Chapter 298

Chapter 298:

– Cul – 

A giant red crystal floated silently in the center of the dim chamber, casting an ominous glow that illuminated the dark stone walls. Inside the crystal, Layla of the Fallen stood motionless, her eyes wide with a fear that only she could see. Her long black hair surrounded her as if suspended in water inside the prison crystal.

Cul Borson sat slumped on his stone throne, breathing heavily. Even with the combined power of the Reality Stone and the Power Stone, trapping Layla had taken nearly everything out of him. Sweat dripped down his brow as he glanced at the two Stones in his hands. He immediately pulled out a small containment device and slipped the Power Stone inside. Using it without a medium was incredibly dangerous.

"You look a bit tired, Master," Magneto said, unable to keep the edge out of his voice. He stood rigidly at the base of the throne. 

Cul's gaze snapped to the mutant, and his expression darkened. "Silence, slave," he commanded. Cul shifted, leaning forward as he considered his next move. Layla was supposed to have the Mind Stone, a crucial piece of his plans. Without it, he couldn't completely seize control of all of Asgard, and the thought of searching Earth for years to find it grated on him. His fingers tapped against the arm of the throne as he pondered. "If the stone is sealed, then I will break the seal," he muttered to himself. The idea brought a twisted smile to his face. He raised his eyes to Magneto, who stood there, his posture stiff with barely contained emotion. "Slave," Cul said, smirking. "Start dropping the asteroids. Let the people of Earth see what true power looks like now that their savior is gone."

Magneto's eyes went wide, and for a moment, disbelief rendered him speechless. "No… you can't do this," he whispered. 

Cul ignored him and allowed the Reality Stone to seep back into his body. He lifted a glowing red hand towards his other Slave, Charles Xavier.

"Oh God, no! Not again!" Charles cried out in anguish as Cul flooded the cripples mind with more fear and terror. Charles immediately followed Cul's will and took control of Magneto's body and powers.

"Damn you!" Magneto shouted, trying to resist the control of his friend. But he simpy, couldn't. Slowly, his hand lifted, and the countless asteroids surrounding Earth shifted, turning into deadly meteors that began to fall towards the planet. "There are still mutants down there!" Magneto cried out in anguish.

"And they'll die along with all the worthless humans," Cul chuckled darkly. "Let's watch!"

Cul waved his hand and an illusionary window appeared before the throne. Giving him a perfect view of earth.The meteors cut through the atmosphere, burning brightly as they approached the surface. Cul smiled at the upcoming destruction.

…And then his smile vanished in an instant when a sudden, blinding light burst across the planet. A massive bird of cosmic fire emerged, wings spanning across the entire Earth and wrapping it in a cocoon of blazing protection. The meteors impacted the flaming feathery barrier and disintegrated, turning into harmless ash before they could touch the ground.

Cul snarled in disbelief. "The Phoenix…!" His eyes darted around the room as panic surged in his chest. "How is the Avatar of the Phoenix free of my control!?"

The realization struck him like a physical blow. The Mind Stone was not sealed. Someone was using it. He focused the Reality Stone's power, searching furiously for the source. The image of Layla's home city appeared before him.

"Slave!" Cul barked. Magneto's shoulders slumped as he registered the command, eyes wide with a mix of shock and relief. "Bring this asteroid base down to Earth!"

Magneto moved with reluctant obedience, hands trembling as he controlled the metal beneath their feet. The asteroid base rumbled and shuddered as it began its descent towards Earth.

– Layla –

I got dressed in my usual work attire, a fitted black blazer over a white blouse and a pencil skirt that barely hit my knees. I glanced at the clock on my phone, realizing I was already running a few minutes behind schedule. With a groan, I hurried out of my tiny apartment, catching my reflection in the cracked hallway mirror as I locked the door. 

My first stop was the corner café, where the barista greeted me with a knowing smile.

"Three trays of coffee again?" she asked, already loading them up.

"Yep, you know me," I replied with a sigh.

"See you tomorrow, Leslie!" she called out behind me as I left.

Stark Tower loomed ahead. I walked through the automatic doors, and the cool blast of air conditioning hit me. Security guards in dark uniforms flanked the entrance, giving me nods as I passed. 

"Morning, Lisa," one of them said, glancing at the coffee trays. 

"Morning, Tony," I replied, shifting the weight to one arm as I handed out the first few cups.

"Here you go, Johny." I slid one cup toward the young guard stationed at the front desk, who looked up with a grin.

"Thanks, Leela!" he said, taking the cup from me.

"It's Layla," I muttered under my breath, not that it made any difference. No one ever seemed to remember my name, no matter how many times I corrected them… No one ever seemed to care enough. I made my rounds, handing out the rest of the coffees to the other secretaries, guards, and maintenance staff in the lobby. I took my seat at one of the kiosks, the same one I'd claimed as mine ever since I started working here. 

I leaned back in my chair, letting out a quiet sigh. That was pretty much it for the work day. The entire building was automated at this point so none of us really had any actual work to do. We were just here to not make the place look empty…

I slipped my phone out of my pocket, scanning through social media without much interest. Just the usual—memes, cat videos, another endless scroll of influencer snapshots. Then something caught my eye: a shaky video posted by a news outlet. The headline read, "Mysterious Attack in Germany." 

I clicked on it, the footage loading with a slight buffer. The camera zoomed in on a man wearing a long, dark green coat, crowned with golden antlers. He stood before a crowd, arms raised in a dramatic fashion as he threatened them all and said they were all now his slaves. Then, out of nowhere, Captain America leapt into view. The two exchanged blows, and for a second, the crowd's panic turned into an awestruck silence. My eyes were glued to the screen as Iron Man swept down from the sky and ended the fight by blasting the strange terrorist.

The life of a superhero looked so exciting—how could anyone not dream of that kind of life? But I knew it was never going to be for an ordinary woman like me. I was just Layla, the low-level secretary who got coffee…

I sighed again, dropping my phone onto the table. Today was going to be another slow, boring day, just like yesterday. Just like every day.

Or was it…?

The building started to tremble. At first, it was subtle, but within seconds, the shaking turned violent. My phone off the table and clattered onto the marble floor. I stood, gripping the edge of the desk for balance, my heart racing with confusion. Earthquakes in New York City were practically unheard of!

"What the—" I managed to mutter before the sound of panicked screams from outside filled the lobby. I pushed myself away from the desk and hurried toward the massive glass windows. People were running in all directions, their faces twisted in pure terror. The streets were chaotic, and cars skidded to a halt, drivers abandoning their vehicles to flee.

"The hell is going on?" one of the guards shouted. He glanced back at us before rushing outside to see what was happening.

I watched, my breath caught in my chest, as something dark and monstrous swooped down from the sky. It landed with a thud that reverberated even inside the lobby. The creature was unlike anything I'd seen—twisted, with jagged, insect-like features and eyes that glowed a sickly green. In its clawed hands, it held a massive, alien-looking weapon. Before anyone could react, the creature opened fire. A bright blue beam shot out at the guard. 

He disintegrated into a pile of ash in an instant…

Screams erupted around me. A surge of horror swept through the lobby as people scattered, some running for the emergency exits, others too paralyzed by fear to move. The creature's eyes swept over the lobby before it bared its jagged teeth and ran at us, shattering through the reinforced glass. More of its kind joined it.

"Everyone, please remain calm," Jarvis's voice echoed from the speakers. "The building is going into lockdown."

"Its a little fucking late to remain calm!" I screamed. The monsters had already breached the tower. I watched in horror as the people I'd worked with for years were mercilessly gunned down…

My body moved before my mind could catch up. I bolted toward the nearest elevator, dodging the chaos around me. I pressed the call button repeatedly, heart thundering in my chest as the doors slid open. I slipped inside and frantically jabbed at every floor button, hoping for a miracle.

"Ms Layla, I apologize, but you do not possess the proper clearance to access this elevator," Jarvis stated blandly.

"Fuck your clearance!" I shouted, my voice shaking. "Move the damn elevator!"

"Fine…"

For a moment, there was silence. Then, to my relief, the elevator lurched upward, the doors sliding shut just as one of the creatures' claws scraped against the metal frame. The thump of their fists against the outside made me flinch, but they couldn't get in. I pressed my back against the wall as the elevator went up. The screams from the lobby faded as I went higher.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. "What the fuck…"

"Miss Layla, there is no need for such language," he said, sounding almost disapproving. 

I rolled my eyes and held up my middle finger to the camera. "What's happening? Why are there monsters killing everyone?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady as I ran a hand through my tangled brown hair

"A giant portal has opened above Stark Tower, and an alien army is currently invading the planet," Jarvis responded in his usual calm tone.

My mouth dropped open. "An alien army? Seriously?" That sounded absolutely insane, like something out of a bad movie. But after what I'd just seen in the lobby…

Before I could ask Jarvis anything else, the elevator came to a stop with a soft *ding*. The doors slid open, and I cautiously peeked out. The place was eerily quiet, which made me even more nervous. I recognized the space immediately—it was Tony Stark's personal penthouse. Employees like me weren't supposed to be up here, but if there was ever a good excuse to break that rule, an alien invasion had to be it, right?

I crept out of the elevator, glancing around at the ridiculously lavish furniture and giant glass windows that offered a view of the city below. Everything was sleek and modern, just as you'd expect from Stark, and I almost let myself relax. Maybe I could wait this out until things calmed down. But then I turned a corner, and my heart nearly stopped. Standing right there, looking completely out of place in the modern penthouse, was the guy from the video I'd watched earlier. The crazy villain with the reindeer helmet—Loki, wasn't it?

He looked me up and down with a raised eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Ah, there you are…"

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stay calm. "O–Oh shit…" I stammered. "Don't mind me. I'm just one of the secretaries that work here."

His smirk grew wider. I took a step back, wondering if I'd made a huge mistake coming up here. 

Just then, another voice broke the tension. "Come now, Reindeer Games, don't you know it's rude to bully the help?"

I whipped my head around to see Tony Stark himself descending the staircase. He looked surprisingly relaxed, wearing that signature cocky grin as if this whole invasion thing was no big deal. 

A sigh of relief escaped me. Thank God… 

Tony Stark could handle this, right? He was Iron Man. All I had to do was stay out of the way and let him deal with it. 

I was just… me. This wasn't something I should be involved in. 

Loki rolled his eyes at Tony, but his gaze drifted back to me, his smirk becoming even more unsettling. I took a couple of shaky steps backward as Loki's eyes locked onto mine and he moved closer. 

My chest tightened. "What are you doing?" I stammered, my voice coming out much weaker than I'd hoped.

"Leave her alone," Tony said. He stepped in front of me without hesitation. "She's just a random nobody. Leave her out of this so she can get back to her boring, regular life."

The words stung a bit, even though I knew Tony was trying to protect me. He wasn't wrong, I was a nobody. Just a secretary who brought people coffee…

Loki smirked, lifting his glowing scepter. "I think not, Stark. This woman's life is anything but boring. Isn't that right, HOST?" 

"Host?" I echoed, the word sounding oddly familiar. My head throbbed, and I winced, clutching it as a pulse of pain shot through my mind.

"I don't think so, Reindeer Games," Tony snapped. He raised his arm as one of his Iron Man gauntlets flew across the room, attaching itself to his hand with a mechanical click. Without missing a beat, he blasted Loki backward, the force of the shot sending the God skidding across the polished floor. 

I watched, wide-eyed, as more pieces of Tony's suit magnetized to him, clamping down until he was fully encased in his red-and-gold armor. He launched himself at Loki, and the two began trading powerful blows that echoed through the penthouse. Glass shattered, furniture splintered, and the room shook with the impact of their fight.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Loki's scepter spinning across the floor. It skidded to a stop right in front of my feet. 

"Host!" Loki's voice cut through the chaos. He ducked a repulsor blast and spun to face me. "Pick up the staff and remember who you are! This isn't you! You're not some regular woman destined for a never-ending life of being alone and unloved. You're Layla of the Fallen! A Gamer and a Goddess!"

"What…?" My head throbbed again, harder this time, and I dropped to one knee, clutching my temples as flashes of light and distorted images filled my mind. Images of beautiful women smiling at me suddenly appeared in my mind…

"Don't listen to Loki, Layla!" Tony shouted, sending a pulse of energy that knocked Loki back. "He's just trying to trick you. This is all real, and you need to go hide. You're just a nobody! Leave this to the heroes!"

I nodded, scrambling to get to my feet. Running away felt like the only sane option. But as I turned, I hesitated. 

Tony Stark of all people knew my name? 

How? No one ever got my name right? 

"How did you know my name, sir?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. 

The moment the words left my mouth, both Tony and Loki froze. The fighting completely stopped. Ironman didn't respond or move at all. It was eerie and unnatural. 

Loki turned to me and smirked. "Good work, HOST," he said. "You're starting to realize none of this is real!"

"This was all a dream? But how…?" The sounds of explosions, shattering glass, and distant screams ceased in an instant. I turned toward the windows, but instead of the New York City skyline, there was only a blank, white void stretching out infinitely. 

"Pick up the staff, Layla!" Loki's voice echoed, even as his figure began to fade, along with Ironman. "If you don't, you'll be trapped in this illusion forever. You're not alone, and unloved. You have people waiting for you and a world to save! Pick up the staff and wake up!"

I took a deep breath and reached down, fingers brushing the cool, glowing metal of the scepter. The moment my hand wrapped around it, the staff started to break apart until all that was left was a glowing yellow stone in my hand.

"The Mind Stone? But didnt I leave this with Loki?" I asked almost instinctively.

[Out of all the Infinity Stones, it's theorized that the Mind Stone and Soul Stone are both sentient. Clearly, the Mind Stone senses its owner was in trouble and came to help.]

The System spoke in my head and memories started flooding back into my mind. My brown hair turned jet black and I felt my stocky body morph back into my normal and curvaceous form.

"Holy shit, that was so weird…"

[Welcome back, Host!]

{You have leveled up!}

{Skill Gained: Fear Resistance (Max!)}

When I opened my eyes, I was trapped in a large, floating red crystal. The shock of it was immediate, but the fury that followed hit me even harder. That bastard Cul had trapped me in an illusion so deep that it had erased everything—my kids, my lovers, my friends, my family. I clenched my fists, anger searing through me. He was dead. A dead Asgardian walking.

I felt my returned power coursing through my veins as I flared my sixteen black wings. The crystal around me shattered into a thousand tiny pieces, scattering across the metallic floor like rain. I glanced around, taking in my surroundings. This wasn't Cul's stone city anymore. The room was surrounded by metal walls and modern control panels. This was exactly what I imagined Magneto's base would look like on the inside.

I floated down to the ground, landing softly. As I looked at my open palm, the Mind Stone pulsed, almost as if it was relieved to be back in my possession. 

[Go kick Cul's ass and get those other two stones back from him!]

The voice of the system rang in my mind, and I couldn't help but smirk. That was the plan, and I intended to make it hurt. But my smirk faltered when I remembered one crucial detail. 

Cul had the Reality Stone, which meant he could rip any of the stones away from me if he wanted. 

Before I could even react, the Mind Stone lifted from my palm and hovered in the air, spinning rapidly. My eyes widened as it shot forward, slamming into my back between my top pair of wings. A sudden, intense heat coursed through me, and I gasped, feeling the energy surge through every inch of my body.

[Layla of the Fallen]

[Title: Sixteen Winged Angel, High Goddess of Angels, Death's Favored.]

[Level: 123]

[Sacred Gears: Purger of Darkness, Orb of Infinity]

[HP: 1,245,000]

[MP: 14,120,000]

[Faith Energy: 545,687,566]

[Vigor: 124,500]

[Strength: 61,455]

[Intelligence: 141,200→1,412,000]

[Luck: 28,025]

[Available Free Stat Points: 25000]

[Perks and Skills:]

-High Goddess of Angels (100x Increase in all Stat Points. Access to all Angelic Abilities. Can turn other races into white or black winged Angels depending on the person's Karma.) 

-Death's Favored (Resurrect on Death after 24 hours. Can resurrect up to three people a day.)

-Daughter of Heaven's Will (Passive Skill: Ask and you shall receive! The universe bends to your whims and circumstances that you wish for are far more likely to occur!)

-Acting (Max: You are a master of the craft when you want to be.)

-Observe (Max: No one's level is hidden from your gaze. No one can detect you using Observe on them.)

-Light Manipulation (Max: All Light Abilities Cost 10x less MP to Cast.)

-Senjutsu (Max: Passively regenerate 1000 MP/Min.)

-Rinnegan (Max: All Rinnegan abilities cost 5x less MP.)

-Faith Pool (Can draw upon Faith Energy when MP runs out.)

-Cosmic Energy (Instead of air, you know breathe Cosmic Energy. All abilities are drastically improved along with access to Cosmic powers.)

-Lustful Queen (Active Skill: You can drain the energy of anyone you touch and convert it into any type of energy you desire. This ability is 1000x more effective when performed during sexual intercourse. You will also receive random stat points after every "session.")

-Fear Resistance (Max!)

My Intelligence just went up by 10x! I turned my head just in time to see my top pair of black wings start to glow, their color shifting from pitch-black to a bright gold! It kind of ruined my all black aesthetic so far, but I had to admit that my new pair of wings did look beautiful.

{New Quest Started! The Birth of the Supreme Goddess!}

{Merge with all 6 Infinity Stones from your universe along with the Stones of Life and Death to become the Supreme Goddess!}

I blinked, trying to absorb what the System just told me. Supreme Goddess? That's what Peni Parker called me! 

I needed to absorb 8 different stones of power? Hadn't I already absorbed an Infinity Stone before? Why was it different this time?

[That was your Artificial Sacred Gear that absorbed it, and you can do it now because you're powerful enough to handle the mental and physical stress without breaking down.]

Hungry…

Despite the tense situation, the whine from my Orb of Anywhere brought a chuckle to my lips. 

BOOM!

I didn't have time to dwell on any more revelations. I could hear explosions going on outside of Magneto's base. The world didn't sit still while I was trapped in that illusionary world. 

XXX

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