Chapter 13: A Flashback of the Fall
[Time – Midday – Public Library]
The library was quiet, a sanctum of knowledge and contemplation. Adam sat in a comfortable armchair in a secluded corner, a book on his lap, but his mind was a thousand miles away. He had the answers he needed. He had defeated Stane, at least for now. But he was still a prisoner of his own System. He needed to know. He needed to understand the [Host Logs] that were locked away. He had to know about the host before him, the woman he had seen in the alley.
He activated his [B-Rank: Memory Echo] ability. He didn't know what it would do. He didn't know if it would work. But he had to try.
[SYSTEM: B-Rank: Memory Echo Initiated. Target: 'Previous Host Log'.]
He closed his eyes. The quiet hum of the library faded away, replaced by a cold, metallic silence. He was in a grimy, dark alleyway. The air smelled of gasoline and rain. He saw a woman, her face a mask of fear, her hand clutching a glowing orb of pure energy. It was a power core. It was the same design as Tony's Arc Reactor, but it was old, a prototype. He saw a man, a powerful figure, standing over her. The man was speaking, his voice a low, terrifying growl.
"Give me the core. Now. Or the city… it burns."
The woman, the host, shook her head, her face a mask of desperate sadness.
"No. I can't. Not for you."
"Then you will die, and the core will be mine."
The man reached out, his hand glowing with a sinister, violet light. The woman, the host, took a deep, shuddering breath. She didn't fight him. She didn't plead. She looked at the core in her hand, and then at the System notification that was flashing before her eyes.
"No,"
she whispered, a single, final word.
The man grabbed the core. It didn't burn him. It didn't kill him. It just glowed, a soft, ethereal light in his hand. The woman, the host, fell to the ground, a single, silent tear running down her cheek. The memory faded.
[Time – Moments Later – The Library]
Adam's eyes fluttered open. He was back in the library. The sun was streaming through the window, but the air felt cold. He had seen it all. The host, the power core, the man with the violet light. The man hadn't killed her. He had taken her power. And the System… the System had just watched. It had given her a choice, but it was an impossible choice. A moral dilemma that led to her demise.
The System isn't a guide. It's a curse. It sets us up for failure. It gives us a choice between death and… being powerless. The core… it's what he wanted. He didn't care about the host. He just cared about the power. The System… it let it happen.
A cold, hard knot of rage and determination formed in his stomach. He would not be a victim. He would not be a tool. He would not let the System or its hidden history define him. He would not be a footnote in a database. He would be the one who broke the cycle.
Love [ MARVEL MISCHIEF SYSTEM ]? Unlock More Chapters and Support the Story! 🌟
Dive deeper into the world of [ MARVEL MISCHIEF SYSTEM ] with exclusive access to 35+ chapters on my Patreon, plus 5 new chapters every week! Your support starting at just $5/month helps me keep crafting the stories you love across epic universes like [Grimm, Teen Wolf ,MCU and Arrowverse].
By joining, you're not just getting more chapters—you're helping me bring new worlds, twists, and adventures to life. Every pledge makes a huge difference!
👉 Join now at patreon.com/TheFinex5 and start reading today!