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The Titan 12
🕑 Added 2024-11-18 04:06:54 +0000 UTCChapter 12:
– Diana –
Diana woke up feeling deliciously sore all over, her body still tingling from the passionate night before. She stretched, letting out a small sigh as she reached for Titus, expecting to find him beside her. When her hand met nothing but cold sheets, she frowned and opened her eyes. The spot next to her was empty.
“Huh?” she muttered, a bit puzzled. Titus was usually there in the morning, even if he got up early. She slipped out of bed, the sheets falling away from her naked body as she crossed the room to her dresser. She grabbed a loose T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, slipping them on before making her way downstairs to the kitchen.
As she turned the corner, she was met with the sight of Grail, the daughter of Darkseid they had freed from mind control the night before. Grail was sitting at the kitchen table, a box of Pop-Tarts in front of her that looked almost empty. Crumbs were scattered around her as she chewed nonchalantly.
Diana raised an eyebrow, trying not to smile. “Good morning,” she said.
Grail looked up, her red eyes gleaming with mischief. “Morning. Not to judge, considering my dad is pure evil, but isn’t Titus your son?” She took another bite of her Pop-Tart and smirked. “You two were very loud last night…”
Heat rushed to Diana’s cheeks, and she bit her lip, looking away. “Things like that don’t really matter to gods,” she mumbled, feeling a rare wave of embarrassment. “I’m sorry if we kept you up.”
Grail chuckled, giving Diana a wink that only made her blush harder. “Oh no, I enjoyed it. Back on Apokolips, I’m treated like Daddy’s little murderous princess. I’m not allowed to touch anyone, boy or girl, unless it’s to strangle them.” She paused, smirking wider. “Touching myself while listening to you two was the highlight of my week. Can I watch next time?”
Diana blinked, trying to process the unexpected question. “Umm… I’ll think about it?” It was the best she could manage before quickly changing the subject. “Have you seen Titus this morning?”
Grail leaned back in her chair, popping the last bit of her Pop-Tart into her mouth. “The super stud? Nah, haven’t seen him at all.”
Diana frowned, the concern that had started in the bedroom growing. “I wonder where he went,” she said softly, more to herself than to Grail. Something felt off, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
– Titus –
I stared back at the Justice League, all of them looking at me in shock and surprise. They’d shown up way late to the party. If it weren’t for some cosmic coincidence that dropped me here, Jonathan Kent would probably be dead or getting shoved into some government cell right now.
“Whoa… he looks almost exactly like you, Superman,” Flash said, his eyes darting back and forth between me and the so-called Man of Steel like he was seeing double.
I scoffed. “Exactly” was pushing it. I hated being compared to Superman, especially considering he was a complete asshole. I was way more handsome and way cooler. My mom said so!
Superman took a few steps toward me, but then stopped, his eyes catching on something at his feet. He glanced down, and his face twisted with disgust. “Kryptonite bullets…” he muttered.
“Yeah, they stung a bit,” I said, shrugging like it was nothing. “But they don’t really affect me otherwise.”
Superman’s gaze snapped up to meet mine, and his eyes were all business. “Who are you?”
Before I could respond, Wonder Woman stepped in, voice steady. “Kal-El, we can figure that out later. Right now, your family’s farm is still surrounded by soldiers.”
I looked over at her and had to keep my expression cool. She looked so much like my mom. It was eerie, honestly, like looking at a clone, except this Diana had a few scars that stood out even in the morning light. I knew my mom would explain that as a point of Amazonian pride—scars were a mark of honor in their warrior culture, something they’d choose to keep even when they could be erased with the Purple Healing Ray.
Wonder Woman’s gaze lingered on me a second longer, curiosity clear in her expression. Then she turned with the rest of the League, their attention snapping back to the soldiers and tanks that had so confidently surrounded the farm.
“You dare come after my father!” Superman’s voice boomed, laced with fury that shook the air around us. The guy looked like he was about to go ballistic.
I saw a wave fear flash through the ranks of soldiers. I could hear them whispering and panicking. They all thought they were going to die.
Did Superman actually kill people here? That was a huge difference from my “DNA donor,” who was always worried about “justice” and “restraint.” It was… weird. I wasn’t going to interfere though. They had just tried to kill me and Jonathan for no reason.
Cyborg stepped forward, his glowing eye glancing at Superman. “What do you want to do?” he asked, waiting for orders.
Superman’s glare stayed fixed on the soldiers. “We won’t kill them, but I want them all captured and properly interrogated later. I want to know who was behind this!”
“Understood.” Cyborg’s metal arm shifted and transformed into a cannon, aimed straight at the nearest tank. As soon as he fired, the soldiers panicked, scrambling back as the tank’s weapon was disabled in a single shot.
Wonder Woman and Flash wasted no time. Flash shot forward, taking out soldiers with super-speed chops, each hit dropping another one. Wonder Woman, though? She didn’t hold back. She slammed soldiers into the ground and each other, her movements precise but brutal. I could practically feel the ground shaking with every hit she landed.
Green Lantern was the last to join in, flying above us as he used his power ring to create a series of non-lethal weapons—stun blasts, nets, shields—all aimed at restraining the soldiers without killing them.
I stood there in complete awe. Watching the Justice League do battle with the U.S. Army? Pretty fucking awesome, honestly. These soldiers didn’t stand a chance.
I kept an eye out, watching for any stray bullets that might head towards the farmhouse. Superman looked like he was doing the same thing, though he was forced to stay back, keeping his distance from the kryptonite bullets scattered near me.
When the dust settled, the last soldier was restrained, either knocked out or tangled up in Green Lantern’s constructs. Superman finally turned his gaze back to me, his expression unreadable.
“We need to talk. Now,” he said, his voice hard and uncompromising.
I scoffed, crossing my arms as I stared at Superman. “I don’t have to say shit to you.”
Superman’s eyes widened, like he couldn’t believe I had the balls to talk to him like that. “Are you sure you want to play it like that, son?” he said, the challenge clear in his voice. But that one word made my blood boil.
“Don’t call me son!” I spat, stepping forward. “And if you want to throw down, I’m game. I don’t mind teaching you a lesson or three, old man.” I cracked my knuckles, letting him know I wasn’t bluffing.
The air thickened with tension. It was like the world stopped, and all eyes were on us. The Justice League, who had just finished rounding up the last of the soldiers, came back over, only to see me and Superman locked in a silent, intense stare down. They all exchanged nervous looks with each other.
Before anything could happen, the door to the farmhouse swung open with a loud creak. Jonathan Kent rushed out, his eyes lighting up when he saw Superman. “Clark!” he called, running over and wrapping his arms around his son. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
The moment broke whatever fight was about to go down. Superman’s hard expression softened, and he let out a sigh, returning his father’s hug. “I’m glad you’re okay too, Dad,” he said, a hint of relief in his voice.
Jonathan turned and looked at me, then back at Superman. “I have my grandson Titus to thank for that,” he said, gesturing at me with a proud smile.
“Grandson?” Superman repeated, the shock clear in his eyes. He turned to look at me, searching my face for answers.
Wonder Woman gasped, her eyes widening. “No wonder he looks so much like you, Kal-El.”
“Is he from the future? Because, trust me, time travel never ends well,” Flash said somberly.
Cyborg stepped forward, his arm already shifting into some kind of scanner. “I can check him for tachyons to be sure,” he said, moving to point the scanner at me.
My eyes flared red, the heat vision just barely held back. “Back off,” I warned. “I don’t need another dude ‘scanning’ me.”
Flash and Green Lantern snickered.
Jonathan stepped in before things could escalate. “No, he’s not from the future,” he said. “Titus is from another dimension… one where… everything bad never happened…”
– Injustice Superman –
Superman stood in the kitchen of the old farmhouse, his eyes moving between his father, Jonathan, and Diana. The morning light filtered through the curtains, highlighting the worn edges of the room that had been his childhood home. He couldn’t shake the disbelief he felt. He had a son. A son from another dimension, sure, but still a son.
Outside, through the window, Superman could see Titus with the other members of the League. They were securing the army soldiers and ensuring the area was safe.
“He’s really my son?” Superman asked.
Jonathan shrugged. “Pretty sure he is. That’s what he said, anyway. I did get the feeling that he and his version of you don’t exactly get along… on account of him being an accident or something.” Jonathan’s eyes softened as he added, “But he did say he gets along real well with his mother.”
Superman frowned. The idea of being distant from his own child didn’t sit well with him. “That doesn’t sound like me.”
Diana patted his arm. “It’s not you, Clark. It’s another Superman from another Earth… who just happens to look exactly like you and probably has your powers too.”
That didn’t make Superman feel any better. The thought of another version of himself failing as a father made him uneasy. “Who is his mother?” he asked, looking at Jonathan for answers.
Jonathan didn’t say anything, just smirked and turned to Diana.
“Me!?” Diana pointed at herself, eyes wide with surprise. After a second, a smile spread across her face. “Wow…” She blushed as she glanced at Superman.
Superman didn’t know what to do with that information. Sure, he and Diana had found comfort in each other over the past months, especially after he lost Lois and their unborn child, but the idea of having a family with her hadn’t crossed his mind. It felt too soon, too complicated.
“What should we do with him?” Superman wondered out loud, trying to push down the knot of emotion in his chest.
Diana smiled, a glimmer of excitement in her eyes. “We should get to know him, of course! We can’t keep him in our dimension forever, that wouldn’t be fair to his version of me. But for now, he won’t be going anywhere so it should be fine. He’s obviously been well-trained by the other me. He didn’t back down in front of you at all,” she said proudly.
Superman raised an eyebrow. “How is him not backing down in front of me a good thing?”
“It means he is proud and strong,” Diana said, nodding her head. “He might even be stronger than you, considering kryptonite barely bothered him. That must be my amazing genes at work.” She looked smug as she crossed her arms.
Superman groaned and facepalmed. The morning was turning out to be far more complicated than he ever expected. Especially with the fact that the US government was now proving willing to oppose the regime. He was trying to show the world a better way, a more peaceful way under the leadership of himself and the Justice League and now they spat in his face and tried to harm his father… the last living family he had.
Well, the last living family he had from his own dimension now.
Superman's eyes flickered red for a second, and he wondered how he should repay this slight against him.
Should he completely level the pentagon, or maybe burn the entire White House to the ground…?
…He was probably going to have to put those thoughts away till tomorrow though, at least until they got things sorted with Titus. Superman wanted to find out more about Titus's Earth, was Metropolis still intact, was Lois still alive? At what point did he and Diana “hook up” and have an accidental kid…
– Titus –
“So…” Flash trailed off as we picked up bullet casings and tank shells scattered all over the farm. “The son of Superman, huh? What’s that like?”
“Wouldn’t really know,” I said, probably more coldly than I meant to. “My Superman never recognized me as his son.”
“Oof, sorry to hear that, kid.”
I nodded at him because he actually seemed sincere. Flash looked away for a second, scratching the back of his neck before speaking again. “I had issues with my dad for the longest time too. I thought he murdered my mom, and so did everyone else. He spent over a decade in prison. Even when I found out it was the Reverse-Flash who actually did it, I couldn’t get him out.”
“That sucks,” I said. “Why didn’t you just get a presidential pardon? Haven’t you saved the world a bunch of times? Asking for one man to be freed wouldn’t have been a big deal.”
Flash paused and stared at me, eyes wide with realization. “I’m a fucking idiot… Well, he’s out now, at least, now that the regime’s in charge.”
I raised an eyebrow at that. The regime? I let it go, filing it away to ask about later. “I’ve noticed that superheroes and supervillains tend to overthink things. Or maybe that’s just the impression I’m getting,” I said. “I haven’t been a member of the League for long.”
“You’re a member of the Justice League in your dimension?” Green Lantern—Hal Jordan—flew over and hovered beside us. He looked satisfied, probably because he’d just finished securing all the soldiers with glowing green ropes. “Is it any different from our League?”
“I have no idea,” I said, shaking my head. “I just woke up here like an hour and a half ago. Naked, in the middle of Jonathan Kent’s field, with a cow mooing at me. Was not ready for that, especially since I went to bed last night with a beautiful woman.”
Hal laughed and high-fived me. I smirked, feeling some of the tension ease. “Nice! Although, yeah, that’s pretty weird. It was obviously some kind of supervillain who sent you here,” Hal said, more serious now.
“You think so?” I asked, hoping he was wrong.
“Yes,” Cyborg said, walking over to join us. His mechanical eye glowed as he looked at me. “I just scanned you. You’re practically covered in foreign magic.”
I glared at him, feeling my eyes heat up. “What did I say about not wanting to be scanned by a dude!?”
Flash patted my arm. “Easy there, junior. He was just trying to help. At least you have a lead now. Did you fight any evil magic users recently?”
Green Lantern and Cyborg both leaned in, clearly curious.
I ran through my recent fights in my head. “No. The only magic user I fought was Hera, and she wasn’t anything to write home about. Most of her powers had been stolen. After that, I fought Firefly, the Joker, and then Grail. In that order.” I frowned, trying to make sense of it. Could it be the same people who had enslaved Grail? But why target me instead of going after her again?
“Whoa, whoa! Hold up!” Flash said, looking shocked. “You fought the Joker?”
“Yeah,” I said, not thinking it was a big deal. “I made him a permanent quadriplegic. He was too dangerous to let keep causing chaos. He’ll never be a threat again unless someone gives him intensive treatment, and I don’t see that happening. But if it does, next time I’ll just snap his neck.”
Hal let out a low whistle. “Well, looks like you’re a chip off the old block,” he said. “Superman killed the Joker here...”
I just shrugged at that. If anyone deserved it, it was that psychopath, and honestly, I wasn’t about to judge this world’s Superman for that.
“...”
Flash broke the silence after a few seconds. “So, who’s Grail? I’ve never heard of her.”
I smirked, figuring I’d give them the rundown. “Oh, she’s Darkseid’s daughter,” I said. “And she’s also crazy hot, if you’re into Amazonian goth girls.”
Flash choked, his eyes going wide. “Darkseid’s daughter!? He has a kid!?” He slapped his hand against his forehead. “Oh my god, I do not need the image of him having sex in my head. And now it won’t leave!” He smacked his forehead a few more times like he could shake the mental image away.
I laughed, watching him make a complete show of it. “Yeah, not what you expect, right?” I explained how Darkseid had sent Grail to conquer Earth “in his name,” but in reality, he’d sold her out, and she’d ended up a slave to whoever had captured her. “Now that I think about it,” I said, pausing, “those people probably sent her to kill me. And when she couldn’t beat me, they decided to get rid of me instead, by sending me here.”
The obvious answer was right in front of me the entire time.
Cyborg cut in. “Whether or not Darkseid’s daughter is attractive doesn’t matter. The fact that you’re so casually talking about her is a bit disturbing…”
I shrugged. “You only say that because you don’t have a dick. Or did you give yourself a cyber-dick replacement?”
Cyborg looked genuinely annoyed as he glared at me. “Of course I didn’t!”
“Huh? Why not?” I asked, actually curious. That would have been the first thing I’d done if I ended up losing mine but gained weird technology morphing powers instead…
“Wait a minute!” Flash said, his eyes lighting up like he’d just put two and two together. He turned to me with an expression that bordered on awe. “You said you were in bed with a woman before you woke up on our Earth.”
Hal stepped in, eyebrows raised. “Dude… did you bang Darkseid’s daughter?” He looked torn between horror and some weird kind of admiration.
I scoffed, crossing my arms. “No, she wasn’t the one I was in bed with. But if she offered, I wouldn’t have turned her down. Trust me, if any of you saw her, you wouldn’t say no either.”
Flash looked like he was trying to wrap his head around that. “I’ll just have to take your word for it,” he said, shaking his head with a mix of disbelief and amusement.
I couldn’t help but smirk. Flash was fun. I made a mental note to get to know my own version of him better when I made it back home. And I would make it back. There was no doubt about that.
We chatted for a few more minutes. Most of it was Cyborg, who was clearly paranoid, grilling me for more details about Grail and her powers. I gave him just enough information to keep him satisfied. Meanwhile, I kept my ears tuned in. Superman and Wonder Woman were still talking inside the farmhouse. I had already heard most of their conversation, and I knew they’d probably heard what we were discussing too. Privacy wasn’t exactly easy when half of us had super senses.
The farmhouse door creaked as Superman and Diana stepped outside. Diana caught my eye and gave me a playful smirk, which made me grin back. Superman, on the other hand, looked at me and shook his head like he was exasperated.
That was new. I wasn’t used to seeing him react like that. My own Superman only ever looked at me with cold, condescending disdain, like he wished I didn’t exist.
“Huh,” I muttered to myself, feeling a mix of confusion and something that felt oddly close to relief. Maybe this Superman wasn’t as bad as the one I knew. Or maybe he just hadn’t made up his mind about me yet.
Superman declared that we were all heading back to the Watchtower. That included Jonathan Kent, since it was clear the farm was no longer safe for him. Jonathan’s face fell, and he took one last look at the house and the fields around it. I could tell it hurt him to leave, but there wasn’t another option right now.
I watched as Wonder Woman stepped over and placed a hand on Jonathan’s shoulder. “We’ll make sure you’re safe, Jonathan,” she said. He nodded, but his eyes were filled with a quiet sadness.
I couldn’t help but wonder what had happened that made the army so bold, so reckless as to attack Superman’s home. Jonathan had told me about Metropolis being destroyed and Lois dying. And I knew now that Superman had killed the Joker. But what happened after that? What had pushed the world to the point where the Justice League and the U.S. government were on opposite sides?
As Superman spoke with Hal and Cyborg, making sure everything was in order before we left, I noticed Diana walking over to me. She gave me a quick smile. “It’s very nice to meet you, Titus. You handled yourself well today. Thank you for saving…your grandfather.”
“Thanks,” I said, glancing at the soldiers still tied up with glowing green constructs. “Though I feel like I’m missing a lot of the bigger picture.”
She nodded. “You are. But you’ll find out soon enough...”
XXX
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Kiyomi Hyuga
Tftc
