Dimensional Warrior
Chapter 13
Harry sat at a desk in the New York branch of Alchemical Solutions, his fingers clasped together as he waited for his appointment.
The desk before him was made of dark wood. A short distance away was a sitting area with the pain of glass hanging on the wall. A remote sat on the coffee table in the sitting area.
To the left of the double doors leading into his office was a small minibar.
Harry stared at the bar.
Most of the things in this office belonged to the previous occupant Tony Stark.
In 2009, Stark had fallen off the wagon and his drinking was affecting his business. During that time, Harry used the no-confidence clause in their contract to take back the distribution of his Atom splitter. At that same time, he also purchased a lot of Stark's manufacturing companies.
In one of the buildings, he found the Ironman Armor. Stark had used a kill switch to fry the circuits, but an intelligent witch named, Penelope Clearwater along with a group of bloodlines that were not treated well in the magical world. They were able to start piecing it back together.
They were able to create something similar to Asgard's Destroyer, a metal giant in overlapping plate armor that was almost impossible to stop once it was set on a mission. These are meant to be a defense for the earth should it ever be invaded like his home universe was.
Impressed with what they were able to accomplish, he allowed them in on his most secret project, one that he had spent the past thirty years working on, one that he was going to talk with Calisto, the leader of the Morlocks, about today, Project Ark.
A knock on the double doors brought him out of his thoughts.
"Come in!"
The doors opened, and a woman strode inside.
5'9" tall with short black hair, a single blue eye scanned the room, the other hidden behind a black eye patch. Each movement showed off a lean muscle. Leather pants decorated curvaceous legs. A purple T-shirt covered a small bust. A leather vest highlighted toned arms.
She crossed her arms over her chest, the palms of fingerless gloves resting against her biceps.
Slowly, Harry rose to his feet, "I take it you are Calisto."
"You're the one that gave Brain Cell those shaper pills so that we could pass as humans," her tone was more accusation than a question.
"I am."
Calisto leaned forward, her blue eyes narrowing, "What's your game?"
"My game?"
"What do you want from us?"
"Miss Calisto," Harry began moving around his desk, "I want nothing but your survival. With the way humanity treats anyone that's different, I fear for the future of the secrets hidden in this world."
"Secrets?"
"That's going to take some time to explain," he gestured to the sitting area, "do you mind if we sit?"
Uncrossing her arms, Calisto moved over to one of the leather couches.
Every movement held an almost supernatural grace.
Taking a seat on the opposite couch across from Calisto, Harry interlaced his fingers.
"Mutants are not the only," he glanced up in thought, "unique individuals in this world. There are beings of myth and magic that walk the world hidden in the shadows. They build their own societies in the forgotten places of the world. With each passing year, technology gets more advanced, risking their discovery and persecution. It is those secrets I worry about as well as the future of mutants."
Emerald colored eyes stared into a lone crystal-clear blue, "Humanity does not realize it, but we mutants are the earth's greatest offense against those that would do it harm. That being said, I am not willing to sacrifice an entire species or multiple species just to keep a few safe."
Calisto stared at him for a long moment, then one corner of her lip twisted upward, "You're off your rocker, you honestly expect me to believe magic is real."
Harry grinned, "I don't expect you to believe me at first, but I can prove it if you're willing to take a trip with me?"
Calisto tensed, her blue eye becoming the color of ice.
Seeing this, Harry leaned back on the couch, throwing his arms across it, "Ms. Calisto, if I wanted to harm you, I could've done it the moment you entered my office. To be honest, I'm content giving your people, the Morlocks, the shapers so they can live a normal life. All I would ask in return is that you keep an ear out for anything that may threaten our people. However, I see potential in your group and want to offer you more, if you're willing to take a chance."
Sliding his arms off the back of the couch, Harry rose to his feet, "In the end, it's up to you take the pills and have to hide who you are, or see what I'm offering."
"What are the conditions of this second offer?"
"For you to believe me you'll have to see it, but I will tell you that you and your people will be free to be who you are without having to hide, it will require a lot of work though, but that work would be for your own benefit."
Calisto rose to her feet, "I'll see this second offer of yours."
"Good."
–XX –
Fifteen minutes later, Calisto had followed Harry down to the sub-levels of the building.
They passed pits surrounded by large cylinders of liquid metal.
Every few minutes a suit of armor would rise out of the pit, red energy shining from the T-shaped opening in its helmet. The moment its feet touched the ground, it moved forward, light shining off the silver-colored metal as it joined a row of its brethren.
The tactical part of Calisto's mind counted each one of the suits of armor. It screamed at her that she was in danger.
Pushing it down, she turned her attention to her guide, "This is a lot of soldiers."
"I come from a universe where Earth was overrun by aliens, these soldiers are meant to be a defense against that."
Calisto nodded, but was unable to stop her next question, "What about an alien force taking over these soldiers?"
"They are not your normal machines. They are a combination of magic from two different universes. That makes it harder for them to be taken over, but they are still missing a piece I hope to find in the future."
They stopped before a crystal circle set into a concrete wall.
Four Golden runes were etched into the top and bottom of the circle, each connected by a spark of electricity.
Rainbow colored energy stretched away within the circle, creating a wormhole effect.
"I present to you the jump gate and interstellar portal that will take us between two points."
Calisto looked at him, her posture stiff, her lone blue eye hard, "You said nothing about leaving the planet."
"Before this moment would you have believed me?"
Calisto crossed her arms, "Where are we going?"
Harry took a step towards the portal, "With the help of Gaia, the elves, the dwarfs, and the magic users, I have been able to terraform a planet."
He shook his head, "Honestly Gaia did most of the terraforming, and the groups I mentioned are setting up infrastructure for those who want to live away from the prejudiced of earth."
He glanced at her, "That's why I want you Morlocks, I want you to build a mutant city for those who are tired of the persecution of earth."
Calisto stared at him blankly, but on the inside, her mind was reeling. This man, this man who could do magic, wanted her to create a city for mutants. Questions on top of questions ran through her mind in a swirling ocean of confusion, but one stood out above all others.
"Why me? Why not someone like Charles Xavier, Magneto, or Apocalypse."
"While each of those individuals could build a city. They would want to be in control, a ruler above their people. You have a sense of community with your people. You work together for the betterment of everyone, and I believe that's the type of people we need running the first mutant city on Gaia."
Calisto stared at him for a long moment before finally turning towards the Jump Gate.
"Show me Gaia, but if I don't like it, I'm returning here," she looked at him, a knife appearing in her right hand, "and if this is a trick, I will gut you."
"Fair enough."
Together, they stepped forward vanishing in a flash of multicolored light.
–XX –
They appeared on a circular platform made of marble tiles. Marble columns formed a ring around the platform.
Each column had a holographic screen.
One showed dwarfs breaking up asteroids in space and hauling the materials away.
Another showed tall silver-haired elves walking through a forest, plants growing up in their wake as bronze-colored energy curled around them.
The last showed what looked like a medieval city. People in jeans and T-shirts walk the streets, talking to vendors, or transforming the materials the dwarves dropped off into building materials.
The dwarves would then haul the materials away.
"This is Gaia," Harry began bringing Calisto out of her reverie, "it is four times the size of the earth. Gaia, the earth mother, has terraformed the planet to give it the same conditions as earth, but a year here is 400 days instead of 365."
Calisto looked around her, she was in a large meadow that stretched for miles.
Her eyes locked onto a bird as it dipped down, she recognized it as a cardinal.
"You have earth animals here?"
"Of course, they were the first connection Gaia created to this world, but we still had to bring them from the earth," a smile spread across Harry's face, "a little magic, and rabbits aren't the only thing that bred fast."
A Doe wandered into the meadow and began leisurely eating some of the tall grass.
"You keep mentioning Gaia, are you talking about the mother of the gods from the Greek legends."
"That was actually Rhea, Gaia was the mother of the Titans, but in actuality, she is so much more. She is the wife and mother to multiple gods throughout multiple mythologies."
"Why would she do this?" Calisto gestured around her.
"Gaia is fundamentally connected to every living thing on earth, if they are healthy, she is healthy, if they are sick, she is sick. This is an experiment to see if she can expand her powers, a backup plan in case the earth ever becomes uninhabitable."
"Why elves, dwarves, magic users," she hesitated at the word magic, "and mutants. Why not pure humans?"
"Gaia believes and I happen to agree that the branches of life she has chosen are the best bet to live on a planet without destroying it."
"So, let me get this straight. You want me to build a mutant city?"
"Yes."
She gestured around her, "With what materials?"
Reaching into his pants pocket, Harry retrieved a crystal egg.
Golden runes were etched in three concentric rings down the egg.
"This is based on the same technology as the Gates but altered slightly," he tossed the egg to her, "clutch it in your hands, and imagine what you want. Once the runes light up, throw it on the ground."
Hesitantly, Calisto wrapped both hands around the egg and closed her eyes.
"I would advise you to make the place big."
For a moment, Calisto just stood there breathing in and out. As her breathing eased golden light began to shine between her fingers.
Eyes still closed, Calisto rotated on her heel and tossed the egg away.
The moment it hit the earth, it disappeared.
A slow tremor reverberated through the earth before a thunderous crack split the air as the ground split open. Dust and Crystal sheets exploded into the air.
Crystal shot up intersecting and intertwining, sunlight streaming through the crystal created a rainbow throughout the entire process.
When the process was finished, a large Japanese style Manor stood before them.
Frosted crystal walls eight feet thick emerged from the ground, creating a protective wall around the property.
For a long moment, Calisto just stared, "what was that?"
"I call it a growth crystal. It's based on alien technology from my old universe. It's taken me sixty years to replicate it through magic. Seeing the results, I think it was worth it."
Calisto turned to him, walking back up onto the marble platform, "That's the second time you mentioned another universe."
"I told you before, I came from a universe overrun by aliens that could possess people, I want to stop that from happening here. Originally, I was going to build the mutants a base on earth, but after seeing how they were treated, I knew we would never be left alone there," he gestured around him, "so with some help I created this."
"And what do you get out of this?"
"Mutants survive and thrive."
What he didn't mention to Calisto was like the Phoenix, the Sage force was fundamentally connected to evolution. The more mutants there were and the healthier and more prosperous they were, the more powerful the Sage force became and by extension Harry.
"I and my people will try this, but what are the conditions."
Looking into her eyes, Harry's pupils shone with sea-green energy, and power resonated in his voice.
"Find those that will help you build this nation, find those that will help it to prosper, and be a place of peace and sanctuary to our kind. Find those that are willing to work with the other outcasts that live in this world. Work together and prosper."
Calisto's pupils dilated for a split second before she shook her head.
"I think I can manage that, but I still think we need to bring Apocalypse, Magneto, and Xavier in on this."
"That's fine, just remember the conditions about working together.
This planet is big enough where you probably won't ever have to meet the others that live here at least for a few generations, but it would be better to start relations while your civilizations are still young."
Turning, Harry faced the crystal in the center of the platform, "Now, let's go collect your people."
–XX –
Hours later, Harry floated in the middle of an asteroid belt. Millions of tons of cosmic rocks drifted through the star-filled void of space.
As he floated there, he thought over the day's events.
While he was originally planning to approach magneto, or apocalypse, thinking that they would be the best to protect the mutant race, he realized he as an unknown would not get the same response as someone they knew. He knew he would eventually have to make an appearance and introduce himself to the two, but for now, it would be better for Calisto to introduce them to what he was offering.
Besides, there was still work to be done.
With a wave of his hand, the entire asteroid belt broke apart.
Clenching his fist, a moon of gold, silver, and platinum appeared around him. While hundreds of small orbs of iron and copper orbited the moons.
Floating forward, he curled his fingers, fifty orbs of black dust about the size of a softball floated towards him.
Ironically, these small orbs were worth more than all the metal he had just mined from the asteroids. If what his experiments showed him were true, this could cure cancer and extend the lifespan of normal humans.
Shaking his head, he concentrated.
Tendrils of sea-green energy flowed out of his body, creating a massive spell circle beneath him and the objects he had created.
This should be enough to help the people of Gaia get started.
Each city had set up their own portal to earth so they could buy materials they hadn't yet begun to manufacture. He would take a small portion of what he had gathered here back to earth for his own funds, but the majority of it would go to Gaia.
With a force of will, he vanished.