Skye opened a portal!
"What the hell!?"
Herman froze.
He felt the space around him twist violently.
Before Skye revealed this ability, he never imagined she could use vibrational energy to construct a portal!
Was this really supposed to be part of Quake's powers?
Herman knew the Marvel Universe inside out, yet he had never seen Skye use shockwaves to create a portal in any comic.
This kind of ability…
It felt more like something from the DC Universe—a metahuman like Vibe! Yes, the DC Universe also had many superhumans capable of manipulating vibrations.
Among them, the most famous was Cisco Ramon—the mechanical engineering prodigy from S.T.A.R. Labs, colleague of Dr. Caitlin Snow, and close ally of Barry Allen, the Flash. His inventions had played a crucial role in Barry's heroic career.
During the major crossover events, he even helped upgrade the equipment of Green Arrow, The Atom, and Black Canary.
A brilliant scientist through and through. Yet behind that genius, Cisco Ramon himself was a metahuman who could control vibration.
And now, Skye's power…
It was almost identical to Cisco's.
The moment Herman thought of Vibe, his mind immediately jumped to the lightning that danced around Quicksilver—so much like the Flash's.
Could that really be a coincidence?
Herman's eyes flickered thoughtfully.
"I... I... I was just thinking that after the test, I'd go grab something to eat in the kitchen... I didn't get enough earlier since I couldn't beat you guys to it."
"Oh my God! What is even happening right now!?"
Skye looked completely stunned.
She recognized that the other side of the vibration portal led straight into the company kitchen inside Stellar Tower. Her face filled with disbelief.
"Looks like Carrie was right—you really might have awakened a powerful new ability." Herman's gaze deepened. He couldn't believe the strange phenomena surrounding Quicksilver and Skye were mere coincidences he'd overlooked.
"Is this another result of my identities?"
He recalled the message from the [All-Seeing Eye].
By now, Herman was certain—Skye and Quicksilver's anomalies were connected to his identity extraction. If Supergirl Kara could appear directly in the Marvel Universe, then abilities from the DC Universe manifesting here wasn't impossible either.
"Can you control that energy?"
Herman looked at her seriously.
"It seems... once it's released, it's not as hard to control as before." Skye focused, trying to rein in her vibrational energy.
The next moment, she closed the portal she had just created, then released another surge—forming a new one that opened into Herman's office.
"What are you doing?"
Herman frowned, confused.
Through the portal, he saw nothing but his own bed.
"Huh? I just thought about it randomly... I didn't expect it to actually work." Skye's face flushed.
Feeling guilty, she quickly shut the portal.
Herman couldn't make sense of it.
Why would Skye's random thought lead straight to his bed?
"Oh, right! Sometimes when I touch certain things, it feels like I'm pulled into some kind of illusion. Is that another side effect of my powers?"
Trying to change the subject, Skye began explaining why she'd accidentally destroyed the dining hall table earlier that afternoon. She had only gone to grab something Fox left on it.
But when she touched Fox's wallet, she was suddenly drawn into another space—where she witnessed terrifying, bloody scenes.
Those were Fox's past missions. Even though Skye already knew Fox and Cross were once Fate Assassins who killed in the name of justice, experiencing those missions firsthand had overwhelmed her.
Panicking, she had fired a seismic wave blast at the illusion—especially when an assassin tried to ambush Fox. She had gotten too caught up in it, wanting to save the Fox she saw in that vision.
How should one put it?
Caring too much can cloud judgment.
Because she struck out inside the illusion, the dining table in the real world had exploded into dust, shocking everyone in the office.
That was why, to calm their nerves afterward, someone had suggested hotpot. Skye recounted everything with a helpless look.
Herman's eyes flickered again.
"Maybe you can see this portal and your new powers as one and the same—a new ability of yours. Don't be afraid. You just need to accept it and learn to control it."
Herman was now completely certain that the abilities within Skye were the same vibrational powers that existed in the DC Universe.
Whether it was opening portals or seeing "memories" through objects, both abilities were characteristic of DC's metahuman Vibe.
In truth, she wasn't literally seeing others' memories. The vibrational energy allowed Skye to open a multidimensional field where she could observe everything connected to an object across dimensions.
"Accept it."
Skye fell into thought.
Honestly, Herman was quite happy for her. This time, the [All-Seeing Eye] had done something good. DC's Vibe powers were far superior to Marvel's Quake abilities.
Skye's original power could only create seismic waves. It was strong, yes, but its limits were low on a cosmic scale.
Now, however, everything was different.
Her ability had evolved into something far more advanced.
She could not only teleport or glimpse into memories by touching objects but also sense multidimensional fluctuations.
What did that mean?
It meant that Skye could now detect timeline changes—and access the full memories of a timeline before it was altered.
"Why can't I see anything about you?" After accepting her new power, Skye no longer felt out of control. She tried using her vibrational energy to learn about Herman, even moving close enough to almost wrap her arms around him—but still felt nothing.
"Heh. Did you really think your power had no limits?"
Herman was already an advanced being. With Skye's current energy level, it was impossible for her to perceive anything about him.
Not to mention, Herman's title—[The Deceiver of History]—gave him a unique existence that no multidimensional perception could penetrate.
"Seriously? I thought this ability would be a lot stronger." Skye pouted in mild frustration, her curiosity about Herman's past growing even stronger.
"It is powerful—stronger than most extraordinary beings on Earth," Herman replied earnestly. "You just need time to get used to it, to discover what else it can do. Carrie wasn't wrong—this is an incredible ability."
If Herman remembered correctly, Skye's current vibration power could even let her cross the Multiverse, opening portals to parallel worlds.
In the DC Universe, vibration users were famous for jumping between worlds.
"Maybe this will be my opportunity to complete those two identity missions," Herman thought as his gaze flickered toward Skye, who was still experimenting with her vibrational energy.
He had once considered another plan, but now, if Skye could open pathways through the Marvel Multiverse, he wouldn't need any elaborate preparation. He could rely on her power to travel between universes and complete his missions directly.
Exactly.
Whether it was [Fooling History] or [Killing the Life of a Universe], Herman believed the best way to accomplish them was by going to another universe.
He wasn't some saint who pitied others. He cared only about this universe and the people he had bonds with here. As for Skye, Aunt May, or Carrie from other worlds—they meant nothing to him. He didn't care about any lives outside this one.
Of course, if he could choose a universe that was already falling apart, that would be ideal.
"Get familiar with your powers. Spend less time on the computer, and focus on communicating with them. I might need your help with something soon."
Herman spoke bluntly—he wasn't hiding the fact that he needed Skye's help.
"What is it? I can do it! I can!"
The moment Skye heard she could help him, her eyes lit up. She didn't even ask what it was, nodding eagerly.
"Let's talk after you understand your powers better. For now, here's a small goal—learn to use your vibration energy to avoid being captured by digital cameras."
Herman knew it would take time before she could open Multiversal gates, so he began setting smaller training targets for her.
"Avoid cameras? That's so hardcore! But… can my powers really do that?" Skye was thrilled by the challenge, though her confidence wavered a little.
"Through controlled vibrations, it's possible," Herman explained. "But you'll need absolute precision in managing the frequency. Even a tiny mistake can ruin it."
That level of precision was, in fact, the basic requirement for opening a Multiverse gateway.
"Huh? I have to control the frequency that accurately?" Skye's enthusiasm faltered as she realized how difficult that would be.
But then she remembered—Herman needed her help. So she clenched her teeth and nodded firmly. "Alright! I'll practice every day!"
The young woman had made up her mind.
She looked determined.
"No need to rush. Take your time."
Herman smiled softly.
As the ravens swirled around them, he brought himself and Skye back to Stellar Tower. Skye immediately noticed she could now sense even the faintest spatial shifts.
"This is amazing!"
Her eyes gleamed brightly with awe.
...
Skye left the office brimming with determination.
Watching her go, Herman couldn't help but think again of the changes in Quicksilver. He still couldn't understand where the Marvel Universe had suddenly gained something like the Speed Force.
Could it be that Quicksilver himself had become the one who generated it? Linking that to what had happened with Skye, Herman could only speculate wildly.
"In any case, with the Speed Force backing him, Quicksilver's like a tiger with wings." Herman was genuinely pleased that his team members were gaining such extraordinary potential.
He understood well that the Speed Force, one of the ancient primal energies of the DC Universe, had an exceptionally high ceiling. Originally, Quicksilver could only move through short stretches of time without altering the past or future. But now, with the Speed Force's power, he likely possessed The Flash's ability to reset time itself.
Of course, this wouldn't affect Herman, whose existence was unique. In fact, Quicksilver might even help him complete his [Tricking Time] identity mission.
Knock, knock, knock~
Just as Herman was lost in thought, wondering what impact Quicksilver and Skye's transformations would have on the Marvel Universe, someone knocked on the door.
"Boss, when will we get superpowers too?" Fox leaned in, her tone full of envy. She had been obsessed for a while with the idea of being chosen by fate.
"Not much longer."
Herman had been keeping tabs on Umbrella Biotech's progress. With access to extensive data, the research into decrypting the Super Soldier Serum was advancing smoothly.
It wouldn't be long before the lab successfully recreated the serum—at which point Herman would naturally gain the formula for the enhanced agent.
"Maybe it's because I'm still not devout enough... I understand now."
Fox crouched down before Herman's chair, removing what she deemed unnecessary from his body as she began to show her "devotion."
Lately, as her "challenges" against Herman became more frequent, her experience had grown considerably. She had even developed a remarkable mastery of Bullet Time.
Within that state, she could clearly sense the subtle changes in Herman's "weapon," adjusting her rhythm and strategy to inflict the greatest possible "damage."
"Hss~"
Herman couldn't help but notice that after the hotpot today... she apparently hadn't had any dessert??? The sensation was... sharper than mint oil!
[Identity Exclusive Mission Completed!]
Just as Herman closed his eyes to sense Fox's "attack," the All-Seeing Eye stirred.