Phantom's smug demeanor wavered as your aura flared. The light around your body shimmered — not just energy, but evolution.
The clone struck again, but its patterns felt slower now. Predictable. Your newly unlocked innate talent kicked in, parsing its algorithm in real-time.
[Combat Predictive Override Activated][Energy Absorption Syncing: 78%][Pain Desensitization Improved]
Every move you made outpaced the last. You adjusted mid-fight, adapting to your own mimic's weaknesses — because they were once your own.
A high kick was blocked. You pivoted and landed a spinning elbow to the jaw.
A counter-punch grazed your side, but your body stiffened, the skin just in time, minimizing the impact.
The clone stumbled.
And in that moment, you knew.
It was just a blueprint.
But you were the original.
You reached forward, grabbed its arm, and redirected its weight, slamming it into the ground with a thunderous crack.
The floor fractured beneath the impact.
The clone twitched once… then went still.
Dead silence.
Spider-Man looked stunned. "You just beat yourself."
"Not exactly," you said, breathing hard. "I beat the version of me who stopped learning."
Phantom's mask pulsed red.
"You've become a threat," he admitted. "An unstable variable."
You stared him down. "That's what happens when you try to control evolution."
Suddenly, more tanks hissed open.
Two clones. Then five. Then ten.
Daredevil stepped beside you. "Can you handle this?"
"I don't have to," you said, cracking your knuckles. "I just have to keep adapting."
Spider-Man lifted his mask halfway. "Then let's level the playing field."
The battle erupted.
And deep inside you, Adaptation Level 2 began to awaken…