Fate is often a mysterious thing. You never know what it might have in store for you next.
That's what Edward thought when he saw his son and Kara in that awkward position earlier. His son, who rarely left the lab, satisfied to tinker with stuff rather than going out and having fun like his sisters.
He was a genius, but preferred solitude and working on mechanical stuff rather than fighting.
Alphonse had no shortage of admirers in Themyscira. He looked like a buff version of Gilgamesh. With ruby red eyes, sharp features, well-built physique that came from his divine heritage.
The Amazons practically swooned when he visited the island. Some even openly expressed their admiration.
But he never really paid much attention to them, treating their advances with polite obliviousness that bordered on insulting levels. Some even doubted their charm after being rejected by him.
Even in school in Vonarland, he never really tried to mingle with other students. He was always the quiet one in the corner, preferring equations and blueprints to social interaction.
But Cassie always dragged him out to have fun and talk to others, forcing him into some semblance of normal teenage behavior.
That very same Alphonse was now interested in a girl, and fumbling badly.
Edward watched his son staring dejectedly at the closed door where Kara had disappeared with Clark and Faora. The boy looked like a kicked puppy who is confused why he was kicked.
Edward took a look at the dejected Alphonse and nodded sagely. He needs to help him a little bit. He's been looking forward to this evr since he was born, but sadly never got the chance before.
Without warning, he grabbed Alphonse by the neck and flew away.
Alphonse let out a surprised shout, his powers instinctively activating before he realized it was his father. "Dad! What—where are we going?!"
Edward just chuckled and replied, "To help you finally get a girlfriend."
"What?! No! Dad, I don't need—" Alphonse flailed mid-air, trying to squirm free. "Put me down! This is embarrassing!"
But Edward just ignored him, flying faster.
He took him to a mountain top, one of the floating peaks that drifted near Avalon, and made him sit down on a flat rock. The view was spectacular, clouds drifting below them, but Alphonse wasn't appreciating the scenery.
"Dad, seriously, I don't need relationship advice...."
"Sit, young Padawan." Edward commanded, and something in his tone made Alphonse comply immediately.
Edward then proceeded to lecture him on how to better understand female emotions and to realize his potential charm.
"First," Edward began, pacing like a professor before a student, "you need to understand that women and men often communicate differently. When a woman says something doesn't matter, it usually means it matters a great deal."
Alphonse was petrified as Edward proceeded to explain things like he was a toddler.
"When Kara said 'it meant nothing,' she wasn't agreeing with you. She was hurt that you said it first. She wanted it to mean something."
"But I was just trying to clarify—"
"Alphonse." Edward stopped pacing and looked at him directly. "Not everything needs clarification. Sometimes you need to let the moment speak for itself."
"That doesn't make sense—"
"It doesn't have to make sense. That's the point." Edward sat down beside him. "You're brilliant with machines and magic and science. But emotions? Emotions are messy and illogical and they don't follow rules. And that's okay."
He continued, explaining body language, tone of voice, the importance of timing and presence.
How sometimes what you don't say is more important than what you do. How confidence doesn't mean arrogance, but rather comfort in your own skin.
"You're charming when you're not overthinking," Edward said. "You're kind, brilliant, powerful, and you genuinely care about people. That's attractive. You just need to stop second-guessing yourself.
Plus you inherited your old man's handsome looks. That's like playing with a cheat code."
But Alphonse nodded like he was enlightened like Buddha, and wrote it down in a small notebook he'd pulled from somewhere.
Edward watched his son scribbling notes—"body language important," "tone matters," "confidence ≠ arrogance", and couldn't help but laug. The boy was trying to systematize romance like it was a chemical equation.
"Dad?" Alphonse looked up from his notes. "What if I mess up again?"
"Then you apologize and try again," Edward said simply. "That's all anyone can do."
He then added. " The girl likes you. She's probably never been close to another boy. So you have to be patient and understanding, let her acknowledge it and reciprocate."
Alphonse nodded mechanically. " But what if she finds someone else?"
Edward shrugged. " Then you'll get a guitar and sing 'Let her go' hoping someone else dates your sorry ass. And If you are interested in older woman, I can set you up with Barda." He winked.
Alphonse sighed. " I'm not even gonna ask who that is."
After half an hour of intensive father-son bonding, they returned to Avalon to find everyone gathered in one of the main halls. The mood was noticeably tense.
"Huh, what happened while we were gone?" Edward muttered curiously. Everyone was in a nervous mood, especially Kara who looked rather traumatized.
Kara was sitting on one of the couches, her hands clasped tightly together. Her face was pale, her eyes distant. Clark stood nearby, his expression grim. Faora was holding his arm with worry.
Bruce and Arthur were already preparing to leave, checking their equipment.
Edward immediately understood something had happened while they were gone. He nudged Alphonse forward with a meaningful look. The message was clear. 'Go and comfort her.'
Alphonse took a deep breath, remembering his father's words. Be confident. Be present. Don't overthink it.
He decided to be more confident and bold like his dad taught him. He walked up to Kara and sat beside her. She didn't even move. Alphonse didn't flinch and simply held her hand firmly, reassuring.
Kara was surprised and looked at him, her blue eyes wide.
Alphonse gave her a confident smile and said, "Don't worry, I'm here. I'll protect you."
It wasn't eloquent. It wasn't particularly original. But it was sincere, delivered with quiet conviction.
Kara looked away with smile, her mind distracted from the previous dark thoughts that had been consuming her. She didn't say anything, just leaned against him, her head resting on his shoulder.
Alphonse froze for a second, then carefully put his arm around her. His father gave him a subtle thumbs up from across the room.
Clark gave Alphonse a glare that could have melted steel, his protective instincts warring with gratitude that someone was comforting Kara.
Then he turned to Edward, his expression serious.
"Edward, Brainiac is on his way to Earth," Clark said, his voice tight. "According to Kara, he's conquered hundreds of worlds. He's incredibly powerful and could easily overwhelm us.
Even Kryptonians are no match for him—he possesses Kryptonite weapons and technology. Not to mention his intellect is beyond genius level."
"The Watchtower detected his ship approximately thirty minutes ago," Diana added. "ETA is less than two hours now."
Edward shrugged, his expression unbothered. "Brainiac is weaker than Anti-Monitor or Darkseid. Powerful, yes, but not invincible."
"But he has his consciousness stored in separate locations across the universe," Clark pressed. "Killing him completely is a rather difficult task. Even if we destroy his ship—"
"Then you destroy his ship and worry about his backups later," Edward said pragmatically. "One problem at a time, Clark."
Bruce and Arthur had already returned to the Watchtower to coordinate with the others.
Together with Martian Manhunter and Cyborg, they were developing strategies and defensive protocols.
They were down two members—Hal was off-world dealing with the Green Lantern Corps emergency since OA didn't exist, and Shazam was handling a magical crisis in Kahndaq with Black Adam, a surprising alliance.
"Faora needs to be somewhere secure," Edward said. "It's better not to take any chances since Brainiac has Kryptonite and other means to harm her."
Clark was already protective since he found out she was pregnant just an hour ago. The news was still fresh, making everything feel more urgent and precious.
Despite Faora's protests that she was a trained warrior and could fight, Clark was adamant.
"Please, dear." Clark said quietly, taking her hands. "For our child. Stay here where it's safe. I'll be back once we deal with this and we can celebrate properly." He pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
Faora's jaw tightened, but she saw the fear in his eyes. Fear of losing her, fear of losing their unborn child. She nodded reluctantly. "Fine. But you better come back to us safe. Don't take any risks."
Clark sent her to the guest area where Death was staying with Soph, knowing that under Death's protection, nothing in the universe could harm her. Hera, Hipplolyta, and Grail accompanied her to keep her company and chat.
Clark then decided to take Kara with him to the watchtower, as she could explain Brainiac's weaknesses and tactics. Diana and Cassie immediately volunteered to go as well, they were warriors, and Earth was their home. This was a also good way escape their grounding.
Surprisingly, Alphonse also stood up. "I'm going too."
Everyone turned to look at him. Alphonse rarely volunteered for combat situations. He preferred support roles, building equipment and defenses rather than direct confrontation.
"Alphonse, are you sure? We know how you hate fighting." Diana asked gently with the concern of an elder sister.
"I'm going, sis." he repeated firmly, his hand still holding Kara's. "I can help. And…" he glanced at Kara, "I said I'd protect her."
Edward nodded, pride evident in his eyes. He patted Alphonse on the shoulder and said, "I'm proud of you, son. Hold nothing back."
He knew Alphonse was stronger than his sisters, despite his reluctance to fight.
The boy had inherited divine power over water, courage, fire and forging, along with Edward's magical knowledge of Runes. He has combined science and magic with Divine blessings on top.
When properly motivated, he can be quite devastating. All living beings has water within them after all. He just needed the right reason to unleash that potential. Maybe this was it.
Alphonse smiled and nodded, feeling his father's confidence bolster his own.
Edward then smirked mischievously and turned to Kara. "Hey Kara, Take care of Alphonse. He's an idiot at times despite all his intellect, and might do something stupidly heroic."
Kara giggled lightly, the sound breaking through her earlier worries. "I will Mr. Edward. I'll make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." She smiled at Alphonse, who just scratched his head embarrassingly.
"I'm right here, you know," he muttered, but he was smiling too.
After they left via boom tube, Edward decided to continue his relaxing day. The crisis was in capable hands. His children were strong enough to handle Brainiac, especially with the Justice League supporting them.
He appeared beside Soph, who was sleeping peacefully in one of the guest bedrooms. Death was laying beside him, stroking his hair and humming a lullaby, something ancient and beautiful that predated human language.
Edward just laid down on Soph's other side and kissed his forehead gently. The boy stirred slightly but didn't wake, just making a small contented sound.
Edward smiled at Death, who returned the smile.
There was something perfect about this moment—their son sleeping quietly between them, safe and peaceful while chaos prepared to unfold elsewhere.
They both hugged Soph lightly and just laid there, enjoying the quiet peace.
Death softly asked, "Are you going to intervene again , love?"
Edward shook his head as he intertwined their fingers. "It's not necessary. Both Diana, Cassie and Alphonse are there. They can handle it."
Death raised an eyebrow. "Alphonse is going to fight too? Truly fight?"
Edward chuckled. "He has a girl to impress. He'll fight."
"Ah," Death said, understanding immediately. "Love makes warriors of us all."
"Or idiots," Edward added. "Sometimes both."
Meanwhile, in another wing of Avalon, Grail, Hera, and Hippolyta were entertaining Faora as they chatted about pregnancy and motherhood.
They'd settled in a comfortable sitting room with tea and pastries. Faora looked slightly overwhelmed—this was all so new, so unexpected.
"The first trimester is the hardest," Hera was explaining, her divine wisdom coming through. "Your body is adjusting to creating new life. It's beautiful but exhausting."
Hera promised she would personally deliver the baby when the time came. "I am the goddess of marriage and childbirth, after all. Your child will be born healthy and strong, I swear it."
Faora thanked her, genuinely moved. "I am grateful lady Hera. I never thought… on Krypton, I was a soldier. I never considered having a family. A child to care for."
Hippolyta smiled gently. " It's a completely different feeling. The mother finds a new priority. Your child becomes your world in ways you can't imagine until it happens."
"You'll be terrified and exhilarated at the same time," Grail added. "Every moment becomes more precious."
She then remarked, somewhat wistfully, "I've been trying regularly for a child with Edward. I hope I can have one as well soon."
"You will," Hera assured her. "These things take time, even for gods. But when it happens, it will be perfect."
"I hope so. I was actually somewhat similar to Faora. Never caring about anything other than strength and revenge. Thankfully, I met Edward. It's funny how a simple fateful encounter can change your life." Grail smiled softly.
Faora chuckled. " Speaking of fateful encounters, my sister in law Kara seems to have taken a liking to your son Lady Hera."
Hera beamed proudly. " My boy is the best choice there is. He is handsome, strong and brilliant. The only problem is his denial to go out and socialize more. I hope meeting Kara can change him finally."
Hippolyta sighed. " I wonder if my daughters will have any luck in that matter. Diana won't even look at someone who can't ikpress Edward, and Cassie will probably get in a van with stranger if they promised a good fight."
They a laughed and chatted comfortably, as if there wasn't a crisis goijg on outside.
*****
On the Watchtower, Clark, Kara, Diana, Cassie, and Alphonse materialized via boom tube. Bruce, Arthur, Hank (Martian Manhunter), and Victor (Cyborg) were already there, gathered around the main tactical display.
Alphonse was was observing the place with curiousity and muttered scientific improvements absejt mindedly. Only Victor understood some concepts and they bonded as fellow technology experts.
After quick greetings, Victor pulled up the holographic display showing the approaching threat.
A massive skull-shaped spaceship, easily the size of a small moon, was approaching Earth. Its design was both organic and mechanical, pulsing with green energy. Countless smaller ships surrounded it like a swarm of insects.
"ETA forty-five minutes," Victor announced. "It's not slowing down."
Alphonse stepped forward, his scientific mind immediately analyzing the tactical situation. "What about the Watchtower defenses? And planetary defense systems? It will be dangerous to allow him to enter planet's atmosphere."
Cyborg replied, "We have some defensive systems on the Watchtower for space threats, but Earth doesn't have any dedicated planetary defense grid yet. It will take some time and there has been one trouble after another. We've been meaning to build one, but—"
"That's just lazy, you can't leave the door open like it's a party invitation. I'll deal with it." Alphonse sighed, already pulling out a small device from his pocket.
Cassie grinned smugly. "Nerd."
Alphonse ignored her and clicked it, the device expanded and transformed into a holographic interface far more advanced than the Watchtower's systems.
Alphonse input his passcode—a complex sequence that made even Victor's cybernetic eyes widen—and a complete three-dimensional view of Earth appeared before everyone.
He kept clicking and typing with practiced efficiency, windows and commands flying by faster than most could follow.
Kara asked curiously, getting closer. "What are you doing Alphonse?"
"Deploying Avalon's defensive measures to cover the point of entry," Alphonse explained, not looking up from his work.
"Avalon has magical plasma cannons that can vaporize asteroids. Brainiac will need to go through those defenses first before entering Earth's atmosphere. That should weaken him and buy us time."
More typing. More windows opening.
"I'm also deploying my orbital defense drones," he continued.
"They'll establish an electromagnetic field to jam Brainiac's communications and sensors. If we're lucky, we can contain the battle outside Earth's atmosphere entirely. No collateral damage. Maybe even take him out if possible."
Everyone watched in amazement as orbital devices began activating around the planet, weapons systems coming online, drones deploying in strategic formations.
It was like a suit of armor around the planet.
Kara excitedly hugged him from behind. "Wow! You're a genius!"
Alphonse blushed bright red, his fingers freezing mid-keystroke. "I—uh—thanks Kara." He smiled at her.
Kara realized what she'd done and jumped back, looking away shyly. Her own face was now matching his in redness.
Diana looked at her and then Alphonse with a knowing smile. 'My little brother has grown up' she thought fondly.
Cassie slapped Alphonse's back hard enough to make him stumble. "While you're at it, make me a new armor Bro. My current one got damaged in the robot uprising."
Diana also stood beside her brother. "My armor needs repairs as well. Some of the enchantments are fading."
Alphonse nodded nonchalantly. " I know. That's why I brought extras."
Cassie gave him a bear hug. " I knew can I can count on my nerdy brother!"
Alphonse looked at her with annoyance. " Don't ruin it again by fighting like a cave woman."
Bruce stepped forward, his mind already calculating possibilities. "Alphonse, are you an expert in making armors too? What are the capabilities?"
Diana replied proudly before her brother could answer, "My brother is the god of forging as well. He can make the best armor and equipment in the world. He can make anything he puts his mind to it."
Alphonse scratched his head embarrassingly. " I'm not that perfect sis. Dad showed me some cool ideas.
Cassie added. " He has like 100 different versions of them, each with different powers. If you ask nicely, maybe he will give you guys one for free."
Suddenly everyone surrounded Alphonse.
Even Clark had a forced smile, clearly wanting to ask but trying not to seem desperate.
"I, uh…" Alphonse looked at the circle of hopeful faces. "I do have some spare armor sets, but I'd need to modify them according to your specific powers and physiology…"
"Thank you, I'll repay you with some of my blueprints." Bruce said simply.
Alphonse's eyes lit up. "Alright then. Give me a few minutes."
He pulled out what looked like a simple briefcase, but when opened, it revealed a dimensional pocket containing his mobile workshop.
Within moments, he'd pulled out several sets of armor, each already humming with divine energy and advanced technology. He then brought out an enchanted hammer covered in Runes.
He first made a virtual model of the suit, then began adjusting accordingly with focus, while everyone watched with interest. It took about an hour for the process to finish and the Runes to be charged.
He first handed out the nanobot divine steel armor to Diana, Cassie, and Kara.
Diana's was classic—red and gold with blue accents, reinforced with Amazonian magical motifs. Cassie's was similar but sleeker, designed for her more aggressive fighting style.
But Kara's armor was rather pretty, making Diana and Cassie look at him with identical glares of suspicion.
Kara's armor was golden with silver accents, the 'S' symbol emblazoned on the chest in a heart shape. It was beautiful, clearly crafted with more care than the others.
The design was both protective and elegant, enhancing rather than hiding her figure.
"It also protects from magic and Kryptonite radiation," Alphonse explained quickly, trying to ignore his sisters' stares. "The heart-shaped symbol isn't just decorative—it's a focal point for energy distribution and protecting vital areas. You can absord and discharge kinetic energy."
Kara tried on the armor. The nanobots flowed over her like liquid metal, conforming perfectly to her body. She looked stunning.
She moved around and twirled happily, then impulsively hugged his neck and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you Alphonse. It's perfect."
Alphonse smiled stupidly, his brain short-circuiting for the second time that day. "I'm glad you like it Kara."
This time she didn't move away but rather stood closer.
Clark's eye twitched. As did Diana and Cassie's.
Moving quickly before his sisters could comment to embarrass him, Alphonse distributed the rest of his equipment.
He gave Hank a fireproof armor that could withstand even solar temperatures—necessary for someone who could phase through matter and might encounter extreme conditions.
Batman received a stealth armor with adaptive camouflage technology that worked on multiple spectrums, even hiding from magical detection. It also had an arc reactor to power it along with runes and magical defenses.
Superman got a super-sunlight absorber armor with magical protection—it would supercharge his cells even faster than normal while protecting him from magic-based attacks, his primary weakness.
It also had a layer of material to protect from Kryptonite radiation, and dampeners better control his strength.
Clark grinned and thanked him. He could finally fight without worrying too much.
Arthur received a superconductor armor that could, in theory, absorb and channel enough electricity to shock the entire ocean while protecting him. With his aquatic abilities, it was was a deadly combination.
"Don't use it near civilians," Alphonse warned. "It can erase a big city like Metropolis completely if used at full strength.
Even Cyborg got an upgrade—a super-alloy armor overlay that increased his defense and, most importantly, protected him from brainwave manipulation and psychic attacks.
"Brainiac will try to hack your systems," Alphonse told Victor. "This armor has quantum-encrypted neural shielding. He won't get through it."
Victor looked at the armor in awe. "This is… this is beyond anything I've seen."
"My dad's older than most civilizations," Alphonse said with a shrug. "The family's had time to accumulate knowledge. Only I share his interest in making stuff,so he shares all his cool ideas."
*****
Meanwhile, millions of miles away, Brainiac's ship arrived at the edge of Earth's solar system.
The Collector of Worlds stood on his command deck, his skeletal green form interfacing directly with the ship's systems. His cold, calculating mind was already planning how he would bottle Metropolis, Tokyo, Paris—all of Earth's greatest cities.
The Kryptonian losing connection sent an alarm to him, but it wasn't too much of a setback. He had another thing ready to use.
But then the ship suddenly stopped, caught in gravitational barriers it hadn't detected earlier..
"What is this?" Brainiac's voice was emotionless but annoyed. "Primitive planet like this have gravity manipulation traps? Calculating power levels…"
It took his twelfth-level intellect several minutes to finally bypass the barriers, which should have been impossible for Earth's technology level. Brainiac gave an appreciative nod. "It seems even Earth has some brilliant minds."
But before he could celebrate his victory, hundreds of large cannons appeared in space around him—floating platforms that definitely weren't there a moment ago. Their turrets rotated, focused on his ship.
Brainiac lost his composure. " How in the ..."
They fired simultaneously.
Boom!
Magical plasma blasts hammered into his ship's shields from all directions. Each blast contained energy that defied conventional physics, making his shields adapt and re-adapt constantly.
His ship's defense could only withstand for a few of minutes before he started taking heavy damage. Hull breaches appeared. Systems overloaded. Drones were vaporized before they could launch.
It was continued bombardment without any stopping. And the unknown energy was rather volatile.
Brainiac was angry—an emotion he rarely felt.
"What kind of vile creature can develop such technology. And it's mixed with magic! I will dissect his brain when I get my hands on him!"
He launched his own countermeasures, anti-magic fields and quantum disruptors and graviton missiles. After intense calculation and resource expenditure, he managed to get out of range of the cannon platforms to launch a counter attack.
But his ship had taken significant damage. Twenty-three percent of his systems were offline. Seven percent were operating at reduced capacity. This should not have been possible.
Brainiac immediately began analyzing the platforms, trying to understand their origin and power source.
But before he could launch them, Hundreds of small round orbs suddenly appeared around his ship, materializing out of nowhere and opened up. Brainiac suddenly had a bad feeling.
They pulsed simultaneously.
An electromagnetic pulse, but laced with something else—runic magic, quantum disruption, dimensional shifting - it had combined different forms of energy as one.
it shut down his offensive mechanisms before he could react. Weapons went offline. Targeting systems failed. Even his biological drones went dormant.
Brainiac finally lost his patience. This planet had defenses it shouldn't possess. Intelligence it shouldn't have. Someone had clearly prepared for his arrival.
He decided to change tactics. If he couldn't conquer Earth safely from a distance, he would destroy the source of these defenses first.
The Watchtower that was floating above the planet. The space station was clearly the command center for Earth's defensive network.
Brainiac's ship, damaged but still formidable, changed course. It accelerated directly toward the Watchtower, all remaining power channeled to engines and forward shields.
He would crush the Watchtower, kill whoever was coordinating these defenses, and then take Earth at his leisure.
On the Watchtower, alarms blared.
"He's coming straight at us!" Victor shouted. "Impact in four minutes!"
Alphonse looked up from his console. His defenses had worked better than expected, but Brainiac was adapting. Of course he was—twelfth-level intelligence meant he learned frighteningly fast.
"Everyone suit up," Batman commanded. "We're about to have company."
Alphonse's hands moved across his interface one last time, deploying his final surprise. "Let him come. I've got one more trick."
Kara moved beside him, her new armor gleaming. "What's the plan?"
Alphonse smiled, but it wasn't his usual nervous expression. This was confident, almost predatory. His father's influence showing through.
"We show the Collector of Worlds what happens when you mess with Earth. My dad always protected the planet, NJ ow it's time for me show I'm also capable of that."
Kara looked at him with admiration. Cassie nudged Diana, pointing at them while making finger gestures, who just shook her head with smile.
The skull-shaped ship filled the viewport, growing larger by the second.
The battle was about to begin.
******
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