Melting Pot Concept in Marvel

"By the way, smelting those things won't end up giving me some bizarre abilities, right?"

Aaron suddenly pictured a terrifying scene of himself sporting a beetle's thick shell, a long horn sticking out of his head, several sharp, spindly limbs growing out of his back and covered in nasty bristles, and a tail that matched his entire body length tipped with a poisonous stinger.

No way! Absolutely not!

Aaron wanted more power, sure, but giving up his humanity? That was something he found hard to accept.

At least, if he had a choice, he wouldn't let himself turn into something non-human.

Some kind of temporary transformation might be okay, though?

[Please don't worry. I am you. Any concepts I derive will follow your innermost desires.]

[Everything is a positive effect for you.]

[Of course, if you really want that, I can provide it.]

"Forget it!"

Aaron's eyebrow twitched; he couldn't accept that kind of change. If someone had to volunteer to stop being human, let others step up first.

A few seconds passed, and then several rays of light emerged once more from the palm of his hand. That familiar surge of power again strengthened his body:

[Super Defense (Ironclad Beetle)]: You can now withstand 39,000 times your body weight without dying.

[Super Strength (Hercules Beetle)]: Similar ability detected; it's been merged. You can lift objects weighing up to 600 times your own weight and drag objects 2,000 times heavier.

[Spider Sense (Enhanced Super Perception Version)]: Similar ability detected; merging complete. You can sense impending danger, keenly detect any anomalies in your environment, and perceive pheromones and signals in the air…

[Web-Shooting]: You can shoot spider silk with high elasticity, strength, toughness, and cold resistance—equivalent to Spider-Man's webbing.

[Poison Immunity]: You can now negate certain toxins.

[Poison Production]: Your glands can produce a toxin potent enough to kill a cow within one minute.

[Super Vision]: Similar ability detected; merged. You can perceive a broader color spectrum and have greatly enhanced dynamic vision…

[Electrostatic Control]: You can easily manipulate static electricity between your body and other surfaces. No obstacle can stop you from moving freely.

[Master Weaver]: Your skill with threads and webs is now exceptional…

Aaron felt himself grow even more powerful. He clenched his fist and punched the air, creating a sudden, deafening sonic boom. With just a light movement, he shot forward dozens of meters, leaving shallow footprints behind on the ground.

He couldn't tell if it was just his imagination, but he suddenly felt like he was living in a fragile, "glass" world—where a mere flex of his power might annihilate everything around him. So he had to be extra cautious, controlling his strength as much as possible.

This time, the biggest upgrade was clearly Super Defense. Now, even if an aircraft carrier fell out of the sky, he'd emerge unscathed. Whether or not he could pick it up wasn't the point—he was just ridiculously tough.

His strength hadn't changed that dramatically—he could lift a few dozen more tons than before. But in practical terms, if his previous self tried punching him all day long, he'd probably be so bored he'd fall asleep.

Aaron thought of Captain America. "Let's hope I don't literally die of exhaustion, huh?"

Shaking his head, Aaron slowly got used to his new powers. Thanks to his superbrain and enhanced physical control, he quickly learned to handle the massive increase in strength. Even picking up a tiny ant, he could avoid hurting it.

Glancing at the time, he realized half an hour had passed. Then he headed to the café. As soon as he stepped inside, he spotted Kate, looking bored out of her mind.

But the second Kate noticed Aaron, she hopped off her chair and bounded over—until, two or three meters away, she suddenly seemed to remember something. She came to a halt and tried to mask her excitement, her eyes darting around.

"Where's all that stuff you bought?"

Seeing the look on her face, Aaron deliberately put his hand into his pants pocket. Kate recoiled in horror. "Oh my gosh, you really did put it in your pants pocket! It's huge!"

…Huge?

Following her line of sight, Aaron's face went dark. He sensed the other patrons' reactions—some were wary, some shocked, some suspicious, some… excited? With a sigh, he pulled out his empty pocket.

"Alright, I had him deliver the goods back home. I'm not carrying a thing."

Kate still looked doubtful. "What about…that?"

"It's a banana! Come on, let's go. Unless you want to keep sitting here drinking coffee?"

Aaron led Kate outside. If they stayed any longer, people would take him for some weirdo. Even then, Kate was itching to investigate, so he distracted her:

"I've got another power—how about going for a swing?"

"Huh? Is there a swing set around here?"

Her curiosity was piqued as she looked around, obviously skeptical.

"Ready?"

Aaron shot out multiple spider webs from his left hand to wrap around Kate. Then, using his right hand, he fired a long strand that stuck to a distant skyscraper. Sending a quick mental note to the nearby bodyguards, he instantly yanked himself (and Kate) into the air.

"Ahhhh—!"

"I'm flying!!"

Their silhouettes became little black dots swinging between buildings, with Kate's shriek echoing in a mix of terror and excitement.

Meanwhile, the two bodyguards approached, staring at each other, then at the mysterious message on their phones. They were left questioning their sanity.

"When did Aaron even use his phone to text us?"

"Are we supposed to chase after them?"

They glanced up at the pair soaring across the skyline and decided it wasn't happening. One guard made a call:

"Boss, Miss Kate… flew away."

"!!!"

In a meeting on the other end of the line, Eleanor was dumbfounded.

"Kate flew away? What is this—April Fools'?"

"Aaron sent us a text, then took Kate and just flew up into the air. They're probably…two blocks away by now. Should we try to track them? Maybe request satellite coverage or traffic cameras?"

Eleanor stared blankly, her mind wiped clean. In truth, she had offered a house and a large sum of money not merely out of gratitude but also in hopes of gaining Aaron's favor, maybe even recruiting him into Bishop Security. A company that boasts a real superhero would be extremely appealing to wealthy clients.

But now she had to wonder if her team could ever "reel in" someone with so much power—mysterious, formidable…

At least, from the look of things, Kate and Aaron seemed to get along fine. Even if they couldn't hire him, being on friendly terms was still good.

While her mind spun with all these thoughts, Eleanor glanced out the window—and saw Kate waving happily in midair next to Aaron, before the two of them swept off behind another high-rise.

This was the twentieth floor, for heaven's sake!

"Boss? Boss?"

"I… I saw them…"

Taking a deep breath, Eleanor's face went through several shifts. "Leave them be. Come on back."

After she composed herself, she looked at the group of managers in the room and found the meeting pointless. "Meeting adjourned!"

Flying, huh…

She couldn't help feeling a little envious of Kate. That must be an incredible rush.

~~~

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