November 14th, 2016.
My time with the Avengers had been fun, mostly. I had continued taking on the occasional mission and had completely wiped out the Pantheon, and killed their leader. Their future actions had caused the Olympians to just decide to snuff them out and avoid a whole lot of drama, and I was happy to help and add more powers to my own. I had stored enough power within myself to make Natasha a powerful goddess. Granted, I had no intention of doing that so soon. We had only been dating six months, after all!
My new relationship with Natasha was going well and we had been on several dates. We were really getting to know each other, which included the biblical definition of the word. I could really see myself eventually being her husband though, and was looking forward to that. We had a lot in common, Natasha and I. I didn't judge her and she didn't judge me, though I had only described my victims as 'the kind of people HYDRA would hire,' which was true and they did hire them.
I had begun training with the other Avengers almost six months ago, and I quickly identified Wanda's abilities as just over-stimulated facets of innate magical ability. I began training her when I had time, and she was rapidly approaching my own skill, but not power level in telepathy and telekinesis, and could now form magical bolts, teleport with high proficiency, and create magical shields. I already to taught her how to tap various energy sources for greater magical feats, but I refused to teach her invocation or even mention the dangerous practice. I didn't want an ally of mine enslaved to some mystery being with delusions of importance.
The truly sad thing was that I was bored without having any challenges for myself. The most exciting parts of my life were selling the by-products of my asteroid mining, dates with Natasha, and inventing new things. I had made several billion in six months by selling off my new assets, and was now richer than even Tony Stark. I was already smarter, better looking, cooler, most likely better in bed, most likely more well-endowed, and this just drove things home and showed the world how awesome I was. Besides, I was still getting revenge for the lecture he gave me, from when I gave 'Ant-Man' a Signal Decoy and then told him he could keep it and even called Stark arrogant asshole.
I was currently tracking Peter Parker, also known as 'Spider-Man' to the public. That kid was going to get himself killed and possibly his entire family, so I decided to intervene and hopefully give him other options or better equipment so that he didn't end up dead in a gutter somewhere, after watching everyone he loved get slaughtered.
I found him minutes later and remotely teleported him to me, causing him to appear from where he was in an alley.
"Hello, Peter Parker, or do you prefer Spider-Man?" I said, as he looked around in shock and confusion. He noticed me, and quickly recognized me as Perseus of the Avengers.
"Why did you bring me here?" He asked, removing his mask.
"To either convince you to quit super-heroics or accept some help, so that you don't die a broken person in a gutter somewhere when you eventually fight someone that you can't beat." I said, to his annoyance.
"You are amazing at pep talks and super inspiring." Parker replied sarcastically.
"I'm being realistic, Parker. The battle I lost was a city falling on top of me, not all losses are that epic or awesome." I replied, causing him to smile. "I could just as easily be a supervillain who brought you here to kill you, or kill your aunt: May Parker, or your best friend: Ned Leeds. You need to realize that your actions can cause the deaths of those you care about. The question you need to ask yourself is this: are you willing to take that risk and can you protect the people that you care about? Bear in mind that it took me ten minutes to discover your identity and five more to profile your life and know about your family and friends."
I just noticed that Parker looked horrified.
"I just wanted to make a difference! I was given these powers for a reason and I have to use them to help others, because I have the power to, and if I don't, then it's my fault for not not doing what I can." Parker replied heatedly.
"Do you force criminals to commit their crimes, Parker?" I asked in annoyance.
"No!"
"Then how is it your fault? No one has the right to ask you to sacrifice everything for others. It's a personal choice and generally ends in misery, loneliness, and regret."
"I'm not gonna stop! You can't make me!" Parker replied, causing me to laugh somewhat evilly and scare the kid.
"I could easily make you!" I replied in amusement. "But it's your choice and the consequences are on you too. That said, I won't have you running around in a onesie where you can get shot, stabbed, or blown to pieces. So... let's design you a suit that won't get you mocked." I stood from where I was sitting.
"You're gonna make me a suit?!" Parker asked excitedly, ignoring the onesie comment, as I lead him to my lab.
"Yup, might even infuse some magic into it for a more technomancy based suit and grant you some better capabilities."
"But I can't use magic." Parker said in confusion.
"It'll absorb ambient and offensive magic to enhance the suits capabilities, the tech will control the magic for you with programs. It's optional, but would offer you a major advantage in strength. Like a base strength of two-hundred tons, in the suit of course. That's all I can give you without dropping major cash on the suit and making it look more Iron Man like." I said, to his excitement.
I unlocked my lab, all four security measures and then we both entered.
"Awesome!" Parker said, looking at all my inventions.
"Yes, I am, but let's focus on creating you a suit." I said, with an amused smile. Parker nodded in reply, so I continued. "I was thinking synthetic Vibranium in your suit to make it near-indestructible and even augment your physical abilities further. An scanner and sensor set up to help you be aware of all threats. From what I've observed, the tensile strength of your webbing is incredible, but I will provide you with a blend for Hulk-like threats and falling sky-scrapers and a more compact version of web-shooters. I'll also include tech-based psychic shielding, of course, and Stealth/Camouflage, temperature control with a built in heater, anti-theft stuff, communications, and energy absorption that can withstand one nuke before needing to vent the excess energy."
"That sounds cool. Can you really put all of that in a suit?" Parker asked, and I snorted in amusement.
"Very easily. Do you want to control the suit with your mind?" I asked in reply. "You'll also get some technopathic abilities and an enhanced intellect in the process " I added.
"What does the process involve?" Parker asked, nervously. He obviously didn't like that it was a mystery process, and I approved of his suspicion.
"A small injection of a nano-tech serum to the cervical nerves, slightly painful, but it's well worth it and there is little risk involved. The worst that could happen is that someone eventually finds a way to deactivate it and then it would need to be re-activated or re-installed." I noticed he was still indecisive. "Given that the injection is focused into two things, the gains on the intellect enhancement would be immense, and help you balance your public and private life more easily."
"Okay," He finally replied, after thinking it over for an entire minute.
"I'll retrieve the serum from one of my vaults, after setting up the suit fabrication, and some low-tech back up suits and back ups of your other equipment for you." I said, while typing at superhuman speeds.
"So will I get to be an Avenger?" Parker finally asked. I was waiting for him to ask that.
"Maybe when you turn eighteen and can legally become such. There are laws against recruiting those under the age of eighteen and I despise those who use child soldiers."
"I'm not a child!" Parker protested, very childishly.
"Maybe not, but you're still covered under the law. Now, I need to go retrieve a dose of the serum. I'll be back in minute or two, but don't touch my stuff while I'm gone." I said, before teleporting into my vault.
I walked through it, ignoring all my other toys; battle-suits, weapons, potions, serums, magical objects, books, and walked directly to the Extremis section. I grabbed a small dose and teleported back out.
I arrived and saw Parker patiently waiting.
"Ready to become a technopath?" I asked, while preparing the injection.
"Yeah. Will this also make me smarter than Tony Stark?" Parker asked, to my amusement.
"It might make you even smarter than Hank Pym or Reed Richards, and they are both immensely more intelligent, and far more mature than Tony Stark. Granted, you would have to invest the time to learn and master the desired fields." I replied. I was privately very glad that I got near them both and mimicked their capabilities, but I wasn't going to just hand him the knowledge that I absorbed. It hindered innovation and I personally struggled to innovate and create something entirely new, when I already had what others created. "Now, have a seat and I'll give you the injection."
Parker obeyed and he was fully injected a minute later.
"When your main suit is done, you'll need to experiment with it to learn control. My computer systems are impregnable to technopathic attacks, so you can't practice here." I said, and Parker seemed to accept that without complaint. "Your high-tech suit should be ready in an hour, but your low-tech suits should be ready in twenty minutes."
"Can we talk about the Avengers until then?" Parker asked. "And can you get me Tony Starks autograph?"
"I won't reveal secret Avenger stuff and I'll look into it." I said, in exasperation.
One hour later...
Peters suits were all finally finished and I teleported him to near his home with all of his new gear. I could have had the suits ready quicker, but I didn't want to halt or slow down of my more important projects. I needed challenges and more opportunities to gain power and wealth, and I could easily take the combined power of the human race, but what was the point? I had to live here and having a lot of enemies would make that impractical. So, if I couldn't gain power here, then I only had a few more options... alternate universes, timelines, and realities. My super-computers, ten of them, were all compiling lists of potential targets, primarily targeting villains, extinction level threats, or those on their death beds. With the existence of the Infinity Stones and Gauntlet confirmed, I need far more power than I had.
Sadly, I didn't currently have time to pursue these leads, and I just saved the current target list and left my super-computers to find more. I teleported away, back to the Avengers facility.
I arrived outside and entered the building, already noticing the Avengers hanging out.
"Hey, Percy," Natasha said, as I entered.
"Hey," I said in greeting, before discreetly adding. "Sorry about my absence, I had to stage an intervention that failed."
"Oh?" Natasha asked with an amused smile.
"That Spider-Man. He's really a super-powered teenage boy, who was until recently fighting crime in what is basically a onesie." I replied, causing her to laugh. "He wouldn't back down, not even if I told his aunt, so I ended up giving him a suit with trackers on it. It'll keep him alive and help him grow, at least until he's eighteen and can be seriously considered for recruitment to the Avengers. I'll need to tell the others later, but thankfully he was eager to join the Avengers, and he agreed to trust complete strangers with his secret identity." I said, causing Natasha to smirk in amusement.
"The truly sad thing is that I'm pretty sure that I used to be that naive and trusting. Granted, I was eleven..." I continued, making her smile again, though somewhat sadly this time. "Yeah... I'll have to keep an eye on his activities, and that hopefully won't interfere in our dates. If it does, I'll have to get revenge."
"If it does, I'll help you." Natasha said in amusement.
"Well, then lets hope that a couple that kicks ass together stays together then." I said, before pulling her closer to me and hugging her and causing her to smile as she hugged me back.
"You're really sweet, you know." Natasha said a moment later.
"I'm gonna pretend you said super-manly and awesome," I said in faux offense, and caused her to grin. "I'm lucky to have you, Natalia." Natasha looked doubtful. "No matter what's in your past, I accept you, Natalia, and I love you. Your past helped make you the person you are now, I know your past, and I love you; good deeds and bad, because they are a part of you." I said, in flawless Russian. Natasha looked touched by what I said. I kinda winged that one, but I thought it was sweet, why not.
We had fallen hard for each other, we still had secrets, but we shared as much as we could with each other. Natasha had actually shared more, but she knew a rough estimate of my kill count. We both fell hard for one another, and I was sure that Aphrodite caused it, but I was grateful for her intervention and Natasha seemed to be also. I decided that it was time to offer her more power, so that she could survive fighting stronger opponents and I could worry about her less. Okay, I doubt that I would worry less, but she would be safer and that's what mattered most to me.
"Can we go somewhere to talk?" I asked. Natasha nodded and led me to her room.
We entered her room a minute later and I closed the door behind us.
"What'd you want to talk about?" Natasha asked.
"Us, and our future together. I've mentioned giving you more power before, so that we could be together forever, and I was wondering if you wanted to undergo Genetic Augmentation. The average level of strength for my family is lifting twenty five tons for women and thirty for men, though it can be increased with training. I'm asking this, because it'll give you a larger advantage and mean less threats can truly threaten you. I think this will help keep you safe, help you in your career, and I'll hopefully worry about you less. I know you can handle yourself, I just worry about you eventually fighting someone you can't beat or escape from, like I eventually will." I said, nervously.
"What brought all of this on?" Natasha asked in concern.
"I've always intended to offer whoever I married or fell in love with such abilities, but I don't want to lose you, and lately I've been getting feelings that now is the time to begin protecting those I care about. It wouldn't hurt you, but eventually, when you're given god-like powers, you will be three times denser and you'll become heavier. It shouldn't hinder your combat abilities, though." I said, my slight desperation seeping through, as I kept trying to sale her on the idea.
"Percy," Natasha said soothingly. "I'll let you give me super-powers, there are worst things you could ask of me, but don't worry about me so much. I have a team near me most of the time that can help defend me, and they would have to get through you too, and you can pretty much neutralize any threats to me with your mutant ability and diverse skill-set." Natasha said, greatly easing my mind.
"Thank you, my love," I said, before hugging her to me and kissing her forehead. "Do you want to do it this weekend?"
"Sure, why not." Natasha replied. "We can actually do it tonight, if you want."
"Great." I replied, enjoying our physical closeness.
"So... you already planning to marry me?" Natasha asked, with a slighly teasing smile.
"Yup, but don't worry. When I feel we have known each other long enough, I'll give you a proper proposal."
"What if I get impatient and propose to you?" Natasha quipped teasingly.
"Well, I believe in gender equality. So I expect a ring and you to be on one knee and to make it a special night for me."
"Do I need to ask for your mothers blessing too?" She asked in amusement.
"Yup. Good thing she likes you already, huh?"
"Yes, it is." Natasha replied, before passionately kissing me. "I guess we should tell the Avengers about the new vigilante, and then start that Genetic Augmentation process. How long will that take, anyway?" She asked, after we separated.
"A few hours. You might even have some dormant genetic potential that could be unleashed." I replied, opening the door. "I highly doubt that you'll be stronger than Thor, but ancestry can grant you a lot of dormant abilities or improve your own."
"Sounds cool," Natasha replied as we began walking back to where the others were.
We arrived back in the living room a minute later.
"Done already?" Rhodes asked, causing Tony to smirk.
"Talking, yes. Are you and Tony gonna sneak off for an interlude soon?" I asked, noticing their closeness and bringing attention to it. "Go for it, Tony! Put that mouth of his to good use!" I said encouragingly, causing the others to laugh at the disgusted looks on Rhodes and Tony's faces.
And Rhodes punched me.
And hurt his hand, causing a several others to laugh as he began making sure it could still move. HA!
"Yeah... I'm near invulnerable, so..." I said, fighting to suppress how amused I was. "Anyway. Who's heard of that new vigilante Spider-Man?" I asked, getting Tony's undivided attention.
"I have. You figured out his identity?" Tony asked, genuinely impressed.
"Yeah, took me ten minutes too, and then five more to know everyone he cares about. I tried convincing him to stop what he was doing, he refused of course, and I couldn't convince him otherwise. I eventually settled for giving him better gear so that he would be harder to kill and could protect his identity better. He practically begged to join the Avengers, but he's fifteen and therefore ineligible. I told him that I would make sure you all knew he was interested though, and he was okay with complete strangers, all of us, knowing his identity. He's Peter Parker from Queen's, New York, and is far too trusting, so let's not keep records of his name and keep it secret." They all nodded in agreement with protecting the kid.
"He wants your autograph by the way," I said to Tony, causing him to smirk. "I tried convincing him that you aren't that impressive, and even suggested a couple other smarter people to respect, but the poor kid just doesn't know any better." That caused the smirk to disappear. "I know. I suggested Reed Richards, Hank Pym, Bruce Banner, Hank McCoy, Helen Cho, and getting desperate, myself, and then," fake shudder, "Victor Von Doom."
"You actually think your smarter than me?" Tony asked incredulously.
"Of course, I'm smarter than you! That's easy! I'm also much better looking, but that isn't relevant to this discussion." I said, causing laughter to break out around the room. "My brain functions at a higher level, Tony, you just aren't equipped to operate at that level." Tony was gaping stupidly.
"Yeah. Percy is much smarter and has more diverse talents." Maria added, getting a glare from Tony. "Sorry, but it's true. I've seen some of his inventions, which include: anti-gravity devices intended to lift weights like Novi Grad and gradually lower it, battle-suits, energy weapons like the Chitauri use, and indestructible battle armor. He also designed his own palace and chronicled his life's story with personally drawn paintings."
"And that's just a bunch of technology junk and before you ask, I created the anti-gravity tech after my resurrection. I'm also giving Natasha super-powers tonight." I said, to everyone's shock. "It's perfectly safe and she consented."
"Human experimentation is dangerous!" Tony argued.
"It's based on reverse-engineered alien tech, no experimentation involved. It's extensively tested, and I wouldn't carelessly experiment or play with things that I can't control. I'm not mutating or altering her. I'm enhancing whats already there and bringing out dormant abilities." I replied in annoyance. I wasn't going to explain the process to him, he'd just glare at me when I inevitably started talking down to him.
"Private citizens shouldn't be able to create super-soldiers on a whim." Rhodes said, butting in. I took this time to cast a spell that ensured he couldn't blab Parkers secret to the government.
"Neither should governments. People need to be able to hold them accountable and be able to fight them when they become corrupt." I said, to Steve's, Sam's, Wanda and Pietro's agreement. "You are entirely too loyal to our government and not it's people, the constitution or the Bill of Rights. Hell, Stern was HYDRA and the group had infested several world government, including our own, and you wanted Tony to hand over his technology and make it more vulnerable. Can you imagine an army of highly weaponized suits like his?"
"You've both delayed me getting super-powers long enough." Natasha said, before signalling me to teleport us away. "Bye!"
We arrived outside my lab.
"Get tired of Stark and Rhodes forcing their beliefs on others?" I asked with a smirk.
"Yeah. I liked how you put them in their place though," Natasha replied, with a smirk of her own.
"Me too. Tony just seems to believe he's the smartest person in the room, but smarter people don't run around creating rogue A.I's that try wiping out humanity. Plus, his skill-set is solely focused on tech and not biology, genetics, genetic engineering, or mutations; useful subjects that advance the human and don't just give perishable accessories that can be easily disabled." I said, leading her to another area of my lab. I unlocked several security measures and let us both inside. We were both greeted by several of my inventions and resources; all devoted to improving the human condition through the manipulation and enhancement of the humans themselves, without tech-based infusions like Extremis or implants.
"How many labs do you have?" Natasha asked in amusement.
"Several," I replied. "I even built spaceships!" I added, bragging, and caused her to smile.
I took her by the hand and led her over to the Rejuvenation Chamber.
"This is what I'll be using to tap into your genetics and augment them and also draw out any dormant potential." I said as she looked over the technology, not seeming to understand how it worked. "If you'll lie down inside it, I'll start the process. You do know this is optional, right? I'll admit I am worried, but it's your choice."
"I know, and I'm choosing this. Besides, I like the idea of having super-powers, it'll help me in my career, and you raised valid points and I trust your judgement." Natasha said, before lying down inside the machine.
When she was inside, I closed the lid and began the scan of her genetic code.
It finished minutes later and she had a decent pedigree.
"What is it?" Natasha asked in concern.
"You have an impressive ancestry. Some distant divine ancestors, perhaps the pagan deities of Russia. It's very distant, so you will only derive a slight benefit from it, but that slight benefit will grant you greater physical capabilities than Cap. That's if I only unlock them, by the way. With your basic human potential, it will be quite impressive." I said, getting her excited. "Are you ready to begin?" I asked.
"Yes," Natasha replied. I pressed a few buttons and the machine began unlocking her genetic potential. "I feel tingly."
"Your body is accessing new capabilities. When the process is complete you should be able to shrug off conventional weaponry, but likely not up to a 50 Cal."
"What other abilities can I expect?" Natasha asked.
"You should be able to lift over ten tons, have increased speed, stamina, agility, reflexes, and I'd also like to give you a healing factor like deities have. Sadly, it isn't as powerful as the ones more powerful mutants have, but it will help you a lot. We'll need to see what you can do with weights and on a tread mill." I said, to her silent agreement. "We can test your stamina in other more interesting ways..." I said, and was rewarded with a sexy smile.
"In what is that, Mr, Jackson?" Natasha asked faux innocently.
"I'll take you to my bed and ravish you for hours until you pass out, and fill your womb to the brim with my seed." I replied, not missing a beat.
"Sounds fun... Now, when can we get started?"
"As soon as the machine is done. In a few minutes." I really hated waiting for sex, well unless it involved foreplay. That was different and technically counted as part of sex.
Line break-remove text and replace. Authors Note: The back up suits are both blends of the Panther Habit and his comic Black Cloth suit with Synthetic Vibranium, and a lower tech version of the Spider-Suit from Civil War and Homecoming, but more durable and with Synthetic Vibranium. For the purposes of this story, Synthetic Vibranium costs $15,000 per pound to create, but the R&D cost was immense and largely trial and error. Knowledge of how to create Synthetic Vibranium was given to Percy, by Leo Valdez, who recieved the knowledge from his father, Hephaestus.
Peters main suit is a modified version of the Spider-Armor MK IV, modified as in I chose what went inside it, but kept the outer design so that my readers could visualize it better.