[A/N]: 🚨 Look at us go! After the reset we were way down… but in just one day we've already clawed our way back up to Rank 34! 🔥💪
This is proof — when we push together, we climb fast. Now imagine what happens if we keep this energy rolling for the whole month… Top 10 is ours for the taking. ⚡
And remember: if we make it, you're getting a 7-chapter mass release. Let's keep smashing those Power Stones — every one is a step closer to victory! 💥
The Queens safehouse buzzed with quiet activity as Jay reviewed the encrypted reports coming in from his network. Three days since the power transfers, and his people were already proving their worth.
Maria's voice crackled through the secure comm from the Bronx: "Tagged two more SHIELD watchers outside the Roosevelt Avenue shelter. They're rotating every eight hours, trying to look casual. Want me to track them back to their base?"
"Yeah, do that," Jay replied. "And document their patterns while you're at it."
Linda's report from Manhattan was more concerning: "Three of our regulars at the soup kitchen are showing signs of systematic stress—elevated cortisol, sleep deprivation patterns. Someone's been questioning them about a 'helpful doctor' who's been making rounds."
Tom's update from Staten Island rounded out the picture: "Been vision-sharing with contacts near the ferry terminals. SHIELD's got people asking questions at all the major homeless camps. They're being careful about it, but word's getting out."
Jay leaned back in his chair, processing the intel. SHIELD wasn't moving fast, but they were definitely moving. Probing, testing, mapping his network one connection at a time.
"They're being cautious," Bobby observed, stubbing out his cigarette in a coffee mug. "Smart play after that stunt Romanoff pulled."
"Too cautious." Jay frowned at the reports. "Fury's not the type to sit back and gather intel for weeks. He's planning something bigger."
His secure phone buzzed—a message from a number he hadn't seen in over a week.
I got it. - Xabi
Jay's mood lifted despite the circumstances. "I need to step out. Hold down the fort, and if SHIELD makes any overt moves, call me immediately."
The small café in Astoria was exactly the kind of place SHIELD would overlook—worn linoleum floors, mismatched chairs, and coffee that could strip paint. Jay arrived first, choosing a corner table with clear sightlines to both entrances.
Xabi appeared ten minutes later, looking like he'd aged years in the past week. The usual confidence was still there, but underneath Jay could see something else—guilt, maybe. The kind that came from crossing lines you couldn't uncross.
"You look like hell," Jay said as Xabi slumped into the opposite chair.
"Feel worse." Xabi signaled the waitress for coffee, then met Jay's eyes. "I did something I'm not proud of, hermano."
Jay waited, letting the silence stretch.
"That job you pointed me toward. "Xabi's voice dropped. "I took blood samples from an old soldier. Isaiah Bradley. American hero from the war. One of the few who survived the early super-soldier experiments." His hands tightened around his coffee cup. "Man's been through enough without someone like me stealing from him in his sleep."
"You got what you needed, though?"
"Yeah, but—" Xabi looked up sharply. "That's not the point. The guy's in his seventies, Jay. Finally living in peace after the government pretended he didn't exist for decades. And I violated that."
Jay reached across the table, clasping Xabi's shoulder. "You did a job. Clean, professional, nobody got hurt. Sometimes that's all we can control."
"Easy for you to say. You help people."
"And you help your family." Jay leaned forward. "Speaking of which, how about we go to Sunday mass at St. Mary's? Let's meet them."
The guilt on Xabi's face cracked, replaced by surprise.
"You serious?" Xabi straightened.
Jay grinned. "Of course."
When they parted ways, Xabi looked lighter somehow, the guilt still there but no longer crushing him.
The Baxter Building's security had been upgraded since Jay's last visit. Reed was taking his advice seriously.
"Jay!" Reed's greeting was enthusiastic as always, but Jay caught the exhaustion around his eyes. "Perfect timing. I've been diving deep into Dr. McCoy's Mutant Growth Harmone research."
Reed led him to the lab, where holographic displays showed complex molecular structures rotating in three-dimensional space.
"The theory is sound," Reed continued, manipulating the display with practiced gestures. "Mutant Growth Hormone could significantly enhance your base physical capabilities if we can combine it with stored cosmic radiation. The challenge is finding a safe binding agent."
Jay studied the projections, recognizing some of the compounds from his enhanced medical knowledge. "What kind of enhancement are we talking about?"
"Potentially dramatic. Enhanced strength, speed, reflexes—all within human limits but pushed to their absolute peak. Think Captain America-level base attributes before you add your other abilities on top."
The possibilities were tempting, but Reed's tone carried a warning.
"There's a problem though," Reed continued. "MGH is something only Dr. Hank can properly manufacture, and for good reason. In the wrong hands, it's been used to create temporary superhuman abilities in normal humans. The side effects were... severe."
Jay nodded, then reached into his jacket and produced the vial of dark red liquid. "What about this?"
Reed's eyes widened as he accepted the vial, immediately moving to place it in an analysis scanner. "Jay, where did you get this?"
"Black market contact. Said it came from some kind of enhanced individual, but couldn't tell me more than that." Jay kept his voice casual. "Figured it was worth checking out.
The scanner hummed to life, and Reed's expression grew increasingly alarmed as data streamed across the displays.
"This is..." Reed turned to face him, and Jay could see concern bordering on fear in his friend's eyes. "Jay, this blood contains genetic markers I've seen before. Enhanced metabolism, incredible cellular regeneration, and something else—something that looks almost like steroids but on a level I've never encountered."
"Good thing or bad thing?"
Reed set the vial down carefully, as if it might explode. "Whoever's blood this is, they had super-soldier serum injected into their system, although it's highly degraded."
Jay could see Reed's mind racing, connecting dots and reaching conclusions Jay wasn't ready to share.
"You're thinking about taking shortcuts," Reed said quietly. "I understand the temptation, believe me. But going down this path—using illegal methods and acquiring who knows whose blood—that's how good people become cautionary tales."
"And sitting on our hands while SHIELD builds a file thick enough to justify a black site is how good people disappear entirely," Jay shot back. "Sometimes calculated risks are the only option."
Reed's expression softened. "You sound like me, right before I convinced my team to take an untested spaceship into a cosmic storm."
The parallel wasn't lost on Jay. Reed had taken the ultimate calculated risk and gained incredible abilities—but he'd also put his friends in danger.
"Look," Reed continued, "I won't lecture you about taking risks. God knows I've made my share of questionable decisions. But if we're doing this, we do it right. Proper testing, controlled conditions, full understanding of what we're dealing with."
Jay nodded slowly. "What do you need?"
"MGH, for starters. The real thing, not black-market knockoffs. And if you can somehow get access to the original Super Soldier Serum research..." Reed shook his head. "That's probably impossible though."
"I might have a contact who could help with the MGH. Xavier's school has resources, connections. Can't promise anything on the serum research though." Jay muttered.
Reed's eyebrows rose.
"Xavier's a brilliant geneticist, a pioneer in mutant studies." Reed paused, uncertain.
Jay caught something in Reed's tone. "You don't trust him."
"It's not about trust. It's about understanding that when you're dealing with someone that powerful, you're never entirely sure whose interests are being served." Reed met Jay's eyes. "Just... be careful. Even with allies, especially with allies who can read minds."
'Of course, Reed has done his research on every superpower faction' Jay thought.
"How's the rest of the team doing?" Jay asked, changing the subject to safer ground.
Reed's expression brightened immediately. "Better than expected, actually. Following your advice about the interviews was brilliant—public perception has shifted dramatically. Ben's been getting fan mail now."
"That's great. How's he handling it?"
"Like it's the most natural thing in the world. Even went on a date last week—first time since the transformation. They're seeing each other again this weekend."
Jay felt genuine happiness at the news. Ben Grimm deserved some normalcy in his life, and if Jay's intervention had helped make that possible, it was worth every minute he'd spent crafting that media strategy.
"What about Johnny and Sue?"
"Johnny's loving the attention, naturally. Sue's been more reserved, but I think she appreciates not being seen as a freak of nature every time she steps outside." Reed's expression grew thoughtful.
"There's something else you should know," Jay said, his tone turning serious. "SHIELD made their recruitment pitch. Sent the Black Widow herself to my apartment."
Reed's attention sharpened immediately. "What did they want?"
"The usual. Join up, share information, pretend we're all on the same side while they build leverage over everyone enhanced." Jay summarized the encounter, leaving out the more personal details of his exchange with Natasha.
"That's concerning on multiple levels," Reed muttered, already moving toward his security console. "If they're making direct approaches, it means they're confident in their intelligence."
"They know about me, at least partially. And they're probing the people I consult for information." Jay watched as Reed activated additional security protocols. "You need to be careful. They'll come for you too, eventually."
"We've increased our security substantially since our conversation. Bug sweeps every six hours, restricted access to sensitive areas, and I've been working on some countermeasures for potential infiltration attempts."
Jay nodded approvingly. Reed was taking the threat seriously without being paralyzed by it.
They spent another hour going over technical details and security protocols before Jay prepared to leave. Reed handed him a small device that looked like a modified smartphone.
"Encrypted communication device," Reed explained. "If you need to reach me urgently, or if you acquire those materials we discussed. The encryption is my own design—even SHIELD would need weeks to crack it."
Jay pocketed the device, then handed over the vial of Isaiah's blood. "Thanks. Run whatever tests you need. Just... be careful with it."
"Always am." Reed's smile was tired but genuine.
As Jay left the Baxter Building, he found himself thinking about Reed's warning.
His secure phone buzzed with an update from Bobby
SHIELD increased surveillance around the soup kitchens. They're getting bolder.
Jay quickened his pace. Time for quiet moves was running out.
[A/N]: I write across multiple fandoms. Support my writing and get early access to 20+ chapters, exclusive content, and bonus material at my P@treon - Max-Striker.