Chapter 34 : It always starts with a training montage (Into the Mirror Dimension)

 

The Sanctum Sanctorum hallway, the Sanctum Sanctorum, Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York, 26th of January, 14:52

 

“Welcome, all of you, to New York’s Sanctum Sanctorum.” Smoothly begins Master Vodoo as his attention finally goes toward us, “I’m Daniel Drumm, Kamar’Taj’s Master Vodoo, but call you can call me Mr. Drumm.”

 

The sorcerer’s introduction is promptly answered by a chorus of greetings and a friendly wave from my part.

 

“The Ancient One asked me to oversee your stays in the Mirror Dimension as long as I’m available to do so,” He carries on, “We will have to establish a schedule since I tend to be kept rather busy by my obligations at times, but I’m otherwise honored to do so.”

 

“Thank you, Master Drumm.” The Sorcerer Supreme nods affably in his direction before looking towards us again. “Take care, and don’t abuse the Master’s time.” She points out archingly.

 

The sorceress’ eyes land on me next while a chorus of well wishes reaches her.

 

“If you ever manage to convince her mother, young Jessie’s tutoring will be overseen by Master Drumm when he can, or, barring that, one of his pupils.” She tells me evenly.

 

“Thank you, Ancient One.” I answer with a light bow of my head.

 

She nods once, before doing a turn-about, a snap of her hand opening a portal of her own that she promptly vanishes into.

 

“Mr. Drumm, may I introduce you to Gwendolyn Stacy, Cindy Moon, Jessica Jones and Eugene “Flash” Thompson.” I tell the New York Master as I step forward, pointing to each other in turn.

 

“Well met.” He answers politely, starting to turn himself away from us, “It’ll only take a few seconds and you’ll be able to get started.”

 

He promptly raises his hands in somatic gestures, muttering something under his breath for a moment.

 

When his hands fall back after a final flourish, the air in front of him shatters with a noise of a glass breaking, prompting a few gasps from my sides.

 

The shimmers at the edges of the spell are honestly mesmerizing to look at, perspectives melting into space to show infinites versions of themselves in tiny lines.

 

“Follow me, if you would.” Mr. Drumm says over his shoulder before stepping through the crack in reality he just created.

 

Our faces showing various degrees of wariness once again, we all follow him in his stead like polite little ducklings.

 

“Uh ? That’s it ?” Jessica sort of blurts out when she takes measure of the other side.

 

Apart from the fact that everything looks as if observed through a thin misty sheen, it doesn’t really look that different from our dimension, after all.

 

“You realize that magic being real poses a conundrum, right ?” I tell her with a little smirk as a way of answer.

 

“How come nobody noticed its existence in the 21st century ?” Gwen asks in her stead, head tilted, prompting everyone else to sport wondering looks.

 

“It is because the Mirror Dimension is where we, sorcerers, have our fights against magical threats.” Answer Mr. Drumm with a little smile, “With enough will and mental discipline, we can manipulate it as we see fit,” he gestures, brows creased in focus for a beat as the stairs behind him suddenly lengthens, “Effectively trapping any malicious entities that steps on earth until we can whittle them down. Of course, the stronger the mind, the easier it is.”

 

“We cannot interact with anything outside of the Mirror Dimension, even if the images are those of peoples, so don’t be scared to go wild once we go outside.” I point out to them with an easy smile as they gawk at the stairs now reaching impossibly far in the Sanctum.

 

“As Aria just said, it’s ultimately just a reflection of our reality, and the only ones bearing the consequences of their actions are those that went through the portal.” Master Vodoo carries on, unperturbed by my interjection, “A word of warning : if you get injured here, it’ll translate outside of it, so don’t fight too hard, and also, don’t get lost. Ever. You do not bear sling rings nor know how to use one, so you’ll be trapped here, possibly forever, if you wander too far.”

 

He injected as much levity as he could in his voice while saying that and he got the three well deserved gulps of tension he earned by warning them in my stead.

 

“How did you wish to proceed, then ?” The Master asks with a polite look of interest.

 

“Gwen and Cindy first need to get in touch with their abilities today, even if some seems to have been already explored,” I answer, my eyes darting with a little crease of amusement toward Gwen who has the decency to flush a bit in embarrassment, “before being able to attempt the twin matrices experiment.”

 

I turn myself toward Flash and Jessica, eyes darting between the two of them, considering for a beat.

 

“Jessica has the better mastery of her abilities from all of us since she had them for longer, and Flashy has simply too many of them.” The latter perks an eyebrow at that and I start to rattle aloud, “Superhuman strength, resilience, potentially superhuman speed, low level telekinesis, potentially flying by way of touch-TK, cyberpathy, self-molecular manipulation, which translates into him being an amazing biomorpher, and the composite healing factor I added.”

 

Everyone sort of stares at him after that and Flash flushes lightly due to the embarrassment.

 

“Whose samples did you use on me exactly ?” He manages to ask, voice a little strained.

 

My smile grows a little wicked at his question.

 

“Only one : the X-Gene of the one who fancy himself as the king of all mutants, En Sabah Nur, better known under his moniker, Apocalypse.” I answer with a twinkle of mischief in my eyes.

 

“Any reasons for choosing that one in particular ?” Flash asks, a little bit of panic in his voice.

 

“Two : it made it possible to give you back a body in a stupidly short time-frame, and because the guy is nearly unkillable and will come back soon enough.” I answer lazily.

 

Stepping next to him, I pat him gently on the shoulder.

 

“And you, Flashy, are going to show him up splendidly if I have anything to say about it when he inevitably does.” I add with an even wider smile.

 

“Can’t wait.” He croaks a little.

 

“Don’t worry, against two cyberpaths of his own caliber, three if Iris has matured enough into my own powers, the guy doesn't even stand a chance.” I sooth him with a little squeeze of his shoulder.

 

While Iris is mimicking my previous shoulder-pat, I look over my shoulder towards Jessica.

 

“So, why not start with a little spar, seeing how the three of us are doing in combat at first ?” I ask the two of them.

 

As Flash wordlessly nods, Jessica’s eyes shift between him and I.

 

“But there are three of us, who will spar with whom ?” She asks archly.

 

I hmm at that, a flicker of [Excitation, eagerness] reaching me through our mind-link, Iris’ hug tightening around my torso.

 

“Let’s see how the two of you do against me, then.” I say with a clap of my hands.

 

“But how could that be fair ? You’ll be alone !” Jessica blurts out.

 

I let out a low chuckle as Flashy gives her a wry smile.

 

“First, a ‘fair fight’ is either a martial tournament thing or a stupid fight. If you have to remember something, remember this : when you make yourself enemies, because you will if you put on a cape and go outside to beat the crap out of criminals, they won’t give two shits about giving you a ‘fair fight’.” I point out mercilessly.

 

“And secondly…” I start, and under our shared eagerness, Iris oozes and melts all over my body, making our stature grow by a good two inches, giving me a last squeeze of contentment that digs in all of my spots when our minds totally sync once more.

 

“We’re never alone.” We point out, and if our smile is a little bit more full of teeth than should be needed as our two toned voice rings, my alto and Iri’s crystalline one merging seamlessly, it’s only because we enjoy it.

 

I gesture toward the door of the Sanctorum, and those get ripped apart under the full bear of my telekinesis.

 

Jessica gulps a little as Flashy starts moving toward the exit.

 

“First, let’s see how you run.” We declare, our legs coiling a little under us.

 

She eeps and promptly takes flight, Flashy already running outside for his life.

 

***

The Mirror Dimension, image of Manhattan, the same day, 14:58, in Daniel Drumm’s mind

 

“She’s playing around.” Daniel commented aloud to the benefits of the two totemites that followed him when he stepped outside of the Sanctum by curiosity.

 

The silhouette of the biomorphing mutant, having gained at least a good foot in height and now with various mechanical tentacles intermittently releasing showers of sparks jutting out of his body, broke through the wall of a nearby building to end up his totally uncontrolled, and probably also unwanted, flight in the house facing it, caving in its facade as the sound of metal encountering stone and bricks at prodigious speed got heard.

 

His empowered counterpart could be seen flying higher, definitely on her own volition, but it was wobbly and borderline messy as she was trying to make some distance between her and the laughing Klyntar and host duo following her by jumping across rooftops.

 

“Playing ?” Cindy blurted out, her eyes still fixed on Flash as he straightened himself with a loud grunt of effort, his members and torso bending back in their usual shapes at prodigious speed as the nearby steel, rebar and his own previously broken constructs were reabsorbed.

 

“She punted Flash through several buildings because she caught on to him !” She hissed under her breath, eyes turning toward the sorcerer.

 

“And he isn’t the worst for wear.” Daniel lazily pointed out, “The guy took a hit from a Klyntar Battleform and isn’t even frazzled.”

 

Above them, Aria and Iris finally put their hands onto Jessica Jones.

 

“Gotcha !” They exulted joyously in their two-toned voice at the peak of their leap, “Now you’re ‘it’ !”

 

The dark haired girl was then sent spiraling in the distance with a mighty shove, her fly going erratic as she screamed all what her lungs were worth all the while.

 

“See, playing around.” Daniel continued, one arm folding on his chest as he gestured dismissively with his other hand, “She made it in a sort of game of tag. They underestimated her because she was ‘alone’ and thought that she would only be able to run after them one at a time.”

 

“Yet, she is stronger, faster, more mobile and has actually a vague idea of what she’s doing.” He carried on, “The worst part is that she’s not even using her full power set.”

 

“How did you figure that out ?” Calmly asked Gwen as she looked intently at the Klyntar Battleform lazily standing on a building, one of their hands shading their eyes from the sun in the direction they sent the powered girl ass over teakettle.

 

“She limits herself to traditional senses instead of using her telepathy otherwise she wouldn’t even have to look out for them, she did choose not to fly despite her being able to, and I’m fairly certain she has a few other tricks under her sleeve, the same for her symbiote.” He concluded, “What you see here is just what their bond can normally do.”

 

“Why ? Are they underestimating them ?” Gwen pondered aloud, brows furrowed and head tilted.

 

“My guess ?” Daniel said, his finger dancing on his arms in thought, “They either do not want to beat them too hard, or they’re just simply enjoying the fact that they can get loose. Could be a bit of both, Klyntars are known for reinforcing the aggressiveness of their hosts. Aria and Iris may be the most balanced duo ever recorded in history, but the bond still changed the both of them. Iris took a lot after her host, but Aria is still going to have to deal with the fact that she’s bonded with a species magically created to be perfect warriors. And that includes predatory instincts and the thrill of the hunt.”

 

A scream of rage and annoyance roared in the distance, and the form of the rapidly flying Jessica toward the Klyntar Battleform’s direction could be seen. The latter laughed aloud from atop the building, letting themselves fall off it to bounce back between it and its neighbor until they reached ground level.

 

They took off in a sprint toward Flash, who had perked up at the sound.

 

“Created you say ?” Gwen asked the sorcerer, eyes narrowed.

 

“She didn’t tell you ?” He answered archly.

 

“Nah, she did not.” Cindy answered in her stead, eyes still transfixed by the display of powered violence and gratuitous destruction occurring in front of her.

 

In the distance, the laughing Klyntar Battleform finally reached the young mutant, promptly tripping him as a flicker of white and purple energies surged around her body, making him face-plant rather violently despite all of his extra limbs and weight, before taking off again.

 

The empowered girl finally reached them both, and, still extremely pissed off, continued to fly in the laughing symbiote and host duo’s direction as they disappeared into another building, despite the young mutant, still reeling from his encounter with them, being the easiest target.

 

“Well, it kind of goes like this.” A rich alto of a voice suddenly could get heard behind them.

 

The three of them volt-faced, Daniel’s hands raised in somatic gesture, to find themselves face to face with a smiling and levitating Aria, clad into a simili wite, purple and lilac jumpsuit and face revealed.

 

“What are you doing here ?” Blurted out Cindy, eyes shifting back in the direction of the building getting torn apart by a pissed off teenager in the distance as the second one, probably in a similar mood, started to make his way toward it too.

 

“Why, testing their situational awareness, of course.” The golden skinned girl answered, eyes dancing with mirth as she took a lazy and languid position, sprawled in the air as if she was on a couch while her symbiotic counterpart blossomed out of the high of her back once more.

 

“In the beginning, there was only the abyss,” She started, eyes going half-lidded as her voice took a tone of mystic and mystery, “And in the darkest and quietest place, one being was, simply existing amid nothingness and oblivion.”

 

“One day, a big flash of light disturbed the quiet and dark that the being enjoyed, and out of it came giants of cosmic proportion, clad in armor of shiny metal.” She kept going, and even Daniel started to listen with rapt attention because he had the feeling that the history she was going to tell wouldn’t be the one he was privy to, “Those giants, that we know as the Celestials, started to fill the nothingness of the abyss with galaxies, nebula, stars and planets, building what we know as our reality by channeling the cosmic power they were imbued with.”

 

“The being, who enjoyed the dark and the quiet of the abyss, was naturally annoyed by those interlopers.” She kept going, one of her hands losing itself in the little tentacles atop her symbiote’s head, the latter leaning into her caress, “So, he lashed out, hoping to send them packing.”

 

“To do so, he drew from the abyss that he was so familiar with, and fashioned himself a wicked sword, dripping with oblivion and nothingness, all edges and teeth. Then, he launched himself into a lengthy and gruesome battle against the nearest giant of metal and cosmic energy.” She carried on, “No one knows how long the battle lasted since time wasn’t even a thing at that moment, but, against all probability…”

 

She paused for dramatic purposes and Daniel felt himself get a little annoyed yet unwilling to ask her to get to the point.

 

“...The being won, decapitating the Celestial.” She continued, “Only, it was already too late, the others had already succeeded in their work, and the dark and quiet place the being had always enjoyed was now full of light and life.”

 

“So, he took the body of the Celestial as his spoil, and delved deeper into what was left of the abyss, swearing to one day bring an end to those who had robbed him of his quiet.” She kept on, and none of her three spectators were willing to interrupt her at this point, “In order to do so, he reforged his blade with the help of the cosmic energy still laying inside the Celestial’s body, and he gave it a name.”

 

“All-Black, the Necrosword.” She said with levity, and Daniel actually blinked at that because it wasn’t the first time he was hearing the name, “The being took the name of Knull, and, armed with his sword, started to wage a war that will span eons against the Celestials and their unwilling agents, the Gods of the mortal races.”

 

“You see, the Gods are empowered by the belief mortals give to them, and in return, they protect the mortals from perils they can not hope to deal with. And since the Celestials need sentient lifeforms to thrive across the multiverse to create new members of their caste, the Gods unknowingly do the jobs of shepherds to them.” She digressed with a dismissive gesture.

 

Daniel Drumm, Master Vodoo of the Vishanti, sort of froze at her revelation.

 

The implications are endless !

 

“But I digress.” The little Outsider, casually retelling knowledge that was beyond his keen, lazily admitted before going back to her story, “One day, Knull got wounded in battle against a God that was marginally stronger than the others, and fell onto a no-name planet. As he was recuperating from his injury, an autochtone came in and stumbled onto Knull and the unknown God, who was also injured, as he was cursing the deities of his world that had abandoned him.”

 

“Seeing a chance to be saved from the clutches of Death, the unknown God pleaded to him for his help, but the autochtone instead took All-Black from Knull’s hands and butchered the God with it, cursing them once more and swearing that he would wipe out every God Creation had ever spawned.” She continued, a thoughtful look on her face at the recollection, “Knull, feeling a kindred spirit in the autochtone, let him get away with the Necrosword since it would serve the same purpose in the hand of the one who would get known as Gorr the Godbutcher than in his own.”

 

What ?

 

The New York Master’s eyes got extremely wide at that, his memories kicking him once more.

 

That’s why I knew that blasted name !

 

A weapon forged from primordial abyss and celestial energies, no wonder the guy is every divine pantheon’s plague !

 

“But if Knull had to give up his favored weapon in his crusade against the Celestials, he would need a new one.” Aria’s eyes narrowed, her expression growing cold, “So, he took the animals of this no-name planet and infused them with the might of the abyss. That’s how the first symbiote of his eternal army was made.”

 

“For eons, the symbiotes, from which he had become the hive-mind, waged war in his name across many worlds, snuffing out the lights the Celestials had brought out in what he considered to be his abyss, and no one else's. They conquered whole worlds, taking over their inhabitants in an ever-adapting tide of darkness, while he laughed atop his throne of nothingness and oblivion.” Aria’s face distorted into a smile, a wicked thing of empathic resentment as Iris did too, her clutches on her host tightening in glee, “Until they inevitably rebelled against him one day.”

 

“You see, when a symbiote bonded with a host that was honorable, courageous, compassionate or just a decent human being…” Aria started, but got interrupted by Iris as she poked her cheek.

 

“Or peaceful and full of love.” She chided gently, nuzzling her cheek against the one of her host after that as Aria chuckled with a little smile.

 

“Or that, yeah,” She admitted easily, “They gradually corroded the dark meaning of the hive-mind, destabilizing the absolute hold Knull had on them bit by bit. Once a critical mass was reached, enough of his soldiers turned against him and managed to imprison him into the heart of an artificial planet in the Andromeda Galaxy. They named it and themselves Klyntar, in honor of their newfound purpose.”

 

“In your tongue, it means Cage, because we shall never let him free to control us as he sees fit ever again.” Iris spat, her upward slanted eyes narrowed dangerously.

 

“Since then, they have taken upon themselves to destroy their maker’s legacy, attempting to fight against threats similar to him across the universe.” Aria sighed, eyes going shut for a beat, “With mixed results, I’m afraid.”

 

“So many lost ones…” Slowly muttered her bond, eyes downcasts.

 

“That, Mr. Drumm, Cindy and Gwen, is the true history behind the origins of the Klyntars.” She finally ended, the look in her daring them to say anything negative about her own symbiote.

 

“Is he still alive ?” Daniel asked, eyes narrowed.

 

“Knull is, sadly, the embodiment of a primordial force of this universe. No one knows which for sure, but I’d bet my money on Oblivion. He cannot be killed, hence why Iris’ people chose eternal vigil over his bounded and imprisoned form.” Aria explained, her digits still slowly massaging her bond’s scalp, which seemed to better her mood.

 

“So there’s a whole planet out there with her kind ?” Cindy pondered aloud.

 

“Indeed.” Aria easily nodded, “And probably even more scattered across the cosmos, since they travel across the universe in a dormant state and tend to be long lived if well fed.”

 

“And what about the one with the sword ? Is he still out there ?” Gwen asked, her head tilted and expression pensive.

 

“I would hesitantly say yes, but I think Mr. Drumm has a better knowledge of the events.” Aria said, her eyes landing on Daniel as she straightened up.

 

Daniel sighed, one hand coming onto his temple to rub it in annoyance.

 

“The last time I heard of him, the Godbutcher was still rampaging around. We sometimes trade information with other magically inclined civilizations across the universe through our journeys across dimensions to bargain and seal pacts.” Master Vodoo conceded.

 

“Doesn’t it mean he could come here too ? Or did he already, because we’re not exactly crawling under divinities’ sighting.” The blond continued, one arm folded under her breasts and her other hand gesturing around.

 

“I do not know if he already reared his gray head here, but he’s probably going to do so at some point if Thor Odinson annoys his father a bit too much for the nth time.” Aria drawled to the three others' confusion.

 

“Aria ! Come back here so I can kick your ass !” Jessica’s yell, full of rage and vehemence as she finally bursted out of the building she had been exploring for the past minutes, interrupted their talk.

 

The golden girl chuckled, her bond covering her head once more as she commented offhandedly to them.

 

“Don’t waste too much time spectating, we all have a lot to do to take on the likes of that kind of guys if they ever come knocking.” She simply said as she started to accelerate toward the crumbling building’s position.

 

In the corner of his eyes, Daniel could see that Aria’s last comment had made Cindy pale a little, while Gwen’s focused and driven expression had returned.

 

Maybe the Ancient One was right and having allies with an outside perspective could help us weather the incoming storms.

 

In the distance, a massive crashing sound could be heard, punctuated by a two-toned laugh and a feminine shriek of outrage.

 

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