A short while later, some Duel Spirits appeared, which turned out to be two 'Skilled Dark Magicians'. Apparently, a 'Dark Magician' was the leader of this group. The portal opened, and we entered. The grounds resembled a monastery in a forest; it was possibly the 'Secret Village of the Spellcasters'.
There was Yao, me, Mordo, Wong, and two apprentices. I saw multiple monsters that were Spellcasters, most of them Vanilla, so most weren't Duelists. Therefore, we'd have to test their "quality" rather than their quantity. There were a large number of 'Breakers' and 'Neos', so this place might be some kind of refuge or something. We reached the center of the monastery where a 'Dark Magician' sat on a throne, flanked by two 'Breakers' acting as bodyguards.
"Greetings, human sorcerers, I am the Dark Magician, leader of this group of Spirits. I have summoned you to forge an alliance between our groups," said the Dark Magician, bowing his head.
"Greetings, Dark Magician. I am the Ancient One, leader and Sorcerer Supreme of Kamar-taj," said Yao, bowing slightly along with the others. "These are Mordo, Wong, John, and Chen, apprentices and duelists of Kamar-taj; and this is Spectra Phantom, a duelist allied with us."
I bowed down a little as a sign of respect, although the Dark Magician made a small frown, yes... Not being part of the groups is surely confusing and probably considered a threat or something like that, especially because I am 'allied' and not from Kamar-taj.
"Nice to meet you, Dark Magician. As mentioned before, I'm Spectra Phantom, and I'm also in charge of bringing Duel Monsters to the human world. I regret to say that we currently have a limited number of players available to avoid overwhelming the newcomers," I said, trying to give him some positive feedback. Dark Magician nodded in response, and I could see some of his tension dissipate. Yao noticed it too.
"That's good. The Spirit World is in a state of almost perpetual conflict. Although on paper it's stable, even in times of peace there will always be a Spirit who wants to cause chaos, so knowing that the number of human Duelists is increasing is a good thing. I can also sense your bond with Summoned Skull."
I nodded at that and Summoned Skull appeared next to me as a sign of good faith that I am not hiding anything. Dark Magician nodded in agreement; it was best to avoid any potential misunderstandings.
"Good, it's good that you have such great transference," he said, tapping his staff, and the 'throne' room transformed into a meeting room. "This alliance is formed for the purpose of defense and mutual learning. We will assist in the defenses of your world and increase the power of your warriors, in exchange for the protection of all Spirits in the area from attacks originating from your world as well as from the rest of the Spirit world."
Yao agreed, "Kamar-taj accepts the terms. We would also like to add an exchange of magical knowledge. If that's possible, there won't be any problem with the alliance."
Dark Magician nodded and I also saw some relief in his expression. This area must be a very isolated or even damaged refugee camp; they probably got separated from the Spellbook tower or one of the Spellcaster fields. Who knows what the hell is going on now? And they surely want the damage to be minimal, but the benefits to the fullest
"Excellent, we'll start right away," said Dark Magician as he pulled out a contract, which Yao examined closely before signing it with a smile. "Thank you very much," he said, smiling as he looked at me. "Spectra Phantom, as a third party, the alliance doesn't directly affect you, so I'd like to know something. Do you want anything as well?"
I thought about it for a moment but ended up shaking my head. "No, I'm planning to hold a tournament in the human world, and I originally thought about asking the Spirits for help, but seeing that you're busy, I'd rather not bother you. But I'll let you know if any notable Spellcaster Duelists appear."
Dark Magician nodded at that. He'd surely be interested in having some Spirits bond with humans; that way, they'd be safe.
"Understood. For now, you can observe the terrain. If you manage to forge any alliances and demonstrate your abilities with the Spirits, let us know."
We nodded in response, but then I received a message. Quickly glancing at the communicator in my mask, I was stunned.
"Thank you for the sample models of the 'Duel Disk' product. Stark Industries is delighted with the collaboration with 'Kame Game Shop.' You are expected tomorrow at 10:00 AM.
Thank you very much."
What the hell? I just sent the email for a week from now... no way, did I screw up when I sent it?
"Yao, Dark Magician; I have to go. It seems my plans have been accelerated."
"My apologies." I said with a bow and then left through the portal we'd come in and quickly returned to my shop. I took off my costume and checked my emails...
"Damn..." It's true... I made a mistake and sent the email with the wrong date, so I'm going to have to review everything and get all the duel disc designs and the solid vision system with mass, as well as create the island and place it somewhere where I won't have any legal issues and can simply claim it as my own.
After getting everything ready and resting for the next day, I think things are starting to move too fast, but for now, they can't do anything.
The next morning.
I had to make a car appear without anyone seeing me and drive itself to Stark Industries. I had everything ready, and I just need Tony to agree. He's one of the few I know who has the knowledge; there might be more, but he's the only one I know and at least know not to screw it up... too much.
After letting me in and telling me where to go, I quickly check that I have everything ready while I wait for the elevator to take me where I need to go.
Upon arrival, I am quickly noticed by JARVIS.
"Welcome, Mr. Gabriel. Mr. Stark will be with you shortly." And as if by magic, the aforementioned appeared.
"Hello, kid. Looks like we'll be seeing each other sooner than expected. Do you have the data?" he said with a smile as he drank what I believe to be whiskey.
"Yes, sir, I have it..."
"Perfect," he said without letting me finish. He took the flash drive and walked over to a table, plugging it in so that multiple screens appeared with all the plans for the Duel Discs and the 'projector' that allows you to create Solid Vision with Massa. Tony looked at everything and I could see his interest. I was basically giving him access to something completely new. "Fascinating. These blueprints have everything detailed. Obviously, I could improve it, but it's still impressive."
I nodded at that. Seeing this, I'm sure Tony will accept it, and if he improves it, even better.
"For this to impress someone of your caliber is a great compliment," I said sincerely. For Tony to say that something is impressive is because that thing is way above everything, his standards are very high.
Tony smiled at that. He knows I'm just flattering him a little, but he's not going to say so or complain.
"Well, I'd also like you to give me a little explanation of this. I want to know how much you know about it."
"Well… Solid Vision is a technological system designed to manifest Duel Monsters as three-dimensional constructs in real space. The same as the tables in my shop. In its standard form, Solid Vision relies on highly refined energy projection to reproduce the appearance, movement, and behavior of a monster with extreme precision. These manifestations are composed of structured light and controlled energy fields, allowing them to occupy space visually and dynamically. Despite their realism, they lack true physical substance. They possess no mass, exert no real force on surrounding objects, and cannot permanently alter the environment. Any perceived impact during combat is the result of energy dispersion and sensory feedback rather than genuine physical interaction.
Solid Vision with Mass, this one over here," I said pointing at the 'projector' "represents a far more advanced evolution of this system. In this state, the projected monster is no longer limited to light-based construction. Instead, the system stabilizes energy into a material form, granting the manifestation measurable mass, density, and inertia. These entities can exert force, collide with physical objects, and even create an entire new terrain."
After speaking, I heard a small round of applause from Tony. "Impressive, you've done your homework. Well, I've seen all the details and I'm very interested in these Duel Disk," he said with a slightly surprised expression.
"Thanks. I'm planning to hold a bigger tournament now that practically the whole country knows about Duel Monsters, and what better way than to use that tournament to announce and test the Duel Disks. Of course, it would just be the normal version of the Duel Disk, nothing 'With Mass'"that will be for another event."
Tony nodded at that, "Good, good, since we're talking about a tournament, do you have the area set up?"
"No... not yet, I needed to know about the Duel Disks first, now I just need to check the areas... out of curiosity, Mr. Stark"
"Call me Tony."
"Tony... do you know if there's any part of the sea that's considered no man's land, or islands in the area?"
Tony blinked, somewhat curious about my question. "Are you going to buy an island?"
"Not exactly, I just need to know where there are places where people won't start breathing down my neck."
Tony thought about it for a moment, internally curious to know what Gabriel would do to get an island.
"Well, if I find anything, I'll send you an email. Let's continue with this, okay? Okay."
And so we continued talking, and I showed him the models and color customization options. Curiously, instead of four, there were more models. When I looked closely, I remembered that they were from the "resistance" of the fusion dimension, the D-Wheels, and the personal ones of some characters. Tony said he would look into it and let me know when the prototypes would be ready. We signed a contract, and I was able to leave.
5 minutes later I received an email containing images with coordinates and everything of islands and areas where there were 'no man's lands', good, this is going to be fun and I'm really going to enjoy the reactions of everyone.
Teleporting to the designated area, I made sure I wasn't visible, as I prefer to keep my two identities separate. "Alright~ Let the show begin!~" From my hands, I launched magic directly into the ocean, and the ground quickly began to rise. Out of nowhere, a huge island appeared.
At Stark's Vila
Crash
A crash sound since Tony was sipping whiskey and the glass slipped from his hands when he saw the satellite image JARVIS showed him after detecting an energy spike where the coordinates he'd given Gabriel were located.
"I thought he'd use an existing island, NOT CREATE ONE OUT OF NOWHERE!" he said, utterly shocked by the existing images. Deciding to simply file it away with everything else he knew about Gabriel, "she only knows how to do things on a grand scale," he muttered, already beginning to realize that he shouldn't be too surprised when dealing with Gabriel.
Meanwhile, at SHIELD.
"What the hell do you mean a new island came out of nowhere?!" Fury shouted upon hearing the report of a new island. "Islands don't just appear out of thin air!" Coulson, the one who provided that information, felt as if he were about to cry. This kind of thing makes him question his sanity. The only good thing was that he wasn't the one who had to communicate this to the World Council.
"Unfortunately, sir..." Coulson began to explain, "both the video evidence and the maps and all the data we had previously proved that this island appeared out of nowhere, to be exact, rising from the seas."
Fury felt the veins in his head throb with rage. A new island is something that basically screams trouble. "I want to know how the hell an island came out of nowhere."
Coulson nodded and quickly left to avoid more shouting and to begin the search.
With the MC
Returning home, I quickly arrived at the lab. "Gentlemen, how are the preparations going?"
Both Dr. Gero and Dr. Myuu stood at attention with satisfied smiles.
"Everything is going perfectly, sir. Thanks to the large number of robots, we believe, and I've begun construction of the weapons equipment. They're ready to initiate negotiations," Gero explained.
"Everything is also ready. Both the Machine Mutants and the insect robots are ready for collection," Myuu continued.
My smile shifted from friendly to sinister. "Excellent. Myuu, send them to the known coordinates and collect Captain America's DNA. Gero, prepare to contact the army immediately. It's time for our plans to take the next step."
Iago leaned on my shoulder with a smile. Although I couldn't see it directly, being a realistic bird, I could still perceive the smile itself. "Hehehe, Chief, it seems everything is going smoothly," he said, laughing.
"Yes, how's our little spy group doing?"
"Very well, they're all idiots, very easy to manipulate. It'll be like an instinct to report in case something important comes up," Iago said, puffing out his chest. Rolling his eyes, he patted her belly.
"Yeah, yeah, you're impressive," I said with a smile.
"Now it's just a matter of time before everything falls into place, with Tony making the Duel Disks, Gero with the military, and Myuu with the serum. I'll have everything ready for 2012, which is when Earth will be publicly chained to the rest of the universe. Of course, I'll try to keep the stones or at least absorb some of their power, like the Indian woman in "What If...?" or Captain Marvel. With that, I will be able to gain great power and move up the power ladder."
I smiled with a grin that could be considered diabolical. Who said I was a good person? Personally, I consider myself to be in a gray area. I seek the good, but I don't care if I have to do evil to achieve it, and I doubt anyone would complain.
I felt someone behind me and when I turned around I could see Summoned Skull.
"Summoned Skull, how have things been going in the spirit world?"
"Everything is going well. There was a minor altercation, but I managed to eliminate them and gain their strength for myself," he said with what I think was a smile, kinda difficult with his face and I couldn't help but smile at myself. A demon is still a demon and is not going to say no to becoming stronger.
"Excellent. Well, we'll soon have the duel disks for the tournament, so with that we'll have the duelists ready in case any spirits decide to hunt human souls. We're also preparing to increase our personal military power... and I also have to reorganize the names..." I said the last part with a slight blush.
Summoned Skull nodded at that; it's just a matter of time before the defenses are ready. I decided to write in my journal today:
Today I've made some great progress on my plans; the duel discs are being prepared, the island is ready, I'll soon have Captain America's DNA to create my version of the super soldier, and thanks to Tony stopping weapons production, I have free rein to use the Red Ribbon name; it's not like there's much competition, Hammer Industries is basically a bad joke, although I don't know if I can completely eliminate them since it's relatively early. I still have to check out the Vankos to see if they can be useful.
In Stark Villa
Tony looked at the journal with mixed feelings. Although he wouldn't admit it, he hadn't exactly been a model citizen. But seeing Gabriel's plans, he didn't know if he'd lost his knack for recognizing fake smiles, or if Gabriel was someone who went to extremes: "copying Captain America's DNA and getting into the weapons business..." He had to stifle a laugh at Hammer Industries' comment, and he had to do a double take regarding the Captain America thing. Supposedly, he was dead, and his body had disappeared, but if what it said here was true, he was still alive somewhere in the world.
"Jarvis, was there anything that came out of Gabriel's shop?"
"No, sir, but I'll keep an eye on it."
"Not just the usual stuff, infrared and other light spectrum. Who knows if he's used magic with whatever he made to obtain the DNA?"
"Understood."
In the Arctic sky, four individuals flew hundreds of meters above the ground: two men and two women with slightly bluish skin and markings that made it appear as if they were pieces of a single body. These four individuals were the first four Machine Mutants created by Dr. Myuu. Their names were Double M 1 through 4, or simply 'Machine Mutant 1 through 4'. Each of them specialized in four different areas: melee attack, ranged attack, defense, and speed. All four carried small backpacks containing numerous robotic insects for DNA collection, except for Double M 1, who possessed special insects designed to collect Captain America's DNA.
"Five minutes to reach the coordinates," Double M 4 commented.
"90% of the Collectors have been deployed," Double M 2 continued.
"All systems are fully operational; no problems or interference have been detected," Double M 3 stated.
"Affirmative, coordinates closed, part 2 initiated."
The four landed at the coordinates and began searching. It took them about three hours, but they finally found the captain.
"Scan initiated," Double M 1 said as his eyes lit up. "Scan complete: Steven Grant Rogers, aka Captain America, 100% match."
A tube emerged from the backpack, revealing multiple robotic insects. Each of these robots obtained DNA in a different way: through skin, blood, hair, and a detailed scan of the captain's body to determine its condition. That didn't take too long and all the robots return to the backpack.
"Mission complete" said Double M 1, "Disengage"
The four withdrew and began their flight back to 'base'.
Meanwhile, in a military zone, high-ranking officers in the military and in the Defence Department, received a message about a meeting regarding a new weapons manufacturer, since Stark Industries had stopped selling weapons, although they already had someone lined up: Hammer Industries.
Of course, they're personally too accustomed to Stark's quality, so expectations are possibly too high, but it's still a great company, so there's no doubt that what they produce will still be good, not at Stark's level... but still.
"Greetings, gentlemen," said Gero, appearing from the shadows. A little drama never hurt anyone. "I'm Dr. Maki Gero from Red Ribbon. Because Tony Stark decided to grow a 'heart' on him, the country's defense has lost its best resorts of defense, so, if you'll allow me, I can show you…Something that will make Stark's loss a fleeting memory."
Gero activated a hologram displaying assault vehicles, tanks, flying cars, fighter jets, laser weapons, light armor, and finally, assault robots.
All the officers stared at the holograms with great awe. If this information was correct, they would possess the most technologically advanced weaponry in the world.
"What do you say, gentlemen? Interested?"
General Robert Maverick was among those present and was more than delighted. He had originally planned to ally with Ross and his operations with the Gamma Bases, but now... now he didn't need that. He needed real proof, not just words.
"Excuse me, Doctor, do you have any proof or something for a demonstration?"
Gero smiled at that. From his pocket, he pulled out a box containing small capsules, each with what looked like a button on top. He pressed the button and threw the capsule to a separate area, and after a burst of smoke, a huge, high-tech military tank emerged. When he saw the stares at his box, he couldn't help but smile. "These are Hoi-Poi Capsules," he said. "They're compact devices that compress large objects like vehicles, houses, or equipment into pocket-sized capsules for easy portability. Users deploy them instantly by pressing a button and throwing them, producing a pop and smoke as the item expands to full size. Most can be re-encapsulated for reuse; even organic objects and houseplants can be contained in capsules. The only things that can never be in capsules are living, sapient organisms."
Gero's explanation left all the officers in complete shock. That simple box was one of the greatest strategic advantages, especially when it came to transporting resources. No one would look in a simple box that fits in your pocket and think it contained all the supplies for the entire military force.
"The capsules will also be included, gentlemen. No need to be alarmed," he said jokingly, as the officers noticed their reactions. "Now, if you'll excuse me, take a look at this tank model."
Gero smiled like any salesman. He knew what to say, what to do, and by simply testing some of his "products," he practically had everyone in his pocket. It was just a matter of waiting through the slow bureaucracy to finalize things. But he only had to show some of his inventions, not just simple holograms, and everything would be expedited perfectly.
Like dominoes falling, Gabriel's plans continued to unfold smoothly as the days passed, and from one day to the end of the month: Myuu had 70% of the enhanced serum, Gero had established contact with the military, multiple persons of interest had been located, and finally, he received a message—a message that felt like a birthday present.
"Hey kid, I've got the discs ready. Come by tomorrow whenever you can to see them."
My smile could easily rival the Joker's, and to celebrate, I'll write in my journal. It's relatively therapeutic to be able to let loose without restraint; it's not like anyone knows what I write about.