Chapter 144: The Hive (Part 1)

"It's a pity that all this knowledge revolves around alchemy. If only it could be applied to science. Well, the gains I've made are already sufficient; any more would be greedy." Daniel Davis sighed softly as he extinguished the fireball in his hand.

The knowledge from the Gate of Truth was immensely powerful, but it offered little help for scientific progress because alchemy lacked intermediate steps, functioning more like putting an elephant in a refrigerator without opening the door first. This meant that even though Daniel had theoretical knowledge of nuclear fission by hand, he couldn't replicate it through scientific means.

Alchemy's strength, much like that of a sorcerer, was in the individual rather than advancing overall civilization. It was no wonder Edward had so readily given up the Gate of Truth. The figure from the Gate had also acknowledged Edward's victory because he had grasped the true essence of the Gate of Truth.

"It's time to leave." Having roughly understood the knowledge he had gained from the Gate of Truth, Daniel prepared to leave the world of Fullmetal Alchemist, intending not to return unless necessary. Before leaving, however, he had one last task: delivering the infant, who was once Pride, to Colonel Mustang, now promoted to Brigadier General.

"What did you say?" Mustang and Hawkeye were stunned when Daniel presented the baby. Hawkeye was equally surprised.

"I'm going to travel the world. You two should decide what to do with this child." Daniel handed the baby to Hawkeye. In a world dominated by alchemy, it wasn't unusual for a baby missing some internal organs to survive, much less an infant the size of one's palm.

"Perhaps you could give him to his mother." Daniel suggested. Central Command had publicly announced that the President was killed by rebel explosives to maintain national stability. They couldn't very well admit that he was a Homunculus who intended to sacrifice the entire nation's population to create a Philosopher's Stone.

If such news leaked, the country would descend into chaos.

Unlike the general public, the President's wife knew the truth. After the incident, Grumman, Hughes, Mustang, and others informed her of the facts. Despite being shocked, she quickly accepted the truth, at least outwardly. Internally, her feelings were likely more complex, given that her husband and child were Homunculi. This infant might bring her some comfort.

"I'll consider it," Mustang said, nodding at the baby in Hawkeye's arms.

Though the baby was once Pride, it was still an infant. Few could bring themselves to harm a baby, and Daniel certainly couldn't, which is why he left it with Mustang.

Melinda had killed a young girl with special abilities, which haunted her and significantly altered her life. Killing a baby would be far worse.

"The Walking Sage, Light of Hohenheim." In a modest graveyard in Riesenburg, Daniel sighed deeply in front of a tombstone. Hohenheim, who could have lived indefinitely, had exhausted the Philosopher's Stone within him to defeat the Homunculus, dying at his wife's grave upon returning home.

The President's wife was a remarkable woman of her time, and Hohenheim's wife, Trisha, was equally impressive. Besides these two, Daniel remembered one other figure vividly: an unnamed girl, one of the many souls within Hohenheim. Her sacrifice, along with others, led to the failure of the Homunculus' plan.

Noble souls stood in stark contrast to the greedy individuals like the high-ranking military officials in Fullmetal Alchemist or HYDRA in the Marvel universe. There were also those who were pure and self-sacrificing.

After a final glance at the fully recovered, playful Elric brothers, Daniel left to visit Rush Valley. Seeing Paninya with her restored legs, no longer reliant on automail, Daniel departed the world of Fullmetal Alchemist.

"I barely interacted with the protagonists in both Fullmetal Alchemist and Harry Potter. Speaking of which, Harry's role has been diminishing."

Without Dumbledore's covert protection, Harry was now just an ordinary student at Hogwarts, with less popularity than in the original story. His only claim to fame was his prowess in Quidditch, which retained some of his fan base.

However, no matter how skilled Harry was in Quidditch, Gryffindor had not won the House Cup. Slytherin dominated in all other areas, unlike the original timeline where Dumbledore's favoritism had secured Gryffindor's victory.

"I can take a break for a while." The knowledge from the Gate of Truth and the Philosopher's Stone had significantly enhanced Daniel's abilities. He planned to use the Philosopher's Stones to further strengthen himself rather than in other ways.

The Philosopher's Stone, like biochemical serums, could enhance a person's physical attributes. This enhancement depended on one's mental resilience to withstand the backlash from the souls within the stone, much like the President and Yao Ling. Given his super-soldier serum, using the Philosopher's Stone in this manner would be wasteful for Daniel.

"Despite my improvements, there's still a considerable gap between me and the likes of Hulk, Captain Marvel, Thor, and Loki." Daniel shook his head, acknowledging the disparity.

Even without considering Odin and the Ancient One, Daniel had yet to surpass Thor. At his peak, Thor had injured Thanos, who wielded the complete Infinity Gauntlet, and even reignited a star with his strength.

This was the advantage of godhood. Despite Daniel's significant progress, the gap remained vast—a gap between mortals and gods.

"I recall a world with a 'tech god.' Perhaps I could visit there someday, depending on my luck. As for the San Venganza Contract, should I get involved?"

Initially, Daniel had decided not to engage with the San Venganza Contract. With Ghost Rider and the Ancient One around, Mephisto's son's plans were bound to fail. However, his experiences in Fullmetal Alchemist piqued his interest in the contract.

Rumored to contain thousands of souls, and possibly fallen ones, the San Venganza Contract could be used to create Philosopher's Stones without moral qualms.

If the contract's legends were true, these souls would be far superior to ordinary ones. Daniel would not feel guilty about using fallen souls to create Philosopher's Stones.

Modern society would find it impossible to disappear thousands of people, even if they were all criminals, due to the chaos it would cause. Besides, the presence of guardians like Odin and the Ancient One in the Marvel world made it impractical.

However, the San Venganza Contract was different. As for angering Mephisto, Daniel didn't worry. Mephisto's power on Earth was limited. Ordinary people might fear him, but Daniel was no ordinary person.

With Odin and the Ancient One still around, by the time they were gone, Daniel might not need to fear Mephisto anymore.

"It looks like I need to contact Nick Fury. This is for the peace of the world, after all." Having made his decision, Daniel planned to contact Fury to investigate the Ghost Rider legend. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intelligence network was formidable.

"You told him everything?" At Stark's seaside villa, Daniel found Peggy Carter looking somber and Tony Stark visibly upset, indicating that Peggy had revealed the truth about Howard Stark's death to Tony.

With Peggy involved and the truth exposed early, Tony probably wouldn't clash with Captain America now.

The main issue was how to handle Bucky Barnes. Rationally, Bucky was a tool controlled by HYDRA, no different from a weapon. Blaming him would be like blaming the murder weapon in a crime. The real culprits were the HYDRA masterminds.

However, humans aren't rational beings. Though Bucky was controlled, he did kill Howard Stark and his wife. If it weren't for Bucky being Cap's friend, his fate wouldn't be in such a dilemma. If it were a stranger, neither Peggy nor Tony would hesitate to eliminate him.

"I'm neutral on this." When Peggy asked his opinion, Daniel shook his head. It was a difficult question.

Daniel had considered killing Bucky quietly to solve the problem, but the potential future consequences made him hesitant, so he left the decision to Peggy.

Peggy, too, had thought of eliminating Bucky but decided against it due to the implications with HYDRA, hoping to persuade Tony instead.

"Hopefully, Tony will come to terms with it," Daniel and Peggy shared a wry smile as they left the villa, having been thrown out by Tony. Normally, Tony wouldn't dare treat Peggy this way, but the situation was exceptional. Peggy could only hope Tony would think it through.

Caught between Tony and Cap, Peggy found it difficult to navigate, which is why she had sought Daniel's help.

"What brings you here?" In the following days, Daniel secluded himself in his villa to focus on his training, postponing his plans to deal with the Hive. One day, he noticed Ada arriving.

"Be careful. Someone is targeting you," Ada warned seriously after sitting down in a red casual dress.

"Who?" Daniel asked immediately.

He suspected HYDRA might be making a move. In the Marvel world, HYDRA was often behind major events.

Despite keeping a low profile compared to Tony Stark, Daniel's identity was known to S.H.I.E.L.D. and, by extension, HYDRA. The allure of magic was too great for HYDRA to ignore.

Rumors online suggested people wanted to learn magic from him, even hoping he would make his methods public, often incited by some hidden agents.

Fortunately, Daniel's real identity hadn't been leaked, unlike Banner's. If it had, S.H.I.E.L.D. would likely have seized the opportunity.

However, Daniel's situation differed from Banner's. As the chairman of an international conglomerate and a significant capitalist, Daniel's exposure wouldn't have the same impact. In

 the capitalist world, wealth spoke volumes.

In the original story, despite HYDRA's exposure, some members continued to live well, even engaging in transactions for the Ant-Man suit. Gideon Malick, for instance, remained untouchable despite his revealed identity.

Tony Stark lived openly as Iron Man, thriving in the public eye.

While HYDRA wouldn't confront him directly, they might resort to covert actions. Unlike Fury, who had to consider various factors, HYDRA had fewer reservations.

"It's him," Ada's next words confirmed Daniel's suspicions. It wasn't HYDRA but Drake Simmons, a man obsessively infatuated with Ada.

Given Simmons' resources and obsession, it wasn't surprising he noticed Ada's frequent visits to the villa. Blinded by jealousy, he might ignore Daniel's identity and act rashly.

"He's a bit of a nuisance." Simmons alone wasn't a threat, but his status as a family head in one of America's ruling families posed potential complications. Modern society's intricacies meant Daniel had to handle this delicately. Simmons could die, but preferably not by Daniel's hand.

"I'll have to ask Fury for help and hope Ada can deal with him soon. Their situation is too twisted." With S.H.I.E.L.D.'s backing, a warning to Simmons' family should suffice. For these powerful families, preserving the family often meant sacrificing even the head if necessary.

Fake Ada's misfortune lay in her love for Simmons, leading to her tragic fate despite her brilliance.

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