Dinosaurus gazed around the gleaming control room of the Warship with his eyes wide in amazement. Everything was so new. The screens displayed images of a world in a comic book style. He had experienced new things before, such as gaining a giant body and becoming a talking dinosaur, but this was totally new and astounding.
"You'll get used to it," I told him, seated in my large chair, the new cloak billowing around me. "It's the same as when you were a kid, and you felt so cool because you had the latest superhero toy. Then you wake up one morning and find yourself in the comic book. We're in the same position now."
The dinosaur swiveled his large skull up and down. "It's... overwhelming, Conquest," he said, both amazed and a bit frightened. "But, I am curious to see. The science, the tech—will it be..."
"Advanced?" I grinned. "Well, we are in the big leagues, buddy so yeah. The Invincible Universe was a small sandbox. This -- this is the entire playground, and we are the smallest kids in it."
I nodded towards the holographic projection in the center of the room. There were numerous planets, stars, and galaxies gleaming with the radiance of a color-changing street sign. "This is the Marvel Universe. It has more options than a fruit stand in a convention for superheroes. And we are going to utilize it all."
The dinosaur inched forward toward the map, his tail quivering with excitement. "Where do we begin?" he inquired, staring at each gleaming symbol in turn.
"Well, we'll start with Earth," I said, smiling. "It's sort of the central hub of it all here. Supervillains, superheroes, major happenings—it's all taking place on that blue world. Plus, I love their brand of chaos. There's a unique component there that brings out the rebel in me, so I'm looking forward to shaking things up a bit."
I rose from my seat, and the cloak circled around me in a dark shadow. The black fur collar brushed my throat, leaving me chilled. It reflected my independence and strength in Marvel. I would no longer obey Thragg or anyone else. I was Conquest, master of my own destiny, and this cape was a reflection of my independence.
"Ready for our grand entrance?" I inquired, stretching my hand toward Dinosaurus.
More than ever before, he smiled, flashing his shiny teeth in the dim light of the control room.
And we did. We teleported, poof. One minute we were standing there in the Warship, and the next we were standing in the middle of a rooftop in New York City. The city was a postcard in front of us—skyscrapers reaching up towards the sky, and the lights a million disco balls at a party. But when we showed up, the quiet was as if someone was hitting the mute button on the world. It was awkward, as if we were crashing a party where no one invited us.
The eyes of the dinosaur grew wide as he took in his new surroundings. "Wow," he said, his tail striking the rooftop. "It's so... different."
I stared at him, my eyebrow rising. "Different from what?" I questioned, having no idea what New York was like in our universe. At the time, I didn't really go out to Earth like that. I was too busy conquering planets and being a dickhead to be a tourist.
Dinosaurus inhaled deeply. The air was fresher here than we were used to. "The structures," he said, gazing up at the towering skyscrapers surrounding us. "They are so... tall. And they are so numerous."
I laughed and slapped his back, and he staggered. "You ain't seen nothing yet, my friend," I told him, nodding towards the horizon. "This is just the beginning. The rave is down there, where the crowd is."
The dinosaur noticed what I was staring at, his eyes aglow like Times Square's Christmas lights. "Why are we up here, though?" he inquired, sounding puzzled.
"If I'm a villain, I'm not going around signing my name and posing for photos," I told him, giving him a sneaky grin. "I've got to maintain a bit of mystique, don't I? And maintain my good reputation. Villains don't do meet-and-greets."
I caught a glimpse in my eye during our conversation: flashes of light from below the street. There were many tiny screens directed at us, capturing all we were doing. Individuals and phones. There was a spark within me. The excitement and terror felt as if the universe was exclaiming, "Welcome to the show!"
"We've got an audience," I stated, indicating the edge of the roof.
The dinosaur spun his head around when he noticed the screens flickering at us from the street. "They are... observing us," he whispered, his voice trembling.
"They are," I agreed simply. "Tony Stark is probably already planning our next moves, no doubt. And Reed Richards is always in the know when it comes to new alien threats. So let them keep their eyes open. It just adds to our grand entrance."
Dinosaurus inquired, bewildered. 'Who are Reed Richards and Tony Stark? I don't recognize them."
"Oh, they're just extremely intelligent people," I said with a wave of my hand. "Stark has more money than he can spend, and Richards has more ideas than any person could manage. They're like a superhero group for technology and science. They create devices and tools that make you feel like you're playing with Legos."
I was getting ready to transport us away, eager to make another grand arrival, when I realized my body was not quite up to the task. It was extremely weak. I attempted to cover my shock, but I don't think I succeeded, as Dinosaurus was giving me a suspicious glare.
"Conquest?" he inquired softly, his voice laced with concern. "Is everything alright?"
"Yes," I told him, laughing softly in a bid not to answer his question. "It's just... I've got to save the dramatic exits for later, it seems" It took a great amount of power to move us and the Warship into Marvel that I have exhausted its use. "Looks like I'm going to have to fly you around." I told him, not letting my anger show.
Dinosaurus gazed at me, his face a combination of confusion and concern. "Fly?"
"Yeah, buddy," I replied, slapping a hand on his scaly shoulder. "I'm out of teleportation fuel, it seems. We'll just have to do it the old-fashioned way. You know, like people did before UberEats."
The dinosaur gazed at me, his eyes aglow with excitement, but also doubt. "So we're... flying," he said, swinging his tail back and forth.
"More along the lines of, I'm lugging you around my back," I explained, though, smiling.
I breathed deeply, unable to feel pressure of my new career. I was monstrously strong after all. With a glimpse into Dinosaurus's gleaming eye, I knew a fantastic adventure was coming. The wind whipped by as I leaped up into the air, my boots leaving the rooftop behind. It was not easy flying, but once learned, it is never forgotten.
As the thrill of flying dissipated, my mind cleared. I used to fly in a sandbox, but today I felt more of a chess piece. A pawn, whether I liked it or not. I had abilities—greater abilities, in a sense, than many of the heroes in this current game. There were, though, powerful players in this game who could move, think, and survive better.
Consider Reed Richards. He was intelligent and came up with a plethora of ideas. Give him five minutes, and he could turn my own powers against me. And if my hypothesis is correct, his body stretching might be more then enough considering the nature of marvel. It was not already not a fair fight for someone like me who needs to rip and tear. I mean, seriously, who attacks a person who can dodge and then return in a rubber band-like motion? And he also received assistance from the Fantastic Four, a team with three other superheroes with their own abilities.
As we headed down towards the Baxter Building, my sense of unease was growing strong. I felt like I was doing precisely what they wanted. Like they were lying in ambush. The Butcher's Voive, my in-system AI, smuggled doubts into my skull. It was a good devil's advocate, though, who was more than often correct. "Is this not a trap, Conquest?" it spoke in a persuasively tempting tone.
"Relax," I whispered, my eyes narrowing as we approached the legendary headquarters. "I can deal with this."
As we descended in the courtyard of the Baxter Building, I made a thunderous sound, thundering in the night, and the concrete shattered, as if a meteor had struck it. Lights were switched on in the building, and it hummed with power, as if a hive of bees had smelt fresh flowers. The Fantastic Four did not hesitate; they ran forth as if they were in anticipation of this moment for a long time.
Reed Richards stuck his hand out in my direction, his fingers stretching like silly putty. "You've got to be the new kid that New York saw earlier on Tiktok," he said, not in a rude tone, but inquisitive. "I'm Reed Richards, and my guess is, you're not visiting for the open house tour."
I laughed, my voice echoing off the surrounding buildings. "Conquest," I told him, speaking in a calm tone, similar to the sound of jazz. "Nice meeting you, Richards. And don't get your tail in a twist, but I'm not here to wreck your science club."
The Four gazed at me as if I'd made the announcement that the new intern was here but neglected to bring coffee. "You're... not here to fight?" Mr. Incredible said, or rather Mr. Fantastic, his eyebrow arched.
"No," I said, holding my arms out in a stop position, palms up. "I'm here to help. You know, keeping things safe and such." The Voice in my head, the Voice of the Butcher, was plotting how to make this "help" sound menacing. I needed calm, though, if they were ever going to trust me—or at least not despise me initially. "Imagine me as the new kid in town, trying to find some friends."
The Invisible Woman took a step forward, narrowing her eyes. "What do you require assistance with?" she said, her tone biting. She didn't trust me in the least, and that was fine. It was best for her not to trust me anyways.
"I know a few things," I told her teasingly with a grin. "I've seen some terrifying things, and we can all agree that the less of those terrifying things out there the better, can't we?"
The group gazed at me, and I could sense they were thinking the same. They were trying to decide how they felt towards me, staring at me as if they were not quite sure whether they should play with me or study me up close.
"Listen to me, I know my appearance is a surprise," I told the Fantastic Four, moving in a step more, my thumb jabbed at myself. "But just listen. I've realized the dangers in this universe, and there's a great deal of incorrect information. If we are going to keep your world safe, we are all in this together. And that includes me as well."
There was a moment of silence, a calm before the storm. The Butcher's Voice was tossing around my mind, proposing all the enticing suggestions it could come up with, urging me to let them see what I was truly capable of doing. But I held firm, considering the future. Then, abruptly, the Human Torch flared his flames, and his eyes gleamed with excitement or suspicion. "Okay, Conquest," he said, his voice resounding through the courtyard. "You have our attention."
That was simpler than it had any right to be. The Fantastic Four, all of them with their powers, were totally buying it. Or at least pretending to. Perhaps it was the overall 'new mysterious guy' vibe I was projecting, or perhaps they actually did require additional assistance. In any case, it was going quite well.