Resting against the counter of the Sanctum's small kitchen, dressed in my jimjams, I find myself staring into the rising steam of the boiling kettle, my thoughts starting to wander. Its been over two months since I found myself in this timeline, and apart from a small advancement in my internal energies, I haven't made as much progress as I'd have liked. I know that cultivation is a game of time, and understand that no matter how talented I may seem, improvement will be incremental; but my recent encounter with Mister Negative has left me revaluating my strength.
He was superhuman in every meaningful way, not to mention that he could manipulate Darkforce, so I know he would've been a threat regardless, except the fact that I struggled against him as I did has given me a heavy heart. I'm certain I would've eliminated him eventually, even without help from Spider-Man; but it should've been easier. I'm a genuine cultivator for heaven's sake, a being that has the potential to ascend beyond reality and the universe, becoming an entity of omnipotent power; and yet I had trouble putting down a drug dealer? It's shameful.
The whistle of the boiled kettle gets a part of my attention, so I reach out and lift it off the hob with a sigh, pouring it out into my mug, the water darkening with the hue of tea. Placing it back, I move to grab the milk from the fridge and add it, the tea becoming sufficiently milky, just how I like it, then absent-mindedly stir it with a teaspoon, my mind still on self-evaluation.
There is much I'd do differently if I had the chance to fight Mister Negative again, starting with avoiding fighting him in the first place. I went into that situation too self-assured, confident in my abilities and guessing I'd have the support of Spider-Man; when I should've instead gathered what information I could, then ambushed him and cut his fucking head off. The fact that I confronted him straight on, even when knowing what I do of his powers, speaks of a flaw in my thinking that I need to resolve.
Though I'll continue to stick by it, my decision to put magic to the side while in this reality has made me realise how much I relied on it. As a cultivator, I should be focused on pursuing the Tao, on comprehending my paths, but instead I've been devoting my time to learning a weaker system. Despite the fact that it was the correct choice at the time, one that I'm happy I made, it's caused me to place my cultivation on the back burner. Now, I'm still stuck here, four months from Thanos, who I'm starting to fear I may be underestimating.
Captain America, who should have around the same level of physicality as me, could've destroy Martin Li in a single minute or less, and yet, during Endgame, Thanos nearly killed Steve in that same amount of time. What does that say about my chances? I'm beginning to think that unless I really start putting the work in, achieving partial comprehension of my Daos and increasing my power, then by the time Bruce Banner comes smashing through the roof above me, I'm almost certain to die by the hand of the Mad Titan.
The snapping of the metal spoon in my hand breaks me from my thoughts and causes me to look to it, finding it bent and warped, my tightened grip having broken it. Picking up the pieces, I chuck them in the bin then cup my mug, bringing to my lips in shaky hands and taking a sip. As its warmth runs over my tongue and burns down my throat, I revolve my Chi, my emotions calming, the lingering thoughts of my death washing away and joining the chorus of my mind.
Mug in hand, I leave the kitchen and make my way back to my room, my slippered feet brushing the wood of the floor, the light of the moon guiding my way. Slinking inside, I grab a blanket from my bed and chuck it over my shoulders, then move over to the cage on my desk, flicking up its latch and reaching in, the furred body of Splinter standing up at me. His tiny, clawed feet grip my finger and climb into my hand, his little breaths tickling my palm and his nose sniffing over me.
Lifting him to my face, giving him a little kiss and placing him on my head, I move back over to my bed and grab my newly ordered laptop from the side table, tucking it under my arm. Moving out the room, I walk the corridor and descend the steps, making sure to be quiet, entering the living room with a whine of hinges. Turning on the TV and powering up my laptop, I connect them together and search for the movie I plan on watching through, er, less than legal means.
Taking a seat in the chair opposite, I curl my legs under me and reach up, softly clutching Splinter, then pull the blanket over me and tuck him into it, getting us comfortable. My gaze settles on the movie as it begins to play, the light of the opening scene flickering over the dark, chilly room; a low, creaky voice starting to narrate, the premise being explained. My tea balances on my knee as my tired eyes fix on screen, an image of a star suspended in the black of space appears, its surface ever-shifting.
It grows in size as the camera closes in, seeming to want to escape the screen, when the Vermilion Bird tattoo on my forearm begins to tingle, the distant, long cry of a bird seeming to sound out. My focus starts to slip as the room seems to divide, a layer of unreality overlapping with it, a mental fog obscuring my perception. I go to catch myself, not knowing what's happening, when a flash of insight hits me, causing me to instantly put myself into a meditative state.
The star before me fills the TV, an orange light starting to glow from behinds its frame, the windows and wall reflecting it back on me, when it begins to flow outwards, branching out. The boundary of the room starts to burn, the walls breaking away as heated, connected particles project out from the screen, their light filling my mind, the gold of my eyes spinning at speed. A sigh of life runs over my skin, as all-black fills the cracks of the walls around me, the twinkle of distant stars visible beyond.
The digging of claws on my arm sees me glancing from the corner of my eye, the image of a flaming bird standing atop it stealing my breath, its sight burning through me as it starts to warp. The outline of its form starts to slide, the border between its body and the space around it beginning to blur together, a white light visible beyond. A soundless voice wraps around me as I stare into it, my Chi stilling, sweat gathering on my skin, before it fades, the light moving off with it.
My stomach flips as the chair under me starts to fall, the floor under it gone, the screen following, the star locked to me. The distant stars around me remain fixed in place as I fall, their size not changing, when steam begins to rise from my body, the chair cracking. It breaks away, leaving me falling unsupported, my tea in hand and blanket around my shoulder, acting as a cape. Casting my sight back on the star, my eyes begin to bleed as it shoots off, taking up its superior position in the cosmos.
Its light vanishes as it shrinks, collapsing into a pure point, the space around it fracturing, before it explodes outwards; great, branching, conceptual cracks running through reality, cutting through me. I feel no pain as my body fragments, is broken down into various sections, each piece floating away from the others, my Chi running between them, tethering us together. The two halves of my head orbit one another, their eyes widening as a shadow appears on the surface of the star; a womanly shape with wild, orange hair, donned in a red, radiant crown, her sight locked to me.
Her hair glows and her eyes shine as she lifts a hand to me, her palm up; it's span appearing under me, her fingers towering over me like mountains, and simultaneously remaining in the distance, extended from her body. Great radiance emits from both palms and envelops me, winding through my Chi and pulling my separated body back together, my exposed spirit bathing in the light, my eyes burning.
My pieces slot together, organs moving into place, flesh and bones connecting, skin sealing, when the being approaches me, her form a blur, while seemingly not moving at all, the surface of the star trailing after her. Her features come into focus as she reaches me, her yellow skin and warm eyes shining on me, her pale lips pulled tight in concern. Her hand rises to me, her long fingers touching on and clutching my chin, as she leans in, my tears of blood boiling and evaporating in her presence.
Her heated lips fall on mine, a warmth filling me as I close my eyes and kiss back, pressing into her with want, before she pulls back, my eyes opening up to her perfect face, a loving smile on it as she looks down at me. I reach out to her as she starts to pull back, an ache in my chest, a gap growing between us as a distance forms, separating us. Loss erupts from my heart as she's swallowed by the star, its surface rippling and flashing, before pulsing; Light, Life, and Fire washing over me, pushing me back.
A lump forms in my throat as I lose sight of the being, her warmth leaving me. In an instant of terrible impulse, a need to understand, I activate Revelation; a sharp pain shooting from my soul, my spirit thrown into chaos as my vision doubles, feeling cracks run through my eyes, their gold dulling. I clutch my hands to my eyes with a silent scream of agony, blood slipping between my fingers, staining them, as a sense of momentum wraps around my body.
Lowering my bloody hands, I risk opening my eyes, finding the closing body of Earth approaching me, its shape fractured in my darkening, splintered vision. I enter the atmosphere in a streak of fire, my body tumbling down in a blaze, my clothes disintegrating as the air around me heats, the passing clouds evaporating as I near them, the sea below closing in. Enhancing myself as much as I can, the process happening with ease, the augmentation stronger then ever before, I activate my shield and curl up behind it.
Taking a deep breath, I impact the sea with a tremendous boom, the surface as solid as concrete, a deep crater forming and a mighty spray of shooting, misty water rising over me. A great, ceaseless vibration runs through me as my entire body breaks, my flesh bursting off me and dyeing the water red, my skeleton and nerves exposed to the salt water. Ignoring the torture as best I can, I fight to stay conscious as the crater collapses inwards, many tons of water falling on and crushing me.
My ruined body is dragged under, a pressure forming on all sides and leaving me breathless, any sense of direction lost as my shield escapes my grasp, lost to the sea. Attempting to heal, I find my Chi to be wispy and weak, barely keeping me alive. With half a hand and a missing face, I summon Purpose from my Dantian, the sword radiating concern, and wrap my mutilated body around it, staining its blade. It shoots up, attempting to escape the swirling current, the water pulling on my healing flesh.
Breaching the choppy surface, I attempt to take a breath, only to gag, what little throat I have left broken. Covering it with my shredded hand, covering the holes, I try again, to no success, the air escaping me. Turning my eyes to the sky, the sun looking back at me, dread forms in what's left of my brain as I run a skeletal hand over my chest, feeling nothing but bone and absence, my lungs completely destroyed. Panic overcomes me as Purpose bolts over the sea, a tingle in my remaining flesh as I feel my cells suffocate and die.
With a gurgled laugh, I stroke a half-formed thumb over Purpose, a shiver of panic feeding back to me as my vision starts to fade. A ghost of a form floating over the sea draws my remaining time, my consciousness dulling; a white robed woman, her face vaguely familiar, small wrinkles around her eyes. My sight blurs and narrows to a point as I fade, the last thing I see being that of a sad smile, tears running down her face...
Dripping down into sea below.
…
A blanket of silence extends for eternity, an absence of existence stretching for infinity; the comfort of a mother wrapping around, serenity in the senseless.
The formless reaches in, the vitality of reality following; the seed of life in hand, a promise to be fulfilled.
What am I meant to do, what do you need me for; what do you cry about, what are you missing without me? Where am I meant to move, where does this lead? Where is it going…
Where does that sound come from?
A whisper echoes, the voice of family waiting; rippling the absent, a stirring from within.
A point of colour, the canvas retreating; does it run, the gold creating fear? A second joins it, a beat of a heart; the seed sprouts, creation birthing once again. A sigh from within, without response; another beat, a reach of flesh.
Heat from nothing, a rising of all; the cycle of life, does it understand?
Why does it not understand; why doesn't it realise I follow? Why does it run so far; why does it struggle?
She remembers what she seeks, she searches the empty; she know no other path, she fights for more.
The parting of ways, without goodbye; the cry of grief, the turning of time. A soul reborn, the void responding; a door forming, the creaking of escape.
The light of life!
…
I awaken with a gasp, a choke of air, the warmth of the sun on my bare skin, the lapping of the ocean in ear. My eyes snap open, nothingness greeting them, my vision destroyed. I roll onto my front, my hands digging into sand, my loose hair falling over my face, as the ring of a blade sounds, the presence of Purpose reaching out; a beacon in the dark. I extend a hand to it, rapid, sea-chilled air blowing over it, and grip it by its handle. Pulling it to me, I wrap myself round it, a sob escaping my throat.
A burning in my chest rises within me as I feel a breakdown coming, before I search for my Chi, finding it restored, and use it to soothe my emotions. With a deep, shaky breath, I calm down, knowing now isn't the time for theatrics. Releasing my breath, its warmth blowing back at me, I start to take stock of my situation, when golden runes appear to me, my blindness not hindering them,
[Power Gained – Sun-Kissed: Once bitten, twice shy. A moment of enlightenment pulled you from stapled reality, the cracks in its structure allowing the conceptual to bleed through, washing its currents over you. The imaginary soul of the Vermilion Bird drew in your spirit, rocketing your understanding beyond what you were ready for.
Falling through the skin, your burgeoning Dao of Fire connected with greater concepts, risking both your existence, and attracting the attention of one such embodiment. Witnessing your plight, it stabilised your fractured form, healing your spirit and putting you back together, while also leaving its mark on you.
Sending you on your way, feeling your period of understanding ending, it made sure you fell in the vicinity of Earth, leaving your ultimate fate up to chance.
You have brushed upon the Daos of Fire, Life, and Light, gaining a foundation ability. Most of your gains in this Dao are locked away from you until you reach the Shen stage of your cultivation, as their power would shred your soul, destroying it beyond recovery.
Sun-Kissed is a quasi-domain centred on you that heals any being in its range, burning away wounds and curing any ailments. Barring death itself, it can regenerate the most grievous of injuries with its light, remaking any being in the shape of their spirit, bypassing any mutations or disfigurements.
This ability is independent of any power source, and will continue to operate even should your consciousness be stolen from you.
Let the light of life wash over you.]
Relief burns through me as I realise that I didn't die, weakness running over my body and causing me to nearly collapse, until Purpose catches me, stabilising me. With an explanation to how I survived my assuredly fatal injuries without divine interventions, I put strength into my legs and stand, my vigour renewed. As I go to close my eyes, needing to concentrate, I purse my lips as I reason the action won't be needed now, not as I am. Reaching out with my Chi Detection, I sense for the closest life, finding it dotted about relatively near, the closest just fifteen meters away.
Taking a blind step, my foot bites in the sand and causes me to stumble, Purpose saving me a second time. Sighing, I raise foot in frustration and spike it into the ground, hard, the sand quaking as a large quantity of my Chi ripples outwards, washing over and highlighting my surroundings, a virtual map forming in my mind. Memorising the immediate area, I take a stable step and repeat the technique, adjusting the amount of Chi used. Doing this a few more times causes a sensation to click in my spirit, a notification shining in the dark,
[Power Learned – Blindsight (Chi): Upon trying to look upon the essence of the pure divine, you damaged your Dao of Divination and burned out your eyes, leaving you without sight. Waking on the walled coast of a northern country, you found your disability to hinder your freedom. With your experience with Chi-based perception, you sought to create a quasi-divine sense, a method of receiving information without relying on visual input.
Congratulations, you've managed to create a Chi-sight technique, allowing you to map your surroundings with pulses of Chi. This technique is limited by the amount of detail it can uncover, with faces obscured and outlines blurry, but its better than nothing.
What can you do? *Shrug*]
A soft snort of laughter leaves me as I learn about my newly created technique, before I set off, walking atop the course sand, its small pebbles digging into my bare feet. The cold, biting wind runs over me as I move to the coastal wall, its stone steps visible in my mind, flat and wide. Stepping on them, the freezing rock attacking my soles, I climb them, the passing of cars and the shuffle of people sounding in my ears. Reaching the top, feeling the pavement under me, I stand beside the double road, a car approaching me.
It blares its horn as it passes me, the blurry head of a man sticking out, a shout directed at me, "Whore!" Rolling my eyes at him, I move off, walking in no particular direction, letting the way lead itself. Gripping Purpose in hand, I hold it beside me as I walk, the sparse people around giving me a wide berth as I ward them off, their whispers reaching me. The distant sound of sirens suddenly echoes out to me, heading in my direction, approaching at speed. With a little sigh, I cross the street and start to run, moving away from the coast and into the city proper.
The sirens follow me as I speed away, storing Purpose and avoiding the blurred bodies of the natives, looking to lose them in the grouped housing I sense. Rounding a corner, I break off into an alley, putting brick between us, before coming to an abruptly halt, stopping myself from colliding with the outline of a woman. Her Chi ripples with concern as she shouts at me, her accent bringing a smile to my face, "Whit d'ye think ye're daein, lass?! Whaur's yer claes?! Is that bluid?!"
Ah, I'm home; or home-adjacent at least. Putting on a performance for the first time in a while, I force tears to my eyes and scrunch my face, forcing myself to start shivering and shaking as the sirens close in. Trying my best to look her in the eyes, I hurriedly explain, my voice shaking and anxious, "Please help me," her Chi spikes with worry as she hears my words, "Some lads attacked me and– and tried to take advantage of me."
I cover myself with my hands and begin to cry, "I–I managed to fight them off, a–and I think I hurt one of them," I break, forcing more emotion into my voice, "but they stole my c–clothes." Her chi agitates in response to my lie, a sharp quality appearing in it as she huffs,
"Fucking scum." She hissed through her teeth, her jaw clenched, "O' course ah will, hen, ah live juist back that wey, come oan an follae me. We'd best get gaun afore they catch ye." I hear the shuffle of clothing as she takes off her jacket, passing it over to me, "Here, have this the now." Taking it, I thank her and slip it on, its length covering just below my hips. Giving her a sniffled nod of my head, her Chi softening, I follow after her as she takes me to her home, a frown forming on my face.
Why the fuck am I in Scotland? Still, you've got to love the Scottish, such a helpful people. I speed up as she begins to lightly jog, a pang in my heart as a thought comes to me,
'I hope Splinter is okay.'