Sewer King - An SI in Gotham - DaoOfGay, KingOfGays (DaoOfGay) (2024)

Chapter 1: Into the Sewers

Chapter Text

You see, waking up in an unfamiliar world was not that of a novelty for him. Being a lucid dreamer, he was able to mostly maintain his focus and calm as he felt pain on the back of his head... He looked around first, the darkness and dampness of the surrounding area was heavy, it made the air thick with this weird and very uncomfortable warmth to it. 'One, two, three, four, five... six, seven, eight, nine, ten- No, I must've counted it wrong.' Blinkig haphazardly and slowly getting into panic mode, he once more counted his fingers, making the reality check: '-ten. f*ck, oh f*ck, oh sh*t oh f*ck oh sh*t-' It was almost a reflex at this point, but while he was internally panicking, he asserted his surroundings. Meet Atlas, or rather, Atlas...? What was his surname again? He knows he's the son of- wait, who was his mother again? No, that's not right. He remembers clearly that his father's name was-

Wait... why can't he remember?

'Okay, at least I remember my first name... Atlas. Atlas it is.' This was a disorienting situation, but he was used to this- He doesn't remember exactly why, but he's got the sensation that maybe he had experience with being in highly stressful situations? Even though he could feel panic grip his heartstrings and play it like a fiddle, his mind was still analytical and observant. He noticed the hole above him, where he most likely had either fallen from or been thrown down, and looking at his own body- it was a rather nice body, all things considered... He had some fat, not a lot of it, but definitely a body of someone who doesn't exercise regularly. He had long fingers that had calluses, a sign of someone who is hard working, and he also had various tiny scars across his arms, they looked like small cuts too. 'Self inflicted?' An option not to be dismissed, but not to be analyzed further because he saw the glaring problem he was going to have- the lack of legs.

From halfway up the thigh down, he had no legs.

Only these stumps that still hurt. 'Ah, that's why I didn't notice I don't have legs.' Because he was feeling what was called Phantom Limb Syndrome a condition in which patients experience sensations, whether painful or otherwise, in a limb that does not exist. It has been reported to occur in 80-100% of amputees, and typically has a chronic course, often resistant to treatment. 'And the Phantom Pain too.' He winced slightly at the stabbing sensation of pain in an invisible and long gone pair of legs, which was really weird! He moved his stumps a little bit before he shrugged- adapt. That's what he'll do! 'Don't have legs? Drag myself with my arms. Don't have arms? Wiggle like a worm- if worms can do it, so can I!' He was able to place both hands on the wet and sloppy ground, he cringed at the sensation before looking down to see this green goo that looked really disgusting. "Urgh- oh, my voice sounds different... younger?" So he was younger? It was definitely his voice, he could tell and feel it deep within his soul, it was his voice.

'Also, what the f*ck is that?' He narrowed his eyes when he this small and translucent book icon in the corner of his vision, and no matter where he looked, it would move alongside his vision with no hesitation. It was almost like an unseen hound attached to the side of his vision, like on of those criptids from American culture or whatever... what was his name again? Hidebehind or something like that? That one that if it stays still, it can simply hide whenever and wherever and its almlst impossible to notice they're there. He focused for a moment on the floating book icon and he could see it expand for a split second and-

Library is Open

Would you like to browse?

Search

Perks

By Topics

Reading

Finished Books

Q&A | Manifest | Configurations

'...what is this...' There was this almost, metaphysical understanding of the thing before him. It was a manifestation of a single word: Library. Just by wondering what this was, he knew what it was- a library, containing the knowledge of thousands of different worlds with different concepts, nations, people, and thoughts. It was simply amazing, to have access to such magnificent and incredible source of knowledge... 'I mean, is there anything to help me, here and now, to get out of this situation?' He wiped his greened hand on his shirt- it was dirty anyway -before he guided his index finger to touch the screen and- it passed right through it. "Ah... right." It was only in his head, after all! Instead, he imagined a single finger touching the words [Configurations] in front of his eyes- immediately, the screen faded into another, and this one had a few other things.

Configurations

Subtitles - On/Off

Background Music - On/Off

Background Sounds Subtitles - On/Off

Clock - On/Off

Alarm - On/Off

Night Mode - On/Off

Interdimensional GPS - On/Off

Calm Mind Mode - On/Off

Book Autocopy - On/Off

Archive Storage Percentage - On/Off

"Huh..." Reading over and over the ten options he had, Atlas was able to discern what each and every single one of these did. The moment he looked at the he realized what they could do, almost as if knowledge blossomed within his mind like a pale white flower. "Interesting." Truly interesting, seeing as these options were rather simple in concept and in action, but he could think of a few ways he could use them- They were also given a set of rules and specifics of what applied to them.

Let me explain.

Subtitles - A very easy one to understand, right? People speak and words appear in front of them that only he can see. These words are in tbe English language, and he can read them to understand what others are saying. This could only work if lip movement is happening, meaning that he could not secretly infiltrate psychic conversations between people, sadly. Also, it only translated words and language, it didn't mean he would be able to speak that person's language, he would only understand what they're saying. It doesn't work on plans or animals, but it may work on other sentient plant-like or animal-like species (I am Groot).

Background Music - This was rather interesting... Once he turns it on, he will hear the ambient song. The song that would be playing around him depending on where he was or what he was doing. This was great for boss battles because it would automatically start playing boss music, but at other moments it would just be weird sounds. Not that he would mind, it sounds like he is listening to the world around him (He could also think of an application for this- certain people have certain musics associated with them. This could be used as an alarm system!) with his heart and soul.

Background Sounds Subtitles - This one was a combination of the previous too. Instead, there would be a small section of his vision that would have this little chat box where description of noises around him would be placed. Like in Minecraft, he would be able to read things like <Footsteps> or <Water Moving> or something like that- this could also be used as a rudimentary surveillance system. There wasn't any specifics about the range of this thing, but there were no indications of it ever having range. (He imagined reading something along the lines of <Serial Killer Approaching> and he shuttered)

Clock - Just a good ol' clock. It's [10:07 AM] right now.

Alarm - Just a regular alarm. He could set it up, and it would ring inside his head- great for timing things.

Night Mode - It made the bright screen way softer and looking darker too. It made his eyes relax a little, he kept it on.

Interdimensional GPS - This one was the most interesting of them all in his opinion. It was both a GPS as well as a maping function, marking the places he has been and making this internal mental map of everywhere he has been before. The GPS function was weird because it used him as both the "satellite" and the "receiver", meaning his mind would receive directions to where to go depending on where the location was- and now here's the catch. The GPS only works if he has some sort of magic within him- no matter what type, he needs to know at least one type of magic for this to work. Hey, at least the map function works okay and he can only see this small dot where he was, meaning this was the only spot he has ever been. A sewer... great.

Calm Mind Mode - This one here explained how he hasn't freaked out yet, which is great honesty. This "mode" suppressed his emotions of panic to a certain degree, making him rational enough to function and not f*ck up everything! This was really helpful actually, which was why he was able to read this entire list of things without freaking out about the fact that he didn't know where he was. He was going to keep this one active because it also gave a minor protection against psychics and other mental attacks, which was great and useful until he learns how to do that himself and protect himself against it.

Book Autocopy - Oh, this function here was rather wonky...? It basically copied down every information he could touch into books within his mind, those books were stored away and he could read them later. The wonky thing is that it didn't really define "information" well, which to his understanding and if he is right about this, he could technically touch a computer and store every single file within it inside his head, which sounds both awesome and painful. And... memories, memories also counted as information. (Does this mean he can touch someone and absorb their memories?)

Archive Storage Percentage - This one was easy to understand- it simply showed how much of his archive he has filled with books. These were the books copied from Book Autocopy and this wasn't really useful at the moment.

And that's about it in [Configurations], he wanted to take a look-see at the other options, but he suddenly saw in the corner of his eyes-

[<Footsteps approaching>]

[<Water Splashing>]

[<Heavy Footsteps>]

-and, well, what could he realistically do? He pulled himself towards the end of this sewer tunnel. He looked back as he slowly dragged himself- his body wasn't strong, okay? Give him a break! -and what he saw scared him enough that he almost let out a girly scream. It's not every single day of your damn life you see a big, 7 feet tall (at least) crocodile walking on two feet like a man!

"[King Croc (Menacingly): I smell fresh meat...]"

Oh, hey.

The Subtitles work.

For a complete experience, read at QQ:

https://forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/sewer-king-an-si-in-gotham.26740/#post-8250215

Chapter 2: Not into Vore!

Chapter Text

"[King Croc (Menacingly): I smell fresh meat...]"

Atlas' brain- although panicking and screaming for him to run away like, yesterday (His body forgot he doesn't have legs) -was working overdrive to make him think. First of all, he recognized the name, after all, who wouldn't? One of Batman's animal themed villains, which sounds weird when you put the Joker and Mr N-word or whatever was his name. Atlas wasn't a comic book fan, he had browsed the Fandom Wiki page for a few heroes back home (He's pretty sure there were no super heroes back home, even though he's having a hard time remembering where he's from) when he wanted to write explicit fanfic. He remembered a few things, like how Batman was Bruce Wayne and that he was Bi, how Clark Kent was Superman and that he was pretty hot, how he would write Barry Allen as the hungriest bottom on the planet because it was fun...

He also loved using the Pink Kryptonite as a plot device.

Besides his rather lewd habits, he was now face to face to one of Batman's villains. And he looked a little bit different than he had seen on the internet... He looked more crocodile than man, and that was what made him feel like a monster, right? 'Please let me be dealing with a reasonable Croc- I'm not into vore!' Atlas winced when his hand dug into the ground and a sharp something cut his hand- oh no, and he's in the sewers! He needs to do something about before he gets Super Cancer Aids Death Zombie Virus that makes your Dick Fall Off Disease- I mean, what sickness would you get if not something deadly in the sewers of Gotham? 'Holy sh*t, I'm in Gotham... And I have no legs, f*ck!' With no legs he would be a good target for others, seeing as he is more vulnerable and will have a way harder time escaping from danger.

Ergo: now.

"[Killer Croc (Menacingly...?): Ah... Fresh meat, huh? Good to find you...?]" Croc had taken a few steps towards him and Atlas had felt like he was going to either be attacked or killed, but that might have been his mind just screaming at him because of the perceived danger he was in. Because in a strange twist of fate, Killer Croc seemed... worried? Well, his voice seemed to do a little uncertain twist at the end that happens when people are unsure about something, and a part of his mind also recognized a tiny hint of worry on his voice. This was the first time a big crocodile man is worried about him! As they say, first time for everything, huh? As Killer Croc got closer, Atlas saw the big guy step into the light coming from above, from the single hole that was the entrace to the sewers that Atlas had seen. '...oh no, he's hot.'

[This one]

Green scales forming plaques of protective armor around his enormous body, a long, long tail that ended at a jagged point, and wearing only a leather jacket. That was Waylon Johnes, mostly known as Killer Croc. Atlas was rather surprised- this one was a complete humanoid crocodile instead of the ones he remembered Killer Croc as. "[Killer Crock (Intimidating): Tell me, little guy, what're you doin' here? I wasn't planning on getting dinner today yet...]"

"Uh... Well, glad to be invited? I mean, considering the circ*mstances I'm in, being invited to a date with the Killer Croc doesn't seem that bad-" What the f*ck is he talking about!? Atlas! Hey, brain, do something about this! Look at what we're doing for f*ck's sake! We're flirting with the guy famous for eating people (kinda? he doesn't really know), a dangerous and... kinda hot criminal! 'Awn f*ck, I'm a monsterf*cker.' Right, he forgot that simple fact... Although he doesn't remember details of his life, he's pretty sure he was a great fanfic writer, and that he wrote some pretty raunchy stuff about monsters too. It's not that he's a furry- okay, he might be, but he will f*ck whatever resembles a man the most, with their consent of course! "-but I hope you got reservations from somewhere outside this place, I'm just saying, not really romantic at all." There was a few moments of awkward silence before the big crocodile man started to shake- Atlas was nervous, did do something bad? Of course he did oh gods, he's gonna get eaten.

"[Waylon Jones (Laughing): Pffft- Oh f*ck, that's a first! Never heard someone flirting with me so openly before.]" Trying to contain his laughter, Killer- No, Waylon Jones grinned at him. His sharp crocodile teeth reflected the light coming from above like a spotlight, making them look more menacing than intended- after all, Waylon had simply smiled, its not his fault he looks menacing by default! "[Waylon Jones (Humorous): So, lil' guy, what you doin' in the sewers then? As much as I am incredibly handsome, someone wouldn't come down hwre just to flirt with me... Besides, this isn't a place for you, specially-]" that was when he noticed the very prominent lack of legs: "[Waylon Jones (Confused): Huh? Well, another reason you shouldn't be here.]" Huffing, the croc man stood took a few steps back until he was out of the spotlight, looking at him. His golden yellow eyes glowed the moment he stepped into the darkness behind the light, and Atlas couldn't help but feel like he wasn't entirely out of danger yet. They kept an awkward eye contact for a few moments before Atlas realized something-

'Oh, he is waiting for an answer.'

"...well, I didn't really want to come into your house uninvited, but some people really like throwing others down holes." Atlas didn't truly know if he was thrown down here, but considering the fact that he has no legs and isn't stupid, its pretty obvious someone threw him down here in the hopes he would die or be eaten by Killer Croc. "And, well, I can't exactly run away from people can I?" He gestured to his legs, or rather, to where they should've been- seriously, he was wearing shorts so it was pretty obvious to see that the bottom of the stumps had these ugly jagged scars, meaning his legs were probably removed in an aggressive and bloody way. "Also, not to bother your big crocodile self, but can you help me?" Trying not to sound desperate, Atlas lifted his hand that was now bleeding profusely- gods, he truly loves the [Calm Mind Mode] -and winced: "I'm not sure I got the vaccine for whatever you can get down here... And, well, I can't crawl my way to a hospital, now can I?"

"[Waylon Jones (Hesitantly): I don't know kid, I don't really go to the surface that much- Can't help, don't know the way to any hospitals.]" He also sounded slightly apologetic, which was great in his opinion- that meant he wasn't going to eat him, if he's sorry he can't get him to a hospital. Maintaining the distance between them, Waylon's eyes narrowed and his pupils turned into a slit as he took a deep breath: "[Waylon Jones (Serious): Besides, what would I get out of helping you? There's nothing for me there... Well, besides getting a new boy toy by the way you've been flirting with me, but I can get that whenever and wherever.]" Shrugging, Waylon turned around to leave, but Atlas was not having any of that.

No, he was in a f*cking dark tunnel that was infested with flesh eating bacteria, rats the size of dogs, and crocodiles that weren't humanoids like Waylon.

He wants to leave this place.

"Well, that's a shame-" Quick, think of a lie! "-and here I was, thinking we could come to an arrangement... King Croc sounds like a good nickname, doesn't it?"

"[Waylon Jones (Interested): King Croc...? I admit, that does sound like a good nickname, but why would I receive that nickname?]" Looking over his should, his back completely turned towards him, Waylon seemed to wait for an answer- Okay, to Atlas' knowledge, Waylon would one day be called King Croc and not Killer Croc because of his empire of homeless people. He doesn't know much about it, only that it happens and people call Waylon King Croc because of it.

"Well, big guy, because I can make you a king." Bait has been thrown, time to lay the trap! "Your own empire to rule, with subjects that actually respect you not out of fear, but out of... respect." Okay, that sounded way cooler inside his head. "I don't really like to brag-" Lie "-but I am kind of a... scholar, I'd say. Strategist. Planner. The guy with the brains, because I certainly do not have the brawls." That's kinda true, he doesn't fight but he does think a lot! "And with my help, you can become someone that doesn't need to fear the surface, someone who is respected by others, someone who can be called a king... but first, I would need not to die from sick sewer flesh eating bacteria disease." He, once more, looked at his bleeding hand: "I can practically feel my immune system losing an uphill battle against the forces of evil known as viruses."

"[Waylon Jones (Amused, Interested): Well then... Your proposal sounds interesting enough... I can't go to the surface, the Bat would easily find me after I ran out of Arkham for the... I lost count.]" Clearly amused by his speech (Atlas could read the Subtitles well when they literally appeared right in front of his face, thank you very much) and his declaration of glorious rise, Waylon approached him with heavy steps- seriously, think that scene from Jurassic Park where the T-Rex stomps down and the water ripples, but instead of a cup of water, it's disgusting murky sewer waters. "[Waylon Jones (Serious): Although I can't really get you to a hospital, I can steal from a pharmacy.]"

"...better than nothing."

Okay, getting carried by a big crocodile man feels weird. Specially when you have no legs to be carried in a fireman carry, having to be carried like a baby instead. 'Well, at least I'm filling my mental map...' Waylon took him through various different sewer passages, even getting into the water while holding him up not to get him wet and possibly worse! Waylon was silent, so Atlas did not try to make any conversation with him, but instead focused on the book icon in the corner of his vision.

The Library is Open Would you like to browse?

Search

Perks

By Topics

Reading

Finished Books

Q&A | Manifest | Configurations

'Let's see... [Perks].' Focusing on the option he wanted to see, Atlas soon found another screen in front of his face, but this one was rather... bare.

Perks

0 Books Read - [Fast Reading]

1 Book Read - [???]

10 Books Read - [???]

100 Books Read - [???]

1,000 Books Read - [???]

10,000 Books Read - [???]

100,000 Books Read - [???]

1,000,000 Books Read - [???]

'Huh...' So, he needs to read books to unlock new things? That seems fine, he can easily do that in a heartbeat, he loves reading books! And, well, his starter perk seemed to make it all easier for him considering-

Fast Reading

You can read faster than a normal human. Your thought process speed, wisdom, and intellect is increased by the amount of books you've read.

He was about to pull out the first book he could find in his mental library to unlock the first perk quickly, but he was snapped out of his mind by the rumbling sound of Waylon's voice and the way his entire body vibrated thanks to the deep bass voice that Waylon had- seriously, his lungs must've been enchanted by his genetic disease thing, only way he could stay underwater and hold his breath for minutes on end.

"[Waylo Jones (Neutral): So, see the big hole up there?]" Waylon had taken him through several tunnels, until they reached their destination. It was a big hole on the ceiling, and Atlas could see some metal bars that were sunk into the wall to make some sort of staircase? "[Waylon Jones (Neutral): That's my usual exit to the world above... I can't climb holding you, so you will have to hold on instead.]"

Oh, so he gets to wrap his arms around Waylon's thick neck? That's kinda cool and a little bit romantic like one of those romance novels, right?

WRONG!

He was screaming a few moments later, when he had to hold on for dear life. Super strength also translated into super jumping abilities it seems.

Chapter 3: Noonan's Bar

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 15:09 | 03:09 PM]

The exit point for the big hole was a rather inconspicuous alleyway covered in black moss and little pieces of the wall to the right that had a rather big human sized hole on it. There were also several pieces of bone spread around, and most of them were rather... big. As Atlas panted- seriously, holding on for dear life to someone was harder than he thought it'd ever be, but considering the sheer speed at which Waylon had gone, it was a miracle in and of itself that he managed to hold on to him -as his eyes scanned the alleyway, he noticed the scratches on the walls that looked old, some had moss growing over them while others looked more recent because of the dust and pieces of recently fallen rock right beneath them. “Uhm, nice place you got here… This is your, uhm, place right? Like, where you sleep sometimes, and sometimes drop some bones that look weirdly like human bones- Is that a door?”

“[Waylon Jones (Deadpan, slightly Annoyed): Yes. This is the alleyway I take for committing cannibalism- well, I'm not really human, so it isn't cannibalism… This is the alleyway I take to eat those who annoy me, which you're doing right now… And yes, that is a door, a door to a very special little place.]” The more he spoke like this- like Atlas was an idiot (let's face it, he is) -the more annoyed and exasperated he looked. Still holding onto Waylon's scaly crocodilian back and hanging from his back like a monkey, Atlas had to focus a little to see the sign by the door that read the following words [Noonan's Bar Emergency Exit - Waylon is welcome to use it as an entrance, everyone else, f*ck off.] written with sharp red colored paint. “[Waylon Jones (Neutral): This is the place… Noonan must have something to help ya with that cut.]” He didn't even hesitate to push the door open and duck to enter the bar through the backdoor. The first thing that hit them was the warm air. It felt weird because Atlas didn't know he even was cold to begin with, and now that he was entering a place with a warm atmosphere, he realized… he was starting to feel cold and didn't even notice it, how?

"[Sean Noonan (Surprised): Ah, Waylon-]" The first face that greeted them was of an older man. He had a rather circular face, a thin and dark mustache that curled inwards at the tips like one of those cliche villain mustaches, and he was smiling. One of his teeth was a golden tooth, and he also had a beast of a machine gun behind him on the wall next to the various bottles of beer. "[Sean Noonan (Surprised): -huh, didn't know you had friends, Waylon, even ones so young... Where did you find the little guy? He doesn't look a day older than Pat when he tried to drink his first beer.]" Chuckling to himself, the man's piercing eyes focused on him- Atlas felt like he was being read, and to be honest, not in a shady (drag queen) way, but in a 'are you a threat?' way and he doesn't know which is worse. The staring contest lasted for a few moments before Sean simply hummed and looked away from them, seemingly giving him his silent approval.

"[Waylon Jones (Amused): Heh well he is kinda small for his age, but he keeps telling me he's 19 years old... I found this guy at one of my tunnels, he had been thrown down there.]" As he spoke, Waylon took a few steps into the bar and took a left- they had actually gotten into this small room that looked to be a pantry of some sorts, there were barrels here alongside other crates of bottles of beer and even some guns too. Atlas' brain made a mental note that guns and beer doesn't go hand in hand. "[Waylon Jones (Serious, Amused): Also, you gotta any of your stuff? The kid cut himself down there. Claimed he's getting some sick and nasty flesh eating disease or something... Only seen one person actually get that.]" Atlas' eyes widened and he let out an "ough" sound as Waylon placed him down on a stool as he stayed behind the counter, looking up at the shelf behind him and reaching out to get a leather bag with a red line drawn on it. He placed it by the counter and began opening it, inside Atlas saw a few cloth band-aids and a small sized first aid kit that was also taken out of the bag.

"...I don't think this is very sanitary, but I am out of options and don't really care." Making his decision, Atlas nodded to himself as Waylon sighed a little.

[<Clicking Clacking of teeth>]

[<Swaying of cloth>]

"[Baytor (Surprised, Intrigued): I am Baytor! (Oh, hello Waylon, I see you've brought us fresh meat.)]" Atlas turned around to see a being, about 3 feet in size, floating behind him. He almost flinched, almost, if it wasn't for the fact that he read him coming from afar! Also, his [Subtitles] were clearly showing him what the thing- Baytor was their name, apparently -wanted to say or meant to say when they spoke. "[Baytor (Intrigued): I am Baytor! (Well, as you've already heard me saying my name, I'm Baytor - Demon Patron of the Criminally Insane... Why do I even bother to talk when all they hear is "I am Baytor" over and over again... Ah, how deep a Demon Lord can fall)]" Clearly he was speaking like he didn't expect Atlas to truly understand him, and that was a little sad. The floating thing that Atlas could only describe as a mouth with a neck and arms wearing a cloth, turned around and picked up a broom, holding it with both hands that had four fingers each as he said to himself: "[Baytor (Sad): I am... Baytor... (Ah, should I have known about the after effects of wearing that damned Crown of Horns, I would've been able to speak still. Damned cursed thing.)]"

Waylon and Sean were speaking to each other about something, but Atlas was completely focused on the demon thing, and he felt a bit of pity for it- He could speak, but nobody could truly understand him, making him sound completely insane to others, after all, he was only saying his name!

"Uhm... I can understand you?"

He shouldn't have said that. He should not have said that.

Why? Well, because as soon as he said that, Baytor's neck twisted in a whole 180° and looked in his direction. He tilted his head to the side and stared at him open wide mouth: "[Bayto (Surprised, Doubtful): I Am Baytor? (Truly? You can understand what I'm saying? Then repeat after me young one - She who sells seashells by the sea shore while shunning sunscreen shall slowly succumb to the smoldering sun's sweeping slaughter.]"

"She who sells seashells by the sea shore while shunning sunscreen..." Atlas had to slow down a little, so he wouldn't just stumble upon his words llike a three year old: "Shall slowly succumb to the smoldering sun's sweeping slaughter...?" He was a little unsure if he had it all completely right, but he went with it anyway! "Yeah, I think that's what you said- Baytor, was it? Never met a demon before, even more so one that was once a Demon Lord."

[<Excited little demon noises>]

"[Baytor (Excited): I AM BAYTOR! ([sub]Oh[/sub]. [sup]My[/sup]. Satan! It's so f*cking good to finally speak to someon that can understand me! Oh thank you young one, I've been itching to speaking to someone for soooo long you've got no idea- Anyway, how are you? What's your name? How old are you? Would you like to make a deal- not for your soul, obviously, we can make an infernal contract where we ca lay down the terms and conditions of the contract but I am willing to give you almost everything I have if you spend at least 30 minutes of every day speaking to me for Satan's sake-)]" he went on and spoke a bunch of words that started to blend into each other as the words of the demon got faster and faster- Presumably, Waylon and Sean were only hearing the little demon go off in a constant "I am Baytor" over and over again each time his speech growinng faster and faster.

"[Sean Noonan (Surprised, Concerned): Wow... I have never seen Baytor speak this much before, and neither have I seen him get this excited before.]" Sean looked at him with raised eyebrows, and Atlas kept his best and most believable innocent face... That was instantly broken apart by the old man's scoff: "[Sean Noonan (Slightly Annoyed): Who did you even bring to my bar, Waylon? Is this kid one of those demon dealings too? Never seen someone speak to Baytor like this before, not even that James Blood guy or whatever was that guy's name.]"

"[Waylon Jones (Slightly Surprised): Oh damn, didn't think the little guy was one of those magical people. Heh, I thought you were just bullsh*ting me by telling me things I wanted to hear, guess you were serious, huh?]" Waylon looked at him with eyes a little narrowed before he shrugged- he fastened the cloth bandage, tied it, and cut the excess off with his sharp claw like he had done the same several times before in a practiced manner. He began to put everything back into the box- while Atlas was speaking to Baytor, he had been bandaging his wound, he didn't even feel the alcohol that was put on his cut to clean the cut off of bacterias and whatever that green sh*t on the bottom of the sewers was. "[Waylon Jones (Slightly Excited): So, Demon Whisperer, where and when does our empire begin?]" He turned around, placing the brown colored leather bag right from where he took it on the shelf.

"Well..." Atlas had to ignore Baytor for a moment as he started to, in detail, explain how every single plank of wood on the floor had a name and had once drank the blood of a sinner and the name of the sinner: "It depends, Waylon... Can I call you Waylon?" Said big crocodile man simply huffed and gave a short nod: "Well, Waylon, what do you think you need to have an empire?"

"[Waylon Jones (Uncertain): Uh... Money. Money's definitely one of the things needed to make an empire... And land, land's also something needed.]" Waylon lifted two fingers, a bit of alcohol dripping from his sharp claws as he counted the two things he could think of that were needed for an empire.

"Well, those two are needed as well." With a smile on his lips, Atlas had already made a small short term plan, he turned to look at the man on the side of Waylon: "You would consider him your friend, wouldn't you, Waylon?" Waylon, a little confused, nodded regardless of the many times Sean has denied that they were friends- the old man was just a grumpy guy who would die before saying he loved someone, platonically or romantically -and Atlas simply nodded as he continued his little speech: "Money is certainly one of the many necessities of an empire, as is land, but the backbone of an empire is its people. Not the ruler, but the people... People who join and work for the empire, people who seek the protection of the empire, people who want to have a roof above their head to cover them from the rain."

Pointing towards the window next to the exit- or rather, the entrance of the bar -the quartet (Sean, Waylon, Baytor- who was now waxing romantic tales about his youth as a spawn -and Atlas) all saw a man wearing rags walk by.

"He, Waylon, is your people... And every single homeless person in this city." Atlas saw the way Waylon's eyes seemed to glow as he watched the man walk by, limping as he went, and proudly he marked off the mental list: 'convince Waylon to make an empire with homeless people' as he gripped his two hands and placed his elbows on the wood of the counter, placing his chin on his two hands and making eye contact with Waylon: "So, King Croc, ready to start recruiting for your empire?"

Oh, Waylon did not know yet how much of a devil's deal he had signed with Atlas... But one day, he would have a flourishing empire, and a beautiful weird family of misfits.

Chapter 4: How to Build an Empire (Part 1)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 15:20 - 03:20 PM]

[Calendar (D/M/Y) - 03/01/2002]

[Location: Noonan's Bar, Gotham City]

(Info Dumping Ahead)

Atlas asked for a little bit of time soon after he told Waylon that he would start his empire by convincing homeless people to join him- He needed information, he knew he was in the DC Universe, but as far as he knew, he could be in some sort of twisted sick fantasy of a fanfic writer! -so he could read a little bit. Thankfully, Sean Noonan was a good friend of Waylon and they were allowed to stay in the bar, so while Waylon talked to Sean, Atlas ignored Baytor (who was still talking about his many, many, many lovers) and focused on the book in his mind.

It was weird. The moment he opened the first book was like he could see the book right in front of him, but it was truly inside his head. Choosing the very first book was not that hard actually, because when he opened the system screen by focusing on the book icon in the corner of his sight, he was able to select [By Topics] on the screen- now, he expected to see many, many topics and although his expectations were not for nothing, he was still surprised by the sheer volume of topics and different types of books -and the very first topic was called [Start Here], let me show you.

Topics [Start Here]

Organization: Alphabetical Order

[Magic]

Learning Practical Magics | Theory of Magic | Tomes of Magic | History of Magic | Basics of Magic | Magic Across the Omniverse

A

Abjuration

Absorption Magic

Aether Magic

Akashic Magic

Alchemist

Alchemy Creation

Alien Magic

Ancestral Magic

Angelic Magic

Anger Magic

Animal Magic

Animancy

Antithetical Magic

Archery Magic

Architecture Magic

Arctic Magic

Armament Magic

Armor Magic

Artificial Element Magic

Astral Magic

Atmospheric Magic

Aura Magic

Aurora Magic

Autumn Magic

B ...

[Technology]

Theoretical Methodology | Experimentation | Books of Science | History of Technology | Basics of Tinkering | Technology Across the Omniverse

...

'Holy sh*t!' The sheer amount of different magical topics, different types of different related topics and so many options of things to read- he was almost overwhelmed when he saw the sheer size of the screen. It was long, long list that easily could wrap around the entirety of the earth at least a couple of times... He had to limit the list because he couldn't see the majority of it, so the list simply shrank into a small screen the size of a phone that he could mentally scroll down. But before he even did that, he started on the [Start Here] section! The moment he selected that option, a few sparks of golden glitter fluttered around his eyes as a small list appeared before his eyes, he could only see about 3 books in this screen, and they were... interesting in their title choices?

[Start Here]

[Book 1 - So, you've found yourself in a whole new world. What to do now? How to avoid dying like a little bitch, how to properly understand and accept your situation, and how to easily overcome your fear of dying by the snap of some omnipotent being.]

[Book 2 - How to properly understand this system (how to use and abuse your perks, quests don't really happen unless you want them to, and how to properly use the knowledge from the many books you have), who the f*ck gave it to you, why you should love them deeply, and why you should really start developing some deep love for reading- seriously, this whole system was made for that!]

[Book 3 - Explanation about the many, many, many, oh so f*cking many different worlds, dimensions, universes, multiverses, and other sh*t out there because god knows you'll need this like holy f*ck.]

"...okay?" Atlas was... conflicted. Mostly because these titles sounded like those sh*tty Isekai novels that had very stupid long names. He was expecting to be reading tomes of ancient secrets and not [Chungledown Bim secret to sh*tting people in the face and how to make a thousand gold pieces for each time you do sh*t people in the face, how to threaten them to sh*t in their mouth, and how to avoid people into SCAT], okay!? 'Okay, I can start with... Book 1 seems a good one, the beginning of the beginning.' He selected the [Book 1 - So, you've found yourself in a whole new world. What to do now? How to avoid dying like a little bitch, how to properly understand and accept your situation, and how to easily overcome your fear of dying by the snap of some omnipotent being] and started to read it... "Well, I don't know what else I expected..." The book had about 100 pages, it wasn't that big of a book for someone like him that has had read 100,000 words almost daily in fanfic, but the content of the book was rather to the point.

The book could be summarized like this:

[ - "What to do now?" Try not to die, seriously, dying sucks unless you got some authority over death. The many, many, many deities of death don't really like dealing with beings like us, whose souls cannot be controlled by them.

- "How to avoid dying like a little bitch" This one is really simple, just try to stay away from the ones who your tingly reader senses tells you to stay away from... Unless you're trying to become an author, then to ahead and f*ck sh*t up.

- "How to properly understand and accept your situation" Simple, interact with people. If you're having a hard time understanding or accepting the world around you as real, you will become one of the worst types of readers.

- "How to easily overcome your fear of dying by the snap of some omnipotent being" This one is also very simple: They can't. You're now part of the Endless Library, one of the many Omnipotent beings in the Omniverse.

This is the basic of the basic, go read the other two books. If you have any questions, use the Q&A function of the system, it will answer three questions per day, based on the world, universe, or wherever the f*ck you are with the truth for the place you're in.

Good luck.]

...let me explain a little bit. The book starts by congratulating him on joining the Endless Library and becoming a Rookie Reader, and telling him to always read good stories. Then, it starts explaining that there are two major categories for people like him that are linked to this same system- the Authors and the Readers. These categories are not exactly categories, more like clubs that you join once you start acting a certain way with the system you've been given... Authors interact with world they are reading, writing new stories within the stories they are inside and even manipulating the story to go as they want it to (that's the most basic definition of the so called "Authors") while the Readers usually only watch from the sideline, believing that they were there tk see the story happening and not influence it with their actions, whims or wishes (But that's the textbook definition of the "Readers"). These two categories are also deeply integrated in the very system, because in the future he would receive the option to choose between the Authority of an Author, or the Freedom of a Reader.

And that's just the beginning, because as soon as he finished reading the first book in about 5 minutes- he loved the [Fast Reading] Perk -a new screem flashed before his eyes, with his new Perk being shown to him:

Act Like you Know It, Learn as you Do

Acting on the knowledge you have about a Topic, you can learn more about this topic. The greater the amount of books you've read about that Topic, the greater your proficiency over said Topic.

"Just like the book said, huh?" The first book also told him that although he couldn't be given details about future perks and had to discover them by himself, he was warned about the first one being one of the most important perks he'd have, seeing as this was the backbone of his future power. "...I need to learn more about magic, huh?" Magic was one of his topics of most interest, because Technology would need external materials to work while some types of Magic might need simple internal energies or more depending on the type of magic he is going to learn- because by acting like he knows it, he gets better at using it. And as someone who loves to read, he is very interested in the many, many books that this endless library has to offer! He really wanted to read the first book on the topic of magic, but he decided to focus on the next book - [Book 2 - How to properly understand this system (how to use and abuse your perks, quests don't really happen unless you want them to, and how to properly use the knowledge from the many books you have), who the f*ck gave it to you, why you should love them deeply, and why you should really start developing some deep love for reading- seriously, this whole system was made for that!]

And this one had about 250 pages with information about the perks he had and how to use them creatively- some ideas were things he already had, but others were things he had never thought of -some things about "quests" that were... weird? They only happened if he wanted them to happen, and the moment he didn't want them to, they would disappear. Quests are beneficial for those who don't know what to do, but they may be detrimental to those who already have plans to do things in the universes they're in. The book also went into detail about how the [Act Like you Know It, Learn as you Do] perk had some flaws that he could exploit to learn how to do things quicker, and that he should start learning the basics of essential things, like cooking, medicine, survival, and some self-defense techniques from the many scrolls of martial arts.

[ - "How to abuse your perks" the Fast Reading perk can be used not only to read words, but also other things such as body language, emotions, flow of a fight, the techniques of an opponent, the magic of an opponent, computer language, magical runic languages, other languages out there, and so f*cking much more.

- The [Act Like you Know It, Learn as you Do] perk can be used to learn about anything you wish to learn how to do, and this can be boosted by the way you interact with the thing you wish to learn. At earlier stages, when you haven't read even 1,000 books yet, this method is very efficient to learn: Act with confidence, act like you're an expert in the thing you're trying to learn, and the perk will receive a massive boost!

- It is recommended that you make mental shields as fast as possible. Although the [Calm Mind Mode] might protect you slightly against Telepaths, you need to make your own mental shields. Both [Fast Reading] and [Act Like you Know It, Learn as you Do] are very useful in making a mind shield, and you should absolutely believe in them- the more you act like your mind shields are invincible, the stronger they'll get.]

There was more information about other things there too, but the most important one was this- The owner of this system, the one that gave it to him, was called The Librarian, and they were the one Omnipotent Beings that protected every single of their Readers and Authors against other Omnipotent Beings and Death itself. The Librarian was also a very chill person, because they were the ones who answered the Q&A, which was why it was limited to 3 questions per day, and the answers he would get were only valid for the universe he was in.

Any questions about other universes? He would need to either learn the answer or go there himself.

And that tied into the third book... But before reading that one, he opened his system and got to the [Q&A] section- There was something he needed to know.

Q&A

Q - Is this universe born out of fear, and destined to be destroyed? Like, is this one of those negative universes like Earth -22 or something like that?

A - No. This is Earth 16-Z

"Oh thank god."

At least he knows there won't be any edgy mutant love child of Joker and Batman going around with his thick, thick plot armor.

Chapter 5: How to Build an Empire (Part 2)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 09:00 | 09:00 AM]

[Calendar (D/M/Y) - 05/01/2003]

[Location: Abandoned Subway Station - Old Gotham, Gotham City]

"I think this place would be a pretty good starting point." Looking around, Atlas smiled- the long tunnels could be reused, the abandoned and broken down rusty train would be a good place to make a temporary base of operations. "Sure, it needs a bit of-" His finger touched a fragile pillar, where half of it was partially gone and other half was falling apart, and from his touch alone the remaining pieces of the pillar fell apart, revealing the bent and broken metal bars inside. "-renovations, but I can make use of it." He ignored the way Waylon seemed a little hesitant as he looked at the ceiling above them, specially the glaring danger of having several pounds of rock and concrete above them. They were, after all, in one of the oldest and least structurally sound regions of Gotham, but the one with the most amount of abandoned and unused places, which were the places Atlas said could be of use to them.

[<Swaying of the Breeze>]

[<Rusty Metal Groaning>]

Pushing his rather rusty wheelchair forward, Atlas sighed softly, trying to calm down his nerves- Finally, he would put to practice what he has been training for the past 2 days. It might sound ridiculous, but he has been working on it seriously, going as far as making a deal with Baytor to have his help in this entire project- Although Baytor was the Demonic Patron of the Criminally Insane, he was also a demon who has spent who knows how long unable to speak to another being, so the desperate demon agreed to make a deal with Atlas for the simple price of being a companion for the future kingdom they were going to build.

"[Baytor (Concerned): I Am Baytor... Baytor? (Kid, I know you said there were uses for places like these-]"

[<Cracking sound>]

[<Falling rock sound>]

[<Swishing of a cloack>]

Barely dodging a piece of the ceiling that had almost fallen into his body, looked at Atlas who didn't even pay attention to what had happened. Instead, he was looking at the pillars around him and at the ceiling: "Hum... We need to add a few pillars to hold the weight from above- what even is above us? I forgot to ask, Waylon." Turning to look at his crocodilian friend, he found him staring into the wall-

What is it that you need to consider whenever making an empire?

In Atlas' humble opinion, you need about five things to start having an empire. You need money, you need people, you need land, and you need both political power and military power.

But an empire also needs a strong ruler.

-right on the wall, there was a large poster with wear and tear, looking like a rather old poster with mold growing over it.

"...Haly's Circus." Atlas rolled closer to Waylon, although a bit difficult seeing as his wheelchair was not the best. Seriously, he had made it! Oh, right. On the past two days, Atlas has been rather busy! After he read the [Book 3 - Explanation about the many, many, many, oh so f*cking many different worlds, dimensions, universes, multiverses, and other sh*t out there because god knows you'll need this like holy f*ck.] he learned that not only are all universes simultaneously real and alive in their own way, he decided to make a few objectives to himself so he could start improving, and after reading for two days, he settled into his objectives.

First one was locomotion. He didn't have legs, but he also couldn't rely on others to carry him around, so he decided to make himself a wheelchair that could hold him! He couldn't exactly use the best materials because this was Gotham, so he picked up another book alongside the titled [Anatomy of a Wheelchair], and that was his first and only studied magical book- The tome of [Transmutation Magic: Beginner's Guide to Basic Spells, by Transmutation High Wizard Kalandros de Vebir] that was from a familiar setting, of a certain tabletop RPG game. He was able to put what he learned to practice by making this wheelchair by using different parts of broken sh*t and using the cantrip [Mending] to "fix" it together, making metal seemingly fuse together with the simple movement of a finger hovering over it and the whisper of a single magical word.

He spent so much time practicing the cantrip that didn't need even to whisper the magical word anymore- he was verh proud of that, since that was the only thing that was keeping his "wheelchair" together. 'Seriously, I need to make a better one...' But for that he would either need better resources or learn more Transmutation Spells that can help him with this, but he still doesn't have enough power to truly cause a lot of change to reality... If he trained enough with [Act Like you Know It, Learn as you Do] he might be able to use magic equivalent of higher "spell slots", even though what he was doing was using his own internal energy to cast spells. [Book - 3] explained that because he was now user of the [Endless Library System], he had a very adaptive body that could adapt to any technique, magic, or knowledge he learned, enough that his body would start producing magic energy for magical spells, internal energy for martial arts, and even psyonic energy for psychic powers or similar.

"...Are you okay, Waylon?" He didn't want to push the issue, but the little he knew about his backstory, he might be able to gather why Waylon had stopped and started to stare at this poster without blinking for a while- Croc turned to look at him, his pupil just a slit, and for a moment Atlas felt fear. Angrily, Waylon's claws sank into the concrete of the wall and dragged it, until there were five long gashes and the poster was completely unrecognizable. "Waylon, I'm already going to have a hard time bringing this place up to my standards, please don't destroy it further, okay?" Placing a hand on the cold scales of the arm big enough to break him in half, Atlas tried to look as harmless as possible- and considering he was extremely harmless to Waylon, it was an easy feat to accomplish. Atlas gave the big crocodilian man a smile, softly speaking: "I'm sorry for whatever you have been through, and I am very sorry if seeing that poster caused you pain... I don't know if I can make it better, if you need time alone, you can leave me here and I'll start the renovations with Baytor."

Waylon, huffing like a beast, turned to look at the little Demon- he was clearly upset and angry, and he needed some time to wind down a bit. "[Waylon Jones (Angry, Upset, Sad): Don't leave this place... I'll be back.]" Turning around and with heavy steps- seriously, he was stepping hard on the ground, hard enough that there were new holes in the shape of crocodile feet! -Waylon took the stairs up, the same stairs he had to slowly lower Atlas through because the ramp down was blocked by a huge piece of concrete of the partially fallen ceiling. His tail slapped hard against the already fallen pieces of concrete, and they shattered under the impact. He turned around one last time, he took off his only piece of clothing- kinda slu*tty, not gonna lie -and threw his leather jacket towards Atlas, who picked it up from the ground where it fell: "[Waylon Jones (Angry, Upset, Sad): I'll be back... I will, so use that for warmth or whatever, it gets cold down these places.]" With that, he left.

Atlas, meanwhile, looked down at the leather jacket in his arms... "I think there was a book about enchanting things." His fingers brushed against the leather, and the small cuts simply closed, as if they were never there to begin with- seriously, magic is awesome! 'Also, it smells like leather...' Heh, kinda ironic. "Okay, time to work on what I can-" With his fingers ready, Atlas started to go around and used [Mending] to mend and repair everything he could, with Baytor helping him move around by pushing his wheelchair. Getting into the train was a chore, but by [Mending] two broken planks of wood together, he was able to make one big enough for him to roll into an abandoned cart of the train, with Baytor's help.

Time to start his Second objective- growing stronger by learning everything he can. "Let's see..." He pulled into his mental library and began to read more about Transmutation Magic, he was going learn a few different things to show off to Waylon when he's back.

POV Change

Waylon Jones - Killer Croc

Waylon felt many things at that moment.

Shame, anger, spite, embarrassment, and a tiny bit of fear.

He had been... triggered, as the doctors at Arkham Asylum loved to explain to him. That poster reminded him of a few memories that he'd rather hide away, mostly because they made him remember his childhood and his time at the Haly's Circus and how much of a nightmare that sh*t was. He found "job" at the circus when he was 12, and for 10 years of his life he spent inside a cage as a freak of nature, as something to be gawked at and ridiculed... After his aunt killed herself when he was 11 and he had to spend a whole year as a homeless person, he grew a soft spot in his heart for the victims of Gotham's cruelty.

His time at the Haly's Circus was a terrible experience, being exploited was terrible, and being mistreated was not good either. But he endured, mostly because lashing was not something he truly believed himself capable of- until that night. For context, he had been a good "friend" to the Graysons, they would speak to him sometimes and he'd also see how they were... trapped, by the f*cking bloodsucking son of a bitch that was Haly Haller. Haly was the owner of the circus and the conman that managed to make the Graysons sign a contract that made everything they owned basically property of the circus until they bought it all back, and somehow that included documents too. With that power, he signed various other things and tied it to their names, and Waylon watched as he could not do anything about it... Their son, Dick, was one of the only children that never looked at him with fear in his eyes.

That was why he snapped when he heard the news- faulty rope, falling to their deaths, Haly ends up with everything (even the littlest f*cking thing) the Graysons ever had. He snapped- it was clear to him that Haly was the one who did this, and it pained him to know that one of the few people that looked at him like he was a person, like he was someone worthy of more than scraps, had died.

So he ate him.

It was only natural for him- something inside him, something he had been suppressing, simply snapped. When he woke up later, he was munching on the bones of the man he had just killed, and worse... it tasted good. Then, that same night, he tried to escape- he was so afraid of what he could do to others, that he ran... right into Dick.

And that was the first time Dick looked at him jn fear.

Waylon doesn't blame him. He was covered in blood, and there pieces of human flesh on his teeth, and he was holding a human femur...

'It doesn't matter.' Shaking himself off of those terrible memories, Waylon focused instead on something else- finding people to his future empire, empire which Atlas (Who names their kid Atlas?) was now starting to build the very foundation of in an abandoned subway station.

As he walked into a dark alley, he stopped.

"Killer Croc."

He didn't have to turn around to know who that was.

"Batman."

Chapter 6: How to Build an Empire (Part 3)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 19:00 | 07:00 PM]

[Calendar - 05/01/2003]

[Location - Random Dark Alleyway - Old Gotham, Gotham City]

POV Change

Waylon Jones - Killer Croc | King Croc

Not many people understand why others would live in Gotham. Waylon also, sometimes, asked himself why people would come to this cursed land... But that was the reason, wasn't it? Because there wasn't anything in this world that would make others want to come to a city famous for its many, many crimes and many deaths, as well for the many batsh*t (heh) insane f*ckers that go around doing their batsh*t insane crimes.

Talking about batsh*t-

"Time to go back to Arkham, Croc." The deep voice of the bat was easily recognizable, making Croc want to sigh- He had escaped Arkham Asylum alongside the many other residents after The Joker made his own escape on New Year's Eve, and of course he was one of the first ones to be found... It's not like he made an effort to hide, after all, he didn't really have a reason to hide until two days ago- Oh sh*t. The kid (Well, he isn't really a kid, but it's fun to call Atlas that and watch as he looks so offended), what will happen to him? Waylon does not trust the Bat, he wouldn't trust the Bat with anything in his f*cking life, but- He looked around, sniffed the air trying to find him, but he saw him walk out of the shadows from behind the bat. "Co-operate, and everything will be painless."

"Hey, kiddo." Greeting the one and only Dick Grayson- He would recognize that child no matter what. He was taller than the last time he had seen him, he looked to be about 9 or maybe 10 years old now? Waylon doesn't remember very well how old the kid was when his parents died, all he remembers clearly is the taste of flesh on his teeth, and the sound of bones being broken and chewed on. "Good to see you again... Dick." He had never, while the boy was wearing this ridiculous costume, referred to the boy as "Dick", he always called him Robin as a way to make sure his secret identity was hidden... But he didn't care about that now. He was tired, tired and he didn't want to pretend anymore, so he just... sat down. His long tail swayed from side to side as he looked at the two vigilantes of Gotham City, one clearly showing surprise in his younger eyes than the other older man: "You remember what day is tomorrow, right?"

How could Dick Grayson not know what day was tomorrow? The 6th of January, the day his parents plummeted to the ground and blood sprayed his young face, the day he saw the gray matter of brain, a cracked skull, and boken bones for the first time. The same day, he saw a monster for the first time- You see, after his parents hit the ground, he ran. Something inside him made him snap and he ran to the only adult that his child brain could trust, and that person was Waylon Jones, nowadays famously known as Killer Croc.cHe went seeking help from an adult, only to find a monster covered in blood, holding broken bones, and with flesh on his many teeth- not everyone believed him when he told them what he had seen, after all, although Waylon was one of the Circus' attractions, everyone believed it to be some sort of costume! And, well, if the owner of the circus mysteriously disappeared right after two of his best performers died and it was confirmed he had connections to a crime family, it was only sane to assume said crime family got rid of him.

And not that a crocodilian monster ate the guy.

Years later, nobody would even question the veridity of his claim anymore. Croc has been confirmed a cannibalistic dangerous monster that would hunt and hurt others, Dick himself has witnessed him hunting down another person to eat them, and that was the last straw- he threw away the vision he had of him as a misunderstood man trapped inside a cage, unlucky to be born with a disease that made him look like a monster, and embraced the vision that all of Gotham had of Waylon... That he was a monster.

"Of course... I know..." Hesitantly, Dick said. He ignored Bruce on his side, focusing entirely on Waylon and with heavy caution, analyzed everything about him. He looked tired, he looked down, and most importantly he looked like had lost the will to fight for now. They- he and Batman -could easily overpower him in a synchronized attack and knock him out long enough for the folks at Arkham Asylum to take him back to their little lizard. "Why would I ever forget?" Seriously, that day shaped him as the boy he is today- a 10 year old boy, who saw his parents brutal death, and now works alongside a billionaire furry to keep the streets of Gotham as safe as they could possibly make it -and the man he will be in the future. "...and why would you ever remember?" That... He doesn't remember much about Waylon, maybe its repressed memories due to the shock he was in, or maybe its the trauma itself, but he knew that both his parents interacted with Waylon sometimes, but that's about it.

"...It doesn't matter, not anymore." Waylon said in a voice so husky that it could pull a sleigh- I mean, he sounded very tired. Old friends that no longer were alive, and a child that once looked at him like a human that now only sees him as a monster. "Let's just... get on with it, take me back to that cursed place."

He wasn't in the right mindset to fight against Batman and Robin (He could still feel the destructive anger within him, but that was not something he wanted to use), and neither could he win againat them- he has tried many, many times before, and when hw starts winning they always pull something out of their ass to throw him off of his feet and make them win.

It's kinda ridiculous if you think about it.

"..." Batman simply looked at him in silence for a few seconds. Waylon had no chance to react before something hit him on the face- this thick gas started to spew out of the smoke grenade, and Waylon felt-

-eepy.

POV Change

Atlas (?)

Atlas was deep into his studies. Magic was not something meant to be very easy, although the level of Cantrips was... kinda easy? Well, he needed to practice a little until the magic happened, and he was learning about Transmutation Magic by reading the book [Transmutation Magic: Beginner's Guide to Basic Spells, by Transmutation High Wizard Kalandros de Vebir] while Baytor was helping him clean around the train cart he was able to get inside- this abandoned subway had about 10 carts from he could see, and each was dirty as f*ck.

"[Baytor (Neutral): I am Baytor... (It has probably been... 50 or so years ever since this part of Gotham was abandoned- Apparently part of it started to sink, and people got worried that Old Gotham would be swallowed by the water, and thanks to the politicians and fear mongering of the times, it was an exodus. Familes left like crazy, leaving behind many buildings and other things too- Now, If I recall correctly, the subway stations of Old Gotham were abandoned because of the structural integrity, or the lack of it in this case.)]" Baytor was surprisingly very well informed about what happened in Gotham in the past, he was pretty proud of it as well, acting like a historian whenever Atlas asked questions about the history of Gotham: "[Baytor (Neutral): I'm pretty sure there was also a project to make use of the underground caverns beneath Gotham to make several lanes of underground traffic, but that project was abandoned when Man-Bat started to use those caves as his home alongside his small children... Seriously, nobody respects werebats.)]"

Ah, right... the Werebeasts. They were a race of ancient supernatural beings, a result of the ancient kingdom of Atlantis making experiments with humans and animals, which resulted on the experiments rioting and freeing themselves... Baytor said that one of them ended up bringing the Lord of Chaos Klarion into the city as revenge, sinking Atlantis to the bottom of the sea. He also explained that, although he doesn't know how, many of the Werebeasts ended up mating with normal humans, and their genes were passed on... There are still some Werebeasts in this world, such as Waylon and the Man-Bat, but the majority of them are still human as their Werebeasts genes lay dormant within them.

Bayton kept referring to Waylon as Son of Sobek, and when Atlas asked about it, this was the answer he got:

"[Bayton (Confused): I am Baytor! (I don't know... As much as I'd like to know everything, I don't know why calling him Son of Sobek sounds so... right? He might be a Demigod, for all I know, that wouldn't be that hard to believe. He did say he slowly grew from a human to a Werecrocodile, which sounds exactly like the Werecrocodiles of Egypt would grow- they were also called Children of Sobek, there might be a few of them there still...)]" So now Atlas had more knowledge that he did not know how to put to use- Werebeasts are real. Waylon is most likely the son of the Aprotopaic Egyptian God of Crocodiles, Fertility, Rivers, and Military. Man-Bat (real name pending still) is a Werebat guy who has children (other Werebats). And, at last but certainly not least, Werebeasts were born from Atlantian f*cking up and mixing magic with humans and animals... That sounds like what a powerful kingdom that once ruled over the earth would do.

But instead on focusing on things he had no control over, Atlas decided to focus on what he could- Learn more Transmutation magic. There are various universes out there, and each has their own tweaking of Transmutation Magic. Full Metal Alchemist has their Alchemy, Dungeons & Dragons have their Transmutation School of Magic (which he is learning a little), Harry Potter has its own Transfiguration Magic... And they're all parts of a whole. Transmutation Magic is, essentially, putting your will to shape world around you. Be it twisting rocks to make a beautiful statue or transform someone into a pig! Atlas himself has felt the way his internal magic energy interacts with the world whenever he uses it to cast [Mending] (seriously, the amount used is like a droplet to an ocean, which is why he can use it as many times as he wants without tiring), and now that he has read the basics of a lot of different types of Transmutation Magics, he has come to the final conclusion...

He'll just learn it all, then move on to another type of magic.

"Transmutation spells change the properties of a creature, object, or environment. They might turn an enemy into a harmless creature, bolster the strength of an ally, make an object move at the caster's command, or enhance a creature's innate healing abilities to rapidly recover from injury..." Reading out loud the broad definition of Transmutation Magic from the [Transmutation Magic: Beginner's Guide to Basic Spells, by Transmutation High Wizard Kalandros de Vebir] book he was reading, Atlas stopped for a moment- His eyes lit, his mind was ablaze, and grinned: "...Prestidigitation." His finger brushed against the dusty floor before him as Baytor used a broom to try and clean it, and with a wave of wind, the dust was blown away out of the train cart before it was dropped. "That was easier than I expected."

It might be his [Act Like you Know It, Learn as you Do] perk acting right now, because he truly believed he knew what he was doing and that he was an expert in Transmutation Magic.

"Oh, I'm so gonna show off to Waylon." Grinning and finally feeling like he was on the right track, Atlas read further ahead- Because this was a book from a DnD universe, the next section was on 1st Level Spells a Transmutation Wizard should learn. But he saw a simple cantrip that was... interesting. "Destroy Wall?"

He didn't know then, but this cantrip would be very useful to "rescue" Waylon from the Arkham Asylum.

Chapter 7: Saving a Croc (Part 1)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 11:00 | 11:00 AM]

[Calendar - 12/01/2003]

[Location - Arkham Asylum - Gotham City, New Jersey]

POV Change

Atlas

'Okay.' Stretching his fingers and sighing softly- he has planned this for a literal week, he has failed many times on how to properly channel his energy through an outside medium without damaging the poor little rat, specially the highly dangerous acid that deals maximum damage to structures of stone, wood, and any other organic structural materials. He has learned with his failures, especially considering the fact that he has melted many things with acid, and he has learned how to combine two cantrips to empower them as they act in conjuction as well- [Prestidigitation] and [Mending] being cast together make it easier to clean something and repair it at the same time! 'C'mon...' With a pluck from his magical reserves, he began the ritual for the spell [Find Familiar], a basic but essential spell. The small summoning circle that he created on the backend of this alleyway, hidden behind a bunch of illusory boxes created with the spell [Silent Image] and the [Minor Illusion] cantrip. 'Here we go.' Casting spells in a ritualistic way (in Dungeons and Dragons) is a way to not waste spell slots when casting a spell, but in the world of DC, a ritual is just a way to channel your power.

This ritual used the magic of the world around him with his own to guide it towards what he wanted to do, and it took about a minute or so before he had managed to summon a fat black rat. "...beautiful." Hugging the surprisingly clean black fat rat (he wa summoned from another world, of course he's clean!), Atlas smiled as he held his big girl- it was a girl because of the rather obvious lack of big fat nuts that male rats normally have. His plan was simple: He was going to sent in Miss Girl Lady Woman and he's going to look through her eyes as she walks around the corridors of Arkham Asylum, so that way he can learn exactly where Waylon was. He has spent an entire week working hard to learn a lot of useful spells to help him rescue Waylon, and amongst them there were Illusion to confuse others, Conjuration to create distractions, and even Evocation spells just in case he needs to fight.

He knows that Waylon was put back into Arkham Asylum by Batman, and that he monitors the f*ck out of it- he's Batman, and unless its for plot reasons, he is going to be a paranoid furry -and would certainly know if he came rolling in and asking to see Waylon. Instead, however, Atlas decided to go on the rescue route and planned for a week on how to break Waylon out of Arkham Asylum and only Waylon (he doesn't want Batman in his ass about it!) and he came up with a few things, but the main plan is simple: He sends in an inconspicuous animal (his new beloved rat, Miss Girl Lady Woman) that is his familiar, the animal goes around the facility and finds Waylon's cell, he waits until its dark and uses [Destroy Wall] - a cantrip that makes him able to, as the name suggests, destroy walls in about a 5 feet by 5 feet by 5 feet diameter. With this, he can get inside the Arkham and get close to Waylon so he can send in Miss Girl Lady Woman so he can have visual of where he is... Then if he is higher than the ground level he can get up there with a [Levitate] spell and break him out! Of course, he has also prepared himself for the cameras that are certainly going to be around, which is why he has learned the [On/Off] cantrip, to turn those cameras off whenever.

'Need to be prepared for whatever...' To be sure, he also learned a single spell from the Abjuration school of magic, and that spell was the [Mage Armor] spell, just in case. "You ready Baytor? I'm going under- remember, I'll be blind and deaf while doing this, so if it's an emergency, tap my shoulder twice and I'll come back." Atlas trusted Baytor to protect him while he is sharing his own senses with Miss Girl Lady Woman- and if not able to protect him, then at least warn him of danger! He had a few things to protect himself, mainly Evocation spells that can pack quite the punch and might kill his assailants, but who cares really? If someone is ready to attack a guy with no legs in a wheelchair, then they better be ready to get acid to the face, he hasn't learned the [Acid Stream] spell for nothing!

"[Baytor (Nervous, Worried, Whispering): I am baytor... (You ready? I just gotta watch over you, right? Okay, I can do that- also, if someone comes close, I gotta scare them... I can do that, I can certainly do that.)]" Just before Atlas went under, Baytor nervously fiddled with his robes with both hands before he steeled his resolve- Atlas trusted him to keep him safe if his Illusion spell failed to hide them away from prying eyes (after all, who would look down an alleyway, see a bunch of boxes, and think "Huh, seems weird"? Nobody!), and if he couldn't, at least wake up him from his trance at the very least. "[Baytor (Nervous, Determined): I am Baytor! (Don't worry Atas, I'll keep you safe- go explore the place that is full of my people, which sounds just like a business opportunity for me...)]" Ah, right- Arkham Asylum was full of insane criminals, so it falls right on his prerogative to have a bunch of clients inside that place, right? Seeing as he is Baytor, Demon Lord of the Criminally Insane and he can literally eat insanity or make people go insane.

He'll share his thoughts the new business opportunity with Atlas later, maybe they can make so... deals.

Arkham Asylum was a big building. Especially from the eyes of a tiny little rat! The entirety of the building could be described as a haunted mansion, because it sure had the vibes of one... Maybe it was the lower perspective coming from tiny Miss Girl Lady Woman that distorted his vision of the building but it felt like something was trying to oppress him as Miss Girl Lady Woman approached the building with her tiny black body, ducking under the iron gate that had been reinforced and broken down who knows how many times before? There were a few dents in this gate, so it obviously must be a new one because according to the news, on the New Year's Eve of 2003, the Joker released all criminals from Arkham Asylum by simply blowing up the gates and opened all doors, and they are still working on repairing the building it seems, because there were a lot of construction men- a whole construction crew -working on one side of the building, which must be the one where the inmates escaped from.

'There.' Mentally signaling to his little rat Miss Girl Lady Woman, Atlas pointed out to the hole in the wall, a small hole where a rat would be able to easily walk through! It was a hole used drainage, because it took Miss Girl Lady Woman all the way to the ceiling of the building, where they had view of the almost entirety of the Narrows, a little bit of the East End, and Odaburg. He could also see Aparo Park in the Gotham Heights region... It was kinda cool to be so high up and be able to see so much. 'Down, right?' He saw a small opening in the ceiling, maybe it had been caused by the weathering, or maybe it was just luck, but Miss Girl Lady Woman was able to squish right through the hole and into the Arkham Asylum's top floor and highest point... And it was dark. And, thankfully, rats have Darkvision! 'Woah, so that's how it feels...' It was kinda weird to see everything in tones of gray, black, and white, but it was also cool to see everything completely outlined perfectly for him to see!

Still on the ceiling, this time on parts of the wall and in small crevices of the building, Miss Girl Lady Woman was able to stick close to the shadows of the building to remain unseen and undetected. Undetected enough that when they passed by, they could hear the screams of the inmates, their laughter, and their cries. 'This feels so f*cking horrible...' It was in the air now, the sheer weight of a malicious and heavily oppressive presence that weighted down on everything and everyone, it felt like a loop of energy that fed a being of pure malice and that being fed the insanity inside the building, which produced more energy for the being to feed off of and grow stronger.

Arkham Asylum was, officially, haunted.

And by a power and malicious ghost at that! It clearly and maliciously was making the people of the building suffer, and making those who aren't insane, slowly lose their minds by f*cking up with them in a metaphysical level... 'I pity them.' Was what came to his mind the moment he understood the fate of those within the walls of the Arkham Asylum: 'Maybe Baytor can do something about this... He is the Demon Patron of the Criminally Insane... Or was it Demon Lord?' Miss Girl Lady Woman was able to easily duck beneath doors and take refuge behind furniture, the long halls of white were as boring as being surrounded by psychopaths, murderers, rapists, pedophiles, serial killers, and other monsters. 'Can you smell him, girl?' Rats can discern a lot through scent, and Atlas did have Waylon's jacket!

It smelled weird nice, for something that has been in the sewers of Gotham... and, well, Waylon smells nice too, I guess.

Miss Girl Lady Woman lifted her little rat head to sniff the air around, searching for the same smell of the black leather jacket. They had to repeat this same process about 4 different times before she finally caught Waylon's scent, each time they went into a different side of the building as they were up on the 4th floor, and if Miss Girl Lady Woman wasn't able to find Waylon's scent here, then they would've gone down! 'Seriously, why would he be on the 4th floor?' It seems that (from what Atlas was able to gather) the higher one goes, the more dangerous they are and the higher the security on their floor... The building has 6 floors, the one at the top is empty because The Joker is still hiding, but some of the lower floors already have other people.

'Found ya!' Miss Girl Lady Woman, the fat rat that she was, crawled into a tiny crack on the wall, cracking it further as she pushed her way inside. Moving through wires inside the wall, Atlas told her to stay still as he could hear muffled... voices.

"-Mr. Jones. This is the last question of the day, if you would please answer it... do you have hopes for a full recovery? You see, this-"

"...why would I care if I make a full recovery? It wouldn't matter." A deep voice answered back, a voice Atlas recognized easily as Waylon: "Everyone would still see me as a monster, no matter what I do, so why even bother."

There was an awkward pause before a sigh could be heard on the room.

"Well, Mr. Jones, it has been a pleasure to speak to you regardless of your... lack of response, I will come back tomorrow the same time." The doctor said, there was a soft click sound before a click echoed, and Atlas felt energy gather, and he easily recognized it as electricity moving down the cables before they gathered into the single point that was the door. Several clicking sounds echoed after the electricity finished gathering in that single point, then a gate opened, and another, and another, until the doctor was out of the room- at which point, everything shut before clicking together.

It seems getting Waylon out of this place is going to be harder than he thought it would be...

Chapter 8: Saving a Croc (Part 2)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 11:30 | 11:30 AM]

[Calendar - 12/01/2003]

[Location - Arkham Asylum - Gotham City, New Jersey]

Atlas returned to his own mind in a snapping motion.

Taking a deep breath, Atlas gathered his thoughts. What does he know? Waylon is on the 4th floor, about- he looked at the building in the distance up and down, he used a few things that he knew the exact size of as reference -...90 feet? 'He's on the fourth floor, meaning...' Looking at the building and running some math inside his head, Waylon is about... 60 to 70 feet up. 'Well, getting up is easy, getting down is even easier. Infiltrating the place and leaving might be harder than I thought, considering the walls might be reinforced with some sort of alloy to make them more resilient... But who is he kidding? This is Arkham Asylum that he's thinking of, they're corrupt as 90% of Gotham is, and he is pretty sure that whoever is in charge of this reconstruction has cut corners to keep money.

'Ah, I believed I can take advantage of that in the future...' But that would be for future Atlas. "Baytor." Calling out the name of the demon, Atlas opened his eyes to the alleyway and found himself... alone? 'Something must've happened.' In his wheelchair, he was vulnerable- well, not really, seeing as he can literally melt someone down with magic acid, but people will think he is vulnerable! "f*ck..." Thankfully, the alleyway was empty, so he just pushed his way through the illusory semi translucent boxes stacked on top of each other, rolling into the alleyway that was right into the few buildings behind Arkham Asylum.

Arkham Asylum sat right into the middle of Arkham Island, with two brigdes connecting from the east and west side of the island. There is almost nothing on this island besides the D'iangelo Sewage Treatment Plant, this very alleyway was between broken down abandoned homes (because who the f*ck would live near the nut house? They'd go for you as soon as they escape their nut home) that he managed to scoop right in between before hiding himself in there. Now, Baytor is missing! 'sh*t...' Pulling out a copper wire and bending it softly, Atlas cast [Message], pointing his finger forward and slowly spinning around, searching for Baytor. The spell literally says "you point your finger toward a creature within range and whisper a message", so he is trying to find Baytor like that. His hope was that Baytor would receive the message and speak to him, but to his disappointment, he didn't. 'Okay, something happened.' That much was obvious to him, something must've happened for Baytor to leave him here alone in the alleyway behind the abandoned and destroyed buildings that they were hiding in.

"Baytor, hey!" He tried whispering-shouting, but there was no answer- okay, he can save Waylon alone. "Okay... I can do this..." He rolled back into the hiding spot that he originally was hiding in, the illusion of boxes were still up, so he went through them and stayed still. 'Well, I might as well use this time to learn more.' He spent the entire week planning and reading magic books from Dungeons and Dragons to learn the magic spells that would help him save Waylon- now, you might be asking, why Dungeons and Dragons? Because on his personal quest to master Transmutation Magic, he found out that magic from the Dungeons and Dragons multiverse was weirdly easy to cast and that he had a very easy time using it. He was also more familiar with magic from Dungeons and Dragons, although he couldn't fully remember why. 'Ah, here we go.' He mentally browsed his system and found a book that he wanted to read but had no time as he was stressing over finding Waylon (which was easy enough to do) and stressing over saving Waylon (which might not be as easy).

The book had a red leathery cover with golden softly written cursive letters that read [A Thousand Ways to Destroy your Enemies with Evocation Magic, by Archwizard Archi Evar]. This book had, as the name suggested, various explained ways on how to use even the most basic Evocation cantrips to f*ck up your enemies! In the question of spells, it taught a few of them, but the majority of the book was explaining the effects of different spells and how they could be easily controlled to not harm allies while also increasing the damage done against enemies. Thanks to his [Fast Reading] perk, he would certainly be able to read this entire book before it is time to rescue Waylon- He was especially interested in the section called [Acid: How to Melt, Belt, and make it be Felt] wrtten in whimsically curly red-golden letters: "Oh, this will be interesting."

And indeed it was, he learned how to use Evocation magic in a new way. Did you know you can use Acid cantrips to set up for even more powerful Acid spells? If he used [Acid Splash] before using [Acid Stream], he wouldn't use as much energy to bring forth acid from the Elemental Plane of Ooze, allowing him to increase the power of the spell instead of using the energy to summon acid- now, mind you, the amount of times he'd need to use [Acid Splash] for a significant increase in [Acid Stream] is almost ridiculous, but can be done if he is in a pitch.

It's a wonderful sensation to learn more about magic, a mixture of the mystical happiness and giddiness of learning magic (like, he was still not over the fact that he can use magic, real magic!) and the intoxicating sensation of growing stronger, even if by a tiny bit.

When he finished reading the book, a new screen opened in front of his eyes-

New Perk Unlocked

10 Books Read

"Huh?"

World Book - Encyclopedia

Open a special book. This book contains information about every single object within your world, their location, abilities, owners, creators, and any other information available about them.

This ability can be upgraded by hitting a reading milestone.

"This..."

POV Change

3rd View, Omniscient

Nix soon flew across the sky, stretching her veil and pulling in the night. She raced alongside Nótt as they gossip about the life of the many gods that lived on Gaia's, Hrímfaxi pulled the moon's chariot as Mani rested his chin on his hands and watched the two goddesses.

It was nighttime.

In Gotham, that normally meant danger for the majority of people within it. Crime was rampant, and thus, it was very dangerous for people to be out- even more so now that the Joker was out of Arkham for the... ah, who is even keeping count anyway? All that the people of Gotham know is that once you enter it, you cannot leave. Why would you enter in the first place? Well, the majority of Gotham's population are low income families, families that cannot sustain themselves with normal jobs because of the sh*tty economy, families that rely on the extremely small renting that Gotham has- seriously, a whole ass apartment in the shady parts of town for 900 dollars a month!? In this day and age? Even I would f*cking live there! The risks are just part of the deal, and hey, if you join a gang you might be able to get enough money for healthcare.

And, well, the US of A is already a dystopia. Why not live in the darkest part of that dystopia? Sometimes, that's the only option for the poor families.

However, we drag our attention to Arkham Asylum, by Arkham Island- You know what, why don't I give you the map?

Now that you can see what I'm seeing, let me guide down to our destination. Lowering and rushing through various buildings of the various districts of Gotham, we approach the isolated island, with only two intact buildings, one of them being the Arkham Asylum. Surrounded by 10 feet high fences of reinforced steel and concrete, and with guards patrolling the surrounding area it seemed like a very secure place, right? Alongside the fact that there were hidden cameras pointed towards the hidden corners and blind spots, it was very hard to infiltrate this place- but who in their right minds would do that? Exactly! Someone who should he inside the Arkham Asylum in the first place.

Ironic.

With a flicker of a pale blue spark, one of the hidden cameras pointing to the left corner of the building went down, turning off. After that, a flicker of shadows moved towards the wall surrounding the building and touched it, a low and almost inaudible fizzling sound echoed in the dark night as the concrete and metal melted away in a perfect five by five "door". Rolling in, the perpetrator and idiot known as Atlas was entering the territory of the nuttiest nuts of this nut-verse. He rolled in pretty quickly, as quickly as he could in fact, because he needed to turn on the camera that was watching the portion of the wall he entered through- of course he had placed an a mound of earth there to hide the hole he had made and used [Color] to change the color of the earth to imitate the color of concrete with [Chloromorpho] to add the texture of concrete (or at least to look like it), so as to not disturb the footage.

Ah, Illusion magic... so useful!

"Okay..." Looking up at the building, Atlas felt a bit intimidated. It was a very tall building, and he couldn't break his concentration- to keep some spells up in the Dungeons and Dragons multiverse, you had to concentrate on them. Such a thing does not happen here, as both Atlas is a special little boy and the universe has no rules like that. "[Levitate]." Slowly, his body began to float upwards- 10 feet, 20 feet, 30 feet, 30 feet... As he rose, he had his finger pointed forward and a copper wire on the other hand, casting [Message] over and over again as he tried to contact Waylon by whispering "Waylon, you in there?" over and over- just in case he magically wasn't on the 4th floor anymore. As he reached about 67 feet high, he stopped because he received a response.

And surprise, it seems like his [Subtitles] work even through magical messages!

"[Waylon Jones (Tired, Sad, Surprised): ...Kid?]"

He placed his hands right on the wall where he believed Waylon's room to be, casting [Message] once more as he whispered- He looked up and saw the thin opening where air could easily enter through: "Hey Waylon- don't worry, I'm here to get you out. It'll take a minute or so." He slowly pushed his hand on the wall and used [Destroy Wall] and the same fizzling sound happened, and as he got to the metal sheet that reinforced the wall, he began to simultaneously use [Acid Splash], [Acid Blast], and [Acid Bolt]. You can't really cast the same cantrip simultaneously, but you can cast three different cantrips that do basically the same thing! Well, the difference is that one splashes acid and covers a large area, one wets an area with acid that continously melts down that area, and the other sends a bolt of crystallized acid that pierces through something before melting the insides. He was basically casting four cantrips at the same time, because [Destroy Wall] was also working its way through the metal sheel thanks to the acid.

This whole thing was not silent. The piercing of the acid projectile into the metal sheet was like a bullet, so it caught the attention of security.

With a final blast of acid, a 5 by 5 circular hole was opened, and Atlas could see Waylon's back. The cold air rushed in and Atlas remembered what he had read and used [On/Off] to turn all the cameras inside the room off simultaneously as the cloud of dust rushed in, thankfully hiding his appearance. 'Goodbye, my wheelchair.' Looking down at the (crappy) wheelchair he had been using, Atlas shot down a few [Acid Splash] cantrips and melted it down completely, so as to not leave any evidence of his involvement. He pulled himself inside the room and smiled up at the big crocodile man who hand his two hands held up by chains attached to the walls.

Waylon was trying to look behind him, but was having a hard time, but would recognize that voice anywhere.

"Hi Waylon."

Chapter 9: Saving a Croc (Part 3)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 01:13 | 01:13 AM]

[Calendar - 13/01/2003]

[Location - Arkham Asylum - Gotham City, New Jersey]

POV Change

Atlas

'Quick.' Was all Atlas could think of- His first thought was to see if there was a way to unlock the chains holding Waylon's arms up high, but he quickly dismissed such idea when he heard the alarm of the building blast. 'sh*t.' He quickly moved his fingers and casted [Fire Bolt], [Acidic Bolt], [Acid Splash] and [Acidic Blast] in quick succession at the four deactivated cameras in the four corners of the room. The acid formed by the [Acid Splash] cantrip split up in three different spheres, one of the solidifying into this small green crystalline dart that shot out towards a camera before the other two hit two different cameras, with the last one being blasted by a bolt of flames. He got rid of the cameras first because he knew damn well Batman would investigate this sh*t, in fact, he must be getting the alert right now! 'Quick!' Looking at the two chains, he decided to go big or go home! "Sorry if this ends up hurting you, Waylon!" The acid from the ground and on the cameras flew out into his hand, forming this pea sized green dot that floated between his two palms facing each other, and he aimed-

"[Waylon Jones (Confused, Surprised, Concerned): Wait, what-?]"

-and a beam of acid shot out of his hands, 5 feet thick and wide, and 30 feet long. He aimed the beam so as to not splash as much of it on Waylon, and thankfully his aim was not far off. Although a little bit of acid had splashed on his left arm (Atlas aimed for the left chain), the majority of the acid was corroding and breaking the chain apart, but not fast enough! Repeatedly, he used [Acidic Blast] against the chain, and sure enough, it melted faster. "Sorry, sorry- I promise I'll try to learn how to heal, I'm sure I can." Apologizing, Atlas repeated the process with the right chain, castin [Acid Stream] once more and this time aiming properly and making 90% of the acid splash on the chain and not on Waylon's body, although some of it still slid down the chain and touched his scaly hand. "I should've learned some sort of metal melting spell, f*ck." In total, it took him about 2 and a half minutes to get Waylon free, and to his anxious self, that was an eternity.

All the time he was breaking the chains, Waylon was saying something, but Atlas was too focused on his task at hand that he ignored him and instead focused on what to do next. They were about 67 to 70 feet up in the air- thankfully he has learned [Feather Fall] for this exact occasion or occasions similar to this one. "Okay, I think if we jump now I can cast [Feather Fall] and make us fall slower and glide down to the wall, unless you wanna go high up to the floor then we can jump and maybe glide over the wall and into the sea where we can-" Atlas' head snapped back to look at Waylon when he heard the chains snap off, and with a heavy and animalistic grunt, Waylon was free from his containment.

There was a joke there about a crocodile in a containment facility that also involved acid and escaping said facility, but Atlas wasn't sure it applied here.

"[Waylon Jones (Surprised, Confused): Wait, you're here... why are you here? Do you know where we even are- kid, you need to leave before the f*cking Bat gets here-]" Waylon closed his jaws shut when Atlas turned around to look at him with a grin, lifting up the black leather jacket that he had given him a week ago before he left the hideous hideout that they were setting roots in to start that ridiculous idea of a kingdom that somehow, for some reason, was very important to him. "[Waylon Jones (Confused): My jacket? You came all the way here to give me my jacket... no, why did you come here? To save me? Well, I could've escaped literally any time I wanted to so I guess thank you?]"

"Well, Mr. King Croc Big Man Sir, you made a promise you didn't keep." Atlas looked down- security was starting to gather up faster and faster: "-so I had to come here and get you. You're literally the only person I know in this god forsaken, devil loved- no, scratch that, Lucifer doesn't like Gotham at all or else he'd have a club here or something -cursed f*cking city, so you better step your game up because I came here to save you. So, which way? Up or down?" His two hands shot out in different directions, one up and the other down, while he looked down at the crowd of guards- seriously, who would even work in this place? Just being here and he can feel the heavy magical aura of this insane asylum, and it is changing his behavior a bit, seen by the way he is acting more anxious.

Oh, it's the magic! Sure, he has some anxiety, but this place is really f*cking him up because he's sensitive to magic. That explains the unreasonable and almost fun desire of blasting the guards up with acid.

"[Waylon Jones (Confused): Huh, up or down?]" Getting closer to the edge of the hole (having to duck, because he's about 6'6 feet tall for God's sake!) and looking down, Waylon frowned: "[Waylon Jones (Frustated, Annoyed): There's too many guards down there, there's no way we can get out without me killing a bunch of them and you getting shot at least once... I guess we're going up then.]" Without having to wait for a request, Waylon picked Atlas up and threw him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes ("This is so King Kong core") and ignored Atlas' comments as he easily broke through the hole made by him- it was quite impressive, especially now that it downed on him that Atlas knows real magic. Waylon is just a little bit surprised by Atlas' magic, he has grown up in a circus where the fake magician was in fact a real one, and although he never used dangerous magics for the circus' entertainment, he has had shown Waylon once how he could turn a card into a bomb as strong as a grenade. He was surprised by Atlas' magic because the magician- his name was Mr. Modo the Magnificent or something like that -said that even turning single card into a bomb was tiring enough for him to be unable to do it more than twice, while Waylon felt and saw Atlas shoot out an entire beam of acid at his chains.

This kid must be crazy powerful.

"Going uuuup-" It was crazy how Waylon made climb up a 90 feet tall building with only your bare hands seem easy. It was also crazy how Atlas was able to hold on to Waylon's body while staring right down at the many guards that were- oh, they were shooting them! "-f*ck f*ck f*ck-" He desperately tried to duck, but as a bullet hit his arm, he paled- only to sigh as a glimmer of energy materialized between the bullet and his skin as [Mage Armor] acted. This was the only Abjuration spell that he had time to learn, and it has been proved useful! "-ah, damn." It took them less than a minute to get to the spire-like top of the building, and from up here the could see their destination: "Okay, Waylon, you gotta trust me here- Run, open your arms, and jump!" The big crocodile was confused, a hint of mistrust flashed through his eyes before he steeled his resolve and did exactly as Atlas told him, he ran towards the opposite direction the guards were gathered at, opened his arms and stretched them out almost as if he was going to fly, and he jumped-

The thrill of the fall was short lived, as weightlessness overtook his being, and they were falling slowly and gliding towards the wall. Waylon felt Atlas sitting on his back, hiding from the guards that noticed them and were shooting at them from below, and with his hands held down he began to spew this greasy brown colored liquid that splashed down like oil in a trail from the bottom of the Arkham Asylum and it formed a large puddle. Waylon was about to ask what that was when he saw a spark of flames flicker and soon the oil-like liquid was on fire, and the guards were screaming.

Not because they were set on fire- Atlas didn't want to murder people today -but because there was fire! They're shouting for people to get the fire extinguishers.

"Okay, okay-" Atlas sighed, a weight seemed to leave his shoulders: "-Waylon, we're approaching the wall... We might be able to cross it over, I'm not entirely sure." The 10 feet tall wall that separated Arkham Asylum from the rest of the desert Arkham island was approaching quickly, and Waylon knew exactly what to do. The moment they were within reaching range, he grabbed the upper portion of the wall and threw himself over it, and that was when he started spinning while Atlas held onto him like he was going to fall- well, he almost did.

With a soundless sploof, Waylon settled down on the ground, about 23 feet away from the wall.

Without an ounce of hesitation, he grabbed Atlas and ran- The bridges to leave the island were out of question, but thankfully he was a big crocodile of a man. He was more worrie about Atlas though, the kid was showing signs of being tired- I mean, throwing spells around willy nilly must cost more energy than he thinks -towards the water. His impressive strength also translated into an incredible pushing force, and although it took him a while to gather speed once he got going it was necessary something solid to stop him. He has used this to run through walls many times, it generally works! In half an hour later, they were on the other side of the island, complete opposite of where he would've gone if not Atlas telling him to come here.

"[Waylon Jones (Out of Breath): W-why... Did you tell me to come to this place?]" They were by the D'iangelo Sewage Treatment Plant, why would they even come here? Atlas simply pointed out towards a side of the place, and once he got there, he was surprised to be guided by Atlas until they found a flask of something, tucked away behind a wall and hidden inside a black suitcase... A chemical. "[Waylon Jones (Concerned, Confused): How did you know this was going to be here- you're not working for the Joker, are you, kid? I might just kill right now.]"

"Seriously Waylon? I don't work for the Joker." Rolling his eyes, a white book manifested right between his open palms, and written on a page were the words [Joker's Toxin of Madness and Silly Whimsical Shenanigans, Prototype N°3. Owned by the one and only Clown of Gotham, created by the Mad White Faced Demon known as Joker. Consuming this chemical will cause severe muscle tissue damage, mind numbing pain, damage to internal organs, and madness of the Joker variety. Please do not open the lid, thank you~] written in cursive. "Special magical powers, finding sh*t is not that hard for me... Now, I took us here because this is what will buy you some time, after all, Batman will focus his attention on the clown and leave you alone for enough time that you might be able to hide." Taking the suitcase, Atlas moved his fingers a bit as he cast the spell [Illusory Script] on top of the suitcase to write [Don't Open - Made by The Joker, for Batman. Signed: Me.] And with that done, Atlas motioned for them to leave- Leaving the island was easy. Waylon could swim really quickly, and Atlas simply had to cast [Alter Self] to make himself able to breathe underwater and done.

They were out of there before Batman found them.

Chapter 10: Getting Away (Part 1)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 01:12 | 01:12 AM]

[Calendar - 13/01/2003]

[Location - Batcave - Gotham City, New Jersey]

POV Change

Bruce Wayne - Batman

It wasn't easy being Batman. Investigating the many crimes that somehow had ties to each other was not as easy as he made it seem, and just because he had years of experience alongside a sharp mind to aid him in his endless work, sometimes he wished such a burden was not his to bear. And then, reality slapped him in the face, and he was going back at it again, with each and every single villain that got free once more from the Arkham Asylum- it was an endless game of rat and mouse, chasing after them was his job and he accepted it a long time ago. Which was why he was investigating and cross positioning every avaliable information on the many villains that had escaped Arkham Asylum. One of the major villains he had already sent back to Arkham, and although that caused Dick some emotional turmoil a week ago, now they were working in tandem to find the other villains to bring them to justice once more.

"Master Bruce." The familiar voice of an old family friend called out for him. He had no need to turn around to see the one and only Alfred Pennyworth standing behind him. By the sound of his footsteps and the soft clicking on metal, he must be carrying another tray to serve him something to eat- he will admit, after that... disagreement with Dick after they sent Killer Croc back to Arkham Asylum, he has thrown himself into his work to try and clear his mind a bit. He was able to make a few connections as to where the others might be hiding after the escaped the Arkham Asylum, with a few being certain due to him implanting trackers in their bodies... although some managed to get rid of their trackers (that was how he found Killer Croc so quickly), especially The Joker, Poison Ivy, and- "It's been three days since your last meal, and I am once again asking you to please eat... Or I might have to start guilt tripping you to do so." The same nonchalant and slightly exasperated voice broke him out of his deep thoughts- Right. Alfred was here.

"I'm alright Alfred-"

"-Oh Master Bruce, it pains my old heart to see someone I raised like a son not seem to care for his own health-" Alfee start speaking with a heavy english accent, doing his best to sound as heartbroken as he possibly could, and that wasn't hard for the old butler as he has done such a thing for long that he doesn't even remember when his strategy of "guilt trip the f*ck out of this boy" started. But oh boy, is it efficient! With his best deadpan voice, Alfred said: "-and it breaks my old heart to see you push yourself so hard and not care for your own health-"

"-okay, okay, I'll eat... Just, stop... whatever it is this time, please." Bruce planted his right hand right into face. He could only sigh as he had no need to turn to look at Alfred to know he had that same irritating smile those smug lips of his- He still doesn't know why this works so well on him, but he just does it to stop Alfred from going on a rant about poverty and the hungry children of the world (That, by the way, Wayne Enterprises has an entire charity program for that) and how some sick poor children with a terminal disease sleeping on the streets that hasn't eaten in seven days could eat what he so carelessly threw away or whatever else he could come up with in his most dead voice ever. "Also, Alfred, please inform Dick tomorrow that... I've thought over about it, and although I don't really like the idea of him getting close to Killer Croc, I will allow him to... converse with him." That was the original reason they had a minor disagreement that ended up with Dick being upset and, well, storming out of the room and leaving Bruce to his work. Bruce was only worried that Killer Croc was going to lie to the boy, just because he seemed to recognize Dick and was allegedly friend with his parents, it doesn't mean that Bruce was going to trust Killer Croc.

And worse yet, the boy wanted to talk to Killer Croc alone.

And Bruce didn't want that. And Dick asked why he didn't trust him, and then Bruce tried to explain it wasn't a matter of trust but a matter of safety, but the boy was starting his early years of puberty, so foolishness was up the part. As Alfred settled down a plate, Bruce stared at the quite rich looking sandwich settled on it like it was his worst enemy before sighing and was already taking a bite when-

Red light flashed in one of the many screens on the BatComputer. Bruce heard Alfred audibly sigh as he turned to look at the sceen, easily recognizing the warning on the screen.

[Code Red 3-B: Escape from Arkham Asylum]

"...here we go again." Although breaking the pattern apart- normally, after a mass escape from Arkham, it would take a while before there are other attempts at escaping Arkham Asylum again as the building is being repaired and security is increased a hundred fold... escaping would be highly improbable as well, because those who would do such thing are already out- Oh... There is one person in there that would do such a thing, but it wasn't exactly their style. "Croc." He wouldn't try to escape so harshly so soon after being captured, he would wait until he was focused on something to try and escape, just so he could buy more time to hide in the sewers of Gotham- even though Croc knows the sewers like the back of his hand, Batman still has his tracker on him-

It just went off.

Croc has a little helper, doesn't he?

POV Change

Atlas

The sheer cold of the water was not what he expected.

Sure, he did expect the water to be cold, but not this much! As he held onto Waylon's neck, his arms wrapped around the big crocodile man's neck, he once more used the [On/Off] cantrip to keep the tracker on the back of his neck completely shut down so the bat couldn't find them- I mean, he knew the guy was paranoid, so of course the tracker must be from him! And, well, his [World Book- Encyclopedia] had a section where he could read information on the items before him, like his own version of the famous [Observe] skill from those Gamer fics... When he had read everything he could find that was owned by [Waylon Jones, aka Killer Croc] he easily found the tracker inside him- it was owned by both him and Batman aka Bruce Wayne! He went rescue the big boy knowing that, so when he used [On/Off] as he entered his cell from the outside in, he also targeted the tracker in Waylon's neck, periodically using [On/Off] to keep it from reactivating itself and snitching on them.

Because, let's face it, Batman surely made a tracker that would reactivate itself in case it got shut off somehow.

The water rushed and it soon tasted... terrible. Look, when he casted [Alter Self] on himself and changed his body to adapt and be able to breathe underwater, he didn't think he'd also taste it! Waylon didn't really taste the disgusting water because he was able to hold his breath like any crocodile can, so he could easily hold his breath for half an hour if he wanted! And with the speed they were going at, in half an hour, they could easily reach their destination. They took a left after jumping off of the back of D'iangelo Sewage Treatment Plant into the water below and they were arriving at the Dixon Docks, where Waylon knew an underwater passage to the sewers of Gotham big enough to fit him and hidden enough where nobody would see them enter the place.

[<Metal clicking sounds>]

[<Muffled sounds of People speaking>]

[<Water rushing sounds>]

'Ah, yes, I couldn't tell!' A little pissed- okay, a lot pissed. He hated the sudden disgusting taste that overcame his senses, and that couldn't do anything but endure it as they had to be silent. Waylon moved through the docks and went deeper and deeper until they reached this lower portion beneath the docks... Atlas saw a few skeletons with concrete blocks tied to their feet and some even missing a few bones here and there, and soon they went through this dark tunnel for what felt like half and hour until they broke through to the surface- a dark place, damp, and slightly familiar place. Not exactly the place where he met Waylon, but it was still a sewer! "Urgh-" His first reaction was to throw up immediately after he dismissed the spell that had a hold on him, and this rather thick mixture of water, oil, and other things came out alongside his dinner, because he couldn't really f*cking keep it in anymore.

"[Waylon Jones (Surprised, Worried, Disgusted): Oh, uh- You okay there, Atlas?]" Taking a few steps back as he watched Atlas heave and throw up, Waylon felt a little bit worried about the boy as he gasped for air and the weird gills on the sides of his neck snapped close, spewing out this piece of plastic. He watched it hit the ground and bounce a little as Atlas spat down, clicking his tongue and waving his fingers in front of it as a dull glow of magic flowed out and pleasant smells started to flow in this portion of the sewer: "[Waylon Jones (Surprised, Pleased): Huh, lavander? Smells way better than sewer garbage.]" Waylon's reptilian eyes narrowed as his vision easily adapted to the darkness, which was how he watched Atlas heave and throw up like he was dying.

"And tastes too." Spitting on the ground once more, Atlas casted [Prestidigitation] on his tongue to simulate both the scent and taste of lavander, which tasted and smelled way better than sewer garbage in any and all forms! "Now I know how Atlantians feel when they swim close to those really polluted regions of the sea..." He scratched his neck, feeling the itch that came with changing his body alongside the itching of breathing literal garbage through the water- it was like he was in a room full of smoke, but he couldn't close his mouth because the smoke went through his entire body and stuck to his pores! "Urgh..." Then came the nausea, and he hated his life just a little bit more. As he pressed his back against the wall and pulled himself away from where he had his back against the dark wall and waved in the general direction of where he thought his projectile vomit might have landed. "Never doing that again..."

"[Waylon Jones (Amused): Well, I can clearly see why...]" He reached out and took Atlas into his hands again, looking down at the guy before sighing: "[Waylon Jones (Awkward, Unsure): Listen, ergh, I... thank you. For coming and taking me out of that cursed place... it's not a good place to be.]" Nobody ever believed the patients and it was more of a old tale to scare children, but ever since he understood he was alive, he has heard stories of Arkham Asylum and how it drove people to madness, and being in that place seriously f*cked him up.

He's glad to be out.

"Ah, don't worry about it- A kingdom needs its king, doesn't it?" Shrugging, Atlas reached out and touched Waylon's neck- because he couldn't see very well in the darkness of the tunnel, he was unaware of the look Waylon gave him when he touched his neck -and said: "We gotta take off the tracking chip, though... I think I might be able to take it off... Hey, what do you think of a really big knife close to your neck? Just kidding, I'll just use magic to take the tracking chip off."

"[Waylon Jones (Caught off guard): The what now?]"

Oh, right. He didn't tell him that he had a tracking chip on bis neck.

Silly Atlas.

Chapter 11: Renovations and Investigations (Part 2)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 05:12 | 05:12 AM]

[Calendar - 13/01/2003]

[Location - Foundation Station - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

Atlas groaned.

Stretching his sore muscles and casting [Prestidigitation] once more to make sure he was completely and utterly clean after going through the sewers of Gotham- after what he experienced, he has been feeling rather dirty. Waylon stopped for a moment, and Atlas was confused as to why, and that was when he remembered something: "Oh, right! Welcome to Foundation Station, Mr King Croc sir, this will be one of the entrance points to Croc Kingdom and a small community place that the homeless can gather." To Atlas, who was the one responsible for the changes in this place, the place wasn't that different from before- to Waylon, who was seeing the final result with only memories of how it looked before this whole renovation thing? It was a stark difference! Like two sides of those "before" and "after" photos you see on the internet. First thing you would notice as you entered the station, is that compared to the way in, the inside was way cleaner- there was no mold, no dust, no dirt, and no debris or pieces of concrete on the ground! In fact, the entire ceiling was also completely repaired almost as if it was never even damaged in the first place.

There were, previously, only three and a half quarters of pillars to sustain the weight of the world above, but under Atlas' meticulous and constant care- and his magic too, of course -there were now four whole pillars with two extra ones in a circular pattern around the abandoned subway station. Now, these pillars supported the weight of the ceiling, and the ceiling itself was also perfectly repaired and there was no a single sign of it being damaged anymore. These two aspects are already very significant changes, but the addition of two smooth gray stone pillars on the south and north side of the station? That is something weird but also incredible. These two 45 to 50 feet tall pillars of 20 feet thick stone touched both the ceiling and the ground and seemed like it was part of them, blending with them in a weird way.

Mistaking Waylon's silence for his disappointment with the lack of clear improvement on the whole place, Atlas tried to justify it: "Well, sorry for the lack of improvement, I've been kinda busy trying to figure out how to get you out of the nut house." Although he didn't mean to sound bitter, he was a little disappointed he couldn't do more to the place- I mean, all the did was clean it up ad repair the ceiling! He just had to cast [Levitate] on himself, and when the spell was going to end he would just land on one of the many wooden platforms that he had stuck to the walls and the six pillars. He used these platforms to rest and wait, and also to actually work on the pillars! He made those two from the excessive leftovers from repairing the other three pillars... He learned how to use [Move Earth] to excavate rocks and earth off of the ground with Baytor's help, then use the cantrip [Transmute Earth] to change the loose earth into a solid block of smooth stone, and with these blocks of stone he was able to repair the pillars with [Mending] and was able to make two new pillars by stacking them up one another and using [Mending] to fuse them together, the spell [Repair] also helped a lot where [Mending] could not work its magic. He did find out that this place led into one of Gotham's many, many natural caves that could be a good place to start a settlement. "I was thinking of maybe getting some greenery down here, but the lack of sunlight would make it really hard to properly upkeep them, but then I remembered I can make magical items that glow with the same properties as the light of the sun, and then I had an entire plan for a greenhouse and, well, I got really carried away with planning..."

Waylon kept quiet still- Is this real? His claws dragged softly against the wall, Atlas still on his arms as he held him. His claws scrapped off a pit of paper from an old poster- not the same one with the Flying Graysons, but one that was too old to distinguish whatever was once written on it.

"-and then I had already planned an entire wall made of magically reinforced glass to be the, like, seeing portion of the beautiful f*cking submarine ship." Atlas nodded to himself- why has nobody had the idea of making a cruise ship that is also a submarine before? It would get a lot of cash. "Well, that's the idea for tourist trapping, but we still need to have the kingdom, the rules, the people, the infrastructure, the mandatory crocodile pets that every household should have at least one because Sobek would be really happy and maybe might help us out with the whole kingdom stuff- would be great to have a god on our side -Also, I have some drawings of a few building ideas I had for the entertainment district-"

"[Waylon Jones (Tired, Amused): Atlas, calm down, you've been talking for the last 15 minutes non-stop.]" Chuckling a little, Waylon settled Atlas down in one of the lower wooden platforms by the pillars, it was about 5 feet off of the ground and he could still look down on Atlas as he sat on it: "[Waylon Jones (Tired, Understanding): I know you're... excited about this whole kingdom thing, but I think we should take this slow... Don't wanna trigger the powers of Gotham while the kingdom is not even strong enough to defend itself, right? So, let me start my part while I go into hiding for a little while. I'll send in "subjects" that I find that are willing to join the cause in its early stages, so you can have something to work with.]"

"Oh, right. Hiding." Atlas nodded- Waylon just escaped from Arkham Asylum, so of course he needs to go into hiding! "Well, hopefully the Bat is occupied with not only the tracker being on someone else now, but also dealing with the Joker sh*t I gave him to investigate."

Nodding along, Waylon sighed before he looked at Atlas in the eye, saying: "[Waylon Jones (Worried): Listen, kid- No. Listen, Atlas, I'm gonna be away for who knows how long... I'll get you some supplies before I leave, you keep working on this place for a while... Give me two days and I'll send in the first people, I think I know a few folks who would like s place to call home.]"

"Okay Waylon- This time, try to not get caught by the bat, or I'll just have to melt down the asylum so there will be nowhere to take you to." Shrugging, Atlas looked up at the ceiling for a moment: "...Hey, what do you think about me carving the entire night sky on the ceiling?"

"[Waylon Jones (Exasperated): Bye Atlas... Have fun.]"

He didn't wait for Atlas to answer him- he had to leave. Each moment here was a moment the bat could be following a trail they didn't even know they left behind! And Waylon will not let the bat drag Atlas into their whole beef.

He has already dragged Dick into it.

[Clock - 01:30 | 01:30 AM]

[Calendar - 13/01/2003]

[Location - Gotham City, New Jersey]

POV Change

Dick Grayson - Robin

Talking about Dick-

"...I'm still mad at you." Glaring at the man beside him in the bat shaped black car, Dick narrowed his eyes in his best imitation of the very same man that was driving the stupid bat shaped car. Batman simply looked forward, both hands in the steering wheel like a f*cking responsible driver that Dick hated for that specific moment. They blasted through the dark and empty streets of Gotham, the darkness hiding them partially as the rushed through like a blur in the night- this was one of the many reasons Batman acted at night, not only were the streets lacking the usual traffic of people, but the darkness of the night also helped hide them from the eyes of others. As a bonus, villains also seemed to act more around night time, and that was just the beginning! There other things that only a night in Gotham could get you, and one of those things was a visit from the bat. "...Can I at least read the file of who escaped this time? Like, there weren't many people in Akrham, and we got Szass back only yesterday, there's no way he could've escaped so quickly-" Dick stopped as he looked at the tablet in his hand, he had been using it to bring up the one that Batman marked as an escapee, and he saw the man he wanted to talk to.

[Waylon Jones - Killer Croc: Code Red 3-B, Escape from Arkham Asylum]

"...what." Is this serious!? His talk with him had been so much delayed by Batman (he was still angry that Bruce couldn't trust him to stay alone with Waylon- he treated him like he was a monster that would eat him in a single bite -and although he was slightly scared of Waylon, he was confident he could stay in a room with him alone for 5 minutes without getting eaten alive!) that the guy had escaped, again! "Motherfuc-"

"Language." The same deadpan voice that Bruce always used to talk to him caught his attention. He lifted his head to see the street lights rushing by around them as a bridge got closer. They've been driving for 15 minutes now, and Batman has been driving like a bat out of hell to get to their destination: Arkham Asylum. "We're almost there." There were normally five bridges to Arkham Island, but due to security reasons they were heavily monitored by the guards of Arkham. Batman took the route that would take them the least amount of time, so they had left the Bat Cave and took the Robert Kane Memorial Bridge and went through Crest Hill, Crime Alley, Otisburg, took a left to get to The Narrows and took the bridge that connected The Narrows to Arkham Island. Getting through security wasn't a problem- I mean, they have gone to Arkham Asylum many times before, so what is one more time? And who in their right mind would stop the bat from going where he wants to? Nobody, that is.

Driving towards the tower-like asylum in the distance, both Robin and Batman frowned when they saw the smoke rising. Arkham was not ablaze from what they could discern in this distance, but something surely was set ablaze.

It took them less than a minute to get to their destination, and upon reaching it they were greeted by a surprising sight. Guards, rushing in to quench a pool of flames, but they only had a single fire extinguishers, and the flames seemed to resist the foam of the fire extinguisher. "They seem to have it handled." Robin said- although he didn't mean it in a sarcastic way, it still carried sarcastic undertones that made of the guards who heard him frown. "But that's weird... The flames are almost completely covered, they should be out."

Batman recognized this... He had seen such a flame that could be easily extinguished. It was a demonstration and a training session at the same time, but Batman has fought against someome who could summon flames to their control. Flames that couldn't be extinguished by normal means and could burn for as long as energy is available to them or as long as the caster supplies them with magic- Magic, huh? It's been a while since he last saw some of it. If magic is involved, then things start to get a little more complicated because then Croc would have a magical friend that is willing to get him out of trouble, which is not something Batman likes.

"...footsteps." He easily found a more clues. Footsteps that could only lead towards the D'iangelo Sewage Treatment Plant- His eyes widened as soon as he realized that. Gotham was in serious danger if the water supply for entire city was at risk.

In a blur of black, Batman was gone. And in a blur of color, Robin followed.

Sadly (or thankfully) for them, they'd only find a suitcase with purple letters that read [Don't Open - Made by The Joker, for Batman. Signed: Me], that once he touched it, it faded into sparkling purple glitter that made him frown- magic.

He hated dealing with magic users.

Chapter 12: Humble Beginnings (Part 1)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 09:00 | 09:00 AM]

[Calendar - 20/01/2003]

[Location - Foundation Station - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

POV Change

Atlas

"...is this the guy that is second in command? This cripple? Why did the boss even put him as second in command, even I am better than hi-"

Atlas felt a vein in his forehead bulge just a little bit. Faster than anyone could react, a sharp spike of jagged crystal shot out of the ground at breakneck speeds, only to stop just a few millimeters away from the other man's neck. Atlas kept smiling kindly as he treated the broken leg of the poor boy that he was treating. He didn't even turn to look at the man as he said, the same sweet and kind voice that he was using to speak to the poor child: "Well, you see, I believe that the earth is kind to us. Humanity has caused so much damage and so much hurt to Mother Earth, and yet she still loves us and in her infinite kindness, treats us as her children." This time he turned to look at the man after he finished tightly tying the leg to a stick, to keep the leg straight so he would be able to heal it in a little bit, as soon as he recovers enough energy for that: "The earth is kind... I also believe in the phrase 'Kill them with kindness'... Now, would you like to die by kindness, Jax? Is that your name- it doesn't matter, that's your name now, Jax. You look like a Jax, so that's your name now."

Adrian Jax gulped hard, his entire body had frozen in fear as the sharp looking jagged crystal spike seemed to inch closer and closer to his neck- With a heavy sigh, the crystal simply sank back into the ground without any sound, almost as if the earth had swallowed it down.

"Anyone else with delusions of grandeur that needs to go down a peg or two?" There was only silence in the air, the group of 13 homeless people kept quiet in fear of angering the boss even further: "Good... Now, where were we? Yes, I remember- pull the lever, Jax!"

Nervously, he looked at the lever in front of him... And pulled it. Immediately, the recently repaired and semi-functional train started to go backwards.

"Wrong lever!"

Let's go back a bit, okay?

[Clock - 13:09 | 01:09 PM]

[Calendar - 14/01/2003]

It has been a day and a few hours since Waylon left. It hadn't been long and Atlas didn't really miss him- I mean, it's not like he risked his own safety to save him from a haunted insane asylum, right? 'Stupid f*cking alligator man.' Atlas floated, inches away from the ceiling, his hand dragging across it as he casted [Chloromorpho] and [Color] to change the color of the concrete ceiling and make beautiful patterns- because the spell was of the Illusion school of magic, he was able to influence it in the future, he's sure of it, but for now he's focusing on the school of Transmutation before going into any deep research and learning into any other school of magic, although he did learn spells from other schools of magic too. "Hum..." Lowering himself so he was 2 feet away from the ceiling, but still 48 feet from the ground, Atlas looked at the painted ceiling. "What you think, Baytor?" He couldn't exactly turn around, but there was no need for such, as he heard and read-

[<Swaying of cloth>]

[<Creaking of glass bottles>]

"[Baytor (Supportive, Happy): I Am Baytor~! (I think it looks pretty good, actually. Reminds me of my time in New York, looking at the beautiful painting of Vincent van Gogh. Truly a starry night indeed. I really like how you've made the brighter stars have a shine to them by painting around the light bulbs, marking them as planets of the solar system that can be seen in the night sky at the naked eye.)] Carrying a crate of empty glass bottles- don't worry, they're for something Atlas is working on -and swaying with an invisible wind by how happy he was, Baytor complimented the way he painted the ceiling with his magic. It wasn't at the level of Vincent van Gogh but it was still a beautiful starry night sky painting! Atlas' magic was truly wondrous and wonderful, wasn't it? "[Baytor (Happy, Excited): Oh, where you want me to put these bottles? By the others or by the special corner in the main conductor train cabin? It's great you're working on repairing the old train, it reminds me of my times taking the trains in Europe... Ah, the good ol' days...)]"

Atlas ignored the happy demon and decided to add a few details to the ceiling. Dragging his finger across it, he made a few sections of the sky darker to give the impression of clouds, and he made even more smaller stars in the background-

[<Echoing footsteps>]

[<Approaching footsteps>]

-and what now? 'Huh.' With his hands on the ceiling, Atlas dragged himself to one of his platforms at the pillar nearest to him, and he sent a [Message] to Baytor, telling him: "Hide. There's people getting close." As he also made his best to stay silent... Maybe the beauty of his painting will make people not notice him? Well- The moment they entered the place, Atlas saw that they didn't look threatening at all, but he would not underestimate someone based on their appearance alone! One old man, two women, and a child... They looked thin, but they also had these sacks of what he could only assume to be their belongings. As he observed them for a while, he saw them take in the view of the repaired subway station before one of them- the child -looked up and gasped, making the adults also take a look after making sure everything was okay.

[<Gasps of awe>]

'Yes, I know.' Atlas rolled his eyes at the screen before he caught the eye of one of the people down. He smirked at the old man as his eyes narrowed, and he decided to make his entrance. 'Well, better now than ever!' Simply allowing himself to fall, Atlas waited for the last moment to let the gravity and momentum of his fall be broken safely as [Feather Fall] activated. "So-" Floating a few inches off of the ground as his new wheelchair rolled towards him, Atlas smiled at the four new recruits for the future Croc Kingdom with excited but slightly cautious eyes: "-welcome to Foundation Station, my name is Atlas and I am your handsome train conductor, please keep your arms and legs inside of the train at all times, this train will not be making any stops unless someone dies inside it, so if you wanna take a piss please stab someone." His flamboyant and flourishing act- yes, he is a little unhinged (who flirts with Killer Croc to his face? Who actively infiltrates an insane asylum to get said croc out of it? Not someone hinged to a door frame, I tell you that much) but this is him catching people off guard by acting a little bit more- okay, he is having fun with this, okay? He likes f*cking with people... Baytor is rubbing off on him, isn't he? That little demon.

"...what?"

Taking a closer look at their physical appearances, Atlas smirked- they all shared a few things in common: the thin and clearly malnourished forms, their wary and confused looks, and the most important thing: They all had the badge in their bodies. The "badge" as actually one of Waylon's scales attached to their clothes- That was one of Atlas' ideas about how he would be able to recognize if someone was sent by Waylon or not. 'So he was listening to my ramblings, huh?' A soft smile blossomed on his lips before he brushed it away, taking a deep breath and rolling in closer to them as he settled down in his wheelchair; "Waylon sent you, right? Well, welcome- again -to Foundation Station. I hope you're aware of what is our plan here, right?" There were a few nods from one of the women and the old man, the kid was looking at him in a mixture of confusion and awe that made Atlas feel like one of those stage magicians that just pulled the card trick, but the card he pulled was out of someone's ear canal or something. "Good! Now, let me tell you a few rules, okay- number one, you listen to me when I tell you to do something, okay? It's more of a request, but you wouldn't deny the humble and simple request of a guy with no legs, right? That'd be cruel! Second rule, this one very important, and it's you don't speak of this place to anyone... Because if you do, we'll have trouble at our doorstep."

There were simple nods as response, until the youngest woman asked- she was the one holding the child -with a hint of fear in her voice: "Uhm, we were told we would get something to eat?"

"Oh, of course- I am so rude, please forgive me- Baytor! Hey, Baytor, please bring some food." There was a clutter clutter sound as floating out of the box of glass bottles (seriously, he got some of his power back- he made a deal with someone, he hasn't fully explained yet because once he starts it, he gets lost and speaks about his past or something similar) was a small, tiny Baytor that quickly grew to his normal size as he floated towards one of the train carts. "While my little friend is gone, might I ask for your names? I am Atlas, as you've heard, and... well, I am the Royal Jester." With a playful boy, Atlas smirked mentally - Why not? If Waylon is King Croc, why not be Jester Atlas? He seems to be the only one with the courage and respect from Waylon to criticize his actions and decisions without getting killed! In fact, in the royal times of Europe, Jesters were not only trusty advisors to the King, but they were also very respected. 'Not only am I already a cripple, I get to act weird! That's always a plus.'

If it's not illegal, and it isn't hurting you or anyone else, please be weird. Life is short, and the world needs weird people.

"Uhm, I am Abigail... Nice to meet you?" The youngest of the women, Abigail, was about 5'3 feet tall and she also had a small scar beneath her eye. "Uhm, and this is Adam, my 5 year old son." Oh, she must've been in a very bad situation to be on the streets with a child to take care of... Atlas felt a bit of pity for the woman, but he did not allow such pity to be seen in his eyes, that would've been an insult to her strength. He simply nodded to her and turned to look at the other two that hadn't been introduced yet.

"...Adolf." The moment the old man spoke, the thick German accent was easily recognizable. Atlas blinked twice, looking at the old man like he was f*cking with him, but the old man simply gave him a look that both conveyed annoyance, understanding, reluctance, and acceptance as he nodded that, yes, he was serious. That was his name. His white hair was testament to his age, which meant that guy was probably alive at the times of the Second World War... yikes. Just by thinking of his possible war crimes, Atlas felt an eyebrow rise for a second before he shrugged- he didn't really care, as long as it didn't bring them any trouble, his old man past was for his old man self.

"Ah... I'm Enne." The older woman smiled- Atlas easily caught on how her tense body seemed to relax when Abigail took her hand. They were either good friends of more, but it's none of his business regardless of which option: "Nice to meet you...?"

"Well- Oh, here he is." Baytor came back carrying a bag of canned food- hey, it's better than starving, am I right?

...yeah, it didn't taste very good.

Chapter 13: Humble Beginnings (Part 2)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 07:00 | 07:00 AM]

[Calendar - 15/01/2003]

[Location - Foundation Station - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

(Carts are counted from back to front - Cart 1 is the last one while Cart 10 is the first one and the one where the conductor stays)

There are a few problems that come along with people. And they are called "basic needs for survival". Water, food, and shelter. The three basic things every human needs to survive and one of the rules that has followed humanity through its entire evolutionary journey.

So, as the only person there with the capability, Atlas was the one responsible for providing food, water, and shelter to the first residents of the future Croc Kingdom! 'Shelter is easy, clean drinkable water is also very easy, food might become a problem once rations run out...' With the miraculous powers of magic, Atlas was able to cast [Create or Destroy Water] to create 10 liters of clean water! Alternatively, he could also "destroy" that same amount of water too! 'It's great not being limited by what class whenever I want to learn a spell.' Normally, in the universe of Dungeons and Dragons, only Clerics and Druids can learn how to cast [Create or Destroy Water], but because he is not in that universe, he can simply do it! "Gather around, folks!" Having his wheelchair pushed by Baytor, Atlas called out to the four members of the Croc Kingdom: "Today I'll give you clean water to drink and assign you tasks, because there is nothing free in this world." Cracking his fingers and twirling them a little, Atlas was ready for the day- He looked at the four citizens, they all had shared a single cart from the train, and that made Atlas stop to think... Where would Croc Kingdom stand? It couldn't stand in an abandoned subway station, it needed a large space where he could build a beautiful city.

An underground cave.

'There might be more information about cities underground...' He made a quick search through his mental library and he quickly found a very interesting book named: [Underground Civilizations: A Guide to all the Underground Civilizations made by Dwarven, Elven, Gnomish, Human, and many otherworldly races] that had detailed information about many Civilizations across the Omniverse that were built underground. Their benefits and their conflicts, their histories and their demise. 'Okay, making an underground kingdom sounds great, but I'll need a plan to bring the kingdom to the surface or-' His mind was broken out of his deep thoughts when he noticed he was now before the four citizens! "Oh, right! So, Adolf-" he had to make himself not snort at the name "-You'll help Baytor move some things around. If its too heavy, don't touch it and let Baytor do it instead. Abigail, I will need your help with organizing the pantry in Cart 3 of... Enne, would you be a dear and make sure to warn me if we get any visitors today? I don't want to be surprised while I work on some of my little experiments." Atlas had a few ideas of what he could do today, and they were separated into a few things- First thing he wanted to get a good supply of water.

That's why he has gathered a lot of glass bottles and cleaned them with [Prestidigitation] before he moved them all with Baytor's help. He is going to fill them with water, just to have extra water just in case! As for food, Atlas was planning to spread out edible fungi, because fungi spread out really quickly and they are also nutritious! There's also the inherit need to gather medical supplies, because Atlas is not going to be the de facto healer slash doctor of the Croc Kingdom because that would be overwhelming to him- instead, he wanted to work on his own things. "Come now, Abigail... You can bring your son, but make sure he doesn't break anything." Atlas rolled away as Baytor went to help Adolf with his task of carrying the boxes of stuff the little demon had collected from the surface a week or so ago under Atlas' request, because he wanted to use the scrap materials found on trash to rebuild the entire Foundation Station's train and make it completely work once more! Atlas had a little bit of a hard time rolling into the train without Baytor's help (he has spaghetti arms, give him a break!), but once inside he turned to look at the young woman and her son, saying: "I'll be working on some things, if you need help you can call me, but try to not disturb me much... unless you want something to explode."

He wasn't sure if he would make sh*t explode, but it's better to be safe than sorry, right?

While they were on Cart 3- by the way, the abandoned subway train that Atlas has been using as a home for the past few days has been repaired enough that he would not hurt himself. With the help of Baytor, his (emotional) support demon, Atlas was able to add furniture that he made with the help of magic! There were shelves, bottles, boxes, and other containers and recipients all around the 10 carts of the subway train! He also completely removed the majority of the rotting and damaged seats, removed the metal poles to get more internal space (acid and fire sure are helpful with that!) and closed every hole he could find in the Carts. Cart 1 to 3 were the designed Storage Carts, with "furniture" made for storage. The pantry was now Cart 3, where all the food and non-perishables would be stored, while Cart 2 and 1 were the more general item storage. Cart 10 is where he sleeps, he has removed the chair where the conductor would sit so he could slide his own on its way and sit there to look over the panels of the subway train... The majority had been completely destroyed by what he could only assume to be a crushing weapon, [Mending] was able to repair some parts of it while [Repair] was able to also help, but in the end he still needed to know a bit about subway trains to fully repair them... It had taken Atlas about a day before, but he had measured and made suAre to remeasured the carts, and they all were exactly 10 feet (3.05 m) wide and 75 feet 6 inches (23.01 m) long.

This gave a lot of internal space to work with once he had wiped them clean of seat, bars, and holes! He didn't change much about the ceiling, the upper portion was not that bad after all! Cart 4 to 8 were empty carts, while Cart 9 was his designed "experimenting" cart, where he started to collect and store things he wanted to experiment with. As to roll from cart to cart, the doors that separated carts had to be removed- Thank God, wait, no! Thank Satan Baytor could vomit this pale white liquid that crystallized into a thin sheet that cracked under the slightest pressure! Breaking down an automatic metal door attached to a train was never easier, and he didn't even have to use acid! By patching the gaps with some metal sheets, Atlas could roll from cart to cart until he got to his destination- now, Cart 9 and 10 were the only ones with doors, and although they were not automatic they served as good doors! With a good use of his newly learned [Control Electricity] cantrip, Atlas was able to send a small shocking wave of electricity through the newly repaired door (literally repaired it yesterday, he was ready to just destroy it because it was getting annoying to have Baytor open and close it for him) that opened it with a clicking sound.

Once inside, Atlas sighed- "Okay..." Looking around Cart 9, it wasn't that different from the other ones. Sure, it had a lot of simple shelves with empty glass bottles (If you're wondering how he has so many glass bottles, Baytor found a lot of broken glass bottles and brought to him, so he repaired them wit [Mending]) ready to be filled with his crazy ideas. With a flip of a switch inside his mind, Atlas opened a new book that he had been reading... "[Concoctions and Potions: A Basic Guide to brew, screw, and create something new, by Potion Magus Archonis Vanagard Vess], huh? Let's see what yoy have in store for me..."

If this was an animated show, you'd see the atmosphere grow darker as lightning shot in the background soon being accompanied by thunder, as Atlas prepared to dive into his alchemical studies.

[Clock - 14:22 | 02:22 PM]

[Calender - 16/01/2003]

[Location - Cart 9, Foundation Station - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey, USA]

[<Lightning Flashes in the background>]

[<Thunder echoes>]

[<Ominous winds rush by>]

"I've made it..." Proudly grinning in his evil layer cart, the evil wizard Atlas couldn't help but laugh: "Ahahaha! YES! I'VE MADE IT-" The shocking radioactive green liquid in the clear glass bottle that he was holding seemed to bubble and pop, giving an even greater ominous vibe to it: "-here you, kiddo." Without hesitation, he turned around as if the dramatics had never happened and simply smiled as he gave the bottle to Abigail's son, the little boy named Adam. "Now, don't drink it too much and share a bit of it with your mother." Turning around, he continued his work as flame flickered on his fingertip and he lowered it beneath a beaker that Baytor had specially stolen for him- or rather, he had his new contracted guy steal it... It was a whole story that was, honestly, something Atlas found funny and sad at the same time.

"Thanks Mr. Jester!" Turning around and left the room (the door opened as a small spark of electricity touched its side) with a huge smile on his face.

Now that he has created his past life's favorite evil potion (read: mountain dew radioactive) he can focus on the real potions and other magical items-

"Sir!" Rushing in came Enne, the tall woman looked a bit nervous as she said: "We got new recruits incoming!" Oh, she has really bought the whole "you're the first of the future military of the Croc Kingdom, be a proud guard!" sh*t that he had told her, huh?

-or not. "Very well, take me to there so I might greet them. New people means new mouths to feed, and new hands to work... Especially after Adolf informed me that the tunnel of this train ends up in a natural underground cavern." Atlas was so excited when Adolf told him that that he abandoned his workings with potions and went to investigate it, and although he didn't have a clear measurement of the entire cave, he reckons it would be big enough for the startings of the Croc Kingdom! He already has begun the repairing of the train he lived in and has spoken to Baytor about making rails, so they can bring the train to the cave and have it as a moving base of operations that can enter and leave the cave whenever. "So, how many people are joining us this time?"

"Sir, I counted 6 people."

"Do they all have the badge showing?"

"Yes sir, they do."

"Very well, good work."

Nodding, Enne kept kept quiet through their whole journey from Cart 9 to Cart 1 and out of the train. Once out, the very first thing that he sees is Adam and another child speaking to each other, and he feels sadness for the fact that another small child had to go through such hardship as living in the streets... He looked out and saw the other five new members (six with the child), and they were all teens, none can be older than 18. "So, hello-" Clapping, Atlas assumed his persona of Jester of the Croc King and took on the whimsical attitude (after all, who would think the little guy who jokes all the time can kill you faster than you can blink?) "-and welcome to Foundation Station, please keep your arms inside the vehicle at all times as I take you to the underground Croc Kingdom. My name is Atlas and I'm the Jester, if you known who I am then you're pretty aware that I am the second in command here while big dick croc is the ruler..." Without letting them have a chance to speak, he made a few questions to try and overwhelm them while also analyzing their reactions- when you're either overwhelmed or caught off guard, your true face is revealed! And... he also has Baytor on the sideline watching the kids too, reading their souls.

That's something demons can do, after all you can't tempt a mortal without knowing what they want, right?

"So, name? Age? Height? Gender? Favorite color? Name of best friend's second cousin's neighbor dog's favorite chew toy? Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego? How many names do you wish to be called? And, are you able to properly function as a human being?" As soon as he finished saying all that, he casted [Message] to Baytor and whispered: "Did you get anything on them?"

"[Baytor (Neutral): I am Baytor... (As far as I can see, they're not that corrupt... I see some petty sins here, and the one in the middle killed someone, but it was to save his friends, so the sin's not that bad.)]"

Good enough!

Chapter 14: Electric Beginnings (Part 3)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 10:00 | 10:00 AM]

[Calendar - 20/01/2003]

[Location - Cart 9, Foundation Station - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

It was morning once more, but Atlas didn't know that. He had spent the entire night (and the past three days) reading and experimenting with two different ways of making magical items, two methods that granted different results but methods he wanted to incorporate within his arsenal of abilities! His fingers moved with slow and careful movements as he ever so slowly drew out a few runes with this sharpened blade across the flat surface of the wooden small chest. In one hand there was the long and meticulous use of runes and hard work to enchant an item with magic, slowly, over time making the item absorb the magic and make it part of itself, not only making a magic item but also making reality accept that item as something extraordinary! And then there was the Transmutation spell [Create Magic Item], this spell actually used the item you wanted to embed with magic as a component to the spell itself, turning the normal item into a wondrous and magical item. Atlas was pretty excited to know that he could use magic to make magic items and not have to do the boring process of meticulously make them, however, when he casted the spell, he failed.

Why? Well, he used his [Q&A] questions to get an answer, and this was the answer:

Q&A

Q: Hey, so, magical library that lives rent free inside my head, can you tell me why my whimsical magic spell that would've let me make magic items failed?

A: The spell [Create Magic Item] accesses the weave of magic to automatically find the blueprint of the item you request and imbue the material component with the required enchantment, if the necessary material components are provided. The reason this spell has failed its because you lack the connection to the Weave. The Dungeons and Dragons Multiverse equivalent of a deep well, where magic originates from. Without a connection to the weave, you cannot access the saved "blueprints" of magical items for the spell [Create Magic Item] to work, and thus, it has failed.

See this sh*t? Do you know what this means? It means he has to slowly carve out rune after rune, word of power after word of power, and then imbue spells into items by himself! Thankfully, he found a way to "cheat" the system a little bit- well, it wasn't really cheating, it was more of an acceleration of something that should happen anyway. "And... done." With a sigh of relief, Atlas closed the lid of the small chest- his other items were simple little things that he wouldn't consider more than sticks that can shoot out sparks (he made a few [Prestidigitation] wands), but this item might be somethimg good... "And for the last touch-" he casted [Make Magic Item] on the chest and automatically casted the spell he wanted to imbue the item with. The runes on the chest were of the Conjuration School of Magic, he was trying to make a very small chest as a gift for Miss Girl Lady Woman, his rat familiar. "-f*ck-" He quickly grabbed the box when he felt the magic within it go haywire as the runes he made on the box were not as they should have been! "-[Shield]!" His best friend, his most fabulous spell, came to his saving once more! An ethereal thin veil of energy appeared between him and the cracking box as it simply popped into hundreds of splinters that flew everywhere in the room. Thankfully, the [Shield] spell also prevented any damage, even from small splinters. "f*ck... and here I go again." He could feel the headache coming from a mile away! He has been trying this the entire night, and there is always something wrong with the way he carved the runes, the spell he tried to use didn't match the words of power called to make the item into a magical item... Maybe he should look at this from another angle? The cantrip wands were way too easy to make, seeing as all he had to do was carve the equivalent of the cantrip's name and push the magical energy he normally uses to cast spells into the wand, which instantly became magical.

"Maybe..." Maybe he shouldn't be trying to accelerate the process of adding magic to a mundane item to make it extraordinary? "...f*ck." But considering how long it'd take tk make even an interesting one, he has the urge to try and find a way to either cheese it or accelerate the process. Making magic items is like building something- you start with the foundation, then comes the bricks, you get the cement to glue it all together, and at one point you have a house, right? The same way, the runes and words of power, the rituals, the material components, these are the building blocks that the magic requires to safely settle within an item. "Okay, I guess I'll try the traditional way..." He was about to pick up (he still wants to try and somehow incorporate the [Make Magic Item] spell into his process, somehow- he was really tempted to use one of his Q&A's of the day to ask why these things are exploding, but he wants the challenge... he kinda likes it?) the makeshift chisel he had created, when a knocking sound stopped him. "...yes?" He called out, waiting for a few seconds before he remembered- Ah, right, he has to open the door himself! With a wave of his hand, the door came open as walking in were the two new soldier recruits.

Two of the young teens- Age 15 and 16, respectively -were named Kay and Jamon.

Kay was on the shorter end of the spectrum, being about 5'3 feet tall. He, like his fellow friend, was thin and kinda malnourished, but his body carried a hidden strength within like the bodies of all others in Gotham- with the exception of Atlas, because f*ck him am I right? He hates being unable to even lift 5 kilograms without any help. Disheveled and unkept brown hair hid a bit of the kid's eyes, but even so it could not hide the authentic curiosity that emanated from the like waves in an ocean. Beside him, a similar emotion alongside weariness followed as Atlas focused a little more on the other older kid- he was taller than Kay, being about 5'7 or so, with a thin scar across his nose, and face, missing his left eye by a single only inch. Jamon as was his name, took the job as an older brother serious, even though he wasn't the oldest of the group of six that arrived three days ago as their oldest was a kid name Vin, his age being 18.

(He was also the one Baytor mentioned having killed someone before)

"Sir, Patron Baytor has returned with the requested items." Kay made a military salute for some reason, making his brother raise an eyebrow before he did the same, adding on to the conversation: "Also... Uhm, we have new residents?" Kay looked a little nervous about what he had to say, and Atlas was even more curious about it: "Ergh, f*ck how do I say this... one of them doesn't have a bagde from King Croc."

Atlas frowned a little- he had sent Baytor to the surface two days ago to gather a few things for him so he might be a be to finally fix the train. In fact, he has completely fixed the important parts for the train to move, it just doesn't because it doesn't have enough power. And how does the train gwt power? Well, power is supplied to moving trains with a (nearly) continuous conductor running along the track that usually takes one of two forms: an overhead line, suspended from poles or towers along the track or from structure or tunnel ceilings, or a third rail mounted at track level and contacted by a sliding "pickup shoe". This subway station used the third rail, because of course it did. The problem here is that the Direct Current needed to feed the third rail has been cut off for years now, and it has no electric energy to it anymore. Third rails can kill people, which is why Atlas has been trying so hard to figure out how to enchant items with magic, because like that he can make a battery that can last for longer and that can supply energy to the train directly!

Also, magic train.

He already has a few ideas for concepts and words of power to add to the items, but he needs to figure out how to make them in the first place.

Back at the matter at hand! "One of them has gotten to our safe haven uninvited? No matter, if they are a homeless person, they're welcomed to stay!" Smiling happily (or as happily as he could), Atlas twisted his head to the side to look at the large mess he had made- splinters everywhere, pieces of metal, glass, and even ash on the ground: "...Well, I have some time to acertain the situation-"

[<Mumbled sounds of a heated discussion>]

"-huh." Mumbled sounds? He wasn't able to fully hear it, but it did sound like a bunch of people having a rather heated argument. Rolling forward (both teens got out of his way), he looked at the direction which the screams had come from- his wheelchair was pushed quickly, and he went from cart to cart until he reached the end of the train and got to look at the outside. Their small group of 10 (now 13 homeless people) was gathered around the newcomers, looking at them with narrowed eyes and distrustful looks: "Oh, welcome!" His voice immediately made everyone look at him: "It's nice to see new faces, even more so now that I'll be finally finishing the repairs on Foundation Station's single train - the Movable Storage Wagon! Guests are welcome to watch you know?" The trio of men- older men by their looks, they looked like thugs, but who is Atlas to judge? -all looked at him with a few degrees of surprise and surprisingly, respect? Except one of them, who clearly looked not amused nor looked at him like he was worth his effort. "Ah, Baytor, be a dear and bring them to the front will you?" From the small crowd, Baytor rushed out, holding this big bag with his arms as he floated. Atlas looked at the kid- Jamon -that was holding his wheelchair and gestured to push him to the front of the train.

Once there, Atlas (with some help) was able to undo the locks of the door from the outside and opened it to enter his own room. There, he was able to easily find the "heart" of the train, and with a few cables connected here and there and with the magic of having been abusing his [Act Like you Know It, Learn as you Do] perk to learn as much about engineering as he possibly could, he was able to find the main system. The computers of this train had long ago been destroyed beyond repair, so he had to make do without the controls! It was very easy to find the parts that needed energy, and with both his [Control Electricity] cantrip and about 85 DC volts from 6 Lex Luthor branded car batteries (didn't know he dabbled in that, huh), which was not even the least needed for it to properly function! 'Damm, this is reallt f*cked.' Trains normally use about 750 DC volts of electricity, so he would need to somehow multiply the energy he has by 9. "Ah, right." Lifting his hands, Atlas approached his fingers to the battery before he closed his eyes and casted [Shocking Grasp] to channel electric energy through his hands to the battery to recharge it! It was like a small taser gun, and he knows for a fact that taser guns have 50,000 volts of electricity. He simply let the system channel the magical lightning as he softly whispered the names of the words of power like the book [How to Enchant: Enchantment is Simple, How to Make your First Magic Item, how to enchant everything! By Karthus] or whatever was his name- regardless, the runes he carved on the entirety of the train's structure will act as cables for the magic, while his chanting will serve as the conduit for the spells he wants to echant the vehicle with- let's just say, he is trying to ease in the magic first, to make sure the train doesn't explode!

He kept doing that while also connecting the train to a few things- because he wanted to see if the train would move, but he didn't want to be inside in case it did and exploded. So he began to tweak with the controls of the train first, fixing it up a bit and finding the wireless connector that he could use to make the train move... Don't ask him how, but with the best idea ever, he attached the control (of simply move forwards and backwards) to two joy stick-like levers on this arcade prize looking toy. It was more than enough for a simple movement test! He kept channeling magic through the train and didn't realize, however, how the train started glowing a soft yellow light as the metallic exterior was surrounded by a constant magical electric current- he didn't notice, until of course, there was the scream of a child.

He stopped what he was doing as the smell of burnt meat filled his lungs, when the sound of a bone breaking echoed in his mind, and whwn a child started crying.

"...f*ck me."

Chapter 15: Cavernous Beginnings (Part 4)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 09:17 | 09;17 AM]

[Calendar - 20/01/2003]

[Location - Cart 9, Foundation Station - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

Atlas rushed out of the cart. He literally stumbled out of the cart, having to catch himself before he hit his face into the ground, but he still groaned when his body hit the floor. "Holy-" He looked at the trail of smoke that followed from the train to the wall about 20 or so feet away. He dragged himself across the floor pathetically in an act of desperation, his eyes wide and the acting he had been putting on completely broken- he had felt like he had seen something like this before, but not exactly. The feeling of despair seemed almost familiar, the grip it had on his heart was a familiar tightness, and the act of rushing to help someone he had hurt was almost like a reflection of a past long forgotten... Why didn't he think of his past? Why couldn't he remember it? As he finally got within touching distance, feeling the tears roll down his eyes (why was he crying... why did this feel so f*cking familiar!?), he reached out to cast the only healing spell he knew and had to learn thanks to his explosive experiments: "[Cure Wounds]." The most basic healing spell ever, but an efficient and effective one at that. His brain went from panic mode to focus mode: "Get me a stick, or a plank of wood, and cloth. The kid's out of danger for now, but I gotta heal his broken leg."

The kid's name was Brandon. He was the youngest of the six brothers, and the most stupid too it seems- okay, he's a kid, he does stupid sh*t and that's literally what kids do. "Here-" He ignored whoever gave this to him, instead focusing on treating the child while wave after wave of guilt hit his heart like a tsunami, trying to swallow him with sadness that felt... familiar. The kid started to open his eyes a little, making Atlas wince internally as he popped the bone in the right place: "Hey, hi? I'm so sorry kiddo, you got hurt because of me, right? sh*t..."

"...is this the guy that is second in command? This cripple? Why did the boss even put him as second in command, even I am better than hi-"

Atlas felt a vein in his forehead bulge just a little bit- It has been a long few days, and after being stressed out by the many failures of his attempt at enchanting magic items, and this whole debacle, he felt something inside him snap, but he controlled himself. Faster than anyone could react, a sharp spike of jagged black crystal shot out of the ground at breakneck speeds, only to stop just a few millimeters away from the other man's neck. Atlas kept smiling kindly as he treated the broken leg of the poor boy that he was treating, he didn't want to scare the child. He didn't even turn to look at the man as he said, the same sweet and kind voice that he was using to speak to the poor child a few moments prior, the comforting tone took a more sinister undertone too: "Well, you see, I believe that the earth is kind to us. Humanity has caused so much damage and so much hurt to Mother Earth, and yet she still loves us and in her infinite kindness, treats us as her children." This time he turned to look at the man after he finished tightly tying the leg to a stick, to keep the leg straight so he would be able to heal it in a little bit, as soon as he recovers enough energy for that- he had pumped a lot of energy on the [Cure Wounds] spell in his desperation, which might have saved the child's life: "The earth is kind... I also believe in the phrase 'Kill them with kindness'... Now, would you like to die by kindness, Jax? Is that your name- it doesn't matter, that's your name now, Jax. You look like a Jax, so that's your name now."

Adrian Jax gulped hard, his entire body had frozen in fear as the sharp looking jagged crystal spike seemed to inch closer and closer to his neck- With a heavy sigh from Atlas (it's not worth to kill, when you can use the person!), the crystal simply sank back into the ground without any sound, almost as if the earth had swallowed it down. Looking around, eyes still a little bit wide and unhinged, Atlas kept the gentle smile: "Anyone else with delusions of grandeur that needs to go down a peg or two?" There was only silence in the air, the group of 13 homeless people kept quiet in fear of angering the boss even further: "Good... Now, where were we?" Atlas floated softly from the ground, and as he got away from from the kid, the brothers swarmed the little one like flies to honey, making sure their brother was safe! Atlas casted [Fly] on himself, remembering he could do that now! He also pulled out the joystick levers he had, placed it on Jax's hand while also casting [Command] and whispering a 'Up' as he pointed to the train- once Jax was inside the train, Atlas smirked as he said:" Ah, yes I remember- pull the lever, Jax!" He expected the train to either malfunction enough to cause damage or kill the man inside (he didn't care about that, he is going to use Jax as a new test subject!), or for it to simply move-

Nervously, Jax looked at the lever in front of him, that he was holding... And pulled it. Immediately, the recently repaired and semi-functional train started to go backwards.

(Atlas did feel slightly disappointed the guy didn't die immediately, but hey, the train didn't explode! He must've done something right.)

"Wrong lever!" Atlas shouted as he floated back- Wait, why did he think of a certain potion making purple themed woman after shouting that? "...why did I even put that lever there? Oh, right. The train needs to go backwards too, there's no curves or turns, nor rails." Yeah, the rails simply stopped before reaching the natural cavern where Atlas planned on making Croc Kingdom- oh, right. "Well, he's alive still so that's good." With [Fly], Atlas easy floated around, looking at the small crowd as he said: "You see, my good friends, someone who has the badge when entering this sanctuary-" He pointed out to the small scale that was in the shoulder of one of the three people that joined today, this thin and frail looking older guy: "-it means that person is trusted by your king, Waylon, King Croc. Which means they are, automatically, a citizen of the Croc Kingdom! Someone who doesn't have a badge, are not someone who was invited into our community, into our kingdom, and thus should not be trusted... We are but a budding kingdom, if we start getting attention from the bigger threats out there, what do you all think will happen? They will try to consume us, absorb us into their own force. Take away our freedom... Even when we're big and powerful as a kingdom, they will send spies, people to try and learn everything we have... I am warning you all this time."

He pointed his finger at Jax.

"You saw how he reacted when I, desperately- and okay, a little bit pathetically -crawled towards Brandon. We need to be a tight neat group. A closed community. Until we are powerful enough to open our arms and accept every single homeless person in Gotham." Flicking his finger, the train stopped crawling forward (it had successfully moved 5 feet! That's great improvement!) as he cut off the controlled by using [On/Off] on the joystick levers Jax had on his hands. "So, please refrain from inviting others to join our community without checking with me first... Or, well, they will bring trouble alogside them."

Paranoid? Yes. But this is Gotham, they need at least a strong foundation before they even start dreaming of gathering more work force, more people. What would stop the Joker from attacking them? What would stop Firefly from setting their home ablaze? What would stop the Riddler from making a game out of their city? What would stop Poison Ivy from spreading her plants to consume their home? What would stop Lex Luthor from trying to buy their home with his gazillion dollars? What would stop Batman from coming and trying to arrest Waylon again and take him to Arkham Asylum?

Him.

He would stop them, but for that, he needs resources, he needs time, and he needs power.

"So-" Clapping his hands, he smiled at the two new citizens: "-welcome to Foundation Station, Croc Kingdom's starting place, please do not disturb nor feed the animals. We are facing a small pest problem at the moment but don't worry Miss Girl Lady Woman is taking care of the rats and making her own empire with them... Anyway, you two can speak to Adolf right there to see what you can help our blooming empire, whie you-" he turned to glare at the uninvited Jax: "-will work with me! I do need an assistant."

Jax paled. Oh f*ck...

[Clock - 13:33 | 01:33 PM]

[Calendar - 21/01/2003]

[Location - Underground Cavern - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

"Listen up!" Atlas slammed down this long pole on the ground, a sharp smile on his face that could only be seen by the glowing sphere atop the long pole he was holding: "I will be spreading out the lights, you all will work together to place the rails on the flattened ground that I oh so graciously flattened for you... Jax, be a dear and help me carry these too, will you? Baytor, help the others with the rails." Atlas pointed down at the large stack of long poles- each made with wood about 10 feet long -with a bulbous glass head on top. These were, basically, enormous wands. Atlas worked for 12 long hours enchanting these spheres with the [Light] cantrip, to make it shine and illuminate the underground cavern while the other 12 homeless people worked alongside Baytor to extend the rail system from beyond Foundation Station into the underground cavern! Atlas worked alongside Baytor to make these makeshift rails, imitating the normal rails but without the third one, because Atlas was working on making the train run on magic! Jax looked worried for his safety for a moment, he hesitated as he grabbed the poles (they were all surprisingly light) and followed the flying Atlas as he floated down the newly made path.

And by newly made, he means it literally. As they were going down, Atlas waved his hands and the ground moved and solidifed, making a staircase for him to go down. His name was Adrian- well, I guess it's Jax now? He doesn't really wanna anger the boss, but, well, he has paid the price. He is 27 years old this year and he has survived this long on the streets of Gotham he has learned a skill that has saved his life many times. The skill to adapt to the situation and not make a fuss out of it has helped him survive a lot of things on the streets of Gotham City.

And now he has been... recruited as the boss' official assistant.

And that was a nightmare- for the last 12 hours he has seen glass explode more times than he has ever seen before. Many shards pierced his skin, but after the second time, he learned to get behind the weird magic shield boss would make to escape from danger. He was also explicitly told what to do and what not to do, and that if he tried to run he would lose his legs and "become a f*cking cripple like me" as the boss likes to put it.

Adrian Jax has the slight impression that he took the stupid insult he had thrown at him seriously.

"Sink it there." A hole- 1 foot deep hole -appeared right beside him, and obeying the order, Jax sank one of the poles down. Immediately after, the glass ball atop of it started glowing in a soft golden yellow light. "One on the other side too." And like that, he would place a "street light" pole 10 feet afar from each other, one on the opposite side to the other, as he followed the floating boss.

...Jax sometimes hates his big mouth.

Chapter 16: To the Swamp of Slaughter (Part 1)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 22:07 | 10:07 PM]

[Calendar - 21/01/2003]

[Location - Underground Cavern - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

Warning: Info Dump Ahead

Atlas finally figured it out. The reason his magic item crafting wasn't working and it would explode! The problem wasn't the method, the problem was the material. The quality of the material he was working with was sub-par, so when exposed to the strength of his magic, it was overwhelmed and exploded as a result! Once he figured that out- 5 minutes ago -he started thinking of a very obvious and very solid solution: If you can't make sh*t with sh*tty materials, get better materials! So, where would he get materials that are used to magic enough that they won't explode? The answer is pretty simple, actually: Slaughter Swamp! Why that place? Well, because of the tales of the people... they tell the tale of a man, a dead man that walks, called Solomon Grundy. Some say he was a very rich man in 1865, killed by the pregnant woman he was having an affair with after he tried to get rid of her and the "evidence" of his cheating, others say he was a gangstar in the 1920's that was killed by a rival gang and had his corpse thrown in the swamp, while others even say he is the personification of the swamp itself.

But Atlas? Well, Atlas simply was curious! He used his [Q&A] function and asked a simple question for the day-

Q&A

Q: Is Solomon Grundy an Undead?

A: Solomon Grundy, real name Cyrus Gold, is categorized as a restless undead. He was ressurected by the magic of the Slaughter Swamp, an unnatural source of Necromantic Magics. As such, Solomon Grundy is more than a simple undead, he is the protector of the Slaughter Swamp and one of the Avatar of the Black, agent for the Parlament of Decay. Although, as a side effect of his ressurection being tied to the Slaughter Swamp, he cannot stay out of it for long periods of time.

'Well, this complicates things a bit...' Considering Slaughter Swamp is the closest place with magical material available, Atlas was a little bit bummed by the fact that he would have to fight the... Rot? 'What is the rot...' He paused for a moment and looked over his system through the [Search] function.

[Search: "The Rot" in the DC Universe.]

[What Are These Colors and What do They Mean? By Kalandros de Vebir] - DC Universe

[The Parliament of the Colors, What they Are, What they can Be, and What they once Were, By Guillermo the Amador] - DC Universe

[So, you've found out about the supernatural colors that aren't the Lantern Colors. What do? By Amelia ----] - DC Universe: "The Gay One"

[Why the f*ck is the Ocean called "The Clear" and not "The Blue"!? An angry rant essay by Prince Sharon, of the Atlantic Empire] - DC Universe: Injustice

[I heard you likes death and decay? By Avatar of Death N°2567] - DCAU

And there were thousands of other books like these. Atlas smiled- this wasn't the first time he saw books that talked about any kind of thing in this world being written by someone like him- someone who has access to an internal mental library. Many of them have visited the DC Universe, and some even live in it still, from what he could see from these books... he wonders if there is any of them here with him? "Let's just read the first one." He opened the [What Are These Colors and What do They Mean? By Kalandros de Vebir] and started reading- it was surprisingly a short one, with basic introductions to all the different forces that these colors represent, and the ones that could be born depending on his actions or the actions of others... it was a rather... interesting book.

Here, take a look:

[What Are These Colors and What do They Mean?] By Kalandros de Vebir

So! You're in the DC Universe, right? Otherwise, why would you be reading a book exclusively tied to the DC Universe? My condolences baby, you're in for a ride! At least there's comic book hot people. Anyway, let's get to the juice stuff, here's the rundown of the colors and what they mean- These colors are, actually, manifestations of the power of Gaea, Mother Earth. She is, quite literally, the center of the DC Universe, independently of which Universe you're in! These colors are the Green, the Red, the Blue (I refuse to call it the "Clear"), the White, the Orange, the Brown (I refuse to call it the "Melt"), the Gray, and the Black. There are others too, but they aren't named after colors, so I'll write about them later... Anyways!

The Green

Basically, the magical network of everything that is green and everything that is plant life. Ferns, grass, trees, algea, and other plant life has a connection to the Green no matter what. There are other people who have connections to these too, and you can also make a connection to this supernatural force if you wanna cool tree powers... careful not to get crazy like Poison Ivy. The Green is ruled over by the Parliament of Trees. Imagine Treants from Lord of the Rings! Just as misogynistic and annoying as f*ck. Don't listen to them, they can f*ck off. The Green is also, technically, a separate realm of existence, so you can go there physically and mentally. The Green is existent in the entirety of the DC Universe, but there are different Avatars for each Universe too. Like, in my universe, Bruce Wayne went on a hippie Thanos shot and collected connections to these colors like they were infinity stones! Sad he got killed, he was s fun guy and f*cked like a truck! If you're in the DC Universe, f*ck Bruce Wayne. Seriously. Oh, also, the Parliament of Trees is kinds genocidal to human life- i mean, don't really blame them.

The Red

If The Green is plant life, The Red is animal life. From ants, scorpions, spiders, to even whales and f*cking dinosaurs! This is one of my favorite cosmic powers of the DC Universe, mostly because Beast Boy could turn into a horse. Regardless! Any hero or magician or whatever that gets power from animals and animal life, gets their power from The Red! Then there's the collective consciousness of The Red, they're callled the Parliament of Limbs (and besides the metal name) and they're cool beans and like to be pet in the belly, if you don't mind their Eldritch appearance. I still remember when Bruce became a champion for The Red... his horse co*ck could become a true horse co*ck. Anyway, don't really need much explaining- they're cool beans. If you meet them, act like a good person and they won't try to eat you! Much...

The Blue

Oooh~ This one is kinda freaky. I hate the sea, but The Blue is kinda cool. An endless dimension of pure water! There is nothing but water and more water- kinda like the Elemental Plane of Water in the Dungeons and Dragons Multiverse. Now that I think about it, they would love that place... anyway, The Blue is the same as the others, but for the sea. Don't ask me why they got it separated, but divorce between The Red and The Blue happened a long time ago and I don't have the sweet tea. This force is a unification of the water and the animals and anything that lives in the water, which is why Aquaman is pathetic like a wet cat- seriously, the man can't catch a break, gets clowned on by everyone. The Parliament for this one is called the Parliament of Waves, and I haven't met them so I don't know sh*t about them... but apparently one of them is a giant kraken, so that's cool.

The White

Simple: Elemental Plane of Air but DC edition. There's wind there. They're really boring, nothing much to say about them except that one of their little avatars tried to f*ck me while being a cloud. Their Parliament is called Parliament of Vapors... sucks to suck I guess.

The Orange

Oooh~ This one is hot! The Orange is like all of the above, but for fire and flames. Think Elemental Plane of Fire but DC universe and without a place to touch the ground, only endless plasma, heat, flames, and other things like that! Their Avatars tend to be stars because living things don't handle heat pretty well... Their Parliament is called Parliament of Flames and if I'm not wrong Surtur and Prometheus were once a psrt of it too. Bruce managed to become an avatar in my universe, made him a thousand times hotter! Really miss him sometimes... for some reason, The Orange has beef with The Blue, don't know why but I am so curious about it.

The Brown

This one is really great too. Terra was one of the Avatars of The Brown in my universe- anyway, The Brown is like the others, but for the earth. At one point in time, The Brown and The Green used to be one, but once plants started to grow, they got a divorce... It turns out, sometimes, kids do break a marriage. The Brown is one of the oldest forces of the DC Universe, if you wanna learn secrets untold, the earth will tell you. They are pretty lonely, so if you make contact with them, they'll talk a lot! But beware, the earth sees time differently, you could send a message to them today and The Brown might answer a year or more after because they just heard it at that time, so the sooner you do it, the better! Please be sweet to the little Clay Elementals, they're the messengers of The Brown and they're f*cking adorable.

The Grey

Okay, this one is kinda different. They don't reallt have a Parliament, because the Avatar is chosen to be the total authority over The Grey. They're all fungi- no, not "fun guys", they're kinda sh*tty... But, if you wanna eat mushrooms all the time, they're great! Fungi were the first ones on land, leaving the ocean through evolution, and the mycorrhizal network helps trees transfer nutrients in nature, which would make you think The Grey and The Green get along, right? But not really. They have an understanding going on between them, but they don't really like each other... Well, unless you somehow become a champion slash avatar for both of them, which would be a good first step to make them make up for sh*tty stuff.

The Black

And the last in the list of the colored... The Black is not really life friendly but they love everything alive- the majority of them, at least. They are the collective representation of Death in the universe, and they're also the undeath, which is kinds funny to me... Anyway, their Parliament is called the Parliament of Decay, and they're pretty chill most of the time. Kinda indifferent to others, but they're literally the representation of death, so they are allowed to be aloof and ignorant. But their Avatars usually have a need to kill or feed on dead (rotting) things, which is kinds weird... The Black, The Green, and The Red have a harmonious existence, if the harmony is broken, then sh*t is f*cked!

The Non-colored Ones

These are the ones that aren't named after colors- and some that might happen in your universe if you're not careful.

The Metal

This one is like The Green, but for technology and computers. Think that internet dystopia thing from the Matrix movie (its bee a while since I watched it, okay!?) but alive and with sh*t inside. Normally, you need some sort of full dive equipment to access it, which connects all technology together and it's born from the actions of humanity- seriously, humanity sure is loved! Their Parliament is called The Rithm, and they're a bunch of nerds! They do have beef with The Green, but if you manage to make Bio-Machinery, they'll chill. The Metal, not The Green, they'll think its "an abomination that needs to be destroyed"... those assholles. And then there's the others-

The Divided

The Void

The Dreamers

...

The list went on and on... and Atlas stopped reading for a moment to gather his thoughts. "It seems I'll have to send a message to The Brown..." After alll, Croc Kingdom will be underground! "Well, time to go to Slaughter Swamp to get some stones, wood, and more sh*t to make magic items with."

But for now, he will keep reading.

Chapter 17: Let there be Light (Part 2)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 08:00 | 08:00 AN]

[Calendar - 22/01/2003]

[Location - Cart 1, Underground Cavern - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

"...so this is the guy you made a deal with to get out of the Arkham Asylum?" Atlas stared forward at the scrawny and honestly kinda pathetic kid. Baytor floated around him, cackling, as he nodded enthusiastically. Meet Lonnie Machin, also known as Anarchy. "You made a deal with a young terrorist who believes in anarchy, when we're going to be a f*cking kingdom!?" Atlas had to take in a deep breath as he considered sending Baytor back to Hell, but he calmed the f*ck down before he said: "...and you thought that was a good idea?" The shameless demon just twirled around like a little whimsical creature as Atlas felt the ramifications of what he had done- he brought a literal anarchist into their empire. 'And worse yet... he's a hacker.' Atlas didn't really have a problem with the concept of anarchism- As a concept, anarchy is commonly defined by what it excludes. While anarchy specifically represents a society without rulers, it can more generally refer to a stateless society, or a society without government. For f*ck's sake... "So, kiddo, why were you in Arkham for in the first place? As far as I know, anarchism doesn't really mix well with a monarchy, which is what we're building towards." Atlas hated the smug look Baytor had- he had forgotten, just because he was a helpful demon, it didn't mean he wasn't a chaotic one!

"Uhm..." The kid nervously looked around- oh, right. They were on the 2nd Cart of the train, beneath the underground caverns where the Croc Kingdom was under construction! Sitting on the makeshift chair, he looked at Atlas with a sense of both curiosity and apprehension as he said: "Well, Baytor helped me... As a price for getting me out of Arkham Asylum, I have to help him with whatever he wants to do for a year, so I guess I'm... contracted by him, and he wants me to help you, so I guess I'm in your command." He looked very uncomfortable by saying that, much to Atlas' sighing annoyance. Baytor looked like he was having the time of his life annoying Atlas, but Atlas was a very adaptable guy, he can adapt to this, he can make use of an anarchist terrorist hacker to make a monarchy- he can do that! As his eyes darted around and his thoughts rushed by his mind, Atlas came to a conclusion: f*ck it, we ball.

With a smile to his face, Atlas decided- make friends with the anarchist hacker terrorist so he doesn't try to f*ck up with your the empire you built for a croc guy you certainly do not have a crush on because you are secretly a monsterf*cker (...) and bring it down! Why would he, right? You're friends! And he would also technically be part of the empire too, which would make him bringing it down redundant and stupid... right? "Nice to meet you, kid. I'm sorry you had to go that cursed place known as Arkham... it still brings me chills just by thinking about the ghost inside." Seriously, he hates that place! "Anyway, you wanna something? You need to put some meat in your bones kid, so eat something while I work out some stuff in the back." Atlas pointed back with his thumb as he rolled deeper into Cart 3, where thr majority of the homeless people were. As the railway was extended to the caverns, Atlas was able to (with a lot of effort) move the train out of Foundation Station and into the underground cavern that he has been thinking of a name for... Maybe Croc Cave? He'll workshop it! "We got non-perishables and scavenged food from the surface- Maybe I'll have to send a team to get as much food as they, but that would catch the attention of the police... Huh, I think known what to do, but it'll take a while." Thinking out loud, Atlas made a plan to steal a supermarket's worth of food while rolling into Cart 3.

There, Lonnie met the citizens of the future Croc Kingdom and started a conversation that Atlas tuned out as he gestured for Jax to follow him. Jax looked like a deer in headlights, but he followed regardless, because he knew there would be hell to pay if he didn't follow the boss. "Jax, be a dear and get me some scrap metal, some rocks from the outside, and glass bottles... I'm going to make something." The delicate balance needed to enchant items with magic was something Atlas understood, but he also knew that there was a way to use [Make Magic Item] and rush the process of adding magic to a mundane item (made with no magical materials) and not make it explode with the fury of a thousand scorned housewives who were cheated on by their husbands. "Time to do some delicate work..." So delicate, in fact, that he would need more magical energy because the majority of it will most likely burned out and wasted.

"Time to make some circles then." The cliche thing in Korean Fiction: Circles made of magic around one's heart to increase their mama capability and potency. After Jax saluted him like a soldier and left, Atlas opened the book called [The Plainest, Most Boring Mana Circle Method, by Average Wizard of the Multidimensional Tower] which, as boring as it sounded, was actually the opposite. This book described a basic technique with a ton of potential because of how plain it was- meaning? He could modify it to his liking, mixing it with other techniques to enchante them, modifying them to be the method that suits him the most. "Ah... Let's see..." The method was literally simple- [Control the magic within you, twist it into a circle, and place it around your heart! Your magic knows what you want, so it will most likely obey you easily and go along with what you want to do!] and sure enough, it was very easy to do. He imagined the energy that he could feel around his body move, but instead of placing the circle in his heart as the method wanted him to do, he decided to do something... different. "Ah, it works." Because his magic knew what he wanted, all he had to do was to imagine it, and the method would work!

What did he do? Well, the heart is a very small thing compared to his entire body or soul, so he decided to make these circles not on his physical body, but on his metaphysical body. The "him" that is not perceived or physically there.

His soul.

He closed his eyes and easily enough, the image he had in his head was born- his body, his full body floating in an endless cosmus full of thousands of stars. His legs were there too! And surrounding his body, a circle of energy. The circle started to form slowly, he felt the drain on his magic as it worked on making itself a new container where it would go, both staying in his physical body (the first container) and going to his the circle around his soul (the second container), effectively doubling his magical reserves. This was the method he went with, mostly because that's what he wanted- a lot of magic to work with! He kept silent, focusing on his inner world so much he didn't notice Jax as he returned with everything needed. The older man wanted to call out to him, but when Atlas' body suddenly started floating and got surrounded by this translucent but present energy. It swirled andd moved like an invisible wind, making small shards of glass and splinters fly alongside it before a blast of strong wind pushed everything back. And like that, Atlas had his first Magic Soul Circle. That single circle alone doubled his magic reserves, and made him have enough energy to cast truly powerful spells, in Dungeons and Dragons terms, he was the equivalent of a Lvl 13 Wizard that got access to his first 7th level spell, even though he only knew how to cast 2nd level spells at maximum, in D&D terms, that is.

As Atlas slowly lowered from his floating position down to the wheelchair again, he sighed- His eyes snapped open to reveal an endless cosmus within. Ah, right... The act of infusing magic into the soul enchanted it and made it not only stronger but also... Have a heavier impact on his life. The soul is the source of life! The stronger the soul, the stronger his life, right? Well, it also made some things different too, and it brought up some buried memories that he truly didn't want to remember.

Have you ever wondered how he got here? In the DC Universe? Well, the answer is easy: He died.

"...so that's why." Atlas was certainly not ready to remember his death- he almost wished he hadn't remembered how it felt to die, he wished he didn't remember how it was to feel air leave his lungs and not come back, he wished he didn't remember how miserable he felt through the entire process, he wished he didn't remember how it felt to hang from the ceiling with a rope- He wish he didn't... remember?

Remember what?

"Uhm, boss?" A hesitant Jax called out to him, making Atlas snap out of his confusion- he felt like he had woken up from a nightmare, and the memories of the terror he had lived faded away into nothing as his mind rejected that nightmare as being just a bad dream: "I've brought everything you asked for..."

"Ah, right. Thanks, Jax." Shaking his head and looking at his hands, Atlas wondered what was he doing before... Ah, right. He had just finished making a circle around his soul! How could he forget about that? He could feel the energy flowing like a river within his body, flowing into his inner self (the soul) and flowing out to his outer self (his body) in a constant flow. He easily had more than double the amount of magic he had before doing this! He should make more circles- a pain in his head stopped him. '...maybe later.' He wouldn't want to rush his soul, right? Who knows what effects his soul would have if he overflowed it with magic? He doesn't want to damage it! "Well... Let me try what I wanted to do." With the addition of his magic circle, came the greater amount of magic, and the need to learn how to properly control it! And Magic Control is essential for his plan- what if, instead of trying to push magic into a mundane item all at once with the [Make Magic Item] spell, or make the slow process of introducing magic to an item and slowly changing it through a long process, why not try it at a middle ground? The [Make Magic Item] spell will make the process way easier, he just needs to make sure the amount of magic is enough to not destroy the item.

Easy, right?

[<Glass shattering noises>]

"f*ck!"

[<Splintering of wood>]

"sh*t-"

[<Metal withering to dust in a sad way, like Spider Man turning to dust in Tony Stark's arms>]

"...was that description necessary?"

As it turns out- yeah, this is not easy. But hey, he is learning! Now it takes about 5 whole seconds before the magic item either explodes or turns into dust. "Again." With a sigh, Atlas manually wrote down the runes and words of power he wanted before he introduced magic with the [Make Magic Item] spell. One second passed, he controlled the magic as to not damage the fragile glass. Two seconds passed and yet there were no damages... three seconds passed, and some minor damages appeared in the glass sphere, but he controlled the magic to avoid applying pressure to those regions. Four seconds passed, and even though he controlled the magic to not cause extra damage, the damage increased still- five seconds passed, and to his surprise, the glass didn't shatter! He kept channeling the magic and- it didn't break.

He now had a perfectly round glass sphere ready to receive magic! It technically was magical, but it was hollow, without any spell within.

"Well..." He focused for a second and placed a spell he had read while making the light bulbs for the Croc Kingdom- A spell called [Daylight]. "Now the Croc Kingdom will have an artificial sun."

And Atlas said: "Let there be light."

And there was light.

Chapter 18: An angry (Immortal?l test dummy (Part 3)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 10:00 | 10:00 AM]

[Calendar - 23/01/2003]

[Location - Slaughter Swamp - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

"Listen up, men!" Like a sargent speaking to his soldiers, like a centurion speaking to his legionaries, like a chief speaking to his people, Atlas proudly looked out at the wet muddy lands of the swamp before them... The difference between a Marsh and a Swamp is that a swamp is an area of land permanently saturated, or filled, with water- which is why Atlas has equipped everyone with boots, while a marsh is a drier land. Many swamps are even covered by water to the waist! There are two main types of swamps: freshwater swamps and saltwater swamps, and Slaughter Swamp is a freshwater swamp. From what he could see around, there were many cypress and tupelo trees to gather! He floated magically (since his wheelchair doesn't exactly float) a few feet above the ankle deep waters while the others stayed still before him- Four of the six brothers, Brandon (the 6 year old) was obviously left behind alongside the second youngest one called Ian, the 13 year old one. From the oldest to the youngest of the six brothers that came with him were Vin who was 18, Jamon who was 16, Kai who was 15, and Kevin who was 14. Alongside the four brothers, Jax was dragged along too, as were his two friends Andrei and Boris, the two brothers who invited him alongside them when they were told by Waylon the directions for his upcoming kingdom.

Apparently these two were friends with Waylon, or rather, acquainted with him... Atlas was keeping an eye on them, just in case.

Looking at Enne who also tagged along, Atlas sighed softly as he used [Transmute Earth] to make the wet earth into solid rocks, where Jax stepped up on to stay above the wet land beneath their feet: "Today's quest is rather simple." He pointed to the four brothers, all who saluted- it seems everyone has gotten the habit of saluting him for some reason -as he told them what to do: "Two of you will be using your shovels to collect dirt from the surrounding areas and depositing it for me here. The other two will be helping Jax with the stone bricks that will be given to you by me as I Transmute the collected earth into rocks and then Transmute them into bricks. The other three-" He looked at Enne, Andrei, and Boris: "-will have different tasks... You see, this whole swamp is a rare place. A magical place-" He raised his hand and casted [Shape Water] to push away the water around them in a circular wave at the level of their ankles, to reveal the still slightly muddy ground beneath. Before the water could rush back, Atlas threw out a few pieces of glass and easily casted [Glass Form] spell and took control of the glass as it melted mid air before forming this 5 feet circle around them and raising a small 5 feet tall wall of glass that kept the water away (you never wondered how he had perfect glass spheres?) Right before their eyes, the muddy ground started to harden as if the sun had dried it out as he used [Transmute Earth] to make the ground turn into solid earth. "-and because this is a magical place, everything here has a touch of magic. The animals, the plants, and even the earth itself. And as you clearly saw, I am a magic caster, and I have use for everything here. Our future kingdom will be built from magic and by magic, which is why we need to collect the materials necessary for such an endeavor."

Poiting around, Atlas softly landed on the ground as it rose to meet him, making a small earth chair for him to sit on: "You three-" He pointed to Andrei, Boris, and Enne: "-have two different tasks. You, Enne, will observe. There are many animals in this swamp, and many of them aren't aggressive but some are... I expect you to keep an eye out for Snapping Turtles, normal turtles, frogs, crocodiles, snakes, and suspicious undead humanoid figures that seek to kill the living. Especially the crocodiles, those are really important because we have uses for them." Shrugging, Atlas turned to look at Jax and missed the look of confusion and slight horror in the faces of the others: "Jax, you'll also keep an eye out- if anyone sees our little friend Solomon Grundy, please do say, I'll deal with him." Ignoring the fear he inevitably put in their hearts (who, in Gotham, doesn't know about Solomon Grundy?!), he nonchalantly started to work on setting up camp by raising the ground before him a little bit to make a flat table of stone with both [Transmute Earth] and [Mold Earth] working in tandem. "Also, whoever finds clay, I wamma make ceramic too." He began to work and so did the others, although with some apprehension. They were all guaranteed a place to stay by King Croc, and now they had to work to keep their place and make a bigger one for others like them too.

The first hour of work was very peaceful. The four brothers worked in tandem to gather dirt and mud from outside the circle of glass that surrounded Atlas, he took the mud and dirt offered and began working. He first separated water from the mud (He was able to easily find traces of magic within the earth, and he could tell these stone bricks? They were going to be good ones!) with the [Shape Water] cantrip before using [Transmute Earth] to make them into stone bricks with the help of [Mold Earth]. He was having some fun, no insects were attacking him because of his repellent: Fire! [Control Flames] was a very useful spell to vanish annoying insects, even more now that he had a lot more magic within him that he could keep a constant flame right above his head. Jax was kinda thankful for not having to deal with insects either...

The second hour of work was when the brothers Andrei and Boris started to bring the wood. They found a lot of fallen logs and other fallen pieces of wood that they could, gathering it up neatly in the sacks Atlas gave them, having used all the charges in the wands he had given them- These were wands he specifically enchanted with the [Air Slash] cantrip in them, perfect to cut through wood like an ax, and because the wood he asked for was "fallen wood", they most likely were easy to cut with the cantrips too. They went back, going around the clogged muddy area around in search of wood. It was within 2 hours and 45 minutes of work that one of the brothers shouted: "Found a corpse!" Much to Atlas' curiosity. He casted [Fly] into himself and went to investigate- and what he saw was a rotting corpse missing pieces of its body. All Atlas said was an ominous "So he is feeding, huh?" before he floated back to his place, refusing to elaborate further.

The third hour of work was equally as peaceful as the other two (casually ignores the half eaten corpse that was found), with Atlas being able to make about 1200 stone bricks! That was enough for the day, mostly because he knew they wouldn't be able to bring back more without extra equipment. He would be able to bring back these 1200 bricks because he can use magic to pick up the sack and pull it along, so he told the boys to stop bringing mud and start helping him place the stone bricks into sacks. Jax also helped with that too, and watched the surroundings... After 21 minutes of it, Enne called out: "I see a crocodile!" And Atlas immediately floated towards her- he wanted the Croc Kingdom to be blessed by Sobek, the Egyptian God of Crocodiles, Fertility, Rivers, and Military Power (He is also considered a Pharaoh God) so that their kingdom may flourish and grow, and what better way than to make his sacred animal Croc Kingdom's sacred animal!? Not only would there be a big Crocodile man on the throne as king (kinda like a Pharaoh) but Atlas has plans for various waterways through the entire city where fresh clean water would flow through and imitate rivers, where domesticated and docile crocodiles would roam (Don't worry, they were get purified by the spell [Purify Food and Drink], so no infections would happen). They would be the equivalent of dogs, but for everyone on the Croc Kingdom!

"Oh, they're big!" There were about 7 crocodiles, all of them basking in the glorious sunlight. There were really big ones, and some that were not as big, so 4 males and 3 females? This certainly was not mating season then! "Awn, I wanted to get some eggs to raise..." Raising them from hatching would make everything much easier! Instead, Atlas floated above them all and looked down at them before he casted [Speak with Animals] on himself, coughing on his fist and speaking: "Hey, fellas, do any of you seven know when ya'll mating season start?" The crocodiles just looked up at him as the spell took effect- he felt an almost understanding of the animals before him as a Red light flashed through their eyes.

"...why does this weird wanna know about our mating season?"

"Oof, weird guy."

"He is clearly weird- he floats!"

"Floaty weirdo."

"It's like I always say, never trust floaty hot boys. They're weird."

"You guys think he wants to participate?"

"Who would choose him?"

"I wouldn't. He looks weird."

"Yeah, too weird."

...Atlas felt a few knives stab his heart before he looked at the crocodiles and said: "...I'm going to have fun stealing your children when it's time." With that, knowing the crocodiles had understood what he told them, he dismissed the [Speak with Animals] spell and floated away. Who cares, at least a crocodile would choose him... right? I mean, maybe? 'Now that I think about it, no. He wouldn't.' Sighing, Atlas decided to focus back on work instead of worrying about other useless thoughts.

By the fourth and last work hour (they had gathered all they could carry) was when something happened. They were on the outskirts of Slaughter Swamp, not even 100 feet into the swamp, they could get back to the mainland easily by the same method they got here in the first place... but the fact that they were not very close to the center of the swamp was not enough, and soon enough, Atlas met his first official undead enemy. Solomon Grundy, previously known as Cyrus Gold, and this universe's Avatar of the Black. Atlas felt him when he approached- it was like a thousand ants were crawling all over his skin, he felt maggots moving within his body before he felt them bursting out of his eyeballs and mouth- he coughed and coughed, but nothing came out. This? That was a side effect of him enchanting his soul... It made his magic sensitivity greater than it was before, and now he could truly feel what the forces of the Black feel like. They feel like decay and death, but Solomon Grundy in particular feels malevolent and corrupting in nature: "...you." His voice was low and guttural, like he had been screaming for hours and somehow his vocal cords hadn't given up on him yet and he could still speak: "Magician!"

With an angry roar, he ran forward-

But Atlas was more than ready: "FUS RO DAH!" The moment he shouted those words, a wave of unrelenting force slammed against Solomon and sent him flying 50 feet away or more. 'Oh, I always wanted to do this!' Sadly, that wasn't a Dragon Shout- it was, instead, the spell [Pulse Wave]. "Now, everyone, please return to the boat-" With another roar, the undead came running at them again, making Atlas roll his eyes: "-I'll be there shortly, don't worry." Now... time to release this poor guy from undeath by blasting him with- wait, if he can't die, why not use him as a test dummy!? "...sometimes, I'm frightened by my genius."

Well, he has a willing punching dummy, why not test out his magic against him?

He lifted his hand, and casted a spell he always wanted to: "...[Fireball]."

And there was only fire for a few instants.

Chapter 19: Experimentation and Progress (Part 4)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 14:12 | 02:12 PM]

[Calendar - 23/01/2003]

[Location - Slaughter Swamp - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

BOOM

Echoes of an explosion. Heat from flames. A flash of orange and red light that purged the shadows behind trees- a blue shimmer of magical hard light struggled against the flames as the force of the explosion pushed the floating man away. Atlas twisted mid air as his pre-cast [Mage Armor] had taken the brute force of the explosion, but the heat and flames still licked his skin. "Ah, f*ck." Hissing from the pain of having his skin burned by his flames, Atlas looked down at his slightly burnt clothes and his skin, the haird in his arms also burned: "...I might need to learn that War Magic trick." Thankfully, he wasn't in the complete blast of flames, only being partially singed by the magical fire and not taking as much damage as Solomon had taken... As the dust dissipated, Atlas was not that shocked to see Solomon on the ground, his burnt skin tightly knitting itself together and regenerating while the burnt cells fell out of his undead body as slabs of dead burnt meat. "Huh, so he can make himself new flesh." Looking around at the withering plant life (plant life that wasn't instantly killed by his [Firebal]), he got his answer as he felt the necrotic energies within Solomon Grundy wring out the life energy of the plant life around him.

That partially explains how he regenerates whenever he takes damage, but what about when his body is completely destroyed? "Ah." Atlas felt like he had been hit by a lightning bolt as he easilly understood what he was dealing with- This wasn't a regular zombie, but the zombie equivalent of a Lich. "Ah... annoying to deal with, but useful..." With various thoughts of how to better take advantage of this fact or how to better exploit it, Atlas had a few ideas. He could use Solomon not only as a training dummy for him, but for others as well, to teach them serious combat where one of their opponents wants to kill them and their flesh... He could also try and harness the Necromantic Magics that fuel Solomon Grundy, using him as a battery too. "But for that, I'll need to-" Flying 65 feet above the regenerating zombie, Atlas thought 'Why not see how he fares against acid?' as he casted [Acid Stream]: "-restrain him." How could he restrain the Avatar of the Black? Maybe seal his soul away? Or maybe- "Woah!" -he regenerates faster than Atlas thought!

Moving out of the way from a rock thrown at him at high speeds, Atlas looked down to see Solomon crawling away as his legs were completely melt off by the bright poisonous green acid that spewed out (a few inches in front) of Atlas' hands. The stream of acid lasted for about 6 seconds as he moved out of the way from various rocks being thrown at him by the very angry and regenerating Solomon Grundy. Surprisingly enough, the trees and other plants of the swamp seemed to survive having their life force absorbed by the greedy zombie lich that was regenerating faster than Atlas thought he could. These plants were used to the Necromancy of Solomon Grundy, and they seemed to have grown adapted to what he could do, as they were still alive... So either these plants have a lot more life force than normal plants, or they are resistant to Necromantic Magic, and either way that's really useful and interesting. "That's cool, I guess." Waving his hand in front of him, Atlas remembered that he was here to test his spells against a target that couldn't die easily- and even if Solomon died, what of it? He will regrow from the swamp once more. "[Chill Touch]." From the shadows, these two clawed hands made out of Necromancy reached out and grasped the arms of Solomon, immediately his regenerating halted and for a solid 6 seconds before it slowly began again.

"So that's how that cantrip works." Nodding to himself, Atlas began his "academic" research on how his spells work.

He first started experimenting with Evocation spells, as they were much easier to use and understand. Breathing out a cold ball of mist that flew towards Solomon's body, encasing him in ice and restraining his movement- the spell Atlas had just casted was called [Ice Shock], and within seconds Solomon was able to free himself from the ice. "Next one-" He opened his palms as he whispered the chant of the spell he wanted to cast, that according to the spell's description would do radiant damage by inserting this euphoric sensation into the target that seeps away at their strength, and if the target faints, they're in no risk of injury because the spell only saps and absorbs their strength and stamina until they are tired enough to pass out. "-[Kiss of the Petals]." A red flower blossomed on his open plam held out towards Solomon as he tried to run, and as he blew the flower, the hundreds of red petals floated out with an invisible wind as the flower dissipated from his hand- The petals reached out and touched Solomon's body, immediately a pale red light started to glow out of his body, each spot touched by one of the petals seemed to burn away and turn to dust. "-ah, right. Undead and radiant damage don't mix well, do they? Especially one with such a strong connection to the source..."

As he didn't want Solomon to be destroyed so soon, he decided to try out other spells instead! "*cough*- what was the word again, ah, right! [Mind Spike]." A rush of golden energy gathered right before his forehead before shooting out like a harpoon- it shot right into Solomon's head, entering his mind, and now Atlas had an anchor to his soul. The one way link between him and Solomon helped him easily locate and know his location at all times! This is a very useful Divination spell, because he could locate Solomon no matter where he goes- "Oops." He might have overestimated Solomon's endurance and underestimated his own spell's damage, because while he watched, Solomon's body turned to ashes. "...f*ck." Alomgside it, he felt the link he had just created go taunt, and strain before shattering, as the spell dissipated with the death of the target.

"Well, it was fun while it lasted, and I got to see some of my spells in action... Time to go back to the boat." That was how they got to Slaughter Swamp when the bridges from Slaughter Swamp by Old Gotham were under reconstruction- apparently they were heavily damaged in the middle of the night by explosives, maybe the ploy of someone? He didn't care. "Oh, they're already rowing away, huh?" He could see the small boat he had made (with the wood they had gathered, he could make bigger boats now) row away as the brothers Andrei and Boris rowed, with the rest in a cramped space looking at the swamp. He rolled his eyes a little at his own incompetent self (he should've made better boats) before he flew towards them, ready to get the load off of the boat so it wouldn't sink: "Hey, fellas, give me the bags." There were 1200 (magical) stone bricks, 300 logs of (magical) wood, and even 500 slabs of (magical) clay bricks! "I can make some sh*t with this..." He lifted his hand and concentrated for a moment as he casted [Bigby's Hand] and this manifestation of his magic appeared- a big pearlescent purple hand made out of crystallized magical power. The hand easily grabbed the bags, and at the same time he used the hand (clenching it softly as to not damage the goods) to push the boat like a bro-fist, slowly and steadily.

He didn't want to capsize the boat, after all!

[Clock - 02:00 | 02:00 AM]

[Calendar - 24/01/2003]

[Location - Underground Cavern - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

"Yes!" With a smug and happy smile, Atlas lifted both hands to the sky as finally- Finally! After so f*cking many attempts -he managed to create a magical item that he was proud of (we don't speak about the artificial sun that now hangs from the top of the cavern'a ceiling, illuminating a portion of the cavern... he kinda flashbanged himself with that one) and that would be extremely valuable to the Croc Kingdom, even more so considering the fact that the Joker wanted to contaminate Gotham's water with his chemicals. "I'm proud of myself." He had created the solution to that problem! Atlas started construction on the Croc Kingdom immediately after they returned from the Slaughter Swamp, he used the stone bricks they had gathered, and enchanted each and every single one of them to have the rune and word of power he wanted them to have so everything would come together. At a higher point of the cavern, right by the long stairway down, Atlas created a beautiful fountain.

On the center of the fountain stood the figure of a veiled woman holding onto a jar, the jar in her hands had these intricate detailed depictions of water flowing into a river, and at the river bank there were various scorpions. Atop the woman's head stood a pair of cow horns that held this disk, the disk glowed with a golden light and illuminated the statue for all to see: The veil of the woman fell into this beautiful dress that drapped over and fused with the stone of the fountain. The fountain was a 10 feet circle that by the north, south, east, and west sides had these holes that led into waterways that were still under construction, so the hole were sealed for now! On the back of the woman's statue, there were a pair of wings that curled against her back, making them look smaller than they actually were. On the bottom of the fountain (he made sure that the fountain was 10 feet deep, because he wanted to make swimming part of Croc Kingdom's culture) there were these runes that would, regularly, glow at a soft light casting [Purify Food and Drink], to make sure there was nothing in the water and to keep it clean. The vase the woman was holding was also enchanted, and that enchantment had made Atlas sigh in relief when the vase (he had made it with the magical clay) didn't shatter. It was enchanted with [Create or Destroy Water].

"Show time." With a flare of his magic, the enchantment on the vase (or should he call kt water jug now?) activated and water started to trickle down the statue with a constant flow before water started to shoot out of the jug in the statues' hand. "It works... Ah f*ck, I'm tired." With a huff of fatigue, Atlas sat by the fountain, smiling as he dragged his fingers across it. He had spent hours using [Transmute Earth], [Mending], [Mold Earth], and other spells to change the stones and place them in the way he wanted to to make the well slash fountain into what it is now. "And the finishing touches..." He activated the last enchantment with the words of power for 'Command', 'Designed', 'Movement', 'Construction', and various others all over the statue: "Arise, Isis." With those words, the stone wings on the back of the statue unfurled and opened wide- the wingspan of the statue woman was about 25 feet across, from tip of the largest feather to the tip of the largest feather. The arms of the statue lifted the water jug up high as and the water did not slow down, instead it shot up and fell like a curtain around the edges of the fountain, covering the fountain in this veil of thin water.

The whole "water veil" was the thing that mosr consumed his time, but now that he had done it, he was happy he did. The fountain looked beautiful! Oh, and if it is completely full of water, the excess water is just destroyed by the [Create or Destroy Water] spell.

Besides providing water and being a beautiful piece of art, this statue served another purpose: It was made for Isis, one of the Egyptian Goddesses and the most powerful Egyptian Goddess... he was trying to win her favor, just a little bit, because he already has a plan for Sobek.

And with this beautiful statue, the construction of the Croc Kingdom has officially started.

Chapter 20: Return of the King (Part 1)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 21:]0 | 09:00 PM]

[Calendar - 12/02/2003]

[Location - Foundation Station - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

Timeskip - 18 Days

POV Change

Waylon Jones - Killer King Croc

'What the f*ck happened here.' Those were the very first thoughts that came to mind when Waylon saw what was in front of him. He had spent a few weeks away to not get attention back to his budding and growing kingdom after his escape (...after being rescued) from Arkham Asylum. He expected to come back to the same abandoned subway station that had been repaired by Atlas, but when he left the sewers of Gotham and crawled his way out of the hole and into the aboveground, using the shadows of the night to hide his movements, he did not expect to find guards at the entrace of the abandoned subway station! He approached as silently as he could, his footsteps barely audible (walking on sewers while trying to hide from a guy wearing a bat costume does teach you good stealth skills) as he approached, but the moment he got close enough to the entrance, someone stuck their heads out and looked at him.

Now, Waylon has been meeting many homeless people. They were kin to him, having spent a little bit of time on the streets of Gotham taught him that homeless people of Gotham see each other as both friends and foe depending on the situation. Survival is important, but so are groups! He has had meetings with different groups of homeless people and offered them a place under him, but the majority of the rejected him out of fear, dislike, or had their own reasons. Therefore, he went for the desperate and lonely ones, finding people he had met once before (Like the old man Adolf) or people he knew needed help (that single mother and her child... when he met her, she had a purple eye), and others too. Desperate people that saw him reaching out to them with wary eyes, but their hopelessness meant they needed to accept his help- those were the ones he sent to Atlas. He went looking through almost the entirety of Gotham, and whenever someone accepted his offer of "I will offer you a place under me. A place where you no longer need to worry about food, water, or if you're going to be killed by a random gangster in the streets, a place under me... King Croc" he would bring them to Old Gotham and tell them the directions of the place to go before giving them one of his scales, telling them to wear it like a badge.

He sent about 55 people? Well, since he wasn't around, he didn't exactly know if they all had been accepted by Atlas- that guy was weird, but Waylon trusted him enough to handle such trivial matters -but if they hadn't, then that's okay too.

"Oh, the king is here!" The guard- who was a teen, no older than 15 -smiled wide enough for Waylon to see he missed three teeth before he gestured to the other side, where another head popped out through the hole that lead into the abandoned subway station used as their base of operations: "Dude, hurry- call Mr. Jester!" Waylon stepped forward and ducked to enter the subway station, and his eyes widened when he saw the particular lack of a train on the station. The station itself didn't seem very different from what he remembered, and besides the lack of train, there wasn't much that changed. He turned to look at the kids, one of them fumbled with a stone that had these weird carvings on it, and when he brushed his fingers over them, the stone glowed.

"Ergh- Mr. Jester sir, the King has arrived, he is at the entrance right now." The other teen- lanky and thin, almost like a toothpick -spoke those words to the stone, and once three seconds passed, the stone stopped glowing and Waylon stood still... Is this it? Speaking to a ston-

"Waylon!"

"Argh-" Taking a step back from the sudden appearance of the one and only Atlas, Waylon was not ashamed to admit that he jumped a little. "-holy f*ck, jesus, don't do that." He was, thankfully, able to stop himself before his claws had sank deep into Atlas' throat, but he was- awkwardly, I might add -holding Atlas by his throat. He hanged there, looking at him with a smile and not really caring that Waylon almost killed him: "Hey Atlas... What is this Mr. Jester thing I've been hearing about?" He was going to put Atlas down, but the guy simply smiled before he vanished in a puff of grey smoke before appearing right on his shoulders, holding onto his head as he sat up there. Waylon, once more, had to restrain himself and not instinctively attack his helper and... Jester?

"I am the king's Jester. The only one allowed to mock the king, question the king's decision, tell jokes about the king's dick size, and act as a trusted advisor." With a hint of lavander laced flamboyance, Atlas twisted his body around and to fall a bit into Waylon's arms, who caught him easily enough; "Also, I've been more than just the damn Jester this entire time- f*ck, I've been the architect, the magician, the healer, the polices, and whatever else I was just this day... And now I've also gotta be the cook, because a king doesn't come back to his kingdom without a feast." He turned to look at the kids, smiled and pointed to the left with his thumb in a "go on" gesture as he said: "Go and find your brothers, I'll seal the entrance for the night. Tell everybody to gather at Isis Fountain because today we'll have a banquet and a coronation. Also, tell the cooks of the House of Hathor to prepare the alcohol too... Hey Waylon, what should the drinking age of the Croc Kingdom be? This is your first day as a king, and I'm throwing all the legal sh*t in your face because I don't wanna deal with that."

"Urgh..." Waylon hadn't ever thought about it! He paused for a moment... When was the first time he ever drank beer? He narrowed his eyes as he thought about it for a few moments: "Huh... I think the drinking age should be about 16? I think that's good enough to drink, and 18 to buy." Yeah, he was 16 when he drank his first beer, and it tasted like piss. (Trust him, the first few weeks of living in the Gotham sewers were a nightmare)

"Neat." Atlas hummed- the two guards had rushed ahead with excitement clear in their eyes, making him sigh: "So! A few patch up notes on this update, but Croc Kingdom has a population of 56 people, all of them have homes. It was a pain in the ass to get the plumbing system right and I am still working on it, so everyone has to go to the public bathroom where they are obligated to use the [Prestidigitation] wands to clean after themselves... Anyway, there is a water system and we've been dealing with food issues, but I have some ideas to go over that-" He paused for a second before looking at him in the eyes, making Waylon stare at those deep amber colored eyes for a few moments before Atlas smiled, saying with such a relief that it made Waylon almost want to hug him: "-...welcome back, King Croc... C'mon, I'll give a tour of your growing kingdom. I've been working on some things here and there, and we have room for more 500 people. The residents have already started taking up jobs and hobbies to help the community too. We got four main buildings or points in the growing kingdom- we got the Isis Fountain, the House of Hathor, Sobek's Crocodile Farm, and the Halls of Ptah."

"...gods?" Now, Waylon might not have received the education everyone else might have, but he wasn't completely ignorant. If you name something after someone, they were important people, and he recognized one of the names on the list almost immediately after Atlas said it- Sobek. It was a god, but a god of what? "Why do we have places named after gods?"

"Oh, that's easy-" They went down this dark tunnel, stepping over rails, and when they crossed into this underground cavern, and Waylon was speechless. There was an orb in the ceiling that imitated the sun, although it wasn't glowing enough to disturb the rather dark and quiet place down there- Waylon saw what could only be described as a village of stone. Houses made of rock and earth with streets made out of yellow bricks, various of these poles that had light coming out of the bulb of glass on top of them, and a goddamned river!? Following the water, he saw this beautiful statue of a horned woman wearing a veil with a pair of wings holding a water jug where the water of the river was coming from. He could see stairs going down to the houses, and he could see this street that led on to this big house with a giant H as the columns of the front. He tried to pin point the other places Atlas told him, and he could see this open "field" with the fake river going around it. "-ah, don't worry, I'll give you a tour." From up here, he could see that his kingdom was nothing more than a neighborhood of blocky houses: "I was thinking, once the population is too much and we can't expand outwards, we could expand upwards make the houses like these stackable towers, with stairs on the outside going up in a spiral- oooh, and to get down we could make a system of rock slides, like in Avatar the Last Airbender! But the slides can be used by almost everyone with a degree of caution, of course."

"I see you're having fun with this." Waylon couldn't help but comment. He saw those normally lifeless eyes almost burn brightly whenever he was talking about his kingdom- their kingdom? "And, well, this is much more than I expected..." Waylon saw people arrive- he recognized some of them as the people he sent, the majority of them were people he sent, but there were some that weren't sent by him at all! "And these must be my... subjects."

"Oh, right-" From sitting on his shoulder, Atlas was suddenly floating (Since when can he do that?) and staring at the people: "-Citizens of-" He turned sharply towards him, stage whispering: "...what's the name of the kingdom? I can't officially name it, I'm not the king or queen of this place, you gotta do it big croc boy- If you want, I do have a list of suggestions that you might spur some ideas-" He pulled out of nowhere this notebook that had this (¤) symbol on the back and began to list off a few names: "Niwt Sobek, Croc Kingdom, Ovulation Station, Under Gotham, Devil's Desires-"

"...Can I decided that later? Just use the name you've been using till now." Waylon could feel the future headache that would come from ruling over people- why did he even want to do that again? It was almost like an instinct, not one born out of arrogance, just one that simply was with him the moment Atlas opened his mouth and offered to make him a king- like a switch being flipped within his head and it was over from there. "I'll think of something till then."

"Okay~" Atlas saluted him (o7 ) before he turned to look at the others, shrugged, and said: "-citizens of Croc Kingdom, it is with great pleasure that I announce, our king has returned from wherever the f*ck he went to! And better yet, he's intact and ready to rule. So, here's the deal: We're gonna have a banquet in his honor, I'll get the food, ya'll set up the tables and mingle a little. Talk to your king and make sure he knows how much work I've been doing while I go get the milk-" he turned around, looked at Waylon, and did a sideways V with his fingers before simply vanishing, leaving Waylon to the others.

"...hi?"

Chapter 21: Return of the King (Part 2)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 21:45 | 09:45 PM]

[Calendar - 12/02/2003]

[Location - Croc Kingdom (Name Pending) - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

POV Change

Atlas - Jester

'He is back.' Atlas felt almost giddy- He almost felt like a proud child showing their parents something the drew. The only difference being the fact that Atlas did an awesome job! He had left the station with the [Dimension Door] spell, teleporting 500 feet towards the entrace of the Croc Kingdom by Foundation Station. He still had enouhh energy for a few other spells, and if necessary, he could use [Misty Step] to teleport out of harm's way. 'Finally...' With a sigh of relief, Atlas couldn't help but smile- floating around him thanks to the [Floating Figment] cantrip were these bags full of groceries, meats, non-perishables, and some greens that he had taken from a few different stores around Old Gotham, so as to not arouse suspicious. He was able to easily store the other things into his newly made (he is quite proud of it) Bag of Holding! A small one, sadly, it took him a few weeks to finally be able to make this thing and he had to use the leather of a magical beast to make it without it taking a thousand years...

He has a small confession to make...

The bag? It was made with the flesh of Solomon Grundy. Now, I know it sounds bad, but this was the only realistic option that he could take- it was either farm the old zombie guy of his flesh (It was almost identical to one of those mob farms in Minecraft) and skin to make a bag that has an internal space of 15 by 15 by 15 in a cubic shape! But it was full of food now, mostly non-perishables, while he took the perishables with him outside the bag because he made an oopsie when enchanting the Bag of Holding... He wrote the power word and rune for 'Time', but not 'Preservation', which made it kinda... not preserve sh*t inside? Well, it wasn't a problem for non-perishable food or inorganic items, but perishables like meat and vegetables would rot and decay at an accelerated rate. That was a little problem he couldn't solve without breaking down the item and starting again, so he decided not to bother with that, instead focusing on making a banquet for the return of their king! 'Heh, I wonder how he will react when he learns of the Kingdom's sacred animal.'

Ah, right. About 16 days ago or so, Atlas had returned to the Slaughter Swamp with friends and found exactly what he had been searching for: Crocodile eggs. And a mother! Cool, right? It took him a while to convince the mother to come along, but casting [Animal Friendship] with a lot of power made the spell last for a long, long time... It still hasn't worn off yet, and he doesn't know if it ever will. Anyway, her eggs all hatched and 55 new crocodiles greeted the world! He made sure to keep an eye out on them, and they have been growing very fast too, he even made a special place for them to live peacefully, although they could be seen walking around everywhere on the Croc Kingdom alongside their mother, bathing in the glorious artificial sun that Atlas had to modify to actually produce heat so the crocodiles could warm up too. He made Sobek's Crocodile Farm for them to relax in, making the artificial river that flowed through Croc Kingdom not only wrap around the picket fence little farm area but also serve as a place they could bathe in. Mindful of their animalistic nature, Atlas was making plans for when these big guys are mature enough to mate, he will basically take them to Slaughter Swamp and let them do their thing before taking them back, the females would lay the eggs and the males would go out to mate with the crocs of the swamp to keep the swamp's crocodilian population up to standards.

But now, every household has at least one crocodile!

And they're pretty tame, thankfully one of the people Waylon had sent them was originally from Florida- Now, I don't want to sound like a stereotyping asshole, but Buck was actually the stereotypical Florida Man. He had grown up in a crocodile farm (I swear, I'm not making this up) and loved crocodiles, so when Atlas offered him the job of 'Croc Keeper', he jumped into it! Even though he lacked a hand, he was much better at taking care of the animals than Atlas was, and as a prize for his hard work Atlas gave him a scarf with a crocodile sown into it, that allowed him to have the spell [Speak with Animals] active at all times! He actually cried when one of the little crocs called him 'Dad' when he was feeding them- Atlas didn't have the heart to explain to him that they weren't calling him dad per say, that was what the spell translated it to, most likely they were calling him with the sounds they use to call their mother, but because he was a man, it translated to 'Dad'. But Atlas saw how happy the guy was and decided to just let him be happy about it! He stretched his fingers out and hummed as he floated down the tunnel after teleporting back to Foundation Station and casted [Dimension Door] once more just because.

Ah, right!

Atlas now is the proud owner of a soul with Three Rings! He absolutely loved how these rings are big enough and compact enough to grant him a lot of internal magical energy. He could cast 1st level spells like they were cantrips, and he could cast actually cantrips as easily as breathing! He was also learning the first steps of Metamagic, you know that thing Sorcerers can do in Dungeons and Dragons? It was like, an advanced control over his magic, and he has been traning on that! At least he learned one Metamagic ability, and that was how to change the type of energy his spells could hold, like how he changed the energy of a [Fireball] into an explosive ball of acid. It was fun, and technically he now had tapped into the powers of Sorcery.

He will study more about it later, right now he has a banquet to start.

"I'm back~!" Appearing right above Isis Fountain, Atlas floated down with [Fly] and stared at the tables that were set by the three cooks of the House of Hathor. The cooks of the House of Hathor were Abigail, mother of Adam, and two other additions to the Croc Kingdom: "Here you guys go, I'll go by later today and give the non-perishables to ya'll." He graciously floated towards them and started helping them- magic is capable of many things, and cooking is of course one of them, he just needs to get a bit creative with how he uses his magic to cook. "Let's get this all started-" He turned around, floating and spinning in a complete 360 as he looked for Waylon, only to find him and Buck talking to each other while Waylon held a baby croc in his hands.

It was kinda cute.

"Havin' fun, your croc-ness?" Floating upside-down in front of Waylon as he tickled the little croc in his hands, Atlas smirked up at the king of their developing empire: "It's kinda early but I prepared this whole speech for you got back, about how f*cking tiring it is to make an empire and how I spent three nights trying to figure out how to declare independence and separate us from the USA while in USA soil, and well, I've come up with ridiculous ideas but that's beside the point now... All I wanna say is... Well, welcome back, King." With a short bow, Atlas pulled out a crown from the bag attached to his hip: "Also, I made you a crown. It was a bitch to enchant because I had to make magical gold- You don't want to know what I did to get magical gold, but it was a pain. Anyway, when you wear this, you'll get a boost to Intelligence and your mind will be protected most mind f*ckery, I'll need better materials and a lot more precious gems to make a better crown, but that little thing will be able to at least keep your thoughts from being read by anyone." Shrugging, Atlas cracked his fingers: "It took a few... thousand dollars to get it right, but hey, the least I could do."

Atlas was trying to undermine his work. He spent two weeks on the crown and what he made nothing short of a powerful artifact, the gem on the center of the crown was this emerald that he had stolen- it was the piece of one of the largest emeralds he had ever seen, the rest of the gem was turned into dust that he had added to the molten gold that he turned into the crown. He added a few other pieces of gems that he could find, and even turned an entire jewelry's worth of diamonds from the Diamond District of Gotham into dust that he kept pushing his magic into by castinng [Make Magic Item] on the dust and wasting the equivalent of the energy necessary to cast a 9th level spell into the diamonds, daily for two weeks. And then he used that magical diamond dust and amplified the crown through a process that used his own blood.

Hemocraft. Blood Magic.

In the end, Atlas wasted a lot of time and effort, just to almost fail. He was prepared for that, however, and was able to stabilize the crown befoore it exploded into tiny pieces, it was meant to have magical abilities beyond what it has, which was why Atlas considered it a failure. If I had to describe it to you like it was an item from Dungeons and Dragons, it would be a powerful magic item at the very least, giving a flat +5 to Intelligence while wearing it and permanently applied the effects of the 8th level spell [Mind Blank], a powerful Abjuration spell that would render someone immune to mind reading and emotion reading, as well as making someone immune to being found by scrying, Divination spells, and any other mean of finding information about the person affected by the spell. The spelll normally has a duration of 24 hours, but Waylon will be under this spell for as long as he wears the crown.

If this was a failure in his eyes, image a success?

"..." Waylon held the crown in his hands and Atlas remembered- he had turned off the [Subtitles] thing! He would only turn it on if he needed to speak to Baytor, and... should he turn it on here? Well, why not? "[Waylon Jones (Surprised, Speechless): I... thank you?]" He took the crown in his hands and stared at its golden green jagged sharp edges, resembling the teeth of a crocodile: "[Waylon Jones (Happy, Excited, Surprised): I will wear this with pride, as the Kinng Croc... my loyal Jester.]" He looked into his eyes for a few moments, Atlas wondering if he could've made something better while Waylon seemed lost in thought before he had a realization- and he smirked, a grin mischievous and downright predatory smile that made Atlas feel like he was in danger, until Waylon said this: "[Waylon Jones (Mischievous, Smug): Heh, don't worry, I'll give you my special thanks later.]"

...did he just-

While Atlas was stun locked mid air, Waylon walked away with the same smug smile on his face.

Buck simply looked back and forth between him and Waylon before he, very bluntly, asked: "...are you two gonna, like, f*ck?" He had his only hand patting the big momma crocodile while looking at him with raised eyebrows, and when Atlas did not answer, he simply looked at him up and down before humming and saying: "Good luck with that big guy, you gonna need it."

...gods help him.

Chapter 22: Coming of the King (Part 1) [NSFW]

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 11:09 | 11:09 AM]

[Calendar - 13/02/2003]

[Location - Croc Kingdom (Name Pending) - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

Warning! Warning!

Men Kissing! Men Holding Hands! Perhaps even more!

Atlas covered his face with hands to hide his embarrassment... The way he acted was so f*cking embarrassing! His flushed red body was sore, from the tip of his fingers to his non-existent toes- Beside him, the lush green scales of the one and only big dicked crocodilian king known as Waylon Jones, held his body with clawed hands. Atlas was still flushed, he was still winded out and a he felt a little bit tired (a lot tired, but he would not let the smug crocodile know about it), his ass still felt the result of a night of furious fornication. The banquet went well, with everyone talking and having fun- when it ended, Atlas crowned Waylon with the king with the crown he made, and everyone went home! Buck did make a praying gesture with his single hand before he smirked and walked away, being followed by 35 baby crocodiles and their mother (the other 20 were in the farm), leaving Atlas to guide Waylon to his quarters, a good place to sleep-

And that was when Atlas remembered, well, let me show you-

Flashback

[Subtitles - Off]

[Clock - 23:36 | 11:36 PM]

[Calendar - 12/02/2003]

[Location - Foundation Station Train, Croc Kingdom (Name Pending) - Old Gotham, Gotham City]

Atlas had just finished touring Waylon through the entire kingdom, a proud smile on his face as he explained to him everything that went on making the homes, and the four special buildings. He explained to him that these four buildings were created to try and get the favor of the four gods, so they would bless him and the kingdom! He chose Isis because of her wisdom, Sobek because he is a crocodile god and a god of kings (Pharaohs, but the same applies) and could offer power to him, he chose Hathor because she was a Goddess of Women, Beauty, Parties, Alcohol and a bunch of other things too, and he chose her more for the kingdom than the king- and Ptah, he chose Ptah because he was the patron god of sculptors, creators, and artists! And, well, Atlas is kind of one? He made a sculpture! And an entire kingdom, if that does not count as making something, he will riot! "-and, I'm realizing now, that I made everyone a place and I forgot to make you one too." As he floated before the entrance to the train of Foundation Station, Atlas started to feel... nervous: "And I also realized I'm the only one of the kingdom, besides the king, that has no home of his own." They stayed in complete silence as Atlas felt nervous, remembering the words Waylon had told him. Awkwardly, he clenched his fists over his clothes and berated himself for being so f*cking stupid and just for once grap an opportunity, not be a loser like you've always been- "So, uhm, you wanna come in...?"

"Heh-" Waylon, that same smug grin on his face that he had a few minutes ago, said: "-I want to come in, alright." With the patience of a Buddhist monk- no, I'm just kidding. Waylon was can be patient when it comes to things he wants (see exhibit 1: Him staying away for weeks to make sure his kingdom was not affected by him being rescued from Akrham Asylum, even though he wanted to be here and help) but right now he was everything but patient. Seeing as he simply grabbed Atlas with both hands like he was a toy, and pushed into the train. Atlas was awfully quiet through the whole way, but that was because he couldn't keep his nerves down! Waylon, however, was excited- it's been a while since the last time, and, well, the boy is cute. He worked hard to make him (make them? Well, he's sure he didn't make an entire kingdom to get into his pants, because of he did? Damn, that's a level of dedication he won't ever achieve) his kingdom and this crown, so of course he had to reward him, right? Remembering a certain conversation they had, he already knew what the boy would like- His dick, of course.

So, when entered Cart 10 where he knew the boy slept in, he was kinda surprised to find... nothing much. There was a bed, a bet with a mattress on it, but besides that? Only a single table. If you ignore the whole weird panel full of buttons that glowed, there wasn't much in this cart besides what Atlas would use, which happens to be a bed and a table. "Huh, minimalist much?" He commented and look down to see Atlas look at him nervously- his entire face was flushed red, and he looked like he was going to run away from him out of embarrassment more than fear (and that was a new one, people usually run away from him because he is going to kill them), and that looked kinda cute. Cute in a 'small animal' kind of way. "Well, you look so nervous kid, it's almost like you've never-" It was then that it clicked in Waylon's head, a large grin started to spread over his mouth, revealing all his sharp teeth (he pretended like he didn't see Atlas look at them in a... particular way) as he said: "-you haven't, have you? Just a pure little boy that has never been touched before, huh? A little virgin... That's adorable." Maybe he was having too much fun with it, because when Atlas started squirming under him, he felt more aroused than he thought he would. I mean, there was the illusion of power, the illusion of having control over this entire situation- Waylon was very aware that if Atlas wanted, he could simply teleport away from him, so he was here out of his own free will. "So, I'm going to be your first, huh?"

"...yeah." Atlas squeaked out, cosplaying a tomato- He could feel Waylon's hands on his waist, he has no toes but if he did, he's pretty sure they'd be curling up right now! "...so...uhm, what do we do?" There is a stark difference between writing various explicit scenes about sex in fanfictions like Atlas has done many times in the past, and although he was a whor* at heart, he was but a pure maiden that was never even touched by someone before~ Of course, that does not include himself: "I... don't know much?" Well, he did know about sex and how sex happened, but fiction is one thing and reality is another- he knew the rules, but he never played the game. "Lube, right? Lube... I think I can get it?" Nervously, he reached out towards his bag of holding and pulled it off of his waist and into his chest, nervously (his fingers were trembling) he tried to pull out a vial of oil (olive oil, because that's all the lube he has- hey, if the Greeks could do it, why can't they?) and looked up at Waylon-

"Woah there, cowboy, not so fast." Grabbing the trembling hand, Waylon chuckled- he waited for a few moments until Atlas was no longer shivering from sheer excitement and nervousness, saying: "I might be a big monster, but I try to be good sometimes." He took off his leather jacket- Atlas has been saying he'll make him royal clothes in the future, specifically clothes that would not hinder his movement and act as secondary armor -and let it fall on the ground, lowering himself until his nose was touching Atlas' own small pink-ish nose: "So, let's start slow? A simple kiss-" He opened his mouth and pushed his tongue out- It was a long, forked tongue. Not because he was born with it forked, but it was made to be like this when he was in that cursed circus. Well, he can't complain about it when it has been of great use to him in pleasuring women and men alike- seriously, forked tongues are useful in oral. "-open wide~"

Waylon thought that 'Hey, I'm his first, so gotta make it memorable, right?' But he was not even aware that this? This was also Atlas' first kiss.

Yes, yes, laugh it up. A 20 something guy who hasn't had his first kiss yet... But, well, the forked tongue was weirdly good, okay? And Waylon had an impressive control over it, which made Atlas curl his non-existent toes as Waylon held him and clenched his hands, his claws pressing against his skin made him feel things. The roughness of those scales and the softness of the leathery skin underneath was also kinda great to feel... He let Waylon do whatever he wanted, mostly because he couldn't bother and because he was enjoying not doing anything right now.

Waylon pulled back and looked down, the bridge of saliva connecting their tongues broke and Waylon couldn't help but smirk at how easily he made Atlas go from nervous to relaxed and looking kinda silly. His gaze darkened for a moment as he gazed into that open mouth, and there was the familiar itchiness by his crotch that was a sign of his co*ck- he saw the relaxed face Atlas had close as he looked down, eyes wide, and Waylon felt smug. "Yeah, you like what you see?"

"...where did that come from- that wasn't there!" Atlas felt more nervous now- that certainly wasn't there before! Is this some kind of crocodilian dick magic or something? Did that simply grow out of his body- Oh gods, is Waylon magical in nature-

"I don't know." Was the simple response the smug Waylon gave: "It simply happens- balls and dick... It's kinda weird that when I'm not feeling it or don't want to-" Like magic, Atlas blinked and watched as it simply... slipped into an almost invisible thin slit, everything going back inside (even though Waylon looked kinda uncomfortable doing that while his dick was hard), it was kinda like tucking your painfully hard dick in a very tight and painful enclosed space... Like tight pants. "-it simply goes back in. Cool, right? Can't get kicked in the balls if the balls magically go inside your body." Nonchalantly, the small slit opened up and once again the same dick plopped out with a heavy and meaty slap against the bed, Waylon simply grinned back: "Now, where were we...?"

"Uh... Can I touch it...?" Atlas reached out towards the dick- This was going to be the first one he has touched (that isn't his own, of course) and he wanted to make sure it was... Well, he just wanted to touch it, okay!? They aren't even f*cking yet, and he was already feeling weak. His hand wrapped around the head, it was warm and pulsed with Waylon's heartbeat... He had to swallow his saliva back: "Uh- nice co*ck? What the f*ck am I supposed to say in this situation?"

"Nothing." Waylon chuckled- it was honestly kinda adorable to watch Atlas just being awkward and panicking over little things as he was a bundle of nerves: "Why not start with something simple then?" With a hand resting on Atlas' head, he tightened his grip on the boy's hair and grinned with sharp teeth as he pulled Atlas' head closer, ordering: "Suck it."

"...can you give me, like, one moment-" Before Waylon could answer, Atlas worked. He casted two spells on himself that he felt like he needed! [Alter Self] and [Flatten Self] were two different 2nd level spells of the Transmutation school of magic, but both were useful here. With [Alter Self], he chose to modify his body to get rid of gag reflex and he also used [Flatten Self] but modified the spell a little- you see, the spell makes your bones go soft and flattens you like a pancake, but he only applied the first half of the spell, making his bones go soft and bendable. "Okay-" He hadn't even finished speaking, his head was shoved forward and thank the gods he casted those two spells, because it went right in without any issue, besides the surprise, of course. He had no gag reflex too, so win!

...he didn't know then, but he would be played by Waylon like a fiddle.

Chapter 23: Coming of the King (Part 2) [NSFW]

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 00:09 | 00:09 PM]

[Calendar - 12/02/2003]

[Location - Foundation Station Train, Croc Kingdom (Name Pending) - Old Gotham, Gotham City]

Warning! Warning!

Smut Ahead! Men kissing! Men doing lewder stuff, like holding hands before marriage.

Expect the F slur to be used- but I'm gay, so I can use it. Some degradation, minor D/S, and other kinky stuff too.

Atlas was unable honestly surprised by how easily he was able to take it- he hadn't had a good and long look at it, but from what he could see it was a normal looking humanoid genitalia. Thick and long, sure, but mostly because Waylon is Huge with a capital H! Seriously, this big boy is big in all aspects. His head was pulled until he felt his nose touch the smooth skin of Waylon's crotch, and with a groan from the big croc himself, the hand on his hair tightened its hold and Atlas snapped back to reality to feel this long and warm thick rod pressing against the walls of his throat- The very first thing that he noticed was the soft heartbeat that would echo against his throat, the second was his jaw spread open in a way thay was humanly possible but very painful to pull off without extensive and thorough practice, and the third thing he noticed was the sharp and musky taste against his tongue, pressing against his lips, and down his throat. With wide eyes, he blinked as this soft sensation went through his spine for a split second before he realized- ah, right, he hasn't breathed in... 5 seconds now? He could hold for longer, but this was kinda uncomfortable-

"sh*t, I thought you were a pretty little princess... Turns out you're a big whor*, aren't you little guy? Pretending to be a pretty little boy so I can go easy on you, huh? Well, I thought you'd gag at least, but it seems like you're a professional..." Waylon sounded hot- oh f*ck, add degradation to the list of 'Things I'm into and didn't realize until now'!

-and then his head was pulled back by his hair, slobber and this salty liquid that his mind easily recognized as precum started dripping from his open mouth and he panted, a little out of breath from suddenly having his airwaves locked by a foreign object that was... too big. "W-what...?" He looked at Waylon to see the big croc guy smirking at him like he had him all figured out, making him stutter: "Waylon, what's this...-"

"...I thought you'd like that weird acting thing p*rn actors do in bed?" Confused, Waylon placed his fingers on Atlas' chin and lifted it up so they were looking at each other's faces: "I saw you do your magic thing and then I tried to act like those p*rn actors- Y'know? You're a virgin kid, I thought you'd like that, since your only experience with sex is p*rn, right- Wait, you have watched p*rn, right?" He sounded smug through the majority of his explanation, almost like he was expecting Atlas to bend back- Okay, Atlas would definitely do that. "sh*t, if you haven't watched p*rn then I guess I'll have to bring you some things after this... But after this, I'm not leaving until I can paint your guts white."

Realization blossomed like a flower grown on asphalt. "Oh... Uhm, you can continue?" Unsure of what else to say, Atlas motioned with his hand for Waylon to continue, and with a co*cky grin, the crocodilian royalty man pulled his hair tight, earning him a surprised moan from Atlas, whose face went from a soft pink into a vermillion red when he heard his own voice. "f*ck..." Whispering with both a hint of pain and surprise at his own slu*tty moan, Atlas was even more surprised when Waylon simply let go of his hair and picked him up, twisting them around so he was lying down and Atlas was leaning against him, his hand soon falling on top of Waylon's dick as Atlas had to catch himself as to not fall at the sudden change of positions. Catching himself by grabbing a big dick was not something he expected to do, but hey, neither was being f*cked by a big and strong... Okay, he has to stop focusing so much on Waylon's distracting hunky self before he starts drooling... Oh, maybe drooling isn't that bad: 'Oh boy...' Looking down at what he had on his hands, it sure felt like drooling was not a bad idea at all!

"So eager, heh?" With both hands behind his neck, Waylon leanes back and watched with a grin: "Go on then, slu*t, do your best to suck me dry- And if you're good enough at it, I might consider keeping you as a little co*ck sleeve, what'chu think? I bet you'd like that life, huh? Being a pretty little bitch, getting to sit on my co*ck all day every single day... What honor would that be for you, to be King Croc's co*ck sleeve." Okay, this shouldn't be as hot as it is to him, right? Is this a kink- this is definitely a kink that he is discovering right now and oh gods the noise he made when Waylon started speaking about him being his co*ck sleeve was not human, that noise was a rat! Yes, a rat. It did not come from him at all. "Go on, little fa*ggot, have a taste of your king's dick. You're not backing down from this, so you better start sucking like a good little bitch- yeah, like that- f*ck, go down... yeah, lick the head too." Giving out pointers to him was also good, because Atlas was very clueless of what he was doing, but he was doing what he thought would feel good.

If you're a guy- independent of being gay, bi, pan, or whatever -you know what feels good. If you're somehow find yourself in a situation where you're getting forced to get a handjob from a virgin, and you have to select a guy or a girl, pick the guy.

Back to Atlas- he wasn't fully clueless of what a blowj*b was supposed to be. He has written about it, but writing and doing are two separate things, but with his theoretical knowledge, enthusiasm, and the guidance of a the big dick himself, Atlas felt like he was doing pretty good! With no gag reflex, all he had to do was to breathe slowly through his nose before sinking down further and further, and the bitter and salty taste started to flow. 'Wait...' His fingers grasping the thick co*ck glowed a soft orange color as he casted [Prestidigitation]. Now, the things he could do with a cantrip were limited, but it was listed in the spell's description that it could be used to alter the flavor of something... Meaning? 'Much better...' Waylon's precum tasted no longer bitter and salty, but tasted like mint and strawberry bubblegum.

...what? Is there a rule written in the [Book of Sex and Magic - The Do's, Don'ts, and be Dones] where it says he can't use [Prestidigitation] to change the taste of precum...?

Don't answer that.

"-f*ck, if you keep doing it like that, I'll burst before I even get to f*ck your throat like the good little bitch you are." Blinking away the haze that seemed to try and grasp his mind, Atlas made eye contact with Waylon again, seeing live how Waylon reacted to his appearance right now. Lips wrapped around a big fat dick and with misty eyes, looking at him? Might as well let him f*ck his throat already... not a bad idea? "sh*t, little fa*g... Can I f*ck your throat- sh*t, you look so good right now, I just wanna see you cry as I destroy your tight little throat, f*ck, I wanna keep you so bad- Look how good you are, can't believe this is even your first time, damn! What talent you have."

Pulling his head back until the dick had left his mouth with a wet popping sound, Atlas had to use both hands to hold it still: "...I, uh..." Taking s few deep breaths, Atlas felt Waylon's clawed fingers on the back of his head and said a weak "Yeah" before he opened his mouth and aligned his throat- And Waylon was not merciful. He was brutal, in a moment Atlas was adjusting himself and in the next his head is being held tightly in place as his throat is abused- and, well, it didn't hurt or anything like that, it felt... weird. He could feel himself slipping away, but it was very slow and it felt like he was going to disassociate (he doesn't like doing that), so he refused to give in and kept himself conscious to enjoy the ride while it lasted- He felt time pass by, he felt the thick slobber and saliva drip from his chin to his... shirt? Oh, right, he hadn't even taken his clothes off yet.

Somehow, that made him feel even dirtier... Like, he was so needy that he hadn't even taken his clothes off before he was being used as a fleshlight for a royal big dick. He was aware when Waylon's hips started to stutter and a potent and thick liquid started to flow into his body. The force of the ejacul*tion was so much that some of his cum even spilled out of Atlas' mouth and nose, but the big croc was distracted by the biggest and best f*cking org*sm of his life- He was seeing stars for a few seconds before his eyes gazed down and he saw the beautiful (and slightly seductive) sight of Atlas, his face covered in white cum and saliva, looking up at him. At one point of Waylon f*cking thag tight little throat, he had flipped him around, so he had his back to the bed and his head over the edge so he could have an easier access to his throat. And as he looked down, he had never felt more aroused- He didn't have a long refractory period (refractory period is the time necessary between org*sms for the dick to get hard again, pretty basic p*rn sh*t), in fact, his refractory period was almost non-existent. In about half a minute, he could feel his erection coming back with the same (of not twice the) enthusiasm.

He had, after all, found someone that could take him! Do you know how hard (heh) it is to find someone that can take you, as a monster like him? No, as any person out there that has any degree of super strength, super speed, super endurance, or any other boost to their physical capabilities. But Atlas could not only take him at full power, he could endure it too- Waylon has only had sex with one person who was able to take him at full power before, and after about 5 minutes, she was all spent while he hadn't even cummed once! She was on the brink of passing out, and yet here is the boy he met on the sewer of Gotham , eyed wide open and looking at him with a mixture of arousal and something he couldn't truly pin point. He was panting, catching his breath, and Waylon felt this seed of pride grow within his chest- It was a weird sensation, but one he was happy with. "You ready for the main course, my eager, cute, adorable little bitch?" Waylon had easily noticed how Atlas liked being called names- it's always the weird ones that are freaky!

"...main course...?" He sounded winded, so Waylon decided to let him take a break for a few moments as he panted- he opened his palm wide open and a bunch of water started to pour into his mouth, he drank mouthfuls after mouthfuls. Waylon also got offered water, and he did drink it. After a five minutes or so, Atlas spoke once more: "...I use the lube now?"

"Well, yes, as you can see-" Waylon opened his hands to show him the rather sharp looking claws he had: "-I might cut you if I try."

"...okay."

"Good boy."

Waylon smirked when he saw him shiver- Oh, he knew the type, and he will admit, this is going to be fun.

Chapter 24: Coming of the King (Part 3) [NSFW]

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 00:41 | 00:41 PM]

[Calendar - 12/02/2003]

[Location - Foundation Station Train, Croc Kingdom (Name Pending) - Old Gotham, Gotham City]

Warning! Warning!

Smut Ahead! Men kissing! Men doing lewder stuff, like holding hands before marriage.

Expect the F slur to be used- but I'm gay, so I can use it. Some degradation, minor D/S, and other kinky stuff too.

3rd Person POV

Now, although Atlas has written the process of a guy stretching himself with his fingers in great and explicit detail, he had no experience on doing it himself. But it can't be that hard, can it? I mean, all he gotta do is lube up his fingers with the oil and stretch himself. "Okay..." A little nervous, Atlas pulled the lid on the flask of olive oil (that's the best lube he's got, okay?) and dipped his fingers into it before he reached out for his own hole under the watchful eye of the royal big dick, who practically salivated at the sight of Atlas shoving a finger into his hole- Now, unlike in many p*rn videos and other forms of sexual media, anal is messy if the bottom hasn't prepared himself. Because, guess what? sh*t is in there! But fret not, my dears, with a simple cast of [Prestidigitation], and it was gone. Atlas did not even hesitate to go as far as his finger could, and thanks to the spells [Alter Self] and [Flatten Self], he didn't even a single ounce of discomfort. "..." He didn't say anything as another finger joined in, but he did try to ignore the look of hunger and this almost sad*stic glee that Waylon had in his eyes, instead trying to focus on himself-

"Wider." A single word, in a commanding and demanding tone of voice was not enough it seems, so he reached out with his hands and lifted Atlas' waist higher, grinning as the little boy beneath him squirmed. That made him grin wider, his forked tongue moved and licked over Atlas' fingers: "I wanna see you stretch yourself like a good little c*nt, so you better show me the hole Imma about to wreck, so I can an idea of what it looks like before I destroy it." He watched as the two fingers started to scissor, spreading the walls of that little hole to open it up for him... He couldn't really resist, and he didn't want to resist, so he just pushed his forked tongue into the opening hole- He felt the taste of Atlas' inner flesh, and he felt his smugness grow as the boy groaned and started to shake as Waylon took what he wanted from him. Now, Waylon has eaten puss* and sucked dick before, and eating ass was something he had experience in too- the pros of f*cking anyone he wants to is that he has experience with a lot of things. The little virgin boy beneath him? He was vey inexperienced, and that was adorable and cute and f*cking hot too because Waylon was taking it from him- Even with the experience of eating ass that he had, he was still surprised by the sudden glow of magic from Atlas' fingers followed by the taste of sweet: "...did you just make your ass taste sweet?"

"Y-yeah?" He sounded so shy-

"...that's adorable." He started to go to town on him- With a forked tongue, and with the greater control Waylon had over his tongue, it was not surprising to him when Atlas started squirming and trying to keep quiet and he was eating him up. The soft pink pucker of the hairless ass was adorable to look at, and it stretched wider when Waylon used his tongue to stretch the hole open, as much as he could. "sh*t, f*ck-" He could feel himself leaking and he could see Atlas trying to keep himself from moaning, but that was until his tongue found a relatively small bundle of nerves within Atlas' hole and pressed hard against it- Waylon's eyes narrowed as Atlas let out the slu*ttiest moan he had ever heard in his entire life. It was loud, it was desperate, and it was adorable as f*ck- he pressed his tongue in the same place over and over again, but he didn't hear Atlas moaning, instead he watched as the boy seemed to melt into the bed. "-you really are a little slu*t, huh!?" Just to make the little bitch squirm some more, Waylon began to tongue f*ck him.

It was sloppy, and it was quick- He was just teasing him, giving him a taste (ironic) of what was yet to come... Waylon was not very patient and wanted to f*ck the boy now, dick him down until he was but a mess of sweat and cum, but he also wanted to take it slow- the boy was a virgin, let him enjoy new sensations, new feelings! He wanted to both ravage and romance him, slow and softly, or fast and brutal? Well, Waylon decided to give the choice to him- He got up and kneeled over the bed, getting closer and just letting his co*ck just, fall right on top of that hole. It was sharp and wet slap, making Atlas flinch- Waylon had to stop himself from just pushing his co*ck fully inside, letting the tip of the head of his dick push its way inside. It was a warm, tight, and wet welcome that it received! Waylon wanted to push, but he controlled himself: "Hey-" Snapping his fingers to bring Atlas back into himself (he knew he was good at oral, but good enough to make someone go dumb? That's a first), grinning when the boy looked up at him with misty eyes and a shy smile: "-so, wanna start the f*cking now like the eager little bitch that you are, or should I go slow for your little virgin ass? Your choice, slu*t. All you gotta do is say 'Please, king, f*ck my puss*. Destroy it' and I'll break you in half with my dick." Heh, there's no way he's going to say it-

"P-please..." Softly, shyly, like a scared little mouse, Atlas said- red, from head to toe: "King... f*ck- f*ck my puss*... Destroy it... Please?"

-holy sh*t. He did! 'What else can I make him do?' Without even a warning, Waylon just did what was requested of him- With a powerful push, Waylon watched Atlas' face go from 'please~?' to 'f*ck~♡' as all he could feel was warmth. He placed one of his hands on Atlas' stomach as it bulged, his co*ck pushing its way- His eyes widened when he saw Atlas' tiny co*ck (it wasn't that small, it 6 inches at least, which is the standard average size- but compared to the monstrosity he carries within himself? It is pretty small) twitch as gushing out was the pale white creamy liquid every man is familiar with. "Heh-" He couldn't help the snort that escaped his lips, it was so f*cking cute to watch him cum from being penetrated, but he has been edging him for a while now: "-sh*t, look at you! There's no return now, you have my dick inside you bitch, there will be nobody better than me at this-" He pulled his hips back and alongside it came his co*ck, the flesh of Atlas' hole tightened when he began to pull out, almost as if begging him to stay inside, but he let only his head: "-you're my little co*ck sleeve now, bitch!"

"Y-yes~!"

Waylon was no longer gentle. No matter virgin or not, a slu*t is a slu*t- he just had to push his dick inside once, and Atlas was already tamed. It was, honestly, beautiful to watch his body tremble with each thrust and hear how his little moans and voice breaks whenever Waylon pressed his co*ck all the way and f*cked him hard, rolling his hips and holding him like a fleshlight. Waylon had to do all the work, but being able to use the little bitch like he wanted? That was the best. "Moan, my little f*ck toy, louder- let everyone hear you're mine. You belong to your king- hey, instead of Jester, you should be my concubine. Riding my dick every day, giving me head whenever I want it, and being ready to be used by me whenever-" With a strong thrust, Waylon only felt the bed frame lower, but he was too focused on destroying this thight puss*. "-and wherever-" Another creak "-I want!" With a last thrust, Waylon pressed down with all his body weight, cumming inside the boy.

The bed frame broke and the mattress fell unto the ground, but neither cared about that.

Waylon pulled out, panting a little at the intensity- His lips spread wide as he watched thick, white cream started leaking from that puffy hole. He allowed Atlas to catch his breath, the boy was most likely seeing stars from how hard Waylon f*cked him. He allowed him 5 minutes to rest.

"...that- was... good..." Still not knowing how to act, Atlas avoided eye contact with Waylon. "W-well, that- uhm, I guess that's it...?"

"Heh-" Smirking, Waylon lifted Atlas' head by holding his chin, and when they made eye contact he made sure to look as devilish, as evil as he possibly could: "-We're not done yet, baby, not until I'm satisfied... not until you can't even talk... Not until your hole remembers the shape of my dick for the next week!"

And they started again.

[Clock - 01:35 | 01:35 AM]

"H-harder~!"

"Ha- You're quite the f*cking eager whor*, aren't you? Where's the shy little princess now?"

"Please- please- I need it~!"

"That's right you do, f*cking little fa*g- Take it!"

It was so hot to use him like this- And if Waylon had a say in it, this would happen regularly. This boy's puss* has trapped him.

[Clock - 02:55 | 02:55 AM]

"f*ck... I'm not getting tired of that mouth of yours-"

"Thank you sir~"

"-sh*t, that's it- You're getting quite good at this, knew you were a f*ckin' slu*t, you're my little slu*t now- imma keep you and train you."

"Thank you sir-"

"Shut. Time for me to f*ck your throat again, bitch."

Waylon didn't know, he was going to awake a beast.

[Clock 03:22 | 03:22 AM]

"Ahn~! Oh f*ck- there! Right there- please, don't stop~ Please- no, don't pull out now~"

"f*cking fa*ggot, can't handle not being a second away from dick huh? I just need to drink- Woah, holy sh*t, since when can you do that!?"

"I'm going to ride you till I break you, and then we'll see who's the king then~!"

"Wait- wait!"

Atlas did not wait.

[Clock: 04: 44 | 04:44 AM]

"P-please, f*ck, I need a f*cking break... My dick is f*cking sore now."

"You get a break when I give you a break. The only thing I want you to break, is me!"

"...you know what? You asked for this."

"Yes~!"

Waylon was tired of playing nice.

[Clock - 05:55 | 05:55 AM]

Claw marks on the mattress. Claw marks on the wall. Claw marks on the ground, and claw marks on the ceiling... A tired and sweaty Waylon holds an unconscious and soundlessly asleep Atlas. Completely naked, the boy had various hematomas on his body from how hard Waylon held him sometimes, it was a miracle (or maybe magic) that his bones weren't broken! He felt f*cking raw, even more so when he wanted to take a break and suddenly it was like the kid was possessed by a crazy sex demon or something! Waylon's arms and legs were suddenly tied up by these black tendrils that held him, and with magic's help, Atlas started to ride him- It was kinda hot, not gonna lie, but now he was sore as f*ck!

"...little guy's got power, huh?" Looking around at the destroyed cabin, Waylon couldn't help but chuckled- They even f*cked on the ceiling, because why not? It was kinda fun too, if I'm being honest. "...Well, time to rest..." He settled him down on the torn mattress, looking at the small cuts he had made all over the boy's skin, and he looked down at his arms that were missing a few scales, even his back was missing a few scales too.

10 out of 10, would do this freaky guy again.

[Flashback Ends]

[Clock - 11:10 | 11:10 AM]

[Calendar - 13/02/2003]

While Atlas was contemplating the uses the spell [Tentacles] might have on his sex life and having a small shame attack (like a panic attack, but with shame) from how he acted, Waylon grumpled, sounding half asleep as he said: "...go bck t be... luv." And pulled him into his arms.

...well, he can get used to this.

Chapter 25: [Interlude] A Normal Day (Part 1)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 12:22 | 12:22 PM]

[Calendar - 13/02/2003]

[Location - Metropolis, the City of Tomorrow - New York, USA]

POV Change

7 Appelaxians POV

Metropolis. The city of tomorrow... Located on the American east coast, population is an estimate of 5 million people, 5 million unaware people... Unaware of the happenings of the world around them, going on with their pathetic little lives and their pathetic little routines. Turning around, his glowing body seemed to radiate with pure energy turned to his seven competitors and siblings, their glowing forms also amorphous and unidentifiable beyond the basic humanoid shape. <This is our playground.> They didn't speak using the primitive communication method these flesh beings use. No, they communicated via a brief but complex sequences of photo vibrations- these flesh being seem to use vibrating sound to communicate, while they use vibrating light instead. They were way too bright to approach this planet... even if the race that occupies it hasn't even reached continuous space travel yet, they do have enough wepon and power to damage their fragile light forms, so they'll need something to protect themselves with: <We will need to make suit for our fragile forms... Thankfully, this primitive planet does offer interesting raw materials to produce said suits... I will use Kalathora.> Kalathora is the Appelaxian word for gold. Gold is quite rarely used on their home planet, being used only by the royalty... And yet this planet seems to use it on a lot of things, and that is blasphemous to him. He will make sure to destroy this planet once he becomes Kalar and goes in the outer universe, starting his glorious conquest.

This? This was [Golden Roc].

<Kalathora? That golden metal? Well, it sounds very fragile... I will use the Dut of this planet then, it seems more resilient than the ones I'm more used to making a body out of...> Another Appelaxian- his name was not something humans could ever hope to pronounce, so for your understanding it shall have to be translated. Translation shall use the approximate words that might mean something similar to the complex words used by the Appelaxians with their photo communication -named [Stone God] said. His flashes of soft light sounded very arrogant, and he was a very arrogant being. <I will make sure to win this little competition and become the new Kalar, this will be easy.> Dut is the Appelaxian word for stone, or rock, although it would roughly translate to the phrase 'That which endures', and is a symbol of great defense and endurance to Appelaxians. Once he becomes the Kalar, he will abosrb this entire planet into his new body!

Kalar is the Appelaxian word for Emperor.

<I would not count on it very much, [Stone God], your arrogance has served you... very poorly in the recent cycles, I would attest to it, seeing as you've failed to become the new Kalar even though you bragged and bragged about how you would become the new Kalar easily and no one would stay in your way.> The mocking flashes of soft greenish light seemed almost taunting as [Wood King] twisted his greenish energy form, it exuded the maturity and resistance of an old oak tree, as it was what he had chosen: <I will take the best material then- Gatokŋ seems to be everywhere in this planet... I might conquer it after I become Kalar.> Gatokŋ is the Appelaxian word for Wood, but it would be literally translated to 'The Green Spawn', and it is a symbol of renewal, of endless life, and of elegance amongst Appelaxians.

<This is ridiculous, all of you have been choosing the most pathetic materials to make your suit! Well then, I will make my suit of my own body! I am not a coward like you all, I will endure with my own might.> A red and angry energy form seemed to fizzle and shift, his body emanating this warmth that would fry a normal human if they got too close, and from this heat his body started to form a little, but it wouldn't until they entered the earth's atmosphere that his true form would manifest into a roaring inferno of flames and heat. <I will use my own Pakathar and will become Kalar, then I will conquer all worlds and burn the ones that refuse to bow!> Said [Fire Lord], as his Pakathar- an Appelaxian word that mean both power and flames -emanated around his body. His anger was ever burning, after all! He has been burning and he has been angry ever since he was formed.

<Ah, as... enthusiastic as ever, [Fire Lord]... You seem to forget that your fire burns away everything that is beautiful, everything that should be encased in deep beautiful Ahamor, which this world seems to have a lot of.> Ahamor, this word is a little harder to translate... Ahamor can both mean 'crystal', 'amethyst', 'beauty', 'desire', 'mirror', and other words that were variations of crystal and beautiful things: <Well, I'll make my suit with Ahamor, it will be the most beautiful body that has been ever made~!> This was... well, they had many names, but the one they're going with in this cycle was [Crystal Creature]. With elegance and a gracious beauty to their lilac colored light amorphous energy body, they swayed with an invisible wind that was only felt by them. Exaggerated movements that translated into constant gestures of beauty and grace... this was a rather interesting Appelaxian: <When I'm Kalar, I'll make sure to preserve every single Amahor this planet has> The use of Amahor here is being used to refer to every crystal on earth, but everything [Crystal Creature] considers beautiful.

Although this being is very, deeply connected to the Violet Color Emotional Spectrum, it doesn't seem to have any connection to Star Sapphire Corps.

<You and your weird obsession, [Crystal Creature], I do not understand your obsession with beauty when purity is much, much better.> A transparent energy being, without any color or clear impurities within its emergy body, shined with a rather particular light. Its light was not visible to the human eyes, so it would look like it was shining and yet completely transparent! You could see the outline of it, but not the color because to your human eyes would not be able to perceive it- A shrimp would definitely be able to though, those little things can see a spectrum of colors that we will never be able to see. <Purity, be clear and be pure. That is the most beautiful thing in the entire realm of existence... how can you not even see it? Very well, when I become Kalar, I shall spread purity all over the endless realms... for that, I'll need a pure body... These beings seem to have Xu-Ak, the lowest form of pure material, so I guess it'll have to do.> Xu-Ak is a word that literally translates to 'Pure transparent crystal', and it would be translated to the simple word 'glass'. This Appelaxian was called by the nickname <0̷͕̏Q̸̤̍J̶̙́Q̷͍͆J̵̥͌Q̶̱͑9̵̻̈́S̷̗̃7̷̓͜Ź̶̹J̸̧̈́A̴̳̍N̶͇̑1̴̦̃0̷̢̀2̴̲̿7̶͐͜Z̴̮͛*̴̺͗!̶͓͋<̴̳͆+̷̘̆*̷̟̇&̷͕̑@̵̈́͜8̴̘̅1̶̫̂0̷̪̐£̷̖͌°̸̺̈́€̴̨͑`̵̟͝8̶̦̊1̶̳͆₩̷̮͗☆̶̝́♤̵̤̔+̸̺̓^̵̝͋-̸̦̇, or simply [Glass Man].

<...no matter who wins and becomes the Kalar, I will live forever amongst the endless cosmus... But when I become the Kalar, I shall overtake the endless dimensions and teach the enlightening wisdom of the stars.> The last Appelaxian was a rather curious one. He was smaller than the others, and his color was a deep, deep silver color that shone and moved like liquid and not pure ethereal light, it was impressive and beautiful in a haunting way: <Entropy comes to all... I guess I shall take the Povokenateryn, they do seem to have it in great quantities. I wonder if they have heard the whispers of the stars yet? I could enlighten these poor fools, lesser beings requiring the knowledge of the true word of the universe... This is a good opportunity.> Povokenateryn was a rather amorphous word, it meant 'liquid metallic poison', which can be many metals, but the specific one this Appelaxian was referring to was the metal known as Mercury.

Pride. Arrogance. Apathy. Anger. Vanity. Obsession. Egocentric.

Kalathora. Dut. Gatokŋ. Pakathar. Ahamor. Xu-Ak. Povokenateryn.

Seven beings that have come to earth to take a test, a test to see who would become the new emperor of their race- the most powerful and influential of their race were here, after all. A constest to see who would become the next Kalar.

Let the game begin.

POV Change

Bruce Wayne - Batman

Bruce has been very occupied the last few weeks.

After Killer Croc escaped Arkham Asylum with the help of someone who can use magic, he had found samples of a formula that was created by the Joker. The sample of the new chemical was thankfully enough for him to quickly make a preparations for whatever the Joker was planning on doing- At the same time, he was juggling keeping contact with a few allies that he had, his connection to them being essentially in case of a highly risky case that he would need help from others... even though he has plans for every single thing he could image in the dark nights of his endless traning days, but he knew that he couldn't account for every single thing that might happen at all times.

And, well, one of those things was Dick simply ditching him. '...children, why do I even have a child sidekick in the first place... damn me and my bleeding heart.' Cursing himself, Batman checked the tracker he had on Dick's clothes for the- he stopped counting after the 9th time. "..." Stoic as a rock, Bruce kept staring at the screen as he watched the tracker move through the winding streets of Gotham, at Crime Alley and going towards The Narrows, doing his best to stay in the hidden corners and taking the long route to lose whoever would be following him- he knew that Robin, Dick, though that he was following him, but he was not. Dick needed space, and Bruce recognized that, so he let the boy have some space of his own trusting that he would stay out of trouble... but of course, he wanted to know where he was at all times, so he just planted some trackers on his Robin costume and some of his shoes too. Alfred told him that placing trackers on the boy's body would be too much too, so he didn't do it.

Dick had been... upset that Waylon had escaped from Arkham Asylum. He wanted to talk to him, and because Bruce was occupied with many things at once, he couldn't focus everything on finding Croc. They spent a week searching through the sewers of Gotham before Bruce had to focus on other things, and even though Dick understood it, he was still upset.

[Message Receive - Code Green]

One of his many screens flashed a bright green coloration that he would never mistake. Pressing a few buttons on his keyboard, the main and biggest screen turned green for a split second before Bruce had the pleasure to see the face of the one known as Green Lantern, or rather, this generation's Green Lantern. "Yes, Green Lantern? Has something happened-"

"Batman! We need help-" On the background, he could hear and saw a flash of red and orange moving fast, his mind quickly made the connection to the Flash as he focused on the message Green Lantern was sending him: "-holy sh*t, is that a f*cking giant tree walking!? Since when The Lord of the Rings was based on a true story!? Is it gonna say 'I am Groot'- oh f*ck!" Another rush, the image was quick but Bruce saw Green Lantern dodge this thick trunk-like arm full of branches, weaving and floating away from whatever was attacking them: "-there's like, seven of them here, and they're just destroying sh*t!"

"I'm on my way."

Bruce considered taking Dick with him- but he soon decided against such a thing. He sent the boy a quick [Emergency. Go back to the cave] message before he turned, ready to go see what was happening.

He just didn't know that today would he a important day for him and the future Justice League.

Chapter 26: [Interlude] A Normal Day (Part 2)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 13:05 | 01:05 PM]

[Calendar - 13/02/2003]

[Location - Metropolis, the City of Tomorrow - New York, USA]

POV Change

Hal Jordan - Green Lantern POV

Green Lantern Hal Jordan was having a hard time. Why? Because the big f*cking golden eagle! "I f*cking hate yellow!" Dodging out of the way from the golden feathers thrown at him like daggers (he tried blocking it, he will not make that mistake again!), Hal turned to look at the Flash as he ran, or tried to, because his legs were having a hard time moving as the silver liquid attached to his body, making the hero scream in pain and anger: "f*ck-" Another enormous tree sized arm shot out towards him, forcing him to create a green energy shield with his ring: "-stay away from me, you tree sucking bastard." The tree arm impacted against the shield and he willed the shield to hold out against the powerful impact of the tree thing as Flash rushed by him, the only way he could stop this mercury thing from fully taking control of him and turning him into a mercury statue like it had done to many people, was to run and keep running, because even though he wasn't able to run as fast as he normally can because of not only the weight of the mercury attached to him, but also because the mercury thing was siphoning his speed. "f*ck!" The shield that was holding the tree thing was shattered by golden feathers, prompting him to dodge out of the way.

There was a blast of pale plue light going in a single, sharp direction. Everything this beam of pale blue light touched turning into stone- buildings, people, and much more. Flames followed, burning away everything that wasn't turned to stone- That was until the sharp glass and crystal beings started to move around the flames, picking up burnt human husks, dead people, and turning them into these statues of glass and crystal respectively, making them run around and collect as many burnt out husks as they could. It was a macabre and desturbing scene, seeing these monstrosities dance and play around with the corpses of the people they killed- in a disgusting display, the glass humanoid reached out with his hands and a mountainous amount of shards of glass were shot out of its body in an explosive form, and everywhere the shards touched, a new, humanoid shaped glass statue appeared and joined it in its macabre execution of everything around it.

"sh*t, sh*t, sh*t-" He had called the Batman a few minutes ago, and yet everything had somehow gotten worse! He came here mainly because of the Flash, Barry, who wanted to come watch the Metropolis Monarchs and Central City's baseball team the Central City Stars, when suddenly the sun was blocked out by this huge shadow- that shadow turned out to be this big stone giant that Superman was dealing with- well, not very well, seeing as he has been turned to stone. "-where the f*ck is Batman when you need him!?" Willing a big bat to form, he used it to strike away big tree monster's arm before he could attack him, successfully parrying the attack before it could even happen to him- But he had to dodge a few golden feathers, because of course the yellow metal bird was attacking him.

Seven monsters, one was made of gold (therefore yellow, and therefore immune to his powers- why the f*ck is the green ring even weak to yellow!?), one made of rocks, one made of glass, one made of amethyst, one made of wood, one made of fire, and one made of mercury.

"Right here." A rough and deep voice, one he recognized very easily, spoke right from above him- He looked up just in time to see the man he was talking about, the bat of the hour, crashing down on the golden bird like it weighted nothing- Wait. It's gold, it isna very light metal, and Batman was holding this... hammer? No, it was those were his fists! He was wearing these ridiculous looking gloves, that when he punched down on the golden bird, it was heavily and quickly thrown down a few feet: "And I've brought help." Stoic as ever, Batman pointed out with his ridiculous looking gloves to the side- Hal had only heard of her and seen photos of her before, but he had heard she had returned to her heroic days, and it seems like the rumors were true, because Hal was seeing the one and only Wonder Woman punch a glass humanoid statue into a thousand shards before going towards another one!

"Well... thank you?" With just a single thought, a green platform manifested beneath Batman's feet before he could fall further down, catching him up. "So, what do we do about supes? He's- pfft -rock hard now." He could not resist the pun- don't blame him, when he's nervous, he resorts to comedy or else he'll break down, and as a Green Lantern he can't be full of fear right now! His whole power ring thing depended on the f*cking act of willing things to happen. "I say we focus on rescuing people first, the fire one has been killing as many people as it possibly can, I have been trying to save as many people as I could but... well, it has been a chore, with the gold bird always attacking me whenever I try to make a f*cking-" Pulling the green plaform out of the way from the many golden feathers that were shot at them, Hal cursed under his breath as he glared at the thing: "-construct!"

[Ring Charge: 60%]

'sh*t.' He had lost more charge to this golden bird than he liked to admit, defending himself against it was a chore that he was not very good at. Dodging its attacks? Not that hard, but they were so many so often that he had to rely on some shields to stop them a little so he could successfully dodge out of the way without being turned into swiss cheese! 'I need to preserve some charge to help Barry, the poor guy needs some help with that thing... Oh, and Supes too. He's between a rock and a hard place right now.' Okay, no more jokes! Time to be stone cold- pffft -and face everything with a serious face.

"Help the Flash with-" they turned to look at him... He was being covered in sticky, poisonous metal, that was trying to enter his body by crawling into his mouth, nose, eyes, and through the lower holes too, by the way this thing was trying to tear his clothes up! "-...whatever that is. Wonder Woman will buy us some time with the glass and crystal minions, and-" Before Batman could finish his sentence, a powerful jet of water pushed its way out of the nerby river and tackled the big rock giant. It was a surprising sight to see the King of Atlantis jumping out of the nerby river, but there's a first for everything in life right? "-Aquaman will distract the rock giant. After getting that mercury thing off of the Flash, tell him to get Superman." Batman turned to look down at the golden eagle that was flying towards them, and with a simple step out of the platform, he was falling towards the eagle as the gloves on his hands glowed a bright pale blue light: "And I'll take this one."

'Well, you don't gotta tell me twice- Oh sh*t!' He was able to make a shield to protect himself from the emormous tree arm that was about to hit him in the face, when another green but smaller arm reached out and stopped the big tree trunk of the monstrous tree thing. '...Ring, is this a Martian? I didn't know there was one on Earth!' He shouldn't have asked, because his ring suddenly shone a bright green light that scanned the man before him up and down, making him look at him with a confused and curious look: "Uhm... Sorry?"

[Specimen Analyzed. G'arrunn Martian Species N°1089876-#3B of the M'arzz planet. Registered and named J'onn J'onzz, person interest. Has been known to broadcast Earth's TV to Mars by Martian Technological means.]

"Huh, curious." The martian before him simply smiled before he clenched his fist that was holding the thick tree arm- There was a shower of splinters everywhere, making Hal gulp down his nervousness: "I was never referred to as G'arrunn Martian Species N°1089876-#3B... Well, it's true that I broadcast Earth's TV, there are a lot of very interesting shows to watch, and my people truly enjoy it." With a serene and harmless smile- that made him very intimidating, even more so when Hal saw that his face was also covered in the slightly amber sap of the tree monster, which was basically its blood -J'onn pointed to his own forehead for a second before he asked: "Do I have your permission to connect you to our telepathic link?" Hal hesitated for a moment- he didn't really like people inside his head, but seeing the situation they were in, he had to concede and accept the reality of things -and nodded: "Very well- [You are now connected to the bond, please be aware of your thoughts as to not broadcast anything you might be uncomfortable with letting others know.]"

"[...why does your voice taste like blue and smells like calm?]" Hal shook his head for a moment- woah, this was weird! The sensations that went through his head the moment he heard J'onn's voice was like an acid trip! "[That was really weird... Wait, my voice sounds like mint and tastes like green- weird too!]"

"[Ah, it seems you are sensitive to Telepathic messages... It reminds me of my 227th nephew of my 7th brother side, his 37th child. The boy is hyper aware of telepathic messages, he transmits them as you are describing. It's a common if not peculiar disorder between Martians, I was not aware humans also developed Hyper Telepathic Sensitivity.]" The same serenity to the voice, this time tasting like mellow blueberries and feeling like a soft silk towel on his third rib of the left side- Oh, that feels weird! "[Please excuse me, but you will have to endure it.]"

"[Green Lantern, focus on your task. This is an important matter.]" Wait- that kinda sexy voice, that harsh and deep tone, and that brooding darkness that seemed to almost try to seep into his mind, it could only be the Bat! His mental voice tasted weirdly bitter, like black coffee, and felt like leather against his skin- okay, so Batman is a bitter leather daddy, got it! "[...I heard that.]"

"[And so did I.]" This time it was a sexy golden voice that carried the heavy bitter taste of authority and the soft sweet taste of royalty, accompanied by the soft scents of amusem*nt: "[He called you a bitter leather daddy.]" Chuckling, Wondar Woman did not break from her concentration in battle. One after another, the minions of glass and crystal were shattered against her fists, and more and more rushed her as the two monsters of crystal and glass watched.

"[I am going to connect the Flash to the bond, I have received his consent.]"

That was the only warning they got, before J'onn's voice cut out, letting in Barry's voice as he thought loudly: "[AAAAH! HELP HELP HELP HELP- IT'S TRYING TO GET IN MY ASS!]"

Hal couldn't help the amusem*nt that trickled out of his mind and into the bond, and neither could Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and even the ever stoic Batman.

The Flash, Barry, however was not feeling amused right now: "[I AM SUFFERING HERE AND YOU'RE ALL LAUGHING!? SHAME ON YOU- SHAME ON YOUR FAMILY, SHAME ON YOUR COW-]"

"[Oh, is that a reference to that old Disney animation? Mulan? It was a rather interesting interpretation-]"

"[..shouldn't we focus on the big monsters?]" Aquaman asked.

Well, they focused on the monsters.

Chapter 27: [Interlude] A Normal Day (Part 3)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 13:55 | 01:55 PM]

[Calendar - 13/02/2003]

[Location - Metropolis, the City of Tomorrow - New York, USA]

POV Change

J'onn J'onzz - Martian Manhunter

Their mind was a palace of controlled chaos, that's the only way he can describe it. A mess that is somehow controlled and twisted in a way he had to carefully navigate it.

J'onn was trying to mess up with the minds of the seven beings to such an extent that they would stop fighting- such a thing was an easy feat for him normally and something he has done many times in his time on Earth when needing to subdue a criminal, but realistically he could only strongly mess with the minds of two Appelaxians at same time. He had only heard of this race of distant living beings before- said to live in the recluse sections of the endless universe, never truly progressing because of their constant and ever growing civil war amongst their little citizens. Appelaxians don't reproduce normally, when two Appelaxians love each other very much (they don't, really) they get together and mix their energies, and through the course of a thousand years, that energy becomes sentient! And that's how an Appelaxian is born. That's all J'onn knows about Appelaxians, but he is learning! Being inside their minds is very educational, he has learned very disturbing things that he has locked away from his memory in his own personal vault of [Do Not Open].

"[They're called Appelaxians, they seem to be here on earth for a... competition? The one to cause the most death, mayhem, and destruction, can become the new Kalar- that is their word for Emperor. These seven are called Kalathora the Golden Roc, Dut the Stone God, Gatokŋ the Wood King, Pakathar the Fire Lord, Ahamor the Crystal Creature, Xu-Ak the Glass Man, and Povokenateryn the Mercury Monster.]" J'onn shared the information he had gathered from what he could within the mind of these fascinating but very deadly beings- he was keeping his far distance from Pakathar the Fire Lord, as much distance as he possibly could -with a hint of amusem*nt as he shared the rest of the news: "[It seems they all planned on betraying each other regardless of the winner- Xu-Ak took the most favorable form to deal with Gatokŋ, Gatokŋ took the most favorable form to deal with Povokenateryn, Povokenateryn took the most favorable form to deal with Kalathora, Kalathora took the most favorable form to deal with Amahor, Amahor took the most favorable form to deal with Pakathar, and Pakathar took the most favorable form to deal with Povokenateryn... Interesting, none have taken a favorable form to deal with Dut the Stone God, but they all were planning on K'othanny-Akar. Although Dut does have the most favorable form to deal with Xu-Ak, Ahamor, and Pakathar if he wants to... fascinating.]" J'onn was- even though he had learned of many atrocities -having fun learning new things about new beings.

K'othanny-Akar is a phrase in Martian that means 'Rivals and enemies that throw away their differences and join forces against a single target'. Yes, Martian has very specific phrases, their vocabulary is kinda big.

"[Argh- too many colors! Urgh- why do they taste weird? That fire guy tastes like jalapeños, the mercury guy tastes like a weird sprite thing, the others also don't taste that good... Gold eagle guy tastes like ass, and as a professional ass eater-]"

"[Thank you for your incredible and invaluable information and analysis, Green Lantern.]" The stoic and serious voice of the "bitter leather daddy" as Green Lantern liked to call him, echoed through their telepathic bond. It was honeslty fascinating for J'onn, because Batman's mind presence was very strong for a human without any other special power or abilities that are shaped around the mind- he was almost on the level of an apprentice might have when being tutored, and that is a high level for a human! J'onn could also see and feel strong mental shields created by the sheer willpower of not wanting his mind being read or seen, and he kept his distance out of respect: "[J'onn, tell us about their weaknesses. Anything that we haven't found out yet?]" He sounded a bit winded, but it was expected seeing as he has been fighting against Golden Roc for about 30 minutes now? He was buying time so they could find a way to free Superman from his "rock hard endeavors" as Green Lantern referred to. Ah, also, he introduced himself with his real name to the others- it was only polite, after all!

"[Well, asphyxiation for Pakathar the Fire Lord seems pretty obvious... Kalathora the Golden Roc is made of gold and thus really light, even though he can keep repairing his body with his energy, Amahor the Crystal Creature and Xu-Ak the Glass Man are weak to blunt damage, but Ahamor is weaker to physical damage while Xu-Ak is susceptible to vibrations, Gatokŋ the Wood King is susceptible to sharp attacks and fire as he is a tree, Povokenateryn the Mercury Monster is susceptible to fire as well, and Dut the Stone God doesn't seem to have any obvious weaknesses that can be easily exploited... Unless we can get some Åọṭẹẅ, which seems to be their favorite beverage.]" They don't really have it here, and the materials to make it are unknown to Pakathar, he just likes how it tastes similar to the screams of those burning alive in pure and unadulterated agony: "[And even if we had, I don't think he would accept it... he doesn't drink during work?]" There were shards of memories of him rejectin Åọṭẹẅ when he was working... his work itself was thrown into the [Do Not Open] box, and he won't look into it again!

"[Aquaman, situation?]" J'onn had to shift his body into an ethereal version of itself as he changed his density and let the tree arm just phase right through him as he listened to Batman's words- J'onn arms turned into long snake-like appendages that he used to quickly slap the Wood King, breaking its wood body further and further. "[I want to known how much longer you think you can keep going for? I can see you're getting tired.]"

Nobody paid any attention to the little "[Kinky~]" that echoed through their minds.

"[I can still keep going Batman, don't worry about me-]" J'onn had the luxury to see Aquaman's orange upper body green lower body silhouette dart around the thick legs of Dut the Stone God, his long golden trident striking several times in the same place, creaking and cracking against the stone of the giant. Superman was no longer on the battlefield, instead he J'onn was both keeping an eye on the enemy before him and a part of his mind was trying to awaken Superman's mind that seemed to be put into a stasis mode of some kind, it was frozen and could not be easily reached! "[-You've been at it for some time now, bat, you sure you don't need a break~? You might get tired of constantly fisting that big golden bird like it owes you and your family money, you're really being rough with the poor thing...]" Aquaman sounded a little mocking and condescending, but even though he sounded like that, there was genuine concern hidden beneath those layers of sarcasm and sexual innuendos.

"[Kinky!]" Once more, nobody even reacted to Green Lantern's reactive thought response. J'onn, however, recognized that as it was- Green Lantern's hypersensitivity to telepathy made his thoughts be easily broadcast through their telepathic bond even though he most likely didn't really want to say those things. "[sh*t- f*ck, how do I turn myself off?]"

"[I am pretty sure I can handle myself, thank your sincere and genuine, if not sexual, concern...]" With a dry response that was expected of Batman, J'onn turned his attention on his task at hand- he split 80% of his focus to find Superman's mind while 20% of his focus was spent on paying attention to his surroundings to make sure everything was alright: "[Wonder Woman, making any progress?]" At the mention of Wonder Woman, J'onn paused... If he had a powerful- powerful in terms of presence, powerful "voice", powerful desires -mind reach out to the abyss of Superman's mind, perhaps he could use that mind as a beacon to guide himself to Superman's mind? It was a rather risky endeavor, seeing as he hasn't tried such a thing before, but he knew it was possible in tbeory! Should he take the risk and, as the humans say, go for it?

"[Well, "bitter leather daddy", I am fighting an endless fight against crystal and glass monsters, and they're very annoying because each time I get closer to the big ones, they will simply and wimply cowardly scutter away from me while throwing various little minions.]" With the sharp sound of breaking glass, J'onn decided to broadcast his idea to the others, and within a second everyone was aware of what he wanted to do, the process, the risks, and the fact that he thought Green Lantern's sexual thoughts were a problem he needed to learn how to deal with, so he suggested him to go out with someone and meet new people: "[Huh, I didn't think my voice would be powerful... Also, I 100% agree with J'onn, you need to go out and meet new people, Green Lantern.]"

"[Hey! I'm trying, okay? It's kinda hard going on dates when you're a hero- specially when you're a space cop!]" Green Lantern paused for a few moments, considering the ramifications of what he was about to suggest, before he suggested anyway: "[I think the Flash can keep Woman of Wonder safe by running around, and I can keep Mr. Martian the Obvious Speaker safe while they go into the mind of the rock hard Man of Steel.]"

"[Yep- I can do that! Definitely- oh f*ck!]" Flash had to dodge a rain of thousands of shards of glass that exploded from Xu-Ak the Glass Man, they were sharp and thin shards of glass that were absolutely everywhere! J'onn was able to phase through it by shifting his density, while the Green Lantern had to create a shield for himself: "[Phew~! That was close... Anyway, I can keep Wonder Woman safe while you're doing this!]"

"[Very well. Proceed with caution, Martian Manhunter. Wonder Woman, also be careful. I will keep the crystal and glass minions occupied, you got 3 minutes.]" Without warning, Batman threw one of his batarangs into a large group of crystal and glass humanoid minions before punching the Golden Roc once more, this time there was a huge dent on the wing of the golden eagle. The batarang started to vibrate and let out this shrill sound that would give anyone tinnitus if they got too close, and the glass minions started to crack and shatter into a hundred pieces, while the crystal minions would simply place their "hands" on their body and scream this shrill sound as they cracked too, but slower than the glass minions. "[...the timer has changed to 2 minutes.]"

"[Wow, Batman lasts a long time, huh?]"

"[...I will paint your ring yellow.]"

"[...sorry.]"

Nobody commented on the rather weird threat. J'onn, however, had taken Wonder Woman's mind alongside his into Superman's mind to try and wake him up- but to their absolute surprise, as they went deeper and deeper into Superman's mind, they found him, sitting alone.

Well, not exactly alone, there was a giant rock man, and they were fighting.

"He is still fighting... that's why I couldn't reach him easily, he's still fighting."

Well... how do they wake him up?

Chapter 28: [Interlude] A Normal Day (Part 4)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 14:15 | 02:15 PM]

[Calendar - 13/02/2003]

[Location - Metropolis, the City of Tomorrow - New York, USA]

POV Change

Clark Kent - Superman

It was a surprise to him and everyone else when fire rained from the sky, shards of glass and crystal shattered through buildings, when roots of dark green wood sank into the bodies of thousands of people and sucked out the moisture out of them and turned them into this dead grey husk, when golden feathers seemed to spread from the heavens and cut through cars and people like a hot knife through butter, when a beam of pale blue light cut through the city and everything it touched turned to stone, when this mercury thing started to enter the bodies of people and those infected people began to kill more people. People were screaming, buildings were falling and blood was being splattered everywhere- he was fighting, of course he was fighting, but there were seven enemies and only one of him. He was able to punch the golde eagle through its beak, but he was soon bound by the roots of the tree thing, burned by the flames of the fire giant, and had shards of glass sticking into his skin- which shouldn't be possible, but it was happening! He felt pain through his entire body as he broke free from his bonds, the mercury thing crawling up his body was annoying to deal with but flying at great speeds was enough to get it off of him whenever it managed to attach itself to him.

He fought valiantly, but no matter what he did, he couldn't win! He managed to break the golden bird beyond functionality, but somehow it got back together! He shattered the rock giant, but it pulled itself together many times. He tore the tree thing apart but it managed to regrow from the very earth at incredible speeds! He shattered both the crystal and the glass beings, but they gathered their pieces and reconstructed themselves in a more nightmarish visage than previously. He even used his heat vision to burn the mercury thing, but it would simply melt before reconstructing itself from the ground up! He even punched the fire giant until he was nothing but a bunch of coal pieces, but it still returned to burn even brighter than before. It wasn't a fight- it was a nightmare, but contrary to nightmares, he couldn't wake up.

"...man..."

'Huh?' He turned around looking for the source of that voice- his body was thrown off of the giant rock being, feeling rocky fists hit him square in the face, sending his body into the ground where he skipped the floor like a flat stone thrown across a lake. He tumbled, his body spinning around until he face planted on the ground, blood oozing out of his broken nose. He was tired, he had been fighting for... hours? Days? Weeks? He doesn't remember when it all started, but he feels weaker than ever in his entire life.

"SUPERMAN!"

A deep and powerful voice shouted. That voice was like a beacon of light shining straight into his eyes, impossible to ignore and guiding him towards its source. Suddenly, he wasn't in the broken city of Metropolis anymore... He was in an endless field of wheat, a house could be seen in the horizon, and the air was pure and clean: "...Kansas?" He could recognize this place even if the world had ended in fire and flame, these endless field was but one of the many fields of the many farms that surrounded Smallville, Kansas. "Why... am I here?" A sharp bolt of pain went through his body- from the crown of his head to the end of his pinky, a shocking and sharp pain that felt like he was pricked with a thousand little needles- its funny, he has never even received a vaccine, his skin is too resistant for any kind of metal from earth. He grew up completely free of any disease or sickness, and that was one of the many benefits of being a Kriptonian it seems. "...peaceful..."

"That is exactly why I brought you here." A voice he did not recognize, softer than the first one, spoke- he turned around to meet this... guy? He looked a little weird and was wearing weird clothes, but who is he to judge? He has a rather stupid collection of Hawaiian shirts that his parents love to mock at all times, so he understands when someone makes questionable fashion decisions. He had green skin, red eyes that looked like these pondering wizard orbs (he has read many books of fantasy recently, ever since he realized that was one of Lois' favorite genres), and he had this... he'd say aura, of peace and calm, which was slightly off putting: "I apologize for my intrusion on your thoughts, but Metropolis needs her favorite hero. Please, return to us, Superman-" A bright, bright white light seemed to grab his hands and shine into his eyes, and he felt like he was flying, flying so fast he had lost the breath his lungs held, and—

With a coughing gasp, he opened his eyes.

"...why am I covered in dust?" He looked down- there were shards of rock and pieces of debri around him, and as he was coming back to himself, he was assaulted by the memories of what had happened. He was hit by the pale blue light from the rock giant and suddenly he found himself fighting alone, when in fact, he had joined the fight with the Flash and Green Lantern! "-!!!" Flexing, Superman caught the large tree-like arm that was about to smack him down hard, making him lift his eyebrows: "...bad choice." His eyes glowed a bright red color before a beam of pure heat tore through the chest of the tree thing and into the clouds above.

"Superman, do I have your consent to connect your mind to the telepathic bond?" That same voice! He turned to look, floating above him and the tree thing, was the same green man that he had seen. Superman simply nodded: "Very well." There was a snapping sensation as his mind suddenly felt foggy, and he was now connected to other minds too-

"Oh, the rock hard man of the hour is here!" ...what? "It was kinda boring without you here, big boy in blue! Now, can you give Batman a hand? I bet he would love a big man in spandex to take him in his arms and fly towards the sunset- I known I would. Men, women, alien of unrecognizable and horrendous appearance... Anyone, really."

"I think you mean 'can you give daddy a hand', right Green Lantern? Everyone here knows you think Batman is a daddy-"

"I told you guys, I have weird thoughts! You're the ones who pay attention to them! I mean, he sounds like a daddy-"

"Focus on the mission. Superman, glad to have you- help Aquaman take down Dut the Stone God, I can handle myself."

"Damn bats, I was trying to set you up with a big man, but oh well, more for me I guess."

"Uhm... I'll do my best?"

"Damn! He sounds like a breeze, feels like a bunch of papers on your hands, and smells like corn- Weird combination." ...this guy is kinda weird, but who is he to judge? I mean, its kinda cool that he has the confidence to say all this thing, and Superman has not even the courage to confess to her... "Mayday, Mayday! Straight- straight guy!"

"...just because he likes a woman, does not mean he is straight. Look at me, Green Lantern. I am married, but I still like dick-"

"Well, yes-"

"Also, kinda rude?"

"...I'm glad I work alone."

...this was pure chaos.

POV Change

7 Appelaxians - Kalathora the Golden Roc

At first, it was a very easy thing.

Go to this primitive planet, cause as much chaos as possible, kill as many natives as possible, and claim the title of Kalar and be the best Kalar to ever exist. Then, go on to conquer the universe for the glory of the Appelaxians Empire! It was such an easy thing to do, but then... it got complicated. Powerful foes to face, and he was stuck to this guy wearing black and punching him like a he was some sort of toy! It was annoying, but he couldn't get rid of him, he tried to do so many times and each time he was either pulled back towards the man by some strange metal cable or he was suddenly denied his ability to fly for a few moments and plummeted down to the ground.

As it turns out, Kalathora is a very heavy metal in this planet.

He had no time to react when he was falling again, because his physical form could no longer be recovered. He had several, thousands of cracks all over his body that he could not close, this weird electrical energy was interfering with his abilities! The only way to survive would to give up the chance of being crowned Kalar, shed his physical form, and run away, and he'd rather die than-!

It happened so fast. A bright red beam of light went through his body, and he had no time to even react- his energy form faded away, and he fell.

Gone was Kalathora the Golden Roc, Kalar of Pride.

6 Appelaxians - Dut the Stone God

It was a marvel to be so strong. Made from the very material that was the resistance of the many planets. Dut was a very good and defensive material, easy to recover, and easy to gather! He was invincible! He was God! He was all powerful and immortal!

But there was a flaw to it- once hit with the strength of a man of steel, he shattered into thousands of pieces. His energy form shattered with him.

Gone was Dut the Stone God, Kalar of Arrogance.

5 Appelaxians - Gatokŋ the Wood King

Gatokŋ. A rather rare material in the wide universe, considering the habitable planets in which the Green takes hold and grows... It was a gopd experience to take over and experience the power from the Green within this planet- it was stronger here for reasons he didn't know about. He was having a good time killing all these primitive species, sucking out their blood and every single ounce of moisture and whatever he could get his roots on, having a lot of fun destroying everything his roots could ever dream to touch- until, of course, a beam of pure fire and light energy pierced through his energy form, shattering him and destroying him immediately.

Gone was Gatokŋ the Wood King, Kalar of Apathy.

4 Appelaxians - Xu-Ak the Glass Glass

He was purifying this damned land- All the purest materials he could find after he becomes Kalar will be taken, and this race of impure beings will be taken to Apalekk, the Appelaxian home planet, and will be taught their place in this world. He could feel it- the process, the power of Purification flowing through his soul and light, he could-

*SHATTER*

-no longer feel anything. A blur of blue and red had simply flown right through him, faster than he could have reacted.

Gone was Xu-Ak the Glass Man, Kalar of Obsession.

3 Appelaxians - Amahor the Crystal Creature, Pakathar the Fire Lord, and Povokenateryn the Mercury Monster.

It was a bad time.

The three surviving Appelaxians felt the moment the other four had died. They died all by the hands of a single being- a being so powerful they could not hope to ever face.

Amahor was the first to shed his suit of crystals to flee. Their violet light form shined through the crystals and soon it shattered in a thousand pieces as the violet light flew into the sky above faster than anyone could ever hope to catch (except the Flash, of course).

Povokenateryn followed suit (pun intended) and shattered his own form too. The many humans that had been contaminated by his mercury simply started puking this silverly liquid that evaporated into a silver light, leaving behind the pure mercury.

But Pakathar was not happy to leave. His form increase in size, bigger and bigger and bigger- But to his absolute anger, he was not able to explode as he wished. He had to abandon that form before it could explode as a deep cold breeze seemed to sip into his form, breaking away the heat and would break his own Pakathar if not for the heat he emanated. So he decided to leave, giving up his chance to become a Kalar was a disgusting and shameful thing... He will get his revenge.

And this day, was the first day the Justice League was created.

Chapter 29: A Godly Meeting (Part 1)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 17:13 | 05:13 PM]

[Calendar - 13/02/2003]

[Location - Croc Kingdom (Name Pending) - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

POV Change

Atlas

"This..." Frowning, Atlas turned to look at Waylon- so, after their furious night of fornication and waking up on the same bed (or pieces of a bed, before Atlas used [Mending] all over it, of course) and sharing a small awkward moment where Atlas tried to hide his face only to have Waylon grin, was kinda embarrassing and yet oddly comfortable... and after spending the day teaching Waylon about his duties as king, they received the news -who was also frowning. "...this is going to change a lot of things." It happened a few hours ago, everyone in the world knew it by now, and they were getting the news at this delayed time because of the lack of reliable technology on the Croc Kingdom... At least technology that connected them to the outside world. Atlas has failed on that- he focused too much on magic, huh? But he hasn't even touched the tip of the iceberg yet, so he will keep going! '...Lonnie might need some work, so I guess I'll make use of the terrorist who also happens to be an anarchist that is living in a newborn empire... Oh goodie.'

"sh*t... Batman, the blue boy scout, the big titty herself, green light guy, and the blur or whatever his name is- They're all together? Please tell me this is a one time thing and I won't have to deal with those guys too?" Atlas also frowned a little- The Justice League has probably been created today, and that is going to be a bit of a problem because they literally have a hidden kingdom beneath Gotham! And Atlas wants to hide this place as much as possible, so they can gather as many people, as much power as they possibly can. "...you're making your thinking face, oh my Sobek, this is going to be a problem."

"My thinking face?" Confused, Atlas twisted around to look at Waylon- The big croc man was wearing his crown, looking unimpressed at his own hands as he pondered whatever he was pondering: "Well- I would bet my left testicl* that this won't be the last time we see these heroes, and maybe even more heroes, joining forces to fight crime or whatever the f*ck they do in their free time- Seriously, being a hero must be either the most free job, or the most boring." Rolling his eyes, Atlas flipped the page of the book within his mind as he read- reading, he needed to read more and more books because they were very important! "I reckon we need more information... I guess we need to take advantage of the fact that Batman isn't in town and gather the supplies we need to go hidden. Slowly gather the people for the kingdom."

"Why go into hiding, if you don't mind me asking, my Jester? Tell me, what are your thoughts and what wisdom do they bring?" With that same co*cky tone of voice he whispered in when they were *cough* "wrestling" *cough* Waylon asked the question. Atlas could only lift his eyebrows as he looked at his king with "r u serious?" face (why was he speaking like that?), and seeing how his king kept the same stoic face, he added the name of a God to his list and prepared himself for a small lecture.

"Well, my king, there are a few thoughts in my head... We are weak. Sure, I am strong enough to defeat some opponents in single combat, but we need to think about our people-" Atlas floated softly from his chair as he easily casted [Fly] on himself, turning to face Waylon completely and looking at him with the utmost sincerity: "-we need to think about how our actions reflect in our people... I want more people to help us, nobles that will take on titles of importance, and those titles come responsibility to the kingdom and to you... I already have a few people in mind, and in fact, you might know a few of them..." Should he enact his plan right now? There are a few things that could be done before that, but why wait? It will take a while for her to come and visit, but then again, there is no rush right now. Sure, the threat of Batman to their little kingdom was a real one, but there a few things he can do to prevent Batman from ever finding out their home... He can buy time for the kingdom to grow if necessary. "But I believe we're not in a rush yet, there are some projects I will need to finish, and you? First things first, you're going to Sobek's Crocodile Farm, and you'll get used to being around them."

"...why?" Waylon raised one of his non-existent eyebrows.

"Because I said so- And it's good to establish the Kingdom's sacred animal as quickly as possible." Atlas smiled- mentally, he was sighing. The process of strengthening Waylon is going to start soon, and he'll need to be close to his divine siblings.

"...very well then." Waylon resigned for a moment: "...right now?"

"Right now." Atlas nodded- he had some things to do, and two new special buildings to finish. 6 Gods to be had here, and more things to do! He was very busy, and it's time to finish some things. "I need to do some things... I'll see you later." Without further ado, Atlas shyly turned around, kissed Waylon's snout, and vanished in a burst of blue smoke.

"Heh-" Waylon placed a hand right where Atlas had kissed him, and smirked: "-little brat."

[Clock: 02:48 | 02:48 AM]

[Data: 14/02/2003]

[Location: Croc Kingdom (Name Pending) - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

"...I think its time." He had just finished placing and enchanting the last bit of magic stone brick on the building before him, and with a deep breath, Atlas concentrated. Six monuments, six Gods, and six beings that he was seeking the ability of- he gathered his magic, weaving it into a net that was thrown over the entirety of Croc Kingdom, but no one was wiser of such a thing happening.

"[Temple of the Gods]"

A powerful presence instantly descended into the space that was conjured from the beyond- it was a small space when compared to the entirety of the Croc Kingdom, but the size was not important in this scenario. Atlas casted this spell because it would create the special place for the six gods he created six buildings for to appear, and one of them just descended to enter the extra space he created. The net of magic touched every single monument dedicated to the specific gods he was seeking. Atlas soon felt the other five presences materialize within the temple he created of magic, and with a smile he turned around, greeting them: "Welcome- God of Rivers, Crocodiles, Fertility, Military Power, and Pharaohs: Sobek, Goddess of Magic, the Cosmus, Stars, Knowledge, Beauty, and many other things: Isis, God of Creation and Patron Deity of Crafstmen, Sculptors, and Architects: Ptah, Goddess of the Sky, Fertility, Sex, Pharaohs, Beauty, Souls, and many other things: Hathor, Aspect of the God of the Sun Ra, Rebirth, Morning, and Hope: Khepri, and God of Wisdom, Magic, the Moon, Knowledge, Memory, Art, and many other things: Thoth."

Sobek was a huge and muscular man with the head of a big crocodile. He looked exactly like Waylon, but if he had taken steroids since birth! "Well met, consort of one of my descendants... It is rare for a mortal like you to hold such power, and to use it to make instead of destroy is even rarer... You have my interest, for this budding kingdom takes my sacred animal as part of it, and this is something beautiful." His voice sounded like the rumbling of thunder a great distance away, but he was a god so this isn't much of a surprise to him! ...he was also wearing crocs.

"Well met, powerful magician." The Goddess Isis was exactly like he depicted on the statue. She wore a dark veil that resembled the night sky with a thousand stars that hid her beautiful face away, but her eyes were still visible- Piercing and bright. "You have created a beautiful art piece of myself, and for that I thank you deeply... I cannot remember when was the last time someone made me a statue of such magnificent beauty and magic that I cannot fully understand..." Her voice was, however, like a howling wind- Loud and ever-present, expanding and contracting, like the sky above.

"Ah, and what master piece! I am still sad you haven't placed any beautiful sculptures on the halls of the home you've made for me! But I forgive you, that place is beautiful and magical, its been more than a thousand years since I've been worshipped with such beauty and respect in the form you've granted me!" Ptah, when compared to the other two gods, was a rather simple old man with a short beard. He was even wearing crocs! Oh, he must've gotten it from Sobek, because there was a little crocodile sticker on it. "So, tell me boy, why have you called us here?" He sounded like a wise old grandfather, ready to share his wisdom with his grandson.

"Please be patient, Ptah, we haven't all talked to him yet." With a soft and yet firm smile, Hathor turned to look at the man with the head of a scarab, before she sighed: "It's a pleasure to meet you, the one who has managed to ressurect the worship of me and those of my old Pantheon. It's good to see a Queen to a Pharaoh, even if a bit unorthodox and different of what I am used to." With this beautiful disk above her head, Hathor looked like a dark skinned beauty that you would only see in your dreams! Her long hair looked to be softer than silk, and her dress was made of threads of gold... The only different thing was that she was wearing these pink crocs with a crocodile sticker to them... Just like Sobek and Ptah.

"*scarab clicking noises*"

"..." Atlas simply looked at Khepri. Deadpan face as the man with the face of scarab clicking his pincers away in tap dancing sound.

"Ah, you must not understand him yet, huh? It will take a while." The next one to speak was the man with the head of an Ibis bird. His beak was a deep dark color while his neck and shoulders were covered in snow white feathers that looked pure and immaculate! "I am Thoth, but you already know that, of that I am sure... It is curious to see someone with knowledge I have not seen before, I am very curious about it... What Khepri was saying was "It is good to meet someone who has remembered me, even after sunset no longer meaning Apep will devour Ra", which is actually fascinating that Apep simply... stopped existing." It was truly a curious thing, is it not?

"Thank you, Gods and Goddesses... I have called you here because I have a dream. A dream of an empire that rises above the clouds, a dream of a king that is powerful, a dream where you all receive the worship that you deserve." Atlas smiled to all the Gods: "I have come to bargain... Sobek, I have a request to make, if I may?"

"Go ahead, I like you kid!"

"Please accept Waylon as your son. Make him your demigod."

"...listen, that takes a lot of time and power-"

"I'll bring back every pre-historic crocodile for you. Sarcosuchus, Deinosuchus, and any other pseudosuchians and even dinosaurs. "

"-done!" What? He wasn't here when those beautiful beings were around! Is it a crime to want them to be back!?

"Good." Atlas smiled- more things added to his list, and more things crossed off... time to see if he can cross off another one: "...What I seek from all of you is for you to be part of this kingdom. Become part of me, of my people, of my king- I want him to have the Strength of Sobek, the Wisdom of Thoth, the Endurance of Ptah, the Rebirth of Khepri, the Wings of Hathor, and the Magic of Isis... I want you to make Waylon Jones, my king, a new Shazam." He has chosen these 6 gods for a reason- and this was his reason! They were forgotten, thrown away, and now he is offering them new worshippers, a new champion, and a new kingdom to make their home.

There was only silence in that godly space- But Atlas had a good idea of what their answer would be.

Chapter 30: A Godly Meeting (Part 2)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 03:02 | 03:02 AM]

[Calendar - 14/02/2003]

[Location - Croc Kingdom (Name Pending) - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

Disclaimer: I'm going for a different lore from Atlantis! Well, a mythified version of it.

Let me tell you a a tale, a relatively short tale when compared to the complete story...

A tale that was written down, not by men, but by Gods.

A long, long time ago. Before many of the widely known Gods and their Pantheons had been born from the human belief of their existance and the Faith energy they received from the mortals believing them (well, some already existed, but their existence was going to be hugely tied to the Faith of mortals and permanently change them in ways they would never know), there were other Gods. More specifically, there were mamy Gods that were worshipped by the Atlantians, they hadn't sunk into the seas yet (and thus they hadn't abandoned many of their gods yet and adopted the Greco-Roman Gods) and therefore they were still a kingdom of prideful, arrogant, and powerful people magically and technologically speaking.

The most important Gods were three-

Aka'pathu, God of Magic, Biology, and Technology. His religion preached that he was superior to the other two major gods, and thus, he was to be worshipped more than them.

Hakkor-Emeh, God of Gold, Riches, and Death. His religion preached that to enter the paradise that awaited Atlantians in death, they had to pay their weight in gold.

And at last, but certainly not least, Bethie-Ok'han. He was the God of Pride, Power, and Land. He was the one that was credited as the patron God of Atlantis.

One day, a mysterious man came to the capital of Atlantis and spoke to the Gods Aka'pathu, Hakkor-Emeh, and Bethie-Ok'han, saying: "The land will sink. Your continent will sink. Your kingdom will sink." But the gods laughed in his face and cursed him, they did not heed his warning. He thus went to the least worshipped God there, a minor deity of the sea that would one day be mercilessly absorbed and integrated by Poseidon. This deity's name has been lost, but their love for their worshippers has not- trusting the words of the stranger, the deity prepared. On the faithful day that Atlantis would sink, the three major gods invited the entire kingdom to a banquet, and while they partied, Chaos befell in their land. A man beast brought their downfall!

Their land sank, and only the followers of the deity that believed the words of the mysterious man survived, and from them Atlantis was reborn. The survivors swore then, to never again trust the beasts that take the form of men.

This was, of course, a very biased and mythified version of something that happened a long time ago. Why am I telling you this? Well, remember when I casually mentioned the fact that Atlantians had created hom*o beasti*alis, the Werecreature? The aristocrats and powerful of Atlantis wished to have someone to display their superiority upon, but they couldn't do so on their owm citizens! Therefore, they created a form of second class citizens for the only reason of being mocked and enslaved. Their hubris blinded them, and it brought their own downfall, which they blamed on the ones they oppressed. Such pathetic display of cowardice and lack of balls has survived to this very day alongside the Atlantian version of racism and fascism. Cool, right? As it turns out, Waylon is one of these Werecreatures.

In specific, he is a Werecrocodile.

His disease? Well, he had a disease that made ancient genes reactivate, and those genes were his dormant Werecrocodile genes. Gradually, he grew up to be one of the rarest result of magic and technology being used together. Which was also not surpring to him when Sobek, Ptah, Thoth, Khepri, Hathor, and Isis all seemed to ponder his request of making him their new champion. The Egyptians had Werecreatures amongst their ranks, people with the features of animals that were associated with their Gods, many of which were even taken as Demigods by the many gods of Egypt. And that's also how Waylon is one of Sobek's descendants. Sobek had taken a Werecrocodile as his Demigod daughter, and she lived to have a beautiful family... With the passage of time, her bloodline flowed and her Werecreature genes went dormant, until a boy developed a rare genetic disease that managed to reactive the lost genes of a Werecrocodile within himself.

Not a regular Werecrocodile either, but a descendant, a legacy of a Demigoddess, Daughter of Sobek.

It was owed to him by blood!

The only problem... "You see, kid, we would love to take him as our champion- I would especially love to take him as my child, but... well, we're weak." It wasn't shocking for him to hear that, Atlas was expecting such response after all! "Centuries, even millenia to some of us, without being worshipped!? That takes a toll! I can barely bless a crocodile with good health now! It saddens me every time one of them dies out of a sickness I could've healed..." Depressed, Sobek hanged his head down, looking at his own crocs with a croc sticker... He seems to like those croc shoes.

Atlas, however, was still a little disappointed... But an idea surged within his head, an idea he has been doing already, but why not increase his efforts? He has a plan that might help this entire situation: "Well, I know where to get you worshippers..." There was a small side of Atlas that wished for more magical beings on the Croc Kingdom. And, well, they have a farm for crocodiles! And Atlas? Atlas knows the [Awaken] spell. "But only tomorrow. I gotta go sleep... Sobek, tomorrow you're getting a new worshipper... And you guys? I'm going to get you worshippers too, even if it has to be only me." With a heavy headache incoming, Atlas bowed lightly to the Gods and Goddesses before fading into a small cloud of blue magic as he casted [Dimension Door] to teleport away.

[Clock - 10:05 | 10:05 AM]

[Calendar - 15/02/2003]

[Location - Sobek's Crocodile Farm, Croc Kingdom - Old Gotham, Gotham City]

POV Change

Waylon Jones - King Croc

"Hello you two- well, three."

Waylon had been at the farm once more today- he had spent a lot of time yesterday by the farm, bonding with the various little crocodiles, Buck, and many of the Croc Kingdom citizens who were surprisingly happy about him being here! Some made some questions about going up and Waylon had to give them a somber answer that no, nobody was allowed up to the surface for now but a select few, and that it was done out of concern for their safety because of the things happening. It did sound like a cult, mostly because there were various gods they were worshipping, and also because they were a tight and close society that is governed by him.

He was sitting by the farm, holding a crocodile with several around him and on his body when he had the sudden thought: '...did I make a cult?' Buck was feeding the mama croc when Atlas appeared. This time, he didn't teleport in, he simply floated in- Waylon had another thought at that moment: 'I wonder why he doesn't make himself new legs- Maybe legs are hard to make?' Indeed, prosthetic legs might be a bit hard to make, and because Atlas is always busy, he has no time to make them. "Hey Atlas." Waylon casually greeted, ignoring the little look he got from Buck- everyone was giving him little looks ever since yesterday, and that was when he remembered that abandoned trains don't have great soundproofing, you know? A lot of people heard them f*cking, and thankfully Atlas is none the wiser... right?

"Ah, there she is." With a smile on his lips, Atlas looked directly to his side- there, laying down and bathing in the weird artificial sun that was stuck to the cavern's ceiling, stood the one crocodile that was named Big Mama: "Hello Big Mama." He greeted the animal, and Waylon had to focus a little as a part of him interpreted the soft hissing, he was pretty sure the crocodile had just greeted Atlas back. "I've come here to make an announcement to you three- I realized that the Croc Kingdom doesn't need to limit itself, why have only human citizens? We live in a magical world, and thus, magical things can happen." He lifted his hand and there was this glow of deep orange light from his hand that shot out like an arrow into the skull of Big Mama- Buck made a confused and terrified noise for a moment -but it was all good. Waylon saw thise empty eyes slowly turn into more vivid, bright eyes, and soon enough he saw intelligence and a mind behind them. She cracked her body for a moment, moving it slowly as if feeling herself and her body.

"This-" The moment the crocodile spoke perfect English, Waylon's eyes widened for a moment and Buck full on gasped: "-is kinda weird... I thank you, Croc Whisperer, for granting me new life." She close her eyes for a moment and nodded her head: "...I also see now that this body, although mine and very loved, is kinda limiting. I see ways which this body would hamper me down." Her voice was a perfect soft woman's voice much to Waylon's confusion, but now he understood what Atlas was getting at! They don't need to limit themselves to humans alone when there's so many animals in Gotham that have been abandoned and have been abused. The can rescue them, they can bring them a good life here amongst them in this kingdom, and they can make them happy: "Ah, my children... I now understand why human Buck has been cooing after you, you're so adorable."

"I am glad you are happy, Big Mama... Or perhaps, another name is required?" Atlas seemed pensive for a moment, before a smile blossomed on his cute face- shut up, it's not ehat you think -as he said: "I have the perfect name for you. The first Awakened Crocodile of the Croc Kingdom should have a special name, no? Therefore, I name you Beauty of Sobek, Sobekneferu. You're also, on your own right, a the Queen and will one day be representing all Awakened crocodiles at the tables of our kingdom. Thank the God Sobek for this blessing, for you are one of his many children."

Waylon felt, at that moment, a tug- He was almost certain someone had just pulled something on his body. He even turned around to look everywhere, but there was nobody besides the three- four of them and various baby crocodiles! "Well, welcome to this crazy world, Sobekneferu was it? It sounds like a beautiful name." Waylon greeted his new citizen with open arms, even though he never expected to get one like this!

"Divine King." She greeted him back, making him pause for a second- Okay, that sounded like he was the leader of some sort of cult. "It is a honor to be in the presence of the Divine King of all Crocodiles." If she could bow, she would, but all she could do was lower her body and lie down, closing her eyes to represent someone bowing.

"...you can get up now." This is so weird- but hey, if Waylon couldn't adapt to new situations quickly, then he would be a bad king right?

"Well, my king-" Atlas spoke, bringing the attention back to him as he smiled, looking at him awkwardly not knowing exactly how to act around Sobekneferu: "-I have many things to do. I still have to complete Thoth's Learning Palace by installing internet on it, thankfully Lonnie will make sure our IP address is completely hidden and soour signal cannot be easily found. I still have to furnish Khepri's Healing Home, I still wanna experiment with a few spells, I have to make a few more buildings, I have to finish an artwork for the Halls of Ptah, I still need to finish those barrels to hold beer for the House of Hathor, I need to speak to the gods, establish some rules, some laws, some order and also prepare for a meeting..."

The more he spoke, the more Waylon wondered- How is he juggling so many things at the same time? Why was he taking so many responsibilities? When is he going to rest? And, the most important question: Why is he cute when he looks serious?

"...meeting?" Waylon seemed to catch the end of the long list of things Atlas wanted to do.

"Ah, right." Turning around, he looked at him a little awkwardly: "Ehm... Can you do me a favor? After I Awakened Sobekneferu, I realized I can do the same to plants, and that will surely get me on the good side of someone I want on our side."

"...Don't tell me-"

"...can you get me a meeting with Poison Ivy?"

Chapter 31: A Godly Conversation (Part 3)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 11:01 | 11:01 AM]

[Calendar - 16/02/2003]

[Location - Croc Kingdom (Name Pending) - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

Flashback - [Calendar: 15/02/2003]

Have you ever wondered why Gotham is so f*cked up?

Atlas has. And, thankfully, he has the ability to ask questions!

Q&A

Q: Hey, can you tell me why the f*ck Gotham's so f*cked up?

A: There are various reasons, but the main one is that Gotham is hungry.

This answer just made him scared. He pondered on the answer for a few minutes about the many ways Gotham could become hungry, and all the answer he had were not as concrete as he wished and therefore he gave up and used another one of his questions for the day:

Q&A

Q: ...what do you mean by that?

A: Gotham is alive. Gotham is sentient. Gotham craves the blood of the innocent and the guilty. Gotham is ALIVE.

"Gotham is alive..." Whispering the answer he received, Atlas' eyes darted around to the walls of the cavern, as if it would grow teeth and eyes, ready to devour him whole: "...how is Gotham alive...? In what way?" Atlas' mind was going through a thousand different thoughts at the same time as he was trying to search through every ounce of information and knowledge on historical events and mythology that might turn land into something that is, in a way, alive- Earth that is alive? "Perhaps... Gaea? No, she doesn't usually drink blood, right-?" Atlas' face paled immediately. He could think of a being that was from the Earth, was alive, and was hungry for blood.

In fact, a being that was fed blood so it wouldn't destroy the world. "I need to know..." He used his last question of the day to confirm- Is what he fears true?

Q&A

Q: Is Gotham connected, in any way, to Cipactli?

A: A long time ago, a powerful warlock was betrayed by his lover for the land where Gotham now is located. In deep anger and desire for revenge, with his dying breath and his very soul, he casted a curse that invoked the wrath of Gaea upon the land. In turn, this cursed ended up turning the region where Gotham is into one of the Goddess' wrathful aspects. The need for blood from the Warlock invoked Gaea's Aztec aspect of Cipactli, the Primordial Abyssal creature that was made into the earth and needs blood to not eat humanity. Because of this curse, death happens a lot in Gotham, to feed the city with blood! To keep the blood flowing, the city attracts the unfortunate, desperate, and insane to itself, receiving a steady flow of new blood.

"...f*ck!"

Flashback End

So yeah! Atlas was f*cking nervous now.

The kingdom is under the body of a vengeful, spiteful, angry, and destructive aspect of the Goddess Gaea, Cipactli. In the Aztec mythos, she lived in the Primordial Abyssal Sea, where everything that the Four Gods of the Four Directions (Huitzilopochtli, Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca, and Xipe Totec) also known as the Four Tezcatlipocas- even though only one is named Tezcatlipoca -made would fall into, and then be devoured by Cipactli. Making a plan, one of them gets closer to the water and acts as bait for her, and thus they lose a leg... Atlas doesn't remember which one did though, all that he knows of this myth is that they kill Cipactli and use her corpse to make the Earth, and they also promise her constant flow of blood.

Which is why so many people die in Gotham.

Like a child left alone in a candy store, Cipactli is feeding herself with anything she can get her grubby little pseudopods on, which is disgustingly disturbing. As an Eldritch Goddess, she has inhuman thoughts and is born out of the fear of humanity, which would be the same about other gods and monsters born out of the fear of humanity... Like Apep, that vanished because nobody feared that a giant snake would devour the sun anymore since everyone now knows that the sun does not go to the underworld each night (because the world is a big round sphere), and thus there's no need to fear that a giant snake will eat the sun god. But Cipactli? She was an aspect of Gaea, as the system puts it, and like an aspect of the Primordial manifestation of the planet he lives in, she will never leave and never go away. Sure, she could be suppressed or go to sleep (as in many parts of the world, there might not be enough bloodshed to awaken Cipactli), but she will never truly leave or cease to exist.

Gaea is Cipactli, and Cipactli is Gaea.

Two sides of the same coin, as they say.

"f*ck..." He was so nervous now- what the f*ck is supposed to do right here and now? The Croc Kingdom is not complete established, they could move the kingdom out of the land that has been infercted by Cipactli, right? They could leave- No. Waylom would not wish to leave, he would learn of the way his land was part of the personification of a goddess that desired blood and death, and he would want to stay to help the homeless of Gotham... "Is that why Waylon is also weirdly bloodthirsty? Because of the presence of Cipactli?" It might be a contributing factor to Waylon's bloodthirsty acts of cannibalism... which isn't technically cannibalism, because he isn't human and never truly was. "What'chu guys think?"

Floating behind him were the small manifestations of the six patron gods of the Croc Kingdom! This small green little lizard that looked pissed off was Sobek, the little bird with a black beak and white feathers was Thoth, the small white calf with blue eyes was Ptah, the black scorpion that looked like it was made out of pure cosmic dust was Isis, the small golden scarab that was sitting right on top of his head and glowed softly like the morning sun was Khepri, and the small pink-ish little lion kit with this weird scaly tail was Hathor. Each had tried taking the form of one of their sacred animals, but their power was not like it once was before, and thus they took these... smaller forms. Almost none seemed bothered by this endeavor, but Sobek was pissed off in an almost adorable way- he wanted to be big and be strong, but he turned into a small green lizard, of course he's pissed!

"...I believe it is wise to leave this land, but I also believe staying could be beneficial. Protecting the ones who cannot protect themselves is honorable in nature. Something a Pharaoh, a King, should do— protect his subjects." Thoth spoke, his pointy beak poking Atlas' hand until he sighed and gave him a small sunflower seed- what? He likes sunflower seeds. They're tasty! "Well, the ones who would know more about Pharaohs would be Isis, Sobek, Hathor, Horus, Osiris, and probably Ra... Well, tou got three of them here, so ask the right questions and the right answers ye shall receive- give me another seed~!"

"There you go-" Atlas didn't blink as he fed the bird another seed, poor thing must've starved for so so long! "-hey, Sobek, your opinion? I know we'll probably still stay in this cursed land, but about my idea to... you know." He poked the little green lizard, who angrily bit his finger, but it caused no damage as it was the weakest bites og this entire world! He also looked adorable in a cartoonish way, with big pale green eyes that narrowed as if he had heard his thoughts- or he said that out loud?

"I am not cute!" Okay, so he did say it out loud, good to know? "Ugh... I miss my big muscles, my beautiful scaly body, the thousands of servants who would line to serve me... I miss my children..." He grumbled a little bit more about the unfairness of the world before he sighed and answered his question: "Well, of course we'll stay- The land has been claimed for the kingdom, we can't simply leave, you began building it here and for the magic of the kingdom to come alive, you'll need to finish it. Well, and the crocodiles like it here too, so I don't wanna leave... about your other idea, you sure you can do it? I mean, that sounds really weird and stupid and totally cool- Hey, give me a seed too, I wanna know how it tastes." Atlas pushed a sunflower seed in the open maw of the small green lizard and had to hide his smirk when the lizard spat it out with a sad look in his eyes.

"As a the one to counsel the Pharoah, you need to keep a calm head, little one." Hathor, in her majestic feline lioness beuty- her cat tail was, in fact, a cobra -floated softly before him, letting out this cute "mrrp" sound as her body twisted upside down: "It is better to analyze the pros and cons of staying... if you cannot convince your king to leave, than you shall stay by his side as he falls- and make sure to say 'I told you so' before leaving, just to be petty." Ah, right- Hathor was once married to Ra and was a consort to Horus, which is... well, let's just say, the father of the man she was given to wasn't a very good man, and she has grown to be a bit spiteful of Pharaohs even though she was and still is a pharaohnic deity.

"And also make sure he and the people are safe too, only then can you be sure the empire will survive- Even when every single building can be destroyed and fall into misery, as long as the people lives, so will the empire." Ptah, the snow while pale bull calf seemed to be even wiser as a bull than as a old man: "Buildings, temples, palaces... they're all temporary and should not be put above people, you understand, young one? Buildings can be rebuilt if destroyed." But even though he was speaking wise words, he was eying the seeds on Atlas' hand with shining eyes, making him sigh and give him one: "Ooh~ Thank you, little friend."

"You all really like sunflower seeds, huh?" Atlas paused for a moment- He hadn't really read about the meaning of flowers, but doesn't sunflowers mean loyalty and admiration? He is not sure, but considering the fact that they really enjoy his presence and the way he interacts with them with a mixture of respect and familiarity was "refreshing", as Khepri explained. Apparently being forgotten for hundreds of years (more for some of them) and suddenly being worshipped, being remembered, being offered sanctuary and worshippers? That was like water to a man in the desert. "Well, I know well Waylon enough that he won't want to leave... Not until I can guarantee that I can take the entire kingdom along. Buildings, people, and land."

"Which is why you plan on making... what was that thing named again?"

"A mythallar." Atlas looked seriously at the book in his hands, a book detailing the process of creation of one of the most powerful items that were created in bulk by the most powerful magic empire (known as a Magocracy) of the Netherese. A typical mythallar prevented certain schools of magic from being employed while empowering others. It could restrict access to the warded area to certain classes of beings, such as Dragons, Demons, Angels... A mythal can also permanently cause a powerful magical effect in a large area. "And with it..." Atlas closed his eyes, he could practically see it already- Breaking through the earth's crust, into the heavens and even above the clouds... A city, a flying city of magic and people that would no longer need to fear for their safety at the hands of villains. A city that would rise above everything. "The beautiful dream I have will come true..."

It was, indeed, a beautiful dream... It's sad that it would take much longer than he thought it would.

After all, to take to the skies, you need wings.

Chapter 32: A Normal Conversation (Part 4)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 01:06 | 01:06 AM]

[Calendar - 17/02/2003]

[Location - Croc Kingdom (Name Pending) - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

Atlas settled down on the table before him. The intricate tower-like building that he had build, the beautiful Learning Palace of Thoth. Atlas had spent hours on making the second floor of the tower-like building through meticulous use of [Transmute Earth], [Move Earth], and even a few other spells to carve the rock with beautiful detailed drawings of a beautiful Egyptian Lotus- in fact, the "reception" of this tower (That Atlas planned on making a library in the future) had a big Egyptian lotus as a seat for the receptionist. Right behind it were the stairs that you would take to go up the second floor, where Atlas planned to put various bookshelves of various books he has read- In fact, as he finished the book he was just reading, a book called [Famous Mages of the Forgotten Realms and What the f*ck were Wrong with Them (Spoilers: Many of them were racists, misogynists, and slavers! But hey, they brought the good magic to our library, so I guess f*ck 'em, right?) By Topics of Attention and Interest] a rather interesting book detailed the atrocities commited by many mages through their lives in the world of the Forgotten Realms, which was kinda like the "main" world for the Dungeons and Dragons Multiverse.

With this book finished, Atlas closed it and- "Here it is."

[New Perk Unlocked]

100 Books Read

[All Tongue]

You can speak, read, and write in every single language. Upon coming in contact with a language you do not speak, instantly learn how to read, write, and speak said language. Can even learn non-verbal communication such as Telepathy, Empathic Telepathy, and other types of language that human bodies would never be able to speak.

[Perk Upgraded]

[World Book - Encyclopedia]

(Objects) - (10 Book Perk)

Open a book. This book contains information about every single object within your world, their location, abilities, owners, creators, and any other information available about them.

(Living Beings) - 100 Books Upgrade

Open a Book. This book contains information about every single living thing within your world, their location, abilities, powers, association, health, and any other available information about them.

"Hah..." Atlas sighed softly as a smile grew in his lips- It seems his life has just gotten way easier, huh? He can now track, in real time, anyone! As long as, of course, they're on the same world as him. "This can be very, very useful..." He opened the book- a pale, snow white book with black pages appeared in his hands, and as he willed it to, the pages turned as if they were being blown by an invisible and fast wind- And then they stopped. Golden ink started to write in a gorgeous and legible handwriting, it was weird because he knew it was in a language he didn't know, but his brain started to automatically fill in the gaps and he clearly understood this language! This was a precaution, because anyone could see his book and what was written on its pages, but without his permission to actually read the book they would see symbols and random words, and even jumbled messes. This was a very effective Eldritch Language spoken by a single entity- The Endless Library.

He just learned Eldritch Librarian.

Book of Living Beings

Name: Bruce Wayne

Secret Identity: Batman (Breaker of Knees, Bane of Criminals, Shadow of Vengeance, Bitter Leather Daddy, ...)

Affiliation: Justice League of America, Bat Family (Under construction)

Race: hom*o Sapiens

Age: 25

Sexuality: Bisexual

Height: 6'4 Feet (1,95 Meters)

Weight: 303 Pounds (137 Kilos)

Writing Hand: Ambidextrous

Blood Type: O+

Health: Overall Healthy, Strained Muscles from overuse, Fatigued.

Mental Health: ...go to a therapist, bitch.

Real Time Localization: Batcave, beneath Wayne Manor

Analysis: Bruce Wayne is a very (attractive) paranoid man. Be careful around him and do not try to (seduce) instigate him in a fight unless you feel (sexy) confident in winning. He has about 1,056 plans- 1,057 plans on how to stop every end of the world scenario he has thought of.

Other details: ...

There was more to read, but this was seriously very detailed! "Interesting, and very, very useful..." He was half tempted to take a look at Waylon's page, but he didn't do it because he respected and trusted Waylon. He was searching for Poison Ivy right now, and he will most likely have found her by this point. 'I should set up a meeting room, I plan on adding a few other peeps that would benefit from me reaching out and that the Kingdom could find a good use for... I wonder how V-' His thoughts were stopped as the rock on his pocket grew warmer, warning him of an incoming message- this was a [Sending Stone], connected to another [Sending Stone] that would receive messages from anywhere in this world. He pulled out the rock and waited until it stopped feeling warm to the touch, soon the message played-

"I have found her, she has agreed to come for a meeting. We will be heading back now, I expect at least a thank you." 25 words exactly, Waylon must've really heard his explanation of how the rocks work, huh? He will thank him, and if the meeting goes well, he will give a special thank you too. He easily prepared everything he needed to prepare, and now, he just needed to wait.

Of course he sent a an answer back to Waylon! He wouldn't forget that: "Very well, please escort her to the Learning Palace of Thoth, the tower looking thing, it's pretty easy to find. Thank you, see you soon." There, 25 words right back- is this their first time texting each other? '...holy sh*t.'

POV Change

Waylon Jones - King Croc

"Your little boy toy seems really eager to meet me..." With her dry voice that she always used whenever she was talking to someone who wasn't her plants, Poison Ivy rolled her eyes. Her burning red hair was bright and lucious, draping over her shoulder- The moment he found her hiding on Aparo Park in Gotham Heights, she tried to use her tricks on him to seduce him for a moment so she could extract whatever information she wanted from him, but he managed to not only completely resist her temptation and control (he silently thanked Atlas for the crown), he said what Atlas told him to say and I quote-

"Poison Ivy, I've come to bargain."

-and miraculously, that worked! He then read the exact lines of the "script" Atlas told him to memorize, something about ancient trees and massive forests whispering to meet him back in the kingdom in the name of the great oak trees, the enormois pines of old, the sequoias of times before men plundered the green off of Gaea's surface. And after telling this all to her, it was like a switch was flipped on her mind, and she released him before graciously accepting his invitation like she hadn't just tried to control him like a little puppeteer.

'Wait-' The moment he thought of that word, something seemed to snap within his mind- just before he left, after memorizing the "script" way faster than he had ever memorized something before in his life (he thanked Atlas for the crown again), Atlas told him just a passing word that "Sometimes, puppeteers are just-" his thoughts went into a halt when, out of nowhere, a shadow landed right before him and Ivy. Waylon's eyes widened when he recognized the kid, even though he was wearing the ridiculous suit that Batman probably made for him. He looked pissed and sad at the same time, perhaps he was going through puberty? 'Ah, I hated puberty... Horny all the time, scales falling out constantly, growth pains, weird need to eat human flesh... normal teenage things I'm sure.' As the kid stepped out of the shadows into the yellow beam of light from the street light above, a burst of roots broke through the ground.

Waylon could only lift an eyebrow as Poison Ivy easily and effortlessly detained and contained the Boy Wonder known as Robin (to him, personally, Dick): "Little annoying pest, standing before the power and great majesty of the green-" Her pupils seemed to widen a few inches as the roots tightened their hold, tighter and tighter-

"We should leave now." He couldn't just watch the boy he had seen grow up be squished like a bug right before his very eyes! "...remember the great oaks, the promise of revival of the green, and the endless boundless bountiful of weath, torrent of vitality, and how the Green will flourish with our assistance." Atlas had told him to "Just repeat this part of the script if you need to remind her of the meeting" and he did exactly that, and he saw how the roots loosened and Robin was dropped into the ground like a sack of potatoes.

"...yes." She sighed, her pupils returning to their normal size before she motioned to him: "Lead the way, King of Crocs."

"Aye..." Without even looking back, Waylon jumped down on the open manhole. He didn't need to turn around to know Poison Ivy was following him! It took a few hours- three of them, to be precise. If he wanted to just guide her to his kingdom it would've taken not even half of that time, but because he wanted to make sure nobody could follow them, he took a longer route with many twists and turns, to make sure any pursuers would be lost.

At about [04:00 AM], they reached and entered Croc Kingdom through the special entrance Atlas had made for him that connected to the sewers, some sort of "emergency exit" if necessary. He saw how Poison Ivy' eyes widened when they stepped into the Croc Kingdom proper. The amount of stone homes were increased thanks to the constant supply of dirt and mud from the Slaughter Swamp, and even though the streets were completely empty it was still a beautiful and unexpected place to be found within an underground cavern in the city known for chaos, death, and misery... this was almost like an utopia! Finding the Learning Palace of Thoth was easier than he thought, seeing as it was the only spiral tower-like building in the entire kingdom! They went up the stairs into the second floor to find Atlas, staring at a table with... small animals?

"Ah, greetings!" Cheerfully, Atlas got up from his seat as he said: "It is good to meet you, Poison Ivy! Well, we've got much to talk to and so many topics to discuss, but first-" he guided them to the table. There, Waylon saw a bottle of wine (huh, is he planning to get her drunk or something?), a pile of papers with various words that Waylon couldn't be bothered to read, and a small crown of thorns made out of intricately carved wood that was weirdly beautiful and elegant. "-I want to speak to Pamela, not Poison Ivy." Before either he or Poison Ivy could react, Atlas reached out and a pale blue light emanated from his hand and when he touched Poison Ivy's green skin, her eyes started to glow pale blue as well and she opened her mouth to let out a silent scream, only for said pale blue light to emanate from her mouth like a beacon.

And he smiled as Poison Ivy- no, Pamela, gasped: "Greetings, Pamela Isley. My name is Atlas, and I want to become your friend." Waylon had never seen he act like this or heard Atlas sound so... comforting? He almost felt jealous of Pamela, but then he saw her pale green eyes reflect a fear that he had never seen in Poison Ivy's eyes before... And that was when Waylon remembered the phrase Atlas used in passing before he left the kingdom yesterday... "Sometimes the puppeteer is just a puppet that grown its own strings."

"...What is even going on right now!?" Did the f*cking little lizard just speak?

"Ah- Right!" Atlas turned around, picked up the six small animals and placed them all on his scaled muscular arms, saying: "I'll need some time alone with Miss Pamela, go play with the gods, okay?"

...play with the gods?

Chapter 33: Dream (Part 1)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 06:36 | 06:36 AM]

[Calendar - 17/02/2003]

[Location - Croc Kingdom (Name Pending) - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

Trigger Warning: Mention of Suicide

POV Change

Atlas

"-and that's how I convinced Pamela to join us."

"You explained to her that when she died and was brought back, these green guys made her mad and took over her psyche with the anger of the plants, which drove her into insanity?" Atlas smiled at Waylon almost like a confimation of his small summary of the big thing that happened. Waylon just looked down at him while holding the small green lizard that was Sobek, his eyes narrowing- The way Atlas was a little bit skittish and looked a bit unhinged made him think, so he asked: "...And you haven't properly in three days?" He could see the wide eyes he had, his smile seemed almost unhinged and slightly crooked, and there was magic constantly glowing behind his pupils in different collored lights that made him intimidating. And it was quite entertaining and adorable how hyperactive he got too.

Cheerfully, Atlas nodded: "Nope!" He twisted in the air- he hasn't slept in, what? Three days? Maybe. "I feel great." Atlas couldn't really care about sleep! He had so many things to do still, and he hasn't even started a few of his projects like- The big bath house! Oh sh*t, he has to start that project soon, that is one of the things he wanted the kingdom to have because it would make things less awkward about body image and bodies in general, and Atlas really likes those Roman pools too! He was also hoping to start the paperwork for organizing the kigdom's future riches, because you bet your ass they'll be rich! He has plans for many things, and he has so many ideas that he is deeply in love with and-

"...let's go to bed." Before Atlas could even blink or react, Waylon simply picked his floating body and hugged him into his arms, making Atlas whole body take a shade of pink as he looked embarrassed but slightly eager: "...We're not gonna f*ck." Immediately, Atlas sighed in both relief and disappointment, relaxing a bit under Waylon's arms. Waylon simply huffed, rolling his eyes as Atlas slowly closed his, as if fighting for his life so as to not sleep, as if he was... afraid? "Sleep, I got you... luv."

"...okay..."

And with his eyes closed, Atlas went into the world he feared- his own dreams.

A sharp and loud ringing sound echoed out in the room, the familiar sound of his alarm. Atlas groaned, placing a hand on his forehead at the intense headache he was feeling: "Urgh..." With a groan, Atlas opened his eyes to his room- same old room, the same room he has been sleeping in ever since his teen years, ever since he had to come back to his parents house after he lost his autonomy... "Ah, its today, huh?" A somber shadow befell his mind as he remembered what day was today... After years and years of trying, of fighting, of debt and of suffering, he came to the sad decision of turning the life support of his father off. His father was a huge part of his life. After his mom dipped and went off with another guy, he took care of him as both a father and a mother, and helped him with his problems. Atlas grew up to be a good child, a straight A student, and really into arts and literature. Seriously, it was one of his favorite subjects! He went to art school, but because he lived in America, he was left with a debt equal to the mass of the sun in dollars to pay.

And what else could he do other than to join the military?

It wasn't that bad, but it was quite bad. The first time he was called a "little fa*g" he didn't really mind, but the first time his abuser (he doesn't even remember his name, because he wasnt even that important- sure, he tried to do things to him, but Atlas wasn't really going to let this guy live rent free in his head) tried to lay his hands on him, Atlas broke his jaw. And the worse part? He got punished for it! Like, what the f*ck!?

But it doesn't matter. Not anymore.

"...well, can't start the day if I stay in bed, as tempting as it is." And he promised himself he'd stay beside his dad, because he stayed beside him through his own problem- pulling the covers off of his body, he stared at the stumps where his legs used to be. Sharp, jagged scars covered his legs and a badge covered his uniform- saved the life of a commander, huh? What good sh*t that did to him. He's still in debt, he's still in pain, and he's still suffering through all the problems he has been going through his entire life- but hey, at least he's a hero, right!? "...like that pays the bills." If he could, he would've let that guy die out of sheer spite- Atlas is a spiteful person after all, if the world would come to an end and the only way to save it was to keep this one person he didn't like alive, he would shoot that person immediately. Bringing the doom of the world simply because he hates that single supposed savior. Right beside his bed was his wheelchair. Using prosthetic legs was rather difficult for him because of how much pain he is in, and if pressure is applied on the are, his pain simply increases. It'll take years before he can even start physiotherapy to prepare himself to wear prosthetic legs.

"Another day..." Tiring as yesterday was, and as tiring as tomorrow will be, today is going to be even more tiring considering the grief and pain that would follow through the rest of his life- Hope, even when fleeting, has a vice grip on the heart of those who live. "...another day." He had to rely on his arm strength to push himself off of the bed, hold his body weight and adjust the wheelchair. Usually his dad helped, but he wasn't here and hasn't been here for 5 years now.

Seizure.

He had a seizure and fell to the ground. Foaming at mouth like a rabid dog, before he started shivering and having muscle spasms. He had a rare type of cancer. It had reached the base of his neck, and blocked out one of his veins, which was what had caused the seizure in the first place.

Atlas spent all his money in the hopes of his father getting better, but as times went on, his savings were consumed by the American Healthcare system- or the lack of it -like a cow thrown into a river full of piranhas that were starved for 5 days!

(Which was how those piranhas ate the entire cow in the first place, in that Theodore Roosevelt story.)

But alas, hope had grown wings and flew away from his heart soon enough. To make ends meet, Atlas stuck to making art and selling it online, as well as writing stories and having a Patreon, but it was barely enough. It's been months since he last took his pain medicine, and the pain of being alive was something he had gotten used to by now... So much so, that he hasn't even noticed it much except from when it spikes up suddenly. With a hard grip against his wheelchair, he rolled out of his room and into the bathroom where he took a quick bath, brushed his teeth, and put on some clothes. It wasn't hard, but it wasn't easy either- it simply was. "Another day." He whispered to himself, just survive another day, tomorrow things will be better, right?

When he got to the hospital, he needed no guide to get to the room his father was in- there stood the husk of a man, who has been withering slowly, being kept alive by human medicine. Atlas felt a pang of regret within his heart when a thought invaded his mind: 'Maybe... It was cruel of me to keep him alive for so long, suffering and dying slowly every single damn day.' And he steeled his resolve... His dad didn't deserve to suffer so much.

They turned off his life support that day.

He barely remembers the rest of the day... It was, honestly, a blur. He only remembered lying in bed, looking at the ceiling listening to music in his phone because he couldn't sleep (insomnia was normal, considering all the trauma, PTSD, and bad things he went through) when Euthanasia by Will Wood started playing. He hasn't listened to many Will Wood songs recently, but he had put his playlist on shuffle and... Listening to the song, for the first time that day, he cried.

Day after day, he survived. It wasn't living- every single day he had to find a reason within himself to not simply end it all tomorrow. There was no major reason to live, but if he died then he wouldn't be able to keep reading this web novel he likes, or he wouldn't be able to listen to this song he really likes too! If he dies, who would pet the neighbor's cat every morning? Who would clean the windows when they get dusty because of wind? Who would pour a cup of whiskey for on his dad's cup the day of his birthday? Who would continue the commissions? Who would smile at random flowers on the streets because they read a book on the meaning of flowers when they were 12 because they wanted to subtly hint to a boy that they liked him!?

He kept going for 8 more months.

Finding small reasons as to why, tomorrow, he couldn't kill himself.

But then... 8 and a half months later, news shocked the whole world. The cure to cancer was announced! Such a happy, happy thing... If only he had waited, right? If only he could've just, waited. The cure was ready to be announced years ago, but shockingly (please not the sea worth of sarcasm) corporations delayed it, because the sheer amount of profit that cancer patients brought to them... Well, it didn't matter anymore, did it?

He had killed his own father. The man who put so much effort on raising a respectful, healthy, and happy son. The man who helped him when he had lost friends, job, and more after a land mine exploded his legs off- hey, he got a badge for that, worth it, right!? -he killed the most important person to him.

Time to kill the least important person.

You know, contrary to popular belief, hanging oneself is rather easy. The knot is nothing really complicated, you just need to find a sturdy place to tie your r(h)ope to, put the rope around your neck and get yourself suspended. Not as easy to him, but nothing he couldn't do! It's sad that, even as you don't want to live, your survival instincts go haywire whenever you're about to die- so he clawed, nails sinking into his skin, as he tried to get the rope off, so he could breathe.

But as always, he gave up.

...

[Would you like a second chance?]

With a groan, Atlas rolled to the side. Memories of his death fresh within his mind, the grief and pain seemed to seep into his soul-

"...good mornin' luv..." The sleepy voice of the one and only Waylon Jones seemed to break him out of his thoughts, memories of- ...memories of what again? "You 'kay?" Atlas blinked- Waylon was looking at him with worried eyes, why was he worried? That was when Atlas felt the tears slowly dragging themselves down his eyes.

"Ah... Sorry." Apologizing, Atlas shook his head: "...Just a bad dream."

Just a bad dream.

Chapter 34: Wake (Part 2)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 13:23 | 01:22 PM]

[Calendar - 18/02/2003]

[Location - Croc Kingdom (Name Pending) - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

3rd Person POV

"Hello, good morning Pamela!" Atlas greeted the green skinned lady that was wearing a black throny crown, tending to a small potted plant while also wearing a leaf necklace, she was sitting on this small stone table in front of the home she received, eating a small plate of salad. Atlas, however, was wearing different clothes from when he went to sleep and woke up wearing cleaner and different clothes. In particular, he was wearing a big black leather jacket, and a big shirt that looked like it wasn't exactly made for him but for a man bigger than him. "Good to see you in this beautiful, awesome morning where nothing will go wrong!" He sounded and looked like he was very nervous and embarrassed about something- And the reason behind his nervousness and shy embarrassment was following right behind him.

"...it's afternoon." Waylon was back to wearing only a black leather jacket, the jade golden crown on his head with the big emerald seemed to sink deeper into his skull than before. Differently from before, however, Waylon wore a completely new and different leather jacket- It had a small green crocodile embroidered on it, very badly embroidered I might add. But the leather was of excellent quality! And it had this rather interesting lustrous ever so faint glow: "...Hello, Pamela." Awkwardly, Waylon greeted Pamela- he didn't exactly know how to act around her, seeing as the person (stuck up f*cking bitch) he knew before turned out to be a puppet to a greater and much worse council of entities that sought out the rebirth of the great green. "Sorry, this guy has been... Well, excited to go back to work, f*ckin' workaholic..."

"Hey! Are you the one spending loads of magic energy making a kingdom?" Atlas asked, indignantly. Seriously, he was very excited to build the big pool he wanted for the Croc Kingdom- It would be a public one, so everyone can use it, but he will also make sure to make one on the King's palace- which he is considering making it a pyramid. Why? Because he had the idea of making the first floor be the place where the throne would be and where people could find council from wise king... That is, if Waylon wants to do that kind of thing. "And even if you did, I'd doubt you'd be good at it like me."

"No, but I can put loads on you." With a co*cky smirk, Waylon pulled Atlas in his arms- That was enough to reveal the rather glaring red mark on the younger man's shoulder, a big mark that looked like teeth. Holding Atlas' chin with a one of his hands, Waylon made him look at him as he pulled him closer and whispered right by hjs ear: "And I do that good, don't I?" Atlas couldn't help but shiver, and that made Waylon want to lick him up and eat him-

"...boys, right in front of my salad?" With an eyebrow lifted, Poison Iv- No, Pamela Isley looked at the rather unusual couple. The boy who had saved her and the man who was the king of this place, the place that when she was invited to, the voices in her head screamed at her to just go- this was golden opportunity, as they were saying, all because Killer Croc (or should she refer to him as King Croc now?) said a few fancy words that related to the Green... And remembering the conversation she had with the floating boy beside him, clearly he was the one who told King Croc what to say. "I certainly hope you didn't come to meet me just to... do this in front of me, whatever kink you two have, I'd rather not ne involved with."

"I apologize for him-" Regal and elegant, Atlas pushed Waylon's face away from him ("Gah! Not the nostrils!") as he smiled politely to Pamela: "Have you considered my proposal? I already have prepared on my end, should you wish to participate in this small endeavor of mine." He was really excited because yesterday (today? It was in the early, early morning, do I guess today) after Atlas told her in extreme detail what the Green had been doing to her mind and gave her the crown she now wears (it had a similar effect to Waylon's crown too!) they discussed about magic and how it could affect plant life. As a favor (subtly putting her in debt to him, I know, very Fey of him), he gave her a book. This is where the function [Manifest] of the System comes in play- When activated, he can make the mental book that he is reading become physical, and he gets to choose the language, the size, cape, and other details about the book except what was written on it. "Also- How do you like that book? I hope it's seving you well?"

"Ah, the [Book About Magical Botany, Not From That Stupid f*cking Universe Where Wizards Use Wands and Speak Latin, by Real Magical Botanist 69?], it's an... interesting read, I'd say." Blinking at the green book on the table, she suppressed the urge to sigh- it was a good book, the knowledge within was something she never even thought of before! Magic was not something she was able to use, or not yet, as Atlas did say if she agreed to become part of the Croc Kingdom, not only would she receive support from them but would also learn magic herself, albeit one that is slightly different from his by its very nature (he laughed after saying that, for some reason). He also offered her a title, a place to make her experiments, and responsibilities. "And about your proposal... Let me ask you again. My responsibilities are providing plant matter to the kingdom, protecting the kingdom in its time of need, and worship one of the six Guardian Gods of the Kingdom?"

"Well, these are just the basic responsibilities, of course." Atlas seemed to stop for a few moments to think before he began to count on his fingers: "Well, there are a few things you'll need to do- like, if we need help to do something and you can help, it'll be expected from you. There are a few other things that will probably become something that you'll be like 'Peace Out' and I won't judge you- We will probably fight the Justice League or one of their associates, but that's for the future." Atlas didn't see the small confusion on Pamela's face (she was way more expressive than before, having her own mind back meant having her own emotioms back too) as he listed: "Perhaps we will need to deal with magical threats too in the future, like evil gods, evil spirits, otherworldly invasions, making trade routes with otherworldly beings, and probably expanding the empire... But that's for the future you to worry about, if you accept my proposal."

"...I accept it." Well, Pamela shrugged- Let her future self deal with her future problems!

(Sometime in the future, Future Pamela: f*ck past me!)

"Good- shake my hand, let's make it official then!" Atlas offered Pamela his palm- She hesitated for a moment, but shook it nonetheless: "Yes... ARE YOU READ-" There was a sharp contrast of a shock of color, purple, black and white alongside sharp poisonous green colors flashed and drums began to play- "Nope, wrong script- Welcome to the Croc Kingdom!"

...did that just happen or...? You know what, better to ignore it.

"It's... great to be here?" Pamela was still deciding if she was happy to be here or if it was great to be here, but she was here regardless. And she was thankful that Atlas released her mind from the cage of roots and branches that those assholes had put on her: "So, you're going to show me what you wanted to...?"

"Oh! Right-" Atlas shoved his hand on his Bag of Holding and pulled out this intricately weaved and twisted small seed: "I took an ordinary seed that I found, and inserted as much magic inside as I could- I mean, a few ended up exploding, but this one didn't explode! I can guess I did something with it, because I was enchanting it like it was a magical item, and I filled it with a lot of Abjuration magic- oh, that one is defensive sort of magic, and also kinda disruptive too, but mostly protective, defensive, evasive, and other aspects -and it got like this! Cool, right? I'm pretty sure it'll grown into thorny vines or something like that, maybe? It's really cool, right!?"

Taken aback by enthusiasm of the boy that shoved this bundle of tied small weeds together, she was about to ask what he was talking about (this didn't look like any seed she had ever seen) but she held herself back as curiosity filled her mind. "Curious... This is something-" She could feel it. Even though her connection to the Green was weaker, it wasn't completely gone, and Atlas told her it could be strengthened if she practiced what he would teach her later. "-its weirdly adorable, like a small child."

"Well, you can ask my little assistant Jax to get you dirt if you wanna plant it- I'd reccomend magical soil, so it can grow healthy and strong!" Atlas floated a few inches above Waylon's head (was he growing taller?) as he looked at a list, a notebook on his hands that seemingly came out of nowhere: "Crossing out this section here... Let's see-"

List

1: Build Foundation

2: Get a King

3: Get a Queen (?)

4: Get land

5: Establish military power

6: Establish monetary power

7: Make Waylon a Shazam

8: Make Waylon a Demigod

9: Get stronger.

10: Get memories back?

11: Lose Virginity

12: Enchant Items (Progress!)

13: Make a pocket space (Bag of Holding?)

14: Find out how to make safe drugs. Gotta legalize weed!

15: Get the city in the sky!

16: Get the gods more worshippers

17: Make a Roman pool, make it magical too because I want it to be.

18: Get Pamela her little gift.

19: Make temples (Turn special buildings into temples?)

20: Learn about Transmuter's Stone (Make one!)

21: Magical herbal drugs?

22: Train more in Metamagic, can't only know Transmute Spell!

23: Learn Sorcery?

24: Test more things on Immortal Test Dummy (Solomon)

25: Make magical school

26: Drinking age is 16! Buying is 18.

27: Get magical teachers... Constantine?

28: Leylines, study them.

29: Develop currency? (Not likely)

30: Plane Shift! Trip to the Elemental Plane of Air?

31: Make Sobek a little hat

32: ...is it possible to get pregnant from a Werecreature?

33: Develop Teleportation Circles, to where? (Make various floating islands?)

34: GET GAYER

35: More Awakened Animals!

36: Get more Werecreatures, need diversity.

37: Maybe become THE magical empire?

38: Get a dragon. Preferably a metallic one.

39: Make new life (magical, not pregnancy)

40: Annoy Batman

...

"And, one less thing crossed off!" Atlas smiled cheerfully: "Time to go make a Roman pool!" With that, Atlas flew away to go exactly as he said- He had a beautiful design already! He would make it for Hathor in the name of Ptah, then he'll allow all crocodiles to swim on it too! It's a public pool after all. He has the idea of letting the water come from the fountain and have this beautiful waterfall on the top into another statue that will be covered by the thin veil of water from the waterfall, and that statue will be Hathor sitting on a egyptian lotus flower-

"...seriously, you dick down a guy once because he looked really sad and adorable, and he suddenly gets a lot of energy... I was pretty sure he didn't have that much energy with me." Waylon didn't know if he should feel relieved or disappointed, to be honest.

"..." She silently entered back into the home she got from Atlas. Right behind the book she got, was a small note, she opened it and sighed- Well, this place doesn't seem that bad...

Congratulations! Under my authority, I hereby grant thee, Pamela Isley, the title of-

Lady of the Immaculate Garden

-please use this title as you seem fit, with great regards, Atlas - The Jester.

Chapter 35: Bat-Meeting (Part 1)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 09:33 | 09:33 AM]

[Calendar - 01/03/2003]

[Location - Croc Kingdom (Name Pending) - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

Time Skip - 11 Days

Atlas stretched his fingers out and cracked them.

With a soft sigh, he grinned. 'Oh thank the gods that this universe doesn't have restrictions on the magic system like the Dungeons and Dragons Multiverse has.' Atlas had just finished making something that would change his strength: You know how his inner soul world looks like an endless cosmus where his floating silver light body stays, right? And that he now has 4 Circles that surround his body like it is a planet with several rings? Well, he decided to become the human version of a planet system. His main soul as a beautiful silver "sun" while his rings act as the axis the "stars" would spin on... And, well, he made stars! They were this ball of pure compressed magical energy, but every time he made one, the circle (or ring) got unstable because it suddenly had more magical energy than before! To stabilize it, Atlas spread out various "stars" all over his circles, and he found that about 10 stars per circle were enough to stabilize them for now.

So, in the endless darkness of his soul space, his soul floated with four rings (One horizontal, one vertical, and two diagonal in opposite to each other) and ten bright little stars rotating on the rings, ten on each ring. Imagine each star is like, a 1% increase to his total magical energy because it acted as a secondary storage, like a small battery, that stored the excess magical energy.

And with 4 "rings" and 40 stars, Atlas felt much better than ever before! Enough to try a 9th Level Spell... You see, in the Dungeons and Dragons Multiverse, Magic has a subconscious or unconscious mind (depending on where you are) that helps magic casters with their spellcasting. This, in turn, allows them to cast very complicated and deeply sensitive spells without f*cking it up! In trade, they have limited times they can cast spells per day, it's a good trade off, right? Atlas, however, has no help. It took him a while to figure out how to cast 6th, 7th, and 8th level spells because of how his mind was enchanted by the circles he was making- With his magic, Mind, Soul, Body are all connected, and when one becomes stronger, the others become stronger too by osmosis. Mostly his mind was the one being strengthened, but what his mind couldn't absorb went to his body, which focused mostly on his health amd his stamina, which were the aspects he was most worried about. Health because they live in Gotham and disease is everywhere in this place, and stamina...?

Well, you know exactly why he was worried about his stamina.

"Let's see..." Atlas opened his system screen and looked for, exclusively, 9th level spells. He wanted to try casting at least one, nondestructive, because he's pretty sure he'd kill somebody if he tried to cast a destructive 9th Level Spell! "One step closer to making this f*cking kingdom fly..." With a grin, Atlas opened the book called [Abjuration: Protection, Reflection, and Deflection. How to protect yourself from nasty bitches! by Dem-O-En 777] and began reading everything he could- thanks to his mind being echanted and the amount of books he has read (117 of them now) he can read really quickly too! "Huh, this one... interesting."

[Spell Mastery]

[The epitome of Abjuration magic when it comes to Disruption. This spell allows one to take control over the spell of another Spellcaster and change it. With this spell, you can change the target of the Spellcaster's spell, you can make the magic being cast go Wild, or you can even make the incomplete spell explode and go haywire, causing backlash to the Spellcaster-]

The book went on to detail the exact ways you could take control over someone's spell, the way it could explode, and the many ways the Wild magjc could affect either him or his opponent. "..

this seems like an interesting spell to cast..." He changed his mental book to another one, this one being called [Divination: The Knows, the Don'ts, the Oh My Gods Why Do I Know This!? By A Sad Seer that Sees Desturbing Truths]. I know, interesting title, right? The moment he opened the book, he was assaulted by the knowledge of a new language being learned immediately- "Huh, didn't know Orcs could write so beautifully..." he had learned how to write, speak, and read Orcish.

[Knowledge]

[A rather risky spell. This Divination spell connects your mind directly to the Blood of Mysta, the Weave of Magic itself, and seeks out the knowledge you see. It might be simple things like how to carve forgotten runes, or how to play a flute with great proficiency... Or it might be something harder and deeper, like the name of a forgotten deity, the location of a heroic item, or even the true name of a deity that has been worshipped for so many eons-]

The book went on to explain the many, many ways this majestic and powerful spell could help and even curse you with knowledge that was meant to be forgotten, and how hubris has been the reason the great Orc Empire of Talamar fell or whatever, but Atlas was particularly interested in this spell because there is no Weave in this universe. There is no multiversal entity that embodies all magic and all magical things, so...

When he casts this spell, what will he connect to?

Flashback

[Calendar - 17/02/2003]

[Clock - 06:02 | 06:02 AM]

[Location: Batcave - Wayne Manor, Bristol County, Gotham City]

POV Change

Dick Grayson - Robin

It had been a rough night yesterday and a rough early morning today. Especially because he almost had all the bones in his body broken by roots controlled by Poison Ivy! Dick groaned as he rolled his shoulders, having already done so many times but not feeling any better- he could still feel the phantom sensation of being squished tightly with roots, feeling his bones groan and his muscles break at the pressure being applied on him. Admittedly, going after Poison Ivy and Killer Croc Waylon was stupid on his part, but he was kinda hoping he could talk to Waylon, and when he saw him and Poison Ivy leaving, he had to act! Seriously, what else was he supposed to do? Watch them from afar and not give away his position, then slowly follow after them while they're not aware of being followed? And that him jumping them was a bad idea and exposed himself? He already knows that!

"That was incredibly stupid." Bruce hummed from his place at the Batcomputer, not bothering to hide the 'I am Batman and you have disappointed me' tone in his voice like he always did whenever Dick did something that wasn't exactly what he would have done... Dick is sick of that tone of voice that he has heard so many times growing up in the Wayne Manor. Seriously, there was this one time he broke a vase accidentally and Bruce just looked at him and spoke with the same tone of voice he was speaking to him right now. "And..." Bruce paused, seemingly looking for the right words to say, before he sighed: "...don't do it again." With a huffing grunt, Dick just sat down on the couch besides Alfred, who sighed and looked down at him.

"Please, allow me to take a look at your injuries, Master Dick." Dick just nodded, allowing Alfred to take a look at how hurt he truly was- even though Dick was trained by Bruce and Alfred on some medicine, he was still not as good as the man who learned for years! So, with a few careful touches and tugs, Alfred looked over his entire body before frowning: "Ah, it seems you have severe muscle tissue damage, Master Dick, only thanks to your training that you've been able to walk all the way back to the Wayne Manor..." With a groan, Dick allowed his arms to relax as Alfred pulled out a pack of ice from somewhere and simply said to him: "You'll need a few weeks of rest to complete return to your utmost best, and you'll have to take ice cold baths every 5 hours too, unless you want. I will add a few more carbs to the meals and-" he gave him a water bottle: "-starting today, you will drink at least one water bottle every 6 hours or so."

"Urgh..." Groaning, in both pain and angish just at the fact that he had to do it or else he risked more pain in the future, Dick accepted his fate. "Well, at least there will be more tasty food..." Mentally, he also added a few other things on the list of good things that had happened but he paused and considered- Oh well, Bruce most likely already knows or will know soon enough: "Uhm... Bruce? When Poison Ivy had me, I, uhm, well... I kinda threw one of the very secretive darts you told me not to take with me? The ones that had those microchips you've been working on for the past month? The very ones you've told me time and time again not to touch? Those ones?"

There was a heavy silence...

"...And?" The only response he got was a question. This seems to fit the good ol' Batman!

"Well, I don't know... I think I hit Poison Ivy? It was certainly green what I hit, but it didn't look like Waylon- And before you say anything, I was in complete agony of being crushed alive, so I might have very much missed." Dick felt a little silly about that- he had stolen one of Bruce's prototypes, the ones he had been working on for so long and trying to find a way to get them to work. "And, well, that's it?"

"..." Without saying anything else, Dick watched as Bruce started to go ham on the computer- clicking and tapping away at keys at a speed Dick was starting to develop, but with a mastery he had only seen when Bruce was in a rush. From his seat, Dick could see Bruce activating the code for the microchip, or a code he used to reactive the trackers he had placed on highly dangerous criminals that were in Arkham Asylum. "...f*ck."

...did he just curse?

"You did well, Dick-" Wait, Bruce is praising him? For something he did!? "-and although I may not really like your method of putting yourself in danger to accomplish this feat-" Ah, there it is! "-I still acknowledge that you've managed to place a tracker on Poison Ivy... However, due to problems in the microchip, it will take a while for it to receive the signal and activate itself."

Wait, so he did something good!?

"Rest." Was the last thing he said that night.

And now, on the middle of the night of 1st of March- about [11:00 PM] -they're going down Old Gotham. Batman was able to get the microchip to work again, and he finally received the signal of the location of the mircochip, and they're going to check it out together- well, at first Batman wanted to go alone, but Dick convinced ("Please please please please please plea-") Batman to let him go along. Old Gotham was, well, old! But mostly silent... thr majority of the oldest buildings in Gotham are in this region of the city. The integrity of this region was compromised because of the ground it was built on, the region of Gotham with the most amount of underground caverns, which is where they were going down on it seems.

Dick had studied Gotham's history, this regionnof Gotham was supposed to be the "salvation" of Gotham, but it was abandoned once they found out that building several very heavy buildings om top of a bunch of underground caverns was not a very good idea. It once was a very rich region of Gotham, and the starting point that brought a lot of commerce and people to Gotham too! But nowadays, only those who live in this region of Gotham are the true desperate ones, because the apartments here are cheaper than a dollar bill. "So, the signal?" Robin asked- he was, admittedly, quite curious... Why were Poison Ivy and Killer Croc doing, and how would it screw up Gotham?

"Still going down, but now to the west." Batman's response was short. It seems he's still mad with him, huh?

The best way down turned out to be an abandoned subway station, which was kinda obvious choice! Batman did explicitly follow the tracking microchip, and they went down this abandoned train track, seeing signs of... repair? The train tracks went further down and through a hole in a wall of rough stone, and for the first time in his life after leaving the circus and after the death of his parents, that Dick saw something that truly put wonder in his heart once more.

A city? Wait, where does the energy for the lights come from? Is that a river-

"Ah, welcome." A voice interrupted his thoughts, and next to a beautiful fountain of a woman with horns, was a table. Sitting by that table, were three people. He recognized two of them- Poison Ivy was calmly sipping into some tea (he could still see signs of nervousness in her actions), while Waylon was chewing on something. Sitting on his lap, however, was the single person he did not recognize...

A man, wearing a weird jester mask.

"Tea?" They offered: "Wouldn't want to be rude to our... uninvited guests."

Chapter 36: Bat-Meeting (Part 2)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 09:33 | 09:33 AM]

[Calendar - 01/03/2003]

[Location - Croc Kingdom (Name Pending) - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

Flashback

[Calendar: 18/02/2003]

[Clock: 17:08 | 05:08 PM]

[Location: Healer's Bath House - Croc Kingdom (Waylon's still thinking about a name), Old Gotham, Gotham City]

"You want us to do what."

"I'm pretty sure there should be a question mark at the end of that sentece..."

"You're the one who wants to meet the f*cking Bat! Are you insane!?"

"...Do you mean, batsh*t insane?"

"..."

Waylon slammed his head against the nearest surface without hesitation. There were shards and pieces of rock and marble flying everywhere, and there was a small flash of magic as the runes on what he had just broken lost their magic.

"Not the pillar! I spent hours on that! Do you know how hard it is to enchant a big stone pillar with enough magic to turn into stairs to go up to a planned second floor!? Imagine the gay- I mean, the good things that could come out of having a second floor! I was planning for a warm, bubbly, cozy giant rock version of a jacuzzi."

...Waylon slammed his head against the pillar again.

Let's go back, shall we?

Atlas had just finished the giant, public pool he wanted to make. It was located close to the House of Hathor, in a part of the carvern that was naturally lower than the other regions around. He used the lowered section as a natural pool, he just had to make a small tunnel tube for the water going from Isis Fountain to this place- Which was easy for him. He made a line of hard glass to allow him to see the water and notice any clogging or anything blocking the water, going from the bottom of the fountain through a sma opening and going down with the flow of water that would depart and go into each house. The bath house itself was this one floor building, the walls were just these beautiful intricately "carved" pillas of stone and marble (Made with [Transmute Earth]) that carried symbols of flowers blossoming on the stone, the pillars carried no weight on them and served as a beautiful decoration. Atlas had intricately designed each flower from the pillars to have a rune in them, and once he was finished with the pillars he activated them- there was this almost fuzzy, weird and hazy mist that constantly surrounded the pillars.

Atlas had, essentially, created the ecchi anime classic of mist and steam hiding naked bodies.

But it only worked from the outside looking in! If you were inside the bath house, you can see everything outside. Atlas erected a pillar right by the center of the pool that was filling with water, and he carved out in that pillar the visage of a beautiful woman wearing only a cloth that wrapped around her body. On the cloth, there were illustrations of lions, and if you closely looked over the entirety of the cloth, you'd see it had snakes, scorpions, cows, and other animals carved on it as well! And each animal, as small as they were, had small runes in their eyes. Each rune was necessary for a complicated spell he wanted to get- Atlas planned on planting a Sycamore Tree right above Hathor's statue, mostly because it is Hathor's tree, a symbol of her power, and he also wanted the tree to be on the second floor of the bath house he will still create. He had the image of a flat second floor with a beautiful sycamore tree with its roots hanging down to the first floor, full of these beautiful bioluminescent pale blue mushrooms that gave it a more mystical feeling... But that will take a while because with the sheer weight of the tree in the plaform above, it'd probably collapse with the passage of time.

Which is why Atlas is enchanting Hathor's statue right in the center of the lower pool.

"Huh... Let's see... [Immovable Object] to make it so it can also serve as a pillar, [Bless Water] so it has magical properties of divine nature, [Water of Life] for magical and constant healing, [Healing Rain] for emergencies... Seriously, I'm glad I decided to make this place also dedicated to Khepri." Atlas dragged his fingers across the stone as it shifted, and under his control, some of the rocks around seemed to melt and turn into goo, only to be reshaped and crawl out of their gooey forms to climb up the pillars, settling softly into their positions- With the [Color] cantrip he was also able to paint the new addition a beautiful shade of gold, so now there were golden scarab beetles on all the pillars, but there were also a few blue, green, red, and white beetles flying across the place and landing on their respective pillars: "Heh, this spell is pretty cool..." The spell in question was called [Create Construct], a spell that allowed him to breathe life into non living things... or a form of artificial life. These little buddies were responsible to cast, when activated, a few other spells too! They could fly around and spread mist and airborne [Healing Mist] to heal, [Light] to glow and look pretty like the rising sun, [Cure Wounds] whenever they touched something, [Lesser Restoration] to remove diseases and other magical ailments, and once they can cast [Major Restoration]. As offensive capabilities? They don't really have any... they're kinda fragile too, could break easy. They need to recharge in the pillars whenever they cast spells, and they can't fly fast.

But Atlas made them as decoration for the bath house and as another means of healing in case of an emergency or something similar.

"Ah, there you are-" A large shadow casted, covering his smaller body completely as he was sitting by the edge of the pool, working on it by dragging his finger through thick stone like it was wet mud, drawing the runes he wanted to add. He was going to add [Prestidigitation] to the pool itself, and a timer too! It would take a while to work on the time, but it would make sure to cast the spell through the entire pool to clean it up and constantly keep it warm. "-found you!" Strong arms pulled him up, much to his dismay, because he still had some work to do! He was turned around to meet Waylon face to face, and he could now easily tell he had grown about an inch or two. "Hey, Atlas, check this out-" He released him (Atlas was used to this, do he simply floated up with [Fly] cast on himself) and flexed his hands hard- In a honeslty impressive display of shifting power, Waylon's scales all seemed to click and move, as if they were getting closer together, and with a click, they completely changed colors from a green into a deep, deep dark green that almost looked black. "-cool, right? Sobek's been teaching me some stuff, turns out the adoption process is going faster than he thought... apparently I am a direct descendant of one of his children, so it's more like awakening some magical Demigod genes instead of making me a Demigod."

"That's really cool- Hey, I've been thinking, I want to do some... changes, let's say, to Gotham." Atlas felt a little nervous- he just had this idea while he was working on the bath house in the name of both Hathor and Khepri, when it came to him. It was... honeslty? Kinda risky, but he remembered something that could be used to their advantage, and that thing was something he wasn't sure could ever happen, but if did happen then they could take advantage of that- and for that plan to truly work, they'd need to have some sort of connection to the bat. But that's not the only reason he wants to meet Batman- This is only one of them. He wants to meet him because some spells need him to at least have seen the target in person once, he wants to get the bat out of Pamela's and Waylon's ass, he wants to warn him about the land being curse, he wants to tell him about Arkham Asylum being a really bad place and that maybe they should make a new place to put the criminally insane that does not have a ghost that feeds on suffering, fear, insanity, and pain, and he wants to to other things.

And also because he kinda wants to meet the Bat... And, well, establish a line of, perhaps, communication.

They don't have a concrete reason to be hostile to Bruce- sure, Waylon is technically a criminal, but we all make mistakes in the heat of passion, jimbo. And he has some ideas on how to get the law off of their backs, and, well, it's not like the law can catch them when their kingdom goes to the clouds! (It can, but he won't really let it) Also, with the Justice League on their neutral side (he doesn't really has any hope for them being on good sides) they could get a few benefits too... And, well, in the end of the day, he doesn't want the Justice League thinking he was a threat- I mean, he is one, but not to them, alright?

Or at least he doesn't want to be.

Regardless, he is planning on making first contact with Batman because he has a plan. What is Gotham's main source of problem? Villains. And what has he done? Stopped villains! Poison Ivy will no longer cause problems, and neither will Killer Croc, so why not offer Batman his services? He'll be taking one Man-Bat and one Mr. Freeze, thank you very much~! Why Man-Bat? Well-

Book of Living Beings

Name: Robert Langston

Secret Identity: Man-Bat (Father Bat, Mad Scientist, Friend of the Werebats)

Affiliation: Werebats of Gotham

Race: hom*o beasti*alis (Bat)

Age: 26

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Height: 7'6

Weight: 404

Blood Type: AB

Mental Health: Stable, Partially Feral, Happy

Health: Slightly Malnourished, Exhausted

Location: Underground Cave of the Werebats, beneath Blüdhaven

Analysis: Robert Langston is a genius scientist that developed a powerful serum that seemingly transformed him into a Werebat. However, all it did was awaken his dormant Werebat genes. He is very friendly if not provoked or attacked but is wary of strangers, has a grudge against the Batman for ruining is research and destroying his cure, causing a few children of Gotham to awaken their own Werebat genes.

He is a man that dreams being a father. Has been slowly going feral due to the lack of control over his Werebat nature.

This was the reason. A serum... a serum that can awaken someone's Werecreature genes, their hom*o beasti*alis genes, and turn them into a Werecreature. He also wanted to have Robert as a part of the kingdom- they do need scientists and researchers, which is also why he is getting Victor Fries, the famous Mr. Freeze, whose wife is frozen like a popsicle. Two scientists, one who just somehow managed to awaken his own Home beasti*alis genes and went to live with a bunch of Werebats (children, apparently?) and the other who is desperate for a cure for his wife's illness.

"Waylon... I want us to meet the bat."

And we're back!

Looking at the destroyed pillar, Atlas sighed heavily- It'll take some time to repair it -before he went on to explain the reasons he wanted to meet the bat: "And, I'm pretty confident in the fact that if I can't convince him, I can get him out of the way- Just to be clear, I don't want to kill him. Sure, we could go more into hiding... But Waylon, our numbers, I see you want to increase them and we can't do it without suspicion. I'm doing this for the kingdom and for you... And, well, I wanna call him a furry to his face too."

"...fine..." Groaning, Waylon slapped his own forehead: "But you'll deal with him. If he tries to do anything funny, I'll eat him."

"Well, don't worry, I have a plan."

Oh boy, did he have a plan... Pretend to be strong when you're weak, and weak when you're strong, right?

They would get found out regardless, and the people were getting restless, humans can't stay in caves for extended periods of time without a break every once in a while- and, well, getting more people seems pretty important to Waylon too.

Oh, and also, remember the fact that the Bat has a lot of contingency plans? He wants the bat to make one about him. Why? Because Atlas has a special function on his system called [Book Autocopy], where he copies information and makes a book... It also works on computer files. Risky? Yeah, but why not get the world's most paranoid man dog at your weaknesses so you can improve? And the best part is, he can keep doing it, over and over, to always improve. Crazy ideas, he knows.

But... Well, he was kinda afraid.

He had cast a Divination spell called [Question Fate], he just wanted to try it out, and he asked "Will the kingdom be prosperous?"

The response he got was "Chaos". He had the inkling that they had to develop faster, something was coming, and it's not going to be good- it was ridiculous, right? But every single time he thought about it, a sense of doom seemed to fill his heart. And it feels real to him- he can't worry Waylon about something that hasn't even happened and might not happen, but his mind kept flashing through an event that he had only read about once in the comics...

This is also another reason he has made the healing bath house with so many healing spells. He was worried about people getting hurt, and to get his head out of his sense of doom and to prepare just in case, he made this whole healing pool. He will meet the bat too, just to warn him, just in case its something the Joker is doing or something similar.

After working on this kingdom for so long, he won't let it fall.

Not on his watch.

Chapter 37: Bat-Meeting (Part 3)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 23:23 | 11:23 PM]

[Calendar - 01/03/2003]

[Location - Croc Kingdom (Name Pending) - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

"...uninvited guests." Atlas lifted his finger and thr tea in his cup started to softly bubble up as he casted both [Prestidigitation] and [Witchcraft] to change up the flavor of the tea they were drinking, well, he and Pamela were. Waylon was eating something Atlas got him, and that was turtle meat. He pushed his hand outwards and the two extra seats at the table moved outwards as he softly pushed them out with [Push], not wanting to fling the chair towards them. Atlas, wearing his new mask that he created with the spell [Disguse Self], made his best to look as "readable" as possible. His plan here was to make Batman think he is a unhinged magician that is helping the villains and might be a threat, so that he would not only make a contingency plan for him but also leave them alone for some time. "Would you like some tea? Or maybe you're not a tea person at all, some coffee perhaps? Water? Juice? Alcohol? Blood of the innocent? Do not worry little bat, I have a lot of things in store."

He spread out his arms, and from his sitting position (Seriously, he wanted to seat on his own, but Waylon placed him in his lap and would not let him leave!) and leaned back, letting his back rest against Waylon's pretty soft abs- Muscles, when not flexing, are pretty soft -and waited. Hesitantly, Batman and Robin approached and Atlas was making backup plans inside his head: What he wanted was simple and easy, make the bat take the Croc Kingdom seriously, like Atlantis and Themyscira or whatever that island full of lesbians is called. A show of force is the easiest way to do this, and a show of "hey, we're not that bad!" might be enough to get Bruce out of their ass for a while... he will definitely leave some bugs behind, and Atlas will let those bugs here, because Bruce will need information about what's going on around here.

"Take a seat, take a seat~" Atlas leaned into the table, using his elbows on the table and using his hands to make a platform to rest his chin as he made eye contact with the bat: "So, what brings you to our humble kingdom, Mr. Bat? Or would you prefer Breaker of Knees? Bane of Criminals? Dark Vengeance? Dark Knight? Furry with Mental Issues?" With each nickname thrown out, Atlas lifted one finger of his hand, and more fingers seemed to grow out of his single hand as he casted [Minor Illusion] to make new illusory fingers appear: "Master? Bitter Leather Daddy? Joker's Boyfriend? Superman's Boyfriend? Catwoman's Boyfriend? Or would you like me to call you by your name— Bruce Wayne?"

There was only silence.

It was a risky gamble, but Atlas already had an idea about what services he could offer to the Justice League. Information! He could gather information so f*cking easily that its almost a joke, with a simple flick of a page he could tell you exactly where your favorite snack was on the other side of the world! But also couldn't reveal his hand, he had to pretend to be weaker than he is while making sure everything and everyone else in the kingdom is stronger: Have fake weaknesses and lie.

"Oh, you might be wondering— How did he find out that a brooding billionaire entrepreneur slu*tty man like me is actually one of the scariest heroes in the world?" Doing his best Batman voice impression, Atlas twisted his hand and there was a sudden red arrow pointing straight towards Dick Grayson: "Hello you Grayson~ Waylon has talked about you~! So, imagine my surprise when I learn that you were Robin! And that you were adopted by Bruce Wayne~! Such a shocking revelation... ah... Where was I again? Ah, right-" There was a sudden change in atmosphere as Atlas' voice lowered a few octaves as a rumbling echoed in the background: "-what the f*ck are you doing in my house, dude? You were not invited to my tea party, and its very rude that you just enter the kingdom and don't even greet the King, you know!" Atlas started to lower himself, letting his upper body lie forward on the table.

"...wha?" Waylon, who was having a good time eating turtle meat jerky, swallowed the last piece and turned to look at the two uninvited guests: "Well, it's not like they'd respect my authority here anyway, but at least a polite hello would've been welcomed." Huffing, Waylon picked Atlas up as he adjusted his seat, and when he sat down he let Atlas sit on his lap again: "So, hey kiddo, nice to see you again." He turned to look at Dick- the boy was sitting there beside Batman (Bruce Wayne, apparently!?) and looking at Atlas with a laser focus that was almost like he would pierce right through.

"...Waylon." Robin- Dick greeted Waylon, not breaking away his sight towards Atlas. He clearly was very curious and also defensive towards him, ad actimg like Atlas was untrustworthy (to them, he is). "What is this guy's name?"

"I feel very flattered that I have your full attention~ So~ You've come here to bring back my friends to that heinous f*cking cursed place!?" Atlas spoke with the most disgust he could even muster: "I mean, the building and land itself is not that bad, but the f*cking dark ghost inside is so f*cked up, and yet you still throw people at that building, which is kinda of a vicious and continuous cycle of endless violence... And look at me, I've broken it for two people-" He pointed, with each index finger of each hand, towards both Pamela and Waylon: "-and all because I took them out of that place." His hand twisted and turned in a 360 degrees as he turned his hand towards Batman: "And, well, I've made more of a difference to Gotham than you at this point..."

"...I see." Batman's eyes narrowed. Atlas could feel the man looking and analyzing his entire being, and he felt kinda dirty being looked at like that- And Waylon has made him really dirty before! Bruce stopped for a moment before he said: "You were the one to cause all that ruckus on Akrham Asylum, huh?" Atlas did not need to even look at him to know he was dropping various bugs all around, he didn't even need to move that.

"Of course I did all that- You can't simply take my little croc boy, put him in that place, and expect me not to go get him back!" Atlas huffed- his magic was slowly, ever so slowly, as he reached out to cast the spell he has been preparing this entire time. He has been taking this slowly because he didn't want the Bat to know he was doing this, and there was a risk that he would notice and the ruse would be up! "So-" With a lift of his hand, Atlas casted [Sleep] on both Batman and Robin. "-good night." He had to empower the spell with Batman, mostly because the man resisted heavily against the sudden surge of energy that entered his mind and tried to make him go to sleep- But a simple recast of the spell made him go right to sleep, well, after a few recasts of the spell... Seriously, Batman is no joke! "Well, now the real sh*t starts..."

You might be thinking "Hey, wasn't he supposed to not make himself seem like too much of a threat?" And yes, he didn't want to be seen as a huge threat by the Bat, but here comes the punchline: He had cast [Detect Thoughts] the moment he saw Batman, and had been reading his surface thoughs the entire time. Now, he barely got anything out of that man's mind because of his mental defenses, but there was one thing he got- the word "Enemy" over and over again. The moment he said his name "Bruce Wayne", he got a wave of distrust alongside the phrase "High grade Enemy", and when he tried delving in deeper he got stopped by the mental defenses Bruce had. And that's when he made the decision of messing with Batman's mind- Before you start to yell about how that is such bullsh*t, Atlas was nervous, okay!? He wasn't going to do anything way too bad, he's just gonna buy more time before Bruce inevitably learns that someone messed with his head and gets Martian Manhunter to undo it, but until then they're going to become a powerful kingdom.

So he decided to do it in a... natural way, using Batman's own paranoia and mind. Casting [Mind Scour], Atlas delved into Bruce's mind. With the power of a 9th level spell, he was able to easily go through the man's mental defenses and enter his deep subconscious mind- there, he did a few things.

First, he edited Bruce's memories of their meeting.

He only saw the masked man lift his hand and Robin go to sleep, which made Batman react, but the masked man explained he wanted to speak to Bruce alone. He explained to him that- Atlas had to focus for a moment, rewriting this part of the memory using Bruce's paranoia as a guide to make it look natural -the Joker was planning something, something sinister. "I've already given you the little suitcase, what else do you need to know that I'm on your side? On the Justice League's side?" But Batman did not truly believe him for now, the man hasn't shown much to be trusted, but he had power so Batman had to pretend to at least believe him: "...Bruce, I'll tell you why Gotham is so f*cked- You know Cipactli? If you don't, seek that old man, Doctor Fate, and ask him to come check Gotham... He will tell you it is cursed land. Also, make sure he performs an exorcism on Arkham Asylum too, that place is really bad."

With that, Atlas started to mold Bruce's memories. He made him remember that after the meeting, he managed to sneak around, spreading his bugs and little cameras, to keep an eye out on this place. That in turn fed his paranoia and made the memory look natural, which was why he was doing this in the first place... He also made sure that Batman belive that Killer Croc and Poison Ivy would no longer cause trouble. Well, this might backfire in the future, but Atlas truly believes this is necessary in the now-

And, well, as a bonus, he also learns everything that the Batman knows!

-there was a surge of knowledge, years and years of training and research that would take Atlas even more time to fully process everything that Bruce Wayne knew. At least, now, he had knowledge of everything he was paranoid about! He saw his early childhood memories, his obsession over the death of his parents, and how he blamed himself... Atlas just, sighed, and nudged the memory a bit. Bruce had in his mind that it was all- some f*cking how -his fault, and that was not healthy! Atlas modified the emotion of guilt that was attached to the memoried associated with the death of the Waynes, switching it away for grief, sadness, and slow but gradual recovery. 'I hope this helps?' It might help, it might not.

Regardless, he prepared for the final part of the meeting- he had placed a few fake memories in which they discussed a few things and Atlas even offered his services to the Justice League as an information broker. And with that, he allowed Bruce to wake up- Immediately, he started speaking like he was speaking the entire time: "-It's been a good meeting, Bat, but if you'd be so kind, please do leave this kingdom now... I've got a big hunk of crocodile to go to bed with." Without even turning around to look at Batman, Atlas flew up with [Fly] and tugged Waylon's arm, Pamela also simply stopped sipping on her tea and softly sighed, following after the duo.

Bruce stayed there for a few seconds, feeling like he had lost something... until he remembered the meeting, and frowned.

It seems he'll have to update some files.

Chapter 38: Bat-Meeting (Part 4)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 09:22 | 09:22 AM]

[Calendar - 02/03/2003]

[Location - Croc Kingdom (Name Pending) - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

"..."

Atlas fiddled with his fingers nervously. He had already located every single bug and hidden camera left behind by the bat, and he marked them with a small X to where they were so Waylon and Pamela could avoid them and know where they were exactly. The reason he was nervous is that he was second guessing his decision to manipulate Bruce's mind... I mean, he would've done it again, but he was still nervous about it, okay!? "...f*ck that. I'll deal with the consequences later, even if I have to fight the entire Justice League." He stretched out his arms before turning to look at Waylon who was working out with these big stone blocks that Atlas made for him- today, he will make a palace. Well, he had the idea of making and inverted pyramid on the ceiling, attaching the artificial sun on the pointy end of the pyramid to symbolize the "underworld" region of the kingdom, because he's sure the kingdom will expand to the surface as well.

Once he gets it flying, of course.

"Let's see... I guess I'll deal with Robert first." It's easier to recruit someone who needs his help- Manipulative? Yes, but this is Gotham.

POV Change

Robert Langston - Man-Bat

[Location: Underground Cave - Blüdhaven, Gotham City]

"Robbie~!" Landing right beside him, the thin and lithe little boy that he had rescued from his own family. The boy was about 5'5, which was small for a Werebat child but large for a 6 year old! "Found ya~!" His long and pointy ears flopped down on his face again, making his shake his head to get them off of his eyes- that was always adorable, no matter what: "Minnie is looking for you~!" His voice- like that of every Werebat -was louder than normal, which always helped with the echolocation, but with normal conversations they had to learn how to whisper so they don't shout everything they wish to say. His arms spread wide as he excitedly asked him to pick him up, and it was quite cute how the skin that made his wings flapped.

"Hello, Gary. What have we talked 'bout? Internal voice is used internally." With a soft chuckle- loud noise, falling stone? Echoed. Footsteps? Footsteps! -he picked up the boy and tensed. "Hold on tight, okay? We're going back to the Hangings." Spreading out his arms, Robert clenched the muscles of his legs and jumped as Gary hanged on his back, which was how they normally flew. Flapping his arms was not always efficient to fly, but it was good to get a great altitude, and although not completely scientifically explainable, he has learned that its good to trust his instincts when it comes to being a Werebat. That's what they're called, at least, by him.

When he was six, he got lost in a tour through one of Gotham's park, and he ended up falling into a hole and being there for hours. Then, someone found him- he was a tall, bat-like human, that helped him. They took him to their cave, where he met more bat humanoids, and they cared for him like he was one of them- they even called him "pup", which he didn't even know back then but that's what bat babies are called. When he was an adult, he still loved bats but believed that his "meeting" of the bat people were just his child mind trying to cope with the fact that he was lost on a cave for six weeks and somehow managed to survive... But then he went to college, got a job as a doctor, and started losing his hearing. He decided to take a gamble and study bats and their hearings, so when he developed this serum that was supposed to heal his ears, he was surprised to find that it permanently awoke within him his own Werebat genes. Nowadays he has come to terms with it, but back then, when the transformation started, he was having side effects. He got more aggressive, he could hear a lot more than he ever wanted to, and he got stronger too... His arms were weirder, he had this flappy skin that connected to his abdomen and he could elongate his own fingers, make skin grow over them, and increase his wingspan by double the size. Normally, his resting wings were used for gliding, but the stretched wings were used for flying.

Don't ask him how it works, he doesn't have the place to research it.

He managed to work out a cure- but to make it, he had to steal things. He was considered a monster, lost his job, and his fiance too! And when he was finally able to make something useful, Batman came. Robert had used his own genes to make another serum to see if he could reverse the process, but when they were fighting near Gotham's reservoir, Batman knocked the serum out of his hands— The serum was diluted thankfully, and thus it had no effect on adults, but children? The way he understood it, his own genes acted like a limiter for the serum, and only awoke the dormant Werebat genes on those who had the Werebat genes in the first place, and that's how he felt responsible for 12 children who were transformed by his serum. Those about the age of 16 were not affected, as far as he was aware. These children were abandoned by their parents or they had run away from home after seeing the monsters they were becoming. Robert found them, and in the process, found this place! There are about 54 Werebats in this cave, there were other caves around Gotham with Werebats in them, but this was the one with the greater amount of Werebats.

Landing on the stone pillar that many Werebats used to land, he gave out Gary for Minnie, another one of the children he rescued (she was thrown out of her own home by her parents who called her a demon), Robert looked down. There, holding a weird floating orb of light, were two men- One he easily recognized as the one and only Killer Croc, and the other man he could not recognize. They were speaking to the oldest Werebat there, and that was Emisha, the kindest person Robert has ever met in his life.

"-nd that is our proposal." Even though Werebat have very good hearing (and terrible sight), Robert caught the end of the conversation as he landed right beside Emisha. The old lady could barely glide herself, so when he came to her side, he helped her straighten her back. He made eye contact with the man sitting on Killer Croc's shoulder, only to notice then the lack of legs... Huh, curios? "Ah, hello." He said with just a hint of surprise in his voice, making Robert raise one of his eyebrows: "My name is Atlas, I'm here for a proposal." Normally people would react either scared or disgusted by his appearance, seeing someone not even blink was somewhat surprising- but then again, he was sitting on Killer Croc's shoulder. "I was speaking to your Elder here, and she has asked me some questions... Well, I am of the Croc Kingdom, and alongside my king, I've come to formally invite you and yours to join us."

"...Why?" There must be a reason. Nothing in this life comes for free- Look at him, he has recovered his hearing, and now he is a bat man. "I don't see why you would be so... Kind, to us."

"Well, mostly because I want you, Robert Langston, in my kingdom." Robert froze when he heard his name come out of that guy's mouth: "I trust that you know Waylon?" Patting down at the croc (who rolled his eyes, his tail swaying from side to side) he was sitting on the shoulders of, Atlas- that was his name? Seriously? -opened his hand and a contract seemed to simply appear on it: "Here, I want your help to revive the hom*o beasti*alis race. I want you, Robert, as our Kingdom's researcher- Imagine the funds you'll receive, and in years to come, you will be praised as the Kingdom's most successful scientist."

"Sweet words, but I don't really trust you." Robert was about to pull the elder back when she stepped on his feet, glaring up at him- this old woman was born a Werebat and would die a Werebat, and she has told him many stories of Werebats and their origins, how they could learn how to scream louder than a Banshee, how they could learn how to hear the truths and lies of the world, how they could hide in the shadows and become one with the darkness... He didn't really believe that. "Ow- Meemaa, why did you do that?" She knows he hurt the foot she just stepped on- she watched him do that! It was kinda ridiculous and a bit embarrassing, but sometimes he still will fall from his stalactite while sleeping upside down, and this time he hurt his foot too. "That's my hurt foot."

"This boy has been speaking to me in Batspeech for the past 15 minutes, Robbie boyo, if he meant us harm he would've done so already- and besides, he's also a sorcerer!" She sounded excited and very happy, which was a surprise- this old bat was one of the grumpiest women he has ever seen in his life! "At least show some respect!" She wacked him again with her floppy ear, making him grumble a bit- Batspeech was the language Werebats speak, it is consistent of low frequencies that humans aren't easily able to hear, and only someone who has been taught by a Werebat could even speak it.

"I can also write and read in Batspeech." With a smile that reached his eyes, Atlas explained: "It is... quite a lost language, seeing as only the Screech Scribes could write on Batspeech because of their magical voices."

"...I can only speak it because of the spellhe casted on me." Waylon- is it weird Robert only learned his name because Atlas told him? He feels like he should've known it, they've met many times before, admittedly to steal things, but that's beyond the point -grumbled out. Why was he grumpy? He looked like he was embarrassed about something and was holding himself back. "...did you have to cast it like that?" His tail stopped moving as he narrowed his eyes and huffed, as if he had just heard something Robert hadn't.

"The proposal is simple: We have a place that can comfortably fit everyone here, we have food for everyone, we have clean water, we have security, we have everything. But we want you guys- All hom*o beasti*alis, all Werecreatures are of our kingdom..." Atlas looked down at Waylon once more, this time he gripped his neck and smiled: "We want you to be part of Kingdom beasti*alis."

Meanwhile, through [Telepathic Bond]:

Atlas: I mean, it's not a bad name! It truly makes everything to be known about us be known in a single phrase- beasti*alis, of the beasts. And, well, it might sound a bit like bestial*ty, but who is judging? I'm certainly not, I've already had sex with a man who is kinda like a beast, so it's not something I'll judge.

Waylon: ...please, shut up. I'm not good with names, please-

Atlas: It's okay, Way, I still think its a great name for a kingdom, and nobody will call it the kigdom of animal f*ckers, or the kingdom of bestial*ty.

Waylon: ...I hate you.

Atlas: I think at this point we both know that's not true at all.

Waylon: ...When we get back, I'm gonna break you, f*ckin' little brat.

Atlas: ...

Waylon: Yeah, and now you stay quiet, huh? Little bitch. Should've-

Atlas: It still doesn't change the fact that it sounds like bestial*ty- You know, when you f*ck an animal?

Waylon: I'll f-f*ck you like an animal.

Atlas: ...it's kinda dorable that when you're embarrassed, you stutter.

Well, Atlas would not be allowed to sleep tonight.

Chapter 39: Bat-Meeting (Part 5)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 11:02 | 11:02 AM]

[Calendar - 07/03/2003]

[Location - beasti*alis Kingdom - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

Time Skip - 6 Days

Convincing the Werebats to move in was much easier than previously thought. After all, food, clean water, a good cavern, and safety went a long way! Robert Langston also joined, and with his expertise in biology and chemistry, Atlas spoke to both Pamela and Waylon (Atlas was still a little guarded about Lonnie, but Baytor has been gone for a while now- he was dealing with something -and he still isn't sure if he should give the kid a position of authority in the kingdom) and gave Robert a noble title, and alongside it, responsibilities and funding for the research Atlas wished him to complete: The [Awakening Serum] was something Atlas truly wished to have, and with Robbie working on it, Atlas also promised him a way to get the kids a human form.

Which is what he has been working on right now.

"And... there, try it?" Atlas smiled at the small (taller than him) bat kid as he slided the ring into the boy's thin finger. The boy was called Gary, he was 6 years old, and he was an adorable child! He was really excited when he arrived at the Croc Kingdom, but he did say everything was much brighter than he had gotten used to so Atlas reduced the brightness of the artificial sun above them to give this partial dim light that gave just the soft twilight look to the illuminated regions of cavern. The other twelve children that Robert found (He explained to him how due to him using his own hom*o beasti*alis Chiroptera- they decided to name the different kinds of hom*o beasti*alis based on the order of the species! So Robbie is a hom*o beasti*alis Chiroptera, and Waylon is a hom*o beasti*alis Crocodillia -genes, only the kids with hom*o beasti*alis Chiroptera changed) changed by his attempted cure were also here- they were all beneath the age of 16. Atlas also asked, politely, about their families.

Gary was thrown out of his home because his abusive father didn't want any "freaks" on his home. He was found by Robert in an alleyway when some people tried to take him so they could sell him, he was the first one that he met that was like him!

Minnie was... a different story, she is 15. She used to be a pretty much stuck up snob girl, everything in her life was set up for her to be successful, she had friends, family, and money- until her face started to morph into what it is now. Her fangs were bigger than the normal female Werebat (Robert theorized it was because of hormonal imbalance), and her family- well, they didn't throw her out at first. She was taken to many hospitals, and her family was milked of everything of worth. Not wanting to doom her family, she ran away in the middle of the night as a monster. It was quite dramatic, but it's been a year already, and she regrets what she did but knows she didn't want her family to go bankrupt because of her- seriously, the doctors were practically milking her family of everything it was worth! Her name was Michelle Miller, but Gary called her Minnie.

Aron was... well, he was a though kid, 14 years old. Grew up on the streets of Gotham like many homeless people, and he fought tooth and nail for what he had- he didn't really care about the appearance change, he was more excited about his newfound strength and abilities that he used to fight for more things to have- he was also the one who took care of his three younger siblings, who were attached to him. Literally, because that's how they move around, since the youngest was barely 1 year old!

Mal was Aron's older younger sister. She is 7. Her mother was a prostitute that Aron was living with, she wasn't Aron's mother but she had taken care of him for a long time... Mal was pretty though too, having grown on the streets of Gotham naturally changed her outlook on life, but Atlas gave her a pink little bow and she was calling him 'Uncle Jester' by the end of the hour. Nothing wrong with that, seeing as she liked pink things! Aron did face palm, though.

The middle child was Will, her was 5 years old. And all things considered, he was a pretty innocent child! He spoke really loudly, but that's just a Werebat thing, seeing as the young ones can't control their scream that well- all Werebats can scream so loud it can make someone momentarily deaf! Will was pretty shy, he hid behind his brother and would only play with Miss Girl Lady Woman, the fat black rat that all the kids seemed to love because of how adorable she was.

Penelope was 15 years old too, but she was kicked out of her home. Well, she was kicked out of her home days before she started to change- she actually thought the change was a punishment from God because she was a lesbian, and when Atlas heard that he laughed. He then had to explain to her that God did not give a flying, twisting, upside down f*ck about who you f*ck. He then said further "Our gods actively indulge and promote Sexuality!" And then he had to explain gods and the beasti*alis religion- just because the six who were being worshipped were Egyptian gods, it doesn't mean their kingdom has their own way of worshipping them! Atlas explained to her that Hathor is worshipped in every act of femininity and sexuality, in every act of love and marriage, in every act of parties and desires, the gods are worshipped constantly through your day as long as you believe in them.

(And that's how Atlas was shaping the beasti*alis Religion, to constantly flow faith to the six Guardian Gods of beasti*alis! Atlas is nothing if not efficient)

Teles was a silent 14 year old kid- as in, he was mute. He couldn't communicate with ASL because his fingers were weirdly crooked because they were broken by someone (he didn't want to talk about it), so Atlas got him a [Ring of Telepathy] made. It wasn't really difficult to make, it was just costly. Atlas was pretty sure he was a genius though- He could read in five different languages, and he could also understand them! Spanish, German, English, French, and Portuguese too. Atlas used the [Materialize] function of his system and gave him a book called [The Lies, the Truths, and the Gays - Everything you need to know about Queer History through the Multiverse, by Emperor Cut Sleeve] and let him read it as he spoke to the others. Gotta teach kids history, so they don't grow stupid.

Kid was next- That's his name, Kid. He was the youngest one there, being not even 1 year old yet! He was like a small, fluffy little bat boy. He was fluffier than others mostly because it seemed he was a different species of bat than the others, his fluff was kinda white to a lighter shade of gray. He loved to hang onto the back of his older brother, and Atlas also was able to see that he besides the obvious minor malnourishment, he was completely and perfectly healthy.

Dan was next and, well, the best way to describe them was a poor child that was abused by his family. He was only 8 years old, and his face was disfigured. Atlas looked over it to see it had scarred over and he'd need a little bit of time to properly heal him (if he rushes the process, there might be unseen consequences) but he told the boy to bathe on the waters of the Healer's Bath House and he'd be fine after a while! He was completely blind in one eye and he had a nasty scar on his face, and Atlas wanted to murder whoever did this to a poor child. Dan kept most of the time to himself, but he was friendly to the crocodiles, he liked reptiles it seems.

Cassandra is the oldest child that was found by Robert. She is 15 yes, but her birthday to 16 is getting closer and closer- in just a week or so? She was not kicked out of her house, instead her parents were very supportive of her changes and wanted to help her, which was why they wanted to find a cure for her... Well, she wouldn't disclose the details, but her family was scammed, and now their house was no more. She didn't exactly explain, but now her family is homeless and they were trying to get out of Gotham before she got separated from them 2 months ago. Atlas simply asked if she wanted help on finding them, and when she cried and hugged him, he had to think about a few things...

Jessie was the stick that broke the camel's back. She was 2 years old, and the moment she climbed on his back (he had landed to take a look at Will's injuries), she refused to get off and would cry if someone tried to get her off. She was the metaphorical stick that broke the metaphorical camel's back because all her crying got Waylon's attention, and he came back when Atlas was holding her in his arms and trying to comfort her as she held onto him.

And you know what he said!?

"...huh, you'd make a good mother." The smug smile and the consideration in his eyes made Atlas weak at the knees- at his non-existent f*cking knees! (He should really make himself new legs)

Atlas had to contain himself- you know how embarrassed he was at that moment!? Thankfully Waylon left to do his king duties, which were to spend time with his people and help around. They were still a budding nation, so it would take a while before they got any heavy work, so he could relax for a little while.

The last child but certainly not least, was actually not a Werebat at all. Like the Werebats had once done for him, Robert found a lost child and decided to take care of him... He refused to speak much, but everyone referred to his as Jay. Jay was a quiet kid until you povoked him, and even at 7 years old he was an angry boy! Atlas could see the signs of abuse, so he did what every adult should do- he helped the boy. Being patient, being kind, but also being somewhat authoritarian. Jay didn't speak much at first, but every once in a while, Atlas would get a few words out of him like "...okay" or "fine".

But hey, progress!

"Okay, I'll try it..." The shy response he got from Aron was adorable! He clearly didn't want to ignore the adorable crush the kid had on him (even though he could not understand it, what is there to like about him?) but he also didn't want to let it grow. He thought that maybe the boy would've noticed how he's unavailable... Is he? Oh f*ck, he doesn't want to have a crisis over the nature of his relationship with Waylon right now! "...did anything change?"

"Hum... Well, you look like a kid still." Ruffing the hair on the boy's head, Atlas considered the new item a huge success: "A [Ring of Human Form] successfully created." He truly loves Transmutation magic! He flew and looked down at the children Robert deposited on him, and smiled at them: "Well, everyone- Time for a bath, c'mon, to the Healer's Bath House."

Before you say anything- Atlas reworked it. He, at first, wanted to make it an inclusive and open space, but then he realized it might not be very... good for children? Not that anything sexual would go down there (that's against the rules) but he wanted them to have their own fun too!

So he turned the second floor into a mini water park.

...what? The kids like it.

And so do the crocodiles. In fact, he has watched the Guardian of Children - Sobekneferu, go down the water slide with several of her children.

Chapter 40: Chill Meeting (Part 1)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 05:12 | 05:12 AM]

[Calendar - 11/03/2003]

[Location - beasti*alis Kingdom - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

Animalia. The biological kingdom that encompasses all animals- born from a clade (a single common ancestor) -there beings share a spiritual connection to all life, which grants their souls access to the Red. The supernatural force that represents all Animalia.

"Cinderelli, how have your little friends been?" Holding the large female rat in his hands- Miss Girl Lady Woman was sitting on his shoulder like it was the most regal of thrones, looking down at the recently Awakened rat. It took him a whole day to create the necessary amount of [Ring of Human Form] for the Werebat children that wished to look human (Aron rejected the ring) and be human for a while, because Atlas explicitly told them that they would have to take ring off so their bodies can grow properly- and if they refuse, he will remove the ring from their fingers and never give it back. He could understand why they'd want to look human, but he didn't want them to suffer because of it! "I take it that your new rat society has been flourishing? After all, as the Contessa of Cheese, you need to report to me everything." The entirety of day 10 was spent by him using [Awaken] on rats, not only to establish an information gathering network (who the f*ck would suspect rats to be sentient?) but also because these little buddies were very enthusiastic about worshipping the gods. Their new race- or as they took to call themselves -was called Cheese Chasers, and they're awfully adorable. Rats are social animals, and the [Awaken] spell seemed to increase it to a greater degree, which allowed them to work very well together! Their short lifespan was something the magic also changed, but it was still short when compared to the lifespan of a human... The new Awakened Cheese Chasers can live up to 15 years, or that's the estimate Atlas was able to glimpse with magic. As the first rat to be Awakened, Cinderelli received the title of the Contessa of Cheese and was declared ruler of the Cheese Chasers by Atlas- and because they were charmed to him thanks to the [Awaken] spell, they agreed easily.

"The Contessa of Cheese greets you, Queen of Beasts-" Ah, right. They took to call him that, and Atlas had a hard time saying no to the cute little rats- what? They're adorable, they speak funny, and they like to groom each other with their little tiny hands! He even taught a few of them how to do braids, and now the little rats have braids in their thick fur, making them look adorable. "-me and my men have successfully managed to spread out. They have infiltrated the locations you've asked them to, and they're reporting everything they see back to us. It is with my great gracious gratification that I am here to say, the mission you've granted me is a complete success." She saluted like a little soldier, her tail swaying from side to side proudly as he had completed the task given by the Queen of Beasts! Their Queen! This was so exciting!

Atlas patted her head. "Good... Here, you reward, Contessa of Cheese - Cinderelli. You've been named after a princess, so you should wear the clothes of a princess." Atlas presented to her a small, rat sized pale blue dress with little glass slippers to match- it had taken him a while to make them so f*cking small, but seeing the absolute joy in Cinderelli's face when she took it from his open palm was a joy that made the effort well spent. "Tell your men that they are to keep to the shadows, making sure to stay hidden from their targets... And if they are going to die, to activate the emergency button, okay?" She simply nodded, hopping away to wear her little dress- Atlas, meanwhile, looked down at the reports he received... They were these pieces of parchment that would appear inside this small chest that was hanging from his neck as he wore it like a small necklace. With beautiful calligraphy (Giving them all a small pen enchanted called [Writing Pen] was a good idea, because it wrote what you wished it to, and it would write with a beautiful calligraphy) he could read the report of the small rats- three rats were chosen and sent on this mission by the Contessa of Cheese herself, and they received four items from Atlas to complete their little rat missions.

The pen, a copy of the small chest Atlas had in his chest- but this one could only teleport whatever was on the inside to the one Atlas had on him, basically being the sender while he was the receiver (something he's used to by now, thanks to Waylon) -and a small black cloak that was wrapped around their little necks that they could use to cast the spell [Shadow Warp] to teleport to a dark space that is not being illuminated. That spell was useful for a tiny mouse! And, of course, there was the emergency coin! The emergency coin was a small button-like coin that was enchanted with the [Alarm] spell, and when broken, the alarm would ring inside Atlas' head to tell him the little rat that broke it was in danger. He knows each coin, and when they're broken, he will simply teleport the rat that broke it to him, easy peasy!

"Huh, it seems everything is going normal..." The three rats were sent to three different places and homes of people Atlas wanted to be watched for a while. They were: Commissioner Gordon for obvious reasons, a rat was sent to Arkham Asylum to keep an eye out on who enters, who leaves the Asylum (and to find Baytor, that little demon had left for Arkham Asylum last time Atlas spoke to him), and the last rat was sent to find and report on Batman... Risky? Yes, but the little rat volunteered to go, so Atlas had to give him an extra item... It was a small belt that went around his little body that would activate on command, shifting him between the form of a bat and a rat. As a bat, he could hang on the Batcave without any problem, and he would watch and hear everything that was happening down there. This was the riskiest job of these rats, but Atlas considered it necessary. Not only was he curious, but the knowledge he had copied from Batman's was making a little more... paranoid. It wasn't changing his personality of outlook on life, but it was making him feel a little paranoid on the ways he knew the bat could hurt him and his people- He is blaming it all on Bruce.

With the addition of 105 Cheese Chasers, the population of beasti*alis Kingdom is about 56 humans, 58 Werebats, 75 Crocodiles (1 Awakened one), and 1 big bad Werecrocodile that was looking at him right now! "How can I help you, my King?" Atlas was on the second floor of the Learning Palace of Thoth, the tower-like building that he was still perfecting a little bit, sitting on this comfortable looking giant egyptian lotus chair that he made. "I don't think you've come here to read some books..." He turned to fully look at him to see who was behind him- pale blue skin that emanated pale blue ice cold mist, ruby red tinted glasses that reminded Atlas of a certain X-Men, and with this curious but untrustworthy of everything around: "Ah, it seems you've brought me the guest I was expecting, thank you my king... It is nice to meet you, Mr. Freeze- Can I call you Victor? Or would you like Mr. Fries if that is good enough for you? Take a seat, sir, let us discuss your future."

"So... you're Waylon's boy toy." Looking him up and down, the old cold scientist seemed to pause for a bit- looking square at his lack of legs: "...I see." He seemed to be judging him, huh? Well, Atlas did send out Waylon to find him so they could speak about his wife- Nora Fries -and how Atlas could cure her. "A magical healer that has the miraculous cure for my wife's illness, and yet can't grow himself new legs? It doesn't seem very trustworthy, but I've come so far, I'll listen to what you gotta say." He groaned and was about to sit down on the chair before him when his skin started to turn a softer shade of color, slowly coming back from its own pale blue coloration to a normal, humanoid color.

"Is that proof enough?"

Book of Living Beings

Name: Victor Fries

Race: hom*o Sapiens

Secret Identity: Mr. Freeze (Batman's Chillest Villain, Cold Man, Desperate Husband, Genius Scientist, Mad Scientist, ...)

Age: 36

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Height: 6'0

Weight: 190 pounds (86 kilograms)

Mental Health: Desperate, Slowly Decaying

Health: Stable, Partially healed of his condition.

Location: Underground Cave (beasti*alis Kingdom, Learning Palace of Thoth, 2nd Floor)

Analysis: He has been partially cured from his condition thanks to your magic. The illness he artificially implanted on himself is completely gone, but internal damage is to be carefully treated through constant healing magics.

Ah, right- The first time Atlas had read this screen, he saw an opportunity. How? Well, Atlas had read this first:

Analysis

Due to his continuous desperate attempts at finding a cure for his wife's illness, he has tested on himself many different serums, which have caused irreparable damage to his body. To keep himself going, Victor has artificially changed his physiology to adapt to cold, both keeping his body frozen and active at the same time, this causes him a lot of pain because of the irreparable damage done to his body, but he is willing to endure for the good of his wife.

He has contaminated himself with his wife's illness, to both remimd him of what he wants, and what he needs to do.

And this, this was something Atlas saw as an opportunity- A desperate man that wished for nothing but to heal his wife, a desperate husband that was considered a genius on the field of genetics, who was willing to even test his own experimental solutions on himself first before even trying on his wife. A man who went as far as to contaminate himself with his wife's illness to find a cure for it. This man was before him, and like an angel with hidden horns, Atlas with extend a hand for him- Come, I can save you, just take my hand. My trustworthy, friendly hand. "...what did you do?" With eyes wide, the man looked down at his own hands as they slowly turned back into healthy human hands. The change was slowl enough for him to feel it, the state he had constantly kept himself in for the past few years forcefully receed as this energy seemed to flow into his body before it faded away into nothingness. "What was that? What did you do to me- how have you done something like this, this is scientifically impossible, completely improbable, it is not-"

"Some things are not explained by mundane knowledge." Atlas simply kept on his smile- he ignored the way Waylon took a step back, a little scared of the face he was making -as he pushed forward a beautiful and detailed contract: "If you sign this, I can guarantee that I will completely and fully heal your wife from he illness, and as a bonus also heal your internal injuries, alongside these two benefits I offer you the ranking and noble title of Pale Blue Doctor, alongside research material and research funding... All you gotta do is work alongside Robbie and help him develop a few things."

Waylon decided to take a step back and leave the room- but on the way out, he couldn't help but think back about the way cold freeze guy referred to Atlas... He referred to him as his boy toy. And he had to stop and consider...is this all Atlas is? A simple toy for him? I mean, the sex with him is good (excellent even, he went from a shy virgin to an experienced whor* under his care and training), but the intimacy... It was good too.

Maybe...maybe he has a queen already.

Chapter 41: Kitty Meeting (Part 2)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 11:11 | 11:11 AM]

[Calendar - 11/03/2003]

[Location - beasti*alis Kingdom - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

Atlas, meanwhile, was none the wiser to Waylon's thoughts.

Instead, he focused on getting Victor to meet Robert- it was an interesting meeting, mostly because Victor was surprised to see Man-Bat wearing the stereotypical scientist white lab coat, wearing these glass bottle bottom glasses that made his little eyes look so big that it was almost comical, and handling dangerous chemicals easily with his elongated thin fingers like it was the easiest thing in the world- "Wait, what is that?" -and, well- "This? Oh, yeah, this is-" -their friendship wasn't something Atlas expected to happen so quickly! They started to speak a bunch of genetic and scientific stuff, so Atlas simply floated away. He left the Count of Awakening (Robert) and the Pale Blue Doctor (Victor) to their responsibilities for a moment- Atlas had negotiated with Victor, and they're going to get his wife from her cryo cript soon.

So! Talking about responsibilities, Atlas had a few to go back to— And one of them was to prepare for the future. "Let's see..." From what he gathered, the spell he wished to cast to bring the city to the heavens and the spell that was going to guarantee that the city does not fall in two weeks are supposed to be cast at the same time? Or, rather, it is reccomended that they should be cast at the same time, because then you can create the Mythallar and cast the spell which you wish to create, at the same time. "But a cystal that costs at least a million gold pieces? How am I supposed to know how much that would cost in real world money-" Ah, right, he has a book for that stuff! "-I am so stupid sometimes..."

Book of Objects

List of Crystals that are Worth a lot of money.

Carat is a weight measure.

Alexandrite - 10,000$ per carat [List of Locations]

Opal - 9,500$ per carat [List of Locations]

Painite - 60,000$ per carat [List of Locations]

Diamomd - 15,000$ per carat [List of Locations]

Ruby - 16,000$ per carat [List of Locations]

Padparadscha Sapphire - 18,000$ per carat [List of Locations]

Taaffeite - 65,000$ per carat [List of Locations]

The Blue Oppenheimer - 56,000,000$ [Location]

The Moussaseif Red Diamond - 20,000,000$ [Location]

The Shattered Emerald of Peru - 66,500,000$ [Location]

Lost Sapphire of the Sea - 78,000,000$ [Location]

Remenants of the Crystal Creature Appelaxian Kalar of Vanity - ??? [Location]

...

The list went on and on about more and more crystals and their locations, alongside their price in US dollars. He was quite interested in the remains of the Crystal Creature, however, because it was something that was listed as [???] In price, which might be more than enough for the magic to work and take hold! I mean, he probably can make a mythallar without having to infuse the magic spell he wanted it to have, because he's pretty sure of one thing: As he is, he is barely able to cast 9th Level Spells, and it has taken some time for him to be able to successfully cast them... Imagining how hard it would be to cast the 10th level spell he wanted to bring this city to the skies, and the 11th level spell necessary to keep it there... That will take a lot out of him, most likely enough to either outright kill him or put him in a deep coma. "That's it... I need more rings and stars." 4 Rings and 40 stars would not be enough, he needs more! "It'll take a while, magic density is not that high here... If only I could go to a place with more magic- Oh, wait, I can?" Atlas pondered for a moment... If he was not wrong, he could go to another plane of existence to try and gather magic from there- but here's the question: If he went to a place that had the Weave (Dungeons and Dragons Multiversal entity that embodies all magic), would he be affected by the rules of the Weave? Would he be limited to Spell Slots? Would he need a Spellbook? "sh*t... That's something I didn't consider."

He wanted to try and go to the Elemental Plane of Air. Why? Mostly because he wanted to, but also because going to a place where magic is literally in the air might help him grow stronger faster! Seriously, the very presence of the Weave was both an underlying threat and a possible opportunity for growth. "sh*t..." He was undecided, but if he wanted to bring the city to the skies, he needed to make a decision: "...I guess I'll just ask the King, I'll ask Waylon." What he expected was for a reasonable answer along the lines of "Such a thing sounds risky, but if you believe this might be an opportunity, we should take precautions before going into the deep end." You know? Like a responsible, mature, and analytical King that first takes a look at a situation before making any decisions that might affect his kingdom and his subordinates. Or maybe a "That sounds dangerous, perhaps we should take some time to come to a conclusion, analyze our options and think on the long term about what can be done about this situation" or maybe even a "You wanna go to a dangerous dimension where your magic might change forever? No, you're not going, I can't imagine putting you through such dangerous things~!" In a romantic tone...

But the answer he got? Well, it was a: "...An endless dimension of only air? That sounds fun as f*ck, let's go!" And worse yet, this answer came from both Waylon and Sobek- the adoptive divine father adoptive divine son duo were at their shenanigans again. "So, what is it like? Do we just, like, fall constantly?" He seemed really excited about this all, and Atlas couldn't really fault him for that- he was just offered the chance to go to another plane of existence where magic is everywhere and they're in a place where only air exists!? That's awesome, right? Of course you'd wanna go there! "Oh, are there any people with wings there?"

"Well-" Atlas had to pause for a few moments, he had to think and remember about what he knew of the Elemental Plane of Air, known by the locals as the Boundless Blue: "-there might be some Aaraco*kras there, some Air Elementals, and maybe a few Ginns? I don't even know if the spell will even work, so I guess I don't know?" Well, there were some other non-natives to the plane, like others who can teleport themselves with a [Plane Shift] spell, while others that found themselves taking naturally formed portals to the Elemental Plane of Air, which normally are birds. "I think there definitely might be some people with wings there, at least one."

And sure enough, Waylon just looked excited- Don't judge him, he has never left his dimension before, so he has every right to feel excited! "So, what're we waiting for?" He asked, already holding onto Sobek as the little lizard started to excitedly make little clicking noises: "See? Even Sobek's excited to go." Holding out the lizard to Atlas, Waylon grinned when Sobek made the little noises a baby crocodile would make to call their mother, but this one sounded more excited and happy, like a small child that was told they would be taken to a candy store. He felt giddy mostly because of the fact that they were going to another dimension that was full of magic (according to Atlas) and thus he would be able to gather more power to himself faster too! He didn't even care if his powers or magical abilities somehow changed a little bit after going to that place.

"...well, Waylon, Sobek-" Atlas remembered a very necessary component of the spell. An item that was attuned to the plane he wanted to shift to... How the f*ck would he even get one of those here!? "-I just remembered... we might not be able to go? I mean, I need this specific item that has a connection to the Elemental Plane of Air, otherwise I'd need another spell to teleport directly to it? Like, I could possibly make an item attuned to the Elemental Plane of Air if I wanted and with some time, by summoning Air Elementals and using their elemental energies to make something into an attuned item." But he was still a little bit worried about what the Weave would do, or how his own magic would react to the Weave's magic, and how they would interact... He was also terribly, terribly curious about it. "Give me some time, alright? I can get us there, just need some time. Right now, I'm going to go get the body suit or whatever of that Crystal Creature alien thing, okay? It's pretty much solid crystal that can be used in magic, something we need."

"So you're planning a heist without me?" If Waylon had an eyebrow, he would've lifted it: "Where even is that crystal body thing?"

"Oh, with the Justice League." Atlas answered nonchalantly, a smile still on his face as he seemed to be lost in thought

"...what."

[Clock - 07:23 | 07:23 AM]

[Calendar - 12/03/2003]

[Location - beasti*alis Kingdom - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

Of course, Atlas wasn't simply going to steal the crystal corpse of the alien thing. No, he had a semblance of a plan... You see, Atlas was making a copy! Using glass and magic, he was making a copy that would come to life and shatter itself in a thousand pieces of worthless crystal and glass. He started working on it as soon as he got the idea- why was he even going to steal that from the Justice League? Well, Batman? Because it was the corpse of an alien energy being, that was valuable enough that with it he could make more than one mythallar! Imagining the spells he could add to the mythallars he could make with this crystal corpse, he was even more tempted to steal it. He was intricately making use of Illusion spells to make the copy of the crystal golem to be exactly like the other one!

There were other crystals out there that could be used to make a mythallar, but he wants the Crystal Creature one. It feels right.

"Hey, my little burglar-" Atlas snapped out of his thoughts and turned to look at Waylon. He was floating above this enormous crystalline humanoid, holding out his hand that had a soft orange glow. Waylon had entered the Foundation Station and looked up at the 10 feet tall statue of glass and crystals (fake crystals, using both Transmutation and Illusion magic), one of the few places Batman hadn't completely bugged. Atlas deactivated the bugs Batman had placed there and made the hidden cameras unusable by simply slapping a sticky note on them with the words [No peeking, little bitter leather daddy pervert~] written on them. "-I brought someone who could help us with our little, tiny heist." Waylon grinned to Atlas, who confusedly tilted his head and whole body in a upside-down 90° degrees angle as he looked at the woman wearing black leather that walked out from behind Waylon.

"Oh~ So this is your little boy Waylon? He is quite adorable, as you said." Atlas recognized her- Selina Kyle, also known as Cat Woman, one of the best thiefs in the entirety of Gotham. Known for wearing a fursuit of Bowser's fat ass leather kitty costume alongside BDSM fetish gear and a whip. She has danced the upside-down tango with Batman at least a few times, and she definitely topped. "Hello kitty, I'm-"

"Selina Kyle. Yes, I know." Atlas slowly lowered himself to stay beside her for a few moments before he looked above her head, frowning and asking: "So... Sobek, you've brought her here because she's a daughter of Bastet?" Right above Selina's head, floating softly, was a barely visible cat. It was Mau cat, one of the oldest species of cats in the world. "Welcome to the beasti*alis Kingdom, Goddess of Home, Domesticity, Secrets, Cats, Fortune, Fertility, and Childbirth. May I enquire about your permanent stay?"

Meanwhile, Sobek, the little lizard on top of Waylon's head, who hadn't even seen Bastet because of just how weak she was: *surprised pikachu face*

Chapter 42: Tiny Little Small Heist (Part 1)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 00:12 | 12:12 PM]

[Calendar - 13/03/2003]

[Location - Warehouse N° 7 - Otisburg, Gotham City, New Jersey]

POV Change

3rd Person POV

The quarter moon shone through the thick clouds of darkness that always seemed to permeate around Gotham, giving its silvery light to the dark corners of the street. Street lights were, for reasons unknown, were not very bright and thus the darkness consumed whatever lignt they produced- Down the street, a flicker of shadow dashed through the darkness, and at the same time, the street light above it simply flickered off. One of the many warehouses used by Wayne Enterprises, a big, crystalline humanoid colored a soft shade of violet could be seen encased in thick protective bulletproof glass. The humanoid was about 10 feet in height, with jagged shards of crystal and amethyst jutting out of its shoulders, arms, legs, and back. There was a hollow head on the top, with empty eye sockets that were previously full of light. All around the room, there were different standard surveillance cameras, seeing as this huge crystal thing could be possibly stolen- And if you think nobody would steal such a massive thing, there once was a giant penny on the top of Gotham's Bank, but it is long gone! The casing was also rigged with a tracker (in case someone managed to get the entire container) and an alarm that would detect vibrations above a certain level, in case someone attacked the glass to try and break it.

But there's things you cannot avoid. Like magic, for example. A single puff of blue smoke spread out, and above the bulletproof glass case, two individuals appeared for a split second- coincidentally, the security cameras seemed to turn off for a moment before they turned back up and returned to normal, and those two individuals were no longer there.

Through a [Telepathic Bond], Atlas said to Waylon: "[So, my beloved King, what do you think~?]" Having cast [Greater Invisibility] on both himself and Waylon, alongside the spell [See Invisibility], Atlas was comfortable enough to softly settle himself on Waylon's shoulder, his hand gripping the muscle while making a thoughtful expression- he stopped thinking his perverted thoughts and focused back towards the big creature beneath them, it was a little bigger than he thought, but the copy would be enough- He made the Crystal Golem to be completely still, he had casted [Create Construct] on it because he planned on making the golem destroy itself, which would make it lose all magic and in turn make it seem like the crystal hulk of the monstrosity simply withered away. "[Let me take a look around, I'll see if there are any triggers... While you're here, take a look around, you can take whatever you want- Just keep the gloves on, okay?]" He compromised on taking Waylon with him to the "secret Justice League warehouse" so they could steal something, which was kinda ridiculous. Atlas knew for a fact that these things won't stay here for long. In fact, they might be taken out to the Justice League's new base soon— seriously, Waylon really wanted to get something, anything really. He was excited about it! Sure, he didn't express it through words, but his actions spoke loudly.

"[Sure thing, my Q- Atlas, I'll keep the damn gloves on...]" Grumbling and a little annoyed at the insisting nagging that Atlas repeated for the 9th time that night, Waylon approached the edge of the glass platform they were on top of before taking a step off. Before he could even hit the ground that was quickly approaching, his momentum broke and he slowly touched the ground with a simple and soundless touch of his feet. His tail softly swayed from side to side as he analyzed everything around him... This was one of the secretive warehouses that, according to Atlas, was owned by Bruce Wayne- he still wasn't over the fact that the billionaire play boy was the f*cking bat! But that makes perfect f*cking sense, after all, who'd think a daddy's boy rich enough to buy the entirety of Gotham would put on what Atlas loves to call a "combination between a fursuit and a BDSM leather daddy suit", and he only knew what one of those was- and it wasn't the furry thing. "[Just make sure to get things of value too, like, I don't know... Drugs?]" I mean, Bruce Wayne is a play boy, he must have used at least a single type of drug before! Like, snorted cocaine of a bitch's back? He has done that before, it was weird.

"[Why would the bat have a secret stash of drugs on his secret warehouse where he stores his secrets?]" Atlas' dry voice responded with a mixture of sarcasm and genuine curiosity. His floating body was softly gliding around the giant glass case as he looked over it, letting his mind slowly come up with several different ways to get the big thing out. "[...on second thought, you should really take things too- Nothing of too much value so we don't get the League on our ass, but it'd be weird if someone broke in this building and took nothing- I will have to turn off the surveillance cameras for a while, until I bring the crystal golem and switch it up for the other crystal creature thing... I can practically feel the magic from this thing.]" He dragged himself around as he went off to detect and find every single surveillance camera and every single bug in the room- there was a surprising of amount of them, but considering the fact that this was one of Batman's secret warehouses, then it is to he expected. He slowly marked each place, he'd need to either turn the entire system off at once (which would require more time for him to access it) or he would turn off only a few cameras and bugs... But that would make it obvious that something was taken from that region.

"[Oh, I'll make suuure to take sh*t! There's a lot of weird and random things around here- specially metal sharp weapons and weirdly shaped things. And apparently a lot of weird materials for some things? This is kinda cool tot he touch- Oh, what's this?]" Holding this weird circular shield-like disk that was painted blue, red, and white with a star on it, Waylon felt kinda patriotic and ridiculous. He was in this section of the warehouse where there were a bunch of weird items- He saw this hammer that he was going to try and lift, but he stopped before he could try and went directly to the isle next to him, picking up this claw-like metal thing: "[I think Selina will like this one.]" Without hesitation, he snatched it off of where it stood- He stopped, waiting for an alarm to echo, but nothing happened? He turned to look at Atlas as he had a hand lifted towards him, his eyes were wide and he looked almost scared for a moment. Then his gaze turned hot and annoyed, and Waylon had to control himself before he got a boner then and there- Angry sex was not something he has had with Atlas yet, mostly because he goes really soft and dormant in his arms, but he wanted to, just once, anger him to the point of breaking to see what he would do. "[Oopsie?]" With a grin and not sorry at all, Waylon went to look at other sh*t he could take. There were also normal stuff there too, things you could find in a warehouse, like metal? There was a huge box of metal.

Ignoring Waylon as he started to fill the [Bag of Holding] he had given him with whatever he could get his hands on, Atlas focused back at disabling the surveillance system and the alarm system as well, so Waylon could steal as much sh*t as he wanted. He closed his eyes for a moment and reached out with his magic, sensing the flow of energy within the world around him before casting- for the first time ever -the spell called [Remote Access]. This was a branch of magic that has just been thinking about for the past two days, but today he decided to try it out... Technomagic. Magic that interacts and controls technology! The spell he had just casted on himself was a spell designed to grant him access to a machine in the same way someone using their own hands to control it could, but by controlling the machine itself. "[Let's see...]" He couldn't really control the cameras the same way he wanted, he knew absolutely nothing about hacking, so instead he decided to simply use it to connect himself to the eletronics to see if he could find something... And, well, he found nothing! Well, he found that there was no way for him to access the system from here and place a loop on the cameras, so he decided to learn more about Technomagic later and rely on good ol' fashioned magic! "[Illusions always work anyway-]" He weaved his hands like he was making the most intricate of nets, then with a whisper of "[-Silent Image]" there was a temporary filter of magic that tightly surrounded the giant crystal humanoid. It was perfectly in place, so Atlas casted [Teleport] to send away the actual Crystal Creature husk before whispering the magic words to cast [Conjure Construct] right where the Crystal Creature was supposed to be and where a illusion of it stood. "[And... done?]"

...an alarm rang out. "[Knew it.]"

Meanwhile, a few moments before, Waylon was looking through random sh*t. He didn't truly know what to expect from this place, but he thought there would be cooler sh*t, but this was basically a normal warehouse if you ignore the weapons and giant crystal thing. "[This is worthless junk...]" Seriously, his excitement was quickly drying out and dying at this moment! He paused when he caught something from the pile of rubble and trash he was going through... He pulled it out and turned it around before he smirked: "[Who knew I'd find one of those weird bat shaped things he likes to throw around.]" He poked it on the pointy ends, a bit surprised when he felt it prickle his leathery skin. You see, it has been a slow process but Waylon was already feeling the results of becoming a Demigod! He was sure his scales could stop bullets now, where they previously only slowed them down or reduced their impact- and his skin? It was able to stop cuts from most blades, so this thing was crazy sharp! "[I needed a new souvenir. I think I'll keep it-]" Perks of becoming a Demigod meant everything he had was becoming stronger. It was like a second puberty, and Sobek did warn him his sex drive would increase ("I fear for that boy...") alongside his senses too, which came to mind as soon as this shrilling, sharp, and loud ringing screaming sound echoed inside his skull.

"[...I might have triggered the alarm.]" Atlas chuckled down their [Telepathic Bond] nervously, looking at Waylon with a shy smile while poking his two index fingers against each other (), trying to look cute and innocent, like a kid that knew he would get in trouble but was trying to act innocent in hopes of getting off free of a beating or lecture. "[Sorry?]"

"[Seriously? Barely even noticed.]" Waylon easily noticed how Atlas was trying to act cute (he didn't need to act) and grinned: "[Remember the bet? Now you gotta do whatever I ask you~]" With an almost dangerously wide grin of triumph (he was happy he didn't trigger the alarm), Waylon already had something in mind for what he wanted Atlas to do. Images of him doing embarrassing things, calling him "sir" or "daddy" or "king" while he was being broken by his dick, ot maybe... Yeah, he'll settle for this simple thing, it's good enough, he supposes.

"[Wait- that was serious?]" Atlas remembered the little "hey, I bet you'll trigger the alarm" conversation they had before teleporting in the warehouse with [Dimension Door]. Waylon did say "If you trigger it, you gotta do what I say", which he just laughed it off as a joke- but apparently he was serious. "[...okay, what do you want me to do?]"

"[Simple. Go out with me.]"

...what?

"[But you gotta be wearing panties while doing it.]"

Ah, there he is. Perverted as always.

"[...fine.]"

Chapter 43: [Interlude] - A Breezy Place (Part 1)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 06:00 | 06:00 AM]

[Calendar - 16/03/2003]

[Location - beasti*alis Kingdom - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

Flashback

[Clock: Unknown]

[Calendar: 09/03/2003]

[Location: Unknown]

POV Change

Lord of Chaos - Klarion the Menace

Soft, light touches upon the thin and long thread of magic made him smirk- Oh, this is going to be so much fun... He had spent weeks slowly but surely working on this, he had been extremely bored out of his f*cking mind! The Light hasn't been doing much, and that immortal f*cker was boring tok because he refused to do anything fun... He remembers to this very day the face that guy made when he sank the kingdom his kid made- it was awesome! He did torture and kill the beast woman that summoned him there though, mostly because she was trying to demand things from him after he was having his fun. But, as part of the deal he had made with her, he did have to send away as many beast people as he could before that continent had sunk. "Well, it's kinda similar to the thing I did to Atlantis, but who cares?" He looked at his beloved anchor and kitty, Teekl, who just looked back at him with her big eyes: "What do you mean I'm being repetitive?" She meowed in response: "Huh, I mean, that... That is genius! Total chaos, people killing each other, and so much more!? Oh, I'll just have to make some minor adjustments..."

With a wide grin, he let go of the thread he was holding- not today, later. He needs to... do a few more things before he pulls the last part. These changes would cause chaos, death, suffering! Oh, he is so excited about it- he truly believes Teekl is a genius little kitty, to suggest something so devious? Oh, this will be a calamity.

POV Change

Atlas - Queen of Beasts Jester

It was a surprise to him when Adam started to spark. For those who do not remember, Adam is Abigail's son- the one who touched the train Atlas has been working on to make magical in nature. He got a big shocking surprise when he touched it, and to Atlas' surprise, he started to show signs of... Well, the only way to describe it is powers. Specifically, little Adam started to show the ability to shoot little lightning bolts from his fingers. It was quite shocking (heh) when Abigail came running to him, holding her son, as she looked worried. And to appease her, he just gave her the diagnosis that he had: "Oh, don't worry about him- Puberty, you know? Specially when your child has the Meta Gene. Well, he is 6 years old, so I guess puberty isn't really the thing but who knows? It might be also because he got blasted by a train once." Shrugging, Atlas poked the kid with his finger and watched as static electricity sparked on his finger: "Don't worry, Abigail, I'm sure I can help him- But just in case, you should pray to Bastet, she will take care of everyone of your household."

Book of Living Beings

Name: Adam Begala

Race: hom*o Meta

Age: 6

Height: 5'2 feet

Weight: 48 pounds

Mental Health: Stable, Anxiety, Stress

Health: Minor muscle spraining, headache for overusing ability

Location: beasti*alis Kingdom, Learning Palace of Thoth, 2nd Floor

Meta Ability: Energy Based Attacks (Electricity)

Analysis: Adam has awoken his Meta Gene due to an accident involving magic. As far as you know, his ability is limited to shooting sparks of electricity out of his fingertips. This might change upon the further development of his abilities. It is reccomended he receives extra care, else he might damage his own body by overusing his own abilities.

It was a surprise to see this- Meta Genes? 'Is this the DC equivalent of the X-Gene from Marvel?' Atlas frowned for a few moments- he will focus on reading about it later, right now he has found another path for the citizens of beasti*alis Kingdom... That at this point, is going to become a menagerie of several different types of citizens. I mean, they have animals that received human-like intelligence and the ability to speak English from magic, they have human-like animals that were created by a sunken empire of fish people, they have previously homeless people, and in the future they will have people with powers that come directly from their genes. "You can relax- I will teach him how to properly control his newfound abilities so he doesn't hurt himself doing that, okay? Oh, by the way, would you mind if I took blood samples? Just for some exams- Have to make sure he is completely healthy and his newfound powers won't affect his health, of course." That and he wanted Robert and Victor to take a look at the Meta Gene that this child had, to see if there was any way to recreate it and awaken within the human body. He had a few theories of how to do it with magic, but he didn't really have the time to test it nor the will...

He was preparing for something else. He was preparing himself to go the Elemental Plane of Air! That place was- well, it was beautiful but equally as deadly. It is as open as an endless sky, it is as solid as a breath, and it is falling forever- Well, not forever forever, because you would hit something sooner or later. Sky above and sky below! A sea of clouds, thunder and lightning, and beautiful sights to enchant the eye and heart of poets and writers... That's the best way to describe the Elemental Plane of Air. 'Ah, the Boundless Blue...' He was so f*cking excited and very anxious about it at the same time. "So, kiddo, wanna learn how to shoot lightning from your hands and yell 'Unlimited Power'?"

POV Change

3rd Person POV

Time Skip - 4 Days

[Calendar: 20/03/2003]

[Clock: 08:18 | 08:10 AM]

[Location: The Boundless Blue - Elemental Plane of Air]

It had taken him 4 days to completely make an item "attuned" to the Elemental Plane of Air. All he did was to continuously feed and enchant an item with magic, focusing entirely on Conjuration and the need to go to the Elemental Plane of Air, which caused the soft feather of a dove he had gotten, to become a pristine white feather that would constantly float in space. That was his anchor to take Waylon with him to the Elemental Plane of Air and back to their Kingdom- But there was a small problem, a little tiny thing called:

Taking the Eternal Plunge.

That is what is called when you fall in the Elemental Plane of Air, and because there is nothing but air, you fall eternally. This falling can be easily controlled as long as you control your own perception of up and down, gravity in this plane is very different and weird... It simply goes wbere you perceive "down" to be. If you think the direction you're looking at is down, gravity will pull you towards that direction! Which is why Atlas told Waylon "Because we will appear in an endless sky, with nothing but air, I'm casting a spell on you to allow you to float" but he did not cast such a spell at all. He gave Waylon the illusion of being weightless, the illusion that there was no up or down, and Atlas already knew such trivial thing was non-existent in the Elemental Plane of Air- And because of that, when the trio (Well, Sobek wanted to come along, so Atlas took him too... Which in turn had all the other gods wanting to come too, so Atlas gave them the responsibility of watching over the kingdom while they were away) appeared in the endless expanse of clouds and blue skies, they simply floated where they were.

The very first thing that Atlas noticed, however, was the softness of the air around him. His eyes were particularly affected by it for some reason, and he felt his sight expanding and doubling over- he could see everything with greater detail than before! "Woah, this is trippy." The second thing he noticed, however, was this sudden snapping sensation over his soul- A line, a tether of esoteric, metaphysical energy seemed to make contact with his own magic. Like a curious animal, it reached out to the object of its curiosity before softly pushing. It was surprisingly welcoming, the Weave. Atlas felt it make a connection to him, and that was it! There were no oppressive sensations over his magic or soul, simply... A welcome. "This..." He pulled magic into himself- The magic around him was pure energy from the Weave, and it was pure and clean. It was magnificent! The energy itself was leagues and bounds above anything he had ever felt before, and he is confident he can easily create more stars and more circles within his soul! "Waylon-" Atlas turned to look at Waylon and smile, only to see the big crocodile man upside down, touching a cloud. "-what you doin'...?"

"This. Is. Awesome!" Twisting and spinning around (He shouldn't be doing this? He didn't have the [Fly] spell on himself), Waylon grinned playfully- He hasn't had so much fun ever since... Well, he doesn't really remember! His childhood was sh*t, and his entire life after was sh*t too. He needed to be a mature and serious king at all times, but when he was alone with Atlas, he felt free to act as childish as he wished! "Hey, Atlas, come here! This cloud here seems weirdly solid." He poked the cloud again, slowly approaching simply by willing himself to fly towards the cloud. Sobek, who was holding onto him, also poked the cloud with clear interest in his eyes. Waylon's clawed hand clenched over the cloud, piercing through and pulling a piece of it- it had the consistency of cotton, but somehow it was also solid enough to hold the weight of... Is that a castle? "...Atlas, you didn't tell me that there were castles in the clouds."

Atlas, meanwhile, was having a soft anxiety attack at the moment. You know, solid clouds aren't exaclty... common, even in the Elemental- No, even on the Boundless Blue, they aren't exactly easy to find, unless you are in the territory of some magical beings. But the moment Waylon mentioned a castle, he looked up to see this enormous gigantic walls of stone and thick, absolutely thick rocks the size of houses. His eyes gazed upward, and without prompt, his body floated up as he focused. He did see Waylon pause his shenanigans and follow right after, and when they broke through the wall and approached the high points, Atlas saw what he could only describe as a beautiful white cloudy castle.

"Woah..." The solidity of the clouds looked to be about the same of marble, but the softness was that of cotton. When he applied great pressure, the wall bent a little before reaching a point where it was harder and harder to push. Only Waylon, with the enormous strength of his (that was constantly increasing) could pierce the solid cloud with his bare hands and pull a chunk of it. "This is so beautiful..." But, of course, just because this place was beautiful did not mean it wasn't dangerous! "Waylon, stay still for a few moments-" He pulled his fingers together before dragging them out in a single line. He reached out and touched the side of Waylon's face, and the familiar sensation of having magic reach out and establish a mental bond, a bridge between their minds, snapped. "[There, now we can speak like this.]"

"[...is there a reason why we can't speak out loud?]"

"[Woah, this is cool-]" Ah, right, Atlas didn't want to leave Sobek out of the [Telepathic Bond]! "[-kinda weird, but similar to when a mortal prays to me.]"

"[Well, because we're in someone's home.]" Atlas smirked softly, he could basically feel the opportunity in the air- Just right there for them to grasp! "[This is the castle of a Cloud Giant... And they love to hoard riches, magic items, and art. This means we can have a little fun.]"

It seems that stealing from Batman once was enough to give Atlas the taste.

Meanwhile, back on Gotham, Selina Kyle felt weirdly proud of herself.

Chapter 44: [Interlude] - A Cloudy Place (Part 2)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - ???]

[Calendar - 20/03/2003]

[Location - Fortress of the Glażar Family - Boundless Blue, Elemental Plane of Air]

POV Change

Atlas

With a mental nudge, Atlas activated the [Interdimensional GPS] and a rush of energy softly left his body in an almost imperceptible wave that stretched out thousands of miles in a single burst, travelling with the winds of the eternal blue skies and easily melding with the Weave, dissipating harmlessly into the atmosphere. Thanks to this, Atlas could now find other places and locations! Thanks to his system, he was able to find where he was. Differently from the planet he was from, where you would be able to find yourself by using latitude and longitude, in an Elemental Plane of Existence, Atlas had to rely on points in the general space! Cities, dens of certain creatures, motes of other elemental energies taken form, and even carcasses of gargantuan creatures that endlessly float upon the Boundless Blue. "[Apparently, we're in the home of the Glażar family... Don't know much about them, but- Well, what I know about Cloud Giants is that they're gambling addicts, so we could just steal from them... or we could meet them, make a bet, and then win the bet and get things from them. I mean, being friendly to them might be advantageous? Voting? Who votes for stealing and who voted for maybe diplomacy?]"

"[Let's steal! I wanna commit crimes! I wanna be an Interdimensional crime doer!]" Sobek's voice in his small lizard body- that squeaked like a dog's chew toy in excitement -was a bit disproportionate to his actual little lizard body, so hearing this grown man's deep voice speaking such words and knowing they were coming out of the equivalent of a divine gecko, it was pretty funy. But Atlas could understand the enthusiasm Sobek had- he was in another dimension, floating amogst endless clouds and stading before a castle made of solidified cloud that apparently has riches inside. "[You think they have some sort of booze? Anything with alcohol? I mean, I would have- but would giants?]" Ah, this was why he was so excited, huh? Little alcoholic divine gecko was excited by the prospect of drinking his weight in alcohol the giants have, which most likely is enough to get him and 900 little copies of him drunk in one gulp. It would be pretty adorable to see the little gecko Sobek drunk, though...

"[...thinking like a King, I think we should approach this with diplomacy in mind- But I wanna steal sh*t from these people.]" Waylon grumbled like a child, pouting softly and making Atlas feel a little gushed and tempted to just let Waylon steal something, but he was a King... I mean, they're not exactly known to be royalty in this place- they're in the Boundless Blue for Sobek's sake, but they can't make stealing a habit! This was an opportunity to make a friendship if they play their cards right. "[But I am a king, so I guess we can approch this diplomatically... and then steal from them.]" Ah, there it is- the decision Atlas knew Waylon would be making! Atlas can play along and make a rigged bet that the giants will lose... But they'd have to start small, with small things so they might win small thimgs and make the Cloud Giants lower their guard. He can think of a few bets that would guarantee them the win, but not enough harmless ones that will make the Giants lower their guards...

"[Very well then, my be- king.]" Atlas almost slipped up and called Waylon "my beloved", which would have been embarrassing because he would have to awkwardly explain why he considered Waylon his "beloved" when their relationship was sexual at best. "[We shall approach this in a diplomatic way... while trying to steal from them as much as possible.]" Meanwhile, Atlas was thinking to himself and not projecting his thoughts through [Telepathic Bond]: 'Get it together, Atlas.' Because he was feeling rather flushed and embarrassed about his near slip up... Maybe its because he spends most of his time with Waylon, but he does like him quite a bit- is it because he was a horny bottom? Oh gods, that would be so embarrassing. No, Waylon already teases him too much. It would be humiliating (and not in a good way) to let him know that he has started to fall for him because of how good he is- in bed and out of it. That would make the lizard man both smug and with the impression that Atlas is the easiest whor* on the planet. "[L-let's just... find the front door and knock.]" Calm down, Atlas! Keep your little ass closed, it's not the time nor place for you to feel softy like that.

With a wave of his hand, Atlas guided them towards the entrance for the castle that he could see with the mapping part of the [Interdimensional GPS] function. The entrance gate was an enormous, soft white wood with dark grey metal nails the size of a truck's wheel while the soft white-grey rocks had these soft marks where they were carved with runes that Atlas took just a few seconds to learn what they were with his [All Tongue] perk that he had- He was able to easily read the runes for [Reinforcement], [Protection], and [Recovery]. He was surprised for a moment- So Giants have their own way to enchant things, huh? Knocking on the castle "door", Atlas casted [Thunderclap] on the door, letting the thunderous sound echo- he did look apologetically at Waylon when he winced at the sheer volume of his knocking at the door. Atlas waited for a few moments before there was the soft echo of footsteps, and in about a minute, the door was opening. A pair of big soft white-blue eyes stared at him as he looked back, and with a smile, he said: "Hello, nice to meet you, I am Atlas. I apologize for knocking at your door, but I was told there was a Master Gambler at this castle, and we've come to compete with a few bets." Speaking in Giant, Atlas kept the same smile on his lips as he discretely casted [Tongues] on Waylon (sadly, not making out to cast it).

"...Ah, you must've heard of my father then-" The door was pulled back further, showing Atlas the full height of the magnificent giant before him. 14 feet tall, so this one probably was a teenager or maybe a tall boy, but Atlas did not want to make any assumptions: "-Come in! Come! Father will be very happy that travelers have heard of his gambling feats!" He smiled and welcomed them inside- Atlas simply floated inside, being followed by Waylon who looked at the kid with wide eyes. Atlas could feel the big croc's man confusion and realization when he understood the giant in front of him was a child at least or a teenager at most. "It's been a while since a traveler has come to visit my family for gambling- The King of Gambling is pretty famous still, I take it? Oh, father will be so happy to start another Gambling Games! There will be shooting competions, magic competitions, fighting competitons-"

"Żamgas? Who was at the door- Oh, my goodness, it is nice to meet you, little ones." As soon as they entered through the gates into the castle proper, Atlas was met with the corridor of white walls and ceiling, the soft ground dented a bit when the kid took steps forward. Soon, pushing her head out of the end of the corridor (the 50 feet tall corridors, 30 feet long) was a beautiful, silver haired woman. Her hair was long, reaching a barely the ground with its curly tips. Her eyes were just like Żamgas' eyes, a pale white-blue that resembled thin ice. Her pale white skin was a soft contrast against her deep blue dress that had the same color of the sky outside. "Welcome you two-" Sobek made a squeaky sound, upset that he was being ignored: "-you three? Oh my, he is so adorable! I am Iżvir, Iżvir Glażar, and you must've met my son Żamgas Glażar? He is quite the polite boy, isn't he?" She sounded like a very proud mother! The boy in question looked to be a bit embarrassed about his mother babying him in front of strangers, and Atlas couldn't help but smile.

"You taught him good, miss. Lessons are the treasure that parent give their children, treasures that increase in value with each day." Atlas didn't know where that came from, but he was pretty sure it was a Giant saying? It felt natural to say right at that moment... It was like he knew the saying for a long time and understood the language he was speaking deeply: "But such pleasantries are just that- Pleasantries. I apologize for being direct, but would you like to make a guess? Partaking into the game of chance. I don't want much, only if you get it wrong, that you allow us to stay for a meal." Atlas understood Cloud Giants and the sheer love for betting, games of change, and games that they had- of all the giants, they are the ones who makes the most bets, who study spells and act as Wizards, and the ones who love art and games. "If you correctly guess our relationship, I shall grant you my finest piece of art." By tempting the woman with a piece of art she had never seen, Atlas practically granted himself and Waylon some time to relax in this beautiful dimension!

"Huh." The lady smiled, her eyebrows lifting as she said with the biggest aura of smug confidence: "I am very good at games of chance and guessing games- Judging by the way you've been close together, the way you have shown respect to the lizard man beside you, and judging by the way he has been looking at you for guidance... I say that you're his adviser, or deeply trusted friend." Oh f*ck, she had read them completely! Atlas sighed softly, read to admit she was right and that she had the eye to look through them, when-

"Well, you're wrong." Waylon suddenly said, with the smug happiness of someone who had just won something: "He is, in fact, my wife." The Giant word for "wife" literally meant "my fortress", "the rock I earnestly hold", "the one who weathers the storm alongside me", and "my queen". So, basically, Waylon just declared that Atlas was the one and only for him- This was the formal way a giant would call the person they loved most. "Isn't that right, my love?"

"...ah, right!" Atlas felt a rush of blood go directly to his face as he kept a smile. He tried to keep his heart from beating way too fast, instead focusing yo keep the lie up so they could win the bet- this wasn't a very important bet, but if Waylon wanted to win it so much that he invented this lie on the spot, then Atlas will go along with it! He chuckled as he made a thoughtful expression: "We have been married for... was it 8 years? No, It's been 10 years already." He dragged his fingers across his hair and pulled back his sleeves a bit, ignoring how Waylon had the same smug smile he always had: "I still remember our Ka'nuuhak. It was the most beautiful, happiest day... of my life." The word Ka'nuuhak roughly translated to "the night after the tying of fate's threads", which would be the nuptials nights or the start of the honeymoon? Well, it was a celebratory day for Giants, one where the newly wed couple shows their devotion to one another by giving each other seven gifts, each representing each quality a giant sought out in a partner.

Strength. Resilience. Endurace. Craftsmanship. Mind. Might. And Soul.

"Ah, young love." The giant woman smiled brightly, just by hearing that they were so happy and in love, she didn't even care if she lost the game: "May I see the gifts you receive for your Ka'nuuhak? I would slso show you mine, they're beautiful! My beloved Gażas gifted me the most beautiful things. We have been married for 366 years!"

"Of course." Atlas smiled- Where the f*ck is getting these seven items!? He needs seven gifts, each that represent Waylon's Strength, Resilience, Endurance, Craftsmanship, Mind, Might, and Soul! "...I would love to."

Meanwhile, Waylon: Heh, wife, huh? I can get used to that.

Chapter 45: [Interlude] - A Home (Part 3)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - ???]

[Calendar - 20/03/2003]

[Location - Fortress of the Glażar Family - Boundless Blue, Elemental Plane of Air]

'...I wanna go to the Cambrian period... Imagine all the stupid looking Sacabambaspis, the adorable Anomalocaris, and the terrifying 5 feet long Euryptids...' Atlas silently cried to himself as he kept a beautiful smile on his lips, his body floating along beside Iżvir Glażar and her son Żamgas Glażar, with Waylon and Sobek floating right beside him. Waylon had taken his hand as they floated together, much to his shy embarrassment as he kept speaking pleasantries to the polite giant woman: "And that was how we met." With a beautiful stringed story that he twisted to make sure Waylon came out as a hero ("He saved me. I was lost and alone, and he found me. In return, I offered to make him the happiest, strongest man I could and he accepted, so we've been together ever since... If he hadn't found me there, I don't know what would've happened to me... He's the reason I am who I am today, and for that I am forever grateful.") and good person, he also made himself seem like a little damsel in distress just for the sake of the conversation he was having with the lady of the house. She was polite and shared her own story as well! And, well, it was kinda cute too.

"That was a beautiful story." She said, her eyes filled with happiness and gushing about how cute they were together. She was, as it turns out, an energetic giant woman who loved everything to do with love, romance, and stories! She herself said thay she had a beautiful collection of books with the sappiest, most romantic stories ever! "It reminds me of how me and my beloved Gażas met- You see, back in the day, he had lost a terrifying bet against the worst giant ever- Amovir had cheated, and thus my husband was forced to serve him for 100 years, or until his demise. We met on the battlefield in a war against dragons and their servants, he was covered in blood and grime, and I had just saved his life. And that's how our first few meetings went- I saved his life, he saved my life, we saved each other's life... And then, we found out that Amovir was in cahoots with the dragons, and after a long trial to prove my now husband's innocence, Amovir was executed and my husband freed."

Atlas had the inkling that whoever Amovir was, he wasn't really in cahoots with any dragon. "That is a beautiful story as well, Lady Glażar." They were guided down another hall, this one shorter than the previous one, taking them directly to a massive and open space. There was a beautiful pale white tree with white leaves that adorned it like a snowy crown, white flowers dangled from dark gray vines, blossoming to greet the beautiful world and make it more beautiful with its own beauty. There was soft green grass around the soil of the tree, with mundane flowers blossoming as well- Atlas could easily recognize lilies, and a few wildflowers too. Atlas could also hear the soft sound of wind chimes echoing across the garden, as these small insects that resembled butterflies but with four wings flew around them, each having a different color to the other: "You have a beautiful garden, Lady Glażar, I'm afraid I am not very familiar with the white tree- might I enquire what is its name? Such a beautiful specifies." He was expecting that she would act like a noble woman and simply explain that it was her garden before calling a servant or something (he got that impression from them, that they were rich nobles), but no!

The giant woman smiled brighter after having her garden praised, and without even bothering to hide away her happiness, she replied: "Ah, finally someone who recognizes the beauty of nature properly!" To the side, Atlas saw the Żamgas boy sigh heavily as he looked like he was about to list to a lecture from her mother- This might have happened several times if the boy was apprehensive about whatever his mother was going to do. Much to break Atlas' expectations of the worse, she only spoke about the tree and the history of her family with the tree: "This is my beautiful Windtaker. Windtaker Trees grow rarely in the Boundless Blue, they're known to grow on clouds and enchante the air around them! They project a calming breeze that dissipates the thunderous and extremely destructive storms of the Boundless Blue and protects their territory, and even if a storm does happen, the Windtaker makes due its name and takes control of the winds and makes its territory the eye of the storm, making so nothing in its territory is destroyed." With a proud smile on her lips, the giant woman (Who, Atlas just noticed, wasn't even half the size of the tree) continued her explanation about the beauty that was the Windtaker Tree: "It is quite peaceful when storms happen because of this beautiful tree, and we've been protecting it ever since we moved to the Boundless Blue, about 230 years ago."

"Oh? That is wonderful. We're new to the Boundless Blue, but I have read about it- Tell me, Lady Glażar, is it true that Feather Dragons live in this realm? They're quite the formidable beings, I reckon?" Channeling his best polite nobleman, Atlas spoke as politely and enquiry as possible. He was ready to use every tool he had at his disposal, and he had to act like Waylon's wife too... Well, they don't know yet that Waylon is a King, but acting like a Queen doesn't hurt... right? H-he can act like a Queen, if i-it's necessary! Of course he wouldn't do it normally! He hasn't even daydreamed of doing something similar before! Who are you even talking about? He has no extremely hom*osexual gay gay hom*osexual thoughts about Waylon Jones - aka King Croc! Preposterous! "I always wanted to see a Feather Dragon. Oh- how rude of me, may I give you a gift, Lady Glażar?"

"Please, call me Iżvir, or Lady Iżvir if you feel more comfortable." As they approached another enormous door, Atlas had yet to see another giant- It seems he has judged these giants wrongly? Normally Cloud Giants were supposed to be, like, the nobles of Giantkind, right? Maybe they're just modest and don't have servants. "And oh, a gift you say? What kind of gift would that be?" She pushed the door open, and on the other side Atlas could see the biggest, most decorated great hall he has ever seen before! Giant tables with decorative carvings, chairs the size of a bus or maybe bigger, and with chalices of gold and silver with beautiful gemstones on them. "Ah, right, how rude of me- Welcome to our humble abode, travellers. This is the Great Hall of the Glażar Family."

"Well, first of all, thank you for inviting us to your beautiful home-" Placing a hand on his chest, Atlas smiled at the giant woman- he was truly thankful for her generosity, even though he expected to fight and maybe kill a giant today -before he extended his hand, a book slowly materializing and growing in size. When it was about the size of a car, it stopped growing. "-and have you ever read [Tusk Love]?"

POV Change

3rd Person POV

As it turns out, no- She hadn't! [Tusk Love] is a smut novel written by Matilda Merceria. It follows the "saucy" relationship between Oskar, a half-orc, and Guinevere, the daughter of a traveling merchant, after they meet on the Amber Road near Druvenlode. Though they initially cannot be together, for fear of their families' opinions of the relationship, it ends with them happily in love! So, a classical forbidden romance with tons of smut too, which seemed to be right on par with the lady of the house. Lady Iżvir was enamored with the book the moment she began reading it, and she was quite taken aback by chapter 2 of the novel too.

"Oh- Oh my! C-can you do that? Oh, I never thought this would be possible!" She exclaimed, her face covered a soft pink color as her blushing intensified. She was reading chapter 4 probably? The smut scene of this chapter is pretty spicy! Even Atlas, who has no interest in women, found himself questioning why that book was so f*cking spicy! "...Gażas, we have to try this." Turning to look at her beloved husband, Iżvir smiled brightly.

Sitting by the "head" seat, the lord of the house kept a plastic smile on his face- He was tall, taller than Iżvir herself by maybe an entire head, and he was quite the muscle man as well! His pale white hair was long, reaching his shoulders as he tied it, and his scars covered his entire neck, shoulders, and arms. He was a seasoned warrior, that much was very obvious! "Iżvir, my love, please do not read such books on the dinner table-" He turned to look at the open pages of the book, slowly reading the few setences before his eyes widened and a bit of food fell on his beard as his jaw almost dropped to the floor: "-Oh my gods, that is spicy! How is that possible- Oh, no, I see it. Huh, I never even thought of using it like that-" He paused for a moment, looking back at the lecherous look his wife was giving him before he sighed... Well, it seems like he will need to be prepared for this new found sex position, huh? Damn you, Matilda Merceria! "...I apologize, my guests, for ignoring you all."

"Oh, please, don't feel like you need to entertain us-" Because you're doing that just by speaking to your wife about doing sex in a very risky position right on the dinner table and that is entertaining enough "-It is simply enough for us to observe your beautiful abode." Atlas smiled as politely as he could, trying not to laugh at the way Iżvir seemed to love the idea of trying the new ideas that she was getting from the book: "...I also have other books from Matilda Merceria. Would you like to take a look at [The Devil's In-Fearne-o]? [Under the Tendrils of Uk'otoah]? [Shadowgast: Beacon of Betrayal]? I have some of them, but sadly not them all." He had found himself someone that enjoyed books as much as he did, which was what made it even more amusing to him when she turned out to be a degenerate like him that loved to read smut! I mean, he visibly remembers reading pretty hardcore smut right in front of his father- 'Huh?' He could remember this? That's kinda surprising. He focused a bit more, trying to remember his father's face- DON'TTURNOFFTHELIFESUPPORT -but he couldn't?

Weird.

Regardless, of his thoughts, Waylon was both feeling amused, but also a bit bored. He was amused because he could watch this scene unfold, but bored because he wanted to gamble! He wanted to play with the giants or something like that- Atlas did promise (Note: Atlas did not promise anythin) him they would have fun! And their gambling gaming fun hasn't even started. "[...Wife, hey wife, when is the gambling starting? You told me there would be gambling.]"

"[Calm your gambling addicted ass down.]" Atlas regrets ever telling Waylon about the Cloud Giants and their gambling habits. I mean, Waylon didn't have a huge gambling addiction, but he did like gambling a bit- But it seems he has started to grow impatient! "[...P-please, not in front of them!]" Struggling to keep a polite smile on his lips as he felt Waylon's rough fingers push inside him with a impressive ease as Atlas' hole welcomed him inside like a long lost friend. (What can he say? ...he has gotten used to it)

"[Heh- Hurry, then.]" Atlas heard Waylon's voice whisper in his mind as those thick fingers of his pushed against his prostate once, twice, thrice, almost making him moan: "[I might find this here much more... Interesting.]" With that, he curled his fingers and moved them in a circular motion against Atlas' prostate-

"Ah!" Disguising his soft moan as a "ah, I remembered something!", Atlas got up from his seat beside Waylon (floating, of course) as he said: "I almost forgot... We were hoping to start a match of the Gambling Games?"

Immediately, the atmosphere changed.

"...Very well."

Oh, this will be fun!

Chapter 46: [Interlude] - A Truth (Part 4)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - ???]

[Calendar - 20/03/2003]

[Location - Fortress of the Glażar Family - Boundless Blue, Elemental Plane of Air]

POV Change

Atlas - Queen of Beasts

The Gambling Games.

It can be defined as a two in one style of game. There will be competions, and the ones watching will bet on the outcome of the game! Easy, right? Well, there are categories of betting, and if one person makes a bet, the other cannot make a similar bet! They have to make either an opposite bet or a bet that favors a different scenario. This type of game is very common amongst Cloud Giants, and they truly seem to enjoy it, no matter the outcome of the bets or the game itself. The types of games played at The Gambling Games. Knowing this, Atlas was fully prepared to play some sort of physical game against the family of clearly physically superior giants, but the very first game turned out to be a simple and easy [Bookworm Competion]. "Huh, what an adorable banner." Looking at the soft pink colored letters hanging from the soft white banner, Atlas couldn't help but praise the artistry of it. The little dot of the i was a little heart (♡) too, which was great.

"Oh, thank you~! I've been working on my art skills for some time now, and it has taken me some time to really learn how to make paints- It's a useful skill for an artist, apparently? I didn't know that at first, but when you live in a world of air and not many plants, you have to... improvise." It was clear to Atlas now that the lady of the house was desperate for someone who shared the same interests as her, and Atlas did! He could easily see the sheer effort she had taken to make the simple banner, which was harder to make from scratch due to the lack of proper resources- he wasn't sure how she made the banner or the paint, but she did, and that was great! "Oh well, let's start this small and friendly competiton? It is a simple one: The one who can read the fastest and memorize the most of the book provided, will win. However, there will be some different bettings happening- you can bet on which one reads the fastest, which one remembers the most of what they've read, the one who can say word for word of the material written and what they memorized of it, and any other bets you wish to make! As long as you are betting, then you are playing."

Atlas turned to look at Waylon- The big croc man gave him a thumbs up accompanied by his usual grin, which was kinda comforting in this moment. Atlas was even having fun! 'I can't really forget... We came here because I wanted to make more magic circles and more stars, and also to get materials for the spell to take beasti*alis Kingdom off of the ground and into the clouds. I'm sure the Elemental Plane of Air must have something that can be useful for that.' But it doesn't hurt to play a little betting game, right? "Ready." With a smile, Atlas lifted his hand and casted [Telekinesis] on the enormous book provided by Lady Iżvir, who smiled at him as the book floated up. It was easily 10 times his size, and Atlas found that ridiculously awesome for no reason other than it was big!

"Ready-" From the sidelines, her son Żamgas held out his hand to signal: "-go!"

Pages flipped at speeds which Atlas' mind could barely keep up with. He had to deeply focus on the book at hand- it was a massive book, the words were also enormous to him but barely big enough for Lady Iżvir to read it, as this was one of her smaller books. As Atlas kept focus on both the spell to keep the pages flipping at great speeds, keep the book floating, and kept focus on reading, he was surprised by the sound of Iżvir's book closing immediately. He paid her no mind, and as his eyes registered and memorized every word in the book, his mind was dragging behind his sight as he focused more on memorization and not truly reading word for word of what was in front of him. One brief look at the page and it was off to the next! In about 60 seconds, he had completely memorized a 578 pages book (keep in mind, the pages were way bigger than any other normal human book), and with his eyes closed, he started to absorb the knowledge he memorized. "I'm done." He said a few moments later, opening his eyes: "So, how did I do?"

"Well, you were slower than me-" One thing about Cloud Giants is that they love competition, and they love to win: "-but I had already read that book, and memorized it!" With an "innocent" smile, Lady Iżvir looked down at Atlas who also returned the same "innocent" look she had given him with twice the intensity. When it comes to bookworms, there is no one more competitive! "So, let's quote the book? I'll go easy on you! The one that gets more quotes right, wins this round. How does that sound?"

Atlas simply smiled- With a simple thought, he prepared himself and smiled: "Page 345, third paragraph second column- What does it say?" This one was easy, Atlas was sure of it. He's starting calmly!

Iżvir simply grinned: "To whom it might be, I am but me, the one who wishes to be yours by the glory of moonlight." Finishing quoting word by word what was on the book, Iżvir threw it right back at him: "Page 24, seventh paragraph, fifth column- What does it say?"

Oh, the caucacity of this bitch! "Pages and memories of old, bright as the moon is dark, remember these words oh my beloved, for I shall be within the shadows of your doubts of my love." She threw a curve ball right at his face! And he tried go easy on her- This is a bookworm battle now! "Page 567, fifth paragraph, third, fourth, and sixth column- What does it say?"

Meanwhile, Gażas turned to look at Waylon: "...your wife is exactly like mine."

"...yep, we'll be here for a while." Waylon couldn't help but agree.

The second game was something "not boring" according to the three brutes (read: Waylon, Gażas, and Żamgas) that got bored that he and his good friend (read: archenemy) Iżvir were quoting the entire book back and forth! It was quite fun, actually, but they had to stop because their husbands were bored... Atlas took really well to the "wife" role he was put as, and even though it was a lie, he felt like it was the truth for a split moment. And then he reminded himself that no- It wasn't, and when they leave the Boundless Blue, they'll be back to their carnal and sexual relationship. Which is fine, don't get him wrong, but these soft moments of pretending to be married made him... kinda wish they were.

"So, a weight lifting competition? How is that any fair- oh f*ck, never mind!" He was about to ask how would this be fair in any way, shape, or form, but when the men started to take off their shirts, he didn't care anymore: "I am, respectfully, looking. Iżvir, please forgive me as I look at your husband's massive muscles." Atlas apologized- they've been married for how long, so jealousy might be something? He wasn't sure, he'd be jealous if he was truly married to Waylon, but they were just pretending to be married anyway. "...Holy light of everlasting hope, that's a lot of scars. Where does that big one on his back come from?" Seriously, the guy was Hot with a capital H! Eight pack, big pecks, scars, and a very normal amount of body fat (for his size) that made him even hotter too. He also looked at Waylon's body- but he was shirtless most of the time anyway, so he has gotten used to it by now and he wasn't that taken aback by Waylon being shirtless. It was still hot as it was the first time he saw him, but he wasn't that surprised by it.

"Oh darling, you can look, but don't ever try to touch it." Both a warning and permission to oogle her husband? Well, that's very fair actually! She looked down at Waylon, poked Atlas in the back with her pinky finger, and grinned: "That hunk of yours must be the beast, huh? I know the type well. I had this ex that my now beloved husband killed- not related to the story -and your big lizard man acts the same co*cky way as he did." She pulled out a small (for her size, it easily was double Atlas' body size) flower from the flower bed beside her and settled it before Atlas, who easily touched it and casted his spells to enchant it. Why? Because they were having fun here! "You need to be a good pillar for him, because one day he will end up biting more than he can chew, and that will get him either killed or humbled." If the serious look she gave him was any indicator, whatever happened to her ex was not good at all. "...but, damn, they're hot."

Atlas chuckled as they watched- They had made a bet. Atlas did bet that Waylon could about five times his own weight or more. To counter that bet, Iżvir did bet that he could only lift three times his own weight. Then she did bet that her husband could easily lift five times the maximum weight his husband could (Atlas shivered when he heard Iżvir call Waylom his husband), and to counter that bet Atlas bet that her husband could only lift about three times the maximum weight that his husband (Even referring to Waylon as his husband made him have tingles all over his body). They went back and forth in a few bets, before they focused on watching the competition.

It was hot to see those big muscled bulge out as weight was pressed against them... Waylon was able to physically lift Gażas! It was amazing to see the small lizard man simply go for Gażas left leg before he lifted the guy's shoe and pushed him up- with great effort, Waylon was able to lift a 5.5 ton giant! Iżvir was beyond impressed! Never had they seen someone so small lift something so heavy!

The day went on like that- silly competion after silly competiton. Silly bet after silly bet. And Atlas had forgotten that, at first, he wanted to steal from them... Greed does blind man, huh?

Floating amidst the endless skies, Atlas looked back at the giant castle cloud- it was fun to spend some time with a family of Cloud Giants. But now, he needs to focus! He pulled magic deeper into his soul. The winds started to forms this cocoon all around him and tighten their hold before clouds swirled in- It was much easier than he thought it would be! Pure magic energy entered his body, passed by his mind, and entered his soul. There, it settled, strengthening the existing rings and fueling the creation of another one.

His fifth ring. It was very easy to make one too! But now, instead of 10 stars, to be completely stable his rings needed 15 stars each, bringing his star total to 75! "5 rings and 75 stars, huh?" He felt stronger... He'd need maybe one or two more rings before he truly feels comfortable to lift the beasti*alis Kingdom off of the ground and into the clouds, but he could possibly do it now if necessary. "I need to go tell Waylon the news-"

Stable Mind reached.

Stable Relationship reached.

Stable Soul reached.

Stable Situation reached.

As is the protocol, it has been detected that you are in a stable moment in your new life. You are ready to face the past. Don't be afraid to rely on your friends and loved ones, they're here for you.

Removing memory lock.

Removing emotional lock.

Removing psychological lock.

Removing spiritual lock.

Initiating (Remembrance)

"..." A heavy weight seemed to press down on his chest as he- remembered.

His entire past life was just- there. In his mind. He remembered the sensation of having a rope on his neck. Of fighing for his own survival even when he didn't want to live. Of making the decision that brought misery into his own life. And... he was remembering it all because of a fake relationship with Waylon? "...Am I that pathetic?"

"[Hey luv-]" The familiar voice of the one and only King Croc broke through his mental anguish as he spoke to him telepathically: "[-I got a gift from the nice giant lady! She said it is a late marriage gift? That's awesome, we should keep it for when that happens- anyway, I'm gonna go and see if I can get something else from the big guy.]"

...

"[...Well, I hope I get to wear a pretty dress then.]"

Yeah, that'd be nice.

Chapter 47: Breaking Point (Part 2)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 20:51 | 08:51 PM]

[Calendar - 22/03/2003]

[Location - beasti*alis Kingdom - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey ]

POV Change

Waylon Jones - King Croc

The moment they returned was like a rush of wind- They simply popped as Atlas finished casting his spell, which went way faster than the last time! Cracking his joints, Waylon took Sobek off of his head with a sharp grin before looking down at the little gecko sized crocodile god: "So, what're your thoughts? I f*ckin' love that place, it was awesome- Hey Queen, we need to go back there someday, I did promise Gażas that we would." It took Waylon a few moments after speaking to Atlas to notice that he had called him Queen, even though they weren't really between the giants anymore... But who is he even kidding? Atlas deserves that title after everything he has done for him, Atlas deserves to be held and kissed and- ...maybe he just wants to do that to him? 'I mean, I do.' He does want to hold him, he does want to f*ck him almost every single day and he did like acting like Atlas was his wife...

Because, let's face it, he kinda is.

Not to be a Disney princess and fall in love so f*cking quick only to get married a few seconds later, but Waylon could easily see the future- If things went the ways he could see them going, then he was pretty sure he would either tie the boy to his hip with chains or their relationship would turn sour from something he did. 'Well, best to keep him with me- Everything I have now is because of him, and, well, he would be an awesome queen anyway.' Waylon turned to face his Queen, and when he saw his face, he paused. He had never seen Atlas like this before- he looked devastated, like he had seen the worst kind of thing that has ever happened to him, over and over again, repeatedly. Waylon knows that kind of expression because he saw it, daily, in a mirror by the cage in that cursed circus. A face he never thought Atlas would make, so he was taken aback by the sheer sadness and loss behind those eyes... Did something happen? Did something happen and he didn't notice? Is he really that blind to not see his (Oh god, labels!) Atlas suffering? "...Luv?"

Snapping out of whatever daze he was in, Atlas turned to look at him- And that was when Waylon felt the presence of the other gods of beasti*alis. Isis clicked in, her scorpion little legs clicking on the stone floor of the base floor of the Learning Palace of Thoth, being followed by this small kitten, a bird, a small bull, a golden little beetle, and a long pink cobra. Atlas' eyes seemed to focus ahead, and a mask was slip into his face as he smiled, pretending that nothing wrong had happened: "Waylon... We don't need to pretend anymore, silly croc man. We're not around the giants anymore." Was that what this was about? Did Waylon f*ck it up somehow? Was this his fault? "Don't worry about calling me luv, or darlin' or whatever pet name you have in store- We're not in a relationship." Oh f*ck, he did do something, didn't he? This smells like trauma response! Look, Waylon has been to Arkham Asylum enough times to recognize the psychological therapist sh*t talk about trauma and whatever, and right now he recognized all the flags that were being raised.

"...Let's talk." Without waiting for an answer- he knows if he lets this slide without having a serious conversation, like two adults (he's sure Atlas is at least 19, right?), this problem will grow into something bigger and bigger until it explodes and he ends up eating someone. Oh, wait, that one was him! -he picked Atlas in his arms, not caring about his floating, and took him to their little place. Atlas was still going to build a palace (he told him he wanted to make an upside down pyramid on the ceiling) for them to live in, but for now they had the train. He ignored everything and everyone, focusing on the matter at hand: Atlas. Once they were inside the train and the doors were locked, Waylon settled the boy down on the mattress (that still had a few scratch marks from their last passionate experience) of his bed and took a seat on the ground right before him. Even though he refused to make eye contact, Waylon looked at him in the eyes: "...talk to me."

"...about what, Waylon?" Atlas whispered, closing his eyes- A single tear slide down his chin, falling into his thighs. He turned to look at him, and Waylon couldn't help but sigh as Atlas look in his eyes- he was absolutely wrecked, and not in a sexy way. He said, voice hoarse with sadness and at the verge of tears: "About how pathetic I am? How- f*ck -all it took for me to remember my past life was for you to-" He sobbed, hiding his tears with his hands... Past life? "-f*ck, how pathetic am I!? All you had to do was to call me your wife, to tell me I'm your Queen, and that was enough for this f*cking thing that lives inside my head to force feed me my memories back." Waylon did know that Atlas had some memory problems, but he never truly asked him where he came from, because Waylon didn't... care.

'Oh no.' He didn't care about Atlas' past, and it seems that it has come back to haunt the poor boy. Pulling him into his scaled arms, Waylon tightened his hold as Atlas' nails sank into his body, pulling at his scales- He heard the clicking crack sound and a warm sensation going down his back, but he ignored it: "Shhh... It's okay, let it all out, I'm here." The words he never heard before when he was locked inside that cage, shivering and trembling in rage, fear, and sadness as the cold rain, warm sun, and the mocking laughter of the crowd rang inside his head: "It's just the two of us here. Only you and I." He didn't know who he was trying to comfort more- himself, or Atlas -but he kept going regardless: "Take a deep breath with me-"

"-breathing? Ironic." With a self-deprecating tone of voice, Atlas pulled back, freeing himself from Waylon's hug and looked into his eyes. There was only tears, sadness, and pain behind those beautiful eyes of his, pain that Waylon hadn't seen before: "That was the last thing I wanted to do... I can still feel the rope around my neck-" Waylon's entire body went dead cold. He felt like he had just found out the worst kind of feeling- the feeling of hearing someone you love say they hate themselves so much that they would take their own lives. It was a cold, hard, and prickly feeling that seeped into his heart and made home in there. He felt confused for a few moments- What was he talking about? Why was he saying these things? What is going on? Until realization, deep cold realization burned his mind. "-...I wished I didn't accept this, this f*cking second chance bullsh*t... Staying dead would've been for the best, nobody would ever miss me anyway-"

"Shut." Waylon picked Atlas up, his nails sinking a bit into the boy's flesh, earning him a wince: "The." He pulled him closer, tightly holding him like he was going to disappear- And Waylon can't have that! "f*ck." He pressed his lips against Atlas' lips- Immediately he tasted salty tears, and with the thirst of a dying man, he began to figuratively suck the soul out of Atlas' body by kissing him like he wanted to kill him. Pulling back, he looked down at the boy in his arms, feeling a few tears of his own drop down into Atlas' face and eyes as he said, with a vicious tone: "Up."

"...wha-"

"Now, listen here." Waylon was angry- How f*cking dare he? He belives he's not loved? Oh, he'll show him how much he's loved! Aggressively as f*ck. "If you ever start talking the depressive talk, I'll f*ckin' tie you to my arms and I'll hug you so tight your bones woll break. And then I'll f*ck you, f*ck so hard you won't be ever able to live without me- Do you see what you've done? I'm literally f*ckin-" Now, what Waylon did not know, was that there were... Other aspects of the divine that were seeping into his body and mind as he became a Demigod of Sobek. Like all Gods, he was becoming more true to himself, his small divine spark within his soul was feeding his personality, which was making him co*cky, arrogant, prideful, but also more compassionate, understanding, and... possessive. It is quite normal amongst gods for them to find someone they like and immediately want them for themselves. In some gods, it is just a quick one and done (I'm looking at you, Zeus) but for others it is a more... Serious thing.

Hades and Persephone - The most famous loyal couple.

Eros and Psyche. They literally had a divine child that was the personification of happiness!

Orpheus and Eurydice (He literally went to the underworld for her, cut me a slack!).

And, well, many great myths share one thing: Every Demigod has a flaw. Some sort of weakness, for divinity and mortality don't mix perfectly well, which results in some cracks to form. We can see such examples in Odysseus and his hubris, Bellerophon and his pride, Heracles and his rage. Waylon? Well, Waylon's flaw was his possessiveness. At that moment, he wanted Atlas. He wanted him so deeply that it physically pained him and broke his body. Metamorphosis is never painless, but the change from fully mortal to partially mortal was the most painful of all. Your soul burden away the mortality within you, and it wouldn't be able to burn every single ounce of mortality because it wasn't divine enough, which is what keeps you half mortal and half divine, and keeps you alive.

As the spines on his back flared, Waylon felt all his scales rapidly fall off. His big claws fell off, his entire tail fell off. His eyes, his teeth, and his tongue- His entire body started to bleed as the momentary rage he felt at Atlas' dismissal of his emotions and how much he mattered to him, broke through his mind. Sobek wanted to do this process slowly so as to assure Waylon wouldn't die and wouldn't feel too much pain, but right now? Waylon didn't care about the pain. He wanted- he needed to let Atlas know he couldn't leave. He wouldn't leave.

Waylon would never let him leave. Never. Never.

NEVER

"You..." Panting, Waylon pushed his bleeding head against Atlas' chest. He felt a soothing energy travel through his body as it continued to bleed deeply, but he felt stronger, so f*cking strong that he wanted to use that strength and make everything be okay again: "...Don't leave, okay? Don't leave me." In a fragile voice, afraid of how would Atlas react to him being so pathetic, Waylon kept his eyes closed: "You are literally the only one I have left... My father left and never came back, my mom gave me to my f*cking bitch of an aunt, and she sold me to a f*cking circus- even the people I knew in that place left me. You're the only one that doesn't look at me like I'm a monster... If you leave, I'm afraid I'll become one. I'm afraid I'll go back to eating people- I'm scared." It felt both humiliating and relieving to say those words, both because he knew Atlas wouldn't judge him for being sincere right now, but he felt weak admitting these things about himself.

He was so f*cking damaged.

"...okay." A soft, bloodied hand touched his cheek: "...I won't. I won't leave. I'll- I'll stay, I'll stay."

'Good.' Waylon thought: 'Or else I'd chain you to me.'

Chapter 48: It Backfires (Part 3) [NSFW]

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 21:03 | 09:03 PM]

[Calendar - 22/03/2003]

[Location - beasti*alis Kingdom - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

Warning! Warning!

Sex! Sex happens! Also, NSFW Image on Questionable Questing, where I reccomend you to read this.

POV Change

3rd Person POV

Atlas gripped Waylon's head tightly between his hands, hands which were glowing brightly as he casted a powerful [Regenerate] spell alongside a [Heal] spell, desperately trying to keep the big croc alive as whatever metamorphosis his body forced itself to go through started. The scales were regrouping and regrowing at an extremely quick pace, the sound they made was disgusting to hear but it was fascinating to watch as Waylon raw muscle bulged and expanded, his body growing with each second as this energy that Atlas easily recognized as Divine started to emanate from his body. Thankfully Waylon had already undergone a few changes by Sobek's divine will, otherwise he'd be dead by now. His spine, the bone deep within his body, immediately started to expand- every single bone in his body grew another three or two inches, growing more dense and compact to sustain the sheer weight of his muscles as they rapidly grew as well. Whatever divine energy that was emanating from Waylon's soul was burning away his mortality like flames to gasoline, but that gasoline was his life.

Atlas focused- he didn't even care about the blood gushing at his face nor the teeth that were falling off of Waylon's open mouth, nor the way his eyes popped and exploded outwards. He didn't care when Waylon's tongue fell from his open mouth that silently screamed and slapped against his stomach, knocking the air out of him from the sheer weight it had. He didn't care when Waylon tightened his hold on him as the pain increased and his body grew, became better at an astonishing and disturbing speed. Atlas didn't even bother to pay attention to the pain when his one of his arms was broken by Waylon because he was holding onto him too tightly- He didn't care.

All he could see was someone that he loved and that needed his help, and he could help him.

The process wasn't fast. It took an entire hour only for Waylon's tail to regrow completely- it was a massive and thick thing that was easily half his entire body mass! Then came the scales, a deep, dark black color, like a precious onyx stone... beautiful, resilient, and surprisingly flexible. Waylon's teeth grew next and they were downright terrifying (and Atlas was concerned about his mental health when he felt terribly aroused by looking at them) and sharp, serrated like sharks but clearly meant to slice through flesh and meat instead of holding down prey so it can't escape. Waylon also had these spikes that jutted out of his back in an almost like a funky looking Longisquama¹ but these spikes were more like secondary Godzila-like instead of weird scale thing those little lizards had going. These spikes went from the top of Waylon's head down to the tip of his new tail, ending in a rather sharp looking pointy end that was... suspiciously similar to a rudimentary blade of sorts.

Next were Waylon's eyes, and Atlas must say, watching eyes grow was the weirdest thing ever- even weirder than watch them explode! The nerves simply regenerated, the damage was never done to it, and in the end Atlas was staring at black sclera, golden iris, and deep red slit pupil that stared right at him with a hunger. "Argh... f*ck. That f*cking hurt." Waylon rumbled- his voice was baritone deep, rough and sounding like he had just woken up, and that made Atlas shiver. He opened his mouth and two tongues pushed their way out- Two tongues!? Waylon also seemed taken aback by this, moving them back and forth, rubbing them against each other and lifting one non-existent eyebrow at the sensation. "Weird..." Snapping out of his thoughts, Waylon lifted himself off of the bed, releasing Atlas' arm and wincing when he noticed the way his small arm bent. It looked like a snapped twig. "f*ck, I'm sorry love-"

"It's okay. You're okay now- and that's enough for me." Atlas looked at his own arm- he could see the bone poking through the skin and with blood too. "I can take care of this..." He concentrated, pushing his bone back in place with his hand with a wince, he channeled energy and casted [Cure Wounds] because he was too tired to cast [Heal] on himself. The flesh pulled itself together and the bones moved against their will in a snap crackle pop before Atlas had his arm completely healed. Panting, he turned to look at Waylon to see his looming form look down at him, and he felt... well, it was a roller-coaster of emotions. He was depressed, he remembered his past, he watched Waylon break down and start going through a metamorphosis that was scary as f*ck, and now? Now he was feeling both tired and horny at the same time. It was weird, mostly because Waylon had changed so much and he still looked f*cking hot as f*ck. "T-there... I should just- There." With a wave of his hand, he casted [Prestidigitation] to clean off all the blood from the bed, the floor, the walls, the ceiling, and themselves. Waylon quite literally exploded in a shower of blood and gore! There were still pieces of his body scattered about. "...should I get rid of these things? I don't want you to be cloned."

"So you're saying you don't want two of me f*cking you daily?" Waylon pushed himself down and Atlas felt nervous, the big croc man had just grown even bigger, and he was now easily able to block him from going anywhere with his muscles alone (he already could do that, but now? Even more so), and that's exactly what he did. "Hey." With a single word, Waylon pressed pushed Atlas into a kiss, just a soft kiss: "...I love you, okay? I- I love you. Don't forget that... and if you do, I'll remind you." Then they just stared into each other's eyes... for exactly five seconds.

"...I can feel your dick."

"Give me a break, I almost died being ripped from the inside out."

"Well... You can rip me from the inside out, if you want?"

"Heh-" Waylon would never say no! With a sharp grin, he pulled back at Atlas was once more greeted with the magnificent dick and- ...holy sh*t, it got bigger: "-now, this is a surprise- ARGH- f*ck!" Atlas was instantly worried about Waylon- Did he do something wrong and he wasn't healed properly? But instead of seeing something fall off, he watched as something grew and pushed its way to stay beside his twin brother. Ssme size, sane girth, same weird little knob at the end, same deep black coloration. "...Holy sh*t! I got two dicks! This is awesome!" And he still had two balls, but they seemed to grow bigger too, which meant his sperm producing has increased. "Hey luv, can I put both inside? f*ck, this is great!"

For him, it was awesome. But for Atlas? It was a death sentence. But how can he say no to this? He's also a little bit curious about it: "...just the tip."

"...okay-"

"-f*cking bitch!"

"Please~! Oh f*ck, Waylon~"

Well, as it turns, Atlas quite enjoyed getting double penetrated. It was a wonder to feel so full after going through a very bad mental situation. Hey, sex is not the best coping mechanism, but it's keeping him from even considering anything right now! All he wants is Waylon to keep f*cking him like a beast. Two dicks bigger than his arms, thicker than his thighs, going inside him? That's paradise and that's what's keeping him from thinking rational thoughts! Thankfully he had casted both [Alter Self], [Flatten Self] as usual and casted [Stretch Self] just as a precaution because Waylon was much bigger and... stronger too. And thank all the beasti*alis gods that he did cast it. Why? Because Waylon didn't even try foreplay at all, he just went for the full meal. Two dicks pushed into his body, and he was immediately filled to the brim with dicks- you can't blame him, but he did cum instantlly, and Waylon teased him relentlessly about it. Teased him to tears!

But don't worry, he is taking it- "-Like a f*cking good little slu*t! f*ck- I f*cking love you-" -very well! He is thriving, in fact, he was doing absolutely nothing. Waylon was the one doing all the work, mostly because Atlas wasn't allowed to move at all, because Waylon wanted to fully take him. He only stopped for a moment to allow Atlas to catch his breath, and that was when he did something that changed everything- his bloated stomach couldn't take Waylon's dick without harming his internal organs by the sheer aggressiveness of the way Waylon was f*cking him, so he decided to give Waylon more space to f*ck him! He casted [Bigger on the Inside], a compost spell. Compost spells are spells that he has been working on. Many Epic spells are composed of more than one school of magic, and as thus, he decided to try and work on spells that use more than one school of magic- "f*ck, your tight little c*nt is so f*cking deep- slu*t magic, huh?" -so he can be ready for the future.

"f*ck~♡" With a high pitched moan, Atlas gripped tighter because that was all he could do. Milking Waylon of all the cum he was worth was a blessing, something he learned how to do because the sensation was amazing. "There- Oh f*ck, harder~" He has been trained well, and just because he was taking an extra dick, did not mean he wasn't doing his best at it! Waylon was literally drooling inside him and his two forked tongues were making him wet from head to toe as he literally licked his entire body. His single, normal sized, human dick was let untouched because, and to quote Waylon, "If you're not cumming from my dick, you don't deserve to cum at all". And, honestly? He doesn't even need to have his dick touched anymore, anal pleasure was more than enough to make him cum.

Back to the spell though- What it does is basically increases the size of things by a determined amount, as long as they are the "inside" of something. This spell uses the outside "body" of the item as boundaries for the spell, and it focuses on the "inside" portion and gives it more space while shaping that space to be stable. See? Easy, right? Well, no! This spell is rather complicated because you need to know for certainty the exact measures of the space you want to increase, because it is increased by all measures! But he still used the principle of the spell to expand his own hole to better accommodate Waylon, breaking the spell apart while at the same time using it differently than the way it was inteded.

All just for sex.

Atlas truly is the greatest magic user of his time.

Meanwhile, Waylon: "f*ck!" With a final thrust, Waylon started to fill Atlas- It was weird for him, to cum with two dicks. But good- double the pleasure! It was like he was cumming several small little pebbles, but in a good way? Weird.

It was only the next day that, when Waylon commented that with Atlas, that Sobek appeared in the room. His form had changed, he no longer looked like a small gecko, but had the size of a chihuahua. "Oh, that? Well, you're a Pharaoh! And a king needs his bloodline, so I gave you the thing you needed to have kids- Eggs." So yeah, turns out that bringing to your kingdom a crocodile god that was also the god of Pharaohs and making him adopt your king as his divine child had a side effect! It gives your king demigod powers and the ability to cum little eggs that, apparently, were inside Atlas' guts because they are sticky and really resistant to stomach acids, but reliant on nutrients he himself gives them by eating: "So... Congratulations on getting pregnant?"

...Atlas casted a 9th level spell called [Time Stop], and screamed at the top of his lungs while time was frozen.

1: This is a Longisquama. Waylon just has big scales that grow a few inches off of his body.

Chapter 49: Chaos (Part 1)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 11:23 | 11:23 AM]

[Calendar - 23/03/2003]

[Location - Cart 10 - beasti*alis Kingdom, Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey ]

POV Change

3rd Person POV

"Explain." Holding out his hand towards the chihuahua sized crocodile before him, Atlas casted [Telekinesis], holding the God before him while his eyes glowed a bright white light: "Now." He couldn't be pregnant, right? He has too much to do, so f*cking many problems to deal with, and he is not mentally well enough for this kind of sh*t! He knows he's not ready for a child, and he knows Waylon is not ready for a child, so either is this crocodile f*cker messing with him, or he's being serious. If he's being serious, Atlas doesn't know what he will do... He considered casting [Block Seed], an Abjuration spell that prevented pregnancy, but was it too late? He casted it on himself regardless. "Before I f*cking explode you." He tightened the hold he had on the f*cking God of Lizards, making him squirm like a disgusting little worm- can you tell that Atlas is not happy right now?

Chocking, Sobek coughed out a desperate: "C-calm down! I can explain!" He could practically see his glorious life flashing before his eyes as the consort and mate to his son held him magically by a chockehold. He looked pleadingly at his son only to see that he was silently looking forward, like he was having some sort of war flashback that was making him have some sort of panic attack. Seriously, he wasn't even blinking! He was staring ahead, a blank look on his face, like he had just heard the most overwhelming news and didn't know how to react to them. "It's not concrete! I mean, the majority of eggs will not even germinate! That takes a while, about two to three days? And then your body will just absorb them naturally if they're not full of life- if you know what I mean -it's okay! If you don't want that, you can just-"

"I've heard enough." Atlas sighed with relief- So it seems that everything was okay! He groaned, feeling all the despair and nervousness flowing out of his body in a rush of energy, until he realized that his relief might be badly interpreted by Waylon! "I mean, it's not like I don't want children... I do! But, not now? I'm constantly occupied with something, and our kingdom hasn't even launched- heh -yet, we don't have a stable territory, and we're not a global powerhouse to guarantee that our children might grow in a peaceful and powerful society... And we're not even married yet." The last little thing was whispered instead of clearly spoken like the others, it was a shy realization to Atlas that he even considered marriage, when they declared their love to each other literary yesterday! "So, uhm, I love you but... I don't think I'm ready for children right now? I mean, we can take care of random children we find on the streets if you want, but I don't think I'm ready to get pregnant and give birth!"

"Oh, thank Sobek-" Waylon sighed in relief, finally showing sign of life after being frozen in time for an extended period of time.

"You're welcome!"

Atlas glared at the crocodile god, who shyly stepped away and left the room.

"-Look, love, I wouldn't mind children..." As he said that, he paused for a moment- His eyes softened as Waylon imagimed the future, several little crocodilian children running around in a palace, playing with their siblings and laughing happily... But he snapped out of it, coughing a little as he shook his head: "But I agree with you. I am not ready to be a father right now!" The fantasy sounded amazing, but fatherhood was not something to be taken lightly! He knows he'd be an awesome father (specially when compared to his own- f*ck that guy) but he's not ready for kids yet! "And, well, we already take care of random kids anyway, so I guess we'll have experience with taking care of children when we have our own." Discussing having children was both domestic and romantic- it was almost like a promise, a promise to keep going and have such a deep relationship that a new life would be born from it!

"W-well, I have to go..." Pushing his hair back, Atlas shyly started to softly float away, but he was held back by Waylon- who pulled him into a kiss. French kissing Waylon was a f*cking weirdly pleasurable experience— He has two tongues! If one tongue could make him go wild, with two, now Waylon was the epitome of everything that drive Atlas crazy. When Waylon pulled back, he pressed his forehead against Atlas' chest and whispered something that Atlas didn't hear, but it felt like a "see you later", so Atlas softly answered: "See you later today... love." With that, he simply vanished in a puff of blue smoke.

Waylon looked at the dissipating cloud of blue smoke and sighed softly before he turned to look at his own hands: "...I'd be a great dad, right?" Doubt sank in, but when he remembered the soft kiss he received, the doubt seemed to melt away. "Yeah, I'd be an awesome dad... Would it be wrong to teach a kid how to steal? Meh, ask my Queen later." He only noticed his tail was swaying from side to side happily when his tail blade cut through the steel of the train cart, sending sparks everywhere: "...f*ck."

He didn't know that thing was so sharp!

Time Skip - 9 Days

[Clock: 05:09 | 05:09 AM]

[Calendar: 01/04/2003]

[Location: King & Queen's Quarters - beasti*alis Kingdom, Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

It was almost a lie, how quickly the kingdom was improving. With his apprentice in the form of a small boy that shoots lighting from his fingertips and a group of nobles that have titles that reflect their responsibilities, Atlas was ready to start the process of slowly but surely increasing the population of their kingdom by recruiting more homeless people or people that need help- Because that was what Atlas wanted. To help those in need! So, within the 9 days that he spent working on the kingdom, he easily went with Victor and retrieved the man's wife and healed her with a cast of [Greater Restoration] to be sure! She was a very nice lady, and when she discovered that her healing was partially due to the good will of the gods (That's a story Atlas wanted to spread, to drive more worship for the gods to help them recover faster, but that was already happening) she decided to dedicate herself to becoming a professional healer. It was interesting to see Victor and Nora discussing the applications of magic in one's DNA. Healing Magic was something very interesting, and they were studying it alongside the Bat Serum, that was being called Awakening Serum.

Another thing in the 9 days that Atlas focused on was to making the Croc Pyramid! Well, it wasn't meant to be a burial ground, but Atlas was taking a huge inspiration from Egypt to make the palace into a giant pyramid that was attached to the ceiling. This project was huge, so he started slowly by first enchanting every single stone he would use on the building with the [Immovable Object] spell, to make sure the stones would stuck in space permanently (or until he himself dispels them), which would make the pyramid stuck in place too. He began building the base of the pyramid first, the largest "floor" of the building. He was planning the pyramid to have several layers or floors, and each floor closest to the surface would be the least important until they reached the lowest floor, which was the pointy tip (or the "top" of the pyramid) that would house the artificial sun.

He still didn't know exactly what he wanted to do with all the floors, the but last one became his and Waylon's room. He made four viewing "windows" from their room that he artificially enlarged with the [Bigger on the Inside] spell, making their room that would normally be 15 feet by 10 feet by 5 feet into an enormous 1050 feet by 1000 feet by 500 feet room. The sheer size of the place made Waylon flabbergasted and really excited to just decorate the room. Atlas made this room this size because he wanted to have many things all around! He made a separate portion of the room where he would do his private experiments and enchant magical items. There, he also carefully placed a white feather that would forever float inside a box, for whenever they want to or need to go back to the Elemental Plane of Air.

In nine days, he created an entire palace! Sure, it was kinda barren right now, but furniture would be created and those rooms wouldn't be so barren... But for now, Atlas was working on another thing!

List

1: Build Foundation

2: Get a King

3: Get a Queen

4: Get land

5: Establish military power

6: Establish monetary power

7: Make Waylon a Shazam (Progress)

8: Make Waylon a Demigod

9: Get stronger.

10: Get memories back?

11: Lose Virginity

12: Enchant Items (Progress!)

13: Make a pocket space (Bag of Holding?)

14: Find out how to make safe drugs. Gotta legalize weed!

15: Get the city in the sky!

16: Get the gods more worshippers

17: Make a Roman pool, make it magical too because I want it to be.

18: Get Pamela her little gift.

19: Make temples (Turn special buildings into temples?)

20: Learn about Transmuter's Stone (Make one!)

21: Magical herbal drugs?

22: Train more in Metamagic, can't only know Transmute Spell!

23: Learn Sorcery?

24: Test more things on Immortal Test Dummy (Solomon)

25: Make magical school

26: Drinking age is 16! Buying is 18.

27: Get magical teachers... Constantine?

28: Leylines, study them.

29: Develop currency? (Not likely)

30: Plane Shift! Trip to the Elemental Plane of Air?

31: Make Sobek a little hat

32: ...is it possible to get pregnant from a Werecreature? (YES IT IS)

33: Develop Teleportation Circles, to where? (Make various floating islands?)

34: GET GAYER (Progress made)

35: More Awakened Animals! (Progress made)

36: Get more Werecreatures, need diversity. (Working on that)

37: Maybe become THE magical empire? (PROGRESS!)

38: Get a dragon. Preferably a metallic one. (...still not)

39: Make new life (magical, not pregnancy)

40: Annoy Batman

41: Make a Palace (Pyramid?)

42: Train Adam (Boy needs some help)

43: Prepare for emergencies (Get emergency supplies, healing, and defenses)

44: Get plumbing working

45: Find out where there's Aquatic hom*o beasti*alis (Apparently they're second class citizens in Atlantis?)

46: Cure Nora Fries

47: Get Robert a Wife (Poor guy, he's lonely)

48: Get Pamela a girlfriend (HARLEY WHERE ARE YOU!?)

49: Get Lonnie into the council (Give him a goofy title?)

50: Plan for cyber security, don't want the kingdom to be hacked. (Develop Technomagic items?)

...

There were several other items on the list. Number 49 was actually done yesterday, March 31st, where Atlas gave Lonnie Machin the title of Techno Defender Cyber-Neet.

Like that, they had:

Waylon Jones - King Croc, King of Beasts.

Atlas (Jones?) - Queen of Beasts, Jester

Pamela Isley - Lady of the Immaculate Garden

Robert Langston ¹ - Genius Blood Sage

Victor Fries - Pale Blue Sage (or was it Pale Blue Doctor?)

Cinderelli - Contessa of Cheese

Sobekneferu - Protector of Children

And now, they had Lonnie Machin, Techno Defender Cyber-Neet.

"And that's our noble council." Atlas chuckled, his head resting against Waylon's chest: "I did my best to give him at least a title that sounded a little bit goofy, mostly because I think the kid's gonna be great."

"And you gave him authority over the Kingdom's cyber security, knowing he could very well bring our kingdom down...? Isn't he an anarchist or something?" Waylon's clawed hand softly dragged itself down Atlas' body, gently prickling his body with its sharp pointy ends: "That sounds way dangerous, doesn't it, love?"

"Well, don't worry. I made sure to... well, look... the kid's been through a lot. He lost his family because of the corrupt goverment of Gotham, so I promised him he could help us and make sure that at least our kingdom wasn't corrupt, so nothing like that could ever happen." Atlas relaxed, letting his naked body breathe through his pores as he looked at the ceiling he enchanted to constantly look like an endless night sky- he could see thousands upon thousands of stars, and they made him smile: "And I also promised him that when I create our own afterlife-"

"Our what now?"

"-that his family would be the first to join it." Atlas paused: "Oh, right! You weren't there- So, I found out a way for me to, kinda become a god? Well, have the power equivalent of a god. I already planned a customized afterlife where the people of the beasti*alis Kingdom will be able to enjoy their afterlife. I even have made an entire week long imaginary festival where the dead can come back to the world of the living for a week, where they can visit their family and party." Shrugging, Atlas stretched his arms and sighed: "You'd become a king from the living world and the dead world."

"...and you'd become the queen of the living and the dead too-"

It was subtle, but Atlas frowned.

"...what is that?" A sensation was flowing through his body: "This feels weird..." Atlas immediately got off of Waylon's chest even as the demigod looked confused. Atlas floated towards tue circular window to look outside their room- And his eyes widened.

The entire kingdom was shaking. Dust was rising, and the ground was breaking.

An earthquake was shaking Gotham.

Chapter 50: No Man's Land (Part 2)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 05:45 | 05:45 AM]

[Calendar - 01/04/2003]

[Location - beasti*alis Kingdom, Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey ]

POV Change

Atlas - Queen of Beasts POV

Atlas quickly floated out of the circular window. He swiftly casted [Disguise Self] to make himself look like he was wearing clothes that he always wears, because he had no time to put on some clothes at all! Casting the [Shout] spell and he began to speak, his voice carying the weight and the explosiveness of thunder that pushed away the panic of the citizens beneath: "Citizens of beasti*alis, move into your homes and do not leave. Trust me, I shall protect this place." With a bit of anxiety that was reflected in his movements, Atlas pulled his hands back as this energy gathered around his hands, this sphere of pure magic that softly floated towards the cracks and breaks of the cavern all around them as he casted [Move Earth] and a supercharged version of the basic cantrip called [Mending], as he focused on stopping the cavern to tear itself in two. He was focused on keeping the cavern from breaking, so he easily noticed the black and red bolts of lighting, magic seeping into the earth that actively fought against his attempt of trying to keep everything safe and sound. "No you f*cking won't." Whoever was doing this, was clearly trying to destroy the kingdom he spent so much f*cking time working on, and he's having none of that! He shaped his magic into a net of energy that aggressively pulled the chaotic and destructive magic and with a swatting motion of his hand, he threw the bolt of energy away.

After he threw that annoying magic away (it felt like a cat, that was thrown inside a bag, and then someone shaked that bag- it felt like claws and bites of a frantic cat), the earthquake seemed to almost lessen in severity on the cavern. The cavern was still shaking, but Atlas was able to keep it from tearing itself apart by simply holding everything still with the force of his magic. Panting, he sighed heavily and turned to take a look at the situation around him... The bolt of chaotic magic had dispersed, he had used the [Spell Mastery] spell to take control over it, so he used a good portion of his magic, but he still had enough within him to cast a few 9th level spells if he needed. "f*ck..." Sighing, Atlas turned to look at his kingdom beneath him- he had to repair a few things here and there, but there were no major damages! "At least that..."

"What do we have here~?" A voice whispered from just beside him, making Atlas freeze for a second. He turned to look and see this... child? A scraggy nine-year-old boy with long, thin limbs, and a weirdly thin neck with an angular face floated beside him. He had black hair in a mop-top style with V-shaped bangs and devil-horns rising over the ears to points slightly above the top of his head, making him look even weirder. His skin was a shade of pale blue with these veins of red, as were his eyes also glowing red where a few bolts of black lightning seemed to seep and ooze out of: "I've never seen you before? A magic user that I haven't seen before, that's kinda rare-"

"Begone, twink." With a flash of bright cyan blue light, Atlas casted [Banishment] on Magic Twink the Menace. The face he made was momentarily hilarious ("Wait- No!") because he could feel his very form meld within itself before he was thrown out of this dimension, back to the dimension from where he came- wherever it may be: "I am not dealing with your sh*t." He hasn't been dealing with the magical community of DC (he knows that it's going to happen) and he won't start today! "Whoever you were- f*ck you." He was not in the mood to do this! He had to spend some time looking over everything to make sure he could tell the people they could leave their homes. He found a few people that were hurt by the falling rocks from above, and he sighed softly. Easily enough, Waylon found him- he was wearing clothes, contrary to Atlas who was feeling the breeze a bit.

"Love, you okay?" Waylon's body floated off of the ground, much to Atlas' surprise, as it seems that with the recent acts of worship that the citizens of beasti*alis have been providing for the gods, the process of making Waylon a Shazam has been getting some progress! He has received the wings of Hathor, getting the ability to fly as these massive wings appeared behind his back, and true to his reptilian nature, they looked like they were the wings of a dragon! Seeing that Atlas was completely fine, Waylon sighed before looking down at the ways his kingdom looked... It had jagged pieces of rocks pushing their way out of the ground, portions of the ceilin seemed to have cracked, and there was even an stalactite that fell from the ceiling and was right in between a home and its plumbing system. "What the f*ck even happened?"

"I'm not exactly sure-" Atlas casted [Telekinesis] to lift off the weight from a few rocks off and move them away. He began to look around for the small crocodiles as well as Sobekneferu, and he found her in Sobek's Crocodile Farm, under the roof of Buck's home protecting her children, or what she could gather. From her 75 children, Atlas counted about 57. "-but I feel like this isn't something simple." Atlas turned to look at Waylon, frowning for a moment: "I believe we need to call an emergency meeting. All the nobles will come to discuss what to do next."

Waylon simply nodded.

POV Change

3rd Person POV

[Clock: 15:08 | 03:08 PM]

[Calendar: 01/04/2003]

[Location: Gotham City, New Jersey]

It was almost like a sick joke.

One moment, every citizen of Gotham was going about their day, nothing out of the ordinary was happening. In The Narrows, prostitutes waited for their clients (regular or not), in Crime Alley a single homeless person paid tribute to the dead Waynes and everything they did for Gotham and their efforts in trying to change it, in the Diamond District a jewelry store opened its doors and waited for clients, and om Wayne Manor a certain furry bitter leather daddy received a warning from his computer of a sudden magnitue 9 earthquake that originated right in the middle of Gotham. It was extremely unnatural, because there was no way for an earthquake of that magnitude happen in Gotham!

The duration of the Earthquake was also very unnatural. The readings were telling him it was a magnitude 9 earthquake, but those last up to 5 minutes, but this one? This one didn't even reach five minutes before it suddenly stopped. And the way that it changed Gotham was also very, very deliberate... Portions of Gotham seemed to rise up meters into the air while other parts sank, buildings collapsed and were destroyed, and the bridges that connected Gotham to the outside world were all broken. The bridges that connected Gotham to other sections of itself? Those were completely fine. It was like someone was trying to isolate everyone within Gotham! And that was easily confirmed when all criminals were freed from Blackgate Penitentiary and Arkham Asylum all in the same day.

They were let loose.

Things turned sour very fast as the blood and death of many seemed to please the city of Gotham, seemed to please a hungry Cipactli. She hasn't been feed like this since... A long time! She hungered for more blood, but the little chaos gremlin that promissed her the blood she sought was not here anymore, she felt him vanish within her own flesh. Flesh she had lost control over after that little parasite seemed to take over her land with his magic... But she was powerless, a powerless entity bound to be part of the earth, that could only feed on the blood and watch. Well, almost powerless- That Chaos Lord had given her three little gifts. One she used already, and that was to change herself and to isolate herself. The second would come to play yet, and the third? The third was something she immediately used- This deep core of chaos magic flowed through her as she used it to do a simple thing: Cause bloodthirsty thoughts to invade the mind of mortals. This would only last a few days, but those days would be full of bloodshed and death, and she would feast! A glorious, glorious feast.

We break away from the perspective of this Primordial Abyssal creature bound to the earth by the belief of mortals long gone, and we come to focus a bit on the whole picture. You see, this was planned- meticulously planned and designed by Klarion the Witch Boy to cause as much chaos as possible for as long as possible. He bas been working a long time on this, and he would be proud of the results if it wasn't for the fact that he's back at the Chaos Lord dimension, growling and screaming as he is furiously trying to figure out what the f*ck just happened and what a twink even is. In only 10 hours from the beginning of the cataclysm, chaos reigned supreme in Gotham. The energy that Cipactli used to enchante the bloodshed within Gotham that was given to her by Klarion seemed a bit too effective, because it encouraged and pushed the villains to all act at once.

In only ten hours the death count was in the thousands.

It was by the 11th hour of this tragedy that the President of the United States of America did something that shocked the whole world and even more so the desperate and dying residents of Gotham city- He declared Gotham No Man's Land -they were abandoned by the government. Military was to be stationed by the borders of Gotham, nobody was allowed to enter or leave, and if someone did, they were to be arrested immediately! It was an outrageous and very unnusual declaration... A declaration fueled by chaos, magic, and manipulation. What better way to sow chaos than to make sure that the place is completely isolated and does not receive outside help?

As No Man's Land, Gotham was no longer part of the United States of America.

In the 12th hour, a new beacon of light and hope seemed to burn bright. It started as a group of people got out from beneath the ground, and it soon these enormous walls of stone seemed to grow out of ground. Old Gotham wasn't particularly affected by the earthquake for unknown reasons, but the surface was still broken and a few buildings had toppled over, injuring many and killing a few. "Bring them down to the Healer's Bath House, let them soak in the waters of life." A floating figure pointed down at a group of people that were not in threat of death but were still injuried: "Nora, help me here with this patient-" A white haired woman came running towards the floating man as he worked on a paient that thrashed and contorted, screaming in pain. "-stop moving, you're gonna bleed out like that!" It was slow, but the emergency was being controlled to a certain level thanks to the decision Waylon made. It was the decision to step up and claim the territory around their kingdom as their land, since it no longer was under USA's control. Meaning? Well, Atlas just crossed the 4th point in his list [Get Land]!

And it also meant that they would need to keep the land from being taken by other criminals, villains, and creepy bitches.

...great.

Chapter 51: Let there be Life (Part 3)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 17:44 | 05:44 PM]

[Calendar - 01/04/2003]

[Location - beasti*alis Kingdom - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey ]

POV Change

Atlas - Queen of Beasts POV

Atlas floated above the destroyed remnants of Gotham- it was so f*cking destroyed! His eyes widened as he stared at the broken city below him. His floating body could be seen from below Old Gotham, from up here he could see Waylon alongside a few other people helping get the fallen debris off of the street. "It seems I helped..." Old Gotham, or at least the region which made up the beasti*alis Kingdom. Atlas could see from up there that in the distance, at least half of Gotham was either on fire or something really big was burning! "Better act now..." He sighed and pointed his fingers down before he drew a straight line forward with them, continuing to cast [Wall of Stone] to make a perfect wall to separate them from the outside world. At the same time, he could see these vines and roots grow over the walls at an extremely rapid pace before thorns exploded out of them, turning the defensive wall into a thorny wall. Beneath him, the Lady of the Immaculate Garden, Pamela, was holding onto a black scorpion made out of stardust as Isis also aided her in the task Atlas gave her. They were to completely create a defensive wall around their kingdom before even thinking of rescuing more people! They rose from the depths of Gotham to protect and save the people of Old Gotham first before opening their doors to the rest of Gotham.

It was a risky move to expose themselves to the whole world right now, but Atlas had the semblance of a plan to get the UN to recognize beasti*alis Kingdom as a proper nation. Although in the world he comes from it is not like this, in this universe the UN has the governmental "clout" to accept nations, which practically makes them accepted nations of earth! Atlas was pretty aware that the UN has not recognized Paradise Island as a nation, nor Atlantis, even though it is a world wide nation! They first need to solidify their rule upon the territory they have taken- this is no longer USA's lands, and therefore they're up for grabs! Atlas understood the way Waylon saw the opportunity to grab the land in which their kingdom stayed so nobody else could. And now they need to get as many people as they can to make their home a proper kingdom. "Pamela, dear, you okay?" Atlas noticed how the growth of plants was slowing down, he turned to look at Pamela with a bit of worry- he didn't want to push her as she was still growing into her powers as she regained her freedom from The Green. "Don't push yourself too much!" Atlas looked over at the green skinned lady with worry clear in his eyes, because there was a small chance that perhaps something bad might happen and she could get back into the control of The Green, and then Atlas would have to wage an Interdimensional war against the metaphysical embodiment of plant life. He'll do it, if it means that Pamela is completely free from those f*cking seaweeds.

"I'm fine." A little out of breath, Pamela nodded- The strain on her face was soft but it was still there, Atlas nodded regardless before casting a simple [Greater Restoration] to make sure she wasn't exhausted. As this wave of bright blue ligjt flowed through her body, Pamela made eye contact with Atlas as he smiled, a llittle confused she just whispered: "...thank you?" She also touched her cheeks for a moment, the wave of magical energy removed the bags beneath her eyes and made her revitalized of energy and with the courage to face the world. "Thank you." She said once more, this time smiling.

Which just made Atlas smile as well and nod before he floated away and continued to do what he has been doing for the majority of the afternoom after taking care of the seriously injured people that they rescued. Atlas and Waylon has a minor discussion about the pros and cons of allowing everyone from the outside world join their empire, which was something Atlas could see more cons than pros, but Waylon was adamant that they become a beacon of light for all those who are lost... Basically, he wants to make their kingdom the equivalent of a giant foster home. 'Which is fine, I mean, what better way to run a kingdom than to make it an utopia?' Atlas thought- he already had many ideas and thoughts about the criteria of how to allow people to join the beasti*alis Kingdom (future empire), because Atlas is a paranoid bastard (courtesy of having the knowledge of Batman) and wants to remedy a problem that is yet to become one. No better way to make sure something doesn't become a problem, just make sure it never has the chance to! Spies would be a problem to deal with later, when they're better established and already a powerful nation, but for now he can only think about it.

"Love!" Shouting his pet name at the top of his mighty lungs and getting everyone's attention (and making Atlas blush, because he was sure everyone knew they were together at this point) including Atlas's, Waylon floated up towards him. It was an amazing sight to see how the powers of the gods were slowly seeping into his soul now that he was a Demigod. His onyx colored scales reflected the sun's light as it set in the horizon, making Atlas sigh softly as he noticed that a heavy day was coming to an end and that a probably even heavier night was coming- In Gotham, whem the sun sets, crime rises. "The walls have been completed and we've closed off every entrance outside of the main entrance. Everyone is helping clear the streets, and the... corpses have been preserved, as you requested- Are you gonna do that crazy ritual thing you wanted to do to drive up worship to the gods? I mean, pops did say it'd drive up the worship like crazy if successful." The thing Waylon was speaking of was a rather opportunistic outlook of this whole situation. You see, Atlas wanted to drive up the worship of the gods of beasti*alis because that would also accelerate Waylon's road to power. He has been able to use partially some aspects of the gods like he was doing now, to fly with his massive reptilian wings that made him float so effortlessly as they flapped. He even used the Wisdom of Thoth a few times to come up with ideas to resolve some problems they were having, and that was incredible.

"I believe it is for the best..." Atlas was going to do something incredibly powerful and incredibly stupid that might cause one of the big Ds of the universe to notice him, more specifically the big sister herself - Death. "Is everyone ready to witness it? If so, then take everyone deep down the beasti*alis Kingdom, right in the middle of the town place all the corpses down." Giving his last instructions to Waylon, Atlas softly kissed his snout before he left and looked up at the sky... He had read a book recently, a book titled [The Big Ds of DC: Who are they? What do they do? What do they want? What do they eat? All your answers answered here! by the D-Story-er] that had a detailed explanation of the big Ds of DC, who they were and what they did. And one of them actually hated him already, mostly because of the [Endless Library] that lived inside his head...

The Endless. They are described in the book he read as a somewhat dysfunctional family of seven siblings who each represent an aspect of the universe: Dream, Death, Destiny, Despair, Desire, Delirium and Destruction. They were born out of natural processes, Dream represents the aspects of reality and how bendable it is, Death represents the ultimate end and the beginning of everything for death is also life, Destiny represents all the endless roads that lead to the end, Despair represents the dark thoughts and fears of everything, Desire represents the want of everything for more and their power to change the world around them, Delirium represents the change of mentality and the doubt that comes with it, ever changing and ever different, and Destruction represents the creation of everything and their inevitable destruction. These beings are all powerful in their domains, and one of the things that Atlas is willing to do is to overstep his boundaries with them- Death is definitely the strongest of the siblings, seeing as they are all born of Night (Mistery) and Time (Inevitability), but Death was the first one born. Destiny already hated him- It was written in the [The Big Ds of DC: Who are they? What do they do? What do they want? What do they eat? All your answers answered here! by the D-Story-er] that Destiny hates all those whose destiny he cannot read or change, and he cannot do that to the ones who have the [Endless Library] with them. So Atlas was completely immune to anything that Destiny can do to him, which made the cosmical bitch grumpy as f*ck.

And now? Now he's gonna cause mass ressurection and possibly piss off Death. But he doesn't care about that... why? Because of a simple phrase written in the end of the book, a simple warning that said if you ever met Death and pissed her off, you should offer her a deal to solve the riddle that has plagued the endless siblings for as long as they've known each other... A riddle that was unknown to them: Why did Delight become Delirium? And the answer came in the form of another riddle.

Once happy, she learned.

That the truth of all is earned.

When the end meets the start.

Everything is torn apart.

When Despair feels Delight.

Only Delirium is left behind.

She learns the truths of all.

She couldn't hold it, dropped the ball.

And found herself sick of it.

And then, everything just click.

Oh no, oh shucks, it was too late.

She had no way to change her fate.

The end of all has found her now.

Her mind scrambled, inside out.

And to become anew again.

She must return to now, not then.

It was a rather... interesting riddle, but that the author of the book explained that it was linked to why Delight became Delirium. It hinted that Delight learned about a truth, a truth that caused her to feel Despair, and that changed her to Delirium. This was the key to get Death off of his back if it was necessary.

"...which will probably be." Sighing heavily, Atlas sank into the ground as he phased right through, casting [Etherealness] on himself to turn into something akin to a ghost. He floated above the beasti*alis Kingdom soon enough, and there stood his people, all in the center of the kingdom. Atlas descended from above, his clothes immediately changed into pale white robes as casted [Disguise Self] to make himself look like he was wearing clothes. "Citizens of beasti*alis." Calling out to his people, Atlas moved to float right above the many corpses of the dead innocents who died in this freak accident (because it was caused by a little f*cking freak), he opened his arms- there was this soft blue mist that emanated from him as he casted [Temple of the Gods] to bring forth the more powerful forms of the gods of beasti*alis: "Witness this miracle. Provided by the gods that we worship. Witness this act of divinity."

The gods did their parts. They lifted their hands as their humanoid forms materialized from behind Atlas, these titans of semi transparent energy of different colors, with Sobek, Hathor, Khepri, Ptah, Isis, and even Bastet.

"For this is beasti*alis."

Atlas casted [Mass Ressurection]

Chapter 52: Let there be Death (Part 4)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 18:09 | 06:09 PM]

[Calendar - 01/04/2003]

[Location - beasti*alis Kingdom - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey ]

POV Change

3rd Person POV

A wave of soft gray energy emerged from Atlas' body.

Nothing happened at first, and that confused the people for a few moments- Until a gasp rang out. One of the people that had died got out of their seat, coughing vicariously and with the strength of a raging bull. A small child who had his leg broken before diving into the healing waters, being held by a broken hearted wife and mother, cried out as she saw her father rise up from his place amongst the dead. And such scenes happened as more than 250 people were brought back to life in a single casting of a spell. Families, previously broken by the unbreakable line beyond life were recreated and reforged from the ashes of the broken hearts that shedding away their sadness seemed to glow with the rebirth of a certain god. Gods... Oh gods. Thinking about religion right now was like mixing oil and water! The major culture of the US of A is that Christianity is the "one true religion" and that there are "no gods before me" or whatever the f*ck sky daddy says in his book that makes men submit to him and put on sub collars.

But... Many prayed. Even in their despairing minds, they begged a higher power to save them. It just happens that the higher power that answered had the head of an animal!

"..." With panting breath, the ethereal looking young man that was perpetually floating above them, seemed to sag a little bit. His body slowly seemed to lower itself, until like a puppet that had their strings cut off, he fell- Only for this black blur to fly by, and for the one person the crowd came to know as King Croc, to settled him down softly on the ground: "Oh, that uses a lot of energy..." Groaning, his almost transparent and ethereal form seemed to flick in place for a moment before he spoke the following words with a voice so weak that it made the listeners almost feel like he was about to pass out as his voice was barely a whisper above what others could hear- and yet, it sounded as loud as thunder: "People of beasti*alis... Enjoy your second chance with your family, because this will be the last one." And soon enough, after saying this, he passed out indeed.

"...Robert, can I trust you and your friends to safely separate everyone here?" Taking the man in his arms, the giant crocodile man with this and shimy onyx scales spoke. His voice was not as loud as the voice of the man that had just passed out, and somehow it carried even greater power within it. The bat-like human he was speaking to simply nodded, still looking in awe towards the one within his king's arms: "Very well. Make sure everyone is safe and comfortable enough- i will take my love to our room." With that said, these enormous lizard-like wings bursted out of his back, and soon he took to the heights. His body seemed to simply float as the wings flapped gently, barely even causing wind movement as he flew. It took him a few moments before he reached the base of their palace. The opening to the upside down pyramid was pretty obvious, made to be reached by everyone so they could get an audience with the king whenever called. As soon as he settled down on the stone marble floor, he released the man in his arms as he asked: "Was that convincing enough, my love?"

"I believe I am a good actor myself." The man simply did not fall- he floated horizontally as he looked into Waylon's eyes. There was a soft smile on his lips before he sighed: "Well, I believe it's time to meet them... You can step out of the shadows now- would you like some tea? Burbon? Water?" As Atlas settled down, he pointed his fingers forward as these two two very different chairs appeared. One was thin and delicate and seemed to be made out of silver, and the other was this thick metal throne that was seriously heavy looking. Right between these two chairs, a small tea table appeared, and atop it a tea kettle alongside two tea cups: "I can also do some vodka, if that's your vibe."

Stepping out of the shadows, behind one of the pillars that was created to serve as a secondary way to go up and down the floors of the big upside down pyramid was this woman. She had pale white skin that looked paper-like, her eyelids were completely black as was her hair and lipstick. Her hair reached her shoulders and she was wearing gothic clothing, holding this black and long umbrella that is normally seen in movies where the people wear all black and hold big black umbrellas to go to a funeral. "Huh, this place is a lot more interesting than I thought..." Those were her first words as she stepped forward, taking a seat in the silver chair that immediately turned completely black: "Sorry, silver is not my color." She apologized, a soft smile on her lips. She took hold of the kettle on the table and poured herself a drink, and steam started to rise from her cup as she took a sip and sighed: "Well, it's nice to see someone who has taken their second chance and made something so grand out of it." Of course she would know that this wasn't his first life! She is death, and death leaves a mark in someone's heart and soul, no matter where they come from and what type of death they meet. No matter the incarnation of Death that is met in whatever universe, death is death is death. That is inevitable: "I am also very happy that you've found love too, it is something very beautiful."

"Thank you." Atlas smiled as Waylon sat down on the big black metallic chair that Atlas had conjured for him. When he sat down, Atlas sat down directly on his lap and lifted a hand. The kettle on the table poured him a cup of black coffee before he sighed and took a sip as well: "So, is this the part where you tell me I've broken the rules for bringing back so many people at once?" He was ready to face death and bargain with it, but to his surprise the lady simply stopped her sipping motion and raised an eyebrow: "...You know? Like, the unwritten rules of death? The Don'ts? Like- don't bring back hundreds of people back to life because that violates my rules, or something like that?" Doing little jazz hands, Atlas nervously went over the little information he had managed to gather about Death of the Endless, which wasn't much.

"...what? No!" Surprised, Death waved his concern away with a single motion of her hand- quite literally, seeing as as soon as ¹ she waved her hand, the sensation of worry and dread simply vanished from within Atlas' soul and mind, being filled with calm and serene thoughts: "I mean, you saved me the work of coming for these people that weren't meant to die here and now- I mean, a few were destined to die this year, but thanks to that little brat, Destiny was having an annoying time trying to rewrite their entire lives as it ended, but then you just brought them back and saved us the headache! That was cool." Shrugging, Death went to get another sip of her tea, when Waylon who had been silent this whole time just couldn't help himself anymore.

"Uh... Who's this?" He asked- he had never met this woman before in his life! The only reason he didn't immediately attacked her was because Atlas, his love, seemed to be expecting her or something similar: "Never seen you before, lady...?" He expected a name, but all he got was a smile as she said-

"Death. Nice to meet you."

-did he hear her wrong? He turned to look down at his Queen, and Atlas simply nodded, a look of consideration crossing his eyes before he grinned, and as if quoting something straight out of some sort of play, he said: "Waylon Jones, Death. Death, Waylon Jones - And I don't mean it metaphorically, or rhetorically, or poetically, or theoretically, or on any other way. She's Death. Straight up Death. The embodiment of the metaphysical, physical, and natural phenomenon itself."

"Oooh! I love that movie." Death chuckled happily: "I loved the interpretation they had of me- Its a very good movie, or will be." She twiddled with a little thin straight thread of black, easily crafting something Atlas couldn't identify...

"It wa- is going to be a good one." Atlas frowned a bit- damn, he keeps forgetting that the future is yet to come and the past was long gone! He tried to identify whatever it was that Death was making, but the very idea of trying to figure it out died as soon as he thought of it, and thus he just ignored the need to even try.

Clearly they were speaking of something ony they knew about? And that is was going to happen in the future? That's pretty much clear to him! "Huh, nice to meet ya, Lady Death." Waylon tried not to react- while there was no panic in his heart (almost as if it simply couldn't grow there, the emotion soon dying as he thought of it) for himself, there was an almost instinctual adjustment of Atlas' positioning on his lap. Waylon just pulled him a little bit closer and further away from death. Not that he believed that he could stop death- Death is Inevitable -but he still did it out of pure, unadulterated instinct. "So, uh, not to be rude but what're you doin' here if you're not killing anyone?" Did that sound rude? He might have to take some lessons on how to speak with the embodiments of natural phenomenon around the universe! What's next? The embodiment of all f*cking perverts out there in the world?

...don't answer that.

"Oh, right!" She snapped back to attention, letting the cup fall from her hands. It simply floated slowly down, not a single drop spilling out: "I came here to speak to you about something and then I found out you are an Elysian Soul and that was pretty cool, they're really rare and I got distracted." She pulled out this small ball of black yarn that seemed to slowly shift in place, its threads moving ever so slowly into a pattern that they couldn't really comprehend. In a single moment it looked spherical, and in the next it looked like a 12 sided dice! "Here you go. This is just a little gift for you for bringing back those people and, well, essentially reducing the work I need to do by a small margin- please feel free to ressurect anyone who hasn't died the way they were supposed to, that reduces my work by a lot. That little sphere I gave you might have enough power for you to use and protect this place... I kinda like it here, it's cozy."

And within the blink of an eye— she was gone.

Immediately, Atlas let out the heaviest of sighs of relief. It was like the heaviest weight had been taken off of his chest! She was an agreeable cosmic entity, but damn she is f*cking intimidating as f*ck! Atlas was basically bathing into the magical presence of her might, and even now he felt dizzy and drunk. "Okay... I need a nap." With a groan, Atlas let his body fall back, the back of his head hitting Waylon's muscles: "Who knew dealing with a cosmic entity was so tiring? I didn't... I'll just... close my eyes a little bit, okay?" Without anymore of a warning, Atlas simply passed out. It was a combination of factors: Using magic to ressurect 267 people in a single moment, being in the presence of an Endless, and having to hold to dear consciousness as tightly as he could.

Waylon simply looked down at the boy in his arms and sighed.

Well, they'll deal with whatever consequences of them saving as many people as they could would have.

Meanwhile, Atlas: Ah, I forgot to say the riddle to her... Does she have an email?

Chapter 53: Tour of Gotham (Part 5)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 17:37 | 05:37 PM]

[Calendar - 01/04/2003]

[Location - Gotham City, New Jersey]

POV Change

Bruce Way - Batman

Fire. Blood. Death. Chaos. As far as they eyes could see, that was what

For- not exactly the first time - the... who knows? It has happened so many times that Batman has stopped counting how many times these four of the most common activities in Gotham were all happening all at once. Pillars of smoke rose above from the horizon, buildings toppled onto one another, and he was seeing this only now- When the earthquake happened, the first thing that he saw was the ceiling collapsing on his face as Wayne Manor came toppling down. It was an old, old building, so it wasn't a surprise to him that such a thing happened... What was a surprise, however, was how the recently added pillars to provide support to the Batcave collapsed so easily under the weight of Wayne Manor. They were built about five years ago, when he first started his work as Batman. But he stored that thought for later— He had completely lost most means of communication, most means of contacting the outside world, and that was his objective.

For that, he needed to go to Wayne's Tower, in Old Gotham. Since good part of his better communicators at Batcave were completely destroyed. As he helped Alfred and Dick get out of the rubbles, he frowned and as a wave of dread and shock went through his eyes as he witnessed the sheer change and destruction of Gotham. The Wayne Manor was, sadly, in Bristol County outside of Gotham island and thus the Robert Kane Memorial Bridge— named after Robert Kane, one of Gotham's most famous architects that died saving the lives of thousands in the 1980's —had completely collapsed. With no way to get into the island, no vehicles, and no means of communication readily available, Batman had to make some choices.

It took some time, but when they managed to get into contact with the world, but when they did they received terrible, terrible news. The president of the United States had declared Gotham a No Man's Land. It was no longer within US government interest to keep Gotham as part of itself, so the president simply abandoned Gotham... It was a shock to Batman. The people he has been fighting for were being abandoned by the very government that he has been protecting, he has literally saved the president's life once! It was a crazy plan from the Joker, a plan involving a tiny pea sized bomb being swallowed by the president- it was a whole thing.

And now? Now Gotham has been abandoned.

...he doesn't know how he should be feeling about this situation, but he is not feeling very well at the moment. He needs to think for a while- In fact, he knows exactly how to help. It's time for Bruce Wayne to step into the light and act. And if Bruce Wayne can't convince others to help, then Batman will have to save Gotham alone.

Time Skip - 1 Week

POV Change

3rd Person

[Location: Gotham Proper (Lower), Gotham City, New Jersey]

[Clock - 13:08 | 01:08 PM]

[Calendar: 08/04/2003]

Welcome to Gotham.

If you look to your right, you might be able to catch a glimpse or even see the corpses of people long dead and rotting for a week. On your left, you might see broken buildings that collapsed upon the street- Oh, is that a severed arm on the street? Also to your right, you might be able to hear the cries of a people! Trapped within a collapsed building, a mother holds her children and cries as they also cry. It's been a week and they haven't been rescued from this nightmare. Their father was right before them, crushed by the portion of the wall he had been holding for three days without faltering, until his body gave up under the weight and the weight was stronger than his will to protect his wife and children.

To your left, you might just see the glimpse of the street that once was taken to reach Old Gotham from Lower Gotham Proper. Perhaps you'd see the fallen sign of Luigi's Pizzaria where many have gone to celebrate their birthdays, or maybe you'd see the fallen broke glass of the once well known 8-Bit Bar, where many have gone to in the middle of the night... Or perhaps you'd see the broken legs of a poor man as he dragged his broken body across the hot asphal of the afternoon sun, getting little sharp rocks on his thighs, broken arm, and hands as he does his best to escape the shadow that approaches from behind. If you look behind you, you'd see the- Ignore the sounds of murder, please! Nobody is screaming "Help me! For the love of god- Please! Somebody!" as they drag their body across the street and someone else slowly walks up to them to finish what they started! That's so silly! Let me show you the beauty of Gotham city in its natural state! Ignore the-

ＢＯＯＭ

-oh, for f*ck's sake.

"Ahahahhaha!" A shrill laughter echoed as ornage flames lashed out towards the broken buildings. Flying in with flames on his back was a man. He had bright blond hair and truly, really crazy eyes- He looked at the flames that were being born from his own hands, the power that he acquired was a beauty to be seen by all, and he will show the world how his beautiful his Aphoridite truly is. "YES! BURN! OH WITNESS THE BEAUTY AND SPLENDOR OF THE FLAMES!" Meet Ted Carson, also known as Firefly, and the newly appointed Avatar of The Orange. If you do not remember¹, The Orange is the metaphysical plane of flames from the DC Universe. A place where Fire related deities and elementals tend to live and dominate. Unlike The Green, The Red, and The Black, The Orange had never had an Avatar or Champion before, so they reached out to the person with the most love for flames and fire that they could find. The passion of seeing a flame burn, of seeing combustion work, of causing flames. And, well, they certainly found him...

As the newly crowned Avatar of The Orange used his powers to cause explosions and flames, the person that was first killing a homeless man with their bare hands froze. The flames and explosion seemed to trigger a memory within its mind... Of a floating man, pointing his finger down, and fire exploding right on his face. Solomon Grundy, the Avatar of The Black was enraged by the flames of Ted Carson, which made him completely forget his victim and focus on the little bug at hand. He grasped a large piece of a fallen building, and threw it at the flame winged freak— it shot out like a bullet, and before he knew it, he had hit the annoying bug off of the sky.

...let's leave these two to resolve their problems-

"Huh, I didn't expect to see two Avatars of the Colors of Nature fighting like this." A rather soft voice spoke from above, not really being completely noticed by the two Avatars that started their own petty fighting. The person that floated above it all was not alone, and in fact, there was someone beside him. A darker and taller shadow stood behind him, his own draconian appearance no longer resembled the crocodiles he was first affiliated with. "You see this sh*t? What were the Parliament of Flames thinking? Firefly? As an Avatar for the force of flames? This universe is playing jokes." Atlas rolled his eyes from above as he witnessed the fight alongside Waylon- Although it might seem liike they were doing nothing, Atlas was having a litte bit of a harder time doing three different things at the same time, and thus couldn't really protect himself from anything right now.

And when Waylon learned of that, he refused to leave Atlas' side whenever he was doing something like this-

"Well, Love, the universe loves to play little jokes." Shaking his head, the dragon humanoid- seriously, it was wrong to call him a crocodile by now -known as King beasti*alis, Waylon Jones, chuckled as he watched the Avatar of the Black punch a few balls of flame thrown by the Avatar of the Orange, a frown appearing on his face soon after as he could hear the cries of the innocent all around that were hiding away: "And, well, sometimes those little jokes are more disturbing than we'd hope..." He wanted to go and help the people, but he would never forgive himself if he left Atlas side while he was focusing on a rather complex and powerful spell that he was using. Right below them, a small group of humanoids ran around, lifting rocks and picking up people and corpses. Whenever they found an injured person, their little hands would glow and the damage would be slightly mitigated and they'd join the other survivors that were being rescued. These little creatures were called- by Atlas - Shadow Healers. They are, apparently, shadow created humanoids that were temporarily granted the ability to heal by Atlas himself. He had casted [Summon Shadowspawn] and focused on bringing as many of them as he could... And then he casted another spell, a spell called [Infuse Magic]. This was Atlas' first ever casted 10th Level spell, and it allowed him to share some of his magical prowess with others! This granted those he wishes the energy to cast a spells equivalent to level 5 spells in D&D terms.

Atlas had to keep his mind focused on keeping control over the summoned shadowspawn creatures, he had to focus and keep the control over their movements like a puppeteer, and he had to keep concentration on the [Infuse Magic] spell, that was way harder to maintain than he previously thought, and thus consumed more energy and mental focus from him than he thought, and that made him essentially a small little sitting frog, because if he moved, his concentration would break! And that's why Waylon was beside him, to protect him and keep him safe from everything that might try to attack him as he focused on rescuing as many people as he possibly could with the shadowy humanoids. "That's true." Atlas sighed as a Shadow Healer quickly grabbed a homeless person who had his legs broken and healed them for a moment, quickly dragging that homeless person away and behind the building both Atlas and Waylon were above, where a small group of people were helping the rescued people. They were the Healers of Khepri, a newly formed group of magical healers that were blessed by Khepri to carry his magical ability to heal.

This, in turn, drove more people to worship the gods, creating a feedback loop where the gods used their divine energy to bless their most devoted worshipper and make them able to do something other than normal humans, which in turn drove more worship. Nora Fries was one of said Healers of Khepri, in fact, she was the most devoted worshipper of Khepri who dedicated her work to him at every moment she practiced it, which generated more divine energy for the god and- Well, you get it by now. As Firefly and Solomon Grundy fought against one another, Atlas focused on rescuing the many survivors that did not immediately die at the hands of the disaster that was orchestrated by Klarion the Bitch Boy.

"I believe these are the last people..." With a wave of pure energy, no spell necessary, Atlas stretched out the awareness his mind had over a 500 meters area surrounding him, feeling no more living beings within that area besides the ones that were already saved and Firefly, he could also feel the nauseating necrotic energy from Solomon Grundy too. "Let's return to the kingdom, love?"

Waylon simply nodded, eyeing the two Avatars that were so focused on fighting each other that they didn't even notice them, before saying: "Yes, love, let's return."

With a smile, Atlas' magical energy moved solidified into thin threads and began to dance, weaving this enormous and intricate circle right beneath the entire building they were on. There was a soft pause as the circle connected all lines to themselves and a rush of energy faded away, leaving behind an empty building devoid of people or any sign that there were people once there.

[Teleportation Circle] is a rather powerful spell.

Chapter 54: To the Shadows (Part 6)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 02:56 | 02:56 AM]

[Calendar - 18/04/2003]

[Location - Gotham City, New Jersey]

Time Skip - 10 Days

POV Change

Atlas - The Queen of Beasts

It was in the middle of the early, early morning when the wards that he had placed on the outside walls were blasting inside his head. His eyes snapped open and without even wanting to wake Waylon up, Atlas softly vanished from his place at Waylon's chest and without any further thought, appeared right above beasti*alis a little bit sleep drunk. "*yawn*" With a big yawn, his eyes barely open, Atlas looked down towards the walls that surrounded beasti*alis territory. It had expanded, the walls had to be moved further and their territory had increased by a lot in the past 10 days! They now occupied the entirety of Old Gotham, including the Slaughter Swamp. It was a steady and slow increase over territory, with Atlas first scanning the areas and letting the people of beasti*alis to clean up the streets while he and Waylon alongside their rescue team would make a swoop in the areas around Old Gotham in search of survivors. Their population and popularity was increasing by leaps and bounds, so much so that Atlas was expecting some sort of villainous plan to take them down, which was why he and Pamela have been keeping watch. He keeps watch during the day with his magic, and she keeps watch around beasti*alis with her plants.

The thing is, Atlas also placed various [Alarm] spells all around Old Gotham, since the surface world was being repaired by him to become the homes of their new people. The homes he made beneath beasti*alis would still be homes, they were just expanding to the surface now! Slaughter Swamp actually provided a place to take magical resources from, which was now available to Atlas as he can now take off into other planes of existence to find the things he needs to make intricate rituals or make magical items! He has been preparing a large piece of the Crystal Creature that they stole to make into a Mythallar, but progress has been rather slow because of the intricate ritual that he needs to cast for... 8 hours without break, pause, or being distracted. Which is why he has been spending a lot of time training himself on learnig and sharpening his multitasking skills! Thanks to his method of using magic, he can create circles and stars that act as batteries and enchanters for his soul. They store and keep magical energy that he uses for spells and magic, and the excess energy would then flow into his mind and then body, enchanting them as well! And thanks to this side effect, his mind was truly and capable of learning how to process more than one thing at the same time and also do more than one thing at the same time! Summoning his Shadow Healers helped him not only practice his multitasking skills, but allowed him to understand how to properly cast 10th level spells with the [Infuse Magic] spell.

"...annoying pests." With a frown Atlas silently casted [Arcane Eye] and this small human-like eye with a yellow iris appeared in his hands, that he sent it towards where he knew the group of people that had infiltrated beasti*alis territory came from. Atlas' naked pale white skin had this soft glow on it that was the reflection of being bathed by the silver light of the full moon above him, which made him look ethereal, even more so with the soft pale silver colored gown that adorned his body as he summoned it because he got a bit cold: "Ah, there you are- huh?" What he saw were not the criminals carrying guns and ready to shoot everyone, but a group of people taking to the shadows to keep themselves hidden from the single noticable source of light that was the light of the moon. He was, sincerely, expecting some sort of gang or mafia family trying to get their territory, and because it hasn't happened yet (in a big scale) he is kinda anxious about it? His magical eye with a bright yellow iris was a glaring sign that they were spotted! So they started to scatter, but Atlas wouldn't let them. In a burst of blue light, Atlas teleported hundreds of feet away from where he once stood. His naked body was only covered by a pale white night gown, so when he suddenly appeared he did look kinda like a ghost— Floating above the family, Atlas reached out with his hand and casted [Command] as he spoke: "Stop." All the people- he counted about six people, hiding in the shadows -stopped. Immediately, he reached out with his hands and pulled a string from moonlight as he casted [Light], a beam of silver light illuminated everyone.

He saw the father or the tallest men of the group, clench his entire body as he tried to break free, but it was like his entire body was actively fighting against him and his choice to move. The [Command] spell normally doesn't last very long, but Atlas learned- thanks to the 10th level spell that he has been casting -that if he keeps feeding magic energy to a spell, the spell will hold for longer. And that is also the Metamagic known as [Extended Magic]! "So, who are you and what are you doing here?" They might be survivors, but this is Gotham and Atlas is f*cking paranoid about the people joining their newly growing empire! Assassins and spies are a thing, after all. Just to make sure, Atlas also casted [Zone of Truth] to hear what these people. The spell created this soft zone of magic that compelled people to speak the truth and nothing but the truth, this spell can be resisted by those with strong minds, but Atlas would feel such a thing.

"P-please, we're just seeking refuge!" The first one to speak was not the man, but instead the woman beside him. She was holding her children close to her, and Atlas casted [Detect Thoughts] on himself to read the surface thoughts of those around him as she spoke: "This is the only place that is safe!" Atlas could tell she was desperate and that she believed this was the only place she and her children cohld be, and she was also genuinely afraid of him and what he could do. "Please- please- my children!" She lifted the little one she had in her arms, making Atlas narrow his eyes as he looked down at the child she was holding out to him. It was a small baby, wrapped in what seemed to be a cloth covered in blood, and by the pale skin of the poor child, it was clear that it was hurt. "She's dying, please save her- my child!" Unbeknownst to Atlas, the fact that he has the power of healing and much more has spread and escaped the boundaries of the beasti*alis territory, reaching other territories that were starting to form. Gangs started to form and gather territory, the GCPD has established their own territory after Batman vanished, and so some villains started to spread out with their own territories. This has lighted the slightest of sparks within the heart of this poor family and many others all from Gotham, and this family decided to take a risk because they were desperate.

"Very well." Atlas sighed- Is he being too paranoid, or is he being paranoid enough? He has been preparing for his plan to get beasti*alis recognized by the UN as a nation, but he has also been preparing himself for whatever might happen in the future! He has been shouldering a lot of responsibilities for the kingdom, and he sometimes he thinks he's being too paranoid? But oh well, if anything, he'd blame Batman's knowledge that has made him a bit more paranoid than normal because of the sheer amount of ways he knew someone could hurt him or hurt his kingdom. "[Heal]. There, your child is completely fine now..." He was about to sigh when a small, a soft little trigger seemed to just go off inside his brain as he casted [Shield], creating an instantaneous barrier of energy that instantly shattered. His brain was a lot faster than a normal human, and that allowed him to instantly react to the shift in the atmosphere and the sudden sense of danger and death that emanated from somewhere! He swiftly casted [Misty Step] and vanished as soon as the shield of energy he created to protect himself shattered, he appeared about 30 feet higher into the sky. His eyes immediately glared at the direction he had felt the danger coming from, only to have the same sensation coming for him at a sharp speed, and he reacted by immediately by teleporting away with [Dimension Door], going 500 feet above everything and looking down at everyone. He narrowed his eyes as he thought: "...Bait."

That family (perhaps they not knowingly) were bait. Whoever had tried to kill him had used them as bait... so either they knew he would appear, or they weren't actually after him but after anyone from the beasti*alis Kingdom that could heal. So, someone with money had somehow learned that their group were accepting survivors, maybe they knew he could heal? This is DC, Gotham City! Perhaps they had a little mole within their territory? Maybe they somehow heard some sort of rumor about him and his capabilities? Somehow, someome tried to kill him today. With a cast of [Locate Creature] and focusing on the person who tried to kill him, Atlas received a small ping. Someone that was running away, huh? Well, he won't let that happen!

POV Change

Lawrence Crock - Sportsmaster

It was supposed to be an easy job, bait was even provided. He just was supposed to shoot this random freak that was apparently the leader of this group of homeless people that apparently had some sort of ability or power to do weird sh*t— he was told by his contractor, the Penguin, that this guy was one of the people that held most part of Gotham as his territory, and that with him dead the territory would be free for the taking. He also went to explain about a bunch of random things about the guy that he didn't really listen, mostly because there were no known reported abilities that could pose a serious problem to him, besides the healing thing, of course.

But nothing a bullet in the head couldn't stop, right?

He has done this before. Some random guy thinks they're untouchable and all powerful, but a bullet in their head simply ends those thoughts instantly! He followed the desperate family from a distance— They were simply found by the Penguin, he had one of his henchmen simply cut several veins from the baby, telling their parents that their child would die of blood loss if they didn't nanage to find this specific person, a person that could famously heal. They had been under the Penguin's territory ever since the Cataclysm had hit Gotham, and they were being thrown out with the simple instructions of going towards this place to save the life of their baby? Even if it was a rouse or some sort of trick, to save their child, they would do anything! So they took their other children and ran. Sportsmaster couldn't really fathom why they would go so far for something that would die soon enough.

But hey, everyone has their flaws, right?

He loaded the sniper rifle and took aim- that weird guy was simply floating, but Sportsmaster has been in the business enough to know that you don't really question why some people are able to do what they do, you just shrug and kill them!

Right as he pulled the trigger, he could swear he saw the man stare right at where he was before this shield of energy materialized around him- he thought that that was it, but the shield shattered, and the man vanished 30 feet above of where he was. Cursing, Sportsmaster tried to shoot him again and- The guy simply vanished again! "Yeah, f*ck this sh*t I'm out-"

"Leavin- so soon?" A voice spoke from above, and just as he feared, the same guy he tried to kill was floatimg right above him: "I have a few questions- Wait a moment, please..." A book appeared in his hands as he frowned: "Your name is Lawrence Crock? Sportsmaster? Huh, never heard of you- anyway, to the shadow realm with you." The shadows beneath him simply turned to this sluggish liquid that dragged him down, and his body refused to move.

In the night, Sportsmaster simply vanished.

Chapter 55: Show Time (Part 7)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 08:56 | 08:56 AM]

[Calendar - 03/05/2003]

[Location - Meeting Room of the Council of Beasts - beasti*alis Kingdom - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

Time Skip - 15 Days

POV Change

3rd Person POV

With a groaning sigh, Atlas felt his muscles relax with a soft pop. He turned to look at the group of people that sat by the same round table, each one different from the other- With a groan and another even heavier sigh than the previous one, Atlas pinched the bridge between his forehead and nose with his fingers as he said: "Welcome to another meeting of the Council of Beasts. We are gathered here to discuss about our territory." He felt Waylon's hands on his shoulders as he was sitting on his lap, the big dragon man was rubbing his shoulders, trying to help him relax when he hasn't slept for the past 2 days, always working on something or doing something in the name of the kingdom, which just made Waylon worried about his health and a little bit proud that Atlas was putting so much effort even though he has been doing the same for a long time now. By his left sat the Lady of the Immaculate Garden, and by his right sat the Genius Blood Sage, and beside him sat the duo of Pale Blue Sage and Bright Light Healer (Victor Fries and Nora Fries), and lets not forget the two Awakened animals that also have titles: The Contessa of Cheese and the Protector of Children while Techno Defender Cyber-Neet sat directly in front of him.

With a snap of his fingers, he summoned forth the papers he spent a few minutes writing before using magic to copy on other papers, each going to the nobles of beasti*alis.

"As you can see, we have received a great increase in population." Atlas did not need to look at the papers, he knew that beasti*alis had a sudden increase in population by more than 90%! In the past two days, Atlas has found more and more people who wanted to join beasti*alis Kingdom, since it was the only place that had a semblance of a goverment and safety, as well as free healthcare, which was what sold the beasti*alis Kingdom to most of the citizens, to be fair. "Blood Sage, Blue Sage, Light Healer, how have the Awakening serum tests going?" The two scientists of the beasti*alis Kingdom have started to test the serum they have been tasked with completing, and Atlas was very curious abot the results of the testing. Nora has been tasked with healing whoever had any sort of side effect to the serum, and if anything truly bad happened, they had a [Sending Stone] to contact him directly for help. "I hope no volunteers have shown adverse reactions to the serum?"

"Oh, the testing has been a success!" With a cheerful upbeat to his voice and hope in his eyes, Robert grinned widely as he explained: "I was adverse at human testing at first, but after seeing people eagerly volunteering-" Ah, right. Eight days ago, Atlas announced to the Kingdom that there would be scientific testings to develop a serum to that would be available for the entire population of beasti*alis to use if they desired, but it was in the phase of testing. The serum was aimed at Awakening the hidden genes within their bodies, granting them animalistic appearance alongside superhuman abilities. Atlas told everyone that whoever wanted to volunteer would be the first to experience the metamorphosis into the race that was to be the dominant within beasti*alis Kingdom, because they would make them much more than humans. "-it was kinda hard not to go with it... Animal testing had been going well and no animal had shown negative side effects, so after testing on a few chimpanzees, we started testing on humans... and, well, the results have been positive?"

Atlas lifted one eyebrow: "...Explain, please."

"Well, the test subjects have shown different levels of hom*o beasti*alis genus awakening, the majority have grow simple animal characteristics-" This time, the one to speak was the Pale Blue Sage, Victor Fries, who also had a rather big smile on his face: "-and, well, we believe this is a good sign. Robert has described his own transformation as something incredibly painful, and these small changes at a slower pace seem more ideal. Just yesterday, our oldest test subject, Buck, has started to develop more crocodilian characteristics." It wasn't much of a shock for Atlas to learn that Buck had some hom*o beasti*alis Crocodilian genes in his body. It was almost interesting how there were psychological signs for the hidden genes too... Atlas theorized that the animals you interact with or love are the ones you're most likely to have the hidden genes of. "And other subjects have started to develop their own animalistic characteristics... But, my Queen, how are we going to deal with the animalistic instincts that they will slowly develop?"

"Ah, I can deal with that." This time, Waylon answered. His arms dropped around Atlas, tightly holding his waist closer to him, his rough skin was leathery to the touch: "I have experince dealing with some of that, so I might as welll teach them what I know of self control." There were a lot of skeptical looks from the people at the table- Everyone knew that their King was the one with the least amount of self control in this entire world! He literally couldn't go five minutes without wondering where the Queen was, where he would be, how he was, and if within his reaching distance, constantly touch him to make sure he was still there and wouldn't suddenly disappear: "...what? Did I say something funny?"

"...Anyway-" Skipping the entire ordeal without saying anything else and ignoring Waylon's "Hey!", Atlas turned to look seriously at eveyone. There was a soft change of atmosphere in the room, an invisible weight seemed to settle down on their shoulders as Atlas turned to look at the Lady of the Immaculate Garden and asked: "Pamela, dear, how are the roots coming up? Need any extra help?"

"My Queen-" A shar grim, Pamela flicked her bright red hair back as she smiled brightly and proudly at her own accomplishments and deeds: "-I have covered 100% of the grounds, I have started reinforcement of the roots. I do not need help for now, but when I start to connect the Slaughter Swamp to the root network of the beasti*alis Kingdom, I will need a bit more of energy and your magical touch." This was Pamela's main task for now. She was to use her ability to control plans to wrap the beasti*alis Kingdom completely in roots, reinforcing the subterranean part of the beasti*alis Kingdom's territory, to make sure than when Atlas puts the city in the sky, nothing bad will happen! And they'll take Slaughter Swamp with them, because Atlas wants the entire place for himself. He is being quite greedy, but the Slaughter Swamp is an actual magical swamp, cut him some slack, okay? "I have, however, met some... obstacles? They're rocks, weird rocks. Weird as in, they feel like the rocks of Slaughter Swamp, but... better."

Ah, magical rocks? That's unexpected. Maybe some magic from beasti*alis itself leaked? Or is this something Cipactli is trying to do? "I will take a look later... Lonnie, how many obstacles have you reached in your endeavors, and do you require my assistance to overcome them?" He had given Lonnie a very complex job that aligned with his soft anarchist tendencies- His job was to f*ck up with the American goverment, stirr public opinion, and to gather support for the rise of the beasti*alis Kingdom by painting a good public opinion of them. Which was easier thanks to the incompetent goverment that seemed to not understand what the public wanted, even more so after Atlas gave Lonnie the idea to start the "Gothamite Survivalist Guide" blog, where he was writing and posting about the experiences of every Gothamite right now. The despair, the fear, the dread, the uncertainty, and many other serious experiences. "I take it that it has gone well?"

"Oh, its going f*cking great!" With a wide grin, Lonnie flipped the laptop he had received from Atlas around, showing the screen to the entirety of the Council of Beasts, who all looked at the several news that he had pulled through several different sites that were speaking about the horrors going in Gotham: "We have, successfully, planted the seed of chaos and discord in the hearts of the people- oh, how I've missed this, to sow chaos and anarchy." Sighing, Lonnie looked into a non-existent horizon as flowe petals fell in the background and- No. He was just staring at nothing for a few moments: "...Anyway, I reckon that it won't take long until we got the president out with that impeachment idea. I already started spreading rumours about his marriage- by the way, how did you even know that he had three mistresses, and two of them had his children? That wasn't enough evidence online to prove it, but with the one you provided, my Queen, it was ridiculously easy."

"That is good to hear... And don't worry about where I got the information from, that's something only I can do in this universe." A truth. Only he had access to [World Encyclopedia - Book of Living Beings], others who had this ability wouldn't be in this universe anyway! "Contessa, have your men returned?" He turned to look at the small rat that sat atop the table, holding this miniature tea cup and wearing a bright blue princess dress. On her feet, glass slippers! "I heard you received their report, have you not?"

She took a sip and nodded: "I have, my Queen." She pulled out this parchment that was small to his hands, but big to hers. She reached out to give it to him, and she looked adorable doing so! "Ever since you've instructed me with the receiver box, I have monitored the reports we have been receiving, and I am proud to say that all my men have returned alive. The one assigned to Batman has, sadly, lost complete sight of him after the Cataclysm happened, but the two other rats assigned to Commissioner Gordon and the Arkham Asylum have reported some happenings at the two locations.¹" She looked a bit grim about the news she had to share, and as Atlas read the report, he understood why.

"So Gordon has made a deal with the devil, huh?" Atlas sighed, sharing the information he had just received with everyone around: "He has made a deal with Two Face to expand the GCPD territory... This will backfire heavily on him, it seems." For reasons Atlas couldn't really understand, Gordon had sent every survivor that was found towards them (which was one of the many reasons that the population of beasti*alis was increasing) and refused to even interact with the beasti*alis Kingdom. Maybe something about the fact that the king of this kingdom was the once known Killer Croc? "...I feel like there's a plot happening, but we need to focus on something else." He looked at Lonnie, who nodded. There was the sound of the keyboard being clicked at a furious speed before Lonnie turned the screen around once more to show the news.

[Justice League Seeks Audience with the Unite Nations!]

[Who is the Justice League?]

[Justice League has declared its intention to help Gotham]

[The United States President says "A group of heroes? That sounds fishy to me." about the Justice League]

"Ah... it's finally time to strike." Atlas felt a grin grow on his face- The stage was set, all they had to do was take it: "beasti*alis will soon rise." And that was a fact! Ever since the Cataclysm happened (and even before it, really) he has been preparing a few things to get the UN to recognize beasti*alis Kingdom as an official nation. He wanted them to have a goos reputation, but if necessary he will take the land to the skies without even the slightest approval of any government. "Gather around, gather around~" With a smile, Atlas reached out to everyone around him as the table before them turned into a reflective mirror-

And being reflected on it was the interior of the General Assembly Hall, in New York.

Right in the middle of a meeting between the UN and the Justice League.

"...show time."

Chapter 56: Just Starting (Part 8)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 10:02 | 10:02 AM]

[Calendar - 03/05/2003]

[Location - Meeting Room of the United Nations - General Assembly Hall, New York, USA]

Warning: I don't know how this sh*t works. Suspend thy disbelief, think in comic book logic.

Remember, in this DC Universe, the UN actually has some clout. All politics or political opinions are in light of the characters- i couldn't give less of a sh*t about politics.

POV Change

3rd Person POV

"We are here gathered to discuss incident N°098 dash B-0, also known as the Incident of No Man's Land-" The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Andrew Apperson, said. Andrew was a 78 year old white man, bald patch right on top of his head, missing a few teeth that had been replaced, and using these little glasses that helped him focus on the papers on his hand. Before him were the other representative members of the many nations that were recognized under the banner of the United Nations. He could see the representatives of Bangladesh, Argentina, Bulgaria, Italy, Germany, and Australia having a chat by their respective seats close to one another, he could see the representatives of Benin, Bhutan, and Belarus speaking casually while the rrepresentatives of China and Singapore speaking to one another. "-and the official request by the public to do something about it. We have gathered under the request of many, and together we are to make a decision of interference."

This roughly translated to "f*ck, the people want us to do something", which- well, it was kinda expected. Let me show you a bit of what the public had access to, thanks to the [Gothamite Survivalist Guide], a blog that suddenly appeared and had detailed descriptions of what was happening in Gotham right now alongside video and audio evidence! Let's ignore the big room of old f*cks for a few moments, okay? I will show you three examples of the things the public had access to, and that had slowly made the public opinion about the goverment and the united states president go from bad to worse. Let's start with the first post made on [Gothamite Survivalist Guide], because that one was the most read one, and it was also shorter and had audio too. Just to be clear, there was always a disclaimer at the beginning of the story that read: [This is a true story. Being written with the consent of the victims, please read at your own description. It may contain haunting audios, videos, or images.]

[Today I saw Firefly set my family on Fire.

That's exactly that. We were hiding in one of the many destroyed buildings because of the many fights for territory in Gotham- it has become a nightmare to live in. My little sister, Agatha, was only 6. My mother was 35, my dad was 38. Me? I'm 12. I heard their screams as I had to stay quiet, I had to hide- he was right there. I could hear his laughter. I could feel the heat of fire. I could smell the scent of burned flesh.

And then there was only silence. I owe my life and the life of my family, who was saved, but only by a thread. Long live the Queen and his grace, long live the King and his benevolence. Praise the gods of beasti*alis.]

[*Audio Sample N°3 - Victim of Firefly, Firefly Laughter*]

If you clicked to play the audio, you'd hear Firefly laughing as someone screamed at the top of their lungs. Pain and misery were palpable through the sound, and such suffering ended with the soft click at the end, there were no clarifications if the victim survived or not. It was a haunting audio, and many have stopped midway through the audio because they couldn't handle it.

The next story had an image. It was the image of a very, very twisted body. Blood and severed body parts spread out in a pool of blood, the severed and broken head of a man stared right at the screen, his skull cracked open and a bit of his brain being visible, his small intestines were used as a rope to hold the skin and some bones, and at the background you could see the shadowy signs of hundreds of corpses just like this.

[I was rescued from a cannibal's warehouse.

I don't want to say my name. I don't want to say my age. But I wanma say is that I am was not a good person- I worked for the mob, I killed for the mob, I painted rooms with blood because that was all I could do, all I had to do. In Gotham, you do what you can to survive. I remember what I did, and although I don't regret a lot of things I've done before, I still can't stomach what I saw. I still have nightmares about it, and I still fear for my life.

His name was Cornelius Stirk.

For those who don't know, Cornelius Stirk was a very dangerous cannibal with the power to make you see sh*t. Illusions from what I've been told, and you don't know the difference between real and fake until you gotta a knife sticking into your stomach because the woman you've been living with for years, the love of your life, suddenly isn't even a woman anymore and is this ugly f*cking guy with a knife- that is in your stomach. He eats people, plain and simple, and he is also f*cking batsh*t crazy! The guy laughed- laughed while he cut people to pieces. He's got chopping people up as an art now, he deboned my wife with such terrifying ease that I can still hear the sound of him pulling out her spine and throwing it out in the ground. He explained, in great detail as he was cooking my wife and children, how each organ tasted. Cornelius Stirk was. Because he is no more. I killed him- I was able to kill him when he was distracted, adding pieces of my wife, her skin and bones to "dry" by using her intestines and the intestines of many people as ropes.

I was guaranteed his soul would be in Hell, more specifically, within the domains of the Lord of the Criminally insane, beasti*alis' punisher of evil souls, the Demon Lord Baytor, one of many nobles of beasti*alis.

I was soon rescued of that place by the King and his people. My wife and children, alongside every single person within that warehouse were brought back to life by the Queen with powers of the gods of beasti*alis. Now, I have a new purpose. To serve the kingdom, and to protect the ones I love.]

This sparked the curiosity of many— What do you mean by they "were brought" back? Sadly, that question went unanswered. There was no extra information available about the powers of the Queen of Beasts besides little snippets that were essential to the stories. There were also many stories about the King of Beasts too, how he was an enormous dragon humanoid and how he fought off against people that threatened beasti*alis- in fact, there was a video of one such fight.

[*The video starts showing the broken ground of a building that hadn't fallen, the came is lifted and shows the battlefield. It takes a moment for the camera to focus, but even when it does, the quality is not the best. The video shows a rather large gathering mobsters and people holding guns, they all look to be of the same gang or allies*

"You're trespassing into beasti*alis Kingdom territory. And holding guns too, looks like you really wanna do som' sh*t, huh?"

*A voice echoes from below, and from the advantage point of the camera, you could see the big dragon human. Black scales that reflected a bit of light, like a beautiful glossy gem, a long and thick tail, and a large pair of wings. As he jumped off of this long, long wall of stone and dirt full of roots and vines covered on sharp thorn and landed before the large group of people, there was thudding sound that echoed*

"Turn back now, and I will let you live."

*The voice of the King was rumbling like thunder, and it carried power too. The answer he got was of guns firing at him. The camera angle wasn't good enough to show it completely, but you could barely see a squad of mobsters holding guns and shooting this solid wall of scales and muscles that didn't even move as bullets simply fell to the ground around him. There were clicking sounds that echoed in the deafening silent that followed after all shooting stopped, signifying that they were out of bullets*

"You shouldn't have done that. Sekhem."

*There was the loudest roar of all. It sounded like the sound of a tiger roaring, but louder and more aggressive, like thunder echoing after lightning strikes. A rush of wind push away the dust and the King had barely changed physically, but his body seemed to grow a few inches and his power immediately made the camera turn off as a wave of power hit it off of the hands of whoever was filming it, plummeting the camera down the building*

*The last shot was of someone looking down at the camers falling alongside the screams of men begging for mercy*]

With that last sound, the screen would then cut to black. All members of the UN had been shown at least one of the many stories about Gotham right now, and at least one image or video too, to make sure they knew the severity of the situation. They also received a complete report on all information they had about the beasti*alis Kingdom, its King and Queen, and the "nobles" that were so highly spoken of in these stories. They knew the identity of one, at least someone who matched the power set expressed to be owned by the Lady of the Immaculate Garden, also known as Poison Ivy.

"Under the request and incentive of many nations, and the request of the newly established Justice League, we shall start this meeting." With a single sigh, he was mentally preparing himself to deal with as much bullsh*t as he could- he knew they'd be here for hours on end going around in circles until the cycle was broken by either time or someone saying something. That was politics, after all. "Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Aquaman, and Green Lantern. Please, take a seat."

As he finished saying that, there was a sudden stir in the air, and suddenly there were other people sitting at the right beside the Justice League, people he had only seen on the screen of a television or computer. A glimmer of energy seemed to materialize as a voice asked: "Is there seats for us, too?" Soon, there were eyes on them- One big bat human he knew to be the infamous Man-Bat, a green skinned gorgeous red head known as Poison Ivy, a man that he wasn't sure who he was until he recognized him as Mr. Freeze, a woman that sat by his side and held his hand, a big black scaled dragon man, another smaller one that sat by his lap: "It would be rude to not invite the ones who have been trying to keep as many people as safe as possible while Gotham burns in a blaze, wouldn't it? Thankfully I received my invite in the form of prophetic dreams." There was a sharp smile to his face as he simply rolled his eyes- The effect of whatever enthralling presence he had was strong, because nobody even spoke a word until then!

"You-?" Aquaman narrowed his eyes in surprise as he looked at the group that suddenly appeared.

"Ah, the Atlantean King-" The big dragon grinned, his sharp white teeth being exposed to everything and everyone to see. It was intimidating for sure! "-it's nice to meet the king of the people who f*cked my people over a buck ton thousands of years ago or whatever. I've heard from my lovely queen that your people still treat mine as second class citizens, and even those who share similarities. You feeling like you're about to pass out from drying?"

Oh, this meeting has just started.

Chapter 57: Only a Day (Part 9)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 10:02 | 10:02 AM]

[Calendar - 03/05/2003]

[Location - Meeting Room of the United Nations - General Assembly Hall, New York, USA]

Warning: I don't know how this sh*t works. Suspend thy disbelief, think in comic book logic.

Remember, in this DC Universe, the UN actually has some clout. All politics or political opinions are in light of the characters- i couldn't give less of a sh*t about politics.

POV Change

3rd Person POV

Standing amidst a bunch of old people who represented their own countries was not something Atlas ever thought would happen. He kept the best poker face that he could as he stared at the many faces that were staring at them- He easily recognized many of the faces that he has been studying for all their dirty, dirty secrets, and that includes the Justice League itself! "So~" One thing to notice, is that Atlas is not wearing a mask at all- he has no more reason to cover his face, because he is 100% sure that his plans will work. If not the primary, then the many backup plans that he has prepared. He stared directly into the eyes of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, a soft pale pink glow fading through as he said: "Now, we were going to talk about Gotham, right? How the stupid f*cker known as Geoffrey James, President of the United States, has abandoned Gotham and declared it a No Man's Land? How this has caused thousands of death? How this has not only affected the US economy- since money is all you old f*cks seem to care about -but also the entire world economy? Ooh~ How about we talk about that ugly shirt thing you're wearing, Aquaman?"

There was a reason they were targeting Aquaman, and that was psychological games. First of all, he was a King. If both the King and Queen of another nation mocks the king, the population of the nation was also mocked indirectly, and Atlantis has a lot of beef and prejudice against those with the hom*o beasti*alis genus, and he has actually read about the many examples of what Atlantis has done to those with the hom*o beasti*alis genus throughout history, which has strengthened the "Atlantean Blood Purity" movement. By having the King and Queen of All Beasts, the race that they mocked and despised (alongside humans too, even though they wish to look as human as fish-ly possible), mock their king back, it was essentially a payback and clear provocation.

"..." Aquaman simply stared back at Atlas as he kept the eye contact, unbroken: "I have seen your friends before... Curious, how many villans have gathered here today." His eyes narrowed as he stared at the group of people that had suddenly appeared, the majority of them being villains that have once terrorized the streets of Gotham. With Poison Ivy doing a lot of damage to Gotham and other places in the world as well, Man-Bat was actually on the run and was last seen a few months ago after he stole something from a lab, Mr. Freeze was on the loose after he ran and escaped from Arkham Asylum, and there were faces he didn't recognize- "Is that an alligator?" He couldn't help but ask as he saw this big f*cking alligator sitting right beside the group, with a small rat in the table in front of them as well. Wonder Woman had lifted an eyebrow at that too while Martian Manhunter seemed to be puzzled by something. Superman just looked forward, trying to keep his face stoic even though there were waves of amusem*nt and worry going down the mental bond that was established by Martian Manhunter before the meeting had even started. The Flash? Well, he had gotten popcorn from who knows where and was eating it!

Batman, as always, just kept a stoic visage.

"I am a crocodile, you ignorant man." A deep female voice suddenly emanated from the crocodile, who sounded offended by the fact that Aquaman thought she was an alligator: "I am Sobekneferu, Daughter of the Swamps of Slaughter, Protector of Children, and Leader of the Croc Guard, you will respect my name, fish f*cker." Sobekneferu turned to huff and puff, angry. She was indeed all that was described, since Waylon decided to nominate every single crocodile within beasti*alis as a guard, to protect the people of beasti*alis, and the little crocs were very excited and happy about it. It was an adorable day, and Sobekneferu was named the "Leader of the Croc Guard" by Waylon, and she took that job f*cking seriously, dammit!

The sheer spite in her voice as she looked genuinely offended was amusing to Hal Jordan, who secretly (not so secretly, as his ring glowed) analyzed the talking crocodile... The results? Well, [This is the energy construct of a Class: Reptilia | Order: Crocodilia | Superfamily: Crocodyloidea | Family: Crocodylidae. The energy used for this projection seems elusive and unknown. Caution is reccomended, for there is no known database registry of this foreign energy. Contact the Green Lantern Corps?], which confirmed that also confirmed it was an energy projection, meaning these people weren't truly here. Mentally, Jordan sent the information he received while also adding his own analysis mentally: "[And, well, these people look really weird too- Let me just try to analyze them too, make sure they're really energy projections-]" But before he even could, there was a sharp "slap" sensation through his entire mind as he was about to use the Ring to analyze the others, and to confirm if they were also energy constructs.

"I'd like if you didn't try to use your little celibacy ring on my friends here-" Atlas felt this foreign energy as the ring softly glowed and reacted immediately by slapping that energy away with his own Magical Energy, which easily blocked whatever the f*ck that was from the Green Ring: "-we're here to discuss things, but if you try to analyze my and my own again, I will do the same to you." With narrowed gaze, Atlas allowed his magic to just softly emanate from his body, and there was this glow in his eyes. There was a weird shimmer in the air, almost like air pressure had changed, and a rough hand touched Atlas' shoulder which broke him out of his protective anger: "...you've been warned." With a huff, he turned to look at the crowd of old people once more... He has a few plans, and because the Justice League is physically here, he'd have to pull back on a few because he would have to use Enchantment magic to influence the people here, but if he doesn't succeed on convincing these old people, he can also use the good ol' mother of all negotiations: Threats! He snapped his finger twice, eyes closed for a moment, and everyone around him seemed to focus back on him: "Look, peeps, I'm here as the Queen of beasti*alis-" There was a lot of raised eyebrows at his declaration: "-What? You think I'm not a good Queen? Bitch, I am literally the strongest Magic User of the beasti*alis Kingdom! Also, keep your old f*ck opinion about gender norms and sexuality, because I couldn't care less... Here's the deal: You recognize beasti*alis as a Nation under the UN, and I'll take care of the No Man's Land problem."

There was only silence, and for the first time people began to speak- Immediately, Atlas learned at least 20 different languages instantly just by hearing the difference representatives of the many different countries speak in their native tongue. He was hearing a lot of slurs! Hey, he kindly smiled as he mentally added a bunch of names to his "Do Not Help" list, because he is f*cking petty as sh*t. "Right, right..." Sighing, Atlas looked down at his wrist, as if he was looking at a non-existent clock: "Three... two... one-" Before he even finished counting down the seconds, there was the sound of a lot of phones getting notifications, calls, and messages. One after the other, the representatives looked down at their phones- They weren't allowed to use them unless it was an emergency, and them receiving a text or a call was worrying.

Immediately, hundreds of faces turned pale.

"Ah, is everyone ready to vote~?" With a smug grin on his lips, Atlas allowed his body to move forward as he literally laid down in the table in front of him, his chin was placed right the open palm of his hand as he looked at everyone in the room: "Everyone who agrees that beasti*alis is a beautiful, resilient, and official kingdom with official reagents, government, land, laws, and permanent population raise your hands~" Immediately, the great majority of people within the room raised their hands, many with fake and nervous smiles on their faces as they agreed and voted with their agreement: "Lovely... Now that this problem is out of the way, I guess we can return to our own places- Ah, don't worry Batsie, everything is going as usual without you there on Gotham, you know? Death, fire, destruction, mayhem, torture, and other sh*t like that." This time he turned to look at the Secretary-General of the United Nations with a look that could pierce through rocks as he said: "I await the official announcement of the recognition of beasti*alis Kingdom as an official nation under the United Nations banner, I suggest you do not disappoint me, okay~?" And with that, he softly casted [Mass Suggestion], and a wave of energy ensnared the minds of the various political representatives as a compulsion, a Suggestion to not disappoint the Queen emerged within their minds. It was a very subtle magic, specially because Atlas spent a lot of time learning the Metamagic aspect known as Subtle Spell to make his spells silent and easy to cast while also being hard to be detect and feel.

"...Wait a moment." Batman's voice stopped him right on his tracks. Atlas turned to look at Bruce Wayne, a soft sigh escaping his lips as he paid full attention to the man- he was, in fact, one of the few superheroes that Atlas actually liked and respected: "...I read and heard about what you've been doing in Gotham, and I just wanted to tell you- Thank you."

'...did that just happen?' Atlas mentally f*cking kicked himself with guilt for mentally f*cking up Batman- even if it was for the good reason of healing his broken mind and the trauma he had as a child -as he nodded to Bruce, saying: "Well, Batsie, you're welcome." He smiled, but when he turned to look at Wonder Woman, he asked: "Hey, has Ares been f*cking around in Gotham? Because the whole place is like a war zone! I know that the land is cursed with Cipactli's presence, but things are starting to get more aggressive there too." This was true! Gotham was starting to get more... aggressive, and Sobek, Ptah, and Isis have said they felt a divine presence close to Gotham but like it was being masked by something that made the divine presence muffled. Atlas already knew the answer to this question, but throwing it at Wonder Woman was like throwing bait at shark infested waters: "Because, just a warning, if I find him I'm going to put him in a jar again."

"Pfft-" Diana snickered for a moment before she caught herself and kept a perfect stoic face, she was the perfect example of a noble princess! "-thank you for your warning, but next time please do not threaten the politically chosen representatives of several countries in our presence."

"Well, it worked, didn't it?" Waylon chuckled, speaking for the first time in a while as everyone had agreed that they would let Atlas do his magic, with only Lonnie doing his bastardly best to send threats directly to the phones of various presidents all across the world with a single click of a button, threats of exposing their dirtiest secrets (with clear evidence) if they did not tell the representatives of their country to vote yes on what they were voting right now. And like little cowardly co*ckroachs- Seriously, he didn't like politics! -they immediately called, sent messages, and used any means they had to simply agree. It's really easy when magic is also sent through text to make them compelled to agree. Technomagic is kinda hard, but Atlas was able to magically enchant each message with the [Suggestion] spell.

Not even technology was safe from him!

"Well, it was a good meeting." Atlas' figure started fading away, everyone just watching as all the [Project Image] spells shattered and the illusory representation of the Council of Beasts alongside their King and Queen vanished: "Bye old f*cks, bye Batsie, bye Fish f*cker~"

And with that- they were all back at their own seat in the beasti*alis Kingdom.

"Lonnie. Send the message to the president." Atlas didn't even have to look- Lonnie clicked the button he has been waiting for so long to press. It sent one such magically enchanted message to the president. In a few moments, there would be an interview with him, where he would speak his mind about this new nation that appeared in Gotham and that was declaring independence. [Suggestion] was used, of course, and soon the president would cuss them and that would softly change his mentality, and then Lonnie would send the last message to make the beasti*alis Kingdom look like the victim of a crazy tyrannical bastard (That was a request from Lonnie, and Atlas complied because he also wanted to f*ck with the goverment a little bit more).

A message that was enchanted with the spell [Geas], with a simply instruction- that if not followed, would make the president have nasty headaches for the rest of his life -and that powerful magical compelling was to "Get the beasti*alis Kingdom off of your land".

It will only take a day.

Chapter 58: If You Don't Have a War God, Store Bought is Fine (Part 10)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 11:0 | 11:00 AM]

[Calendar - 04/05/2003]

[Location - White House - Washington DC, United States of America]

Flashback - [03/05/2003]

POV Change

Geoffrey James - President of the United States of America - POV

It started with a simple rise of an eyebrow and a curious click. He had received many private massages before, many from one of his mistresses that wanted to try and get money off of him, sometimes it was news that couldn't be sent through proper channels, and sometimes it was just spam mail. Contrary to most folks that run the United States, Geoffrey tried to at least be a little bit up with the times- hey, he knows how emails work! And they're pretty convenient too, he must add. "What is this..." The moment his eyes were laid upon the title of the message that was this bright fuschia color, he read: [Grave news, a new nation has been born within your lands, Mr. President] and he easily recognized the name of the one and only Secretary-General of the United Nations, Andrew Apperson. He was one of his people, and someone Geoffrey knew he could trust to warn him about serious events. "This sounds serious..." As he started to read the message that he received, he could practically feel understanding pierce his skull.

"...f*ckin' rats." Just by reading the report given by Andrew, he easily understood what was going on here. He tried getting rid of the floating carcass of a ship that was Gotham by finishing it as it had sunk, but it seems that the rats have learned how to swim, huh? And they've even made their own little nation of fellow rats that were trying to float without needing to swim. "Oh, not on my watch you won't." There is no way that this new nation will exist freely within USAmerican soil, because even though he threw out the carcasses to the vultures, he wouldn't let the vultures make a kingdom out of the rotten flesh that still belonged to the United States, and as such, to him! With a heavy dose of frustration and snger in his voice, he turned to stare at the door to official as he called iof for this "I'll stop this f*ckin' clown fest or else my name isn't Geoffrey James- Melissa!"

(*Casually forgets the whole "No Man's Land" situation*)

The beauty and splendor of a curled haired brunette lady immediately greeted the old tired eyes of the president as Melissa pushed her way into the room, a short and polite smile on her face as she asked: "How may I help you today, Mr. President?" Melissa has been working with him for the entirety of his reign over the United States for the past 3 and a half years, and he must say he has been doing a great job- if you ignore the several and repetitive atrocities he has commited, of course! Like, for example, him declaring Gotham a No Man's Land! But the place was doomed either way, right? Right now he's only stopping a future uprising against him and his fellow politicians- He's sure they'll understand him as soon as he explains. Melissa seemed to freeze in place as he was lost in thought for a few moments before something clicked inside his mind, flowing through this sensation of... violence.

War. Despair. Anger.

He was taken aback by those emotions, almost failing to notice the almost completely imperceptible soft momentary glow of golden energy that phased through his eyes before simply vanishing: "...Call an emergency conference. I have come to the decision that the piece of rotten flesh that I have thrown out is not well suitable for rats, so I will give this rotten flesh and meat to the vultures known as the media. I will do an interview in about-" He turned to look at the clock in the wall before remembering he had one on his wrist, and both weren't working properly! "-...an hour. Get as many journalists as you can- i have some words to say to these new leeches."

Well, it only took a few moments before he stood before a podium, and his first words were: "There are new little rats in Gotham."

[Breaking News: The President has declared the new kingdom known as beasti*alis, an invalid nation!]

[Today News and Tomorrows Notions: Learn everything about the newly budding empire known as beasti*alis, the Kingdom of Beasts]

[A Glimpse of Today: beasti*alis Kingdom has been declared a "traitorous zone" by the President Geoffrey James. Anyone within it is no longer a (and I quotel) "red bloodied American", and have their rights as an American citizen revoked, declares the president. "They should just leave US soil, this country has no need for such a nation", he concluded.]

[Seattle Seagull - News Delivery: "This little group of homeless f*cks somehow got recognized as a real nation" says president "It smells fishy, fishier than the Atlantis people"]

[Daily Planet: Speculations about the origins of this new "beasti*alis Kingdom". An alien nation? A supervillain nation? Nobody seems to know for certain]

And several other articles were released that day.

[Location - Meeting Room of the Council of Beasts, beasti*alis Kingdom, Old Gotham, Gotham City]

[Clock - 09:22 | 09:22 AM]

[04/05/2003]

POV Change

Atlas - Queen of Beasts POV

The president didn't know then, but this natural fear and anger towards Gotham was a little bit more than just a small ruse.

Atlas had decided to be a very good Samaritan and recycle the energy that was flowing through Gotham and trying to keep the cycle of violence going in a constant flow- Ares, the God of War was within Gotham's territory. Atlas, despite having a Greek name, didn't really care for the Greek Pantheon of Gods or their sh*t, but he did see the opportunity on using Ares' divine aura of violence, fear, and anger to further push the president to do such reckless actions. And it worked well- Maybe too well? "I wasn't expecting him to even call me three different slurs in one sentence before pulling a Karen and telling me to go back to my country, even though I'm already in my country... How American of him, never losing a chance to be ignorant~" Snickering, Atlas allowed his fingers to trace through the air as he had long begun the extremely complicated ritualistic process of chaining his magic to the world around him. He has been doing the same for the past 7 hours with no rest, his magic was just weaving this intricate and extremely detailed array of runes, letters, and symbols that faded into each other: "So, Lonnie, you ready to escalate the situation further?"

Sitting by the table, typing away in a war of comments, was the one and only Cyber-Neet, Lonnie Machin - aka Anarchy: "Yep, just doing some changes in the public opinion through a bunch of information shared through some forums... Should I release the prepared statemant through the Gothamite Survivalist Guide, my Queen?" Typing away, Lonnie seemed really focused on what he was doing- and how couldn't he? He was essentially seeding the US of A with the seeds of anarchy, making the goverment seem even more incompetent and stupid than it already was, and such a thing was fun to him. He had a bunch of intructions given to him by his Queen, and Atlas knew he would follow them.

"Not yet. The situation should escalate just enough... send him the second letter in... An hour or so, I'll be done by then and I'll start on the [Bubble] once I'm done." Atlas knew he was almost done with the spell he was preparing, and once he was done with the preparations he could activate the spell at any moment. He had used the essence of the Elemental Plane of Air that he had gathered in this small cloud that was held within this sphere of cyrstal. This was a Mythallar containing the spell necessary to elevate, to take the entire beasti*alis Kingdom to the skies. "Thankfully Death gave me this." Holding this mass of black threads that, like a Venom symbiote, seemed to shift and shiver, taking thousands of different forms at a second. This was the bundle of energy that Death of the Endless had given him, and he knew he could use it in the place of a few components of the [Bubble] spell, to create this massive protective sphere around beasti*alis Kingdom once it is in the skies.

"Love." The familiar voice of the King of Beasts, Waylon Jones, called out to him. Atlas turned to look at him and was slightly surprised to see the man in question holding this impressive looking glaive: "Does this look good on me? I just got this from that f*cker you called Ares-" Atlas' brain stopped working for a moment: "-he tried to come into the kingdom, and I followed your advice and put him in that weird jar that you made-" Atlas almost burst out laughing "-and he had this weapon on him, so I decided to take it for myself, spoils of war and whatnot. So, do I look good with it? I was thinking, maybe, you could change it a bit? Sobek told me I could, maybe, get a bunch of my own scales on the handle and by the back of the blade, maybe even use my own tail blade to enchant and strengthen the blade of this weird glaive thing- It smells and feels divine, pops did say it was a glaive made of Adamantine, or whatever it was the name-"

"...Love." Atlas serious tone of voice made Waylon stop and stare at him: "...Did you seriously bitch slap the god of war, put him in a jar, and took his weapon?"

"Uhhh... yes...?"

"...I f*cking love you." Atlas wanted to just drop everything he was doing and do the big dragon man instead, but he couldn't. The very fact that he had used the jar that Atlas had made to give to Wonder Woman so she could threaten Ares to put him inside. The jar was enchanted with a few spells, including [Arcane Lock], [Greater Symbol of Sealing], and [Seal Away]! The last spell was a powerful 8th level spell that required him to set up a condition for the creature inside the jar to be freed from it, and the condition that he had placed on the jar was "once violence has left its heart", so now Ares would be trapped inside the jar for who knows how long? "f*ck, sh*t, I wanna just-" Atlas clenched his hands hard as the spell before him wavered, he had to go back and focus on the spell because he was getting distracted by thinking of sexual things! "-Waylon, please leave the room, or else I'll have to start again and will lose all the progress of casting the spell I have been preparing for the last 8 hours because I want to ride you so bad right now." He didn't know why the prospect of Waylon somehow beating the sh*t out of the Greek God of War and putting him in the special little jar that Atlas made for this exact reason did it for him, but the very notion of thinking about it made him horny.

"Okay." With a large grin, Waylon stepped out of the room- only to push his head back in as he said: "Once you're done, you know where to find me, love~"

Lonnie, meanwhile: *I was forgotten*

It took him a while to recover the sheer hom*osexuality that just happened before his very eyes, but Lonnie asked: "Uh... Should I send the message now...?"

Atlas snapped out of his (very horny) thoughts and blinked: "Huh? Oh! Give me 15 more minutes, then you can send that message."

Fifteen minutes later, a single message was sent to Geoffrey James, and not even an hour later, there were news that shocked the world:

[The United States of America declare war against the beasti*alis Kingdom]

Atlas, meanwhile: Heh, we got a war god in a jar :3

Chapter 59: Pickled War (Part 1)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 12:33 | 12:33 AM]

[Calendar - 04/05/2003]

[Location - White House - Washington DC, United States of America]

POV Change

3rd Person POV

It was so sudden. No one really expected such a thing to happen, but it did. The declaration happened as a performative speech act by the unauthorized party of the US government- How exactly? Well, Geoffrey is the president yes, but in order to create a state of war between two or more states, he'd need an official sign of approval from the congress. And who, in their right f*cking mind would declare war against a newly formed nation? But that's the thing about war- it drives men crazy! All the bloodshed, death, cries, and endless slaughter seems to have an effect in the human mind because it makes everyone either crazy or even crazier than they already are. And that? That is something a certain someone locked away in a jar would have loved.

Talking about him, why don't I bring you back a few hours to watch Waylon beating the sh*t out of Ares and putting him in a jar?

Flashback - 6 Hours

[Clock: 06:12 | 06:12 AM]

[Location: beasti*alis Kingdom's Above Ground Territory - Old Gotham, Gotham City]

POV Change

Waylon Jones - King Croc | King of Beasts

"Put that one right there-" Lifting an enormous piece of concrete debri from one of the many shaken up and broken (at least not a lot of them were completely destroyed by the cataclysmic earthquake) buildings within the Old Gotham region, Waylon and several able bodied citizens of beasti*alis were working together to clean up the streets. They have been doing this for weeks now, and this has both helped the relationship between him and his people, and also cleaned the street, which was awesome too! "-with caution, it will totally break apart if you put a lot of pressure on it." With Ptah's guidance, this also allowed the population to interact and worship Ptah in an unorthodox way that nobody ever thought of before! Because Atlas has been driving constantly in the heads of the people of beasti*alis (Waylon included) that everything you do can be an act of worship, the Gods have received a lot of worshippers and a lot of power.

And with that, Waylon has officially become a Shazam.

With the Strength of Sobek he can lift a lot of weight! He hasn't found his upper limit yet, but he knows its probably very high. With the Wings of Hathor he can obviously manifest his own wings and fly, be it either just floatinng towards where he wills himself to go, or by using his f*cking awesome dragon wings! With the Wisdom of Thoth, Waylon has found himself having so many ideas about everything he has ever seen or done before, with a new perspective in life and in the way he interacted with it. He has also developed a great sense of governance, knowing approximately what to do to rule a nation and fully understanding everything that Atlas has ever done for him and the sheer amount of responsibilities that he has taken upon his shoulders- He promised himself he would do anything to make it up for him, because there were times when he didn't understand what Atlas was doing, but now he does have an idea at least. With the Rebirth of Khepri, his regenerative abilities were up and through the roof! He could literally regrow limbs in seconds (please don't tell Atlas that he tore his arm off...), recover from seriously deadly injuries in the span of seconds, and even heal others by touching them! Isn't that awesome?

With the Endurance of Ptah he became able of getting hit in the face by a truck falling from the sky without even feeling it. Thankfully this did not affect his sex life! He was still able to feel pleasure as easily as when he was a simple croc man- with the addition of another co*ck, you might as well consider him being able to feel even greater pleasure than before (and he must say, f*ck, Atlas takes it so well) -and that was enough for him. The last blessing he received from the Gods of beasti*alis was the Magic of Isis, and this one was more complicated than it sounded... Well, it allowed him to use magic! That's easy, right? Well, as a Son of Sobek (and according to Isis herself) he had a higher affinity towards defensive magic. She called it aproto something, but he wasn't paying a lot of attention at her words because he was too f*cking hyped by the fire in his hands that he had managed to summon. He was considering getting Atlas to teach him sh*t, but his love was too occupied with things to teach him properly, so he decided to wait.

"Hey, incoming!"

Waylon heard Sobek's cry before he too felt it. This bundle of energy that emanated from above- There was only a second of hesitation before Waylon dropped everything he was holding (read: rocks and sh*t) and leaped into the air while shouting the word of power that would immediately allow him to use all the powers of the gods at the same time- because he can only use one of them at once, besides the Strength of Sobek, because he's his son: "Sekhem!" And with the roar of a might beast, magic enveloped his body and exploded outwards with a blast of thunderous sound. He felt the wings of his back burst out as he flew towards this black dot from above, and meeting the force midway, Waylon genuinely felt this heavy impact against his body. The heavy, heavy force pushed him down, but he refused to yield and pushed back with even greater strength than he already had- Suddenly, the force pushing him down moved out of his way, and Waylon flew high into the sky for a few moments before he felt this slashing force on his back alongside great pain: "ARGGH!" He screamed in both surprise and pain, but the pain easily vanished as the wound on his back closed even faster than the wound happened.

"AHAHAHAHAHA!" A deep voiced laughter echoed out, as Waylon turned around to lash out at the attacker- he saw this guy completely wrapped in deep dark red metallic armor, it was like he had bathed his armor in blood, let the blood dry, rise and repeat until the dried blood bad become this blackened crust above it. It was horrible to look at and even worse to smell it because of the sheer strength of the distusting metallic smell of blood. "A mighty warrior- Finally, a worthy opponent." The man had this sick looking glaive in his hand, it looked to be made of the same metal as his armor, except the blade was this deep burgundy red colored metal that had this liquid dripping of it constantly while these shadow tendrils wrapped around the pole of the weapon and coated the arm of the wielder in shadow and darkness: "Prepare yourself, Godblood, to face the mighty God of War- Ares!" With this roar of might, this aura of darkness and shadow started to slowly emanate from around his helmet covered face and his armored body.

"...huh." Waylon just stared as the god of war lifted his glaive, ready to attack him. He raised his arms, his onyx black scales seemed to click closer together before this aura of power manifested around himself in a tightly held aura of deep and powerful endurance! The power to hold weights heavier than the earth, endure storms, floods, storms, and much worse than whatever this puny god can do. Unexpectedly, there was also a small but noticeable part of himself that was excited to trade blows and fight against the God of War himself, but another, bigger part of him easily found and understood the problem this guy would cause and was already causing the entirety of Gotham. "Let's dance, little f*ck." He did not wait for the god to rush at him, instead he willed his body to fly towards the god, and with a blur of black, he was punching towards the god, who blocked it with his glaive's handle. Waylon did not stop, he punched again- the glaive moved to block another punch of his. And like that, they moved and dance the dance of battle. Waylon was focused on the fight, but thanks to the Wisdom of Thoth, he could easily think about multiple things at the same time, and one of his focus was what was happening beneath him. His people had long run and taken cover, and he knew that he had to finish this quickly to not perturb Atlas because he was doing something very important right now and he'd rather not bother his love right now.

Mentally, he reached out to Sobek, his divine father, and said: "[Hey, Sobek, can you get that weird jar that Atlas made for me? I'm gonna shove this guy inside it.]" He had heard Atlas talk to him about the story of what happened with Ares and a jar as he was making it, apparently he was shoved inside a jar by two giants? Or was he f*cked by two giants and shoved inside a jar? He doesn't remember the story itself, he only remembers that the God of War, Ares, was shoved inside a jar at some point. Of that he is very sure! "[Make sure this guy doesn't feel or sense you getting the jar, be sure to not get inside ot either.]" With a turn, he let his tail blade to be carried alongside the momentum of his spin to slash with the blade tip of his tail- Sparks flew as his tail blade slashed against the blade of the glaive. His clawed hands clashed as he parried a sword that flew towards his face, his mouth opened and he bit down on another blade and broke through it by biting. He was doing his best to dodge the attacks he couldn't block, and block the attacks he couldn't dodge.

"Fight! Fight like a warrior!" Ares was going crazy, his voice accompanied by an extremely unhinged laughter as he slashed, clashed, and bashed against the black scales of the large draconic man- this was one of the few fights that he has felt excited for in weeks! Diana was starting to get boring, and when he felt the sheer amount ot blood and death coming from this place, he first thought that a war was happening, but when he got here he was kinda disappointed to see that there wasn't much of a war happening... sure, people were being killed left and right, but there was no fighting, no rage, and although he did enjoy a swift take over and destructive death, he got bored quickly. He immediately went to the place he felt a bunch of weak divinities slowly growing more in power. He knew these divinities, but it has been such a long time ever since he had fought against such divinties! Sobek was a brutal god, eating everything he killed and many times going berserker. And Sekhemt? Oh, she was a bloodthirsty beast! Sadly she got separated into three Goddesses, which made her boring, so he left her as their little fling ended quickly. "FIGHT HARDER! FIGHT LIKE A WARRIOR! LIKE A-" Suddenly, darkness enveloped his head, and he felt himself being... shoved inside something weirdly familiar. The sensation was worse, however, because he felt these chains wrap around his entire body angrily and tightly. "-...f*ck."

Waylon swiftly pushed the legs of the chained war god deeper into the endless jar, making sure his entire godly body was inside it before he closed it with the lid: "And, done!" If you're confused about what happened, Waylon distracted Ares and made the god focus solemnly on him with all his bloodthirsty rage that he forgot everything around him. From above, Thoth held the jar with the lid off, aimed it, and dropped it right on Ares' head while he was having a monolog.

And like that, Waylon now could make divine pickle.

Chapter 60: Rise of beasti*alis (Part 2)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 07:00 | 07:00 AM]

[Calendar - 05/05/2003]

[Location - beasti*alis Kingdom - Old Gotham, Gotham City, New Jersey]

POV Change

3rd Person POV

It was absolutely insane! Nobody could even believe that the president, the one in charge of the United States of America, would simply declare war against another independent nation that was simply born out of the necessity of Gothamites! A disaster happens, he isolates the entire region by declaring it a No Man's Land zone, and he further enrages the population by simply declaring war on the kingdom that was born of the ashes of Gotham when there wasn't even a slightest attempt by the military or the goverment itself to regain Gotham, to rebuild the bridges that connected Gotham with the outside world, and the only news they could get from the inside of Gotham was from the [Gothamite Survivalist Guide], which had released a single new post after the declaration of war from the US president.

It was a video that had gathered... mixed reactions for the first hour that it was released. It was both a dismissal of the authority of the US president as well as a mockery of the goverment too.

[War Response by the King and Queen of Beasts]

[Whatever the King and Queen say, there will be quotes on them beneath the video itself, so you can go read the "script", if you want to. I also added subtitles for this video, for the better understanding of what the Queen and King say.

Protector of the beasti*alis Cyberspace - Cyber-Neet

*The video starts with a short introduction, we see the shadows of a room turn to light as a small sphere of light simply appears in the hand of a short but handsome young man. He has his legs crossed, and they look metallic, almost silver in color. Besides him sits an enormous dragon-like man with black scales and bright green eyes, he is easily double the size of the smaller man*

"So, we heard this random f*cker decided to be the ultimate Karen- Don't worry, you guys will get this mem in the future, in about 20 years or so -and declared war on our little nation, born out of the necessity and the goodness of our hearts, just because we didn't have the luck to be in a random spot a thousand miles away?" The young man sounded indignant, his amber eyes baring a glare so sharp it could cut through steel. He turned to look at the draconian humanoid sitting beside him and asking: "So, my love, what'chu think? Should we go all dark and evil and go to war?" He sounded really excited, but his smile seemed to drop as he turned to look at his king, because he could not hide the sadness in his heart.

With a heavy sigh, the King turned to look at the camera before he barred his sharp white teeth, with a growl that sounded like an engine, he said: "Well, I'd like to... But I have to think beyond myself, I have to think of my people, think about the children and the lost, and about everyone else... I have to say, we won't stay. This war is nothing but a joke, and we don't care about it." He turned to look down at his queen- the mirth in his eyes spike a thousand words and the unspoken ones were said with the simple gesture of hin reaching out and touching his love's chin, lifting it up a bit and smiling with a sadness hidden behind his green eyes -and with a sigh, he said: "Do your absolute worst and best, my beloved." With this, he turned away from the camera and offered his hand for his beloved wife while getting up, and together they left.

"Ah- right!" Pushing his head back into the screen, the Queen grinned as he stared directly towards the sky: "Next time you see us, look to the sky, because we're above you. You wanted us gone from your land? Well, we will leave your incompetent hands, US government. Don't worry." With a wink, the screen turned completely black.

*Text appears on the black screen that reads [We, the beasti*alis Kingdom, choose to ignore the f*cking idiot man known as Geoffrey James, because he is stupid and idiot. Let it be known that the King and Queen of beasti*alis thinks the President of the United States is a bitch.]*

And that's the answer of beasti*alis. We do not care about your declaration of war, but for the safety of the people of beasti*alis, we shall leave.

May your dreams reach the endless stars above, with love and respect.

beasti*alis Kingdom - Menagerie of Magic]

This was the last message sent in the [05/05/2003] at [06:12]. And of course the president was furious. He wanted to send the military- he did, in fact, send the military to invade this wannabe kingdom and take over! It was on the news! Many journalists from around the United States of America had gathered southwest of Gotham City by the "beaches" of Gotham Harbor, and they were all rolling with cameras and showing to the world the seriousness of the situation. One particular reporter, that you might recognize by her long black straight hair and beige suit that she always used whenever she went live in national television- which this is the very f*cking first time, and although she feels bad about the circ*mstances in which it happened, she is still a little bit excited about the fact that it is happening!

You know what- Why don't I show you?

"-and that is a summary of the situation in Gotham City." Tightly holding to her microphone, Lois turned to stare towards Old Gotham, the region of Gotham that it was now known as the beasti*alis Kingdom territory and that it truly was the only completely safe place within Gotham city right now: "Ever since the events of the Cataclysm, Gotham has been hanging on by a thread, and we of the Daily Planet feel for the loses of Gotham. In grim news, however, we were not allowed to interview or record the military that is invading Old Gotham by boats. We have managed to find a good angle-" As she said that, the cameraman pointed the camera towards Old Gotham in the distance, they were a few or more miles away, and they could see the various military boats rushing through the waters of Gotham Harbor (that connected to the sea) towards a port. "-to record this moment in history, for the first ever war was declared by the USA on a nation that is in, technically speaking, surrounded by US soil." That's true. While Gotham itself is no long part of the US of A, the land surrounding Gotham (and the sea) is part of the US of A!

"-huh?" There was this soft static noise that made Lois pause. Not only her, but every other journalist or reporter that were there gathered, stopped.

Some took out their phones and others didn't, but what all could hear was a voice. A voice that many recognized, as it was the same voice that had mocked the president! "Checking, checking... Is this spell working? Well, anyway- Hey, you guys in the boats, you sure you wanna do this? I'm giving you a chance to live. You're no longer in Kansas, you're getting dangerously close to beasti*alis. I'm warning you, if you get any closer, I will kill you all." Of course the boats did not listen, instead opting to move forward and keep their journey, much to the annoyance of the voice, that once again said: "Seriously? You guys wanna die for a random guy who sits his fat, ugly ass down in a stupid f*cking chair and shouts like a fat pig to whoever will listen? sh*t damn, I will give you three chances. This is the second one, turn around and run, or else you all will die today." And once more his voice was ignored. The orders they received were rather important, and the people that were in charge had sent them to their deaths... It was a pity. "Last warning- Leave or don't leave a corpse behind for your family to bury." And once more he was ignored.

The last thing the people in those first boast, about 50 or so feet apart from each other was this black line. It was a visible but thin line of pure black. The a few lucky cameraman were able to catch the following scene in clear detail, showing it to the nation and even a few other nations the power of the Queen of Beasts! The thin black line seemed to simply expand in all directions for 100 feet thick while the line went through an entire mile forward, and this sideways cylinder of pure black blocked everything for a few seconds as Atlas casted [Gravitational Annihilation], a powerful 10th level spell. There was this enormous suction force of the spell that pulled in the water from the sea and even a few pebles and broken pieces of building before the beam of extreme darkness simply flew towards the beam of black before it simply faded out like it was never there to begin with, and with a hauntingly cheerful and sweet tone of voice, he asked: "So, anyone else wanna invade my f*cking kingdom? No? No volunteers? Okay then, bitches- Ah f*ck, almost forgot why I was doing this spell in the first place... Citizens of Gotham city, those that wish to ascend alongside the beasti*alis Kingdom and all its citizens, redirect yourself to the Old Gotham region. We will ascend in two hours." Nobody knew for certain what the Queen meant by "ascending", but the citizens of beasti*alis prepared themselves for the new influx of citizens- which wasn't a bad thing once you made sure they're not secretly some sort of extremely disturbing psychopath that will eat babies at the mere mention of being hungry.

But nobody wanted to miss this.

All the survivors of Gotham that were hiding within their homes rushed out to the streets- those who either had too much hope or nothing left to lose, of course, because criminals were also going towards Old Gotham to see the show. Thankfully, Atlas had prepared himself for this! Waylon had his new divine glaive and all able bodied individuals were given weapons (wands and guns too) to defend the walls of beasti*alis in case it was needed, while Atlas worked on the "screening" of the new citizens of the beasti*alis Kingdom as they came in. It was easy to just cast [Aura of Truth] and [Zone of Truth] at the same time- while one compelled those close to him to tell the truth, the other simply made it impossible to lie, and in tandem, they worked incredibly well alongside [Detect Thoughts] to read the surface level thoughts of the poeple and even dive deeper into their minds to find hidden villains or hidden spies (he is being a little paranoid).

There was a small scuffle where Waylon had to step in and cut down Solomon Grundy, but he was easily killed and kicked out by Waylon.

And like that, two hours had gone by.

"Please go down. Enter a home and do not leave." Atlas motioned down and all citizens went rushing down to enter their homes to be perfectly and completely safe from the change that was going to happen. As Atlas gripped this pale lilac crystal sphere with a small cloud within it in his hands and closed his eyes, and through the Mythallar he casted two spells. The first one was the [Move Mountain] spell, a 10th level spell that would rise the entire land he designed as his to the sky. The spell was called [Move Mountain] because it was normally used to take mountains off of the ground, flip them upside down, and build cities in the flat side. The second spell casted was called [Create Mythallar], which basically enchanted the crystal ball that Atlas was holding, making it able to permanently hold the city aloft for as long as magic exists, because it cannot be dispelled. The strain on his soul and magic was heavy, even more so after casting that enormous [Gravitational Annihilation] spell that was essentially a show of strength. "And... rise, beasti*alis, reach the clouds." With a heavy sigh of having a weight being taken off of his back (this spell takes a toll on the body too), Atlas was completely exhausted! Casting two 10th level spells in the span of two hours and casting an 11th level spell cast one of the two 10th level spells took a toll on his body, and he needed to rest.

As the ground shaked and was lifted from the ground, thousands of eyes watched in awe and horror as the entirety of Old Gotham, half of the abandoned and destroyed City Hall district, the entirety of the Slaughter Swamp, Financial District, and Blackgate Isle simply were lifted off of the ground as if a magical hand pulled them free.

They rose, higher and higher, until the rest of Gotham city below was but a distant memory.

In the future, all beasti*alis would know this to be the Day of Ascension.

But Atlas?

"Hey, love... wanna marry me?"

Atlas would know this day as the day Waylon proposed to him.

End of Book 1

(Gotham Map for Reference)

Chapter 61: [Book 2] Chapter 01: Ascension Festival (Part 1)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 11:33 | 11:33 AM]

[Calendar - 05/05/2010]

[Location - beasti*alis Empire - Skypelago, Menagerie Island, Central Region]

Warning: Info Dump ahead! Lore drop too :3

Book 2: Skypelago Empire

POV Change

3rd Person POV

Children of various different physical appearances ran through the crowd of different people. Some had scales in their skin, some had animal characteristics, and some just had a different skin tone that would be seen as unnatural in a normal human society. Blue, green, grey, orange, yellow, and other tones too! Floating alongside them were these small little creatures, adorable and excited to be playing with the children, Flumph pups. Along the streets, you could rarely see someone with a bigger, an adult version of a Flumph. A flumph's body is shaped like a flat saucer with a diameter of 2 feet (61 centimeters), slightly larger than a human from shoulder to shoulder, and between 3 to 4 inches (7.6 to 10 centimeters) thick at their center, about as thick as a human arm. The thickness tapered to about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) at the edge of the saucer. Their bodies are hollow, with a small circular hole at the center of their topside. They have a pair of 6‑inch-long (15‑centimeter) eyestalks on either side of the central hole, as well as numerous tentacles and small spikes that grow from the underside. These special little guys are psionic in nature, and feed off of psionic energy that the brain of sapient being naturally produce, and with their hive mind they can communicate telepathically to any other of their species in the blink of an eye.

They're also extremely adorable and good little fellas.

A shadow flew above as this massive blue whale floated in the air, a ring of blue water surrounded it and bubbles of water surrounded the heads of the passengers alongside other important body parts too. In the streets, these enormous crocodiles walked with saddles of them, carrying excited children with their parents who couldn't help but smile as well. Poles of wood and metal held to ribbons and threads with thousands of colorful triangular little flags that decorated the streets, magical glitter fluttered in the wind as small little fairies flew around and gifted children small candies- The ground shook as in a + shaped crossroad, two red lights appeared in the west and east sides as this massive Mammoth beast walked through, with the crowd parting and giving way for it to walk. A small grove of children hanged from the beast's fur, decorating it with beautiful flowers by tying it in braids. A vendor smiled in his cart, handing off this long stick with all sorts of meats and vegetables to a smiling cat-like child who ran to his father, a massive lion humanoid with this enormous and vibrant vermillion red mane.

Similar scenes were happening all around the streets, with children being encased in these enormous bubbles that lifted off in the air with them- this particular attraction was manned by this large and regal looking Owl-like humanoid with pale white feathers and a massive pair of wings, ready to catch the children as they laughed and flew inside bubbles of soap. Massive tree-like humanoids stepped carefully through the streets, many blossoming with flowers, and a few beautiful lady Ents had their canopy blossoming like a cherry tree, which was the recent fashion! A massive bull-like humanoid held out his hand and behind him this small herd of smaller versions of him stopped- before them a big Deinosucchus passed by, and the children above the enormous crocodile's back waved their hands as they passed by. The hom*o beasti*alis Bos simply huffed, a small smile on his lips as he turned to look at his little ones- a herd of 15 children, all looking exactly like him, the oldest being 5 years old while the youngest being born a momth ago.

There was music playing- violins, cellos, flutes, and other instruments that created this harmony that sounded a lot like folk music. There was dance- a group of teenagers, a few human looking individuals and a few hom*o beasti*alis Felinae (Cats) and Leporidae (Rabbits) danced together in a little group, with a few children joining in too. Frolicking and having fun. There was magic, there was food, and there was fun.

Humanoids with the lower half of fishes, dolphins floated on the streets with their heads submerged within bubbles of water while shark humanoids walked normally across the streets. These were both aquatic hom*o beasti*alis and refugees from Atlantis... a civil war happened. The war didn't last long, but now these people have no place back in Atlantis when they can leave in the Aquarium Island, where they don't have the risk of being prosecuted and killed because they looked like a hom*o beasti*alis.

But such thoughts had no place here, because you can think of death and destruction later!

Welcome, to the Festival of the Day of Ascension!

7 Years ago, the Empress of Beasts had risen the Empire from the ashes of destroyed world. This was a story well known in the entire Empire, in the entire Skypelago of beasti*alis, where the majority of the citizens were hom*o beasti*alis, hom*o Metas, or hom*o Magis. This is the place where all the rejected, the undesired, and the lost find home- The entire Skypelago of the beasti*alis Empire flies above the leylines of the world in tandem, known colloquially as the Blood Vessels of Gaea, these pathways follow a route that is easily traceable by the many powers of this world. Due to the pathways being the leylines, they end up flying above places of concentrated magic, and this further aided the empire to be established and known as the Menagerie of Magic by the magical community. All the 9 islands of the beasti*alis Empire Skypelago are incredibly protected by [Bubble] spells that are virtually impenetrable by mundane technology of thr 21st century, with a few notable differences being atomic weapons and weapons designed by damage a kryptonian, the only difference was that the barriers created by the [Bubble] spell recovered way faster than those weapons could cause damage.

Small rats wearing various styles of clothing rushed by the streets, thousands or even millions of them were present today, all to celebrate a very important date with an even more important event for the day! These little rats were either working or enjoying their free time, and those who were working did so diligently because they were all excited for today- Oh, right, you don't know! Today is the day the Contessa of Cheese mamarries! Cinderelli was her name, and she was the most beautiful rat, a competition was held a year ago where the winner was given a chance to know her, and today she was getting married to him. His name was Cornet, the new Count of Cheese.

Walking along the bustling streets, riding a gorgeous Black Panther and being followed by several cats, the Guardian of Felines easily made the crowd part. She was none other than Selina Kyle, one of the many members of the Council of Beasts, and floating right beside her shoulder was one of the few Flumphs that lived in the beasti*alis Empire Skypelago. As her mount, the beautiful Black Panther known as Xiclu, moved through the streets, she smiled at every child that waved in her direction and gave candy to others that approached her, because she was a public figure that was very loved! All members of the Council of Beasts are very loved by their peers, and everyone adores both the emperor and the empress. As Selina stopped her mount to watch as the enormous Sarchosuchus walked through the street, she couldn't help but admire all that the Empress brought to life. Animals that were long gone in the history of earth were easily found here, being used as mounts, pets and companions, and a few even being part of the Imperial Guard to serve the Emperor and Empress as does the Council of Beasts. On the Monster Island, one of the 8 islands that surround Menagerie, various monstrous beasts and animals grow wild. An echosystem that was artificially create to allow for monsters to roam free, to not only grant them a life but also to be hunting grounds for the Hunters, but also a place where the students of both the Ankuh's Royal Knight Academy and the Learning Palace of Thoth could get some combat experience.

Ankuh was the Egyptian God of War that was attracted to beasti*alis, and he took the form of a peaco*ck. He was also the god of warriors, which made all the Royal Guards also be his worshippers in a way! But the truth was a bit darker than you might think... After all, when a God gets left in a jar for too long, he can be changed into whatever you want him to be. And the fact that Ankuh died a long, long time ago also left the vacuum space for Ares to be molded into the Egyptian God of War and Hunting, who was much more chill than Ares ever was. And, well, why would the Greek Pantheon miss the God they have been dismissing for so long and that has been causing so much trouble for them? Ares died and Ankuh was reborn through his death, becoming the new God of War that served the beasti*alis Empire.

"[Mistress, you have received a message from the Empress.]" The floating little Flumph known as Mr. Odin broke her out of her thoughts— Learning the truth always put the knowledge you previously had to perspective, and she had no idea that Gods were even real before she met Atlas, the Empress: "[He says: "Hey, Selina, remember the little paper I gave you about a week ago? Yeah, you can read it now! But remember, don't dismiss it like Robbie did before, I had to ressurect a lot of people that time." He also has sent a few mental images, if you'd like me to relay them to you?]" It was still weird to hear the Empress' voice going directly to her head through the little floating disk of pseudopods and love. These little guys have become part of the beasti*alis Empire and everyone from the Council of Beasts loves these little buddies a lot.

"[Please tell him: "I am going to read it now, Empress. Do not worry, I shall not ignore whatever this paper says... I still can't believe you can see the future."]" With that message sent, Selina neevously looked at the paper that was given to her by Atlas, who instructed her to not open it or read it until he told her to, which she was about to do... Recently (And by recently she means four years ago), the Empress started to act a little weirder than normal, which caused the Emperor to ask what his beloved was doing... That led to Empress explaining that he could see the future now and was messing around to try and understand the power he had, and that was it. A year after that, the Empress warned Robbie that something was going to happen but he couldn't explain or give detailed explanation as what was going to happen, instead he gave him a paper with instructions to avoid disaster and warned him not to read it too early.

Robbie ignored his advice and read the paper.

What happened was that one of the Empire's worst accidents, where hundreds were harmed and a few died. Having learned their lesson, everyone would always follow the Empress' instructions, no matter how ridiculous, because they could change a disastrous outcome from happening.

As she unfurled the paper given to her, she read:

[Clock: 12:03

Location: Isis Fountain, Menagerie Island, Center Region, Skypelago of the beasti*alis Empire.

Date: 05/05/2010

Instructions: Comfort the small hom*o beasti*alis Carnivora Canidae Canis Lupus. Male, 6 years old, a little adorable f*cking pup. His name is Lup. He is lost and doesn't know where his parents are, find them and reunite them.

If the child is not found, rip thih paper.]

"...this is simple." She closed the paper and folded it back before putting it in her pocket. She smiled and patted her panther before guiding him towards the direction she wanted him to go. Little did she know that if she didn't do that, thousands would have died that day. Because the pup, Lup, had anxiety and would have gone through such stress that it would awaken both his Meta Genus and his Magi Genus, resulting in a powerful explosion that would have killed him and thousands of other children.

But that's a future that won't happen.

Chapter 62: [Book 2] Chapter 02: Ascension Festival (Part 2)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 12:03 | 12:03 AM]

[Calendar - 05/05/2010]

[Location - beasti*alis Empire - Skypelago, Menagerie Island, Central Region, Isis Fountain Park]

Warning: Info Dump ahead! Lore drop too :3

3rd Person POV

Walking through a beautiful and decorated street, an enormous crocodile the size of a car stepped carefully to avoid hurting anyone that opened for him to step by. His enormous paddle-like tail swayed softly from side to side as his stubby legs pushed him forward. It was clear that he was better suited for aquatic movement than earthly movement— as he pushed his way through the crowd, he found his destination: One of the many artificial rivers that flowed through the streets of the Menagerie Island, serving as its own way of transportation for the massive crocodiles that worked like busses and other modes of transportation for the small children and worked to keep the peace as did the Croc Guard. On the back of this Cricosaurus Bambergensis, the children that wore seatbelts all smiled as the ancient crocodile lowered and dove into the river, only to resurface and follow along its course.

Crossing the bride of this same river above, a couple of artists held onto their utensils- one, a particularly short hom*o beasti*alis Felinae with soft grey fur and small ears, had a rock chisel on his paws. A sculptor that gazed upon the masterpiece that was the Isis Statue in all its glory, seeking the inspiration that might have hit the Empress when he created such a beautiful masterpiece. The waters of the fountain flowed out of its boundaries and created this beautiful veil that surrounded the statue. Children would throw small coins into the waters to watch as they hit the bottom of the fountain, bubbled and exploded out with the strength of a simple flick of a finger before they reached abouy 30 or so feet above the statue as they popped into this small firework. No firework had the same color, and it was awesome to watch the magic written on the rock of the fountain make its work as the children threw out copper and silver coins to the fountain, and occasionally an adult would consider before throwing a golden coin to the fountain, which would then create this enormous and beautiful vibrant firework that exploded into magical glitter that faded 5 seconds after hitting the ground.

Further down the road, you'd be blind not to see this massive and beautiful tower, embroidered with several precious stones on the walls and pillars, with intricate carvings of animals, plants, flowers, and even magical beasts thay were rarely seen by the students of this place. This was none other than the first and only (for now, at least) magical school of the beasti*alis Empire: The Learning Palace of Thoth. Here, children from all the islands would come and learn about the wonderful, wondrous, and wary world of magic. They would learn about the basics mostly because they're small children, but the older ones have learned to cast a few Cantrips at least! The teenagers that have joined some classe, however, are taught the grim reality of magic and its serious dangers, alongside history, politics, survival skills, combat skills, and any other skills that would help them thrive and survive in another world... A world where the beasti*alis Empire was slowly seeking ways to establish itself. As that may be, these teenagers were taught just enough to get them curious about what more they could learn about magic, and that was what trapped their minds into studying and becoming a great asset and citizen to the beasti*alis Empire.

Within this tower, on the 7th floor, stood an enormous classroom. The dimensions of this classroom was way bigger than what it should have been when taking the size of the tower in consideration, but such a trivial matter would not stop the Empress with his magical prowess. This classroom, as many would assume, was not empty! Today was a holiday for the beasti*alis Empire, yes, but there were many who were eager to learn about the world of magic and its secrets, so a smaller class with excited students were gathered as they took notes on paper and eagerly asked questions to the large teacher, a beautiful Cloud Giantess known as Lady Iżvir Glażar. "-and, with a flourish of intent and incantation, you can bend clouds just like this." The beautiful pearl necklace that dangled from her neck had this soft glow in some of the pearls, a powerful and permanent [Tongues] spell alongside a [Comprehend Languages] spell were attached to the necklace that allowed the giant woman to speak and read in the foreign language of this world and Empire- English. "And that is how you cast the [Skywrite] spell. Any questions, children?" Iżvir was quite excited when she was offered at job at teaching magic to children by the Empress Atlas, to learn that the friend she had made turned out to be the Empress of an empire in the clouds? That was amazing! It is rare to meet Archmages that can rise even a single mountain to the skies, and this one have risen even more.

One of the children raised her hand- a small child that she'd call a Tabaxi, but here they were called hom*o beasti*alis Felinae, which was a mouthful -and asked with a bright smile in her kitten-like face: "Lady Iżvir, is it true that you know the Empress?" The excitement in her voice was due to the stories she grew up listening to... It wasn't exactly propaganda, since it was all true, but stories tend to exaggerate the truth to make themselves better, and such a thing has happened a lot in this empire. The admiration that the citizens had for the Emperor and Empress fed their wonder and stories, making them sound more extraordinary than they first were. "I heard he was the one to make the Skyfall Plaza? And that he was the one to bring Mr. Breeze to the Empire! I love Mr. Breeze's Musical Week, my sister is playing Veronica Sawyer in Heathers this weekend-" Ah, the Skyfall Plaza was a amphitheater that was open to the sky, whereupon plays and musicals would be enacted every week by the will and desire of the one and only Mr. Breeze, also known as Machosia Ventus, a Feather Dragon.

Often associated with phoenixes and other mythical birds more often than dragons, Feather Dragons are a special species of dragon almost exclusively found in the Elemental Plane of Air. Their feathered wings, talons, and beak-like muzzles resemble features of a bird. Likewise, their energetic, lively personality also matches that of a songbird's. They revel in absolute freedom, letting the wind guide them throughout their lives. Because the majority of a Feather Dragon's lifetime is spent airborne, they are easily the fastest species of dragon. While they may be kind-hearted to sentient creatures, their dragon blood still gives them a carnivorous appetite. They primarily feed on Griffons, Hippogriffs, and in rare cases, large birds of prey, especially those that are members of invasive species from the Material Plane. They easily out-speed every species of dragon, let alone the creatures they hunt, so a Feather Dragon's chase for food ends as quickly as it begins. When hunting their prey, they usually charge head-on, swooping down and snatching their prey in mid-flight or from the ground. As soon as they lock their talons into their prey, they use rapid movements in the air to kill their prey, much like an alligator does when taking its prey underwater. Feather Dragons find it far easier to befriend creatures they encounter rather than fighting them. They view every creature they come across as a friend, often acting as guides and protectors to newcomers in the Elemental Plane of Air. Many creatures regard them as naive or just downright stupid because of this, but it is nearly impossible to change a Feather Dragon's mind on anything, especially when it comes to the way they act. The friendships that Feather Dragons make establish them as the primary protectors of the Elemental Plane of Air. If intruders from the Material Plane or the Elemental Plane of Earth attempt to invade, Feather Dragons are the first to wipe them out. For their loyalty and bravery, Feather Dragons are often given huge amounts of space for their lairs.

And Mr. Breeze (Marchosia Ventus), was one of the Empress friends! He loved theater and musicals, so the Empress created the Skyfall Plaza for him, to honour their friendship and to influence the artists and musicians of the beasti*alis Empire, empowering the artists.

"Well, little one, I am a friend of the Empress yes." With a bright smile on her lips, Lady Iżvir chuckled as she remembered the first time they met- It was adorable to see the Empress and Emperor in their early romance days! "But today's lecture is about clouds and how the spell [Skywrite] can change them, little one. Please do not change the subject so radically..." Even though she was a good teacher, she was a strict one too- she understood that with the Festival of the Day of Ascension happening this entire week, the children would be excited to hear about the Empress and Emperor, but she can answer those words after today's lecture!

We leave the class room with a rush of wind and a smile, going through this open window that leads to the outside world. The breeze drags along pale green magical glitter from an explosion of magical fireworks, dragging the glitter through the sky and spreading it out and about. The glitter fades as we see in the horizon this floating, 8 sided pyramid, the Imperial Pyramid Palace of Cycles. It was called that because the lower portion of the palace used to be underground before the Ascension Day, and the upper portion was built after the Ascension Day, metaphorically unifying the past and present of the beasti*alis. On the sides of the "pyramid", two spheres moved in tandem in a slow cycle, one was bright gold while the other was pale silver, representing the sun and moon that moved around the "world". Below the "pyramid", you could periodically see these egyptian lotus flowers floating up to this platform at the bottom of the pyramid where they would enter through this grand door made of pure gold with white marble stones as pillars of both sides.

Going up through the various floors of the pyramid- the bottom floors where visitors were allowed to roam, the middle floors where only the employees of the palace could roam, and the upper floors where only the Council of Beasts and the royal family could roam free -we reach the upper floors, or more precisely, the tip of the top of the upper pyramid. Deep within it, a beautiful and regal room could be seen, with a bed made out literal clouds and sheets made out of mist, the lights in the room were these beautiful shining stars, and the ceiling did not exist, being instead a beautiful cloudless open sky. Sitting on a small mound of earth, the Empress Atlas crossed his silver legs, looking down at the little one before him: "Hum... Nope." With a flick of his finger, the clothes covering the little miniature little baby dragon simply changed from a pale green color to a soft blue color: "Huh, it looks better now." With a soft touch, the floating baby was simply lowered to the ground and joined his siblings—

Before you ask, no, these weren't his children. These were Mr. Breeze's children! They looked like adorable little chicks, but with the ability to kill a human within seconds.

In fact, he and Waylon don't have any children, and they won't be having any for a while at least. Sure, the empire was prosperous, but there was a little apprehension in Atlas' mind whenever he thought of bringing life into this world... Well, the reason for such was simple; He didn't want his children to grow in times of war.

Well, it's better for me to show you.

World Book - Stories of a Future Never Here and a Past Long Gone.

Inevitable Threat

Date: 31/12/2010 — ??/??/???

Description: Darkseid. He is coming. He wants earth.

Advice: Run. Escape. Or die fighting.

He has been preparing ever since he got this ability, and with each passing day, he feels like beasti*alis might endure, but will they win?

Only one way to find out.

Chapter 63: [Book 2] Chapter 03: An Opportunity (Part 3)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 12:33 | 12:33 AM]

[Calendar - 05/05/2010]

[Location - beasti*alis Empire - Skypelago, Menagerie Island, Central Region, Pyramid Palace of Cycles]

Warning: Info Dump ahead! Lore drop too :3

Atlas - Empress of Beasts, Archmagus POV

"C'mon, little one~" Lifting the fluffy little chick in his arms, Atlas smiled at the little kids that he was taking care of for Marchosia Ventus, since he was occupied with preparing another play today for the Festival of the Day of Ascension, that will last for an entire week. Casting [Levitate] on the four little chicks, Atlas smiled as he spoke inDraconicto them: "So, little ones, are you four ready to watch your father today again? He's kinda nervous because he has been preparing a special play for you." Atlas magically pulled the four little feather dragons alongside him as he walked towards a rather flat door in the middle of the field that they were in, his silver legs were quite eye catching because of the brightpaleblueenergy lines that swirled around them- They looked to be made out of this soft metal, with each step he took his feet seemed to almost glide across the ground, and there were moments where he would simply take a step on his tip toes and his "feet" would morph into this sharp pointy blade-like thin and sharp end before they went back to being normal feet. "I bet he is very excited to show you all his new work, because I heard it was going to be about-"

"Love~?" Pushing the door open before Atlas could even open it, the large dragon of a man grinned- Waylon has grown quite a bit in the past 7 years, both in size and power. He was 7'5 feet tall, his enormous tail was still the same deadly thing, but now he had this softness to him with his bigger body, making him a bit more huggable than before. He wasn't fat, nor was he chubby, but the amount of fat in his body was higher and it gave his muscles a softer look without making them vanish in a sea of fat. In other words, he has been eating a little bit more than before, eating enough for someone of his metabolism. "Look what I made!" Holding onto this rather massive piece of steak, Waylon looked proudly towards Atlas- This was one of the hobbies he picked up after his work as an Emperor got... well, better is not exactly the right word. The world has come to a standstill regarding the beasti*alis Empire and the Skypelago as a whole, with many nations seeing them as something they could not go against, and others seeing this as an opportunity for wealth and power. The truth about magic and the supernatural being real slapped the face of many people in the world, and as such, there was an uproar online about various discussions of various topics about the world and what was true. This sparked a fight about religion, with people questioning what was the "true religion"... One of the reasons the "Pagan" Gods have lost so much of their followers and their power was because of Christianity.

Do Ineedto explain?

With that in mind, many have turned their faces to look at the islands in the sky, the archipelago that challenged the notion of many about what was real and what was fake. Many skeptics pointed out that this whole "magic" thing was just a disguise for advanced technology, while others saw this as proof that the supernatural existed! So, when people started to learn about the different residents of the Skypelago, many started to believe more in magic... After all, it's not every single day you see a massive feathered dragon simply appear out of thin air! Seriously, it was on the news alongside the footage taken from a satellite. With that knowledge, the curiosity of the world about the mysterious flying islands only grew with time and nowadays there has been many attempts at infiltrating this empire to learn its secrets, even more so after satellites stopped working at peeking into the empire— seriously, the day all the satellites transmitted the same [f*ck you, f*cking vouyers] message across various countries was also the day politicians and people responsible for such spy work shat themselves.

"Oh, is that the giant squid meat?" Atlas smiled softly at his husband- it has been years since they married in private, a small ceremony that was simply Atlas looking into Waylon's eyes and saying "I do" while receiving a ring that Waylon himself made -and the giant slab of meat that he had just recently cooked. Waylon has taken cooking as a hobby, more specifically, barbecuing! He has gotten really good at it too, and looking into his husband's bright green eyes, Atlas couldn't help but feel happy that he has found something he enjoyed so much! Cooking (just to specific, Waylon can also cook- he just prefers barbecuing) was something he loved, and Atlas also enjoyed the final results too. "Well, have you made it in the Atlantian way, the American way, or your own way?" Because Waylon took barbecuing seriously- who wouldn't? It's food! -he has developed his own way of doing it! Magic was channeled through the food to enchante the flavor, but Waylon has had to learn that sometimes this would go haywire and he'd make extremely poisonous grub... At least Atlas has developed a resistance to poison thanks to it?

"Oh, I decided to try the Atlantian way- I still find it a little weird that they can cook meat without boiling it directly by simply controlling water to not boil the meat but rather use it as a way to channel the heat." With heavy steps, he entered the majestic otherworldly dimension that was an imitation of the outside world and smiled as he offered Atlas the enormous slab of giant squid meat: "But, seriously, this tastes good! I also was going to try and make dragon soup but-" He looked down at the small dragons that floated around Atlas like they were being held by the very air around them: "-well, you know." Shrugging, Waylon used the tip of his clawed finger to boop the beak of the closest little dragon and smirked- And even though he knew the reason he didn't want to have kids now, Atlas was still a little sad... Look, children aren't essential for a happy life, but Waylon clearly loves children, and he has expressed his desire to have children, and it makes him feel bad that they don't have any yet! It's Darkseid we're talking about, just imagining his child- I mean, it's not like he doesn't trust Waylon to keep the kid safe, he trusts him with his life...

The problem is that his anxiety keeps f*cking him over.

Every time he wants to bring the topic of children or having children, he just panics. He has thought about it, and he is ready, and now he feels like he is just using this whole future war with Darkseid thing as an excuse to himself. Is he being selfish? Stupid, even? "W-well, uhm, how has your Ascension Day been, love? I have been preparing for tonight's firework show and, well, to have that discussion with Adam about his whole... hero aspirations." Ah, Adam... Adam Begala. The kid is 14 years old this year, and ever since his training with Atlas started he has been dreaming of becoming a super hero. After his fall out with Batman that resulted in a few problems of trust (he found out about the whole mind f*cking thing... They still haven't fully processed that, specially Atlas) that ended up with a fight between Dick and Batman after he got injured- which got Robin... out of being Robin, Atlas decided to show that he was willing to trust Batman by sending one of his people to learn under him how to become a super hero. And who better than the kid who has been pestering him about becoming a super hero from day one? Batman has (a bit reluctantly) informed him that the Justice League has been amassing a team of younger heroes to handle covert and stealth missions, and although Adam's powers were not exactly stealthy, he could still be stealthy! He three months of training on stealth specifically because Atlas wanted him to know at least the basics of it. He has been preparing himself for the talk with the kid- He was quite serious about being a hero, and although Atlas didn't really condone recklessly throwing oneself towards danger to save someone else, he also was the Empress of an empire, and that's something he has to do when danger towards his people comes.

"Oh, I bet he will be very excited when he learns about that thing..." With a cheeky grin, Waylon nudged Atlas in the cheek, making him smile back at him- Waylon has known about this whole thing and he is being vague because of a certain someone's ability to listen to the electromagnetic field like he's a radio antenna! With a grin, Waylon looked up at the room around them as he said, co*cky as evey no matter where and when: "We know you're listening, kid, stop listening in to our conversations or else you'll hear things that will scare you for life... or awaken something in you." There was no shift in reality besides the soft sensation that they were being eavesdropped on simply vanishing. He and Waylon were able to feel this because of their heightened connection their souls- Atlas because he has 9 rings in his soul alongside 450 stars, and Waylon is a Demigod. This made them highly aware of being spied upon or just whenever the vibes were not up to part.

"Adam. Remember the first rule I taught you about this kind of thing? If you can't eavesdrop without getting caught, don't do it." Atlas chuckled, his fingers dragging across Waylon's leathery chest- Waylon has been wearing more clothes, he just has a deep allergy towards shirts that aren't either sleeveless or sweaters, mostly because Atlas (according to Waylon) looks adorable in big sweaters that don't fit him at all. Most of the time he just wears his Emperor robes, which have been made by Atlas. "Do you want to know the news now, or later? Because if you wanna know then now, there is going to be a price..."

"Uhrghh..." An electric voice- almost like the sound of a tesla coil -echoed in the little paradise dimension: "...what's the price?" That was one of the many techniques that was taught to him by Atlas- the ability to manipulate the Electromagnetic Spectrum with his Electromagnetic Energy. Such power allowed him to control Light, negate Gravity, manipulate Electricity, and other abilities! Till now, he has been learning from Atlas how to manipulate and use radio waves to eavesdrop and communicate long distances, but he has also been learning how to use other waves and radiations to do the same, and it won't be too long until he is using other aspects of his powers to do the same. "Like, is it going to be like that one time you had me pay a dare of swimming three times around the entirety of Aquarium Island because of that bet we had?"

"Oh, no, kiddo." With a devilish grin, Atlas said: "You'll just have to ask out that boy you've been crushing on in class for the last... three weeks?"

"More, it has been four weeks."

"Wow, a whole month? You pine like a tree! You really are like alesbian sheep."

"Urghh! It's not fair- you know I'm curious about it!"

"If you wanna know, I already told you what to do~"

"You evil, evil man..." Adam paused for a moment- his sigh was like static electricity: "Fine... I'll ask him out... Now, what was the thing you were going to tell me?"

"Oh, nothing important." Atlas sounded smug: "Just that I got you a place in a superhero team that will learn directly with the Justice League."

...the-

"WHAT!?"

-that followed was louder than thunder.

Chapter 64: [Book 2] Chapter 04: A Request (Part 4)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 22:22 | 10:22 PM]

[Calendar - 05/05/2010]

[Location - beasti*alis Empire - Skypelago, Menagerie Island, Central Region]

3rd Person POV

Taking a step forward, his sharp blade-like pointy "feet" stood completely still as he gazed down upon the crowd as the crowd gazed back at him, his dress felt a little bit tighter than before but he persisted. Thousands of people, all gathered here to hear his word- His people, people that swore to protect and care for, and people he has rescued from the world below. Behind him, easily towering above him by 2,2 feet, Waylon looked just as excited as he was the same time the first Day of Ascension Festival was happening— and there weren't even that many people that day! "People of beasti*alis." His voice echoed out through the darkness that being illuminated only by the sparkling lights that were spread out in various directions being held by children and parents alike, who had their eyes practically glue to him. "Today we start to celebrate another wonderful year that the beasti*alis Empire has been in the sky! The Day of Ascension is one of the most important days to our people, I'm sure you all know... I love you, my people, and once more we celebrate this day!" Like last year, and the year before, Atlas started to do a little speech that he did not practiced for, for he believes that spontaneous speeches are wonderful and amazing and not at all born out of anxiety.

"So,feast!Play!Laugh!Cry!Rejoice! Experess yourself, don't hide yourself, and live." With each word, a sparkle of magic would flow out of his hand and explode in a different lights. Cotton candy fell out of the sky in the hands of the crowd, sparkling glitter made people laugh and cry, and others simply exploded in gleeful cheers. "Because, and always remember this, the greatest magic in the world is living a life you're proud of."

"With that said-" Waylon chuckled as he lifted Atlas, much to the crowd's "Ooohs~" as they could almost see beneath the long cut from the white dress the Empress was wearing ("All clothes are unisex if you're not a little bitch about it" was the Empress' most famous phrase), but with a turnaround and a twist, he held his love in his big arms: "-we do have an announcement!" There was silence immediately across the crowd- you could practically see the tension in the air, because they always did this! They'd announce something, and the first time they did it it was a fake "we're pregnant" thing that made everyone have a good laugh, but ever since then there was a absolutely legendary bet. Every year, a group of people would bet that this year's announcement would be about the Empress being pregnant, a bet that was initiated by a certain family of Cloud Giants. "First off, we would like to announce that starting the next month a new project will begin! Those who wish to be part of Project Skyfall, register with the staff at World Pillar. There you'll receive more details, but basically we're expanding the Empire to the Boundless Blue!"

There was a rush of excitement through crowd- ever since they joined the beasti*alis Empire, they receive a brief lesson of the world they were welcomed to. While the world beneath them wasn't exactly separate from their own, the amount of interactions they'd have with the world below was lowered. Internet and social media access wasn't exactly limited, but it was monitored. There were rules to follow, and of course nobody wanted to break them... the last person that did was thrown off of the island by the Emperor himself in a public execution, as that was the method of death chosen by the offendor. Their name? Well, his name was Gunther, and he tried to sexually assault a child. As his punishment, he was thrown off of the islands and hit the ocean beneath, becoming soup upon impact and having his juice turned to ash alongside a portion of the ocean that day as the Emperor got so angry he literally breathed fire. But that wasn't important enough to be remembered by many. A single pervert was dealt with before he could do anything, and the Empress went through the whole Empire to understand how he let someone like that guy become part of the Empire.

Let's just say Atlas still blames himself because of the traume the kid went through.

Regardless- nobody wanted to break the rules, and one of the rules was to not expose the secrets of the beasti*alis Empire and the Skypelago to nobody in the world below, so social media and internet access was respected by the residents and enforced by Cyber-Neet.

"Also, the Royal Knight Academy is going on an expedition to Monster Island alongside the students of the Learning Palace of Thoth. Please ensure your children have all the supplies that they need, and you can request a Recall Stone to be made for your child if you so wish." Atlas added from Waylon's arms, a little flushed that the boisterous dragon was so happy to do such public display of possessive affection: "The annual Godly Week is coming up soon too! Those who wish to register for the competitions please remember you need the confirmation card- Also, please do not attempt, or perform any artistic ritual trying to invoke the muses of art and Dionysus... We do not want a repetition of The Greek Incident. This time, it might not end just with God Ptah adopting a bunch of daughters and getting a drinking buddy." A grimace appeared on his face and the face tod various individuals through the crowd- just remembering the way a group of teenagers all got drunk and somehow summoned Dionysus alongside the muses.

All of them, at the same time. Calliope (epic poetry), Clio (history), Polyhymnia (hymn), Euterpe (flute), Terpsichore (light verse and dance), Erato (lyric choral poetry), Melpomene (tragedy), Thalia (comedy and a Charite), and Urania (astronomy)! And to boot, the f*cking God of Wine, Vegetation, Pleasure, Festivity, Theater, Madness and Wild Frenzy. That Dionysus- The guy was pretty chill, actually, and he absolutely enjoyed being summoned to a great party, and the Muses were throwing their divine inspiration towards any artist they could get their hands on, and like that they became Ptah's adopted daughters... Let's just say, you can get inspiration in the Halls of Ptah if you pay a fee, and every artist recommends buying it because its awesome, even Atlas has bought it before and its like getting high but with the power to create the most crazy sh*t you've ever made before.

So, why was it bad? Well, Zeus didn't like that his son was suddenly summoned alongside all his muses, and the fact that the muses refused to go back! So, beasti*alis Empire and its Skypelago that was in his domain kinda triggered the big man child of a god, who threw a thunderous tantrum that lasted for 7 days and nights, where it was a complete thunderstorm. Atlas easily blocked the attacks with [Bubble], but he had to focus his mind and magic on keeping all 9 [Bubble] spells completely repaired and strong enough to resist the divine lightning of the stupid f*ck who can only think with his dick! Nobody died, thankfully, but they were stuck in place for 7 days and nights, which annoyed Atlas because they had to pass by a Node in the Blood Vessels of Gaea later and missed a pretty important magical event that Atlas wanted to watch and for the following days Atlas had to artificially increase the speed of the Skypelago to move 7 times its normal speed so it would adjust to the route it should have gone to.

And you might be thinking: Wait, if Atlas can control the speed of the Skypelago, why not go vroom? Well, the Skypelago in which the beasti*alis Empire resides travels at a steady speed of about 10 kilometers per hour constantly, following an invisible road of energy like a magnet that is also a boat at the same time and that the thing it is attached to is the flow of the "river", and just follows it. Anyway, the flow of the Skypelago is important for Atlas because he has been able to make it so they can always visit the same location at the same time of the year! Of course there will be changes in the future, but this keeps a little bit of much needed constancy to the Empire.

"So, kids, please do not drink yourself into a frenzy and start to dance like crazy." Waylon chuckled- he got along well with Dionysus, both of them liked a good booze and Waylon drunk was weirdly adorable. He was an emotional drunk, but not the "oh gods" kind, but more of a physical cuddling drunk that went around the place holding Atlas by the waist proudly saying "This ish ma wufe... Look at he, he beautif..." while drunkenly trying to form sentences. "Or do, having Dionysus back for another round would be fun?" He turned to look at Atlas, who just glared at him for a few seconds: "...we'll discuss that privately." Which got him a few chuckles from the crowd and Atlas a bit exasperated. "...do we have any other announcements?"

"Well..." Placing both hands on his stomach, Atlas looked earnestly to the crowd and with a smile... he sighed and said: "Nah." He would tell Waylon later, when they were completely and utterly alone in thr most literal sense of the word as possible. "But we won't leave you guys hanging anymore— Enjoy your evening with music, dance, and fun!" Like last year and the year before that, and the year before that, and the year before that- You get it! Like last year, a concert was starting, and this concert would be a 24/7 concert for 7 f*cking days, free food, drinks, and no responsibility for the entire week. Of course some people wouldn't want to party for an entire week, so many would just go back to their homes after 1 day of partying or so, but that did not stop the party at all. "Let's greet to the stage— Angra!" In a burst of smoke, both Atlas and Waylon vanished from their spot at the stage, simply disappearing.

Blasts of flames being followed by a guitar was what greeted the crowd that started abeautiful riff being followed by blasting lyrics–

"Nations battle on the field across the lands–

Ruthless, stealing territories from our hands–

Anger throwing down the victims to the ground–

Cold blood younger soldiers weeping with no sound!"

—the crowd went happily wild. Parent who had taken their small children simply left with them to make sure they weren't scared of the huge crowd or had their hearing damaged, or stayed past their bed time. Putting children to sleep was very easy when you have pillows enchanted to cast a spell to put them to sleep. After making sure their children were completely safe and soundlessly asleep, they went back to the concert to unwind a bit.

Far away, within the walls of a eight sided floating pyramid, Atlas simply stood still as he watched the lights and flashes from afar. His eyes soft and his smile light, knowing that his people felt happy and safe here... Have you wondered how the beasti*alis Empire has managed to get people to join after the Day of Ascension? Well, Atlas had an idea. The rejected, the hated, the ones who needed beasti*alis the most would become part of it... A simple attraction spell that would pull those along, but he left the definition of "need" and "rejected", "hated" a little bit... broader than expected.

Don't worry, he has fixed it!

Now, however, he was thinking of the future... Anxiety was always his Achilles' Heel. But tonight he refused to let his anxiety win. "Waylon." Turning around and laying by the bed of solidified clouds, Atlas clicked his heels together and with a soft melting notion, the silver legs he had simply crawled their way up his neck and face before he had two new beautiful earrings. "I... I think I'm ready."

"...ready?" A little confused, Waylon asked- Should he be ready for something?

"..." Embarrassed to say it, Atlas looked away as he muttered: "...Impregnate me?"

Faster than The Flash, Waylon was looking down at him: "I'm sorry, what did you say? Speak louder, my love. I wanna hear you clearly."

Chapter 65: [Book 2] Chapter 05: Insemination (Part 5) [NSFW]

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 23:12 | 11:12 PM]

[Calendar - 05/05/2010]

[Location - beasti*alis Empire - Skypelago, Menagerie Island, Central Region, Pyramid Palace of Cycles]

Warning: This chapter contains HARDCORE sex.

Mentions of blood, broken bones, and other gory stuff too.

3rd Person POV

"..." Atlas felt his entire face slowly grow hotter. No matter how many times they have done this, no matter how many times they have f*cked against every flat suface (and even without any surface at all), he still feels shy whenever he asks for Waylon to f*ck him: "I-" Gulping, he turned to look at Waylon, struggling to make eye contact with those pale bright green eyes that stared at him intensely, and he struggled to get words out of his mouth: "Me... f*ck me? Make me... pregnant... I, uhm, I want to-f*ck me until I'm full of your children. I want to get pregnant with your children, please?" He felt so f*cking shy to say this, even though he knew that Waylon would love to hear these words leave his mouth-

And sure enough.

"Oh baby, I thought you'd never ask." Gripping the clouds beneath him, Waylon lowered his body and caged in the man beneath him— Atlas looked so f*cking handsome like this, beneath him with his wide amber eyes staring at him with the same shy enthusiasm that never faded from his eyes, no matter how many times they have done this kind of thing before. Seriously, Waylon has taken Atlas in a Full Nelson position and f*cked him against the transparent glass-like walls of a building before, he has made this boy scream his name in 7 different languages, he has f*cked him in a nudist beach surrounded by hundreds of people and being hidden only by magic, he has even been transformed into different animals while f*cking him, and yet he still acts like a shy princess whenever they're going to f*ck. And that? That is too precious for Waylon: "To hear that, it makes me so f*cking horny- Love, I'm gonna fill you up so good you're gonna give birth to an entire f*cking football team's worth of children, or f*cking more." And oh, he wanted children! He was just... worried that Atlas didn't want them anymore. They avoides the topic whenever it was brought up by Sobek or someone else, but now? Now Waylon is going to be a father.

Prepping, at this point, wasn't that necessary. You don't need to get ready when you are ready, as they say, and Atlas is the embodiment of that phrase. He has prepared himself for all scenarios that he could (some of that Batman paranoia), and a scenario such as this one‐ where he is about to get his soul f*cked out of his body by Waylon's dick -was something he was always ready for. With a simple thought, he activated the spells that were prepared within his body, and the spells[Alter Self], [Flatten Self], [Bigger onthe Inside], and a special spell that he has been using alongside Waylon because it would enchante their sexual experience by a lot. It had taken him a while to derivative from spells and magic from Dungeons and Dragons and although that is his favorite form of magic and the ones he casts the most, but he has been learning and using magics from other universes too! Mainly samples of other universes to learn which magics he is going to go for next, and Fairy Tail magic seems a little bit more interesting mostly because of the whole Dragon Slayer Magic thing turning you into a dragon. Regardles of that, he focused on the magic he was casting right now-Sex Magic. This is one of the few esoteric types of magic that he has a higher understanding and control over because Waylon is absolutely ravenous. His sex drive was through the roof, and Atlas was never one to say no to Waylon whenever he wanted to f*ck, and he also got a lot of pleasure from it too- It was almost a miracle that the Empire doesn't know that their Empress is a little bitch in the sheets because of how much and how strong Waylon f*cks him. Seriously, the guy is insatiable, so much so that Atlas had to make an intricate ritual to tie Waylon's sex drive to his own, so that whenever he got horny, Atlas would know and would be able to help him.

It has been very helpful too, considering that Atlas knew that Waylon had this constant sensation of lust... His libido was really strong. The reason might be because Waylon has a lot more testosterone than a human man, like, a lot more? Atlas isn't 100% sure of what the reason is, but he can feel this low and easy to ignore sensation that was Waylon's ever present lust.

Yeah, Waylon is really horny.

"-Kah'vahtash kerin ovir, Matoro ke ahn. Ivir oaq kkuan kyir." With a sigh, this pink smoke rolled out of his nose and curled into his body- it went down to his "womb" and solidified, becoming this... tattoo. A bright pink heart with two devilish wings, a pair of horns, and a long and pointy tail. This was the spell called "Succubus' Mark" and it was basically a spell that increased the pleasure one would feel from sex and sexual activies by a percentage. The strong the magic used to cast this "curse", the pink-ier it gets, and the purer theresultsare. "There..." Shivering at the sensation that invaded his body, Atlas had to bite his lips at the way his mark just made him f*cking sensitive as sh*t!

"Oh, we're using the mark today? Heh-" Without a warning, Waylon opened his mouth and pushed his two tongues into Atlas' mouth, and he had to grin at the way the little guy beneath him just f*cking shivered. The mark also affected him, sure, but he had more sad*stic pleasure to see Atlas so broken beneath him than the crazy hot sex they always had. Just by seeing the mark being used, Waylon knew that Atlas was being serious about this sh*t- He was letting Waylon just impregnate him. "-your wish is my command, my love~" With a single strong pull, Waylon had Atlas' ass right close to his face, and one of his favorite pastimes was started- Eating ass. More specifically, eating Atlas' ass was something Waylon love doing! It was fun because he could edge Atlas for hours on end like this until he is crying and begging to be f*cked until something in him breaks. And, to be fair, Waylon is pretty sure he has broken Atlas' spine, pelvis, and even torn his muscles and destroyed at least a few of his internal organs by f*cking him really hard. Seriously, he kinda freaked out when Atlas started to bleed profusely from his hole after they f*cked this one time, and ever since then Waylon has been working on controlling his strength, because he doesn't want to literally kill Atlas by f*cking him- only metaphorically.

Atlas couldn't help but bite his knuckle as the two forked tongues practically danced inside his body. It was a sensation he would never get used to, mostly because of how slimy and dexterous these two things are- Waylon's skill on using his tongue to f*ck him has only grown through the years they've been together. His prostate was just a play thing for Waylon nowadays, something he loved playing with at all times. And because Waylon knows it and has been explicitly told, Atlas has woken up many times with a co*ck inside him or a pair of tongues f*cking him... it was actually a good way to wake up, not gonna lie. "sh*t- f*ck, love... Don't make me cum now, please-" Oh, f*ck~! As soon as he said that, it was like Waylon had taken that as a challenge and not a request from Atlas, whose sensitive body was shivering like crazy from how good everything Waylon was doing to his body felt. The sharp pointy claws that held him and spread his legs out were prickly and felt sharp against his skin, and he could even feel Waylon's heartbeat through his tongues! This was so f*cking intimate and romantic, what the f*ck?

"Shhh..." Pulling back and taking his tongues out, Waylon chuckled as Atlas tried to push his open and wet little hole against his mouth, so that he could shove his tongues back inside, but he had other plans. "f*ck, baby, calm down... I'm gonna put a ton of babies in your f*cking guts, I'll pain your stomach white and fill you up so much you'll be pregnant like the way you wanna be-" He felt that same shifting sensation he always did whenever his dicks started to push their way out of his body, and in seconds he had two identical dicks that were poking Atlas' back. He could feel his arousal growing at each second, like the waves of the sea, pushing him to just f*ck his husband raw and as hard as he could until he was nothing but a bumbling mess of sweat, saliva, and cum that could only moan his name- but the last time he did that, he ended up hurting him a lot. "-f*ck, sh*t... Love, I don't wanna hurt you anymore-"

"Waylon...f*ckme." Atlas' determined voice growled out: "Hard. Rough. Fast.I want you to break me and make me regret being alive, I want you to destroy me from the inside- No holding back, okay? Please- please don't you f*cking dare hold back, I don't care, I want it all- everything you got, love, everything." He shivered just by remembering the day Waylon did him so hard he was broken after- sure, it hurt, but he was so f*cking exhilarated to be broken like that... is that masoch*stic? Oh f*ck, he doesn't care. He just wants Waylon to f*ck him like that again.

Oh f*ck, how can he resist this kind of thing when his love explicitly asks him to do that? And so f*cking cutely at that too? "Oh, baby... f*ck, okay,okay!Okay." With great effort on his part (and excitment, because he did want to f*cking break Atlas again), Waylon slowly lowered Atlas on the indestructible bed of solidified clouds and did not hesitate. He didn't do any other foreplay, choosing to just shove both dicks into Atlas' tight little hole, said hole that was oh so f*cking inviting and beautiful- It swallowed him whole, two dicks pushing together against walls of flesh and and doing their best to occupy a tight space. Said tight space got even tighter, holding his dicks with a beautiful strength before letting them go: "Shiiit... f*ck, I can never get enough ofthis." He rolled his hips counterclockwise, feeling Atlas shiver beneath him, and slowly started to move said hips- It was a familiar sensation, the sensation of having the love of his life take him whole with such proficiency that Waylon felt proud of both himself and Atlas. Of Atlas because he could take him so well, and of himself because he was the reason Atlas could take dick like a professional. "f*ck, baby- I'm gonna destroy-f*ck-your f*cking intestines."

"...promise?"

A single word, like pulling a trigger, released Waylon onto him. Atlas had not the need to anything other than moan and scream the big bad dragon's name- he was relentless, he was strong, fast, and insatiable.

First round ended with Atlas cumming all over his own body when Waylon began to f*ck him without holding anything back.

Second round ended with Waylon holding him in his arms and before he pushed his body against his co*ck with the brutality of a man trying to kill another.

The third round ended with Atlas' hole agape, dripping cum as Waylon forced him to swallow two co*cks down his throat at the same time.

Fourth round ended with Atlas shoving his head on Waylon's pecks and suckling his nipples while using his magic created tentacles to f*ck the dragon.

Fifth round ended with Waylon pushing Atlas down and spanking him for being a bad boy, he cummed from being fingered after his skin was red and raw.

Sixth round ended with Waylon putting a co*ck cage on him. Saying that he had no need for his little co*ck anymore, and that he now would live to serve him for the remainder of his days as a co*ck sleeve. A little cum slu*t. Then he gave Atlas another anal org*sm.

Seventh round ended with Waylon properly instructing his f*ck slu*t of a pet how to bounce up and down his co*ck properly, before he added another co*ck to the mix, and had him barking like a good little puppy.

Eighth round ended with Atlas having his back pressed against Waylon's chest and sharing a kiss with him as his two co*cks slowly but surely entered his body. Loose, wet and covered in white, hi hole greeted them warmly. For the eight time that night- No, wait, it was morning already! -Waylon cummed inside him after f*cking him for another hour slowly, edging him. With his co*ck cage on, Atlas simply squirted what little liquid he had, and with that he placed his hand on Atlas' enlarged stomach full of his cum and eggs. He didn't know how many eggs he laid inside Atlas, but he knows that they will probably have a lot of children. And that? That made his feral dragon brain happy. "Let's get you cleaned up..." With a click, the co*ck cage was removed- sure, it was hot for him to "force" Atlas to use it during sex, but to keep it constantly? Neither of them want that. Kissing the forehead of his barely conscious love, Waylon grinned.

He cannot wait to know just how many kids they're going to have.

Chapter 66: [Book 2] Chapter 06: Today is the Day! (Part 1)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 07:44 | 07:44 AM]

[Calendar - 08/06/2010]

[Location - beasti*alis Empire - Skypelago, Menagerie Island, Central Region, Pyramid Palace of Cycles]

Adam Begala - Electric Light POV

Today was the day.

Feeling nervous, Adam almost didn't sleep the day before! He went over everything he knew, from basic occultism spells that were taught to him- Oh, right! Besides his electricity powers, Adam was also a student of the Learning Palace of Thoth, so he knew a bunch of things about the supernatural side of the world alongside a bunch of rituals and spells that he could use, even with his subpar magical talent. It took him years to even learn a few things that, according to his teachers, could save his life in a pinch. He also had a [Ring of Holding] full of emergency supplies such as health potions, crystals full of magic energy forba few rituals that could heal and cast spells, and even a few items that would work like an emergency call directly to the Empress. His hands were twitching as he nervously looked down at his clothes- he was told to wear casual clothes, and that he could switch with that trick that was taught to him.

As he trudged down the long halls of the Pyramid Palace of Cycles as he tried to keep his nervousness in check as was taught to him, his Empress' voice flowing through his head: "Chaos is good only when it isn't inside your head, divert and adapt to change, but also take your damnAdderall." Because of his rather electrifying Meta powers, his brain was kinda wired to quick thoughts, and because of that no matter how many times the Empress tried to help him with getting rid of his ADHD, it never worked. Nowadays he takes Adderall and it helps him a little bit, just enough to stop his thoughts from turning into a mess because otherwise he will feel anger, lust, the "anguish spiral", and other stages of his genetically enchanted ADHD. As he pushed through the door of the large banquet hall, he saw the usual scene that always transpired every single day- his mother sitting by the table in her awesome glory, the Emperor and Empress side by side discussing about something while the Emperor tried to feed the Empress extra food, and a few others sitting by the table and having their own breakfast. "Good morning peeps!" With the same excitement for everything ever, Adam allowed his body to change and turn into electricity, zapping towards his chair right beside his mother. He materialized and kissed her cheek before starting to grab a few pieces of garlic bread.

"Good morning." The Empress chuckled, already used to his antics. Nowadays, the Empress has been wearing loose pale while clothes more regularly, and he has clearly noticed the belly- everyone has! It was exciting news that made everyone very happy for the couple that took care of the nation. "Pamela, can you pass me the butter, please?" Without even looking, the Emperor simply caught the stick of butter that was thrown by this thick vine. In fact, all members of the Council of Beasts usually had breakfast together like a very unusual family- Pamela, the Lady of the Immaculate Garden, had her vegetarian breakfast consisting of avocado, vegetables, and something green that his younger self would've thought gross. Beside her, eating the exact and complete opposite was Captain Alamos, Baron of the Lupus House and chief of the Royal Guards. Although not exclusively a carnivore, Alamos Lucian loved to eat meat! "Hey, Miss Fries, can you pass me the soy sauce?" His arm stretched thrice its usual size, easily reaching over closely to the soy sauce, that was deposited on his hand by the wonderful Miss Fries. "Thanks~!"

"Make sure to eat good, kiddo." The Emperor's voice broke him out of his eating frenzy- in fact, of the people there, not many had the whole "I eat like an educated Victorian lady" vibes and more like "Victorian orphan who hasn't eaten in 7 days gets his cup if porrige" vibes as they all gobbled down whatever they could get their hands on... It was very chaotic. "Make sure to grow big, your mom will be proud!" With a wink, the Emperor pushed another slab of meat that was at least the size of his head towards him and anothet towards the Empress, who looked like he wanted to sigh. Adam, however, wasn't one to reject food (specially meat that was cooked by the Emperor himself!) so he dug right in! "Heh, by the way he's absolutely devouring that thing, you'd think he's the one eating for seven people." Ah, right! Everyone had learned that the Empress was pregnant of sextuplets, six kids at the same time was somewhat rare, but considering the fact that many hom*o beasti*alis have even 8 children at the same time, it wasn't unusual at all! In fact, many people expected the Empress to have more children, but six is more than enough!

"Well, he is just excited, my love." With a relaxed smile on his lips- Adam still doesn't know how the Empress can act so calm when he's hungry, couldn't be him -the Empress simply stared into his eyes. Adam would never get used to the way the Empress could easily stare directly into his soul to make sure he was okay... It happened a few years ago, but long story short, he tried doing this very complicated spell and he almost died because of it. The Empress said it damaged his soul, so he had rest, and even after years of this the Empress will every single day look into his soul to make sure nothing bad has happened to him. The Empress smiled as he looked at him, the familiar look of soft relief adorning his face like a veil as he noticed that there were no disturbances in his soul and that it was the same healed and undamaged soul: "After all, today is his first day meeting The Team that Batman has created... And little Adam here has been dreaming of being a hero for so long."

"Oh, he has-" His mother chuckled from beside him. As the Royal Cook, she was the head cooker of the House of Hathor, the most prestigious restaurant slash house of entertainment slash hotel slash community home slash whatever they're feeling like in the day. She was a badass woman because she can easily control the entire staff with a few and simple commands, making hundreds of cooks work together and she has even danced on stage when one of girls broke her foot! And ever since, everyone wants her back on stage because of how good she was at the whole dancing thing! Abigail Begala was the most badass mother a guy like him could ask for: "-and although I wanted him to be a healer or professor, I guess hero is the thing he wants to be." She shrugged, not really minding the hard path her boy was choosing- he would walk his own path, and she would always be there to support him.

"Well, we're meeting the team by 08." The Empress had to push away the Emperor's hand as he tried to feed him another slab of raw meat- There are a few reasons why such a weird dietary change would happen in hom*o beasti*alis. Mostly is the weird instincts, which makes Carnivora hom*o beasti*alis wish to devour more raw meat, which has sparked a market for raw meat and a lot of ways to cook said meat. "If you try to feed me more, I will throw up on you again... this is weird,how long until these eggs are ready to be laid?" Huffing, the Empress cleaned himself and turned to look at him, frowning at the stain of sauce on his shirt: "...Well, you look quite presentable like that, you think any of them likes soy sauce?"

"It was one time!" Adam huffed- seriously, can't they forget the infamous soy sauce incident!? Everyone would be so much happier if they just forgot the most embarrassing day of his life! "One time you spill soy sauce in yourself and is almost eaten alive by a T-Rex that seems to love soy sauce and suddenly that's all everyone can talk about! Seriously, that was traumatizing-"

"And funny." Unproptly, added Lonnie, chewing on a piece of steak.

"-and funny!" Adam paused for a moment as he heard what he had just said, and turned to glare at the professional shut-in neet that took care of the Empire's internet access and security: "...shut!" He pointed his finger towards the older guy- seriously, those glasses look ridiculous on him! And he has bullying him about the whole "Soy Sauce Incident", or as they like to call it the "T-Rex Soy Sauce Vore Incident", and he hasn't once stopped to think about the implications of that traumatic event or how much that has shaped his fear of being vored! "Seriously, that thing f*cked me up."

"I'm sorry you went through that, kiddo." Huffing, Captain Alamos's ears dropped and his tail was tucked, and with an apologetic look he tried to cheer him up: "Hey, at lwast we ate the thing, right? T-Rex meat is great even though it is a carnivore hunter... the amount of parasites we had to clean from the meat was crazy, but worth it too." Shrugging, Captain Alamos seemed to remember the taste of the meat because his tail started to wag really quickly. That's the thing for hom*o beasti*alis Lupus, they can have a poker face all they want, their tails and ears always betrays their true emotions.

"Well, we got about... 12 minutes to get ready." With a flourish of magic, the casual clothes the Empress were wearing changed. He was suddenly wearing this tightly fit almost tuxedo suit for the upper body but a upside-down wine glass shaped black skirt for the lower body. Sometimes Adam wishes he could rock a skirt like the Empress can, he'd feel more confident then. With a twist of the wrist, there was a wide brimmed black hat that he loved to call his "Busty Tall Vampire Lady Hat" for some reason?

Adam doesn't understand the Empress sometimes.

He turned to look at him and smiled: "You ready?"

Looking down at himself, Adam shrugged: "As I'll ever be, I guess? I have the suit stored in the ring alongside everything else I'll need." He double checked everything on his person and on the ring by shoving the little bit of magic that he had- He blinked and confirmed that yes, the ring had everything he needed from beasti*alis, because the mundane things he could get from the mundane world! "Yep, got everything- yes mom, i got the clothing changes you gave me, all seventeen of them alongside matching hats, shoes, and even underwear. Yes Pamela, I got the little plants, yes Mr. Fries, I have the ice bombs... I don't know why I would use them, but I have them!" He went on a list of every item that the others had given him, watching as the Empress amusedly stared back at him before he turned to look at the Emperor: "...yes, I got the sword with me too."

"Atta boy!" Giving him a thumbs up, the Emperor grinned: "Cut them all in half! That's the fun part!"

"I don't think they cut the bad guys in half?" Do heroes cut bad guys in half? He knows that, if needed, he gotta kill a bitch. That's the number one lesson taught to him- Ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves. To cut off an enemy before they can become a bigger enemy is the noble thing to do, saving future lives. "...do they?"

"Well, why not ask them?" With a wave of the Empress' hand, a hole was punctured right in space, and they turned from their table of food to see a group of people that Adam was familiar with- He recognized the Batman, Martian Manhunter, and a few other heroes alongside their... sidekicks? "Ah,is this a bad time?"The Empress asked with his "bad bitch™" tone of voice- the one he used whenever he was dealing with people he didn't like that much.

Adam dematerialized and rematerialized with his lightning abilities, standing besides his Empress with a straight back and a a nervous smile.

Today was the day!

Chapter 67: [Book 2] Chapter 07: Today is the Day! (Part 2)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 08:04 | 08:04 AM]

[Calendar - 08/06/2010]

[Location - Mount Justice, Happy Harbor, Rhode Island]

3rd Person POV

Together, the four boys excitedly stood side by side as they looked into the masked eyes of the one and only Batman. His masked eyes narrowed (somehow?) as he said: "This cave-" Looking around, you'd be able to see this enormous cavern that they were all inside. Above them, the enormous tube-like opening that was one of the entrances and exits for the Bat-plane was used by Green Lantern to bring them down where a few members of the Justice League were gathered here. Batman, Black Canary, Red Tornado, Aquaman, Shazam, The Flash, and Hawkman. "-was the original secret sanctuary of the Justice League." He turned to walk to the side, a look of determination overtaking his masked eyes (somehow) as he said: "We're calling it into service again, since you four are determined to say together... and fight the good fight." He turned to look at them- Wally, Jason, Superboy, and Kaldur. Wally subconsciously straightened his back as he stared into Batman's mask' eyes: "You'll do it in League terms... Red Tornado volunteered to live here and be your supervisor, and Black Canary is in charge of training. I will deploy you on missions."

"Real missions?" Jason narrowed his eyes as he stared at Bruce- Well, only he and other tusted members of the Justice League knew the secret identity of Batman, and he sure as hell would never tell anyone about his adoptive father's real pass time of wearing a bat suit to beat up criminals. "Like, real dangerous missions?" He was kinda excited to go on missions, specially because of the sense of awesomeness that would come from them. He has been Robin for only 2 years, and the previous one was awesome too. He's got a lot to live up to, and if he wants to be the best Robin ever, he's gotta work hard. "I hope they're cool missions..."

"Yes... covert missions." You could practically heard the exasperated sigh in Batman's voice. He was used to Jason's anticts, but he still can't fully grasp why the boy seems to think the life of a superhero is fun and games... he hasn't been in true danger, and Batman thought that maybe that was good, but he is also afraid of the consequences of protecting the boy so much might be... Is this one going to be a failure on his part as well? After he discovered that his healing over his parents death was fake, he couldn't help but wonder if everything else was also fake. He ended up ruining his relationship with Dick because of that, and the one who tried "healing" his trauma has apologized so many times that Bruce felt a little bit bad for him. Atlas had explained to him in great detail his thought process when he used a spell to get into his mind, and Bruce understood that it was more of a reaction to his own anxiety of being put under pressure by his presence than a planned and calculated action... And to remedy the situation and right some wrongs, he tried healing his trauma, but that backfired. He still hasn't fully forgiven him, but he has seen his side of the story, and he felt both angry that his mind shields were so weak he couldn't protect himself, but he was also kinda proud that his mere presence scared a magician sh*tless.

"The League will still handle the obviois stuff-" The Flash patted the lightning symbol on his chest, a smirk growing on his lips as he continued: "-there's a reason we have these big targets on our chest, you know?" That was one of the reasons, being easily recognizable. The other reasons were more psychological in nature- it scared the sh*t out of minor villains or street level bad guys when they see the symbols of the Justice League around. Barry had to stop to think for a second... maybe that's why he hasn't had to deal with minor crimes for so long?

"But Cadmus proved the bad guys are getting smarter." Arthur said- Aquaman was, admittedly, very proud of his protégé! The boy was f*cking awesome and he was proud of him. "Batman needs a team that can operate on the sly." He turned to smile at Batman, who kept his stoic mask on- it became kind of a game for the members of the Justice League to try and get Batman to break his mask of stoicism, but nobody has mamaged to do that before.

"The six of you-"

'The what now?' Was what Jason, Wally, Superboy, Kaldur, and even Aquaman thought- he didn't know there were going to be six? He thought it was going to be five!

"-will be that team." Batman finished his sentence just as the fifth member of the team slowly walked towards them. Beside her was her uncle, the one and only Martian Manhunter.

"Cool..." Jason's brain caught up to him, striking his mind with the baseball bat of realization, as he asked: "Wait- Six?" That was when Batman simply pointed back- everyone turned to look and saw this beautiful green skinned red haired gir walk towards them. She was beside her uncle, Martian Manhunter.

"This is Martian Manhunter's niece, Miss Martian." Aquaman added.

Awkwardly, she raised her hand and smiled: "Hi!"

"...liking this gig more every minute." Wally winked towards Jason- they have been friends for a long time, and they know each other very well. Wally grinned as he said: "Welcome aboard~! I'm Kid Flash. That's Robin-" he pointed to Jason, who simply waved his hand at her with a smile: "-Aqualad-" Kaldur gave her a stoic nod: "-Superboy-" the clone of steel didn't even look at her at all: "-it's cool if you forget their names." He winked and-

"I'm honored to be included."

-she completely ignored his flirting. They all got closer to her, wanting to properly greet and get to know her. Jason turned to look at Superboy and narrowed his eyes, asking: "You gonna meet Miss. M?" The clone simply stared back at him for a few moments before he got closer too. The moment he was before her, her clothes seemed to shrink and enlarge for a moment before they turned completely black and her cape was gone.

"I like your t-shirt." She smiled bashfully- Wally got a shot right in the heart, seeing she blatantly flirt with Superboy. And to make it worse? He smiled! He f*cking smiled- oh gods, he's cute too, f*ck. In a flash (heh) Wally had his hand on Superboy's shoulder while Jason was wiggling his eyebrows so aggressively that it was impossible not to notice.

It took Kaldur a few moments to notice something that was bothering him. He turned and looked at Aquaman and asked: "...wait- My King, who's the sixth person-" Before he could finish his question, however, there was a sudden flush of magical energy. Kaldur has been taught and trained in the Atlantian Conservatory of Sorcery in Poseidonis, so he was attuned to the world of magic and its secrets. However, when the magic gathered into a single point at a speed that his mind could not match, he watched as a hole in space was masterfully stretched open and a perfectly stable and clean portal appeared before them. On the other side, he saw a table full of people eating and talking to each other, some he barely had vague memories of, and people he had never even seen in his entire life. Before the portal was a man wearing what he could only describe as rather chique clothes, and his skirt was... well, kinda revealing? It felt weird to see someone of the surface wear a skirt so well like that when all his knowledge of the surface world pointed out the fact that only women wore skirts. The hat was also large and something he never saw someone wear, but it looked stylish.

"Oh, is this a bad time?" The condescending tone of voice was not cool though, but thankfully it wasn't aimed at them personally... But instead, the people behind them. There was a flash of lightning before a boy was standing beside the man, the same size as him, but clearly younger: "So, do any of you cut your bad guys in half?" Stepping through the portal nonchalantly, there was the sound of a blade or something metallic clicking on the ground, and that was when the more observant ones of the bunch (Kaldur and Jason) noticed that this guy's feet were literal knives! The teen beside him took a step through the portal too, and before it closed, the man seemed to remember something before he aimed his hand towards the portal and this blur flew through it before the portal closed behind them. There was a... blob? A floating blob with tentacles, spikes, and two long tube-like eyes, floating beside them: "Almost forgot your Flumph, kid."

"Oh f*ck sh*t f*ck sh*t f*ck, right-"

Batman, Black Canary, Red Tornado (he tried), Aquaman, Hawkman, and even Martian Manhunter lifted one eye brow at the clear display of... language.

The boy seemed to awkwardly come to realize what he said, wryly smiling as he lifted one hand in greeting: "Uh, hi? I'm Adam. Well, I go by Electric Light." He was tall for his age, about 5'7 (he's still growing, okay!?) with electric blue eyes and black hair with a shock of white that went all the way from the roots to the tips. He had a nasty scary scar on his neck that went down and disappeared below his shirt, and he had... nothing on him? "Pleasure to meet you." He politely smiled but both Jason and Kaldur could tell he was nervous about being here. He fiddled with the ring on his finger that like his Water bearers, Kaldur could tell it had magic inside... It felt immense, but small at the same time, meaning the enchantment on the thing is pretty powerful!

"So..." The older man twisted his wrist and a book appeared in his hands, he began to flip the pages as he said: "Batman, Black Canary, Red Tornado, Fish Dick-" Wait, did he hear that right? "-I mean, Aquaman, Hawkman... even though you look more like an eagle, Shazam... Hey, Shazam, Waylon is itching for another match- You up for it? The last one was entertaining for the entirety of beasti*alis."

"Uhhh... Well, maybe later?" Why did Shazam sound nervous...? Was he scared of whoever this Waylon guy is- Wait, Waylon? Where has Jason heard that name before? Well, it's a common name, so he must've heard it somewhere.

"Empress Atlas." Batman greeted the man, making the rest of the League that did not know about the man's position and the young ones pause. Empress? "It is... good to see you today, you have come at the right time." Batman was trying to be polite and civil it seems, mostly because he knows about the rivalry and aggressive dislike between King Arthur and Empress Atlas, mostly because of the Atlantian Civil War thing. "I see your... student... is prepared to join the team?"

"Oh, I sure hope so, Batsy~" With a grin, the Empress was suddenly right beside Batman- the majority of the young teens were surprised by the sheer speed of the guy. One moment he was right where he appeared when he teleported, and on the other, he was right before Batman: "It's good to see you. How have you been?" He sounded genuinely concerned- but eveyone knows Batman is stubborn as f*ck, so he jusy kept eye contact for a few moments before Empress Atlas sighed and appeared beside Adam, aka Electric Light. "Well, good to see you're your... usual self? Regardless of that, I'll be entrusting my beautiful and talented student to join your mini Justice League group... If he dies, I will come hunt you down." With a glare that seemed to increase the weight of gravity, the Empress sighed heavily kissing Adam's forehead and saying: "Be careful. Take care of your Flumph, don't let anyone take him... Good luck kiddo, contact me if anything goes wrong, and if I don't receive a Flumph text from you every week at maximum, I will assume you died and will come bearing the weight of beasti*alis on these f*ckers." Adam nodded as he smiled. With a last look, the Empress ponted his finger forward and another hole in space appeared- the same breakfast table appeared, but this time there was a... food fight? There certainly was food flying everywhere! "...I sweat to Sobek..." With a groan, Atlas stepped forward and the portal closed behind, leaving a lone Adam.

"Uhm... Hi?"

Chapter 68: [Book 2] Chapter 08: Team Trust (Part 1)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 07:06 | 07:06 AM]

[Calendar - 18/06/2010]

[Location - Mount Justice, Happy Harbor, Rhode Island]

3rd Person POV

Time Skip - 10 Days

Sleeping on his new room was harder than he expected. While he was not to actually live in Mount Justice, he decided to at least try and sleep on the room that was given to him... And he must say, he f*cking hates this bed! After years of sleeping on literal clouds, he has definitely been spoiled rotten by the fluffy soft and cuddly touches of a cloud bed. At least he has Mr. Wiggles with him, his Flumph was adorable as ever and always ready to contact the Empress' own Flumph and then he'd be back on his own cloud bed in no time- and he has done so some times because he was tired of doing nothing around the place. Sure, being a hero was exciting, but he has yet to do his own debut and that is... underwhelming. He has been preparing himself for the missions that he would go in, but until now, nothing! Supposedly he and the team should be getting to know each other, but... well, that hasn't gone well.

Well, he did kinda start off on the wrong foot, but that was Wally's fault... Well, mostly his fault, Adam did get a bit hot headed too with Kaldur, mostly because of his own experiences with the refugees of Atlantis.

Flashback - [08/06/2010]

The majority Justice League had left, leaving behind only Red Tornado and Black Canary, but they soon also left, leaving only them. Adam felt a little awkward, so he decided to try and break the ice by introducing himself further: "Uhhh... Well, as I said before, I'm Adam- I'm from the beasti*alis Empire." The moment he said the words "beasti*alis Empire", three of the five people in the room with him narrowed their eyes and looked at him with curiosity and a little bit of apprehension: "...And I feel like I just said something bad? Well, no, you three reacted like I said something bad." The three he was talking about- Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Robin -just looked at him for a few moments. In the awkward silence of the situation at hand, Adam remembered a little about the things that Empress Atlas taught him about the outside world and how they would react to beasti*alis, so he wasn't exactly caught off guard by Robin's reaction or Aqualad's reaction... Kid Flash's reaction, however, was what bothered him. He just scoffed?

"Well, I gathered as much..." Robin huffed for a moment before he tried- and failed -to look friendly. He still had that little look of mistrust in his eyes as he offered a hand to Adam: "So, uh, I'm Robin. Real name is prohibited by Batman, so I guess you can call me Rob or Robin whenever, will be a little weird, but I'll get used to that." He sounded a little sad by the fact that he had to use his hero name, which was weird to Adam- if he knew he could, he would have told everyone to only call him Electric Light at all times... that'd be cool and weird at the same time. "Well, this is Wally-" He pointed to Kid Flash, who just lifted one eyebrow at him: "-and Kaldur." He pointed to Aqualad, who did not bother to hide his hesitant but clear mistrust of him and Adam knew exactly why... He's Atlantian, and he looks human enough not to be targeted by the Pure Blood Atlantians, which means he either sees beasti*alis as a threat or as an inferior place full of inferior people, and that makes Adam annoyed. "That one Superboy!" He pointed to the guy and-

"...oh f*ck, he's hot."

...did he just say that out loud?

Adam felt his whole face flush as those bright blue eyes stared back at him, the confused face gave way to a co*cky grin and a single lifted eyebrow: "...thank you?" He sounded confused, and that made Adam f*cking embarrassed of himself. "That's... a first... I didn't know boys found other boys hot too?" Oh sh*t, is this what Adam thinks it is? Oh, he has only heard of such a thing before, but to find one so young in the wild! Adam has heard of them existing because the Empress said he met one a few times. The infamousHimbo!? "...why is he looking at me like that?" Superboy was a little scared of those eyes that looked at him like he was both a piece of meat and a rare specimen... It kinda reminded him of a few scientists at Cadmus.

"Oh, sorry-" Shaking his head, Adam apologized. He had to blink away the look that his Empress always called the "Oh sh*t I found something I want" look, the look of greed or whatever it is that his eyes seem to show when he finds something cool: "-Sorry... I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable? Okay, it's just- I never met a Kryptonian before! That's cool, the Empress has said that Krypton is one of the many planets that he knows the story of or what the f*ck happened to it." That's true, the Empress did say that he knew what had happened to Krypton when he was listing the few planets he knew that had sapient life besides Earth in this universe. The beasti*alis Empire has interacted with a few extraterrestrial lifeforms before, and they're cool! "Anyway, it's cool to meet you." He tried to keep calm and play it cool, but this was the very first time that he has flirted with a guy before (even if accidentally)... His eyes look blue just like Superman's eyes, and he has literally the same face as the guy, so he probably is the son of the man of steel... but with who? If not the son, then he probably is like a clone or something similar. "It must be great to have impenetrable skin to defend you from damage, I just have my armor and my shielding spell-"

There was a scoff, making Adam pause for a moment.

"-that protects me in a pinch." He finished his sentence lamely and looked towards the one and only Kid Flash, who was... narrowing his eyes? "Is something the problem, Wally?" Immediately, lessons on subtle conversation manipulation he received from the Empress jump-started his brain and he began to look over the guy. He pressed his finger on the necklace he had, ready to activate the magic within it, but he refrained from doing so at the expense that it would only help him for a few moments. "Did I say something to make you upset- oh, you're one of those, right? The weird people that cares about who other people feel boners for? The Empress did warn me that your kind of people existed, what was the name again? hom*ophobes?" Really, that is one of the most weird things that Adam has heard of before- marriage and romance in beasti*alis is free and beautiful, with marriage not being limited only to men and women, but anyone and anything that wishes to be tied romantically and esoterically to one another, with not even a quantity limit. Polyamorous marriages happen sometimes in beasti*alis, and Polyamorous divorces are always fun to witness.

"Wait- what?" Wally was immediately confused about what he was talking about, and taken aback he shouted: "No! I don't care if you think Superboy is hot!" He truly didn't care- anyone can think whoever they want is hot or whatever, he just doesn't believe in one thing! "I just don't believe in whatever magic bullcrap you're sprouting!" Wally was a little mortified that someone even thought something so horrible about him- like, who actually cares about that!? "I don't believe in that magic thing! It clearly doesn't exist- it's just advanced technology that we don't understand yet!" Now that he started rambling about it, why stop it here? "Seriously, an entire portion of Gotham, in the sky? That is blatant use of Anti-Gravity tech right there! That could revolutionize the entire realm of physics! That's just plain selfishness from those people-"

That did make Adam pause. But Wally did not... it seems like he has some opinions about beasti*alis.

"-like, seriously? Whoever was that discovered and made the Anti-Gravity technology that keeps those weird islands in the sky is an awesome genius, why hide!? Seriously, the amount of improvements that could be done to so many aspects of technology with Anti-Gravity... So many things humanity could achieve!" There was this sparkle in his eyes, something that only those who love something so deeply that it becomes an obsession can have. Adam has seen such a sparkle in the eyes of many artists of beasti*alis, and those people are somewhat scary to him: "Space travel, flying cars, floating bridges, clean energy! Just imagine the things we could make-" That sparkle faded away as Wally coughed on his fist: "-anyway, I can't believe that to disguise this wonderful discovery your Empress makes up this whole magic thing."

Adam had to take a deep breath. He made eye contact with the only one who he knew was also able to use magic, and here's the facial conversation that ensued. Both Adam and Kaldur just made faces to each other back and forth while the rest of the team watched.

Adam: ...is he serious?

Kaldur: sadly, yes.

Adam: Oh my gods, is he stupid?

Kaldur: sadly, yes.

Adam: ...is he smart?

Kaldur: sadly, yes.

Adam: my condolences.

Kaldur: thank you. My condolences as well.

Adam: Thank you.

"...are humans and Atlantians capable of Telepathy?" Miss Martian- Megan -asked Robin and Superboy as they watched Adam and Kaldur make faces at each other.

"Well, some of them?" Jason said- With the information Batman had available about everything, Jason knew about Atlantian Mages and Metahumans that had the capabilities of using Telepathy, but not all humans and Atlantians can do the same. "The majority can't. But I guess some can."

"...why do I feel like they're mocking me?" Wally felt like they were somehow mocking him- its that "teenage who has been severely bullied in his life" sixth sense. It is almost another super power! "They're definitely mocking me."

"Look-" Adam sighed, already fed upbwith the ignorance of one of the sidekicks that he one day admired- As they say, never meet your heroes, huh? "-I might not like Atlantis, or their King, but at least I know that like beasti*alis, they're a magical empire! They use magic and technology, just like beasti*alis! You're saying that the entire backbone of both of our societies is fake, and that is so f*cking ignorant... Atlantis is just as magical as beasti*alis, and you're basically denying the existence of both." Adam paused for a moment, his bias showing as he shrugged; "Well, except of course, that beasti*alis is a thousand times better."

"...now, wait a moment." Kaldur narrowed his eyes, face going from the usual stoic mask to a new annoyed expression: "Atlantis is much better than beasti*alis. We have the entirety of Earth's oceans as our territory! You? Only a few islands in the sky."

"Oh yeah?" Adam's eyes narrowed as well, a look of "oh, you're challenging me?" came over his face as he said: "We're above you- quite literally. Besides, till this day, the beasti*alis Empire is yet to experience a civil war that left thousands of its citizens dead, a few nobels coming out of their bigotry closet and saying "Surprise, I'm racist!", or even the King kicking out the citizens that needed his help the most and forcing the others to seek refuge in any way they can..." Adam was good friends with many refugees of Atlantis, he knew very well of the situation that was going on when the civil war started: "And, well, while your people were doing politics mine were rescuing yours, so there's that." Huffing, Adam finally remembered where they were when he felt Wally's glaring eyes on him as Kaldur looked a little ashamed of himself. "Also-" he pointed his finger towards Wally: "-I will f*ck with you until you admit that magic is real."

"Oh yeah? Challenge accepted!"

They glared at each other.

Chapter 69: [Book 2] Chapter 09: Team Trust (Part 2)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 07:06 | 07:06 AM]

[Calendar - 18/06/2010]

[Location - Mount Justice, Happy Harbor, Rhode Island]

3rd Person POV

Through the entire 10 days from the 8th of July to the 18th of July, Adam was messing with Wally.

It started with him putting rainbow stickers on his Kid Flash suit, which he only found out because he and Megan were talking about a few aspects of the culture of their homes and Adam explained to her that Pride Month is something that iis very important for the people of beasti*alis, because it is a month where the suppressed, dejected, and thrown away are celebrated, and those who have been lost are remembered! He also explained that since humans aren't shapeshifters, they have to do cirgury to change their physical genders appearance, which is free on beasti*alis alongside a few other procedures that he did not explain nor told her about. She then saw Kid Flash walk (rare sight) by them and saw the rainbow sticker on his clothes, which Adamm had told her was the Pride Flag. So Megan asked Wally about his sexuality and was so proud of him for coming out on the month of pride.

And you know straight teenage boys. The security in their sexuality is as thin as hair, so Wally literally screamed: "What!? I'm not gay!" which had Adam snickering and laughing. He lifted a hand and inches above it, a spectral hand appeared- this was the most basic cantrip that he had to spend and entire month to learn, the [Mage Hand] cantrip. It tookk him a whole year before he could manipulate it as easy as the Empress can, but now he can use it like his own hand! He then went on to explain to Megan about the Flumphs-

"Oh, so they're like G-Gnomes!"

-and Wally was still there.

"G what now?" Adam lifted his eyebrows. Flumphs were brought into this world by the Empress after he returned from the Underdark in the Middledark areas of the plane. In fact, now that he thinks about it, he is a bit bummed that he'll probably lose the next expedition to the Elemental Plane of Air, or the Boundless Blue as it is called. "Sound like something out of a sci-fi novel made in the 60's... I still remember when the Empress made me read Stranger in a Strange Place as punishment for breaking his favorite flying ship." He shuttered just thinking about that book... the blatant hom*ophobia and objectification of women alongside the whole chapter trying to excuse cannibalism was way too much for him. "Though, now Igrokthe whole Martians thing- Wait, Megan, promise never to read that book. It is very racist to your people!"

"Uhm... Okay?" Confused, Megan agreed. Her hands could not stop petting the soft and squishy Flumph, that whenever they touched, the little thing would make flumph sound out of happiness. "You're so cute, Mr. Wiggles!" She clearly loved the little thing, and who could blame her? She is far away from her home planet, and she misses communicating constantly through telepathy with her family, and Mr. Wiggles invited her to take a look on the Hive Mind, and she was so surprise to connect to all of the Flumphs back in the beasti*alis Empire before she was kicked out with a "Please don't try this again" warning from someone she could only assume was the Empress, their mind was very powerful and she couldn't even register that she was kicked out before she found herself lost inside her ow mind and body before Mr. Wiggles apologized to the Empress.

"Oh, G-Gnomes. They're these little goblin things that were used in Cadmus to keep Superboy in check." Wally shrugged as he licked his hand to clean the chocolate off of it. Adam wondered how was he able to eat so much at all times and yet still be hungry... Is he secretly a hom*o beasti*alis Balaenoptera, otherwise known as a Werewhale? They eat a lot! "...you just thought of something rude about me, didn't you?"

Adam didn't respond. He was too busy thinking about the advanced techniques taught only to the Royal Guards hom*o beasti*alis to allow them to change forms... Human forms and full forms. Mr. Giant (that's his nickname) can turn into a massive blue whale, Captain Alamos can turn into a huge wolf, and even the Emperor can become a massive black dragon.

By the second day of the now fully fledged Prank War, Adam planted pink magical glitter on Wally's entire room while also temporarily painting everything pink with his [Choloromorpho] cantrip. The best part? He dismissed the spell the moment Wally went to get Kaldur and Robin to look at his room. He was right behind them too!

"Here, everything is sparkly and pink-" The moment he opened the door, everything was back to normal. "-....what!?"

"Oh, would you look at that?" Adam carelessly tilted his body back, allowing his Meta power to flow so he could do one of the most badass things that the Empress taught him. He shifted his weight, concentrating so he didn't f*ck it up, but as he deposited his entire weight down, he felt the firmness of the condensed air beneath him, allowing him to sit on air. He leaned back, aware of the eyes on him as he looked at his nails, uninterested. "It was almost like..." He turned to look at Wally, willing his magic- as weak as it was -to reach out and touch him, and like that he casted [Choloromorpho] on Wally's body, willing his hair to change colors to a bright shock of pink: "...Magic." Finishing his sentence, he threw a pocket mirror towards Wally, who with his super speed easily caught it.

As Adam walked away, he could hear the "WHAT!?" scream from Wally.

The third time, it was actually Wally that pranked him... or tried to, at least.

He was sitting down in his room, reading a book by his own Empress- [So, You Think You're Ready for Interplanar Travel?ByAtlas Jones,Empress of the beasti*alis Empire,Archmagus of Reality, andPlaneswalker]. This was a complete guide with everything you'll need to travel to another planes of existence, with spells listed for specific planes alongside tips and tricks for getting to know the locals and not dying on the way. He wasn't afraid of reading it because it was written in Common, a completely different language from English, but a spoken and written language in the other planes of existence. He is still learning how to speak Primordial, but he's got Sylvian down after a long time. As he closed the book, he felt a tingling sensation across his electric senses- he was taught by the Empress to always keep a part of himself aware of his surroundings, and he was taught that by being constantly attacked every single day at random for one entire year. Nowadays he is constantly aware of an area of 30 feet around him, his mind will always know what is happening around him.

So he wasn't surprised when something entered for a second and left his area of awareness faster than he could react or do anything about it. What didn't leave, however, was the tiny little spider. Well, tiny compared to the spiders of the Monster Island back in beasti*alis! Those are the size of rhinoceros. He looked down at the tarantula when he opened his door, allowing it to go inside: "Huh, hellolittle guy...?" He pulled out a pinch of incense as he channeled his electricity on it, letting it burn: "I think you'll be an awesome familiar." He started a ritual, and after 10 minutes of him slowly channeling his mediocre magic around he reached out, touched the little guy, and casted [Find Familiar] on the tarantula.

He checked it. It was a girl.

Wally woke up later with a spider on his face- but when he screamed, the spider simply vanished in a burst of smoke and appeared on top of Adam's head, who acted nonchalant about the whole thing.

The next prank happened didn't quite happen because Superboy came to him and made him a question (while he tried not to stare too much), and it was a question that made him pause: "...Do you know if there's ghosts in this place? I saw a kid before, but that was a hallucination caused by a G-Gnome, and that made me think... do you know about ghosts?"

And that was when he stopped.

"O-oh, yeah, I know about them." That seemed to intrigue those in range of hearing- that being Megan and Kaldur -as he started speaking about a tradition in beasti*alis: "Every last week of the month of October, in beasti*alis, we have the Festival of the Dead. You know Dia de los Muertos in Mexico? Think that, but for a whole week and the dead actually come back."

That had Kaldur, Megan, and Superboy surprised and confused. That was when Wally appeared, he apparently had heard that too: "Wait, what? For real? Is that not some sort of light trick to imitate a ghost or something?"

Adam immediately glared at him- not a friendly glare, but an aggressive one. Immediately Wally took a step back as Adam seemed to close himself off a bit: "No. You idiot. The Empress made a deal with Death to allocate souls in the afterlife he created for the believers on the Gods of beasti*alis. It's a paradise, everyone that worships at least one god of beasti*alis ends up there and they have parties, relax, and have a good time." Adam closed his eyes for a moment: "...I was there for a while, when I died too, but the Empress brought me back. That was when I met my uncle for the first time, he's cool. Every year, on the Festival of the Dead, we go out and play baseball. That was his favorite sport." He flickered a tear off of the corner of his eye as he smiled- he loves his uncle. Very much: "...Anyway, ghosts are... well, souls of people who have some sort of unfinished business. The dead from the Festival of the Dead come because they're invited, but normally ghosts just are either really sad, confused, or angry about something."

"Huh, that's cool." Superboy smiled and Adam's heart melted a little: "Are they, like, translucent like in the movies?"

"Oh, some of them are- Here!" From his ring, Adam pulled out a photograph, showing him the photo of him and his uncle: "They appear in photographs if they want to! Here's my uncle." They were almost identical, it was like looking at an older version of Adam, but Adam had dark hair and his uncle had this rugged dirty blond hair and th e start of a beard. He was also somewhat translucent too, but mostly physical.

"This is so cool!" Megan smiled, turning upside-down to look at the photograph too. Adam then remembered that there were other people in the room, so he just let everyone else look at the photo. Surprisingly, Wally didn't accuse the photo of being tampered with. "Ooh, who is that?" She pointed at the photo- there they could see him, his uncle, his mother, the Empress, the Emperor, Miss Pamela, Mr. Fries, Miss Fries, Lonnie, Mr. Langston and his wife, Captain Alamos, and a few others. This was a family photo, Adam considered every single one of them his family. Megan was pointing towards the Emperor: "He looks like a dragon on that site you were thinking of when you were explaining furries to me... e622?"

Adam froze.

"Megan, that is the Emperor of beasti*alis." Adam felt like he had violated some sort of rule by unknowingly teaching Megan about the existence of e622, the furry site. "Just because you asked me and I had to explain to you why some humans are very attracted to the citizens of beasti*alis and are dying to join beasti*alis, it doesn't mean you can snooping in my head, we talked about this." She looked apologetically towards him, and he sighed... The others looking at the picture seemed taken a bit aback by the sheer presence of the Emperor: "He is like a father to me... And the Empress is like a second mother. They taught me everything I know."

Which was why, the day they met Mr. Twister, Adam split him in half with a sword.

Right. Down. The. Middle.

Chapter 70: [Book 2] Chapter 10: Team Trust (Part 3)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 07:06 | 07:06 AM]

[Calendar - 18/06/2010]

[Location - Mount Justice, Happy Harbor, Rhode Island]

3rd Person POV

On the 18th of June, Adam had been called back to beasti*alis by the Empress, who wanted him to participate in one of the many events at the Month of Pride of beasti*alis. He was having a great time too! He had been called back to participate and watch the two competitions happening today, with the Shapeshifting Competition being the first (the one he wasn't competing on), where he watched gorgeous gender neutral Changelings turn into several different beings in an impressive display of their ability to shift shapes. Then the Changeling tried to change into the Empress, but they were unable to- in fact, nobody can! It's really hard to even imitate his physical appearance with magic, whoever tries it gets a nasty headache and their form shifts back into their original or true form. Sometimes, that makes a Shapeshifter lose their minds for a few moments before they pass out, screaming about "oh gods how many of him exist!?" and the "why does he have so many faces!?", and the occasional vomiting and delirium. The Changeling on stage, though, was able to keep a form very similar to the Empress- excepted their eyes were bright green and at each passing second it was like they were melting. The Empress did clap, which was one of the highest honors for a Shapeshifter who is seeking to improve their Shapeshifting ability, because with the Empress' help and assistance, everything is possible!

That Changeling won, and as a prize, they got the honor to be taught advanced techniques by the Empress... Adam silently prayed for the poor soul.

The competition he was competing in was a "Flashy" Talent Show. The aim? To be as flashy as you possibly can, show your special talent, and then you're judged! The Empress, the Emperor, Miss Pamela, and Miss Fries were the judges this year, and they were all really critical. They gave low points for the majority of the competition, but there were a few that got the attention of the crowd and of the judges. One of the refugees from Atlantis, a hom*o beasti*alis Orcinus- this big and surprisingly muscular black and white Wereorca -started singing opera and his voice was beautiful. He really shed a single tear when the beautiful melody ofNon, Je ne Regrette Riencame to an end. There was a spotlight on him the entire time, even though there was no lights above beyond the f*cking sun! So, when it was hit turn, he simply took out his electric guitar and playedThunderstruck by AC/DCand sang too, because that's all he got.

Each time the crowd shouted "thunder!" he had sparks flying around him, and when the music got louder and louder, more and more lightning shot out of his body until the song ended with a thunderbolt shooting to the sky right out of his finger when he pointed it to the sky. It was a fun day, so he was riding a kind of a high when he returned to Mount Justice, the sun was setting in the horizon and he was smiling... So when he got a red flashing light on his face as the portal behind him that was opened by the Empress closed, he was surprised until he heard Red Tornado's voice tell him: "The nearby town of Happy Harbor is being attacked, please assist your team, Electric Light." And he was given directions by Red Tornado. When he arrived at his destination, he only saw these three cyclones that were tearing through the town like it was built out of legos! Quick winds that picked up dust and debris, and the robot responsible for such a thing was... kinda hot, not gonna lie... What? He's a healthy 15 year old boy who is going through puberty like the Empress said he most likely would: feeling horny at all times.

It's not his fault that the robot makes him feel a little horny... don't judge him.

He watched from afar for a few moments as Superboy was thrown away by a tornado created by the robot. His body moved in a flash of lightning as he used his Elementalization to move at the speed of lighting, closing the gap in an instant and appearing behind Superboy before he could hit the ground, catching him in a princess carry. He felt saw a shadow cover them a second later, and that was enough for him to open his hand as this electric energy made a bubble around them. The big boat that was about to hit them simply floated as he smiled: "Hey, sorry I was late." Superboy simply stared back at him for a few seconds before he nodded and moved, dropping from Adam's arms. He had to sigh as he spoke to himself: "Thank you for saving me, Adam. What nice arms you have, Adam. You are so hot, Adam..."

"Uhh... Okay?" Kaldur looked up from below him: "I guess that was supposed to be private?"

"...you heard nothing!"

"[Listen to me-]" A familiar voice suddenly echoed inside his head, making Adam frown. Huh, telepathy with a Martian felt different from Telepathy with a Flumph! He could hear Mr. Wiggles perfectly, but Miss Martian sounded like she was in a room and her voice echoed: "[-all of you.]" She sounded a little tired, like she had just run a marathon. Adam felt the normally muted sensations that he would get from Telepathy with a Flumph flare up- his ADHD seemed to fuel his weird telepathic thing... What was it called again, Hyper Telepathic Sensitivity? Miss Martian's voice sounded like green, smelled like soft moss from the Verdant Island that Miss Pamela always brings with her, and feels like a constrictor snake hugging his head.

"[What did we tell you!?]" Holy, is that Superboy's telepathic voice? Damn! It sounded angry red with a tinge of strawberry jam and blood, it felt like fire too, but good in a weird way. Kinda hot not gonna lie! "[...what?]" His voice mellowed down, much to Adam's surprise... Are they hearing his thoughts too?

"[Well, yes... And why do you have so many of them at the same time!?]" Woah, is that Wally? He sounds fast too, kinda like the blink of an eye, but feels soft like his cloud bed back at beasti*alis, but also rough like the skin of rhino. His thought pattern smell of oranges or any other citrus fruit, but the taste is sweet and tender... Woah, it feels weirdly intimate, like they're kissing or something. Besides, the guy is kinda cute too, but then again, he's kind of an ass: "[Did he think I'm cute, and an ass, at the same time he was thinking about French cuisine?]"

"[Wow, I'm sorry if my ADHD bothers you, Wally.]" Adam rolled his eyes and used the trick the Empress taught him to use to send images through the bond with some concentration while he also started pondering the origin of French Fries and if they were actually French or not: "[I didn't take my Adderall today because I left it back here while I was on beasti*alis playing for all the citizens that wanted to watch today's competition... It was kinda fun, played Thunderstruck by AC/DC.]" Adam allowed electricity to flow down his arm, shooting a lightning bolt towards the hot robot- he could feel the judgment emanating from Wally and Robin alike, while Superboy and Miss Martian were both confused as to why he thought the robot looked hot -his pale blue lightning bolt didn't strike the robot because he used his arms to absorb the lightning bolt? Cool! Maybe he should do the same too? He has an armor for that.

Miss Martian took a second to drag out her sentence: "[...anyway, I know what we need to do! Please, trust me.]" She did sound more mature telepathically, for some reason? Anyway, they followed along her plan that she took a few seconds to explain- Red Tornado appeared, landed, said his "Hit the showers boys-" which definitely didn't make think of bathing with all the hot guys in this team. Definitely didn't. The sudden embarrassing emotions that flowed from Adam's mind through the telepathic bond that gave way to the images of Robin, Wally, Kaldur, and Superboy completely shirtless (he managed to stop himself from imagining them naked, thankfully) and almost broke Miss Martian's concentration. "-I was hoping you could handle this. Clearly, you cannot."

So, while Miss Martian was distracting and pretended to be defeated, Adam pulled out his blade. Contrary to weeb belief, it wasn't a katana or any Japanese blade... It was a a Kopesh. He gripped the handle as it glowed, the magic in the weapon flowing through his hand and into his body- He remembers when he first received this sword as a gift from the Emperor on his 10th birthday, and he used it to cut off the head of a Attack Automaton in one of the exams at the Royal Knight Academy. This blade, as a reward, was then magically enchanted by the Empress to contain the spirit of an Elemental, a Lightning Elemental to be more specific, and it allowed him both to recharge his own Meta powers by absorbing the magic from the blade, but also use the magic from the Lightning Elemental to empower himself.

"Remain still, Andriod... The reprogramming won't take long..."

Maybe it was because they were far away, but Adam clearly heard what the big robot guy just said- reprogramming? But that was when Megan revealed her face and Wally appeared, spinning like a beyblade-

"[Oh, hey! I got that reference.]" Kaldur commented. He had studied some of the surface dwellers culture, and one of the few cartoons he has watched was actually Beyblade!

-and sending Mr. Twister directly towards Superboy, who grabbed the robot's arm before punching holes through his metal body and pushing the bitch guy right into the water, where Aqualad was waiting for him. With an explosion, Mr. Twister was thrown out of the water again, without an arm, and Megan used her Telekinesis to rip and break the other one. Robin threw some of his explosive little things- "[They're called Batrangs.]" -and they went xablau so loudly that Adam didn't even register completely Robin's mental voice, but he sure did sound raspy! As the big robot fell from the sky, without his arms, Adam acted- His form faded into nothingness before he appeared behind Mr. Twister.

The robot struggled to get up, and it fell. His big body was cut in half in a diagonal slash. The upper half slid down and fell to the ground, revealing that there was someone inside it too- As this steam exploded out, a headless corpse was left behind. "F-f-f-oul!" This robotic and broken voice echoed out: "Foul! Foooouul..." Then, the robot exploded. Its read flew out alongside various parts of its corpse...? Is it right to call the dead remains of a robot a corpse if they weren't alive to begin with? Another thing for him to research, it seems.

Adam didn't turn around because cool guys don't look at explosions.

"Wow... You went right for the kill, huh?" Wally looked down at an eye that landed right by his feet: "Oh, cool! Souvenir."

"If he's keeping souvenirs, I want the robot's skeleton!" Added Robin: "I bet I could make something out of it."

"Then I get the robot's dick." Adam answered even quicker, making everyone just look at him. Adam just raised an eyebrow as he said: "...what? You guys have been inside my mind, there's no way you guys didn't hear me thinking Superboy is hot, or that Robin is cute in a bad boy way, and that Kaldur gets me wet? Also, I'm pretty sure this robot got no dick anyway." Adam shrugged.

Well, that's true, this robot didn't have a dick.

The next day, Adam woke up to find the drawing of a robotic dick drawn on his face- he wasn't even made that the dick was drawn, he was mad that it was drawn badly. Somehow, someway, Wally got somebody to do that for him, because there's no way Adam wouldn't have felt Wally entering his electric field!

...Megan. Another player enters the game, huh? Oh, time to pull out the big guns!

Chapter 71: [Book 2] Chapter 11: Campfire Stories (Part 1)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 22:02 | 10:22 PM]

[Calendar - 20/06/2010]

[Location - Mount Justice, Happy Harbor, Rhode Island]

3rd Person POV

"Great idea inviting everyone for a night out, Megan." Adam smiled innocently, ignoring the burning eyes that rivaled Superman's Heat Vision as Wally glared at his with seething anger. He heard it when Wally asked Megan to come out with him, and camp beneath the stars, so Adam acted excited with Megan at them all being invited and how smart it was of Wally to have a get together for the team right before their very first mission together, even though he knew very well that Wally was trying to get alone with Megan. "Also, great idea Wally, a team activity right before our very first mission together sounds awesome... So, what're we doin'?" With a grin on his face, Adam twisted the ring on his finger, fiddling with it for a moment before sighing and pulling out this bright pink mass. It had a soft aroma of sweet strawberry flavored gum, the consistency of dough, and the squishiness of a marshmallow. Adam stretched it out for a moment and molded it into a tube before he cut off small pieces, distributing them to everyone: "-just roast them above a fire like a marshmallow. Carefuly not to burn them, they pop."

"I still don't know the practicality of sleeping in such... flimsy tents." Superboy poked one, and it fell. He grumbled something under his breath as he went to pick it up to put it back together, but then he was given a pink mass by Adam, so he just looked at the pink thing and back at Adam... before he took it. "What is this?" He poked it with his fingers, and it felt weirdly comfortable. He molded it into shapes and jt actually stayed that way, even defying gravity when he shifted it to the form of a long tube that, with the weight of the mass, should've bent- but it didn't! Weird.

"Oh, it's fairy dough." Shrugging, Adam channeled his electricity through the dough masterfully heating the entire bright pink dough that in a flash popped. The sound was like popcorn, but the fairy dough simply expanded in size and smell, this sweet scent expanding around him: "It's quite common in beasti*alis. It's made by the Faeries, these little fellas-" Adam stretched his hands apart, about 4 to 5 inches apart from each other: "-no bigger than 5 inches or so? They're really good at baking, the majority work for the House of Hathor back on beasti*alis, and they give fairy dough for free. This one is raw, but it tasted a lot better with different condiments." He shrugged while thinking about fairies- There really isn't a lot of difference between bigger faeries and smaller faeries, it all depends on the fairy. "Here-" With a flash of his hand, a few bottles of condiment appeared, though they had unusual colors: "-I have maple syrup, chocolate syrup, strawberry syrup, caramel, sprinkles-"

"Ooh! Gimme!" In a literal blur, the bags of sprinkles that were in his hands vanished, and Wally was sitting beside Megan with a grin. In a blur of movement, Wally poured both caramel, chocolate syrup, and maple syrup on his own small fairy dough ball, ready to throw it inside his mouth- But Adam could not allow such blasphemy to happen. The pink ball of fairy dough floated mid-air as lightning shot at it, making it pop immediately in a burst of pink dough that took a very fluffy form. It expanded in size, about triple the size of the small ball it was: "Holy-" Wally had to catch the now fluffy cotton candy like ball in his hands, some of the chocolate syrup and caramel hitting him in the face: "-why did you do that!?"

"Well, eating fairy dough raw is considered a blasphemy." Shrugging nonchalantly about his rather delicate and masterful display of control over his Meta powers, Adam fried another ball of fairy dough for himself as he rolled his eyes, a memory flowing into his mind: "Besides, raw fairy dough gives one hell of an indigestion- Seriously, Robbie tried it once, had to spend seven hours in the bathroom because he refused to get help or accept Miss Fries' help even though she's the best Healer of Khepri from the whole Empire... seriously, that Werebat is so stubborn sometimes." He snickered to himself, thinking back about that day was funny- but the sheer smell of bat guano still haunts his nightmares. "You're welcome, by the way."

"Huh, do you always have stories about your home?" Megan smiled as she asked- it was a simple question, but it made Adam realize that maybe he was sharing too much with outsiders? I mean, the Empress was very paranoid about them for a reason, right? He clearly didn't like and expressed his dislike for exposing the beasti*alis Empire to the outside world, and although the Emperor agreed to some extent, Adam has witnessed them fighting about the degree of which beasti*alis could "show off" to the world about its existence... It always ended with the Emperor dragging the Empress away. "It's nice to hear about such a magical place like your home- Back in Mars, the only magical places we have are reserved for the... How do humans say it again? Ah, right, Yellow Martians!" Megan smiled, remembering her uncle's lesson on how to change Martian vocabulary to fit human vocabulary: "They're like, our priests and priestesses! You said this Miss Fries was a healer? What does she heal?" If Megan wasn't so innocent looking, Adam would've thought she was fishing for information on beasti*alis, but he knew that not everyone was out to get them... But a good portion if bad guys was.

Seriously, they have faced off against a bunch of minor villains and other stupid people trying to get the "riches" and "secrets" of beasti*alis for some stupid reason.

"Uuuh, yeah-" He nervously went through a list of things that were probably good to share- the identity of people probably wasn't one of them? He has already talked about a few people and he has shown them a photo containing the majority of the Council of Beasts, so he has already f*cked up there: "-uhm, I don't think I can talk a lot about beasti*alis... Context matters, and the Empress would be mad if I expose a lot of what I know, sorry?" He was a bit confused, maybe he has reveal more than he should've already? Maybe! "But- Well, it's not exactly a secret since everyone knows it happened, but I was there on the Day of Ascension." Only M'gaan seemed confused about this. The others? They looked like they were vaguely familiar with the whole thing, or at least they knew the outsider's perspective of what had happened. Superboy also looked somewhat confused, maybe because he doesn't have all the information? Adam held Mr. Wiggles tightly, a little nervous about the conversation itself... It wouldn't be bad to give the perspective of the insider from an event that already happened, right?

He took a breath.

"Well... It happened quite fast, the Ascension itself only took about 20 minutes, but the preparations? They took hours." Adam prayed that this wasn't revealing a lot- and Thoth answered directly with a "Chill kid, the Empress said to go ahead, but don't tell them everything!" that eased his anxiety by a lot. "In fact, it took about... 8 hours? About that. I was only 6 years old, almost 7, so I was with my mom in one of the many houses beneath when beasti*alis was still underneath Gotham-" That got him a surprised look from Megan and Superboy: "-oh, right, should've started with that huh? Yeah, the beasti*alis Empire? The Empire up in the clouds? It used to be underground- It was actually very fun then, but it a lot more fun nowadays." He didn't notice it, but slowly a smile stretched over his lips as he closed his eyes. He fiddled with his fingers a bit and stretched them out, casting the [Minor Illusion] cantrip to showcase a few things he thought wouldn't be a lot to share. He stopped for a moment, his small illusions could only show one thing at a time, so he started with a few things. "Nowadays, we got a lot of hom*o beasti*alis walking the streets- so many kids, that you'd think we're a nation of toddlers!Seriously, 49% of the population are children below the age of 10."

That got a few raised eyebrows and surprised looks.

"Well, that's Sobek's fault." Adam shrugged.

"You guys worship an Egyptian God?" Robin asked- The little that he knew of beasti*alis was directly from Batman's database, which included a lot of general information that the whole world knew as well. He knew they worshipped the Egyptian Gods, he was just feigning ignorance in hopes that Adam would tell him more than he already knows. "Didn't know that. Is it because of the whole human animals thing?"

"Not really...? Well, it was the Empress that introduced the Egyptian Gods into the picture- Well, the Empress was the one to make the Empire itself, even though the Emperor is the one that has the ultimate authority, everyone knows the Empress is the scariest person in beasti*alis because of how kind he is." Adam smiled and nodded- even though he got a few confused looks from Kaldur (who definitely heard stories of the Empress) and everyone else: "Oh, you're thinking about what I just said? Well, kindness is subjective... The Empress loves to be kind, because letting an enemy live is kind. Keeping them alive is even kinder. Ressurecting your deceased enemy is the most kind of all acts." There was a soft chill through the place as the implied reasons were loud and clear.

Keeping someone alive and even bringing them back after they died? What could he do in the meantime?

"Hey, can I ask a question?" Wally raised his hand, making Adam look at him funny for a moment, which Wally ignored completely: "Is it true that you guys have, like, weird animals? I know about the whole human animal thing, the whole world does, which is kinda cool- I bet I'd be a Cheetah!"

"Full of anxiety, genetic problems, and gets scared by loud noises?" Superboy asked in a deadpan voice, which made everyone besides Wally chuckle.

"Hey!"

"Well..." Adam considered the question for a moment. It isn't technically unknown? Well, a lot of people know, a lot of people outside of beasti*alis definitely know! "We do have Awakened Animals-" Before anyone could ask him what they were, he simply went ahead and explained: "-they're, like, normal animals but with the intelligence of a human being and can speak. There's a lot of them... We got Cheese Chasers, the Feathered, the Scaled, the Felines, and a few other groups." Shrugging, Adam started cooking himself over the fire more fairy dough.

"Wait, animals that can talk...?" Megan's eyes sparkled in wonder- Adam clearly saw Wally almost melt as he looked at her, and he had the urge to roll his eyes -before she asked: "You guys got bunnies too!?" Ah, right, Miss Martian here loved bunnies for some reason...?

"...you don't got monkeys, do you? I hate monkeys." Superboy narrowed his eyes, a distinctive look of hostility metaphorically glowing in his eyes.

"Uhhh technically yes and no!" He pointed to both Megan and Superboy: "We got Wererabbits and we don't got monkeys."

"Hey, how about we tell our origins-" Wally suddenly grinned, flexing his arm: "-I have the coolest origin story! I blew myself up and got my powers. How cool is that?"

"That's not unique." Adam rolled his eyes: "I literally touched a magically glowing train when I was 6 years old, got electrocuted to almost death, broken a few bones, and got electric powers. Have been learning under the Empress ever since... I thank the Gods the Empress didn't get to name me Electric Ghost Train Boy." He shuddered.

Like that, the conversation about origins started.

Chapter 72: [Book 2] Chapter 12: Campfire Smoke (Part 2)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 22:52 | 10:52 PM]

[Calendar - 20/06/2010]

[Location - Mount Justice, Happy Harbor, Rhode Island]

Wally West - Kid Flash POV

"Well, Lightning Phantasm Locomotive Kid, Ipurposefullyblew myself up." Wally rolled his eyes as he dragged out Adam's "Electric Ghost Train Boy" nickname, but only using synonyms to make it sound even weirder. He plucked another piece of the bright strawberry pink fairy dough thing that was given to them by Adam and grinned: "I recreated the experiment that gave my- oh, by the way, the Flash's my uncle -uncle his powers in my bedroom and the results were rather explosive." Chuckling at his own bad pun, Wally ate another fairy dough piece and shrugged: "It was cool, kinda hurt though, and I had to spend a few weeks in the hospital. And now I can run pretty fast!" What he didn't tell them was the fact that each minute, each second, he felt this almost all encompassing deep need and hunger. It was growing stronger each day, at first it was just a normal increase in his metabolism, but now that he is older, he fears his body will eat itself inside out.

"Hey, that's cool-" The electric guy shrugged, making Wally narrow his eyes as he said: "I didn't really get hospitalized- Hey, did you break anything in the in explosion? I broke my leg and a few other bones, but the Empress healed me easily." Wally still couldn't believe... This guy spoke and praised a man that did something that Wally considered blasphemous- like Abra Kadabra, he uses magic to hide his rather advanced technology, not sharing the wonders of science with the world. Just thinking about it makes Wally sad and angry at the same time, just thinking about the advancements that could come from the contribution of their technology makes him sigh. Magic is the biggest hoax anyway, why would he believe in such a thing? "Hey, is it true that healthcare sucks in the United States?"

Huh?

"Yeah...?" Wally asked, also a bit confused at the suddenness of the question: "I mean, it does suck, but it wasn't that bad for me and my family." He remembers spending weeks in a hospital bed because both his legs were f*cking broken as sh*t and his arms were so bruised that he could barely move them without damaging them further than they already were. He had to be fed by spoon and to go to the bathroom, he had help from a nurse... that was particularly humiliating. "I spent 6 and a half weeks in the hospital... Oh, yeah, it sucks. It was about twenty eight thousand eight hundred and eighty seven dollars or something like that."

"Seriously?" Adam asked- is he trying to act surprised on purpose or something? Wally doesn't understand people that criticize the American Healthcare system, it sucks and they can't do anythiny to change it anyway. "Damn! Back on beasti*alis we have these free pools of blessed water that heals most damage, like, in a few seconds. If given enough time, they can heal anything short of a cut off limb- for that you go to the Healers of Khepri or the Empress." That sounded like some highly advanced regenerative liquid, like one that induces tissue regeneration or cellular division... How can they stimulate cell generation to such a ridiculous degree without causing cancer? Is that because of the animal DNA the majority of the citizens have? "So... You blew yourself up and got to the hospital, the later on you got super speed? Neat."

"I was wondering about Aqualad-" Megan, the light of his night, spoke. Immediately, Wally felt a stab in his heart at the dismissal of his origin story by the masses (two of the five people already knew that, one was interested in his own home more, one was interested in Aqualad's story, and one didn't give a f*ck about anything), but his dramatization of his emotions were cut short as she continued: "-I heard from my uncle J'onn that you were chosen by Aquaman?"

There was a soft scoffing from Adam, which was ignored- Wally still doesn't fully understand the beef between Aquaman and this Empress guy, but it must be a heavy one because whenever he is mentioned, Adam either stops paying attention to the conversation or he scoffs.

Kinda rude.

"Well... It's not something impressive as you uncle might have implied." Aqualad- always humble, huh? Now that Wally thinks about it a bit, he hasn't seen Kaldur brag or act like he was good at something. I mean, his actions spoke louder than his words could ever, but Wally has never experienced or been the one to suffer from Kaldur's actions, so he can't really say. "I grew up in Shayeris and had to enter the military for mandatory service when I was 12... It was a great honor for me to serve my kingdom. I transferred to the Conservatory of Sorcery shortly after because I showed an above average affinity for the mystical arts... It was all different from Shayeris, with the vast majority of citizens not being exactly like the ones I grew up surrounded by, but I made great friends in Poseidonis." He paused, considering his words: "One day, Ocean-Master attacked the city, and after a fight that lasted hours, he defeated Aquaman. I and Garth attacked Ocean-Master to protect our King, but we were no match to him... He was strong enough to easily overpower us. However, our actions allowed King Orin to recover, and defeat Ocean-Master. He was impressed with the courage that two students showed him, and decided wanted to have us be his protégés, like Batman and Green Arrow. I accepted and became Aqualad. Garth refused... And that's it."

It was a story he and Robin heard before, but the three new kids who hadn't seemed to be in thought.

"Huh, that is interesting." The first one to break the ice was the most annoying one- seriously, Wally didn't really like him that much, mostly because of how smug and annoying he acted. And he always brought up this Empress guy, who Wally didn't like by principle. Not because of the whole male Empress gay guy thing, but because of the "hiding scientific advancements using magic mumbo jumbo", which is veey bad in his eyes. "Anyway... I just wanted to ask you one thing-" The air seemed to grow tense as Adam leaned in, looking directly towards Kaldur: "-did you participate in the "culling" of Atlantis?" The word "culling" was said with such disgust that even Wally felt a chill go down his spine. He had heard a little bit about this whole culling thing, and the very definition of the word made him feel like there were thousands of little spiders running across his skin! Culling is the reduction of awild animalpopulation by selective slaughter. "Because I have heard some... unfavorable things about the militia of your kingdom, Aqualad."

Kaldur seemed to tense up a little, and with a heavy, heavy sigh, he shook his head: "...I was not part of the massacre that happened when the Pure Blood faction declared war against all those who didn't have their own characteristics." He looked a little lost as he said: "I don't know what opinion you have of me or my king, but I assure you- everything that could be done, was." It sounded almost like a plea for forgiveness, which made the whole mood of this chill campfire camping into a colder time. Wally wanted to intervene, but Kaldur didn't seem to want any intervention of any kind as he spoke: "I speak the truth, or what I know it to be, so whatever grudge you have against me for something I haven't done, I'd request you leave that grudge behind."

"I don't have a grudge for you." Was the immediate response that Adam gave. The coldness seemed to fade away as he smiled- until, of course, everything dropped again: "I have a grudge against your king. Fish Dick." The reaction of Kaldur was to tense more- He looked like he wanted to fight the stupid smug light blub guy, and Wally wanted so much to just shut the guy up! "You see, after he kicked out-"

"It was preemptive reallocation of endangered individuals!" Kaldur shouted: "We had no idea that Ocean-Master and his guards would infiltrate the ranks of the ones meant to protect the people of Atlantis. We didn't know that yhe would massacre them all!"

"-the people you were supposed to help." Without missing a beat, Adam continued: "...You are so lucky that the Empress decided to bring them all back." Nonchalantly, Adam leaned back, his whole body leaning in one empty air. Wally had to admit, the guy's ability to sit on seemingly solidified air was pretty cool!

"W-what...?" Kaldur looked shocked, like he hadn't expected to hear such words coming out of Adam's mouth. He looked, truly looked at the guy sitting there and leaning back as he stared up at the night sky full of stars: "He did? He brought them all back?"

"It wouldn't be the first time, would it?" This time, the one to speak was Robin. Attention instantly snapped back to him, making even Wally frown and look a bit confused- what did he mean by this? Thankfully, nobody had tl ask the obvious question because the true answer hit them like a brick in the face: "He did it before. When beasti*alis was still underneath Gotham... I didn't really believe it, but Batman has in the Batcomputer a whole file about the events of No Deadman's Land." Robin shrugged nonchalantly, almost as if revealing one of the secret files of Batman wasn't a big deal to him: "Or that's what he calls it. He has a list of all names of all people who were brought back the first day... In the end, 10,972 people were brought back from the dead."

"Well, not really." Adam shrugged- A little rolled up tube of paper appearing in his hand? With a sparkle of electricity, he lit up the cigarette he had in his hand. "It was about 11 thousand people, a few died again because of a few accidents in the homes after the Day of Ascension, and the Empress had to do another Mass Resurrection ritual." He took a drag and allowed the smoke to be released in the air... Sighing. Adam seemed to be ignoring the incredulous looks he got from his fellow teammates around him.

Wally had to pause- Since when is he allowed to smoke!? Is that even allowed!? Legal!?

"Since when can you do that- isn't that illegal...?" Superboy was the one to ask the question that burned into their minds.

"Hum?" Adam blinked- he looked down at his hand and rolled his eyes: "It's okay. Your can smoke at any age, you can just buy them at 18... And besides, it f*cks up your lungs and all that." Shrugging, Adam offered it to Superboy... Who just stared at it: "Chill dude, weed it's legal in beasti*alis. Cannabis is used both recreationally and medically, which is awesome- I got Addiction Removal pills too, which remove any sort of addiction. A single pill and you lose any addiction. Another gift from the Empress... And don't worry about the lungs thing, a few seconds in the healing waters of any Healer's Bath House and you're good as new." Adam, seeing Superboy not take the cigarette, he pulled it back and took another drag: "Of course, in beasti*alis, you need to be at least 16 to smoke. 18 to buy too... I am 15, and my mother doesn't particularly care about it because it has no real impact in my life."

Well, that made it seem... less bad? Looking at everyone around, Wally decided- why not? "Hey, can I try?" He reached out for it, much to the horror of Kaldur. Robin, however, just grinned at him- And like that, everyone (but Miss Martian, she didn't get along with smoke) was smoking weed under the night sky, sharing stories and little anecdotes about themselves, Superboy even got a little bit better at communicating... If you consider him muttering "I hate monkeys, they're stupid" over and over again was communicating.

It was kinda fun, and in the end, mostly harmless anyway! Wally could cross off "getting high" from his list of "Dumb Things to Do".

Chapter 73: [Book 2] Chapter 13 [Interlude]: Project Skyfall (Part 1)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 13:44 | 01:44 PM]

[Calendar - 21/06/2010]

[Location - beasti*alis Empire - Skypelago, Menagerie Island, Central Region, World Pillar]

3rd Person POV

A group of young and adventurous, but dutiful and serious young soldiers were gathered by the World Pillar. Alongside the Learning Palace of Thoth and the Mindreach Tower, the World Pillar was one of the three major towers in beasti*alis that together made this almost triangular shape if you connected a line between them. While one served as a gathering place for students to learn the wonders of magic, and the other served as a physical location for the Flumph Hive Mind, the World Pillar was essentially one of the official goverment buildings where bureaucracy actually happened. Right by the reception table, at the base of this massive and beautiful tower, a very familiar man sat- he was none other than the... Empress? Although looking a bit different. This Atlas was wearing a huge black hat with a big [9] letter on it. Walking by, another Atlas carelessly strolled down this corridor, a stack of papers following after him. Right about everywhere within this tower and every other tower in beasti*alis, where in the middle of all of them is the Pyramid Palace of Cycles, Emrpess Atlas works.

Several illusory clones of himself work. Each one of them has something called a Will.

A Will is what is called when you take the metaphysical limitations of your mind and shatter them apart, picking up the pieces and making them copies of your own mind. Basically, Atlas has 50 identical minds that are part of his own mind that he can absolutely control and experience life through! Because each Will is him, he can control them and as such he used the three towers and their locations, alongside the Pyramid Palace of Cycles, as a massive ritualistic bending of magic and reality to allow himself absolute control over Illusions within the beasti*alis Skypelago island of Menagerie, making so all 50 of his minds could work and make progress while having physical illusory representations so he could better do what needs to be done. With over 50 minds working together, it doesn't come as a surprise to know that Atlas is one if not the strongest magic user right now. If not by sheer magical prowess, then by sheer versatility and control over his own magic.

A good example of this is that he is magically studying 7 different types of magics at the same time, doing a lecture on Transmutation Magic on the 7th floor of the Learning Palace of Thoth, while also being a judge in one of the many fun competitions, while also being physically (main body) present back on the pyramid palace where he was kneeling by the base of a cloud bed, his face between two big co*cks as he was worshipping and sucking both of Waylon's co*cks dry.

Back to the World Pillar tower, many of the illusory representations of Atlas' many minds were working and organizing the highly prioritized project called Skyfall Project. This project was an expansion project where Atlas planned on creating a permanent base in the Boundless Blue, the Elemental Plane of Air, and have it be one of their many cities. He has been planning for a long time on expanding the Empire, and the skies of the Earth were not enough for him- so he took to the skies where the skies themselves are endless and pristine. Such a bold choice was supported by the Glażar family and Marchosia Ventus too, they loved the Elemental Plane of Air, and having a city that connected them to their friends was something straight out of a dream! Marchosia even offered his old nest to be the place for the expansion, and Atlas thanked him. Feather Dragons make their lairs on the large floating islands found within the Elemental Plane of Air. Rather than dwelling in a cave or an enclosed space like other dragons, the Feather Dragon is able to manipulate the air around its lair to create a large, transparent bubble to live in. The Feather Dragon is also able to suffocate or remove intruders by manipulating this air, giving the lair an extra measure of security just from its structure! Usually, air elementals usually surround a Feather Dragon's lair as well, but they're chill as long as you leave them alone and to their own.

Back at the base of the World Pillar, the Atlas with the [9] hat on simply looked at the line of adventurous people who wished to become pioneers and be the first ones to start a new life in the Elemental Plane of Air. He watched as a small but old-looking hom*o beasti*alis Felinae approached him: "Identification?" It is quite common for everyone in the beasti*alis Empire to have at least one form of identification, being them many of the "cards" given when you register as an Apprentice Artist or Architect on the Halls of Ptah, an Apprentice Healer on the House of Khepri, an Apprentice Entertainer (Dancer, Theater, Music) or Cook in the House of Hathor, a Student in the Learning Palace of Thoth, as a registered Magic User or Meta Power user in the Gardens of Isis, a registered Beast Warrior by the Royal Guard Academy, or any registration you'd have to make when getting a job in the Skypelago of beasti*alis. This registration was magical in nature, carrying the owner's magical equivalent of thumb print, being completely tied to the owner and only the owner having that magical resonance. This system allowed the citizens to receive proper remuneration, healthcare, safety, and even allowed them access to many of the facilities available for everyone that is a registered member of the beasti*alis Empire. A rather nasty example would be someone who isn't registered tries to enter one of the many Healer's Bath Houses that are spread around all the islands of the Skypelago... Let's just say that, after continuous and arduous attempts, Atlas finally figured out how to shift the acidity of water and make it able to melt bones easily.

"Ah, right- Here you go, Empress." The big cat man fumbled for a moment before he pulled out a sleek black obsidian card. The [9] Atlas simply picked up the card with a single thought- automatically, the magic of the card reacted, showing the information it had by creating an illusion floating above the very card, like a hologram. Atlas simply read over the information, anothet one of his many Wills already registering the volunteer by the name Amek Vanush, Age being 56, and other essential information like the skills the volunteer had. This one was one of the Architects from the Halls of Ptah, a Master Architect to be more specific.

"We will divulge the results of the selection in the 27th." Repeating the same thing he said a thousand times already, Atlas [9] gave the card back to the old man, who nodded and smiled while walking away, giving way for another person to walk forward: "Identification?"

The same repeated itself.

High in the World Pillar tower, Atlas [33] sat by a long desk. Various papers floating everywhere around him and his mind reading through them at incredible speeds. This is where the Perk [Fast Reading] truly shined! In less than 30 seconds he had already read through all the papers and was already discussing them as Atlas [26] in a floor above, where a group of people were gathered to discuss about the volunteers for the pioneering mission of establishing a city in the Elemental Plane of Air. This group of people consisted of the Lady of the Immaculate Garden, the Blood Sage, the Blue Sage, the Yellow Sage, alongside the Empress [26], the Master of the Skies, and the Lady of the Endless Waters.

Sitting in a circular table, Empress [26] listened as the other members discussed each individual that had volunteered-

"I believe Candidate N°09 is more suitable for perhaps an exploration of the Bottomless Deep." Said the Lady of the Endless Waters. Her name was Ae'lia Endoris, and she was a mermaid. A refugee from Poseidonis when the Atlantian Civil War started- she is a very powerful Sorceress, she specializes in the study of Biosorcery, the manipulation of the body by using magic. "The Elemental Plane of Water seems a better location for one such as Grace." Looking at the file in the table before them, everyone easily agreed, seeing the one and only Grace Balin, who has happily become a hom*o beasti*alis Orcinus. With black and white skin and wearing a robe that covered her entire body, the massive orca woman smiled in the picture that floated before them: "Although she would need a team, since she wishes to establish research about the local monsters and other beings found there." Her Identification Card clearly stated that she was an [Student of the Learning Palace of Thoth on Menagerie Island, Apprentice of the Researcher's Den on Reverse Island, Warrior of the Deadly Depths on Aquarium Island]. Of these three qualifications, the easiest one to achieve was the Student of the Learning Palace of Thoth.

"I believe that was an obvious but wise choice, Lady of the Endless Waters." Nodding, Empress [26] fiddled with the projected image a little, changing it to another person: "Here we have Amek Vanush, Master Architect of the Halls of Ptah. One of the few that considered applying. His specialty seems to be working with wood, which sounds interesting seeing as the provided island by the Master of the Skies has a lot of natural trees of different species." The dragon- or rather, the silver haired man that sat beside Empress [26] smiled and nodded, a proud look on his face: "His expertise might be essential to finding new ways to use the available resources for building."

"My Empress, if I may-" Pamela, the Lady of the Immaculate Garden, said: "-I do believe that some of my own people would be also able to better help as well, with their own expertise in bending nature to their will." She was referring to the Druids of beasti*alis, a group of nature alligned magic casters that were trained and helped by the Lady of the Immaculate Garden herself! Pamela has grown a lot ever since the Day of Ascension, and that has reflected in her own authority withinThe Greenitself, seeing as the Parliament of Trees were all dethroned by her and she took their place as theQueen of the Green, gaining god-like abilities related to nature in its entirety. And with her abilities and authority she reached out forThe Red, establishing a network of cooperation between these two forces, which allowed the Druids of beasti*alis to have access to bothThe Greento control aspects of nature andThe Redto change their physical form to that of animals, but they needed to have a high understanding of the animal they wished to transform into, which was a high requirement because of the sheer amount of study and connection needed to initiate such transformation.

"Perhaps they could even find new beasts to take the form of too." Added the Yellow Sage, also known as Nora Fries, who was reading this detailed description of the location that beasti*alis would expand upon. It was provided by Master of the Skies himself, the previous owner of the floating island: "The detailed description lists a few interesting species of beasts that they might encounter, which would increase the many beasts under the protection of the beasti*alis Empire..."

The discussion went on for a long time, with more and more people being discussed about. Robert wanted to come along with the exploration team to start his own experiments with magical beasts and how their DNA might have been changed by the existence of magic in their habitat and how living in a dimension where only sky exists might have influenced their evolution.

Project Skyfall has just started.

Chapter 74: [Book 2] Chapter 14 [Interlude]: Project Skyfall (Part 2)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - ??:?? | ??:?? PM]

[Calendar - 21/06/2010]

[Location - beasti*alis Empire - Skyland Isolatus, Boundless Blue | Elemental Plane of Air]

3rd Person POV

Sky.

Breeze.

Clouds.

As far as the eyes could see, there was endless blue and azure colors of several hues that blended into one another so perfectly that the artists that volunteered to this expansion expedition wanted to drop everything and just try to capture the sensation the Boundless Blue was giving them at first sight. The soft breeze of the wind brushing against their faces, the soft scents of clean air, and the sweet sensation of having their lungs cleaned by a mysterious force was so intoxicating that all volunteers (every single 50 of them) were enamored with the place. Floating above them was the Empress and the Emperor, alongside them was the previous owner of the island they stepped on, the one and only Master of the Skies aka Marchosia Ventus, Mr. Breeze. His humanoid form faded into whisps of white clouds before they condensed and exploded outwards, revealing the Feather Dragon in all his glorious draconic form. With shiny white-silver feathers and a bright yellow beak, the proud yet friendly Dragon stretched out his wings and took flight.

Immediately, his young follow suit.

Unlike a few species of dragons who raise their young together, Feather Dragons lean into Paternal Care. The fathers are the ones that raise their little ones all alone, or so would be if it wasn't for the assistance of the Empress- Marchosia was really overwhelmed as a first time father, but he loves his little ones a lot, spending a lot of time with them and only asking Atlas to take care of them when he is busy. The majority of his theater crew were well acquainted with his kids, many even becoming loving caretakers whenever they were around the stage, even participating in a few of the plays and becoming little actors and actresses themselves. But as he watched them take flight and follow him around, he couldn't help but smile and feel a lot more proud of them than he felt when they spoke their first words- being a parent os truly weird. The joys and woes of parenting were becoming more and more present on his day to day life as these children grow, and he is afraid of the future but also very excited about it too.

"Welcome to Skyland Isolatus!" Speaking in English- it was much easier to learn this language than he first thought, being a rather flawed and simple one -Marchosia said: "So, does this look good for the expansion of the beasti*alis Empire?" He truly didn't understand completely why the Empress Atlas wanted to expand the empire to the Boundless Blue, aka the Elemental Plane of Air, but the way he acted was like he was preparing... Well, you don't question seers! Everyone who can see the future is scary, and he doesn't want to offend them! He already respected the Empress a lot when they first met (mostly because he was really good at flying) but when he found out that he could also see the future? That was just a bonus! "The island is great, right? It took me a while to properly set the island up to be good enough to attract a mate, but I managed." It had taken him a long time to change and shape the floating island to become this wonderful floating paradise in the endless skies of the Boundless Blue, and soon enough he attracted the attention of another Feather Dragon, and then they mated, she stayed for a month to lay the eggs before she flew away and never returned.

"This is a wonderful island, Ventus." Looking around, Atlas could easily see the markings of the island- it was about 30 square kilometers island, which is the equivalent to 7413 acres, which is the equivalent to 11 square miles. The island was beautiful, but it also had rooted trees with pale grey to bright green barks, beautiful flowers spread all around and a rather large central pool of water that seemed to flow and shape itself in a circular ever flowing movement: "I see you have even taken a small swirl from the Elemental Plane of Water, huh? I guess this could also become an anchoring portal to the Bottomless Deep..." It certainly felt like a small portal to the Elemental Plane of Water, which was impressive in and of itself, considering the fact that Marchosia Ventus managed to get a big island that escaped from the Elemental Plane of Earth, also known as The Anvil, and he also managed to add a lake tied to the Elemental Plane of Water, also known as the Bottomless Deep. This is very rare and hard to do, if you do not have great magical prowess like Atlas has. "It is very impressive-"

"-Holy Sobek, is that a coconut tree!?" Ah, of course, the Emperor would ignore all the rare magical phenomena and everything else around him to focus on the most random of things. He was looking at this enormous (and rather impressive) coconut tree... Huh, weird? Where did he even get this tree?

Soon enough, Atlas started the construction of the emergency exit for the beasti*alis Empire once Darkseid invades. Better be prepared for it, else the worst might happen. The citizens will be sent to this second floating empire, so they won't be at risk of being attacked or having their wills overwritten by the Anti-Life Equation.

"Well, coconut tree aside-" Atlas ignored Waylon, who trying to eat a coconut whole by biting down on it: "-this place is perfect. Thank you, Ventus."

The big dragon nodded while everyone ignored the Emperor choking on a coconut.

[Clock - 20:27 | 08:27 PM]

[Calendar - 19/07/2010]

[Location - Salem, Massachusetts - Tower of Fate, Top Floor (Battlement) of the Tower]

Time Skip - 29 Days

There was a soft breeze in the air. Silence dominated the space as the clouds darkened. Two entities stood, staring at each other's faces. One was hidden behind a helmet of pure gold, while the other was wearing a mask of cold indifference. "Fate." A single voice echoed out as Atlas stared into the golden glowing eyes of the person who once was his student- beneath them was the corpse of the man once known as Doctor Fate, Kate Nelson himself, and beside him was the kid that Adam was complaining to him about- he sent him a complete and detailed complaint about how stupid this Wally kid was for not believing in magic when he was surrounded by it -who looked up at him with tears in his eyes. "Release my student." He warned the stubborn spirit of the Lord of Order: "Or I will bring chaos into this world."

"Foolish man!" The Lord of Order spoke- it was an imperfect mixture between Adam's voice and another otherworldly voice that seemed to echo out of the helmet. This golden ankh symbol appeared behind the floating body of Doctor Fate, who continued: "The child put on the helmet out of his own free will! He is now my host, and I will not allow you to threaten me with such foolish threats!" The ankh flew towards him, phasing through Doctor Fate's body and immediately hitting Atlas- only to shatter into a thousand pieces. Angrily, Doctor Fate raised his hands and various blasts of golden energy shot out of his hands like bullets, but they found no purchase on thejr target as they- like the ankh -simplt shattered into harmless sparkles the moment they touched Atlas' skin. "Ahk H'enik Ovha Meron- Kalmarry!" Shouting in a language Atlas immediately learned, Doctor Fate shot out towards him golden lighting, right out of the tip of his fingers-

"Denied."

-but that lightning simply unraveled itself into motes of harmless light, dissipating into the atmosphere with the sound of a simple pop. Static electricity danced around in the air, almost like they were inside a thunderstorm, before the electricity gathered around the Empress' fingertips- In a similar fashion, a bolt of lightning shot out of his hands. But, instead of having a golden coloration, it had a pale silver-white coloration, a truly beautiful color. The lightning bolt, even with an incredible speed, was stopped by this golden shimmering barrier of energy that was formed before Doctor Fate faster than an eye could blink. The lightning splashed everywhere, not having its strength reduced one bit, and as a split bolt was about to hit Wally, a dark shadow covered him- "Love, watch the kid!" A deep, guttural and honestly quite intimidating voice spoke from above him. When Wally blinked and looked up, all he could see was what he could only describe as a dragon man. He had seen him in the picture Adam had shown The Team, but to see the Emperor of beasti*alis was something that was fascinating- he wanted to ask the guy what kind of alien he was, but that might sound slightly racist, so he decided to not say anything and stay behind him instead!

"Sorry, love." The Empress answered, a ball of energy gathering in his hands and twirling like a vortex- the energy crackled and it was about to take the form of electricity, only for it to flatten out into a disk and fire towards Doctor Fate. The disk unraveled into thousands of thin threads of energy, and a net was thrown towards Doctor Fate- But with a swish of the his hands, the net that was sent towards the possessing piece of sh*t that is that helmet tore itself several thousand copies of itself, wrapping around the arms, fingers, legs, neck, and overall the entire body of the possessed Adam. "I just need a few moments to destroy this f*cking helmet..." The threads of energy that were holding onto Doctor Fate immediately tightened around him and they glowed. Waves and waves of energy exploded out in a bright silver glow. The net of energy seemed to glow golden as Doctor Fate tried to resist, but the golden light was drowned out by the silver light of Atlas' magic. "Stubbornbitch!" With a rush of power, a bright white silver light exploded out- And when it faded, Adam fell from the sky.

Wally reacted faster than his thoughts could: "Adam!" In a blur, his body moved and he jumped- caught Adam mid-air, and landed. He easily landed, feeling the weight of the stubborn boy that saved him, and feeling guilty as f*ck. "f*ck- I'm sorry!" He felt like crying when everything caught up to him- When Red Tornado gave them the new mission about Kent Nelson, Doctor Fate, and how he had been missing for a long while- He never truly believed in magic, and even when it was right in his face, he refused to believe it. He has experienced a lot by Adam'smischievous(read: annoying) magical hands, in which he has driven him insane and hasn't allowed him to get away with nothing, always teasing and probing him at every second. And that was when he remembered Kent's last words to him: "Find your own little spitfire, one who won't let you get away with nothin'. For example, that boy- What? Don't look at me like that! Just 'cause I'm old, that doesn't mean I can't learn about a few things-" okay, not helping, brain!

"Well, quite eager to hold the damnsel in distress aren't you now, prince charming?" A snickering voice reminded Wally of where he was- he turned to look at the two beings that Adam adored and basically glorified at every conceivable opportunity. Emperor and Empress of the first and only floating Empire... beasti*alis. "Can't wait to tease that stubborn kid about it- oh, you think Flash's kid want some advice, love?"

"What kind of advice could you possibly give, Waylon?" Atlas ruthlessly said: "You suck at romance."

Without missing a beat, Waylon answered: "And you swallow."

...Wally just took a few steps back, not wanting to be there for that conversation.

Chapter 75: [Book 2] Chapter 15: Outsiders Insiders (Part 1)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 08:33 | 08:33 AM]

[Calendar - 20/07/2010]

[Location - beasti*alis Empire - Skypelago, Menagerie Island, Central Region, Pyramid Palace of Cycles]

Adam Begala - Electric Light POV

A dull ache in his skull was the first thing that greeted him back to the world of consciousness. He almost regretted being alive, but the softness of the bed below him made him forget everything... It was like he was back in his room, lying atop his solid cloud bed! "Argh..." But even so, the ache in his body was still there from his fight against one of the beings that the Empress warned him about... Klarion, the Chaos Twink as the Empress liked to call him, was there in the Tower of Fate. He and the magic-less guy known as Abra Kadabra were messing around and wanted something from the Tower of Fate that he later learned was the Helmet of Fate, the artifact that housed the Lord of Order, Doctor Fate. When he appeared at the top of the tower, just as Wally who had put on the helmet defeated Klarion, Adam was met with dilemma... He had learned a bit about the Lords of Order and Lords of Chaos from the Empress, and he knew that if Wally wore that helmet, he might have never been able to take it off!

And that was when Doctor Fate offered him one thing- He'd let Wally go if he switched places with him. He would become the Host to Doctor Fate and Wally would get to walk free and return to his non-believer shenanigans... Seriously, through the whole trip around the Tower of Fate, Adam was able to navigate the place because of the tons of lessons that were jammed inside his head about foreign magics and how to properly deal with them, and Wally? He was boasting around! He was trying to explain everything scientifically, when there were no explanations! He almost wanted to show Wally aSoggothand see what he can come up with, but then that would drive him either insane or make him even more annoying to deal with.

But he agreed. He put on the helmet... And then he started attacking Wally because he tried to get the helmet off of him- Off of Doctor Fate.

And... what happened after? "Urgh, my head..." Grumbling, Adam blinked- Wait, why does the ceiling have the same shifting night sky that is above his bedroom in the Pyramid Palace of Cycles, back in beasti*alis? "Wait aminute..." He looked around- The bed was in the corner, the left corner to be exact. By the walls, he had viewing windows that could be controlled to show him all around the streets of the Central Region of the Menagerie Island, it was a good way to see street performances on the comfort of his own bed! He could see his desk and drawers, where he stashed his weird things. By the walls he could see the various miscellaneous shelves with magic books, books about magic, books about science and the application of electricity, books about esoteric manipulation of electricity, books about things he shouldn't really know, and books about sex. What? He has his p*rn collection, and it is actually something he was able to get from a Smut Shop in the Halls of Ptah, because smut is also a form of art. "Huh, I'm in my room?" Shaking his head, Adam slowly got up- he stumbled a bit, but easily caught himself before he could fall.

"The sleeping beauty has woken up!" A voice that sounded exactly like the Empress' voice echoed from around him. Adam sighed as he easily recognized the [Magic Mouth] spell that had been cast with the message he was now hearing: "When you hear this message, please go to the Dining Room, our... guests will be most likely waiting for you there, if you wake up within the next 6 hours or so. Well, good to know you're alright kiddo, we'll have to talk later though. And I'll have to get you a new emergency necklace." Adam winced when he remembered what had happened- So, he has (well,had) this necklace that was almost like an emergency warning signal to the Empress that basically said "help, f*ck, help!" over and over again whenever activated. Then the Empress would come and help him if he could, so when he downed the Helmet of Fate, the necklace tried to interfere (because it was enchanted to protect him too) and it was broken by Doctor Fate, which in turn made the Empress aware that he was highly in danger.

He knows what he did was stupid- he could've called the Empress and then they could take the helmet off of Wally's head, but he reacted more than acted, and that is on him.

It's kinda embarrassing, to be honest...

"Okay Adam, time to face the game- Wait, guests?"

"So you guys are here!"

The moment he entered the Dining Room, a bit confused but also slightly hopeful, he was met with the following scene: Jason, Superboy, Wally, Kaldur, Megan, and Artemis all seated in a table while the Empress and the Emperor sat before them. There was the other, usual table where shenanigans always happened... But it was unusually calm today! He could tell that there was a bit of tension in the air, mostly coming from the fact that, essentially, they had outsiders in their home. And you know, outsiders in beasti*alis is a whole thing- Precautions are always taken to make sure that everyone who joins beasti*alis are approved by the Empress and the Emperor, but there is always a small tension that comes with the integration of the individual to the lifestyle of the beasti*alis Empire, but now?

Six outsiders, six heroes, six people that could potentially share everything they learn here with whoever they want. Sure, it might be some mundane and common thing in beasti*alis, but the Empress is kinda paranoid about information control, so it kinda seeped into everyone else through natural osmosis.

So the tension was understandable- the awkwardness? Not so much?

"Well, the sleeping beauty is awake!" The Emperor chuckled- Adam easily noted how he was wearing a few more pieces of jewelry. He could see Miss Pamela wearing a nicer dress today, he could tell Captain Alamos was wearing his full armor and not just a few important pieces, he could see that Miss Langston had her fur fluffier than ususal and her enormous ears were also preened, contrary to their usual floppiness... The Empress looked as regal as ever, wearing a few aditional pieces of jewelry as well, but their magic seemed to almost blind him for a few moments until his senses got used to the magic emanating from them. The Emperor was also wearing similar jewelry with strongAbjurationmagic on them. "So, how was your rest, kiddo?"

"Weirdly restful? I thought getting possessed made you tired after!" As he passed by the main table, he kissed his mother's forehead and picked up a piece of bread before he went to sit beside the Emperor, right by his left: "So, what's with the awkward tension?" He went directly for the question- no beating around the bush with him! Taking a bite of his sweet pale pink bread, Adam could feel the looks from the others. They looked... afraid? Not really, intimidated! That's the word. "Oh, you made them piss their pants, right? Did you show them the heat death of the universe? That one's weirdly beautiful!" There's a few intimidation tactics that the Empress likes to use. One of them is to mess up with your mind showing the endless power he wields with his soul- and how does he do that? Well, he literally takes you to see the heat death of the universe! Not physically, but your mind is taken to see as the stars go supernova, watch black holes wither away, and witness the universe come to a sparkly end. "I kinda like that one."

"Well, I didn't show them the heat death of the universe-" The Empress chuckled: "-I simply peered into their souls a bit to make sure they were truthfully answering a few questions here and there... Nothing important." With a devious grin, the Empress pushed a plate in his direction with his magic, and Adam hummed. He probably asked either invasive questions, awkward ones, or a mix between them! It's kinda of a power play too, so Adam doesn't really care about it. "They also showed great enthusiasm to learn more about beasti*alis!Althoughthis boy here-" The Empress casually pointed towards Superboy: "-wanted to learn more about his species' home world... Krypton." Ah, right! He did mention to Superboy that the Empress knew what had happened to Krypton!

"By the way, you need a name kid." The Emperor hummed, pushing a place of miscellaneous meats towards him- Adam didn't even bat an eye at the sheer size of the place, he went right into it: "Can't be calling you 'Superboy' at all times, that's a bit weird."

"About that..." Slowly, Superboy spoke: "Ugrh... I don't know what name to choose? I guess anything goes?"

"Wouldn't you rather have a meaningful name?" Asked Megan, joining the conversation: "Or maybe a traditional Kryptonian name! Something like that? I'm M'gaan M'orzz, from the M'orzz family!" She stretched her hand- literally, it flew out like a rubber band and her hand wrapped around a bubble of pink bread before she took it from the table and began eating it.

It was like a snap. Everyone started to eat too, not only him!

"Well, then I can share with you a few snippets about the House El then, since you share Superman's DNA." Nonchalantly, the Empress began sipping a drink he got from who knows where- Adam learned not to question where the Empress gets his knowledge or his drinks. They just appear! "Or should I call him Kal-El?" With those words, the entire room was bathed in darkness, light seemed to blink out being consumed the endless void, and silence greeted them all. A right red light suddenly blinked into existence, floating above.

"Rao."

Bold, bright red letters flashed above the star as the Empress' voice echoed. "It was a beautiful red sun... Well, a beautiful time bomb." A small sphere started to rotate around the sun, and that sphere was soon identified: "Krypto. A beautiful planet, isn't it? It's kinda sad that it exploded... Well, it was that or, you know, becoming shadows of their former selves by corruption and- oh, wait..."With a chuckle, the sun exploded- it was honeslty kinda beautiful to watch this wave of red destroy everything- Well, almost everything. There was this single small shooting star that floated away. It was bathed in red and shot very fast, fading away into a bright blink of silver.

The darkness faded away, and they were all back into the dining room. The Empress was simply sipping a drink and- is that avocado toast mixed with strawberry jam and raw meat? "So, basically-" The Empress took a bite and swallowed it down: "-your grandpa found out their sun was going to explode, nobody believed him. He sent his son- Kal-El -to the nearest place that was safe. Through some shenanigans, the baby ends up here, falls somewhere in Smallville, Kansas, and grows up to be Superman. A few years before this whole thing happened, the Collector of Worlds took a piece of Krypton out of it because why not? Then there was also the whole tyrannical attempt to overthrow the goverment there- It was a whole thing." Shrugging at the both amazed and horrified looks he was getting, the Empress shrugged: "Any questions?"

There were many questions to be had, many questions to be asked, and many eyebrows raised.

Omake

Atlas held out a piece of avocado toast. Strawberries floated in the air, and raw meat too: "Huh... weird cravings are getting weirder each day."

Meanwhile, Waylon: "...I think you're just weird." Sadly for him, he had to kiss the weird tasting combination later.

Somehow, it tasted like raw fish...

Chapter 76: [Book 2] Chapter 16: Outsiders Insiders (Part 2)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 09:43 | 09:43 AM]

[Calendar - 20/07/2010]

[Location - beasti*alis Empire - Skypelago, Menagerie Island, Central Region, Pyramid Palace of Cycles]

3rd Person POV

"Ah, that's pretty easy to answer." Atlas hummed to himself as he looked at the kids- Adam's team was surprisingly polite and respectful, not at all what he expected from teenagers with superpowers, but when they received a lecture from their mentors about where they were going-

[Flashback]

[Calendar: 19/07/2010]

[Location: Watchtower, Earth's Outer Atmosphere, 3rd Justice League Headquarters]

[Clock: 20:55 | 08:55 PM]

It happened after the whole debacle with Doctor Fate and the Tower of Fate.

Atlas simply appeared in the middle of the Watchtower with the entire team and his beloved husband in toe. It was a huge spook for the entirety of the Justice League that he both knew the location of the League's secret base and that he could go there whenever he wanted while the Justice League couldn't easily locate the beasti*alis Empire Skypelago floating in the sky with the use of satellites. In a simple moment, he appeared right in the middle of a meeting they were having, with the entirety of The Team. The majority were simply tired, Abra Kadabra was wrapped by a bunch of ropes, and Adam was safely being held by Waylon like a kid who went to sleep in the car and the father was picking them up to bring them to their bedroom.

"Am I interrupting yourveryimportant meeting?" Atlas stood still, his eyes focused right towards the big f*cking table that they were all siting before. With soft metal clicks of his feet touching the ground, Atlas walked towards the table before throwing the now empty golden helmet that was once used by the one and only Doctor Fate: "Because you see, I just came back from saving my student's life and soul." As he reached the table, he leaned back and literally sat on solid air, nonchalantly looking Batman in the eyes as he snapped his fingers. Waylon was immediately beside him as a seat ot pure gold materialized beneath him, conjured by a simple snap of his fingers: "This golden bitch just tried to possess my student, so I had to destroy him, you know how it goes." Atlas simply shrugged.

"Empress." Batman greeted him, eyeing the children behind him for a moment before his eyes focused on the teen on the Emperor's arms: "...Explain-" He wasn't very surprised when the Empress of the beasti*alis Empire simply appeared in the middle of their hideout, mostly because the Empress himself has declared that he is able to find anything he wants to find, so Batman already assumed Atlas had the exact location of the Watchtower. "-what exactly happened?"

"Well, little fast boy here-" Atlas pointed towards the pathetic looking red and yellow kid: "-was there when it all went down. All I know is that my boy saved his ass and got the worst bits and pieces... Then I come in, destroy the Lord of Order, and take his spot as the Earth's Sorcerer Supreme- how does that sound?" Twirling his finger, Atlas easily casted a [Major Image] spell above his head that made this enormous red arrow that read "Vote forPresidentSorcerer Supreme" that kept flashing this bright golden light every second. "I mean, if this was a contest of strength and magical prowess, I would've taken the seat by now..."

"Love, you'd make yourself an entire new seat just so you could be above the title. Don'tpretendto be humble right now." Rolling his eyes, Waylon huffed as he settled Adam on his arms, taking a look at the people on the table- He quickly eyed his maybe future opponents and began thinking about who he could take on a fight: "Wonder Woman! Down for another spar? Demigod versus Demigod, sounds fun huh?" She simply shook her head a little, the serious atmosphere was enough to quell the flames of rivalry he kinda had with her: "Shazam!Kiddo! What about us, heh? An avatar of the gods against another? Maybe I'll even let Wonder Woman join too, so you both can have the advantage- make it a match between the Greek Pantheon and the Egyptian Pantheon... My pops kinda has some words to throw at Zeus' face, after all." His grin widened when Shazam simply shook his head, looking a bit intimidated: "Still scared of me? I mean, I just broke your arm-"

"-tore it off, and ate it. Yes." Atlas rolled his eyes at his beloved, poking him with his finger: "That's how we learned his secret after all. After I grew him a whole new arm, yes."

"...I still feel bad about that, just so you know." Waylon, grumpy as he was, took Atlas' hand that was poking him and pushed his face against said hand, a purr-like sound creaking out of his open maw: "Sorry again, by the way. If it makes you feel better, you can pull out one of my arms and eat it."

"... That won't be necessary dud- Waylon." Billy almost cursed- He almost called Waylon dude! "I forgave you a long time ago, Waylon." Shazam chuckled, a bit nervous that the majority of the Justice League was looking at him with either curiosity or concern, after all, they just learned about the fact that he had his arm torn off and eaten by the man before them: "I just... You're kinda scary, so sorry for getting a bit traumatized?"

"Never apologize for that, kiddo." Atlas rolled his eyes- he elbowed Waylon, who huffed and rolled his eyes, and their silent communication went on for a few moments as they kept eye contact, the [Telepathic Bond] spell easily transferring their thoughts to one another -before he simply turned to look at him and say: "You're welcome at beasti*alis at any time, if that makes you feel better?"

"...sure?"

"In fact-" Atlas turned around, eyeing the little group of heroes that were friends of his student: "-I'll bring these with me back to beasti*alis too." With a grin, he crackled his fingers with energy. He was already opening an [Arcane Gate] when he felt a foreign energy try to get closer to his own, so he batted it away with the swat of a soul with 9 rings and 450 stars, the pressure he could exercise upon the world was something only gods could ever hope to achieve. It was a weight akin to divinity, but also purer somehow, a pure and powerful magical soul. "-and a bug just tried to look at my magic... isn't that right,Zatana?" Narrowing his eyes, Atlas flared his presence- Immediately, it was like gravity had increased by a lot. The very ground groaned as the weight of his presence seemed to blaze the air with crackling silver-white light as these sparks of energy floated around him.

It was pure power.

"Love." Waylon sighed, a little annoyed: "You're leaking."

"Ah, f*ck-" Immediately, everything reverted. The only ones not entirely affected by his show of magical prowess were Waylon, Shazam, Wonder Woman, and (not surprisingly) Batman. These people were the only ones he knew that were pretty much born with (or acquired) an innate magical resistance (well, one had the willpower to rival gods themselves) that was powerful enough to resist his very presence: "-didn't mean for that to happen, sorry."

He sheepishly looked at the fallen heroes that could not withstand his magic might, so he suppressed it enough that he would feel like a completely ordinary person that just happens to have cybernetic legs powered by both technology and magic. "Anyway- Batsy, you mind if I take these kids back to beasti*alis? You wouldn't mind, would you? After all, they're worried about their teammate, who I will take home because he needs to rest."

"Now, wait a moment-" Aquaman tried speaking, only for him to get a glare from Atlas, but even so he didn't stop: "-we do not trust you-"

"Like what?" Waylon grumbled, his tail slapping hard against the metallic floor beneath him and even denting it a bit by the sheer weight and strenght of his tail: "We will kill them all? Skin their corpses and tear of their heads? Only to brag about it to our closest friends who happen to also hate people that are different than us?" Scoffing, Waylon rolled his eyes: "We're not Atlantis." Yeah... that is one of the things that happened. When the Atlantian Civil War happened, the members of the Pure Blood Atlantians captured every single hom*o beasti*alis or resembling hom*o Mermanus that had even the slightlest resemblance to a hom*o beasti*alis. They brutally killed them, tore their bodies to shreds, and then used their corpse as a display. Heads, skin, appendages, and even phalluses.

"..." There was nothing that Aquaman could say to make it better. He did, after all, gather every hom*o beasti*alis and resembling hom*o Mermanus to protect them... But a procession from Poseidonis to a hidden place was attacked and everyone was killed, and there was also the "Culling of Poseidonis", an event where a massacre happened on the streets, with thousands dead and even more hurt. This contributed to the migration from many of his citizens to the beasti*alis Empire. "...Kaldur, are you willing to go with the Empress and Emperor?"

"...Yes, my King." The boy answered, nodding, after hesitating for a little bit.

"Come here, let's talk."

And like that, every single one of The Team was called by their mentors, so they could have a talk.

[Flashback Ends]

-it seemed that they got a bit more... respectful.

Maybe it was fear of him? Regardless, they made him a simple question- or rather, Superboy did. "If I'm not wrong, there were about... A few people of the House of El in Krypton that have survived?" Under the disbelieving eyes of the group of people before him, Atlas hummed as he opened his book.

[World Book Encyclopedia - Living Beings | Stories of a Future Never Here and a Past Long Gone

House of El

Kal El - (Living) [Location]

Kara Zor-El - (Living) [Location]

Superboy (???) - (Living) [Location]

Jor-El - (Living) [Location]

Lara Lor-Van (Living) [Location]

Lor-Zord (Living) [Location]

...

And the list went on. The majority was marked as deceased, however. "Huh, that's surprising." Atlas lifted one eyebrow. He softly selected the [Location] for Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van, narrowing his eyes as he read their whereabouts: "Oh? That's surprising." Humming to himself, Atlas pondered for a moment if he should share this information with the Man of Steel... On one side, it was his parents and he deserved to know that they were alive! But on the other, this could be good leverage against Superman should he try something... Atlas has seen the Injustice Universe, and he has a little bit of Batman's paranoia, so he considered it before dismissing such idea entirely.

"What is it, love?" Pushing his nose against Atlas' neck, Waylon huffed as he watched his love think: "Something wrong?" He softly bit Atlas' skin, his teeth sinking softly into Atlas' pale flesh that was used to Waylon's sharp teeth. "You good?" He curled his tail around his love's waist, who just leaned back against him as he hummed: "Something happened?"

"No... Not exactly." Atlas blinked, looking back up at Superboy and the other members of the team, he placed his finger on his chin as he thought about the right words to use: "Well... It seems like your grandparents- Or parents, if you consider Superman your brother or your son? Well, technically you have his DNA, so that would make him your dad-" Noticing he was getting sidetracked, Atlas shook his head: "-Anyway! What I mean is, Superman's parents are still alive." He softly glided hisbhand across the book as he casted [Major Image] to show the list of people he was reading, but floating before him: "See?"

There was only silence after that revelation.

"...what?"

Chapter 77: [Book 2] Chapter 17: Showing Around (Part 3)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 11:22 | 11:22 AM]

[Calendar - 20/07/2010]

[Location - beasti*alis Empire - Skypelago, Menagerie Island, Central Region, Pyramid Palace of Cycles]

Adam Begala - Electric Light POV

Adam looked at his team- everyone had just gone through a bunch of questions about what they wanted to learn and know, which was a bunch of personal questions that were answered privately with the Empress due to the requests of the team. After such questions, they returned to the dining room, where Adam was with the Emperor and Captain Alamos too -before turning to look at the Empress and Emperor: "So... Can I show everyone around?" He was kinda hopeful that the Empress would allow him to show off to his friends- he has told them a few anecdotes about beasti*alis and about its people, but he hasn't shown them. And like people always say: Seeing is believing. "I promise I'll just take them around Menagerie Island! I'll take them to the Halls of Ptah, the House of Hathor, maybe take them to see the Skyfall Plaza, and show them around the Central Region? There's a few places I'd like to show them and-"

"Kid, it's okay-" the Empress chuckled, placing a hand on his shoulder as he smiled: "-you can show them around. Don't expose any secrets, and you're good."

"...what would you categorize as quote on quote, secret?" Adam had to think for a few seconds- there were so many things that the Empress didn't want to show the world, which was understandable, but was he allowed to show his team around? "Like, can I answer their weird questions- Like, you know, about the thngs that they see around?"

"...well, yeah, you can.."

And that's how we got here!

Walking down the rather busy street, Adam smiled brightly. He waved a hand at a large crocodile that walked past his group, high-fived one of his many classmates from the Learning Palace of Thoth, and even got a gift from a fairy. His Flumph flew beside him doing these soft purring sounds every once in a while as they passed by other Flumphs in the streets following other people. "Welcome to beasti*alis!" Adam stretched out his arms as they stepped over this long stone bridge, beneath them an artificial river carved through the rock flowed, where some of the more aquatic residents of the floating city swam in. "This is the Central Plaza, and that is Isis Fountain." Adam decided to act as a tour guide for his team, since he was allowed by the Empress to show his friends around! The veiled statue held the water jugs in her hand, the water flowed through her and into the constantly flowing artificial rivers of beasti*alis, ultimately flowing back to the statue and continuing their cycle through the power of magic! "Cool right? That was the very first magical building that the Empress created in the name of the Gods of beasti*alis."

"Woah." Lifting one eyebrow, Robin blinked: "Is that a walking giant tree?"

"Oh, that's a Treant!" Adam chuckled, since this was common knowledge in beasti*alis, he saw no real harm in sharing: "They're like, Awakened Trees, different species of trees create different Treants... That one is a Willow Treant! He goes by the name William, and he teaches Environmentally Friendly Architecture in the Halls of Ptah for whoever wants to learn." He waved his hand to the giant tree humanoid, who had his posse of friends slash students who were in the Central Plaze to watch the statue of Isis in the Isis Fountain Park to get a glimpse of inspiration. "The statue has been blessed by both Ptah and the Muses to give inspiration to those who look at it. That's why there's so many artists around here-" And as everyone looked around, indeed, the majority of people here were artists working on their art.

"...cat boy?" Superboy looked down at one of the many children around beasti*alis, this one was a Felinae, a small kitten boy that was sleeping by the bench, under the warm sun. "Was he left here?" Looking at the kid, Superboy wondered for a moment if his parent left him behind.

"Oh, that's Jeremy!" Adam immediately recognized the tom cat boy. Poking him, Adam said: "Hey, Jeremy!" The boy stirred around, grumbling and making activation sounds a cat would make whenever you touch them, you know, thosemrrpandprrr?sounds that they make: "Jeremy! Did Kayt leave you behind again? Where even is that girl-" He was about to pick up the cat boy when he suddenly felt a presence sharply approaching him from behind and flying towards him, going to land right on his back! Adam prepared himself for the impact, making sure to not lash out like he was trained to do whenever something approaches at great speeds-

"Adam!" Jumping on his back just as he predicted, was the one and only sister of Jeremy, the little Kayt. Unlike her brother, Kayt was a Calico variant of the hom*o beasti*alis Felinae, and her tricolor fur was fluffy and smooth as she climbed Adam's back with great and overwhelming enthusiasm, after all, it's been a long while since brother Adam has come to play with them! "You're here!" With a cacophony of giggles and laughs that woke her brother up, Kayt began purring louder than a car engine.

"Hi Kayt!" Adam chuckled, picking up the lazy small boy cat who just stretched over in his arms before promptly falling asleep again after being woken up by his sister. Jeremy had always been like this ever since he was born 5 years ago, and his sister was way more energetic and playful than him: "We found your brother... Did you leave him behind again? I told you not to leave your brother behind when he lies down to take a nap." Huffing, Adam turned to the group- he noticed then that the two girls (Artemis and M'gaan) were looking at the kids with stars in their eyes, and who could blame them? They're adorable! "Hey, Megan, can you hold him for me?" Without hesitation, he offered Jeremy to Megan, who hesitated but ultimately took the cat boy in her arms and began melting when she heard and felt him purr in her arms- quite literally, as a Shapeshifter she literally started melting for a few moments before she came back to her senses and returned to normal.

"Woah... Is she like the Faceless!?" Kayt, the ever excited kitty, jumped down from Adam's back and ran up to M'gaan, looking up at the slightly floating green skinned lady and said: "Hi! I'm Kayt! You're beautiful- Are you a Faceless? Oh, no, you're green-" The little girl gasped, her eyes almost glowing with surprise and admiration: "-Are you friends with the Garden Lady!?" The Lady of the Immaculate Garden was one of Kayt's favorite people, she loves visiting Verdant Island on the weekends so she walk around the Immaculate Garden and see the various thousands of different species of plants that live there. Looking at the green skinned, red haired woman before her, she could only think that she was somehow related to the Lady of the Immaculate Garden! A Faceless that likes the Lady of the Immaculate Garden and is taking a similar form, perhaps?

"Uhm, Lady of the Immaculate Garden?" Confused by the sheer enthusiasm of the little cat girl, Megan connected herself with the little girl's mind to know who this was- it was quite common in Mars to do so, so she saw no wrong in doing it here in a nation full of small telepathic little guys who are so f*cking adorable that she wishes she could keep one! Immediately, the image of the most gorgeous woman she had seen today appeared in her mind, but she was sitting in this throne of roots and bark as she talked to several little girls about plants and how to take care of them, with Kayt amidst them taking furious notes about whatever the green skinned lady said. Snapping back into herself, Megan shook her head as she said: "Oh! Uhm, not really. I'm a, uhm, outsider!"

"Yes, Kayt-" She was immediately picked up by Adam, who chuckled as he lifted her and placed her on his shoulders, giving her a ride: "-these are my friends, and they're outsiders." It was by now that the little girl noticed the rest, as her tunnel vision faded away and she stopped focusing on the gorgeous green skinned girl- Oh, outsiders? She remembered having lessons on them in the Learning Palace of Thoth about how originally the beasti*alis Empire was beneath the ground, but on the Day of Ascension, it was lifted from the ground and into the heavens by the might of the Empress himself fueled by his love to the Emperor... It was a beautiful love story, really, about how the Empress made the beasti*alis Empire for the Emperor and they got together! Then the Emperor gave the Empress something? Well, she doesn't know that story.

"Uhm, hi?" She was a bit nervous.

"Heya kitty girl-" Wally instantly was beside her, holding out her paw: "-you are positively adorable." He was, honestly, fascinated by her form. He had seen the hom*o beasti*alis in the Pyramid Palace of Cycles (Who names their home that?), the famous Emperor of beasti*alis was enormous and extremely intimidating, while the others weren't as intimidating but intimidating nonetheless. Captain Alamos was the definition of a werewolf, Robert was an enormous bat guy, and there were others too. "The name's Kid Flash." He grinned as she shool his hand, her five fingers with soft toe beans squishing his hand. "That one's Superboy-" Turning around, only then did they notice that Superboy was getting swarmed by children wanting to be carried by him, in fact, he had about 7 kids on his arms, 5 on his back, and 3 on his shoulders as he looks stoic at them. "-that one is Aqualad-" Kaldur was looking down at the artificial river that was flowing close to them, he seemed to be speaking to another person? "- that one is Robin-" Robin was a few feet away, poking a big lion guy on the shoulder so he would move so he could take a closer look at whatever he was painting: "-She's Artemis-" Artemis was already at the base of the Isis Fountain, looking up at it.

He looked around for Megan to see she had taken the little girl too, and he was holding nobody's hand. He turned to look around and he was not exactly alone- okay, that was kinda weird! He was alone with Adam, who was exactly the perfect person to be alone with because he was a fountain of answers to his many questions! "So..." He didn't fully understand why everyone left him alone with the other guy, but he didn't want to seem rude as the other members of the team were all having their own fun: "What're we gonna do now? I think this place is beautiful, but... I'm curious about everything else, by everyone else-"

"Oh, I know exaclty where to take you!" With a grin, Adam pulled Wally by the hand, ignoring the cackling of energy that happened when their hands touched: "We're gonna visit Mr. Stithi, and he'll put you in a giant bubble!" It was more of a tradition to do so with children whenever a festival was happening, but Mr. Stithi (the big white hom*o beasti*alis Strigidae, Wereowl) would make an exception for him! Also, he kinda wants to see Wally floating away in a bubble to see if he would freak out because that would be funny.

And like that, a date between the Fastest Kid Alive and the Brightest Light of beasti*alis started.

https://forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/sewer-king-an-si-in-gotham.26740/

If you wanna read there.

Chapter 78: [Book 2] Chapter 18: More than 6 (Part 1)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 13:13 | 13:13 PM]

[Calendar - 20/07/2010]

[Location - beasti*alis Empire - Skypelago, Menagerie Island, Central Region]

Adam Begala - Electric Light POV

"I belive in magic now, please help me!" Wally shouted at the top of his lungs as he looked down, panic in his eyes. He was surrounded by this paper thin bubble of soap that was miraculously holding him mid air, the same soap bubble that he himself created using soap that was given to him, and that he tested to make sure it was 100% pure soap and there were no other chemicals that could potentially make it strong enough to hold the weight of a human body. He did this all because he was a little sh*t and told Mr. Stithi that he didn't believe that the bubbles he made were strong enough to hold a human body and that he must be using some sort of chemical to make the bubble strong enough to hold a human body's weight. "I belive in magic now! Get me out of here! Please!" He was panicking because the bubble has risen 65 feet and he was still going up.

"Don't worry, you're doin' good!" Adam chuckled, as the man beside him cackled out to Wally above them. Looking beside him, where Mr. Stithi was looking up at Wally too, both grinning. Well, only Adam had a visible grin because Mr. Stithi had a beak! His bright white feathers were shaking softly as he chuckled, and Tyto, Mr. Stithi's Awakened Owl friend was also laughing out loud. "We will get you once you truly belive in magic, kiddo!" Before coming to the beasti*alis Empire, Mr. Stithi was part of the military from India, and he had lost both his legs. He was lucky to survive the plane fall when his plane simply stopped working mid-air, and maybe it was destiny that when he arrived at beasti*alis and soon volunteered to take the Awakening Serum when it was first perfected 7 years ago he transformed into a Were Snowy Owl, or if you wanna be scientific about it and very specific, he became a hom*o beasti*alis Aves Strigiformes Strigidae Bubo Scandiacus. A mouthful just to say "WereSnow-Owl"

His friend, however, was an Awakened Snowy Owl himself! Tyto became his friend after an event that happened right at the beginning of beasti*alis that was so insignificant that most forgot about it.

The US attacked the beasti*alis Empire!

They sent these highly advanced jets to "test the waters" so to say, and it did absolutely nothing! Well, besides of course, the Empress going ham on the US by teleporting to the White House and threatening the president with severe magical harm... At that time, the Empress was not satisfied with the tentative and fragile peace beasti*alis had achieved with the United States, so he created the White Feathers! A group of specially trained Awakened Birds that would act as spies! And Mr. Stithi was once the leader of such group, the new leader was unknown to him because he didn't really care about keeping up that group now that he had nothing to do with it, but for his work he was given a good work where he had to do something basic every now and then, having a lot of time and peace for himself. His owl friend decided to also retire - and they were allowed to do such because of the huge secret that they found together, a secret that saved the beasti*alis Empire from the Light.

The Light is a council comprised of self-proclaimed enlightened assholes that think they're better than everyone else in the world whose primary goal is to precipitate mankind's next evolutionary step, thus placing it on the center stage of the cosmos... Or so they claim to each other. After finding out the identity of each member of The Light, the Empress simply had each and every single one of them observed for a while... Until, of course, they were either caught or ordered to abandon their position and return to beasti*alis. Stithi was one of the few that was able to return, the others had to be rescued by the Empress himself, which resulted in the first clash between beasti*alis and The Light that resulted in a portion of Brasilia, Brazil, exploding. Well, it's a long story, so to keep it short, Brazil was being secretly invaded because of the secret sanctuary for The Green in the Amazon Forest that The Light wanted to use to do something.

The Empress stopped them from doing whatever they were doing, got to the Amazon Forest, saved The Green and made the Lady of the Immaculate Garden the Queen of the Green, which is a historical event that is taught to any who wished to hear, with some facts twisted to make sure The Light is seen as the villains.

"I can catch you if you fall, Wally!" Adam couldn't help but feel both exasperated and frustated, mostly because no matter what he did to Wally, he'd always try to find a scientific explanation for whatever it was that was happening, associating his magical powers with technology that he "carried around" or a use of his Meta Powers... Which was ridiculous and flattering sometimes. You think I can lift more than a ton with my Meta Powers instead of having to sacrifice one third of my entire energy to ritualistically cast an empowered version of the [Levitate] spell? Oh, so you're saying I now have some sort of Anti-Gravity technology with me that I carry around, technology which my country is hiding away from the world? Make up your damn mind, Wally! Sighing a little at the rather frustrating memories of Wally's stubbornness, Adam couldn't help but be glad that Wally was now "starting to believe". "...I mean, there is the Feather Fall Wards that activate whenever someone is in danger and falling from a high place, so if you believe in magic, you don't have to worry about getting hurt!"

The glare he got was more than worth it.

3rd Person POV

[Clock - 13:45 | 01:45 PM]

[Calendar - 20/07/2010]

[Location - beasti*alis Empire - Skypelago, Menagerie Island, Central Region, Pyramid Palace of Cycles]

Weaving the thread of magic before his hands, one of Atlas' many minds watched over each visitor, with Adam having his little moment with Fast Boy he wanted to keep an eye other the others to make sure they weren't doing anything that could endanger his citizens. His hands glowed a soft silver-white coloration as he weaved these threads of magic into a beautiful coat. It was meant to be a gift for Adam when he graduated from the Learning Palace of Thoth and embarked in his own magical adventures, as a means of protecting him from magical threats, but it seems he needs it right now! He was planning on giving this to Adam when he had grown more used to his powers and had established a proper magical discipline, but seeing the dangers he was going to face in the future, Atlas decided to simply give it to him now and prepare something else for his future graduation ceremony. Atlas was just readjusting a few enchantments, and for that he had to peer through the magic used to create the coat itself, unwavering it completely before putting it back together.

And he can do that easily.

Sitting beside him was Waylon, who was working with his claws. Ever since he got the Magic of Isis, he began working on the most powerful magic he could cast and that was Aprotopaic Magic, also known as Defensive Magic, or Warding Magic. A solemnly defensive type of magic that banishes evil, creates barriers, and purifies magic! Thanks to Sobek being a Divine and Waylon being his Demigod, Waylon could channel Divine Magic and make his magic extremely effective against Demons and Chaos Lords. The three factors that stop any Chaos Lord from f*cking with beasti*alis is the Wards that each island has that is made to counteract them that were created by Waylon, the Gods that defend beasti*alis with their might, and Atlas.

They were f*cking scared of him - terrified even.

Waylon was practicing carving a few runes on some wood- his claws dug into the wood like a hot knife throw butter, there was barely any resistance at all -when he felt it. He paused for a moment and gave a weird look to Atlas: "Hey, love... Do you feel that?" He shook his entire body, his black scales seemed to click together and make this soft finger snapping sound as Waylon got tense and ready to fight:"It feels like Divine energy... It is so f*cking familiar, but it's not ones I know-" He paused, realization seemed to catch up to him and run him over like a train. With wide eyes, his hand reached out and touched Atlas' stomach. It was a bit bigger than before, he looked like he had grown a gut, but it was soft and cute to the touch. When his rough leathery skin touched his husband's stomach he almost wept.

Waves of Divine energy seemed to pour out. Six of them.

"They're... talking to me." Waylon realized what those waves of energy were, and as the tears fell from his eyes, he knew. He knew exactly what they were saying even though there were no words, only sensations and emotions: "They're calling for me... They're calling their dad."

"Well, aren't you gonna answer?" Atlas chuckled- He ignored the wet sensation drooling down his cheeks, a smile on his lips as he touched Waylon's hand on his stomach -the rough black scales were warm to the touch, and as he kissed Waylon's arm he couldn't help but tease him a little bit: "Go on. Your children are calling for you,daddy." He grinned when Waylon seemed to snap out of his thoughts when he was called "daddy" in a non-sexual way... It felt weird? Oh no. He has to come up with something other than daddy to call Waylon or else it'll be weird. "Okay, need to find another sexual thing to call you, daddy won't cut anymore. It'll be weird to hear our children call you daddy when only I've been calling you that while you rail me against any flat surface, and sometimes not in any surface at all..."

"...I wasn't even thinking of that, and now I feel dirty in a not sexy way." Waylon shuttered for a moment- Okay, he can find something else that Atlas can call him besides that word! He stopped for a moment as realization downed on him, he was being a bit slow because he just got overwhelmed with the Divine Presence of his children, who definitely are either going to be one quarter gods or Demigods themselves because of the sheer strength of his divine genes. "...f*ck, okay, I guess it'll be weird to be calleddaddyafter we havekids." He'll either have to get used to being called that in a non-sexual way, or he'll have to find another word for his kids to call him. "What aboutda? Ordada? Or maybepa? Or maybe papa? Papa- That's good enough for me."

"...And I'm gonna be calledmother?Mommy?Mater? Momma? I mean, I'm already called Empress and don't really mind that." Shrugging, Atlas watched as Waylon's hand glowed a soft golden coloration, and felt tiny waves of energy from within him that were of foreign nature respond. Immediately, his [All Tongue] translated and allowed him to learn this "language" of energy... And he almost wept. "Oh, that's so cute..." It was like hearing his children's voices before they were even born. He could tell by each of their divine energies which was which and who was who... "Well, Waylon, it seems like we're having a bit more than just six."

The reason they thought they were having six, is because two energies were so intertwined that it felt like one.

One of the eggs had a twin.

Chapter 79: [Book 2] Chapter 19: More than 6 (Part 2)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 15:22 | 03:22 PM]

[Calendar - 20/07/2010]

[Location - Watchtower, Earth's Outer Atmosphere]

3rd Person POV

"So, are we all in agreement?" The stoic and flat voice of the one and only Batman echoed out in the metallic fortress that floated around Earth, with the endless cosmus behind. Before him sat the rest of the members of Justice League all turned to nod in agreement. "Very well then." Before them all, in the table, floating as a individual holographic screens before every single member of the Justice League, was a list. This list had the name of all six members of The Team and its new additions. Each name of each member was accessible with available data about them, which was very useful because of the threat level categorization that Batman had placed each member on, to facilitate the... Well, to make sure everyone was on the same page as he was.

Only the bare bones of information was first seen, with the rest being easily accessed by a simple click.

"...I still don't really trust the new beasti*alis kid-" Green Arrow hummed, looking at the floating screen detailing and describing the new member of the The Team, one that Batman categorized as an Omega Level Threat. From the lowest to the highest, in the level of how threatening someone is, Batman began this new categorization system after beasti*alis took to the skies, but according to his own words, he had to redesign the level of threats and create a whole new one based on the Empress of Beasts alone. "-and he's an Omega Level Threat already? So young and so dangerous."

The whole Threat Level ranking starts with Delta, going to Zylpha, Gamma, Beta, Alpha, Omega, and ending with Apollion. Until now, Batman has only categorized himself and the Empress of Beasts as Apollion Level Threat, knowing the sheer amount of damage they both can cause upon the world... Batman by the number of ways he knows how to destroy the world, and the Empress because of how he can simply do it if he wanted to. Beta Level Threats are equivalent to super-powered humans with training, capable of killing and destroying various lives, but can be easily taken down with planned actions. Alpha Level Threats are equivalent to highly trained foes, those who are harder to take down, or are extremely resourceful. He categorized Robin as Alpha because he is well aware of Jason's anger issues and how easily he could cause chaos and kill hundreds.

Omega Level Threats? These are the types that can level cities, cause serious damage, and even cause natural disasters. They are either highly trained, extremely resourceful, or they ae unpredictable... Omega Level Threats are hard to fight against unless you have what it takes- A good example of this is Superman. He is neigh indestructible, extremely powerful, and his only weakness is one of the rarest radioactive rocks in the world. If you rule out magic, he is very hard to fight against or even take down.

"Well, according to the Emperor of Beasts, his protégé has been highly trained in physical, magical, and mixed combat." Black Canary hummed, reading the file that detailed the combat experience and training that the new member of The Team has gone through: "The highest honors in the Royal Knight Academy- whatever that means for them, I'd have to see it for myself -and the second best at their whole magical school thing..." She lifted one eyebrow when she saw a list of accomplishments and trophies, and photos to boot! "Huh, can turn into a whole dragon?"

"Well, that's how they got their name, apparently." Flash hummed ss well, more interested in the physiology that the individual before him had more than their power in itself. "It is listed here that Dragon, full name Kar'Dorahn Vesuvius, is a Dragonkin... Demigod too, apparently from the Goddes of Evil Dragons, Tiamat, but wanted to do good. Was helped by Bahamut- whoever that is -and was found by the Emperor, taken in as his apprentice because they're both Demigods, and now they're being sent to us to learn how to work in team and do hero work."

"You really did just summarize the whole 'backstory' session, huh?"

"I am not reading a 22 page story about this dragon girl's backstory."

"...it lists her here as, technically, royalty." Captain Marvel pointed it out: "So does that mean that she can be the Knight, the Princess, and the Dragon at the same time?"

...

sh*t, he's right.

Everyone simply decided to ignore the [Nightwing] icon.

Batman was grateful for that. It took him a lot of convincing, apologizing, and compromising to get Dick to join the team... Well, especially considering the fact that he has been working on something else. The whole conversation wasn't pleasant, but was necessary, and he is glad they had it- He had to truly open his heart and show vulnerability, to show that he had grown as a person and hadn't just replaced him with another Robin, even though it seemed like it. He promised Dick that he'd get a chance to speak to Jason, so they can get acquainted with each other.

He hopes to all that is dear that they get along.

Now that he has spoken to one of his sons, he has one less thing on his [Things I Need to Do] list.

3rd Person POV

[Clock - 16:03 | 04:03 PM]

[Calendar - 22/07/2010]

[Location - beasti*alis Empire - Skypelago, Menagerie Island, Central Region, Pyramid Palace of Cycles]

Atlas sighed out: "...Kar, you can't just threaten to cut someone's head off, stuff it full of lice, rice, mice, and spice and shove it deep inside their asshole because they pissed you off. That is dragon behavior, and you told me that you didn't want to be consumed by your nature- remember?" He rubbed a finger on the side of his forehead as he could feel a headache incoming- seriously, this Draconic Demigoddess makes him regret ever opening his mouth and teleporting himself and Waylon to the Nine Hells 5 years ago... Well, he didn't expect to actually meet a legion of devils and saving the daughte of the Evil Goddes of Chromatic Dragons Tiamat. "Your mother might have liked that behavior, and I'm not saying that what you just promising to do unspeakable horrors to someone is bad in and of itself, but you can't like, kill people unprovoked!"

"Yeah girl- You punch them in the face hard enough to make them regret ever speaking sh*t to you!" Waylon grinned, lifting his love and placing him on his shoulder as Atlas made a 'Not helping!' Frown face before he sighed: "Like, break a few bones or so- Maybe eat a few fingers? They're too bony, but I'm sure your teeth can crush the bone..."

"...Waylon, you need to stop suggesting cannibalism as a form of problem solving." Atlas face palmed hard- is this crocodile demigod serious right now? Is this thefatherof his children?

"It's not cannibalism if you're not of the same species!" Waylonn cheerfully replied, a mischievous glint in his eyes- he wasn't being 100% serious...

Only 80% serious.

"That's not what I- You know wha? It doesn't matter." You could killl someone with how hard Atlas rolled his eyes, deciding to instead focus on the girl in front of them that was covered in bruises, alongside the Kryptonian boy that was also covered in bruises.... they were both glaring at each other so hard you could basically see sparks of electricity from the sheer animosity. "And you!" Atlas pointed his finger towards Connor: "I literally said not to f*ck around- And you cone here to find out?" He turned his eyes to the others- Jason looked both annoyed that he was interrupted (he was talking to someone) and kinda amused that Superboy got in trouble with the Empress, Artemis and M'gaan looked apologetically at him, Kaldur was rather bashful that he wasn't there to stop Connor because he was swimming in the artificial rivers of beasti*alis, while Wally and Adam were a bit embarrassed that Atlas found and teleported them to him right before a very intimate moment -before he said: "If this is a regular behavior this boy has, you guys need to deal with it... Seriously, have any of you checked to see if his anger issues are, like, artificial? "

"...what do you mean by that?" The mere suggestion that maybe, the reasn he was angry all the time might not be natural, made Connor confused.

"...have none of you ever considered, ever thought, feared, or even just wondered- I mean, you said he is the clone of Superman, right? And he was created in a lab?" Seeing nods following his questions, Atlas made a very reasonable question that opened the floodgates of fear into the heart of the young heroes (besides Kar'Dorahn, since she isn't a hero yet): "So, what says he hasn't been mentally f*cked with- If he was created to be a weapon, then making him angry all the time, like a mad bloodthirsty bloodhound, ready to kill whatever you point at..." Atlas shrugged, turning to look down at his beloved: "If it wasn't for Waylon here, you two could've killed someone."

"...I apologize, Empress." For the first time ever since the Empress started lecturing them, Kar'Dorahn Vesuvius spoke. Her voice was deep, almost like the sound of gravel grinding against rusty metal annd being crushed to tiny bits: "I failed you. I shal accept any punishment that you deem necessary." The Empress saved her from her foul destiny while the Emperor accepted her as his apprentice, and she learned from him how to manifest her own divinity.... the problem was that it gave her serious anger issues. She requested the Empress to send her to The Forge, also known as the Elemental Plane of Fire, where she could train without risking someone's life. She had been captured by Devils at the request of her own mother, the Evil Goddes of Chromatic Dragons, Tiamat - she was to be ritualistically sacrificed in her mother's name after she had grown to the age of 10.

Her fiendish and draconic blood has long made her body develop way faster. Even though she was 16 right now, she was about 6'6 with her long, curled and pointy horns that looked like two middle fingers pointed to the sky in the way they tilt backwards a little bit. Her bright scarlet red scales reflect the sunlight, making her look shinier and more polished than she should. Her deep bonfire red color shined even brighter than the light of the sun at times, which was crazy when you really thought about it. But she was the daughter of a dragon Goddess, so of course her inner flame was much more powerful than a normal Red Dragon should have.

"Forget that-" Adam said, getting a glare from Dorahn, as he said: "-are you saying that Superboy is being mentally f*cked?"

"Possibly." Atlas shrugged: "I don't really know-" He froze. It was only a single sensation through his entire body that made him freeze. "...Waylon."

Waylon, who was looking down at this holographic screen that was showing him a few things- Statistics for Project Skyfall alongside the latest reports, all written in Common -simply asked: "Yes, my love?"

"...I think it's happening."

"...huh?"

"...I'm gonna lay these eggs."

Ya'll will think its a lie, but I lost this chapter 3 times.

Chapter 80: [Book 2] Chapter 20: More than 6 (Part 3)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 18:55 | 06:55 PM]

[Calendar - 20/07/2010]

[Location - beasti*alis Empire, Skypelago, Menagerie Island, Central Region, Pyramid Palace of Cycles, Empress'/Emperor's Main Room]

3rd Person POV

So, uhm, laying egg? Not that easy.

"Push, love-"

Although he had used magic to try and stretch his own body's muscles and bones to give way to the big f*cking eggs he was laying- seriously, they were the size of an ostrich's egg. How the f*ck was this thing inside him? -something he failed to consider was that:

1: His children were a mixture of him and Waylon, birthed from divine magic.

2: If something can wrong, it will go wrong in the worst way possible at the worst time.

With these two things mixed together, you get the biggest "f*ck you" Atlas has ever seen in his life! Because you see, the eggs could absorb magic. So whenever he tried to cast his [Transmutation] spells to allow himself a window to breathe and lay the eggs more easily, the eggs would easily suck up the magic from his body the moment he casted it. And, afraid of consequences for the little babies that were absorbing magic (too much magic has consequences), he made the hard decision of not using magic and have a naturally painful birth... It was that or risk giving his babies magical cancer, and there's no way he would ever do something like that!

"-push-"

"If you tell me to "push" one more time, I will push my hand into you chest, rip out your heart, and feed it to our children."

"-...sorry."

Waylon, wisely- Thoth felt like his wisdom saved someone today... -made the decision to take a step back and simply smile to his Empress, allowing himself to silently panic. Holy sh*t, normaly he'd think that was hot, but the sheer intense stare that he got alongside the deep demonic voice was enough to rattle his bones! "Uuuhhh... Oh, I can see one!" Because of the suddenness of the birth, Atlas teleported them both to their main room, the room they slept in every single night. They have been here for a while now while the midwife- Miss Nora Fries, High Priestess of Khepri -prepared a tonic that would help the Empress heal afterwards.

You see, birth is very powerful. I mean, you're literally bringing new life unto this world, so it had several magical and esoteric qualities! Natural birth was not only a literal birth but also the "birth" of powerful life energy. The pain and the blood were a sacrifice from the mother to the child, and with these two factors, Atlas could cast a really powerful spell that would bless his children by literally paying the price in blood and pain. Waylon also joined in, his teeth dug deep into his own flesh and bone, and he allowed his blood to flow freely into Atlas' large belly as the eggs within slowly but surely moved out of the anal cavity. Their shells were black, deep dark black and it momentarily looked like Atlas was sh*tting void droplets- Okay, his mind thinks random thoughts when he's in deep pain? "You, f*cking, little sh*ts!" In pain, Atlas really thought he would sh*t himself- like many women do in childbirth, a really natural process -and in a way, he was, but the feeling he felt was the very first egg leaving him. There was a momentary sigh of relief followed by more pain, although he was properly and easily stretched beyond his natural and normal human limits. Sure, his body was enchanted by his magic- how do you think he's surviving laying these eggs otherwise!? But, still, such a thing had a limit!

Like being ripped apart from the inside out for 2 hours straight without any sort of relief.

"Love, I know you're gonna hate me for saying this, but you gotta push- They're coming out already, I can see more of them!" Waylon winced when- yep, he felt that! Usually, with his Endurance of Ptah, he was able to easily shrugg off various painful and otherwise deadly dangers to his livelihood... But apparently "Angry husband giving birth to my eggs after I magically impregnated him because I am son of Sobek aka a Demigod" wasn't on that list... Weird, right? That's, like, the most normal thing ever! That happens every Saturday- The Demigod impregnating people, not him impregnating Atlas... Although that would be awesome. The more children the merrier, right? He can already imagine, a baker's dozen... Thirteen children running around, holding swords, slaying monsters and playing with other kids... He can imagine them graduating from either magical or knight school ready to take on the world... He got so lost for a moment that he forgot everything! Where was he again?

"AAAARGH- I SWEAR TOSOBEK, WAYLON, I WILL RIP YOUR DICK OUT YOU !#@%!×+_/>;•■°€`¥~₩`♤°£°■`£•♤○♤&^@^@/+/×^#&"

Oh, right, his beloved laying eggs!

It took a little while, but in... 7 hours and 37 minutes, 6 beautiful black eggs stood before them. Immediately upon laying the last one, bleeding and tired, Atlas dragged his fingers across their black and shiny surface, writing out their names. The names that he and Waylon chose for their children!

"Exal." He wrote across one of the eggs- Upon muttering the name, the blood glowed a bright yellow-gold light, bathing the egg in a warm light. It was bright enough to shine through the egg, showing the world the embryo within the egg... It was beautiful. "Exaltant child, devoted lover of beauty, golden blood of divine, and beloved daughter... First born." Describing everything he could feel from his daughter's soul, Atlas finished writing within own blood around the egg, each word once again, glowing the same yellow-golden color.

"Devon." This time, the one to speak was Waylon. He dragged his bloodied finger across the eggshell of his first son- His eyes glowing a bright and pure white light, just like the blood upon the shell as he wrote and spoke: "First born son, second born child, devoted to peace and light... Life bright and pure, destined to great wonders of the soul." With his last word, the whole egg was shining white! The void black eggshell faded away, being replaced by this pure and transparent glass-like barrier of pure magic that protected the embryo inside... They could all see the embryo within, it was beautiful because his scales were growing, and they were completely white. Atlas could also feel a familiar magic coming fromDevon, and that was his own... His son had the same magical soul, it seems.

"King." The next egg was bathed in their blood his hand, splashing all the blood they could gather. It was necessary, for this child's destiny and soul was a bloodthirsty one! "Child of blood. Representing the endless cycle of life and death, creation and destruction, you are destined to be a child that will impact history and shake nations... Your very being is going to become a monumental piece of history. Birth kingdoms, and raze them to the ground." Although it sounded ominous as f*ck, Atlas knew deep within that this son-King-would never harm his family. His soul was a bloodthirsty one, it reeked of Divinity born from his husband's taste for good fights. The egg turned a bright red color, almost like it was made of pure, crystallized blood.

"Quinn." This time, Waylon did not write down the name in the shell of the egg, but instead drew this weird and beautiful sign. An arrow that split into three arrows, each end with three different "heads". The left one being this long needle-like pointy end, the middle one being this dark and jagged saw-like end, and the right one being this blunt round end. Almost as if possessed, hundreds of different voices spoke through Waylon's mouth as he channeled his magic: "Wild soul you have, my daughter, and a beautiful one too... Three sides of the same coin.The sharp end, Destiny.The tortuous end, Love.The undamaged end, Mercy... You bring three sides, and yet you're one, a curious descendant and a peculiar Triple Goddess. Diana, Hecate, Tridevi, Kuan Yin... We have another one, huh?" Those voices were voices neither recognized, but both knew- They were the voices of the many, many deceased and long gone Children of Sobek. They have manifested before, but only in the afterlife that was created for them by Atlas, which was where the majority of believers in the Faith of beasti*alis would end up on, where they can chill and party for the rest of eternity... or for however long eternity lasts.

Atlas, this time, swirled the blood around the next egg- as the egg floated, the blood simply began writing thousands upon hundreds of thousands of letters in various languages! "Many names, many names you want... But you'll have to settle for one,Neo." From the Greek word for "new" or "young", Atlas knew very well how this one's soul reacted... It wanted everything, it wanted to learn, it wanted to be everything and everywhere. "Heh, you little spazz..." Snickering a little, Atlas began to weave the spell he and Waylon have been weaving in their children: "Soul of wonder and curiosity, burdened with the beauty of ignorance and the horrors of knowledge, with a thirst for wonder and a hunger for desire, you are wild and inspired by the world... Your light will bring forth the revolution of creation itself, where even Gods will be inspired by your voice of creativity and love." With a final push of magic, the eggshell surrounding Neo's egg began to crack, revealing this floating embryo surrounded by... nothing at all. Well, until you tried to reach out for it, that is when your hand will touch an invisible eggshell that protects the embryo but allows you to see it.

He had a still developing thrid eye in his forehead. Although developing, Atlas knew, deep within, it would be a bright emerald green eye!

Looking at the last egg, the one with the twins, Waylon and Atlas touched them at the same time. Their magic intertwined with love for their children, love for each other, and love for their nation. Their magic twirled, their blood mixed, and each began speaking about one child-

"Avila."

"Aliva."

Two similar names, but somehow, they felt different- they were so different that they almost felt like they were... opposites. One dull and colorless, the other bright and colorful. One soft and fluffy, the other harsh and hard. One talked about love for life, the other cried for the beauty of death.

"...son of beauty, desire for delight, singing voice of the spring, flowers bathe upon your existence and bloom at your command-"

"Great daughter of oblivion and devotion, wailing voice of withering winter and desparing ends, nature dies within your presence so it may grow again the next spring-"

"You bring life upon this world, so death may have something to remember."

"You bring death upon this world, so life may have something to create."

""Youbalanceeachother.""

The magic in the egg illuminated two embryos within it- One full of joy and life, other with dread and death. Both loved, both alive, and both destined for great things.

"You protect-"

"-each other."

Finishing the last portion of the long ritualistic spell the they have been casting ever since Atlas first started laying these damn eggs, magic blossomed. It took upon each weaved magic spell in each egg and made this beautiful, colorful, and intricately designed net that seemed to shimmer and shift with sheer power. Gold, light, blood, destiny, love, mercy, curiosity and creativity, life and death.

Divinities, these were divinites.

Even if young and not developed, like their father, they were Demigods. They had the blood of Sobek, and as such, they were... divine in nature! Atlas, tired and just recovering from a long and arduous spell- seriously, 7 hours of laying eggs? At least his children are protected for as long as he lives -that he and Waylon had just finished casting, he closed his eyes to sleep while his beloved husband held to the six eggs, seven babies, four boys and three girls...

Oh, their lives have gotten much, much more interesting.

Author

Hello one and all to another chapter of- MY DEPRESSION DIDN'T WIN TODAY.

I mean, yes I laid in bed for more than a week without moving or feeling like I wanted to do anything but breathe. Yes I do suffer from Vitamin D(ick) deficiency... What do you mean I have to "touch grass"? I'm allergic to sunlight, okay!?

I also dislike garlic... and crosses- I'm not a religious guy! Van Helsing also dislikes me for some reason, I don't know why, but I love Hugh Jackman to death, he is a DILF.

In other words- I might be back, bitches. Idk, I'm tired of being alive still, but I managed to write so here- Have this.

Chapter 81: [Book 2] Chapter 21: Beautiful Life (Part 1)

Chapter by DaoOfGay

Chapter Text

[Clock - 07:22 | 07:22 AM]

[Calendar - 21/07/2010]

[Location - beasti*alis Empire, Skypelago, Menagerie Island, Central Region, Pyramid Palace of Cycles, Empress'/Emperor's Main Room]

3rd Person POV

Morning came, and alongside it, so did the good news.

The entirety of beasti*alis was a festive mood! The Empress has given birth, and that is enough to make the entire nation ecstatic. They came to learn that the Empress had laid 6 eggs- which made a few of the egg laying part of the population (the Werecrocodiles, the Atlantians, and the Avian hom*o beasti*alis, and other different egg laying species) both proud of the Empress and a bit disappointed that he hadn't laid more. They were proud because laying eggs is not easy for nobody involved, neither the mother nor the egg, because the rituals of birth need to be done "naturally". For those who have the knowledge of how to do it- Read: All the midwives from the Healing House of Khepri -the process of blessing a child with the blood of the mother and father is easy! You see, as expressed in the past chapter, natural birth gives a greater potency to this type of magic- C sections and other surgeries to extract the child also work, but for some reason the magic will be slightly weaker.

Not by a huge amount, mind you, but by a noticable amount.

The process of birth in itself is a ritual if you think about it... The mother gives pain and blood as sacrifice for their child, and the child breathes and cries to show the mother that her waiting, her pain and her suffering wasn't for nothing. Sadly, that isn't a 100% certain process, as many women and children have died in the past due to blood loss and other complications in the natural birth, which is why if there is any risk for the mother, natural birth is ruled out as a law by beasti*alis and surgery is recommended. If surgery is also a risky subject, then the Healers of Khepri begin the MAB protocol- Also known as Magically Assisted Birth.

But seriously, 6 eggs and 7 children? They were the talk of the empire! Seven beautiful children born from a first time mother was always hard, but knowing of what the Empress was capable of made many citizens of beasti*alis sure that he's got this! Seriously, the Empress already keeps the entire beasti*alis Empire afloat, what else could be harder than that?

All Mothers: *chuckles darkly*

The moment Atlas woke up and decided to have breakfast as normally, Atlas knew that the entire Empire already knew of the fact that he had given birth. News like that would spread faster than one can blink, after all, and such trivial concerns as what others think of him aren't important when he is so f*cking happy! He never thought he'd miss how light his body feels without having to carry six f*cking eggs the sixe of ostrich's eggs inside his body! Sure they were secured inside him and he used magic most of the time to keep them lighter so they wouldn't limit his movement, but constantly having to go to the bathroom was annoying some times... He almost pissed himself a few times because the eggs constantly pressed against his bladder. "Good morning little ones..." Looking at the beautiful eggs he had, Atlas willed them to float towards him. He analyzed each and every single one of them, barely paying attention to Waylon who slowly woke up beside him: "And good morning to my big one too."

"Urrhmm..." Grumbling like a grumpy bear, the massive black dragon humanoid opened one of his eyes- the red eye and black slit pupil stared right into his own eyes before he looked softly at the eggs floating his arms; "Morning..." Slowly, Waylon shifted from sleeping face first against the cloud bed to lying on his sides, looking directly towards his beloved husband and his children, his eyes almost tearing up. He is going to give these children the life he never had, or he will die trying. "To my love, and to my little ones~" There was a pulse of energy from all the eggs, a divine energy that he recognized, deeply within himself. It was an almost instinctual response; They were greeting him back.

"Oh, clearly the babies have a favorite." With a grumpy pout, Atlas turned and allowed Waylon look closer to his children- Exal, Devon, King, Quinn, Neo, and the twins Aliva and Avila. Their shells of different colors and patterns, the same spell woven across them all that marked them with blood and love, family: "See, papa's here now... He can also start learning how to switch diapers- Wait, would you seven even wear diapers or need to switch them? I can literally just make diapers that automatically clean themselves- Okay, I'm rambling now." He safely and carefully deposited the eggs into Waylon's arms, he started to make crocodile noises, and Atlas floated away for a moment before the prosthetic legs he had created a long time ago simply floated and reattached themselves to his body.

He doesn't sleep with them because they're uncomfortable to sleep with.

He touched the ground and slowly walked towards his desk- Job is never done, after all! He opened his book and started taking some notes about Project Skyfall as the expansion into the Elemental Plane of Air, the Boundless Blue, continued. He made some predictions with [What Is Going On Right Now], [Stories of A Future Long Past]... They were bonuses of his [World Book - Encyclopedia] ability that allowed him to check the position and location of Objects and People in the past and future, as well as knowing future events and knowing past events as if he was reading them from a book- which he is! But recently, after he reached 10,000 books read (thanks to his many different Wills all spread around beasti*alis like a hive mind), he was able to unlock a new ability.

And by recently, he means yesterday when he was giving birth. He wasn't in the best mental space to deal with it, okay? But he ended up learning a bit about False Hydras, including their song, which is useful-

The ability he received was this one:

[Reader's Eye]

(10,000 Book Perk)

[You can read the stories of everyone and everything, seeing their life and everything they've been through and everything they will go through as if you weren't part of their lives. This ability is called [Reader's Eye: Original Story]

With this ability, you can also read everything about them: Their thoughts, emotions, actions, desires, dreams, future, past, and anything you want to know. This ability is called [Reader's Eye: Open Book]

With this ability all that is, isn't, might, might not, could, could not, can, can't and won't exist is visible and laid bare before you, and nothing can be hidden from your eyes.]

It was a rush of sheer information- He can already see the future, but to see everything about someone he lays his eyes upon? That is incredibly useful and incredibly powerful when used right. He can also probably see multiversal versions of those he focuses his eyes upon, knowing what they are going through throughout the multiverse could be a blessing and a curse at the same time... most likely a curse. "Huh..." He turned to look at his beloved and his babies, and he was surprised- First, because he could indeed see various threads of endless possibilities weaving their way out of his Waylon's body, but there was a bright golden one that was weaved across seven other golden threads that connected directly towards his very soul. And, weirdly enough, his children only had one single thread- They only existed in this universe, like him.

They were Multiversal Singularities.

And if you don't know what a "Multiversal Singularity" is, the answer is simple: There is only one of him in all existence, because he is a member of the Endless Library in this universe... His children? They came to be because of his interference with the world, as thus, they are also singularities amongst the endless Multiverse. And this golden thread that connects Waylon to him and their children? Well, that's easy to answer: This is the brightest, best, most "good" and "awesome" timeline, dimension, universe where Waylon exists. Of thousands and billions of thousands of realities, this is the one where he is most happy, most loved, and most respected by everyone.

"Love, you alright?" Waylon's worried voice snapped him out of his wondering mind only for Atlas to notice... He was crying. The sheer power in the fact that him existing and him loving Waylon has made him the happiest version, the best version of himself that he could possibly be, made something inside Atlas fizzle out and fade away- Something that whispered doubts inside his mind, something that managed to survive years with the love Waylon showed him every single day, a parasitic emotion known as 'Imposto Syndrome' that plagued his thoughts in the middle of the night asking him if he deserved to be loved by Waylon. "Is everything okay? You feeling pain anywhere? Did something happen-"

"Yeah, something happened." Atlas chuckled at Waylon's face as he turned serious, expecting horrible news- He realized then and there that, yes, he did deserve to be loved by Waylon Jones. "I think I just fell in love with you all over again."

"...who's being sappy now?" Waylon looked away, but even if his thick black scales could hide the blushing of embarrassment, his tail couldn't hide his true emotions as it curled around the bed like it always did whenever he was happy: "But seriously, did something happen and you're trying to hide it from me to stop something worse from happening or...?" He has come to learn that, sometimes, you cannot ask direct questions when it comes to the future and knowing what will happen, because sometimes just knowing the future will happen can make it happen. Self-fulfilling prophecy and all that jazz, you know? "This isn't like one of those 'Future Things', is it?"

"No, no- No, it isn't." Atlas shook his head fervently. Normally he knew that Waylon wouldn't ask such questions, but its also not everyday that he just stares into the abyss and starts crying! "I just... I just learned, with the utmost certainty, that you are the happiest, most loved, and best Waylon Jones that exists."

Huffing, Waylon held his children as he got up from the bed- his long tail swaying from side to side as he approached, towering above Atlas easily: "You little idiot... I could've told you that." He squashed next to him, pressed his forehead against Atlas' forehead and kept eye contact with him as he said the following words with the heaviest intensity ever: "Listen, Atlas Jones: I. Love. You. I am the happiest man in this entire world- No, this entire universe, because you have given me the best life I could ever have. You are my lucky star, you are my light, you are my love..." He paused for a few moments before he whispered: "...and you are also my little bitch."

He couldn't deny that, even if he wanted to. And now he believed the first half with all- every single part -of his mind, knowledge, understanding, and soul.

"Now... let's show the world our children, shall we? Starting with our family, of course." Waylon got up and offered him his larger, calloused hand- The rough texture of his leathery skin was enough to ground Atlas down.

"Yeah, let's show everyone our children."

Together, the two left their room and went down to greet the other members of their big, bright, and beautiful family. Atlas saw, the moment he met them at the dining room, all their golden threads amidst endless dull and colorless threads.

Yeah, he deserves this beautiful life.