Chapter 18: A Short Breather

I've never been in a situation like that. When you have sex with two girls at the same time, knowing that another guy cares about the girl in question. I'm not a hypocrite, and I can admit to myself that I was sexually interested in Starfire, and if it's possible to get what I want from her, why not...? After all, I'm not a "hero" and I have a slightly different moral code. And after all, it's just a one-time thing. I mean, right? I wonder who I'm trying to convince. Myself? Still trying to be a good guy who cares about other people's feelings? Either way, it was too late to back out...

I wasn't xenophobic or racist towards other alien races from other planets, but I wondered beforehand if it would be safe and if the act was really no different from our earthly act. After all, comic books are one thing, but actually entering the comic book world is quite another. Starfire earnestly assured me with a mysterious smile that it would be safe and even - I would have some "unusual" experiences. Well, if anything happens, the system will surely notify me. And I don't think Starfire would want to undermine our close relationship like that. I just have no reason to distrust her.

... It started with the usual kiss with Rose, and the slow removal of the extraneous clothing. I lifted her black t-shirt slightly, breaking the tight embrace for only a few seconds; she lifted her hands to get rid of the t-shirt altogether, and for the usual black bra. Nearby, off to the side, floating in the air of my bedroom, Starfire watched us slightly enviously, waiting for her turn.

As I said, I had no sexual experience with multiple partners, so I decided to just do one for now and then move on to the other. I think that would be fair. I don't like being teased, but what about the girls? Well, it would be silly to ask directly, so let's trust our intuition.

We both sat on the bed simultaneously and interrupted the kiss. Her hand gently touched my cheek as I, in the meantime, removed the black "pirate" bandana from her face.

"You've changed."

"Have I?" I slightly smirk, shrugging my shoulders and spreading my arms out. She lets out a slightly tired, feigned sigh but still smiles to herself.

"A bit. It feels like I could lose sight of you if I just turn away. Strange sensation."

"Well, a lot has happened while we haven't seen each other..."

"Can we talk about that later?" she grumbled discontentedly, furrowing her brow slightly.

"Alright, alright," I humbly raise my hands in a surrendering gesture. "I'll be quiet. You know, I'm still not experienced in this. After that time, I just haven't found the time or desire to satisfy such 'needs' again," I shrug again and return to the intimate part of our time together.

She falls back onto the bed and helps to get rid of the rest of her clothes. There was nothing left to play with. All I had to do was aim well and go in. Slowly and carefully, because I didn't like to be particularly violent. Though. thinking back to the time we'd been alone after the mission with her father, she had a very fuzzy idea of "normal" sex. Gradually building up the pace, occasionally switching from slow to fast and vice versa. Occasionally kissing her neck a little and gently touching her breasts, until at some point she just got bored and I was literally saddled.

"Don't try to be romantic. It annoys me..."

"Really?... I thought you liked it."

"I didn't say I didn't like it. It's just that rough sex is the best. Remember that."

"Everyone has their own tastes," I shrug, smiling slightly.

My grin was a challenge to her and I had to do my best not to lose this "battle". With a predatory grin, I stood up in a half crouch and hugged her from behind, making it easier for her to control the situation and keep up this crazy pace. She could no longer hold back her sweet moans and sighs. He licked his lips in a victorious smile. So you wanted this from the beginning...? I guess it doesn't even have to be a question. It's a simple fact.

We couldn't maintain this pace for long, and the first round ended in a draw. I didn't want to leave Starfire unattended for that long, and I'm not a big fan of "sex watchers" myself. Either you join in or you go about your business. Others just get in the way and annoy me with their presence. Makes for a, uh, uncomfortable atmosphere.

Starfire's clothing is quite functional. Like her power, they can change or disappear at any time. I don't really understand how it works, I wasn't really interested in the special clothing of the Tamarans. Unlike Rose, Starfire was a little older and had a... argument in the form of size three (or larger?) breasts.

"Try to be strong," she asked me with a slight angelic smile. What does that mean?

Starfire let me in the back, and every time I entered her, it felt like my whole body was on fire. Is that the "special thing"? Isn't it dangerous?

At some point, events began to take place as if in a fog. Could it have been designed to raise the overall temperature of our bodies and keep us stimulated for longer? Starfire, oblivious in a sensual frenzy, lost control of everything. Time no longer meant anything to us. All that mattered was the pleasure of our bodies. Another change of position, and now I was dominating her from behind, fisting her hair, which for some strange reason emitted a faint flame at the tips that didn't react in any way when it came in contact with my skin, and with my other hand lightly slapping the red mark of the blow on her ass. I could have been more gentle, but there isn't an ounce of love in this sex. There's no need to be gentle.

The next morning, I felt like a squeezed lemon and desperately needed a drink, as if I had been completely drained from the inside, literally. I put on my underwear and shuffled to the fridge. I grabbed some orange juice from it, and as I was closing the fridge door, I saw Starfire's content face. She didn't really like standing on the floor and always sort of "hovered" in the air.

"You are strong! Not many can control themselves after Tor'Va'Shot."

"In English?"

"In short, we establish a special connection with our partner that allows them... let's say... to exceed their limits. Although male partners can enter a state..."

"A 'berserker' state?... Is everyone on your planet so carefree, or is it just you?"

"No! What are you talking about? No one, well, almost no one, on our planet can have proper experiences without this act. Savages, barbarians, and monsters in bed, that's who you are, not Tamaranians if you find this normal!"

"Ah, if that's the case, then alright," I casually respond with a completely different tone.

I even feel a little sorry for Robin or Dick Grayson with his "fiancée." A fickle character and a "monster" in bed. And if I remember correctly, won't he have his own intrigues with Batgirl or something? Ugh! Why do I suddenly care about the relationship between these two? Am I starting to resemble the people they're concerned about?

"When you finish breakfast, you should probably go back to your friends. I hope you've come up with a good cover story for your absence?"

"Of course!"

And why do I find it hard to believe that innocent smile and cheerful tone? I sighed heavily. Even if Robin finds out, I don't care. He won't have the strength to do anything to me.

And yet, for some reason, I want to explore this world more. The thing is, after the incident with Rose and the last dungeon, I hardly left the boundaries of the USA and just stayed put. I had no desire to go to the next dungeon because I didn't want to lose to someone stronger than me. After all, what would happen if someone deprived me of the ability to summon my ghosts? And if someone could also disable my ability to control time? Relying solely on my "miracle eye"? There's nothing worse than relying on the whims of higher powers. The result would be the same – death. I would lose. I wouldn't be able to explore and continue moving forward in this game called life. I have to find weapons, develop skills, learn what I didn't know before in order to overcome all my weaknesses.

Maybe it's time for a little journey? Disappear for a while to come back stronger? I quite like this idea. What about my plan?... It can wait. Everything has its time.

"And yet, it's an unusual thing, don't you think?"

I asked Starfire this while looking at the blue sphere that emitted a similarly colored aura. The only thing that somewhat bothered me about this artifact was the presence of the toothy mouth – "piranha" – from which a thin little red tongue protruded.

Do you want to transfer your mana to the Mana Core?

I gave a short confirmation command, and my supply of magical energy began to be rapidly absorbed into it.

"It's quite amusing," Starfire commented.

"It depends on how you look at it. Are you sure you're the Mana Core and not a carnivorous hamster?" I grumbled in annoyance when I noticed that my mana reserve had been completely consumed in just a minute.

Are you really sure you want to name the Mana Core "Carnivorous Hamster"?

Yes/No?

Alright, I won't offend you and will just name you "Hamster." After all, even a living item used to have feelings. I don't like mistreating my belongings.

I informed Starfire and Rose about my temporary absence. While Starfire seemed quite calm about it and shrugged it off, Rose might have had some plans for us, but she didn't want to be a burden to me once again. Despite seemingly having made up her mind about her life's path, she still wanted to be a "hero." She admitted that she liked the Teen Titans' company and was willing to assist them until "that moment" came.

It's common knowledge that heroes don't kill their enemies, and Rose has no problems with killing her foes. She even made a promise to Robin that if such a situation ever arose and the Teen Titans couldn't accept the consequences of her decision, she would be forced to leave them.

"Killing without substantial reason is a sign of madness and losing one's place in the world, but then how would you describe someone who kills one to save many? Let me guess, for Batman, there's no difference? A killer will always be a killer. So tell me, Robin, who do you see before you?"

I stood in front of the Teen Titans Tower. I decided to create a somewhat farewell scene because I didn't want to appear as someone who didn't care about our mutually beneficial relationship.

"Well, it was fun spending time with you all, but I need to explore the world, start a revolution, and uncover all the mysteries of the universe! It's a pity these 'heroes' have no sense of humor. They're always so tense, serious, and looking for hidden agendas where there aren't any. If Robin took my words as a serious commitment to future actions, Starfire, Rose, and even Beast Boy wished me luck on my journey. They say, 'Be simpler, and people will be drawn to you.'"

"Come on, Robin. Be simpler. I'm a man of my word, and if I promise something, I'll never break it. Like I said before, unless any of you stand in my way, you won't have any problems from me. Let me give you one last piece of advice: step out of your mentor's shadow and find your own path. That way, you'll grow up and earn more respect from others. I'm sure it's not pleasant for you to always hear that you're just Batman's sidekick, right? Although, as I see it, others' opinions aren't that important; it's what you believe in that matters."

"You... know him?"

"I know his complete... uh... 'legend,'" I replied with a slight sarcastic smirk. "Alright, I think I got a bit carried away with this farewell ceremony. I just wanted to say a couple of parting words."

"You'll come back, won't you?"

"Of course. Where would I go?"

"For long?"

"I can't say for sure. It depends on certain... 'circumstances.' Maybe a couple of months? A couple of years? Who knows," I shrugged and, getting closer, placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered a few last words of advice. "Be honest and open with her. She'll appreciate it."

I think he's not so foolish as to not understand who I'm talking about. I lightly patted his shoulder, took my favorite black fedora from my inventory with my right hand, and put it in its rightful place.

"We'll meet again. You can be sure of that, Robin," my image gradually began to disappear under the veil of an invisible mist until there was no trace of me left.

Well, where should I head first?

One year later...

Los Angeles. Black Star Club.

It was quite a well-known and popular club where heavy metal fans gathered for concerts on weekends. Among the many musical groups, there was one that stood out from the rest. It was led by a young teenager with green hair that covered his eyes with a fringe. He preferred ordinary black t-shirts, worn-out blue jeans, and unremarkable sneakers for his attire. Typical teenage clothing. But the most astonishing thing was that almost all of his musical instruments played their composition. It was as if a magician or wizard took the stage and performed his personal concert. Only an electric guitar was in his hands during those moments.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the moment you've been waiting for! Please welcome 'Silent Ra-a-a-a-age'!!!"

Mick Gordon - The Only Thing They Fear Is You (DOOM Eternal OST)

The music had no vocals. It was... filled with emotions. This was a stark contrast to other music groups. However, the true purpose of these performances was beyond the reach of ordinary human eyes. Emotions of people. Their hatred, anger, and rage seemed to flow out of their bodies in a slow, unified stream towards somewhere behind the scenes. It was precisely for this reason that people enjoyed coming to his concerts. Afterward, they felt... "lighter."

It was precisely this... that caught Raven's attention.

As fate would have it, she had managed to seal her great, evil, and very dangerous demon father named Trigon purely by chance and escape to this planet. He was the one who had destroyed everything she loved... her mother, her home, her native planet - Azarath. She had sworn her life to finding a way to stop her father.

In her so-called "home," she had been able to master many aspects of magic, including telekinesis, mind-reading, empathy, the ability to create astral projections, barriers, and more. Her primary ability, however, was to split her soul to transform it into various forms, most often, ravens.

She knew that her father's minions wouldn't leave her alone. Last time, she had been lucky to escape them using spatial rift, which had transported her to Earth, but next time she was sure she wouldn't be able to escape so easily.

The most terrifying thing for her was that if she lost control of her emotions for even a short time, her demonic essence would reveal itself. Yes, in those moments, she was filled with power, but she lost control over herself. It was only through numerous meditation exercises that she managed to maintain her human form and be human.

For now, she had little idea of what she should do. She still had time, but she couldn't say for sure how much. Maybe she could find someone on this planet who could help her? The task was quite complicated, and that was because no sane local mage would willingly help a half-demon or, more so, the daughter of that very great and dangerous demon she aimed to imprison forever.

As she flew over the city in the form of a black bird created by her soul's magic, she sensed a high concentration of negative emotions with her heightened empathy. Out of curiosity, she decided to find the source. If what she saw didn't please her, she would intervene. Raven infiltrated, making her body intangible like a black shroud. She had expected to see occultists summoning a demon, a madman trying to harm an innocent victim, or a bloody massacre, but her expectations were far from reality.

Instead, she saw a crowd of people dressed in identical shades of black, their faces filled with joy, contorted into wild grins, their gazes fixated solely on the main figure of this spectacle. Their hands formed "horn" gestures, some seemed to want to reach out to touch, to feel!...

The unusual aggressive music seemed to have mesmerized and hypnotized them, turning them into a unified mass. If he were to give the order, they would begin destroying everything around them, driven by feelings of anger, hatred, and malice.

— RIP! — AND!! — TEAR!!!

For the first time during his performances before his audience, Alex spoke, along with powerful drumbeats, and moments later the audience repeated the words. The music abruptly stopped on the fourth repetition, and the fog of negative emotions dissipated suddenly. The audience seemed to snap out of their trance. Alex, with a faint smile, spread his arms and bowed, then quietly retreated behind the curtains of his stage. Meanwhile, fans and listeners began to disperse gradually, leaving the club, as most of them had come here solely for this performance.

Raven decided to follow him. She was curious to find out what he needed the concentration of people's negative emotions for.

"As always, an excellent performance! Who would have thought that you could get what you wanted from people in such a harmless way!!" a pale man with a mop of silver hair and round, old-fashioned glasses with a cracked lens over his left eye praised, joyfully pacing around Alex's private room.

"Enough with the flattery, Yorm. You demons love to lick boots, or is it just you?.." the one named Alex shrugged, spread his hands, and smiled with his sharp-toothed maw. His eyes turned crimson, and his pupils took on a vertical orientation. "Let's get to the point. Is this enough?"

"Absolutely! You've saved my life twice now, after all!.."

"A 'knife'?! It's a dagger! When Yorm says he'll do something, he does it!"

"Oh, come on, Yorm. I'm just teasing you and testing you. You know, demons like you are cunning and devious creatures, so who knows, maybe you'll find a loophole in the contract that I couldn't see?.. And then, I'd have to hunt you down."

"I've given you no reason to doubt me! We have a blood contract! You should know that it's a serious matter!.."

"Yes, yes, you've said that repeatedly already, but you demons are crafty and treacherous, so who knows, maybe you'll find a way out of the contract that I haven't seen?.."

"Since you're so eager for your dagger, let's begin preparations right now!.." Yorm, tearing the sleeve of his white shirt, recreated the hilt, which eerily resembled a human bone, in a crimson glow.

"Wait, we have an uninvited guest, Hunter," his personal ghost archer's nickname materialized in a reddish hue, and without wasting any time, released a spiritual arrow from his bow towards the invisible observer. The arrow hit the intruder's shoulder, who, after a momentary pause, dropped the invisibility cloak. She stood up straight and recreated a black sphere with sparks of purple lightning in her hand, preparing for a fight.

But Alex didn't rush with his next actions and just examined her closely, as if he had instantly... recognized her?

"O-o-oh? So, it's you? I thought I'd be the one looking for you, but you found me yourself. How amusing," Alex remarked.

"What are you talking about?.." Raven responded.

"Oh, just thinking out loud. I apologize that our first meeting began on such an unpleasant note. I can sense those who are watching me, feel their inner essence. Let's start over. My name is Alex Tye, and what's your name, dear lady?"

"I'm Raven. I can't say I'm entirely pleased with our meeting."

"Well, Raven, I have a feeling our meeting isn't coincidental. Perhaps you could join me and my friend? After that, I promise to help you with... your global issue."

"How do you know me and my 'issue'? Who are you? I don't sense anything from you. This is very strange."

"Are you afraid of me? You shouldn't be. Well, I know many things. In a sign of our future cooperation, I can share a secret with you. I killed my Aura."

"You killed... your Aura?! Do you realize what you've done?!"

"If I'm completely honest, no."

"Hah... since you've already done it, there's no point in discussing the consequences now. People here are so careless."

"That's how it is. Now that we've met and resolved our misunderstandings, it's time to get back to urgent matters, right, Yorm?"

"A-as you say!.." Yorm stammered.

It seems that his usual routine will change slightly very soon. This brings a smile to his face.