Delson's finger hovered over the button, poised to send the elevator back to the surface. But just as his hand was about to make contact, he hesitated. A slow smile began to creep across his face, one filled with twisted delight and revelation. There was another way. A better way. An easier way to keep Gaia's power for himself.
"Why stop here?" he whispered to the silence of the chamber.
The more he thought about it, the more his idea made perfect sense. He had worked tirelessly to protect Gaia from the Sinister 7 and Tel-Nu, always keeping it hidden away, separated from his grasp. But why should he keep the source of all power locked away when it could be part of him? He was Delson Snow Sr., after all—the embodiment of Pride, the rightful ruler of the world. Why shouldn't he merge with Gaia, become one with its limitless energy, and ascend to a new level of godhood?
"Of course…" he muttered, his lips twisting into a wicked grin. "Of course, that's the answer. It's always been the answer."
Delson felt the pulse of Gaia once again, stronger now, more enticing, as if the energy itself was calling out to him, begging to be consumed, to be part of something greater. His entire body trembled with anticipation. Yes, this was the solution. This would make him more powerful than anyone, even Tel-Nu. No one would be able to stop him if he became the vessel for Gaia's power.
He turned away from the elevator panel and faced the shimmering orb once more. It floated silently in the center of the chamber, glowing with an almost hypnotic radiance. Its energy called to him, whispered to him, and for the first time, Delson didn't resist. He stepped toward it, his heart pounding in his chest, his mind racing with thoughts of the untold power that would soon be his.
As he approached, he could feel the air around him growing thick with energy, his skin tingling with the sheer force of Gaia's power. The closer he got, the more he could feel the essence of the Earth itself, the very fabric of reality, bending to Gaia's will. It was intoxicating.
Delson extended his hand, fingers trembling with excitement, and placed them on the surface of the orb. The energy surged through him, stronger than ever before, and his breath hitched as the power coursed through his veins, filling every inch of his being.
"Yes," Delson whispered, his voice trembling with exhilaration. "Yes, this is it. This is what I've been waiting for."
His fingers dug into the surface of Gaia, the energy seeping into him, merging with him. His eyes widened as the orb began to shift, the energy wrapping itself around his body, sinking into his flesh. It was happening—he was becoming one with Gaia.
As the energy entered him, Delson's body began to glow with an ethereal light, his veins pulsing with the raw power of the Earth itself. He could feel the energy merging with his very soul, reshaping him, transforming him into something far beyond mortal comprehension.
The pain was excruciating, but Delson welcomed it. This was the price of power. The agony was nothing compared to the strength that was now his. He could feel his body shifting, changing, as the power of Gaia consumed him. His mind expanded, reaching out into the very core of the planet, feeling every tremor, every pulse of life that existed within the Earth.
"I am… power," he gasped, his voice barely a whisper as the energy continued to surge through him.
His muscles bulged, his skin shimmered with the radiant glow of Gaia's energy, and his mind was flooded with knowledge—knowledge of the Earth, of the universe, of the very fabric of existence. He could feel his body stretching, growing, as if he was no longer bound by the limitations of a human form.
But as the power grew, so too did the voices. Whispers that weren't his. Whispers of the Earth, of the past, of the billions of lives lost when the Core had been disrupted. The weight of their deaths bore down on him, and the voices grew louder.
You took us.
You destroyed us.
You will suffer.
Delson gritted his teeth, his mind racing. No. This wasn't suffering. This was ascension. He was absorbing Gaia, becoming something more than just a man. He was beyond human comprehension now. He was—
You will pay.
Suddenly, the energy that had once felt so warm, so intoxicating, turned cold. The whispers became screams, the power that surged through him shifting, twisting. Delson gasped as the force inside him grew too strong, too wild to control. His body trembled, and for the first time, fear gripped his heart.
"No," he growled, tightening his grip on the orb. "This is my power. Mine!"
The light around him intensified, blinding him, burning him from the inside out. He could feel the energy fighting back, pushing against him, resisting him. The power of Gaia was not something to be controlled. It was not something that could be claimed. It was beyond him.
But Delson was not about to let go. He had come too far, sacrificed too much. This power belonged to him, and he would make it his, no matter the cost.
With a roar of defiance, Delson forced the energy deeper into himself, pushing past the pain, past the resistance. He would not be denied. He was Delson Snow Sr., the embodiment of Pride, the ruler of the world, and no force, not even Gaia, could take this from him.
"I am… everything," he snarled, his voice distorted by the sheer force of the energy.
The orb flickered, its glow dimming as more and more of its power was drawn into Delson. His body shuddered, barely able to contain the raw force now coursing through him. But he didn't care. This was it. This was his victory.
With one final surge of power, Delson ripped the last of Gaia's energy into himself, absorbing it completely. The orb shattered, its light fading into nothingness as the power of Gaia became one with him.
For a moment, everything was silent. Delson stood there, his body trembling with the sheer magnitude of the power now coursing through his veins. He had done it. He had become one with Gaia. He was unstoppable.
But as the silence stretched on, Delson's smile faltered. Something was wrong. The whispers had stopped, but in their place was a deafening silence. A void.
And then, from deep within him, came a single, chilling thought.
You have become what you destroyed.
Delson gasped, his eyes wide with horror as the truth of what he had done settled over him. He had absorbed Gaia. He had become one with the Earth. But in doing so, he had also become the destroyer of everything.