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Chapter 367: So Many "Tonys"
A Symbiote. Tony hadn't expected Wade to have already gotten his hands on this thing.
Many people's understanding of this creature was likely still stuck on the perception that Symbiote + Host = the supervillain Venom.
In reality, a Symbiote's potential went far beyond that.
Some Symbiotes with great potential could even parasitize and control Odin for a short time.
Even controlling an elderly Odin was already astonishing. So, it was no exaggeration to say that a single Symbiote with great potential could single-handedly conquer Asgard, turning countless people into slaves and cannon fodder under its control.
In the comics from his past life, Asgard had once tragically been overrun by Symbiotes. Even if these parasitic creatures lacked a complete, independent consciousness, their trait of becoming stronger by bonding with stronger hosts was astounding.
Not to mention that a Symbiote could turn weakling-like individuals into formidable warriors.
Without a word, Tony reached out, grabbed the Hood, and gave it a hard pull, yanking the Symbiote downward.
"Oh oh oh, you like this? You should've asked for my permission first, that's too much... But I can't do anything about it, you're too rough. I'll just give you this little buddy..."
Wade yelped as the Symbiote desperately clung to him, refusing to let go. It periodically morphed into the appearance of a ferocious spider, letting out threatening hisses at Tony.
But in Tony's eyes, this threat was no different from that of a small, startled cat with its fur on end.
It was simply laughable.
Perhaps this Symbiote would become powerful in the future, but right now, it was just a little thing that had recently separated from its parent body, knowing nothing.
"This thing... is quite interesting."
Tony tugged with great interest for a while before finally managing to pull the Symbiote off completely.
This creature, which was liquid-like and could change at will, if Tony tore off a bit, it would immediately extend another part of its body to re-wrap around Wade.
However, in Tony's eyes, this was all just laughable resistance.
"Let's talk, Wade. I remember you visited my manor once, and then you were dismembered for research." Tony squeezed the restless Symbiote in his hand, releasing a trace of a Demigod's pressure, which immediately cowed the little thing, rendering it immobile.
"Hey, pal, you should thank me, you know? Otherwise, it wouldn't have been me at your place, but another guy... That guy wasn't easy to deal with. It took me some effort to kill him—pfft! His mouth was actually sewn shut! What a disgrace to the Deadpool family!"
Wade clutched his own neck as if he couldn't breathe, then ripped the red Hood off his head, revealing a face covered in scars.
There wasn't a single patch of undamaged skin on his face; it looked as if it had been scorched by intense flames.
This was a side effect of the genetic modification Wade had undergone. Although he had successfully transformed from an ordinary human into someone possessing a healing factor like Wolverine's, curing his cancer, the price was disfigurement that could not be healed.
The cancer cells and the healing factor in his body were in a constant state of war, making it impossible for his face to be restored by any external means.
"You killed this universe's version of you?" Tony showed no surprise, his expression calm.
"Of course! The great Deadpool is a free mercenary! How could he be someone's doggy, especially a doggy with its mouth sewn shut? That's atrocious! Banter is the great Wade's life..."
Wade's eyes widened as he seemed to recall something infuriating, gesturing wildly with his arms to describe it.
The version of him in this universe was arguably the most well-rounded one, possessing a healing factor, heat vision, teleportation, and an Adamantium skeleton... It could be said that this universe's Wade was the strongest weapon ever created by Stryker, the mutant executioner.
He was also the most successful weapon: an ordinary human who simultaneously possessed several enviable abilities. He could fight, endure, assault, and escape—the perfect weapon.
And then this ultimate weapon was taken out with a single shot by the real Wade who had crossed over—the familiar red-suited Deadpool, also known as that foul-mouthed little bastard.
The little bastard used a Carbonadium bullet to blow this universe's Wade's head off with one shot.
Carbonadium, the natural counter to any healing factor, also contained a terrifying toxin. For super-powered individuals with a healing factor, it was a dreadful poison that was nearly impossible to fight.
That's how the little bastard Wade used a Carbonadium bullet to cleanly and efficiently take out the more powerful Wade of this universe.
Listening to Wade's incessant rambling, Tony nodded casually.
In truth, it didn't matter which Deadpool it was; to the current Tony, they were nothing. He could kill one with a single slap. Besides, Deadpool crossing universes... wasn't that a standard procedure for him?
This seemingly unreliable guy was, in fact, a very interesting person.
Tony wasn't about to raise a fuss over such a small matter.
He glanced at the watch-like device on Deadpool's wrist. The guy must have used it to travel here. If he wasn't mistaken, it probably involved quantum technology, which was the only way to traverse the Multiverse through scientific means.
Mastering quantum technology was equivalent to holding the first key to opening the gates of the Multiverse.
"I'm taking this Symbiote," Tony said, stuffing the mud-like Symbiote into his pocket and turning to leave.
"Hey, wait, you're just leaving like that?"
Wade jumped up, waved, and flashed his white teeth, putting on a shocked expression as if Tony's departure was something unacceptable.
"Is there something you want to say to me?"
Tony's expression was placid. He looked at Wade with inscrutable eyes, his face as terrifyingly calm as a deep pool, making it impossible to know what he was thinking.
Calm, yet increasingly terrifying.
Wade, on the other hand, hesitated. After a moment's pause, he said haltingly, "I once met a person... no, a group of people. They were fighting over some pitch-black stone..."
"And then?" Tony's expression didn't change.
"And then I got the stone, and I gave it to one of those guys." Wade scratched his head, looking troubled.
"And then?"
"Hey, hey, hey, what's with that flat tone of yours? When other people ask for my help, I always charge a fee. For you, though, I'll give you a discount..."
The next second, Tony opened a portal and dropped a hundred million dollars on Wade, nearly smashing him to bits. It took a good while for Wade to piece his shattered body back together and return to normal.
Anyway, the money came directly from the United States treasury, so he didn't feel the pinch.
"And then, I remember those guys... they all had the same name, 'Tony'..." Wade's eyes went wide, and he spoke rapidly.
Tony frowned, his tone hardening. "My doppelgangers from other universes? How could you possibly have contact with so many of me at once?"
Possessing the unique item, the Allspark, made him a pseudo-singularity in a sense. But if even he couldn't travel between universes at will, how could his other selves possibly do it? And a whole bunch of them at the same time?
"No, no, no, they aren't you. They're not like you at all... Besides the name, everything else is completely different. You and them, it's like you're two different kinds of people."
"Trust me, that bunch of guys are lunatics. They know everything, and yet they know nothing... Dammit, I can't say anymore, my head is starting to hurt again..."
Wade said quickly, then let out a cheer and dived into the pile of money, rolling around heartlessly while muttering about buying a carload of necklaces for his lover.
Tony watched Wade in silence, his mind racing. His expression shifted constantly before finally returning to calm. With a wave of his hand, a portal opened. Tony stepped through and vanished.
It seemed he had already guessed something, and confirmed something as well.
He was no fool, and he would not tolerate being toyed with by others. As the tiny, imperceptible pieces of information came together, Tony could vaguely see a bottomless abyss.
But in the end, this was all just speculation. For the current Tony, it all seemed too distant.
The suffocating threat of Trigon was the real, tangible pressure. If he couldn't overcome the challenge of Trigon, the result would be the destruction of the entire universe along with himself, let alone worrying about the future.
(end of chapter)
A Symbiote. Tony hadn't expected Wade to have already gotten his hands on this thing.
Many people's understanding of this creature was likely still stuck on the perception that Symbiote + Host = the supervillain Venom.
In reality, a Symbiote's potential went far beyond that.
Some Symbiotes with great potential could even parasitize and control Odin for a short time.
Even controlling an elderly Odin was already astonishing. So, it was no exaggeration to say that a single Symbiote with great potential could single-handedly conquer Asgard, turning countless people into slaves and cannon fodder under its control.
In the comics from his past life, Asgard had once tragically been overrun by Symbiotes. Even if these parasitic creatures lacked a complete, independent consciousness, their trait of becoming stronger by bonding with stronger hosts was astounding.
Not to mention that a Symbiote could turn weakling-like individuals into formidable warriors.
Without a word, Tony reached out, grabbed the Hood, and gave it a hard pull, yanking the Symbiote downward.
"Oh oh oh, you like this? You should've asked for my permission first, that's too much... But I can't do anything about it, you're too rough. I'll just give you this little buddy..."
Wade yelped as the Symbiote desperately clung to him, refusing to let go. It periodically morphed into the appearance of a ferocious spider, letting out threatening hisses at Tony.
But in Tony's eyes, this threat was no different from that of a small, startled cat with its fur on end.
It was simply laughable.
Perhaps this Symbiote would become powerful in the future, but right now, it was just a little thing that had recently separated from its parent body, knowing nothing.
"This thing... is quite interesting."
Tony tugged with great interest for a while before finally managing to pull the Symbiote off completely.
This creature, which was liquid-like and could change at will, if Tony tore off a bit, it would immediately extend another part of its body to re-wrap around Wade.
However, in Tony's eyes, this was all just laughable resistance.
"Let's talk, Wade. I remember you visited my manor once, and then you were dismembered for research." Tony squeezed the restless Symbiote in his hand, releasing a trace of a Demigod's pressure, which immediately cowed the little thing, rendering it immobile.
"Hey, pal, you should thank me, you know? Otherwise, it wouldn't have been me at your place, but another guy... That guy wasn't easy to deal with. It took me some effort to kill him—pfft! His mouth was actually sewn shut! What a disgrace to the Deadpool family!"
Wade clutched his own neck as if he couldn't breathe, then ripped the red Hood off his head, revealing a face covered in scars.
There wasn't a single patch of undamaged skin on his face; it looked as if it had been scorched by intense flames.
This was a side effect of the genetic modification Wade had undergone. Although he had successfully transformed from an ordinary human into someone possessing a healing factor like Wolverine's, curing his cancer, the price was disfigurement that could not be healed.
The cancer cells and the healing factor in his body were in a constant state of war, making it impossible for his face to be restored by any external means.
"You killed this universe's version of you?" Tony showed no surprise, his expression calm.
"Of course! The great Deadpool is a free mercenary! How could he be someone's doggy, especially a doggy with its mouth sewn shut? That's atrocious! Banter is the great Wade's life..."
Wade's eyes widened as he seemed to recall something infuriating, gesturing wildly with his arms to describe it.
The version of him in this universe was arguably the most well-rounded one, possessing a healing factor, heat vision, teleportation, and an Adamantium skeleton... It could be said that this universe's Wade was the strongest weapon ever created by Stryker, the mutant executioner.
He was also the most successful weapon: an ordinary human who simultaneously possessed several enviable abilities. He could fight, endure, assault, and escape—the perfect weapon.
And then this ultimate weapon was taken out with a single shot by the real Wade who had crossed over—the familiar red-suited Deadpool, also known as that foul-mouthed little bastard.
The little bastard used a Carbonadium bullet to blow this universe's Wade's head off with one shot.
Carbonadium, the natural counter to any healing factor, also contained a terrifying toxin. For super-powered individuals with a healing factor, it was a dreadful poison that was nearly impossible to fight.
That's how the little bastard Wade used a Carbonadium bullet to cleanly and efficiently take out the more powerful Wade of this universe.
Listening to Wade's incessant rambling, Tony nodded casually.
In truth, it didn't matter which Deadpool it was; to the current Tony, they were nothing. He could kill one with a single slap. Besides, Deadpool crossing universes... wasn't that a standard procedure for him?
This seemingly unreliable guy was, in fact, a very interesting person.
Tony wasn't about to raise a fuss over such a small matter.
He glanced at the watch-like device on Deadpool's wrist. The guy must have used it to travel here. If he wasn't mistaken, it probably involved quantum technology, which was the only way to traverse the Multiverse through scientific means.
Mastering quantum technology was equivalent to holding the first key to opening the gates of the Multiverse.
"I'm taking this Symbiote," Tony said, stuffing the mud-like Symbiote into his pocket and turning to leave.
"Hey, wait, you're just leaving like that?"
Wade jumped up, waved, and flashed his white teeth, putting on a shocked expression as if Tony's departure was something unacceptable.
"Is there something you want to say to me?"
Tony's expression was placid. He looked at Wade with inscrutable eyes, his face as terrifyingly calm as a deep pool, making it impossible to know what he was thinking.
Calm, yet increasingly terrifying.
Wade, on the other hand, hesitated. After a moment's pause, he said haltingly, "I once met a person... no, a group of people. They were fighting over some pitch-black stone..."
"And then?" Tony's expression didn't change.
"And then I got the stone, and I gave it to one of those guys." Wade scratched his head, looking troubled.
"And then?"
"Hey, hey, hey, what's with that flat tone of yours? When other people ask for my help, I always charge a fee. For you, though, I'll give you a discount..."
The next second, Tony opened a portal and dropped a hundred million dollars on Wade, nearly smashing him to bits. It took a good while for Wade to piece his shattered body back together and return to normal.
Anyway, the money came directly from the United States treasury, so he didn't feel the pinch.
"And then, I remember those guys... they all had the same name, 'Tony'..." Wade's eyes went wide, and he spoke rapidly.
Tony frowned, his tone hardening. "My doppelgangers from other universes? How could you possibly have contact with so many of me at once?"
Possessing the unique item, the Allspark, made him a pseudo-singularity in a sense. But if even he couldn't travel between universes at will, how could his other selves possibly do it? And a whole bunch of them at the same time?
"No, no, no, they aren't you. They're not like you at all... Besides the name, everything else is completely different. You and them, it's like you're two different kinds of people."
"Trust me, that bunch of guys are lunatics. They know everything, and yet they know nothing... Dammit, I can't say anymore, my head is starting to hurt again..."
Wade said quickly, then let out a cheer and dived into the pile of money, rolling around heartlessly while muttering about buying a carload of necklaces for his lover.
Tony watched Wade in silence, his mind racing. His expression shifted constantly before finally returning to calm. With a wave of his hand, a portal opened. Tony stepped through and vanished.
It seemed he had already guessed something, and confirmed something as well.
He was no fool, and he would not tolerate being toyed with by others. As the tiny, imperceptible pieces of information came together, Tony could vaguely see a bottomless abyss.
But in the end, this was all just speculation. For the current Tony, it all seemed too distant.
The suffocating threat of Trigon was the real, tangible pressure. If he couldn't overcome the challenge of Trigon, the result would be the destruction of the entire universe along with himself, let alone worrying about the future.
(end of chapter)
