Chapter 25
"That's a lot of sentinels," Ororo whispered as she looked around after she and the rest of the X-Men had materialized inside of the compound which Harry had tracked the sentinels to.
"I think they are all off," Logan said. "But do we have the element of surprise?" Bishop questioned.
Bishop was answered by a blast of energy heading straight at Harry. The energy hit Harry in an eye-searing flash of light that caused everyone to look away. When the light cleared Harry was standing there unharmed.
"Is that all you've got?" Harry asked the Von Strucker twins. Somehow the Von Struckers had escaped from S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. The twins appeared stunned by Harry's
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lack of harm. But they quickly switched targets and aimed at Betsy. At the same time they activated the sentinels. The sentinels began attacking the X-Men. Harry shot a web-line at Betsy and pulled her way out of the blast and back into his arms.
"Thanks," Betsy told her boyfriend as he set her back on her feet. Harry then spun them so that his back was to the Von Struckers as they again tried to kill Betsy. Wolverine
leapt at them but they sent their golden energy blast at him and knocked Logan for a loop. "Do you want to handle them or do you want me to?" Harry questioned his girlfriend. "I'll use the new toy you provided me," Betsy replied.
Harry nodded as Betsy produced a runic gun from one of the expanded pockets of her uniform. She ducked around her boyfriend and put a quick shot against the forehead of each twin. The twins disappeared via the portkey-effect.
"I think this time I will keep them in my prison," Harry mused. Harry and Betsy returned to the fight around them. Bishop had gone down and was being shielded by Jean. "He's only unconscious," Jean assured.
Everyone else was doing pretty well against the sentinels. Scott tore the weapon arms off a sentinel with two pointed blasts targeted at the weak points on the joints of this new model. Rogue was using the strength and agility enhancement she received as one of Harry's regular lovers to distract sentinels while Ice-Man froze their weak spots. Then Rogue would bound forward and kick the weak points, shattering the appendages off. Kitty was just phasing through the sentinels and ripping out key components.
"Where are they all going?" Rogue asked as the remaining sentinels began flying out of the compound in large groups.
In the distraction two sentinels did something unexpected. They both latched onto one of Betsy's arms and held her between them.
"Harry," Betsy telepathically called out in alarm. "Return our masters," The sentinel on the right said. "It must be a failsafe," Jean whispered. "Let go of my wife," Bishop shouted as he used his power to tear one of the sentinel's arms off.
Betsy hadn't yet gotten up to the full strength or agility of one of Harry's other long-term lovers. But she had enough to survive the pressure the single sentinel was now putting on her. Harry lashed out telekinetically and took that sentinel's arm off at the shoulder.
"Wife," Betsy whispered in confusion as Harry approached her to check if she was alright. The remaining sentinels had all left. "What is he talking about?"
Betsy was confused by what Bishop had said. She knew Bishop was a time traveler. But somehow looking
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at him she couldn't see ever being with him in that way.
"We can figure that out later," Harry said. "Now we need to go after the other sentinels. I'm tracking them right now."
Just then a portal opened up created by the mutant known as Zero. Stryfe and Zero appeared out of the portal.
"Well this is awkward," Stryfe declared. Zero immediately took off through a small portal. "Get back here Zero you little," Stryfe shouted but stopped as the portal closed behind Zero.
Just then a brown haired man came out of an alcove. The man was Bolivar Trask who had created this new line of sentinels.
"Stryfe and I surrender," Trask said. "This whole project was a big mistake. We will shut everything down. Please...just don't hurt us."
"Trask...get ahold of yourself," Stryfe said contemptuously. "And speak only for yourself."
As he finished speaking Stryfe leapt at Ororo intending to deliver a side-kick to her chest. Ororo's left arm came up and deflected Stryfe's side-kick higher. She pivoted forwards on her right foot and delivered a devastating reverse punch to Stryfe's groin.
"Oh shit," Bishop called feeling sorry for Stryfe as Ororo's opponent dropped the ground wheezing and clutching at his testicles.
"Nice," Harry complimented his girlfriend. "Thanks for the lessons," Ororo sent back to her boyfriend. Ororo like most of Harry's lovers had taken up Martial Arts under his tutelage.
"Oh no you don't," Jean said as she sensed Stryfe attempting to rally using his mutant ability to sow discord. Jean shut down Stryfe's conscious mind telepathically. For the benefit of those who didn't have telepathic abilities she explained, "He was going to hit us with a psionic whammy."
"Where are those sentinels going?" Scott asked Trask.
"To the scene of their last encounter with mutants," Trask explained. "It was a failsafe the Von Struckers made me program in or they would have killed me. The sentinels are programmed to begin killing all local mutants."
"That would be the rally Stryfe and the MLF was just at," Harry said. "I'll take us there."
Trask was transported away to a detainment cell while the X-Men were taken to the sentinels' destination. It took the sentinels a few minutes longer to show up but when they did the X-Men overwhelmingly destroyed the robots. The sentinels weren't able to kill a single mutant thanks to the intervention of the X-Men.
"How very interesting," Jean mused. "Bishop is working with Cable."
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Harry and several of his mates had just got done reviewing the report that Bishop had transmitted to Cable.
"I don't understand why they are still trying to interfere with the past," Kitty said. "You told them it wasn't their past."
"I think they want to use Xavier for something in their future point. Just how convincing is that hard-light hologram you've got masquerading as Xavier? Can it mimic his powers?" Ororo asked her boyfriend.
"It can. But I am considering putting Xavier in that future in place of the hologram after modifying his memories accordingly," Harry said.
"You can modify Xavier's memories that convincingly?" Rogue questioned.
"Yes. Through technology it's pretty simple," Harry assured.
"That sounds like a good idea to me," Jean said.
The other women present agreed with Jean. Further plans were discussed but that was the course of action decided upon.
The Institute
Harry entered one of the small kitchens spread throughout the Institute to see Bishop getting a cup of coffee. The Institute had been expanded several times to accommodate the many residents now living there.
"So what exactly was your purpose in revealing that Betsy was your wife in your universe?" Harry questioned.
Betsy had been interested in this talk for some time but wasn't really comfortable having it herself with Bishop. So Betsy was standing invisibly next to Harry.
"It was a slip. I was very stressed," Bishop admitted. There was some pain in Bishop's tone, pain which Harry recognized from long experience. "You lost your Betsy," Harry said with realization. "Yes," Bishop admitted. "How did it happen?" Harry asked.
"It doesn't matter. I am taking steps to make sure it can't happen that way again," Bishop assured. Then Bishop looked up from his coffee with a wry smile and admitted, "In a way I am glad it is you she is with. I see the way your girlfriends look at you. You make them all very happy. And from what I hear you are damn good at keeping them safe. Even if they die you could probably just bring them back. I loved my Betsy and want only the best for any version of her. You seem to be the best Harry."
"Thank you," Harry said. "Enjoy your coffee."
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Bishop nodded and Harry left. Betsy took Harry's arm as they walked away. "He isn't as creepy as I first thought after his revelation," Betsy admitted. "It's so sad really." "It is tragic. That is the way of it for most love. In the end one partner dies," Harry said. "For most love...but not ours," Betsy asserted confidently. Harry sent his affection telepathically to Betsy in response.
The Hellfire Club, New York Chapter
Emma stood in the meeting of the Hellfire Club's royal court wearing her usual outfit of white leather. But unlike usual it didn't make her feel as pleased. She still felt sexy because she could tell the old men around her were eying her whenever they thought they could get away with it without her noticing. But she had been feeling increasingly conflicted of late about her duplicity in regards to her boyfriend.
Nothing much had been happening with the Hellfire Club anyway since with Harry guarding Jean no agent could get close to Jean to determine the status of the Phoenix. Emma herself had managed to gain the most intelligence on the issue. Jean was clearly very powerful. Emma had trained a couple of times with the gorgeous young redhead. Emma would keep watching Jean and try to figure the Avatar for the Phoenix out.
Emma's thoughts turned to the rather enjoyable game of baseball that her Academy students had engaged in with the X-Men at the Institute earlier that day. She found the memories of the game a more enjoyable pondering for her mind than the current plots of the royal court.
Begin Smut Scene
Lilandra braced herself against the railing of her quarters in her imperial star cruiser and let out an approving moan as Harry slipped his prick into her quim. She was so incredibly wet for him so intense was her desire. She opened her eyes with a gasp as his full length settled into her core and he paused there. She turned her head and looked up at his face to see his handsome features distorted with unmistakable rapture. He groaned approvingly as he adjusted to the furnace of her femininity. She leaned back and drew him into a kiss. His hands were on her hips and she felt him back behind her moving his shaft a short ways out of her grasp before returning just as quickly to her full embrace. Lilandra squeezed her inner muscles tightly around his shaft. She tasted his delicious mouth hungrily while he started to move his hips back and forth. Lilandra broke the kiss with a hiss as his meaty prick-head rubbed against a particularly good spot within her core. She laid her head back against his shoulder as his movements settled into more powerful deep stroking within her body. He was dragging all of his impressive length out of her snatch before reversing direction and penetrating to the entrance to her cervix. Each delicious bit of his flesh moving against her inner walls sent fiery pleasure coursing through Lilandra's lower half.
Harry felt the flesh of Lilandra's hips burning beneath his fingers and hands as he held her while skewering her pussy with his tool. He reveled in the sensation of her slick folds molding around his prick while he moved within her. Lilandra shuddered against him and started rocking her hips forward a short distance as he withdrew before pushing her quim back onto his shaft as he slipped into her. Harry inhaled her exotic feminine scent and watched the expressions on her face as he shafted her. Her alien features were quite
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exotic and enticing. His lust for Lilandra intensified with each deep stroke of his manhood into her gash. Lilandra's soft pussy molded to his hardness and clung to him as he pulled out of her. Her inner muscles were immensely powerful as they clenched around his girth. His hands slid up from her hips, along her sides, and to her breasts. He cupped her full tits and played with the supple flesh as their hips did the work of continuing to join their sexes over and over.
"Yes," Lilandra's mind sent telepathically as she connected with Harry's mind. "Fill me...stuff me full of your hot...fat...cock."
Lilandra's sensed her partner's joy at her mental words sent to him. His right hand came free of her tit and rewarded her by flying down between her thighs to her sensitive nub. His fingers danced across her bud as arcane energy flew into her nerve clusters. Lilandra felt her pussy spasm as she achieved a minor orgasm around his shaft. Still he pumped his tool to and from her gash without pause as she came on his length. She felt his groin bouncing off her rump with growing force and frequency. After her orgasm she felt a need for more intimacy and reading her thoughts Harry repositioned them instantly so he was now facing her sitting on seemingly nothing. Her feet still touched the ground but now she sat facing him with her legs wrapped around him. His hands on her hips drew her up and down on his turgid dick. Lilandra clutched his face to her chest between her breasts as she laid her cheek on top of his head. The intensity of the new sensations from this different angle of penetration was momentarily overwhelming. He continued to pump his prick up and down in her quim. She could feel how good it felt to him and he could feel how much she was enjoying his filling of her. She felt his mouth on her nipples lavishing them with attention. She arched her back and felt his hands shift to her rump. He fondled her bottom with a strength that saw her buns molding beneath his fingers. Lilandra put her feet on the ground wanting to pleasure him.
Harry released Lilandra's tasty left tit from his mouth as she started to raise and lower herself on his stiff shaft using her long orange legs. He played with her butt as she flexed her inner muscles around him using her juicy cunny to manually massage his entire length. It felt like he was as deep as it was possible to go within her, more-so than he had been before thanks to the aid of gravity. She stared down at him with a gaze half-lidded with lust, lust which he felt telepathically. Sweat covered her face and upper body which made her look even more beautiful than usual. She leaned down and captured his lips, nibbling on his bottom lip periodically. Her arms were around his neck as their passion passed through their telepathic union. Harry's arcane aura was filling her and massaging her essence just like her quim was massaging his physical manhood.
Lilandra's entire being seemed as if on fire while she lost herself to the passion of her coupling. She reveled in the look of agonizing pleasure that Harry's features revealed. His handsome face had so many varied expressions to convey his enjoyment of her. She felt his hardness throbbing and burning within her core. Her efforts to squeeze and massage his hardness with her inner walls were aided by their mutual lubrication. Lilandra had never before been this heated or this slick upon a partner. Each time her thighs came down upon his thighs the surge of pleasure she experienced increased marginally. By the time sweat started to appear on Harry's face as well the pleasure of her monds surrounding the base of his dick was so intense she was amazed she didn't orgasm with each stroke. She had somewhat leaned back by this point which allowed Harry's hungry gaze to sweet her form. His eyes raked over her taking everything in. He loved watching her ride his shaft so she granted him that clear view. She suddenly perceived he was viewing her from multiple angles and looked behind her to see the air distorted as if by a mirror. He was watching her back and butt flexing as well. To see her arse rising up and down from this angle was a new experience. To see her vagina being forced to conform so much to his hardness and just how much he was stretching her tiny pussy with his size was intoxicating. Lilandra couldn't take her eyes off of the sight.
The lovers had sped up their movements so much by this point that the sound of wet flesh smacking wet flesh filled the room.
"Cum on my cock, beautiful," Harry's voice commanded within Lilandra's mind.
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As if a switch had been flipped Lilandra screamed and clutched tightly as her orgasm took any muscular control out of her conscious thought. At the same time Lilandra's belly muscles began fluttering with her release Harry allowed his seed to shoot forth into her pussy. His own ecstasy took him as he emptied his seed into her hungry snatch. The two lovers groaned and moaned as their sexes squeezed, twitched, and throbbed around and inside one another. Harry held Lilandra as her entire body shuddered with her release.
"That was amazing," Lilandra whispered when she finally got her breathe back. "In a few minutes the fun can continue," Harry promised as Lilandra noticed he was still hard within her. "You are wonderful," Lilandra replied. Harry just hummed approvingly. End Smut Scene
The Baxter Building
Harry and Susan materialized via the teleporter in the main living area for the Fantastic Four. But unlike most times in the past the couple were both visible.
"Thank you for coming," Sue said. "Of course," Susan replied. "So who exactly was taken?" Harry asked. "My sister, Sue's and Johnny's father, Ben's mother, and Johnny's girlfriend," Reed answered. "They just vanished," Sue added. "Ben and Johnny are on their way back now." The sound of destruction from the main lobby area was heard. Harry peered down that way. "It appears Ben isn't patient enough for locked doors today. I'll fix it," Harry explained.
A short while later Ben appeared and Johnny came flying back in through a flight entrance moments later. As if it had been waiting for the two members of the Fantastic Four to arrive, a giant glowing figure appeared in the air before those assembled.
"Elementals, my master says to me to speak at you in your own tonguing," The purple-blue figure, a man named Peppone, said in broken English. "To telling you why he has to steal from you those you love completely most. Confirm the understanding, and I will to go on."
"Please elaborate," Harry replied. To those around him Harry telepathically sent, "The longer we keep him talking the better I can track the location he originated from. This is arcane energy at work. I can track it given enough time."
"My master are Menendez Flores. The great alchemist of every the time lived. He challenge you to a contest of skill. Intellect. Power. To the death," Peppone said.
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"Why does your master steal our loved ones?" Susan asked. "Why does he challenge us?"
"My master seek to live the eternal. In meantime he amuse himself like this," Peppone said.
"Tell us where your master is so that we can meet his challenge," Reed urged.
"My master will to open a gate. That one gate will bring you to - - where he are. The year 1499 Milan. If you go not – through the gate – the loved ones will die. The choice is to you," Peppone said.
"We are coming for him," Ben replied. "He hears you," Peppone said before clutching at his head in pain. "Ay, dio mio! I not did think it would hurt
this."
Peppone didn't even get to finish his sentence before he exploded in a fiery mess. The energy was not of the mortal dimension so didn't harm anything.
"The gate just opened up in front of the building," Harry announced while drawing everyone to the windows on the front face of the building.
On the street below now stood a stone archway with small tongues of flame and vaporous mist flowing off of it.
"I guess we are going to the fifteenth century," Sue declared. "Let me go pack some things. We're going to need to be prepared," Reed said. "We have Harry along. He's all we need to pack," Johnny pointed out. "We don't want to always have to rely on Harry. He can be our backup," Reed replied.
Reed and Harry had held some discussions to that effect. Though it felt better to have Harry along it wasn't good for the Fantastic Four to become completely reliant on the world's strongest superhero. The group split up to do some packing with Harry and Susan assisting Reed and Sue with the packing.
Milan, 1499
"It's a good thing you can turn human looking now," Johnny told Ben. "You would have really stood out back in this time."
"No kidding," Ben agreed as he looked around at the fifteenth century city. Harry, Susan, and the Fantastic Four all wore garb of the time thanks to Harry having conjured the garments. "You said you would handle the flying probes," Reed pointed out to Harry. Reed had wanted to bring along small drones to handle over-watch duties for the mission. "I did," Harry said as one of the probes briefly de-cloaked.
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"Wicked," Johnny commented.
"Impressive," Reed admitted.
Harry looked off in one direction with a thousand-yard-stare.
"What is it?" Susan questioned her lover, recognizing that look as him having perceived something that she and the others couldn't perceive.
"We are being watched by the arcane energy manipulators of this time," Harry said. "Don't let on that you realize it. They don't speak our language so won't understand us."
"You could stop them watching us though right?" Ben asked.
"I could. But I prefer to keep my ability to wield arcane energy from them until it is an unpleasant surprise," Harry explained. "I want to wait for the point of maximum benefit for us."
"Plus this could be an opportunity for us to learn to fight against this type of opponent if it comes down to it," Sue pointed out.
"Definitely," Reed agreed.
"I think that is our destination," Johnny said while pointing to a stone tower in the center of the city glowing with other-worldly light.
The group moved towards the tower. When they reached the tower Reed began examining the structure. Only a few minutes later city soldiers, the Duke's guard, armed with plate armor, spears, and crossbows showed up backed by three magic users. The magic users were known as the keepers.
"Avevo ragione! Sono demoni. Ecco i servi del diavolo, spogliati dei loro travestimenti. Soldati, conoscete il vostro dovere. Prendeteli!!!" Stranza called.
Stranza was the keeper wearing blue robes. Roughly translated he had just called, "I was right! They are demons. Here are the servants of the devil stripped of their disguises. Soldiers, you know your duty. Take them!!!"
The soldiers opened fire with crossbow bolts which Sue easily stopped. Ben returned to his armored form and easily but gently knocked the soldiers out. One of the other keepers Vecchiato tipped over a water trough and poured a potion into the water. Harry sensed the magic coursing out of the puddle and then abruptly dopplegangers of the team burst forth from the puddle with matching powers. Harry took on his doppleganger. It quickly became apparent that while the powers were identical physically Harry's opponent did not have the magic that Harry had. And the doppleganger wasn't even as strong as Harry. Harry's sword quickly took care of his opponent. The other members of the Fantastic Four had relied on their training and were handling their opponents. Sue then scooped up the water in a force-field and flung the water far away. That seemed to do the trick in cutting off the spell from working. The dopplegangers vanished.
Ben crashed through the stone surrounding the bottom of the tower and rushed up the spiraling staircase. Harry sensed that Diablo could and likely would do serious harm to Ben. So the moment Ben crashed through the doorway into the room containing Diablo, Harry cast an illusion spell. The real Ben was hidden while the illusionary Ben was projected into a different location. Diablo lashed out with a spell that would
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have shattered Ben. The illusion played along. The real Ben was smart enough to pause and see what happened. Reed's sister Enid was caught in the center of a ritual Diablo was performing. Harry switched Enid out for a dummy and she appeared hidden next to Ben.
"Now we resume," Diablo called. "You killed Ben you bastard!" Illusionary-Enid called.
"Hush little one. Your end will be quick and relatively painless," Diablo called over the howl of the magical energies he was channeling. In order to become immortal, I must unleash these terrible corrosive forces. I must slip the latch of hell itself and release the universal solvent. An ocean of fire exists there deep enough to consume the world. My destiny demands it. I am too great to die. So the only choice left to me is which world should be consumed."
Harry frankly thought this crazy bastard sounded a lot like Voldemort. Dark Lords throughout the ages tended to be this way. Harry had slain more than his share of would-be Dark Lords and Dark Ladies. Diablo wouldn't be faring any better than those other threats to the world.
Meanwhile down in the courtyard below
"Wait...stop fighting," Reed yelled to his companions. "These men are wearing the Sforza crest. Duke Sforza rules this city. These are the medieval version of cops," Reed explained for Johnny's benefit.
"Why did you attack us?" Sue asked the keepers.
"You speak – tongue of English," Vecchiato said. "Look at the sky," Vecchiato said while pointing to a beam of energy visible coming from the tower. "El Diablo reaches out into the universe for immortality and omnipotence. He refines the Elixir Vitae. We thought you to be with him. For this – apologies. But we must stop him, while still there is time."
Reed nodded and then led the way into the hole Ben had made in the base of the tower. Harry and Susan stuck close to the others but took up the lead. There was already another version of Harry up in the tower with Ben and Enid.
"Reed, one suggestion from me is to use the element of surprise to your advantage," Harry sent to the FF.
Reed nodded his understanding and exchanged a few whispered words with Sue and Johnny. When Reed cleared the doorway he lashed out with an extended-arm sending a blow into Diablo's gut. At the same time Sue enclosed Diablo's head in a bubble cutting off Diablo's air supply. And finally also at the same time Johnny sent a blast of flame at Diablo's lower half.
Diablo somehow managed to shrug off the pain from the fire and gut-shot long enough to bring his hands up to the force-field around his head. Diablo transfigured the force-field into something soft and crushed it. Sue was forced to cut off the attack because the transfiguration traveled back up the stream of her abilities and would have hit her if she hadn't cut it off. Diablo lashed out with a water spell at Johnny but was badly burned on his lower half.
Meanwhile the keepers had begun chanting, "Per ipsius pulveris virtutem utque per samguem Christi omniumque sanctorum benedictionem."
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A green mist began to form around the feet of the keepers. But the keepers were outmatched. Diablo sent a blast of magic at the feet of the keepers. Harry could tell what was going to happen and decided that death was not a good teaching tool for the keepers. Only one would have survived and not for long. Instead Harry teleported the keepers out of the way of Diablo's spell and outside of the tower.
The Illusionary-Enid was glowing brilliantly by this point to reflect the glow of the true Enid hidden from the sight of everyone but Ben and Harry. Sue acted by reaching out with force-fields and breaking the chains holding Illusionary-Enid in place. Harry decided that was good enough.
"Enid...you have the power to end Diablo. Into his back," Harry directed while sending Enid mental instructions on what she would need to do.
Enid walked forward behind Diablo and focused on the energy coursing through her. She willed that energy into her hands and twisted the energy in a certain way to allow her hands to pass into Diablo's pool of arcane energy. Enid thrust her hands forward and Diablo only had a second to realize he was in trouble before he disintegrated. Ben and Enid both became visible while the illusions vanished.
"What just happened?" Johnny asked.
Everything had happened within the span of twenty seconds. In the back of the tower the loved ones Diablo had taken as hostage began to wake up. Vecchiato and the other two keepers came racing up the staircase at that moment.
"Diablo got his ass kicked," Ben said. "How did we do, Harry?"
"Better than these guys," Harry said while indicating the keepers with a gesture.
The FF were reunited with their loved ones.
"What happened?" Vecchiato while the reunion was going on.
"You would have died. I intervened to save you," Harry explained.
"What are you?" Vecchiato questioned.
"I am a friend of humanity," Harry answered. "We will be leaving now. Diablo is no more."
"Thank you friend of humanity," Vecchiato said while holding out his hand.
Harry grasped the man's forearm in a firm grasp. Then Harry and his friends simply vanished from the past leaving the keepers to contemplate the advances made in the future to allow such power to exist.
"Let this be a lesson to us my friends. Time should not be played with or it will make fools of us all," Stranza said which earned nods of thoughtful agreement from his companions.
The Baxter Building "I thought I'd bottle a star," Reed announced to Sue.
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"This isn't going to end well," Susan projected to her lover as they sat invisibly on a couch that was floating higher up in Reed's lab.
"His scanner isn't sophisticated enough for the task. He is only look at a minimal level of parameters from his target stars," Harry noted.
Reed was working on his cube still but had found the device required an enormous amount of power. "These are stars?" Sue questioned. "They aren't shiny."
"That is because they are in another universe and I'm just having the computer display luminance data and energy signatures," Reed explained. "Pick one. It doesn't matter which."
"That one," Sue said while pointing to a particular star. "Good choice. It has a core temperature of 20 million degrees," Reed announced as he read over the data.
Reed tapped out a sequence on the control panel for the device he had created and the device powered up. There was a discharge of energy similar to lightning and then a flash followed by a pressure wave tossed Sue and Reed back onto their asses.
"I take it from the fact we are lying on our asses that something unexpected happened," Sue said.
"Very much so," Reed confirmed. "Something is wrong and I think we are going to find out what," He said as he began analyzing the scanner on the computer and realized the device was working to draw in the target.
"So any idea what is wrong?" Sue asked after her boyfriend had analyzed the readouts on his device for several minutes.
"The link is in place but the cube isn't charging up. I think I may have bent reality out of shape," Reed admitted. "I don't think the target PZ17-24718-81 is a star."
Harry sensed as the weather in the world suddenly got very wonky. He was forced to teleport several civilians out of life threatening situations caused by the weather. The Baxter Building itself took many strikes of lightning.
"How can the target not be a star with an internal temperature of 20 million degrees?" Sue asked as a lightning strike lit up the building's shield nearby.
"The temperature is that hot but the object doesn't have a gravity well," Reed explained. "That is why the weather is going so crazy. The idea was to siphon fusion power from the star's core but it is not anchored in any way. So instead we are reeling it in across a hundred different universes. I'm trying to cut the link but something is not letting me!"
And then an object punched through the Baxter Building's shield and into the nearest wall before stopping in the room stuck part-way in the wall. A silvery object resembling a surfboard was embedded in the wall.
"That doesn't look like a star," Sue noted. "It looks more like a surf board."
Reed looked at his scanner and said, "While this object has an energy signature it doesn't match that of the star-like object targeted. Whatever we targeted hasn't arrived yet."
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"We had better go let others know what is going on," Sue suggested. Harry and Susan watched as Sue brought in her father and explained things.
"It doesn't seem possible for a living being to be that size," Franklin said after looking through a telescope at a giant silver male humanoid heading towards Earth.
"When I first spotted him he was a few light-years across," Reed said. "He appears to be shrinking. Now his mass is comparable to a small planet."
"What are those cloud-like projections trailing him?" Franklin questioned. "When he passed Jupiter about a tenth of its mass was pulled into his gravity field," Reed clarified.
"We may not be under the purview of S.H.I.E.L.D. any longer but we still need to let them know of this threat. And you should probably contact Harry," Franklin suggested.
"I'm sure he has already detected this," Reed pointed out. "He will show up when he wants to. We need to be more independent. Let me try to fix this first because I am the one who screwed up."
"He's learning," Susan suggested to Harry. "Indeed. I'm not surprised given how intelligent he generally is," Harry replied. "Let's get in the air," Sue suggested. "We'll need to intercept him there."
Baxter Building Hangar Deck
"I wish we had Harry's ship," Johnny said as he looked at Reed's latest flying vehicle creation.
"I believe I should take offense to that comment," Reed said.
"We are dealing with an alien. Therefore we need a spaceship," Johnny pointed out.
"I call this vehicle the Seven-Ten-Split. It's fully modular and uses electrostatic coupling to stay together when we want it to be one vehicle," Reed explained. "Climb onboard and we'll get going."
Reed didn't notice his little sister Enid sneak onboard the aircraft.
"I love Ben like a brother but the man in his stone-form is too easy for a small kid to hide behind," Susan said.
"So what is the plan, Reed?" Sue asked her boyfriend.
"If we meet him high enough up you should be able to deflect the Silver alien with your force-field into the East River," Reed suggested.
"Silver alien is a lame name. He had a surfboard. He should be the Silver Surfer," Johnny suggested.
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"Fine...we don't have time to argue names right now," Reed said.
"I have been working with Susan on strengthening my abilities but he's coming in really fast with a lot of mass," Sue pointed out.
"Johnny can help slow him with a nova blast," Reed added. "I guess if he can survive re-entry he can take a nova blast," Johnny pointed out.
"Ok...I'm going to split the Seven-Ten-Split apart. I will get you into position Sue and Johnny," Reed explained.
The aircraft split into sections while flying towards the plummeting Silver Surfer. The top of Johnny's module opened up and he stood. The Silver Surfer was the size of a small giant by this point. Johnny unleashed a nova blast at the alien. At the same time Sue used her force-field ability to try to slow him.
"He's fighting me," Sue cried out. "Oh god he's strong."
Susan was monitoring her sister in a way only she could and sensed as Sue reached the breaking point.
"I've got you, sis," Susan sent to Sue knowing that her boyfriend would relay the thoughts.
With Susan's help, Sue was able to deflect the Surfer into the river. Reed piloted the Seven-Ten-Split out over the river while rejoining the modules.
"I think that worked," Reed said with surprise.
"It wouldn't have without some help from our friends that like being invisible," Sue replied.
Reed winced at his girlfriend's tone. Then he winced further when he got a message from Fury.
"Fury is sending a team," Reed said. "Our presence is requested at the Waldhouse Basin docks half a click south of here."
"You are going to get your ass chewed Reed," Ben suggested. "Best get it over with then," Reed said while piloting his aircraft towards the rendezvous location.
An attractive but pissed off woman in a S.H.I.E.L.D. combat uniform was standing waiting while glaring up at the Seven-Ten-Split as the craft came in for a landing.
"Reed Richards, boy genius," Captain Carol Danvers said in a tone that clearly conveyed she thought Reed was anything but a genius. "We made the silver giant out past Pluto and locked six ICBMs onto him. But we couldn't get a lock because his size and mass kept shifting. You are handing over to us now. Now tell me... do you know what this thing is?"
"I do not. But I can tell you it has an internal temperature of more than twenty million degrees," Reed said. "I also believe he has encountered the Gah Lak Tus swarm at some point. Gah Lak Tus modeled its antibody drones after this Silver Surfer. That is what we are calling him because he has a craft that looks like a surf board. And we aren't going home."
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"Why did he shrink?" Carol asked.
"I don't know for certain but I believe it was because the physical laws in the universe I pulled him from were very different from our universe. Matter was likely very different. He was adjusting to our reality as he shrunk," Reed suggested.
"You can go," Carol said. "Please let us stay," Reed said. "You might need our help."
Carol opened her mouth to object and then saw Spider-Man and Susan Storms appear behind the Fantastic Four.
"Let them stay Agent Danvers," Harry said. "They could use the experience and this will be a good lesson for Reed to watch what he does."
Carol wanted to object but knew she couldn't the FF away if Spider-Man wanted them there. She gave a curt nod and turned to walk away.
"Hendricks, get those micro-subs into the water," Danvers ordered her subordinate.
Harry, Susan, and the FF watched as the Silver Surfer was fished out of the water and strapped to a transport platform.
"Are you sure you just want to assume he is hostile?" Sue asked as the Surfer was put in a scanning bed. The Surfer was unconscious.
"I don't know that we can take the chance that he isn't. This restraint harness was designed to hold the Hulk," Carol replied.
"He's stronger," Harry said which caused Carol to look up from what one of the technicians was showing her in alarm.
"Should I call in the other Ultimates?" Carol questioned. "I said he was stronger than the Hulk. I didn't say he was stronger than me," Harry replied.
Carol took that to mean it wasn't necessary to call in the Ultimates yet. But she did shoot off a text to Fury apprising him of this development. A strength estimate from Spider-Man was nothing to ignore. The Surfer suddenly came awake and started talking in his alien tongue through the restraints.
"Release me," Surfer demanded as he began struggling against the restraint harness. The harness shattered after a few moments. "I have searched so very long...a million cycles of your star."
The Surfer switched to English. "He learns quickly," Susan commented.
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"There are electro-magnetic signals in your atmosphere that allowed me to learn your language," Surfer said. "Who are you?" Danvers asked.
"I am Norrin Radd of Zen-La," Surfer said. Then he tapped into the Wi-Fi signals coursing through the air. "You have so many buildings...there must be millions of you on just this one land mass. I must build the beacon right away."
"What is this beacon for?" Reed questioned.
"It is to tell my master where I am so that he can come and claim you," Radd replied.
"I think he's hostile," Danvers told the FF, Susan, and Harry.
Danvers called missiles down on Radd.
"This is foolish," Radd said as he raised his hands. "Someone is going to get hurt."
Radd destroyed the missiles. Harry had been prepared to shield Danvers and his friends.
"That was pretty stupid," Harry told Danvers. "Anything that has a 20 million degree core temperature can handle a few missiles."
"Well then do something," Carol cried out.
Harry nodded towards Reed and the FF attacked. Sue put up a force-field while Reed wrapped himself around Radd's mid-section and began to pull the Surfer back.
"Sue, Reed, make a hole," Johnny called.
Sue opened up a hole in her force-field at chest height and this allowed Johnny to start sending a stream of fire at Radd's chest.
"This is novel," Radd said in an amused voice.
Radd's progress had been slowed by not stopped. Radd's fingers twitched and Susan's force-field shattered. Radd pointed a hand at Johnny and sent out a blast of fire as hot as the core of a star. The same heat suddenly radiated at the surface of Radd's skin and Reed had to fall back or risk incineration. At the same time Ben leapt up to Radd's height and punched Radd right in the face. Radd was thrown back into the concrete by the blow.
"Stay down," Ben warned as Radd stared up at Ben in surprise. "You surprised me creature but that won't happen again," Radd said as he got back to his feet.
Radd's surf-board came down and smashed into Ben's back sending Thing flying. At the same time a recovered Johnny, Reed, and Sue re-engaged Radd but with more caution. They tried fast attacks that were designed to distract Radd without allowing Radd to focus for long on any one of them. Radd picked a single target and focused upon Johnny. Radd grabbed Johnny in a choke-hold as his surfboard floated up to him.
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"Let him go," Sue said warningly.
"You will thank me for calling my master to you," Radd said. "If you pursue me I will snap this boy's neck."
Rod shot off towards downtown Manhattan.
"Ok...he's tough, really tough," Reed said.
"You fought well but Ben's timing was different than yours. Normally that wouldn't be an issue but the Surfer's power is on another level. All four of you need to work perfectly together," Harry advised.
"Where is the Seven-Ten-Split?" Ben asked as he looked around for the vehicle. "It took off during the fight," Danvers pointed out. "It shouldn't have done that," Reed said. "We need it to go after Johnny." "Enid was inside," Susan pointed out.
"Oh no...she must have activated the homing feature. It's heading for the Baxter Building and judging from my readings that is where Radd is heading," Reed said while looking at a hand-held scanner.
Harry looked off towards the Baxter Building. "Radd works fast," Harry said. "He has already summoned his master. I will handle transportation."
Harry activated the transporter and he, Susan, and the three members of the FF vanished via teleportation. They appeared at the street level entrance to the Baxter Building.
"What is going on? This looks like a parade," Reed said as he glanced around at all of the celebrating people.
Then Radd was spotted floating next to a humanoid alien wearing some type of body armor. Radd's master had a face that was a mixture of yellow, black, and glowing white eyes. He sported a green cape and silver armor pieces. A halo appeared to be around him which revealed the scene of another more advanced world. Enid was sitting on this master's shoulder. She appeared to be happy as were the people cheering for this master. And then the entire crowd was gone as were Radd, Radd's master, and Enid.
"What just happened?" Ben questioned.
"Radd's master is quite technologically advanced. He just teleported the entire population of Manhattan to his universe," Harry explained seriously.
"Is he more advanced than you?" Reed questioned.
"I don't know, possibly," Harry said. "He might be more advanced in some areas. But I can track him. I suggest we go in under stealth and see if we can't stop him without him being aware of us until it is too late. There is another thing...he's a powerful telepath. I was shielding you three from his influence."
Susan was shielded by her bio-net A.I. "I think we need to get some equipment together," Reed suggested.
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Everyone else nodded their agreement.
Planet Zenn-La, Silver Surfer's Universe...
Harry and his companions materialized on Zenn-La. They were invisible beneath Harry's most potent cloaking technology. The danger of the situation was very real to Harry's companions. They were not used to be in true danger when around Harry given the might of his technology and his personal strength. Harry knew better. He had only recently defeated the Karisiam and taken all of their technology for his own use. But he had long ago mastered letting fear control him.
"Something is off," Harry said as he looked around. "What is it?" Johnny questioned. "A temporal shift has occurred transitioning between the universes," Harry answered. "How bad is the shift?" Reed questioned. "Months," Harry replied. At the questioning look from the others Reed elaborated while Harry proceeded to scan for targets.
"Even though we have only followed about forty-five minutes on Earth after the captured humans months will have passed here. Different universes experience the passage of time at different rates sometimes," Reed explained.
"Radd is off on an island in the ocean by himself. He is a known quantity. I do believe I can subdue him and force him to our side without letting his master know of his turning," Harry said. "We'll fly there. I won't risk teleportation in this universe unless absolutely necessary. I don't want to risk alerting Radd's master."
The FF weren't so used to Harry using his powers lately openly and were surprised as he lifted them into the air telekinetically and flew them out over the ocean. Susan on the other hand had observed her boyfriend in private and knew this was the warrior version of him. He was facing a threat that could actually potentially hurt him.
"Where is he at?" Ben asked as he looked around the island after the group had set down. "All I see is a statue of him."
"That is him. He is in a slumbering state," Harry replied. "Now let me focus." Harry gestured with his hands and lashed out with his arcane energy. It lasted only a moment before he stopped with a look of surprise. "Interesting...very interesting indeed," Harry said as the Silver Surfer statue came alive.
"What is interesting, Harry?" Susan asked.
"He did not need to subjugate my will to his own," Radd answered. "Your companion found that I already want to bring down King Temerlune. Let me explain. Temerlune was the strongest telepath our planet had ever produced. The psyco-machines amplified his power a thousand-thousandfold. He laid his mind across the thoughts of all on Zenn-La. He made us all unwaveringly happy and unable to grieve, unable to feel
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shame, and incapable of feeling loneliness. The king himself couldn't experience this happiness. He brooded in his tower looking down upon what he had created. I believe it drove him mad. The king chose a child to train up as his successor. Temerlune made this child immune to his telepathic influence."
"You were that child," Sue surmised.
"Yes. I grew up outside that society watching the shallow joy of the people," Radd admitted. "Seeing that was hard and eventually unbearable," Radd said with genuine emotion. "I convinced myself that the happiness was a tyranny. I sought to end the happiness. I bided my time and smiled to the king's face while I studied the best way to betray him. One day I drugged his wine and while he slept I turned off the machines."
"The entire civilization destroyed itself didn't it," Harry said quietly.
"Yes," Radd replied. "How did you know?"
"I come from a society where we studied everything we could including telepathy. There are many levels of courses taught on telepathic disciplines in my society. The scenario you described was one of the things we were taught to avoid. Your society would have been dependent on that happiness like a drug," Harry said.
"In their madness they killed themselves and each other in the millions," Radd explained. "This all happened thousands of years ago. Temerlune took away my immunity and made us both immortal through surgical means. He made me into the being you see before you and sent me out into the void under his control to search for another set of beings to population his planet. Only once we returned here did he remove his influence. I retreated to this island trying to figure out a way to end him."
"What has become of the humans Temerlune took from Earth?" Reed questioned.
"Temerlune's psyco-machines saved the memories and personalities of the people that lived before. Those personalities are being lived out through your humans. It is reversible but Temerlune must be defeated first," Radd explained. "I was very advanced in my succession training when I betrayed him."
"To the best of your knowledge will Temerlune's death negatively affect the systems he controls?" Harry questioned.
Radd was silent for several moments as he thought over that question.
"I do not believe so. At the time of my training he was actually planning a seamless transition to me taking over someday. I do not know if he was planning for his eventual demise or perhaps merely planning to retire. But he could have changed many things since then," Radd explained.
Harry nodded like he had been expecting that answer. "You don't want to risk any scans," Susan surmised. "No...not if he is potentially as dangerous as I think he could be," Harry replied. "He may detect it." "So you are planning a surgical strike," Reed clarified in what was only half-question but also half-statement.
Reed didn't object to the notion like he once would have. This situation was entirely his doing. He had been the one to call Radd to their universe and brought this trouble down upon them all. Millions of lives hung in
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the balance. And if those lives were lost Reed didn't think he could live with himself. "Yes," Harry said. "I...I need to be the one to do this," Reed said. "This is my fault." Harry looked sharply at Reed and worked to discern if Reed was sincere.
"You don't have to," Harry replied after several tense moments. "I am perfectly willing to do it."
"You were right Harry. We need to learn to stand on our own. I will do it. But do you think you could assist me in getting close and with a weapon that will do the job?" Reed asked.
Harry summoned his favorite sword to his hand and passed it to Reed.
"That will cut better than even a light-saber through tough materials. Be very careful with it. You should thrust it up through his brain. I will be going with you to get you close," Harry explained. "The rest of you should stay here."
"We are going with Reed," Ben said.
"Yeah...he shouldn't have to do this alone," Johnny added.
Reed was honestly touched by the sentiment.
"Besides...we might be able to provide some backup if things go south," Sue said.
"Alright...but we are all going to be cloaked and on foot once we reach the mainland," Harry explained. "Don't even use telepathic communication or Temerlune might pick it up."
"I should go with you to help guide you and get you through the security but I fear my presence will give you away. Temerlune may be able to sense the power cosmic within me," Radd explained.
"It's ok. I will take the knowledge I need to bypass security from your mind," Harry said.
Radd nodded. All it took was a quick touch from Harry to enhance the telepathic connection and the knowledge was gained. Harry took the group back to the mainland and from there they set off on foot through the city. Harry led the way using Radd's knowledge.
Palace Garden
The group found Temerlune and Enid in the palace garden working with flowers. Harry saw Reed grip the sword tighter upon spotting Temerlune with Enid. Reed made it silently up to just behind Temerlune and paused. Harry could tell Reed was internally building up the nerve to end the dictator. Seconds turned to minutes as Reed stood there occasionally twitching the blade upwards towards Temerlune's back. Finally Reed just jerked his arm upwards driving the tip of the sword through the back of Temerlune's neck and up through the dictator's brain.
Faster than any human could follow, Lily reached out and scanned the technology on the planet. Some parts
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were more advanced than the tech she had access to but she could still figure it out. Some parts were less inferior. But Lily captured it all. Harry felt his consciousness become aware of the millions of minds on the telepathic network Temerlune had been controlling. Harry and Lily began the process of returning those minds back to their normal selves. It was going to be a long cleanup effort.
The Baxter Building
"I can't believe you were able to return all those people to life," Johnny said.
Zenn-La had its original population restored.
"It was more that they never died where I brought them from. The universe is infinite and nearly anything is possible with time travel," Harry replied.
Sue was off comforting Reed and taking his mind off having to kill Temerlune. Harry knew the young genius would be alright given time and Sue's attention. It was amazing the comfort a good woman could provide.
"Why did you do it though?" Ben asked.
"It just didn't feel right to leave a dead world behind when I was able to give life back to it. Now Radd can be happier as Zenn-La's protector rather than a ruler," Harry answered.
Harry talked with his friends for a little while more before taking his leave. He felt the FF had really learned a lot during this most recent adventure. Harry liked being a teacher.