{A/N: A good Uncle has power no nephew could resist.
Sorry for the late update, I was lazy.}
"What?" Alex asked through a mouthful of toothpaste, brushing lazily as his eyes stayed fixed on the beautiful pickup truck outside. It stood there like a work of art, every polished curve and gleaming detail catching the sunlight, demanding his full attention.
He didn't even need to glance over his shoulder to know Diana was watching him; he could feel her stare pressing into him, as if she was trying to read every hidden thought and dig into his very soul.
"This Tharos person…" she began, then stopped herself, exhaling sharply. "Never mind. Just hurry up and hop on. I want to get this whole battle-with-the-god-of-war thing over with."
"I can't. I've got art school… oh—almost forgot, Tharos is into poetry, art, and a few other things," Alex said with a grin. "He's even going to show me how to play guitar."
The warmth in his voice made Diana pause mid-thought. For a second, she simply stared at him, the weight of her unease clear in her stillness. Yet, after a moment's hesitation, she forced a small smile and nodded, though the discomfort lingered just beneath the surface.
"You got close to this guy oddly fast," she said softly, her tone carrying both curiosity and quiet concern.
"Yeah… I don't know why," Alex admitted, a faint crease forming between his brows. "But I can't help seeing him as an older brother or something."
The connection he felt toward Tharos was odd—almost too sudden to make sense—but it was there all the same. Something about the man's presence put him at ease, like Tharos was his brother or something. And honestly, Tharos was the kind of guy it was easy to like—laid-back, confident, and with just enough charm to make people gravitate toward him without even realizing it.
"Oh, well… I'll be playing this game called God of War," Diana said after a moment, letting out a small, tired sigh. She leaned back slightly, her eyes flicking toward him as if hoping he might change his mind. There was no hiding the subtle disappointment in her voice, the way it lingered between them. She clearly would have preferred to play alongside him, to share in the fun, rather than be left to face the battles on her own… but seeing Alex not noticing her lock, she sighed.
"Oh, there's this horror movie coming out called Smile. Take Rachel to watch it," Diana suggested, her tone casual yet carrying a hint of insistence.
Alex turned to look at her with a raised brow, his expression caught somewhere between confusion and mild disbelief. "I'm not into kids' movies. How scary could something called Smile possibly be?" he asked lightly, brushing off the idea with ease.
Horror just wasn't his thing—never had been. And honestly, out of all the things he'd faced in life, what could a movie possibly show that would scare him? The thought alone made the suggestion seem almost laughable.
"I wanted to go watch it with you," Diana said lightly, her voice carrying a casual tone that didn't quite hide the underlying hint of something more. "But I think it would be better if you went with your girlfriend."
"We can all go together," Alex countered with a playful grin. "Why don't you bring your boyfriend?"
Before he could even process her reaction, Diana snatched up the closest object within reach—a crumpled tissue—and flung it at him. Alex leaned to the side, dodging it effortlessly, his laughter spilling out in amusement. Diana only rolled her eyes at his antics, clearly annoyed.
***
What's this?" Deep within the Batcave, the glow of a massive monitor lit Batman's face as he watched a video feed of Alex inside Tharos' house. As for how he had managed to plant a camera there? Well, the answer was simple—he was Batman. No locked door, no elaborate security, no watchful guard could stop him. And, of course, Thanos knew of his actions, but he had chosen to ignore his presence entirely.
"That's a dirt bike," Tharos said, glancing over to see what Alex was pointing at. His voice was calm, almost casual, as though the sleek machine tucked away in the corner was nothing worth making a fuss about.
"I always wondered how fast these things could go if they were ridden down a mountain… and off a cliff," Alex said lightly, his tone carrying a careless curiosity. Of course, he would never actually do something that reckless—it was just one of those strange, passing thoughts that came to mind. Still, the mental image was vivid: the dirt bike tearing downhill, gaining momentum with every second, before launching off the cliff's edge at terrifying, exhilarating speed.
"Want to find out?" Tharos asked, his voice calm but edged with intrigue.
Alex's head snapped toward him instantly, one eyebrow arched high, silently questioning if he'd actually heard that right.
"We could have a race. First one to hit the ground wins," Tharos said, his tone casual yet carrying that spark of daring mischief.
Alex shook his head almost immediately. "That's a bit reckless," he replied lightly. He had no interest in tempting fate like that. He'd worked too hard to keep his life grounded and ordinary, steering far away from the kind of thrill-seeking stunts that could end with broken bones—or worse. Living on the edge was a chapter he'd chosen never to write.
"Did you hear that?" Tharos said suddenly, his tone sharp enough to make Alex pause mid-step, tilting his head to listen.
"It sounded like a chicken was in the house," Tharos continued, glancing around with exaggerated seriousness.
Alex's face went completely blank as the realization hit—he'd just fallen for such a childish trick. What made it worse was that it was actually working; He quickly shook his head, brushing away the fleeting urge to engage in such nonsense. He'd been through far worse—walking in on his girlfriend cheating on him hadn't been enough to make him lose control. There was no way something this juvenile would.
"So, since you want to play it safe… should I go buy some Barbie dolls? Maybe we can learn to paint nails while we're at it?" Tharos asked with a teasing smile, his words deliberately aimed to provoke.
"I will crush you," Alex said, his voice low and edged with irritation—not just at Tharos, but at himself. How could he let someone so easily push his buttons, steer his reactions, and toy with him like this? Yet, beneath that irritation, there was an undeniable truth he couldn't ignore. Somewhere deep down, a part of him—a part left untouched and unacknowledged for the last seventeen years—stirred. It wanted to break free, to throw caution aside, and maybe… just maybe… be a little reckless.
"It would be a first for me to crush someone's dreams," Tharos said with a cocky smile, "but I guess I have to start somewhere."
"Bring it. I'll go buy a dirt bike. I'll learn to use it," Alex shot back, his tone firm as he turned to walk away.
Tharos laughed, watching him go with a mix of amusement and anticipation. Alex slid into his beautiful pickup truck, the polished body gleaming in the light, and with a low growl of the engine, he pulled away down the road.
The moment Alex was gone, Tharos rushed over to his own dirt bike, determination sparking in his eyes. Without wasting a second, he set about learning to ride it, refusing to let his little nephew get the upper hand.
As for why he'd provoked Alex in the first place? The answer was simple. From the instant Alex mentioned the idea, Tharos had been itching to see just how fast a dirt bike could go downhill and off a cliff—but he wasn't about to try something like that alone.
'Oh… big sis would not be happy with this,' Tharos thought, certain that Death wouldn't exactly approve of something so reckless. Still, he convinced himself it would be fine—he'd just have to make sure she never found out.
Meanwhile, deep within the Batcave, Batman silently observed the entire exchange, his eyes narrowing slightly as the feed came to an end. Without a word, he rose from his chair, his mind already moving several steps ahead. He began laying out the framework for a new plan—a plan designed to bring him closer to Alex.
***
Later that day.
"I have to go to the bathroom," Rachel said, rising from her seat without much thought. Alex gave a small nod, already reaching over to claim her popcorn and snacks as if it were an unspoken agreement between them.
Rachel walked away at a steady pace, weaving through the crowd—only to quicken her steps the moment she was out of Alex's sight. Her expression hardened, her focus narrowing as she moved toward someone who had no right being here.
"So, you sensed me?" Sarah asked, her tone calm yet laced with challenge. She leaned casually against the wall, watching Rachel with sharp, calculating eyes.
Rachel came to a stop before her, body tensing, every movement a quiet signal that she was already preparing for battle.
"I just came back to see my boyfriend. It'll be hilarious when he finds out that—even after I gave you five days to tell him the truth—you still haven't said a word. And on top of that, you went behind his back, running to the Justice League to spill his secrets," Sarah said with a smile.
Rachel's heart sank at her words, and Sarah's smile widened, warping into something far more twisted.
"You thought I left Earth for no reason? I left to gather information. Why would a hero suddenly be hanging around my baby? I had to know. And I found out some very… fun and interesting things." Her tone dripped with mockery. "You only got close to him because you thought he was Death, isn't that right? Alex—death? As if he'd ever be such a thing. He'll be shattered when he realizes this was all just an act."
Sarah stepped forward slowly, each step landing heavily on Rachel's heart like a hammer, closing the gap between them. She knew Rachel wouldn't dare attack, not here, not with Alex so close by.
"…" Rachel's eyes burned with hatred, the weight of unspoken words pressing behind them. Yet she stayed still, her body tense, because deep down she was genuinely afraid of the future Sarah was painting—a future she couldn't dismiss.
"To think," Sarah began with a smug tilt to her head, "if you'd been honest from the start, things could have been different. But you weren't. And now you've given me the perfect chance to walk in and show my baby that he's with the wrong person."
Her smile was sharp, almost predatory. "Hate me or not, you and I both know my love deserves nothing but the truth and loyalty—two things you lack… and two things I'm overflowing with."
Her tone dripped with arrogance, every word carefully chosen to cut deep, leaving Rachel to stand there, speechless, as she couldn't believe someone like Sarah would say such things.
"Yeah… you're loyal," Rachel said, her voice emotionless. The words carried more weight than sarcasm alone, enough to make Sarah's cocky smile falter—if only for a moment. But then, just as quickly, she laughed.
"I've made mistakes," Sarah said, brushing it off with a wave of her hand, "mistakes that weren't even my fault. They were Alex's fault. But I forgave him, as any wonderful girlfriend should."
Her tone turned almost sweet, though the edge of mockery was impossible to miss. "I even allowed him to date you. Am I not perfect?" She let out a sigh, as her own generosity and grace were truly exhausting.
With a mere thought, Sarah used her lantern ring to create a perfect construct of Alex, the figure forming in front of her as if it had been pulled straight from reality. Without hesitation, she moved to claim her self-appointed reward for being such a wonderful, thoughtful, and forgiving girlfriend.
Rachel watched in utter disgust. That disgust only deepened when she saw Sarah slip into the bathroom, still conjuring more copies of Alex as though it were nothing. The sight made her stomach twist. How would Alex react when he eventually learned Sarah had been doing something like this with his body?
Then, the sound began—soft at first, then unmistakable. Moans drifted from behind the bathroom door, each one sharpening the tension in the air. Rachel's expression shifted slowly, her features tightening as the heat of her anger began to rise. Her skin flushed, deepening into a dangerous red.
As Alex's girlfriend, it was part of her responsibility—her right—to protect him, to protect him from anything that could harm him. How could she stand by and simply ignore Alex being violated in such a way? She pictured how Alex would react if it were her, instead of him. Alex would be angry and fight for her… and she would of course do the same for him.
"Sarah, you're so tight. It's like you're a virgin all over again." Alex's voice drifted from the bathroom, each word like a nail driven deeper into Rachel's chest. That was the last straw.
Without a single second of hesitation, she stormed toward the door and shoved it open, ready to tear the scene apart—only to freeze mid-step.
A sharp sound of something cracking sounded, followed by the illusion that had turned her into Rachel to disappear, revealing Raven's appearance. On her forehead, a red crystal was cracking. From that point, the seal that bound Trigon began to crack, faint glowing lines spreading like fractures in glass, threatening to break entirely…