Mastermind #93

With Parasite looming before him, hungering for his powers, Micah grinned mischievously. "You want my powers, huh? Well, you're in luck, buddy," he said, his tone dripping with faux sincerity. "I'll give you all the powers you desire and then some."

Parasite's eyes widened with skepticism, but the allure of more power proved too tempting to resist. "And what's the catch?" he asked, his voice tinged with suspicion.

Micah shrugged nonchalantly. "No catch, my friend. Just a gift from me to you... you just have to take my hand and eat to your twisted little heart's content..." he replied, feigning innocence as he extended his hand toward Parasite.

Parasite hesitated for a moment, eyeing Micah warily. But the promise of untold power proved too enticing, and he tentatively reached out, ready to absorb Micah's abilities.

The young man before him was clearly scheming something, but at the end of the day, it didn't matter. As long as he can make physical contact with his target, then his powers would instantly activate and he'd rob Micah of every single ability he had.

[You have purchased the Fire Magic skill]

[You have Purcashed the Icy Veins skill]

[You have purchased...]

Micah smirked as Parasite made contact, activating his Empowerment skill with a mental command. A torrent of conflicting powers surged toward Parasite, overwhelming his senses and causing his form to convulse uncontrollably.

[You have empowered Paraiste with the Fire Magic skill]

[You have empowered Paraiste with the Icy Veins skill]

[You Have empowered Parsite with...]

Fire magic clashed with ice control, darkness battled against light, and wind raged against thunder, all vying for supremacy. Parasite's body strained under the weight of these conflicting abilities, his form contorting and distorting with each new power he absorbed.

[You have purchased...]

[You have empowered Parasite with...]

Parasite's expression shifted from anticipation to agony as the chaotic energy tore through him, unable to contain the sheer magnitude of the powers coursing through his veins.

The powers flowing through his veins not only had conflicting elements, but Micah even meticulously made sure that their sources, the way they were used, and even their very nature would put them at odds with one another.

If not for the system's protection, then Even Micah would have suffered the same agony when he used two conflicting powers such as shadow and light. Naturally, Micah knew that as well, and so he decided to give Parasite exactly what he wanted; power, so much power that Parasite couldn't even begin to imagine it let alone make it his own.

With a deafening roar, Parasite's form collapsed inward, unable to withstand the onslaught of conflicting energies. In a blinding flash of light, he imploded, reduced to nothing more than a swirling vortex of conflicting energy before dissipating into the ether.

Micah watched with satisfaction as the chaos unfolded before him, his plan having succeeded beyond his wildest expectations.

"Looks like he bit off more than he could chew... fitting that a greedy bastard like would choke on his own food and die someday..." he chuckled to himself, brushing off his hands as he surveyed the aftermath of his clever ruse.

With Parasite neutralized, Micah allowed himself a moment of respite, his shoulders relaxing as he surveyed the aftermath of the battle. "Anyone else?" he called out, his voice echoing through the desolate base. Yet, there was nothing but silence in response. No lingering threats, no hidden ambushes. Just the stillness of the aftermath.

"Guess that's the end of the party... kinda boring, but oh well..." Micah muttered to himself, a hint of disappointment in his voice as he strolled toward the edge of the base. He approached the towering space-anchoring barrier, his curiosity piqued by the intricate machinery that created it. As his fingers grazed the surface, ready to explore further, the world around him shifted in an instant.

Suddenly, Micah found himself in a bizarre metallic chamber, its walls lined with unfamiliar instruments and devices. The room stretched out before him, vast and expansive, like something out of a sci-fi novel. Yet, before he could even begin to make sense of his surroundings, a mechanical tendril shot forth, piercing through the air with alarming speed.

Micah's instincts kicked in, but it was too late. The tendril struck true, plunging into his abdomen with a sharp, searing pain. He gritted his teeth against the sensation, a low grunt escaping his lips as he stumbled backward, his hand instinctively reaching for the wound.

Staring down at the tendril ensnaring him, Micah felt a mixture of disbelief and amusement wash over him. It had been a while since anything had managed to catch him off guard like this—since that debacle with Twoface and his rocket launcher, to be precise.

"Well, well, well... Looks like someone's been doing their homework," Micah mused, a wry chuckle escaping his lips as he examined the blood staining his hand. "Such a clever little scheme..."

The tendril, now firmly attached to his abdomen, seemed to pulse with sinister energy, its metallic surface glinting in the dim light of the chamber, suppressing Micah's powers.

It was a clever little scheme, he had to admit. Not only did the tendril possess the ability to suppress his powers, but its placement had been meticulously calculated. Positioned just inches from where he'd materialized, it left him with no chance to evade or counterattack, effectively nullifying his spatial awareness.

The ambush had been orchestrated with precision, exploiting Micah's vulnerabilities and catching him off guard in the blink of an eye. Whoever was behind this wasn't just some amateur—they were a strategist, someone who understood the intricacies of his abilities and how to exploit them to their advantage.

In response to Micah's musings, the metallic chamber filled with the commanding voice of Metron. "It was your own hubris that allowed this 'clever scheme' to ensnare you," the enigmatic figure pronounced.

Micah pivoted to face the source, his eyes drawn to the portal materializing in the air. From its depths emerged a majestic throne, soaring through the chamber with an air of regality. Seated upon it was Metron, his presence exuding an aura of wisdom and foreknowledge.

"You were aware of the trap, yet you permitted yourself to be lured into its clutches like a hapless pawn... Your arrogance surpasses even that of the God of Evil and Tyranny," Metron stated, his tone devoid of judgment or jest, each word carrying the weight of undeniable truth, a mere observation.

Micah couldn't suppress a wry smile at the observation. "Ah, a classic 'I knew that you knew that I knew' scenario, eh?" he remarked, his amusement undiminished. "And here I thought I'd put on a perfect act of blissful ignorance..."

Metron's gaze remained unwavering, his countenance a mask of impartiality. "Your talent for deception and manipulation falters in the presence of those who comprehend it," he remarked plainly. "However, I find that one aspect of your abilities most intriguing... the way it affects people is rather profound..."

A hint of curiosity tinged Metron's voice, an insatiable thirst for knowledge seeping through his stoic demeanor. Micah arched an eyebrow in response to the revelation. "Intriguing, huh? So, this is what it's all about?" he pondered aloud, the realization dawning upon him.

"You've somehow found out about my powers, and now you want to study them?" His words carried a blend of speculation and certainty, echoing the gravity of the situation.

Metron's countenance remained impassive as he delved into the heart of the matter. "It is not your powers themselves that captivate me, but rather their origin," he elucidated. "The convergence of chaos and infinitum, harmonizing to generate a wellspring of power that surpasses the records of an entire world... I am compelled to uncover its secrets."

Micah stroked his chin thoughtfully, absorbing Metron's words with a nod of understanding. "You've always embodied neutrality and indifference, showing zero interest in anything besides your pursuit of knowledge," he remarked calmly. "In that light, your fascination with the anomaly that is my powers makes sense...."

Curiosity piqued, Micah couldn't help but pose the inevitable question. "But how did you come to learn about all this?" he inquired, earning a pointed gaze from Metron.

Micah offered an exasperated roll of his eyes at the response. "Oh, come on. I'm already entangled in your intricate web, powerless to resist," he retorted. "Indulging my curiosity won't do any harm, will it?"

After a brief moment of consideration, Metron relented with a nod. "Very well. I can appreciate a thirst for knowledge," he conceded. "I shall indulge you, for now..."