"Wait, what!"
"For the third time, you are now the new Sorcerer Supreme."
"What?!"
"You. Sorcerer Supreme. Deal with it."
"Wait, says who!?"
"Me."
"Is that even legal?! Can you even do that?!"
"Of course I can. Sorcerer Supremes can retire, you know. Succession isn't always necessary just because the previous holder of the title has died… though admittedly, this does tend to happen worryingly often. I think the last Sorcerer Supreme who actually retired from his duties instead of being eaten alive by a cosmic horror was a Roman Consul."
"Don't I get a say in all this?!"
"I mean, you could object. But that would mean I'd have to both remove the amulet from your possession, erase a not insignificant part of your memories and knowledge regarding the Sanctums and magic and do a similar sweep amongst your people. Since I felt that you would object to that more than you would object to a shiny new title to add to your already overbearingly long name, I simply decided to go with the far easier route. Was I wrong?"
"…"
"Thought so."
Letting out an explosive sigh, which turns the frigid air of the surrounding Siberian taiga to steam, I pinch the bridge of my nose, shutting my eyes so I don't have to look at the Ancient One's smug face anymore.
"Look. I don't want the job. I don't have the time for it and I don't know the first thing about running a secret mystical organization against interdimensional cosmic horrors!"
"You seem to be doing just fine with Othrys and we all know how you faired against the legions of Hell and Dormammu himself."
"That's different. Othrys is home and Hell and Dormammu were actively invading. I just reacted."
"And you think I regard my people, my duty any differently? I know that this is sudden, Michael. But in time, I hope that you will see the Masters of the Mystic Arts with the same fondness that you regard the people of Othrys with."
"Look, isn't there some other way-"
"Michael. You are Hyperion. In the little time you have been active, you have already saved humanity twice. Your power is undeniable, even if to some your motives are questionable. You wield the most sacred artefact of our Order and in doing so have accomplished the unthinkable: bringing the Great Enemy to his knees, in his own dimension no less. No to mention killing Belathauzer, a Lord of Hell beforehand! I could not in good conscience call myself Sorcerer Supreme while standing next to you, wearing the symbol of my position and wielding a power that eclipses my own, though it still requires… polishing. You lack finesse. A lot. Still, the truth was clear to me: if not conflict, then unification. I chose the latter. And sputter and flail all you wish, you and I both know you would choose the same. So why this reluctance?"
"It's just…"
Words fail to come as I turn away from the wizened woman, staring out over the vast expanse of hardy vegetation and blinding snow.
"… it just feels like there's a lot on my plate right now. Perhaps too much. I feel like I'm getting overwhelmed at times. There's so much that needs doing, so many people I feel need my guidance, so many discoveries yet to be made, goals yet to be reached. There's so much going on right now that I worry I'm losing sight of my original purpose, being… tethered down to things outside of the scope of my own ambition. As if the true threat is steadily building up its power, readying its attack, while I'm stuck spinning my wheels, distracted by inane things that ultimately do not matter."
I'm drawn from my musings by a tiny hand softly resting on my bulging bicep and I look down to see the Ancient One giving me an encouraging half-smile.
"All things matter, Michael. Even if you do not see their ultimate use right away. You are not a monolith, or a vacuum. You do not merely exist, you co-exist. These 'distractions'? They will show their true worth to you when the time is right. As long as you know what your goal is, your final destination, then the steps in-between shall only aid you in your journey."
I stay silent for a few moments as I overthink the Sorcerer's words, simply taking in our peaceful surroundings as I mentally review everything that I feel needs to be done in order to complete my Plan and achieve the peace of mind I have been searching for since the day I realized I shared a universe with several individuals capable of destroying it.
It doesn't take long for me to realize there's really only one thing I can say to her.
"Fine. I'll take the job."
The Ancient One folds her hands in her wide sleeves as she gives me a bright smile, a mischievous light dancing in her pale blue eyes.
"See? That wasn't so bad, now-"
"And my first act as the 42nd Sorcerer Supreme is as follows: there is now the position of Sorcerer Adequate-but-still-pretty-damned-decent. Their job is to handle all internal affairs of the Three Sanctums and make sure that the Sorcerer Supreme receives the least amount of paperwork possible. The Sorcerer Adequate-but-still-pretty-damned-decent is appointed by the Sorcerer Supreme and they aren't allowed to refuse. As my second act as the 42nd Sorcerer Supreme, I nominate you as Sorcerer Adequate-but-still-pretty-damned-decent. Have fun handling… basically everything. See ya!"
And before the Ancient One can recover from her gob-smacked expression, a massive portal slams into existence behind me and I swiftly dash through it, emerging high in the sky above Othrys.
"Wait! You can't do that!"
"What was it you said? Oh yeah! Of course I can!"
"Michael! You still need to give a speech-!"
"Let me get back to you on that!"
And with a cheeky wave, I allow the portal to slam shut. Sure, the Ancient One is still on the other side in the middle of Siberia, but she's perfectly capable of teleporting herself out of there, not to mention that she's probably the most dangerous being walking around there.
'Right. Sorcerer Supreme. That's… quite something. Something that I just know is going to demand even more of my time, as if I wasn't being overworked already. On the other hand, I did plan on advancing my magical knowledge…" I pondered as I allowed myself to gently float down to Othrys' expansive lawn.
Additionally, it would mean I would hold an official title. Sure, many called me Hyperion or New Titan or something similar, but the only officially recognized titles I had were as CEO of Titan Solutions and owner of North Brother Island. Despite being instrumental in beating back two extra-planetary invasions and having the most powerful fighting force on the planet in my employ, I didn't actually have any kind of military or governmental rank. The over two dozen superhumans in highly advanced gear under my command were simply listed as Titan Solutions' security forces after all.
I didn't even have the nebulous position that the Avengers had, since they were very clearly connected to SHIELD and through them to the World Governments, even if they didn't really follow a higher authority or orders from anyone other than Peggy and occasionally Fury (though with the whole Captain Marvel debacle, that might have changed).
While I had immense amounts of 'soft' power, that is to say unofficial or implicit, I didn't actually hold a real position within the superstructure of the world governments. Not even in regards to the PDF that was steadily taking shape (the foundation for what would become their orbital base would be finished by the end of this month), as Titan Solutions was merely a partner on the projects (undeniably the biggest and most crucial one, but 'only' a partner nonetheless), as far as anyone was aware that is.
However, Sorcerer Supreme was an actual title and while it wasn't recognized by all governments on Earth, it was recognized amongst many throughout the uni- and multiverse. It should give me more leeway in interacting with existing power structures that were simply too large (or too public) to just brush past with my usual bullheadedness.
As I'm slowly warming up to the idea of becoming the next Sorcerer Supreme, even with all of the additional responsibilities it will undoubtedly require of me, Phineas suddenly pops up in the HUD hidden in the advanced contact lens I'm wearing in my left eye.
"Michael! Big news!"
I'm immediately alert, giving my AI friend my undivided attention.
"Yes?"
"Jess was spotted! She killed Klaue!"
"When and where?" I respond immediately, heat emanating from my eyes.
"In the center of Brussels, not even half an hour ago!" he replies, putting up a map with precise coordinates on my HUD.
"Right." I respond, but the word is said without real thought as I'm more focused on tearing open a portal.
A quick flick of my wrist, an orange spinning circle in space-time and a step later, I go from New York to the capital of Belgium. Usually I'd remark on how bullshit portals were, but this time I immediately started walking towards the commotion I could spot a few dozen feet away instead. I had emerged onto the center of the city, known as the Grote Markt (literally Big Marketplace. Inventive, I know), making sure to target my portal a few meters off the ground so I wouldn't accidentally bisect a tourist or something.
The usually beautiful looking square was in complete disarray with people running every which way in complete panic. The thick black smoke coming from one corner of the square was a pretty good indication as to why. What was a picturesque centuries old building a mere few hours ago had been reduced to a ruin. Its windows were almost all completely gone, its façade blackened and broken and various fires littered its surface while rubble was strewn haphazardly in front of it.
The classic signs of an explosion.
Somewhat less classic where the clear T-Rex footprints burned into the front of the building and several deep arching gouges in the cobbled plaza and terrace as if made by an immensely powerful, burning chain.
Definitely Jess' work.
Thankfully, I couldn't spot any bodies in the building itself, though several people closest to it standing on the plaza looked very much disoriented, some of them covered in fine dust or having blood trickling from their noses or ears.
If I wanted to figure out what happened here, I'd first need to calm everyone down first. I couldn't even properly think with the hundreds of voices calling out in a panic, creating a deluge of sheer noise. So I focused on the Mind Stone, channeling my own powers through it as if it were an amplifier. Then I sent out my own mind over the scrambling crowds, touching their fear and confusion and pushing in my own calm and determination.
While it worked to take the edge off the sheer panic most of them felt, utilizing the Mind Stone in this way wasn't exactly effective. While immensely powerful in its own right, I was currently dealing with raw, primal emotions on an immense scale, something not entirely within the Mind Stone's portfolio. I mean, I definitely could calm everyone her down with a burst of psychokinetic energy, but the level of power required likely meant that several of the people present would be left catatonic afterwards (the Infinity Stones didn't exactly do subtle). So on a whim, while still broadcasting calm thoughts towards the crowd, I tried to grasp for my connection to the Light Dimension.
I knew that it was there, but I hadn't yet tried to consciously draw on it, only having done so automatically as a result of pushing into the Super Saiyan mode I stole from Carol. Now it felt like grabbing mist with my bare hands. It was right there, in both body and soul, connected to me on an intrinsic level, yet I couldn't take hold of it like I did with my Jessica field or Chi powers. Realizing a forceful approach wasn't doing the trick, I instead completely flipped my approach.
Instead of actively seeking it out, only to have it slip through my fingers each time, I now acted more passively. Not chasing it, but letting it approach me, suffuse me and go through me. Instead of acting like a wielder of the energy, I mentally envisioned myself as a conduit to it.
Because I was so intently focused inwards that I had closed my eyes, I didn't realize I was successful until I suddenly noticed a far more positive mental feedback from the masses I was trying to affect. Well that and the ache that suddenly lanced throughout my body. It was like a particularly bad case of cramps, though considering what else I have gone through in the past years and subjective centuries, I easily power through it, ignoring the discomfort with ease. Opening my eyes, I looked in surprise at the sheer white glow coming from underneath my skin. It looked like something halfway between my Extremis-veins and Chi-flesh, but instead of glowing red or molten gold, this was the brightest white I've ever seen. It pulsed in time with my heartbeat, but didn't seem to follow any internal structure of my body like veins or bones.
It also radiated out from me far more than the other glows my body tended to have, reaching dozens of feet away from me and almost seeming to chase away the shadows wherever it touched.
It's effects evidently reached far further than merely the visible corona of light surrounding me however, as I could feel people lose their panic even on the other end of the square. Interestingly enough, it was replaced by what felt like… hope?
Huh, I didn't know Light Dimension energy could do that. I had counted on it having some sort of amplifying effect on positive emotions, but I hadn't anticipated the scale or the intensity of said emotion. It seems there's more to it than simply making hard-light objects out of it, as it also has a rather impressive mental/emotional component to it.
Something to study at a later date however, first I had to investigate what seemed to be the place of execution of one Ulysses Klaue.
With the crowd no longer running around or screaming their heads off, I could finally focus and as I raised my arms, the golden plates on the amulet at my throat whirling away, I addressed the stunned and suddenly light-hearted people.
"Please step back. Emergency services shall be with you shortly. Give me some space here."
At my booming voice and the sight of the emerald glow coming from the most powerful jewelry on Earth, the people collectively moved away from me as far as they could without trampling each other. Everyone still felt oddly hopeful and happy, but other than making a mental note of it (Phineas was watching so I knew he'd have it saved on his databanks as well) I ignored the now silent crowd.
With a flex of my will, the green glow increased and spread to cover and suffuse the burnt out husk of the building in front of me. Then I twisted my right hand counter-clockwise and following the movement, almost like a movie in reverse but… weirder, the building restored itself. Burn-marks faded, broken stone melded back together and shattered glass spiraled back into pristine windows again. It was the work of moments, but it still looked damned impressive, judging from the amazed exclamations from the people at my back and the flashes of cell phones recording as much as possible.
As the centuries old façade restored itself to its previous impeccable state, I allowed the magic to fade, the Eye of Agamotto closing once more. While the crowd kept muttering and taking pictures, I merely frowned as I took in the scene.
Something was missing.
"Where's Klaue's corpse?" I ask lowly, my eyes roaming over the building as I float up towards it, Phineas looking through it as well.
"… I don't know. There's nobody in there Michael. Not even a body."
"Do you have any footage of the confrontation?"
"I've hacked the CCTV of the city and have been browsing their files since I called you. There's very little: Klaue seems to have dodged most of the cameras, but I've found him in the footage of a couple of them about a block away. He was wearing a special set of glasses that interfered with the recordings, so he wasn't recognized by the databases that are hooked up to the network, but he took them off when he took a seat on the terrace. It almost looks like he wanted to be found. As if he were waiting."
Recalling the gouge and claw marks, it's not difficult to guess who he was waiting for.
"And Jess?"
"Popped out of a portal only two streets away from here about an hour ago now and then ran over rooftops in a straight line to where Klaue was waiting. I have some footage of her landing on this building and walking down its front, but then there's a bright flash and nothing but static on all nearby cameras."
"So no clue what happened to Klaue?"
"Well… if he's not here… maybe it's because his body is somewhere else? Like… if Susan… ate him?"
There's a beat of silence between us as we process that possibility, before I shake it off.
"Right, speculation will get us nowhere."
And once more, I focus on the Amulet at my throat as I pull up my legs, floating cross-legged in the air with my arms held up loosely at my sides. If Strange could see millions of futures, then I should be able to at least view one past. Especially if it had only happened recently.
As I divert my attention to the empty terrace below me, I gather my magical power, relying on the Infinity Stone. But instead of pushing it outwards, into my surroundings in order to send them through time, this time I draw it inwards instead, opening my mind as I do.
Falling in a deep trance, I allow the energy of the Time Stone to come over me as I close my eyes… and view this same location, only as it was one and a half hours ago in the past.
I'm a spectral figure standing on a square that mirrors the one I had just left and where my physical body still floats several feet off the ground. Almost everything is the same – the tourists, the pigeons, the peddlers and their wares – and yet there are also startling differences, even after I repaired the destroyed restaurant.
For instance, this one still has people in it. Its terrace is actually a bit crowded with people enjoying famous Belgian beer or chocolates as they rest their feet after a mad shopping spree or sightseeing tour.
The sound of boots striking the cobbled street in a confident tempo coming from several feet behind me and to my left grabs my attention. Especially since the steps sound heavier than a human is supposed to be.
Glancing over my shoulder, I spot the man of the hour.
It's a small miracle that Klaue has made it this far into Brussels without being noticed by the local authorities (and the hidden international ones hitching a ride on the local networks) considering he doesn't exactly… blend in very well.
He's wearing inconspicuous clothing, I'll give him that at least, a classic combination of thick shoes, rough jeans and a concealing hoodie with a baseball cap. But that's as far as his 'disguise' goes really. There's the subtle things of course, the kind which would be missed by the ordinary passerby but which even a seasoned cop would immediately pick up on. Things like the way he carries himself, like a predator, a wolf surrounded by unaware sheep. Then there are the… unsubtle things as well. His unshaven, unclean appearance for one. The clearly futuristic glasses sitting on his face (probably worth a small fortune), which had scrambled any kind of facial recognition software (an idea I immediately file away to pass onto Melvin and his team at the Forges).
And of course, the clearly inhuman mechanical arm.
Sure, he has it covered by the sleeve of his oversized hoodie, but the bumps and sharp edges poorly hidden underneath the faded fabric clearly stand out, to me at least.
It's the baseball cap somehow, I just know it. Baseball caps in this universe are some sort of highly advanced stealth equipment, generating a kind of S.E.P.-field. It's the only logical explanation.
Putting bullshit-stealth machines disguised as common headwear out of my mind, I watch with interest as Klaue takes a seat at one of the free tables left, putting his boots on opposite chair with an explosive sigh. He fumbles around in one of his pockets for a moment, somewhat hindered by his use of a single arm, before he extracts a massive cigar with a triumphant smirk, lighting it in short order.
Blowing out thick clouds of smoke, he orders the most expensive beer and drink the restaurant has to offer, ignoring the serving girl's unsubtle glares at his dirty boots on the chair with ease. He simply leans back in his seat, gazing out over the square with an almost… satisfied look on his face.
He doesn't have to wait very long for his order to arrive, despite the general rush (perhaps the staff hope that if he finishes up quickly, he'll leave as soon as possible), but just as he is about to dig into the sandwich dripping with oil and fat, not bothering to wipe the froth-mustache off his face, a roar rings out across the city.
Ah, this is the part where Jessica and Susan had arrived then.
While the other patrons look around in confusion and slight fear (while both Invasions have taken place in New York, other cities the world over have still become somewhat paranoid of a repeat event happening to themselves), Klaue merely sighs, before shrugging his shoulders and digging into the (admittedly delicious looking) sandwich.
He keeps up his glib attitude even as Susan's massive head peaks over the edge of the building, looking down at the rapidly emptying restaurant as patrons flee for their lives. While they don't really have anything to fear from her, their reaction to the rows of sharp teeth the size of their forearms slowly descending towards them is somewhat understandable. Still, Klaue continues gleefully munching on his sandwich even as tourists rush past his table by the dozens, until the entire restaurant is emptied out.
He doesn't even acknowledge Susan stalking down the side of the building at his back, completely defying all the laws of gravity, her burning eyes transfixed on his form as her large claws sink into centuries old brickwork. He simply washes away the sandwich by downing most of his beer, before burping loudly. It's only when the ground shakes as Susan drops the last few feet to the ground that he stills in his movements.
He makes to move towards the half-finished cigar still sitting on the ashtray, when a burning whip lashes through the air, slamming into the thick Havana… as well as the table beneath it… and the cobblestones between that as well.
The chain retreats like a coiling snake, but Klaue hadn't even flinched, looking somewhat disappointed at his empty outstretched hand.
"Now that was just uncalled for. That was a perfectly fine cigar, one of the best blends on the market."
At his softly muttered words, Susan lets out a low, deep growl, which is intense enough that it sends the windows and glasses on the tables rattling.
"You're late!" Klaue calls out as he half-turns in his chair, grinning up at the T-Rex behind him and the woman who's riding said T-Rex.
Jessica is staring back down at him, her face set in a deep scowl as her eyes are glowing. Thankfully she hasn't transformed into a ghostly specter made of bone and Hellfire yet, but with (one of) the object(s) of the Ghost Rider's most recent Vengeance right in front of her, that's only a question of time really.
She doesn't seem to have really registered or even heard Klaue's cheeky comment, instead staring him dead in the eye.
"Ulysses Klaue. You are responsible for Hell Week. I've come to exact Vengeance for all those who have died or been scarred by you and yours." She says, but there's an odd reverb to her voice, as if someone else is talking alongside her.
The arms dealer doesn't seem all that impressed however.
"Oho! Ominous! A bit… formal, but I think you pull it off. Pity it isn't Halloween, I'm sure a little kid would've pissed his pants at that." He laughs as he slowly stands from his table.
He reaches up with his remaining arm, before violently ripping the sleeve concealing his new mechanical one in a single violent movement, dismissively tossing the fabric to the side. He clenches the four thick digits a couple of times, hydraulics audibly moving in time with his will as he gives it a considering look.
Satisfied with what he sees, the Belgian slides into a combat stance, artificial arm cocked and ready at his side as he stares down Jessica and Susan with a smug expression. Even if I can't read his mind in this sort of 'simulation' it isn't difficult to understand his fearlessness.
This is truly a man with nothing left to lose.
His stance finally causes some expression to show on Jess' face as she lifts a single eyebrow.
"Really? You can't be serious." She scuffs and this time it sounds all her, causing me to slightly smile.
Klaue gives a self-deprecating shrug, mad grin still transfixed on his face.
"Eh, I can still try though, right? I'm going to Hell, but I'm sure as Hell not going without a fight." He laughs, before his expression falls somewhat, gaining a somber look.
"I owe it to her to at least try." he mutters softly and I think I'm the only one who actually caught the mumbled words.
There's a pause as Klaue refocuses on the duo in front of him and a worrying gleam of madness and hate enters his eyes, his earlier grin now back in full force and creepily large. He's up to something.
Jessica clearly sees that something is wrong as well, as without warning she explodes into a deep orange flame which swallows her and Susan in a column of Hellfire. It quickly draws away, dissipating into the now wavering air and standing on molten stone, a skeletal T-Rex and her rider stare down at the arms dealer, who briefly covered his face against the explosive heat from Jessica's transformation.
The long chain held in Jess' arm bursts into flame in equal fashion as she gives it a wide overhead swing, the burning metal ripping through stone and mortar as if it weren't even there.
"So, here's my question: what do you wanna do more? Kill me… or save them?!" Klaue roars, swinging his arm around and pointing it straight behind him at the panicking people stuck on the crowded square.
Jessica and Susan begin to move towards him, but before they can even take a single step, hidden thrusters burst into life around Klaue's elbow and with a thunderous noise, his lower arm disconnects and flies off, propelled by rockets. The take-off is sudden and violent enough that he is thrown back and the snap of the bones in the upper-right part of his torso is clearly audible even over the noise of his propelled arm.
Narrowing my eyes, Time literally slows down to a crawl and I step closer towards the in-flight mechanical prosthetic, wondering why Klaue fired it at the crowd. Sure, it'd hit a couple of people and kill them, but that seemed too… mild for what was apparently the Belgian's idea of going down swinging.
It was only once I got close enough to the damned thing that I saw his real plan: through the gaps in the plates that form the outer shell of the arm, I could see the inner parts and workings. And the thing seemed to be completely stuffed with advanced, high-yield explosives. Definitely above-military grade, the type of stuff that Stark Industries was pumping out under Stane's leadership. Glancing from the airborne arm towards the fleeing crowd, stuck in various frantic poses and frozen expressions of sheer terror, I estimate that Klaue's Last Laugh could take down roughly half of all people present.
Easily.
Still, when I arrived, De Grote Markt wasn't a smoldering crater so Jessica clearly managed to do something about the situation. Loosening my hold on the flow of Time, it resumes at its normal pace, the arm screaming towards the innocent people at several meters per second. Yet when it was mere feet away from its nearest victim (an unassuming looking man in his mid-forties, with thinning hair and ill-fitting glasses who looked on with wide eyes at his approaching doom) a burning chain lashed through the air at impossible speeds, curling around the bottom edge of the arm, halting it in its tracks mere inches from the man's face.
Jess gave an enormous heave of the taut chain and it followed her command immediately, raising itself up high, like a cobra readying itself to strike. At the top of its arc, it uncoiled from the arm which immediately sped off straight up towards the sky. It only travelled about a dozen feet or so before it exploded.
The sound was unbearably loud, a physical thing slamming into those standing below while a corona of fire bloomed into existence above the square, eclipsing several of the buildings below in size. But it was the wave of pressure and heat that slammed downwards that was truly felt by all. People were thrown to the ground, stands and tables fell over and the city was drowned out by the sound of car alarms going off in a mad cacophony of noise.
I took all of this in completely unaffected by what was happening in the simulation. As I hadn't taken my eyes off Jessica, I could see how, while she was distracted and looking away from him, Klaue ignored his broken bones, reaching into the back of his pants and retrieving an odd looking gun. It had a relatively short handle compared to the high, thick rectangular barrel that it was connected to and instead of having any visible ammo compartment, it had angular purple glowing lines all over its body.
Flashes from Shuri's memory that I gained when we accidentally mind-melded told me this was a sound-cannon of some kind, which could pulp a man's insides with a single shot. A powerful and gruesome weapon, and dangerous in the hands of a man like Klaue.
Sweat dripped down his brow as he bared his teeth in agony, dark stains of blood already spreading over his aged hoodie, but his biological arm still came up unerringly as he trained it square on Jessica, who was still occupied with swinging his makeshift bomb up into the air. Even though she wasn't flesh-and-blood in this state, that gun was powerful and I didn't want to find out what it'd do to her (or our children) if she got hit by it at such a short distance.
Despite this only being a replay, I still caught myself trying to move towards her. It didn't turn out to be necessary, because in his blind rage and pain, Klaue had focused completely on Jessica, forgetting one crucial element.
She was the Ghost Rider.
Before he could pull the trigger, Susan sprang forwards on her own accord (perhaps he had simply underestimated her intelligence or autonomy) without any input from Jessica, her flaming jaws closing around his remaining arm with a snap, the sound of sheared off flesh drowned out by the massive explosion overhead.
A violent jerk of her skull and Klaue was left a completely disarmed arms dealer.
His earlier hateful expression turned to one of pained horror as he looked at the smoldering stump that was all that remained of his last arm. With an agonized grunt, he slowly collapsed to his knees, his eyes turning dull and unfocused as the pain became too overwhelming for his mind to handle.
In the shocked silence that followed the explosion of his Last Laugh Jessica jumped off of Susan's back, her booted feet slamming into the red hot stones beneath her. The flames spilling from her empty eye sockets were locked on Klaue's defeated form as she slowly approached him.
Her skeletal hand closed around his neck as she effortlessly raised him up until he was on (figurative) eye-level with her, her skull somehow looking as if it were grinning, Klaue's toes scraping against the cobblestones as he weakly struggled in her grip.
"Ulysses Klaue. You are responsible for Hell Week. I've come to exact Vengeance for all those who have died or been scarred by you and yours." She said as her jaw opened, but the voice that came spilling out was completely void of Jessica or any humanity at all, sounding like two slabs of granite sliding against each other.
Klaue's eyes slowly regained some clarity as he struggled to focus on the burning skull in front of him. As they locked gazes, flames exploded from the Ghost Rider's eye sockets, but Klaue merely gave a wide, tired smile, blood staining his teeth as he looked at his executioner without fear.
"Ahh… Now it's scary."
"Klaue… Look into my eyes."
"No thanks. You're not my type."
"Silence. Suffer."
Even though I knew what would follow next, I was still slightly taken off guard when Klaue's eyes started to burn in his head, flesh bubbling and charring as the Ghost Rider kept up its stare. Impressively, Klaue managed to grit his teeth at first, even as more and more of his flesh was consumed by Hellfire. Lacking the arms to really struggle at all, he managed one final act of spite by suddenly and violently raising a leg, kicking Jessica square in the private parts.
The Ghost Rider stiffened for a moment, and I could tell by the ragged breathing of Klaue that it had let up in its stare for just the briefest of moments. Then, despite lacking any eyebrows, it seemed to frown deeply, baring its already exposed teeth as it leaned forwards and without warning, Hellfire bursts from Klaue's ruined eyes and open mouth as he let out a silent scream.
And then it was over. The Spirit's skeletal fingers loosened from Klaue's neck, leaving dark burn marks in his flesh and the corpse of Wakanda's most infamous thief sagged in on itself, falling back to its knees, head bowed and chest still.
Vengeance had been exacted on Ulysses Klaue.
The Ghost Rider stared down at its victim for a few moments before a shudder seemed to go through its body. It looked up at the still skeletal Susan and it seemed to be… softer, somehow. She made to turn away from the corpse at her feet, but then a beeping sound suddenly emanated from it. Turning back I could see her giving it an odd look, before her skeletal fingers grabbed at Klaue's baggy hoodie, tearing it open along the front.
As I had moved closer so that I was standing only a few feet to her left, I could see the same thing she did: strapped tightly against his chest and stomach (and presumably against his back as well) were flattened packets of C4, hitched up to what appeared to be a jury-rigged dead-man's switch.
And since Klaue was… well, dead…
"Fuck." Jess and I said simultaneously and then there was a massive flash of light and an earth-shattering sound, though it paled in comparison to the Last Laugh.
As I wasn't really here in this time, I was completely unaffected, though briefly I couldn't see anything due to the brightness of the explosion and the expanding ball of flame, force and dust that consumed everything in a thirty feet radius.
Still, while I was unaffected, the same wasn't the true for those that were here when it happened.
"JESS!" I roared, even though I knew it was useless as she couldn't hear future-mind-me looking in on what had then been her present.
Still, I hadn't needed to fear since I saw her (relatively) unharmed once the dust had cleared up a bit. The force of the explosion had lifted her off her feet and sent her flying backwards into the restaurant, where she had crashed through the front window. Now she was lying upside down in the restaurant against the ledge underneath the window, with her lower legs and feet still dangling over the ledge to the outside.
"… asshole."
With those words, Jessica floated upwards and out of the building, shaking broken glass and rubble from her clothes. She gave a disgusted look at the various… bits of Klaue that were now spread all over the front of her body, before once again immolating herself in Hellfire, disintegrating the disgusting remnants.
Giving the small crater where Klaue had gone out on his own terms a dismissive glance, she gave Susan a pat on her thigh bone.
"Susan? Burn."
The T-Rex took a single step forwards as she opened her gargantuan jaws wide without a sound. The fire at her throat seemed to increase in brightness and volume, before with a roar it was expelled like a tsunami of Hellfire as it sped past her pointed teeth. Klaue's bits and remains were wholly engulfed by the meters long flame and Susan kept it up for roughly twenty seconds before she closed her jaws again with a snap.
All that was left were the blackened, broken molten remains of what was once a nicely cobbled part of the Grote Markt, a burn scar in the body of Brussels several meters long.
Of Klaue, absolutely nothing was left.
With a single jump, Jessica moved back to her spot at the base of Susan's neck, gripping her burning chain tight in her bone fist.
"Just two left. Let's go."
And with that a portal tore itself into existence and the burning woman and her T-Rex sped through it without a glance backwards.
There was a stunned silence (other than the insistent howling of the nearby car alarms) as people stared dumbfounded at where only moments before the mutilated remains of the infamous criminal had been spread across the terrace. I merely stared at the blackened spot for a few moments, my face impassive as I mentally reviewed the last moments of the man I had met almost two years ago now.
"Well… at least you died as you lived. You were always a dick Klaue, but no one will ever say you were a coward."
And with those final words, I raise my arm and allow the replay around me to fade away, returning my mind to my body in the present.
"Well? What happened here?"
Phineas' voice in my ear is the first thing I notice when I return to my own present, blinking my eyes somewhat of the odd sensation of me 'syncing up' with the rest of me. Sterns would go absolutely nuts experimenting with this.
"Pretty much what we expected. Klaue came here to die, intending to go down fighting. He had a bomb hidden in his rocket-propelled arm which exploded harmlessly, had a gun which was eaten together with his remaining arm by Susan and got his eyes burnt out of his skull after he kicked Jessica between the legs while the Spirit was doing the Penance Stare on him. Blew himself to bits after he died, so Susan burnt the… goopy bits that were left. Then they were off. Jessica mentioned they were going to go after the others, Sowande and the Mandarin."
"… wow."
"Yeah."
"How did you-"
"Mentally Time travelled."
"Oh. That makes sense."
"Of course it does." I muse as I flow higher in the air again.
As I told the people when I first arrived, emergency services were already on their way and with the building restored there really wasn't any reason for me to stay. It would be interesting to see who out of his multitude of contacts had supplied Klaue with that type of ordinance (personally my money was on Diamondback, considering the advanced tech level) but at this point it was more effort than it was worth to pursue it.
A quick memo to SHIELD and a comment to Phineas would mean people would look into it for me. Should it require my attention or that of the Hysminai, Phineas would let me know. Or I could just pawn it off on the Avengers, keep them nice and occupied while I go about my business.
Speaking of my business…
With the use of another portal, I return to Othrys and more specifically my office. Flopping down into my massive, reinforced office chair, I call up a row of screens with a flick of my wrist. There are various lists detailing ongoing projects, items that I wish to collect and people I want to talk to. Not all of them are on Earth, but before I can get to those, several things here need to be wrapped up first.
"Phineas. How far along is Oliver's new engine?"
"Suspected to be completely finished sometime this week. Selvig is fairly sure that with a bit more time and with help from Sterns and Radcliffe, he can give Oliver a FTL-engine, since he can combine his implanted Asgardian knowledge with the vast library Sterns brought back from Xandar and Sakaar. It won't be as smooth or easy as before with the Tesseract and he won't be able to teleport all over the place, but he should be able to perform interplanetary travel relatively easy. Not sure about interstellar, but that's somewhat of a non-issue since he can just reach the nearest Jump Gate and go from there."
"Very well. I know that Oliver's replacement engine has taken up much of Selvig's time, but Foster has all of his notes and equals him in intellect. How far along is she with building our own version of the Bifrost, now that the Tesseract will be available soon?"
"She says she'll need the Tesseract itself first before she can give us any hard estimates, but already the information on Sakaar's portals and Xandar's research into the function of the Jump Gates has helped her along immensely. She and Sterns actually recently published a paper on the manipulation of the Space-Time continuum that has… upset quite a few theoretical physicists. I hear several supersymmetry and string theory researchers got their funding pulled now that their entire field of work has been either made obsolete since aliens have already done the maths, or just shown to be completely incorrect."
"Well that's not entirely unexpected. Taking the scientific discoveries of civilisations far more advanced than ours back to our world was bound to have ripple effects throughout the scientific community as we're basically looking at a cheat sheet to some of the biggest questions we have thought of. Does everyone hate us now?"
"Well, astrophysicists are a bit split on the matter. On the one hand, they now have access to far more accurate star charts and can actually look at the footage of stars that so far have either only been a smudge of pixels on their screens or a set of calculations in their computers. On the other hand, they feel like we've taken away the "thrill of the hunt". They're doing much the same as everyone else really: taking in what Othrys has revealed and trying to find a new place for themselves in this new scientific era we have ushered in."
I drum my thick fingers on the smooth desk in front of me for a few moments before I put the regular scientists of Earth out of my mind. I simply don't have the time to concern myself with them. Let's see, what else needs to be addressed before I can execute the final stages of my plan?
"Have we received word from Jiaying about a possible alliance between Afterlife and Othrys?"
"Skye passed the message along, she said her parents appeared to be very interested. Well, she said her dad was mostly just happy to finally get his hands on Whitehall, she wasn't entirely sure about her mom. Like I said, hard lady to get a read on. But she'll probably go for it. With demons and aliens not exactly… regarded fondly by humanity right now, she probably feels Inhumans could use a heavy hitter in their corner. Then there's Radcliffe and his research. He and Skye are close and his understanding of the Kree and thus the Inhuman's own history probably eclipses their own at this point. If I were to guess, Jiaying might even try to get us to make more Inhumans for her."
"Hmmm. Depending on how our talks about forging an alliance end up turning out, I might just agree to that. Speaking of genetics, I know Hansen just left for Namibia with Dormer and Gill. I'll visit them shortly: I have business to attend to in Africa. However, this leaves only Burstein on the Celestial project. Any progress there?"
"Pretty much the same situation there as before, though he says he got the test results in from when you told him, Sterns and me that you weren't feeling well after your latest upgrade. He's ready to talk to you about it now if you want? You don't have to! I mean there's plenty of other stuff that needs your oversight. SpaceX has asked our help on a space elevator-"
I ignore Phineas' odd ramblings as I get up out of my chair, waving him off.
"No, it's fine. It's often better to address these kinds of things before they get too out of hand and become a genuine problem down the line. Is Sterns free right now?"
"... Sure. Yeah, right now he's… I'm not sure what he's doing but it doesn't really seem to be going very well. He just blasted something apart with a high-intensity laser. Might want to check in on him."
Frowning, I open a portal to Sterns' laboratories, stepping through only to immediately duck to avoid a desk rapidly approaching my face. Straightening, I look around at the messy workshop straight out of a Mad Scientist's dreams as workbenches are covered in the most varied pieces of technology, gutted and disassembled machinery littering the place. Stern's wasn't the tidiest person ever, but this was excessive, even for him.
"Sterns? You alright there buddy?" I ask as I approach the scientist as he regards a large tank which contains a mixture of solutions with a frown on his face.
When he turns to me, I almost trip over myself as I see the depressed look in his eyes, though it's hidden so fast I almost think I imagined it.
"Ah, Michael. Yes, yes. I'm just having a bit of a problem with this little experiment. I was messing around with ways to combine research into clean, hydrogen-based fuel with a new hobby of mine: making clever puns."
I blink in surprise at his words and the contrasting serious tone he said them in.
"... Puns?"
"Yes. While Jessica's… unique circumstances make it impossible to tell when she's due, it will probably be very soon. And, as Godfather to your children, it is my solid duty when you're-... It's my solemn duty to be as entertaining, yet still caring, as I can be to them. Like the Cool Uncle. So yes, puns."
"... alright. I think. So what's this… pun then?"
"Well, have a look at this equation and then you'll know." Sterns says with a grin (which just seems to be the slightest bit fake) as he turns towards me, a holographic screen popping to life above one of his Doc Ock arms.
"KOH + H2 = K + H2O?" I read aloud, glancing up at my friend with a questioning eyebrow.
"What does the reaction of Potassium hydroxide with hydrogen have to do with-"
"I'm trying to make this engine go bananas!" Sterns interrupts me with a wide grin.
"..."
"Get it? 'Cause the chemical reaction leaves you with Potassium? Which is common in bananas? And 'going bananas' is a phrase for going crazy? So this will be an engine that will make you go crazy fast on bananas!"
"... we need to get you outside more often."
I ignore Sterns' pout as I grab him by the shoulder and open a portal to Burstein's labs.
"Right, come along now. Noah said he had an update for meon what the fuck is happening to my body after my latest powerup."
Burstein is already waiting for us as we step through (Sterns giving a wistful look back at his pun-engine) but something is off. I can tell just by looking at him. Or more specifically, the way he doesn't look at me.
"Now, Michael, before you ask no, I haven't found a way to integrate the Celestial DNA into your own genetic template. Honestly, at this point I'm not sure it's possible. Celestial DNA is so advanced, yet subtle while your own is… well, it's anything but. It's a hack-job and as unsubtle as can be, completely mutilated to become something wholly different to its original. It's a small miracle, not to mention a testament to Sam's sheer genius, that you're not a puddle of goo-"
"Noah." I interrupt with a warning tone.
"Right, right. It's nothing you've never heard me say before. Multiple times even. Anyways, like I said, actually incorporating Celestial DNA is unattainable, at least for the moment. But, Celestial Flesh isn't! After gaining a better understanding of its genetics, I zoomed back out again and went back to our earlier experiments with the Seed itself and the way it deals with energy and mass! And I think I've found a way to influence those factors!"
And still refusing to properly look me in the eyes, Noah strides towards one of the walls, placing his palm flat against it. Almost immediately, parts of the wall slide away, revealing an opening through which emerges… a sleek looking high-tech sarcophagus? It's all silvery metal and the front is an opaque form of high-grade Amber Glass. Noah quickly presses the side of the coffin and the glass immediately clears to reveal…
'Is that… is that a Venom symbiote?!'
After stepping closer for a better look, I realized my mistake, though it was understandable. Standing upright inside the coffin was a suit made from black fibers, tightly packed and corded, forming a very human-like shape, reminiscent of how Venom is usually portrayed, though without the iconic face or spider mark on its chest. If anything, it looked more like the Crysis suit, but reduced to a single layer of laminated muscle.
"Noah. What the hell am I looking at?"
"Well, this thing should, in theory be capable of leeching excessive amounts of energy from a person, and store it for later use, or dispel it safely on the spot. Well, I say safely, but I really mean relatively safely for said person. The surrounding fifty meters will probably be turned to ash in such an event. It's a continuation of what Maya had in mind for house generators or nuclear waste scrubbers-"
I'm no longer listening, an odd, heavy feeling settling in the pit of my stomach. Things begin to fall into place: Phineas odd insistence on small-talk and distracting me with other projects. Sterns' messed up lab and his odd way of coping with his duties as Godfather. Noah's oddly morose attitude, refusal to look at me and this highly specialized new project of his, despite his own vehement restraints when experimenting with Celestial stuff.
"Noah."
My grave tone immediately shuts off his rambling and I can feel both him and Sterns slump, while Phineas remains conspicuously silent.
"What were my test results?"
I ask, even if I don't have to. Now that I'm actively paying attention to it, I can see the answer in their minds, despite (or more because of) them trying their hardest not to think it.
"Michael, you need to understand that your body is unique. At this point, you'd probably classify as a different species to humans, so our projections could be-"
"What. were. my. test results." I slowly intone as I turn to look him square in the eye.
Noah can't hold my gaze for longer than a few seconds before he looks down at his shoes, so my eyes slide over towards Sterns. His face is morose as he looks back. We both know that we both know the answer, and yet I feel an irrational urge to hear him say it. To make it more real, instead of this floating anxiety that it is now.
"Michael… you're dying."
The floor seems to fall away underneath my feet as I feel oddly weightless. I'm no stranger to dying, but this is… different. Permanent. Hearing my oldest friend of a couple years say it aloud… it hammers home to me that I've failed. My quest for more and more power… all that I have sacrificed for it, all that I have taken from others for it… all of that, and I hadn't even struck at Thanos. If anything, by collecting most of them on a planet ill-equipped to fend off attacks from a massive fleet in orbit, I've done the Mad Titan a favor.
As I lean against a wall for support, my breathing oddly loud in my ears, I recognize the irony of my situation. With my powerups, with the stockpile of weapons in my fortress, with my allies and more importantly, with three Infinity Stones on my person and another in my possession, I probably was already capable of killing Thanos at this point.
It would've been easy I realize, my mind lucid and far away as I go over scenarios that could've taken care of one of the greatest would-be murderers this universe will would have seen. A Rods of Gods delivery system using the Tesseract, or even the Time Stone. Build up infinite speed and pop it through a portal right in the heart of Sanctuary. Fuck it, mount the Power Stone on that thing and just eradicate that entire sector of space down to the last atom.
Sterns has put a hand on my shoulder and is saying something, but his words only register as static to me. Instead, in my mind's eye I can see exactly where I've gone wrong. Yes, omnipotence was my goal so that nobody could ever hurt me. No man, no Titan, no God would ever hold power over me. But I got that goal confused with living beyond Thanos' Snap. In the earliest Steps of my Program, after taking the Gamma-enhanced Super Soldier Serum and the Extremis, I was already going to live for centuries. Plenty of time to obtain Omnipotence at a steady and calculated pace. All I needed to do to actually make use of those centuries was kill Thanos. Kill Thanos, then become omnipotent. I didn't need to first become omnipotent to then kill Thanos.
It's just that… for so long, for nearly twenty years, a single moment haunted my dreams every time I slept. A Titan raising a gauntleted hand, a snap which echoes throughout the universe and then a bright flash of white… and then nothingness. Ever since my second childhood, Thanos had been the threat. More so than Ego, more so even than Dormammu.
My own fear had blinded me to the fact that he was still mortal. That even he could be beaten. Killed. And that fear now was going to cost me my own life.
… Jess… the children…
"How long?"
I refocus on Sterns' worried face.
"How long do I have?"
"Well, thankfully we don't have to worry about you dropping dead right now. As I said, that latest powerup was simply too much energy to be contained within your body. There's just not enough room there anymore. It worked in Miss Danvers because that room was artificially created for it using Kree genetic engineering and even then we speculate most of it was suppressed for a long time so that her body could grow to accommodate it all. We already asked Radcliffe and he might be able to do similar engineering on you, but like Burstein said, making further changes to your DNA, with your body being as it is right now, might do more harm than good. Especially considering the second problem: the energy of the Light Dimension. It's constantly flowing into you, not in great amounts, but enough to be noticable. But there's nowhere for it to go. The best it can do right now is flow into your body, melding with your Chi, but your energy field is already taken up by the fusion of Jessica's powers and Captain Marvel's and your soul… well, let's not get into that. It's like forcing an ocean through a dammed river: there's just… too much."
"So? What's happening to me Sam?"
"You are… disintegrating. Very slowly, thankfully, we have your regeneration to thank for that. You probably weren't even aware of this, considering how often you set yourself on fire, but you're running a massive fever Michael, even by Extremis standards. Your body is continually trying to repair the damage it is doing to itself… and slowly but steadily it's losing that battle. It might take months before it really starts to impair you. It might be weeks."
"Michael. The thing is… using your powers will rapidly accelerate the disintegration. You are already literally overpowered in a dormant state. You don't even really have a dormant state anymore, considering the fluctuations and random power spikes Phineas has been measuring ever since our appointment. There's a war going on in your body and by calling on either side, you only escalate it further."
'Would you look at that. Seems the Light Dimension doesn't like sharing me.'
"Your body is simply no longer designed for the amounts and types of energies you now contain. That's why I made this, as a last-resort. It's still untested, so I really don't want to put it on you unless utterly necessary. It's just as likely to feed off you as it is to save your life. But, if you do end up powering up for whatever reason and the energy is threatening to spill over and explode you, then this should help. In theory. At the very least, it should give us enough time to come up with a solution." Noah explains.
I nod distractedly at his words, trying to find a solution myself. I discard one scenario after the other, but my mind keeps returning to a single one. I was already planning on trying it, seeing it as essential to the completion of my plan (mentally I whack myself over the head for thinking myself so clever for coming up with said overly convoluted, complex and dangerous plan in the first place) but it has just gained in priority.
I'm not going to die. Not now, not when I have nearly accomplished my original goal. Not when I've realized I have ways of taking out Thanos in my arsenal. Not even when it's my own body trying to kill me this time.
I'm not going to leave Jess a widow and my kids without a father.
"Phineas." I intone heavily as I straighten, a new determination visible in my eyes.
"Right here Michael." Phineas replies, somewhat subdued.
"Pause Oliver's replacement engine for now. I need him to take me somewhere. Contact Beta Ray Bill. Tell him I want an interstellar strike on Sanctuary. Considering Thanos murdered his people, he should be happy to oblige and considering the level of technology Korbin possessed, I'm counting on him being capable of contributing significantly to knocking down Thanos' home. Have him coordinate with Radcliffe and cross reference with the databanks from Xandar and Sakaar. Sam, I want you on this project as well. Considering the stuff you've built, Thanos armies' won't even have the time to properly shit themselves."
Sterns nods at my words, clearly relieved to see me mentally back on my feet (or at least well enough to pretend).
"Very well. But where are you and Oliver going?"
"You told me my current body was insufficient, to the point I might need to rely on a bio-engineered life support suit that might eat me. So, I'm fixing that, by ordering myself a new body."
"... what."
"I need to have a talk with the Dwarves of Nidavellir."
Fun Fact: Studios often attach codenames to projects to keep spoilers from coming out. Tom Hiddleston told the Guardian newspaper that the codename for the first Avengers film was "Group Hug."
AN: Considering the non-Disney Star Wars stuff has been on a roll recently (the EA game, the Bioware Game and of course the Mandalorian) and with JJ Abram's attempt at fixing Ruin Johnson's mess soon arriving in cinemas, I figured I'd go with an SW-inspired title. I struggled with the flow of this chapter for a long time. I really wanted to finish up all the loose plot threads on Earth before neatly progressing to the next phase of the story, but instead of feeling like I was making progress with the plot, I instead felt bogged down instead. As if I was merely writing filler just for the sake of it. Since I actually enjoy world building and so far have always seen it as a challenge when the story forces itself to slow down or divert from my original intentions because of in-universe rules and logic, this time I just felt… tired and frustrated, really. For me, this is a sign that this story needs to come to an end. I'm no longer enjoying writing it and exploring the setting as I used to. Things have naturally progressed to the point that now less is more. The plot has reached it's endgame so slowing the story down makes no structural sense at this point. That's why parts of this feel rushed, but now Michael has a legitimate reason to charge forwards as well instead of being stuck in a delegating role. I hope this will keep the story going and feel more 'fresh'. So yeah, expect far "leaner" chapters in the futures with far more focus on plot progression than world/character exploration. Thanks for your patience, I know many of you have been waiting a long time for the next update.
< Prev 1. First Steps2. I vant to steal your blood3. Turning up the heat4. I like my weapons how I like my music5. Firing up the Torch6. Wakanda shit is this!7. Omake 1: Fast, but mostly Furious8. Trial of the Mind9. Good news everyone!10. Trial of the Body11. Interlude 1- Ready, steady, take AIM12. Thick Skin13. A Bold Escape!14. Koalafications15. Unholy Trinity16. Omake 2: Extreme(-is) sheepherding17. Interlude 2 - A Stark Realisation18. An offer I refuse19. Small Arms20. Interlude 3 - Criminal Meetings21. Plans for the future22. First Strike23. Interlude 4 - Aftermath Part I24. Interlude 4 - Aftermath Part II25. Year of the Dragon26. Interlude 5 (By SIDoragon)27. Mount Othrys28. Interlude 6 (By SIDoragon)29. I'll be back30. Preparation31. Interlude 7 (by SIDoragon)32. Invasion33. Interlude 834. Two down, Four to go35. The Talk36. Babytalk37. Mind over Matter38. Mind Games39. To infinity and beyond!40. Are you not entertained!41. Come with me if you want Revenge42. The Revolution has begun!43. First Contact44. I've got the Power!45. To Hell and Back46. To Hell and Back - Part II47. To Hell and Back - Part III48. Interlude 949. Interlude 10: If we could turn back Time50. Life of Michael51. Two reunions and a funeral52. I don't like what you're Saiyan53. Consequences54. Quick notice55. A New Problem56. Winter (Soldier) is coming57. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious58. The Last of the Loose Ends59. Interlude 19-20 by Solusandra60. The End of the Hand61. Genesis62. Nidavellir sends its regards63. I HATE Wednesdays64. Arrival at Asgard65. A Dance with Death (rewrite)66. Recuperation67. Interlude 21 - Gathering Allies Part I68. Luminary Skirmishes69. Apotheosis (12 Steps finale)70. Epilogue71. An overview off all the Steps72. Sequel spin-off series Next >