Chapter 13: Preparing for the Invasion: The Avengers Initiative
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: CURRENT TP: 850. SKILL: ENHANCED SUPER-SPEED (50-100 MPH), ADVANCED MARKSMANSHIP, ENHANCED COMBAT PROWESS (UNARMED), TACTICAL ADAPTABILITY (URBAN COMBAT). INVENTORY: MARK II BOOT REPULSOR (PROTOTYPE), STEVE ROGERS' WWII DOG TAG, OLIVER QUEEN'S SPECIALTY ARROW.]
The air in the multiverse was thick with anticipation. My meta-knowledge screamed that Loki's invasion of New York, the catalyst for the formation of the Avengers, was looming. I couldn't stop it; it was a foundational event. But I could mitigate its impact and ensure the team formed as cohesively as possible. My role wasn't to fight the Chitauri directly (yet), but to be the unseen hand, the strategic advisor, the silent facilitator. This was where my acquired skills, particularly Multiversal Threat Assessment and Advanced Diplomatic Protocols, would shine.
"Okay, Adam, the big one. Loki. Chitauri. New York. This is where the MCU officially kicks off the grand cosmic narrative. My job here is to grease the wheels, prevent unnecessary friction, and arm the good guys with just enough pre-emptive knowledge to make their job easier. And whatever you do, do not try to take a selfie with the Hulk. You will regret it. Unless you're really into being flung across the city."
My focus was on subtly nudging Nick Fury and the key Avengers towards crucial insights. I knew Fury was already compiling the Avengers Initiative, gathering these disparate, powerful individuals. What he lacked was the full picture, the "meta" view of Loki's true intentions and the Chitauri's vulnerabilities.
I decided against a direct confrontation with Fury. He was too paranoid, too much of a Chessmaster. A direct approach would only lead to me being classified as a Level 7 threat, probably ending up in a supermax prison alongside any sentient toaster ovens I might possess. Instead, I opted for a ghost-in-the-machine approach.
Using my Portal Creation with extreme precision, I opened a tiny, almost imperceptible breach into a secure SHIELD server room in Washington D.C. It was barely large enough to slip a data stick through. I had spent 125 TP to purchase a "Decrypted HYDRA Sleeper Agent List (Partial)" from the System Market specifically for this. This wasn't just a list; it was interwoven with detailed intelligence about HYDRA's long-term goals and a few key tactical insights into Loki's probable modus operandi, gleaned from my comprehensive Multiversal Threat Assessment Data Package. It was designed to look like an internal leak from a genuine but disillusioned SHIELD/HYDRA agent, not a cosmic intervention.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: TP EXPENDITURE: 125. ITEM PURCHASED: DECRYPTED HYDRA SLEEPER AGENT LIST (PARTIAL).]
My TP was now 725.
I slipped the data stick onto a console, then vanished, leaving no trace. The goal was to have Fury and his top analysts discover it, believe it was from a disgruntled insider, and then act on its critical intel. The data specifically highlighted Loki's known psychological warfare tactics (pitting the Avengers against each other), the Chitauri's hive mind and reliance on a command ship (a crucial target), and a few minor vulnerabilities in their armor I'd "dreamed up" earlier for Cisco. This intelligence, if acted upon, would reduce infighting and streamline the battle plan.
"Alright, Fury. Enjoy your unexpected Christmas present. It's got a pretty bow of 'internal conspiracy' tied around it, and it's filled with 'save the world' goodness. Don't say I never gave you anything."
Next, I needed to make contact with one more key Avenger to cement my MCU presence and potentially gain another critical skill: Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow). She was the team's spy, the strategist, the one who navigated the moral grey areas with deadly grace. She wouldn't be impressed by grand gestures or philosophical musings; she'd be impressed by cold, hard utility and a demonstration of competence.
I tracked her through my meta-knowledge, finding her on a solo mission to retrieve a sensitive piece of intel from a rogue ex-KGB agent. She was working undercover, moving through the shadows of a grimy warehouse. My Tactical Adaptability (Urban Combat) and Enhanced Combat Prowess (Unarmed) skills came into play. I moved through the warehouse, a silent shadow, observing her methods, learning her patterns. She was good. Very good.
The moment came when she was cornered, her target escaping, and a hidden squad of enemy agents ambushing her. This wasn't a world-ending event, but a small, personal failure for her, and potentially a very messy situation.
I intervened. Not by fighting directly, but by using my Enhanced Super-Speed to create momentary diversions: knocking over stacks of crates, triggering fire alarms, cutting power to specific sections, creating chaos that allowed Natasha to regain the upper hand and escape her immediate predicament, securing her target. I was a phantom, a whisper of assistance, gone before she could even get a clear look.
Later, I sent an encrypted message directly to a burner phone she used for classified ops, a phone she thought was completely secure. The message was concise: "The agent you just cornered? He has a dead drop location in Sector 7, Warehouse B, under the third floor vent. Contains intel on their broader network. And the man who set up your ambush? He has a distinctive mole on his left wrist. He was expecting you. Just wanted to let you know you're not as alone as you think. – A Friend."
This information was precise, verifiable, and clearly from an impossible source. It showed I knew her specific mission, her adversaries, and even subtle physical details only someone intimately involved would know. It wasn't about saving her life (she could handle herself), but about making her mission cleaner, more successful, and about making her question everything.
I waited. Days later, I received a short, anonymous text back: "Who is this 'Friend'? And what do you want?"
"Someone who sees the bigger picture, Natasha," I replied, carefully crafting my message. "Someone who believes in what you do. And someone who offers… unique insight. I deal in information, in possibilities. And sometimes, in very specific, very useful intel. For a price, of course. My business is unconventional, but my results are undeniable. Meet me tonight. Abandoned bridge. Midnight. Come alone. And bring something small, but uniquely yours. A piece of your… legend."
She arrived precisely at midnight, a silent shadow herself, her movements fluid and deadly. She was in plain clothes, but I knew she was armed and ready for anything. Her eyes, even in the darkness, were sharp, missing nothing.
"Alright, 'Friend'," she said, her voice flat, devoid of emotion, but with an underlying current of intense curiosity. "You've got my attention. You sent me intel that saved a lot of lives, including potentially mine. And you knew about the mole. So, who are you, and what's your game?"
"My name is Adam. And my 'game,' as you call it, is to connect the dots in a multiverse that's about to get very, very complicated," I said, stepping into the faint moonlight. "I told you, I'm a broker. Of realities. Of information. And I want to forge alliances. Between worlds. For the fight to come. Because what you just faced? That's just the prelude. Bigger threats are coming. Threats that will make Loki look like a minor inconvenience. And they're going to require more than just one team of exceptional individuals."
I brought up a holographic projection, not of a schematic, but of a conceptual map, showing interconnected Earths, with faint lines extending to a distant, ominous 'cosmic cloud' – a subtle visual hint of the Dominators. It was designed to look like a highly advanced strategic display.
"This is a glimpse of what I see. Multiple realities. Multiple versions of Earth. And a growing number of threats that transcend any single world. My purpose is to bridge these gaps. To share intel. To create a unified front. But it requires trust. And a tangible exchange."
"You want to… cross dimensions?" Natasha asked, her brow furrowing, a rare crack in her stoic facade. "That sounds like a sci-fi movie. Or something Fury would invent to give me nightmares. And what do you want from me, Agent Adam?" The 'Agent' was laced with sarcasm.
"Not an agent, Natasha. Just Adam. And yes, cross dimensions. It's already happening. And for my fee, I want something small. A memento. A piece of your personal legend. A small, distinctive item you carry with you. Something that represents your unique blend of cunning and conviction. Perhaps that hair clip you usually wear? The one that's slightly off-kilter, but always perfectly functional? A symbol of the woman who always finds a way."
She stared at me, then reached up, pulling a small, unassuming hair clip from her fiery red hair. It was a simple, dark metal clip, utterly ordinary to anyone else, but I knew it was a constant fixture for her. She was a master of observation, and she knew I had noticed a tiny, personal detail. This wasn't about the value of the item, but the value of the observation, the knowledge.
"You're observant," she said, a hint of grudging admiration in her voice. "Creepily so. This clip has been with me through a lot of messes. Consider it a piece of history. But don't think this means I trust you, Adam. Just that you're… useful. And intensely weird. I'll be watching you. Every move." She tossed the clip to me. I caught it. It was cool and metallic.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: FIRST TRADE INITIATED! CHARACTER: NATASHA ROMANOFF (BLACK WIDOW). ITEM OFFERED: ACTIONABLE HYDRA INTEL (SPECIFIC & VERIFIABLE). ITEM REQUESTED: NATASHA ROMANOFF'S DISTINCTIVE HAIR CLIP.]
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: TRADE ACCEPTED! TP EARNED: 200.]
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: SKILL ACQUIRED: COVERT OPERATIONS (INFILTRATION/ESPIONAGE). ENHANCED STEALTH, INFORMATION GATHERING, DISGUISE, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MANIPULATION. CAN BE UPGRADED WITH TP OR THROUGH FURTHER TRADES.]
A new sensation, a heightened awareness of my surroundings, of subtle tells, of psychological weaknesses. My movements felt even more fluid, more silent, my mind capable of processing social cues and body language with uncanny accuracy. I felt like I could disappear into a crowd, or extract information from a locked-down facility. It was an incredibly useful skill for a broker who needed to operate in the shadows.
"Pleasure doing business, Natasha," I said, pocketing the hair clip. "And I wouldn't have it any other way. When the time comes, remember this conversation. And remember the possibility of other worlds. Because you're going to need more than just one team to save them all."
I opened a portal and vanished, leaving her alone on the bridge, her sharp mind already dissecting my words, categorizing the strange new variable that had just entered her carefully constructed world.
A Special Message to My Amazing Readers!
To keep MCU/ARROWVERSE : With Trading System growing and deliver more chapters faster, I've launched a Patreon! Join today for 5$ unlock 20+ additional chapters and become a vital part of this story's journey. Your support means the world!
you can read also 20+ chapters of "Marvel : Please Kill Me""The Boys: I'm the New Hue, I Need More Power" and "legends of tomorrow : Im a Legend Now"+"Arrowverse: I'm a Hero"+"The Flash : Please Kill Me"
Click here to dive deeper: [patreon.com/TheFinex5]