It had been three days since Nathan unleashed something devastating on Earth.
And he still didn't know what the fallout would be.
Sure, this world had heroes—plenty of them. But it also had far more technology than DC, the kind of infrastructure Brainiac could twist to his advantage. This Universe wasn't just rich in tech; it was rich in data. An endless buffet for something like Brainiac.
Nathan didn't even know how smart the entity really was. Was he smarter than Azimuth? What did "intelligence" mean for something that was data? And in a universe like this, overflowing with information—how far could he reach?
The Omnitrix falling into Brainiac's hands was terrifying. But not his greatest fear.
What truly unsettled him was the idea of Brainiac accessing Time Lord technology. That was an entirely different level of danger. The Doctor Who side of this merged world was unpredictable, layered, and frighteningly deep. Ben 10's science had rules. Doctor Who's? Not so much. And Marvel—Marvel was just chaos wrapped in color and consequence.
Nathan had tried to think it through, but the thoughts ran in loops—sleepless, spiraling loops.
He lay awake most nights, Jess curled up beside him, breathing softly against his chest while his mind refused to rest. It was only in those quiet, grounded moments—feeling her warmth, the weight of someone choosing to stay near him—that he began to understand something simple but vital:
He couldn't keep doing this alone.
Jessica had officially moved in earlier that day. Not because of romance—though there was that—but because her old apartment had zero security. A couple of gang members she'd beaten up weeks ago had tried breaking in. Nathan had offered, and she'd accepted. Simple as that.
And somehow, her presence made things… lighter. Or maybe just clearer.
He'd been offering help left and right since the beginning, fixing problems, stopping disasters. But he hadn't been reaching out. Not really. Not to the people who could help him carry the weight.
That had to change.
People like Tony Stark existed in this world. Brilliant, dangerous, arrogant—and useful. Nathan had no choice but to start forming connections. Real ones. Alliances.
He'd also had to face another truth: as a human, he was still far too vulnerable. If Zeus had been serious—if that second lightning bolt had struck—he would've died.
The Order Dragon's Breathing Style was helping, gradually building up his durability. But that technique wasn't meant to tank hits forever. Its real strength was in defending against reality manipulation, maintaining mental clarity in the face of chaos. Useful—but not enough.
He needed more.
As dawn crept up through the windows, pale light casting long shadows over the floor, he finally allowed himself to rest. With a quiet command, Raphael dulled his mind into sleep.
When he awoke, the sun was already high. Afternoon had rolled in without apology.
He headed to the kitchen and pulled out a worn, leather-bound cookbook—something he'd gotten from the Shop. Its pages smelled faintly of oregano and old parchment. Today's pick: an Italian recipe, chosen by the cookbook.
By the time brunch was ready, the apartment was still quiet. Jessica had left earlier, leaving behind only a sticky note on the fridge:
Out for hero stuff. Be back later. Don't burn anything. – Jess ❤️
He smiled faintly, then stepped out onto the balcony with his plate in hand. The city below moved like it always did—buzzing, unaware, alive.
Nathan sat in the sun and ate in silence.
[The Shop has updated]
Raphael's reminder came the moment the Shop reset.
{The Shop
Everything can be bought here, as long as you can pay for it—and are lucky enough to see it on display.
Display resets in: 23:59:12
---
Unique Skill: Mana Spring
Creates a well of mana inside you that is constantly filled. The size of the well is 100 times larger than the mana you can usually absorb.
Note: Mana here refers to extraordinary energy used to perform Arcane Magic.
Price: 100 kg of miso
---
Batmobile
A vehicle used by Batman in most cases. Great to use.
Price: $25,000,000
---
God Devouring Mask
Gives the user these three abilities upon wearing the mask:
Immune to soul control (passive)
Devours all spirit, magic, and soul attacks (active; usable once every seven days)
Demonic Flies Transformation: scatter your body into countless demonic flies, becoming immune to all physical attacks (active; usable once per day)
Note: Cannot fend off Solar System-ranked attacks.
Price: Perform a ritual to summon Demon Lord Beelzebub
---
The White Empress's Blessing
One of the Seven Children of Guardiana has decided to offer you her blessings, should you wish to receive them.
Price: Unknown
Note: This entry can appear if you pray to the White Empress before any Shop Reset.
---
Poem of the Ending Emerald Sea
A Sacred Gear that enhances Draconic powers and grants control over the sea.
Price: Recite the name of a particular entity while coated in the blood of 999 corpses you personally killed—with pleasure.
---
Blood Essence of the Darkest Void Phoenix
One of the rarest blood essences in all reality. Simply possessing it grants you universal-level authority over Life.
It has many uses, but most have been lost to time. Only the Last of the Darkest Void Phoenix may know how to use it best.
Note: This Blood Essence can be used as a catalyst for the Phoenix's rebirth.
Price: Lots of human money }
"Oh well, I was hoping to buy a car anyway. It's not a great habit to use the Homelander transformation to fly everywhere," Nathan said, casually confirming the purchase of the Batmobile.
[I've also ordered 100 kilograms of miso.]
"Good work, Raph. Looks like Aleha is getting smarter—this time she didn't even mention her name."
[Indeed. From being the Shop item herself, to setting the price to summon her, and now attempting to use the item as a vessel for rebirth—her approach is evolving.]
"Why is she so fixated on me anyway? From what we know, someone can use Cards or some method to add items to the Shop. Isn't it probably a huge loss for her to keep planting stuff into my Shop display every day?"
[That remains a mystery. We lack sufficient data about the Shop's mechanics. However, it's evident that high-tier entities—such as the White Empress—can override or replace listings at will.]
"I know, right? I mean, I don't wanna jinx it, but doesn't this feel like one of those setups where I'll get a weird, ominous item that I ignore—only to be forced to use it a few days later to avoid dying?"
[Affirmative. That trope has appeared frequently in the novels you used to read. However, I have already compiled contingency actions for a range of catastrophic scenarios.]
"Now then," Nathan said, exhaling as he leaned against the counter, "let's focus on something I've been avoiding for a few days. Got any ideas on how to handle Zeus?"
[My suggestion remains: attempting to control Orion.]
"I know…" Nathan muttered, placing the last dish in the sink. "It's just strange, you know? When I'm in the Orion Transformation, I not only lose connection with you—I lose connection with myself. My thoughts get jammed, like static in my own head."
The food he'd just finished was as bland as always. Ever since returning from that resort, nothing had been able to satisfy his taste buds. The Cookbook by Some Guy—an actual title, absurd as it was—had been his last resort. No dice. Even the pasta had tasted like cardboard.
Raphael didn't reply. She had said what needed to be said. The rest was up to Nathan.
---
Three Hours Later – Somewhere in the Grand Canyon
The rocky cliffs stood silent as Nathan drew in a long breath, his feet planted firm against the red-stained stone. He activated the Order Dragon's Breathing Style, letting the rhythm anchor him as he pushed down the dial on the H-Omnitrix.
In an instant, fire—pure, mental fire—rushed into him. The fires of Apokolips, laced into the DNA and power of Orion, ignited across every neuron. His thoughts shattered like glass under pressure. For a heartbeat, the Breathing Style held... then slipped.
He forgot the rhythm. He forgot why he was here.
Everything fell into the chaos.
So he did the only thing he could: nothing. He emptied himself. Let the storm crash and rage through him. He gave it no resistance—no direction. He let Orion burn through his body without giving in.
And slowly, painfully, Nathan began to adapt.
His thoughts—wild, cosmic, disconnected—started to align. Like stars shifting into constellations. He began to reclaim control over his power.
Then—a tug.
Faint, distant, yet unmistakable. Someone was calling to him.
Divinity worked in strange ways. It wasn't that it lacked rules—more that it bent to the rules of the world it touched. Divine instinct, divine resonance—it could echo across space and bloodline.
A voice—faint but full of will—spoke like a prayer. Desperate, reaching, calling.
Nathan didn't understand the words. He didn't need to. He felt the pull and let it guide him.
The air shimmered—space folded—and suddenly, she was there.
A girl stood before him, her black hair swaying slightly in the canyon wind, defiant even in stillness. A familiar presence. Lightning in her veins.
Thalia.
Daughter of Zeus.
Zeus.
The name hammered inside Nathan's skull like a war drum.
Wasn't it Zeus who had tried to kill him? It was Zeus who had redirected the lightning towards him, tried to kill him.
Zeus needed to be dealt with.
Olympus needed to pay.
He narrowed his eyes at the girl standing before him. Her aura pulsed faintly with electricity, divine by nature. Her powers were connected to Zeus—connected to Olympus.
A loose thread in the web.
"You... you heard me?" she stammered, her voice trembling, but not from fear. "Please—I just wanted to meet you. I want to be free from Olympus. Free from my father's control. I'll do anything. Just help me. Like you did for Percy… and Annabeth."
Nathan said nothing.
He reached out—mentally—toward Olympus. Tried to teleport straight there.
Denied.
The realm's divine lock rejected him. He could force it, of course. Tear a hole through dimensions and burst into their precious Mount Olympus…
But doing that would unleash a shockwave through Earth's leyline—cause an earthquake that could shatter cities.
Earth must not be destroyed.
His mind echoed that rule like instinct.
Then his gaze flicked back to the girl—Thalia. Her words lingered.
From what she said, he realized… he'd already disconnected Olympian authority once before. Accidentally. Unconsciously.
So he did it again.
Cleanly this time.
He severed her connection from Olympus—gently—but didn't let go. Instead, he held onto the divine link like a leash, an anchor, and let it pull him through the layers of reality.
He stepped into Olympus.
And the moment he did—
They attacked.
Lightning ripped through the sky and struck his face. Saltwater drowned the air. Arrows screamed past his body. Swords swung with the weight of myth. The full force of the Olympian pantheon hit him like a divine tsunami.
This was no petty display.
This was not Athena's manipulation.
Not Hades' game.
This was war.
Zeus' lightning bolt hit him square in the face.
It burned deep.
And yet—Nathan smiled.
Because the pain wasn't just pain. It was real. It was an anchor.
[Initial control reached.]
Raphael's voice echoed into clarity—cool, sharp, stabilizing.
With Raphael back online, and Nathan's mind burning bright through the fog of Orion, he summoned the Astro Force.
The raw power of the Source itself surged out of him like a tidal pulse. It didn't lash out in retaliation—but it nullified the divine projections swarming around him. Lightning sputtered. Waves collapsed. Arrows vanished midair. The gods reeled.
He didn't fight back.
He wasn't here to massacre the Greek Pantheon.
In truth, he wouldn't even be here if not for Orion's warped perception dulling his usual judgment.
Still—if he was here, he might as well make a point.
Before the form's madness could overtake him again, Nathan raised his hand and let the Astro Force shake the foundation of Olympus itself.
Not enough to destroy.
Not enough to kill.
But enough to warn.
"Next time you lot try anything funny," he said, voice echoing across the divine realm, "I won't just shake your divine anchor. I'll break it—and drag you down from your sparkly thrones."
And then—he was gone.
It wasn't teleportation. Not exactly.
It was more like phasing—slipping across dimensions with no resistance.
Back at the Grand Canyon, the wind was still.
The girl was dancing—laughing with giddy relief.
Nathan didn't linger.
He tapped the H-Omnitrix, and his body shifted—armor receding, the fires of Apokolips extinguishing.
He became human again, just in time to keep from slipping too far.