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The Titan 11
🕑 Added 2024-11-14 01:16:39 +0000 UTCChapter 11:
– Lex –
“Well, that didn’t turn out as we planned,” Lex Luthor said, leaning back in his chair in the Light’s meeting room. The room was dimly lit, filled with the most powerful villains and villainesses from around the world, each one looking more irritable than the last.
“That didn’t go as YOU planned,” Queen Bee corrected him sharply “It was your idea to send our greatest weapon after Titan without knowing his full capabilities. Frankly, he’s even more powerful than I was expecting.”
Klarion, the chaos god, chuckled loudly, the sound grating on Lex’s nerves. “I don't think even Super Dickhead and Wonder Tits could have beaten Darkseid’s little girl that easily.” His crass nicknames were as irritating as ever. Lex clenched his jaw, wondering why Klarion never seemed to take anything seriously.
Vandal Savage’s expression was dark, his eyes moving from one member of the Light to the other. His silence was unsettling, making everyone shift uneasily in their seats. When he finally spoke, it was with a controlled, dangerous calm. “Darkseid will not be pleased we lost control of his daughter.”
“Why did he give her to you in the first place, Savage?” Black Manta’s voice was deep and sharp, cutting through the tension.
Vandal Savage’s eyes flicked to Manta but he wasn’t the first to answer.
“Because he was afraid of her power. Grail has the potential to surpass him, just as Titan has probably already surpassed Superman,” Lex interjected.
Savage nodded slowly. “Yes, but that information stays amongst us only! If there's one thing Darkseid hates, it's people doubting him or thinking him weak. He has more ears on this planet than any of you know, and he does not tolerate whispers against him.” Lex understood the message. They would probably be killed horrifically if they spoke of this outside of this warded and protected room.
Black Manta’s helmet tilted as if he were thinking. “We need to get Grail back under our control and out from under the heroes’ protection.”
Queen Bee scoffed mockingly. “Like that will ever happen. She's probably having too much fun writing Titan's dick as we speak. I know I would be. Have you seen his sexy ass? There’s no way she’ll give that up to come back and be our little slave weapon. If she returns, it’ll be to rip off all our heads, and most of us can't grow new ones right back.” She glared at Klarion and Savage.
Klarion smirked, leaning back in his chair. “Heh, sucks to suck, bitch,” he said.
Queen Vee looked seconds away from strangling him.
Lex held up a hand to stop a fight from breaking out. “Queen Bee does have a point, Klarion. If she manages to sway Titan to her side—together they would be unstoppable. We need to separate them immediately.”
Klarion rolled his eyes dramatically. “Fine, fine. It’s always up to me to pull some crazy magic out of my ass to save you all,” he muttered, scratching his orange cat. His smirk faltered, and a serious look crossed his face. “Lucky for you, I have the perfect plan. I’ll just make Titan disappear by sending him to another universe.”
Lex’s eyes widened, and the room fell silent. “If we could do that, why haven’t we used it to get rid of all of our enemies that way?” he asked, suspicion creeping into his voice.
Klarion’s face twitched, and for a moment, he looked almost vulnerable. Vandal Savage stepped in to answer. “Because it severely weakens Klarion to reach out to a universe unconnected to his chaos magic. It’s a spell that can only be used once every hundred years, at minimum. I would rather we not use this plan just yet. There are other options to consider before—”
A surge of power ripped through their room, and even Lex, who wasn't magically sensitive at all, felt that something had occurred.
“Too late! I already did it!” Klarion interrupted, a twisted grin on his face that faltered as his body slumped forward, visibly drained. His cat meowed pitifully, looking sick and tired. “I solved our problem for us, you are all welcome…”
“Dammit, Klarion!” Vandal Savage’s voice cut through the room. “I wanted you to wait before taking such a drastic action!”
Lex sighed, rubbing his temples. Ever since Titan had come onto the scene, everything had gone wrong for The Light. He didn’t know why, but deep down, he felt that even sending Titan to another universe wouldn’t be enough to stop the son of Superman and Wonder Woman for long. The thought made him uneasy, but all he could do now was wait and see how this played out.
– Titus –
The sun was shining right in my eyes, waking me up way earlier than I wanted. Something felt off. The bed was wrong, too hard and uneven, and Diana wasn’t curled up next to me like she had been the night before. I rubbed my eyes, trying to figure out what was happening.
“Moooo!”
I sat up fast, my heart racing. “What the hell?” I muttered.
A cow stood right in front of me, its big eyes staring at me like I was the weird one here. I blinked a few times, even my super eyes needed some time adjusting as I took in my surroundings. That’s just how weird the scene was in front of me. I wasn’t in Diana’s bedroom. Not even close. I was outside for some reason.
I was on a farm…
I had never been on a farm before. It smelled worse than I thought it would, the earthy scent mixed with animal stink making my nose wrinkle.
“Mooo!” The cow pressed its nose against my arm.
“Good girl?” I said while giving it a few pats. It seemed satisfied with those and walked away to graze.
I sighed, glancing down at myself. I was completely naked. That meant either someone had snatched me straight out of my bed, or I was somehow sleep-flying, which would be a new and concerning development for me. Was that even a thing with Kryptonians?
“You alright there, guy?” An older man in overalls approached, squinting at me with a mix of confusion and concern. When he got close enough to see me clearly, his eyes widened. “Clark?”
“Clark?” I repeated. “Ah, I think you’re mistaking me for... my father,” I said, the words leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.
The man’s mouth dropped open in shock. “Father!? But after Lois and Metropolis... no, never mind,” he cut himself off, shaking his head like he was clearing away some heavy memories. “Weird stuff like this used to happen all the time. You look just like my son. Are you from the future? And why are you naked?”
“Your son?” I paused, studying the man’s face. “Wait, are you Jonathan Kent!?” I’d never met him in person, but I knew enough about him to recognize the name.
Jonathan’s serious expression softened into a small smile. “Yeah, that’s me. Welcome to Smallville, kid.” He looked me up and down and chuckled. “Now, are you going to tell me why you’re naked, or should I be worried?”
I scratched my cheek, trying not to feel embarrassed. “My name is Titus, and I’m with the Justice League. As for the naked part... I was in bed with someone last night, and then I suddenly woke up here.”
Jonathan laughed. “In bed with someone and then woke up outside? Oh, I remember those days…” he said, eyes twinkling with nostalgia. “Martha and I used to get up to all kinds of shenanigans before Clark dropped out of the sky and into our lives.”
“Used to?” I frowned. “Is Martha not around anymore?” I felt like I would have known if she had passed. It would have been a big deal and everyone would have been talking about it in the League.
Jonathan’s smile faded, and he looked down for a moment. “She passed away three years ago from cancer. She’s in a better place now.”
I felt my stomach drop. That didn’t sound right. “That can’t be right. Martha is still alive. I’m sure she is because Diana mentioned her recently,” I said, my mind racing to make sense of it.
Jonathan’s eyes narrowed as he studied me. “So you’re not from the future, then? Huh, you must be from another dimension or universe or something.”
Other dimension or universe? I stared at him. “You don’t seem overly shocked or concerned about all this...”
He shrugged, a small smile appearing again. “I’m an old man who raised an alien as my son. Trust me, grandson, I’ve seen it all at this point. Why don’t we get you some clothes and talk about all this over breakfast?”
…We were sitting at the breakfast table, and I was dressed in some of Clark's old farm clothes. They fit well enough, but weren't really my style. Then again when you wake up naked in the middle of nowhere, you take what you can get…
“So you really have no idea who I am…?” I asked while taking a bite of a home cooked pancake. The whole breakfast was pretty damn good, especially with all the fresh farm products that went into it.
Jonathan Kent shook his head slowly, looking genuinely puzzled. “I’ve never heard of you, son, or any hero going by the name Titan.” He paused, scratching his chin. “There was something called the Teen Titans… but they disbanded years ago. A tragedy happened. Most of the team didn’t survive, and the ones who did… well, let’s just say they weren’t in any shape to keep fighting.”
I wondered what tragedy he was talking about.
“So, tell me about your Earth,” he said. “Who’s your mother?”
I straightened up a little, a hint of pride seeping into my voice. “My mom’s Diana. Wonder Woman!” As for describing my Earth, “Honestly, I’m not sure what makes it different from this one.”
Jonathan nodded, his face thoughtful, but he seemed to accept it. Then, with a frown, he asked, “What’s the Joker like on your Earth?”
That was… an odd question, but I shrugged. “He’s a complete and total asshole. No remorse. Completely sadistic,” I said, shaking my head. Then I smirked. “Actually, I ended up facing off with him yesterday. I left him a quadriplegic, crippled for life.”
Jonathan’s eyes widened. “Really? …And Batman let you get away with that?”
I shrugged. “The Joker had kidnapped Robin and tortured him for weeks. By the time I got there, Batman was out of mercy.”
Jonathan let out a long, weary sigh, though I caught the faintest glimmer of relief in his eyes. “Well, if Joker’s no longer a problem in your world, then maybe things’ll turn out better for you than they did here.”
Something in his tone made me tense. “What happened?”
Jonathan’s face fell, and he spoke slowly. “...A couple of months ago, the Joker set off a nuclear bomb in Metropolis. He wiped out the whole city. Tens of millions died, and the economic fallout nearly crippled the country. But that wasn’t the worst of it.”
“What could possibly be worse than that?” I asked, barely able to get the words out. That sounded horrible!
Jonathan’s voice cracked as he continued. “My grandson… Clark’s wife, Lois Lane, was killed. She was pregnant with his son.” He stopped, pain in his eyes as he relived that moment. “It broke Clark. I don’t think he’s ever going to be the same.”
My mind spun. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Superman was a dickhead, but I would never wish that on him. Losing his family like that, his unborn son… my half-brother. The thought hit me hard, and I couldn’t shake the sudden ache in my chest. “I’m really sorry to hear that,” I said quietly.
Jonathan looked at me with a soft, grateful smile. “Thanks, son. It’s been rough on everyone. Clark’s been… well, he still stops by the farm every other day, even if it’s only for a few minutes. I think it keeps him grounded, you know?” He paused, studying me again. “Wonder Woman, huh? I never really saw her with Clark. Not that I’m judging, just… they never seemed like they’d end up together.”
I chuckled, shaking off some of the heaviness. “I was an accident, honestly.” That was putting it lightly, but Jonathan didn’t need the details.
Jonathan chuckled, his face lightening up. “Ah, that makes sense.” He chuckled again, and I couldn’t help but laugh with him. Jonathan and I sat at the table, finishing off the last bits of breakfast. The eggs were a little runny, and the bacon was crisp, just the way I liked it. The room felt oddly warm, and for a moment, I let myself enjoy the normalcy of it.
Jonathan looked up from his plate and smiled at me. “You know, I noticed you didn’t recognize me right away when we met out in the field.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “Yeah, about that… Me and Superman don’t exactly get along,” I said, my voice trailing off as I thought about it. “It’s because, well, I’m an accident of sorts. Like I mentioned before.”
Jonathan’s brows furrowed, and he took a sip of his coffee. “That doesn’t sound like the Clark I know. But then again, you’re from a different Earth, so there are bound to be some differences.” He paused and gave me a thoughtful look. “If Martha and I were still alive on your Earth, I like to think we’d be more than happy to get to know you. If they were anything like me and my Martha, you’d have a place with us.”
I nodded, a tight feeling in my chest. I’d thought about that before, especially after getting to know Hippolyta on Diana’s side of the family. But I didn’t want to give Superman any more reasons to freak out. It was complicated enough as it was.
Suddenly, something felt wrong. I glanced down at my cup of coffee. The liquid inside started to move back and forth with tiny ripples. A second later, I felt a tremor under my feet.
Jonathan stood up, his chair scraping against the floor. He looked worried. “An earthquake?” he asked, eyes darting around as the house creaked.
“No,” I said, focusing on the distant noises with my super hearing. It wasn’t an earthquake. I turned to the wall, my eyes narrowing as I activated my X-ray vision. An entire military convoy was moving towards the Kent farm, tanks and armored vehicles all in a long line. “What the hell?” I muttered.
Jonathan let out a soft chuckle despite the situation. “Language, son,” he said. “What do you see?”
“It's the freaking Army? Are they here for me?” Was it because I was an interdimensional visitor or something? How did they even find out that fast?
Jonathan’s face darkened, and he shook his head, looking both resigned and sad. “No, grandson. They’re not here for you. They’re here for me. They probably want to capture me to use against Clark.”
“What…?”
Jonathan didn’t say anything else, just looked at me with that same sad, calm expression. Before I could ask what he was thinking, I heard the convoy pull up outside. My ears picked up the sound of scared animals in the barn, panicking as tanks and military jeeps surrounded the property.
Then came the voice over a megaphone. “Jonathan Kent! Surrender yourself immediately to the United States government!”
Jonathan started to move towards the door, his face resigned, but I stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I’ll handle this,” I said. There was no way I was letting this guy walk out there to face a bunch of tanks alone. Why the hell was the army even here, trying to take down a widowed farmer who’d done nothing but mind his own business?
I pushed open the front door and stepped outside, my feet crunching on the gravel as I looked over the line of soldiers and tanks. They were everywhere, weapons pointed at me and the house. The second I came into view, I could hear the panic ripple through them.
“It’s Superman!” someone yelled. The murmurs of shock and fear spread like wildfire through the ranks.
Then the commander’s voice boomed over the megaphone again. “Open fire!”
The soldiers didn’t hesitate. They unleashed hell on me and the Kent farmhouse. Time seemed to slow down as bullets and tank rounds filled the air, tens of thousands of rounds aimed right at us. I pushed my super speed to the absolute limit, moving faster than a blur. I didn’t have time to think, just to act. I threw myself in front of the bullets, blocking every single one with my body, shielding the house and Jonathan from the onslaught. I reached out mid-air, catching tank shells before they could hit anything. Some of the bullets I grabbed were glowing with green kryptonite. They stung a tiny bit, but that was it.
The barrage felt like it went on forever. My senses were dialed up to the max, every stray bullet, every shell accounted for. A single shot getting past me could kill Jonathan, and I wasn’t going to let that happen. I stayed on high alert until the last bullet was fired, and the soldiers began to reload.
As the smoke cleared, I dropped the bullets and shells I’d caught onto the ground in front of me. I felt my eyes burning, and I didn’t bother holding back the fury in my voice. “What the fuck was all that about?” I yelled, my voice carrying across the field.
The soldiers froze, staring at me like they were looking death in the face. Some of them started muttering, fear clear in their voices. “He’s gonna kill us… Superman’s gonna kill us all.”
One soldier stared at me in horror. “The kryptonite rounds didn’t work… what are we supposed to do?”
“I'd like to know what's going on here as well!” A voice boomed from above Titus. A voice I recognized.
Superman–this Earth's Superman–came flying down from the sky and landed directly in-between me and the army who had just tried and failed to kill me.
He wasn't alone either. A few seconds later, Wonder Woman flew down and landed next to him along with Green Lantern. The Flash appeared in a red blur and a Boom tube portal manifested as well as Cyborg arrived next. All of the heroes did a double take when they saw me standing in front of the unharmed farmhouse, surrounded by the pile of bullets I’d blocked.
XXX
Comments
Rapthorn2ndform
Yeah, its the kind of baggage you need to deal with when being a comic fan. Its like how in 'one more day' Dr Stange sends Peter to EVERYONE in the world and nobody can cure Aunt May's deadly disease of... bullet wound. Not T'challa, not Dr Doom, not Mr Fantastic. The answer is 'because the story says so', sometimes it's hidden better but...
Ototsu_Yume
True, and even better than that is two Starfire and Supergirls too. xD
Chase Garcia
well this will be interesting
RackOfLife
You can't leave us hanging like this I want to see what happens next 😭
Meruem Astro
Is raven alive in this timeline?, because the only thing bether than raven in dc is 2 x raven
Dave Steele
Wow an Injustice episode, really early in the timeline too. It’s a shame since it would’ve been pretty funny if Justiciar Superman proved to be a better father figure than YJ Supes.
Erick Myrthil
Never understood injustice. There are tons of ways that Superman could have resurrected Lois and metropolis that didn't involve going back in time.
