Chapter 54. Introducing Compound V.
Needless to say, the reactions of Felix's companions were expected, but what stood out were the two followers of Kaecilius. They watched in stunned silence as their leader was defeated in an instant by Felix, their faces paling with every passing second. The terrifying realization hit them hard, the man they had followed—someone they believed to be invincible—had been effortlessly destroyed.
The two followers exchanged glances, each of them silently acknowledging their shared fear. Even if they tried to avenge Kaecilius, what could they possibly do against someone like Felix? They had seen his power firsthand. The thought of challenging him was laughable. They weren't naive enough to believe that two of them could do any real harm to Felix and his allies.
But surrendering wasn't an option either. They knew all too well that any attempt to do so would be futile. What they had done—the danger they had unleashed on Earth—was far worse than any simple crime. It was treason against humanity itself, and they knew that no mercy would be shown.
With no other choice, they made a silent decision to escape. They darted in opposite directions, hoping to flee unnoticed before anyone could stop them. Each made a subtle gesture, signaling the other, as they quickly began to form a teleportation array, hoping to vanish from the mirrored space.
Felix, however, was quicker to react. His red eyes flared to life once again, preparing to fire the deadly beams that had already proven so effective. But before he could release them, the two followers reacted just in time, their movements too fast for him to predict. Felix hesitated, his gaze cooling back to normal as he refrained from attacking.
Just then, a brilliant white beam of light and a thunderous bolt –of lightning struck the two fleeing figures simultaneously. The followers collapsed to the ground, their bodies twitching briefly before falling still, joining Kaecilius in the afterlife.
"Hey, Felix, you won't blame me for taking your kill, right?" Tony quipped, lowering his hand where the glowing light had just been. He looked over at Felix with a smirk.
"I couldn't just let them get away, could I, not after what they had done?"
The lightning bolt came from Thor, who, though silent, had a cold glint in his eyes. He too gave a small nod in Felix's direction.
"This is what happens when you make friends with Marvel superheroes and not DC heroes," Felix thought to himself with a soft chuckle. It was a mix of relief and gratitude. Though Tony and Thor hadn't spoken in direct support of his actions, their swift intervention spoke volumes. They were standing with him, without saying a word.
After returning from the The Boys world, Felix had undergone significant changes. His self-confidence had surged, and his power had grown immensely. Perhaps it was the influence of the superheroes he had fought alongside for the past month, or maybe it was the inner strength he had cultivated. Whatever the reason, Felix felt different now. He was more indifferent to the lives of those who chose to fight against him. He was no longer the same person who hesitated before taking a life. And strangely, he didn't feel guilty about it.
'Maybe having prolonged contact with Homelander did affect me...'
As long as he remained true to his principles and didn't harm innocent people, he wasn't worried about becoming a villain. At least, not the type of villain who wreaked havoc for no reason.
His enemies? They were the real villains, as far as he was concerned.
"Alright, this mess is done. Let's head –home and get some rest." Tony clapped his hands together, trying to lighten the mood.
"With Kaecilius taken care of, the Dormammu invasion's over, and I think it's safe to say we're all going back to our moms. Right, guys?" His eyes flicked to the two Kamar Taj mages, who had fought alongside them but were clearly out of their depth in this chaotic situation.
Though they had fought beside them, Tony couldn't help but feel a little annoyed at how the Kamar Taj mages had gotten him involved.
It had all started with his curiosity about the magic, and Tony regretted his initial decision to join in the fun. But, strangely, Thor's involvement had softened his view of the Asgardian. He could see the value in befriending someone like Thor.
"Master Felix, Ancient One has entrusted you with the Eyes of Agamotto," Mordo said, breaking the silence as he stepped forward. "It's clear she has great trust in you. With the loss of the Ancient One, there is a void, and others may seek to exploit this. Have you considered taking up the mantle of Supreme Sorcerer yourself?"
Felix looked thoughtful for a moment, the weight of Mordo's words sinking in.
"I appreciate the offer, but I'm not sure if I'm ready for that," Felix replied. "I still have much to learn. Besides, I promised the Ancient One I'd help Doctor Strange on his path. Though I can't leave Kamar Taj unprotected now. But becoming Sorcerer Supreme... it feels a bit strange. I don't know if I'd fit that role. I mean, imagine introducing myself in battle: 'I am Sorcerer Supreme Felix!' Then just diving into combat. It's... too much."
Mordo gave a small nod, understanding Felix's hesitation.
"Of course. We'll figure it out later. But Kamar Taj needs stability, especially now."
Before Felix could respond further, Tony jumped in with a smirk.
"Sorry to interrupt, but I think you need to be Sorcerer Supreme. After all, not everyone is like me, you know I've got Pepper, right?"
Felix's face immediately turned sour at Tony's remark.
"Tony, get out of my way. Who wants to hear that from you? I was actually going to bring you some pretty awesome gifts, but now? Maybe I'll keep them to myself!" Felix shot back, clearly annoyed.
Tony, unfazed, chuckled.
"Gifts? Tech stuff, I bet. You can't wait to show me, can you? Well, come on, don't leave me hanging!"
Felix growled, clearly irritated but still with a hint of amusement. "Shut up if you want to see them."
"Alright, alright. I'm quiet. Go on, continue."
The atmosphere fell into an awkward silence for a moment.
"Uh, we don't have much to say. We'll return to Kamar Taj as we have to handle the aftermath. Goodbye, everyone!" Mordo and Wang exchanged a glance before quickly saying their goodbyes and casting a portal spell to leave the scene.
"Uh, Felix, could you dispel this magic first? Otherwise, we seem stuck here."
Captain America, still processing Felix's ruthless efficiency in dealing with the enemies, had no problem with his decisiveness, but now that the battle was over, they found themselves unable to leave this strange mirror space without Felix's help. They turned to him, hoping he could lift the magic that had trapped them here.
"Oh, almost forgot. Let's leave this place too!"
Felix nodded as he remembered–. He then opened a blue portal, different from Mordo's portal magic, and signaled for everyone to follow him. They quickly walked through it.
...
Through the portal, Felix and the others arrived at Tony's villa.
"Everyone, make yourselves comfortable. Drinks are in the fridge. Help yourselves. I won't be serving you like guests!"
Tony, now back at his home, immediately slipped into his usual relaxed attitude. It's funny how people feel at ease as soon as they return to their own space. Tony felt right at home the moment he stepped through the door.
"Master Stark, welcome home!" Jarvis greeted Tony's return, his voice filling the villa.
"What's going on Jarvis? I just wasn't gone for a day, and the table's all wet. Did someone break in?"
Tony noticed a box on the table in the living room with a pool of liquid on it, along with two beverage cans. He frowned and questioned Jarvis.
"No, Felix, did you do it?" Tony quickly realized, looking toward Felix. Tony knew his villa's security was top-notch, but it was easy for someone like Felix to bypass it.
"Well, when I first came in, I didn't notice the time was suspended. Then, when I walked too quickly, it ended up like this." Felix admitted sheepishly. He hadn't meant to make such a mess when he first returned.
"Forget it, it's not like someone broke in! By the way, Felix, what's in that box you brought back?"
Tony wasn't too upset, and his curiosity quickly shifted to the mysterious box Felix had brought back. He started to remove his armor, preparing to change clothes and get comfortable.
Felix didn't hesitate. He reached out, opened the box he'd brought back from the Boys world, and inside were eight blue vials of some kind of reagent.
"What's this? A body-enhancing serum? A cancer treatment? Or something that can regenerate lost limbs?"
Tony eyed the blue potions with skepticism. He had expected some kind of scientific material, special metal, or object. But he didn't anticipate Felix bringing back a few bottles of medicine.
Felix, however, just smiled slightly, waiting to see Tony's reaction as he explained what they were.
Although Tony is a genius scientist, he couldn't immediately figure out what the potions were just by looking at their appearance.
"Sorry, you guessed wrong! This is a superpower potion that grants ordinary people unknown superpowers!"
Felix said cheerfully to Tony.
"What are you talking about? Superpowers? Is it something like your ability to move instantaneously?"
Hearing Felix's explanation, Tony couldn't help but exclaim in shock. When he heard "superpowers," Tony immediately thought of Felix's ability to teleport. Tony had always envied that power.
Captain America and Thor also became interested. They all glanced at the open box on the table and the blue potions inside, curious to learn more.
"This potion grants people unknown superpowers. The effects aren't controllable. Annie, show them your powers!"
Felix explained further and then addressed Annie.
"Okay!" Annie didn't hesitate. She stood up, and as she did, her eyes began to glow. The lights in the villa flickered and dimmed, creating an eerie atmosphere. She raised her hand toward a nearby target, the glass window of Tony's villa. A burst of dazzling white beams shot from her palms, similar to Tony's palm cannon, instantly shattering the glass.
"Wow..."
The glass shattered and made a sharp sound, and after a moment, Annie stopped using her powers. She casually sat back down on the sofa as the lights returned to normal.
"Not bad. Her attack has about the same power as my palm cannon!" Tony sighed. He knew well that his glass wasn't ordinary—sniper rifle rounds had trouble piercing it. Yet, this seemingly frail girl, Annie, had shattered it without breaking a sweat.
Tony didn't blame Annie for the destruction. After all, he himself had demolished parts of his villa many times over with his own gadgets.
"Her abilities go beyond that. Her physical strength even surpasses Steve's, she can withstand sniper rifle shots without a scratch!"
Felix added, pointing to the U.S. team sitting across the room from Annie.
"By the way, I forgot to introduce her. This is Annie, and I brought her back. She doesn't have an identity in this world, so Tony, could you help her get legal documentation?"
Felix suddenly realized he hadn't formally introduced Annie yet. Now, the group understood how she came into the picture.
"Identity? That's no problem. I'll have Jarvis handle it. So, does she control light? Is that also from the potion?"
Tony asked, his tone now serious. If the potion allowed for abilities like Annie's, it would be incredibly valuable. He wasn't being cynical anymore—he was cautious, recognizing the potential consequences of such a discovery.
Captain America looked at Annie with increasing disbelief. This soft-looking girl, who seemed so unassuming, was more powerful than her physique suggested. Her powers, just like his, came from a special potion.
Steve couldn't help but feel a twinge of unfairness. The super soldier serum had turned him into the peak of human physical potential, but Annie's potion had not not only enhanced her body beyond his own limits, but it had also given her a light-controlling superpower.
"Why is the gap between our serum so big?" Steve thought to himself as he stared at the blue potion sitting quietly in the box on the table. The difference in their abilities felt like a reminder of how far apart their fates had diverged.
...…..
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