After utterly obliterating his last power testing device, Nathan had to build a new one from scratch.
And not just any replacement.
This time, he went bigger.
A massive, reinforced strength tester now stood in his underground lab, its parameters reprogrammed to withstand force up to 150 tons—almost double the capacity of the last one.
"This should be enough… for now," Nathan muttered.
He inhaled deeply, grounding himself. Then, with a tight fist glowing with contained black energy, he struck.
BOOM!
The lab echoed with the sound of a small explosion. The numbers on the screen beside the machine began to spike rapidly.
61 tons.
72 tons.
Still rising.
Finally, the digits stopped at 85 tons.
Nathan smiled.
"Excellent," he said under his breath. "This demonic power… it's more potent than I imagined. I've gained 24 tons of raw strength."
"And that's not even all of Black Sky's demonic energy… just a fragment."
Nathan stared at his clenched hand.
Only days ago, he could barely lift 20 tons.
Now, he could challenge monsters like Hatred and stand a chance.
"But it's not enough yet," he muttered. "I need to reach the 100-ton mark."
With a silent command, he deactivated the demonic power bracelet. The black aura that surrounded him withdrew like a living shadow, sucked back into the metallic wristband.
His body returned to normal, but the hunger for power burned hotter than ever.
As Nathan walked outside, he noticed that Black Sky's complexion had paled slightly—no doubt from the latest extraction of her energy.
Nathan approached and asked, "Beast, how can I help you replenish your demonic power?"
Black Sky's eyes shifted—becoming solid black. The Beast inside her took control again.
"You want to help me increase my power?" the Beast scoffed. "That's rich. You've been stealing it for your own gain."
"You've drained the essence I spent years cultivating—and you want more?"
Nathan raised a brow, nonchalant. "It benefits both of us."
The Beast snarled. "I'd rather let this host die and go into a slumber than serve you like a battery pack!"
Nathan crossed his arms. "Alright then. How about a deal? We both work to increase demonic power. You contribute one portion, I contribute nine."
The Beast went stiff. "One to nine?! I contribute one and you nine?"
Its anger boiled over. "You dare treat me—a first-generation demon, one of the highest-ranking originals—as if I'm your servant?!"
Nathan didn't blink. "How about seven to three?"
"Eight to two!" the Beast barked. "That's the lowest I'll go!"
"Fine. Fifty-fifty. Take it or leave it," Nathan said coldly.
The Beast's rage was palpable. "Half?! I refined all of it—!"
"Enough," Nathan cut in.
After a long pause, the Beast hissed, "…Fine. Fifty-fifty. But only because I'm feeling generous today."
Nathan smirked internally. The demon's willingness to compromise so suddenly was a red flag. It clearly had its own agenda.
"So," he said, "how do we boost your demonic power?"
The Beast sniffed dramatically. "There are three ways."
"First: sacrificing humans. Fresh blood from a living person increases my energy significantly."
"Second: opening portals to dark dimensions—Dormammu's realm, Mephisto's hell, or similar. Drawing their essence can supercharge me."
"Third: devouring other demons or celestial beings—angels especially. Their spiritual density is excellent fuel."
The Beast's eyes narrowed. "Or… we could tap Kamar-Taj. Learn forbidden magic. Open a portal directly to the Dark Dimension."
"I could gorge myself on Dormammu's power, and in return, you gain unstoppable demonic strength."
Nathan ignored the last suggestion completely.
Opening a gate to Dormammu's realm? That was suicidal. Even if Dormammu didn't notice them—which was unlikely—the Beast could easily go rogue if empowered too much.
No, he needed control, not chaos.
"I'll see what I can do about the fresh blood," Nathan said coolly.
The Beast frowned. "It must be living. The stronger the person, the better. Nothing stale or artificial."
Nathan's eyes slid sideways to X-24.
As his gaze fell on her, she shivered. Her eyes widened in panic.
"What about this one?" Nathan asked.
The Beast sniffed. "She's excellent. Her life force is powerful—close to yours. But one person isn't enough. Blood must be followed by death to be truly effective."
Nathan nodded slowly. "So we're partners now, huh?"
The Beast chuckled, suddenly pleased. "Yes. Partners. You're an interesting human. I like that."
Nathan leaned forward slightly. "If I want to use demonic power without the side effects… can it be done?"
The Beast's expression changed. "No. You're human. You can never truly master it. At most, you can borrow it—through magic. But never own it."
Nathan didn't respond, but in his mind, a plan was forming.
If demons held the secret, maybe he needed a real one to dissect and study.
He left without a word.
---
Back at the safe house, the living room resembled a tutoring nightmare.
Elizabeth, known for her sharp tongue, was slumped over her textbook, head in hands, sighing like a girl sentenced to death by math.
"This is torture," she muttered. "Math is like a swarm of wasps buzzing in my skull."
Beside her, Emily—nicknamed "Little Spider-Man" due to her agility and intellect—sat perfectly still, solving equations with robotic precision. Her miniature pencil scratched out line after line of correct answers.
Claude, their caretaker, watched the contrast with exasperation.
"Elizabeth, look at Emily and then look at yourself," he sighed. "Is learning that hard?"
Elizabeth glanced at Emily's calm face and nearly cried. "How is she understanding this stuff just by looking at it?!"
Emily scribbled a message on her notepad:
> "Because math is very simple. Just glance once, and it clicks."
Elizabeth's soul nearly left her body.
Just then, Nathan walked through the door.
Emily's eyes lit up, and she zipped over to him, leaping onto his shoulder and affectionately nuzzling his cheek.
Elizabeth tried to greet him too, but Claude held her back. "Class isn't over."
She pouted. "But it's my big brother…"
Nathan smiled at both of them and then headed to the basement.
Emily grabbed her notebook and chased after him.
Claude watched her go. "That child… she's too smart for her own good."
---
Back in the lab, Nathan scanned current news reports.
One image caught his eye—a grainy photo of a motorcycle-riding black creature with white eyes.
His pupils narrowed. "Venom…"
"That means the symbiotes have surfaced."
And where there's one symbiote, there are likely more.
"Venom must have escaped the Life Foundation. They still have another symbiote, don't they?"
Nathan's eyes gleamed.
"If I go there now… I could capture one."
"Symbiotes offer tremendous physical enhancement, improved regeneration, and combat adaptability."
"If I manage to suppress their memory-reading ability, I can control one."
He paused, thinking deeper. "**Or create a symbiote battle armor—**like Iron Man did in the comics."
That kind of hybrid tech could make him nearly unstoppable.
Just as he was sketching out ideas…
His phone rang.
It was the Human Torch.
"Boss!" the voice crackled. "We've got a situation with the Fantastic Four."
Nathan raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"
"They were hit by some kind of personality-altering ray. Everyone's angry. They had a huge fight and stormed out of their lab."
The Torch snickered. "It's like an episode of Real Superhero Drama. It's amazing!"
Nathan: "...Why are you enjoying this?"
"I mean, seeing them fight is kinda fun…"
Nathan sighed. "Please stay focused."
The Torch continued, "Mr. Fantastic has been logging tons of data about their powers. If you come now, you can grab it. It could help with your research, especially on the Invisible Woman."
Nathan was already getting up. "Got it. I'm on my way."
He disconnected and spoke to himself:
"This ray gun they mentioned... and their data... It's all useful."
Electric currents sparked around him.
In an instant, he transformed into a surge of pure energy and raced through the power lines of New York City.
---
A short while later, he arrived at the Fantastic Four's lab, emerging through a corner wall socket.
Next to him, a crackle of electricity formed into the grinning face of the Human Torch.
"Boss, look ahead," he said. "Something's happening."
Nathan's eyes narrowed.
Time to act.
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