Heir of the Immortals Resurrection
Chapter 22
With a roar, the blue skin Thor swung his hammer, vapor trailing behind it as it cut through the air.
Bending his legs, Herald launched himself into the air, arcing over the brute's body. Landing on a tiled roof behind the man. The dark tiles crunched under his feet as he increased his density, his skin hardening.
As the wood beneath the tiles creaked under his new weight, he stopped increasing his density. Crimson irises burning with power, Herald leaped off the roof, blue flames covering his fists like a second skin.
Hovering in the air, he lurched forward, exhaling a wave of blue fire.
Feeling the heat, the Frost King raised his hammer above his head. Spinning it hand over hand, a whirlwind built around him.
The blue flames were sucked into the whirlwind, after a single revolution they dispersed.
Stretching forth his right hand, a dagger made of crimson energy flared into existence. Letting himself fall, he shot towards his target with incredible speed.
The Frost King spun, his pale blonde hair flying as he brought his hammer around to block the dagger. His hammer collided with Herald's weapon shattering it into red fragments.
Herald cried out as the bones of his arm gave way and the hammer continued forward to slam into his chest. More bones broke, and blood spewed from his mouth as his body shot backward, slamming through stone building after stone building.
The buildings that fell at his passing sent dust into the air.
–XX –
Mary Walker stood before a massive hollowed-out tree, muggy air with the scent of earth filling her lungs as she thought over what Krakoa had told her.
According to Krakoa, they were in a biosphere, a space complex built around a star. The biosphere belonged to a man that called himself the Collector. From what Krakoa was able to discover with his telepathic powers, the collector was an Elder of the universe, someone who had survived the collapse of the previous universe and as a result, gained incredible cosmic power and knowledge in exchange for being tied to a drive.
The Collector's drive was a desire to categorize the unusual that blossomed within the universe.
Sweeping her auburn hair out of her face, Mary moved forward.
Moss lit the inside of the tree with a pale green light. Vines reached up from the floor, forming into a bed that's top half was set at an angle. Sitting with an easy reach were two smooth stones. Each was engraved with a room that reminded her of Chinese characters.
According to Krakoa Herald had planted trees in a specific pattern on the island to allow Krakoa to use the magic that naturally occurs on his island as a defense mechanism. At the time of his capture, he wasn't proficient enough in using that energy.
However, the mutant Candra, was proficient in magic, while Crule was a master battle technician when he didn't let his hunger for death and the hunt consume him.
With the knowledge of Crule and Candra, as well as the knowledge he was able to absorb from Herald when he was on the island. Krakoa was able to construct this bed. According to the island, once Mary lay down, their minds would be merged, their powers amplified by one another.
Hopefully, it would be enough to help them escape, but since Mary didn't have Herald's abilities, she couldn't interface with the island as well as he could.
Taking a deep breath, she took off her jacket, hanging it on a rack that grew up from the floor. Lying down, she draped her Auburn ponytail off the angled bed.
A shudder ran through her body as tiny shoots began growing up from the chair, sprouting roots that brushed along her skin. Ignoring the tickling sensation as Krakoa tried a different way to connect with her, she reached forward.
Placing a hand on each of the smooth stones, the runic character etched into the front flared to life, blazing with purple energy that was a mixture of Mary's power and the residual power of Herald left on the island.
At the feel of Herald's power, Mary relaxed.
If Herald trusted Krakoa enough to do this, then she would do the same. Besides, even if he did try to eat her like he had the other two, it wouldn't solve his problem. It would just sate his hunger temporarily, and he had to know that.
Without thought, her mind floated up out of her body and merged with Krakoa. Her back arched as the new sensations flooded her being.
Her mind spread across the island, every leaf, every stone, every speck of dirt became part of her body. Animals stilled at her presence, their heads rising to the sky as they felt the change in the air.
Purple energy flared from Krakoa's eyes sweeping across the island.
Groves in the shapes of seven-pointed stars pulsed with the rhythm of a heartbeat. Strange characters burned at each of the points as the island rose into the air, bumping into the sides of the giant glass sphere that encased it.
"We will be free," Krakoa and Mary spoke as one.
Vinelike spikes emerged from the island, wrapped in purple power. The three spikes converged together slamming into a singular point. Energy flared with the impact, purple mixing with the white sparks of the barrier that kept them in, changing the color to a barely noticeable lavender.
–XX –
Thor moved after his prey, the broken remains of the buildings around him shifting beneath his large feet. His blue eyes flicked from side to side as his hammer rested on his shoulder.
After killing this man, he would destroy this city. It was a reminder of his past. A reminder of the father who failed to protect him, and the monster who raised him.
A monster who showed him the cruelty of the world. Worst of all it was a reminder of the mother he killed. He closed his eyes, her wide shock to gaze forever burned in his mind as the storm released by his hammer obliterated her body.
His hand shook and he tightened his grip on his hammer. She sacrificed herself to save Loki, Laufey's son. He really was a monster, he shook his head, he did what he needed to survive, and now the Frost Giants know peace.
Stopping, he stared down at the broken remains of the building before him, the outline of a body in blood showed where his target used to be.
With a snarl, he spun, his hammer flying through the air. A wave of wind, snow, and ice shot from his hammer in a pale wave shining with luminescent blue energy. The ground shook as more of the city fell to his rage, their broken pieces covered in a thin layer of ice that glittered in the light from the overcast sky.
–XX –
Herald rose from the round in the center square of Asgard, wincing as the last of his bones shifted into place. With a cough, congealed blood splattered upon the ground as he ejected the blood that had filled his lungs when ribs skewered them.
He was foolish to attack Thor head on. Even if he wasn't as skilled as his counterpart on Harold's earth, he was still an Asgardian and a god of thunder. That one punch had broken his arm in three places and reduced his sternum to fragments. If it wasn't for his regeneration and self-molecular manipulation he would've died.
He glanced around at the branches of Yggdrasill that lay strewn throughout the circle that made up the city square. Pale leaves shining with multicolored light lay strewn across the stones.
Locking his eyes on one of the branches, he stretched forth his hand.
Even though it has been years, maybe even centuries since the tree had been destroyed vestiges of life still burned within its branches. Slowly, he curled his hand into a fist.
The seed clutched in his right hand flared. Slowly the branches began to shift, its form thinning, its bark smoothing until it transformed into a long thick wooden tentacle. With a force of will, he sent it slithering forward. Watching the tentacle move, he sank back beneath the earth.
If he was going to defeat the god of thunder, it would not be in a head-on fight.
–XX –
Three spike-shaped branches withdrew back into Krakoa, the purple aura around the island flaring brighter. 'We need more power; we need more synchronization.'
Tendrils of power flared from the island, wrapping around it like a cocoon.
A light pulsed from within. With each pulse, the island grew smaller, its shape slowly changing. Slowly, the tendrils formed to a new shape before fading away, revealing a woman.
She was 15 feet tall made of earth. Auburn-colored leaves sprouted from her head and trailed down her back.
Vines and branches created a long jacket. At her waist, it transformed into a skirt.
The whole ensemble was dark green accented by Brown. Her quartz crystal eyes glowed with purple light.
The new being floated forward, eyeing the cracked glass created by its last attack. Reaching their right hand forward, they flicked the crack.
Purple energy flared from the impact, sending giant chunks of glass exploding outward while smaller pieces the size of cars rained down to the bottom of the sphere.
The woman floated forward, her hand going to her head the moment she was outside the sphere.
'Mary,' Krakoa began in their joined mind, 'this form is taking up too much energy we either need to separate, or find something to feed upon, else we risk destroying us both.'
'We find something to feed on then. Working as separate entities won't get us out of here.'
Mary looked around. They were in a large spherical structure. Hundreds of glass spheres lined the structure, each containing something different.
A catwalk stretched out below them, spiraling around to each of the glass orbs.
"Is this a museum or a zoo?"
"Get back in your cage!"
A man 7 feet tall floated to their left, bolts of golden energy dancing across his albino skin. Red eyes narrowed as light reflected off his bald head.
Robes were draped over his body, tightened around the torso to show off his muscular arms and chest. The golden light slithering across his body condensed around his right hand, pulling into the palm of a red glove that covered his hand up to the elbow.
"And who are you supposed to be?" Krakoa and Mary asked in their merged voice.
"I am Challenger, the collector told me I could have anyone that escaped." A malicious smile spread across his face as his eyes roamed the form before him. "Lucky me, I've never fought a being quite like you before.
At that last statement, Mary released a mental breath. For a moment there, she thought his interest was going to be more physical. And despite her current form, that scared her.
Challenger shot forward; his arm drawn back in a punch.
'Krakoa, work on siphoning the energy we need to get out of here.'
'He has more energy than anyone I've ever seen. It may destroy me if I try to take it all.'
A smile curled Mary's lips, 'Funnel whatever you can't handle into me.' Without another word, she floated forward to meet Challenger.
–XX –
Thor's chest heaved as another swath of buildings fell to his anger. "Come out you coward!"
Shifting stone caused him to spin, his eyes locking onto a wooden cobra as it rose from the ground, crimson energy burning in its eyes. He brought his hammer around, only for it to rebound off the creature's body, rainbow-colored runes flashing with light.
With a hiss the serpent sprang forward, coiling its way around Thor's body.
The blue thunder god screamed in rage curses flying from his mouth as the snake bound him tight.
Herald rose from the ground as Thor thrashed, his long blonde hair hiding his face, spittle dripping down his chin in his rage.
"It's no use, this serpent is made from the world tree, and Yggdrasill rages at your betrayal of your blood." Rainbow-colored light flared in Herald's eyes and a voice much older spoke through him. "For your crimes of matricide and betraying your royal blood, I sentence you to death. May you burn in hell for all eternity."
The serpent tightened as Herald's hand shot forward, clamping down on Thor's head.
The thunder god screamed as tendrils of white life force exploded from his body and into Herald.
His eyes flared blue, dark clouds rolled in overhead and thunder boomed, shaking the city. Dust and rock swirled around them as wind swept through the streets.
Lightning streaked down from above, only to be pulled in Herald's body as he can bind the abilities of Alexander summers from earth 1610 and Joshua Foley.
As Thor's life force streamed into his body, the tribal markings covering his body glowed, shining with a pure golden light as they spread across his skin. Within moments, a humanoid figure made of golden energy stood in the eye of the storm.
Lightning continued to strike it, only to disappear into its skin as Thor's body shrank, his dark blue skin becoming grey.
Thor crumbled to ash and his storm faded.
Sunlight shone down onto the city of Asgard for the first time in years as Yggdrasill in its wooden serpent form slithered towards Herald. Coiling its body around him, it shifted, forming a protective egg around him. Norse runes glowed along its surface with a rainbow-colored light.
Asgard's time might be done, but maybe just maybe with this strange mortal, its legacy could live on.
–XX –
Challenger drove his fist forward.
Tensing her body, Mary caught his wrist shifting the punch away as a golden spark leaped from his arm and into her body. A fire burned through her as Krakoa consume the energy.
Challenger brought up his knee, slamming it into her stomach and throwing her backward. Going with the momentum, she curled into a ball and sprang to her feet her arms raised to protect her face.
In a blur of motion, she shot forward, aiming jabs at the man's head.
Like a game, he knocked each one of her strikes away, but a bolt of yellow energy would sink into her body with each blocked attack, causing a grimace to flash across her face.
With a grin, he launched his head forward.
Crossing her arms before her, she blocked the impact, wincing as cracks spread through her earthen limbs. Bringing up her foot, she slammed it into Challenger's stomach, but she might as well have been hitting a wall.
Again, energy flowed into them, but this time instead of going into Krakoa, she felt the energy pour into her. She screamed as something within her shifted, soaking up the energy.
It felt like acid was scouring her veins and her soul was being flayed alive.
She curled in upon herself as Challenger grinned at her pain, "The other elders of the universe abandoned me, calling my games too dangerous to the life that existed here, but eventually they will learn. We are so much more than the ants that surround us now, we contain the power primordial. Now," he reached forward, "get back in your cage and wait for the day my games can begin again."
Mary's hand shot up, clamping around his wrist. "Your body may be strong," she spoke her voice mixed with Krakoa's purple light shining from her eyes, "and your mind may be shielded, but can you withstand the feelings of the life of the universe? Can you withstand something beyond your obsession?"
Opening her mind, Mary allowed every experience from every soul nearby to flow through her.
Wherever The Collector's base was, it was very close to millions of worlds.
Purple energy flared around her body, coalescing into a javelin made of the joys, the hate, and the pain of the lives of millions of souls. With a snarl, she drove it forward.
Challenger wrenched his arm away and floated backward, but the javelin extended stabbing into his chest. It left no physical wound, but he screamed as millions of souls began speaking in his mind.
He clutched his head as their lives flashed before his eyes. Their joys, their pain, their sadness, their rage. All of it scoured his soul drudging up emotions long thought buried beneath his desire to combat the universe against itself in an eternal game of conflict.
'We need to leave,' Krakoa began as the javelin faded, 'that won't hold him for long. Beings like this are beyond mortal emotion and caring.'
Mary's mental head drooped, a grimace on her features as primordial energy ran rampant through her body. It no longer hurt as bad as it once did, but she could feel a change. Something within her was soaking up the energy, and using it to change her.
'Agreed, but I'm exhausted so you're going to have to take control and get us out of here.' She felt Krakoa incline his head as he tapped into her abilities. Just as Challenger began to straighten, the two vanished in a flash of purple light.
–XX –
The island of Krakoa appeared orbiting the earth, but its attention was focused inward. In a hollowed-out tree, Mary Walker lay on the angled bed it had created to merge their minds, white light shining from her skin.