No matter what anyone said, the nights of New York were a starlight spectacle. Even if the real ones hid behind these fake ones, there was an unmistakable beauty to the scenery.
Walk with Cindy took me first to the shopping mall where was I forced against my will to buy some new clothes. I was admittedly spending my money that I had just earned to buy clothes, and that was a weird thing to me. Clothes and I had as much of distance as summer had to winter.
During our shopping, she kept the record of everything she purchased. When I asked her about it, she said it was the debt she owed me.
"Hey, you don't have to do that, you know?" I pointed at the small notebook in her hand. "Like I said, this was first salary from the new startup, and it shows promise, so I might not as tight on cash as you think."
Cindy shook her head. "It's not that." She said. "I just don't want to develop any reliance on anyone. I know you want to help and I appreciate that, but some things are better left untouched."
There was something else she wasn't telling me, I could discern that much. However, I didn't want to pry too much and make her uncomfortable. I nodded and left it at that.
In the end Cindy brought herself some dark jeans and striped tee, alongside some underwear which I didn't have the privilege to look at. Understandable, but disappointing. Oh, wait, what am I saying?!
Shaking my head I looked at the hoodie she had brought me. It was brighter color than I would've liked, alongside the jeans which had always made me itchy. I was more of a trouser guy.
After changing into our clothes, because it would be an affront to her first outing after so long should I insist on wearing my worn out clothes. We took a tour around the nice parts of the neighborhood even passing by the office of Heroes For Hire. I wondered if I should've paid the duo a visit, maybe introduce them to the new hero.
We took our time at some places, taking pictures and just having fun in general. It hadn't been as obvious before, well it hadn't been to me, I doubt some of more experienced guys could've missed it. The behavior Cindy was displaying was not one a person would display in front of others, especially people who were practically strangers just hours earlier. I had been ignoring it all this time, in favor of avoid any discomfort but the problem was grating at my nerves.
You don't spend months in place alone talking to yourself without loosing some of your sanity. I didn't know exactly how long Cindy had spent in there, but I would bet it was more than a year at the very least. Why she said months eluded me, but there was no mistaking the damage this had done to her psyche.
The first real indication had been when we found ourselves between the thick of a crowd. I absolutely despised those scenarios, but I could push past my own discomfort. Cindy however was so overwhelmed that she had practically ran away, and I had to give her a chase.
"Hey, you okay?" I called out. She was standing near the alley with her back turned to me. "Cindy?"
She shuddered and then turned to me, flashing a smile. "That was weird. It's just been so long since I was last among such a crowded place."
"Yeah?" I flashed doubt. "Anyway, do you wanna go back? I mean if you want to, that is?"
Cindy shook her head. "I'm fine." She said. "Let's visit the park at least, then we will go back."
I nodded reluctantly and we walked our way to the park. This time there was a considerably less enthusiasm to her steps, and I wondered what she was feeling.
Central Park at this time of the night was lit by the lampposts dotting the walkway. We strolled through the path feeling the breeze tickle our faces. There was an air of freshness to the theme of our surroundings, alongside the scent of sea water that was hard to discern when on the street.
The walk lightened Cindy's mood enough that she managed to take another picture of us near the pond and then atop the bridge. At this time of the night, the lights reflected give it a glossy sheen and the picturesque surroundings provided it with a romantic atmosphere.
Cindy stood atop the bridge gazing at the water below with a look of nostalgia. "I came here a lot with my parents." She said. "Now it's just me."
I felt my heart soften a bit, the longing resonating with my own desires of a life that I could never have. I put a hand on her shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile. "You're not alone, alright."
She smiled back and leaned closer. I felt a bit awkward and even with every bone in my body begging for me to move, I stood stock still.
"You know, my senses are always detecting this faint scent around you." She said without looking at me. "Technically it's not much the scent as it's the intentions. Kind like electric signals. And they make you look oddly appealing."
Alright, that was a weird thing to say. A very thing to say to a guy who had practically zero experience in this sort of thing. So, now I was stuck between make a witty remark, or blowing it up a joke. How do guys manage to rizz in this situation?
My power managed to provide a distraction by linking to a small star, and all of a sudden everything became so awkward.
The power was called 'Reproduction Control' and it basically allowed me to control what I wished to pass down to my offspring. It was enhanced version of Fertility Control, but with this I could control whether to pass my Wolf genes to my children.
"What's wrong?" Cindy looked at me with a frown marring her features. She had probably detected my discomfort, and the arrival of such a power had caught me so off-guard that I had failed to school my expression with my deception powers.
"Nothing." Using my acting skills, I gave a harmless smile. "It's just that I feel the same way. I mean, it's been long since I done something like this, so..."
She raised a brow and giggled a little.
"Should we go back now?" I suggested.
"Yeah." She nodded, stretching her arms. Then in one swift motion she left a kiss on my cheek and turned away. I stood there for a moment touching my face, and then followed after her.
Today had been a weird, but good day. Can it get any weirder than this?
.
.
.
You know what they say about tempting fate. I would advise anyone to think twice before doing so.
Our walk back had began as mundanely as possible, with a number of couples or families laughing around. Although our relation was a bit ambiguous at this point, but there was no less enjoyment to be had. That had all changed when a dust cloud burst into existence before our eyes.
Cindy and I shared a glance and decided on our course of action.
"These were new clothes." I heard her mumble.
She was already diving for the cover in-between the trees, while I followed close behind. The park at this time was relatively empty, but there were some pedestrians scattered over here and there. Thankfully most of them were running for the exit.
Just as I turned behind the tree, I came face with Cindy in a state of undress. "Why are you here?" She cried out.
"Why are you stripping in the middle of a park?" I retorted.
"These are nice clothes, I can't let them go to waste." She said as a matter-of-fact.
I sighed and turned out. "Alright, you do that. I'm going to check what the commotion is all about."
Leaving her to that, I donned my mask alongside my hood and left for the area where the sounds were coming from. When I arrived at the place, I came face to face with the scene of a white hero fighting a green villain.
The hero in question was Moon Knight, wearing his iconic white suit with a cowl and the glider cloak. Strapped to his hips was a belt, attached to which were about a dozen moon shaped Shurikens. I didn't know what they were called and honestly now was not the time to consider any of that. Because Marc Spector was getting his ass handed to him.
His opponent was a wonder of nature, wearing a tattered green shirt and an overcoat with ripped pants. His face looked rugged with spiky hair and red blob shaped compound eyes. I was pretty sure they were insect eyes and his wings backed my theory. Small membranous appendages extended from his back that he used to fly all over the place. And he had antennas.
Remember I said something about this day any getting weirder, universe was here to prove me wrong.
Moon Knight struggled with airborne opponent, using his crescent blades or whatever he called them to no effect. Whenever the insect-man came to deliver a blow, the man in the white would fight him off using his batons.
Instead of charging straight into the fight, I waited for a moment before heating up my palm charging a red hot ball of plasma using my Solar Energy Reserves. I know I wasn't supposed to use them, and especially not in a place like this where trees surrounded us every which way, but I had good chance of hitting. Between my Firearms Training and Marksmanship Training, I would give myself good odds.
When the insect-man swooped down, without giving him time to hit the ground, I fired. It was from a blind angle and would probably catch him off-guard. I realized then the mistake I had made.
The insect-man turned around just in time for the fireball to miss and hit the ground. I bit back the annoyance and ran forward. Even without my Heliokinesis I could more than handle this type of opponent, my multitude of combat powers basically ensured that. Provided he didn't have some hidden secret ability, that is.
Moon Knight glanced at me, probably wondering what was happening, but then focused back on the enemy. The heroes probably ran into new heroes regularly enough that they must have developed a code of fighting first talking later. Considering most of them started the same way, that lent my hypothesis some credence.
If I was alone, I would probably have run to absorb some materials first. If I wasn't inside a park, I might have fired a Blast at his face with hope that he would get caught in it. If I didn't have a spectator boring holes in the back of my head, I would have deployed my wings and hope they would propel me enough to allow some ariel combat. As it was, I had none of those advantages, unless I decided to start a fire or go all out.
Looking at the Moon Knight and then stealing a glance behind me, I know what I would be doing. Picking a rock from the ground, I hurtled it at the flier with my full strength. The rock hit with speed that surpassed his reaction, or maybe I just caught him off guard with that speed.
That was exactly when my power decided to grace me with an ability that matched Heliokinesis in scope. It was related to Weak Capabilities that granted me meager reserves of magic and month's worth of understanding in Abjuration magic. This both compounded on that and existed separately. The power was called 'Enhanced Capabilities' and granted me massive reserves of magical energy equivalent of a dozen trained mages. That aside, it also provided boost in my knowledge of Abjuration Magic. From previous one month, it expanded that to fifty years.
Warding off an entire city wasn't a dream anymore. With Sigils, I could create barriers that would span entire cities. They might not sustain long term damage, but even a nuclear missile can be warded off. This much drain and strain, all lifted upon by me. That was how vast my magical reserves were.
The distraction in the middle of battle finally cost me.
"Got you, you twerp!" A fist came barreling down with the weight of an entire building and lifted me off the ground, blasting me all the way to a tree. I felt breath leave my body as I rolled down and coughed. The strength from that punch had almost put me down, and it was only thanks to my enhanced durability that I could take on a strike like that and come out only feeling breathless.
"Ha!" A shout rang out as Moon Knight glided with his pair of batons drawn and ready to strike. Just as the insect-man turned to deflect the blow, a shadow whooshed past and slammed right into the figure of the man. His flying form spiraled out of control and he slammed right into a tree, almost toppling it over.
I glanced at the attacker who landed beside me, taking in the form of Cindy in her web-suit with hands on her hips. "Are you okay?" She asked, concernedly.
Nodding my head, I made to stand up. "Yeah, I'll live." I looked at the prone form of the insect-man, and then at the Moon Knight who was shifting glances between me and Cindy.
"Hey." I waved. "Need some help?" I know it was a little too late to be asking that, but I tried to appear friendly. With my mask covering my face, I doubt it worked much. He was probably frowning beneath his mask.
"Ugh." We all turned at the sound of a groan, and watched as the man pushed himself on his feet, rubbing his head. "You will pay for that." He growled and launched himself into the sky.
Cindy shot her webs and leapt after him. Her next shot catching the leg of the man and bringing him down. I was waiting for the opportunity and just as he came down, I secreted a smidgen of Solar Energy to coat my fist and punched straight at him.
In that single moment, I let my Martial Arts flow, alongside my other combat powers and I was hundred percent sure that I would hit him. Instead what happened was entirely different.
Just as the insect-man came near, instead of wild panic that had etched on his features, his face morphed into a grin as he looked at me. "Got you." He muttered and opening his mouth wide he shot at me a glob of green liquid.
It took everything in my powers to halt my advance, shift my stance and tilt my body to dodge the attack. The green blob shot forth and fell somewhere behind me. That left me open, that left the insect-man open. And Moon Knight knew when to spot the opening.
The Egyptian themed hero swooped in and with a baton in hand swiped down, hitting the man right in the head. Before the insect-man could re-orient himself, a kick came from above, right in the middle of his spine and punted him right into the ground.
With Moon Knight alone, the insect-man might've won, with me in the equation the best he could've done was escape. Fit Silk in there too, and it wasn't even a battle.
The man lay groaning on the ground puffing dust and grass. Moon Knight brought out a pair of handcuffs and bond the man's hands. Then with a swift motion, he did a karate-chop to put the man out of commission.
"You." He looked at me, and I straightened under his gaze, then turned to cindy. "And you. Thank you for you help."
"No problem." I nodded, and looked at Cindy. She didn't speak. "I'm Aevitas by the way, and this is Silk." I pointed at her.
He nodded in appreciation and picked the insect-man off the ground. "I appreciate your help in capturing Human Fly. He's been a nuisance."
Hearing the name made me snicker a little, but I held off from bursting into laughter. An insect themed villain named Human Fly, whatever did the Human Spider mean? Food for thought.
"I will be leaving then." He picked the man and hauled him like a sack of potatoes, and turned to leave. Cindy and I watched his back disappear before I turned to the Spider-hero beside me.
"You're awfully quiet, what happened?"
She didn't look shaken per say, I would've in fact expected her to show excitement. Instead she was just quiet, and that made this more unnerving somehow.
"Nothing." She shook her head. "We should leave."
"What about your clothes?" I asked.
"Already hid them away, will pick along the way." She said. "Let's leave quick."
While Cindy took to the skies, I used my multitude of skills to keep pace by running. Despite having some serious capabilities, the lack of mobility was grating at my nerves. I paid it no heed and instead left the park discreetly, removing my mask.
She was waiting for me, having changed back into her normal clothes. She looked at me as I approached and walked forward. I wanted to ask, but she seemed to already know what I was going to ask.
"Something's wrong with me." The nervousness of her tone was evident.
As the night sky loomed above us, I felt another connection form. This time to an ability called 'DNA Lock'. It was an ability I had been secretly hoping for and knowing I had it filled me with cascading relief. It was a simple ability, but what it did was monumental, especially in a verse like Marvel.
Without my consent my DNA and genetic structure couldn't be scanned or replicated.
On one hand I wanted to jump in joy, on the other hand Cindy's somber mood caught me dead.
.
.
.
Powers gained this chapter -
- Wings [100 PP] — Each purchase gives you a set of wings that you are able to customize and design yourself, these can include bat wings, bird wings and insect wings.
- Wing Manifestation [100 PP] (Requires Wings) — You are now able to retract and expand your wings from your body with them, appearing, as though they're not even there when they are retracted.
- Link [100 PP] — You can interlink one sample of your Attribute Type with another sample of your attribute allowing you to control them both in the same way regardless of the distance between them.
- Basic Weapon Training [100 PP] — You have been taught the basic aspects of weapon usage such as Accuracy, Speed, Power, and General Skill with an innate understanding of the advantages and disadvantages that your weapon has over others.
- Basic Interrogation Training [100 PP] — You have learned the basic methods of Interrogation including techniques that focus on direct confrontation, dominance, deflection, turning objections into justifications and expressing false empathy.
- Non-Verbal Communication [100 PP] (Requires Multilingual) — You have learned one or more methods of sign language including British Sign Language (BSL), American Sign Language (ASL) and Australian Sign Language (Auslan).
- Subconscious Optimisation [300 PP] — You can make it so that any movements you make always use the precise amount of time, force and energy for the optimal result making so that each action is swift as possible without the normally required effort required.
- Basic Leadership Training [100 PP] — You have learned the basic aspects of leadership, gaining the skills to aid you in leading a group of people or an organization including the aspects of enforcing orders, laws and methods for determining the best group decision for the situation.
- Reproduction Control [100 PP] — You can selectively control what DNA is passed to your offspring when you reproduce.
- Enhanced Capabilities [400 PP] — You are now more than just a human reaching towards the level of a high human, your magic capabilities are deeper than a dozen trained mages and you have over fifty years worth of training, study and experience within your magical choices.
- DNA Lock [200 PP] — Your DNA and genetic structure can't be scanned or duplicated without you willingly allowing it.
Hey there,
Hope you're enjoying reading this fic as much as I'm enjoying writing it. I have serious things to talk about now, like Pairings for example.
[Also, With this chapter, we have finished one Arc at exactly 100k words. Next arc will start from chapter 7.]
First of all, I want you to know that the goal of this fic is pure entertainment. When I wrote it, I didn't have a goal of publishing it on Webnovel to garner views, that just wasn't what I wanted. Believe me, If views was all I was after I could've stretched these 100k words into 50 Chapters of good length with 2k word count each chapter. Some of the fanfictions reach completion at barely thrice that length. No, what I wanted was for a scant few loyal readers who will appreciate my work and the effort I'm putting into it.
That aside, there are few things you need to know. For one, the timeline is a bit convoluted in this fic. Some of the things won't be canon compliant, and that's ok, because I'm writing a fic, not following the routes traced in comic book storyline.
Second, I need you to show some support. I don't much care about Powerstones or whatnot; but I do want some comments and most of all reviews. Because as I said this novel is past 50 chapters if looked from the perspective of an average webnovel. And with the end of the arc, I would really appreciate the feedback. This will only help steer my work to become better. Without knowing what my readers want, I can't satisfy your expectations.
At last, here's the important talk about pairing.
If you haven't read the synopsis yet, I mentioned that there will be no harem. I don't have anything against Harem, in fact Jumpchain Questing, my other fanfic might have potential harem elements added to it. The only thing is, I wanted to write a story to explore the expansive lore of Marvel and the power interaction from the Generic Superpower Supplement. As I said before, this is a wish fulfillment story. Because eventually my mc is going to become a broken character.
So, for the main girl, choose among these below, or you can comment in the chapter your preference. Depending on your choice you can get early romance, long drawn out romance, near the end romance or no romance at all (just kidding for the last one).
Here are my picks.
1) Cindy Moon (Silk - Age 21) [A year younger than MC]
2) Jean Grey (Marvel Girl/Phoenix - Age 22) [Same as MC]
3) Meggan Puceanu (Gloriana - Age 23) [One year Older]
4) Alison Blaire (Dazzler - Age 24) [Two years Older]
5) Illyana Rasputina (Magik - Age 22) [Same Age]
6) Elizabeth Braddock (Psylocke/Captain Britain - Age 25) [Three Years Older]
Note: If you wish to vote for someone else, please leave your pick in the comments. I will be sure to review them.
Now as I said before that depending on which one is ultimately picked, the romance can vary. Take Cindy for example, you won't even have to wait two chapters, I guarantee; and then take Magik and I guarantee you might not even see progress for tens of chapters, and this is 15k word long chapter we are talking about.
As for Jean Grey, I was actually going to opt her out. That's mostly because how often she is used as a love interest. On the other hand I realized that I shouldn't let other fics affect me. She is an excellent character (and personally, I hate scotty). Moreover, she's one of the only few who can actually keep up with MC. Others I would've to remind aren't just going to grow infinity wings and sail beside MC. Na-Hu! That ain't happening. Like Cindy will remain a street level fighter for a long time.
Another thing to note is that most of the characters are around MC's age. This is due to two reasons, for one, I personally don't like women older or younger than me. If I had made mc older, I would've had to choose from other characters, so keep that in mind also when voting. Second, I wanted someone close to mc's age group, youthful and adventurous is how i would describe it.
At last, I didn't choose females like Storm or Wanda. For Storm, they just won't mesh together. For Wanda, too unstable for mc's liking. It would've been another thing if mc had such preference.
That's all, be sure to cast your vote. And also check out the paragraph comment to see their images.
Oh and most importantly the conversion rate will shift back to 2000:100 words to points ratio. And there will be no role at 100 from now on. Rolls will start at 200 and each subsequent addition.
Another oh, and I am going to be releasing an original fiction alongside this. You can expect daily chapters for that one. It's called Nightborn Legacy: The Shadow Grimoire [On Webnovel only]. Be sure to review that, and leave comments and reviews. I need that comment! (sandman impression).