Chapter Ninety-One: Flight to the Phoenix.
Harry peered out of the ship as it sets up in the Fortress. Kara sits in the front seat right next to him. Sara and Nyssa sit in the second row of the ship. Mera and Gwen sit in the back row of the ship.
"All systems are ready," Indigo informs them. "We are preparing to head to the nexus point. There is a ninety nine point nine percent probability our Phoenix Medallion is at this location."
Gwen breaks out into a smile. "So, we should feel really good about this. Right?"
Harry just gives a sardonic smile to the rest of the ship's crew. "Not until we get the medallion and we find the holder. Until both of those things happen, we really don't have much to celebrate."
The unspoken order to hold on comes between them. The ship navigates and a white vortex of light erupts around them. The entire party experiences a rush as they blast through the portal at the speed of light. They move from the Arctic into the vastness of space.
The wormhole seals behind them and allows the ship to flow. They make their way towards a vibrant cluster of asteroids. Several multi-colored rocks linger. Thankfully, the rocks are easily for Indigo to navigate the ship towards.
"Everyone brace yourselves," Kara tells them. "Things are only going to heat up from here."
Sara's gaze falls on the temperature gaze of the ship and she raises an eyebrow before whistling. "Wow, you're not kidding. Talk about heating up."
"The shields should sustain any heat," Indigo tells them.
Harry double-checks the shields and nods. Not that he did not take Indigo's word for it, but it's sometimes for the best to get a second opinion. They move into the vastness of space where bright multi-colored lights bath the air.
"I can't help, but think it is beautiful," Mera chimes in. "Beautiful and a little bit eerie granted, but still…there's just some kind of charm to it."
"We're getting close," Indigo informs them. "This might be the roughest part. Stay hooked into your seats and brace for impact."
None of the women in the ship ask for what kind of impact mostly because they have a pretty good idea. They all hold on in the ship as plenty of time passes. They sour through the maze of rocks and asteroids. There's a very slight bump echoing across the ship as the ship navigates past a certain point. Harry's breath comes in and out of his body.
"Well, we're almost through," Sara says.
Nails clutch into the side of the seats as they continue to navigate as deep into the vast vortex of space as humanly possible. Sara's heart kicks up a couple of beats as do the rest of them. Their medallions react due to the final one being in proximity.
Three asteroids shooting with fire zip past them. Indigo disengages a cannon to blast them before they even come close to connecting the ship. Other than this one minor hiccup, this is one of the smoother journeys and to be perfectly honest, the entire party could not be more pleased.
"We're getting close," Gwen says. "I feel a tingling….the good kind, and not the bad kind."
They move through a vortex of bright light which smacks over the ship. The ride turns slightly more rough the further on they go. Gwen, Sara, Nyssa, Mera, Kara, and Harry move to the ship. Kara checks the scanners, but there's no need to check the scanners.
Harry's head whips back at the familiar thrill of the Phoenix Song. They were pretty close. Harry presses his medallion in and a red shield surrounds him.
"We're almost on top of the medallion. I'll be back in a minute."
No one has a chance to tell Harry to be careful simply because he's already out of the ship. Harry practically has to swim through the vastness of space. A constant supply of air and warmth surrounds him. Harry jets himself through space and notices something lying in a cluster of rocks. A smile passes through his face.
Harry punches his way through the rocks and releases a silver object from them. It's slightly covered in space dust. The moment Harry touches it, the crust breaks off and reveals a glowing red phoenix on it. The item reacts to Harry's touch and a flare of burning light puts him into the ship.
"Success."
Gwen breaks out into a smile. "Wow, that went smoother than we thought."
Kara groans and Gwen gives her an apologetic smile. Still, to be fair, the moment after Harry lifts the medallion, they expect a bombardment of some kind of security attack. They are pretty glad to be proven wrong. They move past the brightest cluster of stars and head onward.
They have the medallion, finally, with half of the work done. Harry expects some kind of twist to come with grabbing the woman who holds the medallion.
"Get ready."
The lust for power motivates many men and it drives D'Ken, the proclaimed emperor of the Shi'ar, more than many people. For the longest time, he sought out to control the Phoenix force medallion and bring about the ultimate power. His parents, before their untimely demise, warn D'Ken and his siblings how there is some power which was not meant to be tampered with.
D'Ken refuses to believe it. He thinks, and not without just cause, his parents as the most weak-willed of individuals. His nails dig into the side of his face with a fury dancing in his eyes beyond pretty much anything else. D'Ken will have the power. There's no choice about it, he will have the power.
"Keep moving forward."
The navigator on the ship answers with a nod. He follows D'Ken out of obligation and out of fear. The coup to put on throne makes them all fearful of D'Ken's monster temper. He will rip them apart at a moment's notice.
"We are on course. We may have found it after all of these years."
"At last," D'Ken says simply.
He can almost sense the power building over him. He understands in time the power will be his. The ship navigates past a cluster of asteroids into the bright vortex of space. No civilization can stand to be in this area for a long time. The ship moves closer to its destination.
"Contact me when you find something."
"Yes, my liege."
D'Ken steps down the hallway and down the steps. A pair of guards part off to one side to allow D'Ken to descend down the steps. He stops short of the foot of the steps and looks through the cage where Lillandra sits in the steps. The woman who his parents thought would be Empress is nothing other than a prisoner. D'Ken can kill her very easily. He decides not to, rather to leave her alive as a constant reminder of her failure as an Empress.
"It looks as if I will have acquired my medallion."
"You presume a lot, D'Ken."
D'Ken walks closer to the cell. His foul, twisted face looks on the other side of the cell towards his sister. Said sister sits back and does not flinch at the slightest.
"I told you a long time ago I would rule over all. And so far, I have ruled over all. The people in the universe, they need order. And I will tap into the kind of power which will make me change galaxies."
Lillandra knows her brother's sickness only gets worse with the more power he gets. If by some obscene fluke he gains control of the Phoenix, Lillandra shudders to think what might have happened. Despite all of their problems, Lillandra feels obligated to try and talk some sense into him, even though one look into those bad eyes tells Lillandra everything she needs to know about how well talking sense into a madman will go.
"D'Ken, our parents warned you that type of power is dangerous. They warned you that it would tear you apart."
"They were fools!"
D'Ken smashes his hands against the cell so hard the cell shakes extremely hard. The Shi'ar emperor draws in a deep breath and then gives Lillandra one of the most crazed stares possible. He's completely mad and she sees it straight away.
"They were fools. Idealist fools who thought they could temper me. They though they could keep my from my true destiny. They thought you can lead. But, why is it you're in this cell, and I'm standing outside?"
Most people may have killed someone as sick as D'Ken, and Lillandra feels frustration at the fact her brother only has gotten worse. He's really a mad animal who needs to be put down.
"Power will be mine!" he yells. "And your savior, the Dragon you've been told lies about, he will not show up this time. I will tear him apart! Do you hear me? I WILL TEAR HIM APART!"
D'Ken angrily storms off from the cell and leaves Lillandra sitting. She hears footsteps and loud voices from up above.
"We found the rock where the Phoenix Medallion was hidden, but it's not there."
"What do you mean it's not there? If it's not there, then where else could it be?"
Lillandra allows herself to hope, perhaps for a minute, that someone may have snatched her brother's power play out from underneath him. She listens at angry voices.
"Please, all we need to do is….."
The scream of horror and the sound of broken bones followed by a disengaging laser cannon paints the most grim picture of what's going on above her. Lillandra pulls back with her heart rate only increasing. That monster, her brother, he's a monster plain and simple.
Still, hope emerges from the darkness. Lillandra hopes the Phoenix will emerge with the Dragon and the rest of their fellow generals. And not a moment too soon, as there is evidence of the prophecy coming to light.
"Blast them out of this solar system."
One Phoenix Force medallion puts them close in proximity to hopefully nabbing the holder of the medallion. Harry feels good and at the same time, feels like their acquiring of the Phoenix Force medallion goes a little bit too easy. One stolen look at Sara and Nyssa from behind him shows both of them feel the same way.
"Surely news of its power much have reached the outer reaches of the universe," Nyssa comments a few seconds later. "And someone must be after it."
"Yes, someone must be after it," Sara agrees.
No sooner do they say it, a very large war ship appears in front of them. Kara takes a moment to widen her eyes.
"That's a Shi'ar ship."
Gwen raises an eyebrow and recognition dawns on her. "Didn't you say the Shi'ar were allies of Krypton? So they should be good people who can hopefully help us. Right?"
"That was about twenty years ago," Kara says. "Twenty years is a long time for a race like the Shi'ar."
"Maybe they will be friendly," Nyssa tells them.
Something about Nyssa's voices indicate that she doubts it. And this doubt only increases when several glowing orange lights appear on the ship.
Sara lets out her breath. "Or not."
"You are in direct violation of the Shi'ar Emperor D'Ken."
"Emperor D'Ken?" Indigo asks. "Those are words which are completely illogical and should not go together."
"Dare I ask?" Gwen asks.
Kara is only all too happy to answer. "D'Ken is the mentally diseased son of the Shi'ar Emperor and Empress last time I checked. He would have been slaughtered under any other circumstances, but given he's the son of the Emperor, he gets a pass."
"He's depraved?" Gwen asks.
"Yes," Kara agrees grimly. "And now he has the power of the Shi'ar behind him. This is not good. Lillandra was supposed to be the one to ascend to the throne…but obviously he's staged a coup."
"You have until the count of five to surrender what you have stolen for us, or we will terminate your ship with extreme prejudice."
Kara scoffs at these words. She knows enough about D'Ken to come to the conclusion he would terminate them with extremely prejudice regardless of what they do.
"He will not get away with this," Mera replies.
"Agreed," Harry says.
There's no argument of what D'Ken wants and he's not going to get his way, not if Harry has anything to say about it anyway. Those orange lights brighten even more. The droning voice comes up.
"One."
The ship's defenses engage with several flashes brightening it.
"Two, three."
Indigo has the ship's most potent weapon online and ready to fire.
"Four."
Indigo answers back before the final count. "Five."
The blue concussive beam fires out of the ship and directly impacts the side of the Shi'ar war ship. It knocks the biggest cannon out of orbit and causes a back lash to throw the ship out.
"I believe I can hold it in place," Mera answers. "Because, I feel something."
A giant space squid, for lack of a better term, rises up out of space. Gwen watches on in awe as Mera's powers extend far deeper than the sea, thanks to the medallion, or maybe not. Regardless, the space squid rises up out of the depths and wraps onto the ship.
"Blast a hole on the inside," Harry orders.
"I'm already on it!" Indigo yells.
She impacts the ship with a ballistic attack of missiles. Harry presses his hand on the edge of the dashboard and chances them a look.
"Everyone brace tightly!"
Harry transports the entire ship and everyone in it out of the way. Nerves burn from the rush of magic, however it does beat the alternative of being cooked to a crisp thanks to the launch of the ship.
"You will yield to the Shi'ar and Emperor D'Ken!"
"No," Kara mutters. "Absolutely not."
The weapon discharges again and this time Harry powers up the ships power cells to increase the power of the concussive beam. Indigo directs it through the orb shattering it into millions of particles. One of them smacks into Shi'ar war ship and burns a hole through it.
"We're in," Indigo tells them. "I'm going to get you close to the ship."
"I believe the rightful Empress may be on board that ship," Kara tells her. "It's just a feeling I have."
A very strong feeling and Harry decides to agree. Kara knows a lot about the Shi'ar and she's the best one to say anything.
The ship transports six bubbles out of it. Harry drops down first, with Kara following. Sara, Nyssa, Mera, and Gwen all follow. The footsteps around the corner signify they are not going to be alone for very long. An army of royal guards make their way down the ships corridors to investigate the breech.
The Dragon and five of his heralds ready themselves for battle.
The royal guard of the Shi'ar makes their way around the corner. They do not want to be in D'Ken's sight right now. The smell of blood and decay fills the hallways of the ship and turns their stomach.
"Do you really think the Dragon is here?"
"No, he can't be here."
A blur of light pops out and one of the Shi'ar guards lift their weapons. His hand starts shaking underneath the weapon.
"Come on!" he yells. "I'm warning you. You better come out now, or I swear that I'l…"
There's no chance for him to do anything he swears as a figure pops out from behind him. A couple of punches rock him against the back of the head as hard as humanly possible. The figure drops down to the ground.
The leader of the pack separates from the rest of them and comes across a redhead wearing a tight green suit. Under many other circumstances, he would have found the woman's look and walk to be among the most appealing things possible. However, he has a job to do and it will be done rather well.
"You're not going anywhere," he tells her.
"We beg to differ."
Two more of the guards fly off to the side and crash against the wall with a sickening impact. The guard focuses on the redheaded woman in question. He disengages the spear and charges the woman. Said woman avoids the attack of the spare and comes back around to knock her adversary across the back of the head. Repeated punches keep connecting with her enemy to drop him down onto the ground. She pulls back with a deep breath and then comes back around to hit her opponent very hard.
Said opponent slams spiked gauntlets down onto the ground. Mera dodges out of the way and smiles when looking behind her. A fish tank sits behind her. Mera closes her eyes.
A jellyfish leaps out of the tank and attacks the royal guard. It stings him several times and opens him up for Mera to attack him. The jellyfish already puts him into a loopy state and Mera's punches only bring him closer to the ground. She drops him with one more kick.
Two of the guards look up at the sound of something on the ceiling. Two glops of white fluid smack them both in the face and obscure the visors of their helmets.
Gwen drops down onto the ground and throws her hands back before sending venom blasts at them. The actual strength of the venom drops them down to the ground.
The biggest and baddest of them all charges at Harry. Harry avoids his attack and it smashes against the wall. The large blue-skinned alien growls and moves directly at Harry one more time. Harry avoids the attack one more time and he smashes down onto the ground.
"You're strong and fast, I'll give you that."
"I'm the strongest that there is."
Harry blocks the punch. The large alien struggles to throw Harry back against the ground. Harry smacks him on the side of the arm and then leaps up. He cracks both of his fists down against the large alien's neck. He staggers back and grabs Harry by the throat to choke him out.
His punches break free from the attack. Harry's hands light up and super-heated punches stagger him. Harry avoids another violent swing and comes behind him. Harry aims his hand to the base of the neck and strikes the large alien in the point of the nerve.
A Canary Cry blasts the alien through three thick walls of the space ship. Sara stands on one side of Harry and Nyssa stands on the other side of Harry.
"Let's see what you fear," Nyssa tells him.
She summons the dark powers of the medallion to bring the demons of the Gladiator's mind to life. He screams out in anger and keeps attacking.
"No, I must save them! I've failed them!"
Harry charges as fast as possible and launches a beam of silver light from his hand. The beam of light wraps the attacker and teleports him across the ship. It lands him in one of the ships prison cells which even he cannot break free from.
"Harry!"
Kara calling from down the steps brings Harry down to the ship. He notices a woman in the cell and the moment Harry approaches, she bows before him.
"Great Dragon, I knew there would come a day when you would arrive to liberate me and my people," she said. "My name is Lillandra and I am…."
"The rightful emperor of the Shi'ar," Harry tells her.
Lillandra answers with a nod in confirmation. She should guess he knows. Harry closes the distance and opens the cell to give her freedom.
"My brother still may be on the ship," Lillandra tells her.
"Actually, he isn't."
The ship's navigator walks down onto the bridge. Lillandra offers him a stare and now the navigator recoils in fear that the woman is rightfully the Empress is free. She softens for a second.
"We will displace D'Ken and you no longer need to fear for your family," Lillandra tells him. "You need to tell me where he's gone."
"He's escaped for reinforcements," the navigator tells him. "Great Dragon, I beg of you, do not do to me what you have done to the others."
"I'm not," Harry tells him. "But, be warned, if you side with D'Ken past this moment, then I cannot help you."
"Of course," he agrees. "Of course….he's grown obsessed with the Phoenix Force. He's almost mad with the power."
"He was mad before," Kara grimly states.
Lillandra nods and sighs. It's one of her greatest failings. She takes up the mantle from her parents, of sheltering D'Ken and making sure he is not taken out and put down like an animal. And eventually, the rabid animal which is her brother rose up and bit her.
"He wants to be all, but yet he runs," Harry says.
"No, great one. He fears you. He refuses to acknowledge your existence, but he fears you."
Harry cannot even begin to go on Lillandra's words because the Phoenix Force Medallion in his pocket starts to heat up and then the Phoenix song echoes in his ears louder than ever. Kara flinches at the song and shivers rise down her spine. Gwen, Nyssa, Mera, and Sara all join them.
"She's close! My danger sense is about ready to split my skull open."
Harry adds upon what Gwen says. "And not a happy girl either."
Burning orange rock crumbles to first reveal wild red hair and then green eyes which glow brighter than anything else. The beautiful face of the Phoenix holder comes out and suddenly more rocks crack. Her white robes with the golden emblem remain clean despite the cover of soot and ash.
The holder of the Phoenix Force senses her medallion disturbed and active. She locks onto the ship and recognizes it as belonging it to the same group of aliens who once attempted to lock her away.
The Phoenix summons her inner strength and concentrates her attack on the Shi'ar ship.
Chapter Ninety-Two: The Fury of the Phoenix.
The power, oh boy Harry feels the power. A heated blast of energy comes close to striking the ship. Harry walks over and takes a good look at the heat shields on the ship. They can withstand several normal hits. However, the Phoenix at her full power is something else entirely.
"Indigo, I'm giving you access to the ship to see if you can enhance the defenses," Harry tells the computer. "And we're going to have to get this done as soon as possible."
"As soon as possible might not be soon enough," Indigo tells him. "Unfortunately, we have another problem other than the Phoenix Force."
Harry reaches up to pinch the bridge of his nose. What other problem other than the Phoenix Force would have been the problem? Gwen gasps when the images of the ships pop over the screen. Several Shi'ar Warships explode into the scene on the ship. The ship receives an incoming transmission.
"This is D'Ken. The Rightful emperor of the Shi'ar. I will give you one last warning to relinquish the power of the Phoenix Force to me, or you will be obliterated."
Harry wants nothing better than to reach through the transmission and shake D'Ken senseless. Cooler, calmer heads prevail in this moment despite Harry wanting to rip him a new one.
"I don't know if you've bothered to catch up on current events. She's right outside. She's going to attack us."
Gwen drops to her knees and screams in anger. Sara, Kara, and Nyssa feel a tremble, as does Mera. Lillndra, despite not being as keyed in as the other ones are. She reaches over and grabs an energy staff from the cabinet. Light flickers from the end of the large ornamental staff.
"She's going to attack us," Lillandra tells him.
"Bah!" D'Ken screams at the top of his lungs. "You're just stalling. I will take this matter under control. And if you do not stand beside me willingly, you will kneel in pieces. No force is going to stop me, not now, and not the Phoenix F…."
A loud crackling echoes through the set. Harry figures something happens. Namely a ball of fire blasting towards the ships coming precious instances away from atomizing them. Lillandra's mouth opens up when she sees the horror about her people.
They only follow orders, and Lillandra will have to deal with them later. She presses a key and transports them out of the ship. Several shell shocked Shi'ar soldiers drop to the ground in time to see their ships suffering a horrific destruction. Smoke fills the screen.
There's no D'Ken among them. Mera and Sara conjure energy weapons to hold the Shi'ar at bay. They are not going to fight, most likely being in shock at their fleet being destroyed. Another warm flicker spreads through the ship and connects as hard as humanly possible.
"We can't take another hit like this," Indigo warns them. "Should we warp?"
"Let me talk to her."
Harry's words cause a great amount of frustration with the entire group. Sara gives Harry one of the longest stares possible. Her mouth flips open and it takes her a couple of moments before she returns back to some measure of sanity.
"Are you crazy?" Sara asks him.
"Likely, yes," Harry agrees.
Without another word, Harry steps out of the ship and takes a walk across the galaxy. Warm fire engulfs him and almost burns Harry's body. He pushes on despite the dangers surrounding him. The Phoenix Song heightens with uneasiness. Harry pushes his way through the light and takes another deep breath.
"I wish to speak with you!" Harry tells. "Speak to me, great Phoenix Avatar."
The medallion flickers in the light. The flaming avatar of the Phoenix Force rises back to life. Her eyes dart onto Harry. Black mist engulfs her as she shines bright with heat comparative to a super-nova. Harry debates whether going forward, and decides that he wants to.
"You!"
A force of great cosmic destruction yelling that word at him never bodes pretty well. She gives an angry cry and bombards the rocks Harry stands on. Only his quick thinking gets him out of the way. He jumps onto the vessel. The Phoenix powers up in an attempt to wipe them out.
"Indigo!" Harry yells. "Warp!"
Harry notices a familiar sadistic smiling face out of the corner of his eye through the rear view mirror. For a brief second, Harry feels utter obliteration coming right at him before Indigo gets him out of there. Increasingly hideous screams fill the air.
The Phoenix Force screams over and over again, destroying more of the planetoids in her wake. She takes a deep breath.
"Calm yourself, my sweet child. Your time will come. The entire world is going to be in the palm of your hands. And it will be, delightful."
Thunderous laughter follows as from the mist Deacon Blackfire stands in the Phoenix Force entity with a glowing crystal medallion flickering from his neck. The Dark Phoenix feeds off of power, the despair her avatar must fear. He channels it with anger until the moment of destruction is at hand.
"Time is on your side."
Harry Potter's been through more near death experiences and death experiences than one could shake a really big stick at. He collapses onto the Shi'ar vessel which is now currently on the other side of the universe. Kara and Sara move from either side. Nyssa quickly brings out a chair for Harry to sit down in. She cannot help and needle him just a little bit.
"I'm not sure how nearly getting atomized was going to accomplish anything. But I'm certain that you have your reasons."
"She's being manipulated by someone," Harry tells them.
Needless to say, these words bring several eyes onto Harry. Gwen cracks her neck back and then draws in a deep breath. Sara, Kara, and Mera are all silent. Nyssa motions for him to continue.
"It's Blackfire."
This news brings a great deal of unease to all of the girls and more than enough confusion for Lillandra. Harry figures it's just as fair. He decides it might now be time to clue the Shi'ar Empress in what he's doing with.
"He's…well he was a preacher and a cult leader when he was alive. In death, he's become something more, something else. He preys upon the emotions of others and he claims to work for some kind of higher entity."
"I thought he was gone with the White Bumblebee," Gwen says with a barely disguised shiver.
No matter how much Harry wishes for that to be the case, he unfortunately has to come to one grim conclusion. True evil like this only leaves for a short amount of time. He takes a deep breath and then clutches the Phoenix Medallion in his palm. It should warn them if she's going to attack them again, for what good it did the first time. At least it's something, even though not exactly what Harry wants.
"It's not wise to have her merge now?" Nyssa asks.
"Even less considering she wants to rip me to shreds for some reason," Harry tells her.
"That might be the Shi'ars doing," Lillandra says. "I've heard my parents mention that when she was sealed away, it would not leave her in a happy place. But it was the only thing to do with her. Without you to stabilize her, she would have lost everything. And she would have destroyed everything in her path. You were…well you were…."
"Her anchor?" Sara offers.
Lillandra figures this is about as good of a term as any and concedes with a nod. Everyone in the room offers a frustrated smile and even more defeated nod. Nyssa, being Nyssa, decides she's the one who would best be able to bring it around.
"So, she's lost it enough where she's going to destroy the thing which could put her together again."
Harry offers her a half-smile. "Nice to know I'm a thing."
"You know what I mean, beloved," Nyssa tells him.
The Phoenix Medallion remains cold. The song long since ceases to play. Dare Harry enter his own mind and see if he can track down the Phoenix Force holder? He has nothing left to lose on the one hand, but at the same time, there's not a whole lot to game. She has great mental capabilities which might be able to rip him apart if Harry tries to get her.
"All of you sit around," Harry tells her. "Kara, take my hand, and then take Sara's hand and we continue around the circle. We're going to something really reckless."
It is a mark of how serious this situation is and perhaps how desperate it is where Nyssa does not say a word. The six of them sit around in a circle. Lillandra leans on the energy staff and can almost feel a ripple of power building within them.
"She's close," Sara breaths. "I can feel her."
"I can as well," Mera tells her. "Perhaps her mind is enough where we can temper it."
They attempt to gently reassure the seventh of their number. Suddenly, a very unfortunate feeling of their brains sizing up strikes the six of them very hard. The six break hands from a flare of energy. The Phoenix Force medallion hisses and then white hot flames make it shoot out of Harry's hand. Harry catches it before it gets any further. He blocks out the pain of where the medallion burns into his palm.
Gwen groans and almost drops down. "Okay, that's frustrating."
"Maybe," Harry says while swiping the droplet of blood away from his nose. "And maybe not."
The medallion flashes against his palm for a second. They are close to something. Harry knows deep down he's just one breakthrough way from reaching out to speak to the Phoenix Force. All he has to do is believe and feel and it will be his.
The two attempts on his life puts D'Ken in a very sour state and causes his anger to boil to a brand new level. He moves across the asteroid surrounding by the fires of space. He snarls and breaths. His entire fleet's gone and leaves him alone and vulnerable. Alone is not a problem because D'Ken feels himself to above many other people. Vulnerable, well despises that fact. He keeps breathing in heavily and almost loses himself.
D'Ken looks at the place of worship. He never is one for religion, given that he sees himself above all. So why would D'Ken even worship a higher power? Yet, his contact only wants to meet him here, and that's where D'Ken is. He steps inside and sees the shudders. Several statues, of a White Canary, of a Serpent, of an Arachnid, of a demon, of a Water Dweller, of a Phoenix, and much to his disgust, of a Dragon, line up all against the walls.
If D'Ken knew this church exists, he would burn it to the ground. Anyone who worships the unworthy dragon deserves only annihilation.
"Tell me brother, have you heard the word."
He turns and sees a figure who came to him some time ago. Those beady little eyes, black beard, and unkempt figure makes D'Ken think of a peasant. Yet, he's a peasant with valuable information, at least at the time. D'Ken eyes his ally for a second.
"You told me I would have power."
The one and only Deacon Blackfire's teeth curl into a malicious smile. "Power is something which you need to seek from within, my brother. If you are weak within, then you're not going to get any closer my brother. Do you understand me?"
D'Ken hears words coming out of his mouth, and yet there's nothing which penetrates his mind. Blackfire senses the man despite his bravado is nothing but a simple sheep. Easily lead and easily manipulated with just a few soft words. It's perfect to be honest.
"You had nightmares of the Dragon eliminating you as a child." Blackfire says in a low growly whisper. "No matter what, you cannot shake this fear. You keep trying to give yourself power. You want the control he does. You want the power he does."
No words come from D'Ken for the longest moment. He feels his jaw move, but no words come out. And this leads to immense frustration.
"I'm the all powerful…."
"A king without followers is just a blowhard who enjoys the sound of his own voice," Blackfire tells him. "The wind cannot hear your claims. It cares little for your bravado, D'Ken."
"You know where she is! You have her."
"And with a simple word I can have her destroy you," Blackfire says.
D'Ken, for the first time in a very long time, expresses humility. Fear passes over his face. He has no means to control the Phoenix Force and yet Blackfire does.
"Be still. Be scared. And be silent. And open your mind for you. And listen. Listen very closely."
The thrill fills D'Ken's mind. A flicker of dark light flashes in the background. Blackfire presses his fingers on D'Ken's shoulder, almost like a favorite nephew.
"She's docile. Tame. And you should not raise your voice in the Lord's house again if you want to keep her that way."
Wisely, D'Ken keeps his mouth shut. He has to do something which his sister, the one who isn't Lillandra, tells him that he's completely inept at doing. Cal'syee tells him constantly how he's completely inept and unable to play the long game. He'll show her though.
"What do you want me to do?" he asks.
It's calm, not a demand, just a crisp and cool voice. Blackfire extends one finger and places it on D'Ken's lips before retracting it. Smoke billows from D'Ken's mouth.
"He's coming. He will want her. Leave the Dragon slaying to me. You will have your throne. I will take the rest as payment."
D'Ken hates conceding anything one more time. He does nod. The Phoenix remains docile and yet seconds away from attacking at the same time. One nudge will send it into a furious rage. Blackfire again places his hand on his shoulder. D'Ken steps away to look outside.
"I want my sister. She'll be an excellent slave."
"Of course."
Sin of the most delicious, Blackfire carefully maneuvers his royal puppet into position. Time reaches closer as the Dragon comes to them.
'Come to me.'
"The last time you tried to engage her, it didn't end so way. I mean, I'm just saying."
Harry rolls his neck back and sighs. Yes, he knows Gwen's heart is in the right place when she tells him these things. It's just, well, Harry feels like he just needs to do something.
"I'm going to try it again."
"You are as valiant as the legends state you are."
Lillandra moves across the way and locks eye to eye with Harry. One may tell how much she's sick of cowering in the shadows. She wants to be her own person, for better or for worse. And Lillandra really hopes that something big happens which allows her to accomplish some great things.
"Legends are one thing," Harry tells her. "Reality is often a different and very much stranger thing when you really think about it."
"I know," Lillandra agrees with him. "And you might find this is more dangerous than you thought it was. Especially if the Phoenix Force has been corrupted by some kind of great darkness."
Harry understands. He walks to the edge of the ship. A check of the Phoenix Force medallion verifies that she has not come for them yet. If she has come for them, well there may be some issues. Harry makes sure to keep the medallion close. Every so often, the medallion appears to want to have returned to it.
"I can break the spell," Harry tells her. "Because, if I can't, then bad things will happen."
The Empress answers with a nod. She understands the dangers, and also appreciates the necessity at the same time. Harry walks back and goes from Nyssa, Mera, Sara, and Kara. Then, to Gwen who stands off to the side. She lays in wait, her danger sense being perhaps one of the most valuable elements to detect them.
"I know none of you like the necessity of what I'm going to have to do," Harry tells them.
"No, we don't," Gwen informs him with a very obvious sigh passing through her lips. "Still, I can't argue with you when you say what has to be done, really has to do be done."
"Agreed," Kara tells him with a soft smile. "You're going to have to bring her home, for better or for worse."
"For once in my life, I hope that it's going to be better."
Mera rise completely up to her feet. The astonishing regal presence this woman gives off stuns the entire party in the room.
"You are the only one with the ability to speak sense to her. You are the only one who can bring her home. And you are the only one who can united us all in the face of the darkness. We will stand by, waiting for your move. And if things get to the point where she's dangerous, then we will stand and will fight for you."
Harry swallows the lump in his throat and a smile passes over his face. "Thank you."
"It should be us who will be the ones who thank you," Mera informs him with a gentle smile. "If it were not for you, then many of us would not be standing here speaking to you."
Sara, Kara, and Gwen all nod. Other than Nyssa, they all were in some kind of predictable of danger.
"You're going to go out there and do what you do best, naturally," Nyssa says. "And you're going to make the one who took her pay dearly."
"He's not getting away," Harry says. "Not this time."
Harry sits cross-legged on the floor and channels an insane amount of energy into himself, and one more time, tries to establish a link to the Phoenix Force entity. He does not involve his generals this time although they stand by to give him their support.
"I know what I must do," Harry tells them.
He rises to his feet and takes the long walk. Lillandra stops him with a bold and brazen grab of the shoulder. Harry raises an eyebrow in her direction.
"Several planets perished last time before we had to put the Phoenix away. And now she's been tainted by this darkness. You….may have to take drastic steps."
Harry knows, he does in fact know. He stops at the five women waiting for him.
"Pull my ass out of the fire if things get a bit too hot," Harry tells them.
Kara and Sara both nod. They are going to give Harry plenty of time to do what he needs to do and at the same time, they will be able to pounce.
'I may be insane,' Harry thinks to himself. 'Last time I barely slipped away from her.'
Regardless of his sanity or lack thereof, Harry has to step in. Necessity demands what Harry's bound to do next.
"You are embracing emotions you never thought possible. And you love them."
Deacon Blackfire stands on the rocks next to the Phoenix Force entity. Her power engulfs the entire universe and it only will take one more nudge to cause her great power.
"For too long, you've been trapped, caged, but I'm going to allow you free. And now it's time for you to change the universe. It's time for you to bring about a new age. It's time for you to bring about a brand new order! It's time for you to right the wrongs and bring about…."
A bright green light appears and the Dragon drops down onto the ground. Blackfire staggers back as if he's a demon splashed by holy water, an irony many things considered. Blackfire walks back just in time for the Dragon to hold up the Phoenix Medallion.
"You must remember," Harry tells her. "Attack me, but I won't raise a hand. Remember the true reason why you will seal away."
"It's his fault," Blackfire hisses. "It's his fault!"
The Phoenix stops and the song grows to an eerie silence. An immense power rises through her body when memories start to fade in. She also realizes the manipulations going on.
"I know what you're trying to do! You're trying to manipulate me to do your bidding! You're trying to manipulate me! I will not do it! You don't have control over me."
"You will have no choice!" Blackfire yells.
The Phoenix absorbs the Phoenix Medallion from the Dragon's hand and it amplifies her power tenfold while at the same time solidifying her control.
"I won't do it! I will not free the Anti-Monitor again. His scion, the white Bumblebee, fails, and so will you."
Blackfire drops to his knees and puts his arms out in the crucifix pose. The Phoenix heats up and blasts the Deacon to obliterate him.
A whispered "salvation" is the last thing Blackfire hears before his essence burns to a crisp.
The Phoenix goes super nova and drops to the ground. An attractive redhaired women with a beautiful body and shining green eyes drops at Harry's knees. She looks up at her king with a smile. She's not wearing a single stitch of clothing on her body, something Harry makes himself aware of.
Harry looks into her eyes and notices there's still a small sense of instability within her that he's going to have to deal with. He wraps his arms around the Phoenix avatar and flashes her away to a safer location.
Chapter Ninety-Three: The Mating of the Phoenix:
The two lovers disappear into a flare of energy. Harry ensures that the two of them are safely away from any life which can be harmed. They are in a construct in a pocket dimension of Harry's own creation. Harry takes the beautiful avatar of the Phoenix in his arms. Her red hair flings off to the side. Harry pushes the woman's hair off to the side and kisses her.
One kiss eases the tensions the Phoenix Avatar experiences. It has been way too long since she's been given any kind of real affection. Those lips meet together with Harry nibbling the front of them. Her eyes snap open and then close shut with each kiss growing even more eager. The Avatar runs her nail down the back of his neck and takes a deep breath when she sucks his lip. The kiss turns far more enjoyable than one may even realize.
Harry puts his hands on her lower back and stars rubbing it. He leans the Avatar down onto the bed and the kisses her. More powerful kisses connect and she eases her tongue into his mouth. They do the dance of desire with the Phoenix trying to overwhelm the Dragon. Despite her power, there's more certainty in hs actions. He runs his hands down her body and smiles at her.
"What's your name?" she asks. "What are they calling you in this lifetime?"
"Harry," he tells her. "Harry Potter."
"Jean. Jean Grey. You remember?"
"Yes, I do."
They kiss one more time and Harry sets the lovely woman's loins on fire. Jean gives about as good as she can take. Harry's clothes fade off of his body so Jean can really experience him up close. Her large breasts press against Harry's muscular chest. Harry pulls away from her to leave a strand of salvia just hanging between their lips. His tongue dances over Jean's lips and then pulls his mouth away.
The warm lips against the side of her neck makes Jean feel something else. She cannot explain it, but for the first time I a very long time she feels whole again. And he really makes her hunger for as much as possible. Harry dives down and licks her womanhood. She bucks her hips up with Harry rolling his nails down either side of her legs and dives in to eat her out.
"Harry!"
Her musical moan encourages Harry to dive further between her thighs. Harry rams his tongue deep inside of Jean's warm, gushing pussy. He laps up the cum flowing between her thighs and then pulls almost all the way out of her. Harry returns back in between her legs with another couple of licks. Jean grabs the back of his head and moans.
He hits all of the spots right and makes Jean feel more alive than ever before. Her toes curl and body tingles. Harry drives his tongue down into her and slurps her womanhood. Jean clutches the side of his head and is about ready to cum and cum big time.
Harry slows down the actions just enough for Jean to register it all. He wants Jean to feel every lovely emotion ten fold because it has been way too long since she's received the tender, love, and care of Harry's tongue. He brings it inside of her and then pulls it completely out of her.
"HARRY!" Jean yells at the top of her lungs.
A few more swipes of his tongue sends Jean over the edge. She grabs onto his hair. Jean relaxes her grip so she does not rip it out in clumps. Still, she cannot deny his tongue feels so good dancing down between her legs. Jean rolls her hips up.
Warm juices coming from Jean's oozing pussy splatter all over Harry's face. The Dragon dives in deep to pleasure Jean and give her just that much more.
Jean pulls him away and then grabs his face. She smashes her lips onto his with a very aggressive kiss. The taste of her own arousal all over Harry's face only makes Jean even more excited and determined to get a huge piece of Harry. Her nails rub over the side of Harry's neck.
Now, Harry falls back on the bed. Jean covers his body with kisses, moving over to attack his abdominal region and chest with them. One certain part of Harry catches Jean's interest. She smiles when coming down and putting her hand on the base of his cock.
"It's much larger than I recall," Jean tells him.
"Why don't you try it out?"
Jean licks the head of his cock which causes Harry to rise up to meet her lips. Her lips seal his cock in a pleasurable and warm fire with Harry grabbing her head and then shoving his cock deep into her mouth. She makes a lewd sound and pops her head down onto his hard cock. Jean takes his cock in and releases it.
The image of Jean bouncing her mouth up and down his big cock spurs Harry on to some very lustful thoughts. He holds the back of Jean's head nice and steady and keeps working her mouth to a certain point. Jean moans down as deep as possible before coming back around. Her throat flexes around Harry's iron pole and releases it with a loud suck and an even louder hum.
"Go for it, Jean. Suck my big cock."
Jean grabs Harry's balls and squeezes them. She gets into taking Harry's monster of a manhood into her mouth. She covers it in salvia.
She pulls it away and then wraps her hand around Harry's base. Jean squeezes Harry nice and hard. She makes sure to allow the cosmic energy coming from her fingers to stimulate every single nerve ending in Harry's body. Harry's hips come up as high as possible. Jean rolls her nails down and clutches his balls before releasing them with a smile.
"You're going to cum for me," Jean tells him. "And I want to see you cum hard for me."
Harry holds his cock into her hands as she pulls him up and releases him. Jean's soft, durable hand pumps Harry's throbbing love muscle. Every time she touches him, it's like fire shoots through his groin. Her mouth returns to its proper place.
"That won't be a problem," Harry breaths. "I'm fit to burst right now. Your mouth is so fucking hot."
Jean maneuvers her hot mouth around Harry's throbbing rod. She sticks her mouth around his cock and then sucks him as hard as humanly possible. Harry clutches the back of her head and then drives deep into her mouth. His balls smack Jean directly on the chin the deeper he face-fucks her.
The two powerful avatars work their lust up towards each other. Harry hangs onto the back of Jean's head and plows her tight throat. His balls continue to work their way against Jean's chin and slaps her hard on the face. Jean grabs his swinging balls and milks them with her hand.
"I'm going to make that mess you're hoping for," Harry warns her.
She does not slow down, rather doubles-down her effort. Jean hangs onto Harry's cock and sucks him so hard that her eyes bulge out. Jean increases her lustful actions all over his massive cock. Her warm lips spear as far down onto Harry's member as possible, squeezes his balls, and hums lustfully when taking him down into her throat. Harry holds his hands against the back of her head and keeps spearing Jean's throat until he's about ready to explode into her mouth.
"Fuck, Jean," Harry groans.
Jean sucks his cock with just as much excitement as ever before. She wants him to pop in her mouth. Harry does what she requests and spills his seed deep into her throat. Jean pushes her face down and drains his balls with her mouth.
Clarity reaches the Phoenix Force Avatar. She rises up, fire surrounding her body, and that matches the fire in his eyes. Much to her delight, Harry's cock rises from the ashes like the mythical creature whose name she shares. Jean crawls over Harry and swings her thighs over him. His cock pushes against Jean's entrance and comes an inch away from entering her.
"You've given me what I wanted."
Jean gyrates her hips over Harry and makes his cock linger preciously close to slipping inside of her. The fiery redhead keeps up her actions and then almost drops onto him. Jean pulls away at the very last second and then slips Harry's hard cock into her.
The two join together and it's like a strand which is integral snaps together. Their bodies surround with white hot-fire with Jean looking positively gorgeous when she drives down onto Harry. Finally, the Phoenix and the Dragon meet together. Harry holds her waist to slow her tempo down just enough for them both to enjoy it.
The bed catches on fire underneath him, but it bothers neither of the two occupants of it. Jean holds Harry's cock between her pussy walls and milks it as hard as possible. Harry grabs Jean's ass and pushes it to drive his cock deeper inside of her. They touch and it's better than any kind of magic.
"Harry!" Jean moans. "I don't think I've ever felt more complete."
More touches drive Jean further to the point of losing it, to point things mildly. Her thighs spread further so Harry can fit the entire package in her. It's big and feels good inside of her body.
"I'm glad…we're all glad to have you back. There's something missing without you being a part of us."
Jean smiles and rotates her hips down onto Harry's massive prick. Harry holds her breasts in hand and gives them a squeeze. Jean throws her head back and moans. She rises and ascends all over his manhood to take it inside of her body. They keep meeting and Jean feels the delicious friction building between the two of them.
She cums all over his cock. The burning hot liquids splash over Harry's manhood. Jean's pussy juices coating him over make Harry drive himself deeper into Jean. Balls swell just a fraction of an inch more.
Jean's fiery body rises and descends down onto his big cock. She looks pretty hot, in more ways than one. Harry enjoys and feels the thrill of her body working against his. Harry puts his hands on Jean's lower back and keeps guiding her wet pussy all over his.
"Oh, I can ride this for days," Jean breaths. "Make me cum again, my lover."
Harry's in the process of making Jean cum one more time. He triggers all of those spots which he's come to know turn Jean on. She keeps driving down onto him. Her pussy massages his hard cock and makes Harry need to redouble his self-control to hold back his throbbing balls.
His hands push all over Jean's breasts and give her pleasure. She pushes her chest into Harry's gripping hands the harder and faster she rides him. Jean's mouth hangs open with thinly disguised pleasure the deeper she pushes down onto his cock.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck me!" Jean yells at the top of her lungs. "Oh, fuck, your cock feels so fucking good in my tight pussy. I can't hold….I can't hold back for much longer."
"Don't hold back on my account."
Her body goes full heat, which Harry's can withstand now he controls this dance. Every time her scorching pussy drives down onto Harry's throbbing cock it makes his manhood twitch and tingle. He's this close to exploding inside of Jean.
Jean meanwhile takes in the scenario. Harry's perfect body is hers to worship and she cannot help but lean down. Pussy touches his cock, breasts touch his chest, and their lips mold together. Their hands run over the other's body, with Harry running his nails against her body.
Another twitch of Harry's cock, with him wanting to cum one more time inside of Jean. She pushes down onto him and stretches herself over him. She reaches between her own rising thighs and grabs Harry's balls to give them a squeeze. Molten hot fire erupts through Harry's genitals, and it feels so good.
"Fuck, Jean."
"Mmm, baby, I know I'm making you fell good. And I want that big cock to feel good when it cums into me."
Her sweet honey splatters Harry's cock and drips all over the burning bed. Jean goes faster and faster, leaning down so Harry can touch her breasts and make them his own. Jean throws her neck back with another moan hitting her to the highest heights.
It's getting so close with both of them wanting to cum. Harry holds his nails against Jean's waist and then makes her lose her sense. He grabs Jean's round breast and then releases it. Warm milk squirts out of Jean's breasts from the overflow of power. Harry tastes it to make his cock swell inside of Jean's body.
"Soon, you'll breed me," Jean breaths. "But, not yet."
Jean throws her hips down onto his big cock. She stretches her pussy down onto him. She can feel the iron bar going deeper into her and making every inch of her just set on fire.
Harry grabs Jean's ass and then pushes inside of her. His balls throb and he wants to send his cum deep inside of her. Harry plants his cock inside her body and encourages Jean to further ride onto him. Her ass releases from his grip and smacks against his throbbing balls the harder and faster she rides on him. Jean's neck rolls back and she lets out a throaty moan when exploding all over his cock.
"Good," Jean mewls. "Now, it's your turn."
Jean grabs Harry tight between her pussy walls and milks him. Harry's balls give way and shoot their seed into Jean. Jean holds herself down and pushes onto Harry's pelvis to ensure the cum fills inside of her. It's been way too long.
The warmth of Jean's milking pussy makes Harry lose it in more ways than one inside of her. He holds onto Jean's hips and then drives her down onto him. Every last ounce of cum in his balls shoot into Jean and make sure to coat the inside of her walls.
She pulls away from Harry and bends over onto the bed. Harry's libido recharges almost instantly. He grabs Jean from behind and squeezes her breasts. Harry holds his cock at her wet entrance and shoves it inside of her.
The primal nature of his sexual attack sets a fire in the Phoenix. It's animalistic and she loves it. She cannot get enough of his cock shoving deep inside of her. His balls fill up just as fast as she can drain it. It all comes back to Jean down.
"I can't stop fucking you," Harry groans. "Oh, what are you doing to me."
A naughty smile fills Jean's face the second Harry rams into her from behind. His cock slides out of her pussy and almost slips into her ass.
"Go ahead and take it," Jean breaths. "I can make it slick, warm, and tight for you."
Harry pulls out of Jean's pussy and then works his cock into her clutching ass. The moment Jean's asshole clutches him, it almost sets Harry on fire. He's been inside many wonderful asses over the past several months. Jean's ass cheeks work against his cock and then push Harry deep inside of her.
"Fuck my pussy too," Jean breaths. "I want you to double stuff me. Go ahead and fucking do it. I know you have it in you.
A second cock joins the first and Harry maneuvers both of them inside of Jean. Two throbbing cocks meet Jean's two holes as well. The cosmic energy in the air charges Harry's magic and gives him the opening for body manipulation. Jean's eager screams and lewd sounds only spur Harry on to taking both her ass and pussy at the same time.
Most men will be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stimulation. Harry takes it in stride and takes both Jean's ass and pussy at the same time. His hard cocks push into both of her warm holes the deeper Harry rams himself into her.
"Fuck!"
"Oh, you're amazing," Harry breaths. "I'm glad to have you back."
"And I'm glad to finally be back, and I'm glad to finally feel free."
Those two throbbing phalluses stick Jean on both ends. It's hard to tell which is better than the other. Only they feel so good. And Jean enjoys feeling good beyond everything else. Harry sticks his cock further into her ass and also stuffs her cunt. It's alternating thrusts to bring Jean closer to the end of her rope.
"Oh, baby, I want you to lose it right now."
Harry is nowhere near ready to losing it. He pushes deep inside of Jean as she's on her knees, taking both of his cocks from behind inside of both of her holes. The mounting pleasure drives Harry closer to the brink. He holds her tits his hands and releases them. Jean throws her head back and then moans louder and faster.
Nails grip Jean's nipples and harden then underneath Harry's touch. His balls keep smacking Jean on her ass the deeper Harry shoves inside of her tightening asshole. She squeezes Harry with Harry pulling back and hammering her hard. All four throbbing balls reach their apex.
Jean's eyes roll back as the rush of pleasure spreads from the top of her head all the way down to her toes. Harry's all over her body in many places at once and it drives her completely to the edge. His balls keep slapping against her, leaving the marks that Harry wants them to leave.
Finally, it all crashes down with Harry driving into Jean. The cock inside of her pussy goes first, given that it's the duplicate cock. It explodes and sends a very intense flood of cum between Jean's thighs. Harry pulls back and makes sure she's filled as his cock fades away.
Harry relishes the next few moments he has with Jean's ass. He groans when feeling her tightness and warmness.
"It's like a fucking furnace," Harry says with more thrusts deep into her tightening asshole.
"It's more fucking hot than that," Jean breaths. "Give me that cum. I need it! Badly!"
Harry understands this and pushes inside of Jean's clutching asshole. His balls reach their boiling point and sends his cum deep inside of Jean's tight ass. Harry pulls almost all the way out of her and then slams deeper inside of her. His fingers dance against Jean's waist the harder and faster Harry brings his cock inside of her body. His balls tighten up and release his payload inside of Jean's ass.
The two pull away from each other and Harry smiles. Jean's whole once again. He holds up the Phoenix Medallion and it joins her.
"Ready to join the others."
Jean steals one final fiery kiss from Harry. Clothes appear on their body, somewhat reluctantly on Jean's part.
A feeling of content spreads to Jean as Harry holds her. It's good to be home again.