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The Oblivion Paradox - Episode ThreePremise Paradoxical

By

Celgress

The Time Stream

Through ages innumerable Arnon the renegade Watcher sailed the sea of time searching out items of and beings of immense power to forward his cause. He watched and he learned. One after another his inference created alternate timelines. These, in turn, were undone with startling rapidity be Arnon's own subsequent actions until he stumbled upon a perfect vessel which would house him from that point forward.

Personal Laboratory of Dr. Hank Pym Avengers Tower New York City 616 Timeline, afternoon

Hank Pym worked diligently putting the final touches on his most ingenious creation yet: A huge, Incredible Hulk sized biomechanical suit of silver and obsidian colored armor. The construct comprised of a potpourri of exotic technologies was designed to mimic any superpowers it came in contact with, no matter their source. Unlike his past failures, namely the wicked android Ultron, this construct possessed zero artificial intelligence. It required a sentient pilot, one who would be neurologically hardwired into the interior frame by way of semi-intrusive bio needle based interface, to function.

"Finished at last." Pym declared powering up the unit. "Now to take you for a test drive." Pym smiled taking a step back from his creation.

"Not you Dr. Pym, but I think I will." Arnon who had been observing from the shadows said. He pushed pass the shock Pym becoming encased within the construct. The Phoenix Gate appeared on the chest plate being pushed out by the liquid metal.

"No," Pym exclaimed as the eyepieces of the mech suit glowed a fearsome orange mixed with red. "I won't have a creation of my used for evil purposes, not again!"

Unfortunately Hank Pym had already primed the mech suit with strength from Hulk, speed from Flash, and a full range of elemental manipulation abilities from a wide variety of other super beings. Pym did not stood a chance. He never saw the attack coming. In the blink of an eye Paradox pushed his right hand straight through Pym's torso then used his commands of electricity and flame to roast his adversary alive. Well under one minute later all that remained of Pym was a pile of blackened ashes.

"Not bad, not bad at all." Paradox said shaking the last of the ashes free from between between his clawed fingers. He flexed his robotic arms experimentally. "A good start, but needs improvement." He vanished in a surge of flame and light.

Castle Wyvern high atop the Eyrie Building 616 Timeline, night

Paradox's next attempt at acquisition proved far less successful. While he intended to "liberate" certain powerful mystical artifacts, including one of the infamous Daggers of Demise, from billionaire industrialist David Xanatos that is not what happened. Xanatos' in-house security mainly comprised of his gargoyle allies proved a frustration for Paradox at this point in his evolutionary development. Unexpectedly Detective Matt Bluestone dueled with Paradox after donning a primitive mech suit of his own. Their resultant battle caused the Phoenix Gate to malfunction transporting Bluestone, Paradox, and bystander Detective Elisa Maza to 954 C.E. Scotland! Enraged Paradox attempted to erase first Maza then Bluestone from history. However, that was not what occurred. Apparently, Maza had been exposed to such a high degree of magic that latent gargoyle DNA was instead activated by the energy channelled from the Phoenix Gate. Paradox theorized Maza must have a gargoyle ancestor. What other explanation could there be? Whatever the case Paradox again physically fought with Bluestone losing the soon damaged Phoenix Gate before being whisked away by a final build-up of temporal power to 733 B.C.E China of all places!

Bereft of other viable options Paradox spent the intervening two thousand plus years plotting to once again locate and retrieve the Phoenix Gate along with forming the details of his final plan for revenge. Luckily he was able to steal waters from the Fountain of Youth guarded by the Amazons of Themyscira which prevented him from dying of old age. Finally, in 1802 C.E. he literally stumbled across his lost item in the house of a prominent Swiss watchmaker who he proceeded to brutally murder. With the Phoenix Gate back in his possession Paradox resumed his dastardly work for many more centuries, at least from his point of view, until he found those things and beings he required.

The Netherworld July 2025 C.E. Earth Year 617 Timeline

Mephisto raged impotently. "How dare my Uncle Oberon forbid me from 'further interfering' in the lives of mortals! Spider-Man's soul was mine after I tricked him and his little wifey into accepting my help to save his mortally wounded aunt! Sure they gave up both their souls and their marriage, but hey I'm the prince of darkness for pete's sake what did they expect? Miserable web crawler manages to reverse my enchantment and defeats me! True love bullshit! I'll show Spider-Man! I'll show Oberon! I'll show them all!"

"Really," Paradox said appearing in front of the annoyance Fae in a familiar surge of light and flame.

"How dare you enter my domain without permission! Whoever you may be!" Mephisto said.

"I do indeed dare." Paradox said smugly.

"Uppity creature I'll teach you some manners," Mephisto said shooting orange-red energy from his fingertips at Paradox who time shifted directly behind Mephisto avoiding the blast.

Paradox dug his clawed fingers into Mephisto's back sampling his mystical energy. "Fae power a worthy addition to my growing collection." He declared while his mech suit rapidly analyzed and mimicked Mephisto's abilities.

Mephisto wheeled around readying another blast. He was violently backhanded across the chamber by Paradox before he could release it however. "That's more like it." Paradox said. Paradox used his Fae empowered superhuman abilities to first shock Mephisto into submission then encase him in a prison of rock drawing out the iron content, which Fae were naturally weak against, to contain him.

"What, do, you want?" Mephisto snarled from his makeshift prison.

"Same as you, for my enemies to suffer." Paradox said. "I've watched you Mephisto lo these many, many, many years. I think you would make a fine assistant. I want to be the god of gods, but first I need more raw materials to work with. Which is where you come in. Once my upgrades are complete, in essence, I'll be able to rewrite existence as I see fit. Wield ultimate, unrestrained power. How would you like to be my main disciple?"

"On one condition," Mephisto said after some consideration.

"Which would be?" Paradox asked.

"We make Spider-Man and Oberon suffer terribly," Mephisto said a malicious glint in his eyes.

"Deal," Paradox said instantly. "When we get through with Spider-Man. He'll wish you had taken his soul." Paradox laughed releasing Mephisto from his confinement. "Next we recruit some of your relatives to our cause. But first, I'll need to brush up on my reading." They disappeared in a surge of flame and light.

Sunnydale mid-September 2015, afternoon

After Angel, Willow, and a reluctant Xander defeated the skilled witch Catherine Madison they locked her spellbook away in the library. Rupert Giles nephew of the Watch Merrick was the librarian there so they knew it would be safe.* Paradox and Mephisto appeared in a surge of flame and light a few seconds after the teens and their vampire friend left.

"Ah, yes the Grimorum Arcanorum. Just what the doctor ordered." Paradox said. "Give it to me." Mephisto eyed Paradox quizzically but obeyed. Paradox converted the book into energy before absorbing said energy into his mech suit. The pair again vanished in a surge of flame and energy.

Watery Gates of Avalon Earth Year 995 New Prime Timeline Created by Paradox's actions

Concealed in the mist which hung over the sea Paradox and Mephisto hovered. They watched the three Fae known as the "Weird Sisters" be defeated by Magus who transformed them into owls with his spellbook the Grimorum Arcanorum. The owls were fended off by Magus and his companions who then sailed away, Paradox and Mephisto then emerged from hiding.

"Revert," Paradox spoke the counter spell in ancient Latin restoring the trio of female Fae.

"We have failed," Selene said unhappily.

"We were tasked by Uatu the Watcher with guarding Avalon against intruders," Phoebe said.

"Now we are banished from that blessed land by a wizard's parlor trick," Luna said.

"May I make a suggestion ladies." Paradox said.

"We do not treat with unknown creatures," Phoebe said. A distasteful expression on the faces of her and her sisters.

"Begone both of you," Selene said gesturing at her cousin Mephisto. "We have no time for your foolishness."

"Ah, but I am not unknown to you." Paradox said. His faceplate slid aside to reveal Arnon. "I am Arnon of the Watchers. I have returned to reclaim my stolen birthright. If you bow down before me I promise you revenge against those who have wronged you and a glorious place in my new order. Resist me I'll turn you back into owls or worse, permanently." His faceplate snapped back into place.

"His power is beyond anything you could imagine cousins, tread lightly," Mephisto said.

"Do not threaten us, renegade," Luna said only for the trio to be brought to their knees by mystically imbued electricity from Paradox's hands.

Paradox turned them into mice. "I think this fits you better than owls." He said cruelly laughed

"Please show us mercy." The three mice begged in unison. "We'll do whatever you ask."

"Very well," Paradox said restoring them. "Bring me these items and make these individuals my servants." Paradox showed them images of the items the Hyperstone, Time Staff, and the Solid Energy Generator along with Iron Spider, Demona, Lucifer, MacBeth, Baron Mordo and Debra Whitman-Kingsley."

"Have you forgotten cosmic law expressly forbids us from directly interfering in the lives of mortals, unless they should ask for our intervention." Phoebe reminded Paradox.

"True, the law that cannot be broken most surely can be bent. Which is why you will approach them at moments of great crisis. Get them to seek your aid in return for their loyalty to you and through you me." Paradox instructed. "I shall meet you three again here on October 15th, 2015 Earth Time. Have the necessary items ready and the requested individuals present, save Baron Mordo. I have a special purpose for him."

"But that is more than one thousand years in the future," Selene exclaimed.

"What is time to us immortals." Paradox laughed. "Go do my bidding. Come Mephisto our work together is far from finished." He disappeared along with Mephisto in a surge of flame and light.

Watery Gates of Avalon Earth Year October 15th, 2015 C.E. New Prime Timeline Created by Paradox

Paradox appeared his Fae minions were already in attendance as were their charges. The four Fae handed him the Hyperstone, Time Staff, and the Solid Energy Generator. Each of which he absorbed into his mech suit.

"What say we have fun." Paradox said ominously.

The Castle of Avalon

The guardians and young gargoyles of Avalon were enjoying themselves when disaster struck. Paradox and his forces appeared seemingly from nowhere. A desperate picked battle broke out. Many of the gargoyles, all of which were combat inexperienced, ended up injured a few seriously so.

"Hello brother," Paradox said squaring off against Uatu. His faceplate briefly slid aside to show his grinning face. "Told you I'd be back."

The two Watchers fought viciously until Paradox gained the upper hand by stabbing Uatu through the chest with his claws. Paradox pulled his gasping uncle close. He whispered in Uatu's ear. "I dipped my gloves in the toxic to magic brew of the Pandorica Urn just for you. By the end of tonight, you'll be dead uncle." He pushed Uatu away. He rose high into the air. "Hear me, unworthy creatures. Tomorrow night I alongside my forces shall claim this island as our own. Make your peace by then." Paradox vanished along with those in his thrall.

To Be Continued

*Author's Note -

The events in which Willow, Angel and Xander encounter the Witch Mrs. Madison will be covered in an upcoming chapter of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Redux.