Marvel: Trading with Worlds

"You two, I heard you have something to ask me. Is it about revenge against Tony Stark?"

Kain called the two of them to his villa. Wanda and Pietro were among the very few who lived in Kain's manor. Aside from them, only Betty's bodyguard had ever entered—briefly, when escorting her back—before leaving immediately.

The protective spells and Muggle-repelling enchantments surrounding the manor had a considerable impact on Pietro. If not for Wanda bringing him in each time, he would never have been able to find the entrance.

Pietro spoke first. "Yes, sir. We feel that our abilities have developed well, and it seems like the right time."

"I'm planning to acquire Stark Industries soon, but I have my own rhythm. If you want to take revenge ahead of schedule, you can—I've prepared something for you."

With that, Kain led them to the underground tunnel. This tunnel housed a maglev train that connected to the Pent Group's underground hive, reducing travel time to just five minutes. In about three years, the hive would be fully completed.

As they boarded, Pietro and Wanda were surprised. Despite living at Kain Manor for some time, they had never known about this hidden train system.

The train itself was luxurious, featuring wine cabinets, round table sofas, and other comforts. From the windows, one could see the bustling streets of New York, as if riding a city train looping around the metropolis.

"This lets underground workers see the outside world," Kain explained. "It helps with their mood. It also has environmental simulation functions. In the future, this kind of technology will be essential for building survival bases on the moon."

He enjoyed watching people's reactions to high technology—just like Obadiah's shock yesterday.

Within minutes, they arrived at the underground hive. The lower storage and living areas were still under construction, but other sections had already become operational.

Eugene's biological lab had moved to the seventh floor, but today, Kain led them to the nano-weapons laboratory on the thirteenth basement floor.

"Try this." He pulled out a nanoparticle holder shaped like a Patek Philippe watch and tossed it to Pietro. "Nano-enhanced protective gear. You can adjust its form three times. When not in use, it's stored as a simple wristwatch. The suit itself is made of vibranium alloy nanoparticles. It absorbs kinetic energy, making most weapons ineffective against you."

As Kain spoke, an explanatory video played in the background. Pietro quickly activated the suit.

Shhh.

In just two seconds, the vibranium nanoparticles enveloped Pietro's body. The matte black sheen and sleek, streamlined design made him fall in love with the suit instantly.

It felt weightless, offering exceptional mobility while also relieving muscle pressure. Most importantly, it looked incredibly cool.

Pietro grinned. "Sir, is this battle suit for me?" After all, who could refuse a suit that was both stylish and useful?

"Of course," Kain replied. "Try out its other functions. Once you're proficient, you can go after Tony Stark. This way, you won't be exposed. And even if you are, I can pull you out."

With that, a few researchers led Pietro to another lab for further testing.

Kain then turned to Wanda, stroking his chin with a smirk. "And now, yours, Wanda."

Wanda, clearly intrigued, took the nanoparticle container he handed her and immediately activated her own nanosuit.

Nanoparticles instantly covered Wanda's body, compressing her clothes into an ultra-fitted suit that fully highlighted her figure.

Naturally, the suit had a shaping function, and Kain immediately noticed Wanda's perfect curves and slender waist.

Competing with models at such a young age!

Kain couldn't help but take a second look—not for any improper reason, of course, but to assess the suit for potential flaws.

"Mr. Pent, isn't this a bit too much?"

Wanda felt a slight tightness around her chest. The moment she realized how much the suit emphasized her body's curves, she instinctively tried to remove it—only to realize she hadn't paid attention to the instructions on how to do so.

"This is the optimal setting, but if you're uncomfortable, you can adjust it."

Kain deactivated the suit for her, causing the nanoparticles to disperse and her figure to return to normal. 

Adjusting the suit to be looser wasn't difficult, but it did compromise some of the functionality in terms of human biomechanics. Still, since Wanda insisted, Kain called in researchers to modify it to her preference.

Afterward, Wanda and Pietro familiarized themselves with their new suits. With this advanced equipment, both were eager to seek revenge on Tony Stark immediately.

For Kain, this was an excellent opportunity. Tony Stark had just escaped from the Ten Rings, only to now be targeted by two superpowered individuals. If he were kidnapped again, Stark Industries' stock price would plummet.

With Obadiah's cooperation, Kain could already envision Stark Industries' downfall. The thought struck him—his growing influence over villains was reaching a point where he could practically form a supervillain alliance.

Meanwhile, at S.H.I.E.L.D…

"Director Fury, Steve Rogers has accepted the present-day situation, but he's been isolated from the world for too long. He still needs time to adjust and develop his skills. As for the Avengers initiative, he has no concrete plans. However, Colonel Ross believes he meets the selection criteria… it's just that—"

The agent hesitated.

"His abilities are a little lacking, aren't they?" Nick Fury finished the thought.

With the increasing scale of global threats, super soldiers alone were no longer enough. But at the moment, they didn't have many other options.

"If he's willing, grant Captain America Level Five clearance. That'll get him up to speed quickly."

In the past, finding Captain America would have been a major win. His unwavering sense of justice made him an ideal Avenger. But the world had changed.

Super soldiers weren't exactly common, but they were far from rare. The military had even formed a dedicated super soldier squad, now boasting over fifty enhanced operatives. This was already evident in the Wakanda conflict.

Then there was Umbrella Military Security Company—led by Kain Pent, the man behind the mass production of Extremis serum. Thanks to him, 20 to 30 new super soldiers were created every year.

The growing population of enhanced humans threatened to disrupt the balance of the world. Nick Fury had never bought into the idea of universal human evolution.

True evolution required time. And if humanity were only halfway—or even a third of the way—through that process, there was a 90% chance that war would erupt between superhumans and ordinary people. The divide between the two would grow, tensions would rise, and eventually, one side would try to eliminate the other.

That, Fury knew, was inevitable.

When humanity was still largely unfamiliar with the superhuman phenomenon, Nick Fury had always believed that recklessly diving into it was dangerous.

Unfortunately, the potential benefits were too great. As the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., he couldn't simply stop the inevitable.

"Get me Coulson," Fury ordered. Some things needed to be handled immediately.

Stark Industries

Currently, the company was still under the leadership of Obadiah Stane. Having been with Stark Industries for over 30 years, he had played a crucial role in expanding the company after Howard Stark's death.

But now, Stark Industries faced a massive crisis—Tony Stark had cut off his own arms from the weapons business, and in doing so, he was temporarily unable to stop the company's plummeting stock prices.

"Obadiah."

Pepper Potts entered Obadiah's office. As Tony Stark's assistant, she shared a close—though never explicitly defined—relationship with him. Before his kidnapping, Tony had been a notorious playboy, and since his return, he had been preoccupied with other matters.

"Why did you suddenly cancel the board meeting?" she asked. "This will only make the directors lose more confidence in the company. Tony already told you how to handle the board, and I think his plan was very reasonable."

Obadiah sighed, flicked his cigar aside, and spoke bluntly. "I understand what Tony meant, but it's useless now. The board has likely already received the news. Holding a meeting at this point would be a joke."

Pepper frowned. "What news?"

"See for yourself."

Obadiah handed her the latest morning report. "According to the Pent Group's recent announcement, they've made a breakthrough in new energy. Their Ark Reactor technology has reached a level where it can be used for large-scale civilian energy production. One reactor can power three cities for two years."

He paused for effect before continuing, "And I had someone look into it—the Pent Group is already in talks with the New York City government and the state government. Even if we finalize our own plans immediately, it would still take three to four years to catch up. By then, we'll be begging for scraps."

Pepper's expression darkened. "How is that possible? How do they even have that technology?"

Obadiah glanced at his computer screen, where the Red Queen's data transfer was still in progress. Then, keeping his face neutral, he continued his deception.

"I don't know. But, Pepper, the best solution right now is to restart Stark Industries' weapons division. It's the only way to keep profits flowing. The board needs reassurance."

Pepper hesitated, almost convinced by his reasoning. But she still voiced her concern. "Tony would never agree to that."

"Then the company is doomed," Obadiah said firmly. "The stock price keeps falling, the board loses faith, and Stark Industries collapses."

Pepper's face paled at the thought. Swallowing nervously, she quickly said, "I'll go talk to Tony."

…

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