Emancipation 1

Oh violence does call me, I've answered before

I'd made many enemies, I'd settled my scores

But I did grow weary and I settled down

And proudly bore the weight of my crown

I lived on my lonesome away in the far

Where there was no violence to trouble my heart

I'd hung up my sword and I'd raised up my hoe

And I lied as I said that I ne'er would go

********

Dragons Day.

The day the world changed.

There were many names for the event.

Some called it the 'Moonrise.'

Others called it 'The Impact.'

A few people, possibly inebriated due to celebrations, called it 'the Nom heard around the world.'

It would come to be known as Dragons Day in textbooks.

The name stemmed from the initial name given to the holiday celebrating the death of the Simurgh in a small town near Madison, Wisconsin; 'Dragon Day.'

The internet, being the cesspit it is, would make enough jokes about 'D-day' and 'Double Ds' that the term would stick around and, after a few adaptations, would become the official name for the event.

It also went to show what the ordinary people thought was the most important part of the whole event.

Though historians could look back and see the whole picture and know that the death of the Simurgh was the first, and possibly least, of many events to shape the world, the day-to-day citizenry did not see it that way.

A massive new Island in the Atlantic causing delays to shipping? Most people barely noticed the minuscule increase in price for certain goods.

A glowing blue moon in the sky? It's not doing anything. Why should I care?

The world's greatest heroes failed to stop a titanic dragon from landing on earth? Nothing terrible has happened yet.

Realistically, people were jaded at that point. They were used to significant events, so something that didn't seem to affect them too much, even if it looked impressive, was quickly put out of mind.

Nobody had died, and no one was worse for wear, so most did not care about the new draconic alien. Someone else would deal with it if it turned out to be malignant.

No, the most important event of the Dragons' Descent was 'the Nom heard around the world.'

One cannot underestimate how much of an impact the Endbringers had on the world.

When Behemoth first appeared six years ago, it destroyed the Ghawar Oil Field. Standing nearly 50 feet tall, the dynakinetic laid waste to a vast swath of land.

As this was the first attack, the devastation was total as heroes rushed to stop the beast. Its ability to manipulate radiation, even imitating kryptonite and the 50-foot kill zone surrounding it, caused countless casualties to the heroes who arrived to help. Though Ghawar wasn't a significant population center, thousands still died. Even today, an area of over 10,000 square kilometres were uninhabitable.

Though the monster was eventually repelled, with numerous casualties, the world instantly faced an energy crisis.

In the following months, this was mitigated by innovations from geniuses like Reed Richards and Tony Stark or companies like LexCorp or Wayne Industries. Some argued that they were only doing it for the profit they could make with their more fuel-efficient engines or alternative energy source.

Most were just happy that gas prices weren't insane.

The world slowly recovered from the attack, and most moved on with their lives, thinking it was only another random rampage from some villain or another.

Then, three months later, Behemoth attacked again.

This time he appeared in Singapore.

The good news was that the heroes, now more familiar with the monster's abilities, faced fewer casualties before driving it off.

The bad news was the other death toll.

Millions of dead, either in the initial attack or in the aftermath.

The single greatest loss of human life in one day in the history of the world.

That day saw the first use of the term Endbringer. Not only because of the sheer destruction it brought but because nobody knew how to destroy the creature.

Physical attacks were worse than useless. Only the strongest blows had any material effect, and even then, the monster regenerated in moments.

Energy attacks were almost as bad.

While effective in the fight, magic hadn't been able to do any lasting damage as the creature regenerated no matter how much damage it took.

In the three years following its first appearance, Behemoth would attack every three months, targeting either population centers or essential infrastructure. The world came to expect and prepare for it, trying all sorts of ideas.

Nothing lasted.

When thrown off the planet, sealed, teleported, or banished, they reappeared in an unguarded location less than a minute later.

The only consolation the world had was that the average death toll dropped from hundreds to tens of thousands.

Then Leviathan attacked Oslo.

Not only did this signal to the world that Behemoth wasn't unique, but it also marked a shift back to the death toll of the early battles. Millions more died as the ocean flooded the city. The new Endbringer was easier to fight, lacking the kill zone, but it was also much more mobile.

Evacuation in time was almost impossible.

The following two years saw the two monsters shift back and forth every three months.

Then the Simurgh descended upon Dheli.

If Leviathan and Behemoth were treated with fear and caution, natural disasters that people would weather and then rebuild, the Simurgh told everyone that nothing was safe.

In the year and a half she was active, Ziz only attacked three cities.

Every time, the death toll was less than its' siblings.'

You had a better chance of surviving if Ziz descended on you than if the other two appeared.

If asked which Endbringer you'd rather show up on your doorstep, everyone on earth would answer the same thing.

'Any of them but the Simurgh.'

If Behemoth was a bomb and Leviathan a tsunami, Ziz was a scalpel. One wielded by an incredibly skilled and sadistic hand.

She was the smallest of the Endbringers. Her weakness to magic was more pronounced than any other since she couldn't even perceive it. Her most prolonged battle lasted less than thirty minutes.

After her descent into Dheli, she was given the designation Simurgh or Ziz.

After Maddison, she was given a more fitting name.

Hopekiller.

When she fell upon Star City, only a select few could fight her without going mad from her influence.

Of those numbers, none included anyone with a Tinker rating or Psychic ability.

Absolutely nobody wanted a repeat of Psylock or Mister Terrific.

The Simurgh solidified the message that, given enough time, the Endbringers would be the world's doom.

She turned the world's best and brightest, heroes many admired against those they once protected.

Some overtly, some subtly.

The constant, repeated blows against humanity led to increased crime, nihilism, and suicides. A psychological term was used to describe the feeling of hopelessness that filled most people.

The Endbringer Effect.

So, when the White Dragon arrived on earth and swallowed the Hopekiller whole, most did not feel fear of the new beast.

Only all-consuming joy.

It would later be called the 'First Miracle.'

It gave hope to the hopeless world.

More than one nation declared a national holiday after learning of Simurgh's disappearance.

India began building a statue of the White Dragon within two days. The revelry that followed D-day would become the stuff of legends. Mardi Gras, Oktoberfest, and Holi looked like church congregations in comparison. Nine months later, births would triple their average. Twice as much as the baby boom.

In the days after D-day, those who weren't hungover and were near the ocean would discover the 'Second Miracle.'

It was subtle, so much so that nobody could pinpoint exactly when it happened, but the first signs were when bodies floated to the surface in harbours worldwide.

Not just the recently dead, but others that looked decades old. Some looked drowned, but most bore wounds indicating a more violent death. They were naked of all man-made objects. Gotham Harbor, in particular, looked like a sea of corpses. It was such an odd thing to happen in all parts of the world that nobody quite knew what was happening.

Then someone posted a video online.

It was a simple thing, ten seconds long.

Someone, likely female, judging by the wrist shape, dropped a soda can in the ocean.

It dissolved instantly as if dipped in the most potent acid in the world.

People caught on quickly after that.

No matter what material it was, anything man-made that wasn't biodegradable melted into the ocean if it wasn't attached to someone. Swimsuits kept their form, but if you accidentally dropped your phone in the water, it was gone forever.

The bodies floating to the surface were those buried illegally at sea. As the cement blocks or other anchors dissolved, proof of the crimes finally saw the light of day. More than one cold case would be reopened, and criminals caught as a result of new evidence.

For the first time ever, the ocean was trash free.

Boats still sailed, and ocean mining continued uninterrupted, but nothing detrimental to the seas remained in its waters for longer than a second. Oil spills vanished as they happened. Shipwrecks were never found again. Some complained about the loss of treasure or historical artifacts, but most were happy that the Pacific trash vortex was no longer a thing.

It should not come as a surprise that after eating the Hopekiller and cleaning the oceans, cults to worship the Dragon started to spring up around the world.

And then the pilgrimages began.

Early on, it was those who possessed their own ships or yachts. Those brave enough or stupid to approach the White Dragon set out to try and reach the new Island.

Already people were throwing around names like Atlantis, Mu, and El Dorado.

Some even called it the New Eden.

So, when they approached the White Mountains that surrounded the new subcontinent, ready to pass between them, most were surprised when they were blocked from progressing. They could touch the white scales of the Dragon but not advance an inch further.

No boats crashed. They simply sailed on for eternity, never moving forward, even as their engines propelled them until they turned away.

Those more knowledgeable knew something similar happened to the heroes who tried to follow the White Dragon when it landed. They found themselves unable to progress past a certain point, no matter how fast they flew or ran. Teleportation did not work either. Nobody was able to approach the Island.

Reviewing the footage taken on D-day, the heroes would realize that the boundary matched that of the great Jewel the Dragon carried.

For weeks, pilgrims made their way to touch the White Mountains. To feel the scales of the creature who had been the first to slay an Endbringer for the first time. More than a few tried to grab 'samples' with no luck.

Very occasionally, the spikes would move. Sometimes in a twitch, sometimes in a shiver. No water was displaced, and nobody was harmed. For all intents and purposes, the White Mountains of the Dragon acted as an invisible wall separating the rest of the world from the Island.

Two weeks after D-day, there was the first documented case of a ship passing through the White Mountains. Like a mirage, they sailed on as if the spikes were not there.

It happened in the dead of night, far from most other vessels. The only reason people discovered the occurrence was a drone flying around to capture more complete footage of the White Mountains in the moonlight. It captured footage of the small vessel passing through the scales as if they were a mirage.

The ship was never seen again.

In the morning, the drone operator would try and replicate the feat but would find herself in the same perpetual loop of advancing as everywhere else.

Investigations would reveal that the boat 'the Evangelist' belonged to one Robert Mathers. It jettisoned from Kennebunkport in Maine with a half dozen passengers. All with connections to the Fallen, the Endbringer cultists.

It was the first but not the last vessel that would pass through the White Mountains.

They all vanished.

Naturally, people started assigning moral judgments to these different results.

The news got around about the 'Test of Faith.'

If you could lay your hands upon the White Dragon, you were deemed 'pure.'

Should you pass through the White Mountains, you were 'judged.'

It should be noted that, so long as one did not keep sailing past the scales, they could turn back no worse for wear. Only those who attempted to reach the Island were lost forever.

As 'pilgrimages' began, floating meeting grounds started to spring up. Barges, floating restaurants, yachts, and other entertainment ships congregated together. Since the Island was in international waters, nobody had jurisdiction over those who started to live part-time near the great beast.

There was some fear that Leviathan would disrupt the floating towns, but many felt more secure in the shadows of the White Mountains than anywhere else.

They believed that the Dragon would defend them.

Businesses dedicated to bringing food or commodities to the burgeoning villages started to boom. Tourism, in particular, saw the birth of many small businesses.

This was all aided by the flowering marine life.

Dolphins, whales, sharks, and other fish seemed to flow into the area. They multiplied and spread out, irrespective of their common mating grounds. It was a veritable ocean renaissance, as the population of certain species multiplied to levels not seen since the advent of fishing itself.

Wildlife tours, scuba diving, studies of marine biology, and other ocean-based attractions drew people in like moths to the flame.

One day, a video was posted online.

'An average day at White Waters.'

It was an advertisement for a floating restaurant in White Waters, a floating town around the northwest side of the White Mountains. It was a common stop for those coming from Nova Scotia or the New England states.

The video was only two minutes long. It depicted images of swimming with sharks, an enormous pod of dolphins breaching the surface, fishing a six-meter tuna and grilling it, and finishing the day eating on the patio barge of the restaurant.

In the last frame, as the video faded to black, one marine archeologist noticed an odd shadow in the water that sparked his curiosity. Comparing other footage of the area and reports from various diver's accounts, he came to a shocking conclusion.

Gathering what funds he could, the man set out to White Waters.

He stayed for a week, searching for proof of his hypothesis.

On the eighth day, he found his holy grail.

His drone captured footage of a seventy-foot-long carcass, a blue whale, being ripped apart by two sharks. Both of the carnivorous fish were over fifty feet long.

Some way, somehow, megalodons had returned to the ocean.

This discovery was made three months after D-day.

By then, most of the world had gotten used to the new status quo. The Blue Moon, the Island, and the White Dragon were old news. Many more shocking events had happened since.

The Dragon didn't seem to do much, after all.

While the discovery of extinct animals returning did surprise and scare some people, most were living in fear of being the next Endbringer attack target.

They were right to do so, though for the wrong reasons.

The Fourth Miracle was a prelude to a reshaping of the world stage.

But that story is for a later time.

To understand everything, we must step a bit backwards.

Back to the Island, two weeks after D-day.

It's amazing how one night, and one family conversation, can set dominoes into motion to change the world.

********

"Gah!" I cried in more surprise than pain. "Medea!" I shouted as I rubbed the bruised tentacle. It didn't hurt, even if there was a chunk missing.

I wasn't even sure I had nerves anymore.

"Horray!" Priscila cried with a fist pump. FATALITY flashed across the screen as she took the chance to decapitate my character

"Mrow," Medea, my cat, flapped her tiny wings ineffectually. Despite her newfound race change, courtesy of the third level of Memorabilia, she was still a cat at heart.

To her, my tiny squid-like form looked delicious.

It probably didn't help that I had already boosted her Tier thanks to Dragon Blood. Nor that I had long ago made my body fluids delicious for the women of the Island.

She didn't look any different than she used to. A larger-than-normal American Wirehair with a resting 'I don't care' face. One would think she was an ordinary cat if it wasn't for the draconic wings.

Thankfully the Floof only had time to take one bite out of me before being captured by Glynda's telekinesis. It healed right away, but the shock cost me the match.

No significant loss, as I was terrible at fighting games anyway.

"I still do not know if I should be flattered or insulted you named your cat after me," Medea, the witch, said. She didn't look up from her delicate wirework.

"Flattered," I answered immediately. "Not only was 'Medea' my favourite play, but she is Best Floof. Isn't that right, you tub of lard. Whose the flooffiest floof? You are, you are." I cooed at the cat, still mewling in protest at her captivity.

"She just ate one of your legs," Glynda put her book down to arch an eyebrow at me, still maintaining control over the squirming winged feline. "This isn't even the first time."

"Tentacles," I corrected as I used my tiny draconic wings to fly from my position on Priscila's lap and bury my face in Medea's fur. She tried to nibble on my head. "I still can't get them to combine yet without them turning digitigrade, and don't get me started on making a skeletal structure. Biology is the worst. Give me physics or chemistry any day of the week. Anyway, it is not Medea's fault I am delicious."

I felt a poke in my back.

Turning, I saw a fluffy tail prodding me, even as Priscilla started a new game. She resolutely looked away from me and her appendage. I would have smirked if I had lips, but instead, I just curved my mouth into the closest approximation.

Taking the hint, I stopped rubbing the floofy cat and started on the floofy dragon.

The five of us, six if you included Medea (cat), were in one of the large living rooms of the mansion. Glynda was reading some books from the library.

I could guess its content from the occasional blushes and furtive glances she sent me. That and the picture on the front, a blonde woman with her blouse torn open and held in the arms of a muscular dark-haired man, didn't leave much to the imagination.

Caster was working on a side project I had asked her to make. It was simple, so she didn't need to be in her workshop and had set herself up at a nearby table. She seemed to be enjoying the reprieve from another fruitless attempt at creating a homunculus that could act as a vessel for me.

One can only watch their hard work turn to mush so many times before feeling frustrated.

I had been sitting on Priscila's lap while we played some games together. I was terrible at anything multiplayer-related, but the dragon girl found a fondness for digital competition that she didn't hold for the physical act of violence. A few other women knew the basics of video games, but none found it more enjoyable than other hobbies, so I was the only one who could give her any challenge.

Depending on how tonight went, I was prepared to unleash her upon the internet tomorrow. My poor tentacles needed a break from button mashing. If I got T-bagged one more time, I would throw something.

"I'm heading out to fly," I said after paying the appropriate tribute to the Floof. Standing up, the tail tried to wrap itself around my body, but I slipped away to the floor. Looking up at the three women thrice my size, I asked, "Any of you want to join me?"

"I believe I shall remain," Glynda said, though she took the time to rub her hand through my 'hair.'

I wasn't particularly surprised. The huntress was one of a few who did not enjoy being in dragon form. Apparently, it reminded her of certain Grimm too much for her comfort.

"I want to finish this tonight," Medea said, not looking at me.

"You don't have to," I said, laying my 'hand' upon her knee. I took a small sadistic joy in seeing her blush to the tips of her ears and her hands' shiver. "I'm in no rush."

Apparently, my tiny form was so adorable to the women of the Island that, when I had mentioned possibly increasing my size, they had flipped the fuck out. All thirteen had staged a full intervention and begged me to stay smol until I could turn into human form.

I had been so amused that I had agreed.

My shapeshifting was incredibly limited. I needed to micromanage what I wanted to change to an almost insane degree. Changing size was manageable. Building a functioning skeletal structure or functioning organs was way more challenging. I had spent hours with Tsunade as she tried to pound medical knowledge into my head. I had already known more than the basics, so everything else was just a process of memorization of certain parts, their locations and function.

I hadn't liked biology in school, and I didn't now.

Unless we were being euphemistic, of course.

Medea, Robin, Priscila and Yoruichi were so enamoured with this squid-child form that whenever they looked at me, I found myself squid-napped into their bosom as they demanded cuddles.

I didn't complain because a) boobs, b) it made them happy, and c) I wanted cuddles too, damn it!

"N-no," She said, struggling to keep her eyes turned away. "The sooner I finish, the sooner we can go on that date."

"It's not really a date," I pointed out as I backed off. The key to being a bulli instead of a bully is to give people space when they need it. "I'll take you on plenty of dates once I have a human form again, but this is more like a business trip."

"I know," she pouted, and, had I been human, I would have pounced on those lips. She was too cute. "I still want to go out tomorrow."

"Sure," I said. Turning to Priscila, furiously mashing buttons on her controller, I asked again. "You want to come?"

"Nay," the halfbreed didn't look at me as she shook her head. "The vile Kronika hath bested me too many times. I shall have justice!"

"Just the two of us then." I looked at Glynda and nodded for her to release Medea.

The cat flew at me again, though now she rubbed affectionately against my side instead of munching on my appendages. I led her through the mansion and out the front door.

The feline took off into the sky no sooner had we passed the threshold.

She was met quickly by four large red drakes. Each was about the size of a large house and, having imbibed my blood during their nine months of life on the Island, were all Tier 7.

Somehow, my recently turned Tier 4 housecat with wings had managed to pressgang all four of them into following her lead. Now they roamed the Island like a gang of thugs, getting into mischief whenever they wanted.

The pet mafia was a force to be reckoned with.

Yesterday I saw them herding a couple of Maneater Boars into a group of Scourge Beasts and eating the remains.

The day before, I had flown over the scene of Medea riding a Spirit Jellyfish into battle, the drakes at her back against a gathering of Land Octopi.

I wasn't worried about their safety.

It had been easy to have Medea (witch) cast the same spells onto Medea (cat) that she had devised for Hengeron II, Llamrei II, Andromeda and Cassandra when they were young and vulnerable.

Whether it was the Wolves of Radagon, Rune Bears, other Drakes, the Hydras or the vile creatures of Bloodborne. None of them would be able to get past Caster's spells.

Content in the knowledge that the pets were safe, I transformed.

As mentioned, my shapeshifting was incredibly limited. I essentially had two forms I could 'default' to.

The first was the form of my Avatar. Its basic look was a grotesque pile of blood, tentacles, blades, and teeth. As a Great Old One, I didn't mind the extra appendages or its Lovecraftian aesthetic. Nevertheless, I had put considerable effort into turning it into something that wouldn't melt people's eyeballs when looking at it.

As Robin put it, the result could be best described: 'Adorably Eldritch.'

My other 'default' was the nature of my Body.

I shifted from tiny Cthulu to a slightly less tiny dragon. I wasn't bigger than a large dog and only had one pair of wings instead of three, but otherwise, I was a perfect reflection of my actual form.

I took to the air with a whoop of joy, my wings catching a warm-up draft as the evening sun painted the sky a beautiful crimson.

Even after two weeks, flying remained everything I had imagined. The rush of air, the vertigo sensation, the world's view shrinking below me.

It was the best feeling in the world.

Despite what many people would say after meeting me, I was, at my core, a hardcore introvert.

Spending too much time with people drained me of energy. I had learned to fake charisma during my life as that was the only way to be successful in a professional environment. Most people thought of me as an extrovert, the women of the Island included, but what they didn't see were the days and weeks when I was alone.

The question was whether I had the option of companions or not. It was the difference between loneliness and self-isolation.

Melina was much the same. We sometimes went weeks without saying a word to each other during our time together. She would remain in spirit form while I travelled the countryside.

Even people I liked and whose presence I enjoyed slowly wore me down. I recharged by spending long periods alone, letting me organize my thoughts as I unwound. Playing games, reading, or listening to music were my preferred isolation methods before the Cell.

Now, flying dominated my 'me time.'

Even when others accompanied me on my daily flights, we never talked while flying. The only sound was the wind beneath our wings or the cry of the occasional bird.

It was almost sacred.

The only thing better than being alone for an introvert was when a group of introverts wanted to be alone together.

As I looked at my Shadow cast upon the clouds, I knew I wasn't genuinely alone, but if anyone sympathized with my need for quiet, it was her.

We flew like that for hours. The sun setting upon the sea turned it into an ocean of oranges, reds and yellows.

When night fell, we were lit by the pale crescent of the moon, the blue glow of Ranni's Dark Moon, and the stars twinkling above.

As my thoughts lazily turned with every wingbeat, they inevitably fell upon the nature of this world.

'My calculations place you reaching your peak state at an interesting time.'

That had been what Death told me in that fateful meeting room.

Interesting times indeed.

I hadn't been shocked when I saw a gathering of heroes I recognized from DC and Marvel. Death had explicitly turned into those two versions of herself. Only one hero remained unknown to me, the one in green, but I had thought it could be a version of Dr. Doom I was unaware of. I didn't have an encyclopedic knowledge of comics after all.

I was a bit surprised to not find anything from the Evil Ernie storyline, but I was keeping my eyes open.

I wasn't surprised to find the gathering of heroes trying to stop me from coming to earth. If I found out a fuck-off dragon the size of a large country was coming to my planet, I would also want to stop it. Since I wouldn't hurt them, and they couldn't hurt me while I was Free of Real Space, I figured it was better to ask forgiveness than permission when it came to becoming an illegal alien.

I had hoped having one of Ranni's dolls acting as a traffic cop would keep anybody out of my way. From what she told me, they thought I was a 'Lord of Chaos,' so negotiants broke down. Don't know why they would think that, but there had been no permanent damage, so no-harm-no-foul.

When I had seen them all fighting, I had a moment of contemplation where I tried to decide if ramming into them at lightspeed, probably killing more than a few, would be worth it. Ultimately, I decided against it as I wasn't the type to kill people for slight inconveniences.

I wasn't in the Soulsborne games anymore.

I didn't need to kill anything that got in my way. While I wasn't at the top of the food chain, even at Tier 10, I was still pretty high up. With strength came the ability to be magnanimous.

I could talk to them later once I was on the planet.

Then I saw the angel-like woman in orbit around earth.

Unlike Eidolon, whose costume was bland, the Simurgh was immediately recognizable.

So I ate her.

There was more to it than that. I essentially had to isolate her into 'myself,' bind her with my 'bite' and simultaneously Command her to shatter her own core.

I didn't feel too bad about telling someone to kill themselves with a Command Seal because;

A) It took four seals to do it.

B) To me, commanding someone to kill themselves was greater mercy than mind control.

And C) It was fucking Ziz!

If it had been in any other situation, she would have been worth a fuck-ton of points, but points were useless to me. I had no way of enforcing obedience or loyalty that couldn't be resisted, so I decided to gobble her up.

I doubted it would work with any other Endbringer since they weren't blind to the present like she was. With my Defences, she could not perceive me in the slightest.

Besides, with the firepower my group could conjure up, we could kill pretty much any of the others once we knew where their core was. The only question was why, with all the powerful heroes around, were Endbringers still a thing.

Power levels varied wildly in comics, from author to author.

Superman, at his peak, could tow planets behind him on a chain or fly through dimensions, but in some stories, he has trouble with meteors the size of a house.

Hulk could either destroy planets or be beaten by regular gorillas.

Flash could outrun death or not make it home in time for dinner.

Based on my research over the last week, I wouldn't put any character at their peak comic strength, but I could think of a half dozen that could kill the Enbringers at their current level.

The monsters weren't sandbagging as hard as in the web novel, but they were still inherently limited. Both by their desire to spread conflict without wiping out the host species and their lack of knowledge in dealing with magic.

You could see it sometimes in footage of their attacks. They hesitated when dealing with magical effects or powers. They could deal with Superman pretty evenly, even if they were weaker because his powers came from his biology, but Shazam, powered by magic, tended to deal more damage.

So I turned my research to the Worm aspects of the world and realized immediately something was messed up.

Scion never existed.

The Endbringers were only active for six years.

Legend was the name of a small-time shapeshifting hero in Ohio with powers that turned him into a cryptid. Alexandria wasn't a hero name that showed up at all.

Case 53s was not a term I could find online.

It was the year 2018.

And when I investigated Brockton Bay, I found out what happened to New Wave.

If there was ever an example of crossover repercussions, it had been that.

No matter what else I found, Worm Canon was utterly fucked after that.

It also went to show that, despite the world being better in some ways compared to the web novel, only some things in this world were better off than Worm.

More heroes available, meaning a lack of a need for an Enbringer Truce? Heroes are the ones with the most significant casualties.

No sign of Cauldron? New Wave is killed in their homes.

I was almost tempted to move the Island when I realized that Metropolis, Gotham, New York, Washington DC, and Brockton Bay were so close together. You could drive from DC to BB in half a day.

These thoughts, and others, flittered through my mind as I carved my way across the sky.

That was the point of these moments of quiet. To organize my thoughts, calm down, and create plans for different eventualities.

I was interrupted in my musings after a few hours by Emma's voice in my head.

'Everyone is home,' she told me. I do not know which continuity of Emma Frost she came from, but her psychic range was absurd. She could cover the hundreds of miles with little effort. 'We're just waiting for you two for dinner and the meeting.'

'Be right there,' I replied, turning my way southwestward. We had flown far enough north that I could see glaciers in the ocean. I put on more speed, and we were back to the southern point of the Island within ten minutes.

Seeing Dun Stallion and Torrent munching on some apples, I landed in the orchard to give the horses an affectionate pat before making my way up to the mansion, turning back into baby-squid form. I followed the giggles and shouts to the large dining room.

A round table covered in delicious-looking food and drinks was surrounded by a dozen women.

Nobody was eating, but I didn't have to worry about the food getting cold, thanks to the magic of Fairy Feast. There were thirteen places around the table, only one of which was available.

"Mikael!" Yoruichi cried at seeing me. I braced myself, knowing what was coming. "Let me cuddle you!"

I froze.

Unable to move, I remained still as the shinigami dove for me and gathered me into her arms. I could not enjoy the soft press of her breasts as my main body, the titanic dragon shifted uncomfortably.

"Thieving cat!" Diana cried, taking offence to the fact Yoruichi had reached me first.

"You are free," my Shadow whispered in my ear.

Suddenly I could move again.

I slipped from her grasp to the floor with a hiss, my tentacles waiving with my agitation. Tiny fin-like blades covered my form. Even as I glared at the smirking death god, I was scooped up again.

"There, there," Artoria said softly, retaking her seat at the table and settling me on her lap. I leaned back into her own prodigious chest as I calmed my nerves.

Raven slipped from my shadow and took her seat at the table.

"I wish thee would not torture our Lord Husband so," Ranni said. She remained in her seat though I could see a set of arms twitch in my direction.

Beside her, Melina didn't say a word as she dissipated the dagger of light from her hand.

Both were the 'new girls' to the other women on the Island.

They did not have a year of comradery built up and were not as close friends as the others. Some twitching and instinctual reactions couldn't be helped. On the other hand, they had the most time spent with me, so there was some light jealousy on both sides.

I only hoped it would clear as both parties spent more time together.

"It's practice," Yoruichi said as she slipped back into her seat. She was utterly unrepentant.

"It's cruel," Medea disagreed, glaring at the dark-skinned woman. "I wouldn't have used Rule Breaker on you if I knew you would pull stunts like this. You don't know what it is like, trapped in your own body."

"I don't," the Shihouiin nodded in agreement, her grin slipping as she looked serious for a moment. "I do know that Mikael was right. No matter what we do, we will eventually slip up and accidentally give him an order. I would rather he not freak out at a critical moment."

"And you get to cuddle him," Tsunade pointed out.

"That too," Yoruichi smirked again.

"It is not right," Medea pressed, leaning forward to glare at the shinigami. She was the one most against this situation. Some remained neutral, and some were on the shinigami's side, but Medea remained steadfast in her opposition. "You should-"

"Enough!" I didn't shout the word nor make it a command, but it was said with enough gravitas that all talking stopped. Thirteen pairs of eyes swung to look at me in a moment of eerie synchronicity. I laid a hand-like tentacle upon Medea's thigh to calm her down. "As much as I don't like it, Yoruichi is right. We have an eternity together. I can't keep letting my fear and weakness rule me. It has cost me too much already." I couldn't look at Melina.

The fourteen of us had sat down together in those first few days to talk. I had explained almost everything, from my fears and their cost to the complete discussion I had held with Death and the Company Rep. I, having lived through it and watching the Island during the Dream, was the only one with the complete story.

As a show of trust and to prove I was trying to improve, I had asked Medea to use Rule Breaker on everyone. No longer bound, Yoruichi had immediately 'ordered' me to hug her.

That first time my Avatar moved on its own, I panicked so hard that my real body thrashed in the sea. If I wasn't immaterial, I would have caused enough disturbance in the ocean to sink dozens of coastal cities. I was freed almost immediately, but it had taken nearly an hour for me to calm down afterwards.

There had been a big argument then, and it remained a contentious topic.

The fact that I regained my cool so quickly showed that Yoruichi's 'training' was actually providing results. I still hated it, I always would, but now I was less likely to destroy my Avatar in a fit of panic.

I really didn't like the idea of starting over with shapeshifting from scratch.

"Feeling fear is no crime," Scathach nodded in approval at my words. She was the only one who actively participated in this form of 'training.' Though some others, like Diana, weren't against taking advantage of me when I was being 'Ordered' for snuggles. "It is in overcoming fear and improving that one becomes a warrior and a legend."

"You just want more time with him in the name of training." Robin pointed out with a smirk.

Scathach nodded with a subtle smile of her own.

"Besides," I softened my voice as I continued to coax the greek witch. "Since Raven has apparently decided she lives in my shadow, I'll always have someone who can free me. My mind remains my own. They can only control my Avatar."

"Very well. So long as at least two of us are with you at all times." Relenting, the witch turned to look at Raven. "Can I trust you to ensure he doesn't get into too much trouble?"

The cambion, face void of all expression, simply nodded. I used to get some sense of Raven's emotions, but that had changed since she became a dragon of Shadow.

If some, like Glynda, did not like being in dragon form, Raven now stayed in that form as much as she could. I didn't know the exact mechanics of it, only that it increased her shadow abilities and made her emotions much easier to control. If she used to only stay in her room and come out occasionally, now she only left my shadow when it came time for meals.

"I don't get into trouble," I said petulantly, the tension in the air easing as a few women chuckled at my face. They started to dig into the meal.

"Who was it who tried to ride a bucking Fallingstar Beast?" Melina asked sarcastically.

"What is that?" Diana asked. In response, Ranni conjured an illusion of the metal bull/scorpion-like creature over the table.

"T'would make a fine mount," I could feel Artoria nod above me even as she ate. Occasionally she would hover a bite in front of my face for me to eat.

"See," I crowed in vindication, swallowing a mouth full of fish before talking. "She gets me."

"I would not deny that, should it be tamable, it would make a fierce mount." Melina deadpanned at me. "I only think perishing twice to one because you thought it would be more 'authentic' to mount it wearing only leather breeches."

"You can't have a rodeo in armour," I explained seriously. "It has to be chaps."

In my defence, I had been forced to find my own fun without the internet, music, or other forms of entertainment.

Boredom was the cause of most of my deaths near the end.

More than one woman froze, and I saw Emma staring vacantly into the air. There was a collective shudder around the table.

I didn't know what image the White Queen was sending into their minds, but the drool at the edge of her mouth and her murmur of 'assless chaps' had me rolling my eyes.

Dinner passed in such a manner, everyone telling stories, jokes and good-natured ribbing.

Emma and Tsunade returned to their long-running argument on whether sake or wine was better.

Glynda had drawn Robin into a discussion of her newest bodice ripper.

Diana talked with Raven about what she had discovered while out for the day.

Ranni and Melina were regaling Yoruichi and Scathach on some of my more embarrassing moments.

Artoria kept up her steady stream of eating even as Priscila and Medea talked about the pets' most recent adventure. Apparently, they had flown circles around one of the Hydras and tangled its neck into knots.

I felt myself smiling as I looked over the chaos.

Ours was a Mad Love, but I was happy watching this still burgeoning family.

Eventually, the meal was done, and everyone thanked Medea as we moved to the large living room for the evening's discussion. A few grabbed drinks as we sat in various chairs and lounges in a rough circle.

I found myself in Scathach's lap this time, though I expected to be passed around more than once as the night wore on.

"Alright," I said, drawing the eyes of everyone. "I think it is about time we start. Robin, do you mind telling us what you found?"

"I didn't find anything," the former straw hat said. Her lips were pursed into a frown. "I searched all over the sea bed, in both locations and for tens of miles, but I saw no sign of either underwater city. No signs of any Atlantis or any civilization."

"Could it be in a different place?" Diana asked, looking worried. I could understand her concern as she had been friends with her world's Aquaman. Emma seemed utterly unconcerned that Namor the Sub-Mariner might not exist.

"Possibly," Robin hedged. "They would have to be in entirely different parts of the world, though. I was in my dragon form and spread my petals quite a distance. Could your ability have wiped it away?"

"Not if anyone was using it," I shook my head at her question. "It's not something I pick and choose. When I 'free' something, it is a conceptual thing. All or nothing. I didn't want to feel garbage rubbing against me, so I made the ocean 'trash free.' If someone was using something, like a city or underwater home, it wouldn't be considered trash, and it would not have dissolved. Items dropped by accident count as trash. Boats in use do not. If even one sapient creature still alive considered Atalantis home, I wouldn't be able to make it disappear."

"If they were there, they were wiped out to a man then." Tsunade pointed out. She had accompanied Robin on the underwater excursion. While everyone was powerful in their own right, it was common sense to travel in at least pairs for safety in an unfamiliar environment.

"Probably," I replied grimly. "There were rumours online about Atlantians and a man with powers similar to Aquaman. They were old, at least a few years, but worth a quick look. If something happened, it was probably Leviathan."

"Arthur would have called for help if he couldn't save his city alone," Diana responded.

"Would he?" I asked rhetorically. "From my research, the Justice League is a relatively new institution. It was formed to be able to respond to international and galactic level threats like the Endbringers or any of the space empires. It's entirely possible Aquaman or Namor would prefer to remain isolated to avoid the chaos of the surface world. That would leave them without allies to call on if Leviathan attacked. Even sandbagging, they would be completely defenceless against its aquakinesis."

"We cannot assume that the people we know are the same as those we remember," Emma added.

"Speaking of," I turned to her. "What did you discover?"

"The X-men exist, as do the Hellfire Club." Emma flipped through her notes to pull up the relevant points. She sneered the following words. "The former is currently led by Xavier with Cyclops as his second in command, though he is thinking about stepping down now that he has a child on the way with Madelyne Pryor. My alternate is playing both sides of the fence. She enjoys the power and money the Club gives her but sympathizes with Xavier's school and still dreams of being a teacher. She just doesn't like things she can't control." Her voice dripped with derision when she spoke of the other Emma Frost.

"The Avengers are a significant force," Yoruichi continued from Emma. No longer teasing, she looked the picture of the former leader of the Onmitsukidou. With everyone travelling in pairs for safety, she had gone to the greater New York area with the Mutant. "They formed after Behemoth sacked the city, thus the name. They are considered the strongest branch of the Protectorate, the national super force. This gives them more leeway and liberties than others, and they have a wide control range."

"Did you look in Jamaica Bay?" I asked Emma even as I tried to wrap my head around the implications of the Avengers being another branch of the Protectorate.

The rough composition of the team was much different from its Worm and Marvel counterpart. Captain America still led them, and Tony Stark was well-known as Iron Man. Thor and Captain Marvel occasionally joined either them or the Justice League, likely when they were on earth for one reason or another. Chevalier and Prism were there, which I recognized, but apart from that, it was filled with heroes I needed to familiarize myself with.

Spider-man was a well-known and liked vigilante.

"Empty," the White Queen responded. "Jean Grey was not there, and neither was anyone else. Currently, everyone thinks she is dead, and I have not seen any proof to the contrary. Neither Hope Summers nor Cable exists in any of their thoughts, though I did see memories of both Magneto and Scarlet Witch."

"We'll need to keep an ear to the ground," I said, partly to myself. "I know the Phoenix Force exists. I haven't seen it in a few thousand years, but that bird brain is impossible to kill. Anyone who bonds with it automatically Tier 11, at the least. But they all go insane eventually." That was an understatement and a half. Keep the mad psychic entity far from me, please and thank you. "How about you three?"

"None on the list you gave us were at those locations," Scathach sounded disappointed above me, though I breathed a sigh of relief.

I had sent her, Artoria, and Diana to investigate various S-class threats I was aware of. I had done some preliminary research online, but I knew better than to trust the internet too much, so I decided to have our heavy hitters do a reconnaissance. They would be able to either deal with or retreat from anything they met.

Heartbreaker, Ashbeast, Sleeper, the Machine Army, and Nilbog were all threats these three could deal with, thanks to the Defences and their own abilities. I was unsurprised they found nothing. What was impossible to deal with in Worm was easy to do in Marvel or DC.

I doubted Slaughter House 9 would be able to survive in a world with Superman, and since googling it turned up with no results, I figured I was right.

The Three Blasphemies existed but were too mobile and well hidden to have these three find them in a day or two.

That left the Endbringers as the only S-class threats from Worm I was aware of and anything the Marvel and DC would throw around. The latter were more powerful but more predictable. Comics, for all the modern-age saw them turn grim-derp sometimes, were designed that the good guys eventually won.

The only question was what the cost was.

On the other hand, Worm was less powerful but acted as a perpetual misery machine.

"Anything else?" I asked Diana and Artoria as I could look them in the eye.

The pair shifted in their seats awkwardly. I continued to eye them, though they turned away and blushed. Eventually, Diana caved and told me.

"I had Raven teleport us to Themyscira," she admitted.

"Ok..." I said slowly, not getting the problem.

"We were spotted," Artoria explained. "They believed Diana to be the local version, and we ended up having a meal with them and sparing."

"Ok..." I repeated, trying to understand why they were being so shifty. "Do we have a bunch of amazons on the warpath for my ass? Thinking I defiled their princess or something?"

"No!" Diana denied it quickly, waiving her arms in denial. "We parted on good terms, though when my alternate returns to Paradise Island, they will know we tricked them."

"So," I shrugged. "They know you three exist. They know you can fight. Big deal. We'll deal with it when it comes up. Any secrecy we might have had went out the window when I crashed into the ocean. I only asked you to be circumspect because I like keeping my cards close to the chest. If we are going to be living here for a while, we cannot keep ourselves isolated from the world forever."

"You are not mad?" Artoria looked so cute, all concerned and apologetic, that I wanted to hug her. "That we changed plans and revealed ourselves to potential enemies."

"Why would I be mad?" The tension left me as I realized where the miscommunication was. "Diana wanted to see her home. I can understand that. I am not your master or someone you need to be afraid of. I cannot, nor do I want to, control you. I trust you all to take the actions you want. If you think they will have negative consequences, telling me would be appreciated but unnecessary."

Looking around the room, I made sure to meet everyone's eyes.

"We have an eternity waiting for us. If we micromanage each other, nobody will enjoy it. My plans are thus; I am going to look around this new world. Meet some people. Try and get a human body, or one close enough, again. Once I feel secure in our knowledge and ability to overcome what comes our way, I will do the tourist thing. I am going to travel the world, see the sights and get into a few fights. Life is for the living, and I intend to live."

"Surely you have some plan?" Emma asked incredulously. "You always have some plan or scheme. You asked us to be subtle and hide. Why else would you be here instead of anywhere else? You said you wanted to travel the multiverse."

"You don't get it," I felt a bit frustrated that they weren't getting where I was coming from. More than one pair of eyes were looking at me in confusion. "Yes, this world wouldn't have been my first choice of stop in other situations. We aren't at the top of the food chain. But that doesn't mean it isn't without its merit. If we left a world any time things didn't go our way, we would quickly grow bored. The point isn't to find paradise. The point is that anywhere we are is paradise. It is up to us to enjoy it."

"So if I wished to rejoin the Justice League," Diana asked hypothetically. I could see the others also giving my words some thought.

"Go right ahead," I shrugged my little squid arms. "If Emma wanted to kill her counterpart and replace her and syphon off her money, I would support her just as if Scathach decided one day to fight the Avengers for the heck of it. Glynda, do you still want to be a teacher? Priscila, do you want to sing professionally? Artoria, do you want to visit Britain? As I said, if you think it would inconvenience us, let us know; otherwise, if you want to do something, do it. How you all choose to live your life is up to you at the end of the day. I'll support you as you support me. Communication in a relationship is essential, but subservience is not." I let my words hang for a moment to sink in. I was about to continue when I was interrupted by an unlikely sour.

"I want a child."

For a second, there was silence as the thirteen of us stared at the speaker. I knew children were undoubtedly in my future, though I thought it would be at least a few months, if not years, before the subject was broached. To be honest, I had expected Medea, Melina, Glynda, or Scathach to be the ones to ask.

Not Tsunade.

"I'll need a body that can reproduce first," I answered the former Hokage. She looked so serious about the subject that I didn't make any jokes about tentacles. "But after that, we can talk. I am not opposed, but children are a big commitment. For me especially."

"So when you said you'd support anything we wanted," Yoruichi hedged, looking a bit nervous.

"I meant it," I answered earnestly. "I have my preferences, and don't expect me to do anything I don't want, but that doesn't apply to you all. I like to be tricky and hide my abilities, so I asked everyone to stay hidden, but I know some of you don't like the cautious approach. We're all adults here. We can talk things over. That is what communication is for. I am not your ruler; this is not a 'harem.' This is a family. One that I hope will last forever."

Scathach hugged me tightly to herself, and I pretended I didn't see any wet eyes.

I was uncomfortable being so genuine.

I liked to keep things light when possible, and talking about my feelings was rare, but something needed to be said if this relationship was to develop appropriately. Though this had all started with the Waifu Catalogue, I did not want slavish devotion.

My 'type' of woman was one who could think and act for herself.

Perhaps sensing my discomfort, Melina saved me from the warm gazes sent my way.

"Except in the bedroom," she deadpanned. "You definitely want someone to do as they are told there."

A new tension filled the air as more than one woman blushed, stared at Melina and I, or fidgeted in their seat. It reminded them that I had only been intimate with the kindling maiden of the thirteen women present. More than that, we had been together for decades. If there was anyone who knew me and my fetishes, it would be her.

"This and that are two different things," I responded with a smirk as I felt Scathach's nipples press into my back. I was not the type who shied away from the topic of sex. It was essential to be open about your preferences; otherwise, you risked both parties being unsatisfied. "Anything is permissible between consenting partners. Besides, I never heard you complain. Right, Ranni?"

"Eep," the goddess blushed violet as all eyes turned to her. Was embarrassing her by pointing out her voyeurism mean? Probably. Did I find it funny anyway? Definitely!

Things devolved from there.

I watched Yoruichi grill Melina on my preferences, teasing Ranni intermittently. Glynda tried to look uninterested and failed miserably. Raven took the chance to slip back into my shadow when she thought no one was looking. Melina said something that had Diana cough up her drink in surprise. Medea and Tsunade were talking about possible children and everything they'd entail.

All around me were smiles, jokes, and the sound of friends enjoying a night together.

I now had a better idea of where we were concerning Worm, Marvel, and DC. There were still a few leads I wanted to follow and people to meet. I had a lot I wanted to learn, but that could wait for tomorrow.

Though I lived in interesting times and had no plans to die any time soon, I couldn't help but feel my happy ending was all I dreamed of.