Edward was munching some popcorn and watching what was happening on the Watchtower through a holographic display that floated above the coffee table in Avalon's main lounge.

The battle had concluded minutes ago, Brainiac reduced to scattered atoms, his ship now being cataloged by Victor. Edward's expression remained calm, almost bored, as he watched his children and the Justice League prepare to return home.

He snapped his fingers casually to produce two serums, their contents glowing with a soft blue light, and set them down on the table beside his half-empty popcorn bowl.

Grail, who had been massaging his shoulders while pressing herself against his back, leaned forward curiously. Her red eyes studied the vials with interest. "What are those, darling?"

"Superman got infected by Brainiac," Edward replied casually, picking up another handful of popcorn. "After the battle ends, they'll need this to cure him. I made two just in case one gets dropped or something goes wrong."

Grail's hands slowed their massage as she processed this. Her expression shifted from curiosity to something more intimate.

She wrapped her arms around him from behind, her breath warm against his ear as she whispered, "Since everyone is busy fighting and cleaning up, maybe we could have some fun?"

Edward chuckled, the sound rumbling in his chest. "You're too insatiable."

Grail smirked, her lips brushing against his neck. "You love that about me."

"Can't argue with that." Edward stood smoothly, turning to scoop her up in his arms. She let out a pleased sound, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You're going to be in bed for the rest of the day."

Grail kissed him deeply, her fingers threading through his hair. When she pulled back, her eyes were heated. "I had no other plans anyway."

Edward carried her toward her room, his stride purposeful. But just as they reached the doorway, there was a sudden whoosh of displaced air and a flash of white light. Amenadiel materialized beside them, his pristine white wings folding behind him as he landed gracefully on the marble floor.

The angel's expression was apologetic, almost sheepish. "I… came at a bad time again, didn't I?"

Grail's entire demeanor shifted instantly. Her heated expression cooled to irritation as Edward set her down.

She crossed her arms, fixing Amenadiel with a glare that could have melted steel. "You think so bird boy?"

Edward sighed, though there was amusement in his eyes. He pulled Grail close and kissed her. "It's probably important. I'll make it up to you later."

"You better," Grail muttered, though her expression had softened slightly. She shot Amenadiel one more annoyed look before disappearing into her room, the door closing with perhaps more force than strictly necessary.

Edward turned his full attention to the angel. "What happened this time, Amenadiel? Are you trained in the arts of cockblocking or is it an angel thing?"

Amenadiel's wings shifted, a telltale sign of his discomfort. " Apologies for that. It's not intentional. My Father wishes to speak with you. It's about what happened last week."

The battle with the Anti-Monitor. Of course. Edward had been expecting this conversation eventually.

He nodded, his expression becoming more serious. "Lead the way."

Amenadiel raised his hand, and reality bent around them. The world dissolved into white light, reforming moments later into the breathtaking view of the Silver City.

Edward looked around, taking in the gleaming spires and the eternal golden light that suffused everything.

The architecture was timeless—neither ancient nor modern, simply eternal. "The place hasn't changed much since the last time I came here. What was it, two thousand years ago?"

Amenadiel smiled, some of his earlier tension easing. "Angels like stability. We're very used to this style. Change for the sake of change has never appealed to my kind."

They walked along pristine white pathways that seemed to glow from within. Other angels passed them, some nodding respectfully to Amenadiel, others studying Edward with varying degrees of curiosity and wariness.

Word had spread about the mortal who had killed gods, who had fought cosmic entities and won. The mortal chosen by their father as his champion.

As they walked past the Garden of Eden, Edward slowed his pace. The Garden was exactly as he remembered it—impossibly lush, filled with plants that existed nowhere else in creation.

Every color imaginable bloomed among the carefully tended beds, and the air itself seemed to hum with life.

Working among the plants was Joshua, the Garden's eternal caretaker. The angel looked up as they approached, his weathered face breaking into a genuine smile when he recognized Edward.

"I want to say hi," Edward told Amenadiel. "Give me a minute?"

Amenadiel nodded. "Of course. I'll wait here."

Edward approached the low stone wall that bordered the Garden. "Joshua. Been a while."

"Edward!" Joshua set down his pruning shears and came over, wiping soil from his hands on his simple robe. "I remember you well from your last visit. Two thousand years, was it?"

"Yeah, time really flies huh?" Edward replied with a grin. "I wanted to talk to you but last time was rather... Heavy and mentally taxing."

They chatted for a few minutes about mundane things; how the Garden was thriving, some new species Joshua had been cultivating, Edward's own gardens back on Avalon.

It was pleasant, comfortable, the kind of conversation between two people who shared a genuine interest in growing things.

Then Edward leaned in slightly, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Alright, I got a question. Every kind of plant exists here, right?"

Joshua's expression became serious but amused. "Yes, I personally grow each one that has ever existed or will exist. Every species, every variant. Why?"

Edward's grin turned mischievous. "Do you happen to grow weed here?"

Joshua looked confused for just a second, his head tilting. Then understanding dawned, and a knowing smile grew on his face. He also lowered his voice. "Do you mean marijuana? Cannabis?"

Edward gave him a eager nod, trying to keep his expression innocent.

Joshua's smile widened into something almost conspiratorial. "Follow me."

He led Edward deeper into the Garden, past beds of flowers that sang with colors that had no names, past trees that bore fruit of crystallized starlight.

Amenadiel, still waiting at the entrance, watched them go with mild curiosity but didn't follow.

They turned a corner into a more secluded section of the Garden, hidden behind a wall of flowering vines. And there, in a small but well-tended plot, Edward's eyes widened at what he saw.

Golden marijuana plants stretched toward the eternal light of the Silver City. Each plant was perfect, their leaves a shimmering gold that seemed to capture and reflect the divine radiance around them.

The buds, sweet baby Jesus, the buds—glowed with an inner light, looking absolutely divine in the most literal sense possible.

"Holy shit," Edward breathed.

Joshua smirked, clearly pleased with the reaction. "The soil is blessed by the Presence himself. I water them with sanctified water from the River of Life. They've been growing here since… well, since plants existed, really."

Edward couldn't look away. He'd seen a lot of impressive things in his long life—cosmic entities, divine artifacts , but there was something about seeing perfect Divine grade marijuana, grown in literal paradise, that hit differently.

"Want some?" Joshua asked casually. "Only I smoke it sometimes. The Presence also tried it once for research purposes."

He said the last part with perfect innocence that didn't quite hide his amusement. "You can take as much as you want."

Edward finally tore his gaze away from the plants to look at Joshua. "How much are we talking here?"

"Well, let's harvest it and find out."

What followed was possibly the most surreal twenty minutes of Edward's existence. He and an angel of the Lord, the literal gardener of Eden—spent time carefully harvesting divine marijuana.

They worked while talking casually, falling into an easy rhythm of cutting, trimming, and collecting.

By the time they finished, they had about a hundred pounds of the stuff, all stored in bags that Joshua produced from somewhere.

The angel pulled out a small pipe, packed it with some of the fresh harvest, and offered it to Edward.

"Quality control," Joshua said seriously, but his eyes twinkled.

"Well, it's better to have a sample testing." Edward took a hit. Then another.

His eyes immediately went red, and he had to admit, it was probably the smoothest, most perfect high he'd ever experienced. Not overwhelming, not paranoia-inducing, just… nice. Peaceful.

The kind of high that made you appreciate existence.

Joshua took his own hits, and soon both of them were giggling like teenagers who'd snuck behind the bleachers.

"You know what's funny?" Edward said, staring at a nearby bush that seemed to be growing gemstones instead of berries. "I've killed gods. Fought cosmic entities. I literally punched the Anti-Monitor in the face last week. And right now, I'm high as fuck in the Garden of Eden with an angel."

"Life is strange," Joshua agreed sagely, nodding like he'd just imparted great wisdom. Then he giggled. "Life is very strange."

They spent another ten minutes just sitting there, enjoying the high and talking about nothing important. The nature of good soil composition. Whether divine light counted as full-spectrum for growing purposes.

How funny it was that humans had spent millennia trying to breed the perfect strain when it had been growing in paradise the whole time.

Eventually, Edward managed to pull himself together enough to stand. He and Joshua shook hands, both of them grinning like idiots.

"You're a cool guy, Joshua," Edward said earnestly.

"You're pretty cool yourself," Joshua replied with equal sincerity. "Come back and visit sometime. We'll talk hydroponics."

"Deal."

Edward made his way back to where Amenadiel was waiting, carrying his hundred pounds of divine marijuana and trying very hard to look sober.

He failed spectacularly. His eyes were bloodshot, he reeked of smoke, and he couldn't stop grinning.

Joshua emerged from the Garden a moment later, in the same state. They exchanged one more look and started giggling again.

Amenadiel's expression cycled through confusion, realization, and long-suffering exasperation. "Did you two just… in the Garden of Eden… really?"

"Don't knock it till you try it," Edward said, clapping the angel on the shoulder. "I'll share some with you later. This is quality stuff. Divine quality." He paused. "Literally divine quality."

Amenadiel pinched the bridge of his nose. "My Father is waiting."

"Right, right. The Presence. Serious cosmic business." Edward tried to compose himself and mostly succeeded. "Lead on."

They walked through the Silver City, Edward still carrying his bags of heavenly weed and trying not to giggle every time he made eye contact with Joshua, who was heading back to his work.

Several angels they passed gave Edward very odd looks, but none of them said anything. Apparently, word had gotten around that he was here to see the Presence, and that granted him certain… allowances.

Finally, they reached the Chamber of the Presence. A vast space that seemed to exist in multiple dimensions simultaneously.

At its center sat the Presence himself, the creator of the DC Multiverse, wearing his familiar form: an elderly man with kind eyes and an expression of infinite patience.

"Welcome again, Edward. You may go, Amenadiel," the Presence said gently. "Return to your duties."

Amenadiel bowed and departed, leaving Edward alone with God.

The Presence looked at Edward for a long moment. Then at the bags of marijuana. Then back at Edward's bloodshot eyes and barely suppressed grin.

Then the Presence chuckled—a warm, genuine sound. "You really are something, Edward. Making me wait while you smoked heavenly weed with my gardener."

Edward had the grace to look slightly sheepish. "In my defense, it was really good weed. You should consider marketing that stuff. Joshua's sitting on a goldmine."

"I have tried it," the Presence admitted with a small smile. "It is rather nice for relaxation. Though I don't believe the multiverse is quite ready for commercialized divine cannabis."

"Their loss."

The Presence's expression grew more serious. "I called you here to discuss the battle last week with the Anti-Monitor."

Edward's demeanor shifted immediately, the pleasant high fading into sharp focus. He set down his bags and gave the Presence his full attention. "I figured. Let me guess, you want to know how badly I fucked up?"

"Actually, I want to know what you learned."

Edward was quiet for a moment, thinking back to that battle. To the Anti-Monitor's raw power, to how close he'd come to being overwhelmed.

"I got complacent," he said finally. "I've spent so long being able to overpower everything through sheer strength that I forgot what it's like to fight someone actually dangerous. Someone at my level or above.

The Anti-Monitor and Darkseid kicked my ass for most of that fight, and the only reason I won was because they underestimated my Noble Phantasm."

He met the Presence's eyes. "I need to learn how to fight properly against beings at that level. Not just rely on overwhelming power, but actual technique. Strategy.

My Noble Phantasms are powerful, but they take time to charge. In a fast-paced battle against beings like the Anti-Monitor and Darkseid ganging up, or Perpetua, I might not get that time."

The Presence nodded approvingly. "It's good that you recognize this. Too many beings who reach your level of power never bother to refine their skills. They rely solely on raw strength and die when they encounter someone stronger or smarter."

"Yeah, well, I'd rather not die. I've got wives and kids who'd be pretty upset about that."

"Indeed." The Presence's expression became thoughtful. "You could return to the Fate Universe for training. Face Servants and divine beings there without Perpetua able to observe or interfere."

Edward actually shuddered. "I'm still mentally recovering from the last time I was there. Do you know how exhausting it is to deal with the Type-Moon power scaling?

Everything is simultaneously vague and overly specific, and don't even get me started on trying to understand how Noble Phantasms actually work from a technical standpoint."

The Presence chuckled. "Fair enough. Though I do have another task for you. One that might serve as good training."

"I'm listening."

"The DC Multiverse," the Presence began, his tone taking on the quality of a lecture, "does not just contain the Earths you know, the one with the Justice League and the various superhuman factors you've dealt with.

There are Earths that never grew out of the Divine Sphere's influence, where the true bodies of the gods still reside and interact directly with humanity."

Edward's eyes narrowed. "And?"

"One of these Earths is about to face annihilation. The gods have grown tired of humanity's continued existence and have decreed that the species should be erased."

"Let me guess," Edward said dryly. "They're calling it Ragnarok or something equally dramatic?"

"Actually, they're calling it a Divine Judgment. But the mechanics are similar to what various mythologies call Ragnarok."

The Presence waved his hand, and images appeared in the air—a vast arena, gods and humans facing each other, cosmic stakes hanging in the balance.

"Thirteen gods will fight thirteen human champions," the Presence explained. "One-on-one battles to determine humanity's fate. If the humans win seven matches, they survive. If the gods win seven, humanity is erased and restarted from scratch."

Edward felt a flash of recognition. "Wait. Record of Ragnarok? That's an actual thing happening?"

"You're familiar with it?"

"I watched the anime in my previous life. Humanity fighting for survival against gods in one-on-one battles. Humans get paired with Valkyries who transform into divine weapons."

Edward frowned. "Though the anime left off before the tournament finished. I never saw how it ended. I guess the world got it's ending before some shows did."

"In this reality, the tournament is about to begin. And while the humans have champions chosen, they're going to lose." The Presence's expression was grave.

"The gods on this Earth are not weakened avatars. They are the true, full-power versions from the Divine Sphere. Zeus at his peak. Shiva at full strength. Odin, Anubis, Susanoo—all of them in their prime."

"And you want me to… what? Fight in the tournament?"

"Yes. But there's a complication." The Presence leaned forward slightly.

"Even if the humans win the tournament, the gods won't accept it. They'll claim the fights were invalid, or that humanity cheated, or simply that their decision is final regardless of the outcome. They'll erase humanity anyway and restart from scratch."

"Of course they will," Edward muttered. "Gods are sore losers."

"You would need to prevent that. Not just win the fights, but prevent the gods from destroying that Earth afterward."

Edward was quiet for a long moment, thinking it through. "They'll recognize me, won't they? I killed most of those gods' avatars on my Earth. Zeus, Poseidonq, Shiva—I've fought and killed versions of all of them."

The Presence shrugged. "Is that a problem? Don't tell me you are afraid of them?"

Edward laughed—a sharp, slightly unhinged sound. "Afraid? Not really. If anything, it makes it more fun. They'll be pissed off, aggressive, stupid. Easier to manipulate and defeat."

"There is one restriction," the Presence added. "You'll only be able to use a single form. You won't be able to shift between your various identities and power sets as you normally do. But it will be augmented by your Endless powers."

Edward considered this. He had multiple identities, multiple fighting styles. His base Adam form, his Kratos form with the Blades of Chaos and Spartan Rage, Gilgamesh and his treasury.

"I'll use Kratos," he decided. "Best suited for god-killing. Plus, the psychological impact of fighting someone who looks exactly like the guy who butchered the Greek pantheon will be fun to watch."

The Presence nodded approvingly. "There's something else you should know. The Earth you're going to is one of the multiverse's failsafes."

"Failsafes?"

"Against threats like Perpetua who can erase entire multiverses from existence. Certain Earths are anchored in ways that make them extremely difficult to destroy completely.

This is one of them. Even if everything else falls, these anchor Earths persist, allowing reality to rebuild from them."

Edward understood immediately. "So if I fuck up and that Earth gets destroyed…"

"The multiverse loses one of its backup systems. And given the current situation with Perpetua actively working to destroy everything, we can't afford to lose any failsafes."

"No pressure then."

"None whatsoever." The Presence's dry tone made Edward smile despite the gravity of the situation.

"Also, the Root has been facing some difficulties in the Fate multiverse. She may need your assistance after this task is complete."

Edward groaned. "I just said I wasn't ready to go back there."

"Consider it incentive to complete your current assignment quickly."

"You're a real taskmaster, you know that?"

The Presence smiled serenely. "I've been called worse."

Edward stood, stretching and feeling his joints pop. The high from Joshua's divine weed had fully worn off now, leaving him clear-headed and focused.

"Alright. I'll handle your Ragnarok situation. Fight the gods, save humanity, prevent planetary destruction. Standard Tuesday."

"Before I go," Edward paused, "there's one more thing. Please notify me if anything major happens on Earth-X. With Brainiac's final message sent to his other versions, and Perpetua's forces gathering, things are likely to escalate quickly."

Presence nodeed. "No worries. If there's something important, you will be recalled immediately."

Edward picked up his bags of heavenly marijuana. "And hey, about this stuff—"

Presence chuckled. "You can keep it. Consider it payment for services rendered."

"Getting paid with drugs from the big man himself. You're not so bad for an omnipotent deity."

"High praise indeed."

Edward grinned and turned to leave. But he paused at the entrance to the chamber, looking back. "Out of curiosity, how many gods are going to survive this tournament?"

The Presence's expression was enigmatic. "That depends entirely on how merciful you're feeling."

"So none of them. Got it."

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to."

Edward walked out of the chamber and back through the Silver City.

He passed Joshua again, and they exchanged knowing nods. Just two people who'd shared an experience that absolutely no one else would believe.

Amenadiel was waiting near the exit portal. "How did it go?"

"Got assigned to fight in a cosmic tournament where humanity's survival depends on me beating up gods in one-on-one combat while preventing those same gods from destroying the planet afterward out of spite."

Amenadiel blinked. "That's rather… specific."

"Yeah. Just another day in the life." Edward clapped the angel on the shoulder. "I promise I'd share some of this with you later. Come by Avalon sometime, and we'll smoke up. I guarantee you've never experienced anything like it."

"I'm… not sure that's appropriate."

"Your dad tried it. For research purposes," Edward added with exaggerated innocence. " Maybe I should save some for Lucy as well. Guy could use some."

Amenadiel looked torn between curiosity and concern. "I'll… think about it."

"You do that." Edward stepped toward the portal that would take him back to Avalon. "Thanks for the escort. And tell your dad I'll try to spare some of them."

"I will. And Edward?" Amenadiel's expression became serious. "Be careful. Those gods you're about to face, they're not like the weakened avatars you fought before. They're at full strength in their own domain."

Edward's grin was sharp and dangerous. "Good. I could use a real challenge."

He stepped through the portal, reality dissolving and reforming around him. When his vision cleared, he was standing in Avalon's main lounge again.

The holographic display was still showing the Watchtower—Victor was cataloging Brainiac's technology while the rest of the Justice League had returned home to recover.

Edward set down his bags of divine marijuana into the Gate of Babylon, and looked at the two serums he'd created earlier. Superman's cure. His children would need those soon.

But first, he had promises to keep.

He walked to Grail's room and knocked softly. The door opened immediately, she'd clearly been waiting.

"About time," she said, but there was no real anger in her voice. Just anticipation. "I thought that angel was going to monopolize your entire day."

"Not quite." Edward pulled her close, kissing her deeply. "Though I do have to leave soon. Got assigned another cosmic task."

Grail sighed against his lips. "Of course you did. Where to this time?"

"Alternate Earth. Have to fight in a tournament where gods are trying to erase humanity. Should be fun."

"Fun," Grail repeated flatly. "You have a very unusual definition of fun."

"Says the woman who thinks attempted murder is a valid form of foreplay."

She smirked. "Fair point."

Edward kissed her again, deeper this time. "But I've got a few hours before I need to leave. And I made you a promise about making this up to you."

Grail's smile turned predatory. "You did, didn't you?"

"I'm a man of my word."

"Then prove it. I turned on the time alter, we got a few hours. "

A nice little invention made by Alphonse and Edward, to slow the flow of time after watching DragonBall Z time chamber. 5 minutes is like 5 hours when activated.

Edward kicked the door closed behind them. The tournament could wait a few hours. The gods could wait. Everything could wait.

Right now, he had more important things to attend to.

Several hours later, Edward emerged from Grail's room looking significantly more relaxed. Grail herself was sprawled across her bed, looking thoroughly satisfied and half-asleep.

"I'll be back soon," he told her, brushing hair from her face.

"You better be," she murmured. "And bring me back a trophy. Maybe Zeus's head or something."

"How romantic. I'll see what I can do." He shook his head.

He then visited Hera, Hippolyta and Death, telling them about his journey. They were reluctant, specially Dea5h who told him to be extra careful and call for her if something is wrong. Needless to say the little invention allowed them some extra intimate moments.

Edward made his way to his workshop with a cheerful expression where Diana, Cassie, and Alphonse had just returned with the rest of the Justice League. They'd brought the unconscious Superman with them, still bound and still infected.

"Dad!" Diana spotted him first. "We need..."

"The cure. I know." Edward picked up the two serums. "Already made them. One for Clark, one backup just in case."

Alphonse looked at the vials with undisguised relief. "You're amazing, Dad. We searched Brainiac's entire ship and found nothing."

"That's because Brainiac never intended to cure anyone. The virus was meant to be permanent." Edward handed one vial to Alphonse.

"But I'm not limited by what Brainiac intended. This should purge the infection completely and restore Clark's mind within a few hours."

Kara, who had been hovering anxiously nearby, looked at Edward with hope and fear warring in her expression. "Are you sure it'll work?"

"Positive. I've dealt with far more complicated infections than this." Edward's expression softened as he looked at the distressed Kryptonian girl.

"Your cousin will be fine, Kara. I promise. Can't really make my future daughter in law depressed right?" He winked at Alphonse.

Alphonse groaned. "Really dad? Atleast wait a while before that!"

Kara blushed like a tomato. " Umm... Thank you so much sir."

Edward patted her head. " No problem kiddo. You're kinda family now. Keep my son out of the lab, and we'll call it even."

While Alphonse administered the cure to Superman, Edward pulled his three children aside. "I need to leave for a while. Got a job to do."

Diana's eyes widened slightly. "Are you going to another world again? You didn't even rest after the fight last week."

He smiled and hugged her. " That's just my life sweety. Bad guys don't take breaks, so I have to suffer.

There's an alternate Earth where gods are trying to erase humanity. They're holding a tournament—thirteen gods versus thirteen humans.

I need to make sure humanity wins and that the gods don't just destroy everything afterward anyway."

"Sounds dangerous," Cassie said, though she was grinning. "Need backup?"

He smiled and ruffled her hair, much to her protest. "Not this time honey. I have to go alone, some kind of cosmic rule about the tournament."

Edward looked at each of his children in turn. "I'm leaving your moms in charge while I'm gone. Diana, you're the eldest. Make sure they behave. Atleast I don't have to worry about Soph."

Diana nodded seriously. "How long will you be gone dad?"

"Not sure. A few days at minimum, maybe a week or two depending on how stubborn the gods are about accepting their defeat."

Edward pulled them all into a quick hug. "Take care of each other. And keep an eye on Earth. Brainiac sent messages to his other versions before he died. We might have more Collectors showing up."

"We'll handle it," Alphonse assured him. "You just focus on not dying."

"I'll do my best."

Edward stepped back and closed his eyes, reaching for his connection to his heroic spirits. He then muttered softly, "Equip : Avenger."

He felt his body shift. His appearance changed immediately. pale skin marked with ash, red tattoo running from his eye down across his torso, the Blades of Chaos manifesting at his sides.

He wore simple leather armor and a red sash, his expression settling into the perpetual scowl that Kratos wore like a second skin.

"How do I look kids?" he asked, his voice now carrying Kratos's deeper, rougher tone.

"Like you're about to commit genocide," Cassie said cheerfully. "So, normal."

"Perfect."

Edward, now fully inhabiting his Kratos form—closed his eyes and reached out to the coordinates he recieved. "Alright, let's do this."

Reality opened around him. He felt himself being pulled across dimensions, across the vast distances between alternate Earths, toward the Divine Sphere's influence where true gods dwelt.

His last thought before the transition completed was simple:

"Those gods have no idea what's coming."

Then Avalon vanished, and Edward found himself standing in a new world.

A world where gods walked openly, where divine power saturated the very air, and where humanity's survival hung by a thread.

The tournament was about to begin.

And the Ghost of Sparta had arrived to crash the party.