The moment the gem locked into place—
A torrent of golden energy surged up Antony's arm and flooded through his entire body.
He threw his head back.
His pupils were instantly dyed molten gold.
"…If I don't pay rent, the landlord's kicking me out tomorrow…"
"…That girl just looked at me. Does she like me?…"
"…That bastard. I want to smash this keyboard in his face…"
"…Hungry… so hungry…"
Voices.
Not spoken aloud—but thought.
Desire. Fear. Greed. Love. Hunger. Rage.
Billions of human impulses overlapped and collided, crashing against Antony's consciousness like an endless psychic tidal wave.
He frowned.
It felt as if ten thousand flies had crawled into his skull, buzzing chaotically.
"Silence."
He commanded inwardly.
The Mind Stone flickered in response.
Instantly—
The noise receded.
The world returned to stillness.
But he understood now: if he wished, he could turn the dial at any moment. Tune into any mind. Pluck any thought from the sea of humanity.
He lowered his gaze to his right hand.
No teacher was required.
The Stone itself was knowledge.
As the fusion completed, its functions etched themselves into his mind like instinct.
Mental domination and control.
Thought reading and neural access.
Absolute psychic immunity.
Imbuing sentience into the inanimate.
Potential amplification.
And…
Manifestation of psychic energy.
"Interesting."
He looked toward a vibranium spear leaning in the corner of the vault—a recent acquisition Ashley had purchased from a shadow broker known as "Sith."
Antony's will stirred.
The yellow gem pulsed.
Bzzzz—
Twin beams of golden light burst from his eyes.
Silent.
Effortless.
The spear—crafted from the strongest metal on Earth—was sliced cleanly into three pieces.
He nodded in approval.
Still, brute destruction wasn't the Mind Stone's essence.
Control.
That was the true allure.
And the danger.
He rubbed his chin as a dangerous thought surfaced.
If…
If I controlled everyone—made them worship me, adore me from the depths of their hearts—
Wouldn't I instantly max out my Popularity points?
He needed a test subject.
-----
Back in his office, Antony dialed a number.
Beep… beep…
The call connected.
On the other end, Jessica's sharp voice echoed as she barked at trainees.
"You in the green suit! Just because you can photosynthesize doesn't mean you get to slack off! Fifty burpees! Now!"
Then she returned to the call, irritation heavy in her tone.
"What?"
"I want milk."
"…What?"
"I want milk."
A pause.
"Are you insane?" Jessica Jones snapped. "Go find a cow! I'm a bodyguard and an instructor—not your personal dairy service!"
"I want it warm. Forty-five degrees."
"Then call Ashley!" Jessica shot back. "She'll heat it for you. Hell, she'd probably moo if you asked."
"Ashley always breaks the surface film," Antony replied with perfect seriousness. "You know I have OCD."
"I don't have time for this. These so-called 'Teen Titans' are oversized toddlers."
He sighed theatrically.
"If you're that busy… fine."
"…I'll ask Wanda to bring it."
He let the name linger casually.
"She's thoughtful. Just called to check if I was tired. I'm sure she'd love to come to my office. You know… the soundproofing in here is excellent."
He pretended to hang up.
"WAIT!!"
Jessica barked through the line.
"Don't move!"
The call disconnected.
Antony smiled.
Works every time.
-----
Five minutes later—
BANG!
The office door slammed open.
Jessica stormed in, holding a lidded mug.
"Here! Milk!"
She dropped it heavily onto his desk.
"Forty-five degrees. Surface intact. Anything else? Want me to bottle-feed you?"
"Is that so?"
Antony took a sip.
Perfect temperature.
"Jessica, sometimes I wonder… if only your mouth were as honest as your heart."
She rolled her eyes. "What nonsense are you spewing now? Anything else? Because I've got infants doing squats out there."
"Forget them for a moment."
Antony lifted his gauntleted right hand.
"What, showing off your new toy—?"
Snap.
A crisp sound.
Hummmm—
Jessica froze.
Her pupils dilated, ink-black spreading through them. Her body went rigid.
A moment later—
She slowly sank to her knees.
Like a docile cat.
She looked up at Antony, devotion overflowing from her expression.
"I feel… wonderful, Antony."
Her voice was different.
Soft.
Sweet.
Reverent.
Antony raised a brow.
He had to admit—
It felt good.
"Stand."
"Yes."
She rose instantly, posture flawless.
"Praise me."
"You are light. You are thunder. You are the only truth."
"You are perfection incarnate. Humanity's savior. Your will guides my direction. Your emotions are my law."
Not a trace of hesitation.
Not a flicker of doubt.
"Hmm."
Antony clicked his tongue.
Satisfying—but oddly nauseating after a few seconds.
"Do something for me."
He pointed to the floor.
"Perform… a split."
Without question, Jessica extended one stiff leg and dropped cleanly into a perfect split.
"Would you like a front flip as well, Antony?"
She smiled obediently.
"Enough."
He waved dismissively.
He didn't want a puppet.
He wanted profit.
"System."
He called inwardly.
"Monitor Jessica Jones' current Popularity output."
He waited.
The interface appeared.
Monitoring Target: Jessica Jones
Current Status: Deep Mental Domination / Ego Suppressed
Popularity Output: 0
That glaring zero stabbed at his eyes.
"What do you mean zero?" he demanded internally. "She's worshipping me like a god!"
The system responded mechanically:
"Popularity is generated by emotional fluctuation originating from free will."
"Whether love, hatred, fear, or admiration—it must arise from independent cognition."
"A mind overwritten by the Mind Stone functions as a biological puppet."
"Puppets possess no autonomous soul."
"No valid Popularity can be generated."
"…I see."
Antony looked at Jessica—still smiling in that split.
His interest drained.
If absolute obedience was all he wanted, he could manufacture a legion of T-850s.
He raised his hand once more, this time gently.
The Mind Stone glowed again—but softly.
"Memory rewrite…"
His consciousness slipped into Jessica's mind.
He located the recent sequence—
The Stone.
The praise.
The split.
Delete.
Overwrite.
"You brought me milk. I complimented you. You told me to drink it while it's warm. Then you left to continue training the rookies."
And since she'd already come all this way…
No need to waste the opportunity.
He adjusted one more detail—subtle. Harmless. Just enough to keep the balance of emotion intact.
The glow faded.
Jessica blinked.
She straightened, unaware of anything unusual.
"Well? Drink it before it cools."
She turned and left.
The door closed behind her.
Antony leaned back in his chair, tapping the Mind Stone thoughtfully.
Absolute control was easy.
But true devotion?
That required something far more complicated.
Free will.
And he smiled.
Because manipulating that—
Would be far more interesting.
--------------
T/N:
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