Long story short, that same day I went online to compare my new knowledge about the location of the Earth mages' enclaves with real Earth maps and transport routes. No, not because I was going to rush there headlong. On the contrary, having soberly assessed all the circumstances, I decided to hold off on contact. Of course, not because I was afraid that they would knock me over the head there. Even if we assume that the mages have a snitch, in addition to this snitch they also have brains, and the sorcerers will not quarrel with the owner of the spear of the King of Asgard just like that, only if they try to pin them to the wall or destroy them. However, Kamar-Taj has stood for a thousand years, will stand for a little longer, but it will not wait for a date with the beautiful mistress of thunderstorms. The lady made it clear that my courtship and exploits in her honor were perceived quite positively, so there was no point in stopping there. And besides Storm, I had a lot of things to do - attend Stark's wedding, bring the X-gene research to its logical conclusion, show Tony who's the God here, having knocked up my super armor with adamantium, nanites and a neutronium reactor, I can also apply adamantium to Gungnir and attach another reactor to it... At my last thought, the spear hummed discontentedly.
- Yes, yes, you are cool, powerful, impressive and amazing, I do not argue, but there is always room for growth and improvement. Or do you suddenly want to give up indestructibility and a direct channel into the dimension of Living Light?
- ... - the weapon clearly became interested, and there was no trace of discontent left.
- Exactly. And anyway, a magic staff should have a pretty hefty knob, as they sang in that song. Yes, you're a spear, but "a cool heel" is also a theme.
Having convinced the wayward weapon of its majesty, irresistibility and prospects of becoming even more majestic and irresistible, I began to prepare for the fulfillment of the first item on the list, namely, a date with the charming blonde goddess.
So, what do I need first? First of all, I need to take my time. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to get into Ororo's panties, but I'm not a sperm-toxic teenager to strive for that alone. First of all, Storm was interesting to talk to, to watch her reaction to this or that event or action on my part. So there's no need to rush and increase the pressure - a gentle, calm and romantic atmosphere is needed... Yes... A candlelit dinner on the Sky Boat in the middle of the dead calm night sea, with the stars reflecting off the calm waters... That sounds like a plan!
Without putting it off for too long, I set about preparing. It didn't take long to place an order at the restaurant where we had dined last time, as well as to arrange delivery - no matter how pretentious the establishment was, and the triple price on the bill was quite capable of forcing restaurateurs to pack everything beautifully "for takeaway", and organize thermal packages, and hand over the food with a taxi driver. The second point was the Boat, but here all I had to do was unload it, add a couple of little things, like a table and a music center, and bring in other polish necessary for a romantic dinner.
With all this fuss the rest of the daylight hours flew by unnoticed, and around eight in the evening I "caught" Storm relaxing in a chair with some book. Why "caught" in quotes? Well, for some time now the girl has stopped running from me. Well, let's begin.
- Oh, most beautiful mistress of the weather, your humble admirer has come to distract you a little, do you mind? - I greeted the mulatto girl.
"Loki," she tried to smile, hide her embarrassment, and sigh heavily at the same time, "you don't have to shower me with compliments at every opportunity."
- What are you talking about, Storm? - I feign saintly, but almost wounded to the heart, innocence. - What else are convenient opportunities for, if not for this? They are convenient because they dispose!
"I expressed myself incorrectly," the girl chuckled. "You don't need to shower me with compliments every time we meet."
"I didn't shower you with compliments today at three and five forty!" I hasten to cry out for justice.
"…" she simply shook her head, turning away with a smile.
"Why did I come here, actually?" I scratch my eyebrow, moving away from the admiringly sublime style. "I have a small favor to ask of you."
- A request? - she was surprised. - Yes, of course, I'm listening.
- I ask you to relieve me of my melancholy and loneliness by graciously accepting my offer of another date. For example, today at eleven.
- I... - oh, she buried her face in the book so innocently, as if trying to protect herself from the unbearable me. - Okay. But where do you want to go?
- Oh, let this be my little secret and surprise for you!
"O-o-okay," interest and curiosity crept into the voice. "But how am I supposed to even get dressed?"
- As you wish. To me, you are delightful in any outfit!
"You don't make my life easier," she sighed with feigned sadness. "Okay," and she rose from her chair, "then I'll go get ready."
- But... it's only half past eight?
- Yes, that means I only have two and a half hours! That's it, I'm leaving... - and she really did leave, or rather, almost ran away.
"Do you understand anything?" I turned to Scott, who had witnessed this entire scene, for it took place in the common room.
"Dude," he put on the expression of a wise husband, "to just ask a girl out on a date like that without giving her at least a day to prepare. That's very cruel. I bet she'll barge into Jean's place right now, and the two of them will be rushing to pick out a dress for her. Or maybe they'll even rush off to a clothing store."
- Oh... - I felt ashamed. - Well, let's consider that I am an evil and treacherous god who fulfilled his quota of villainy for the next month.
"Well, whatever you say," the guy shrugged. "In any case, good luck."
- Thank you.
The remaining three hours I was bored with nothing to do. Or rather, I read "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" to Laura. She seemed to sense when to catch me! Where did she get that book... Although, yes. We are in a school for children of different ages.
In general, I waited exactly three hours, because Storm, as befits a beautiful lady, was "a little late." But when she came out to me, dressed in a silver dress that went so well with her hair… oh, the wait was truly worth it, every second spent.
"Oh…" I couldn't take my eyes off her, which clearly didn't escape the attention of the girl herself, who modestly lowered her gaze.
- How do I look?
"As befits a Goddess – divine," I didn't lie in a single syllable. And then I pressed my lips to her hand and led her out of the living room. "Tell me, do you trust me?"
"Yes," came the immediate answer.
- Then don't be afraid that we'll go to the basement!
"Original," the girl assessed, but she wasn't afraid.
Having reached the hangar, I covered everything possible with illusions and, having invited the lady on board the Sky Boat, activated the opening of the doors. Then there was a smooth takeoff into the night sky, a bird's eye view of Xavier's mansion and a swift flight to the sea. The creation of the aces was equipped with both overload compensators and force fields protecting both from oncoming air currents and from the vacuum of space, and even a camouflage system, albeit less perfect than my illusions provided. Well, it could fly a little slower than the best Earth fighters, although it was not intended for high-speed battles, it's just that at the level of technology that Asgard had, even the secondary characteristics of an almost peaceful vessel were comparable to the profile of the best military developments on Earth.
So, just a few minutes — and we were hanging in the night sky above the water surface far from the sea routes leading to the Big Apple. The stars' radiance was reflected in the water surface, making it difficult to understand where was up and where was down, a light sea breeze, let through by the correctly adjusted shields, pleasantly stirred the hair, a beautiful girl, sitting at the side of the Boat, looked around with impression…
Afterwards there was a candlelit dinner, and an impromptu dance under the starlight on a frozen and magically fixed disk of ice, and conversations about everything and nothing until dawn, and, of course, the taste of the lips of the goddess sitting next to me and pressed against my side. It was a pity that, like all good things, this moment also came to an end. It was time to go back. Tomorrow was Monday and the work routine. And only the promise that this evening would not be the last, and in the future it would also receive its development, which I read in Ororo's eyes, reconciled me with the unsightly reality.
***
The next week passed in small but quite pleasant chores. Having rested after a wonderful evening with a beautiful mulatto, I immersed myself in the planned research. There were so many interesting things to study and do that my eyes ran wild - I wanted to do everything at once and simultaneously, but although I knew how to create additional bodies for myself, my brain did not become bigger from this, and therefore I had to set priorities.
So, by way of a difficult moral choice, I had to suppress my curiosity about the notorious X-gene. My hands were itching wildly to send all the inhabitants of the mansion through the Crucible of Souls in order to finally learn the secret of the origin and nature of their abilities, but I overcame myself. In this, I was greatly helped by the mantra that, like, "the children will not run away from me, and I will still take them apart into atoms, yes, my Precious, I will, no one will escape Loki, Loki will study everyone, Precious!" From the outside, of course, at that moment I looked like a maniac (I saw myself through the eyes of a phantom), but I was careful and did not let the X-Men catch me. I am afraid that otherwise, they would have tried to kill me, despite all my past merits.
The second feat I accomplished was when I overcame my vanity and didn't rush to design my "Iron Man" armor. It was a bit easier here, after all, only Tony could fully appreciate the luxury of my work, and I would most likely be embarrassed to brag to him... like that. Otherwise, I'll ruin his honeymoon, because the guy will rush to "catch up and overtake". I don't give a damn about Tony in this regard, but it would be extremely impolite to put such a pig on Pepper. Of course, I don't even really know her, but a self-respecting man should not ruin a woman's moment like a wedding with the one she loves.
But what I could not refuse was studying the knowledge stored in the Casket of Ancient Winters and researching the magical properties of adamantium. I could simply cover this armor with a thin layer - the coating would not affect its functions in any way, but with Gungnir I had to be more careful, after all, it has quite a lot of active abilities that interact with the outside world, and even minimal interference can be fatal, for example, for the ability to shoot plasma.
It was then that Yuriko's gloomy workdays began, because the prodigal boss in my person, having received the opportunity to immerse himself in his toys, not thinking about any wars, brothers and other Laufeys, completely lost touch with reality and forgot about everything in the world. A couple of times I had to apologize to Xavier when I accidentally lowered the temperature in the room where I was working, almost to absolute zero. In reality, it was more like minus two hundred with a bit, but this does not change much, because the X-men bunker, although built solidly, was still not designed for such unexpected situations, and it is not very comfortable for children to study when steam suddenly starts coming out of their mouths in a warm building. And he started, despite several walls and ceilings. After all, we were talking about magic, not pure physics, and for magic, walls are not always an obstacle. Fortunately, no one was hurt - I was smart enough to work with the Casket alone and in a separate room, so even Yuriko at these moments shook me through the Asgardian "Communication Stone", essentially a walkie-talkie, just implemented on different principles, and did not personally enter the room, risking frostbite.
But these are all the little things in life, especially since after the second incident Storm herself took me by the white arms and dragged me to the cinema to clear my head. I did clear my head, but I don't remember what the movie was about and I don't regret it at all. Because the back rows are good, and Storm is very sweetly embarrassed when she can't run away or raise her voice, calling me to order. It's a pleasure to braid her hair at such a moment. But how much temperament and vengeful elbow jabs there were on the way back, mmm... it's even nice to remember.
Nevertheless, things were moving forward, and they were moving not only in the context of expanding my magical arsenal. Frankly, I did not even try to study the interaction of adamantium with magic in an academic way, that is, there was no series of a thousand and one experiments on the reaction to this or that energy spectrum with a thousand and one isolated samples, the creation of test batches of enchanted items from it and testing them for loads and reliability. I did not need all this due to the fact that in magic many things are intuitive and do not assume such a thing as incompatibility revealed over time. If some material is incompatible with magic of some type or a specific magical effect, this will be obvious right away - at the first attempt to affect it with the said magic. If everything works at the first moment, then it will continue to work, without the risk of sudden explosions, breakage or crumbling into dust. In general, I tested adamantium only for the ability to interfere with the work of the abilities of the spear of the Kings of Asgard. There were quite a lot of those abilities, and not all of them could be tested while sitting underground, not to mention that even fewer of them could easily be squeezed into the framework of a laboratory study on material that had not yet been applied to Gungnir. In a word, I did not notice the surprise right away, too carried away by the process of inventing laboratory stands. And the surprise, meanwhile, was significant.
Usually, materials with a stable crystal lattice store magical energy well. The stronger the crystal lattice, the fewer impurities it has that disrupt the order of the connection of atoms and molecules, the easier it is for free magic, and even for spiritual energy, to linger there. At the same time, it is much more difficult to embed a full-fledged spell structure into such a material, thereby creating an artifact, but here the analogy is rather with modeling from plasticine and stone carving - the complexity of the second does not deny the very possibility and the presence of professionals in this business. With adamantium, there was a very interesting situation - as befits a material of such strength, it eagerly absorbed magic, but did not just retain it, it adapted to it. Changed! Changes occurred both on the physical and magical levels. There, the texture of the solidified alloy literally changed - the indestructible metal itself rebuilt the original polycrystalline structure of the sample into a single crystal. And at the same time, the more magical energy was poured into it, the better it was suitable for use in creating spells on a given energy spectrum, without worsening its compatibility parameters with the energy of the opposite spectrum. It was phenomenal, but it was. I could create an igniting artifact from adamantium based on the Asgardian traditions of the inner flame of the Aesir, but the impact on it with pure ice magic not only did not break anything inside, but it could also accumulate this energy.
It was unexpected, but it seemed that I had discovered the third Great Magic Metal. Neutronium, when properly enchanted, was capable of becoming a self-sufficient source of magic, allowing the creation of incredibly powerful artifacts that did not depend on the owner's powers, but instead gave him power. Uru Metal increased the magical power of the wearer, facilitated the manipulation of mystical energies, and literally developed the soul by the mere fact of its presence next to it. And now adamantium is an ideally adaptable conductor and accumulator of magical powers in one person.
Needless to say, once I discovered this and double-checked it, Gungnir was immediately placed on the workbench to change its casting from gold to silver once and for all?
By the way, now I know for sure that spears can experience a feeling similar to what happens during the drying process after a shower with a good washcloth, in the sense that the whole body itches, and especially where there is no scratch. And also that polishing with a soft cloth is good and correct, this is what a proper Tsar should do with his weapons in between bathing them in the blood of his enemies... Yes, I have been enlightened.
Before I knew it, the second week after returning from Asgard had already passed the halfway mark. It was strange, but all the guests I brought along had easily and naturally integrated into the life of Xavier's educational institution. Sarah had already started helping with the children, even if she wasn't yet conducting full-fledged lessons, Laura somehow managed to be everywhere and anywhere, fitting in harmoniously with any company, Yuriko, in her free time from kicking me, also managed to find something to do to her liking, having come to an agreement with Scott on matters of safety and training. Surprisingly, the guy didn't even think about hitting on her, as well as flirting minimally. One might think that the reason for this was the regular lying on the floor during sparring, which began literally from their first training meeting, but no, Cyclops really was completely and utterly faithful to Jean, simply because it was something that happened. One way or another, life was clearly getting better, and then the inhabitants of Asgard reminded us of themselves, fulfilling the assignment I had given them while I was still sitting on the Throne.
Actually, there was nothing special about it - I just ordered a couple of the most competent courtiers to run to the nearest purely technical world and buy a spaceship there. A good, reliable, but modest and not too advanced - one that a wild native could master and not break. In fact, there were many criteria: no AI on board or their cut-down versions, no weapons, no super-strong and easily reproducible alloys in terrestrial conditions, no superconductors, having disassembled which you can restore the production recipe and much, much more. Well, the most important thing is an easily extractable hyperdrive, because giving Stark the technology of intersystem flights is a very, simply very bad idea. This genius of a soldering station and a creative file would be able to create a weapon from a hyperdrive that shoots black holes and test it right on Earth. It's not that it's impossible, but since I have a rough idea of how it can actually be done, I won't give Stark such technology. He'll definitely figure out how to turn this idea from a lab curiosity, of little use in real life, into something that can be stuffed into his armor, and the universe isn't ready for such nonsense yet. Then again, I have a kid on this planet who can wrinkle his nose, and a girlfriend, friends, and to lose them all just like that... No, thanks.
In general, to be honest, I needed the lousiest tub that could be found on galactic flea markets and which would also have to be additionally stripped. No, of course, after that it will be given the necessary gloss and luxury, it will not be difficult to arrange a mini-bar with a couple of barrels of Asgardian honey in the yacht, as well as to decorate the paneling and furnishings with gold, silver and jade. Hmm, maybe I will even add a little adamantium - for safety and strength. But all this is only for camouflage, and the main task of the tub will not give Stark a chance to destroy the world until I get out of it.
No sooner said than done, not even a month had passed since the order was given, than the necessary ship appeared in the X-Men hangar, driven there according to all the rules of camouflage and conspiracy. And no, this was not done in order to capture Scott's face on film in the morning, the moment when he saw the unexpected addition and realized that the entire security system he had lovingly built did not even peep. Seriously "no". No joke. I just did not wake him up in the middle of the night. He was with Jean, everything was fine with them, and I am a very tactful person and even, in some ways, shy ... No, Scott, no need to flash your eyes! You will touch valuable equipment! What do you mean "hints"? I did not hint at anything, who do you take me for? I am a decent boy and anyway, I am leaving already! Yes, I have one silent fluffy one waiting for me who needs some cocoa brewed, and no, I'm not kidding, what kind of stereotypes are these?!
Well, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, the ship. What can I say about it? The most trivial "pleasure yacht" with a modular hyperdrive, weak anti-meteorite shields, not even force ones, but on the effect of gravitational impulse compensation, and a couple of purely symbolic retractable blaster twins, intended not so much for self-defense as for fighting the same meteorites, just larger ones. I immediately deleted all the navigation maps from the on-board computer, removed the hyperdrive, changed the language packs of the control interface to Russian... And so that Tony's life would not seem like honey! I also rigidly fixed all the backgrounds of the "desktops", where they were in principle provided, in a demonstration of a proud scarlet banner with a sickle and hammer. It was possible to break it, but Tony definitely won't be able to do it before two years, because I didn't leave him a self-study guide for the local programming language, and he will only be able to create his own operating system for all local systems by that time, if he devotes his time to it.
But I decided to leave the anti-meteorite lasers - the "toys" produced by Stark, when properly pumped, already have greater lethality. The shield design was more complicated, the thought even flashed "why not leave it for the mad genius to study, what could go wrong here?" But my Common Sense got hold of a big club somewhere in time and was not embarrassed to knock me ... I mean, I suddenly realized that the idea was not the most brilliant and Stark would have enough of a regular gravity compensator to reach the technology of directed singularities. But a s- ... Knowing the recipe and having an Asgardian atomic forge, producing the required amount of alloy was an elementary matter, at the same time, Stark himself will not reveal the secret of this metal from the frozen shell, and if he does invent a way, then I will be the first to thank him, because it will definitely be a brilliant disgrace, worthy of my respect.
And so the day of celebration arrived. I had just finished decorating the unobtrusive gold bas-relief with the motifs of the Jormungandr serpent in the main salon of the yacht. After all, it was a gift from the deity to its priest and it had to be done justice, and that was the final touch. All that was left was to sit at the helm and fly. Of course, I had to open the hangar doors first, but hey, I'm not so stupid as to fly through them without opening them.
Oh yeah, I still had to do something with my spy, whose lessons had already finished.
- Laura, don't you want to play with the other kids in the yard?
– (-__-#), – a negative head shake.
- Or maybe you want to watch TV?
- (-_v)? - the girl's gaze became suspicious. Well, yes, frankly, I didn't even try...
- I have an appointment with a friend. He is getting married and I promised to come.
- (v_O)?
- What is a "wedding"? - X-23 nodded. - Well, it's a solemn ritual when two people of the opposite sex who love each other promise to share all the sorrows and joys, take care of each other and, in general, always be together for the rest of their lives.
– (V_v)?
- I'm not sure you'll be interested there. My friend is very specific, there will be many adults there that I don't know, and no mutants at all, so you can't show your abilities.
– (<)… (v>)?
- No, I don't mind taking you with me, but at least warn your mother, otherwise she'll worry.
The girl nodded understandingly and, getting down from the chair onto the floor, headed towards the exit from the ship.
- Yuriko, don't you want to fly to Tony Stark's wedding? - I turn to the second girl who kept me company in my work.
"No, sir," the Asian woman answered reservedly, although it was clear that the name had made an impression. However, this did not prevent her from quickly giving a logical analysis of the question: "There will be too many cameras there… and there may be people who knew me."
- I can give you the illusion of a different appearance.
"Okay, sir," the beauty agreed accommodatingly, switching on the "ideal secretary" mode.
- So, you don't want to go there, right? Why?
"I… don't like such gatherings," the girl did not deny it, although she obviously did not want to turn the conversation into the realm of her personal desires.
- I see... - I sighed, glad that I paid attention to this question, otherwise I would have flown. Out of a sense of duty I flew. - Then stay here, we won't be here for long anyway, I'll just have a little fun with Tony - and then go straight home.
- You don't have to...
- Oh, come on, - I wave it off. - As if I'm going to an epic battle. Better fry me some potatoes for when I get back, if you want to take care of it that much. I bet there won't be any normal food at this party, and our silent wolf cub needs to be fed well and tasty, - I nod towards the open passage to the exit of the ship.
"As you say, sir," Yuriko nodded again, accommodatingly, and again this gesture suggested that I was wrong about something, but since it was clearly on the topic of me not taking her with me and thus not allowing myself to be protected, I decided not to advertise my insight…
***
We arrived at the event incognito and hiding in the shadows, ahem... Well, that's pretty much it. The girl was dressed in something appropriate for the occasion, in the sense that I transformed her clothes into a cute silver dress, over which she immediately pulled on a black semi-sports jacket, but I didn't even try to understand the logic or argue, having highly appoint the outfit appropriate and calmed down on that. I myself used my usual black suit with a light half-coat and didn't skimp on distracting attention, so let's assume that it was incognito and secret. We didn't attend the ceremony itself, because in the city, for a long time and in general I am a pagan God, whose existence Christianity denies, so I have every right to mutually deny Christianity and its temples. But at the home celebration we were already among the first. While we were waiting for the newlyweds to arrive, I discovered that Tony had managed to hack SHIELD and now all operational information was flowing directly to him. But just as I wanted to silently call him a handsome man and respectfully nod, I dug up the circumstances of this turn of events in Jarvis's databases and disappeared from the world for a bit.
Well, you make a joke like that once, and then it turns out that SHIELD has already lost 70% of its personnel, managed to destroy Hydra (though only in its own ranks and a little in the Pentagon - they didn't get to Pierce and other real leaders with the main forces of the organization), and now your high priest is in charge there, and not even personally, but having dumped the administrative work on Pepper, who is building them a normal organizational structure and personnel policy. And they didn't even peep on the news! It's not that I follow what's happening on TV very much, but one of the kids, after school is over, is constantly hanging around in the living room behind it, and whatever they mumble there - it can be heard far away, especially if you have ace hearing, and such news would hardly have passed by the team.
It's a strange feeling... of disappointment. So many people died, and Fury not only survived, but even kept his job. Where's the justice, huh? They should have appointed Maria Hill! She's a smart, responsible, serious girl, and even her face is pretty - she's not up to Storm, of course, but compared to the other locals, she's a real beauty. Or is that just the thing? It could very well be... Tony is a smart, prudent guy, he wouldn't risk himself on the eve of the wedding. But she would still be better than these two acrobat brothers, Fury and Coulson. Even Hammer in this place would bring more benefit to the world and less harm than this half-Master Winduws! No joke, yes - in the cinematic universe he's a clown and a disgrace, but this guy knows how to build an internal security service, and nothing leaks out of him - the second Iron Man movie is a witness! And if you remember how he does special operations...
Damn, but it's real... If you remember how masterfully this guy kidnapped Vanko in canon, and then organized his work, that even he himself did not know until the last moment about the start of serial production of battle droids and ARC reactors at his own production facilities, and almost in the head office, and even after the arrest he managed not to give anyone even half a page of technical documentation on these projects... Yes, he alone is cooler than all of S.H.I.E.L.D. combined in matters of espionage and counteraction to it!
Anyway, I left Stark a "note" with my advice on personnel policy and a comparative analysis of the professional qualities of Hammer and Fury. Obviously, without mentioning the events of the film, but I tried. Of course, Tony will never follow them, but at least he will rub this black-faced clumsy ass in the nose - also some benefit.
After I finished with that, I still managed to dig into Tony's project on synthesizing the substance invented by his dad, and wrote a couple of comments "in the margins" warning against the most destructive experiments. And yes, the substance turned out to be a radioactive isotope of vibranium. I'll have to experiment with it sometime too... In short, I still managed to do that, and then Stark and his wife arrived, and I hurried to catch them in a dark corner:
- Tony, Mrs. Stark! Congratulations! Now that he's in safe hands, the world can sleep peacefully! - I actively gestured with a glass of bourbon, fortunately, with the use of a drop of magic, it became impossible to spill the liquid.
- Loki! - the billionaire smiled. - You have finally honored us with your presence.
– How could I miss my High Priest's ascension to the Almost True Path?
"Almost?" he raised an eyebrow.
- Well, by the way, I don't really approve of this whole Christian thing with monogamy, - the newly-minted Mrs. Stark looked at me... not very well, - but it's a matter of taste, maybe there really is something to it, and I'll even support you... I mean, I'll step on the same rake... ahem... Let's drop this topic and limit ourselves to the fact that I blessed you, okay?
"Okay," Tony chuckled, giving Pepper a proud, happy look. He was proud, of course, of her and my reaction to her. "God's personal blessing must be cool."
"But not as cool as a personal space yacht…" I began, but then I felt someone tugging at the hem of my coat.
– (v_v), – the girl's reproachful gaze met me as soon as I turned around.
- What's wrong? I poured you a cocktail, - I don't understand the reason for the complaints.
– (<)… (vо)?
- What do you mean "not tasty"? It was a great strawberry cocktail.
– (>_>)»…
"Okay, okay, you'll have some cocoa, bring the glass," I gave in.
The girl instantly perked up and ran to the counter to pick up the abandoned container of "nasty stuff."
"And this?.." Pepper waved her hand uncertainly toward the back of the only child at the event, who, completely unashamed of anyone, had already climbed onto a stool at the bar, pulled a barely touched cocktail toward himself, and began to climb back down.
- And this... - I repeat her gesture. - A child. A very powerful child! She can make me read her bedtime stories! A unique and inimitable talent! No one else can do that.
- (_)! - the one being discussed appeared next to me, showing me the load.
"And to persuade me to make her cocoa," I continue the thought, shrugging my shoulders and casting a transformative spell on the contents of a tall glass. "And for some reason I always take her with me… I don't know why, but she's interested," as if justifying myself to the guys, who were staring with wide eyes at the transformation of the cocktail into a brown liquid and how Laura greedily sucked on it.
- Um... - Stark chewed his lips. - You said something about a spaceship!
- Yes, here you go, - I chuckled and... threw him a keychain, like those used in car alarms. Or electronic ignition keys.
- Are you kidding? - the engineer caught the gift.
"I always keep my promises," I let out Loki's characteristic smile, already anticipating Stark's face, "so press the button and look at the new thing over there," I point in the right direction. "I parked the pepelats on the helipad."
- Hmm-m-m... - he pressed the button, studying the place with a burning gaze, and-and-and-and...
- Beep-beep! - the "alarm" responded, removing the first layer of illusions.
"W-what is this?!" Stark looked at the "yacht" with a mixture of shock, horror and something like religious awe.
- This is a pepelats from the Kin-dza-dza galaxy! Only I have one like this in our galaxy, and now you have one too.
- Is this a joke? - Oh, he looks like he's going to feel sick.
- Yes, - a snap of the fingers, after which the illusion of a rusty barrel with a propeller disappears, replaced by a normal spaceship, - but watch the film! It's good.
"Phew," the inventor exhaled, "what jokes you have…"
- Well, - I put my hands on my hips and proudly stuck out my chest. - Nobles lick... - I glanced at the yacht, which vaguely resembled the Nubian from Star Wars, only smaller: a little over 30 meters long and 15 meters wide, a streamlined hull sparkling with adamantium coating. It's funny, an ordinary, even shabby yacht after my "modification" for the rest of the galaxy became quite comparable to a link of full-fledged dreadnoughts or so.
"I hope you won't run off to investigate the 'interesting thing' right in the middle of our wedding, dear?" the happy wife asked her husband very politely, smiling sweetly.
- P-pepper... no, of course not! - No matter how crazy Stark was, the instinct for self-preservation was inherent in this individual too.
– And instead of our wedding night – also...
- Of course, - yes, it is definitely inherent. He definitely did not appoint Maria due to family circumstances, that's one hundred percent!
- Well, okay, I gave you the gift, admired your faces, took the furry one out for a walk that glared at me menacingly, - I ruffle Laura's hair, who in response to this raised her gaze to my face, but did not tear herself away from the process of draining her glass, - and now, as a decent God, I am obliged to plunder your wine cellar... Because this is something that will make sense!.. And it is also in the name of Intrigue!
"My cellar is at your complete disposal!" the magnate saluted with his glass, glancing sideways at the spaceship.
Soon the music started playing, and Stark had no time for any gods - he took his wife to dance. I started to implement my plan of action. Well, and to replenish the cocoa reserves of the fighting hamster...
***
The celebration of the beginning of a new milestone in the history of one billionaire, inventor and philanthropist came to an end, and Laura and I safely returned to Xavier's estate, having stopped by Heimdall on the way and received a report from him on the movements in Jotunheim and the collection of information about Thanos's planets. The chief guardian of the borders of Asgard had already recovered a little and even seemed to have begun to be imbued with the idea of helping the Jotuns, at least the idea of setting some assholes against other assholes no longer caused such a strong rejection in him that his facial muscles jammed. He tried not to show it, but there were notes in his appearance hinting that he had seen something in the Mad Titan's domain that he did not like at all. In general, things were moving along this side, and even Thor seemed to be doing well, at least there were no problems requiring my personal participation.
Anyway, the mutant school greeted us with a delicious dinner of fried potatoes and sausages, carefully prepared by Yuriko, and then life returned to its usual course. In the sense that I selflessly returned to my sinister experiments in the basement and telling the kids heartbreaking stories about the life of European savages. For some reason, I really loved telling heartbreaking stories about the life of European savages, I just couldn't help myself. But I did observe the boundaries of decency, yes. They were strict about that here.
But let's get back to the research. The first round of experiments did not bring much clarity. As planned, I ran the entire school through the Soul Furnace, in the process teaching Jean, and (to a lesser extent) Sarah and Yuriko how to use it. It's not that Sarah lacked knowledge, in fact, she was even superior to Jean, despite the latter's doctorate and extensive experience working with mutants, but Miss Gray was still a telepath, so it was trivially easier for her to master the neural interface, as well as to work with this interface in general. But I digress, and the point is that, having studied each and every one of the children and mentors, although I replenished their medical records with a ton of useful information, I remained at a dead end. I could disassemble each individual genome, understanding what is responsible for what and why it works. I could identify pathologies in the genetic chain that arose as a result of the premature awakening of genes. I could even correct some minor things. But all this did not give me an answer to the question "why"?
Why does it work this way and not another? Why does it work at all?
Mutants did not have a single common gene that would stand out from the standard human gene code. All the information stored in the structure of DNA, RNA and other proteins that described the nature and structure of the human body, described the nature and structure of only the human body. And those new elements and superstructures that appeared as a result of mutation and were responsible for superpowers were unique to each specific mutant. Even Xavier and Jean, who were both telepaths, had a different mutation. Charles was a pure telepath with a very high potential for telepathy and, by the way, one of the few mutants in the mansion whose abilities were pure - without pathologies of premature awakening. Jean Gray was more of a telekinetic - her telepathic potential was small, but her telekinetic potential was enormous. And her brain structure was not developed enough to consciously operate with all her power. Xavier's brain was more perfect - it was literally sharpened to parallelize attention not just in five, but in hundreds and thousands of directions. This did not give him the ability to think faster, live in eternal slow-mo or do a bunch of different things at the same time, but he did not "go deaf" and did not lose himself due to the fact that he could hear thousands and tens of thousands of other people's thoughts and experiences at the same time. They were not something unbearable for him, and he could navigate in them, look for what he needed, listen to everyone and hear each one separately, and at the same time influence all the tangible ones as he needed. Even if only in some one vector, but on everyone and without missing anyone - literally keeping everyone in mind. But for Jean, such a trick was unrealistic, since the productivity of her brain itself was almost no different from the usual for a person, and therefore controlling the flight of even a dozen objects at once was an extreme load on her "computing power". At the same time, it had enough raw telekinetic power to sort out every grain of sand on some golden beach in Nice. I would say that this is ironic, but no - this was an example of a prematurely activated X-gene that did not have time to complete its formation for correct operation.
Truly, evolution is a fucking bitch! Just when you start to suspect that all these mutants are part of some super-experiment of a civilization that is an order of magnitude superior to Asgard, you immediately find outright atavisms, genetic garbage and other deviations that cannot possibly exist in an artificially bred organism! Take the same Cyclops, whose number of mitochondria in cells exceeds human norms by an order of magnitude, and their efficiency is five, just think about it, five orders of magnitude! Thanks to which he can emit steel-burning "laser" beams from his eyes. At the same time, beyond the framework of this shooting mechanism and its support, there are no other differences from a typical homo sapiens. That is, with energy reserves in the body comparable to an average nuclear power plant, he still needs food, water, rest, etc. Natural surrealism! And then you look at the mutant community as a whole and again begin to suspect something strange - it would be fine if everyone had "deviations" in one direction, but here the task is more likely to find mutants with identical abilities and identical pathologies than representatives of "one branch". Even the talents of Scott and Jubilee, with, it would seem, the same basis aka "ray of destructive energy from the surface of the body", have nothing in common - they even have problems with control expressed differently and through different systems of the body.
In general, the more I dug into it, the more I realized that I didn't understand anything. And this is despite the fact that genetics is, for me, practically my native field.
The blood tests of ordinary people, for which I had to make a special trip to the nearest donor center, did not clarify matters, but rather confused them even more. Here is blood that was initially completely "pure" and showed no signs of mutation, pure "homo," so to speak. Now, through the Crucible of Souls, we simulate Lansher's radiation and direct it at the blood. Ten seconds — and now there is mutant blood on the glass, I can even see the "energy code" of the restructuring of muscle tissue, bones, and skin with a pathology expressed in the uncontrolled secretion of mucus instead of sweat. But a minute ago, there were no genetic elements of mutation there! None at all! So where did they come from? Moreover, no matter how I changed the radiation frequency, time, and intensity, the blood of the same intelligent being produced the same type of mutation. That is, these were not random fluctuations, but the awakening of a recessive, latent genome! But it was not there! It was not-there-was! So where does it come from? And, what is no less interesting, if the mutation is predetermined in each person, then how do all sorts of Green Goblins and Spider-Men come about? After all, there are quite a few characters in Marvel history who received powers from some mutagens, but even obviously different people, using one mutagen, all received one specific type of power, and not each their own. You can't blame it on the same predisposition - as my own research has shown, it is oh so difficult to find the same powers in mutants. But then what? Why?
So, let's say that Peter Parker, aka Spiderman, really did have a latent X-gene, and a bite from a poisonous mutant spider caused it to activate. Why do I think the spider was poisonous? Well, any spider injects a digestive extract into its victim when it bites, which could easily pass for poison. Apparently, that mutant's was so potent that Parker's body quickly woke up to keep from dying. The theory is no worse than the one where the spider began to produce super-soldier serum in its poison glands. As for me, it's even better, because how can an animal survive if any of its victims, instead of softening and turning into a nutritious mush, turns into an indestructible mutant whose muscles have become harder than steel? However, this is lyricism, and the question is, why did Parker's body rebuild itself according to the spider principle? A coincidence? It is very unlikely, if only for the simple reason that humans and arachnids had a "common ancestor" somewhere at the level of the first multicellular organisms. I am, of course, exaggerating, but not too much.
Yeah, since this coincidence is not at all random, it means that the genetic material of that spider was involved in the process of "evolutionary restructuring". The question is – was this a unique feature of the boy or a typical process? It wasn't hard to find out. We go to the "pet corner", fortunately, Charles's school had one, and collect material – fur from various cats, rabbits, puppies, bird feathers, a couple of fish scales from the nearest aquarium… and yes, we'll shave the hedgehog too! Okay, kids, no need to call Aunt Storm! Uncle Loki hasn't gone crazy! No need to call Professor Xavier either! Okay, okay, I won't torture your hedgehog, I'll just take a couple of hairs of fur. Okay, okay, you'll do everything yourself, am I against it? Oh, these junior classes, no respect for a noble villain…
In general, having collected genetic material, I began to experiment. We take a certain blood of a potential mutant, place the genetic material of a cat in it and give it radiation!
After about five hours of experiments, I was ready to run around shouting "eureka" and "I'm a damn genius." So, I was right, the latent X-gene exists, but it is not determined even through the Crucible of Souls in the standard mode, because it is an energy superstructure, that is, it is not only and not so much a biological mutation as a spiritual one! But! And this is the key point! Everything changes when this very "Schrödinger's X-gene" enters an active state. Then, yes, the mutation from a spiritual position flows into a biological position, now it can be determined even in the simplest microscope. And here the main trick of such a transition emerges.
The activation itself, by default and... let's call it "in laboratory conditions", without additional stimuli, except for what provoked the mutation process, reveals innate properties - those that are embedded in the "black box" of the X-gene of a particular person initially. These properties are defective, and often completely flawed, not excluding the situation when forced mutation worsens the condition of the body and makes its survival more difficult, but if you try to bring some common denominator under the abilities, then an interesting situation arises. The X-gene in all cases, one way or another, raises or at least tries to raise the physical parameters of the body and makes it more perfect: stronger, faster, more resilient, even smarter... ahem, more precisely, capable of thinking faster - if someone is a fool in life, a pumped-up brain will only allow him to step on a rake several times faster. But in general, a certain vector for improving the material body is quite traceable, and all this looks like the transformation of a person... into an even greater person. The cellular structure and functioning of the organism is optimized, and does not transform into something completely different. And, by the way, I did not find a single gene for laser beams from the eyes and other freezes with fire control among the "innate" mutations, but the elements of the psionic genome were very widespread, and among them, in fact, very often there were similar ones, and not like Charles and Jean.
All this rarely works perfectly, never manifests itself all at once or without side effects, but the fact is there.
However, we are talking about laboratory conditions. In the case of outside interference, the process can turn in a completely different direction. The simplest case is additional biological material. The unfortunate experimental blood (fortunately, I had an unlimited opportunity to clone the original sample) managed to visit the Crucible: a cat girl, a mega-cockatoo, an ichthyander, something like a variation on the theme of Hedgehog-Emhyr from The Witcher and other different forms. The degree of the depth of the mutation and the dominant species were set by the "irritant", that is, here I could, playing with the frequency and power of the radiation, vary the indicators from slightly sharpened fangs and the instillation of cat reflexes to the creation of natural Khajiit. Including four-legged ones. But that was not all! Firstly, the mutation was still tied to the "spiritual body", even though it eventually moved to a biological basis, and secondly, the second largest was the psionic genome. The result was an amazing thing! For a spiritual body, the difference between genetic material and material less... hmm, material is not that great, and for thought, as the basis of any psionics - too. What does this mean? And this means that, having added ordinary sand to the blood being studied and subjected to the radiation of Lansher-Loki... Well, yes, I decided to call it that, better even Loki-Lansher, although you can simply shorten it to LL... Ahem, in general, having directed the LL-ray at a simply "stained sample", I got a natural organosilicon life form at the output. Moreover, its properties could again change depending on the type and power of radiation: from something that should have resembled a simple golem, and almost to the level of "I am the embodied wrath of the Earth, hang yourself, freaks." The latter, however, is only theoretical. Even in the lab, I could not produce the required power level for a mutation in such a way and a drop of blood, and to transform an entire organism like that ... well, I don't know, except when detonating the Stark reactor, and even then - not a fact. Plus, the innate level of strength also played a role - if the native mutation is underdeveloped and with a bunch of pathologies, then you will not make a god on its basis, no matter how hard you try, another matter if we are talking about someone at the level of Charles or Ororo, and Jean, in principle, too, but such potentials are rare. Nevertheless, this discovery promised so many interesting things that just ... just wow!
The main goal was revealed - I clearly felt the general principle and mechanism of the X-gene, which would not contradict the theory of evolution (spiritual, magical and psionic potentials of the species are also inherited and evolve - this is the same natural process as purely biological development), explained all the inconsistencies and even made the mechanism of inheritance of mutant abilities understandable. The son of a telepath did not necessarily have to become a telepath. Of course, taking into account the inheritance of already mutated DNA, he would have a "predisposition" (let's call it that) to telepathy. But, let's say, if he "awakened" during a fire and was in this very fire, with a high degree of probability he would become a pyromancer. If he was very lucky, he would acquire several directions. Amazing! This theory even explained the mutation of that mutant-hater senator, Kelly. Magneto transformed it while sitting in a dark, gloomy and damp dungeon, which eventually gave a chopped version of hydration, and if Mr. Kelly ate a fish before that and something from this fish remained in his intestines, then the gills could "cut through".
The most important thing remained... To conduct a natural experiment on a sample with known properties. A mutant sample that was guaranteed to become one artificially, but survived and did not even become disabled. And I even knew where to get it.
"Tell me, Yuriko," I turned to the girl who had taken on the job of assistant to the mad scientist, in the sense that she brought me tools, samples and "poked buttons" under my sensitive guidance, "how do you feel about spiders?"
"I'm not afraid of them, if that's the question," she shrugged. "Why?"
- Well, just... I urgently needed one specific spider...
How long does it take to find one specific person in a city of millions? In theory, yes. In reality, not so much. Especially if you know who you need and you have an experienced telepathic friend with a powerful mental amplifier in the basement. Charles didn't even have to be persuaded, it was enough to say that I knew the name of one potential mutant, but I needed to check. In general, all the work took an hour, forty minutes of which were spent on conversations and clarifications. Cerebro found Peter Parker, who had lost his parents and was living with Aunt May and Uncle Ben in New York, although, according to Xavier, he was perceived as a completely ordinary person without mutant abilities. It's for the best, as for me.
Then we made additional inquiries about his school, the class where he studies, biography, and so on, after which, together with Yuriko, we arrived in a civilized manner to Peter's house, located in the district of "Queens", and I carried out a small raid with a break-in. Uncle was not in the house in the middle of the working day, but I looked at the aunt and the "patient" himself. And expectedly, I recognized. In comparison with the films of the Avengers series, both were noticeably younger. On a small guy of about eight, this was more pronounced, but the aunt "slightly over thirty" now pulled well into her twenties. However, I did not need Parker himself and his relatives - given the capabilities of the Crucible of Souls, it was easier for me to take a couple of hairs from his comb, which I did, after which I quietly and peacefully left the private property.
With new materials we returned to the lab and continued working. More precisely, I worked, and Yuriko, as a good assistant and simply a kind girl, brought me sandwiches, cookies, coffee and, of course, cocoa. But let's get back to work and the genome of the spider-web.
My theory was neat and wonderful, but there was something that didn't fit into it. More precisely, two somethings. First, the widely advertised "Spider Sense". I don't remember any spiders that could be Jedi, in the sense of foreseeing danger to their carcass. The option with banal sensitivity to the slightest vibrations, which is typical for spiders, was, alas, no good here, simply because it didn't explain even half of all the "magical" properties attributed to Spider-Man's "Spider Sense", no matter what version of the universe we took. Well, factor number two - the continuation of his mutation with a shift to the animal side in most universes, where his history would be revealed more or less fully, was frankly incomprehensible to me.
Why is that? Why? Can mutations develop? No, it's clear that they can, but while working at the mutant school, I've only seen two options so far - developing control and increasing power. Both were the result of the kids' growth and training. That is, they fit into the natural development of the body. But growing fur and growing extra limbs - that's already too much, as some dwarves used to say while digging their tunnels.
But I decided to start with the basics - with the innate. Take a "pure" sample of Peter, activate his mutation and see who he is in life, in the sense - without the spider problem. The result was... strange. It was almost guaranteed to answer my first question, but it was still strange. Peter's native mutation was of the psionic type, with a bias towards tactile telekinesis and extrasensory perception of the surrounding world. No physics, no improvements to the nervous system, pure psionics, and a rather truncated form. And that was strange. The "irritant" cannot radically change the original nature of the innate X-gene. If it involves physical enhancement, then by introducing hedgehog genes, you will only get a restructuring of the body according to the hedgehog model, with the growth of needles and the use of a number of genetic "architectural solutions", such as a very flexible spine, a keen sense of smell and omnivorousness. But if the innate mutation is pure psionics, then add dinosaur bones to it - it will have little effect on the final physical parameters, except perhaps in a decorative way - you will be covered in scales, your teeth will change shape, but the main basis will remain psionic. But Spider-Man was still a muscleman, of course, he did not tear steel with his bare hands, but he left more than dents in concrete with his fist. But Parker had nowhere to get such strength. At all.
I had to conduct new experiments, this time with spiders, and-and-and... I continued to not understand a damn thing. Maybe my Parker is somehow wrong? Still, we should not forget that the evolutionary leap and forced evolution, which turns an ordinary homo into a mutant, is usually caused by an extreme situation. If the "talent" does not open itself, it means that it is still raw, and it takes a generation or two or three to bring it to mind. Like, for example, in the case of Rogue. Yes, even if the X-gene was a "spiritual platform", this did not mean that it could not develop through crossbreeding, with the consolidation of a successful heredity configuration in the offspring. Maybe the local Peter simply did not receive the same heredity as his more famous alter ego, but inherited from his parents only part of the basic genome due to Spiderman? It's just that he never really developed any superpowers with agility, development of the nervous system and other tricks, like battering ribs, which the original is especially famous for, having left dents in a good half of the buildings in New York with his body. I tried to mess around with radiation, but I could only graft web production and hairy palms. Although okay, I'm kidding - the latter was easy to do, but I struggled with the former. But jokes aside, the questions still remain...
My thoughts were interrupted by a test tube with a sample of Parker's spider-type mutated blood slipping out of my hands when I wanted to put it in the stasis box with the rest of the processed samples. The test tube clinked cheerfully on the floor tiles, splashed glass shards to the sides and left a red stain next to my boot. With a heavy sigh, I looked around for a rag, but found only a bun napkin on a plate. There was nothing to do - I was too lazy to collect the scarlet liquid with telekinesis, so I took the available "tool" and bent down to wipe the stain.
My thoughts were already occupied with something completely different, so what happened next took me by surprise. As soon as the napkin touched the blood, a bright black and white bubble of light flared up under my fingers, no matter how strange this combination may sound. The flash hit my eyes, and my hand sank somewhere below the floor, dragging me along with it with considerable inertia. I only had time to mentally grunt and jerk my other hand for Gungnir, as I fell into a natural round portal, which in an instant unfolded under my feet, along the edge of which black and white bubbles continued to flare up. The sensation of flight, during which all sorts of incomprehensible cobwebs, skyscrapers and other rubbish flashed in the corners of my vision, and...
Splat! I landed with my nose on something hard.
"T-that… was sudden," I had to admit, trying to blink.
Something crazy was happening with the last task - during the movement, my senses seemed to go crazy. If my vision was still, for better or worse, perceiving a kaleidoscope of phantasmagoric images, then the perception of magic, the universe around me, banal space - all these feelings were as if they were stuffed into a saucepan, covered with a lid and processed with a jackhammer. These were not physical sensations, in the sense that the body did not feel a stress shock that would make me want to puke, but I definitely earned a sensory shock with a loss of orientation, because of which even just leaning on my hands and lifting myself off the ground did not work out right away.
I didn't really try, focusing all my willpower on preparing a cascade of illusions, "Ice Armor" and a Gungnir strike on anyone who tried to approach me. But... nothing. They didn't try to attack me, tie me up, pierce me with a ritual dagger... there was no one around at all, from those participants in the fifty possible scenarios of my abduction that I had managed to come up with in those few moments that had passed since the opening of the strange portal.
After pretending to be a cockroach covered with a slipper for a bit longer, I relaxed my nerves and began to pay attention to the world around me. I was lying, apparently, on some kind of poster, its color scheme was very colorful. However, for some reason this poster felt like a stone tile to the touch… And it looked like a tile.
Painted tile.
The spiritual senses that had gone crazy were slowly coming to their senses, but were giving out some kind of mush. Magic, the soul of the planet… even the space itself was somehow different. Not at all like what I was used to… And also the tile in front of my face…
Slowly getting to my feet, helping myself with my cane, I looked around at the place where I had ended up... And I was dumbfounded. Around... around everything was drawn! That is, everything: the sky, the roof of the house I found myself on, the walls, the people walking down the street below - everything!
It was material, three-dimensional, even realistic… in places. But drawn. Even, I would say, printed in color. The entire space, even the air, was dappled with a multitude of tiny, tiny dots of "paint" that were intangible, but noticeable if you looked closely. And the general contours… Not just brightly colored real objects, but naturally drawn (!!!) 3D models, only not in 3D format, but in cartoon format.
In a daze, feeling the tiles under my feet, I was convinced that it, I mean, everything around me, was real. With the characteristic style of Western cartoons of the nineties and two thousandths, but material and objectively existing.
I. Got. Into. A. Cartoon!
Just like Bob Hostings in Who Framed Roger Rabbit...
- Chic-a-aarno! - a stupidly happy smile crawled onto his face.
I didn't know how it happened, I had no idea why, I didn't even know how to get back, but... But I was in a cartoon! In another Universe! Not in the Marvel Cinematic Universe! I had to make a Plan immediately! And preferably a strong one! And the first point of our plan will be to figure out what kind of cartoon this is... Although...
Approaching the edge of the roof, I looked out onto the next street, where a projector was hanging on the wall of a building, showing a very recognizable Spider-Man head in his classic red and blue suit. On the one hand, this did not prove anything, but something told me that I would not be mistaken if I said that this cartoon was about Peter Parker, especially since next to the red head in a raised web there was a photo of a blond guy with a corresponding caption below... Wait a minute, what do you mean "Spider-Man is dead"?!
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