Edward stood face to face with Grail, her figure outlined by the faint glow of Apokoliptian energy. She didn't lunge at him like a wild beast this time, nor did she mask her intentions with subtlety. She only smirked, her confidence practically dripping from her every gesture.
"So, did you miss me?" she asked, her voice teasing, almost playful.
Edward snorted, his face flat with annoyance. "I'm not mentally ill. Even then, I would stay out of the solar system you're in."
Her smile faltered for just a second before her lips curved again into a sly grin. "Still the same as ever. But this time, I have come personally, my dear. No more avatars."
Edward froze mid-step, his brow furrowing. "Whoa, hold on. What do you mean in person? I thought your main body is in another dimension and can't descend?"
Grail's smirk deepened as she took a deliberate step forward. The earth beneath her foot cracked, the sheer pressure of her presence causing the ground to crumble. "Oh, but I am an exception. I am still half Amazon, remember? I can bypass those rules. I have come to collect my prize."
Edward instinctively took a step back, his tone sharp. "So you're after the mother boxes? Well, you can fu—"
She interrupted smoothly, licking her lips. "That's not my goal. Those two idiots can look for them. I am here… for you. I might even consider not helping them when it starts, if you come with me."
Edward sighed, rubbing his temple with one hand. "Oh, come on. Act like a proper villain so I can—wait… Start what?"
Grail laughed loudly, her amusement echoing unnervingly. "You look rather charming when you are confused. I told you, remember? My father has set his eyes on your little planet. He will come for it. He's looking to get the mother boxes first this time."
Edward's amusement vanished, his tone suddenly serious. "So he sent you and two others. Who and where are they?"
She wagged her finger with mocking playfulness. "Uh-uh, not so fast. I want a rematch first. In the off chance you can beat me, I'll tell you. But this time, I won't be holding anything back. Don't worry, I won't harm you… too much." Her eyes glowed, Omega energy flickering and crackling as she charged her beams.
Edward's eyes narrowed slightly. "Hmm, no wonder you're confident even after those two beatings. But you should know—I was also holding back those times." He tilted his head and cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders. "But let's change the location first."
Before Grail could process his words, Edward blurred out of sight.
Her eyes widened, her mouth opening in shock—then her body convulsed violently as Edward's fist slammed into her stomach. The impact forced blood from her lips as her body launched across the horizon like a meteor. She screamed in fury as her body tore through the air, crossing continents in seconds before slamming into the icy wastelands of the North Pole with an explosive crash.
She groaned, clutching her stomach as she pushed herself up from the shattered ice. Her face twisted in rage, her hair disheveled, blood staining her lips. She snarled when she saw Edward land gracefully in front of her, unfazed.
"That was a cheap shot," she spat, her voice dripping with venom. "I'll have to get extra rough, it seems, to break your spirit."
Edward chuckled, his hands slipping casually behind his back. "I can do this all day, you lunatic."
Her expression twitched. "Anyone who called me such is dead. You're lucky I find you to my liking."
Edward tilted his head, studying her with mock thoughtfulness. "You tried to kill me, defeat me, and even kidnap me. You've got a weird way of showing affection."
Grail scoffed, her tone rising with arrogance. "I am Grail, the strongest of the New Gods, their future Queen. Anything I want, I take with my strength. In this world, the strong rule over the weak. Isn't that so?"
Edward chuckled, shaking his head. "Maybe on Apokolips. But Earth and humanity are under my protection as the strongest man. I believe the strong should protect the weak, not exploit them."
Grail's eyes narrowed with disdain. "That's what a fool would say. I was trained as a weapon for destruction since childhood. My father killed my mother to erase the weakness in me. Do you think he became ruler of galaxies with your mindset?"
Edward's expression softened for a moment, his voice quieter but firm. "I don't care to rule over anything. I'm just a helpful passerby, someone to lend a hand when someone falls down. I tried enforcing my will once, and it was pointless. So now I just observe, and help when necessary."
Grail's nostrils flared, her patience snapping. "Enough talk! You're going down this time, pretty boy!"
Edward smirked, stretching his arms casually. "Bring it on, looney."
Her scream pierced the icy air as beams of searing Omega energy exploded from her eyes, slamming into Edward with blinding force. The power blasted him backward, scorching his arms as he blocked. The sheer intensity pushed him across kilometers of tundra, tearing through ice and rock in his wake.
Edward's teeth clenched as smoke rose from his hands. "Persistent as always," he muttered. He shot forward, breaking through the lingering energy, his body cutting across the frozen air. He hurled his fist at her with full force.
Grail laughed maniacally, meeting his punch with her own.
The collision erupted like thunder, a shockwave splitting the glaciers around them. Ice cracked and flew into the air like shattered glass. Neither held back. Edward's strength forced Grail back, her body smashing through a mountain, carving a hole straight through it.
Edward exhaled slowly, watching the impact site. "She's strong. Definitely the strongest I've fought yet. Wonder how she compares to her daddy. But first things first—I need to beat her and find out who else Darkseid sent. Earth isn't ready for an invasion."
A deafening tremor answered him. The mountain shuddered violently before collapsing as Grail burst through the rubble. Her body was scratched but not broken. Her expression wasn't one of pain—it was of unrestrained excitement.
She screamed, lunging at him with manic glee. Her fist swung toward his head, fast and precise. "More! I want more!" Her grin stretched wide as her fist connected.
Edward caught her wrist, twisted sharply, and pulled her close before slamming his forehead into hers. "Go to sleep!" he snapped, his voice dripping with irritation.
She only laughed, blood trailing down her face, and slammed her own forehead against his. The force rattled him, leaving him dizzy for a split second. "How brutal," she purred. "I like it!"
Edward's face hardened. He responded with a vicious uppercut, the blow sending her body soaring skyward like a rocket. As she flew, she twisted midair and fired another blast of Omega energy, beams tearing through the sky and slamming Edward downward into the ice. The ground split open from the force, leaving a crater.
Edward groaned, pushing himself back up, ice and stone falling from his shoulders. His patience thinned, his tone sharp and final. "I don't care about your tragic backstory. No more Mr. Nice Guy."
****
The North Pole was usually a land untouched by time. Icy winds cut endlessly across an ocean of frozen white, glaciers stood like jagged monuments, and the silence of desolation stretched farther than the eye could see. It was a place that seemed eternal, unchanged for millions of years.
But today, the stillness of that ancient land was shattered.
The landscape trembled under the presence of two beings who carried enough power to destroy the entire planet if they wished. Every gust of wind, every crack in the ice, every subtle vibration in the earth seemed to respond to them—Edward and Grail.
They stood face to face, eyes locked, scowls etched on their features. Grail's crimson eyes flickered dangerously, crackling with the unstable energy of Omega Beams. Edward, calm but alert, measured her with the cold precision of a man who had faced countless battles.
For a moment, there was silence between them, the tension so thick it felt like the world itself was holding its breath.
Edward's mind shifted toward something reckless. He had an idea—a crazy one, even by his standards. His eyes narrowed slightly. What if… what if I used Adam's eye skill? Divine Reflection. Could I copy her beams?
His blue eyes glowed faintly, a reddish pattern beginning to form within them, spiraling like a wheel. Then the pain hit—sharp, searing, like fire burning straight into his skull. He gritted his teeth as the stinging sensation spread across his vision.
Before he could test it fully, Grail moved.
With a snarl, she unleashed a full-powered Omega Beam blast. The scarlet energy carved violently through the air, its heat so intense that the ice around them instantly vaporized, sending up great clouds of steam. The beams twisted unnaturally, tracking Edward with inescapable precision.
But to Grail's shock, Edward's eyes burned with a similar crimson light. In an instant, he fired back.
Two beams of his own surged forward, identical in power but steadier, more controlled. The collision lit up the frozen land like a miniature sun. Energy screamed through the air as the beams clashed, but Edward's force surged stronger. His copied beams overpowered hers, tearing through and striking Grail directly.
The impact embedded her into the frozen ground, shattering ice for miles around.
Grail snarled as she clawed herself out of the crater, rage boiling in her voice. In an instant, a weapon formed in her hands—a massive scythe glowing with Apokoliptian power. With a battle cry, she swung down at him.
Edward tilted to the side, letting the blade cut through nothing but air. Before she could recover, he drove a heavy kick into her midsection, sending her skidding across the ice. His head, however, throbbed painfully from the overload of foreign energy rushing into his mind. He clutched his temple, trying to steady himself.
Grail's voice rang out furiously. "How do you have the Omega Beams?!" She coughed and screamed again. "Are you also related to him? Answer me!"
Her mind raced in disarray, the certainty she always held slipping.
Edward raised a hand, signaling her to stop. His tone was calm, though his eyes still flared faintly with pain. "I have nothing to do with your daddy. Call it… a special privilege of mine." He straightened. "Now that you know you can't beat me, are you willing to surrender?"
Her growl rumbled through the cold air. "I will never surrender." Her grip on the scythe tightened, her voice low and determined. "If I can't beat you head-on, I will use other means. Nothing can stand in front of my goal."
She lunged at him suddenly, faster than the eye could follow. Her body twisted midair, and in one fluid motion, she wrapped her thighs around his head, locking him in a crushing scissor hold as she tried to pin him to the ground.
Edward didn't flinch. Even as her thighs pressed against him with suffocating force, even as heat radiated near his face, he stood upright, unyielding.
Somewhere across the universe, a weeb is probably crying right now. The thought flickered across his mind, and he chuckled. Many men would have killed to be in this position. But he had no such distractions. Without hesitation, he grabbed her ass firmly, prying her off with brute strength. His fingers sank into the firm flesh as he pulled.
Grail's eyes widened. A faint pink hue rose to her cheeks. Her voice cracked between outrage and something she herself didn't understand. "You… where are you touching?! I didn't think you were that kind of man!"
Edward ignored her, lifting her bodily by the rear. With a roar, he slammed her down like a wrestler delivering a Batista Bomb.
Bang!
The ground cracked violently beneath her body, a crater forming instantly. Ice split in every direction. Grail groaned, coughing as she lay embedded in the broken ground.
Her mind swirled with confusion. Shame, pain, a flustered heat she despised, and anger all crashed inside her chest at once. She gritted her teeth, refusing to acknowledge the storm inside.
Edward exhaled, his voice heavy with disappointment. "I've tried not to kill you. But since you're forcing my hand…"
Grail sprang up with sudden fury, lunging at him again. "Just give up and come with me!" she screamed, her voice cracking with desperate rage. "What is there to care about such a weak planet?! Can't you see what I'm offering you?!"
Edward moved smoothly, dodging her strike. His fist snapped forward, striking her head with precision and sending her reeling back.
"This is my planet." His voice was firm, unwavering. "As long as I exist, nobody can harm it. But now—let's end this. I still have to deal with the others."
Grail staggered back, then suddenly let out a laugh. But it wasn't mocking. It was sad, almost bitter.
"Hahaha…" The sound was hollow. "I was really a fool. To think someone could be my partner." Her face hardened. "I never needed anyone. Darkseid was right. You can only rely on yourself."
Edward's eyes softened with a sigh. "Don't pull the tragic villain card. You came to another planet to kill and conquer. I get it—you had a difficult life. But that doesn't give you the right to abuse your powers. Or did you forget?" His voice grew more pointed. "You were born here, on this little planet."
Her gaze chilled as she answered. "My mother was a fool to trust my father. Although I'm grateful for my life, she wasn't a good mother. And the things I've gone through… nobody else could endure them." Her tone cut sharp. "It's easy to act like a hero when it suits you. But you… you have blood on your hands too, Hero."
Edward let out a soft chuckle. "True. I'm a hypocrite. I've killed many humans despite my vow to protect them. But I never took pride or pleasure in it. I never let the sins of a few stain my judgment of the whole." His gaze turned steady, unflinching. "That's why, if anyone blames me, or raises their sword at me, I'll accept it."
He smiled faintly, though his eyes were steel. "But I'm a selfish man too. I have a family now. So, even if just for their sake, I have to live on. I'll kill anyone and anything that tries to harm them. And I won't let anyone take me away from them."
Grail stared at him for a long moment, then exhaled, her voice heavy. "That makes no sense. But… I guess you won't be joining me." She paused, her words quieter now. "You're strong, Edward. Maybe even as strong as my father's main avatar." She lowered her weapon slowly. "Since I can't beat you, I'll leave. Such a shame… I was looking forward to seeing you at my side when I take my revenge."
Edward's voice cut quickly. "Wait! You haven't told me about the others."
She chuckled, almost playfully, despite her battered state. "Ah, right. A deal's a deal. Steppenwolf and Big Barda are here on this planet. You don't have to worry about Barda—she's been planning to leave Apokolips for a while. Steppenwolf's the only one actually looking for the boxes." Her smirk widened. "But for some reason, he couldn't sense them."
Edward chuckled knowingly. "He won't. I have them hidden safely, somewhere he'll never find."
Grail shrugged. "Sucks to be him."
Edward studied her carefully. "What are you going to do next?"
Her lips curved into a teasing smile. "Oh? Is the great hero worried about me? Especially after beating me up so savagely?" Her smirk widened when she saw him wince. "Don't worry. I'll leave your precious planet alone. I have to become stronger. If I can't beat you, I don't stand a chance against Father."
Edward sighed. "Living like that isn't worth it. You should find a path that isn't covered in bloodshed. Maybe it's time to move on."
Grail looked at him like he had lost his mind. "Are you fuckin' nuts?! Didn't you hear what he did to me? You think I'll just give up my revenge and play house? I'm not like that. Even if it kills me—I'll kill him!"
Edward's expression softened with memory. "Funny. I told the same words to a god long ago… before I killed him. Maybe you'll get lucky too." His lips curled faintly. "At least act less crazy from now. Maybe you'll find someone nice."
She scoffed loudly. "Oh please. Like there's anyone worthy of me. And even if there were, they'd react like you to this ugliness… and I'd end up killing them."
Edward chuckled. "Who are you kidding? You may have gray skin like your dad, but you're definitely beautiful—even with the scars and all that. Like a fierce female warrior. Thankfully your father's genes didn't ruin your looks. If you weren't such a crazy—" He cut himself off, shaking his head. "Ah, forget it… Wait, what happened?"
He stopped mid-sentence.
She had turned away. Silently, she opened a boom tube. Without a word, she stepped through.
Edward called out after her. "Hey! Can you hear me? Why are you running now? Forget it… What a crazy chick. I probably won't see her again." He shook his head, letting her go.
Stretching out his senses, he summoned the Sha Naqba Imuru into his hand. Its power spread across the world, his awareness searching. He probed carefully, trying to locate Steppenwolf and Big Barda.
Seconds passed. He found one.
Big Barda. In Paris, of all places—walking around like a tourist. She didn't look like an invader at all. He knew about her Character, and that she wasn't evil. But he still sent word to his Order to monitor her.
"But what happened to Steppenwolf?" Edward mused aloud. "I sense he's alive, but barely. The place looked dark, kinda like jail. Wait... If I remember about the movie, didn't he show up in Themiscyra first? Ouch, they probably beat him up as practice. Specially since I gave Diana the domain of Zeus." he chuckled.
Far away, deep below Themyscira, in the dungeons, Steppenwolf stirred weakly.
"Ugh… what happened?" he groaned. His body trembled with pain. "I tried to attack those Amazons… but three women beat me up!" His voice cracked with frustration. "Argh! I, the mighty Steppenwolf, have fallen to such a state. It's… so shameful. I have failed my mission."
He coughed blood, disbelief twisting his features. "But… when did Amazons possess divinity?"
Steppenwolf's mind was torn with questions that he had no answer for. He could only hope that his master will free him once he invades Earth.
*****
Enjoy the rather light hearted stuff for now. It will make the trauma easier to digest in a few chapters.
Btw, as explained before, all the gods avatars were disconnected from the sphere of gods in this world, except Darkseid. He has a main avatar in Apokolips, and the sub avatars he sends to conquer planets.
Let's say his main body might make a visit to Earth in future , and you'll get one the most epic showdowns between him and a very special hero 😉 Even I am psyched about that one.
Anyways, If you guys love the story, and feel like buying me some milk, so that I don't run off for 20 years to get it, you can follow the link below to join my Patreon. Remove the space after https
https:// www.patreon.com/c/Virtuosso777?redirect=true