Trail of Secrets

Chapter 16

in Jay Garrick's lab, the crystal egg holding Harry Potter began to shrink, forming into a humanoid curled into the fetal position. For a moment, the body floated there. Eyes within the form opened, shining with green light.

Cracks began to spread out from the eyes, each one releasing its own neon green beam of energy.

XX –

"So," Logan began a cigar pinched between his teeth, "As you were coming back to the Institute someone stopped you and took Martha. Is that about right?"

Jay ran a hand through his dark hair, "Yeah, they had a voice of compulsion. They tried to compel me to stop, but my own mental powers protected me somewhat. All they were able to do was make me slow down. That's when a ghost attacked me."

Inclining his head, Logan turned towards Jean who was standing before a chained Meruda, her eyes glowing pink an outline of pink covering her hands and head. "Got anything Red?"

Jean shook her head, lowering her hands from her temples, "He's got some impressive defenses," she glanced at Ororo, "he doesn't believe he was the cause of his people's death."

Ororo looked at him, "After blaming me for so long, I wouldn't expect him to just accept the truth."

Jay turned to Luna, "Can you tell us anything?"

Luna moved forward, her pale almost white blonde hair braided and draped over one shoulder, her white gown glided along the metal tiles that covered the floor. Stopping before Meruda, her silver like eyes swept over him, she stretched forth her hand closing her eyes.

After a moment, she opened them and shook her head. "His life will end here shortly," she glanced at Jay, "he didn't know that Herpo had someone telling him, or even that he had another agent," a smile curled her lips and she turned back to Meruda, "to find that out was a blow to his pride."

Logan moved forward, his claws slowly emerging from his knuckles to reflect the light, "What do you mean his life will end?"

Luna glanced off to the side, "You'll see, he's almost here."

Ororo took a step forward, "Who…"

A white oval-shaped portal opened, cutting Ororo off.

A man dressed in white emerged from the portal, his bright green eyes surveyed the room.

Ororo stepped forward, her eyes locked onto the newcomer.

He was 6'2" tall, bright green eyes, with lightly tanned skin. His shoulders were broad, his arms six inches in circumference.

Ororo's eyes glowed white, "Who are you?"

Harry looked around him, strands of his auburn hair falling to cover one eye.

He was standing in a large square room. Metal tiles covered the floor.

People formed a triangle in front of a chair.

Sitting in the chair was Meruda, his arms were chained behind him, a collar around his neck painted his dark skin in a pale blue light.

"I am Harry Potter."

Luna moved forward, "It's good to see you awake, Harry."

"You as well Luna, it appears your ascension agrees with you."

Harry glanced at Garrick, "Jay Garrick, it's a pleasure to meet someone from another multi-verse. I would like to talk later."

Turning, he made his way towards Meruda.

Logan moved in his way, "Who are you, Bub?"

A smile stretched across Harry's face, "A friend," he glanced at Meruda, "but I have some unfinished business with him."

"What kind of unfinished business?" Logan asked exhaling smoke from one corner of his mouth.

"He killed a friend of mine."

Logan inclined his head, "I understand that, but he has information we need."

"If he has information you need, you'll have it once I'm done with him, that I can promise you."

Logan moved aside.

Jean watched him stop before Meruda, her eyes glowing pink.

"We'll speak soon little cousin, no need to try to pierce my mind."

Turning his attention to Meruda, he stared into the man's enraged red eyes, "Do you remember me?"

Meruda stared at him for a long moment, a slow cruel smile spreading across his face, "The friend of the detective," he said his voice deep, "always arriving a little too late to the party aren't you boy?"

"Not this time," his arm snapped forward, his hand wrapping around Meruda's neck. His eyes flared a bright emerald as he inhaled.

Meruda's body stiffened tendrils of white energy pouring from his eyes and mouth.

They flowed into Harry's eyes and mouth, turning green as they entered his body.

As the tendrils entered his body, colors seem to be leached out of Meruda. Within moments, Meruda's dark skin had taken on a grayish blue color. His body went limp, and his muscles began to deflate.

The chains binding his wrist clanked to the floor as they slid off his emaciated arms.

Releasing Meruda, his body fell into the chair crumbling into dust on impact.

Harry turned and Jean, Logan, and Ororo tensed at his glowing green eyes.

"Meruda knew nothing of the second assailant, he was supposed to come here and take Martha for some unknown reason," Harry glanced at Ororo making her tense, "killing Ororo and the students was just a bonus.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going outside for a bit."

Everyone watched him leave, his footsteps loud in the silence left behind by his actions.

As he disappeared, Jean turned to Luna, "You knew this was going to happen?"

"Yes, I did."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I may have the sight, but I don't always know how people are going to react. If I said something you may have tried to stop Harry, he would've fought back, which would've damaged future relations with him. From what I've seen from my visions, he is a good man at heart."

XX –

Sitting beneath a tree on the Xavier grounds with his eyes closed as the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, Harry exhaled, allowing the life force of Meruda to circulate through his body as it dispersed into the Aether.

With its dispersal, a new path opened up within his mind, he now felt a connection to the elements that hadn't been there before. With the slightest push of his mind, a bit of earth rose up forming a sphere. With a twirl of his hand, a ball of air joined it.

Fire was even easier as he intensified his own body heat and pushed it out of his body creating a bright orange ball of flame.

Water was the most difficult, with some concentration he pulled one drop of water from the grass beneath him, then half the water and put some back. Making sure not to kill nature.

With this connection, he now understood how delicate that balance was.

Sitting there he allowed the elemental spheres to rotate around his body as he thought of what happened in his absence.

Luna Lovegood and Jay Garrick had both increased in power. He didn't know either personally, but he had heard rumors about both. Luna was supposed to be an incredible seer. Jay Garrick helped many deal with the mutations brought on by the energies that Herpo the foul let into Otherworld.

What had his attention now however, was the kidnapping of Martha Johansson. There were only a few things Herpo the foul could want from the girl that was nothing more than a brain in a jar, none of them good for the girl, or humanity in general.

"Have you always been able to do that, or is that something you gained from Meruda?"

XX –

Ororo Munro walked across the grounds of the Xavier Institute, the first rays of the morning sun bathing her black armor. Wind curled around her, lifting strands of her white hair like a loyal pet comforting its master. She lifted her head, enjoying the rays of the sun on her mocha colored skin.

Nearing the amber haired newcomer, she slowed as she watched the elements form around him and spin in a slow circle.

Reaching out with her senses, she found that he shared a connection to the earth similar to her own.

"Have you always been able to do that, or is it something you gained from Meruda?"

XX –

Rising to his feet, the elements faded, bursting into modes of light, specks of dust, or droplets of water. He allowed his eyes to scan her body, enjoying the way the formfitting suit hugged her curves, he shook his head, "It's a byproduct of absorbing Meruda's life force. Absorbing his life force opened more secrets of the Aether."

"I see," her eyes narrowed, "and is this the reason you absorbed his life force, because you wanted his power?"

Harry's nostrils flared, his hands curled into fists, the ground shook around him. "I took his life force, because he needlessly killed a friend of mine after killing someone else. He could've just left when she discovered him, he already did what he came to do, but no he took time to kill her, and enjoyed it. For that he had to pay."

"And you are Judge, Jury, and Executioner."

"When it comes to the people, I care about you better believe I am."

Reaching out with her power, Ororo com the shaking of the earth, her eyes glowing a luminescent white with the action, "Fair enough, but if you're going to use that power, you're going to need some practice," a smile curled her lips, "you up for a little spar."

Luminescent green energy filled Harry's eyes, "Show me what you can do Whether Goddess."

XX –

Martha Johansson sloshed around in her jar as the man carried her under his arm. Sending out a tiny thread of telepathic power allowed her to see the world around her through her captor's eyes.

She was being carried down a long dark tunnel, strands of pale blonde hair swung into the view of her captor.

She expanded her senses allowing herself to get a feel for the man's mental defenses. From what she was feeling, it wouldn't be that hard to incapacitate him, but then what? She was a brain in a jar. She could possess him, but without knowing where she is, she wouldn't be able to get home.

The best thing she could do now would be to wait.

Her kidnapper passed through a door.

He walked along a stone walkway hanging in darkness. Crystal mirrors hung in the darkness on either side of the walkway.

Nearing the end of the walkway, it expanded outwards, creating a circular platform.

A short-robed figure stood up on the platform the sleeves of his dark robe covering his arms, hiding any features from view.

A raspy voice like wind brushing against sandpaper came from beneath the hood.

"Welcome back Lucius, I see you were successful in your task."

The man, Lucius, inclined his head, his grey eyes cold, of course I was, I will continue to be as long as you keep up your end of the bargain.

Martha sent out a telepathic probe as the short figure turned, a single yellow-eye staring at Lucius. Her probe brushed against strong mental barriers, but she was able to get a name, Herpo.

"Your wife will be returned to you, Lucius," he turned around, making his way slowly towards the man, "but only after I achieve my final objective." He stretched forth his hand.

Lucius shoved the jar onto his palm.

Herpo raise the jar, two yellow eyes staring at it from beneath his hood.

Crooked teeth flashed into existence beneath the hood as a smile split his face, "I felt your probe little girl. A powerful little thing you are for a brain in a jar."

Pink energy flared within the jar as Martha projected her thoughts into the man's head. 'I will not help you Herpo.'

Herpo chuckled, the action shaking his body, "Oh little girl, you are under the impression I need you to help me," he cocked his head to the side, "I don't need you to help me, but I do have a question that could make my job easier. You don't have to answer."

A combination of fear and curiosity forced her to ask, pink light pulsing in her jar as she did.

'What is your question?'

Herpo smile widened, seeming to almost split his face in half.

"Where is Zero?"