A/N: Sorry for the long delay, I somehow got a girlfriend, so my mind wasn't exactly on writing, but now I'm back and she also read the story saying she liked it despite the smut, so I'm going to upgrade to a PC from my old laptop that sounds like a 747 taking off the runway. If you have any recommendations on PC parts and where to buy them please bless my ADHD riddled brain.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works. All other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. If you recognize something it isn't mine.
Arius' Adventures in DC
Chapter 17: A kiss started it all.
-Diana Prince (Wonder Woman)-
Diana stood in awe as she felt her entire being thrumming power unlike anything she had ever known. It was as if she had become one with Olympus itself, every inch of the realm was within her reach, hers to command. And her newly gained divinity of wisdom whispered the answer, in Olympus she reigned supreme.
This power had chosen her, and she would not deny the gift. It would make her mission to aid Man's World all the easier. And as she turned to Arius, the very reason she had rejected her former gods, she felt only gratitude.
A voice broke through her thoughts.
"Diana?" Clark's voice was strained, and she turned to see him waking up still bound in her golden lasso. His expression is a mix of wariness and exasperation.
"Can you untie me now?" He asked and she could tell he was straining against the divine Artifact, but it wouldn't budge.
She had nearly forgotten that she had bound him in the first place. She had tied him up to stop him from making a foolish decision and getting himself killed by Arius, but the look on his face showed he didn't appreciate it, so with a flick of her wrist, the lasso uncoiled, retracting into her grasp.
"Can you open a portal back to Themyscira?" Batman, ever practical, spoke next not bothering to get into what just occurred, but she knew that it was only a matter of time before he brought it up.
The answer came to her instinctively, yes, she could, but regardless of the fact that they most likely came through the portal on Themyscira she would not allow them to step foot on the island again without first speaking to her mother. Themyscira was not a place men could visit easily regardless of their relationship to her, even Arius. Instead she closed her eyes and after locating it, with another effortless motion, she opened a portal directly to the Watchtower.
One by one, the League members stepped through. Once everyone was through Diana followed last along with Arius, clinging to his arm. The destruction he had caused to Olympus could be repaired later because right now she didn't want to deal with that mess.
As they arrived on the Watchtower, Diana felt a shift, while she could still sense inside Olympus once out of the realm her new powers hit in full force and looking down at Earth she saw its struggles with new clarity.
The wars, the hunger, the suffering, people praying to any god for help. It was all clearer than ever, and for the first time, she realized she had the power to do more than just use her fists, her powers and new found wealth ensured she could change the very foundation of the world for the better.
She could make barren lands fertile, bring fresh water to those who had none, quell storms before they devastated innocent lives and provide funds for rebuilding efforts from the Olympian vault. She was now more than just a warrior, she could bring true change. And she wouldn't do it alone. She would travel the world with Arius at her side, reshaping the future for the better. The thought alone brought a smile to her lips.
-Bruce Wayne (Batman)-
Batman quietly observed the amazon standing in the center of the Watchtower, radiating power. Her entire presence had shifted, her very aura commanded absolute authority and he had a gut feeling that even without analyzing the data, Diana was now the strongest member of the Justice League.
Ordinarily, this should have been a moment to celebrate because this newfound power, meant that protecting Earth would be even easier and the people could be safer than ever, but the situation was far from ordinary and Batman didn't see victory, he saw a potential crisis on par with Darkseid.
Wonder Woman had allowed her gods to be slaughtered, despite both himself and Superman trying to reason with her. That alone had put her firmly into the category of a potential threat. Now with her unexpected increase in power and her unpredictable actions caused by her relationship with Arius, Batman knew sooner or later she would go too far, and from now he would have to monitor her even more closely than the Saiyan himself.
He had always been wary of the Saiyan since day one, but Arius was simple. He was brutal, powerful, and direct, but he wasn't a strategist, nor was he subtle. His way of thinking was straightforward and predictable. But Diana? She was different because while she wasn't a genius, she was smart. And with the divinities of at least eleven gods now flowing through her, including Wisdom, she had just become vastly more dangerous and he had no idea how far her morals had fallen.
Her growing attachment to Arius was the biggest concern. She was already started adapting to his brutal nature like she had adapted to the Leagues when she joined. And if the Saiyan's mindset and attitude continued to influence Diana, it was only a matter of time before her sense of justice began to shift.
Batman clenched his jaw. He needed a new contingency plan, immediately.
His current fail-safes for Wonder Woman were now most likely obsolete. Before, he had multiple strategies from Superman restraining her with his superior strength and speed to exhausting her in prolonged combat with hallucinogens, but those were no longer viable.
With her newfound power, any direct confrontation would be as futile as trying to stop a hurricane with his bare hands. He could already safely assume that her strength, speed, reaction time and mental fortitude increased dramatically, that was on top of all the powers she gained from opening portals to controlling the elements, she was a different beast now and even if the league managed to defeat her, things would still go out of control because of Arius, who Batman knew wouldn't hesitate to side with her.
Speaking of her new powers he decided that he would need to refine his mental defenses even more, using the techniques he had learned from Tibetan monks in case Diana developed telepathic abilities like Martian Manhunter.
He needed to uncover the full extent of her new powers, catalog them, and most importantly, devise a way to neutralize them should the worst come to pass. To do that though he needed concrete information, not just speculation. And the perfect opportunity would come during the debriefing.
Once all the League members, including those who hadn't participated in the rescue mission, had gathered, Batman prepared to begin his analysis.
He would hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Even if it meant resorting to underhanded tactics.
-Kara Zor-El (Supergirl)-
She anxiously flew over the forest that surrounded Arius' condo, her heart pounding with frustration and worry because he had vanished without warning. He wasn't answering her calls or texts, and when she visited his home, it was completely empty besides his pet turtle sunbathing in the backyard. That wasn't like him. If he had gone out, he would have invited her or at least said something.
Her unease grew when she tried reaching Kal only to be met with the same silence. Something was wrong and she didn't know what, but she wasn't going to wait around.
Kara shot up into the sky, heading straight for the Watchtower, flying through space was still surreal to her since she realized that she didn't need to breathe oxygen, but now wasn't the time to think about that.
Upon arriving, she immediately accessed the equipment and checked to see what heroes were on Earth, the first one that popped up was Cyborg, he was in Jump City and knowing he was the tech guy she assumed he could give her some information and called him through the Watchtower's communications.
As soon as the line connected, she cut to the chase. "Cyborg, where's Arius and Kal? I can't get a hold of either of them." She asked anxious that something happened despite knowing that the two were some of if not the strongest beings on the planet.
Cyborg sounded confused for a moment but quickly explained, "Huh? They didn't tell you? Batman notified me that Arius, himself and some league members went to rescue Diana after they learned that she was being held prisoner by the Olympian Gods."
Hearing that Kara exhaled, finally relaxing. Despite how irrational it sounded she had feared something far worse, like Arius getting ambushed by some unknown enemy.
Still, while the news put her at ease, a different emotion quickly took its place, bitterness. Not only had Kal kept her in the dark, but Arius didn't say anything before just up and leaving to rescue Wonder Woman. And while they held no obligation to do so it still stung more than she cared to admit.
'What? He just drops everything and rushes off to save her like he's captain save a ho?' Kara thought with clenched fists, trying to suppress the bubbling jealousy. But it was hard not to feel abandoned, like she didn't even cross Arius' mind before he took off.
She sighed, forcing herself to think rationally.
She figured that the Olympian Gods, despite their so-called status as gods weren't even close to Arius' level since even the New God Darkseid was handled easily. He was probably fine. And Diana? Kara had some sympathy for the Amazon getting imprisoned, but it didn't erase the bitter taste in her mouth.
'Fine. Whatever.' She thought because even when Wonder Woman came back Kara would make sure that she wasn't pushed out into the background, nothing was set in stone, but for now it was time to work out some of her frustration.
Without wasting another second, Kara flew to the Fortress of Solitude. While Kara was stronger then Diana and would only get stronger and faster just by absorbing sunlight, she wanted to outclass the amazon in all aspects an to do that she would need to train especially her technique. And once she reached a certain mastery of martial arts she was sure that she would truly outclass Diana in all aspects.
Using the advanced Kryptonian technology she set the AI in the training chambers to compile and emulate the best material arts in the universe for her and once done she threw herself into intense combat drills, memorizing them all as she imagined fighting against Arius mentally, predicting his movements, trying to his raw power with everything she had.
Nearly eight hours later, she was beginning to grow restless. The grueling training had done wonders, but her mind kept drifting back to him. Where was he now? Had he already returned?
Then, she heard his voice.
Her head snapped up toward the sound, and with her supervision, she saw locked onto him, he was in the watchtower and she was ecstatic that he came back, but once she saw Diana clinging to his arm like she was his girlfriend, Kara's stomach twisted in irritation.
A surge of jealousy shot through Kara, her first instinct being to fly over there and separate them immediately, but she restrained herself, biting her lip hard enough that she would've bit through steel. She had been too embarrassed to make a move on Arius when they nearly kissed, so she had no right to be angry now.
Still… seeing them like that made her blood boil and she exhaled sharply to calm her emotions. If she acted rashly, it would only make her look desperate, so she had to be smart about this. Not looking away she saw that Arius was leaving while Diana stayed behind for a meeting.
"Perfect." She whispered as this was her chance and after waiting a bit so she didn't seem too desperate she shot off into the sky towards him the moment he started cooking in his yard.
-Arius-
Arius stood in the meeting hallway watchtower looking down at Earth scanning for any Ki signature that matched his adoptive mothers, while thinking over the events that had occurred he felt irritated at how the Olympian gods had been such disappointments, frail and arrogant beings who died when met with true strength. The most disappointing part was that regardless if he got stronger or not the end result would have been the same their utter annihilation.
The only good thing to come out his trip was setting Diana free, but that was the entire point of his expedition to Mount Olympus, so he was content with the results, but was confused by her vast change attitude because for some reason she was clingy.
It wasn't that he minded her presence, far from it. He liked having her around, but ever since they left Olympus, she'd been holding onto his arm, sticking close, looking at him with affection and while they kissed he didn't expect her to act so different. It seemed off-brand to see such a strong and independent woman fawning for him so hard, but he figured it would pass and she would return to normal since she might be going through a rescue phase.
And now that their relationship was basically cemented and Diana was free he could focus on bigger concerns, with the most important being his mother.
Death had told him that she would be reborn on an Earth, but after scanning the entire planet, combing through trillions of life forms, including animals and humans alike, he hadn't sensed her Ki anywhere. Not even a trace.
That meant one of two things: either she would reincarnate sometime in the future, or she had already been reborn on an Earth in another universe, mulling it over he had read about situations like this in his first life and decided not to worry too much about it since they were destined to meet all he to do was be patient and look for a solution, because if that wasn't the case then Death wouldn't have told him. And to the best of his knowledge Death of the Endless had no reason to lie to him and if she did he'd make sure he paid for it by killing everything in the multiverse and making her work overtime.
Still knowing Diana was safe he deiced that it was time to eat, so he turned to her, "I'm going home." He stated plainly and she looked up at him, blinking in surprise.
"Are you sure you don't want to stay with me for the debriefing?" She asked, clinging to his arm and he could tell she wanted him to stay, he refused.
"No. I have no interest in dealing with Batman or Superman and I feel like they'll annoy me." He scoffed, their constant moralizing irritating him, the two hypocrites preaching about restraint, all while acting as judge, jury, and executioner when it suited them. He wasn't in the mood to deal with that for any extended period of time.
"Alright, well I'll see you later?" Diana said as she hesitated but nodded giving him one last hug that he returned before stepping through the Zeta Tube.
After flying out of the cave and back at his condo he wasted no time setting up the grill and getting the ingredients ready, since he couldn't satisfy his hunger for battle he would do it with food instead.
He threw the slabs of meat covered in seasoning weighing in hundreds of pounds on the grill and watched as the scent of sizzling meat filled the air he grew excited knowing this would be more satisfying than slaughtering the gods, but as he carefully monitored the food he felt something approaching fast. He turned, narrowing his eyes slightly, his Ki sense flaring.
It was Kara. She was coming straight for him with no sign of slowing down.
'What's gotten into her?' He thought and despite being a few miles away she was still flying at her top speed and he knew she wouldn't have time to stop. Looking in her direction he saw that she was dressed in the same tight outfit he saw when they sparred and assumed she was just training. She ignored his motions for her to slow down and she slammed into him, wrapping her arms tightly around his torso in a bone-crushing hug.
"Arius! Are you okay? Did those gods hurt you?" she asked frantically and after breaking the hug and circling him while scanning his body for any injuries, he scoffed, feeling highly insulted.
"You seriously think they could harm me?" He asked with a sneer, crossing his arms, "They were to me what humans are to you, utterlyinsignificant."
Hearing that she paused before laughing, her blue eyes gleaming with relief, "That's good, but did you get stronger?" She asked and Arius paused, surprised that she could tell knowing she couldn't use Ki sense like him, but he gave a nod.
As he tended to the fire, he casually recounted his encounter with Death of the Endless that led to him growing stronger, "Right when I was about to destroy the entire Greek Underworld, Death of the Endless kidnapped me." He said his grip tightened on a slab of meat as he remembered the sheer increase in power his body gained trying to equal her.
"Anyway we fought and I was knocked out within minutes." He finished bluntly not seeing any reason to complicate it, though his voice held a rare trace of frustration.
"Ahh, that's why you were so solid when I rammed into you." She muttered off-handedly before snapping her head towards him, "Wait… you fought the literal concept of Death?" Kara blinked, stunned.
"Yeah." Arius nodded, turning over a particularly juicy piece of meat not wanting it to overcook it since he liked a little blood in his meat while Kara stared at him as if he'd grown another head.
"Why are you acting like this is normal?" She asked.
"Well it was unexpected, but I was already fighting a literal god of death, Death itself is just a stronger version. What matters is what I saw and what she told me." Arius replied as he went on explaining how Death of the Endless, after ensuring he wouldn't destroy the Greek Underworld let him meet his adoptive mother's whose soul she had been personally holding and how after a meeting 'Kara', her soul vanished, reincarnating somewhere on an Earth across the multiverse.
"Wait… why is Death a woman?" Kara asked, absorbing the information before frowning slightly. And to that Arius paused, not having an answer, but it was a good question.
"Why did you take the form of a woman?" He asked, turning his gaze upward expecting her to be listening since she had given him her blessing.
Kara tilted her head looking around, "Uh… who are you talking to?"
Before she could react, a voice answered from behind her.
"That would be me! And I chose this form because humans find it comforting to be welcomed to the afterlife gently by a beautiful goth girl, it helps them accept transitioning to my realm." She explained and Kara whirled around, instinctively throwing a punch, only for Death of the Endless to effortlessly sidestep it.
Pivoting off the graceful dodge she sauntered up to Arius and while Kara gawked at the pale-skinned woman dressed in black, Death of the Endless was smirking at Kara and after posing with a hand on her hip she turned to him.
"I was expecting you to run around Earth like a madman looking for the other 'Kara.'" Death said and Arius didn't give her a second glance as he grabbed a piece of meat off the fire and bit into it, "I didn't sense her Ki, so I'm trusting your word, but you never specified when she'd reincarnate, so I'm hoping that she shows up on this Earth in the future, if not I'll simply visit the other ones one by one. No point in tearing apart worlds."
Seeing his nonchalant reaction Death of the Endless laughed, clapping a hand on his shoulder, "Then you're smarter than most, because I could've sworn you were the impulsive type."
Arius answered after swallowing, "I am, but I have my moments. Speaking of, are there delays in reincarnation? Or am I going to have to explore other Earths?" he asked seeing that he didn't have to guess now that he had the source of his information right in front of him.
She hummed, tapping a finger against her chin, "Hmm, well I can't give you a direct answer, but I can give information reincarnation is almost instant, so if she's not here…" Death of the Endless said leaving the statement open and while he didn't know why she couldn't give him direct information he would accept her answer nonetheless and nodded, taking another bite.
'I missed beef, anyway it looks like I'll need to explore other Earths.' He thought still not knowing how to travel to other universe's since he doubted that DC like Dragon Ball had magical orbs that summoned a giant wish granting dragon and he knew there was no God of Destruction to ask, but while there wasn't a God of Destruction there was someone who he thought was similar, but before he could ask another question, she cut him off.
"I already gave you my blessing," Death of the Endless said smoothly, "I can't physically take you across universes. That's something you need to figure out."
"Of course." Arius sighed, nodding. It would've been too easy otherwise. As he mulled over the challenge of finding a way to another universe, a thought struck him as he glanced at the pale-skinned woman.
"Do you have a name?" he asked, taking another bite of the meat, "Calling you 'Death of the Endless' in my head is getting annoying." He said and she chuckled, her dark eyes gleaming with amusement.
"You can call me Didi from here on out." She replied with a cheerful smile and Arius nodded then, without another word, he went back to eating.
-Kara Zor-El (Supergirl)-
"Are you really the concept of Death for the Multiverse?" she asked skeptically, eyes narrowing slightly she studied the pale-skinned woman in front of her, who called herself Didi, but identified as Death of the Endless. And she nodded with a playful smile that made Kara all the more skeptical despite Arius and the woman's claims.
"That's right." She tilted her head slightly, "But you can call me Didi if that makes things more comfortable." She said and still Kara wasn't sure what to think and before the Kryptonian could think of another question to ask, Didi continued.
"If you need proof, I know that your parents, Zor-El and Alura In-Ze, are in the realm of Rao with the rest of the Kryptonians."
Hearing that Kara froze. Her breath caught in her throat as her mind processed what she had just heard as she hadn't told anyone her parents' names besides Kal and Arius.
Slowly, almost hesitantly, Kara stepped forward, reaching out and softly grabbing Didi's shoulders, "Then… are they going to reincarnate too?" she asked hopefully, her voice barely above a whisper, her brain replaying all the memories of her life from childhood to adulthood as she began to think of the possibilities of them coming back to life, but while Didi's gentle smile never wavered, the softness in her eyes did and seeing that Kara had her answer.
"…I'm sorry." She said and Kara closed her eyes, her hope shattering in an instant. Her shoulders trembled as she tried to hold back the wave of emotions rising inside her and without warning Didi pulled her into a hug.
While stiff at first at the unexpected contact Kara eventually responded, wrapping her arms around the woman, burying her face in her shoulder, letting herself be vulnerable in Didi's comforting embarrass. Minutes passed, and when she finally composed herself, Didi gently pulled back and cupped Kara's cheek.
"They have lived their life and are at peace in the afterlife and I can tell you right now that your parents loved you very much and want you to live a long, fulfilling life." She said and Kara blinked back more tears but nodded. She still wished she could see them again… but at least now she had some closure knowing that they were in a better place.
"Thank you." She whispered hugging Didi once more, but a voice broke the quiet moment.
"Hey Kara, do you want me to go kick Rao's ass so your parents can reincarnate?" Arius asked and Kara turned, her teary eyes landing on him and for a second, there was silence, but seeing that even while holding a plate of food he was dead serious Kara couldn't help burst out laughing.
"You know Arius you shouldn't mess with the cycle of life and death so casually. Their souls are at peace and are where they're meant to be, let them rest." Didi chuckled as well, shaking her head as she playfully scolded Arius and Kara nodded in agreement.
"Like Didi said, It's okay I accepted that they died a week ago when we were sitting and talking. This just gave me some slight hope, but as long as I know they're doing well, that's enough. Besides… I believe in Rao too. I'll see them again someday." She smiled softly.
Arius studied her for a moment before giving a short nod. Accepting her answer, he simply held out a plate.
"Do you want some?" He asked and Kara's smile brightened, and she eagerly took it knowing how much it meant he cared if he was willingly offering his food instead of Kara having to ask for some.
"Of course." She replied and without hesitation, she sat down next to him on the ground, making sure she was close enough to lean against him large frame and as she started eating, Didi crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at Arius.
"And where's my plate?" She asked and Arius snorted while taking another bite.
"You're the literal concept of Death. You don't need to eat and if you want some of my food, you have three options. Spar with me, locate which Earth my mother reincarnated on or summon some dead cow and have at it yourself." He said dismissively and Kara expected Didi to take offense, but to her surprise, the pale-skinned woman simply huffed in mock irritation before gaining a devilish smile and vanishing.
Startled, Kara whipped her head around, "Wait-where did she?!" Was all Kara got out as her words died in her throat, when she saw where Didi was.
Arius was holding her by the neck, keeping her at arm's length as if shielding his food from a particularly persistent stray cat and Kara's jaw dropped. She knew Arius had no sense of self-preservation since no one had been able to challenge him in strength, but he just told her he was no match for Didi, so she'd assume that he would be more respectful of her, but nope. There he was still holding the literal concept of Death by the throat.
"I'm serious. I'm not sharing." Arius growled, his grip visibly tightening and while Kara hesitated she knew she had to act and awkwardly patted his shoulder.
"Uh, Arius… maybe you should calm down? It's not a great idea to piss off Death." She said, but again to her shock, Didi waved her off while chuckling. And to Kara's growing horror, a faint blush formed on her pale cheeks.
"Oh, I don't mind," Didi purred, her voice amused, "It's not like I can escape anytime I want… I just didn't expect that I was into being choked by you, Arius." She added with a teasing smirk and Kara nodded absentmindedly before pausing, processing who just said that.
Death.
The literal concept of Death.
Liked being choked by Arius.
Kara's brain short-circuited. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to formulate a response, but before she could even begin to process this new information that Death was a certified freak, a sudden shift caught her attention. A vacuum-like sound filled the air, followed by a surge of movement above them. Looking up, Kara saw a portal open directly over the backyard with Diana stepping out.
She felt a slight heat rising to her cheeks as she took stock of the situation she was in. She was still pressed up against Arius' side, her body practically glued to his side as they sat eating together. That alone wouldn't have been too bad since had already decided to compete with Diana for Arius, but then there was the fact that Arius was choking another woman who was blushing like a nymphomaniac.
Kara knew that Diana wouldn't take this well since the amazon just like her was definitely the jealous type. And putting herself in Diana's shoes, if she had seen Arius holding some unknown beautiful woman by the throat as she gave him a lustful stare, she probably would have done something reckless. Like challenging said woman to a fight, which unfortunately in this case would only end in one way, Death.
So when the Amazon princess landed gracefully, Kara didn't miss the way her smile twitched slightly when she saw how close Kara was leaning on him, but when Kara glanced toward Arius she saw that Didi who was enjoying being choked was nowhere to be seen, most likely realizing the same. That left Diana seeing just her and Arius cuddling, something Kara was more than fine with since now it meant that if Diana wouldn't die by provoking Didi.
Diana's sharp blue eyes flickered toward her before landing on Arius a forced smile making its way onto her face. Kara could feel the tension and anger behind it and felt vindication at the anger Diana was feeling, since Kara was sure that the amazon didn't expect her to get so close to Arius while she was away. And while some humans like to say that the early bird gets the worm, Kara preferred saying that the second mouse gets the cheese because she learned from her mistake and wasn't going to hesitate anymore.
"Arius… Kara." Diana greeted, her voice laced with jealousy that Kara easily picked up and knowing she had to at least be civil, greeted the Amazon back, forcing herself to be polite.
Kara didn't hate Diana, considering that she was worried that the amazon was about to end up in the afterlife for attacking Didi, but that didn't mean she liked Diana considering the amazon was also pursuing Arius.
And when Diana moved to hug him, Kara had to shift away slightly to give her space, an action that annoyed her she did nonetheless, but what followed next made Kara's blood boil. Diana pulled back from the hug and without hesitation captured Arius' lips in a deep kiss.
Kara's eyes went wide, her breath hitched and she saw red. She shook with anger and her hands clenched into fists so tightly that she swore she could hear the space itself collapsing in her hand, but she forced herself not to lash out, especially when Diana smirked at her after pulling away, as if silently saying 'I win'.
Kara sucked in a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. It seemed she miscalculated because while she already knew that Diana was ahead of her, she hadn't expected the Amazon to be in a relationship with Arius so suddenly. Kal had told her that Arius and Diana weren't together and she had spent the last week with him without him giving any indication of this development, so this was unexpected.
But seeing the look of joy on Diana's face made something snap and in that moment, Kara made a decision.
She wasn't giving up.
She wasn't going to let Diana have him so easily. From the very moment she arrived on Earth she felt attraction to Arius and after getting to know him better she knew that they were fated.
Two survivors from dying worlds landing on Earth while being some of the last of their species. The times being nearly identical and even their names were linked, she shared the same name as his adoptive mother.
It was practically a love story in the making and that meant that she was meant to be with him.
And while it seemed like she was late and messed up her chance, she wouldn't give up. Because this only meant that their love wouldn't come as easy, she could play the long game if need be and Kara knew Arius better than most. The one thing he respected more than anything else was strength. And that was something she had over Diana in spades, because while the amazon was strong, Kara blessed by her heritage was stronger and that wasn't factoring in that she was also a beautiful, busty blonde that was only growing in power, so while Diana was a tough opponent Kara was confident that she was going to win in the end.
So instead of reacting to Diana's provocation and snapping showing Arius her jealous side, Kara smirked and ignored her, turning her attention back to her plate, happily finishing her meal, the meal that Arius had cooked specifically for her.
While she didn't enjoy seeing the PDA of Diana pressing herself against Arius, she didn't have to endure the sight for long since Arius made the amazon sit down so he could also focus on his meal. The amazon established her claim, but in the end, she was sidelined for food and that alone was amusing.
Diana got a plate of food as well, but Kara focused on eating and talking, not allowing Diana to get another opportunity to shove her tongue down Arius' throat.
So as they ate and conversation naturally flowed, Diana spoke about her time detained under Mount Olympus, describing what she had been put through and the reason for her capture, trying to show off how she stayed loyal to Arius and Kara, who was only only half-listened at first while trying to think of ways to seduce Arius better, paused when she heard Diana state the reason why she was captured and she felt anger bubbling within her once again.
'Those gods had the gall to try and subdue or kill Arius?' Kara thought enraged, the idea alone made her livid and she was ecstatic that they had died at Arius' hands, only wishing that they suffered more. Especially Athena, something about the way Diana described her made Kara uneasy, she felt an instinctual disgust toward the goddess who offered to be Arius' royal consort.
The Saiyan also spoke venting again about how weak the gods were and how they all fell before him. Kara couldn't help but smirk in vindication at their death and the fact that she was more certain than ever that Arius had an obsession with strength.
The stronger someone was, the more appealing they were to Arius.
And she knew for a fact that she was far stronger than Diana… It was only a matter of time before she took what was hers and if she hadn't chickened out during their first sparring session, she'd probably be getting pounded by Arius in another way.
Kara suppressed a shudder, her body tingling at the thought, as she schooled her expression knowing now wasn't the time or the place to have such thoughts because while Diana might have won the battle, Kara swore that she would win the war.
-Arius-
He sat in content silence, enjoying his meal while two women pressed their bodies against him from either side. He could feel the heat of their glares over his shoulders as they exchanged sharp looks, each making subtle, pointed comments that he largely ignored. He knew exactly what they were doing, competing for his attention and while he dismissed their petty rivalry, they were being distracting.
It wasn't lost on him how easily he could turn this situation into something more entertaining, but he decided against it since the food tasted better when hot. He'd enjoy their company later, after all he wasn't in any rush.
Eventually, they finished eating, with Arius having consumed most of the meal. Diana cleaned the mess with a wave of her hand and Arius paused seeing how useful her new powers were.
"So, when do you want to spar? Or maybe go on patrol? I want to test my new power." She turned to him and asked, stretching her arms slightly.
"I'll spar if you want, but I'm not going to be the one to initiate anymore." Arius shrugged.
"Why not?" Diana asked while frowning.
"Because I'm too strong now. Before, I just avoided using Ki enhancement while sparring and while I was still stronger and faster than you it was somewhat entertaining and a competition. But now? I'd have to actively weaken myself to make it even remotely interesting and I have no interest in doing so." He replied bluntly and he noticed that Kara smirked at Diana, clearly pleased with his answer.
"Then what about patrolling? We usually go out looking for some criminals to beat up." Diana pursed her lips before switching topics and Arius shook his head again.
"I'm also done patrolling for pay. Like I said earlier Batman and Superman annoy me and I don't want to deal with the Justice League any longer." He said and at that, Diana sighed, but before she could press him further to try and convince him otherwise Arius got an idea.
"Speaking of your new powers, can you make a portal to a parallel universe?" He asked and Diana tilted her head, considering it.
"I… don't think so, my new powers only work in this universe." She said and while disappointed Arius nodded in acceptance.
"Then I'll have to explore Earth until I find someone that can and if I come across some villain, I'll deal with them, but I'll say it again I'm not interested in being a Justice League lackey anymore." He stated once more and Diana frowned at that and went silent for a moment, clearly deep in thought.
Arius noticed and asked, "What's on your mind?"
"It's just that the power I gained makes me feel like I have need to take on more responsibility since now I can do more than just patrol Washington DC and fight villains. Now I could protect the entire world and I was hoping you'd go with me." She said with an expectant look.
"I'm not interested." Arius said bluntly, shaking his head because while he planned to travel the world like Diana he didn't have the same train of thought to go around specifically to solve the problems of humanity, honestly he didn't give much of shit what happened to them.
"What about when you get lonely?" Diana pursed her lips, trying a different approach, but he just gave her a look. He'd spent years by himself while on Vyragos he could do the same now, especially considering that he had access to Diana and Kara anytime he wanted.
Diana sighed, knowing Arius wouldn't budge. She hesitated before asking, "Then what about when the Justice League faces a threat they can't handle?", and after thinking about it Arius waved her off.
"From what I sense you're stronger than Darkseid now, so I doubt that's going to happen." He said and Diana bit her lip, clearly dissatisfied with his answer, but before she could press further, Arius changed the subject.
"What happened to the kid who claimed to be Shazam?" He asked, being indirect for the first time since he could remember not wanting to hurt her feelings and Diana blinked at the sudden question.
"Oh, Billy? I gave him his powers back." She said and he hoped she would have gotten the message, but it was all for naught as he saw Diana's face grow serious.
"But I want to help people," she admitted. "I feel obligated to do more with this power." She said hoping that he would give in and he held in a sigh since she seemed to think his answer would change.
"I don't feel the same way Diana. I don't care about humanity and right now the only thing I want to do is go around and try and find a way to another Earth to find my mother, maybe try some new food, but mainly to find my mother." He explained feeling that it was better to be blunt and direct, and Diana exhaled slowly, clearly not happy but he didn't care much because she made her choice and he made his.
It wasn't like they wouldn't see each other constantly; they could both fly at insane speeds and travel the globe in seconds, so he didn't see why she was so upset. She could fulfill her hero complex and come to him when she wanted some companionship. Win-Win situation.
-Kara Zor-El (Supergirl)-
Her ears perked up as she processed Arius' words, he was basically going to be by himself doing his own thing without Diana since she had some self induced hero complex to help more people now that she had more power. And just like that, the opportunity Kara had been waiting for fell right into her lap, so soon. Truly, good things happen to those who wait.
A brilliant smile spread across her face as she turned to Wonder Woman, radiating cheerfulness. "Also you don't worry about Arius getting lonely, Diana. I'll be traveling with him to keep him company." She said sweetly making the decision knowing he wouldn't reject her company.
Diana's expression shifted instantly, her sadness at being denied by Arius shifting into a look of frustration, which only made Kara's heart soar with schadenfreude.
'Yeah, that's right. You thought you had this all figured out, didn't you?' Kara teased mentally.
"I want to see everything Earth has to offer, and since I haven't been here that long, it makes sense that I'd want to travel the globe and this was I can help him look, two heads are better than one after all, right Arius?" She asked while keeping up her innocent act and Arius gave a shrug, too relaxed to care about the growing tension between the two women pressing against him, but Diana, however was not about to just accept defeat.
"That's so nice of you Kara! And since you're feeling so helpful then why don't we spar right now? This way Arius doesn't accidentally hurt me or be burdened with holding back." The amazon said smoothly, regaining her composure.
"What?" Kara asked while blinking at the sudden challenge not expecting Diana to request a spar.
"Ahh, do you have hearing problems now? I'll say it again since you've been improving a lot over the past week while training with my man and now that he's too strong. I'm asking if you could be ever so kind as to spar with me, so I can test my new strength." Diana said with a sharp smile, the emphasis on 'my' grating to Kara's ears.
And while Kara didn't know how Diana knew she was sparring with Arius since she was, ultimately, it didn't matter, because if Diana thought she could intimidate her, she was in for a rude awakening.
[A/N: Diana didn't tell Kara that she was seeing everything through the scrying spell when explaining her imprisonment on Olympus.]
"Sure. Let's spar." Kara smirked with confidence knowing that she was the strongest being on Earth besides Arius, not even her cousin could match her in pure strength. Truly all the stars were aligning because it was the perfect chance to show Arius that she was superior to Diana, even after the amazons 'power-up'.
A/N: Onto the other news this officially marks the end of the Olympus arc and the beginning of the battle of heroines who are vying for Arius' attention, who only cares about his pet turtle… Alright well not really, but that would be funny. I need to do some more research, but I'm already planning the next couple of chapters where he'll meet his 'match', or at least what could be considered something similar since he's kinda just gonna manhandle any major villain, so stay tuned and I'm also going to put a poll out to see who the next lemon is going to be with Wonder Woman, Supergirl, both, or a mystery girl who I think would be hilarious since it would be out of left field(Not Cucking Batman… this time).
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