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In a cramped motel bedroom that reeked of cheap cigarette smoke, a man sat hunched on the edge of a mattress, the cold muzzle of a .45 pressed against the soft flesh under his chin.
The acrid, sulfurous stench filled his nostrils with every breath.
But his hand didn't shake once. There was no hesitation or second-guessing.
After two decades as Taskmaster—the man who could be anyone except himself—this was how he chose to end his story.
There was no epic showdown against a cape-wearing superhero or a terrorist group.
There was no emotional last moment in the arms of his family, whose faces he had long forgotten.
Just alone in a $25-a-night room with a flickering bulb casting sickly yellow light across the dirty walls.
That was the final memory fragment from Universe-X's Taskmaster data stream. The last frame before Dante was snapped back to reality.
And it stayed with him even as his eyes opened in the real world.
Warmth was the first thing he registered. The soft warmth of Death, who was cuddling with him, her hand still resting on his chest. He pressed his face into her hair, allowing her lovely scent to drown out the nauseating smell of that motel room.
'Christ, that was brutal.'
The merc's life was full of violence, chaos, and impulsive decisions, and Dante had experienced it all like a very, very vivid dream.
Taskmaster had lost everything, one memory at a time, until there was nothing left but a mask. It was unknown if Anthony Masters had pulled the trigger in that other universe. Part of him hoped Anthony had. At least that would've been a merciful ending in its own fucked-up way.
But what happened in Universe-X didn't matter anymore.
What mattered was whether Dante had truly understood him.
He closed his eyes again, feeling his heart race.
'Null. Show me.'
This wasn't the first time he had made this request tonight. It was the fifth.
The first fifty percent of the Resonance Link had been trivial. Elixir's genius-level biological knowledge had let him reverse-engineer the mechanics of Photographic Reflexes on the first attempt. He could even recreate the ability on his own, but he would never be stupid enough to mess with his brain.
The second fifty percent had been psychological hell.
Just understanding Taskmaster's power wasn't enough. He had to understand who Taskmaster was and who he had become after extensively using Photographic Reflexes.
How do you understand a man who acted like a loud-mouthed, trash-talking, cowardly merc because it was the only personality that stuck with him?
How do you grasp the psychology of someone who didn't even understand themselves anymore?
Dante had attempted to answer that question five times now, reliving twenty years of Anthony Masters' disintegrating life five separate times. Every terrible joke and every gesture was still fresh in his mind. He had watched Anthony's confidence falter in private moments and the flickers of confusion when his own wife Mercedes revealed her identity.
He had formed a deep understanding of Taskmaster, yet he couldn't put it into words.
[Character Taskmaster data resonation has reached 100%]
[Taskmaster Resonance Link reached Transcendence level.]
[Qualification met for Nexus feature]
"Wait... what?"
The Null Repository had somehow deemed his comprehension complete. Perhaps he had internalized Anthony's tragedy on a level deeper than conscious thought.
A deep sigh escaped him. "Thank fuck it's over."
He truly didn't wish to spend another twenty years in Anthony's life.
Death's eyes fluttered open as she looked at him with those endlessly black eyes. "Companion, you shouldn't link your mind with others so often. It'll erode your own identity."
He understood what she didn't say aloud: I don't want to watch you change. I don't want to lose the man who offered to be my companion.
But she also knew how he had to grow stronger to face the ever-evolving threats around him. It wouldn't be long before New York faced a full-scale Chitauri invasion, courtesy of a certain God of Mischief's with daddy issues and a desperate need to be better than his brother.
"I'm not changing," he said softly, caressing the back of her head, fingers weaving through her silky hair. "Still the moron Death calls her companion."
She gently pinched his cheek. "I will seal your powers myself if you show symptoms of personality fragmentation."
The gentle threat made him shiver. Death had already demonstrated the ability to disrupt his connection with the Null Repository back in her domain. If she cut off his access to the system and somehow shut down his Helio Reactor… He would be street-level at best. Even Felicia bonded to a symbiote would absolutely wipe the floor with him.
"You won't listen, Companion?"
"Why wouldn't I listen to my dearest's concerns?" He whispered sweetly then changed the subject before she pushed him further. "Aren't you curious about my ability?"
She raised one elegant eyebrow, clearly seeing through his transparent motive but letting it pass anyway. "I have seen you use Doctor Strange and Invisible Woman's powers. What else can you surprise me with?"
"You'll be surprised. Let me get it first."
He reached out to the Null Repository through his thoughts.
'Null, show me Taskmaster's abilities.'
He was genuinely curious what the complete link had unlocked.
[Abilities acquirable through Taskmaster Resonance Link]
-Photographic Reflexes
'Well, at least I gained many talents just from repeating his life.'
Mentoring others, strategizing, and weapon mastery of many different styles were fresh on his mind. He had to integrate them through practice or everything would be forgotten.
'Make it permanent.'
[Nexus protocol initiated.]
The world shifted.
He suddenly found himself in an infinite void. Countless dull dots surrounded him like a galaxy of stars, creating the impression of floating in the center of a vast galaxy. Five among them shone, appearing the closest to him. One was particularly bright. A star with a familiarity to it, as if he had interacted with it before.
"Taskmaster? Null, is this Universe-X?"
[Affirmative. Administrator's consciousness had to be returned here to initiate the Nexus protocol.]
He was the center of this cosmic archive, the only administrator with access to these stars containing endless streams of information about Characters. The power of an entire reality's worth of heroes, villains, civilians, every life ever lived was right here.
He just had to work for it.
[Stellar impact incoming. Administrator, brace yourself.]
"Wait—Null!"
The brightest star fell from its fixed position in the void, surrounded by flames like a meteor entering the atmosphere. It streaked toward him. In seconds, it grew from a distant point to a colossal burning mass.
The star crashed directly into his chest—or where his chest would be in this form. A tsunami of heat and foreign sensation enveloped him, overwhelming every sense. He felt something in his brain being overloaded and rewritten.
The pain only lasted a second, then a strange sensation washed over him. Closing his eyes made him feel like the boundaries between him and Taskmaster had dissolved.
He was Dante, and at the same time, he was Taskmaster.
The Nexus feature only transferred one ability. However, it had transformed every skill, technique, and knowledge he had learned from Taskmaster's link into actual lived experience.
Of course, Null had filtered out all the negative aspects.
[First Resonance Link successfully anchored.]
[Photographic Reflexes added to Core Abilities.]
"How many links are left?"
[Universe-X's database contains 117,439,628,847 complete Character datasets.]
Dante could only stare with a dropped jaw. One hundred seventeen billion souls was probably the number of people who had ever lived and died in Universe-X. If he completed one Resonance Link per day—which was already physically impossible given the mental strain—it would take over 321 million years to finish them all.
"Just get me back to Death. She might be worried."
The next moment, he was back in his room. Death's face was so close that he could feel her breath. The wet sensation on his lips made him realize exactly what Death had done—what she was still doing.
While his consciousness was whisked away, she had straddled his waist, placed her hands on his chest, and kissed him multiple times.
She showed no signs of stopping. This was the boldest he had seen her.
Death drew back slightly when his eyes fully focused on her. Her brows knitted together in a concerned frown. "You said you'll show me something. Then you just disappeared. I could feel you somewhere I couldn't follow."
"Sorry for disappearing like that." He reached up to cup her face, thumb brushing across her cheek. "It won't happen again."
She leaned into his touch unconsciously. "Something to do with your Null Repository?"
"Hmm, why did you kiss though?" He asked, though he probably knew the answer. "Did you think it would wake me up?"
A faint blush colored Death's normally pale cheeks. "It worked in mortal fairy tales," she whispered before pressing a hand against his forehead. Her eyes widened ever so slightly. "Your mind changed structure. It feels like... observational learning? Instantaneous skill acquisition through visual input?"
Her description was quite accurate for someone working purely from external analysis.
"From Taskmaster," he confirmed with a proud smile. "My first complete Resonance Link."
He had expected her to share his excitement, maybe ask for a demonstration of his new abilities. Instead, Death looked at him with disappointment that hit harder than any punch.
"I was hoping you'd save that honor for my link," she said, turning her face. "I wanted it to be us, not some stupid mercenary."
Dante immediately took both her hands in his, intertwining their fingers together. "Have you seriously considered what would happen if I completed your Resonance Link?"
"Will I disappear?" She tilted her head, confused. "No, that's not possible. The power you manifest may feel similar to mine, however, it's conceptually based on your understanding of what 'Death' means. Completely different basis."
She shifted slightly and moved back, still not moving away from the ambiguous mounting position.
"If you were wielding a fraction of my true cosmic power, then I would grow weaker every time you triggered the link. Conservation of energy applies even to conceptual entities. That proves your power is derivative, not parasitic."
He couldn't help but nod in agreement. "You're right."
"Also, Companion," she continued. "I've been thinking about the fundamental nature of your links. I believe they aren't just based on dead people."
"Because it contains singular entities like you?"
If the database was just about people who died in Universe-X, it wouldn't contain Death, Phoenix, and One Above All. These beings only existed as singularities across the multiverse; they weren't like Spiderman or Tony Stark who could be found in most realities.
"Correct." She nodded approvingly, pleased he had grasped her meaning so quickly. "It's most likely based on someone's comprehensive 'understanding' of every possible being across the multiverse."
She continued with a look of awe on her face, "Do you know how powerful one has to be to store abstract entities as mere datasets?" she sighed. "That's not everything. This person made all of this data accessible to a mortal consciousness through a strange archive."
"It's probably your Creator, One Above All."
Nobody else in this universe knew about cosmic entities more than the Creator of Everything. But that raised an even more disturbing question.
"Why would he choose me?" he whispered. "I'm just curious about his criteria."
Death observed his face for a long moment, then showed a gentle smile.
"All shall be revealed in time." She slipped her hands from his and shifted to lie beside him, settling against his side with her head resting over his heart. "For now, let us simply cherish the time we have together."
"You're right," he whispered, wrapping an arm around her. "Everything else can wait."
He stayed like this for a few more minutes until Death fell asleep. As his wristwatch neared 5 AM, he asked Null to immerse him in Shang-Chi's consciousness.
He didn't go in with a mindset to understand Shang-Chi. His only goal was to use his new ability, Photographic Reflexes, to copy everything Shang-Chi had learned.
Everything Shang-Chi had learned in decades would become his in one day.
***
Meanwhile, Gwen woke up and pushed herself upright. A yawn stretched her jaw as she stretched her arms over her head. For a second there was only a pleasant feeling in her body. She hadn't felt so great. Ever since she had gotten her powers, sleep had been a rumor more than a habit.
Then her brain caught up.
Her eyes snapped wide open. "Where am I?"
The room had a high ceiling, thick curtains, and a carpet, fitting her image for a deluxe suite. Her heart rate picked up, a small, tight flutter against her ribs.
For any woman, waking up in an unknown location was terrifying.
For a masked vigilante, this was a nightmare.
She was both.
The last thing she remembered was Amy being knocked out. She rushed at the mysterious woman. Then… nothing.
'She knocked me out cold too.'
What's more she was in her suit, but her mask was neatly folded by the bedside table.
"My secret…"
If anyone besides Dante had seen her, her entire superhero career might be over. Forget about that, her own father would disown her. Fighting for justice with violence was the last thing Captain George Stacy would want from his daughter. That was the antithesis of everything he believed in.
'Please let it be him.'
The door swung open.
"You're up."
Gwen froze with her fingers inches away from the mask. She turned her head slowly.
"Felicia?!"
Her voice came out higher than she wanted. Surprise hit first, then a sinking feeling filled her chest. Felicia Hardy, of all people, in the doorway in cozy winter clothes. Gwen's brain immediately jumped to the worst possibility: her secret identity had been spread through the ESU forum. Everywhere she went, students would point fingers at her, calling her a nutjob for putting on a costume and fighting crime like she's a comic hero.
"Why are you here…?"
Felicia gave her a look that suggested Gwen had just asked why the sky was blue and why the ocean had water. "It's my new home, courtesy of my boyfriend, which is a courtesy of his boss—it's complicated."
"Dante?" Gwen pointed at the bed with wide eyes. "This is his bed?"
"The room or sheets didn't smell like him. Not his, probably." Felicia shrugged, unabashedly admitting that she knew his scent well enough to tell. "Don't look at me like that. There are too many rooms here. I just threw you in a random one."
"Is this Silver Sable International, where he works?"
"Nice guess. Your reward is… nothing!" Felicia chuckled. "No, seriously. I'm too broke to give you anything."
"I'm not asking for anything." Gwen groaned, rubbing her forehead. "Did you… tell anybody?"
"About you being Ghost Spider?" Felicia's eyes lit up. "Of course I did."
Gwen felt her heart stop.
***
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