Chapter 103: Fourth
I heard the low booming sounds coming from afar and I could tell that the others were still dealing with Trigon. With telekinesis, I lifted Cumber's unconscious body and headed toward their battlefield. As I was approaching I could already see Kara's heat vision swiftly blaze through the sky and then into the ground with an arc, cutting into the hellish landscape.
Although they weren't cutting through the stones and rubble like a hot knife through butter, they left a melted trace through the ground. It was a testament to the training she had undergone through the last couple of months.
I had given her some pointers on how to train and exert her force with every punch and kick. A bit of martial arts and ki training and she was already considerable enough to not be threatened by anyone from our universe. I would even go so far as to say that she might be stronger than almost any Justice League member I had come across.
It was impressive if one considered that I had witnessed the power of four different versions of the Justice League, 5 if one considered the other timeline as well. Although I would like to claim most of the fame for her increase in strength, she had grown tenacious mostly on her own and used sunbathing for a quick healing factor and an increase in power. Sunbathing was her Zenkai so to say.
Until now she hadn't really dipped into the sun since we had realized that too much sun wasn't too healthy for her, but it seemed the more she did it, the longer and more often she could stay near or even inside the sun. With the ki training, she even seemed to be able to suck in a bit of the sun's energy, making her absorption rate a lot more efficient. Perhaps she would be able to drain an entire sun's power with a single thought in the future.
Diana and Maxima had evidently grown stronger as well, I noted as I watched them slash at Trigon before dodging his retaliation. As far as I knew after Diana was able to sense her divine blessings through our ki training she had sought the gods out for something, though she hadn't told me much more about it. However, whatever she had been up to gave her a considerable boost in power.
Maxima's increase in power wasn't as exaggerated as Diana's, Raven's, or Kara's. Perhaps I had truly neglected her. Like Felicia, I had barely any training sessions with her lately and to be honest I kind of missed them. Unfortunately, nowadays even if we had one now, it wouldn't be as beneficial for me as it would be for her. In the beginning, she had been my go-to training partner, well at least in my timeline and not in the one where I had grown soft.
Felicia was stronger as well, but it was mostly the tools she used. Her teleportation device acted as a short-distance blink, her claws made out of nth metal cut even through Trigon's magically enhanced flesh as did her whip, which seemed to have little razor's along the whip. They must be made out of or at least laced with nth metal. Wait, since when did she use a whip? Did she hang out with Catwoman too much?
Just as I mused and watched the battle, new godly additions arrived. At first, I feared that Trigon had more backup, but then realized that it was our support. Hawkgirl, the furies, and Green Goblin- no, wait- Steppenwolf came out of a boom box-made portal and started attacking and cornering Trigon.
I hovered in the air and watched the scene unfold in front of me and I couldn't help but scratch my head at the sight. Wasn't this too much? They were jumping him with 12 people and I could almost hear someone say, 'Fight back!' as they trashed him. Kara, Raven, and Diana dealt the most damage and were the ones Trigon needed to pay most of his attention to.
A giant demon surrounded by beautiful women - and Steppenwolf I guess - only to be slowly chipped away. Honestly, it was quite an accomplishment for him to hold on for this long especially after I had delivered multiple 'fatal' shots and Raven absorbing a bunch of his energy, but he wasn't going to last for long. I could feel it, how his life force moved. Some of his life force was being pulled away right now and he was about to slip away. Seeing his imminent escape I rose my fist, and pulled my arm back, causing all the light and energy of this realm to dim as I roused my aura.
It was like existence tried to hide away from my aura. It just couldn't resist its power and cowered at its mere sight. The space around my fist seemed to converge into it by the weight my strength produced as I clenched my muscles and ki. After I punched out the force didn't travel through space or time, it just manifested into Trigon's escape path.
His life force about to disappear and displace in space suddenly found the reality around it to be shattered, leaving behind the pure energy released by my fist. The space was filled with my aura, leaving him without any place to influence his power. He was unable to escape for a short moment until my aura dissipated.
I had to be a bit careful since the others were surrounding and assaulting him, but I was able to succeed in the end. His face changed into a furious grimace as he noticed what happened. He shot me a baleful glare, but he had no power here anymore. Of course, I could only slow down the dissipation for a bit but not forever.
However, the effect was clear as it could be. As long as I was here, I could cut off his escape route. Obviously, this was only possible because his technique was displacing his life force. If he was able to hide it he could play his tricks without me noticing. And it seemed like that was how he was going about it.
As soon as I cut off his escape route, he made ways to obscure his life force, hiding away from my senses. He was a powerful ancient demon and coupled with the fact that he had some contact with Cumber and our previous encounters, it didn't take a single way to circumvent my senses. His life force vanished despite the fact that he was still in front of me. Although he wasn't powerful, he certainly had some tricks up his sleeve.
I was about to punch a hole through him when his body was suddenly enveloped in a black cocoon. One could see him struggle against the sudden boundaries as the black cocoon shrunk and dragged him into Raven's claw. In the end, it happened almost too quickly, leaving me a bit stunned.
Weren't they struggling beforehand? What was this sudden change? "Hey, are you guys good?" I asked, making their gazes snap toward me. They quickly relaxed, when they realized that I was the one that called out. I slowly levitated to the ground, near Raven, and glanced at her and the black-reddish claw that enveloped her hand. It had a mean glow to it and the intensity and danger it radiated was elevated to another level.
"Looks like you have more than enough energy to digest for the rest of the year," I noted. It wasn't just Trigon she had absorbed into it, but a large part of hell from another universe. Of course, that universe was a bit lacking compared to others, but every little bit counted.
Coupled with that demon zen mode she had just activated at the beginning of the fight, she had jumped several degrees of power to be able to snuff out her father like this. It would be ridiculous for outsiders to hear about such a feat, but I knew Raven had always been depicted as a top dog if she let loose.
And this wouldn't be the first time in the DC reality that she was able to contend with her father. Now with all her training and power she was absorbing, I would be concerned if she had lost, especially with that lineup backing her.
To my surprise, she shook her head at my comment. "There is still some part of him alive. I can feel it. Like the cockroach he is, there is some part of him hidden, waiting for an opportunity to come back." Her demonic voice made her growl... it was really attractive. It kind of tingled my funny bone just the right way.
"Sheesh, calm your tits," I said with a smile. "Amass your power, make it yours, and then whoop his ass with full powers." She glanced at me as she cocked her eyebrow before licking her lips as if she was looking at a piece of meat.
"Don't worry. It's just the Trigon of our universe...then your ass is mine!" She declared with determination and eagerness. A shiver ran down my spine. She wasn't thinking about pegging me, right?? I like my dommy mommies like any other guy, but that was two steps too far!
Of course, I didn't show a change in my expression. Unfortunately, she didn't need expressions to read me. She smirked again. "Yeah, don't worry cute little head of yours. We will have a lot of fun." After her announcement she opened her mouth and let her tongue dance gracefully and skillfully, making me imagine how she could make me feel with that tongue of hers. Though she was a bit more aggressive and showy.
"Demon Raven?" I asked realizing that I wasn't talking to my Raven. Well, they were the same person, but also not. "Thought you two had fused?"
"Yeah about that~ Too much demonic energy lately, so Raven manifested me, it's easier to have me take over most of that power and let good ol' Raven have the pure converted magic." She smoothly slid over the ground and hugged my arm, provokingly putting it between her breasts.
Sadly, I couldn't pay attention to her enticing acts as the others were already approaching us. I guarded Raven slightly as I welcomed Kara's speeding form into a hug. She was embracing me strongly which would have snapped most beings in two and even made me groan slightly. Raven got the sign and took a step to the side as the others started to surround me and Kara.
I rubbed her head as she continued to strongly clutch me as if I would disappear the second she didn't hold onto me. We didn't say anything and just hugged it out. After a minute or so, she let go, clearly knowing that there were others waiting for their turn. Although I didn't feel good about them worrying for me, it felt good to know there were people that cared for me as they did.
She floated slightly, allowing me to give her a kiss, causing her face to shine brightly as a smile donned her face. Afterward, Diana approached me with a confident stride and hugged me. The firm hold let me know that she was glad to confirm I was fine. Her hair smelt fresh as if she had just come from the ocean, making me realize that she must have come from Themyscira.
"How are your people?" I asked as she let go of her hug. Her hand brushed over my cheek while giving me an amused chuckle.
"Many are still furious hearing about me being with you, though it is mostly jealousy when I talk about your biggest 'perks', but at least my mother has slowly accepted you as her son-in-law."
I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that. I wouldn't have dreamed of Diana's mother, Hippolyta to say anything good about a man, especially since I had 'seduced' her daughter.
"I was quite convincing. After all, I had a second try." Previous timeline the reveal had almost caused her to be banished a second time despite having saved the island.
It wasn't like I could just never meet them, but I would just let her soften them up for me. Although I didn't fear them or need them to like me, it was better to have a future family dynamic where they didn't want my head on a spike. Makes Christmas much more handleable- though they probably don't celebrate Christmas.
After giving her a kiss too, she stood next to Kara and Raven, which made it look like... I wasn't quite sure, but it seemed like they were part of the council of women like they had assumed a high status among-
Before I could finish the thought, Felicia jumped into my arms with her legs crossing behind my back as she kissed me. Her tongue instantly entered my mouth and made it seem like the kiss was the most delicious and pleasant thing known to man with the way she was moaning. After a good minute of making out, she let me go and joined the three that were silently watching the interaction happen.
I could see Kara's face twitch, clearly holding back a scowl, while Diana looked at us with undisguised amusement. Raven looked rather indifferently, but her eyes were scrutinizing my form like she was about to pounce and devour me. Now Felicia walked up to Kara before smirking at her only to approach Diana and Raven to pull them into a hug with a bright smile on her face.
Kara just narrowed her eyes, but the low red shimmering in her eyes made it clear how she felt. Her gaze softened when she noticed my look. After giving me a subtle thumbs-up I turned to the others that had come to our aid.
"Don't fucking dare to kiss me, you dork." Shayera rolled her eyes and pulled me into a mighty hug, lifting me up to the ground. "Good to see you well. I had long figured you would need my help to get you out of trouble, you little runt." She teased before putting me down again.
"Yeah, right. Didn't see you fighting Cumber here for me." I pointed at Cumber's unconscious form that I put down a bit further away.
"Hello, a big bad demon was there and you looked like you had it covered against the... wait is that a Saiyan?" She asked as she narrowed her eyes at Cumber's lying form. The tail sticking out behind him made it obvious that he was a Saiyan.
"Yep. The big and mean type. Stronger than most of my kind even among those that are still alive. In the end, I almost thought he was going to get even more powerful and surpass me. Fortunately, I was more hax than he was." I said with a smile, already missing our battle. However, since he was already this powerful now, after the beating I gave him, he would probably rise to another level.
"He is still alive." Hawkgirl pointed out still staring at his broken form and indeed found him to be breathing if barely. I just nodded at that. "You didn't kill him." She continued to state the obvious.
"That is why he is alive."
"Why? I mean, the others from the league would welcome the change, but that isn't really your... style, right?" She seemed hesitant to say this, but she couldn't be any more right about what she said. If it had been a few months prior, I would have ended him to prevent any future threats and I still believe that for most who were a threat, I would go this route.
However, I couldn't do the same to Cumber, he was after all-
"Is it because he is one of the few Saiyans left?" Maxima asked as she approached and patted my shoulder understandingly as if she had come to the right conclusion and was trying to comfort me. I snorted at that.
"Not really. Cumber is a different beast. Once he completely heals, he will be stronger than ever. His transformation gives him an insane surge in power that is unlike what I thought was possible. Studying him would give me some unexpected hints or ideas to rapidly increase my power."
"Nathan." Diana's admonishing voice sounded out. "No brainwashing." I waved her concerns off.
"Ah, don't worry. I won't."
"So what's your plan? What if he goes berserk? You said it yourself he will be even stronger once he heals!" Felicia asked, glancing at Cumber's beaten body as if he was about to jump up and attack her.
"That's exactly what I am hoping for." I couldn't suppress the smirk on my face as I sensed the life force hanging by a thread, completely unlike the imposing life force he had when we were fighting. I was already imagining how much more powerful he would become once he had awoken and healed. "This freak of nature will be able to keep up with me."
If he failed to meet my expectation then I could still dispose of him and if he surpassed my expectations, I would have died later regardless. I needed power to surpass whatever came our way and to get this power, I needed to take some risk. Of course, I could spar with Giblet, but sparring and fighting for one's life just wasn't the same.
Cumber would be a perfect whetstone to grow, so I could meet whatever had Kakarot and Vegeta on their toes. Even after beating him and reaching the peak of almost all beings in this reality, I had a feeling that I would need all the power I could get. Now I was already multiversal and couldn't be regarded as just 'powerful', I had stepped up to the big table.
If they were able to ignore me for their dragon balls prior to this, they were going to pay close attention to me now as I could threaten their plan. I would be able to fight alongside Kakarot and Vegeta. Perhaps not against the main villains, but I would be a thorn in their sides.
In the end, my plan to grow more powerful hadn't changed, I just needed to take some risk. That being said letting Cumber live certainly symbolizes a huge threat that just waited to explode in our faces and kill us all. An abnormal immeasurable powerful Saiyan that went berserk, someone that just wanted to wreak havoc and battle-
"Your Saiyan is showing." Demon Raven said with a deadpan or was it normal Raven? I hid my smile with a cough.
"Let's wrap this up and go home," I announced, making her sigh before the darkness below our feet, swirled out and swiftly devoured the ruins of this realm. After the entire realm was covered in darkness, I could feel us being teleported.
After Raven retracted her powers, we found ourselves back in my living room. It was a bit cramped, but there was still enough place for everyone to sit comfortably after I pulled in a few chairs with my telekinesis. Unexpectedly, instead of sitting down, the furies and Steppenwolf knelt down... Honestly, I completely forgot about the mind manipulation I put on them.
"You shouldn't kneel. You are heroes now, but more importantly free." Not that I would release my hold on you as I was sure some of them would fall back into their 'villainy' once I did. They have been born and indoctrinated into a tyrannical planet with a ruthless new god as their leader after all.
They would need to spend some time living this life to break out of their lived-in ways in the future. To be honest, they didn't really have much use for me anymore. I had taken over their mind and enhanced and modified their idea of justice a bit to have them close by and study their godly energy to give me hints on how to get it for myself. However, now I had obtained it myself.
True it had been through the help of a wishing orb and the memories of the original owner of this body, but the details on how I got it didn't really matter. I had a better subject to study now, I glanced at Cumber wondering what hidden treasure he would hold for me to steal. Hmm, maybe I was a bit of a kleptomaniac as well.
"Perhaps we shouldn't... but we yearn to. We think we can learn more with your help." Big Barda spoke for the group as their leader. It seemed to be a unanimous opinion. Although I didn't need them for their godly energy anymore, there were other things they could help out with.
"Sure thing. I guess you could join us for now. Then listen up-" I called out as I addressed all the other people inside the room as well. "My brother probably lives inside the toughest universe I have encountered until now and I think training there will be beneficial for all of us." It truly was as resilient as Giblet had mentioned it to be and even when we sparred it didn't end up with the entire universe in shambles.
Just finding a place to train at would be immensely difficult the more powerful I became. Perhaps in the future I could truly only train in my base form. Such a pain. With that being said, this was the best place we could use for the time being.
"Right, your brother," Kara spoke up a bit worried. "Think, he will like us. He is the first family member we got to meet, after all."
"It will be fine, don't worry about it. He is quite chill." He had been a bit pissed that we occupied his space, but who told him to only posses such a small island that would only hold one house, a beach, and a small forest. It was even smaller than the property I owned here in Portland.
"Alright, furies and Steppenwolf, I will call for you when we depart to the other universe. Have your things packed by then."
"Yes, sir!" They all called out at the same time before swiftly leaving my house and flying away. With them leaving, there were only 6 people left. 4 of them were now my girlfriends while the other two were pursuing me.
Before I could say anything, Hawkgirl walked forward with a sigh. She patted my shoulder. "Just a few days without you and all these women get rabid, so it's good to have you back. You can deal with the lot and have them relax a bit." She said as she hugged me goodbye.
It seemed like I was lingering a bit too long and my hands had wandered too close to her hips when Kara coughed, causing me to let go though not before noticing the light pink hue on Hawkgirl's face. "Alrightseeyoubye!" She sputtered out before dashing outside and disappearing into the sky. Though even after a few seconds, I imagined hearing her scream... Where the hell did her normal bratty attitude go to?
Seeing the first one leave, Maxima seemed to guess that she had overstayed her welcome and approached me as well. She too gave me a hug before letting go and tapping on her portal bracer to activate her portal. "Felicia, say your goodbye, and let us go get a drink." A portal opened behind her, though she frowned once she realized that Felicia didn't move from her spot.
Maxima then glanced at her then at me and then at her again until she also noticed that Felicia had been standing next to the other three. "Oh, that was why... I thought you had gotten into a 'disagreement' again. No wonder you were happy... Well, fuck me. You crazy daughter of a bitch, you did it."
Maxima's smile was victorious and full of happiness for Felicia. She reached out to the thieving cat and they firmly shook hands. The space queen then looked at me with a new spark in her eyes as she licked her lips.
"See you around, Nate~" I just nodded, not mentioning the spring in her step as she walked into the portal. Now, I was left alone with my four girlfriends, though I still had to seal the deal with Felicia, and from the bedroom eyes she was giving me, she couldn't wait.
A silent boom sounded out before the ground shook a bit.
"That's my cue." Diana unsheathed her sword and took the shield off her back. "Doomsday seemed to have awakened, I will give him a beating for the rest of the night, so... have fun." She then walked out with her usual confident stride, though I couldn't help but notice, she walked a bit more swiftly then usual. With her battle ready outfit, she headed to our training hall.
"I have a book to read that I have put on hold to bring you back. See you next morning. Oh, and pancakes for breakfast for me." I gave her a deadpan look as I knew she would be close by and if my guess was right, she might be watching. Her face turned crimson red and not because her demon side was showing. She was swiftly swallowed by her shadows.
At this point, Kara walked to the door. "I am visiting my cousin. I will be far away, so scream your hearts out." She said slightly seething and jealousy peeking through it. With a burst, she jumped off the ground a bit more harshly than usual, causing the wind to be stirred as she took off.
I glanced at her behind. "Hate to see them leave, but love to watch them go... Don't think this will be standard. This only happens for the first time, otherwise, they wouldn't be this easy to give in for some alone time." Felicia swallowed in trepidation or anticipation as she followed me up the stairs.