DC: The Shadow Monarch's Chronicles

Nearly two months had passed since the fall of Lex Luthor.

Thanks to Ashborn's potion, Superman made a full and miraculous recovery. One moment, he had been a broken shell with a possibility to be crippled for life, and the next, he stood strong, as if the ordeal had never touched him. Superman had intended to visit Ashborn personally to thank him for the potion, but someone kept him away.

Kara. 

When she returned, it was clear she had been through something harrowing. Her smile didn't reach her eyes anymore. She was bruised and tattered but she brushed off every concern with an almost mechanical insistence that she was "fine." More troubling, however, was the way she acted regarding Ashborn. The cousin who once spoke often and fondly of him now refused to even say his name. She threw herself into superhero work with a fanatical obsession that unsettled even Superman.

When he finally confronted her about it, she stood stiff and stubborn, her voice hard "I was beaten by my clone," she said flatly. "I was even shown mercy by her. I am the real one. I won't allow my clone to be stronger than me, better than me."

Superman tried to pry further, wondering if Kara had run into Galatea again after the battle on the Watchtower, but she clammed up, walls built brick by brick before his eyes. With her unwillingness to speak and her tunnel vision toward heroism, he was left only with worry.

Meanwhile, the world outside spun on.

Cadmus, still alive and active, adapted carefully. Amanda Waller, once obsessed with viewing the Justice League as a looming threat, shifted her strategy. Now, her eyes turned to a new danger: the shadow monarch and his soldiers. She still prepared weapons, still engineered contingencies, but now, Cadmus whispered of alliances instead of wars. She viewed the Justice League as the best potential ally against what was to come.

And in Ashborn's house, life flowed with quiet, gentle rhythms. In Ashborn's home, an eclectic spread of food, piled high with everything from spicy tacos to rainbow-colored cakes, decorated the long table. It looked more like a royal banquet than a casual gathering, but for Ashborn, this was a moment worth celebrating.

Today marked a milestone: the celebration of Amazo's newly developed taste buds.

Ashborn stood at the head of the table, arms crossed, grin radiating pride. "Taste," he declared, "is one of the greatest pleasures of life, and one of the root causes for people to sin. That's why it matters." He had pestered Amazo for months to evolve himself further and experience the culinary arts like mortals do. And finally, the android had done it.

Sitting front and center, Amazo looked surprisingly eager. His eyes scanned the table before he reached forward, grabbed a triple-stacked burger, and bit into it.

His face lit up instantly.

Amazo's expression, a blend of childlike wonder and mechanical fascination, was so pure that Ashborn couldn't help but nod in deep approval. "There it is," he said, pleased. "The beginning of a beautiful descent into indulgence."

Ace, seated beside him, chuckled. "He's actually genuinely smiling," she said, watching Amazo devour plate after plate with an energy uncharacteristic of a being once capable of ending worlds.

Meanwhile, Tea and Rex looked far less convinced. The two exchanged glances before Rex held his temples tiredly.

"I'm not sure what's more concerning," Rex muttered, "how surreal our life's become... or the fact that a god-tier android is becoming a gluttonous gourmet."

Tea arched a brow. "That's exactly what I'm worried about. A superweapon with an appetite sounds like a recipe for disaster."

Ashborn waved a hand dismissively. "You two are overreacting. It's just a child discovering food for the first time."

"You have serious mental issues," Tea replied flatly.

Ashborn gave a nonchalant shrug. "I am not as bad as you make me out to be."

Ace grinned as Amazo reached for his seventh course. "Okay but seriously, how much can he eat? He's already downed enough for five people."

Ashborn tilted his head, intrigued. "Good question... You know, maybe I should help him register for an eating competition."

Rex groaned. "Please don't. That's cheating on a whole new level."

Just then, Ashborn's phone rang. He plucked it from his coat, glanced at the caller ID, and answered with a smirk. "Hi Harley. I've been doing fine, and you? Oh, that sounds nice... You got it, girl. Of course…you're always welcome to visit. We can talk then."

He ended the call and turned to the table, still smiling. "Harley Quinn will be dropping by later, she's bringing her new girlfriend, Poison Ivy."

Ace simply nodded. Tea raised a brow. Rex, on the other hand, covered his face with one hand and let out an exasperated sigh. "This is getting worse by the day."

Tea tapped her chin. "I wonder how he turned out like that."

Ashborn leaned back in his chair, arms behind his head. "I turned out just fine. Thank you"

"No," Rex said. "It's Arthur's fault, his blood uncle. He used to act like that all the time, and Ashborn picked up his habits."

Ashborn chuckled, eyes drifting to the ceiling as he let himself fall into a memory, when he played the role of his uncle Arthur Black.

And with Amazo happily reaching for yet another slice of pizza and Rex groaning into his hand, the celebration continued. Ashborn smiled, his life was getting better by the day and now he had a friend coming to visit.

___________

The sun had dipped just below the horizon, casting a soft amber hue across the estate. Inside the living room, Ace, Tea, and Rex sprawled comfortably on the couches, their eyes fixed on the large screen. A brand-new show, recently produced by Shadow Corp, flickered to life, a sci-fi drama laced with social commentary and dark humor. Popcorn bowls sat half-eaten, and the volume buzzed low in the background.

"So… you really green lit a TV show just to make fun of heroes and aliens adoption?" Rex asked, tilting his head.

Ace shrugged with a smirk. "It sounded fun, and honestly, I think the original one was better but the Justice League heroes were… offended."

Tea crossed her arms, only half-listening. Her eyes occasionally flicked toward the window. Ashborn and Amazo had stepped outside a while ago at the android's request, and curiosity itched at her. Eventually, the sound of their voices caught her attention, low, distant, but her super hearing was enough for her to pick every single word.

Outside, in the glow of the garden lanterns, Ashborn walked side by side with Amazo.

Ashborn glanced at the android with a curious look. "So," he said, hands tucked in his pockets, "what do you want to talk about?"

Amazo looked ahead, face calm yet deliberate. "I wanted to thank you. For taking me in… and for showing me a new path."

Ashborn blinked in mild surprise, then chuckled. "You're most welcome, but… you didn't need to drag me out here just to thank me."

Amazo nodded slowly. "How long can I continue living here? I understand that it is not normal for an android to stay like this."

Ashborn turned fully to face him, expression softening. "I adopted you, didn't I? That means you are my son, and this is your home. Always will be. Don't overthink it. No one in this house is normal, anyway. Well... except for your grandpa Rex. And even he's cool with you."

Amazo's lips tugged into a warm, genuine smile. It was the most human he had ever looked. Ashborn's grin widened at the sight.

"Now that you've got taste," Ashborn said, gesturing with one hand, "we need to work on your other senses. Touch, smell, and maybe, one day... genitals. Who knows? Maybe I'll finally get to be called grandpa."

Amazo blinked, face caught somewhere between processing and mild confusion. Then he nodded. "I will not disappoint you. As for grandchildren, I can create a child android now if you want."

Ashborn nodded in proud approval. "That's my son, but let's wait till you are older."

Amazo paused, tilting his head slightly. "What about Tea? Is she going to stay like this, or is she going to be our sister?"

Ashborn chuckled then shook his head. "I don't plan on adopting her. I thought about it at first, I admit, but her looks don't help with that. And… she's got some peculiar kinks, I fear it can make the adoption awkward."

Amazo tilted his head again, clearly puzzled.

Tea heard it all.

What had started as a casual interest quickly spiraled into a whirlwind of disbelief. At first, it was warm, almost touching: an android learning to say thank you, Ashborn being, surprisingly, a decent parent figure. But then… genitals? Children? Android grandchildren?

Tea's eye twitched.

And then came her name.

Tea froze as Amazo asked if she was going to be a sister, only to hear Ashborn casually explain her looks were a blocker to the adoption plan and worse, that she had peculiar kinks.

Her face morphed from passive confusion to absolute horror, then rage. Her mouth opened slightly, stunned.

"What the fuck is that bastard teaching his son?" she hissed under her breath, face red with a mix of embarrassment and fury.

The show on TV continued playing, laughter echoing from the screen. But Tea wasn't watching anymore.

She was plotting how to beat Ashborn up.