Raptor of life 13.3 (Patreon)

This is a raw chapter.

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Back with Jean…

I had gone shopping in Wakanda and came back with a nation's worth of knowledge. My head was killing me! I abused Knowledge Replication too many times. But a smile still tugged at my lips; I took all forms of useful information from the Wakandans: research, current and obsolete technologies and medicine were all stored in my memory and the Celestial scanner. While I had been speaking with the Panther Goddess I was also pillaging the minds of the scientists under the Mound.

Wakanda was space capable and walked on the moon a century before the Americans. They solved the problems that Pollution and Global warming would become ahead of its time. They knew how to cure cancer and HIV, they could even clean the oceans of all the human droppings accumulated since the 20th century.

My loathing toward them intensified, as their history, complete technological database and decisions since their foundation flowed into my mind. 

*The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.* Wakanda and its people were the perfect example of why this quote was important. They were sinners, and proud of their civilization and traditions. 

I was American, and I had been raised into not giving into the sin of giving into political and moral apathy. I had been raised by reading about true Heroes like Steve Rogers, who taught me that when bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.

It means that if you allow something to happen that was inherently evil when you had knowledge or experience that the event happening was wrong morally, then you would have let “evil” win and have its way and it will have “triumphed.”

The People of Wakanda may have felt they could not interfere when the european slavers had come because “it was none of their business”. Or were afraid that they would be the next target and attracted the attention of those foreign empires at the time. Or maybe, they assumed somebody else would step up and say something. Or thought they could not spare the time. Or may even think that perhaps they were misjudging the situation.

There may be a hundred ways they had rationalized this to make themselves not feel guilty and think to themselves “If only I had….?”. But the results are basically the same. They let this horrible crime happen through apathy or fear or disinterest or embarrassment or the fear of making a mistake. 

And the result of this could be an escalation of the situation beyond anyone’s control and to a greater disaster for many more than the original situation involved. *Like my arrival at Wakanda and Bast blessing Shuri and basically making her the future Queen, an event that will surely turn into a Civil War as the T’Challa of this reality was just like the comic book one, driven by lust and love for a weather Goddess, power hungry, and shortsighted.*

They could save billions with their medical science, but they don’t want any trouble; their power over the life of everyone on this planet has thus become complete. ‘Evil’ has won because no one ‘good’ had the courage to stand against this injustice.

I exhaled and let go of my hatred and disgust. I knew that the domain and mission of Phoenix pushed my feelings to an extreme, Wakanda was stagnant. And my job was to fix or destroy stagnation to let life blossom and evolve. I didn’t need my Phoenix costume to see that I was in Dark Phoenix mode still, it was the power calling me out to destroy that stain on Earth speaking and tempting me.

My feelings settled and I returned to normal, my Phoenix aura disappearing; I let my personal powers take the lead. I stopped flying and ended up floating over between the border of Mohannda and Wakanda. Then I realized that the first steps I had given myself were now complete, now it was time to safeguard my allies and rid this world of Hydra, then will come the time to comprehend, build and innovate.

“Life is good.” I told myself with a smile while I returned to Klaw’s base to rejoin my team.

# # #

(Nick Fury)

Egypt Base
Communication Room
10:20 AM

Nick adjusted his new eyepatch, Jean had offered it to him after putting some kind of gadget that gave him X-Ray and infrared vision linked to his brain in the form of a cybernetic eye. She had given him the choice between healing his right eye or giving him an upgrade that would give him an edge in the field. Nick had almost died in his previous bolt hole because Hydra used those special agents with cloaking suits. But with his prosthetic eye he could now see them.

A thin smile appeared on his face. If Jean Grey didn’t stop that Hydra agent from completely sticking his knife into his eye, Nick wouldn’t be here; eating the redhead’s food and enjoying the comfort of advanced technology in her new base. Nick leaned in the comfy leather chair, moved the mouse on the right side and on the screen facing him he could scroll down information about Hydra’s dark net that Jean Grey has access to. She allowed him unlimited access to it to come up with a plan to take down Hydra forever.

Nick would have found this fact alarming if Jean hadn't shown him the proof of how she had been abducted, the video recordings of her starting to kill everyone inside had scared the agent. If that had happened in the SHIELD HQ, she would have emptied the facility of life in less than one hour.

He was still wary of the young woman, there was this animosity between them born from his previous actions. But Nick was gradually overcoming his paranoia. Nick narrowed his eyes as he noticed the link guiding to the log of numerous numbered chat rooms. Before clicking on it, he changed the setting of the application and joined by appearing offline as the option was there.

EncryptedChatRoom #056/Date:12/20/1996

Alca: There were difficulties in retrieving the asset.
Jinta021: Should the asset’s rating be raised?
BVS: If she doesn’t join, destroy her, she’s too dangerous otherwise.
SnowPiercer: @BVS Let me have another chance to bring her in, we got leverage.
Alca: You Failed and are now asking another chance?!
SnowPiercer: I had just underestimated the asset.
Alca: She killed everyone sent after her and took samples of the cloaking suits.
BVS: Enough! @SnowPiercer I am leaving you another chance, but if you fail me again…
SnowPiercer: Thank you for this opportunity sir. @Jinta021 Can I count on your assistance?
Jinta021: Of course.
…

Nick found it interesting that the previous owner of this base had a backdoor into Hydra. *Was he a member? Or a cautious individual keeping an eye on those degenerates?*

What was more worrying was that he was certain that the guy with the SnowPiercer handle was the source of their problems; the others he had no idea who they were, so he was going to look for more clues. After one hour passed, Nick closed his eyes; there was no way to quell the anger simmering in him as he clicked on the printing button.

While he waited for the documents to be printed, Nick looked at the roster on screen and Hydra wasn’t only in SHIELD, but in the CIA, the Secret Service, the US Congress, the very fabric of his government, embedded at all levels. He wanted a drink, something strong enough to drown his despair. “How do you fight something like that? Peggy, how did you do it the first time?” Nick asked out loud.

He respected the woman even more now. Nick remembered how Peggy had told him how she fought this organization while being discriminated against in the SSR. Nick envied her the strength of character she possessed and he asked himself if this was the indirect influence of people such as Steve Rogers who instilled such greatness in others? The noises of the printer having finished its job interrupted him. He took the stack of papers and began reading through it.

Baron Wolfgang von Strucker
Alexander Pierce
Elisa Sinclair
Valentina Allegra de Fontaine
Count Otto Vermis
Arnold Brown
Edgar Lascombe
Tony Masters
Arnim Zola
Gideon Malick
Colonel Hale
Daniel Whitehall
Jasper Sitwell
…

On and on the list went, and the more depressed Nick became, it wasn’t just the USA, but Europe, Japan, South America. They are everywhere. He put the stack of paper on before him onto the desk. Slowly he began to laugh and then hysteria won over and for five minutes he didn’t stop. “Motherfucker.”

Nick's mind went into overdrive and he began to come up with a plan, something daring, something simply crazy. He opened a new document on Stark Office and began writing:

Operation
CLEAN SWEEP

or

Operation Kill the Motherfucking Infiltrators

With a satisfied nod, Nick began to write out his proposition for how to handle taking down Hydra, it’s facilities and agents with the help of Jean and some of her powered assets. He was sure that she wouldn’t refuse. *No she won’t, they took Peggy and she loves her to bits.*

At the same time Nick took out a device from his black coat, it was boxy, and with a digital screen showing the date and a number of names on them, at the end of it was a USB key that he connected to the computer. A window opened with an executable file on it and as he was still connected to the Internet he double clicked on it.

A series of dark windows with code scrolling down appeared and Nick smiled savagely. He sent an email to all the active agents he trained himself, even those fresh out of the SHIELD academy. Agent Barton, Agent Morse, Agent Hill, Agent May… and the list continued, he sent a code that only they would understand.

“I will have to speak with Grey to go assemble them.”

# # #

Back with Jean…
Flying over Egypt Base
12:05 PM (Egypt time)

The operation was a success. My gains weren't material and Chimera was disappointed that we let go of the literal multiple tons of Vibranium. I had to sell them the idea that knowledge was more precious than material gain at this point and Vibranium wasn’t a rare commodity for us after showing them that I could literally produce tons of it by transmuting other materials into it.

“We are landing, Boss.” Chimera said out loud while I was thinking of the current events.

I nodded, looking at big gates covered in rocks to camouflage the entrance of Hangar one opened with screeching noises. I made notes to oil them later or find another type of entrance, maybe hard-light holograms mimicking the mountain environment? Once open fully, Chimera guided the Samson into the mouth of the hangar and pushed the command to lock up again once we were sufficiently far in the landing bay.

Chimera landed on landing pad number four, there was no one to welcome us but I sent a telepathic message to Jessica and Cindy that I was there. Gwen was busy in the lab… she made herself at home with surprising ease; so I didn’t bother calling her. The Samson landed with a thunk that made me jolt from my seat, fortunately I had my safety belt. I glared at Chimera who looked sheepishly at me and began the post flight checks.

The cockpit depressurized and the access door behind swished like a star trek door. I loved the effect, I resolved to have the same system for my personal rooms later. The interior of the Samson had some seats near the cockpits and against the wall separating from the engines. Klaw was there, in a younger body and already annoying the hell of Regan by offering to teach her about fine music. Arclight noticed my appearance and threw me a pleading gaze to intervene.

Sighing, I said with a voice cracking like a whip, “Klaw, leave her alone, she’s too young for you anyway.”

He jumped, looked at me and gulped as if I was really scary or something. “But-” I already was regretting placing his mind into a younger clone body, the body hormones and  brain chemicals were affecting him already.

I waved a hand and his safety belt unlocked. “I don’t want to hear it, come, we need to get you squared away.”

Looking at Regan I saw a bit of gratitude in her eyes but there was also resentment as I put her in this situation. Klaw massaged his clean shaven chin, he looked somewhat handsome but his crazy laugh was a deal breaker. “Girly, you run a tight ship…” Then he smiled and went to open the door of the Samson and got out after sending a kiss to Regan.

The blonde teen slammed her fist against the armrest of her seat. “I hate that guy!” I felt her fury as if it was mine, the girl might have some smidgen of projective empathy power.

I was happy that she wasn’t skittish as I approached her, Regan stared at me with stubbornness. “He isn’t really interested in you. He is doing that because he knows you are the sniper who killed all of his men, he is taunting you.”

Regan stared at me angrily then, and was about to say something truly negative but she caught herself and realized who I was and that I could presume to know what people thought or felt. “Oh.”

I took one of my loaded SPAS-12 combat shotguns from Goldie hammer space and threw it in Regan’s waiting hands. “If he continues, shoot him in the pelvis with this.”

Regan smiled predatorily as she checked the Italian weapon and fondled it. Her eyes then focused on me and she plastered a wicked smile on her face. “Attractive plan. Aren’t you afraid that I might kill him?”

I shrugged. “Even if he dies, I can bring him back.” Then I left the Samson, letting Regan ponder on what I just said.

Klaw was waiting for me and when he saw me, he saluted me with an eager and looney grin on his face. The… worshipful feelings of admiration and respect he had toward me were embarrassing and overwhelming. It was starting to bother me, but I just turned my empathy way down to tolerate the guy.

“Well girly, you still didn't tell me what you did to-”

I cut him off by pointing a finger and touching his forehead and showing him exactly what happened in Wakanda. Their reactions to my coming, their nonsensical xenophobia; my destroying of their country-wide defenses, my almost killing the royal family only to be thwarted by the panther goddess, the humiliation and loss of identity of Wakanda, the future Civil War that will tear them up from the inside. “Is this enough for you, Klaw?”

Klaw laughed, it was a full belly laugh of relief. “You girly, you don't fuck around; I've been trying to get back at them for a long time and you just waltz in and kickass. So, yeah that is enough for me it is even better than killing all of them.”

I nodded as I sensed his approval; the revengeful thought inside of him quelled for good. Now Klaw was thinking more about all the free time he will have for his research and his hobbies that were all about music. No more politics, no more managing a bunch of mercenaries and worry about backstabbing. Klaw loved the fact that I was now in charge, that I seemed to respect my people, from what he has observed so far.

I didn’t smile back, but with a clank I crossed my arms under my breastplate. “At a later date we are going to discuss your employment details, the rules here in the base, the type of research that I want you to do. Though I would prefer that you focus on your sound technology.”

Klaw eyes shone with interest. “Weaponry, civilian engineering?”

I felt that it was the only field that interested him, so I nodded. “You got it. Any research you succeed in, you file the patent under yours and my name for now. When I open Grey Corporation, sixty percent of the royalties will go to you. I am not here to steal a man's work, I want you to help me better this world.”

A derisive glint replaced the interest from earlier. Klaw disapproved. “You are an idealist.”

I didn’t care what he thought of my goals for the future, but I decided to speak in terms he would understand, men like him were selfish. “No, a pragmatist. I want money, safety for me and mines, a clean world and I fucking want to go to space and meet aliens and-”

"Kill them?" Klaw unhelpfully finished my sentence… He showed teeth. What surprised me was the fact that Klaw didn’t think that I was crazy because I believed in alien life.

“No!” I cried out, but I thought about the Shi’ar and the Kree and said,  “...maybe, if they piss me off? But before we are ready for spaceflight and touring the galaxy we need to raise the level of civilization of this world. If Wakanda doesn't want to do it…” I smiled predatorily and made a fist. “Then, I will.”

Klaw's smile gradually disappeared as his thoughts echoed my opinion. <Even if they were idiots, they have the tech for it… That’s really too bad she couldn't samples of them, but the girly think the right way.>

I laughed, he finally thought what I wanted him to. I decided to reel him in further by asking, “Klaw, can you keep a secret?”

The old man in a young body stood straighter and nodded. “For you girly, I will!”

I produced the boxy Celestial scanner and showed it to Klaw. With a mental command it showed us in a three dimensional holo-screen the schematics of the Royal Talon Fighter that the Black Panther uses and disassembled it by components. “Their technology database and repository, I downloaded it all. What they know, now I do.” I said in a low and triumphant voice.

The holo-screen showed an exploded view of the Talon Fighter, though the language and specifications were in Celestial, Klaw could follow what was shown to him. He lifted his head and looked at me with half-lidded eyes and said, “Marry me?” 

I didn’t feel any lust coming from him, so I didn’t blast him with my optic blast power. What Klaw seemed to like was my deviousness and thief-like nature; it was flattering in a way. And it was at this moment that Cindy, with her Silk costume appeared in an upside down position hanging from a spiderweb, then landed and placed herself between us, taking a fighting stance as she glared at Klaw. “Back off or else…” her vibranium claws deployed from her hands, shining red with red electric hue.

Wow she was getting good at that ninja thing… I put a hand on her shoulder. “He didn’t mean it, don't kill him.”

Cindy relaxed but still glared at Klaw. “You are lucky.” She harrumphed and hugged me, I placed a smooch on her lips, making Cindy smile back to me contentedly. Then Cindy placed herself at my side, a hand around my waist.

Klaw looked somewhat shocked, it made me chuckle. The Celestial scanner was reabsorbed by my Symbiote and was now safe inside it. “Well, like I was saying Klaw… we are going to change the world. I would appreciate it if you could direct me to other scientists like you. But try to avoid spies and Hydra agents, I will know what they are.”

Looking a bit embarrassed by my and Cindy’s physical display of affection, Klaw nodded. “Err… I will make you a list.”

I nodded and sent a message to my Butler. <Hans we are back, will you sort out the Cargo we have and help situating our new resident scientist?>

<I will be there in five.> Hans answered back, I felt that he was busy with something but decided to let it go to do what I asked.

“Wait here, someone will come fetch you.” I said to Klaw and I let all his stuff that we had placed into boxes between him and myself. I waved at him and left Hangar one with Cindy holding my hands, we were met with a flying Jessica who placed herself at my side.

# # #

“Where did you find this guy?” Cindy asked, still wary of the strange man.

*Here comes the questions.* I thought, we have been walking in silence for a while, heading toward the common room in the dormitories. 

My armor was subtly being replaced by normal clothes by Goldie, the cuirass by a strapless bra quickly covered by a black caged cupped bralette; my armored pants by a black cargo pants with lots of pockets, my gauntlets by fingerless gloves. But I kept my armored boots on.

I sighed and began to enlighten them. “Ulysses Klaw, scientist, business entrepreneur and outlaw. He is now working for me.”

“A criminal?” Jessica piped up in astonishment. 

I stopped walking, Cindy and Jessica did the same and looked askance at me. Hoping that I was joking, but the expression on my face didn't shift from neutral. “Yes.”

Cindy frowned, locks of hair framing her face, she had a really attractive middle-parted hairstyle. “Jean… why did you bring such a guy here?”

“When I am done with Hydra, I plan to open a business. I want the smartest people in the world working for me, there’s Gwen who is my friend and first recruit, then now there’s Klaw who I wish to keep for his mind. Not his personality, he is too off putting for that. You don’t have to worry about your safety, I made sure that he wouldn't betray me or hurt anyone I love.”

<I will tell you why later, okay?> I sent into their minds.

The two of them looked at each other, there was doubt on their faces, but they decided to trust me, after all I didn't lead them astray yet and I always kept my promises.

“So, what have you been up to?” Jessica asked while I linked fingers with Cindy.

“I brought a Nation to its knees today.” I said absently while thinking that I needed to have a discussion with Cindy about her jealous outbursts.

Jessica laughed and slapped my back with her super strength, it made me almost fall and I gave her a dirty look that she ignored then she asked, “Right… no really, what did you do today?”

Huh she didn’t like the full truth? Fine, I will somewhat sanitize it. “Hmm, I went to capture Klaw and make him work for me, then I went to steal technologies from a hidden country.”

Jessica laughed nervously at my casual mention of stealing from somewhere. She could barely accept that I was a thief, after the deal with Oscorp, if she knew that I was a murderer as well… I may lose my friend over it. She was giving me an out, to lie to herself and preserve our friendship.

*But soon, Jessica you won’t be able to hide your head in the sand.* I smiled impishly at her.

Jessica punched my shoulder, I fortunately saw it coming and reinforced my body with TK. “That’s better, you shouldn’t joke like that, sometimes you sound like a comic book villain.”

I turned my head and looked at my girlfriend who shook her head at Jessica’s antics. The thing is that Cindy completely believed me and it was only Jessica who still thought I was a saint. It didn’t matter to her that I killed bad guys, at all. I smiled at her, and she smiled back. <I love you.> I sent her and she answered back with her mind not as loud as I would want but she said it.

<I love you too.> Cindy was less proficient in the mind arts than Jessica, it was a strange dichotomy.

Jessica was strong mentally, and if she had telepathic powers I am sure that she would be at least Alpha level. It’s worth cultivating, I will ask Jessica if she wants to be psychic later. As we reached the common room, we stopped before a statue that I had made with my power with bronze, it was a Gal Gadot in her Wonder Woman costume posing with fists on her hips.

I informed my friends and lover that, “I’m going to make a new costume. Then I have some really heavy stuff to speak with my parents and Phil. ” I said by counting on my fingers all I had to do today. “By the way Jess, Cindy. You’ll be told too, okay?”

The two of them became wary at this point. Cindy let go of my hand and narrowed her eyes, while Jessica crossed her arms.

“How heavy?” Jessica asked.

She has always been smart, and knew me very well; when I said things in an innocuous tone that I am being serious.

“Heavier than the drama with Cindy’s mom.” I answered with a quip.

Jessica’s brown eyes widened, she stepped back and uncrossed her arms showing her shock. “That much?”

Cindy poked me with her index finger. “Hey! Since when did my family life become a ladder for drama?”

“I dunno, ask Jean.” Jessica shrugged. That traitorous bitch was throwing me under the bus.

We had a discussion with our respective family about what to do when (not if) Cindy would have to run away from home, if ever one of us could take her in. Jessica had said that Alisa would help Cindy after seeing how the woman behaved; my mom simply said yes and that was it. 

Cindy glared at me and simply said,  “No sex for you tonight.”

“No!” It was as if it was the end of the world; and I found myself simply trying to change her mind now.

The asian girl simply shook her head with an angry expression. “You are being punished…”

I sighed heavily, while Jessica, that bitch laughed at our antics. “Girls, sometimes I think I will catch diabetes if I stay near you too much…”

After this romp of banter, we went our separate ways; Cindy had to help my mother with lunch and Jessica choose to roam the base to familiarize with it as she was sure that it wasn’t the only time she would be here. As for me? I was already starting on a project that I had put off for long enough. I had my Phoenix armor and it was rad, but I wished for the costume I will use since I couldn’t be Phoenix to the world.

I had already asked Pete to make the gadgets for me with my specifications, it was now to bring the terror of the Bat into the Marvel universe. I already had a design in mind, it seemed simple at first but it would mainly be a tri-weave vibranium/umf suit. Though just as I thought about it, my new stolen knowledge was already helping me make some adjustments. 

Teleporting to the Lab Complex, I was surprised to feel that Gwen was there in the bioengineering sector and that Peter was working on his own costume design on the computer. I had teleported before the entrance of the computer room. Peter must have felt me as he looked behind him then waved at me with a smile. I smiled back and nodded at him. This was a change from his previous behavior that I find myself liking more.

I walked up to Peter. Slaloming between the desks and workbenches. “Hard at work, Pete?”

Peter wore a tight red muscle shirt with jeans ripped at the knees and combat boots. He was cute and drool worthy now that I noticed, it must be because he had stopped scowling at me. He has the body of a martial artist and a brilliant mind. Interesting to see that I was still attracted to men even with Cindy in my life. Peter did the same and checked me out, but he didn't feel attracted to me like other teenagers his age. It was more like looking at a good painting than lusting after me, I felt flattered.

Peter took his hands off the keyboard and stood up to face me. “More or less, there’s so many things I want to cram into the new armored suit...”

A quirky smile tugged on my lips and Peter made a ‘Uh oh’ expression on his face when I told him, “You are going to hate me then, I have even more updates to enter in the database.”

Peter looked shocked. “Damn…”

He had already made a lot of advancement with the current repository of tech from Sinister. Me coming back with even more tech negating his work is kind of crushing; so much so that I decided to reassure him about my intentions. “Though it will take time to implement, we will have to make do with what we have already.”

The young man sighed, then glared at me. “You scared me.”

I smiled at the face he was making, I raised my hand to his face and pinched his right cheek. He batted it away, blushing a little as he wasn’t used to me touching him.

After laughing at him, I continued to speak after he stopped glaring and rubbing his cheek. “Don’t worry about the work you have already done, but... any new costumes we make is going to wait for after I build the tools needed for the fabricator I have in mind.”

I felt that he was about to speak about Gwen’s costume when what I just said registered; his eyes brightened with interest. “Like the one in star trek?”

“No, those use matter-energy conversion. The ones I am speaking about are more about using nanotechnology to break down material and configure it into something else to the user’s specification on the nanoscale level.”

Walking up to me and taking my arms in his hand, Peter who looked astonished asked, “You can do that?!”

I nodded and used Photokinesis to show him schematics, photons bent under my will and took on the form I wished, creating box shaped constructs with complex components inside tem. “With my power? Certainly. But I also have the technology in my memory to reach such a result, but first I need the Energy generation necessary for it, the computing power and time… Pete?”

As Pete thought about the possibilities of the Wakandan Fabricator, he finally registered that I called his name. “Yeah?”

Nerd boys were easily distracted… “Did your parents tell you about our problem with SHIELD and Hydra?”

Pete stepped back from me and sat on the desk at his right, then looked at me. “Bad business, I knew those mooks you had hooked up with were trouble.”

I remembered that Peter didn’t trust any of the SHIELD agents that came to accompany us on my way to school. For a good reason, sometimes Hydra agents were amongst them. “Not all of them were bad, Peggy, Phil and I guess Nick are good people.” 

Narrowing his eyes at me, Peter who had observed me keenly spoke, “You like the first two, I hear it in your voice... but you are not sure about the last one.”

I was shocked that he was that perceptive! I looked at the boy in a new light and smiled at him. Then I decided to be a bit more forthright with him. “Well he did try to get me arrested once and put an inhibitor collar on me.”

I showed Peter with a hologram what the collars looked like. After observing the three dimensional construct, Peter’s eyes focused on me. “What are those?” There was an edge in his voice, as he already suspected what those did.

Without my eyes blinking I revealed what those could do, “They are collars that dampen the powers of Metahumans. It’s used by governments aware of powered people like us to control us or… enslave us.”

Peter closed his eyes, his hands that were in his lap tightened into fists. “Fury… I don’t like that guy.”

I chuckled, “I am on the fence about him. He means well but he is a spy, and often takes morally grey decisions or does things that no one would; for god and country, of course.”

The man was completely different from the MCU cookie cutter version of himself, I had expected that he would be like him but he was completely different and less experienced than the one from the comics that I am aware of. His paranoia was driving him into not trusting anyone. To be frank I had expected him to be a bit like Bruce Wayne, with contingency for everyone if they ever went rogue. But the man went beyond that and it was unhealthy. 

In a sense I wanted to be like Bruce Wayne too, this was Marvel! There’s Skrulls here, and telepathy was a thing, I needed to up my game to be ready for anything too. I wanted to be like Bruce Wayne in a good way, but I won’t do that to my friends or family and let lay around the secrets to their weaknesses for my enemies to hack for. No, I will keep everything to myself and the AI that I…

*Yes, an AI, I needed one and a Quantum Computer.* An Octahedron data core with multiple Isolinear chips housed in crystal-like motherboards were surging into my mind, the schematic coming and assembling slowly. This was a bit of the alien tech that the Wakandan people who found alien technology based their tech on, this is where the Isolinear circuitry came up and why it was so star trekish…*They have been holding that they were roaming the world for those, huh.*

Peter lifted his head from his contemplation and stared me in the eyes, his voice tight. “The greater good?” He interrupted my train of thoughts because he was dead on target. Xavier was all about the Greater Good and didn’t do shit, but Fury’s oath of protection was all about protecting the Earth and he was going to do anything for it, even steal the freedom of little ol’ me.

“Yes.” I nodded.

Peter snorted. “Countless people died for the notion of greater good that some men use. It is often not defined whose good they have in mind.”

That surprised me. “Oh Pete, you are so wise. I understand what you mean, so I should stay professional with the man but don’t get cozy with him.”

Peter glared at me for the compliment he thought was a bit demeaning, but he realized that I was serious, blushed a bit and coughed in his hand to avoid my gaze. “That’s kind of a good approach to your problem. Treat him like an ally, but stay wary. They brought everyone into their own business and we were chased from our homes and had to hide.”

It was a bit unfair to think that everything that happened was Peggy’s fault, if I hadn’t come onto the radar of the spy agency, none of this would have happened. “But it’s my fault-” I tried to explain to Pete.

Only for him to put a hand on my arm to interrupt me. “No it isn’t, they forced you to work for them, remember?”

He had a point, I didn’t set SHIELD to look for me, I was kind of doing well by myself at the time. Sighing, I nodded to Peter. “Yeah…”

# # #

14:05 PM
White board room
Lab Complex

After Peter, of all people, assuaged my fears about the level of responsibilities I had in the entire Hydra debacle, we went back to work. I found myself back in the whiteboard room, the walls were covered with whiteboard and there was still the throne that I had made from the stone ground. This time I had gathered different marker pens in different canisters.

Opening them, the black markers flew and began to take annotations of what I wanted for my costume for the next operation. It would be all about Stealth and the Phoenix Armor won’t do it as it is too flashy. I needed different alter-egos to survive in this reality to confound my enemies. I was the Phoenix avatar, I am also Jean Grey, why shouldn’t I add another mask to my collection, though I don’t want to lose myself in them like Hank Pym did.

They were just going to be part of myself. With the red Marker pen I drew a stylized bat symbol, then I began to write down what I wanted.

Prototype Vibranium Microweave Mesh: For each layer of vibranium mesh I must add this new method stolen from the mound’s scientists. The microweave robs incoming objects of their momentum; bullets do not ricochet off, but simply fall to the ground when they come in contact with the weave. It reduces the chances of being stabbed, however, if the attacker slashes along the costume’s grain it can be cut. Nevertheless it’s durability should be tremendous.

Conductivity Control: Low Infrared Signature with grey latex coating to dampen heat signature. Making the suit’s user difficult to detect with night-vision equipment.

Musculature Motility Layer: Follows occupant's motion.

Transpirable Teflon-Based Temperature Control: Controls the Internal Temperature of the Wearer. The same as my Phoenix Armor.

Proto-Adamantium clawed gauntlet: Proto-Adamantium metal gauntlets with angular fin blades on the forearms with tipped nails with dense Vibranium cores sheathed under them. Enable them to cut, rend and pierce through anything. 

Flexible Vibranium Mobile Shielding: It offers increased strength and protection through extra Vibranium plating while retaining flexibility for speed and mobility. 

I looked at the notes and the sketch of the suit, it strangely resembled the first iteration of Batgirl’s purple suit. Though I wouldn’t let it be purple but grey. It lacked a little something… *Ah!* I realized what was missing.

I erased part of the costume at the hips level and began sketching a red belt.

Utility Belt: lightweight belt with magnetized impact-resistant pouches, and canisters attached to the belt at ergonomic points for ease of reach. 

Nodding, I was satisfied to see that the base suit would be as good as my armor if not more effective. The flexible mobile shielding would be made to go over the base suit like a vest and pants. Now it was time to think about the gadgets, and the first thing I needed to make was a grapple gun, restraining equipment, non-lethal weapons such as a pistol and rifle with directed energy similar to the electro laser idea from SHIELD but pushed to eleven with several safety settings.

If I worked until tomorrow I am sure that I will be able to pull it off. Just to cheat I ignited my inner fire, my body wreathed in a shroud of fire. My Phoenix power would sustain me. I didn’t need to sleep, drink or eat when I was in this state.

# # #

December 22nd, 1996
05:56 AM

The 3D printer stopped its task, the lid open and a pedestal raised from the grey box shaped device.  Each piece of the suit was lovingly and neatly put on display making me coo in delight. There was even the high-tech mask I added at the last minute that will let me see in the infrared and ultraviolet portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. 

It was ready, but it still had to test it. I took the mask first and placed it on my face and used the special lock to keep it firmly there behind my neck. The special lenses made me see the world as if I was looking at a 4K screen, making my normal vision incredible, then I pushed a button on the right side of the  mask and activated the infrared mode. The walls were blue and the machines and computers were bright red and yellow.

Another push of the button and suddenly I could see the bones of my hands and my veins and arteries. Turning my eyes toward the 3D printer, I could see inside the different layers and components. I needed an onboard computer or an AI linked to the suit to be able to take advantage of such advances… I guess that the next version will be more high-tech.

The clawed gauntlets worked like a charm, thanks to the adamantium formula present in the database I could easily produce it with my powers. I mixed the alloy with vibranium to form proto-adamantium, it is completely indestructible. I scratched the stone ground with the claws and it gave as if it was butter. I whistled.

“Well, I will need to be careful with this.”

The next test was even simpler, I placed the base suit and the flexible mobile shielding pieces on a mannequin and fired at it with a pistol. The bullets were stopped and fell harmlessly on the ground. They didn’t flatten against it but their moment has been stolen completely. I tried with an automatic rifle and it was the same result.

I nodded. “Good job me.”

[In position: Ready to absorb.]

“Do it Goldie!”

And my symbiote latched on the suit and began to absorb it into its hammer space just like it did for all my clothes in my wardrobe some months ago. My Phoenix Armor was made part of Goldie as well, I could put my suits on instantly.

Then Goldie slowly began to clad me in grey suit, my boots and gauntlets were black and completely snug. My utility belt appeared around my hips next, as I didn’t have any mirror, I used my TK to solidify the air before me and make it into ice, a highly reflective rectangle floated before me, then I looked at myself.

I traced the crimson bat symbol on my chest, the armor was emphasizing my womanly figure. I looked good, but when I looked at my masked face, I vaguely looked demonic, it was an exact replica of Batwoman’s mask from the comics. The lenses in the eyes of the mask were completely blank, it was an anti-glare system in case someone used a blinding grenade.

The suit lacked a cape, but I saw The Incredibles in my previous life and I didn’t want to die because I wanted to look cool. Instead of a cape, I decided to come up with an add-on customized cloak. I had played enough Batman Arkham to know how powerful the mystique of the cape was; By adopting the style of a bat, Batman essentially created the myth that he was something mysterious and not just a man, We can see that after his first appearance in Batman Begins, people started to speculate whether he was just a bat, or a monster.

The cape hid his human figure and gave him a more mythical appearance. This intimidated criminals and hence gave Batman an advantage. Besides, the cape worked to his advantage. He could use it as a form of theatricality and deception by using the cape. While moving, one could not find out where he exactly was since the cape was moving.

It was back to the building board for me and I thought that I was going to take advantage of the Hard Light technology pilfered from the Wakandan. 

Two hours later, I was back in the whiteboard room, still wearing my Batwoman suit and writing annotations for a backpack Hard Light projector. It will need hours of coding to even get it right with technology. The cloak would become intangible while in combat or movement but simulate billowing movement when I moved. 

In tangible mode it could become wings which enables me to glide on air-currents for a short time. The cloak can be elongated, shortened or eliminated with a thought, and the entire suit can be covered allowing it to pass as normal street clothes or render me completely invisible. 

*Wow, cloaking technology? Let’s make it better than the one Hydra uses.*

# # #

(Elaine & John Grey, Phil Coulson)

Lab Complex
06:58 PM

Elaine was worried. Jean hadn't been seen since yesterday afternoon, she had even asked Cindy while she was in their shared bedroom, seated on the bed. The girl didn't know and had rather looked lonely and looked at the door leading to somewhere Elaine hadn't had the pleasure to find herself in yet. Straightening her white sundress, the Grey Matriarch turned to her husband who shrugged and walked toward the door and opened it. Before Elaine could move, Cindy warned her, “You shouldn't go, she's going to brush you away as she seems to be doing something important.” The black haired girl said with a pout.

This was strange for Elaine,  Jean was more polite normally. “That’s what she told you?”

*More important than enjoying her time with you?* Elaine was already more than aware that Cindy and Jean were past kissing and petting, it was self-evident in the way that they moved or looked at each other. But Jean brushing off the love of her life? Something was afoot. 

Cindy nodded and put the tablet computer in her hands at her side. “Yes, and be careful, she will prank you with her new gadgets.”

The girl scowled in reminiscence at something and silently muttered things she will do in revenge to Jean.

Elaine was aware of the free spirited nature of her daughter, she was also a jokester with the people she loved. She could take a joke really far sometimes. “How bad was it?” The Grey matriarch found herself asking.

With a haunted look in her brown eyes, Cindy said, “Be careful of dark places.”

Elaine nodded, a chill coursing through her at the same time. She handed the jar full of vanilla chips cookies to Cindy. “Thank you and please take this cookie jar for yourself. I heard that your powers make you a big eater.” It was a bribe to reward the girl from snitching on her daughter.

Her eyes glittering, Cindy was pleased and took the jar from Elaine's hands."Thank you Mrs E!"

“Call me Elaine, remember?”

Cindy looked sheepish. “I will try…” The young girl opened the jar and began to devour her first cookie in earnest.

Turning back to the door, Elaine saw that her husband didn't wait for her, she frowned and entered the corridor. It was barely lit, there was space between each lamp leading the way. Elaine asked herself where her husband was and why did he leave without her. Her answer was before her when she saw the back of John as he watched something.

She came up from behind him and placed herself at his side and froze, there were countless eerie things on the cavernous space’s ceiling. *Are those bats?*

Some of the flying vermins came flying toward them in a big cloud of them, John shielded his wife by placing himself before them and braced himself. What wasn’t his surprise to feel the bats pass through them. The  flapping of their wings didn’t emit any sounds and that’s what clued John Grey that what they were seeing was an illusion.

“Hi, mom, dad.” A voice said from behind them.

They looked back and saw a caped figure with a demonic look with scarlet red hair, the face was pale and lips blood red.

“Aaaaaah!” John screamed and took his wife by the hand and fled, only to be stopped by Elaine from moving.

Elaine instantly recognized the voice of her daughter and any fear she felt was automatically crushed. This was what Cindy had tried to tell them, their daughter had felt them coming toward her and chose to prank them by scaring them. “Jean! Think about your father’s heart!”

As if struck, the costumed girl stepped back. “Oops.”

John held a hand on his heart and stared between his wife and daughter, unbelieving of what had just happened. He had screamed like a… girl. Jean looked even more sheepish as she without a doubt felt their emotions.

“Take off that silly mask.” Elaine ordered.

The young woman obeyed, the mask simply disappeared slowly from her face as if it melted. Jean’s face was now visible. She didn’t look happy at all suddenly.

Elaine narrowed her eyes. “What did you think you were doing?”

Fidgeting, Jean couldn’t look into the eyes of her mother and found her booted feet interesting. “I’m sorry.” She finally said.

The Grey Matriarch took her daughter’s face between her hands and made her look into her eyes and  said with cold and perfect inflections. “That’s not me who you should say sorry to.”

Jean’s head shifted to the left and she said with utmost honesty. “I’m sorry, dad.”

John let go of his wife and hugged his young daughter. “It’s okay, I was… not ready for this.” The elder Grey held onto his chest, looking a bit pained.

Jean looked even more guilty, but this expression suddenly shifted into a determined look. “I should have thought about it before, but later I’m going to give each of you a check up and fix the little things that ail you.”

John laughed and hugged her daughter again, caressing her hair. Jean didn’t even struggle, even thought she didn’t like being treated like a little girl. “You don’t have to.” Her father said.

The redhead stepped back from him and her eyes narrowed, a sign that her decision was made. “I want you in my life for a long time, so I will do that.”

Elaine sighed, and poked her husband between the ribs, eliciting a yelp from him. “Let the girl do what she wants, John.”

Jean laughed, then frowned as she realized something. “Err, it’s not that I don’t want you here, but what brought you?” 

John noticed how the cape things on his daughter seemed to be entirely made of darkness; it weirded him out and made his eyes water. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

Elaine was the one to answer Jean. “You have been absent since yesterday afternoon, and we were worried.”

Jean froze as she was made aware of the time. “Oh, hmm what time is it?”

“7:00 PM, Jean.” John helpfully informed her.

Jean opened her eyes wide and looked horrified. “Already?! But It was barely morning when I was working on my Hard Light projector!”

Elaine looked at her daughter who was shocked by the news brought to her. She resolved to reassure her, and placed a hand on her gauntleted right arm. “Dear, you must have been too excited and not seen the time pass. So, what’s that thing you are working on?”

Jean perked up as her mother was interested in her work and excitedly began to say, “A hard light projector, in layman terms I put together a device that manipulates photons to create soft and hard hologram constructs. It’s possible through the continuous movements of the photons...”

Jean and John looked as Elaine’s eyes glazed over at her explanation that had been made simple. Elaine shook her head and chuckled, then turned to her husband. “John, what is she saying? Can you explain?”

Jean’s dad took on a thoughtful expression, passed a hand into his black hair that was greying to his temples. “I think she made those bats from earlier with holograms, that’s why they passed through us. Oh, and the cape she’s wearing? It’s not a real one.”

“Oh dad, you realized!” Jean clapped her gauntlet together, a clang sound echoed.

With a proud smile, John was happy to show off his smartness to his wife and daughter. “You mother didn’t marry me just for my good looks, Jeanie.”

“Yeah, you are cool dad.” Jean nodded.

Elaine looked at her husband who had his ego stroked and rolled her eyes. “I understand now, but this costume you made for yourself is a tad scary. What do you intend to do with it?”

Jean’s smile melted from her face to be replaced by a sad expression. Elaine didn’t like that look on the face of her happy daughter, she had realized long ago that Jean had become different since she came back from her kidnapping and tried to not treat her child any differently than before.

The redhead looked at each of them. “Mom, dad, I have things to reveal to you today. I hope you aren’t busy… as a matter of fact, I need to have uncle Phil in that conversation too, I had promised him to tell him the complete story of what happened in those walls.”

“I will go look for him.” John piped up and left the room. 

He has seen the serious look in the eyes of his daughter, she wanted to tell them something. He still asked himself if he was ready for whatever Jean was going to tell them. Was it going to be more important about her revelation that she is a metahuman like she calls herself?

# # #

Computer room
10 minutes later

Phil had followed John Grey in this room; Elaine was seated near her daughter near a bank of empty desks put face to face. The cushioned stool was comfortable; now he asked himself what he was doing here, this was clearly something that only family should be present for, but he remembered that Jean had promised him to tell him the truth about the things she knew and the infiltration skills she seemed to have developed.

“Exactly, uncle Phil.” Jean looked at him with her usual smile.

Phil chuckled at the smug face of the young woman, it was omni-present as of late. “You are still reading me.”

“Yes, just with my empathic ability, don’t worry.” She waved him off.

She seemed to not understand how unnerving her ability to read people's intentions or emotions was. But it seemed to be a defense mechanism that the young woman has developed since her rocky childhood. Phil couldn’t blame her for that. There was a pitcher of water and plastic cups on the desks. Jean served water to everyone with her telekinesis, making the pitcher float from cup to cup, filling them with water.

After everyone received their cup, Jean began to speak. “I’ve gathered you there to tell you about some things, important things.”

Elaine interrupted her. “Does it concern your powers?”

Jean tilted her head, then nodded. “Somehow, yes they do mom. This is a proof that everything is connected, that my fate was altered.”

“Take your time Jean and tell us…” John encouraged her daughter with a reassuring 

“It all started when I was three years old…” Jean began her tale.

Phil was completely absorbed by it, Jean had someone else in her body. Another soul, that of a woman called Emily that has been taking care of her and guiding her throughout her childhood. It was in part thanks to her that Jean didn’t enter into a coma after Annie’s death and helped her control her nascent telepathic powers. Then Sinister or Nathaniel Essex happened and Jean and Emily made the decision to train their telepathy and later their telekinesis as it manifested when she got older.

“Wait.” Phil interrupted her. “Are you implying that this Emily woman was cognisant of the future?”

Jean sighed, she was being hesitant for a moment before she decided to rip the band-aid. “Emily came from another reality, she knew what was going to happen to me, we tried really hard to save Annie as she loved her too. But it was in vain.” a tear flowed from Jean’s left eye. It took a moment for her to stop, Elaine helped her with a tissue from her handbag. The young woman then drank a bit of water. “Then everything changed when Emily told me what would happen to me if Charles Xavier got his hands on me.” 

Jean’s hate for the man had never been rational to Elaine and John; she disliked him on sight. “Explain.” Elaine commanded.

“Charles Xavier isn’t the paragon of goodness he makes people believe.” Jean said, then she began to tell them about how his brand of teaching worked. The school for gifted he led certainly taught young metahuman how to use their powers, but Charles Xavier taught them in ways that limited them and brainwashed them with his -in Jean’s words- feel good bullshit about tolerance and peace between their races.

Then what would have happened to her if he had got her in her childhood, how he would have turned her into an emotionally stunted useless doll by violating her mind repeatedly. John Grey had to take a break from the story at this point as he was furious. When he came back everyone was calm and Jean began her discourse on Charles methods. “The problem is that Metahumans are human, not a separate species. Having powers doesn’t change the fact that we feel and experience things like everyone else. He separates the children from their parents and fills their head with nonsense. He surrounds himself with loyal child soldiers, something that makes him no different from Magneto.”

Phil felt that Jean was really bitter about what Charles Xavier was doing, and the way she framed his method, it was classic brainwashing from a cult. This called for an investigation, Phil filed this away for later when the situation would be less dire.

Strangely it was Elaine Grey who seemed to want to defend the man. “But Jean, it's rather sensible, his goals.”

Jean narrowed her eyes and put a hand on her mother’s forehead. She clicked her tongue as if she found something unpleasant and made a sweeping movement with her hand. Elaine flinched, shook her head and blinked. Then the Grey Matriarch looked at her daughter who made a sign that said they will talk later.

When Jean looked at the men of her life and began to speak, there was anger in her voice as she gave her final opinion on the matter of Charles Xavier. “No, it’s been thirty years. Thirty years and Charles Xavier hasn't done shit about our people, now it’s time for him to stay back in his twenty five millions dollars mansion and let another person take the mantle and get the job done. But we are going off-topic.”

“Indeed, we are.” Phil said, still filing away what Jean just did to her mother, as if she had taken out some filth from her head.

Jean sighed and took a swig of water, put her cup on before her and looked at Elaine, John and Phil. “After I was captured, Jean and Emily fused, in souls and spirit.”

Phil narrowed his eyes, lost into the sudden allegory. “What do you mean exactly?”

Jean used her powers to create two holograms, one of them was her and another was a curvy black woman with a cocky smile on her face, she made the two of them hugs, then the two began to glow and meld into each other, creating a single person. “I am the amalgam of two souls, dad. That’s why I have greater control on my power now.”

Elaine and John watched the hologram with various degrees of disbelief. As they didn’t say anything Jean decided to focus on Phil who seemed lost in thought and pondering what the major changes the girl before him has lived through.

“Uncle Phil?” The agent looked up to the redhead. “Do you remember me roaming SHIELD’s offices and floors during my stay in Cerberus HQ?” The girl smiled impishly at him.

Phil loosened his tie and put a thoughtful look on his face as he tried to remember. “Yes…” He said as he vaguely recollected the tour and wander of the young woman. “You have been making a good impression on everyone at the time.”

Phil and Jean stared into each other’s eyes, until the redhead grinned and said, “My telepathy allows me to copy skills and knowledge.”

Surprise, then panic passed on Phil’s face before he calmed himself; he exhaled a deep breath before speaking. “That’s… Jean you are a security nightmare, you know that?”

She flipped her hair and showed teeth. “Yes.”

Phil rolled his eyes at her and massaged the bridge of his nose in frustration, the girl was fun to interact with but could be rather trying for his nerve.

Jean continued speaking. “By using my saboteur skills, infiltration and engineering knowledge I have succeeded in eliminating Sinister and his loyal powered clones. It took everything I had, I… I even died for it.” The young woman revealed.

This made Elaine and John react, their eyes focusing on their daughter. Elaine rose from her seat and hugged her daughter. “Jean… you are here.”

As her head was being caressed by her mother, Jean continued to speak. “No mom, I really died.” Jean insisted. “I had to make a deal with a cosmic entity to come back to life and terminate the rest of Sinister’s clones all over the planet.”

Then something clicked in Phil’s mind, it has been bothering him since he had seen Jean’s green costume with the symbol of a golden firebird on a black background on her chest. Her Pyrokinesis and the fact that she could fly; the witnesses that woke up from their coma having seen a woman in the firebird that woke them up… “This… Jean are you trying to say that the events of-”

There was no mirth in Jean’s voice when she told Phil, “I knew you would put it together, Uncle. Yes, I am partially responsible for the events that caused the falling.”

Phil leaned forward, his elbow on the desk. “Jean, explain please. I don’t want to think that you killed that many people…”

Jean sighed and used holograms again to explain things. It was planet Earth, humans and the representation of a bacteria multiplying inside them. “Do you know that Humanity was being taken over by a bacteria called Sublime? It was warping everyone’s thoughts to reject super powered beings like me. It was some kind of hivemind sentient bacteria that had spread to all those people.”

She showed nukes being launched, giant robots of a pink and purple color going after humans, taking them prisoner and gathering them into camps. She showed a dwarf person with glasses and a business suit building them and other horror happening all over the planet. John and Elaine were now terrified, this discussion was more scary and heavy than they thought it would be.

Phil watched everything with an analytical eye, dissociating themselves from his feelings to put together the clue that he has gathered. He snapped his fingers in realization. “The proteins found in everyone who died, it was it, the sublime?”

“Yeah, I used the power that the cosmic being called Phoenix force, one of the elementary powers of creation and life and destruction in the universe to destroy it. It even showed me the future of what it would have done to us, all in the long term if I failed. There would barely have one billion people left in 2040 on the planet, so I made my choice and I sent those disintegrating waves all over the planet.”

Phil could barely fathom such a situation and this responsibility had to fall in the lap of Jean. He looked up at her and said with emotions, “This must have been a hard decision, people died.”

Jean nodded, standing up and helping her mother on her stool. “They died because their bodies were completely taken over and the sympathetic shock of the attack and the sublime dying killed the hosts. At least I helped reawaken the people that were in comas.”

Anyone who says Jean Grey isn’t merciful would be wrong. Phil smiled at her. “Yes, I remember that.”

The agent asked a last question before he left to muse about everything Jean just told them. “That Flaming bird was you?”

The grey costume disappeared and the green and gold costume of Jean replaced it, she became wreathed in fire, her eyes and hair glowing gold like the corona of the sun. The fire coalesced in the form of a bird, a predator the raptor species that screeched.

“That’s me.” Jean answered Phil.

# # #

Back with Jean...
Earth Orbit
02:12 AM (Egypt time)

Mom and dad needed time to digest what I’ve revealed to them, they needed to come to terms that I wasn’t just their daughter but at the same time Emily. Phil? Phil had stayed silent the entire time after I revealed my Phoenix powers and exited the computer room with a thoughtful expression. His normal impeccable hygiene, a mess; he had begun sweating like he was in the desert when I flame on.

Now, I was in orbit over Egypt and looking at the seas and Africa. The landmasses are completely different from the atlas. But you could easily see where each could fit with the other, I could easily imagine what the supercontinent Pangaea looked like.

My thoughts kept shifting from my family to Hydra and the things I want to do when everything will be settled. But… the report that Nick Fury had given me after my little tête-a-tête with Phil and my parents had shown me how difficult it will be to resume my normal life.

# # # 

(Flashback) 

I exited the Lab Complex and found myself in the tunnel leading to Hangar one, the discussion having the effect of lifting the weight I had on my shoulders. But now my parents know about my situation. As I floated and advanced toward the exit I was stopped by the familiar form of Nick Fury in his borrowed clone uniform, he gave me the impression that he was waiting for me while looking at the fleet of Samson helicopters and the modern blimp in the hangar. 

I landed and walked up to him, looked at what he was watching and said, “You're finally out of the communication room.”

He wore the eyepatch well, making me smile at the familiar sight that I've seen in the cinema of my old reality. Fury had a yellow folder full of paper under his arm, he took it and slapped it on my chest. “Take this.”

I wanted to glare at him for his abruptness, but I refrained to do that; as I held the folder in my hand, I opened it. “What is it?”

The title was what strikes me at first. “Huh, Operation Clean Sweep, what a fancy name.”

Fury who had kept silent spoke again. “Hydra has infiltrated everywhere and deeper than we ever thought.”

It took me five minutes to speed read through the plan and peruse over the list of the members of the Hydra high command. It painted a sad picture of what we were up against and the plan to dislodge them was almost impossible, it was bold and unthinkable. I looked up from the folder. “Those fuckers are basically the government at this point, Fury.”

“Not for long…” The bald man smiled at me.

I hoped, truly hoped that his plan didn’t revolve around me taking them on by my little self. “I may be powerful but I cannot take them all.”

Fury was waiting for those words and he began his sell. “That is why I need you to go fetch the agents loyal to me and vet them with your telepathic ability and use your fancy portal to bring them here and later coordinate with us to take down those Motherfuckers.”

I closed the folder and looked at him, hard. “It’s not like I have a choice in the matter, I want my life back.”

He grinned. “We agree on this then?”

I nodded, hesitantly.

With a triumphant smile, Fury said, “Excellent, I will contact you when they will be all available for extraction.” He turned and left toward the tunnel leading to the dormitories, acting as if I was his subordinate and that he had dismissed me.

I called out, “Later, one eye.”

I wasn't surprised that he stopped and glared at me, it made me laugh.

(Flashback End)

# # #

So now I was waiting for the signal, but I didn’t think that we would be enough. We needed a game changer. Someone who could lead and keep their troops honest and used to do special ops. Where could I find someone like that who wasn’t a redheaded and a master spy with a spider name?

(What you need is waiting for you in the North Atlantic.) Phoenix’ voice echoed all around me, even though we were in space.

“Phoenix?”  I slowly turned behind me, but there was no sign of a flaming firebird anywhere. I couldn’t just dismiss what she said, this was just another one of her hints that I should do something and that life will be hard if I don’t do what she suggested.

I flew from my position over Egypt to the Atlantic ocean, asking myself what was there that I knew was needed. “What's in the North Atlantic? Beside Atlantean cities and… the..! Oh my God how could I forget?”