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Interlude: Soul Survivor

Time is an unusual thing and cannot be perceived with a linear point of view. In order to view time one must unlearn all that he has learned about perceived time and see it as it truly is: a loop with no nows and no absolutes. Future present and past are directions on a map.

On a small planet, that is barely capable of supporting food, a lone worker plows his field and gathers his crop, the sameness of his duties is contrasted with an esoteric sense of déjà vu, a strange feeling that something is amiss. He goes back to his duties, the great muscles in his back contracting as he pulls the plow with nothing but his own strength and determination. Out of the corner of his eye, he thinks he sees some movement. Normally this might stem from being in the seething sun, which was just over the meridian, but this is not possible for this worker. Every molecule is under his complete control; he has survived the depths of a nuclear explosion with no permanent damage.

He puts down his plow to investigate and takes the visi-amplifier around his neck and looks through the enhanced visuals. There is a small animal that catches his attention but with the object of his distraction found, he goes back to work. Again putting his back to the plow, when an alarm goes off. Someone had invaded his sanctum. Putting his plow aside the worker goes to investigate, and this time he sees his door completely open, and the defense grid shut down.

Carefully he walks through the dimly lit labyrinth, a series of twisting corridors and dead ends, which could keep one busy for a great length of time if one didn't know the way. Having committed the path to memory, he easily avoids the traps and pitfalls. However, one thing was certain that had invaded his Sanctum had to know him almost as well as he himself. As he approached the central control room where all, of his Quantum computers, and DNA based database were kept, perhaps the answers to which his secret invader would be found within.

There was a figure in the shadows, as he walked into the central control room sitting in a chair, with just enough shadow to hide his identity. However, it was clear that he was large, and found the darkness comforting. "We meet again and again, and yet it always feels as if it is the first time, but I digress it is only strange concept to a mortal mind, but you have experienced time as a loop and now realize the implications of this meeting."

The lights in the chamber suddenly go on. "So there were two of you, I should have guessed only you could enter my sanctum with such impunity."

Paradox was the first thing that had entered the farmer's mind, but time was like that, the illusionary sense of time was always relative and depended on the frame of reference. There was a myth that if you met your counterpart you would be absolutely annihilated. Clearly, this was not true, as his mirror image was only a few feet away.

"Why have you come?" he said breaking away from his personal musings.

Adam Warlock’s soul gem exploded with a beam of emerald fury, holding the farmer immovable. The exiled Thanos struggled to resist the vampiric gem’s hunger, but even Thanos knew that he could not resist long. His spirit was fortified by having once been empowered by Mistress Death, but even that power paled before the Infinity Gems. The farmer finally collapsed to the floor of the sanctum.

"It is most disconcerting staring at one’s self beret of soul," Adam Warlock vanished while Thanos stayed behind to oversee the fallen form and was left to contemplate the beginning and the end all in the same transcendent moment.

THE GOD COMPLEX

"Everyone knows nowadays that everyone has complexes: what is not known is that complexes can have us" - Carl Jung

The ominous citadel sent out its dread signal. The crimson fortress, which was now faded with age, awaited an answer. The rhythmical jewel, which was attached at the highest spire, flashed almost hypnotically. Its eerie, haunting hue washing across the entire universe, but also into the metaphysical realms and the realms which hovered in between the moments. Magus was once again supreme, and he would summon the entire multiverse and none would resist his call. "Behold," he said aloud, his voice shaking the cosmos, "the summoning."

In the time, lost world of Myrdia Thanos, Blade, Peace, and Doom suddenly vanished, as they are spirited away like bad children being devoured by the bogeyman. In the realm of King Arthur, even the dead are called forth as Portent is resurrected, and King Arthur and the Grail are also called. On a nameless world many light years away is Galactus, just about to devour a world, but he senses that for the first time since his beginning his appetite has been sated whether it is permanent or temporal is unknown. And with eyes that pierce time and space and even beyond, he sees the signal, and he knows that this is the source of the suppression of his hunger.

The mighty Celestials, armored Figures roughly a thousand feet in stature, prepare to pass judgment on a world in which they supplied the genetic material. Arishem, the judge, raises a hand the size of a small starship with a formula to end the world inscribed on his palm. The citizens of a small backward world prepare for the end as only one world has ever survived their holy judgment. But on this day another will join its ranks as the supernatural jade light calls. The forth host enters there great starship, which had been positioned just behind the star of Sirius. The star had heavily influenced the Egyptians, with the formation of the first calendar an indigenous people who were on the only other world to survive judgment at Arishem’s hands.

The Watcher who sits at his familiar station on the blue side of the moon also sees the signal and knows that he must leave his post, even he cannot resist the summoning.

Thanos, Portent, and the rest of the Timeless along with Blade and Vlad appear before the righteous gaze of the Omniverseal Supreme. The uneasy pulse of the jade light heightening their emotional tumult like a fine edged sword. Magus’ stare is skyward as great starships, with quantum shields, and tachyon fusion engines, capable of time travel and manipulation of superstrings supra dense material, formed during the big bang come in closed loop technology. A level found only with groups like the Kangs, the TVA, and the Cross Time Council of Dooms. These ships are followed by Skrull ships and Shi’ar cruisers coming from hyperspace. Virtually every alien race had heeded the Magus call. The cosmic beings were also present, amongst their ranks was the Stranger, the Watchers, the Beyonders, Galactus and Kronus. The skies were literally filled, nearly unto bursting.

Blade was the first to speak as his senses tried to take in the unimaginable. Even his supernatural senses could barely comprehend the magnitude of the event. But his words were most apt, "It's like a scene out of the X-files."

Vlad, who stole the power of Cain, is overwhelmed by the sensory overload, and falls to the ground weeping at the raptures that are magnified by the two thousand-year-old vampires heightened senses. Stormbringer squeals as he draws it forth, "Father, I’m home, and I have come bearing gifts and the enemies of my father." Portent’s sarcasm was lost on the magus, who for a moment seemed to be struggling with something unseen. His face changed as it split exactly down the middle with warlock being the right half and the Magus being the left. "Son my will is weakening, I have done all I can. The Magus persona has grown too strong." The Warlock Magus amalgam grabs his head as if a great pain were upon him. Portent moved swiftly and the universe breathed deeply as Stormbringer’s ear-shattering scream went into the air and the Blade’s trajectory was at such an arc, that it would likely split the Magus down the middle.

Blade also took advantage as he pulled his Japanese blade from its sheath, and was coming in from the other side. But Portent didn't strike his father and instead kicked Blade, who posed the greater threat to his father. He kicked his teammate in the ribs knocking him twenty feet across the smooth stone, crashing into a statue of some nameless beast of chaos. When the face of his father met Portent’s own, it was the Magus. With speed that was like a blur, even to Portent, he held him with one hand, and struck him with the other. It snapped his neck instantly. Portent brushed himself off and was unhurt despite the fact it was to most a fatal injury but instead he chided himself for not taking advantage of a key opportunity.

"What are you waiting for titan? I have heard of your exploits against one of the Sky Fathers of the pantheon of Asgard." The Magus gestured for Thanos to battle, but instead he only grinned.

"You can win this at anytime, what are such as we? Magus you are supreme. Do you expect us to storm heaven. Even the cosmic beings did not move against you. Thanos is no fool. But there is one question." Thanos paused for effect, "Why all this Drama? Why not simply snap your fingers and blink us out of existence? Is the power too much? No one has ever held the widowed rose before; I can only imagine how difficult it must be."

The Magus moved so quickly that Thanos could not even see him leave his seat, raining high impact blow after high impact blow. "Do not go to perdition with an untruth on your lips. Admit it, I am a god I am supreme."

"Is that a raw nerve I hear dangling?" the Titan’s words elicited the reaction desired as the Magus moved against him.

Thanos was bloodied but did not even resist the Magus’ pummeling, "Will you pummel me forever or is the supremacy of the Magus in doubt?"

"You dare speak to someone who is your obvious superior? I have beaten you every time we have met. Your power, your intellect are completely inferior to my own." The Magus struck Thanos again and again until his body was broken. "Keep telling yourself, Magus, you may begin to take it as gospel."

Portent and Blade began to move on Magus. The stage was grand: the entire universe. The cosmic collective was watching the mortals play the power games they often played, and did not even know why they were seeking power or what they would do when they found it.

Blade came down with his sword against the Magus’ arm, slicing it completely off. The purple limb fell helplessly against the ground, the nerves still twitching as it didn't yet realize it is was no longer attached. Thanos’ fist entered through the chest cavity and ripped out the Magus’ still beating heart, he held it in his grasp and crushed it in his gauntlet hand. The blood from the arteries sprayed in all directions. Another glowing hand reached into the Magus’ side and pulled the entrails and began to fling them across the citadel of the Magus, whose jade light made things seem to move in a faster frame of reference, creating an unsettling affect.

The dismembered hands of the Magus snapped its fingers and all was as it was before. The Magus was completely restored, "Supreme power is mine."

Roma was quiet and had a sullen look upon her face, a tear went down her cheek as she looked at Portent, his doom was sealed and so was hers.

Doom had vanished during the commotion, and would use the gathering as an opportunity to sneak into Galactus’ worldship. His goal: the ultimate nullifier. Doom had been on the devourer’s ship long ago, and had planned things differently as he cloaked himself with a superluminal cloaking device which would make it appear that he had left before he came. He also had a device he had picked up from the battle with the Defenders, it was the eye of Agamotto. Doom quickly located the device; it was rumored to eliminate anything, even abhorrent timelines. Doom did not desire power but to undo the damage done by the traitor Richards, and the ramifications of the dread Necrotoxins on his country’s populace. He would save Latveria.

Continued in Tales of the Timeless #18.  Now, be sure to leave us feedback below!