183 Vs Apollo.

Let me apologize for the Cliffhangers guys. It's something I'm working on improving but I wrote these chapters a month ago.

I can't promise the pacing will get faster but at least it will be enjoyable.

Plus hey, at the very least look at how far we've come. I remember I couldn't get past chapter 70 without ruining a book. It's crazy 🤣.

Thanks for sticking around man. I appreciate each one of you.

This Chapter is also much longer than usual

Pat.reon.com/Saintbarbido for 30 more chapters.

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(General P.O.V)

"In brightest day, in darkest night..."

Robin, knowing he had to give Stewart the chance to recharge, decided to take the fight to the new arrival. His hands went to his utility belt, swiping the exploding birdarangs he had become so familiar with after years of doing this. Using the brief window of opening after Apollo's flash bang of an attack, he threw the projectiles towards the self proclaimed god with excellent precision.

"Let those who worship evil, beware..."

The bombs exploded before reaching his position, the shockwaves rippling out yet doing nothing to the unfazed Olympian. Apollo run his fingers over his hair, straightening it.

"I feel like I'm at a circus, jump monkey, jump."

He pointed finger guns at the Boy Wonder's position and started pelting him with light balls.

"Oh crap! So not whelmed!"

Robin was already moving across the ledge on the wall.

He jumped and used a zip line to swing away, only for the line to snap from Apollo's barrage. Robin saw the ground rise up so quickly to meet up with him. He would suffer nothing less than a broken leg if he didn't do something. Pressing a button on his wrist computer, a current run through the flailing cape behind him, hardening it enough that he could glide.

The fall was still hard. He tucked his knees to lessen the impact and rolled, with only a wince at the pain in his ankles. A shadow of his body was cast before him, making him realize that a light attack was headed straight for his position. The heat of the incoming attack was unbearably warm across his back, despite the heat resistant material of his suit. It was at that moment, Robin realized he was fucked...or was he?

"Green Lantern's light!"

A shining viridescent shield appeared to block the path of the attack, saving the Boy Wonder's life. Robin rolled away and hid behind a tree trunk, fingers moving fast across his wrist computer.

"We need some big guns...of the Aden type."

He muttered, panting slightly at the narrow escape. Despite his tense relationship with the older teen, mostly because of how Star...no, how Aden carried himself with a casual arrogance that grated on the Younger Boy's nerves, Robin realized the stakes were high.

With Aden, Starfire, Stewart, Gardner and Robin, the fight would hopefully end in their favor, after all, Wonder Woman's fight with Ares could attest to just how powerful the Greek gods were.

So Robin swallowed his pride and took over the P.A system.

(Aden's P.O.V)

"Maelstrom, Starfire, we need you both in Level 2, of the Watchtower's left wing. Level 2 is the garden incase you didn't know."

I turned away from the direction of the control room and started heading towards the left wing, just like Robin had instructed. I made it past the hallway, following the now very apparent sounds of battle at level 2 of the section. My air sense, energy sense and Spiritual attunement spread out, giving me an accurate read of the whole structure. My eyes widened at the absolutely staggering energy I could feel brimming out of who I guessed was Apollo.

I sucked in air through my teeth as I realized that without going all out, this wouldn't be a fight I could win easily. One step forward and my body streaked with blue lightning, flashing through the hallways and rooms like a beam of blue light. I made it out onto a balcony overlooking the luscious space garden and took a running leap, then let the artificial gravity pull me down.

"Hello, old friend." I said to the wrecked garden, recalling the massive fight, Fate and I had had in the same place. While we had decimated and uprooted the vegetation...Apollo had gone an extra step and several things were burning. Birdarangs melted a couple of meters before reaching the god of the sun, the very air shimmering with heat covering the god's position in a golden haze.

A bright flash of green escaped a broken section of the wall, leading to the cafeteria which was built right next to the garden. Stewart, shrouded in his familiar green lantern aura yelled out as he threw a large boxing glove at the aurafied? god.

The boxing glove was instantly consumed by a blaze of heat that extended out in numerous flame tentacles to swallow the Lantern. Huh. Apollo could control fire. Not unusual but... Equity hummed in power. It wanted a taste of that...fire. No, of that energy.

I flashed, skating on the air and arrived before Stewart. The Katana swung out a hundred times in a few seconds, leaving behind trails of black after images in the air as I cut off all the tentacles. Apollo didn't like that, I sensed the build up of energy from the front and smirked. Hold your tits for some DBZ shit. Equity changed form into a long lance that I strapped across my shoulder like Sun Wukong.

An intense solar beam cut through the air and I answered back with a new skill I had painstakingly worked hard to control perfectly. My own super condensed beam of blue plasma. Following the principles of lightning being partially ionized plasma, I only had to streamline the process by equally distributing my inner fire to burn the neutral gases in the air following the path of the lightning bolt. What this accomplished was a straight, direct continuous beam of blue light that was so hot I could only channel it through Equity.

The clash happened instantly due to the speeds of the attack. My feet dragged across the floor as I was immediately pushed back by the force of the attacks. The point of contact between both beams swelled as I doubled the power output pouring out of Equity.

"Hahaha you're strong! But I am stronger!!!"

Roared the Olympian god. Immediately, the heat grew even more oppressing. The sleeves of my coat, started burning, before I pulled on more of my inner energy to then create a thin film resisting the divine energy from Apollo.

Still not enough. I gritted my teeth and spread out my legs for more stability. The shift caused me to make eye contact with my opponent. His eyes shifted from surprise, to recognition (weird) to an intense battle lust with a wide smile that looked disturbing on his handsome face. No homo but wow. What the fuck is up with your face you, androgynous,'your gal is a BTS fan so I'm stealing her way' kawaii looking bastard?!

I felt my spirit surge up in response to that jawline. It's been long since I had a good fight and this more than most felt justified. I took a step forward. My legs, especially the calves strained in power. A burn I had thought I lost pervading my muscles once more! The energy beam struggle was taxing on my stamina. Luckily, I had lots of it, though I wasn't sure I could outlast a god.

"Aden! You will risk blowing up the Watchtower! Tone it down!"

Robin's voice was barely audible through the intense clash. Sparing whatever attention I could I realized that he was right. You couldn't feel it easily but the Watchtower was shaking. Tremors that only worsened as the swelling mass of divine energy and elemental power swirled around each other.

The area around us was filled with burning tree remains and mist from the vapor of the evaporated pools of water. Maybe having an energy beam clash in the middle of an orbiting station wasn't the brightest idea.

A layer of green energy covered our attacks before the swell of energy could explode. Stewart.

"Gardner! Direct the energy upwards!"

Another green layer of will power joined the first one, covering the quickly destabilizing energy from the right, squeezing it and molding a sort of pipe that directed it upwards.

There was a small beat of silence. A silence that had me noticing the small smile of ridicule on Apollo's face before he snapped his fingers and the world exploded. I flashed away with a sonic boom, going with my fastest speed just as the suction from the depth of space tried pulling me away.

I grabbed Boy Wonder, an air ball constructing around us and running out of the garden entrance, the air getting depleted inside the structure. My eyesight was a blur of interconnecting hallways before I stopped on a deck overlooking a swimming pool. The metallic door sealed shut behind us. The place was peaceful and comfortable.

I dropped Robin and breathed out a sigh of relief as he stared at me with a stunned look on his face.

"Thanks. For saving me...I mean."

I held up a thumbs up.

"Don't sweat it. It was partially my fault anyway."

Saying that his mood took on a drastic change.

"Oh crap. They're going to kill me." He hurried to a terminal near the elevator doors, undoing the panel and connecting a cable onto a port.

"If I can reroute more power into the energy field then we can stave off the effects of space in the garden and any other leaks we might have..." He muttered, swiping away at the holographic screen. "Though I'm probably going to need the Lantern's help just to make sure the Watchtower doesn't break into two pieces! The structural damage on the foundation is too much!"

Wow. I have never heard him ramble that fast before.

"Huh Robin..."

I called out.

"Not now Aden. I have to fix your mess!"

Ok rude. I narrowed my eyes, backing away a little, knowing what was coming.

"You and Star will have to deal with Apollo alone. Speaking of which where is..."

"Ok first of all shut up!" I snapped, making him flinch a little.

"I sent her away to my dimension and just so you know Apollo is headed...Ooof!"

I must have underestimated the speed of the moving ray of light, breath left my lungs as I felt something collide with my chest, pushing me off the deck, onto the furthest wall of the room, through it with my back, a slight tingle as I plunged through a forcefield, aided by Apollo's light projecting outwards enough to cover me and then out into space.

The pricks of light dotting the wide expanse seemed to all move in the opposite direction as me. I could easily open a boom tube to my dimension but I was wary. The realm was still recovering from the whole chaos affair, if a fight were to happen there...I could set back it's progress even more.

Not to mention Star and the Kids were there as well. Starfire is many things and unfortunately stubborn is one of them. She would absolutely get involved and if that happened, it wasn't a guess that Breeze would join as well and que...the domino effect. No, this fight, this fight I absolutely had to end out here in the outside universe.

Equity appeared in my hands in the shape of a small knife, I twirled it and plunged it downwards, shadow flames dancing across it's length. The attack glanced off Apollo's form as our trajectory was suddenly shifted. A small pull of gravity pulling both of us towards the moon's surface.

The descent was not as fast as I was expecting though, giving me enough time to pull on my inner energy and ignite jet flames under my feet, stabilizing my form enough that I tried the same attack once more. A telekinetic force restricted my stab, keeping Equity at bay. In response I changed it's form into a lance, the action too sudden yet Apollo in an impressive reaction speed, twisted his light ball form into his humanoid one. The blade of my weapon sliced into the skin of his arm, leaving behind a thin lacerated wound going from his bicep to the crook of the left hand. Golden ichor flowed, absorbed into Equity.

"Bastard!"

Apollo shouted in pain and anger.

My eyes widened, Equity changing into it's bulky dragon slayer form, a golden fist landed onto my weapon, sending reverberations of force echoing across it's length and up my hands. I was blasted away, falling onto the ground before carving a groove across the surface of the moon. I tried to take a breath on reflex and found nothing, panicking slightly before simply opening a small portal beside me and pulling on the air.

Sound couldn't travel across the almost airless atmosphere of the moon but I could feel the tremor as Apollo landed. I rolled away from the beam of light that devoured my position into an all consuming blaze that extended out farther than I bothered to keep track off.

I wound back my hand and threw Equity at him. A shield of light timely covered Apollo's front, but I had an idea on how to fight him now. A gesture and Equity broke apart into dozens of knives upon landing on the shield, all burning with Hell flame and coming in from different directions. I flashed towards him without wasting time, a small hidden knife hidden under my wrist. First distract him with the obvious attack and then when he least expects it...

The god of light breaking all my expectations, exploded before I could complete my plan. I shielded my eyes from the blinding light and moon dust, while digging onto the ground by way of Flame spikes constructs spearing onto the soil and hard rock. I swiped out my hand as Equity's shards gathered in my palm in its lance form.

The light died down and I finally had a complete view of the Olympian. I felt telepathic feelers touch upon my mental walls in a sort of psychic knock. Gingerly reaching out, I linked with his mind, tightly keeping my mental walls secure behind me.

Apollo smiled.

"Aden Strong. The mortal who slayed millions of demons, earning himself the moniker of Demonbane. I gotta say... you dissapoint."

I cracked my neck, shrugging afterwards.

"Yeah? Tell that to your arm."

I pointed out, earning a tight smile.

"A lucky move. Cheap shot."

He replied, both of us walking around each other in some unseen signal.

"What do you want from me?"

I went right down to business. Things were happening on earth that needed my attention.

"What's the hurry? We have all the time in the world."

I laughed in disbelief.

"Trust me buddy, unless you have granddaddies ability, then you couldn't be more wrong."

The smile on his face set warning bells ringing.

"You cannot comprehend the depths of power a god like me possesses. Which is why becoming one is no easy task. There are responsibilities, duties and benefits that come with the stature. One of the benefits being...a divine domain where, I can extend my control over reality. An example being... slowing down time."

I scrunched my eyes at the bold claim, throwing a glance at the corner of my eyes. The speed at which the time was moving was very slow. Comparing that with the real time information I was getting from my homunculi puppet and it was clear what he was doing. I laughed.

"Oh cut the bullshit, you're merely increasing my reaction and base speeds to match your own perception by extending out that ability. I'm guessing you can do that because of your access to light divinity through your domain. It's not true temporal manipulation, if anything it's more like power bestowal." His face changed to a curious one.

"Makes for a good way to have a long conversation in a short time though."

"So you're not as dumb as you look. How did you find that out?"

He complimented, making me roll my eyes.

"Dude, what do you want? You wanted to grab my attention so badly and now... I'm here." I pointed Equity at him.

"Talk."

"I suppose you're right. Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Phoebus Apollo, a god. And you Aden Strong have garnered not only our interest but others as well."

That gave me pause. I had been stuck in my dimension for 3 months, so I hadn't really felt the effect of Lucifer withdrawing his protection from cosmic eyes.

"And why is that?"

I wondered, making him frown.

"You...you don't know?" His eyes pierced into my own, as of trying to look for any hint of falsehoods. "Of course you don't."

Mmh. Interesting, things were heating up on earth with my Homunculi puppet.

"Speak up. I don't have time for cryptic statements, lord knows I get enough of them from those two."

Apollo stopped in place.

"Very well." He spread out his hands. "This will confirm it even more than just stating it."

Without another word...his power bloomed. Light shot out of his orifices and his humanoid form was instantly encompassed by something...divine. I felt my eyes widen as a familiar feeling...started surging from deep within me, pulled out. Familiar yet, I had no recollection of ever accessing it. Apollo, completed his transformation into... something I had trouble looking at directly. It burned my eyes and rocked my spirit. He was now a 50 meter giant made up of only light.

His body barely resembled a humanoid form, the limbs too mishappen. Too abnormal but not what was abnormal about it. He was perfect in his alienness. And I felt awed, completely gobsmacked. I was standing infront of a force of nature.

"This is my true form. God form. A sentient bundle of energy, connected to a realm of power by faith, practice and heritage. You would have been consumed spirit and all...if you did not possess the same spark. You Aden Strong are a god!"

And it was like that announcement, was all I was waiting for. Something deep inside me built up, gathering momentum as it bubbled forth, like an avalanche, I felt it call out to a substratum of reality. An impose. A demand. A request. An order for reality to bend to my will. Air started manifesting across the barren satellite, forming tornadoes as my connection to the white, something I had always locked myself out of...slotted itself back into my mind.

NO!!

...yet I couldn't help it. Light struck out of my eyes and mouth. Opened wide as I felt my body start changing, getting elevated to a level above the norm. A collage of colors burst around my head as my airbending changed into something else. A pool of energy no longer dependent on the Avatar system yet it didn't feel as if I was trading up.

Not yet! Goddamit stop!!

My spirit started getting stronger, yet strings of Fate begun twining over it, seeking purchase through highjacking my connection with my new divinity.

I said stop!!!

3 sets of laughter sounded out from the void.

"Suppression."

"Oppression."

"Subservience."

"""You shall learn. Nothing escapes it's fate."""

Anger clouded my mind. Instantly halting the process. The nerve... Nothing escapes it's Fate?!! I am the fucking Avatar.

"Who the fuck do you think you are!!!" I raged, my gaze spearing past the layers and layers of reality to stare at the three women, scheming my downfall. My energy sense bloomed out and I saw everything. For a single second, I understood it all.

Apollo was frozen in time, as was everything. Or rather I was exempt from it. Equity shone with a purple color in my hands telling me exactly who was responsible for this. Somehow I had tapped into my chaos and now I was cut off from reality. From Order. I saw what was headed for Apollo and I, Steppenwolfe and Darkseid's parademons, sent to capture an old god like Apollo and I, the possible key to the anti life equation.

I saw the shadow of Chronos, fleeting about in the last dregs of will on earth near one chaos vortex then plunging inside it. I saw a broken museum, in which a schoolgirl was carrying out a ritual to attain a familiar, Klarion the witchboy watching her from folded space. I saw deep into Superman's existence, his fate strings lost out into the void, stretching out towards a layer of reality different from the one I knew.

Then the split second ended. A pulse of power exploded from my body as I stopped the ascension by force. The Tornadoes died out, the light pouring out of me disappeared.

"No! Impossible! How did you do that!!? One more second and you could have been a god! An Olympian!"

Apollo shouted in surprise, reinforcing my theory on what had just happened.

"You coaxed out my divinity when you extended your aura. It wasn't to have a long conversation in a few minutes like I had speculated. You were sneakily using your divinity to make me ascend to a god of your pantheon, shackling me to faith energy and to Zeus, the Olympians Sky Father."

I calmly assessed. Apollo had a serious look on his face.

"Tch... filthy monkey." His whole demeanor changed. The pretty ones are the ones with the ugliest sneers, I observed.

"You gave up the chance at true power, just because you didn't want to be shackled down by duty!? It should have been an honor! A worthy sacrifice to do whatever you want!"

Spit flew out of his mouth.

"True power?" I scoffed. "Don't make me laugh. I was keeping this low-key because I wanted to enjoy the first fight I've had in some time but you ruined things for me." I looked at Equity in my hands. Feeling an instinct, urging me to reach out.

"You will be the first to see this. I don't even know what it is but...Chaos form... activate."

All fluctuations of order energy I was releasing, ended. I couldn't feel my connection to the elements either. In its place though, a volatile energy resonated between Equity and I. Equity lost it's form, flowing up my hand and covering my whole body in a purple aura. Apollo stumbled back, his giant form sending tremors across the area.

"What...what is this???!"

I closed my eyes and when I opened them, I was no longer Aden Strong, the Avatar, Lord of Balance. I was Lord Chaos. I was destruction. I was impulsive action. I was freedom. I was power. I was darkness.

(On earth)

All the Chaos Vortexes stopped pulling in anything near to them. Their gyrating motion started resonating with something unseen.

(General P.O.V)

"Breaking news! The moon has just disappeared! Due to the lack of reports about catastrophic effects all around the planet, experts say it was not destroyed but merely turned invisible."

(With Klarion)

The Witch boy couldn't breathe properly. Something...something oppressive to him and his kind was...

"Do you feel that?"

Child whispered, somehow knowing Klarion was present. The lord of chaos in the firm of a schoolgirl had been sent by the others after Klarion's failure at capturing the anomaly.

"This is not funny. Unfunny!! Unfunny!!"

Klarion threw a tantrum, teleporting right next to Child.

"I oppose a truce." He offered, the cat in his hands meowing tiredly.

"Yes of course I meant propose Teekl! That's what I said didn't I?"

He addressed the Familiar before turning to his fellow Lord of Chaos with a rare look of seriousness on his face.

"If you don't agree. We both die."