Game Over : Marvel Reboot

Spirit Form. Surgical Hall. Floating. Utterly fucked. 

That's the summary of my current situation, courtesy of the Ancient One herself, standing—no, 'hovering'—before me with that same cryptic, knowing smile she wore in the movies. Same robes, same aura of "I know more than you ever will." The only difference? This time, she's here to explain why I just went full psycho on Dietrich Voss. 

Turns out that, my mental episode, gotten to the point where Magina called for Michelle and Logan for help, and along that Ancient One decided to tag along, and just like how she was a cryptic and wise grandma in the movie, she was just like that before me, she carried the same looks as her movie counterpart as well.

Also, it turns out? My own power betrayed me. 

"Your Meta-power, as you called it, were the one that made you lose control, Mr. Sai," she said, voice calm, like she wasn't dropping a bomb on me. 

"Meaning?" I asked, though part of me already knew. 

"Your power is heavily influenced by emotions. 'Your' emotional state. And you've trained it so extensively that it's become… potent enough to overwhelm even you." 

I let out a slow breath. Yeah. That tracks. 

"Makes sense. My Meta-Power is Pheromones. I've twisted them, refined them, turned them into something way beyond their original purpose." I nodded, more to myself than to her. 

"Indeed. A power meant to induce arousal has become something far more versatile in your hands," she agreed, that damn smile still in place. 

"It's just science. Pheromones affect emotions, physical states—tilt the balance right, and you can make them do anything. Truth serum. Hallucinogens. Aphrodisiacs. Anyone could do it if they understood the mechanics." I paused, rubbing my temple. "Didn't realize they could turn into a goddamn mind-altering drug for me, though." 

And that's exactly what happened. My rage, my fury—unchecked, uncontrolled—triggered my own power like a feedback loop. It doused me in my own pheromones, amplifying the madness until I wasn't even thinking anymore. Just reacting. Just hellbent on destroying Voss entire being, my drive and hatred become so intensified that I became lost on the sensation and the enjoyment of seeing him in pain. Odd, but that Is what happened when your power was impacted by emotions.

The Ancient One watched me process that before dropping another bombshell. "Your alternate self-warned me about this. He said you'd know what to do with the information." 

I blinked. "Alternate me?" Now that was unexpected. "You used the Time Stone to talk to him?" 

"That I did," she confirmed, still smiling. "The other version of you who destroyed his entire world." 

"…Okay. That got dark fast." I answered. But honestly? It wasn't even surprising. I'd always known, somewhere in the back of my mind, that if pushed far enough, I could snap. The Marvel world is a brutal place. And if the Ancient One's next words were anything to go by, my alternate self-had his reasons. 

"How did it go? Knowing me, I would not usually be that much destructive…".

"Your loved ones were killed by the Avengers. HYDRA turned the world against you. And you… lost yourself." 

I exhaled sharply. Yeah. That would do it. 

Not something I'm proud of imagining, but I can't say it doesn't make sense. If that happened to me? To the people I care about…I'd burn the world down too. 

"So now, what? You're going to kill me?" I sighed, floating there in spirit form, completely at her mercy. "If you wanted to, this is the time to do it." 

It wouldn't even surprise me. This was the kind of bullshit logic heroes and sorcerers loved—preemptively striking someone down for what they might do. A future crime. A possibility. Fuck that. The future isn't set in stone. Deciding someone's fate based on "what ifs" was just lazy morality. 

But right now? I was powerless. Caught off guard by my own slip-up, my own damn emotions. Pathetic. 

The Ancient One just smiled. "No, I will not do such a thing, Mr. Sai. You haven't done anything wrong. At least, not by my standards." 

I raised an eyebrow. That… was unexpected. 

"Besides," she continued, "in many universes, you turn out to be quite the force for good. Your existence has brought lasting security to Earth—even the universe." A chuckle. "There are even realities where you become my successor."

Now that was a twist. Then again, with my mana reserves, it made sense. Unlike most magic users in this world, I didn't need to leech power from Vishanti or some other dimension. I was the power source. 

"Also," she added, glancing at Magina on the monitor, "if I were to harm you now, I suspect I might create a villain far worse than Ultron." 

I smirked. "Yeah, I can attest to that." 

She wasn't wrong. I'd built contingencies into Magina—protocols that would activate if I died, turning her into something far more ruthless than Ultron ever was. After all, Ultron was just a corrupted copy of JARVIS. Magina? She was my creation a child that I developed and built to be the ultimate A.I far better than Ultron or Jarvis, there is a lot of protocol in her database that can turned this world into a terminator universe in a matter of days. 

"So, this was just a social visit, then?" I asked, half-joking. 

"Yes. A simple check-in," the Ancient One said, her tone light. "Ensuring you don't spiral into something worse. You have… potential, Mr. Sai." 

Potential. Right. 

*"I suggest you find an outlet for your rather unstable emotional state," she continued. "Especially since your power is so deeply tied to it."

I tilted my head. "Meaning?" 

"Find a healthy way to release your pheromones regularly. Meditation, physical exertion—anything that prevents you from bottling things up. Otherwise… well, this may happen again." 

Fair point. My power thrived on emotion, fed off it. If I didn't regulate it, I'd just keep spiraling. 

"Are you going to continue hunting HYDRA?" she asked. 

"After this? No," I admitted. "I've got more important things to focus on." 

"Like playing royalty?" 

I snorted. She knew. Of course she did. "Yeah. Need a stable base to grow. The world's about to get a lot more chaotic. Better to be prepared." 

The Ancient One nodded, approving. "All the better, then. Mind if I check on you from time to time?" 

"Sure," I said. "Not a problem." 

The unspoken understanding between us was clear. She knew I had more knowledge than I let on—about this world, about the future. And the fact that she wasn't trying to stop me? That she approved? 

It meant she wasn't an enemy. At least, not yet. And for now, that was enough.