'Faster! Faster', I chanted in my mind as I raced forward, narrowing my eyes when I saw the forest still closing behind me at an insane speed despite the fact that I was going at what I believed to be my maximum speed.
'Am I just going slow? No, I'm pushing myself. Wait, does the forest just move at the pace that I'm moving at? That's some bullshit right here.'
"Okay, Pietro. Now, remember the path and feel the vibrations. Let the path show itself to you," Pushing the ridiculous thoughts to the back of my mind, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, feeling out the world around me with each step.
As I continued to run, I frowned as I felt a weird vibration in the air, immediately turning and bolting to the left when I felt it rush at me. Opening my eyes, I blinked as I found myself running with open space, glancing back to see the path I was about to take snapping shut.
'I see. So, the vibrations help me understand which path is the right one, huh?', I thought with a smirk as I closed my eyes once again, taking a deep breath before shooting forward as I began to dodge the weird vibrations.
It was not long before I felt them coming from all directions, but I simply smiled, ducking and weaving around them. For some weird reason, the world around me made my body feel more fluid, the air itself dancing around me as I flipped over a vibration.
However, it was with the final vibration that I landed with a roll, my eyes snapping open as I found myself staring at a waterfall pouring down in front of me.
Looking back, I blinked as the forest snapped closed behind me, shaking my head with a chuckle as I stood up and walked towards the waterfall.
"Okay, so what now? Do I just...?", Taking a deep breath, I reached forward and was surprised when the water didn't move my hand down.
Exhaling softly, I made my way through the waterfall, watching as the scenery began to twist and warped, closing my eyes as the world in front of me flashed brightly before slowly opening my eyes when the light died down.
"Holy...damn, this is beautiful," I murmured as I stared at the world in front of me, admiring the beautiful green landscape as well as the mountain ranges that were everywhere.
However, what I enjoyed the most was the sight of mythical creatures running about and enjoying their lives, smiling as I saw a few giving me curious glances.
Bowing my head in greeting, I was astonished as some of them returned it with happy growls and yips, letting out a chuckle at that before I looked around.
'Okay, now if I was a village, where would I b- What?', I stopped jogging and looked at my body, trying to lunge forward only to be surprised when nothing happened.
"Where the fuck did my speed go?"
"Chaos Magic does not work in this dimension," A voice spoke up, my head snapping up and being met by a majestic Qilin that looked at me with a knowing gaze.
"What do you mean 'Chaos Magic' doesn't work here?"
"Ta Lo is ruled by the Taoist Gods Xian who are, in turn, ruled by the great Jade Emperor Yu Huang. He once created this dimension with his power and added enchantments to remove the capability to use Chaos Magic in here."
"Wait, you're saying that this god was able to nullify the effects of Chaos Magic in this dimension?"
'Also, since when did my abilities need the usage of Chaos Magic to be used?'
"Oh, not at all. To nullify the effects of Chaos Magic is impossible as that would require the remove the concepts of probability and cause and effect. What he did was simply weave the cause and effect of the realm to ensure that the strands of Chaos cannot be pulled upon."
"Thus, making sure that my speed is not beyond what my body is capable of. Huh, so I'm nerfed here."
"No, you are simply stripped of crutches that you depend upon," The Qilin spoke up and I blinked as I looked up before being taken aback by its intense gaze.
"I can see into your being and I can see that the threads of Chaos are intertwined with your being, but you lean on forces you do not yet understand or comprehend. The world used to bend to your speed because you tug at the seams of possibility itself. Now, you must run only as yourself."
"...Well, I'm completely useless, then."
"Not necessarily. The first lesson of this world is simple: Strip away what you believe makes you strong and only then will you see the truth of your strength."
'In other words, my chi. I see,' I thought with a smirk, noting the Qilin noticing my look of understanding as his lips curled into what could only be described as a knowing smile.
"I see you understand."
"I do. Okay, uh, could you point me in the direction of where I can find...the Great Protector, I believe it is called?"
"Certainly. She is twenty kilometers to the north-west and then fifty kilometers to the south and then one hundred and twenty kilometers to the north-east."
"So, that's ninety kilometers to the north-east?", I asked, not surprised when the Qilin simply looked amused and continued on its path.
"Right, expected that. Well, thank you for the directions at least!"
"My pleasure!", The Qilin greeted, watching it leave before I shook my head and turned to where I believed north-east to be if the sun was correct.
'I am the Ultimate Life Form. Gotta Go Fast,' Taking a deep breath and exhaling it slowly, I began to repeat my mantra, looking forward as I crouched slightly before taking off.
With an excited smile, I watched as each step carried me further, lowering my body and making my moves flow from one to the next as I ran along the field.
Time to find this Great Protector.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Well, that is definitely a village that looks like it belongs to a Great Protector," I murmured as I stood at the edge of the forest line behind me, staring at the village in front of me and watching as its denizens went along their business.
While I did spot a few of them wearing the red dragon-scaled armour, most of them were in flowing robes that looked to be styled after kimonos.
'Or were kimonos styled after them since they are supposed to be an ancient group? Man, this is too confusing.'
"Okay, how to approach while showing I'm not a threat? Should I walk with my hands held up? Should I walk backwards just in case I need to run?"
"Or you can simply approach us."
"Or I can simply approach you. Yeah, that's...How did I let you sneak up on me?", I spoke with a sigh as I looked to my left, staring at the amused smile on the woman's face as her long hair swayed in the wind blowing past.
She appeared to be a bit older than I am, maybe in her mid 40s or late 40s, which meant that she was probably older by a couple of centuries or so.
'Wait, isn't she Shang Chi's aunt? Nan, right?'
"I did not sneak. I simply walked as your mind was too distracted to notice me."
"Ah, got it. So, what now?"
"That depends. Are you here to attack the village or the inhabitants of this world?"
"No, I'm actually looking for help from the village's protector."
"You're looking at her," She spoke with a smile and I raised an eyebrow as she stood up, doing the same while dusting off my pants.
"Oh, good. Are you the Great Protector then?"
"That, I am not. I am simply an avatar that acts at the Great Protector's word."
"Ah, that's a shame. I was hoping to have her look at a problem I have."
"Does it perhaps have to do with the fact that your mind, body and soul are stretching to their very limits to keep anything form anchoring itself to you?", She asked, making me raise an eyebrow even as I nodded.
"You can see it?"
"I can feel it. Those attuned with chi can feel when the chi of others are being used and yours is constantly being stretched over your entire body."
"Nice. So, do you guys have a way to fix it?"
"Unfortunately, I cannot say. The only one who can is the Great Protector and it is rare that we see her coming to meet us."
"In other words, there is a chance?", I asked with a smile, which she mirrored as she shrugged.
"Like I said, I cannot say. The only way for you to know is to swim into the waters, dive deep and wait to the point of death. When you are caught between life and death, that is when the Great Protector will speak to you."
"...Got any safer methods?", I asked, sighing as she just giggled and shook her head.
"Unfortunately, your case is quite something unique. Therefore, only a unique method of communication is needed for you to speak to her."
"Lovely. Well, do I just dive in?"
"You don't even question that I might be lying to you about everything?"
"Well, I don't believe you are the type of person to lie about something like this. Besides, if you are, then I die and I get to watch my sister tear this place to shreds."
"Who is your sister exactly?"
"The Scarlet Witch."
"...Hmm, that is quite bad. Very well, let us hope you survive," Nan responded with a smile, which I returned before I took off, watching as everyone tensed before I raised an eyebrow as they stopped.
Looking back, I saw Nan standing with a hand raised and a smile, the woman nodding as I turned back and took off towards the water.
'Meet the god! Meet the god! Meet! The! God!', I grunted as I dove into the water, the cold immediately feeling like a thousand needles biting into my skin as I went deeper.
Darkness was all around me and I fought back my thalassohobia as I went deeper, feeling the pressure mounting in my ears as I felt my lungs beginning to ache.
Soon, everything went silent as I gasped for air, struggling to move as my vision blurred and I felt my body growing light.
"You come into my waters wearing a mortal's body, but not a mortal's thread," My eyes snapped open as I felt the darkness shifting, coiling around me while two golden eyes opened like twin suns below me.
'Well, I always wanted to see a dragon before I died.'
"You pull at strands you cannot yet see. You run upon currents of possibility without knowing their sources Now, you are stripped of your illusions, meant to see yourself for what you are," It felt as if every word vibrated in my bones, watching in awe as the Great Protector uncoiled, letting her jade scales streaked with gold shimmering in what little light reached us.
"Breathe," Water filled my lungs as I took a gasping breath, surprised at feeling my dizziness fading even with every deep gulp of water that I took.
"Okay, whoa. This...this is pretty new," I spoke, admiring the way my voice echoed before I gave a sheepish smile when I saw the Great Protector narrow her eyes.
"You seek my aid and yet, you do not understand just what you are."
"I know that I am Pietro Maximoff, brother to Wanda Maximoff and a second user of Chaos Magic."
"Chaos energy. For it to be Chaos Magic, you have to be a user of magic. Instead, you make use of Chaos energy," She responded and I raised an eyebrow at that before nodding.
"Now, why would one unanchored from reality wish to be anchored to it?"
"Well, someone said that in order for me to use my full potential, I needed to be anchored to the dimensions."
"And you believed them?"
"They know more about this kind of stuff than me."
"Yes, they know of magic, but none know what the true capacity of Chaos truly is."
"Well, then how do I learn to use magic?", I asked, twisting in the water as I watched the serpentine dragon coil around in the water before its head rested at a height level to me.
"To anchor yourself to magic is to stop running, to face the current instead of outrunning it. Threads of chaos and probability are woven together, but not bound inside your form.
You must learn to accept what you are to truly be who you need to be. Do you wish to?"
"Well, I came here to learn if I can use magic, but this might be better. Yes, I am ready," I spoke with a nod, the Great Protector inclining her head before my eyes widened as the water surged upwards around me like a whirlpool.
"Then, you must run no more," was the last thing I heard before jade light shone down, swallowing everything in sight as I was forced to watch.
When the light died down and my vision returned, I found myself standing on a cracked, endless plain of mirrors, the sky above me a shifting sea of fractured reflections.
"Are those...all me?", I asked out loud as I looked up, watching as a nigh-infinite number of versions of me sprinted, fell, laughed, died and did so many more things, all of them looping endlessly.
"This is who you are, Pietro, but you run from what you are. As it is now, your speed is not power. It is escape," One of the visions showed me kneeling at my sister's side, blood pooling under us as I saw her bleed out.
Another showed me laughing happily as I raced across the world, punching and kicking everything that appeared in my path. Another showed me dancing, another laughing, another running, another crying and so on and so on it went.
However, as I looked down, my eyes widened as I stared at myself standing on a battlefield, staring at a horrified Hawkeye and an unconscious boy hiding behind a car while blood dripped from the numerous bullet wounds on my body.
"This is what you fear, that you will not be fast enough. You fear that if you stop moving, you become nothing and then, your existence is only to delay the inevitable."
"You're telling me that i should stop fearing my death?", I asked, clenching my fists as the mirrors around and above me cracked as everyone sped up, the sounds of their feet echoing everywhere.
"Do you see? You are not anchored, Pietro. You are stretched across an infinite number of universes and timelines. So, you are nothing in the present," I hissed as my heart pounded like a drum, dropping to a knee before gritting my teeth as words echoed in my mind.
"Should I go?"
"Should I move?"
"Keep going."
"Don't stop."
"If we stop, we die."
"If we stop, we die!"
"If we stop, we die!"
"If we stop, WE DIE!"
"IF WE STOP, WE D-!"
"ENOUGH!", I roared, breathing heavily as a shockwave rippled outwards and shattered the mirrors around me. For the first time, I found myself alone, nothing but silence around me as I stared at my hands.
"Now, you begin to understand, Pietro," The Great Protector whispered, my eyes wide as I felt something click. Everything felt slow, but at the same time, it felt as if I was going at my top speed.
'No, not my top speed. I...this is far beyond my top speed,' I thought as I stared at the golden electricity surrounding my form, looking up at the Great Protector's eyes to see the golden electricity rippling across my entire body.
"Now, anchor yourself, Pietro Maximoff, not to the dimensions or to your fear, but to the Chaos and to the truth of what you are. Then, you will truly understand that you are not meant for magic. No, you will see what speed truly is in your eyes," As the Great Protector spoke, jade light surged again, my eyes closing as I felt the world around me twist and shift.
The very second the shifting feeling went away, my eyes snapped open and I shot upwards, cackling gleefully at the golden energy sparking around my form as I floated in the air.
"Hahahaha! GOTTA GO FAST!", With that cry, I lunged to the side, enjoying the feeling of the air below me as I dashed around in the sky before diving down towards the water.
The very second I was about to impact it, I moved and skated across the surface, hopping from foot to foot with joyous laughter before sliding to a stop at the shore.
As I did, sonic booms echoed everywhere, making everyone in front of me flinch as Nan blinked in surprise before I turned when I saw a large shadow appearing around me, looking up at the majestic form of the Great Protector floating behind me.
"Now, Pietro Maximoff, will you help me with my own problem?", She asked and I grinned as I bowed my head.
"You helped change my life. Allow me to do the same."
A/N: SonicBoom, here you go. Super Pietro and True Speed Pietro are finally here. The limits have been broken, the anchors and links have been made and OP Pietro is finally here.
How powerful is he?...Not sure, we'll have to work that out. Also, he got an abrupt power boost, but this all will be explained in a later arc.
Anyways, next chapter: Darkness vs Speed.
Like always, you can go to my Pat-reon-.-com-/-KingCrimsonNova to read ahead on this as well as many other stories & even some that haven't been released out to this site yet. If you want to, you are free to, but if you don't want, all's good as I will still be uploading here. This is just me trying to get some extra cash.
As always, read, enjoy, review and until next week...
Ba-Bye~!