The past few days had brought unexpected peace to Gotham. Beyond the occasional petty crime or domestic dispute, the city had maintained an almost unsettling calm that left both Bruce and Selina wondering when the other shoe would drop.
Marcus had been enjoying this respite, dividing his time between Wayne Manor and visits to Metropolis, where Clark had recently begun his new career at the Daily Planet. The young Kryptonian's disguise strategy continued to amuse Marcus greatly – a simple pair of lead-lined glasses that somehow completely altered how people perceived him.
"It's remarkable," Marcus had observed during his latest visit. "The bio-field manipulation from the lead lining doesn't just change your appearance, it fundamentally shifts how people process your presence. One moment you're Superman, the next you're just... Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter."
Clark had been pleased with the effectiveness of his chosen identity. Even his adoptive parents had trouble recognizing their own son when he wore the glasses, despite knowing exactly what to look for.
The phenomenon fascinated Marcus from a scientific perspective while confirming that this reality closely paralleled the comic book narratives from his memories. Clark Kent, reporter for the Daily Planet, pursuing Lois Lane while maintaining his secret identity as Superman – it was almost textbook classic.
Now, back in his workshop at Wayne Manor, Marcus turned his attention to a project that had been occupying his thoughts throughout the peaceful interlude. During his month of creating the Covenant Incinerator, he'd discovered references to something called Origin Stone technology buried deep within the Orokin databases.
The concept intrigued him immensely. Origin Stones represented a fusion of Sentient technology with Orokin engineering principles, creating artifacts that could enhance Warframe capabilities far beyond their normal parameters. More fascinating still were the incomplete records of beings called Executors – Warframes that had been permanently fused with Origin Stone power to create unique, incredibly powerful entities.
The fragmentary data mentioned only three known Executor variants: an owl-themed Loki configuration that commanded thunder and lightning, a wolf-inspired Rhino variant wreathed in eternal flame, and a serpentine Mag form whose gaze could petrify enemies. Each represented the pinnacle of what Warframe technology could achieve when enhanced with Origin Stone integration.
"Time to see if I can recreate that process," Marcus murmured, examining the components he'd prepared.
The Origin Stone core had required weeks of careful preparation, shaped using Revenant's spectral abilities to create the proper resonance matrix. Now it lay before him – a dull, gray crystalline structure that looked deceptively simple for something containing such potential.
Marcus drew forth the Power Stone, its purple radiance contained within a protective field generated by his bio-manipulation abilities. The Infinity Stone pulsed with barely restrained cosmic force, each fluctuation containing enough energy to devastate planets.
"Let's see what happens when cosmic power meets Orokin engineering," Marcus said, beginning the fusion process.
Purple energy flowed from the Infinity Stone, drawn by the Origin Stone core's unique resonance patterns. Unlike his previous experiences with enhancement crystals, this process required no force or guidance – the cosmic energy seemed eager to integrate with the waiting matrix.
The transformation was immediate and dramatic. The dull gray core blazed to life with brilliant purple radiance, the entire structure now pulsing with contained cosmic force. Energy patterns danced within the crystalline matrix like captured lightning, beautiful and terrifying in equal measure.
"Simpler than expected," Marcus observed, then prepared for the real test.
Light flowed around him as he activated his Excalibur configuration, the elegant Warframe materializing with its characteristic blend of grace and lethality. The Exalted Blade manifested in his grip, humming with contained energy as multiple wavelengths of light played along its edge.
Marcus grasped the completed Origin Stone and allowed void energy to guide the integration process. The cosmic artifact seemed to dissolve into pure force, flowing into the Warframe's systems and fundamentally altering every component it touched.
The change was overwhelming.
Excalibur's normal blue-white energy signature shifted to deep purple, cosmic power radiating from every surface. The Exalted Blade transformed as well, its multiple light wavelengths converging into a single, devastating purple radiance that seemed to bend space around its edge.
But the transformation's effects weren't limited to Wayne Manor.
Throughout Gotham, every person with supernatural sensitivity suddenly felt as if the world was ending. Bruce and Selina, their energy perception enhanced by years of void training, experienced the sensation of impending planetary destruction. In their minds, some incomprehensible force had awakened that could snuff out all life with casual ease.
The artificial demons in the Court of Owls' laboratory began shrieking in terror, their grafted supernatural components recognizing a power that transcended their understanding. Researchers fled in panic as their test subjects thrashed against restraints, driven to hysteria by proximity to cosmic force.
But the effects reached far beyond Gotham's borders.
In his mountain stronghold, Ra's al Ghul suddenly gripped his chair arms as an involuntary chill ran down his spine. After centuries of life, he'd learned to recognize truly dangerous forces. This felt like the awakening of something that could remake or unmake reality itself.
Deep beneath the ocean, Queen Atlanna of Atlantis gasped as prophetic visions flooded her mind. Images of endless warfare, of a figure wreathed in cosmic fire whose smile promised either salvation or annihilation. The glimpses were fragmentary but terrifying in their implications.
On Paradise Island, the entire Amazon temple began shaking as divine artifacts responded to the emergence of cosmic power. Queen Hippolyta raced toward the sanctuary, knowing that such phenomena hadn't occurred since the Mother Boxes had fallen from the sky.
In a modest apartment, Victor Stone's cybernetic components activated emergency protocols without his conscious command. His Father Box technology recognized something that triggered every defensive system he possessed, weapons systems coming online as if preparing for a war beyond human comprehension.
Constantine, pursuing a minor demon across state lines, stopped dead in his tracks as cosmic power washed over his supernatural senses. For a moment, he genuinely believed the apocalypse had begun – not the biblical ending, but something far more immediate and devastating.
"This power is incredible," Marcus breathed, marveling at the transformation's scope. The Origin Stone had elevated Excalibur to heights he'd never imagined possible. Every ability was magnified exponentially, every technique enhanced beyond recognition.
He dismissed the Exalted Blade, watching purple energy fade back into the Warframe's systems. The cosmic enhancement was stable and permanent, integrated so completely that it felt like natural evolution rather than artificial modification.
"Though I should probably avoid using the full power unless absolutely necessary," Marcus noted, considering the global reaction his brief test had triggered. "This level of cosmic force is... attention-grabbing."
The temptation to create additional Origin Stones was strong. He possessed most of the Infinity Stones – the Space Stone within the Cosmic Cube, the Mind Stone in Loki's scepter, the Reality Stone in its ether particle form, and now the Power Stone's energy integrated into this first Origin Stone. Only the Time Stone and Soul Stone remained beyond his reach.
But wisdom suggested restraint. Even this single integration had transformed Excalibur into something that bordered on cosmic entity status. Attempting to enhance a Warframe with all six Infinity Stones would likely result in complete structural collapse, the framework unable to contain such overwhelming force.
"The difference between Final Augmentation and Origin Stone enhancement is becoming clear," Marcus reflected. "Final Augmentations grow stronger through use and experience. Origin Stones provide immediate, massive power increases but at the cost of flexibility."
Both approaches had merit, but Origin Stones were clearly meant for specific, overwhelming challenges rather than general use. The cosmic enhancement made Excalibur incredibly powerful but also somewhat specialized toward pure destruction.
A knock on his workshop door interrupted his analysis. Marcus quickly dismissed the Warframe configuration, purple energy fading as he returned to normal appearance.
"Come in," he called, unsurprised to find Bruce, Selina, and Alfred waiting outside with expressions of barely controlled alarm.
"Teacher," Bruce said, his voice carefully controlled, "that power we just felt – was that you?"
"Did you mean this?" Marcus raised one hand, allowing purple cosmic energy to flow around his fingers. The display sent visible shivers through his audience as they recognized the same overwhelming force they'd sensed moments before.
"Just a strength upgrade," Marcus explained casually. "Nothing to worry about."
The relief on their faces was palpable, though he could see them filing away new assessments of his capabilities. The demonstration had given them a much clearer understanding of the power levels they might someday need to face or support.
"We were concerned about potential threats," Selina admitted. "That energy signature felt like something that could destroy the planet."
"Well," Marcus said with a slight smile, "let's hope we never need to find out what its full potential really is."
As his students dispersed, each processing what they'd experienced in their own way, Marcus returned to his workshop to secure the Origin Stone technology. The cosmic enhancement represented a significant escalation in his capabilities, but it also marked a point of no return.
He was no longer just a powerful individual with advanced technology. The Origin Stone fusion had elevated him to something approaching cosmic entity status, a being whose casual actions could reshape reality on a planetary scale.
The responsibilities that came with such power were sobering to contemplate.
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