In Marvel as Lex Luthor

It was really scary.

His mind told him the identity of the man, or not quite man, standing before him.

But it couldn't possibly be him.

He looked at the man, who was smiling nervously at him from afar.

He blinked for a moment. He was so overwhelmed by its presence that he couldn't even blink for more than a minute.

However, the man's presence changed instantly. Before he could blink, the man was standing under the light.

After he blinked his eyes, the man was no longer there. In addition, he felt a light. The light that was not on before was now normal, as always. The eerie feeling completely disappeared from the air.

"Maybe I'm hallucinating?" he thought to himself.

"Hello, young man," he suddenly heard next to him.

He turned his neck towards the voice, his dark eyes meeting the man's red eyes.

Opposite him. On the same bench sat the same man in a black suit. He looked about fifty, but his body showed no signs of age.

This man was not ordinary. His mind told him the identity of this man. If what he thought was true, then the man in front of him might not be human. He was much higher than human.

"Hello," he replied calmly, his voice shaking slightly as he looked at the devil in human form.

He smiled warmly, his red eyes suddenly becoming brighter.

"You seem nervous," he remarked casually, his eyes shining with triumph and delight as he looked at him.

"Who are you?" Lex asked suddenly. He needed confirmation. This confirmation would be the key to his plan.

"Aaah I..." The man chuckled dryly. His laugh was hoarse and unnerving to Lex.

With every moment spent near him, he felt more and more uncomfortable.

"I am known by many names. I can be found in many scriptures. But I prefer to be called Mephisto." The man smiled. Lex could see his sharp teeth. His eyes gleamed with fire as he declared his identity.

"Although. I suppose you could have guessed my identity even before this," Mephisto raised his right leg and crossed it over his left.

"Not exactly. I mistook you for Satan, the wish-granting one, who asked for the souls of men in return," Lex answered slowly, his voice measured as he lied effectively.

Mephisto was many-faced. He had many abilities. However, he could not read minds. Reading minds was not one of his abilities, if he remembered correctly.

- Ah! You are right about that. However, I am not Satan. He is the lord of another Hell, - Mephisto explained casually. It irritated him when people called him Satan.

"So there are different kinds of Hell?" Lex asked curiously. Of course, he knew there were different kinds of Hell, but he had to play his part.

"Yes," Mephisto answered calmly with a nod.

"Don't rush things, young man," Mephisto said softly, looking at him.

- I've been watching you. A young boy, living in an orphanage. Very smart. Perfect in every way. Perhaps one of the smartest minds on the entire planet. But strange. A child. A strange child who shows no inclinations like other children. Who are you, Lex Luthor? - Mephisto asked with a smirk.

"I've seen you from the shadows. Fixing broken things and selling them for profit. Writing scientific theories in your notebooks. You're definitely not normal. Are you, Lex Luthor?" Mephisto asked, a smile on his lips. His red eyes bored into his dark eyes.

"When you're born gifted. You just become different. You become a lion among sheep. That's what I am, Lord Mephisto," Lex replied with a small smile.

Mephisto looked at him for a moment. Suddenly his lips formed a grin.

"Lord Mephisto certainly sounds good," Mephisto commented. He looked at Lex with his fiery red eyes. He released his demonic form so that it could be seen, and was inwardly pleased when the boy flinched slightly in his seat.

"Since you know my identity, and I know yours, there is no need for sweet words," Mephisto commented, hiding his horns with magic again.

"You want to learn magic. And powerful magic, if I understand correctly," Mephisto commented with a smile.

Lex nodded his head.

"I want to," he answered softly.

"I can help you with that," Mephisto said, his gaze fixed on Lex.

"I can give you knowledge of magic. Of arts that have long been forgotten in the streams of time. Arts that will help you change the course of battle. Arts that, if used correctly, will help you rival the Supreme Sorcerer." Mephisto said this with a smile. His voice was calm and patronizing as he spoke these words.

"What do you want in return?" Lex asked sharply. Mephisto could do that.

It was because of him that Doctor Doom began to study the mystical arts. The Lord of Hell witnessed the birth of humanity. He certainly had knowledge of ancient and archaic magic.

"There are many mages on this planet. Some have been practicing magic for centuries. I cannot promise that you will become the best. But I guarantee that you will become fearsome," Mephisto smiled.

Magic was unlike anything else. Some were born with a natural gift for it. And some perfected it through hard work and practice. It took time and practice to become perfect in the mystical arts.

Mephisto knew that the boy in front of him understood this too. He had good reason to pay attention to him. The boy was special. He had a sharp and supernatural mind. In the right hands, he could be destructive.

He wanted him. He lusted after him as a possible pawn in the future.

"Or you can choose the hard way. Go to Kamar Taj or travel the world. Try to learn magic, no matter how much time you lose. But even then, the Supreme Sorcerer will not teach you everything. And the tribes will not either. The choice is yours," Mephisto said casually.

His words were correct. Lex had to admit it. The demon standing before him was one hundred percent right. No tribe would reveal all their secrets to an outsider. And the Supreme Sorcerer himself would not teach him everything. Some knowledge was secretly kept for the next Supreme Sorcerer.

The most striking example of this is the Book of Vishanti.

The Book of the Vishanti contains the most powerful Light/Ordinal magic spells known, many of which are counterspells to other magical disciplines. It has a seemingly infinite number of pages that seem to materialize out of thin air. The book itself can be used to repel magic. Additionally, its spells can never be used offensively, only defensively. The book is marked with the Seal of the Vishanti. It also contains extensive knowledge contributed by several powerful mages, such as information gathered by Agamotto about his discovery and mastery of the "Three Paths to Enlightenment", as well as detailed information about the Marvel cosmology itself, supposedly dictated by the Vishanti to the original human authors.

Many masters of the Mystic Arts considered this book a myth. Although only the Supreme Sorcerer knew of its existence.

The book was also a contrast to its counterpart, "Darkhold".

"If I agree to your offer to teach me magic. What do you want in return?" Lex asked sullenly. He wanted to know how much he would have to pay for it.

Mephisto smiled a Cheshire grin.

"Only two things. When the time comes. You will have to fight for me as a champion," Mephisto said, looking at him intently.

"That makes sense," Lex said, frowning thoughtfully. "And the second?" he asked, frowning curiously.

- The time will come. I will come to you again. Then you will have to fulfill my request. But the request will be with restrictions. I am not going to ask for something absurd, - Mephisto joked with a smile.

Lex got the joke. Mephisto knew something about the future. And he was worried. He didn't know that the devil was some kind of oracle. But whatever it was, it worried the demon.

"A deal with a demon. Gods help me," Lex said with a smirk on his lips. It was madness. But power comes at a price.

Mephisto smirked. He had won. He had won him over. The boy could play a vital role in preventing the impending disaster.