shiro
Okay, Kuro, take deep breaths. Calm down. After taking several deep breaths to centre myself, I clench my fists as they utterly fail to do so, and rage truly overcomes me for the first time in my life. Okay, let's be logical about this. Pros? Despite the best efforts of a certain bitch with super daddy issues, I'm still alive. I should be dead; she definitely killed me, but here I am, all the same.
Cons? Literally everything else. My Skills? Gone. My Levels? Gone. My Inventory, my Perks, surprise, surprise… gone! My girls? I don't know, but I swear to whatever deity is listening, if they're dead, I'm going to rip Shiro's balls off and feed them to him.
Speaking of the bastard, a flash of light distracts me as he appears in front of me.
"Hey..." a hologram of Shiro starts, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. How do I know it's a hologram? Because I tried to punch him when he appeared, but I went straight through. "So, I know you probably aren't exactly thrilled about this little incident."
Oh really... what gave it away?!
"But, I'd like to bring your attention to the good sides of all this! One, we took your... temporary death as a chance to update you to the full Game, no more training wheels for you; you're officially out of the tutorial; go you! Secondly, this is a chance for a do-over. Any mistakes you made? Just avoid them; I mean, realistically, you've lost what? A couple of months?" Shiro asks in that smug, holier-than-thou tone of his. "You haven't lost that much time, and yes, I'm sure that re-doing DxD and Overlord will be mildly annoying. Still, it won't be thattime-consuming at least, and you can use it to redo things with even more information; you'll smash it, little buddy," Shiro says, making me scowl. He isn't entirely wrong, and getting a power-up from it is at least a consolation prize.
I don't care that I've lost progress; I can get that back. Losing my girls, however, hurts, even if I can get them back eventually. Would they even be my girls, or just copies?
"I was going to try saving your progress… but, well, how do I put this gently? Ophis took your death somewhat poorly, and there's not much left of DxD. And the destruction of the Tower Heart kinda blew up your tower along with everything in its vicinity. I did manage to save some data, your girl's memories, to be exact... you're welcome! Oh, and I saved your pet bird; she'll be back soon enough when you're in a place where she wouldn't attract the wrong kind of attention."
Well, at least I have that. Nyx being fine takes the edge off this shitshow... slightly.
"So, whoopsie-daisy, my bad about the whole dying and losing everything thing, but I, being the loving and generous player one that I am, have brought you a present! You'll love it," Shiro cheers. "Oh, and Observe. It's even better than you remember because it's a full copy of my Observe."
Item Received
[The Black Necronomica]
The ultimate source of knowledge on the arts of Necromancy, containing everything from the simplest spell to the grandest rituals.
Skill Regained
[Observe]
Allows you to scan a target, getting information about them.
The black leatherbound tome appears in my hands, making me pause as I feel the necrotic aura it is giving off.
"Anyway, you may have noticed how quiet the Game is being, no assholish comments or snarky remarks? Yeah, it is fed up with you so we decided to make you a new game. Better for everyone, really. Say hi, Isis!" Shiro encourages, making me pause.
Hello, Master. It's a pleasure to meet you at last.
'Isis' speaks directly into my mind, with no big, bulky text boxes filling my vision as her soft, feminine voice speaks to me.
"This is Isis; she is your replacement Game. It took me a few hundred years to work out how to recreate the Game, but I think I did a good enough job. I also decided to give her a name to make her more relatable. She's basically a child at the moment, nowhere near as strong as her predecessor. Still, she'll grow with you; she might even surpass the asshole I'm stuck with, given enough time and effort… or not, I'm the better gamer after all," Shiro says with a smirk; I can already tell the Game responded as his eyes flickered to the side. "Long story short, I made a new multiverse for you to play in without my kids getting involved. You've only met one, but there are certainly enough of them. They can't reach you anymore; you've got the whole multiverse all to yourself," Shiro explains before focusing again. "That's pretty much everything I had to say; it's going to be a while before we see each other again. I have a lot to do. Well, for me, it'll pass quickly enough. I've had thousands of years pass by without noticing, but for you, I imagine it'll seem like an aeon. Still, we'll see each other eventually. See you around, Player Two." Shiro says with a casual wave as he fades.
Huh. I'm still pissed at him, but I have to admit it will be weird without him and the Game butting in.
...Okay, so now what? Shiro didn't exactly leave me any instructions…
I believe it is my turn, Master.
While my current capacities are limited, with your permission, I can take you to your 'first' world so you can start your Game in earnest.
Looking around the bedroom, I notice something now that I'm calm... well, more composed. There are no doors or windows. This room is entirely insular, with no way in or out.
No, Master. The entire universe we are currently in is simply this one tiny room; there isn't anything else here for us.
Lovely, at least you're less of a dick than the Game. Let's get this over with. I'm ready.
Ordinarily, this would be the part where you make your decisions based on your background... but the Creator pre-set everything for this jump.
Of course, he did. Fucking Shiro.
Race set to [Human (Homo Superior)]
Background Skills added
Saved Skill [Nullification Gear] has been repurposed.
[Nullification (X-Gene)]
Your X-Gene allows you to nullify the powers of other mutants you are touching, and you emit a small aura that prevents most X-Genes from working around you.
[Pickpocketing Proficiency (Apprentice)] (Passive)
You have sticky hands. Unaware targets won't notice their wallets missing until you are long gone.
[Lockpicking Proficiency (Apprentice)] (Passive)
Just because it's locked doesn't mean it's 'locked'.
[Kissing Proficiency (Apprentice)] (Passive)
Great news! You know where the mouth is, and you can aim for it accurately.
Your partners will be satisfied, if not impressed.
[Groping Proficiency (Apprentice)] (Passive)
You are decent at finding just the right spot on your partners; no more fumbling around.
Your partners will find your touch enjoyable.
[Oral Sex Proficiency (Apprentice)] (Passive)
You have a tongue, don't you? Put it to good use...
Your partners will enjoy your efforts and not find you wanting.
Wait... X-Gene?
Oh no. Nonononono. Isis, cancel, stop, halt?
Sorry, Master, I'm afraid I cannot do that.
As I'm engulfed in a light I take a moment to curse Shiro one last time. Of all the places he could have sent me... why the hell would he choose there?!
As the light fades, I forcibly calm myself as I look around the new room. It's nothing special, of course, but what it represents is worrying.
Marvel. I'm in the fucking Marvel Universe. As far as Universes go, it's a pretty bad one. It's full to the brim with things that could erase me in the blink of an eye, foes that could delete me without a moment of hesitation; why would he put me here?!
Well, because he's an asshole and because he found it funny, that's why. I don't even know which Marvel I am in, and that could make all the difference.
Calming myself again, I take a deep breath. While this place is deadly, I should be fine for the most part. Most of the big bads would have no reason to bother someone like me; I'm a nobody at the moment.
But then again, I'm not just some nobody, am I?
I'm a Mutant, a part of the Homo Superior Race. Which puts me on the radar, right in the spotlight. Cerebro has probably already picked me up, and the brotherhood? Magneto will not be far behind Xavier.
A final 'prank' from Shiro? Drop my ass in the middle of one of the most dangerous worlds for a joke?
Creator Shiro believed that a sink-or-swim approach was required. However, heinsists that it is not as bad as it seems, Master.
Of course, he did.
It's like I'm back in DxD when I was just starting again... Just a weakling with too many powerful people looking at me. This world has far too many dangers, and my only combat ability... is something that I can only use on Mutants.
What if this is Marvel Zombies? What if it's MCU, and I'm going to get snapped away at any moment by the big grape himself?
It is not a Canon world, Master. The Gamer Shiro built this one from scratch, taking parts from many versions and combining them into a single world.
Lovely, a world custom-built by Shiro? This is going to go wonderfully.
First things first: What year is it? More importantly, has the MCU been added to this custom world?
Looking around my room, I find a PC sitting on a desk. It takes me a moment to remember the password, but I log on with little difficulty, quickly loading up a search engine.
I need answers, and I need them as soon as possible.
It doesn't take me long to work out when I am: 2010. Tony Stark is currently missing and presumed dead. He isn't, obviously, so Iron Man will be showing up sooner or later.
What's interesting is that some more searches reveal some more familiar names. The Fantastic Four come up, already having their powers and some renown. More importantly, they already have their rivalry with a certain Doctor of Doom.
One of the biggest threats as far as I'm concerned. Victor Von Doom is one of the smartest and most dangerous villains around and a man I do not want to be on the shit-list of.
If the timeline stays the same, I have one year before Thor happens and two years before Loki and the Chitauri attack New York, which is the first significant event I probably won't be able to avoid without leaving the city entirely.
I don't have to get involved in Thor; as exciting as trying to steal Mjolnir would be, I wouldn't be able to lift it... and even if I could, I'd just be putting myself on everyone's watchlist, including the Allfather himself, who might not find me interfering in his son's test particularly funny.
I could just hide during the invasion of course... only, I'm a Mutant.
This means people are going to try to make me pick a side, Magneto or Xavier. I suppose the Hellfire Club is another choice, but my searches have found very little about them. I know they exist, but they value their privacy, and very little can be found about them from casual searches. Is Sebastian Shaw in charge? I don't want to deal with him.
Magneto is one of my favourite villains, but I don't think I'd be able to survive being part of his organisation; Xavier is the better choice simply because he's soft. That said, I didn't get a pop-up for Gamer's Mind. Am I immune to his telepathy? Nullification should help, but I want to be sure.
Don't worry, Master! I'm here to serve as the replacement for Gamer's Mind and Body; nobody will enter your mind without your express permission.
Thanks, Isis. You're already so much more helpful than the Game ever was.
I live to serve, Master.
So, I don't have to worry about Xavier (and Jean Grey, possibly Emma Frost and Rachel Summers) rummaging around in my head. There are other reasons I wouldn't want to join Xavier's school, which I know exists because it has its own site, run by Dr Hank McCoy.
Mostly? The main reason is Cyclops. I despise Cyclops, always have. The moment he came on the screen in the first X-Men movie, I thought to myself, 'That guy is a douchebag'.
Didn't even need him to say a single word. He just had one of those douchebag faces that looked so damn punchable.
Afterwards, I wondered if he was just unfortunately represented in the movies and checked out the comics. It turns out I hated him even more there.
More searching makes me pause in confusion... Spider-Man.
Why is Spider-Man active already? It's not much—a few YouTube videos and some small posts—nothing major, but he is already swinging through New York. But if this has the MCU, then he shouldn't show up until just before the Civil War, right?
Already, my precious timeline and metaknowledge are falling apart. I can't rely on it at all, can I?
On the bright side, searching for Thor and Asgard finds me absolutely nothing aside from mythology. Not even the slightest hint that they are real. Jane Foster brings up an Astrophysicist who looks an awful lot like Natalie Portman, so she's the movie version, which means Thor should be the same by some kind of logic (if you squint enough).
Tony Stark is Robert Downey Jr, of course; who else could he be?
I'm not googling Nick Fury; he'll probably show up within an hour if I do. Let's not do anything to attract the attention of the super spymaster. Obviously won't find any pictures of Black Widow or Hawkeye either, not going to search for S.H.I.E.L.D. because I don't need that heat.
Searching for Captain America brings up an old picture and directions to a museum. Still in the ice, then? Maybe I'll check out the museum later; it might help me put some pieces together about Hydra.
A few more searches reveal that Frost International is run by Emma Frost, which means she's probably already the White Queen. Hellfire Club is a bit of a mystery to me; I have a general knowledge about it, but not enough. I know they're not exactly pleasant do-gooders, however.
Honestly, if I can find an in with them, it might not be a bad idea to join up if I can get enough information about them first; I don't like going in blind. At least I know some basics about the X-men and the Brotherhood of Mutants.
Closing the browser, I look through the computer in amusement; porn and porn games are basically all that's on it. Some coursework, some pictures, other than that? Nothing.
Leaning back, I sigh slightly. Realistically, this might not be that bad. Marvel is a world that ranges from street-level fighting with barely-above-average strength to universe-level threats.
I just need to keep my head down and not attract any of the biggest threats. Thanos? Doesn't even know I exist, and I have no plans to change that. Hulk? Somewhere in South America, I think, works for me. Galactus? Will probably show up and try to eat Earth sooner or later, but he won't be my problem. The Fantastic Four should handle that mess.
One Above All? I have no Idea... and that scares me.
When the Creator Shiro created this world, he didn't bother creating One Above All, calling him an annoyance. There is no One Above All in this version of Marvel.
Huh. I suppose Shiro's ego has its upsides. The knowledge that I'm not going to be instantaneously killed by something I could never hope to fight anytime soon is good.
Honestly, a lot of the villains and threats I can simply... ignore. If I don't attract their attention, then they aren't my problem. This world has just as many do-gooder heroes as it does villains; I can just sit back and watch them battle it out, maybe grabbing some of the spoils if no one is looking.
I don't think Xavier forces people to join the X-Men. If he does come for me, I can sit pretty in his lovely posh school—which gets attacked every other Tuesday, but nothing is perfect.
Still, I will happily be a background character. Don't even bother colouring me in; I can be one of those faceless guys in the comics who don't even get any details.
I have to admit, though...
Kuro Tepes
Class – Student: Apprentice
Race – Human (Homo Superior)
STR – C-
END – C-
DEX – C
INT – A-
WIS – B
CHA – B
LCK – B
Now, I can't help but notice some minor differences from my old system. I don't have a level, I don't have HP or MP, and all my stats are letters instead of numbers. Good letters in some cases, but still not what I'm used to.
The number system has been replaced with a new system to help differentiate between me and my predecessor. The letter grades symbolise your standing in comparison to your race. C is the average human (or mutant) at your age. Mutants obviously have a lot of weird powers that change things, but it counts the utter baseline with no powers.
Hmm, so I'm decent across the board, except for my dexterity, strength and endurance? I miss being the Overlord already. I'm not surprised that my mental stats are higher; I've always been a caster at heart. Speaking of which…
Pulling out my grimoire, I shudder slightly as the waves of death magic make even me slightly uncomfortable as I open it up.
…it's written in blood, on human skin.
Fucking Shiro, though I can't say I'm surprised. I'd probably do the same thing. When you're making a Necromancy Grimoire, there are certain cliches you have to follow. It can go back into my inventory for now. I don't want to get caught with a book made from bits of human; that would be fun to explain.
I have memories of my landlord bursting into my room whenever he wanted to, and the fat old bastard already hates me. He's a nobody, just some bitter old man who likes overcharging me for this shitty apartment out of jealousy of my looks and youth.
Well, that and the fact that he's convinced that I robbed him a couple of years back. I mean, he's right, but he's still a dickhead. He started it anyway; he increased my rent because of me having someone over, so I took the extra money from him. Nobody robs me.
Dick.
Looking around, I grab a cheap hoodie from my wardrobe and head out. If I'm going to be living in New York, I might as well get to know the area, and I do want to see Central Park.
Look, Necromancers can act like tourists, too.
I could be getting angry and raging over my lost progress, but anger is just so... inefficient. It's not going to help me get my progress back; Shiro has already fucked off, so why bitch and moan like a little baby when I can get back to where I belong.
I need to focus on regaining my power so I can reach DxD and Overlord again, getting my girls back. I was barely in Highschool of the Dead, so I have less of a connection with those girls, but I want my girls back, dammit.
Isis, I have a question.
How can I assist, Master?
How do I get stronger? I noticed I no longer have my Instant Dungeon skills, so how am I supposed to boost my stats?
The system has been changed, Master. You can increase your Class by performing actions befitting that class. As a Student, you can level up by Studying, attending class, andjoining school clubs. You will gain new skills, and your stats will increase as I deem appropriate instead of having them locked behind a level requirement. They also don't really have 'caps' even if eventually they will be less efficient to focus on over other classes due to diminishing returns.
Huh. So, if I want to power-level my current class, I need to spend time in a library, not a dungeon? I can't say it doesn't make more sense. How do I get more classes? I only have Student at the moment.
Simple, Master, by earning them. The requirements change from class to class, but they are all related to the class itself. You could gain Spy by studying under Black Widow, and Martial Artist by finding a dojo and learning a martial art.
For magic classes, you either need a Teacher... or a Grimoire.
I have been given a selection of Grimoires to serve as rewards, but the Game has placed limiters on me to prevent me from simply giving them to you.
You have to earn them.
That's why he gave me the Necromancy Grimoire. That's nice to know, and I can't say I'm surprised the Game took precautions, dickhead that it is. I'll have to study it when I get the chance. Thanks, Isis.
Any time, Master. I am here to help you however you require.
Speaking of, now that your system is fully online allow me to grant you the Student skills you should have from your background!
[Avid Reader]
You can read at incredible speeds, devouring a full page in seconds and committing it all to memory perfectly. You can recall anything you've read, having a mental 'library' you can bring up at will.
[Apprenticeship]
You can gain any skill far faster if you have an appropriate mentor, able to rapidly grow in skill until you are one stage below them. A Master of a skill could train you to become an Expert in a matter of days.
[Hot for Teacher]
Every student has fantasised about their hot teacher, and you are no different. The only difference is that any teacher or mentor you find attractive will start to find youattractive based on your performance. The better you do under them, the more appealing they will find you.
[Slacker]
You excel at avoiding discipline for your slacker ways and are able to zone out in class without the teacher noticing or calling you out on it, and you can miss homework or assignments without affecting your final grade.
[Running on Fumes]
The life of a student is hard and incredibly packed. You don't have time for such irrelevant things as 'sleep' and have learnt to function with minimal rest. You only need four hours of sleep a day to fully function.
Heh, I see this class was customised to fit my… personality. That's going to be fun.
Well, that's for later. As for why I am going to Central Park? Well, I could just try to train nonstop, but that would be both emotionally and mentally draining. Rushing would just exhaust me when I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm already not doing great mentally. Patience and careful planning will take me further than rushing recklessly.
My time in Overlord taught me that. I rushed around like an idiot, and I paid for it. In a world as dangerous as Marvel? I should take my time; it's better to gain power slowly without gaining attention than to rush everything and get myself killed.
Besides, if I'm trying to prepare for surviving the attack on New York, then I have around two years to get to a level where I can survive the attack. Honestly, the Chitauri weren't the most dangerous enemies if you ignore the big-ass leviathans. The Avengers will do most of the work on them anyway.
They have numbers, but really? Hawkeye was taking them down with a fucking bow. Yes, it was probably made from some super metal, with equally special arrows, but still, if arrows can kill them, then surely my magic can do so as well?
Once I have it back... wait, weren't they cybernetically enhanced? Would Death Magic even work on them? That would suck to find out, but I'm pretty sure a Bayrok could take them down either way; not sure about a Death Knight... they're melee units, and the Chitauri would have to be stupid to get killed by a corpse with a sword when they're mostly flying ranged units.
Yes, I do remember that Captain America, Thor, and the Hulk fought them in close range, but try telling the Hulk that he can't hit a flying unit and see how that goes for you. Plus, Thor can just bring the lightning, and no one told the good Captain that shields were meant to be used for defence.
Grabbing my phone and heading out, I ignore the scowling landlord peering around his door and set out into the wider city. I know Marvel New York is Crime Central with all the villains based there, but I shouldn't get dragged into anything in the middle of the day.
I already know my way around—more or less. I have the memories of growing up here, after all.
Shiro gave me the background of a half-British, half-Japanese orphan... who lives in America for some reason. My mother was British, and my father was Japanese, and my surname is Tepes, which doesn't make sense. Tepes is a Romanian name. Shiro wasn't even trying, was he? I think my mother had some Romanian blood, but my past self didn't really care about his heritage, so he didn't really know.
Both of my 'parents' died in a car crash, leaving me alone. I have a decent amount of money in the bank from selling the house, but not enough to buy a new place, which is why I'm renting this shithole.
It's in East Harlem. Crime rates are... not the best here, but from my memories, if you keep your head down and avoid certain alleyways that are different gangs' territories, you can be mostly unbothered.
The trick is not to dress up. If you look like you don't have anything worth taking, then they won't bother you—a lesson learned after a couple of lost wallets and phones.
Besides, Spider-Man is getting more and more active, and I can remember hearing rumours of someone attacking criminals in Hell's Kitchen. My past self shrugged it off, but I know better. Daredevil is starting to move.
Iron Fist, Luke Cage and Jessica Jones won't be that far behind, probably.
My 'background' is that of a reasonably nerdy guy with a bit of an attitude problem and some bad habits. He didn't need money, but pickpocketing was a hobby of his, as was breaking and entering into the homes of people who'd pissed him off.
He was mostly just acting out over his parents' death; I'll stop that. Unnecessary risks and all that.
He kept to himself in school, with a few associates but no real friends. Even his fuck-buddy isn't someone he cares about; their relationship is purely physical, and neither of them cares enough to make it any more than that. This means I have little in the way of connections I need to care about, and I'm thankful for that.
The memories might be in my head, but I can't quite connect with them. If he had a girlfriend, I wouldn't gain any feelings my past life had, and they'd notice me acting differently. I'm a shitty actor.
Having only acquaintances should make things simpler, and I can make new connections with better, more useful people.
He was smart, slacked off in class, and skipped occasionally, but he got away with it because his grades were always excellent. He was also good with tests, thanks to that Int score, getting good grades with minimal studying.
Heading along the suddenly-familiar streets, I let my background memories guide me. I know my way around, but I don't quite recognise anything around me.
It's an odd feeling of Deja vu. I have memories of this place, but they aren't mine. It's like seeing a location in a movie or touring it in street view and then going there for the first time. It's all familiar, just not that familiar.
I haven't seen all of 'my' memories yet; they're filtering through as I walk, and I remember more and more.
It doesn't take me long, even on foot, to reach Central Park. I think I wanted to come here in my original life before I ever started the Game. It's blurry, but I can vaguely remember seeing it in a game I was playing and thinking, 'I want to see that with my own eyes'.
As I walk towards the park, an all-too-familiar red-clad figure swings straight over me. Turning, I manage to spot Spider-Man as he swings around a corner, heading out of sight.
I didn't see him for long, but… he looked small, not a fully-grown man clearly. So that would make Peter still a high-school student? Probably around my current age, sixteen or seventeen.
He has definitely not been active for very long. Pulling my phone out, I do some quick searches, getting mixed results.
Rhino, Kraven the Hunter, Electro, Sandman and Tombstone all bring up results... but Green Goblin, Vulture and the other significant villains do not.
Norman Osborn is both the Mayor of New York and the CEO of Oscorp, but no mentions of any crimes. Well, any super-crimes, he's still a shady bastard. Otto Octavius comes up with some papers he's written, nothing out of the ordinary.
Oddly enough, May Parker comes up as well as a worker at F.E.A.S.T, which is from the Spider-Man PS4 game, but the picture on Facebook is clearly MCU May Parker.
It's going to be a bitch to work out who is from what version in this place. Martin Li or Mr Negative is at F.E.A.S.T as well. Maybe I should try and kill him before he can start the plot with the Devil's Breath thing, but again, I don't even know if that is going to happen.
Looking up X-Men villains is very informative. Magneto comes up with a few dozen warnings because he's wanted in just about every country. Mystique is mentioned in his associates, but there's not much else. Apocalypse doesn't come up, which means that's not happened yet—neither does Mr. Sinister.
Sabretooth is a wanted serial killer, and William Stryker is a respected Colonel, so that means the Purifiers haven't happened yet. None of the Brotherhood mutants really bring anything up, but Pietro does have a Facebook page.
I'm getting nowhere with this, Pietro has the look of his X-Men Days of Future Past counterpart, which is admittedly the best Quicksilver. But if Tony Stark is the MCU version, shouldn't he be the Age of Ultron version?
Not to mention, he lives in New York, not Sokovia.
Ugh... this is going to be such a headache to work out.
Master, I advise that you stop looking up things that may not have happened yet; doing so will attract unwanted attention.
I have erased the traces for you, but I am limited in how much I can intervene.
That is… a very good point. Thanks, Isis.
She's so much nicer than the Game and also has a point: I need information, but Google searching people isn't the smartest.
Still, Central Park lives up to my expectations, so I might as well enjoy it while I'm here. I could use some R .
- Nick Fury -
Looking over the report, he frowned thoughtfully. Things were changing, and it was getting harder and harder to keep up.
Enhanced Individuals were appearing at an increasing rate, and his agents were starting to struggle, even with the best tech available to mankind. They just couldn't compete with the super-powered beings showing up just about everywhere.
Superpowers weren't new—Carol and Logan were proof of that, and Mutants weren't new either—but they used to be rare. Now, he was getting more and more reports of powered individuals showing up everywhere, whether they were using their powers for their own gain, playing the hero, or just trying to keep their heads down.
He wished he could have his men infiltrate that damn school of Xavier's so he could get some answers from the professor, but the man had too much protection. S.H.I.E.L.D. was supposed to be able to act however he deemed fit but even he had someone holding his leash- or a council of someones in this case, to be exact.
School for the 'gifted' his ass, why would James Logan be teaching at a regular school? The man could teach; Natasha was proof of that, but what would he teach normal children?
Charles Xavier was off-limits, as was his school. For now. And the other mutant leader? Magneto had gone to ground, and when he did show up, it ended badly for S.H.I.E.L.D. How do you fight someone who can control metal when almost everything you used was made of metal?
Metal was everywhere, and even with his scientists trying to make plastic versions of their gear, he could still control any metal around them. The last time they'd fought with him, they'd lost a Helicarrier; he'd just crushed it into a ball and thrown it into the ocean.
It had been difficult to cover that up, and replacing all the men who had died on it even more so. He had a lot of people on the Brotherhood case, but so far? Nothing. Magneto appeared and disappeared at random, wiping the floor with anyone who got in his way.
The 'Fantastic Four' were equally off-limits; they were basically celebrities, and America loved them. He'd eat his remaining eye for a chance to get Reed Richards working for S.H.I.E.L.D., but they'd turned him down hard, and he'd been ordered to accept the genius' decision.
They were 'independent', and he had to respect that. What was the point of being a super-spy in charge of a super-spy organisation if you were barely allowed to spy on people?
...At least he was allowed to spy on the 'Spider-Man'. Spider-boy, more like. Peter Parker was practically a child. He was a naïve boy with super-strength, super-reflexes and agility, possibly super-intelligence, or maybe he was just very smart.
He'd been left to his own devices because even as a teenager who didn't look like he'd been hit by puberty yet, and he was very good at taking down some of the 'Supervillains' that were popping up in New York, which allowed S.H.I.E.L.D. to grab them when he was done.
He didn't like the Raft, but it served its purpose. Keeping all the enhanced criminals in one place seemed like a disaster waiting to happen, but it was his job to stop that from ever happening.
Magneto could take the place apart in seconds, which was why he never sent a single member of the brotherhood there, no matter what the council said. They'd learnt that when they managed to imprison Mystique; it had taken Magneto around two hours to free her, and most of that was travel time.
God, he hated that man.
Still, he might just have a solution, Kuro Tepes. Possibly a descendant of Vlad the Impaler if his mother's Romanian heritage was anything to go by, and more importantly, a Mutant with the power to nullify other mutant powers.
Wait, was Dracula a Mutant? He'd believe it; he'd seen weirder.
He'd gotten caught up in an incident with an Independent Mutant running from S.H.I.E.L.D agents two days ago, just some idiot using his powers for petty crime with the ability to fire lightning from his hands.
The criminal had tried grabbing Kuro as a hostage after being cornered, but the moment he did, he'd lost his powers. His men had grabbed the criminal, but they took their eyes off Kuro for just a moment, and he was gone by the time they finished sedating the criminal. They had reported it, but they hadn't put two and two together and realised why the criminal had lost his powers.
Truly, he had the best of the best working for him. Thankfully, Maria was far smarter than the rest of the brain surgeons he had under him and had brought it to his attention.
Someone who could negate mutant powers? That was someone he wanted in his organisation. He was technically classed as a Low Threat, and his power wasn't one that would make him a danger to regular people—at least, that was what it looked like so far. They needed more tests to be sure.
Even if all Kuro could do was simply negate the powers of other mutants, that was worth his weight in Vibranium.
Sure, he had some bad habits. But a little pickpocketing and B was nothing to what his best agent had done in the past; he could overlook it. It was just a kid acting out, after all.
Grabbing him off the street was an option, but it wasn't exactly the best first impression. Kuro might not even know that he had powers, and it was easier to attract flies with honey than vinegar.
The last thing he needed was to make him run away and join the Brotherhood. Magneto was really good at finding Mutants, same with Xavier. One day, he'd find out how they were doing it, but they almost always beat him to the punch.
With Kuro activating his mutant gene, it'd only be a matter of time before those two turned up looking for him; they always did. Was activating the right word? He didn't know. That was the problem when it came to mutants; he didn't know anything, and it seemed like everyone was getting in his way as he tried to learn more.
Getting an alert, he resisted the urge to hit his head on the desk... Magneto had just been reported within two blocks of Kuro. He only had a single agent watching Kuro; he hadn't been able to cut through the red tape the council had wrapped him in quickly enough to send more.
They'd blocked his 'Avengers Initiative' at every turn and had been thoroughly against hiring powered individuals, so he'd been trying to stop them from finding out by being subtle. Sometimes, he had to remind himself that they weren't enemies.
Now wasn't the time for subtlety.
"Maria, prepare three... no, four squads. Code: Master of Magnetism. Magneto has crawled out of his hiding hole again. Make sure they're properly equipped, no metal," he ordered into his radio.
They couldn't get close to Kuro with their vehicles since Magneto would turn them into his weapons, so they'd have to stop a distance away from the terrorist leader. Fighting him in the middle of the city would not be in their favour; far too much metal for Magneto to weaponise.
Ideally, any battle with Magneto would be in the middle of a forest with no metal within a few miles, but things rarely went so perfectly.
He would not let Magneto steal his best chance at countering the growing Mutant problem. He had nothing against mutants from a personal standpoint, but from a professional standpoint, they were a big fucking problem.
A race of super-powered individuals that mostly looked like humans? That could be born to regular humans, popping up anywhere they pleased?
As the man whose job it was to keep track of people like that, they were a significant problem, one of his biggest challenges. They were right behind Hydra, a group that just wouldn't die.
He didn't know who the current leader of Hydra was, but they were proving to be almost as bad as the Red Skull himself, and this time, there was no Captain America to fight them. He had seen far too many snake-themed assassins lately.
Why did it always have to be snakes?
– Kuro Tepes –
I don't know how, but this is Shiro's fault.
Staring at the all-too-familiar face under a red helmet, I frown to myself, asking the question I already know the answer to.
"Who are you, and what do you want with me?" I ask quickly, staring into the face of Ian McKellen. I know I'm in danger, but I have to admit that there is a part of me that can't help but fanboy.
"You may call me Magneto." the iconic voice responds, a calm look on his face as he lifts us both into the air, using what looks like a metal sheet to raise me into the air, sliding it beneath me as he levitates himself.
The agents rush towards us, guns raised and ready to fire. Their movements are swift and precise; they are clearly a well-trained team that is used to working together. Sabretooth, with a wild grin on his face, tears through them effortlessly, shredding them with his claws and shrugging off shots that would kill a normal man ten times over.
I barely manage to spot the insignia on their uniforms as we rise. S.H.I.E.L.D.
Perfect, that's just what I needed.
From this height, I might just die if I negated his powers, not that I have even the slightest plan of fighting fucking Magneto. He's on the list of people I absolutely do not want to fight, right there with Doctor Doom, The Hulk, Dormammu, Thanos, and many others.
He can lift the metal sheet beneath me because it's so large that my negation can't affect it all.
"And you decided that the sky was a good place for a conversation, or did you just bring me here for the view?" I ask, unable to stop myself from snarking, but he simply raises an eyebrow. Magneto isn't just going to kill me for no reason. He's a villain, but he isn't insane, and I am a mutant, part of the race he claims to want to protect.
"I simply wished to keep our unwelcome guests from interrupting us; mere humans have no place in this conversation," Magneto says dismissively.
"Mutants only, huh?" I ask, making his eyebrow twitch.
"You already know? I see; that saves us some time. Yes, I am like you, a Mutant, part of the Homo Superior race, and I have come to guide you to your fellow brethren, to your brothers and sisters. You have a great gift, my boy... one that should not be squandered amongst people who would turn on you the moment your true nature was revealed," Magneto starts, beginning his villainous monologue/recruitment pitch. "Already you have the attention of those who would use you against your own people right up until they had no more purpose for you, after which they would discard you," he says calmly, his grandiose voice never wavering. I have to admit, the fact that it's Ian McKellen's voice makes declining harder.
Well, that and the height problem. Not to mention, I fucking love Magneto. He's such a cool villain...
"I..." I start, trailing off as Magneto calmly moves another piece of metal above him just in time to block a lightning bolt from above, the skies darkening as thunderclouds appear.
"Hmm, I should have known," Magneto mutters in annoyance, ripping the metal into shards and launching them into the clouds. As the razor-sharp shards shoot into the darkened sky, a chocolate-skinned woman flies out of them, her white hair dancing in the high winds. She wastes no time as she sends another blast of lightning at Magneto, which he blocks with an almost bored expression.
"Give up, Magneto. We won't let you brainwash anyone else into your little cult," she says calmly, her voice carried unnaturally by the wind. Magneto's eyebrows twitch in amusement and a smirk appears on his face.
"The 'Weather Goddess' talking about cults? Amusing. I am not the one who passed themselves off as a God, and I have no desire to brainwash anyone. I believe that's Charles's role, is it not? Has he not come to preach the good word about peace and unity?" Magento asks dryly as he lowers us down.
I wouldn't want to fight Storm in the skies, either.
As we get closer to the ground, he pauses, sighing slightly in bemusement.
"Really, Logan? How many times must I crush you before you learn that someone with metal bones can't beat the Master of Magnetism?" Magneto asks dryly, reaching out towards some bushes. As he does, Hugh Jackman jumps out from them; claws extended as he leaps towards Magneto, freezing in the air as his body contorts abnormally. "I can detect the metal within you; you really should have learnt that by now," Magneto says bluntly as he tosses Wolverine away dismissively.
As he does, I catch Sabretooth just standing there, not moving at all. Looking around, I see that the S.H.I.E.L.D agents—those who are still alive anyway — are doing the exact same thing.
"It's not like you to come out in person, Charles. Did you think your soldiers would be insufficient?" Magneto asks in amusement, levitating Xavier's wheelchair into view.
"I thought I should give this one a personal touch, old friend." Charles Xavier responds calmly, showing no fear as he is held in the air.
No fanboying, Kuro. Yes, it's Patrick Stewart, but no fanboying, Kuro. You're a big boy; behave yourself.
Still, as I watch Sabretooth break free of Xavier's hold due to Magneto hitting him with a metal shard, the pain snapping him out of the trance, more of Magneto's crew showing up to the party, I have to admit... I really don't want to be here.
- Charles Xavier -
Freezing the card-throwing Mutant in place, he watched in confusion as Erik gestured for his men to stop fighting.. they were admittedly winning through sheer numbers.
"This achieves nothing, old friend. All we have managed to do is chase our mutual target away." Erik responded to his confusion without needing to ask. Looking over at where the newly-discovered mutant had been, he frowned, seeing the empty spot.
He couldn't sense the mind of his potential student without Cerebro's assistance, and they'd had to rely on Logan's ability to track Victor by scent to find him. He hadn't noticed when Kuro had simply fled, but he wasn't surprised. This wasn't the best first impression. Any reasonable person would retreat after seeing a battle between two super-powered teams.
"So you are just leaving? It's not like you to give up," Xavier asked calmly; if Erik truly wanted him dead, he would be dead. A fact he had known for years.
"No, I have no intention of giving up. I am simply finding a different approach. Goodbye, Charles. Enjoy your delusions of peace while you still can," Magneto said, gathering his team up with metal sheets and simply flying them away. He always did have to have the last word.
As his wheelchair dropped with a thud, he frowned as he looked down. The wheels had been bent out of place. Erik could be incredibly petty.
Still, it did slow him down considerably; he couldn't exactly chase after the runaway.
"Logan, can you track our wayward potential student? Ororo, I believe I require some assistance," Xavier admitted calmly, ignoring Logan's amused chuckle. He took a brief moment to erase the memories of the government agents with a frown. He was sure his allies in Congress had ordered Director Fury to stop that. That man could be so extremely stubborn.
"This is why we said you should stay in the mansion, Chuck. Don't worry, I can already smell him; I'll bring him back." Logan said with a smirk.
"And if he had stayed back, we would have been overwhelmed; Magneto has been recruiting... and it seems he's less worried about sending his recruits out than we are... perhaps we should have brought Cyclops and the others after all," Ororo remarked, making him frown.
"They aren't ready, not yet," Xavier replied quickly, watching as Logan set off into the distance.
"Perhaps, but we are outnumbered, Charles. Magneto may be a fanatic... but he's a convincing one; each time we meet him, his side has grown," Ororo said, making him sigh as she lifted him out of his wheelchair; she wasn't wrong.
He didn't force any of his students to join the X-Men, and he wouldn't send the new X-Men out into danger until he was sure they were ready; Erik clearly didn't agree, and he excelled at creating fanatics for his cause.
They needed allies. Fortunately, he already had something in the works for that.
If he was a younger man, he might have been embarrassed over being carried in what could be referred to as a princess carry. Fortunately, he was above such things.
– Kuro –
Maybe just high-tailing it out of there wasn't the best idea, but things were getting chaotic. Gambit was tossing his cards all over, Storm was blasting people with lightning, and Sabretooth and Wolverine were clashing in a bloody struggle.
I could have died by accident there, and I need to test my mutant ability before I can be confident that it would protect me. Sure, I could probably catch Gambit's cards and negate the explosion before it happens... but what if it blows up in front of me? What if a rock is sent flying by an attack, and it smashes into my head?
Being near a mutant battle is just a bad idea in general; as weak as I am now? It's suicide.
Of course, running isn't going to work. Sabretooth and Wolverine can track by scent, which I can't negate, so I'm not heading home; I'm just heading away from the fight.
I've left Central Park entirely, moving between the streets via the alleyways. It's still light out, so I don't think I need to worry about gangs bothering me.
I'm counting on the fact that Magneto wanted to recruit me, so Sabretooth shouldn't kill me if he is the first to find me, and Wolverine won't hurt me... probably?
"Stop running, Bub. I promise you, I'm faster," Wolverine says as he passes me and gets in front of me quickly.
"You're covered in blood and have hand knives. I absolutelyshould be running," I say bluntly, making him look down at himself before he retracts his claws with a shrug.
"It's mostly mine. I ain't gonna hurt you, kid. I'm from a school that's made to help young mutants control their powers. We just wanted to invite you there, that's all." Wolverine says, raising his hands slightly in peace.
"I'm pretty sure someone else was giving me an invitation, too, before you guys showed up, and everything went to hell," I retort, making him scowl.
"Don't listen to that fu... to Magneto. He's a terrorist. If he had his way, you'd be one of his soldiers fighting for his cause. The guy's bad news," Wolverine says quickly, scoffing.
"And that's your entirely unbiased opinion?" I ask, making him roll his eyes.
"Snarky little fucker, ain't you? You could just ask the men his attack dog killed if you'd prefer. Look, I'm shit at this recruitment thing; are you coming or not? Just listen to what the professor has to say. If you don't like it, you can leave. We don't force anyone to stay." Wolverine says with a scowl.
Master, shall I activate my guidance program?
The what now?
My Guidance Program allows me to find the most viable 'paths' for you and predict the consequences of each choice.
Of course, if you find them unsuitable, you can choose your own path and ignore my suggestions; my role is simply to advise.
...Sure, go ahead, Isis.
[Path 1: Go with Logan]
This will result in an offer to join Xavier's school, along with the X-Men, when they discover the usefulness of your power.
You will be trained in controlling your power, allowing you to upgrade it faster.
This path will allow you to meet many of the characters Xavier is acquainted with, including the Fantastic Four, the rest of the X-Men, and the members of the Massachusetts Academy.
Xavier will protect you from S.H.I.E.L.D. and other government agencies as long as you are one of his students.
[Path 2: Refuse the offer]
Logan will reluctantly accept your choice and leave you alone.
Once alone, either S.H.I.E.L.D or Magneto would return and 'collect' you, taking you to their respective leaders.
This could result in you working as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent if you desire, as Fury would be hard to deny. This would involve missions, gadgets, and advanced training.
This could also result in you joining the Brotherhood. This path would have training, but most of it would be on assignments. You would meet many 'villain' types during your time there. It would also result in you becoming wanted by authorities when your affiliation is discovered.
Wait, Fury wants me to work as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent? That's actually better than what I expected from him, but no thanks. That would put me in the middle of all the shit that happens. Oh, and S.H.I.E.L.D. is basically Hydra at the moment if things are staying like the MCU, and I don't want Hydra's attention.
Being part of the Brotherhood is also a big no. I don't want to get on any government's most wanted lists on my first day here. As I expected, Xavier is the safe choice for now.
I have no intention of becoming a member of his little scout brigade, but I can study there comfortably enough. Thanks, Isis.
I'm happy to be of assistance, Master.
"Fine, lead the way... Bub." I say, making him scowl.
"It sounds stupid when you say it, brat. The name's Logan. Come on, the Blackbird's not far," Logan mutters.
"And my name is Kuro, not brat. So, how are you planning on explaining the whole covered-in-blood thing to anyone who sees us?" I ask casually, making him grunt.
"Chuck's had everyone nearby leave, so we don't need to worry about that. Would have been easier if you didn't run around like a headless chicken, but I get the feeling I'm not going to like you,brat," Logan mutters as he leads me out of the alleyway.
– Later –
I'm going to admit it, I completely zoned out during Xavier's speech about peace and coexistence, Mutants and Humans holding hands and planting flowers and dancing around bonfires or whatever he was saying.
Storm's outfit is far more interesting than his speech. Honestly, besides the cape she is wearing, it's basically just a tight black leotard that does nothing to hide her full figure, leaving her dark chocolate legs and thighs on full display.
He just kept going on and on, but I did manage to at least pretend to be paying attention, even if my attention wandered a few times.
"For now, feel free to look around and get a feel of the school. This isn't a decision you should rush, after all. I have had a room prepared for you in advance," Xavier says, closing his eyes for a moment. He does that occasionally, telepathically communicating with people, but he can't do that to me.
As the door opens, another familiar face walks in, an odd look on her face before she suppresses it, replacing it with a bored and casual look.
"You called for me, Professor?" Rogue asks casually, her eyes flickering over to me for the briefest of seconds before she looks back at Xavier.
As she does, I look her over. She definitely looks like the X-Men Evolution version: short auburn hair with white streaks in the front, pale skin covered with almost Gothic makeup, and a spiked collar for some reason.
Her see-through green top reveals the black halter-top beneath it, revealing a decent amount of cleavage, not enough to be indecent, but she clearly doesn't mind showing off what she has, same with the short black skirt showing her long legs covered in dark leggings.
I like her.
Despite her outfit, very little skin is exposed, a precaution to stop her from accidentally draining people. She's even wearing long black gloves that go up past her elbows.
Master, my Dating Advisor system is marking her as an 'Easy Target'.
She is a target who could be turned to your side with relative ease.
I would advise you to use her to earn the Eromancer Grimoire; she's the most natural path to it!
...Well, it's true, but you don't need to be so blunt about it.
"Yes, I did, Rogue. This is Kuro. He'll be staying here for tonight at least and possibly joining us as a student. I'd like you to give him the tour and answer any questions he may have about the school." Xavier replies calmly.
"Yeah, sure. Is that all?" Rogue asks, putting her hands in her skirt pockets.
"It is, thank you. For now, Kuro, make yourself at home; if you have any questions, feel free to ask either me, one of the other teachers, or the students themselves. We can speak more tomorrow," Xavier said kindly. This right here? This is why I wanted to come here.
Magneto wouldn't have been this soft or understanding.
It's a weakness of Xavier's and one that I will happily exploit.
"I will, thank you," I reply, might as well be polite. "So, Rogue, was it? Lead the way," I say, making her roll her eyes as she walks out of the room.
"Come on, let's go," Rogue mutters as she leaves.
She seems nice.
– Ororo Munroe –
"Why choose Rogue to be his escort?" Ororo asked as the door closed, leaving her alone with Charles.
"I simply believed that she was the correct choice," he said, making her frown.
"Surely Jean would have been more suitable; she would have been far better for answering any questions he may have. And Kitty is more of a people person, she would have made him feel more welcome," Ororo continued, spotting the slight twitch from Charles. "Instead, you took the girl who can't touch people and made her spend time with the one person who she would be able to physically touch without risk of killing them. I know you told Rogue about his power before this as well," Ororo said bluntly, watching him wince slightly.
"I did," he admitted, saying nothing more. He didn't need to.
Kuro was unique for more than his power. He had a trait that most male mutants lacked: he was straight.
No one understood why, no matter how much research they did into it, but almost all of the male mutants were attracted to other men, and nearly all of them were infertile. A genetic defect? A quirk of evolution? Nobody knew.
She could count the number of straight male mutants she knew with one hand and have fingers left over.
She'd seen Kuro's eyes move over her body several times; she didn't care, but she'd seen it. If she cared about being looked at, she wouldn't wear a skin-tight revealing leotard on missions. He'd done the same to Rogue when she'd walked in.
Mutants might be appearing at an increased rate, but most studies said that it would slow down again, if Hank and Charles were to be believed, and she had no reason not to. A race with infertile men wasn't a race that would last long.
To make things worse, while female mutants could breed with regular humans, it almost always resulted in an ordinary human child, not a mutant.
Charles was looking towards the future, but to solve this, they had to find out why so few male mutants were straight, and for that, they needed data. She didn't fully understand the science of it; that was Hank's speciality, not hers, but she knew enough to realise that Charles was deliberately pushing the two students together...
What she didn't know was the end goal—what did he get out of pushing a pair of hormonal teens together?
– Kuro –
"So, is what I heard about you true?" Rogue finally asks, making me pause. She's been giving me weird looks this entire tour.
"Probably. Actually, wait. What did you hear?" I ask, watching her hesitate, biting at her lip. "Yes, if it was good. It was all lies if it was bad."
- Nick Fury -
He had come to the conclusion that ninety-five percent of his organisation was utterly incompetent.
Still, he couldn't entirely blame this on them, as the situation had turned into an all-out fight between Magneto and Xavier's groups. Without any Enhanced individuals of their own, there was no way they could have stood a chance.
This was why they needed the Avengers Initiative. Regular men with guns couldn't do much against someone like Sabretooth, who just shrugged off being shot, no matter how well the shooters were trained.
It was a problem. Kuro had been seen on the drones entering Xavier's plane with Logan, and that made getting him more difficult—but not impossible.
He couldn't have his people approach the school itself, and if Kuro stayed, then he wasn't technically allowed to keep pursuing him, but when had not being allowed to do something ever stopped him before?
The council were being idiots, and listening to idiots was always a mistake.
He wouldn't approach the school; that'd just get the council breathing down his neck, but he would make sure that whenever Kuro left the grounds, whether it was because he declined the offer or he was just going to do some grocery shopping, he'd know.
When he found an opportunity, he'd have one of his agents make contact with him. He just had to be subtle and keep it off the record for now. What the council didn't know wouldn't hurt them, or more importantly, him.
And if they did find out? Well, he knew about most of the skeletons in their closets; he wasn't a spymaster for nothing.
- Magneto -
Listening to Mystique's report, he frowned in thought.
So, the boy had gone with Wolverine? Unsurprising but disappointing. But he wasn't giving up just yet. There was something about this Kuro that told him that he would not be a good fit for Xavier's dream.
The calm way he'd watched Sabretooth kill the S.H.I.E.L.D agents was the first sign. There was no horror or disgust in his eyes. He wasn't enjoying the sight of them dying, but he didn't care either. It was just casual indifference to the gory sight.
It wasn't his first time seeing death, and violence didn't bother him.
He truly believed that such a person wouldn't fit in with Xavier and his dreams of peace and coexistence.
Charles had won the battle by getting Kuro to go to his precious little school, but the war was far from over. He hadn't been checkmated just yet.