Heir of the Immortals Resurrection
Chapter 28
Herald sat at a bus stop in New York City, his eyes closed his chest rising and falling as he exhaled into the early morning. Steam puff from his mouth as the sun began to peek over the horizon, fighting its way through the fogged-over glass of the awning he was sitting beneath.
His eyes twitched behind his closed lids as he sorted through the information he gained from the Board of Directors, Lily Potter, and the necromancer his double fought, who he learned was Amelia Susan Bones.
With eyes closed, he turned his left hand up. Red letters, numbers, and esoteric symbols floated out from his palm, intertwining together to form a small sphere about the size of a golf ball.
The knowledge of these magic users would help him and the mutant nation climb higher on the evolutionary ladder, but that was for the future. Opening his eyes, he stared at the brownstone across the street.
Sunlight began to crawl across the street to shine on the windows of his target. At the end of the street, a blue and white bus began to rumble around the corner.
Rising to his feet, he took a step, appearing on the doorstep of the brownstone in a blur of motion. Raising his hand to knock, his knuckles froze inches from the door as it swung open.
A woman stood in the doorway.
She stood 5'6" tall with a slender waist and a moderately sized bust that stood out beneath her pale blue robes with gold trim. Her pale skin seemed to glow in the early morning light, highlighting the blue tribal tattoos that spread across her skin and disappeared into her hairline.
Purple eyes stared into his red.
Brushing a strand of dark hair from her face, she wound it around a finger with a cherry red nail, "Hello, Herald."
Herald inclined his head, slipping his hands into the pockets of his blazer, "You know who I am?"
The corners of her lips twitched at the question. "I may not be my husband, but just because I do not hold the title of sorcerer supreme does not mean I am a slouch in the mystic arts. Besides, your actions a few hours ago have already spread waves through the mystic community."
She stepped to the side, the Bob of dark hair at the back of her head shaking slightly, "Now," she gestured past her, "why don't you come in and tell me what you want."
–XX –
Andromeda Strange née Black, wife of Stephen strange the sorcerer supreme led Herald down the hallway. As they moved, Herald opened his mind, feeling the dimensional energies inside the home. Stopping at an intersection, they turned to the right, entering a small parlor.
Two wooden couches with plush red cushions sat in the center of the room with matching chairs at an angle at their ends. A table sat in between the couches, light from the bay windows overlooking the street spreading across the polished wooden surface.
Once they were seated on small couches across from each other, Andromeda waved her hand. In the wake of the movement, a porcelain teapot and 2 cups appeared. Picking up the teapot with long practice grace, Andromeda filled the 2 cups, her eyes never leaving Herald's.
Once they each had a cup of the steaming fragrant brown liquid, she spoke.
"Now, why don't you tell me why you're here."
"You're a powerful sorceress can't you tell me?"
"I could, but I want to hear it in your own words."
Taking a sip of his tea, Herald raised an eyebrow. Sitting the cup on the China plate provided, he dabbed his mouth with a napkin, "Well, it's rather simple. The Board of Directors is dead, I want you to take over the running of the magical world."
Sitting her cup down, Andromeda's face twisted into a frown, her purple eyes hard, "You killed my sister, why would I want to help you with anything."
"Your sister used her powers to manipulate people for her own gain, more importantly than that, she hunted down and experimented on my people." Herald leaned back, crossing one leg over the other, "I can give you her memories if you want, let you see what she's done, the pain she caused."
Slowly, Andromeda shook her head, "Why me?"
"You are from a prominent bloodline that holds sway in that world, you have intuitive magic which means you will be able to understand any magic ability that emerges in the future, but most of all you know what magic is really meant to be used for. The defense of the world from outside threats."
"It won't be easy; I left that world over a decade ago. They won't have a high opinion of me."
"I think I can help with that, but before I do, take this." Reaching into his pocket, Herald pulled out the orb he created at the bus stop and held it out to her.
Andromeda leaned forward, "What is it?"
"Useful knowledge from the Board of Directors, and all the secrets of the black family I was able to collect while dealing with your world. You are now its head so it is rightfully yours."
Andromeda stared into his eyes, "How do I know I can trust you?"
"You don't, but if I wanted to hurt you, I would have already tried. Besides what do I have to gain. As long as the magical world stays out of my business, I will stay out of yours. I have no interest in running your little piece of the world when I have my own planet to manage."
Andromeda reached forward. As her fingers wrapped around the orb it burst in a flash of red. The veins of her arms bulged, flaring red as her eyes drifted closed. After a moment, she opened them panting lightly. After catching her breath, she straightened.
"All right, I will help guide the magical world. After all, I can't leave those children Severus put into foster care to fend for themselves when they come into their powers. So," she leaned forward, "how do you plan to get me accepted by the world I abandoned?"
–XX –
A golden sphere slammed into the ground, crushing the grass beneath it as it split open. A hand covered in amber slime emerged from the opening.
With a sigh, Mary Walker grabbed the hand pulling Herald free of the sphere. For a moment, she allowed her unique eyes to trail over his broad 6'6" frame. With a gesture, a towel flew into her hand from a nearby pile. With a flick of her hand, it shot towards Herald.
The ash trees on his forearms glowed with golden and silver light.
"Did you have to let that woman kill you?"
Wiping the slime from his body, Herald focused transmutation into the towel transforming it into a pair of shorts.
"She didn't really kill me," he replied slipping them on. "I used my connection to the cradle to leave my body and allowed a new one to be born here. Since my evolution all of my powers of been transformed into knowledge, so it's not like I lose anything if I die. As a matter of fact," red energy billowed around his eyes, "I learned a few things."
Mary moved forward, poking him in the chest, "What happens when those on earth use your body for their own ends."
Herald began walking, "They can't, Andromeda's got an hour at most before the enzymes I manipulated in my body cause it to rapidly decay. That includes any samples taken."
Red flowers brushed against his legs as Mary moved to catch up with him. Since Krakoa came to the cradle, a lot of his plants had cross-pollinated with the cradle. According to preliminary tests done by Sarah Kinney and Lionel Jeffries, these plants could be used to help fight against cancer.
"What happens if Andromeda decides to betray you?"
"Then she will violate the contract I hid in the sphere of knowledge I gave her."
"Do you keep stopping for suspense, or do you just like hearing me ask questions?"
A grin spread across Herald's face, "Both."
Reaching the top of a hill, they stared out over the mutant settlement. Mutants had finally stopped emerging from the tree leaving their current populace at somewhere around 5000. More mutants existed, but they had decided to stay on earth.
"So, what happens if Andromeda violates the contract?"
Herald watched mutants move through the small city below, "All of her knowledge will be instantly transferred to me, leaving her in a vegetative state."
"Seems like you got everything covered."
He turned to face her, "Not everything."
Mary raised an eyebrow, "Oh, and what is there left for you to do?" Her eyes widened as Herald dropped to one knee, her gaze locked on the ring in the palm of his hand.
Releasing a shaky breath, Herald stared into her eyes, "Over the past two years we have been on many adventures together. You have been my rock, never leaving my side even when I tried to push you away, but I'm done pushing people away, so I ask Mary Walker for the past two years you have rarely left my side, will you spend the rest of our lives by it now, will you marry me?"