My next major project was… well, me.Even with Rick Prime's mind, even with five centuries of research, even with enough power to terrify most gods in the multiverse, I wasn't stupid enough to ignore one simple fact:
Adaptation is survival.
So I stood there in the enhancement chamber of Site-999, watching the monitors flicker with data as the latest version of my self-augmentation program worked its magic through a glowing, crimson-tinted tube.
The ability I was testing—one I'd obtained from Apocalypse's genetic library—was called Muting. A strange name, but devastatingly effective. With it, I could copy mutant abilities through direct transference…and make them completely my own. Not temporary.Permanent.
And the first ability I wanted?
Mystique's shapeshifting.
Her file flashed across the screen:Raven Darkhölme. Primary anomaly traits: full-body metamorphosis, molecular-level appearance alteration, perfect voice mimicry, adaptive physiology…
I couldn't help but smile.
"Such a useful little gift," I murmured to myself as the process finished analyzing her genome.
Mystique could become anyone. Male, female, adult, child—she could shift her bone structure, her vocal cords, her fingerprints. She could even alter her biometrics far beyond standard illusions. And sometimes? She gained temporary enhancements—talons, improved senses, night vision, wings. Even mild regeneration.
Identity concealment, infiltration, beauty enhancement, physical disguise, combat versatility.It was a goldmine of advantages.
I stepped into the transfer chamber.The system chimed.
[Transference Target: Mystique — Complete.][Warning: Subject fatality unavoidable.]
I exhaled slowly.
Of course she died. That was expected. I had accounted for it in the procedure.
The flash of light was brief, painless, almost anticlimactic—and then it was done. The Muting ability returned to its default dormant state after imprinting, leaving not a single foreign signature inside me.
I opened my eyes.
And the world felt different.Sharper. Softer. More flexible.
I focused…and my skin rippled like liquid metal.My hair shortened, lengthened, turned silver, then soft blonde.My face slimmed, sharpened, morphed into a goddess-like beauty so flawless it would make Aphrodite herself scream into a pillow.
I turned, admiring my reflection in the glass.
"Oh… yes."A grin spread across my lips.
Beautiful didn't even begin to cover it.
And the best part? I could be anyone.No vibranium suit. No full-body disguise like the other O5s. No false identities that required masks and voice distorters. I didn't need any of it.
I could walk out as a celebrity, or a ghost, or a shadow, or a goddess. I could be the hottest woman alive if I wanted—simple. Effortless.
"I might be a little vain," I muttered to myself, shifting into another devastatingly pretty form, "but honestly, what woman wouldn't be?"
A flick of concentration, and my clothes changed with me—perfectly mimicked fabrics, textures, styles, everything. Zero delay.
This ability wasn't just useful.It was freedom.
The system chimed again softly in the background, but I hardly heard it over the thrill running through me.
I was O5-1.I was a genius with multiversal intellect.And now?
I could be the most beautiful woman in existence…or anyone else I wanted.
This world wasn't ready.