The next twenty-four hours had been filled with action, intrigue, violence, betrayals, reveals, and intense confrontations … but those had nothing to do with him. He had been happy to lie in his bed, feigning exhaustion. He would ‘sleep’ for a day, and even for the next couple of weeks, he would act very reluctant to heal.
He needed to convince them that reversing someone’s age and raising a super-soldier had some significant personal cost, or he would be dealing with a pointless number of requests.
It didn’t mean he didn’t contribute, of course.
His biggest hidden contribution was taking over Camp Lehigh, which had gone surprisingly easily. Apparently, Hydra AI there was relying mostly on obscurity as a defence with no defenses or human assistance.
Arrogance.
Naturally, there were several Hydra teams ready to move if there was a distress call from AI, which, against most enemies, would have been enough. His attack was different: not only cutting all hard lines and dropping a Faraday cage to block communication, but also using his supercomputers to replicate AI’s pattern, which had been very useful in feeding false information and misleading orders to Hydra teams.
Mostly in the form of urgent assassination orders targeting other Hydra teams. Not all of them, because he didn’t want to be too obvious in his manipulation, but he took some that were in sensitive positions, which helped.
As for AI, who turned out to be some kind of uploaded consciousness of Armin Zola, and old Nazi scientist. It was disappointing. The moment he realized the helplessness of his situation, he shouted some stuff about the glory of Hydra and triggered its self-destruction.
In Hydra, even AI’s were fanatics.
Using the opportunity, his drones raided several Hydra bases, but only a fraction of them, he raided his Professor Azure identity. He also used it to raid a few SHIELD bases that housed interesting projects, including the Fridge, finally getting his hands on Gravitonium, though he was disappointed by it.
Yes, it allowed the generation of a shocking amount of energy, but the inherent instability of the material made it a terrible source for anything on the surface of a planet that one cared about.
Which was why he immediately transferred it to Pluto through a gate, and even used a spaceship to deploy it to Charon, one of Pluto’s moons, deciding to turn it into a base for more dangerous experiments.
In the process, attacking Hydra bases gave him nothing, but raiding SHIELD bases gave him a platinum and two silver tickets, which was remarkable.
[Dream Mirror]
{Common Ability: Allows you to view the dreams of anyone in your sensory range like a live stream, you could probably influence their dreams by whispering their ears too.}
[Catapult]
{Rare Ability: Create and launch giant boulders at your enemies regardless of your existing strength, the weight of the boulder does not affect your throwing ability regardless if it is a person or a house-sized boulder.}
The platinum gave him an amazing reward.
[Fishman Karate]
{Epic Skill: One Piece - You have the knowledge of Fishman Karate, the unique martial art invented by Fishmen that allows them to manipulate water offensively alongside martial arts. You can use preexisting water to enhance the power of your blows, disrupt the fluids inside your opponent with your hits or transmit the power of your fists through the moisture in the air. You begin as a White Belt in the air and can train yourself to reach higher mastery.}
Admittedly, he wasn’t really interested in the direct boost it generated, as he was already devastating enough. But, the style offered him a brand new way to interact with the world around him.
It wasn’t similar to firebending despite its surface similarities, like the ability to manipulate the environment. Ultimately, firebending came from the soul, channeled thorough the physical, and aligned with the environment.
Fishman Karate was the opposite, using sheer physical strength to manipulate and weaponize the environment. By using the principles contained, he could rebuild his fighting style from scratch.
Did he need to do so? No, but it would be fun, and it could help further optimize Skye’s style. Not to mention, it would be fun to beat someone disguised as an old man if they pushed their luck too much.
With things in place, he actually closed his eyes, stretching comfortably to put things in place, trusting Steve, Peggy, and Bucky to finish Hydra.
After all, they were experienced in that.
&&&
He woke up to the excited whispers of Skye and Jemma, but hearing the word surprise, he decided not to listen, but to make enough noise to signal he was finally awake. If Skye were trying to arrange a surprise for him, it would be rude for him to ruin it.
Instead, he stretched, enjoying the luxurious bed. He had to admit, Skye had chosen well, and instead of taking a random cabin in the middle of nowhere, she had found a nice luxury place of a rich person, more of a small mansion than a cabin, the kind that got regular cleaning service in case the owner decided to make a weekend escapade.
Soon, Jemma and Skye walked in. Skye was dressed in a French maid uniform, while Jemma went with a nurse’s outfit. Even in their base form, those costumes were sexy, though with several interesting alterations that made them more fitting to a strip club than actual work.
Skye was carrying a tray, while Jemma carried several bottles of massage oil. “Good morning,” Skye said.
He smiled as he made a show of taking in the view. Skye smirked, while Jemma blushed. “Good morning, indeed.”
Skye smiled, and started speaking sensuously. “Since you have literally saved the world—“
“Again,” Jemma added, too excited to play the role.
“Again,” Skye repeated, amused by Jemma’s very clumsy seduction, while Jemma blushed shyly. Frankly, he enjoyed Jemma’s clumsy seduction more than something smooth. It fit her personality better, and the contrast between her blush and her outfit somehow made her even sexier. “So, we decided to reward you. A massage, combined with breakfast in bed.”
“Delicious idea,” he said as he flipped to lie prone and got rid of the covers, revealing his naked body. Jemma let out a choked sound. It wasn’t the first time she saw him naked, but it was the first time she had the time to properly ogle, and she was clearly taking that. “Since you’re relaxed, it should mean that things went well.”
“It did,” Skye said as she started feeding him. “Let’s just say Hydra was not ready for what might be the greatest team America had ever fielded, especially since it was not what they were expecting when they saw the Winter Soldier drag a beaten-down Captain America to their midst. They believed that they won, which gave Agent Carter the opportunity to take the higher ranks before they even realized what’s going on.”
“Too bad we don’t have the photos. I would have loved to see the expressions Hydra members had. It must be like a nightmare for them,” he said, then sighed as he finally felt Jemma’s weight on his back, and her hand started on his shoulders. “It wouldn’t be as good as my reward, but still…” he whispered.
For a while, he enjoyed the moment, lying comfortably. The food was decent, watching Skye trying to play the demure maid was fun, and apparently, Jemma was surprisingly good at giving massages, her medical knowledge coming in useful in an unexpected way.
So much that, when she got rid of her clothes, slathered her body with massage oil, and turned it into a body massage, technically, massage aspect got worse.
Not that he was complaining about feeling her body sliding back and forth along his back, especially as her hands continued to caress his sides, tracing his muscle lines. Skye continued to feed him while chatting, acting like Jemma’s nudity was a medical treatment, and nothing more.
He didn’t say anything to Jemma, letting her get comfortable with her seduction, which was far more entertaining than him just taking the lead. It helped that the way her body rubbed against his was incredible, with her hardening dragging across his skin, her hips rolling sensually as she worked.
When breakfast ended, Skye took the tray and left, leaving Jemma alone. “I-it’s time we work on the other side,” Jemma said. He turned, but halfway in, his face was covered with a towel.
She was still shy. It was cute, he decided as he let her take the lead. Admittedly, being generous while dealing with shyness was markedly easier when the hesitant lady in question was naked, covered in massage oil, and using her body to loosen his overworked body.
Footsteps returned. “Look at you, Jemma. Getting so bold,” Skye chuckled.
“I’m not … I’m just giving a massage,” Jemma replied. He couldn’t see her, but he could imagine the way her cheeks glowed bright red as she said that. She moved lower, her breasts settling around his shaft. “He deserves a proper massage after saving the day…”
“Yeah, a massage,” Skye said as she pulled the towel, making Jemma lower herself to hide her breasts, which was amusing since it meant her face was pressing against his shaft. Her shyness was rather selective.
“Don’t worry, I have a better way to keep him from seeing,” Skye said as she lowered herself, the skirt of her French maid outfit not an impediment as he started licking her.
Jemma made another shy sound, but considering she also started licking the base of his shaft before wrapping her tits around, it was hard to count that as a negative. He let his tongue dance, quickly pushing Skye toward an orgasm, maintaining the position until Skye climaxed, but this time, her power only caused a small tremor in the room.
“What was that?”
“My power. I’m still working to control it,” Skye responded as she collapsed to his side, once again allowing him to see Jemma. “But I’m almost there.”
He chuckled. “I thought you had already arrived,” he teased, earning himself a playful slap. Jemma’s confidence slowly grew as she started acting, giving a show to both him and Skye, though her eyes were closed.
So, it took a while for her to realize she was being watched rather intensely. Catching that, she blushed. “Don’t stop,” Skye ordered. “You started it; it’s only fair that you finish it.”
Jemma blushed furiously but obeyed, taking the head of his cock into her warm mouth. She sucked gently at first, then deeper, her tongue swirling. Soon, Skye slid down, wrapping the base with her fingers, pumping; the other hand landing on Jemma’s head.
“Follow my pace,” she whispered.
Jemma gave a muffled protest, but she followed his directions. He continued to stay passive for a long while, he decided they had played enough. It was time for the main event. When Jemma pulled back for a breather, he grabbed both of them and flipped, so much that they were lying side by side, naked in Jemma’s case, while Skye still wore her French maid outfit.
He kissed Skye passionately while he positioned himself between Jemma’s legs. She was dripping with desire, and he slid in easily.
“Oh, yes!” Jemma cried out, her hips bucking against his invasion. “Finally.”
Skye chuckled when he pulled back from the kiss. “You should learn to be more proactive. You had all that time to make a move.”
“But—“ Jemma started, which died when Skye silenced her with a kiss. Suddenly, their fun turned into a battle where he cooperated with Skye to defeat Jemma … which was the definition of an unfair fight.
Despite her desperate cries begging for mercy, Jemma didn’t seem unhappy with her chain of defeats.
[Feat Achieved! Defeat Jemma Simmons
+1x Silver Random Gacha ticket]
[Sword of Hellfire]
{Rare Item: Hota - A sword forged and bathed in hellfire, the user can expend their energy to cover the blade in violent flames. Boosts the power of fire abilities when used as a focus.}
It was a spectacular reward considering the ticket, fitting particularly well with his firebending, meaning he could use it openly in his real identity; which was always useful. At this point, he didn’t even need to worry about revealing the source.
All he needed was to invent a client that needed healing, and that was it.
“Harder, harder, harder,” Jemma moaned deliriously as the tremors of orgasm hit her. Her daze was intense enough that, he would have been worried if he wasn’t the best healer on the planet.
Instead, he picked up speed while Skye started kissing her nipples.
It was a celebration worth having…
&&&
For the intensity of their explosion, the followup had been surprisingly calm. They returned to New York without any ambush or fight. With their biggest digital asset destroyed, Hydra could no longer follow them.
But, there was an important challenge. “I want to take the serum now,” Skye said once they arrived.
“Are you sure?” Jemma asked. “We still need to calibrate it to a degree, in case—“
“No,” Skye declared. “Hydra might have been defeated, but SHIELD weakened in the process. It’s inevitable that villains and other enemies will act. I want to be prepared.”
Michael studied her. The decision was hers. That he had made that clear from the beginning, but he wanted to be certain she understood what she was choosing. "You’re aware that even with my power, it’s not hundred percent, and I’m too exhausted to handle fixing a catastropic mistake. It’ll be better if we wait for a week or two.”
“No. I have seen the calculations. The risk is acceptable, especially after comparing it with the two samples we got from Captain America and the Winter Soldier.”
“Fine,” he said, ignoring Jemma’s complaints. Mostly because he wasn’t actually tired, and if there was an unexpected side effect, he could always heal her and claim it was intense enough to put in a coma for a week. Then, he turned to Jemma. “How about you?” he asked. “We can dose you with one of the weaker variants with no side effects?”
Jemma paused. “Well, not fearing a beaker exploding will be nice,” she said playfully, though the real reason was that she occasionally took place in field missions, and the boost would work.
They started with Jemma, as her situation was much simpler, and the weaker serum they developed was stable. It bonded smoothly. Jemma didn’t change much. Her skin was smoother, her muscles were more toned, but it looked like she had beauty treatment.
A beauty treatment that made her more capable than every single Olympic athlete in their own fields. “Oh my god, this is amazing,” Jemma said as she casually pulled a backflip … only to overshoot and almost hit her head before he intervened and hugged her.
“You still need to practice,” he teased her while his hands landed on places that left no doubt about exactly what he meant by practicing. “Maybe this time you can last more than an hour.” Jemma blushed.
“Good point,” Skye chuckled, but she still moved to the special medical bed they had created, and Jemma moved to monitor it while he was on standby. The serum they were using on Skye was far stronger.
It was even more intense than what he used on Peggy, though it would have limited impact on the looks, and the strength advantage it would grant would be limited. It was geared almost entirely towards rebuilding her body completely to handle the strain of her power without his constant boosts.
He kept his hand on her body, carefully monitoring every second as he channeled the serum, glad that he had a cheat. Even with all preparation, her situation would have ended badly without his constant involvement.
He made sure to create some visible flashes to make sure they realized that fact.
"Her vitals are holding," Jemma reported, her eyes on her tablet. "Heart rate elevated but stable. The cellular integration is proceeding faster than my models predicted."
"I know. That’s her alien heritage, and I’m trying to contain it as much as possible," Michael said.
The process took two hours. Skye bore it with the determination she brought to everything, and her only concern was his strain. He sold his exhaustion well, so that when it finished, he just leaned back, his face losing color.
Jemma looked at him, but he waved it off, gesturing her to focus on Skye. “Just exhaustion,” he said.
Jemma nodded and examined the tablet. "The readings are extraordinary. Skye, your cellular efficiency is better than the projections. Your endurance should be off the charts."
“Let’s test it,” she said, and together, they went to the training room, though halfway, he made a show of stumbling, so Jemma supported his walk. They arrived at the reinforced room, and Skye tested her attacks, each working perfectly.
“No pain, no strain, nothing,” she said.
“Good,” he said. “Then, you can escort me to my bed, and celebrate it before you two leave for SHIELD.” They looked hesitant. “Hey, I know you two take your missions seriously, and as much as I hate it, you’re needed in the field,” he said as he stepped between them, hugging them together. He kissed Jemma first, then kissed Skye. “It’s not like its separation forever. You can visit me whenever you have the opportunity, and I’m sure Phil wouldn’t mind if I follow the occasional mission.”
“True,” Skye said, kissed him again … then they moved to celebration, which was even more intense now that they had their own superpowers. Michael was more than happy to stay passive and enjoy their selfless services, his fake exhaustion proving useful.
Too bad they were about to leave.
He was getting used to their presence.