DISCLAIMERS
I do not own the rights to any of the characters of the Marvel or DC universe. Any original characters referenced in this tale are my intellectual property (I think? copyright law is confusing :S)
I know and care little about the sexuality of any of the creators, actors, or characters involved in the Marvel/DC universe. Similarly, this story contains graphic descriptions of gay male sex. If that may offend you, I suggest looking elsewhere for entertainment. Otherwise enjoy some smut. The smut will be widespread and hopefully organic to character growth.
Partial credit goes to the story Mutation by Phoenixfire543 (on nifty) for inspiring me to write my own variation on the whole superhero genre. His protagonist inspired mine power wise, though mine varies a lot in temperament and disposition.
Glossary
JAJ – John as Jean. 'link' - psychically connecting at the middle layer in order to share/blend powers or to create a sensory link in order to share sensations. tk - telekinesis tk hands - hands consisting of tk energy used to manipulate matter invisibly. text between asterixes indicate telepathic communication ^text between these indicate communication through manipulation of water vibration to produce sound^
Authors Note I've split this chapter into 3 parts because it was getting too long and unwieldy for me to work on easily.
Chapter 9
Part 1 sowing
Infinite Gap
Visions of pasts and futures of other universes occupied my mind as we traversed the Infinite Gap. I kept my eyes closed as the Phalanx served as my tether to reality.
Universe 616
Alpha telepathically nudged me to notify me that we have arrived but it's unnecessary as I am bombarded by this new universe's past, present and future in a kaleidoscopic torrent of visions. I opened my eyes to find myself surrounded by the Phalanx. I telekinetically spill the contents of Alpha's sack, variations of my current cybernetic processing storage system hitting the ground. I hurriedly activated them all with technopathy and concentrated energy blasts as my current implanted cybernetic storage system struggles to keep the influx of new data from overwhelming my mind.
I diverted the information from this new universe into the other cybernetic devices to be compressed and analyzed when there's time. I knelt on the ground for several minutes waiting for the surge of information to stall. Eventually it does. 75% of my devices had been filled to the brim and I had yet to move from the rooftop we had arrived on.
They waited in silence as I got shakily to my feet as I processed and compressed the data my implanted cybernetic device stored, clearing space to think. I glanced about and we were in yet another New York in what appeared to be Hell's Kitchen.
Alpha collected the spilled cybernetic storage devices,carefully placing them back inside the sack that I had assigned him to carry through the Infinite Gap . The Phalanx each carried a large sack of materials I had deemed necessary to bring along for this trip into a foreign universe. As well as a backpack for their own personal items. Herc, Nate and JAJ had brought suitcases for their stuff.
"Search pattern epsilon." I said, sitting down on the ground, giving my enhanced perceptions a chance to adjust to the background noise of a new universe. Even with my limited viewpoint this universe was deeply flawed, time was tangled, reality had been warped repeatedly and even basic physics seemed not to apply. I sighed. I knew it would take a long time to adjust to this new universe, which was why I had been putting off this trip for so long, sending dragonfly probes to collect data and transmit it back to me instead of exploring this place personally. I didn't want to be hobbled by another new universe after taking so long to adjust to the last one.
Phalanx relayed the results of their psionic observation to me, providing me with an acceptable snapshot of the highlights of the city, including the current location of a SHIELD Helicarrier. I had briefed Phalanx prior to leaving that my psionic observation capabilities would be extremely limited in a new universe and they'd be vital in relaying information to me until I adapted. Phalanx were happy to be of use.
JAJ telepathically transmitted the results of her mass telepathic oversight to me, providing me with the knowledge that we were in the aftermath of a different outcome to their SHRA Civil War. Tony Stark had won the war, which resulted in Captain America's temporary death, Goliath's permanent death and a bitter animosity from Thor after his return from the grave. Tony had been appointed the head of SHIELD and guardian of the Earth from hostile threats both domestic, international, extra planetary and extra dimensional. JAJ when briefed had snidely remarked that'd I'd be blind and lame in a new universe without them.
After spending a few more minutes digesting the data and adjusting to the variations in the energy spectrums, temporal and spatial background I decided it was time to move on. We had already attracted the attention of Daredevil and I had no interest in engaging in the inevitable confrontation with him. Presentiment had its uses.
I telepathically transmitted our new destination to Alpha. Phalanx used their combined teleportation ability to stash all of the luggage in interspace before teleporting us straight into the SHIELD Helicarrier's command center.
"Hello all." I said, aiming for jovial. Dozens of guns were pointed towards us but JAJ simply directed the weapons down so if they fired all that would happen was they'd shoot themselves in the foot.
A supposed woman confronted me "What are you doing on my bridge?" A quick scan revealed that she was an artificial construct designed to imitate the original. I interfaced with the tech and found that it was a Life Model Decoy used to replace Maria Hill and other key members of politics in order to prevent routine assassinations. It was an interesting variation on the practice used by dictators to foil assassination attempts by having look a likes used as political decoys.
I played along inserting a Trojan backdoor into the LMD (Life Model Decoy) in order to have her/it serve as a sleeper agent in the organization as I answered. "I'm an extra dimensional mutant and I'm just popping by to notify you of my temporary presence in this country, world and or universe to prevent future hostilities."
As I talked I used my technopathy to infiltrate the SHIELD computing system, implanting a programming seed deep within the coding for several vital operating systems that would slowly and subtly replicate until it had infiltrated every SHIELD networked system across the globe. Granting me access to the world's largest spy network. Through my limited technopathic access to SHIELD's internal security surveillance system I was aware that Iron Man was making his way to the bridge to confront me.
Defense pattern Omega
The others grouped themselves with JAJ in the center of a circle with Nate and Hercules on either side with the Phalanx forming a ring around them. JAJ provided a Tk shield around Nate, Herc and herself while also creating a larger tk shield around them all. Phalanx infused the outer shield with their own combined Tk strength.
Over the last 5 years despite our various internal and personal differences we had become a highly skilled combat team. Years of destroying Zombie Supers that frequently outnumbered and sometimes overpowered us was only possible with streamlined teamwork and ruthless strategies orchestrated by me as field commander.
Maria Hill's LMD said "You could have registered yourself and your powers at hundreds of government buildings throughout the country. Instead you've trespassed on highly classified territory and are now under arrest."
I ignored her and said "My mutant name is Synergy and some of my powers are telepathy, teleportation and telekinesis..."
Iron Man arrives in red and gold armor, pointing the repulsor blaster in his right palm at me. "Stand down."
JAJ telepathically asks *Are you done making enemies yet? *
Not yet, stage one is complete. Stage 2 is in progress
*Do we have to do this every time? *
*It works well for me. Feel free to exit to secondary staging platform. * I provided the location for this universe's current location of the mutant elite.
I telepathically okayed the Phalanx to exit while I distracted the cops and their pet heavy. They teleported out. Without JAJ's telekinesis, the guns pointed at me again and I was well and truly outnumbered but I wasn't particularly concerned.
"As I was saying. I'm only here on a fact finding mission and I have no interest in fighting with anyone." Maria Hill's LMD stepped away from me. "However I will defend myself with extreme force if attacked. I never agreed with Xavier's policy on turning the other cheek. You strike me and I'll cut you off at the knees."
"I've heard enough. As director of SHIELD I will detain you on behalf of global security." Tony Stark said within his armor.
I sighed. "Why is it that you're always a smug jackass in a can in every reality? I'll be on my way now." I tried to teleport out but...
"I've activated the anti teleportation devices. Too late to stop your friends from abandoning you but we will find them soon enough and bring them in for questioning."
"Oh Tony you have no idea who you are messing with. How exactly do you think you'll be able to take me down?"
"Like this!" He fires off both repulsor weapons at me and I simply hold my hands out in front of me absorbing the energy blasts into me, using it to to energize myself. It's like a shot of coffee after a long tiring trip. Perks me right up.
"Why thanks Tony that was tasty. I absorb energy, you just made me stronger. You idiot."
"Fine, we'll do this old school." He flew towards me, fists out, half a ton of high grade battle armor coming towards me and I used technopathy to shut him down mid flight so he crash landed at my feet.
"While this has been mildly amusing. I should leave. Bob is coming and I'd rather not have violent indigestion."
Using a blast of telekinetic energy I tore a hole through several layers of steel above me as the rank and file shot at me uselessly, their bullets bouncing off my armor. I flew upwards through the recently torn steel, exiting the Helicarrier at high speeds. Below me Iron Man was getting to his feet, having re- established control of his armor with his own technopathy. Iron Man flew towards me from one direction as I spotted Sentry aka Bob flying towards me from another direction.
I used a bit of telekinesis to repair the outer layer of the Helicarrier to slow Iron Man down while I teleported away upwards randomly into the stratosphere to avoid Sentry. I had no interest in fighting with Bob just yet.
I took a moment to filter through the information I had already gotten from SHIELD and decided on where I ultimately wanted to regroup and rebuild.
I met up with the others after half an hour of flying (Readjustment to this universe's background noise made teleportation a problematic option). By the time I had arrived, JAJ and the others had introduced themselves to this version of the X Men and we had been offered a place to spend the night.
I offered Cyclops and Emma Frost one of my Stark Shield generators from our supplies so they could enhance the school's security facilities. I warned them that I had aggravated Tony and SHIELD and as such we'd only spend the night before moving on so as not to endanger their students.
I also provided them a small handheld computer made of Wakandan vibranium tech that I had enhanced so they could contact me if they were ever in trouble and needed my assistance. It also doubled as a backdoor into their systems so I could access their databases and monitor the progress of their students.
Day 2
I had a very strange dream during my few hours of sleep where a shadowy something claiming to be a Renegade God talked to me... He told me that I was his agent in this universe and I was supposed to serve as an example of strength, strategy and superior intellect to those coasting on earlier success. Suffice to say I ignored most of it as being irrelevant to my current objective and probably a sign of a mental breakdown. Since delusions of grandeur and voices in my head were typically symptoms of psychosis.
I said goodbye to the X men. We had avoided government scrutiny as JAJ had worm-holed them inside the facility and subtly sabotaged the Sentinel 'protecting' the school as a distraction prior.
We made our slow way towards Latveria to join up with Doom or to kill him and take his castle depending on how things went.
After a journey consisting of several hours of stopping and starting, due to me being dead weight as my enhanced perceptions and random temporal visions kept trying to overwhelm my mind with too much information of this new universe. I was forced to rely on the Phalanx to tele-transport us to Doom's castle via teleport hops with frequent stops for me to re-calibrate, transfer data and compress data.
Once outside I telepathically transmitted to the group attack pattern epsilon.
Alpha and Bravo took position on either side of me with Charlie, Delta and Echo taking position behind me. While the other 3 members of Phalanx covered Hercules, Nate and JAJ.
Several Doom Bots tried to stop me but I simply used technopathy in order to hijack them and have them open the doors to Castle Doom for me.
Upon sighting me Doom yells "Who dares challenge the might of DOOM?!" he fires lightning and mystical blasts at me, which I absorbed with both hands outstretched. It's a powerful energy boost. I channeled half of the mystical energy into my armor, enhancing its existing mystical protections.
"Hello Doom, I come in peace."
"Attack him." A swarm of Doom Bots appear from out of every corridor firing off energy blasts at us. My team uses overlapping tk shields to block their attacks while I hijacked these new Doom Bots.
"Could we not do this? I just want to talk."
"You come into my castle, wearing my armor with an army of clones of me and seize control of my Doom bots and you want to talk." He disrupts my control over the Doom Bots by triggering an immediate self destruct sequence. They blow up all over the place. "Leave this place now before I summon an infernal army to destroy you."
"Like this?" I summoned a weak mystical army consisting of easily controled lower demons, from the lower infernal planes, hell hounds, imps and shades.
"Not bad... for an amateur." Doom banishes my mystical demon army with an arcane word and summons an army of higher order demons, cerebri, familiars, balrogs, arch devils and succubi with another spell.
"Guess we're going to have to do this the hard way."
Doom gestured at the demons and they surged forth.
*Attack pattern zeta. I'll take on Doom. Phalanx Power up. *
I raised my hands and the 5 members of the Phalanx nearby slaps my hands in passing while I have Rogue's power active, feeding me a fraction of their telepathy and telekinesis before they spread out into attack pattern Zeta. Phalanx arranges themselves in groups of 4 making a diamond with their bodies so they can cover each other from whichever direction the enemy comes. Nate, Herc and JAJ form a wedge, facing out, Herc the apex, JAJ and Nate on either side a pace back, allowing Herc full range of motion for physical attacks.
I linked with all of them, sharing a limited version of my second sight and other sight with them, allowing them to spot weaknesses in attackers, predict opponent attacks and see mystical attacks. I manifested an army of water and ice golems, some psychic constructs and a few energy golems to help even out the numbers against the demon horde.
"Who are you?" Doom said as he punched me with his fists glowing with electrical energy. I took a few strikes to my armored stomach and chest, allowing his attacks to strengthen my adamantium, vibranium armor further.
"My name is Synergy. I'm a new player on the field. I want to join you as your partner."
Throughout the rest of the room, the others fought against the demonic army. Phalanx alternates between telepathically and telekinetic shielding against the various attacks by the demonic horde and retaliating. The succubis attack with lust based telepathic attacks and stinging barbed whips, the cerebris snarl and bite with 3 heads and an overabundance of teeth, with incredible bite force, snapping at crotches. The Arch Devils use teleportation to move across the room striking at the three groups tk shields with huge scythes before teleporting to strike another team.
JAJ provides the telekinetic defense and offense for her trio, providing the trio with class 5 tk shielding, while using obliteration blasts and singularity traps against the teleporting Arch devils.
"Victor Von Doom needs no weak partners." He powers up casting a high powered lightning spell that sends me flying several feet.
I teleport behind him. "I'm not weak." I crank up my energy absorption powers to the max, making my hands into funnels for energy. I draw upon solar energy, cosmic background radiation, thermal energy, my own kinetic energy, energy from gravitational forces, from the electro magnetic spectrum and half a dozen other energy sources. They empower me as I strike Doom's activated personal force field with both hands, draining the energy and placing my hands on the mystically made armor and leeching strength from that to fuel my own armor. "I'll settle for being your right hand subordinate and student if you prefer."
Doom turns his head around and elbows me back a pace, enough to turn and cast a doomsday spell flinging me several feet at brutal speed to crash into an Arch Devil. He's 10 feet tall, red, heavily armored and carrying a large scythe and stinks of brimstone. "Do you concede to the power of DOOM?" Doom asks summoning twice as many infernal creatures from the hellish lower planes.
"Yes, I concede. You're a master of might, mysticism and machinery. That's why I want to learn from you. You're the best at what you do."
With a flick of his wrist and an arcane word Doom banishes his demonic army. My golem army had been utterly demolished. The Phalanx had various minor injuries and were covered in blood, most demonic, but some theirs. JAJ's trio was surrounded by demon blood and dust from JAJ's obliteration attacks but were untouched by enemy attacks.
"I'll accept your surrender and we'll discuss the terms of your service while your minions get cleaned up."
JAJ storms forth "I am no minion."
I disconnected the link between us, severing them from my 'second sight' and 'other sight'. "That's true. I wouldn't be where I am without you." I said to JAJ.
The rest of you get cleaned up, we wouldn't want to insult our host with bloody clothes. Echo and Foxtrot present your sacks to our host.
Echo and Foxtrot stepped forward to either side dropping their sacks to the floor, revealing the contents to our new host. A sack of assorted precious gems (diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires) and the other sack had black and white pearls of various sizes. "A tribute for you as Lord of Latveria."
He kicked it gingerly with his armored foot, gems and pearls spilling out onto the floor. "I accept your tribute but get them out of my sight." He pointed to the Phalanx members.
I gave them a telepathic nudge and they teleported out of sight and into another room.
Herc and Nate gave JAJ a questioning look and they got their own response presumably telepathically because they wandered off without another word.
MEETING WITH DOOM.
I explained to Doom about our long winding journey through time and dimensions with JAJ interjecting from time to time with color commentary.
"Interesting tale but why should I care about your troubles?"
"You are a master in mysticism and machinery and I could do with your guidance and experience in both fields in order to achieve my personal goals."
"Why would I waste my valuable time on such an endeavor?"
"In exchange for you helping me with my trans dimensional mapping project and mystical tutorship I'll assist you in humiliating your enemies and gaining ultimate control of this planet."
"What guarantee do I have that you're capable of honoring your side of the bargain?"
"John why don't you show our host what we did under the command of Apocalypse."
JAJ provided a telepathic slide show of how Phorcys and him casually slaughtered their way across two major continents. Meanwhile I telepathically contacted Charlie and told him I wanted access to his assigned cargo. He manifested his cargo from interspace and I teleported it into the room that Doom had us in.
"I also have this as collateral." I emptied out Charlie's sack containing a large piece of unrefined adamantium and a largeish chunk of Wakandan vibranium.
"Where did you get this?" Doom asked, snatching the vibranium off the table and channeling a bit of his mystical strength through it, amplifying the power output exponentially.
"From the universe I came from, there was no one to stop me from taking what I wanted. As such I salvaged some of the rarest resources in order to conduct my own experiments. The armor I wear is an example of such an experiment. I've created an adamantium vibranium alloy that can become tougher than pure adamantium and is easier to mold. While the alloy holds less mystical charge than its purer counterpart it's less prone to exploding when it absorbs too much vibration or serves as a conduit to too much mystical power. If you teach me everything you know about mysticism. I'll provide you with the recipe how to make the alloy and all the vibranium and adamantium supplies on the world I left behind."
"To master magic takes a lifetime, sometimes several."
"I don't need to master magic, I just want you to show me every spell you know at least once, then you can have this and come with me back to my world and use its supplies of vibranium as you see fit."
"I'll give you a year of mystical and technological instruction in exchange for the alloy and your world's resources." Doom haggled.
"Agreed." I reached out my hand to shake Doom's but JAJ telekinetically slapped my arm down.
"You're just going to give him all that for a year of his tuition? Are you nuts?" JAJ asked.
"Excuse me a moment. I need to have a chat with my associate."
I teleported us into an adjoining room. "What do you think you're doing? Allowing him access to our world just to learn some fucking spells. He'll try and take it over for himself as soon as he steps foot there." JAJ asked.
"I'm well aware of that. Let him. Zombie World was a useful testing ground to experiment with different battle techniques but we've annihilated them and it's so bloody quiet and boring there now. With Doom's help we can copy the Time Broker and teleport at will through the universes doing whatever we want. Wouldn't that be more entertaining?"
"Fine I'll allow this for now but the moment this turns south I'm bailing."
We returned to the meeting room "Sorry about that, minor disagreement. I agree to your terms."
We shook hands and Doom added. "Cover the faces of the Phalanx."
"Of course. I should have realized that you'd not want a reminder of how you used to look. That said, did you want me to repair your injuries? I am quite skilled at body modification."
"That's unnecessary. I keep it as a reminder of what Reed did to me."
"Okay then."
Afterwards I met up with the Phalanx and told them that they'd have to pick some new faces. As such I granted them a new ability, class 3 body modification, just enough power to subtly change the fat distribution and size of facial features, widen noses, fill cheeks etc.
Our new living arrangement as vassals of Lord Doom displeased JAJ, Nate and Hercules but they were outnumbered and outvoted.
Doom's castle was manageable for my 'other sight' as his defenses against external magic, reality manipulation and technology was unparalleled. It was a good place to recalibrate myself as this universe had serious issues with the continuity of space, time and reality.
Day 3
Had a private meeting with Doom to discuss the outline of my master plan to grant him control of this Earth.
Step 1 was to re brand his image from despotic dictator into a humanitarian concerned about the state of the world and the concerns of lesser humans. Step 2 was to build a network of powerful allies through diplomatic methods that he could assign territory to once he'd won. Step 3 was to build and sell a modified army of Doom bots on the cheap to spread a Trojan army throughout the world in order to gather intel on potential threats and to bolster his forces Step 4 was to undermine and or destroy potential competition before they could resist his rise to power Step 5 was to have an unbeatable army of technologically enhanced Doom Bots, genetically enhanced citizens, water golems, flesh proxies and whatever else in order to destroy opposition.
He admired my scheme to have Trojan Doom Bots, laughing at the idea of having idiotic governments pay for an army that would ensure their own destruction. I told him I got the idea in part from a dystopian future where Sentinels ended up turning on the humans who thought to use them to exterminate my kind.
I told him I'd need him to approve me as his diplomatic ambassador as he had long and fractious relations with some members and it'd be best to have a new face offering gifts and working on building up NAP treaties and paving the ground towards a world wide alliance. He accepted my suggestion. Presumably because he wasn't a fan of the slow laborious process of diplomacy. Neither was I but needs must...
Doom gave me the first mystical lesson, demonstrating some basic spells.
Day 4
Early morning
I used an ice proxy with the appearance of Bobby to walk past the Sentinel 'protecting' and into Bobby's room while he slept in. (through an ice proxy the fluctuating and problematic nature of universe 616 wasn't as painful)
^Wakey wakey^
Bobby woke startled. "Who and what are you and why do you look like me?"
^Don't freak out. This proxy was used to bypass the Sentinel outside.^ I altered the ice proxy to resemble me instead. ^I've come to help you train you to your full potential.^
"Are you that guy who came to the school a few days back and gave Cyclops the new shielding tech?"
^Yes in a way^
"What do you mean, in a way?"
^This isn't me, my actual body is in Latveria, this is only an ice proxy. I'm remote controlling it.^
"Why me?" he asked rhetorically.
^In my original universe I knew a Bobby and he helped me understand my power better and he was a good sparring partner and sort of a friend. I'd like to help you be your very best.^
"Could you give me a moment of privacy to get dressed?"
^Sure. I'll be back in 5 minutes.^ I spread through the school as a diffuse cloud of 'eyes', observing the student population as they went about their morning routines, pinpointing their strengths and weaknesses from visual observation against what I learned from the X men database.
I returned to Bobby's room where he was fully dressed, rubbing at his eyes, sleepily. I reformed a ice body and he looked me over as I slipped on the shorts I had abandoned on my adventures as a cloud. I made a few corrections to the body and shifted the proxy to flesh.
"I thought that wasn't your real body..."
"It's not."
"Then how are you?" He waved his hands about, gesturing at the new body apparently lost for words.
"Flesh. I've modified this proxy to serve as a flesh proxy at the moment. It'll save questions from the student populace if they don't see two ice men. At least until you learn how to maintain and control an ice golem army."
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Bobby yelled at me. Then he grabbed at his hair obviously frustrated and said "Ugh, why am I even listening to you?"
"Sorry. I take a while to get used to. Between the precognition and the biokinesis and hydrokinesis and various psionic powers. It's easier if you just accept the randomness. There's a method to my madness."
"You're insane."
"Quite possible, this much power could drive an average person to insanity. Could I borrow some clothes? It might look weird me just hanging out in your room in your shorts. Hmm. Deja vu, I said something similar to my Bobby, several decades and universes ago."
Bobby just stared at me for a long moment. Trying to process the multiple tangential statements and questions. "You're insane." He said, falling back onto his bed, covering his face with his hands. "This is a bad dream and I'm going back to sleep."
"You're funny."
"At least someone appreciates my humor." I took the moment to shift the arms into water tentacles, rifling through Bobby's clothes to find something I liked and modifying the body to fit, keeping the face the same.
He uncovered his face a moment later to find my proxy wearing his clothes, with a body type similar to his and the face I'd been using before. "How?"
"Long story." I said while giving him an appraising look. He was a class 5 mutant and had become an accountant of all things. He was a puzzle. "Up you get" I grabbed him by the hips and lifted him to a standing position. There was a moment as he stood inches away from the proxy, its hands on his hips of expectation and potential. Which I ruined by saying. "Time to train."
I led the way for a grumbling Iceman to the Danger Room. "Now what?"
"Time for me to test your current skills and see where you're at." I activated the Danger Room Sentinels program with a few water hands. "Show me how you fight off giant robots."
He demonstrates his skills, such as they are. He ice slides around in ice form, frost blasting at the 20 foot tall versions of Sentinels, tripping up the Sentinels as if they were bullies with tied together shoe laces. His style is whimsical but passably effective.
Depressed at his inability to take the robotic threat seriously I show him how it's done. I disperse the ice proxy, reforming it in the midst of a group of Sentinels. I puppeteered the ice proxy into acrobatically slicing at the closest Sentinel, targeting metallic joints with ice bladed arms weakening it, while running vertically upwards as the other Sentinels fire their lasers at the proxy, hitting the Sentinel instead. The damage to the first Sentinel is extensive by the time the ice proxy springboards off the first broken Sentinel gaining mass and spikes as it flies upwards only to let gravity take hold and plummet to the ground hitting the damaged Sentinel with full force, turning the robot warrior into wreckage.
With one Sentinel in pieces its easy to use the debris as both armor and projectile weapons, dodging enemy strikes and using metal studded ice as a weapon. The air rings loud with the noise of Sentinels exploding as the cumulative effects of blizzards, cascade cannons and metallic snowballs pin-balling between Sentinels has a fatal toll on the Sentinel population.
Bobby said "wow." when there's no Sentinels left in a couple of minutes.
"I should make one thing very clear from the outset I'm not a very nice person at the best of times but I'm very good at what I do. I find and exploit weaknesses for my own advantage."
My 'other sight' indicates that this Bobby is limited by his own chronic insecurities, self doubts and psychic blocks.
"Wolverine is a teacher here as is Emma from time to time. I think I can manage another teacher with murky morality."
I give him a few exercises which he can use to practice and improve his control until I can arrange a face to face meeting between us somewhere neutral. I told him that if he ever needs someone to talk about anything, he can use the beacon I gave to the X men in charge to contact me. I told him I'd be back in a week or so in person to work with him.
"Why'd you want to train me anyway?"
"You're a pivot."
"What?"
"You're a pivotal character. I have a presentiment that you're going to be very important in the not too distant future and I figure helping you train is a good excuse to interact with you until I figure out the details. "
"You're weird."
"That I am."
With that I dispersed the ice proxy and refocused my attention to getting settled in Latveria.
Day 5
I asked Doom for a room to work on my technological projects. He assigned me a room. I emptied out the cybernetic storage devices and the technical equipment Bravo carried and set to work on creating a new work space for the trans dimensional portal and other assorted projects.
Day 6 I located a recently resurrected Thor in Broxton. I challenged him to a duel for control over Asgard city near Broxton.
I directed him half a mile away to a field of combat that the Phalanx contained within a class 5 Tk/ psionic cage, boosted by a Stark Shield Projector.
Thor asked "Where is your weapon?"
"I have many weapons." I teleported in War Sword 2.0 from interspace within my right hand while manifesting an energy sword in my left before reabsorbing the energy sword and disappearing the War Sword 2.0. "Just don't need them right this second."
I launched a wave of ice needles at Thor, boosting it with a tk gale force wind and the ice needles shatter against his face and armor, inflicting minimal damage. It would have obliterated an average human and injured an average superhuman but it has little effect on an Asgardian royal. I'm not surprised, the aim was aggravation not defeat. Thor moves forward as if he's walking through a strong wind instead of a telekinetically boosted blizzard, resolute and determined.
I amped up my attack by expelling every form of energy inside me at him, including several of unknown classification, calculating the level of damage each does to him. Cosmic energy, time energy and heat did the most damage. Thor deflected several energy strikes with Mjolnir but every swing told me more about my opponent, the types of energy he could see, how fast he reacted, what he considered a threat and what did the most damage. I emptied out the vessel/my body of energy in order to make way for the incoming attack.
Thor summoned the thunder from the storm clouds above striking me where I stood. On the outside I stood still, eyes calmly locked with the God of Thunder as he wielded one of his most potent weapons against me, absorbing the energy, letting it fill me, channeling the excess into my armor while converting the majority of the electrical energy into heat. The intensity of the thunder kept increasing as Thor tried to defeat me. I kept standing there my arms out and my palms up, absorbing the heat and electrical energy and the background cosmic energy and radiation. Too quickly my energy stores filled up and the vessel containing me started to feel the strain as something beyond flesh and blood was pushed to its breaking point. I unleashed all the accumulated absorbed energy into a blast of light and heat directed at Thor. I plucked the probability thread of the universe to ensure the entirety of my blast hit only Thor and nothing else.
He's knocked back to the ground but he quickly rises, his face furious and burnt. He summons his royal birthright and channels the Odin Force, Thor Force, whatever into his body, helping to heal his wounds and giving him unnatural strength, enough to destroy anything in his path.
He charges at me full speed, hammer raised and I cast several spells in quick succession, one for protection, one for absorption, one for speed, one for healing and one for luck. His hammer hits my right hand and for a fraction of a second I absorb some of Mjolnirs enchantments and mystical strength into me. Then my right hand is obliterated by the impact of an angry Thor using his access to a Divine Force to increase the damage done by Mjolnir. The adamantium alloy is snapped off at the wrist. The resulting negative vibration triggers a future flash of a possible future and I absorb the vibrational energy for later use.
There's a moment as Thor sees the severed hand where I can see him thinking about whether he went too far. I used his moment of distraction to grab his neck with my left hand absorbing his strength and his royal Asgardian birth right in order to access the Divine Force disrupting his access in the process. Newly empowered by a Divine power source I restore my hand and boost my strength and power to drive my adamantium alloyed armored knee into Thor's crotch, following it up with a brutal right cross with my recently regenerated right fist...
He's knocked out cold.
Being a conduit for divine energy made me feel weakened and sleepy. I knew I needed to rest and recover elsewhere really soon. I sapped the alloy over my left hand and snapped it off at the wrist. I teleported the remains into interspace. Other Asgardian warriors were coming. The Phalanx deactivated the shields containing the battle field and teleported over to me, touching my hands, helping to stave off the Odin/Thor sleep a little longer.
^This city and it citizens are under my purview. Thor will be Regent and serve as its protector and ruler in my absence. I will return.^
Once I said that I allowed the Phalanx to teleport me away as I passed out from the strain of being a conduit to a class 6 or 7 power source. When I woke up in my room, I was surrounded by the Phalanx that had watched over me while I slept the sleep of a mortal. Accessing the Divine Force had a cost, it left me vulnerable afterwards as my body/vessel sought a new equilibrium.
I told Doom of my new conquest on his behalf... He's wary of my strength and at the risk of betrayal but there's not much he can do yet.
Day 7
Loki finds me, wanting to know how I defeated Thor and what I'm up to. I told him I used Thor's own strength against him and that I haven't decided what I'm up to yet. At the moment I just want to read the Asgardian books to round out my education on Asgards and their magics.
Loki considers me. While he does that I have random visions of his past and future. I'm not sure which side this Loki is on, if ever he's on a side other than his own. This universe seems to bring out the best and worst in people. Villains go through brief redemptive arcs only to relapse into psychosis and treachery. Sometimes they redeem themselves for prior actions with acts of noble self sacrifice. Mostly they flip flop like insincere, pandering politicians.
I asked him "Would you like to be my intermediary for dealing with Asgard and Asgardians?"
He asked "Why would I be interested in that?"
I replied with "It'd really aggravate Thor to have you at my side."
He agrees to act as intermediary as long as it amuses him. That's as good as it'd get with a God of chaos and mischief.
Day 8
JAJ, Nate and Hercules corner me in my new lab, complaining that they're sick of being under my proverbial thumb and me getting them into these situations and so forth and so on.
"You can leave any time you want. I'm not stopping you."
Nate "Where would we go? You've already told Doom about our home. He'll want to conquer it."
"Well you can go out there yourselves and see what better options you can find or I can arrange transportation into a new virgin universe for you to colonize if you prefer."
JAJ asked "When would you be able to do that?"
"Give me till 3pm in the afternoon and I should be able to patch a one way trip to a new universe for you. If that's soon enough for you."
They gave me sullen looks and glares and left to pack.
3pm
They return with luggage.
JAJ asked "You done?"
"Yeah." I activated the trans dimensional gateway. "I've already tested it and it's fine for biological life forms, though I would recommend a tk shield for the journey just to make sure."
Nate asked me "Why aren't you trying to convince us to stay?"
I said "John has no morals and our relationship died years ago. Why would I want any of you to stay? You don't trust my judgment and I have no interest in dissent in the ranks."
I opened the dimensional gateway into Earth 2010 a world populated solely by vampires.
After they leave, Doom comes to see me.
"Your supporters have abandoned you." Doom said
"That's one perspective, another is that I managed to exile a potential threat to my continued happiness without personally spilling a single drop of blood or losing any of my loyalists. Which is what would have happened if John tried to fight me, we would have stale mated and Phalanx would have joined in on my side and some of them would die just to kill off John. This way no one died and this castle didn't get heavily damaged in the fighting. Win win."
"Will you be able to honor your side of the agreement without them?"
"Yes, now that I don't have to worry about dissent within the ranks I can give my plan absolute focus because I can trust the Phalanx to be absolutely loyal to me. Unity of purpose is a wonderful thing."
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// End Notes
Next mini chapter Victor networks and schemes in order to gain more power, armies and high end recruits. Unexpected enemies surface.
Supplementary Information
Sacks of Stuff carried by the Phalanx
Alpha - Cybernetic equipment Bravo - technical equipment Charlie - Wakandan Vibranium and adamantium and other precious metals Delta - weapons Echo - precious gems Foxtrot - pearls Golf - small objects d'art and small mementos Hotel - clothes
Victor's harvesting strategy Stage 1: Gather intel Stage 2: Acquire targets for elimination, recruitment or harvesting Stage 3: Harvest tactical resources in order to enhance self, battle experience, powers, technical schematics, memories, knowledge etc. Stage 4: Exit before retaliation can overwhelm defenses or when no further gains can be made.