Merry Christmas guys.

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(Aden's P.O.V)

The entire room grew silent the second we appeared.

Lex sat up straighter, Varrick's laid back attitude shifted to a stiff yet forcibly relaxed demeanor. It reminded me of the conversation we had had after summoning him from the system.

"This place is beautiful."

The genius man had said as we faced each other on the beach infront of my house/cottage.

The kids were asleep as was Kori and the sun was just beginning to peak through the horizon. The last embers of the camp fire Raava and the kids were dancing around were still burning bright.

Zhu li his wife and assistant was dutifully standing behind him, ready to do whatever he needed.

"It is." I agreed.

The rocking waves of ocean water gently lapping at the beach...no matter how many times I described the scene, it never got old.

"So what exactly are you?"

Varrick answered after a few minutes. I stroked the fire with a stick, watching the sparks fly up into the dawn sky. The sparks begun to change into strange images. Varrick looked on with interest.

"That depends on whether you are ready to learn the truth."

A Symbol of the Avatar appeared on a spark, shifting colors between the dark state and the light state. Chaos and order.

Varrick watched on, entranced.

"Zhu li, are you getting this?"

I heard a flash of camera light and saw one of those classic camera's in Zhu li's hands.

'Where the heck was she hiding something so huge?'

"I am what you would call a cosmic entity." The sparks reflected everything I said.

"Many think of me as a god and send their worship. Offering up their eternal servitude in supplication to me."

An image of all the different planets worshipping me appeared in mid air.

Statues of Adenal, Adan and Adera with the largest one being the Aden statue in my main dimension showed up in the air as well.

"Are you?"

He asked, a glint in his eyes.

"We are taught that gods are beings we cannot ascribe understanding to. Yet I see you, hear you and smell you. I doubt...you."

I chuckled.

"You're right. But I never said I was a god, did I?"

Varrick smiled in disbelief.

"I am shocked that you would admit that so easily. Keeping up the lie would have eventually grown exhausting."

I smiled back.

"So you do not believe me?"

He shook his head.

"I am an inventor and businessman. I am grounded in reality."

"Your reality." I interjected.

"Not mine. I never said I was a god...I am something more."

Even Zhu Li shifted uncomfortably.

Varrick leaned in.

"You already know what I am going to say then."

He leaned back and crossed his hands together, stubbornly. If I wanted to order him around, there would be nothing stopping me. He was linked to me through the mechanisms of the Avatar system. Something that for all my power, I was yet to even understand. Something that provided for me everything I needed without knowing I actually needed it.

I wonder if I could create my own version of it?

"You want me to prove it to you?"

I settled instead for asking him the question.

"Naturally." He shrugged." I am a scientist after all."

"Good." I abruptly got up and shed away the layers of reality.

Varrick and Zhu Li screamed in alarm when they started falling away into stellar Cosmic equations, explaining the core of being and sustenance of the Elemental Dimension. No other human had ever been here except for the two of them and the only reason, I allowed it was because they were completely bonded to me.

Their souls, their minds and their bodies were mine to do with as I pleased. However, that kind of control was something I never wanted to exercise. It was better if I showed him a single glance if what I was.

It pointed out how insane Varrick was that the raw collision between matter, energy and meaning did not break his mind. Zhu Li must have already gotten used to his antics as she was also more or less unharmed after the experience.

After that, Varrick agreed to work for me of his own volition. Maybe telling him that he could continue his research into spirit energy as an alternative means to energy, without the fear of his inventions being used as a weapon had something to do with it.

I left him with Gaea, warping space to a meeting with the Amazons that was long overdue. I had followed one of Yaotl's advices and separated the Amazonians from the rest of humanity, choosing to give them an island stocked with everything they would ever need.

Within a few days, the female warrior society had changed the island to look like theirs, complete with a fighting arena, archery ranges, riding tracks and weapons Training grounds.

A more respectful man would have used the door to the small palace that they had built out of the material Gaea had provided for them. Me? I teleported straight inside.

The chamber was actually really well constructed. They were so badass they wanted to build their own houses. Of course Gaea made distributing the material and correcting any errors in construction her job, doing the bulk of the work. Still, they had shown dedication.

The second I appeared unannounced, they all...did nothing? Huh. Where are the spears and arrows? Where is the hostility I was expecting due to being a man?

As one, the Amazons gathered lowered their eyes and took a knee. There seemed to be court proceedings going on, with Yaotl standing dutifully on the side of a throne. The queen's throne.

Next to Hippolyta was another throne that had Wonder Woman sigil above it's head. Diana was not in the realm now, having opted to leave due to being a god queen of her own Pantheon, so the seat was empty.

Hippolyta rose up from the throne with a regal expression, walked down the stairs and took a knee.

"Welcome my Lord."

To say no more, the meeting went splendidly. I had thought I would need to make an example out of them. To show them exactly who they were dealing with.

Now assured that I would face no problems with the Amazons and after going through their revamped list of traditions and laws, I decided to let them live life however they wanted. Who knows, maybe I could find a use for them? They were more talented than the average person in spirit manipulation as well. Gaea scanned them and told me. And we needed more of those.

So we left the meeting to go to another one. Hopefully, this one would be the last in a long time. Yaotl and I picked up Vaatu and Raava on the way, before warping towards the conference hall of what was to be the governing council in the EUC building.

Gaea, Varrick and Zhu Li, Luthor and finally Michael. I gestured and everyone sat down. My spirits took the thrones behind us while I remained standing.

I cleared my throat.

"First of all, I want to introduce you all to our new Colleague and his assistant." It was clear I was talking about Varrick.

"You want to say hello?"

I asked dryly.

Varrick jumped up on to the table.

"Zhu Li! Do the thing!"

"Yes sir."

A whistle and a bunch of confetti exploded in a spectacle behind him.

"Feast your eyes upon the greatest inventor you will likely ever see..."

I immediately regretted it and quickly cut off the rest of his long winded introduction.

"Varrick, Everyone."

I then turned and introduced everyone else to the eccentric scientist.

"Now that that's out of the way" My tone grew serious, just as an image of the Earth continent (the continent holding all the humans) appeared on the Holo screen behind me.

"Let's get down to business. As you are all aware, the EUC is responsible for the welfare of every human in the realm. That will not change as long as you have a democratic system of governing among you Luthor. Gaea retains the position of an Overseer and has the ability to take matters into her own hands in case the situation calls for it."

"If I may, Sir." Luthor replied. "That's quite a contradictory system. Democracy applies on all levels. It's inclusive."

I knew he was pointing out the hypocrisy in giving them freedom that was conditional in them acting the way I wanted.

"Suck it up human. Life is not fair."

Vaatu answered grouchly. He hadn't seen Demeter in a few days.

"Luthor, admit it, humanity is a danger to itself. Before Darkseid, you were well on your way to destroying your own planet. I will not risk my realm by allowing you to do whatever you want. Gaea is in charge. Got that?"

He eyes briefly landed on the Realm Mother and he nodded.

"Good, moving on." The hologram behind me panned out to reveal 5 more huge landmasses and over a million islands the size of the largest continents back on earth. Varrick whistled and Luthor blinked at the scale of distance provided.

"102,000,000 square miles."

"And expanding." I added. Here comes the bad news.

"The other continents are off limits to any human. There are delicate eco systems that are in an infant state and I want to give them more time to grow before humanity begins to destroy." I snorted.

"This might turn out to be a challenging adventure in the future. Something for explorers to seek out. But for now, tell your people Luthor, you're all on house arrest."

He looked like he wanted to protest that but instead settled for a curt nod.

"Varrick will be heading the technological side of things. Luthor, you will be included in the fold but only as a consultant."

"We have no need for weapon advancement, medical services due to the drones or a number of the projects you were involved in where you had government contracts. There is only one thing I am interested in and Varrick is heading it. Be sure to provide him with anything he requires within reason."

Luthor and Varrick looked at each other over the table. Luthor sighed before nodding his head. Varrick merely smirked.

I wasn't interested in them being friends, merely working well together was enough for me.

"Good. The matter of the day to day lives has been taken care of. There is now a system in place. Gaea has helped you and will continue to help you in constructing everything you need, from making up new laws or readjusting old ones to fit in with the new standard. Not to mention look for necessary people to hold necessary positions."

"School will soon start as well. Different career opportunities will be made available as Gaea withdraws her influence from the things you yourself can handle . I estimate that within 3 months, things will go back to how they were. In a sense."

I looked around for one last time.

"I won't be around for some time but I hope you all work together to make this work."

I gave a nod to my spirits and the others before teleporting away, hoping and wishing that I hadn't made a mistake by choosing to leave matters in their hands.

There was nothing I could do though. I had to get ready for what was coming. But before that, I had to see Kori and my kids for the last time before I started my training montage.