DISCLAIMERS
I do not own the rights to any of the characters of the Marvel or DC universe. Any original characters referenced in this tale are my intellectual property (I think? copyright law is confusing :S)
I know and care little about the sexuality of any of the creators, actors, or characters involved in the Marvel/DC universe. Similarly, this story contains graphic descriptions of gay male sex. If that may offend you, I suggest looking elsewhere for entertainment. Otherwise enjoy some smut. The smut will be widespread and hopefully organic to character growth.
Partial credit goes to the story Mutation by Phoenixfire543 (on nifty) for inspiring me to write my own variation on the whole superhero genre. His protagonist inspired mine power wise, though mine varies a lot in temperament and disposition.
Glossary
mental library- a section of Victor's mind that stores all the knowledge he's acquired from mind probing and saps in book form and available in digital format. Interspace – a dimension that teleporters can briefly intersect with during teleports. JAJ – John as Jean. YM – Young Me (Victor's younger self.)
Authors Note
Spoilers for the Exiles saga. Fairly short simple chapter that provides the groundwork for later developments.
Chapter 6 Exiled
I appeared within a strange desert landscape instead of into the past. I looked down and my time gauntlet had disappeared. In front of me was what appeared to be a rotund middle aged balding man with a dark scraggly beard dressed in a white shirt, black buttoned waist coat with a plaid bow tie and black pants. I tried to skim his mind in order to evaluate his intentions in abducting me but found nothing, he didn't have any thoughts. I scanned him for his water signature but he had none, he was some kind of artificial construct.
He spoke as he prepared himself a drink from the wet bar that was anachronistically there. "I'm the 'Timebroker' and you have become unhinged from time. You have been selected for a very important mission to restore the balance of the multiverse from collapse."
I felt inclined to trust this person which was a completely alien feeling. I don't trust anyone until I've observed their behavior long enough and/or sifted through their minds. I don't take anything on blind faith or trust. I tune out what the construct said as he drones on about how if I prove myself for long enough I'll be returned to my own corrected timeline and world.
I was disinclined to wait. I scanned the area with my hydrosenses and am puzzled by what I find. The desert stretches out in all directions for many miles but there's a doorway in mid air that enters into a pink crystalline structure.
:: Elsewhere:: Some insect like creatures are skittering about the pinkish facility. I stretched out my awareness further and there's literally nothing outside it. It's not regular space, it's blank, empty of stars.
However inside the facility, the insectoids operate some kind of technology with consoles that I'm unfamiliar with. On their screens are images of other Earths and worlds and variations of mutants that I had never seen before.
I tried to use my technopathy in order to understand the technology but it's too far away to establish more than a weak connection. I only have read access to its database. My universe and all it's alternate timelines is but one in millions, possibly billions of universes in something called the multiverse. :: ::
My War Sword remains sheathed and strapped to my leg. I draw it from its sheath and teleport towards the doorway eager to find a way out of this nonsense.
The TimeBroker appears next to me and I slash at him but it goes through him and I'm suddenly thrown through time, space and dimensions. (I'm familiar with the sensation from traveling sideways into alternate timelines.)
I arrived within a sewer system, making a mild splash as I hit the 'water'. I flew upwards and hovered above the 'water' for a moment, sanitizing my bone armor with a steam blast. I scanned my surroundings with hydrosenses and...
:: Elsewhere:: Above me was what appeared to be another universe's New York. It had been ravaged and there appears to be a large man (dressed in a red and yellow costume complete with an unnecessary cape) in charge over a few villains who are holding Manhattan hostage. He talks about Gambit and a Tallus.
Within the sewer system I find a one armed alternate Gambit and what I guessed to be the Tallus upon his remaining arm. :: ::
I covered myself in psionic shields to render myself invisible and teleported a few feet from him and interfaced with his Tallus. He had been told to "Wait."
The Tallus is a sophisticated piece of advanced alien technology. It is an inter dimensional beacon, communication device and interface with the Panoptichron a complex and organic alien structure that monitors the multiverse and computes variables with such precision that it appears to be precognitive. It's operated at the moment by an alien insectoid like species unfamiliar with its full capabilities who caused a negative chain reaction in the multiverse by their first attempts to understand the Panoptichron.
While I'm using my technopathy to better understand my current situation 2 things happen; a group of mutants appear within 10 feet of Gambit and John appears on the surface within 30 feet of the villains.
Gambit tries to greets them but they seem preoccupied with their own discussions that they barely heed his existence. I fortify my psionic defenses and psionic camouflage and quickly skim the minds of the newcomers for more information.
They're Exiles. A group of mutants that includes Blink, Mimic, Illyana/Magik, Heather Hudson/Sasquatch, Nocturne and Morph. This version of Blink has lilac skin and unusual lime colored eyes with the power of teleportation. Mimic is a mutant with a unique power set to copy the power of 5 mutants who remain within range long enough, with the limitation that the power 'copies' at half strength. He currently has half the speed of Northstar, half the agility of Beast, half the durability of Colossus, half the regenerative powers of Wolverine and half the power of Cyclops optic blasts. He's basically a one man power house.
Illyana is a young blond woman with spell casting abilities, including teleportation and a soul sword. Heather Hudson aka Sasquatch has the ability to turn into a giant furry white beast with super strength. Nocturne is a blue skinned female with physical possession power and hex bolts that serve as a trans dimensional powered energy attack. Morph is the last member of the group with a body made of unstable molecules allowing him to shape shift into a variety of forms limited only by his imagination.
Gambit explains to Heather and Nocturne what I've just overheard through my technopathic link with the Tallus. The two teams totaling 12 members (as far as they knew) were to be reduced to 6. 6 would move on and the others would die.
I teleported to JAJ's location, which remained unchanged from when he landed as he had been exploring the area via psionic observation.
I dropped my psionic camouflage.
"Victor, some chubbo with no mind said I was to kill you because you were interfering with the Panoptichron."
"And you're here.."
"Figured it'd be easier to find out what was going on if I played along."
"So you're not going to try and kill me?"
"Course not. Where's the upside in that? He didn't even offer me anything but the ability to return home. Like I care about that. There's more interesting things than returning there, wherever there would be."
"Hmm" I said not convinced as our relationship had been distant and strained for over 30 years while we waited around an Earth that we didn't really fit into for a time where we could live again without worrying about disrupting the timeline. "Anyway, the Time Broker wants the two teams to fight it out to the death. I'm getting out of this reality and this assignment from insects."
"Insects?" I sent him a telepathic rundown on the situation involving the bugs. "We should go there and kick their asses. Stupid bugs thinking they could order me around like some lackey."
"Some other time perhaps. What I want is out and I have a plan."
"I knew you would. What's the plan?"
"Hold my hand and cloak us with your best telepathic camouflage."
I waited for a minute as he coated us in class 5 psionic shields. I scanned for the Exiles and Gambit and found them in a hotel room several blocks away.
"Done."
"Perfect timing, let's blow this popsicle stand."
I teleported us into the same hotel room as the Exiles just behind Gambit and Blink and interfaced with both of their Talluses with my techopathy to find our multiverse coordinates. We were in Earth 4400.
I scouted through the Panoptichron for a new reality to go to as I couldn't return home as the insects would expect that and I didn't really want to return. My efforts to preserve YM had resulted in him becoming a different person to me as he had friends and a sex life and he wasn't driven to create golems or Avalon and he had been happy with Xavier's instruction prior to his death. I wasn't keen on returning and waiting for a couple decades for the materials necessary to construct a new Time Gauntlet just to try again with YM with insectoid aliens after me. As for this reality, it had already been defiled by an omnicidal Hyperion and I didn't want to stick around for a blood bath.
I chose a reality at random from the billions of distinct realities as my destination that was similar to my original timeline, with the Xmen and Avengers and so forth.
I teleported about the room with John in tow, sapping 6 out of 7 Exiles. I sapped Mimic first for about half a second which provided a boost to speed, durability, agility, regeneration and energy projection, which made sapping everyone else even easier.
Sasquatch provided strength and durability, Illyana upped my mystical reserves and Nocturne for her trans dimensional access and physical possession. I touched Gambit and Blink last, acquiring his kinetic energy infusing ability and her teleportation.
I skipped Morph as I didn't have any more need for shape shifting powers.
They didn't even appear to notice the brief touch or the dip in their power levels as they were too involved in strategizing on how to save this world from Hyperion and his Weapon X followers. Illyana in particular seemed fiercely obsessed with completing the mission while the others seemed more troubled.
I used my technopathy to erase John and I from the Panoptichron's database and interfaced with the Panoptichron via the Talluses and transported us away.