Marvel : Endless Power

Fate had a strange way of working. Not only did Rody retrieve the long-sought manga pages, but he also got his hands on four fragmented pages this time.

The first page filled him with unease. It depicted a bearded man, blood seeping from seven wounds, while Rody stood behind him, wiping the remains off his clawed gauntlet. That one was clearly useless aside from proving the strange comic's connection to his life, it held no value.

The second page was equally redundant. It showed Rody riding the Goblin Glider, practicing flight maneuvers. It hadn't happened yet, but given that he now possessed Norman Osborn's stolen tech, it was only a matter of time. The only useful takeaway was the apparent need for additional safety cushions since the comic suggested he was in for a rough landing.

But the third page? That was something else entirely.

The scene depicted a desolate canyon, where an elderly, white-haired man floated midair. Surrounding him were over a dozen variations of Iron Man suits, engaging in battle alongside Rody and Tony Stark?!

Despite their combined firepower, the fight wasn't going well.

"This is ridiculous," Rody muttered. "Is that Magneto? No… doesn't look like him. Thor's father Odin? No, too slim. Zeus, maybe?" The sheer power radiating from the figure in the illustration was unreal. Taking on that many Iron Man suits simultaneously? It felt like facing a cosmic-level threat, akin to Apocalypse or an enraged Sentry.

Rody felt a chill. If this was a glimpse into his future, it wasn't a reassuring one.

Hoping for something more encouraging, he turned to the fourth page.

This time, it wasn't him in the illustration, but two men engaged in a clandestine exchange. One was bald and sharply dressed his polished look screamed criminal mastermind, reminiscent of Wilson Fisk or Lex Luthor. The other was clad in desert attire, his rugged appearance resembling the Ten Rings terrorists frequently reported in the news.

But Rody's attention was drawn to the object they were trading an emerald-green sphere.

At first glance, it resembled a glass marble, but something about it triggered a strange sense of familiarity. The aura surrounding it was unnatural, almost otherworldly.

"Could this be… an Infinity Stone?" The thought was absurd. None of the Infinity Stones looked like this, and they were far larger. Unless…

Was this some kind of containment device? A power source?

Rody frowned. The comic had already predicted events with eerie accuracy. If this was about to happen—or had already happened—he needed to act.

"Guess I'll have to go on another artifact heist," he muttered.

With the amount of corporate espionage, break-ins, and thefts he'd committed recently, he was starting to feel like an anti-hero a Marvel version of Catwoman or the Riddler. Maybe he should get a custom mask and send crime scene riddles before each break-in, just for fun. "Phantom Thief Rody" had a nice ring to it.

Shaking his head, he stashed the pages back into the file. Dwelling on their accuracy wouldn't change anything. He had only one option: keep getting stronger. If he wanted to dismantle this shadowy organization and uncover the truth behind his parents, he had no time for doubt.

The evidence pointed to Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants or some other faction of enhanced individuals. The bald man in the illustration was a mystery, but the green sphere was undoubtedly connected to his mother's work.

If Rody wanted answers, he had to track them down.

---

Leaving Oscorp Tower under the cover of invisibility, Rody returned to Tony Stark's Malibu mansion before midnight. With Stark away and Pepper Potts living separately, the house felt eerily empty much like his own thoughts.

"Jarvis, unlock the lab. I need to run equipment diagnostics."

"Understood, sir."

Despite his mental exhaustion, Rody felt restless. He needed to do something.

Inside the lab, he immediately set to work. First, he moved his nearly completed custom armor into the prototype bay. Then, he connected the stolen Goblin Armor to the system. With full access to Tony's technology, it didn't take long for J.A.R.V.I.S. to override Osborn's security measures.

Once he removed all tracking programs and backdoor exploits, the armor was fully under his control.

Comparing it to Stark's Iron Man suits, he noted key differences. The Goblin Armor prioritized offense packed with razor bats, pumpkin bombs, and gauntlet-mounted blades while Iron Man's suits focused on adaptability and defense.

Still, the real test was the Goblin Glider. Unlike the maneuverability of Stark's repulsor-powered flight systems, the Glider relied entirely on foot control. That meant a steeper learning curve.

Rody's enhanced mental focus gave him an edge, allowing him to process movement in slow motion. Even so, mastering the Glider took several painful crashes just as the comic had warned. If not for the cushions, he might've ended up concussed.

From his observations, it became clear: Norman Osborn's Super Soldier Serum didn't just boost physical abilities it also enhanced neural reflexes. That explained why pilots or trained agents would struggle with the Glider, while Osborn wielded it effortlessly.

However, it was also why Osborn's mind fractured. The serum's side effect wasn't just aggression—it was a rewiring of thought processes, amplifying paranoia and violent tendencies.

"If I could eliminate that flaw…" Rody mused, "the Goblin Armor could rival Iron Man's suits."

---

"J.A.R.V.I.S., did you record all the flight data?"

"Affirmative, sir. However, maximum speed tests remain incomplete."

"That's fine. For now, design a new helmet something sleeker. Also, repaint the armor black. The goblin aesthetic doesn't suit me."

"As you wish."

Black was a practical choice it was stealthier, and besides, green had unfortunate connotations in his culture. The last thing he needed was bad luck.

By the time dawn broke, exhaustion finally caught up to him. Grabbing some food, Rody barely had time to eat before collapsing into bed.

Sleep, however, offered no peace. His dreams were haunted by fragmented memories his parents' faces flickering in and out, their expressions urgent as if they were trying to tell him something.

Then—

"Rody! Wake up!"

Pepper Potts' voice jolted him awake.

Blinking away his grogginess, he realized the sheets beneath him were drenched in sweat.

"What happened?" he asked.

Pepper's face was pale. "It's Tony. His convoy was ambushed in the Middle East. He's missing."

A cold sensation settled in Rody's gut.

Tony Stark—missing in action?

The timeline was catching up.

And he knew exactly what that meant.