The Campbell Chronicles

Chapter 28

"It is true that while our main consciousness remains unaffected by the events in this multiverse, we fragments," Jemiah gestured around at the other celestials, "have been forever separated and changed by the events here."

"Being inside the exterminator changed us all," Phoenix remarked. "The soul of my current vessel is an amalgamation of two different women; ironically, both were loves of James Howlett, who has been reborn Logan Wayne."

The Phoenix turned to stare at Mars. Pointing a hand at the planet, she fired a beam of concentrated energy into the planet's core.

Nicholas and Forge felt the life force energy within the planet instantly rise to a hundred percent.

Both watched as Gaia's gold energy swept over the red planet. Land began to sink in places and rise in others.

Opaque energy swept the world, settling into specific sunken areas before following Gaia's power to the core and wrapping around it, binding limitations and boundaries into the world itself.

David's power bloomed worldwide in an aura of white, and Pamela's power flowed across the continents and islands rising from the ocean, causing plants to sprout.

Red portals opened worldwide. Whales entered the new oceans as white owls with black spots took to the skies, and bison ran across freshly grown fields.

Howls of chimps, apes, and lemurs rent the air as each claimed territory for their species.

Jade sank into the planet's core as a lion killed an antelope, and the first blood was shed. When the lion finished its meal, the antelope decayed rapidly, its energy sinking into the earth, causing the grass beneath and around it to lengthen.

Phoenix stared at the black spot inside Mars core where Jade resided as lines of power swept over the planet.

Tendrils of green, red, golden brown, white, opaque, black, and silver grey sank into these lines, transforming into a pure white power that joined with the core.

"That girl," Phoenix began, "The one connected to death, she will cause an imbalance if a life elemental isn't found."

Nicholas turned to look at her, "I know, but your vessel was the only one I knew of, and I didn't want to involve her since she was pregnant."

Phoenix's hand drifted to her stomach, "When I called Roslyn Grey my vessel, I did her a disservice, for we are one; there is no Roslyn Grey without the Phoenix, and no Phoenix without Roslyn Grey. The portions of Jean and Rose's souls that were lost inside the exterminator merge with me, along with the souls of the gods killed throughout the multiverse, giving us a connection like no other. Join together. We are whole and more powerful than we would be apart."

"However, like the Celestial, I am now separated from the larger Phoenix force in our home multiverse; I have become the embodiment of life for this universe, which makes what's growing in my womb all the more interesting."

"Why is that?" Forge asked.

"Because throughout my long life, I have never given birth. I have provided a spark of myself to help children be born, but never have I birthed one out of my own body. I'm curious to know what it will become."

Ashema, a Celestial with feminine curves outlined by purple stars, cleared her throat, a sound that reminded Nicholas of earthquakes, or meteors colliding, "I believe we can help with life elemental."

Forge looked upon the giant beings with narrowed eyes, "And why would you do that?"

Devron, the experimenter, a slender male outlined in blue stars, answered, "Because despite being transformed by the void, our curiosity remains, and the actions of your progeny have returned us to consciousness."

Jemiah spoke up, "We are curious to see what our creations changed by this universe will turn into. Despite the interference of other beings in this universe, meta-humans still came into being from our work, thanks to the survivors of Brigadoon and the manipulations of Penelope Campbell."

Nicholas placed a hand on his grandfather's shoulder, "What do you have in mind?"

"Forge used organic nanites shed from your body during its ascension," Devron began, "to construct a device using the DNA of deceased or missing family members to create what he calls the Lazarus Gate to bring the dead people of Brigadoon back to life."

Nicholas turned to look at his grandfather, but the man refused to meet his eyes. Ignoring the part about his ascension, Nicholas turned to Devron, "and."

"We will enhance the machine, allowing it to collect DNA from deceased mutants throughout our original multiverse. We would then allow mutants with the correct temperament to be reborn in this universe on your terraformed world."

Phoenix turned away from Mars, which looked remarkably similar to Earth except with nine continents instead of seven and more islands. "That could work. There are individuals in the multiverse who can manipulate life force, but why do you get to decide who is reborn? I am the embodiment of life."

"Because," Ashema said, "despite your power, you cannot see into the heart of individuals; we can, and we do not want to see this work," she gestured at Mars, "be destroyed by those with an ill temperament."

Tiamut, a Titan outlined in golden stars, turned to stare at the earth, his white eyes blazing like suns. "There are already those in this world who would do so just because powers exist outside their control."

"Mephisto," Nicholas muttered, causing his grandfather's head to snap toward him.

"How do you know that name?"

"He was the one who destroyed the realm of the Djinni, inadvertently releasing the divinity that bathed the earth and made all this possible."

Ashema stared at Nicholas, "He is also the one who absorbed the essence of the exterminator after you expelled it from your body in your battle with Lilith Steppenwolf."

"If you've been suppressed and sleeping underneath the magic that created the Parliament of elements, using the powers shed by the exterminator when it died, how do you know that?"

Tiamut turned to look at Nicholas. "Even asleep, we dream, and in our dreams, we learn."

Under the weight of the giant's heavy stare, all Nicholas could do was nod.

"Please, do what you can to help then."

Devron turned his burning blue orbs to Mars.

Nicholas and Forge watched inside their minds as the archive rotated and shrank to hug the world's core. In a flash of sapphire light, obelisks began to rise across the world.

One was made of water, one of wood in the deep jungle, another of dark red rock, another of bone, and one that seemed made of pale white crystal.

Archways of white appeared in the center of each obelisk as Devron turned away from the planet.

"It's done. We have merged the Lazarus gate with the archive and upgraded the technology to accomplish our task."

Forge stared at the glowing obelisk as three more rose from the ground, making eight in total and creating a Pentagon across Mars. "You have accomplished what we dreamed of in moments, merging the archive with the planet's core and creating a place of learning across the globe."

"We may have created places of learning," Jemiah began, "but it still needs someone to guide them, and who better than the man who merged his mind with the archive to guard its knowledge?"

Quick as a flash, Jemiah touched Forge on the chest with his giant finger.

Green energy ran across Forge's body before exploding outwards.

A gasp echoed through the void as Forge, grandfather of Nicholas, Master of Brigadoon technology, took his first breath in over a billion years.

Jemiah drew back to join the others. Together, they spoke as one, "We name you Architect."

Nicholas stared at his grandfather, "I thought you said you were just a recording of Forge's consciousness."

"Technically, I was; your grandmother used her quantum abilities to entangle my mind with the archive. If something ever happened to my physical body, my consciousness would be shunted to the archive so I could guard its knowledge and make sure it didn't fall into the wrong hands.

However, something went wrong. I was supposed to sleep until someone from Brigadoon woke me up, but I stayed awake. After watching the earth for billions of years, I couldn't have you wasting time trying to resurrect me."

Nicholas raised an eyebrow, "And yet you built the Lazarus gate to resurrect the dead of Brigadoon."

Forge shrugged, "Honestly, I wouldn't have created that if it hadn't been for the organic nanites in your body."

A smile spread across Nicholas's face, "So it's my fault."

Forge opened his mouth to reply, but movement on the planet below caught their attention.

A dark-skinned man with close-cropped black hair wearing pale blue coveralls emerged from a forest portal.

Ashema turned to Phoenix, "That is your life elemental; his name is Salvé. He dedicated his life to healing before being murdered. He answered the call to return to help balance this planet's energies."

"I'll go see what I can do for him," With a nod, Phoenix shot toward Mars, her pale white fire bleeding away from her body as she descended.

Devron turned toward Mars. "I'm going to guide the elementals' evolutions," he glanced up into the void. "Maybe I can turn them into something similar to the externals."

The red gardener Celestial drew Nicholas toward him.

Nicholas found himself staring into red orbs the size of suns.

"You have created this world and become the shepherd of the mutant species for this universe, but you are not strong enough. Our old foe broke your powers. You tried to repair the damage but were only partially successful. As you are now, you're not strong enough to guard your people."

Nicholas's hands curled into fists, "And?"

With a wave, the gardener Celestial transported Nicholas's body to the void.

Nicholas floated in the void, nothing more than a core of power surrounded by darker Moats of light in a humanoid form.

Nicholas flexed his fingers; he could feel it now. He was on the cusp of understanding something about matter and energy, but he didn't have enough to assemble the pieces.

"I can set you on a new path and repair the damage done by our old enemy if you are strong enough to survive it." The red Celestial opened his hand, revealing a large metallic white seed.

It shone with the pale aura that lit up the void.

"What is that?"

"A relic from our old universe called the life seed. Implanting the seed inside you will repair the damage done by the exterminator and replace the missing pieces of your essence that have rendered you unable to restore your old powers.

However, the experience will change you. You will be more than a mutant but less than the divinity that your lover has touched upon."

Images of Wanda flashed through his mind, along with the atrocities Mephisto had done to the Djinni, "Will I be able to stand beside Wanda and protect my people."

The red Celestial cocked his head to the side, "That is up to you; if you work with your abilities and grow your understanding, I'm sure you, like all mutants, will be able to surpass your limits."

Nicholas stared into the Celestial's red orbs, determination shining in his golden eyes. "Do it then," he said.

Faster than the blink of an eye, the life seed shot forward, slamming into the core of energy that made up the center of Nicholas's being. His back arched as the seed broke apart, spreading tendrils to every moat of light that made up his humanoid form.

In a burst of power, he disappeared.

–XX –

Nicholas fell through a wormhole. The walls looked like fragments of glass. He saw the past, possible futures, and the universe's secrets within the fragments. As he traveled further, the images changed, and planets formed from energy.

Soon, the energy began receding as Nicholas reached the beginning.

Exiting the wormhole, Nicholas found himself floating in a void of nothingness.

As he floated there for what seemed like years, his mind began to fray in the darkness.

Suddenly, just as he was about to fade, a voice like thunder ripped through the void. Just on the edge of his hearing, its words were lost to him as an explosion of light pierced the void.

Nicholas cried out as the energy washed over him. He felt something in his very being shift.

–XX –

When he opened his eyes, he stood before a forest gate.

His grandfather touched his shoulder, "Are you alright?"

Nicholas shook his head, trying to metabolize what he had seen and learned as he meditated on the secrets of energy and matter. The more he tried to hold onto it, the more it seemed to fade into the core of his being. "I'm fine," he said as he looked at the black obelisk, with its glowing white arch in the center. "Where are we?"

Forge shook his head, the grey in his temples catching the moonlight. "I don't know; this is where the Celestials dropped me off."

"We are no longer Celestials, for we are no longer connected to the larger whole and have been changed by the energies of this universe."

Nicholas and Forge turned to find the Celestial standing behind them, with Ashema standing slightly ahead of the others.

"If you are not Celestials," Forge asked, "What are you?"

Devron spoke, "We have decided to take on the name Titans, for we were reborn by the void energy of this world, and we are titans of power."

"We are almost done with our work," Jemiah began, "once that is done, we will return to our original multiverse and begin experimenting with these new forms."

"But don't worry," Tiamut said. "We will return again. After all, we must ensure the proper development of our newest creations."

"Great," Forge muttered.

As one, the void Titans looked up at the sky. The crack that the original mutant immigrants used to come to this multiverse appeared and exploded, its pieces raining down onto the obelisk, merging with their surfaces.

When Nicholas and Forge looked again, the Titans were gone.

"Forge?"

"Nicholas?"

Both turned, their eyes widening as three figures emerged from the arch.

"Mom, Dad?"

"Arcanna!"

To Be Continued