Wyatt grunted and pushed himself to complete another sit-up. His shirtless body was drenched in sweat, and his abs screamed in pain, but he pushed on nonetheless. After completing his set of sit-ups, he moved on to do push-ups, squats, and pull-ups.
When he was done, he rested on his knees and gasped to catch his breath. With shaky hands, he grabbed a towel and wiped himself off. Once he drank some water and recovered enough energy, Wyatt moved to the weight training area in his workout room and grabbed two 35 pounds dumbbells. For the next two hours, he moved through a series of weight-training exercises until his body screamed at him to stop.
"Why couldn't these powers come with a boost to my physique?" Wyatt whined as he walked through his home to head to his living room.
After grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, he turned to the large-screen television. He glanced around briefly, spotting the remote control. With a click, the TV powered on. He scrolled through the endless channels until he found a news station.
"Breaking News: Reports have emerged that Tony Stark was attacked in broad daylight at the Circuit de Monaco in Europe by an assailant wielding energy whips. Fortunately, Stark, clad in his Iron Man armor, was able to defeat the mysterious attacker after a quick battle," a male newscaster announced.
Wyatt sat down on his couch and watched the footage of the fight. It was tough and shaky, most likely recorded on a phone. The battle unfolded exactly as it did in Iron Man 2, starting with Tony suiting up in his Mk. 5 suit and facing off against Ivan Vanko, who was armed with long-range, high-tech whips. Once the fight was over, the image switched back to the newscaster.
"In follow-up to the events in Monaco, we have an exclusive interview with U.S. Senator Stern." The newscaster continued, and the image changed to Senator Stern in his private office.
"It's just unbelievable. It proves that the genie is out of the bottle, and this man has no idea what he's doing. He thinks of the Iron Man weapon as a toy. I was at a hearing where Mr. Stark was adamant that these suits could not exist anywhere else, don't exist anywhere else, and never will exist anywhere else, at least for five to ten years. And here we are in Monaco, realizing that these suits exist now," Senator Stern said.
Wyatt rolled his eyes at the slimy secret Hydra member and turned off the television. Getting up from his couch, he walked over to stare out of the large window in his Manhattan corner apartment. It was a luxury space he had purchased with his ever-growing funds, thanks to his bi-weekly visits to Victor's pawn shop.
Victor's pawn shop had expanded its operations significantly, thanks to the business Wyatt had brought in, making Victor a very wealthy man. Wyatt was his best customer, after all.
Because of this, Victor had no problem setting Wyatt up with a secure bank account and a credit card, as well as connecting him with a realtor who didn't ask questions as to how a 16-year-old could buy a luxury apartment. For Victor, Wyatt was a walking goldmine, helping to build his growing fortune. It was in Victor's best interest to keep Wyatt happy.
While Wyatt enjoyed his luxury apartment, it wasn't his only place to stay. He had established several underground hideouts throughout New York for emergencies. Still, his apartment featured a fantastic view and extravagant amenities.
Oh, and it was above ground, too. Wyatt didn't have any ambitions of becoming a hermit.
While he could create his own building and apartment, buying one brought a lot fewer questions than creating one from thin air.
Despite the changes in this universe, everything else is still following the MCU canon. Wyatt thought as he leaned on the glass.
Looking over to the now-in-construction Stark Tower, Wyatt looked up at the sky above it and remained silent. An image of a blue blast of energy shooting into the sky and the emergence of a massive portal filled Wyatt's mind. From there, hundreds of Chitauri soldiers spilled down into the city. Unleashing terror and destruction like never before seen.
"Shouldn't be much longer…"
With that said, he returned to his personal gym.
He had to grow stronger.
••o••o••o••
"Hey, if that one isn't to your liking. How about this one right here? You can't go wrong with the MP5. It fires 9 mm, and the military and police love it. So? What do you think?" A bald-headed man with crooked teeth smiled as he held said gun in his hands.
His name was Tyrese, and he was a well-known arms dealer in New York. In his shuttle van, an extensive array of guns and weaponry lay stacked. Ready for purchase.
Standing before him were four men. They were part of the Russian mob, and they were in the market for new weaponry for an upcoming job. They've dealt with Tyrese before, and they could attest to the quality of weaponry after dealing with him for the past three years.
"Yes, very good. We'll take seven. Do you have any more Kalashnikovs?" One of the Russians asked as he inspected a M4A1.
"Not with me. But I do have a new shipment coming in a few days. For the meanwhile, how about I show you gentlemen some of my newest products." Tyrese grinned and grabbed an ACR. But before he could give his sales pitch, a flash of light flickered over them.
Everyone in the empty parking turned up to see a red and white figure with a bellowing white cape looking down at them from behind a helmet.
"I suggest you all give up," Atomic said. "This won't end well for you all."
"Shoot him!" One of the Russians yelled and pulled out his handgun. Immediately, everyone was quick to follow and brought out their weapons.
Atomic sighed and waved his left hand. In a flash of light, the weapons in the Russian's hands turned into toy guns. Clicking uselessly in their hands.
"What the hell?"
Tyrese gawked at the flying figure as another flash of light flickered over the Russians. One by one, they all fell to the ground as their clothing morphed into weighted stray jackets. Leaving them to flop around uselessly.
Hearing their angry yells, Atomic created gags for all the men. With that done, his gaze landed on Tyrese.
Atomic had been searching for those responsible for the recent surge of firearms in the city. After nights spent apprehending criminals intoxicated by the false power of their weapons, he finally encountered someone who surrendered at the sight of him, revealing the name of one of the weapons dealers merchants and his area of operation.
Atomic knew he had to move quick to find and take down the main supplier responsible for distributing firearms across the city. The longer these men were allowed to sell their weapons to the criminal element, a growing number of innocent lives were at risk of being caught in violent shootouts fueled by those weapons.
Fortunately after several nights of searching, Atomic finally came face to face with one of those merchants.
"No way… you're that guy that's on the news... Atomic." Tyrese said and raised his hands. "Listen, man, I don't want any problems. I'm just trying to make a living."
Atomic didn't respond and landed on the ground. He walked over to Tyrese's van and examined the man's weapons and ammunition. There was a wide array of options ranging from pistols, assault rifles, submachine guns, shotguns, and even a sniper.
With a low hum, he placed a hand on the van and scanned all of Tyrese's weapons to store their blueprints in his mind. With a thought, the van and its contents transformed into a ice sculpture, much to Tyrese's shock.
"No! My product!" Tyrese cried and fell to his knees, clutching at the cold ice. "Why did you do that?!"
"Did you think I was going to let you go?" Atomic asked and kneeled next to Tyrese. "Before I throw you to the police, I'll give you a chance. Tell me who and where your supplier is."
"Come on, man. I can't do that... He'll kill me."
"He won't. I'll stop him."
"No you can't! No one can stop The Big Man…"
••o••o••o••
The night was shrouded in silence over a heavily fortified warehouse on Staten Island. Dozens of highly trained men in tailored suits, their sharp silhouettes contrasting against the darkness, patrolled the perimeter with practiced vigilance.
Their eyes, sharp and aware, betrayed a sense of unease beneath the surface, for they were well aware of the precious cargo housed within the Waregouse they guarded which belonged to a top-tier arms dealer infamous for its ruthless dealings among the criminal element.
Yet, despite their training, moments of distraction crept in on the men, lured by the monotony of their watch. Guard duty often turned into an exercise in patience, particularly when it became clear that few would dare challenge their operation. With no real threats on the horizon, the guards couldn't help but let their minds wander or enter random chats to lessen their boredom.
"Hey… you watch last night's game?" One of the guards, Allen, asked.
"Nah, I had to sub in for Quinton. Who won?" Sebastian replied.
"Knicks won. 131-128. It was a great game!"
"Great! This is the last time I sub for any-"
Allen was interrupted as a glowing strand of energy abruptly pulled him back. Sebastian raised his gun, but before he could alert the rest of the warehouse, a glowing boxing glove crashed into his skull. Knocking him out.
Atomic, in his black and grey tactical version of his suit, glided down onto the rooftop of the warehouse. Raising his hands, Sebastian and Allen were gagged and restrained with rope. Before he left the area, Atomic made sure to transmute their rifles into useless toy models as he had with every other guard he had taken out.
My first stealth mission. This is easier than I thought. Atomic thought as he looked around the area from the roof of the building. Behind him were the last two of seven guards who were in charge of keeping watch on the roof, leaving eleven guards on the ground. Still, my powers aren't suited for stealth, with them glowing and everything.
Regardless of his inexperience with stealth, Atomic had played enough games and watched several movies to have a good grasp on how to move. It did help that he replaced the materials of the soles of his boots with acoustic foam. Keeping his steps extra silent. Alongside his ability to perceive molecules and atoms, he was able to see people moving in and out without having to expose himself.
One by one, Atomic knocked out guard after guard using various methods, whether that be hitting the guards in the head, injecting them with an anesthetic, or restraining them completely.
I need to learn how to fight. I can't keep relying on my powers for everything. Atomic thought as he knocked out the last guard on watch.
"Brice? Brice! Answer me, damnit! Why isn't anyone responding?!" A low, angry voice said from a radio.
Atomic looked down at the walkie-talkie on Brice's belt and pulled it off. After a quick search, he found their radio frequency and adjusted his helmet to join their radio communication.
From within the warehouse, a tall man dressed in a black suit turned to a massive man standing in the corner of the room. "Something's going on out there. Barney, Take a team and check things out."
"No problem, boss," Barney nodded and left the room, leaving behind Luther Wilcox. The individual hand-picked by The Big Man to handle the gun trafficking operation responsible for selling weapons across New York. This operation raked in millions of dollars each month, thanks to the never-ending need for firearms from the criminal element.
Barney, alongside ten other well-armed men, began marching toward the warehouse's large set of back doors. As they walked, they passed hundreds of crates full of various firearms, ammunition, and explosives.
There were enough guns and ammunition to arm two entire armies within the warehouse.
As they approached the imposing doors of the warehouse, a sudden surge of reddish-pink energy erupted against the building with an explosive force, causing the heavy doors to fly open and crash inward. The impact sent several of the guards stumbling to the ground, their shouts of surprise swallowed by the chaos.
Barney, on the brink of being swept away by the wave of energy, barely managed to maintain his footing thanks to his supernatural reflexes, emerging from the encounter unscathed.
Through the thick, swirling smoke generated by his attack, Atomic strode confidently into the warehouse. His black and grey costume began to shimmer as it transformed, the colors morphing into a striking combination of vibrant red and white.