Inside the warm, ambient living room of a modern yet cozy house, a bright white light flickered like lightning before flashing into a blinding sphere. With a low hum and a gust of displaced air, the light began to fade.
As the brilliance dissipated, two figures stood in its place—Ethan stumbled slightly as his feet hit the polished floor. Diana landed on her feet with a controlled grace. Her eyes flickered open, adjusting quickly to the new environment and began scanning the unfamiliar room.
Diana blinked rapidly before instinctively reaching for a weapon that wasn't there. Her gaze darted to the walls, the windows, the polished wood furniture, and the digital devices resting on the counters—completely alien to her.
"Where… are we?" she asked, her voice is calm but laced with a warrior's vigilance. Her posture remained composed, yet alert, as though she were ready to lunge into battle at the slightest threat.
Ethan exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. A small smirk tugged at his lips, but he quickly masked it with a sigh.
"My home," he said simply. "This is my world. You kinda got pulled along when my time in your universe ran out."
Diana arched an eyebrow, processing his words. She didn't look upset—more intrigued than anything. Her eyes flicked to the walls again, this time more thoughtfully, and a subtle smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
"So… this is your world?" she asked, stepping away from him and moving toward a shelf, examining a small sculpture resting there. "Not bad. Kind of... charming in a mortal sort of way." Her fingers gently traced its surface before she turned to face him fully. "Show me around, then."
Ethan blinked and is slightly surprised by how easily she was adjusting. He looked at her with a curious tilt of his head, "You're not panicking," he noted. "Not even a little anxious? I mean, you're in an entirely different universe. A whole other reality."
"Why would I panic?" Diana asked without missing a beat before squaring her shoulders proudly. " I am Diana, daughter of Hippolyta, Princess of Themyscira. A proud warrior of the Amazons. We do not flee from the unknown, no matter how dire. And besides…" Her expression softened slightly with a flicker of confidence flashing in her eyes. "If you can travel between worlds, then surely, you can take me home."
Ethan raised one eyebrow. "And what if I can't?"
Diana turned to face him directly, her expression shifting into something more serious. "Then I'll find a way," she said firmly. "No matter how long it takes."
For a moment, Ethan just stared at her—then smirked faintly and muttered under his breath, "You do have a brain in that head, huh…"
Diana's eyes narrowed. "What did you just say?"
"I said nothing," Ethan replied quickly, "Didn't say anything."
"Oh, I heard you," she said before stepping toward him with a spark of challenge in her eyes. "You said I had a brain in my head?"
Ethan laughed, backing away playfully. "It was a compliment! Kinda!"
Diana reached out to grab his coller—only for both of them to turn toward the sudden creak of a door opening.
From down the hallway, a woman stepped out, wrapped in a fluffy towel, her hair damp and cascading over one shoulder. Her movements were slow, languid, casual. She paused in the doorway, blinking when she spotted Ethan.
"Ethan? Is that you?" she said before tilting her head. "I heard your voice… and someone else's?"
Ethan smiled like a teenager caught red-handed. "Hi, babe," he said. "I'm home."
Without another word, Anna didn't hesitate. She dashed toward him.
"Ethan~!" she exclaimed with joy as she jumped into his arms, legs wrapping around his waist. Ethan caught her easily, spinning her slightly before holding her close.
Their lips crashed together in a passionate, deep kiss. Her arms clung to his neck as their mouths moved in sync, tongues brushing in hunger and relief. The kiss lasted several seconds before they finally pulled away—foreheads pressing together, breathing in unison with a thin string of saliva still connecting their lips.
"I missed you…" she whispered.
Ethan gave a sheepish smile before brushing her damp cheek with a thumb. "I was only gone for a few hours at most."
Anna pulled back slightly and looked into his eyes. "You were gone for three days, Ethan."
"…Days?" He frowned, mind quickly calculating, eyes distant.
'Wait… If I was there for ten hours… and here it's been three days… then…'
He narrowed his eyes. "So time flows faster here than there. One day in the other universe is about a week here…"
"It's not a huge difference," Anna added with a shrug, still clinging to him.
At that moment, Anna's eyes shifted to the side—spotting Diana standing there quietly with her arms crossed, watching them with mild curiosity.
Anna blinked, then glanced back at Ethan, raising an eyebrow with a sly grin. "So… you kidnapped another beauty, huh? Like you didn't already have me and Jean?"
Ethan chuckled before gently setting Anna down. Diana stepped forward, her posture straight and proud. There was no animosity, just calm observation.
"Diana of Themyscira," she said politely, offering a small nod.
"Anna Marie." She tilted her head. "So... She your ex-royalty guest or something? She looks like a princess—but… you're not wearing anything flashy."
Diana, in her modern-day outfit, looked rather casual. There was no armor, no tiara—nothing to give away her godlike strength.
"She's… something like that," Ethan said before rubbing the back of his head. "Long story short—she got pulled into this world when my time in hers ended. I didn't mean to bring her, but now that she's here…"
Diana looked at him expectantly.
"I can get you back," he said before nodding to her. "It'll just take some time. Meanwhile, why not stay here for a few days? I can show you around, help you settle in."
Diana considered the offer thoughtfully, then gave a small smile. "Only if you buy me ice cream."
Anna raised an eyebrow. "Ice cream?"
"He defeated me," Diana explained calmly. "This is his punishment."
"You lost to him? And he still needs to buy you ice cream?" Anna looked surprised, then laughed at Ethan. "That's new."
"Where's Jean?" Ethan asked trying to change the subject.
"Out with Kitty and Angelica. They've joined our company along with Bobby while you were away," Anna replied.
He blinked. "Really? I'll have to catch up with them later. For now, can you help Diana settle in?"
Anna nodded as her eyes softening a bit as she took in Diana's regal but unfamiliar demeanor. "Come on," she said gently. "We'll find you something nice to wear and a room you'll like."
Diana followed her without resistance, casting one last look back at Ethan. He met her gaze with a small, knowing smirk.
As the two women disappeared down the hall, Ethan's smirk grew.
'Perfect,' he thought before stepping over to the couch and dropping onto it with a content sigh. He reached into his shirt and pulled out the Omni-Watch—the sleek silver pocket watch glimmered faintly with ethereal light.
'I knew it would work. As soon as I realized I could return to the DC universe whenever this thing's fully charged… the plan came together.'
He flipped it open, it has dim light and currently out of charge.
'The Justice League's just formed. Their world's still figuring itself out. If I can earn their trust—build relationships now—I'll be more than a visitor. I'll be a founding ally. Maybe even a member in Justice League.'
He leaned back with his eyes gleaming with ambition. 'But someone needed to know about me if I want to earn their trust completely. About this world. About who I am—and what I stand for. Diana is perfect. Noble. Honest. If she believes in me… the others will follow. They'll see I'm not some conqueror.'
He exhaled slowly, clenching the Omni-Watch in his hand.
'This… this is the beginning. My name won't just echo in one universe.'
A faint glow began to pulse in the watch.
'Aeon,' he thought with a smile stretching across his lips. 'That's the name the Omniverse will remember. Aeon—the weaver of worlds and an unstoppable force.'
And somewhere down the hall, the Princess of Themyscira was about to get her first taste of strawberry ice cream in this universe.
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Later that day, the sun had dipped beneath the horizon, casting a calm, amber glow over the skyline visible through the living room's wide windows. The atmosphere inside Ethan's modern, warmly lit home was unusually cozy for a place that had just recently welcomed someone from an entirely different universe.
Diana sat cross-legged on the long sectional sofa, her posture relaxed yet exuding a subtle grace. She was now dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a soft, cream-colored sweater with loose sleeves, borrowed from Anna. The Amazon had been hesitant about the clothing at first, having never worn anything like it, but the comfort eventually won her over.
Anna, on the other hand, was sprawled out beside her, dressed casually in a pair of athletic shorts and a tank top that read "Biotech Brains, Beauty Bonus." She sipped from a glass of orange juice, "So you're saying Ethan almost soloed Darkseid? A super powered alien who shoots lasers from his eyes." Anna asked before raising a curious brow as she tilted her head.
Diana's eyes flickered with memory. "He didn't just fight him… he matched him. Even Darkseid was taken aback. He fought with such precision, such strength. It was almost like…" she paused before searching for the word, "…like a storm taking form. Unstoppable and wild."
Anna let out a low whistle. "Damn. That sounds hot. But not surprising. Ethan's always pulling insane stuff."
The door creaked open, and Jean stepped inside, dressed in sleek businesswear—a deep red blouse tucked into a high-waisted black skirt. Her heels clicked softly against the floor as she entered, brushing auburn strands behind her ear. The moment her eyes landed on Diana, she paused. "Who's she?" Jean asked with her voice edged with curiosity.
Anna sat up straighter. "That's Diana. Long story short—Ethan's back, and he accidentally brought someone from another universe."
Jean blinked. "He did? The guy who tells us to avoid bringing people here?"
Anna grinned. "Yep. Hypocrite, right?"
Jean stepped closer before eyeing Diana up and down. "And where is Ethan now?"
"In the bath," Anna said breezily. "He needed to relax after almost nuking an alien warlord."
Jean's eyes widened slightly. "He did what now?"
Diana leaned forward as Anna explained what happened in other universe. "Darkseid. That's his name, He led the invasion and Ethan stopped him, almost killed him alone."
There was a beat of silence. Jean's lips curved in pride. "Of course he did. That's our man."
Diana tilted her head. As she saw the same reaction from Anna when she first told her that, "You two are in love with Ethan, huh?"
Anna and Jean shared a quick glance, mildly startled. "You're not surprised?" Anna asked.
Diana shrugged. "What's there to be surprised about? You love him. You want to be with him. What's wrong with that?"
Jean let out a small chuckle. "You're either incredibly open-minded or completely out of sync with how most people think."
"Probably the second one," Anna muttered with a smirk.
Diana simply sipped her orange juice. "Back home, I lived isolated for many years. Love comes in many forms. I won't judge something so pure."
Before they could continue, the bathroom door opened with a faint hiss of steam. Ethan stepped out, dressed in a black V-neck tee and sweatpants, his hair damp and tousled.
He barely had time to blink before Jean closed the distance and jumped into his arms with her lips crashing onto his with zero hesitation.
He caught her with practiced ease, one arm supporting her waist as her legs wrapped around him. Their kiss was deep, needy, and completely unrestrained. Diana is slightly startled before glanced away with a subtle smile. Anna just grinned and raised her glass.
When Jean finally broke the kiss, a thin trail of saliva lingered between them. "I missed you," she breathed, forehead pressed against his.
Ethan chuckled softly. "I missed you too."
Anna teased from the couch, "Someone's hornier than me today."
Jean shot her a glare. "Fuck you."
Ethan smirked. "I could help with that."
The two women rolled their eyes in unison.
With Jean still clinging to him, Ethan walked over to the sofa and sat down beside Anna, gently shifting Jean into his lap. He turned to the both of them. "So what did I miss these past… days?"
Jean adjusted herself comfortably before answering. "Well, Bobby, Kitty, and Angelica reached out the day after you left. They want to join Aeon Biotech."
Ethan raised a brow. "Really? That's fast."
Anna nodded. "Also—Kitty and Bobby are officially dating."
Ethan snorted. "Took them long enough."
Jean's tone turned more serious. "Here's the real kicker. Frost Industries contacted us. They want to collaborate on our upcoming immunity enhancement project."
Now that got Ethan's full attention. "Emma Frost contacted us?"
Anna nodded. "Yeah. Apparently, our launch into the agricultural biotech field was so successful, we're being compared to Stark Industries in terms of impact in agriculture field."
Jean added, "The prevention-over-cure model you pushed? It's catching on. Frost wants in."
Ethan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. 'Emma Frost, huh? That's unexpected… What's she playing at? Her company doesn't just partner with competitors.'
Anna wasn't done. "Oh, and one more thing—Susan and Reed are getting married."
Ethan blinked. "Eh?"
Jean chuckled. "Yeah. We were shocked too. Apparently, he finally grew a pair."
From across the room, Diana observed all of this with quiet interest. A part of her felt like an outsider—but only slightly. There was a strange warmth in this group, a bond she had seen often, the bond of family.
Anna noticed and stood. "Come on, Diana. I'll show you the guest room. You're staying with us for a while, so let's make it comfy."
Diana stood and nodded gracefully. "Thank you. You're very kind."
Jean gave a playful salute. "Welcome to our weird little family."
As the two women disappeared down the hallway, Ethan leaned back into the sofa, his expression unreadable for a moment. 'So, many things happened in just three days.'