Beyond the Limit (DC)

Chapter 261: 261

| Bana-Mighdall - November 24

The sky had turned dark, and the city was illuminated by torchlight.

The Bana hosted a feast and tourney for the Themyscirans. The mood was high and festive as the sister tribes reunited, mingling freely with one another. Their languages had long since diverged, so they spoke in English.

The air was rich with aromatics, as flower-scented fats were burned to spread pleasant fragrances and repel insects.

Lily flowers and floral collars were handed out, and professional dancers performed alongside musicians playing harps, lutes, drums, tambourines, and clappers.

There was an abundance of alcohol and food: whole roast oxen, ducks, geese, pigeons, and fish. The dishes consisted of hearty stews served with large quantities of bread, fresh vegetables, and fruit. For sweets, there were cakes baked with dates and sweetened with honey.

The Bana-Mighdall had even invoked the goddess Hathor to bless the feast, as the sky deity also represented beauty, music, dance, joy, and love.

They had gone all out, knowing they would soon be leaving the city and would not be able to bring all their animals with them.

Hippolyta stood with Anahid, discussing their future together, while Wonder Woman was with Priestess Kadesha, overseeing the freeing of the male slaves.

Meanwhile, Joseph strolled through the festivities with a cup of sweet beer in hand.

He was out of his Nova suit, now wearing the same attire he had worn at the threshold of Duat—a linen kilt called a schenti—leaving his sculpted physique, reminiscent of a Greek god, exposed. It drew the attention of many women from both Bana-Mighdall and Themyscira, who stared at him with desire and reverence after witnessing his display of combat prowess.

But he paid their gazes no mind, focused instead on the woman beside him, whose hand he held.

"Mmmmh, this duck is to die for," Kori said, helping herself from a large plate piled high with food that Joseph held aloft with his telekinesis. She had her Nanode shift her outfit into a white chiton to better blend in, though she still stood out effortlessly among a city of athletic, beautiful women.

Kori was an honorary Amazon, having trained on Themyscira during the time Wonder Woman mentored her. Joseph had invited her, knowing there would be delicious food—and that her best friend would be here.

Sphere had also beeped and booped her way into joining them, trailing behind as she rolled along. The New Genesian was tired of being left behind, like when she had been cooped up in the cage while the Teen Titans fought the possessed Justice League.

Joseph suspected Nova and Sphere were communicating with each other. He didn't know what they were saying, but he was content to let his AI spend time with its friend.

They had literally spent years together analyzing how Green Lantern rings worked in the Mirror World of Oa, and with all the new technology and techniques Joseph now possessed, he had a good idea of what they might be discussing.

Still, it didn't matter. Nova would rather cease to exist than reveal information that could compromise Joseph.

"Try it," Kori said, holding a piece of duck leg up to his mouth.

Joseph took a bite.

It was savory. Why was it that the more dangerous and oppressive a Middle Eastern country was, the better its food seemed to taste?

"You're right, it is delicious," Joseph said after chewing, washing it down with sweet beer.

Ammit would've loved this. He wondered how the hungry girl was doing.

"How does this feast compare to a Tamaranean one?" Troia asked from atop her kanga beside them.

Troia was an olive-skinned woman with straight black hair that fell past her shoulders and gray-blue eyes. She had a muscular, full-figured physique. She wore a short white off-shoulder dress with crossed straps over her chest and visible seams. The front featured a wide black pteruges-like flap. She also wore black thigh-high sandals with brown accents and garters, along with golden kneepads similar to Wonder Woman's. A brown belt with a round buckle rested at her waist, and golden bracelets adorned her wrists.

It was interesting how many aliens resembled creatures on Earth—like the space dolphins Lobo loved, or even the dog-like creatures on Krypton.

"It's good enough to rival the feasts we have on Blorthog, our Festival of Friendship. All that's missing are some gorka pipes, glorrk, and stewed gruntmek!" Kori said excitedly.

"You know I don't understand half the words you just said, right?" Troia replied deadpan, causing Joseph to laugh.

He knew what the words meant—Kori had shown him some of her memories when he brought her into the Dream State. Gorka pipes were Tamaranean instruments similar to Scottish bagpipes. Glorrk was a dish made from some kind of fungus that apparently tasted like sushi and ice cream combined. And stewed gruntmek was a purple, wiggly pie filled with bugs.

After that trip down memory lane, he understood why Kori's cooking sometimes tasted… strange.

"Wow, your boyfriend is laughing at me after brooding the whole time. Are you going to let him treat me like that, Kori?" Troia teased.

"I wasn't brooding," Joseph said.

"You kind of were," Kori replied. "Is there a problem?"

Joseph sighed. "I just can't help but feel disappointed in my mother's people. Being a mercenary society is one thing, but slavery… killing babies…" He had killed Deathstroke and Lady Shiva for less. "It makes me grateful that my mom loved me more than she loved her culture. Through her, I learned what love and family truly are. When I have children of my own, I'll shower them with the same love she gave me."

At his words, Kori squeezed his hand. They looked into each other's eyes, warmth passing between them. Without thinking, their faces drew closer—until a cough interrupted them.

"Get a room. Can't you see you're surrounded by Amazons? They don't want to see your disgusting heterosexual love," Troia joked. The Themyscirans lived only among women, so romantic relationships occurred exclusively between women. Even in Bana-Mighdall, while men were used for reproduction, relationships were still formed only between women.

Kori laughed. "Jealous?" she teased before pulling Joseph in for a quick peck on the lips and hugging him, causing nearby Amazons to look scandalized. "Now that you're finally outside Themyscira and in Man's World, I have some single male friends if you're interested."

Joseph wondered if the "single male friends" she was referring to were in the Team. Not Wally—he and Artemis clearly had feelings for each other, even if neither admitted it. Not Dick, who had something going on with Zatanna. Match was too young, and Connor had a girlfriend.

That left Roy.

Suddenly, a murmur rippled through the crowd.

Joseph looked up to see objects—missiles—approaching in the distance from the direction of Egypt.

The surrounding Amazons, including Troia, tensed briefly before the festivities resumed. Meanwhile, Kori continued eating as if nothing were wrong.

Why?

Because he was here.

Joseph simply raised his hand. Blue light shot from it, enveloping the city in a Nova Force barrier.

//Analysis of Hermes' blood is complete,// Nova said.

Joseph had swiped some ichor from Hermes while healing him, allowing Nova to analyze it.

//The ichor does not contain DNA. It is condensed magic and divinity, empowered by belief—similar in principle to Green Lantern rings. While New Gods are evolved mortals connected to the Source, Old Gods derive power from worship and magic. They cannot be truly killed unless their divinity is absorbed and their worshippers are eliminated.//

"Interesting," Joseph thought. I'll pass on being dependent on faith for power—even if the Thanagarians would probably worship me without hesitation. Guess they're not as special as I thought. Though the power distribution aspect is pretty cool.

//From analysis of Zeus's lightning, Hermes' ichor, and the absorbed divinity from Hermes' caduceus, I can replicate the effect. It is an advanced application of magic accessible only to sufficiently powerful magical entities.//

"Nice. I could build my own Nova Corps with this if I ever feel like it."

He already had the comic hero's name. Why not the organization to go with it?

Moments later, the missiles struck the barrier, crashing harmlessly against the glowing blue shield.

The Amazons who had witnessed him erect the barrier cheered and applauded, but Joseph didn't bask in the praise.

They might deserve destruction.

But that was life.

The wicked didn't always get punished, and the righteous didn't always prevail.

Still, people could change. The innocent children within the city still had a chance to grow into better people.

Ensuring his people survived would give them a chance at atonement.

Like they were doing now—freeing their male captives, whom Joseph would ensure were returned to their families fully healed, both physically and mentally, with proper compensation for the years stolen from them.

Joseph noticed a nearby baboon watching him. It nodded once before scampering off.

He'd completed Thoth's favor.

**

| Takron - December 17

Takron was a small red-and-black planet on the fringes of the Vega system.

It housed millions of beings, though most were of ill repute.

The planet was best known for its gladiator pits, where slaves—sometimes enhanced by the Psions—were forced to fight to the death. Trillions of credits were wagered each year as spectators from across Vega and beyond watched the carnage unfold.

Djo Zha, a scarab sent by the Reach, cared nothing for any of that as he hovered near the planet's atmosphere.

All that mattered was completing his mission. The Reach had provided him with a perfect host—it would be a shame to fail on his first outing.

His form resembled an insect clad in a black full-body suit. He had no need to deploy his large wings, as Gordanites could already fly. Their natural strength paired well with his ability to morph his limbs into weapons and tools.

Djo Zha had fully integrated the dead Gordanite—brain, memories, and all.

Now the two were one.

Now he was Black Beetle.

There had been reports that Takron's slave arena had temporarily shut down earlier in the year, and with it, their star gladiator—the fire princess—had vanished. Djo Zha intended to make that disappearance permanent.

Black Beetle descended into the atmosphere, the air around him igniting from the sheer speed of his entry.

He zeroed in on the largest structure on the planet—the arena.

Ten Gordanite guards spotted him within seconds and immediately launched into the air to intercept.

They wore sleek, gray-and-white bodysuits. Their appearances varied, but each bore the same bloodthirsty expression—a trait likely inherited from the warlike Gordanians.

Black Beetle mirrored their smiles.

Perfect.

His arms shifted with a wet, mechanical fluidity.

As the guards closed in, he thrust both arms forward. The sonic cannons they had become unleashed deafening shockwaves. Eardrums burst instantly, blood spraying as the guards were sent scattering midair.

To their credit, they recovered quickly.

But not quick enough.

Black Beetle was already among them.

He tore through the disoriented group with brutal efficiency. One man's head was ripped clean from his shoulders, spine trailing behind in a spray of blood. Another had his torso split open as Black Beetle's arm morphed into a serrated blade, spilling steaming organs into the air.

A third tried to flee—Black Beetle caught him by the leg, swung him like a weapon, and smashed him into two others with bone-shattering force before crushing his skull in his grip.

One guard screamed as his arm was torn off and shoved through his own chest. Another was bisected at the waist, his upper half clawing uselessly at empty air before plummeting.

The sky became a rain of blood and broken bodies.

Black Beetle hovered amidst the carnage, breathing in deeply as if savoring the moment.

A low, satisfied sigh escaped him.

The job wasn't finished yet.

His arms shifted again, merging into a massive plasma cannon.

He aimed downward.

Then fired.

A blazing beam tore through the arena below, carving through it like a hot knife through butter. The structure collapsed in molten ruin as screams echoed upward.

Today, Takron would fall.

And for the Reach, Black Beetle would bring the same fate to countless more worlds.