38

It was evident to all that Eve had been spending a lot of time with Lilly, and now it was his turn to make a move. He knew he would have to talk to Eve later.

But before he could do so, the mutants were under attack by the powerful 'Super Sentinel'. 

Though they fought bravely, the mutants were no match for it's strength and advanced technology. Meanwhile, in the monitor room, the people inside were already celebrating their perceived victory and planning their next moves. However, amidst the chaos and struggle on the battlefield, Life Guard emerged as a formidable force, able to both attack and defend against her attackers. Despite her training, she couldn't help but instinctively rush to protect innocent audience members from harm, a move that was caught on camera and received positive feedback from viewers.

As the battle raged on, Felicia had to constantly remind herself not to destroy the towering metal machine that she referred to as 'Bag of bolts'. After a prolonged fight, it seemed like the mutants were about to suffer defeat. Some lay unconscious from exhaustion while others were too injured to continue fighting. The youngest among them, Kitty, was doing her best to distract the sentinel, knowing that it couldn't harm her. But as it turned its attention towards the humans in the audience, Kitty found herself in an internal struggle before finally muttering something about being owed.

In a bold move, she ripped off a symbol from the chain around her neck and shouted desperately to Goddess Athena for help. She cringed at her own actions, believing that she may have sealed her fate with this desperate plea. Suddenly, the sky darkened with storm clouds and lightning struck down on the ground between the audience and the sentinel. 

As the lightning faded, a figure emerged, a woman dressed in Greek armour with a shield made of golden energy in one hand and a spear made of the same energy in the other.

She held up her shield and easily took the blow from the sentinel, causing murmurs to spread through the crowd. Athena smirked at the sentinel and spoke with authority, "Little men in your little room, you should never have harmed these people."

Panicked, the people in the monitor room quickly ordered a retreat, not so much because they were worried about their creation being harmed, but more about Athena's words. Meanwhile, news stations scrambled to bring on history experts to analyze this unexpected turn of events. As the sentinel frantically searched for a way out, another bolt of lightning struck from the dark sky and a second woman appeared - this one radiating serenity as she smiled gently at Kitty.

"Hello little one," she spoke with a soothing voice. "All-Father has tasked this goddess to keep you safe while he deals with both it and them."

Inside the monitor room, chaos erupted as it became clear that they had been played from the very beginning. The windows were fake and the door was far too sturdy for them to escape through. It didn't take long for them to realize that they were innocent pawns in someone else's game.

As the sentinel continued its futile search for an escape route, Joel shook his head in disbelief. Though he knew that Lilly and Eve had orchestrated this whole event, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed by their actions. In their news studios, experts scrambled to find images of Athena dating back to Mesopotamia in 575 B.C., all showing an unchanged appearance and radiant beauty. This led to a frantic search for any references or depictions of Morrigan, and once again, striking similarities were found between her and the images. The confusion mounted as it seemed impossible for these two goddesses from different cultures to be working together under one god. Was it possible that the people in the past had misunderstood their history? of course, it helped that these were newsagents Joel had heavily invested in.

Suddenly, a blinding bolt of lightning struck the ground, revealing a towering figure standing at least 10 feet tall. His muscular frame was encased in gleaming gold and silver armor, accentuating every ripple and bulge. As he materialized, the wounds of the mutants miraculously began to heal before everyone's eyes. The shield that had been protecting the stage vanished, unveiling an unharmed audience and Peggy, along with her bodyguard.

In a shocking display, all mutants and gods present immediately dropped to one knee and bowed in unison, declaring "Greetings to the All-Father, Lord Paragon." This caused a ripple of shock through those who were not aware of this powerful being's presence.

Raising his hand, the imposing figure beckoned towards him and a sentinel flew into his palm. With a swift motion, he plunged his hand into its head and retrieved a small camera-like device. From the ground, a vine sprouted and transformed into a screen, replaying all the events that took place in the monitor room prior. With a snort of amusement, he performed a move reminiscent of Thor and extended his hand outwards. Joel nodded to the mutants, who then rose to their feet once again under the command of this formidable being known as Lord Paragon. 

Inside the monitor room, the walls began to tremble and shake with increasing intensity. Suddenly, it felt as though the entire room was being pulled towards one side as if caught in a powerful force of gravity. To the viewers watching on their screens, it appeared as though a large room had been torn from a building and was hurtling toward an unseen target or deity. Just when it seemed the collision was inevitable, the room came to an abrupt stop.

In the midst of this chaos, Peggy Carter emerged from the crowd and approached Joel with purposeful strides. As she neared him, she dropped down to one knee and waited for his acknowledgment.

Joel slowly turned his head towards Peggy, raising a questioning brow. "Speak," he commanded.

Meanwhile, TV stations across the world were analyzing every move and action taking place in the monitor room. They noted how Morrigan stood behind Joel, flanked by Athena once the danger had passed.

With her head still bowed, Peggy began to speak. "All-Father, Lord Paragon," she addressed him respectfully. "I would beg a favor of you."

Joel motioned for her to continue, while other forces also arrived on the scene. However, despite their urgency, they were stopped by the President's security detail from getting any closer to the location.

"These criminals have not only attacked your people but also others here," Peggy continued. But before she could say more, Joel raised a hand to silence her. "They are all my people," he stated firmly, causing a stir among the studio audience. "They bear my mark; some just haven't awakened it yet."

Peggy quickly corrected herself under Joel's gaze. "My apologies, All-Father," she said humbly. "Some are not yet living within your realm and therefore still follow mortal laws."

Allowing her to continue with her request to have the criminals judged by mortal law, Joel looked at Peggy intently. "I will grant your request on this occasion," he finally spoke, his voice carrying weight and power. "But be warned, any unwarranted actions against my awakened people will not be tolerated."

With that, Joel turned to face the large vine screen in front of him, causing it to shift and transform into a portal. Through its shimmering surface, an idyllic and peaceful island could be seen. "To all who are awakened," he announced, his voice echoing through the room. "You may touch this vine and join the others within my realm. More vines will appear around the world, welcoming all who bear my mark and their loved ones."

As he looked back at Peggy, Joel added with a serious tone, "Take care of the awakened, a time will come when this planet will need them." And with that declaration, the 14 mutants and 3 gods suddenly disappeared from the monitor room, leaving everyone in awe and wonder at what had just transpired.

Back in his home, Joel turned to Lilly with a questioning look. "Are you sure this plan will work?" he asked.

Lilly's voice responded confidently, "It has one of the highest odds of success. You have shown that mutants are strong and capable beings. And if they happen to fail, they have the backing of at least three powerful gods, even more powerful than Charles and Eric." She paused before adding with a smile in her tone, "And let's not forget about you: an All-Father who has never before revealed himself to the world, but appeared now to punish those who dared harm his people. And finally, your last words serve as a reminder that mutants will play a crucial role in the future of this planet." 

With a silent understanding between them, Joel and Lilly both knew that they had done everything they could to protect and guide their chosen people toward a better future, one where they could thrive and fulfill their destinies as awakened beings.