I looked down at Selene's dead body, and a thought crept into my mind.
Selene had been an incredibly powerful mutant. What would happen if I put some of her DNA into Cell?
…And on second thought, what would happen if I just cloned her?
Food for thought.
I teleported her body back to the base, then returned to the Hellfire Club headquarters.The entire room was a wreck, smoke, rubble, scorch marks…and every remaining member of the Hellfire Club lay dead.
"I knew you guys could handle these fools easily," I said.
Everyone turned toward me.
"HA! They were a bit of trouble, but we managed," All Might laughed.
"Yeah, Sebastian was annoying as hell," Green Ghost added. "Every time we hit him, he got stronger, so Plo Koon had to pin him with the Force while I phased inside his chest and crushed his heart."
"Well, I'm glad you figured it out," I said. "Did Emma and Reeva make it out?"
"Yes. The members were too busy fighting us to stop Steve from getting them out," Stars and Stripes said.
"Good. The others should finish their raids in a few more minutes. lets head back to base."
A ground bridge opened, and we all walked through.
A Few Hours Later
The rest of the team returned after clearing the remaining facilities. Emma and Reeva wasted zero time.
The moment they confirmed the Hellfire Club was gone, they immediately began absorbing every asset, every business, every offshore account the former members owned.
One thing about those two, you can love them or hate them, but you cannot deny how ruthlessly efficient they are as businesswomen.
While the team rested, I was in the lab with the Mauler Twins, examining Cell and the newly made clone of Selene.
I flipped a coin. It told me what to do.
Clone Selene… and add some of her DNA to Cell.
Before committing, I spoke with the Ancient One. She confirmed Selene was truly dead; she felt her life essence fade completely.
So even if this clone somehow acted like the original, it wouldn't be her. And if it was somehow a problem…
Well, I'd already proven I could kill the original.
I can do it again.
The reason why I'm doing this is simple: It would be a waste for Selene's power to die with her.
I know I could never redeem the original; she was far too gone, too corrupted, too empty. But maybe… maybe a clone of her could do some good in the world. A clean slate.Same potential, none of the evil.
I don't know if she'll inherit all of Selene's abilities, but I'm hoping she at least gets enough to be useful. And if she has magical aptitude, I can ask the Ancient One to train her, without any of the dark stuff, obviously.
I accelerated her cellular growth. She'll be around ten years old in about a month.
I'm doing the same for Cell. It's time for him to live, too.
I already told Stratos he's getting a little brother and a little sister. Even though this Selene clone has zero of my DNA, I still created her… so technically, I'm her father.
Then it hits me.
I'm about to have three kids. I'm over a hundred years old. Still single.Still a virgin.
…I really need a girlfriend.
I was thinking that when everything suddenly shifted.
One second I was in the lab, the next, I was standing in what looked like a rustic cabin.
"Hey, little brother. I see you kept your end of our deal," a familiar voice said.
I turned around.
My big sister Vaelthrya sat at a table, next to Zabriel, both looking way too amused.
"Oh… it's you," I said. "Didn't realize I was in your dimension. It looks completely different."
I gestured around.
The place had wooden cabinets, a fireplace crackling warmly, a couch, bookshelves, and several animal heads mounted like trophies.
"This isn't my dimension," Vaelthrya said, smirking."It's his."
She jerked her thumb toward Zabriel.
"I wanted to talk to you for a while," Zabriel said, folding his hands on the table. "Since you finished Vaelthrya's side quest, I thought now would be the perfect opportunity."
"…Okay?" I walked over, sat down across from them, and glanced between the two gods. "So what's up? What do you want to talk about?"
Vaelthrya smiled. "First things first, since you did what I asked, I'm giving you what I promised."
She waved her hand.
A flash of light engulfed me.
When it faded, I was wearing a full suit of armor.
Dragon-themed armor.Intricate gem inlays. And built into it, Boosted Gear and Dividing Gear, exactly as promised.
A sword materialized on the table in front of me, sleek, knight-like, with a golden handle and a glowing light-blue blade covered in unfamiliar runes.
"Wow… I actually forgot about this," I said, turning my arms to admire the armor.
"I figured," Vaelthrya said with a smirk. "It's been a while. Also, remember, the armor can shapeshift into any design you want. Just think about it."
So I closed my eyes and imagined something simple, my regular hero suit.
In an instant, the armor shifted and compressed, morphing into the familiar design of my usual outfit. The style, the colors, everything matched… except now I had Boosted Gear and Dividing Gear integrated cleanly into the design.
And apparently, the armor decided I didn't need a cape anymore.
"Nice," I said, flexing my hands. "Feels good."
"And just like that," Zabriel said, gesturing at the armor and sword, "with that gear, you've officially become the strongest hero on Earth. You still have plenty of challengers across your universe, of course."
"Yeah, yeah," I waved him off. "So what do you actually want to talk about?"Though honestly, I already had a good guess.
"Straight to the point?" Zabriel smirked. "Fine. I want you to save someone in your world, just like you did for Vaelthrya."
"I figured you'd ask something like that," I said.
"Yeah," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "I tried bringing it up back during your little training arc, but… well, I did it wrong. The reward didn't fit your style.So this time, I've got a reward you'll actually want, if you agree."
"Before we talk rewards," I said, narrowing my eyes, "tell me who you want me to save. And I swear, if it's someone like Mephisto, I'm saying no."
Zabriel's eyes widened in disgust. "Ugh, no. I hate Mephisto."
He leaned forward.
"The person I want you to help is simple. And honestly, easy for someone like you."
I raised a brow.
"It's Ben Grimm," Zabriel said. "I know you're going to allow the Fantastic Four to gain their powers. I want you to help him… control it. So he doesn't have to stay trapped in a rock form forever."
"Oh, that's it? I was going to do that anyway," I said casually.
Zabriel blinked. "Really?"
"Yeah. I know how much he suffered trapped in that rock form. I'm pretty sure I read somewhere he even tried to slit his own wrists but couldn't because his skin was too tough."
Zabriel nodded, expression softening. "Exactly. Someone who actually understands his suffering. If you help him… I'm willing to give you a World Seed."
"What's a World Seed?" I asked.
Zabriel leaned forward slightly, voice shifting into something more solemn.
"A World Seed is a fragment of my creation power. With it, you can create your own world, however big or small you choose. Once that world is formed, you are connected to it. Every branch, every tree, every blade of grass… You can sense through them. See through them. Influence them."
I paused.
…Damn. That's insanely useful for the future.
"And that's not all," Zabriel continued with a grin. "I'll also give you ten points."
"You sold me," I said immediately. "The World Seed is already amazing, but those ten points? That'll help my life get a whole lot easier."
"Thanks for the points. I'll make sure to help Ben," I said.
"That's all I ask," Zabriel replied. He snapped his fingers.
And suddenly I was back in the lab with the Mauler Twins.
One of them pointed at me immediately."Where'd you just go? One second you're here, next second, poof, you're gone."
"Don't worry about it," I said. "Just a little chat with my family."
The other Mauler Twin snorted. "Man, I don't even wanna know what your family is like. I'm still wrapping my head around the fact that you brought me back to life."
"You mean me. He brought me back to life. Obviously, I cloned you afterward!"
The first twin shoved him. "Who are you calling a clone, clone?!"
"You, you idiot! The original has to be me!"
"Oh, please, your skull structure screams 'backup copy!'"
"Say that again, and I'll rearrange your skull structure!"
I sighed. "I swear, I can't tell if you two are geniuses or defective."
Both twins turned toward me at the same time.
"Geniuses," they said in perfect unison.
Then immediately glared at each other.
"Stop copying me!"
"Yeah, no, I'm not staying for this. You two have fun," I said, backing out as the Mauler Twins continued screaming at each other. I closed the lab door behind me and let out a breath.
A Few Days Later
Emma Frost POV
I have to admit: Working with Arsenal was the best decision I've ever made…even if he barely gave me a choice in the matter.
The Hellfire Club is gone, erased from the map, but Reeva and I? We're stronger than ever.
In just a few days, we absorbed every asset the former members left behind, their companies, properties, offshore accounts, weapon contracts, and political leverage. Everything.
We are richer. More connected.More powerful.
And more importantly, with the Hellfire Club gone, my school is finally safe.I tried my best to keep it secret, but Sebastian Shaw suspected something for months. He hinted at it every time we spoke.
Well… he's in the ground now. And my students are no longer in danger.
All thanks to Arsenal.
He's a curious man, plays the hero on the surface, but isn't afraid to kill. Not like Superman at all.In many ways, far more realistic… and far more dangerous.
I want to learn more about him. But he doesn't trust me, not yet. If I asked him directly, he'd never open up.
So I'll have to earn his trust.
Luckily, trust is easy to buy when you're wealthy. A few small charities, a few public acts of goodwill, something he can see.Something that proves I'm "turning over a new leaf."
If I can show him that I'm willing to play along with his hero ideology, I have no doubt I'll eventually be accepted into his circle.
And once that happens, the benefits to my daughters and me will be enormous.
I turn away from my desk and approach the large glass window overlooking the city. The skyline reflects off the surface, bright and cold.
"Hmph. I must be getting rusty," I murmured."I've never spent this much effort earning a man's trust."
First Edward. Now Arsenal.
How annoyingly troublesome.