WebNovels

Chapter 10 - 10

—Have a fight with a Midgardian sorcerer?— Loki wondered aloud, looking at me as if I were inferior to him... right... Now the brothers were even more idiotic than usual.

Even Thor, without saying anything, didn't think it would be much. I gave Odin a tiny glance, who nodded. 'I understand. He's asking me to show these two some humility'.

Knowing they can't disobey Odin, we went to a training area, where in the center there's a sort of 'field' where they fight. I continued toward one part while I waited for the brothers to decide.

'Master, there's a possibility of speeding up the bonding process,' said Summoned Skull.

'Really? There are about three days left'.

'Yes, Master, and knowing the amount of plans you have, it's best to have some things done already'.

'Point taken'.

—You'll both fight,— said Odin. Oh, it seems he does want the lesson to be important. Individually, I'd have problems with Thor, but not with Loki. Having both of them, he surely wants to see my abilities in more detail and make the lesson an important one.

—Also, I'm sure the All-Father will be interested if I show a type of magic that just emerged on Earth,— I said, drawing the brothers' attention while I looked at Odin, who nodded.

—Seeing as the terrain has a built-in limit, the one who manages to knock out the opponents will win; you have to go all out as long as you don't inflict irreversible wounds,— I said, looking at Odin, waiting for him to accept or want to change the rules, but he simply nodded. —Excellent—. My smile became more sinister, and it was clear I was ready for a fight; Thor also seemed ready, and Loki simply thought he would be quick.

—Let the Shadow Game begin!—

The purple fog and darkness covered the entire terrain under everyone's gaze; as we spoke, more people came to watch the fight.

Thor was the first to launch himself directly at me, trying to hit me with his hammer; 'he's fast' was what I thought when I saw him, but thanks to my 'enhancements' I managed to see him and dodge him and punch him in the stomach to push him away, and then I kicked him sideways backwards, making a surprised, invisible Loki retreat. Seriously, how much arrogance does this guy have?

He launched a magic attack towards Loki which he has to dodge, since his illusions do not work on me, advantages of being a powerful sorcerer we can see magic easily and even more so if they use it right in front of me, so now Loki is forced to think in other ways to fight. Thor raised his hammer to launch lightning at me at point-blank range, I quickly put my hands in front of me to 'grab' the attack and use my lightning magic to control, enhance and redirect them around me, too much power for me to do it comfortably; Seeing Thor's surprised face I launched myself towards him and continued using electrical magic, both to get used to it and to take advantage of Thor's power, thanks to the fact that now he can only do it with his hammer it is much easier to be on par with him.

Feeling something behind me I jumped avoiding a cut from Loki's dagger and kicked both sides to get them away, then I decided to 'copy' Loki and make clones, one for each one. The one fighting Loki made two blades appear on his wrists to confront the dark-haired man, while my main focus was on using demonic lightning magic. The few times I use this magic, I don't use the demonic part because the bond isn't complete, and it leaves me completely exhausted and in pain, but it allows me to equalize and have a tiny advantage in some cases.

The fight with Loki was evenly matched, but little by little I was gaining the advantage. In a battle of illusions and magic, my versatility was slightly superior.

—For a mortal, you're not doing too bad,— Loki says, trying to show off.

—Wow, Loki Odinson complementing a mortal?—

Loki's smile tightened, showing his annoyance. Knowing I had him in my grasp, I increased the intensity with my kicks, and when I could, I launched a flame from my mouth, shocking him.

—Do you breathe fire?!?—

—I'm getting warm up— I said jokingly.

Loki's smile becomes more tense and irritated. —Now you'll see, damn mortal!—

Loki begins to fight more aggressively, but it's no use. Little by little, I adapt and improve. Block, punch, dodge, kick, fire, and repeat. Every time Loki thought he might have an advantage but couldn't, it was as if I knew his way of fighting.

—It's been entertaining, but I've seen enough,— I said, kicking him in the back, sending him hurtling towards Thor.

While that was happening, the fight against Thor was slightly more intense, but thanks to my stamina, regeneration, and electric demonic magic, I managed to maintain the advantage. As long as I avoided his direct blows, Thor doesn't have as much martial arts knowledge, so I also have the advantage in skill. But curiously, Thor was smiling.

—You're strong. You name is Spectra Phantom, right? You've earned my respect—.

I couldn't help but smile. —Thank you, Thor Odinson, but that doesn't mean you'll end up winning—.

We moved away from each other and Thor began to channel more lightning into his hammer; I also channeled a large amount of magic and lightning with demonic energy into my hands; we both launched the attack at the other and unfortunately for Thor right now he is not strong enough and the wounds from before were too much for him. And I managed to pass him, and during the moment he tried to readjust, I kicked him in the direction of Loki.

The brothers collided and my two men clashed together and I chained them, making sure that Thor didn't have the hammer in his hand and that Loki was the real one, and then I threw them out of the circle, making me win.

The shadows retreated, revealing my victory. Odin looked at his sons and showed no surprise, surely already knowing the outcome. I could feel my powers increasing, even feeling as if something I was missing was being completed.

'Master, the bond is over,' said Summoned Skull.

'I can feel it, now I'm truly above Thor, at least for now.'

Meanwhile, the brothers were internally discussing the situation. Loki was in complete shock at having lost to a mortal, and Thor was delighted by the fight, but somewhat annoyed at having lost in the first place.

—Great fight. I must admit I've learned a lot. Now if you'll excuse me, I think it's time for me to retire,— I said, receiving a nod from Odin. Heimdall took me to Earth, right where I was before. Looking at my watch, I could see that we'd been there for about four hours, total. I decided to make a portal to return home.

Gero had all the blueprints for the products: vehicles, laser weapons, bombs, combat robots, etc.

Iago was practicing some magic; it was clear he had no idea what to do, so he just improvised.

I could also see some additional robots; they were basic robots, but they did the job. —Is everything okay?— I asked, looking at Gero.

—For now, yes. I have enough materials and I'm redesigning my old designs. I also looked at the Arc Reactor. I have to admit that Howard Stark was a genius,— I nodded at that. —How many people know about this technology?— I thought for a moment.

—Besides the Stark group, there's the Vankos. Anton worked alongside Howard but ended up being deported after selling part of the project on the black market—.

Hearing that, Gero thought deeply and had an idea, but first he wanted to know something: —Are they easy to manipulate?—

—Anton has lived his entire life since he was deported, hating Stark and raising Ivan to do the same. They're too obsessed with killing Tony and I want him alive. If you can brainwash them enough to make them lose their desire to kill him, I'll bring them—.

Gero nodded at that. He'd have to prepare things. —To avoid legal issues, we could combine the Arc Reactor with the infinite energy source technology used for 16, 17, and 18.—

Gero thought about it and considered it. —First, I want to see the Arc Reactor firsthand, then we'll think about modifications—.

—Understood. By the way, Myuu's creation will be tomorrow. He'll also have a camouflage mode, and I want you two to create a specific serum for me—.

—And that is?—

—First, there's something called the 'Super Soldier Serum.' This serum enhances each and every one of an individual's physical and psychological characteristics, bringing them to the pinnacle of the human body—. As I spoke, I could see Gero's interest and eagerness for the serum. —Unfortunately, there's only one individual who worked perfectly; the rest have too many imperfections—.

—And the individual is?—

—The supposedly dead Captain Steven Rogers,— Gero's eyes narrowed.

—'Supposedly'?—

—During World War II, to prevent a ship from exploding in a way that would kill millions and reach civilization, he crashed into the Arctic, avoiding the deaths and freezing himself on the spot—.

—And thanks to the serum... he survived,— Gero finished with a smile, understanding the situation.

—Exactly. I want you to create your robot insects to obtain Captain America's DNA and obtain the serum; but I also want you and Myuu to improve it—.

—In what way?—

—I'm sure you remember Saiyan biology, with which you created Cell,— Gero nods, —because I want it to have similar abilities, to be precise, ones that allow Ki manipulation; the ability to strengthen after injuries, called Zenkai; and ones that allow survival in outer space—. Gero's eyebrows rose to the top of his head.

—This project sounds very interesting, a perfect challenge,— Gero said, —but I would need a lot of 'test subjects'—. Hearing that made me remember something.

—Right, I forgot,— I said, walking to a part of the building and signaling Gero to follow me. Iago stood on my shoulder, also curious about the situation. We came to a door, and when I opened it, there were thousands of unconscious people. —After I decided to give them a 'gift' during Christmas, I kidnapped every single one of them. They're practically the scum of humanity. So some governments just said they'd look for them and abandoned them without informing anyone,— I said nonchalantly.

—You're even more evil than Jafar,— Iago said, seeing the scene and laughing a little.

—Thanks,— I said, and the Parrot started laughing louder, while Gero looked at the criminals as if they were a treasure. So many test subjects, it was perfect.

—Thank you very much, sir. I don't intend to let you down,— Gero said fanatically, faced with so much research material.

—I know you won't, Doctor. Tomorrow, you'll get together with Dr. Myuu. You'll start building your spy bugs to obtain Captain America's DNA. Oh, and if you end up finding anything under the name 'Red Room,' let me know immediately. Those are potential recruits—. Gero nodded and started immediately.

While Gero worked on his robberies, I headed to where I'd decided my area would be. I put my suit on the mannequin and prepared the most expensive one on the table. Then I brought the components and disassembled my mask. Iago stood on my shoulder, curious.

—What are you doing?—

—Modify my mask so it's also a Scouter,— I said, and Iago didn't understand a thing. —A Scouter is a device that allows you to know how strong someone is, to communicate with others, and as a locator—.

Now he understands, more or less. —Ah, I understand,— but he realized something. —Not that with our enhanced senses it would be easier to sense presences—.

I smiled a little at that. —That's true, but with this I also have a way of communicating, and it's easy to fool the senses. But this technology, slightly fused with magic, is something else; besides, I can give it a function besides covering my eyes and show those fake eyes that only serve to intimidate,— I said in an amused tone.

While this was happening, there were no problems at the store; my clones were working and making sure everything was okay. And he's currently talking to Alex, one of the most frequent customers and a great duelist.

—Hey, Gabriel, how are things going?—

—Good, preparing for the next tournament—. At that, Alex's eyes lit up.

—Really?! Great! When?!—

—First, I have to see when a new product arrives. The tournament will also be advertising for it—.

—Something new,— Alex began to think. —Can you give any clues?—

—I'll just say it's going to be a revolution in dueling, believe me,— 'I' said ( I can share my mind with my clones, so the clone is still me). I also remembered something. —Right, I forgot!—

—Is something wrong?—

—Well, there are changes regarding Duel Monsters,— I said, starting a live stream on Facebook and Twitter while Alex called the attention of the Duelists in the store. —Thanks, Alex,— I said, receiving a thumbs-up in response.

—Okay, hello everyone, I have a few messages regarding the game. To help with some more balance, I've designed a special list, the 'Limitations List.' This list indicates the number of copies per card that can be used in official Duel Monsters tournaments. For casual play, it can be ignored. The list lists two limitations: limited and semi-limited. The names are close to being self-explanatory, but still specific. If it's limited, you can only use one copy, and if it's semi-limited, only two copies. The list will be posted on the official website this afternoon and will be effective immediately. The second piece of news is that I'm planning a special, much bigger tournament for everyone. This tournament will also be used to present a special product. For now, the tournament is in the process of being prepared, so a thousand apologies for the inconvenience—. I said with a smile, while some were already looking at the page as I started uploading the list. Some had dramatic, pained reactions, and others were laughing at the scene.

Stark Vila

Tony, upon hearing the notification, decided to watch the live stream to see what it was about, and he didn't regret it.

—Well, at least I have the Deck almost finished, so I have it just in case. The product would be the dueling disk, but you haven't even contacted me,— he said, somewhat annoyed. He wants to see that technology, but that doesn't mean he'll go and ask for it.

—Sir, I must remind you that Gabriel is under the assumption that Stark Industries' path still lies in weapons; therefore, his plan is to wait until the middle of the year, when you 'shut down' weapons production, thus clearing the way for new projects—.

Tony blinked for a second and slapped his face. —I forgot. I was busy with the Mark 1 and the mini Arc Reactor, so I thought I wasn't supposed to do it until May—.

And it was true. He had forgotten that he had deliberately tried to partially ruin Gabriel's information, since he doesn't like being at a disadvantage and thus surprising him, and possibly forcing him to spill more information in the journal.

—Anyway, tonight I'm going to test the Mark 1. JARVIS prepares everything for a possible emergency landing, and make sure Dum-E does things right this time. It's his fault Pepper almost caught me. Also, how are you doing with the data on our mysterious traitor?—

—99.9%, sir. You'll have the results in a few hours—.Tony nodded at that and prepared to speak to Pepper, as he needed to warn her so she could prepare.

With the MC

I was finishing modifying my mask. —Almost ready,— I said, putting it on and connecting it. It looked just like Tony's face in his suit, and just like in the Dragon Ball series. I quickly detected a Force 15 right next to me, and I saw he was referring to Iago.

Looking at Iago, I saw that he was showing me all the information in the system. Now all that was left was the communications. —Doctor Gero, I'm going to test the communications,— I told him, and activated the communications, taking advantage of the fact that he was relatively far away. —Testing communications 1 2 1 2. Can you hear me clearly, Doctor?—

—Yes, sir,— he said through his installed communicator, which allows him to communicate without speaking.

—Excellent—. I said as I took off my mask and tweaked the details. I also decided to reinforce it along with the rest of the suit. I decided to start with the same materials for the armor I'll use for S-Force...

—I think I'll change the name... but, S-Force turns out to be an archetype of Duel Monsters, so I'd better do it now to avoid confusion... I could use the name Vexos, but I saved that for the group of heroes I'm planning on making... Well, I'll see what I do with all this later—.

I continued to improve my suit's resistance level. I want it to be as indestructible as possible...

—I wish I had Vibranium...— I muttered, annoyed, to myself. Going to Wakanda is a no-no for now. I need more influence, and I don't know where the trafficker is. Plus, my movements could be tracked. If only I had the captain's shield here, I could use it to create more Vibranium, but I don't remember where it is. 

I begin to create Dr. Myuu, but since he is a Machine Mutant, he used some of the kidnapped criminals as material; but I make sure that he also has the same mental and creative abilities as Gero, so I decide to give him the same abilities he had in canon. 

Also the mental parts I gave to Gero, his specializations in Machine Mutants, I know will be vital for my own version of the Super Soldier Serum. Also, I remember the power of Baby and Super 17 so I know I'll have good weapons at my disposal, not only against Thanos but in case other Marvel villains appear to be ready, I may not know my position in the future but I better prepare for the worst case scenario and increase my forces.

I will also need them to make dimensional portals to specific points, not to mention that they will continue to grow more and more as the game progresses, I just hope something like the Supreme King saga doesn't happen, it gives me chills just thinking about it.

While the store was closing and I was finishing up Myuu's creation, I decided to start writing in the Journal.

Things are going very well. Now that I have the necessary help for almost everything, I just have to wait until my middle years for Tony to become Iron Man and start an 'alliance.' After all these months, I'll surely have a considerable amount of influence and power thanks to the sale of weapons and such. Then I plan to begin the search for the Red Room to have more forces on my side. When all that is stable, I'll start creating my Space Force (I need to clarify the name since when I checked the tablet I realized that 'S-Force' is a Duel Monster archetype, so I may change it to Vexos, but that means I don't have a name for my personal hero group. Details for later, remember for next Sunday). Now it's only a matter of time, and I have months to prepare. They'll be so busy kidnapping Tony that I'll be able to move through the shadows without any problems. As a reminder, I might be able to save Yinsen to use his abilities.

As I finished writing, I managed to complete Myuu, —Dr. Myuu, are you with us? Is everything okay?—

I could see him open his eyes. His outfit is the same as in GT, but he also has a disguise to make him look like a normal human, since the pointy ears and blue skin are too noticeable.

—Yes... I'm fine,— he said as he sat down and felt his body. I did the same routine as with Gero, and we quickly informed him of the situation and projects.

—That reminds me, I'll need a way to get you fake identities to avoid future problems,— I said, receiving nods from the scientists.

But suddenly, we heard alarms, and the three of us took our places and analyzed all the information we received.

—What the hell?! Now?!— I said, since I set those alarms in case of an air raid.

—Sir, we've been able to detect the object, just hovering hundreds of feet above us,— Gero said.

—Also, the object is reaching speeds exceeding March 1,— Myuu continued, typing like crazy.

—I want visuals,— I said, and they showed me the images. Seeing them, I couldn't help but go pale and alarmed. The images showed a humanoid figure in what appears to be metallic armor with a light on its chest, flying at extreme speeds, maneuvering in such a way that the pilot is entertained. It was also currently ascending to extreme levels, proving that the armor couldn't support it as it seemed to begin to freeze and then plummet.

I knew what I was seeing, what it meant, because I remembered it perfectly, as it was the beginning of one of the most important heroes of this multiverse and the start of the MCU.

—IRON MAN?!—

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