Gotham City
In a mansion that, at first glance, appeared abandoned, the sounds coming from within did not match its decaying façade. Muffled moans, dull impacts against reinforced walls, and the creaking of ancient structures echoed intermittently through the night.
The noises dragged on for hours—intense, almost violent—until the first rays of dawn slipped through the broken windows. Only then did silence reclaim the place.
//
"Definitely a good thing I have the combined powers of Etrigan and Sunspot," Alex muttered, bracing one hand against the wall while gripping his waist with the other, pain still lingering in his body.
His breathing was heavy.
"Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to withstand the combined assault of three Kryptonians."
Sweat ran down his pale face as he tried to stretch.
The first few months were manageable, he thought. I held back. Even though I technically 'controlled' them, I wanted the relationship to progress slowly. To build something real.
They lasted two months… but the third was too much.
The first weeks had followed a sort of tacit truce. One per day. With that, Alex could come out on top without too much trouble. But Kryptonian patience ran out quickly.
They decided to come together.
At first, even that was something he could endure. Three against one, and he still held the advantage. But as the weeks piled up, his body began to feel it—and to make matters worse, they grew stronger every day under Earth's sunlight.
The drops of sweat fell more frequently.
I can't blame them, he admitted. From their perspective, we've been together for years. Reaching Earth just released everything that had been bottled up.
His gaze hardened slightly.
And Raven's arrival didn't help. These past months I've focused a lot on her… especially training her so she won't be as rigid as Batman or Spider-Man when it comes to eliminating enemies.
After reaching the main hall, Alex prepared a simple breakfast: a cup of black coffee and a slice of toast with jam.
He got ready quickly.
It's time to visit Pamela. The girls won't wake up anytime soon… and neither will Raven. Lately she stays up late. Always with dark circles under her eyes.
//
Minutes after Alex left the mansion, the door to a bedroom slowly opened.
A young woman stepped out, dressed in a purple robe. Her movements were silent, but her face betrayed exhaustion. Deep shadows ringed her eyes, proof of several nights without proper sleep.
Raven.
Twenty minutes later, another door opened.
And then another.
Three women emerged, hair disheveled, skin marked with faint reddish hues that quickly began to fade under their Kryptonian physiology.
//
"Look who woke up early today," Kara exclaimed in surprise. "Lately you're always the last one up, Raven."
"Tsk… and whose fault do you think it is that I haven't slept well these past weeks?" Raven snapped irritably.
"You do seem to enjoy listening," Karen commented as she sat at the table and picked up a cup of coffee. "Or you could've used one of your spells."
"Who would want to listen to you screaming every night?" Raven shouted, immediately blushing.
"Wow, no need to be embarrassed," Karen replied with a mischievous smile. "You could even join us and stop spying."
"Y-you…" Raven barely managed to speak, the blush spreading across her face.
"Hey, Karen, that's a great idea!" Kara exclaimed enthusiastically. "Raven could join us and we'd finally defeat that smelly man. Make him beg!"
This time Raven didn't respond. She just trembled slightly.
Before she could say anything, Laurel stepped out of the bathroom, drying her hands.
"Girls, stop teasing Raven," she said firmly.
Kara and Karen stuck out their tongues in response and laughed.
Laurel sighed and turned to Raven.
"Don't mind them. They're just provoking you. You can join when you feel ready."
Raven frowned, but Laurel continued.
"I've noticed how you look at Alex. At first I thought it was us making you hesitate… but there's something else. Something that worries you, and you haven't told us."
She looked her straight in the eyes.
"Whatever it is, you can tell us. From today on, we're a family."
She smiled softly.
"And don't think Alex will leave you aside. I know him. He already has his eye on you, so get ready. You won't be able to run from him."
"Exactly," Karen added, wrapping Raven in a hug. "That guy already chose you. So whatever it is, we'll be with you."
"Yeah!" Kara chimed in, ruining the moment. "So just worry about whether you'll be able to walk tomorrow. You don't have a Kryptonian body like we do."
"Kara!" Raven shouted furiously.
Her eyes flared with dark energy.
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos."
Raven hurled spell after spell as Kara fled laughing through the mansion. Karen and Laurel watched the scene, bursting into laughter.
For the first time in a long while, the mansion no longer felt abandoned.