Sky High After Dark - Cosmic

Thanks to WAA01 and Killerarmyguy for the edits.

*******

Chapter One

There suspended before him was his daughter; at least genetically, she was his daughter. Yet she was born from a man from another timeline, the very man that had sent him back to his own. His eyes ran down Jill's face noting the similarities between hers and his own. Glancing up when a panel in the ceiling opened up and dropped down a projector from an age long ago. Turning his head to the left as a white light flooded the wall. He had to assume it was Carol, given her advanced age when her face appeared on that very same wall.

"My dearest love, I know you may not know me, yet I've had the utmost pleasure in knowing you. To be your wife, to give you children I know you adored wholeheartedly. I know if you had survived your fight with the Red Scare, you would have loved your grandbabies too. That wasn't meant to be, not for us, but I still treasure every moment I had with you. That's why I took it upon myself to ensure this base, this home that you built, still stayed standing until you were born once again. You know you and I had a big laugh knowing that you were your own great-grandfather." Aron felt his face heating at that. "But anyway, the reason I left this message here in this room is because, if you're here, that means you've advanced enough to help our daughter. I implore you, Aron?! My love, please do everything in your power to see that Jillian (Jill's given name) is finally freed from that device so she can live a normal life, or as normal as one can get being the child of Void." Aron felt his heart thump hard when Carol smiled into the camera like she was smiling at a lover. He knew she never got remarried, nor did she ever date again. At least, that's what his family had always told him when he would ask about her ever since he had returned from the past. "I know you can do it, Aron. I know you have the brains to figure this out. I didn't share your bed, your life, and not know that about you." Aron did feel for her as Carol broke down into a fit of coughing that lasted for minutes.

"I apologize for making you see me like that. You don't need to see this old woman dying on you. I know you, the present you, has no feelings for me. I get that, but I hope that there's enough familiarity between the Aron I know and you that you don't give up on our baby. Can you do that for the woman that's loved you all this time?"

"No wonder where they learned how to guilt trip me from," Aron grumbled as he crossed his arms. Peering down, lifting up the paper in his right hand, he knew he needed Aminah's eyes on this. Just to get a second opinion on what he suspected Jill's powers were powered by. Turning his gaze to Jill, then to the stack of papers, then back to the wall of the now still image of Carol. What they were asking him to do wasn't an easy thing to accomplish. He had no idea if it would work or not. For all he knew he could just end up fucking the whole thing up. Lowering his arms to his side, stepping up in front of the cryogenic tube as his eyes took in his daughter from another time. "Veil?" Aron spoke, never taking his eyes off of Jill as he waited for her to respond. His past self had created Veil (Virtual Empathetic Intelligent Lifeform) to run the base and his suit, now his suit. He had altered the original design when he made his new one to fit with his powers, whereas the original was designed for the past Aron, who didn't have any superpowers due to how he was thrown back into time.

"Yes, Void?"

"What are the readings on Jill? Is she dead?"

"No, father, she isn't dead."

"You mean she's been in suspended animation all this time?!"

"Your design hasn't once dropped her vital signs. I make sure Jill is still with us every day. I talk to her. I've told her a lot about you, so maybe when you find out what's wrong, she won't be so shocked when you bring her out."

"I told you to keep this a secret, didn't I? Even from me," Aron spoke, staring up at the camera Veil's only means of sensing the outside world... for now.

"Yes. The past you feared that if you knew before you were ready, you'd make some kind of blunder, and the past you wasn't willing to take that chance with Jill's life."

"Yeah," reaching up and scratching the back of his head, "I can understand that," Aron mumbled, thinking if it was either Henry or Nettie in that tube, he wouldn't take that chance either. "Has her mutation changed at all during her sleep?"

"No, father, Jill's readings have stayed steady."

"Huh, I wonder why," Aron mused as his right index finger stroked his chin. "Veil, do you have a list of the materials used in the tube's construction?"

"I do. I have the video of it as well if you'd like to watch it."

"I would," Aron nodded, knowing there had to be a clue in the way the tube was constructed to keep Jill's mutation from running amok.

"Would you like to watch it now?"

"No, send it up to my lab and put it on my partition of the mainframe. I don't want anyone catching wind of Jill just yet."

"I understand. I will reengage the safety measures once you leave the room."

"Veil?"

"Yes."

"I didn't tell you other things to keep from me, did I?" Aron asked with an arched eyebrow.

"No Void, you did not."

"I see," reaching up and wiping away the frost on the glass so he could take stock of his daughter, "keep an eye on her, will ya?"

"Of course, father."

Looking back as Veil sealed that hidden room once again when he had stepped out of the room. Noting how the normal lighting had been restored as all returned to normal the moment that room was sealed again. Chewing on his lip as he read down the printout as he walked towards the elevator. There was one person in his household that could possibly confirm what he was seeing. Hearing the voices of men, the pings of hammers, the hums of saws in the air as he stepped into his living room. He knew they were hard at work preparing to lay the foundations for the two new rooms that were being added to the addition. Nodding to the man who led the way into his home with a load of 2x4s beneath his arm as he headed towards that section of his home. Cocking an eyebrow when he caught Tazia checking out the man as he walked past him as he closed the living room door behind him to keep the secret entrance to their base hidden.

"What?!" Tazia stammered when Aron just simply shook his head and walked off. Leaving her standing there in the kitchen, rather confused, holding her coffee mug. "Aron?!" Tazia's voice called out to him as he continued his trek towards their bedroom, where the subject of his search was bound to be.

Seeing the crib mobile spinning on its own, knowing Nettie was showing off as Aminah laid there close to their daughter, currently reading a book. Her smile lifted the corners of her lips as her gaze lifted towards him. The moment she did, Nettie's mind entered his; he knew when she grew older, she was going to be one of the most powerful telepaths in the country. While she had some telekinetic skills, yet her powers were more focused on her telepathic one, or he could be completely wrong, and that's just the powers that have revealed themselves to him. The others were just waiting in the wings for the right time to show themselves.

"Oh, you do, do you?" Aron mused when Nettie whispered in his mind that she had a stinky butt. He knew Aminah would have taken care of it if it had happened earlier. Smiling down at his daughter as she gave him that gummy grin as he lightly tickled her stomach. "Then how about I change you, hmm?" Nettie threw up her tiny arms as to say: 'Yeah!'

"Aron?" Laying down her book, "What do you have in your hand?" Aminah inquired.

"Here," handing the printout to her as he held Nettie in his arms, "read it over and tell me if your conclusions are the same as mine," Aron said before leading Nettie over to the changing table.

"Aron?! Where exactly did you get this?" Aminah asked, examining the yellowed, aged paper.

"From down in the lab," Aron answered as he kept his back to her. A warm smile lifted his lips as Nettie squealed and giggled as he went about to unfasten Nettie's onesie. Slyly peeking over his shoulder, noting how Aminah's eyes were scanning down the paper then the next one that was attached to it. "Now, who's a clean girl?" Aron cooed down at his daughter.

"I am!" Nettie giggled in his mind.

"That you are." Hearing her laughing in his mind and aloud as he planted a raspberry on Nettie's stomach. Feeling Aminah's eyes on him as he lifted their daughter off the changing table before he turned around.

"This can't be real?!" Aminah exclaimed, shaking the papers at him.

"Afraid that it is," Aron muttered as he bounced Nettie against him. Feeling her breath against his skin as she yawned. Her tiny fingers held onto his shirt the best that they could, given her size. Her ear was pressed against his chest, slowly falling asleep by the sound of Aron's beating heart.

"But what this says is impossible?!"

"Oh, I totally agree with you, but it's not impossible," Aron said low after feeling Nettie nodding off.

"If what I'm reading, then whomever this person is should be dead," Aminah said, waving the papers through the air.

"Again, I agree with you, Aminah, but that's not what is happening."

"Explain," Aminah huffed, causing her 34D, due to the volume of milk she has been producing, she'd gone up a cup size, breasts to bounce as she crossed her arms.

"Aron, that was rather rude of you," Tazia said, appearing in the doorway of their bedroom with Henry in her arms.

"So was checking out the workman," Aron shot back.

"What, he's hot?!" Tazia waved Aron off. "You agree with me, don't you, Aminah?"

"Which one?"

"You know that cute, adorable man, the one with the brown hair," Tazia said, listing off the man's features.

"Oh, him?! Yeah, he is rather tasty," Aminah agreed.

"Don't get jealous," Tazia teased lightly, shoving Aron's arm as he rolled his eyes.

"You know I can go get him if the two of you would like some of what he has," Aron said, nodding towards the doorway.

"Nah," shaking her head, "I already have one brainiac and brute, I don't need another," Aminah said, flashing Aron a coy smirk.

"You know I was only looking; it didn't mean anything," Tazia said in an alluring voice as she moved closer to him. "You know you're the one I want, right?" she purred as she rose to the tips of her toes. Planting a kiss upon his lips as little Henry reached out and took hold of his father's shirt sleeve.

"I know," Aron mused, slapping Tazia on her ass, causing her organic metal skin to activate, covering her from the tips of her toes to the very ends of her hair.

"Aron?!" Tazia stammered. Blushing like mad beneath her metal skin. "Not when the kids are in the room," she hissed low, hiding her arousal from her voice.

"So, Aron, care to explain why whomever this is, isn't dead yet?" Aminah asked, tossing the papers down beside her. Knowing that amount of radiation would have killed off anyone within months.

"Don't know if I should tell you," Aron spoke, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he looked down his chest.

"Aron, just tell us," Tazia said lightly, placing a hand on Aron's right arm.

"Jill, your aunt, my daughter, is still alive," Aron said truthfully. Noting how it took them a minute or two to get over the shock of the bomb he had just dropped on them.

"Don't you fuck with us, Aron?!" Aminah growled low so as not to wake her daughter. "Jill's dead..."

"How did she die?" Aron cut in. Again, he was met with silence as they racked their brains to comb through so many years of memories.

"Didn't Dad say Jill died fighting a villain?" Tazia asked, turning to look at her sister.

"No," shaking her head, "Dad told us she had an accident when she was younger and died soon afterward," Aminah said, tilting her head back, her finger tapped against her chin as she thought back to those days.

"And you'd be wrong," Aron said, seeing the growing anger in their eyes. "The past me told that to Henry," brushing his hand along the back of Henry's head, thinking he was speaking to him, "so that no one would look for her."

"Why?!" Aminah and Tazia voiced as one.

"So you," pointing at the two of them, "don't do something stupid and kill her; who did you think the printout was for?" Aron asked, looking right at Aminah.

"What?!" Aminah yelled; her hand flew to her mouth, but it was too late as Nettie cried from being awakened so soon.

"We'll talk later," Aron said, walking out of the room to quiet down Nettie so she could return to her nap. He knew from experience that if she wasn't in bed by nine, they would be up until the wee hours just trying to get her to sleep.

******

Halfway across the city of Metaville...

Isabel sat on the examining table in a paper gown. Listening to how it crinkled every time she moved. Rubbing her hands together in anxiousness awaiting the test results she had performed, would tell her why she wasn't conceiving. She was still getting her period, yet none of her brothers' little swimmers were reaching their mark, and she wanted to know why?! She didn't fault her aunts for having their kids at an older age, given the life they had lived up to this point in time. With the number of enemies they had garnered during their time in Europe, Isabel understood why they held off. This is why she came to a doctor that specializes in those with superpowers.

"Good morning, Ms. Carter," her doctor walked in with a smile on her face.

"A smile is good, right?" Isabel asked herself. "Good morning Dr. Winter."

"Now I have your test results right here," her hand lightly patted the folder, "would you like to hear them?"

"Only if it's good news," Isabel joked, trying to lighten the tension she felt in the air.

"I assure you, it's very good news."

"Then lay it on me," Isabel said, preparing herself just in case it was bad news, and the doctor was trying to make her feel calm. Her green eyes followed after her doctor as her heels resounded off the tile floor. Watching how she lowered herself into the chair that had been tucked beneath the desk.

"As you know, we ran a lot of tests on you," Dr. Winter spoke, seeing Isabel nodding along. "I had the test double-checked to be sure that the results were correct."

"And?!" The suspense was killing her!

"I've found no reason why you aren't getting pregnant. You're healthy, fertile, are you overstressed?"

"No, I don't think so; why?"

"Stress can be a factor in why you aren't getting pregnant. Also, there is your powers."

"What about them?" Isabel asked, unsure why her powers would keep her from getting pregnant by Aron. She so wanted a baby! She didn't want to live out her golden years when her child was just then going off to college.

"You know we can't take a proper temperature from you because your so hot, on the inside, I mean."

"Yeah, I remember," Isabel nodded, remembering all the thermometers she had either melted or busted whenever she ran a high fever.

"Well, heat can kill sperm; that could be the cause of why you aren't getting pregnant."

"Y-you mean, my powers are what's keeping me from getting pregnant?!" Isabel asked in shock.

"Could be. What's the average temp you maintain in your core?"

"Maybe 120-130."

"Ah. That's why," Dr. Winter nodded her head thinking she had found the reason.

"Explain it to me, doctor, so I can explain it to him when I get home," Isabel said with a smile. Hoping that she could rely on her ever so smart brother and rig up something that would cool her body down long enough to become with child.

"There's a very narrow window of temperatures that sperm can live in. Any higher the sperm will start to die off. Given your internal temperature, what ejaculate that reaches your womb would have either been killed off or be in the process of dying."

"So... I am the problem," Isabel sighed, slumping her shoulders in defeat.

"Indirectly. You couldn't have known. If you could lower your temperature to say 95 degrees, I guarantee you will get pregnant during your next ovulation. Or you get someone to make you a chilled suit you can wear to lower your core temp if that could be done."

"I think I might know the person," Isabel said with a wide smile. Determination set her resolve; she was going to get her little brother to help. That vast mind of his must surely have a solution for her problem.

"Oh?! I'm glad to hear that, now is there anything else that's bothering you?"

Isabel walked out of her doctor's office humming a happy tune. Knowing that with Aron's help and his swimmers, she was going to be pregnant before the start of summer. Stopping in her tracks as a swarm of police cruisers roared past her. Quickly pulling out her phone and punching in the secret combination that would tie her cell into their bases mainframe.

"Veil?!" Isabel spoke quickly as she raced to her car, where her spare suit was.

"Yes?"

"Is there something going on? I just saw five patrol cars flying by me."

"There is a robbery in progress, but Mariner and Morphic (Lyla's hero name) are already on the scene."

"Oh." Slowing her pace, knowing she wouldn't be needed with the two of them there.

"You sound disappointed."

"Just, well, I got some good news, and I was looking forward to showing my good fortune in apprehending some bad guys," Isabel spoke; it almost felt like talking to a real person when Veil was on her line.

"Oh?! I'm glad to hear it. I'm sorry the criminals decided to take a day off." Which got a snort out of Isabel as she approached her car.

"No, Veil, it's okay; I think today is just what I needed, a day off. Thanks for the update Veil, see you when I get home." The sound of her car door closing filled the interior.

"You drive safe, Isabel."

"Always."

******

"Aron?!" Isabel called out as she raced into their home. Stopping in her tracks when; she found her mother, aunts, and uncles in the living room staring intently at Aron, who was standing in front of the TV. "Mom? What's going on here?" she asked, stepping tentatively into the room.

"Trying to get your brother, my grandfather, to tell me why he thinks my aunt is still alive." Isabel took a hard swallow at the tone of her mother's voice. She had only heard that tone when she was rightly pissed off and about to tear down a building.

"Well, she is still alive in a manner of speaking," Aron grumbled, crossing his arms, staring down at his mother.

"Aron, I'm not saying I doubt you, yet our own father told us she passed away when he was younger. If she's alive, where has she been for all this time?" Neil asked; being the eldest of them all, he remembered that conversation very clearly. "Are you saying Dad lied to us?"

"In a sense, yes," Aron nodded.

"Dad would never lie to us!" Chery shouted as she surged from her seat. Earning her a round of nods from her siblings.

"Well... in Henry's defense, he didn't know it was a lie, to begin with," Aron stated, his eyes flickering over to his aunt.

"So then, Aron," Carl's voice took on a hard tone as he scooted to the edge of his seat. "Where exactly has our aunt been all this time?"

"Here," Aron said, pointing to the floor.

"Huh?!" The looks of confusion were all over their faces when Aron said that.

"Not in this room specifically, but here generally," Aron corrected his statement.

"Okay, hot shot, if she's been here all this time, why haven't we found her?" Chery asked, crossing her arms and standing her ground.

"Because no one has had access to the third level until now."