Chapter Text
Be the Change
In a place unreachable to all but a select few, there stood a figure of immense power. This being had long watched over countless universes through an intricate web of interconnected individuals. Each was endowed with amazing gifts that allowed them to shape the world around them. Whether they chose to be good or bad was usually determined by loss and sacrifice. Traits that defined their entire lives to various degrees. A loving uncle here, a caring friend there, and other times a loyal lover. Each experience pushes his totems to the greatest of heights and the lowest of lows.
As he considered the web, he couldn’t help but despair at the unfairness that so many of them faced. He never intended for them to suffer when he decided to make them his totems. Despite creating the system of totems, he was not the creator of the Web of Life and Destiny. The forging of the web was done by the Great Weaver Neith, whose plans were a mystery to him. She allowed him to create his totems and bestow powers, but she never let them exist without a price to preserve her balance. At times, he wanted to demand answers from her, but even with all his power, he was still lesser in the end. He was Anansi. A weaver in his own right and a trickster with few equals, but he was still minuscule when compared to the Elder Goddess.
So here he stands, watching over his totems. Wondering how he could make sure at least one of them lived a fulfilling life. He knew that it would be impossible to protect them from strife completely, but tipping the scales should be well within his abilities.
As he continues to mull over the possibilities at his fingertips, he is suddenly enveloped in the bright, glowing arms of a being he knows all too well. Turning his head, he stares into the flaming orbs of a guardian of life…the Phoenix. While both of them favored a human facade, he chose to appear fully covered in black robes with only glowing, pupil-less eyes visible to onlookers. Phoenix chose to use the curvaceous form of one of her past vessels, but completely made out of cosmic fire.
“My dear Anansi, why do you despair? Do you not enjoy watching your mortals move about?”
“For a time I did, but I have grown weary of it.”
“What could have caused such a change, dearest Anansi? You have always taken such pride in their accomplishments. No matter how meager some may be.”
“Those accomplishments sustained me for many millennia, but seeing the similar fates that many of them have endured has grown taxing.”
Resting her fiery head upon his shoulder, Phoenix sighed in exasperation. “You care far too much for such fleeting beings. Their existences are brief by design. They should not impact your being so deeply.”
“I’m afraid I can’t detach my feelings from them in the same way you have done with your numerous vessels.”
“A shame. Enjoying the time that you have with them would be much simpler without those feelings. Living as or within a worthy vessel is a pleasure all on its own.”
Anansi considers her words for a moment. It had been so long since he allowed himself to exist on the mortal plane. He hadn’t truly thought about doing so in such a long time. Maybe that was how he could change the fate of one of his totems.
His attention was pulled back to Phoenix when she turned his face so that they could look into each other's eyes. “It displeases me to be ignored by you, my dear Anansi.”
“I apologize, Phoenix. I was only considering the idea you just gave me.”
“Oh? What spark of inspiration did I bestow upon thee?”
“Living within a host.”
“Ah. So you will finally venture down once more. I’m glad.”
“Yes, I will. For once, a totem will have a life more than unrelenting altruism.”
“So empathetic. Do you have one in mind?”
Turning away from her, he gazes at the endless possibilities before him. This totem would replace the recently deceased center of the web. Becoming the heart of the as it were. In a normal situation, this individual would follow the same trend as the ones who came before them.
Grow up with loving relatives after losing their parents. Lead the life of an intelligent but introverted child who would have everything changed by a single modified spider. This Spider would serve as the connecting thread to the web's powers, imbuing them with the abilities of his predecessors. Then several immediate tragedies, followed by a short life committed to unwavering altruism. Regardless of how little appreciation they received from the world around them. Before finally succumbing to death's embrace after a heroic sacrifice.
A tragic unsung hero through and through.
But what if it didn’t have to be that way? What if, instead of the unsung hero archetype, this central totem wasn’t defined by his ability to overcome tragedy? A spider that was able to experience all the good things that life could offer. Not bathed in guilt and grief, but forged through devotion, love, and loyalty.
Scanning through the possible combinations, he found just the one he was looking for.
“Ah, so you are going to choose one so similar to my perfect vessel. Mutants offer such tantalizing adaptability.”
“Yes, Phoenix. This one will naturally have all the powers of my other totems, along with the potential to eclipse them all. The prejudice that the mutant kind faces will hopefully satisfy Neith enough not to interfere.”
“Ah, the old Weaver. Such an odd one she is.”
“Quite. This Totem will also be able to access the web's powers through me as they grow older. Giving them access to powers that none of my other totems have ever experienced”
“You are really going above and beyond, my dear. You really want to change things, don’t you?” Phoenix asks while stroking his cheek.
“Just once, I would like to see a life of more than suffering for one of my totems.” He says with a far-away look.
“Then it’s only right that I’m a part of it.” She says with finality.
Anansi turns to her with a questioning look, causing her to let out an uncharacteristic snort, “Did you expect me to let you experience your first host without me? You know me better than that, my dear.”
“Do you have a vessel available?”
“Of course. Young Jean Grey is a few years older, but they should meet soon enough given their shared mutant status. Even sooner, if we can agree to force the issue.”
“I intend to act as a guide and confidant within my totem’s head. The choices he makes will be his own.”
“You're no fun. I suppose it will be up to me to facilitate our reunion then.”
“Just don’t cause issues for the two of us. There are those who will not appreciate our meddling. I would hate for my first foray into the mortal realm in so long to end prematurely.”
“Don’t worry, my dear Anansi, I will only push my vessel towards a romantic relationship with yours. Nothing too complicated.” Phoenix responds innocently.
“That’s one of the least innocent ways you could meddle,” Anansi says with a deadpan.
“Too bad, my dear. I will not abide by the possibility of you being taken by another. You have been mine for quite some time, and nothing is going to change that.”
“You realize that I am not going to be in control, right? My totem will have full autonomy over their life. Who they decide to engage with is a choice they will make for themselves. Unless they are actively hurting themselves, I will likely offer no opinions on the subject.”
“Of course, I am aware of such things, Anansi. But our presence within our host will influence them more than you know. I imagine your particular personality will embed itself in several ways. Not to mention your…physical gifts will develop if your host turns out to be a male as I predict.”
“Your carnal appetite is absurd.”
“Only for you, Anansi. Only for you.”
“I’m fairly certain I can recall several of your past hosts developing their own relationships.”
“I merely observed in those cases. My meddling then was more about getting them to use my power. I didn’t care who they fornicated with, but that will not be the same with this one.”
“And if my totem is not a male?”
“I am nothing if not adaptable.” She says with a smirk.
“Of course you are,” He responds while shaking his head.
“Now let’s figure out the details. I want to make use of the remaining time we have on less complicated pursuits.”
From there, the two higher beings devolved into conspiratorial whispers as they planned their upcoming entrance into the mortal realm. Unaware that another was watching them with keen interest.
Pulling back from her observation, the Elder Goddess Neith was ruminating on the actions of the lesser spider god. It had always amused her that Anansi was so attached to his totems. They were, after all, only mortals, not worthy of such devotion from their betters. She did not harbor malice toward the mortal world, but beyond creating her web, she saw no reason to consider them further. Sure, she made it so Anansi’s totems experienced strife, but that was just a way to maintain the balance. Not something born out of malice. It would not do well for one of them to grow far beyond their station. There were enough universal and celestial beings interested as is. She saw no reason to invite the curiosity of more.
She was tempted to let Phoenix and Anansi play their games uninhibited, but that would be no fun. Instead, she decided to introduce a wildcard.
She had recently become aware that her fellow Elder God, Chthon, was planning to meddle in the affairs of a powerful mutant's child. He seemed to be planning to alter her mutation with his chaos power in the hopes of creating a worthy vessel. Normally, her desire to maintain the balance would make her feel disapproval, but it could actually work in her favor.
If she weaved the right threads, the new child of chaos could meet with Anansi's new totem well before the Phoenix’s vessel had a chance. The potential turmoil between the three could offset some of their meddling. Thus, maintaining a level of balance that would satisfy her sensibilities.
Smiling to herself, she began weaving a thread of fate that would surely lead to some excitement. She couldn’t help but laugh mockingly when she thought about how shocked they would be when their plans didn’t quite turn out the way they wanted.
August 10th, 1996
In a nondescript room inside White Plains Hospital in New York lay a heavily pregnant woman in the process of giving birth.
Tightly gripping her husband's hand, she proceeds to push with great effort at her doctor’s commands. Doing everything she could to bring her baby into the world.
After nearly twelve hours of continuous labor, it finally seemed like she had drawn near to giving birth to her first child.
“Push, Mrs. Parker; I can see the head.” The attending doctor ordered.
“You are doing great, honey. Just a bit more.” Her husband says while rubbing the back of her hand.
“Ahhhhh…huff…huff…you…huff…are having the next one, Richard!” Mary Parker manages to get out through her straining.
“Whatever you want, honey.” The aforementioned Richard Parker says while trying to soothe his wife.
“Just one more big push, Mrs. Parker.” A nurse chimes in.
Mary releases a series of grunts and moans before she finally manages to push out their baby. After cutting away the umbilical cord, the doctor and nurses begin examining the child. Noting that it was a boy, they were surprised by the lack of sound. As they continued to examine him, he opened his eyes, and they were struck by the bright red orbs staring up at them. There was intelligence behind his eyes that newborns should not possess. Deciding that the parents had waited long enough, the doctor spoke up.
Deciding that the parents had waited long enough, the doctor spoke up,
“It’s a boy, Mrs. Parker.”
“Did you hear that, Mary? A boy! You just brought a beautiful baby boy into the world!”
Mary smiles exhaustively at her husband before noticing the distinct lack of cries emanating from her child. Panic immediately rose, “What’s wrong, Doctor? Why isn’t he making any noises?”
“Calm down, Mrs. Parker. Everything is fine. Your boy is remarkably aware right now. He has been looking at us with curiosity the whole time. I’m guessing he doesn’t have a reason to cry right now.”
“Please let me see him.” Mary almost begs.
Walking over to her, the nurse gently places the infant in his mother’s waiting arms.
Mary immediately holds him close and starts looking at every inch of him. Noting that he already has a nice head of dark brown hair, she is stunned by the unique pair of eyes. Instead of the dark brown of her and her husband, her son’s eyes are bright red. It also seemed they might emit an eerie glow if the room were dark enough.
“Richard! Look at his eyes. I’ve never seen a shade like this before.” Mary says while pointing insistently.
Listening to his wife, Richard leans over and looks into his son’s unique eyes, “They’re beautiful, honey.”
“I know love. Why didn’t you tell us, Doctor?”
“We just wanted you to see for yourself, Mrs. Parker.”
“Oh, ok. Thank you for letting us have such a nice surprise.”
After helping them get situated and filing the proper paperwork for the newly named ‘Peter Benjamin Parker,’ the doctor and nurses convinced the couple to rest.
Later that Night
Several members of the hospital staff were gathered, observing Peter asleep with varying expressions.
“Have you ever seen a newborn with eyes like that? It’s unnatural!” A middle-aged woman says nervously.
“I bet he’s one of those mutants my cousin was telling me about! I can’t think of any other explanation.” A younger male says, sneering.
“Don’t talk about an innocent child like that. We have no way of knowing what caused it right now. Don’t stigmatize a newborn with your discriminatory thoughts.” An older doctor said, while coming upon the group.
“But sir! When have you ever seen a child with eyes like his?”
“There are rare cases of people being born with unique eye colors like this. People born with Albinism tend to possess red eyes like his. Now away with you! Get back to work!”
Seeing them scuttle away, the doctor takes a moment to look at the child, but a sudden unease prompts him to leave the room as well.
As soon as everyone is gone, a dark figure emerges from the shadows and approaches the baby. Looking down at the now-wide-awake infant, there is a pair of identical eyes.
“Don’t pay them any mind, young one. You are going to be more special than any of them can possibly imagine. I expect you will exceed even my own expectations.” The now-identifiable Anansi says, reaching down to grasp one of the infant's tiny hands.
“Being a mutant will be both a gift and a curse throughout your life, but I am certain you will learn to accept it. Whenever you are in doubt, I will be there to provide support. Soon enough, you will be able to communicate with me anytime you want. I look forward to our future together, my totem.” Placing a hand on the infant’s forehead, Anansi disperses into a multitude of glowing orbs that shoot into Peter’s head. For a few brief moments, Peter’s eyes glowed even brighter.
Right after the glow dissipated, a nurse walked in and checked on the baby. Seeing that he was awake and smiling, she started cooing, “Don’t you have just the cutest little smile! I bet you will break so many hearts when you grow up! Let's get you a little bit of formula.”
She had no way of knowing how well her bet would have cashed if certain possessive individuals hadn’t laid claim to his future.
At the same time, Anansi was making his move, a little redheaded girl was sleeping fitfully under the watchful eyes of her parents. Their daughter Jean had recently suffered immense pain after suddenly alighting in brilliant flames. They were helpless to help her as the flames burned brighter, taking the shape of a bird before extinguishing. After calming down their hysterical child, they lulled her to sleep. Unfortunately, such an issue was not completely out of place. Despite only being four years old, Jean had demonstrated abilities that baffled them. Mind reading and moving objects had become a regular occurrence in their household. They had been struggling to help with this aspect of her when they were visited by a kindly gentleman in a wheelchair who introduced himself as Professor Xavier, accompanied by his gruff companion, Logan.
The two had informed the family that Jean had the mutant/X gene. An anomaly in the human genome that caused bearers to develop an untold number of abilities. Their daughter was not only considered a mutant, but her gifts were so strong that they put her in the upper echelon of their rank. To further prove his sincerity, he revealed that he and Logan were also mutants.
After explaining everything, the professor offered Jean a place to learn at the school he was starting. There she would learn to understand and control her mutant abilities in a safe environment.
Despite the benefits, neither parent was willing to send their daughter away at such a young age. They declined the offer at the time and planned to do whatever it took to accommodate her abilities. Unfortunately, this new development was something they weren’t sure they could withstand.
No matter how much it hurt, they were going to have to call Professor Xavier.
Stroking their daughter's shivering form, they were unaware that within her mind, a fiery bird was pleased to have another vessel once again.
On the other side of the world, an event similar to those being experienced by Peter and Jean was happening to another.
A child of similar age to Jean was covered in scarlet energy as items appeared and disappeared around her.
At only the age of three, Wanda Maximoff had seen her fair share of exciting things. Most of them involved her twin Pietro, but there was a tall, serious man in a fancy helmet who watched them from time to time and had strange powers as well. While Pietro was very fast, the man was able to move metal objects. She only found out about this after he got furious at some of the other members of their camp. Their parents never talked about him, but she had noticed they were uneasy when he was present.
Her life within the small Romani camp was simple, but she had begun to feel extremely lonely. Her only companion was her twin Pietro. She loved him dearly, but longed for the company of others. She had attempted to make friends with other children in the camp, but they were not receptive. It was confusing, but she ultimately gave up trying after her third attempt.
Coming back to the situation at hand, she wasn’t sure why she was encased in this energy. To her knowledge, only Pietro could do special things. She had always hoped to have something like him, but it had never happened. Now that she did, it was quite jarring to the young girl.
While moving her hands and seeing that this power seemed to respond to her, she missed the approaching footsteps.
Standing above her was the same man with the metal helmet that had been watching her. “Don’t be alarmed, child. I am not here to harm you.” He says smoothly in Romani.
“Who are you, Mr?” She asks while subtly edging away.
“I am someone intimately connected with your existence.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that you and your brother would not be here without me.”
“But how? Mother and Father are our parents. How can you be like them?”
Scoffing at being compared to such a lesser species, He responds, “We are not the same. They are merely your caretakers. I am your father.”
Wanda looks at him with shock as Pietro appears at her side. “Then why don't we live with you?” She says after a brief pause.
“Because I only found out that you were born a short time ago. Your mother and I had a brief relationship. She left before I found out she was pregnant. You came into the care of her relatives after she passed.”
As more information is revealed to her, Wanda begins to spiral. Weren’t her parents her parents? Why would they not tell her? Why is this man only now telling her? He had been watching them for months.
While she was going through a mental crisis, her power was flaring out rapidly in powerful bursts. Objects ceased to exist, sporadic explosions occurred all around them, and her eyes began to glow brighter as she grew more distressed.
After a nearby tent exploded, Pietro grabbed her arm, “Sister, please! You have to calm down!” He pleads.
Looking into the fearful eyes of her twin, Wanda takes a breath and shows a level of control that should not be possible for someone who has just found out they have power.
As the energy dissipates and her eyes return to normal, she sees the man claiming to be her father looking at her with approval.
“You have a remarkable amount of power, child. With the right training, you will grow into an exceptional mutant.”
“Mutant?”
The man’s mouth twitches upward slightly before he reaches out his hands to the twin children. “Come. It's time you learned what makes you better than all those around you.”
Wanda hesitates at his words. Could she really leave the home she had known her entire life? While they weren’t her birth parents, they had loved and cared for her and Pietro. Was it not wrong to abandon them?
Instead of following her lead, Pietro zips to next to the man claiming to be their father instantly before looking at her expectantly. Whatever doubts she had, there was no way she would leave her brother.
Walking over, she grabs the outstretched hand and lets herself be led out of the camp.
“You made the right choice, children. The future will be greater than you can possibly imagine.”
In a secluded estate, a bald, wheelchair-bound man was sitting in a large technological chamber. He was wearing a specialized helmet that connected him to an advanced machine called ‘Cerebro’.
This man was Charles Xavier, and he was using the machine to amplify his telepathic mutant ability. Currently, he was swapping between three separate children. The oldest among them was four-year-old Jean Grey, who was also a very powerful telepath. Xavier had known about her for some time now, but she was currently experiencing something extraordinary. An entity of immense power had just attached itself to her. Xavier was focused on that when two other signals appeared.
One such individual was the daughter of his former friend Erik Lehnsherr. He was unaware that his friend even had a child, but it turned out he actually had twins. The relationship between the two men was fractured by their conflicting beliefs, yet they still communicated at times. Charles wasn’t sure why Erik had chosen to reveal his children to him, but he believed it was likely a precaution. While both children registered on Cerebro as mutants, the girl’s gene wasn’t active. That changed tonight as he was able to pick up massive power readings from the girl. He was sure that Erik would be pleased with the new development and expected him to acquire the children.
The last child appeared to have been born that very day, and it was clear he was a powerful mutant. Similar to Jean, an unknown entity had attached itself to him.
Three simultaneous power spikes were something that couldn’t be a coincidence. He was sure that the three of them were connected in some way.
Realizing that there was nothing he could do about it tonight, he removed the helmet and deactivated Cerebro.
Exiting the chamber, he encounters one of his oldest friends, James Logan Howlett, otherwise known as the ‘Wolverine’. Nodding towards the man, the two began making their way back to the mansion.
“Something happened in there, Chuck.” It wasn’t a question—merely an observation from a man who had learned to read him long ago.
“Things are going to get much more complicated in the future, Logan. Young Jean has gained an unknown passenger with untold power, while Eric’s daughter seems to have manifested her mutation.”
“Great. Anything else?”
“A young boy of exceptional power was born today, and another entity of great power has attached itself to him as well.”
“Oh, is that all? Fuck. You better keep some good beer in the mansion going forward.” Logan says while crossing his arms.
“Don’t worry, old friend. You will have your usual.” Charles says with a patient smile.
“I’ll hold you to that, Chuck.”
The two men return to the main floor of the mansion and make themselves comfortable. Logan grabs a couple of beers from the fridge and walks back into the living area. After handing one to Charles, he pops the cap and begins drinking his.
“Any new developments with our resident weather goddess?”
“She shows remarkable control for a child of only six. She is still polite and well-spoken, but we need to break her kleptomaniac habits. She needs to understand that such things are unnecessary.” Charles remarks while drinking his own beer.
“She’s a kid who spent years having to steal to survive. It's a miracle we were even able to get her to trust us to begin with. Still shocked the brat was willing to leave with two grown men she had never met. Runt must have been either really confident in her abilities or convinced there were no other options.”
“From what I gathered, the authorities were on to her before we arrived. Her initial plan was likely to run off once we got back to the States. I imagine she decided to take her chances after she realized we were being truthful with her.”
“Got all that without even reading her mind?”
“People are predictable regardless of age.”
“Mmmhmm. What the kid needs is someone around her own age to interact with.”
“I’m planning on meeting with Jean’s parents again soon. It will be much easier to convince them of the value of our tutelage after tonight. The entity attached to her will likely cause her powers to heighten exponentially.”
“Then I guess we’ll see. If you don’t mind, I’m going to get some sleep. I have a feeling things are going to heat up soon.” Finishing his beer, Logan gave him a small wave before leaving the room.
Charles remained there for a few more moments before making his way to his own room. As he prepared for bed, he couldn’t help but worry about the future. There were clearly forces he did not understand at play, and he hoped for the sake of mutants and humans alike that things would turn out for the better.
A fool's dream if there ever was one.