Premise: A Demon-Lord, Cultivator-type character in another world gets recruited by Lucifer to join him in the DC World.
....
Stood atop a desolate peak in his home world, a lone man looked down at the ant-like figures that seemed to be charging up the mountain.
With a sigh, the man proceeded to flex his knuckles, a dark veil of his aura falling over all that was within his sight. To his side, a woman came out of their humble cottage and tapped him on the shoulder, causing the man to look over at her. Signing that she wanted him to be careful, the man replied with a smile,
"Of course, I will, I'll make sure to be finished by dinner..."
*Snap*
A teenage boy's hand pushed down on a metallic bedside table as he clenched his forehead, breaking the bedside table. His eyes couldn't focus as a bright light assaulted his vision.
"Good Afternoon Sir, We are glad to have you back with us, I am contacting the doctors now. Please wait just a moment..." A robotic, kind voice spoke to the confused teenager.
'What the hell is going on? Where did the other two go...?' The boy thought as he tried flexing his fingers, cutting through the air with such a simple gesture. As the bright light died down, he looked down at his hands...
"What the fuck is this?" He spoke as he clenched his hands, confirming they were indeed his own. Before he could ponder any longer, a set of doctors came into the room, causing him to scan the area.
Looking around, he realized that he was in a completely unfamiliar room, surrounded by metallic equipment and advanced medical devices. Then he noticed that the room was bathed in a soft, soothing light. The walls were adorned with beautiful, calming images that seemed to change and move as he looked at them. He felt a sense of calm wash over him, stilling his thoughts.
As the doctors strolled towards him, he noticed a holographic display floating in front of him. It showed a detailed readout of his vital signs, including his heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen levels. He could see that he was being administered medication through a small device attached to his arm.
He looked down and noticed that he was lying on a bed that looked more like a spacecraft than a traditional hospital bed. The bed was surrounded by a network of sensors and wires, he could see that it was actively adjusting to his movements and posture.
"Good afternoon Mr Blackwood, I hope the room is up to your expectations..." The eldest doctor seemed to greet him. However, this caused the boy to feel a tingle in his mind before a bit of information assaulted him.
'My name is...Alistair Blackwood. I'm eighteen years old and...' his thoughts were suddenly cut off by the doctors who seemed to notice the confusion in his eyes.
"I'm really sorry to inform you Mr Blackwood but... you were the only one who made it. We weren't able to save...the rest of your family," the senior doctor spoke before saying he would return later, to give him some time to digest the information.
As he was listening to the doctor's words, he noticed a wave of anger rising within him at the mention of his parent's death, 'No...this isn't anger...it's vengeance.'
Looking concerned, he carried out an in-depth check of his soul, making sure he wasn't harbouring a remnant fragment of the true child's soul within him. Alistair knew that the soul was the essence of a person's being and that keeping it in perfect condition was essential to achieving godhood.
He could feel the energy flowing through him, and he focused his attention on his soul, probing its depths and checking its condition. He examined every aspect of his soul, from its purity to its strength, looking for any signs of weakness or corruption.
As he probed deeper, he felt a sense of satisfaction and relief wash over him. His soul was in perfect condition, untainted by any remnant aspects.
With a final cursory glance over his soul, he withdrew his consciousness from his soul and opened his eyes. Glancing at the clock, he noticed an hour had passed.
'It seems that everything is in order. That must mean...I simply have remnant feelings mentally about this. But if the child truly did have feelings of revenge, then the car 'accident' was more than just that,' Alistair began to ponder before a grin came to his face, 'I'd still have murdered the person who caused the crash anyway, but having a plot behind it? It'll make it all the more flavourful. After all, no one gets away with killing The Heavenly Demon's younger twin brothers.'
As he sat there lost in thought, Alistair's mind wandered back to the last time this body had actually seen his brothers' smiling faces.
Closing his eyes again, Alistair began to investigate his cultivation level, clenching his fists subconsciously.
Nothing.
Empty.
A...Mortal. Albeit, his body had adapted to become slightly stronger, to adapt to his soul.
A blank look consumed his eyes as if he'd lost his soul,
'I'm a fucking...mortal again?'
***
"Mr Blackwood, from the scans we've conducted, you seem to be completely fine. Albeit, a minimal form of super-strength seems to have been noted in our scans. It has been recorded in the Registry of Superpowers as per the Law but it shouldn't cause any problems as long as you dial it down a little. I believe a butler from your estate will be coming very shortly," The old doctor spoke before leaving him with a curt nod, any injections and tubes attached to him and his bed had now been detached.
Alistair nodded back, it had been a few hours since he'd woken up in this familiar world and he'd managed to sort through his memories.
'Jarvis should be here soon, I should go and wash my face at the very least before I go and meet him. After all, I am now the head of the Blackwood Family...' Alistair thought as he went to the bathroom.
As he came out of the hospital, he noticed a distinguished-looking gentleman in his late 50s or early 60s, with salt-and-pepper hair and a well-groomed moustache. He had a lean, athletic build, and his posture was straight and regal, a testament to his years of military training.
Ignatius Doyle had features that were sharp and angular, with high cheekbones and a strong jawline. His eyes were a piercing blue, they seemed to hold a wealth of knowledge and experience. He had a friendly smile, but there was also a hint of mischief in his eyes.
"Master Alistair, it's a pleasure to see you in good health," He spoke with a tone that conveyed his elation at seeing him alive. Giving him a cursory glance, the old man gave him an unexpected hug before he started sniffling,
"Oh how glad I am that you survived Sir, I thought none of you would but... but, Oh how happy I am that, at the very least, you did. I don't know what I would do if I had none of you left..."
Alistair was surprised at this attack, 'He's fast, incredibly so for an average human at his age. I should be glad to have him at my side.'
Alistair awkwardly patted the man on the back before ushering him to their 2450 Rolls Royce Wraith. Yes, you heard that right, Alistair managed to figure out what year he was living in and it hadn't shocked him, after all, this entire existence was foreign to him - even the significance of the date as he didn't know what the year 1 AD would mean.
As the car's engines started, he put his seatbelt on. He managed to watch a video on a thing called 'Youtube' that allowed him to learn of common things in this world that his memories might have missed off.
'That video called [Common things aliens should probably know if they ever came to earth] really helped out...' Alistair sighed in relief as the car took to the skies causing him to suffer a mild panic as he wasn't an immortal yet. This elicited a laugh from Doyle as he cackled,
"Forgot about the lift-off feeling Master Alistair?"
Suddenly, Doyle picked up speed in the flying automobile, a single thought was left in Alistair's mind as he clutched the seatbelt,
'This man is going to get us killed...I don't want to reincarnate again!'
From the front, Doyle was laughing his ass off at the panic of his young master, it was going to be an enjoyable ride home for him. And a welcome distraction for both of them from the reality of what had transpired, even if for just an evening.
***
"Welcome back Master Alistair, to Redcloud Manor," Doyle spoke as he introduced the old estate to its new owner.
"Thank you, Doyle, I'll take it from here, I remember my room and...I would like to take a walk around by myself for some time," Alistair said as he gazed at his new house with memories of the past coming to the front of his mind.
Doyle smiled before yielding,
"Of course sir, simply call on the in-house communicator when you require my assistance. Enjoy the rest of your day and get some rest, you'll need it for the things we'll need to go over tomorrow."
Nodding to him, Alistair began taking his things to his room as he scanned the mansion.
To those from this time, Redcloud Manor was a peculiar sight in the 25th century, a throwback to a bygone era of English architecture and design.
While the surrounding houses were sleek and high-tech, the redcloud manor stands out with its red brick exterior, slate roof, and grand columns that harken back to an earlier time.
Despite its old-fashioned appearance, the manor was well-maintained and updated with modern amenities, blending the best of both worlds. Inside, the majesty of the past meets the technology of the future, with classic furnishings and antique decor contrasted against holographic displays and voice-activated controls.
Looking out of one of the windows on his way to his room, Alistair smiled. The gardens that surrounded the manor were also a contrast to the modern landscape, with colourful blooms and lush greenery that seemed out of place in this high-tech world. However, their beauty and tranquility made them a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of the 25th century for him.
Finally getting to his room, Alistair smiled as he opened the window and collapsed onto his bed. Stretching, he smiled,
"Yeah... I could get used to this."
***
The next day, Alistair had eaten the breakfast that Doyle had prepared for him. The gym of redcloud estate was filled with the sound of grunts and the thud of punches landing on heavy bags as Alistair put himself through a gruelling training regimen.
He moved with fluid grace, each movement precise and efficient as he went through his routine. He then moved on to resistance training, picking up heavy weights and performing a series of reps with ease, his muscles rippling with each movement.
Next, Alistair practised some basic martial arts techniques, his movements lightning-fast as he threw punches and kicks with deadly accuracy at the training dummies. He switched between different styles seamlessly, incorporating moves from unknown martial arts to keep his unpredictability intact.
As the training session progressed, Alistair increased the intensity of his workout, finally piercing his fingers into the dummies head.
"Dark Mantis."
To cool down, he began running on a treadmill at a high speed, his heart pounding less and less in his chest. He then practised some acrobatics, leaping over obstacles and performing flips and twists with ease before collapsing against the wall of the gym.
A towel was thrown at him from afar,
"A good session Master Alistair?"
Alistair nodded as he kept panting, "That was just a warmup Doyle..."
'What type of shit exercise has this body been doing that it can't even do a basic warm-up...I can't even call this training, I'll do this 'conditioning' for the next week and then start refining my body with external martial arts after that,' Alistair thought as he pondered over how weak his body was.
"Very good sir, It seems the accident has really changed your mentality," Doyle spoke with some concern as for the level of punishment he was putting his body through right now.
"Doyle... There's no need to poke around with fanciful words," Alistair said as he looked the butler dead in the eye, a heavy feeling falling on Doyle's shoulders, "You should speak straightforwardly with me, I hate those who run circles with their tongues."
Doyle swallowed, even in his many years of military experience, he hadn't ever felt like this when dealing with a figure of authority. Gulping down hard, Doyle nodded as the figure of his new master seemed to radiate a dark intensity.
"What the hell happened to you, to get you like this master Alistair?"
The pressure seemingly softened and Alistair nodded in appreciation of his butler's straightforwardness, at this point, Alistair had already come up with different stories for different people. To those close to him he claimed,
"I did die...for a while Doyle. I don't know what occurred and you probably won't believe it but...I went to a completely different world for a lifetime."
Doyle's eyes widened as he realised what Alistair was saying, "Y-you're saying you gained powers in another world?"
Alistair nodded,
"Believe it or not, I became the strongest being in another world before returning here after my lifetime came to an end."
Doyle had a shocked expression as he sat down at the same level as Alistair, placing his hands in a thoughtful posture,
"You know that sounds absurd right?"
Alistair nodded as he sipped on some water,
"The soul works in mysterious ways, ey? and now that I'm back, I'm planning on changing some things about this family. But to do that, I'm going to need your help to fill me in on everything."
Doyle came out of his thoughtful posture,
"Sir, your family is everything that I've known, It would be my pleasure to help you change the family standing as you see fit."
"Very Well, what are the things that need my attention first, the matter you spoke of yesterday?" Alistair asked as he got up, "Fill me in on my way to the shower room, and I'll have an answer for you at dinner."
Doyle nodded as they both began to stroll through the hallways of the manor,
"Firstly, I'll assume you've forgotten a few things about the family since a lifetime in another world is definitely enough to forget. And also... I'll add a few things that only your parents, specifically, the head of family Blackwood should know.
Alistair nodded. Doyle sighed,
"Very well, First of all, the Blackwood family has been deeply entrenched in the criminal underworld of Metropolis for at least the past five generations, you being the sixth master. The family has its hands in several different parts, mainly, drug synthesis - not selling though, thats done by a different party. Also, we have neutral bars and restaurants that serve as information hubs for various influential people across the country. The front is a drug development company known as Blackwood Health Solutions, BHS for short."
Alistair nodded. Back in the murim world, before he ascended, he was also involved in some of the unsavoury businesses that the demon cult had their hands in and so didn't flinch at this information. If anything, it was tamer than what he was expecting, they weren't doing anything that was truly... immoral, unlike what he partook in.
"However, a couple of days ago, after the accident, our distributor seems to have taken over some of our labs - claiming them as theirs. Probably because they see the family as weaker, now that your father is gone," Doyle spoke, "The distributor is a family known as the Thawnes, overtly, they are a family of politicians and scientists but in the dark, they have their hands in the underworld."
Alistair nodded, in truth, not knowing much about this Thawne family. He had one hell of an experience in store for him. Entering the shower, the only logical thought came to him,
'Well of course...We destroy them then.'
...
Doyle was sat in his quarters in deep thought.
"The Young Master... Something about his story doesn't seem to add up. It's like he didn't just change but he's... a completely different person," He spoke to himself out loud, "No that's a dangerous thought, nothing changes the fact that the young master has changed for the foreseeable future. And maybe it's for the best he has...He's going to need any and all of his abilities to hold off the greedy hands of our enemies."