The universe is asymmetric, and I am persuaded that life, as it is known to us, is a direct result of the asymmetry of the universe or of its indirect consequences.

-Louis Pasteur

********

"There has been no reaction from Madelyne or Nathan," Xavier told Batman. "Nothing to indicate external psychic influences or even powers."

Batman's projected face frowned.

"I don't believe in coincidences," the Caped Crusader said gravely. "Pryor's resemblance to Jean Grey and her timely appearance were always suspicious. Especially since she is immune to psychics. Now, only a few days after the birth of her son, the Phoenix returns?"

"Some things are coincidences," the leader of the X-men felt the need to point out. "That is just the nature of our world. Too much happens at once for the occasional accident not to happen."

"I would rather be proven wrong about a coincidence than miss a pattern."

"Are we sure Earth is its goal?"

"We do not know for sure," Batman shook his head. "Captain Marvel just spoke of the Phoenix shifting its path towards Earth. It has been causing the Lantern Corps grief for months, rampaging around space without a set destination. This is the first time it has headed in one direction for long. We must assume Earth, or someone on it, is its current target."

The man's paranoia was well known to Xavier, and it had been fueled further by the many times he had been proven right. Still, Madelyn had been good for Scott, and the paraplegic desperately prayed that a newborn infant was not the target of a being on the level of the Phoenix.

He had already lost too much to the mercurial cosmic entity.

"While the X-gene is genetic," Xavier explained. "There is no proof that young Nathan is a psychic, and if he were, there are many others more powerful than a baby the Phoenix could be attracted to."

"Heartbreak triggered a wide range of psychic powers. Another could be attracting the Phoenix, looking for a new host," Batman conceded. "But Madelyn's genetic makeup is almost exactly that of Grey's. Heartbreak affected not just adult humans but everything. Many with latent X-genes developed powers in its wake. It is not impossible Pryor did as well and isn't aware of it. Or the child. There have been more and more mutants awakening young. Yesterday, a three-year-old demonstrated pyrokinetic powers in Amsterdam."

"Nathan was a day old," Charles insisted.

"The Phoenix bonded to Grey when she was young," Batman countered. "It doesn't care for age. Just suitability. And it might prefer a host it can mould."

"I will not rip a newborn baby from its parents because of supposition and paranoia," Xavier said with a glare.

"I am not asking you to," Batman said gravely. "I am merely communicating the risk you and your people are under if we cannot stop the Phoenix from arriving. Grey nearly tore the planet apart before she died. We cannot take chances with something so powerful. Have your team physically and mentally ready if the worst should happen. That is all."

"You admitted that other psychics or Masters have risen in the wake of Heartbreak," Xavier tried a different tactic. "Could they not be it's goal? Or the Elden Lord itself? It, too, might have felt his influence and been attracted to his power."

"I haven't discounted that possibility," Batman usually gave little away beside his habitual scowl, but Charles noticed a tightness of his eyes. "If the Elden Lord is the goal, we must stop it. Imagine the destruction of the Dark Phoenix with the Dragon's body. It would be the end of all life in the universe. Completely unstoppable."

Charles grimaced as his fingers drummed on the handle of his wheelchair. His interaction with the Elden Lord hadn't been on the best terms, even if he was genuinely happy for Amelia. He also acknowledged the Family's aid in defending the world.

They were united. No more discrimination. No more hatred. Mutants and humans stood as one in peace and Love.

Something about Mikael, the charismatic manipulation of others, the casual way he used people, rubbed the X-man the wrong way. Charles didn't dislike the man. He just found himself wary of the blatant cruelty and threat of violence he posed.

However, Charles was self-aware enough to acknowledge his own bias and gave the Elden Lord some leeway because of it.

He, unlike everyone else on Earth, hadn't been healed. Because the wound that prevented him from walking was spiritual rather than physical, his legs remained unresponsive.

As far as he knew, Charles Xavier was the last man in a wheelchair on the planet.

"What of his wives," Charles asked. "There is a psychic among them. Do we know who she is? Could the Phoenix be here for her?"

"It is possible, but that would be just as bad as the Elden Lord himself. He would never agree to fight his wives and might even aid one in absorbing the Phoenix as he did with Trigon. He will do what he can to protect them, but if they become the Dark Phoenix, he will side with her over us. As for who it is? Of the currently known consorts, 'Melina' and 'Priscilla' are the ones we know the least about, save that they were from his 'conquered' worlds. The latter somehow managed to slay Tohu, while the former is a magic user. Neither precludes them from telepathy or similar abilities."

"So we cannot involve him or his family," Charles acknowledged with a tired sigh. "Even if they could help, the risk would be too great. It would be better if they never learned of the Phoenix's proximity."

"We have a plan," Batman nodded. "One that doesn't require your team, uses the least psychically susceptible personnel, and will hopefully deter it from approaching Earth. Killing it is impossible, but we know more about it now than when dealing with Grey. It retreats to recover if it suffers enough damage to its physical form. I have also sent a message to the Shi'ar, as they are vested in preventing it from rampaging. I am still waiting for a response. This is not like the Elden Lord's arrival. We know what we are dealing with."

"Have you considered finding a host we can trust?" Charles asked, knowing the man had but wanting to know if he had ideas.

"I would not trust anyone with that power. Especially since its last host led to the creation of the Dark Phoenix. Strange's records indicate it should be an emotionless being. A force of nature. It was anything but while possessing Grey. We do not know how that will affect its hosts going forward. I would consult Nabu if possible. He's dealt with the Phoenix in the past, but..."

"The Elden Lord still hasn't returned the Helm of Fate," Xavier sighed.

On one hand, the mutant balked at the idea of the Dragon keeping a Lord of Order essentially trapped at his leisure. A part of him wanted his X-men to mount a rescue of the item, return it to Kent Nelson, and have Dr. Fate resume duties.

Another part of him, the human who had lost students and friends in Heartbreak, felt it was only justified for Nabu to be punished for his blatant disregard for humanity.

He had cared more about stopping the Elden Lord with the Gods than with the good he could do in battling the Endbringers. He had participated in a plan that had prevented some of the Earth's most significant assets from coming to the rescue.

Millions more would have survived if the Elden Lord, his entire Family, and Wonder Woman had been free to aid the Earth.

"Richards, Parker, Stark, Dragon, and I have been working on a defence force for the Phoenix for years," Batman said gravely. Charles knew this was Bruce's way of 'reassuring' his comrades. "All I ask is for your team to keep the pair contained until the danger has passed. There is a good chance they are not involved. But I won't risk it."

"I have a psychic dampening chamber I use for some of my more sensitive students," Charles sighed in defeat. "We'll move the pair there. Scott is always with them, but I will have the others on high alert. They won't like it, but you are right. We cannot take chances."

"Sorry." Batman didn't sound repentant, but Charles knew the man behind the mask. More than anyone else, Bruce Wayne knew the cost of keeping the world safe. He never asked anyone to pay what he didn't pay himself.

"It will take their mind off of... the others."

Sean. Megan. Jesse. Warren.

So many had died on Heartbreak.

The X-men had been lucky to lose only four members.

Yet the number of students Charles Xavier buried grew with every year. Even with Scott taking on more leadership duties and his focus turning to teaching, the original leader of the X-man felt every loss.

And now the Phoenix, the greatest disaster his team had ever faced, was returning.

A nightmare that had torn his original class apart.

For all his life, Charles Xavier wished for peace.

Only in recent years had he come to understand he would never have peace so long as he lived.

All Charles Xavier could do was to fight ever on and hopefully leave the world a little better for his students.

That was the simple truth of a world like theirs.

********

Not too far from the secret and secure room Xavier used to communicate with the Illuminati, Nathan Christopher Charles Summers was rocked to sleep in his mother's arms as she hummed a quiet lullaby.

Scott Summers slumbered quietly beside her, content to let the new mother lull their child to sleep again.

Like many lullabies, the one Madelyne Pryor sang her newborn son was hauntingly beautiful, even without lyrics. Her voice rose and fell in tinkling patterns like the keys of a piano. She had always been good with music. It kept her occupied during long flights.

Chubby little fists pawed at his eyes in his sleep, and Madelyne Pryor smiled.

She was so happy.

The darkness of the world, as deep and wide as it was, couldn't hurt her, Scott and little Nathan.

Things had been touch and go for a bit early on, thanks to the complications of Heartbreak and fears about her husband fighting the Endbringers, but the Elden Lord's healing had seen to everyone's recovery.

Just to be sure, Madelyne had used one of her healing vials on herself and her son, strengthening the pair with the red liquid.

She hadn't told Scott, of course. She didn't want to worry him when he had so much on his plate.

And everything had turned out all right.

So Madelyne Pryor hummed a tinkling lullaby to her son as sleep claimed them both.

Her last conscious thought for the night was an idle wondering where she had first heard the song and who Mergo was.

Then sleep, like a dark ocean, claimed her.

********

"In my experience, sons are worse in the beginning," Medea recounted with a fond smile. "They'll drive you to Hades and back from the age of two to twenty-five. So much energy, so many hormones. You can't take your eyes off them for a second, or they'll smash every amphora in the building. Daughters are better in that way. They still have their own issues, but they learn by imitating you when they are young, so expect them to follow you around more, making watching them easier."

They had just finished the first Family dinner after Mikael had recreated his body. It had been an excuse they needed to all come together as they had been swamped since Heartbreak and a Family get-together had been just what they needed.

Unsurprisingly, the topic had shifted to children thanks to Tsunade's pregnancy and more than a bit of ribbing at the blonde's expense.

"Indeed," Scathach nodded in agreement as she downed her fifteenth mug of ale. "Uathach was much like me as a child. She was gifted and eager to learn. Whether the spear, spells or the Way of Thighs. She took more towards the latter as she grew. The number of my students that fell for her..." The Celtic heroine chuckled as she shook her head. "Too much like my sister sometimes."

"Starting from around ten to twelve," Medea continued with a flushed chuckle. She also had downed more than a few cups of Scathach's special brew. "It's your daughters you need to watch out for. They have just as many hormones as the boys, and the trouble they get into will be worse than some broken furniture, but by then, they'll be getting good at hiding it. My aunt used to say that men fought wars with dicks and weapons, while women fight with subtly and words." Medea paused, remembering the rest of her aunt's advice. "And dicks. My aunt believed any girl could lead any man around with a wiggle of hips."

"I appreciate the advice," Tsunade smirked as she sipped her drink slowly to break down the alcohol before it entered her bloodstream. "But I don't think I will take child-rearing advice from Circe."

"She was great with kids," Medea hurried to defend her aunt.

"I'm sure she was," the former Hokage chuckled. "But they're going to be sons, not daughters, and I don't think she has much wisdom on that subject."

"And don't forget that our situation is different," Robin chimed in with her own laugh.

The cheer around the group was infectious as the alcohol flowed, yet Melina found herself sipping her drink quietly, unsure what to do with herself.

"Them having multiple mothers will not be too odd," Medea waived off the concern. "I grew up with six mothers. Well, my father was more a 'booty call' for Hecate than anything else, so only five. Mostly, it was a boon, as I always had someone to turn to when the others were busy."

"While that is a factor I had considered," Robin acknowledged as she shook her head. "I was actually talking about Mikael."

"What about him?" Tsunade asked as the women around the dining table turned to look at the man they had come to love.

He was locked in a serious discussion with Ranni, Artoria, Priscilla and Glynda, all five heads bowed together as they spoke in hushed tones.

The seriousness on their faces opposed the fact that they were currently arguing over which clothes would make babies look cuter.

Ranni was arguing for articles of clothing 'befitting their station,' Artoria was urging clothes that were 'practical,' and Glynda was claiming that they should be clothed in regular baby clothes to prevent alienation from other children they would be introduced to.

Priscilla kept insisting on fur as she knocked back tankard after tankard of Seigbrau.

Mikael, perhaps unsurprisingly, was arguing for pyjamas costumes.

Melina would forever deny the idea that her Lord's child, dressed in a dragon onesie and breathing flames, was the greatest image she had ever conceived of.

It wouldn't do to tell him she agreed with him and further his ego.

"What sort of father do you expect him to be?" Robin answered Tsunade's question with one of her own.

Tsunade almost answered reflexively but then closed her mouth with a click.

"Oh dear," Medea murmured, the flush on her cheeks deepening as a silly smile spread. "You are correct. I... honestly do not know how that will affect things. I loved my father, but he wasn't very present. Too concerned with ruling the country and other affairs."

"It is my understanding that very few of us have experience with present fathers, or at least good ones," Robin explained.

Melina put together the list in her mind.

From what she knew about her Lord's consorts, their experience with paternal figures ranged from nonexistent, like herself, Robin, Diana, and Artoria, to bad, such as Yoruichi's and Ranni's. Some could only be considered as 'HELL NO' like Emma's, Priscilla's and Raven's.

The only women who knew and had relatively decent relationships with their dads were Medea, Scathach, whose father had minimal effect on her life, and Glynda, whose father had been a civilian whom she rarely interacted with after she started training to be a huntress, and Tsunade's.

Comparing what she knew of her Lord to those experiences...

"They're going to have him wrapped around their fingers," Tsunade groaned with a slump, but her face had a fond smile.

"He's going to act like Isshin," Yoruichi giggled. Nobody else knew who that was, so she explained at their look. "A huge dork. Gave his daughters everything they wanted."

"You made a good call to have sons first," Diana said seriously, but the crinkle of her eyes gave away her inner laughter. "If his first child was a daughter, can you imagine how protective he would be?"

The group collectively shuddered at the idea.

"She wouldn't even know men were a thing until she was thirty," Yoruichi said with horror. "A complete daddy's girl."

"Thirty thousand," Robin corrected with a giggle.

"Oh god," Medea groaned with a slump of her shoulders. "What if they inherit his sense of humour?"

All the women shared horrified looks.

Except for Diana, whose good humour faded and resignation filled her face.

"When I visited my mother today," she told the group with despair in her voice as she stared vacantly into space. "She said she was having an 'amazoning' day."

There was a moment of silence as all those present grieved for the life lost to terrible puns.

"So we all agree he's never allowed to talk to his children, right?" Medea asked, a wild look in her eyes.

"I think he would have opinions about that," Robin laughed.

"Telling Mikael not to do something is a surefire way to get him to do it," Scathach agreed with a wry grin. "Except if that's what you want. Then he'll do it anyway and find some way to spite you."

"He is a contrarian," Melina interjected, finally able to put forth something in the conversation.

The other women nodded with varying degrees of humour or despair.

"We will have to make a concerted effort to protect them from his influence," Medea said gravely. Melina figured the mage was only ninety percent joking. "If we cannot stop them meeting, we must ensure that his corruption can only go so far."

"I think it will be cute," Robin countered. "He's going be a great dad."

"Watching him try and handle children will be adorable," Medea agreed. "And he'll work hard at it. That is not the problem. The problem is a child, a dragon, with who knows what Element, growing with Mikael as his leading male role model. I love him, but can you say he won't curse like a drunk sailor on shore leave in front of the kid?"

"Why would cursing be a problem?" Scathach tilted her head in question.

This was one of the problems that came with having multiple members of a Family from different cultures, time periods and with different values. Every one of them would have an influence on the children's lives, but they each would teach different things.

Ranni would try and raise the child to be a wise and strong ruler, but Yoruichi would prefer the child to be a lively prankster. Medea would be mothering and hovering, but Artoria would be distant emotionally, if not physically.

"The only way this is going to work," Tsunade interjected firmly, also seeing the problem. Melina noticed the others quiet and listened. As the mother, her words did have significant weight. "Is if we let the child decide who it takes after."

"Children are not good decision-makers," Emma, primarily silent until now, pointed out.

"But they know what they like," Tsunade countered. "They will have plenty of role models to follow, male or not. None of us are what you would call traditional female role models, either. And I am not too worried about their ability to make puns. It will be years before they have the linguistic ability to understand Mikael's jokes. We just need to agree on basics they need to learn, and then let their curiosity drive them from there."

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"True," Diana nodded. "We are in no rush. They will need not concern themselves with careers or age. We need only create a base they can stand on and aid them with whatever they desire to build. If they decide they made a mistake in their path, we can simply take the time to build something new."

"I can start a basic lesson plan," Medea told the group. Then she hiccuped. "Tomorrow. It won't be needed for years, but it might be better to establish it now when we have the time rather than waiting for their birth."

"We need to be ready to throw it out, though," Robin said with a subtle smile. "We don't know how their draconic traits will manifest, if they will have Elements immediately or if there will be unique combinations with Chakra. What do we do if Tsunade doesn't give birth but lays eggs?"

There was a pause as every woman looked at the pregnant woman's still flat stomach.

"That's not going to happen," Tsunade scowled, knowing her friend was teasing her but not liking the image in her head. "I check on the progress daily, and it has shown no difference from regular mammalian development. It's not a developed fetus yet, so I cannot say if it contains extraneous features, but if it starts to develop them, or their Chakra pathways form in odd ways, I will know immediately."

"And then we'll build you a nest," Yoruichi teased. "I saw some lovely sticks in the forest. Very comfortable looking moss on them."

"Glynda and I will aid you," Emma said to Medea, not giving room for argument as she ignored the way Tsunade swatted at the grinning Yoruichi. "We are the only ones with experience with systematic education."

"I have plenty of experience teaching," Yoruichi defended herself with a raised brow as she ducked under a thrown glass. "I was the captain of my squad for years."

"Children," Emma countered. "Are much more difficult to educate than adults. A more delicate touch is required than just beating them into the ground until they learn."

"Yet combat cannot be ignored," Scathach interjected. "They must start young enough to develop good habits."

From there, the group descended into a good-natured argument on when you should start training, what to learn first, and who would teach what.

Melina tried to find some way to enter the conversation, some way she could contribute, but found no way to interject naturally. If the topic had remained on Mikael, she could have talked about that, but she found very little else she shared with the rest of the Family.

What did she have to say about children?

Melina had never been around a child once in her life.

She always faced this problem with the others of the Family.

The lack of common ground.

Nobody excluded her, but too often she found herself on the outside just because engaging others was something she had no experience with.

Unlike Ranni, who overcame the differences with the force of her personality, Melina would rather withdraw than start an argument over an opinion. If she had one in the first place.

She had spent decades with only Torrent as a company, and even when she travelled with Mikael, most of the time was spent in a spiritual form.

Melina had never made a friend in her life.

Never had sisters or comrades.

And now, when she had no purpose or common ground besides a shared lover, she floundered.

The closest she had come to making friends was Medea's aid in their efforts to keep Mikael from using his Great One abilities. And Greek witch had made no bones that she did not appreciate the kindling maiden stealing a march on her own attempts to woo the man. They had established a common ground, but it was still shaky.

Which left Melina alone most of the time.

Useless. Friendless. Purposeless.

Should she have even come back?

Would Mikael not have been better off if he had moved on from her, unburdened by a useless woman dragging him down?

"I'm heading out," Mikael's voice interrupted Melina's depressive spiral. "I shouldn't be gone long."

"Where are you going?" Yoruichi perked up from arguing that she should be the one to teach hand-to-hand because 'she was the coolest.'

"I want to check on Valeria before it gets too late," her Lord shrugged. "I've been incommunicado for a few days. Disappearing right after her begging for help is suspicious, no matter how you look at it. It was bad timing on her part, but she didn't know that. Also, now that I have my Avatar back, I want to check something."

"What are you thinking?" Tsunade asked with a frown. "And should you not bring her and her family here? Where they're safe?"

"By her own admittance, she is probably 'infected,'" Emma answered instead, using air quotes for emphasis. "She just hasn't been triggered yet. I do not want a time bomb in our home."

"She's a child," Robin pointed out with a grimace. "She shouldn't be left alone."

"She's been alone for years," Mikael answered. "I've freed her of any potential infection, but she might have received it again since we don't know the medium it is transmitted by."

"Hath thee considered fostering the girl, my Lord?" Ranni asked as she joined the other women around the table. "She is intelligent, driven, and resourceful. Taking her as a ward would benefit thee politically with other heroes. And whilst she remains in our abode, she need not fear more infection, no matter the method of spread."

"I was more concerned with her ability to continue fooling the world about her family. If she, and thus them, disappear, there is going to be a lot of questions asked."

"I want to examine her and her family at least once," Tsunade insisted. "Just because she hasn't detected anything with her technology doesn't mean there isn't anything there."

"Me too," Medea nodded in agreement. "It might be mystical in nature. If nothing else, this psychic imprinting spell Doom used will be a fascinating study."

"I should have a look as well," Emma frowned in thought. "I only detected her abnormal state of mind when we met, but now that we know the cause, I can see if this 'infection' is a psychic control of some sort. I haven't found anything in the minds of the Supers I've scanned, but a psychic infection would make the most sense if the control is somehow triggered by emotional responses."

"All good points," Mikael cracked a grin. "I'm glad to have some leads. I hate losing the initiative to whatever is behind this. It felt too much like we were under their control, so I am happy we have something to work on."

"You had a plan as well," Scathach pointed out with her own proud grin. "Something you wanted to 'check.'"

"While I was killing time as Daddy Dragon." "Never say that again." "I tried to think of some way to lure this 'enemy' into revealing more info. If we are forced to react to them, we just need to make them want to act in a predictable way." Mikael explained, ignoring Tsunade's interjection.

"Feign a weakness to draw in an opponent. I like it," Scathach grinned viciously.

"I've had good teachers," Mikael said 'humbly' as he pretended to buff his nails on his shirt.

"What is your plan," Diana asked with a tilt of her head.

"Don't worry about it," Mikael shrugged, and when a fair few of the women narrowed their eyes at him, he held up his hands in surrender. "No, seriously, don't worry about it. I wasn't going to put it into practice for a while anyway, and you raised some good points. It's still shaky and has too many points of failure. I'll call it Plan... K? Yeah Plan K. The test I wanted to perform was just to see if it was viable or not."

"Do we want to know what plan K is?" Medea asked with a long-suffering sigh.

"Probably not," Mikael said with an unrepentant shrug as the narrowed eyes turned to glares. "Plan K stands for 'Kidnapped Kid.'"

"Sir Bard!" Priscilla gasped. "Thou would abscond with a child who has asked thee for aid?" Her cheeks were red from drink, and her tail swished in agitation as she swayed slightly.

"Of course, I am not going to kidnap Valeria. That would defeat the purpose of her keeping up the pretense," Mikael frowned, and more than a few women sighed in relief.

Melina closed her eyes with a sigh, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"I was going to kidnap her brother."

Melina facepalmed.

She knew he'd pull something like that.

"Oh," Priscilla frowned, unable to decide if taking a 'dead' child was better or worse than taking one that had asked him for help. "That's... good?"

"While we trust your honour and know you speak in jest," Artoria said severely as she placed a hand on the crossbreed to steady her. "We would like a better explanation of this 'plan' to kidnap a child."

"We have to work off what we know," Mikael explained. Melina knew he always tried to establish a 'background' rather than speak plainly. He said it was a holdover from too many 'PowerPoint presentations.' "And we know very little. We know it wants more Supers and wants them under its control. We know it used me to eliminate the gods or at least distract some of the stronger ones. It did this instead of using what Supers it does have, many of which can contend with the divine. Why?"

"It would tip its hand," Scathach answered easily. Her mind was as sharp as her spear, no matter how many drinks she had. "If it uses its control overtly, those not under its sway will become suspicious. Even if infected, they aren't controlled if they don't receive the trigger."

"Secrecy is its greatest asset," Yoruichi assented in a rare moment of seriousness. "It has been methodical and discreet for decades. Control of Supers is only one of its goals. It has another one, more long term and discovery would jeopardize it. Or it would have gone all out with the Endbringers and inflicted absolute hopelessness immediately if Valeria is right about every Super being infected. Most don't know about the energy requirements Endbringers face. So it is either waiting for more Supers, is facing a roadblock it cannot pass, or there is some trigger point it hasn't reached."

"Like Aizen and the Hogyoku. Or Yhwach needing time to heal and gather forces," Mikael nodded. Melina didn't understand the point, but Yoruichi's face went grim. "There needs to be some reason why it has waited so long. Some barriers it cannot cross. Something it fears or something it needs. It has power. Without it, it could not control Supers, Endbringers, and potentially the entities. But it either needs more power or something that power itself cannot gain. Probably a bit of both, or it wouldn't have needed me to distract the council of Skyfathers while it hunted down the other gods. Still, no luck finding any while I was out?"

"Though we searched high and low, my Lord," Ranni said with a tiny grimace on her doll-like face. "The only divine beings that remain on Earth are in this room."

Mikael nodded as if it was expected.

"And how does kidnapping a child figure into this?" Artoria asked, following along with the explanation but bringing Mikael back to the critical point.

"He's bait," Emma answered for Mikeal. "In my world, Franklin Richards is one of, if not THE, most powerful beings to exist. While his power waned as he grew, possibly of his own will, his abilities as a child were beyond godlike."

"In one timeline, Franklin Richards essentially created a universe," Mikael said gravely. "In another, he made Galactus HIS herald. Whatever this shadowy influence wants, if it gained control of a Super like that, it would be game over for everyone but us. The Defences protect us from being directly altered by a reality warper. But I've learned repeatedly that Defences are absolute in their exact definitions, but they don't cover everything. There are ways around anything if people are smart enough. And there are some very smart people here. Defences wouldn't stop them from putting us in a situation we cannot escape. Very few of us will be able to survive if trapped in a black hole."

"And you wished to use such a child as bait?" Tsunade asked in disbelief. "Why can't we just wake him up and have him wipe away the problem?"

"He doesn't actually have that power as far as we can tell," Raven said plainly. "Nobody does in this reality."

"Bingo!" Mikael crowed as he pointed at Raven. She fidgeted at the attention. "One of the very first things I did when I landed here, and found out it was a hero world, was to check out the greatest threats I could think of. And anyone with reality-warping power was at the top of the list. Authors use these creatures, items, or people as plot devices to retcon their mistakes or go in a different direction. I didn't find a single one. No Mad Jim Jaspers, Spectre, Cosmic Cube, or Reality Stones. Nothing."

"The Phoenix exists," Emma pointed out. "As does Wanda Maximoff."

"As does Zatanna," Diana agreed. "While classified as magic, I have seen her perform acts on par with any reality warping."

"I am not saying that warping of reality is not possible or that there are some that can do it," Mikael elaborated. "As far as I can tell, despite the sheer number of Supers in this world, it is still in its infancy by comic standards. In the future, there might be some Supers that can do absolute bullshit. The Scarlet Witch wasn't always able to wipe mutants from the world. Powers grow and wane. Maybe these objects are out there, and I am unaware of them. But I am saying something that can warp an entire universe in scale and rewrite the rules of physics to their whim hasn't appeared. This enemy doesn't have control of something or someone like that. Yet."

"Even if the child doesn't have the power if the enemy believes it does, it will be forced to act," Scathach nodded.

"Exactly!"

Melina enjoyed seeing Mikael so animated. It was rare, but he flourished when presented with a mental or physical challenge that he couldn't just brush off. The greater the adversity, the more he rose to overcome it.

"Whether an army of Supers is the goal or just another step to achieving a different goal, if one of its minions could rewrite reality at will, it will aid tremendously no matter its goal. Some creatures resist reality warping like we do with Defences, but that doesn't change the benefits it would grant. They could turn every human on the planet into a Super with the snap of a finger and inflict despair, thus their control, with the snap of another. Or, and this will be their real fear, it will be able to undo all their effort of decades with the same amount of effort."

"So we spread the word of a reality warper," Diana proposed. "It doesn't need to be Franklin Richards. Medea has a host of fake bodies we can use from the early experiments with your Avatar, does she not?"

"It needs to be believable," Medea countered, deep in thought. She glowed slightly as she used magic to flush the alcohol from her system. "If I make a homunculus and we pretend some child on the street, or previously unknown Super, suddenly gains godlike powers, the enemy will not take the bait. They are cautious and patient. They will smell a trap. It also can't be one of us, or it will raise the question of why we did not use such power before."

"By using a child of well-known Supers, we establish a pedigree," Tsunade said with a scowl. It looked like she agreed the plan was sound but didn't like it. "It was a common tactic from the war. Used some Bloodline holders as bait for enemies."

"And there is a very convenient child who is currently unconscious and whose family is not able to counter the story," Robin nodded, also seeing the point of the plan. "That family is known to have defeated, or at least stopped, some of the most powerful creatures to exist in this reality."

"But why kidnap the child?" Priscilla asked, drunkenly petting Artoria on the head as if she were the cat.

Medea took exception to this and flapped her tiny wings to launch herself into the crossbreed's chest. It was almost enough to send them to the ground.

"If the bait works, I want to lure this enemy onto the Island," Mikael explained. "So we can go all out without fear of collateral. It won't actually be a kidnapping. We'll frame it as 'training to control his immense powers' to the media to spread the story."

"I meant, why must thee take the child at all? Can we not and just say we did?" Knowing her guilt, Priscilla paid the appropriate tribute to the Floofiest of Floofs, petting it as she spoke slowly. As if every word took great thought.

"We don't know if it has some way to monitor the location of the people infected," Medea pointed out. "We don't have any concrete grasp on their powers. All we know is they are powerful, cunning, have the advantage in information and are malevolent. We need to be thrice as cunning if we want to make up for our ignorance."

"Anyway," Mikael shook his head. "We got sidetracked. It's plan K for a reason. Until we know more about this 'infection' and its mode of spread, we can't lay out the bait. Otherwise, it will send Supers to attack instead of coming itself."

"It might still be worth it," Emma pointed out. "If it does, we'll be able to deprive it of tools by 'freeing' its pawns. We'll gain allies. Even if they are 'infected' again, without the emotional trigger, they will not be controlled again."

"We'd win a battle but lose the war," Artoria shook her head. "Bait only works so long. If this foe is as cunning as we believe, after only a few of its assets fall, it will realize its failure and know we are on to it. It will also compromise young Valeria's position."

"Plan K," Mikael repeated. "It needs refinement and ironing out. We'll put it on the shelf for now. I am still going to talk to check on Val and see if she'll agree to let you guys run some tests of our own."

"I will join you."

Mikael blinked in surprise at Melina's sudden words.

She didn't blame him. She was just as surprised.

Still, it was better to accompany him than remain here where she would sit silently, unable to contribute anything but being an awkward ornament.

"I don't think she'll have a problem with just one of you," Mikael shrugged, then paused and tilted his head as a finger appeared from the shadow of his head and tapped him on the shoulder. "And Raven, of course. I don't have to say it every time. We're pretty much a package deal at this point."

Melina stood up and grabbed his arm as he looked at the rest of the group.

"Anyone needs anything while I am out?" He asked with a grin. "I'll be back. Definitely. Maybe. I promise I am just going out to buy milk and cigarettes. "

Mikael ducked Tsunade's sake cup with a laugh as he teleported them away.

"Must you aggravate everyone so much," Melina asked in exasperation as they reappeared in an unfamiliar living room covered in electronic devices and inventions she didn't recognize.

"Yes," Mikael answered imperiously. "Because, Firstly, it's funny. One, everyone needs catharsis, and I can provide that. And A. I use humour as a defence mechanism to hide deep-rooted insecurities and fear, and if I ever stop, I fear I will let someone close to my heart enough to get hurt again. Also, it's funny."

"Did you have a psychological breakthrough after breaking into my house?" A young girl asked with a laugh as she turned the corner of a distant hallway, an open laptop in her hand, which she set on the island in the center of the kitchen as she turned to look at them.

"No," Melina facepalmed with a sigh. "A breakthrough would involve new information. He's always been aware of his issues. You must be Valeria."

As ever, she could talk about Mikael easily, even to a stranger.

Was she so without substance, without her own experiences, that she could only communicate through the medium of her Lord?

"I am," the little girl nodded with a smile. "And you're Melina! Thanks for the healing. I had a toothache that day."

Melina didn't move, unsure of what she should say here. So she stood still, as silent and unobtrusive as possible. Coming here may be even more awkward than staying behind.

"They are only issues if you want to change them. I'm happy with who I am," Mikael interjected, perhaps sensing Melina's discomfort. He stepped over the messy floor to reach the attached kitchen to ruffle the little girl's hair. "How've you been, pipsqueak?"

The blonde hurried to rearrange her hair, but her smile didn't fade as she hopped on a stool and spun herself around on it.

"Busy," Valeria chirped as Melina carefully crossed the minefield of metal and other materials. "A long-term project the League asked my dad to help with. It's pretty fun but time-consuming, and the deadline suddenly came up, so I had to scramble a bit. Even if you had contacted me earlier, I wouldn't have been able to talk, so it's good you waited."

"Bright sides," Mikael shrugged. "They're everywhere if you look. What sort of project?"

"Mostly equipment that functions in space," Val said eagerly as she spun herself again. "I've been working with Iron Man, the first Spider-man, Batman and Dragon on this new variant of a Dragonsuit. Well, they think I'm my dad, but I couldn't miss the chance without raising concerns."

"Would not such a project be a secret?" Melina couldn't help but ask.

"Knowing more secrets won't give you more leverage over me," Valeria giggled at the 'obvious' question. "Besides, it is space. I miss space. It's so cool. I want to go back sometime."

"Tell you what," Mikael cracked a smile. "You let my wives examine you and your family, try and find this 'infection' in their own way, and I'll take you on a flight. No space suit needed."

"Really!" Valeria leaned forward eagerly. "That'd be awesome. You'd need to hide me, though. Can't have people spotting me with you."

"Some illusions will work," Mikael waived off her concern. "Do you want to stay around Earth or tour the solar system?"

"I want to get some samples from the moons of the other planets," Valeria said passionately. "Most of humanity has been locked to Earth since the Simurgh showed up. Right when we were getting off the ground, too. I have some theories I've been dying to test for years."

Melina's lips quirked upwards as she watched the two talk, discussing the wonders of space and some of the sights Mikael had seen on his trip toward Earth.

Her Lord often put up a prickly appearance. It was eager to push people away with his needling and manipulation, but that was as much a front as his genuine desire.

She saw it increasingly as time passed in the little excuses he told himself.

Of course, he wanted to be friendly with Batman and Superman. It would make Diana happy.

Engaging with the Teen Titans was purely to lower the local Raven's guard.

Attending a Gala will only help their public image and aid in gathering information with Emma.

The Amazons could live on the Island because there was no reason not to allow them.

Mikael had reasons for everything he did, Melina was sure. But there was no denying the pattern she saw in him.

The man who had been alone for centuries, whose only human interaction was silent observation for millions of years, craved connection.

As of right now, Mikael only cared about the Family. Melina believed all he would feel was a vague sense of loss if everyone and everything else died. He was incredibly insular like that.

But he was trying.

Tentatively, he reached out to the world, seeking more connections and more people.

He didn't have to offer sanctuary to a people who had been collateral damage between him and the gods. Many other countries would have been glad to take them in.

He didn't have to promise to take a little girl, trapped in a lonely apartment for years, flying. She would have let the Family examine her anyway.

And when presented with an enemy he couldn't fight, who outnumbered him, possibly outgunned him, and had already out-maneuvered him once, Mikael did not run.

Because, despite all his excuses, bravado, and trauma, Mikael was trying.

Trying to learn to care again.

Once, Melina saw a half-mad man talking to a corpse in a cave.

Now, there was a Lord. Growing. Learning.

Becoming whole again.

Melina was incredibly proud of the man.

And jealous.

He made it look so... easy.

Melina knew it wasn't, knew it would be decades or centuries before Mikael was able to open his heart to others, but a part of her envied that he was even trying.

Seeing her Lord talk to the little girl about planetary formations or the like, Melina had to look away.

She had accompanied Mikael here to escape the awkwardness, and instead, she found herself just as awkward, only with more self-recrimination.

Searching for a distraction, any distraction, Melina cast her eyes around the room.

She spent a moment eyeing the wall of photographs commemorating a happy family that currently lay in stasis.

Her eyes fell upon the mess on the floor, and she spent an idle minute trying to guess what each device did or would do when complete.

That could only occupy her attention for so long, unaware as she was about all but the most basic of technological devices.

Eventually, her eyes fell back on the talking duo.

"So neither you nor your brother have any powers," her Lord asked with a feigned air of casualness. "Nothing of your parent's abilities was genetically transmitted?"

"Their intelligence," Valeria said proudly. "I've never been tested, but if I was, I'd be Thinker seven at least, and just as much for Tinker. That's why I must claim my dad makes everything, or the boogeyman will also want me."

"The most useful superpower, even if it's underappreciated," Mikael nodded gravely before cracking a grin. "I always joked that I had Batman's superpower and Spider-Man's money."

"Having Bruce Wayne's money and Spider-man's power would be better," Val giggled. "Peter Parker is also a genius, even if he doesn't perform as Spider-man as much these days. The second Spider-Man isn't dumb, either. They both struggled with money, though."

"I am honestly surprised you got the joke," Mikael said with a raised brow. Melina hadn't gotten the joke, so her eyes slid away from the conversation again. They fell on the laptop the girl had arrived with and set on the counter. Lights danced across the screen. "Batman is very good at hiding his identity, even if Spider-man isn't."

"I am the smartest little girl in the world," Val said, puffing her chest out with pride. "That, and my dad was part of some secret society, the Illuminati when I took over. I had him withdraw, but I still kept in contact. I've been looking for someone who could help me for years. I know pretty much every secret identity in the world."

"I bet I can find one you don't know," Mikael challenged with a grin. Was it admirable that he was keeping up with a high-level Thinker, or sad he was competing with a child?

Melina didn't know or think about it as she wasn't paying attention to the conversation anymore, her gaze on the computer screen.

"Try it," Val responded with her own grin.

"Let's start easy, Eidolon."

"Alexander Luthor Jr. Duh. He's part of the Illuminati."

"That's why it was an easy one. Next, Bloodwynd."

"Trick question, that was a name Martian Manhunter, J'onn J'onzz operated under as a disguise."

"Jack Slash?"

"That's an obscure one. A minor serial killer brought in by Flash and died in a prison riot. Real name Jacob Mathews."

"Here's one you won't get, Forgetmenot."

"... That's a Stranger, isn't it? And you're immune to Strangers."

"Giving up?"

"Not yet. I can still deduce something. That's a Stranger. I forgot the name. You know they're active, or was, and a Stranger strong enough to affect me won't have records. So they're active now, or you wouldn't know them. You also think I should know it. Which means either I've met them, unlikely, or someone I know is in close contact with them. Running through a list of people you know I am in contact with, one that would be immune to a Stranger that can affect me, narrows my list. Eidolon is a solo act most of the time. Batman wouldn't trust a Stranger. Dr. Strange or Proffesor X, then. The former is more likely to have people able to affect my records because of magic, but the latter is in contact with many more Supers. Statistically, Xavier is the more likely choice. So, they're an X-man or a villain that faced them. That leaves-"

"What is happening?"

Melina didn't mean to interrupt her Lord's game or the little girl's rambling thought process, but what she saw on the laptop's screen was as beautiful as it was confusing.

She recognized the Iron Man symbol, as well as Superman, Green Lantern, and a few others. They were fighting... fire?

It had been the flames that had captured Melina's attention for so long, and eventually, the question had slipped out.

"What?" Valeria asked, looking over at the mostly silent woman and followed her gaze to the computer. "Oh, that. That was the project I told you about." She said excitedly. Mikael rounded the counter to stand beside Melina to watch as well. Melina noted how the blood left his face as flames flowed across the screen. "I asked for a feed of the fight to see how the mech worked out. Cool, right? I used my uncle's suit as a base for the material. The only way for it to stand up to the heat of the Phoenix."

"We need to leave," Mikael said seriously, eyes wide in panic. "Now."

"Already?" Valeria asked with a tilt of her head, her smile not dimming. "You just got here."

"No, I mean, I need to leave this planet," Mikael said as he grabbed Melina roughly. "As soon as possible. It might already be too late."

"My Lord," Melina asked worriedly, never having seen the man so panicked. He had stared down gods without flinching. Why was he so desperate now?

"Looks like I won't be able to help you, Val," Mikael said with genuine regret. "I hope things work out for you. I'll check back in a few years."

"Why?"

Val was physically unable to feel sadness, despair, or hopelessness, but the smile on her face had never been smaller.

Melina's heart went out to her, but confusion more than sympathy filled her.

Mikael's answer did not clear up that confusion.

"My psychotic, bird-brained, planet-burning, conceptually-immortal, and eternally unrelenting, yandere stalker found me. I don't want a Nice Boat ending. Or worse."