Chapter Sixteen

Summary: Set after Avengers: Endgame.
Warning(s): Explicit. Disciplinary and erotic spanking; Heavy Domination/submission; sexual situations; dub/non-con (consent after the fact); violence and mentions of violence; AU

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Kate had continued keeping watch on everything after Gwen's death. By this point she was positive that Gwen had died at Spiders hand. She couldn't fault her friend- he did what he'd needed to in order to keep Gwen's toy safe and Kate was glad Harley had survived- or at least that she could assume he'd survived- but it didn't stop the melancholy and sense that she'd betrayed Gwen in some small way. Even if she'd known Gwen wouldn't hesitate to turn on her and hurt her if it benefitted Gwen in some way- and that the other woman would have enjoyed it (the fact Gwen was all eager to watch Namor beat her backside if he'd agreed was proof of that). Still, the other woman had treated her like a friend and someone intelligent and sane instead of like an annoyance to be tolerated or pitied or looked down on. Kate knew she wasn't sane and she wasn't certain of her own intelligence- the sanity affecting her decisions more than her intellect ever did. Gwen had never wavered in her belief in Kate's intelligence and the lack of sanity made her like Kate more.

She shook her head. At the end of the day, it didn't matter really. Gwen was dead. But it was hard not to be at least a little sad at what might have been- had Gwen been a little less sadistic and eager to destroy. Maybe, if Kate could have influenced Gwen more, Gwen wouldn't have been so eager to torture and kill Harley and Spiders wouldn't have felt the need to step in and Gwen would have lived, and Kate would still have her friend. Or maybe Gwen would have influenced Kate more and Kate would have been there and died too. She and Gwen were only different due to a few small differences in choice. Kate bit her lip. So what did she do now? She'd already done numerous small things to thwart Ultimus and Tony and Pepper. Maybe it was time to take a bigger step against them? She didn't know what to do.

****

Spiders had been keeping out of the way of their leaders as much as possible. Of course, he was always a loner anyway...so it wasn't really any different to how he'd been acting before. And his scout at the resistance's base was staying with Harley, a silent sentinel over the young man's bed.

Harley might have been rescued, but the effects of being a prisoner for more than a year and the abuse he'd suffered at Gwen's hands had taken a toll on him. He hadn't been sleeping well and often woke up from the nightmares. So when he woke up in a cold sweat, Spiders' scout danced in front of his eyes and weaved webs into intricate patterns and shapes, to distract the younger man from the emotional pain tormenting him.

But the scout only did it when no one was actively watching Harley, next to his bedside. It was still ingrained in Spiders to hide and even though his scout remained in visible view...he only showed the webs directly to his 'little brother'.

***

Maria paced the cell nervously. It was obvious that something had occurred to upset their captors. No one was saying anything, though, so she didn't know what. "We need to try and escape. They are becoming more and more unhinged. If we don't do it now, we may lose our chance forever...."

"We've still got a lot of people here who aren't capable of escaping under their own steam," Rhodey said quietly. "We need to wait for the right time. So that we don't leave anyone behind."

Maria sighed, knowing Rhodey was right. "If they keep taking people out like they have been, the right time isn't going to happen until it's just us left."

Happy frowned unhappily at that.

Rhodey sighed. "Our best move is going to be persuading them to take one of us three. We're all well-trained and if we can take even one of them by surprise...." Of course, that hadn't been any help for Fury. But like Maria said. Their captors were getting more unhinged. They might not be expecting a direct attack.

"I'll convince them to take me." Maria nodded. "They will more likely underestimate me."

"It depends on who's coming," Rhodey said quietly. "Their leaders are unlikely to underestimate you." After all, this version of Tony and Pepper probably knew full well how dangerous the three of them could be.

"Fine. I'll be the one to do it because I owe them for Fury..." Maria grimaced angrily.

"If we can make them take one of us as well...." Rhodey glanced towards Happy.

Maria nodded. "We need to be prepared, whoever they take...."

Rhodey nodded. Walking without his suit would be hard, but thanks to Tony's work with prosthetics, at least he would still be able to manage it. All they had to do was wait for the right moment.

***

It was nearing night again and Pepper and Tony had disappeared...presumably to talk to Ultimus. Maybe for another reason. It made Kate nervous. She brought food in to Scott, allowing him up to use the restroom and stretch.

Scott noticed she seemed nervous and it worried him. She wasn't the type to get nervous normally. He kept quiet, not wanting to draw her attention.

"I will leave you untied with my door locked," Kate determined. "Don't leave. It isn't safe for you," she said ominously, before leaving and locking the door behind her.

***

Spiders didn't really sleep. Since he'd become this monster, he'd never truly slept. Tony and Pepper were gone...not in the base currently. If he wanted to free another prisoner without drawing their ire directly....

On Jack's body, the spider scout hidden shifted enough to draw the wolf's attention.

Jack noticed and quietly and unobtrusively made his way to where Spiders normally was, in the hopes of being able to talk.

Knowing just how precarious his position now was, Spiders had slipped out of the base and headed to his sanctuary...the tiny clearing in the dark forest. He stayed in the shadows, just in case anyone other than Jack headed in this direction.

Jack followed his wolf senses as much as using memory. Shortly after, he located Spiders. "Did you need something?"

"They're suspicious." Spiders didn't bother mentioning who 'they' were. The rest of those in the base had seen Tony and Pepper's reactions to Gwen's deaths. "If another prisoner is going to be freed, it has to be done now. I don't believe I will survive much longer." He tilted his head slightly. "Who do they want?"

Jack blinked. "I will ask..." he said, quickly making sure his mate knew what was happening; asking for a recommendation.

***

Fury had already asked the others to meet him when Jack had indicated that Spiders was requesting a meeting. When his mate asked him, he looked around at the others in the room with him. "Spiders thinks he won't have another chance to free a prisoner. He's asked who we want."

Steve frowned and glanced around at the others before asking, quietly, "Does anyone know how close they are to figuring out what to do about Spiders? If he believes tonight is his last chance to save someone, I want to get him out before anything else."

"I know they got the material to try and form a body, but I'm not sure how far along they are ..." Tony looked toward Peter and the others.

"It honestly depends on you three." Peter looked towards Stephen, Wong and Mordo. "We don't have the soul stone that powered Vision, but we've theorised that using magic might work. Like alchemy. Changing the synthetic skin to a human body. We can extract the DNA from the arachnids that make up Spiders and if there's anything missing? Well, we know that his DNA is pretty close to our own." He gestured towards himself and Pete.

Stephen glanced toward Mordo and Wong. "Alchemy isn't exactly my strength. What do you think?"

"It's not alchemy in the strictest sense of the world. We'd be using the synthetic skin as a kind of basis for an actual body." Mordo nodded slowly. "I think it could work. There's a spell I believe we can adapt to that." He turned towards Wong. "I noticed it in one of the books you retrieved from Kamar-Taj."

"I think I know what you are speaking of..." Wong nodded.

Pete bit his lip. "Does he have to be here when you do the spell, or do you have to get the body ready first and he just crawl into it?"

"It'd be easier if he's here," Mordo said. "The less time between the creation of the body and implanting him into it, the better."

"So we need him to bring his chosen prisoner with him. Who do we want him to bring?" Tony asked.

"Maria, Rhodey and Happy are the ones still left who we know," Steve said. "Getting one of them here, before we make our move on the base, would likely be beneficial."

Ross suggested hesitantly, "Harley will need to bond... If he doesn't want to be stuck in the base and not able to leave at all. If he can only take one, maybe let Harley choose who, since they will most likely bond him...."

"You think Harley's up to making that kind of decision right now?" Steve addressed both Tony and Stephen.

"Not really, but if he doesn't choose, someone else will have to choose for him. After what he went through, letting him have as much choice as possible is important..." Tony asserted.

Steve nodded in understanding. "Do you want to ask him? The spider scout is with him, so whatever Harley says will be relayed directly to Spiders."

"I'll ask..." Tony quickly left for the infirmary to find out Harley's wishes. Once there, he explained to his son what was going on and why they needed to know.

Harley's eyes widened. "I...don't know...." he said fretfully. "Whoever I choose can get out, right? But then the others will be made to stay.... I don't know who to choose."

The spider, nestled on Harley's hand, reached up and touched a leg to his cheek, then turned so that it was facing Tony.

***

Back in the clearing, Spiders stirred slightly. "I'll take all three of them."

Jack blinked, immediately sending that info to Fury. "I'll do what I can to help you. You'll need to go with them...."

Spiders paused, briefly, at the direction, but didn't think to question it. If they wanted to imprison him so that no one else could be hurt by him, that was their right. This was their dimension, after all. "Very well." He moved from the shadows, moving away from the clearing, back through the forest...heading into the base and then towards the dungeon.

Rhodey heard the sound of someone approaching and he tensed his body, ready to act.

Maria also tensed, noting Happy doing the same. "Whatever happens..." she breathed out.

Spiders moved into the dungeon and stood there for a few moments, as if he was making his mind up over which prisoner he was going to take and torment. Finally, he spoke. "You. You. And you." He looked at Maria, Rhodey and Happy in turn. "I need to feed. But I figured I'd give you a sporting chance." He allowed three spiders to to run out from under his suit, each picking the chains of the three people.

Rhodey stood very slowly, eyeing Spiders. This was an escalation he hadn't been expecting. When Spiders killed a prisoner, it was only ever someone already close to death. And he never 'played' with them beforehand.

"I feel like I should remind you," Spiders continued. "You've seen what's under my suit. Try anything...and my spiders will devour your flesh within moments." If any of them did try anything, it would break his cover and draw the attention of those willingly working with HYDRA.

Maria glanced at the others, her worry and confusion clear. This wasn't normal for this particular captor. Why was he changing his method of doing things? It was almost as if he wanted them to escape.

Happy swallowed hard. "Are you the only one we're running from, or is the crazy woman and the vampire chasing too?"

Spiders didn't answer the question. Instead, he gestured towards the dungeon door for them to precede him. "There are guards all through this base." The warning note in his voice was clear.

Rhodey narrowed his own eyes. It sounded like the being was warning them not to try anything...yet. Guards all through the base...but not outside, where he planned to 'hunt'? He moved slowly towards the exit. There were enough differences here that he wasn't going to make a move until he knew exactly what was going on.

Maria had noticed the same thing Rhodey had and refrained from doing anything... yet.  It would do no one any good to try and make an escape surrounded by numerous enemy; not when they were about to have a chance outside, where they might be able to run and hide easier.

Happy just remained quiet and followed the example of his friends. He hated that there were still at least eight people being left behind; but if they got free, there might still be a chance to get them out.

Spiders headed out of the dungeons and to the exit of the base. He'd left some of his scouts outside and in other areas, so that he'd be warned of Tony and Pepper returning. Or if Kate came outside. When he slipped out of the base's exit, he hesitated briefly.

Jack knew the location of the resistance's base, but Spiders didn't know which direction he should be heading in. And he couldn't risk telling the three what his intentions were. Not when they were so close to the base.

Jack slunk up next to Spiders. He knew the other man didn't know where the base was and the prisoners would need help getting to the portal point, as they didn't know either. "You know where the portal is normally... I'll herd them there. Once they go through, Fury expects you to come through as well..." he whispered.

Spiders nodded and leaned in close to whisper to Jack, "You need to tell them he's alive. They won't trust you otherwise." He pulled back. "I'll give you a fifteen minute head start. Whoever I find first is my dinner. The others? Get to go back to the dungeon."

Jack gave a wolfish grin and led them to the outside of the building. Once out of earshot of other guards, though, he said, "Fury's still alive. So is Harley. They are waiting for you with a portal out of this mess. Just follow me..." he said softly. If they followed him, maybe they would trust him more than if he were at their backs.

Rhodey's eyes widened. "Wait, what? They're alive? Where?" They had to make a quick snap decision whether to trust him or not...especially since he was the one who had taken Fury from the dungeon, along with the crazy, sadistic woman who had taken Harley.

"Yeah... I found a way to fake his death. He's with your friends that are resisting. But we have to move quick..." Jack had started quickly walking by this point, leading them around all the known 'security spots'.

Maria and Happy followed. Between Spiders acting weird, the base being in a state of upheaval, and now Jack's information... Maria's gut was the only thing she felt safe following; and it was saying trust Jack.

They didn't really have a choice. Either Jack was on the level and they could join friends who were fighting back against Ultimus...or they were being led into another trap, another form of torture. But either way, they had very little choice right now and Rhodey followed Jack, along with Maria and Happy.

The others had taken very little time organizing a group to go retrieve their people. When Jack stepped into the clearing, he immediately sent notice to Fury, who informed Stephen to open the portal.

Maria blinked as the gateway opened and she saw Steve, Fury and Tony on the other side. "You were telling the truth... she breathed out, immediately stepping through to the other side. Happy quickly followed.

Rhodey's own eyes widened and he swiftly followed the others through. "Steve, Tony...Fury. It's good to see you," he said with feeling.

Steve smiled. "It's really good to see you...all of you. We'll take you to our base, but first...." He held up the hospital gowns. "In case you have any trackers on you."

Rhodey immediately began to get changed.

Maria and Happy changed as well.

Stephen was still holding the portal, but he was getting progressively more nervous the longer it took. He looked at Jack. "I'll have to close in a few seconds, before they can track me...."

Jack nodded, looking toward where he hoped Spiders was.

Fury also looked through the portal, hoping that Spiders would come soon. If the being didn't join them, this action would get him killed by the evil counterparts who were in charge. He couldn't come up with a story to save himself again.

Finally, though, the being could be seen, moving towards the portal at a brisk pace.

Jack nodded once at Fury after Spiders went through. And then the portal closed. I will keep in constant contact with you, Master. Things may fall apart soon.

Maria stepped back slightly as spiders came through, confused. But it was obvious the others were expecting him and weren't worried, so she didn't say anything. Her eyes widened just a slight bit more when Tony handed Spiders a new 'suit' instead of a hospital gown.

"Just in case you are being tracked." He smiled at the being.

Everyone was quickly led back.

Be careful, Fury sent to Jack. We'll make a move soon. Get you and the others out. Be ready. He walked with the others back to the base.

Spiders was confused about being handed a new suit, instead of being executed there and then, but he'd changed anyway and followed the group hesitantly. Maybe they wanted information first....

As soon as they were at base, Stephen led them to the infirmary for blood draws, physicals and explanations. He made certain Peter, Harry and Pete were there to talk to Spiders.

While the others were having their blood drawn and the physicals done, Peter approached Spiders. "Hi." He held his hand out. "I'm Peter. I think I'm your counterpart from another dimension. Pete here is your counterpart from this dimension. And Harry's our friend from a different dimension altogether."

"You already made those introductions to the scout I have here," Spiders said, a note of confusion creeping into his voice.

Peter nodded. "Right. But I figure it's more polite to introduce ourselves in person. We know what happened to you. We think there's a way to put you back into a human body."

"Wait...what?" Spiders was even more confused. "Why? That's not what I was expecting."

"Because anyone willing to go against Ultimus and help people, even if they might get hurt or there is no benefit to them personally, deserves to be helped." Pete shrugged.

"I'm a monster," Spiders said. "I came because I was expecting to be executed. Not...."

"They're the Avengers." Harry shrugged. "They're not going to execute someone who doesn't deserve it. And like Pete said. You put yourself in danger to save friends and family members. We need to wait for Doctor Strange to finish his examination, though, cause I think the spell requires all of the sorcerers."

"I'm done. I want the three of you to stay in the infirmary for observation. You've been captives for a long time. But as long as you don't show signs of being taken over by Ultimus, you can move into whichever rooms you pick tomorrow," Stephen said, before looking at Harry. "We decided it would be better to do the spell in the park. There is less dangerous equipment or other compounds there and we don't want an accidental interaction." He turned toward Spiders. "Please follow me. The others are waiting."

Pete blinked and quickly moved to follow.

"When you get a body, we actually have a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables growing in the park," Peter said, walking alongside Spiders. "Ultimus doesn't seem to care so much about feeding his converted with actual proper food, so we're still a bit limited on what fresh food we can actually eat."

"And if it doesn't work?" Spiders asked.

"We figure something else out..." Stephen shrugged. The fact Spiders had helped so many others escape Ultimus meant that they wouldn't give up on him.

Peter nodded a quick agreement. "Like Stephen says. If one way doesn't work, we try a new one."

By this time, they'd reached the park area. Wong and Mordo were there already, with the synthetic skin and the device to extract the DNA from the spiders.

Harry looked towards Spiders. "Do you need the suit to keep the spiders all together? Cause it'll be easier to extract the DNA if there are no barriers."

Spiders hesitated. "I don't need the suit...." he said, clear reluctance to expose himself in his voice.

"How many spiders do you actually need to get the DNA from for this to work?" Pete asked cautiously. Maybe they only needed to have a few of them visible and if it made Spiders more comfortable....

"Honestly, the more there are, the better chance there is of this working," Harry said. "Otherwise we're working with trace DNA and that's much harder."

Pete shrugged again. His expertise wasn't biological. He looked at Spiders expectantly, to see what he did.

Spiders slowly reached for the suit and undid it, letting it fall, revealing the horde of spiders that made a vaguely humanoid shape.

Out of respect for Spiders' obvious discomfort, Peter didn't ask any of the myriad of questions that went through his head. He brought the extractor over and set it up. "This shouldn't hurt." He looked towards the three sorcerers. "If you cast the spell, then as soon as the extraction is finished, we can make the transfer."

Wong nodded at Stephen and Mordo. Then, all three began to cast the spell. When it was completed, Wong nodded at Peter and Harry.

While the spell was being cast, the DNA extractor had done its job. Each spider that had the DNA taken from it crumpled dead to the ground, no longer driven by the sheer will of the human it had devoured.

By the time all of the DNA was extracted, there was only a pile of empty husks left. Taking a deep breath, Peter turned the machine to the body that the sorcerers had formed.

The spell might have been inspired by Frankenstein, or perhaps the story had come from the spell. The body that had been formed looked genetically similar to both Peters, without being a carbon copy of either. All it was missing was the spark of life.

Harry moved to Peter's side and both activated the machine to make the transfer, the needle point pushing its way under skin not yet alive.

Pete watched anxiously. He hadn't expected all the spiders to become lifeless husks. If this didn't work, that meant they would have killed Spiders. He didn't know if he'd be able to forgive himself if that happened.

Peter bit his lip, watching anxiously as the DNA was implanted into the new body. None of them had expected the spiders to die, so now, they weren't just hoping their first attempt worked. It had to work.

The once lifeless body took a breath.

Harry's eyes widened and he stepped closer. "Did it work?" he whispered hopefully.

Stephen quickly checked the body over. "He's breathing and his heart is beating. I won't know if his brain is active until I can get him to the infirmary to scan... Or he wakes up."

"Perhaps we should take him to the infirmary anyway," Mordo said. "Even once he wakes, I'm certain you will want to keep him for observation." He glanced at Stephen.

"Yeah. You two have him?" Stephen looked toward Peter and Pete.

Peter nodded and moved over to the body, taking Spiders' new form by the upper half and waiting for Pete to join him.

Pete got his feet and waited for Peter to move.

Peter straightened and he and Pete began to carry Spiders' new body towards the infirmary.

***

In his bed in the infirmary, Harley looked down at the spider scout in his hand, as its body dropped and became lifeless. His eyes widened and a worried, hurt look came over his face. "Spiders?" he whispered.

They moved quickly, carrying the seemingly 'sleeping' body to the infirmary so that brain scans could he done.

Harley wasn't stupid. He'd seen Spiders go with the others and the fact that they were bringing an apparently sleeping body back...one that looked slightly familiar, but at the same time, different.

He wasn't really in a fit state to be up, but...Spiders had saved his life. Was his brother. And he'd come from a different dimension and was basically alone. So Harley got up and he walked over as they placed the seemingly sleeping body onto one of the other beds to carry out the scans.

Pete stepped away while all the scans were being done. This wasn't his area of expertise and he didn't want to be in the way. He nodded at Harley.

Harley gently bumped shoulders with Pete and then carefully sat down where he wouldn't be in the way, reaching out to take one of Spiders' hands in his own and watching the sleeping face with an anxious look.

Stephen continued to do scans. "It appears there is brain function. All we can do now is wait."

***

While the group had taken Spiders to try and help him, Steve turned to Maria, Happy and Rhodey. "As you can see, we've begun fighting back against Ultimus."

Rhodey nodded. "He's converted most of the world to follow him. I'm pretty curious about how you've managed to avoid it."

"Personally?" Steve shrugged. "Bruce gave me a vaccine. I was able to resist the conversion. I spent about a year on the run. Then I found a way to break the conversion and to keep Ultimus out of people's heads for good." He paused and took a deep breath and began to explain the bond and how it worked.

"He currently isn't in our heads; mostly because we were locked up and he didn't see a need for it, I guess," Maria said. "If we plan to join you in fighting him, we probably should look into bonding ourselves, though."

Happy nodded. "We can afford to wait a little longer, though... so we can be sure we pick someone we fit with well."

Steve nodded. "We're going to make our move on the base soon. You three getting away isn't the only thing that's happened there. Gwen was killed by Spiders when he saved Harley. The evil counterparts are likely to do something drastic. Fortunately, Jack-the one who led you to us-is bonded to Fury, which means we know what is going on there."

Maria's eyes widened. "That's a lot that's happened... Do you want us to help you move on the base? Or is the risk of Ultimus taking over us too great?"

"It's probably going to be too great a risk." Steve paused before adding, "Unless one of you feels like you could bond with Harley. He's not up to doing anything too strenuous at the moment, though, so it'll have to be checked with Stephen or Lincoln before anything does happen."

Maria shook her head. "No... he needs to rest. He went through a lot while being captive. If and when he bonds, it will need to be entirely when he is ready and not before...."

Steve nodded, not that surprised. "In either case, we have a lot of people here who are bonded...so when we hit the base, we have enough to deal with the HYDRA agents along with the counterparts who are left."

Rhodey nodded. "I'm assuming this is Tony's branchild that he was working on before Ultimus invaded? With as much that I can see has gone into this base, I wouldn't have thought he built it after being freed."

Happy nodded. "I remember him working on it, actually. Not specifically for Ultimus; in case another world wide threat happened and he needed to get people to safety. He made it large enough for his friends and family and anyone he would be able to get here quickly."

"There are 100 rooms here...enough for at least 200 people. Probably more, as we have some people three to a room. And groups of four children in three rooms," Steve added. "Once you're given the all clear to leave the infirmary, you can get the tour of this place and decide what rooms you want."

Happy nodded. "I know Stephen said he wanted us to stay in the infirmary overnight. Just in case. But I'm feeling much better, just being out of that prison cell, so hopefully tomorrow...."

"Same here," Rhodey agreed. "Just being away from the bad versions...I can't relax fully until all of the captives have been freed, but I definitely feel a lot better than I did. It probably helps not to be chained up anymore," he added wryly.

Maria nodded. "When they are done with whatever they are doing, I think I'd like to lie down in a real bed and sleep. Even if it is the infirmary bed."

"I'm sure that can be arranged very soon," Steve said. "We can also get food for you. We have an indoor park here and fresh fruit and vegetables...." He continued describing what they had at the base.

***

It seemed to take a long time...far too long, to Harley's mind...but Spiders' new body finally began to stir. The hand Harley held twitched and the fingers flexed; and his eyes slowly opened.

By this point, everyone else had gone to bed. In the beds across from Harley's and Spiders' beds, Happy snored softly. Maria was quietly reading a data-pad that Stark had handed her, catching up on everything that she had missed out on after being imprisoned and learning more about the base and the plans of the resistance. She glanced up, something causing her to sense the change in Harley and Spiders.

Harley hadn't been able to make himself rest, even though he knew he was supposed to. When he felt the movement, he quickly sat up and squeezed the man's hand. "Spiders?" he asked hopefully.

"Harley?" The voice sounded hoarse, like it hadn't been used in a long time...but still familiar.

Harley's eyes filled with tears and he flung his arms around Spiders, hugging on fiercely and tightly. "You're alive." His voice broke. He'd been scared that Spiders was dead.

Maria sat up. "Friday... Please let Dr. Strange know Spiders is awake," she whispered.

"Of course, Agent Hill," the AI replied, repeating the message to Stephen.

Harley just hugged Spiders still, not wanting to let go of his brother. Especially not when Spiders slowly wrapped his own arms around Harley in return.

Stephen came in and quietly began examining Spiders, asking him questions. Finally, he stepped back. "As far as I can tell, you are in good health. If you start feeling bad, let me know immediately. I suggest you both get some rest now."

"Can I move my bed next to Spiders'?" Harley asked quickly, already standing with the intention of doing so himself.

"I suppose so..." Stephen quickly helped him move the bed. Luckily, it was a hospital bed and was on wheels.

Once the bed was next to Spiders', Harley quickly climbed onto it and pressed against his brother's side, clearly and obviously relaxing.

Looking a bit confused and lost, Spiders slowly wrapped an arm around the younger man.

****

Everything was a mess. Gwen had been presumably killed by the resistance (Kate doubted that was the truth, but she wouldn't say anything). Now three important prisoners were gone, along with Spiders. Tony and Pepper were raging.

"He was obviously working with them the whole time. He's likely the one who killed Gwen!" Tony growled

Pepper agreed, "We must make them suffer for their insolence!"

Blade calmly pointed out, "Tuesday still hasn't found their base."

Tony's grin was evil. "Oh. We will eventually. Before then, though, we will strike a blow to their morale. You, Jack, M'Baku and Namor... Take the remaining eight prisoners to the ocean. Slaughter them there and leave them for the scavengers to feast on."

Pepper nodded. "They've never opened a portal there that we've noticed. They likely need coordinates. By the time they get there, it will be too late. We can make sure they know our 'gift' is because of Gwen and Spiders."

Tony continued. "...And since they are most likely sleeping by now, they will be slower to respond. If they do show up at the location before it is too late, we will be better able to overcome them. Kill them. Or put a tracker on them that can't be removed so we can find their base.".

He held up something Kate had never seen before. Something he'd been working on.

Namor assumed that Jack had opened his bond to Fury, allowing the man to see what was going on. He didn't have a way of checking that, though, so just had to hope that the wolf was in contact with the resistance and that they would be able to adjust for the nefarious schemes of the evil leaders.

M'Baku tilted his head slightly, looking at the object Tony held up. "You want us to plant it on one of them if they do appear?"

"Yes. With a gun. They will rush their person back to their base to give medical aid. By the time they remove it and think to destroy the bullet, we will have their location." Tony seemed very pleased with himself.

Jack had immediately begun sending information to Fury, hoping his mate could give sufficient information to the resistance

"I assume you want it done as soon as possible," Namor said, his voice carrying no inflection.

"Now would be preferable," Pepper drawled.

Namor just nodded and turned to leave the war room, expecting the others to follow.

Blade nodded, heading down to the prisons to retrieve the remaining eight prisoners. "C'mon. Get moving..." he growled.

The scared prisoners obeyed, disoriented and uncertain.

Jack followed on the other side, sending Fury all the information he could.

M'Baku quickly followed along with the others, staying quiet and watchful.

Kate had stayed back, as the two megalomaniacs hadn't ordered her to go. She almost wished they had sent her, though; they were making her nervous.

***

When the four men and eight prisoners reached the beach, Jack quickly sent coordinates.

Fury quickly passed on the message to the others and then asked, on Steve's behalf, Do you need us to fake your deaths now?

I think it will be necessary. There is no way we can send all eight prisoners through and make it seem like we couldn't stop it. It will be obvious that we were helping you... Jack thought back.

***

Fury quickly passed on that information to Steve and the others before asking Tony, "Do you want to risk bringing the weapon your counterpart made here? So you can take a look?"

"It's a tracking bullet. Seems the risk is greater than the reward, since I have a fairly good idea of how he did it..." Tony said, with a sigh. "If I'm able to get hold of it and look at it in a location that isn't dangerous to everyone living in the base, I might try it, but not unless I am able to go to a location that isn't dangerous."

"We could leave it near to the ocean and collect it for you to look it over later," Steve suggested.

"If it is possible, do that. I don't want anyone putting themselves at risk for something I'm capable of figuring out without having it..." Tony asserted.

Steve nodded. "Rescuing the prisoners and faking the deaths of Jack, Blade, Namor and M'Baku is our priority. Is everyone who's going ready?" He looked around at those gathered.

"Ready as I'll ever be..." Druig snorted.

Grant nodded.

Frank looked at his mate. "Since we are faking their deaths, do we want to leave blood or other 'clues' to be found?"

Sersi smiled faintly. "I can actually manipulate matter... as long as they don't scan for DNA, I can make replicas of the four we are faking the deaths of.... Turn a couple of tree branches or some sand into facsimiles of them. It will work as long as they don't scan for DNA."

"I doubt they will look that closely as long as there is enough evidence left behind," Fury said. "We should also leave traces of weapons. Bullet casings. Make sure there are signs of a struggle. Of fighting. Trampled ground and tracks in the mud."

Tony nodded. "Let Jack know what the plan is so they can play along accordingly...."

Stephen glanced around. "If everyone who is going is ready, let's walk to our normal exit point so I can open a portal to the coordinates that were sent to us."

Fury proceeded to link with Jack and pass the message on, even as the group began to make their way to the exit point.

***

Jack looked at the other three men with him. "They are going to set it up so that we 'die' in the altercation with them. We need to make it seem realistic. Scuff the ground, make it look like a fight took place, leave casings and such around." He kept his voice quiet, in case someone was trying to listen in, but made certain the plan was made known to Blade, M'Baku and Namor. He smiled crookedly at the shocked faces of the nearest prisoners who had overheard him.  It didn't take them long to reach the beach and he immediately began to do as he'd been instructed, scuffing things to look like a fight and shooting into the beach so that bullet casings could be found.

While he was doing this, a portal opened and the resistance stepped through. Tony quickly handed hospital gowns to all the prisoners and the four men. "Just in case, you understand. We don't want trackers to go back with us."

Blade snorted. "Considering the bullets we were told to use are exactly that, it's understandable."

Sersi, meanwhile, was manipulating sand and nearby items to look like the four men who needed to 'die'.  By the time she was done, extremely realistic versions of the four were lying on the ground, bloody and obviously killed in a fight.

Jack was watching her with interest. "Very useful ability..." he said, before looking around and noting that he and the other three were the only ones left to go through the portal. They were all in hospital gowns and everything that could be done had been, so he stepped through to join his mate.

As soon as Jack stepped through the portal and it closed, Fury wrapped his arm around his mate to guide him back to the base.

Steve led the way to the base, explaining, "Once we get there, our doctors will examine you and take blood samples to get a baseline for your health. Then you can see the rest of the base."

***

Kate was pacing in the base. The other four hadn't returned and she suspected she knew why, but didn't know for certain.

Pepper was impatient as well. "Go see what is taking so long. They should have returned with news by now..." she said to one of the HYDRA soldiers that was guarding the base.

He left to do her bidding.

It didn't take long. The soldier practically ran all the way back to base with the news. "All four are dead and the prisoners are gone!" he blurted, breathing heavily.

Kate was surprised- she supposed she shouldn't have been- but she was caught by surprise when Pepper and Tony began to yell and throw things in a furious rage.

"Your toy... the one you keep in your room. Bring him out. I'll make an example they'll never forget!" Pepper seethed.

Tony growled, "They'll be finding pieces of him for the next year.  After we send them recordings of his torture and painful dismemberment...."

"But..." Kate's eyes widened. "...He's MINE!" she protested.

"He's Ultimus'. Don't forget it!" Tony corrected her.

"Go get him," Pepper ordered.

Swallowing, Kate left and went to get Scott out of her room. Opening the door, she quickly moved to him. "I'm getting you out of here. They ordered your death. I'm not letting that happen..." she whispered, taking his hand and tugging him out of the room and toward the exit of the base... only to come face to face with Pepper and Tony.

"Turned traitor, have we?" Tony purred, in a nasty voice.

"Guess we'll have more than one example..." Pepper added.

Sighing softly, Kate looked at Scott. "I'm sorry...."

The next five minutes were a cacophony of screams and really gross sounds. Scott couldn't see most of it; Kate had pushed him onto the floor behind a potted plant. When the sounds stopped and he finally raised his head to see what had happened, the area was a blood-bath. Pepper and Tony's lifeless bodies stared at the ceiling. All the HYDRA soldiers who had been left on the base were also torn to pieces. He whimpered softly.

Kate was covered in blood and gore. She motioned to him, but didn't try and touch him. "Follow me. I'll take you to a safe spot."

Scott didn't see that he had much choice and did as she ordered. When they finally reached a clearing that was a safe distance from the base, she handed him a radio. "Here. See if you can get hold of the resistance. They'll come for you..." the vampire whispered, before disappearing into the darkness.

Scott looked at the radio uncertainly, but then began trying to reach someone. It was a radio that only had one channel. He hoped that the companion radio was in the hands of the resistance and not a follower of Ultimus.

***

While the others in the base were checking over the newly freed prisoners, Phastos had been tinkering with some of the broken pieces of tech that had been scavenged. Among those was a radio. He'd managed to fix it, but even he was caught by surprise by the sudden crackling and voice that came through it.

Phastos immediately picked up the radio. "Who is this?"

"...I... Scott... Scott Lang..." Scott answered hesitantly. He wasn't sure if the person he was talking to was safe or not, but he had to take a chance. He was alone in a place he didn't recognize.

Phastos frowned and quickly asked Friday to send a message to the others. Then, he asked, "What condition are you in? Do you need medical aid?" The name sounded familiar, but wasn't one he could immediately put a face to.

"I... she kept me safe in her room until tonight. They wanted to kill me, but she killed them and then brought me here. It was a bloodbath. I'm not sure why she left me alone, but I'm not hurt... just confused and not sure where I am..." Scott admitted.

"Friday, can you get a read on the location of a man called Scott Lang?" Phastos requested, before addressing the man on the other end of the radio. "You were held prisoner? Who by?" It was more than likely that he'd been held in the same place as the other captives they'd rescued, but just in case there was another group of evil counterparts out there, they needed to know.

"It... it looked like Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, but they were completely batshit crazy. Nasty. Cruel and vindictive and..." Scott swallowed. "They got mad for some reason and decided I was going to be an example and told the one who'd been keeping me in her room to bring me to them and... she was batshit crazy too, but had a bit more of a conscience, because she didn't want me hurt. Actually stopped doing stuff when she found out I didn't want it. Anyway... she didn't want me hurt and was trying to get me to safety and they caught us on the way out and... and I'm pretty sure my guardian vampire tore them to pieces, because there was blood and gore everywhere and... I think I stepped on one of their intestines... I... I..." Suddenly, sounds of retching could be heard.

By this point, Steve had arrived in Phastos' lab and quickly motioned for the radio. When Phastos handed it over, he spoke quickly and urgently into it. "Scott? It's Steve. Friday has your location. I'll be coming through a portal to get you. Stay put, okay?"

A few more retching sounds could be heard and then, "... Okay, Cap. Dunno where I could go, anyway. Dunno where I am...."

"I'll be there soon," Steve promised, before asking Wong if he could open a portal...since Stephen was still with the other rescued prisoners.

"Of course." Wong immediately opened a portal to the location Friday gave.

Scott stared at the portal wide-eyed, nervous and unsure. What if this wasn't Cap? What if it was more batshit crazy Ultimus fanboys?

Steve stepped through the portal, carrying a hospital gown, and quickly moved over to Scott's side, after scanning the surrounding area to make sure there was no immediate threat. He held out the hospital gown to Scott. "In case there are any trackers on you," he clarified.

Scott nodded and stripped quickly, putting on the gown.  He then moved next to Steve. "I don't know where she went, Cap... but I don't think she wanted to hurt me. I don't think she'd hurt you."

Steve nodded. "We have a lot of other enemies here as well," he said quietly. "If we can find her, we will." He gently took Scott's arm to lead the other man through the portal.

Scott stumbled through the portal, following Steve. Wong immediately closed the portal behind them. "Hey, Wong! It's good to see you...."

Wong nodded at Scott. "We should move quickly. Stephen will want to examine you."

Steve helped Scott in the direction of the infirmary. "Some of those who were in the base with you also switched sides," he said, giving the younger man warning.

Scott blinked. "I didn't really see that many people once she took me to her room... but if she was willing to help me, it makes sense that maybe some of the others changed sides."

Stephen came over and began to examine Scott, while Lincoln drew his blood.

Scott looked around to see who all was in the infirmary.

Harley was still in the infirmary, still recovering from what was done to him. He waved at Scott from where he was sitting with Spiders, playing cards with the other young man.

Scott gave a hesitant wave to Harley and Spiders, then noticed all the other prisoners and the four men who had helped them all escape. "All of you switched sides?" he asked in surprise.

Jack smiled at Scott's confusion from his position next to Fury. "None of us liked what was being done. We just didn't have a choice; our worlds were being threatened. But... since our deaths were faked, we don't have to worry about that. As long as it isn't discovered we are still alive." He shifted as Stephen came over, having finished examining Scott.

"We need the bed, Nick. And you are doing much better, especially now that Jack has returned to you, so I think you can move into your own room now," the doctor said with a smile.

Blade sighed. "What about those of us that weren't injured? Or held prisoner? Can we head to our rooms now? Or do you need to keep us under surveillance for a bit?"

Fury smiled at Stephen and stood, offering a hand to his mate to help Jack to his feet. "If you need me, you know where I am," he said.

"I don't think we need to keep you under surveillance." Steve answered Blade's question. "But you might want to give some thought to the next move you want to take. All of the adults here in the base, save those in this room, are bonded. It gives protection against Ultimus being able to get in your mind."

Stephen led Scott to the bed Fury had just vacated.

"If you aren't bonded, you will need to stay in this base. Otherwise, it would be too easy for Ultimus to try and get hold of you. If he did that, our location would be easy access for him and we'd have to evacuate," Tony said.

"But it's not an urgent matter to attend to this moment?" M'Baku asked. "There is time to form an emotional connection first?"

Steve nodded. "Since Ultimus never controlled you, we believe you'll be safe here in the base."

"You can take as long as you need to form an attachment. Just don't leave the base until you have formed an attachment," Tony agreed.

Namor nodded slowly. "So long as I can have regular access to water, that instruction is easy to follow."

Tony frowned slightly. "Does it have to be like a lake or ocean or something? Or can it be a tub?" he asked Namor.

Stephen had separated those who were injured from those who were healthy enough to move into their own rooms. Amazingly enough, although a bit malnourished, the eight prisoners that Jack and the others had risked everything for were healthy enough to move into their own rooms. And they had already paired off with each other. He gave each of the new couples supplies and explained how to bond and led them to what would become their rooms.

Maria looked toward Rhodey, Happy and Scott, then looked at Harley-who was cuddled up to Spiders-M'Baku, Blade and Namor. "I'm well enough to go to my own room, but feel like I should stay here to get to know you all... just in case." She snorted.

Happy laughed. "Yeah. Same here."

Rhodey shrugged. "Hey, if we don't need to move out for any new patients, there's no reason not to stay here and talk and get to know each other. Or catch up." He glanced towards Harley. "How are you feeling, kid?"

"A lot better now that I'm outta there," Harley admitted. "Still having nightmares, though."

"I have a feeling all of us will be having those, to various degrees..." Scott sighed.

Maria nodded. "Well... at least now we're out. We have a chance to heal."

Scott looked at Harley and Spiders. "Are you two planning to bond?” 

Harley blinked at the question. "No. It'd be like bonding with Pete. We're brothers," he declared.

Maria blinked at that, looking at Spiders more closely. "I guess I can see a resemblance between him and Pete."

Spiders shifted slightly, clearly uncomfortable under the scrutiny. "They used the two Peters as a basis for this body."

Maria nodded. "How do you feel about it?" she asked.

Shrugging, Spiders answered, "I don't remember what I looked like before I was devoured by the spiders. But my DNA is similar enough to theirs that this probably isn't far from what I used to look like."

Maria smiled faintly. "That's cool. But I meant, how do you feel to have an actual body again?"

"Like I'm missing parts of myself," Spiders admitted. "I don't feel things the way I used to before. I guess I need to get used to being in an actual body again."

Harley looked up at his brother. "At least you don't need to eat anyone now," he said softly.

Spiders avoided eye contact. "There is that."

"Yeah..." Maria gave a sympathetic look. She felt like she needed to get used to her own body again, after being locked up so long. She couldn't imagine having to get used to such a big change as he was going through.

By this time, everyone else had left to go to bed. She settled into her own bed to go to sleep. There would be more time to talk in the morning.

***

Kate couldn't go back to the base after what she'd done. She stayed near the clearing only long enough to ensure Scott was retrieved and then headed back to the one place she knew she could hide through the day and not be found by Ultimus' soldiers.

She went to the ocean and went to the underwater shipwreck, then sat and thought about everything and tried to figure out what she was going to do.

***

Harley had managed to sleep for a couple of hours, but even though he knew that he was safe on a conscious level...subconsciously, he was still affected by what had happened to him. He began to whimper in his sleep as the nightmares began, unconsciously shifting closer to Spiders...who was sleeping lightly enough that the shift in movement woke him up.

Scott was able to sleep better. While his initial experience of being claimed as Kate's pet was horrifying, she had realized he didn't actually want it and wasn't happy; and had shown a level of humanity that surpassed those of the actual humans in charge of the base. He'd actually begun to feel safe in her room, because he was being left alone by everyone and she was taking care of him.

Blade had seen bad stuff nearly his entire life. What was occurring with Ultimus was a typical year for him, so he didn't have any problems at all. He had never slept much anyway and spent a large portion of the rest of the night guarding the others.

Happy was snoring away. Nothing seemed to phase him.

Eventually, it was morning and Strange came into the infirmary again. "I see no reason you all can't move into more comfortable rooms. I have Friday keeping an eye on things to let me know if anyone is in medical distress. So, if you want to pick a place. Once you decide on a bondmate, you can always move."

Happy nodded. "Sounds good to me."

Sitting up, Harley yawned and rubbed his eyes, then reached out to gently grasp Spiders' hand. "We could room together. At least until we figure out who we're bonding to."

"I might need a shower. And clean clothes first." Spiders glanced down at himself and wrinkled his nose. "Not used to actually sweating."

Steve smiled and stepped forward. "You can get a tour of the base and collect supplies from storage, then decide on the rooms you want," he suggested.

Maria blinked at Steve's sudden appearance, having not seen him enter the infirmary again. "Gonna need to put a bell on you..." she muttered, with a shake of her head.

Scott had already been given the all-clear by Strange and had left to pick a room.

Blade followed after, Happy trailing along behind. Everyone wanted to get a space if their own. Friday directed them to the storage areas, where they could get toiletries and clothes.

M'Baku went to get his own items, along with Namor.

Harley picked out things for both himself and Spiders, who wasn't used to using anything they had.

Once the newcomers had settled in their rooms, people began filing into the rec room, either curious about the new people, or wanting to catch up with those they hadn't seen since Ultimus had invaded.

Frank watched as everyone settled in place. Some were watching videos, some were playing games, a few were putting a puzzle together. It was calm and quiet, though. Given the past several weeks where it wasn't calm or quiet, he was happy for a reprieve. Even if they still had to be very careful.

Harley was sitting next to Spiders and pointing out the different powered people to him.

Spiders was frowning as he looked around. "No one here existed in my dimension."

"Who did?" Rhodey asked curiously, overhearing.

Spiders shrugged. "Some enhanced villains. I dealt with them."

"Not sure we'd call what we've dealt with enhanced or not. Most of the time, it has been advanced technology giving an advantage. Only a few could really have been called enhanced. At least that we dealt with..." Maria said, looking around at all the ex-SHIELD and Avengers who would understand what she meant.

Fury nodded. "We've dealt with alien threats a few times. Most recently Thanos. And, of course, Ultimus. I don't think anyone knows where he came from, though. Or what he wants."

Ross nodded. "It's slightly different... I don't know how to explain it."

Overhearing, Steve said quietly, "Maybe it's because this is the first time you all had your minds and free will taken from you. Ultimus has converted the majority of the people here to his cause. Not only here, but in many other dimensions as well."

"The sorcerer mentioned a bonding spell," Spiders said. "The one that you've all used to fight back against Ultimus?"

"Yes..." Druig said, before explaining the spell again. "Of course, they have also been studying it to see if it causes any changes in people."

"It sounds like our advantage of the bonding spell being something Ultimus is unaware of has gone," Mordo commented. "If my counterpart was aware of it, then he likely would have passed that knowledge onto Ultimus."

"If that is the case, he might try and find a counter to it," Bucky said.

"Do you know of anything that could possibly do that?" Steve asked the three sorcerers.

"I have been looking... To make sure if there is one, I can find a counter. So far, I have not found one," Wong said.

Steve nodded. "Hopefully, we can get hold of the book of Vishna before Ultimus discovers a way to fight against us."

"The book of Vishna? Is that like a spell book?" Rhodey asked.

"Yes. It is a very powerful magical artifact that I hid to prevent Ultimus obtaining. Unfortunately, in my attempt to keep him from it, I needed to put safeguards on it that prevent me from accessing it except at a very specific time. Which, if I am unable to do for some reason, I will have to wait for that time to occur again." Wong sighed.

Steve nodded. "Just let us know when it's time to move out and we'll make it happen," he promised.

"Of course." Wong nodded.

"Have you met everyone yet?" Tony asked, preparing to do introductions.

"I've been pointing out who the people I know are," Harley said. "But I don't know who everyone here is." He hadn't yet had the chance to meet everyone.

"I don't know who everyone is either," Happy stated.

Tony nodded and began to do introductions.

Kate shifted closer to Norman. They're looking at me funny... she thought.

Norman wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew her in close.

Rhodey noticed the look on Kate's face. "You had an evil doppelganger in the base as well. She was a vampire."

"Not evil." Spiders shifted slightly. "I don't think she's beyond hope. She needs help." He glanced at Harley. "She kept watch when I was with you."

Harley's eyes widened in memory. "She was the one who knocked to warn you when Gwen was coming back."

Kate bit her lip. "A real vampire?"

Jack smiled. "Like I'm a real werewolf." He turned toward Rhodey. "She kept quiet when I helped get some of you to safety."

"She refused to kill me when the bad Pepper and Tony ordered it. And... I'm pretty sure she is the one who killed them and all the HYDRA henchmen to help me escape..." Scott whispered.

Namor nodded slowly. "I saw something else when she came under the water while I was there. She was enthralled with the ocean and the life there. I showed her the shipwreck I'd been exploring and she was like a child in her excitement. I would willingly bring her here." He hesitated. "If her presence wouldn't bother anyone."

"A lot of people here have received second chances," Steve said quietly. "But we would have to figure out a way around her need for blood."

"We figured out how to help Spiders. I don't see why we can't figure out how to help her not need blood." Pete shrugged.

Blade nodded. "I'm a hybrid... My mother was turned when I was born. I take a serum to help keep my need for blood at bay."

"So we bring her here and figure out a way to turn her into a hybrid like you?" Peter glanced at Blade. "Or if there's another way of helping her avoid having to drink blood...."

"She'd have to avoid going out during the day." Namor nodded. "Maybe it's worth trying at the ocean. In case she went back there."

"Until we can help her, she would need to stay locked in the cell. I don't know how accurate vampire movies are, but it seems that until her need for blood is eliminated, the longer she goes without it, the more unbalanced and dangerous she'll become." Tony looked around.

Steve nodded. "We'll make sure to keep her somewhere she can't cause harm to anyone, even if she's not entirely to blame."

"Thank you," Namor said.

"We can start working on it tomorrow. Too bad Buffy the Vampire Slayer wasn't real. They resouled a vampire. Although he still had to drink blood," Dane said.

Wong snorted. "Did you know that most television fiction is based on real events in another dimension? When you dream of things in your life that never happened, it is because you are seeing memories of one of your dimensional counterparts, or thereabouts. Most fiction is based on the dreams of the author, even if they don't admit they were the original protagonist in their story."

"Is there a way to make contact with other dimensions through our dreams?" Steve asked Wong. "I've had a couple more dreams about the dimension where SHIELD and the Avengers formed a whole family unit. In the last dream I had, it seems like they had dimensions bleeding into each other. If we could make contact, we could warn them of Ultimus. Maybe join forces to warn other dimensions."

"I have not attempted it... But if they are experiencing dimensional bleed through, then the walls of their dimension may be very thin. Perhaps if you think about them specifically right before sleep, it will allow a connection. And you can relay the message somehow..." Wong hesitantly offered. He was reluctant to say it would definitely work, but he thought it might.

"You could see if it's possible to leave a message in writing," Mordo said. "Automatic writing isn't unheard of here in our dimension."

"If anyone could warn other dimensions, it would be worth an attempt," Stephen agreed.

Steve nodded. "I'll make the attempt tonight," he said.

"So... Does this mean there is a dimension somewhere where there is a vampire slayer and a vampire with a soul?" Scott asked.

"For that matter, does that also mean that there's a dimension with a guy running around dressed like a bat?" Harry paused. "Actually, based on what's here in this dimension already, that's not all that strange."

Scott blinked at that, but didn't say anything.

"Yes, to both questions. Which means that it should be possible to give your vampire friend a soul. Possibly more," Wong agreed.

"We can check if there are any spells that might be able to help, once we have her here," Mordo commented.

Peter was looking a bit thoughtful. "So if a lot of the fiction in our dimensions is actually bleed through from others...there might be counterparts who only share a passing similarity to us. Cause I used to watch Batman and he's sorta like you." He nodded towards Tony. "Billionaire inventor who fights bad guys in a suit."

"I am a lot happier than Batman. Plus, I never hid who I was when I became Iron-Man," Tony said.

Stephen snorted. "Not in this dimension, anyway."

"There are probably dimensions where your counterpart made different choices," Mordo commented to Tony. "I could easily see a counterpart of mine working willingly with Ultimus, considering choices I made in this dimension. I could have crossed that line here."

Blade nodded. "Your counterpart did do so."

"Most of the other counterparts did too," Spiders said quietly. "Like Gwen. She existed in my dimension. But not...like that."

Kate was subdued. She hadn't met her counterpart, but if she was a strong person, like Kate liked to imagine herself, what had been done to her to make her insane?

It's impossible to imagine and will probably have a negative effect on you if you try, Norman said.

Peter was more interested in something else and he asked Spiders, "You have Gwen in your dimension? Gwen Stacey? Is she...still alive? Still okay?"

Spiders nodded. "She wanted to find a way to reverse what was done to me as well."

"Sounds like my Gwen...." Peter's voice was sad, but also bittersweet.

Stephen sent out a mental -hug- through the bond before turning toward Namor. "You seem to have spent a little more time with her than most. Do you think it will be best to invite her back, or capture her? Assuming we find her...."

Peter sent through a feeling of gratitude, though there was still a hint of sadness. After all, he was still something of an outsider to this dimension. Shaking his head, he looked towards Jack. "So you and Katie's vampire counterpart aren't from the same dimension? But you have werewolves...?" He was obviously curious.

"It depends on who she sees," Namor answered Stephen. "She might be more willing to respond positively to myself or Jack. I believe she likes him."

Jack shrugged. "I don't know if we are from the same dimension or not. I never met her till we were here, though. And she likes you too. For all she was putting on a show for Gwen and the two dipshits ordering us around.... I think her feelings were genuine."

"Well, we obviously don't want to bring her here during the day. So we can try and find her tomorrow night. Once we've formed a plan," Stephen suggested.

"What else do you have in your dimension?" Peter asked curiously. "Mine seems pretty tame in comparison to everywhere else. I just had a lizard guy and another one who could control electricity. And my best friend, but he was...sick."

Namor just nodded to Jack's comment, even as he answered Stephen. "Your AI might be able to get her location, unless she's figured out a way to hide."

"Possibly. But Friday finds things according to heat signature or electrical pulses. She isn't electronic and she has no body heat. We may be able to have her scan for something different if there is something her body would emit..." Tony said hesitantly.

"I mean... It's just home to me. I'm not sure what to say about it..." Jack grinned crookedly. "There are werewolves, vampires, ghouls, ghosts, tree-beings...."

"She'll need to feed," Namor said. "So maybe scan for any heat signatures suddenly extinguished? If that's possible."

"Okay, I've heard of most of those, but...tree beings? Are they like dryads?" Peter asked.

Harry, listening to his friend, snorted softly. "You're going to be an expert on the differences in all the dimensions eventually," he said fondly.

"Not exactly..." Jack smiled. "My best friend is a tree being. Maybe they are we distant relatives to Groot?" He glanced toward Groot and Rocket.

"Friday? Could you do a scan like that?" Tony asked.

"Do they look anything like Groot?" Rocket glanced towards his best friend, wondering if Groot knew anything about other beings like him.

Harley tilted his head slightly. "Does anyone else have any friends from their dimension? Maybe we can see if Ultimus brought any of them here too."

"I can see the heat signatures and where there aren't any, but it is impossible to tell why there wouldn't be one without someone going to investigate." Friday sounded apologetic.

Tony nodded. "Well, let us know when a situation occurs and we can send someone to investigate."

Jack looked at Groot. "Not exactly alike, but similar enough I wouldn't be surprised if there was a common ancestor."

"Groot wasn't able to be controlled by Ultimus," Rocket said. "It could be to do with his age. Or it could be to do with his physiology. Perhaps your friend is similar," he suggested to Jack, trying to give some hope.

"I think we've been trying to find people from the different dimensions anyway, if at all possible," Harry said to Harley. "Like my Dad and Otto. They're both from the dimension I was originally from." He gestured towards the two older men.

Peter sighed. "I wish I'd had better luck finding my best friend from my dimension...."

Harry, knowing what Peter's mindset could sometimes be like, reached out and patted his arm gently. "You want to go work out in the rec room for a bit later?" he asked softly.

"Yeah." Peter nodded. "Tire myself out." He gave a self-deprecating smile.

Stephen gave Harry a grateful look for helping Peter. He did what he could, but since part of Peter's mindset was affected by Stephen's not feeling the way Peter wanted him to, it was a bit tricky and quite honestly tiring to try and help all on his own. He appreciated that Harry was able and willing to help.

"Maybe? I don't know that he was brought over with me, but if he is at home, I hope he remained free of Ultimus' control," Jack said quietly.

"You should ask the AI to do a scan for your friend. Tell her what he looks like," M'Baku suggested, overhearing the conversation.

"I could try to describe him... But not sure it would help." Jack looked sheepish. "He's a walking tree...being...."

Matt slanted his head. "That should make it easier for Friday to find him, if he is here. Only other one we know about is Groot."

Rocket nodded. "Friday, just let us know if your scanners show any beings similar to Groot."

"Of course, Mr. Rocket!" the AI responded

"I am Groot?" could be heard through the room.

Rocket focused on his little friend. "Yeah, there could be others like you. And even if they are under Ultimus' control, they could be jogged into remembering and stay free of him," he added, thinking of his own situation.

Spiders was frowning. "I hope no one from my dimension was brought here, but I think I'd recognise my own versions over others," he said, somewhat hesitantly.

"It concerns me what other beings Ultimus might have brought over, given he seems to have access to other dimensions so vastly different from ours," Fury said.

"That is concerning," Stephen said, remembering his and America's rapid jump through various dimensions; some of which were so different, he wasn't sure those brought over could survive each other's worlds.

"I don't think Ultimus would risk bringing beings here who might not survive," Steve said. "Not with how many people we've freed from his control. And I know of at least one other dimension which has been fighting back against him."

"Who knows what that megalomaniac would or wouldn't do...?" Maria muttered.

"He knows what he's doing," Mordo said. "He's recruited our own counterparts, who know how we think. And who willingly work with him, so they are not constrained by the limitations of what his control allows." He frowned. "We have to be prepared for others."

Clint grimaced. "So... Of all of us... Who would be the worst to go up against if they were willingly working with him?"

Overhearing, Reed said, "Someone willingly working with Ultimis is less likely to be held back by morals and ethics. Anyone here would be dangerous to go up against, especially because our own counterparts would know our own weaknesses." He gestured towards Fury and Harley. "They knew who to target to try and hurt you the most. And they would have succeeded, if it wasn't for two people who chose to act against Ultimus. We can't assume that will happen the next time. Which means we should be prepared for the possibility that any of our friends and family members could be used as weapons against us."

Harley bit his lip and automtically leaned into Spiders, looking to the other man for comfort and safety, shaking a little.

Spiders hesitantly wrapped his arm around Harley, though it would be obvious to everyone watching that he was outside of his comfort zone.

Fury shook his head. "I actually had a list of contingencies for if any of the Avengers turned. But that was based on the factors I knew in regards to this dimension. 

"It might still come in handy," Tony said. "As different as my counterpart was, he was enough like me to know what would hurt me."

Okoye huffed. "We should look at these plans. See what could be used in any situation. Make plans for all of our counterparts. I suspect we will be meeting more."

"Your counterpart was not the one who came up with the suggestion about harming the prisoners with a personal connection to you," M'Baku commented to Tony. "He did not stop it and went along with the ideas, but those were Gwen's and not his own. Perhaps it means something. Or perhaps not." He shrugged.

"We'd have to hit my old offices for intel, then," Fury answered Okoye. "I don't remember all of the plans I made, so recreating them won't be possible."

"I'm sure it means something. Not sure it makes it better, though." Tony sighed.

Wong looked at Fury. "Where are your old offices? We could form a team to go in and retrieve."

Brock cleared his throat nervously, moving closer to Sam as he reminded everyone of his past. "I'm pretty sure all the HYDRA who willingly joined Ultimus took over your offices as a way to get some petty form of 'fuck you' towards you. Don't know if they found your secrets or not, since I wasn't willingly helping myself, but even if they didn't find them, that's a lot of HYDRA and Ultimus enemies to go through."

Friday offered hesitantly, "If they were on a server or other system connected to anything else, I could try and retrieve the files. There is, of course, the danger that they have found a way to trace my location through my activities if I 'hack' things... But it is still less risk than going where they are high in number. If the information is worth it."

"The contingency plans might not be worth that kind of risk," Fury said. "But there is a lot of information that could be. Especially information on other allies we could potentially reach out to. Many of them might be controlled by Ultimus, but I understand you have people here with abilities that can neutralise the control, even if it is temporarily. As to whether HYDRA was able to get to those files or not? It's possible, but it depends on how hard they were trying to get into them. I left behind a lot of virtual traps and encrypted sensitive information when I received word that so much was falling."

Sam automatically wrapped his arm around Brock's shoulders and gathered his bond mate in close to him.

Harley noticed the actions and it made him relax, feeling more able to take comfort from the source he felt closest to. He knew he was going to need to bond to someone...and even if no one had said it outright, he was pretty sure that they were leaving it to him to make the decision and make the first move. Which was appreciated, but just like when his father had asked him who he'd want freed to bond to...he didn't know who he should open up to. They were all older than him, after all. And Rhodey and Happy had known him when he was a kid, which would make things feel even weirder.

He did know Maria, though. Maybe not as well as some of the others, but she'd still been familiar to him even before they'd been imprisoned together. Glancing towards her, he gave her a tentative smile.

Maria blinked, giving a hesitant smile back. Biting her lip, she took a chance and moved closer, making sure not to crowd. "I didn't get a chance to say before now... But thank you," she said to Spiders. "You didn't have to step up and help us. That you did... It means a lot."

Spiders shifted slightly, not used to people being voluntarily close to him. "I didn't have any control over the need to feed, but I...tried to redirect it. Where I could." His voice was low and haunted. He didn't truly believe he deserved to still be alive, but this was their dimension. If they'd chosen a different path, he thought that was probably their right.

"You controlled what you could and tried to mitigate what you couldn't. That's all anyone could do. Considering there are people who did everything they could to help Ultimus, using it as an excuse to give in to their own depravity... You're a good guy. Really..." Maria smiled again.

Harley smiled at Maria and then looked up at Spiders. "See? I'm not the only one who thinks so." He was relaxing a bit more; not quite leaning on the other man as much. He looked towards Maria and asked, a bit hesitantly, "Which room did you choose? I know they don't look physically different, but I think placement is important."

"I ended up on the second floor, pretty close to the elevator. I wasn't really choosy about position. I figured when I finally bond to someone, we can choose together the best place..." Maria admitted.

"Did you already have an idea of who to bond to?" Harley asked, a bit hesitantly. "There are so many people here, but...you're the only one I have a personal connection to who didn't see me grow up, or doesn't feel like family."

"Honestly, I figured I'd wait to see who needed a bond mate. The only thing I was certain of was that they not feel pressured into choosing me..." Maria smiled crookedly. "Of everyone that needs to bond, I feel pretty much the same. Anyone I know well is too much like family. I know I'm older than you, but I'm not old enough to be your mother, so...."

"The only one not older than me is Spiders, so...." Harley shrugged and squeezed the other man's hand, then looked seriously at Maria. "If we bond, I still want to be physically close to my family...mom and dad...my brothers...Morgan...."

Maria nodded. "I'll see if there is a room available near them. If not, I'll see if someone is willing to move."

"Okay." Harley nodded. "That's the most important thing. Figured everything else would be worked out as we went along."

"Yes. If we bond, I expect us to talk through every big decision. Figure things out together." Maria smiled again.

Blade couldn't help overhearing and made his way over to join the three. "Are you wanting to stay in a room near Harley? Or do you care where you stay?" he asked Spiders, sitting on the other side of the man.

Spiders hesitated, glancing at Harley and then addressing Blade. "Harley wants to stay close to me. I...want the same," he said, in a slightly halting voice.

Harley smiled and shifted slightly, so that he was positioned between Spiders and Maria. "I don't have much experience," he admitted, trying not to think about just where the only experience he'd had came from.

"That's not a problem. I'll help... You'll set the pace," Maria promised.

Blade nodded. "Would you consider bonding to me? I know I'm not the easiest person to get along with. Don't really fit anywhere. But I'm loyal," Blade said, fully acting as if Spiders would be doing him a favor in considering him. As far as he was concerned, he would be.

"Okay." Harley hesitated. "I know that the bonding requires a Dominant and submissive. I...don't know much about kinks. But I don't think I'd be okay with being bound." He didn't know if that was an option, or would be an option in the future, but he knew he definitely wouldn't be able to tolerate being restrained as things stood right now.

Surprised, Spiders looked at Blade. He hadn't expected to be in a position of choosing someone to bond to; had expected to be left with whoever hadn't ended up bonding with another. "I don't really fit anywhere either," he whispered. "Too much has happened for me to fully consider myself a person. At least not yet." He shifted slightly. "I...would like to. I think. But things changed for me before I had the chance to gain any experience...."

Maria blinked and cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Far as I know, the Dominance and submission only is needed for the initial bonding. After that, the relationship develops according to what is needed by those bonded. We could be completely platonic after we bond if that is what is best for both of us. So... You don't need to worry about having to do anything that makes you uncomfortable."

Blade shrugged. "My experience isn't as expansive as some might imagine. The life I led... Getting close to people was difficult. We can figure things out together.'

"I don't know what is meant by Dominance and submission," Harley admitted. "Bondage was the only thing I could think of that physically shows submission."

Spiders nodded, relaxing a little at the words. "Okay. We can do that," he agreed.

"In terms of the bond, it basically means one of us is in charge of the other and takes control. In this case, due to my being more experienced, I would be in charge, dominant. But as I said. That would only be for the bonding. After, we figure it out together what we need," Maria said.

Blade nodded. "Do we want to bond immediately? Or wait a day?"

"Okay." Harley nodded. "I don't want to risk being taken away from my family again. I know the bond will help with that. So I want it."

Hearing Harley's words, Spiders glanced at his brother before answering Blade's question. "I'm not sure there's any purpose in waiting."

"Then... We could take care of the bond now. Then make sure we have a room location we are happy with. Talk to someone if we need to change rooms." Blade held out a hand to Spiders.

Maria nodded. "We'll make sure you can't be taken from them ever again."

Spiders glanced at Harley, who gave him a reassuring smile, before he put his hand slowly into Blade's.

"Good...." Harley said, quietly but with feeling.

"You want to bond now?" Maria asked quietly, as Blade led Spiders out of the room.

"Okay," Harley replied quietly.

Maria stood and held a hand out to Harley, before leading him out of the room.

***

Spiders quietly followed where Blade led. In some ways, it was a relief to let the other man take charge. He wasn't sure where things would progress after this point, but it made him feel better to have a purpose of some kind; a goal to work towards. Even if that goal right now was just to make sure Ultimus couldn't crawl inside his head and make him do even worse things than he had already.

Blade glanced at Spiders. "The room you chose. Is it the one you'd like to stay in, or will you want to move? I figure I have no attachment to the room I'm currently in."

"I don't have a preference for what room I'm in," Spiders answered. "But Harley asked me to stay close to his room, even after we've bonded."

"Is your room near his now? And is his room where he wants it? I overheard him mentioning wanting to be near Stark...." Blade paused at the elevator.

"He chose the room we were in based on it being near to his father," Spiders said. "I assume Maria will move in with him."

"Oh... You were sharing with him. We'll need to find out if there is a free room nearby, then. I'm currently on another floor. We can go there to bond and then figure out where we can move...." Blade said.

Spiders nodded. "You didn't have anyone you wanted to stay close to?"

"No. My people are hopefully back home in our own dimension, where they belong." Blade smiled faintly.

"I assume they were able to fake your deaths well enough to be convincing," Spiders commented. "Though I guess you and the others should avoid leaving the base, in case any of Ultimus' converted do recognise you."

"Yeah. That's the plan. Which kinda sucks. But until we can be sure our 'defection' won't be taken out on our homeworlds, it is better to be dead to Ultimus." Blade nodded.

By this point, they'd collected the supplies and reached Blade's room. Now that they were inside, Spiders shifted, a little nervous. He was still getting used to actually having a body again...what if something didn't work the way it should?

"You'll be fine..." Blade said, noting the nervousness. "It's been a while for me too, so... If neither of us expects much, then neither of us will be disappointed."

"I'm more worried that things might not work like they should," Spiders admitted. "I'm still getting used to actually having a body again. It took me a while not to trip over my own feet."

Blade chuckled softly. "Honestly.. as long as my body reacts the way it needs to, you don't really need to worry about it. Just.. lie back and relax." By this point, they were in the room and the door was firmly closed. Blade began to undress. Spiders was nervous enough, he'd let the younger man undress when he was ready.

Spiders hesitated, briefly. He felt the same kind of vulnerability that he'd had when he'd had to remove his suit so the DNA could be extracted from his spiders. He let his eyes linger on Blade as the other man undressed, shifting a little. He hadn't been in the position of finding anyone attractive in a long time...but it surprised him that he felt a draw, an attraction, to Blade.

Blade didn't hide. He stood tall, proud and exposed. He didn't rush Spiders, either. He was happy to let the other look as much as he wanted, until he felt at ease enough to let Blade look too.

Spiders bit his lip before asking, almost in a rush, "Can I...touch?" It was the first time he'd ever asked...ever wanted to reach out and touch someone. He let his brother hug and hold onto him, but it was always Harley who initiated. Never Spiders.

Blade stood even taller at the question, pleased that his mate was seemingly attracted to him. "Of course. I would like that...."

Spiders' smile was small and hesitant, but it was real. He stepped forward, into Blade's personal space, and reached out.

The initial touches were feather light. Uncertain. Unsure. Spiders let his hands move slowly over Blade's shoulders and his chest, like he was mapping out the other man's body. Getting to know it.

Blade held still, content to let Spiders become accustomed at his own speed.

"Do you want me to get undressed? Or would you prefer to do it?" Spiders asked, uncertain but willing to let Blade take the lead.

"If you are comfortable, you can get undressed now," Blade encouraged.

Taking a deep, slow breath, Spiders began to remove his own clothing.

Blade watched, his gaze appreciative. "Gorgeous..." he whispered.

A shy, pleased look came over Spiders' face as he whispered, "So are you."

Blade chuckled. "That should make this a bit easier for both of us."

"What now?" Spiders asked uncertainly. He was attracted to Blade and was enjoying being able to look at and study the other man's body. But he was reasonably sure he needed to do more than look.

"Now... We encourage more of this..." Blade moved closer and gently took Spiders' erection in his hand and squeezed.

Spiders squeaked. His member jumped in Blade's hand and he blushed, not sure his body's reactions were good or bad.

"Now I like to see and feel that .." Blade breathed out, beginning to stroke Spiders. "I like your reactions."

"So I...shouldn't hold back?" Spiders whimpered softly, his member beginning to quickly harden in Blade's hand. The rest of his body was showing signs of his arousal, growing flushed and warm at the attention.

"No... Never hold back your reactions from me..." Blade said gruffly. He gently maneuvered his future bondmate to the bed, getting him onto hands and knees. He continued to stroke with one hand. He lubed up the fingers of his other hand and pressed the first finger into the other man.

Spiders gasped quietly, unable to help tensing just a bit as Blade pushed the finger inside. He tried to force himself to relax, but it was hard. This was entirely new to him.

Blade held his finger still as Spiders adjusted, waiting until he could tell the other was ready before beginning to move the digit around gently, rubbing and pressing to loosen his mate.  When he felt loose enough, Blade slid a second finger in, slowly and carefully, paying close attention to the reactions.

Whimpering softly, Spiders felt his body start to relax. He wasn't entirely certain it felt good, but it didn't hurt...and the intimacy of being touched in such a way made up for the mild discomfort.

Blade continued gently moving his fingers inside while pumping Spiders' arousal. "Good... You're so tight and hot... It's going to feel wonderful once I'm buried deep in you..." he growled softly.

Spiders groaned softly, both at the sensations and the words. His head dropped forward, exposing the back of his neck...making himself vulnerable to the other man. The action was done without conscious thought.

By this time, Blade had inserted a third finger, stretching his mate carefully. He groaned softly. He was fully aroused by this point and could tell Spiders was ready for him, so he lubed his member and lined up, slowly pushing in.

Spiders gasped as Blade pushed inside, the feeling of the other man's member causing him to stretch further. His fingers clenched slightly and he breathed in deep as he adjusted to being filled.

Blade held still long enough for Spiders to adjust. Soon, however, he could feel that the other man was ready and he began to slowly thrust. He took his time.

Moaning softly, Spiders' body relaxed, growing flushed and warm as the movement began to slowly arouse him further. Almost unconsciously, he pushed back a little, enabling Blade to go deeper.

Blade groaned as he felt himself go as deep as was possible. He shifted his hands to Spiders hips, holding him gently but firmly in place so he could enjoy the feeling of being pressed so tightly against and inside his mate. "I want to go faster... Harder..." he said in a low voice; not quite asking permission, but giving Spiders time to object if he wasn't ready for that.

Spiders groaned and his body relaxed further, opening up even more. While he didn't say the words outright, it was clear his body was entirely on board.

Blade slowly pulled out then pushed in deep, over and over, increasing his speed and strength with each thrust. His fingers gripped Spiders's hips.

Spiders gasped and groaned, pushing back to encourage Blade to go deeper. His member was quickly reaching full hardness, beginning to leak precum.

Blade continued to thrust hard and fast as deep as possible. He groaned as he reached the edge, holding on so they could release together.

Spiders gripped the comforter tightly, knowing that he was close to the edge and not wanting to release until he was given permission. Sweat stood out on his forehead and ran down his spine.

Somehow, Blade knew that Spiders was ready. "Let go..." he growled, planning to let go as soon as his mate did.

With a loud cry, Spiders released hard into the bed, his head dropping forward once more to expose his neck.

Blade's release was directly following Spiders'. He could feel the warmth spread through him and when the mark formed on their hands. It worked... he thought.

It did. I can feel you inside me. My mind, I mean. Not just my body. There was a hint of humour in Spiders' voice.

Blade chuckled as he slowly pulled out, then reached for the washcloth and began to clean his mate. He redressed Spiders, then cleaned and dressed himself, leaving the bond open so Spiders could feel how pleased and satisfied he was. Do you want to rejoin the others? he asked, once they were both clean and dressed.

I don't know...maybe? It's a bit overwhelming being around so many people all at once, Spiders admitted. I feel like I need to get used to social interactions again.

We don't have to. I can have Friday invite Harley and Maria over to hang out until you feel more settled. Of course, we probably want to clean this room up and move to one that's closer to them as well. Blade paused. "Friday, is there an empty room available next to Harley's and Maria's room?"

"There is, Master Blade," the AI confirmed. "I believe they have also completed their bond."

Spiders began to quietly clean the small mess they'd left in the room and on the bed.

Blade began to gather his few items- there weren't many- and then helped finish cleaning. "We'll move into the new room and then invite Maria and Harley over." He smiled.

Spiders nodded. "Okay," he agreed. Once they were ready, he followed Blade from the room.

****

Happy watched as four of the unbonded group stood and left the room. "Guess they figured out who they feel comfortable bonding with." He snorted.

"Makes it easier on those of us who are left behind." M'Baku snorted softly. "Easier to choose that way."

Scott nodded. "I haven't really had time to meet anyone. Was locked in a room for a large portion of time."

Happy looked at M'Baku. "I remember when Wakanda first came into the limelight. Were you a part of that decision?"

"In my dimension, I was a friend and ally to King T'Challa and later to his sister, Queen Shuri," M'Baku answered. "I do not know what became of my counterpart here. If indeed there is another version of me here."

Happy nodded. "Yeah. It... All that has happened, it is hard to know what happened to people. Hopefully, we can find information on them."

"I am certain that, the more people who are freed, the easier it will be to find those who have been lost," M'Baku said.

"I hope you're right." Happy nodded.

Scott looked at Rhodey. "Before I was nabbed, I was on the phone to Cassie... Do you think they'd look for her for me?"

"I'm sure everyone is looking for family members and friends." Rhodey glanced towards some of the others for confirmation.

Steve nodded. "We've got Friday looking for family members," he confirmed. "There are still a lot of loved ones who are missing."

Scott nodded, relieved. "That's good. I know finding her won't be easy, but as long as I can try...."

"Friday, do you have anything on Cassie Lang?" Rhodey asked the AI.

A few seconds passed. "Going from what Mr. Lang said about her escaping just before he was captured, and knowing where he was captured, I have been able to access camera footage from that area before it went out." The AI paused. "This is an area I have not yet searched, but now that I know someone was there, I can search that area."

"Thank you, Friday." Rhodey looked at Scott. "We can always check the area in person. Once it's safe to leave, of course."

Scott nodded. "I'd appreciate that."

Happy sighed. "So many people to find in this huge world, while trying to remain hidden from Ultimus. We are lucky we have Friday. Speaking of which... Is Tuesday going to be a problem?"

Rhodey leaned a bit closer to Scott and commented, "Maybe it's a good idea for us to bond. From all accounts, I can help you find Cassie easier if we can communicate telepathically."

"We might want to hit the base anyway. It's possible your counterpart had other things going on we haven't yet discovered." Steve glanced at Tony.

"Honestly, if I'm going to bond with someone, I prefer it be someone I know... So... If you are okay with it..." Scott looked at Rhodey.

Tony nodded. "I agree. We need to plan for that and go as soon as possible."

"I wouldn't have made the suggestion if I wasn't prepared to go through with it," Rhodey answered. "After, we can talk about what's easier for both of us."

"We'll likely have to organise cleanup too," Steve said quietly, so that Scott wouldn't hear. 

"I'll take charge of that," Coulson offered. "It wouldn't be the first time I've had to clean up unpleasant messes."

Scott nodded. "Let's do it, then."

"We'll get a group together that can investigate and clean up..." Tony agreed.

"Your room or mine?" Rhodey asked.

"Yours works," Scott responded. "I'm not attached to mine."

Rhodey nodded and stood, offering a hand to Scott.

Swallowing, Scott took Rhodey's hand and stood to follow him.

Happy watched the two men as they made a decision and smiled crookedly. "Good luck..." he mumbled.

Rhodey led Scott from the room and towards the elevator, stopping to pick up supplies along the way.

Scott followed quietly. He was still in a bit of shock. Normally, he would have been asking all kinds of questions. The only thing he could think of to ask in this moment was if Rhodey thought it would work.

"Do we need to go over anything first?" Rhodey asked, once they were in the room with the door closed behind them.

"No, sir. I got the basics. I want to keep him outta my head so I can find my kid. If I'm gonna have someone else in my head to do it, I 'm glad it's someone I know and admire." Scott grinned unrepentantly. "If I have to submit, it's easier to do with a military leader too."

Rhodey smiled at that. "I don't really have any experience in having sex with another man, but I believe I know how it works. My legs might be paralysed, but everything else works fine."

"Just tell me what I need to do..." Scott nodded. "I'm pretty much the same. Never done it; have most the info on how, though. But if there's a way that makes it easier...like you lowering me into you or something...." This time, Scott blushed. It was one thing to agree, but imagining it had turned him on unexpectedly.

"I don't know if there's a way to make it easier, other than the obvious preparation required," Rhodey admitted. "Really, you just need to make yourself as comfortable as possible. Try to relax. I don't want to risk hurting you."

Scott nodded. "I trust you, sir. Whatever you say...." He glanced around the room then began to undress. "It's okay if I undress, right?" He paused with his pants half off.

"That's fine," Rhodey confirmed. He began to undress as well, figuring there was no point in delaying.

As soon as he was naked, Scott moved to the bed, then waited for directions.

Rhodey left the prosthetics Tony had made for him in place, but otherwise stripped entirely. He then picked up the lube and moved over to the bed. Reaching out, he carefully helped Scott to lay on the bed and positioned himself just above the other man. He lowered his head and pressed a kiss to the other man's lips, allowing his hands to rub gently down over Scott's chest.

Scott returned the kiss, letting his own hands gently run over Rhodey. If they were doing this, there was no reason not to take pleasure or comfort from it.

Rhodey shifted to encourage Scott's own exploration, moving his hands towards Scott's nipples. As he kissed a bit more firmly, a bit more deeply, he began to gently squeeze and tweak them.

Scott whimpered at the nipple stimulation, opening up for the kiss and arousing quickly. His hands gripped at Rhodey's arms and he quivered.

Gently pulling back, Rhodey whispered, "If something hurts or doesn't feel good, let me know. This might be a necessity, but that doesn't mean it needs to be painful."

"Yeah..." Scott's breathing was ragged. "I'll let you know...."

"Good." Rhodey reached for the lube and coated a finger in it. As he resumed kissing Scott, resumed playing with one of his nipples, he pressed that finger against the other man's entrance and began to slowly push it inside.

Scott groaned softly as he felt Rhodey push in. "It's good..." he gasped out against Rhodey's lips.

Rhodey smiled at the response. "Good to know," he murmured, before pushing his tongue inside Scott's mouth. At the same time, he began to move his finger in slow circles inside the other man.

Scott's whimper of need would have embarrassed him, if he hadn't been too busy opening his mouth further to accept Rhodey's tongue and opening his legs further to make it easier for Rhodey to move his finger.

Kissing deeper and harder, Rhodey coated a second finger in the lube and pushed that slowly inside. He moved his two fingers in slow circles inside Scott, gradually widening the other man further.

Scott pulled back gasping in air. "So... So good. C... Can take more... Need more..." he partly begged, his voice sounding as needy as the words. His erection was fully hard and straining.

"Good," Rhodey murmured. Withdrawing his fingers, he lubed up his member and then pushed inside Scott, grasping hold of the other man's hips to keep him still and steady.

Scott breathed out slowly, a whisper of a moan as he accepted Rhodey into him. He forced himself to relax and not clench. He didn't want to accidently block the other man. "...So good..." he whispered, nuzzling Rhodey's cheek.

"You feel so good surrounding me," Rhodey murmured. He grasped Scott's hips as he drew back a little and then thrust in deep.

Scott threw his head back, exposing his neck, and clenched tight around Rhodey. "...More... Please more...."

Rhodey, responding to Scott's pleas, began to thrust deeper and harder. He responded to Scott exposing his neck by leaning forward and closing his teeth around the skin; not biting or piercing, but just feeling and tasting Scott's skin. Feeling the other man's vulnerability.

Scott quivered at the action, the feeling of vulnerability increasing his arousal. He liked being vulnerable to Rhodey. He groaned softly, opening his legs further and arching in an attempt to get Rhodey even deeper inside.

Gently grazing his teeth against Scott's neck, Rhodey withdrew just enough so that he could push back in, going even deeper, seeking out that one spot inside the other man he knew would spark pleasure.

Scott gasped, then let out a tiny sob as his vision sparked. "There..." he begged, as Rhodey stroked over the sensitive bundle of nerves and caused him to lose control.

Rhodey smirked and then gently bit the skin under his teeth; not hard enough to draw blood or pierce the skin, but enough to be felt. At the same time, he continued to thrust, making sure he hit that spot over and over.

Scott lost all control, squirming and babbling nonsense begging words. The only reason he didn't release was some small part of him recognized Rhodey hadn't given permission yet and he wanted to obey the other man.

Finally, Rhodey released Scott's neck; long enough to growl out, "Let go." Then, he was latching on again; this time enough to leave a mark, even if he didn't break the skin.

With one last tiny sob, Scott spilled his release, his body shuddering under and around Rhodey. He'd completely surrendered to the other man.

Rhodey's own release came over him at the same time and he released hard inside Scott, his fingers tightening on the other man's hips, hard enough to leave marks behind.

When Scott finally stopped quivering, he lay under his new bond mate, sated and warm. He looked at the mark on his hand. It worked. I'm yours now... he thought. It seemed natural to state it like that. He could feel where Rhodey's marks would be on his body.

You're mine, Rhodey agreed, a sense of pleased satisfaction coming through the bond along with the words.

That was awesome... Scott gave Rhodey a goofy grin, obviously still coming down from the endorphine high the climax had given.

Glad you think so. Chuckling softly, Rhodey carefully withdrew from Scott and then began to clean up his bond mate.

Scott carefully moved to help Rhodey clean them both up. He didn't bother redressing. Are we staying in the room the rest of tonight, or going out to talk with the others some more?

What would you like to do? Rhodey asked.

If we don't need to go out, it's been a really long year. The bed is calling my name .. Scott grinned.

I hear that. Rhodey settled on the bed and held his arms out to Scott.

Scott happily crawled into bed next to Rhodey, snuggling close. For the first time in a very long time, he felt safe enough to sleep.

Rhodey closed his own eyes and was quickly asleep too.

***

Back in the common area, people were beginning to head to their rooms to get some sleep. The plan to return to the base the next day for cleanup and investigation had been formed. They were as prepared as it was possible to be in the situation. Happy said good night to Tony and Pepper, then leaned back in the chair he currently sat. He would have thought the idea of returning to his room and sleeping in privacy would seem good to him. It wasn't. He'd shared a cell with so many other people for over a year, the thought of being alone didn't appeal.

M'Baku turned to Happy. "It seems that most of the people who were in the other base have paired off." Namor was the exception, but he guessed that was going to change once the vampire had been found.

"It looks like it," Happy agreed. "Only three of us unbonded now...."

"Would you be willing to bond with me?" M'Baku asked. "I know we do not know each other that well, but with the bond, we can learn more."

Happy nodded. "I am willing. We may not know each other well, but what I've learned about you makes me believe we can get along."

"I believe we are at least a little similar," M'Baku agreed. "Which room would you prefer to use?"

"We can go to yours," Happy responded, following the other man.

M'Baku just nodded, leading the way from the room and heading towards his own, collecting supplies along the way.

****

It was night again. It had been a day since she'd killed Pepper and Tony and all the HYDRA surrounding them. She could only hope her toy had escaped. She assumed her more preferable colleagues had got away. She'd hidden in the ship's wreck until the sun had disappeared; feeling exceedingly lonely, wondering if she had done the right thing. It was too late to worry about it now. Carefully, she swam up and out of the ocean, walking toward the base. Had Ultimus sent reinforcements?

He had. Not many- he apparently viewed the base as a lost cause- but he had sent enough to try and capture anyone exploring the base. She quickly and quietly dispatched all the HYDRA guards, feeding as much as she could, but otherwise just eliminating them. She then took their bodies to the clearing she knew the rebels liked to open their portal and left the dead HYDRA soldiers as a 'gift'... Along with her key to a backdoor in the base that only she and Spiders had known about. She'd shown it to him one time when she'd taken him hunting with her. He'd know what it was and be able to show the others. It had to be a safer entrance than the front door. Especially if Ultimus sent yet another set of reinforcements.