Meta Essence Gacha in Marvel-Chapter 157: Halloween Night: Part 02

......

Avengers Tower

With the arrival of the heroes, the party finally started for real, after all, they can be considered the protagonists of the night. Even in a room full of singers, actors, models, and all kinds of important people in the "normal world", the Superheroes group would be the "Popular Table".

So much so that there is a clear division between the two groups; the normal people do not dare to approach the heroes while they are talking among themselves in their small groups.

No one wants to be seen as the inconvenient one, so it is better to wait for them to be alone or in an even smaller group before approaching them.

It must be weird for all those people to be acting like fans.

"Are you gonna stay with the helmet on all the time?" Tony asks Eidolon, his eyebrows raised

"Yes." Eidolon answers in Vader's voice before talking normally "Just to disappoint the ones that thought they could get a glimpse of my real identity that easily. Be better, Sherlock." He mocks Tony a little.

"You are even more covered than normal." Captain America comments with some humor.

"Not a surprise. Eidolon here didn't let his guard down, not even in Asgard." Thor says

"You need to relax, dude." Tony puts his arm around Eidolon's shoulder. "And tonight is the night for that!"

"Before that, I hope security is tight…" Eidolon starts

"I said: 'Relax, dude'!"

"..." Eidolon swore to himself to reserve at least half of his mental capacity to remain alert. "Well… at least there are no bombs in the building." He looks around

"Hey, don't go look into my things, they are secret." Tony jokes, "And no one can invade this place without me knowing."

"Natasha and I did." Clint raises his hand

"Because Jarvis allowed it, you all have permission to come and go." Tony responds immediately

"There are shapeshifters out there…" Eidolon also comments

"Oh man! How can you be worse than the spy, dude? You guys are stressing me!" Tony whines "Let's go get some drinks!" Tony declares and then points at Eidolon, "And don't even start…"

"I don't drink." Eidolon ignores him and says it. At the same time, refusing the waiter who called to offer him a drink.

"..."

"But you drank in Asgard…" Thor frowns while getting a beer. "You even won the competition against Sif."

"Aha!" Tony points at him like he just got irrefutable proof against Eidolon. "A drinking competition, really? Maybe you are fun, after all.

"I cheated and lied. My stomach is like a pocket dimension… I can drink, but I can't be affected by alcohol. I also don't like the flavor… So my drinking would be the same as throwing it away." Eidolon explains

"Pocket Dimension, you said?" The scientists are interested in that

Thor laughs 'So that is why you easily won against Sif! She will be irate when I tell her!"

"Okay, Boy Scout. How do you plan to have fun tonight?" Tony rolls his eyes, exasperated

"Well, I can stare at that huge window melancholically to be in character… watch." The Eidolon turns and stares at the night sky through the huge window.

Even without seeing his face, one could feel the sadness and loneliness emanating from him; they could even feel that his eyes are piercing the dark sky and looking at the stars.

"Okay… that is very good."

"I just thought the real Darth Vader was standing right here."

"I admit that this looks fun, but tonight is not the night to mope around because of your fictional dead wife." Tony nods "And she is kinda right there." He smiles while pointing to Jane Foster, who is talking with the other girls."

"Hey!" Thor protests "That is my woman."

"Then you should have made her come as Valeria, Conan." Tony raises his shoulders like he is just explaining how things work.

"There is a talk… but the outfits are a little revealing to her tastes." Thor says slowly, almost regretfully. He should have insisted more; it's what he thinks after seeing so many couples combining.

"I think there are some Valeria outfits that are not bikini armor." Eidolon comments

"I guess it's too late now." Tony sighs exaggeratedly "At least, don't do a Round 2 of your battle just because of a woman."

Thor shows a huge grin. "If Eidolon is up to the task, I can prove myself again." He flexes his biceps.

Even looking like a joke, the heroes nearby are still a little worried that the Asgardian God is serious.

"Don't worry, I don't fight over women. She is all yours." Thankfully, Eidolon easily dispels the tension 'Woman that fight over me'

"Too bad, I was thinking of us doing a little spar like the one in the training grounds of Asgard." Thor laughs

"The tower can't take it." Eidolon also chuckles

"If you can't take it, just say so, my friend. Hahaha!" Thor laughs calmly "No need to talk about the tower."

"..." Everyone pauses again, that tension appearing again.

"To such long lived race, I am surprised that you already forgot who kicked your ass here in New York… and in your home. The score is 2-nil, my friend." Eidolon also comments lightly "Even if I let you win tonight, you would still be behind."

"Ooooooh~" Some cover their mouth with their fingers dramatically

"Are you gonna let him talk with you like that, Thor?"

"Me personally, I wouldn't take this level of disrespect…"

"Our last spar was never concluded." Thor argues.

"But we both know who would win…" Eidolon replies calmly

"Of course…"

""...Me.""

"Okay, okay… Let's calm down beforewe take this joke too far." Captain America raises his arms to the two.

"Don't worry, Cap. We are just joking around." Eidolon says with a casual shrug

"Of course! I would not hold a real grudge with my friend here!" Thor laughs and pulls Eidolon in a half-hug with his arm. "I can let him think he can win against me for now…"

"I am pretty sure of that, and there is video proof." Eidolon replies

After a moment of silence, the two burst into laughter with the others following afterwards. That gave rise to a stream of stupid jokes between the boys. For example, when Happy Hogan approached to get Tony to report something, Stark stole Happy Hogan's hat.

"Look, Cap, Hitler! Punch him!" He points to the former Charlie Chaplin, now Hitler, standing in front of them.

Happy was scared for only one second before everyone laughed and he relaxed, but not for long…

"I already punched hundreds of fake Hitlers on my tours… one more is no problem." Steve Rogers jokes, cracking his knuckles.

Everyone laughs again, but Happy's laugh has a nervous tone.

"Never punched the real one, Cap?" Clint asked with a smile

"Never had the chance." Rogers answers with a small smile

"Lucky him." James Rhodes comments

"Yep, I saw what happened with the punching bags Cap used to train. We need to get reinforced ones for him." Clint informs the people around

"Sometimes I think about the Nazis spoiled certain small things like this for everyone…" Eidolon comments with a shake of his head "No one can wear the Chaplin moustache anymore, people get weirded out if they see a Swastika, even if it's from Buddhism, and especially the black and red military uniforms. They are kinda cool."

"Never thought about the uniform thing… But I guess we can only see them in movies now. It is literally exclusive to the bad guys." James Rhodes says

"Kinda silly that we let them own those things." Johnny comments "What are they? Voldemort in Harry Potter?"

"I guess it's because it's still offensive…" Ben shrugs

"What do you think, Cap? You are one of the few who has a say on this matter?"

"Well… I think is all about intention." Steve Rogers says after looking at his drink for a bit "Something like a moustache or a symbol is not inherently evil. It is how it is used."

"Reasonable…" Eidolon nods. "Unfortunately, it seems it is a bit too early for people separate it without the risk of forgetting what happened and potentially repeating it in the future. There are still remnants of the Nazis nowadays, and I blame America for being lenient with the scientists at that time just because they have something to gain from that." He points at Rhodes

"Hey, don't put that one on me. If I were the one calling the shots at that time, all of them would be in aditch." Rhodes says quickly after noticing Captain America's gaze on him. Eidolon doesn't doubt him; he remembers that his MCU version suggested killing baby Thanos.

Steve sighs "Peggy told me how frustrating things were at that time. After the battle was over, it became politics and…" He shakes his head without completing his words. It is still a little hard to talk badly of the decisions of the past.

Eidolon puts an arm over his shoulder. "Don't worry, Mr. Rogers. We are here to deal with the pathetic remnants of their pathetic ideologies… We just need to keep punching them." He says with some humor

Steve smiles "I guess it will give a reason for waking up after deceased on ice."

"That… and your lady~" Eidolon teases

The guys quickly follow his lead and start making sounds to tease Steve Rogers that can only smile and try to hide his face with a hand.

"Steve and Peggy sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Tony sings

"You guys are so immature…" Steve shakes his head, but there is still a smile on his face. "It makes me feel my real age."

"And don't you dare forget that, Old Man." Tony points at him

"But that is nice, dude. A second chance to live in the peace you helped protect…" Ben gives Steve a bump on his shoulder "You deserve that."

"That is right." The rest nod in agreement

"Think of it as a retirement, Old Man." Tony shrugs "But we are still gonna make your old bones work if the situation asks for it."

"But I have to say, seeing the famous Peggy Carter young again was a surprise not only for me, but it even caused a lot of confusion on S.H.I.E.L.D." Clint comments, seemingly casually, but his eyes are focused on Eidolon

"..." The Darth Vader Helmet is silent, but Tony noticed that interaction nonetheless

"So it is true the rumor that you are the one who de-aged Peggy Carter." He says to Eidolon, making the rest catch up. There are some rumors, but there are too many to confirm the truth.

Some even thought that they remade the Super Soldier Serum with the help of the samples he got from the recently discovered Steve Rogers.

"Yes, it was me." Eidolon does not deny it.

"Are you sure it is okay?" Steve asks, he kept his mouth shut till now, because he didn't know that it was okay to talk about it.

"Not that big of a deal… It is the answer that makes the most sense, so it is not that hard for people to reach this conclusion." Eidolon says without a trace of worry in his voice.

"Not that big of a deal, huh? So you can just restore people to their prime that casually…"

"Yes. It is not that difficult. I have many ways to do that, from restoring the telomeres to bluntly de-aging the person with a specific power." Eidolon explains "I am not gonna do it left and right, but I can make some exceptions."

"That is crazy…" Ben comments

"Wait, that doesn't make you immortal if you de-age yourself constantly?" Clint suddenly asks, his voice filled with surprise

"I thought that was obvious…?" Eidolon turns to him, his tone showing genuine confusion.

"..." But people look at him in shock, except Thor.

"Hm? I see… You guys simply didn't think about it. I had a similar conversation with another group." Eidolon understands and nods "It will not be rare for many of us to go beyond the average lifespan of humans. Mr. Rogers absolutely will go over a hundred years and still feel like a 50-year-old person."

"Really?" Captain America looks surprised, and not that happy with that prospect.

"Yes. Well… you remained frozen for decades, and that is not a perfect suspended animation through cryogenics, so… I guess some of your lifespan was consumed while you were sleeping. Maybe it balanced itself out, but I still think you are gonna reach the 3 digits."

"So that is why something as ridiculous as getting frozen in ice worked in keeping you in hibernation." Reed comments "I haven't analyzed your genetic material, but it makes sense."

"There is a price to everything…" Steve says calmly "I am already too lucky, anyway."

"If you want, I can check your body later and heal any hidden injury or deal with any degeneration caused by your time in the ice, Mr. Rogers." Eidolon suggests

"It is okay, I am feeling alright."

"... I understand your feelings." Eidolon nods.

Steve Rogers is already someone who outlived all his friends, and now he discovered that he will outlive even Peggy. Losing some decades to even things can be considered a good thing for him.

"Said that, you are not the only one." Eidolon turns to the rest "As the first batch of people with power appearing, we are still unaware how our changes will affect our lives in the long run, but I can warn you guys that in this topic, Ben and Banner will also have very long lives ahead of them."

"What?"

"Really?"

The two mentioned looked surprised.

"In your case, Ben, as long as you stay in your rock form, you will age like a rock. It happens with everyone who can change their physiology. So it is pretty much controllable… imagine that your lifespan almost pauses every time you are the Thing." Eidolon explains

"Okay… I can get behind that." Ben chuckles a little "I will keep that in mind."

"And I saw some other examples of people affected by Gamma radiation in alternative universes, Banner. And the Hulk healing factor will keep you with us for a long time too… and I am talking about closer to Thor's lifespan than a Mr. Rogers here."

"And how much is that?" Bruce turns to Thor.

"It varies… But my father is in his billionth year." Thor answers like it's no big deal.

Everyone, especially Bruce, sputters.

"The planet will be a cold rock floating in space at that point!" Bruce exclaims in shock

"Not called gods, for nothing." Eidolon comments

"I… I… This talk just blew my mind…" Bruce speaks nervously.

"Hahaha! Don't worry, friends! It will not be too bad!" Thor laughs and puts his arm over the nervous Bruce. "Immortality is only a curse if you are alone! Imagine us together? You guys can even move to Asgard. We offered this deal to Eidolon too."

"Thor has a different point of view, but yes… It doesn't matter how long you guys live, there will be others to keep things familiar." Eidolon explains

"Exactly!" Thor says in aloud voice "That is only one of the many parties we are gonna have together!" He raises his glass

Despite being some silly words, Thor said with such charisma that the guys could only follow his lead and raise their glasses too, even with some heads shaking of fond exasperation.

......

A little away from the boys, the girls are also getting more familiar with each other.

"I don't know you…" Natasha approaches Pamela with a smile

"I don't know you either." Poison Ivy replies with an aloof tone

"..."

Harley elbows Pamela before things get awkward

"Sorry, Ms. Spy. Pam here doesn't like people."

Pamela, like Harley, already decided not to hide her real identity that tightly. She will prefer for the public not to know so that she can keep a little of her normal life, but she doesn't care if S.H.I.E.L.D. discovers.

She can let Hector worry about that.

"It was said to me not give too much information to you." Pamela says while looking up and down at Natasha.

"That guy has some prejudice against me." Natasha shakes her head with a smile. "Any idea why?"

"Maybe because every time you two met, you tried to put trackers on him." Shego says on the side.

"He is so petty." Natasha rolls her eyes. "What is some invasion of privacy between friends?"

"It is good that you think this way because he did the same with you every time." Helena says with a sideglance

"That son of a gun!" Natasha immediately says, frustrated. But there is an obvious tone of good humor in her tone.

"But really, girl, we don't know you." She-Hulk touches the subject with an easy enthusiasm "Do you also work with Eidolon? Like, with powers and stuff…"

"I have powers…" Pamela answers easily "But I am not a hero."

"Oh, I get it… I'm also not really a hero, just help when it's inevitable. I have my career." Jennifer says in understanding.

"Me too. I worked with S.H.I.E.L.D. for some time, but I am pretty much retired unless there is a big threat." Janet adds "It is not like I fight villains regularly like Susan, Natasha, and Huntress there."

"I do not do much… just dealing with the trouble we get ourselves into most of the time." Susan says with some self-deprecation.

"I am more of an agent. Thankfully, I deal with more normal threats." Natasha says her piece

"So, Huntress is the only real hero here. You go, girl!" She-Hulk raises her fist at the woman dressed as a cowboy

Helena shrugs "I just go on constant patrols because I don't have anything else to do."

"You are being too modest." She-Hulk says

"Not really. You guys just had other things to do to help others, like Harley with her therapy and Poison Ivy by taking care of nature…" Helena reflects the praise

"Not me. I really would not give a fuck if not for Eidolon." Shego says while twirling her drink in her hand, one hand supporting her elbow.

"You are just a lazy bum." Helena says scornfully

"Just smart to not waste my time throwing cups of water in the desert." Shego shrugs "It is okay if you like doing it, couldn't be me though."

The two banter for a while, meanwhile, Susan turns to Poison Ivy.

"Taking care of nature?"

"So is this costume not really a costume?" Natasha asks with a teasing smile

"Yes and no. Those clothes are not the ones that I normally wear, but yes… I care about nature. More than I care about humans, I admit."

"...Eh, someone has to care, right?" Susan gives a stiff smile at the unfriendly redhead.

"Right? So many people worried about villains, and no one gives a fuck about the planet." Pamela huffs

"Calm down. Eidolon cares, and you two are gonna do a good job on this issue." Harley says to calm her, caressing her shoulder. "Sorry if she looks so prickly, girls. Haha! Pam's powers make sure that she has a sort of strong empathic connection with plants and nature. So you should understand why she got a low opinion of humans."

"Oooh~" The girls get it.

"She is a radical hippie…." Shego adds on the side with a laugh. Pamela glares at her before turning to Harley with an admonishing tone.

"Harley, you don't need to explain my business to anyone…"

"Ah girl, relax~ I know that is a little uncomfortable, but it's worth a shot, okay? They are nice and understanding people…" Harley puts her head on Pam's shoulder. "I know what you are trying to do… You are trying to get hated and using it as an excuse for bad behaviour later."

"..."

"I know ya, gurl~" Harley laughs after Pam did everything but admit with her eyes.

"Yeah, we can understand." Susan chimes in "I mean, not completely… but we can respect and give you some space."

"Yeah, I also wouldn't like humans if I were on the plants' side." Janey says with a laugh

"I would not even talk with humans."

"So, how bad is it?" Natasha asks

"It got better with time… When I got my powers, even someone stepping on grass would enrage me. Now I can understand the Cycle of Life and that plants are on the base and blah, blah, blah." Pamela, despite herself, gets a little more open about the subject. "But the disrespect to such a vital part of our planet still pisses me off enough that I almost strangle some people." She says between gritted teeth, some plants nearby are trembling unnaturally.

"Wow, that is kinda cool." Darcy comments, not really scared. Why would she fear something like that? She is surrounded by heroes, after all.

"How did you get your powers? Is it natural too?" Natasha asks casually

"...I know that you are trying to get information, don't bother with the act because I don't care if you know." Pamela gives her a side glance. "It was a lab accident that turned me into a meta-human. I am a botanist and biochemist, you see."

"PhD!" Harley exclaims with a proud smile

"Really? I really can't remember you in our database, and if something as big as a lab accident happened…" Natasha narrows her eyes suspiciously

"Independent research and Eidolon got me before your agents burst through my windows." Pamela lies easily. "Just Google my name, not that hard to do your spy work."

Thanks to the Background Customization Card, Pamela has all the papers and history to prove her identity. If Natasha searches for it, she will discover that she was a very reclusive recently graduated - true to her origins - who disappeared a year ago.

"What kind of research are you doing that caused… this?" Jane Foster asks with interest, "Ah, if is a sensitive topic…" She caught herself saying after noticing that she was basically asking someone to talk about what could have been a traumatic event

"Relax…" Pamla dismisses her concerns with a wave of her hand. "I was doing a lot of research simultaneously, and in hindsight is no surprise that things got out of control… Stimulating plant growth and multiplication, toxicology, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and even a love potion on the side."

"A love potion? Really?" Janet asks in shock

Pamela chuckles "Don't look so disbelieving, the fact that I gained the power to emit pheromones is the proof I was on the right path." She says cheekily, running a hand through her curves "The plant growth and multiplication, and even the cosmetics that gave me this appearance and body… It was extreme, but I know that I was right." She has pride in her work, and her work is what made the Poison Ivy she is now.

"You can emit pheromones?" Jane asks with a strange expression

"..." Pamela looks at her before turning to Harley "See? All the same…"

"Ah Pam, don't be like that. You know how things are… it is like someone suddenly pulling a gun, be a little reasonable." Harley nudges her playfully. "And is not like you haven't done bad things with your powers, huh?

"Ugh…" Pamela rolls her eyes but doesn't deny it. "I don't do it anymore… That guy over there is on my ass." She gestures at Eidolon with her eyebrows

"Ahem Sorry for the reaction. Nothing personal, but we have a recent case of mind control…" Susan says diplomatically.

"Yeah, Jane's boy got entangled with another green-clad sexy lady and messed up things really bad." Darcy jokes

"Don't worry, I have no interest in going after anyone's men… I don't even like men." Pamela says with distaste

"Liar…" Harley whispers at her with a poke in her ribs

"...it was just convenient to use them." Pamela ignores Harley.

"I can't even blame you, girl. I would at least try once." Darcy confess "What? I would… I mean, just to see how it is…" She says after receiving a look from Jane and the others

"It gets boring fast." Pamela shrugs

Black Widow, as an experienced spy, started noticing the subtleties of Pamela and Harley's relationship.

"Are you two… by any chance…" She points out slowly, her eyes narrowing

"A couple… I mean, together? Yes." Harley doesn't deny they are together, which makes Pamela happy. "How did you notice?" She hugs Pam's waist

They are more than a couple, but they indeed are together.

"You just look natural together." Natasha compliments easily

"See?" Pamela turns to Harley, and the clown shows her tongue playfully

"So you two are lesbians? That is cool…" Darcy says supportively

"Lesbians are not real." Shego says at the side so naturally that the girls took a second to notice the absurdity of what was spoken

"Excuse me?" Pamela turns to Shego, her eyes spotting a dangerous glint

"There is no such thing as lesbians." Shego repeats herself, completely unafraid. "If not, why would the sex toys have a phallic shape?"

"..."

"....."

"....."

"That…" The women are not sure what to say

"I can't even find words to refute this ridiculous statement." Pamela facepalms, and Harley laughs loudly.

Harley's laugh is enough to disperse the tension; after all, if the gay couple is not offended, why would the rest be?

"That kinda makes sense…" Darcy nods sagely

"Not even start…" Jane sighs

"And what about gays?" Darcy continues with a frown.

"Seriously, let's not go there…"

........

Back to the boys, they disperse a little more in small groups, some going for the drinks, others going to sit on a couch. Wonder Man arrived a little late and was introduced to everyone who didn't know him.

"It is an honour, guys!" He says excitedly to the original big shots "Damn, Captain America!"

"Hello…" Steve nods a little bashfully.

"I swear that I will work hard and not disappoint." Wonder Man says his costume is Maverick from Top Gun. "And this is Eidolon? You really like black, huh?"

"It is more like black likes me." Eidolon jokes a little about his Darth Vader outfit. Hector is being nice because he already met Wonder Man when he kicked the guy's ass as Lord Drakkon.

Thankfully, it seems he didn't do much damage to Simon's confidence.

"You know what would be cool?" Johnny suddenly says "If you go arrest criminals like this." He says with a laugh

"And I'm doing exactly that…" Eidolon reveals "Evil does not rest, so I am remotely controlling some clones…"

"So whoever chooses this night to do crime will have a surprise in the form of Darth Vader falling on them? Hahaha! Oh man, I wish I could see that!" Wonder Man laughs

"Not only that, I even transformed them into many kinds of monsters and started using some powers to set the mood, if you get what I mean. Just to give them a little scare…" Eidolon's tone of voice is mischievous. "Just a little prank.'

Everyone looks at each other. With his great assortment of powers, they can't even imagine what he can pull on the poor criminals tonight.

"You are so evil. I love it!" Tony exclaims while the rest chuckle

"It is spooky season, after all." Eidolon chuckles "I am gonna record some of them and send them to you later."

........

In the night where it is common for people wear masks, it is not strange that some people would take advantage of the situation to commit crimes. It happens during all kinds of big parties and holiday festivities, and criminals would always use the chaos and carelessness of the people.

Under the veil of the night, and during the confusion, it looks almost risk-free to just try to grab some things, maybe from a distracted passerby or an empty house. All of this while wearing a costume that no one will find strange two blocks away. Escaping from being recognized and from the cameras, too.

At the moment, in another city, a man casually walks through a neighborhood. He walks once, twice, thrice… Every time he discreetly paid attention to all the houses, his suspicious eyes hidden behind a clown mask.

Finally, he found his target, an empty house, without a light through the windows. He walks faster, enters the bushes, and jumps the fence without looking back. Just like that, he was in the backyard.

He retrieves something from underneath his shirt, a piece of metal that was being held by the waistband of his pants, and he approaches the back door.

He looks carefully through the window, confirming that the house is empty. And it is a little too early for everyone to be sleeping.

He is not quiet, breaking the glass without a care, but he at least stopped to check if anyone would come. The burglar patiently wait some minutes, trying to hear anything inside the house.

When he thought he heard enough, he put his hand through the broken window and opened the door, leaving it a little open behind him, just enough not to attract anyone's attention if they saw it, and for him to run faster.

The first thing he does is obviously look around tables and drawers for anything that is valuable and small. Maybe some forgotten tablet or smartphone, with luck, a wallet or handbag.

But his final objective is obviously the second floor, where the rooms are. That is where they normally keep their personal belongings that are valuable.

The criminal walks up the stairs, reaching the second floor quickly but attentively, and then enters the room, but not before checking it first.

He barely entered the first room when something weird happened.

The burglar heard a creaking sound that made him pause and pay attention with his ears.

"..." He stays still for a long time, but he can't hear anything.

Thinking that was his imagination or just something that happened by chance, he moved again.

And the creaking sound happens again.

"..." He pauses to hear, but nothing happens.

He moves again, and the sound returns.

At this point he suspects taht its him… Maybe the floor is bad, and his steps are causing this…

But the sounds are distant, and when he steps on the ground in the same spot, nothing happens.

"..." He walks more inside, and the same creaking sound returns.

At this point, the guy is already freaking out. He forgets about stealing anything in this room and goes back to look at the hallway.

He looks left and right, but everything is dark and empty.

"Fuck this shit, I am out of here." The guy says under his breath and starts going back to the exit.

The same creaking sound accompanies his steps, but he doesn't care and does not stop to check.

He just moves faster and faster. But the faster and farther he goes, the louder the creaking sounds get. It is like something is following him and getting closer.

He runs while looking behind him, but he can't find anything. He can only hear the creaking sounds and his loud heartbeat.

Finally, he is at the back door, running at full speed at this point.

He reaches it, opens, and jumps to freedom…

Just to be snatched by a monstrous black shadow that immediately starts carrying him away like a beast taking its prey to the nest.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" The burglar screamed like a little girl till he passed out.

........

Talking about little girls…

In another home, a burglar is paralyzed into fear while staring at the small figure at the end of the hallway.

"Hello?" He calls

"..." But the silent little girl in a dress just stared at him without answering. her features are obscured by the shadows so he can't see her face clearly.

"I… I… am a friend of your parents." He lies

"..."

An assortment of strange things already happened since he invaded this home, so he is cautious.

This burglar is a criminal, but not a monster, so he will not attack a little girl. And this is getting creepy.

He goes to turn on the lights… Click, but then the girl disappears.

"Oh, hell no." He shakes his head in fear and turns to run.

He runs and runs but it is like he is a nightmare; he is not moving fast enough, or maybe he is barely moving at all.

"Aaaah Fuck!" He shouts when the lights suddenly turn off again by themselves. He looks back, and the little kid appears at the end of the hallway.

No, she is closer…

He puts more effort into running, but it's like the corridor is infinite. If he were not so frightful and tired, maybe he would have noticed it earlier.

The lights starts to blink, slow at first, but every time they turn off, the girl is suddenly closer.

At this point, the burglar is afraid of turning back, but he can't help himself; he needs to check, and he regrets it every time.

The lights start blinking faster and faster, and he runs faster in response, but it is not enough.

He runs with everything he has, runs recklessly and… he trips.

"..." The despair is palpable, but luckily, he tripped at the same time the lights turned on again, and for some reason, it stayed this way. There are no little girls while the lights are on.

"HaahHaahHaah" He breathes heavily, tired on the ground, eyes closed shut with every ounce of his strength but he can still know that the lights are on.

Slowly and hesitantly, he starts standing up, too afraid to trigger the lights to turn off again… He continues with his deep breaths, trying to calm himself.

It will be okay… If the lights are on, he is safe.

He was in a sitting position, pushing himself up…

Click

The lights turn off again.

"Play with me, Mister~" A sweet childish voice talks, just behind him, close enough to touch his shoulder…

And when a small hand really touches his shoulder is then that he trembles like he just had a convulsion and faints while foaming from his mouth.

......….

This time, a group of criminals was just able to steal the money from an ATM by stealing the whole thing.

One of the trio looks like it has a minor super strength power and took it from the ground and loaded it on the truck, where another helped tie, and the last of the trio starts driving.

"Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!" The one without powers shouts while slapping the side of the cabin.

The tires screech and the car starts moving… but not for long.

"What are you waiting for?!? Drive!!" The guy without powers shouts to the driver.

"I'M DRIVING!! BUT IS NOT MOVING!!!" The driver shouts back, stepping on the gas as his life depended on it.

Some insults are thrown, but the guys without powers suddenly say in a lower voice.

"Guys… guys…" When he is not heard he shouts "GUYS! WE ARE FLOATING!!"

"WHAT?!" The other turns back angrily but pauses when he understands what was said.

In this world, that is not something so strange anymore. They are also using someone with powers after all.

They look down on the car and discover, to their horror, that the car is indeed floating, the wheels spinning fast but without touching the ground.

"Oh shit…" The guy without powers curses; he knows that things have gotten complicated.

Now it is only a matter of discovering how complicated…

"Look!" The criminal with super strength suddenly points at the roof of the store where the ATM was. Looking up, they see a dark figure staring at them menacingly, a dark cape billowing in the wind.

Heavy breathing

Psheew The dark figure was revealed by the red light of his lightsaber igniting.

"That is not fucking Darth Vader…" One of the criminals says in disbelief

Darth Vader jumps from the roof and lands on the ground with a heavy sound, making the concrete crack a little.

His knees bent, and his cape pooled around him before he slowly stood up to his full height and then started slowly walking toward them.

"That is fucking Darth Vader!!!"

.........

As some clones of him are terrorizing and traumatizing the criminals, the real body of Hector is right now in one of Emma Frost's mansions.

"Who are those princesses??" He asks with surprise after seeing the Stepford Cuckoos in their princess outfits "Oh, excuse me!" He immediately takes a knee, one hand over his chest, and lowers his head. "Your Highnesses… I am at your service."

The five giggle cutely and go to hug him. Emma watches everything from the side with a fond smile.

"Looking like this, it doesn't even appear that they are little demons to dress, do their hair, and make-up." She sighs with a smile "Luckily, Caretaker and Yor were here to help."

Initially, Emma was not gonna do anything because she is not a specialist, but Isabella convinced her in making part of dressing the girls, and she doesn't regret it. It was a nice mom-daughters bonding moment.

"All worth. They are all pretty." Eidolon compliments the girls "Spin for me. Look! All beautiful and with your own personalities too."

Eidolon noticed that beyond the different colors of their frilly dresses, the girls also had different makeup and accessories.

"What are you, Sophie?" He, with the help of Edna, made the costumes based on their desires, but he still asked to engage with the girls.

Sophie is wearing a red dress with a long skirt, but her torso is covered by a breastplate; she is also wearing a headdress, gauntlets, and greaves.

"Warrior!" She strikes a heroic pose, hands on her waist, trying to imitate how she saw him on TV

"Like a amazon? So cool!" He compliments excitedly "And you, Phoebe?"

Phoebe is wearing a dark dress, with pale makeup, heavy shadow sound he eys and blood around her mouth. There are also some stitches on her forehead.

"Monster!!!" She raises her hands like claws, hissing at him

"Scary~ A monster princess, huh? But you're still cute!" He pats her head, but she goes to bite his hand.

While he was laughing at her antics, he turned to Mindee. "Mindee?"

Instead of answering, Mindee raises her little harp - the only accessory that adds something extra to her princess costume - and touches some notes. Her dress is black and white, with some musical notes and tiles of a piano; her tiara also has some small silhouettes dancing on it.

"Are you a Musician Princess? So talented… Play to me later, okay?" He pinches her cheek

"Okay." She answers

"And what about you, Celeste?" He turns

"..." The timid Celeste also doesn't answer verbally; she just does a spin to show off the wings on her back. Beyond her pink dress filled with glitter, she has butterfly wings and a small wand that she waves around.

"A Fairy Princess? Magical." He compliments her with a kiss on her cheek

He finally turns to the last one "Esme? What are you?"

Esme is the one who strayed further from the princess archetype, even further than Sophie with her armor. Esme looks more like an evil female overlord than a princess.

She is also wearing dark clothes, but they have a metallic sheen. Like Phoebe, but they are not frilly, only gothic. The skirt is long, and she has a cloak draped over her shoulders, with a hood covering her features, some chains connecting the pieces and she is holding a scepter.

If Sophie were the hero of a story, Esme would be the Demon Lord. Even her tiara has spikes.

"Esme." She says strongly and hits the end of her scepter in the ground.

"...okay… strong. Like a cute Morgoth." Eidolon chuckles and tickles her sides. The little girl can keep her stoic face not even for a fraction of a second before she bursts into a fit of giggles.

He hugs all of them again before asking "Do you guys want to go get some candies?"

They all nod in unison, the gesture that would look creepy to others, but it is only cute to Hector.

"Okay, I will accompany you all." He stands up, and light shimmers around his body, and before they noticed, Eidolon is suddenly covered in silver armor from head to toe. "I swear to protect the princess with my life, as your faithful knight." he declares

The girls giggle again, and Emma also smiles

"Shouldn't you dress like a King? They are your daughters, after all." She comments

"A good king is also a proper knight. After all… What kind of King doesn't fight to defend his treasure?" He pats the girl's head. He didn't choose the armor just because it's cool.

Covering his whole body, he can go as a cool father instead of Eidolon

"Okay, take care of them." Emma says with a smile "I will just stay here drinking some white wine."

"With my life." Eidolon nods seriously. "And are you sure that you don't want to come?"

"And walk? No." Emma shakes her head "Behave, girls."

They all nod in unison, and Eidolon speaks. "Let's go." He opens a portal to a safe neighborhood around the country. They disappear while Emma waves at them.

On the other side, he turns to them and removes some rolls of toilet paper.

"Keep them in the secret compartment of your buckets… And remember! Use only if you are denied candy." Eidolon whispers at them conspiratorily

They all giggle mischievously in unison.

......

Bayville

The X-Men are moving to Bayville High School for the Halloween party there, not that they didn't make their own party at the mansion, but the large range of ages in the mansion forced the party to adapt to the kids.

It is okay for the older inhabitants of the mansion; they let the ones below 14 years have their party, and even took the younger ones to go trick-or-treating.

"Finally, we are free!!" Kitty exclaims while throwing her arms to the night sky. She is wearing a catgirl outfit, with ears and everything.

The group of X-Men passes the gates of their school and heads to the school gym, where they can already hear the loud music playing.

"Someone is overly happy…" Jubilee teases, wearing vampire makeup and a dark jacket to sell the vampire vibe

"I mean… I love those brats to death, but damn, the mansion is lacking manpower." Kitty says with a sigh

"It will get better with time…" Kurt says. He is not wearing a costume; he just decided to go with his real appearance, without using his holo-watch to make him look like the average human.

"That if most of us don't leave after graduating…" Rogue comments, she doesn't look much different from her usual state, just with heavier makeup and a half-mask of a skull.

"Argh, let's not talk about that! It is depressing!" Kitty interrupts. Talks about what they are gonna do after graduation always leave a bad taste in their mouths. "Let's just enjoy the night! My powers will be very good for some pranks~ hehe!"

While she was plotting something devious against the people she doesn't like from the Bayville High School, a portal appears, and Shadow emerges from it.

"Shadow!! So glad you came!!" Kitty jumped on the girl. "Ninja clothes? That is not a costume, this is just you!" She jokes

"..." Shadow just looks at herself. To her, it is a costume because she is basically wearing ninja clothes similar to the Shadowkhan, so it is a cosplay.

"It doesn't matter, let's go enjoy the night!" Kitty hooked her arm on Shadow's own and guided the girl to the gym. "And tell me, you have some interesting powers… with great pranking potential… Wanna help me with something tonight?"

As the group of young people walks inside the Gym, in another part of the school, a red pentagram starts shining on the ground, and there is no one to see.

......

A.N.:Hello there.

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Bye Bye~