Vandar opens his eyes and finds himself in a bed. The bed sheets are black, and everything else is rather dark. Soft lighting can be seen above, like the starry sky during the night. He feels some weight on his chest and sees the lush black hair of a woman. Then he remembers what happened. He and Hecate finally breached the 'barrier' and did the deed. However, calling what they did intercourse or sex might be an understatement. They were going at it like beasts in heat. All of that stored tension between them was undone, and they reached a lot of peaks. They were mating for months; that's how intense it was. Both of them came to understand the other's body in full detail and learned how to pleasure the other. Vandar was certain that he died a few times as well.
It was simply divine.
Vandar might not like it, but he may or may not have started to fall for the pretty lady that was Hecate. Thankfully, he couldn't develop feelings for someone who was trying to trick him or deceive him in any kind of way. He made sure of that when he designed his Essence. So, these feelings could be nurtured to turn into something more.
He feels Hecate stir. She lifts her head and looks at him. Neither of them says anything. But then both of them smile softly. It seems it was special for both of them. And that was the truth. Vandar was, for all intents and purposes, a virgin, and so was Hecate. So they discovered the pleasure of intercourse together, and both were utterly satisfied.
"How are you feeling?"
"Sore."
"Really? Is that even possible?"
"Apparently. I don't want to use magic to recover. It was special."
"I concur."
They enjoyed each other's presence for a while and thought about the future.
"What now?" she asks him.
"Now? Now, I am going back, and you are coming with me. I still need to learn how to use all kinds of weapons and create some martial arts. The fight against Herakles was an eye-opening experience for me. Other than that, I want to enjoy my time with you. You might come from the Sphere, but I would like to see the Universe and enjoy my time. Create a home ... yeah, I'd like that."
"Heh, I'd like that as well. But I am uncertain."
"About what?"
"About ... us."
"What are you talking about? You sound like a teenager right now. We have tons of time on our hands, so why bother with the details? I am willing to go the distance. You are literally everything I would want in a woman, and if you can accept me for who I am, I see nothing standing in our way."
"Hearing you say things so simply is very refreshing. But it's a bit more complex than that. I have a few things to take care of before I can leave here."
"So? I'll wait. I'm not in a hurry."
"I know, which is why I want you to go and leave me to do my thing. You would miss out on all your plans, and I don't want that. There are unlimited women out there who you might find better suited than me. You may find someone else to enjoy, or many for that matter. We are not tied to monogamy after all."
"Ugh, I find this discussion to be pointless. Why would you want me to find more women? If we were in a relationship, I also wouldn't allow you to have another guy, so why would I be a hypocrite about this and want more women myself? If you don't want to settle, then you can just tell me I'm a grown man, not a child."
"Heh, I suppose you are. I wouldn't want another man. I saw what happened during your fight with the dog. You will grow stronger over time and eventually surpass me as well. If I were to look for a man, there would be few who could match you."
"Few, huh? I doubt that. So what is this about, truly?"
"A test, I suppose. I will see my plans through, and you will go on to do what you like. Should your feelings not have changed at all when we meet again, I hope you'll take me back."
*SIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH*
"That sounds like a bad 20th-century love movie. Do we have to do this?"
"I don't have a choice, Vandar. I will take care of my business and will meet you afterwards. I won't bind you. No matter what, I will see you again."
"This is so unnecessary."
"..."
"Alright. Let's do that. But just so you know, I am really picky. Do with that what you wish."
.
.
So it happened. Hecate sent Vandar back to his original Universe while she went ahead and did what she needed.
Vandar was back where he started. Now that he was armed with magic, he decided to make use of it and went back to creating his dimension. That's what he was about to do when he was sucked in. This time, he didn't power the pylons with his own vitality; he didn't even use pylons anymore. He created a spell that was powered by his vitality, fed it to the dimension, and created a separate one that way. It was no longer necessary to fold space-time, he had created an entirely new dimension using magic and his personal energy. This was much safer and more convenient for him since it wouldn't get destroyed; even if he died, it would still work since he was immortal.
When finished, he smiled as he observed what he had created. He was happy with this small change, even if it was a significant step for him. For once, he just sat back and relaxed for a moment. He planned to be something akin to the Emperor of Mankind, but seeing his own dimension was enough to push his ambitions to the side for now.
...
"Enough breaks! Back to business."
The next stop was a planet that may be anywhere in this or the next galaxy. Vandar was planning on visiting Krypton. On Earth-Two, Krypton was located in the system of the star-sun Negus-12, though the actual Golden Age stories never specified any location. The Adventures of Superman radio show had Krypton "situated on the other side of the Sun" from Earth, putting Krypton in the Sol system, and some early stories followed this example. Krypton then began to move further and further from Earth as real-life space travel gradually became a reality. In 1960, Superman #136 calculated a distance of 0.317 light-years between Earth and Krypton, putting the planet outside the Solar System but far closer than the nearest stars. In the 1978 movie Superman, it is placed in the Xeno Galaxy. Earth-One and New Earth establish the planet's sun as Rao. The latter continuity also places it in the Andromeda Galaxy.
Wherever it was, Vandar would find it using magic and technology. Kryptonians were a species with an incredible hax. They were not only more advanced technologically, but they also had that unbelievable power to grow stronger under the yellow sun. Vandar knew about Kryptonians but chose not to become one. It was overused, honestly, and as cool as it was to be one, he still enjoyed his Viltrumite origin better. But that didn't mean he didn't have plans.
Unlike before, Vandar took his time creating the device to find Krypton. He had lost the average mortal human feeling for time and was no longer living his new immortal life in haste. He was pissed and bothered that Hecate didn't accompany him, but thankfully, he could resolve such feelings fast and took everything the way it was. He was looking forward to Krypton. It was, hopefully, a technologically advanced version where he could train in martial arts, study their technology and biology and just enjoy himself. The Universe was big, and he wanted to explore it, but first, he would prepare for eventualities he may encounter.
After a few days, the device was finished, and Vandar entered the things he knew about Krypton. After the parameters were finished, he waited for the device to find the signature of the Kryptonians. He had powered the machine using a mix of magic and technology. Finding the planet would be impossible with sheer technology at this point in time, but using magic worked. Magic took the part of the 'satellite' in this case and searched the galaxy for him.
*Beep beep*
"Hmm ... looks like I was right. 27 light years away from my current position. So Krypton orbits a star named Rao. Very well. Then off we go."
Vandar had found Krypton and started to pack what he might need. He didn't pack anything he had created himself, which he didn't want others to find. Kryptonians are very smart and good inventors; they would be interested in his inventory belt and the Ender Chest. So he doesn't take that with him. Should he need to, he can create one from scratch and connect it to his Ender Chest that way. But he was willing to go there and 'start anew'. What was his plan for letting them stay on their planet? ... well ...
Vandar was off; he didn't create a spaceship to fly; he wanted to create that using the best materials he could access. And Krypton had some good materials he could use. Then, there were some other stops he would make, like Thanagar, where he could get some better metal. Vandar flew through the void of space into the direction his universal navigation device told him about. He flew at top speed, trying to increase his perception and reaction time. So he made immediate stops whenever there was something in his path to train his body control. Whenever he could and wanted to, Vandar would train something about himself. There was no such thing as perfection, as that would mean he might as well die and stop existing.
Finally, Vandar had arrived before the planet Krypton. He saw it in front of him and smiled. This was going to be fun for him. Krypton was the planet Superman, and Supergirl was from two iconic comic characters. Being here, millennia before the story happens and the planet gets destroyed was a thrill for him. Vandar flies on the ground and lands softly on the streets. People in modern suits are looking at him with confusion. It seems they know about the wide Universe but haven't seen an alien species that would just arrive on their home planet like this. Small flying ships were coursing through the sky, and people were riding big animals. It looked like a futuristic movie. Skyscrapers and high-speed trains were seen in the large city. It looked like Vandar imagined it would.
"`*)ç(! )(/(*ç%**'*)ç%!"
Vandar looks around and realises that men and women in military or police attire surround him. He raises his arms into the air. He doesn't understand their language just yet but tries to take in as much as he can.
"My name is Vandar Adg. I come from a distant planet called Viltrum. I'm a Viltrumite."
"+*%*&/)&/(=çç %&/( ç&/ç% ç% ç ç%ç%&ç%&"
"Yeah, I don't speak Kryptonian or another language. I speak Flaxan, but that doesn't seem to matter now."
One man approaches him and points to the ground. Not understanding what he's saying, Vandar raises his shoulders. That's when a few beams of yellow light shoot out of their spears and shock him. He can feel the powerful energy course through his body. The man who approached him then arrived and placed a pair of metal cuffs over his fists. The cuffs seem to want to absorb his energy and drain him, but too bad for them; only he can do that.
Playing along, Vandar is moved to a transportation vehicle and then brought away. It would be a while until he convinced everyone that he was not here to attack them.
__________________________________________________
Short notice: I suck at romance. But this is as good as I could make it. I wanted to give myself some time to think about the pairing. I like Hecate, honestly, and this happened rather surprisingly for me as well, but I want to keep my options for now.