The battle between the surface and Atlantis ended not with a final clash of titans, but with the reappearance of a queen thought long dead.
Queen Atlanna's return changed everything.
Her presence alone brought an immediate ceasefire. Her voice, stern yet regal, cut through the tension in the water like a blade.
In the aftermath, she addressed the stunned Atlantean forces, revealing the truth that shattered many illusions.
"Orm attempted to murder me," she declared to the crowd of soldiers gathered before her. "He manipulated you all, blaming the surface world in a bid for power. This war was built on lies and ambition."
The citizens of Atlantis, once blinded by loyalty and tradition, were shaken. Their beloved Ocean Master had betrayed them. And the surface dwellers, once viewed with suspicion, had not only defended themselves—but had saved their Queen.
Atlanna publicly thanked Ethan Carter, the man responsible for her resurrection and the one who had ultimately prevented the war from escalating into planetary catastrophe.
"To Ethan Carter… I owe my life." Her voice was resolute. "He saved me when all hope was lost."
Ethan gave a small, nonchalant nod with his hands in his pockets, as if returning a Queen from the dead was a mundane Tuesday chore.
Orm, stripped of his armor, his title, and his pride, was banished from Atlantis by royal decree.
"You are no longer welcome in these waters. Atlantis will remember your betrayal," Atlanna stated, her voice cold as the abyss.
As for Black Manta, he was handed over to a secret Atlantean prison hidden deep beneath the world's ocean trenches—a place designed for those beyond redemption. He was left to rot, unacknowledged and forgotten.
With the chaos settled, mother and son finally reunited in peace. Emotions ran high as Arthur struggled to reconcile years of pain with the warmth of long-lost love.
"You should be king," Atlanna told him gently with her hands on his shoulders.
"I'm not meant to be king," Arthur had said with uncertain eyes.
"You are my son," Atlanna replied while gently touching his face. "You carry both land and sea in your blood. You are Atlantis's bridge."
Mera stepped forward before laying a hand on his shoulder. "And you have my support, now and always."
Arthur initially refused. But with Mera's encouragement and the Queen's firm belief in him, he eventually relented.
In a solemn ceremony before Atlantis's grand council and her people, Arthur accepted the mantle of King.
The coronation was a spectacle. Atlantean currents carried the news across the oceans.
The Justice League was invited as honored guests. Dressed in specially designed suits and oxygen masks, they stood in attendance during the grand event, blending surface formality with oceanic ritual.
Arthur, now clad in the royal golden armor, addressed them personally.
"Thank you… for everything."
Batman took the opportunity to extend an offer. "We could use your help. Think about joining the League."
Arthur chuckled lightly, adjusting his crown. "I've got a kingdom to manage. But I'll be there when the world needs me."
Anna was given an honorary pass to explore Atlantis. She wandered through luminous coral gardens and ancient stone temples, side by side with Diana.
It seemed—for the moment—that everything had ended well.
But Ethan Carter wasn't quite finished.
.....
Later, in silence and solitude, Deep in the darkness of his exile, Orm' slowly opened his eyes.
The cell was silent.
Orm's prison was a forgotten tomb, designed for traitors and monsters alike. Cold steel. No light. No water. Just darkness, and the echo of his own breathing.
Or what he thought was his breathing.
He blinked.
No… something was wrong.
The shadows twisted unnaturally, the ceiling pulsed like flesh, and the silence was too quiet—like the world itself was holding its breath.
A soft voice echoed. "You still don't get it, do you?"
Orm turned—and froze.
Ethan stood at the edge of the cell, hands in his pockets.
"You…" Orm hissed, rage flaring. "You're not supposed to be here!"
"Oh, I'm not," Ethan replied calmly. "Technically, I'm not here at all."
And then it happened.
The world shattered like glass.
Orm blinked—he was standing in Atlantis, throne behind him, the ocean roaring with approval. His soldiers knelt, chanting his name.
He smiled.
Until the water around him turned red.
Ethan reached out across the ocean—not physically, but telepathically. He cast Orm into an illusion far crueler than any prison.
Tsukuyomi.
A world forged by psychic domination. Time stretched to an eternity. What lasted a few seconds outside felt like months inside.
The sea, once Orm's sanctuary and source of power, now became his tormentor.
Every time he touched water, it turned into acid—eating away at his skin. Sometimes, it froze his lungs, sometimes it burned like molten lava. And in his bones, he began to feel it—
—fear.
Not a warrior's caution.
But primal, unrelenting, crippling fear.
Orm found himself in an endless spiral of terror.
Over and over, Ethan rewrote reality.
In one moment, water burned like acid. In another, his own reflection mocked him. The very ocean he once ruled became his tormentor. Every drop felt like molten fire on his skin.
And through it all, Ethan's voice echoed in mockery. "Gonna cry, Orm?"
"I'm sorry you didn't have a dad to cry to… oh wait, your mom didn't even like you either. The throne never wanted you. Atlantis forgot you. You are nothing without water. And now? You can't even touch it."
Every time he tried to resist, Ethan twisted the simulation further—introducing firestorms, lightning storms, entire oceans that chased Orm like living beasts.
His limbs trembled.
His mind cracked.
In Tsukuyomi, weeks passed. Orm lived, died, and suffered thousands of deaths—until the mere thought of water brought him to his knees.
Ocean Master screamed in agony, his spirit fractured by pain and humiliation. Ethan made sure the trauma was deep—unmistakable. A psychological scar designed to kill any thought of revenge.
.....
Back in the prison trenches, Black Manta didn't fare much better.
By the time the guards checked on him, all that remained was an empty shell. His eyes were vacant, devoid of thought or awareness. Brain activity had dropped to near zero. The medics called it a vegetative state.
Most dismissed it. A fitting end for a murderer.
Ethan made sure Black Manta was kept alive—for now. But soon, he'd be sending him on a one-way, first-class flight to hell. 'Hope he enjoyed the ride,' he thought.
'Now I won't have to deal with these clowns crawling out of prison in some ridiculous sequel.'
With Orm mentally broken and Black Manta effectively erased, Ethan ensured peace—but on his terms.
Atlantis had a new king.
The League had earned an ally.
Everything Seems to Be Worked Out Fine.
------------------
Next day, the soft hum of the city outside barely reached the quiet interior of Ethan's hotel room. The room was quiet, save for the occasional flicker of streetlights and the low rustle of curtains swaying with the night breeze.
Ethan sat on the couch with his elbows resting on his knees, facing Anna who sat opposite him with her arms firmly crossed over her chest. Her expression was unreadable—stone-cold calm, with those sharp green eyes locked onto his.
Beside him, Diana sat gracefully on the edge of the armrest.
"So… that's what happened," Ethan exhaled deeply after finishing his explanation about what happened between him and Diana. "Anna… I didn't plan this. Things between me and Diana just… happened. But I'm not here to make excuses. I want to be honest with you." He held her gaze firmly, "I want to be with you. With all of you. Jean, you, Diana… I care about each of you deeply."
Diana nodded solemnly behind him. "He's telling the truth. And I didn't mean to come between anything… but I won't lie about my feelings either."
Anna remained silent for a long moment, studying the two of them like a judge examining a case. Her silence was deafening, but Ethan didn't flinch—he already knew her too well. He could feel it: the internal smirk, the amusement bubbling just beneath that mask of seriousness.
Then, she cracked.
A sharp laugh burst out of her. "Haha! I knew this day would come eventually."
Diana blinked, taken aback. "Wait… you're okay with this?"
Anna leaned back with a grin, finally unfolding her arms. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" She looked at Ethan with a sly smirk. "Jean and I already talked about it. We figured you'd be next, Diana."
Diana raised an eyebrow. "You two talked about me?"
"Oh please," Anna teased. "You've got 'Ethan-harem-candidate' written all over you. It was only a matter of time."
Ethan chuckled under his breath before shaking his head.
Anna leaned forward, eyes gleaming with playful mischief. "Honestly, I'm excited. Sharing him with Wonder Woman? That's going to be fun."
She cast Ethan a mock-threatening look. "Next time we hit the gym on bed? It's over for you. Me, Jean, and now Diana? We're taking you down."
Ethan raised a brow with a smug grin creeping up on his face. "You three? Defeat me? You're all too young to dream that big."
Anna huffed with a smile. "Maybe you're a monster in bedroom workouts, Ethan, but trust me—we'll beat you eventually."
Ethan grinned. "You're forgetting about my stamina, Anna. Not just you three—even if many more join in, I could keep going for years without getting tired."
Diana tilted her head slightly, confused. "Workout?" she repeated, trying to grasp the context.
Anna turned and winked. "Oh, you'll see. Let's just say Ethan becomes very competitive when it comes to bedroom training. And very annoying when he wins."
Ethan shrugged, "I don't win. I dominate."
Anna smirked. "Not for long."
Laughter bubbled in the room as the tension finally dissolved into the warmth of familiarity, teasing, and affection.
The three of them as friends and lovers found themselves settling into something that felt natural, like it was always meant to be.
Everything, at last, seemed to be working out just fine.
------------
Later That Night....
The soft, amber glow of the room's lighting spilled across the silk sheets, casting a warm hue on the quiet intimacy shared between two souls. The night was calm—quiet, save for the occasional rustle of fabric and the faint hum of wind brushing against the windows high above the city.
Ethan lay on his back, one arm folded under his head while the other gently trailed his fingers through the soft, snowy strands of Anna's hair. She lay on top of him, her body draped over his, covered by a loosely thrown blanket. Her breath was slow, relaxed, her fingers lazily tracing the lines of his chest as if memorizing every inch of him all over again.
He stroked a lock of her hair aside, his fingers curling tenderly through the strands. "You're quiet tonight," he murmured.
Anna looked up, resting her chin against his chest, her violet eyes glinting in the low light. "Just thinking," she said softly. "When are we going back to our home universe?"
There was no bitterness in her voice, only a subtle sense of longing.
Ethan's fingers paused for a moment before resuming their slow rhythm. "I figured you might say that." He looked down at her, his voice calm but warm. "We'll return in a few days."
Anna shifted slightly, brushing her nose against his chest. "Hmm. You said that before."
"And I meant it before," he replied with a smile. "I had to charge the Omni-Watch. That's why we went home last time. And you came with me, remember?"
She nodded. "I do. I just… wanted to see them in this universe. The people we used to read about. The ones who were just drawings and panels back in our world." Her voice dropped to a wistful whisper. "Now they're flesh and blood… and some of them are just plain terrifying."
Ethan chuckled. "You say that like you're not terrifying yourself."
She smirked against his skin. "I'm sexy terrifying. There's a difference."
He raised a brow, amused. "Facts."
Anna leaned up just enough to meet his eyes. "But honestly… I don't think I belong here. Not long-term. I've seen what I needed to see. This world is amazing, but it's not home."
Ethan didn't argue. Instead, he nodded. "That's fair. Once I wrap up things here, we'll go back."
She tilted her head, suspicious. "Wrap up what, exactly?"
Ethan paused for a moment, gazing up at the ceiling, thoughtful. "Lena's doing a good job running operations while we're here. I'm thinking of observing her a little longer... then officially making her CEO of Aeon Biotech. She'll manage things while we're away."
Anna blinked slowly, raising an eyebrow. "You do remember she's a Luthor, right?" she asked, her tone half-joking but laced with caution. "Lex's sister. And even in the comics, she barely exists. Not much info. That doesn't sit right with me."
Ethan leaned up and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "She's his sister, yeah," he said, pulling back slightly to meet her eyes. "But she's not him, Anna. She's different. You know I can read minds—and I've looked. I've felt her intentions. She's clean. Driven, yes. But loyal. I trust her. She's not hiding anything dark."
Anna sighed while her fingers trailing down his ribs. "Still... she's got that whole cool genius femme fatale vibe. I'm just saying—if she suddenly builds a kryptonite cannon, I'm blaming you."
Ethan smirked. "Noted."
There was a moment of quiet again before Anna tilted her head curiously. "What about Diana?" she asked. "Is she coming with us?"
He let out a breath. "I'll ask her," he said. "She's already visited our world once. Now that things are... clearer between us, I guess it depends on her."
Anna let out a low chuckle before shaking her head. "First me. Then Jean. Now Diana?" she teased with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "At this point, who's next? Didi? The actual reincarnation of Death?"
Ethan let out a short laugh, his chest shaking beneath her. "Don't give her ideas," he said with a grin. "Knowing Didi, she'll show up in a skull hoodie asking for a date tomorrow just to mess with you."
Anna snorted. "You'd probably say yes."
He raised an eyebrow. "Only if you said yes too."
She rolled her eyes and leaned in closer, her lips brushing against his. "Smooth, Carter."
"I try."
He chuckled again, "If it ever comes to that, I'll tell her to wait in line. Jean, you and now Diana already take enough of my soul."
She tilted her head with a smirk. "And you love it."
"Damn right I do."
They kissed—slow, warm, and familiar. Few sounds and tremors echoed softly through the room, fading into quiet intimacy once more.
....
The soft morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a gentle glow across the room. Ethan was pulling on a shirt while Anna brushed her long white hair, the familiar quiet of their morning broken only by the distant hum of this world's energy field.
A knock echoed at their front door.
Ethan glanced over. "Expecting anyone?"
Anna raised a brow. "No."
With mild curiosity and zero urgency, the two strolled toward the door together. Ethan turned the handle, and as the door creaked open, they both paused.
Standing outside was a woman holding a chocolate cake, smiling like normal person.
"Morning," said the girl cheerfully. "Looks like we're neighbors now."
It was Didi.
Ethan blinked once. Then twice. "Huh."
Anna turned her head slowly toward Ethan, eyes narrowing with mock suspicion. "Okay. Be honest. Do I have a hidden ability where the universe takes my sarcasm literally?"
Ethan stared at Didi, then back at Anna. "If that's true, we may need to gag you before you accidentally summon Darkseid as our doorman."
"I meant 'Didi' as a joke, Ethan," she said before crossing her arms. "And now she's at our front door with cake like it's a neighborhood welcome party from death herself."
"I have no idea how to respond to this," Ethan muttered.
Meanwhile, Didi stood quietly, head tilting as she tried to make sense of their reaction. "Did I interrupt something? You two seem tense."
Ethan offered a small smile. "Not tense. Just… existentially startled."
Anna gave a dramatic sigh and leaned against the doorframe, then narrowed her eyes. "Wait—when did you get a room here? And how come you didn't know, Ethan? You own the entire building!"
Ethan shrugged, "Yes, I own the place. Doesn't mean I keep tabs on every check-in and checkout like a front-desk manager. That's what the staff is for."
Didi smiled innocently, still holding the cake like a peace offering. "I wanted it to be a surprise. Something simple. Just… show up one morning and say hi."
Anna stared at her, "Okay. Surprise noted. But why move in here?"
Didi glanced at Ethan and answered with complete sincerity. "I like being near people I find interesting. It's… comforting. And if I like someone too much, I make sure they don't die. Ever."
Ethan raised a brow. "Well, that's sweet... and terrifying."
Anna groaned internally. 'Great. Another one for the growing 'Ethan Carter's Potential Harem List.' This one's literal Death with a crush.'
She crossed her arms tighter, muttering under her breath, "Maybe he really is cursed to be a harem protagonist…"
At that moment, another door across the hallway swung open. Diana, dressed in casual athletic wear, hair pulled into a warrior's ponytail, stepped into the hallway with the grace of a goddess.
She glanced between them, eyebrows arching. "Everything alright?"
Her gaze fell on Didi, and instantly, the air tensed just a little.
"And who is she?" Diana asked, eyes narrowing slightly in protective instinct.
Didi turned, her cosmic presence effortlessly controlled, and offered a warm smile. "I'm Didi. A normal bar owner."
Ethan let out a long, slow sigh while pinching the bridge of his nose. 'Normal, my immortal ass…'
He glanced at the three women now standing near his room:
Anna, giving him the "we'll talk later" look.
Diana, subtly sizing up the new girl.
And Didi, offering cake like she wasn't literally the anthropomorphic personification of death.
This day is going to be... interesting.
---------------
Author's Note:
Hey everyone!
Sorry for the delay in posting new chapters—I've been caught up with some work.
Anyway, how did you like this chapter?
If you have any cool ideas or suggestions, feel free to drop them in the comments.
Your reviews and feedback are always appreciated—they help a lot!