Of course, I came here in person this time. And I had no intention of choosing an avatar going forward either.
With looks and abilities this good, there was no reason to pick a different avatar. And of all the options, it just had to be Deadpool and Lady Pool.
"Does Recreational Life want me to be female that badly? I still don't understand why female avatar options keep showing up."
First, I looked around to get my bearings.
"New York. Since we're at the start of the original story, Deadpool should be selling used cars right now."
Since my current setting was a college student, I didn't have much money. So I liquidated some gold bars to make a decent amount of cash.
You might ask why I couldn't just use the money I brought from the MCU, but even though it looked similar, there were differences.
The size was off, and the artwork was slightly different. It seemed to be because this was a different multiverse. Still, with gold being a universal currency, that problem was easy to solve. I sold the gold bars and quickly turned them into about 500 million won in cash.
"That should be enough."
I headed to DriveMax, the used car dealership where Deadpool worked. Right on cue, I saw Wade WilsonâDeadpoolâworking there. Just like in the movie, his face was burned and wrinkled, and he was wearing a wig. I called out to him.
"I'm looking to buy a used car. Can you show me something that handles rough terrain well?"
"Of course. We have a Mercedes G-Wagen in great condition right now. It's a recent model, so it's in excellent shape. Would you like to take a look?"
"Sure."
I followed Wade to where the G-Wagen was parked. I walked around it and checked the interior. Just as Wade said, it was in great condition.
"Can I take it for a test drive?"
"Absolutely."
I had Wade ride in the passenger seat while I took the car for a spin around the dealership.
"The G-Wagen's ride quality is definitely lacking. I've heard the sensors fail a lot too, and owners really struggle with that."
"That's true. The previous owner came in clutching his lower back when he sold it. I remember wondering just how hard he was working at night. But after driving it, I get it. Honestly, the ride quality is trash."
I started to wonder if Wade was actually trying to sell the car.
"What about the Bronco?"
"The transmission is garbage. The ride and engine are good, but it uses the same transmission as the Explorer. If the engine output was lower, it'd be forgivable, but putting that transmission in something with a strong engine like the Bronco? That's a no."
"Then what about the Wrangler..."
"The Wrangler isn't as bad as the G-Wagen, but the ride is still rough on bumpy roads, and it's missing some of the latest tech. Truth is, these cars were made for off-road use, not city driving. A lot of these problems happen because people force them onto regular roads."
Wade was giving his customers brutally honest feedback based on his own experience. As a reviewer, he'd be top-tier. As a salesman? A total disaster. Who would buy a car after hearing that?
"Hmm... Let's go look at some other cars then."
"Sounds good."
We went back to the dealership and checked out other vehicles. The Bronco was too old, the G-Wagen's ride was truly awful, so in the end I bought the Wrangler. It was in good condition, and I liked the red color. While I was filling out the paperwork, I heard voices next to me.
"See? I told you you could do it."
"What's this? Piece of cake."
It sounded like Peter Wisdom was praising Wade for making a sale. I handed over the completed paperwork, paid for the car, thanked Wade for the information, and gave him a tip.
"Whoa! Thanks!"
Wade still had time left on his shift, so I drove the car to a supermarket. I bought fuel containers, alcohol, and a huge amount of food, then loaded everything into the trunk. After that, I went to a gas station, filled the tank completely, and filled the spare containers to the brim. This car was going to be used in the Void.
I returned to the dealership, put the car into my inventory, and waited for Wade to get off work. While I waited, I took out an iron bead and practiced gravity manipulation.
Thanks to Nano's knowledge, my understanding of gravity was already very high, and with my ability, controlling it was easy. After about three hours of practice, my [(S) Rumble-Rumble Fruit] immediately ranked up to [(SS) Rumble-Rumble Fruit (Awakened)].[Genius]
"Huh? Why did it awaken all of a sudden?"
According to the settings, a Devil Fruit awakens when your understanding of the ability and your mind and body catch up to the fruit's power. My scientific knowledge already gave me enough understanding, and as for mind and body⊠my [Strong Mind] trait probably helped. That raised a new question.
"Then why haven't my other Devil Fruits awakened? Is my understanding lacking?"
I thought about it for a bit, but figured there was no point guessing now. I decided I'd look into it later when I visited the One Piece world. Now that I'd awakened it, I was getting greedy.
Honestly, seeing Cassandra Nova's abilities in the original work, I thought a head-on fight would be difficult. My plan was to try a surprise attack, and if that failed, use teleportation to escape. Even that felt risky.
Cassandra Nova's telekinetic power was that strong. I'd even considered giving up, but now that my fruit ability had awakened, I thought I might stand a chance in a direct confrontation. If I could at least neutralize her powers, I could cut her down with my swordsmanship.
"The key is whether this ability can block Cassandra Nova's telekinesis..."
I could even drop massive meteors, so raw output wasn't an issue. But I'd just awakened, so I couldn't guarantee precision yet.
"If it doesn't work, I'll just teleport away and wait until the end of the original story to finish her off as a last hit."
That was the conclusion I reached, assuming I could at least block her attacks to some extent.
I kept practicing gravity control as time passed. It grew dark, and I saw Wade riding home on a bicycle with Peter. I used stealth and followed behind them. Peter kept trying to convince Wade to be a superhero again.
"Just one mission a month. You miss it too. We're Deadpool..."
"Stop it. We're not Deadpool. I'm not Deadpool. Not anymore."
Wade had been rejected by the Avengers and broken up with his girlfriend, Vanessa. He'd accepted that he wasn't someone important and was trying to live a normal life. But Peter didn't seem to think Deadpool's past actions were meaningless.
Eventually, the two of them went inside the house. Today was Wade's birthday party, and also the day he'd be abducted by the TVA.
The TVA was the Time Variance Authority, an organization that managed timelines in the Marvel universe. I didn't go inside the house. I waited by the door. I planned to follow Wade when he was taken into the TVA.
After some time passed, five TVA agents gathered in front of Wade's front door and knocked. A moment later, Wade opened it.
"Wade Wilson?"
Wade looked at the TVA agents and said,
"Oh, yeah! Strippers. Dopinder sent you guys. Are those police costumes?"
The TVA agents looked exasperated.
"Keep the helmets on and just take the clothes off. What song are we dancing to?"
The agents didn't bother listening further. They drew their TVA-issued batons. These batons were ridiculously overpoweredâthey could slow down a target's time or banish them to the Void at the end of time. I should grab one when I get to the TVA. And the multiverse travel device, the TemPad, too.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Am I supposed to be scared? This isn't my first time getting my ass pounded, but this is a Disney movie."
Wade didn't understand the situation and seemed to think the baton was actually a dildo. When the TVA agents pressed the button, the batons extended with a sharp click.
"Hold on, hold on! I'm not usually a bottom, so let's take it slow. And give me some sticky eye contact. Let's at least go downstairs. Don't do it here. What do you say?"
At that moment, the agent who appeared to be the leader looked at Wade and said,
"I hate you."
"Yeah, that's the attitude! Rough me up!"
The moment he finished speaking, a portal opened behind Wade. In an instant, they grabbed him and dragged him into the TVA.
The leader tried to subdue Wade by grabbing his hair, but it was a wig, so it just came off. The leader stared at the wig in his hand for a moment, dumbfounded, then threw it on the floor and stepped through the portal. I stayed hidden and followed them in.
I watched as the TVA agents dragged an unconscious Wade away. He'd passed out and apparently pissed himselfâhis pants were getting wet. While I had the chance, I wandered around the TVA and collected the equipment I needed: a baton, a smartphone-like TemPad, technical data, adamantium, and more.
The TVA was a goldmine. I immediately observed the adamantium with [True Sight] to analyze its structure. With that, I'd achieved my first goal for coming here. Now I just needed to get the ability, and I'd be done.
After stashing all the looted items in my inventory, I went back to find Wade.
"He hasn't caused trouble and left already, right? Well, if he did, he'll be back here anyway according to the original story, so it doesn't matter."
I saw Paradox guiding Wade to the area where the timelines were managed. It looked like Paradox had already finished explaining the TVA. The place was filled with employees working in their own individual offices, and the front wall displayed multiple screens showing events happening across different timelines.
Paradox led Wade to the area with the screens and said,
"I brought you here to tell you that you are special. You've been chosen for a greater purpose. A purpose even I don't fully understand."
Paradox, one of the TVA's administrators, had brought WadeâDeadpoolâhere to recruit him.
"But that purpose is to save the entire 'Sacred Timeline' from a bleak future, and it's not a job just anyone can do. Unless you're an Avenger."
"That 'Sacred Timeline' talk⊠does that mean I'm going to Marvel? Like, the MCU? As a cameo, a cameo appearance, or some mindless multiverse variant?"
The 'Sacred Timeline' meant the MCU universe I had visited before. Hearing Paradox's words, Wade looked genuinely excited. He was probably thinking, 'Am I finally going to do something important?' Come to think of it, I wasn't sure if this connected to the MCU I'd been to. I should check on that later.
"Just watch," Paradox said.
He operated a remote and pointed to the monitor in front of them. The screen showed footage of Captain America in action in the MCU.
"Captain!"
When the monitor showed Captain saluting, Wade saluted too, moved by the sight. He was filled with the anticipation that he'd soon be there, fighting alongside him.
Then Paradox said to Wade,
"Your days of wandering are over."