The world faded in slowly, a cascade of sensations and data flowing into my consciousness.
My first thought? I'm alive.
My second? What time is it?
"M.A.R.V.E.L?" My voice was a bit raspier than usual, but the edge of confidence remained.
"Good morning, Mr. Stark," M.A.R.V.E.L's smooth, synthetic voice greeted me. "It has been 82 hours, 57 minutes, and 33 seconds since the procedure began. The transformation process is complete."
I sat up in the pod. My body felt… different. Not foreign, not unrecognizable, but unmistakably more.
"Give me the rundown," I said, stepping out of the Infinity Chamber.
My senses were already firing on all cylinders. Every detail of the room was sharper—every texture, every shift in air pressure.
Even the hum of electricity from the chamber's systems vibrated in harmony with something inside me.
"As you anticipated, your physiology has undergone significant enhancement," M.A.R.V.E.L began. "Enhanced durability and strength, rapid cellular regeneration, increased sensory acuity, heightened energy output from starktonium integration, and…"
"Let me guess," I interrupted, slicing a small cut across my palm with a scalpel I grabbed nearby. The blade barely broke the skin before the wound sealed itself with startling speed.
Temporarily ignoring the strength and sharpness of the scalpel and the force I used just to pierce my skin, I grinned.
"Accelerated healing. A personal upgrade, courtesy of Deadpool and Wolverine."
"Precisely," M.A.R.V.E.L confirmed.
I clenched my fist, marveling at the faint energy hum coursing through me. It wasn't just a part of me—it was me.
---
*Testing the Limits*
"This isn't the time to marvel at myself. Let's get some numbers," I muttered.
First up: durability. I stepped into the testing chamber, surrounded by reinforced plating designed for extreme stress tests. I programmed the turret system to fire high-caliber rounds directly at me.
"Ready, Mr. Stark?"
"Always," I replied, bracing myself.
The first volley hit me squarely in the chest. I didn't flinch. No bruises, no pain—just the satisfying thud of bullets flattening against my skin.
"Energy blasts next," I ordered. A plasma shot hit me, engulfing me in a brief explosion of light and heat. When the smoke cleared, I was untouched.
Check durability off the list.
---
Strength came next. I lifted weights far beyond what should be possible, piling more and more mass until the machines strained to measure the force. I ended the test with a full-powered punch against the titanium-reinforced plate. The result? It shattered like glass.
"Force output: 250 tons of pressure," M.A.R.V.E.L reported.
"Incredible," I said, wiping imaginary dust off my hands.
---
Then came the healing factor. M.A.R.V.E.L administered a controlled incision across my forearm, but before the blade was fully withdrawn, the wound closed up seamlessly.
"Regeneration time: less than 0.3 seconds," M.A.R.V.E.L noted.
"Faster than I hoped," I replied. But the real breakthrough came when I extended my hand toward a lab rat with a broken leg. Without thinking, I directed the energy coursing through me into the tiny creature. Within moments, its injury vanished, and it scampered across the cage.
"That… wasn't in the original design," I muttered, fascinated.
---
Next was energy manipulation. I stood in the center of the testing area, focusing on the stactonium energy within me. I visualized it like a second circulatory system, flowing through my body. I channeled it outward, releasing a pulse of raw energy that scorched the chamber walls.
"Energy output is exceeding projections," M.A.R.V.E.L observed.
"Let's push it further."
I directed the energy to my feet, and to my surprise, I lifted off the ground. Flight—smooth, effortless. I absorbed an external energy source—a directed EMP—and felt it enhance my strength. A quick test confirmed I could fire energy blasts from my palms with surgical precision.
"Note that my magical affinity has also increased," I said, sensing faint mystical currents in the room I would've overlooked before.
---
Speed was next. I ran the length of the chamber, clocking just under the speed of sound. My reaction time? Flawless. I dodged high-speed projectiles as if they were moving in slow motion. And then, like a sixth sense, I began anticipating the shots before they even fired.
"A danger sense," I realized. "Let's try that again—amped up."
By channeling the energy to amplify my physical abilities, I surpassed all previous parameters. My speed, strength, and durability reached staggering new heights.
---
A New Discovery
I was on a roll. But as I stood still, focusing inward, I became acutely aware of my own biology. My mind mapped every cell, every strand of DNA. I saw it all: the modifications, the enhancements… and a flaw.
"M.A.R.V.E.L, run a diagnostic," I said, my voice tight.
"Your DNA shows signs of instability," M.A.R.V.E.L confirmed. "If you continue to evolve without addressing this issue, your genetic structure will collapse."
I stared at the readout, my mind racing.
"Collapse isn't an option," I muttered. "If evolution has limits, I'll just remove them."
I began devising a plan—a way to restructure my DNA to accommodate infinite growth. It would be risky, but if there's one thing I've learned, it's that risk is the currency of progress.
---
I stepped out of the testing chamber, my body buzzing with newfound power. This was only the beginning.
'Limits are a challenge,' I thought, a smirk tugging at my lips. 'And challenges? They're what I do best.'
At this time an alarm went rang out in the entire chamber.
*Beep!*
Fury's voice came through...
"Tony where the hell are you?!"
....
A/N: This chapter is a bit rushed.