Chapter 340:
– Layla –
I crossed one leg smoothly over the other, sinking comfortably into the plush chair. Despite my casual posture, I couldn't quite shake off the tension of being face-to-face with the literal supreme being of the Marvel multiverse. I forced myself to take a slow breath and waited patiently, watching the kindly face that mirrored Stan Lee's perfectly.
"Relax, Layla," the One Above All said warmly, clearly noticing my nerves. "You're not in trouble. Actually, I simply wanted to meet my replacement face-to-face before stepping down."
Wait—what?
I jerked upright, coughing in shock. "Stepping down?" I spluttered incredulously, eyes wide. "How exactly does someone with your job description just step down? You're the damn One Above All!"
A sudden, uncomfortable thought struck me, and I leaned forward, concern tightening my voice. "Wait… you aren't about to, y'know—die or something, right? Is everything okay?"
He chuckled softly, clearly amused by my anxious questions. "No, no, nothing that grim. Don't worry, Layla. Death isn't exactly a concern for beings like me." He smiled gently, leaning back into his seat. "I've simply decided it's time to move on. I've watched over this particular multiverse for billions of years. It's time for me to hand over the keys to someone else."
I blinked, slowly digesting his words. "And…you want me to take over?"
"Yes," he said simply, folding his hands calmly in his lap. "I have plenty of ideas for a new multiverse. New stories, new worlds, new adventures—I'm itching to create again." He paused thoughtfully, his expression suddenly serious. "But first, I must entrust this reality into capable hands. Your hands."
I swallowed hard, suddenly feeling the weight of his words settle heavily on my shoulders. "Okay… no pressure or anything, huh?"
He chuckled again, but this time his eyes stayed serious. "I won't lie, Layla. Becoming the supreme goddess of the Marvel multiverse is a greater responsibility than even Lady Death or the Phoenix Force could comprehend. It's more than just having near-limitless power—it's about protection. Guardianship."
"Protection from what?" I asked cautiously, not sure if I liked the direction this conversation was headed.
He regarded me quietly, measuring his words carefully. "There are…beings out there. Far beyond the edges of this multiverse, lurking in the endless infinite void. Gamers, cosmic horrors, even darker entities. Creatures who'd love nothing more than to invade, consume, and destroy everything you've come to know and love. Everything I've carefully built."
It hit me suddenly. "Holy shit…" I murmured, realization dawning sharply. "You've been keeping all of that at bay, haven't you?"
He inclined his head slowly, confirming my guess. "Yes. It's not just been me, though. Occasionally, I empower others—heroes, champions, guardians. I grant them abilities, knowledge, tools to fight for the multiverse on my behalf."
I nodded slowly as the One Above All described the nature of his champions. Not even a literal almost omnipotent God could do everything alone apparently.
He sighed gently, a brief flicker of sadness crossing his eyes. "You know, Layla, despite what many people believe, I'm not quite as all-powerful as they think. There were moments I wished I could've done more for the souls living within this Marvel multiverse. But I can at least say I always gave it my best."
[That sounds rough… This is obviously the oldest being you've ever met, and he sounds… tired.]
Without thinking about it, I lowered my head respectfully. "Thank you," I murmured sincerely, "not just from me, but from my children, my family... everyone you've watched over."
He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Ah, see. That sincerity is exactly what I like about you, Layla." His eyes twinkled mischievously as he added, "At least, sincerity when you're not busy seducing beautiful women, anyway."
My cheeks flushed instantly, and I shifted awkwardly in my seat. "Ah…you, uh, saw all that, huh?"
He waved it off casually, still clearly amused by my embarrassment. "Relax. I've seen much stranger things in my time…" I exhaled slowly, recovering a bit as he leaned forward slightly, his gaze turning more serious. "You know, Layla, I genuinely believe you'll surpass even my level of power someday soon."
I blinked, slightly startled at the sheer certainty in his voice. "Really?"
He nodded firmly. "Maybe not immediately upon absorbing the Death Stone and ascending as the Supreme Goddess, but certainly not long after."
My lips curled into a pleased smirk. Well damn. Hearing that kind of endorsement from him did wonders for a girl's ego.
He raised one hand, cautioning me gently. "But even with all that power, Layla, the responsibility won't always be easy. That eldritch horror you call 'father'? Believe it or not, he's actually one of the nicer ones out there."
I flinched slightly at that. Fuck. Of course, he knew about my creepy adopted dad from the void…
He leaned closer. "There are far worse beings in existence. Entities even more dangerous and terrifying than that nameless horror your brother Azazel once foolishly nearly unleashed upon your world."
I laughed nervously, trying not to imagine something more horrifying than the moon sized tentacled cosmic monster. "Yeah...yeah, I think I get the picture."
"No," he interrupted sharply, his voice gentle but firm, "I don't think you truly do. Not yet, at least. Which is why I have a test for you before I leave."
I straightened up. "A test?"
"Yes," he confirmed calmly. "I've discovered a cluster of Earths that have been deliberately isolated from the wider multiverse by some particularly ruthless void beings. They've secretly lorded over trillions of innocent lives for their own twisted purposes of experimentation and acquiring data."
I frowned deeply, anger simmering in my veins at his words. "You want me to go wipe these assholes out?"
"Your power is easily enough to destroy every last one of them, yes—but that's not the test." He paused, studying me carefully.
"Then what exactly is the test?"
A small smile returned to his lips. "I want you to create your own champions from among the people of those isolated Earths. Empower them, guide them, but let them defeat the invaders themselves. How you perform this task or who you enlist for help is up to you. The invaders must be slain by the natives though," he said, his rules about that being pretty clear. "Part of being the supreme deity is knowing when to act directly and when to trust others with power and responsibility."
"Okay," I finally said. "I can do that." I tried to make a superhero team a while ago. That kind of fell through, but obviously this time I'd have to properly pull it off. I'd definitely be enlisting some more experienced help as well though.
His smile widened at me. "I knew you'd be up to the task, Layla."
"...So," I paused for a second. "Can I get an autograph before I get to it…?"
The One Above All chuckled at me. Saying of course I could, but he had something "I probably wanted even more than an autograph" And then he held out his hand, and opened his palm.
[Holy shit! Is that what I think it is?]
My eyes widened in surprise at the tiny black stone in his palm. Barely bigger than a marble and yet it was so cold. Maybe the coldest thing in the entire universe. The concept of Death itself, compressed into a tiny physical object.
"...Wait? Did you steal this from Lady Death!?" I narrowed my eyes on him.
He avoided meeting my purple eyes. "Hehe… We don't have to talk about that. She was going to give it to you anyway in the next few days. Just go ahead and take it.." he trailed off with another awkward chuckle.
I reached out my hand for the final Stone, the one that would complete my ascension...
– Carol Danvers –
Explosions rocked the empty void around her, flames flaring violently in the void of space as Carol Danvers shot through another Kree warship, reducing it instantly to a glittering cloud of debris. The Kree had been pushing their luck again, encroaching into Xandarian-controlled territory, bullying smaller planets, and generally being colossal assholes.
Captain Marvel was there to remind them exactly why fucking around wasn't a good idea.
She couldn't deny the savage satisfaction she felt, hurtling through their ships and turning their fleet into expensive piles of floating scrap metal. These were the same bastards who'd messed with her head years ago. It felt incredibly good to send them straight to space-hell—which, thanks to her relationship with Layla—she now knew was very real.
And speaking of Layla…
"Hi Carol!"
Carol definitely did not shriek in surprise as Layla popped into existence directly in front of her, smiling cheerfully as if she hadn't just appeared in the middle of an active battle zone.
"Jesus, Layla!" Carol sputtered, heart hammering, her face warming instantly as her lover drifted closer. "What the hell are you doing here?!"
Layla's smile widened into an amused smirk. Without answering, she floated right into Carol's personal space, planting a quick but affectionate kiss on her lips.
Carol's cheeks flushed deeper. She wasn't normally the PDA type, especially not while actively pulverizing enemy fleets in deep space. Still… she couldn't exactly say she minded.
Wait…?
Carol turned abruptly, realizing the explosions had ceased. She gaped openly when she found the space around them suddenly empty. Every last Kree warship had vanished, jumping to hyperspace the second their sensors probably registered Layla's terrifying power signature!
Carol chuckled softly, shaking her head in amused disbelief before turning back toward the goddess floating casually beside her. "Alright, hot stuff," she teased playfully. "Let's try this again: what exactly are you doing here? Besides scaring off my targets, I mean."
Layla laughed lightly, eyes twinkling mischievously. This time she didn't dodge the question. "I actually need your help," Layla admitted warmly, giving Carol a look that made her heart flutter despite herself. "I've been given an important mission, and I can't think of anyone better to have by my side than my favorite badass space heroine!"
—
Layla always knew exactly which buttons to push to get Carol all sappy and instantly agreeing to help.
Carol would have preferred being the only one Layla turned to for help, but at least this time, she wasn't facing another love rival. It was just Layla's older sister, Penemue. Carol was okay with that; it meant she'd probably still get plenty of alone-time with Layla soon enough. Or at least, she hoped so, depending on whatever crazy thing Layla had gotten herself into this time.
Layla hadn't bothered explaining the details yet.
Now Carol sat beside Layla on a comfortable couch, high up in Penemue's sleek office at the top of Fallcorp Tower in New York City. Across from them, Penemue released a tired sigh as she placed two steaming cups of tea in front of them.
Her eyes lingered pointedly on her younger sister.
Layla responded by pouting slightly, an expression that Carol found unfairly adorable considering just how drop-dead sexy Layla normally was. Damn her for being able to pull off both effortlessly.
"Why are you looking so bummed out to see me again?" Layla asked, putting on her best innocent face. "I thought you loved me."
Penemue snorted softly, clearly unimpressed. "Maybe because every time you drop by unannounced, little sis, you bring me another huge chore." She turned her attention to Carol, raising one elegant eyebrow. "Did you know she dumped Trihexa on me the last time she showed up?"
Carol's eyes widened slightly in surprise. She had definitely not known that particular detail. She turned to Layla, giving her a questioning and maybe judgemental look, but all she got back was a sheepish grin.
Then, before Carol could say anything else, Layla leaned over smoothly and silenced her by capturing her lips in a warm, sweet kiss.
"You can't just kiss away all your problems, Layla," Carol mumbled softly even as she blushed.
Layla's grin turned sultry as she pressed herself closer, intentionally letting the soft, tantalizing curves of her breasts rub against Carol's arm. "Are you sure about that?" she purred.
Carol sucked in a shaky breath, heat flaring instantly low in her belly as she instinctively rubbed her thighs together. God, Layla was just unfairly good at distracting her.
Penemue cleared her throat pointedly, pulling Carol back into reality and making her face flush hotly again. Shit, she'd almost forgotten someone else was even there.
"As entertaining as this always is to watch," Penemue drawled dryly, "I'd still very much like to know why you've decided to grace me with your presence again, Layla. I honestly thought I'd get at least another month before being dragged into more of your shenanigans."
Carol straightened slightly, nodding in firm agreement. "Yeah, actually, I'd kinda like to know that myself."
Layla sighed dramatically, still not bothering to remove herself from Carol's personal space. "Alright, fine, I'll talk," she finally conceded.
Penemue simply stared, crossing her arms impatiently, clearly used to her younger sister's antics. "Spill it."
"Well… the One Above All decided to pay me a visit…" Layla started casually.
Carol's heart jolted sharply in her chest as panic quickly spiked through her. "Wait, you met WHO?"
– Layla –
It took about two weeks to get everything set up on this new Earth "Bet", part of the weird, isolated multiverse cluster the One Above All had pointed me toward.
Honestly, it'd been a busy as hell two weeks, all things considered.
I couldn't exactly charge in Lightspear's blazing and smite the shit out of these evil alien overlords myself.
This had to be handled more delicately.
And by delicately, I meant we totally cheated.
We'd arrived in this new Earth's version of America fourteen days ago, and Penemue had immediately set about creating brand-new identities for all three of us. Turned out, that was actually harder than expected. This world's technology was surprisingly advanced—or maybe just impressively weird.
They had these superpowered geniuses called "Tinkers" who invented all sorts of absolute bullshit tech, half of which even they couldn't fully explain. It made slipping fake IDs into their databases annoyingly difficult.
Not to mention we'd quickly realized this world's internet was being secretly managed by some powerful AI entity, and none of us were sure yet whether that AI was friendly or hostile.
So, we did the obvious thing.
We went straight to the politicians, and bribed the shit out of them!
Turns out, bribing American politicians on Earth Bet was embarrassingly easy. Seriously, every single one we approached took the money without even pretending to put up a fight. They even cheerfully signed magical contracts to keep their mouths shut.
It was honestly pathetic how eager they were to sell out.
Even Marvel-DxD Earth's politicians had at least a little shame left. But hey, easy bribery worked out perfectly for us, so who was I to complain?
With our new identities secured, things quickly picked up pace. I bounced regularly between universes—spending time with my lovers and family back home—while Penemue and Carol began setting up our brand-new company right here on Earth Bet.
Fallcorp was officially open for business!
And we weren't just any boring corporation either. Thanks to our newly purchased politicians, we became the first private company legally authorized to recruit and manage superheroes!
Or "Capes" as they called them here.
Exactly like the Protectorate and the PRT. Needless to say, the government-run hero organization wasn't exactly thrilled about that and had sent us numerous complaints already. Too bad for them, though, I'd bought enough politicians that they couldn't legally touch us.
I hadn't officially met anyone from the PRT yet, though, Penemue had vengefully informed me I'd be the public face and CEO this time, instead of her. She was happy to pull strings from behind the scenes, leaving me to deal with everything else.
But hey, at least I had Carol. She was now officially Fallcorp's first contracted superhero! Which made my whole CEO job infinitely more fun. Imagine all the scandals we'd get up to when this world's media would eventually snap pictures of us together.
But, right now, we were literally in the middle of filming our very first commercial. And Carol was surprisingly photogenic. Carol stood, tall and gorgeous, in front of the cameras, wearing her newly designed superhero uniform, which hugged every stunning curve of her powerful body perfectly. She was reading her lines confidently, and I had to admit she was pretty damn good at this…
– Rebecca Costa Brown –
Rebecca was currently grumbling darkly to herself about inept senators and how the hell they'd allowed this new "Fallcorp" to suddenly exist without so much as a whisper to her or Cauldron. It was unacceptable! She'd need to have a serious talk with Contessa about shutting these arrogant newcomers down. If they couldn't handle things cleanly and legally, Cauldron had plenty of villainous allies to manage the situation.
Her angry musing was abruptly interrupted by her phone's shrill ringing. She glanced at the caller ID and sighed irritably when she saw it was David.
"What?" Rebecca snapped, answering the call with undisguised annoyance. She already had a suspicion why he was calling. To whine about his powers getting weaker again.
Or maybe not?
"Rebecca, have you been watching TV?" David's voice was urgent and strained.
She frowned, confused and annoyed. "Of course not. You know I'm usually far too busy for that nonsense. Why?"
"Because," he replied, "that damn tech startup—Fallcorp?—apparently has way more money than we thought. They've been running commercials nonstop. Every single ad spot on every network for the last three hours. Turn on literally any channel and you'll see their faces plastered across the screen."
Rebecca paused, her irritation shifting into disbelief. "They've done what?" Without waiting for David's reply, she reached for the remote and flicked the TV on.
The screen immediately filled with the images of two absolutely stunning women standing confidently side-by-side. One was impossibly gorgeous, with flowing black hair, curves that had to be illegal, and a sultry smile that radiated pure confidence. The other woman, blonde-haired and clearly toned beneath her sleek superhero costume, stood with calm authority, her presence commanding instant respect and attention.
"Hi there!" the dark-haired beauty spoke first, her voice playful and warm. "I'm Layla, the CEO of Fallcorp!"
"And hello," the blonde followed smoothly, her voice strong and assured. "I'm Captain Marvel."
Layla took center stage again as she spoke to the camera. "Are you tired of this repetitive, dangerous world we've all been forced to endure? Going to work day after day, never quite sure if you'll make it home safely because of all the villains and Endbringers rampaging around? Let's be honest, the PRT has utterly failed you!"
"Fuck you!" Rebecca's jaw clenched in rising fury, but she couldn't look away.
"But that's exactly why Fallcorp exists," Layla continued smoothly. "We're dedicated to making your world safer, brighter, and more convenient. Our first step? Recruiting the best Tinkers and scientists to release inventions that will change your life forever!"
Layla produced a small, unassuming capsule from her pocket and threw it casually onto the ground. There was a small puff of smoke, and an entire goddamned house materialized instantly right behind her!
"How in the hell!?" Rebecca gaped openly at the screen. She barely heard Layla's smug declaration over her own astonished disbelief.
"This is NOT Tinkertech!" Layla proclaimed proudly. "Capsule Technology is one of Fallcorp's flagship innovations and will soon be available for everyone. Cars, houses, boats, even planes—you'll be able to conveniently store them all inside your pocket or purse. Coming very soon!"
Captain Marvel stepped forward next. "And that's not all! Fallcorp is dedicated to your safety above all else. My name is Captain Marvel—and I am the STRONGEST cape on the planet! Unlike the Triumvirate and the failed efforts of the PRT, I'm personally promising you this: The next Endbringer attack will be the very last. Myself, and every hero who soon joins under Fallcorp's banner to work with us, will ensure your safety, no matter what. That's a promise!"
Layla returned smoothly, clearly loving every second of her presentation judging by her smug look. "Fallcorp will soon be opening stores and employment opportunities all across America, and eventually the rest of the world. Our headquarters will be located in Brockton Bay on the East Coast. If you're looking for meaningful, rewarding employment, apply with us today! We've got plenty of job opportunities for everyone!"
Both women smiled brilliantly at the camera as the commercial smoothly faded out… only to restart again immediately.
Rebecca angrily flipped through every channel in rapid succession as the exact same infuriatingly confident ad appeared again and again.
They truly had bought every single commercial spot. Every fucking one!
She slammed the remote onto her desk and shouted furiously into her phone, momentarily forgetting David was even there. "Those arrogant bitches! They think they can just appear out of nowhere and somehow be better than Cauldron? Than everything I've sacrificed my life building!?"
David's voice crackled hesitantly through the phone's speaker. "Rebecca... we may have a serious problem."
Rebecca took a deep breath, forcing herself back under control, though her anger simmered dangerously just beneath the surface. "Yes, David," she growled quietly. "I believe we do…"
XXX