3rd POV:
Reaver was going through the records in the Sanctum Sanctorum. Strange had no problem with him perusing the scrolls to find out more about Chthon. So long as he stayed away from the artifacts, something he had no problem with.
And honestly?
It was a good thing he and the Sorcerer Supreme, both current and previous one, did not come to blows.
Dormmamu. Chthon. Mephisto. Set. Galactus. Thanos. Dark Phoenix. And so on and so forth.
Some of the threats he already knew about. Others not so much. Assuming he would have killed the Sorcerer Supreme he would have had more things to worry about. But with how skilled they were, they may also come up with some convoluted bullshit to stop him.
He doubted that. But he was gonna give credit were credit was due. They were GOOD at what they did.
He was quite glad to have the Sorcerer Supreme as an ally.
It was also humbling, because it turn out he still had a LOT to learn, before claiming he knew everything about the mystical or scientific. More so the former then the latter, but still.
''I see you are making good use of me giving you permission to read the records. Also get rid of that stupid costume, if you would,'' Strange came in just to check if Bell wasn't doing stupid shit.
''No,'' Reaver simply said. He made this persona, he was gonna use the persona. He only undressed the first time out of politeness, nothing more.
Strange closed his eyes and rolled them behind his eyelids. Lord, save him from irresponsible reality warpers.
''I'm not here simply for small talk. I wish to have a meaningful conversation about some things with you. Also stop drinking near the scrolls, least you spill tea on them and destroy them,'' Strange said rudely banishing the cup of tea. Reaver starred at the empty space and then tilted his head at Strange.
''You do know I spelled the cup so that it never spills? I could turn it upside down and nothing would come out,'' Reaver explained.
''...''
''...''
''...''
''I'm sorry, that was indeed quite rude of me,'' Strange made a hand gesture and summoned a cup of tea for himself and Reaver with the same spell Reaver cast on his cup,'' But I returning to my earlier topic. I wish to inquire about the Mind Stone. You still have it correct?''
Reaver brought it out of the pocket dimension and held it in his hand. Strange looked with some envy at the display, for even he could not touch the stone without repercussions.
''Yeah, I still have it. Why? You want to have it?,'' Reaver asked. Man, Strange really made good use of the Time Stone. Strange quickly shook his head.
''No. I merely wished to ascertain its location. If anything I want you to keep it. Having it in your possession allows you to cause no more mayhem then you could have without it. In other words, I trust someone more with it when it is useless to them. Though I do have to warn you that Thanos will eventually come for you. Not you specifically, but he knows it is in someones hands on earth,'' Strange explained.
''Which means war,'' Reaver explained, making Strange nod. Reaver shrugged and then put it back into his pocket dimension.
''As for the other thing. I was hoping to talk with you about taking my title should I ever be indisposed, for one reason or another,'' Strange requested.
Huh? Huh?
''Me as the Sorcerer Supreme replacement? Why not grant that title to your friend, Wong?,'' Reaver asked. Or hell, Viktor von Doom. Sure right now, he was merely the ruler of Latveria with nothing else to his name, but wasn't there some story arc about him taking the position of Sorcerer Supreme?
''I trust Wong implicitly, but the position of Sorcerer Supreme requires a certain ... temperament. Not many would make our kind of choices in the attempt to save earth. And all the other candidates are always more trouble then they are worth. More so than you in fact,'' Strange said. Ah, he was speaking of sacrifices and though choices.
''In that case you do know I am compromised. What stops me from sacrificing earth to save my girlfriends?,'' Reaver asked him.
''Nothing. But wasn't it you that said you are possessive and greedy? And your girlfriends do consider this their home. It would be terribly sad, to see them cry,'' Strange said, hiding his smugness behind a sip from his tea.
Reavers eye twitched from behind the mask.
''Stop spying on me. And that was a shoddy attempt at manipulation,'' Reaver shot back.
''Then don't make it so easy. Unless you remove all ways for me to spy on you, I will uphold my duty as Sorcerer Supreme and keep myself up to date on the most influential figures. And sure, it may be an attempt at manipulation, but I would trust that the truth bites deep even in the knowledge that I am trying to manipulate you,'' Strange shrugged.
Fair enough. But Strange was getting far to comfortable with him.
Wait, a second....
''...''
''...''
''We just became best friends didn't we?,'' Reaver asked. Their interest aligned closely enough anyways.
''Well, maybe not best friends. I'm sure Mr.Parker would have something to say about that, but friends and allies certainly. So would you take my position, should I be indisposed?,'' Strange asked him. He wasn't lying when he said in most timelines Bell was never a threat to earth. If anything, he saved it quiet a number of times. And aside from their first meeting, back when Bell choke slammed his astral form back into his body, their interests generally aligned.
Reaver quickly nodded his head at that. Maybe he exaggerated a little bit there. Thankfully, Strange set the record straight.
''Well, don't take it as an invitation to die on me. It would only increase my work load,'' Reaver accepted the request. Now that he was thinking about it, maybe this was all an elaborate plan from Strange to offload more of his duties and work on him.
Asshole. He was strangely proud of him, as that was something he was doing as well.
''Ah,what a terrible tragedy that would be for one such as hedonistic as you. My condolences,'' Strange deadpanned. Reaver gave him the middle finger.
''How crude. Alas, that was all I wanted to discuss with you. Thank you for answering my questions. If I may ask, have you come up with a plan already on how to deal with Chthon?,'' Strange asked hopefully.
''No. The scrolls reveal much, but not enough to satisfy me. Still, I do have a course of action. You mentioned the Demogorge and the Demorgorge is basically Amon Ra or Atum. Figures that I will find out more in Africa,'' Reaver revealed.
''That ... is a high undertaking. You do understand, even one such as you will find it difficult to enter Amun Ras dimension. His raw power was enough to make several of the Elder Gods flee, least they be killed by him,'' Strange cautioned.
''Calm down. I understand that as gods they have a different temperament than humans. No reason to make enemies when diplomacy works, I will talk to them differently then I talked to you. But who knows, maybe I won't even need to enter their plane. The records talk about esoteric depictions recounting Amon Ras battle against Chthon inside the pyramids. I will go from there and if I'm lucky I will never need to disturb them,'' Reaver said. The records revealed much, but he neede more. And Reaver was meant to be a lone wanderer going on adventures anyway.
And if push comes to shove, he will scour all of Africa, if need be.
Besides, Strange needn't have cautioned him in the first place. There were so many enemies in the Marvel Verse that would amuse him, not in Chthons case though, that he didn't need to add additional enemies to his list. That wold be the height of stupidity. Reality Warpers can fight many things, but not the rest of the 1% combined. No one in the 1% could fight the rest when they combine their might.
And sure, Bell may have his infinite respawns, because he moved his energy to his mind, but what good use was that if he was gonna get spawn camped.
Actually, the more he found out about the others the more he was forced to no longer describe himself as omnipotent. Actually make that omniscient as well just to be extra safe.
As one man had said, If everyone is super then no one is super.
Being omnipotent meant jack shit if his enemy was omnipotent as well, which meant fights needed to be fought differently, then he would normally fight them. Either by exploiting their weakness or trapping them in some way or form.
As Reaver thought in the beginning. Gotta humble himself a little. He was just glad his growing arrogance didn't come to bite him in the ass, with a harsh and costly lesson.
His time in the Sanctum Sanctorum was a time of many revelations to him. Not that he was gonna admit that to Strange. The smug prick, was gonna deride schadenfreude from him being wrong.
''Very well, then. One more thing. You do know that your stunt with Yaldabaoth and Satanael fooled basically no one inside the mystical or godly plane, except the less practiced and uninformed ones. (*Reaver nods*) Very well, I just wanted to set the record straight,'' Strange said before departing.
As if Reaver needed to have that explained to him. He only intended to fool a majority of the public anyway, particularly the western countries, for his purposes. Still it was nice of Strange to try and look out for him.
Oh well, Reaver drank the rest of his cup and then pushed himself up from the chair. Time to 'Dora the Explorer' the African continent. Before he left, he left yet another clone behind to study up on more of this sorcery stuff.
...
A few hours after Reaver left, Wong asked Strange if he was sure about his choice.
''He and I have an understanding. His position will only ever be temporary. But when he takes up my mantle, he will protect earth, his home. So yes, I am sure,'' Strange said, before returning back to his scrolls.
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Kitty stood before Bell and all his girlfriends inside the man cave. To think that just a few sips of wine would make her completely light weight and lead to this. She was never gonna touch alcohol again.
''So, last time you let something slip. I think it is time to come clean, Katherine,'' Bell told her. Katherine winced, but didn't immediately reply. She cast a quick look at Wanda. That was new, after all. Something she was unfamiliar with. She smiled fondly, making Bell raise an eyebrow.
''Sorry. It is just you always used to call me that, when your patience was growing thin. You probably guessed already but ... (*Kitty releases a sigh*) I am... from the future,'' she explained. No one really reacting shocked or impressed.
''Have we been together long for you to develop such familiarity?,'' Bell asked her. For now he was not going to immediately reveal that she was from a different dimension.
''No. Like, we were dancing around each other, but you never moved things past that. Yes you took me on some dates, but refused to kiss me and stuff,'' Kitty said.
Ah. Then she was talking about the courting phase, to see if his variant could develop feelings for her.
''Tell me about the future, please,'' Bell requested politely. Kitty took a breath to gather her resolve and then began recounting.
She talked about how he had the X-Gene. (Probably made it seem as if his variant had the X-Gene).
His parents died early and he was taken in by Xavier. (Checks out, it took a while for his parents to earn his respect, in the same way it took him time to get acclimated to his own powers properly, which is probably the reason his variant didn't bring them back.)
One day Gwen made her appearance as Ghost Spider and he went out as Nexus. (Yes, his affections for spider themed stuff, that checks out as well.)
They got together. They went on missions, both with Gwen and with the X-Men. They saved many people suffering under the oppression from governments and others that had the X-Gene. She pointed out how the X-Men here were more powerful thanks to Zero. (Which meant that the variant Bell didn't train them for some reason.)
For a while everything was good. Then the Sentinels attacked. She also expplained what the Sentinels were. People died and he got killed. Next thing she knows, was that she was awake in her younger body.
Hm. A very different life compared to his. Some things were the same. Seemingly his reasons and philosophy at least. But in terms of power and accomplishments, his variant seemed rather disappointing. There was no reason not to train the X-Men.
Unless...
His variant slacked off. Whatever the case he needed to have familiarized himself with all those abilities to be able to teach them to others. Which meant his variant did not employ his puppet clones or any of the other stuff to train all those abilities.
Then again this might be pure conjecture. Better work with what he had, because if he descended into the 'what if' then he was gonna spend an eternity here.
''So you spent years with me. I have to say, you gave very little away,'' Bell complimented, making Kitty blush.
''Yes. You kind of always told me to lie better, in fact. The rest of the X-Men as well. It was one reason why you constantly came to blows with Scott actually, as he was too trusting and idealistic. More so than Logan and Scott actually,'' Kitty said, making Bell raise an eyebrow.
Ok. That was VERY different. He had no issues with passing on a leadership position. It was nice to sometimes see the leading skills of others. He was particularly proud of Scotts growth to a more proper leader. It seems that his variant had a short temper, or was more fixated on having something in a certain way.
Again, conjecture. But it seemed that was the first major divergence between him and his variant. At least in behavior or philosophy.
''Still, I have to say. The butterfly effect is a weird thing. I still don't know how me traveling back in time stopped you from ever coming to the X-Mansion. Not that I, like, wanted your parents to die, but still,'' Kitty quickly explained at the end after her remark. The girls cast her a pitying look.
Right. Now that he had the information it was time to rip the band aid off and reveal the ugly truth to her.
''Yeaaaah, about that. Boy do I have some bad news for you,'' Bell began, making Kitty frown.
''What do you mean? What is wrong?,'' she asked worried. Bell looked at Gwen to explain. He already told them how time worked, so they could talk a little as well in this conversation. Again, he didn't want ornaments, but partners.
''So time is constant. Right? It advances forward as the universe expands keeping its momentum intact. Sure you can slow or speed it up, but this is under special circumstances and hard to achieve as well. We are talking about infinite energy here.
Unless yo have a source of infinite energy, then you can not and will not be able to stop the entire universes kinetic energy, let alone all the other energies. Which means you can't travel back in time. Instead the system that governs the universe, kicks you out in a parallel dimension, back in time, similar or similar enough to your previous one. THAT is actually what the butterfly effect is all about,'' Gwen explained to Kitty in a soft tone. Kittys expression growing more and more terrified.
''What? No, no, no. Like, how sure are you that that is how time actually works? You could be wrong,'' Kitty quickly shook her head in denial.
''100% certain. Bell is a reality warper and already turned back time in dead worlds,'' Laura explained. She took the it as a fact when Bell told them all about this. There was no reason for him to boast.
Kitty collapsed with a hollow look on her face on the couch. She starred at the ground. The girls approached her to offer some comfort. Bell merely starred in thought.
He really has been growing arrogant lately, throwing the words omnipotent and omniscient around to describe himself, even if only in his head.
Honestly his first clue should have been that God, the One-Above-All, Stan, learned for certain that there was someone stronger than him, or at least with a higher authority then him out there, that sent Bell in this multiverse cluster.
An omniscient person learning something new. Lifelong learning and all that.
And again if everyone in the 1% was omnipotent than no one was.
The scrolls in the Sanctum Sanctorum revealed that quite a lot of entities had interest in not turning the time back and instead keep it running forward. Sure, Bell could turn back time, but that would have several deities and cosmic entities descend on his ass. Which, again, meant it was a good choice to experiment with a dead dimension.
He was still thinking like a human. The metaphysical knowledge no longer useful as it was either incomplete or belied the sheer scale of his enemies or potential allies powers.
It was time to train even more and read even more of the scrolls inside the Sanctum Sanctorum. Turns out there are laws and rules, that the 1% imposed upon each other either by existing and providing a balance check to others or forming councils to enforce their world order. The comics did not really go into all that much detail on that, or at least he hasn't read about it, but in retrospect it was bloody fucking obvious.
Thank god he did not do anything that stepped on too many peoples toes.
Again, he was thankful he learnt this lesson, without a harsh and costly lesson. He was sure to employ what he learned in the future and adjust his behavior more accordingly. It was also officially time to disregard the weight of his metaphysical knowledge. It was good to have it, but this was reality, not a comic. Things were far more complicated here.
That said, he should return back to the situation at hand.
''Wait! You said you are a reality warper? Can you send me back?,'' Kitty asked.
Bell cast Laura a slightly annoyed look. She cast an apologetic one back. It seemed that Kitty did not know about his reality warping powers. Which made sense, as they never moved past the courting phase. Which, come to think about it, assuming his variant didn't lack in power, made also sense why his variant didn't bring Kitty back. He loved his girlfriends, but he would mourned them and done nothing more should they have died before his friendly affections for them turned to love.
Maybe that made him a bit of a dick. But while he was gonna try and save his friends, he was not gonna cross some lines for them. Special treatment was reserved for his girlfriends.
Life just wasn't fair after all.
''That would be insanely hard and close to unlikely. When one 'time travels' the wrong way the body in the original world gets utterly destroyed. Your memory or data of the consciousness and unconsciousness gets thrown out into another dimension. Not only would I need to make you a new body, but I would need to restore the original mind of this Katherine before you entered her body.
But with the almost infinitesimal amount of energy residue in your mind from your original world, I am forced to look manually for your dimension. And remember there are infinite worlds out there. Even a blade of grass blowing one nanosecond faster then in ours can spawn a new universe.
Which even THEN you can never know for absolute certainty that it is YOUR original world. I doubt you knew about every blade of grass in your world. I am sorry to say, but you are not making it back,'' Bell apologized. She looked back down again, tears began going down her face.
It was one thing to find dead dimensions, but when things got this specific it stretched the capacity of the possible.
Hm. Come to think of it. What should he actually do about her? He could erase her memory about him being a reality warper, since that was a very recent memory. That was very non-invasive. But her knowledge about him or him being Nexus was years long. Enough that she developed an infatuation for him to the point she could imagine a future with him.
...
Well, he did have affections for her. If she wanted, they could see if love wouldn't blossom from it. It was far easier then trying to debate the dilemma on what he should do with her.
''Your story may not have such a happy beginning. But that doesn't make you who you are. It is the rest of your, who chose to be,'' Wanda told Kitty in an attempt to comfort her. Bell suppressed a smile and cast her an amused glance. She really just quoted that goat lady, huh. Rogue gave him a subtle elbow into his sides. Now really wasn't the time to be insensitive.
Kitty wiped her eyes and swallowed thickly.
''Are you, like, saying that I should just learn from this and make a new beginning here?,'' Kitty asked.
''Well, you are certainly not going back. Might as well not let our worlds sacrifice be in vain and live the best life you can,'' Bell shrugged.
''But is she dead? The way I look at it is that the ego of living beings is made out of memories. Both Kittys most likely merged together,'' Jean explained. Some of her belief getting influenced by the Phoenix' observations over the years.
''See, now you are entering the philosophical world and the longs standing question of what makes out the ego. To quote someone, ' I think therefore I am'. The ego might made be out of memories, but does that truly mean both Kittys merged together if there is only one dominant Kitty and the other can't think?,'' Bell counter argued, settling into the routine of them debating.
''Hm, I suppose I have to concede your point. Then again, maybe...,'' Rogue gave them a small slap over the head to stop them.
''Stop making Kitty uncomfortable. This revelation is hard on her enough as it is,'' Rogue admonished.
''Things are so similar and yet not. It is remarkable. Can I... think about making a decision after sitting on this for a while?,'' Kitty asked, trying to put on a strong front.
''Sure, just don't chronowalk again,'' Bell told her, earning himself another quick elbow from Rogue.
Kitty nodded appreciatively and then quickly left through the ceiling, running away. The others starred at the sight.
At least Melina wasn't home, to catch the sight of Kitty rising like a ghost from the ground up. Bell wondered if she remembered to turn invisible.
''You know, in a way this sight will never stop not being funny,'' Bell remarked at the comical and anticlimatic departing from Kitty. The girls sighted at the tension breaker.
''Will she join the harem,'' Laura asked. Bell shrugged non comittedly.
''That depends on her decision. I suppose I can see if anything comes of it, but only if she wants to give this a try,'' Bell explained. It certainly beat trying to debate for hours the dilemma he found himself in, even with his increased processing powers.
''Sorry,'' Laura apologized again. She might have jumped the gun to quickly there in assuming Kitty knew about Bells true power. Bell rubbed the top of her head, affectionately.
''It is fine. I will deal with it, so long as you don't make the mistake again,'' Bell told her, making her nod her head.
''So what is for dinner?,'' Gwen asked after a few seconds of watching them. Both Wanda and Bell shrugged, having no plan. They were the ones that usually cooked after all. Sure they could snap their fingers, but it was not about the journey not the destination.
Or something.
''In that case, let us make pizza. I will help,'' Gwen suggested. It has been a while after all that she ate her favorite food. Honestly, her giving the permission for Bell to form a harem turned out to be not so bad after all. She felt a little silly for considering Bell would abandon her for Wanda or Jean. He really didn't care for their power at all and treated all almost equally. She was the only one that received some preferential treatment.
''But I wanted to suggest lasagna,'' Rogue complained.
''You know what this means. Mud wrestling,'' Bell quickly offered a solution to solve their dispute. The girls deadpanned at him. As if they all didn't know who would come out on top as the winner.
''Yes that is obviously one solution. Obviously. OR they could play one round of rock, paper, scissors,'' Jean said. Bell hummed and after a few seconds he made the valiant sacrifice of not witnessing a cat fight and nodded.
One round later pizza it was.
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Logan sniffed the air. He left the area and entered the kitchen. He sniffed the air suspiciously again. Finding nothing, he left the kitchen and entered the simulation room, keeping his ears sharp on his way for any sounds and once there sniffed the air again. He repeated this a few times.
With the dormitories.
With the laboratory.
With the teachers lounge.
He went into the X-Jet and checked that out as well.
Then he went outside and sniffed around as well.
''What are you doing?,'' Laura asked coming out of the forest back from her stroll and noticing Logan sniff around.
''Don't mind me. I'm just looking around,'' Logan said having noticed her a while ago. Laura shrugged.
''Happy Birthday by the way,'' Laura said departing. After saying that she immediately recognized what was going on.
There was no way she could explain that Viktor Creed was already dead. Thank god, Bell scrubbed her of his blood after their battle and all those other scents or Logan would have smelled the battle on her.
''Thanks, bub. Stay safe,'' Logan told her. He really didn't care for birthdays, what with how old he was, but it was nice when it came from someone that was really close to you. Or was supposed to be close to you. Despite both Laura and Logan understanding that they are related, they only treated each other as friends. Logan was too afraid of opening up the subject and possibly driving her away and she seemed to be doing just fine on her own, so he settled for what they had.
If anything, she seemed to be doing better than him. At least she didn't have that problem of tethering on the edge of losing control whenever she went to deep into the berserker state. And she also didn't seem to be struggling with being a killer. Having found her own version of making peace with it.
After a few more hours of sniffing and exploring the area around them Logan stopped.
Something was wrong. By now Viktor should have already made his annual appearance to torment him and yet... nothing. Not a rotting smell of corpses. Not an attempt to harm the students. Not even a peep, somewhere in the distance.
Was he... preoccupied? Or was THIS yet another way to play with him? Make him paranoid and schizophrenic. Lash out at anyone and anything, for suspecting them to be his agent.
He needed Charles. They all were still disappointed with him and what he did to Jean and they all kept an eye on him, but this was necessary.
He walked past Kitty talking with Rogue, Laura and Wanda about something in the hallway. He didn't pay attention, not wanting to invade their privacy after he noticed they were talking about training.
...
''Ah, Logan, my old friend. Is there something you want to talk with me about or is this a visit for old times sakes?,'' Charles asked him when Logan entered his office. He could use that small distraction.
Sure, a lot of people went to Genosha, but just as many came to their school in the hopes that they would teach them to control their powers. And while he readily accepted those people in need, there were also just as many that he could not accept.
The school only had so much capacity, maybe he should expand what with the increased revenue, and some people really did not need their help. There was one that sneezed fire. As in he could only produce fire, when he sneezed and not a lot either. Another could change the color of their hair and nothing more. And many more. While he is glad for their gifts, they had it under control and were not a danger to themselves or others.
It was a nightmare going through all that paperwork and trying to find out which to accept and which not too for the next school year.
''It is my birthday today and Viktor hasn't shown up. Can you use Cerebro to find him?,'' Logan asked.
Charles raised his eyebrows. That was today? Oh, dear, he forgot his friends birthday amongst all this paperwork.
''Logan, I'm sorry for forgetting. Happy birthday my friend. As for using Cerebro. Are you sure, you all told me not to invade any more peoples minds;'' Xavier said. And he HAS been adhering to that doctrine, to earn their forgiveness. He still thought what he did was for the best, to protect everyone, but he had to admit, he might have been too... eager to mess with Jeans mind.
''No, we told you to stop invading peoples minds and mess with them. We said nothing about not using your gifts otherwise. Besides, I know you don't need to invade peoples minds with Cerebro. Just feel him out and that will be enough. Maybe see what he has planned for me,'' Logan explained. They all had some contingency plans for Charles in place. Mostly Wanda, as she didn't violate their trust.
But despite Charles fuck up he was offered a second chance, because of all the goodwill they had for him. Years of fighting by his side and seeing him offer people a home they were welcome in, did that to people.
And after explaining his reasons, they understood why he did it. He definitely went about it the wrong way, but even Jean admitted that his fears were not COMPLETELY unreasonable, which is why she didn't kill him.
Honestly, it was a complicated and conflicting mess for all of them. And they all dealt with it in their own way with it. Logan himself did not mind, just so long as Charles didn't mess with anyones memories every again. That was a big no-no from Logan.
''Well, in that case, follow me my dear friend. To Cerebro we shall go,'' Charles said jovially. Ah, so he misunderstood them. Then he was gonna be far more mindful of using his gifts. Besides he really needed the distraction and Logan did not usually ask for help preferring to solve things himself. The fact that he asked him to search for Viktor was a huge deal.
...
''What do you mean 'He is nowhere to be found'? I thought no one could hide from you, especially when you use Cerebro,'' Logan growled. This situation was getting ridiculous. Where was Viktor and his attempt to torment him?
''Exactly as I said. He is nowhere to be found. Either he found a way to hide from me. Unlikely as I can feel Eriks mind when he has his helmet on, even if I can't read or affect it. OR... he is dead,'' Charles presented the two most likely outcomes.
There was also another thing. Cerebro allowed him to easily cast his abilities around the entire earth. He felt everyone when he did that. Everyone.
He noticed several void minds around the earth. Similar to Zeros mind. The only reason he was even able to pick up on them existing was because after the third time of not finding Viktor he spent a considerable amount of time looking at almost every individuals mind a little more carefully before moving on and he noticed that some people registered in another persons mind, but when he attempted to look into theirs he found only a void.
And while he found that suspicious, it was not enough to draw any conclusion. So he was going to keep this to himself for now.
Whatever Zero might have been and however much he did for the X-Men and his students, he was dead. His secrets buried with him. He was not going to give his friends any false hope. Thus he would investigate on his own in his own time.
Logan slumped his shoulders.
''Well, thank you for going through this trouble anyway, Charles,'' Logan told him.
''What will you do now my friend? Now that you have this knowledge,'' Charles asked.
Logan contemplated for a while. Well, he had some free time as it was thursday. Training and sparring only started in the weekends and friday night.
''I think I will visit an old friend,'' Logan told Charles. He immediately understood. It was honestly a wonder he held out for so long to try and recover more of his memories.
''In that case my friend, I wish you the best of luck,'' Charles told him. Logan nodded and departed. He did not know how to establish contact so he just was gonna wing it.
Logan went for his bike and left to NYC.
---
''Mr. Rogers there is someone down at the reception claiming to be a 'James Howlett' and requesting to meet with his old war buddy. What do you wish to do?,'' Jarvis asked him through the intercom as he was doing push ups in the training room. He widened his eyes and immediately sprang up.
''Jarvis, please show me a video or picture of the man claiming to be James Howlett,'' Steve requested. A holographic video appeared of man in a leather jacket. Steve gasped. He immediately wanted to let him up but then shook his head.
No.
He could not risk Morgan like that. Tony would kill him. Literally. He grew fiercely protective of her after Zero died. And this James could be a shapeshifter for all he knew. And here Natasha accused him of being too trusting.
''Jarvis, tell the others that I am going out. Call me, should you need me for anything,'' Steve said quickly changing. For a second he contemplated if he should take a wash, but he barely started training and broke no sweat, so he wasn't smelling. He sniffed himself. Ok, maybe he smelled a little. But if he smelled a little to his senses, he probably wouldn't smell to others. He ignored the 'Of course, Mr.Rogers' coming from Jarvis and went down the elevator.
The two men looked at each other. He was exactly as he remembered him in the old days. Was he like Bucky, frozen in a cryopod?
''Greetings, bub. It has been some time,'' Logan greeted him, hiding his awkwardness.
''James. You look remarkably spry for someone who is 80+ years old. How?,'' Steve greeted warmly. But before he proceeded, he needed to know how that came to be. It was the exact same gruff voice he remembered, but caution was advised. Bucky was a HYDRA sleeper agent. Maybe James was the same.
''Come, bub. There is a good bar around the corner. I will tell you everything there,'' Logan told him. There were too many ears here. Steve slowly followed but cautiously followed. If it was around the corer, then they wouldn't walk much and would still be close to the Avengers Tower.
...
''That is a LOT to take in, James,'' Steve took a small sip of his beer. Or was it Logan now?
Apparently, he had the X-Gene and had super healing with bone claws. It certainly explained why James never seemed to have so much as a scratch on him during their times in the Howling Commandos. They called him the Lucky Ace, because of that. Then after the war he fell in with the government, got adamantium over his bones and fled. He barely aged, because of his healing factor and now he was a physical trainer at the School of Gifted Youngsters.
To think his friend was always so close to home.
''Yes, a wild ride. Listen, bub. I am not here just for a social call. I lost my memories when I fled. Only recently have I been regaining some things, because ... well, that is unimportant. I was hoping you and I could reminisce about the old days. Maybe that would trigger more of my memories,'' Logan explained, making Steve nod. He supposed he could do that. Any secret from then, probably was useless by now.
''Do you remember Bucky?,'' Steve began, trying to test the waters.
''Bucky. Bucky? ... Bucky! You mean Barnes. Yes I remember now. You always chastised us for smoking cigaretts and we called you twinkle toes in return,'' Logan chuckled, taking a swig of his beer. Steve nodded, relaxing a little. They did not mention that in the history books.
''Yes, you and Bucky used to tease me all the time. As your Captain you gave me no small amount of trouble with your behavior, but you two were good at what you did,'' Steve recounted.
''What happened to him anyways? Did he die of old age or something?,'' Logan asked.
''You don't remember? He fell of a train and died,'' Steve told him. Logan grunted dissatisfied.
''Or at least that was supposed to be the case. Turns out he had it so much worse. HYDRA found him and he lost an arm. They gave him a replacement and mind washed him, bringing him out of the cryopod whenever they needed him. The one behind Project Insight? That was him as the Winter Soldier. But I think he is slowly regaining himself. When I fell into that river, I could have died, but he brought me out,'' Steve told him. Logan grunted.
''If he had his mind washed and manipulated then maybe a telepath could help him undo, all those HYDRA sentiments. I know three telepaths I can trust. You know where he is?,'' Logan told him. They were speaking very lowly. Both knew that the other had super senses. There was no danger of them being overheard.
Steve shook his head.
''No. After Project Insight I lost contact to him. For all I know he could be back in HYDRAs hands already,'' Steve said. Logan grunted and took several swings of his beer.
''Well, you have my number now. Give me a call if you need my help. But chin up, bub. We are warriors. We got through WW2, we will get through this as well,'' Logan tried to comfort Steve. He chuckled appreciatively, but then sighed and nodded.
Then they proceeded to talk more about the good old days. They were after all old souls, belying their bodies appearance.
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A few weeks later Kitty came and rang the door bell to the O'Quinn residence. Melina answered.
''Oh my. Hello young lady, may I help you?,'' Melina asked. Kitty perked her head. It was weird seeing a previously dead person be alive. But by now she got her act back together and made a choice.
''Uh. Hello, Miss O'Quinn. I am friend of Bells. Is he home?,'' Kitty asked politely. Actually now that she thought about it, it was probably quiet rude of her to drop by without announcing herself.
''He is actually. He is playing his drums in his 'man cave' as he calls it. Come in, I will show you the basement,'' Melina said, letting the young woman in. Now that she was thinking about it. Bell gained a remarkable amount of lady friends recently. He should diversify his group a little and add some more male friends aside from Peter.
''Thank you, Miss O'Quinn,'' Kitty said going down the stairs into the basement after getting rid of her shoes at the entrance without Melinas prompting. Kitty remembered how Bell hated it when someone entered his room without getting rid of their shoes. Surely, it was no different here in their home.
She stood at the entrance and waited for Bell to notice her. Knocking was probably pointless with the sounds going around. Not that he continued to play the drums much longer after she appeared at the door, as he noticed her quiet quickly. He currently had nothing to do. at least not as Bell. His clone puppets were still going around doing duties. Stretching out his mind and controlling multiple bodies was only getting easier.
''Yo, you came to a decision?,'' Bell asked her. What else could she be here for?
Kitty nodded firmly.
''I know you are not my Bell. And I am not your Kitty. Or at least not this worlds Kitty. Or, like... The POINT is that I came to a decision. I want to see if we can fall in love. Give us a chance, at least. I think I need that closure, whatever may come of this,'' Kitty said. It wasn't like she didn't already know being with Bell meant being in a harem. She already made peace with that, but she REALLY needed that closure. To know that she tried at least.
Bell nodded.
''Sure. Let us go then,'' Bell said. Kitty nodded. Already knowing that he didn't like beating around the bush too much. That is why she cleared her calendar today. If not today then another day, had he been busy.
''Oh? Are you two going out already?,'' Melina asked from the kitchen.
''Yes, mother. Katherine might have the potential to join my harem. I am taking her on a date,'' Bell told mother. Melina rolled her eyes and turned around not noticing how Kitty tensed.
''This again. Make sure you two stay safe and have fun,'' Melina told them. Honestly, the fact that the girls didn't beat Bell brown was a testament to their control. Not that she wanted her little bell hurt in any way, but he could be so frustrating sometimes. Must he insist on making such crude jokes.
The door closed behind them.
...
''You just told her about your harem? Just like that?,'' Kitty asked as they walked down the sidewalk. Bell shrugged.
''It started of as a joke, despite being the truth, but by now several of the girls bet on how long this will go on. We suspect it will take all of them kissing me in front of her to stop her being in denial,'' Bell told her.
''That is mean towards your mother. But that also checks out with how you usually behave,'' Kitty told him exasperately, easily falling back into a familiar lull.
''How long did you know the other me for?,'' Bell asked curiously.
''I don't exactly remember. Like, 6 to 7 years. You were longer then me at the X-Mansion. You knew Jean the longest as both of you were taken in when you were very young. Which is FRUSTRATING, because, like, you knew Gwen for only one year and got together with her first,'' Kitty huffed. It was a little weird, how similar both Bells were and yet so different as well. Kitty guessed it would take her some time to properly get used to this.
Ah. Bell nodded taking in the info.
''By the way. Is it really true? Are you a reality warper?,'' Kitty asked. That was ... a lot of power. And the other Bell didn't have sch powers or at least didn't display them.
''Yeah. I am,'' Bell admitted without much fanfare. Not how he would have done it, but that is alright. That is what it meant to be in a relationship sometimes. You had to deal with your partners bullshit. The girls dealt with his own bullshit anyway, though recently he has been toning it down a little. With the recent revelations to him. His amusement jumped to third priority. First being his partners and second taking the threats inside the world much more seriously.
First and second priority went hand in hand so it might as well be one priority, honestly.
Already he made some adjustments to his automatic detection system. He noticed Xavier spying on him and created a clone to keep some track of him. Unfortunately, he could not completely block his girlfriends minds. Sure it would work against Charles and others, but to the 1% it would only announce his presence. It was much better to block the knowledge about him and his powers from getting accessed.
He also stopped some methods of Stranges from making it possible to spy on him.
He even found out about Bastian and Trask and their little Sentinel project. How did Bastion, no wait Bastian, come to be? Time travel shenanigan bullshit, by following Kittys energy signature.
Bell started looking at the world around him with a little more seriousness, instead of treating it as a vacation, but it was moments like this that made it hard sometimes.
That was just such a stupid marvel comic book moment even if there was a logical explanation, but whatever.
For now, he decided not to eviscerate the two. They might be useful for helping him achieve something. It was also a little fun seeing Bastian visit places where Sinisters backup clones used to be,only for him to find nothing. He wondered how long it would take Bastion, sorry Bastian to realize Sinister was dead DEAD.
There were also a few other threats, but more on that later.
''Why do you hide the fact you are a reality warper? I mean going around as Nexus with spider powers and telepathy and telekinesis seems weker than being able to do anything,'' Kitty asked. Bell raised an eyebrow. She really was hella familiar with him. The world only knew that Nexus had telekinesis for now.
''It is stupid to advertise your powers. Aside from inviting challengers to come to you, people would come to fear you. And they would buzz around like flies no matter how many you slap until I would do something that would go against my principles. I don't fear them. I merely fear what I would do should they annoy me enough,'' Bell explained making her nod.
For once, it was actually the complete truth. He REALLY couldn't operate anymore in a way that would prioritize amusement above little else. He can still have fun, but in heavy moderation. He needed some actual goals to set for himself. He still was deciding what exactly to do for now.
Bell sighed mentally. Guess some things never change, huh?
''I suppose that makes sense. So, what do we do for now? What is our date?,'' Kitty asked eagerly. She wasn't completely unfamiliar with reality warping. It turned out Wanda was one , which meant this one was as well. Though it was a little weird seeing her on the X-Men team instead of the Brotherhood of Mutants.
Bell thought for a bit.
''You know what? Let's take it slowly for today. We will go on a stroll in Central Park and talk. Anything past that and we can do something more exiting, but I want to find out more about you,'' Bell told her, making her smile and nod. That didn't sound to bad to her ears.
---
One date, became two. Two became three. And three became twelve. Frankly, it was hard not to fall in love with Kitty. She was no Gwen, no offense to Kitty or the others, but Gwen would always enjoy a special place in his heart. But she got him and understood him, in a way only his girlfriends did. It also helped that he found a lot of characteristics cute about her as well. Turns out she used 'Like' a lot because he found it a little cute. In the same way his variant found it cute as well.
It was a tic she developed early in her childhood and didn't bother to get rid of it, because of him.
Honestly? His variant had good taste. Aaaaaand that sounded hella weird to his ears.
They were currently surf gliding in Australia. It was cheap to rent a boat and then do their activities. Well, cheap for him at least. He was filthy rich thanks to both his YouTube channels. But with how he dominated the entertainment industry, one brought more money in then the other.
Kitty whooped as she was pulled into the air by a particular strong gust of wind. If it weren't for the rope she would have flown of, not that there was any danger for them involved what with their powers but still.
...
Kitty giggled as she leant into him after they returned the boat and equipment. They were walking along the coast line and listening to the distant traffic and close waves.
''I see you had fun,'' Bell remarked conversationally. She nodded happily.
''Yup, it is a pity you didn't want to go a round as well,'' Kitty shot back. Bell shrugged. Somebody needed to steer the boat and he did not want her to crash it into the waves. Sure he could have used telekinesis, but sometimes it was better not to use their powers for everything. Made the moment more special in a way.
In other words there was a place and time for everything.
''Bell... I just want you to know you are not a replacement. You were right. You are different from your variant. In the same way Jean and Madelyne are two different people even if there are a lot of similarities. Do you think we can, like, pretend this is the first time? For my sake?,'' Kitty asked vulnerably as they came to a halt near the pier.
Bell starred at her. They both knew where this was going. They just have been dancing around this issue the past two dates. He understood she wanted to shed her past and start a new life with him and the others. But perhaps pretending was not the right call. Her past made her after all who she was, even if it should not shackle her.
Honestly, she was making a mountain out of mole holes.
He put his hand on her cheek and she leaned into it.
''No. I won't pretend you origins don't matter or never existed. You don't need to make any assurances. I understand. And I will embrace you wholly, just as you are,'' Bell assured her. She widened her eyes and then buried her face in his chest as she embraced him fully. They stood there for a bit, basking in the moment. She removed her head and looked up at him.
''Bell, I love you,'' Kitty said with conviction, emphasizing the 'you'. Bell put his face close to hers and looked her deeply in the eyes.
''I suppose I could love you back,'' Bell said teasingly. Kitty rolled her eyes at him semi ruining the moment. She gave him a small pinch at the waist, but leaned in anyway to connect her lips to his.
It was... much better than she ever imagined.
---
''What?,'' Kitty exclaimed as Bell gave her the armband, explaining what it does and brought her up to speed on most things.
She immediately gave him a harsh slap. His face not moving as she quickly retracted her hand and shook of the pain from her fingers.
The other girls chuckled. Granted they did not slap him, but they supposed not everyone reacted the same to the fact Zero was Bell.
''Asshole. Don't do that again,'' Kitty growled rubbing her fingers. She really went for that slap too. Bell cast her an amused look.
''Calm down, Kitty. Those were special circumstances. Remember the Dark Phoenix. Also I had no intention on dying in that way. Blame Wanda for failing to use her telekinesis to stop Sinister from ripping my heart out,'' Bell shamelessly justified himself.
''I admit my fault in that, but don't pretend you didn't intend to leave anyway. I can only take so much of the blame. Jean as well. Anyway, Kitty, calm down, we made him promise not to that again. At least not by faking his death,'' Wanda explained.
''Trust us, that is the most we were able to get out of him,'' Gwen assured her. Kitty reluctantly nodded. Yeah, she understood that tracked with what she knew about Bell as well.
''Well, welcome to the Sisterhood. We still don't have a name for our merry band,'' Rogue joked. They all understood only Bell decided who could join them, but they knew he would take their input should they ACTUALLY express concern or the like. No one had any problem with Kitty joining them.
Wanda cleared her throat.
''Let's NOT call us the Sisterhood. I remind you that we were attacked by a group calling themselves such,'' Wanda explained. They told the rest about that.
''I still struggle to really grasp that you are supposed to be a demons vessel,'' Gwen remarked.
''Not if we have anything to say about it. We will help her. Right, Bell?,'' Jean said. After all he helped her with the Phoenix. He nodded. Thought perhaps they don't quiet grasp Chthons power in the same way he underestimated most entities in the 1%.
''Correct. In that vein, I propose that you all learn Sorcery. It is an incredible powerful tool, that would elevate you above most. And as for Wanda and Jean, though you won't learn anything, you can at least gain knowledge about all the different powerhouses,'' Bell explained. What he was refusing to say is that they would not be facing Chthon, aside from Wanda and maybe Jean.
They were just all on completely different power levels. And he was NOT risking them. This had nothing to do about him being overbearing it was just a simple fact. But whatever motivated them to pick up Sorcery was good he supposed.
''And when would we go to this Sanctum Sanctorum?,'' Gwen asked.
''Preferably immediately after you all graduate. You will still have your original abilities, but it would you do good to expand, or if you want have it complement your original abilities,'' Bell told them. Everyone except Gwen and Wanda fell into that category. They could all start this very year once summer break starts. Except Wanda would could start now and Gwen who could start after next year.
''Immediately? Oh,'' Gwen murmured. She wanted to go to college and study genetics. Then work for Bell in his company. Not that she was gonna voice that. She knew it sounded shallow. This threat took priority.
''You all are lucky that you have a good affinity for sorcery. That said it should not take you more than a year of constant dedication to reach a good enough level. Once that year is over you can continue to train or focus on other things. Besides, you won't be going to the Sanctum Sanctorum. You will be going to Kamra Taj in Tibet. It is easier for people to pick up sorcery there, than anywhere else as it is a magical place and beginners can grasp the energy more easily to familiarize themselves with it,'' Bell explained.
''What will we tell our friends?,'' Laura asked.
''I don't care. You are adults soon. You don't need to justify yourselves and can do as you please. Hell, invite them to come with you if you want, but in their case be aware that they might not get accepted. The deal I made was only to include you. And anyone else who might join my harem,'' Bell shrugged.
Again. Maybe that was unfair of him treating friends and family differently but life wasn't fair. He was gonna get Peter an audience, but the rest was on him. If he wouldn't get accepted then that is that. The were still many other ways to get powerful.
The girls, except Wanda, Gwen and Jean rolled their eyes. Fine then, lazy ass. They will play along and find an excuse to leave for a year.
Gwen supposed she could take a gap year after graduating, though she didn't know how to explain it to her father. Wanda was gonna start this very week and Jean had no one to tell what to do. Her parents thrusting her to stay safe and visit them sometimes.
''You said in a few years?,'' Kitty asked.
''Close to a decade. We have more then enough time to prepare if we dedicate ourselves. We just need to make sure not to lose the trees for the forest, least we get sidelined by another threat. Remember we still have the one threat who wanted to use the Sisterhood for their own means,'' Bell explained making them nod. He still hasn't really found who was behind that, but he was investigating far more diligently then usual so it shouldn't take too long.
''Well, I suppose we have a goal and a course of action. That is always good, in my opinion,'' Rogue said. Laura nodded. Yes, setting goals made on strive to dedicate themselves to something. But it was also important to set mini goals, least you lose motivation, when you don't see immediate results.
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Frankly the past few months were relatively uneventful. Nothing really major happened. They fought crime and put Rhino, Vulture and Electro behind bars again. Twice in fact. Scorpion was retarded and always tried to take them on alone. He had a bit of an ego.
Very smart. Smarter then Einstein. He should teach a few classes at Harvard.
They were really not that much of a trouble, as Gwen and Peter only gained experience.
And then his dreadful birthday came along.
Melina kissed Bells cheek as it was his birthday. Again. As it was the past 17 times as well.
What a truly monumental event.
Unprecedented.
Never before seen.
God, he hated celebrating his birthdays.
At least the others were having fun. All the girls were invited on the basis that they befriended Jean and Jean was friends with the others. Chat was here as well and sitting together with Peter. She was a little shy having to meet Peters guardians and having May gush about her, but Bell could tell both Peter and Chat were having a great time as well.
Just, oh, Bell didn't know, maybe Peter should have introduced her to them at any other time. LITERALLY. Why on his birthday dude? It was awkward enough for him already.
Gwen gave him a kiss as well after Melina. It was one thing for them to tell Melina, or attempt to, but the others would be told much, much later about the harem. Preferably, when they were adults and could weather the storm so to speak. People were quiet unaccepting of something that worked for them.
The girls would just give him a kiss in private.
Then they began singing as Melina brought out the cake.
Bell wanted to die and be released from this pain.
They did not know how much he sacrificed for them.
They really were ignorant of his suffering or took delight like Gwen. She knew he hated his birthdays for no reason whatsoever.