Chapter 10: The Strategist's Board
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: CURRENT TP: 500. SKILL: ENHANCED SUPER-SPEED (50-100 MPH), LIGHTNING CONTROL (MINOR), ADVANCED MARKSMANSHIP. INVENTORY: MARK II BOOT REPULSOR (PROTOTYPE).]
My apartment had officially become my strategic command center. It wasn't much to look at – still mostly utilitarian furniture, a faint lingering smell of coffee, and a distinct lack of personal flair beyond a few scattered comic books and action figures (which, ironically, depicted some of my new acquaintances). But it was private, secure, and, most importantly, had excellent portal-opening acoustics. I paced the small living room, my mind buzzing, a whirlwind of meta-knowledge, strategic possibilities, and the lingering scent of Kara's lasagna from our last dinner. The stakes felt higher now, the pieces on the board more real, less theoretical.
"Okay, Adam, time to get serious. You've got the basics down. You can jump between Earth-38, Earth-1, and the MCU. You've got some decent skills, a growing pile of TP, and you've managed to charm a superhero and annoy a genius billionaire. You're not just surviving anymore; you're actively influencing things. Now, what's the endgame? Not just survival, not just protecting Kara. The logline is clear: merge the Justice League and the Avengers to save both realities. That's a tall order. A monumental, seemingly impossible task. And it starts with a plan. A very, very detailed plan. One that accounts for every variable, every personality clash, and every potential alien invasion."
I brought up my holographic interface, not for the market, but for a new, blank screen. I mentally labeled it "Multiversal Strategic Overview," a grand title for what was essentially my personal whiteboard of cosmic chaos. My fingers, guided by my enhanced reflexes, flew across the invisible keyboard, inputting data points, creating a comprehensive snapshot of my current standing and the challenges ahead.
Current Assets:
Location: National City (Earth-38, Home Base). Safe, relatively stable, with an accessible superhero.
Portal Access: Seamless and controlled between Earth-38, Earth-1, and MCU Earth. Broader multiversal access via Trader System (though I hadn't pushed those limits yet). This was my most crucial advantage.
Skills:
Enhanced Super-Speed (50-100 MPH): Good for mobility, evasion, minor assistance, and looking really cool when I run for coffee. Needs further upgrading for Flash-level support in combat.
Lightning Control (Minor): Niche. Good for charging phones, maybe stunning a low-level thug who tries to mug me. Not exactly Thor-level, and feels somewhat redundant now that I've met the actual Thunder God.
Advanced Marksmanship (Firearms & Repulsors): Useful. Could make me a decent shot with any weapon, or help with understanding/disarming tech. Has potential for future applications.
TP: 500. A decent amount, but not a king's ransom. Enough for a few strategic purchases, but I need to be smart about it.
Key Contacts:
Kara Danvers (Supergirl): Developing relationship, strong emotional core, powerful ally, moral compass. Trust is building.
Barry Allen (The Flash): Potential best friend, fellow speedster (eventually), key to Arrowverse crossovers, tech wizard.
Cisco Ramon (Tech Bro, future Vibe): Brilliant engineer, pop-culture enthusiast, invaluable for tech and breach understanding.
Caitlin Snow (Science Brains): Doctor, scientist, rational thinker. Important for medical and scientific issues.
Thor Odinson (Exiled God): First MCU contact, powerful ally, currently humbled but soon to be empowered. Good for divine intervention.
Tony Stark (Grudging Ally): Genius billionaire, tech innovator, future leader. Suspicious but intellectually curious. Key to MCU tech advancements.
Meta-Knowledge: Comprehensive. My greatest asset. A living, breathing database of past, present, and future events. This is my true superpower, the ultimate cheat sheet.
Immediate Threats (Chronological, based on meta-knowledge):
Arrowverse (Circa 2015-2016):
Season 1 Supergirl villains (Reactron, Livewire, Non, Astra – all manageable by Kara with some assistance).
Season 2 Flash villains (Zoom, Earth-2 metas – major threat, requires Barry's full power and team support).
League of Assassins (Arrow S3/4 – more tactical, less world-ending, but still dangerous).
Dominators (Impending, major crossover event): This is the big one. A true multiversal threat that will require a combined effort. This is where the Arrowverse and MCU need to meet.
MCU (Circa 2011/2012):
Loki's invasion (Avengers – imminent, requires a unified team).
HYDRA infiltration (Winter Soldier – systemic, long-term threat).
Ultron (Future – catastrophic AI threat).
Thanos (Distant, but inevitable – the ultimate, existential threat to all life).
"Okay, that's a lot of bad guys. And a lot of impending doom. My personal to-do list just got a lot longer. And significantly more explodey. The sheer scale of what's coming is enough to make a lesser man curl into a ball and cry. Good thing I'm not a lesser man. I'm a slightly traumatized, very sarcastic, but ultimately determined multiversal broker. And I have Pop-Tarts."
My primary goal was to prevent the major tragedies and facilitate the grand team-ups. This meant strategically introducing key players to each other, sharing crucial information, and empowering my allies. I wasn't here to be the sole hero; I was the broker, the catalyst. I wasn't going to be flying around punching aliens, at least not yet. My role was behind the scenes, pulling strings, planting seeds, nudging fate.
I considered my Lightning Control (Minor) skill. While cool in theory, and potentially useful for mundane tasks, it felt largely redundant with Thor around. Its minor nature meant it wouldn't be a game-changer in any serious fight. Its utility was limited to small zaps.
"Do I really need to be able to make a lightbulb flicker when I've got a literal god of thunder on speed dial? Probably not. Better to convert it into something more useful. TP, or maybe trade it for a skill that complements my current set. Efficiency, Adam. Think efficiency."
I decided to put Lightning Control (Minor) up for sale in the Skill Market. It was a quick mental transaction.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: LIGHTNING CONTROL (MINOR) LISTED FOR SALE. MARKET VALUE: 75 TP. PROCESSING SALE... SALE COMPLETE. TP GAINED: 75.]
"Seventy-five TP. Not bad. That'll boost my balance and give me more flexibility. Every little bit helps. It's like a cosmic yard sale, only instead of selling old furniture, I'm selling minor superpowers. I wonder what someone would buy 'Expert Laundry Folding' for."
Now, for the strategic purchases from the System Market. I needed things that would aid my overall mission, not just personal power. Information and utility were key. I filtered the market for "Information" and "Utility" items, reviewing the options with renewed focus.
Several compelling options popped up:
Multiversal Threat Assessment Data Package (150 TP): Comprehensive intelligence on known multiversal threats, their origins, weaknesses, common tactics, and historical impacts across various realities. This was crucial for proactive defense.
Advanced Diplomatic Protocols (Inter-species/Inter-dimensional) (100 TP): Guidelines and psychological insights for successful communication and negotiation between vastly different beings, cultures, and even alternate versions of individuals. Essential for mediating hero egos and alien misunderstandings.
Universal Translator (Device Blueprint) (250 TP): A blueprint for a portable device capable of real-time translation of any known language, alien or otherwise. Invaluable for first contact scenarios.
Temporal Anomaly Detector (Device Blueprint) (300 TP): A blueprint for a device that can detect and analyze temporal distortions, paradoxes, and incursions. Useful for understanding and mitigating time travel shenanigans, particularly in the Arrowverse.
"Okay, this is like being a kid in a candy store, if the candy store sold world-saving tools. The Multiversal Threat Assessment Data Package is a no-brainer. Knowledge is power. And knowing what kind of cosmic bad guys are coming, what their weaknesses are, and how they usually operate, is pretty high on my priority list. That'll save countless hours of research and countless lives. Advanced Diplomatic Protocols also sounds incredibly useful, especially if I'm going to be mediating between Tony Stark and, say, Martian Manhunter. That's a conversation that could go sideways fast without proper etiquette. And let's be honest, Tony and J'onn are both stubborn in their own ways."
I decided on the Multiversal Threat Assessment Data Package first. That would give me a deeper, more organized understanding of the threats beyond my remembered meta-knowledge, filling in any gaps and providing actionable intelligence. This wasn't just knowing what happened; it was knowing why, and how to stop it.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: TP EXPENDITURE: 150. ITEM PURCHASED: MULTIVERSAL THREAT ASSESSMENT DATA PACKAGE.]
A flood of information, organized and categorized, streamed directly into my mind. It wasn't just raw data; it was contextualized, cross-referenced, and presented in a way that made immediate sense. I now had a comprehensive database of threats, from cosmic entities to interdimensional conquerors, complete with their known weaknesses, historical impacts, and potential vulnerabilities. It was like having a super-powered Wikipedia for the entire multiverse, searchable and instantly accessible. Details about the Dominators, the Chitauri, the Kree, the Skrulls, even obscure threats I barely remembered from deep comic lore, all neatly categorized and cross-referenced.
"Okay, that was worth every single TP. I feel like I just downloaded a PhD in 'How Not to Die in a Multiverse.' My brain hurts, but in a good way. Like I just leveled up my cognitive processing power. This information will be invaluable."
My TP was now at 425 (500 initial + 75 from skill sale - 150 for data package). I still had enough for the Advanced Diplomatic Protocols. That would be crucial for future team-ups. Getting superheroes to play nice with each other, especially across different universes with different methods and moral codes, was often harder than fighting the actual villains. Super-egos are a thing, and they clash.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: TP EXPENDITURE: 100. SKILL PURCHASED: ADVANCED DIPLOMATIC PROTOCOLS (INTER-SPECIES/INTER-DIMENSIONAL).]
Another surge of knowledge, this time focusing on communication, negotiation, and understanding diverse psychologies. I suddenly felt like I could charm the pants off a grumpy alien warlord, or at least convince him to share his cookies. This skill wasn't about fighting; it was about preventing fights, de-escalating tensions, and building alliances. Or, at least, making sure the right people were fighting the right bad guys in a coordinated fashion, instead of punching each other.
"Alright, Adam. You're officially a cosmic consultant. With a side of super-speed, a dash of marksmanship, and the ability to make sparks fly. Literally. This is going to be great. Or a spectacular failure. Again, probably both. But at least I'll fail diplomatically."
My TP was now at 325. I considered my next major move. The Dominator invasion was a significant event in the Arrowverse, a true test of the heroes' unity, bringing together Flash, Arrow, Supergirl, and the Legends. It was also the perfect opportunity to introduce MCU heavy hitters like Captain America and Thor to the Arrowverse. But that required careful timing and convincing both sides that this wasn't some elaborate trick or alien abduction.
"Okay, the Dominators. They hit in 2016. It's currently late 2015, or perhaps early 2016 in the Arrowverse timeline. I have about a year, maybe less. That's enough time to prepare. Enough time to strengthen my connections, and enough time to convince a few more key players that I'm not completely insane. Or, at least, that my brand of insanity is incredibly useful. This is my chance to be a truly proactive broker."