"Thank you so much, Dr. Pym, for the Pym Particle formula and its applications," Daniel thought excitedly after days of surveillance finally yielded the desired results.
"The Ant-Man and Wasp suits are off-limits." Dr. Pym's basement housed both suits, and although Daniel was tempted to take one, he decided against it after considering the consequences.
It wasn't about affecting the emergence of Ant-Man. If Dr. Pym could create one suit, he could make another. Stealing one wouldn't hinder Ant-Man's debut.
Daniel was more concerned about S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra. If the Ant-Man suit went missing now, Dr. Pym would undoubtedly report it to S.H.I.E.L.D. Such a crucial piece of technology disappearing would prompt a thorough investigation by both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra. Unless Daniel never used the suit, it would be impossible to avoid detection.
Without using it, there was no point in stealing it.
"Next, I need the equipment." High-tech gadgets required advanced instruments. Daniel's current savings, while substantial for an average person, were meager compared to the elite. His entire net worth didn't cover Tony Stark's daily expenses.
The equipment was prohibitively expensive, each costing at least hundreds of thousands of dollars. Fully outfitting a lab would require millions, even billions, and that's just the initial setup. Experimental costs would drive the total even higher. Without significant funds, high-tech pursuits were out of reach.
It was a clear case of the rich relying on technology and the poor relying on mutation.
For Daniel, getting the necessary equipment and materials meant borrowing—stealing wasn't feasible. He preferred to think of it as borrowing for the sake of humanity's future.
"First stop: Hammer Industries." Justin Hammer's arms company was renowned within the U.S. military. Unlike Stark Industries, which focused on high-end weaponry, Hammer Industries specialized in conventional arms.
Stark might look down on Hammer Industries, but many envied Justin Hammer's wealth. Hammer was a billionaire, possibly wealthier than Oscorp.
Conventional weapons might lack cutting-edge technology but made up for it in volume.
The U.S. military, despite its budget, couldn't equip all soldiers with high-tech gear. Doing so would inflate defense spending astronomically.
Had Justin Hammer not made the mistake of challenging Stark by collaborating with Whiplash, he would still be a billionaire.
Although Hammer Industries primarily produced conventional weapons, they still required research labs for weapon development. Hammer, aspiring to join the ranks of top-tier arms dealers, ensured his labs were well-equipped.
Top-tier arms dealers were defined by their ability to produce satellites, missiles, aircraft carriers, warships, and fighter jets.
"Eventually, I'll need my own company to generate income." Borrowing could only get Daniel so far; self-sufficiency was key. Borrowing was merely a stopgap measure.
"Another visit will be necessary later." After checking Hammer Industries' armory, Daniel departed. Dr. Pym had a tank keychain; Daniel intended to acquire two vehicles.
Ideally, he'd secure a S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjet, which could take off and land vertically.
"Next stop: Oscorp." After transporting equipment and materials from Hammer Industries home, Daniel headed to Norman Osborn's company.
Oscorp specialized in biotechnology, aiming to develop super soldiers. This goal was shared by many biotech companies and labs, including Umbrella Corporation. Unfortunately, none had succeeded yet.
Bioweapons could enhance a select few individuals but lacked widespread applicability.
"Next up: Stark Industries." The best lab at Stark Industries was undoubtedly Tony's private lab, but Daniel wouldn't "borrow" from there just yet. He targeted the labs at Stark Tower in New York.
"If someone checks here now, I'd be caught red-handed." Daniel chuckled, surveying the lab equipment cluttering his basement.
In addition to the equipment, he had also taken weapons from Hammer Industries: a rocket launcher, a Gatling gun, two Desert Eagles, and a variety of ammunition.
Thanks to the Sling Ring, Daniel managed to transport everything in a day.
"Time to make Pym Particles." The most impressive application of Pym Particles, in Daniel's opinion, wasn't shrinking and enlarging Ant-Man but shrinking a building and carrying it away.
"Finally succeeded." Using borrowed materials, his Op-Op Fruit abilities, and the equipment, Daniel successfully produced Pym Particles.
"Adorable." Daniel shrank two Desert Eagles, then did the same with the rocket launcher and Gatling gun.
"Amazing." In the Mirror Dimension, Daniel marveled at transforming a toy building model into a full-sized structure, once again impressed by the Pym Particles' capabilities.
Initially, he planned to shrink an actual building and bring it back. Then he realized he could enlarge models, avoiding news about sudden building disappearances that might alert Dr. Pym.
The building model he constructed was a solid four-story structure, made using real construction methods and alloys cut with his Op-Op Fruit abilities.
With everything in place, Daniel just needed a power source.
"I still need a supercomputer. Looks like another borrowing trip." Using models as laboratories in the Mirror Dimension and enlarging them through the Sling Ring, Daniel had created a highly secretive lab.
For extended work periods, he could enlarge the lab in the Mirror Dimension and travel back and forth via portals. This made his lab virtually undetectable, except by individuals like the Ancient One, Doctor Strange, or Kaecilius with dark power.
Even if an experiment went awry, Daniel could escape through a portal, ensuring no harm to the real world. The lab would be the only loss.
Daniel also continued his magical training, hoping to one day manipulate reality as easily as he did in the Mirror Dimension.
The highest level of Mirror Dimension magic involved manipulating real-world structures as if they were in the Mirror Dimension, a feat requiring immense power.
The Ancient One could do it, as could dark-powered Kaecilius. Whether Doctor Strange could, especially within the Sanctum, remained to be seen.
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