RKMBs Forums .::Important::. Writer's Block The Requiem of John Grey, Part I - Timelines

Hey kids! If you haven't read "The New MBL Issue 2.5: Fade to Grey" yet, do so -- otherwise, this might not make quite as much sense!

Note: This story takes place is in the New MBL part of the HR Universe...

Prelude -- Tokyo, Japan

Dr. John Grey stood outside his destination, waiting. He had enough experience with time paradoxes to know to trust antre vu when he had it.

"Welcome to this universe, John," a familiarly partially-synthasized voice spoke as its form began to materialize into the timestream one cog at a time.

"Tim," John Grey smiled, lowering his sunglasses a bit, "good to see I have at least one friend here..."

"I am a Chronalguard of the Temporal Trust Corps..."

"Stuff it. You're our Time Trust, with a few more gizmos attached, and you're here for a reason."

"You are right and you are wrong," the android spoke with reservation.

"Oh?," Grey questioned, "how would that be?"

"I am here for a reason. This meeting is of some importance. We are aware of what you are planning to speak of to Victor Shiva."

"But do you approve."

"I cannot tell you that."

"Can not or will not, Tim?" John posited academically, "I thought we were friends?"

"A proper use of tense, and the point at which you were incorrect earlier," the Time Trust stated as he looked at his long-time ally, "in this world, we are not friends, we cannot be."

"Because of your mission?" John asked, "or because of who they made me?"

"I cannot say," the android remarked with a small smile, "or else I will not."

"Then, Tim, it looks like I'll have to take a rain check on the rest of this delightful reunion," a somewhat disgruntled John Grey spat as he pushed past his old teammate, "I have business to attend to, if I don't want to end up being a cosmic death machine..."

As Grey walked into the building, the Time Trust tapped into the Tock Net and began recalling himself into the Time Stream. He'd face some questioning over the fact he was supposed to tell Grey of the Corps part in bringing him here. He has chosen not to -- their friendship meant too much to him to ruin it like that...

End Prelude

In the beginning, there was One, and from that One, came Two...

--Codex Draco.

INTERLUDE

In another Universe, there were two properties, the same as here. Life, and Anti-Life. They knew many names. Ormudz and Ahriman, Vishnu and Shiva, Osiris and Set, Alpha and Omega. As Faith begat Science and Science begat Super-Science, these two were known by names that made little sense: X and V. If they were numbers in a world that had lost numerology, none knew. What was known, however, was that - in a world of superheroes and supervillains - these two forces as old as time became the kings that directed al the pawns around the boards. And each game was stalemate.

Time itself became the latest battleground, two natures fighting for control of Reality, metahumanity and magic the tools at their disposal. At some point, a mystery - the V became something besides a mere force, it became a personality. The origin of how Ahriman became Viper is lost to Time, but it's consequences are the scars of an entire universe.

With this change, the rules changed, the Viper personality gained a cult of personality. And this doomed it. This nearly destroyed the V. Viper had empowered a man named Saros to hemp him stop the X from gaining a new mortal Host. However, the enmity Saros held for the last Host of the X carried across time. In a shattering of Continuity, Saros nearly destoryed both X and V to get at his enemy. He was killed, and with him almost died his new enemy, his creator.

The V awoke in a new universe, dying. A confluence of destinies meant it could only bond with one man. Luckily for it, that man was in reach. Reaching through Time with the last of his power, Viper created a cult on this new world. This cult used one of Viper's old agents, Incursion, to complete his goal. Now Viper lives, regaining his strength. It's up to me to stop him.

--------------------

In another Universe, there were two properties, the same as here. Matter, and Anti-Matter. In both sides of the universe, Earths formed and lived similarly until World War II. Then things changed. On Anti-Matter Earth, metahumans won the war, and some pushed for greater power. None pushed harder than Randall Grey. With an army of the discontent, Grey swept over and conquered America. In the end, only one man stood against him, his own son.

John Randall Grey first made the journey to Matter Earth to get the help of the orignal MBL to save his world. In doing so, he rewrote his planet's history, and inadvertantly helped change his villainous father into the mighty Lord Entropy. John Grey, known as The Indestructible Man for his metahuman abilities returned to Matter Earth (as did Entropy), where Grey joined the MBL and the time-journeying group TOMB. Over the years he fought many villains, including the evil Viper.

It was as a member of TOMB that he first learned of the history of the X and V, and got on a first-name basis of inamy with Viper. It was only after Grey merged with his own father and gained the abilities of Entropy, though, that Viper could see Grey as a true threat -- and an opportunity.

John Grey went missing, shortly thereafter. A son he never knew had been transformed by Viper into the being called Incursion, his rage against his missing father sharpened into a weapon against him. As his Universe fell, Grey was locked away for five years in an 11th Dimensional prison. Only when Viper lay dying from his battles with Saros was Grey freed, to be used for his ultimate destiny -- as the V's permanent Host on this world -- an Earth with no X, an Earth ripe for Viper's taking.

Unless I can stop him, that is. Unless I can do something and save my son's soul before it's too late...

End Interlude

Headquarters of Ouroboros Exchanges International
Tokyo, Japan

Victor Shiva sat in his office staring at the wall. The office, like his appearance suited him. Black stone coumns wreathed obsidain walls. At an onyx-ringed deak sat a dark-complexed man with black hair and eyes like stone.

Some men fit their names like a glove, Victor Shiva was one of them.

Appearances can be deceiving, however. Beyond the trapping of an offfic ebuilt for intimidation, the whole of Shiva's operation was beyond state-of-the-art. This was a man who saw the future and went to surpass it. And in a minute, the future should be walking through his door.

"Mister Shiva," the intercom buzzed to life, "Doctor Grey has arrived."

"Let him in."

This should prove interesting.

The figure who entered was far healthier than Shiva last remembered seeing, through also looked a bit older. Not surprising, given what had transpired in the meanwhile.

"I see you've shaved since awakening," he said, looking at Grey's face, "and cut your hair."

"I looked old enough as it was," Grey answered coldly, "and I looked enough like Sainte-Germaine as it was too."

"Now you just look like you could be his father," Shiva pondered out loud, mentally cataloging his thought, "so you've taken my invitation to work here?"

Grey had received, among other paperwork, a letter from Shiva trying to hire him for his expertise in temporal and spatial mechanics.

"No," Grey flatly answered, "but I have a question."

"Yes?"

"You were the one who brought me back here?"

"Mostly. I designed the equipment. I have the technical facilities to build great marvels on Sainte-Germaine's dime, but I lack certain expertise. That's why I wanted you to work for me."

"I have another idea. We live in a world that's lacking a certian something, and your company has the facilities to help produce it. From ym research, there are a few other experts I'm looking to procure, but I'd like to mastermind a venture of my own."

"Do tell."

"Alright, Victor," Grey smiled -- the man was hooked, "but it'll take a bit of time to fully describe..."

Victor Shiva hit the intercom button.

"Miss Meiers, see that I'm not to be disturbed until Dr. Grey and I am finished in here..."

Rauza Bal, Kashmir

Prester John Sainte-Germaine stood on a balcony overlooked the foothills of the Hindu Kush mountains. In a week, his estate would be crawling with the well-to-do from around the world. He didn't care. Right now all he felt was betrayed.

Not by his Lord. No, he understood that the silence he felt at Ahriman leaving him for another was temporary. Once He was strong enough to dominate Grey, His will would be done across the world, and Sainte-Germaine would benefit.

No, Prester John felt betrayed by Incursion. A milennia and a half ago, the boy had changed his face, per John's asking, long before the name Prester John meant anything. Back then, they called him Simon Magus. Before that, they had called him his true name. What Incursion had failed to say was that the face he granted Magus was another man's. The face of the man Incursion hated more than any other.

Prester John was glad the son of a bitch was dead. And he was even more glad his scientists were taking the corpse apart piece by piece, gene by gene to examine His Lord's work.

Still, for fifteen hundred years, the appearance he had been given had allowed him to walk unhindered among the courts of Europe and Asia, in a way his true form never would have. The boy had had his uses after all, Prester imagined.

The phone rang.

"Victor, what is it?" Sainte-Germaine asked as he heard the tone in the voice calling from Japan.

"He's coming here to Kashmir to see me? And what do you mean you're quitting to work for him?"

"Victor? Victor!"

Victor Shiva had hung up.

Well, Sainte-Germaine thought. First blood goes to Grey. As he scanned his eyes around the artifacts in his office, his eyes fell upon his newest acquisition, sitting in a sword case on his wall.

Caledfwlch.

First blood, yes. But he wouldn't get the last...

Somewhere over Asia

The midnight flight from Tokyo to New Delhi was nearly empty. Once in India, Grey would travel by train to Srinagar, then to Sainte-Germaine's estate at Rauza Bal. He wasn't sure whether to expect an easy entrance.

He was still somewhat surprised to find the identification he was provided with worked to secure him a flight on his own, without any handling from Sainte-Germaine or Shiva. This could work after all.

Busy, aren't we, John?

Turning from the window, where he had been admiring the view of the Himalayas, Grey noticed the seat next to him no longer looked empty. Sitting in it was a corrupted mockery of himself, black eyes blazing with contempt.

"Am I asleep again, Viper?"

Merely connecting psychically. Don't fret for these useless bags of meat around you. They're in no danger yet.

"That's good to know. I don't have to kill you yet, then."

Funny. Whatever you're planning won't work. Shiva still serves me. And Sainte-Germaine would be loyal long past death, the fool.

"I don't need their loyalty, only their help. And I'm not using them to stop you -- that's my job alone."

Then you'll fail. No one can stop me. Not even Palamedius could.

"I'm not Palamedius. Don't underestimate humanity, Viper. I promise you this: when all is said and done, you'll be dead and I'll be still standing. And I'll swear to God on that."

We shall see, "Indestructible Man", we shall see...

With a chill wind, the seat was empty again, as the first rays of dawn began to break over the horizon...