Other Side |3997 B.C.E|

An especially large toddler lay unmoving in his equally large bed… before he began twitching slightly, a small one here and there that rapidly became a flurry of movement, almost like the child was having a seizure while asleep.

They persisted for a few minutes before the child suddenly grew still. Were it not for the rise and fall of his chest he'd scarcely be recognizable as a living being. A final twitch occurred as his eyes sprung open… now a luminescent green.

"Quickly, while the boy sleeps. We must remake our well of power." The boy in question quietly whispered.

The child's form was seen sneaking toward the door to his room- his glowing green eyes peeking through the corridor looking for any presence.

Seeing none, he snuck out, went down the stairs and quietly moved through the halls. Having access to fragmented memories of the place made it much easier to navigate- though still difficult to avoid the occasional armor which he could tell was coated in some form of magic, no doubt to kill any would be intruders.

|"The calamity begins awakening… I could reach out, to warn them. To destroy it before it destroys them all… But I cannot intervene. The safety of one world is not worth risking the safety of all others."|

The Lich was rather surprised at his current state- to finally gain freedom only to find himself trapped in another vessel (this one even stronger than his last), and to also find he had long since exited his old world… no, his old reality in its entirety.

But this actually made him excited, for among the memories he had gleaned a piece of information about where he was… somewhere called the Marvel universe, somewhere with an infinite amount of worlds, somewhere with viable steps toward ultimate power, with Gods, Demons and nonsensical beings of immense power out there in the ether…

|"The thing that shouldn't be, began to understand its world, to see how deep the well it was stuck in really was, yet it felt no fear… for a spark does not fear the sun, for if allowed to grow it may burn the entire galaxy to ash."|

…Somewhere that promised the end of life with a snap of his fingers. And yet the options available besides that were endless- he could spread the plague of undead from one universe to the next. He could also spread the misguided machine who wanted nothing more than total extinction- according to the memories he had nearly succeeded in the Lich's own goal before.

The thought of the machine made him freeze momentarily- a piece of sudden information making itself present… of one who saw all- past, present and future. 

|"In knowing that which he should not, he saw many avenues to facilitate his path of death and destruction, of obstacles to his goal, and thus he…-"|

He calmed down a moment later, his green eyes glowing immensely before glancing to his right. He had peered beyond the veil of his previous world, witnessed an unknowable truth from a Godlike being whose mere presence drove lesser minds to insanity.

|"-He became aware… of the-"|

Collectively he had spent millennia finding ways to see beyond, to see a being far in excess of power to this… vermin. The glance was enough to see the grotesque thing, the giant head and glowing eyes.

|"!!!"|

The child's gaze shifted to look beyond the veil, to see the observer who shouldn't be seen.

"CEASE" A mature male voice echoed directly into the watcher's mind.

The watchers surrounding changed to an icy cold darkness- himself and the child being the only things visible. A suffocating feeling of weakness embraced his form.

|"What… what… is this?"|

He was forced to kneel as he lost all strength in his legs, the child's form constantly shifting the entire time. To that of a monstrous undead in sorcerer garb with glowing green flame behind it, to a pink woman who eventually mutated into a beast, to a snail who became an old man with half his face gone… to a yellow muscled monster who eventually became a hand. 

All forms other than the hand sharing the same evil green eyes as it drew closer and closer.

"I could show you worlds and places you've never seen before. Stories of hope and triumph, of greatness and redemption… of anything you could want." The voice was a mixture of a mature male and a child's overlapping… innocent and yet oh so evil.

This shouldn't be possible! He felt as his mind's defences started crumbling in the face of the things disgusting magic- being separated by the wall of reality not seeming to stop its corrosive influence.

Whispers and promises of power or secrets beyond the grasp of any mind kept being mentioned to him, of riches so great they could tempt almost any being. Anything and everything he could ever want, and all he'd have to do… was let IT IN!

|"NO! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"|

Before it could proceed any further the watcher cut the connection to make a hasty retreat into the crystal corridors of the multiverse.

Looking up as he escaped, he saw a skeletal face that seemed to stare into his very soul, an outstretched hand less than a foot away from having reached him!

Then he was somewhere else.

Dropping into a random universe's moon to collapse and calm his beating heart, he remained keeled over for a bit just thinking about what had just occurred. Not only had it seen him, it had influenced him from just a gaze!

He could feel its sickening mind trying to override his own, the cold which he hadn't felt in eons… that he shouldn't have felt! He shivered just thinking about it… it wasn't the cold of ice, but more like the heat was simply drained from his surroundings.

'What… What is that thing?!'

An anomaly that exists in that universe only, created solely due to a… thing from an adjacent reality.

The child of beings who could very well be called monsters or Gods in their own right… what the hell had they created?!

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The Lich POV

A shame.

It would have made for a good puppet… Nevertheless, he would get it eventually anyway.

He continued moving through the castle, treading upon lavish crimson carpets amid a hallway full of grand tapestries and statues- all of them portraying battles of immense scale, with a bloodsoaked warrior always triumphantly standing at the foreground with an equally bloodied sword or champions head… and at her feet a mountain of fallen foes.

…All depicted Hela. The Lich cared not for art… yet the imagery was one of very few that he could give an appreciative eye. If she were more willing to embrace her nature, then perhaps he could permit her to live… for a bit longer at least.

Reaching a random point of the halls, the Lich stood before a seemingly innocuous part of the wall… yet with a subtle manipulation of magic, and a few muttered words, it faded from sight to reveal an ominous tunnel leading forward and down into the darkness.

The Lich simply strolled right in without a care, and followed its lightless corridors for a few minutes before emerging in a currently unlit chamber that smelled of exotic spices and strange perfumes… a hidden space meant to hold magic materials and conduct experiments- no doubt for the grandmother's sake.

…A perfect place to regain his power.

The ingredients themselves didn't matter much, so long as the properties matched, they'd work for his purposes. Grabbing several handfuls of toxic materials from nearby containers, he threw them into a nearby giant cauldron, before using magic to start a green fire beneath it while mixing it all using an equally giant ladle- low chanting echoing from him throughout the process.

The mixture took on a vibrant green glow, the smell of burning acid and the thrum of intense magic flooding the surroundings… yes… this was it!

"Well doesn't that look dangerous" The lich froze, as from over his shoulder, the face of Hela appeared with a taunting smile. "So… what deadly concoction is this?" She asked while easily slipping one of her hands into the mixture and watching her skin slough away… before regrowing like new.

Thinking quickly, he opened his mouth to release a corrosive breath directly in her face… which successfully burned her skin… yet failed to remove her smile. He wasn't even able to follow her movements, as one moment she was standing there without a care, and the next, her leg was raised in a kick motion and he was embedded in the closest wall with most of his ribs broken.

…

…What? He didn't think she would be cruel enough to so brutally attack her own son… a miscalculation he wouldn't repeat. Nevertheless, her threat level had been subtly escalated within his mind.

As he was thinking up contingencies, he heard her steps getting closer "Tsk tsk, I've taught you better than that… or have I?" She appeared in front of him, before leaning down and analyzing his face. He tried to open his mouth, yet before he could say a single thing or attack, she casually reached down to break his jaw while holding his head and inspecting his face.

"Who… are you?" She looked confused for a moment before suddenly gaining clarity. "Ah I see… you're his other half then? Hahaha… I've been wondering if you were still around in there! Quite rambunctious aren't you?" She picked him up by the scruff of his mostly destroyed shirt, before walking over to the boiling green pot of toxicity.

He made many attempts along the way to touch her mind, yet each and every one was rebuffed with little effort- were he able to talk that may change, and even more so should he be allowed to touch the well… annoyingly both were not options at current. HE WAS SO CLOSE!

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Hela POV

…Hmm? A subtle pulse of necrotic energy had just passed over her… and while obviously less than most would be able to pick up on… this was Hel… her realm. Any energy that wasn't hers, especially from that of the same domain- stood out like a light in the dark. Within this place, nothing escaped her eyes unless she allowed it.

So… Ausar is awakening his power over Death? How exciting!

She was able to sense him sneaking around the halls, and avoiding the possessed armor sets that stood at attention. Aww… is he scared of getting caught? She was easily able to follow his progress from afar, and would have continued were it not for him entering the hags workshop… some things in there were genuinely dangerous!

…Speaking of, the hag should have detected him entering, yet she was able to see how the wards the hag had placed seemingly eroded or were otherwise unresponsive as Ausar passed. Interesting… she could do the same of course, yet that was more reliant on this realm submitting to her and the fact she had thousands of years of practice.

The fact that he had neither and still managed to pull it off was… Impressive, if quite unbelievable. 

The walls around her shifted, as she simply used her control to make everything move out of her way as she emerged behind him- Currently he was ominously silhouetted by a glowing green cauldron of the densest form of necrotic energy she had ever laid eyes upon. 

…Her energy, as she came to realize. He was somehow sapping the necrotic energy of this dimension and refining it into the liquid before him. Alright… none of that.

Briefly ignoring the cauldron, she appeared over his shoulder expecting to give him a fright, while also dipping her hand into the toxic concoction and siphoning some of the energy back. "Well doesn't that look dangerous"

Yet as his glowing green eyes met her own, there was no response other than him releasing a breath of pure corrosive energy directly into her face. She smiled at the boldness and power of the attack- yet didn't hesitate to return it with one of her own. Her son was mature… yet for him to show no outward response? Something was off…

She knew that within this realm, death would not claim him… or rather, she wouldn't. So she decided to let loose a little with her attack- sending him flying into a nearby wall. Walking up to him, she began probing his energy with her own, slightly worried about his current state "Tsk tsk, I've taught you better than that… or have I?"

Probing further… no, who was this? She knew her son, his mannerisms, habits and energy signature. None of them fully matched whoever this was, and she had to suppress her gut instinct telling her to tear this imposter to shreds. Seeing him begin to open his mouth, she broke his jaw… no longer feeling charitable enough to allow another attack.

Turning his head from side to side, she was beginning to wonder if this was a golem of some sort, as the lack of reaction from what most would see as incredible pain was usually a good indicator of some sort of doll or automaton. But despite everything, he still possessed traits of her son… a warped version of his energy emanating from his body.

How confusing. "Who… are you?" She held him there while thinking about what this could be, and then it struck her… the second soul! A grin spread across her face "Ah I see… you're his other half then? Hahaha… I've been wondering if you were still around in there! Quite rambunctious aren't you?"

If so, then this was her son all the same! Similar to how Hathor and Sekhmet were two separate beings bound in a single body in the Egyptian pantheon! She had assumed the souls had long since combined into a single being- likened to how twins would occasionally consume the other within the womb.

But it wasn't so! He was clearly still active within Ausar… even if his actions and reactions were… worrying. Certain gods were born as nothing more than rabid beasts or unfeeling monsters- fit only to be unleashed upon a pantheon's enemies.

Her own reputation teetered upon that edge, yet that was more due to her sheer ability than any lack of thought or feeling. This facet of her son… it seemed almost machine-like, and obviously didn't share Ausars more bubbly personality.

What to do, what to do?

The vision the seers had seen around the birth of her son came to mind. As from the moment she heard it she thought of it as little more than another premonition of destruction among a sea of thousands… even despite her fathers thoughts on it possibly being the latter.

Despite his dormant domain of death, she knew he couldn't be responsible for what they had claimed… he was too pure, too uncorrupted and innocent. He was a ray of sunshine amid a life of blood and war. Even Odin was in agreement with her now, especially after the occasional visit he'd have to check upon him himself- only to see a happy grandchild who was very quickly turning into a prodigy. 

Were he to commit the acts the visions had foreseen, it sure as Hel wouldn't be while she was around!

…Sadly, though she may be right about Ausar… the same could not be said for this dark twin of his. She wasn't even sure she could claim it to be alive, as she detected no bodily functions coming from him, and while an ego was present, it felt ancient and destructive.

Every moment she spent thinking, was another moment where she felt it trying to reach into her mind and control her…

While it made her sad to lose another possible child the moment she met them, a single look into his eyes was all she'd needed to understand the only option left available to her… Odin would kill the boy instead of assist, as would most or all of Asgard.

…looks like she'd need the hags' help more than she thought.

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Granny (Angerboda) POV

*BOOM*

Of for the love of… What is that idiot doing at this hour?!

She'd been having a lovely sleep… up until an almighty rumble echoed throughout the castle, emanating from?... Is that her laboratory?!

As she made her way through the halls, she was able to pick up on the dense wave of bloodlust and necrotic energy… the very air being thick with enough of both to kill lesser beings upon contact…

Hurrying her steps, she decided to forego caution and simply started busting down walls in her way in an effort to reach whatever was causing this faster. Reaching the potions chamber, she was surprised and horrified to see a bloodied Ausar, and a despondent Hela holding him.

"WHAT HAPPENED?!" She started looking around the room, enraged at the thought of someone harming her grandson. She quickly went to the side of Hela, getting ready to heal him to the best of her ability, yet the moment she got near… she stopped upon catching sight of his eyes.

Her surroundings briefly went dark, as a chill invaded her body, and all she could see was a pair of glowing green pupils watching her from a distance, unintelligible whispers at the edge of her perception. Years of training allowed her to shrug off the invasion of her psyche in less than a second, but the chill remained… 

What… was that? Hela looked up at her then, sadness and determination echoing from her words "You understand now right?... What he would do if this part of him were discovered?"

Part of him? Was he…?

She looked down at the boy again, this time avoiding his eyes. She felt no anger, no hatred… just frustration… and an all consuming obsession for destruction and death. Ausar was in there somewhere… yet right now he was overshadowed by… whatever this was. Domains and Godhoods could influence a being… sometimes even overtake them leaving nothing but a mindless creature beholden to their power.

This thing… whatever it was, was akin to another personality- wholly consumed by… death? Destruction? Bloodshed? 

She didn't know which was more apt… for all felt fitting. Maybe even… she thought back on the words of the seers, of those twisted visions which showed such a tragic end to all… 

Almost like… Extinction? She shuddered at both the thought… and realization of how perfectly it described this being's thirst for death.

…Yes, she understood. About how her ex-husband would react to such a sight. For far less she had been cast out and forgotten… for this? No less than death and a cleansing of the records would be utilized.

Hela spoke then, barely above a whisper which transformed into a yell "Seal this part away… he cannot know… EVER!" 

Hesitating only for a moment, she scoured the wrecked room for ingredients and catalysts, no expense would be spared… yet even then it may not last more than a few centuries, perhaps dooming reality to that horrific end they all feared. 

Her rational mind told her not to help in this madness… to destroy this creature before it could grow further. But she wasn't like Odin… she wouldn't abandon her family because of a little prophecy… 

…Still, If there is a being up above who looks down upon us now… please have mercy upon us… and this child. 

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??? POV

An old man with cracked skin and oily hair watched on from afar as glowing runes were plastered over the restrained form of a child, flanking him stood a cloaked figure looking upon the scene in awe.

"Probability is a fickle thing… a pebble here, an ant there… all seem inconsequential when viewed as a whole, yet move them just a tad?..."

He watched as the end that had yet to be, became the possibility that had never become reality.

"…And suddenly you have a kaleidoscope of new possibilities… all equally real and not at once. What happens from here is anyone's guess." 

From looking at the soul's memories, he had seen how this… genre? Is usually done. With gifts and advantages bestowed upon those granted a second chance… Well, this was the second boon of three… a chance to avoid that wretched possibility which was all but set in stone.

He spared a glance at the now sleeping child as the glowing runes faded from his body… "Make the most of it kid… You'll need it."