"Sorry I'm late," Alex abruptly jumped into the thick of the fray after multiple minutes had passed, two Dragonscale swords in his hands sliced through five of the Soul Suckers close to Natasha. "How's the general situation?"
Natasha gave him a concerned look, "The earthquake stopped a minute or so ago, but a quarter of the people have died already, and the horde of these flying lizards doesn't even seem to be affected. What exactly happened?"
"Long story short, Wanda destroyed a dimension, and the shockwave affected every single dimension that shares space with the universe. The more stable major dimensions and the main material plane are fine and mostly unaffected, but countless subdimensions like this one have been annihilated. I had to use the Time Stone to pull the intact dimension ahead of the shockwaves so that they never affected it in the first place. All of this quaking has been because of one of the weakest initial shockwaves," Alex's explanation only raised more questions for Natasha.
"You can explain things to me later. How about we work together to keep these people safe first?"
"No need," Alex shook his head and waved his palm, releasing a viscous red mist that spread across the now-destroyed village and went further across the lake. It passed through each and every one of the released Soul Suckers, vaporizing them all instantly. As the wave of Chaos Energy continued on its path, the seal blocking the Dweller-in-Darkness shook even more violently as it tried to escape.
After destroying all of the released creatures, Alex merged back into Natasha. [Go to the leader and tell her that I'm going there to take care of that dweller guy. Pacify her and then go check up on Xialing. Bring her out before I break the seal. It would be better for her to see the truth about her so-called mother with her eyes.]
Natasha nodded as one of Alex's other bodies formed itself in front of the Dragoness, who was still at the bottom of the lake, unwilling to leave her abode unless it was an actual issue.
[Hi there, little dragoness.]
[The tremors seem to have stopped. Is the dimension not under threat of destruction anymore?]
[Everything's fine. Except for one very minor issue. The instability has greatly weakened that dweller guy's seal.]
The dragoness snorted, releasing two jets of water from her nostrils, [Mr. Apex. Tell me straight. Does this event have anything to do with you?]
[Are you kidding me? Why would I want this dimension to get destroyed when I already told you of my plan to take over this place? I even went as far as using Time Authority to make sure that the shockwaves wouldn't annihilate this sub-dimension like so many others.]
[So you are aware of what led to this turn of events…]
[Yes. The Chaos Dimension has been destroyed. As one of the oldest and most stable dimensions, its destruction released a shockwave that shook the entire Universal Reality.]
A somber atmosphere came upon the two before the Dragoness finally conveyed her thoughts, [I will help you beat the creature if you are confident. Otherwise, I will do my best to reestablish the seal.]
[Cool. I can ride you in battle, right? I've always wanted to fly on a dragon.]
[Sure…] The dragoness seemed a little weirded out by the mention of riding her. [Are you confident that there will be no casualties? Otherwise, we can just fix the seal.]
[Trust me, it's going to be fine.] Alex said before approaching the dragon. She seemed to resign to her fate and sighed as Alex swam forward and sat on the dragon's neck, just behind her head, so that he could grab two scales for support. [Now, let's fly.]
Just as Alex steadied himself on her back, a huge amount of force slammed his face as the dragoness propelled herself forward at full speed.
Moments later, the two emerged from the water as the dragoness roared. With Alex having cleared most of the escaped Soul Suckers, the villagers were free to admire the spectacle that the dragon's emergence showed. Emerging completely out of the water, the Dragoness roared loudly at the seal. Her tail flapped as she quickly approached it.
[Somebody's feeling a little vain…] Alex teased the dragoness as she snorted. They were soon upon the cliff that held the seal made of Dragon Scales. [Are these your scales?]
[Yes. The original inhabitants constructed this seal using my freshly shed scales. What now?] The dragoness continued to float in front of the seal as more Soul Suckers escaped the confines.
[I'll blast the seal open. All you need to do is to restrain that guy. I'll take care of the killing part.]
[Don't get too close to it. It will suck your soul.]
[I'd like to see it try.] Alex snorted.
[Don't be arrogant. Even I don't dare to get too close to him, lest he suck my soul as well.]
[I have multiple Infinity Stones tethered to my soul. If that dude can take my soul, then there's no way in hell any of you suppressed it. Worst comes to worst, I'll use the Stones. Now stop doubting me and get ready.]
As he was speaking to the dragon, the atmosphere in the dimension naturally became cloudy. While the Great Protector's emergence shone a bright light on everyone's hearts, the cloudy atmosphere within the entire dimension represented something else entirely. Alex charged the clouds further with Chaos Energy as lightning started crackling in the sky, but instead of the usual white-blue, it was deep crimson, as if they were in purgatory.
Following his words, a thick bolt of crimson lightning fell from the clouds and targeted the cliff that Alex and the dragoness were facing. It struck directly at the circular seal on the side of the cliff, causing the slowly weakening scaly formation of the seal to collapse completely, with most of the individual scales getting completely vaporized. Another roar, this one much louder than the Great Protector's previous roar, reverberated through the entire dimension.
Thick tentacles burst out of the collapsing cliffside as they held up the structure just long enough that a large creature could come out through the opening created by Alex's attack. It was easily five times the size of the Great Protector.
Looking at the demonized eastern dragon, Alex controlled the lightning gathered in the atmosphere and made smaller bolts fall upon the freed Soul Suckers, who were quickly making their way toward the village, ready to fetch a meal for their master. He made sure that not a single one of the minions could even reach halfway to the village.
As for the Dweller-in-Darkness, the evil soul-sucking dragon. It took to the air and spread its entire scaly body as if enjoying freedom after such a long time. Then it moved, aggressively charging at the Great Protector with purpose and determination.
[You got this, right? Or do I need to blast it with some Chaos Lightning?]
All Alex got in response was a derisive snort as the dragoness spun around, generating a cyan glow underneath herself. A whirlpool formed within the water as the evil dragon continued approaching them. Just as it was close enough that its tentacles were about to reach Alex and his dragon, she shot forward in a tangent, escaping the whirlpool that she had formed underneath herself. The water shot up, forming a tornado that engulfed the evil dragon within. It roared as its tentacles expanded outwardly in an attempt to escape the encroaching whirlpool, but the dragoness continued to maintain the tornado as it kept the evil dragon suppressed.
Floating in front of the magnificent feat of water manipulation, Alex could almost sense the Dragoness underneath him being smug.
[Such a competent Dragoness…] He praised her, rubbing her head underneath her scale in the process. [Now let me take care of it before it decides that it wants to pull some kind of special power out of its ass.]
Instantly, multiple bolts of Chaos Lightning fell down into the tornado, tinting the water red as the evil dragon roared in immense pain. What followed the lightning was a downpour.
The Dragoness was just about to purr as Alex continued to pet her but instead perked up in alertness.
[That's not water…] She growled at the rain as if it was her greatest enemy.
[Don't worry, I'm only targeting the other guy. I won't try to eat you.]
[You're going to eat the Dweller-in-Darkness!?] The Dragoness couldn't believe it.
[Of course. Think of how much Bioenergy I could get off of that hunk of flesh. Not to mention the ability to suck away the souls of living creatures. That thing is a treasure chest in and of itself.]
[You're insane, you know that?]
[I am from the Klyntar race, Dragoness. We sustain ourselves by binding ourselves to organic life forms and eating other life forms. Looking at it more pragmatically, our race is the Apex predator for all biological life. And I am the craziest of them all, hence my title of Apex.]
The Dragoness couldn't retort to those words and passively watched as the black rain fell upon the tens-of-millennia-old evil dragon. Its wails resounded in the same way that its roars had once echoed and shaken the dimension. There was no bang, no culminating climax for the evil dragon, just an agonizing death as the Apex predator devoured its entire being.
[EP +27887]
Alex's smile widened as he received enough EP to last his depleted reserves for quite a while, especially after he was forced to expend a shit ton of EP to use the Time Stone to protect the dimension. Then, he moved his focus to his new skill.
«Skill Acquisition»
«EP/Bioenergy Units: 29,176»
«Cosmic Energy Units: 0.0000»
«Manipulation Abilities»:: ‹Advanced Lightning Manipulation› ‹Basic Blood Manipulation›
«Innate Abilities»:: ‹Biological Manipulation› ‹Host Enhancement› ‹Devour› ‹Copy›
«Derived Abilities»:: ‹Low Cosmic Physique Creation› ‹True Sixth Sense› ‹Inventory› ‹Advanced Camouflage› ‹Elemental Immunity› ‹Hypnosis›
«Magical Abilities»:: ‹High Magic Affinity› ‹High Chaos Affinity› ‹Host of the Scarlet Witch› ‹Soul Devour›
«Authorities»:: ‹Time (2.5%)› ‹Mind (2.5%)› ‹Soul (5%)›
«Cosmic Abilities»:: ‹Low Cosmic Manipulation (Incomplete)›
[Thank you for your help, little Dragoness. You can move back down to the lake if you want now.]
[I'm not little. A single tooth of mine is larger than you.] The Great Protector snorted.
[Please, you are a child by dragon standards. Now, do you want to bask in the vain glory of our victory in front of the villagers, or do you wish to just dive back down into the water?]
The Dragoness expressed her fury with a loud, angry roar into the air before speedily diving underwater. The roar seemed to work as a signal to the clouds that had populated the sky. They immediately started dissipating, revealing the simulated sun of the subdimension that was almost about to set in a dusky scenery.
As for Alex, he made it seem like he jumped from the back of the dragon just in time and landed at the shore, where the survivors of the previous battle were all gawking at him. The only exception was Ying Nan, who had a look of scathing fury on her face. Her expression made it clear that she blamed him for whatever happened.
Alex's eyes then moved to Natasha, who had Xialing in her arms as the child looked on at the lake with a blank gaze, still in shock.
The stalemate lasted for a few seconds before Ying Nan finally spoke up.
"Ta Lo has won a great battle today. One filled with many losses and sacrifices. But today. We have finally rid ourselves of the plague that had infested our ancestors' land many millennia ago. For now, go. Rest. Recover. Grieve. We will hold the last rites for our fallen tonight. As for you two. Follow me." She gave a pointed look at Alex and Natasha.
They made their way through the bodies of the fallen and the collapsed buildings before approaching a sort of Great Hall of the village. Despite everything, the Hall didn't seem to have even a speck of damage. Not from the battle, not from the earthquake, and not even from time it seemed. It seemed completely pristine, as if untouched by everything around it.
"I didn't realize this building was built with magic to keep it safe. Why were the kids not evacuated here and were instead sent to the forest?" Alex asked casually.
The woman merely grunted in response before walking in through the large set of double doors at the front.
Alex shared a look with Natasha before turning to Xialing in her arms. He extended his hand forward and held the girl's hand.
"Do you hate me, Xialing?" He asked her, not really expecting a response. She was still in shock from the events from before. After devouring the dragon, Alex finally knew just how much it was influencing Xialing. It had been whispering things in the girl's ears until the very end.
"No…" The girl finally moved to shake her head, but that single word seemed to sap away all her strength. She weakly buried her face in Natasha's neck, too tired to speak any further.
Alex looked at Natasha once again, only to see a sense of relief in his host's eyes. He patted Xialing's back before combing her hair as the girl finally went to sleep. He even used ‹Hypnosis› to make sure that her sleep would be a dreamless one.
Mind stuff, man… It's the bane of my existence. Alex shook his head. The only solutions for the situation he had were things that could work after the fact, like purging her memory — either by using ‹Hypnosis› or by using his old brute force method. None of his methods was good enough to allow him to directly block external psionic attacks other than utilizing the Mind Stone, which was far too overkill for something like this. It already gave him a passive defense against mind attacks that extended to his primary hosts, but the others were all still vulnerable.
"Please come inside," Ying Nan's voice broke Alex out of his musing as he held Natasha's hand and finally entered the magically reinforced hall.
"What's up?" Alex asked nonchalantly, as if the woman wasn't about to blame him for the death of a quarter of her people.
"Did you have a hand in what happened?" The woman asked flatly with a steely expression on her face. She faced them while standing beside a small shrine at the corner of the hall. It had a picture showcasing a woman who looked a little like Xialing.
"Is that Ying Li?" Alex asked instead. "Xialing's mother."
"She was," The woman nodded. "Now answer my question." She spoke through her clenched teeth. It seemed that she was heavily suppressing herself from lashing out at Alex.
"It's not a yes or no answer. I did not intend for what happened to happen the way it did. While I was planning to kill that dweller guy, it would have been from within the seal itself. The prior events like that earthquake and the shockwave that wiped out every weaker subdimension in the universe were not events I had planned, if that's what you're asking," Alex said with a sigh.
"You're not telling me everything." Ying Nan seemed to detect an omission in Alex's words.
"I did have a hand in that shockwave. But," Alex raised his hand to stop the woman from lashing out, "before you lash out at me, I did not intend for the events to go in that manner. The Chaos Dimension has been wiped off of the face of the Universal Reality. It doesn't exist anymore, alongside countless subdimensions that were too weak to hold up against the shockwave that its destruction released. The casualties would have included this place had I not intervened. You wouldn't even have known what wiped you all out were it not for me."
"That's why you were nowhere to be seen while my people were being slaughtered…" While the woman's words were accusatory, her tone was not combative and instead seemed slightly more agreeable.
"Yes. Plus, if you look on the bright side, the biggest danger to your continued survival has now been abated," Alex said.
"At the cost of seventy-nine people. Warriors. Brothers, sisters, fathers, sons, need I continue?" The woman's controlled demeanor broke for a moment, and she all but screamed at Alex. "I am grateful for your help, Mr. Apex. Don't get me wrong. But please. Do not tell us to look on the bright side. We have sacrificed too much today."
"Understandable. Oh, by the way, something you should note. We will be leaving within the next week." Alex said.
"Where will you be going?" The woman asked, already aware that they weren't going to stay for too long. "Try as I might, you will not agree to let Xialing stay in Ta Lo." She shook her head in defeat. "Instead, now that our people's mission has been completed, we can move out of the bubble that we have spent our lives in. So, I wish to continue to connect with my niece."
"Nowhere you can reach us," Alex shook his head. "We will be moving to another planet. I have my base of operations there."
The woman's expression hardened at his words, her eyes honing in on Xialing. She spoke with a complex expression, "Will you be returning?" She didn't attempt to pry into their information, having read into Apex's secretive nature during the time he spent training here.
"Of course," Alex nodded. "After all, Xialing still has her family here: Her father, brother, and Aunt especially. As much as she may show a strong front, she is just a child of twelve years."
"I heard her mumbling some concerning things during your battle against the Dweller-in-Darkness," The woman spoke about one of her biggest concerns as Natasha nodded.
"Ever since we entered this village, she's been hearing a voice in her head," Natasha told the Aunt. "Specifically, the voice of her mother."
The woman's brows shot up at Natasha's words. "You mean…"
"It was that dragon. It was manipulating her. It filled her head with lies about her mother being alive and stuck behind that seal. Just last night, she threw a horrible fit when we were talking about leaving this place."
"That means that it's better for her to leave Ta Lo instead…" Ying Nan spoke defeatedly, realizing that this was the place where Xialing's trauma would be the worst. "If she stays here, she will constantly be reminded of the dragon's words. For a child to go through such an event. And that too, after already having lost her mother a few years prior," She couldn't imagine how much the experience had traumatized the girl.
"You don't need to worry about her," Alex said before giving Natasha a fond look. "My partner here is already very attached to Xialing. We will take care very good care of her."
"That's all I can ask," She nodded. "Now, please excuse me. I need to prepare for the last rites of the fallen. As for everyone's accommodations. Until the rebuilding is completed, we will be taking refuge in this very hall." Leaving those words, the woman left Alex, Natasha, and the sleeping Xialing alone.
After the woman left, Natasha opened her mouth, "How about we take a walk?" She asked Alex.
"Let's go."
-x-X-x-
The residents of Ta Lo spent the next few days focusing on rebuilding and recovering their peaceful village. Meanwhile, Alex and Natasha — mostly Natasha, spent their time grinding like hell to get Natasha to awaken Qi. Ever since Alex got the huge influx of Bioenergy from the Dweller-in-Darkness, he had gotten much more liberal with it — not to mention the Dragoness wanted barely two to three points per day. That allowed him to exchange for a ton of Qi to feed Natasha. He spent three whole days constantly cycling it through her body, both actively and passively, before they finally got results.
"You've awakened Qi," Ying Nan spoke disbelievingly after abruptly stopping her movements. Natasha's awakening had come in the form of an outburst of Qi that blew away all the leaves in the clearing.
"Yes," Natasha smiled. "I don't think it's that big of a deal, right? Most of the citizens in this village have also awakened Qi."
The woman shook her head, "They can merely use external means like weapons to channel their Qi — which is slightly more in quantity than others a normal person. That's all. Your situation is borderline impossible. Not only are you an outsider, but you have trained for what? Two weeks? That's nothing. I was somewhat prepared since you mentioned it yesterday, but it is still unbelievable."
"Well, she had some help from your resident dragon," Alex said. "I just had to convince the Great Protector to help her out."
"Unbelievable," The woman shook her head. "Let us continue training. As a prodigious Qi practitioner, you cannot slack in your training."
[I feel bad for tricking her like that…]
[It's fine. We will be taking over this place sooner or later. It's better to keep some things hidden from them for now. Once she realizes that I will help all of their people awaken Qi, she will be all too eager to agree to work for us. Especially after the shit show that they will experience coming out into the real world. Without someone's help, they will be wholly inadequate to navigate Earth, making them tired and desperate. At that point, they will happily cling to the olive branch that I provide them.]
[You're too manipulative, Alex. Try to be a bit better.] Natasha said disapprovingly. [Instead of making them desperate, you can instead offer to help them with those things right now. Your help will be invaluable to them. Once they realize the kind of political sway you have on our planet, they will naturally flock toward you.]
[And with Xialing serving as their leader, they won't even be resistant to becoming a division of my forces…] Alex nodded. [Just one problem with that. I don't have a lot of sway over your Earth. I have control of both of my Earths, yes. But the Not 199999.]
[Don't try to bluff me, Alex. You've already taken over most of the World Council, haven't you? I know you well enough that during the time the Widows were operating on Earth, you were focusing on the members of the newly forming council after Pierce killed everyone.]
[I really can't get anything by from my favorite spy, can I?] Alex said with a smile. [Fine, yes. I thought you would be mad at me.]
[I've toppled regimes, Alex. I know how the world works. Plus, I'm not blind. Just because I'm an Avenger doesn't change the fact that I have brought a lot of destruction to the world. Many people have died at my hands, either directly or indirectly. And from what I've seen, you have done more good for the world than bad. While greedy and controlling, you have already started reducing military budgets. Even pulling back our forces from the Middle East.]
[It's a waste of resources. Why destroy other countries when I'm going to take over them anyway?]
[And that's why you're a good leader. You are willing to get your hands dirty, but your ultimate goal is the preservation and prosperity of humanity. As long as I don't see you turning into a bloodthirsty dictator, I will support you even if you wish to take over the world. And I will keep you in check.]
[Stop~ such a raw confession of emotions makes me shy.] Alex acted like he was embarrassed, making Natasha snort at him.
[Whatever. Now what's the deal with Qi? Tell me.] Natasha said curiously. [I can almost feel a small pearl just under my navel, but it's very faint. As if it both exists and doesn't.]
[Interesting. I can't see anything there. That means that the core is present in another layer entirely. In that case, I believe that it is connected to your soul instead. Maybe the core is present within the manifestation of your soul itself.]
[I guess…] Natasha said. [I feel that I can pull Qi from it whenever I want. Let me show you.]
Alex could see the Qi appear out of nowhere below her belly button as it cycled through her body as she followed Ying Nan's Tai Chi movements. Alex made sure that he wouldn't end up absorbing all of the Qi as some of it was absorbed by her body while the rest moved back to her core, disappearing from Alex's perception again.
[Can you manipulate the Qi without using the Tai Chi movements? Just directly will your Qi to move through your body?] He then asked.
[I don't seem to be able to… It looks like an instinctive process that happens according to my body language.]
[Interesting… Come, I wish to experiment.]
Alex grabbed her hand and spoke up, "Ying Nan, my lady and I wish to celebrate her awakening. Please excuse us." His polite words would've made Natasha's heart swoon if she didn't know that he was pulling her to have outdoor sex in the middle of the forest. Even the destruction of their house couldn't keep Alex from the heavenly pleasure that was being inside her.
…
In an empty clearing in the middle of the forest, Natasha found herself naked and lying on her back on top of a blanket as Alex licked and kissed her all over.
"Do you feel any movement in your Qi Core?" Alex asked her as he hovered on top of her.
"No…" She gasped out, showing Alex an aroused face full of neediness. She knew what turned her partner on. "Maybe you need to fuck me for it. My core's all tingly and hot right now~"
"No, we have to experiment first, my love," Alex smiled before leaning forward and capturing Natasha's lips in a kiss. His hands instead made their way to her chest as he squeezed her breasts roughly, making her gasp into his mouth. He repeated the action a few times before moving his focus to her nipples. He pinched both nubs between his forefingers and thumbs while invading her mouth with his tongue.
With his movements, Natasha was doing her best to grind her crotch against his dick, constantly swaying her lower body in an attempt to get him to penetrate her. Sadly, all that did was to tease both her and him as her pussy constantly rubbed against Alex's cock, but to no use.
Alex finally freed her lips, leaving her even more hot and bothered. Looking down, her eyes were slightly glazed yet filled with desire as her glossy lips parted, wanting more.
"Still nothing in your Qi core?" Alex asked, with a teasing smile.
Natasha pouted, "Nothing. Now, fuck me. I think that's all that can do it."
"Patience, my love," Alex smiled before giving her a brief kiss. "There's one more thing for me to try." Immediately, Alex lowered himself and kissed Natasha's neck, sucking her skin as she gasped in response. He didn't stay there, instead tracing his lips down her body. As he reached her breasts, he lightly sucked all over her sensitive skin, enjoying her sexy reactions. He nibbled on her nipple, making her gasp loudly as she arched her back a little. Moving on, he licked her belly button, making her shiver as she raised her leg and put a hand over her head. He then sucked her skin all the way down to her glistening entrance. She was extremely wet after all that foreplay.
"Let's see if oral can work for this…" Alex said before pushing his face in his girl's crotch. Natasha instantly moaned as Alex's tongue brushed over her clit before pushing through her entrance.
"Fuck~" She shivered as he expertly used his tongue to bring her closer and closer to a climax.
[What about now?] Alex asked as he continued to lick her, using his tongue in ways she couldn't even imagine.
"It's stirring just a little~" Natasha gasped out. "Please keep going~ I'm so close~"
[Anything for my beautiful host.] Alex's tongue deftly moved to her g-spot and stimulated her just enough to instantly make her cum.
Natasha moaned loudly as Alex lapped up her release, "It's stirring a lot~" She gasped out. "Still can't control it. I want more, Alex~"
"You're going to get your wish anyway, in that case," Alex said throatily before leaning forward again and capturing Natasha's lips. [How do you taste?] He teased her as his hand moved to her breast and squeezed while pinching her nipple. His other hand moved to his cock as he made it stroke Natasha's entrance.
[Fuck me~] She moaned at him and he obliged, finally entering her. She loaned loudly into his mouth, arching her back and wrapping her arms around him. [Keep going~]
As Alex picked up the pace, he sensed a trickle of Natasha's Qi being released from her core as he absorbed it. He picked up the pace as his host's moans got more intense. She eventually wrapped her legs around him as well, loudly moaning into his mouth as he teased her breasts and fucked her roughly. All the while, the trickles of Qi he was absorbing from her were slowly increasing, but nothing significant.
That all changed the moment Natasha reached her climax. Instantly, a large amount of Qi escaped her Qi core, all of it flowing toward Alex as he also climaxed inside her. He expertly controlled the released Qi to be absorbed by him.
[EP +0.5]
As the Qi stopped escaping her core, Alex pulled out, a trickle of his cum escaping her pussy.
"How do you feel?" He asked her. "Tired?"
"A little drained, but nothing more. My Qi is all empty now, though. I can feel that my core is completely empty."
"Interesting..." Alex said thoughtfully, "Let's continue."
While Alex's experiment was successful, that was no reason to cut their celebration short.
"I will bond with your blood today~," Alex said as he inserted himself into Natasha, making her moan loudly.
-x-X-x-
The celebration lasted long enough that Alex had to use the Time Stone to create a time domain around himself and Natasha so that they could be returning in a couple of hours instead of a couple of days.
{ «Status- Host #3»
«Name: Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) (MCU Earth)»
«Bonding Rate: 60%»
«Bonding Level: 4»
«Powers: Peak Superhuman Physique— Melee Mastery— Espionage Mastery»
}
Alex was happy that he'd already figured out the fix for the blood bond since doing it with Wanda, which allowed him to work one level at a time instead of steamrolling through both blood and skeleton bonds. Doing that had the first time had left Laura's physique with all sorts of compatibility problems that he had to deal with in the background. That was the main reason it had taken him so long to form the Organ Bond with her.
After finally returning, Alex and Natasha stayed in Ta Lo for a few more days, performing a few more experiments on Qi.
[In conclusion, I can extract her Qi once a day to provide me with half a unit of Bioenergy.] Alex told the Dragoness. [The rest of the day has to be spent passively recovering the lost Qi and I can repeat the process in twenty-four hours.]
[What about the effects of exercise on Qi regeneration? I told you that Qi always responds to the body's state.]
[I need to work on it more, but once I figure out the optimal training regimen for it, I should be able to bring down the recovery time to twelve hours. Physical exertion and sufficient nutrition work together to expedite the regeneration of Qi.]
[And the only way for you to extract Qi from the Qi core is sexual penetration?]
[Yes, I believe that considering the position of the Qi core in the body, it has some kind of a connection with the uterus, making penetrative sex the most viable option to extract Qi. Either that or stabbing my partner's abdomen directly.]
[Right…] The Dragones rolled her eyes. [So you're leaving today?]
[Both yes and no. My partner and Xialing are leaving. But I will leave a body in Ta Lo to help the residents integrate with the outside world. Plus, I still need to siphon your Qi to feed to my other partners. Natasha's Qi is far too inadequate for it to help me awaken another's Qi.]
[No worries. As long as you exchange it for Bioenergy. Now tell me about growth in Qi quality or quantity. Have you noticed any of that in her?]
[The time span is too short for any noticeable improvement. However, my system of repeated extraction and regeneration of Qi should increase both the Qi capacity and the quality in time. The only downside of my methods is that the bodily improvements that accompany the growth in the Qi Core's capacity won't be there.]
[That is integral. If the body becomes too weak to maintain the connection to the Qi core, there is a risk of it imploding, instantly killing the person.]
[No need to worry about that. I can directly use Bioenergy to enhance my host's physique. The only reason I even went for the awakening of the Qi core was to make it possible for me to extract Bioenergy from it.]
[I should feel disrespected, but Bioenergy is so superior to Qi that it's unfair. I cannot argue against that.]
…
"You are truly leaving." Ying Nan spoke with a hint of reluctance as she looked at Xialing's sleeping face. She was held up in Natasha's arms as the trip stood in front of the hall that many of the villagers were using as their temporary accommodation. It was midnight and only Ying Nan was there to see them off.
"It's time. Xialing isn't doing the best here. She's a strong girl and is doing her best to forget about what happened, but…" Natasha shook her head. "It's best for her to leave Ta Lo with us."
"I hope that you can take care of her," Ying Nan spoke helplessly. As much as she wanted to take Xialing away from these strangers, she had neither the power nor the resources to raise her correctly.
"Don't worry. We will care for her like our own daughter," Alex said with a smile. "On another note. A friend of mine will be arriving in the morning. Those of you who wish to leave Ta Lo and explore the outside world can talk to him. He will hook you up with the necessary resources like a legal identity and money. If you need anything, you can just talk to him about it."
"I am grateful for your assistance," She said with a small nod. "I know how difficult it must be for you to do so much for us."
"Don't worry about it. You're Xialing's aunt," Alex said.
Going by the slight shift in the woman's expression, she understood that she received this help because of Xialing's connection to her. After some thought, she smiled once again, "That only tells me how important my niece is to you."
"Should we leave?" Natasha asked, making Alex nod.
"Let's. Farewell, Ying Nan. You'll meet your niece soon."
…
"Are you sure you don't want to tell her about the time difference? Before even a week passes here, Xialing will be two years older. And that's looking if the time on this planet stays at the same speed. If it slows down, we can very well spend multiple years while a single day would have passed here."
"It doesn't matter," Alex said. "When Xialing returns, she will fulfill her dream. She will beat her father and take over the Ten Rings before integrating Ta Lo's forces into the —"
"Alex…" Natasha interrupted him with a pointed look.
"Yeah, yeah. I know. I wasn't the one who filled her head with those things. It's her own ambition. As for integrating the Ten Rings Division into my personal force. That's also something she will naturally understand over time. As she grows up, she will slowly realize that there's more to her adoptive father than meets the eye. She will create a detective group with her friends and they will look for clues to uncover my true identity. I will write a teen detective novel about it if I feel like it."
"You do know that you make far too elaborate plans, right, Alex?" Natasha shook her head in exasperation.
"It's fun. My vivid imagination and sex are the only two things that keep me going, you know?"
"Just make sure that your little mystery novel idea doesn't hamper my Xialing's education. Not to mention giving her a fulfilling family. And don't you dare to disappear halfway through to give her character development, understood? We will be the ones developing her character by raising her correctly. Like parents should."
"It feels like it was just yesterday that you were refusing to even acknowledge your desire to treat Xialing as your daughter," Alex said with a reminiscing tone. "They grow up so fast."
"Shut it," Natasha said, looking away to hide the slightly embarrassed blush on her face.
"What will you do if she throws you with a, 'You're not my real mom!' line?" Alex said with emphasis.
"I know that already. I won't lash out at her if that's what you're concerned about."
"No, you're too controlled to do such a thing. But that kind of thing tends to leave a mark. Think about it, she's sixteen and has just come home from school, telling you about how she stole another girl's boyfriend. You sit her down to tell her how that's an immoral thing to do and she lashes out at you for trying to have a civil conversation with her. What then?"
"What's your point, Alex?" Natasha asked tiredly.
"I just want you to be prepared for such a scenario," He said. "For the sake of living an actual normal life, her suit will be even simpler than what the widows have. All it does is serve as protective armor in case of an attack. That and the whole custom clothes thing. But that's all. I will not be monitoring her like the widows either."
"We'll raise her right, Alex. She won't turn into a brat. Especially since she has a real goal in her mind that she wants to achieve. As long as we support and encourage her with it, there will be no need for her to rebel."
"I hope I had your optimism, Nat," Alex shook his head.
"That's why you're scared of having a child, aren't you?"
"Of course I'm scared. I'm downright terrified of raising a child when I might just be a pawn in an entity that's so far beyond me it's not even funny."
"It'll be fine," She said, extending her hand toward Alex and intertwining her fingers with his. "I'll be with you every step of the way."
Alex hummed in response and the duo continued walking through the peaceful forest in silence. They could've left through a portal earlier, but Natasha wanted to enjoy the scenery.
-x-X-x-
Earth-65.
"Due to the civil and political unrest caused by the actions of the terrorist organization known as the Mandarin, which also goes by the pseudonym Ten Rings, Martial law has been enacted in the state of New York. All citizens are encouraged to stay at home for the time being. Gatherings of more than ten people at a time are prohibited and will be subject to questioning by the military. Curfew hours are between 2200 and 0600. Anyone found outside during this time will be arrested on the spot and taken in for questioning…"
The announcement was currently being blasted all over the neighborhood via a van that was making rounds all around the district. The news outlets were reporting on the same martial law establishment in the state.
Meanwhile, one of the people affected worst by this law was sitting in front of the TV, glaring daggers at the news reporter who was talking about the same announcement as the van outside. Gwen Stacy was angrily attacking a tub of ice cream while wrapped up in a blanket.
"This is bullshit," She grumbled angrily.
"Language, young lady," George spoke up from the kitchen. He was preparing dinner.
"Sorry, Daddy," she continued grumbling. "It's just that it's so frustrating."
"I understand. But try to cheer yourself up. Your boyfriend should be here soon."
He's always here…
"I know," Gwen said disinterestedly. "I'm still surprised that you're allowing him to stay over for the night."
"You're already in college, Gwenny," he said. "I have no intention of hindering your growth. Plus, he cares about you. I'm not very confident about his occupation — he's clearly not completely honest about it — but I can read people well enough to know that his feelings for you are genuine."
"Yeah, yeah. I know."
Knock knock.
"I'll go," Gwen got up from the couch if only to keep up the facade that Alex wasn't always with her. Her expression quickly turned into a surprised one.
"Look who I ran into downstairs," Alex said, gesturing to a redhead standing beside him.
"Hi, Gwen," Mary Jane spoke up with a gleeful tone and leaned forward to hug her friend.
"MJ…" Gwen spoke, lightly patting the woman's back. She gave Alex a dry look.
[You couldn't have given me a heads-up?]
[Where's the fun in that?]
"Can we come in?" Alex asked casually, making Gwen snort at him.
"Yeah, come in," she shook her head and stepped to the side.
Once everyone settled down in the living room, Gwen brought some snacks and placed them on the coffee table. Meanwhile, George went into his own room after greeting Alex and Mary Jane.
"What brings you here, MJ?" Gwen asked, grabbing a biscuit. She then sat down on the armrest of the couch Alex had taken before leaning her arm on his shoulder.
"Can't I meet my friend?" the redhead didn't seem unnerved by Gwen's display. "With no classes and no band practice, I was bored out of my mind and decided to come to see one of my best friends."
"Fair enough," Gwen nodded reluctantly. "But I was planning to have a movie night with Alex. The best that I can do is to have you join in."
"Good enough," she nodded. "Just keep your flirting to a minimum. Some of us here are still single."
Just as Gwen picked up another biscuit, George came out of his room, dressed in a formal shirt, trousers, and a blazer. What made him stand out was the empty gun holster he was wearing alongside his belt.
"Dad, when do you have to leave?" Gwen asked.
"Now that your boyfriend is here, you can't wait to get your old man out of the house, is that it?" The man spoke up.
"Are you leaving for work, Mr. Stacy?" Mary Jane asked in surprise. "I thought you were… retired."
"Yeah, well. Under the profuse convincing of my daughter and the commissioner's offer, I've decided to return to the force," The man gave Gwen a look, only to see her stick her tongue out at him. He shook his head before continuing. "I'll be off. Don't stay too late, Mary Jane. I won't be here and it will be troublesome for you to return home."
"Wait, you're not coming back tonight?" Gwen asked with a raised brow, clearly unaware of the information.
"It's going to be morning when I return," he nodded as the front door opened.
"Well, Goodbye then. Be safe," Gwen said, a little worried.
[He'll be fine. No need to worry.] Alex comforted her. [I'll make sure nothing happens to your father.]
Gwen lost her tenseness, further leaning on Alex as he squeezed her knee.
"So how far have you two gone?" Mary Jane didn't particularly care about Officer Stacy's return to the force. "Last time at the club you just upped and disappeared, Gwen. Leaving your man all alone with three young and attractive women." There was a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"I was feeling unwell," Gwen said, glancing down at Alex. "I asked Alex to call me a cab." She was aware of the redhead's machinations. Sadly, the truth was so far away that she could never have imagined it.
"I see how you slyly chose not to answer my first question," Mary Jane raised a brow at how unfazed Alex and Gwen were about her suggestive tone.
"Stop playing around MJ," Gwen said. "And Alex, babe. Could you make some popcorn for us? I'll… talk to MJ for a bit."
He gave her an amused look before getting up. Gwen slid down from the armrest and sat in Alex's place.
"You're crashing my date," she said dryly.
"How was I supposed to know you would have him over today?" Mary Jane brought up her hands in her defense. "I just wanted to hang out."
Gwen glared at her for a solid minute before finally speaking.
"You will leave halfway through the movie. Just make up some excuse."
"Okay, harsh," the redhead's brow twitched. "But I get it. I am the one intruding here."
"Thank you," Gwen smiled politely.
[You should let her stay. It's not like we are lacking in terms of… intimacy.]
[Don't get started, Alex. I know you. Before MJ or I realize, you will have your slimy tentacles wrapped around both of us, pulling her into a threesome.]
[So you do expect me to make a move on her.]
[Can you not, Alex? Just let me send her home in an hour or two and I'll do anything you want me to.]
[Trust me, it'll be fun. Haven't threesomes with Cindy always been fun? We can try to add some variety.]
[Alex…] Gwen was pretty much growling now.
[She's already shown enough interest in me that she wouldn't hesitate to make a move and try to steal me from you. Think of it as putting her in her place.]
[I am putting my foot down. If you dare to make a move on her, no sex for the next month.]
[Month? Really?] Alex didn't believe Gwen's threat for a second.
[Fine, a week — even I have limits. But trust me, you will have to force me if you want to do anything with me for the next week.]
[All right.] Alex knew to step down in front of a losing battle. [I won't bring the tequila.]
"So what are we watching?" Mary Jane asked Gwen just as the momentary telepathic conversation concluded.
"I don't know," Gwen shrugged. "We can just put anything on."
"Mind if I choose? I've been meaning to watch this teen drama."
"Sure, you can focus on the movie and keep your eyes away from me and Alex. Still, you have to leave early."
"Don't get your pa panties all up in a twist… Now that I think about it. Are you even wearing any underwear?"
"How is that any of your business?" Gwen's expression turned frosty.
"Relax. I'm just teasing you. I promise I won't ruin your first time with your boyfriend."
Gwen didn't bother correcting Mary Jane's misunderstanding. She knew that the redhead was in a teasing mood and would twist whatever she said upside down.
"Did we decide on a movie yet?" Alex came in with two large bowls in his hands, both filled with popcorn.
"MJ's deciding," Gwen got up from her spot and moved to the main couch, sitting beside Mary Jane. "Come," She gestured to Alex.
He nodded, putting the bowls on the coffee table before dimming the lights. He asked, "What movie did you choose, Mary Jane?"
"It's a relatively unpopular indie film that I've been meaning to watch for a while. But the critic reviews are very good — a psychological teen thriller with some elements of horror."
"That's not what you just told me," Gwen instantly turned to glare at the redhead.
"It'll be fine. You have your boyfriend to hold you when you get scared."
"MJ—" Mary Jane shushed Gwen and put her finger on the girl's lips.
"Shh. It's starting."
The cold opening of the movie was relatively tame for what Mary Jane had described. Just as the opening credits appeared, she spoke up.
"Let me get something to drink," she said and quickly got up before Gwen could protest.
"She's up to something," Gwen mumbled.
"Worst case scenario, we have a threesome. I see it as an absolute win." Alex said, prompting Gwen to jab him at the side.
She then crossed her arms and sulked.
"Is my spider girl mad?" Alex asked as if coaxing a child.
Gwen growled at him.
"Look what I found, guys," Mary Jane came into the room with two bottles of tequila in her hands. "These were already on the kitchen counter. Did you prepare them beforehand, Gwen?"
[I hate you…] Gwen's anger seemed to dissolve into helpless acceptance.
"I thought that I would be able to have some fun with my boyfriend without a third wheel crashing the party," Gwen grumbled.
"Well, don't worry, tigress. MJ's presence can only make the party better."
"Please don't refer to yourself in the third person. It's weird," Gwen sighed in defeat.
"Don't be so stuck up, Gwen. What will your boyfriend think?" Mary Jane asked. She quickly made a few rounds into the kitchen and brought everything to the coffee table in front of them. "Everything's ready. Alex. How about you do the honors of pouring us two ladies our drinks?" She said teasingly.
"It would be my pleasure," Alex played along, perfectly aware of Mary Jane's scheme. As he poured equal amounts of tequila into three glasses, the redhead sat at his other side instead of taking her original position beside Gwen.
[I'd apologize, Gwen. But she's practically throwing herself at me. But don't worry. I'll make sure she realizes her position under you.]
It was at this point Gwen realized. Alex was getting a threesome tonight.
-x-X-x-
The morning sun shone through the window of Gwen's bedroom, illuminating the three figures on her bed. Alex was sleeping in between a blonde and a redhead, both girls snuggled up close to him.
"Wild night…" He couldn't help but comment as he felt Gwen stirring awake. "Don't you think, Gwen?"
"Don't talk to me. You got me drunk and took advantage of me."
"You're making me sound like a criminal. With the curfew out, I couldn't send your friend home all alone."
"You had plenty of chances to send her home before that."
"Tryly Gwen, do you think she would've left? She had been making moves on me from the moment she ran into me downstairs."
"I can guarantee you that she was not anticipating a threesome."
"Then she made the mistake of bringing out the tequila. I would have to be gay to not reciprocate her heartfelt efforts."
"Fine, whatever. You deal with her aftermath. I'm going to make some coffee."
"Make some for me and Mary Jane too," Alex said, his eyes stuck to Gwen as she slipped out of the covers, still naked and displaying the marks of the rough events of the previous night. She walked out, knowing Alex would dress her up sooner or later. By now, she had unconsciously stopped thinking about wearing clothes, leaving it all to Alex.
"Rise and shine, Miss Redhead," Alex spanked Mary Jane's already slightly bruised ass.
"Later," She groaned annoyedly and waved her arm.
"The night's already over, Mary Jane. Unless you've decided to be a regular threesome partner for me and Gwen, I suggest you get up. Otherwise, I don't mind going for another round with you."
"As long as you don't call in Gwen. I don't mind. Fuck me all you want. I want every night to be like last night," she clearly did not have a very fulfilling sex life if this is what she spoke to the man who had just spent the night fucking her and another woman at the same time.
"Even anal?" Alex asked. He was just teasing her, not actually interested in fucking her at the moment.
"No~" She whined, her hands shooting behind herself to cover her ass. "I already refused last night, didn't I? I can't believe Gwen regularly wears butt plugs…"
"Why don't you get up now? You're clearly awake."
"Don't you know it's rude to force a lady to wake up from her beauty sleep?" MJ turned around and finally sat up, revealing her milky white breasts with red marks all over them. Alex had not been gentle the previous night.
"Put some clothes on. Gwen's making coffee."
"I knew she was freaky, but never to this extent…" Mary Jane unabashedly got out of bed with her body on display for Alex. If the way she bent over to grab her underwear was anything to go by, she was fully aware of his gaze.
"I don't think you're any less freaky. Seducing your bestie's boyfriend the morning after you all had a threesome."
"I figured things were awkward between you and Gwen and decided to take advantage," She said as she put on the bra, covering her breasts. "Plus, just between the two of us, I don't think I can take you alone. You are a beast, man. I felt like I slipped into subspace multiple times last night."
"Thanks for the compliment. But what gave you the idea that things are awkward between us?" Alex asked with a raised brow. "Gwen and I aren't like other insecure couples. If Gwen dares to feel jealous, I just need to take her to my dungeon and fuck that jealousy right out of her."
"You have a dungeon?" Mary Jane whispered with widened eyes. "Like a full-on sex dungeon with all sorts of kinky tools and… things?"
"More than you can imagine. If we do this a few more times, I can bring you with us."
His words made Mary Jane gulp audibly. "I think this was just a one-time thing," She sounded a little awkward.
"We'll see about that," Alex smiled as if he knew something she didn't.
"I'll go outside and see if Gwen needs any help," Alex's eyes had a glint that made her feel seen-through. She quickly escaped from the room.
…
While Mary Jane could flirt with Alex calmly, she was clearly awkward with Gwen. Their following interactions boiled down to the most basic things as the tension in the room grew palpable. It didn't take long for the redhead to decide that it was time for her to leave.
"Finally," Gwen sighed as she slumped on the couch. "I felt like I was about to have a heart attack with how tense I was."
"I know just the way to make all of that disappear," Alex's tone was suggestive.
"You're insatiable, you know that? With how much you love to have sex with me, I thought that you would have bonded with my organs by now."
"I bonded with your blood and bones at the same time, Gwen. These things need to be taken slowly to allow your body to acclimate to my presence. Not to mention your mental state also needs to match the situation before I can form the organ bond. Things start getting complicated as we go deeper. The last level will be even more complicated considering the target will be your nervous system and brain along with anything I might have missed."
"I'd say you were just making excuses, but you aren't exactly lying. It'll take my body what, another week or so to get ready for the next bond level?"
"Something like that," Alex nodded, knowing that Gwen had used her usual Spider-Sense trick to spy on his surface thoughts. He didn't particularly mind it since he didn't have anything to hide from her. She knew what kind of villainous slime he was.
"When do I get to go out again? We need to get Shang-Chi. You said it yourself. If not for the people, for the Reality Stone at least, right?"
"Soon. I'm still working some things out. I've finally collected enough EP to use my Infinity Stones for a safe amount of time, but other than that, I still need to make sure that he doesn't end up springing something new on us."
"Aren't you tired of not telling me everything already? You know I can read your intentions like an open book, right?"
"You'll be getting a call soon. That's all I'm telling you. Consider the rest a surprise."
Gwen showed him her usual cute pout and turned away.
"Come on, I'll help you make breakfast," He didn't care about her feigned anger and dragged her to the kitchen.
They spent the next few hours enjoying each other's company.
"Dad still hasn't come home," Gwen said, a hint of worry in her tone.
"Don't worry about it. He'll be here soon," No sooner than Alex said so, the doorbell rang.
Gwen looked at him with slightly widened eyes before her expression turned into a scoff.
"What?"
"Why do you mystify things all the time?"
"Dramatic flair?" Alex asked.
"Try again."
"It really is for dramatic flair. I could have told you his hourly position and that he has a surprise for you. But then I would miss this cute surprised expression you have on your face."
"He brought something for me?"
"Someone, that's the call I was talking about. Now go and open the door," Alex had to practically push Gwen up from her seat.
"Why couldn't you open the door…" She grumbled while walking toward the door. "Welcome home, Dad," She spoke with a little smile just as she opened the door. Her eyes soon shifted to the so-called surprise that Alex was talking about. "And Captain America… Are you going to be my new Mom?"
Both George Stacy and Samantha Wilson were about to say something but ended up getting into a fit of coughs.
"G-Gwenny. You shouldn't just say things like that," George barely recovered from Gwen's comment. "Now let us in. Miss Wilson has some important news to share with you."
"It's because of that smart-ass mouth that people aren't the biggest fans of yours, Ms. Stacy," Samantha seemed to be salty about their last meeting.
"What are you talking about?" Gwen acted clueless. "By the way," She quickly approached Alex, "This is Alex. My boyfriend."
"Either you are incapable of reading the room, or you just pretend not to for the laughs and giggles," Samantha sighed. "I wish we could've met under better circumstances, Mr. Alex. But the following conversation involves federal secrets."
"Are you still salty about me calling you a dumbfuck when you got yourself played by Murdock?" Gwen said with a laugh as she approached Alex.
"It's not that Ms. Stacy. But this conversation involves national secrets," Samantha repeated without backing down. She her eyes on Gwen as the blonde made her way to Alex and sat on the armrest at his side.
"Don't fight her, Ms. Wilson," George sighed. "She's as stubborn as a mule when it comes to him. Please sit. I'll bring something to drink for everyone."
"I'll help…" Gwen seemed to abruptly change her mind and got up from Alex's side to go to the kitchen with George.
"Since she won't understand," Samantha turned to Alex, "I hope you can make the correct decision and give us some space."
"You can talk freely, Captain," Alex said, waving her concerns off. "I already know about the Illuminati's plans."
-x-X-x-
Earth-65, Stark Tower.
A man slammed his hand on the circular table, glaring at the other four occupants before his eyes stopped at a beautiful blonde woman who was nonchalantly looking at her nails.
"Frost, care to explain why you lost me my entire War Machine battalion?" The man spoke with a growl.
"Blame Strange," The blonde was still nonchalant and shrugged. "His information was inaccurate. He has the Mind Stone as well as the Reality Stone. I can't get into his head for the life of me."
"And my ten thousand War Machines? You couldn't just retreat? That's billions of dollars in just raw materials without counting the production costs."
"I chose to protect myself over some scrap metal, Stark," The woman's nonchalance faded away. "It took him seconds to turn those so-called War Machines into butterflies. Fucking butterflies!"
"Instead of blaming Miss Frost and Dr. Strange. How about we get to the crux of the issue?" A dark-skinned man adorned in a pitch-black suit spoke. "For now, that man's focus has been confined to New York, but it won't take long before his eyes turn toward Wakanda and our Vibranium."
"He has the Reality Stone, T'Challa. He doesn't need your precious Vibranium," A man with gills on his throat spoke slightly derisively. "Stop making yourself seem more important than you are."
"You want to go again, Namor?" The Black Panther cracked his knuckles. "I believe you haven't received a beating in a while now."
"Gentlemen," A man with a goatee stood up from his position at the head of the table. "Let us not deviate from the issue at hand: Shang Chi and the Mandarin. Stark, sit down. We were underinformed and underprepared when going against him. Never could we have expected him to have an Infinity Stone at his disposal, let alone two."
The man's words brought a sense of order to the meeting as everyone sat straight, awaiting his following words.
"Black Bolt will not be joining us, the Inhumans have decided to distance themselves from this conflict, as usual," the man spoke.
"What of Wilson?" Tony asked. "She's also missing."
"She's running a recruitment drive," the man raised his hand to stop Tony from speaking further. "That is the first agenda of today's meeting. Patience, Stark."
"Since we now have a preliminary understanding of our adversary, what do you propose, Strange? I do not wish for us to get bogged down in meaningless pleasantries," Namor was quick to say his piece.
"I swear, no one has any patience these days," Dr. Strange shook his head. "Then let me get to it. This Shang Chi is merely a pawn in a greater game. It is the same with the Infinity Stones he possesses. They are mere fragments of the real deal. In this universe, each of the six Infinity Stones has been split apart into an unknown number of fragments."
"I assume that each stone has forty fragments?" Tony interjected. "Going by the presence of the number of Earths in our atmosphere at least."
"That is my assumption at least. I cannot give a concrete answer without analyzing the stones myself," Dr. Strange took a breath. "My point is that we cannot focus completely on Shang Chi. We must keep the bigger picture in mind. That is why, we cannot directly engage him anymore. At least for now."
"We can't just ignore everything that he's doing," Tony said.
"I'm getting to it. That's the reason Captain Wilson isn't in this meeting. I have decided to gather the street-level vigilante heroes and pair them up with some of the weaker X-Men to form a team. Their jobs will be to investigate Shang Chi and his plans. With the right resources, they will be able to curb his terrorism attempts. Once the situation comes down to a stalemate, he will grow impatient. That is when we will strike and apprehend him in a single move. For that, however, we must prepare to counter his backer."
"Who do you have in mind?" Emma Frost spoke. "Not counting the X-Men."
"We have already communicated with the Defenders, a small team of street heroes that includes Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Jessica Jones; aside from them, we have Black Cat, Prowler, Thunderstrike, and Spider-Woman; I also have my eye on this new hero — calls herself Jackpot; there are a few more I'm planning to recruit. Stark, I need you to come into contact with Steven Grant. He is a troublesome one, but his powers are going to be useful for us."
"That philanthropist?" Tony asked. "He has powers?"
"Moon Knight," Dr. Strange said. "His circumstances are somewhat special. Just get in contact with him. Once he understands the depth of the situation, he will agree, just like the others."
"What about the wanted status of some of these so-called vigilantes?" Emma asked. "I'm familiar with some of them like Black Cat and Spider-Woman. These people try to help the world, but their past deeds have made them wanted in the eyes of the law."
"Under the current situation, the commissioner will be happy to issue a pardon to the involved parties," Dr. Strange said. "If not, well, we do have Miss Frost to help us out with the more dubious issues."
"What of Wakanda?" T'Challa spoke up. "You specifically requested that I be present in this meeting. Why?"
"Same with me," Namor spoke. "For now, this person's actions have nothing to do with Atlantis."
"You will have much to do with him soon. This… yet-to-be-named team will merely bring the situation to a stalemate. That is when Wakanda and Atlantis will come in and capture Shang Chi. During that time, my sorcerers will analyze his karmic connections and attempt to locate his backer."
"Does it need to be so convoluted? We can just go all out and capture him in one go."
"I don't want his backer to get spooked and hide prematurely, Stark. If it's someone who can so easily give their people Infinity Stones, we can't underestimate them. For now, we need to play their game while minimizing our losses."
"Great, so we get to sit on our asses until the situation completely gets out of hand," Emma Frost said. "I'll be off. I have headmistress duties to take care of."
"Don't forget to send a batch of your mutants to join the new team. We need manpower."
…
"So I will be getting pardoned?" Gwen asked with a complicated expression on her face.
"Yes," Samantha spoke. "I am already aware of the situation regarding the death of Peter Parker and you have my deepest condolences. But the dead cannot be brought back and you can only live on in an attempt to honor their memory, am I correct?"
Gwen took a deep breath, looking at Alex before turning back to Samantha.
"Fine. I agree. I will join your new ragtag team to disrupt Shang Chi's plans. Will the curfew still go on?" She asked.
"Not only that, it will be getting even tighter so that civilian presence does not disrupt the new team's investigations. Even though the authorities are doing their best to uncover the bombs, the momentum isn't slowing. We find and diffuse one bomb and before we know it, we have leads for four more. It's as if that man has the manpower of an entire nation behind him."
Hearing the woman's words, Gwen got thoughtful. She had previously infiltrated Shang Chi's base and the things she saw told her that the situation was much more complicated than a simple revenge plot.
"It's very likely that he's not your main target," she spoke. "Someone like Dr. Strange or logically any Omega Level Mutant should be able to deal with him with relative ease, but instead, you are looking for weaker heroes like myself… You just want us to mitigate the damage as much as possible, don't you?"
"Positive," Samantha smiled. "We believe that Shang Chi is just a pawn in a larger game. Now we have to play that game if we want to get the player. So, are you in?"
"I'm in," Gwen nodded. "Any insight into who else is going to be on the team?"
"I've already met with the Defenders. They are more than happy to help us. You were my second meeting of the day. I'm going to look for Black Cat next."
"And my father? How does he factor into all this?" Gwen asked, looking with concern at George, who just smiled disarmingly and shook his head.
"Considering his relationship with you and his past service to the force, we have decided that having him serve as a contact point between the new team and the police department would be suitable. George Stacy will be serving as the new First Deputy Commissioner of New York City. Officially, he is under the command of the commissioner, but unofficially, he is the point of contact between the newly formed team and the police."
"You've moved up in the world, huh Dad?" Gwen whistled. "Here I thought it would be difficult for you to retain your captainship, but quitting and rejoining seems to have brought you many benefits."
"Okay, since you've agreed, you will be contacted once I have brought together the rest of the members," Samantha got up from the couch. "I'll see you later."
George also stood up to see Samantha out and Gwen turned to Alex with a scathing glare.
"You dickhead, you never tell me anything…" She punched his arm without much intent behind it. "There's all this stuff going on in the background and you just acted like everything was fine. I spent the last two weeks cooped up in here watching movies, damn it."
"In my defense, I would much rather hang out with you and chill instead of infiltrating into the upper echelons of management."
-x-X-x-
Gwen and Alex sat on the couch in the living room, lazily watching a movie.
"You're distracted," Alex said.
"So are you," Gwen retorted. "Admit it, your movie choice is just boring."
"Not the movie," Alex turned to her. "Are you stressed? It's going to work out. Don't worry."
"It's not that," Gwen shook her head. She rested her palm on Alex's chest. "I wonder… I wonder if I even deserve it. I fucked up and to be let go without any consequences just seems a little… unfair."
Alex held Gwen's face, cupping her cheek, "Do you really think you don't deserve that pardon, Gwen?" He asked as his thumb traced her lips. "You have spent the past two years doing good, saving so many people. Ever since you graduated high school, you haven't stopped atoning for that one mistake."
"Doing good can't offset the bad that one does," Gwen said, leaning her face into Alex's palm.
"Don't you think that's a little hypocritical of you? I'm not a saint and you don't seem to be too strung up about how I do things."
"Well, that's you. Your goal is world domination. My goal is just… to help people."
"So you feel that if you get pardoned, your moral high ground won't be as high anymore?" Alex leaned forward, his breath mixing with Gwen's.
"If you help in exchange for something… then you aren't really helping, are you? It's more of a transaction." She reciprocated, brushing her lips against Alex's ear.
"It's always a transaction, Gwen," Alex chuckled, his breath tickling Gwen's ear. "Even when you save someone without the expectation of a reward, you get a rush of dopamine that makes you feel good. Maybe you don't get anything material out of helping people, but you aren't exactly completely selfless."
Gwen gave him a disgruntled look before pressing her lips against his. She didn't seem interested in continuing the conversation.
Minutes passed as the duo made out passionately; Gwen was doing her best to distract herself and Alex obliged. Soon, the doorbell rang.
"I'll go see," Not caring about her disheveled clothes or the erotic blush on her face, Gwen jumped up from Alex's lap and ran to the door. He shook his head at how she just left him to deal with her messy appearance.
"Welcome home, Dad," Gwen looked imploringly at George, blocking the doorway.
"Mind if I enter?" He asked.
"What did they say?" Gwen didn't move.
"Is that any way to ask your father about something like this?"
"Daaad~ Tell me!" Gwen shook her father's arm like a little child throwing a tantrum.
She felt a hand on her head and calmed down, looking up at her father.
"It's done —" Hearing those words, Gwen squealed and tightly hugged George. "Calm down," He patted her back to calm her down. "How about we get inside the house now?"
Gwen nodded with tears in her eyes and stepped back allowing George to enter.
"Evening, son," The man greeted Alex.
"Hey, Mr. Stacy."
George didn't stay in the living room and instead moved to his room to shower and change.
"Alex~" Gwen came to him while squealing. "I got my pardon." She jumped at him, making the couch creak due to the force she used. "I finally got my pardon" She repeated like a broken record as Alex hugged her.
"To think you were all stuck up about whether or not you should be getting the pardon in the first place."
Gwen giggled weakly, tightening her arms around Alex. She was trembling, holding him as tight as she could.
"You know, a normal man's bones would've shattered by now…" Alex teased as Gwen let out a sobbing laugh.
"Fuck off," She tightened her arms even further as if Alex would disappear if she loosened her hold.
…
"Spider Woman, allow me to introduce to you your team for the foreseeable future," Samantha Wilson said. "This is Jessica Jones, a private investigator and a part of the Defenders team." She gestured toward a jet-black-haired woman who gave a nod to Gwen and shook her hand. "This is Iron Fist, he serves as the unofficial leader of the team and is usually the one we contact whenever we need to get something done from them," A blonde man nodded with a smile and shook Gwen's hand.
"Hi, are you single?" He asked. "If you say yes, I'll tell you my secret — hey!" Jessica grabbed the back of his collar and pulled him back.
"Don't mind him, he just gets a little blunt at times." She said succinctly as Gwen recoiled a little.
Samantha shook her head, "Lastly, this is Luke Cage. He and Iron Fist both work as heroes for hire."
Gwen shook the man's hand as he spoke, "Don't mind him. He's just trying to break the ice."
"It's fine," She smiled. "I'm Spider Woman. I guess we'll be working together for a while."
"Get yourselves familiar with each other. Jessica, you should have already received all of the information we have regarding the potential bombing sites."
"What about the other members of the team?" Iron Fist asked. "The Neo Avengers, I mean."
"They are assigned to the other boroughs. You four will be limited to acting in Brooklyn. If you find leads that may take you outside, you forward the information to the respective point of contact for that borough. As for Brooklyn, Jessica is the point of contact. If any of the other teams find information regarding Brooklyn, they will forward it to her."
"What of law enforcement?" Jessica asked. "Will we have to deal with them as well?"
"No, the Governor has already agreed to work with us. Neither the army nor the police will hamper your investigation. If you find something that needs police intervention, Spider-Woman can directly contact the Commissioner's office. Any other questions?" Samantha looked at all four people who shook their heads. "Great, I wish you all the best in your endeavor. The fate of New York and potentially the entire country hangs in the balance. No pressure."
With a cheeky smile, she left the four people in the empty coffee shop.
[How fun, your very own ragtag group of superpowered individuals. They're all probably going to be dysfunctional in their own ways.]
[You haven't already investigated them?] Gwen retorted.
[I have. That's why I know they are all dysfunctional. Especially Jones.]
"So what's our first target?" Gwen asked no one in particular.
"I'm going to need a few minutes to look things up," Jessica said, pulling her laptop out of her bag.
"I'll order us some coffee while she goes through SHIELD's information," Iron Fist was already on the way to the barista.
"So you guys work as heroes for hire," Gwen turned to Luke. "How does that work?"
"We provide investigation and protection services. It's usually bodyguard work and the like," He answered.
"And her?" Gwen pointed at the busy Jessica. "Is she also a member?"
"She has her own practice," Luke shook his head.
"What are you talking about?" Iron Fist appeared, inserting himself into the conversation.
…
As Gwen got busy playing superhero with her new group of friends, Alex put his own plans into motion regarding her planet. Though before doing all of that, he had something else that needed to be taken care of.
Alex's corporeal form appeared inside his soul, right in front of the three Infinity Stones at the center of his soul.
"I apologize for taking so long to devour you guys, but Thor is honestly a hack of a character when it comes to Marvel," Alex looked at the three buff blonde-haired figures that were floating listlessly under the light of the three stones. "I could not for the life of me devour these fuckers despite all of that suppression. Ultimately, I need to actively use one of the stones to devour you three."
Alex had delayed devouring Thor due to how low his Bioenergy number was. But now that he had more than twenty thousand points after devouring the evil dragon, he could finally splurge some to devour these Thors.
As Alex willed it, the green and orange glow of the Time and Soul Stones receded from the suppression light, leaving just the yellow glow of the Mind Stone to suppress the three Thors. They stirred unconsciously as if attempting to break free from the suppression, but it was useless.
[EP -15,000]
Alex immediately consumed fifteen thousand points of Bioenergy to offset the backlash that he would have received after using the Soul Stone to control the minds of the three Thors — five thousand for each. He controlled their subconscious thoughts and lowered their innate defenses. Even killing them wouldn't have weakened their innate defenses by so much because many subconscious aspects of Asgardian physiology would hamper his devouring.
Immediately, a black substance appeared on their bodies that started devouring their entire existence. At the same time, Alex invoked his newly gained ability to devour not only the physiques and abilities but also the souls of the three.
A purple glow escaped from the black substance that had covered the bodies of the three lightning gods, signifying the invocation of ‹Soul Devour›.
As the minutes passed, Alex felt himself being empowered by a ridiculous margin. While the three Thors were on the weaker side and had much of their potential to be realized — that was the entire reason they could be captured by the Nova Corps in the first place — Alex's devouring took not only their actualized abilities but also actualized a part of their potential, empowering him that much more.
Hours passed before the process was finally concluded, leaving nothing behind after Alex devoured the three Thors.
"Finally," Alex exhaled as a euphoric feeling crossed through his entire being. He especially felt the nigh unbelievable empowerment in his soul after invoking the evil dragon's ‹Soul Devour› ability.
'I should add in a numerical representation of my soul as well… Considering I'm going to be devouring souls in the future as well,' With his decision, he opened his upgraded skill panel.
«Skill Acquisition»
«EP/Bioenergy Units: 29,176 -> 14,176»
«Cosmic Energy Units: 0.0000»
«Soul Energy Units: 386 -> 1463»
«Manipulation Abilities»:: ‹Lightning Divinity› ‹Basic Blood Manipulation›
«Innate Abilities»:: ‹Biological Manipulation› ‹Host Enhancement› ‹Devour› ‹Copy›
«Derived Abilities»:: ‹Cosmic Physique Creation› ‹True Sixth Sense› ‹Inventory› ‹Advanced Camouflage› ‹Elemental Immunity› ‹Hypnosis›
«Magical Abilities»:: ‹High Magic Affinity› ‹High Chaos Affinity› ‹Host of the Scarlet Witch› ‹Soul Devour›
«Authorities»:: ‹Time (2.5%)› ‹Mind (2.5%)› ‹Soul (5%)›
«Cosmic Abilities»:: ‹Low Cosmic Manipulation (Incomplete)›
Devouring the Thors finally upgraded his lightning manipulation to the level of Lightning Divinity and even strengthened his physique to the point of overcoming the chasm that was Low Cosmic. Alex could finally crush a planet with his raw strength if he so wished.
As for the newly added Soul Energy Units, Alex used the metric of the number of sustainable bodies to measure that. Previously, he could sustain somewhere along the lines of three hundred bodies at full strength. With the new upgrade, he could maintain 1463 bodies. Of course, it wasn't as easy as that. He could barely sustain the existence of that many bodies at full strength. Actually using his abilities to their fullest with all of those bodies was a much smaller number. A tenth of the main number to be exact.
If he wanted to take action with all his bodies and use complex abilities like lightning or chaos magic, that could only be done by 146 bodies for now.