at Raven, who nodded as a response.
A dark shadow circle appeared underneath our feet before we fell into it. The vertigo suddenly changed before everything returned to normal again just with us appearing in a lab. We looked around and found the man that I was searching for.
Dr. Wakati looked worse than usual. He almost always looked tired, but now he looked on the verge of collapsing. I looked around and saw that there were very few members of the team around, but I sensed they were close. I noted that there was a much bigger time-slowing device placed in the middle of the lab.
Usually, it would have been placed to the side on some table to be analyzed or to be used in some experiment. The fact that it was placed in the middle suggested that they had used it to accelerate their work.
I nodded at him and he seemed too tired to speak any words and instead just gestured to me to follow him. He hadn't even acknowledged Raven's and Kara's presence.
Regardless, without further ado, we followed him to a new section, where the other members of the research team were running about. A familiar gate-like machine was decorating the far-off wall and I wordlessly handed the plutonium to two assistants, who carefully inserted the plutonium into the intended socket.
Some monitors displayed that the power was being filled up, and the device was functional. I didn't need to look at myself to know that a wide grin was spreading across my face. I turned to an assistant and ordered him to get the prepared equipment for my travel back in time.
Cutting-edge sensors that could detect even the smallest amount of energy, change, and whatever the heart desired. Something all the research team needed for their project and something that was aided by the sensors that the Watchtower had 'provided'. A special camouflage suit that would hide me from visual detection and reduced any sounds I made to a minimum.
I had long prepared for my expedition since I knew I wouldn't want to delay this any moment longer when the machine had been built.
The longer I delayed, the more complications could occur. It was best to finish what I started, go back in time, analyze and get all the data I need to find my past universe, and then return to this time again. With the data, I will be able to calmly search for the data and find out whether the problems that Raven had brought up were explicable.
In and out, 20-minute adventure.
Comments
Anthony Maxwell
All I'm getting from this is the main character really wants to go to the dragon Ball universe 🤣🤣.
Julian Johnson
I swear you need to drop two new chapters at a time
