After Nathan had recovered, two weeks had passed, which meant that an entire month had passed since Nathan killed Darkseid. The three had guessed that something would happen by now, but it seemed Darkseid hadn't many allies or they were still in the unknown who had killed him.
The diversion with the fake evidence could probably deter most, but those that allied with Darkseid probably would go after anyone that might have had a hand in the cause of his death. Even though in the eyes of the public, Nathan, Kara, and Raven might not have killed Darkseid, they were accomplices, yet there were no signs of someone taking revenge.
Nothing bad happened until now. Quite the opposite, a new god of New Genesis called Orion had invited the three for a visit. Nathan didn't sound too willing, as he was busy training, but when wasn't he busy with training or with improving his training environment? Still, he didn't relent, having no interest in meeting the new gods of New Genesis.
The training that Nathan was currently going through for the last few days was increasingly strange, to say the least. He was transformed into a Super Saiyan, balancing himself only with his feet on top of a spiky pole, touching his fingertips to form a triangle with his hands, while meditating in that position.
He said that it was to balance his mind with his body and since it might be beneficial for them too, Kara and Raven had joined him in his training, though they didn't spend as much time on this meditation-like training as he did.
They only used it as complementary training since the main benefit of an increased control of their ki was barely taking effect, mainly because they couldn't sense their ki at all. Maybe it had something to do with him being a Saiyan from another universe. Perhaps ki sensing was just something common for beings of that universe.
They weren't too hung up on that fact since even though the main benefits of the training weren't applicable; the training with ki he offered was still generally helpful. For example, even though Kara couldn't sense her ki or manipulate it the same as Nathan described it, when she applied Nathan's technique to suppress their ki, it had a similar effect of her strength lowering without her having to consciously restrain the amount of force she used.
So, in that vein, Nathan hoped the Spirit Control training, as he called it, could help them. Raven didn't take long until she saw the benefits of it. She could feel her awareness of her soul increasing, however, it also made her brush against her demonic side as well.
She could feel the demonic side of her and the thirst for destruction within her, but unlike her previous brushes with her demonic half, she was able to stay somewhat clearheaded instead of losing control.
She hesitated to make contact with it again and had discontinued the training for now, returning to her previous form of meditation that had proven useful since she was a child. She had yet to confide in Nathan or Kara in fear that they would realize what she was truly capable of and what darkness resided in her.
It wasn't like that she couldn't understand that it would be best to talk with them, especially after they had told her they would stand by her side and fight against Trigon. She couldn't help but smile at the thought that these two were truly fearless if it meant to protect her.
She had to be more open to them, but she was just too afraid of breaking their relationship. She wasn't doing a good job already, and she was already questioning how much longer they would tolerate her.
Raven sighed out before looking at the two balancing on the two spiky poles. Kara wasn't allowed to fly, which made balancing on that pole a strenuous task, especially with the gravity at play and the focus being to meditate.
Perhaps only Nathan could make it look effortless to keep his balance that way. If it weren't for the sweat running down his body and the slight trembling from time to time, Raven would have guessed that he had fallen asleep. Like a statue, he hadn't moved since 4 hours ago.
Usually, by this point, he would have already dropped down to his base, which in turn would make him lose his balance. Indeed, it used to be a lot shorter, but at one point he seemed to have figured something out and his time that he could remain a Super Saiyan had drastically increased.
It was the third day since he started this Spirit Control training. In the span of these three days, his time had increased from 30 minutes to 1 hour to 2 hours and now to 4 hours. It had once again doubled ever since he started this strange exercise.
It appeared that the transformation didn't take as much of a toll as it used to, but that wasn't all Raven had noticed. Today, she wasn't too focused on her own training, which made her pay more attention to the other two.
It wasn't something that she hadn't noticed before, but something that she decided was just her illusions. After all, this wasn't something achievable, it was impossible. She had worked to achieve something similar, to no avail.
The way Nathan felt had changed drastically from his previous times when he transformed. The intense emotions that came with it used to hit Raven like a wave, but now the intensity had decreased by a lot.
Somehow Raven guessed that this wouldn't be all. Perhaps in the future, Nathan might not exhibit any changes after transforming. The idea was mind-boggling. She had experienced the intensity with which he transformed. The sheer emotions of wrath and pride were something that could be comparable to the times when she let her demons loose.
That's right, she felt that Nathan's transformation was akin to a demon's, which was why she felt that the changes she was witnessing were unbelievable. It was already extremely shocking that he did not lose his mind to his powers, but he managed to subdue it? Overcome it? Accept it? Whatever he was doing, it was effective. He fought off the inherent emotions that came with his transformation and was able to calmly use it as if this was the way it was meant to be.
Inevitably, the question in her mind arose. Could she do the same? Could she control her demonic side and let it aid her? If she could, the fight against her father didn't seem that scary anymore. The fantasy of that happening was too good to be true, and she wanted nothing more than to grab Nathan by the shoulder and ask him, but she restrained herself.
After he finished his training, she would ask him how he was able to do it. Maybe the fear of her losing control would be a thing of the past. Nathan's meditation guide had already helped, but this would change everything.
...
My muscles twitched, and I could feel a cramp in my feet coming. Before that happened, I jumped off the pole and landed softly on the ground. I looked around and saw Kara sitting down next to Raven, eating some ice cream as they looked in my direction...
Wasn't Kara supposed to balance on her pole as well? If she couldn't hold on any longer, she could instead train. Why was she lazing around and eating? I frowned slightly before Kara pointed at the clock. A quick glance showed me the time that I had spent balancing my mind with my body, revealing that I had been on there for almost 5 hours. From 2 hours yesterday to 4h and 48min today.
Clearly, this had to be attributed to the idea of combining the training methods. Mastering Super Saiyan while honing my ki control with the Spirit Control training. I wasn't sure how long this method of training would improve my control, but I already knew what the next step for this training was. I just had to create a parkour with a lot of spiky poles and traverse it, maybe even fight someone like those martial arts movies I had watched in the past?
No doubt it would at least increase my awareness of the environment and my sense of balance. I wasn't too sure about any other methods the Yardrats used for training their spirit, but this ought to do for now. I would figure something out in the future once this training wasn't effective anymore.
I approached the two and found Raven staring at me with such intensity that I thought she tried to burn a hole into my skull.
"Everything alright?" I asked Raven with a raised eyebrow. She promptly stood up and straightforwardly asked me.
"I want to know. How did you do it? How did you control your emotions after transforming?" She asked with a tinge of desperation. That came a bit out of the left-field, but not that hard to understand why she was interested in these sorts of things.
"...Being a Super Saiyan changes me and because I wasn't used to it, it was overwhelming. After exposing myself to a tiny proportions step by step I am now growing sorta numb to it. So answering your question, I overcame it by voluntarily exposing myself to it and therefore desensitizing myself. Initially, I had always decided whether I want to feel like that. Now, the transformation isn't able to influence my mood any longer. It is losing its influence over me."
Suddenly Raven's belt blinked in a purple light, showing that the teen titans called for her presence. I should remind her not to carry any technologies into the training hall, didn't want any bugs to infiltrate the place.
She didn't even look at it and directly turned it off. She already had her answer. It was similar to how my meditation worked, to not hide away her emotions, but to confront them. I could already see her mind working through it.
"Is this really it...? Will I only be able to conquer my demonic side by using it?"
"This is just my experience. As for whether you can accomplish that will be up to you. I can only say that if you want to conquer your demonic inheritance, you will have to understand it... You have locked away your demonic side like you did with your emotions, right?" She nodded at that.
"How about this? I will accompany you into your mind when you decide to confront it and help you lock it away again if you need it." She hesitated for a moment, probably because she wasn't sure if she wanted to do this. For years now, she had locked it away and thrown away the key. Afraid of what happened if it was let out, but I truly believed that this was the best way for her to control her own powers.
If she could harness that strength without losing control, she would be one of the most powerful beings this universe had to offer.
...
With my head propped on my hand, I looked at the monitors, revealing any urgent news of the world. There wasn't much to see like usual. Generally speaking, there was no doubt that a lot of things happened on this earth.
There were times one couldn't rest for several consecutive days, but times like this were also common. One would still have to sit in front of the monitors for hours until something suspicious was being made known. That's not to say that the last month had been quiet, unusually so for the exception of a robot, but that was about it. I had the feeling something would happen soon.
Currently, I was still hands full with the minds of the furies since I couldn't really master Super Saiyan if I had to divide my concentration and ki to a clone of mine and I certainly had no interest in doing monitor duty with my main body while exposing my transformation to the League. That would have been a waste of time and not very beneficial to me.
With how fast Batman accepted my offer, it was obvious that he was quite happy that I took over his shift, even if he said nothing and just nodded. Apparently, he had something to do in Gotham. Not surprising since the city never rested.
A few hours passed by with nothing happening until Batman sent out a request for the available Leaguers to meet up with him. I was about to go as well when I remembered that Batman's shifts were usually done alone, so there was no one to take over the watchtower duty. If Batman had called it an emergency, then I could abandon my post, but it clearly wasn't an emergency.
Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter and Flash responded to his call and quickly headed toward London. With their speed, it wouldn't take them long to arrive. Honestly, I hadn't even known that Batman was in the UK. I had assumed that he was still in Gotham.
As that thought came up, I looked through the camera monitor in the Watchtower's hangar and found the Javelin was missing. Batman had probably taken with it when he left and hadn't let it return.
He could have informed me he took it with him, but maybe it should have been obvious since he couldn't fly out of the Watchtower without it. Though even if it wasn't obvious, he should have told me his location, but as always, he just did some things without informing others. Or was it because I was doing the duty...?
Usually, the active Leaguers on duty would keep in contact with the Watchtower to let them know where they were, so in case something happened, they could react immediately. He only called for aid now that he was over his head.
I turned my attention back to the news with a focus on the UK. Some time passed until the Watchtower's Javelin returned. By sensing their life force, I knew that J'onn and Batman had returned. Wasn't sure why they were alone, but I knew they had to have encountered trouble they couldn't handle. Maybe they divided their tasks?
My shift was over soon as well. Lucky me. With trouble around, that could hold more than half of the Justice League occupied, meant that I would have to work some overtime again.
After they arrived in the hangar, I welcomed them. Batman was knocked out cold and appeared to have some broken bones. I took him to the medical bay while a J'onn came along.
"So what happened?" I asked J'onn since he seemed to be deep in thoughts.
"We were fighting this sorceress, an
After Nathan had recovered, two weeks had passed, which meant that an entire month had passed since Nathan killed Darkseid. The three had guessed that something would happen by now, but it seemed Darkseid hadn't many allies or they were still in the unknown who had killed him.
The diversion with the fake evidence could probably deter most, but those that allied with Darkseid probably would go after anyone that might have had a hand in the cause of his death. Even though in the eyes of the public, Nathan, Kara, and Raven might not have killed Darkseid, they were accomplices, yet there were no signs of someone taking revenge.
Nothing bad happened until now. Quite the opposite, a new god of New Genesis called Orion had invited the three for a visit. Nathan didn't sound too willing, as he was busy training, but when wasn't he busy with training or with improving his training environment? Still, he didn't relent, having no interest in meeting the new gods of New Genesis.
The training that Nathan was currently going through for the last few days was increasingly strange, to say the least. He was transformed into a Super Saiyan, balancing himself only with his feet on top of a spiky pole, touching his fingertips to form a triangle with his hands, while meditating in that position.
He said that it was to balance his mind with his body and since it might be beneficial for them too, Kara and Raven had joined him in his training, though they didn't spend as much time on this meditation-like training as he did.
They only used it as complementary training since the main benefit of an increased control of their ki was barely taking effect, mainly because they couldn't sense their ki at all. Maybe it had something to do with him being a Saiyan from another universe. Perhaps ki sensing was just something common for beings of that universe.
They weren't too hung up on that fact since even though the main benefits of the training weren't applicable; the training with ki he offered was still generally helpful. For example, even though Kara couldn't sense her ki or manipulate it the same as Nathan described it, when she applied Nathan's technique to suppress their ki, it had a similar effect of her strength lowering without her having to consciously restrain the amount of force she used.
So, in that vein, Nathan hoped the Spirit Control training, as he called it, could help them. Raven didn't take long until she saw the benefits of it. She could feel her awareness of her soul increasing, however, it also made her brush against her demonic side as well.
She could feel the demonic side of her and the thirst for destruction within her, but unlike her previous brushes with her demonic half, she was able to stay somewhat clearheaded instead of losing control.
She hesitated to make contact with it again and had discontinued the training for now, returning to her previous form of meditation that had proven useful since she was a child. She had yet to confide in Nathan or Kara in fear that they would realize what she was truly capable of and what darkness resided in her.
It wasn't like that she couldn't understand that it would be best to talk with them, especially after they had told her they would stand by her side and fight against Trigon. She couldn't help but smile at the thought that these two were truly fearless if it meant to protect her.
She had to be more open to them, but she was just too afraid of breaking their relationship. She wasn't doing a good job already, and she was already questioning how much longer they would tolerate her.
Raven sighed out before looking at the two balancing on the two spiky poles. Kara wasn't allowed to fly, which made balancing on that pole a strenuous task, especially with the gravity at play and the focus being to meditate.
Perhaps only Nathan could make it look effortless to keep his balance that way. If it weren't for the sweat running down his body and the slight trembling from time to time, Raven would have guessed that he had fallen asleep. Like a statue, he hadn't moved since 4 hours ago.
Usually, by this point, he would have already dropped down to his base, which in turn would make him lose his balance. Indeed, it used to be a lot shorter, but at one point he seemed to have figured something out and his time that he could remain a Super Saiyan had drastically increased.
It was the third day since he started this Spirit Control training. In the span of these three days, his time had increased from 30 minutes to 1 hour to 2 hours and now to 4 hours. It had once again doubled ever since he started this strange exercise.
It appeared that the transformation didn't take as much of a toll as it used to, but that wasn't all Raven had noticed. Today, she wasn't too focused on her own training, which made her pay more attention to the other two.
It wasn't something that she hadn't noticed before, but something that she decided was just her illusions. After all, this wasn't something achievable, it was impossible. She had worked to achieve something similar, to no avail.
The way Nathan felt had changed drastically from his previous times when he transformed. The intense emotions that came with it used to hit Raven like a wave, but now the intensity had decreased by a lot.
Somehow Raven guessed that this wouldn't be all. Perhaps in the future, Nathan might not exhibit any changes after transforming. The idea was mind-boggling. She had experienced the intensity with which he transformed. The sheer emotions of wrath and pride were something that could be comparable to the times when she let her demons loose.
That's right, she felt that Nathan's transformation was akin to a demon's, which was why she felt that the changes she was witnessing were unbelievable. It was already extremely shocking that he did not lose his mind to his powers, but he managed to subdue it? Overcome it? Accept it? Whatever he was doing, it was effective. He fought off the inherent emotions that came with his transformation and was able to calmly use it as if this was the way it was meant to be.
Inevitably, the question in her mind arose. Could she do the same? Could she control her demonic side and let it aid her? If she could, the fight against her father didn't seem that scary anymore. The fantasy of that happening was too good to be true, and she wanted nothing more than to grab Nathan by the shoulder and ask him, but she restrained herself.
After he finished his training, she would ask him how he was able to do it. Maybe the fear of her losing control would be a thing of the past. Nathan's meditation guide had already helped, but this would change everything.
...
My muscles twitched, and I could feel a cramp in my feet coming. Before that happened, I jumped off the pole and landed softly on the ground. I looked around and saw Kara sitting down next to Raven, eating some ice cream as they looked in my direction...
Wasn't Kara supposed to balance on her pole as well? If she couldn't hold on any longer, she could instead train. Why was she lazing around and eating? I frowned slightly before Kara pointed at the clock. A quick glance showed me the time that I had spent balancing my mind with my body, revealing that I had been on there for almost 5 hours. From 2 hours yesterday to 4h and 48min today.
Clearly, this had to be attributed to the idea of combining the training methods. Mastering Super Saiyan while honing my ki control with the Spirit Control training. I wasn't sure how long this method of training would improve my control, but I already knew what the next step for this training was. I just had to create a parkour with a lot of spiky poles and traverse it, maybe even fight someone like those martial arts movies I had watched in the past?
No doubt it would at least increase my awareness of the environment and my sense of balance. I wasn't too sure about any other methods the Yardrats used for training their spirit, but this ought to do for now. I would figure something out in the future once this training wasn't effective anymore.
I approached the two and found Raven staring at me with such intensity that I thought she tried to burn a hole into my skull.
"Everything alright?" I asked Raven with a raised eyebrow. She promptly stood up and straightforwardly asked me.
"I want to know. How did you do it? How did you control your emotions after transforming?" She asked with a tinge of desperation. That came a bit out of the left-field, but not that hard to understand why she was interested in these sorts of things.
"...Being a Super Saiyan changes me and because I wasn't used to it, it was overwhelming. After exposing myself to a tiny proportions step by step I am now growing sorta numb to it. So answering your question, I overcame it by voluntarily exposing myself to it and therefore desensitizing myself. Initially, I had always decided whether I want to feel like that. Now, the transformation isn't able to influence my mood any longer. It is losing its influence over me."
Suddenly Raven's belt blinked in a purple light, showing that the teen titans called for her presence. I should remind her not to carry any technologies into the training hall, didn't want any bugs to infiltrate the place.
She didn't even look at it and directly turned it off. She already had her answer. It was similar to how my meditation worked, to not hide away her emotions, but to confront them. I could already see her mind working through it.
"Is this really it...? Will I only be able to conquer my demonic side by using it?"
"This is just my experience. As for whether you can accomplish that will be up to you. I can only say that if you want to conquer your demonic inheritance, you will have to understand it... You have locked away your demonic side like you did with your emotions, right?" She nodded at that.
"How about this? I will accompany you into your mind when you decide to confront it and help you lock it away again if you need it." She hesitated for a moment, probably because she wasn't sure if she wanted to do this. For years now, she had locked it away and thrown away the key. Afraid of what happened if it was let out, but I truly believed that this was the best way for her to control her own powers.
If she could harness that strength without losing control, she would be one of the most powerful beings this universe had to offer.
...
With my head propped on my hand, I looked at the monitors, revealing any urgent news of the world. There wasn't much to see like usual. Generally speaking, there was no doubt that a lot of things happened on this earth.
There were times one couldn't rest for several consecutive days, but times like this were also common. One would still have to sit in front of the monitors for hours until something suspicious was being made known. That's not to say that the last month had been quiet, unusually so for the exception of a robot, but that was about it. I had the feeling something would happen soon.
Currently, I was still hands full with the minds of the furies since I couldn't really master Super Saiyan if I had to divide my concentration and ki to a clone of mine and I certainly had no interest in doing monitor duty with my main body while exposing my transformation to the League. That would have been a waste of time and not very beneficial to me.
With how fast Batman accepted my offer, it was obvious that he was quite happy that I took over his shift, even if he said nothing and just nodded. Apparently, he had something to do in Gotham. Not surprising since the city never rested.
A few hours passed by with nothing happening until Batman sent out a request for the available Leaguers to meet up with him. I was about to go as well when I remembered that Batman's shifts were usually done alone, so there was no one to take over the watchtower duty. If Batman had called it an emergency, then I could abandon my post, but it clearly wasn't an emergency.
Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter and Flash responded to his call and quickly headed toward London. With their speed, it wouldn't take them long to arrive. Honestly, I hadn't even known that Batman was in the UK. I had assumed that he was still in Gotham.
As that thought came up, I looked through the camera monitor in the Watchtower's hangar and found the Javelin was missing. Batman had probably taken with it when he left and hadn't let it return.
He could have informed me he took it with him, but maybe it should have been obvious since he couldn't fly out of the Watchtower without it. Though even if it wasn't obvious, he should have told me his location, but as always, he just did some things without informing others. Or was it because I was doing the duty...?
Usually, the active Leaguers on duty would keep in contact with the Watchtower to let them know where they were, so in case something happened, they could react immediately. He only called for aid now that he was over his head.
I turned my attention back to the news with a focus on the UK. Some time passed until the Watchtower's Javelin returned. By sensing their life force, I knew that J'onn and Batman had returned. Wasn't sure why they were alone, but I knew they had to have encountered trouble they couldn't handle. Maybe they divided their tasks?
My shift was over soon as well. Lucky me. With trouble around, that could hold more than half of the Justice League occupied, meant that I would have to work some overtime again.
After they arrived in the hangar, I welcomed them. Batman was knocked out cold and appeared to have some broken bones. I took him to the medical bay while a J'onn came along.
"So what happened?" I asked J'onn since he seemed to be deep in thoughts.
"We were fighting this sorceress, an
