Marvel 217

He walked toward her, his coat fluttering slightly from the residual static in the air.

"Congratulations," he said with a small grin. "You're not just strong now. You're special. That lightning you command is the real deal."

Sara looked up, eyes wide and glowing faintly red."So... what now? What do I do with this?"

Max smiled broader.

"You learn to use it. Control it. Turn it into a weapon that shatters mountains if you need to. And then... you teach others."

He glanced at the gathered survivors — some already practicing simple punches, kicks, and maneuvers, others cautiously feeling their newly enhanced bodies.

"They're strong enough now to fight normal drones," Max continued, voice steady. "But against the real threats — the enhanced Sentinels, the Ultron cores... they'll need more."

He turned back to her, eyes gleaming.

"And you'll be their vanguard."

Sara's lips curled into a fierce smile. The old fear that once haunted her gaze was gone, burned away by the storm now raging inside her.

"I'll do it," she said."I'll become their spear."

Max nodded approvingly.

"Good girl."

He glanced up at the blood-red sky through the transparent dome above.

This is only the beginning, he thought. Soon... not just survival. Domination.

The age of steel and cold logic was ending.

The age of awakened humanity had begun.

The following day, Max stood atop the central tower of the new city, looking down at the bustling activity below.

Dozens of survivors — now enhanced by the Red Apple — moved with renewed purpose. What had once been a scattered group of desperate people was quickly transforming into a fledgling force.

Sara stood at the center of it all, her crimson lightning dancing across her arms as she led others through basic combat drills. Her every movement was sharp, fluid, charged with barely-contained power. The others followed with a mix of awe and eagerness.

But Max knew raw strength alone wasn't enough.

They needed control. Tactics. Conditioning. A battlefield to learn the rhythm of death — before it arrived on their doorstep.

He lifted his hand, and the air shimmered.

Within moments, the space just outside the city twisted, bent, and formed into a vast training arena. The ground cracked and reshaped as various terrain types manifested — urban ruins, desert fields, steep cliffs, dense forests. Giant floating orbs in the sky began to hum as Max uploaded thousands of combat scenarios into them — pulled from battles across countless worlds and simulations.

When Sara and the others arrived at the arena entrance, Max greeted them.

"This is your crucible," he said, arms spread wide. "A place to suffer, bleed, and rise stronger. Here, you'll learn how to fight like monsters... to defeat the machines that ruined your world."

He looked at Sara. "You're the first. The prototype. Show them how it's done."

Sara nodded without hesitation. She stepped forward into the arena as a swarm of simulation drones spawned — replicas of Ultron's foot soldiers. Sleek. Deadly. Relentless.

She didn't wait for the fight to come to her.

With a roar, she surged forward, her body flickering with red lightning. Each step left scorch marks on the ground. The first drone raised a weapon — she dodged it like a ghost and then punched.

A thunderclap exploded as her fist connected, tearing the drone's upper body clean off.

The watching crowd gasped.

Max's lips, however, twitched in mild amusement.

"Are you an idiot? Why are you punching it when you can just shoot lightning now?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sara paused, realizing the mistake, and nodded seriously.

Then, she punched the drone again—hard—knocking it backward.

The crowd laughed awkwardly.

But still, nothing happened.

Max sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Feel it. Try to release it. Try to let that lightning out of your body. That's why this training ground is here — so you guys can learn how to actually use the powers I've given you," he said, waving his hand.

The training had only just begun.

After countless tries, Sara still couldn't manage to summon the lightning properly.

Her face flushed red with frustration, and small sparks danced around her, but no full blast came out.

The other survivors, sitting nearby, began murmuring. Some even looked a little disappointed.

Max finally sighed deeply, stepped forward, and clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.

"Alright, that's enough for now," he said, walking over to Sara. She looked down in shame, but Max simply placed a hand on her head.

"You're not failing," he said gently. "You're just new. You don't train a newborn to run marathons. You teach them to walk first."

He then turned to the others. "Same goes for all of you. Power without guidance is useless."

Facing Sara again, Max knelt slightly to meet her eyes.

"Let's do it step by step. First — close your eyes."

Sara hesitated but obeyed.

"Good. Now," Max said, his voice calm but firm, "feel the power in your chest. It's like a ball of energy, right? Don't force it. Listen to it. Let it move how it wants to move."

Sara breathed slowly, her trembling hands beginning to steady.

"Now... guide it. Think of it as a river you're helping flow, not a weapon you're firing."

Tiny red sparks began crackling more steadily around her.

"Yes... good... now, when you open your eyes, aim your hand at the target and just release. Not with anger. With trust."

Sara's eyes snapped open — glowing faintly red.

With a determined cry, she thrust her hand forward.

BOOM!

A massive bolt of red lightning erupted from her palm, blasting the target drone into flaming scrap and leaving a huge scorch mark on the ground behind it.

The crowd gasped louder than ever, some even falling backward from the shockwave.

Sara stared at her hand, stunned.

Max just chuckled.

"See? You just needed the right nudge."

The crowd began to cheer — and for the first time in what felt like forever thye began to smile happily.

Many others also looked at it as they cheered and began to train harder.

***

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