The Titan 23 (Patreon)

Chapter 23:

– Titus –

“Goodwork here, Titus…”

"Batman and Batman" were making their rounds, ensuring all the defeated regime members were properly detained. It was a surreal sight watching the two of them work in perfect sync, like some kind of grim mirror image. 

The unconscious Superman had been dragged inside what was left of the building and tied up with Wonder Woman’s lasso. One of the Batmen had administered a liquid kryptonite injection, apparently something that would keep him depowered for days. I wasn’t sure which Batman had done it because, honestly, I still couldn’t tell them apart unless they explicitly told me. It was nuts how alike they were—the same brooding demeanor, same refusal to explain anything unless absolutely necessary. The only difference I could pick out was that my Batman was probably willing to go a step further to keep the peace if he had too… 

While they handled cleanup, I decided to do some rounds of my own to thank everyone. These people had shown up to fight an evil Justice League and to rescue me, even though they didn’t have to. The least I could do was thank them all properly before we headed back.

I started with Martian Manhunter and Green Lantern, who was busy confiscating the power ring from his unconscious doppelganger.

“Thanks for having my back out there,” I said to both of them.

Manhunter nodded solemnly. “Of course, Titan. We always take care of our own in the Justice League.”

Green Lantern gave a small grin as he secured the extra power ring ring in a small containment box. “Gotta say, it’s not every day you get to knock out an evil version of yourself. I’ll call that a win! The Guardians are going to flip when I tell them about this though...” he murmured.

“Maybe... Don't tell them?” I said with a chuckle before moving on.

"Yeah, maybe I shouldn't..." I heard him murmur mostly to himself.

I spotted Flash standing off to the side, staring down at the lifeless body of his doppelganger. His posture was tense, his head slightly bowed. The mask made it hard to read his expression, but the silence around him was heavy.

“Hey,” I called out softly as I approached. “You good?”

He didn’t answer right away. When he finally spoke, his voice was low. “He let Superman kill him. Didn’t even try to run. I just… I don’t get it. Why would he do that?” He must have found that out from one of the captured regime members. 

I shrugged, even though it felt like the wrong response. Wasn't really sure what else I could do. “Maybe he thought it was some kind of redemption? I don’t know. This world’s all kinds of fucked up. Don’t beat yourself up trying to figure it out.”

Flash let out a humorless laugh. “...Yeah, well, seeing your own dead body isn’t exactly something you prepare for.”

“Fair point,” I said, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

I looked down at the dead body of the alternate Flash and turned to my world’s Flash. “Should we take him somewhere? Maybe give him a proper burial or something? I don’t think the people of this world are gonna be too thrilled about the alternate Flash, but we could at least do right by the guy.”

Flash shook his head. “Nah, don’t worry about it. An annoying guy’s probably gonna show up any second now and take care of it.”

“Annoying guy?” I repeated, raising an eyebrow.

Almost like Flash had some sixth sense no one knew about till now, there was a sudden gust of wind, and out of nowhere, the Reverse Flash was standing right next to us! 

The guy looked pissed, his body flickering like some glitchy hologram.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Reverse Flash grumbled, crossing his arms. His eyes darted to the dead body of his alternate nemesis, and he let out a frustrated groan. “Why is it always you, Barry? How the hell does the fastest man in the world get hit by a slow ass attack like heat vision?”

I noticed he then pulled some kind of high-tech syringe out of… somewhere. Honestly, I didn’t even want to know where he was keeping that thing. He crouched down, stabbed it right into the dead Flash’s chest, and pressed a button.

“You better fucking thank me for this, Barry! You piece of shit! This crap’s hard to get in the goddamn 31st century!” Reverse Flash snapped. Obviously the corpse was not able to respond. 

I watched in shock as the gaping, burnt hole in the alternate Flash’s chest started to close up. My super vision kicked in, and I could see tiny nanites rebuilding his torso cell by cell. It was surreal, like watching a corpse come back to life in slow motion.

“Hey there, alternate reality Reverse Flash! Thanks for saving alternate reality me!” Flash said with a chuckle, clearly enjoying the weirdness of the situation.

Reverse Flash turned his glare on my Flash. “Fuck off, alternate Barry,” he said flatly before he sped away, disappearing almost as quickly as he had shown up.

I just stood there, blinking at the spot where he’d been a second ago. “Ok? What the fuck just happened?”

Flash laughed at my confusion. “Reverse Flash made himself into a paradox. As long as I—or, well, any version of the Flash—is alive, he can’t die. It’s kind of his whole thing.”

“So if you die…” I started, piecing it together.

“Then so does he,” Flash finished with a nod. “It’s a weird, messed-up safety net he built for himself. Means he’s got no choice but to step in and save me whenever shit gets really bad. Lucky for me, right? Or lucky for alternate reality me, at the very least...”

“So do you want me to stick around, or…”

“Nah.” The Flash told me to leave him be. “I’ll talk to my alternate when he wakes up,” he said, waving me off like this was just another Tuesday for him.

“Alright, your call,” I said, nodding. I turned and finally made my way toward all the beautiful women in my life.

Diana was standing with Supergirl and Shayera, the three of them clustered together in what looked like a staring contest with Power Girl and Raven. 

Diana had this warm, approving smile on her face as she looked at the two women. 

Kara looked less pleased, her eyes narrowing especially at Power Girl. 

Shayera didn’t seem to give a damn either way. 

I glanced around, half-expecting to see Grail nearby, but of course, she was gone. She’d probably taken off as soon as the fighting was over. Not that I blamed her. Grail wasn’t exactly the “stick around for a heart-to-heart” type. I figured I’d see her again in a couple of hours, though. Probably back home already cleaning out all of Diana’s food stores. It’s not like super metabolisms allowed any of us to get fat after all…

I walked over to Diana. She had a few scrapes and cuts, her hair was a bit of a mess, but she was still breathtaking. God, I’d missed her. The Wonder Woman in this world just didn’t compare. Not even close.

“Titus!” Diana’s face lit up the second she saw me. She pulled me into a loving hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“I’m glad you’re okay too,” I said, hugging her back. “This has been… a lot.”

She pulled back, her hands on my shoulders as she gave me a once-over. “Are you hurt?”

“Nah, I’m good,” I said, brushing off her concern. “Superman got a few good hits in, but nothing I can’t handle.” I added with a cocky grin.

Diana’s eyes darkened at a bit as she glared over at the unconscious man of steel. Speaking of, I noticed that our own Superman was not present. Honestly, not even surprised.

“So, Titus,” Kara cut in, her arms crossed as she glared at Power Girl. “Who exactly is this?”

Power Girl smirked, stepping closer to me. “I’m Karen. Nice to meet you, other me.” She extended a hand, but Kara didn’t take it.

“Other you?” Kara’s eyes narrowed. “You’re not ME!”

“Yes I am. I’m just a better version,” Karen said while gesturing to her own larger chest.

“Excuse me!?” Kara’s voice rose an octave. I could practically see the sparks flying between the two of them.

“Alright, alright,” I said, stepping between them before things could escalate. “Can we not do this right now?”

“Fine…” Kara muttered, but she didn’t stop glaring at Karen.

“So, Raven,” Shayera said, her voice cutting through the tension. She pointed her mace at the dark-haired girl. “You’re one of Titus’s… what? Girlfriends? Fuck buddies?”

 I could not help but sputter at that blunt question! What the hell Shayera!?

Raven’s cheeks turned pink, but she didn’t back down. “I’m… I don’t really know, but I’m going to be a part of his life...”

“Hmph!” Supergirl turned her head and jealousy crossed her arms. “These hussies think they can just come in here and steal Titus from me!?” she muttered to herself quietly, but pretty much everyone heard her.

…A few of the girls were still glaring daggers at each other, and I could tell that the showdown wasn’t ending anytime soon. I decided to slip away before someone started throwing punches. Besides, it was probably better if they hashed out their issues without me right there in the crossfire.

I spotted Shazam hanging back by some rubble, looking like he was trying to blend into the background. It was kind of funny seeing this big, muscled hero looking so unsure of himself. Until you remembered he was a 10 year old kid inside. As soon as he saw me, he perked up and managed a grin.

“Hey, Titus,” he said. “Glad you made it out in one piece.”

“Same to you,” I replied, giving him a nod. “I heard you didn’t really have permission to come out here in the first place. Figured Batman would’ve locked you in the Batcave to keep you safe.”

Shazam shrugged. “I’m not scared of anything… except whatever happens next now that the Regime’s been taken down. I mean, most of the heroes around here got locked up, and some people really believed in them. Doesn’t help that I used to be on Superman’s side.”

“People will probably be pissed for a while,” I admitted. “It’s hard to trust anyone who was on the wrong side of a war, even if you were just a kid who got swept up in Superman’s crap. But hey, if you stick with Batman and the others, show them you’re serious about making things right, you’ll win back that trust eventually.”

He grinned and held out his hand, and we bumped fists. “Thanks. I’ll do my best. I don’t know when we’ll see each other again, but if your Batman figures out that portal device, maybe I can visit your world someday.”

I returned the grin. “That’d be cool. You can meet the Billy in my world too—though he might be a bit different from you. Then again, maybe not.”

“Now that you know my secret, you should become his friend,” Shazam said. “If he’s anything like me, he probably doesn’t have a ton of friends who understand what he’s going through.”

I nodded. “You can count on it,” I said. “Damn right I’m gonna look him up when I get home.”

It took us a few more hours to finish rounding up the Regime members and secure the nuclear power plant we’d been fighting in. Both Batmen led the charge, running around with stoic efficiency. Green Lantern used his ring to lock down any areas that looked unstable, while Hawkgirl flew overhead, double-checking for structural damage. Martian Manhunter phased through walls to make sure we weren’t missing any hidden dangers, and my world’s Flash helped ensure everything was running smoothly once the power plant staff came out of hiding. Okay, they weren't exactly in hiding, Batman had basically tied them up and left them in a closet. 

He pretty much deserved the glares they were giving him. 

By the time we confirmed the place wasn’t about to blow sky-high, dusk had turned into full-blown night.

Finally, we all gathered at the makeshift magic portal that had brought my Justice League here to rescue me in the first place. Seeing everyone lined up—some battered, some exhausted, but all still standing—reminded me of how crazy this entire trip had been. I was more than ready to get back to our reality, maybe grab a shower, and figure out who the hell had thought it was a good idea to dump me naked into a parallel dimension. They were in for the beating of a lifetime! 

Batman–our Batman–gave a final nod to this world’s Batman. They didn’t say much—big surprise. A few of us exchanged quick goodbyes with the locals. Shazam caught my eye one last time and smiled, and I returned the gesture before stepping through the glowing portal. One by one, we all slipped back to where we belonged, leaving this twisted Earth behind.

…

Everyone looked relieved to be home. Flash stretched his arms and let out a loud yawn. “Good work, everyone,” he said. “Who else is hungry and could use some food?”

Before I could say anything, Power Girl spoke up with a confident grin. “Hell yeah! Can we get pizza!?”

Flash raised an eyebrow. “Sure—wait, what?!” He did a little double-take, looking at Power Girl and Raven, who had come over with our group. “Aren’t you two from that other Earth…?”

Power Girl shook her head before Raven chimed in, calmly folding her arms across her chest. “We’re from our own separate Earths originally. The one we just left wasn’t home for either of us. We both ended up there under… unfortunate circumstances.” She trailed off, clearly not wanting to explain more.

I saw Batman glance over at me, and I could practically hear him thinking we’d need a debrief to figure out what the hell Raven and Power Girl’s full stories were. I just gave him a tiny shrug. 

We’d talk later.

Power Girl continued. “We hated how unhinged that Justice League got. Guess we shouldn’t even call them a Justice League, but whatever. So, we decided to move on. And we were hoping your world isn’t going to turn evil on us too… unless you guys have some hidden despotic streak?”

Flash chuckled. “We’ll try to keep our dictator sides in check.”

Power Girl flashed him a smirk. “Appreciate it.”

He nodded and turned back to the rest of us. “Alright, pizza it is, then. Race you all to the teleporter!” And just like that, he vanished in a burst of electricity.

I rolled my eyes. “Gone in a flash,” I said out loud. 

A bunch of people groaned in response.

“Really, Titus?” Supergirl muttered, shaking her head. “That pun was terrible.”

I shrugged. “Not ashamed.” I huffed in mock offense, which earned a small laugh from Diana.

Batman cleared his throat. “I wanted to debrief everyone about what happened on that world, but I suppose we can eat first. We’ll talk in detail afterward...”

No one argued. We were all running on fumes and adrenaline, and food sounded like heaven. So, we headed to the teleporter bay in the Watchtower. Flash had already keyed in coordinates for some pizza place in New York City. 

…

One slightly jarring flash of light later, we stood on a busy sidewalk, the teleporter’s residual energy crackling in the air behind us. 

To say we caused a scene would be an understatement… 

Pedestrians stopped in their tracks, some of them whipping out phones immediately. 

A few people ran up, pointing and shouting, “It’s the Justice League!”

Flash was already at the door of a little hole-in-the-wall pizza joint, holding it open and waving us inside. “Come on! I’m starving over here!”

We filed in—Batman, Wonder Woman, Shayera, Supergirl, Power Girl, Raven, and me. A few other League members had either headed back to their own cities or were still in the Watchtower. The second we stepped into the place, heads turned. There were a couple of families and a group of college kids. They all stared at us like we were aliens, which, in fairness, some of us were.

The restaurant staff looked a little freaked out at first, but once they realized we were there to actually order food, it turned into excited chaos. People wanted selfies and autographs. Kids ran up, squealing about how they’d just seen Wonder Woman on TV last week, or how they had a Batman backpack. Flash loved every second of it, which wasn’t surprising. He was all smiles and quick jokes.

One of the workers behind the counter managed to get our attention. “Uh, what can I get you guys…?”

Flash hurried over, practically rubbing his hands together. “We need a lot of pizza. Like… a lot. Let’s start with, say, twenty extra-large pies—”

“Twenty?” I cut in, but then I remembered how Flash’s metabolism worked. Plus, Power Girl, Shayera, and Supergirl could also eat enough to feed a small country. Raven might not look like it, but I’d seen her chow down when she was in the mood. Not to mention me and Diana. 

“Actually… better make it fifty...”

Flash nodded. “And maybe some breadsticks, too. Gotta have carbs.”

Power Girl chimed in, leaning on the counter. “Extra cheese on half of them, please.”

The poor worker’s eyes widened. Yeah, it was a scary order. “Uh, okay… Coming right up…” This dude immediately looks like he was regretting his minimum wage job, but he couldn't exactly say no to the Justice League at this point. 

As we waited, we spread out around the restaurant. Shayera gave a half-smile to a group of fans and let them snap a picture of her with her mace in hand, though she quickly told them “classified” if they asked too many questions about the fight we’d all obviously just been in... 

Diana was standing near the door, answering questions from a few wide-eyed kids who wanted to know if she really fought giant monsters in space. 

Supergirl shook hands with a bunch of people, smiling politely even though I could tell she was wiped out. 

Power Girl was basically the center of attention, cracking jokes and flexing when a couple of teen boys asked who was stronger—her or Supergirl. The resemblance was pretty obvious, and people immediately made the connection that they were sisters. 

“You're obviously the older sister right?”

“How come you've never shown up in public till now?”

“How come your boobs are so much bigger than your little sisters!?”

“Whoever just said that last one is now my official number one fan!” Powergirl laughed. 

Raven stayed near me, looking both amused and slightly overwhelmed. I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and smiled at her. She snuggled closer to me while we waited. 

Eventually, the staff called out for us. “Order for the Justice League… that’s about… well, I lost count. But it’s a lot.”

I walked up to see towers of pizza boxes stacked behind the counter. “Jesus,” I muttered.

Flash did a quick headcount of the boxes. “Perfect.” He flashed me a grin. “Titus, think you can help me haul some of these out of here?”

“Sure, but balancing them is going to be a bitch.” I slid half the stack off the counter, trying to make sure they didn’t topple over. Flash took the other half and almost wobbled right into a table.

“They’re not heavy,” he grumbled. “They’re just—”

“Really awkward,” I finished, adjusting my grip. How does one carry 25 pizza boxes without dropping them? Not easily, that's how. As we started to make our way to the door, a bunch of fans stepped aside to give us room, snapping even more pictures. That was when I felt the top boxes start to tilt. My eyes went wide. “Crap, crap, crap—”

They started sliding out of my arms, and I tensed up, ready to catch them. But then they just… stopped in midair, surrounded by a faint dark glow. I glanced over at Raven and saw her fingers raised, arcane energy flickering around her hands.

She guided the boxes back onto the stack, then flicked her wrist to keep them balanced. I stared at her blankly. “You could’ve done that earlier, you know.”

Raven smirked. “Where’s the fun in that?”

I rolled my eyes and pressed my shoulder to the door, pushing it open so we could slip outside to the sidewalk. The crowd immediately surged around us again, everyone desperate for a selfie or an autograph. Flash gave a mock bow. “The Justice League, ladies and gentlemen! Saving the world one pizza order at a time!”

It was good to be home…

XXX