Unity Sphere Main Kitchen:
Two hours later, Evening:
The vegetable broth bubbled as I poured it and the coconut milk into the hot pot, turning down the heat to a low heat as I stirred for a minute. Tossing in the bell pepper and zucchini, I put the lit back on and left the curry to simmer for the next ten minutes.
At the same time, I lifted up the cloth covering the baking tray, picking up the dough and beginning to spin it with expert finesse.
With a quick flick of my wrists and a burst of TTK, the dough stretched into the perfect, thin, seamless circle. Landing it back on the flour-dusted corner, I scooped up a bit of the habanero maranera sauce and slowly spread it on the surface.
"Sphere, temperature?"
"A steady four hundred and twenty degrees Celcius, sir. The perfect temperature," Sphere's voice chimed and I nodded, picking up slices of jalapeno, spicy pepper cheese slices and a stack of mushrooms.
"Sorbets?"
"Both strawberry and banana flavoured sorbets are nearly done. Total time until full culinary readiness: twenty minutes," she replied as I arranged the toppings in a neat pattern before sliding the pizza into the oven.
"Good. Once, the curry is done, start on the naan. Where is Rae by the way?"
"Currently preparing in her room, sir."
"Then, I'll go do the same. Remember to keep stirring and once everything is done, to put them in the over so that they can stay warm."
"Will do." Dusting my hands off on the apron that I took off, I tossed it into the laundry hatch where Sphere sucked it in, making my way out the kitchen and towards my room.
Along the way, I nodded and smiled at the Martians I passed, who waved back while they continued with their day to day business.
A few minutes later, the doors to my room opened with a hiss and I walked in.
This room was not here before and was instead an orbital railgun. However, like most of the new living areas and rooms that now sat in the Unity Sphere, I merely refurbished and transformed the railgun into it.
The pathways that were made to relay the electricity now acted as powerlines for the lights, fans and TV, which had been made by taking parts from the glass of the targeting system.
To most aliens, it was the equivalent of a makeshift shack, but to anyone of Earth, it was a penthouse suite.
I didn't waste any time as I walked into the bathroom, scrubbing off the faint scent of curry, habanero sauce and coconut milk before getting dressed.
Keeping it casual with a neat dark button-up long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up halfway to my elbow, a pair of trousers and dress shoes, I checked the clock on my bedside table and nodded.
'Still got half an hour left.'
"Sphere, patch into my room."
"Yes, sir?"
"The food?"
"The pizza, Geotjeori, curry and garlic naan have been safely transported to the holding ovens in Ceremony Hall 17 where the service droids are waiting."
"Atmosphere?"
"Holographic candles have been used and scent pods were used to replicate an open night sky with the projectors."
"The guest herself?"
"Has just left her quarters. Follow the path and you'll reach the area within a minute before she does."
"Great. I'm on my way." Finally finished with adjusting my collar, I took a deep breath and left my room.
Walking down the polished corridors along the path that Sphere had uploaded to my mind through the circlet, I stopped in front of Hall 17 and felt relieved that Raven wasn't here yet.
As the doors parted, I was greeted to a stunning sight. The clinical white lights of the interior were replaced by a soft, amber hue that bathed the high-ceilinged room.
A beautiful wooden table sat in the dead centre of the hall, an ornate chair placed at the head of the table with another placed at its direct right.
Atop the table were the silverware, two wine glasses and several hovering holographic candles, illuminating its surface which I now noticed had faint raven motifs etched onto it.
"Sphere?"
"Yes, sir?"
"You are incredible."
"I thank you," was her reply as I turned, standing with my hands behind my back as the doors opened once more.
I turned to greet her and my eyes widened as the clacking of heels echoed when Raven stepped through the threshold.
Dressed in an elegant, dark purple dress that made her look like a pale goddess, her short violet hair fell neatly around her face and there was a dusting of pink on her cheeks as a rare smile adorned her face.
"I can't believe you didn't just settle for military rations," she began with a dry tone, but that didn't hold the embarrassment from showing in her body language as I walked forward.
"You look...incredible and I feel that to be an understatement."
"Th-Thank you," she replied, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear as she took my hand. The two of us walked to the table and I pulled out her chair, Raven sitting down with a muttered thanks as I sat down next to her.
That was when the droids entered and she raised an eyebrow when they did. Two carried the Geotjeori and the spicy vegan pizza while another pushed a cart, on which a steel bucket filled with ice and containing a bottle of rather expensive-looking wine.
I smiled at the hunger in Raven's eyes as the pizza and the Geotjeori were placed down, the droids dividing the slices and the cabbage while the last poured out the wine for us.
"You actually made it?"
"Hey, only the best for my girlfriend. Uh, girlfriends. Wow, that's going to take me a while to get used to," I replied and smiled as she giggled.
"You'll get used to it," she replied, making me chuckle as we picked up our cutlery and began eating. She cut a piece of her pizza off and I raised an eyebrow at the groan she let out as she ate it.
"Oh, this is good and you didn't make it too spicy like most would."
"That would be the mushrooms helping there," I replied, feeling a bit impressed and proud of myself when I took a bite as well. Huh, I thought I messed it up, but I guess not.
"So, did M'gann get a big first date like this?" she asked, raising an eyebrow when I chuckled and shook my head.
"No, she wasn't one for the theatrics and the fancy dinner. She just wanted to watch her shows and eat caramel popcorn I made."
"You should have said that. I'm not the type for this either."
"So, you hate it?"
"I never said that. I quite enjoy it," Raven replied in a flat tone, rolling her eyes when I sighed in relief, "but we'll save this for tomorrow. Go get dressed in some pyjamas and meet me at my room in half an hour."
"What?" I blinked as Raven rose from her chair, floating through the chair while I watched her leave. "Sphere?"
"Yes?"
"Did I...fuck up in some way?"
"I am unused to the basic laws of attraction, but in my opinion, you did not 'mess up' in any way."
"Huh, would you mind programming the droids to put the food in stasis?"
"Most certainly."
"Thank you," I spoke with a smile as I stood, scratching my head while leaving the hall.
Did I mess up the food? No, she liked it. Was it when I talked about M'gann and I? She laughed and even joked so that's not it.
Wait, did she feel bad because she got a fancy dinner when M'gann settled for a simple night watching series? M'gann was there when I proposed it, though, and she even helped with preparing some of the sorbet.
Unless, M'gann was lying and didn't want to show that she also wanted that? Would Rae pick up on that and feel bad then?
'God, I'm starting to think that harem protagonists actually act dense because they want to avoid this.' Being with one girlfriend is hard enough to read her cues and body language. Doing so for two, who could not be more different in personality and tastes, is a headache.
"You know what? Nope, I'm just gonna go with it." I can continue to think on this, but I'd rather just get on with my life and not have a headache.
Now, did she say twenty minutes or half an hour?
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Half an hour later, the doors to Raven's room hissed open and I stepped through, raising an eyebrow at it.
Dark drapes blocked off the viewing port to her room as deep indigo rugs covered the metallic floor. Her bed was missing, most likely having been moved by Sphere to sit in the floor as a large plush pile of dark purple floor cushions were arranged around a low-set coffee table.
Said table had a large bowl of freshly popped caramel popcorn and various other snacks on it and above said table was a hovering holographic display screen showing off several sitcom choices.
Rae herself was curled up in the pile of cushions, wearing an oversized grey hoodie that practically swallowed her frame and left only her pale legs in view and the purple shorts she wore under it.
"Wait, is that my hoodie?"
"You left it that one time in my apartment," she replied and I hummed, sitting down beside her while looking at her choice. "That's so Raven? Really?"
"What, you have a problem with it?" she asked, her dry tone making me chuckle as I shrugged.
"Just never expected you to like it," I replied, taking her hand in mine. She stiffened at the gesture before she relaxed, the bowl of popcorn floating to her lap.
I smiled as she picked up a kernel, eating it when she held it out to me with a bit of pink on her cheeks. "Mmm, you made this?"
"Yes...with Sphere's help," she added at the end, to which I just nodded as I watched her levitate a handful to her mouth with her magic.
"So, did you not like the original date?" I asked as she clicked on the first season and she glanced at me before nodding.
"I did, but I am an empath, Chris. Unlike telepathy, it's always active so I could feel your stress on making sure how to treat me and I didn't want that.
You were overthinking it because you thought you needed a formal dinner to make it feel like you are paying attention to me, which you do not need to do."
"So, if I said I just wanted us two to hang out like we are right now..."
"I would have had everything prepared at an earlier time, yes." She nodded, making me hum before she squeaked as I pulled her closer and picked up a handful of popcorn from the bowl.
"I'm still getting the hang of this two girlfriends thing and I'm so glad you're this open-minded."
"Don't get used to it. I also like to be wined-and-dined now and again."
"Well, next time, I'll make it the best experience that it could be," I spoke with a soft whisper, leaning my shoulder against hers and kissing her cheek as she gave a faint smile.
"I'd like that. Now shut up. The show is starting."
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Unity Sphere Medical Room:
"Obey your Granny. My command is Darkseid's will." The words echoed in Kara's mind as she laid in the bed. They were deafening before, clouding her mind and suppressing her every thought that wanted to rebel.
Now, they were but mere whispers, struggling to stay alive as her mind pushed them back to the deepest corners of her psyche. Thus, she could finally hear her own mind and didn't have to worry about losing control in a long time.
"What are you smiling about?" Kara turned her head as she heard Kori's voice, the young woman sitting down beside her with a smile.
"Just...being free, I guess."
"I can understand. I myself was a servant to a tyrant and the former owner of this very celestial warship before Chris and the others saved me," Kori replied, making Kara blink as she sat down.
"Really?"
"Yes, and I thank Friend-Chris and the others every day for their efforts and help. Without them, I don't think I'd have worked up the courage to break free."
"I kind of get that," Kara spoke in agreement as she sat up against the headboard. "I mean, I try to think of a way to pay him back and help him, but nothing comes to mind."
"Well, you could be an advisor to him. Help him understand other species especially since Mister J'onn spoke of your intelligence."
"He has others to do that for him, though."
"But are they the last Kryptonians like him and Match?" Kori asked in turn, making Kara sigh as she shook her head. "Besides, if you don't want to do that, then perhaps you could also teach them more of Krypton now that Clark is no longer here."
"That also works too. You're a very helpful friend, you know?"
"I know. Now-Ah!" Kori yelped as she fell forward, Match snapping out of his sleep at the thunderous impact that rocked the Unity Sphere.
"Sphere! What's going on?!" Kara struggled to her feet with Kori's help, looking to Match when he shouted.
"Impact against the western sectors! Damage: minimal!"
"People of Earth! Your champions have fought back for the last time! Now, it is time that they join Darkseid!"
A/N: You know, I feel like the abusive boyfriend that keeps saying I'm going to stop missing chapters...and then I miss almost two days.
Know what? No more apologies. That shit was on me so we're just going to roll with the punches.
Anyway, next chapter: Apokolips Begins II.
As always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one...
Ba-Bye~!