Given the peculiarity of my "character's" status, I sometimes didn't need to go looking for trouble. It found me. "Black Fate" always gives a sign that my life is a masquerade and that some performances don't always turn out beautiful. Why was I worried and tense? The thing is, Fiore wasn't just adapting. As I said before, there's something about Fiore that I didn't tell them. The thing is, from the very first meeting I mentioned earlier, I was able to find out some very important information about her. "Fiora" was not a simple inhabitant of the unknown depths of the ocean, but was artificially created as a living weapon against "Atlantis." That was her status. The main feature of this "weapon" was her special left eye, which had the impressive name "Eye of the Depths." This eye could literally weaken anyone it looked at to the point of helplessness. Invisible waves emanating from the direction of its gaze lowered my stats and simultaneously paralysed me. The very purpose of the eye was to weaken its opponent for easier destruction. What can you do to a creature that can turn you into a paralysed piece of meat with just one glance? That's right — absolutely nothing. On the very day I fell under the influence of that gaze, I even considered eliminating her for a moment, because... to be honest... I was afraid of that feeling of weakness. And her status spoke for itself, but then I decided to spare her life because this... "little fish" didn't choose who she wanted to be, and I wanted to give her that chance. I didn't want to take it away from her just because of my own fears or doubts.
...But the fear hasn't gone away. The status is still in her statistics and hasn't gone anywhere. So what do I need to do to get rid of it?
"Ah, right, I have a compass!
The Compass of Desires is an unusual compass that allowed me to find what I needed by focusing on my desire.
My disappointment was huge when I checked and realised that the compass was pointing at me.
"Can you explain in more detail?
It's a pity that the compass isn't a living creature, it would be much easier to understand. Well, I don't think Atlantis will visit the mainland anytime soon. I mean, this race and the underwater continent have no contact with humans. There was no "special" reason for that. However, considering that humans extract oil from the ocean and catch fish, this race may make contact to assert their rights to their resources. Well, knowing that humans have considered themselves the dominant race for most of their history, there will be no negotiations until the Atlanteans demonstrate their power and influence. I remember that they have or will have a king named Arthur, nicknamed "Aquaman," whose abilities I have no idea about, as I have not met him personally, but in the comics he was always underestimated because of his questionable ability to communicate with/enslave sea creatures by means of some kind of miracle waves, control water, and also have in his arsenal the famous trident of Poseidon himself, the Greek god of the sea. And that's just the canonical part of what I know; as I said, I don't know what else Aquaman is capable of.
While I was sitting in my hotel room trying to find the truth in my compass, there was a polite knock on my door.
"May I come in?"
The door opened automatically, and to my surprise, Raven was standing at the threshold.
"You're worried." — a phlegmatic and almost emotionless tone, but with a hint of irritation.
"Is it that obvious...?
"Yes, ever since you helped... between... between us, a small mental connection has formed." She continued, now with some embarrassment. "Mental influences without negative rejection can have such a side effect." And here she folds her arms across her chest with an intelligent look, only her glasses are missing, Professor Raven.
"Could you repeat that with this?" I take out my rectangular glasses and slowly put them in their rightful place. "And adjust them a little 'intelligently' to complete the look..."
"I'm not here for your latest cosplay," I muttered discontentedly, but adjusted the glasses. Ah... how cute!
"But you liked it.
"That's not important right now. Anyway, you should relax. Fiora is spiritually stable and likes her life. She likes our society.
"I... I know, Raven. It's different. — I turned my back and walked over to the window. A heavy sigh, my palm unconsciously ruffling my hair. "I didn't tell the Titans one important detail, but I'll tell you because I trust you completely. Fiore was originally designed to be a weapon, and I'm worried that she's a time bomb that could go off at any moment. No, don't think badly of me! I... care about Fiora. No matter how much I deny it. No matter what excuses I make about her being just a toy or an experiment. The memories we've created during this time have become precious to me.
"Are you afraid that the moment will come when her weapon instincts will awaken? When... her true reason for existing will reveal itself?" I nodded quietly and clenched my fist. I can heal or destroy, but I cannot change something in a person's mind. Raven, maybe you...
"It's too dangerous. If it's what I think it is, creating such a being implies a defence mechanism. If I try to remove the anomaly in her mind, it could trigger the defence system.
"Tch...! How annoying.
"I have an idea on how to help her, but first I need to understand what exactly is causing the change in her mind's priorities.
"I understand. Let's find the red button in her head and turn it off.
"If... to put it simply, yes. Sometimes you have to believe a little, isn't that what you told me?
"Sometimes faith isn't enough. I don't want to be helpless...
Someone hugged me from behind, and her head rested against my back.
"You always try to handle everything on your own. You're not alone. If your fears are confirmed, just know that I'll be here for you.
Argh... my heart is melting from the warmth! Given our shared passion for reading emotions, I felt and enjoyed this sincere, pure, and warm invisible care. The only thing missing was invisible hearts or a flowery background like in some manga, manhwa, or comic. I turned to face her and couldn't suppress a cute humming sound.
I looked away, my cheeks flushed with embarrassment. My hand touched the top of her head in a simple gesture. I stroked her short dark hair like a cat.
"Thank you. I'll try not to worry you so much.
Raven exuded a strange sadness and disappointment. Eh...?! Did I do something wrong?!
"Everything's fine.
Now that you've put on that impenetrable face and indifferent tone, I'll never believe that everything is fine!
"Everyone has their secrets. Even I do.
"I thought we had no secrets between us after what happened with your father.
"They can arise when you want them to. You just have to understand what exactly is a secret to you.
On that mysterious note, our conversation came to an end, and she decided, in a very uncharacteristic manner, to cover herself in a dark layer of magic in order to pass through the wall into her room.
"Argh, I just need to relieve the tension with some regular training. I'll check on Fiora and see how she's doing.
Knowing her, she has undoubtedly made the training room her second home. She has almost no concept of "rest" and only needs about four hours to fully recover, and food is secondary to her because, like a common sea predator, she is able to find and catch her future breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the quiet ocean. The only thing I can praise Fiora for is her exceptional fulfilment of some of my conditions. The ocean is a part of her, and I realised that I couldn't cut her off from that part of her life, so I made her promise to spend no more than six hours in it. Otherwise, I might have been dissatisfied or hurt, and for her, that would have been a terrible punishment. After all, she's still a child.
"Dad! Sparring! Sparring, sparring, sparring!!!
A toothy shark smile. A white T-shirt. Blue shorts. A hyperactive personality and very few thoughts in her head. Just a fierce desire to fight, like in her favourite anime fighting games.
"Just don't forget. Exactly five minutes." Why the time limit? It's simple. The level of combat in sparring increases proportionally to time. Fiora simply doesn't get tired, because the answer to all her anomalies is simple... "adaptation."
She strikes her palm against her fist and makes the usual showy gesture with a crack of her knuckles. A sharp low start, her fist aims for my face, but only cuts through the air because I was able to shift my head slightly to the side...
"How do you like Beast Boy?
"Green? Smart. Quick to change. Quick to adapt to me when I fight. Just like me!
"Yeah, but I don't remember you ever beating me in sparring.
"That'll change today!
"You always say that.
Dancing in close combat with Fiona gets harder every time. Even with my aura gone and her stealth. The answer is above. It usually comes down to a new attack or tactic. She creates a spear out of electrical energy in the air and aims it at me with her hand. A hail of projectiles tries to distract me while she flanks me. She lunges with another spear created from her right palm, but abruptly changes her intentions due to my invisible grip and slips cleanly to the side on instinct.
"ORA-ORA-ORA-ORAAAA!!! — Oh my God, how embarrassing and strange it looks when your adopted daughter shouts these seemingly incomprehensible words under a barrage of blows. Maybe I should play along...? After all, this sparring is like a game for us.
"MUDA-MUDA!" One right and one left force her to cross-block and slide back several metres. Hmmm... come to think of it, I'm kind of manipulating time, so can my statement be considered "canonical"? It sounds both silly and strange.
My personal condition was that I would not use the knights/heroes/mages I summoned, nor would I use time control, because in both cases I considered it an affront to my dignity and pride. To fight my own daughter at full strength. And... to be honest, I was just afraid to find out the limits of her adaptation, because if she couldn't see/feel/understand what I was doing, she wouldn't be able to compare it to anything.
My internal clock told me that five minutes of sparring had passed, so I put my palm out in front of me.
"Stop! Time's up.
She undoubtedly felt sad and disappointed, but she didn't argue with me.
"Ah...! Can I watch the new episode of that anime you gave me with you?
Ah... Berserk is a pretty brutal anime with an equally brutal manga, but despite that, I decided to give her a chance to see the story. There were a number of reasons for this. Fiore is innocent and pure, but she is also curious. Despite her childish and somewhat naive mind, she is very good at accepting and analysing situations. I tried to make sure she understood the difference between good and evil, between a murderer and a saviour, between a tyrant and a king. Usually, the line between these concepts is not as clear as some people think.
"If I ever become a monster, then... well... kill me, okay? I don't want to hurt people," she said to me once with a sad smile as she sat on my lap. I couldn't say a word. At such a young age, it was difficult to accept the truth about her nature. To accept in advance the responsibility and consequences of her wrongdoing. That day, I realised that I couldn't kill her. She didn't deserve it. I just couldn't do it.
After training, we sat down in the living room in front of the TV and watched the finale of that very same "Berserk" anime. Seeing her beloved main character chained to the bloody floor, cutting off his own hand, while demons prevented him from doing anything, involuntarily brought tears to her only eye. And the fact that Griffith raped Casca right in front of him didn't add any pleasant colours to the picture.
"Why did Griffith do that...? Aren't they friends?!"
"It's hard to answer that question. You saw what Griffith was like when he was rescued, didn't you?" — a quiet nod. "He had a choice. Accept his fate and become something greater, or remain a cripple among his friends. Once he chose the former, he ceased to be the Griffith we knew before. Now he is someone called 'Femto'...
"Then why didn't he just kill him?!"
"Who knows. Guts has never been a lucky hero, remember? He was given only one chance at happiness, which was mercilessly taken away from him. If anyone has a dark destiny, it's definitely him.
"He'll kill him in the end... won't he? After all, so many of his friends died, and Casse. Justice must be served.
"Is that really so important?" Fiore blinked her single eye in surprise, not understanding what I meant. "Okay, I'll explain. After all this, his life literally turns into a terrible endless nightmare. He will find a very impressive weapon that was not meant for an ordinary person, and he will go on his own path of revenge against these monsters, beasts, and other evil creatures. This path is thorny, dangerous, and terrible. It seemed that it would only end with his death or his true goal of "killing Femto," but later he realised that this path was not as important to him as the only person who remained with him after that fateful day, so he stopped and looked back for the first time. He decided to abandon this path and protect what was important to him.
"I... don't understand.
"If Guts had continued on the path of revenge, he would never have found peace and would have sooner or later turned into a terrible dark monster. He will never be able to forgive Griffith, but for the first time, he was able to forgive himself. That's why I believe that revenge is not the most important thing in this story, but rather what surrounds you.
"Guts was able to find new friends after that...?
"Yes, he did. Instead of submitting to fate and dying at the hands of some warrior or monster, he always resisted it. That's what makes him different from the rest, and that's what inspires those who see or read his story. He is proof that a person can resist an inevitable and cruel fate. We ourselves can take it into our own hands if we fight to the very end.
"Now, I think I understand. Thank you.
I was so caught up in helping Raven and fighting her father that I instantly mentally completed her Trigon Invasion quest. In the process, I earned the title "Challenger of God." I gained a lot of experience, a slight increase in resistance to mental attacks, a permanently positive relationship with Raven, and a rather unusual item called the "Gloves of Reflection." It looked like a special golden metal glove, whose only ability was to distort space within a certain radius to reflect various attacks.
The news was reporting that Metropolis had been attacked. It seemed like no big deal. Superman would save the day once again. But this attack was carried out by representatives of the underwater world, armed with special plasma poles and equipped with special black suits that could withstand gunfire, as well as hybrid tank-like vehicles. Upon seeing this news, Fiore lost control.
"Agh...!" She grabbed her head with her hands and fell to her knees. "The Atlanteans!!! — I didn't have time to react as she punched a hole in the tower wall and jumped into the calm ocean in one wild leap. Why couldn't I think of a simple way to stop her at a moment like this? I'm so careless and thoughtless.
"Raven?! Did you sense something?!
"An abnormal influence in the area around her left eye, but I need to get closer to her to...
"I understand. I'll try to stop her.
Just in case something really happens, I marked Fiore's back with a special spiritual mark. Truth be told, even without it, I can tell where Fiore is headed — to the centre of all this commotion. Create a spiritual dagger. Make a rift and exit onto the alleyway of Metropolis Street. Military personnel were fighting the forces of Atlantis everywhere, but that didn't worry me right now, because I was sure that the Justice League could handle them on their own. Out of the corner of my eye, I could even see Diana quickly dispatching two attackers with her sword. With a sudden thrust, she pierced one's chest and, turning around, decapitated the second. It was harsh and funny at the same time. It seemed that she, like most of the League, didn't give a damn about the moral code of heroes when there was a large-scale attack. Well, it's understandable, considering that soldiers are dying before their eyes trying to protect ordinary citizens. I nervously walked past Diana, only finally throwing a spiritual dagger into the skull of a clever sniper who had taken up position on a half-ruined part of the building. Nearby, I heard a loud crash and the sound of battle. Some King Orn in an idiotic mask proclaimed himself the new ruler of Atlantis and was tearing everyone apart with a very powerful weapon resembling the trident of the sea god Poseidon himself. Considering that he could use it to control both lightning and water, it was definitely him. Before I decided to act and first of all deprive him of his own weapon, Fiore, invisible like the real Hulk, landed powerfully in a monstrous jump, creating a crater right in front of him. Her body changed, deformed, as if swollen with bodybuilder muscles, her face with furious veins, terrible teeth protruding from her jaw, shark jaws, a fin on her back, and a long pointed tail just above her pelvis. The bandage was removed, and now a terrible black aura emanated from her left eye. The iris was red and the "white" was black.
"And what kind of vile monster are you?! Get away! — He lunges with his legendary trident charged with lightning, but she simply takes the blow to the stomach. A moment. Black scales form around the point of impact, completely nullifying the force of the blow and protecting her. What kind of protection is this?! I've never seen it even in sparring.
"I am the destruction of your people!" He grabs the base of the handle and throws it aside, taking his weapon. A film of electricity covers her body, but it is completely covered by black scales, protecting her from the attack. "If I can't use it, then I'll gladly give it back to you!" He throws his own spear at him. The speed and force of the throw prevented him from dodging properly. The trident-shaped blade pierced his stomach and pinned him to the wall.
"Protect the King!" Several pawns stepped forward, but they were quickly eliminated. She created electric spears above them and, waving her arms in front of her in a cross gesture, they found their place in their bodies with tremendous speed.
The only reason I didn't intervene was because I didn't give a damn about these Atlanteans. Maybe if she kills a couple of them or this so-called King Orna Aggressor, she'll calm down...
Naive thoughts. Terribly naive. How infuriating it is to feel uncertainty and fear for one's own decisions and actions. I need to try to bind her with magic. Yeah, right, if even the trident of a Greek sea god couldn't hurt her, can I really bind her before Raven arrives? And why didn't she just follow me...? So everything she said was a lie? No, don't make things up. If Raven didn't follow me, then there must be an important reason. Most likely, she needs to prepare to help Fiora or...
Fiora suddenly disappears from my field of vision. Her feet leave indentations in the ground in a fraction of a second, and a thunderous blow knocks down and shatters the wall of the house to which the king was nailed. Behind the smoke screen of dust and dirt from the blow, it was impossible to make out anything. Only the sound of blows, explosions and branching lightning bolts. This... "battle" did not last more than a couple of minutes. When the smoke cleared, all I could see was her palm piercing his chest.
"...So I fall at the hands of some... monster?!" He couldn't believe what was happening. Fiore didn't say anything and pulled her hand out of his chest. "Is that... enough, Fiore?!"
"Aaaargh!!! Kill them all. All Atlanteans!
Of course not. Argh! Damn it! Her gaze shifted to someone suspiciously similar to Aquaman from my memories.
"Arthur! Watch out!" confirmed a beautiful woman in green armour with red hair. Well, I don't want to sit here invisible and watch all this. If she engages the League in battle, I'm not sure anyone will get away with just minor injuries.
Stop Time
At full speed, I ran up to Wonder Woman and took her golden lasso, created four additional copies of the spectral dagger, sent them flying, pierced Fiora's body with them, and bound her with the golden lasso, rendering her unable to move.
I return time to its original state.
"I command you to answer truthfully. How can I stop you?!" The lasso glowed golden, and Fiora bared her teeth furiously, but with great effort she answered.
"Only death can stop me.
"The reason for your mission? Why do you crave the genocide of Atlantis?
"Our race was allied with them. Until they stabbed us in the back. They feared us! They thought they had destroyed every last one of us! But we hid in the depths of the dark ocean and waited for this fateful day of our just revenge...!
Attention! You are under the effect of DeBuff "Eye of the Deep"! Your stats are gradually decreasing...!
"Fiora, I know that somewhere inside this torrent of hatred and malice of your race, you are still alive, but if you continue down this path, only death awaits you. Please stop. I beg you.
"I... I am Death of Atlantis!" Her skin turned black once again, causing even my spiritual daggers to leave her body, and her palms grabbed my lasso and threw me sharply to the side. My body painfully broke through several walls, but it was bearable. Right now, my condition was the least of my concerns. I saw the Amazon cross her sword with her electric spear, and it involuntarily alarmed and unnerved me. No one dares to hurt her! I won't let them kill her just because of some stupid programme in her head!
"Don't fight her...! Don't touch her! She's mine!!! If you dare interfere, Justice League, I won't be responsible for the consequences!" Simultaneously with my cry, I summon all available warriors, mages, and heroes. Asta strikes Wonder Woman's jaw with his steel gauntlet and throws her aside, while Trusk stands in front of Fiona with his huge tower shield and blocks her monstrous lunge, which leaves a small crater with cracks under his feet. Maria not only creates a prayer to strengthen the heroes, but also a temporary barrier from her Eye, which also had a time limit. The nameless warriors were nothing more than stuffed toys. With careless blows of her fists and pointed tail, she throws them in different directions. Fireballs and streams of lightning did not cause her any significant damage due to the adaptive covering of her skin, and so they repeated the fate of the knights and were pierced by electric spears.
While I was trying to find the perfect moment to attack, Robin the Hero Archer pierced her back with his spiritual arrow, which exploded inside her body into a multitude of arrows. The shock of the sudden attack stopped her. Well done, Robin! I have to try again...!
"Fiora...! You have a choice! I beg you!" The madness and hatred in his eyes gave way to a glimmer of reason, and he looked down at the broken glass of the building, where he saw his own reflection. Her muscles somehow just "deflated," and her body slowly sank to her knees, tears streaming from her eyes, and I slowly approached her with the spectral dagger. I knelt down next to her.
"I... I can't fight this, Dad. Please, keep your promise. This is my choice.
"This isn't your choice. You're afraid to die. I can see it in your eyes.
"I'm not afraid to die by your hand.
"This isn't the choice I want to make!" I shouted furiously, no longer able to control the tears streaming from my eyes.
"For these people. For me. Please... I can't hold this in for much longer.
"There is a choice, but it will require a sacrifice.
Raven. My saviour. Why are you taking so long?! I was already starting to consider that damn option.
"Anything.
"Azarat Metrion Zintos.
After that moment, I lost my special left eye, and Fiore lost hers. During the battle at Metropolis, Raven secretly analysed and discovered the cause of the influence on her mind, and then intervened when she had the opportunity to make her move. This spell did not have a name as such, but it had a special condition. In order to deprive Fiore of the Eye of the Deep, I had to lose my status as the Avatar of Chronos. It was a painful process during which I lost consciousness for several days. It seemed to me that I was dreaming something very interesting. It's a pity that I couldn't really remember the details of that dream, but at the moment of awakening, it didn't bother me much. I jumped out of bed, completely ignoring the bandage over my left eye, and with weakness in my body, I headed towards Fiore's room, as I could sense her presence and was filled with anxiety about her condition.
"Fiora...? Are you okay?!" She was lying down, watching television calmly, and turned her only right eye towards me with a slight smile.
"Ah... who are you?
It was a heavy blow to my heart, and for a couple of seconds I lost touch with reality as I analysed her words. Behind me, Raven decided to interject.
"It seems her eye was too closely tied to her mind, and after the ritual, it affected her memories. I'm very sorry, Alex.
"It's okay, I'm sure she'll be able to build new happy memories. At least she's safe. That's enough for me." I managed to squeeze out a pitiful smile for her, which upset Raven a little.
"Excuse me... I'm sure I haven't met you before?" Fiora asked curiously.
"Yes, I'm your friend. My name is Alex. Nice to meet you.
"A-Alex...?" Tears unconsciously well up in her eyes. She doesn't understand, touches them, and places her hand over her heart. "Why does it hurt so much...?"
I look at Raven silently.
"A side effect. The mind may not remember, but the heart...
"Alex! Alex!!!" At first, it sounds like she recognises my name, but the second time, it's more like a cry, and she jumps out of bed and into my arms.
"Fiora, you remembered?
"The pieces are still coming together, but I remember what you mean to me. Your... eye?
"Ah, don't worry. It's cosplay.
Unfortunately, I won't be able to regain my sight through standard means, as the price meant complete deprivation with no possibility of returning this very flesh. The only way to get my second eye back would be through artificial implantation of either a mechanical eye or a spiritual one. We can wait a little while for that. The weakness in my body after all these events is terrible. And Fiore can hardly stand on her feet either.
"Let's rest, and then we'll decide what to do next, okay?
"Okay, Dad!
"That's the spirit! Remember what I taught you. It's not enough to just try your hardest in training...
"...But also rest well! I remember!
Well, it seems I don't have to worry about anything for now, which is definitely a relief. I turn to Raven and say a simple phrase with a gentle smile.
"Thank you. I'm very grateful for your help.
"Compared to your help, it's the least I can do..." She blushes slightly and looks away. The least, you say...? Then I should definitely ask you out on a date. If you refuse, I'll be very hurt.
Interlude.
What happened while Alex was unconscious in the Tower of Titans.
"Um... heh heh heh.
Since Raven had become an integral part of his life, she decided to meditate in his room until he woke up. However, strange sounds and periodic laughter coming from his mouth prevented her from spending her time normally. Since she was a young girl with a curious mind, she decided to take a look at what exactly was so interesting in his dream. She floated up into the air and touched his forehead with her fingertips.
An unfamiliar, cosy children's room. A wide pink bed and... her mini image under the blanket. Almost miniature, her cat ears sometimes twitched from the slow and pleasant strokes of her "master".
"Can't sleep, Chibi Raven?" She nodded quietly and adjusted her blanket a little higher.
"Still worried about your father, huh? Don't worry, my sweet Raven. I'm here." He moves her bangs to the side and kisses her forehead. Mini-Raven blushes with embarrassment and tries to hide it by pulling the blanket up a little higher, but it only covers the lower half of her face.
"Ah... you're so cute!
Such a humiliating yet sweet dream about her clearly evoked mixed feelings in the real Raven. On the one hand, she was pleased to see this, but on the other, she didn't particularly like the fact that Alex always saw her as a cute little child. He had no idea what sometimes crossed her mind when he casually touched her hair or persuaded her to do embarrassing cosplay. And right now, she wanted to get back at him for that by slightly influencing his happy dream. He wouldn't remember much of it anyway.
Turn his happy dream into...
"Wh-what?!" The figure of cute Chibi Raven transformed into an adult form that knocked him onto the bed and straddled him.
...Erotic.
"Do you still think I'm a child?" her created image asked haughtily. Without dark stockings, her grey legs in a "cowgirl" position made forward movements between his legs, which immediately caused a response in the form of a confident erection.
"You always love to tease me. I'll give you a taste of your own medicine." She kissed him passionately and demandingly, her hand gripping his cock and moving it back and forth through his jeans. She broke off the kiss, playing with his tongue. A sadistic smile appeared on her lips.
"Not here. Not this time. Next time I'll make sure it happens for real.
At that moment, he woke up, and Raven, her cheeks slightly flushed, assumed her standard meditation position, watching out of the corner of her eye as he headed towards Fiora's room.
"It seems... he doesn't remember," she sighed heavily, feeling both relief and a hint of disappointment. Sometimes she felt that soon she would no longer be able to control herself.
***
patreon.com/posts/chronos-in-dc-in-134034864