1st POV: Katherine:
''Do you think that the Professor was wrong for disclosing us being mutants or that mutants even exists in the first place?,'' I asked
Professor Xavier was forced to explain himself at the UN when a fight broke out and lasted long enough to be caught on camera. A fight between us and the Brotherhood of Mutants about ideology... and a recruit. But she hardly mattered, having been forgotten halfway through when Lehnsherr and Xavier began to talk. I had to admit it was actually not them that started the fight, but us, their followers. Pyro threw an insult at Bobby and Bobby threw and insult back at him and Quake and then things devolved from there.
Xavier was not happy at how we handled ourselves.
Bobby sighed. It was a difficult time to be in right now. Most of us did not know what how to take suddenly being exposed to the world after making an effort for so long to stay hidden. We also worried about the dangers that could come. But I still wanted to hear his thoughts.
''I don't think it is a matter of right and wrong. His hands are tied and he has to make difficult choices. Difficult choices seldom make people happy,'' Bobby explained.
I frowned. That was true, more or less.
Scott came in looking agitated followed shortly by Professor Xavier and all the other teachers. Scott moved to stand by our side and we listened what Professor Xavier had to say.
''Things did not work as I hoped to. The UN has classified us as dangerous and is considering us a different species. They have not outright declared us enemies of Earth, but...,'' Xavier trailed off, looking dejected.
''It's the calm before the storm. They're preparing. You must too,'' Logan grunted.
''Preparing for what?,'' Piotr asked.
''To fight. To defend. To flee. All of that, certainly. But most importantly to survive,'' Ororo told us.
''Is there a way we can rise above this challenge? Surely, there must be something that we can do?,'' Jean asked.
Xavier sighed gravely. I knew in that moment, that there was something we could do. Xavier and Cerebro could alter peoples memories or Jean, if Xavier won't do it. But I knew their morals. They won't make that choice.
''We have no time to waste then. We need to prepare then, as you said,'' Scott instructed us.
---
There were two people at the mansions door steps. I was, at that time, with Scott and Professor Xavier talking about recruiting new mutants to our school. A few mutants were picked up by Professor Xavier with Cerebro and it was a matter of splitting the team up to recruit several people at once.
''Greetings. And may I know who I am talking to?,'' Xavier asked them.
The older one stepped forward.
''I'm Roberto Da Costa. I heard your confession at the UN in the news and I wanted to join. People have been hunting me since they found out I have the X-Gene and drove me away from home. I can't speak for this pipsqueak, though,'' Roberto told them.
''My name is Bell O'Quinn. My sire found out I have powers and tried to kill me. I killed him and mother told me to seek safe haven here,'' the much younger boy told us.
Several emotions went through Xaviers mind. I could tell, my watching his expression shift quickly. Sadness, pity, frustration. A mutant using their ability to kill, would not endear us. The Brotherhood of Mutants have been officially declared a terrorist group and public opinion was souring more and more. The Professor warned us about being more careful with how we use our powers publicly so as to not implicate us further.
''How old are you?,'' Xavier asked him kindly.
''6,'' Bell replied.
6 and already a murder under his belt. He will be scarred for life.
''And why isn't your mother here? If she wanted you to take safe haven here, it means she meant you well. Why let you come here alone?,'' Scott asked him.
''She decided to take the blame for me,'' Bell replied.
Ah. A mothers love truly knows no limits. Huh?
...
Sometimes, I added in my mind a little later. I know enough mutants that had mothers try to murder them.
''Of course you can come in. We will provide you both with a safe haven and a place to belong. Perhaps even a family, if that is what you both wish,'' Xavier kindly let them in.
---
Roberto is able to channel solar energy as well as absorb it to accomplish various things. He took up the callsign Sunspot. Bell could call and command swords, every now and then he can make the swords achieve various effects. He was also immune to telepathy. But he always looks dissatisfied and trains more than any other here. He decided to call himself Nexus at his insistence. Callsigns were only reserved for members of the X-Men.
Of course we were not gonna let him on the battlefield. He was 6 years old for Pete's sake, but we indulged him a little. He and Leech were kind of the mascot children. Adorable to hell and back. Leech was full of optimism and enthusiasm and Bell tried acting like a serious and grumpy adult all the time.
He does not have the X-Gene but he was take in all the same.
...
It was a nice balm for the soul in these times. Something to laugh a little about while the world outside was going to shit.
---
Lehnsherr decided to take a island for himself and named it Krakoa. It was against the permission of the UN and the fact that he was the leader of the Brotherhood of Mutants did not exactly make matters easier.
We were invited anyway, to celebrate the government and safe haven that was a established. A country of the mutants, by the mutants for the mutants. A mutant country. A mutant utopia.
Not all of us decided to go, Some of our heavy hitters, were going to stay at the mansion and keep everyone safe. But Leech absolutely wanted to go and dragged Bell with him. I decided to take a peek at this country too, mostly out of curiosity.
...
''Come on, Bell. I want to explore!,'' Leech was dragging Bell after him. I was following them, tasked with keeping them safe. Buuuut I also was taking the opportunity to look around.
''You should have some fun, Bell,'' I told him.
''Fun? For what purpose? War is on the horizon,'' Bell replied.
''War is not on the horizon,'' I reprimanded him.
''Tell yourself that. Maybe you will believe it, if you say that enough times,'' Bell scoffed.
''Bell! Don't be such a spoilsport. Come on. Have some fun,'' Leech dragged him away. Bell following reluctantly.
...
Everything was in flames.
Bell and Leech...
I picked myself up. My shoulder aching, but I had to find the boys. A fight was going on over our head, up in the clouds above Krakoa figures could be seen flying, enough to almost blot out the sky, were this day instead of night. The fires illuminated the nights sky enough for me to see them. Every now and then, they fired on the ground and some descended down, presumably because someone destroyed one of the robots.
I could tell they were robots when I came face to face with one.
It was massive. Different from all the others. Magneto and Nexus where fighting against it, barely putting a scratch on it. I looked for Leech and found him hiding near some rubble.
I ran to him, but in the same time Magneto grabbed Nexus and moved towards them as the robot began charging up. Magneto grabbed metal and formed a dome around us, to protect us from the robots energy beam, that continued to shoot at us. Though I did not need it, the thought was appreciated.
''Habt keine Angst,'' Magento calmly told Leech, who was crying in distress. He tried to calm him down by putting on a brave front.
''Bell, I'm scarred,'' Leech instead turned to Bell to seek comfort.
''...Close your eyes, Leech. When they are open again, the battle will be over,'' Bell told him. Leech did just that, starting to calm down a bit.
''What are you doing?,'' I asked him.
''Something suicidal, though I wish I were better at using my powers,'' Bell stepped a little back and, I assume, started focusing, trying to do something.
Because suddenly he started screaming and after a while, there were loud screeching noises, like metal scraping against metal and the battlefield was silent.
No more energy beam, no more battle noises. Nothing, except the flickering of the flames. Bell collapsed on the ground and I quickly went to him. Magneto opened up the metal dome and I could see that the energy beam was almost about to cut through the defenses.
As for the robot and all the others?
Massive swords could be seen sticking out of them. Magneto quickly got to to work catching the falling robots and dumping them on the ground, without them harming anyone else.
I ripped off Bells mask and saw all the blood coming from his nose and his eyes.
''Bell! Is he fine? Will he die? Should I close my eyes again and wish him to get better? Bell please don't die. You're my friend!,'' Leech began crying again.
''Shut up, Leech. I have a killer headache. My head feels like it is being eviscerated,'' Bell complained grumpily and in pain, just laying sprawled on the ground.
I sighed and fell on my butt. He would be fine, if he was already back to trying to push everyone away.
---
Of course that was not the end of our trouble, but it was the beginning of the war. Bell, did not gloat for having being right, as I have expected him to. He just looked resigned, but ready.
The robots that initially attacked us were strong and numerous, but we could still win over them most of the time, with almost no loses.
But then, the war began shifting. The robots, the Sentinels, began to get tougher. At first not by much, but soon enough there was a massive leap in technology and the Sentinels began to adapt to whoever they were fighting.
Much later on, we learned that it was a combination of Mystiques powers and Darwins powers that allowed them to do so. They managed to get a sample of their blood.
They were killing machines, designed with the sole purpose of finding everyones weakness, integrate it into their arsenal and use it against us.
And they were good at that, starting to pick us off one by one.
Jean died in an ambush, Xavier told us since they were machines telepaths could not feel them coming.
Bobby died.
Rogue died.
Ororo died.
Leech died.
So many died.
One after the other we started falling like flies.
Today we were only a handful left. All of us that remained, where sitting and hiding underground for some brief respite. We all looked defeated.
''War takes focus away from other things and shifts priorities. If only I had more time to train,'' Bell muttered to himself. He tried staying far away from the others, but I did not want him to stay alone during this time, so I sat near him.
Time...
Time?
I perked up.
''Bell, you know how my powers work?,'' I asked him.
He nodded.
''What if... We can't defeat them in a head on fight. What if instead, we try to outmaneuver them? What if I 'slip' through time with my abilities?,'' I proposed to him. I know I sounded crazy. But, what the hell? We might need crazy to win this war.
Bell closed his eyes and looked to be contemplating, not dismissing my idea outright.
''It would not be the weirdest or absurd application of a power I have seen. But you never tried it. How do you think it will work?,'' Bell asked me.
''I... I don't know. I did not expect to get this far. I expected you to dismiss my idea, if I'm, like, half realistic,'' I murmured.
''It is your power. If you want to try, then go for it. If not we will come up with something else,'' Bell told me. I couldn't tell if it was meant to encourage me, but I could feel myself getting pumped up.
I had to try.
...
''Before you go. One question exists, that I would like answered. Are you familiar with Steins; Gate?,'' Bell asked me, some of the few other survivors standing around and wishing me luck.
Steins; Gate?
''No. Why? Should I be aware of something, before I try it?,'' I asked him.
''No. I was just curious. When next you see me, ask me if I'm familiar with Steins; Gate. Good luck, Katherine,'' Bell instructed me.
Ooooooookay?
'' I will. Wish me luck,'' I told him and he nodded, giving me a short smile.
...
It was painful. I had no reference point to describe how painful it was or something to compare it to.
But it was the most painful thing I have ever experienced.
Still, I continued.
Shortly after slipping through time I saw a kaleidoscope of ... energy and then everything went dark.
I woke up gasping for air and bolted upwards from my cot. I touched myself across my body, feeling everything still being in place.
I was asked if I was okay and I replied that I was fine.
---
As it turned out, I have traveled back in time a few months. Xavier was still alive and Scott too. They were proposing to move the surviving mutants somewhere safe. Of course I knew that that the place was an ambush, so I proposed to take the mutants somewhere else, telling them I felt my instincts go up when we were talking about that place.
I wasn't sure if I should tell them I could time travel, so I kept the information to myself, because I could not know what the butterfly effect could cause. I'm not scientist, I knew none of the theories about time travel, but even I knew of, like, the butterfly effect.
But they refused to listen to my words.
''Why are you so insistent on not going there. That place is safe. Our people deserve to have a place of respite, what with the mansion being destroyed now,'' Scott scowled. He has been confrontational and bitter since Jean died.
I grimaced, not really knowing what to say. I did not plan that far ahead. Hell, half the time I though I would die or not succeed. It was a desperation move, more than anything.
I looked at Bell in contemplation. I know I told him I will ask him what Steins; Gate is. But I did not plan on that since it was clearly a code. For all I knew the code told him I time traveled, but... I saw no other course of action.
''Are you familiar with Steins; Gate?,'' I asked him.
''No, I don't think we have heard of it. Is it a place?,'' Xavier butted his nose where it did not belong.
Bells eyes snapped to me and he looked me up and down.
''We should listen to Katherine,'' he told the others.
''Why, bub? There is clearly something going on that you two aren't telling us,'' Logan asked us.
''Indeed. Feel free to poke in Katherines mind or ask her. Because you certainly won't receive an answer from me,'' Bell shrugged,''Katherine says we should not go to this place and I'm sure she has her reasons for that. Now, we can continue with the original plan and perhaps Katherines words will prove prophetic and we all die or we listen to her and live to fight another day.''
The others looked at each other.
''Fine,'' Scott scowled,''Let us go somewhere else that is safe.''
---
They learned to listen to my words.
It was devastating when they looked at me and I could not give them answers.
It was agonizing to see them die again and again, when I did not have answers.
But it was fine. I would just have to time travel and have the answers ready next time
---
''This is not working,'' Bell once day told her.
''What?,'' I asked him.
''This,'' he gestured around,'' They are too strong, too many, too prepared, too unified. No matter how many we kill more take their place. This time better prepared and stronger. How can you defeat an enemy like this?''
''I don't know. But we have to keep trying,'' I encouraged him, hiding my surprise. He out of all people, giving up?
''Trying is not enough, we need to succeed,'' Bell sighed,'' If only the enemy wouldn't exist in the first place.''
I turned and looked at him more properly. I never asked, too afraid, and he never confronted me out of his own reasons, but it was clear he knew. Sometimes, despite both parties knowing about a subject they would pretend that they were ignorant, for one reason or another.
Still...
How far back COULD I travel?
''Say, who created these Sentinels? Remind me again,'' I asked him casually.
''William Trask. Have you already forgotten our mortal enemy? The cause for all this misery. Such a man...Tsk tsk,'' Bell shook his head ans sighed.
He was a weird kid. I was 98% sure I knew what he was implying. Children don't do that, they are meant to play soccer and scrap their knees after falling from a bike. Not much of that going around today, for even the non metahumans or mutates are affected heavily by this war.
''I see. Sleep well, Bell. Tomorrow might be more bright,'' I told him, while smiling.
Bell closed his eyes and when he opened them gave me a knowing smile.
''Of course, Katherine. You too have a nice sleep. May tomorrow be more radiant for you,'' Bell waved and made his way to the sleeping spot.
I starred after him. Did he not... believe I could succeed? He was acting defeated. Determination began forming in my gut and I clenched my fist.
I would succeed.
I will make everything right. For him, for Leech and all the other young mutants.
---
I thought I was under pain, when I traveled back only a few months at a time.
This time... There were no words to explain and verbalize the pain.
I would need to time travel farther back then any other time I did that.
All the way back to the beginning.
Again, I saw the kaleidoscope of energy briefly and then everything went dark.
...
When I came to myself, I instinctively pushed myself up from the ground. I recognized this place. The place being my parents house. More specifically their backyard.
That is how I awakened my powers. I fell out of the second floor through the window, or more accurately the attic. I would most likely be dead if it weren't for my powers.
I could feel my parents rush over to me in concern, but my thoughts were already elsewhere.
That was not really the beginning I thought of, but... it was probably even better.
---
I starred at Nexus weirdly. He was... big. Teenager or adult big. Not child big. The cameras did not really capture his height, but now, starring at us from the door and introducing himself, I could see that he was ... big.
Did I, like, mention that he was teen big and not child big?
Because... that shouldn't be the case.
Rogue gave me a sharp elbow into my sides and startled me. I quickly began shaking, Nexus' hand.
''Hi. I'm Katherine Pryde, but everyone calls me Kitty. Feel free to do that too,'' I continued shaking his hand throughout the introduction. Not that he would call me Kitty. He never did as child Bell, why would he do that as adult Bell? I wondered if he was going to be worse as an adult. I can't imagine him having many friends, but... Laura was friends with him.
I don't know what to think anymore.
I continued shaking his hand for quite a while longer till he gently pried his hand out of the handshake. I felt awkward and let the others talk to him.
What happened? How did the butterfly effect cause this?
....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3rd POV:
Memories flashed through Katherines mind, suddenly and unbidden, when Nexus let himself in and demanded audience with her.
''You are right. Let us talk,'' she told him calmly. She had to be very careful about what she said. Child Bell was smart, as an adult or teen he would be even smarter. Surely.
''Hm. There is no point in dancing around the issue, so I will just get to the point. When I said that I had a girlfriend, that reaction you gave me was quite ... animated,'' Nexus told her.
''Is there, like, a question?,'' Kitty asked him.
She kicked herself mentally. Of course child Bell would be different from adult Bell. His behavior as a child would not be indicative of his behavior as an adult or teen. People change as they go through various experiences. But in her defense child Bell was so certain that he did not want friends and she eventually reasoned that him murdering his father and the war probably forced him to grow up quicker and thus set his personality in place. Katherine could stretch her disbelief to accept that Laura has become his friend, but a girlfriend was too much.
''I don't know. I know myself or better I knew myself, before going through character development. A girlfriend would have been unfeasible then. Something you seem to know, for why else would you be surprised I have a significant other,'' Nexus asked her.
''...''
''You know exactly who I am. Say my name,'' Nexus told her and moved one step forward to tower over her.
''...Nexus,'' Kitty called him. For a brief moment Nexus stood not moving, then his shoulders slacked and he stepped back.
''Communications have failed. Pity,'' Nexus shook his head. He knelt down and moved his hands under her bed to bring out a box. He was not completely idle while talking to her and scanned her room with his energy.
Katherine activated her powers and shoved her arm through the bed to try and grab the box to make it intangible too. She was too slow and then tried to grab the box from Nexus when he pulled it from under the bed.
Only for her forearm to get grabbed by him and keep her in place.
''What?,'' she was completely shocked at this turn of events and starred at his hand.
Nexus noted her reaction.
Shit.
Did he overplay his hand?
He assumed she knew him very well and his powers. It was only a matter of determining how. Probably dimension travel. It wouldn't be the first weird or absurd application of a power that he has seen.
Instead of answering her, he kept her away as he opened the box and sorted through its contents. There was not too much stuff in it. A sharpie, a calendar and some eraser and pencils. There was also her thick photo album above all of the rest, Nexus presumed to hide the rest.
He opened up the calendar and quickly got to reading.
A few dates were circled in red, but nothing was written next to the circles. A few more dates were like this. Until he stumbled upon his first word.
'Avengers?'
And then the next.
'William Trask'. This one was crossed out.
The more he read the more he had the suspicion she wrote some words REALLY softly with the pencil and the more important part with the sharpie. Things she wrote with the pencil could be erased not the sharpie.
He did not find any other words till this day, but he looked into the future of the calendar.
'Apocalypse'. A name he found in Sinisters mind, but did not share with others.
'M-Day'.
'Krakoa'.
Before Nexus closed the calendar having found nothing more, he found one last thing at the end.
'What is Steins; Gate?'
Nexus closed the calendar gravely, realization kicking in. He put the contents back into the box like he found them.
Katherine starred at him. Trying to discern anything as he was going through her stuff. She wanted to resist him, but with him suddenly grabbing her, she felt even more out of her depth then she already felt when stuff didn't align with her knowledge of the past.
So she put the calendar out of her mind and into the box. Whatever butterfly effect she caused with her time travel, made almost all of her knowledge useless.
Nexus put the contents back into the box and then put the box back where he found it. Then he let Katherine go and made to walk away.
''W-Wait. Aren't you going to say anything? How did you grab me?,'' she asked him.
''No,'' Nexus told her. He was giving her the same courtesy that she had given him when he asked her to say his name.
''Bell!,'' she finally said and grabbed him by the shoulder. She HAD to have her answers. There was too much of a roller coaster going on her stomach. Already she had to accept the fact that things were different here. And then Bells new abilities to be able to grab her...
He stopped in his tracks, but did not turn around.
''...What is Steins; Gate?,'' she asked him.
It was an anime he never finished watching to the end. But it was a plot about people sending information back to the 'past' with their phones. An anime that did not exist here as he only recreated works that he finished watching. Ironically most anime fall under that category.
He wondered why the original author did not write that manga, since he existed here too. Oh, well.
''Was I the one that asked you that?,'' Nexus asked her.
''Yes,'' she replied after some hesitation.
He knew himself. Maybe they were his variants, but he considered them different people. But he still had enough to go on to determine what was going on here.
It was a kindness to her and a code to him.
From her behavior Nexus assumed that she didn't know how time travel actually worked. Whether his variant knew that too or suspected was no matter. All that mattered was the code.
He would respect that mans wishes. If Katherine wanted to know, she had to put more effort into finding out or express the desire to truly want to know.
''It is a code to me,'' Nexus told her and turned around.
''But what does it mean, Bell? For the longest time I wondered what it implied. I know at least that much, that time travel is involved. But there has to be more then that. Why not just ask, like, me to tell you?,'' Katherine asked him.
''I don't know what exactly forced you to time travel. But you know the first rule about time travel. Don't tell anyone you time traveled,'' Nexus told her.
Besides, shouldn't she have had enough time by now to study up on all the different time travel theories? She wouldn't know which one is true, but at least she would know something. Or DID she know or suspect and her mind simply did not want to compute the truth?
She frowned in confusion.
''But... I told you. You're lying to me,'' she accused him.
''Hm. You know me well. I AM lying. Now go find out the truth,'' Nexus told her.
''I kept your secrets. I told no one Bell was Nexus and vice versa. Am I not owed at least that much?,'' she tried blackmailing him.
''I would prefer my identity being hidden, but ultimately it is no real loss to me. All you are really doing is leading people to their doom. The only good enemy is a dead one,'' Nexus told her, refusing to let himself get blackmailed. One gives and inch and they take a mile.
''Is there nothing I can do to convince you?,'' she asked a little desperate. She wanted to know the truth. Why are things so different here? Why was he older? Why did the Avengers exist here and not during her time? Etc. Etc.
''Are you sure? What is done cannot be undone,'' Nexus asked her, giving her a hint to what she would find.
It flew right over her head.
''I know a thing or two about undoing things. Please. You are the only I could trust with this knowledge. You were the first to believe me, even if I never outright stated that I time traveled. I want to know why things are so different. Why some things are the same yet altered and others never occur,'' Katherine pleaded with him.
Like William Trask being dead way before he ever made the Sentinels. She marked the date he could have started making them. Only to have not needed bothering with speculating.
The dam was now opened. The secrets she carried for so long, her vow of silence to safeguard the future, the burden it placed on her. It was all getting too much, now that she had someone to talk to about it. And she really wanted to know how the butterfly effect caused all this.
Nexus released a breath.
Should he tell her the truth or let her life in ignorance? Should he respect his variants wishes (if he was right in what he suspected these wishes to be)?
...
Then again, he always liked the truth, believing all should seek it. What they did with the truth afterwards was up to the individual. But Katherine wanted to know and she would probably not find out for a while, the truth, even if she went and studied up on time travel theories. Or she suspected and would not accept the truth until it starred her dead in the eyes.
''...Fine. Let me take care of some things on my end and I will seek you out later,'' Nexus told her and squeezed her shoulder.
She sighed in relief and relaxed a little.
''Ok. I'll wait for you then,'' Katherine replied.
Nexus nodded and departed. He also quickly added some defenses to Katherines mind so that no one would find the knowledge of his real identity. He doubted she would tell anyone, but he also added a fail safe that would activate in her mind, should she attempt to tell the truth to anyone.
...
He really needed to expand his defenses to include non enemies that knew his identity, because that makes now two, already. Not all who knew his identity wanted him harm, clearly. And so they would not register on his defenses.
It's a wonder Xavier did not peek into her mind and found out.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
''Yo, Stan. Give me some green tea, please,'' Bell sat down on the counter and laid some money on the table. Stan nodded and brought out the glasses, while Bell used his powers so that no one would pay attention to them.
''You are here to ask about time travel,'' Stan said and put the tea on the table while pocketing the money.
Bell nodded and took a sip. He studied up on time travel, but all of them were theories. He even did some slight time travel shenanigans in very small spaces, but nothing big. Stan told him that time travel was closely guarded, several people having an interest not to make a mess of things by constantly turning back time. So Bell wasn't entirely sure which time travel theory was the correct one.
''Phoenix could probably tell me too, but I did not want to bother Jean during her studies right now,'' Bell shrugged.
''And so you came to bother me,'' Stan complained with faux mockery.
''You are old. Might as well, put that age to some use, instead of letting your bones gather dust,'' Bell chuckled,'' But no. You don't have to answer, I just figured I might still try and ask. If you won't answer I can always ask Phoenix in two weeks and we can catch up and talk a little.''
''I will answer, I will answer,'' Stan waved his hand a little,'' But not immediately.''
Stand grabbed some glasses and began cleaning them.
''You know, I wonder. Why are you here? Do you enjoy cleaning those glasses? Or...,'' Bell asked him, looking a bit at the repetitive motions.
''I like watching you all. Free will is a beautiful thing, isn't it? But also, yeah. It is pretty... fulfilling. To have a humble abode, to serve people food and drinks and put a smile on their faces, when they otherwise had a terrible day. A place where they can rest their weary minds, if only even for a little. To be a part of this.... I don't know why. But I like it. I will enjoy it till I get bored. Maybe next I can try owning an amusement park,'' Stan shrugged good-heartedly.
''Ah, so you find joy through others finding joy. That is respectable,'' Bell commented and took a sip of the tea.
''Those who have power can decide which path they want to walk. I with mine and you with yours,'' Stan said.
'' 'Remember, howsoever you are played or by whom, your soul is in your keeping alone even though those who presume to play you be kings or men of power. When you stand before god you cannot say 'But I was told by others to do thus' or that virtue was not convenient at the time.' We all have our own power and we all must make our own choices, I concur,'' Bell muttered.
Yes, he loved throwing quotes around, god damn it. They all had their guilty pleasures.
''Ah. King Baldwins words from the movie 'Kingdom of Heaven'. Of course, Baldwin never said those words in real life, but he was wise. For his time,'' Stan made an off hand comment.
''Really? Huh. Still, if only more people thought like this and used they power they have wisely. But thinking is hard and being told what to think is easy,'' Bell scoffed.
''Indeed. And they will answer for their own actions once they are dead. Even if only briefly in our hells and heavens, before they go through that cleansing process you told me about. But don't lose sight, Bell. People like you and me DO exist. Powerful men and women that use their power to do good or at the very least not to harm others. Sometimes I worry people forget that, with how defeatist and pessimistic they act,'' Stan lamented.
Bell twirled his tea in the glass a little before raising it in a toast.
''Excelsior,'' Bell toasted making Stan burst out laughing.
''Excelsior indeed,'' Stan chuckled.
''Say... Have you ever tried finding a partner? Surely you must have,'' Bell decided to make small talk.
Stan winced.
''Oh boy. That question, huh? OK. Bell, to understand my thought on that, we first need to talk about my omnipotence and omniscience. So I created everything and anything. Right? My omnipotence and omniscience work on the principle that a part of me is inside everyone and everything. Everyone is thus a part of me, so to speak. Not only do I receive feed back with information thanks to that, but I can also just take their powers away since they are technically my powers. Except you. To date anyone, would be either selfcest or to date my own child. Both ideas repulse me,'' Stan explained patiently, before blinking and shuddering,'' Whoa. Brrr. I never though I would talk about this out loud.''
Bell put the glass on the counter and crossed his hands in front of his face with both index fingers resting over his lips.
''Soooo... If I was a woman, instead of a man...,'' Bell slowly asked, fearing the answer.
''Oh. I would have definitely tried, since you aren't technically part of me. You are a foreigner. But, you are a man and heterosexual, besides. Unless...,'' Stan looked at him.
Bell shuddered.
''No. I'm not changing into a woman. How did we even get here to this subject?!,'' Bell asked incredulously.
''Does it matter?,'' Stan asked. Despite the circumstance the conversation was pretty fun. Most would not dare talk about such things, if they knew he was OAA. It was a breath of fresh air.
''I guess not,'' Bell slowly said,''Wait. If you created everything aren't you technically man and woman. Unisex, I mean. Can't you pick? After all, sometimes it takes a real man to be best girl.''
Bell mischievously smiled.
Guess the 'Fellas, is it gay to date a woman?'- guys have finally found their answers.
''Looking to expand your harem?,'' Stan asked him playfully,'' But no. Like you, I was a man for too long to feel comfortable suddenly being a woman.''
Bell pursed his lips, feeling a small pity for Stan at his wistful expression.
''Chin up, buddy. I'm sure you will find someone one day,'' Bell tried cheering him up.
Stan smiled back, but said nothing. He doubted that. He always had the suspicion that Bell was sent here for a purpose by his benefactor, even if Bell didn't know or suspect. They would not send someone down just to keep him company. The gods were not that kind and he would know.
''Maybe. Now. Enough small talk. Time travel. To understand time travel we first need to talk about parallel universes,'' Stan materialized pen and paper on the counter and drew a line.
''For the sake of comprehension, let us call this line the original time line, 1A. Now, time travel is possible if somebody has the power and the energy. You, I and Phoenix all have that power. (*He drew a point near one end of the line marking the beginning.*)
We are here. Time goes forward, until we are here and then you suddenly decide 'Hey I want to return back to the beginning'. Let us ignore the fact that people will stand in your way for further comprehension.
You turn back time, you reverse the flow of the universe until you arrive back at the pivotal moment, here. (*He made another point and then made another line back to the first point.*)
Now, what will you do here? Make a different choice. Right? (*He drew a 90 degree line to the original line and then continued the line forwards parallel to the first one and then dubbed it 1B.*)
You have made a different choice at this point in time and thus changed the course of history. And voila, you have time travel,'' Stan explained finishing with a theatrical flourish.
Bell narrowed his eyes. So far he followed, but he didn't really see too much of parallel universes here...
Oh.
''Eternalism,'' Bell concluded. So that theory, out of all of them was the right one.
Stan smiled and nodded.
''The past, present and future are all real and exist at the same time. All choices ever made also exist at the same time.
Her parents will die. Her parents will live. Both statements are true and she will be assigned to one timeline or the other, but that doesn't make the other timeline any less real and can be theoretically, I guess practically in our case, accessible,'' Bell continued.
''Yes. Now, let us revisit the future of this time line (*He points at the second point on 1A.*)
Did she time travel? If so then we have our scenario where she made a different decision back in time and created a new timeline, 1B.
But our time line, 1A, won't suddenly end. It continues and thus it proposes that she did not not manage to time travel.
But wait, there is more.
Did she truly fail to time travel? Or did she die? Time travel takes energy, maybe she didn't have enough? (*Stan made drew a horizontal line through the second point and dubbed one of them 2B and the other 3A.*)
If she did time travel, we have 1A, the time line continues without her and 1B, the time line changes due to her different choices.
If she did not time travel, then we still have our timeline 1A. And if she died then we have a variation of the timeline 1A that continues without her living, 3A. And one might think that would be the end of it. But that sound rather tragic so I added some nuance when I created the multiverse. Option one she dies and her information gets transferred to the past, in that case we have our timeline 1B again,'' Stan explained.
''Wait,'' Bell interrupted,'' are you meaning to suggest that the first example had her travel with her body?''
''No. In all cases it is information transfer. Having two bodies of the same person in one timeline would be problematic. No?
But back to my point. (Stan pointed at 3A.) What if our timeline continues, but instead of failing to time travel and remain here, she instead failed and died. Now we have 1A, and 3A,'' Stan was getting more animated.
''And 2B?,'' Bell asked, noticing that it was left out.
''Well, they say ignorance is bliss. But to me it sounded rather tragic for someone to die, because they did not properly understand time travel. So even if they failed in all previous examples an information transfer still occurs. And thus we have 2B, instead of 1A and 3A,'' Stan looked at Bell, leaving some things unsaid.
Bell looked down at the paper and rubbed his forehead. He comprehended everything, but... it was still a lot to take in. He suddenly narrowed his eyes, his original suspicion of Katherine dimension traveling resurfacing. Except there was far more to it, wasn't there?
''All time travel is just dimension travel in disguise. But some are more obvious then others,'' Bell said.
''Mhm. Contrary to what some people believe, a blade of grass blowing in one direction or in the other is not enough to spawn a new universe. But choices? Every choice ever made and never made by everyone across the universe and how they play against each other, aka spawn new choices in turn, creates a new universe,'' Stan sounded jovial when he said that.
''And thus infinite universes exist,'' Bell finished.
''Yes. Choices... Now that is the stuff that keeps on giving. Even I get sometimes surprised still. It gets rarer and rarer as I grow older, but they happen. The last time it happened was like 5 millennia ago,'' Stan reminisced fondly, but then he shook his head,''Yes, all time travel is basically information transfer. Even you, would create two universes if you were to travel back in time and make a different choice. One body here, that failed in time travel and the other body there where it succeeded,'' Stan explained and began erasing all the lines on the paper.
''Then why even ensure that time travel does not occur?,'' Bell asked.
''Because not everyone holds our knowledge. I, the Living Tribunal , Phoenix, we all have this knowledge, the truth of things in our minds, but there are other powerful people that do not have that knowledge. They will fight tooth and nail to ensure our time line won't be reverted.
And while I have explained to you the matter of things. I also left out a lot. That is how time travel works for most beings, but for us? We have enough energy that we can literally turn back the universe. No continuation of 1A past the second point if we were to time travel. There is also constants in the universes. You for example are one. Beings that would always make the same choices in certain matters or ensure that something happens so that they may benefit with maybe some small variations. There is not really any evil or villainous variants of you out there, even if you sometimes toe the line,'' Stan explained further.
Bell blinked. Constants, huh? Like... what? A sort of base template from which he continues to grow as a person?
...
In that case was he even the original Umbra? Bell recalled the words Stan once said. Fate does not exist, but destiny does. Maybe he was faulty? Maybe whatever purpose ROB had for him, if ROB had a purpose for him, did not involve him falling in love? That would explain why Phoenix struggled so much to find a version of him that was willing to enter a relationship? She was just unlucky and didn't stumble upon another faulty Bell till him?
...
No. Who gives a fuck? Maybe ROB had a purpose for him that did not involve just entertainment? Maybe he was faulty, maybe not? He would live his life as he saw fit and if there was a purpose ROB had for him, he would strive to fulfill it in spite of him being 'faulty'.
He would show them. He would show all of them.
Meanwhile Stan began drawing several parallel lines next to each other, made two points on the same line and then drew a diagonal line from the second point to the other line.
''There. Just so that you have a better oversight over how time travel works for the others that are not us,'' Stan said and handed him the note,''However, while I have painted the lines parallel to each other, in real life the universes are not parallel to each other. It is a kaleidoscope of myriad colors. Some universes are closer to each other, some not and are farther apart.''
''Time dilation,'' Bell said.
''Yes. You haven't really experienced it. You were lucky as the dead universe you visited was close by, same with the ones you stumbled in when tracking down Neith. But you need to account for that next time, when you want to travel farther away. Pull the other universe 'closer' so to speak and keep both universes close to each other till you have concluded your business there. just make sure that the universes don't collide,'' Stan explained.
''...The 'air' in that dead universe was different then the 'air' here,'' Bell began murmuring to himself lost in thought.
''Quantum Harmonics,'' Stan supplied.
''Right. Quantum Harmonics. If I were to find any lingering traces of Quantum Harmonics on her body... or her mind then I could find the timeline she came from. But, judging by the words on her calendar and her plight...Stan, should I really tell her the truth? The truth I suspect? Ignorance is bliss, they say. Maybe my variant wanted to show her some form of kindness by sending her away. Things must have been bad, if she resorted to time travel,'' Bell reasoned.
Stan grabbed a glass and began cleaning again.
''They do say that, don't they. But then, that is not you. Isn't it? You want the people to be informed and your kindness goes only so far as to give them respite, before you expect them to stand on their own two feet. Maybe your variant wanted to be kind to Miss Pryde. Maybe not. But he was in a position to make a choice. Now he no longer is. But you are. Whether you respect his choice or not, is frankly completely up to you. I can't make that decision for you, Bell,'' Stan tried cheering Bell up, having noticed his slight melancholic mood.
Bell starred at him briefly, before closing his eyes. He nodded, finished drinking his tea and then said: ''You are right. Thank you for the conversation. Now, if you excuse me I have something to attend to. See you next time, Stan.''
Before departing he grabbed the paper Stan handed to him and transferred it to his pocket dimension.
''Bye, have a great time,'' Stan called out to him as Bell walked out of the Pizzeria.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nexus stood before Katherine in her room.
''Tell me, how aware are you of my powers?,'' Nexus asked her.
''Well, I always thought you could control swords. And you were good at it so I considered you powerful, I guess seeing you as an adult only reinforced how powerful. But then, that is not, like, all there is to your powers. Isn't there? You should not have been able to touch me,'' Katherine pointed out.
Damn. So he really did overplay his hand. At least she doesn't know he was a reality warper.
''Of course not. You have seen that I can summon all kinds of swords imbued with various effects and purposes. I could have always attacked you, in our spars, but you guys needed some advantage,'' Nexus lied shamelessly.
Katherine blinked not buying that for a second, but she said nothing recognizing that she won't pry the information out of him.
''Are you familiar with Eternalism?,'' Nexus decided to rip the band aid off.
''No,'' Katherine replied.
Nexus dropped his head a little in disappointment. All this time and she did not even look up time travel theories. He knew her, she was not lazy even if she was laid back sometimes. It could only mean that she suspected and her brain did not want to compute.
It was all going to be a mess, wasn't it? To solve this.
''OK. Then let me do my thing and we can find out why things are so different. Don't panic now,'' Nexus instructed as he summoned an ethereal sword.
It was mostly for show as he shoved the sword in her chest.
Admittedly, he never tried this, but he should have enough control over his powers. All he needed to do was to express his wish and the rest of the heavy lifting would be done by his powers. He could also use the opportunity to see how exactly things worked out when retracing Quantum Harmonics.
...
Ah. So it was the 2B version most likely. Her body had no traces of any foreign 'air' on her. But her mind did. Unless... Stan did say that all time travel was nothing but information exchange. So it could also be...
No. Katherine said that things are too different here compared to her original timelines past.
He was overthinking this stuff.
The most simple answer was probably the correct one. She full on dimension traveled, in that case.
Now, it was only a matter of finding the way back.
He just wondered what she would do, when she found out the truth? Would she try to stay back? Would she think she killed this universes Katherine? He hoped not. It was easier to think that she merged and gave this Katherine an edge in knowledge.
Nexus pulled out the sword from her chest and held it in front of him, concentrating for the next step.
Pull the universes 'close' to prevent time dilation. Sounded absurd, but here he goes.
Frankly most of the heavy lifting was done by his powers, but he was sure that having trained his control also helped otherwise this would not have been possible.
It took a while, but he found the universe that matched her minds Quantum Harmonics. He took the sword and slashed open a portal in front of him.
''Are we going somewhere? How will traveling somewhere answer my question?,'' Katherine asked him.
''Do you trust me?,'' Nexus asked her and held out his hand.
Katherine looked at the hand a little uncertain. She did trust him, but the more she interacted with him and observed him from afar, the more she understood that he was not her Bell.
The one she saw as a child at the mansions doorsteps. The one that she fought side by side during the war and watched him grow into a near teen in that war.
But enough things were the same that she took his hand anyway.
A slave driver that expected them to train anyway, any opportunity that came by, so that they would be just a little better prepared. To train despite their bones aching or their hearts grieving.
A boy that looked to carry all the worlds burden on his back. And ready to take on more.
Fool.
She missed him. Her best friend. This Bell was similar, but not the same. But she still trusted him that much that she would follow him through a portal to an undisclosed location anyway.
They stepped through the portal with Nexus pulling her after him and she was hit with the familiar sight again. The kaleidoscope she saw every time she time traveled.
Only this time without the pain.
Her suspension of disbelief could only accept so much, but she was not willing to accept that his swords could allow him to touch her when she was intangible or time travel. There was only one power that Katherine could think off, that allowed him to do all that.
She cast a side eye at Nexus.
''You're like Wanda. You're a reality warper,'' Katherine concluded.
Nexus tilted his head a little. She sounded...certain. Speaking like it was a matter of fact and not something that surprised her. Or frightened her, to consider meeting someone so powerful.
Wanda was a reality warper? He had to admit that he didn't pay much attention to her. But he did want to investigate Chaos Magic and how they granted her powers, eventually. Was Chaos Magic so powerful?
They traveled in silence for a bit the colors flying past them.
''Wanda abandoned us. After she lost her brother and caused M-Day, she isolated herself somewhere and we haven't seen her since. Meanwhile a war started and began raging and our people kept dying. If you are like her, why didn't you do something?,'' Katherine asked him, feeling betrayed.
Abandoned? It was a difficult situation, Nexus was sure. Losing family was not easy, she probably wanted to be left alone...and maybe take some revenge on the ones that she considered responsible. That could also be interpreted as abandonment.
Still, he wondered what M-Day was. Was it the same as D-Day?
Before she could say anything else, they seemed to have arrived as she could hear some noise and the two exited out on the snow tip of some mountain.
''OK. We are here, wherever we are. What now?,'' Katherine asked him.
Hmm. With Katherine sounding so convinced that she was right was there really any point in holding back?
He waved his hand and he was donned in a different attire. It was Merlins attire from FGO. 1st Stage appearance. The hoodie was nice, but it did not obscure his face, so he summoned a white mask to go with the new appearance. And of course he could not forget the staff.
Yes, he was a Fate fan god damn it and he would live out some of his fantasies. Regardless of what one may say about Merlin and his character, the dick wizard got immaculate drip. And he needed a disguise.
Ignoring Katherines perplexed face he began extending his energy across the earth to find his variant or the resistance fighters, if the war was still ongoing. Meanwhile he also began explaining Eternalism to her.
...
''OK. What does that have to do with everything? How would you even know for certain that this is how time travel actually works? I did it multiple times. What are you suggesting that there are timelines where I did not manage to time travel? That is absurd,'' Katherine scoffed.
Hmm. The denial is strong within this one. She didn't even acknowledge dimension travel being a thing.
No matter. He found what he needed to have a new course of action.
''Deny the truth, if that is your choice. We are here to find out the nature of all this and also confirm one of my suspicion, as well as help this world. Call me...Albium, while we are here,'' Albium instructed while opening another portal and walking through.
Katherine was starting to get whiplash from being dragged around by him, with no explanation.
---
Katherine stood still as she took in the scenery around her. One couldn't tell all the way from the mountains.
Dead Sentinels littering around. Skeletons interwoven with machinery and corpses, decomposing and filling the air with the stench of rot. Oil mixed with blood. Dried blood on the walls of dilapidated buildings or destroyed buildings. Ash covering most of the scenery. In the distance she could see fire and smoke rising.
Somewhere an explosion could be heard ringing out.
She took a step forward, the familiar sight evoking memories that she has long forgotten and tried to suppress with the promise of a better tomorrow.
After the first step she collapsed on her knees in horror and disbelief.
Albium stepped forward to try and comfort her, but it was in this moment that a Sentinel landed some meters away from the sky, having noticed a X-Gene holder during the scans in his flight.
Like a silent sentinel it advanced, duty sworn to fulfill it's sacred duty of exterminating the infidels.
And completely ignoring Albium. He simply pointed the staff in his direction and the Sentinel began being ripped apart at an atomic level. He had no reason to hold back here. Within seconds nothing remained of the Sentinel.
Anyway, back to where he was left off. He put his hand on Katherines shoulder.
''Maybe you did time travel successfully, maybe not. I can only conclusively make a statement about the last time you time traveled. Something went wrong and you did not time travel. You dimension traveled. To a world similar enough to yours, but also so much different,'' Albium told her softly.
Katherine shook her head in denial.
''You must have noticed it. Surely? I'm a teen back in our world, where as I was a child in yours. William Trask died way before he accomplished anything of note. And so on and so forth. The butterfly effect exist, every action can cause unintended consequences, but some things could have never been caused by you. Certainly you would have never influenced my birth,'' Albium continued with Katherine shaking her head.
She suddenly stopped.
''Steins; Gate... You knew and let me walk to my death. You were encouraging me to kill Trask,'' Kitty suddenly accused and calmly stood up.
''No. I can't exactly explain, what Steins; Gate is, but it is code speak for time travel being involved. No offense, but it is not something you should know, until it actually exists. That fact that you asked a variant of me, probably convinced him that yous succeeded in time travel,'' Albium told her. Succeed in one way or another.
Katherine burst out laughing in disbelief, a small hysteria in her voice.
''Of course. Your variant. YOU don't know, but HE will. Fine, we will rip the answer whether he knew or not from his own mouth. So, use your abilities so that we may confront him,'' Katherine calmed down again after her laughter.
Albium nodded. That was his variants mess to deal with and navigate, he was only here to stop all this and fulfill a few other things.
---
''I don't get it. Why can't we just go after those that command the Sentinels. Bastion, Trask, the UN all of them?,'' Roberto slammed his hand on the make shift table. It was more like a rubble of stone, that was repurposed, but it served its function to allow them to strategize during their brief respite.
''That is not our way. If we kill them, then we prove that we are no better then them. That all their accusations about us abusing our powers to get our way is right. That we are people that should be feared and shunned after all. If we kill them, our people will never find peace,'' Scott spat. He was getting tired of this debate. Were they so ready to spit and abandon Professor Xaviers ways and his legacy?
But then again, Scott wasn't sure what to do. Xavier was dead, as well as Magneto. And so many others. Katherine kept them safe for a while with her intuition and saved a lot of them, but something went wrong and they haven't seen her for the past two years. The living had a duty to uphold the memories of the deceased.
''What are you talking about? Have you looked around you? What moral high ground are you talking about, both sides have long since crossed all lines of civility. Roberto is right, we have reached the point where we need to use the last resort,'' A 12 year old Bell scoffed and waved around at the carnage. Some of the remaining X-Men nodded.
''Look. You don't know what you are talking about, you are still too young. Let the adults make the decisions,'' Scott scowled. The idiot boy constantly tried to wrest control from him, thinking himself better suited for leadership. But Professor Xavier entrusted leadership and the X-Men to him, with his dying breath. It was his duty to keep them safe and he would be damned if leadership was handed to a boy to wet behind his ears to keep them all safe and lead them to victory.
Bells nostrils flared. If the consequences weren't so grave and it would turn him into a pariah as well as risk infighting then he would have already killed Scott. He could not stomach such incompetence in a leader.
Before anything else could be said a portal opened and a familiar girl with a white dressed man came in. The people who have jumped into their combat stance, fearing an ambush, relaxed a little, before Scott held up his hand.
''Katherine? Impossible, you disappeared two years ago. You are an imposter,'' Scott accused getting ready to blast her.
''If she is an imposter, I can easily find out,'' a voice rang out and some people departed to give way to Jean.
''Jean? But ... you died,'' Katherine asked shocked. Way before she ever did her first time travel.
''I got better,'' Jean tried to smile, but only grimaced.
''Impossible. People die when they are killed,'' the white dressed guy said.
Bell frowned in confusion then in disbelief. Then his face lighted up just a little, as he suspected his gamble to have paid off.
''Just because you are correct, does not mean you are right,'' Bell said back, the words feeling like ash in his mouth for indulging, but if that is how his variant wanted to establish contact then he would endure it.
''She is who she claims she is,'' Jean replied, deciding to keep the other stuff she has seen a secret.
''But how? You were missing for two years, only for now to be back? What did you enjoy a cruise vacation while we were dying?,'' Scott spat.
Katherine frowned in confusion.
''Time dilation,'' Albium leaned forward and whispered in her ear.
''And you! Who are you? Are you an enemy?,'' Scott accused.
Albium tilted his head slightly. Either the war did a number on him or this variant simply had a punchable face. Scott from his world was WAY more tolerable and pleasant to be around.
''Me? I'm surprised you haven't heard. Women screech my name in delight, children want to be me when they grow up and I am the envy of every man. I am the humble traveler, Albium. At your leisure and the ladies pleasure,'' Albium gave a theatrical bow.
Scott scowled.
Ororo stepped forward to try and calm things down, as Logan tried to suppress his laughter at Scott being mocked. He recognized what the bub was doing. Sometimes a joke during a war can lift up spirits by a lot. They have been demoralized for a long time, with Scott as the leader.
''Did we get introductions over with? Did we all have our fun? Good, because I will FUCKING TEAR YOUR FACE OFF!!!,'' Katherine leaped at Bell and tackled him to the ground before beginning to punch him as hard as she could.
People tried to pry her off, shocked at the sudden turn of events. But Albium held his staff out to stop them.
Scott scowled considering this some sort of subterfuge and tried to attack him, but Albium just waved his staff and turned him into a duck. The people blinked at the sight and then starred at him.
''What? Did the wizard robes not clue you in? I'll turn him back later. Trust me, the girl needs to get this out of her system. People need to talk with their fist more often, frankly. Now, Ghislaine, she knew how to punch... She also broke my pelvis. If you get what I am saying,'' Albium giggled.
''Is this all a joke to you?,'' Rogue scowled.
''Funny things are. Chin up, you think this is the first war I stumbled upon? Normally I don't involve myself. But how could I call myself a gentleman and connoisseur of ladies, if I ignore a ladies tears? So of course, I offered my help,'' Albium shrugged.
''You just want to get in her pants,'' Roberto deadpanned.
''Of course,'' Albium shamelessly admitted. That was a lie.
But he was playing a role, even if it made him sound insensitive to their plight. He had a counter argument for that. He had seen war and was allowed such liberties so long as he was completely serious when it came to keeping them safe and ensuring victory.
He also needed something to do while he was evaluating the enemies strength, numbers and all that. He is just here for Katherine to get closure, kill the enemy and confirm his suspicion that this Bell did not use the code just to say time travel was involved, but also call for help in the off chance things would turn this way.
Meanwhile Katherine just continued punching Bell till her knuckles began bleeding and his face was getting bloody from her own blood. She was frankly hurting herself more then him, but she needed to get out her feelings at the betrayal.
Eventually she stopped punching him, not having registered anything else going on around her.
''You knew I could not time travel and you encouraged me to walk to my death anyway, you bastard,'' she said eventually and pulled at Bells collar, shocking the others around her.
''Wait...all those times it was not intuition that saved us, but future knowledge? Why not tell us?,'' Rogue asked.
''I trusted that you could time travel. You possessed enough knowledge to suggest that, but I don't know what went wrong. I did NOT try to send you to your death. Something must has gone wrong last time. But.... you are here now,'' Bell told part of the truth. Both ignoring those around them.
''Am I supposed to believe that?,'' Katherine scoffed.
''No. I strung together some sentences. The value that you give them is up to you. I said everything that needed to be said,'' Bell sighed.
For a moment Katherine looked like she was about to punch him again as she pulled her fist back. Instead she held it there for a while and then sighed, then let go of Bell and stood up.
''Ok. So you did not time travel?,'' Rogue gathered and concluded from the pieces.
''Not the last time. I tried getting back further then I did any other time to kill Trask, but nothing came of it. Instead I ... dimension traveled, apparently,'' Katherine looked at Albium and he nodded in confirmation. She sighed and sat on some rubble, feeling tired and devastated having been forced to confront the truth.
Scott Duck quaked at the part about killing Trask.
''So, what now? Kitty, don't get me wrong. I'm really glad to see you again, but we are fighting a war. We can't exactly catch up,'' Rogue said.
''That is where I come in. I have taken a look at the enemies strength and I have to say, I'm insulted that you haven't defeated them yet,'' Albium stepped forward to stand at the table.
''We can defeat the robots. The Sentinels. We learned to do that much, despite their adaptability, but the idea was to get the leaders like Bastion, Trask and a few others to court. Since they are not machines, but living beings. Though, in Bastions case it is debatable,'' Ororo explained.
''And whose bright idea was this, my lovely lady? This is war!,'' Albium asked.
All X-Men pointed at Scott Duck.
''And why haven't you elected a new leader that won't try and get you killed for his superficial moral high ground?,'' Albium asked.
''We feared a mutiny,'' Ororo explained.
''And we were kind of short on leaders,'' someone from the crowd called out.
''Bell, tried taking leadership.''
''Ororo or Logan could have just as easily take leadership.''
''He is too young. We would have died even faster with him.''
''Both don't trust themselves in a leadership position or are a solo team player.''
''That...is the leaders job to worry about, not his subordinates,'' Albium took a deep breath to calm himself and ignored the ensuing bickering. He was surrounded by idiots.
''All I'm hearing is that your suffering is of your own making. I won't give you my sympathies, but I will give you results. We will take the fight to these figures. In the same way they can impose their hatred upon you and act on it, so too will you impose your hatred on your enemies.
This is not a war just for survival or just a war that you need to win. This is a war to scream to the world that you are here to stay! That you have a right to exist like any other being on this planet. That in your suffering, you have risen above it ans still seek coexistence and should you be denied that, then let the performance during the war lay clear the cost of such a denial. You have nothing to prove, for the enemies actions will speak for itself. But you have to prove something to yourself! Do you wish to live?!,'' Albium began giving them a speech.
''Yes,'' came some voices from the back.
''So you wish to die?!,'' Albium mocked their weak cry.
''NO,'' came the cry louder this time.
''There are people out there calling you vermin. With their own words and their own actions,with every breath they take they insult themselves, they show the world that they are filled with hatred and envy. Will you let yourself be told by someone like this how to live your life?!,'' Albium called out.
''NO!''
''Do you wish to die to prove anything to these monsters? Mosters that hate you and spit on you and would discard you at the first opportunity,'' Albium asked them.
''NO!!''
''Do you wish to exist?''
''YES!!!''
''Do you wish to live?!?!''
''YES, YES, YES!!!!''
Albium held up his fist.
''THEN LET US FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE! FOR OUR FUTURE!''
''FOR THE FUTURE! FOR THE FUTURE! FOR OUR FUTURE!!!,'' they chanted.
Jesus Christ, those people are dumb, well meaning idiots, but dumb all the same. They can count themselves lucky that he put up wards (defenses) so that the commotion would not attract attention.
Albium turned his fist into a palm and the people began calming down.
''Well then, shall we strategize?,'' Albium asked them.
The people slightly calmed down from the short morale boost and some clarity returned to them.
''Do you trust him?,'' Logan asked Katherine.
Katherine looked at him. He was not her Bell and despite the betrayal she faced from her Bell she had to admit, this Bell was trustworthy and did enough for them to have earned the benefit of the doubt compared to her Bell. ... That sentence was confusing.
''I do. He will help us,'' she replied firmly.
Bell picked himself up and moved to stand beside Albium at the makeshift table. Meanwhile Katherine moved to Albiums other side.
''Before we begin, I need to know how many of you there are left. I don't mean just the people able to fight, but all mutants,'' Albium asked.
''We won't disclose that information to you, bub,'' Logan replied suspecting him now a little. Why would he ask for this information.
''I don't need an exact number, but a rough estimate. If there are not many of you left anymore, then our victory needs to be absolute, so that no one would think about a new war any time soon,'' Albium replied.
''We're all that is left of the fighters. The rest? Are non combatants or their powers have no application in combat whatsoever. We used to be enough to make up a small country. Now? We can barely be considered enough to make up a village,'' Roberto chose to reply.
''Hmm. Give me a moment,'' Albium tapped his finger on the table.
He has gathered enough information about the world by now. The war between the Sentinels and the Mutants raged long enough and in enough places that most normal people have become tired. There is a movement to stop the war and sue for peace, but the media either does not cover his news or politicians ignore them. In some cases, politicians do call for peace, but are either politically silenced or Bastion, Trask and those in power ignore them.
He also found out about M-Day.
Damn.
Wanda sure is powerful, huh? Then again, what he has seen her emotions played a role on what transpired because of her grief, so maybe she did not consciously do that.
Mmm. Better make a note of that. Information to be considered when he looked into Chaos Magic and Wanda herself back in his world.
Scott Duck was quaking for a long time, managing to sound indignant at what was developing in front of his face. Albium grabbed him and put him in a hat that he summoned.
''Scott can paste on a meadow in my pocket dimension. We don't need liabilities right now.
Well then, ladies and gentlemen, shall we put on a show?,'' Albium playfully asked and leaned on the table.
(A.N.: 12446 words. Hope you enjoyed reading it. Cheers.)