After a moment, Wanda turned toward me. "Did you know about this?"
I hesitated, just for a second, before answering honestly.
"Yes," I admitted. "I knew about you being the Scarlet Witch. In some universes, I've seen what that title can become. In one, you're the Queen of the Dead. In another, you hunted a child for her power… killed her for it. And in a few more, the chaos inside you consumed everything, until you weren't even recognizable anymore. In some worlds, the Scarlet Witch isn't a savior… she's the greatest threat there is."
Wanda's face went pale. "I'm not, I would never," she stammered, her voice shaking.
"I know," I said softly. I stepped closer and placed my hand over hers. "I know you're not those versions. You're kind, Wanda. You care too much about people to ever become that."
Her breathing steadied, and slowly, a small, genuine smile formed on her face.
As she looked at me, I caught something in the Ancient One's expression, a faint, knowing smile. The kind that said she was seeing a future I couldn't.
And somehow, that was both comforting… and unsettling.
Ed Clone POV
"So this thing is supposed to make me faster? What exactly is it?" Reggie asked, eyeing the large, humming device in front of us.
"It's not finished yet," I replied. "Give me a few more days. But when it's done, it's going to be our very own Speed Force."
"Speed Force?" Rahne tilted her head. "What's that again?"
We were inside Sanctuary, in a newly constructed chamber built specifically to contain the artificial Speed Force. The entire room pulsed faintly with red and gold energy, the air vibrating like static.
Now, if you're wondering why we're building one here instead of trying to connect Reggie to the real Speed Force, the answer's simple: survival. I could probably replicate how the Flash got his powers, but that process has a solid fifty-fifty chance of vaporizing Reggie. Sure, I could bring him back if it went wrong… but I don't think he'd appreciate dying, even temporarily. And to make things worse, the real Speed Force has a lock, a kind of cosmic password, and I don't know it.
So the artificial route was the safest play.
As for how I figured out how to build one? Easy. I took a quick trip to Central City, slipped into S.T.A.R. Labs completely invisible, and tapped into Reverse-Flash's mind. That's where I got the knowledge I needed to construct an artificial Speed Force generator.
Side note: reading that guy's thoughts was like staring into a blender full of lightning and rage, that man is truly psychotic.
Now, standing in front of the glowing machine, I could feel the energy radiating off it. It wasn't alive yet, but when it was… Reggie was going to move faster than anyone on this planet.
"The Speed Force," I explained, "is a natural energy that flows through the universe, kind of like a cosmic current. When someone's connected to it, they gain super speed on a level that breaks the laws of physics. You can phase through walls, generate tornadoes just by running in circles… even travel through time if you're fast enough."
Reggie's eyes lit up, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "So when this thing's done, I'll be—"
"I'm not gonna say the fastest man alive," I interrupted with a smirk, "but definitely close."
Rahne crossed her arms. "Reggie just wants to go faster. Why not give him bionics like me?"
Rahne had a point, she was already enhanced. I gave her some bionics, she has super speed now. not only that I also gave her one of my Powers, it was the Lightning Dragon.
"Because I'm kind of afraid the Speed Force might mess with the bionics," I said. "I have no idea how that kind of energy would interact with cybernetics, and I'd rather not find out the hard way. So, for now, just to be safe, I don't want him getting any upgrades."
"Oh, okay," Rahne said with a shrug. "Sooo… do you still need me here? Because Miles is out there showing off that power you gave him, and apparently, it's pretty cool."
Reggie crossed his arms. "You've been handing out powers a lot lately. What's up with that?"
"Why not?" I said with a smirk. "Anything that helps the team grow, I'll do it. Besides, I've got one of my clones out there taking down bad mutants and absorbing their powers, so it's not like I'm making myself weaker."
Reggie blinked. "Wait, you've been stealing mutant powers? How has that not hit the news yet? You realize that's a global headline, right? 'Second-strongest hero can steal powers.'"
Rahne tilted her head. "Is he really still the second-strongest though? I mean, could you take Superman's powers?"
I chuckled. "First off, the reason no one knows is because I've been doing it quietly. Can't exactly let the whole world know I can do that. Second… no, I probably can't take Superman's powers. Mutant abilities are biological, but Kryptonians are alien. Their cells absorb yellow sunlight and store it as power. There's another version of him out there who soaked up solar energy for 15,000 years and basically became a god. So yeah, I'll surpass him eventually, but it'll take time, and a lot more strength on my part."
I glanced between them and added with a grin, "But don't worry. Kryptonians are weak to both magic and kryptonite, and I've got plenty of both. So if an evil one ever shows up on Earth, I'll handle it."
"Cool, so… to answer my other question, do you need me here?" Rahne asked, glancing at Reggie.
He smiled. "Go ahead. Have fun."
"YES!" she shouted, and before either of us could blink, she was gone, blitzing away in a streak of lightning and wind.
I chuckled. "Look at you. You are really good with the teenagers."
Reggie smirked. "I've had practice. My brother's sons are a handful, but they taught me patience. Plus, Rahne's easy to handle, she listens, follows orders, and doesn't get cocky in the field."
"Good traits for both a hero and a sidekick," I said. "Dani's solid too, but she's got a few rough spots I've been working on."
"Like what?" Reggie asked, leaning on one of the lab tables.
"Even though she's got danger sense, she's way too slow to react to it," I said. "I've been training her to improve her reflexes, but she's not getting there as fast as I hoped. It's frustrating her. On top of that, she's not great at reading her surroundings, but after the whole Batman incident, she's been getting better. Guess getting outmaneuvered by a regular human was a real hit to her confidence."
Reggie blinked. "Wait, hold up. Batman's actually human? I thought he was a mutant or something. With all the stuff I've heard about him doing in Gotham, there's no way in hell he's just human."
"Trust me, he's human," I said. "But a very peak version of one. If his body didn't have limits, I'm convinced he'd train himself straight into being a super soldier."
"That's kinda crazy," Reggie said. "A normal person pushing themselves that far."
"It is," I nodded. "But he's also insanely paranoid about powered individuals. Doesn't trust anyone with abilities."
Reggie smirked. "Wow, so basically… half the planet."
I laughed. "Ha, yeah. Pretty much."
Molly Hayes POV
BOOM!
Miles tore straight through a massive boulder, slicing it clean in half with a crackling whip of black energy.
"Whoa," I said, eyes wide.
"Yeah, that was insane," Roberto added. "I still can't believe Ed just gave you that power."
We weren't the only ones watching. A few others had come to see the show, some of the Web Warriors, a couple of sidekicks, and our crew, The Runaways. (Still wish Ed didn't give us that name.) Ruby, Wendy, and Mercy were here too.
"I know, right? All I did was ask," Miles said, grinning.
"Wait, seriously?" Tyrone asked. "That easy?"
"Yeah," Miles said. "Honestly, I thought he'd make me work for it. But I asked, and he just said yes. Didn't even hesitate. I figured, hey, he gave Alex the Tiger power and Chase that magic sword, why not me?"
Gwen crossed her arms, smirking. "That can't be true. He didn't just hand it over because you asked. Come on, tell the truth. You had to beg, didn't you? it wouldn't be the first time you beg for something."
Miles' face went red instantly. "I what? No! I didn't beg!"
"Sure you didn't," Gwen teased, and the whole group burst out laughing while Miles hid his face behind his hands.
"It was a really good date. Can't wait for the next one," Gwen said with a smile.
Miles practically lit up at that, grinning like he'd just won the lottery.
Ruby sighed dramatically. "Ugh, I wish I was in a relationship. Literally almost everyone on the island is paired up, Gertrude and Chase, Nico and Karolina, Koro-sensei and Cecilia, Rahne and Dani, Tyrone and Tandy… and don't even get me started on Peter. If he'd just man up and talk to the girls already, he'd have his own harem. I mean, half of them already made it clear they're fine with sharing!"
She flopped back on the grass. "Even Ed went on a date, even though he insists it wasn't one. I just want a partner. Boyfriend, girlfriend, doesn't matter. Someone who's tough, can take a punch during training, and will still cuddle and watch movies with me after."
"Wait, Peter's gonna have a what now?" Keemia asked, eyes wide.
Peter froze, his face turning red as he avoided looking anywhere near Cindy, Julia, Anya, or Laura.
"I seriously want a partner right now," Ruby groaned.
"Hey, don't rush it," I said. "Relationships can be… kind of a headache. Look at me, I'm single, and I'm happy."
Ruby gave me a deadpan look. "Of course you're happy, you're like twelve."
"I'm fifteen!" I shot back.
Keemia tilted her head, ignoring our argument. "So we're just gonna skip over that? Exactly how many girls are going after Peter right now?"
"It's five," Miles said casually. "Another girl, MJ, wants to date him too, but she's not a hero. And there's another girl who might be interested as well."
"MILES!" Peter shouted, face turning bright red.
"What?" Miles shrugged. "Besides, almost everyone on the island already knows."
"WHAT?!" Peter yelled again.
"Yeah," I added with a grin, "there's even a bet going around about when you'll finally ask them out."
"WHAT?!" Peter looked like he was about to combust.
"Your parents put fifty on you asking them out within a month," Gwen said, trying not to laugh.
"I put thirty on it taking you a year," Ruby chimed in.
Peter froze, eyes wide. "WHAT?!"
He looked one emotional outburst away from short-circuiting when Mercy finally stepped in, raising her hands.
"Alright, that's enough," she said firmly. "Peter's obviously under enough pressure as it is. Imagine being in his position, just give him time. He'll talk to them when he's ready." She turned toward Ruby. "And you, don't rush into a relationship. Sure, it can be wonderful, but it can also be stressful. Take your time, and the right person will come along."
Ruby groaned softly, and Peter just buried his face in his hands while everyone else tried, and failed, to keep from laughing.
Wendy grinned nervously. "Okay, but if you could, you know, ask the girls out within the next week or so, it'd really help me out. I put like a hundred bucks on that bet."
"Wendy!" Mercy scolded. "You're better than that. And since when are you betting? You usually spend all your time training with me!"
Wendy froze, her eyes wide and panicked. Then, in a single breath, she blurted, "Uh, hey, guys, wanna see the new power Ed gave me? Check this out!"
Before anyone could respond, she stepped back, her body glowing bright blue before erupting into flames. In seconds, she transformed into a massive blue phoenix and shot into the sky, wings blazing as she vanished into the clouds.
Mercy pinched the bridge of her nose. "Don't think we're not having this conversation later, young lady!"
Ed's POV
Wanda had gone off with Sabrina to explore the temple, she wanted to get familiar with the place she'd be training in. That left me alone with the Ancient One.
For a while, we just sat there in silence, sipping tea. She watched me with that calm, unreadable expression of hers until finally she spoke.
"Are you going to keep staring at me," she said lightly, "or actually ask your question?"
I leaned forward. "Can you help me fight Selene?"
Of course I was going to ask. She was leagues beyond me in magic, if anyone could tilt the scales in my favor, it was her.
The Ancient One shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry, Edward. I can't. Selene and I made a pact long ago, one that forbids us from fighting each other."
"What? Why?" I asked, confused.
Her eyes grew distant, like she was remembering something she'd rather forget. "Centuries ago, Selene and I clashed. The battle nearly destroyed an entire country. She didn't care, but I couldn't allow the devastation to spread. So I offered her a deal: she would keep her sorcery hidden from the world, and I would not interfere in her affairs. The pact was sealed with powerful magic, it cannot be broken easily."
I ran a hand down my face. "...Shit."
"You shouldn't worry," the Ancient One said calmly. "You'll have all the skills you need to face her. You may study any book in our library for as long as you wish. And if you ever want to spar using the magic you've learned, you can come to me, provided I'm not training Wanda at the time."
"Alright, sounds good," I said, then paused. "But… another question. That smile you gave me earlier, while I was talking to Wanda, what was that about?"
She gave a small, knowing smile. "It's nothing you need to be concerned about. I was simply pleased to see you consoling your friend."
"Okay, good," I said slowly. "Just making sure I'm not going to have, you know… a future kid with her or something."
The Ancient One chuckled softly. "No, of course not."
"Perfect. That's all I needed to hear," I said, standing. "I'll go check out your library, then."
I turned and left the room, already thinking about which grimoires might give me an edge against Selene.
The Ancient One watched me go, the faintest hint of amusement tugging at her lips as she took another sip of tea.
"You won't have a child with her," she murmured to herself, smiling knowingly. "But those three… you're going to have a very interesting family in the future, Edward."