Despero stared at me.
I stared back.
Neither of us moved. We were both ready, just waiting for the other to make the first move.
When it became obvious we were stuck in a silent standoff, Despero lost patience.
He charged.
A blur of raw strength and speed tore through the street as he rushed me. I sidestepped effortlessly, letting him blast past.
He skidded to a stop a few meters away and turned, surprise flashing across his face.
He charged again.
Same result.
Again.
And again.
Each time he attacked, I avoided him with minimal movement, a tilt of the head, a step to the side, a slight lean back. I wasn't even breathing hard.
"Why are you not fighting back?" Despero growled, swinging a punch powerful enough to level a building.
"I'm thinking," I replied, slipping past it.
"At a time like this?" he roared, ripping a massive chunk of rock from the ground and hurling it at me.
I caught it one-handed and crushed it into dust.
"I'm calculating," I said calmly, "how much strength I can use without killing you."
He froze.
His expression twisted.
"You think I'm weak?" he snarled.
"I didn't say that," I answered. "This form is just… insane. I can beat Superman with it. And you're close to his level. I'm just trying to figure out how hard I can hit you without ending this permanently."
That didn't help.
If anything, it made him angrier.
So I decided to show him instead of explaining.
I started walking toward him casually.
Then I vanished.
From his perspective, I was just gone.
I reappeared behind him.
"Boo."
He spun around instantly and leapt back, eyes wide.
"Do you get it now?" I asked.
I expected fear.
Instead, his lips curled into a twisted smile.
His third eye began to glow.
I didn't know what it was supposed to do, mind attack, psychic pressure, something, but I didn't feel a thing. So I ignored it and focused on the physical threat.
He lunged again.
This time, I didn't dodge.
He threw a left hook with everything he had.
I caught it mid-swing.
The impact created a shockwave that cracked the pavement beneath us.
His eyes widened.
He tried to pull his arm free.
I didn't let him.
He started hammering me with his free hand, punch after punch after punch.
I felt nothing.
But I did notice something else.
His knuckles were splitting.
His bones were starting to fracture.
He was hurting himself.
That was enough.
I placed my free hand against his chest.
And I hit him with, one-inch punch
The force exploded outward.
Despero flew back like he'd been hit by a meteor, crashing through a car and crumpling the metal around him.
He coughed up blood.
Then went still.
Unconscious.
I looked at L-Ron.
"So… I just won," I said calmly. "Do you mind taking your boss and leaving Earth?"
L-Ron stood there in silence for a few moments. It was impossible to read him, he didn't exactly have a face.
"Yes," he finally replied. "You have won. But… are you not going to finish him?"
"What?" I frowned.
"If you wish to become the new Champion," L-Ron continued, "you must take his life. By doing so, you would inherit everything he has collected over the centuries, artifacts, wealth, trophies, power."
I blinked.
"…Yeah, no. I don't want to be anyone's 'Champion.' And I'm definitely not killing him."
I gestured toward Despero's unconscious body.
"Just take your boss and leave."
There was a brief pause.
"Thank you, sir, for sparing my master," L-Ron said with a slight bow. "The offer was only made because he ordered me to present it."
He floated over to Despero.
A second later, both of them teleported away.
The energy barrier surrounding the battlefield faded with them.
Once they were gone, I exhaled and cast a restoration spell. The cracked streets, shattered cars, and damaged buildings slowly reformed like time reversing itself.
When I finished, I simply flew away.
Later That Day
After fighting Despero, I returned to base.
The others were fine. A few congratulated me for beating an alien warlord. I brushed it off and headed to the lab to finish what I'd been working on before the interruption, finalizing the remaining cancer cures.
I already made a hard drive with the formulas. if I give it to him he doesn't need me to constantly give him the Cures.
Once that was done, I figured I'd finally get some rest.
Before heading home, though, I stopped by the workshop to check on Mike.
Somehow, he had convinced Pat to let him build his own mech suit. Pat agreed, under heavy supervision. I even gave him a blueprint to make it easier for him.
When I stepped inside, I saw Mike welding metal together, completely focused. Pat stood nearby with his arms crossed, watching carefully.
Mike had been working on this thing for days. The legs were nearly finished.
I smiled slightly… then turned around and left without saying anything.
Didn't want to break his concentration.
I was on my way toward the Stargate to teleport home and relax when suddenly.
A golden portal opened in front of me.
Out stepped the Ancient One.
"We don't have a lesson today," I said.
"No," she replied calmly. "But I would still like you to come with me. There is something we must discuss."
She turned and stepped back through the portal.
I followed.
We appeared inside her chamber. Everything was peaceful, quiet. Her tea set was already prepared, steam rising gently from the cups.
She took a seat at the table.
I sat across from her.
"So… what did you want to talk about?" I asked as she poured me a cup of tea.
She poured one for herself as well, completely calm.
"The Time Stone you brought back with you is already causing complications."
I nearly dropped the cup. "Wait, what? How?"
"There should only be one Time Stone per universe," she explained. "At the moment, there are two. That imbalance alone is dangerous. Not only that, certain demons and higher-dimensional beings can sense the presence of additional Time Stones."
"Oh… uh-oh."
"'Uh-oh,' indeed," she said evenly. "Fortunately, I can handle most demonic entities who might attempt to claim it. Its presence does not destabilize reality immediately… but it cannot remain unguarded. It requires a protector. I already have my hands full with the one I safeguard."
I narrowed my eyes. "Are you asking me to protect it?"
She looked at me flatly.
"Oh, heavens no. You would attempt to use it within the hour and fracture the timeline."
"…That's hurtful," I said. Then I paused. "But also… fair."
I was absolutely going to time-travel with it.
"I simply need you to deliver it to someone," she continued.
"And who exactly are we trusting with a second Time Stone?" I asks.
"You know them well," she said. "The Inhuman Royal Family. They have already constructed a containment capsule for another Infinity Stone and layered it with powerful enchantments. It will be secured in their deepest vault."
I frowned. "You're really leaving it with them? They got hacked not that long ago."
"I am aware," she said calmly. "But my alternatives are limited. I would prefer Doctor Fate or the Wizard Shazam. However, The new Shazam is immature and Doctor Fate is currently burdened with several other dangerous mystical artifacts…"
She paused slightly.
"…Including a Mother Box."
I nearly choked on my tea.
"Wait. Doctor Fate has a Mother Box?"
I knew a little about them from my old life, and I'd read more about them here. Mother Boxes weren't toys. They were living supercomputers, hyper-advanced sentient devices. They could teleport across galaxies, manipulate energy, heal users.
They belonged to the New Gods.
"What is a Mother Box doing on Earth?" I asked. "Those are supposed to be with the New Gods."
"Yes," she said. "He acquired it long ago. When Darkseid attempted to conquer Earth thousands of years ago."
I froze.
"Darkseid had a Mother Box?"
"He had three," she corrected. "He intended to terraform the planet using them. Fortunately, he was opposed."
She calmly took a sip of tea.
"Myself, the Amazons, the Atlanteans, the Asgardians, a Green Lantern, and Doctor Fate united to stop him. We drove him off. He was gravely injured when he retreated."
My brain was trying to process that casually dropped bomb.
"He left the three Mother Boxes behind. Doctor Fate claimed one. I secured another. The Amazons took the third. Each has been sealed and hidden in our deepest vaults ever since."
I stared at her.
"Wait… wait. This whole time we've had a Mother Box on Earth?"
"Yes."
My eyes widened.
"Can I please see it?"
She gave me a small, knowing smile.
"Not right now. Perhaps during a future lesson."
That was unfair.
"For now," she continued, returning to her calm, teacher tone, "please deliver the second Time Stone to the Inhumans. They are already expecting you."
I sighed.
She made a small gesture with her hand.
A container materialized in front of us, hovering gently before settling onto the table. It was compact, metallic, and covered in glowing runes etched across every surface.
Then a golden portal opened behind me.
"You should go now," she said calmly. "They are expecting you."
"Wow. Not even going to let me finish my tea?" I asked.
She gave me that look.
The one that clearly said: Do not test me.
I quickly gulped the rest of the tea, grabbed the container, and stepped through the portal.
I activated my suit mid-step.
The nanotech wrapped around me just as I emerged in a quiet alleyway. The portal closed behind me with a soft shimmer.
I stepped out of the alley, and into New Attilan.
The city looked good.
Clean. Rebuilt. Alive.
People were walking the streets. Markets were open. Children were playing. It was hard to believe that just two months ago, Ultron had taken over this entire place.
Now it felt normal again.
Peaceful.
I began walking toward the palace, the container secured in my grip.
I wondered how Crystal was doing. I hadn't talked to her in a while.
After helping the Inhumans reclaim their home from Ultron… after helping Black Bolt regain his normal speech… after designing another dispersal device and leaving behind blueprints so they could build more themselves…
I kept in touch. Mostly with Crystal.
We'd become good friends.
She was easy to talk to. Honest. Sometimes a little dramatic, but in a royal way.
She'd call me through video chat just to vent about palace life. About responsibility. About how exhausting it was being royalty.
And I didn't mind listening.
I also sent her blueprints from time to time, nothing world-breaking. Just helpful things.
A more efficient water purifier.A safe agricultural compound to accelerate crop growth without side effects.Upgraded security code so something like Ultron could never hijack their systems again.
Simple things.
As I got closer to the palace, I noticed people staring at me.
Which… fair.
A guy walking through the city in advanced armor, carrying a rune-covered container?
Yeah.
I'd be suspicious too.
After a few more minutes of walking toward the palace, I noticed a group of royal guards heading straight for me.
"Yeah… saw that coming a mile away," I muttered.
I stopped and waited.
The guards approached in formation, weapons visible but not raised. When they reached me, two of them stepped aside, and Crystal stood in the center.
"Omni!"
Before I could even respond, she ran toward me.
I barely had time to brace myself before she wrapped her arms around me. I laughed and hugged her back, lifting her slightly off the ground and giving her a small spin before setting her down.
"How's my favorite princess?" I asked.
She smiled, but there was worry behind it.
"I'm fine," she said softly. "But I'm really glad to see you in person again. I saw the broadcast of you fighting that alien. Are you okay? I saw him snap your arm."
Her face tightened at the memory.
"Don't worry," I said reassuringly. "All healed up. Comes with the whole overpowered package."
She shook her head slightly but seemed relieved.
"And yes," she added, "I know why you're here. My sister told me."
Of course she did.
"Come on," she said, slipping her arm through mine. "I'll take you to the palace."
The guards formed around us as we walked, creating a protective perimeter. But despite that, it didn't feel tense.
It felt… normal.
We talked as we walked, about small things at first. How reconstruction was going. How the city felt now that Ultron was gone. The people seemed hopeful again.
And honestly?
Seeing New Attilan standing strong again, seeing her smiling, made the whole trip worth it.