Heir of the Immortals Resurrection
Chapter 24
Herald descended into the ocean's depths, the liquid metal pressing against his telekinetically coated skin. It shifted around him, the pressure increasing as the metal pressing against him transformed into tiny objects that pressed at him from all directions.
Force pressed on his mind. Beads of sweat ran down his face as a dribble of blood ran across his upper lip. His hand curled into fists. Electricity exploded from his body in a rush of power and wind as magnetic energy pushed the metal away.
Pushing the force generated below his feet, he twisted it with a force of will. He drifted deeper into the ocean. Reaching the bottom of the ocean, dust puffed out from his feet as he touched down. Kneeling, he placed his hand upon the earth.
The ground shook beneath his hand as it began to soften.
A shadow swept over him.
Glancing up, his eyes widened as he watched the metal ocean bend.
Tons of liquid metal fell towards him.
Shifting his density, Herald sank beneath the earth. At the same time, he shifted the earth around him, creating a tunnel in front of and behind him.
–XX –
Far away from Herald's location on the remains of Liberty Island. On the base that once held the Statue of Liberty, a glimmering silver spire jutted into the air. Three metal rings hovered around the spire.
Grey fog swept through the desiccated remains of a city in the distance. Rubble lay strewn across the narrow streets, rectangular buildings stretched into the sky, their jagged edges open to the elements.
Giant metal mosquitoes flew throughout the city. Their thin wings created a buzzing sound as their red eyes scanned the abandoned streets.
Inside the spire, a figure stood in darkness. Pale blue holographic screens flickered to life in the void, their light revealing a figure made of metal. A glowing yellow eye stared at the screens as Herald descended to the earth.
"Interesting," a mechanical voice said from the darkness. "A biological entity has returned to earth." Slowly, the figure turned his head, staring off into the distance. Without a word, he disappeared in a flash of yellow light.
–XX –
The earth in front of Harald fell away, and a wall of heat slammed into him as the orange glow of lava washed over his skin. Sweat ran down his face as he placed his hand to the bottom of his tunnel. With a flare of power, the walls of his tunnel smoothed and packed together.
Shifting the terraforming sphere from under his arm, Herald chucked it forward. The moment he released it, he pushed his will forward, creating a barrier in front of him.
The sphere hit the lava and began to break apart, white energy shining from the cracks as it washed over the lava. Bubbles of white energy popped as the power began to spread. Rainbow-colored runes ran across the surface of the lava as the earth's core compressed before releasing a wave of pale power.
The energy slammed into Herald, driving him back into his tunnel as it spread throughout the cracks of the earth. As it traveled vitality began to seep into the soil, dimensional and temporal energies restoring the planet to its primal untouched state.
All across the world white energy intertwined with multicolored light exploded from volcanoes washing across the planet. As the energy traveled, ruined cities vanished in its wake, becoming replaced by swaths of forest. Rivers were carved through the forest, snaking through the earth like a serpent.
The techno-organic virus began to sink into the earth as the energy pulled it from the earth. As the virus touched the core, the symbols of water, fire, earth, air, time, reality, DNA, and embryo generation formed a circle in the center of the core.
In the center of the circle was an ash tree made of Golden energy. The techno-organic virus soaked into the ash tree, transforming into silver leaves.
The runes rotated as a beam of golden energy shot out from the tree's trunk connecting with Herald's forehead. The ash trees on Herald's forearms flared, blood flowed down his skin as silver leaves began to emerge from the branches on the trees.
In the back of his mind, the essence of Yggdrasill blossomed.
Impressions flowed through him.
Yggdrasill had found a use for the techno-organic virus, it contained a DNA record of everything it had consumed. Yggdrasill wanted to use this record to return life to the earth.
Along with Yggdrasill's presence, he felt the mind of the virus. A hive mind that wanted to consume and make everything a part of it. Pulling away from the alien hunger, he focused on the changes his terraforming sphere was making to the planet.
In his mind's eye, lush fields burst from the earth as cities disappeared replaced by the natural forest that was there before man existed.
Ocean water faded from silver to crystal clear water, but the thing that drew his attention the most was the white trees with silver leaves that burst forth in clearings across the planet. Golden spheres dangled from the curved branches of the ash trees now hidden away in the world's forest.
–XX –
The silver figure hovered above the ocean, their silver skin reflecting the light as its glowing yellow eye stared down at the water. Stretching forth his hand a burst of power rippled the water as its white eye continue to watch the world transform around it.
–XX –
Herald stretched forth his hand, bolts of crimson energy crackling around his fingers as he prepared to sink his mind with the techno-organic virus via Technopathy. After all, if it was merging with Yggdrasill, it needed to be defeated or at least reworked into something useful.
Just as the bolts began to slither away from his fingers, Herald was yanked upward. Bones broke as he was pulled through the earth. Blood exploded from his mouth as flesh tore and bones pierced his organs.
Coming out of the water, pale pink liquid ran down his body as blood mixed with the water. His chest was caved in, and one arm was almost torn from his body from its trip through the earth.
Warm sunlight washed over Herald's face a stark contrast to the streamers of blood that ran down from his scalp. White clouds drifted across the clear blue sky as a shadow blocked out the light.
Allowing his head to drift downwards and rest on his chest, he stared at the blurred figure before him.
"Nathaniel Summers," Herald slurred as his body regenerated. Muscles pulled against his mangled arm, shifting it back into place as bones knitted together.
His skin writhed as muscles pushed bone back into place.
Torn pieces of scalp slowly grew shut.
Through all of this, Herald took in the man's chiseled jaw and messy silver hair, making sure to stare into the white eye instead of the one that glowed yellow.
"What have you done to my world?" Nathaniel asked, an electronic buzz in his deep voice.
"I am restoring life to the world."
Nathaniel's yellow eye flared brighter, "Life breeds conflict, conflict breeds pain. Only by the cold touch of machines will the world know peace, only when all accept the virus can we be one."
Herald clenched his hands into fists, a red Psionic aura flaring around his body and pushing against the force holding him aloft, "Yeah, I've seen what the techno-organic virus does, if there was anyone left on this world, I think they would want things to go back to the way they were."
Raising his arm, the limb shook as he fought against Nathaniel's hold. Opening his hand, a wave of force slammed into the cyborg mutant sending him soaring through the air and skimming across the water.
Herald's body relaxed as Nathaniel's hold was broken. Raising his left hand, he wiped his brow, watching as Nathaniel righted himself and soared into the air.
Nathaniel Summers, son of Madalyn Pryor, a clone of Jean Grey, and Scott Summers. An Omega level telepath and telekinetic.
The man-turned machine raised his arm, from the elbow forward, it transformed into a triangular blade. In a blur of motion, he closed the distance between them.
The ash tree on Herald's right forearm flared gold. Tendrils of pale power flowed from it coalescing into a familiar hammer. Shifting the shaft of the hammer in his grip, he intercepted Nathaniel's sword strike.
The clang sent a shockwave through the air as sparks danced where the two met.
The foreign entity in his mind lashed out as their weapons came together.
Herald's teeth ground together, drool trailing down his chin as he fought on two fronts. The markings on both arms flared as Yggdrasill pushed back against the invading presence.
With a roar that sent vibrations through the air, Herald threw Nathaniel back.
As the man skidded back through the air, Herald focused on his Technopathy. Red lightning danced around his left hand. Bolts shot from his fingers converging in the center of his palm to create a crackling sphere of energy.
Nathaniel's sword arm shifted, transforming into a barrel with six holes around its circumference.
Herald's eyes widened as bolts of yellow energy began flying towards him at a rapid pace. Shifting out of the way, he began to manipulate his density on instinct, only to wince as a beam of power burned a hole clean through his intangible arm.
Shifting back to normal density, he noticed the blackened holes were healing slower than normal.
The alien presence in his mind that was the techno-organic virus flared, pushing back against Yggdrasill.
Focusing on speed, he allowed his telepathic energy to flow through his body, increasing it to new heights. Tightening his grip on his Golden energy hammer, he shot forward, while curling his left hand into a fist around his Technopathic ball.
Even as he slipped in between laser blasts, more than a few got through punching holes in his body. Blood flowed from a wound on his shoulder, and one more in his stomach. With blood slicking his skin, he made it within three feet of his target.
Releasing his ball of Technopathic energy, Herald twisted at the waist, smacking it with his hammer.
The ball shot through the air with a red trail before impacting into Nathaniel's forehead. Red lightning arced off the impact. The techno-organic virus that made up his body writhed uncontrollably, taking on a myriad of forms to try to adapt.
Herald's body shook as Yggdrasill and the entity that was the techno-organic virus in his body fought. Sweat mingled with the blood soaking his form while bits of dead blackened skin fell away as his wounds slowly regenerated.
His vision began to flicker between reality and a black void filled with red ones and zeros.
Suddenly, yellow energy flared from Nathaniel's eye. Wreathed in red electricity it shot towards Herald.
His construct hammer faded as the ash tree tattoos on his arms flared, the silver leaves that made up the techno-organic virus shining like the moon as the beam impacted his chest, pulling his mind elsewhere.
–XX –
Herald appeared in a black void.
Each exhalation echoed in the darkness.
Slowly, he drifted downward. Light flared beneath him, forming into a wireframe floor.
The moment he touched down, a silver Hydra appeared before him, its nine cobra-like heads staring at him with burning purple eyes.
The tattoos of Yggdrasill blazed with Golden energy, causing the creature to flinch and rear back. As it raised on its hind legs, Herald caught sight of something small in the center of its chest.
Extending his right hand, a longsword made of crimson energy slowly formed. For a moment, he stared at the blade. This was the place of the mind, which meant his physical abilities would be useless here.
Closing his eyes, he evened out his breathing as the creature slammed down, sending vibrations through the floor that knocked him off balance.
Keeping his eyes closed, he placed his off-balanced foot behind him as he focused on his breathing, allowing the vibrations of the creature's movements to pass through his body. In his mind, he watched the creature's nine cobra heads drawback before lunging forward, Herald dove to the side.
Emerald flames burst forth from the creature's mouth. Even though he dodged the flames the residual heat blistered his skin.
Grimacing, he rose to his feet wincing as his skin pulled causing the blisters to burst. Fluid ran down his arm and dripped onto the floor. He swiped his sword as one of the heads lunged forward snapping at him.
Rolling into a crouch, Herald gripped his sword with both hands. Focusing his will into it, the blade extended driving into the creature's head from the side.
Purple light flared as his blade punctured one of its eyes. Sinking his mind into the blade, he gritted his teeth when he found no anatomy to attack.
The creature's head jerked back, and Herald was forced to tighten his grip on his blade or else it be yanked from his grip.
Allowing the creature's movement to lift him back to his feet, he twisted his hips dragging his blade through its head.
Silver skin tore as the top of the creature's head came free.
His blade continued, slamming into a second head with enough force to drive it into a third. The creature teetered to the side two of its four legs rising from the ground.
Sliding his left foot forward, pillars of red energy burst from the ground, catching it on its off-balanced side and pushing it the rest of the way over.
It slammed into the ground with enough force to crack the wireframe floor.
With the Hydra on its side, Herald got his first good look at the object he'd seen on its underside. It wasn't an object, it was a face, a face he recognized, the face of Nathaniel Summers the original host of the techno-organic virus.
Yggdrasill whispered in his mind.
Inclining his head, Herald slapped his hands together. The ash tree tattoos flared as white chains flecked with multicolored energy burst out from the cracks in the wireframe floor to wrap around the Hydra, holding it in place.
With a force of will, spikes emerged from the chains, digging deep into the creature's body. Another force of will and his longsword transformed into a bow and arrow. A tendril of white energy flecked with multicolored light flowed from his ash tree tattoo wrapping around the arrow.
Raising his bow, Herald aimed.
On his next breath out, he released the arrow.
The Hydra flexed as the arrow flew through the air, the chains binding it began to snap. Just as it began to become free of its bindings, the arrow struck Nathaniel in the forehead sinking deep.
The creature screeched in pain as multicolored light burst from its eyes and mouth. Slowly cracks began to spread through its body as multicolored light spread through it.
Energy washed over him, colors, unlike anything he had ever seen before filled his vision.
–XX –
Herald stood in a meadow; lush green grass swayed in a gentle breeze as golden sunlight bathed his skin. "It's finished," he mumbled, "the planet is alive."
The planet thrummed with life beneath his feet.
Closing his eyes, he focused on the closest tree of rebirth, which was hundreds of miles away. His vision zoomed in, taking in the strips of silver that now ran through its smooth white bark. Silver-colored leaves gleamed in the shafts of sunlight that made it through the dense forest canopy around the tree.
Turning his attention to the golden spheres that clustered on the branches, Herald's mind shifted a list of DNAS spread out before him. The DNA of everything that had once lived in this world was now at his fingertips.
With a thought, he deleted the human DNA that was here. Next, he categorized mutant DNA, before focusing on the animals that once roamed this planet. Surprisingly he found the DNA of dinosaurs, the dodo bird, and other extinct animals.
Ignoring the dinosaur DNA for now, Herald isolated the animal DNA and pushed it towards the golden spheres that hung from the trees of rebirth. His vision shifted to an overview of the world. As one the gold spheres dangling from every tree of rebirth, what he was now calling the trees created from Yggdrasill, and the DNA codex pulsed.
He could feel the life developing in them.
"Thank you."
Herald opened his eyes to find the spectral form of Nathaniel Summers standing before him.
He was 6'8" tall with short silver hair and a single blue eye. A smile stretched across his weathered broad face. The yellow glow coming from his left eye socket shone brighter as he looked around the world.
"For what?"
Nathaniel's gaze snapped back to him, he gestured around him, "For freeing me from the techno-organic virus and returning life to this world." His hand shifted into his spectral pockets, "I know what you plan to do."
Herald's gaze hardened, "I take it you don't approve."
"On the contrary, I wish I would've thought of it. Unfortunately, I doubt I would've had enough knowledge to terraform the world."
"I had some help."
"You did, to that end, I would like to offer more."
In the blink of an eye, he was before Herald.
Raising his right hand, he poked Herald in the forehead.
Knowledge flowed into his brain, combat tactics, temporal mechanics and so much more filled him. He rocked as the knowledge stopped flowing falling to one knee with a hand on his head.
As the information settled in his mind, he looked up at Nathaniel. "I can bring you back you know? My tree of rebirth was designed to catch the souls of departed mutants and help them return to life."
Nathaniel shook his head his face relaxing into a peaceful expression, "This is the multi-verse, there are more than enough versions of me running around. I think it's time for at least one of us to rest." With those words, he began to fade away.
As Nathaniel disappeared, Herald shot into the air. In his mind's eye, he watched the first of the newborn animals emerge from their egg spheres. High above the world, he stared down at the planet.
The magic of Asgard strengthened the natural magic that developed on earth. Each of the trees of rebirth was planted on a convergence of lay lines, also known as a nexus of power.
Clenching his hands into fists, the trees of rebirth flared as they helped Herald wrap his dimensional teleportation power around the planet. His body shook as a thin layer of red energy covered the earth.
Beads of sweat ran down his skin as veins bulged out. Reaching in the direction of his home universe, Herald pulled.
If there was anyone left in this universe to watch, they would've seen the planet twist before disappearing in a red flash.
–XX –
Harald and the planet appeared on the opposite side of the sun to the earth. His shoulders relaxed as the trees of rebirth flared reworking the magnetic fields so that the addition of this planet could not damage the balance of the solar system.
As Herald's feet touched down, his legs gave out and he crumpled to the grass. Vegetation wove together in a blanket that covered his form. With his last vestiges of consciousness, he heard a name come from the planet, it now called itself, The Cradle, for that is where new life would begin.