(General P.O.V)

NASA' s chief director was in a meeting with both the General and the president, giving them some disturbing news.

"It's unlike anything we've seen sir."

He said, pulling up satellite images and other data.

"How long will you keep on beating around the bush, Morrison." General Graves wondered. She was a 55 year old military official who had served in combat for more than 3 decades. Her accolades and medals were only matched by her stern and commanding presence. She had a sharp wit and was never afraid to speak her mind.

If anything, the NASA director was her complete opposite. Morrison was a balding middle aged man with big glasses framing his face. He wiped his forehead on a handkerchief and turned to the screen.

"It's Mars. Using a new line of satellites with increased surveillance and monitoring specs from Stark Industries, we've identified an anomaly. Well, multiple anomalies."

The display changed from a generic view of Mars to a topographical one, showing a representation of the planet's atmosphere.

"The entire atmosphere which used to be covered by a thin layer of Carbon Dioxide has changed out of nowhere and is now dominated by a high concentration of Methane. The temperature on the planet has spiked to over 5000 F which is hotter than even Venus which is roughly 700 F."

"My goodness."

One of the officials in the meeting stated. On the screen at the end of the meeting table, the president frowned.

"What does this mean for us?"

Morrison flipped through a few papers, passing them throughout the table.

"Well...that's the strange thing Mr. President. Nothing."

"I don't understand."

General Graves interjected, placing the papers on the table before her.

"If these temperatures are hot enough to melt lead, why is the planet still floating around in space? How can it handle such a tremendous spike in temperature?"

Morrison shook his head.

"Artificial natural shielding. There's a cosmic radiation wall around the planet that we can detect. Like a fence of some sort to keep everything out. And if by chance something makes it past the wall, nothing can survive entry, let alone the surface. This is the deliberate work of an intelligent life form."

Morrison finished grimly.

"In other words you're blaming aliens."

(Mars - Energia)

(General P.O.V)

"Really?"

Chaos asked Aden as he completed his sword Kata. Equity was in its Dragon Slayer shape and Aden went through the forms with expertise cultivated over countless years. Or that would have been the case if it wasn't for his god of war divinity. This divinity gave him master skill in any weapon of combat. Swords, eskrima sticks, maces, even a pencil used in a combat situation.

He completed the set and drank from the lake by cupping his hands together. Equity was placed next to him in its dagger form, shining from the light above. He knew what Chaos was complaining about. Aden had just installed a security fence around Mars, in the form of invisible silver flames.

Anything of a certain type that tried to break through the silver flames and succeeded, would be something strong enough to actually grab his attention and rouse him from his spiritual attunement. Chaos disapproved, calling the measure too drastic and extreme. Haha, how ironic.

Aden didn't care.

"I had to, otherwise if the Eternals, Thanos, the Kree or any of the hundreds of other alien civilizations we know of decide to investigate the planet, I will be too busy chasing them away to concentrate on what really matters. The training. This way, none will dare get close."

"At least we can count on Earth staying as far away from this place as possible."

Chaos finally said, knowing from Aden's divine sense that the governments of earth had labelled Mars as a hazardous zone. Any planned Mars' expeditions were scrapped.

"Mmmh."

Aden hummed, swallowing the water and feeling a rejuvenating effect spread out across his body.

"It's time."

He sat on his usual place, leaning against Nagini and opened the system's notifications. Aden was immediately bombarded with text boxes after text boxes. He blinked as he felt a headache build up.

He swiped his hand and tried to arrange them in a descending order.

::---------------------------------------::

(Overload!)

(Overload!)

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

(Host Condition critical due to unstable energy signature's volatile pattern)

(Warning! Mind erasure Eminent!)

(Warning! Physical vessel deterioration Eminent!)

(Warning! Soul Eradication Eminent!)

(Deploying countermeasures...lesser miracles exhausted...)

(Condition Stabi... Warning! Personality disassociation observed...)

(preserving true Self...)

(Failed)

(Preserving memories...)

(Failed)

(Preserving Essence...)

(???)

(Domain incompatibility observed)

(Overload... explosion eminent!)

(Emergency energy reserves exhausted)

(Requesting for faith energy...)

(Initiating...initiating... initiating...zero worshipers found)

(Running diagnostics)

(Spatial Positioning... unrecognizable)

(Warning! Soul deterioration occuring at an unprecedented rate. Complete function loss.)

(True Death in T minus 6 seconds)

(5)

(4)

(Incoming transmission)

(New stable energy source detected)

(Commencing repairs)

(Time until repairs are complete:- 2,860,689,041 years)

(Commencing Hibernation protocols)

(Transmission saved)

::---------------------------------------::

(Aden's P.O.V)

2.8 billion years. I sighed. Why was I surprised? I knew that a lot of time had passed. In any case I now understood a little of what had happened. I had died but something had brought me back and it had something to do with the Transmission saved by the system. I waved away those prompts and clicked on the Transmission itself.

The surroundings faded away. Energia disappeared and I found myself sitting to the side of two very familiar figures with a Go board on the tea table between them. I barked out a laugh full of disbelief and happiness. The first one was tall, wearing a black suit without a tie and a scruff building on his jaw. The other one was shorter but broader, dressed in green and yellow ornate robes. I should have guessed. If anyone had my back besides my family, it was them.

Lucifer smirked.

"Well well, isn't this interesting?"

"Indeed it is. I have beaten you 4 times yet you still insist on playing. Do you by chance love losing?"

Iroh asked the prince of lies.

I blinked my eyes feeling awkward. Had they not noticed me or...

"Ummh hey guys, it's been long. Where..."

"I feel a storm coming."

Iroh spoke up suddenly, looking at the sky of what turned out to be a mental representation of my air dimension. Iroh had always held a special love for the quiet surroundings.

"You can't hear or see me, can you?"

I muttered in realization, closing my eyes and sighing in disappointment.

(General P.O.V)

It was a transmission, that meant it was pre recorded. Lucifer made his move on the Go board before softly beginning to talk.

"You know, I fail at making genuine emotional connections with people because...frankly, they all suck. But somehow Aden, you changed a lot for me. You are... different."

There was a true care in his tone. A whimsical note, as if he couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth.

Something that Aden had never heard before as Lucifer seemed to address the very air.

The former looked up in surprise. Was he wrong? Could they actually see him?

Iroh hummed in approval, eyes still fixed on the Go board. It was however plain to see the small smile on his face.

"I agree. You have made us proud. Very proud, young Aden."

Aden swallowed, feeling a lump of emotion get stuck in his throat.

"Thanks Sensei."

Aden muttered softly, bending his head and touching the ground with his forehead. Even if it was just this, the transmission had given him something precious.

Lucifer then surprised Aden by looking straight at his eyes, greatly exciting the latter.

"You can sense me?"

He asked hopefully, only to feel disappointed once more as Lucifer shook his head.

"No. But I know what you're going to say, perks of being Overpowered. I can see through time and dimensions." Luci shrugged.

"Anyway, I do not want to use up more time than is needed. You have to listen carefully."

Aden nodded, knowing that Lucifer's next words could be the answer to his questions.

"We felt you die." The whole area became gray upon Lucifer's words. As if reflecting the statement made by the godlike being. Lucifer carried on acting like he didn't notice it. He moved his Go piece across the board.

"Yeah."

Aden responded in confirmation.

"Order...I tried to combine my two main abilities into one. Things didn't go as planned."

"You do not have to hide anything." Iroh told him.

"We know everything that happened."

Aden frowned looking in between the two.

"Ummh...are you sure that this is a recording because you two seem awfully aware of me. It's like I'm genuinely here."

Aden asked in honest confusion.

The question made Iroh laugh.

"This took place over a million years ago from our relative perspective."

Lucifer reached out and patted Aden's shoulder, further eliciting an even more confused look on the boy's face. Iroh's laugh turned boisterous and even Lucifer joined in, making for a weird picture.

"When you can exist in time and space anywhere and whenever, logic takes a vacation. I can do this because I'm...well me." Lucifer chuckled before adding.

"And Iroh can do so because he is a creator level entity."

"Ooh okay." Aden accepted the explanation before blinking and realizing the implications of what Lucifer had said.

"Wait, Iroh is what now?"

Then they were suddenly not there anymore. Aden looked around and found himself in...

"Home."

Lucifer told him.

"Or atleast your version of home."

Then added in melancholy.

They were inside Aden's cottage in the main dimension and Kori, the kids, Gaea, Yaotl and the rest were all around the dinner table.

He remembered this particular dinner because of something that happened.

"Breeze thought it was funny to try and stick as many carrots as she could in her mouth."

Aden explained as he recalled with a soft smile. The two of them watched the memory play out from the side. Like looking in through the mirror from the outside.

"So naturally Sai tried to compete with her. Which meant that Kai and Vor had to join in."

A small soft smile appeared on Luci's face as well.

"I would love to properly meet them all."

He said.

"You will." Aden promised, entranced by the whole scene. They looked so... peaceful. He himself had a genuine smile on his face. No worries. Unafraid and alive. So...near for him to touch yet...he tightened his fingers into fists.

"What is the purpose of this?"

He demanded through gritted teeth.

"Nothing." Lucifer answered easily.

"Just admiring how far you have come. A family that cares for you and you, them. I could have hoped for nothing less. I am truly glad for you my boy." Aden felt a palm land on his shoulder.

"Nothing will stop you from making it back Aden, that much I know and believe. Like a fixed point in time."

Aden closed his eyes and when he opened them, he did so with a smile on his face. There was no way Lucifer would lie. He couldn't after all.

"You believe huh? Okay, I guess I...I guess I gotta believe then as well."

Aden said in a teary tone.

"Bloody hell all these emotions make me want to vomit."

Lucifer snorted rolling his eyes. Aden laughed while tracing the gentle lines of Kori's face and saving them in his memories. He didn't want to forget them. He hoped that they were all okay. Fortunately with Yaotl there, Aden was assured.

"Hey, how about we move on to the true purpose of this whole get together?" Lucifer offered.

"You want to know how you survived right? Then follow me."