The results of the Super-Hot Serum were a resounding success.
First and foremost each participant made a full biological recovery and metamorphosis, much like I did.
Sofia, Gabriella and Catherine were already very intimidating, deadly — peak human ex-assassins, transformed into, can you believe it? Even more intimidating, incredibly more deadly, superhuman ex-assassins.
Their strength profile mimic'd my own, even surpassing me in most aspects since I took the serum at 16, not nearly having hit my peak-human potential.
Across the board it was as follows:
Squat 20 - 25 tons.
Deadlift 30 - 35 tons.
Bench press 15 - 20 tons.
Vert - 50 - 60 feet, 4-6 stories.
Speed - 100mph - 230mph.
Not to mention the healing factor, steel-melting 4000f (2,204c) internal body temp, and the ability to breath fire.
Maybe I should name the field division Dragoons, or something.
The restoration of their stolen organs was by far the most impactful aspect, Sofia & Gabriella broke into tears, and even Catherine let out a single tear to roll down her cheek.
For them, the superhuman benefits were just cherries on top.
While their newfound physical capabilities were immense, the improvement of their mental faculties was most beneficial currently. The combination of Extremis & Vibranium affects on the brain were sublime, and while I know the whole 1% of brain usage thing is a sham—it did feel like 1 to 30%~ increase in performance.
Already inquisitive and capable people became potential geniuses, and in symphony with a superhuman body, their state of minds became crystal clear. Perfect rest before an exam.
The ladies previous furious studying became damn-near ravenous, and I swear that they had this look in their eyes.
During this time Nex had been likewise ravenously creating the design for her body. I spared no expense, giving her access to anything and everything we had at our disposal.
I had no fear for her betraying me. Not only were we linked in the Force, Nex was like… a little sister to me, and through the Force I could feel she felt the same.
I had a lackluster family in my last life, siblings and a parent who lived far from where I decided to call home. Visits were yearly—restrained by a sad scarring shared past.
So to have someone who viewed me as family, even if she was created—felt nice. I'm a loner enough as it is, god.
The design Nex settled on was, for all intents and purposes—sick as fuck.
It was humanoid, but only in form, manifesting more as a slick suit of power-armor than mortal flesh. Her 'skin' was pearly white, almost creamy, and able to take any hue due to the internally etched illusion runes.
She didn't bother trying to create a human face for herself, '[I'm not human, I'm me.] she said, and opted for a sleek black stealth style helmet, with a large glass-like face mask that could project anything she wanted.
"By the divines…" I muttered looking at her design. "You gave yourself 8-pack abs…"
[And you took drugs to get shredded, what's your point?]
"Fair."
Her form was a cross between organic and cyborg. In a way a perfect fusion between the two, half-angelic half-demon, I wager that her connection to the Force influenced her design process.
She was nearly fully vibranium, using her newfound processing power to redesign the Gen.1 MTAR into a heart-sized polygon much like her Holocron.
Her palms, soles and upper back had built in propulsion systems that allowed her to slam through Mach-5 all the way to 7 kissing Mach-8.
Runes lathered her internals like sigils on a mandala—fused into near-magical tech in perfect synchrony.
She had access to Force-based weaponry, Telekinesis, and even Space Doors.
Suffice to say, we were both in stunned sublime awe when Nex stepped out of HP-1.
Her steps were silent, motor hum of joints non-existent.
There was an uncanny grace to her gestures, a level of bodily control no mere flesh bags could ever hope to achieve.
Her digital face flashed to life, a purple pair of eyes and mouth blossoming to life, quickly turning into a wide joyous smile when she turned and saw me for the first time.
Nex launched into my arms, wrapping her cool metal body around me, her ethereal voice squealing in delight.
[IT'S SOOOO COOOL RIVEN!!!]
I couldn't help but laugh, swinging her around me, feeling the surprisingly light weight of her frame. I grinned at her, seeing the glee in her digital eyes.
"Welcome home Nex."
—
I decided to take a rest day, and by that, I mean hanging out with my two Spiderlings — bringing Nex along.
The two of us zipped across the city like ninja's moving from rooftop to rooftop performing superhuman acrobatic feats in perfect sync.
Nex practically skated across the roof of New York City, hovering mere atoms above the ground.
When we met Peter in the warehouse, we found him busy bench-pressing multiple steel-beams, easily pushing up 13 tons with perfect form.
His spider sense made him snap his neck to the two of us as we stepped out of stealth. I was in full gear, wearing new and improved Master robes. What was previously fine fabrics and Wyrm leather had been replaced by Vibranium weave, far more form-fitting and edging on the border of ninja-monk-power armor. Which it might've been anyways, since it increased my strength by five tons, and was now fully resistant to most ballistic and energy weaponry.
My helmet got the same treatment, though retained its original design, only slightly more sleek, deadly. The HUD had been improved massively, allowing me to track multiple targets—flick through the ultra-violet spectrum, and even overlay advanced scans onto objects showing me floor-plans, machine schematics and organs.
Not to mention how sick me and Nex looked side-by-side.
"Woah…" Peter muttered. "Duude, your upgrades are sick! Oh, um, who's this? Hi! My names P—ahem, Spider-Man!"
Nex chuckled, her digital face arcing into crescents. "Hello Peter, I'm Nex."
"Well nice to meet you Ms. Nex ma'am. So… are we sparring today, I've been practicing a ton." He declared proudly.
I chuckled, "We'll see about that, but you're not with me today--" I said thumbing to Nex who stepped forwards.
She slammed a fist into her palm, a shockwave of force erupting from its impact and thundering across the warehouse.
"--I'm here to show you the error of your ways, Pete." She said with a devious grin.
I saw Peter gulp through his suit, his fingers twitching as I was sure his spider senses were screaming at him.
—
While Nex was having a blast using her body for the first time, putting into practice terabytes of martial forms and military CQC techniques, I went and visited a falafel cart on 10th.
I found Gwen fighting a guy with tasers for hands.
The only problem was, he couldn't throw hands for shit.
As Gwen flipped circles around him, landing blow after blow, judo slamming the guy like a wrecking ball into the cold hard concrete below.
She tore off his taser hands before crushing them underfoot, then swatting her hands of dust.
Her head twitched before the sirens even began filling the air, she sent a small kick into the guys side, making sure he was unconscious before parkourinrg to the rooftops.
The street flooded with police cars in matter of seconds, guns pulled only to be lowered with sighs as someone spotted Gwen's leaving visage.
She made it three rooftops over before she caught sight of me. Covering her mouth with her lips and chuckling at me.
"Whats with the ninja-suit ninja boy?"
I scoffed, "I'll have you know these are my magic robes given to me by my magic master."
Gwen waved her hand, "Yeah, yeah—I swear a spider-suit so I can't really talk." Her nose perked up, catching a scent from a plastic bag in my hands.
"Ooooh Riven, you're the best!" She gushed before leaping over and snatching the falafels out of my grasp.
I smiled, "Obviously, but that's not the end of it, catch—" I said throwing over a pair of bracelets.
Gwen caught the bracelets between her fingers, other hand busy unwrapping the falafels.
"Jewely? I'm more of a piercing sorta girl tho—"
I shook my head, "They're web shooters, well computers too, tap the small button."
Gwen gave me a curious look, tapping the button, gasping as a holographic keyboard and screen appeared.
"W-whoooa, how the hell Riven? Wait, is this Web-fluid formula? Omg there's even a music player in her!"
I nodded with satisfaction, "Mhm, and you only really need to charge it once every two to three months. Honestly, a web-less spider was just too hard to watch, even if you do kick mad ass."
Gwen didn't hear a word I said, too busy shooting webs and tapping onto the semi-hard light computer.
I rolled my eyes, another happy customer. I'm sure Fury would be interested in these, not to mention it'd leave an opening for me if need be… though, not like I needed with Giga-Nex out and about.
Maybe I'll just make him umbrella guns or something? Sounds like a fair trade for FDA approval.
We hung out for an hour or two before Gwen had to get home before her dad arrived.
"I'll see you at school next week!" She shouted as she backflipped into the street, hand stabbing out with a web.
Her joyful screams echoed throughout the street, as she flipped, spun and twisted with an ungodly grace.
I stood there for a little while, taking in the perpetual bustle of the city.
I spread the Force outwards, more than I ever had before. My spine shuddered, emotions flooding through me in a putrid cocktail of good and evil. I let it flow by, my mind unwavering in the face of humanity's unwashed soul.
In less than a year Kaecilius will try, and fail to kill The Ancient One. Just a little later Asgard will fall, and shortly after, Thanos will arrive, preceded by his Black Order.
Hopefully by then I'll have the foundations to face him head on, a completely new force that will take the Mad Titan unprepared. The Avengers, Wakanda, and Kamar-Taj will not be alone—I will not leave my life, and those I care about to some cosmic coin-flip.
I needed to stop him from getting the Infinity Stones. One was on Xander, one in Asgard's vaults, another on Vormir guarded by Red Skull, why? I have no clue. One should still be with the collector, and the final two are on Earth, with Tao and Vision.
Getting the Space Stone from Asgard shouldn't be too hard with the upcoming chaos. I'd have to be Sorcerer Supreme to get the Time Stone, though I'm sure I can convince Tao to let me borrow it when Thanos pulls up. Vision… I don't know what to do about him, I'll cross that bridge when I get there.
Getting the stones from Xandar, Knowhere and Vormir will be harder—likely in that order. As I'd have to build myself a fully operational, hyper-space capable ship, get the coordinates to Xandar, find the edge of the Kree Empire and The Rip for Knowhere. Vormir… was a deadzone, I have not a fucking clue as to how Thanos found it, nor is it really explained how Nat & Clint found it—though it was likely derived from Thanos' ship log, like how Nebula found them.
Which meant the soul stone was very out of reach, not to mention the whole—sacrifice your loved one thing.
…
So much to do, but, in a way I was excited. My growth has been immense—and I could see myself taking another dragons leap in the upcoming year.
I was almost giddy at the thought of Thanos arriving, facing down superhuman F.O.R.C.E agents in power-amor and motherfucking Mecha's. Vibranium battery cannons tearing the sky asunder, fleets of fighters screaming through his navy—the plasma of my blade, cauterizing his flesh.
Mage-fire & Metal will rain from the Heavens,
He will find no purchase upon our sacred Earth,
For as long as the Force stands with me,
Only unrepentant justice awaits.