Chapter Three: The Salvation of Paradise

[The Mighty Thor]

Elsewhere on this strange world and far away from the tiny village of Landsbystyv and its wayward saviors, a sinister plan was being put to fruition. An insurance policy was being put into motion that would guard the realm’s most paranoid of beings from loosing the power that he had invested his entire life to attain. The security master and royal prince Loki toiled alone over the body of the being that could one day quash any and all hope that the mortals would ever have of reclaiming Midgard. But unknown to Loki, there was another being that had taken notice of his doings. The entity known only as the Phoenix Force had recognized an unbelievable power laying dormant in Loki’s experiment, and now that the egomaniacal trickster was beginning his dealings the being that laid motionless on Loki’s dungeon slab was ripe for the picking and the Phoenix knew it.

In Landsbystyv, the Watch scrambled for the shadowy refuge of the alley and the hopefully safe respite that the man there could offer. Thinking quickly, Logan had bought the team a few extra moments with the telekinetic shove that he had given the Asgardian brutes. And even though he wasn’t the first to move, Barry was of coarse the first of the team to reach the alley, with the remainder of his team quickly joining the escape. The man there, dressed in what the Watch considered to be a far more modern manner of dress compared to the rest of the village, looked at Barry curiously. The speedster’s swift movements caused their rescuer to take pause, but he shook the promising thought from his mind and ushered the team through a hatch in the ground behind him. Knowing they had no other options, one at a time they climbed down into the dark tunnels that laid below. Victoria was the last of the team to withdraw from the alley, hoping to cover their escape from Hogun and his fellows. But before she could follow into the tunnels, a shrill cackle sounded in Victoria’s mind and grew louder as the entity approached the outer fringe of the mutant’s consciousness. Losing itself from the shackles that Stephen Strange had placed upon it, the fiery creature burst forth into the tangible world, leaving the alley smoldering from the heat. As it emerged from its host, it proclaimed, “Finally, we are liberated. No longer do we need the madman’s creation to house us. There is another, and she is beautiful!” And like that, the Phoenix Force was gone, leaving Victoria Essex at last, for lack of a better word, vulnerable.

Victoria found herself dazed by the exit of the cosmic being and unable to move. Realizing something was wrong, Iron Fist climbed to the top of the ladder and drug Victoria underground. The hatch closed behind them, and if viewed from above, a subtle light shone as it did, sealing itself completely and disappearing altogether from anyone who didn’t know it was already there.

The team followed the mystery man down the tunnels, with Barry zipping about frantically, trying to convince himself that the hiccup in his powers had been a temporary thing. After countless twists and turns obviously intended to confuse and disorient any who dared to walk these paths, the group found an end to their journey as it emptied into a large chamber filled with people dressed similarly to their new companion. As the Watch entered, all eyes were on them, and they watched Barry particularly closely as he flitted about exercising his super speed. Whispers began to pass back and forth amongst the chambers occupants that grew louder and more audible quickly, “Could it be he?”...”Look how fast he moves”...”Are we finally saved?”...”The Seer foretold of this day” Barry’s entrance in particular seemed to rouse the hopes of the people there, but they were quickly hushed by one man.

A tall sleek man dressed in blue with slicked back silver hair stepped forward and spoke over the rest, “This boy is not here to fulfill the prophecy any more than I was when I first came to you two years ago. You know I hate waiting worse than any of you, but getting all worked up over this false hope will not fulfill the prophecy any faster.” With an annoyed demeanor the silver haired man ran his fingers through his white locks, smoothing all but two stubborn strands back against his head. He looked at the man that had led them there and asked with an irritated tone, “Who are they, Porjyst?” The man grinned back at his friend and replied, “They needed our help.”