"It's a pity that all this knowledge revolves around alchemy. If only it could be applied to science. Well, the gains I've made are already sufficient; any more would be greedy." Daniel Davis sighed softly as he extinguished the fireball in his hand.
The knowledge from the Gate of Truth was immensely powerful, but it offered little help for scientific progress because alchemy lacked intermediate steps, functioning more like putting an elephant in a refrigerator without opening the door first. This meant that even though Daniel had theoretical knowledge of nuclear fission by hand, he couldn't replicate it through scientific means.
Alchemy's strength, much like that of a sorcerer, was in the individual rather than advancing overall civilization. It was no wonder Edward had so readily given up the Gate of Truth. The figure from the Gate had also acknowledged Edward's victory because he had grasped the true essence of the Gate of Truth.
"It's time to leave." Having roughly understood the knowledge he had gained from the Gate of Truth, Daniel prepared to leave the world of Fullmetal Alchemist, intending not to return unless necessary. Before leaving, however, he had one last task: delivering the infant, who was once Pride, to Colonel Mustang, now promoted to Brigadier General.
"What did you say?" Mustang and Hawkeye were stunned when Daniel presented the baby. Hawkeye was equally surprised.
"I'm going to travel the world. You two should decide what to do with this child." Daniel handed the baby to Hawkeye. In a world dominated by alchemy, it wasn't unusual for a baby missing some internal organs to survive, much less an infant the size of one's palm.
"Perhaps you could give him to his mother." Daniel suggested. Central Command had publicly announced that the President was killed by rebel explosives to maintain national stability. They couldn't very well admit that he was a Homunculus who intended to sacrifice the entire nation's population to create a Philosopher's Stone.
If such news leaked, the country would descend into chaos.
Unlike the general public, the President's wife knew the truth. After the incident, Grumman, Hughes, Mustang, and others informed her of the facts. Despite being shocked, she quickly accepted the truth, at least outwardly. Internally, her feelings were likely more complex, given that her husband and child were Homunculi. This infant might bring her some comfort.
"I'll consider it," Mustang said, nodding at the baby in Hawkeye's arms.
Though the baby was once Pride, it was still an infant. Few could bring themselves to harm a baby, and Daniel certainly couldn't, which is why he left it with Mustang.
Melinda had killed a young girl with special abilities, which haunted her and significantly altered her life. Killing a baby would be far worse.
"The Walking Sage, Light of Hohenheim." In a modest graveyard in Riesenburg, Daniel sighed deeply in front of a tombstone. Hohenheim, who could have lived indefinitely, had exhausted the Philosopher's Stone within him to defeat the Homunculus, dying at his wife's grave upon returning home.
The President's wife was a remarkable woman of her time, and Hohenheim's wife, Trisha, was equally impressive. Besides these two, Daniel remembered one other figure vividly: an unnamed girl, one of the many souls within Hohenheim. Her sacrifice, along with others, led to the failure of the Homunculus' plan.
Noble souls stood in stark contrast to the greedy individuals like the high-ranking military officials in Fullmetal Alchemist or HYDRA in the Marvel universe. There were also those who were pure and self-sacrificing.
After a final glance at the fully recovered, playful Elric brothers, Daniel left to visit Rush Valley. Seeing Paninya with her restored legs, no longer reliant on automail, Daniel departed the world of Fullmetal Alchemist.
"I barely interacted with the protagonists in both Fullmetal Alchemist and Harry Potter. Speaking of which, Harry's role has been diminishing."
Without Dumbledore's covert protection, Harry was now just an ordinary student at Hogwarts, with less popularity than in the original story. His only claim to fame was his prowess in Quidditch, which retained some of his fan base.
However, no matter how skilled Harry was in Quidditch, Gryffindor had not won the House Cup. Slytherin dominated in all other areas, unlike the original timeline where Dumbledore's favoritism had secured Gryffindor's victory.
"I can take a break for a while." The knowledge from the Gate of Truth and the Philosopher's Stone had significantly enhanced Daniel's abilities. He planned to use the Philosopher's Stones to further strengthen himself rather than in other ways.
The Philosopher's Stone, like biochemical serums, could enhance a person's physical attributes. This enhancement depended on one's mental resilience to withstand the backlash from the souls within the stone, much like the President and Yao Ling. Given his super-soldier serum, using the Philosopher's Stone in this manner would be wasteful for Daniel.
"Despite my improvements, there's still a considerable gap between me and the likes of Hulk, Captain Marvel, Thor, and Loki." Daniel shook his head, acknowledging the disparity.
Even without considering Odin and the Ancient One, Daniel had yet to surpass Thor. At his peak, Thor had injured Thanos, who wielded the complete Infinity Gauntlet, and even reignited a star with his strength.
This was the advantage of godhood. Despite Daniel's significant progress, the gap remained vast—a gap between mortals and gods.
"I recall a world with a 'tech god.' Perhaps I could visit there someday, depending on my luck. As for the San Venganza Contract, should I get involved?"
Initially, Daniel had decided not to engage with the San Venganza Contract. With Ghost Rider and the Ancient One around, Mephisto's son's plans were bound to fail. However, his experiences in Fullmetal Alchemist piqued his interest in the contract.
Rumored to contain thousands of souls, and possibly fallen ones, the San Venganza Contract could be used to create Philosopher's Stones without moral qualms.
If the contract's legends were true, these souls would be far superior to ordinary ones. Daniel would not feel guilty about using fallen souls to create Philosopher's Stones.
Modern society would find it impossible to disappear thousands of people, even if they were all criminals, due to the chaos it would cause. Besides, the presence of guardians like Odin and the Ancient One in the Marvel world made it impractical.
However, the San Venganza Contract was different. As for angering Mephisto, Daniel didn't worry. Mephisto's power on Earth was limited. Ordinary people might fear him, but Daniel was no ordinary person.
With Odin and the Ancient One still around, by the time they were gone, Daniel might not need to fear Mephisto anymore.
"It looks like I need to contact Nick Fury. This is for the peace of the world, after all." Having made his decision, Daniel planned to contact Fury to investigate the Ghost Rider legend. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intelligence network was formidable.
"You told him everything?" At Stark's seaside villa, Daniel found Peggy Carter looking somber and Tony Stark visibly upset, indicating that Peggy had revealed the truth about Howard Stark's death to Tony.
With Peggy involved and the truth exposed early, Tony probably wouldn't clash with Captain America now.
The main issue was how to handle Bucky Barnes. Rationally, Bucky was a tool controlled by HYDRA, no different from a weapon. Blaming him would be like blaming the murder weapon in a crime. The real culprits were the HYDRA masterminds.
However, humans aren't rational beings. Though Bucky was controlled, he did kill Howard Stark and his wife. If it weren't for Bucky being Cap's friend, his fate wouldn't be in such a dilemma. If it were a stranger, neither Peggy nor Tony would hesitate to eliminate him.
"I'm neutral on this." When Peggy asked his opinion, Daniel shook his head. It was a difficult question.
Daniel had considered killing Bucky quietly to solve the problem, but the potential future consequences made him hesitant, so he left the decision to Peggy.
Peggy, too, had thought of eliminating Bucky but decided against it due to the implications with HYDRA, hoping to persuade Tony instead.
"Hopefully, Tony will come to terms with it," Daniel and Peggy shared a wry smile as they left the villa, having been thrown out by Tony. Normally, Tony wouldn't dare treat Peggy this way, but the situation was exceptional. Peggy could only hope Tony would think it through.
Caught between Tony and Cap, Peggy found it difficult to navigate, which is why she had sought Daniel's help.
"What brings you here?" In the following days, Daniel secluded himself in his villa to focus on his training, postponing his plans to deal with the Hive. One day, he noticed Ada arriving.
"Be careful. Someone is targeting you," Ada warned seriously after sitting down in a red casual dress.
"Who?" Daniel asked immediately.
He suspected HYDRA might be making a move. In the Marvel world, HYDRA was often behind major events.
Despite keeping a low profile compared to Tony Stark, Daniel's identity was known to S.H.I.E.L.D. and, by extension, HYDRA. The allure of magic was too great for HYDRA to ignore.
Rumors online suggested people wanted to learn magic from him, even hoping he would make his methods public, often incited by some hidden agents.
Fortunately, Daniel's real identity hadn't been leaked, unlike Banner's. If it had, S.H.I.E.L.D. would likely have seized the opportunity.
However, Daniel's situation differed from Banner's. As the chairman of an international conglomerate and a significant capitalist, Daniel's exposure wouldn't have the same impact. In
the capitalist world, wealth spoke volumes.
In the original story, despite HYDRA's exposure, some members continued to live well, even engaging in transactions for the Ant-Man suit. Gideon Malick, for instance, remained untouchable despite his revealed identity.
Tony Stark lived openly as Iron Man, thriving in the public eye.
While HYDRA wouldn't confront him directly, they might resort to covert actions. Unlike Fury, who had to consider various factors, HYDRA had fewer reservations.
"It's him," Ada's next words confirmed Daniel's suspicions. It wasn't HYDRA but Drake Simmons, a man obsessively infatuated with Ada.
Given Simmons' resources and obsession, it wasn't surprising he noticed Ada's frequent visits to the villa. Blinded by jealousy, he might ignore Daniel's identity and act rashly.
"He's a bit of a nuisance." Simmons alone wasn't a threat, but his status as a family head in one of America's ruling families posed potential complications. Modern society's intricacies meant Daniel had to handle this delicately. Simmons could die, but preferably not by Daniel's hand.
"I'll have to ask Fury for help and hope Ada can deal with him soon. Their situation is too twisted." With S.H.I.E.L.D.'s backing, a warning to Simmons' family should suffice. For these powerful families, preserving the family often meant sacrificing even the head if necessary.
Fake Ada's misfortune lay in her love for Simmons, leading to her tragic fate despite her brilliance.
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"Peter Quill, Missouri. You've worked hard," Ada said, handing over the information. Daniel had tasked her with investigating Star-Lord, and with his provided clues, she managed to find him. It was a combination of his mother dying of a brain tumor and a missing child that led her to the right path. Even though the individual clues were hard to track, combining them made the search feasible. Given the era of big data, even long-unsolved cases left traces. With the right effort and resources, finding Peter Quill was just a matter of time. S.H.I.E.L.D. likely would have found him much sooner.
As for what to do next, Daniel hadn't thought that far ahead. The Guardians of the Galaxy and Ego were far beyond his current reach, much like the Power Stone and the Soul Stone. Even if he knew where they were, he wouldn't pursue them now. The Soul Stone's acquisition required a sacrifice he couldn't make, and he lacked a vessel to wield all six Infinity Stones. The Infinity Gauntlet in Asgard's vault was a fake, and creating one himself was out of the question given the immense power of the Stones. Even Tony Stark wasn't yet capable of making such a gauntlet.
"I'll let fake Ada handle her own problems." After considering it for a while, Daniel decided not to tell Ada about her fake counterpart. As for Star-Lord's hometown, he planned to visit later to see if he could find anything left by Ego. He was curious about Ego, the celestial planet, but he knew Ego's actual planet form was well-hidden and dangerous. For now, the seed Ego left on Earth was safe enough, especially with Odin and the Ancient One still around.
"Could throwing the Power Stone at Ego's planet destroy him? From Star-Lord's actions, it doesn't seem likely. That route seems unfeasible."
If there was a chance to eliminate Ego, Daniel wouldn't hesitate. Unfortunately, he couldn't think of any viable method. "Looks like I'll have to rely on the idiot."
Ego wasn't just powerful; his planetary form was also well-hidden. Unless Ego himself brought someone like Star-Lord to it, finding it would be nearly impossible.
"Forget it. These issues are too far off for now. I'll deal with them later." With Ada here, Daniel set aside these thoughts and started chatting with her.
Daniel was curious about Ada's activities, but she seemed reluctant to discuss her personal life. Nonetheless, Daniel knew she had shifted from agent work to exploring unknown ruins. Despite the advanced technology in the Marvel world, many hidden ruins still existed on Earth, undetectable by satellites.
"Time to deal with Hive." A few days after Ada left, Daniel prepared for action.
To reach the alien planet, he needed the large black stone in Malik's possession. He hadn't acted earlier due to the risks. Malik wasn't a minor figure; he was a member of the World Security Council and his family's enterprise ranked among the top ten global companies. He wielded considerable influence in the Western world.
HYDRA's resilience, growing back heads like the mythical Hydra, was largely due to Malik's family's support. After the Red Skull's defeat, their backing allowed HYDRA to infiltrate the Strategic Scientific Reserve swiftly, outmaneuvering even Peggy Carter. As long as the Malik family remained, HYDRA could regenerate. In the original timeline, Coulson and his team only managed to eliminate the Maliks due to Hive's influence.
Even the President of the United States had to rely on Coulson to deal with Malik covertly, unable to confront him directly.
Such a figure was too risky to eliminate prematurely.
The Malik family had a vault containing vast wealth, heavily guarded. However, these defenses were meaningless to Daniel. With a mirror dimension, all defenses became irrelevant.
"Hmm, it's not here. Did I remember wrong?" After searching the vault twice, Daniel frowned, not finding the peculiar black stone.
"Is it not here? I guess I'll have to confront Malik directly." Failing to find the stone, Daniel decided to question Malik. With his numerous properties worldwide, searching them all would be time-consuming. Instead, he'd hypnotize Malik for answers. The telekinetic Inhuman protecting Malik wasn't a concern, far inferior to a certain green-haired loli.
"Speak of the devil." Just as Daniel planned to act, the vault door opened, and Malik entered.
"Is this the black stone?" Watching Malik ignore other treasures and head straight to a reinforced glass case, Daniel saw him retrieve a small box. When the box opened to reveal an ordinary-looking stone pillar, Daniel realized this must be it.
Malik's singular focus on this stone suggested it wasn't ordinary. While others might not deduce its significance, Daniel knew better.
"Strange, I remember it being a large stone that swallowed Simmons. Why is it so small now? Did I forget something?" Daniel pondered, confused by the stone's size.
"Can't recall, never mind." Unable to remember, Daniel dismissed the thought. He only remembered key events or particularly impressive scenes from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Simmons being swallowed by the stone was one such event.
"In this day and age, relying on an ancient Inhuman... truly pitiful." Watching Malik lovingly re-seal the stone, Daniel shook his head.
"Room: Slaughterhouse." After Malik left, Daniel exited the vault, left the mirror dimension, and used his Ope Ope no Mi powers to swap the black stone from the box with a slice he had taken from the pillar. For Daniel, just a piece of the black stone was enough to locate the alien world and didn't need the entire stone to open the portal.
"Got it." Using his powers, Daniel identified the frequency to liquefy the stone and sensed the other side's space. With hand signs, he opened a golden portal revealing a desolate landscape on the other side.
"The energy cost isn't high. Kamar-Taj's magic is the biggest hack in this world. No wonder Doctor Strange could return from Titan so quickly." The portal led to another planet, its distance from Earth unknown.
Comparing spatial teleportation, Apparition in the Harry Potter world was faster to cast but much more energy-consuming. Kamar-Taj's magic, though slower, required far less energy. Daniel could use it to traverse Earth's entire span, something Apparition couldn't manage due to its high energy demand.
"This place is truly barren." Stepping through the portal, Daniel surveyed the surroundings, sighing at the desolate landscape and distant sandstorms.
No greenery was in sight, making him marvel at Simmons' survival here, let alone the man who endured for over a decade.
Thinking of his goal, Daniel set down his supplies and activated the Pym Particles. Four large containers appeared, releasing forty Iron Man suits that flew out and hovered in a fan formation above him.
"Which direction to start searching?" The landscape was almost identical everywhere, making the search difficult without knowing where to start.
"These must be remnants from the far star project." Using detectors, Daniel quickly found buried bones and old equipment, remnants from the previous exploration team.
"Human presence detected. It must be Will." Finding Hive was easiest by locating Will, the man who survived here for years. Daniel had equipped the Iron Man suits with human-detection sensors for this purpose.
"Sorry, Will." Daniel had planned his approach to dealing with Will, who wasn't part of his rescue mission. Besides, in the original timeline, Will didn't survive.
"Who's there?" Ragged and gathering supplies, Will spotted the Iron Man suits and fled.
As an ordinary man, he couldn't outrun the suits, especially since Daniel had equipped them with Spider-Man's webbing.
"Imperius Curse." Daniel quickly caught up and cast the Imperius Curse on Will, not wanting any information about the alien world to leak. Unlike Fitz, Daniel had no intention of rescuing Will.
"Hive's playing cat and mouse, huh?" From Will, Daniel learned he survived by finding a natural underground hideout and using it as a base while scavenging nearby for supplies.
The alien world, though barren, still had water and some life, enough for Will to survive. Hive likely spared him to keep him as a reserve meal, playing a twisted game.
Hive wasn't just a mindless monster; he had intelligence and, through centuries of Malik family sacrifices, had some understanding of Earth's civilization. Hive could absorb the memories of those he consumed.
"I wonder how Hive escaped in the original story." Understanding Hive's resurrection through Ward's body was one thing, but Daniel couldn't fathom how he escaped the alien world. The portal should have been destroyed by then. If it were that easy, Hive would have returned long ago.
Unable to figure it out, Daniel focused on his current plan. To lure out Hive, he used the controlled Will as bait.
Hive was vulnerable. In the original story, he nearly died to Hellfire's surprise attack.
"So this is Hive. He looks like a zombie. If Malik's family hadn't kept feeding him, Hive might have starved over the centuries. Poor Malik." Besides playing cat and mouse, Hive likely kept Will as emergency rations, sensing the periodic sacrifices from the Malik family.
Watching Hive, more zombie-like than zombies themselves, emerge from the sand and rush at Will, Daniel activated his trap. As Hive attacked, flames engulfed Will, and Iron Man suits surrounded them, spraying intense fire.
"Room." Among the Iron Man suits, one contained Daniel. As flames engulfed Will, Daniel used his Ope Ope no Mi powers to scan Hive.
"A millennium of hope for the Malik family, reduced to this. If they knew their thousand-year hope was destroyed so easily, I wonder how they'd react."
Daniel's confidence stemmed from his knowledge of Hive's abilities and the fact that Hive was in a weakened state. It was a classic case of
striking when the enemy was down.
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