Chapter 115: The Architect of Tomorrow
The air hung heavy and sulfuric, a constant pall of oppressive heat and the metallic tang of fear. Ethan Carter stood, surveying the landscape.
Jagged, obsidian spires clawed at a perpetually crimson sky, which often rippled with ominous storms of green lightning and crackling, blood-red thunderheads. Rivers of molten rock flowed through desolate plains, illuminating grotesque, skeletal forests where the screams of the damned echoed eternally. This was Mephisto’s domain, a dimension forged in torment and suffering.
"Such exquisite architecture for torture, wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Killgrave?" Ethan’s voice, calm and conversational, seemed chillingly out of place in the cacophony of damnation.
He looked down at Killgrave, who knelt before him, chained by wrists and ankles to the hellish ground. Killgrave’s eyes were hollow, vacant, devoid of any light. "Please... just kill me," he whispered, his voice raspy and broken. "End my pathetic life."
Ethan had indeed planned for Killgrave to die on live television. But that had been a diversion. Secretly, he had used his powers to resurrect the Purple Man, ensuring his return for a far more fitting, and protracted, punishment.
Despite everything, Ethan’s anger hadn’t diminished, not for the atrocities Killgrave had committed against Jessica Jones, Chloe, and countless others he had controlled, twisted, and violated. Ethan had decided to give Killgrave a taste of the suffering he had inflicted.
"That," Ethan said with a cold smile playing on his lips, "would be mercy. And you, Mr. Killgrave, are not deserving of it."
He turned his head, a slight frown creasing his brow. He sensed a demon nearby, drawn by the presence of a living human with high vitality. Without a moment’s hesitation, Ethan dragged Killgrave, chains and all, toward the approaching entity.
The demon, a grotesque, horned creature with skin like dried lava, came hurtling forward, eager for fresh torment.
But as its fiery eyes landed on Ethan, it froze mid-stride, a primordial terror seizing its form. Its eyes widened, a flicker of ancient, buried memory surfacing. Something it wished it could forget.
On a day etched into the very fabric of hell, a lone blonde man had stood atop a mountain of demon corpses. His blue eyes, usually calm, had burned with an infernal flame, radiating a terrifying, boundless power.
Behind him, a dozen swords, forged of pure crimson fire, floated menacingly. At his feet, Mephisto, the undisputed King of this infernal dimension, lay crushed, whimpering, as the blonde man’s boot pressed firmly against his chest.
Ethan’s entire body had been wreathed in crackling blue lightning, each arc a miniature tempest. The perpetually red sky of Hell itself had churned and roared, covered in chaotic storms and tornadoes, a reflection of the fury he commanded.
In his left hand, held casually by the throat, was a terrified, blue-skinned, red-haired woman—her struggles futile against his iron grip.
"This is what happens," he had roared, his voice amplified by cosmic power, echoing through every corner of the dimension, "when you underestimate a human!"
The demon, witnessing this impossible spectacle through its tormented memory, trembled uncontrollably, its limbs threatening to give out.
It wished it was a nightmare, wished this vision of hellish destruction had remained buried. That nightmare had only subsided after the blonde man, inexplicably, got bored and had proceeded to kill half of the demon population in Hell before casually departing.
"A-Aeon..." the demon whimpered, the nightmare name like a curse on its tongue. "The Hellbreaker..." It knew running was useless. There was no escape from him.
Ethan chuckled at the demon’s terrified reaction. "It seems you guys haven’t forgotten the past," he observed, his voice tinged with dark amusement. "That actually makes things very easy."
He then turned back to Killgrave, grabbing the chains and roughly throwing him to the ground before the cowering demon.
The demon’s eyes widened further in dawning horror. The same pattern! it realized. He took a blue-skinned woman and destroyed half of us... now he has a purple man! He plans to finish the job!
Killgrave, battered and broken, had lost any will to live. Years of torture in Tsukuyomi, followed by days of Oscorp’s grotesque experimentation, had left him an empty shell. Ethan had made sure Killgrave felt every shred of agony he had inflicted upon others, and the pain continued to gnaw at him even now.
Ethan slowly raised his hand over Killgrave. Power crackled, a shimmering, vibrant energy fueled by cosmic might. He began to use the spell, a body modification spell he had recently created.
Killgrave’s body began to contort and change, his screams tearing through the sulfuric air as he was forced to feel every cell, every molecule, reforming within him.
"Tone down, will you?" Ethan murmured casually, observing the agonizing transformation. "This is the first time I’m trying this spell on a human. Don’t want any... imperfections."
Within seconds, the agonizing metamorphosis was complete. Killgrave’s grotesque, gaunt form was gone, replaced by the figure of a beautiful woman, perfectly proportioned, with skin as smooth as alabaster and eyes now wide with unspeakable horror.
Ethan nodded in satisfaction, then turned to the utterly shocked demon. "Consider this my payment for nearly wiping out all of you lots," he said, waving a dismissive hand. "Though it was your fault for attacking me in the first place, but anyway..."
Killgrave, now a she, stared at her transformed body, a cold, dread certainty settling in. A terrible, crushing feeling of impending doom washed over her.
Ethan’s grin slowly widened, a predatory, chilling expression that promised far more than it revealed. "Use this trash to rebuild the population in Hell, now," he instructed the demon. "Don’t worry, I remade him... her to be very fertile. She can easily get pregnant with your babies."
Both the demon’s and Killgrave’s eyes widened, one in surprise, the other in absolute, soul-shattering horror.
Ethan turned to the demon. "Make sure your boss, Mephisto, gets the message," he ordered, his voice laced with venom. "That guy doesn’t get to die until at least half of the demons I killed are born from him... her."
The horror on Killgrave’s face was a sight to behold, a masterpiece of pure, unadulterated terror.
Ethan leaned in, his voice a cruel whisper meant only for the Purple Man-turned-woman. "Get ready to get backshots, Killgrave. Experience the same pain, the same violation, the same loss of control that you inflicted on so many women. Now, it’s your turn to be a plaything."
"No! Kill me! Please, just kill me!" Killgrave screamed, tears streaming down her new face.
But Ethan merely kicked her, mercilessly. "Hope we don’t see ya soon." He waved a casual farewell to the still-reeling demon and jumped into the red portal that shimmered open behind him, vanishing from the fiery landscape.
The demon, its mind reeling with shock and a perverse sense of retribution, immediately grabbed the terrified Killgrave by her new throat.
A crazy, triumphant smile stretched across its grotesque face. "Now," it cackled, its voice dripping with ancient malice, "be ready, you’ll get to avenge the demons, and you’ll bear the wrath of Lord Mephisto!"
Killgrave felt an icy dread crawl down his... her spine as realization struck—this place was no ordinary torment. This was going to be a different kind of hell, one that even he couldn’t escape.
Her voice broke through the suffocating air, raw and desperate. "No... NOOOOO!" she screamed.
...
Days turned into a blur of rapid-fire corporate restructuring and groundbreaking scientific advancements.
Ethan Carter, though professing an addiction to a lazy life, was anything but. He was immensely proud of his fiancées—Anna, Jean, and Diana—for their swift, surgical takedown of Oscorp and the Kingpin’s operations. Now, it was his turn to solidify the victory.
Ethan had successfully acquired all of Oscorp’s assets, immediately liquidating the corrupted research and transferring the ethical, gifted employees to new divisions dedicated to biogenetics under Aeon Biotech.
Ethan stood inside the gleaming new headquarters of Aeon Biogenetics, a facility born from Oscorp’s ashes. The air buzzed with sterile energy, filled with the low hum of machines, and minds that could rewrite biology itself. The Oscorp scientists who once danced on the edge of moral collapse were now given a new purpose.
Crucially, he had managed to recruit key scientists before their infamous transformations, Dr. Richard Parker and his wife, Dr. Curt Connors, and even Dr. Otto Octavius, found himself drawn into this new world where knowledge didn’t come with corruption.
Dr. Richard Parker and his wife Mary, the brilliant pair who once dreamed of merging genetics and hope, now had the freedom to finish what they began. Dr. Curt Connors, still human and sane, was given access to regenerative biology again — under strict ethical guidance.
Ethan’s personal mission was now to ensure these brilliant minds worked under him, even after they inevitably gained their powers, thus averting their villainous destinies.
He found himself reviewing the early-stage research on genetically modified spiders.
A shame to let that go to waste, he mused. He knew that if he continued the work, he would eventually see the birth of his favorite childhood superhero, Spider-Man, the son of Richard and Mary Parker.
Juggling administrative duties was exhausting for a man who preferred fighting elder gods. "For a guy who got addicted to a lazy life, this really isn’t cool," he muttered, adjusting to the relentless pace, yet driven by the knowledge that his fiancées had worked even harder to make this takeover possible.
Ethan then authorized the immediate release of the Regeneration Cradle, a device perfected by Dr. Helen Cho, whom he had recruited after her graduation.
The Regeneration Cradle functioned as a revolutionary medical device, utilizing a combination of advanced biological engineering and rapid-cellular-synthesis technology.
It could quickly print viable, functional replacement tissues and organs based on a patient’s own DNA, effectively healing catastrophic injuries in minutes or replacing failing organs without the risk of rejection.
For instance, a collapsed lung could be regrown, or third-degree burns completely healed with new skin, all within a matter of hours.
The timing of its release was masterful. With the public rightly doubting major industrial giants due to the Oscorp scandal, Aeon Biotech, run by the widely trusted Ethan Carter, presented a beacon of hope.
Ethan reduced the price of the Cradle significantly, making it accessible to major hospitals globally rather than restricting it to the elite. This move cemented Aeon’s image as a philanthropic powerhouse focused on healing the world.
But Ethan wasn’t done.
In hours, equally seismic announcement, Dr. Ethan Carter and Dr. Susan Storm unveiled the Mutant Stabilizer Serum.
This groundbreaking biogenetic solution provided a safe, temporary way for mutants whose powers had permanently altered their physical appearance—like the furry Beast or the scaly Angel Salvadore—to return to their original human form.
The serum worked for 24 hours, after which a new dose was required to maintain the shift. Crucially, it did not suppress the X-gene; the mutants could still freely access and use their powers even while appearing human.
It was similar to what Hank had created in his younger days, but this new serum was far more refined. It allowed the user to retain their full strength while maintaining a normal, human appearance. In cases like Angel, it even granted the ability to manifest or retract his wings at will—a seamless transformation between human and mutant forms.
The effect, however, lasted only twenty-four hours, making it a powerful yet temporary gift.
This generated a revolution in medical sciences and social acceptance. Ethan preemptively used his powerful telepathy to subtly influence global communication networks, ensuring no major backlash or fear-mongering took root—a crucial measure given how volatile any mutant-related topic could be in the Marvel universe.
The public response was overwhelmingly positive, a rare consensus of relief and gratitude.
> "Aeon Biotech gives hope — not to one race or species, but to everyone."
— Daily Bugle, front-page headline
> "For the first time, I looked into a mirror and saw me again."
— Anonymous mutant testimonial.
A former government worker wrote: "I haven’t held my granddaughter since I manifested. Now, thanks to Aeon, I can look human again and give her a hug without terrifying her."
A major news anchor noted: "This is not a cure, but it is a bridge. It allows those who only want to feel ’normal’ for a day to do so, drastically reducing the psychological strain of forced isolation."
As the world celebrated his brilliance, Ethan found himself buried under endless work — relocating teams, reviewing prototypes, fine-tuning projects. For someone who once embraced a lazy, free-flowing life, the corporate grind was its own brand of hell.
But every time he saw Jean, Anna, Susan, or Diana working tirelessly beside him, he couldn’t complain.
The back-to-back work kept Ethan and his fiancées occupied, ticking away the calendar until the most important date of all: the wedding of Ethan Carter, Anna Marie, and Jean Grey, now just two days away.
Despite the whirlwind of his corporate and humanitarian projects, Ethan had also dedicated vast swaths of time to his personal training.
He practiced the Asgardian Runes he had acquired, his intrinsic talent allowing him to master the complex, primal language of magic.
Thanks to his Chronokinesis, time manipulation was not an issue; he could spend what felt like years perfecting a single rune sequence while only a few minutes passed in the real world.
Simultaneously, he was completing the ultimate wedding gift for Diana: the God-Slayer Armor Set, forged from the remains of the Destroyer Armor.
Using the near-indestructible Uru-level metal, he crafted a sword, a shield, and a full suit of armor. He laced every component with hundreds of Asgardian runes, cosmic spells, and powerful enchantments, creating one of the deadliest, most formidable armor sets in existence.
His long-term project, however, remained his greatest challenge, the merging of the Cosmic Power inside him with the Phoenix Force Fragment.
The Cosmic Power he possessed was a pure, ambient energy source—the power of creation and the void, a boundless font of energy that allowed him to manipulate reality, time, and space. It was a tool, a reservoir, a fundamental piece of the universe.
The Phoenix Force Fragment was a piece of the universe’s most primal, ruthless entity: the Nexus of all psionic energy, the representation of life, death, and rebirth. It was sentient, aggressive, and often acted as a force of nature with its own fierce will.
Ethan knew these powers, while immense, didn’t truly belong to him. He wanted to forge a new force, completely unique to his very being. He wasn’t seeking mere strength—he knew that would come with greater fights—but rather a unique, personal evolution.
Yet, no matter his efforts, the two forces vehemently opposed each other.
Inside the specially enhanced Mirror Dimension, where Ethan sat cross-legged, the Phoenix Fragment felt like a wild, rebellious spirit, actively resisting the calm, pervasive energy of the Cosmic Power.
He knew he couldn’t force it. His strength increase could wait. He changed his approach, adding a new element to the equation: Himself.
He began using his own unique Life Energy—his very soul and consciousness—as a medium, a bridge, between the two opposing energies.
It was then he saw the progress, slow but undeniable, finally began to appear.
It was at that moment, sitting in his cosmic-enhanced meditative state, that the tranquil silence of the Mirror Dimension was violently shattered.
A swirling red portal ripped open a few feet away, and two furious women stormed through.
"Ethan Carter!" Anna shouted, her voice laced with outrage.
"We find you sitting here, cross-legged, chasing cosmic butterflies while our wedding is in two days?!" Jean demanded, her psychic frustration vibrating in the air. "Now is not the time to be focusing on strength!"
Ethan opened his eyes, a genuine smile spreading across his face.
He was actually in a fantastic mood. He stood up, the cosmic energy and Phoenix fragments instantly settling within him.
Anna’s voice was sharp. "You promised to help pick the damn flowers, not blow yourself up!"
Ethan blinked — then smiled sheepishly. "Well, technically, I wasn’t blowing myself up. I was... testing theoretical energy harmonization."
"Energy harmonization?" Jean echoed dryly. "You’ll be harmonizing with the couch if you don’t move."
Anna cracked her knuckles. "You’re not running off to another mirror dimension until the vows are said, understood?"
"I got it," he admitted easily, walking toward them. "I’m sorry, my warrior brides. It was a terrible oversight."
He closed the distance, his confident grin returning. He pulled them both into a tight, warm hug. "But I promise, you’ve got my undivided attention now. You will both get my attention for the entire two days, and for all the endless years coming."
Anna leaned into his chest, her anger immediately dissolving into possessive affection. "You better mean that, or I’ll put a hole in your chest even bigger than the one I left in Fisk’s wall."
Jean, though still frowning slightly, let a soft blush rise on her cheeks as his bold words resonated through her mind. "We’ll hold you to it." She met his eyes, a mischievous glint replacing the fury. "And after the ceremony, we’re going to put that legendary stamina of yours to a serious test."
Ethan laughed, a warm, genuine sound of anticipation and love. "Now that sounds like a worthwhile challenge."
The preparations were complete. The villains were defeated. The world was slowly being remade. His strength increase could absolutely wait.
Ethan Carter smiled, turning his focus entirely to his magnificent, impending wedding.