As expected, he heard Aurelius Viremont continue:
"However, our relationship won't be that of a superior and subordinate, but a partnership. You will pay me a certain fee, and I will help you execute missions."
Aurelius Viremont placed heavy emphasis on the word "fee." He had already decided that once his Energy Absorption was strong enough to handle the power of an Infinity Stone, he would head to S.H.I.E.L.D. to claim the Space Stone.
After all, that's a "fee," isn't it? Of course, it would be even better if Loki happened to show up to deliver "takeout" at that time.
As for whether S.H.I.E.L.D. would be unhappy about it, Aurelius Viremont didn't give it a second thought. He was confident they would be quite "happy" to hand over the payment. They weren't stupid...
Hearing Aurelius Viremont's words, Coulson fell silent for a moment. He reached for the comms unit at his ear and said:
"This isn't a decision I can make. I need to consult my superior."
Aurelius Viremont nodded.
Coulson immediately contacted Nick Fury. After a brief exchange, he turned back to Aurelius Viremont:
"If you're willing to join us fully, we can help you have the military's wanted notice lifted."
Aurelius Viremont paused, realizing this was a negotiation. He flashed a brilliant smile, stepped closer to Coulson, and said slowly:
"Agent Coulson—or rather, Director 'Nigga' Fury—do you really think I care about a 'wanted' status?"
Coulson continued his dialogue with Fury, then removed the comms unit and turned the volume to its maximum. A deep, gravelly voice crackled through the speaker:
"Mr. Aurelius Viremont, I admit your abilities are strong—perhaps even more powerful than Magneto or Professor X. But Colonel Stryker has countless mutants under his command, including those capable of erasing mutant powers entirely. I imagine even you would be helpless in such a situation. Join us, and we will negotiate with Stryker on your behalf to wipe your slate clean. What do you say?"
Sitting in his office, Nick Fury wore a confident expression. He had revealed Stryker's secret anti-mutant weapon, certain that Aurelius Viremont wouldn't refuse. After all, no matter how strong he was, he was still a mutant. A mutant without powers is just an ordinary human, easily killed by a single bullet.
However, after a moment of silence, a laugh erupted from the transmitter—a laugh that grew louder until it became an unabashed, mocking sneer.
"Hahahaha... Nick Fury, do you really think I care about that? Like I said, we are equal partners. If you're not interested, then forget it."
After all, if he had to take them by force, he could still get the Infinity Stones. Cooperating with S.H.I.E.L.D. was simply more convenient.
Nick Fury went silent. The situation had spiraled beyond his expectations. He hadn't expected Aurelius Viremont to be so utterly indifferent to a power-nullification method. Does he have a way to counter it? No, impossible. He doesn't even know the specifics of the tech; how could he have a countermeasure?
Fury breathed a sigh of relief, deciding he would simply save Aurelius Viremont when Stryker eventually moved to capture him. By then, the boy would surely see reason and join S.H.I.E.L.D. completely. He replied directly:
"Fine. I agree. For now, we are partners. If you change your mind later, our doors are always open, though the terms might change."
Aurelius Viremont understood Fury's subtext perfectly and grinned.
"Don't worry, Director. That day will never come..."
Anti-mutant powers? What effect would they have on him? And simply "negotiating" with Stryker wasn't enough. He was going to kill the man.
Agent Coulson bid farewell to Aurelius Viremont and Stark. His mission was complete; he had managed to recruit the "White Demon" as an asset, giving him no further reason to linger.
After Coulson left, Tony reunited with Pepper. He then led Aurelius Viremont to the penthouse of Stark Tower and handed him two brand-new Arc Reactors from his workbench.
"Here's your payment, white-haired kid."
"Hmm?" Aurelius Viremont looked at Stark. He hadn't expected to get a nickname so quickly. He didn't mind; in fact, he found it amusing. In his previous life, Stark had already died. Even if he were to return, would he still be that Iron Man? Meeting the living legend was like a fantasy coming to life.
Aurelius Viremont grabbed a messenger bag from a nearby desk, tucked one reactor inside, and gripped the other in his hand to absorb its energy at full power. Tony Stark watched Aurelius Viremont take the bag and couldn't help but snark:
"You really don't stand on ceremony, do you?"
Aurelius Viremont replied, "I did save your life, didn't I, Mr. 'Stark'?" (Note: Aurelius Viremont uses a homophone Shìdàkē, a mocking transliteration).
"What is that? 'Shìdàkē'?" Tony asked, confused.
But with a slight flick of Aurelius Viremont's fingers, Tony felt a massive gravitational pull yank him backward. He suddenly found himself falling right into Pepper's arms. Across the room, Aurelius Viremont had already made himself at home, sprawling out on an office chair. He called out to Tony:
"You just escaped death. Why are you bothering me instead of being affectionate with your girlfriend?"
Tony Stark was speechless. He looked at Pepper, who was looking back at him with soft eyes. Through this crisis, they had finally understood each other's feelings.
The sight made Aurelius Viremont a bit annoyed—he wasn't in the mood to be a third wheel to their romance—so he used a tiny burst of "Blue" to gently push them toward the exit, leaving himself alone in the penthouse to absorb energy.
[Energy Points +1]
[Energy Points +1]
...
As the template integration grew, the energy required for the next percentage increased. Upon reaching 35%, the cost spiked again. However, with the constant supply from the Arc Reactor, after a dozen or so hours, the integration finally hit 39%.
At that moment, Aurelius Viremont suddenly took off his black blindfold and stared into the distance. After a pause, he grinned, tossed the blindfold aside, and spoke to Jarvis:
"Jarvis, tell Tony I'm stepping out. When I get back, I have something important to discuss with him. I imagine he's noticed something's wrong with his body already!"
Without waiting for a reply, he walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. With a slight exert of force from his fingers, the reinforced glass shattered. Aurelius Viremont spread his arms, leaned forward, and let himself fall.
As he neared the ground, he used "Blue" to pull himself toward a wall, using the momentum to kick off—leaving a web of cracks in the concrete—and streaked toward a distant glow in the sky.
There was a sufficiently sturdy target over there, perfect for testing the new skill he was about to unlock!