Now that the analysis of the spaceships was finished, I started building a spaceship in Nowhere.
I tried to incorporate the Dark Elf ship's stealth technology, the hyperdrive-based evasive maneuvers from the ship obtained from the Void, anti-gravity devices, nanotechnology auto-repair, energy shields, a special arc reactor and coronaite engine, and the Kyber crystals from the Jedi weapon 'Lightsaber' β analyzed and utilized with [Naked Eye] β to create powerful armaments.
But while other things were fine, the weapons using Kyber crystals were problematic. They required massive amounts of high-density energy and generated enormous heat after a single use.
That was probably why even the 'Death Star' had to have a large exhaust port. On the other hand, the power was immense. I test-fired it somewhere with no nearby civilization, and it destroyed an asteroid the size of a moon in one shot. If I made it larger, it could probably destroy a planet with ease.
"This needs to be a one-shot weapon."
Still, with the help of Nano, I thought I could make it usable about once every thirty minutes. So I had no choice but to add secondary armaments: powerful lasers, plasma cannons like those on Xandar's ships, and small smart-guided missiles just in case. Inside, I planned to make it luxurious enough for five people to live comfortably.
"The name... Nano, what do you think?"
[I recommend Nemesis, Asterion, or Lumina.]
I'm terrible at naming things, so I relied on Nano again.
"Hmm... Let's go with Lumina."
With the design complete, I started building the spaceship. I also wanted to build a mobile production base, so that I could easily produce things and supply nanomaterials in other creative worlds.
In particular, I'd suffered a lot in One Piece because of this, so I wanted to make it in advance this time. I named it 'Arcadia'. This ship would also be equipped with Dark Elf stealth technology, energy shields, and defensive plasma cannons as standard.
Of course, to avoid easy detection in Nowhere, I excavated the top of our house β the crown of the dead Celestial β and started production inside. Once the 'Lumina' was complete, I thought it would become the strongest spaceship, unrivaled no matter which space-themed creative world I went to.
After spending several days in Nowhere, I returned to Earth.
Nothing much seemed to have happened on Earth. Even though it was now 2015, there was no news from the Shadow Soldier Ronan, so it seemed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 still had time left.
So I spent my time producing drones and upgrading the Odyssey Mk2. The Odyssey Mk2 was an upgraded version of the original Odyssey, adding nano-tech auto-repair, energy shields, and space navigation capabilities. I wanted to add more, but the technological gap from the original work made it impossible.
Time passed, and spring arrived with cherry blossoms in full bloom. So I took Natasha and Cosmo, packed a lunch, and went to Roosevelt Island β a small island between Manhattan and Queens β to see the cherry blossoms, accompanied by bodyguards. Some Americans came to see the flowers too, but it wasn't as crowded as in Japan or Korea, so it wasn't chaotic.
Natasha and Cosmo walked around looking at the trees in full bloom, happy.
"Wow~ The flowers smell nice~ It's romantic!"
"Right? It only happens once a year, so I thought it would be nice to rest and enjoy the flowers like this."
We set out a cloth under a tree and ate lunch. Since I'd made the lunch from scratch in the morning, Natasha and the bodyguards ate it deliciously. Of course, I made Cosmo's meal too.
"It's so delicious. Jean, you're really good at cooking."
"Right, it's delicious. It's on a whole different level from store-bought."
Natasha and Cosmo kept exclaiming in admiration as they ate, complimenting my cooking skills. Seeing them eat so well made me proud.
"Phew... I ate too much. I hope I don't gain weight."
"Women must have it tough. Can't you eat a little more on a day like this?"
"That's true, but if I gain weight, you'll be the first to hate it, right?"
Part of the reason Natasha was always wary of gaining weight seemed to be because of me.
"I wouldn't mind a little chub, personally..."
"You say that now, but if it actually happens, you'll hate it. Men are all the same."
"Really? I don't know..."
Just then, Cosmo asked.
"Then do I need to diet too?"
"No, you're fine, but if you get so fat that it's hard to move, then you'll need to diet."
"I see."
Cosmo, being female too, seemed to be asking. We finished eating and were sitting and resting when people started asking for autographs, so I signed them. Cosmo also stamped her paw next to mine. Then a little boy asked me.
"When is the next Gundam coming out?"
"Well... it's being kept on Gundam Island. There hasn't been a strong enemy to use it against yet."
"I see! I want to see it in action soon!"
"Y-yeah..."
Anyway, after signing autographs and taking some pictures, we took a walk through the park to aid digestion and enjoy the flowers. The park was very well-maintained, with many scenic spots, so we took pictures with Natasha and Cosmo as we walked.
Then suddenly, I got a call from Uncle Motherfβ I mean, Fury. Natasha frowned when she saw it. She didn't seem happy about getting a call during their break.
"He has no tact, calling at a time like this."
"Tell me about it."
I felt the same, but I answered anyway. At least Fury doesn't call for nothing.
"What's the matter?"
β A Hydra base has been discovered in Sokovia. It's quite large. We need the Avengers' support.
"I see. Got it. I'll let the members know."
β I'll come and explain it myself. The situation is a bit complicated.
"Fine."
From what Fury said, it seemed like Avengers: Age of Ultron was about to begin.
"What is it?"
Natasha asked, curious about the call.
"A large Hydra base was found in Sokovia, and they're asking for support."
"Really? Captain will be happy. Maybe we can get some info on the Winter Soldier too."
"That's true."
We went home, took the Talaria RV, and headed to Avengers Headquarters. Fury had also arrived in his Talaria. He briefed everyone on the Hydra base. Hawkeye was enthusiastic.
"We've been catching small fry, it's been a while since we had a big job."
"But this one isn't easy. According to our investigation, Sokovia's civil war ended not long ago, the politics are unstable, and the economy is poor. Hydra has deep ties there, so they'll be quite uncooperative."
As Fury explained Sokovia's situation, Wanda and Pietro's expressions darkened. It seemed to be because it was their homeland. I tried to solve it with money.
"So, could we operate in exchange for material support?"
"Hmm... I don't know. I'll look into it."
After the meeting ended, Fury tried to solve the issue by contacting politicians. In the meantime, we checked our equipment. Honestly, there hadn't been any big incidents lately. As Clint said, we'd only been handling small fry, so we needed to check our unused gear. Tony loaded the Iron Visions onto the Odyssey. He seemed intent on using them aggressively again.
I didn't have much to prepare, so I helped the other members. Eventually, Fury finished his calls and came to us with the results.
"They want food support and a factory built. The council approved it. The official stance will come out in a few days."
"That's good news."
I immediately placed a large order for flour, bread to distribute, and preserved foods. The factory issue would be handled later, after the mission.
A few days passed, and when the first batch of supplies arrived, we loaded them onto the Odyssey and prepared to depart. This time, Fury was coming along too.
While we were preparing, Wanda and Pietro came and asked me a favor.
"We're going to sit out this fight. Instead, we want to help distribute the food."
The Maximoff siblings had protested against the war in their homeland, so fighting there seemed psychologically burdensome.
"Alright. Do that."
This time, we also brought some HQ staff along. Distributing the food would require many hands. The operation was planned as a diversion. On one side, the staff and Maximoff siblings, with the help of the Iron Visions, would control the crowd and distribute food in a safe location. The rest would raid the Hydra base. Fury would oversee overall command from the Odyssey.
While planning the operation, we arrived in Sokovia's airspace. Seeing the news that food would be distributed, many citizens had gathered in the square. We checked for any hidden armed personnel, but Hydra seemed to be keeping their heads down after hearing the Avengers had arrived.
"Alright, let's begin the operation. Maximoff siblings and staff, distribute the food and guide citizens to safe locations. On cue, we'll raid the Hydra base."
"Got it." "Okay."
The Odyssey landed a good distance from the Hydra base. With the cooperation of the broadcasting station, we gathered the citizens. Meanwhile, we circled around and raided the Hydra base. But the entrance was heavily fortified. In addition to modern weapons, there were Chitauri plasma turrets installed everywhere.
β Wow~ This must be a pretty big base? There are defensive bunkers everywhere. What are they trying to hide?
Tony seemed quite surprised by the scale of the base's defenses.
"Tell me about it. And energy weapons too..."
Just then, a frantic call came from Jessie.
β Cough! Everyone be careful. There are a lot of Super Soldiers!
They seemed to have shifted to producing Super Soldiers since they didn't have the Chitauri Scepter.
β What the fuck! Were they trying to build an army of Super Soldiers here?
β Tony, language.
Indeed, as we fought, there were a lot of Super Soldiers.
"If we'd left them alone, it would have been a disaster."
"Tell me about it. To be doing this without us knowing... Where did they get the funding..."
Fury answered Natasha's question.
β Sorry. S.H.I.E.L.D. did a thorough audit after the last incident and found funds leaking. This was probably from that.
"Geez... Get your act together."
Tony seemed more bothered by Captain's earlier "language" remark than the funding issue.
β Wait, is nobody going to address the fact that Captain just said 'language'?
Captain replied.
β I know... It just slipped out.
Just then, Vulture was seen trying to enter the Hydra headquarters but got bounced off an energy shield.
Thud!
β Ugh! Sh*t!!
β Vulture, language! You need to listen to Captain.
Tony, not missing a beat, hit Vulture with the "language" bit. Knowing Tony's personality, this would go on for a year.
β Geez, fine, language. Anyway, the base has some kind of energy barrier.
Hearing Vulture, Captain asked JARVIS.
β JARVIS, check out the Hydra base.
[The central building is being protected by some kind of energy shield. This base's technology is superior to the previous Hydra bases we've taken.]
'Oh~ Lucky me. Looks like I can use shield technology openly now.'
Hydra was proving useful in its own way.
Anyway, there were more Hydra and Super Soldiers than expected, so it took time to push through. On the bright side, Thor and the Hulkbuster Mk2 were doing great on the ground.
"Speaking of which, Thor! Your brother said he misses you. Go visit him."
β Th-that's... I want to, but I need the time. There's Jane too...
He said that, but judging by his tone, he had completely forgotten, just as Loki said. Poor Loki. I should send him some food regularly.
Fortunately, the Super Soldiers, perhaps lacking training, weren't that strong, so Natasha, Hawkeye, and Captain handled them without much trouble. I wasn't idle either, and started taking down Super Soldiers. But to obtain the ability, I made sure to finish them off with my Cane Sword.
But I didn't get any more increases from [Super Soldier Serum] S. It seemed this was the ability's tier cap.
[(S) Super Soldier Serum]
Increases Strength, Stamina, and Agility by 100 each.
'So some abilities have a tier cap. Well, it would be weird if the Super Soldier Serum kept increasing.'
It was a bit disappointing from my perspective. So, since it had come to this, I decided to turn off [Kill Steal] for now, capture the enhanced soldiers separately, and turn them all into Shadow Soldiers. They were a mix of Elite and regular Shadow Soldier ranks. It seemed some responded well to the "drug" and some didn't.
'I wonder if I can teach them swordsmanship or martial arts.'
Shadow Soldiers have levels, so I thought maybe it was possible. I decided to experiment with that later and resumed hunting.
As we pushed forward and kept hunting, we seemed to have almost cleared out the enemies outside the Hydra base. Tony, who had gone inside first, reported on the interior.
β There's a Super Soldier serum factory and a weapons factory here. Looks like our guess was right.
Hearing that, Captain signaled for us to go inside too. Vulture and the Hulkbuster, who were too big to fit inside, stayed outside to guard the perimeter, and everyone else entered the base.
Inside, we saw beds with IV drips and equipment production facilities. As we went further in, we found a room with piles of naked bodies. A crematorium was also nearby, making it clear this was where they disposed of failed experiments.
"Ugh! Damn it! You fucking trash!!"
Jessie, covering her mouth and gagging, cursed at the sight. Having been a civilian, Jessie found this particularly hard to see. So Natasha patted Jessie's back and guided her outside. Even Tony, seeing this for the first time, didn't have a good expression. Captain, seeing the mood darken, said to the members.
"Phew... Let's go outside for now. This isn't good for our mental health."
So everyone went outside, breathed the fresh air, and calmed down. After resting a bit, Captain sighed and said.
"I thought things like this disappeared after WWII... But they're still going."
"Tell me about it."
Captain and I went back inside and collected various data, Super Soldier serum, weapons, and energy shield devices. Some of the bodies appeared to be Sokovian citizens, so I brought body bags from the Odyssey and put them in one by one, arranging them in an open area outside the base. The Iron Legion helped with this. The other members collected the weapons outside. The rest would be handled by the Sokovian military.
"Phew... This should make it easier for their families to find them, right?"
"Yeah, it should."
As we finished cleaning up, it got dark, so we notified the military and returned to headquarters on the Odyssey. Everyone's expressions were still grim, so I offered a drink.
"Instead of moping, let's have some simple food and a drink at HQ. You all look like you can't eat a meal anyway."
Tony agreed.
"Let's do that. Honestly, my stomach still feels bad. I need to disinfect."
Back at headquarters, I had the drones handle the cleanup, and we each went to our rooms to shower. No one was physically hurt, but the mental shock was there, so I carefully prepared a simple meal for everyone.
"Oh~ This is delicious. Good enough to replace a meal, right?"
Natasha praised my cooking as she ate. But Jessie and Tony still couldn't touch the food, only sipping their drinks. Then Banner said.
"I don't know what you saw, but thank goodness I didn't go inside the base."
Hearing that, Jessie said.
"Yeah, it was awful. There really are a lot of trashy people in the world."
Hawkeye agreed with Jessie.
"That's why people like us exist. By the way, Captain, Jessie said a bad word!"
Tony joined in the teasing.
"Right! Jessie, didn't you hear the Captain? Language!"
"Alright, alright."
Hahaha~
Thankfully, after a few drinks, everyone seemed to lighten up a bit.