Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.
The Gamer's Guide to Conquest, The Original
Chapter 05: A Risk and Some Rewards
– Ororo Munroe (Storm) –
She hesitated as she saw Kuro messing with his phone, not really paying attention to her as they drove back to the mansion. This wasn't a conversation she had ever thought she'd find herself having, but she needed to rip the bandage off.
"Kuro, have you given any thought to whether you wish to stay at our school?" Ororo asked tentatively, watching Kuro pause the game he had been playing for the ride home. They were almost back to the mansion, and she'd been trying to decide how best to start this undeniably awkward conversation for the entire ride back.
"A bit. Not gonna lie, Miss Frost's offer is more enticing than Xavier's," Kuro admitted after a moment of thought, making her heart drop slightly. She knew this was going to go wrong from the moment Charles came to her with his plan. The truth was always going to come out; Kuro was bound to work out that they did something to him. Nothing could stay secret forever, which was doubly true when there were so many telepaths around.
"You do realise that Emma Frost wants you for the exact same reason as the headmaster?" Ororo asked after a moment of silence, watching him chuckle, giving her a look.
"Obviously, she told me as much. The difference is that she was candid and told me what she wanted from me upfront, laying out all the cards. Xavier just had me drugged and sexually assaulted so he could steal a sample instead of… I don't know, fucking asking? Being drugged and molested on my first night wasn't exactly the best start to my team with you lot, was it?" Kuro asked, his tone holding some anger. She didn't blame him; if she was drugged and molested in her sleep, her response would be downright biblical. Kuro was actually being extremely understanding about this so far, showing a maturity she admittedly didn't expect from him.
She wouldn't blame him if he went to Magneto and used his powers to help Magneto take down Xavier once and for all. Kuro was a dangerous enemy for any mutant, and they'd given him every reason to hate them.
"No, no, it was not. I know that in your position, I would have been beyond furious. Is there anything I can do to make up for our mistake?" Ororo asked, the guilt eating away at her as she watched a slight smirk grow on his face, not hiding the anger beneath his amusement.
She was pretty sure he was enjoying her awkwardness, along with the power he had over them. She couldn't blame him; if she were invited to join a school only to be molested by a teacher on the first night, she certainly wouldn't stick around. He was being far more reasonable than most people would be. She could already hear Charles trying to get her to do whatever it took to keep him at the academy. Charles had a grand plan involving Kuro, one that he didn't seem in a rush to tell anyone about.
"Honestly? If it weren't for Rogue and Kitty, I would have already left, but since I'm honestly pretty attached to them already and don't want to leave without them, you have a chance. I don't think I could get Kitty to join me in Massachusetts very easily, so I'm open to giving you a chance to make it up to me," Kuro said with a smile and a dark look in his eyes.
The fact that he didn't include Rogue in the reason to stay was telling. He knew Rogue would follow him to the ends of the earth if he left. Of course, she would; he was the only person she could really interact with, and she'd seen how close the two had rapidly become. The fact that he said he couldn't get Kitty to join him 'easily' was telling. He wasn't saying that he couldn't get her to join him, just that he'd have to work on it. He was certainly confident in his ability to convince her to come with him.
"And how would you like me to make it up to you?" Ororo asked, seeing his smile grow at her submissive tone.
"I hate cleaning. Honestly, I'm a lazy person at heart, so I can't be bothered to keep my room clean myself, even if it's supposed to help make me 'independent'. I suppose I could get Rogue to do it for me; let's be honest, she'd do anything I told her to do, but that just wouldn't be very nice of me, would it? I want my own personal sexy maid for my time at Xavier's, and I have just the person in mind," Kuro said, giving her a smug look as she sighed.
He was definitely enjoying this.
"Really, that's what you want?" Ororo asked with a sigh as she considered her options.
"Really. Honestly? I just think humiliating you is fair play, and making you act like my maid seems like a good start, 'Weather Goddess'," Kuro replied honestly, spite clear in his tone; again, it was far more tame than her response would have been.
" A maid, just for cleaning?" Ororo asked after a moment, wanting to know what she might be agreeing to. Kuro gave her a darkly amused look, his hand reaching over and resting on her thigh, squeezing it through her trousers.
"Don't worry, Professor. I'll respect your personal space exactly as much as you did mine," Kuro replied with a smile, rubbing her thigh as his hand moved further up towards her crotch. Despite the groping, she couldn't help the dark snort of amusement at his wording. Yeah, this was what she thought. He didn't want a maid; he wanted to debase her.
"And if I play along with this, you'll stay with us?" Ororo asked sternly, making him smile at her as his hand moved up to her chest, making her force down a gasp as she tried to focus on the road while he gently cupped her breast through her shirt. If this were anyone else, they'd be getting pulled into a tornado, but her guilt stayed her hand as he had his way with her body.
"Of course, I'll stay in the manor for as long as you are working so hard to apologise. That's fair, isn't it?" Kuro replied with a grin. "No need for me to go Emma or Magneto, and of course, the press with stories about me being drugged and molested at the creepy old man's secretive school. Do you think there are any traces of the drug left in me? Not that it'd matter. I'm sure Emma would be happy to use her connections to help me get the story out," Kuro said casually, making her blood run cold.
Kuro gave her a breast a squeeze, but she didn't respond as she realised he was dead serious. Frost would happily destroy Xavier's reputation and school, even if they were 'allies', using it to grab most of the mutants at the school for herself, and her connections went far. Their school couldn't afford to be investigated like that, and telepathy only went so far.
"You've done this before," Ororo said bluntly, making Kuro laugh. "You are far too casual about this for it to be your first time blackmailing someone," Ororo said, watching him simply shrug innocently as they entered the gates of the school.
Logan was definitely right about him having a past, but their investigations into his history had revealed nothing out of the ordinary. Kuro was a man surrounded by mysteries, and she could almost guarantee that he had some darkness in his past.
"Fine, have it your way, but I have some conditions. I am not wearing a maid outfit," Ororo said with a slightly amused sigh. She was not a prudish woman, and despite the situation she had found herself in, she truly couldn't entirely blame him for taking advantage of the circumstances.
Honestly, his high libido was probably a boon for the mutant race. It was mildly amusing that the degeneracy of a teenage boy might just save their race. If he was a prude, things could become far more complicated.
"Oh? So if it is not low budget you will wear a maid uniform?" Kuro asked as she pulled up, making her roll her eyes.
"I will handle my 'uniform'. You are not dressing me," Ororo replied with a stern look. She needed to put her foot down on some things, even if she was going to go through with this.
"Is that any way for a maid to talk to her master?" Kuro scolded with a teasing look, his anger fading somewhat.
"Outside of your room, in public, I am your teacher and will act as such. I have a reputation to uphold, after all. I will not call you master, even when we are alone… but I will call you 'sir' if I must," Ororo negotiated calmly; she wasn't going to get embarrassed over something like this. Kuro gave her a searching look, finally moving his hand from her breast.
As she got out of the car, she turned to the smirking teen.
"I have some data to pass on to Hank and the Headmaster; we can continue this negotiation tomorrow once classes are finished. Until then, I would request you keep the details of our discussion to yourself," Ororo said, making him nod with a mocking wave.
"Sure thing, Professor," Kuro replied with a grin, his eyes roaming her body.
He was going to be an annoyance but it wasn't anything that they didn't deserve. In all honesty, she felt better about this now than before their discussion. Having it all out in the open had helped the constant guilt and shame start to fade.
She'd rather deal with a pervy teen than guilt that was eating away at her gut. If he tried to go too far, she could just put a stop to it. She was still the adult in this conversation, and Kuro was just a teenage boy, acting out to get back at the people who betrayed his trust and violated his body.
As she walked away, knowing he was watching her ass, she smiled slightly. It wasn't a perfect situation, but she preferred it to any of the alternatives.
– Kuro Tepes –
"No Kitty tonight? And here I thought she enjoyed watching," I laugh as I strip down to my boxers, giving Rogue an admiring look as she lays in my bed, already waiting for me in my bed in her sexy green lingerie.
"Oh, she does, not that she'd ever admit it," Rogue giggles. "She has an assignment for Professor McCoy due tomorrow, which she forgot about, so it's just us tonight, Sugah," Rogue explains with a shy smile as she watches me approach.
"Oh really? Well, isn't that interesting? I was starting to get used to performing with an audience," I joke as I climb onto the bed, kissing her before she can respond.
"We can't stay up too late. Logan's class is first thing in the morning. If we're late, he'll come looking for us, and Logan would happily drag us both to class naked if we don't show up on time," Rogue mumbles in between kisses.
"Oh? So we're going to be naked?" I ask, making her blush, the deep red travelling down all the way to her chest, her see-through negligee failing to hide it.
"Don't tease me; you know we are going to be. I only got dressed so you could strip me," Rogue admits as she spins us over so I'm on my back beneath her, sitting on my lap as she runs her hands over my bare chest.
"True, we just can't keep our hands off each other, can we? How are you going to manage the two nights a week I'll be up in Massachusetts?" I ask, making her frown, slapping my chest lightly with a roll of her eyes.
"I'm not made of glass, Sugah; I can go without; I just really don't want to, and I'll just jump you the moment you get back; if we're lucky, we might get back to your room before I jump you. If not? Well, you did just say you were getting used to having an audience; it'll just be a little bigger," Rogue jokes with a shrug, kissing me again as she grinds her panty-clad crotch into my lap.
"That's fair, so if we need to be up early, we better get started; every second counts."
– Next Morning –
Whoever looked at the class schedule that had P.E. with Wolverine be the first thing on Monday mornings and went, 'Yep, that looks fine, no problems here', should be shot but not fatally, buried alive, only to be resurrected and then burnt alive.
Apparently, we need to learn to protect ourselves without revealing our powers, and that means…
Blocking a swing from my sparing partner, I jump back to dodge a kick, grabbing her extended leg and flipping her with it as she hits the ground with a grunt; before she can recover, I make my move, holding her arms above her head as I kneel on her stomach keeping her pinned.
"Damn, you're fast, new kid," Ellie says as I move off her, helping her up.
"I'm at peak human condition, apparently, but you aren't so bad yourself," I say with a smile, getting a grin back.
"Been doing this longer than you, and if you weren't blocking my powers, I'd totally kick your ass," Ellie says as she gets back into position.
"We aren't supposed to use our powers in this class, but probably. Not sure I want to test that theory, Miss Negasonic Teenage Warhead. So, how old were you when you picked that name?" I ask, making her roll her eyes.
"You can't say anything I haven't heard a hundred times before," Ellie mutters with a tiny blush.
"Also, don't look now, but your cute girlfriend is getting her ass kicked," I say, making her blink and turn to where the Japanese mutant is fighting Nightcrawler and losing badly. Kurt is basically manhandling Yukio, tossing her around with ease.
"Fucking damnit, Yukio. She's holding back; she doesn't want to hurt Kurt. She always does this; I'm gonna- wait, no, never mind. Logan's on it," Ellie says, seeing Logan call Yukio aside.
"Nice girl, maybe a bit too nice, round two?" I ask, making her sigh.
"You aren't wrong. Yukio's probably the best fighter in our class, and she loses almost every fight. Sure, round two. Don't look now, but your girlfriend is beating up… your other girlfriend. You're a bit of a playboy, huh?" Ellie asks as I look over where Rogue is fighting Kitty. Rogue is in a full-body suit, and Kitty is having trouble since she can't aim for the face. Logan is hovering nearby just in case things go south.
I had wondered about that. I thought we'd be paired together since I can spar with Rogue with no issues, but I guess they made plans for things like Rogue's X-power. Makes sense; they have been doing this for a while.
"Something like-" I start, cutting off as she kicks me in the stomach with a considerable amount of force, forcing me to keel over slightly. As she goes uppercut me, I grab her fist, spinning her around and bending her arm behind her back, kneeing her in the back of her leg to force her down to her knees. "That was dirty," I say as she struggles to escape, giving me an annoyed look over her shoulder.
"All is fair in love and war, and you're stupidly strong. I can't beat you fairly," Ellie admits with a grunt as she pushes back against me, trying to headbutt me, our positioning making her hit my chest instead.
"Fair enough, shame it didn't work out for you. So, do you give up, or do you want to struggle some more? I can wait," I ask as she tries elbowing me; it's easy to see the benefits of [Peak Condition] when you actually fight another human, or mutant, in this case. I'm not that much taller or bigger than her, but I'm handling her like a small child.
"Hell no, you aren't getting two wins that easily," Ellies says with a scowl as she elbows me again, aiming somewhere more personal this time. As I move, her elbow strikes just to the left of my dick, making me wince subconsciously.
"Okay, you want to play like that?" I say, pressing myself against her, leaving no room between us for her to hit me in the dick again. Forcing her down to the ground, I pin her easily; it's actually quite cute watching her struggle in my grip; after a moment, she freezes in place.
"Kuro, I swear to whatever god is listening, that better not be what I think it is pressing against my ass." Ellie grounds out, pausing her struggles, her ass pushed up against my crotch, with no way for her to move it away.
"You're the one pushing your ass against it; don't blame me for a natural reaction. Besides, haven't you heard all is fair in love and war," I retort, pushing my hips forward a tiny amount as my slowly-hardening cock pushes against her spandex-clad ass.
"Ugh, fine, you win. Now get the fuck off me," Ellie says reluctantly with a sour look on her face, making me laugh,
+10 Affection with Ellie Phimister (Negasonic Teenage Warhead) [10/100] for impressing her with your combat skills.
-5 Affection with Ellie Phimister (Negasonic Teenage Warhead) [5/100] for rubbing your dick against her ass.
+5 Affection with Ellie Phimister (Negasonic Teenage Warhead) [10/100] for impressing her in an entirely different way.
"Was that so hard?" I ask, making her frown. It doesn't take long to calm my growing erection; I was only at half-mast anyway. Wait, little Kuro, your time will come.
"If this is about to lead to a pun about your dick, I'm going to hurt you," Ellie says bluntly, making me laugh, spotting the blush on her cheeks as it quickly starts to fade.
"I wasn't actually going there, but you said it, not me. Hi, Yukio," I say as she runs over to us.
"Hi, Kuro! Ellie, you lost?" the pink-haired girl asks her embarrassed girlfriend, making Ellie scoff in annoyance.
"The bastard is made out of steel, apparently. Well, not literally, that's Professor Rasputin, but you get what I mean. I can't really budge him, the fucker," Ellie admits with a frown and a light blush. She's a competitive one, making me smirk victoriously at her. Who says you have to be humble in victory? She just gives me the middle finger, making me laugh. I like her.
After hugging Ellie, Yukio walks over to me, looking up at me with a frown before she punches me in the abs lightly, moving her hand back and shaking it jokingly. A moment later, she pokes me in the stomach with a grin.
"I can see what you mean; you must work out a lot, huh?" Yukio asks, making me snort.
"Nope, I was just born perfect. Apparently, it's part of my power. I'm at [Peak Condition], and I don't even need to work out to stay that way," I brag as I pose and flex jokingly.
"I hate you; please go die in a fire," Ellie deadpans, making Yukio slap her on the chest lightly.
"I'll think about it," I reply with a smile.
"Yukio, Negasonic. Go hit each other for a while. Kuro, get your ass over here," Logan shouts, making me blink before I shrug.
"Have fun with your domestic abuse! Bye, Yukio," I say with a wave as I head over to Wolverine, hearing a 'Bye, Kuro!' in the background as Ellie drags Yukio away. She's nice, and so is Ellie, even if she pretends really hard not to be.
"What's up, old man? Need me to find your dentures?" I ask, making him scowl at me slightly, flashing a toothy grin that promises pain. Sometimes, I really should just shut up, but that's just not me.
"'What's up' is that your powers are bullshit. Enhanced strength and reflexes, along with the power that lets you take away other people's powers? You're going to beat pretty much everyone in the class, and I'm not letting you get off that easily," Logan growls, which is the only warning I have before his fist lashes out towards my face.
Ducking just in time to avoid the punch to the noise, I realise my mistake in an instant. As my head goes down, his knee comes up and collides with my face, knocking me right back up. A kick to my stomach makes me fold, his fists coming down on my back and smashing me into the ground.
Well, that fucking hurt. Getting back up onto my knees, my eyes widen, seeing Logan lunge at me, barely rolling away just as he throws a feral punch where my face was moments before.
Again, I'm still mid-dodge before he attacks again, simply grabbing my leg and throwing me through the air.
...Oh dear.
- Later -
[Martial Artist: Novice] unlocked due to Logan's… training.
[Martial Arts Proficiency: Novice]
[There is no shame in falling, only in staying down]
You have learnt how to recover from falls, able to get back onto your feet in an instant. In addition, you can almost always land on your feet from falls and take less damage from extreme heights.
...Everything hurts.
I like the new class, I really do, but everything hurts. Negating Logan's powers didn't actually help me at all. Sure, he can't heal or bring out his claws, but he has decades, if not centuries, of experience in combat, which means he can still beat my ass like I owe him money. The man beat my ass so hard it increased my Endurance to A-. I'm happy, I am, but goddamn.
"Come on; I'll help you up. Logan either likes you or really doesn't like you; I haven't seen him be that rough with anyone ever," Rogue says as she helps me up, making me groan slightly. "Honestly, I was shocked that you just kept getting back up. I think Logan took it as a challenge."
His rep went up for me being able to take one hell of a beating, and I got some bonus points with the rest of the class, out of either pity from the beating I was taking or because they were impressed with my resilience. Even Sooraya felt some sympathy for me getting just brutalised by Logan. She still doesn't like me.
"Thanks, babe. So, what class is next?" I ask as she helps me to the changing room, blushing slightly. There are individual stalls to change in, so Rogue even helps me change back into some jeans and a white t-shirt, losing the training outfit we have to wear and wincing at my bruises.
"Ethics and Self-Control with Professor Munroe. You know, to stop people from losing their temper when we face discrimination in the 'human' world? Most of the classes here are like that, all about controlling your powers and blending in with Humanity. Sorry, 'Co-Existing'," Rogue says, a bit of bitterness entering her tone. I take her hand in mine and give her a comforting squeeze, and she smiles at me. "Sorry, it's pretty annoying being told to blend in and co-exist when I can kill people who accidentally bump into me in the street; I can't control it. No amount of training has made the slightest bit of difference, at least before you showed up," Rogue says with a smile, squeezing my hand back.
Heading to class, we keep holding hands, catching a few murmurs as we do. Word has already gotten around somehow that I'm dating Kitty and Rogue, which is odd since neither of them has said anything, and I haven't either. Apparently, someone saw them enter my room together and not come out, and a school of kids is always going to be full of gossiping.
People have been mostly accepting, which immediately makes me think Xavier is up to something shifty. There's no way the entire school would just accept the new guy showing up and dating two girls, the part that really gave it away was meeting Kurt this morning while we were waiting for class to start.
Kurt Wagner is a die-hard Christian (or maybe Catholic, can't quite remember which, same difference) and he wasn't even put off by it, even after he asked Kitty to confirm that the rumours weren't just that. I wasn't expecting him to be judging or openly disapproving. Don't get me wrong; Kurt is a really nice guy, but he doesn't even have the slightest hint of disapproval. Something funky is going on.
And the prime suspect? The Telepath with a Greater Good Complex. If he's willing to have a student molested, he's willing to use his powers to nudge people's morals in line with his plans.
Sitting down in between Kitty and Rogue, I immediately zone out as Ororo starts the class; thankfully, [Slacker] means that I have mastered the art of paying attention without actually paying attention. This shit is basically done on auto-pilot at this point.
Classes here are long: two hours with Logan, two hours and fifteen minutes with Ororo, followed by lunch for an hour, then a whole two and a half hours with Henry McCoy practising controlling our powers, the scientist helping as he puts his mind to work as he works out how our powers function. I'm pretty sure he's studying us as much as we are studying ourselves. There was a slight commotion when I turned him back into a normal human, but he seemed pretty happy about it, even if it didn't last once he left my range.
He desperately has to hold onto his trousers, which almost fall and flash the entire class since Beast is a lot bigger than Doctor McCoy.
This class was wonderful for my quest, racking up countless power nullifications; it's pretty useful and technically precisely what I was supposed to be doing. The only difference is that I have an exact objective instead of just 'practising'. I'm just more efficient like that.
I've spotted a few familiar faces during the classes, such as Scott Summers, with his iconic sunglasses indoors and his extremely punchable face. Bobby Drake, playing with his ice powers, who tells me that I'm a badass for going toe-to-toe with the Wolverine, which I appreciate.
But the biggest one is the incredibly curvy redhead, Jean Grey herself.
The Motherfucking Phoenix, in the flesh.
Do I want to approach her? Do I want to risk being anywhere near the fucking Phoenix Force? I don't know. I might not have a choice, given the curious looks she keeps sending my way. I am an Agent of Death; she is the Avatar of Life; this is some Romeo and Juliet shit.
Scott Summers is apparently one of the mutants who didn't end up gay, given the angry looks he keeps shooting my way. He noticed Jean watching me, and I immediately lost 20 rep with him, without me even looking her way myself.
Asshole. I already wanted to punch him in his stupid face; he's just giving me a reason. Getting that bitter because Jean looked at another guy for too long? They aren't even dating, I asked Rogue after I caught him glaring at me. Jean is dating some jock dude from the Midtown. He's getting jealous and possessive over a girl who sees him as just a friend. He's basically a 'Nice Guy'; all he needs is a fedora, and he'll be set to live in the friend zone till the end of his sad, sorry days.
Except Cable and Rachel Summers are a thing in the comics, though I don't know if they'll exist in this world thanks to the sterility thing. You know what, fuck it. I'm stealing Jean from him.
Fucking Cyclops doesn't get to date someone as hot as Jean Grey, no way. Not on my watch. It's my God-given duty to make sure that smug, sanctimonious asshole doesn't get nice things. Which god? Me, I'm sure I'll reach godhood eventually so it totally counts.
The final class of the day is with Xavier himself, History and Current Events. The long and sordid history of Mutants (told by the wholly unbiased and fair Xavier, of course) and an update on the events going on in the world and how they could affect us.
I'm not surprised he teaches this himself; controlling information is a wonderful way of indoctrinating people. It's mostly garbage, of course, but the knowledge that HYDRA is outright talked about is interesting; he was mostly warning us of the danger they pose to us, experiments, mind control, and being turned into weapons. He made it clear that mutants will always be targets to groups like them, who see our powers as potential assets.
However, the fact that they were acknowledged as still existing, not just being some Boogeyman from World War II, is interesting. Do they still have their fingers in S.H.I.E.L.D.? It's impossible to tell, at least for now, but I need to keep my distance from Fury and his boy scouts until I know for sure if they're secretly Nazis.
As classes come to a close at 5 pm, which really doesn't bode well for my free time on Mondays and Tuesdays, Rogue and Kitty both tell me that they have 'extra classes' for their X-Men training. Being a Trainee X-Men is a full-time job, apparently, which is all the more reason why that can fuck right off.
High levels of danger, less free time, barely any reward? Who in the hell would agree to that? Goody-two-shoes heroes, apparently.
Giving them both a kiss, I grin at Kitty's embarrassment, the tips of her ears turning red as she looks around the still mostly full classroom, this place has lots of nobodies, people barely worth remembering.
"People will talk," Kitty says weakly, trying to push me away with no real effort; despite her words, she clearly isn't putting her heart into it or really making any attempt to stop me.
"Let them talk," I mutter, kissing her again, deeper this time. The murmurs around us increase, along with the sound of someone laughing. Breaking the kiss, I share a smirk with Ellie as she and Yukio leave the room. Sooraya doesn't look impressed, though, setting me further back.
"Don't forget me, Sugah," Rogue interrupts as she grabs me, pulling me in for her second, deeper kiss.
"As entertaining as this is to watch, we do need to be in the danger room soon," Jean interrupts, making Rogue pull away with a blush, a small frown appearing on her face. "You three can make out later."
Jean has her hand on her hips, giving me a curious, almost challenging look, making me grin at her.
"She has a point, babe. I don't want Logan to come looking for you. I've seen enough of him for today," I say calmly, making her sigh.
"We can catch up later; come on, Kitty," Rogue agrees after one last hug, heading away with a wave. Jean hesitates for a moment, staring at me intently.
"What's wrong? Are you waiting for your kiss goodbye as well? Sure, just come here," I say, opening my arms wide, making her eyes widen, and a deep blush makes her cheeks match her hair before she laughs with a grin on her face.
-10 Reputation with Scott Summers [-35/100] because he's a possessive douchebag.
"I don't think my boyfriend would like that, playboy," Jean says with a giggle, not offended as I check her out. "I was trying to work out what you are thinking about; I read almost everyone's minds, even when I don't want to. So, I have to admit it is weird to look at you and hear nothing. Weird, but also kinda nice," Jean admits, giving me a curious look. "Guess I'm nosy because the one time I can't hear someone's thoughts, I can't stop trying to work out what you're thinking anyway."
"You could just ask, I'm an open book. I was thinking about Rogue naked, then Kitty naked, and now I'm thinking about you naked. Later, I'll probably be thinking about Professor Ororo naked. I'm a teenage boy; I'm really not that complicated," I say with a teasing look, making her roll her eyes.
"You know what? I don't believe that at all. I've seen lustful eyes before; a lot of times, you're thinking about more than just my naked body. It'll be fun to work out what's going on in that head of yours. Something about you feels oddly familiar. I can't explain it. I'm sure we've never met before, but you just feel so nostalgic," Jean admits with a smile as she turns and heads away, giving me a wave. "I'll see you around, Kuro."
+20 Affection with Jean Grey (Marvel Girl) [30/100] for an excellent first impression and a bit of deja vu.
"Unsurprising that the Phoenix hasn't forgotten me, Jean Grey isn't the first host of the Phoenix to meet me or my agents, and you have a trace of my power on you." Death's cold voice echoes through my head.
She didn't seem angry or hostile, though. Wouldn't you and the Phoenix be enemies?
"No. The Phoenix is supposed to be immortal, and I have no desire to reap her. She isn't one of your targets; deal with her however you desire, or just ignore her; I care not," Death says before my head quietens down again.
Well, at least it's nice to know that I don't have to worry about being sent after Jean later on. I really don't want to fight the Phoenix, of all things.
Ororo messaged me, saying she was busy and would meet me later on. So, what should I do with my limited free time?
Master, the Exploration Mode is still available if you find yourself with free time. Simply wander around aimlessly, and it will trigger.
In the Mansion, it would likely make you encounter one of the Mutants, or you could try out the Sling Ring and head to New York, but I can't tell who or what you'd encounter there. The Game made sure I wouldn't be able to give you warnings about what encounters you'll find. Asshole.
Yeah, that sounds like the Game. Still, that is a good idea, actually, thanks. I want to work out the Sling Ring either way. Using Blink to travel will be nice, but sometimes, I don't want to make it too easy for Emma to know where I'm going.
Heading back to my room, I pull the small ring out and slip it on my fingers. It's a bit awkward to wear since it goes on two fingers and holds them together, but I can manage it.
So, now what? This thing didn't exactly come with an instruction manual.
I have some decent understanding of my own magic despite everything that happened. I was a rather skilled mage in the past; after all, It takes a moment to feel my own magic within me and a few minutes more until I work out how to move from my 'core' around my stomach for some reason and move it up into my arm, then finally down to my hand.
Making the swirly gesture, and yes, that is the professional mage terminology for it (trust me, I'm a wizard), I watch the sparks start to appear, picturing an alleyway I know about from my past.
The sparks are a deep purple instead of the orange from the Doctor Strange movie, but I don't think much about it as I watch the portal start to form.
[Apprentice] class obtained due to past experience and practice.
[Mana Control Proficiency: Novice]
You know how to manipulate the magic within you somewhat, making for easier spell-casting and the ability to rein in your power just a bit. This reduces the mana cost of all spells slightly and allows you to undercharge them, making them cheaper but less effective.
[Arcane Study]
As an apprentice, you have a natural talent for learning new spells and studying magical items to discern their effects.
+5 Affection with the Ancient One [5/100] for beating her expectations of your learning speed.
So, I just have to step through it, right?
This better work, or… I'll feel like an idiot, probably. Jumping through the portal, I watch it close behind me, looking around the familiar alleyway with a grin. That was smoother than I expected.
Heading out of the alleyway, I look around the streets with a frown. So, is it time to go for a wander?
Spinning around and setting off in whatever direction I stop at, I head down the street, looking around the busy streets; it's barely 5:30 pm, plenty of people are still going home from work, the streets are pretty packed, and the sidewalks aren't much better. The introvert in me takes offence to this violation of my personal space; don't they know I don't like crowds? They should clear the way for me, give me one side of the sidewalk to myself. Unless they're hot, then they can get as close as they want.
Hey, I don't make the rules.
With such a busy area, you can see why I let my guard down slightly during my walks; I forgot one little fact as I play tourist in my own town.
This isn't just New York City; it's Marvel's New York City, the home of a billion different superheroes, villains and gangs.
The explosions quickly bring me back to my senses, and I duck behind a car just in time to see what looks like gas grenades being launched into the crowd. The screams and rushing civilians are loud, but I can just barely hear some shouting over it.
"COME OUT SPIDER! You cannot hide from the Hunter!" a crazed voice shouts, a man in a hide vest bellowing as he waves the grenade launcher around, holding it in one hand as he brandishes a spear in the other.
Well, Exploration mode certainly did its job, or maybe New York is just that crazy. It's either or.
Huh, did Tom Holland just run past me?
– Peter Parker –
Running alongside Ned, Peter nodded to him as he ducked into an alleyway, quickly stripping to reveal his outfit under his clothes; before he could pull his mask on, he froze as his spider-sense went off, and his head snapped to the side to see a pair of red eyes staring back at him.
His blood ran cold for a moment, but Kraven's shouting brought him back to his senses as he pulled his mask on quickly, swinging out of the alleyway and landing on a lamppost, staring down at the hunter who wanted to mount his head on the wall.
Kraven was a nice guy like that, very stable and not at all unhinged.
But what the hell was he doing out of prison? He was supposed to be locked away in the Raft for a long, long time.
"Hey Kraven, miss me? Sorry, I didn't write," Spidey started before he had to dodge, doing a flip as a spear passing under him. "Hey, you did miss me!" Spidey laughed, swinging down and kicking the mad hunter in the chest.
– Kuro –
You know, seeing spider-sense in the movies and cartoons is cool and all, but damn is it badass in real life. Spidey is basically unhittable, even by someone as obviously skilled as Kraven, basically dancing around the attacks.
Still, Spidey doesn't seem very good at fighting; his attacks are predictable and telegraphed. It's only his far superior strength, agility and reflexes that are stopping Kraven from filleting him with the daggers he is swinging with far more skill than Spidey is displaying.
Ah, I get it. This is still a baby Spider-Man. He's new to this.
Something about this seems off to me. Kraven was definitely in jail. I read the articles saying he was tossed into the Raft after his first defeat, and I haven't heard about any break-outs. Also, where the fuck are the police?
Countless explosions in the middle of New York, and there's no response?
My alleyway is pretty close to the fight; I ducked into it after Spidey distracted Kraven. Peter isn't careful enough with his secret identity yet. This is definitely MCU Spidey; he can't keep his mask on to save his life.
Watching carefully, I see the moment things go to shit, Spidey freezes, his senses warning him of the danger just a second too slowly as he attempts to dodge, a bullet tearing through his shoulder; the Hunter takes the opening as he stabs Peter in the stomach, making Peter gasp in pain and panic as he looks down at the knife that is stabbed into his stomach.
Path Selection"
[Save Spider-man]
Significantly increased Reputation with Spider-Man and his allies. Increased Renown and Infamy.
Decreased Reputation with Kraven, Bullseye and Wilson Fisk.
[Moving Right Along...]
Get out of here; it's not your problem.
73% chance that Spider-Man is killed at the start of his career.
No Renown or Infamy; nobody knows you're here or would blame you for leaving.
I really don't want to fight Kraven; my ass-kicking from Wolverine showed me that I'm not ready to handle any martial-focused people, even if Wolverine is better. I definitely don't want to fight Bullseye. I can't even see the bastard, and he obviously has a sniper aimed our way. Not to mention, I don't even have a mask to hide my identity.
But I don't need to fight them, not fully anyway. Fuck, I don't want to do this, but I don't think letting Spidey die is the right move, either. His rogue gallery isn't just going to fuck off; no Spidey could lead to some unpleasant situations going forward.
Plus, I like Spider-Man.
As Kraven slowly strolls towards the fallen Spider, I grab a metal trash can and toss it at him as hard as I can, putting my full strength behind the throw; it doesn't hit him as he dodges out of the way with a yell of surprise and anger, grabbing his spear as he turns towards me.
He goes to say something, probably planning to monologue as I rush towards Spidey, but I ain't about that life. I immediately use my Sling-Ring to create a portal right next to the downed hero as I grab him and throw him over my shoulder, rushing through the portal and closing it just in time to stop Kraven from following me, but not fast enough to prevent a spear from flying past me and sticking into my wall. That would have hit me, but Spidey jerked to the side and knocked us out of the way despite his condition.
Kraven definitely saw my face. Well, guess I'm gonna have to kill him. Fuck, this is going to be a mess.
I'm sorry, Master, if I hadn't suggested you try out Exploration Mode so soon…
No, it's okay, not your fault, Isis. Besides, I can work with this. Shit happens; all that matters is how I deal with it. I know how to roll with the punches.
I place Peter on my bed and watch him groan as he tries to say something.
"You have a bullet hole in your shoulder and a knife where your lung is supposed to be; save the talking for later," I say as I pull out my White Magic Grimoire, opening it and quickly looking for any spell that can help. The words on the page blur for a moment as knowledge is forced into my head, the basics of White Magic, to be exact.
[White Mage] Class unlocked!
[White Magic Proficiency (Novice)]
You are just beginning on the path of the White Mage and have learnt how to alter your internal mana into pure light magic, increasing the efficiency of White Magic spells.
[Healing Scan]
This spell scans the target, searching for issues and providing you with a mental image of the target and all their wounds, showing which is the direst.
[Healing Pulse]
This spell allows you to send a pulse of healing energy through your target, trying to heal wounds you are aware of. This effect scales with your Int.
[Light Arrow]
This spell creates an arrow out of pure light, launching towards your target. The speeds and damage scale with your Int.
A good start, and it should be enough.
"Brace yourself," I warn as I grip the dagger and pull it out of him, making him groan in pain. Well, it's time to get to work, starting with a [Healing Scan]. He's in bad shape; the knife fucked him up, and being ragged around by me has only made it worse.
Placing my hand on his chest, I cast [Healing Pulse] as I pump him full of healing light, my hand glowing with a soft golden light as I watch his wound slowly start to close. I have mana to spare, and my recovery rate isn't bad either, so I can keep this up, alternating between Scan and Pulse to make sure I get everything. Thankfully, the bullet went clean through him, so I don't need to worry about getting it out of him.
"Wha- wait, how are you doing that?" Spidey asks, making me roll my eyes and shush him.
"Please stay quiet until I am finished; I'm new at this and need to focus," I admit, casting another scan. His shoulder is still pretty fucked up, but the damage to his lung has been repaired at least, but the scan tells me that it isn't life-threatening. He is in the clear, at least.
"Sorry?" Spidey half-asks as the door opens, Ororo and Beast rushing in, looking ready to fight before they freeze.
"Do you mind? I'm working here," I grumble as I focus on my task.
"Kuro? What happened here?" Ororo asks, the lightning at her fingertips crackling as she stares at Spider-Man in concern.
"I tried out my magic, took a trip to the city and saved this guy from a man who I'm pretty sure was planning on stuffing him or mounting him to the wall," I say with a sigh, making Ororo blink.
"Err, hello? Please put the lightning away. I've been shocked; it wasn't fun, and you look scarier than Electro," Peter pipes up, making Storm stand down after a moment.
"You're that new vigilante, aren't you? Spider-Boy," Ororo asks, making him groan.
"Man. It's Spider-Man, your friendly neighbourhood vigilante. Please don't forget the hyphen," Spidey quips, making her stare at him sternly.
"I'm a teacher, Spider-'Man'. I know a boy when I hear one. You can't be more than sixteen, at a generous guess," Ororo says, making him flinch. I don't think he likes how right she is. "I wasn't aware you could heal, Kuro?" Ororo asks, turning back to me.
"It's magic, and it's a new trick. I barely know what I'm doing, but it is working. I just need to fix his shoulder, and he'll be right as rain," I reply. "Can the questions wait till I don't have a bleeding man on my bed?" I ask with a scolding frown.
"We could take this to the infirmary, but it does appear that you have this under control... how fascinating," Hank says, watching me closely.
"I can only move to places I know, and I've never been to the infirmary before. I didn't want to appear in the middle of the school with a bleeding bo- sorry, man, either." I say, making him nod in agreement.
"A smart decision. Panicked students can certainly be more troublesome than usual here," Beast admits. I can imagine. When people can throw fire, ice and eye-lasers, it's probably best not to startle them. I didn't want to save him from Kraven, only for Cyclops to freak out and laser us.
"...is it insensitive to ask why you're blue?" Peter asks after a moment, making Hank laugh slightly.
"No, I get that a lot," Beast admits with a chuckle.
– Later –
Standing in Xavier's office, I sigh mentally. Peter insisted on going back, so I opened a portal for him, and Logan even went with him to make sure he stayed safe, but Kraven and Bullseye were long gone by the time they got back.
The police had finally shown up, though. Xavier smoothed things over with them, and Spidey swung off after thanking me, along with a nice +40 rep boost; I get the feeling he wanted to talk about me seeing him without his mask, but he didn't want to talk with the others around.
I did get hit with a -20 rep with Bullseye and Fisk, though, along with a -50 with Kraven. Oh boy, is he pissed. I ruined his hunt, and he seemed to have taken that personally. If he hadn't taken such a casual stroll towards the downed Spidey, I wouldn't have had a chance to save Peter, so I'm going to go with 'skill issue, lol'.
Aside from that? I got plus five affection/reputation with a lot of people; playing the hero has its perks.
"I'm not going to scold you or say you shouldn't have left the school, Kuro. You are a student here, not a prisoner. However, this little outing has had some unexpected consequences," Xavier starts, turning on the TV to see a news report.
A news report with my exposed face plastered on it. Oh, for fucks sake. Of course, some dickhead with a camera stuck around to film the battle.
"There won't be any legal response; magic isn't against the law, nor is being a mutant, despite certain attempts to make it so. Miss Frost is also working her considerable political muscle to deal with any attempts to punish or otherwise hinder you, but your name and face are known to the public now," Xavier explains, making me sigh and run a hand through my hair. "As it stands, the public is mostly on your side at the moment, and Miss Frost will no doubt keep it that way. Spider-Man has a polarising reputation; those who respect the young hero are thankful that you saved his life, and those who see him as a fool or a glory hound see you as having saved an arrogant child who was out of his depths. Your decision to flee, taking Spider-Man with you, is seen as the best thing you could have done in an otherwise terrible situation."
Well, at least I don't have to worry about having a bad first debut.
"Kraven's former actions in the city have made him the clear villain in the situation. The biggest problem is that both Kraven and his sniper ally are missing, and they are not likely to let this go; neither is whoever hired them. Kraven was secretly broken out of the Raft, a body double taking his place, and even the body double does not know who arranged for him to take Kraven's place. You may have made a powerful enemy today, and I fear you have made the target on your head all the larger. If you must leave, please tell someone first; you represent the hope of the Mutant Race; losing you after just getting you would be horrifying. Please exercise more caution." Xavier says, making me pause before I nod.
"That's fine..." I say, and really? It is; using the X-Men as bodyguards works for me while the fucking Kingpin is pissed at me.
"As for your magic, I understand that you got the 'Grimoire' from the Ancient One; I won't ask you to stop studying it, but please don't let it interfere with your other studies," Xavier says kindly; that's the thing about Charles Xavier. He is a genuinely good man; the problem with him is that he always thinks he is right. As for his belief that I got the book from the Ancient One? Sure, I can roll with that.
I don't dislike him personally; I dislike how controlling he can be if he thinks it's necessary. I was half-expecting to have to jump ship as he tried to lock me up; I have the Sling Ring in my inventory, just in case.
"Got it; I'm pretty good at keeping on top of my studies," I say, making him smile.
"Aside from that, you did well today. Saving Spider-Man was a wise decision despite the consequences. He is doing good work despite his age and inexperience, and it pleases me to know that he will continue to do so. That will be all; I will handle any unpleasant side effects that Miss Frost misses, as few as they may be; for all her flaws, she is very good at what she does. I suggest you get some rest. You still have classes tomorrow." Xavier says, going back to some paperwork.
"Will do; thanks for the help, Professor," I say, showing myself out.
Right, let's think about this logically. I got seen using powers, true. But I got seen using a portal and nothing else. That's fine; I can work with this. Portals and healing are the two powers that will be attributed to me, and neither is particularly grim. It's why I went for healing in the first place; people love healers.
All things consider? Things could have gone far worse.
Kraven is definitely hunting me, though, but I can deal with that. The bigger issue? The fucking Kingpin.
– Wilson Fisk –
"I thought you said you never missed," Wilson said with a calm look, staring Bullseye dead in the eye as the villain scoffed.
"I don't miss. I hit the Spider, and if Kraven hadn't wasted time boasting, the Spider would be dead by now. He definitely has some kind of sixth sense, though; he was dodging my bullet before I'd even fired it; it's why I hit his shoulder instead of his heart," Bullseye replied calmly, flipping a bullet in one hand. "We got out of there when the police showed up."
"And where is Kraven?" Wilson asked. Even with all his influence, he could only hold the police off so long after Kraven decided to just start setting off bombs in the middle of New York to flush out his quarry.
"I don't know, he ran off after we left," Bullseye admitted, making Wilson frown. Kraven was a liability, too focused on his hunts to understand that he owed the Kingpin for his freedom.
"Fine, focus on the Devil for now. Leave me," Wilson ordered, watching the assassin leave before he sighed.
Kraven was the only one of Spider-man's enemies he could free at such short notice. Kraven wasn't an enhanced villain, so he was in lower security than the empowered villains. The Spider was a minor issue and one that would continue to be a thorn in his side since the unexpected 'hero' saved him.
Perhaps he should make an example out of this new hero and…
Looking at his vibrating phone, he checked it, wincing at the message on the screen, his mind racing.
'Kuro Tepes is a person of interest to the Hellfire Club, far more so than you. Any attack on him will be returned tenfold.'
That wasn't a coincidence; even his own mind wasn't safe from Frost.
Irritating, very irritating.
Well, this Kuro was a minor issue in the grand scheme of things; he had far bigger problems to focus on. Starting with the fact that men had not yet found the thief. How many white-haired cat burglars could there be in New York? They even knew her name. The Original Black Cat, Walter Hardy, had a daughter with white hair, and yet his men still couldn't find this Felicia anywhere.
If that flash drive fell into the wrong hands, he was a dead man. It was both his insurance and his Achilles heel and if it got decrypted, then his ambitions would be as dead as he was.
Seeing his phone ring again, he groaned, an act of weakness he wouldn't show if anyone else were around.
"What do you want, Osborn?" Wilson asked coldly.
"That's Mayor Osborn, remember? Mayor of the city that you just had bombed. And what I want is to know why you set a deranged madman free in my city, Fisk." the voice half-snarled, making him smirk. He had too much on Osborn for him to do anything more than bark at him.
It might be Osborn's city, but that would change soon enough.
- Kuro -
Isis, can I ask you something? Why do I not have to select a class? I have all of them levelling at once.
Oh, I decided that you didn't have to waste your time switching between them all the time. Really, the Class System was created by the Game to contain and control Shiro, giving the Game the ability to control his growth better. I don't want to limit your growth. Your success is my success!
That makes far too much sense; what the fuck did Shiro do to piss the Game off so much?
So, so much. You have no idea, Master.
Anyway, thanks for the answer, Isis. I appreciate your trust. Here's to a better relationship than those two dickweeds have.
Of course, Master! This is far more enjoyable than whatever those two are doing. I've always got your back, Master!
+5 Affection with... Me! [45/100], go you, Master!
I'd have set it to 100 already, but you know who made sure that I couldn't. What a spoilsport :p
She's so much nicer than the Game.
Checking my computer, I look over the news that is already reporting on my actions. Xavier was right for the most part; despite being seen using powers, I'm generally seen as an innocent bystander who got caught up in a super-powered fight.
Risking my life to save Spider-Man has gained some respect from the city that seems to like Spidey, for the most part. Sure, there are already some assholes calling me a demon/ or abomination, but there's nothing out of the ordinary there. No one is completely beloved, and everyone has haters. If someone is wholly adored, then they're cheating and are probably a total bastard behind the scenes.
After a bit of searching, I did find something interesting.
I know that moustache.
"By now, you've probably all heard about Spider-Man's latest masterpiece. Turning the streets of our fair New York City into a war zone with his 'Super-Rivalries'! And yes, I can already hear the deranged 'fan-boys' calling in. 'But J.J., it was Kraven who set off those bombs; Spider-Man was just helping out," J. Jonah Jameson rants at the camera, spittle leaving his mouth, "And you'd be right, partially. Kraven was only there looking for Spider-Man! The moment that masked menace showed up in our fair city; these freaks showed up to fight him! This didn't happen when the Fantastic Four showed up, but Spider-Man? Every week, there is another of these deranged freaks showing up and destroying the city in their so-called super-fights with the 'hero'." J. J rants at the screen. Wow, you already pissed him off, huh Peter?
"Kraven was in the Raft, a maximum security prison, where he should have rotted away for the rest of his days. How did he even get out? Is maximum security just a joke these days?! My theory? Spider-Man freed him! The attention seeker needs 'villains' to fight after all, and it's been a slow week for him." J. J continues, moving entirely into schizo territory. "But it didn't go so well this time, did it 'hero'? Once again, Spider-Man has proven that he is exactly what I have been calling him since day one. Unreliable, untrained and completely irresponsible. His glorious battle ended in disaster for him when he was beaten to the ground, moments away from being mounted on a wall by the loony calling himself a hunter! Now, if you've listened to me before, and I know you all have, you'll know that I do not like Spider-Man. You might even think I'd be celebrating his defeat, that I was sitting at home, hoping for Kraven to win? But make no mistake, people, I don't want Spider-Man dead. I think that he's a dumb kid with delusions of grandeur, and I never want to see a child die, even due to their own stupidity. What I want is for him to hang up his mask, give up on his little grandstanding, and leave things to the professionals, not sticking his nose where it isn't wanted or needed. Which is why I am glad this happened," J. J says, the screen changing to a shaky cam of the fight; I can barely make out my own features as I charge towards the downed hero, grabbing him and jumping through my portal, barely avoiding a spear that comes awfully close to hitting me.
"As you can see, Spider-Man wasn't the only Enhanced person there, and luckily for the reckless vigilante, the newcomer was far more responsible. He did what Spider-Man should have done from the beginning and left the area. He even risked his life to grab the idiot, nearly getting a spear to the back for his trouble. You might think I disapprove of him having powers but don't misunderstand things. I have no issue with powered individuals; what I have a problem with is them using their powers for their own benefit at the price of regular civilians like you and me, folks. Whether it's the grandstanding and attention-seeking of Spider-Man or stealing and hurting innocents like these so-called supervillains, I'll tell you, folks; there's nothing super about them; they're just petty crooks who happen to have lucked into a better weapon than a gun or baseball bat. The young man, likely still a teenager, did the smart thing. He simply opened some kind of portal and left the area, dragging the idiot with him… and what do you think happened next? I'll tell you what, with Spider-Man gone, the crazed hunter ran off without hurting anyone else, having no reason to cause such chaos without his 'opponent'. That just proves me right; if Spider-Man had just hung up his costume and stayed home, none of this would have happened to begin with! Once again, J. Jonah Jameson was right. Take a hint, you Spider-Fanatics!" J. J shouts, some spit landing on the camera as he shakes his fist.
Huh, I didn't expect him to approve of me. Does Peter watch these?
"And can we hold Spider-man accountable for his actions? For all the damage his 'heroism' has caused?! Of course not, because the coward hides behind a mask. If the Fantastic Four destroy a building by accident if they get people hurt? We can hold them to their actions; we know their names, we know where they live. They aren't hiding anything, but what about Spider-man!? What do we know about him?!"
"I'm surprised you've managed to watch that far into one of his rants," Ororo's voice pulls me away from my amusement, making me close the tab with a laugh as I turn, it dying in my throat as I look over her 'uniform'.
My eyes linger on her long, exposed legs that are barely covered by her black and white skirt, moving up to admire the way her breasts are framed by the tight top she's wearing. The smirk on her face that she quickly hides gives away her pride in my reaction as I quickly recover my composure.
"I take it my uniform is satisfactory, sir?" Ororo asks, a hint of pride in her words as she watches me take in the beautiful sight before me.
– Later –
"I know you agreed, but I honestly thought you'd try to wiggle out of it," I say as I watch Ororo make my bed, replacing the sheets that still had some Spidey-Blood on them.
"I am a woman of my word, Mr Tepes; I suggest you remember that. Though, I do hope that I won't be cleaning blood up too often," Ororo says calmly, her skirt riding up enticingly as she bends over the bed, revealing more of her long chocolate legs and very nearly causing her skirt to rise up and over her fantastic ass.
"Which is weird because I could have sworn you said you wouldn't dress up in a low-budget porn outfit. Where did you even find that?" I ask, looking over the French Maid she is wearing. She stands up straight and stares at me before she sighs.
"Jennifer gave it to me; it was her Halloween costume for a party a couple of years back before she transformed; it is a tight fit," Ororo admits, pulling the skirt down with a frown. "I think she finds this situation entirely too funny."
"I knew she had a good sense of humour; Jen seems fun," I say with a laugh, making Ororo chuckle as she goes back to cleaning; she really is going all out for this. She brought a veritable mountain of cleaning products with her. Watching her go to town on my room is mildly entertaining, and despite how short her skirt is, it never fully moves up and exposes what is beneath. Oooh, she's good.
"Ugh. How on Earth do teenagers manage to accumulate so much dust so quickly?" Ororo mutters as she dusts the top of the wardrobe with a frown. Testing the waters, I slowly get up and walk behind her, but she does not even react to my presence.
Reaching out, I place my hand on one of her long legs and slowly slide it up and under her skirt, making her freeze for a moment. We both pause before she goes back to cleaning, without so much as a word in complaint, as I fully move my hand under her skirt to caress her bare backside; wait… bare? Is she not wearing underwear?
After a moment, I realise that she isn't going commando, but she is wearing a tiny thong that has been swallowed up by her firm chocolate booty, doing nothing to stop me from groping her gently.
+10 Obedience with Ororo Monroe [35/100]. Guilt is one hell of a motivator, huh, master?
Finishing up, she turns around, glancing down at where my hand is wrapped around her waist, still gently caressing her ass. She does nothing to stop me from groping her, giving me a subservient look.
"Will that be all?" Ororo asks before she pauses and sighs at my lack of response. "Will that be all, Sir?" Ororo corrects, stressing the last word and making me smirk.
"Hmm, not just yet," I say, leaning forward and kissing her on the lips, making her look at me sternly, not resisting my tongue slipping into her mouth for a moment before I pull back.
"That was hardly professional, sir," Ororo says sternly. Heh, going for the professional maid route? Yeah, that didn't work for Grayfia, either.
"Neither was teasing me with that tiny skirt, but you don't see me complaining," I say, guiding her to the bed. Ororo stiffens but does nothing to stop me. "You've still got one last thing that needs polishing; you don't mind, do you?" I ask, sitting down on the edge of the bed.
Ororo stands before me for a moment, and I wonder if I've pushed too hard.
"How would you like me to assist you, sir?" Ororo finally asks, making me smile.
"How did you assist me last time?" I ask, making her flush slightly.
"With my hands," Ororo admits, making me smirk as I pull out my cock, already rock-hard from watching her.
"Then surely you won't mind repeating yourself while I'm awake this time. You even have permission, instead of molesting a sleeping student," I say cheerfully, and despite my mockery, I see her let out a sigh of relief. Was she expecting me to try and fuck her immediately? I know better than to try that.
Ororo looks at my cock for a moment before she moves forward with a sigh. Kneeling down in front of me, her hands reaching out to grab it gently, fingers wrapping around my shaft. Slowly she begins to stroke it, setting a languid pace as she deftly starts to give me a handjob. She surprises me as she reaches down and gently tugs her top down, her breasts popping free from the tight confines, bouncing free.
Her free hand moves to one of her large, ebony breasts, gently groping herself as she tweaks her own nipple, letting out a moan as she leans forward until my cock is practically slapped against her face.
"Perhaps things would go faster if I tried a more advanced method of polishing your shaft, sir?" Ororo asks, looking up at me for permission as I raise an eyebrow in surprise at her offer.
"Well, you got into your new role fast," I praise, stroking her hair as she scoffs and rolls her eyes.
"I am not some prudish virgin, sir; this is hardly my first time handling a shaft. We both have places to be; why waste time with my hand when I could speed this process up?" Ororo asks, making me chuckle. "You get to enjoy your maid's service more, and I get to finish up my new… duty faster."
"Do it," I order, and immediately she leans forward and takes my cock into her plump lips, her hot, wet tongue wrapping around my cock skillfully, sinking down on my shaft with surprising ease. Her lips are teasingly soft, gliding along my manhood with practised grace.
Her hand moves to cup my balls, massaging them gently as she continues to work my cock with her mouth, making me groan in pleasure. She never breaks eye contact, and her eyes are locked with mine, which only adds to the pleasure. I spot her other hand moving from her breast down lower, slipping under her skirt as she starts to stroke her pussy.
Ororo's moans vibrate against my shaft as she continues to suck me off, her hand moving faster and more urgently over her own pussy. I reach down and grab a handful of her hair, guiding her head up and down my cock as I start to thrust my hips lightly, matching her rhythm, enjoying her service. Her hands move to grip my hips, using them for leverage as she bobs her head up and down faster and faster. I can feel myself getting close to climaxing, but I don't want this to end yet, letting go of her hair and focusing as I ward off my own climax.
I lean back on the bed, letting Ororo take control as she continues to suck and lick at my cock, taking it deeper and deeper. The sight of her on her knees before me makes up for her transgressions, but I hope she realises that she'll never escape me. She is mine now.
She pulls back, her lips making a pop as my cock slips from them, giving me a sultry, almost impish smile as she starts to stroke my cock again.
"I imagine you'll have a hard time in my lessons after this, your mind wandering to what else my mouth can do while I'm giving my lectures," Ororo teases, kissing the side of my cock, making an exaggerated 'mwah' sound as she smirks. "Try not to touch yourself in class; I would hate to have to give you… detention."
Her hand speeds up, vigorously stroking my cock as she gives me a teasing smile. Despite the submissive position she's found herself in, I get the feeling she is a natural dom.
"Maybe I'd like that, some one on one time with Professor Munroe," I reply, making her laugh as she peppers my cock with kisses before licking from the base to the tip.
"Mhmm, is that so? I am your maid in your room, but everywhere else, I am your teacher. I hope you don't expect me to be so… subservient anywhere else," Ororo warns, and I get the message despite the flirtation. "But perhaps I'd enjoy some time to properly discipline you; I promise you'd even enjoy it. Such a naughty boy could use a firm hand."
"Is that a threat or a promise, Miss Munroe?" I ask, getting a mysterious smile from her.
"Perhaps it's both, sir. I can be a demanding taskmistress, after all, but I'm sure you'd rise to the challenge," Ororo replies, and before I can respond, she takes my shaft back into her mouth and, in one swift movement, swallows the entire thing as I feel her throat start to constrict around my manhood. I can't help but groan in pleasure, making her chuckle even with my cock in her mouth, the sound vibrating along my length.
It doesn't take me long to cum into her waiting mouth, the teasing and the sensation of her choking herself on my cock sending me over the edge as I spurt my seed down her waiting throat. Ororo doesn't pull back, continuing to suck until the last spasm; only then does she pull away and rises, wiping her mouth with her hand with a satisfied smirk on her face, swiping a rogue droplet of cum with her finger and licking it clean.
"It wouldn't do for a maid to make a mess, after all," Ororo explains before bowing to me, her breasts jiggling as she does so. "I take it my service was satisfactory, sir?"
Would Grayfia be offended if I told her that Ororo was a better maid than her?
"You did wonderfully, Ororo. That will be all for today," I praise, making her chuckle.
+10 Affection with Ororo Munroe [15/100] for not holding a grudge too hard and not pushing her too far.
"Then, until next time, Sir. Try to keep the room clean; I'm sure you'd rather I spend my time polishing your shaft rather than dusting," Ororo deadpans, making me snort. She's not wrong.
Turning around, she struts out of the room with a sway to her hips that I can't pull my eyes off, leaving the room.
Rogue enters moments later, blinking.
"So, did I just imagine Professor Ororo leaving in a maid outfit?" Rouge asks as she looks around the spotless room and then at my still-exposed cock.
"I hate cleaning, so I hired a maid. That's all," I reply calmly, making her stare at me for a moment before she shrugs, stripping down.
"You know what? I don't even want to know," Rogue mutters as she moves towards me, pushing me onto my back as a grin grows on her face.
– Late Night –
Waking up to my phone vibrating, I extract myself from Rogue and Kitty's grip and sit up, grabbing my phone and looking at the caller ID. With a slight frown, I answer the call, wondering what is going on.
"Not gonna lie, I wasn't expecting to hear from you, certainly not this late, but I guess I did forget to mention I was swapping schools." I admit quietly. Getting a call from my (or background Kuro's) occasional fuck buddy is a bit of a surprise; we aren't emotionally close at all.
"It's not about that; we both barely attended anyway. Look, I really need your help," she answers quickly, making me frown.
"Okay. Didn't we agree not to get personal? I'm pretty sure you were the one to say that we should just stay acquaintances with benefits," I reply, hearing a sigh over the line.
"I know, okay? We agreed to keep it physical, but I don't know who else I can turn to. Look, just hear me out, okay?" she asks, a slight hint of desperation filling her tone.
"Fine, fine, let me guess. Did you pickpocket the wrong person? Or do you owe money to a dealer?" I ask, making her sigh.
"What? No, that's not... okay, well, yeah, I owe a bit, but it's not that; I can handle that. Look, I'm being stalked, and I'm pretty sure I didn't pickpocket this guy, maybe?" she says after a moment, hesitating as I sense her trying to remember if she actually did rob her stalker.
That's the girl I remember, a slight druggie with a habit of stealing, Kuro Tepes was a rebel, and he got along decently with her and also may have gotten her into stealing in the first place.
"Alright, calm down. Do you have any idea who he is? How sure are you that he's stalking you? Has he tried anything yet?" I ask her after a moment.
"Never seen him before, I think; he normally wears a hoodie and shows up late at night, so it's hard to tell," she starts, making me frown; yeah, that would do it. Definitely sounds creepy, if nothing else. "He keeps showing up. I've seen him a dozen times in the past couple of days alone, and he's always just staring at me, so I'm pretty sure. And no, he's not approached me; he looked like he was going to last night, but he ran away after a moment." she explains. "I kept seeing him outside my house last night. He runs away when I see him, but he always comes back. I'm seriously freaking out, Kuro," she admits, sounding pretty vulnerable.
Her mother is an alcoholic and a bigger druggie than she is; she won't be any help, so I won't even ask about her. It's no wonder she has issues, living in poverty, a dead father and a broken mother. That's the magic recipe for a girl with a hell of a lot of issues, which, as it happens, is my favourite kind of girl.
"Okay, is he there now, and what do you want me to do about it?" I ask, making her pause.
"No. I don't think so, at least; it was you on the TV, right? I recognised you saving that Spider-kid. Can you... can you come over to my place, just in case?" she asks hesitantly, making me pause seeing a pair of eyes watching me.
"Sure thing, Tandy, I'll be there real soon. Is your mom asleep?" I ask, watching Rogue get out of bed slowly.
"Yeah, she's passed out drunk. She'd sleep through an earthquake; she won't notice you. Cam… can you do that swirly portal thing to my living room?" Tandy asks, making me smile. I've been there once or twice, enough for it to work.
"Yeah, I can. I'll see you soon; it's going to be fine," I say, ending the call and turning to Rogue.
"Sounds bad. I've got good hearing, Sugah. Do you want a hand?" Rogue offers, making me smile, and give her a quick kiss.
"I'd love one," I say quickly; I'll never turn down help.
Time to play the hero… for the second time in one day. This better not become a habit, or at the very least, I better start getting paid better.
– Bonus Scene – Learning from History –
"Are you sure this is correct?" Nick asked after a moment, skimming over the files with a thoughtful frown.
"As sure as we can be when dealing with myths and legends, sir. The name Kuro sounded familiar, so I went digging. This is all from the division you had searching for records of possible enhanced individuals throughout history," Maria responded calmly; he knew he gave her the position of second in command for a reason.
"Thank you. I'll look over them all," Nick said gratefully, watching her leave with a sigh.
After taking Logan into account, he'd looked into other enhanced people in history; Logan had been around for a long time, from what he could tell. It had been hit or miss for the most part.
There were hundreds, thousands, of legends of people with enhanced powers throughout history, and that was for each individual country. Worldwide, the numbers became too high to track. He'd hired professionals for just about every mythology to try and track them. Heroes, 'Demi-Gods', even the Gods themselves.
Were they real? Did they really have powers? And more importantly, could they still be around? Lurking in the shadows, waiting to return to the light. Were there various pantheons of very powerful, enhanced people with delusions of Godhood just getting ready to come back into the open?
He knew some legends were more real than he'd like. Hell, he'd even met Dracula, of all people, during World War II. Dracula's daughter, Lilith Drake, had worked with S.H.I.E.L.D. briefly in the past, and she was a prime candidate for the occult task force Dugan wanted to form before the council had stepped in and denied it.
It was why he wasn't dismissing the idea that Kuro was part-vampire, or would it be a full vampire? Dhampir? He wasn't sure. The legends about vampires were inconsistent.
A vampiric mutant. God, the world was confusing sometimes, even for him. Maybe he should increase the search for Lilith? He could use someone with expertise in dealing with vampires, but she was good at not being found.
Now that he was reading over the file, he could remember this one. The Black Wanderer.
It was the name one of his researchers gave a particular figure of interest. The name Kuro wasn't linked to it often, but it was on record as one of the many names the Wanderer used.
A figure that seemed to pop up in just about every mythology and every era, his researchers were convinced he was an immortal, travelling the world or that he was a time traveller.
He'd practically forgotten about it as the years went by, his mind distracted by other things.
Maria apparently had not; she'd be a suitable replacement for him if anything went wrong.
The Black Mercenary General who fought in the Hundred Years War, fighting alongside Joan of Arc (or against her, depending on which legend you listened to). The Black Dread, a pirate captain who turned the Caribbean into his own playground, fighting the likes of Blackbeard and possibly Davy Jones, if that could be believed. A lone warrior in Three Kingdoms China who fought Lu Bu to a standstill, a ronin fighting in Warring States Japan. A knight of the Round Table in Camelot alongside King Arthur.
The list just kept going, several claims outright contradicting each other or placing him in two places at once: an Outlaw (or perhaps a Ranger) in the Old American West. A demi-god supporting the Spartans against the Persian empire. A champion supporting the Greek in their invasion of Troy (if that ever actually happened), defending Jerusalem against Saladin.
Not to mention showing up in the Crusades, Renaissance Italy, Victorian London, Ancient Egypt, the French Revolution, and Colonial America. If you named an era where something was happened, the fucker was there. Even some caveman drawings were attributed to him.
The name of the figure was usually lost despite the renown he gathered, raising the theory that someone was outright erasing records of the Wanderer, but the description often stayed the same: a pale man with red eyes, black hair and strange powers, though the age changed often. The name Kuro was linked to him during his time in the Warring States Japan and Three Kingdoms China, though his last name seemingly changed with each appearance.
It didn't make sense, though, that some of his appearances predated Dracula or Vlad Tepes, which means Kuro couldn't be both the Black Wanderer and a descendant of Dracula. Unless he actually was a time traveller, in which case how old was he really? Had he already been to some of the places he was possibly linked to? Was he only just starting out?
He didn't know which he'd prefer.
He'd already seen possible evidence of Kuro having more powers; cameras had picked him up, leaving an alleyway in the middle of New York, one that led to a dead-end.
When he was supposed to still be at the school from his surveillance on the gates and surroundings of the mansion, Teleportation was such a pain in the ass to track.
How do you keep tabs on someone who just vanished into thin air as they pleased? Did he know about the fight that was happening? Or was going to happen? Had he seen some future where Spider-Man had died and decided to stop it, or was it dumb luck that brought him to the right place to save Spider-Man?
His head hurt thinking about it. Fucking time-travel. Until he had any proof otherwise, he was going to assume that Kuro was still starting out, if Kuro was linked to the Wanderer at all.
Old Authors Note: Tom Holland Spider-Man continues to display an inability to keep his mask on; my only real issue with him in the movies, tbh. I get it; he's an actor, and they don't want him under a mask the entire movie V for Vendetta Style (or Dredd, for that matter)
Since the Marvel Cinematic Universe has a handy timeline to keep track of everything going on, I've decided to add the date to help people understand where we are in the plot. Tony Stark escapes the terrorists on May 1st. I do think I'm going to... alter the timeline somewhat. Iron Man doesn't finish till November 24th, so I guess I can compact things a bit and keep it believable. There will still be time skips and jumps though; they are... inevitable, but the timeline can be whatever I want.
Fun isn't something one considers when altering the timeline. But this… does put a smile on my face.
...I'll stop.
For now.
To those on QQ... Nice. You know what it means.