Ascension – Eternity Awaits
The X-Men were dispersed across the globe on various missions, while others were dealing with threats throughout the universe. A well-known mutant was about to face a significant threat alone.
The two large doors leading to the landing platform of the X-Men Headquarters opened, revealing a tall black man who proceeded out of the tower. His name was Ororo Munroe, also known as Storm. He had white silk hair and sky blue eyes. The locks of his hair gently waved under the soft caress of the winds that seemed to move with him. On one side, his hair was swept, while on the other, it cascaded in layers. His tight grey costume had a vibrant look that seemed to adhere to his skin. Ororo wore a costume of unstable molecules woven with nanites, a fabric he could easily shift with a mere thought and precise electric current. This current allowed him to reshape the costume's position. Within the costume, the nanites contained Wakanda's latest technology, which Shuri constantly improved. Despite being officially divorced from Black Panther, Ororo's love for him remained even after the unfortunate event when Blank-O-Ray's plan was thwarted.
Ororo's eyes glowed momentarily, releasing a small synapsis of threads of mere light, electrical by nature, that spread out throughout the costume. This caused the costume to vibrate and shift, reconfiguring itself. Some of the nanites spread from the chest area towards the shoulders, extending into a silky cape that matched the main costume's overall look. The cape waved gently under the gusts of wind that seemed to always surround Ororo. He approached the man standing on the edge of the platform. "Here to say your goodbyes?" Ororo asked with a soft smirk, his warm yet commanding voice carrying through the air and reaching the other man. He turned. "T'Challa?" Ororo asked curiously with a soft smile. The man turned his head slightly towards Ororo, his dark eyes settling on him. There was a certain mixture of pride and sorrow within them. Even though his usual demeanor was quite composed, at this moment it faltered ever so slightly. Ororo noticed that. He could feel T'Challa's emotions, and even though he was trying his best to hide them, he could tell that he was worried. "I came to see you off, yes," T'Challa replied after a few awkward moments of silence, his familiar baritone voice rather calm. "But also, to remind you that Wakanda—and I—will be here when you return. No matter how far the universe takes you, my heart will always follow."
There was a certain softness in T'Challa's eyes. Regardless of the unfortunate events involving the team-up between Buzz and Bubbles, T'Challa's feelings for Ororo remained unchanged. He still felt a deep connection to her. He still clung to hope, however faint, that perhaps Beast would reverse the beam's effects. He had been working non-stop on it for the past several years, after all. When T'Challa faced Ororo fully, the winds picked up slightly—a reflection of Ororo's feelings, no doubt. The warm breeze played with his cape and the edges of his attire, but T'Challa stood rooted like the unyielding King he was. "I do not like this... not because I doubt your strength or your wisdom, but because the thought of you out there, facing danger without me by your side, is unsettling." His voice dropped to a more intimate tone. "I have lost many, Ororo. I could not bear to lose you as well." T'Challa stepped closer, his presence ever commanding yet filled with affection. He reached out, adjusting the edge of Ororo's cape, his fingers brushing against his former lover's shoulder. "Promise me, Ororo. Promise me that you will return, no matter what trials you face. I need you to fight, not just for the universe, but for us—for Wakanda, for me!"
There was a certain weight in his words, a depth that only Ororo could fully understand. T'Challa was a king, a warrior, and a protector, but in moments like this, he was simply a man, deeply in love and unwilling to let go. Ororo smiled at T'Challa's words. He reached for both hands and softly gripped them in his own. There was a deep affection in the gesture, and even though Ororo was not the man he used to be, his energy and warmth were undeniable, even now. Ororo leaned forward, gently resting his head atop T'Challa's forehead. His eyes closed as he let his warmth engulf T'Challa gently. "I can tell how worried you are. Regretfully, I cannot ignore the call of the cosmos. I have tried for years now but without success. Regardless, it is not my right to deny it either. I must face my challenges, my love. However, I do not plan to leave you without any information about my whereabouts or my well-being. The Galactic Empire of Wakanda is still spread out throughout the galaxy, and we both know that they will not mind forwarding a message to you. I will try to keep you updated with my adventures," Ororo said with a caress in his voice, his lips gently brushing over T'Challa's forehead.
T'Challa closed his eyes, savoring the warmth of Ororo's touch and the soft, reassuring kiss. He gripped Ororo's hands tighter, holding onto this fleeting moment as if it were a lifeline. His forehead remained pressed against Ororo's, and for a brief second, the mighty King of Wakanda was just a man in love, vulnerable, once more unwilling to let go. Ororo smiled again. He could sense the vulnerability that filled T'Challa, one of the qualities that made him fall in love all those years ago, long before the event. "I must go, T'Challa. I can feel the call of Eternity across the cosmos. You are right to worry about me. I have no idea what I will be facing out there, and that scares me just as much as it scares you. However, to reach Eternity and save this universe, I need to cross our vast galaxies, reach the edge of our universe, its heart, and enter the next cosmos, which will lead me to the multiverse where I will face my first challenge. Then, once I cross into the multiverse, I will need to reach its heart once more, the edge that will lead me to the omniverse where Eternity awaits. My journey will be a long one; it might take years, and I don't want to hold you back. However, whenever you miss me, know that you can feel me in the air around you and within you, the air you are breathing, embracing you. This is how you will know that I haven't perished yet," Ororo whispered softly the last few words before the winds around them started to pick up their pace.
Ororo's eyes ignited, filling their beautiful sky-blue color with an ethereal glow that slowly spread throughout his hair. The winds lashed and propelled his body upward, and when he was high enough, they began to build unnatural velocity. T'Challa stood still, his piercing eyes locked on Ororo as the winds roared around him. He felt the power, the sheer majesty of the Hadari-Yao, as Ororo ascended, the ethereal glow illuminating the Wakandan King's features. The winds kissed T'Challa's skin, carrying with them traces of his presence, almost as if the air itself sought to keep T'Challa connected to the one he loved.
Ororo looked down towards the landing pad where T'Challa was still standing. He waved his hand before the winds propelled him upward at supersonic speed, tearing through the planet's atmosphere and splitting the skies open as a powerful shockwave spread throughout the entire planet, pushing the clouds back from the epicenter of Storm's exit. However, this did not affect the natural weather; Ororo was too precise, too in control of his powers to allow such a disruption. The shockwave was more like a gentle graze across the planet's corona, announcing his Ascension to the unknown.
As Ororo ascended higher, T'Challa raised his hand in a silent farewell, his heart aching but resolute. When the shockwave rippled throughout the planet and beyond, momentarily shaking Wakanda's vibranium infrastructure, T'Challa couldn't help but smile faintly. That immense display of power, that storm of raw energy, was uniquely Ororo—a constant reminder of the unstoppable force he was. He remained rooted to the landing platform long after Ororo disappeared. His hand lingered on the shoulder where Ororo had touched him, as if preserving the memory of his lover's presence. The winds had calmed now, but the air still carried his essence, a faint but comforting reminder that their bond transcended physical space.
After a prolonged moment, T'Challa turned and began descending back into the palace. His heart ached, but his determination grew. He believed that he would see Ororo again, perhaps in her old form. "I will wait for you. This world will wait for your return," he murmured to himself. "Until the cosmic winds bring you back to me, and to everyone else."