Fragmented Balance, Part Five
OLYMPUS
"I. HAVE. COME."
A ball of silver light descended through the atmosphere towards the ground of Olympus below as the voice of Franklin Richards shook the Everything. Light shone through the hole left in the clouds above, spotlighting his arrival. Orchestral music, from nowhere, enveloped the scene.
Franklin Richards was back and all present knew that the power of the Everything had just shifted to his direction.
"I. AM. BALANCE."
Those assembled watched the descent of the ball of light with varying degrees of the same thought. For the eleven Elders of the Universe present, the return of Franklin was viewed with not fear, but respect. Respect not for the man, but for the power. They alone could rank Franklin, with first hand knowledge, among the most powerful beings of all time because they had existed since the beginning.
For the Cosmic Flame, fear. The secret his fragmented mind had just remembered was about to be let out …
For the Orphans of War, awe. Ben-Vell was aghast at how the palpable sense of power that had surrounded Thanos paled in comparison to the feeling in the Olympian air. The tale of Franklin Richards was a tragedy of the highest order, passed down from parent to child. Bill had always told them to not rely on the stories of others, but to read the actual Histories. Right now, Toomi, Eshir and Ben were wishing they had. To see Franklin actually return …
For Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, dread. Fun time was over …
For Galactus … Galactus said not a word, made not a move other than to watch the ball descend. He had already encountered Franklin, afterall, and the outcome had not gone well for Galactus. (1)
1- ALL GOD’S CHILDREN 1 - THE VENGEANCE OF HOPE
Lightning crashed in a large circle around Olympus, but the flash of light that lit up the scene failed to vanish into the night. No, it flashed and hung there in the dark sky, lighting the rain soaked Olympus with the spotlight of the gods.
The ball of silver light touched the ground and the ball disappeared.
Standing there, in a blue t-shirt and jeans was a four year old boy.
Franklin Richards.
He looked across the way, straight at the Cosmic Flame, standing with open arms. Though he spoke with the voice of a child, his words carried the weight of the grandest of generals and gods. His word was the will of whoever listened. "I have returned."
No one moved.
"I see that my reappearance surprises you who have assembled here," he spoke, looking about the crowd. "Did I not say I would return one day? This is that day. When all the time I spent away, contemplating my role in the Everything, had come to fruition. It was time for me to apply my learnings, so I came back."
No one moved.
"It is good to see you," he spoke to the Cosmic Flame, his voice wistful and, Ben-Vell thought, a bit desperate.
"Would you like to know what I learned? I shall tell you. I learned that there is a Balance to the Universe. Balance, I said, not Order. They are oftentimes confused for the other, but I shall make that mistake no longer. Order is needed for Balance, as is Chaos. The Yin and the Yang. Darkness and Light. Everything in the Everything needs an Opposite. Thanos once thought that I was his Opposite, (2) but he came to realize he was wrong. He saw himself as the Omega Force of the Universe and myself as the Alpha. He brought death to the Everything, while I had the power to create life."
2- From UATU the WATCHER’s Histories, Volume Fantastic Four, Chapter MV1 425
No one moved.
"But Opposites need not be based on powers alone, which is what Thanos - and I, in time - came to realize. I have the Centric Sceptre to thank for that, in a way, for she too made the mistake of thinking me her Opposite. (3) I wonder where she is, these days? Perhaps she’s still out there, planning to end the "chaos" of the Multiverse for the "order" of the Solitary Timeline? Or perhaps, just perhaps, she has reached the same level of enlightenment that I and Thanos have achieved."
3- ALL GOD’S CHILDREN 9 - FRAGMENTED BALANCE, PART FOUR
No one moved.
"Would you like to know why I chose this form? That of a four year old child?" Franklin asked. "I find this is the form that people have the easiest time accepting me in. And truthfully, it is the form in which I find the most comfort. It is the form that I associate with my greatest happiness."
No one moved.
"Balance is the key to the continued survival of the Everything. That is why beings such as Galactus, who seek the end of Balance, are dangerous and why," he looked to the gathered Elders with appreciation, "the Elders of the Universe should be commended. I understand this and that is why I shall do my best to keep the Balance of the Everything."
No one moved.
"They fear you, child," Galactus spoke from above, the only one who could find his tongue.
"I’m a child no longer, Galactus."
"To me you are even younger than the shell you reside in."
"SILENCE!" screamed a voice that sounded of innocence, but held meaning that was not. "I do’n wanna talk to you, Galactus!" screamed a voice that sounded of innocence, and held meaning that was just that. "Why do you gotta spoil my return?" whined the child within. "It was bad enough when I returned to Four Freedoms," he turned for a moment to look at the Flame, "it was all broken! How could you let them do that? But this!" he shouted, floating up to look Galactus in the eye. "This was supposed to be my big return scene! This was supposed to be grand and big and really cool! Can’t you hear the music playing? Huh? This is just like a big movie and now YOU’RE RUINING IT!"
Across the way, inside Eshir’s EM bubble, Ben dared to whisper, "That’s kind of like what I felt at Four Freedoms. (4) See how his voice sounded like two different people? It’s like one is a child and one is a wisened, older man."
4- ALL GOD’S CHILDREN 8 - FRAGMENTED BALANCE, PART THREE
"I do not care about your whims, child," Galactus continued.
"Your words wound me, Planet Devourer," Franklin continued, his eyes glowing white, returning to the wisened tone inside the four year old body. "Did I not already teach you the folly of your power against mine?"
"Was it I who left with a tail between my legs, or was it you, son of Richards?" Galactus continued, unfazed.
"By Odin, he’s prodding him!" Angelica whispered inside the EM Bubble, noticing for the first time she was in Eshir’s arms. They immediately seperated, but their eyes couldn’t help but linger a moment longer. For two who craved (however secret they held it) human contact, the moment lingered.
"I let you live," Franklin replied to the Planet Devourer.
"You are naught but a spoiled child. The wisdom you sought is something you have yet to find."
Franklin’s eyes opened wide and he clenched his fists. All those watching were prepared for the outburst of a spoiled child, but instead they heard only the cold, reasoned voice of one who knows he is power. "I damn you."
The instant manifestation of a thought birthed itself in a neverending flume of white energy erupting from the ground and consuming Galactus. He said nothing through the immediate pain, but his eyes turned to the Cosmic Flame expectantly, "Well, my Herald?"
The Cosmic Flame was frozen to the ground, his mouth agape.
"He was never your pawn, user," Franklin cut in, letting the power he had unleashed continue to tear into Galactus. "He spurned your "gift", choosing his own path instead of the one you chose for him."
The pain became too much for Galactus and he dropped to a knee. He turned his gaze on the Cosmic Flame, as did Franklin. "Did he, child? Or are you retroactively changing the pages of existence to fit your current whims? Burn me all you like, but would you go so far as to retcon even the history of your own uncle … Johnny Storm, the Cosmic Flame, HERALD OF GALACTUS?"
ASGARD - The Bunker - Thor Odinson Hall of Peace
The Council was roused from their sleep and gathered hastily at the War Bunker inside the Hall of Peace. They had come because they had all felt … something … happen and they knew it to be serious. King Balder stood silently below the Three-Dimensional Image Projector. The 3-DIP was a huge computer that contained detailed maps on every part of the Everything that Asgard could attain.
Steve and Dani had said nothing as they ran to the Hall of Peace. Their minds were already putting the time spent together behind them and concentrating fully on what was to come.
The War Bunker was a massive circular room that was held in the basement of the Hall of Peace. It was the place Balder hated to come to most of all, but despite that reluctance he made certain the Bunker would be the most complete war room in history.
The 3-DIP was built into the ceiling, walls and floors of the Bunker and it could both project 1000 different maps into every corner, walkway, workstation or empty space in the Bunker, or it could project one large map above the center of the round wooden table in the Bunker’s center. It could also project 3-D "real life" images from a variety of mechanical and mystical sources spread across the cosmos. In a secret part of the Bunker that only Balder, Captain America and Beta Ray Bill had ever set foot in ( or knew the existence of ), led a dimensional gteway that led into the Out of Time Dimension and the Defenders Sanctum Dimensionarium.
Should Asgard ever fall, Balder had a backdoor escape route for his people, but there was no reason to volunteer the information to any but his most trusted senior allies.
And that meant Steve Rogers and Beta Ray Bill and no one else.
Balder and the Council members - Ash’lin of the Shi’ar, Kover the Accuser of the Kree, Skrull 4 of the Skrulls, Captain America, Beta Ray Bill, Moonstar of the Valkyrior - sat around the table, looking up at the 3-DIP’s projection of the Cosmos.
"3-DIP, show location of the greatest fluctuation of power that can be detected in the Everything," Balder commanded, trying to discover the cause of the … sensations they had all felt.
"Location is Olympus," came the soft, computerized female voice.
"3-DIP, show the location of Galactus," Balder commanded.
"Location is Olympus," came the soft, computerized female voice a second time.
"3-DIP, show the location of Franklin Richards," Balder commanded.
"Location is Olympus," came the soft, computerized female voice a third time.
"3-DIP," Balder ordered, his voice rising in anticipation, "show Olympus. Livefeed. Incorporate communication devices mechanical and mystical into one large 3-D setting."
The large globe of light scattered it’s image like leaves blowing in the wind, and replaced it with a scene that made the hearts of people that had grown old knowing nothing but the Eternal War skip a beat.
Franklin Richards floated in the air, hording over Galactus. Energy erupted from the ground, causing the Planet Devourer to fall to his knee. Watching the display stood a man of fire that they knew to be the Cosmic Flame, a group of Elders of the Universe, Santa Claus-
"Is that a pink rabbit?" Kovar asked disbelievingly.
"It’s the Easter Bunny," Captain America and Dani Moonstar replied together, their eyes not leaving the image.
"But I’m more worried about the Cosmic Flame’s presence," Cap continued. "To put him in between Franklin and Galactus …"
"Not only that," Beta Ray Bill stepped in angrily, "look who’s in the far background: Ben-Vell, Angelica, Attumidunn and Eshir. What are our children doing there?"
Skrull 4, who knew exactly why the Orphans of War were there sat by and said nothing.
"Oh my."
"I can’t believe it …"
"He died at Doom’s Empire …"
"I feel lost."
The Orphans made alive the thoughts in the heads of the gathered assemblage of powerful beings. As far as the cosmos knew, what had happened to Johnny Storm was insignificant. The Orphans were too lax in their studies to know that a specific First Age hero like Johnny had become the Cosmic Flame at the end of Doom’s Empire. (5) To the Elders, the identity of a Herald, especially one that had been around for such a short time, was not a concern.
5- Doom’s Empire is an untold tale at this point in AGC.
But say the name Johnny Storm and present it in the context of Franklin Richards and people knew exactly who was being talked about.
At the moment Galactus had spoke his name, no one - not the Orphans, not the Elders, not Santa nor the Easter Bunny - wanted to be anywhere near Olympus.
But no one left.
Franklin hung in the air above the kneeling form of Galactus, his attack on the Planet Devourer stopped. His eyes, the wide eyes of an innocent child burned by the reality of life, were on the Cosmic Flame, "Tell him it’s not true." His voice was soft, low and pleading. "Tell him you hated what had happened to you, Unca Johnny. Tell him how he ruined the Fantastic Four, Johnny and made mommy cry. Tell him."
"Franklin, I …" the Cosmic Flame dropped his head in shame.
"TELL HIM!"
"Tell him, my Herald," Galactus spoke, rising to his feet. "Tell him how you begged me to give you the power needed to defeat Doctor Doom. No matter the price."
"Galactus, I …" the Cosmic Flame raised his head in shame.
It was obvious to the onlookers that this was about far more than a show of power. It was a personal conflict between two beings of vast power.
"Tell him how crazy he is to seek your aid, Unca Johnny," Franklin begged like a spoiled child in front of everyone.
"I - I don’t know, F-Franklin …" the Cosmic Flame stuttered.
"Johnny …" the young god pleaded, his voice panicking. Galactus’ eyes did not leave the pouting child.
The Cosmic Flame flew up into the air to meet them. "I-I don’t know how to say this, but … I’m not Johnny Storm. My name’s Phil Sinton. I’m from New Mexico."
Galactus’s eyes moved now.
MIDGARD - NEW YORK CITY
Time rolls ever forward, Change it’s companion.
There are few constants in the Everything that span cultures across the Timestream and the Multiverse.
One of them, however, that has crept into every technologically advanced culture is that there are those, often called villains, who seek personal gain above the gain of everyone.
And if there be villains, there be secret warehouse hideaways.
New York City in the Midgard Standard Year 2200 was a decaying, rotting ruin … but it had villains, and those villains often used warehouses from which to plot their attempts at ruling the city, country or world.
The woman who sat in what was once Pier 4, before her ancestors bought the structure from the Fantastic Four, was such a villain, sitting in such a warehouse. She watched the various replays of the surveillance equipment she had strewn about the city. Always, she had lackeys to watch the cameras’ footage, looking for patterns in the few heroes that still populated the city.
Usually, the vid-discs they gave to her contained nothing of value.
Tonight’s did.
A smile so disturbed that it had retired more psychologists than anyone could count sprang to life on the woman’s face as she looked at the vidplay of Ben-Vell, Attumidunn, Eshir and Angelica. Especially Angelica.
"So," she spoke to the image on her monitor, "my baby was in town, but didn’t come to visit. We shall have to see about that, won’t we, daughter?"
Angelica, all the way on Olympus, shivered without knowing why.
OLYMPUS
Toomi whispered to the Orphans, "What do you think, guys? Is he one of the Unspeakables?"
"You know what scares me, Toomi," Ben-Vell answered, his eyes not leaving Franklin. "I think that not only he may be the Ancient Good or the Ancient Evil … he may be both. Think, if he’s some kinda Balance agent, he could both right the wrongs - the Grey Prophecy for the Ancient Good - and wrong the rights - the Grey Prophecy for the Ancient Evil. Thanos was right, he may really be the Third Army of the Eternal War, playing both sides against the middle."
"WHAT?"
Franklin Richards was not happy.
"I-I’m not-"
"I heard you!" Franklin spat. "Where’s Johnny?"
The Cosmic Flame hung his head. "H-He’s dead, Franklin."
"What? How? Why?" Franklin whined. "Tell me!"
Across the courtyard, Ben-Vell shuddered. "Heimdall’s eyes, this is just like the vibes I picked up at Four Freedoms!"
"That’s a bad thing, right?" Angelica asked, really wishing, for some reason, that Eshir wasn’t all the way across the EM bubble..
"Yeah," Ben answered, his eyes glued to Franklin. "He’s going to start aguing with himself … by Odin, he’s cracking up!"
"All that talk of Balance, and yet that appears to be the one thing he does not have," Toomi observed, enlightening no one.
"It’s time."
"For what?" Toomi asked.
"To make our move. Eshir, release the EM Bubble."
Eshir thought for a second about disobeying the order, but thought better of it. "What now, Ben?" he asked, reserved to letting Ben make a mistake before he made a move to be the leader of the Orphans. Not that they had an official leader, but everyone always looked to the sainted Ben-Vell, heir to Mar-Vell, something Eshir always found … distasteful.
"Follow me."
As a group, the Orphans of War walked right into a place they did not belong and could not get themselves out of if things went wrong. Galactus and Franklin Richards towered above the Cosmic Flame, seeking answers. The Elders, like a Greek Chorus with no lines to speak, hung off to the stage left, trying not to get in the way. Astoria huddled with her two creations, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, watching in muted shock as a group of kids walked into their midst.
Franklin saw them approach first, and he floated to the ground. One, the one with blue skin, wore a costume that looked like a merging of Spider-Man and Captain Mar-Vell. Another, the aqua-green skinned woman, wore the garb of the Valkyrie. To her left walked a man with no hands, white hair and a scarred face. Behind them walked a redhead, wearing Asgardian garb.
"This isn’t right!" Franklin screamed to them. "Where’s Unca Johnny? I came back and everyone - mom and daddy and Unca Ben and Auntie ‘Licia and Crystal and Qui’silver and Luna are all gone! But I knew Johnny had to be alive!" Tears started streaming down his face. "But when I went home there was nothing there but a building that was falling down! So I traced Johnny’s Power Cosmic energy signature and it led here and I wanted to come and see Johnny and, and, and, and WHY’S EVERYBODY DEAD?"
"Franklin, not everyone is dead," Ben-Vell spoke to the young god. "Captain America-"
"I don’t care!" stomped the spoiled child. "I want my family! Why’s there no Fantastic Four? Why isn’t Johnny who he’s s’posed to be!"
"I am curious to that, as well," Galactus interjected.
"Everything is ruined!"
"No, Franklin," Ben continued. "Everything is just different. But you’ve been gone for close to 200 years. We’re at War now. Thanos has taken control of nearly everything and we, the Asgardians and her allies, fight back."
"I don’t care!"
"Franklin, we know what it’s like to lose family," Ben took a step forward. "All of us have lost our folks … we’re Orphans, just like you."
Franklin fell to the ground, letting the tears pour out, "I thought I was supposed to be the Balance! I had the power to set everything right. I was gonna free Unca Johnny of Galactus’ curse and let him be the Human Torch again, but I can’t ‘cause Johnny is dead! Just like everyone else! I hate being alone. Why can’t I be the Balance?"
"Easy, Franklin," Angelica smoothed.
"Balance comes from setting things right," Franklin cried into his hands. "But how can I make Johnny the Torch is he’s dead?"
"You can’t," Galctus said from above. "What you describe isn’t Balance, but Order. You’re order, not the Everything’s. Lord Chaos and Master Order do the best they can to keep the Everything in balance, there is no need for anyone to deal with the minutia of an individuals life. That way lies only madness."
Franklin looked around at the crowd of people and suddenly his thoughts became crystal clear. "I’ve got to go. If my place in the Grand Tapestry is to be Balance, then we can’t have Lord Chaos and Master Order around. THEY. MUST. DIE."
Franklin Richards vanished.
FRAGMENTED BALANCE TO BE CONTINUED …
NEXT ISSUE: FRAGMENTED BALANCE, PART SIX
"And the jokes," Santa replied, brushing dust off his boots. "Where are all the jokes? Can’t have a good story without the comedy."
"Good point, Thanta," the Bunny nodded his head. "Lotta comedy in Thakethpeare."
"This story ain’t Shakespeare."
"I’ll drink to that."
-- MBQ … 9.January.1999
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