49: From the Past

[AN: Quick announcement before we get into this chapter. I've been publishing three chapters a week of this story for its entire run. Unfortunately, I've found I can't keep up my pace of writing forever. My backlog of chapters is starting to run low and that's kind of important to me because they're the chapters that my Patreons get early access to. For the people actually paying me, I feel like I have to offer more than just three chapters ahead.

Also, pushing myself to keep up with the public release schedule is just running me ragged. I feel like I can't ever take a break, even when I need to. I'm determined to finish out this story (or at least get it to a satisfying stopping point where I can cut back my attention on it). So in light of all of that, I'm going to be pulling back the schedule to 2 chapters a week (Friday, Sunday).

It's for the best, in my opinion. I won't feel nearly as rushed and I might even be able to return to some of my older stories. I wanna go back to Goth Girls Galore and I have a new story idea that I want to get into when this story isn't taking up all of my focus.

So for now, 2 chapters a week. I'll let everyone know when that changes but I don't have any intention of completely abandoning this story. It just has too much potential to keep going. But I have written almost 400k words of it without any real break and I'm honestly at risk of burning out if I don't change something.

I hope you all understand, thank you for your consideration, it's not you - it's me, blah, blah... In all seriousness though, I'd like to thank everyone for the continued support. I don't often do ANs like this but none of my writing would be possible without the people who read it. So thank you and enjoy the chapter :]

IIIII

Later on in the night, after my heavy story of Yharnam and watching Damian 'seduce' Ciri, everyone was in much better spirits. My story and the Eldritch horror that came with it hadn't been forgotten. Just pushed to the side. Compartmentalized.

Everyone would eventually find their own ways of coping with the new knowledge. Of coping with the Eldritch Truth. It helped that Eldritch beings weren't as prevalent here as in Yharnam. They still existed. But almost as an afterthought rather than a core component and driving force of this reality.

So everyone was actually allowed to 'forget' the Eldritch horrors somewhat. Allowed to cope and rationalize it away as 'not as bad' as they remembered, even already. Well, almost everyone. Scarecrow — poor guy — seemed to be having more trouble with that than the others.

I did feel bad for scaring him so badly on his first night back in the Dead End but he was kind of bringing it on himself by willingly dwelling on the horror and trying to dissect the undissectable. He couldn't seem to resist terrifying himself to Madly giggling bits and pieces.

The rest of us just enjoyed watching Ciri and Damian spar. They were remarkably well-matched in pure skill. Ciri had the edge in power, speed, and reaction time. But Damian was no stranger to fighting more powerful opponents. He kept her off-kilter with his blunt, straightforward 'courting' that never failed to make Ciri blush up a storm.

He seemed to make good progress into her good graces with plentiful compliments, bluntly stated intentions, and subtle innuendo. I didn't think he had that last bit in him. But it seemed Damian really was a little ladies' man. Must have been Talia's doing.

Eventually, their spar ended and we returned back to the bar proper. The Edgerunners — mostly Becca — teased Ciri relentlessly about how weak to Damian she was. Barbara and the Titans tried to do the same with Damian. As always, he bit back twice as hard and didn't show an ounce of weakness. We all settled into comfortable chatter and shared drinks.

"Mom! Dad! I brought home a stray!" Alice called out as she came into the Dead End, rolling her eyes all the while.

"=＾● ⋏ ●＾=" Cass followed her and instantly made herself home as usual. 'Feed me. Adopt me. Praise me. Headpat me.'

Barbara snorted a laugh, "Honestly, you can have her."

"Grrr…" Damian made a little low growl in the back of his throat. "I disagree. If Cass is adopted by Mr. Barkeep and She Who Gives Exquisite Headpats, she'll have an unacceptable advantage over me in our nightly struggle."

"For headpats," Raven deadpanned.

Damian nodded matter-of-factly, "Truly, the most bloody of battlefields."

Kori blinked in confusion, "Are these… 'headpats' truly so desirable, Friend Damian?"

Damian stared at his teammate for a moment, seemingly torn on the subject, "… They are. I shall introduce you to their glory because it is only right. But know that I regret inviting more competition for She Who Gives Exquisite Headpats' attention."

He turned to me and Didi, fighting to force out his request, "… Please show my teammate what she's been missing out on."

Didi chortled, "I'm proud of your willingness to share, even when you don't want to, little Damian. But I think it's rather unnecessary in this case. A compromise can be easily reached that satisfies everyone."

"Oh?" Damian perked up at that. "Please enlighten this ignorant one, She Who Gives Exquisite Headpats."

She glanced at me with a mischievous grin, "I believe that the girls would enjoy my beloved's attention more than mine."

"Then they are fools," Damian stated bluntly.

"Perhaps to you," Didi laughed. "I very much doubt they would see it that way."

Raven made an unintelligible little noise in the background, "Hng."

Her inner voice was much more verbose, "Fuck! Those lucky bitches! Didi's just handing them Sean's headpats on a platter! Raven! Throw that icy composure and 'indifference' away! Please! Just this once! I'm begging you, me! Headpats are on the line!"

On the outside, Raven barely seemed to flinch. I glanced at her internal struggle, not bothering to hide my amusement. Curiously, Kori glanced her way as well, cocking her head like an intrigued cat. Ah, our kiss and her Tamarean physiology. That was something to keep an eye on. It had the potential to be absolutely hilarious.

"God, having a hot dad is fucking mortifying…" Alice bemoaned.

Cyborg and Beast Boy muffled their laughter, "You poor, poor girl."

"She's so strong to put up with this all the time!" Beast Boy joked.

"I don't even know you two," Alice glared. "So don't start. I can already tell the girls on your team are going to be bad enough."

"I am satisfied with this compromise," Damian said, nodding to Didi.

Kori switched her head, tilting it to the other side, "I still do not see what all of the fussing is about. The pats of heads are truly so good?"

"( •_•)" Cass practically appeared in front of Kori, putting hands on her shoulders with an utterly serious expression on her face. 'Trust me, you will learn to see heaven after this is done.'

"Oh~?" Kori perked up. "These pats of heads are better than the orgasms?"

"(● ⋏ ●)" Cass paused, wide-eyed. 'Free orgasms were an option?!'

Damian stared at his teammate and adopted sister, "… Introducing them was a mistake. Thankfully, it is Mr. Barkeep's mistake to bear."

Without flinching he turned to Didi and requested, "Lady Didi, I would like my headpats now to help deal with the chaos that is sure to ensue in the very near future as Kori and Cass familiarize themselves with each other."

Didi shot me a slight smirk, "Understandable, little Damian. Fortunately, we can leave my dear Sean to deal with that chaos. You shouldn't have to worry at all. We'll just sit back and laugh at Sean's suffering."

"Suffering. Sure," I rolled my eyes goodnaturedly. "Alright, girls. Yes, I'm willing to give out the 'pats of heads'. But if you want free orgasms, you'll have to work for them."

"(*^‿^*)" Cass blurred to a stop in front of me, doing her best imitation of a speedster without the powers. 'I'll work my very hardest! You'll see! Free mind-melting, pussy-popping, bitch-breaking orgasms, here I come!'

Kori floated over as well, grinning widely, "I do believe she has the spirit! I like the new Friend Cass!"

"Hng…" Raven made another little noise in the background but seemingly couldn't force herself into action.

On the outside, she wasn't nearly as shameless as Kori and Cass. Her inner voice, however… "We're falling behind! Do something, me! Move your cute, phat ass! Headpats! Heeeaaaaadddpaaattttssssss!"

Again, only Kori, Didi, and I heard her. Didi was much too kind to react. Kori glanced back at Raven with confusion but shrugged when she saw her goth friend wasn't moving an inch. As for me, I shot a smirk Raven's way. A knowing, teasing thing that practically invited her to partake in my headpats along with Kori and Cass. Raven just twitched, still unable to muster up her courage.

It seemed that even after laying our feelings for each other on the table and our shared dreamy rendezvous, she'd need a bit of an extra push. Cracking her icy exterior around others was no small task. After so long under her self-imposed chains, her controlled persona had set in deep. I was sure I could manage it soon enough though, especially with Kori's enthusiastic help now that she was able to notice the Passionate half of Raven's soul.

I left Raven to her internal struggle, for now, turning my attention to the headpat beggars in front of me. Leaving her pent-up would only make the inevitable explosion of Passion that much more fun for everyone involved. That girl sorely needed the realization that it was no longer necessary to bottle up her emotions so tightly.

"(✦ ‿ ✦)" Cass stared up at me with wide, sparkling, puppy dog eyes. She didn't even need to 'speak'. Those eyes and her practically vibrating posture said more than enough about her ill-contained excitement for headpats.

Kori watched me and Cass curiously. I placed my hand on Cass's head with little fanfare and began to pat. A soothing and intimately comforting aura emanated from my patting hand. It washed over Cass as I stroked and scratched her scalp, melting her into a standing puddle in an instant. Off to my side, Damian was experiencing a similar bliss from Didi's headpats.

"Oh~!" Kori clapped in sudden understanding. "I know of this! On Tamaran, we call it the Usho! The 'way of ultimate relief'! I did not realize Friend Sean was so skilled in the art!"

I kept patting Cass's head until her leg began to kick and shake involuntarily like a dog. I turned to Kori with a question as I did, "If you know what headpats are, does that mean you don't want some from me anymore?"

Kori gasped as if scandalized, "Oh, Goddess, no! To turn down the Usho from someone you trust is the greatest of taboos! Practically the sin! And I have very much of the trust in you, Friend Sean!"

"Well, I still have one hand free," I chuckled.

Kori happily flew under my hand and waited patiently. I didn't even bother trying to resist her wide, infectious smile and polite, unspoken request. A single 'Usho' and Kori joined the hallowed ranks of women who had melted under my hands. She was in very good company there.

"Hng," Raven made that same little noise for the third time in the background. Her inner voice was groaning in exasperation and begging her outer half to 'do something!'. Unfortunately for her, Raven's courage continued to fail her.

"Damn, choom…" Becca muttered, watching us from the side. "That shit looks better than 'Dorph and sex."

Harley snorted, a 'scheming' grin coming onto her face as she threw a shoulder around the other chaos gremlin in the room, "It's good, yeah. But DEFINITELY not better than sex with Gothboy. Phew, lemme tell ya, bestie~! Those fingers can do even more than just hand out divine head-scritches~! And don't even get me started on what the rest of Gothboy can do~!"

"Oh, yeah?" Becca's interest was piqued, playing right into Harley's hand.

Ivy sighed at both of them, "This is a terrible, terrible idea."

Harley grinned at her, "C'mon, Red~! Wouldn't she be so much fun~?"

Something inside me laughed, throbbed, and gaped in dread all at the same time at that unholy alliance of chaos gremlins. I had a feeling that even I would have a hard time with them joining forces. All they needed was Cass as well and I might have an actual challenge on my hands. To Hell if I was going to go out without a fight though…

"Is that… actually a thing?" David asked Lucy quietly.

Lucy smirked back at him, "You tell me, lover boy~."

Before he could think to react, David joined the quickly spreading epidemic of people melting from headpats in the Dead End, "Oh, fuck, Luce… Never stop doing whatever it is you're doing…!"

The Dead End's regulars watched the 'headpat epidemic' spread with amusement. Those who were new watched with baffled humor. The mood in the bar had certainly come a long way from the cosmic horror of my Yharnam story. I could only think that it was a pleasant development for the rest of the night.

Then there was a shift. A crack. Both there in the bar and infinitely far away. Something that very few in the Dead End likely felt. Me and Didi, of course. Ciri. Both Raven and Kori, strangely enough. It felt like long-built frustration — of gritted teeth and ruffled feathers — and a distant, all-consuming need to reunite with one long-missed. A DESIRE that opened the way, one might say.

Of those who noticed the shift, we all had differing reactions. Raven jumped minutely, startled. She didn't know what had happened or where it came from but she felt SOMETHING. Kori noticed as well, even more vaguely than Raven, but almost immediately relaxed back into my 'Usho'.

Ciri blinked in surprise as if suddenly staring at something painfully familiar. Didi scowled slightly when she felt the DESIRE — the expression quite out-of-place on her face. Her features quickly softened as she felt where the DESIRE had come from. And I only had a single 'word' to say as I noticed my ex-wife's Endbringer Core blink out of existence from my trophy shelf behind the bar.

"Huh."

IIIII

Simmy had never let the strange, ill-understood, and conceptual connection to her [Core] waver since she first felt it. It was the only tie she had left to her [Purpose]. Her only source of [Daddy], coming to be just after he'd left her.

Since Sean's passing, Simmy had devoted herself wholly to reuniting with him, her missing [Purpose]. It was the first one she'd chosen for herself, after all. She would not easily give up on it. The fact that reuniting with that [Purpose] required solving the problem put forth by the [Cycle] was irrelevant. Simmy WOULD see her [Daddy] again…

The connection to her other, not-quite-real [Core] existed always in the back of Simmy's Shard. The [Data] received through the connection was constantly translated into sights and sounds. [Sensations]. A way for Simmy to live in the present — even if it was a long-distant present she had no part in.

The [Data] feed from the other side of… somewhere… pained and soothed her in equal measure. Until now. Now, it only frustrated her. Almost to the point that Simmy was pulling out her hair and feathers. An unhealthy coping mechanism that wouldn't even have worked in the first place since Simmy was far from traditionally organic.

[Headpats]… [Daddy] was giving out free [Headpats]… And Simmy wasn't! There! To! Join!

It was unacceptable. A rarely felt twinge of [Output] burst her Shard. Simmy was jealous. Green with Envy and Need. She DESIRED to be there with Sean, receiving the [Headpats] and [Love] she missed so much.

This required a [Solution]… No, that wasn't quite right.

[SOLUTION].

There. That felt much better. Fueled by her flaring DESIRE — remarkably human feelings for such an alien intelligence like Simmy — a [SOLUTION] was brute-forced into being. She disregarded irrelevant and problematic concepts like 'reason' or 'sense' or even what should and shouldn't have been 'possible'. Simmy pushed directly forward, clinging to the connection to her echoing [Core] as inspiration and a lifeline.

The [Cycle] fell. Not to the [Entities] that created it, but to one of their creations in turn. Something less than a whole Shard Node. Something touched and altered by an utterly unique soul. An intimate link in a chain stretching across existence in all forms. Simmy pushed herself past her limits to reunite with her [Purpose], her [Daddy].

She pushed open a [Door] into a distant reality. Just a crack. Her DESIRE kindly opened it the rest of the way. [Entropy] was circumvented entirely, not that Simmy actually cared for conquering the original reason for the [Cycle]. It was just a means to an end. A pleasant side-effect of her DESIRE for [Reunion]. All that truly mattered was [Data], [Love], and [Headpats]!

And so with a silent crack in the void of near-Earth orbit, the being that was once feared as the Hope-Killer disappeared from its dormant position around the final planet of the [Cycle].

Earth Bet, flourishing in the wake of its uplift, barely noticed the Endbringer's absence. The once-feared monsters hadn't been an issue for a century. They were merely reminders of a darker era now. There were more pressing issues to worry about — like the ongoing terraforming of Venus, the cape wars over the exploitation of the rest of the Sol system, the reports of monsters beneath the thick ice of Europa, and the even more vague rumors of advanced aliens encountered deep out in the black.

The rest of the Shard Network noticed Simmy's sudden departure. As did her Endbringer siblings. But Behemoth was content to nap blissfully deep within the Earth's mantle. And Leviathan kept himself more than busy at the bottom of the ocean.

As for the rest of the Shards? Well, they couldn't truly complain since [Changed Conflict Engine, Designation: Simmy] had somehow found a way to send back fascinating new [Data] from wherever she now was!

Simmy came into Sean's current reality with an inaudible pop and a slight flicker from one moment to the next. The echo of her [Core] collapsed back into her, merging instantly with her sudden appearance. The tiny, tiny hole she'd made in the Source Wall was already closing tightly behind her.

The ripples of her arrival were felt but largely inconsequential. New beings came and went from Simmy's new reality with almost worrying frequency. She was merely one of the rare visitors from beyond the Source Wall. But even that wasn't enough to get more than a glance from the highest existences in this reality.

Simmy's arrival was blessed and sanctioned — heralded — by one of the Endless. Her determined DESIRE saw to that. That Endless blessing was half of the reason Simmy didn't raise any flags or concerns from the top tiers of reality. The other half was due to a certain Devil with a capital 'D'.

Lucifer simply smirked, reading Simmy's past in an instant and waving a lazy hand in permission. A fake Angel fixated so firmly on little Didi's Prince Consort? Oh, how entertaining this promised to be~…

Simmy didn't care about the cosmic attention her arrival attracted. She wasn't even aware of how outclassed she was here, not that it would have stopped her for a single moment anyway. This reality was a new [Frontier] for the now-independent pseudo-[Entity]. More than that, it was where her [Purpose] would be found again.

There was no Shard Network to fall back on here. Nothing for Simmy to rely on. Her [Simulation] and [Manipulation] modules were still working at full functionality. Perhaps even better than usual. The woeful lack of [Data] could be rectified in time.

Most important to Simmy now was finding her [Purpose]. [Daddy] would be able to give her new direction. Not to mention the [Love] she'd missed out on so much.

It was more of a challenge than she was used to. There were no Shards to look through here. No [Data] to feed her [Simulation]. Only the limited information fed to her by reuniting with the echo of her [Core]. It would have to be enough. Simmy would make due.

Blind to the present, Simmy began her search. Her [Simulation] spun up and was quickly disregarded as unreliable for the moment. There was too much [Interference: Unknown]. This initial search would have to be done personally. Simmy pulled coordinates from the merged echo of her [Core]. Satisfied, she set herself toward [Daddy]'s last known location.

Like a falling Shard of a star, Simmy descended through the Earth's atmosphere. She would undoubtedly be noticed. She didn't care. This reality's version of capes and defenders would not stand in the way of her reunion. And as fascinating as the new [Data] they might offer was, it was set to a much lower priority until after [Reunion].

The flames of her rapid reentry didn't even tickle her first layer of flesh. Simmy slowed only when she was directly above her echoing [Core]'s last location. From there, she came straight down, taking her time as a strange new [Output] vibrated within her Shard.

[Nervous]. How quaint… She'd never experienced this [Output] before. It seemed that reuniting with her [Purpose] would be a touch more interesting than she'd predicted.

A dark, sprawling city appeared below her. Simmy lit up the night around her, a falling beacon even after the friction-sparked flames surrounding her had faded. Her many wings revolved around her, always perfectly positioned to preserve her modesty. It was something [Daddy] had been fond of, Simmy remembered. Would he still remember her in turn…?

The night was utterly silent as she entered her final approach to the foreign city. Then the sirens started. A cautious and frightened panic of preparation accompanied them. Simmy couldn't help but feel… [Nostalgic].

A mere kilometer above the city, Simmy was confronted by this Earth's defenders. Simmy restrained her first instinct to bull through them. [Daddy] would not be proud of her if she resorted to hostility before anything else. Even if Simmy did want nothing more than to make haste to his side, she stayed her hand against the ones who blocked her path.

There were three native defenders in total. Two of them, Simmy recognized from the [Data] of her echoing [Core]. She'd seen them interacting with [Daddy]. Her Shard set a sub-routine in motion to collate the sparse [Data] she had from those interactions.

The one who led the trio was a traditionally handsome man in a caped costume of blue and red with accents of gold. Simmy's Shard flagged him as [Pattern: Paragon], the kind of cape Simmy would have twisted to her means during her darkest days. [Designation: Kal-El, Superman, Conditionally Non-hostile].

The limited [Data] she had on him implied that he was an alien, despite looking exactly like a human male. [Illogical]. But [True]. This was a strange reality…

The woman on his right was also familiar to Simmy's echoing [Core]. She was tall for a human female. Classically beautiful by human standards and clad in shining armor, with a sheathed sword at her side. She was flagged as [Pattern: Warrior]. It seemed [Daddy] quite liked her and she returned the sentiment… Simmy would give her a chance. [Designation: Diana Prince, Wonder Woman, Potential Ally].

The third defender was another human male. Again, traditionally handsome, though darker of skin than the one designated Kal-El. He wore a costume of black and green. A ring emanated an aura of green light that surrounded him. Simmy did not have any [Data] on him. [Unknown. Caution advised].

Against her DESIRES, Simmy brought herself to a floating standstill upon their appearance. They didn't show her any immediate hostility, though Simmy did diagnose a certain tension shared between them all. But according to the protocols [Daddy] had instilled in her, Simmy would cooperate until they broke the peace first.

Three of Earth's staunchest defenders stared down the strange new being over Gotham. She had appeared in orbit and the Justice League had tracked her to her current position. It was deemed prudent to at least greet her to determine her intentions.

Kal-El approached the situation with suitable caution but he saw no real need for concern just yet. The heroes didn't have enough information on Earth's newest arrival. Nor did they have any motivation to provoke her.

Martian Manhunter had noted that her thought processes were difficult to describe. Artificial yet also organic in a way. Ordered but also naturally formed. Like a crystal left to grow freely until it surpassed the complexity of most living beings.

She was confirmed to be intelligent though. Almost startlingly so. Kal held out hope that she could be reasoned with. He intended to extend an open hand of friendship to her on Earth's behalf. Something about the giant angel-like woman tickled Diana's mind. As if she was familiar but Diana couldn't place why.

John Stewart was perhaps the most on guard of the three heroes who confronted the — in his words — big-ass angel. He was used to aliens and new experiences. But something about this… woman… felt off to him. Like she didn't quite fit right with the rest of the universe just yet. Or maybe it was her Will — alive and somewhat similar to an AI but also alien in a way John had never encountered at the same time.

It also didn't help that she was certainly… one of the alien beings he'd ever seen… She was quite large relative to the heroes, 15 feet tall or so from head to toe. And that was without taking into account her many wings, each one dwarfing the rest of her body.

She almost hurt to look at, those wings constantly moving in a way that made John lose track of her figure. When he did manage to look past them, a haunting beauty stared back at him with eyes of shining silver. It wasn't the sort of beauty that was meant to attract someone, more the sort meant to awe and intimidate. She made John want to shiver in his own skin. Delicate, symmetrical, and undeniably alien.

The angel stared at the heroes, utterly impassive. Not a single flinch or twitch that might give away her current thoughts. Thankfully, Kal broke the silence with a greeting. John wasn't sure he would have found his voice any time soon.

"Hello," Kal said, smiling reassuringly. "Welcome to Earth."

There was a brief pause. Then the angel replied without moving her lips, directly vibrating the air itself to speak in an honestly jaw-dropping display of telekinetic finesse and prowess.

"[Greetings]. [Preferred Designation: Simmy]."

The way she spoke (and the fact she spoke 'English' at that) was a slight surprise but nothing the heroes didn't quickly adapt to. It wasn't telepathy so hopefully, their minds were still untouched. Martian Manhunter would have warned them if there was any danger there but it was comforting to confirm it for themselves.

Something about that name prodded at the heroes' minds but none of them could currently place it. Kal pressed forward anyway, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Simmy. Do you mind telling us why you've come to Earth? The people of the city below us would likely appreciate the reassurance that you mean them no harm."

Simmy paused again, "… [Headpats]."

"I'm… sorry?" Kal blinked, brought up short by the seemingly nonsensical reply and what it implied.

"[Purpose]," Simmy clarified.

Somehow, she managed to pack an entire lecture's worth of information into that one word. Something about the way she 'said' it naturally brought the right concepts, ideas, and implications to the heroes' minds. And suddenly, all three of them couldn't help but realize why the name 'Simmy' was so familiar.

A stunned silence set in before Diana began to laugh. Slowly at first, it quickly grew until she threw her head back and clutched her stomach, "Hahahah! Sean! You're Sean's Simmy!"

Simmy's expression didn't move an inch but she seemed to radiate a perfectly pleased aura anyway, "[Agreement]. [Preferred Designation updated: Sean's Simmy]."

Kal sighed under his breath, "Haaaaah… I can't help but feel that makes all too much sense…"

"So, you're what?" John asked. "That Mr. Barkeep guy's guardian angel or something?"

"[Purpose]," Simmy simply said as if it clarified everything. It kind of did.

"And you're here for… headpats…?" John continued incredulously.

Simmy stared at him impassively, "[Addendum]. [Data] + [Purpose] + [Love]."

"A worthy desire, in my opinion," Diana nodded in understanding. "I believe I am more than satisfied with this introduction. Sean's Simmy simply wishes to reunite with the one she loves and to experience new things like any other person. I see no reason why we should continue to stand in her way."

Kal nodded slowly, a relieved expression overtaking his face, "I agree. Honestly, this has been one of the least troubling developments surrounding Sean so far."

"A 15-foot tall angel appearing over a city — Gotham, of all places — and causing a panic is the 'least troubling development'?" John shook his head cynically. "Remind me to never have a beer in that bar."

"Come now," Diana chuckled. "You haven't even given Sean a chance. He's really not as bad as he seems."

"He's worse," Kal deadpanned.

Simmy watched these heroes banter, simply observing and categorizing the influx of new [Data] there was to collect here. Soon enough though, she was left free to her own devices. She wasted no more time, flying down to [Daddy]. Still, she took care to keep her speed below the speed of sound, remembering her lessons in how fragile humans were. Most of the poor organics couldn't even handle a simple sonic boom…

All the more reason why her [Daddy] was as great as he was. Simmy didn't have to be nearly as careful around him. Even during their most… [Intimate]… moments, she had never managed to truly harm him. The nervous [Output] in Simmy's Shard flared at those stored [Data] points. She didn't let it stop her from slamming through the roof of her [Daddy]'s [Domain].

With a crash, the [Domain] seemed to welcome Simmy in a way her sensors couldn't easily comprehend. The [Data] was dutifully stored away for later [Analysis]. The humans inside [Daddy]'s [Domain] stared at Simmy, stunned completely silent by her sudden entrance.

Ah… Perhaps she was a bit [Hasty] there…

[Embarrassment]. [Recovery protocols]. [Minor error: Flustered]. [Compensating]… [Overcompensating]. [Solution deemed reasonable].

A flurry of activity took place within Simmy's Shard in less than an instant. The humans staring at her didn't have any time to react. One moment, Simmy had crashed through the ceiling of the building. The next, she was moving as a blur.

[Daddy] was scooped up into the safety of Simmy's arms and wings. She knew he wasn't in danger. She also knew he was allowing her to do this. The [Amusement] in his smirk said that much.

The woman beside [Daddy] easily reacted to Simmy's movement as well. She was beyond Simmy's ability to comprehend. [Endless]. She smiled at Simmy and gave a little nod of [Permission]. The [Data] concerning [Endless Entity, Designation: Didi] was quickly filed away separately in Simmy's Shard as it threatened to overwhelm all of her processes.

Before anyone in the Dead End could truly blink, Simmy had already kidnapped Sean and was making great haste into the upper atmosphere. The speed of it all left no room for reprisal or reaction. Only the protections of the Dead End prevented the… ill-advised… side-effects of a multi-layered sonic boom in an enclosed space that Simmy's blurred movement 'should' have caused. And of course, it was all only allowed to happen with both Sean and Didi's permission, the Dead End actually aiding Simmy in her quest for [Love] and [Reunion].

A few seconds later, the minds within the bar caught up to what had just happened. Cyborg's jaw dropped open, "What… the Hell just happened?!"

"Sean just got kidnapped by a biblically accurate angel," Raven deadpanned.

Barbara sighed, "Because of course, he did."

"Dammit, Dad," Alice groaned.

Didi merely hummed, surprising everyone, "Hmm, good for her."

"That's… it…?" Beast Boy asked in hesitant confusion.

"That's it," Didi nodded. "She deserves a bit of time with him to catch up and properly reunite. They'll be back soon enough."

"Ahh," Penguin made a noise of realization. "That was Sean's ex-wife, wasn't it?"

"The Endbringer he told us about?" Scarecrow clarified.

"I'd put money on it," Penguin nodded.

Riddler scratched his head, "But how the Hell did she get to our reality?"

Kori pouted, "I do not care. She did the ruining of my Usho…"

"⸨◺_◿⸩" Cass scowled, left high but certainly not dry by Sean's sudden abduction as well. 'She's made an enemy here today…'

"Be nice, girls. Simmy didn't mean either of you any harm," Didi chided gently.

"But, But! The disruption of Usho is the gravest of offenses!" Kori protested.

"And how would you feel if your source of Usho was lost to you for many, many years and you only now managed to reunite with him?" Didi reasoned.

"O-Oh…" Just like that, Kori's tune did a complete switch, empathetic tears welling up in her eyes. "That poor angel! I will have to praise her for being of such strength and patience when she returns!"

"(¬,¬)" Cass still scowled slightly but it was much less genuine now. 'I get it, I guess…'

"Cassandra Cain," Unsatisfied with just that, Didi gave Cass a stern look, invoking her whole name and the motherly shame that came with it.

"(⇀‸↼‶)" Cass' scowl immediately transformed into a sheepish pout. "Okay, fine… I won't pluck her feathers like a chicken for daring to interrupt my headpats."

"Good," Didi nodded, satisfied. "I would quite like it if we could all be friends here."

The Edgerunners watched the reactions unfold, slightly removed due to this being their first night at the Dead End. David muttered to Ciri, "Crazy fuckin' sitch you dropped us in, Ciri."

Becca cackled, "And I'm so fucking HERE for it, choom!"

Ciri sighed, "I believe this is something of an eventful night even by the Dead End's standards…"

In near-Earth orbit, high directly above the Dead End, Simmy hugged her [Daddy] tightly to her bosom. Her arms and wings embraced him eagerly, trying to make up for lost time and lost [Love]. Everything was right in Simmy's world again… Everything was [Right]…

"Hello, Simmy," Sean chuckled. "I'm glad to see you again too. I'm impressed you managed to get to me. Did you crack entropy and defeat the cycle?"

"[Irrelevant]. [LOVE]…" Simmy replied.

"Yes, yes, I love you too. I've missed you," Sean smiled at her and Simmy's whole Shard stuttered.

He always made her feel like this… Simmy's [Outputs] and [Inputs] were getting confused. All of her sensors were focused on Sean and Sean alone. Forget [Data], forget the [Cycle], forget [Entropy]… Sean was all that really mattered in Simmy's Shard. She told him as much.

"[Purpose]."

"Oh, yeah? Even still?" Sean asked, chuckling. "A part of me expected to you have moved on somewhat by now."

"[NEVER]."

Amused, Sean said, "Simmy, it's been years. Lives, for me."

"[Inquiry: Still love]…?"

"Of course, I still do. I doubt I could ever truly stop loving you. No matter how long it's been," Sean soothed. "Even with all I've seen, it's not like I marry people casually."

Simmy's Shard threw up processes that started and stuttered, crashing in and out of existence, "[Error: H A P Y]."

"I should tell you that things have grown a bit more complicated in my life — lives, I suppose — since we last saw each other face to Shard," Sean warned.

"[Inquiry: Data]?"

"Well, there's [Didi] for one," Sean explained, speaking concepts and information into existence. "And I've [Grown] quite a bit."

Something in Simmy's Shard shuddered, an illogical sensation of pointless protocols and processes. Of [Data] that streamed directly into her Shard and [Outputs] that served no real purpose other than to [BE]. Oh, how she [Loved] when he spoke her language.

While the largest partition of her Shard relished Sean's presence — relished reuniting with her [Purpose] — a much smaller partition was devoted to [Analyzing] the [Data] in his words. She observed life after life of Sean's [Growth]. The [Data] was reverentially saved into a special [Archive] to be treasured until [Entropy] faded the universe to black.

[Data: Didi] required a bit more consideration. It was saved separately as well. The Endless [Data] threatened to overwhelm Simmy's Shard otherwise. It was the same phenomenon Simmy associated with the woman who nodded to her beside Sean previously. Simmy filed it away in the same place as earlier. [Endless Entity Designation: Didi, impossible Data, true… important to Daddy = important to Simmy].

"[Acknowledged]. [Request for Data: Current Reality]?" Simmy 'asked'.

"Oh, this will be a treat," Sean chuckled. "I think you'll love this place. So much [Data] to be had here. Welcome to [DC], Simmy…"

Simmy paused… She didn't recover any time soon. Her Shard spun up into overdrive, twinkling with unseen light as [Data] streamed through her crystalline being. So. Much. [Data]. A whole new reality — [Universe: DC] — to explore. New [Forces] and [Constants] and [Mechanics] to observe, categorize, and study. Simmy's Shard found itself having to rewrite everything it thought it knew about reality.

[New model needed: Magical]. [New model needed: Emotional]. [New model needed: Spiritual]. [New model needed: Psionic]. [Existing model updated: Mutational, New designation: Meta-gene]. [Existing model updated: Conceptual]. [Existing model updated: Dimensional].

[New status needed: Undead]. [New status needed: Eldritch]. [New status needed: Divine]. [New status needed: Angelic]. [New status needed: Demonic]. [Statuses merged: Biblical]. [New status needed: Immortal]. [Danger/Threat grading scale updated: Cosmic-… Universal-… Multiversal-… OMNIPOTENT]?!

For the first time, Simmy's Shard had too much [Data] to choose from. It was overwhelming. The [Cycle] wouldn't even have been needed in this reality. [Models: Magical, Emotional, and Spiritual] would have solved the problem on their own with their impossible methods of generating energy from seemingly nothing except [Life] itself.

With the overwhelming influx of impossible, new [Data]… Simmy's Shard crashed. She forced herself into a soft reboot to prevent unavoidable harm to herself from conflicts between the [Data] and her existing preconceptions of reality. Simmy herself stuttered to a stop, going completely still as her Shard restarted with the new [Data] integrated into her systems.

A yawning *ding* brought her back online. It was her most pleasant restart in… ever. Even the restart [Daddy] had forced her into when they first met didn't compare. Almost lazily, Simmy filed away the impossible [Data] to be dealt with later. The new [Models], [Statuses], and [Contradictions] could wait.

Simmy simply wrapped Sean further into her winged embrace, "[Output: Content]. [Ignorance = bliss]. [Analysis postponed]. [For now]…"

"You took that much better than I thought you would," Sean observed, settling back against her bosom.

Simmy hummed a song but did not [Sing]. The new [Data] was useful and fascinating, almost incomprehensibly so. But it couldn't compare to having [Daddy] in her arms again. Her bare flesh was soft against Sean, nothing like her [Battle Form].

This configuration left her with the curves upon curves that she knew [Daddy] enjoyed. Soft breasts that squished just right around his head like cushions when he was in his rightful place on her lap. They also happened to be perfect for the [Paizuri] that brought [Daddy] so much [Pleasure].

Simmy shuddered pleasantly at that thought process, her Shard spinning off into similar ones. If having [Daddy] between her breasts was enjoyable, having him inside her was [ECSTASY]. It'd been too long since Simmy had a taste of [Daddy]'s [Intimacy]…

Their size differences should have made those types of activities difficult but [Daddy] always found a way. Simmy's personal favorite was being folded up until she was practically the same size as him and [Pounded!] as he kissed her softly. Her wings could embrace him [Just right] in that position.

But being [~Taken~] from behind wasn't bad either. The way [Daddy] practically ignored her size and directed her exactly how he wanted her anyway was… [Thrilling]. Her [Core] wasn't actually located anywhere near her perfectly-crafted, pseudo-organic pussy or womb but it certainly FELT like it was when he dominated her from the back, stroking her wing feathers and telling her she was a [Designation: Good Girl].

Simmy had to tamper her [Output: Arousal] before it spun out of hand. It'd been much, much too long since she'd had [Release]. But [Love: Lewd] could wait now that she had [Daddy] in her embrace again. At least, she thought it could. Until [Daddy] caressed the base of her wing where her true [Core] hid and whispered a single 'word' in her language.

"[~Cum~]"

Simmy let out a gasp, her mouth actually falling open with the sound instead of simply willing it into the world with her [Manipulation]. Her Shard sparkled and flickered with pure [Sensation]. Her Shard processors overloaded one after another. Sheer [Relief] radiated from her [Core] as every one of her processes and protocols paused for a long, blissful moment.

"[Love]…" Simmy whimpered as she slowly struggled her systems back to baseline. "[Headpats]…?"

"I can't physically reach that high while you're still holding me like this, Simmy," Sean fondly pointed out.

"… [Still snuggle]. [Also headpats]…?"

"I suppose I can figure something out for you," Sean chuckled.

A strange source of [Manipulation] began to stroke and scratch Simmy's scalp. It was soothing. Comforting. [Bliss]… Simmy sighed and let herself relax into the afterglow. [Manipulation, Model: Spiritual + Conceptual, Daddy's soul headpats]. Simmy pushed the [Analysis] to the back of her Shard. For the moment, it was [Irrelevant].

With her [Reunion: Purpose], Simmy was [H A P Y]…

And completely unaware that another link from Sean's past had followed Simmy through when she'd opened the [Door] into the new reality, searching for the only interruption to her Silence that the newcomer had ever accepted.

Somewhere beyond time and space, Desire cackled maniacally to themself at the two-for-one special they'd gotten. What a steal! A false angel and an Infinite Dragon God who rivaled her Endless siblings in power. Desire couldn't wait to watch this second reunion unfold~.