71 catching up with storm and repaying an old favour(chapter 71)
previously in chapter 70
"There are more than one ways to earn my favor," Oliver replied, causing Orora to give him a side-eye. "Really? I mean, Kitty has told us things, but I do appreciate the gesture," she said, prompting Oliver to frown. "Whatever she said to you, it's not true," he muttered under his breath, cursing Kitty Pride silently.
"Okay, enough of that. Why don't you tell me about this dimension? I'm currently on a journey to visit as many dimensions as possible," Oliver suggested.
"Well, if you want to visit different dimensions, then welcome to Arakoa, formerly known as Mars. Why don't I give you a tour, and we can talk then?" Orora proposed, surprising Oliver, who agreed to follow her.
(Scene Change)
Out in the Martian mountains, the sun began its descent, casting a warm glow across the landscape as Oliver and Orora watched. "And yeah, that's how I was elected as the ruler of Mars, now known as Arakoa," Orora explained, detailing the transformation of Mars into a green, habitable planet.
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Chapter 71
"I see. So you're a real Majesty now. Should I refer to you as Your Highness?" Oliver joked, earning a chuckle from Orora. Looking at him, she remarked, "You've really changed. I remember when I first met you, all gloomy and quiet, yet focused and ready to pounce, like a wild animal." Oliver chuckled at the pounce analogy.
"Call it character growth," he replied, gazing up at the darkening sky. "So, you're going around different dimensions to forge?" Orora inquired, genuinely curious. Oliver smiled, "Yeah, remember how I was asking Kitty for Mysterium? I want to combine that to create the ultimate alloy."
Mentioning Kitty, Orora smiled mysteriously, saying, "Talking about Kitty." Oliver sighed, knowing where this was going. "Come on, I didn't know you were CLOSE close," he remarked, to which Orora laughed. "Please, Kitty, Emma, and I are quite close," she explained, causing Oliver to sigh again. "And I've got to say, I'm not quite sure I believe what she told us, even if I saw it from her memories, unless someone wants to prove me wrong" she added, expecting a reaction from Oliver. However, Oliver was not like most men. "Fine, let's go and calm your storm," he said, getting up to follow her.
-scene change-
Still in Arokoa, Oliver emerged from the royal chambers, having changed his clothes. Muttering to himself, "What is it with me and heroines?" before muttering to himself again "I really need to stop," he adjusted his attire. Suddenly, a voice sounded beside him, "Well, someone seems to have hit the jackpot." Oliver didn't seem surprised, replying, "And I'm guessing you're Polaris," without even looking at the owner of the voice. Polaris, a woman standing at 5 feet 7, was completely dwarfed by Oliver. She had bright green eyes and hair, a contrast to Oliver's towering figure.
"It's nice to meet you, Oliver, or shall I call you Dreadshade?" she said with a smile, but seeing Oliver's frown, she stopped smiling. "Don't call me that, it makes me sound like I have a sixth-grade syndrome," Oliver remarked. Polaris chuckled, "That was my first thought too," as Oliver walked away. "What can I do for you, Polaris?" he asked, not really minding her existence. Polaris replied, "The is the wrong question, Oliver, the right question. what can WE do for you?" She expected Oliver to turn around, but he didn't, prompting her to continue, "Let me guess, you want me to join you?" Polaris was excited to deliver the speech she had prepared in her head for the last 40 seconds.
However, Oliver abruptly turned around, facing her. Polaris was caught off guard by how suddenly he came close, his tall figure looming over her. She couldn't help but think, "Gosh, I want to climb him," though she wisely kept her inner thoughts to herself. "I'm going to stop you right there. Look, I'm not a team player, nor do I want to try out a team yet. So whatever sales pitch you have prepared, I'm sorry, but you wasted your time," Oliver stated firmly before turning around. After collecting herself, Polaris hurried to catch up, walking with speed. "Come on, at least think it over in a bar, over a drink, or maybe a bed," she suggested, trying to persuade Oliver. Oliver groaned, "No chance, yet, plus, I've got things I need to do," he said as he continued to walk away.
"Maybe you'll be more willing to sell your suit of armor?" Polaris asked, but Oliver didn't even listen as he teleported away. Left alone, Polaris muttered to herself, and Oliver could be seen near the same arena he was before, deep in thought. "Tarn with his power to manipulate and Vulcan's ability to absorb any form of energy. The only reason I won was because my regeneration kept me recovering my life force which he was absorbing," Oliver pondered aloud. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and a smile formed on his face. "Well, I do have a way to deal with superpowered beings," he said to himself as he entered his shell home.
Inside, he rummaged through his belongings until he found a particular collar – a power-dampening collar that the anti-mutant group had used when they attacked Oliver and Kitty on the island. "Here it is," Oliver exclaimed as he began disassembling the collar. He then reforged it into a ring, giving it new options. A triumphant smile appeared on his face as he thought, "Looks like I struck gold."
[ Name: Nullification Band ]
[ Grade: Purple ]
[ Description: Crafted from the melted-down remnants of depowering shackles once used by an anti-mutant extremist, this ring bears a formidable history. The original secondary adamantium has been enhanced with true adamantium, resulting in a high-quality product forged in a crucible of exceptional craftsmanship. ]
[ Option 1: Anti-Power Membrane (Rank: D) (Passive) - Surrounds the wearer with an antipower membrane that nullifies mutant powers upon contact. ]
[ Option 2: Power Deactivation Pulse (Rank: D) (Active) - Allows the wearer to release a pulse of energy that temporarily deactivates the powers of those within range. ]
[ Option 3: Power Nullification (Active Skill) - Permanently nullifies a single superpower, with limitations on the power's potency and range. ]
[ Durability: 100% ]
"With this thing, I can take care of people with mutant powers and more," Oliver said to himself, a confident smirk on his face. He then teleported back to Earth, where he spent some time sorting through items in his home, gathering what he needed to craft a new item. After this task was done, he changed into new clothes, making himself look presentable. "Hmm, why did I bother fixing my clothes," he mused, realizing his unconscious actions. "Well, at least I look good," he chuckled to himself, admiring his reflection in the mirror as he donned a sleek black suit. With a sense of purpose, he exited his shell home, ready to seek out the Emporium.
His search led him to a mysterious door, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. Recognizing the door, Oliver confidently entered, finding himself inside the Emporium where Wanda was engrossed in a book. Glancing up from her reading, she caught sight of Oliver, initially not recognizing him, but then a smile brightened her face. "Hello, Oliver. How have you been?" she greeted warmly, surprised by his unexpected visit. Oliver smiled back as he approached her. "I've actually been great since you pulled me back from the Savage Land," he remarked, a sense of gratitude in his voice.
Wanda prepared a coffee for them both as she asked, "And I'm guessing that has something to do with your visit today?" Oliver nodded, "Precisely," as he took a seat on a bar stool. "Oliver, I am the Scarlet Witch. I have been many things – an Avenger, X-Men, part of the Sorcerer Society – and my goal has always been to help people. So you don't have to feel indebted to me," Wanda explained, placing the steaming coffees in front of Oliver.
"Yeah, even then, you could have just left me to wander around, God knows where that pocket watch would have taken me," Oliver said, taking a sip of his coffee. Wanda sighed, "That wouldn't have sat right with me. Plus, you would have found your way. You weren't in a different dimension; you were just in Antarctica, although I don't know why you changed in just a span of days." She then took a seat next to him as they faced the rows of bookshelves.
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A/N Sorry for the late update. I've been busy with my Percy Jackson fanfic (not really, it's a multiversal fanfic) and my Witcher fanfic (again, it's a multiversal fanfic, but at least I have two seasons to go through before he needs to hop to a new dimension). No, Adam's story isn't over; I just need to finish the fanfic and stockpile chapters before releasing it. Turns out, a double release is quite hard. Anyways, hopefully, you guys are having a good day. I'll probably be busy for the whole month of May due to my final exams at university, so there might be some slow updates. But knowing me, I'll probably power through.
