Author's Note:
After several setbacks, I finally managed to write and publish the first chapter of this story.
I wanted to post this when I got Mavuika from Genshin Impact, but I wasn't lucky enough to get her.
Then, I entered my KPop Demon Hunters fan phase, which kept me busy for several weeks.
Finally, I had part of a horrible mini family vacation that ruined my plans.
Speaking of nice things, I've had some luck with Gacha the last few days.
I got Mualani from Genshin Impact and Kafka from Honkai: Star Rail, two of MiHoYo's prettiest Waifu.
Honestly, I'm happy to add this story to the Kaleidoscope Adventure series.
Previously, I wrote a story about a Herrscher, now I wrote about a MANTIS who possesses a Holy Grail (Type-Moon).
Now, to complete the "collection", I have to write stories that talk about a Valkyrie/Knight, Cocoon of Finality, Pathfinder, Traveler, Archon, Heavenly Principles.
In some ways, I make my life more difficult for myself.
XXX
Story Title: Kaleidoscope Adventure (AEMH): Flamechaser, the Calamity of the Sun
Plot: I don't know how, but I woke up transformed into a MANTIS inside an IAM base. In my hands I had Laevatein and a Holy Grail. In a panic, I burned the entire base and cut Australia in two.
I ran away, I hid, I accidentally summoned Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova. Slowly, I began to understand certain things about my abilities, such as being connected to the kingdom of Natlan.
In the present, I fight a personal war against IAM, while SHIELD and HYDRA investigate me.
All this, while I divide my time between being a hero, leading a small group of Servants, learning magic, and getting to know the kingdom, people, and wildlife (Mons) of Natlan better.
Then came a day unlike any other, when Earth's mightiest heroes stood united against a common threat, and I was one of them.
Being an Avengers isn't going to make my life more complicated, right?
XXX
Story Arc: An eternal flame has been lit
Episode 1: My name is Flamechaser
Chapter 1: Fire and Ice
Plot: Hawkeye and Black Widow went on a reconnaissance mission instead of gathering intelligence on an enemy base. The two elite SHIELD Agents encounter two unknown elements.
XXX
POV Narrator
Three months ago, a small incident occurred outside the hero world.
A young flame was abruptly extinguished by a Goddess's mistake. As a sign of apology, the Goddess took the last sparks from that flame, held it in her hands, and gazed deeply into it.
The Goddess saw many dreams among the remains of the flame, some simple, some grand, some strange, but finally she found a dream that she liked.
The Goddess used a small portion of her power to nourish her dying sparks, giving her a new form, new abilities, and certain gifts.
Finally, the Goddess found a gateway to a proper world, without much thought she threw the flame through the gap, finishing her work of apology.
This simple gesture for her will bring about countless changes in the world of heroes, some good, some bad, but like the flapping of a butterfly's wings it generates a storm over time.
XXX
In a world where, in recent years, the laws and world order have been shattered by the appearance of supervillains, superheroes, and so much madness that people are beginning to wonder if they are living inside a comic book.
Something so ridiculous has happened that it is almost impossible to believe, even by their new standards.
Three months ago, Australia was cut in two.
This is no joke, Australia, the flattest and driest inhabited continent in the world, has literally been cut in two.
Nobody knows who was responsible.
On the internet, many people have blamed a certain cat named Tom.
Ignoring fans of the movie Tom & Jerry: The Fast and the Furry, serious people have investigated the phenomenon, not only to help Australia, but also to prevent something like this from happening in their country.
Investigations have shown that everything started in New Guinea, from a secret research center of the criminal organization, AIM (Advanced Idea Mechanics).
A kind of fire beam cut off the AIM base from the inside, the trail of fire passed through the Gulf of Carpentaria, continuing to advance across the ocean, burning numerous ships and causing extensive damage to the marine ecosystem.
The trail of fire continued to move forward, reaching Australia, creating a scorched earth road.
Alice Springs, the second most populous city in Australia's Northern Territory, was cut in two, being the only major city unfortunate enough to be in the path of the fire disaster.
After Alice Springs, the flame-destruction beam traveled across western Australia, passing into the Great Australian Bight, then continuing into the Indian Ocean.
The disaster stopped just short of hitting the coast of Antarctica, narrowly averting a global disaster.
Scientists had created scenarios of how Antarctica would melt because of that unknown weapon, causing an unprecedented rise in sea levels, and the consequences are not pretty.
SHIELD itself began investigating the incident, but the AIM research base that contained information on the origin of the Flaming Catastrophe was no more successful than Alice Springs.
Half of the research base was charred, staff and security personnel turned to ash or melted away along with the walls and much more.
The other half was devastated by heat, flames, and smoke, but the damage wasn't as extensive; the bodies could be identified by dental records...most of the time.
The computers were no better, all SHIELD technicians could glean was the fact that the research facility was serving to develop some sort of large ring-like device and it was built in the center of the facility, right where the fiery disaster began.
Not gaining sufficient intelligence, SHIELD began investing greater effort and attention into addressing the AIM threat.
The creation of that unknown weapon, probably an unstable prototype, cut a country in two, not even a small country, but Australia.
A complete, functioning weapon could destroy the entire planet or burn it to the ground.
SHIELD's efforts to dismantle the criminal organization AIM have led to a startling discovery—they're not the only ones fighting AIM.
In three months, nine major bases and dozens of minor IAM bases were found by SHIELD in a state of pure glacial ruin.
SHIELD agents and researchers easily discovered that these attacks are connected to each other.
A rather easy thing to discover, because all these attacks on IAM properties have one factor in common: ice.
SHIELD still hasn't figured out who, what, how, or why, but at the end of each attack, the surrounding land is frozen, AIM members have been transformed into ice statues.
The characteristic treaty, almost a personal signature of the guilty or guilty, small icebergs that devastate the IAM's hideouts from the inside out or vice versa.
A less obvious detail of these attacks, but one that functions as a distinctive signature, is that the AIM Agents who were not transformed into ice statues were killed by spear attacks.
The Elite Agents of SHIELD have been given an additional assignment – not only to continue their research on the mysterious AIM weapon, but they must also find the person or people responsible for these icy attacks.
XXX
In the present, a small SHIELD stealth helicopter is flying over the Chihuahuan Desert, an ecoregion that covers parts of Mexico and the United States.
One of the two people aboard the stealth vehicle is Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye.
Hawkeye has blond hair and blue eyes and a strong body. He wears a V-shaped purple mask, a purple vest with a scaled armor-like appearance, a purple band around his sleeveless right bicep, darker purple fingerless gloves to allow for full dexterity, dark purple pants and purple boots. He carries a purple quiver around his back filled with arrows, which also has his collapsible bow attached when not in use.
The person piloting the helicopter is Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow.
Black Widow is a tall beautiful white woman with long red hair, green eyes, and an athletic and muscular, yet voluptuous build. She wears a black jumpsuit based on the comics she is naked and clothless and has her bra and underwear.
It takes on a slight dark blue cover, the shadows being black. Her belt is made of oval like shapes, and has a circle in the front of her belt. Matching her suit, she wears black high heels.
She wears golden colored wrist blasters and has flaming red hair and green eyes. Her hair is styled long, with bangs covering most of her forehead. She dons a slight red form of lipstick as well.
"Natasha, how long until we get there? I'm starting to get bored." Hawkeye said, checking one of his special arrows for the umpteenth time.
"Clint, we're almost there. Do you remember the mission details?" Natasha asks, keeping her gaze forward, concentrating on piloting the helicopter.
"Our satellites have found an IAM base, we've been chosen as a reconnaissance/infiltration team." Clint replies as if he's reciting a poem he's memorized.
Natasha nods as she presses buttons activating systems that make the helicopter invisible to radar.
"We have to look around, grab something valuable if we find it, and then either return to base or call in the cavalry."
"That's one way to sum up the mission," Natasha comments, accustomed to her partner's relaxed attitude.
Clint finishes playing with his arrow and puts it back in his quiver.
"Our last few assignments have been pretty similar, all we've been hearing lately is IAM stuff, like there aren't any more bad guys to target," Clint said, his voice displeased.
The archer has completed several dozen assignments and missions over the past few months, all focused on harming the organization known as IAM.
Of course, Hawkeye has performed all his duties to the best of his ability, and Black Widow can bear witness to that. However, all of this has left a bitter aftertaste in Clint's mouth, for several reasons.
"The IAM created a weapon that cut a country and several stretches of ocean in two. It's only natural that it became a priority target for SHIELD," Natasha said, finding it logical that Nick Fury is channeling more effort and agents into tackling the IAM.
"Are we sure such a weapon exists? We've been working for three months to search every single place or object even slightly connected to AIM. And we haven't found anything." said the archer, exposing the thought that has been troubling him for months.
"What do you mean, Clint?" Natasha asks, almost tempted to put the helicopter on autopilot and go talk to the archer face to face.
"Maybe we're looking for something that doesn't exist." Clint said, standing up, walking into the cockpit.
"Tell that to the people of Alice Springs and the government in Canberra," Natasha comments, knowing plenty of people who would disagree with Clint's words.
The only remotely good thing from that Catastrophe of Flames is the fact that the Australian government donated a large sum of money to the SHIELD budget, and they want to find the person responsible and try him in the Australian Supreme Court.
The only remotely good thing from that Catastrophe of Flames was the fact that the Australian government donated a nice sum of money to the SHIELD budget.
Australia's leaders want to find the person responsible, try him in the Supreme Court and give him the highest possible punishment.
"There's no denying that something happened and that IAM was involved in some way, but maybe we're looking at things the wrong way," Clint said, believing the situation is actually much more out of the ordinary.
"You're not entirely wrong, Clint. If I had a weapon like that, I wouldn't be targeting Australia with it when there are more tempting targets. And there are signs from the attack's origin site that something outside of AIM's control happened." Natasha said, partially agreeing with Clint that things are more complex than they seem.
"In my opinion, there are three options to explain what happened." Clint said, holding up three fingers.
"It's only a few minutes until landing, so tell it like it's in your head, Clint. That way you'll be fully focused on the mission." Natasha said, a little curious about her partner's theories.
"First option, those crazy beekeepers tried to recreate Doctor Octopus's work on cold fusion by using tritium to control the sun's power, but they lost control disastrously." Clint said, offering his first theory.
The Archer has done some research into the means to incinerate a vast territory. He may not be a genius with a degree or a doctorate, but he knows how to use his brain to get results.
"Someone did their homework," Natasha comments, a small, amused smile on her lips.
"I'm not just an attractive man with a great sense of humor and a good aim," Clint said, his voice full of pride.
"But if they had tried to create Doctor Octopus' tritium reactor, the IAM base and their equipment would have suffered damage from a powerful electromagnetic effect, which didn't happen," Natasha explains, denying Clint's first theory.
"No problem, I have two more theories left," Clint said, not looking sad about being wrong.
The archer didn't believe he would get it right on the first try, especially when half the world has been trying for months to get an answer.
"Option two, the IAM was working on a portal, a teleportation system would be useful for doing a lot of things," Hawkeye said, knowing how useful it would be to be able to transport resources and troops over long distances in a flash.
"It would be an invention that IAM would try to create," Natasha said, acknowledging that a teleportation machine would be a useful and sought-after item.
"In my theory, the IAM miscalculated, their machine opened a portal near the surface of the sun or a star, then a solar flare or something happened, blowing all the heat out through the portal, hitting their base and then Australia." Clint said, confident this theory is more likely.
"That theory isn't bad, but if that had happened, the heat wouldn't have dissipated in a perfectly straight line, cutting Australia in two," Natasha said, denying Clint's second theory.
Clint clicked his tongue, sure that the remains of the machine found in that base that started it all was a portal creator.
"Your latest theory?" Natasha asks, wanting to hear what else Clint has come up with.
"AIM did what all mad scientists have done, they tried to create a living weapon, they found one unfortunate individual, strapped him to a table, subjected him to countless experiments, making him extremely powerful, but they couldn't find a way to control it." Clint tells the classic tale of a reluctant lab rat.
"Finally one day… BOOM." Clint said, making a loud explosion with his hands.
"Goodbye, base full of mad scientists. Hello, massive collateral damage to Australia," Clint said, wrapping up his latest theory.
"This option would be the worst, a traumatized individual with the power to burn continents." Natasha said, with a grim expression, but not denying this theory.
"If such an individual existed, he wouldn't be as unstable as you fear. In the last three months, we haven't heard of cities being burned or nations being cut in two." Clint said, trying to look on the bright side, if he was right with his latest theory.
"Unfortunately, I can't confirm or deny the third theory. Wolverine and the Hulk are living examples of how mad science is good at creating living weapons and terrible at controlling them," Natasha said, beginning to execute the landing maneuvers.
XXX
Hawkeye and Black Widow left the helicopter in a safe area, then walked on foot to the AIM base.
The two SHIELD Agents are currently hiding behind a rock mass, preparing to monitor/infiltrate the enemy base.
"Did we take a wrong turn?" Clint asks, suddenly starting to shake.
Also, Natasha, who was holding a pair of binoculars, started to shiver.
"Are we in the Mexican desert or Siberia?" Clint asks, seeing his own breathing through the cold.
"This isn't normal. A second ago the temperatures were normal, now they've changed abruptly." Natasha said, moving away from the boulder she uses for cover.
In an instant, Natasha stops shivering, the air becomes warm and dry again.
"Take three steps forward and you freeze, take three steps back and you die of heat, something's happening," Clin said, remaining in the cold zone.
Before Natasha had time to process the new information and think of an action to take.
A very strong wind makes itself felt, dispersing the cold into the warm area, followed by sand and ... snowflakes.
"Is that a snowflake in the middle of the Mexican desert?" Clint asks in an incredulous voice.
An imaginary light bulb turns on above Natasha's head.
Natasha jumps over the boulder, not caring if anyone or anything sees her.
Clint decides to follow Natasha over the boulder, certain that she has a reason for her actions.
Black Widow picks up the high-tech binoculars and points them forward, her eyes seeing far and wide across the snow and ice.
"Hawkeye, the IAM base we were supposed to investigate was hit by the unsub." Natasha states, immediately realizing what's happening.
Well, even an idiot could figure out that it's not normal for icebergs to appear in the Mexican desert near an IAM base.
"We found another destroyed IAM base. Does this mean our mission is canceled?" Hawkeye asks, preferring to go somewhere more comfortable, where he won't die of heat or cold.
"Clint, don't joke, we still have to go on reconnaissance, not to investigate the IAM, but to find out who or what did all this." Black Widow said, focusing on completing the mission.
"It won't be an easy mission, but maybe we can get some clear answers." Clint said, feeling his instincts kick in.
The two SHIELD Agents continued their journey forward.
XXX
Hawkeye and Black Widow stand in front of the entrance to the IAM base, the blast door having been broken down from the outside using pure brute force.
"Did the Hulk happen to be here?" asks Hawkeye, looking at the marks left on the front door.
"From the last I heard, Doctor Bruce Banner is still inside HIS territory," Natasha said, confident that the Green Goliath was not responsible for this.
"At least I was lucky enough to bring some high-powered explosive arrows with me," Hawkeye said, readying his bow and arrows, in case something big and nasty appears.
"Don't overestimate yourself; if one person is responsible for the destruction of dozens of AIM bases, he's not someone who can be defeated with a simple explosive arrow," Black Widow said, treating the matter as an intelligence-gathering mission, not an extermination one.
"Does it hurt to think positively?" Clint asks, sometimes feeling like he's the only one capable of joking and smiling.
Passing through the broken door, Clint and Natasha will begin to move through the corridors of the base like a perfect machine, making no noise or unnecessary movements.
Soon, in the corridor, the two of them found what remained of the robotic soldiers or AIM agents, whether organic or synthetic, they met the same fate: frozen or torn to pieces.
Clint grimaced at the sight of the severed bodies, while Natasha kneeled down near the remains to get a better look.
"I don't like AIM members, but this is a bad way to die," Clint said, looking at a body that had been cut in half vertically.
"Two people did all this," Natasha declares, standing up and ceasing to study the bodies.
"What makes you say that?" Clint asks, raising an eyebrow, not being an expert in forensic science.
Black Widow approaches her partner to lay out her findings.
"As you can see, the AIM forces were eliminated through two distinct methods: bladed weapons and ice attacks." Natasha said, pointing to the remains of the robots and AIM agents.
"In my opinion, the weapon used for the stabbing wounds would be a pair of swords, one shorter and one longer," Natasha said, being able to tell a lot about the type of weapon used by the shape of the wounds on the bodies.
"The person responsible for these ice attacks didn't use any kind of experimental weapon, but a superpower. No type of experimental weapon could be this versatile and powerful," Natasha said, looking at the frozen floor, the ice spears piercing the bodies or even encasing them in ice.
"The person who uses swords is the vanguard, strong and fast. The person with ice powers is the rear guard, providing long-distance support," Natasha said, concluding her presentation of her findings.
"What makes you say that?" Clint asks, confident in Natasha, but still wanting to understand how she can say all this just by looking at the dead bodies.
"Based on the arrangement and condition of the bodies, not to mention the angles of the ice projectiles, which were fired from afar, as the vanguard cut the enemies in half on the right side of the corridor," Natasha explains, having been trained to analyze a similar scene.
The archer looks at the bodies once again, but this time he looks at them seriously, using what he has learned from the streets and from SHIELD training.
Clint may not be as good as Natasha, but he also has her talents and knowledge, although he uses them less when Natasha is around.
After all, Clint has long understood that Natasha likes to be the "boss" on the ground.
"Yes, you're right, the angles indicate they were fired from far away from the other end of the corridor even." Hawkeye said, being the expert when it comes to angles and aiming.
"The IAM is being beaten by a dual-wielding swordsman, extremely strong and fast, who is accompanied by someone similar to Iceman from the X-Men." Clint said, giving a brief summary of their findings.
"From what I'm seeing and understanding, yes," Natasha said, agreeing with Clint's summary.
"How didn't we find out about all this before?" asks Hawkeye, quite sure that there are people at SHIELD who have seriously studied criminology.
"So far, we've found the IAM bases attacked by this mysterious pair of individuals weeks after the incident and in a worse state," Natasha said, feeling fortunate to find this base attacked earlier than usual.
"Thousand-dollar question, how come this base is in better shape? Has AIM gotten better at defending itself?" Hawkeye said, his voice full of derision, lightly kicking a scrap of robotic ice-covered debris.
A clear sign of how good the self-defense capabilities of this AIM base are.
"Or are those in charge still here and haven't finished their job?" Clint asks seriously, ready for anything.
As if the universe were some kind of recorder or writer with bizarre ideas, as soon as Clint finished his sentence, the air became so cold that if a glass of water were in it, it would turn into a popsicle.
As if the universe were some kind of movie director or a writer with bizarre ideas, as soon as Clint finished his sentence, the temperature in the corridor dropped sharply.
The corridor became so cold that if there was a glass of water it would turn into a popsicle.
Black Widow and Hawkeye stand back to back in a fighting stance, leaving no blind spots.
"If I knew it was going to be this cold, I would have bought a winter suit," Clint jokes, preparing to shoot an arrow.
In the Siberian-cold corridor, a few meters in front of Clint, a beautiful white-haired woman materialized as if she were a ghost or a snow woman.
Both options not too far from the truth to describe this woman.
Before Hawkeye stands a beautiful young woman, with long white hair and bangs that cover her icy blue eyes.
She wears a decorated white dress and a white fur cape with gold designs and blue lining. She holds a doll in her arms.
"Natasha, do you see Elsa from Frozen too?" Clint asks, with a surprised expression, but he doesn't lower his bow.
The archer may have a penchant for jokes, but that means he's stupid.
Black Widow keeps her back pressed against Clint's, but turns her head enough to see the Snow Woman.
"Unfortunately, yes, I also see a woman with an icy air." Natasha whispered, keeping calm, not wanting to start a fight unless absolutely necessary.
"Who are you two, are you part of AIM!?" the white-haired woman asks, tapping her foot against the floor.
The floor and walls around the snow woman became covered in ice.
'Good news, we've definitely found one of the perpetrators of the attacks against AIM. She's a beautiful young woman, dressed like a princess, with white powers, practically Elsa.' Hawkeye thinks, looking on the bright side of things.
'Bad news, she has powers and looks like an ice princess who'll stomp on you if you get angry. Because all the beautiful women they meet must be evil, dangerous, or capable of killing me with a wave of her hand.' Clint thinks, managing to joke even in the face of danger.
"We two are not part of the organization known as Advanced Idea Mechanics, aka AIM." Natasha said, trying to be diplomatic, not wanting to risk her life against an unknown factor.
"If you have something to say to me, say it face to face, not behind your lackey." The white-haired woman said, regarding Black Widow as the one in charge and Hawkeye as her subordinate.
'Lackey, did he call me a lackey?' Hawkeye thinks, slightly irritated, but not too much, having been called worse.
Natasha, suppressing a small smile at Clint's "demotion," abandons the back-to-back position, standing beside Clint and keeping her eyes fixed on the white-haired woman.
"Happy?" Natasha asks, starting to size up the Snow Woman.
"Look at us, Miss. We're not AIM, we're not dressed like weird beekeepers." Clint said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Truth be told, archer, you and the assassin lady are not part of AIM, you don't dress like them and you don't carry weapons like them." The white-haired woman said, looking at Hawkeye's bow as if it were a child's toy.
"You're underestimating me, good for me, my arrows have left many people speechless." Hawkeye thinks, slightly more confident in his chances of emerging victorious and/or alive if he fights the Snow Woman.
"But not being part of AIM doesn't mean you're my friends," the white-haired woman said, still wary of the two SHIELD Agents.
"But not that we're your enemies either." Natasha replies intelligently, being an expert in interrogation and cross-examination.
"What's your name?" asks the white-haired woman.
"I'm Hawkeye, my partner's name is Black Widow." Clint replies, emphasizing that he and Natasha are on the same level.
Natasha holds back from stomping on Clint's foot for his pointless play.
"Will the young lady give us her name?" Clint asks in a polite tone, as if speaking to a princess.
"I'm Caster." The white-haired woman replies, introducing her stage name.
"Lady Caster, we're the good guys, we're part of SHIELD." Clint said, continuing to talk, believing they were doing a good job.
"The SHIELD?" Caster asks, she seems slightly confused by the name.
"Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, aka SHIELD. We are an international intelligence agency dedicated to maintaining world peace and balance," Natasha said, giving an introduction to what SHIELD is.
"I've heard some things about you from my Master, I was told not to harm you unless you attack me first." Lady Caster said, sounding slightly disappointed at not being able to use her powers on the archer and the lady assassin.
"Master?" Hawkeye mutters, taken aback by this statement.
Lady Caster doesn't seem like a person who serves anyone, but the opposite, people serve her.
"Yes, I'm a Servant, a new position for a young lady like me, but I've learned the bare minimum, and my Master is a rather pleasant man." The white-haired woman said, briefly showing an expression of happiness instead of passive-aggressive stoicism.
"A woman who controls ice has a Master who uses swords to cut people and punches through armored doors. At least she meets unforgettable people." Clint thinks, looking on the bright side, his job with SHIELD offers him an action-packed life.
"Where is your Master?" Natasha asks, trying not to sound judgmental.
"You'll meet him soon enough," the white-haired woman said, almost smiling.
In an instant, a red trail followed by a gust of wind made its presence in the corridor.
Hawkeye before he could shoot an arrow, the bow in his hands vanished.
Clint was about to exclaim in surprise, but he had the chance, a strong hand pushed him against the wall and lifted him just enough so that his feet could not touch the floor.
Even Natasha had no luck understanding what had happened; she found herself lying facedown on the ground, her hands chained behind her back and a heavy foot pressed against her cervical spine.
"Are you okay, Caster, did they do something to you?" asks a male voice with a thin Southern European accent.
"I'm fine, Master, not even a scratch on me." The white-haired woman replies, looking at the scene before her.
Lady Caster's Master stands in the middle of the corridor, facing her, with his left foot holding Black Widow flat on the floor, while with his right hand he holds Hawkeye pressed against the wall.
"Who are you?" Clint asks, grabbing the wrist of the person holding him against the wall, trying to break their grip but failing.
"My name is Flamechaser." The white-haired woman's Master replies, his tone calm, even quiet.
In front of Clint is a rather attractive young European man, in his early twenties, 178 centimeters tall, with a lean, toned physique, as if he were a runner or a swimmer.
Her skin is lightly tanned, as if a bookworm is finally stepping out into the sun.
His hair is a golden yellow color resembling gold, combed back roughly, leaving a single strand hanging down his face.
A particular characteristic of the individual are its eyes which are of a different colour.
His left eye is light blue in color, showing a cultivated intelligence.
His right eye is dark red, like blood or fire from an uncontrollable fire.
She wears clothing that is unusual for a civilian, but common for a warrior or someone who belongs to the world of heroes and villains.
The lower body is covered by knee-high dark red combat boots, black trousers and a yellow adventurer's belt.
The upper body is covered by a tight, sleeveless red armored vest, with a flame-like symbol painted in white on it, the Pyro symbol.
On the left shoulder is a black metal pauldron with the Greek symbol for Sigma (Σ) engraved on it.
Both forearms are covered with red metal bracelets.
Around the neck is a long scarf of white, yellow and red cloth as if it were a flame.
The scarf is so long that it reaches the wearer's knees.
"Are you friends with Thor by any chance?" Clint asks, half-jokingly, getting similar vibes from this individual.
"I am the friend of the War Goddess of Natlan, not the Thunder God of Asgard." Flamechaser replies, still holding the two SHIELD Agents securely pinned down.
'Is he joking with me or do we have another alien with god-like powers?' Clint thinks, writing down the words Goddess of War and Natlan in his mind for later.
Flamechaser remains silent for a few seconds, looking strangely at Hawkeye and Black Widow.
"Archer, is your red-haired friend by any chance Scarlett Johansson?" Flamechaser asks, tilting his head as if comparing
"Who?" Clint asks, having never heard that name.
"My friend's name is Natasha Romanoff." Clint said, pronouncing Black Widow's name.
The word Romanoff had an effect on the white-haired woman, who inadvertently lowered the temperature in the room further.
The bodies of the two SHIELD Agents can't help but shiver from the cold, the two of them not being equipped to operate in such low temperatures.
Flamechaser and Caster, on the other hand, show no problems with these Antarctic-like temperatures.
"Are you okay, Caster?" Flamechaser asks, turning to face the snow woman.
"Just sad old memories." Lady Caster said, walking next to Flamechaser.
Hawkeye decides to take advantage of Flamechaser's distraction to knee him in the jaw.
This move is super ineffective.
Flamechaser didn't move an inch, showed no signs of discomfort, much less damage.
"Invulnerable?" Clint asks, grimacing slightly, his knee hurting like hell.
"No, just high-level superhuman physical attributes, I'm faster than the human eye can perceive and I can take missiles in the face without a problem." Flamechaser replies, in a calm voice, as if making small talk about today's weather.
"Flamechaser, right?" Hawkeye asks, wanting to make sure he's figured out the name of the guy holding him.
"Yes, that's my name, if that's too long for you, you can call me Sigma." Flamechaser said, tilting his head to the left, pointing to the Greek symbol for Sigma on his shoulder guard.
"Isn't now the time for you to try to kill us or start your monologue about taking over the world? Why don't you do something new and let us go?" Hawkeye said, trying to buy time to think of a solution.
The white-haired woman's Master takes on a thoughtful expression, pondering the archer's words.
'Taking an arrow and shooting Flamechaser in the eye, would that work? I've never seen someone with an invincible eye.' Clint thinks, planning a desperate move.
"I'll let you go if you answer my questions," Flamechaser said, continuing to speak calmly.
'It's possible that Clint's endless chatter might save our lives for once,' Natasha thinks, trying to get up, but she can't move an inch.
"Did you harm Lady Caster?" Flamechaser asks, his voice dark.
"I didn't even lay a finger on her, Black Widow and I just talked to her." Hawkeye said, choosing to tell the truth.
Flamechaser shifts his gaze to the snow woman who nods, confirming Clint's words.
"Is the AIM organization your enemy?" Flamechaser asks, wanting to know if they have the same goal as him and Lady Caster.
"Yes, AIM has become a priority enemy for SHIELD, we've been dismantling their operations for almost a hundred days. By the way, thanks for the assistant, we found the bases you and your partner destroyed." Clint replies, trying to curry favor with Flamechaser, a more valid and easier option than fighting.
"Final question, do you two have experience in neutralizing hyper-advanced and experimental robots?" Flamechaser asks seriously.
"Yes, I've faced all kinds of enemies while with SHIELD, robots are nothing new to either of us." Clint said, confident in his abilities against robots.
Flamechaser puts Hawkeye down and lifts his foot, stopping Black Widow from pressing against the floor, and his handcuffs disappear into thin air, as if by magic.
"I think I underestimated your diplomatic skills, Hawkeye," Black Widow comments as she stands up, trying to ignore the pain in her back.
"What can I do if people like me?" Clint replies, happy to have some ground under his feet again.
"You seem more like a palace jester than a friendly archer," Lady Caster said coldly.
The two SHIELD Agents turn their attention to Lady Caster and Flamechaser.
"Flamechaser, you had us in your power, but you have us free, that means you want something," Natasha said, certain that no one does something for nothing.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend, well, at least for today," Flamechaser replies, making his intentions clear.
"You want to team up and take down this AIM base? Fine with me." Clint said, preferring to have the Superhuman Man on his side rather than against him.
"From what I can see, you and Lady Caster are capable of taking on the IAM alone without any problems, why do you want our help?" Natasha asks, wanting to know more before accepting the proposal of a temporary alliance.
"Lady Caster is good at freezing things on a large scale, I'm good at fighting and smashing things to pieces. But neither of us are good with computers," Flamechaser said, sounding like he doesn't have the technical skills to be a hacker.
"Master, you're underestimating yourself again." The white-haired woman said, placing a hand on Flamechaser's bare shoulder.
"You're not only strong, you're also intelligent. If you had the right tools and the time to gain experience, you wouldn't need this Russian woman's help." Lady Caster said, clearly holding a personal grudge against Russians and/or Russia.
"Do you need a room?" Clint said in a joking tone.
Lady Caster blushes for a few seconds, then responds by creating a small ice spike around Clint's foot to scare him.
"Do you need technical assistance?" Natasha asks, sensing that she has become a necessary asset to Flamechaser and Lady Caster's operation.
"The IAM organization is getting desperate; they've started building better, more dangerous robots to defend themselves. On the lower floors of this base, there's a mini-factory and a robotics lab." Flamechaser shares what he knows about the base.
"How many robots are we talking about? A few dozen or a few hundred?" Clint said, not having enough arrows to take on an army.
"I don't know, but there are enough robots that it would be annoying to deal with them all. Better to go into the control room and deactivate them, avoiding a long and fruitless fight." Flamechaser explains why they need someone good with computers.
"Natasha, I think we should help this cute couple, it would be in our best interest," Clint said, preferring to save himself the need to get medical leave.
"Well, I'll help you, but in return, once we're done, you have to answer a few questions." Natasha said, not wanting to miss the chance to get some answers.
Continues ...
XXX
CYOA Interactive build for the MC (Michelangelo "Mikey" Maafa, alias Flamechaser, alias Sigma):
**Meta**
You, CYOA, Shards, what are those Shards you speak of?
**Difficulty**
Standard, Higher (Tier 9)
**Scenario & Setting**
April 7, 2011, AU Alternate Earth, Comic Book Pretty, VFX On, Second Trigger, Huh, isn't that... [Colorful Crowd, Shard Variant], Anime Logic, Guilds, Universe 8096 (Marvel), Main Antagonist's Lair
**Character**
Drop-In
**Skills**
Parkour, Survival [Hunter, Explorer], Stealth, Ambidextrous, Doctor [MD in the HOUSE!], Chemistry, Biology [Expert Breeder (Flora), Master Breeder (Fauna)], Green Thumb/Gardener, Animal Husbandry, Navigator, Polyglot
**Perks**
Blank, Mental Barrier, Trumped the Trump, Fan Service, Invictus, 'Plot' Armor, Manton Protected, Accentuate the Positive, Eliminate the Negative, Comic Book Physics, Peaceful Life, Countdown [Protection Against Evil], Serendipitous Luck, Golden Perks, I Don't Get It [I Get It Now... But Not Really...?], Naturalized Foreigner
**Drawbacks**
Unconscious Geas x 1, Wanted (Global) x 3, Wildbow? Where have I heard that before?, Slaughterhouse 8, Slaughterhouse 9000, Rogues Gallery, Trouble Magnet, Wild Wasteland, Fated Journey, Child of Fate, Plotbound, Stalker, Villain Target, The Summoning, Acclimation, Jet Lag, Quarter Pounder, Nemesis, Second Wave Parahumans, Native Awakening, Chaotic Evil x 1, Yandere x 1, Weaker than You x 1, Royal, Rank 1, High-Tier, Rank 1
**Shard**
Shardless
**Powers**
Changer (Ritsuka), Brute (Genetic Template), Thinker/Brute (Waste Not Want Not), Brute/Breaker (Efficient Autonomic Systems) [Refined Biology], Mankind Redefined (Marvel), MANTIS (Honkai Impact 3rd), Heir of Caesar, Magecraft (Type-Moon) [Wishcraft, Smart Circuits], Malleable/Smart Soul, Magitech, The Craftsman, Portal Crafting [Domain Crafting], Pokétech (Pokemon) [Pokémera], Genius of a Previous Era (Honkai Impact 3rd), Celestia (Genshin Impact), Theriomorphosis Surgery (Killing Bites) [MANTIS, Pocket Theriomorphosis], Item Construction (Type-Moon), Dimensional Dominion, Reality Marble (Type-Moon) [Marble Maker], Territory Creation (Type-Moon), Personal World [Maker of Worlds, Natlan Recreated, The World of Pokemon]
**Objects of Power**
Laevatein: Calamity of the Sun-Like Sword (Type-Moon) [Flame of Rebirth], Belt of Holding, Ancient Name (Genshin Impact) [Engraver of Names, Maafa: Sun Like Disaster], The Sacred Flame (Genshin Impact) [Blazing Name Engraver], Holy Grail (Type-Moon), Stigmata (Honkai Impact 3rd) x 1 [Personalized Stigma, Stigma Creation], Poké Ball (Pokemon) x 1
**Fusions & Upgrades**
Loyalty Insurance, Bio-Dial, Flamechaser (Honkai Impact 3rd), CHIMERA (Honkai Impact 3rd) [Kevin], High-Speed Incantation (Type-Moon), Magic Crest (Type-Moon) x 3, Additional Magic Circuits (Type-Moon) x 3, Singularity; Notes (Type-Moon), Master Dimensional Architect, Essential
**Point Conversion**
+25 SP -50 CP x 5, +10 SP -20 CP x 1
XXX
Code for CYOA:
8mhz;nyan;0wyi;dstd;gzmj;jwlb;icne;uh4g;42jg;w0ll;kb60;5r67;akq3;idmd;5c80;ps6p;lvrj;1igo;db4m;uqzv;whoknows;Naturalized_Foreigner;d0mx;qpxs;r4numd;aca3;dgo4px;na22;vc9emx;lyns;64n1;17za;m85g;Journey_of_a_Lifetime;7vo3;gcit;e6gc;gt5p;ucs6;uscv;hn6g;gvsfyn;ueg3o6;a7lx;swry;w4im;naroya;jd1c;gjf9;0w4c;b378;8aauoq;zjrq5z;gqx7ol;qo9d1n;gyv3ti;6kip;1kl8;5xgc;fp56;xrmr;np6a;rrt8;9fl6;jh9ybe;powagw;MANTIS;kojv7p;FIREMOTH;CHIMERA;gn1c;6xa3;w10y;1k4af1;i8eyfe;mmoy;a67q;Gardening;lxb17s;7sm0;bt0vgb;ei77if;xm8b7b;6vjg;q34q;sr7w;clvdhi;58uq;09limq;4t2qbi;r1megi;to2wxa:3;g2un;xr26;txtt:3;x35gcr;MSSoul;dmf4yw;76d7;37737c;AddCircuits:3;bbjgb4;1ro4;68wo;o4uqlf;ep5t;uzjt;glyh:5;v4w8bv;sm5qhc;ar4o;udrw;ecn2gs