Chapitre 44: Omniscience in Marvel 43

Title - First Murderer and Curse

…

"I will be seeing you around then." Leucadius said to Gaea and disappeared, only to reappear in front of the cuddling Adam and Eve.

"Father," Adam greeted in mild shock as he released his wife from the hug. He had only just said what he said casually but he didn't really expect Leucadius to actually be there.

"Fa-Father." Eve also greeted, albeit stuttering in-between.

"Adam, Eve…it is good to see you are both in good health." Leucadius said. Unlike with others, Leucadius didn't bother hiding his facial identity from the two as there was no need.

As soon as he left them, they would forget it.

"It is all due to your grace." Adam said and held the still frightened Eve by the hand.

"Hmm. That is good to know. And you Eve…Have you been well?" Leucadius asked with a soft smile.

"Y-yes Father." She replied meekly without looking up at him.

"Hmm? Are you perhaps…scared of me?" Leucadius asked, he knew she was but he wanted to see her reaction. She was that cute to tease afterall.

"Eh.. N-no, I-I…am not." She stammered.

"That doesn't sound like someone who isn't scared. Tell me, have you done anything bad recently?" Leucadius asked with his Throne floating towards the two. As he reached, he placed his right hand on her head and ruffled it.

Shaken by the sudden familiar touch, Eve, who was mildly trembling, calmed down and looked up only to see Leucadius looking at her lovingly. "No. I haven't." She managed to say while looking straight into his eyes.

"Then there isn't a need to be afraid. You are my daughter just as Adam here is my son. In as much as you've done no wrong by me, I will always be your father." Leucadius said, causing tears to begin pooling in the woman's eyes.

"FATHER!" She cried out and lunged at Leucadius before hugging him tightly. "I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry."

"Hahaha, look at you behaving like a little girl. Haven't I said it, all is forgiven. However, as you've done me wrong in the past, you still have to live with that consequence."

"I understand, Father. I understand." She said while still hugging him. Leucadius didn't push her away and kept stroking her back until she calmed down.

"Are you alright now?" Leucadius asked Eve who was walking back to Adam. She smiled and nodded, grabbed Adam's hand with hers before looking back to him. "I am."

"Then that's great." Leucadius said with a relieved smile before looking around. "However, why don't I see the two brats?"

"Oh. Cain and Abel are out performing their duties." Adam replied with a proud expression for some reason, but Leucadius didn't push it, he just stretched his index finger and drew a circle in the air.

Two golden portals appeared before Cain and Abel walked right through. "Father! Is this Grandfather's? Has he finally returned?" One of the now grown up boys asked as soon as he walked out.

Leucadius recognised him to be Abel, the kind and ever cheerful one of the two. Cain too had the same look of expectation as he looked at his father waiting for his reply.

"Hmm. He's right behind you." Adam said to which the two boys snapped their heads to the back only to see Leucadius smiling at them from his throne.

His throne has already reached the ground but remained afloat without actually touching the ground.

"Grandpa!" Both Cain and Abel cried while jumping at him.

"You two! You're already grown ups, refrain from acting like kids." Eve rebuked the two seeing how disrespectful they were being by jumping at Leucadius.

Leucadius opened his arms wide enough to accommodate the two boys before he chuckled and teased. "Who was it that just finished crying on my shoulders?"

Eve immediately blushed and looked away causing Adam to smile at her fondly.

"Do not mind your mother boys. As your father's father, it brings me joy to see you both so full of life and energy." Leucadius said as he embraced Cain and Abel, ruffling their hair affectionately.

The two boys grinned widely, their eyes shining with adoration for their grandfather. "We missed you, Grandpa," Cain said with genuine warmth in his voice.

Abel nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, we've been working hard to make you proud!"

Leucadius smiled proudly at them. "And proud I am, my boys. You both carry the blood of gods within you, and I have no doubt that you will achieve great things."

As they conversed, Leucadius couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment wash over him. This was what family was about, but eventually, the reunion came to an end as Leucadius suggested.

"How about you two bring me something from your hard work." He said. He knew that Cain, the elder brother, was a tiller of the group, aka, a farmer, while Abel, the younger of the two, was a keeper of sheep, aka, a shepherd.

(A/N: it is written, Offering, but I feel slightly uncomfortable with the word so I'll gloss over it.)

"Really!?" They both cried out in surprise. They knew a lot of things about this grandfather of theirs, but this was the first time he had asked them for anything, so even Adam and Eve were slightly surprised.

"Hmm. Bring me whatever gift you feel is deserving of me." Leucadius nodded.

And so, it came to pass that Cain brought the fruits of the ground he had worked on to him while Abel brought the firstlings of his flock and the fattest of them to boot.

Looking at their gifts to him, Leucadius couldn't help but nod. Although he didn't see anything wrong with Cain's gift, he knew that in the innermost of hearts, Cain didn't put much thought into this.

As for Abel, it was a matter of respect. Abel felt that nothing short of the best of his bests was suitable for God, so that was what he brought as a gift.

Now Leucadius didn't need to read their thoughts or feel their emotions to know the driving force behind their choice. It pained him that what he was about to say would bring about the death of one of his grandchildren while marring the soul of the other, but it was necessary.

"What splendid cattles you've brought. I love them, you have my praise." Leucadius said to Abel with a smile, but the next moment, his smile fell as he turned to Cain and said. "Is this really what you feel is deserving of me?"

"Huh?" Contrary to Abel's beaming expression, Cain's countenance immediately fell but Leucadius didn't care and continued. "Why are you angry? If you do what is right, will you not be acknowledged? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door…it desires to have, but you must rule over it."

Saying that, Leucadius gave one last look at Abel before nodding to Adam and Eve before disappearing from their sights. And while they thought he was gone, he merely hid himself.

…

Days passed with the family of four going about their life as usual. Adam and Eve worked when necessary, and rested when also necessary. Cain and Abel too.

But while Abel remained his cheerful self, Cain became more reclusive. Leucadius' words kept ringing in his ears but instead of learning from them, he saw it as an admonishment. Something he wasn't feeling too pleased about.

Anger.

That was the first time he was feeling that emotion. He was a novice to it and didn't know how to manage it. If he had actually listened to Leucadius, he would have known that he meant for him to rule these things, however, he let it rule him.

And so it happened that on this particular day, Cain approached Abel and said. "Brother, would you accompany me to the field?"

Abel, seeing nothing wrong with that, nodded and followed after him. Cain was his elder brother so what wrong was there in helping his brother out in the field?

Now Cain, due to the strenuous work he was used to doing on the Field, was well built, his muscles were well structured, while Abel was the opposite.

All he did, day in and day out was watch the cattles, eat when necessary and rest when necessary, so his physique was quite lanky in comparison to his brother.

That was why upon reaching the field, when Cain attacked, he wasn't able to fight back and was quickly immobilized. Walking over to where he had hidden his working tools, Cain picked out one and came upon Abel.

"This is all your fault brother." Cain said, his eyes filled with rage and envy as he brought the weapon down on his brother.

After a few more hits on the head, Abel was dead, so he turned around and left, but not before disposing of his brother's body, his blood stained clothes and tools.

At the moment, he felt at peace. He had done what he felt was right. And even when his parents asked of his brother's whereabouts, he merely shrugged and said. "I have no idea."

Adam and Eve didn't find his actions suspicious since he usually behaved like this whenever he was moody, so they dropped it.

However, not long after, Leucadius appeared in front of him and asked. "Cain…where is your brother Abel?"

"I don't know." Cain replied with a shrug. "Am I my brother's keeper?"

"What have you done, Cain?" Leucadius asked, for the first time since his battle with Odin, he stood up and walked over to Cain and tapped his forehead. "Listen. Your brother's blood cries to me from the ground. And so you have any idea what he's saying?"

Cain however, was holding his head while grunting in pain. Veins could be seen threatening to pop out of his head at any moment but he still managed to answer with a shake of his head.

"He's pleading with me to spare you. To forgive you for what you've done." Leucadius said sadly. Truly, that was what Abel's soul wished for. With Necromancy, he was able to hold Abel's soul down, preventing it from going to Death's domain.

He could only wish that Death would turn a blind eye to one single uncommon soul that was Abel.

"What..?" Cain muttered, looking up Leucadius with bloodshot eyes, he didn't know how to take that news. Seeing this, Leucadius sighed sadly. It wasn't their fault that this happened.

Neither of them knew anything about emotions. Adam and Eve had ideas as a result of the fruit they had eaten, but Cain and Abel didn't. They'd have to experience all the emotions living beings were capable of experiencing before knowing how to respond to them.

With one last sigh, Leucadius tapped on his forehead once again and used his own cosmic energy to curse him. "From this day, you will be driven from the very ground which you thread since it has swallowed up your brother's blood. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops to you. You will be a restless wanderer on this very Earth."

After laying the curse, he pulled back his finger and moved back to his throne, he was about to leave when Cain called back. "This punishment is more than I can bear. You've driven me from the land and I will remain hidden from your presence for as long as I love. However, as a wanderer, I will be killed by anyone who chances upon me."

Leucadius looked at him and was about to snort but held back. True, Cain was stronger than most humans already existing at this day and age, but should he meet beings not of Human origins, he could end up dying at their hands, Or worse still, abducted for experimental purposes.

"Hmm. Then it shall be that whoever kills you will suffer my wrath seven times over." Leucadius simply said as the spot his finger was one just moments ago shone brightly as a sun and moon mark appeared and disappeared as fast as it came.

Now, any supernatural beings who sees Cain would see that mark, and whoever kills him will have that curse transferred to his/her person. And should that happen, he would be alerted to it and a hunt will be ensured.

With that, Leucadius left, this time, for real.

***

A/N: What do you guys think? Should I make Cain a progenitor of the Vampire race?

According to the Marvel Universe, the Vampire race was actually created before the Great Cataclysm by some sorcerers who got their hands on the Darkhold, and I think the Vampire's name was Varnae.

Anyways, share your thoughts