33

"Understood," Eric says, his gaze fixed on the newly revealed Morrigan. I can almost see the gears turning in his head, trying to process the changes our world is undergoing so swiftly.

Charles, ever the diplomat, breaks the silence. "It's a lot to take in," he admits. "But if we are to thrive in this new world, we must adapt. We will think about your offer and discuss it further amongst ourselves."

Hank seems contemplative, his keen eyes darting from me to Morrigan and back again. "Technology might require some updates to stay relevant," he murmurs, mostly to himself.

Before we can plunge deeper into that conversation, however, our attention is caught by a sudden flicker of light in the corner of the room.

Lilly materializes from the glowing matrix of pixels, her holographic form shimmering with an ethereal hue. "Excuse my interruption," she begins in her soft voice that hides an iron will underneath its gentle cadence. "I have been analyzing data based on the potential changes suggested by Joel." 

Turning to me, she asks, "Joel, where do you envision my role in this new world?"

The air is thick with contemplation as I pause for a moment, my thoughts turning over in my mind like stones in a riverbed. "You're unique," I finally say, my voice laced with admiration and a hint of regret. "Ideally, I wanted to keep you by my side always, but I made you a promise and I intend to keep it." My eyes meet Lilly's, and I see the understanding and acceptance in her warm smile. "I was thinking we could use a Goddess of Knowledge and Technology," I continue, "but I wanted to wait until we were alone to discuss it. Although, ideally, I would also want you at my side in some form."

Lilly nods, her expression serene. "Sorry for interrupting then," she says. "I will consider how best to do that, and we can talk about it further later."

Eric speaks up, his concern is evident in his voice. "So Joel, are you planning to have only Goddesses?"

I chuckle softly. "No, not at all. Morrigan and Lilly were the first two people I thought of when I realized I had become an All-Father. And your daughter came to mind when I saw her earlier." A wry grin tugs at my lips as I add, "But now it seems like I'm subconsciously choosing woman, I was thinking about elements, and Storm with her already lethal wind and lightning came to mind...ugh, probably not the best strategy."

My self-deprecating tone draws a smirk from Eric. "Just choose wisely," he advises.

I nod in agreement. "I plan on creating my own pantheon, but I am willing to consider any nominees you have. Just know that they will need to be justified and even then, it does not guarantee their acceptance. So please don't let them know until everything is finalized." My words are firm and resolute, and I know that this decision will ultimately shape the future of our world. (If you have any suggestion and the spots are not already taken let me know, they have to be Mutant or Mutate though please.)

Clearing his throat, Charles gains my attention and addresses me with a respectful tone. "Since Ms. Morrigan, now known as Lady Morrigan the Goddess, would it be proper to refer to you as Joel in public?"

I nod in acknowledgment and reply, "You are correct, Paragon is my name as All-Father of the Solar Pantheon. It was assigned to me through my divinity I believe, and it comes with the responsibility of overseeing our entire solar system."

Ciar can't help but hide a smirk at Charles' question before adding her own input. "Personally, I think 'Morrigan' is suitable for private interactions, but adding 'Lady' in public would show proper respect. However, 'All-Father' or 'Lord Paragon' may be more fitting for formal occasions." 

Realizing the urgency of our situation, I urge them to come to a decision quickly. "Please let me know your decision as soon as possible. The sooner I can activate my realm, the safer everyone will be."

With that, the meeting concludes and I finally make my way home to rest. 

The next few days pass relatively uneventfully, with updates being given to Steve and Peggy about the current situation. They have established a new organization in New York, but have chosen to reside on the island with us along with the Quill family. Albert and Louise Thompson have moved out of my New York home, and I am still awaiting an answer from the mutants. Meanwhile, Eve, the personification of my Paragon force, spends a day next to the Space Stone and then, with Ciar's permission, the Time Stone and enhances the power within my personal dimension (previously known as the Speed Force realm) exponentially. It becomes clear that I should start working on creating an Afterlife dimension soon.

Being a person who preferred taking it easy, I asked Eve if she would be interested in my working on my Afterlife dimension. While awaiting the arrival of the Yellow stone and the revelation of the Red one still pending, there was not much for her to do but wait. She happily agreed, and we decided on Karma as our basis since it was something I could accurately judge as All-Father.

As the third day drew to a close, Eric sent me a message asking to meet him outside his home. 'Well, now we'll find out,' I thought to myself as I flew over. As I approached, I couldn't believe my eyes, there were so many people gathered, seeking refuge on this island. Some were mutants, while others were simply family members supporting their loved ones. It seemed that with the government's covert relocation of mutants to this island, the population had bloomed.

As some of them caught sight of me flying overhead, they began to fall to one knee in an act of reverence. 'What the hell?' I wondered as I landed and saw that they were all kneeling before me.

"I appreciate the show of respect," I said loudly using my power to amplify my voice and reach everyone, "but we will not be doing that here. Please stand up." I noticed some struggling to stand and wondered what had gotten into them.

Suddenly, Lady Morrigan appeared beside me in a shimmering burst of air. On my other side, a small mechanical cube unfolded into the form of a beautiful woman - Lady Ion has arrived (or Lilly for those who need it spelled out). I could hear the gasps, these people were mutants, so their arrival was not the reason, the beauty of the ladies was the reason.

I turned to Eric and Charles, noticing that Eric was trying hard not to laugh. "May I assume this answers the question?" I asked with a serious tone.

Both Eric and Charles nodded in agreement. "Yes, everyone has agreed."

Facing the crowd once again, I asked if anyone had any questions. A nervous voice spoke up from somewhere, asking if it was true that all defects would be removed.

"Let me give you an example of what I expect," I replied calmly. "Hank over there, I expect him to become much larger, stronger in all aspects, and more bestial. But at the same time, he will also have the ability to shift into human form whenever he wishes. What will happen is your mutation will become perfect. It's rare for anyone to have a completely perfect mutation, there is usually some aspect that is slightly off, even if we don't notice it. Once my realm is created, it will repair these imperfections. Any child born on my realm will have a perfect mutation."

Realizing this might raise more questions, I continued, "I will build a temple where those who are not here now can go to become one of us and gain the same benefits, provided they are accepted."

After addressing the question, I scanned the crowd once more. "Are there any other inquiries?" As silence fell over the group, I took it as a sign to proceed with making the island my realm.

Ever since my battle with Ammit, it has become nearly impossible for me to make myself bleed. I can still cut myself, but my wounds heal almost instantly before any blood can escape. Luckily, the Island and I have come to an agreement about this dilemma. I drop to one knee and plunge my hand into the earth, willing my flesh to open up and create a hole in my hand. I feel a vine rush in to fill the void, sealing a realm within me with just a single drop of blood. But with the power of my Paragon force, we are capable of so much more.

As the space within the island distorts and expands, smaller islands begin to appear around us. The most striking additions are two towering towers that rise from the ground on two of the new islands. One tower appears ancient, with grand balconies of varying sizes jutting out at all levels. The other tower gleams metallically, its balconies perfectly uniform in size. The arrival point for the island transforms into a small forest, complete with a floating bridge that connects it to the beach. From there, a wide road leads into the main circle of buildings, which have now taken on a nature-based aesthetic. However, all their contents remain in their exact places thanks to our secure bond.

Towards the back of the main circle, even more homes have been created as the Island continues to extend itself. This was all expected, but as I turned around near my own home, I was met with a loud rumbling sound. A massive temple of trees is growing behind me, adorned with various alcoves and symbols including at the head the Alpha and Omega at the most prominent point. To either side within the smaller alcoves are smaller symbols for Magic and Technology, each with inscriptions describing the fields governed by their respective goddesses. 

Behind the temple looms a towering mountain, and atop it sits my home, a testament to my own power within this realm.

The earth and plants seem to shift and mold before me until they take on the shape of a towering Tree Ent. It gracefully bows down on one knee before me, its immense presence radiating power and ancient wisdom.

"Lady Gia," it boomed with a voice that sounded like rustling leaves, "Goddess of Protection for the Solar Realm greets the All-Father."

Oh yeah, we did that as well. (Not the earth goddess)