American Comics: Heaven's Reward

The incident at Kamar-Taj did not attract attention from the outside world. They could not peer into the world of magic.

However, there was one place that was different.

Asgard, Bifrost.

Heimdall detected a powerful and uncontrolled energy fluctuation coming from Earth. He saw Kamar-Taj. He saw the Phoenix Force in a strange state.

But he could not see what was happening within the flames. The various forces within blocked his sight, preventing him from observing the scene. Despite his efforts, Heimdall could not break through the barriers.

This made Heimdall uneasy. Although he didn't have the omniscience the world believed, he knew Kamar-Taj wasn't one of the usual places he could peer into.

When Aaron was in the Mirror Space, he was indeed invisible. But Heimdall knew that the Mutant, Jean Grey, whom Odin had specifically asked him to keep an eye on, was there. And Aaron was there too.

"Is this the Phoenix—the force at the beginning of all things, as the All-Father described?" Heimdall thought. "Such an evil force, full of death and destruction!"

The Phoenix Force represents life and emotion, but the Dark Phoenix is its opposite—its power of darkness. If the host can truly control it, they can achieve its real form. But no one really knew if this was possible. There are so few successful cases; the probability of success is too low.

Heimdall didn't know the exact details, but he could feel the immense destructive power within the Dark Phoenix. Its strength was undeniable.

"Aaron should be there too... I need to inform the All-Father immediately."

Odin had once instructed Heimdall to keep a close watch on Aaron and Jean. He had asked Heimdall to report any unusual events without delay. Now, with this happening, Heimdall immediately thought of Odin.

Without hesitation, Heimdall scanned the area, saw nothing unusual, and rushed to the city.

When news reached Odin that the Phoenix had erupted in Kamar-Taj, he had the expression of someone who had expected this outcome.

When he had fallen asleep before, he had feared that Asgard would be in danger from such a volatile force. It now seemed his fears had been justified. If the Phoenix erupted in Asgard, even if Odin forcibly suppressed it, it would drain a great deal of his energy.

But considering his current state, this would be a terrifying situation.

"However..." Odin mused. "Aaron has grown to this level faster than I expected."

Odin had once thought Aaron would eventually grow into a powerful god of magic, but he hadn't anticipated such rapid progress. In just a year, there had been many disturbances on Earth.

He remembered the last time Heimdall reported, mentioning a trace of demonic power. Though it was strange that Midgard showed signs of such forces, Odin no longer found it odd when he considered Kamar-Taj. They often dealt with dimensional beings, so it wasn't impossible for them to occasionally encounter demons or followers of a particular lord.

But Odin did wonder if sending Aaron to Kamar-Taj was truly the right choice.

Indeed, Aaron's magical abilities had advanced quickly. But perhaps too quickly. And with Heimdall unable to track him for so long, no one really knew how far Aaron had progressed.

Odin didn't know either. The only thing they could be sure of was that Aaron's strength was now far beyond what it had been when he first left.

"The magic of the people at Kamar-Taj... Forget it. He's an Asgardian, and as long as he doesn't walk down the same path as that other one, it will be fine for Thor."

Odin didn't dwell on Aaron further. His arrangement for him was, in part, to prevent him from overshadowing Thor, but also to keep him from following in Hela's footsteps.

Hela had once been Odin's favorite child. She had inherited the God Bloodline perfectly. Odin had believed she was another version of himself, but he later realized she was even more brutal than he could have imagined. Once she became the queen of the gods, endless slaughter would follow. She even embarked on the path of patricide.

Now, Odin saw incredible magical abilities in Aaron, and some hidden dangers with Loki. For a ruler, any hidden danger must be dealt with.

With Loki gone, Thor was on the right path, and Jotunheim had no reason to plot against Asgard—they were leaderless and disorganized.

In comparison, the true problem was the fire titan of Muspelheim, Surtur. He still dreamed of taking the Eternal Flame after the destruction of Bifrost. Surtur had been sharpening his sword, preparing to attack Asgard.

Therefore, Surtur had to be dealt with.

But who was the best to handle that? And how should they deal with the Phoenix?

While Odin hesitated, the battle between Aaron and the Dark Phoenix in Kamar-Taj reached its climax.

The Dark Phoenix fought fiercely, turning the tide of battle. She quickly gained the upper hand.

But Aaron was resolute. Faced with the berserk Dark Phoenix, he did his best to counter her while also using his energy to form a protective shield around them, preventing the Phoenix from spiraling further out of control.

Despite her strong will, Jean, as the host, had been worn down in previous battles. No matter how determined she was, she couldn't reverse the fatigue her body had accumulated. The Phoenix Force was soon overwhelmed again, and Aaron continued his relentless assault.

Thanks to his enhanced atomic recombination magic, Aaron could resist the disintegrating force of the Phoenix. Moreover, the vast energy reserves of the Heavenly Father kept him from running out of power during the battle.

At this moment, Aaron truly displayed the strength of a god in his prime.

As powerful as the Dark Phoenix was, there was only one way for her to lose in the end.

A reluctant look flashed across her face, but exhaustion took over. She was too young!

Charles' mental shield was still in effect, and the Dark Phoenix's consciousness had not fully awakened. Additionally, she struggled to control her energy and had already exhausted much of her strength.

She couldn't defeat Aaron.

Suddenly, the Dark Phoenix's eyes glowed with an animalistic hunger. Aaron had seen that look before, even within himself. It was greed.

The Dark Phoenix not only craved the rawest form of combat, but also desired his energy.

Having been imprisoned for so long, the Dark Phoenix was instinctively hungry for energy. She sought to absorb Aaron's to restore herself.

Despite the last-ditch effort to distance herself from him, Aaron didn't hold back. He constructed a barrier between them and blocked the Phoenix's advances.

Her desire unfulfilled, the Dark Phoenix went into a frenzy.

She vented her destructive energy wildly.

Her desire to destroy everything in front of her, except Aaron, was overwhelming.

Dark Phoenix had a volatile temperament. Although she had appeared almost simultaneously with Jean, her consciousness had developed slowly due to Charles' imprisonment, resembling a rebellious child. The more she was denied, the more she wanted to do it.

The energy balance Aaron and Jean had established earlier began to crumble.

Upon the Dark Phoenix's awakening, destruction followed. Aaron held her at bay with his own energy, but the Phoenix Force continued to surge uncontrollably.

In a desperate effort to break free, the Dark Phoenix exploded, sending shockwaves that sent bricks and debris flying.

Using the cover of the chaos, she soared into the air. If given enough time, her strength would increase, and she would be even more dangerous.

But Aaron reacted faster than she expected. He grabbed her ankle and pulled her back down, forcing her to the ground. He then held her wrists firmly against her head, pinning her feet to the ground, despite her frantic efforts to break free.

As the Dark Phoenix's power began to wane, Jean found the strength to wrest control back from her. The two struggled, but in the end, the Dark Phoenix lost.

With Aaron's continued support, the Dark Phoenix's energy was drained, and the pressure on the outside world began to ease.

All the magicians defending Kamar-Taj felt the Phoenix Force weakening.

"Is it him? As expected, he has a way to stop the Phoenix from going berserk," the Ancient One observed, feeling relief wash over her.

While she trusted Aaron's abilities and the future she foresaw, even she knew the dangers of the Phoenix Force. No one could guarantee its suppression—not even Aaron.

But now, with the Phoenix weakening, the Ancient One smiled.

It had worked.

When Jean regained full control of her body, she was weak physically and mentally, but she still stepped forward, offering gratitude despite being trapped.

"That personality... is she gone?" Jean asked, her voice full of relief and gratitude.

She, of all people, knew how terrifying that power was.

But Aaron had succeeded where even she could not.

"Not yet," Aaron replied, shaking his head. He let go of her and helped her up. "After I absorbed much of her strength, she realized she couldn't break free. For now, she'll return to your subconscious and rest."

Seeing Jean's worried expression, Aaron comforted her.

"Don't worry. She hasn't disappeared, but she's drained much of her energy. The danger is greatly reduced. You now have a chance to control the power, even surpassing a god!"

Aaron wasn't lying. While Jean never fully mastered the Phoenix Force in the movies, she had in the comics. She had transformed into the White Phoenix, the most powerful form among Phoenix Force hosts.

If she followed the previous path, mastering it would have seemed impossible. But with Aaron's help, it wasn't.

Jean hesitated but saw the conviction in Aaron's eyes. She didn't want to repeat the mistakes of the past—destroying the world and hurting Aaron.

Taking a deep breath, she nodded, her voice firm. "I'll do my best."

Aaron smiled and, taking her hand, looked around at the wreckage of Kamar-Taj.

With a wave of his hand, countless energies converged and reconstructed the entire city.

Had it not been for the rubble, no one would have known that Kamar-Taj had just faced an existential crisis.

The Ancient One instructed the magicians to clean up the battlefield before approaching Aaron and Jean.

Jean smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I never thought it would come to this."

The Ancient One smiled and shook her head. "It's not your fault. You were a victim here. No one was harmed."

Aaron, ever the pragmatist, spoke. "Sorcerer Supreme, can I ask for more assistance?"

The Ancient One looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"I need more energy!" Aaron said.

The battle had taken an indescribable toll on him. The Phoenix Force was beyond imagination, and Aaron had lost more energy than he gained trying to defeat the Dark Phoenix.