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The Titan 20
🕑 Added 2025-01-04 00:58:56 +0000 UTCChapter 20:
– Titus –
“TITUS!” an angry voice screamed my name, cutting through the cold Alaskan air as a yellow lantern streaked down from the sky.
I raised an eyebrow at the guy. “I’m kind of being a hero right now, so it’s Titan, actually,” I corrected him. There was something about him that seemed familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it.
“Who are you…?” I asked. He clearly knew me by name, so I figured we must have crossed paths at some point in this world.
The yellow lantern froze mid-air, his fists clenched. “YOU… YOU DARE TRY AND PRETEND YOU DON’T KNOW WHO I AM?! I’M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!”
Raven hovered closer to me, her dark aura swirling around her. “I’m sensing immense hatred from this guy,” she said quietly. “Whatever you did to him was irreconcilable.”
I sputtered and pointed at myself. “I’ve only been in this world a week! I haven’t done anything to anybody!”
Power Girl tilted her head. “That’s weird. But you shouldn’t worry about it too much. There are plenty of crazies out there.”
“Shut your mouth, Power Girl! I’m not crazy!” the yellow lantern snarled. He ripped off his yellow mask, revealing a black one underneath.
Raven’s eyes widened in confusion. “Robin? What are you doing?”
Damien glared at her. “I’m here to take you back, Rachel! Titus doesn’t deserve you! He’s just using you! He killed my brother, Nightwing! He ruined everything!”
I frowned and crossed my arms. “Now listen here, you little shit. I definitely didn’t kill Nightwing. I don’t know why the fuck I’m being accused of that, and I’m certainly not using Raven.” I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “She’s an amazing girl, and I’d love to have her in my life.”
Raven’s cheeks turned bright pink at my words, and I noticed she leaned even closer into me.
Power Girl clasped her hands together dramatically. “Oh my god, you two are so adorable, and I want some of that so badly!” she exclaimed, starting to pant. She turned her head to Robin. “Hey, could you come back in a few hours? I need some alone time with Raven and Titan.”
Damien let out a feral snarl and shot down toward us with his new powers. Power Girl’s eyes widened as he drew a molecular kryptonite katana, swinging it at her with lethal intent.
I let go of Raven and flew between them, taking the slash directly across my chest. Pain flared as a wide gash opened up in my costume, and golden blood trickled from the skin-deep wound.
Damien’s masked eyes widened in excitement. “So gods can bleed after all!” he declared. “With this power, I can finally take back everything that’s mine!”
I didn’t give him time for another attack. My fist connected with his face, sending him careening backward several miles.
Turning back around, I saw Power Girl immediately fussing over my cut.
"Oh my God! Are you alright!?" Her hands ran all over my chest.
"I'm fine." I told her reassuringly. The little bastard was strong enough to cut me now, but that was all he could do.
“Thank you for saving me,” she said, planting a sloppy kiss on my cheek.
Raven hovered closer, she called on her magic as she repaired my torn costume. My natural healing kicked in, and the wound began closing on its own as well.
“There’s something really fucking wrong with that teenager,” I said, shaking my head.
“Well, he is the grandson of Ra’s al Ghul,” Power Girl pointed out. “Maybe the old villain did something to him?”
I sighed, glancing into the distance where Damien had disappeared. Whatever his deal was, it was clear this fight wasn’t over.
Damien, the yellow lantern, was absolutely furious as he streaked across the Alaskan sky like a meteor. His glowing aura burned brighter with every second, and his rage was palpable. He was heading straight for the three of us again.
“That was a cheap shot!” he screamed, his sword drawn and crackling with yellow energy. The blade looked even more dangerous now, further enhanced by his lantern power.
I cracked my knuckles, the golden light of my divine energy surrounding my fist. “You came here looking for a fight, kid. Don’t cry because you’re losing.”
Damien roared, aiming a deadly stab straight at my heart. I braced myself, cocking back my fist and punching forward with everything I had. The moment my divine Kryptonian power clashed with his kryptonite-laced fear blade, shockwaves exploded in all directions. The air trembled with the force of our collision.
The impact was so intense that I heard Raven let out a startled squeak as she was blown backward. Thankfully, Power Girl was quick to catch her, wrapping her arms around Raven before she could tumble too far.
“Just die already!” Damien shouted, his voice raw with fury. He poured even more power into his blade, the yellow energy flaring violently as he tried to drive it through my chest.
I gritted my teeth, the strain of the clash pushing me to my limit. “I’m probably the last person who should be telling you this, but you need fucking therapy!” I snapped. With a surge of determination, I pushed forward with even greater force.
For a moment, the blade cut into my hand, a sharp, searing pain radiating from the wound. But then I saw it—tiny cracks spreading across the blade’s surface. The kryptonite katana couldn’t withstand the combined might of my divine energy and Kryptonian strength. It shattered into thousands of pieces, the fragments scattering like broken glass.
Damien’s eyes widened in shock and disbelief. He barely had time to react before my fist slammed into his stomach. The force of the punch knocked the wind clean out of him, and his body folded inward like a ragdoll.
I angled the punch downward, directing the full force of my strike toward the ground. Damien hurtled through the air like a falling star, crashing into the snowy landscape with an earth-shaking impact. The snow in a 50-yard radius instantly melted, leaving behind a steaming crater that quickly filled with water, forming a small lake. Damien’s limp body floated to the surface.
Power Girl landed beside me, still holding Raven close. Her eyes flicked from the newly formed lake to my bleeding hand. “Holy shit, Titus. That was insane.”
Raven pulled away from Power Girl, her dark energy already swirling around her hands. “Let me heal that,” she said, nodding toward the gash on my hand.
I flexed my fingers, watching as golden blood dripped onto the snow. “It’s fine. I’ll heal in a minute,” I said, though I appreciated the offer.
“Is he dead?” Power Girl asked, gesturing toward Damien’s motionless form floating in the water.
I shook my head. “No. I held back just enough. He’ll wake up with a hell of a headache, though.”
Raven stepped closer to the edge of the lake, her eyes narrowing as she studied Damien. “He’s still alive. Barely.” She turned back to me, thoughtfully. “You didn’t have to pull your punch at the end...”
I shrugged. “He’s an asshole, but he’s still just a kid. I’m not about to kill him.”
Raven shrugged at that and flew down towards the water. She said she wanted to see if he really was under some kind of mental manipulations or had he just gone crazy at some point without anyone noticing. She started speaking in tongues that I didn’t recognize and placed glowing hands over his head.
– Batman Injustice –
The portal shimmered to life, its swirling energy casting an eerie glow across the room. "The portal is open! We did it!" Mr. Terrific shouted in excitement.
Batman allowed himself a small, fleeting smile. "Are the coordinates correct?"
"They sure are," Mr. Terrific replied confidently. "This should take us directly to the other dimension’s Watchtower. We’ll be able to request their Justice League’s help immediately—" His words cut off with a strangled gasp as blood bubbled from his mouth. Batman’s eyes widened in shock as he saw the blade protruding from Mr. Terrific’s chest. The hero stumbled forward, collapsing to the floor.
Standing behind him was Wonder Woman, her sword glistening with fresh blood and a sneer curling her lips.
"No!" Green Arrow and Black Canary shouted in unison, their faces pale with horror.
Batman clenched his fists tightly, his mind racing. Another innocent hero had been killed by the regime. Another failure. He could feel the weight of it pressing down on him, but he didn’t let it show.
The sound of rushing wind heralded Superman’s arrival. He flew into the room, his red cape billowing behind him. More regime members followed close behind. A boom tube opened in the center of the large room, and Cyborg stepped out, flanked by Flash, Aquaman, Green Lantern—now a Yellow Lantern—and several more former heroes. Batman’s jaw tightened as he spotted members of the League of Shadows among them, including his old lover Talia al Ghul and her father, Ra’s al Ghul.
"It’s over, Bruce. Just give up and join the winning side," Talia said, her tone almost pleading as she stepped forward.
"Never," Batman said plainly, his voice like steel. His eyes darted around the room, assessing the odds. Just himself, Green Arrow, and Black Canary against this many superpowered beings? They didn’t stand a chance.
Superman’s gaze shifted to the open portal, his expression unreadable. "Did you really plan on asking other versions of ourselves to come and fight in a world that has nothing to do with them?" he asked, his voice cold.
"That shouldn’t matter to them," Batman replied. "They’re supposed to be heroes. They always help people who have nothing to do with them."
The portal shimmered again, interrupting their standoff. A young blonde woman stepped through, her costume similar but not identical to Power Girl’s. She froze as she took in the scene, her cheeks flushing pink as dozens of eyes locked onto her.
"Um… hi, everyone. How come there’s a portal in the middle of the Watchtower?" she asked awkwardly. Her gaze shifted, and her expression turned to one of horror as she noticed Mr. Terrific lying on the ground, blood pooling beneath him. "Oh no! Mr. T!? What happened!? We gotta get him to the medical bay!"
Superman’s cold voice cut through the tense air. “Back off, Karen.” His gaze was locked on the girl who looked like a younger version of Power Girl, only with longer hair.
The girl frowned. “Karen? What are you talking about, Kal?” she asked, confusion evident in her tone.
Batman stepped forward, keeping his voice calm and measured. “That’s not your Superman. You’re in another universe. You’re Supergirl, right? Titus told me a bit about you.”
Supergirl’s face brightened at the mention of Titus, but her expression quickly darkened. “Another world? Is that why I couldn’t find him all week?” Her eyes shifted to Wonder Woman, who was still holding the bloodied sword. “You’re not his mother?”
Wonder Woman straightened her posture, her voice steady and authoritative. “I am not, but I could be in the future if he chooses to stay here. Now, turn around and go back through that portal. What’s happening here is none of your business.”
“The hell it isn’t!” Supergirl shouted, stepping up to Wonder Woman with fire in her eyes. “What the hell is going on here? You can’t just go around killing people, and—eep!”
Her protest was cut short as Superman trapped her in a bubble of yellow light. She pounded against the energy construct with her fists, managing to create a few cracks, but it was too late. Superman flung her backward through the portal with a flick of his wrist.
As she disappeared, Superman’s eyes glowed red, and he fired a concentrated blast of heat vision at the portal machine. The room filled with the sound of metal screeching and melting as the device was destroyed before everyone’s eyes.
Batman grimaced, his jaw tightening. Without Mr. Terrific, recreating that portal would be nearly impossible. Their last hope was gone. For a brief moment, he felt the weight of despair pressing down on him, but he refused to let it show. He straightened his back and clenched his fists. He was Batman. He would never stop fighting as long as he was alive.
A voice called out above them, breaking the tense silence. “That wasn’t very nice.” All eyes turned upward as Titus flew down, flanked by Power Girl and Raven. Batman’s sharp gaze immediately noticed the unconscious form slung over Titus’s shoulder. His son, Damien. Titus landed with a thud and unceremoniously dumped Damien onto the floor. “You all lost this.”
– Supergirl –
As soon as Kara was flung back into the Watchtower, she zipped off down the hallways, moving at superspeed to find Batman. She found him in the command room with Martian Manhunter, both of them staring intently at the screens monitoring global events.
“Titus-is-in-another-world-with-an-evil-Superman-and-Wonder-Woman,-and-they-murdered-Mr. T,-and-they-were-about-to-murder-the-alternate-version-of-you-too!” Kara rambled, her words spilling out in a single breath.
Martian Manhunter blinked and tilted his head slightly. “…What?” he said after a pause.
Batman frowned deeply, his expression growing darker by the second. Without missing a beat, he moved to the command computer and began typing. “Watchtower to Diana, come in… Diana.”
After a moment, Diana’s face appeared on the screen. She was with Shayera and Grail, all of them in the middle of fighting a grotesque demon army. Black, acidic blood sprayed everywhere on screen as Diana sliced the head off a monstrous creature.
“I’m a little busy, Batman,” Diana said tersely, glancing back at the screen. “What do you need?”
“When were you going to inform us that your son got transported to another Earth?” Batman asked sharply.
Diana froze mid-swing, looking uncharacteristically sheepish. “Wow, nothing gets past you, does it?”
“Raaaaa! Die, you demonic bastards!” Shayera shouted as she smashed a creature’s head in with her mace. She turned to the screen, grinning. “You don’t have to worry, Batman! We’ve already got this covered! We’re doing a favor for John Constantine, taking out this army of demons that was sent after him. In return, he’ll open a magic portal so we can go and get Titus.”
Batman sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “And were you planning on informing the rest of the Justice League about this?”
Shayera avoided his gaze, focusing on bashing another demon instead of answering.
Supergirl pouted, crossing her arms. “I would have liked to know! I’ve been trying to get ahold of Titus for a week now! It looks like almost all the Justice League on that Earth turned evil for some reason! He could be fighting them right now, or maybe they captured him!”
Batman ignored her outburst and focused back on Diana. “Bring John Constantine to the Watchtower as soon as you finish up with… the army of demons,” he said flatly. “I owe Titus a favor for saving my son, so I will go as well.”
“Me too!” Supergirl declared, stepping forward with determination.
Diana nodded, slashing through another demon. “Fine. We’ll be there as soon as we’re done.” The screen blinked off, leaving the command room in tense silence.
Martian Manhunter finally spoke. “If the situation is as dire as Kara describes, we should prepare for the worst.”
Batman’s gaze hardened. “Agreed. Kara, stay here and make sure everything is ready for Constantine’s arrival. Manhunter, coordinate with the rest of the League. This is going to be messy.”
Kara nodded, her earlier frustration replaced by resolve. Whatever it took, she was going to help bring Titus back.
XXX
Comments
WhatAFungi
Love it! Can’t wait to see where it goes
Danciingbread
I’m hyped for the inevitable clash
