Ch.48 - Claiming an Island
Ruth Aldine's addition to my school had some interesting effects.
First was that I did have Insight create a pair of eyes with silver irises for the young girl, allowing her to see the world in a more common fashion, making herself and her mother weep from happiness as she was able to enjoy her new surroundings and school almost free of care, especially after Saya went and 'took her under her wing'.
Next was that Irene Adler gained a great-granddaughter and Granddaughter she had been unaware of after I ran tests for that theory, which surprised everyone involved, mostly because she appeared so young now.
Anne-Marie was teased quite a bit regarding obtaining a new grand-niece and whatnot by the girls, but she did form a kinship with Ruth regardless.
And with the new relative, who just so happened to be an incredibly gifted and experienced precognitive and clairvoyant mutant, Ruth was gaining a lot of help on that front, while being my student helped her on the psionic one.
I was making sure her mind could handle all the information she dealt with by slowly upping her processing capabilities using a modified version of Sage's Supercomputer-like mind, allowing her function better in the now due to being less distracted by the past and future, still making sense of what she was seeing on top of it. She wouldn't reach nearly the same levels as the original Sage, but it would certainly help her process all the information she was subjected to.
And having another precog, one immune to reality warping even, was quite the boon overall. Especially since she wouldn't suffer through her brother's stealing of her powers and near mind shattering attack, allowing her to reach her full potential and then some.
Obtaining Arno Stark was just icing on the cake.
The young man was going through a new form of therapy I was testing out for him.
Essentially, I was using a form of spirit calling to bring part of Howard and Mary Stark's spirits to give the opportunity for them all to have what they always truly desired; to be a family.
I even had Tony Stark join in during his dreams to aid in this endeavor, even if he wouldn't really remember any of it.
It wasn't truly their parents, only a form of shades, something Arno would know, but it would allow him to go through a full childhood simulated with them to fill that hole in his self. After a small mental regression anyway.
If it didn't work, or had negative effects, his mind would be cleaned of the experience and other means would be attempted while he was in the healing pod. This was more to see if the method had any true applicability which could help individuals with similar issues in the future.
Once done, Arno Stark would be recruited as an inventor for Emma as a gift, allowing the young man to invent nearly to his heart's desires while in cooperation with my own companies, and for Emma to gain a golden goose for her own group. His assured loyalty was not something either of us would really gamble on with him as I would make sure he wouldn't have a need to prove himself better than Tony and would reconnect with him once the man at least partially got his head out of his ass.
Before he shoves it right back up there in a different way anyway.
Actions regarding the Hero Registration Act and the Civil War it caused and it's 'solutions', some versions of Ultron, Iron Legions, the Illuminati, Alcoholism, Armor Wars, helping rebuild a Celestial then plan on how to kill it in acts of extreme hubris, and just so many other less than great acts.
Regardless, Arno would become a much more beneficial contributor to humanity under Emma's leadership.
Outside of these two additions, the reports I received from Raven and Antonia, my Blank Widow, told me much about mutant activities in the Americas, but luckily we had minimized Magneto's recruitment efforts well enough by taking in a good number of mutants before hand. The fact that they were receiving an education, with therapy, and learning how to use, control and push their powers further among their peers really helped squash pretty much all true hatred which could be fanned into Anti-Human sentiments.
Most people Magneto attracted were the types of kids who had suffered because they were different, being attracted to the idea of striking back and being the strong ones, but shift that over to feeling special for excelling and having solid futures and lives ahead of them while being accepted by many, and the appeal starts to fade because they have things to lose now. Those with the potential to become extremists think more about fiercely protecting what they now have, instead of what they could have if it means losing everything they struggled to gain already.
Unfortunately, i needed to make sure Magneto would still be able to recruit sufficient numbers without arousing suspicions and some were already too addicted to feeling 'better' than others thanks to their powers, being teenagers will do that. At least it was localized to the Americas, and mostly in the US on top of that.
His actions allowed me to place my own sleeper agents in his burgeoning brotherhood as well, concealed from his lackluster telepaths, they would help in bringing them down when the time came.
Raven was giving me reports regarding the activities she could, but also infiltrated Xavier's school with a bit of help to obtain new data of Cerebro, the Danger Room, and all the mutants and protocols Xavier had in place.
The data was wonderful in letting me know more about Madelyne Pryor, seeing just how much she truly fell short of Jean without that spark of the Phoenix force. She was still quite the powerful Telepath, Empath and Telekinetic, possibly with the potential to reach Omega classification if her clone origins don't hamper her too much, but she was eclipsed by Emma alone, much less the ascended Jean.
Word on her more mischievous and manipulative nature, being a natural seductress on top of Scott Summers total infatuation has also reached me, something Raven finds hilarious because of just how much Xavier values Madelyne as a student and Scott as the leader of his little team.
She didn't have Jean's innate compassion, but she was still the center of everyone's attention, especially the teenage boys.
I honestly wasn't too sure about telling Jean everything about this, but I would do so soon regardless of my feelings because this was about her and she had my trust.
Wanda also needed to be informed of her father's current actions to decide what she would want to do and her half-sister would need to learn sooner rather than later to soften the blow before Magneto did too many evil acts.
'So much to do and standard time does limit what I can do in the world itself.' I internally sighed as even if I could do much in my 'play area' with Cerebra, Insight and Wisdom, the world could only go so fast.
It was why I preoccupied my mind with outer space and by widening my scope to the Pacific as well.
Essentially playing Defense and Kingdom Building games on a massive scale and with ultimate realism.
I wasn't truly treating this as a game, making certain I didn't start losing the value of individuals as the people I could command increased and so did my sphere of influence, but it was a way to keep me more stimulated as I helped the world advance and ready itself for more cohesive efforts.
'By the time events role out, I should have over half of the world under a cooperative state of improvement. Africa will be a key factor for land while the Island Nations will important for the economy and exotic ressources, and India will need to join the fold soon for the Human Resources in over abundance.
Eastern Europe and South America will be a mixed bag, but taking care of the immense crime and drug problems will suffice for the later and helping to recover from Soviet occupation for the prior.
This way I can have marginalized countries be important to the world, pushing back against the US and China being the major influences, with Russia still being a close third and the EU in fourth. We need more than just money and power, we need a direction beyond going in circle while the powerful and rich simply getting richer, and that's what this gathering of nations shall do.' I thought as agreements were already being struck in secret with nearby countries.
The only sticking point was working around the obvious resentment many held over Japan's invasions during WW2, but that's what money, positive press and telepathy are for.
Honestly, always controlling everyone and their thoughts is a stupid telepath's course of action.
Just adjust a few things and build off of it using other resources and actions to create a naturally formed and reinforced belief instead of an artificial one.
But sometimes, harder actions need to be undertaken.
Hence my trip today.
-2153 km (1337.8 Miles) West of Kiribati, Middle of the Pacific Ocean
"There it is..." I said aloud as I floated above an islands most wouldn't even notice due to its small size and uninhabited state. "Krakoa: The Living Island."
Finally I was ready to move on this incredible ressource and ally.
This wasn't from a standpoint of power.
I was certain in my victory against Krakoa with physical might alone.
No, this was about Japan and my efforts in other countries.
Having Krakoa by my side would allow for much greater results than simple unity under a banner, allowing for true connectivity and to develop technology which will be one with nature.
But first, i needed to subdue and tame the crazed and starving beast.
'All hands on deck.' I internally commanded causing Cerebra to activate her 'Crown Protocols', which involve unlocking the psionic boosting aspects of our bond which generally remains off these days unless in training, Insight wrapping me in my 'Sage Armor', massively increasing my physical stats including my mind and energy manipulation and projection, and Wisdom wrapping me in Astral Flames, further increasing my magical, psionic and more esoteric abilities.
'I really need to finish gathering everything I will need for my weapon. The last piece to maximize my capabilities as I grow further.' I analyzed as I went through just how powerful I was currently.
Without using the Sage Force to empower myself, or other external power sources beyond those part of me like Cerebra, Insight and Wisdom, I would rank myself in Omega and Galaxy level threat level, with possibly universal while using the Sage Force and a few power boosting abilities.
Taking on most godly entities wouldn't be an issue either, but I needed a weapon to push myself beyond that and reach upper echelons of power.
That means I will need to visit Nidavellir soon while my Infusion project is ongoing. Said project involving the creation of a chamber filled with every substance and material I had prepared for my weapon and bombarding it with Sage Force and my personal energy in a time accelerate chamber.
I wanted to see if I could infuse properties into the materials as a common base to combine them all and so the finished product would be incredibly conductive to the Sage Force and Psionic energy. But if my instincts were right, Uru was going to be the glue which was going to hold everything together.
And my instincts were rarely wrong.
For now though, I looked down at the sentient island as I formed a psionic sphere around the entire thing, blocking anything from possibly detecting it, what I was about to do, or letting it escape.
"Freeze."
One simple command.
That's all it took for every molecule to stop and for heat to vanish, causing everything within the sphere to freeze as ice encased the ocean and island.
Gruaaaaah!*
It let out a groan of pain and discomfort over this fact as its body suddenly became painfully stiff, its awareness loosing much of what it had before.
After all, a living island made of tropical vegetation was not the best against sudden sub-zero temperatures, but what was? The island had technically been in its 'winter' state already after only reawakening from a very long slumber, with limited consciousness and capabilities beyond following its basic instincts, so this attack was just too much.
Krakoa might have been capable of defeating some half-trained teenagers with no real control over their powers and little-to-no experience in jungle combat before getting into having to fight the jungle itself, but I was so far beyond them that it wasn't even funny to compare us.
Flying above the now frozen island, I made my way to the Island Hive Mind's central consciousness.
As useful as Krakoa was, and could be, it wasn't exactly a powerhouse itself. Especially when half aware, starving for mutant energy and without any defenders.
I feel it even just struggle to stay awake, fighting to pay me back for my 'attack'. It was adorable that it felt like it was one, but letting out some power caused it to instinctually cower.
"It is time for past failings and history to be whipped clean Krakoa." I told its central pillar as I floated before the great face on the giant tree. "You have stagnated for thousands of years after losing your other half, it is time to move beyond that and flourish."
With my words spoken, a deep gold and emerald flame appeared in my hands, causing the stiff face of Krakoa to show fear.
These were the culmination of my understanding of the Phoenix's flames, Soul Fire, Psionics and Sage Force after all, my own unique Flames. Only this time, I was more focused of the Phoenix's aspect of rebirth.
"Worry not." I softly told it as I let the flame slowly float to it. "Let go and be reborn."
Not for nothing that I told it to not worry, the flame was far from painful and actually near rapturous in feeling while the frozen island was lit aflame in emerald and gold as I took hold of Krakoa's central consciousness, reverting it to a blank state.
Keeping a back up of its abilities and experience, I began modifying its deeper abilities with the help of my partners.
Cerebra helped make this new Krakoa which would bloom more compatible with technology while improving its mental capacities. Krakoa would gain much greater abilities to design and create, also being capable of forming its own biological avatars.
Insight adjusted its abilities, gifting it much stronger geo, terra and chlorokinesis, with the powers to manipulate local weather and waters as well. This was to help it gain much greater defensive capabilities as well as constructive ones.
Wisdom gifted a sense of self outside of the Hive Mind mentality, helped shape the magical energies of the island, forming an incredibly close bond between us and Krakoa at the same time. The island would become a wonder for many kinds of energy and mystical life forms, while tying it to us fully.
And together, we altered the base need for mutant energy to needing the by-product of emotions as well as psionic energy to be its food source, basically how Insight fed. Krakoa would be able to satiate itself and grow strong using the various kinds of energies produced from people simply living on it, with a secondary source being the mental energies everyone emits simply by thinking and dreaming. It could still take in powered individuals for more direct nutrition, but now it was made to properly be a livable island which would live in symbiosis with its inhabitants as long as it was properly guided.
Something which we will take a lot of interest in.
While this happened, the Island itself underwent a great change, being reduced to a blank state, all plants and landscapes returned to a featureless island beyond the great tree I stood before, as we returned the new core of Krakoa to the central tree.
Immediately the tree was lit ablaze as well, burning from the inside out as the island trembled.
Crack*
With that initial cracking of wood, the central tree split open as we felt a surge of innocent freedom from the new one bursting out from within it.
Unlike the old scarred and withered three which had stood the test of time, this new one was bursting with vitality, it's dazzlingly green leaves and strong bark reaching upwards in glee as a new face formed on it.
As its roots spread across the island, taking full control of everything with ease, causing new flora of multitudes of colors and designs to bloom, wonderful scents filling the air immediately as this young Krakoa explored its abilities.
Mountains came and disappeared, rivers and waterfalls formed only to be changed into small deserts, even a snowstorm, rain and Thunder, hail and clouds were shaped.
It was rather chaotic as it joyful played with everything under my watchful gaze.
"Krakoa." I calmly called out to it, which caused everything to stop like it was a child afraid it was in trouble. "How are you feeling?"
Realizing it wasn't in trouble, Krakoa shuddered in happiness and excitement as wind sung and caressed me gleefully.
"*Chuckle* I'm glad you're enjoying yourself." I smiled as I let it fell my emotions and psionics. "Be sure to eat though, we wouldn't want you to get hungry."
The island was curious as my energy hung around its tree, but soon enough instincts won out and it began sucking it up as I guided her trough how to feed and not hurt the people giving her food. Because if it hurt the kind people who gave it food, why would they want to give it more?
A simple logic to help build off and develop from, but it was essential when dealing with a simple and innocent mind and spirit.
By the time it was satisfied, the glutton had taken in around 4000 people's worth of energy.
It was a lot, but it was also Krakoa's first meal after a complete rebirth and playing around so much with its powers.
"Now that you're full, I want to introduce someone to you." I told the island, which made its face turn curious. "She will help you learn about nature and the world."
With a mental signal, a portal opened up to reveal Meggan in a pair of trekking boots, beige shorts and a green t-shirt.
"Hi Kai-neesan!" She energetically greeted with a big smile, before stopping and looking around the place with eyes which would surprise most who didn't know her intimately.
Meggan was incredibly aware and interwoven with nature after all, that meant she knew how different this place was.
"This place is a bit like Lady Gaea, but also like Big Bro, and different." She muttered as wind gathered around her to fly around, causing Krakoa to react excitedly.
Surprising Meggan, Krakoa used its own control of the wind to try and mischievously play with it, but that only caused Meggan to hone in on it as the source immediately. She was far more skilled in elemental manipulation after all.
"You're alive..." My elfin charge softly exclaimed in wonder as she looked at the large tree with a reacting face on it. "Big Bro, who is she?"
"She?" I questioned with some interest at the gender.
"Of course she's a girl! Can't you feel it?" She exclaimed as if it was obvious, puffing her cheeks cutely.
"*chuckle* Sorry, I just hadn't thought about giving her a standard gender." I replied in surrender. "But this is Krakoa, the Living Island."
"An entire living Island!?" Meggan repeated in shock. "That's so cool! Can we keep it!? Can we? Pllleeeeaaasse! I'll take care of it!"
"Of course. Krakoa will be very important in the future, and part of her is coming home with us as well." I confirmed, causing the teen to cheer happily, with Krakoa just mimicking her as her tree shuddered and the winds and plant swayed joyously. "And I would be grateful if you helped her learn how to use her powers, about nature and people."
"No problem! I will take care of little sis Krakoa!" She declared with a serious salute.
It was a good sight to see how kind of a girl she was, even with the powers she actually had at her disposal, being capable of causing quite the number of natural disasters on her own or even use incredibly powerful magic, Meggan was still a girl who cared for others and wanted them to be happy, as well as someone who simply loved nature and to be a part of it.
So for the rest of the day, I watched and sometimes played with the both of them in the shifting forests, beaches and sky, imprinting knowledge and information regarding the world in Krakoa's mind to help her adjust to what I would be introducing her to.
For now, I was focusing on Ōshima as it would be the first place she would be introduced to, but later Islands who would join the forming coalition would also be added slowly.
Halfway through though, something happened which I let play out due to being curious about how it would go.
To better play with Meggan as she was learning, Krakoa formed a plant-like body to mimic her.
Seeing that it wasn't working as good as she wanted though, Krakoa dissolved it and formed a new ones.
Wanting to help a bit after the 4th attempt forming some frustration, I gave Krakoa some help by gifting a much deeper understanding of humans and the likes, as well as examples of being formed of plants I knew of.
The island grew very focused once she received the information, even stopping her fun with Meggan, which caused the Elfin blonde to look at her new friend.
Once done, a far more advanced body walked out of Krakoa's central tree.
It was obviously female in form, Krakoa choosing to make it similar to Meggan in age and build, which were generous on their own for a 14 year old, with an interesting choice of long red hair the color of Fall leaves, light green skin reminiscent of her own leaves, wearing a skin tight bodysuit made out of plant material, and with a youthful beauty matching that of dryads, I couldn't help but think one thing:
'Huh... Poison Ivy, not a bad choice.' I internally commented as it was basically a younger version of the DC villainess/anti-heroine.
But then my musing was broken when she stumbled and tripped due to not being used to such a body, forcing me to catch her.
"Be careful while you get used to your body Krakoa." I told her with a smile of amusement.
"Yes daddy!" She beamed as I froze, letting her up to carefully make her way to an excited Meggan who gushed over her new form.
'Master?' Cerebra prodded to reboot my brain.
'Sorry, I just... didn't expect that.' I replied as I looked at Krakoa with a complicated gaze.
'Well... objectively speaking, you are essentially her parent as you 'birthed' her with our aid, fed and are now teaching her while giving her a friend. It all speaks of you taking a paternal role.' My AI partner rationalized.
'I understand that, I just... wasn't expecting how much those words would impact me and how pure and certain she felt about them. Like it wasn't even a question.' I tried to explain as my emotions were a mess from the sudden title.
Never having a chance to have my own children in my old life, it had been a regret of mine to never be able to form my own family, giving my young life in service before I could even really think about properly settling down.
To have a being i created, consider me as a father... I couldn't really describe it.
'Are you... against it?' Cerebra asked softly.
'I don't believe so.' I answered with a lot of self-reflection as my mind raced at top speed before I thought of something rather humorous. 'Although I'm not sure how Michiko-kaasan will react to suddenly becoming the grandmother of a living island.'
I could feel Insight's amusement at the thought as well, while Wisdom was helping me find my center again.
'I do believe the Empress will accept matters with poise as always.' Cerebra said as I could somehow tell she was doing her best to sound like she meant it.
' Uh huh. We both know I'm going to be yelled at and then Krakoa is going to be requisitioned for quite some time.' I deadpanned as memories of many times mother could be overboard flashed through our minds.
'At the very least she should be happy about having a bigger family.' Cerebra pointed out.
'Yeah... let's just hope it doesn't make her push for me to find a girlfriend more.' I groaned as her attempts to have me hook up with Janet, Betsy and Susan, Kwannon and Yuriko too because she found out we 'helped' each other, even her bringing me to her gatherings to introduce me wasn't exactly subtle.
'Unlikely.' Cerebra shattered my hopes.
Author Notes:
I am not sure but... I think I just created the first daughter who is also an island.
I have no regrets on that... but I feel like it's an achievement for some reason.
Anyway, this is all to say that I just made Poison Ivy in Marvel and she will be a mix between her and Krakoa in terms of abilities. Also, Meggan has a nature friend now and I pity anyone who upsets them.
But yeah, I remade Krakoa because it was a dangerous entity as it was.
Kind making Psionic Energy Kai's main thing really, kind of like how I think Marvel does, with the shifting of Krakoa's energy needs to bypass needing Selene 'fucking' Galio overseeing the island so its doesn't binge. I thought it was a good way to nip those problems in the bud.
Basically Kai used powers revolving around emotion empowerment as a substitute for the Mutant power vampirism and having to give the island two mutants every year or just have Krakoa risk going Hannibal on them.
Phoenix Flame rebirth was the best way to start from Zero on all fronts really. Gonna see what I can really do with Krakoa more as I plan to have her be very useful in defending the Island Coalitions and even the planet later.
Hope you enjoyed as Kai just cancels the X-Men even discovering the place, cause fuck Xavier. Also low-key saving some people and slowing down his plans for recruiting international mutants a bit.