"Such luck! Good thing Mordo refused to let me use the Sanctum door to return to New York," Daniel thought, feeling elated as he slipped the Sling Ring onto his finger.
Kamar-Taj had doors connecting to the three Sanctums, allowing easy travel between them, but only internal members of Kamar-Taj could use them.
It was no wonder Daniel felt so excited. With a Sling Ring, Kamar-Taj sorcerers could teleport anywhere in the universe, provided they had enough magical energy.
In "Avengers: Endgame," Doctor Strange used his Sling Ring to transport Spider-Man and others from Titan directly back to Earth.
"Well, the plane ticket was a waste. What a waste of money." Using the Sling Ring, Daniel instantly returned to New York, avoiding a long flight.
"Money really does make the world go round. Having it sure makes things easier." Although he had been away for two years, his house was still spotless, with brand-new furniture.
During his time at Kamar-Taj, Daniel had rented out his New York house through a law firm, and before returning, he had it refurbished through the same firm.
"Room." Using his Op-Op Fruit powers to inspect the entire house, Daniel felt reassured and settled in to practice magic.
"Stark, that guy is always busy partying. It's amazing Pepper has stuck with him without leaving. Seriously, Stark, if you have time to party, you should get the Arc Reactor done." Watching Tony Stark on the news at the Stark Expo, surrounded by women and with Pepper Potts by his side, Daniel felt exasperated.
Stark Industries had a large Arc Reactor that powered Stark Tower and served as a demonstration. Officially, they claimed miniaturization was currently impossible.
However, considering that Stark built a miniature Arc Reactor in a cave with limited tools, the excuse seemed unconvincing. The only plausible reason was Stark's lack of motivation without a life-threatening crisis.
Stark frequented places like Vanity Fair and Victoria's Secret, gracing magazine covers annually. His lifestyle supported numerous tabloids.
After all, Stark was wealthy.
"Stark Expo is worth a visit." The expo, dating back to Howard Stark's time, was a major event in New York, showcasing cutting-edge technology from numerous companies, many of which were unknown to the public.
Moreover, if someone had an outstanding technological innovation, they could approach Stark Industries for investment.
With an opportunity to attend, Daniel was eager to explore the expo, given the abundance of high-tech exhibits and forward-thinking ideas.
"Pym Technologies." However, before attending the Stark Expo, Daniel needed to find Hank Pym's residence. As a former high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. member, Pym's address was highly confidential, unknown to the general public. Fortunately, Daniel's hacking skills helped him locate Pym's address through Pym Technologies.
After all, Hank's daughter worked at Pym Technologies.
The Pym Particles had long been coveted by S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra due to their wide applications. But Hank Pym's legacy and status made it too risky for Hydra to directly target him, fearing exposure.
Hydra's strength lay in its parasitic relationship with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the authority granted by the UN's five major powers.
"Alexander Pierce was a fool. An organization that thrives in the shadows shouldn't seek the spotlight. The result was their downfall." Daniel thought Hydra's ambition to rule the world through Project Insight was sheer folly, leading to their exposure and destruction.
Without S.H.I.E.L.D. and the UN's authority, Hydra was insignificant—a mirage.
Moreover, Project Insight was launched despite the revelation of extraterrestrial threats like Asgardians and the Chitauri.
Hydra never considered the repercussions if extraterrestrial forces attacked again, nor the implications of targeting Kamar-Taj and potentially the Ancient One.
"If I exposed Hydra now, they'd be done for, but so would S.H.I.E.L.D." After locating Hank's address, Daniel stood up.
Revealing Hydra wouldn't benefit Daniel; instead, he could leverage this knowledge for his advantage.
Figures like Daniel Whitehall and Gideon Malick were wealthy and influential.
"This place doesn't look like Hank's home." The ordinary-looking house was an unlikely residence for the renowned Dr. Hank Pym.
"There are quite a few surveillance operatives. Luckily, I have the Mirror Dimension." Through the Mirror Dimension, Daniel easily identified the hidden agents around Hank's house.
The ability to spy on Hank's work from the Mirror Dimension was invaluable. Observing Hank create and use Pym Particles would save Daniel considerable time, allowing him to recreate them himself.
Without a Sling Ring, entering the Mirror Dimension was a one-way trip, trapping him inside, unlike Thanos, who could shatter the dimension.
"Tanks and cars reduced to keychains—Hank Pym is truly remarkable." Observing through the Mirror Dimension, Daniel noticed the tank Hank kept as a keychain and the box of miniature cars, all real vehicles.
"Researching the Quantum Realm, I see." From his vantage point, Daniel saw Hank deeply engrossed in Quantum Realm studies, estranged from his daughter, Hope.
Their strained relationship was real, not the façade shown in "Ant-Man." Hope didn't live with Hank, visiting occasionally out of familial duty. She still blamed Hank for her mother's death.
"So many tiny cameras, hidden well." The minuscule cameras, likely shrunk with Pym Particles, were nearly undetectable, functioning just like the shrunken cars.
Using the Mirror Dimension, Daniel planned to closely observe Hank Pym, learning the secrets of the Pym Particles without being detected. This approach was safer and more efficient, especially with the Sling Ring at his disposal.
Daniel's journey was just beginning. With the Sling Ring and his mastery of magic, the possibilities were endless. The Pym Particles were just the next step in his ambitious plans.
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Read Ahead
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"Thank you so much, Dr. Pym, for the Pym Particle formula and its applications," Daniel thought excitedly after days of surveillance finally yielded the desired results.
"The Ant-Man and Wasp suits are off-limits." Dr. Pym's basement housed both suits, and although Daniel was tempted to take one, he decided against it after considering the consequences.
It wasn't about affecting the emergence of Ant-Man. If Dr. Pym could create one suit, he could make another. Stealing one wouldn't hinder Ant-Man's debut.
Daniel was more concerned about S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra. If the Ant-Man suit went missing now, Dr. Pym would undoubtedly report it to S.H.I.E.L.D. Such a crucial piece of technology disappearing would prompt a thorough investigation by both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra. Unless Daniel never used the suit, it would be impossible to avoid detection.
Without using it, there was no point in stealing it.
"Next, I need the equipment." High-tech gadgets required advanced instruments. Daniel's current savings, while substantial for an average person, were meager compared to the elite. His entire net worth didn't cover Tony Stark's daily expenses.
The equipment was prohibitively expensive, each costing at least hundreds of thousands of dollars. Fully outfitting a lab would require millions, even billions, and that's just the initial setup. Experimental costs would drive the total even higher. Without significant funds, high-tech pursuits were out of reach.
It was a clear case of the rich relying on technology and the poor relying on mutation.
For Daniel, getting the necessary equipment and materials meant borrowing—stealing wasn't feasible. He preferred to think of it as borrowing for the sake of humanity's future.
"First stop: Hammer Industries." Justin Hammer's arms company was renowned within the U.S. military. Unlike Stark Industries, which focused on high-end weaponry, Hammer Industries specialized in conventional arms.
Stark might look down on Hammer Industries, but many envied Justin Hammer's wealth. Hammer was a billionaire, possibly wealthier than Oscorp.
Conventional weapons might lack cutting-edge technology but made up for it in volume.
The U.S. military, despite its budget, couldn't equip all soldiers with high-tech gear. Doing so would inflate defense spending astronomically.
Had Justin Hammer not made the mistake of challenging Stark by collaborating with Whiplash, he would still be a billionaire.
Although Hammer Industries primarily produced conventional weapons, they still required research labs for weapon development. Hammer, aspiring to join the ranks of top-tier arms dealers, ensured his labs were well-equipped.
Top-tier arms dealers were defined by their ability to produce satellites, missiles, aircraft carriers, warships, and fighter jets.
"Eventually, I'll need my own company to generate income." Borrowing could only get Daniel so far; self-sufficiency was key. Borrowing was merely a stopgap measure.
"Another visit will be necessary later." After checking Hammer Industries' armory, Daniel departed. Dr. Pym had a tank keychain; Daniel intended to acquire two vehicles.
Ideally, he'd secure a S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjet, which could take off and land vertically.
"Next stop: Oscorp." After transporting equipment and materials from Hammer Industries home, Daniel headed to Norman Osborn's company.
Oscorp specialized in biotechnology, aiming to develop super soldiers. This goal was shared by many biotech companies and labs, including Umbrella Corporation. Unfortunately, none had succeeded yet.
Bioweapons could enhance a select few individuals but lacked widespread applicability.
"Next up: Stark Industries." The best lab at Stark Industries was undoubtedly Tony's private lab, but Daniel wouldn't "borrow" from there just yet. He targeted the labs at Stark Tower in New York.
"If someone checks here now, I'd be caught red-handed." Daniel chuckled, surveying the lab equipment cluttering his basement.
In addition to the equipment, he had also taken weapons from Hammer Industries: a rocket launcher, a Gatling gun, two Desert Eagles, and a variety of ammunition.
Thanks to the Sling Ring, Daniel managed to transport everything in a day.
"Time to make Pym Particles." The most impressive application of Pym Particles, in Daniel's opinion, wasn't shrinking and enlarging Ant-Man but shrinking a building and carrying it away.
"Finally succeeded." Using borrowed materials, his Op-Op Fruit abilities, and the equipment, Daniel successfully produced Pym Particles.
"Adorable." Daniel shrank two Desert Eagles, then did the same with the rocket launcher and Gatling gun.
"Amazing." In the Mirror Dimension, Daniel marveled at transforming a toy building model into a full-sized structure, once again impressed by the Pym Particles' capabilities.
Initially, he planned to shrink an actual building and bring it back. Then he realized he could enlarge models, avoiding news about sudden building disappearances that might alert Dr. Pym.
The building model he constructed was a solid four-story structure, made using real construction methods and alloys cut with his Op-Op Fruit abilities.
With everything in place, Daniel just needed a power source.
"I still need a supercomputer. Looks like another borrowing trip." Using models as laboratories in the Mirror Dimension and enlarging them through the Sling Ring, Daniel had created a highly secretive lab.
For extended work periods, he could enlarge the lab in the Mirror Dimension and travel back and forth via portals. This made his lab virtually undetectable, except by individuals like the Ancient One, Doctor Strange, or Kaecilius with dark power.
Even if an experiment went awry, Daniel could escape through a portal, ensuring no harm to the real world. The lab would be the only loss.
Daniel also continued his magical training, hoping to one day manipulate reality as easily as he did in the Mirror Dimension.
The highest level of Mirror Dimension magic involved manipulating real-world structures as if they were in the Mirror Dimension, a feat requiring immense power.
The Ancient One could do it, as could dark-powered Kaecilius. Whether Doctor Strange could, especially within the Sanctum, remained to be seen.
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