According to Franklin, Reed and Susan were an unshakable pair, destined to stay together no matter what crisis came their way.
But then Zodhiss appeared. And with him came a disruption to that scripted stability. Zodhiss became the root of all change.
"Uncle Zod, you're special. So special that even our universe has become different because of you. In this universe, there is no predetermined future, no set fate. You shattered the Creator's script. Your presence alone has altered the scripted destinies of countless people."
Franklin spoke with an earnest gravity.
Whether it was an incursion by a dimensional overlord or the arrival of the original Beyonder, those beings existed beyond the confines of this universe. They were not bound by its laws. And yet, they still could not alter the script.
Or rather, they lacked the capacity to change the script. Everything they did followed a traceable path, a predetermined course.
Franklin did not know if they were even aware of that scripted design. But he himself, even after discovering it, had come to the grim realization that he was powerless to change it.
Zodhiss, however, was different. He was a variable, the one and only existence that bore no trace of the script.
He had derailed everyone's narrative trajectory, much like the current state of Earth itself.
But that very disruption also robbed the universe of its stability. The future was no longer something that could be known.
"According to what you're saying, even if I helped your parents get together, they could still run into unforeseen trouble."
Zodhiss shook his head, unimpressed by the talk of his own uniqueness. But he was genuinely surprised that Franklin could perceive the existence of the script.
"No, Uncle Zod. You are the miracle. You are the eye of the storm. As the Chinese say, you are the Cause of All Effects. Everything begins with you, and everything ends with you. If you set your mind to doing it, it will be done."
Franklin seemed to have even more faith in Zodhiss's abilities than Zodhiss himself.
Zodhiss considered the task. Playing matchmaker for Reed and Susan? That would be quite the challenge.
"First, tell me where the Phoenix Force fragment is."
He cut straight to the point.
Franklin hesitated for a moment before finally revealing the information.
And so Zodhiss learned the location of the Phoenix Force fragment.
Back then, the Phoenix Force had been shattered by a single punch from Wu Fengming, the Iron Fist of K'un-Lun. The fragments scattered across the cosmos. Because this universe had no Jean Grey, there was no Phoenix host born on Earth. The fragments thus fled the planet, searching for new hosts with immense psionic potential.
The Phoenix Force is one of the oldest and most formidable powers in the Multiverse.
The Phoenix itself is an awe-inspiring ancient entity.
Born from the primordial universe, it has a particular affinity for beings of extraordinary mental strength to serve as its vessels.
Examples include the mutant Jean Grey, her clone Madelyne Pryor, the Red Queen. Rachel Summers, Jean's daughter from a specific timeline, and the White Queen, Emma Frost.
All of them had been chosen by the Phoenix and granted unparalleled power.
Thus, it stood to reason that Zodhiss, having awakened his own psionic abilities, would also attract the Phoenix's attention. Provided, of course, that a fragment of the Phoenix Force was nearby.
According to Franklin, however, there was currently no Phoenix Force fragment within the entire solar system. He actually did not know exactly where the fragments were located.
But he did know one thing: as long as Zodhiss kept actively displaying his psionic power, the Phoenix Force would be drawn to him.
"The future Uncle Zod got into a long, drawn-out battle with an enemy and had to use his psionic power extensively. That's what drew the Phoenix Force to him."
That was Franklin's explanation.
A long, drawn-out battle where I'd be forced to rely on psionic power?
Zodhiss was puzzled. Could it be a confrontation against the Mind Stone?
With that final remark, Franklin vanished.
Zodhiss concluded that the kid's words might not be entirely accurate. Which meant there was no immediate obligation to play matchmaker.
At the very least, he would wait until he had secured the Phoenix Force.
If the means of obtaining the Phoenix Force turned out to differ from Franklin's account, then there would be no need to help the boy at all.
"I'll just let nature take its course. Forcing things only makes them ugly."
Zodhiss thought to himself.
For now, his Shenlong power was more than sufficient. The Phoenix Force could wait.
Still, Zodhiss proceeded to unleash the full breadth of his psionic presence. It blanketed the entire Earth and even extended over a hundred meters beyond the planet's atmosphere.
The sheer magnitude of his psionic strength was such that even Professor Xavier, with the aid of Cerebro, would pale in comparison. Zodhiss felt that on psionic might alone, he could hold his own against a rampaging Dark Phoenix.
If there truly existed an opponent capable of forcing him into a protracted psionic duel, Zodhiss could not think of many possibilities outside of the Mind Stone itself.
He had to thank the little brat Franklin. The kid had made him aware of an impending bitter struggle, prompting him to devote serious attention to honing his psionic abilities.
Deep space. A neighboring galaxy just beyond the Milky Way.
A formidable force suddenly coalesced, taking the shape of a blazing phoenix made of pure flame. A fragment of the Phoenix Force!
After Wu Fengming had shattered the Phoenix Force with that single punch, a portion of it had bonded with her, making her its new host. Carrying both the power of Shenlong and the Phoenix, Wu Fengming had ventured into the cosmos and was now nowhere to be found. Though it was unlikely anyone could truly endanger her, given her overwhelming strength.
This particular fragment of the Phoenix Force was one of the larger pieces. It had gathered several smaller shards from Earth before fleeing the planet in search of a new host.
It had barely managed to escape the Milky Way when, from that very galaxy, a new beacon of immense psionic power flared to life.
So potent. So vivid and conspicuous. It called to the Phoenix Force with an irresistible allure.
But within that Milky Way lay that planet. And on that planet... was the Iron Fist, Wu Fengming, still there?
The Phoenix Force fragment wavered, hesitated, and agonized for ten full days. Finally, unable to resist the unprecedented draw of Zodhiss's psionic call, it spread its fiery wings and re-entered the Milky Way.
Back on Earth, Zodhiss had used his superhuman intellect to construct a detailed behavioral model based on Franklin's tone and every single word the boy had spoken. He ran the analysis on a loop, sifting through the data for any hidden clues or useful information.
Meanwhile, he tasked the Black Queen with monitoring Reed and Susan, gathering intel on their interactions.
What he observed was a classic display of Reed's clueless, workaholic obliviousness. Time and again, Susan was left fuming by Reed's antics. Even though Reed eventually managed to smooth things over and coax her back into a good mood.
Still, the situation did not look promising. A woman's patience has its limits. Zodhiss had a sinking feeling that if Reed kept this up, and with the scripted destiny already broken by his own presence, it was entirely possible Susan might reach her breaking point and decide to call it quits for good.
/-\
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