Chapter 66: Curious child

Darius, still holding Verity's hand, walked her through the grand halls of the agency. Verity's eyes darted everywhere, her curiosity bubbling over as she asked questions about everything she saw.

"Papa, what's that shiny thing? What does that button do? Can I touch it?" she asked, her voice full of wonder.

"Maybe don't touch that one," Darius said with a chuckle, gently guiding her away from a complicated-looking control panel. "That's for something we don't want blowing up, trust me."

They continued to walk through the building, heading towards the garden where the fresh air and sunlight streamed in from the tall windows.

As they approached the exit, Darius felt a familiar presence outside.

The moment they stepped into the garden, he saw them—the Archers of the Endless, standing in perfect formation, their massive bodies radiating power as they formed a living shield around the mountain.

Verity's eyes widened as she saw the tall figures standing guard, her little hand tightening around Darius'. "Papa, who are they? They're big like you!"

Darius smiled softly. "Those are my archers, little one. They've been watching over me... and now, they're protecting you too."

Walking closer, Darius raised his hand, motioning for the archers to stand down. "Your service is no longer needed. You've done more than enough," he called out, his voice calm but filled with authority.

The archers, towering over both Darius and Verity, turned towards him in unison, their bodies glowing with faint energy. As their eyes fell upon Verity, something shifted in their posture.

They sensed it—the same energy that radiated from their master now pulsed within this small child standing next to him.

Without a word, the archers bent to one knee, bowing deeply before Verity, their heads lowered in reverence. Verity blinked, clearly confused by their sudden action. "Papa... why are they bowing?"

Darius knelt beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "They're acknowledging you, Verity. You carry my power, and they see that. They've sworn to protect me, and now, they swear to protect you too."

One of the archers, their leader, spoke in a low voice. "Master... she carries your essence. We, the Archers of the Endless, pledge our eternal loyalty to her. Her safety is our duty, just as yours has always been."

Verity tilted her head. "You're gonna protect me too? Like a big team?"

The archer nodded. "Yes, little one. With all our might."

Verity giggled and clapped her hands. "Yay! A team! Thank you!"

Darius smiled at the scene, feeling a sense of pride swell in his chest. He stood up, addressing the archers. "Thank you, my friends. But for now, you may rest. The danger has passed, and I can handle things from here."

The archers, still bowed, nodded solemnly before they slowly rose to their feet. One by one, they faded into the light, retreating from their watchful posts around the mountain.

Verity tugged at Darius' sleeve, pointing towards a group of figures scattered around the outskirts of the mountain. "Papa, who are those people? What are they doing there?"

Darius followed her gaze and spotted the familiar faces of the heroes—Clark, Bruce, Steve, Natasha, and Diana—each stationed at different parts of the mountain, as if they had been keeping watch over the area.

Darius sighed with a smile. Of course, they had felt the energy disturbance during his transformation and had taken it upon themselves to ensure nothing went wrong.

Walking hand-in-hand with Verity, he approached the group, raising his hand in greeting. "You guys are still here?" he asked, his tone light and teasing. "Wasn't all of this a little unnecessary?"

Clark turned towards him, his cape gently swaying in the breeze. "We weren't sure what was happening," he explained, his expression calm but concerned. "We sensed the power surge, and well... better safe than sorry."

Bruce, standing nearby with his arms crossed, nodded in agreement. "You're not exactly subtle, Darius. We had to make sure things didn't escalate."

Steve stepped forward, adjusting his shield on his arm. "We're just keeping an eye out. We figured it was best to keep things under control until you woke up."

Darius shook his head with a chuckle. "You guys are too cautious sometimes. I appreciate it, though. But as you can see," he gestured to Verity, who was waving at the heroes with a big grin on her face, "everything's under control now."

Natasha raised an eyebrow, her sharp eyes darting between Darius and the little girl. "Who's the kid?" she asked with a smirk. "Last time I checked, you didn't have any children."

Darius gave a sheepish grin. "Well, this is Verity. She's... my creation."

"Papa made me!" Verity chirped, bouncing on her toes. "Hi! What's your name? Are you a spy? You look sneaky."

Natasha's smirk widened. "Sharp kid. Yeah, I guess you could say I'm sneaky."

Verity's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Can you teach me how to be sneaky too? I wanna learn all the cool stuff!"

Darius chuckled, patting Verity on the head. "Maybe when you're older, little one."

Diana, who had been quiet until now, stepped forward, her eyes softening as she gazed at Darius and the child by his side. "She's beautiful, Darius. And I can sense she's strong, just like you."

Verity, her curiosity piqued again, ran over to Diana. "You're really tall! Are you a warrior? Can you teach me how to fight? Papa says I'm too little, but I wanna learn how to be strong like him."

Diana smiled warmly, kneeling down to Verity's level. "One day, perhaps. But for now, it's important to grow and learn. Strength comes in many forms, little one."

Verity beamed, clearly delighted by the attention. "Okay! But when I'm big, will you teach me?"

Diana nodded. "Of course."

As Verity continued to bounce around, asking each hero her endless list of questions, Darius turned to the group with a grateful smile. "Thanks for looking out for us. But really, everything's fine now. You can relax."

Steve nodded, his serious demeanor softening slightly. "We're just glad you're okay, Darius."

Bruce, ever the pragmatist, raised an eyebrow. "But what exactly happened? That power spike didn't seem like something you could handle without consequences."

Darius shrugged lightly, though the weight of his recent ordeal still lingered in his eyes. "Let's just say... I had to make some changes. But we're good now."

Clark, ever the optimist, gave a reassuring smile. "We trust you, Darius. But if you ever need help... you know where to find us."

Darius smiled back. "Thanks, Clark. I'll keep that in mind."

As the conversation wound down, Verity tugged at Darius' hand, her eyes wide with excitement. "Papa, can we go see more stuff now? I wanna see the whole mountain!"

Darius chuckled, ruffling her hair. "Alright, little one. Let's explore."

With that, Darius and Verity turned to continue their tour of the mountain, leaving the heroes to watch them with a mixture of amusement and curiosity.

Verity's boundless energy was infectious, and despite the intensity of the past days, a lightness had returned to the air.

As Verity skipped along beside Darius, her joyful energy suddenly shifted. She stopped in her tracks, her small hand tugging at Darius' robe.

"Papa…" she said softly, her voice tinged with sadness. Her bright eyes, usually so curious and full of life, now seemed clouded with concern.

Darius knelt beside her, sensing the change. "What's wrong, Verity?"

Verity looked up at him, her brow furrowed as if she was struggling to make sense of something.

"I… I feel something. Someone's really sad. It's like their mind is all twisted and tangled, and it hurts, Papa. I think it's the sad lady… the one with the rainbow hair."

She paused, her lip quivering as she absorbed the emotions she was feeling. "She's really upset… everything in her head feels wrong."

Darius' heart sank. He knew exactly who Verity was talking about. Delirium. His sister, who thrived in chaos and madness, was one of the most unpredictable of the Endless. But after the recent events with him, her delicate balance had likely been thrown into disarray.

"Delirium…" Darius murmured, standing up and looking toward the distance, his eyes filled with concern.

Verity's small hand gripped his tightly. "Can we help her, Papa? She's really, really sad. I don't like it…"

Darius sighed, knowing that leaving Delirium unchecked could have disastrous consequences. Her mind was already a delicate, fragile thing—this recent storm could have pushed her deeper into madness.

And if Delirium spiraled too far, it wouldn't just affect her realm—it could spread through the multiverse like wildfire.

He looked down at Verity, seeing the genuine sadness and empathy in her eyes. "Yes, little one," he said softly. "We'll help her."

In an instant, Darius teleported, taking Verity with him as they entered Delirium's domain.

The moment they arrived, the world around them seemed to shift and change in ways that made no sense.

Colors swirled chaotically, the sky above shifting between every hue imaginable and then some that were beyond comprehension.

The ground beneath their feet was a patchwork of textures—smooth, jagged, soft, and hard, all at once. Time and space seemed to fold in on themselves in strange, illogical ways. The air buzzed with a disorienting energy, like the entire realm was trying to reflect the chaotic state of Delirium's mind.

And there, in the center of it all, was Delirium herself.

She was curled up in a ball, her rainbow-colored hair a tangled mess that seemed to writhe like living creatures. Her mismatched eyes—one glowing with intense, shifting colors and the other a deep, swirling void—stared blankly at nothing.

Her body was surrounded by a chaotic storm of emotions, flickering from joy to despair to confusion in the blink of an eye.

She muttered incoherently, her words a jumble of fragmented thoughts that made little sense.

"She's hurting so much, Papa…" Verity whispered, her voice trembling. She clutched Darius' hand even tighter as they approached.

Darius frowned, seeing his sister in such a state. Delirium had always been unpredictable, but this was worse than he'd ever seen. Her mental turmoil was radiating out of her, affecting the very fabric of her domain.

He could feel the ripples of her distress tugging at the edges of reality itself.

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