Marvel : Super Extraction

Leon stared at the ceiling, the weight of the system's words settling in. His mind raced with conflicting emotions, the raw thrill of power, the grim practicality of survival, and a sense of dread at what he might have to do.

"Great," he muttered bitterly. "So, to keep these powers up, I need to start playing Grim Reaper."

A long silence followed, punctuated only by the hum of his muscles still recovering from training. Then, with a resigned sigh, Leon murmured, "Alright, system. Let's see where this dark road leads."

Leon hadn't fully adapted to his system, but one thing was crystal clear, if he was heading straight into Afghanistan, hesitation wasn't an option. In his mind, any cowardly reluctance to kill was akin to signing his own death warrant especially when dealing with terrorists bold enough to kidnap Tony Stark. After all, if they weren't willing to finish the job, they were practically handing over their own demise.

'System, how many bio-energy points do I need for the next extraction?' he asked the system.

[ Replying to the host, the next extraction requires one thousand bio-energy points ] The system answered

Leon muttered with a wry smile. "One thousand energy units and a single ant contribute almost nothing. No problem, ant colonies breed like crazy. Even a modest nest of ten thousand will more than cover the cost." In his world, resources were as abundant as they were bizarre.

 Being Tony Stark's half-brother meant that money wasn't an issue. He instructed his ever loyal but perpetually confused associate Pepper to shell out hundreds of thousands on vast swarms of cockroaches and ants for his experiments.

Under Leon's orders, a massive shipment of cockroaches and ants had been delivered to the remote waste factory he had purchased. That evening, after a grueling training session and a quick wash up, Leon was ready to hit the road.

When Leon emerged into the living room, Tony Stark intercepted him "Hey, man, what are you doing? Are you out of your mind?" Tony jibed as Leon passed by. "Pepper just called and said you blew hundreds of thousands on a scrap factory and stocked it with cockroaches and ants! Are you pulling a prank on us or something? If you keep this up, I'm gonna box you myself!"

Leon shot Tony a sideways glance. "Man, I don't know who gave you those panda eyes, but if there's an award for it, you're definitely the reigning champ," he replied with a mischievous grin.

"..." Tony Stark.

Leon merely shrugged and walked out the door. Without a backward glance, he hopped into his sports car and drove off, using the address Pepper had given him to locate the waste factory.

As a kid, Leon had driven past this factory, a relic in the middle of nowhere and now it was his base. Arriving at the facility, he unlocked the door with the key Pepper had provided and powered up the old building. In the center of the factory stood several massive crates draped in black cloth. Without hesitation, Leon tore off the coverings to reveal containers teeming with ants and cockroaches. Even for someone as hardened as he was, the sight sent a shiver down his spine.

Within ten minutes, Leon set his grim plan in motion. All the insects were incinerated, their bodies reduced to ash by a roaring blaze. Brutal, perhaps, but far more efficient and better than leaving them to roam free and risk exposure.

Securing the factory, Leon locked the door and returned to his sports car. Just as he was about to drive off, a vroom sound shattered the silence. Turning his head, he spotted a gang of rough looking individuals, with flashy hair, and leather jackets, armed with sticks and chains, closing in on him on motorcycles.

Leon furrowed his brow as he took in the sight of the approaching thugs. It wasn't fear that tightened his features, it was pure bewilderment. How on earth had these clowns tracked him down to his supposedly remote waste factory? The place was miles from anywhere, a dead zone even for the most hardcore urban explorers.