I'm in Marvel 11

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***

I put the decision off until the next day. In the morning, I chose to help. Not full help, but partial help. The kidnapping played a significant role in Stark's development, so it was necessary to let the woman go through this event. I need those who will protect Earth while my project is realised. 

I'm not going to let Ho Insen (or whoever takes his place) be killed and teleport him and Stark closer to the U.S. military base. And in return, I'll demand a favour. Simple and effective.In the meantime, I had to speed things up again. I'll start by getting new Singularities, there was plenty of energy.

- "Status."

First and last name: Kyle Smith.

Age: 15.

Race: Human?

Titles: Oddity II, Shadow Rising II, E.G.O. User I.

Physical Condition: Healthy.

Psychological Condition: Healthy.

Energy: 97%.

Chosen World: Project Moon.

Knowledge acquired: Singularity J Corp, Singularity M Corp, Singularity K Corp, Singularity L Corp, several packets of information.

Special abilities: Merge with the Infinite-Eternal, controlling the power of desires and feelings, E.G.O. A star named Sun, creating books out of creatures, ????

There were no special changes, except for the second rank of the title Rising in the Shadows. Well, that's nothing unusual. My shadow organisation is growing and growing, so the title has been strengthened. But I got distracted.

- "Yohi, I want information on both W Corp Singularities. But primarily on space travel."

- Understood Master. It will take 27 days, 7 hours and 33 seconds to get knowledge on both Singularities. You'll get the information on the first one in 13 days," Yohi said. 

- "Good. Proceed."

It should be said that the Warp Corporation, through appropriating the technology of the destroyed company, had two Singularities. The first was to move through space, while the second was to regenerate biological life forms from their genome despite the passage of time and damage. Simply put, even if a body has become a shapeless mess, if it's all there, it can still be rebuilt. 

The binding of both Singularities has been used for special VARP trains that travel any distance in ten seconds. Quite convenient if you look at it that way. Except, as with any Singularity, there are some unpleasant aspects. And the problem with the HARP trains was that they travelled in a different space for thousands of years, while in the City the same 10 seconds passed. During such awesome journeys people went crazy and often tried to kill themselves or others. But they couldn't do it because it was impossible to die in that place. Even if they were turned into mincemeat, it wouldn't work. Food, water, air and other necessities disappear too. 

It's a terrible fate to sit in a confined space for thousands of years, unable to end this horror. But the train eventually arrives at the right place and goes out into normal space. And there are already operating clean-up teams, which with the help of the second Singularity restored the mess that was often instead of normal bodies, rolling back the state to the moment of the beginning of the journey, than nullified the memory and madness. And they got into battles with crazy passengers, of course. Once they even ran into a Coloured Mercenary who taught all sorts of skills to the rest of them. It was a hell of a fight, I reckon. Anyway, with the help of clean-up agents, the inconvenient truth was successfully hidden.

And here, it would seem, what's the difference between this technology and hylopnesis? There was a moment when I was really deciding which was better, because the Warp Corporation had two supertechnologies at once. It even brought to mind the gopher meme. There was definitely a difference.

First, clients are scanned for molecular structure, genome and other information necessary for recovery. The scanned data is stored in a transmitting device inside the train, ready to be sent to the recovery device. So it's a stationary type of technology. It would be perfect for laboratories, in the event of a failed experiment with genetic modification. I might be able to make a portable first aid kit, but not in the near future. Whereas chilopnesis can be poured into an ampoule and used in almost any situation.

But at the moment I needed the knowledge of travelling between dimensions. Not for myself, as Pluto's teleportation was above reproach, but for my subordinates. I thought I could improve it and find a more suitable dimension to travel in. In addition, there were many weapons and other tricks based on this technology. And setting up a headquarters in a place where I couldn't be reached by guys like Shield or Hydra was worth a lot.

Well, the intel is flowing, so we can start looking for Stark. And I even know how. Benjamin's gonna help me. 

When I met with the guy, I asked him to check out Obadiah Stein. He's the one who ordered Antonia. Even if we can't get the information directly from him, we'll take the longer route.

Alas, that's how it turned out. Stein didn't know where Stark was. But we did manage to get a lead on one of the Ten Rings bases in that region. We had to take a military plane there. Good thing I could leave my disguised double in the machine and do other things. All I had to do was wait 15 hours. 

Digression.

Visions of the future, where all people turn into anything imaginable, were dreamt and dreamt by the girl. Usually they were variations of the first dream with some changes. But in each one she was pursued by an inexorable creature that felt only hatred for her, while always saying that it would not allow her to violate its own plans. And each time it sought to kill the girl in the most painful way possible. Fortunately at this point, usually the dream was interrupted, from which the fugitive did not have time to experience the full range of sensations.

But today was different. Instead of ruins, pillars of Light and people who had mostly lost their human form, the girl found herself in the city of the future. The inhabitants had the most ordinary appearance, except for one detail. Many of them had objects of various shapes that felt as if they were extensions of their owners. The girl immediately remembered that the Stalker was also felt. Remembering it, she immediately looked around, afraid to spot the creature. But luckily there was no sign of it. The girl was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she noticed a stranger with glowing eyes and dark hair, whom she had seen for the first time. She was sitting upright on a rock-like material, leaning against a tree trunk.

- Hello," the woman greeted her with a smile. - How are you doing?

- Better than most," the girl warily muttered, standing still.

- Are you kidding? That's good, because after a while you won't be joking anymore, - the brunette said kindly, flashing her eyes.

- Why? - The girl asked with a frown.

- Because you'll soon have a lot of interesting things going on in your life. Much more interesting than the service on Hydra, a terrorist organisation banned on the territory of the Russian Federation... And no, this is from another topic. Don't be shy, come closer and sit down," the woman said and patted the seat next to her.

- Girls should not sit on the ground, otherwise there will be health problems, - said the dreamer, however, coming closer. - What's supposed to happen? Those visions I've been having? 

- As you said yourself, we are in a dream, so there is no need to worry about the body. And as for your question, let me put it this way. You're gonna have to live to see that future. And that's not gonna be easy, you know.

- You are the one who is sending me these dreams, aren't you?

- Exactly," the stranger agreed, nodding. - And let's be on a first-name basis, because we want the same thing. You could say we're almost like-minded.

- I don't know about you, but I joined Hydra to help Humanity. I'm doing important things, not sending dreams to people," she said, sitting back and folding her arms across her chest.

- I want the same thing," the woman assured her. - Only I decided not to waste my strength on these lovers of growing exponentially. Believe me, they're going to lose, and you with them. Your only chance to survive is to seize the right moment and separate from the organisation.

- And why are you telling me this? - asked the frowning girl. - I'm paraphrasing. Why me?

- That's a good question," the brunette said approvingly. - It's simple. But you don't mind if I start from a distance, do you?

- I don't mind," the girl agreed with a snicker.

- Good. I can see the future. I'm pretty good at it, though I can't compare to some seers. And it just so happens that one day I saw two variations of the future. Whatever humans, mutants and other sentient beings did, it came down to two possibilities. A world of nightmare without end and a world of beautiful futures. A world where humans were forever bound by the countless chains of the Black Star and a world where humanity ascended under the Light of the Sun. You've seen it yourself in the visions I've sent you. And today you saw the second possibility of the future. 

- It's interesting, but I still don't understand what it has to do with me," the girl said perplexed.

- It's simple. It's up to you to personally stop the main culprit of this future and raise people to a better future, - said the brunette with a slight smile, covering her eyes.

- What, but how! - exclaimed the girl, looking at the woman in disbelief.

- How what?

- How exactly can I personally stop someone who can affect the entire world?! I'm just a high school student from the outskirts of New York City! I can't even fight!

- Then learn. You still have time to learn," the woman said with a smile.

- That's a load of rubbish! It's highly doubtful that a little thing like me can even beat anyone! Much less that Black Star of yours! - The girl said, pointing her finger at her companion.

- And if I told you that in the future, you would have enough power to defeat this creature? - The brunette asked in an ingratiating tone.

- How? 

- I will help you gain the ability to gain power. But that is a matter for the future.

- What kind of power is that? - The girl, who had already calmed down, asked, running her hands forcefully over her face.

- You'll like it," the brunette replied with a charming smile. - He who was nothing will become everything. You are destined to fight that creature and take its Light and lead Mankind to a better future.- Okay, I'm destined to fight this creature like some heroine from the legends, but why not give information about the future to Hydra or at least to Shield, Armour, Helmet or Sword*? - the girl asked perplexed.

- There are two reasons for that. The first is that this creature is alien to our universe. It is the only way I can decipher the void that surrounds him or her in the future. No matter how much I look into it, I can't recognise its identity. Moreover, this void, like a fog, partially obscures this creature's associates along with the future. So I have nothing to say to all these organisations. And to shout that there's a psychopath who wants to destroy the world is just silly. There's plenty of them already. One more, one less, no difference. Especially without any specifics. Besides, in the future, I've already tried trying to stop her in every way possible. The results were dismal. As soon as I started ratting out some of her closest supporters to various organisations, she would find me and kill me personally. And that can't be allowed, since my knowledge is unique. At the same time, I still couldn't see her appearance and some of her future. Then I developed a strategy to interfere in strictly certain moments, diverting resources, subordinates and time. The second reason is that I am weak at this point. And it has to do with trying to see the future as best I can. It's been a great drain on my life force. I'm not much good for anything at the moment. And neither is our opponent. She has yet to build up her strength. But even now, she has great power, the full potential of which has not been realised. And this is our chance.

- Okay, so, let's say I believe all that. But the option of simply talking to this creature and persuading it not to risk the future of the entire planet is immediately obvious.

- Indeed," the woman agreed with a chuckle, shifting her posture slightly. - But Star wouldn't even think of talking to us, absolutely certain of her own righteousness. It didn't work every time, no matter how many times I tried. And half the time, if not more, the planet ends up being hell on Earth. But I think you should see what I've seen.

- But aren't these all your visions? - The girl asked uncertainly, spreading her hands.

- True, but only partly. It's an ersatz version, so to speak. You will be able to fully feel everything only when you transfer my memories, - said the brunette and moved closer to put her palms on the temples of the young interlocutor. - Behold the future!

Before the girl could object, she felt as if a thick liquid was being poured into her mind. And at the same moment hundreds and thousands of variations of two possible futures appeared before her eyes. Everywhere she fought a creature of monstrous power while their allies fought around them. The scale of the battles was simply mind-boggling. 

In some versions of the future the girl lost and the world fell into Darkness, in others she won and then a new era came for mankind. She felt their minds as her own. The feeling was stronger now than in all her previous night visions. 

The only problem was the instability of the prediction. Not everything could be seen in full, but now the girl fully realised her purpose. After what she had seen, she had no right to deny her destiny. Nor her desire. After all, this was exactly what she wanted. A better future for everyone.

- You understand, my dear," the brunette said with restrained joy, and her eyes flashed brighter than before. - Now you understand what is at stake.

- Yes," she said hoarsely, trying to catch her breath. - Now I must see this future with my own eyes! In the name of Humanity!

- In the name of Humanity. But let's talk about the future.

- Come on," she repeated obediently, with a nod of her head.

- At the moment, our enemy is clashing with the Hand. Or rather, not her, but an associate of hers. So far, Ruka's not doing so well. But I'm able to help them fray the enemy's nerves and strength. Which I will do in the next few days.

- And me?

- Right now, you need to exercise and get your body in shape. Then start training with the hand-to-hand combat instructors at the base where you live. Let them train you. The best choice will be styles that are based on counterattacks. Also find out information on the various powerful factions, creatures, artefacts and resources needed to confront our enemy. That's all for now. 

- Okay, whatever you say. Except you never told me your name, and I forgot to ask," the girl said awkwardly, blushing.

- Ha-ha-ha! It's not a big deal. My name is Aurora.

- Dawn? Sounds very appropriate in our case. Well, my name is...

- I already know," the brunette interrupted, tilting her head to her shoulder with a smile. - Trust me, I know all about you, prophecy girl.

- Khem-khem, somehow this is embarrassing," the girl said, not knowing where to put herself.

- Ha-ha! I can't even believe you!...

- There you are, you little brat," a voice of unknown gender rumbled. - You've gone too far this time.

The girl literally flew to her feet in fear and instantly turned towards the source of the noise. The creature that was always chasing her was slowly approaching from behind. It was different from its past self. First of all, it made metallic sounds with every step. It was like it was wearing chains or something. The girl even wondered how the creature was able to approach them completely silently.

But it wasn't just the sounds that distinguished this Black Star, if the girl had got it right. This time the feeling from her mind was seriously different. You could say it was the opposite. Like the people in the first vision, as if everything had been reversed.

- I admit you've drunk a lot of my blood, but it ends tonight! - The creature rumbled, extending its arm in the girl's direction.

- I'm sorry, but it's time for you to go, dearie! - Aurora said and clapped her hands together.

At the same moment the girl was knocked out of the vision like a cork, and she woke up, jumping up on the bed, grabbing the air with her mouth. And her companion smilingly began to dispel the picture of the future.

- Well, now we have to wait..." were her last words as the vision faded away.

The end of the retreat.

Well, while the plane is flying towards its destination, it's worth doing other things. There's no reason to sit around for 15 hours for nothing. I'm just about to recruit some useful people. Not soldiers, scientists. There were plenty of them who'd take me up on my offer. Some were pushed out because of a loose tongue, some out of jealousy. And there are many more such reasons. I don't care about such things, because the contract will not allow me to work to my detriment, and the rest is not so important.

Of course, I haven't found the greatest geniuses like Reed Richards yet, but that's a start. How many cool scientists have gone nuts and gone rogue because of some problem? I can't count. I'll find more. 

Of course, with the Singularities, I wasn't so dependent on inventors and scientists. But it's not so easy to carry it all on my back. You need experts from every conceivable field. At least to identify weaknesses in my technology that could be exploited by the geniuses here. Yeah, and they can improve it in any way they can.

And in the end, the meetings went well. We've managed to recruit four people in total so far. I've specifically chosen the scientists most likely to accept my offer. The next step will be to get them officially employed by my company and then work on a grand project.

Well, while I was thinking about my next steps, there was a confident knock on my office door.

- Yeah, yeah.

The door opened and one of the guards, Arthur Dubois, walked in. The man was nearly two metres tall, and his black classic suit encased a muscular figure. He had short black hair slicked back, a serious face, and grey eyes. He was also quite handsome by local standards. Like many of his colleagues, I'd pulled Dubois out of some pretty fucked-up situations. He hadn't lost any limbs, but he had a lot of damaged internal organs along with a lot of mental ailments. After he'd been spared a less than wonderful fate, Arthur had done his best to express his gratitude to me and the Head. I mean me, too. And today I was going to give him an important assignment.

- Have a seat, Mr Dubois," I said, pointing to the chair across from me. After waiting for the man to sit down, I continued. - So, I want you to be my mum's security guard, Emma Smith. She's one of the most precious people to me, so I'm hoping for your full commitment.

- Don't worry Mr Smith," Arthur said in a pleasant, low voice. - I'd give my life for this if I had to.

He said it without any pathos, as if we were talking about the weather for tomorrow. And I had a feeling Dubois wasn't lying.

- Heh, I appreciate the dedication, but I'd rather you and your mum survive. That would suit me better.

- Whatever you say," Arthur agreed.

Actually, he was one of the last people I improved. I'd had time to create a few new implants. Because of that, Arthur got some of the best whistles and nozzles I'd ever seen. Eventually, I even gave him nanites almost like my own. As a result, the man's capabilities grew quite a bit, so that only very strong intelligent beings could be his opponents. All this was done so that Dubois could protect Mum from the bad guys. 

- You see, Mr Dubois, my mother is not exactly defenceless. If it makes you feel any better, she's got mutant strength. She's still not a fighter. That's why I'd like to put you on her security detail.

- I get it. Is there anything else I need to know? 

- Yes. All of her guards are professionals, but they're ordinary people. They don't know what we're after. They don't need to know. If you reveal your capabilities in any way, tell them about Spectrum's secret designs. After that, those people should either have their memories erased, or if the first option is impossible, they should sign non-disclosure documents. You'll be given the appropriate device. Any questions?

- When do we start? - The man asked calmly.

- Today you and I will go home and I will introduce you there. The rest you'll decide together with her. In the meantime, if there are no more questions, you may go.

Dubois nodded and left the office. And I remembered his story again. The man had been hurt for over a dozen years. As a result, already in his late 40s, he still had no family. First there was the army, and then Arthur was no use to anyone. It was strange to me at first. What about the two-wife law I'd read about? Well, it was simple. It only applied to certain types of men. Those who were in good health, brains and looks. Who would want an invalid with a leaky roof? Of course, there are such kind souls, but the probability of meeting them is extremely small. At the same time, they tried to keep quiet about such things, so I didn't recognise it all at once. Most likely because it is not to motivate some men, who are not interested in marriage at all, to find loopholes in the law. And also because such segregation didn't look very nice.

The result is a situation where some men, with all the imbalance of the sexes, have no family. Obviously, every such mate is thoroughly checked so that they don't try to get away for nothing. There is even a saying in the local world: in the USA you can't escape death, tax office, civil registry office and IVF**. The last two things, for obvious reasons, only applied to men.

In the evening, after work, I went home with Arthur and introduced him to my mum. Of course, she was reluctant at first, arguing that she already had plenty of guards. But having learnt all the possibilities of my subordinate and the fact that this way I will be calm, the woman agreed.

And by 4 a.m. the plane finally arrived in Afghanistan. I immediately teleported there, leaving my copy at home. Then I went to the place I'd learnt about from Stein. I decided to try and find Stark myself first, without Benjamin. And it was just interesting to explore a foreign country. I'd never been outside of Russia and the United States in my first or second life before.

I was betting on clairvoyance. Still the possibility to see any detail on a huge territory allows to simplify the search. And after spending a few hours I managed to find out about a few more bases. I also found out that not all of Insen's family was killed. I remember that's why he wished he was dead in the film. After scouring all the bases, I finally found where Stark and her saviour were sitting. So far, Antonia has only just come to her senses and hasn't even thought about creating armour. Well, we'll have to wait. 

Back in New York, I began to plan my next steps. The first thing to focus on is to buy the necessary materials to create the main base and recruit subordinates. Next, I'd have to rescue Stark and Insen. By then, or even sooner, I'll be able to start working on the space travel singularity. Next was to set up the base. Next on the plan was to get information from the Workshops to provide my subordinates with the best equipment. And not to forget school, company and friends.

Speaking of the latter. I was able to communicate with Gerda. The girl was better, but the long transformation into a Warp had not been without a trace. Nothing serious, but she needed rest and plenty of food. She even took a sick day so she wouldn't be questioned at uni. Eventually we agreed to meet up in a couple of weeks. By then, hopefully, I'll be a bit more free. I'll get the Stark thing sorted out then.

Talked to Daniel next. The guy was jokingly indignant that I'd forgotten about him. After he apologised, Blue teased me about Aki's confession video and expressed his desire to meet the five of us. I was naturally in favour, so we agreed to have a get-together after Gerda recovered.

Days of waiting followed, but there was no way to be bored. My invisible clone kept an eye on Stark while I was actively increasing the number of subordinates and dealing with the turnover. But creating even the very first armour was not easy, especially in the pit and from scrap metal. In the end, I managed to get all the necessary data and loaded the available assemblers with the creation of space penetrators, if you can call them that, even before Stark's escape.

And so two weeks later, Antonia and Ho Insen were finally at the finish line. At this point, I decided to head to Afghanistan to get personally involved in becoming a heroine. Leaving another copy in my place, I teleported to the base of the Ten Rings. 

And there the commotion had already begun. While Antonia was putting on her armour, the fighters began to break through the door behind which the prisoners were being held. The result was a boom that blew up the two female guards. After that, Antonia and Ho sped off. Except that they wouldn't have enough time in this world either. I could clearly see that the fighters, running from all sides of the base were already approaching the prisoners' cell. Here's Insen running towards the blown-up lady's machine gun, trying to give Stark time. Well, it's time for me to step in. A moment later, I'm standing in front of Antonia in the guise of an unremarkable woman.

- Aaaaaaaaah! - screams Insen from behind, firing his machine gun upwards.

At the same moment, I capture the woman's mind and move it into a mental space that replicated reality. It resembled a person's inner world, differing only in the fact that I was creating it personally.

- Good afternoon, Miss Stark," I said, looking at Antonia with a smile.

- What? Who the hell are you? - The woman asked, twitching nervously at my appearance. She didn't even notice that we weren't in the real world. Well, my skills are growing. And Antonia's not unlike herself in this situation. - Not paparazzi, I hope? I didn't powder my nose.

- Ha-ha-ha! No. Don't worry. No one's gonna see your dirty face. Although I think a lot of people would give their souls for a photo like that," I said cheerfully. - Maybe I should take a picture of you for posterity. It's a historical moment, even if you don't realise it. Would you pose for me a little?

- I would like to, but I have to refuse, - said the woman, squinting at the computer screen. - And you didn't answer my question.

- That's not important in this situation. The main thing is that I'm a well-wisher. And you can relax a little. We are now in a space where time flows differently. For Ho Insigne and the militants who are already running here, not a second will pass before we're communicating. 

- Is that magic? - Stark asked with a cocky grin. Except I could sense her fear. No wonder. She was in a moment in an incomprehensible place, in armour that overnight became an iron coffin and with an unknown person. - It's hard to believe.

- You're free to think what you want. But let's talk about our sorrowful business.

- Don't bring me into this. I'm doing just fine," Antonia continued to laugh, twitching in her armour. - I think you can see that with an unarmed eye.

- Come on, Miss Stark. It's not even funny. You're just showing how nervous you are.

- Hey, that's rude. And I don't think you understand humour at all. Happy and Pepper loved it. And all those girls and boys at the recent party. They were just crazy about my jokes," the woman said with feigned offence.

- I can't say about the first two, but the last two were probably crazy about what was under your clothes. And I can understand them. But jokes aside. I've got a lot of things to do, even though I can speed things up. Let's talk about your release. I'll tell you right away. Ho Inseong can't survive today because a man with no military training can't stand up to a few dozen fighters.

- Are you also a psychic soothsayer? Can you see the future in a crystal ball? Maybe you also bewitch men? 

- I don't bewitch men, and I don't see the future. It's simple logic.

- Okay, so what's next?

- Do you want to save the man who saved you? - I asked the big question of the day.

- I'll do it as soon as you let me out of here.

- Alas, no. By the time you're able to fight, Insen will be mortally wounded or killed. But it can be avoided.

- How?

- I'll save you both and move you closer to the U.S. base. 

- And what in return? - the woman asked the question as she considered the information.

- Two things. You won't be able to tell anyone about this meeting, and one day, though that day may never come, I'll ask a favour.

- What kind of favour? - Stark asked. - What if you ask for something obscene?

- Alas, I don't have enough imagination to imagine something obscene for Antonina Stark," I replied with my hands spread.

- I am," the woman said proudly. - Wait, that's praise, isn't it?

- Of course it is. Don't worry. The request will be feasible. I don't need a controlling interest or a murder or anything like that. It's entirely possible that circumstances will arise so that you won't even have to pay the bill.

- I just don't buy it. It sounds too vague. We have to negotiate all the terms or I don't agree.

- If you don't agree, you don't agree. I have no desire to engage in useless arguments. Goodbye, Miss Stark.

- What, you're just going to leave like that? - the woman asked with a frown.

- Yeah. Good luck. Though I doubt she'll be expecting you.

- ...

I dispelled the mental space and became invisible, watching as the clumsy tin can began to tear apart the fighters. I'll be honest, it wasn't a pretty sight. I didn't like watching people dying, even though I knew there was no place to brand them. 

After dealing with their leader, Stark went to the dying Insen. 

- Stark..." the man wheezed.

- 'Get up,' the woman said quickly, raising her visor. - We have to leave.

- No...

- Remember the plan? We must follow it.

- Everything is going according to plan, Stark," the man said.

- Come on, stop lying down. Your family's waiting for you,'' Antonia tried to convince Insen. - Oh, come on. I should have accepted her offer....

- My loved ones were killed, kha-kha. Now I'll see them.

- I don't agree with you on that one," I said, removing my invisibility.

- Fuck! - the woman exclaimed, pointing the flamethrower's nozzle at me. - Stop! You didn't want to waste time!

- Yes. But I really wanted to watch you clumsily deal with the Ten Rings, Miss Stark," she said, stepping closer. - Your two wives and five children managed to survive, Mr Insen. And they're very much looking forward to seeing you.

- How is it...? - whispered the man, realising what he had done.

- But you can still be saved. In about 30 seconds. If Miss Stark agrees. She can be grateful, can't she? - I asked her in a hint.

- What do you want from me?! - Antonia asked in a strained voice, looking at Insen, who was dying at the thought of the stupidity he had done. 

- The same as before," he told her, touching Insen and putting him in a kind of stasis. - I won't ask you for anything illegal, dishonourable or otherwise. Probably nothing at all. And you won't be able to tell anyone about our meeting. In return, I save Insen's life and yours. And decide quickly. The militants are already surrounding the entrance, and I don't want to wait until the next day. Well?!

- I agree, devil! Moooo!

- You shouldn't call all sorts of entities," I said seriously, covering her mouth. - Now let's shake hands to seal the deal.

I held out my palm to her, glowing white. The woman cast a quick glance at me, took a deep breath as if before diving in, and shook her hand firmly, thus sealing the deal. 

It was a variation of my Contract, just looking different. The meaning was the same. Since I was going to make similar deals with many people, it was necessary to prevent curious kids from drawing parallels between my different personas. 

- Very good, Miss Stark! And now for the trick!

I teleported the woman out of the armour, then incarnated a replica of her, which sprinted briskly for the exit. So I'll repeat what happened in the film so the future isn't disturbed too much.

And while the dumbfounded Antonia looked at what had happened, I plunged her into a dream, grabbed her together with Insen and teleported closer to the U.S. military base. We found ourselves in a small cave, where, having put my precious cargo on the ground, I began to restore the man. It took a little time and effort, by the end of the procedure Antonia was just coming round.

- What the...? What happened? - Putting her palm to her forehead and squinting asked the woman.

- We are far away from the cave where you were held. Insen is safe, and therefore my part of the bargain is done.

- I thought there was talk of us ending up at the U.S. base.

- That's correct. But that was the first time. It wasn't discussed the second time. But don't worry, it's only a couple of days' walk to the base,' Antonia said with her friendliest smile.

- 'How generous of you Miss...' Stark said sarcastically. - Who are you, anyway? 

- It doesn't matter. Oh, well, I must be going. It's been interesting with you...

- You did that on purpose, didn't you?

- Did I do what on purpose? - I asked her with interest. - I can't read minds.

- I'm surprised. Is there a gap in your talents? - Antonia asked snidely. - But never mind. I'm talking about your second appearance. You let me see the dying Ho Insigne on purpose so that I would agree.

- Yes. It's just as you said. So I wanted to tempt you to make the right choice," Stark said with his hands spread apart. - But that's not the only reason.

- What else would it be? 

- A desire to rub your face in reality. I won't hide the fact that I don't like you as a person. Your lifestyle, your behaviour and everything else is off-putting, so to speak. So I wanted to see the despair on that haughty face," I said, coming close to the woman.

- Are you one of those saints who disapprove of my adventures? Are you jealous? - Stark asked with a smug smile on her face, which didn't fit with her shabby appearance. 

- Do you really think I care who has you and where you go? Come on. I don't like people who think the world revolves around them. You probably don't realise that you're a tiny grain of sand in this universe that will be instantly forgotten.

- Actually, it does," the woman continued. - You came here in order to demand a favour from me in the future. It's proof that even some fortune-telling wizards want Antonia Stark.

- You're wrong. It's just an investment for the future, if that makes sense to you. An investment that may very well yield no return. I had an opportunity, I took it. Oh, come on. I've secured the potential profit, I've given you a desperate look. Now we should drink something refreshing after this heat and we can say that the day is successful, - I almost sang, looking at the washed-up woman, that would not refuse a cool drink.

- And if I hadn't? Would you have let Insen die? - Stark asked without a wry smile this time.

- No. I would have helped him," he answered honestly, looking her in the eye. - So you paid practically for air. Congratulations on this deal of the century.

- Tz, thank you," Antonia said with a wry smile. - 'Then how about attending the party I'll throw upon my arrival in the US? I'd like to see your grinning face and enjoy it.

- Oh, I'll be there, don't worry. The position obliges, so to speak. I wonder if you'll be able to figure out who I am. 

- Don't even doubt it," the woman replied confidently.

- Although you know, maybe I should ask you something right away? - I asked, when an interesting thought struck me.

- And what is it? - Antonia asked with a suspicious squint.

- Not drinking, not having sex, and not taking all sorts of substances. How about that Miss Stark?

- 'Agha, that's too cruel,' the woman wheezed, pale enough to show even beneath a layer of dirt. - I surrender, you win.

- That's right. And yes. Tell Insen to get his family out of the village. The militants will be there soon with a vengeance. The man will be awake in about five minutes, by the way. Head towards that mountain and you'll reach the US base in a couple of days. Now, goodbye. And don't get sick. You are my investment, remember that, - I finished with a cordial smile.

- You'll forget that," the woman said with a grin.

I teleported into the company building, leaving behind a gradually dissipating illusion. Well, it had been a great day indeed. Stark saved the day, got her back, kept a good man from getting killed, and dropped that tin can, giving the militants something to look for. It's all just fine. Even her threatening to find out didn't scare me. Did I get the implant to change body language and stuff for nothing?

Oh, well. I can forget about Stark for a while. I got up from the chair I was sitting in and walked over to the window. As I looked out over the city, one detail caught my eye. About a kilometre and a half away on the roof of one of the buildings stood a broadly smiling man in dark clothes, blowing a mixture of energies in all directions, looking straight at me. But as soon as I blinked in surprise, he disappeared. 

I don't like this. I can feel that this guy doesn't want to ask me for directions to the library.

***

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