Make sure to check my Patre.on out if you want to support me and want to read advanced chapters: Patre.on.com/VQuintessence
[20 Chapters in Advance on Patre.on]
...........
Chapter 107: Mental Terrorist
...........
"Have a Good Afternoon, Good Evening, and Good Night."
He turned and walked off the stage, leaving behind a hall in stunned, deafening silence, soon shattered by a cacophony of flashing cameras and journalists scrambling for their phones, their laptops, anything to access the data bomb he'd just detonated.
Natasha Romanoff, her professional persona in tatters, followed him on unsteady legs.
Her mind was a hurricane of confusion, and sheer, unadulterated what the fuck. Clinically insane. Reckless. A walking, talking extinction-level event for covert intelligence. FUCK!
Adam, fitting her mental image perfectly, was laughing softly to himself as he rode the private elevator up.
He'd shake his head, amused. "Don't worry, Natalie," He said, not looking at her. "What I did… It's a good thing. It's brilliant, really."
"The ripple effects are so far-reaching, even I'm still modeling them. It's all for the greater good."
Natasha was yanked from her spiraling thoughts. She asked, forcing her voice into a semblance of calm, "Did my words… truly push you to do that? Or had you already planned it?"
Adam raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk on his lips. He shrugged. "If it makes you feel any better… with my nature, I'd have likely done it anyway. I had everything prepped."
"The data, the script, the kill-switch… I just needed a little push to tap the 'fuck it' button." He gave her a sidelong glance, enjoying the visible turmoil on her face. Yup. Teasing is just too lovely. Too fun.
[He's still fucking with Black Widow.]
[Noo, not my Queen! Leave her alone! U already have Jean!]
[I'm telling ya, this is a harem show with a yandere ending, be read for your waifus to be annihilated.]
[Fuck you!] [Dude, shush.] [Shut the fuck up, that ain't happening!]
"Just relax and have a laugh, think of it as a funny joke, and the world will be much more lovely in your eyes, more vibrant and gorgeous."
He said as the elevator doors opened to his penthouse floor. "Attend to your other duties. This next meeting, I'll handle alone."
He strode into his personal office. Someone was already there, having been waiting patiently.
The meeting was scheduled for a bit after the conference, but it's obvious that the man couldn't wait.
The man stood up as Adam entered. He was in his late forties, with sharp, intelligent features, neatly combed auburn hair, and an air of polished, ruthless ambition. He extended a hand.
"Mr. Cypher. A… memorable presentation."
Adam shook the hand firmly. "Norman. Please, sit." He gestured to the guest chair before circling to his own.
"Apologies for the delay. The show had priority. I hope you enjoyed it, at least."
Norman Osborn, CEO of Oscorp, one of the nation's leading biochemical and defense contractors, settled back into his seat. A tight smile was on his face.
"Eye-opening, certainly." He was watching on his phone while he waited. Eye-opening couldn't quite describe his feelings at the moment. It has, however, certainly… Changed how he intends to approach this meeting."
Adam reclined in his chair, the picture of ease, his mismatched eyes fixed on Osborn.
"I'm glad. You've been requesting this meeting for a while. Must be important. So. What is it?"
Norman felt a prickle of unease under that gaze. It was assessing in a way that went beyond business.
"Cooperation," Norman stated smoothly. "I believe Cypher Enterprises would benefit immensely from a partnership with Oscorp."
"Our manufacturing depth, our distribution networks, our political capital. I'm interested in a substantial investment. A seat on the board. If possible."
Adam hummed, a low, thoughtful sound. He leaned forward, his expression one of genuine surprise.
"Huh. I have to say, I hadn't expected you to be so… civil about this. Considering Oscorp has been engaging in some pretty aggressive corporate espionage and market manipulation against Cypher for the past month."
"And you know Cypher is still just a tiny company. We can't take that much, and you weren't gentle. I have to say that our first time wasn't pleasant."
[Tf?????????] [You see it, right?]
[I see it, porn talk.] [How does his mind work?!]
[Definitely a pervert. He just can't stop.]
The words hung in the air like a guillotine blade. Norman's smile froze, then vanished.
He didn't flinch, but a muscle ticked in his jaw. "There must be a misunderstanding, Adam. No such thing happened."
Adam's expression cooled, the playful glint replaced by a flat, weird stare.
He looked down at Norman from his seated position as if from a great height.
"It didn't happen, huh? I bet you haven't expected this meeting to go this way. The conference changed your approach. You, my friend... You came here with business murder in mind."
He paused, his head tilting. "But I have to wonder... How should I go about this?"
They stared at each other. Norman tried to project his usual intimidating, boardroom-dominating persona, but it felt brittle.
Adam's eyes weren't filled with anger or killing intent. They held something worse; deliberation.
They held a chilling, creative wonder, as if he was looking at Norman and sketching out the possible trajectories of his life, drafting alternate futures like storyboards.
The silence stretched, thick and charged.
Adam began to slowly stroke his chin, his eyes narrowed in thought. The atmosphere in the sleek office grew heavy, the air itself seeming to grow colder.
Norman Osborn, a man who had faced down hostile takeovers and Senate committees, felt a bead of cold sweat trace a path down his spine.
The chill wasn't from the air conditioning.
Then, a smile emerged on Adam's face. It was sudden, bright, and it warmed the room like a switched-on lamp.
The terrible pressure vanished.
"You know what?" Adam said, his voice cheerful again. "I'm ashamed to admit it, but I wasn't totally honest in the conference."
"My mutant ability? It's pretty damn good. Its potential… far surpasses playing with magnets." He winked. "I'm a bad boy, aren't I? Luckily, I have friends who keep me in line. Stop me from… losing control."
He stood up, walking around the desk to lean against it, looking down at Norman.
"Like Professor X. Leader of the X-Men. Psychic abilities so strong, very few minds are safe. One of the strongest Mutants in the world. You could be on the other side of the world, and he would snipe you."
"No lie, no hidden malice, can be hidden from him. That's how I know a lot more than everyone else. That, and my very chatty imaginary friends."
He placed a hand on Norman's shoulder. The touch was friendly, but Norman felt it like a brand.
"Professor X taught me to make friends. To build connections. To give people… One last chance. So, I will gladly accept Oscorp's offer of cooperation."
He leaned in, his voice dropping to a pleasant, intimate whisper. "But the extent of our cooperation, Norman… that depends solely on how you act from here on out."
"If I'm happy, then Miss Fortune is happy. If I'm unhappy…" He smiled, his crimson eye seeming to glow even behind the hazel contact. "…Miss Death gets very happy."
He straightened, his hand returning to his side. "Pleasure to work with you!" He said brightly, extending his hand again.
Norman stood mechanically, his face drained of color. He shook Adam's hand, his own grip clammy. "The… pleasure is mine," He managed, the words ash in his mouth.
He left the office, walking through the opulent halls of Cypher Enterprises in a daze.
The conference, the threats, the casual mention of world-destroying conspiracies and all-seeing psychics… it swirled in his mind.
He had come to strong-arm a brilliant, vulnerable upstart. He had instead poked a hornet's nest that was also a nuclear reactor, overseen by a grinning madman who had the King of Mutants on speed-dial.
As his limousine pulled away from the tower, one thought echoed in Norman Osborn's horrified mind; What have I done? And what the fuck should I do now?
[I'm telling ya guys. The words, mental terrorist was invented because of Adam.]
[I smell so much bullshit and lies, it's disgusting, but everyone just believes him. Xavier wouldn't do that.]
[Hey, the great thing about his bullshit is that it's a cocktail mixed with truths.]
[Why didn't Adam use his vampiric mesmerism on him? Sure, he said he despises mind control and such, but he would still do it regardless, right?]
[He's a genius. In Marvel comics, Mephisto once approached Norman for a deal. Therefore, mesmerism may backfire and be used against him by Mephisto.]
[Oh, really? But I feel like Adam is just the kind to hate mind control so much that he won't use it.]
[That's idiotic.]
[Eh, I think he's more so the kind that would use it if he has to, but otherwise avoid it.]
[Nah, man. I feel like he's planning some bullshit again.]
[I mean, his vampiric eyes did shine, did he already use it, and we aren't made explicitly aware.]
[Wait... What's he planning again?] [Some Cinema again!] [More Peak.]
...............................
[ 1000 Power Stones For An Extra Chapter! ]
...............................