[Anyway, that’s pretty much about it. I might have glanced over a few details, but, you know… We can’t be chatting here all day.] I said after finishing telling my story about the adventures I had in the Lower Plane.

  “It already took all day.” John said and shook his head. “Still, if I didn’t know you, I would have said you were lying for sure. Also, about that weapon, is it really that great? Can I see it?”

  [You want to see the Eclipse?] That was the name I eventually decided to give the battleaxe. Thalza’s suggestion was great, but her name was too long. [Not going to happen. If I take it out I won't be able to put it back in for a long time unless I fully boost it again, but then it will become weaker. As I have already told you.]

  “Right, right… You mentioned that, damn. Can’t fault me for forgetting though, you basically dumped a lifetime’s worth of information on me in a single day. I’m bound to forget some details.”

  I shrugged. [Shall we get something to eat? I’m feeling peckish.]

  “Sure. We got some strong spirits if you want to try. It’s on me.” John offered and gestured towards the dining area.

  [Hell yeah! It’s been too long since I had something good to drink. Just chugging down blood, even though it's good, gets old fast.]

  We arrived at a dining hall where a few others were gathered, having breakfast. I gestured for my companions to take a seat and went to plop myself on the Mithril throne.

  [So, I have been thinking…] I began as John handed me a cup and poured in some shimmering liquid. It smelled heavenly.

  “Go on?”

  [You know how we’ve all come from the same place and have the same…] I tapped the middle of my chest. [We should get an official name. Like a brotherhood. Black Onyx Brotherhood. What do you think?]

  “A brotherhood?” John frowned. “I don’t know. We are not all just guys...”

  [Well, it’s just one woman. I’m sure Alexandra won’t mind. Oh, actually, I guess there are two now, huh?] I turned and looked at Thalza who was quietly sipping on some drink.

  “I’m not part of your stupid little gang. I’m just here to keep an eye on you.” She glared.

  [Uh-uh…]

  “You are forgetting Olivia.” Alexandra added, joining the conversation. “She should be joining us any minute now.”

  [Oh, yeah! Shit, I completely forgot about her. How is she?]

  “Much better. Her recovery was slow, but… Well, she can tell you herself.” Alexandra gestured.

  I looked at the doorway where her hand was pointing and there she was, the gray She-Hulk Human-Demon hybrid.

  “Oh, we have guests?” Olivia spoke in a soft voice despite her massive size.

  “Widowmaker?!” Thalza immediately stood up and dropped to one knee before Olivia. “This lowly one greets the mighty Widowmaker! I’ve been lost for a long time, please, give me orders!”

  “Widowmaker?” Olivia frowned. “That was my slave name. Given to me by the vile beasts that turned me into… this." She vaguely gestured at herself. "I was originally human, believe it or not, so call me by my real name. Olivia.”

  The woman then went around the kneeling, gawking Drow, and sat at the table.

  I grinned as I sipped my drink, enjoying the expression of the smaller gray one. [See?] I wiggled my eyebrows furiously at her. [I told you. She’s one of us. I just had to fix her up a bit.]

  “And that’s a kindness I will never be able to repay. Thank you again.” Olivia bowed while the Drow just stared.

  “But… but how?!” She stammered. “She was the strongest, the smartest, the most vicious…” The Drow woman seemed distraught. Like her worldview just collapsed and she didn’t know what was real anymore.

  “She was still no match for Master, of course!” Onyx explained cheerfully through the mental connection. “Nobody can match Master Gerald’s greatness!”

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  “You should seriously stop drooling over him already. It’s getting old. And annoying.” Adam shot back. “He’s just a man.”

  The metal golem gave him a silent stare that was not at all intimidating considering his face mask was without expression. I just chuckled as the two glared at each other.

  [How have you been, anyway? Recovering well?] I turned to Olivia. The little bit I saw her, she seemed much better than the last time. That was, of course, to be expected, after all, it had been a few years since then.

  “I have recovered, thanks to you.” She answered with a gentle smile. “Having familiar faces around me helped me to unwind. I was also finally able to learn about the world I was a part of for so long. It was an exceedingly enlightening experience. A fun one too.”

  [I can imagine.] I grinned back. [Being put on ice and only awakened when your powers are required can’t be a pleasant experience.]

  “No! No, no, no! I refuse!” Thalza, having recovered from her stupor, jumped to her feet, shouting. “I refuse to believe it! You can’t be a human, he’s tricking you! He’s a mind-reader! He… He can implant false memories! You have to believe me!”

  The group all stared at her in silence. The atmosphere became awkward, and I could see Olivia frowning.

  “I know what he is. He’s the reason I escaped the clutches of your deranged High Priests. They experimented on me, merging my body with that of a Demon. The pain I felt…”

  “You are lying! You are lying, you are lying, you are lying! They would never stoop so low to rely on a weak human! You are all lying!”

  I watched as Olivia sighed and stood up slowly. Then she disappeared and a split second reappeared behind Thalza and buried her fist in her side. The Drow was blasted into the nearby wall that shimmered with enchantments, resisting the impact. As soon as the two collided, Olivia shifted again, hammering the Drow with a knee to the stomach, and then finally with a slap, made her go sprawling on the floor.

  Standing over her defeated foe, Olivia leaned down low and grinned. “Who’s the weak one now, huh?” I could see in her movement the expressions and aggression of the old Widowmaker. She clearly embraced her other half over the years, calling upon the other identity in a fight.

  “Why you-!” Thalza growled as she struggled against the foot pushing down on her back and energy began to gather inside her. She was clearly not done.

  But John was.

  “Enough!”

  A wave of darkness spread and we found ourselves in the middle of a vast emptiness. It was John’s Spatial Domain. I kept my posture, sitting on nothing with my legs crossed, and sipped on my drink. The liquor was absolutely fantastic. Really burned as it went down the throat and left a pleasant aroma behind.

  As a part of the Domain, I felt an oppressive force that wasn’t present there the last time, trying to rip me apart. It was doing a mighty poor job at it, so much so that I barely felt it, but it was definitely there. He was growing stronger.

  The Domain was not aimed at us, so nobody really suffered from it, well, with the exception of Thalza. She was gritting her teeth hard as her body was getting squished and pulled apart at the same time.

  “If you wish to fight, you can do that outside. Here, you will act like civilized people. I will overlook this once since you are a guest. But do not make me repeat myself. Is that clear?” John sternly warned.

  Thalza grunted in reply, doing her best to show compliance under the strain she was put in. John released his Domain and we returned to the dining hall as if we never left.

  The Drow slowly picked herself up and rubbed her aching limbs and stomach. The aggression was gone from her expression, replaced by cautious curiosity.

  “That was a Domain you just used, right?” She quietly asked.

  John simply gave a nod and focused his attention back to the food at hand.

  “But… You are only at Level Eight. How?”

  “Close to Level Nine, actually.” John corrected her. “But, yeah… What about it?”

  Thalza didn’t answer, instead turning to the rest. “And you have the Widowmaker on your side-”

  “My name is Olivia!” The tall gray woman frowned.

  “And not to mention this guy…” She looked at me and then looked at the rest of the team. Foolishly grinning Adam and warmly smiling Alexandra.

  “So many impossible things…” She murmured. “Who… Who are you people?”

  [As I said, the Black Onyx Brotherhood.] I grinned and leaned back in my seat, the Mithril throne. I took the opportunity to push for the name while ignoring Thalza’s distress. She had to learn to accept things as they were, not as she wished them to be. It was a good learning opportunity for her if she wished to remain with us.

  “I’m still not sure I like it…” John complained while also ignoring the Drow.

  “I think it’s great!” Onyx added. “And it’s not just because it has my name in it.”

  “Yes, yes… We all know you will agree with whatever Gerald says.” Adam waved his hand. “But this time I’m with you. It’s not a bad name.”

  Olivia went next since it seemed we were already taking a vote on the decision. “I don’t mind either way. But as I owe Gerald my life, I’ll stick with his suggestion.”

  Victory was mine and John confirmed it with a sigh. “Fine, fine… Not like having a name will change much.”

  [Of course, it will. How can you become someone important if you don’t have a name?] I countered.

  “And what exactly is your plan?” Alexandra questioned. “Since we are all here, you might as well let the rest of us in on it.”

  [Plan?] I looked at her sideways and then chuckled. [I don’t have a plan. I was gone for like, what? Three years? Four? I have absolutely no idea what is going on. I’m just ready to relax a bit. Oh, but if you have something fun you plan to do, I’m absolutely down for it.]

  John stared at me with a deadpan expression for a bit before he spoke. “You are serious?”

  [100%!]

  He discretely facepalmed. Then the entire building shook and I heard distant explosions coming from the surface.

  [Guys… what was that?]

  “Oh, great…” The man growled. “They are back already.”

  The question mark on my face must have been apparent as I felt Onyx connecting to my mind a moment later.

  “Master! Master! The Drow are constantly attacking us. The war with The City intensified after you left and we stand right in the middle, between them and the three Clans! It’s a bloodbath out there!” He sounded excited, and after his explanation, so was I.