The Titan 29 (Patreon)

Chapter 29: 

– Titus –

Walking through the halls of Themyscira’s palace now felt natural to me. 

I was the prince of this island. Unlike most men who would never be allowed to step foot here, I was welcomed with respect. Every Amazon I passed either nodded in greeting or gave me a proud smile. 

Diana walked beside me, carrying Match slung over her shoulder. He was still unconscious, wrapped up tightly in the Lasso of Hestia, making sure he stayed that way. 

If we were lucky, the Purple Healing Ray would be able to fix whatever genetic disaster was making him unstable.

"Normally, we would not allow other men into our sacred healing chambers," Hippolyta said as she led us through the palace corridors, "but as your brother, we can make an exception."

I gave her a small nod of appreciation. "Thanks. I owe you for this."

She smiled gently. "You owe me nothing, my grandson. Family takes care of family."

The doors to the healing chambers were guarded by two Amazons in full armor. They bowed at our approach before stepping aside. Inside, the chamber was filled with warm golden light, herbs burning in sacred bowls, and soft chanting from the Amazon healers who worked their magic on the injured women inside.

Diana laid Match down on a smooth stone bed as a few healers approached, their hands glowing with soft blue energy as they examined him. One of them frowned, tilting her head.

"This man is… strange," she murmured, trailing her fingers through the air above him.

Diana sighed. "That’s because he’s a failed clone of Superman."

That just got her blank stares.

Right. They probably had no idea what a clone was. Or who Superman was. 

…This was still an island of women isolated from the outside world.

"Uh, long story," I muttered. "Just do your best."

The healer nodded and turned to the others. "Normally we could start right away, but it will take time to attune the healing ray to his unique body. A few hours at least."

"Then we’ll leave you to your work," Hippolyta said.

That gave me some time to kill. My grandmother asked what I wanted to do with that time.

"I want to visit the dungeons."

That got me a few surprised looks.

"The dungeons?" Diana asked, raising an eyebrow.

I nodded. "I want to see Hera."

Diana crossed her arms. "That’s unexpected. Why?"

I shrugged. "I met her. The other her. On another Earth. And… we actually got along pretty well. Our relationship here was dead before it even started. I just wanna see if there’s something I can do to fix that."

Diana studied me for a moment, then let out a slow breath. "Even Zeus said she’s officially ‘lost it’ after everything that happened. But… it’s not like she’s a threat to you, so do what you feel is right, my son."

Hippolyta nodded as well. "The guards will escort you to her cell."

…

I walked through the damp, torchlit corridors of Themyscira’s dungeons, guards trailing a few steps behind me. I could sense their curiosity—But nobody was brave enough to question me openly I supposed.

When I finally reached Hera’s cell, I paused. Two Amazon guards stood on either side of the iron bars, spears in hand. One gave me a small nod, then turned to face the wall, making it clear they’d give me as much privacy as possible. 

I stepped in front of the bars, peering into the dimly lit cell. Hera didn’t look good. Her once immaculate toga was wrinkled and stained, her hair a tangled mess that fell around her face. She glared at me with eyes that looked half-mad.

“Abomination,” she spat, taking a shaky step forward. “Monster. You’ll steal away everything the gods have built!”

I grimaced at the venom in her voice. She sounded even more unhinged than when I’d knocked her out weeks ago.

“Nice to see you, too, Grandmother,” I said, forcing a wry smile. “Zeus wants you locked up for twenty years, and I went along with it at first. Then I visited another Earth and met a sane version of you—someone who actually taught me how to harness my divine power better. Turns out you can be pretty cool.”

She spat at the ground near my feet. “I don’t want your pity, you filthy, unnatural clone.”

I sighed. “Look, I get it. My creation probably violated whatever your divine laws are or whatever, but I thought maybe we could—”

“Get out of my sight!” she shrieked, lunging for the bars. Her face twisted with rage as she yanked on them, but with only a fraction of her power left after all that’d been done to her, she couldn’t even bend them. “I don’t want your pity, you—”

Suddenly, a golden glow pulsed in my chest, catching me off guard. My heart skipped a beat, and I looked down to see a faint light radiating underneath my costume. It felt warm—familiar, yet strange. Before I could react, a beam of energy shot out of me, slamming straight into Hera’s face.

She let out a startled cry, stumbling backward and collapsing onto the cold stone floor.

Hera slowly stood up, swaying slightly as golden light flickered in her eyes. Her expression had changed. She no longer looked furious or half-crazed. Instead, she looked… calm. Focused. Like she was seeing something for the first time in a long time.

"Hello again, Titus." Her voice was smooth, confident—not at all like the venomous woman who had been spitting insults at me a few moments ago. "I have to admit, you work fast."

I stiffened. That wasn't the crazy Hera's voice. Not exactly.

“Hera…?” I asked cautiously.

She smiled, and it was weird seeing such an expression on her face. It was small, but it was warm. “Yes and no. I suppose introductions aren’t necessary, since we’ve already met.”

My mind clicked into place. “You’re the Hera from the other Earth.”

She nodded, still steadying herself. “I left a small portion of my divine consciousness and power inside you after you told me about the plight of your Hera. I wanted to try and help… well, myself, I suppose.” She tilted her head as if amused by the irony.

I stared at her, completely thrown. “You—you put a piece of yourself inside me? Without telling me?”

Her smirk widened slightly. “Would you have agreed if I had asked?”

I hesitated. Probably not. It was weird knowing someone else’s power had been lying dormant inside me without me even realizing it. But at the same time, if it was meant to help this version of Hera, then maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing.

The Amazon guards were tense, gripping their spears as they glanced between us. Even they could tell something had changed.

Hera—our own Hera—had gone completely still. She wasn’t screaming at me, wasn’t cursing my name. Instead, she blinked, her expression flickering between confusion and wariness. 

“What… is this?” she muttered. The golden glow in her eyes pulsed faintly before fading. She let out a sharp breath and leaned against the wall, gripping her head. “Why do I feel… different?”

I took a step closer to the bars, cautious but hopeful. “That other Hera said she left a part of herself inside me to fix your mind.”

Hera let out a bitter laugh. “Fix me?”

I didn’t say anything.

Her laugh died down, and for the first time since I’d come to see her, she wasn’t glaring at me with pure hatred. Instead, she looked… lost. 

I smiled at her—a real smile. I had only spent a bit of time with her counterpart, but for the first time, I could finally see the resemblance. The intelligence. The sharp wit. The woman who once ruled Olympus, not just through power, but through sheer presence.

I turned to the Amazon guards. "Open the cell."

They all tensed. One of them glanced at me like I’d just suggested bringing a Minotaur into the throne room. "Prince Titus, are you certain?" the guard asked.

Hera looked just as shocked, but her expression quickly twisted into suspicion. "What is this?" she asked, her voice was sharper than before. "Some kind of trickery?"

I shook my head, keeping my expression calm for her. "It’s not. I just thought you could use some fresh air... now that you're a bit saner."

Her lips pressed into a thin line, like she was trying to decide whether to be insulted or not for that comment. 

Fair enough.

The guards hesitated, looking between each other. I could tell they were waiting for me to change my mind, but I wasn’t going to. “If anything goes wrong, I’ll take full responsibility with my grandmother,” I assured them. “Not that anything will… will it?” I added, glancing at Hera.

She rolled her eyes. "No," she finally said.

The guards still looked hesitant, but I was their prince. Their loyalty to me won out in the end. With stiff movements, one of them stepped forward and unlocked the cell door. The heavy iron creaked open, and Hera stood there, staring at the open doorway. She could have just walked out, but she hesitated. 

Maybe this was the first time in a long while that she wasn’t shackled, metaphorically and literally.

Damn, that sounded pretty deep right there…

She took a careful step forward, her bare feet brushing against the stone floor outside her cell. 

I grinned and offered her my arm.

She stared at it. Then at me. Then back at my arm.

A second passed.

Then another.

I was starting to think she was about to slap my hand away when she let out a small huff—half amusement, half exasperation—and took it. She straightened her back, lifting her chin as if reminding herself who she used to be.

I guided her forward, and the Amazons all stepped back, still watching us with cautious eyes.

"So," I said as we walked toward the exit. "Want to see the sun again…?"

– Hera –

Hera tightened her grip around Titus’s arm as they climbed the last few steps leading out of the dungeons. 

Freedom.

She should have been thrilled. Should have been plotting her next move, but instead, her mind was an absolute mess.

The other Hera—the version of herself from another Earth—hadn’t just given her back her sanity. No, she had shared her memories. Some of them at least. And those included every moment she had spent training with Titus.

And with those memories also came the other Hera’s feelings. And, unfortunately, a very intense attraction as well.

Hera scowled to herself as she walked beside him, struggling to maintain her composure. How in Olympus’ name did she go from wanting to rip him apart to… this? She felt warm—no HOT. Her fingers twitched slightly against his arm, and she only realized then how firm he was beneath her touch. She swallowed, irritated at herself for even noticing.

And then for some reason she felt her thighs growing moist just from touching him.

For fucks sake, if the other Hera was so attracted to him then why didn’t they just fuck and get it over with!?

"Something wrong?" Titus asked casually, glancing at her as they reached the top.

Hera almost flinched. Could he tell? Was she being obvious? She forced a deep breath and rolled her eyes. "It’s nothing," she muttered, not trusting herself to say anything more.

Titus raised an eyebrow but didn’t push. He simply gave her an easygoing shrug and turned his attention toward the Amazons nearby. A few of them were watching warily, but none made a move to stop them.

Hera clenched her jaw. This was ridiculous. She had been locked away for weeks, stripped of nearly all her power, humiliated and cast aside by Zeus himself. And now, the very man she had once cursed and spat at was escorting her around like some… date?

She didn’t like it. She shouldn’t like it. And yet, despite all her internal protests, she found herself unwilling to pull away from him.

Hera barely had time to push down the storm of conflicting emotions when a familiar presence made itself known.

Diana of Themyscira.

Her husband’s favorite bastard daughter.

The Amazon princess and the Island’s strongest warrior stood at the end of the hallway, arms crossed over her chest, her sharp blue eyes fixed directly on Hera. There was no warmth in them—only suspicion.

Hera couldn’t help but gulp nervously. 

Diana’s gaze flickered to Titus. “You let her out?” she asked in shock.

Titus sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, as if he had been expecting this reaction. “I figured she could use some fresh air. Besides, she’s not insane anymore...”

Diana’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Not insane anymore? And what exactly convinced you of that?”

Hera exhaled through her nose. “The fact that I’m not ranting and raving like a madwoman right now. Or did you not notice?”

Diana’s lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn’t rise to the bait. “I can see that—but that doesn’t mean I trust it. You tried to destroy my family and to destroy Themyscira, Hera. That doesn’t just get erased overnight…”

Titus let out a frustrated sigh. “Can we not do this? The other Hera left a part of herself inside me to help fix this Hera. It worked. She’s fine now. Or at least as fine as she can be.”

Hera was surprised that Wonder Woman took Titus’s word so easily that she was fine now. There was trust there—a lot of it. And maybe something more.

That didn’t particularly shock her. Titus was handsome, strong, and carried himself with confidence. It wasn’t like Diana had actually given birth to him or anything. But still… Hera felt a strange, unfamiliar irritation curling in her chest.

Damn. Was she actually jealous?

She quickly pushed the thought away, turning her attention back to them. “So,” she said, keeping her tone casual. “What are you two doing back on this island? Not that I’m not grateful you came back,” she added, glancing at Titus.

Diana didn’t answer right away. Instead, she looked down at Hera’s hands—still resting on Titus’s bicep. Then an annoying smirk appeared on her face.

Hera blushed and immediately let go of his arm, straightening her posture as if nothing had happened. “Well?” she pressed.

Diana’s amusement didn’t fade. “We brought someone here for healing,” she finally said. “Titus’s brother.”

Hera raised an eyebrow. “Brother?” That was new. She glanced at Titus, who nodded.

“Match,” he said.

Hera listened as Titus and Diana explained Match’s existence. Another clone of the famous alien, Superman. Of course, the arrogant mortals had tried to make another after the first one got away from them. They would never learn.

Diana continued, explaining how they planned to use the Purple Healing Ray to fix Match’s defective genetic code and, hopefully, make him not insane anymore.

Hera gaped at them. “You cannot be serious.”

Titus and Diana both frowned at her reaction.

“The ray was never designed to work on alien DNA,” she scoffed. “And it certainly cannot be adjusted without divine intervention.”

Diana’s brow furrowed. “But the Amazons have made adjustments before—”

“Not this kind,” Hera cut her off. “That device was my creation, gifted to the Amazons to heal them, not your Kryptonian abomination.”

Titus’s eyes flashed with irritation at that word, and Hera could already tell she had hit a nerve.

“Match is not an abomination,” Titus said sharply.

Hera bit her lip, she supposed she had gone a bit too far with that comment. Still though…

“No matter what the amazonian doctors try, if they use the healing ray, it will either make things worse or just kill him outright.” It was actually a very good thing Titus had decided to come and visit her.

Diana’s lips pressed into a thin line, clearly disappointed. 

Titus, however, just crossed his arms and huffed. “Then we’ll figure out another way.”

Hera sighed. “You already have another way,” she muttered. 

Diana’s expression shifted into something more hopeful. “You’re saying you can fix the ray?”

Hera rolled her eyes. “Who else would be able to? I just said that I designed it.”

Titus let out a breath of relief, some of the tension in his shoulders easing. “Then… you’ll do it?” he asked with a soft smile that had her quivering internally

“O–Of course I–I'll do it…”

Hera followed Diana and Titus into the medical room in the palace, her irritation growing the moment she saw the Amazon healers bustling around Match, murmuring to each other as if they actually knew what they were doing.

She clicked her tongue in disapproval. “Get out. All of you.”

The healers hesitated, looking to Diana for confirmation.

“You heard her,” Diana said, crossing her arms. “She knows more about the Purple Healing Ray than anyone else. Give her space.”

Reluctantly, the Amazons bowed and shuffled out of the chamber, casting wary glances at Hera as they passed. She waited until the last of them had left before turning back to Match’s unconscious form.

“Fools,” Hera muttered. “Overestimating themselves and nearly killing a patient in the process.”

She sighed and turned to inspect the healing ray. It was in good condition, at least, but modifying it for a Kryptonian was going to take actual divine effort, something she wasn’t sure she had enough of left.

Diana approached her then, standing beside her with an unreadable expression. “Thank you.”

Hera scoffed but exhaled, shaking her head. “Consider it… my way of making amends,” she admitted begrudgingly.

Diana smirked. “You know, you could still ask for a reward.”

Hera raised an eyebrow. “A reward?”

“I saw the way you were clinging to Titus,” Diana said, her smirk widening.

Hera huffed, crossing her arms. “Didn’t you already lay claim to him?” she asked curiously.

“Not exclusively,” Diana admitted easily, making Hera blink in surprise. “Even my mother, Hippolyta, is waiting for her own turn with him eventually.”

Hera was not prepared for that information.

She stared at Diana, processing what she had just said. “Your mother?” she repeated, disbelief coloring her tone.

Diana nodded, completely unbothered. “Titus already has a budding harem back in Man’s World. You wouldn’t be the first to take an interest.”

That… that didn’t shock Hera. If anything, she found it annoyingly expected. Even if Titus was an artificial descendant of Zeus… he was still his descendant in the end. And apparently, he followed in her husband’s irritating footsteps when it came to attracting women.

She felt a warmth rising to her face but forced herself to look away. “I’ll… think about it,” she muttered. “But for now, I do need time to fix this device properly.”

Diana chuckled, clearly amused by her reaction. 

– Titus –

I leaned against the railing, overlooking Themyscira as the sun cast a golden glow over the island. 

It was a peaceful sight, but my mind wasn’t at ease. If I hadn’t gotten that random thought to visit Hera when I did… Match might’ve died. That realization sat heavy in my chest. I hated thinking about what ifs, but this one was hard to shake.

Suddenly, the sky rumbled, and in a flash of thunder, Zeus appeared beside me, leaning against the railing like he’d been there the whole time.

"Man, you really love your dramatic entrances," I muttered.

The old man chuckled. “It’s a habit, I suppose.” He shot me a side glance. “I have to say, you’ve inherited my divine luck.”

Of course Zeus had been watching this whole time what was going on with Hera and the Island.

“You’re not mad I let Hera out?” I asked.

“Nah,” he said, shaking his head. “If anything, I’m grateful. You fixed her where I failed.”

Since he was here, I figured I might as well ask him something that had been on my mind. “You ever heard the name Vandal Savage? Or anything about an organization called The Light?” I explained a bit about a secret villain organization that was making it their mission to constantly fuck with me. Or at least it felt that way…

Zeus stroked his beard as he looked thoughtful. “Savage… Savage. Hmmm. No… the name doesn’t ring a bell.”

I frowned. That was disappointing.

“But,” Zeus added, “Ares has been acting strange lately.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Strange how?”

“Well… stranger than usual,” he clarified. “He's always been kind of a weird fucker. But lately that's been an understatement. He’s been quieter, more secretive. It’s obvious whenever he’s planning on starting some shit, but Ares is about as subtle as a brick. He has been making some unusual new friends lately, so just watch out for that, grandson. Although I doubt he’d be a threat to you with only a sliver of his power…” Zeus added with a shrug.

“I'll keep an eye out,” I told him.

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