[A/N]: Well… we almost made it! Missed the goal by just a bit 🥀 but honestly, you guys showed up like champs. And since I love you all anyway, here's that bonus chapter! Consider it a thank-you for the support you bring every week. Let's crush it next time with the goal for bonus chapter being 200 Powerstones!
Their journey through Southeast Asia challenged them in ways neither expected. The Philippines welcomed them with pristine beaches and the warmth of people who smiled as easily as they breathed. In Palawan's underground river, they marveled at limestone formations sculpted by millions of years of patient water. In a Manila hospital, Jay quietly healed a ward full of children with dengue fever, his technomorphic abilities erasing all traces of his presence from the facility's systems. The balut that Jay dared Domino to try resulted in a face-off between her stubbornness and her gag reflex.
"This is biological warfare disguised as a snack," she accused between careful bites, though she refused to back down from his challenge.
"You've eaten military rations that were probably worse," Jay pointed out, grinning at her expression.
"At least those didn't have visible veins."
That evening, back in their hotel room, Jay teleported them to their private warehouse in New York. The space was already filling with carefully catalogued souvenirs and artifacts from their journey.
"Still weird seeing you do that," Domino commented, watching him store their purchases. "Makes packing a lot easier though."
"Wait until you see what we've collected by the end," Jay replied, organizing traditional Indian textiles next to Filipino prints. "This warehouse is going to tell the story of our entire journey."
Malaysia offered a fascinating blend of cultures. In Kuala Lumpur, they climbed the Petronas Towers and wandered through street markets where Tamil, Malay, and Mandarin languages created a polyglot symphony. "The linguistic patterns," Domino observed, her enhanced processing allowing her to pick up structural similarities between the languages faster than ever before, "they're more connected than I expected."
The satay they shared at Jalan Alor night market came with a side of Jay testing every vendor's gambling games and walking away with their prize money.
"You're showing off," Domino observed as she pocketed winnings from a ring toss game.
"I'm subsidizing our vacation," he corrected. "Besides, these games are rigged anyway. I'm just evening the odds."
Indonesia's diversity amazed them both. From Bali's rice terraces that cascaded down mountainsides like green waterfalls, to Java's volcanic peaks that pierced morning clouds, every island seemed to offer a different world. The temples at Borobudur left them both quiet, the massive Buddhist monument rising from the jungle making their usual banter seem inappropriate.
In a small village in Central Java, they encountered children suffering from malnutrition. Jay's healing work continued quietly, while Domino used her enhanced tactical thinking to coordinate with local aid workers, ensuring sustainable food supplies reached the community.
"Makes you feel small," Domino said as they watched the sunrise paint the ancient stones, Jay's jacket draped over her shoulders against the morning chill.
"In a good way or a bad way?" Jay asked.
She considered this, leaning against his shoulder. "Good, I think. Like maybe all the shit we worry about doesn't matter as much as we think it does."
"Optimistic as always," Jay said, but his arm tightened around her.
Africa welcomed them with red earth that stained their shoes and endless skies. They skipped Egypt because Jay muttered something about "trauma from moon-worshipping vigilantly" and Wakanda because he claimed it would be "diplomatically complicated."
Kenya became their unexpected favorite. The Maasai Mara during the great migration was a spectacle that television could never capture. Millions of wildebeest and zebras moving in ancient patterns across the savanna, predators following, the whole ecosystem playing out its eternal drama under African stars.
"Jambo, mzungu," called a Maasai elder as they visited a traditional village. "You have the eyes of a healer."
Jay smiled, grateful for the universal recognition of his nature. That evening, he quietly treated several villagers for malaria and infections, his work dismissed as the result of traditional herbal remedies and strong constitutions.
Nyama choma and ugali became their go-to meal, simple grilled meat and cornmeal that tasted better than anything they'd eaten at five-star restaurants. They sat around fires with locals who taught them Swahili phrases and shared stories that stretched back generations.
"Jambo, rafiki," Jay would say to vendors, his pronunciation improving daily.
"Mzungu anajua Kiswahili!" an elderly woman said to Domino at a Nairobi market, laughing at Jay's careful attempts at the language.
"He's showing off for me," Domino replied in English, which made the woman laugh harder.
"Smart man. The ones who try to learn, those ones are keepers."
Their evening training sessions continued even in the African wilderness. "Let's play Russian roulette," Domino suggested, loading the revolver as lions roared in the distance.
"You're completely insane," Jay laughed, but he was getting addicted to the rush of pushing his abilities to their limits.
Australia's coastline offered a different kind of beauty. The Great Barrier Reef was an underwater wonderland of colors that seemed impossible in nature. Sydney's harbor provided the perfect backdrop for the first real fight they'd had in weeks.
China challenged them with its sheer scale and complexity. The Great Wall stretched beyond the horizon like a stone dragon, while the Forbidden City in Beijing overwhelmed them with the weight of imperial history. In Sichuan, the spicy hot pot they shared had Domino gasping for water while Jay calmly continued eating.
"Lightweight," he observed as she fanned her mouth.
"My tongue is literally on fire."
"Should have listened when I said to start with the mild broth."
Russia's vastness was humbling. Red Square in Moscow, with St. Basil's colorful onion domes, felt like stepping into a fairy tale. The Trans-Siberian Railway carried them across landscapes so enormous they seemed to belong to another planet. In St. Petersburg, they spent hours in the Hermitage until Domino finally complained that her feet hurt and dragged Jay away from a medieval weapons display.
By the time they reached Europe, they had been traveling for nearly two months. Their warehouse in New York was filling steadily with carefully catalogued artifacts, artwork, and cultural treasures from their journey around the world.
They learned to move together, finishing each other's sentences and anticipating needs without discussion.
"Where to first in Europe?" Domino asked as their plane descended toward Paris, her head resting on Jay's shoulder as she watched the City of Light spread out below them.
"Definitely not Britain," Jay said firmly.
"Why not? What's wrong with the UK?"
Jay's expression grew cautious in that way that meant he knew something she didn't. "Let's just say dealing with reality warpers, multiversal police forces, and legendary magicians sounds like too much of a headache for a romantic vacation."
Domino raised an eyebrow but didn't push. She'd learned to pick her battles.
Paris greeted them with springtime beauty and the promise of new adventures. The Louvre's glass pyramid reflected the afternoon sun as they approached, but Jay's focus was elsewhere.
"There's something I need to acquire," he told Domino as they settled into their hotel room overlooking the Seine. "An African pendant in their private collection. It's not on public display."
Domino's entire demeanor shifted, professional interest replacing tourist curiosity. "Finally, something I can actually help with." Her smile carried a sharp edge. "What kind of security are we talking about?"
While Jay spread building schematics across their bed with the methodical focus she found both attractive and mildly obsessive, Domino disappeared into the Parisian night.
Hours passed. Jay had every guard rotation, camera angle, and entry point memorized by the time she returned through their hotel room window with silent grace that reminded him why she was so good at her job.
"Looking for this?" she asked, holding up an ornate pendant shaped like a claw.
Jay stared at her, then at the artifact, then back at her. "How did you..."
Domino's smile was pure satisfaction. "Trade secrets. Though I will say, your danger sense made it almost too easy. I could feel every guard's position, every camera's blind spot. It was like the building was telling me exactly how to move through it."
Jay pulled her close, tasting adrenaline and night air on her lips when he kissed her. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."
"Too late for that," she murmured against his mouth.
"Is this a magical artifact?" Domino asked, studying the pendant's intricate design while still pressed against his chest.
"Not exactly," Jay said, taking the pendant and focusing his light manipulation to remove decades of accumulated rust and dirt. Slowly, patiently, the tarnished metal began to gleam, revealing purple lines that seemed to pulse with absorbed kinetic energy. "This is made from one of the most expensive materials on Earth. Vibranium."
Domino's eyes widened with genuine surprise. "Like Captain America's shield?"
"Exactly. Very few pieces exist outside Wakanda's borders. Most of the world doesn't even know it exists." Jay's voice took on the same tone he used when explaining historical sites. "Finding artifacts like this in European museums is like discovering pieces of a puzzle that most people don't even know exists."
He added the claw-shaped pendant to his necklace carefully, where it joined the crooked adamantium bullet and Domino's lucky quarter.
"That thing's going to give you neck problems eventually," Domino pointed out, but her fingers traced the collection gently. Each piece represented something important.
"I'll worry about that when the time comes," Jay said, catching her hand and pressing it flat against his chest.
"Promises, promises," she murmured, but her eyes were soft.
Their European tour continued with the same pattern of discovery and growing familiarity. Rome's ancient grandeur fed Jay's need for historical context, while Venice's romantic canals provided perfect backdrops for the kind of quiet conversations they'd never had time for before. In Barcelona, Gaudí's impossible architecture made them both question reality in ways that felt uncomfortably familiar. Amsterdam's museums and canals offered cultural richness that satisfied their shared need to understand the world they were protecting.
"The memory enhancement is really kicking in now," Domino observed as they walked through the Rijksmuseum. "I can remember every painting we've seen on this entire trip, down to the smallest details. It's like having a photographic gallery in my head."
By the time they reached Berlin, spring was giving way to early summer, and they had been traveling together for exactly two months. The city's mix of heavy history and determined optimism felt appropriate for two people learning to build something new from complicated pasts.
Standing on the observation deck of the Reichstag building, looking out over a city that had been divided and reunited, Jay found himself thinking about permanence and change.
"No regrets about the dangerous training methods?" Jay asked, thinking about their increasingly elaborate training sessions.
"Are you kidding?" Domino grinned, her enhanced danger sense making her hyperaware of every potential threat in the crowded observation deck. "Watching you master my powers through sheer determination and stupidly dangerous games? It's just so sexy."
"No regrets about skipping Britain?" Domino asked, following his gaze across Berlin's skyline.
"None whatsoever," Jay said firmly. "Some sleeping dragons are better left undisturbed."
Domino nodded, having learned to trust his instincts about potential complications.
"So where to now?" she asked, slipping her arms around his waist as they watched the sun set over the city.
That's when Domino's phone buzzed insistently. Wade's contact photo filled the screen, his mask somehow managing to look both excited and manic even in a still image.
"Heya Domino, tell Boss Man we caught the big fish."
They got their answer.
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