- Silvio Manfredi? - A frowning Gerda interjected. - What did the old crime king of New York City need from you, may I ask?
- Yeah, I don't know if it's cool when people want to talk to you like that or not," Dan said, scratching his chin.
- As it happens, I've been in contact with him and a few other criminals under Pluto's guise," he admitted, taking a sip of tea. - I thought I told you about it. When I first got into the underworld with both feet.
- Ah, I remember that," Aki confirmed, nodding. - What are you going to do?
- If it wasn't Gerda's birthday, I'd go myself. But right now, I'm just teleporting a doppelganger.
Right there, next to him embodied Pluto. The girls and guys started to look at him, while the clone himself smiled and made a bow.
- Okay, it was time to find out what Manfredi wanted.
Backtracking.
It had been a couple of minutes since Silvio Manfredi had tried to summon Pluto using the business card he had left behind. The crime king had already decided that the cheeky boy had simply lied about the capabilities of this piece of incomprehensible matter, when suddenly Yesterday's Promise appeared in front of the man.
- Wow! I never thought you'd decide to meet me! - said the dandy, tapping the floor with his cane. - But where are my manners? Hello, Mr Manfredi.
- Hello, Pluto," Silvio greeted the guest, without showing any emotion. - You don't mind if I use the first name, do you?
- Not at all! No problem!
- Fine. Please, sit down. Why didn't you think of that? Isn't that why you gave me this card?
- Yes," agreed the dandy, sitting down across from his interlocutor. - But a lot of time has passed, and you still didn't want to meet me. That's why I thought so. But I propose to begin the business for which you wanted to see me.
- All right, but before you do, perhaps you could tell me the limits of your abilities, so that I know whether my wish is possible? - Manfredi suggested, lighting a cigarette.
- 'If you wish to obtain a second youth, it is quite possible,' Pluto said ingratiatingly.
The old man pressed his lips tightly together and frowned, but said nothing that begged to be said. This type had incomprehensible abilities that seemed to surpass any known mutants and the like. The eyewitness accounts were too fantastic at times. Therefore, an attempt to elicit information from his vis-a-vis was necessary to get some specifics. But the guest immediately put a trump card on the table.
It could not be said that the old man's search for immortality or at least the possibility of living longer was quite secret. Interested parties were definitely aware of the elderly criminal's desire.
Using connections along with a lot of money, Manfredi managed to find something. The problem was the unreliability of these methods. The fulfilment of wishes by Yesterday's Promise, on the other hand, had not yet failed. At least, that was the belief of everyone who had contacted Pluto and who had been found.
- Moreover, I can not only restore youth, but also give immortality together with superpowers, so that this immortality will not be lost, - continued the young (is it young?) man, seated himself comfortably and asked ironically. - But do you trust your guards enough, who are now actively listening to us?
Kyle's ability to sense the people behind the false walls was not a problem. The old man did not react outwardly to his interlocutor's words, but inwardly he "cringed". On the one hand, he didn't want to be alone with Pluto, but on the other hand, he realised that even the security supers might not be able to counteract this prick. And he shouldn't have discounted the possible spies of that drugged-up bitch Fisk. Sure, every one of Manfredi's closest supporters had been checked and double-checked, but... There was always that proverbial but. You can only truly trust yourself. Especially in the criminal business. So the aged king signalled his men to leave.
Kyle chuckled inwardly, for one of the guards was flaming with atypical emotions for a loyal subordinate. Quite the opposite. And the fact that they had been sent away did not please this individual. But of course, Kyle did not inform his interlocutor. And it was quite possible that in the near future one of the old man's opponents would decide to turn to Yesterday's Promise to re-buy him.
- Now can we discuss rejuvenation?
- Yes. Like I said, it's entirely possible, without any side effects or anything. But the question is this.
- The fee, right?
- Exactly, Mr Manfredi! - exclaimed Pluto, saluting with his cane.
- And what do you want? - asked the old man, inwardly bracing himself.
- Hmm... I don't know," said the Promise of Yesterday, looking up at the ceiling and twirling his cane in thought. - How about serving me for eternity?
- Not a funny joke," Silvio said with barely perceptible irritation, exhaling smoke.
- I'm not joking.
- Serving some boy? Me, Silvio Manfredi? What do you take me for?! - asked the criminal king with a voice trembling with anger.
- For someone who has not long to live, - Pluto answered ingenuously, shrugging his shoulders. - The sins of the past will keep you out of Heaven.
- You!..
- Are you afraid of death? Are you afraid of going into darkness? Your deeds are in the palm of your hand. And for your sins, there will be a harsh reckoning. Do you wish to avoid it? - and grabbing Manfredi by the arm, the Promise of Yesterday began to ask questions in an eerie voice. At that, his face subtly changed, becoming alien, and the irises of his eyes turned purple. - I suggest a way out. Come into my service. Delay the nightmare moment. Otherwise, hell and all that comes with it awaits you.
- And what will happen to me if I choose to serve you? - wheezed the pale old man.
Like almost any criminal, Silvio Manfredi was very religious, however paradoxical it might seem to the average person. Therefore, the aged king was very afraid of death. And as a Catholic, he didn't want to mess with the humanoid creature sitting in front of him, but it was probably the only way out.
- It's no big deal, you'll just be doing some of my errands," Pluto said in a calm tone, instantly removing all the infernality.
- I... I have to think about it. You can't make such a decision spontaneously," Manfredi said after a few moments of thought.
- Of course, I understand perfectly well," Pluto assured him, putting his right hand to his chest. - Then, so as not to waste either your time or mine, I'll take my leave. I have business to attend to.
- Yes, of course.
Dandy got up from his chair and was about to teleport away, but stopped and turned to Silvio:
- Oh, yes, one more thing. When you summon me a second time, do it without witnesses. For the sake of secrecy.
With a wink, Pluto snapped his fingers theatrically and vanished.
- When you call... You're too confident," the old man whispered out of sheer stubbornness, realising, however, that he would probably have to do it.
Still, he should have tried to find another way to get younger....
End of retreat.
While I was chatting with my friends in my body, my doppelganger was actively scaring Manfredi. When the conversation with the mafioso ended, told the guys about what the old man wanted. Then we sat together for another hour and tried all kinds of tea, which today gave Gerda.
At the same time I told them about what happens in parallel worlds. Daniel was able to tell us about some of them, but he had not seen all the variations. The guys were especially shocked by the story of Kyle the Cultivator. Aki was so angry that she wanted to go kill the members of the Hand for my mother's death and other atrocities right now. We all managed to calm her down together.
After our warm get-together was over, I worked as a cabbie to get everyone home. The last one was Aki. I was about to say goodbye, but the thoughtful girl interrupted me.
- Kai, if the same thing happens to me as in the other world... Promise me you'll kill me. I don't want to hurt anyone close to me.
- So, where did the cool Aki-sama I love go? - I asked the girl with a smile.
- She didn't go anywhere! - A floppy-haired Aki said grudgingly. - It's just that even the thought of me fighting my friends and family just makes me cringe!
- You're so much stronger than you used to be. I doubt there are many people in Ruka who can handle you. Well, we'll find them and then we'll kill them like cockroaches. Just give us a little time.
- I wish I could. But...
- But if anything happens, I'll stop you," I promised, interrupting Aki. - Now stop worrying and frowning or you'll get wrinkles.
- What wrinkles, Baka? I'm even younger than the black one! She's already seventeen!
- Just a month and a half," I said just in case.
- A month and a half!
- Whatever you say. All right, baby, you just calm down and I'll go.
- Where am I a little girl? - Aki asked with an arrogant smile, arching her back and thus emphasising her breasts.
- Hmm...
I even hesitated a bit, deciding to investigate this miracle of nature in detail. But courageously, I gestured at her height.
- When you get taller, you won't be a little girl anymore.
- You're not a little girl," Aki said angrily, elbowing me in the side. - You've grown tall enough to make people feel bad about it. You little rascal.
But before I could answer, she threw her arms around my neck and pulled me in for a kiss. We kissed for half a minute, and then the slightly blushing Aki pulled away.
- Unexpected, but nice," I said.I kissed her on the forehead like a child, and after a mock growl of displeasure at her neglect, I laughingly scurried home. I didn't want to sleep, so after a while I moved to another dimension. And there I learnt another not so pleasant things.
- Head, we just picked up someone trying to sneak in here," said one of the women in the science department.
- Did they succeed? - Asked the most important one.
- 'Fortunately, no. The attempt was like trying to pierce a steel plate with a toothpick. But it's possible that this time they wanted to test our lockdown. Or they were trying to find a way to penetrate it," the girl reported, checking her tablet.
- I see. If that's the case, we should have people monitoring such attempts. Also, tell Mrs Williams to get ready to move this base to another location.
- Where to? - The subordinate asked in surprise.
- To the interworld. There is nothing there and it will be impossible to find us. And the laws of physics will not interfere.
- Got it.
Letting the girl go and checking the base for force majeure, teleported home. Now that I had enough of the right technology, setting up a base in a place with no one and nothing was a good idea. Who knows what Carmen and Aurora might get up to. Maybe they'll hack the dimensional lockdown, too. And I've got a stockpile of Light and Anomalies in there. I'd better get rid of it. I'll set up a base far away from Earth and all that traffic. Then we can change time any way we want. Like speed it up a hundred times to get more light. All that's left is to get everything ready.
And perhaps most importantly, we need a supervisor for this base. Someone who won't eat, sleep, emote and so on. An intelligent one, able to think and solve many different tasks at once. And I've got an idea who would be perfect for that role. But, now it's time to get some rest.
I got up this morning with no trouble at all. I think it was worth it to pump my body up to superhuman levels for that alone. I remember how hard it was for me to get up early a while ago.
While I was reminiscing, I quickly finished all the hygiene procedures and started eating breakfast. As I was sitting there quietly munching on my eggs and bacon, I felt one of the contract workers trying to contact me.
- "Head, hello, if you're not busy, can you turn on news channel thirteen?!"
- "Hello, Kate. Okay, I'll switch it on now. Have you decided to make your debut?"
- "Yes!" - replied the girl enthusiastically.
Without stopping to eat, switched on the zombbox and the right channel.
- ...the brave heroine saved, by our count, more than two hundred citizens who were at that moment on the Brooklyn Bridge! Had it not been for her timely arrival, the consequences could have been devastating! - said the pretty, dark-haired reporter expressively. - And now I ask you to say a word Miss...?
- Miss America! - proudly introduced herself as a young blonde woman, wearing a costume made of the US flag and a mask hiding the upper half of her face - I want to help people in the name of peace and democracy!
- This is your debut, right? - the journalist asked the heroine. The girl nodded. - How did you feel when you went into battle with the supervillain?
- It wasn't easy, but I think we need to talk about more than just me. I wasn't alone in that fight. Thanks to Patriot, we were able to quickly and effectively neutralise the perpetrator.
Next, the ladies called in a true Aryan. John appeared in the frame and smiling dazzlingly, began, as usual, modesty, causing ahs and ahs from the female part of the population. At the same time super looked at Kate with very interested looks. As it seems to me, they'll soon be spiked by everyone. But let them. The important thing is that they get into the dick party.
Kate Washington, before she met me, was just an ordinary girl from a poor but decent family. And as it happened, her little sister had a serious illness. If she wasn't treated promptly, she could have become an invalid. But, as it often happens in such cases, it takes a lot of money for the necessary medicines. I, having once felt a Desire not far from me, decided to be curious. And I was right. Kate was the right person and quickly agreed to work for me, on the condition of providing everything necessary for her poor family. Besides, Washington didn't have superpowers, but she had a lot of potential to get them.
After curing her sister, I modified Kate. In her case, I used the imaginary energy I had found while exploring other dimensions. It took a lot of effort, resources and time, but the result was worth it. This procedure gave Kate the ability to control the energy of other dimensions. In addition to imitating super strength, super speed with invulnerability, the girl could fly and shoot force clots. But that's just the basics. We predict she'll be able to expand her arsenal in the future. Even so, Washington was quite strong, becoming a valuable acquisition on par with Patriot. And the justification of its strength for various fans of prying was the explosion of an innovative reactor. It was even on the news. Her sister's recovery was also not in question, because the necessary information had been removed from the right place. So there was no question about it either.
- "Well done Kate. You've done well. People are loving it. Way to go," I praised the girl after the news was over.
- "Thank you, Head! What are my next steps?"
- "The task hasn't changed. Get involved in the superhero community. Become your own to them. I want to know as much about them as possible."
- "Understood. I'll do my best," the girl assured me.
- "Good. Now get some rest. You've earned it."
- "Thank you."
Well, another item in the plan was beginning to materialise. All we have to do is wait for Miss America and Patriot to infiltrate the Avengers or whatever. When that happens, I can say that my agents are in almost every important structure. The mutant community, the He-Men, the Shield and Hydra, gangs, the police, and many, many others. Just a little bit more and I'll have my finger on the pulse of the entire Earth! Muh-ha-ha-ha-ha! Heh heh heh.
- "Kyle, hello," came a warm thought from my dear aristocratic prickly Gerda. Mentally, she was usually the opposite of her image.
- "Hello Gerda," I replied to her.
- "Would you mind teleporting to me? I wish to speak to you in person."
- "No problem. I'll be there in a few minutes."
- "Waiting."
After getting dressed, he found the girl by clairvoyance and jumped to her mansion. As always this place was difficult to teleport. Miss Wright had done a good job of keeping the space clear so that no one would wander in.
- Hi again," I said, wrapping my arms around her and kissing her on the lips.
- Hi," she said again, smiling. Gerda pulled away and pulled me towards the sofa. When we were seated, the girl continued. - Kyle, I have a favour to ask of you.
She was silent, radiating conflicting emotions. Realising that she wasn't eager to finish, I asked, looking into her eyes:
- A request?
- ...I want revenge on Sinister. I have enough power to do that now," the girl replied with a shudder. - But I don't know where she is. Will you help me find her?
- That's a silly question. Of course I will. But perhaps it would be better for me to do the job. Why do you have to run into her again?
- No, I'm the one who has to put a stop to it. Do you think me weak for this action? - The girl asked with some indignation.
- I don't want you to confront Sinister again and reopen your wounds," I answered her honestly, frowning. My words reassured the girl. - Is that really necessary?
- Oh yes! Trust me Kyle. Once I've dealt with her, I'll be truly free! - Gerda said with her chin in the air. - I'll be like a bird freed from the cage of past regrets!
- Very well. I'll ask Benjy and his department to look into the matter. But they're busy with the seers now, so it'll have to wait," I warned her.
- That's okay. I've waited so long that waiting a little longer isn't a problem at all. Thank you, oh Kyle.
Gerda moved closer and hugged me, pressing her face into my chest. I squeezed her in my arms and waited silently for her to calm down. During the whole conversation she was burning with strong emotions, and many of them were negative. The beloved, however, quickly came to her senses. Still, receiving the E.G.O. had hardened her mind enough.
As Gerda needed to get to the university, and I wanted to get even with some things, we parted for a while. I teleported to the company's office and started to deal with the current situation. When I saw an invitation to a meeting of the beau monde, I called my secretary. After finding out who would be there, I decided to go. The same Hammer who sponsored Purity was supposed to be there. She wasn't the only one, but I'll start with her. I'll deal with the others later.
Speaking of Purity. They were able to disperse, but these comrades, who are not my comrades, were actively preparing to try to destroy my company. And they didn't hide their intentions. The police and other organisations obliged to stop such things did nothing. I didn't send my own people to this case, so as not to scare the office, and the others didn't even think of interfering. Apparently other corporations lobbied their interests. Well done, I'll give you that. But we'll see who's who. You think a man who has so many friends everywhere can be fought? Do you think I won't outplay you? That I won't destroy you? I will destroy you.
Well, let's not talk about fools. For now, we can get on with... Hmm, another challenge addressed to Yesterday's Promise. Right, no important business at the moment, so I might as well go off on my own.
It was one of the Morlocks calling me. She had no hair at all on the visible parts of her earth-coloured body. Her eyes were three times larger than usual, her arms were seriously longer than usual, and she was hunched over. The mutant's ability was a very limited ability to control her skin. But we didn't make a Contract this time, only discussed the preliminary terms. She asked for time to think about it, and offered to meet the next day. By then, Morlock promised to gather like-minded people who wanted to change their appearance and/or take control of their own powers. I naturally agreed. I was perfectly fine with getting a few mutants in one fell swoop.
The meeting was scheduled for lunch. Wanting to walk around New York City, I used the guise of Pluto and teleported to Brooklyn Borough, near Prospect Plaza. That's where I planned to talk to the Morlocks. And while I was walking along, suddenly there was an attack on one of the local shops. Except these guys were really unlucky. No sooner had they got the proceeds than I felt someone absurdly strong approaching.
That someone was the Sentinel. She flew to the spot at great speed and knocked out the hapless criminals with a flash of light. Everyone immediately rushed to thank the heroine, and I froze in place, unable to even move.
The problem was not in some abilities of the woman, as if she came from the painting of a brilliant artist. No, the problem was the power that poured out of the Sentinel's body. It was like being at the bottom of the Mariana Trench and feeling your body slowly being crushed by the monstrous pressure. None of the ordinary people felt it, hovering around the heroine. I, on the other hand, was just struggling to breathe. I had to use most of my own strength to defend myself. And it was hard to do.
Except that after a while, the Sentinel began to stare at me. But the worst thing in this situation was that the disgusting stain of Darkness in her mind, which had been asleep before, began to move. Covered in cold sweat, I watched with my own eyes the awakening of Darkness, the second of the Sentinel's three personalities. Fuck!!! That thing is capable of destroying an entire city without any problems! What's a city?! The whole planet could be destroyed! It's quite possible none of the Earthlings can stop it!
Helplessness. All I felt now was absolute, all-consuming, overwhelming helplessness. It hadn't been like this even when the Hand assassins had taken over. That time, there had been some hope for me. All my strength was useless. It was like a man trying to defeat the Star.
In that moment, I was more scared than I'd ever been in my life. But it wasn't for myself. And since it was, I had to prepare for the worst. I prepared to contact the base in the other dimension and pump out all the Light I'd collected in one fell swoop, to wipe the Sentinel from the universe completely. Something like that would destroy me, too, simply due to the backlash from using too much energy, but I didn't care. It's the kind of thing you'd do for the ones you love.
Reynolds herself sensed Mrak's awakening, and with a look of fear on her face, she rushed out of town. I almost fell on the pavement there. Barely managed to stay on my feet. I must have had a very expressive face, because one of the women present turned to me with concern:
- Mister, are you all right? Should we call an ambulance?
- I'm fine," I lied for the first time in a long time, trying to smile as casually as possible. - It's just not often you see one of Earth's strongest heroines so close.
- That's true. But are you sure you don't need help?
- Positive.
After reassuring the woman, I leisurely made my way to the Morlocks' rendezvous point. Yeah, with heroes like Sentinel, you don't need any villains. As far as I remembered, the original Sentinel had three personalities. Robert "Bob" Reynolds himself, the Sentinel, and Gloom. Bob was originally an alcoholic drug addict that he accidentally broke into a lab with his mate that was creating a super soldier serum. Why he was able to get into such an important place is a mystery covered in darkness. Pun intended. He ended up chugging the serum without a snack and exploded, blowing up the whole building. When the scientist in charge of the project came in, the Sentinel asked for another dose. I doubt he needed it to maintain his strength, but it's a fact.
Yeah, this planet has come to the point where it's protected by a lady with three personalities and a serum addiction... And okay, but Reynolds has divine powers. And no matter how many times the Sentinel was killed in the comics, he was reborn. It's a pain in the arse. But at the same time, Reynolds has one big flaw. And that's a fear of the Darkness. You may not be able to defeat him, but you can scare him. We'll have to work on ways to neutralise the Sentinel and the Darkness later. It's a nightmare, I can't solve one problem before I have several more. Oh well, I'd better concentrate on the Morlocks now.
I got to the rendezvous point just in time. And there was a girl waiting for me, not much different from an ordinary person due to her illusion. As I realised, the mutants had a base nearby, where they planned to take me. We're not going to talk in front of everyone. In general, Prospect Plaza itself was an abandoned complex of buildings, which was planned to be demolished and rebuilt. But the authorities apparently haven't got round to it yet. Now this place was guarded, but with a little bit of discretion. No one was here anyway, except the Morlocks, but those guys were pretty secretive. Besides, the mutants knew when and where the guards were walking, so we approached the place without any problems.
In a small nook, which was not visible from the outside, five mutants were already waiting for me, joined by an escort. Among them was Ellie, the one I'd already spoken to.
- Hello, Mr Pluto," the woman said. The other Morlocks followed suit.
- Hello, friends. I suggest we don't beat around the bush. Have you thought about my proposal?
- Yes, Mr Pluto," Ellie said, looking at the others. - In general we agree, but I would like to clarify what we will be obliged to do under you?
- I can't tell you what exactly, because it's a secret, but I can assure you that you won't be doing anything dirty. I know it sounds vague, but it's a lot of money. I think you'll agree with that, hmm?
The mutants nodded and thought for a moment. So did I. One of the Morlocks had a very interesting emotion. She was definitely waiting for something. And yet, the others seemed to be unaware of it. That's interesting. I'm being set up as a trap? So be it. After my meeting with the Sentinel, I'm not going to mince words.
And as the murmuring Morlocks were about to give their collective response, a rather strong aura gradually began to approach from above. Looking in that direction, I didn't see anything interesting. Hmm, strange...
Although, no. I managed to make out a distortion in the air, similar to a Predator if it were an aeroplane. What a day, huh?
- I see you've invited your mates, I said mockingly to the group.
- What? Friends? But we didn't invite anyone, - said Ellie.
- Yeah? Well, who are they, then?
And he pointed to the place where this miracle-judo aeroplane had landed. It was well-equipped, because it did not give away its presence at all. No sound, no air currents, nothing at all.
- Um, who is it?
Just began to ask the mutant, as the plane opened and before our eyes came out several new actors. Having instantly orientated myself, I used a concealment barrier on the entire territory of Project Plaza and addressed the uninvited guests:
- Wow. What people. Or should I say mutants?
- I think the latter would be more appropriate," said a bald man in his forties riding a futuristic-looking wheelchair with a faint smile.
And the day was off to such a good start...
***
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