AN: I might have gone overboard with this chapter. LOL> I was in a trance when I was writing this one. My brain cells are fried lol.🫡👍 

Bonus chapter for hitting 800 PowerStones Mark.

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[Livingroom]

Susan Storm and I are having a serious conversation. May excused herself and left us alone to talk.

"Let me get this straight, you want to provide me with facility, manpower, and everything needed to complete my project and you won't interrupt my research as long as it maintains human rights?" I asked looking at Susan Storm, who just decided to show up at my doorsteps after I rejected their letters and offers with another offer and in person no less.

"That is correct," Sue replied with a calm expression.

"What is the catch? What do you gain from that? Do you really expect me to believe that your organization just wants to make the world a better place out of the kindness of its heart? I'm just a newbie in the field, what if you guys use your power and influence to take over my work, and worse, you try to cut off funds and shut down my work? Just like how Dr. Connors got abandoned by everyone after OsCorp's fall," I questioned, raising my voice, "You guys think I'm dumb enough to walk into the same trap? I might not have been in this type of situation for long, but I have learned the lesson of how people treat others."

"Dr. Connors's experiments were unethical. He broke the law and violated the accords, we couldn't let such actions continue, but your projects are different and we have the legal backing to let you continue," she said, "The reason why I am making this offer is that we are short on hands, especially talented minds like yours, we would prefer if you join us instead of being an independent contractor, and we can provide you the environment to develop your ideas and the funding to complete them."

"Nah, I'm good. I got a place, equipment, and my own money for research, you aren't getting even a percentage of my profits or access to my products. Neuron Prosthetics and cybernetic implants are my research. I'm the first to put out a working theory, at least a part of it..." I noticed how she flinched as soon as she heard that the theory was incomplete. It would seem, they have already tried to put it to work, but couldn't complete it without the other half... 

The reason they accepted that my half-released theory works is simply that it works theoretically speaking, but to make it work on humans, they will need the other half which is inside my brain. And which sane person will release 100% of their hard work, just for others to take advantage of it? Even if it's Reed Richards or Tony Stark, even they will have a hard time figuring it out. 

Yeah, with their IQ and resources, heck, Tony has AIs, they can figure it out in time, but right now, I'm in the spotlight and that research belongs to me. If they try to develop it and release it as their own, they'll be in a shit ton of problems, which again, I'm 100% sure, they are capable enough to escape. 

But public image?

What about their reputation? Their scientific reputation? That is hard to salvage. I can and will play that card, I've already predicted that and prepared plans based on multiple outcomes for different scenarios and ways.

But alas, even then, I'm far inferior compared to them and their connection, I know that very well. But, I can't just let them have my work. Nope. I've spent nights without sleep doing this work and having my mind frying it out at work and in battles for this theory, it is my life-changing creation and they can't have it. 

It's as simple as that. I'll just eliminate anyone who gets in my way. I'm pretty sure they already know my identity as Spiderman and I doubt they would do anything like that, but still, there's that small probability. People get jealous of other's success and in this case, the world's two greatest minds are involved, so, it would be fun to see who gets out as a winner in the end.

I shifted my attention to Sue.

"Ah! You guys... Hahaha! You have already put it to the test, haven't you? But how the heck are you going to merge the neuron capacitor with a human brain?" I said with a large winning grin as I began to understand why they were trying so hard. "Come on, out with the truth. I want to hear it from your mouth. You used my work without my permission, didn't you?"

I raised my eyebrow.

Susan's eye twitched at my question while she sighed inwardly. "Our understanding of it is not sufficient. During the trial phase, the capacitors tend to burn out during initialization. The remaining capacity was insufficient for the human brain to work without any side effects or even temporarily," she replied in defeat as the smile from her face disappeared and replaced with an annoyed expression.

"I knew it! I fucking knew it. Damn, you guys are good. Coming up with unbelievable offers as if I'm an amature. Anyway, let's not waste each other's time. I'll give you and everyone who's watching our live show a crystal clear answer..." As I was about to continue, she interrupted me.

"Wait! What do you mean by live show?!" Sue stood up in shock.

"Oh, ah! My bad. I forgot to mention it. We were live this entire time on u-tubr. Check the views, it's trending too. Good thing you confessed to copying my hard work as your own without my permission and how you botched it royally by trying to incorporate the capacitors with the human brain. What was that you said about human experiments? Unethical and all that big words. First OsCorp, then Dr. Connors, and now the great Reed Richards doing human experiments with an incomplete formula. Not cool," I said in a mock-up tone.

The vein on the side of Susan's neck was popping up in fury when she realized that everyone was indeed watching our conversation through a live stream. She fiddled with her phone as her hand shook with nervousness. I would have liked to seduce her and steal her from Reed, but given the situation, I can't and will not allow anyone to steal my work. 

"So, let me make it crystal clear to everyone. It's my work and you can not have it. You try to act over-smart, I'll just destroy it, it's that simple."

"Why would you do such a thing?" She snapped at me.

"Money, fame, science, I wonder. You, more than anyone, know how deep it has spread. And what's with that tone as if I've done something wrong? I expect a public apology within today and you better think of a way to deal with how your boyfriend's gonna get himself out of this mess. I'd really suggest he looks at his future while he can. Your show is over," I added the last part and canceled the live stream.

"Why must you make things complicated? We could have done so much good if you weren't this stuborn," Sue looked at me as if I had committed a heinous crime.

"That's it, that's where you are wrong, Susan Storm. Theoretically, everything is good. However, that is just a piece in a huge jigsaw puzzle and not everyone can see what's beneath. I may be a fool in many aspects, but I will never be that clueless or foolish to hand over what's mine I had worked my ass off to. Everyone has their ambitions, it's called dreams, Susan. Don't you have one?" I fired back and added the last part for emotional purposes to throw her off. "Think twice before you meddle with people with such desires or you'll end up destroying them and their hard work."

I glanced over at her, waiting for her reaction.

"How would you feel if I tried to steal something you have worked so hard on? The Baxter Industries that you and the others worked so hard to build... What if I buy everything off and leave you guys and all those workers on the street? How would you feel?" I shot my question with venom. Man, I'm good at this. All those hundreds of comics and manhuas are coming in handy now.

She didn't answer immediately, it was only a moment later, but I could see the distressed look in her eyes, and so did her decision, she is as much a person of science as I am. While I'm doing it for money and time passes, I have no idea what she's doing it for. Maybe money or fame. Who knows? But there ain't any way I'm buying the fact that they are doing it for the good of humanity. Nope. Been there, died there. Not gonna believe those shits anymore.

"And we are at a stalemate," I concluded the discussion when she kept mum. "I wish we were both smarter, Susan, maybe we would be sitting around a desk talking over a drink. Maybe if you guys hadn't done that behind my back, I would have accepted your offer. I had such high hopes for the Fantastic Four. Heck, I used to be a big fan, but sadly, life isn't a fan-fic story. Shit happens."

Susan stood up from the sofa, "Sorry. I should have come clean from the start. But, the situation we were in... It couldn't be helped. We were in dire need of your implants, or at least someone with your knowledge to complete the device. We lost a good man..." her voice was lowered as she took the blame on herself.

"Now, that's new... Excuses after stealing from others... Well, let's hear it then," I challenged her and motioned her to go ahead with a nod.

She looked back at me for a second with an uncertain gaze, "Reed created a multi-dimensional travel tunnel, but the machine malfunctioned and Reed and Johnny went into a comatose state. Last week, Johnny woke up, but he was unable to walk or talk. But from his body language, we concluded that they saw something on the other side and I believe it is a new threat from another dimension. Right now, we don't have the technology to make his body move so that he can write down the dangers he saw on the other side."

After a brief pause, she continued, "We have tried everything, but couldn't heal his injuries. Wakanda was our last hope, but the recent political tension with them made that impossible, and it was at that moment your theories caught our attention. Luckily, Reed uploaded his mind into an AI, and with its help, we were able to build up your work, but sadly, it didn't work... As you said, it's incomplete. This is why I came here seeking your help. But I guess, I messed it all up, huh?" 

I switched on the stream again.

"Well, then, I apologize for my behavior. It would seem both of us started on the wrong foot..."

I tried to make up a story to clear the heat off her back. I explained the situation to them that Sue was just trying to help the people who were caught up in an accident, by hiding the facts about that dimensional threat and all that shit. It took hours of talking and exchanges to diffuse the situation. Sue continued to keep her calm and played along with my story and she apologized for doing the experiments behind my back. We also cleared the confusion about human experiments. 

Yeah, they used some criminals rapists, and murderers to perform the experiment, so I had to put up a good show to diffuse the situation.

Man, let me tell you, it was fucking exhausting. But, in the end, it paid off. 

Now, I've successfully got my golden ticket to get on the good side of the Fantastic Four. Plan 1 completed. Next, get a power source equal to that of an Arc Reactor from them for my fabricator. In return, I'll help those two. 

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Next, Ch: 94: A deal with Sue

Ch: 95: Prepping for second date

Ch: 96: A moment with Michelle

Ch: 97: Scuba diving