Chapter 5: Plans

(A/N) Note : This is my first fan fiction, so bare with me. I've had a craving for a specific kind of marvel fanfic and decided to take matters into my own hands. Any helpful suggestions are welcomed. I'll try to upload 3 chapters a week. Lastly, I do not own any of the characters in this story, except my own. This is purely for entertainment. Enjoy~

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(A/N : I may not have made it clear, but the MC's power works as an exponential multiplier based on the number of powers he has. The more abilities he obtains, the stronger all of his other ones become. )

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"1600 miles in 7 seconds. That's 1000 times the speed of sound... and I felt like that wasn't even my maximum."

The figure of Zora appeared, hovering in the air, his curly black hair rustling in the wind as he surveyed the wide, desert landscape that stretched far beyond what the normal eye could see.

Though, Zora was far from normal. His enhanced physical capabilities and senses gained from Sabre tooth and Wolverine, coupled with the multiplicative aspect of his ability, made it so that his current sight could now extend well beyond 30 miles if he focused.

Staring toward the south, he could see past the jurisdiction of the national park, making out cars driving on the roads.

He shook his head, a bit dumbstruck at the reality of his situation now.

Slowly, his figure began lowering towards the ground as Zora became entangled in his thoughts.

As his feet finally touched the ground, a singular sentence escaped his mouth, encapsulating the way he was feeling.

"Did I actually just bitch out the X-Men and Brotherhood like that?"

Honestly speaking, the whole interaction had felt like a blur. Zora wasn't sure what had come over him, but the moment he had arrived at the field, it was like a switch had flipped in his head.

After copying their abilities, his body instinctively recognized that nobody there could pose an immediate threat. This subconscious awareness affected his demeanor and confidence, which was reflected in the interaction.

Imagine it this way: if you are surrounded by a group of toddlers, will you be afraid for your life?

Realistically, even if he couldn't defeat them all at that moment, none of them would be able to keep him if he truly wanted to leave.

It wasn't just this. The digestion of both sets of memories had shaped Zora's mind into one that wasn't as easily swayed by such things.

"Well, regardless, I guess that went the best it could have," he muttered as he clenched his hand into a fist, causing bone claws to protrude from his knuckles.

Using just his physical strength and a subtle manipulation of the wind, his figure suddenly disappeared from the spot, reappearing a few meters away in front of a large boulder. Swinging his arm forwards, his newly formed claws tore straight through the rock like butter.

Taking a few steps back, Zora focused this time on his eyes. His vision sharpened, every detail around him becoming vividly clear. He felt the energy build up in his optic nerves, and a warm sensation spread across his face. Immediately, a thick, red beam of energy burst from his eyes. The second it touched the boulder, it exploded into a shower of dust and debris, all of which was easily dodged by Zora.

His current physical capabilities were far beyond that of a normal human. Though he hadn't tested it yet, Zora was confident that with his pure strength alone, he could easily carry over 100 tons. Along with that, he could hear the faint rustle of leaves from miles away, the subtle sound of birds flapping their wings in the distance.

The scents around him were equally sharp; he could distinguish the faint smell of pine trees from miles away and even the distinct aroma of gasoline from the distant cars.

The world around him was much more vivid than ever before.

Lifting his shirt slightly, Zora revealed a body now perfectly defined in every aspect, like a sculpture chiseled from stone. His muscles were lean and powerful, each one rippling with strength. Though he had enjoyed working out before, he had never achieved such a physique. This was undoubtedly an extension of his new abilities.

After testing his powers for a while, Zora found a quiet place to rest, his mind racing with thoughts of the future.

'I guess there's no need to cut off Spider-Man's power anymore,' Zora chuckled to himself, a wry smile playing on his lips.

"Seriously, though, they say plans can't keep up with changes, but damn, wasn't today's change a bit much? I'm not going to complain, though. Now I just need to figure out what I'm going to do next."

Originally, knowing that he was in the Marvel Universe, Zora had been terrified for his life, thinking about all the significant events that would eventually unfold. But now, everything had changed. He had the power to fight and ensure his life wasn't something easily taken. He had the ability to get involved in future events and shape them.

After a while of deliberation, Zora finally decided that he would make his own force in preparation for the things to come.

"Though I'm still not certain about all the different storylines and plots this universe involves, I'll have a much easier time if I have a group of subordinates to delegate tasks to. Even though I hate to say it, Magneto's right: just because you have strength doesn't mean you can or should do everything on your own."

Zora planned to amass enough wealth and political power so that by the time the plot started, whatever actions he needed to take could be executed with ease. This was necessary because power wasn't just about the physical aspect but also influence and control over others. Even if he could just bulldoze his way through every problem, sometimes that's just not the right decision to make.

It wasn't just that, though; he also had plans for the mutants of this world. Zora would let the X-Men and Brotherhood continue their activities for a while longer as he grows in strength and obtains more abilities. When the time was right, both forces would fall under his command so they could properly fight for mutant kind and this planet.

Not only them. While going through his memories, Zora had discovered the existence of Nathaniel Essex, also known as Mr. Sinister, and the nation of Genosha. This meant there were two other populations of mutants waiting for him to save them.

Zora had a lot to do before the plot starts in 2008, not to mention preventing Dark Phoenix or the other important pieces of plot information this body just doesn't know yet.

Sighing, he was about to make his way back to New York when his enhanced senses suddenly picked up the distant roar of engines growing closer, cutting through the otherwise serene desert air.

Curious, he casually cloaked himself with a psychic illusion, ensuring that anyone who laid eyes on him would subconsciously ignore his presence.

Taking off in the direction of the noise, it didn't take long for Zora to come across the source.

Below him, a single motorcycle was racing across the desert, a woman with dark hair hunched over the handlebars, her determination evident in her posture.

Chasing her, three blacked-out military Humvees roared across the rugged terrain, their tires kicking up clouds of dust. A quick scan with his telekinesis revealed fifteen heavily armed men within the vehicles.

Wanting to understand the situation, Zora didn't hesitate and immediately probed the minds of all the soldiers present.

It was done in a flash, and none of them even noticed what happened, but Zora had already acquired the information he wanted.

"Interesting..." His eyes gleamed under the sunlight.

"Laura Kinney, also known as X-23... What an unexpected surprise. Though, maybe this is a good thing," Zora said as he subconsciously rubbed his chin.