Chapter Text
Titans eyes were wild as his attack was held back by the magician in front of him.
Finally.
His smile kept growing as Atlas’s defence began to visibly weaken. The shield holding him back cracked as he pushed forward and he knew it was only a matter of time before the fight was over.
This is it.
Weeks of searching and he finally found a suitable dimension to live in. This version of the celestial family was strong and most importantly still together even after he tried turning them against each other.
This place was perfect.
There were so many characters! Sure the central family was entertaining, but they also owned their own pizza plex that had new people he’d never seen before. Nova, Frost and even an entirely different dimension with Charlie and the defanged Eclipse. It was the most action he’d ever seen in a single collection of dimensions.
All he had to do now was push them over the edge and they’d become the greatest story he’d ever made.
Hitting the heart of the family in a way that would finally shatter him and Sun would start the beginning of the biggest collapse he could have ever hoped to create. It was so simple, so clear, so easy. He’d fought worse villains than the orb-eyed master of magic in front of him.
The light purple tint that marked Atlas’s shield cracked more under the intense pressure of only a fraction of power Titan released.
The wizard stood perfectly still as his only defense began to wither away.
Titan was going to win this game of wills. His will had been tempered with time and power amplified to the point where not even his meager body could contain it. He’d blown worlds apart, created weapons no living thing could measure up to, and all that stood in the way of his goals was the foolish mage who dared to challenge him.
“I believe it’s been long enough of that now,” Atlas didn’t look the tiniest bit worried as Titan broke through another layer of his shield.
“Really, now?” Titan laughed and slashed through translucent barriers, “I guess I gotta agree,” he advanced forward another few feet, “this game’s no fun anymore anyways.”
Face to face without obstruction Titan raised his hand in the air, the final blow charging for just a few seconds before everything changed.
“It is good to see we are on the same page,” the orb that made Atlas’s face squinted in what could only be assumed to be a smile.
It was only mere seconds for Sun, Lunar, and Moon who spectated the fight with equally as horrified looks on their faces. Each second dragged on into minutes spent in an altered area that engulfed the two combatants.
Atlas smiled at his smaller challenger as he too raised his hand into the air.
Oh this is rich! If Titan didn’t feel the energy in the room rapidly changing he would have taken the time to properly laugh at the smug look on the wizard’s face as they both prepared their final attack. He has literally no idea, his smile grew wider than his face could contain, all those who stand against me fall!
Titan’s hand never completed the action of waving Atlas into dust.
One moment the feared multiversal threat was laughing with a cracked smile and the next his robes were falling to the floor.
“Now that’s much better,” Atlas hadn’t moved a single step the entire encounter.
“What did you do to him?” Sun uncovered his mouth from the scream he had been muffling.
“Holy shit,” Moon remembered how to breathe and gasped, “you killed him.” The scientist took a step back, he knew Atlas was powerful, everyone knew the wizard was strong, but this was more. Atlas was friends-ish with Timer and seeing how Moon had a front row seat to time travel, multiversal body swapping and the transmutation of metal into flesh, he really should have seen it coming that the more powerful of the two had the ability to make the person who had been harassing them, disappear in the blink of an eye.
Lunar stayed silent as his alternate disappeared from view. Icy cold realization froze him to his very core as he pictured himself as the neutralized villain. That could’ve been me, his eyes struggled to focus on the scene in front of him, I almost made that mistake. Whispers of power and purpose swirled in his head and clouded his vision, that was almost me. He felt sick, that’s what the universe does to those who don’t play by the rules.
“I would have hoped you’d think better of me considering I am Sun’s teacher,” Atlas tutted, “I had no idea this family thought so lowly of me.”
“Atlas…?” Sun stepped closer.
“Oh Sun,” his teacher closed the gap and held Sun’s hand, “take heart and know that I wouldn’t leave you if given the choice.”
Sun’s eyes watered, “you almost died,” his meager magic skills allowed him to process the fight in front of him, “he was about to kill you!”
“Believe me I am very aware the little rascal had every intent to kill me,” Atlas led Sun to the puddle of clothes were once the mighty villain stood, “however the time I spent guarding myself was not made in error,” he knelt to the floor, “he had been so focused with killing me, he didn’t realize he stepped over my magic circle.”
Said magic circle glowed yellow in response to the caster's call, “wait….” Sun recognized the symbols around the outer edge of the circle, “I know those symbols, they're Nordic.”
“Correct!” Atlas praised and beaconed Sun to kneel beside the clothes with him, “the top runes are Nordic and do you remember what we used this circle for?”
“Appraisal,” Sun’s nerves were shot. He was just in another dimension not even twenty minutes ago watching an assasination attempt and being accused as a suspect but now he was home, where his master almost died in front of his eyes.
“Correct again!” Atlas smiled despite the quiet terror filling the room behind them, “I had no idea the kind of power the little ruffian used, it took me longer than usual, however I was able to synthesize the perfect counter.”
Atlas’s hand gently moved the hood of the fallen cloak out of the way and revealed the smallest creature to have ever graced the household.
“What?” Sun’s voice was barely above a whisper. His mind was already muffled enough by the terrors of the day, to really understand what he was looking at. Programming usually reserved for work, activated and he couldn’t help but reach into the bundle of fabric.
“I assume you know what this means then?” Atlas got up from the floor as Sun began to cradle the being.
“I don’t know what to do,” instincts brought the bundle to his chest.
“Of course you do,” Atlas laughed and turned to the lunar animatronics who flinched as soon as he had their attention, “I hope even you two will help Sun in this endeavor.”
Moon snapped out of whatever shock he was in and blinked, “wut?”
“Ah Moon the master of words,” Atlas shook his head, “I know you haven’t worked in a daycare for years now, but I’m sure those old protocols will be put to good use.”
Lunar made a small squeak when Atlas turned to only face him, “don’t-!” he scrambled back to the nearest wall as Atlas got closer, don’t kill me too! He closed his eyes and expected to join Titan in his penance for all his evil misdeeds.
“I know this may be quite the shock for you as well,” Lunar opened his eyes to see Atlas smile softly as him, “as someone who overcame their own darkness I hope you will give him the same chances you were given.”
Sun stood up and turned to face his brothers. The sparkly cape swished with the movement as the yellow attendant held up the bundle of fabric close to his chest with one arm and used the other to lightly move the cloth to reveal the now sleeping evil mastermind.
Looking no older than a little toddler, Titan's eyes were closed against Sun’s chest.
“Congradulations,” Atlas’s voice was much softer this time, “on yet another villain to reform.”