As Diana demonstrated the Shave technique in real-time, she moved with blinding speed, vanishing from one spot and reappearing several meters away in an instant. Phil's phone struggled to keep up, capturing only faint blurs of her movements.
Phil whistled low. "Impressive. So, it's really not magi or superpower—just a refined physical technique?"
Diana nodded, brushing her hair back. "Exactly. It's all about control, precision, and timing. With enough practice, even someone without special powers could potentially learn it."
Phil glanced at his phone again, playing back the video. "This could give a significant edge in combat. I bet Fury will want a detailed report on this."
Diana shrugged nonchalantly, watching as Phil muttered to himself about tech and training. She then excused herself to explore the area more, leaving Phil to his musings.
Meanwhile, Dave remained by Mjölnir, studying the Asgardian runes etched onto its surface. He took out a small notebook and began sketching them meticulously.
'This language… it's similar to Old Norse but infused with energy patterns that seem to resonate with the hammer's enchantment,' he thought, running his fingers just above the carvings without touching the hammer itself. He knew Odin's enchantment was still active, and he had no intention of triggering it unnecessarily.
As he worked, Diana returned, holding a bottle of water. She handed it to him. "You've been at this for hours. Don't forget to hydrate."
Dave smirked, taking the bottle. "Thanks. Did you find anything interesting?"
"Not really, just a lot of agents looking busy and talking into earpieces. Oh, and Phil's still fascinated by my Shave technique," she said, laughing softly. "That guy's a walking curiosity."
Dave chuckled. "He's thorough, I'll give him that."
The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows over the crater. The crowd around Mjölnir had thinned, leaving only a few agents, Dave, and Diana.
Soon, the atmosphere shifted again, as the moon graced the scene with its gentle light.
Diana glanced at Dave. "It's already night. Let's rest," she said.
Dave looked around, then nodded. "Fine," he said, closing the magic research diary.
They followed Phil back to the tent. Once inside, Dave laid on the bed, flipping through the notes he'd copied into his diary.
"You've gotten addicted to it," Diana said suddenly, leaning against the tent frame.
Dave glanced at her. "Have I?" he asked.
Diana nodded. "You told me your power source grants you multiple powers and that each one activates at a different time. But now, I can see it more clearly. Every time a new power awakens, there's a noticeable shift in your personality."
"Like?" Dave asked, raising a brow.
"Like the first time," Diana began, sitting on a nearby chair. "You were unrestrained, doing whatever you wanted without a care. The second time, you became more mature—helping others and acting like some kind of protector. And now, you're behaving like a scholar or a scientist, obsessed with solving mysteries."
Dave let her words sink in. 'System, is that true?' he asked internally.
The system responded promptly.
[It's normal. You're gaining their life's worth of memories, their passions, and their obsessions. While the system filters out most irrelevant traits, those obsessions and memories are the core of what makes a template. By inheriting their memories, you inevitably inherit fragments of their personalities as well.]
'I see,' Dave thought, nodding to himself. He closed the diary and turned to Diana. "I'm sorry if I seem different. Would you like to go out for some Mexican food?" he asked, a soft smile breaking his otherwise serious expression.
Diana beamed. "Of course!" she said, her enthusiasm lighting up the tent. "I'm going to get ready—in full Mexican style!" With that, she rushed off to the washroom, leaving Dave chuckling as he reclined on the bed.
Soon, Diana was ready, and they borrowed a SHIELD car to leave the site. To Dave's surprise, the driver was none other than Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow herself.
"I didn't know I'd be getting a beautiful driver too," Dave said with a teasing smile.
Natasha glanced back at him with a smirk. "This beautiful flower has thorns, you know."
"Oh, I'd love to try them, then," Dave quipped back, earning a sharp jab to his arm from Diana.
"You already have four girlfriends—isn't that enough?" Diana asked, crossing her arms as she gave him a pointed look.
Dave shrugged nonchalantly. "Four? I guess that leaves room for one more," he said with a cheeky grin.
Natasha raised an eyebrow, catching the playful mood. "So, I still have a chance then?" she asked, her tone equally teasing.
Diana glared at Natasha, her eyes narrowing in warning. "Don't even think about it."
"Relax, Diana," Natasha said, chuckling. "I was just joking. Besides, I'm not sure I'm into guys who come with so much… baggage."
"who are you calling a bagage!?" Diana said with anger as she shrugged "I am not the one who is yelling" she said as Diana also attacked her if not for dave stopping her.
"Okay, I know teasing her is fun but don't do much"he said as Natasha shrugged.
"By the way, it seems you've learned to control them much better," Dave remarked, pointing at her bracelets. They were Agni and Rudra, the two Devil Arm gauntlets he had given to SHIELD. When they were with him, their constant bickering had annoyed him so much that he stored them in his inventory most of the time, rarely using them. Eventually, he handed them over to SHIELD—partly to let them deal with the headache. But now, it seemed Natasha had made peace with the chatty artifacts.
"It was difficult at first," Natasha admitted, glancing at the bracelets. "But now..." She trailed off as her suit shimmered, transforming into a sleek, ancient armor-like design that resembled a king's battle attire. The bracelets shifted as well, morphing into twin swords that hovered beside her, ready for action.
"You can even change their forms," Dave said, impressed.
Natasha shrugged modestly. "I did a lot of research, and thanks to them, I've significantly improved my combat capabilities. I'm now the top agent in SHIELD after Fury."
Dave nodded in acknowledgment. "Looks like they've found the right wielder after all."
Natasha smirked, her confidence clear. "Of course they did. And if you're thinking about taking them back, you'll have to fight me for them."
Dave laughed. "No, no, they're all yours. They'd probably start arguing again the moment I touched them."
*******
if you like my fanfic, and want to support me and read advance chaps, checkout my fanfic on Patreon :-
There are regular updates too.
patreon.com/FantasyLi
***
While waiting for new chaps do check out my new Book
Ultimate Magus in Cultivation World