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The Titan 2
🕑 Added 2024-09-17 23:12:39 +0000 UTCChapter 2:
–Titus–
I watched Superman fly off without even saying a word to me. My dad didn’t want anything to do with me.
It hurt—a lot. But I told myself it was okay. At least my mother still wanted to be around me. I could tell by the way she smiled. The first time I called her "Mother," she looked shocked—well, of course, since she had no idea I even existed—but I saw that shock turn into happiness pretty fast.
That made me feel… good. It was nice to know she wanted me, that she actually wanted to spend time with me. Even better, she gave me a name right away.
Titus. I liked it. It sounded strong.
“Why don’t we go flying, Titus?” she said, her eyes lighting up with excitement. “It’s your first day of freedom. Don’t you want to feel the open sky? Experience the sunlight up close?” As she spoke, she started floating a few inches off the ground.
I hadn’t flown by myself yet—she carried me up an elevator shaft earlier—but just thinking about trying made my heart race. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and focused. I was the son of Wonder Woman and Superman. There was no way gravity could hold me down. I wouldn’t let it.
When I opened my eyes, I was hovering a few feet above the ground. Mother smiled at me, proud. And then, without a word, she shot up into the sky, and I followed.
Flying was everything! The open sky, the wind, the city spread out beneath us—it was impossible not to smile as I followed her through the clouds.
She turned her head, her smile warm and proud. “I’m amazed at how quickly you’ve picked up flying. It took me decades to master it. Before that, I was simply leaping for miles or using the Lasso of Hestia to propel myself through the clouds.” She laughed as she recounted a story about accidentally landing in a family’s pool because she misjudged the distance of her jump. It happened during a child’s birthday party, and she ended up splashing everyone and ruining the cake.
The two of us soared through the sky for hours. She taught me how to position my body to maximize speed, how to stop instantly no matter how fast I was moving—it was basically impossible for me to suffer from whiplash.
It wasn’t until my stomach started feeling strange that we paused. “Is this hunger?” I asked, my stomach making odd noises.
“It sure sounds like it,” she said with a laugh. “Come on, I know a pretty good pizza place in the city.”
She zipped down towards the bustling streets below, and I followed. The humans going about their lives paused and pointed at us as we flew by. The crowd parted as we landed in front of a small pizzeria.
Mother said the first thing I should eat in my life should be delicious. She also mentioned something about it being impossible for those of Divine Blood to gain weight, so I could eat as much as I wanted. I was very much looking forward to trying this thing called pizza.
“Holy crap, it’s Wonder Woman!” a guy shouted as we touched down.
“Who’s the hunk next to her? His clothes are a little baggy, but those muscles and that face. He is so hot!” a girl said loudly, her gaze lingering on me with a flirtatious wink.
“Just ignore the rabble, Titus. Let’s go inside,” Mother said, grabbing my hand and leading me into the restaurant.
The hostess, clearly flustered, sputtered nervously. “W–Welcome, Wonder Woman!” she stammered. “Youcansitwhereveryoulike!” The last part came out in a rapid blur, and without our super senses, it would have been hard to catch.
“Thank you,” Mother said, guiding me towards the bar. We sat down, and her eyes widened in realization. “I don’t know if you’re old enough to drink…”
“I don’t even know how old I am…” I replied, and she tilted her head thoughtfully.
“Hm, I’d say somewhere between 19 and 24, maybe,” she said, scrutinizing me with a thoughtful expression. “It’s hard to tell because you’re so well built. I don’t think it matters anyway. Mortal alcohol won’t get you drunk, no matter how much you drink. If anyone asks, just tell them you’re 21.” She waved at the bartender. “Barkeep! It’s my son’s 21st birthday today! Bring us something special!”
It was my birthday? I suppose, in a way, it was.
“You got it, Wonder Woman!” The barkeep responded enthusiastically, grabbing something from the top shelf and beginning to mix.
While he worked, the buzz of curiosity surged through the restaurant and outside, reaching my super hearing.
“Wonder Woman has a son? Holy crap, this is huge news! I need to post this immediately!”
“Look at his face! Doesn’t he look just like another famous hero?”
“Holy crap! Wonder Woman and Superman had a kid!? And they managed to keep him a secret all this time! This is the scoop of the century!”
“I’m going to get so many updoots for this!”
Turning to my mother, I asked, “Was it wise to come here and announce that so loudly? By tomorrow, the whole world will know about me.” I figured she would have preferred to keep my existence under wraps. It seemed she had a different plan in mind.
She flashed me a sly smile. “That’s the idea, Titus. To the rest of the world, you’re going to be known as my real son, who’s simply been kept secret all this time on Themyscira,” she said before her expression turned serious. “Clones don’t exactly have human rights in most countries, America included. They’re considered property. Bruce will destroy all evidence of your creation once he finishes searching the secret lab. The public will never know you’re a clone, and no government organization will be able to claim you as their property. We know Cadmus is partially funded by some world governments, we just haven’t been able to prove it yet.”
I had underestimated my mother’s cunning. My knowledge of her had been limited to her heroic feats and combat skills, but she was revealing herself to be an adept tactician as well. If any government officials exposed me as a clone, they would be unmasking themselves as members of Cadmus to the Justice League.
“You are really smart, Mother,” I said, genuinely impressed.
She grinned and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. “I’ve been around for quite a long time. I’ve seen all the tricks and schemes Man’s World has to offer. They won’t be able to outsmart me,” she said with pride. “Also, could you do me a small favor, Titus? Could you call me Diana? Hearing the word ‘Mother’ makes me feel old. I’m not old, am I?” She fluttered her eyelashes at me and her hand rested lightly on my leg for a moment.
A strange sensation stirred between my legs at her actions. “O–Of course not, Mother—er—Diana. I didn’t mean to offend you. You’re still young and very beautiful,” I said, my face flushing with embarrassment. I adjusted my position on the stool, trying to hide the arousal I hadn’t expected to feel so soon after waking up from the pod. One of the topics implanted into my mind included a wide array of sexual information…
Diana smiled again, then playfully kissed my cheek before letting me go. She turned to face the restaurant, her grin widening as she addressed the crowd that had been surreptitiously gawking at us. “It’s my son’s birthday today! Everyone’s meals and drinks are on me tonight!” she declared, and the place erupted in cheers.
“Does the Justice League pay you that well?” I asked as she spun back around on her stool. Her generous offer would likely cost around four thousand dollars. My enhanced brain quickly calculated the expenses based on the number of patrons and the orders I could see on their tables.
She waved off my concern. “There’s no need to worry about my finances, Titus. The average Justice League member makes a million dollars a year—after taxes. Saving the world is a very lucrative profession. On top of that, I’m the princess of an entire country,” she explained as the bartender placed two drinks in front of us. She thanked him and raised her glass to me. “Happy birthday, Titus. Welcome to the world!”
“Thank you,” I said, clinking my glass with hers. I took a sip of the drink and immediately started gagging. “T–That tastes awful!” I coughed loudly. How could humans enjoy this? I could taste every single chemical!
Diana threw her head back and laughed. “I should have guessed you’d have super taste buds. Next time, I’ll order something more plain. Don’t worry—the pizza will more than make up for the bad drink.” She ordered two pizzas from the bartender. While we waited, we chatted, and my head buzzed with questions about the world. Diana was more than happy to answer them.
She told me all about her home of Themyscira. An Island where I was going to be very popular. She told me with a small laugh. Men weren't allowed on the Island…unless they had the blood of the divine flowing through them–except for Hercules of course. They would kill him on sight regardless. As Diana's son, I was permitted to step foot on the legendary Island.
She also told me about the underwater city of Atlantis and asked me if I would like to see it someday. I figured I would eventually, but I wanted to stick to the surface world for now.
“Do you have any more questions for me?” Diana asked. “Any birthday requests?” she asked with a wink.
I had a feeling she was teasing me, but I did have a request. “Can I join the Justice League?” I asked. I was one of the most powerful beings in the world, and I knew I wouldn’t be content with a mundane life. Plus, I wanted to be a hero like her…and my father. Regardless of whether he accepts me or not.
Diana's eyes lit up in excitement. “Yes you can join the Justice League!”
“Really? Is it that easy for me to join?” I was surprised to hear that.
Diana nodded at me. “Of course it is. If we let Superman’s Collateral-Damage-Barbie of a cousin join right away, then you’re definitely welcome to join as well. You already seem to have a much better grasp on your strength on your first day alive despite the fact that she has been on Earth for almost four months now,” Diana said while giving me a brief overview of my second cousin, Kara Jor-El. Despite the fact that Kara tended to cause a lot of expensive collateral damage whenever she fought villains–or even just regular criminals, Diana had nothing but praise for my sort-of cousin, explaining that Supergirl had the heart and mentality of a true hero. I looked forward to meeting her and the rest of the Justice League in the coming days.
“Here’s your order, Wonder Woman!” The bartender interrupted our conversation, placing a large pizza on the counter in front of us.
The smell hit me, and my stomach growled for the first time. Everything felt new today—so many sensations I hadn’t experienced before.
Diana showed me how to fold the pizza properly, and she was right—it was delicious, perfect for my first meal.
I devoured it so fast that we ended up ordering three more. Pizza was incredible!
“Slow down, Titus,” Diana laughed playfully. “Looks like you might be a foodie! Luckily, with your super metabolism, it won’t be a problem. But save some room for dessert—I know a place across town with the best milkshakes.”
Milkshakes? I hoped they were as good as pizza!
Diana paid the bill, and the entire restaurant cheered as she kept her promise and covered everyone’s tab. Everyone wanted us to stay longer, but Diana told them all that we had places to be.
We took off into the night sky over Metropolis. From above, I could see why my father loved this city. The way it sparkled, lit up from below, made it look beautiful. I floated there, silently admiring the view. I must have lost track of time, but Diana didn’t seem to mind. She hovered next to me, just as quiet.
A scream snapped me out of my reverie.
“Someone help! Get away from me, you assholes!”
“Come on, baby. We just want to have some fun, don’t we, boys?”
“Heh heh... We like fun. You’ll like it too, girly.”
“It only hurts at first…”
Diana placed a hand on my arm. “Titus, is something wrong?” she asked, her voice filled with concern.
“I think a woman’s in trouble,” I replied, pointing toward the direction of the voices. “Some guys have her surrounded, and they want to have ‘fun’ with her. But she doesn’t want to.” I tried to explain, though the situation confused me.
Diana’s concerned expression twisted into a vindictive smirk. “Is that so?” she asked coldly. “Well then, why don’t we go play with these criminals instead?”
I nodded and shot down into the city, landing in a dark alley with barely any working lights. Not that it mattered—I could see in perfect darkness, just like it was daylight.
The men, on the other hand, couldn’t. They could barely make out me or Diana.
“Who’s there?” One of the guys pulled out a pistol, waving it around blindly. “Back off, this bitch is ours for the night!”
Two more guys pulled out knives, snarling in all directions.
“Yeah, buzz off!”
“We’ll gut you!”
“Please help me...” The woman was slumped on the ground, her shirt half torn. I suddenly understood—they didn’t want to play with her. They wanted to rape her…
Something in me snapped. My fists clenched. I felt a heat building behind my eyes, like something was trying to burst out.
“Oh, fuck!” The guy with the gun trembled. “Glowing red eyes... It's Superman!”
That heat—it was my heat vision slowly building behind my pupils. Triggered by my anger. I forced myself to take a deep breath, trying not to lose control and vaporize everyone in the alley.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Die, Superman!”
The guy emptied his pistol at me. I barely felt a tickle as the bullets bounced off my chest. What did annoy me, though, were the holes in my shirt.
“What the hell, boss?! Why would you try to shoot Superman?” One of his lackeys whined.
“Yeah, now we’re totally screwed. We’re going to jail for sure!”
“That’s the least of your problems,” Diana said, and suddenly the alley lit up as her bracelets glowed white-hot, crackling with electricity. I didn’t even know they could do that.
“Oh fuck, Wonder Woman’s here too!?” The boss kept pulling the trigger, but his gun just clicked—empty.
“You tried to lay your filthy hands on an innocent woman, and then you dared to shoot at my son!?” Diana cracked her knuckles, fury in her eyes. “I’ll teach you the error of your ways! Over and over!”
Screams of pain and agony echoed in the alleyway for the next several minutes as Diana... "subdued" the criminals. She made sure to be extra thorough, as she promised. She didn’t want them running off before facing justice, so she made sure to break all of their legs...and arms. And, for good measure, a few ribs as well. The criminals all became whimpering messes towards the end, I couldn’t bring myself to feel bad for them.
While Diana dealt with them, the young woman we saved clung to me, sobbing “thank you” over and over again.
“It’s okay,” I said gently, patting her back.
A few minutes later, the police arrived. None of them seemed to care about Diana going overboard once they saw the state of the girl. Ambulances had to be called too, and as the last of the criminals were loaded up, the girl—Stephanie—shouted, “I hope you assholes enjoy prison... and penis!”
For some reason, that made Diana burst out laughing. “You’ve got spunk, girl. I’m sorry for what almost happened to you. Will you be alright now?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I don’t live far. I was stupid, taking a shortcut home from night school through this alley. I should’ve known better. Thank you so much for saving me... um...” She trailed off, looking at me. She’d thought I was Superman too, at first but now knew that wasn’t the case.
“I’m Titus,” I told her. “I haven’t picked a hero name yet or gotten my own costume.” I pointed to the bullet holes in my shirt.
“Nice to meet you, Titus. I think you’re gonna make an amazing hero.” Then, before I could react, she stood on her toes and kissed my cheek, a blush spreading across her face. “Bye!” She jogged off down the street. My eyes lingered on the girl’s backside longer than they probably should have. Stephanie was actually very pretty, with green eyes and long blond hair. She also looked to be around the same age as my body was.
Diana gave me a knowing smirk once Stephanie turned the corner. She had caught me looking. “There's nothing to be ashamed of, Titus. You are a healthy young man after all…I can confirm that since I saw you naked.”
I blushed and started sputtering at her. She just continued to tease me. Telling me that, as the grandson of Zeus, I would naturally have a “higher libido” than other men my age. “My son—only a day old and already a heartbreaker,” Diana teased me one last time before smiling. “You did well tonight, Titus.”
“Thank you,” I replied.
She took off back into the night sky. “Now, come on—milkshakes await us!”
XXX
