Perhaps I hadn't been gone for as long as I thought I had been. It felt like I was away for at least 5 minutes, but with Raven's reaction time, there was no way she wouldn't be able to teleport to me in that timeframe. Honestly, she should have appeared almost instantaneously. I would know since I usually went off to fight some demons in other dimensions and she still found me whenever she wanted, no matter the distance.
I shook my head. "I am fine. However, they are already gone, and they left some bad news." I said, glancing at the spot they had disappeared from. It was the way they had left, which still impacted me. They didn't create the wormhole to another universe with a technological device. Hell, they didn't even need to power up to do so.
It was just a moment, and suddenly a wormhole appeared that could bridge the gap between universes. It was done so casually as if that feat was just an afterthought. Perhaps it was just because Chronoa was a godlike being that governed over time in the dragon ball universes, which made this feat easy since it came inherent to her being. It would also explain the time delay between Raven's teleportation. Though the feat alone wasn't what disturbed me.
It was who had done it. Chronoa was a character that could easily be beaten by the two Saiyans she was accompanied by. Considering the state their clothes were in and their superficial injuries elevated the threat they were facing to an extraordinary degree. Something that could give them a run for their money wasn't something I could face, even remotely.
Of course, I could assume that they were playing around as they usually did, but then they wouldn't look that pathetic. It was only when it became truly difficult that their clothes suffered for it. Having in mind that they should be capable of transcending time and space itself, or at least not be affected by it, we were in serious trouble. Although I could rip space apart if I pushed myself, there were degrees of space, as I had learned through my trip to another universe.
If Chronoa could easily do it in this universe, then the threats were at least on that level, if not several degrees higher. There was also the fact that the enemy apparently could perceive their names being spoken, so they clearly had some sort of multiversal awareness, which didn't bode well for my chances.
I had one year to prepare and even sped up with my time-slowing machine. That wasn't a whole lot of time. Good thing I unlocked a new transformation, otherwise I wouldn't be able to see myself winning against those. There was also this little thing.
I looked into my hand in which laid a pill-like object with a button on top. It was a capsule, and I wondered what was inside. Bulma mentioned it was something we 'Saiyans' liked, so perhaps a gravity chamber? Most likely. It was a shame that I already have a gravity chamber.
I turned back to Raven, who was warily looking around. "We need to deliver this news to the Justice League. There isn't a lot of time to prepare." Just as I finished speaking, Diana, Bruce, Clark, and J'onn appeared through Zatara's portal.
I turned to them and couldn't help but grimace at what had happened. Although I knew Chronoa meant well by making me whole again, it certainly didn't make things easier for the strange life I had built on earth. Quite the opposite. The Justice League immediately spread out as they appeared, searching for a threat, but once they found nothing, they returned to where Raven and I were floating.
"Let's return first." I stared at Diana, the love of my other self from the original timeline. I felt exceedingly complicated, especially with the two different emotions clashing against each other as I watched her. The Justice League seemed to pick up on the changes I was experiencing, or at least on my less stellar mood.
They nodded, and we returned to where we had been last the Watchtower's cafeteria. No word fell as they waited for what I was about to tell them. I sat down before reaching for something to stress eat. I picked up a potato chip and ate it. "They have already left with the dragon ball and are now heading for the last one. Most of their enemies will gather there, but some are following their trail here. It isn't clear whether they will just leave peacefully after knowing that they have already left. Not to mention, I am here as well. So, they will probably hunt me down, regardless. Chronoa accelerated the local universe's time so that we have one year to prepare until they arrive."
The room fell silent after I finished, clearly needing some time to let the news sink in. "If I am not strong enough, if it truly comes down to it, I can still leave the universe and guide them away from here."
"You don't think you will leave alone, right?" Raven interjected with a frown. Her regained monotone voice had a tinge of anger in it.
"We will not abandon you. We will beat anyone that threatens our peace." Diana heroically said and I couldn't help but give her a thankful smile. She looked surprised, as did the others, making me internally groan slightly at the headache that will be the next few days.
"Do we know who we are up against?" Batman asked.
"Chronoa didn't say their names or describe them for fear that they would realize where they are. So, no." He nodded, but he certainly wasn't happy about our situation.
With a glance around at the familiar faces, I spoke up again. "I… I regained my memories of your timeline. Seems like the people of my universe aren't supposed to have other timeline versions split off the way it does in this universe. She patched my soul up together again, so I remember my life with you again." Most of them looked pleasantly surprised to hear this, but there was also some concern about what it meant for our future.
It had already been complicated before, but now this added another layer. Especially when I looked at Diana. My love from another timeline. I could feel myself yearning for her, for her touch, while also having an indifferent to a somewhat hostile mindset about her because of my conflict with her and how she had attacked Raven.
"I will need some time to sleep on this and if you have me, I would like to take part in training you again for what is coming. I know it's mostly something that affects me and shouldn't concern you, but I just can't leave behind Kara, Raven, and… this life-"
"You don't have to apologize to us for wanting to stay. You are part of this world and, as Diana said, we will not abandon one of our own." Superman stepped forward and spoke with conviction.
I looked around at the league and saw that they too were of the same opinion, and I breathed easier. Although I was confident in my strength and my potential to rise above, it was clear that they still had some room to grow. Perhaps I would be enough to beat my enemies, but it certainly wouldn't hurt if they grew stronger as well, and, to be honest, I would take any help I could take.
Coupled with Chronoa's interference, I guessed traveling to another universe might be beneficial for us. With every universe's different laws, I could probably hone my ki control and the others might benefit from the unique environment and stronger opponents as well.
I could feel Batman's gaze on me, and I returned the look. It was clear with the new perspective I gained through another timeline, but he had certainly changed for the better. My other timeline me had taken it upon himself to make Batman more… human. Catwoman and he were a thing, and he was more of a father person to his bat family than he had before.
It had taken some convincing, but he seemed happy once he made the jump. I wondered if he could regain his life after everything around him changed. The others weren't that much different, though J'onn had a life on earth, and Superman trying to push himself more. Of course, Diana was the biggest one that was affected, and my conflicted feelings were the strongest regarding her.
It was the worst when I looked at her. I could see the hope in her eyes, and I wanted nothing more than to reassure her, while also wanting to deny her. Though I would lie if my love for her didn't overpower my annoyance with her over a settled conflict. After all, which man hadn't been annoyed at his girlfriend for something she did or said?
However, the question remained whether there was even a future for us. Because of Diana's upbringing, she wasn't one to shy away from involving one or more women. However, my harem was something else entirely, and that wasn't to mention whether I could even accept her.
I loved her, but I also loved Raven and she certainly wasn't on good terms with the Amazon. "Thank you all. Hope you won't regret it when all hell breaks loose." I joked and gained some chuckles.
"Don't worry. After I finished my training arc, I will run circles around you." Flash puffed out his chest and pointed at it with his thumb as he exclaimed. It certainly eased the tension a lot. He was great at doing that.
"After realizing that won't be possible, I hope your enthusiasm won't die out in a flash." After joking, I stood up and looked at the league. "Although I won't regret pursuing my goal, I certainly could have done a better job about how I approached it and for that, I am sorry."
"Who would have known that the Saiyan could apologize?" John teased.
"Don't get used to it. This was a one-time thing." After saying that, I turned to Diana. "Let's talk another day. I want to rest for today." She nodded in response with a reassuring smile, though she couldn't hide the sorrow she felt very well. I understood her too well for that.
With a meaningful look at Raven, she teleported us away from the Watchtower only to reappear in our living room. After breathing out heavily, I opened my palm and looked at the league's communicator. Originally, I had intended to return this to them, but I guess I would remain as a quasi-member for now. There were a lot of crimes I would need to atone for even if they had been bettering the world in my eyes.
It wasn't something the league could or even should brush off. They knew this, and I knew it. Perhaps once we overcame the threat in one year, we would evaluate the need for my punishment. Though would I let myself be locked up? Probably not… I sighed and just let Raven lead me to sit on the couch of our living room. She massaged me as we waited for the woman of the hour.
It didn't take long before she arrived. Her life force was growing closer rapidly. It was but a moment after we had returned that she instantly arrived at the entrance door. Her interview must have finished already if she noticed us returning already.
As soon as she threw the door open, she rushed and then crashed into me with a bang. She would have knocked over the couch or simply rip it apart if I hadn't stopped her momentum with my ki control. She hugged me tightly and her tears fell almost instantly.
I held her tightly. It had been over a month for me, and I had already missed her. However, compared to that, her pain must have been a lot harder to bear. To not know if I was alive and well, not knowing if I could ever return or if I even survived, must have been some difficult times. Not to mention that it had been longer for her than it had been for me.
"I am back," I said, as I squeezed her tightly. We just sat there, hugging for a moment, before she finally let go to greet Raven as well. They were best friends after all, so not knowing her fate was almost equivalently bad.
"I knew it… You wouldn't die- you would not leave me." She said while desperately trying to wipe away the tears running down her cheeks. She was hyperventilating as she explained before I turned her face to me by dragging her back into my arms and tilted her face up slightly. I gave her a gentle kiss, causing her breathing to calm down.
I could taste her salty tears as she got her emotions back in control. After noticing her calm down, I looked at her and smiled as I stroked her cheek with my thumb, causing her to lean into my touch. She reached up to my hand and squeezed it, reconfirming that I was there with her.
"I would never leave you." With those words, we made ourselves comfortable on the couch in the living room, while Raven conjured up some water for Kara to drink. With one hand she was drinking and with the other, she held my hand while her back was being rubbed by Raven. To be honest, I wanted to comfort and spoil her even more. "How had you been?"
I asked, even though we kept up to date through our dreams. We weren't able to meet up every night, so the last three days had been silent. Of course, since this was the first time we caught up in 'real life', she retold some things she had been up to and even showed up some of it as she spoke enthusiastically. Her training with Diana, her increased patrols as a hero, her new drawing hobby, and her new job. She started a lot in the few months she was grieving and she appeared to really enjoy it.
During her retelling, she rushed up and showed us a picture of us three cuddling up on a bench, watching a sunset. It was pretty well drawn and had a wholesome and loving charm to it.
Although I had heard of her doings before, I thought it was important to tell her, especially since she wasn't a mind reader or could read the emotions of someone. I looked at the painting she had drawn before turning to her. "This looks great… I am really proud of you. It had been hard on you, but you preserved and instead of whining, you picked yourself up and made moves to improve yourself. I am really proud of you. You did great."
After finishing my words, her eyes widened and then welled up with tears. However, she didn't cry any longer as she clenched her jaw to suppress her tears. She just nodded her head and hugged me again before she muffled the words. "Thank you."
I couldn't help but smile. "Look at you being so mature." I petted her head as I said this in a puppy voice. She chuckled slightly at that while cuddling herself up in my arms. I waved Raven towards us, making her reluctantly join in on our cuddling.
With two women in my arms, my eyes grew heavier, and I let myself drift off to sleep.
…
My sweet dreams were suddenly interrupted by someone, or at least it had woken me up by the sheer life force I sensed coming towards us. I looked around and found only Raven in my arms, though she was already awake with a book in her hands. With a look at the kitchen, I found Kara cooking breakfast for us.
It would have been such a beautiful moment if it weren't for one minor fact souring this. Although I dreaded this interaction, I couldn't drag this out. I couldn't do it to her and I didn't want to.
As soon as I resolved myself, Diana landed in front of our door. She did so quietly and didn't continue to move. She stood in front of the door, waiting. Did she want me to come outside? Just as the question arose in my mind, she moved toward the door and hesitantly rang the bell.
Kara and Raven sighed, both knowing who had arrived. I wasn't the only one that could detect and identify someone without their vision. Kara's super-hearing and Raven's empathy were more than enough to know that someone was approaching, especially if they didn't hide through magical means.
I stood up and headed for the door with the girls in tow. "Please don't be too hard on her. She helped me a lot." Kara whispered though I wasn't sure if she said those words for me or for Raven. Perhaps for us both. Although I felt some annoyance at the previous two altercations, it was overshadowed by the feelings I gained through the merge with my other timeline.
I opened the door and found Diana without her battle gear. No sword or shield. Just her in plain clothes. It was rare that she was to be seen not inside her Wonder Woman armor. However, no matter what she wore, she looked great.
"Diana." I only said her name, as I didn't trust my voice at this moment.
She looked at me while close to tears. She stared deeply at me, and it was more than enough for her to reaffirm that I truly had regained the memories of our time together. Of the time when we were a loving couple, where we connected physically and mentally through pain and love. Though at the same time, we knew it wouldn't be the same as before.
Our relationship had irreversibly changed, and she knew that. So, despite me gaining the knowledge and feelings of the man she once knew, we could never go back to what it once was. Diana smiled at me after having locked eyes with me. It was a smile filled with pain, but I could also see her yearning for me as I did for her.
"Nate." The familiarness she said my name hurt me differently. I wanted to take her into my arms as I did with Kara and tell her that everything was okay now that I was back, but I wasn't sure if I could. She then took her eyes off me to look at Kara. I knew the look she gave her. It was filled with pride, not unlike what I felt for Kara.
After giving her a nod, which made Kara look at her with some pity, she then turned to look at Raven. Diana took a deep breath. "I am sorry. I truly am. What I accused you of just because of my bias towards your demon heritage was no way to treat you. I deeply apologize." Diana bowed her head towards Raven, stunning the half-demon for a moment. "I know a simple apology-"
"It's…" Raven interrupted her before stopping her words again. "I forgive you." Raven finally said, causing Diana to rise and look at her in surprise. It was obvious she didn't expect to be forgiven this easily. It was the kind of woman she was. She was fine with just apologizing, expecting nothing in return and, in turn, it was also how Raven was.
A forgiving person. Even if she mostly saw herself as evil, she could understand good intentions and easily relate to the feelings of others.
"I… thank you." Diana bowed again before returning her attention back to me. "I am here to get my things back. If it's better for you, I can return another day."
"… It's alright." I stepped to the side, letting her inside the house. Although Raven forgave her, there was a lot more for her to be fine with Diana being here. I knew Raven was someone that could forgive her, but that didn't mean she would like for Diana to be here. Perhaps that day would never come, and I would need to accept her decision.
Of course, I was emotionally torn in two directions at this moment. It wasn't a straightforward situation, and I was really mad at Chronoa, who thought that it was a good idea to merge me with another timeline. Not that I disliked loving Diana… Perhaps from her perspective and objectively it might be the best thing to do, but before I had all these memories, life was certainly more clear-cut.
Diana stepped inside hesitantly and with her head slightly lowered as she stepped inside the house. I followed her figure with my eyes as she went into the guest room. My chest hurt as I watched her prepare to pack her things. "Seriously, sometimes." Raven suddenly exclaimed with a groan and a roll of her eyes. "Me forgiving her was my green light. Take her into your arms already. I can literally Feel that you want to." She then grabbed Kara and guided her away.
"Wait, I want to see it." She groaned unhappily but didn't resist too much as Raven pulled her away, leaving me alone. I glanced at them before I shook my head with a slight smile on my face. Sometimes I wondered why I deserved such beautiful girlfriends. They seemed to have talked about it already, or at least they were on the same page. Was it when I didn't join them in the dreams or just this morning?
I returned my attention to the open door of the guest room, still hearing Diana pack her things. To be honest, I was getting nervous with each step I took toward the door. I had no problem heading off to battle and fighting gods and ancient demons, but here I was, getting nervous about meeting my woman from another lifetime.
After I pushed the door open, Diana looked toward me with a shirt in her hand, which she was about to lie in her suitcase. Although she was ready to pack, the gaze in her eyes as she looked at my entrance told me enough to know that she had hoped for this. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best, huh? Seems like she really took my advice back then to heart.
She stepped away from the open suitcase after dropping the shirt into it before taking a careful step toward me. I wasn't sure what the cue was, but at the same time, we moved toward each other and hugged tightly.
Her strength had increased again, I noticed as I felt her embrace me with all her might. Although she wasn't one to cry, I could feel the tears staining my shirt. I leaned my head against hers as I strongly held her. She had suffered enough already.
She was a strong woman, but she deserved care, help, and love from her 'one and only'. "I thought I would lose you... again." Her sobs grew heavier as her fingers dug into my back as she gripped me tightly. Honestly, it was the first time I heard her cry this heavily.
"I am back," I whispered into her ear. It was the only thing I could say. After losing me to another timeline, having to accept the fact that her dear lover was replaced by someone that was hostile to her and loved other women, was already devastating, but to then lose the only familiar face to the unknowns of a collapsing wormhole would have been more than tough.
Even if she knew I was still alive and could return, I would just be someone that looked familiar to the one she had lost. However, now I had returned with my memories back and into her arms. I could practically feel her body growing lighter as she released all the emotional weight she had kept a tight leash on.
For Kara and for a slight hope that I would return to the man she loved, she must have kept tightly on the hope that I would be back. She didn't allow herself to grieve. Keeping on fighting.
Although it was one thing I grew to love about her, for her to bottle everything up wasn't the future I had hoped for her. I would wish she could move on if I had died. However, despite thinking like this, I still felt happy that she was stuck on me, and that she never gave up hope, even after the entire universe changed around her into one she was unfamiliar with.
Even when she was faced with hostility and resistance, with conflict and unknowns, with a seemingly helpless situation, she kept hoping. I loosened my tight embrace to turn her head to me.
For what felt and probably was a lifetime apart, I finally kissed her again. Her lips were soft and smooth. She tasted like I remembered her to taste like, with an added saltiness from her tears. Just the sensation of our lips touching sent a tingle down my spine as I felt energized. My hand stroked her smooth cheek while the other arm wrapped around her waist to pull her into me. Her hands were pulling my head in as she ran them through my hair.
After a few moments, we stopped kissing and just held each other tightly with our foreheads touching. Several moments passed as we just stood there in each other's arms, enjoying that we have found together once again. Of course, our relationship had irreversibly changed with my emotions towards Kara and Raven being as strong as ever, but our love was still there, burning.
As we held each other, we knew we could overcome any future problems together. I wasn't completely the same, and she wasn't either with the memories of this timeline being regained bit by bit, but it was fine as we had each other again. Side-by-side, we would face our future trouble. Once again, we would fight together.