The Road to Divinity

by Darwin-18

(SI) A Marvel fan, who decided to do the right thing and save a life, succeded but at the cost of his own. Instead of facing death, he was thrown into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Coming to terms with his new surroundings, he has to navigate his way through a world full of heroes, gods, and villains. How difficult could it be? (Includes X-Men and F4, and more)

9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 - Troublesome Threats

A solid month had passed since our little team was formed, and business was booming.

In that time, we, Peter and I specifically, had set up our lab. Usually, these kinds of setups were restricted by how much space was available, and since that wasn't an issue whatsoever, Peter could constantly expand the room if needed.

You'd be surprised how easily it was to get a hold of the needed equipment and resources, finding the right suppliers didn't take that long at all. The underworld had many options to explore, but I was only interested in assembling our lab. Some would sell to me without asking any questions, while others needed some convincing.

People are so easily persuaded, especially when a stack of bills are being waved in front of your face. I was civil and polite, but even then some flat out refused to sell the tech to me. To my delight, those instances would be with corrupt criminals trying to keep their scheme afloat, meaning I didn't need to throw away money.

Honestly, they should have taken the deal.

I got him some of Stark's state of the art supercomputers, which of course, he upgraded further to fit our needs. Digital displays, generators, customized tools, next-gen forge, the works. A highly advanced, and expensive, 3-D printer that went through further upgrades to fit Peter's vision, which was worth every penny. Add in an extensive chemistry set and we were set. It was like Christmas morning for Peter, and in a way, for me as well.

Having various kinds of advanced technology and equipment made me all giddy inside. While I was initially overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff and its purposes, since this was way beyond my level of understanding in terms of tech, but I was honestly surprised when I realized how quickly I learned it all.

By quickly, I mean almost instantaneously. I noticed some weird changes the first week after taking the Herb but didn't think much of it, only after a full month when Peter's non-stop rambling about the machines and their functions did I notice it. I was processing information way faster than before. There was no way in hell that I could learn all that stuff from the get-go and still memorize it with ease. The following month spent continuing my magical education confirmed it, I could memorize texts and pull off most spells on the first try, some with minor difficulty. Seems like the Herb granted me some more buffs I didn't even know were possible.

Wakandans, of course, had more secret tricks up their sleeve.

Back to our newly developed lab, it was like a view from a dream. Sleek white walls with black lines, workstations that had a similar design, and everything neatly positioned in its rightful place. It took several days of non-stop work and equipment hunting, along with magical means to speed things up, but we assembled our ideal laboratory.

In the Arc-Reactor project, I was happy to say that we now owned a fully functional one with Peter's input. Before we (he) took it apart, several machines were built to scan it first and have a file saved just in case. While initially nervous about tinkering, Peter was elegant and precise as a doctor operating on a patient. Having the layout in front of it might be considered a cheat, Peter fully understood how it functioned, stating the "missing pieces" now made sense, while also expanding it further with his own improvements.

Within a few days, we were able to power everything in the lab with a new and futuristic design of a miniature Arc-Reactor. We made other energy sources for other purposes, such as powering Peter's mask and recharging his gadgets.

As for Peter in general, there was plenty to say about him.

When he joined, I had to give him a long and detailed lesson on who our "protectors" are. Now that he was in the big leagues, it was imperative that he realized how corrupt the world was, how difficult it was to navigate in this world because of that. I made it so that his home was absolutely foolproof from anything, and I do mean anything. If S.H.I.E.L.D. wants to snoop around in the Parker residence, they'll be met with random "old lady nonsense" and no actual footage if they leave cameras. I won't have them getting any clues if they try to recruit him, we'll know the second Fury or anyone else with ill intentions shows up.

He was a total madman, which could be considered an understatement. After his first day here, Peter spent every free minute switching between a dozen different projects. I have underestimated how big of a genius he is, within days some of the heavier projects were finished. Realizing two pairs of hands weren't enough, I made several energy constructs that do a specific task that would help out to make the process flow smoother. The computer we made was way off from being the best, but it was more than enough for the time being until more upgrades came rolling in.

Peter was kind enough to give me a "thin" notepad full of stuff to help me learn these particular fields. It is going to be a while until I can do anything on my own, since I need to get some actual practice in to get started.

Then we moved on to our personal favorite subject, re-imagining his suit.

Simple pajamas weren't going to cut it, but he wasn't too optimistic for a full set of armor so we had to meet in the middle. We decided to use graphene for the suit since it was the most flexible, impermeable, and stretchable material, it was the ideal choice. Plus it fit with what Spider-Man should be; fast and agile, of course, I added my own touch with enchantments to help out with low to mid-level crimes.

I was reluctant to agree to a red and blue colored scheme, but when I noticed our design was becoming similar to the Advanced Suit from the game, to which I went with the idea until it was identical, Peter seemed to like it as well so it's a win-win.

For the mask, we did the same thing the MCU did, the lenses changing depending on the facial movements, adding a U.I. on them as well. The thought of creating an A.I. is both tiresome and a headache, so our solution was simple commands that would activate that specific function. It had many nifty features that would help the web-head on his day-to-day job. One of them being a device that detects cameras or any sort of device that captures video and audio to be disabled

Of course, we also wanted various web-combinations, and there were a lot. Peter was able to improve his web-fluid formula, storing more in a single cartage and could hold more weight.

On my end, we went on to make a simple Vibranium suit for the time being that was also infused with an Arc Reactor. With my ability to convert other energies to use for myself, I could take advantage of having a reliable source to use right on hand. I could control the amount I'd want and monitor how much goes into it.

Also storing Kinetic Energy was an added bonus. I updated my mask to now fully resemble the Mask of Life, my nostalgia wanting to recreate it to its entirety, it was a darker shade of grey unlike before, but I preferred it this way. With a highly advanced U.I. and hacking system, alongside algorithms for different uses, it had everything I needed.

I loosely stuck to the same training program as it was highly effective. I'd focus on a single ability and strictly focus on it until it was ingrained in my mind, revisiting it later during actual combat practice to test out plenty of variations. My Chi progress was boosted to a solid degree. With the Herb's benefits, I'd use it to its limits, greatly improving the amount of time I would need than from before to get right back up.

With more practice, I got a better feel for it, slowly becoming more natural, it would take years to master it but with these shortcuts it was ways easier to not overwork my body. I could form constructs that would last until I said otherwise, since it's difficult to actually break it, creating various abilities for convenient uses. It took me a shorter time to channel it as well to actually use it for what I want it to. I didn't tap the full potential of it, but I will if I keep this up.

Researching, as well as integrating a variant of Power-Bank Cells, I upgraded one of my more critical weaknesses.

My proficiency with Dimensional Energy was getting better, but I still didn't prefer that method as I could have plenty of reserves in place, however using it for mid-level spells isn't so bad. Vibranium had many magical properties, I knew that already but actually studying it then tinkering with it provided a more thorough look. After some tweaking, I made a storage device out of it, the armor itself held the energy as well as separate units I kept hidden for safe measure.

I made two variants, Chi Storage and Arc Storage, the latter being a name for the energy stored from the Arc-Reactor. With one naturally generating energy, all I had to worry about Chi, with it requiring me to simply meditate. The book the Ancient One gave me revealed that Chi replenishes faster if a storage system is present, the time needed to fully refill it depends on the amount and if the process is sped up. I was able to re-create some of my favorite abilities I always wanted to use, and trust me, I didn't hold back for this one.

I explored more Elemental Magic since I wanted know way more than just water. Ice and earth were on my list with some lightning by the side, as those combination were most appealing to me. This time around, I wasn't as focused to only learn new spells, but rather buff up the ones I already know, just to have more options, which I counted as a win.

As for Bucky...

"Ghaaa!" Bucky roared as his newly Vibranium coated fist collided with the last eight-foot tall training dummy. "Again. I wanna try something else."

"On it," I called out from the spectator's room with Peter while resetting the training course with a simple spell. "Three, two, one, start!"

With a quick nod, Bucky entered a defensive position momentarily as he analyzed the sea of dummies in front of him before charging in.

Having both the Herb and Soldier Serum, Bucky was packing some serious strength. If we were to measure raw strength, Peter and I are leagues behind. Since he was a Martial Arts Master, we would learn a whole new array of moves. Bucky advocated to teaching Peter moves that would allow him to be all over the place, fitting his style perfectly. This used Peter's abilities to quickly read the situation in front of him, expanding his options to be prepared for countless scenarios.

That's not even including if he goes beyond his limits the more he trains.

For me, I wanted more close combat experience, as I can mix in magic mid-way for added effects. I was able to process the lessons more fluidly, recreating the moves he taught us within the first few tries flawlessly. Just like with Peter and his notes, I was able to learn a lot faster than it would normally take.

Over time, my body experienced slight changes after taking the Herb. I stayed at my usual five feet eleven in terms of height, my body was leaner and had almost no unnecessary body fat, now having the physique of a pro-swimmer. The abs weren't as redefined but they were perfect in my opinion for this form, my arms and legs ever so slightly increasing in muscle mass to give them their sharp appearance.

I haven't gone to my swimming roots for at least a few years and now I achieved my ideal form I always wanted without much effort.

That's what I call working smarter, not harder. Even though I cheated.

The sparring sessions, while fun, could get rough at times. With Bucky, the longer the spar lasted the more difficult it was for to keep up with him, and more challenging. Peter, who has the Spidey-Sense, had a rough time when they went up against one another. It was true that Peter had no prior training whatsoever, and had trouble keeping up. Even if was well trained and achieved his feats from the comics, Bucky would still be able to stand toe-to-toe against him.

We practiced Krav Maga, Muay Thai, Aikido and redefined some of the Kung Fu I already knew. While my body and senses were enhanced, I still very much wanted to know numerous fighting styles because not always will I be able to use my wide arsenal, plus it helped me cast spells faster, not to mention using my whole body in case I'm airborne. It was a massive help to Peter as well, using his agility and speed to the fullest as he now knew different tactics, not having to rely on pure instinct anymore.

Peter improvised some of his own moves and started dubbing it "The Way of the Spider" the more we practiced. Of course, he would name his improvised style something like that.

After taking care of Peter, we even managed to give Bucky an upgrade. Well it was a second metallic arm, which he was, of course, reluctant about until Peter showed him how harmless the procedure would be and he was more open to it, after he learned about every minute detail.

We only needed a small portion of the Vibranium since we only wanted to coat it not fully recreate a limb. Just like with my own armor, I made sure to make it invisible to the Wakandan eye, as if they get a whiff of their precious metal used they will swoop down like Vultures.

First, a simple paint job that won't have it stand out, a darker shade of white seemed to fit. Next, a very powerful Rune that covered the entirety of the arm, making it so if scanned would appear as titanium. I had to mark various locations so it would be more effective but it should do the job. I added in shields, blades, tools, the whole nine yards. I might have also given him an optic beam that might be considered overboard but you can never be sure. For safe measure, I threw in some spells for stealth and recon missions.

His armor set was a replica of my old armor with various enchantments for the extra boost. Once we fully get UMF suits, I can only imagine what the increased durability will look like. The only field he was lacking in was in mobility, and I don't mean on the ground. On the side of his legs, we developed a small compartment that would pop out when needed, shooting out long-range wire ropes with a versatile grappling hook that can be changed depending on the scenario.

Peter and I watched as Bucky maneuvered through the tall buildings while shooting at springing target dummies with his pistols and arm enchantments. Some would block his path but a single kick would smash through them, continuing with the momentum he slowly built up. Moving targets were no issue at all, more of an inconvenience than anything.

Since I didn't like using the same course right after the previous one, I prepared something different for the finale.

Landing on the floor, Bucky eyed the countless destroyed target dummies when he felt the ground shake slightly. From the wall, a twelve foot-sized stone giant stepped out, its bulky frame itself giving of a "menacing" appearance.

The stone giant charged at Bucky, with the latter standing in place and raising his left arm to block its massive fist. It sent Bucky skidding backwards, but the punch stored a good amount of kinetic energy, the palm of his hand releasing blue vapor which indicated how much he could dish out. Preparing his own assault, the golem shot small rocks from its arms, Bucky easily evading them all.

When in range, the golem decided to retort with its oversized fist at inhuman speed, the soldier sidestepping it and jumping, aiming for the chest. Upon contact, the whole torso exploded into tiny pebbles, the libs falling off afterward, standing triumphantly as he completed the training course for the tenth time without taking a break.

Yup, he was now officially a one-man army.

The amount of flexing that man could pull off without boasting too much was unreal.

"That was amazing, Bucky!" Peter gushed when Bucky entered the spectators' room. "That's your best time yet!"

"Still think I could've shaved off a few seconds," Bucky remarked coyly. "Just glad it's not like the first time where I almost crashed through a building when trying this thing out."

"What do you think about the gear overall?" I asked eagerly. "It fits?"

"Think we could increase the speed when the hooks go out, other than that, I think they're perfect," Bucky commented. "I like that you can quickly change the shape of the hook to fit the need. Feel like you already thought about the potential "jamming" issue, and the lengths it can go is pretty far, so I don't have anything else to add."

"I'll be sure to fix that," Peter wrote down on his tablet. "If you have any other suggestions, just let me know."

"What about the arm changes?" Are they to your liking?"

"I was skeptical at first, but it's growing on me," Bucky rotated his arm, a lengthy blade coming out that turned into a shield. "It immediately responds when I give it a command, and I have to focus for it to activate so it doesn't accidentally turn on when I don't want it to. I could get used to this."

"I'm glad," I said but remembered to mention a crucial detail. "This is just the stuff I thought might fit with your fighting style, so we can make additional changes along the way if you'd like them. I threw in some other enchantments that might be useful for silent or non-combat situations."

Bucky nodded. "I noticed. I wanna get used to it first before adding more stuff, but I'll make sure to try out everything before I let you guys know. But until then…"

Bucky's hands towards the plate of bagels I baked, taking one, two, then half of them, making his way towards the door while stuffing his face, his lips forming into a faint smile before walking out. "Gotta refuel."

Seeing as he didn't need much additional help, the two of us went back to talking about a new invention we had in mind. While Peter and I were looking over the prints for our new invention, a loud and intense beeping noise came from the computer. Rushing towards it, Peter was the one to take the helm, a shocked expression forming not soon after getting on.

"Woah, is this even possible?" Peter asked in awe as he rapidly checked the scanners over and over.

"What is it? What kind of situation are we lookin' at?" I asked for him to elaborate a bit hurriedly.

"A… absurd amount of Interdimensional Energy sparked on the East Side of Manhattan. Like, this kind of energy doesn't just pop up by regular means."

Furious typing at the keyboard presented numerous camera views of the location of the source of it all.

The Baxter Building.

Somehow, I'm not surprised.

Flipping open the Codex on the page where a 3D view of New York formed in yellow color, zooming in the Buildings location until it was visible from all sides. Waving my arms, from top of the building a transparent barrier started forming, rapidly surging down until it reached the ground. This particular form of barrier isn't for protection as much as they are used as cover, one for blocking off the energy radiating from within the building, making it appear normal like it was several minutes ago.

Seeing that Peter eyed me curiously as well in anticipation for an explanation. "A barrier that prevents any scanners from picking this up. We better head over there to see what's going on."

"That's the home of Reed Richards, possible that an experiment gone wrong?" Peter theorized.

I shrugged for a reply, unsure what antics Marvel's First Family might be up to, but it's certainly a safety hazard if this is going on. Signaling Bucky from the training room to stay in gear, Peter and I quickly suited up as well, meeting up around the library table. I gave him a quick rundown of what's going on and for him to be prepared just in case. When all of our masks were on, I opened a portal on top of the Baxter Building.

Placing my fingers on the ground, I went to see what was going on in there. From my perspective, I could visually see from multiple angles from within the building, the main focus point coming from within their lab.

I could faintly see the Fantastic Four all located in the same room, but I focused on the others present. They were thin purple humanoid creatures with a mix of insect and crab-like features, two sets of arms, seven feet tall and a set of lengthy insect wings, alongside two fangs on the sides of its mouth. Their whole body were covered in armor with the same color, only small openings between the joints.

"Dozens of "lifeforms" down below, definitely not human, and more keep popping up." I informed quietly.

"Not human? What's that supposed mean?" Bucky asked.

"You'll see in a moment." I spoke while standing up and opening another portal

Going through, we entered a high-tech laboratory with pure white walls with black accents, several pieces of equipment were utterly destroyed while portions were left undamaged. There was a wide portal opened in the backend, the beams used to stabilize it going haywire as more bugs passed through. As our three forms met the eyes of the Fantastic Four, a mix of worry and anticipation on their faces.

Speaking of which, I got a clear view of this universe's Fantastic Four. It may have been just me, but I couldn't ignore the resemblance as they were similar to the animated series of the early two-thousands, slightly adjusted but it was uncanny.

Again, this reality is weird.

"Oh, great going, Reed!" The Human Torch spoke, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he pointed his arms towards us. "You invited more problems to our building."

In that moment of letting his guard down, and with Susan losing focus on her force fields, a few bugs slip through, going for a sneak attack at Johnny. Flicking my wrists, a green spell ring formed, sending it towards him that diverged into three small rings that flew faster once they did. They passed beside him by a few inches, slicing off the heads of the bugs that were behind him. Looking at the carcasses with surprised faces, he and the rest of the team shared a similar expression this time around.

"We're here to help," I spoke calmly while preparing my next spell. "Or to do pest control."

Slamming my open hand onto the floor, sending a singular ripple-like effect of a transparent blue wave throughout the building, more so specifically the sections the Fantastic Four own. Aside from negating sound and appearance from the inside, it reinforces the walls and floors so the bugs can't break out of the building. Susan was able to keep most of the force field up, until a bug swooped from the side towards her, using her powers to shield herself but losing focus on keeping the barrier up.

Once it was down, the bugs were free.

Peter and Bucky immediately jumped into action, going for the insects closest to them. The Fantastic Four didn't bother asking questions, only focused on taking out the invaders.

"Who are you people?" Reed asked as his neck stretched from his body until his head was close to mine.

"Name's Fulcrum, and we don't have much time for introductions, Mr. Richards," I spoke hastily while sending a spell ring to cut down an approaching bug. "Back on topic, all we have to do is close that portal, right?"

"Yes, that would be correct, but-"

"Good," I said pleasingly as I turned to the portal, opening my hand to prepare my attack. "I have just the thing to close-"

"No!" Reed yelled out, scratching until he was in front of me. "You can't destroy it! If you do, it could incinerate the entire building in instant, at worst a few city blocks! It has to be manually shut down to not risk any potential malfunctions with the system!"

"Well, that's reassuring…" I thought sarcastically. "Then how do we fix this?"

"To minimize the damage, we have to manually shut it down. The risk of destroying it is too high." Reed explained hurriedly.

Before I replied, I jumped with a red spell ring in hand to cut the bug coming from above in half, throwing it towards Reed who sliced off the bug that was coming behind him. "How long will it take you to do it?"

"With all these distractions…" Reed said gloomily, examining the growing chaos. "I'm not entirely sure…"

"I see, then I'll get you an extra pair of hands," I turned my focus to Peter who webbed two bugs simultaneously with Johnny burning them to a crisp. "Spider-Man!"

Catching his attention, he immediately swung over to us. "I need you to help Mr. Richards close off that portal."

Reed instantly intervened. "This is a delicate piece of highly advanced technology, I am the only one who can properly operate-"

Spotting three dots in the corner of my eye, I threw my fist to the side and gripped it tightly, crushing three approaching bugs with Chi Strings that quickly formed around them. "I know we've just met, and given the situation time is scarce enough as it is. But trust me, this man right here is capable of assisting you, just get him up to speed."

Reed was reluctant, rightfully so if I might add. However, one glance to the side was proof enough that there wasn't time to debate, nor to waste said time. "Have you ever operated an interdimensional teleportation device before?"

Spidey turned towards me momentarily. "No… but I catch on quickly." Spider-Man said with confidence.

Another wave of wariness spread across Reed's face, not convinced in the slightest. "Follow me…"

As the two geniuses went to the control panel, I had to provide them some cover. While the area was slowly getting a little overcrowded, more and more bugs went towards the shredded doors, wandering into the floors below. Taking out then swiftly throwing a Barrier Crystal at the main control panel, it expanded just enough to allow them to work without any concern.

Afterwards, I formed a familiar green-jaded orb that released several beams of the same color that targeted the bugs, the lab becoming somewhat less occupied for the brief moment until more arrived, just to give the Fantastic Four some breathing room.

"Nomad, you guard Mr. Richards and Spider-Man just in case," I called out to him while all of their attention was on me. "Countless of these insects went to the floors below, we have to take care of them as well."

"Aww shit! If they get into my room I'm going to lose it!" Johnny yelled out in worry, clutching his head as he descended.

"Of course you would only care about your room…" Susan dissed him as followed right behind him, turning towards me. "

"They'll be fine," I reassured her. "That barrier can't be broken so easily, besides, my teammate can keep them safe until that portal's closed."

"I'll stay behind and help out," Ben spoke while squashing an insect's head with his large hand. "They're annoying, that's for sure, but they're no match for us."

I nodded in confirmation, gesturing the siblings towards the wide exit. "Lead the way."

Giving birth to flames that covered his whole body once more, the Human Torch blasted off. Using her powers, Sue created a wide enough platform for two, quickly motioning towards her that I didn't need it.

With the green light, Sue flew off as well, in hot pursuit for her brother, I formed a Chi Step to follow her. Since I had faith in Bucky and knew The Thing won't be easily taken out, I made an energy construct that grew in size until it fits the destroyed door frame, preventing any more from getting out.

"They just keep coming." Bucky uttered lowly as he pulled out his blade from a bloody carcass.

"Yeah… too bad they're severely outnumbered." Ben spoke confidently.

In that instance, dozens of more insects crossed through the portal. Only these ones seemed more aggressive than the last batch.

"I don't think your math checks out…" Bucky muttered with the slightest hint of sarcasm.

"Ask me again after I bust a few heads," Ben spoke with a slight grin. "It's clobberin' time!"

---

Just as Ethan went his way with the remaining members and blocking off the door, Bucky observed the… rock man beside him as he charged in first, with Bucky following right after him. Due to the only exit now blocked off, they would have to swiftly execute as many bugs as possible and repeat the action until the portal disappears.

Within mere seconds, the monstrous insects once again began swarming the room that was slowly getting a little crowded. A few quick punches would sometimes do the trick, but as more crossed the portal Bucky needed to find an alternative solution. The insect's skin that acted like armor while resilient, didn't protect them from their blows in the slightest, easily cracking it and breaking several bones in the process.

Even so, they wouldn't yield, going back for more until their bodies couldn't take anymore, losing limbs felt like a minor inconvenience to them. They were fast and agile, but there was strength in numbers.

A weakness. Everything has a weakness, all he has to do is find it.

As Bucky took out the ones in front of him, his senses warned him to react from behind, rotating so that his Vibranium elbow would counter the sneak attack. Getting a better look at the insect he just elbowed, Bucky noted the abnormal behavior it experienced, its body rapidly shaking with no signs of stopping, dropping to the floor while it shook until it stopped moving entirely. Looking at the area Bucky hit it, it left a decent hole with green liquid slowly dripping out.

"Right side, close to its upper arm, most likely a few inches away from its shoulder blade." Bucky used the split second to theorize the plausible weakness, deciding it was best to hit the same spot.

Reaching to his left side on his hips, the handgun coded onto it materialized, quickly taking it out and aiming for the nearest insect. Unloading a single round at the same location, it pierced through its armor-like skin with ease, causing it to have the same jittery behavior like the previous one, only it lasted way shorter and dropped dead after about two seconds.

Oh yeah, he found it.

With the newfound information, Bucky kicked into overdrive, forming a lengthy blade on his augmented arm. His movements were mostly a few steps forward while rotating constantly, shooting the insects in the back row while slashing the ones that were close range. The body count ramped up quickly when prioritizing their weak spot, but even then they just kept coming.

Looking over to the… rock person, Bucky saw a huge horde surrounding him, swaying his arms all over but his fist would hit an insect it would just get right back up. Selecting the targeting system, Bucky raised his left arm, several crosshairs appearing where his iris would focus on the insects, as well specifically setting it so it doesn't target the orange rock fellow. Not a second later, three individual Vibranium blades in the shape of a V flew from the surface of his arm, rapidly rotating around Ben as the insects fell one by one, a single survivor fighting to get back up.

"Prioritize a few inches left from their upper right arm, that's their weakness." Bucky informed Ben, placing a bullet at the crawling insect at the spot in question before moving on.

Looking down at the carcass, Ben noted the exact area where the bullet pierced its skin. Hearing another one flying down from the side, he aimed his fist for the supposed weakness. Upon landing the punch, several bones from within the insect, managing to land on its feet while shaking like crazy, dropped dead not a second later.

"Heh, easier than smacking them over the head."

---

Even though I had to prioritize eliminating the interdimensional insects, I couldn't ignore the sights along the way. The Baxter Building lived up to its reputation, which was a given. The portal was opened on the last floor, so the four floors below it were completely infested.

"If we don't stop all of them soon, they'll get to the other residents of the building." Sue proclaimed as her force field crushed several insects.

"Mr. Collins will definitely kick us out this time if he finds out." Johnny uttered grimly at the thought, almost getting hit in the face by one of the creature's appendages.

"You won't have to worry about that," I said reassuringly, shooting multiple targets with Chi Bullets from the tip of my index finger. With the small moment of peace, the twins looked at me with a confused expression. "I reinforced the floors you own with a spell so the bugs don't break out by any chance. They can't get out by any means."

"Wait! A spell!?" Johnny's head snapped away from his targets. "You're a wizard!?"

"Focus Johnny!" Sue yelled at her younger brother, annoyed by how easily he can lose focus.

"Geez, sorry… just making conversation." Johnny uttered somewhat bitterly, scorching the remains of a still alive insect crawling on the floor.

"There are in almost every room, we should slip up to cover more ground!" Sue advised, with Johnny and I simply nodded as we went off in different directions.

Since they "somewhat" trusted me, I opted to go with a simpler method of cleaning house. Channeling my Chi, I constructed a second set of arms that formed from both my infraspinatus respectively. I could place them on any part but from the back is most beneficial in case a "sneak" attack happens. Besides, I like them more in this position. My newly set slammed their fists, red spell rings forming on each one respectively.

Taking out my Sol Blades, I crossed them to form an X, giving birth to the all familiar yellow blades. When ready, I dashed forward at immense speed, aiming for the larger group. They seemed to spot me approaching them, each snarling as the insects flew in my direction. I jumped when I got close, rapidly spinning so the blade sliced off dozens of body parts, a good portion biting the dust. I created a Chi Step beneath me, propelling in a different direction to slash away more insects. I maneuvered my body to rotate around when I would reach the wall, doing the same tactic again and again.

The speed difference only increased with each Step I made, blitzing all over the large area with body parts and light-green blood splattered everywhere. My armor was more than capable of protecting me, but the spell rings added an extra layer of defense while finishing off the ones behind me. Some insects with only the upper half of the bodies moved around, another slash needed to do the trick.

Hearing the Human Torch scream at the top of his lungs, I dashed through the hallway with great speed, turning a corner to the open dining room. I saw countless of them swarming the blond, coming from all sides with his flames becoming barely visible. Creating a fairly large yellow sphere around him and the insects, I yelled. "Go as hot as you can! The sphere won't break!"

Seeing as the message got through, Johnny did as he was instructed, the sphere now resembling a miniature sun. After the light died down, all that could be seen was the Human Torch as his flames died down, my spell wearing off as well.

"Oh… my… god…. I owe you big time," Johnny uttered with a scared expression as he landed. "I thought they were gonna eat me alive."

"Don't mention it," I reassured him, giving him a hand to stand up. "But we still have more lurking around, we better not waste any time."

I dashed off to search the other rooms, with Johnny following right behind me. There were a considerably less amount than a few minutes ago, and since the door of the lab is closed off, we must be closing in on the remaining few. When we reached the opposite end of the building, we found Sue holding off a swarm of them, somewhat struggling to keep them at bay.

When she was in our sights, Johnny and I helped her by taking out the outer layer of insects, allowing her to dissolve her force field than making numerous spheres that crushed the rest around her.

"Okay, that has to be the last of them, right?" Johnny asked irritatedly.

Before either of us could give a reply, a smaller insect burst through from one of the doors down the hall. It didn't get the chance to move very far as a spell ring sliced off its head, another carcass added to the scoreboard.

"Now it is." I said simply, not picking up any more on my sensors so it means we were in the clear.

"Finally," Sue groaned while stretching her arms. "Hope Reed was able to close off that portal, I don't want to see those insects ever aga-"

"No!" Johnny yelled at the top of his lungs, slightly pushing Sue as he ran down the hall at inhuman speed, stopping when he reached the room in question. About a dozen different emotions went through his mind as his legs started to shake slightly, falling to his knees in defeat with his jaw hanging.

Approaching his kneeled form, I took a peek inside, taking in the view of the "used to be" room the blond lived in. It was… unrecognizable at this point, all of his possessions torn to shreds with a framed NFL poster being the only thing that was left untouched, until it fell moments later with the glass breaking.

Soft whimpers could be heard as Johnny could do nothing more but look at his destroyed room. While the scene could be considered remorseful, Sue couldn't help but release a faint laugh that she tried to tone down.

I, on the other hand, had absolutely no control of the sentence I was about to say as it came out purely on instinct rather than anything else. "That's rough, buddy."

As if that was the final nail in the coffin, Johnny was sent off the edge, making sounds akin to a dying animal that quickly switched tones with each passing second.

Should I tell him I can fix it right now, or wait a little?

---

"That ended… surprisingly well."

Reed uttered apologetically as he looked around his work station that was filled with body parts, organs, and insect blood.

"I think your definition of "surprisingly well" has a different meaning compared to us, Stretch." Ben commented as he cleaned off the liquid from his body.

"At least you still have all your stuff in one piece." Johnny huffed, making Reed cringe once more.

After we cleared the four floors below, Reed and Peter managed to cut the cord of the portal not long after, with Bucky and Ben finishing off the remaining ones in the lab. I followed the twins back to where it all began, still yet to ask for my name or anything, most probably to check if their teammates were that was their main priority. After recuperating, each took their respective jabs at Reed for his "miss-calculation" while I checked up on Peter and Bucky.

When the blame game was over, Reed approached us with a face of gratitude. "Thank you, from me and my team's behalf, you saved us a lot of trouble. But who are you people, how did you know what we were doing?"

"I didn't, I just noticed an abundance of Interdimensional Energy happening a few blocks away from us," I said in a comedic yet serious tone, taking off my mask to properly introduce myself. "Ethan Chester, a pleasure meeting you in person, Mr. Richards. I have to ask, is this… a regular occurrence around here? An invasion from another dimension involving insect-like aliens, sounds like a terrible way to spend an afternoon."

Reed scratched the bag of his head sheepishly. "For the most part… no, it isn't like that."

"Sure," Ben rolled his eyes. "It's only a couple of dozen other ways we risk our lives on an almost daily basis, so it's a regular Friday for us. The bug thing is new."

Susan groaned as she spun around. "I know I should be thankful nobody got hurt, but cleaning this mess will be a nightmare."

"Since we're here, might as well help out." I chimed in, a few hand gestures making my fingers glow before my spell went off.

What once was a mess with green blood, limbs and broken objects, slowly started to rewind. Aside from everything insect-related, which was incinerated to leave no trace, the environment started to revert to how it was just a few minutes before the portal opened. With that part excluded from the cleaning process. The Fantastic Four, with the exception of Ben, ducked as object after object flew around them until everything came to a screeching halt. The heroes looked in wonder as the lab that was in ruins moments ago, was fully repaired in less than a few seconds.

"There, that should do it." I said leisurely while dusting off my hands.

Reed was the first to speak up, albeit with some slight confusion. "I… wh-… how did you do that?"

"Just like you and your team, we have a bag of tricks of our own, Doctor Richards." I replied with a grin. "I took the liberty of not just cleaning up your lab but all the floors under the ownership of the Baxter Foundation. No need to thank me."

Before anyone could reply, Johnny beat them to it. "Wait… all floors?!"

The blonde then dashed towards the door, with a single worry on his mind.

"Anyway…" Reed said trailing off. "I don't know how you did that, but you have my gratitude."

As I was about to respond, someone beat me to it.

"[Excuse me, Doctor Richards,]" A smooth robotic voice called out, to which I assumed it was their A.I. "[Director Fury is on the line, I assume it's because of the influx of energy from the experiment you conducted. Several lower rank S.H.I.E.L.D operatives tried contacting us, but I sent them to voice-mail since you were rather…occupied at the time. I would advise answering to not cause any further suspicion.]"

Oh, Fury, of course he would do that.

"Now that I think about it, there is something you could do for us," I stopped Reed before he could get to his computer. "Keep our services to yourselves, and I'll make sure that New York almost being invaded by insects is kept on the down-low. I'm not in the mood to deal with Fury and his crap."

"You know him?" Reed said, a hint of surprise in his voice.

"Not directly, never met the guy and don't plan meeting him for a while, but I know he's a pain in the ass, if you catch my drift."

Understanding what I implied, Reed nodded as he went to his workstation, picking up a small earpiece as he told the A.I. to connect him through.

Sue alongside Ben approached us. "Since you know us, I'd like to properly meet you all without the masks."

Giving them both the okay, they removed their masks. It was the Fantastic Four after all, and I'd like to work with them in the future. After a few quick exchange of names, Ben walked towards Bucky.

"Thanks for the tip back there, already have enough bug goo in my ears as it." Ben extended his hand to Bucky, to which he accepted.

"Don't mention it, I know you would have done the same." Bucky replied in a similar tone.

"Now that we're all acquainted, since you saved us from a whole lot of cleaning and money for repairs, the least we can offer is lunch, no?" Sue offered politely.

"Oh, I could go for some lunch." Peter perked up cheerfully.

"Sure, why not," I agreed with the notion.

"As long as it isn't chicken, I'm fine with it." Ben commented with a huff.

"Okay, that's taken care of, they won't bother us with the new security system I installed last week," Reed was about to continue until his eyes landed on Peter. "Wait... a High-School freshman helped me close a portal to the Negative Zone?"

"Junior, actually." Peter corrected him, much to Reed's bewilderment.

Before Reed could ask further questions, Johnny came in running, seemingly with equal energy when he left. "It's actually there! Exactly how I left it!" Johnny said with a wide smile before it quickly changed into a frown. "Wait… you could've done this earlier and you didn't say anything?!"

"You were having a moment," I expressed sheepishly. "If I did it right then and there, I was positive you would literally explode if you witnessed that right after seeing it in ruins."

Johnny wanted to protest, a mix of smiling and angered expressions. "Dude, I love you, but seriously, not cool…"

---

"So wait…" Johnny interrupted the discussion, shaking his head in disbelief. "You were in World War 2 with Captain America!? Dude, please tell me you have something that belonged to him, it would go wild on eBay!"

"Can it, Flame Breath!" Ben nudged the blond beside him, almost knocking him out of his chair, much to his annoyance.

After the near-Insect Invasion, the Fantastic Four insisted that we stay for lunch, a small token of appreciation for our help. Reed was able to hold off Fury from snooping around the building, stating it was a slight "error" in the experiment that was quickly resolved. Since I prevented the energy readings as soon as they appeared, it can be seen as nothing more than fluke. I learned that the F4 didn't like Fury very much either, but I low-key made subtle contingencies just in case. To some of their questions, I answered but vaguely, as I still thought keeping some secrets were necessary.

After closing the portal, Peter and Reed bonded almost instantly. The rest of us let them be, seeing as they would speak so fast they would finish each other's sentences, while also talking "business" while they ate. Bucky and Ben seemed to be getting along, with Johnny chiming in every now and then. They were debating who had the higher kill count, but also commending each other on their fighting styles.

Being seated right to Sue, I had someone to pass the time with.

"Genetic research, huh?" I said with interest while rubbing my chin.

Sue stiffed an awkward laugh. "Yeah, a bit boring, I know."

"No, no," I waved my hand quickly. "I didn't mean it like that. I actually find it to be rather interesting. I only know some basics of it to be honest, but I'd like to learn more about it in the future. I'm planning on doing some research on it since I have an interest in medicine, so I wouldn't mind getting some insight from an expert."

"Medicine, huh," Sue hummed while taking a sip of her drink. "Not to sound rude, but with magic, isn't that supposed to be rather simple?"

I laughed softly at her blunt observation. "While true, it's a bit more complicated than that. You see, I can't just open shop with literal "magic healing" on the brand, I'd imagine it would be a PR nightmare. Besides that, it is possible to apply what I learned to actual medicine, with a few of my own tweaks to not cause any suspicion.

"I see," Sue rubbed her chin. "So in theory, any injury or disease can be cured, while also being considered "regular" medicine?"

"That's the gist of it," I replied leisurely. "I haven't outlined all the details just yet, but it's a passion project I'd like to see become a reality at one point in the future. It would set a new standard for modern medicine, as well as erase all health-care problems humanity faced up until now."

"Just whatever you do, make sure you patent it, and I mean everything," Sue put extra emphasis at the end of her sentence. "I couldn't tell you how many issues we faced early on because of that. If you don't make sure the paperwork is in order, then the leaches start showing up with all sorts of "legal issues" and that's not including if someone tries stealing your ideas."

"Oh, trust me, I won't allow that to happen."

The two of us went back and forth on the subject, while also jumping to various topics as more time passed. It was a pleasure talking with Sue, since out of the four members, I'd say was the most level-headed and talented person among them. I hope in the future I can approach her with several work ideas I had in mind, ones that would definitely fit her skillset.

After a while, Reed stood up and motioned Peter to follow him.

"What are you two up to?" Sue asked with a raised eyebrow, already knowing the answer.

"A-Actually, there's something in the lab I want to show Peter. I promise I won't be too long." Reed stated awkwardly.

Peter gave me a quick look, practically asking if he can go, to which I simply nodded. Might as well let the geniuses have at it, doubt there's anything wrong with allowing Peter to look into Reed's work. If anything, it might be a bonus for us.

"Hey, I wanted to ask you about an idea." Johnny cut in while Sue was talking. The next several minutes were spent with the blonde spitting out random and somewhat "interesting" ideas to create until Sue finally had enough.

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to use your talents for something worthwhile, or to make an actual difference in the world." Sue exclaimed with a bored expression.

"Look, I'm not saying using it for medicine is a bad thing, however, maybe making a state-of-the-art supercar that's virtually indestructible, I'd definitely invest in something like that." Johnny said optimistically.

Sue released an exhausted sigh, pinching her nose. "Honestly, Johnny, are you ever going to grow up?"

"Actually, that doesn't sound like a bad idea." I uttered in an amused tone, acting like I was thinking it over.

Johnny's face lit up with hope and excitement, while Sue looked at me with the most "are you serious" face I've ever seen, causing me to chuckle at their reactions.

"Hey, who said I can't do both?" I asked genuinely. "But let's go one at a time. Now, back to what we were discussing-"

---

Meeting the Fantastic Four was a rather fun experience if you ignore the almost interdimensional invasion that would happen if we haven't intervened.

The only one I was concerned about was Mr. Fantastic himself. Unlike the rest of the team, I couldn't get a proper idea of how this Reed ticks, which troubles me quite a bit. I don't even want to think what kind of version this will be, because this can either be "decent" or very problematic, with neither option being an ideal one.

On our end, Peter had to excuse himself for a few days, spending a majority of last month with us he couldn't devote that much time to spend with Aunt May. Since he had an easier time with his patrols, I assured him to take an extra break, only going out during the nights.

I was sitting cross-legged at my chair in front of the massive screen, having numerous tabs open to multitask on. Bucky was a few rows beside me, on his own computer where he focused on the Hydra dilemma and tried digging anything up that involved "suspicious" activity. All in all, it was a peaceful day inside the base.

Hearing a low beeping sound, I looked to the source, being the monitor that displayed the entire map of the US, a red ripple above St. George, Utah. It seemed to be a private residence in the outskirts of town.

Fully focusing on the ping, I switched to the tab that allowed me to access any security camera in the area, as well if any radio frequencies, only to get nothing. Static feeds area in question, with the only frequency being numerous Police reports but they had no idea what was going on.

Letting out a low whistle, Helix flew from his resting place to swiftly land on my forearm, head tilted with curiosity.

"Mind goin' over there and take a look-see?" I asked my small, black-feathered friend as his head snapped towards the screen, then to the 3-D zoomed-in version I made to show him first hand. Giving me a cheerful chirp as a reply, Helix was good to go. Opening a bird-sized portal, he was off.

Leaning back, all I could do for now is wait.

"Something wrong?" Bucky asked, leaning onto the edge of the table.

"Have a strong feeling about it," I replied back, my eyes firmly set on the location where the notification popped up. "I just hope it isn't anything too troublesome."

"If these guys can easily hack into these systems and leave no trail, we have a serious issue on our hands." I thought, only able to theorize for the time being. "My only question is what were they after?"

Digging through the files of profiles/information within St. George, I looked up the resident who lived in the residence that was trashed. The house was bought a few months ago, by the name of James Arthur Madrox, or as I knew him, Multiple Man. Aside from basic information, it didn't state he was mutant, so whoever showed up knew beforehand.

I also found out that most of the town experienced power outages or had various equipment acting haywire, the same time when the house was raided. Seeing as I couldn't get more from the computer, I waited until Helix returned.

I trained him a bit to utilize other spells to investigate and get all variables from the crime scene. The house, while trashed and filed with police, only had slash marks on some walls and on the ground. In terms of evidence, the place was spotless, by no normal means were they able to gather anything.

Luckily, I have other means.

While he was still there, I told Helix to get a hold of anything the mutant touched, used or ate that had some of his DNA. Since the window was open, with the trashcan right next to it, Helix swooped in to snag an old chicken leg, the police not batting an eye when it happened. Due to my enhanced smell, I shivered at the foul odor while putting on some gloves. Taking a small chunk of it, I proceeded to do an almost identical spell Dr. Strange used to locate Odin in Ragnarok. Stretching the meat like rubber, the familiar gold sizzling sparks appeared as I mixed it around, its final form resembling three rings all connecting.

I didn't plan on teleporting right in wherever that might be, I need to scout the place out beforehand. The location appeared in the Codex, then going over to the computer to see the coordinates. It was somewhere in the Appalachian Mountains, without any device able for me to access.

To not get on their radar, I was a few thousand miles away before even doing anything, while not even being physically there, casting a spell that would scan the underground until I told it to stop. The thing about magic, it all depends on the amount of energy you use, which means it can either be plain as day or undetectable if it goes slow. My gut was telling me to not take any chances, as mutant hunters are dangerous, so being careful was necessary.

When it got to the mountain in question, I realized who I was dealing with.

"The U-Men." I thought bitterly when I saw them.

When the area of it materialized, the dark-blue armored suits were more than enough for me. Out of all the groups I could've come across, these were the worst kind. Instead of dealing with humanity, they primarily seek out mutants to experiment while taking their X-Gene, implanting the samples into themselves to gather more power. To become physically superior over humanity by essentially becoming mutants, by any means. Even though they aren't a threat to humanity right now, they definitely will be in the future if not dealt with. I knew there were numerous mutants inside, I wasn't sure how many but I'll know soon enough.

It wasn't easy, but I managed to find out their base, or one of them at least, a "rough" layout of the inside. I spent the next few hours doing extensive research for the people responsible, not wasting a single second, recalling as much knowledge I knew about them to be sure. I had to take extra precautions to not sound any alarms, strictly using my own skillset so be elusive. By a sheer of good luck, I wasn't noticed but wasn't able to get a full idea how their base looked like. The risk of getting spotted was too much, so I played it safe to be sure.

I was at a crossroads, this was high exposure if we made a slip up, but on the contrary, for a mutant, this was a fate worse than death. Being poached and picked apart by supremacists, especially by the likes of the U-Men.

However, if I properly set up a strategy that fully takes advantage of our capabilities, we'll be in and out before reinforcements arrive. Of course, I'll foil any safety measures they have when we come marching in.

Narrowing my eyes, I eyed the location while leaning back in my chair. "I'm coming for you assholes."

---

"Gentlemen, a moment, if you don't mind," I spoke up with a serious tone, catching both Peter and Bucky's attention. "We have a situation that requires our immediate attention."

The two shared a glance before turning back to me, strengthening themselves in their seats with their focus set on hearing what I had to say.

"If you recall, I gave you both a file centered on mutants. I trust you've looked over it?"

"Yeah, I have," Bucky confirmed. "There was quite a lot to go over, but I understand the gist of it."

"Same here, but what does that have to do with anything?" Peter asked questionably.

"For this, everything," I turned to the widescreen, typing away until the file I recently made containing the U-Men and all the information I had on them. I dug through my mind to collect whatever info I could remember that might be useful.

Bucky and Peter took a minute to go over the file's contents before I spoke up. "Let me introduce you to the U-Men, a transhumanist group and major Anti-Human bigots," numerous photos of the soldiers in action. "Their profession, capturing and experimenting on Mutants. While observing the soldiers, I noticed each had different powers, meaning their X-Gene manifested. Although, with the ties and technology they have, it's very possible they acquire the X-Gene from the mutants they captured."

"Experimenting on them..." Bucky grimaced, but wanted to know more. "Do they have any connections? Resource supplies?"

"That's still a bit in the dark, to be honest," I admitted. "I'd wager they have enough to be on their own, as for past ties I'd like to get my answers from them personally."

Peter, who was unusually silent, spoke up while leaning onto the table. "How many people have they captured?"

"Can't tell yet, they have multiple bases so it's difficult to say," I answered. "Right now, we should focus on the one we know of. I managed to get a layout of it, albeit I was extra careful to not set off any alarms. If they have the slightest idea that someone is lurking around, I would assume they jump to kill if it's disrupting their goal."

"What's the plan?" Bucky asked.

"Rescue mission," I replied while zooming in on the schematics of the base. "Our priority is getting the Mutants to safety, as well as taking out a small portion of their numbers. Our armor is superior to theirs and I already came up with a few countermeasures to deal with them. We'll teleport in the room where they're keeping the Mutants so we won't have to worry about them. I'll use my spells to disrupt their sensors and such. Peter, I want you to find the main computer and see if you can access their files, it's vital we get more info on these guys if there are more of them. Bucky and I will cover you, as once we go in we're gonna get swarmed."

I went into more detail on the individuals with the powers I identified. I didn't forget the possibility that they kept some powers hidden since multiple X-Genes in one host is highly plausible. In raw strength, we can outmatch them, actually I think Bucky can do that on his own. We memorized the base's layout, then began suiting up. Too much time was already wasted and every minute that passes could mean a mutant is experimented on or possibly even dies.

Once we were ready, we met up around the table of the library, quickly going over our plan one more time.

"Alright people, look sharp." I called out to the two, receiving a nod from each of them.

I inhaled, then exhaled, taking a moment before we jumped in. When the portal was made, we were greeted to a dimly lit room, spotting several of the U-Men who were still in gear, standing in front numerous mutants chained to the wall with metallic collars around their necks. Bucky was the first to charge in, the first soldier that turned around received a fist to the head, the mask shattering from the blow. As the first one fell, all the others turned to face us.

One of the soldier's arms went wide, giving birth to wild red fire, I saw the move coming from a mile away, restricting the flames from growing. Flicking my wrists, I made two layers of Chi to cover his arms, crushing his arms not a second later. Spidey jumped forward, kicking the same person in the chin, leaving a good dent in it. To finish off the last two, Bucky fired an optic beam the closest one while I summoned metallic hands from the wall to the other one, then Bucky flew over to finish him off.

I took out a single Silver Snitch, reprogrammed it to do a different purpose, memory whipping. Quickly going about the room, it did its job in less than ten seconds while Peter went to help the victims. Looking at all the mutants present, I noted some were in better shape than others. My mask put up all their profiles, but one stuck out to me.

Alexander Summers.

It seemed that he was fighting to stay conscious. While we removed their restraints, I used a quick healing spell, just enough to help them out. "We will be with you shortly, we have to make sure nobody else is trapped here."

Before moving the newly created portal to send them back to our base, Alex spoke up. "T-There are t-two others, they took them n-not too long ago."

"Do you know where it is, by any chance?"

"N-Not sure," Alex responded weakly. "They d-dragged me pretty far, I'd a-assume it's in the middle o-or at least other side of t-the facility."

I nodded. "Thank you, we'll return once we get them safely out."

Before any of them could protest, the portal swopped down from above, transporting them all out. Making wide squares to view the hallway through the wall, we were clear for the time being, speaking up before we broke the door down.

"Spider, you know what to do,' I reminded him in a serious tone. "It's imperative we get some information on these guys, whatever you can if possible. If you are in any trouble, Nomad and I will be there within a moment's notice."

"Roger that." Peter acknowledged his mission.

"You ready?" I asked as turned to Bucky.

"As ever." Bucky simply responded.

"Then let's move." I said commandingly as I blew the door down.

Bucky and I went left while Peter went in the opposite direction.

---

"Duck, dodge, jump... jump again and strike!"

Peter repeatedly thought the same actions but in different order, his right foot smashing through the protective glass of the helmet of the armored soldiers. On his way to the main computer, Peter didn't encounter that many of them, but they sure weren't easy to fully take out. His web combinations managed to restrain some of them while his Spider-Bots did the rest.

Even though they were the enemy, Peter couldn't ignore how durable their gear was. Along with the X-Genes, they were deadly as they were unpredictable.

Aiming for the remaining U-Man that blocked him from his destination, dodging the array of bullets thanks to his Spider Senses, he webbed his weapon beyond usage, swooping in for the finishing blow. Instead of his fist breaking the protective glass, it passed through his head that completely dissolved into a gooey brown substance.

"Ahhh!" Peter mentally screamed. "I didn't mean to hit him that hard!"

Before another thought could cross his mind, the U-Man backtracked to the wall, his backside morphing into the brown-colored substance as he sunk into it, pulling in Peter as well. A chunk of the wall turned into what resembled mud, his body now fully infused with it. Unable to break free, Peter was warned what was about to happen but couldn't properly react, his body was slammed into the wall, the substance slowly sucking him in.

Thrashing around, Peter had a difficult time escaping his hold, the substance blocking his field of view. "Think, think. His whole body turns into a mud-like substance, meaning I can't get a proper hit in. I'll have to use a web-combo for this one."

From his U.I., Peter hastily listed through the web-combinations until he found it, the Explosive Web. The more is used, the bigger the explosion, as well as letting out an electric discharge for the added bonus. Since the web formulas were made with Ethan's help, it's made so it won't cause him damage when they leave his web-shooters if by chance Peter was in close range, but also allows him to use it with no repercussions, so he started spamming it.

Just as his vision was completely blocked, Peter's body was propelled forward, sticking to the opposite wall with mud all over. As for the U-Man, the mud moved to where his body started morphing back into normal, Peter jumped forward to kick him in the helmet, breaking the protective glass with blood spilling out as he flopped down.

"That's the last of em'." Peter thought out loud, seeing his work across the hallway.

Searching his seemingly bottomless storage pockets, Peter took out a familiar silver snitch, only with a different function unlike the one he first laid his eyes on. Allowing it to fly away, it dashed to every fallen U-Men soldier, releasing a thin red beam before letting out a thicker green version.

Due to having a mix of mystical and technological prowess, Ethan made sure that both he and Bucky were equipped with various items that would help them out of many scenarios. This snitch would erase the memories of the victim from the last hour, or if they had anything remotely that could lead back to the team. In order for it to work, the person it's used on has to either be unconscious or unmoving for several seconds.

Was it unethical? Kind of. Did it ensure his and the team's safety? Most definitely.

Going inside and hacking the door so it won't open, Peter approached the computer, taking out a specific USB drive to help him access it. Once it was in, the screen flickered before some files were being deleted automaticallyly.

"Ughh… this isn't good." Peter uttered as numerous tabs popped up only to disappear, furiously typing away at the keyboard.

It was difficult, but with the help of his USB drive, it managed to slow down the process while Peter tried getting as much information as he could. While doing his work, Peter heard banging on the door, only getting louder and more ferocious with each hit, indicating his time was running out.

"Come on... Parker Luck don't screw me now...!" Peter muttered while solely focusing on the computer.

---

"You take the robot, I'll take the other guy."

"Doesn't seem fair, but alright." Bucky replied while we went for our respective targets.

A tall robot dashed towards Bucky, three long blades extending from each arm while shooting red beams from its eye. Using his new upgrades, Bucky formed a lengthy shield from his arm, the beams bouncing off in the opposite direction, damaging the eye as a result.

When it came close, Bucky jumped to his left to dodge its assault, the shield quickly morphing into a blade of his own, slicing off its right arm and leg. When he was on his feet, he shot out the metal wire that pierced its other leg, pulling it back and plunging his blade into the robot's core, slicing it in half for safe measure.

Meanwhile, I raised my purple chains around the abomination, parts of its skin burning the longer in its hold. Flexing its muscles, and growing slightly in size, it was able to break free, its abnormally large hands stretching out towards me. Swiping with both my hands, I sent out several blue slashes to cut its arms off, releasing even more acid from the open wounds but they quickly regenerated. When they were about to squash me, I sent a thought to activate my defense, four Chi constructed rib cages formed around my body, accompanied by a golden aura. The acid simply flowed down on the outer layer of the aura, his strength unable to even crack the ribcage.

Heh, these constructs were well worth it. Good luck breaking through this.

From inside, I used the chance to immobilize his arms by sticking the bottom of it to the floor, then dropping down to a portal I created. When I was out the other end, an upwards angle behind his back, a Rasengan of a different variety was forming along with a Chi Step on the ready.

As the ball spun, the temperature of it and the area around it decreased drastically, and tiny shards of ice formed in the center that leaked out from the sphere, now having a light blue and white color scheme. As if his body was made of rubber, portions of his body and arms going to its back to make countless thin arms that rapidly grew in length.

While the speed was impressive, I could spot openings all around, forming more Chi Steps to make sharp turns in rapid succession. He couldn't even make additional arms nor any kind of defense before my Ice Release - Rasengan collided with his flesh. As if kicking a ball, his abnormally large body flew to the corner of the room, the moment he hit the wall, ice started spreading from the wound, quickly entrapping the monster into a giant rock of ice. The only thing that could be clearly seen is his face, rage evident but could do nothing, only move his eyes slightly.

With how powerful I made it, it will leave lasting damage and for someone like him, it won't be fixed that easily. Creating the sphere to search his mind, I was irritated to find he was empty. Another one that's empty as a shell, interesting yet infuriating.

These guys don't take any chances.

"So this is what they do, trading in their humanity to become... this," Bucky uttered in disgust while looking at the frozen frame of the U-Men soldier. "Not to mention the people they hurt to get these forms. It's sickening."

"That's what lusting for power will get you," I commented with a similar tone. "Hope the payoff is worth it."

Hearing my communicator start beeping, I pressed the side of the helmet with two fingers. "What is it, Spider?"

"[I got to the main computer, but once it turned on the files started deleting themselves. It's like it had a safety protocol in place if it noticed the slightest change of behavior within the base. I was able to get some documents of the ones they captured but everything else is gone it seems, I'll try to dig out whatever I can,"] Spider-Man explained over the speaker, inhaling before starting again. "[However, I have access to all the cameras around the base, and there are like a dozen death bots heading your way from the right. There is also a lab in the North wing section of the base, with two mutants on the operating tables.]"

Thanking him for the heads up, I looked towards Bucky who also got the message, starting to move in the direction Peter warned us about. Coming into view of a lengthy hallway, we saw the squadron of robots Peter warned us about vast approaching.

Closing my fists, I channeled my Chi and sent two streams of it into the walls of the hallway, covering them with a thin layer of gold energy. Slamming my fists together, the walls, including the floor and the ceiling to close in, crushing all of the robots instantly, leaving only squares of squashed machinery.

Snickering, Bucky leisurely walked forwards, placing a hand to his ear to contact Peter. He managed to locate two other mutants on the other side of the base, said to be moments away from being torn open. This base seemed to have more robots than actual people that was evident. We mowed through all the droids that came our way without any trouble, the other soldiers having powers that were only effective against certain mutants, making them irrelevant.

Going deeper into this hell hole, I kept having an irritating feeling that we were minutes away from a disaster. After a short while, a bead started nothing me with high intensity.

"Take cover!"

Before I hit the deck, I formed a resilient barrier that spread across the wall to my left that suddenly exploded into pieces. Through the smoke, we saw the newly revealed and spacious room, most likely used for storage but was pretty empty all things considered. In the center, a figure whose armor was familiar to the previous soldiers but was entirely black, thin yellow lines across each limb to the center of the chest plate. In the back, more robots could be seen gearing up.

In the upper left side of my U.I., I got the profile of said individual. Michael Landon, former Navy Seal and his mission record, with it coming to an abrupt end a little less than a year ago.

"You two shitheads think you can just waltz right in here and take out my men?!" The leader roared with anger, his arms radiating a faint blue glow. "I'll keep you alive long enough until I make you beg for death!"

With a side-ways glance, I spoke to Bucky in a tired tone. "You hear one threat, you hear them all."

"At least this one will attempt at delivering it." Bucky responded, getting into a defensive stance.

On his signal, each soldier alongside him fired various projectiles, ranging from guns to energy blasts. My shield came to life quickly that kept us hidden, withstanding the various kinds of projectiles they dished out.

"A little outnumbered, so let's make things a little more fair." I said excitedly, a wide grin forming beneath my mask.

Flipping through the Codex, I landed on the "creation" page, selecting several creatures to create. With an abundance of energy to fuel my spells, I could freely use these old tricks. Tapping the icons with animals on them, several of them materialized around us, all sharing the same cobalt blue color. I formed a bull, gorilla, lion, several hawks, a bear and an oversized scorpion.

Actually, all of them were bigger, not just the scorpion.

Once they go out, I have an illusion planned to duplicate them all, making it a guessing game which one is real. Making a hand gesture, two cards shot out of my sleeve into my hands, a brown/green and a regular brown respectively.

Time for the show.

Snapping my fingers, my creatures went on the offensive, while I created a small opening to send my cards out. Countless thick trees spurred from the ground, preventing the soldiers from properly aiming whilst targeting them to lower the numbers. The other card made it so the metallic ground, while same in appearance, turned into stone, resulting in walls and hands popping up, while also making them sink down if they tried walking up.

Powers or not, most of the U-Men couldn't overpower the energy beasts, especially since they couldn't tell which were the real ones. Having more leeway, Bucky and I used the advantage to shoot from afar, our projectiles hitting them like targets at a shooting range.

Out of all our enemies, I noted that only one was a potential problem. The former Navy Seal/commander would shoot away the animals with a plasma blast, whilst absorbing them when they would come into range.

Our projectiles in general wouldn't do anything. Flying towards the remaining animals, the absorption went a lot faster than before, sending out two large plasma waves in our direction. Since he absorbed my energy in multiples, the shield around was shattered, forcing us back until I set up new ones. Out of curiosity, I tried shooting numerous quick sneak beams to aim for his sides, most simply stopping as they were absorbed, a blue sphere forming around him while doing so.

"Energy absorption, most probably from Havok judging how his projectiles look," I theorized while commanding the trees to give us more cover. "Add an ex-Navy Seal into the mix, then you have a deadly enemy on your hands. A majority of my attacks are energy-based, and I've yet to properly implement countermeasures for that scenario. Just dandy…"

Mental note, look into energy poisoning or layers that prevents energy from being absorbed.

The commander obliterated more and more trees, flying all over the place while sending out countless plasma blasts. Bucky and I separated, taking out more of them in the meantime, I didn't focus on the commander since he would easily absorb whatever I threw at him, only for it to be shot right back in the form of plasma. Bucky used his mobility to jump around the tree-infested field, using his hooks to maneuver around them, but he wasn't able to get close to the commander as he would fly back while sending out plasma blasts that vaporized the area in a cone.

"How do we deal with this guy?!" Bucky asked loudly through the voice channel.

"From what I could tell, he has the ability to absorb any form of energy and dish it out as his own, which basically means my stronger spells are useless," I began explaining, thinking of all the possible solutions. "His armor seems to be infused with energy as well, making it fairly durable. Projectiles are out of the question, but he's not invincible. Physical attacks should do the trick if we coordinate our attacks. I'll create openings while you go in for the blow."

Nodding, Bucky agreed to the plan. Channeling my Chi for my second set of arms, I went to do my part. Water came flooding in when a portal above him opened, serving as an inconvenience to him until many tentacles formed at a second's notice. I prioritized his legs to immobilize him, firmly keeping him in place as several tentacles swooped in for a series of quick jabs from every direction. Plasma blasts weren't of any use, my two sets of arms doubling my already inhuman speed. As the former Navy Seal focused on free himself, Bucky charged in.

In the corner of his eye, the U-Men commander aimed with his right arm at the approaching intruder, a water fist smacked it away, the plasma blast shooting off to the side. He tried using his powers to fly away, but the water-binding only allowed him barely a meter off the ground, giving some openings to shoot numerous plasma shots.

While in motion, Bucky would side-step as rock shields rose from the ground, mitigating any destruction since each shield would bend in the direction of the blast. Jumping into the air, his blade came to life, the tip piercing his armor on his abdomen. Before he could respond with a wave of plasma, Bucky was gone via portal, reappearing in at different angle a second later. With portals opening then closing, Bucky dashed around him while dishing out repeated a mix of slashes and punches at the commander.

Enraged, not to mention injured, the remaining U-Man frantically moving in every direction in the hopes of landing a single hit. After receiving more wounds, the last straw was when Bucky sliced off his hand, letting out a war cry with plasma shockwaves shooting out from all around his body, to which I teleported Bucky next to me to prevent any injuries.

I asked him if he built up enough Kinetic Energy in his arm, receiving a nod in confirmation.

With our combined efforts, we went for the finishing blow.

Faint steam started to form around Bucky's arm as he ran, forming a Chi Step in his path to propel him to a greater speed. The moment the commander let out a powerful blast towards Bucky, he was already in front of him via portal, striking him in the center of his chest. A massive cone of wind exploded from behind him, his body flying backwards and breaking through a wall like it was made of building blocks, only a cloud of smoke left in his wake.

Inspecting our work, the helmet split in two, revealing a shocked expression that was lifeless, the gaping hole in his chest a clear indication of that.

Reaching into my bag, I took out four Silver Snitches, letting them fly about to do their purpose, while moving to the remaining mutants.

On our way there, Peter, alongside with my spell, pinpointed all the remaining U-Men that were in the base, nullifying them with ease. They were weaker compared to the other soldiers, the robots not posing much of an issue as they were cut down without hesitation.

When we got the room in question, we kicked the steel door down, two U-Men soldiers protecting a set of scientists wearing similar gear. One had weaponized attachments around its arms, firing red beams at us with no pause in-between. Sadly, none of them could land a hit on us. Bucky jumped over the soldier, forming his blade to slice off an arm at the perfect angle. Upon landing, Bucky spun around to slice off his right ankle, making him fall to the ground with how heavy the armor was.

Approaching from the side, Bucky stabbed his other arm for safe measure, a kick to the front of the helmet to take him out. The other soldier didn't have time to take his shot as I created two yellow-energy snakes and sent them flying towards him, quickly digging two holes respectively to enter the suit from the arms. The body started shaking rapidly before stopping, slowly falling backwards and landing with a thud.

Turning toward the two scared scientists, I simply flicked my fingers, sending two bolts of Chi towards them, knocking them out instantly.

On the operating table, my U.I. scanned their faces, Multiple-Man on one table, with the other one holding down a girl with long green hair, with the name Lorna Dane, aka Polaris, popping in the corner of my eye.

"Take it easy, we're here to help," I reassured the two mutants calmly, seemingly won over their trust with our little display. "Are there any more captured aside from that one room?"

"N-No," The black-haired man said. "They kept us all in one big room. They didn't keep anyone separated. I think."

Just as I took out my Sol Blade with the crimson flame to cut the binds, the girl on the other table spoke up. "I overheard them saying it was too dangerous for us to be kept separate, that it's easier to contain us. These collars negate our powers so we can't fight back, then pick two at a time for them to experiment on."

"I see. Well, rest assured, you won't have to worry about them anymore." I said reassuringly while helping the male stand up, Bucky releasing the girl from her binds in the meantime. Getting a signal from Peter, my hand went to my mask. "Tell me something good, Spider."

Before anything was said, a grunt with a loud crash could be heard from the other end. "[Y-Yeah, just give me a moment,]" a second of silence passed followed by metal breaking then a loud thud. "[A-Anyway, I was able to get some research on how they do their experiments but not much else. About eighty-percent of it was deleted, but I think what I have on here might be useful.]

"Good work, Spider-Man. How's your end looking? Need any assistance over there?"

"[Nah, I'm good, a few armored baddies already tried obliterating me but they were too slow. Give me twenty more seconds to see if I can get anything else from this thing.]" Spider-Man informed, nodding in confirmation.

Having some research data will be useful. It might be a bore to figure out, but with Sue's help, unlocking X-Gene splicing will come around hopefully sooner than expected. In my downtime, I kneeled down to place my hand onto the floor, going for one last scan of the whole place to make sure no other mutant was in this hell hole.

When I was positive there wasn't anyone else, I created several energy beasts to incinerate any DNA samples, supplies, resources, anything they might have used or plan on salvaging. Once done, the two of us helped the limping Polaris and Multiple-Man through a newly made portal, dropping them off with the others.

Before the portal closed off, I touched the ground on the other side, a Rune symbol appearing on it. Because I was a douchebag, I made it so it would send a similar energy stream that would attract S.H.I.E.L.D. to cause some ruckus. If by some chance Hydra is connected with the U-Men, it's better to throw them off my trail, not like I already made contingencies to prevent that.

Getting another call from Spidey saying his job was done, I opened a portal for him so all of us were back at our base, our mission now coming to a close.

"Well done, guys," I patted Peter and Bucky on the back as I congratulated them. "Clean, fast and effective. Just how I love it."

"Glad to hear it, M.M.!" Spidey replied with a thumbs up, while Bucky just nodded solemnly.

Turning around, I was greeted with curious and scared glances from the mutants we saved. Removing my mask, I approached them slowly with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I mean you no harm."

I motioned to Bucky and Peter to help them remove their collars, to which they complied.

"Who are you people?" Warren asked.

"What is this place?" Clarice followed up.

"How in the hell did you kick those guys' ass so easily?" James joined in, duplicates forming from the original as the collar was taken off, with each asking their own question.

"One at a time, please," I waved with my hands to calm them down. "I'm Ethan Chester, and this is my home."

I went over the many questions they asked, some more vocal than others. After that was over, I offered to heal them of their injuries to which they accepted, choosing to trust me as I just saved their lives. Some were a little hesitant, but came around after some time passed.

All of them had bruises and various cuts, even some burnt flesh and broken bones. Going one by one, I used a variety of spells to patch them up and some Chi Healing on top so there's no downtime to fully healing.

During this process, I was gifted with a golden opportunity, one I couldn't easily ignore. While I didn't recognize most of the mutants, there were some powerful and notable ones present. Them being Multiple-Man, Sunspot, Blink, Archangel and Havok. Because there were many injuries to go over, and since the spells distracted the ones watching, I made it so the blood that "disappeared" was actually transferred to a storage capsule. The nifty trick of transporting liquid coming in just at the right time.

Since nobody noticed what my side intentions were, I acquired the blood samples of Multiple-Man, Polaris, Havok and Sunspot. I had some plans in the making about the X-Gene, and by using blood samples I could convert them to suit me. These powers in particular were ideal for many reasons, so keeping them stored until they can be studied then taken to the final stage of X-Gene splicing.

Like I said, it was too good to pass up. If anything, this is my reward for having to deal with anti-mutant bigots.

"There, that should do it," I said reassuringly while standing up to stretch, taking a bit longer to fully heal Warren's broken wings. "You all are as good as new."

Warren stood up eagerly, flexing his wing muscles to see for himself, a massive smile following soon after. "It's really fixed! Thank you so much! I thought I lost them forever."

"No thanks are necessary," I playfully waved off. "I'm just glad I could be of help. If it's not a problem for you all, I'd like to ask a few questions about the people who held you captive. Just whatever you seen or heard is enough, after that, we can proceed to dinner."

"I don't anything, nor do I wanna talk about those psychos." Lorna scoffed as leaned back, resting her hands on the back of her head.

Alex rose up from his chair, walking up to me with a serious expression. "I think I may have something, just not sure if it will be of any use."

"That's okay, anything helps. Did you come across them on your own or did they find you?" I asked the blonde.

"Came out of nowhere one day, trashed my place and hunted me down for the next two weeks or so. First time I thought I escaped, but I didn't risk heading back, but turns out they were just toying with me," Alex motioned to his healed injuries. "They put me through some weird experiments, I was semi-conscious when it happened, but I overheard them mention "other facilities", but they left the room before I could learn anything else."

"I see, so my theory about multiple bases is confirmed," I rubbed my chin while thinking. "Even before we teleported in, I knew it couldn't be the only one judging by its layout."

"Who were those guys, anyway?" Alex asked. "I've met some nasty people in my life, but these guys take the cake."

"They're called the U-Men, or how liked to be known, the "superior" race. Essentially, they believe they deserve to rule all life by becoming mutants by stealing their DNA and modifying it so they could use their powers. I'm not completely sure how large their operation is, however, they definitely aren't pushovers."

"I heard about weird anti-mutant groups but never to this extent. Nevertheless, I'm just glad we manage to survive that," The blonde extended his free hand with a smile. "I'm Alex, by the way. Again, thanks for the help.

"Don't mention it," I returned the gesture. "But I should be thanking you for the info, it's not much but I at least know to be extra prepared when I encounter them the next time.

"So what now?" Lorna asked lazily. "Doubt we'll be staying wherever this place is."

"Well, while I did eliminate any chance of them tracking us or realizing who we were, the rest of them will figure soon enough something went down. Wherever you all lived before, I doubt it will be safe when and if they start looking for you."

"What happens to us now?" Warren asked in defeat. "Where are we gonna go?"

I wasn't a fan of this option, for multiple reasons. Not only do I not trust this person, but in the bigger picture, the place itself is not the ideal place for their kind. However my hands were tied, I couldn't just hoard them in, and sending them back out will only get them hunted or someone like Magneto on their tail. Actually, it would strengthen my relationship with the X-Men, something I wouldn't mind, to be honest. All in all, it's the best possible solution.

"Actually, I happen to know the exact place that will make you feel right at home."

Welp, the Fantastic Four make their debut in this Chapter. I was thinking of including Doom, but it's a bit soon and wanted to save him for later. Plus, I seen plenty of times where the MC meets up with the F4 while fighting Doom, wanted a different approach. Also, I totally see Reed doing something like. Hope I nailed their personalities, and expect them to show up in the future.

As for the other group introduced, I apologize if they seem "weak" in here, the rest will DEFFINETLY be more of a challenge. I didn't want to use the full powerhouse, plus with the spells Ethan used to cover themselves when breaking in should be more than effective.

The next Chap will be a team up the X-Men once again, but this time with higher stakes. I plan on touching multiple plot points with them and how their future relationship unfold. I didn't fully showcase what Ethan, Bucky and Peter are capable after the short time skip that will be displayed in the next one

If there are any spelling/grammar mistakes or unfinished sentences, I apologize. It's late and I read it just in case, but I still think some errors slipped thru. Constructive criticism is appreciated, and I hope you enjoyed it.

The link for Discord is " www - discord gg - bTyYgzEm7r" (Removes the - for the internet links),

Until next time, cya.