As I looked at the Captain, my mind racing with a recurring thought, he let out a heavy sigh and spoke to me.
"Cassian, did Eleanor not tell you anything?"
"No, she didn't say a word. I didn't ask because I figured she had her reasons."
"Why did she make that choice? Was I really that untrustworthy?"
"No way... are you the father?"
"Yeah, it looks that way."
It felt like the most shocking thing that had happened since I gained my Life of Leisure. Even with my [Strong Will], the revelation hit me hard.
"Can I go in now?"
"They're just tidying up after the birth. The nurse said she'd let me know when they're finished."
"Is that so?"
The Captain and I sat down, both staring blankly into space. He was clearly nursing a headache of his own, and I was equally stressed, not knowing how to handle this mess. Eventually, I saw the nurses coming out of the room with various supplies.
The nurse informed us they were finished. The Captain and I entered the room. The moment Eleanor saw him, however, she squeezed her eyes shut and pretended to be fast asleep—while sweating profusely.
'This girl!!!'
I found Eleanor's behavior quite insolent, but it was hard to scold someone who had just given birth. Letting out a sigh, I told the Captain I'd be going first and left the hospital. I felt like I would only be in the way if I stayed, and since this was a problem Eleanor had caused, she would have to resolve it herself. Whether she decided to tell the truth or keep up the lies was up to her now; I decided to let it be.
In my estimation, whatever happened must have occurred while I was away handling space-related business. Eleanor had mentioned getting caught up in the atmosphere, but I had no idea what had actually transpired between the two of them.
A few days passed, and once Peni had begun adjusting to school, her formal training started. I figured that even if she was piloting a Gundam, she should be able to handle at least a handgun, so I began teaching her pistol marksmanship, [Gun Kata], and [Modern Comprehensive Martial Arts]. Thanks to my [Master] ability, Peni's learning pace was incredibly fast.
I also brainstormed several ways to reduce G-forces without using anti-gravity devices, and the solution turned out to be surprisingly simple. Vibranium was the answer. Vibranium can absorb the impact of G-forces. I concluded that if I applied Vibranium to the entire cockpit, it would reduce G-forces by up to 50%. Combined with the suspension system I designed and the Tinkerer's specialized suit, it would bring the forces down to a level a human could sufficiently withstand.
Only I could pull off something this crazy. Anyone else wouldn't even have considered it, because it's hard for others to justify 'wasting' precious Vibranium like this. Based on my calculations, it would take more than ten times the amount used in Vision. On the plus side, there was a secondary benefit: since the cockpit was made of Vibranium, Peni would be that much safer.
"It's a relief, honestly. Being able to actually put a person inside."
Furthermore, I was relieved that I wouldn't need to enhance such a young child with Super Soldier serum. However, a Gundam that couldn't perform because of the pilot would be useless, so I planned to use the ability transfer aspect of [Master] to grant Peni [Observation Haki]. I was truly intent on making her a Newtype.
'Since it says it's transferred as a watered-down version, if I pass on [EX Observation Haki], I should at least be able to give her an A-rank version or better, right?'
As the Gundam issues were slowly being resolved, the Captain visited the Avengers base for the first time in a while—pushing a stroller. The members immediately crowded around to see the baby.
Wanda asked the Captain,
"Wow~ how cute! Whose baby is it?"
"It's my baby. I was bored at home, so I brought her along."
"What?!"
Wanda was shocked, and the surrounding members seemed just as stunned.
"Wanda, don't shout so suddenly. You'll startle her."
At the Captain's words, Wanda covered her mouth and began to speak softly.
"R-right. Sorry. But who is the mother?"
"Her name is Eleanor; she's an employee hired by Cassian. Some of you might not know her. I heard she couldn't come to work because she was on maternity leave."
"I... I see... is it a boy or a girl?"
"A girl. The mother has some business today, so I decided to look after her."
Clint then spoke to the Captain.
"This is quite a shock today. Seeing the Captain's daughter all of a sudden... what's her name?"
"Emilia Rogers."
The members gathered around to look at the baby and asked the Captain various questions. I asked a few things as well, and he mentioned that he and Eleanor weren't living together; they lived separately and took turns raising the child. Being an old-fashioned man, the Captain had suggested they get married so he could take full responsibility, but Eleanor had apparently refused.
'That rascal Deadpool, looks like he decided to keep it a secret.'
Even though it was annoying, I decided to keep the secret for now as well. To be honest, telling the truth might be even more difficult.
A month passed, the Nu Gundam's cockpit modifications were finished, and the suit was complete. We finally decided to hold a flight training session at the Avengers base's outdoor training grounds. The suit had a design similar to the ones seen in 'Marvel Rivals.' The team members all came out to watch and cheer for Peni. Since those from that country were making such a fuss, we invited a few reporters for a public reveal.
Peni seemed a bit embarrassed by the skin-tight suit, standing awkwardly before boarding the Gundam.
"Do your best!"
"You can do it, kiddo!"
"Fighting!"
I put on a headset linked to the Gundam's comms and spoke to Peni.
"Are you ready?"
[Just a second. Okay, I'm ready.]
"Good! We're only going to work on walking today. Got it?"
[Ye-yes!]
Peni stammered slightly, clearly nervous.
"You can take it slow, don't be nervous. Just think of it like playing a game and relax."
[Understood.]
"Then go ahead and start."
[Okay, starting now.]
The Nu Gundam slowly began to take a step.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Oooh!!
Exclamations escaped the reporters' mouths as the Gundam began to walk. Although its movements were somewhat unnatural and stiff, it was indeed walking. The Tinkerer was beside me, crying tears of joy. After walking for about 30 minutes, we ended the training session. The members patted Peni on the back as she climbed out of the Nu Gundam to congratulate her.
"Congratulations, kid! You finally got the Gundam moving!"
"Congrats~"
"This is just the beginning."
Peni blushed, looking bashful.
"Hehe! Thank you!"
After a brief interview with reporters from that country, Peni and I talked to adjust the reaction speed and address any uncomfortable parts before scheduling the next training session. That evening, we held a small celebration party for her.
Ding~!
[(S) Master] ability has ranked up to [(SS) Master].
[(SS) Master]
The target of your teaching gains learning and realization faster, and you can pass on one ability as a watered-down version. (Cooldown: 10 years)
'Oh~ training Peni hard really paid off.'
As the [Master] ability's rank rose, 'realization' was added alongside 'learning,' and the transfer cooldown dropped from 100 years to 10 years.
'If it hits SSS, will the cooldown be 1 year? And maybe no cooldown at EX? That's awesome!'
I walked over to Peni, who was drinking a soda, and stroked her head while transferring the ability.
"Cassian?"
"You did great today."
"Thank you."
Would you like to transfer the [Observation Haki] ability?
'Yes.'
Indeed, [Observation Haki] is a skill similar yet slightly different from a [Newtype's] abilities. However, from a combat perspective, it was much more advantageous than being a [Newtype]. This is because with enough training, [Observation Haki] allows for not only sensing presence but even precognition of the future.
From the next day, I applied the feedback to the Gundam, and as soon as Peni returned from school, I taught her about [Observation Haki]. I described it as a Newtype ability, and she seemed to accept it without issue.
I trained Peni using the One Piece style of training. Of course, I didn't use a club like Rayleigh; I used a thin stick.
Whack!
"Ouch!"
"Not like that, you have to feel the opponent's presence."
Peni rubbed her head where she'd been hit and said,
"I'm going to get stupider at this rate."
"Don't complain. Some people do this training with real clubs."
"Wh-what? Really? Wouldn't they die?"
"They don't die."
Suddenly, Peni tilted her head and asked,
"By the way, this training method seems very familiar..."
Since the One Piece manga exists in the Marvel world, she seemed to recognize the method. I felt a momentary pang of guilt but quickly glossed over it by giving her head another light whack.
"Hey! Stop daydreaming during training. Focus!"
Whack!
"Ow!"
After about two hours of practice, Peni began to dodge bit by bit. Since I had already transferred the ability, she just needed to get the hang of it, so it didn't take very long.
"Oh~ you finally dodged it. Do you get it now?"
"Wow~ this actually works. Is this the Newtype thing?"
"Yeah. Obser— no, Newtype."
"Did you just say 'Obser'?"
"Ahem, ahem... just a slip of the tongue."
Peni gave me a suspicious look for a moment but let it go. Once the training was over, I finished up by using Heal on her head.
Everything seemed mostly in order now, so I prepared to move to another world.
'Marvel is quite exhausting because there's so much to do.'
This was a world I used not just for gaining abilities, but also as a supply base. I utilized its advanced technology and massive capital to create various items and devices to use in other worlds, and since I also tried to stay faithful to the original plot, the fatigue was definitely higher.
First, I went to Knowhere to pick up the starship Lumina. Fortunately, it was already completed, so I was able to collect it immediately. Then, I returned to Earth and placed a massive order for groceries and daily necessities.
In the meantime, the Hustler vehicles I had ordered from Suzuki began to arrive. Whether it was because they were excited the Avengers would be using their cars or because of the Gundam hype, they sent brand-new vehicles straight from the factory, so they arrived quickly.
'That's lucky. I was worried I'd have to pick them up on my next visit.'
I spent a few days overseeing Peni's training and resting well. Once all the ordered items were in my inventory, I ended my Life of Leisure.
[Exiting the Marvel (MCU) world.]
[Calculating rewards.]
[Natasha Romanoff Affinity Level 9]
[Darcy Lewis Affinity Level 8]
[Wanda Maximoff Affinity Level 8]
[Wade Wilson (Deadpool) Affinity Level 8]
[Tony Stark Affinity Level 8]
[Steve Rogers Affinity Level 7]
[Thor Odinson Affinity Level 7]
[Bruce Banner Affinity Level 6]
[Jessica Johnson Affinity Level 6]
[Clint Barton Affinity Level 6]
[Pietro Maximoff Affinity Level 6]
[Odin Borson Affinity Level 6]
[Frigga Affinity Level 6]
[Ancient One Affinity Level 6]
[Cosmo Affinity Level 6]
[Wong Affinity Level 6]
[Peni Parker Affinity Level 6]
[Vision Affinity Level 5]
[Loki Odinson Affinity Level 4]
...
...
[Marvel (MCU): You have earned 47,351 points as a progress reward.]
'Wait, this is a bit weird. Am I seeing this right? Why is Wanda's affinity level at 8?'
I opened the window to check again. It wasn't a mistake. Wanda's affinity was level 8, rivaling Darcy, who was incredibly fond of me.
'Could it be that, like Yunyun, she likes me but can't say anything because of Natasha?'
Wanda was a beauty, so I didn't feel bad about it, but this presented its own set of problems. If Wanda and Vision didn't end up together, the future was unpredictable.
'Is it better since she won't go dark? Or will she go even darker because of me...'
I was at a complete loss as to how I should treat Wanda in the future.
'Sigh... I don't know. Thinking about it now won't give me any answers; I'll deal with it later.'
Pushing the Marvel issues aside for a moment, I opened my status window.
[Cassian]
Strength: 376 (+1428) Stamina: 369 (+300) Agility: 350 (+300) Intelligence: 313 (+626) Mana: 652 (+2000)
Points Owned
67,895
'Shall I start with some pulls first?'