Since gaining access to Charles's laboratory, Marcus had practically lived there, treating it more like a bedroom than a scientific facility.
One evening, after tightening the final screw on his latest project, he leaned back with a satisfied sigh.
"Finally," he groaned, stretching in his chair until his joints popped audibly. After days of uninterrupted work, the components he'd been meticulously crafting were complete.
He surveyed the array of precision parts arranged across the workbench. "Where to begin?" he wondered aloud, rubbing the stubble that had accumulated on his chin. "Let's start with the void projector."
With that decision made, he gathered the relevant components and began the assembly process.
Originally, Marcus had considered creating a nullifier drone—a hovering device that could project a void field over a wide area. In theory, such a drone could expand its suppression field as it ascended higher, covering maximum ground.
However, he'd abandoned this approach for a simple reason: once deployed, the drone itself would remain vulnerable. Anyone who destroyed the device would immediately collapse the suppression field.
Moreover, the current technological limitations meant he couldn't produce an Orokin power cell—the specialized battery required to sustain a nullifier drone's field. Even if he managed to build the drone itself, it would be useless without adequate power.
Instead, Marcus had devised an alternative: a device that would channel his own void energy, creating a localized field around himself. Unlike a drone, this approach would maintain its effectiveness even under attack. When opponents entered the field, their abilities would be suppressed, forcing them into conventional combat.
As he fitted the precision components together, a device resembling a sophisticated wristwatch took shape in his hands.
"There we go," he said, satisfied with the result. "Time for a test run."
He strapped the device to his wrist and pressed a small control button on its side. Immediately, a pale blue energy rippled outward from the watch, forming an invisible field that extended two meters in every direction.
"That should do nicely," Marcus nodded, sensing the field's boundaries.
He'd designed the void projector with adjustable range—the minimum setting created a two-meter radius field, while the maximum could extend up to ten meters. This versatility was perfect for his needs. The primary purpose of the device was defensive, providing protection against unexpected attacks from concealed positions.
With another press of the button, the void field gradually dissipated.
"Excellent performance," he concluded. "And this platform can support additional functions in the future."
The watch format was intentionally convenient and inconspicuous. He could potentially add more capabilities to it, creating a multi-purpose tool for various combat scenarios.
With the void projector complete, Marcus moved on to his next project—an energy blade inspired by the legendary weapon Excalibur.
Like the void projector, this weapon would harness void energy as its power source. Though it couldn't match the mythical sword's capabilities, the energy blade would still cut through solid steel with minimal resistance.
More importantly, by increasing the void energy output, the blade could project energy waves, enabling ranged attacks when necessary.
After careful assembly and calibration, the energy blade was ready for testing. At first glance, it resembled a simple metal baton. However, when Marcus channeled void energy into it, three distinct energy streams emerged from the hilt, twisting together to form a gleaming blade.
"Not bad at all," he remarked, admiring his handiwork.
He gently swung the blade at a nearby steel pipe. There was no resistance—the energy blade passed through the metal as though it were nothing more than air. A moment later, a clean cut appeared on the pipe's surface, and a section of it clattered to the floor.
"Straight out of Star Wars," Marcus chuckled, raising an eyebrow appreciatively.
Next, he wanted to test the weapon's ranged capabilities. Walking about ten meters from another steel pipe, Marcus increased the void energy flow and executed a precise slash through the air.
A crescent of black and white energy shot forward from the blade, striking the pipe and cleaving through it instantly. The severed metal dropped to the ground with a dull clang as the energy wave dissipated.
"Hmm, effective range about twenty meters," Marcus noted. "More of a special-case attack than a primary strategy."
The energy projection couldn't be sustained as long as he'd hoped. His original design called for a projection that would persist for at least ten seconds, but in practice, it dissipated after just a few seconds. This fell short of his expectations.
Still, considering the technological limitations he was working with, Marcus was reasonably satisfied. Achieving even this much with equipment that barely met minimum requirements was impressive.
When he cut off the void energy flow, the blade vanished instantly, leaving only the innocuous baton in his hand.
After setting aside the energy blade, Marcus began assembling his final piece of equipment—a solution to his relative weakness in medium and long-range combat.
This weapon, which he called the War Blade, was a ring-shaped throwing weapon with three retractable blades. Once thrown, it would return to the wielder like a boomerang, allowing for repeated attacks without retrieving the weapon manually.
Compared to his previous projects, the War Blade demanded significantly more precision. As a direct offensive weapon, any malfunction could result in serious consequences—potentially for Marcus himself.
He devoted extraordinary attention to every connection and joint, ensuring each component was perfectly aligned and securely fastened. There was no room for error.
When the final piece was installed, Marcus held a palm-sized disc in his hand—deceptively simple in appearance.
"At last," he sighed, letting out an enormous yawn. The intensity of focus required for the assembly had drained him completely. Testing would have to wait—all he wanted now was sleep.
Without even leaving his chair, Marcus drifted off, the completed War Blade still clutched in his hand.
The next morning, Marcus woke with a start, momentarily disoriented. He searched frantically for the glaive before spotting it hanging from the back of his chair.
"There you are," he muttered with relief. "Losing you would've meant starting from scratch."
The mere thought of repeating the painstaking assembly process made him shudder.
Marcus picked up the War Blade and applied slight pressure to its edge. Three sheaths immediately extended from the disc's perimeter, followed by razor-sharp blades sliding out from each housing.
"Responsive," he noted with approval. "At least all that effort paid off."
He gave the weapon an experimental throw. The glaive spun rapidly through the air, its edges gleaming. When it struck the laboratory wall, it left a series of deep gouges in the surface before ricocheting back toward Marcus, who caught it smoothly in his outstretched hand.
Both the attack and return functionality had met his expectations perfectly.
After retracting the blades and attaching the glaive to his new wristwatch, Marcus surveyed his completed arsenal with satisfaction.
"Here's hoping Shaw doesn't make us wait too long," he said to the empty laboratory. "It would be a shame to build all this and never get to use it."