Kara was about to head into the kitchen when someone suddenly dropped a plate holding some steaming hot meals on the table. The meals looked and smelt freshly cooked. I looked over at the person dropping off food and found Maxima and her assistant, Sazu, standing next to the table with a wormhole behind them.
Sazu bowed slightly at me before leaving with the wormhole again. She said nothing, but from what I have heard, she would take care of matters while Maxima was otherwise occupied. The queen, on the other hand, swept her gaze through the women present before settling on me before a slight smile appeared on her face.
I stood up and hugged her to greet her, which she reciprocated. "Long time no see. You brought something to eat?" I asked as I settled with her at the table, with the others following. Kara immediately took the seat next to me, while the others just settled for an available seat around the kitchen table.
"Indeed, it has been a while. I thought it would be prudent to celebrate your return with a feast worthy of Saiyans. Surviving what you have isn't something anyone can boast of. I heard you were messing with time?" She asked with an amused expression as if she had known my situation was inevitable.
I nodded. "Yes, and then Raven and I made a trip to another universe afterwards and now we are back." She strongly patted my shoulder before glancing at Kara, making her cease her actions. Her hands settled back into her lap.
"Your circumstances certainly escalate with your strength... Shall we eat?" She asked, waving at the table with an open palm. Her attitude seemed to have mellowed out, or rather, she was less domineering with her flirtings. It looked like Kara's constant reminders had successfully made her back off? Though at the same time, she also looked more mature and regal. Perhaps she just matured in the time I was away?
It wasn't a long time, but it still was a few months. Many things could happen in that relatively speaking short time. People could change drastically, especially people that were pushed to a position where they were forced to grow like her position as queen. She had been queen before, but now she actually valued the opinions of her populace, at least a lot more than she used to.
Not to mention, running a world wasn't too easy when there were several civilizations around that were capable and willing to go to war for some trivial slight. Fortunately, she had the boon of being incredibly powerful compared to the rest of the universe, intimidating most to back off from a conflict with her.
"Seriously, starting without me?" Another voice suddenly called out just after I sensed her life force appearing on the couch in the living room. I turned my head and looked at the relaxing form of Felicia in her Black Cat's tights.
She stood up and strolled towards us with the grace of a feline. Before she had the chance to sit on a chair, I stood up. I gave her a hug, which seemed to have caught her off-guard before she returned it.
Afterward, she sat across from me, next to Shayera and Diana. The bag she was holding revealed that she didn't come without presents. After placing it on the table, she looked at me with a polite smile on her face as she spoke. "I heard you survived some weird ass time shenanigans? Not that I doubted anything could kill you, of course. Could have sent a text, though."
She looked rather relieved to see me despite her joking words and, like Maxima, she seemed less wanting to flirt with me. Or was it because the number of women present was intimidating?
I couldn't help but smile at her. "It was a close one, but we managed. What I am curious about is, since when are you able to teleport?"
She scoffed at that. "I am a thie..." She glanced over at Diana before coughing and then continued. "… an artist. Having something to teleport me and my valuable collection out of trouble is hella important." She said as she filled her plate with some alien food without even asking what it was. Had she eaten this before? Felicia and Maxima had spent a lot of time together when they were hanging around my place, after all. Her taking some food caused me and then the others to move as well.
"I thought you were in for the thrill of stealing?" I asked with a smirk.
"Really?" She nervously looked over at Diana, who was filling her plate with some scrambled eggs as if she didn't hear our talk. "She isn't going to bust me, right? I haven't stolen anything in a long time... At least, not from earth."
Maxima sent a glare at Felicia, who raised her hands. "Not from Almerac either, chill. Just some artifacts from other dimensions." I couldn't help but raise my eyebrow at that, leaving me with some questions, though Maxima's immediate reaction clued me in on how she even got to some teleportation device.
"From other dimensions? Why are you going out of the way to steal from another dimension?" I said, after placing the first empty plate to the side before grabbing the next one.
"You know... because shiny." She said with slightly thinned lips as she poked her bacon.
"So it has nothing to do with you being from another universe, right?" I asked casually, though my words had undoubtedly a shock value to it. It not only surprised Felicia, causing her to drop her fork but also attracted the other's attention or at least heightened their attention. They were listening in on our conversation even if they pretended not to, after all.
"What...?"
"I guess I can tell you two now. In a year's time, we will get some visit that might threaten your lives. I am not sure whether all life is doomed, but they might pay you a visit because you had some contact with me. Currently, another group is trying to make every willing foreigners of this multiverse teleport to their original universe."
I let my words sink in for a moment. I had always suspected that Felicia wasn't native to this world. She bore the name Black Cat, someone who was frequently in an entanglement with Spiderman after all, but I was never certain.
To be honest, I didn't look or thought too deeply on it since her surface memories revealed nothing in that direction and I wasn't too sure about her original appearance. Even when I dived deeper into the last few years of her memories, it never really revealed anything off. She seemed to have been here for a while now. For a few years, perhaps even a decade already.
I figured it was a coincidence and the reason I never heard of Black Cat in the DC universe would be because of copyright issues. There was an imposter Spiderman in the Young Justice series with just his name and appearance differing slightly.
"Seriously?!" Felicia exclaimed. "Ugh. So I only have a year to decide whether to return?" She said aggravated, before slumping into her chair as she nibbled on her toast. I didn't tell her she might have even less time, considering that they were already on their way to get the last dragon ball and make their wish. With a blank look at her plate, she was in deep thoughts. Maxima was obviously surprised as well before she shook her head and then looked at her high-tech vambrace to type something on it.
After a moment, Felicia returned to the present and looked at me with complicated emotions welling just underneath the surface. Her gaze grew increasingly intense, and I returned the look, waiting for what conclusion she came to. "I want to train with you again and all that ki, chi, or whatever. I want to learn it too! If someone comes for my beautiful ass, I want to be able to defend myself."
Maxima rose her head at that and nodded. "I want to train with you again as well." Seeing them come to that conclusion made me honestly smile and chuckle slightly. They had somewhat improved since the last time I saw them, but they clearly weren't on the level where I didn't have to worry about them. They certainly weren't willing to be a damsel in distress. These two weren't my friends for nothing.
I wouldn't leave them to their own devices if I knew I could help them get stronger. A simple ki training would suffice for them. They certainly won't master it to shoot some ki blasts, but it had to be enough to boost their strength and survivability. My 'previous' experience had taught me that the training would be beneficial to them.
To master ki was several times more difficult for the natives of this world, but the training certainly had some boosting effect on them. One only had to look at Batman, who was now physically 5 times stronger than he had been before. It wasn't enough for him to go toe to toe to Superman, but it certainly gave him more options.
I nodded my head. "Of course. Did you think I would let you become some helpless chumps who couldn't do anything besides die? Training you had been on my list already." I looked over at Shayera and Diana. "That includes you two, of course." They nodded gratefully, though they also looked somewhat overwhelmed with the current situation, as they continued to glance at Maxima and Felicia.
Did Kara not explain our relationship to them? Wait, she mentioned to me that Diana and Maxima had met, though did she explain everything? I should probably clarify things later... With that in the back of my mind, I turned back to the woman in tights. "By the way, Felicia, how is Shiva?"
She waved her hand dismissively. "Still looking to die or whatever. Haven't seen her for quite some time."
I figured as much. She was probably out doing some shenanigans in another dimension as well. At least, I couldn't sense her life force on earth. After thinking to this point, I placed the tenth plate onto the stack that had accumulated during the breakfast before lifting them telekinetically towards the sink to wash them.
I was about to stand up and announce my departure as I wanted to give Bruce a quick visit when Felicia suddenly spoke up. "Hey, Nate? …Glad that you are back." Maxima patted on my shoulder to convey her feelings as well.
To be honest, it had felt like a lifetime since the last time I saw them. With the fights with Darkseid, then the altercation with the Justice League and then our misplacement into another universe, there had been little time to interact with them besides the occasional text, which had been too few as well.
The several months now apart really hammered down that we hadn't been able to spend much time together. Perhaps it had been the best for Kara and the development of my relationship with Raven since Maxima and Felicia were mostly out just to sleep with me, but I certainly missed their presence.
"I am glad to be back and I deeply appreciate you guys being here." They smiled appreciatively, though they also looked somewhat pained.
"You looked like you were about to head out?" Kara asked as she brought her attention away from Maxima and Felicia to look at me.
"Yes, I wanted to visit Batman-" Before I could finish, she interrupted me.
"That's a great idea. I have something to talk with the ones present, anyway." She said, making the atmosphere between the women tense up. Although I could tell that she wasn't as prone to jealousy as she was used to and instead was pushing me towards my 'luck', she still unconsciously assumed the leader position of my little... harem.
I would love them and value their opinion all the same or at least try to, but there was a degree of respect she had garnered from the others. It was especially developed now that I had spent some time away, and she had to become somewhat independent. I quite liked the development. Although I wanted the others to be heard as well, she was still my first girlfriend, not counting timeline shenanigans...
"Right... Don't be too hard on them."
She snorted at that. "Don't worry, I won't." I nodded and stood up to leave. I leaned down and gave Kara a kiss, which she received with an appreciative hum before I gave one to Raven and then Diana, getting some pleasant responses from each of them. It was a bit awkward with the others, but I settled with a hug before stepping out of the house.
It felt like I exited a house that was about to explode. I shook my head and trusted Kara to be reasonable. I took off into the sky. To be honest, it was also to see how she dealt with everyone now that my relationship with her had grown more 'open'. I was still somewhat uncomfortable with it, as it was unfamiliar territory for me. I had experienced something similar in my previous life, but not to the same degree, and obviously not with women who had such strong personalities...
My senses locked onto Batman's life force as I rose into the sky. Just as I reached enough altitude, I noticed several life forces heading towards me, or rather, my home. It took me a moment to realize who I was actually sensing before I stopped and wait for them. They arrived and spotted me quite quickly. I floated in the air as they approached me slowly.
They were the furies. The new gods of Apokolips, once subjects to Darkseid and now mind controlled by me, though I wonder if the Justice League had reverted my control on them.
"Master!" That answered it. I guessed they didn't remove my mind control? I looked at Big Barda as she bowed, and her companions followed her example. "You have returned." They looked rather ecstatic to see me.
Witnessing them being happy to see me made me groan internally. At least, they didn't have any romantic interest in me. It wasn't something I had programmed into their minds, so I wasn't worried about that. Though the interaction with Maxima and Felicia just now and now watching this group made me painfully aware of how many women I surrounded myself with.
Not to mention the few male buddies I actually had. I looked at Steppenwolf that followed the female furies. He didn't really count as a male buddy. The only buddies I really had were the ones I made in another timeline. It really said a lot about me, didn't it?
"Good to see you. I assume you are doing well." I said as I glanced over at the group. They didn't seem to do badly as their life force had increased substantially. They certainly didn't slack. I had only put into their mind to be a force for the good and to obey my commands, so it somewhat surprised me they improved.
"We have been doing good. We have awaited your return. What is your command?" Big Barda floated forward, standing out of the group as their leader. I nodded at her as I thought about it.
"... Train hard. There is a threat coming for us soon. Be at your best in a year's time... Go speak to Kara. She will inform you about the details." They nodded and looked rather happy to get an order from me. Not surprising, considering what was wired into their minds.
As I watched them head towards my home where Kara would welcome them, I wondered why the Justice League didn't have J'onn undo my mind control. Perhaps they were just not capable of subduing the group to work on their minds. The furies certainly wouldn't just stand there and let their minds be messed with, especially considering how difficult it was to mess with their minds.
It wasn't something even a natural telepath like the Martian Manhunter could just do on the fly. Something like that took days, weeks, or even months. Though I had the confidence that J'onn could get it done in the end, perhaps even better than I could. I shook my head and decided not to think about it anymore. For now, they would remain under my control. There was too big of a threat to release them and have these powerhouses not help us.
I returned my journey to my buddy. It didn't take long for me to reach his mansion and into his little cave. It was expectedly dark, but it didn't differ too much from my memories of the other timeline. Just some trophies arranged somewhat differently, and some added to it. After a moment, I floated quietly towards the dark figure that was lingering at his bat computer.
"I didn't expect you to visit me already." He said before I even announced my entrance. I couldn't help but narrow my eyes.
"Do you just randomly say these things when you expect to be alone, or did you genuinely notice me?" I asked, making him turn his head. He narrowed his eyes at me, giving me the information I needed. "So you do, but you also noticed me. Gotcha."
I floated down and then leaned against the desk to his right. He turned his body and looked at me. "You've come unannounced."
"Since when did I need an invitation?" I asked, remembering all the times I pranked him, which he heavily disliked, but since I made them harmless and rarely disrupted his work like painting some of his things pink, he let it be and grown to appreciate them. At least, he didn't complain, which was as much as appreciating them, right?
"Since the time you have changed." He said as he stood up with his cloak covering his body completely. Was he preparing to defend himself? Probably. I did little to earn his trust recently. Coming unannounced to his haven was probably not such a great idea, after all.
"I did." I simply said. "People change with time. At least that is something you should hope for, right?" At this moment, it was like the months when we hadn't met didn't happen. It was like we finished our conflict.
"Yes, but I do not hope for the worse... I am not saying that your goal wasn't something I can't relate to. I really do." He said as he looked to the side in thought before he reached out for his cowl and pulled it off his face. He looked at me intensely and full of sympathy, something I rarely see. "I had thought about it as well... to go back in time."
"But you didn't, rightfully so. The consequences are dire, after all." I said, still leaning relaxed against his desk. We both knew it would be a dumb idea to travel back in time to change something. It was why I didn't actually want to change anything. I just wanted information and then leave again before affecting anything.
In the end, I realized it was not that simple, but rarely anything in life was simple. I simply miscalculated and all that effort, all the blood I shed, and all the minds I controlled were, in fact, all for naught. I should have stuck with becoming so powerful that I could just ignore the bounds of the universes and travel back to my universe with just my will. Not that it mattered now any longer.
"Indeed, your plan... intentions will not absolve you. You have changed once. You can do it again."
"Easier said than done. I still have an option left and I will pursue it to the end. If technology won't bring me back, then I will have to do it by myself." I said as I thought about the glimmer of hope Chronoa had given me at their departure. It wasn't something I hadn't thought of, but the alternatives would have been faster and actually attainable. Now there is only one way and I can focus on it rather than let myself get distracted. Something that might not come true in the end. And something I shouldn't count on to become a reality.
"And what are you willing to give up for it?" He looked at me deeply, as if he saw his own reflection in me.
"Not something that is truly important." This made him smile slightly.
"Thought you would say that."
"Yeah, why's that?"
"You made me try to move on with my life. Although I too can't fully let go, because of you, I had made some progress." He said, looking proud and somewhat relieved to see me. Perhaps he was now truly convinced that I had regained my memories.
"About that. Where's Selina? You have gotten back with her, right?" I asked as I looked around to see some clues of her presence, but couldn't find anything. I was pretty sure he had some life force dampening installed in his cave. After the first time other me had broken into his cave and found him, he had immediately grilled me before other me cracked and told him about my ki sense.
There was no way he hadn't reinstalled them into his cave. The only reason I was able to sense him was because he had allowed it. "I- there was no time until now." He put on a stoic expression as he turned slightly away at my inquiry.
"Seriously, Bruce? What the hell was so important to not give her a visit once or twice a week?" I asked incredulously.
"Bringing you back for one. And crime doesn't sleep-" He excused himself, but I wasn't having it.
"And you barely sleep as well. There was no way you didn't have 'time'. You chickened out." I concluded, causing him to groan out. "You know what? Do you want to see how much I changed? If you don't get back together with her in a month, I will take her."
This caused him to narrow his eyes at me, but I was already familiar with it and honestly, with my level of strength, there were only a few things that could scare me. Bruce, being angry, wasn't one of them. "You wouldn't-"
"I will have her purr my name." Honestly, he looked like he was about to swing at me, so pushed myself off the desk and approached him to offer my cheek with a smirk on my face. "For real, get her back or you will regret it. It will be payback for what you did to Clark's girl."
He scowled at that. "They weren't together, and I didn't sleep with Lois. It was just a date."
"You two aren't dating either, so it won't bother you if I 'just went on a date' with her, right?"
"I am second guessing whether it was a good idea to have you back. You changed for the worse." Of course, I was mostly joking so he could get his act together, and he knew that too, though he also knew if he truly didn't move, I would make him regret it.
Not that I would go for Selina since I didn't want to upset Kara with yet another women, but he probably didn't know the full extent of my promiscuous relationship with Kara and the others.
"Oh boy, you don't know half of it." After I had my fun joking with him, I put my hand on his shoulders. "Two more things and in all seriousness now. Thank you for the upgrades. It is much appreciated." He nodded slowly, waiting for the second thing. "Discontinue and delete all your recordings in my training hall. My girls and I get it on sometime in there and if you have some tape lying around with them in the picture, I will let hell break loose. I don't care how 'save' your supercomputer is, I don't care that you have it buried inside a vault under the ground or installed it in the sun's core. No system is safe, so do me a favor and delete everything. Capiche?"
He nodded at that. "I don't save any recordings, just data for the highest capacity and how your bodies are affected-... I will fry the bugs and cameras."
"Yeah, you better." I looked at the screen, causing him to sigh before typing something into his computer. After a moment he got a response before he made a, there you go, gesture. I nodded before turning around and was about to walk out when he spoke again.
"Did you just threaten me because you suspected it would be something I would do, or did something gave it away?" He asked, causing me to smirk at him.
He rolled his eyes. "Should have guessed it."
"Anyway, no new bugs or I will tell the girls about it. Let's see whether Diana will be so lenient with you and only give you a verbal reminder." She would trash this place, turn it upside down just to give him a message, and then beat him up just for good measure. Honestly, it was something I wanted to do.
After a moment, a certain butler appeared with a cup of tea on his plate. He looked surprised to see me, though I knew he had been listening in on us. Superhearing was a thing even without my ki sense. Didn't really mind his presence since I knew Alfred was the voice of reason in this house.
"See ya, Alfred. Bruce."
"Welcome back." He muttered as I flew out, heading back to my place. Seeing how he was doing and reminding him to not record me was all I needed before I could train without worries. Of course, I knew he would still collect data, but it would most likely be from outside. I probably should borrow Diana's lasso to make him tell the truth about whether he truly removed his bugs. I would also need to arrange a double date once he was back together with Selina.
...
Alfred looked at his dis-cowled master. He had just overheard the two's conversation and had to admit he had been uncomfortable with the idea of spying on these young women. It certainly wasn't particularly nice.
Though it was surprising that it was the Saiyan that Bruce had been worrying about who scolded him. It certainly left a good first impression on him.
"Do we need to go in hiding, sir?" Bruce looked at him before grunting a no as he pulled his cowl back over his head.
"No... Selina's address hadn't changed, right?"
"Not that I am aware of." He said as he looked at Bruce getting up to head over to his Batmobile. It was good to see him act this quickly after Shallot's 'threat. Seemed like it was the push Bruce had needed to pursue his 'young love'. Although he wouldn't consider Selina Kyle as the best option, she was certainly the best out of a lot of candidates Bruce was interested in more than just a 'disguise'.
Should he have pushed Bruce as well? Perhaps say something similar to him to give him the kick in the butt that he so apparently needed. Alfred shook his head and cleaned up after his young master, awaiting the good news. Maybe for this morning, he would need to prepare breakfast for two…