Princess Diana and Princess Cate stepped out of Themysciran portal in a hurry, exited the building and flew towards the palace as they surveyed around, expecting renovations from the attack to be in progress. Each of their sisters were busy as expected, but not doing renovations since they noticed that everything was in order. Those who saw them, happily waved as they flew by, still confused by everything.
They watched them ferry heavy sacks of produce towards the granary using chariots while others simply balanced them on their shoulders. Some were busy in the farms tending to what looked to be a bountiful harvest. They did not see any evidence suggesting that their home had been attacked by an indestructible war machine, in fact it looked better than it had ever had.
"I don't see any sign of the battle Ben was talking about." Said Cate as she waved back to a few girls who were manoeuvring the branches of some huge mango trees.
Diana was forced to agree with her observation as they soared the sky heading to the throne room. At a distance away from the palace, they saw their mother and general Phillipus talking to a couple of soldiers. They adjusted their trajectory.
The queen was the first to see them, evidenced by the broad smile plastered on her face as she quickly dismissed the soldiers, who bowed and scurried on. Phillipus, following her line of sight, smiled, relieved that their princesses had returned home safe and sound.
They touched down in front of them. The moment the queens eyes met her younger daughters, everything else faded into the background. Her face softened in an instant, her lips trembling as her hand flew to her chest, and without thinking, she took off running toward her, tears already spilling from her eyes. Her daughter was okay.
"Mother…" Cate's voice broke, barely above a whisper, but it held all the weight of the regret she felt
Her mother wrapped her arms around them tightly, her embrace all-consuming, as if she feared if she let go, her daughters might slip away again. She was too happy to have her children back home, where she could protect them. All her worries and fear of the unknown, faded away the more the hug lasted.
"I am sorry I left. I didn't know." Cate apologised amidst her sobs, her mother's emotions overwhelming her as they reciprocated her hug with the same gusto. She just then also realised just how concerned everyone must've been for them.
Phillipus watched with a smile on her face as her friend finally let go of all the emotions she had bottled up concerning her children. The hug went on for minutes.
Hippolyta pulled away slowly, wiping away her tears while smiling then cupped her young daughters cheeks in a loving fashion, "The only thing that matters is that you are home safe." Cate smiled and nodded, hugging her again. She had never witnessed this side of her mother.
Diana, always more observant, noticed the dark circles under her eyes while her skin was slightly pale, lacking its usual vibrancy. Her royal attire looked like it had been worn for days at a time, and looking at Phillipus, her appearance was the same. The invasion must have taken a toll on them, she reasoned, watching how there was a certain heaviness in the way they carried themselves, no doubt an unspoken cry for the comfort of sleep. "I should have been here to protect my home." Her tone carried regret in it.
Hippolyta turned to her, the smile on her face faltering at the memory of the annihilator and her dead sisters. "Don't do that. Don't blame yourself for matters that are out of your control." She said and pointed around, "As you can see, Themyscira is doing better than ever despite all our enemies try to do."
"I know that, but I am its champion and was not here to help." She could sense the questionable gazes that some of her sisters were throwing at them when they passed by.
"You mustn't be worried about that. Your friend, the god of thunder was here to aid us in our time of need." The general spoke up, stepping forward to greet them now that the queen had composed herself.
"Philipus is right. That other one with the magical watch also helped, Ben, I believe was his name." Hippolyta added as her face lit up with a smile before giving each of them a once over. "Enough about that. Let's go inside, I'll have the cooks prepare some food for you so we can talk while you eat. You have become so skinny." She said, poking at their arms. "Do you really eat in man's world?" She chided them while giving the general a sign, making her to nod and walk ahead.
They both rolled their eyes and followed her. Cate took the opportunity to look around, for the first time noticing the glaring difference between her home and mans world. This was due to the lack of air and noise pollution in Themyscira. Apart from the fortress of solitude, she couldn't think of any other place on earth that was devoid of the two. Her train of thought was interrupted by her sisters' question, which she was interested in the answer.
"Did you find out who is responsible for the attack?" she assumed and dismissed her mothers accusations.
Hippolyta sighed, only Diana could be so insistent on such a topic even though her sister had undergone a more terrifying ordeal than them. "Not yet. Phillipus and our oracles are still looking into it." She had a theory which she couldn't divulge to anyone because of the repercussions that would fall on her people. During her brief meeting with the all father, Zeus, he let it slip that the machine was called 'the annihilator' which meant the attack was somehow connected to the gods. She couldn't have Diana confronting them about it, it was too dangerous and she was still so young. Philipus was the only other person to know that small detail.
"There is something I don't understand." Cate spoke up, gaining their attention, "if you were attacked by a powerful machine, why does Themyscira look better than before?" everywhere she turned, the vegetation was greener than it had ever been yet their date of harvest and the heavy rains were still weeks away. The buildings were also very much intact, evidenced by the throne room which spotted a huge table that was being filled with food.
"So it's noticeable." She stated, concluding that Zeus had no doubt sensed it too. "That is the work of Ben and his watch. He is one interesting child." She had a sneaky suspicion that the father of all gods knew about the omnitrix because why would he personally invite a mortal back to his island.
"And here I thought you'd be throwing a fit that a man stepped foot on Themyscira."
"Why would I do that?" she asked, offended at the sudden accusation.
"Coz men are not allowed in Themyscira," replied Cate. She had noticed the lack of her usual demeaning tone she'd always use when talking about men or man's world.
"I know. I was the one who made that rule." She thought about it. "I can't be indifferent to the fact that he saved us with one of his transformations." She explained as they moved to sit. "He is also Thor's friend, so the committee voted to make an exception for him."
"What!" Cate exclaimed, surprised, with a hint of hope developing in her. If the committee could make an exception for Ben, who was a male, then they will have no problem allowing her to extend an invite to Kara.
"They were very impressed that the god of thunder graced us with his presence thus they attribute our early bountiful harvest to his visit."
Diana smiled at that, she was happy that they won't make a fuss like they did when Clark got invited. "I'll remember to thank him when I go back to the watchtower." She was impressed with Thor and Ben's restraint, because most heroes would have been bragging about seeing Themyscira or stopping an indestructible machine.
"Do you think the committee will allow Kara to come and visit me?" came her sudden question, as she served plenty of food on her plate.
Both women looked at her, then at her overflowing plate.
"What? I'm hungry." She had to admit to herself that she sincerely missed these home cooked meals in form of feasts, even though she recently developed a liking to snacks such as pizza and ice cream. Thinking back to her question, "If they accepted Ben then Kara should not be a problem."
"We will ask, but you must not get your hopes up." Her sister cautioned while she served.
"Actually, that may not be a bad idea. You can tell her that she is more than welcomed." Her mother affirmed as she thought on how she would make it possible. If superman's cousin was all it would take to limit her daughters interaction with mans world then the committee will have to agree with it. She was ready to fight them on it.
Cate paused eating and smiled broadly at her, "Thank you mother," she beamed.
"Are you sure?" Diana asked, shocked that she would completely disregard the process involved. "We don't know if..."
"I am the Queen of Themyscira," was all she said. Diana shut up and continued eating.
General Phillipus walked into the room and stood beside her queen, watching over them. It was at times like these that she took pride in knowing the future of the amazons was in safe hands.
Hippolyta watched as her daughters feasted on the food and was internally debating on whether it was the right time or not, to inform them of Zeus' decree since the committee had started planning for Thor's return. Artemis was conducting trials for all the warriors who would be lucky enough to showcase their skills in a tournament meant to impress the god of thunder. She looked up at the general who shrugged in response, no doubt aware of what was plaguing her thoughts.
"What is it?" Diana, who had picked up on their non-verbal cues, asked as she paused eating. Cate looked up from her plate.
"It's nothing. Finish eating then we will talk later."
"What?" asked Cate as she stopped chewing, suddenly concerned there was more to the attack.
The queen sighed, watching both her daughters look on expectantly while pushing the food away from them. 'They must think it is about the annihilator.'
"The committee has invited Thor and Ben for a feast in their honour."
"What?" "When?" they asked simultaneously, stunned at the news.
"How did you manage to convince them?" Cate recalled how her mother was almost unanimously stripped off her title for inviting Clark that one time.
"I didn't have to. They were the ones who suggested it."
"Why?" asked Diana. "God or not, they are still men." She didn't understand their reason. "There must have an angle to do that."
"Phillipus believes it is because they did not get a chance to interact with him as our other sisters did."
"So they want to throw them a party instead?" Diana asked, still processing it all.
"Preparations have already began. Your sister Artemis, is in charge of everything." The general revealed. She had never seen the committee so serious and dedicated like they were with this celebration.
"That's great!" Cate beamed as she resumed eating with vigor. "Kara can come too. Yes!!!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself. Mother is yet to deliver the invites to them." Diana said as she thought everything over. "Is that why you don't have to get approval for Kara?"
Hippolyta nodded, "and Superman too." Both her daughters were surprised again. "What? It's the least I can do to thank him for saving you from that wretched world." She added, pointing at her youngest.
"And the committee..." Diana started saying but stopped when she shook her head.
"This is a one time celebration that encompasses everything." Hippolyta told them. "Now finish your food, we have a lot to discuss." She ordered then grabbed a plate and served some for herself.
The Watchtower
Natasha Romanoff sat alone in the control room waiting for Hal to reach out in regards to Banner. The huge screen was playing the video footage retrieved from Kelex on repeat while she watched, thinking and amazed at how strong the hulk really was. He was practically glowing in the video. Her mind drifted to a conversation she once had with Banner, where he told her that he had no idea how strong the hulk was since no one has ever given them a run for their money. No doubt he went all out in War world, she thought, retrieving and scheming through Supermans report on the mission. Another reason why she believed her friend survived the explosion.
J'onn and Wanda had left her alone to go and investigate why one of the training chambers was acting up, even though no one had booked any training session for the week.
Steve on the other hand went to grab a bite to eat in the cafeteria at the same time when the chambers started acting up. Tony and Clint, spotted him as soon as they entered, thus headed for his table after ordering their food.
The cafeteria was surprisingly empty, with only a handful of leaguers scattered throughout the room. The corridors were also basically empty because most of the available heroes headed for the hangar as soon as they learnt about the almeraci being on board, then stayed after being intrigued by her entourage. Everyone hoped to get a glimpse of their infamous queen.
Elsewhere, a shit eating grin plastered General Mc's face as he stood guard outside the training chamber, suppressing a smirk every time the room trembled. The screen he had initially used to spy on the two occupants had long since been disconnected, no doubt the camera was in pieces. The stabilisers had already malfunctioned making the general frown upon earth's technological ingenuity.
According to his observation, everything was so subpar and flimsy, right down to their technological skills. All they had to do to block the fortress' signal was to create an interference dome around the tower, something their technicians hadn't discovered yet. His people had not reached out about Lobo so he knew the kryptonian had it all handled, allowing him to give his queen time to work her magic on the god of thunder. A powerful being that was no doubt worthy according to the footages his research team unearthed showcasing Doomsdays attack on earth. Thor having powers that mimicked the old god Zeus, was a plus to the House of the Blood Royale. He smiled.
"So that is the reason." Wanda said thoughtfully as they entered the training wing. Ever since she arrived with Steve and Nat, her senses had picked up on a certain vibe throughout the tower, because every hero's emotions were magnified while some unknowingly projected their thoughts, basically desires, too loud for a telepath such as her not to pick up on them. This forced her to inquire if the resident telepath noticed it too, thus making J'onn to catch her up on everything that had taken place.
"Yes. It's not their fault, their will is no match for the queen while her soldiers enhanced beauty adds upon their excitement," he concluded as they walked along the corridors. His senses taking over because of the not so subtle vibrations spreading throughout the wing. They negotiated a corner and came into view of the general who was shocked to see them but nonetheless moved to intercept them before they got any closer. J'onn watched him, puzzled, because he could tell that the chamber the general looked like he was guarding was the malfunctioned one.
Wanda walked in silence as she studied the approaching man, giving him a once over. 'That uniform really does him justice.'
"General." J'onn greeted him, coming to a stop.
"J'onn Jones. Miss." He reciprocated, eyeing them with suspicion. "How may I be of assistance?"
J'onn politely dismissed his statement with a wave and a smile, "thank you general but its nothing to worry you about. We are actually here to check on that malfunctioning chamber, possibly commission it for repair." He explained, a thoughtful look on his face, "did you not notice?" from where he was standing, he could see electrical sparks emanate from within.
Another thought occurred to him, "were you and the Queen training there?" He picked up on him suddenly tensing at the question. 'Strange,' he thought.
"Um...yes we were." He blurted out too quickly for his own liking. "Though the queen is still touching up on some of her techniques." He answered, tense, studying J'onn to gauging his reaction. He was aware that Martians could read peoples thoughts so he wasn't sure if his were already compromised. That would expose Lobo's presence plus her queen's latest conquest. "We will happily reimburse the league for all the damages caused." He added when his intellect suspected that his thoughts were secure.
J'onn watched him. Having interacted with him previously, he noted the general was nervous despite the facade he put out. "There is no need to reimburse anything." He gently turned down his offer, "you are our guest so you are free to use any of our amenities to your liking."
Wanda who was also observing him blurted out before she could stop herself, "training?" she was shocked.
Just how unique was their planet? She thought, giving him a once over then her gaze travelled to the chamber. For extreme damage, there wasn't a scratch on him or his uniform.
"Yes, Training with my Queen." Mc reiterated. "Next time I will advice her to use our facilities aboard the ship. Those are much sturdier." He did not appreciate the earthlings tone.
"I get that. But why are you so clean and tidy?" She asked, not caring about the glare directed at her. "From the look of things," she gestured to the chamber, "you should not be in such a pristine condition. Even Thor gets a few scratches here and there after a session." She recalled the times he would train with Tony's durable combat robots.
The general tensed again at the mention of Thor and he saw J'onn give him a once over, no doubt agreeing with the earthlings statement and observation. He needed to make them leave quickly before they interrupted his queen or unravelled his plan.
"I appreciate your concern but I know how to handle myself, like I said before, we will happily reimburse you for the damages." came his nondescript answer which was followed up by the chamber shaking vigorously for a few seconds.
J'onn and Wanda glanced at it, wondering how intense the queens solo training was to have such an effect. The general remained indifferent to it.
"I thought you said the queen was alone in there?" J'onn asked. She couldn't be causing all this ruckus alone. Every hero had used these chambers and none of them did this kind of damage before, no matter who they trained against.
"Yes she is." The general answered, staring at him.
"No, she's not." Wanda spoke up, focussing on his face. His weird behaviour and attitude made her take a peek at what he was thinking since she knew J'onn would never do such a thing. This whole conversation didn't sit right with her. "She's with Thor."
J'onn turned to her in mild surprise knowing what she'd just done.
Shock briefly flashed over the general's face before he reigned in his features. "What? How do you know that?" He demanded.
"So it's true?" "I just know." J'onn asked at the same time as Wanda, who had an idea of what was going on from what she picked up in his thoughts.
Just then they heard Maxima's high pitched scream while the chamber violently shook again.
J'onn watched the general develop a satisfied grin and became suspicious. The queen was no doubt up to no good. She might have tricked Thor into fighting thus the god of thunder may be hurting her, which could turn out to be a big diplomatic problem for them. He didn't know if Thor had the restraint Clark had when dealing with the queen. He flew forward to check on them since he felt guilty for unloading her onto him.
"Wait..." Wanda called out, but he was already on the move, flying away. General Mc attempted to restrain him by grabbing his hand but J'onn turned intangible and phased through him.
Earlier, elsewhere
The most expensive and lavish tiara in the universe was lodged deep into the sturdy wall from the force used to toss it away. Parts of Thor's armour and Maxima's full attire was splayed out on the floor after being forcibly torn from her lithe body.
The two occupants in the chamber, one pinning the other against the wall, were panting, groaning and moaning as they went about ravishing each other without a care in the world. This wasn't because of love or passion, no. It was purely lust-induced fucking.
Maxima's braced herself against the sturdy wall as she sensually formed her lower back into an arch, driving her perfect bubble butt into Thor's thrusts while he firmly held onto her waist for support. An imprint of her hands started developing on the wall the more the god of thunder increased the intensity of his thrusts.
Thor's right hand snaked its way up from her waist, cupping her right breast before caressing its way up to wrap around the front of her neck. He did not worry about hurting her because Maxima made it clear that she could take anything he dished out at her. A rare opportunity for someone like him, thus his raging asgardian spirit momentarily unlocked his full potential. His eyes sparking with electricity and turned white while sparks travelled all over his body and in extension Maxima's, who became extremely turned on from the constant stimulations they did to her erogenous zones. The more the sparks stung her all over, the closer she got to becoming undone. Her figure became a blur as she threw back against his thrusts using her super speed and her unchecked strength. His face contorted in pleasure while her hands quickly dislodged from the wall and found his before guiding it to her breasts. She arched her back, pushing her tits out for maximum contact while her hands manoeuvred to caress and hold his cheeks and head respectively.
Thors large palms fully cupped and massaged her pert breasts, trapping her erect nipples in between his fingers before electric sparks assaulted them over and over again.
Maxima slightly turned her head and assaulted his mouth with a smouldering kiss her eyes locking onto his sparking ones. That display of power completely overwhelmed her. She cried out in ecstasy, her movement slowing down as her knees buckled while her arms gave out, forcing her to lean forward and support herself on the wall unconsciously using her flight ability to maintain their connection. Thor's right hand, still caressing her breast, moved to her front neck and pulled her spasming form from the wall back against his chest then slowed down his thrusts giving her time to recover.
The queen took some seconds to stabilise her heavy ragged breathing and stop the involuntary shudders assaulting her body. She regained some semblance of her composure but her eyes remained closed, savouring the moment while a delirious smile plastered her face. No one had ever made her orgasm as fast and hard as the god of thunder had done. An electric spark suddenly travelled down her torso, eliciting a small shudder and gasp from her. This brought her mind back to the present. She felt his excited erect member twitch in her as his free hand wantonly caressed her naked form. She couldn't let that stand.
A wicked glint flashed in her eyes then with a burst of super speed and strength, she dislodged from him and manoeuvred them so that Thor found himself lying flat on his back with her on top of him, sensually grinding on his sex.
She watched, excited, as his white sparking eyes drunk in and appreciated the elevated view he had thus continued teasing him. Thor's hand grabbed both sides of her hips and started to guide her onto him but she resisted, her eyes clouded with desire and lust.
She had no idea he was this powerful.
She took hold of his hands, guiding them to her pert breasts while she adjusted herself on top of his erect member then slowly sank down on it, both savouring every second of it. Once she was fully impaled, she paused then bent to kiss him.
"You've had your fun, Prince," her husky voice barely a whisper, loving every expression that flickered over his face as they maintained eye contact, "time to submit to your Queen," and with that declaration, slowly, she lifted herself up then lowered herself on him in repeat while grinding flexible her waist into him. Thor's groan reverberated throughout the chamber while electric sparks covered both of them.
Earlier, Thor, being a nobble Prince and asgards finest warrior, had initially resisted and politely turned down Maxima's aggressive advances towards him after disentangling from her hold. He tried exiting the chamber but the damages from their bout had led to its system failure so they were stuck. The only option was to either break down the door or wait for assistance. Glancing back at the queen, a shiver ran down his spine when their eyes made contact and he saw the predatory smile gracing her lips.
I have to get out of here, he thought while turning away from her, ready to break down the door. The league will have to understand.
Maxima, not one to let an opportune moment slip away, took that opportunity to flash forward in a vicious attack to egg on his warrior blood and instincts that she had sensed earlier before the chamber started falling apart. She now knew that he was one of the few beings who was superior to her, thus would not give in unless she really put in some effort, which made her to take drastic actions while thinking of using her trump card. Something she never used while bedding inferior life forms.
In a span of a moment, she fully exerted herself and had him pinned to the wall, then kissed him for what felt like minutes. Thor, taken by surprise, went from blocking her attacks to gradually reciprocating the kiss, getting hornier the more it went on. What he didn't know was that, her kiss rapidly increased his endorphin and adrenaline to superhuman levels. Thor, being extremely turned on, moved his hands all over her body, caressing every part he could reach. Maxima returned the favour by stroking his armoured chest before lowering her hands to his groin.
Thor groaned into her mouth as his durable skin could actually feel her touch. The queen proceeded to trace his excited member in his and stroke it, making him to subtly jerk into her touch.
Lust clouded both their minds as they submitted to their desires, letting their primal urges to guide them.
Elsewhere
"I tried to warn you." Wanda said, chuckling as a mildly surprised J'onn approached them after phasing his head through the door.
"That was unexpected," he said, scratching his head sheepishly. It wasn't something that scarred him or anything because after living for as long as he had, nothing surprised you anymore. Well...apart from the omnitrix of course, and the existence of another universe. What shocked him was the turn of events since they had theorised that Thor could handle the queen constant pursuit, which was why they sacrificed him.
"You knew." He looked at the general who simply nodded. "You could have at least given us a warning."
"She tried warning you." Mc gestured to Wanda, who was looking at the chamber because all movement and vibrations had ceased. "I'm curious as to how you knew what was transpiring." His senses indicated that she was an earthling, which confused him since she discovered what the Martians senses failed to warn him.
Wanda's attention was drawn back to their conversation and she shrugged a response, "I just did. What else could have been made your queen 'scream' so loudly in ecstasy?" She guessed her response.
"True." Mc agreed, smirking at them. "That's my Queen. There is no challenge too great for her to take on." He was proud. Finally she'd found a worthy mate and the council could get off their necks about that. He had also collected relevant evidence to present to them.
"You call forcing people to mate with her, a challenge?" Wanda asked in disbelief. "From what I have heard about her, I'm pretty sure it was against his will."
The general clenched his fist, his anger rising at the disrespect Wanda, an inferior being, was showing to their queen and Almerac in extension.
"I don't think that is what he meant." J'onn spoke up, noticing the sudden change in his demeanour. The almeraci were a proud race and no doubt this could escalate if not handled properly. "Plus from what I saw in there, I doubt a forced person could smile that much." He tried joking to ease the tension.
Mc spoke up, cutting her off before she could offer a retort, "Watch how you address me, earthling. I may be a guest here, but it does not mean I won't seek retribution for slander against my Queen." He warned, staring her down, their height difference noticeable.
Wanda, defiant, held his gaze for a few more seconds then shrugged and waved him away, deciding he wasn't worth the trouble. She turned to look at the chamber when the door barged a bit.
"General, you are also to blame here. Had you been forthcoming with us, this whole thing could have been avoided. You lied to me." J'onn somehow backed her up.
"I did what was best for my people." As he said this, the door was pulled off from its hinges and Thor emerged, fully clothed while Maxima covered herself using his cape. He tossed the door aside and was surprised to see it wasn't only J'onn present.
They all turned and stared at the two culprits heading towards them.
Thor had a sheepish grin on his face while Maxima's lips curved into a gentle, effortless grin that lit up her face as a slight, tender blush invaded her cheeks. She subtly tilted her head to look at him with a look of appreciation. Everything changed the moment her eyes landed on J'onn, who was responsible for the abrupt end to their tryst. He was lucky he was not a commoner. She glared at him, paying no mind to Wanda.
"Uh..." Thor stammered, not knowing how to start because all of them were looking at Maxima. His gaze followed theirs as his eyes sparkled with appreciation when he saw that his cape was torn in some places and small thus left little to the imagination when one stared at her. It was a good thing his powers could repair his attire when he commanded it to. Though he couldn't help it when his eyes lingered on her form for a bit longer. 'Maxima was truly one of a kind,' he thought.
"Are you alright my Queen?" Mc removed his general's coat and hurriedly covered her, an action she barely noticed as her focus drifted back to the god of thunder, after catching him staring. She dismissed his concerns with a wave and smiled when Thor looked away.
She was still in awe that despite her having multiple orgasms, Thor only had one and was ready to continue before the Martian rudely interrupted them. Usually it was her, who always wound up unsatisfied, even when she had seduced Lobo to save herself from him. The bounty hunter was solely focused on his own pleasure. Thor was another story because he knew exactly what to do and when to do them to get her off despite never sleeping together before. He was also way stronger than her, thus somehow dominated the entire time, something she found she liked, not to mention his power of electricity. She released a contented sigh, and tuned back to Mc, who was saying something to her. "What?"
"I was asking if I could escort you to your room." He said, as Wanda was staring intently at Thor while J'onn did not want to look at any of them, given the position he had just found them in.
"Nonsense." The queen rebuked. "Thor is perfectly capable of escorting me. He is my immediate neighbour after all." She smiled, getting hold of his arm.
"What?" Wanda exclaimed at that revelation. "Where?" She looked at her teammate who by his facial expression, had also just remembered that small detail.
"Pardon my interruption," J'onn spoke up, "I would advise against walking through the hallway wearing that." He gestured to her makeshift clothing. This would cause a ruckus among the junior heroes who were lingering around spying on her soldiers and waiting to get a glimpse of her.
"Why what's wrong with this?" she asked, "I am covered, aren't I?" she looked down at herself. All the important parts were somehow covered.
"Yes you are, but like I told you before." Thor gestured to her almost entirely exposed breasts, "earthlings frown on such displays." He couldn't believe he had just fucked Maxima, something he had set his mind not to do. The worst part was he enjoyed it. Everything was a blur from the moment she kissed him. He could feel Wanda's intense and disappointed stare at him.
Just then, the general's earpiece received an incoming transmission which he quickly tried to mute, making everyone apart from Wanda to look at him in shock.
"What does he mean by Lobo has left the earth?" J'onn asked, his demeanour changing as he looked at the general. Their systems hadn't detected his signature.
"Wasn't that the one who attacked princess Diana's sister?" Thor thought back to it.
Maxima wasn't so shocked that he had escaped their imprisonment and came back to seek revenge, because they were not aware he had escaped immediately after their brief visit. However, Thor's mention of Diana soured her mood and she glared at the general who cursed at not his inability to mute his earpiece in time. The Martians reaction suggested he was unaware of the hunter's presence on earth.
"Our fleet's radar system had picked up on his signature. They have been monitoring the situation." Mc answered, carefully choosing his words, watching J'onn.
"When was this?" Thor asked him, alarmed.
"He was at the fortress and you deemed it necessary to block our communication." J'onn said, anger in his voice, then turned and walked out of there.
"Did you just read my mind? The kryptonian had it handled."
"What is he talking about?" Thor moved in front him, demanding an explanation. Clark, Diana, Kara and Cate were supposed to be at the fortress.
"We had it under control. The kryptonian thwarted whatever he wanted to do." The general answered him. "I couldn't disturb my Queen with such trivial matters!" He stood his ground, staring back at him.
Thor watched him and decided against his basic instincts of punching him on the face. He turned to the queen.
"Was this your plan all along? To distract me while Lobo attacked my friends?" Thor said, admonishing her while she had an exasperated look at how quickly things were deteriorating. She couldn't form an explanation to what she did not know.
"So that's why you are infamous. Plain selfish" Wanda said, shaking her head and following J'onn out the training wing.
"I thought he was in prison?" Maxima finally spoke up looking at Thor.
He shook his head in disappointment. "It is best you go to your room and change while we look into this." he said, walking out, cursing at himself. Something that he thought was a spur of the moment and somehow fun turned out to be carefully orchestrated.
"Thor! You have to believe I did not know anything about it." She sped in front of him and blocked his path. He responded by grabbing and lifting her up by her shoulders then gently placed her aside and walked out.
The queen had a frustrated look on her face which turned to anger at the site of her general. In a second, he was catapulted against the wall by her punch, then dragged into the already destroyed chamber.
"You!!! What did you do!" She screeched, her anger exploding and overshadowing her jovial mood. The general could only stare and brace himself knowing he did it for his queen and people.
Fortress of solitude
Kara was inside the infirmary, impatiently pacing up and down beside the regeneration pod, occasionally looking inside it through the observation panel. One of Kelex's robots was typing into a computer, regulating the rate and amount of solar radiation bombarding Clarks body. The gaping hole left by the black mercy in his chest was slowly healing, while its toxins were being flushed out of his system and his cells got revitalised in the process.
She had to know Clark was going to be okay because the way he panicked was something she had never seen him do. Even when Kryptonite was involved. That plant must have done some real damage to him.
Jor El informed her that he was in the research and development wing, studying the sentient plant, intending to find out all the processes involved in how it managed to subdue its victims, not giving a damn about their power level or durability. He speculated they had a better chance of a breakthrough than they had on Krypton since Clark had done some major upgrades to the fortress, especially tech-wise. It was also his responsibility to update their database on every new discovery made during any research. Or any pertinent information received by them.
Gutrot on the other hand got bored thus wondered off into the corridors eventually ending up outside the fortress. He couldn't access most of the rooms. Outside, he saw how the green crystals were a glaring contrast to the surrounding white. Having an idea, he transformed in a flash of bright green.
"Okay, now to clean this place up before Clark sees it." Diamondhead mumbled as he scanned around and saw that almost every crater had been fully filled with snow. Evidence of the battle was quickly disappearing under the heavy blankets of snow. He extended his hand out and all his constructs vibrated for a few seconds then retracted into the ground leaving craters where they had been. Then his eyes caught a glimpse of one of his clone's leg sticking out the snow and curiosity got the better of him. Wading through the snow, he discovered that all the clones were in the process of disintegrating into a black goo like substance which formed puddles. Any snow flake that landed on it melted, adding to its mass. 'Disgusting.'
In a flash of green light he changed into Blaze since Diamondheads physiology did not allow him to interface with Trixx.
He levitated off the ground and hovered a few feet from the air and looked around. The result was the same for every clone that died fighting each other, whether his or Lobo's.
"Is this normal?" He asked aloud, and he watched in his HUD as Trixx was scanning the black puddles left behind. She brought up every information the guardians had on czarnians and that's when he also discovered the identities of the apokolips lackeys that attacked them. Trixx had completed sorting all the information she retrieved from OA and also adapted to their coding.
"I do not have sufficient data to determine what happened to their bodies." She stated via the omnitrix audio system, "But it is theorized that Czarnians can only be permanently killed by other Czarnians and Lobo is the sole survivor of his race. No one has ever substantiated that theory."
"What about now? They are obviously dead." Blaze watched as the yet to disintegrate lifeless clones oozed the black goo from their mouth, ears and nose.
"I believe they are." Trixx replied, while Blaze saw her document it all, then add the information to her czarnian database.
He scanned over the documents she projected and he corroborated everything in it since he experienced it first hand. But he was still curious about something that Trixx highlighted as an upgrade done by the omnitrix.
"It says Lobo produces clones when he bleeds or any of his body part is detached from him. Why is mine different?"
Trixx brought up a video of when the hulk and Lobo fought in front of the fortress. It highlighted how Lobo had spilled so much blood, lost some body parts that were gradually being covered by snow. She forwarded the feed and he watched Lobo, during his escape, quickly throw some sort of grenade that produced a black smoke before he jumped out of view. Funny how I didn't catch that when I was clockwork, he thought.
"Czarnians can reproduce asexually through replication and bio-fission. If one is dismembered or spills a drop of blood, it will grow into a clone sharing the same memories and personalities as its progenitor. This video proves that he found a way to halt that process in case he does not need the clone." Trixx explained, then projected Ben 10, highlighting some parts of him.
"The omnitrix refined, evolved and enhanced your sample, making it a prime Czarnian that clones himself instantly without limit through binary fission." Trixx stated.
"So Ben 10 is basically like Ditto?" he asked, because their processes felt the same to him, even when keeping contact with the other clones.
Trixx highlighted the green spikes on his arm gauntlets and shoulder pads, "No. Splixons and Czarnians are completely different. Case in point, Czarnians cannot re-merge with their clones." She explained. "Though your sample adapted some of the Splixons features like the extended sensory nodes which assists in the sensory web that connects all of your clones by coordinating the hive mind communication between them. The nodes have also refined your cloning ability." She explained while he watched his HUD. Trixx added this bit of information just to make it clear, "A splixons cloning ability far surpasses that of a Cazarnian."
"That's so cool!" Blaze exclaimed loving how powerful czarnians were, then thought about something, "was that the reason why he ran away from our fight?"
"What do you mean?" Trixx asked.
"Lobo ran away after fighting for a few minutes. Which is unlike him from what Hal told me about him and how he boasted every time."
"It is possible he is aware of the only flaw among his race. Your sample being capable of granting him true death." Trixx informed him.
"Figures," Blaze commented, the scrunched his brow. "What do you mean true death?"
"A Czarnians regeneration ability is unrivalled, far superior than most races thus basically grants them immortality, if they are not killed by another czarnian."
'Kevin is going to be so jealous,' Blaze grinned, turning his attention to the black puddles.
"So you don't know how they kill each other?"
"That is correct." She answered.
"I wonder why paradox has never brought us on a mission to this universe." He muttered as his telescopic vision scanned the vast surrounding areas.
"I do not have an answer to that question." Trixx's audio system spoke up.
"I know you don't." He replied just as his vision picked up on some movement a couple of miles away. He levitated higher into the sky and started flying towards the object at a slow pace, not wanting to disclose his position. No one was supposed to stumble into the fortress perimeter.
Getting closer, watching the figure wade through the snow, he realised it was one of the furies who attacked him when he had turned to Rath. He saw her occasionally glancing behind her, in the direction of the fortress, her skin dense enough to not feel the harsh cold weather condition while tucked into her waist was her broken sword. They must have abandoned her, he thought, weighing his options on how best to subdue her while tailing her from above. She might have information that could prove useful to Clark. He watched as she began to look around as if sensing his presence. She glanced up and momentarily froze when she saw him.
"The kryptonian," she exclaimed, tensing, knowing she couldn't defeat him alone. Not someone who went toe to toe with her sire. Her anger had been gradually rising ever since she woke up to find that her partners had either been captured or had abandoned her. She preferred neither option.
In an impressive display of her honed skills, she threw the broken sword at him with extreme precision that he only dodged because of his super speed. Noticing that her attack had failed, she crouched and jumped ahead, her powerful legs propelling her forward.
Impressive, Blaze thought as she covered miles with every jump, though the tremors created when she landed lead to avalanches. He guessed that was why she was wading the snow, to not attract attention.
"I need to take her in, alive." He mumbled, as his vision saw that she was almost clearing the barren Iceland.
"Think...think...think...think... I got it!" he exclaimed and scrolled through the omnitrix then tapped it.
In a flash of green light, he turned into Gravattack then immediately retracted his limbs into his body to form a planetoid sphere. He shot forward, his eyes glowing green and the jumping fury found herself suspended mid-air, surrounded with a green hue.
She was as light as a feather inside the green hue which then acted as wind, influencing her movements. She turned around and her eyes grew as wide as saucers when her gaze landed on Gravattack. Who winked at her.
"What manner of creature are you!" She spat, helplessly floating about in the air.
"One that needs to take you in for questioning." He answered and flew back to the Fortress, dragging her along.
Inside the fortress, Kara had been notified by Kelex on the latest development and was flying to the containment section to wait for Ben. She watched as Gravattack followed a Kelex robot to a cell where he deposited the fury, disengaging his influence on her immediate gravitational field.
The fury staggered a bit, regaining her senses before walking to the cells barrier, studying it together with Kara and gravattack. She did not try to escape because she knew she was as good as dead for failing her mission and letting herself get captured. Granny's punishment would be far worse than anything this kryptonian and her monster could come up with. Her plan was to buy time and escape, the rest she'll figure out later.
"Who is she?" Kara asked, looking at her while also studying his form. Clearly remembering him from their encounter at the watchtower.
Gravattacks limbs emerged then he stood beside her. "I found her trying to get away. She's a fury that came with Kalibak, Steppenwolf and Big Barda." He answered, making the fury look at him in surprise. How could a creature from this back water planet know all her seniors names. "She got left behind after I knocked her out." That further confused the fury because she knew Rath was the one who she had tangled with.
"Sucks for her." Kara cracked her knuckles, "she'll be the one to tell us what apokolips wants from us."
The fury chuckled at the little kryptonians declaration. She wasn't scared of her.
"Looks like she disagrees with your statement." Gravattack said, chuckling at the way they eyed each other.
"We'll see about that." Was her reply before turning and walking away to check on Clark.
Gravattack followed.
Inside the infirmary, they found Clark watching a projection of what had transpired as he unconsciously massaged his chest. Kara face lit up in a smile, sped forward and gave him a hug, "thank heavens you're alright!" her voice was full of relief. "You had us all worried!"
He reciprocated the hug and raised an eyebrow at Gravattack, also remembering him from before.
"I'm sorry," He said, a little tense while he watched the video. Internally, he was criticising himself for being too rush and emotional during his encounter with Lobo which led to his easy defeat.
He glanced at Gravattack, wondering what would have happened had he not been present to help Kara since Darkseid decided to send his minions during his incapacitation. They must have come for me, he thought, as he willed his brain not to think of the dream the black mercy plant had conjured up for him.
"I under estimated him." He let go of her and stretched about, then looked at Gravattack again when his Czarnian form came up in the video. He wasn't too shocked about it, but he was curious to how he cloned himself, which was very different from the way Lobo did.
"It's an upgrade." Gravattack spoke up before he got a chance to ask about it.
"Very annoying." Kara mumbled to herself which earned her a subtle glance from Clark.
"Yeah...well...annoying but still managed to save you." He retorted back, then just to annoy her, he disappeared in a flash of green light and transformed to Ben 10.
Clark, who hadn't interacted with him yet, studied his form, still amazed by the power of the omnitrix. Here he was staring at a Czarnian, another endangered yet powerful alien species much like their own. The only major difference between him and the bounty hunter was his facial structure resembled Ben's and he had a more refined physique.
Kara rolled her eyes at him but scanned his form nonetheless since her focus wasn't on Clark's wellbeing anymore.
"What do you think?" Ben 10 gestured to himself and asked Clark, breaking him out of his thought process.
"Uh...that watch is something else," was all he managed to say as he glanced at the omnitrix symbol on his belt buckle.
"I'm not talking about the watch. I'm talking about Ben 10s awesomeness." He repeated.
"Must you refer to yourself using the third person?" Kara said, not liking his obnoxious personality.
"Must you be hot and sexy every time I save you?" He shot back then winked at her shocked expression. It was one thing to blurb out comments like that when they were alone, but in front of her cousin just embarrassed and angered her.
She moved to hit him but Clarks chuckle drew their attention. "So you've inherited his personality too?" that was the only explanation he could come up with, the same as Klaus, his almeraci form.
"Told you it's in the DNA." Ben 10 said, giving her a once over. "Though I wouldn't mind making all your desires come true." He declared, loving how her face heated up at that.
"I wouldn't mind either." She replied, her anger overshadowing the embarrassment, and sped forward.
Ben 10 had a second to decide what to do when he saw her fist rocketing towards his face.
Clark, due to his recent incapacitation, was a little slow to react in time.
The fist connected, making Ben 10 to stumble back while the room contained the shockwave produced.
"Don't test me!" She warned, watching him massage his cheeks while grinning at her.
"Kara." Clark sighed, tiredly. The burst of solar radiation may have revitalised his body but his mental state was still exhausted. "Cut it out!"
"But..." She shut her mouth at the look he gave her. Ben 10 was still grinning, winking at her.
"And you..." Clark turned to him, "leave her alone or her punch will be least of your worries!" he said then added, "Don't forget you look like the person who caused all of this."
Ben 10 looked about to retort but kept his mouth shut. He had an idea of what was plaguing his mind because when wildvine connected to the black mercy, he got a glimpse of the illusion it projected to him. It must have devastated him to realise that it was all a fake, evidenced by his post-reaction.
"Fine." He saw the glare she sent at him.
"Good. Now, can someone tell me who this is?" Clark asked, as he interacted with the projection to bring up a live video feed of their prisoner.
"She's Granny Goodness' fury from apokolips. The others abandoned her." Ben 10 answered, recalling every information Trixx shared with him regarding apokolips.
"How do you know that?" Clark asked but immediately rescinded it, "don't answer." He glanced at the omnitrix symbol. Trixx.
"Thank you." He looked at Ben 10 who appeared confused for a moment.
"Ben 10's confused. Why?"
"You saved her and me." Clark was courteous enough to know when to give thanks.
"What?" Kara barked, "He didn't save me!" she glared at them. "I handled myself!"
Ben 10 nodded, accepting it then looked at her, developing a smug expression. "Ben 10 accepts your gratitude," then folded his arms on his chest.
Her eyes glowed red for a second before it dissipated, "Don't push me!" She warned and he chuckled at her. There was something in him that really enjoyed getting a rise out of her, and when she retaliated with violence it was even better.
Clark, tired of their antics, walked out heading for the detection centre to interrogate the fury. He needed to know why they came to the fortress, how they knew its location and what darkseid was planning.
Kara, knowing that staying behind would lead to violence, quickly followed him out leaving Ben 10 alone.
"See, even your cousin can't stand your tantrums." He followed her out, his eyes involuntarily scanning her retreating form. "You're lucky you have a fine piece of ass." He concluded, openly staring at it as she turned to face him, her mind reeling with rage.
Clark faltered in his step at that declaration, then continued on, not surprised when he heard loud punches behind him and the wall shook a bit.
It's a good thing the fortress is sturdier than the watchtowers training room, he thought, paying no mind to the commotion.
Watchtower.
Diana's figure materialised at the teleporter and looked around, noticing there were a few heroes standing about in groups. She could take a guess on their topic of discussion. The low ranking ones who noticed her, quickly scampered away trying to look busy while the rest mostly stopped talking as she passed by. She headed to their control room.
News of Queen Maxima visiting the watchtower together with her model guards was the new trending topic among the hero ranks. This information even made the part time heroines; Black canary, Shayera, Huntress, Zatana, to report to the watchtower to see what the hype was all about. They were currently in the hanger with the rest of the onlookers, spying on the almeraci soldiers, waiting to get a glimpse of the infamous queen. Shayera was telling of an occasion in which she had interacted with Maxima during her time in the thanagarian army while the flash was filling them in on everything that had happened since their departure, most couldn't believe that Kara had fought the queen. The present heroines also didn't appreciate the way their fellow hero's were competing for the soldier's attention.
Diana entered the room to find Natasha scrolling through the emergency frequencies while watching the live video feeds from the tower. Since Nat was the one to grant her request for teleportation into the tower from the embassy, she wasn't surprised to see her first stop was there.
"Looking for someone?" Nat asked, fully turning with her chair to look at the princess when she noticed her disappointed expression and how her eyes scanned over the feeds.
"Is it that obvious?" She replied, sensing her tense posture and the mild anger in her tone. "What's wrong?" She asked.
Nat smirked at her, "I asked you first." She countered. Damn these people and their super human senses.
Diana watched her for few more seconds, debating internally on what to do. J'onn's absence together with her behaviour meant that something had come up, maybe an emergency to do with Maxima, but she knew how stubborn the vigilante was so she replied.
"Thor and Superman." She said, knowing the latter would know where Kara and Ben was.
"They are in the fortress." She revealed, noting how surprise flashed over her face.
"They haven't returned yet?" she was sure her trip to and from Themyscira had taken at least more than 12 hours and Clark didn't spend that much time there.
"Clearly they haven't." Nat replied, turning to face the screen again.
Diana was about to ask the reason why but noted the anger in her tone again. "I answered you. Now it's your turn. What's wrong?"
A minute of silence passed thus she concluded the heroine wouldn't tell her anything. She moved forward to type in the coordinates for the fortress to teleport there. She thought back to what Nat said. "You've said Thor is in the fortress?" If true, then who was reigning in the queen?
"Yes he is, and before you ask about him, J'onn is also there."
That got her full attention and she straightened up, looking down at her. "What are they doing there? I thought Thor was to deal with her?" she gestured in the general direction of the hangar.
Nat smiled at the way it was clear that she disliked the entitled queen which she understood because she'd also interacted with Maxima at one point. "He was, then that guy Lobo showed up." Two people who could compete with Thor in terms of strength. This universe was something else, she thought. Shield would have a hard time maintaining extra-terrestrial law and order on this earth.
Now Diana was alarmed, "LOBO!? On earth?" She exclaimed and rapidly typed in the coordinates.
"Don't worry, he already left. They just went to make sure everything is alright." She informed her, but that did little to calm her down. The bounty hunter was another being who she wished she could beat to a pulp.
"And Maxima? Is she with batman?"
"I have no idea." Nat said, "I'm waiting on word from Hal." She answered her earlier question. She had an educated guess that the dark knight was checking up on his sidekick after her recent 'kidnapping.'
Diana paused, recalling the tragedy that befall their rescuer, and her hand gently grasped her shoulder in comfort. "Hal is the best green lantern in the corps. If there's anything to discover, he'll find it and report back."
"I know." She was nonchalant about it and decided to change the topic. "Why do you need to find them?"
Diana took that as a sign that she felt uncomfortable discussing it with her, so she obliged her. "My mother has decided to throw a feast in honour of Superman, Thor and Ben for saving my sister and our home." She explained and watched how Nat had a contemplating look on her. "I'm sorry, but the queen has to personally authorise you to attend." She could guess what she was thinking.
"Damn, there goes my only chance out of this boredom..." She gestured all around them, but Diana knew she wanted to distract herself from the long wait for Hals response.
"Sorry, I will put in a good word for you next time."
"Sure." Nat said, dismissing her and enlarging a feed showcasing Maxima walking alongside a bruised general Mc. Diana saw it too.
"Who's keeping tabs on her?"
"Since Thor and J'onn teleported out? No one." Nat glanced at her fingers, which clenched into a fist. "What's the deal between you and her?"
Diana relaxed her stance, looking away, "she gives royalty a bad reputation."
Nat chuckled because she couldn't argue with that logic. Diana's personality compared to Maxima's were worlds apart. "True. You better go before you cross paths with her." Diana smiled and walked out. That was the last thing she wanted to happen.
"Hey! You there!"
Diana cursed under her breadth when she recognized the queens voice, no doubt following her. 'How did she know where I was?'
"Princess Diana of Themyscira, may I have a minute of your time?" Maxima, who had changed into another attire, sped and blocked her path, deciding to address her formally since she sensed they did not like each other. General Mc took off in small jog to catch up with his queen.
Diana, ever the diplomatic one, stopped to hear her out. She watched the queen give her a once over before there eyes met in a stare down. The general, whose visible wounds were slowly healing, came to a stop beside them.
"How may I help you?" Diana, impatient, asked her giving her a once over. She couldn't understand how a queen could dress in such a skimpy attire and be fine with it. Maxima was practically naked. Her senses clocked the other heroes heading in their direction, no doubt wanting to get a glimpse of her.
'Yes, acknowledge to yourself that I am more beautiful than you ever will be,' the queen thought when she noticed Diana scanning her form.
"I am looking for Thor, the god of thunder." She said, looking around, noticing the heroes were piling from all directions. "We were 'sparring' before the Martian and my general rudely interrupted us." She added, emphasising on the word, sparring.
Diana was lucky she took the word literally and didn't think much of it.
"They had set off to check up on the Lobo situation and now we can't seem to locate any of them." Mc explained. They had attempted to ask the fellow heroes they passed along the corridors but none of them proved useful. All they did was stare at them.
Diana openly stared at the general, who spotted bruises on the visible parts of his body, wondering what had happened to him to be injured that much in such a short time. "Uh...yes they went to check on it. I have just been informed that they are currently on earth." She told them, choosing to be truthful. "They will return once everything is checked out, so you can wait in your designated quarters or anywhere in the watchtower or if you like in your ship."
Maxima nodded, a thoughtful expression on her face, choosing to overlook her last suggestion. Mc did not call her out on it too since Diana was also royalty and just as superior like his queen.
"Where on earth are they?" She asked, but Diana was reluctant to tell her. She had a mind to know that it would be their next destination, which would be disastrous for everyone. Especially the government.
"I am fairly certain they are in the Kryptonians home." Mc answered her, hoping to redeem himself for his failure. Even though his queen got enough time with Thor, she was still livid that they thought she was the one who planned everything.
Diana's whole body tensing indicating that he was right. The queen looked at her, "I assume that is where you are heading?"
"What if I am?" this was not turning out how she planned. After an extensive discussion with her mother, they had decided that the celebration needed to be carried out immediately, because Zeus decreed it and her task was to return to man's world and invite the participants. All those that accepted the invitation would travel back with her. Another reason she readily accepted it was that it was a good opportunity for her to distance them from Maxima and her weird behaviour, thus coercing her to go back to her planet.
"Then I would like to accompany you to make sure Lobo has indeed left your world." Her tone was neutral as she was smart enough to know that the princess would happily turn her down at any provocation.
Her gaze shifted between them, "I can confirm he has. There is no need for you to tag along. I have to go now." She informed them, unconsciously raising her voice.
Maxima moved out of her path and she strode on. The general was about to protest her dismissal but she gestured for him to stay quiet. They watched her retreating back as she headed for the teleporter.
'I have to admit she is quite the looker,' Mc thought as he appreciated the view. Maxima backhanded his chest, making him cough uncontrollably as he soothed the spot. "I apologise my Queen." She clicked her tongue and vanished using her super speed.
Diana who had just stepped onto the teleporter which had started activating, was startled when Maxima suddenly appeared beside her just as it was fully powered and they teleported away.
Fortress of Solitude.
The two figures materialised outside the fortress with Diana's mouth still agape, processing what just happened. Maxima levitated off the ground, looking up at the expansive crystalline structure. Glancing down, she saw Diana glaring at her while she floated up to hover at the same level as her. Their physiology preventing them from feeling the harsh cold weather condition.
"What?" She did what she had to do. Getting bored in the watchtower with a bunch of earthlings was not what she had in mind. Especially after momentarily reading her mind thus knowing her plan of taking her lover, correction lovers, back to her home.
"Why did you do that? I told you to..."
"Forgive me princess, but I have an urgent matter to discuss with Thor. After all, teleporter or not, I could have just flown here." She pointed out the obvious, her haughty tone making a comeback.
Diana backed down, agreeing with her knowing she would have made an appearance no matter what. "It doesn't hurt to be polite." She mumbled to herself, heading for the entrance.
Maxima's enhanced hearing picked it up and she looked at her, "I am a Queen. I don't need to be polite to..." she shut up at the look she was given but returned her glare. She did not want her visit cut short because the princess couldn't stomach her honest opinions thereby admitting Diana had some form of sway among her colleagues. The glare down was interrupted by the fortress door sliding opening.
Diana gave her one last look then flew in, closely followed by her.
Apokolips.
Tower of Rage
Inside the enormous, dimly lit, high temperatured throne room, subtle beads of sweat formed on Kalibak, Steppenwolf and Big Barda's head as they knelt down beside each other in a line in front of their sire's unique throne. None dared to raise their head, each having a foreboding feeling about their chance of surviving the next few hours.
"How can I let you keep your title as the leader of the furies after such disappointment?" Granny Goodness scolded, as she watched the video Cyborg was projecting all over the room.
Desaad was standing beside her, a stoic expression on his face despite how much he wanted to smile at their predicament. At the current rate of their failures, he would outrank both Kalibak and Steppenwolf in no time, something he's wanted to do for so long. He watched as the human with the omnitrix changed into various aliens, easily outmatching the two generals plus Barda. "Pathetic," he muttered when Diamondhead immobilised all of them. Both generals heard him.
"How can a shape shifter and a kryptonian woman make fools of apokolips top generals like this?" Granny wondered aloud, turning to look at the three figures. She had been eagerly anticipating what information Barda would bring back that she sort her out the moment her mother box informed her of their return. To her disappointment, she found her already kneeling down in the throne room due to their failure while Cyborg was projecting a video of everything that had happened in their mission. She walked to them and forcefully lifted Barda's head using her hair. "You better hope that your sister is dead." She told her, "She's lucky to have gotten off so easy."
"Let them be!" Darkseid commanded from his position near cyborg who projected an enhanced video for him that he could interact with. His flaming eyes followed every thing Ben was doing during the attack. His interest grew when he saw him turn into his version of a czarnian with a flawless cloning process.
Granny let go off her head and straightened up, walking away from them to Desaad who was entirely focused on the video showcasing Ben 10. "Fascinating." He mumbled to himself.
Barda assumed his statement, "have you never seen a Martian before?" she retorted. Desaad dismissed her with a wave.
"Why did the bounty hunter abandon you?" Darkseid asked, finally turning to face the trio.
Seconds of silence were quickly passing as each of them thought the other would answer the question.
"He did not say, sire." Steppenwolf spoke up as he had no desire to experience the omega beams. No one moved a muscle, waiting for the dark lords response. The furies stationed around the room were also on high alert and tense, because any of them could be disintegrated within a moments notice.
Darkseid watched them in silence, then turned to the video which had started playing in a loop while he calculated his next move. He focused on the omnitrix symbol. 'That watch could be the key to everything.'
It had just turned the human into a Czarnian, one of the most powerful race in the universe. He had never gotten a chance to experiment on them given that the bounty hunter was stupid and evil enough to erase his own people from existence. Something that irked him since their cloning and healing abilities was unrivalled. Getting a hold of Lobo to experiment on him also proved to be strenuous since he would have to part with a considerable amount of his resources just to reign in his clones. The human however, could turn into a somehow more evolved version of a czarnian. He could tell from the way he cloned himself and how his came with clothes. The other aliens he turned into were equally powerful, since the green ones constructs were powerful enough to immobilise his people. He turned to look at them. No one except Desaad knew about the watch and he intended to keep it that way. He knew they were all loyal to him but anyone of them would happily usurp him to take over his throne. This omnitrix might just be the weapon to grant them a fighting chance.
He looked at Desaad, who stared back at him. The torturer was lucky he had not yet blurted out anything regarding the watch otherwise he would have been forced to kill him.
His gaze landed on a distant projection of the video. One minor detail he clocked was the interaction between the human and the female kryptonian, something he could use to his advantage. It was clear to him that they were fond of each other. That was his pressure point.
"Get up." He ordered the trio, who cautiously faced him ready for any kind of punishment he deemed fit. Barda hoped and prayed it did not involve his omega beams because she wasn't sure if she could survive it.
Darkseid on the other hand couldn't blame them given how powerful the watch was, though he didn't mention it. "Tell me a compelling reason why three of apokolips top soldiers were defeated by a meagre kryptonian and a shape shifter."
The trio stared at him confused, then at themselves, before Kalibak spoke up, "Father, the kryptonian had help from some unknown aliens and a czarnian." He reported, "Even Lobo had to retreat."
As soon as those words left his mouth than the omega beam shot towards him at lightening speed and connected with his chest, sending him crashing back and a painful groan escaped his mouth.
"So my general cannot make his own decisions and references that of the bounty hunter?" Darkseid said, floating past the two and looking down on Kalibak who was getting up. The armour had taken the brunt of the attack.
"Forgive me father." He knelt down.
Darkseid watched him, waiting for him to speak.
He looked up, unsure of what to do, "The czarnian created more clones than we could manage. We had to make a tactical retreat and come up with another plan." He explained.
"Tell me about it."
"Uh...we...we planned to...to..." Kalibak stammered, his mind going blank. They hadn't discussed another one yet.
"You disappoint me." Darkseid said, turning to face Granny Goodness. "What was your role?"
Granny froze, her eyes struggling to hold his fiery gaze. She had been so relaxed that she forgot she wasn't called to this meeting. She showed up and her rank permitted her to sit in. "I provided them with two of my best furies, sire." She said, humbling herself.
"You call these your best?" He asked, rewinding the video to the part where Rath completely dominated the other one. "I should look for another trainer."
Granny swallowed a lamp of saliva in fear and glared at Big Barda. "I will double their training and punish her severely for her failure." She declared kneeling down in submission. On apokolips, when someone outlives their usefulness, that meant they seized to exist.
Darkseid watched her. "Get up." He instructed and Granny shot up, waiting for his command.
The dark lord had come up with a concrete plan. "You will bring me the female kryptonian alive and unharmed." He ordered.
Granny tensed at that and wished she would have stayed in her workshop. "Yes sire." She said, still glaring at Big Barda. I'm going to enjoy punishing you, she thought bitterly.
Darkseid noticed her displeasure and smirked. That should be the motivation she needed to improve the furies capabilities. "Get out."
Granny didn't wait to be told twice, which left the trio in the room.
"What should I do with you three for humiliating Apokolips?" His gaze scanned over their form. He didn't want them to interfere with his plans of acquiring the omnitrix since they proved to be useless. That watch was his top priority now only second to the anti life equation.
He typed into the cyborgs interface and a picture of Thanos during their first encounter popped up.
"Track him down and bring me his head. You can spare two of his followers and take control of his army." He ordered, pointing to the black order. The trio nodded hurriedly as they saw their target. "Should Granny Goodness succeed before you," he said, "just throw yourself into the fiery pits for you will suffer a fate worse than that when I get a hold of you." He warned, as they froze, Kalibak and Steppenwolf cursing their bad luck. Big Barda was contented in staying alive, for now.
"Get out." They didn't wait to be told twice.
"Sire, I don't mean to question you on anything," Desaad started, kneeling down in submission, "are you sure they will succeed? Why not launch an invasion in their sector?"
Darkseids eyes glowed briefly. "I don't care if they succeed. I want them preoccupied so as not to interfere," was his nondescript answer. His son was useless and an idiot who could not be trusted with such important matters. His uncle was incompetent. Infact he couldn't trust anyone in regards to the watch that could allegedly copy his DNA in its entirety and the anti-life equation. Which was why he needed someone who had the same hunger for absolute power like him while being just as powerful. Even though she hated him for killing her mother and sort the anti-life equation in order to kill him, he knew she could be reasoned with. Otherwise he will have to recondition her, something he did not want to do because she was the only heir who was powerful and ruthless enough to replace him when the time came.
"Your will be done." Desaad praised, looking up at him.
"I have a mission for you and this mother box." The dark lord suddenly announced looking at him and Cyborg. Desaad looked up at him warily, hoping it was an achievable mission and not something to take his focus away from the omnitrix.
"Track down Grail." Desaad literally fainted at that statement, an action that brought about a proud smile upon Darkseid's face. His fiery gaze turned to Cyborg.
"Track down my Daughter."