Mario and Raven arrived at Banner's laboratory, and Mario paused at the entrance. Obsidian sat on the ground, back against the outer wall. Mario could sense the waves of existential despair radiating from the massive alien. The guy looked like he'd just learned the meaning of futility.
Raven noticed the motionless figure and assumed it was a statue. In her defense, nothing in her life experience had prepared her for the existence of something that looked like Obsidian.
She had questions, so many questions. But everything around her warranted questions, and she didn't even know where to start.
Mario ignored Obsidian entirely. The guy's brain was ninety percent muscle tissue anyway. After receiving Thanos' orders, he'd simply attached himself to Hulk's routine. In his simple worldview, Hulk was stronger, therefore he followed Hulk. End of thought process.
They passed through a narrow tunnel and entered the anteroom to Banner's biological laboratory. The small glass-walled space was empty except for the view it provided into the main lab, where figures in white protective suits constantly adjusted equipment and calibrated instruments.
Mario's appearance drew immediate attention. Within moments, Banner approached and glanced up at him. He exited through a side door and knocked before entering the anteroom.
"How's the lab coming along? Ready for work yet?"
He pushed his glasses up with one finger. "Almost there. We still need a few specialized devices, but everything else is calibrated and ready. We can begin preliminary research whenever you want."
Mario nodded. Banner really was one of Marvel's rare talents, brilliant mind, ridiculous combat potential, truly the complete package. From his inventory, he produced the two blood samples he'd collected from Xavier and handed them to him.
"These are the mutant samples I told you about. This one's from a telepath with mental control and psychic perception abilities." He held up the second vial. "And this is from a mutant with mimicry powers."
After handing over both samples, he gestured toward Raven. "This lady is Raven. She's the mimicry mutant."
He turned to Raven. "This is Dr. Banner, Bruce Banner. He runs this lab, and he's going to be the one who helps you control or remove your mutation, if that's what you want."
Banner froze for half a second, silently impressed with Mario's recruitment methods. He didn't just take blood samples... he brought back the entire test subject.
He extended his hand with a warm smile. "Hello, Ms. Raven. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Raven smiled and nodded. She noticed that Banner's gaze held no judgment. She reached out and shook his hand.
"Dr. Banner, I look forward to working with you."
It was rare for researcher and research subject to get along so harmoniously from the start.
"Study the blood first. If you need more, just let me know. I can always make another trip."
Banner examined the vials. "This is more than enough. If this amount isn't sufficient, then no amount of blood would help."
He almost added that if blood samples weren't enough, they could always capture the subjects whole, which would increase experimental success rates. But he kept that thought to himself. He knew that if he said it out loud, Mario would deliver living test subjects to his lab table.
Seeing that Banner wasn't lying, Mario didn't push further. "Alright, I'm taking Raven to get her fitted for a combat suit. It should improve her survival odds considerably."
---
Dawn broke over the forests outside London. A man emerged from between the trees as the sun struggled to peek over the horizon.
Mario stretched, his joints popping satisfactorily. "Nothing like fresh morning air."
He walked across the dew-covered grass toward a clearing. "First stop, Miami. I need to find Shaw before anything else."
Sebastian Shaw, Emma Frost, Azazel, Riptide, he had no intention of letting any of them slip through his fingers. Too much potential, too many dangerous abilities that needed to be contained or recruited.
He boarded his aircraft, programmed the destination, and shot through the clouds toward Miami. The sky grew progressively darker as he traveled, the rising sun behind him disappearing back beneath the horizon.
It felt like time was flowing backward.
The five-hour time difference meant that Miami was only just past 1 AM.
He circled along Miami's coastline in the aircraft, scanning for the specific vessel he remembered from the movies. "In the original timeline, Shaw's yacht was docked at a private pier. Only luxury vessel in the area, can't miss it."
But after completing a full circuit of the coastline, he'd spotted plenty of boats, just not the specific yacht he was looking for.
Mario set down on a secluded stretch of beach and stepped onto the dry sand. "Too early, maybe? He probably hasn't arrived yet."
That made sense. Two days ago, Shaw had only just finished bribing and intimidating Hendry. The plan probably wasn't complete yet. He'd need at least another couple of days to set everything in motion.
He stowed the aircraft and walked across the soft sand toward the ocean. For some reason, the sight made him hungry.
"Well, since I'm waiting anyway..." He grinned and pulled out supplies. "Time for some fresh seafood. Let's get a fire going."
He set up a small campfire and produced a frying pan from his inventory. Alone on the beach, he launched into a one-man seafood feast, cooking whatever the ocean provided.
Time passed quickly. The only downside was his chosen location, the sun would be rising directly behind him, which was less than ideal.
A luxury yacht slowly approached the shore from the relatively calm sea.
A man in a white suit stood on the top deck, wine glass in hand, gazing forward. Beside him stood a woman in a white bikini.
"Emma, we've never been this close to victory."
The White Queen, Emma Frost, was a member of the Hellfire Club and a mutant with both telepathy and the ability to transform her body into living diamond. If Mario had transmigrated at this exact point in the timeline, he definitely would've tried to recruit her. After all, what Minecraft player could resist the allure of diamond?
"Shaw... are we really doing the right thing?"
Shaw turned, smiling as he pulled Emma close with one arm. "We are the atom's children. Only by provoking nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union can we create enough radiation to awaken more mutants, more of our kind."
---
9 AM, Miami.
A man in military uniform followed behind Shaw as they boarded the luxury yacht and climbed to the top deck.
"Champagne, Bob?"
Shaw walked toward the small bar and addressed the uniformed man behind him.
"No."
He retrieved a cigar from the bar, lit it, took a long drag, and smiled. "Alright then, no more games."
He braced his arms against the bar, his gaze turning sharp and dangerous. "Who did you tell about our plan?"
"No one."
Bob's answer came quickly and confidently, but Shaw clearly didn't believe him. Instead, he glanced toward Emma, who was sunbathing nearby.
Her telepathic abilities could easily reveal any lies.
"He's telling the truth."
Shaw was visibly satisfied with that confirmation. His serious expression melted into a smile as he looked at Bob. "Good. Then we have no more business here. How about we pack up and leave?"
Bob was obviously unhappy with Shaw's dismissive response. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a grenade.
"I'm not stupid enough to trust you people. Give me my money and let me walk away, or we all go down together."
The three people on deck saw the grenade but showed no signs of panic. Riptide, standing behind Bob, had his arms crossed like he was watching a comedy show.
Shaw stepped out from behind the bar. "Go ahead, pull it."
Bob backed up two steps, his finger hovering over the grenade's pin. "I will. I swear to God I'll do it."
But his bluff was transparent. Shaw walked right up to him, stared straight into his eyes, and said, "No, you won't."
Then he reached out and plucked the grenade from Bob's hand.
"But I will."
He yanked the pin. The grenade detonated with a muffled boom, but in the next instant, the entire explosion was compressed back into his hands.
"You're a mutant too?"
"Very perceptive, Colonel Hendry."
Just as Shaw was about to finish off the terrified colonel, a voice called down from above.
"Mutants? Well, here I am."
Mario dropped straight from the sky, landing on the yacht's deck with a heavy thud that drew everyone's attention.
Completely unconcerned by their stares, he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "Sebastian Shaw, I presume? It took me all damn day to track you down. Not easy when you keep moving around."
He pointed at Hendry, who stood frozen in place. "I'm taking this man. Non-negotiable."
A colonel was worth recruiting in his estimation. The guy might be greedy and corrupt, but he could work with that. Feed his greed, point him in useful directions. And if that didn't work... well, there was always Plan B.
Shaw stared at Mario. "Who are you?"
"I just have some business with you, that's all."
He beckoned to Hendry. The colonel wasn't stupid, if not for Mario's timely arrival, he was certain he'd already be dead. Whether Mario could save him or not, he wasn't about to let go of his only lifeline.
At that moment, Emma rose from her sun chair.
"My powers don't work on him at all. I can't sense anything from him."
Shaw's face went rigid. "You're a mutant?"
Mario pulled Hendry to his side. "Stay here and watch for a bit. Once I finish my business, we'll have a talk. Don't worry, unlike him, I'm generous. Very generous."
Then, responding to Shaw's question, he smiled. "No, I'm not a mutant."
The moment those words left his mouth, Shaw raised his hand and aimed it directly at Mario's face. A blast of explosive energy shot from Shaw's palm, streaking straight toward Mario.
"Slow Time."
Before coming here, Mario had already worked out exactly how to handle Shaw. The guy could absorb all forms of energy and convert them into his own power, then release that energy at will. Impressive, certainly. Unfortunately for him, he had no resistance whatsoever to mental or magical attacks.
The flame in midair, and Shaw himself, froze under the effect of Slow Time. Under everyone's gazes, his movements slowed to an infinite crawl, like watching a video at 0.01x speed.
Without energy to absorb, his body was no stronger than an ordinary human's. His resistance to magic was exactly what you'd expect from someone who'd never encountered it before: zero.
Emma immediately shifted into her diamond form. "This is your ability? But you just said you weren't a mutant!"
Under the sunlight, her diamond body sparkled brilliantly, reflecting light in dazzling patterns. Mario's eyes lit up. He couldn't help wondering if this diamond form could be converted into actual Minecraft diamonds.
"I told you, I'm not a mutant." He waved the wand in his hand. "See this massive magic wand? I'm a wizard. That's all."
Suddenly, his wand shifted color, and a beam of pale blue light shot toward Riptide.
The guy had tried to sneak attack him during the conversation with Emma. In an instant, ice enveloped Riptide's body. His form froze mid-motion, and even the miniature tornado he controlled stopped spinning, though it didn't dissipate entirely.
He refreshed Slow Time on Shaw and walked up to Emma, pulling out a blood-drawing kit from his inventory. After a moment's thought, he turned to Hendry.
"Don't worry about him, his time's been slowed down. If you're curious, once I finish my business, I can let you experience it yourself. Come here and give me a hand."
Sometimes showing power was necessary. Hendry's attitude toward Mario was better than his attitude toward Shaw had ever been.
Hearing Mario's request, he quickly approached with an ingratiating smile.
Mario handed him the blood-drawing kit, then turned to Emma with a pleasant smile.
"So, will you let me draw your blood willingly? Or do I need to smash your diamonds first... then draw it?"
With his other hand, he produced a diamond pickaxe.