Chapter 20: Master (2)
Niklaus walked briskly through the tower's halls, his mind fixating on an idea that had formed after hours of contemplation.
It was time to act on this idea, to push further and see if it would alleviate even a sliver of that emptiness.
He arrived at Penélope's office without knocking, stepping inside with a commanding presence.
She looked up, surprised to see him. Before she could greet him, he spoke in a flat, direct tone.
"Follow me."
She opened her mouth to respond, trying to address him as "Master," but he had already turned and started walking back out the door, completely ignoring her attempt at conversation.
His detachment was painfully obvious, but Penélope followed him obediently, her concern mounting as she sensed something different in his demeanor.
They descended to the basement, the air growing colder as they entered the clinical, sterile environment.
Niklaus moved with purpose, not sparing a glance in her direction.
She felt uneasy but kept her head down, knowing better than to question him.
When they reached the heart of the basement, Niklaus pointed to a clinical table and ordered, "Sit down."
Penélope complied, settling herself on the cold metal.
She flinched slightly as Niklaus clamped her wrists down, the mechanical restraints locking into place with a sharp click.
Her heart raced, but she forced herself to stay calm.
His silence was unnerving, and despite her best efforts to control her nerves, her hands trembled slightly.
Niklaus mentally summoned several of the Super-Researchers (SRs), highly skilled scientists under his control, and they quickly arrived to begin preparations for the procedure.
Penélope watched them work, her anxiety rising as they moved with quiet robotic efficiency.
She trusted her master with her being, but something about this situation was making her nervous.
"The compound V," Niklaus began explaining, his voice now calm, though a rare gentle edge crept into it, "is based loosely on Kree physiology. Along with the Super Soldier Serum data I recovered from Shield on various hacking attempts."
He paused, glancing at her, perhaps noticing her growing unease.
He surprised her by continuing in that same uncharacteristically soft tone.
"You'll be fine. This will make you stronger , more useful to me."
His reassurance, though out of character, gave her a fleeting sense of peace, even as the SRs began hooking multiple IV lines into her arms and torso.
The purplish liquid in the pods looked ominous, and the sight of the large metallic cradle, reminiscent of the one used to create Vision, only deepened her nervousness.
As the machine hummed to life, encasing her in a metal shell, Penélope closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to center herself.
She trusted Master completely. He had given her purpose, and if this was his will, then she would endure it.
---
The moment the first drop of Compound V entered her bloodstream, Penélope felt a surge of molten heat rush through her veins.
It was like lava coursing through her body, burning her from the inside out. Her mind screamed in agony, every nerve on fire.
She tried to remain composed, to hold onto her devotion, but the pain was overwhelming.
More of the liquid pumped into her system, and with each dose, her suffering grew worse.
The sensation of burning alive consumed her thoughts, and for a moment, she wished for death.
She could feel her skin boiling, her bones threatening to melt under the pressure.
She wanted to cry out, to beg for mercy, but all that escaped her was a strangled scream.
The red lights inside the cradle flickered on, and the temperature within the chamber began to rise rapidly.
The heat became unbearable, and Penélope was sure that she would perish in the next moment.
She tried to move, to fight back against the restraints, but her body was too weak to respond.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she felt herself slipping away, darkness closing in around her vision.
But then, something shifted inside her mind.
Amid the searing pain, there was a release, like a lock clicking open deep within her subconscious.
A flood of power surged through her, and the pain began to twist, morphing into something new.
Pleasure.
The agony turned to an intoxicating euphoria as her body started to adapt.
Her cells were no longer fighting the transformation; they were embracing it.
She could feel the heat being absorbed into her very core, replenishing her instead of destroying her.
The sensation of dying faded, replaced by an overwhelming rush of vitality.
Her mind cleared, and she gasped in shock as the impossible happened.
She wasn't just surviving—she was thriving.
The heat, the pain, the liquid flowing through her veins—all of it was becoming part of her.
Every cell in her body drank in the energy hungrily, transforming her into something far beyond what she had ever imagined possible.
As the cradle continued its work, Penélope let out a breathless sigh, her body humming with power.
She was being reborn.
---
[IMAGE]
Two hours later, Penélope emerged from the pod a completely transformed woman.
Her hair now changed in colour, once showing subtle signs of aging, gleamed with renewed luster and vitality.
Her skin was smoother, glowing with an ethereal energy that hadn't been there before.
Muscles that were once toned now stood more pronounced, sculpted to perfection, like the body of an elite warrior molded through the process.
Despite the incredible transformation, she was in no condition to stand, her body still weak and trembling from the ordeal.
Without hesitation, Niklaus stepped forward and scooped her into his arms.
With effortless precision, he phased them both through the walls of the tower and into her room, laying her down gently on the bed.
Niklaus stood by her bedside, arms crossed as he observed her breathing slowly stabilize.
He could sense the new power coursing through her, —exactly as he had planned.
It was a succes on all fronts , he had gained a powerful Peice alongside confirming a way to control what superpowers a person gets.
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