Ripped Apart

Summary: Set after Avengers: Endgame. Two bonds are ripped apart
Warning(s): Explicit. Disciplinary and erotic spanking; Heavy Domination/submission; sexual situations; dub/non-con (consent after the fact/reluctant agreement); violence and mentions of violence; AU
Authors: Cat and Hope1iz

###

It was while they were on a supply run that the message was broadcast. Steve had ended up at one of the smaller towns, searching for supplies. They had plenty of food, but both adults and children were going to get cabin fever if they didn't keep finding new things to amuse the bored residents of their base.

When the images were broadcast on the side of one of the white buildings, Steve's initial assumption was that Ultimus had found him, somehow. By the time he'd got over his initial response of ducking behind shelter and preparing to fight, the message was already halfway through.

Even though he'd missed the first half of the message, it was easy to tell what was going on. A camera was panning over a room of dirty, bedraggled prisoners who had clearly been mistreated. A few faces were familiar to Steve...others were strangers. But a voiceover promised that they would all be executed in two days' time, 'as an example to those who have been resisting Ultimus.'

By the time the images faded, Steve was shaken...but he spoke softly into his comms. "Tony? Can you get Friday to track a signal?" At the same time, he was looking around, on his guard...just in case he was wrong and Ultimus' allies had somehow found out his location.

Tony's response was immediate.  "If the signal is still active, I should be able to track it. Seeing if I pick up anything near you right now."

"I don't think it was specifically targeted at me...or done because they thought anyone was here in particular," Steve said...though he still felt uneasy; not only that, but he was worried about the prisoners. Ultimus' forces were escalating. "I'm coming back to the base. I think we need to have a meeting."

"Ok. Be safe. We'll see you soon. Everyone else has already returned, so you're the last one out," Tony responded.

"I'm coming back now." Steve began to make his way back to the base. He was always careful whenever he went out, but he was even more careful now...even more on edge. For that reason, he got back to the base a little bit later than he normally would have done.

When Steve finally arrived, everyone was waiting for him in the common area. The mood was somber. Subdued. Tony gave Steve a crooked smile. "You weren't the only one to receive the message. Druig and Pietro saw it as well when they were out. They immediately rushed back to tell us."

"So did Sharon," Coulson said quietly. "I doubt that it was targeted at anyone in particular. But it's definitely a message.” 

"And it's definitely a trap," Fury said. "They're deliberately baiting us."

"So what do we do?" Stephen asked quietly.

Quill glanced around. "We going on lockdown again?"

Steve looked torn, tortured, as he said, "I know it's a trap. We all know it's a trap. But despite that, I can't stand back and let them kill innocent people."

"They're going to be expecting a rescue attempt," Mordo said quietly. "I'm not saying we shouldn't rescue them, but we're going to need to plan very carefully."

"Did Friday get anything?" Fury looked at Tony.

"Only the signal that was very obviously planted for us to find..." Tony sighed.

"Can she do a scan to see if there are multiple heat signatures in one place?" Steve asked. "Or if there's a building big enough to hold that many prisoners?"

"I'm sure they'd be likely to keep the prisoners in a location close to their base," Thena said. "Especially as it's likely to be a trap. Is there a copy of the recording we could look at and see if any of us recognise their location?" she asked.

"Fri?" Tony asked.

"I'm sorry, Captain. The signal is coming from a very large complex, but the buildings are reinforced with something that prevents my scanning for heat signatures. There is no way to tell if prisoners are being held there, or if it is empty...or if it is full of Ultimus' soldiers," the AI responded.

Loki cleared his throat. "You all know that I can create illusions. I can send an illusionary double of myself to that location. Even if they spotted it, they wouldn't be able to physically capture me. And I can access my magic through my doubles."

"That's not a bad idea..." Bucky interjected. "Maybe have two people in the wings to rush prisoners out if we discover they are there."

Wong nodded. "Maybe a speedster and a long-range fighter to provide cover? Plus, if Loki is watching through his double, he can immediately let us know so that we can send back-up through portals immediately.” 

"I'll go," Pietro offered. "If we're at the taking volunteers stage, of course." He gave a quick grin.

"I can go too... That way, I can immediately let you know what is happening if, for some reason, Loki's double gets knocked out, and you'll be able to make plans," Grant offered.

Steve nodded and took a deep breath. "Okay. Those of us back at the base will stay ready, in case any backup is needed."

Grant nodded. "I'll get my rifle..." he said, heading toward their armory.

Druig looked at Pietro. "Be careful. Even if you move fast... I have a bad feeling about this..." he said softly. He didn't want to argue against them going; they needed to know if prisoners were there and save who they could, but he didn't like that it was an obvious set-up and they were sending people into it.

Pietro nodded. "I'm not planning on fighting anyway. If we run into trouble, I'll grab Grant and get out," he promised.

Makkari signed an agreement with Druig, then reached out to hug Pietro, her own worry obvious.

Druig nodded. "Make certain you do...."

"Are we going now?" Grant asked, having returned with the rifle and some ammo.

Frank moved to his younger lover, making certain he had everything he needed. "Sooner is probably better than later. Be careful," he ordered, in a husky voice, before kissing Grant soundly. He then backed away so Steve could give last minute instructions.

Steve quickly moved over to embrace and kiss Grant as well. "Keep in constant contact with me. Pay attention to your instincts. If you need backup, tell us immediately," he ordered.

"Yessir..." Grant promised, kissing back, then shouldering his rifle and moving to the elevator. As soon as they were topside, he'd take hold of Pietro so they could go.

Druig hugged Pietro tightly, kissing him, then stepping away so Pietro could go up with Grant.

Quill moved to sit next to Loki. He planned to keep his lover company while he was focusing on his double.

Loki immediately began to concentrate on forming his own double, sending it into the elevator with Grant and Pietro once they entered.

Steve glanced at those who remained. "If they let us know they need backup, we'll need to be prepared to get to the portal locations and send people through."

Stephen nodded. "We know where they are going. I will plan to open a portal to this location..." He pointed at the map. "...The minute needed if we hear from them."

 Makkari quickly signed an offer to take Stephen to that location, if it became necessary.

***

Once they were on the surface, Pietro took hold of Grant, then looked at the Loki-clone.

"You don't need to worry about taking me," the clone said. "So long as I can keep an open link with one of you, I'll be able to teleport to your location."

Pietro just nodded in acknowledgement and sped himself and Grant to the location Friday had indicated.

Grant held tightly to Pietro and, as soon as they had reached the location, moved to a hidden spot so that he could keep watch and provide cover for Pietro if needed.

Loki's clone immediately appeared, having used Pietro to view their location. "I'll see if I can spot any magical traps first, before you make your move," he said softly.

Pietro quickly nodded. Since Loki had indicated his clones weren't real, he figured letting the clone scout out first made the most sense.

Grant kept his eyes open. His paranoia was ratcheting up, and he swallowed down the nerves.

Pietro was pacing a little, unable to help feeling on edge. Knowing this was a trap was making him feel paranoid. He just hoped that Ultimus' followers weren't expecting them to make a move now.

After a few minutes, although it seemed to take an age, Loki's clone appeared close to them. "I was able to see prisoners, but there's a strong feeling of magic around the building. I just don't know where it's coming from..." he said, worried.

Grant looked at Pietro and 'Loki', waiting for Loki to send that information back to the base and for Steve to send further instructions. He felt uneasy enough, he didn't want to rush in for a rescue until he was given the go ahead.

***

Back at the base, Steve was looking even more uneasy and worried. Part of him was tempted to suggest that one of the sorcerers go to the area, in case they could identify what kind of magical traps there were. "If you're close enough to a magic source, can you identify what kind of trap there might be?" he asked Mordo, Wong and Stephen.

Mordo frowned. "It really depends on the type of magic. Often, casting a spell will leave residude behind that can be felt by other magic users...but as for what it might be for? One of us would have to be close enough to see if we could sense anything."

 ***

Grant looked toward Loki before sending back to Steve Are we going in?

After a few moments of discussion with the others, Steve said, Yes. But be careful.

"He says go ahead and get the prisoners... But be careful!" Grant said. "How many prisoners were there? If I stay here to guard and watch... And Pietro rushes them out to me... He can then rush them home while I guard. Or we can have a portal opened, maybe...."

"Maybe a dozen," the Loki-clone said.

Pietro bit his lip, looking slightly worried. "I'm not going to be able to get that many out all at once. I'll need to make at least two trips. Maybe if you can be closer, so I don't have as far to run...." He looked at Grant. 

Grant nodded. "Maybe that group of trees?" He pointed to some trees that were maybe fifty feet away from the main entrance. "That will give some cover to the prisoners when you bring them out, but be close enough you won't have to run as far and I can still protect you."

Pietro straightened and began carefully making his way to the trees Grant had indicated. He didn't have the same kind of training that Grant did, but he was still very clearly on edge. He couldn't see any immediate danger, but in a way, that would be worse. He thought about reaching through the bond to his mates, but he probably couldn't afford to have his attention divided right now.

Grant reached through his bond with Steve, leaving it open. It was like having comms in; his attention fully on watching Pietro, but able to listen if Steve said something. He hoped between him and the Loki clone, Steve and the others would have enough visual to learn if they saw a trap.

There was no warning, no way of predicting what might happen. One moment, they were nearing the trees to provide them cover while they rescued the prisoners. The next moment, a portal was opening beneath their feet and they were falling through.

***

Steve felt it immediately. A sudden absence. Like he'd lost a limb, or one of his senses. He immediately lurched to his feet, looking around with a wild, panicked look in his eyes. "Grant!" He called his bondmate's name through the bond and out loud.

Frank had been sitting at the table, cleaning his guns, when he felt the break in the bond. He physically lurched, his face going pale.

Druig wasn't sitting. When he felt his bond with Pietro break, he staggered, falling onto the ground.

Both men let out horrified wails at the sudden loss.

Everyone nearby went into high alert.

"What's happened?" Stephen asked, preparing to immediately open a portal.

Makkari's mouth opened in a silent scream, unable to make any sound...but the pain of tearing loss came vividly through the bond.

"He's gone," Steve whispered, his voice filled with anguish and pain.

Fury immediately placed a hand on Steve's shoulder, squeezing gently, as he looked at Loki. "Did you see anything?"

"Only a glimpse, before my clone was overwhelmed by another's magic," Loki answered. "But I saw a portal."

Stephen and Wong both looked at Loki, eyes piercing. "Did it appear like ones that we use?" Wong asked. "Or different?"

Druig crawled over to Makkari, reaching out to hold onto her. The pain of losing Pietro made it difficult to move, and the only solace he could find was his second mate. He couldn't imagine what Pietro must be going through; his mate wouldn't have anyone with him. The thought caused worry to overwhelm him. "We have to find them... If... If the break is hurting us this way, when we have each other...." He didn't want to think about the worst possibility: that they didn't feel anything because they were dead.

Frank had stood and shakily moved into Steve's arms, almost on autopilot. He felt too much loss to be stoic and brave at that moment. It was like losing his wife and children all over again. For all he knew, Grant was dead. They couldn't tell.

Loki didn't waste his breath by explaining. Instead, he quickly summoned up an illusion, so that the sorcerers could see the portal he'd glimpsed.

Makkari clutched at Druig, tears streaming down her cheeks. It hurts so much. Like a piece is missing. The words flowed through the bond, along with the pain and emotion that affected her so deeply. She couldn't have held back if she'd tried.

Steve wrapped his arms around Frank and hugged his mate tightly. He was trying to stay strong...to not break more than he already had. But it was hard. Perhaps the hardest thing he'd ever done.

Stephen studied the illusion in frustration. "It isn't like our normal portals..." he said to Mordo and Wong.

Jack frowned. "That... It looks like the portal that brought me through to this dimension," he whispered. "Slightly different color, but the pattern is exactly the same."

Harry took a step closer, looking at the image of the portal and then exchanging a glance with Peter Andrew. "That might prove our theory."

"What theory?" Fury asked quickly.

"That returning someone bonded to their own dimension is the only way to break the bond," Peter Andrew said. "It was a theory we had, but there was no way to prove it. But if that portal is one that can open portals between dimensions, that might be where they've gone."

"If that is the case, they're in serious danger," Coulson said. "Ultimus has overrun their dimension. Which means there's a high possibility that they'll end up running into some of his forces."

"How do we get them back safe?" Kamala asked, in a small voice. "My bracelet goes to another dimension, but I don't think it goes to theirs...."

"I can open portals to other dimensions." America took a step forward. "I have better control than I did...I can probably open a portal to theirs.” 

"I have every belief you can, babydoll..." Misty said confidently. "...But if you do, we need to make certain it isn't going to hurt you."

Frank had looked up at America's assertion. "Do you think you could find them? Out of all the dimensions out there?" he asked hopefully, his voice broken sounding.

"I have better control over my powers than I did before," America said. "I can find them. Especially if they're from the same dimension."

"We didn't confirm it, but if there was only one portal...." Steve took a deep breath, trying to sound strong. "We have to get them back..." he whispered.

"Even if they weren't from the same dimension, the fact they went together means that unless something happens to prevent it, they should stay together," Wong said quietly.

Bucky looked at America. "What do you need from us?"

Clint nodded. "Yeah. What can we do to help?"

"Time. No interruptions," America said. "Probably a safe space, too. I can't risk someone being able to track me opening portals to here." She hesitated, then admitted, "I'm going to need high calorie food, too, to keep up my energy levels."

"What about the old base that was destroyed when I turned on Ultimus?" Katie suggested softly. "They haven't rebuilt or reclaimed it, have they? They might not expect us to go there...."

Cassie nodded. "I can provide food. We still have ingredients for cookies. Those are high calorie, even if not the healthiest. I can start baking right now...."

"I'll help bake..." Lila added.

"I can go with you to the base," Mordo said. "While you're concentrating on the portals, I can set up magical protections." He looked at Wong and Stephen. "Maybe it would also help if you could open portals in other locations at the same time? It might help to confuse our counterparts."

"I've been getting better at using magic," Harry said. "If you need someone else to open portals too...."

Wong glanced at Harry. "As long as you leave yourself an escape in case they come for you. You've learned portals. You haven't learned a lot of offensive magic, though, and if one of his sorcerers come for you...."

"We can go to the camp. And possibly to where we first located Jack. If Harry is also going, he could go to the ocean where Katie was found," Stephen suggested.

Blade straightened. "I know that several of us are remaining hidden because we don't want Ultimus to discover we are alive and punish our own dimensions because of our defection... But if there is anything we can do here to help...."

Harry smiled at his mate. "I'll make sure I have an escape plan in place before I even start," he promised. "I won't risk being caught by Ultimus' soldiers."

"The best thing to do is keep watch," Fury said. "It's possible that Utimus' soldiers will do something else, assuming...rightly...that losing two of our number will throw us into disarray. If it was me, I would use this time to launch an attack," he said honestly.

Spiders straightened slightly. "If I go outside the base, I can call spiders and send them out as scouts. The bond won't be as strong as when they made up my body, but I can still communicate with them...."

Peter Andrew looked interested. "Do you think Peter Tom and I could do similar?"

"Maybe." Spiders shrugged. "You could both come out with me and give it a try yourself."

Peter Tom looked confused. "You communicate with spiders too?" he asked Peter Andrew. "I never did that...." He looked at Ikaris. His mate would decide if he could join the other spider-men and leave the compound. Although given the state of emergency, he didn't think Ikaris would refuse. 

Blade looked at Spiders. "You aren't able to fight the way you did before. They might not realize that, though, and if not, they'll be scared to get too close to you. Your idea might work."

"I've never tried," Peter Andrew answered. "The spider that bit me died soon after, and I didn't think to see if communicating with any others might be possible."

Spiders nodded to Blade. "I still have some abilities, but I plan to keep the suit on. There's no reason any of them should believe my situation has changed...."

You may go, Ikaris said to Peter Tom. But make sure you keep the bond open. And stay safe. He was worried that if Ultimus' soldiers had created one portal, they'd created more.

"I can start working on the portals now. I just will need the high calorie food eventually." America shrugged.

"In that case, I would suggest getting into position and preparing now," Mordo said. "I can take you to the base and begin setting up my traps anyway."

"We can make a start with the spiders." Spiders gestured to himself and Peter Tom and Peter Andrew.

Frank just nodded, unable to say anything else. It was difficult to focus with the big, gaping hole in the bond.

Able to tell that Steve wasn't in the right mindset to take charge, Fury quickly took over giving orders. "I think Mordo is right and all of you position yourselves, even if you don't act immediately. Take comms with you and keep the bonds open with your mates." He turned to Loki. "If you send a clone with each of the groups, you'll be able to tell if there's any magic at the locations, right? So you can warn them and they can stay away from those areas."

Loki quickly nodded. "Yes, Director. I can send my clones with those who wouldn't necessarily be able to sense lingering magic on their own."

Tony nodded. "Those who aren't going out, keep the bond open as well. If one avenue of communication gets cut off, we can use others...." He moved and hugged Mordo tight, whispering, "Be careful. They'll most likely be watching for you and the other wizards....” 

Mordo hugged Tony tight in return. "I'll be careful," he promised. "If there's any magic I don't recognise, I'll move us to another location. But either way, I will keep the bond open between the three of us and allow you to see what I do."

Tony nodded, stepping back. "Let's do this, then. Let's get our guys back."

Everyone began heading to do their assigned tasks.

*** 

Grant was luckily only disoriented for a few seconds; having travelled through various portals before as well as having been a trained specialist that was always ready for the unexpected helped. Unfortunately, he didn't recognize where they were when he got his equilibrium. He looked at the men surrounding him and recognized Mordo, Wong, and Stephen. He knew instinctively that they weren't the sorcerers that were against Ultimus, though.

Pietro didn't regain his equilibrium quite as quick as Grant. The pain of the bond breaking, as if part of his own body had been snapped off, was blinding and nearly brought him to his knees...and landing on the other side of the portal threatened to make him throw up. But even through the discomfort and the pain, he recognised that they weren't in the dimension they'd just left. And he reacted on instinct.

Grabbing Grant, Pietro didn't pause long enough for the sorcerers surrounding them to cast a spell, or try to capture them for Ultimus, or anything else they might have planned. He just immediately raced for the closest exit he could find, dragging Grant along with him in a blur of movement almost too fast for the naked eye to see.

Grant, reacting on instinct, held onto Pietro tightly. In the back of his mind, he could feel the pain of the broken bond and his emotions clawing at him to react to it. For once, he was grateful that Garrett had conditioned him so thoroughly that he could ignore his own emotions and pain without a thought. Well... In this case, it took a bit more effort, the loss of the bond was excruciating, but he still managed to compartmentalize the pain of loss so that he could focus on what was around them and be ready to protect himself and Pietro. He moved into 'robot' mode.

Pietro didn't so much as slow down until they were out of the city...away from civilisation...in one of the 'deserted' places. And then he had to stop. Exhaustion and the pain of the bond breaking caught up to him and he let go of Grant, stumbling before catching himself. "It hurts." He wasn't crying, but that was more because the tears wouldn't come than because he had any control over his emotions.

"I... I can't let myself feel it or I'll go crazy," Grant admitted, in a deadened voice. "I've done crazy before and it wasn't good..." He alluded to what had become of him when he hadn't compartmentalized after Garrett died (as horrible as he now knew the man to be, he'd been Grant's whole world) and Kara. Hell, even Skye, to a lesser extent, had sent him reeling. Because he hadn't compartmentalized as taught and he didn't know how to deal with anguish of that level. He couldn't let that happen now. Not when Pietro was counting on him.

Pietro bit his lip and wrapped his arms around himself. He couldn't help but feel it...the loss of his bondmates; the loss of his twin. Both felt like wounds rippped open in his soul. "What do we do?" he whispered uncertainly. "I don't think we're in the dimension we were in."

"We can't be. The bonds would still be there if we were where we had been," Grant said in a very shaky voice, betraying how deeply he was affected, even hiding his anguish behind a wall. "It...doesn't feel wrong, though. I would think, if we were in a new dimension without our bond protecting us and without Ultimus' control, things would just feel wrong... Wouldn't they?” 

"I don't know," Pietro admitted. "I don't know how it works. But it feels familiar here. Like it...like it's maybe the dimension I was originally from." He hesitated to say his home dimension, because the other dimension had felt like his home since he'd bonded to Druig and later Makkari.

Grant paused. "It does feel familiar. Maybe they couldn't send us somewhere new and have their plans work. It has to be where we came from... But that would require them to know who was coming to investigate..." he thought out loud. "...Unless the portal wasn't keyed to a specific universe and instead was meant to send whoever fell through to whatever universe matched their body most closely... And you and I did come from the same dimension. I remember when they got hold of you. It was shortly after they got me... Maybe if someone else had shown up with you, they would have gone somewhere else and you'd be on your own...." He didn't sound certain of the hypothesis.

"I guess we'll have to ask the sorcerers when we return home." Pietro couldn't imagine they wouldn't find a way to get home. He had to believe their mates would be searching for them, if no one else. "We probably can't stay in one place for long, but I won't be able to spend the whole time running and pulling you along with me. I guess we need to find somewhere safe we can make a plan."

Grant had been looking around while they were talking and, at Pietro's observation, he nodded. "I think we're in New York. We came through the Sanctum there. Which... if this is our original dimension (he followed Pietro's example and refused to think of it as his home dimension)... I have a safe house nearby. Hopefully, it hasn't been found and overrun by Ultimus."

Pietro nodded. "If it's not safe, if there are controlled people there, I probably have enough left for one or two more runs before I'll need to rest and regain my strength."

"It's not far from here. Maybe we should walk normally and just be careful. Save the speeding for an emergency escape, if needed," Grant responded.

"Okay." Pietro moved a bit closer to Grant, preparing to follow where the other man led.

Grant carefully led Pietro to his 'safehouse', keeping to out of the way streets and avoiding cameras. The house wasn't far, only a twenty-minute walk, although it wasn't really a house, either. It was a warehouse; he'd made himself a comfortable hidey-hole in the ventilation. 

Pietro's body was tense as he followed Grant...so tense, it was almost painful. He kept thinking there was someone behind him and was continually looking behind him to check. It didn't help that he still felt the throbbing pain of the bond being broken, which only made things worse.

When they finally reached the spot without running into anyone, Grant let out an audible sigh. "We're here..." he whispered, showing Pietro the tiny space behind the furnace and fans. It would be well protected and comfortable. "We're definitely back in our original dimension, though. This is exactly everything I left here." There were several blankets, a couple of pillows, a first-aid kit, a stack of water bottles, and a couple of cans of beans.

Pietro took a deep breath and nodded. "I guess that answers one question. But we're not going to be able to stay here forever." If nothing else, they'd need to find more food, somehow.

"No. But we can stay here long enough to figure out our next step..." Grant said quietly.

"Okay." Pietro hesitated and then asked, "So...what should our next step be?"

"Right now? I need to rest and try to get a handle on... on the separation. After we've rested, we need to investigate. Try to find out if there is a resistance here and if so... if there is anyone who might help us get back. If there isn't, maybe we consider freeing some people, getting them to bond each other... Work on making Ultimus sorry he tore us away." Grant's voice was hard and deadly.

"Okay." Pietro sat down slowly against the wall, drawing his knees up against his chest. He didn't know if he'd actually be able to sleep, but maybe he could at least try to get some rest.

"Sleeping will be difficult. But maybe meditation will help..." Grant whispered.

"Haven't really meditated before," Pietro admitted quietly.

"Yeah. Can't say I'm great at it. Here's what I do, though." Grant explained how he meditated. Soon, they were both quietly resting in meditation.

***

Harry was someone who'd mostly been 'left' on the sidelines after he'd become Ultimus' servant. He didn't remember his life before...barely remembered to eat, most of the time, as he wasn't really deemed important enough to keep healthy.

That was probably why he was one of those given the task of tracking down two interlopers. He and a group of other people had been gathered together for their orders, given pads with the likeness of the two men they were looking for and told to bring them back alive, as they were a threat to Ultimus' reign and needed to be questioned.

It was late in the day, but Harry didn't tend to sleep more than a few hours at a time when necessary. There was still enough light to see by, so he put the pad away and retrieved his bike. He began riding towards the edge of the city.

***

Mysterio wasn't happy in this dimension; not that he would have been happy in any dimension other than his own. His own dimension had been destroyed by elementals. He'd barely escaped, and he'd only done that because he'd made a promise to his lover that if he failed to save their world, he would continue to fight for other worlds' survival.

Of course, he'd landed smack in the middle of a dimension being taken over by a maniacal mind raper. Ultimus took people's free will away and turned them into his play things. There was no other word for the tyrant. He had yet to find a way to stop him, though. All his powers, and he was as helpless as a child in this instance. He'd wandered around; watching, waiting, learning... But this morning, for the first time since arriving in this hellscape, he'd felt a dimensional rift. Maybe, if he could find whoever was responsible, he'd have allies.

He'd arrived at the rift's location too late to see who had gone through it, but obviously, someone had. Ultimus' goons were scurrying around like ants. He picked one of the 'ants' that seemed a little more directed to follow.

***

Harry's mind might have been subjugated under Ultimus' control, but he still had a lot of his intelligence left. Unlike the others, who were wandering around aimlessly, he had more of a purpose as he searched. Part of this was because he also accessed the main database, that told him the names of the two fugitives and that they had a history here, in this world.

If they came from this world, then they'd go to someplace familiar to them...and somewhere that was likely deserted. So Harry was searching the areas devoid of people, even those under Ultimus' control. He was checking abandoned houses and other buildings.

***

Mysterio could tell this 'ant' was more focused. He seemed to have more purpose and direction, which told him he was right in his assumption that whatever had come through the dimensional rift was a threat to Ultimus. He needed to find it before the ant.

***

It had been late in the day when Harry had started in his mission...and searching each abandoned building had taken time, as that part of him that was still him knew that a lot of buildings had basements, or hidey holes, or even airvents. With the amount of time it was taking him to search, it had quickly grown dark...too dark to continue safely searching.

Under Ultimus' control, Harry didn't feel things like tiredness or cold or even hunger. Not to the extent he had done, at least. So he didn't sleep yet. Instead, he sat down, leaning against his bike, and stared at the street.

He'd likely fall asleep eventually anyway, but he didn't want to close his eyes yet. When he closed his eyes, he saw things. Things that made no sense. A guy in a red and blue suit swinging his way through the city. A woman falling, only to stop abruptly with spiderweb attached to her chest, dead from a broken neck. Images and feelings and thoughts that made no sense.

He hoped dawn would come soon.

***

America had spent hours opening portals, searching for Grant and Pietro with no luck. She had more control over her power now, but finding one specific dimension was still hard. And even with the cookies and high calorie food...she was at the point of exhaustion.

"I can't do it anymore tonight," she finally admitted, her whole body drooping from exhaustion. "I'm sorry, I just...I need to rest."

Misty wrapped her arms tightly around America. "No need to apologize, Babydoll. You've done all you can. Rest and we'll start again tomorrow. No one wants you to exhaust yourself."

Frank wanted to beg for her not to stop. At the same time, he knew it wouldn't help if she tried when she was depleted, and if something bad happened to her because she pushed too hard, he'd feel horrible, so he quickly agreed. "Rest. They've made dinner. Go eat something healthy. Thank you for not giving up..." he said, in a tired voice.

"I'll try again tomorrow," America promised. "All day, if that's what it takes." She didn't say she'd carry on into the next day, if it was necessary. But that was the thought in her mind. She just hoped it didn't come to that. Not because she was unwilling, but because she could see how badly affected those left behind were.

Mordo opened the portal to return to the base and waved them through it, staying on his guard in case any of the dark counterparts were lurking nearby.

They all quickly went through the portal, then walked the short distance to the base. They were watchful the entire time, wary of drawing the dark sorcerers to their refuge. Once inside, they were able to relax.

Frank sagged. He tried not to act too defeated, but it was hard not to start crying. He immediately sought out Steve, pressing against his mate.

Steve wasn't feeling much better, although he was doing his best to hold it together for his mate and the rest of those in the base. Wrapping his arms around Frank, he whispered, "We'll find him." They had to. He couldn't allow himself to consider any other possibility.

We have to... Frank thought in anguish. I can't lose anyone else... 

Ross had made plates for all those who had been gone all day, urging them to sit and eat.

I won't let that happen, Steve promised. We'll do everything to find him. To get him back. And Grant is highly trained. He's not going to do anything foolish or dangerous. He'll find a safe place and come up with a plan. He led his bondmate over to the table. You need to eat....

Ikaris had settled Peter Tom at the table with Sersi, then gone to find Druig and Makkari. "You both need to come and eat."

I'm not hungry, Makkari signed.

"I know." Ikaris nodded. "But it's still important that you eat. That you keep your strength up."

Druig wrapped his arms around Makkari. Come, Love. Our father is right. We need to keep healthy so we can help Pietro once we find him. It wasn't easy, but he forced himself to be strong for his mate. He led her to the table, where Ross handed them both a full plate.

Frank sat next to Steve and began to mechanically eat; not really tasting the food, but swallowing it down.

Dane was subdued, feeling more useless than usual. Until they got a lead, there wasn't really anything that he could do to help.

Kate was feeling just as useless as Dane. She was also feeling guilty. Only the fact he had more training than her had caused Grant to be the one who went to provide ranged back up. It could have just as easily been her with her bow that went, if she was better trained.

The whole mood around the table was subdued. Fury moved a bit closer to Tony and whispered softly, "I've been looking at ways of quickly evacuating this base, just in case the worst happens and Ultimus gets hold of Grant and Pietro." If that happened, he knew they wouldn't have a choice but to reveal the base's location. "I'm meeting with Phil after the meal to look at the plans. If you can join us, your input would be valuable." He would have spoken to Tony anyway, but since Steve's head wasn't in the right mindset to look at what could happen, Fury was taking it upon himself to plan for the worst case scenario.

"I had thought of contingencies for escape and retreat when I built this place, even before I knew of Ultimus. I'll bring those blueprints so you can incorporate them into your strategy," Tony whispered.

"I know that most of us can't really do much until the dimension they were taken is located," Wade said out loud. "But if there is anything we can do...."

"The only thing possible to do right now is stay on guard and be prepared," Fury said. He was reluctant to mention his plans for escape just yet, at least not before they had concrete plans for the worst case scenario.

"Yeah." Wade sighed. For once, his ability not to die felt useless.

I am sure there will be other times we are needed, Colossus said reassuringly through the bond. Your ability is not useless, Wade. Besides, I am free of Ultimus thanks to you. His gratitude came clearly through the bond.

Thanks, Big Guy, Wade thought. You've saved me too....

Okoye moved closer to Wanda and wrapped her in a tight hug. How are you doing? she thought. Everyone was rightly worried about the bond mates of those taken, but Wanda was a twin sister. Her bond might be different, but it would still hurt, losing her twin.

I can't feel him, Wanda admitted, sounding lost. Every other time, even when we were controlled by Ultimus, he was always there. Now it's just emptiness.... She hadn't been crying, but that was only because she felt too numb for tears.

Okoye tightened her grip. We'll find them and bring them back, she thought encouragingly. Confidently.

I hope so. I'm not used  to him not being there, Wanda admitted, letting herself lean into Okoye and take comfort from her mate.

Okoye just continued to hold Wanda and give support.

Dinner was subdued and afterwards, everyone cleared the table quietly. No one was in a mood to socialize.

"Come on, Sweetness... Let's go to bed. You need to rest," Misty said to America, leading her to their room.

America nodded wearily and went with Misty, unable to hold back her yawn.

***

Frank pressed tightly to Steve. Take me, sir? I need to feel the bond with you isn't damaged... he thought, with a little fear. It was hard enough feeling the broken, jagged emptiness where Grant should have been. If his and Steve's bond was also injured....

Of course. Steve could understand Frank's fear. It was a fear he shared, if he was completely honest. He wrapped his arms tightly around Frank and began guiding his mate to their room...trying not to think abou the fact that it now felt slightly empty, with Grant no longer there.

***

Jake looked at Ajak and gave her a crooked smile. Steven is very upset at the idea the bond can be severed and is hiding. Marc and I fought over who would be in charge to protect everyone, but I won. If we have to fight, I'm more ruthless.

Everyone is unsettled and worried...scared, even, Ajak agreed. I don't know if fighting will be necessary, but there is every chance that leaving this base will be. She looked towards Druig and Makkari, unable to help worrying over both of them.

***

Blade wrapped an arm around Spiders and led him to their room. How did your idea go? Did it work?

It worked, Spiders said. Both Peter Andrew and Peter Tom could communicate with the spiders...although Peter Andrew said it was a bit difficult, because spiders think so differently from humans.

Blade opened their door, leading Spiders inside. He chuckled. That's a good thing, right? 

It's good, Spiders agreed. My attention doesn't need to be so divided, with the spiders divided into three groups. We each have one making its way to the enemy base. I don't know if they can get inside, but at least they can tell us if there's any movement.

"Good job," Blade said out loud, so Spiders could hear his pride in him. Let's get some sleep. I know they want to start early, and I don't want you wearing yourself down.

Spiders just nodded in acknowledgement and began getting ready for bed, choosing not to argue. He was very clearly happy at Blade's pride in him, though.

Blade quickly got ready as well, then led his mate to the bed. Crawling in, he held his arm out for Spiders, needing to hold him close through the night. Everyone had been affected at knowing a bond could be broken.

Spiders quickly got into bed and nestled against Blade, closing his eyes with a quiet sigh. Through the bond and physically, he relaxed at feeling the closeness with his mate.

***

When they'd reached their room, before going in, Jake glanced toward Druig and Makkari as well. If you want to have them join us tonight... So you can keep an eye on them... All three of us are okay with it. He gave Ajak a tiny smile. Steven says it is important for family to help each other and Marc agrees.

Ajak smiled at Jake, and made sure her gratitude could flow through to both Marc and Steven as well. Thank you. I am worried about them, she admitted, before moving a bit closer to her son and daughter. "I know things are difficult for both of you," she said, quietly and with compassion. "I'd like you both to stay with me and my mate tonight, so that you don't need to go through this alone."

Makkari hesitated, glancing at Druig. She couldn't deny that it would be good to stay with one of their parents. The pain of the bond breaking was just as vivid as it had been when initially broken. Unlike physical wounds, she didn't think time would heal this.

Druig swallowed, then nodded. "Thanks, mama..." he whispered, voice catching. He was obviously having difficulty.

Jake stepped back so Ajak could lead them into their room, following behind and gently closing the door. "Can I get you anything?" he asked quietly.

"Hot cocoa?" Ajak suggested, wrapping an arm around Druig and Makkari.

With tiny marshmallows? Makkari signed, trying to perk up a little.

Jake smiled. "I'll go get it now. With lots of little marshmallows...." He left to go to the kitchen for the drinks.

Ajak turned to Druig and Makkari. "Why don't you get ready for bed? I have spare pajamas you can both use...."

Druig nodded, quickly getting the offered pajamas and changing.

In the kitchen, Jake had made all the cocoa with marshmallows. Should I bring some of the cookies? he asked through the bond.

That would be a good idea, thank you, Ajak said, allowing her gratitude to flow through the bond once more.

Makkari changed at the same time as Druig, then shifted closer to him.

A few minutes after they had changed, Jake was walking back in with a tray of cocoa and cookies for everyone. He smiled at the others. "Dig in..."

Thank you. Makkari signed the words as she moved listlessly over and began to help herself.

Jake gave Ajak a concerned look over Makkari's shoulder. He wished he could do more, but until they found their missing family, he had a feeling nothing would be right.

All we can do is be there for them, Ajak said through the bond, trying to hide her own worry and concern.

Nodding, Jake made certain everyone had a drink and cookies as they settled in for the night.

Ajak settled in close to her son and daughter, making sure she could hold onto both of them, and kept the link open between her and her bondmate, so that they could both be there for Druig and Makkari.

***

Misty had led America to their room, helping the younger woman change as soon as they were behind the closed door, then tucking her into the bed. She then changed herself and crawled in next to America, holding her close and tight. I love you... she thought through the bond. And I am so proud of you.

I love you too. America cuddled into Misty's embrace, her body relaxing at the closeness of her mate. I hope we can get them back, she whispered.

We won't rest until we do, Misty asserted. They belong here with their family.

I'll keep trying after breakfast tomorrow, America said sleepily.

Sleep, Babydoll. You have a busy day ahead of you. Misty kissed America's forehead. 

America nodded and sighed, closing her eyes and very quickly slipping into sleep, cuddling as close to Misty as it was possible to get.

****

Frank had waited until they were in their room before he finally allowed the iron control he'd kept over himself all day long to slip. He began to sob silently, his body shaking soundlessly.

Steve immediately wrapped his arms tightly around Frank, hugging his mate close and tight. He felt the pain of loss and the broken bond keenly himself, but pushed that down so that he could take care of his mate who was there. I'm here. I've got you. I'm not going anywhere and we'll get him back, he promised.

It's... It's like my wife and kids all over... Frank admitted. One minute he's there, and the next, he's ripped away... Frank shivered, burrowing against Steve.

Moving them over to the bed, Steve sat down and wrapped his arms tighter around Frank, cuddling him as close as he could. He kept the bond open between them, so that his mate would be able to feel that Steve was there; feel his love and care. I'm here, he repeated. You aren't alone. I love you. I'll make sure we get him back, he promised.

We'll get him back... Frank tried to remain positive. He left the bond fully open, needing to feel that he still was connected to Steve. Need you in me. Need to feel we are still connected... he admitted. It wasn't about sex. It was purely about connection. 

Steve understood the need. If he was truly honest, it was one he felt himself. He quickly began to remove both his and Frank's clothing, then positioned his mate on the bed, on his back, legs splayed open to reveal his entrance. He retrieved the lube and coated his member in a generous amount, then proceeded to push inside Frank.

Frank kept his eyes on his mate the entire time, letting out a tiny, relieved breath as he felt Steve push in, felt himself stretching around his mate. As soon as Steve was as deep inside as he could go, he wrapped his legs and arms tightly around the older man, clinging tightly. I love you... he thought. He was trembling.

Steve wrapped his own arms around Frank, holding his mate close and tight, pressing their bodies together. He leaned in and kissed Frank. I love you too. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. He kept the bond fully open, so that their minds would mingle and merge as much as their bodies did. 

Frank fully believed Steve and was finally able to relax in his lover's arms. He was finally able to sleep, safe in Steve's arms, feeling that he belonged to his mate and they were still together.

Steve wrapped his arms around Frank, holding his mate tight, and closed his own eyes. It was hard, but he fiinally slipped into an uneasy sleep as well.

****

Mysterio had kept an eye on Harry, not stopping to rest until he was certain that his target was sleeping as well. Even then, he set up a few things to immediately wake him should Harry leave and start his search again. He needed to know what, or who, Ultimus was looking for, and hopefully get them before the tyrant did.

*** 

Harry had managed to sleep, but only for about three hours before the dreams started up again. They still made no sense, but the people who featured in them were familiar to him. Almost achingly so. And when he woke up, there were tears on his face.

He'd thought to bring along a few ration bars and he took one out of his pack, chewing it silently as he stared off into the distance. Somewhere at the back of his mind, he remembered an old movie he'd watched. The Crying Freeman. A brainwashed assassin who shed a tear for every person he killed. But he hadn't killed anyone...had he?

The woman's body filtered through his mind and his body grew tense. Who was she? More to the point, who was the red and blue suited guy he kept seeing along with her? Both looked familiar, but it was like their names and their identities were just out of his reach and whenever he tried to grasp for them, they slipped through his fingers like water.

Enough. He needed to get moving. Failure wasn't an option and would be met with bitter punishment.

Pushing himself up with barely a wince at the stiffness from sitting on the ground for so long, Harry mounted his bike once more.

***

Mysterio hadn't slept well either. Memories of his home dimension and how he had failed them .. failed these he loved... tormented him. The elementals had destroyed and killed everyone but him. Only his promise to his best friend as he died in his arms had kept him from laying down and letting the elementals kill him as well. He'd promised to keep fighting; even if it was too late for his home, there were other worlds and dimensions that might need his powers and abilities. So he'd escaped and immediately found his friend had been right. He wouldn't fail to stop Ultimus.

When Harry woke, he'd immediately become aware of it and got up himself, prepared to follow the young man. As soon as Harry left, he did.

***

Harry resumed his search, working his way through the city. He checked every empty building, whether it was house, shop or warehouse...but he didn't call out. He moved stealthily, or at least as stealthily as it was possible to, considering the city was deserted and any sound would seem abnormally loud in the quiet stillness.

***

Grant had not slept. Putting his feelings behind walls so he could function had results, but it also had repercussions. Because of this, he noticed when Harry began nosing around the building. Harry was being quiet and nearly stealthy, but he didn't have Grant's background or experience. And he was still being controlled by Ultimus. Grant motioned to Pietro, signing that there was someone looking through the building, and they needed to be ready to escape.

Pietro hadn't really slept, slipping in and out of dreams. For that reason, he was instantly alert when Grant motioned to him...although he wasn't able to hide his wince at the jarring pain that didn't seem to have lessened at all.

Pietro signed to Grant, asking if they should be running immediately, or if it was better to wait.

Grant thought, then signed that they should wait, unless it looked like their intruder was going to investigate the ventilation system. If he started doing that, they would exit through the back exit he'd pointed out to Pietro on their arrival.

***

Mysterio frowned as he watched Harry investigating. He had a strange feeling about this place. A feeling of anticipation. If Harry had located what he was looking for, he would need to prevent him from telling Ultimus. He began to move closer, so he could do that.

The warehouse appeared to be deserted. Appeared to be. But as Harry moved through the area, he noticed that some dust had been disturbed.

It was a very tiny amount, almost miniscule, and most of Ultimus' agents probably wouldn't notice it. But Harry had still retained some of his intelligence. He still had some of his mind left. It wasn't enough to break him free of the control, but it was enough to alert him to the very slight disturbance.

He began moving towards the ventilation system.

Mysterio had kept close enough that he'd realized the same thing as Harry. Unlike Harry, he believed that whoever Harry was after was trained... Or, at least, he was able to entertain the idea that they were, since he wasn't being controlled. He slipped around toward the outside, heading up to the roof where he was pretty certain would be a utility access to the ventilation.

Grant was watching Harry and as soon as he saw the other man moving toward their hiding spot, he motioned to Pietro that they needed to leave. He'd already filled a pack with the first-aid kit, all the water bottles, and any food. He'd also put in whatever makeshift weapons he could find and a jacket. He slipped the pack on and prepared for Pietro to move them.

Pietro immediately grabbed onto Grant and prepared to speed them in the direction the other man indicated.

Harry moved quickly towards the ventilation system, growing more confident that here was a lead he could follow. He was armed with both a gun and a taser, and he removed the taser. His orders were to bring them back alive. A taser would be more likely to help him than a gun would.

Mysterio moved into position where he believed Harry's target would exit. If it was a person, he'd offer protection. If it was an item, then Harry would exit the way he went in and Mysterio would relieve him of the item as soon as possible. Ultimus couldn't get what he wanted.

Pietro raced with Grant out through the ventilation system, to the roof...where there was someone else; someone who looked like he was flying. Was this a sorcerer as well? Pietro hesitated for a second, trying to figure out the best way to get around the new person.

Pietro was too fast for the naked eye to see, but Harry had heard the sound of rushing air. He quickly headed to the ventilation system and began to head in the direction he assumed his targets had gone.

Mysterio quickly moved between the exit and Pietro and Grant. "I'll slow him down. But I really need to talk with you," he said, as he flew by and prepared to stop Harry.

Pietro darted a confused look at Grant. The one pursuing them was clearly controlled by Ultimus...but he didn't think this man was. Still, Grant was better trained and more skilled than him, so if the other man indicated they needed to flee, Pietro would take him across the rooftops.

Harry came out onto the roof...and paused, briefly, when he saw the third person there. He only paused for a second, though, before he was raising the taser and firing off a shot.

Mysterio threw up an energy block, the green color flashing as the taser blast hit it. Seconds later, he was throwing out gold loops of energy, tying Harry up. He then wrapped the younger man in a static shield that would prevent him from hearing what was said and would blur his sight; hopefully enough that Ultimus couldn't figure out a location looking though his eyes. "I haven't figured out a way to break the connection between Ultimus and his drones, short of killing. But I'm reluctant to do that to someone who isn't a willing follower..." he said over his shoulder.

Grant swallowed and nodded. "You aren't one of his followers and you aren't controlled. If you know of a safe location we can go, we can exchange information."

Mysterio nodded. "He's effectively deaf and blind... At least enough he can't give away our location. Follow me..." Mysterio began to carefully, but quickly, make his way down to street level and walk back to his safe house. He sent out a pulse that shorted out all cameras within a mile radius.

Pietro glanced at Grant, but as long as the other man thought they could trust this stranger, he'd go along with him. He did widen his eyes a fraction when the pulse was sent out, looking impressed. Someone with abilities like that would be useful in their fight against Ultimus. 

Grant kept quiet, but he was watching Mysterio carefully. It took about thirty minutes of walking, but they eventually reached an abandoned apartment building. He quietly followed the 'wizard' into an apartment.

Mysterio set Harry down before facing his two guests. "You came from another dimension...."

Grant glanced at Pietro before answering. "Almost. This... This is our original dimension. Ultimus sent us to a different dimension to try and subdue an uprising. Only, the rebels had found a way to break Ultimus' control and set us free. We didn't return here willingly. He managed to throw us back here in what I can only assume is an effort to break the rebellion there."

"There's a way to break his control?" Mysterio straightened, very interested. "Could it work here?"

"It works in the dimension we've been in," Pietro said. "I don't know if the same way will work in other dimensions, though. Depending on the situation, you might only be able to break one...maybe two, possibly even three...people from his control." He began to explain the bonding process.

Mysterio listened. "Part of me wants to try it... See if it works here. Part of me thinks maybe I should just go to your dimension and not tempt fate..." He sighed, explaining his own situation and that his dimension no longer existed. At least not with living people.

Grant glanced at Pietro. "You could try it here and see if it works. If it doesn't, then come to our home... If you could find a way to get us there, we'd be grateful."

Pietro nodded slowly...but he was frowning slightly. "You're not from this dimension," he said hesitantly. "Part of the reason it worked so well in the other dimension was that there were those able to break Ultimus' control, at least temporarily, by getting through to people they'd known before." At least until Druig and Loki had been freed and were able to use their own control, of course. "If it worked and you bonded, you'd have to rely on your bondmate to get through to someone else that they know."

"That isn't a possibility in any dimension for me, I'm afraid. I am the only human still living from my dimension," Mysterio said sadly. "If I hadn't made a promise, I would have let the elementals kill me as well, instead of fleeing."

He glanced toward Harry. "I suppose if I bonded him and then he found people he could break free temporarily...so that they could bond someone..but I do not know if he has any connections to influence that way. If he doesn't, we would be unable to free anyone else and would be alone in this dimension."

Pietro hesitated, glancing at Grant before saying, "If you came back with us, you and him...we have people who are able to temporarily break Ultimus' control with their own powers. It would be possible to find out if he is from this dimension, or from another one. If he's from this one, we could find a way to bring you back. If not, you could still bond in our dimension. Join the fight against Ultimus."

"I would need to render him unconscious. It would be too risky to try and travel dimensions and keep holding my binding in place. If I lost it, he would be able to communicate with Ultimus and tell him where we were..." Mysterio said quietly.

Grant got a tiny smirk on his face. "This might help..." He held up the weapon he'd found in his safe spot; a 'Night-night' gun. He explained FitzSimmons's invention.

"I guess that's the best thing to do," Pietro said. "How long does it last for? We might not be able to get to Druig or Loki straight away." Of course, they had no way of knowing if the situation had grown worse in the other dimension.

"It depends on the setting... Or, at least, it used to..." Grant looked at the gun closely. "On the lowest setting, it would last about five minutes. The highest setting could last up to an hour, but there was also more risk involved."

"I can keep the bindings in place up until the moment I need to open a portal. Then if you shoot him with a setting that will knock him out for about fifteen to twenty minutes, I can get us through and still have time to rebind him..." Mysterio said.

"How long does it take to open the portal? Do you need anything specifically to do so?" Pietro asked, thinking about the sorcerers and their sling rings.

"As long as I have an idea where I'm going, it doesn't take long. It's easier if I have something from wherever I am attempting to go to focus on, though. You all indicated that where you want to go wasn't your original dimension, so I can't really use either of you as a focus," Mysterio said apologetically.

"Does it have to be a living person that's a focus?" Pietro asked. "Or can it be an inanimate object? Because our clothes are all from that dimension."

"It actually works better if it is an object made out of material that hasn't been altered too much... So natural fibers, or things made out of metals that haven't been diluted..." Mysterio shrugged. "You would think people would work best, but bodies change frequently and adapt to their environment, so...."

"I don't know if any of our clothing fit...." Pietro glanced at Grant, in case he had any ideas.

"My clothing may not work, but...I have a sterling silver ring...." Grant took it off and reluctantly handed it over. "My mate gave it to me for Christmas. It won't be destroyed, will it?"

Mysterio shook his head. "It will be fine. I just need to focus on it for long enough to memorize the energy it puts off. Then use that knowledge to find the matching energy in a dimension."

Pietro took a deep breath and moved a little closer to Grant. "Is it better to open the portal here, or somewhere else? Back home, Ultimus has counterparts of sorcerers who are willingly working with him. They can sense portals being opened."

Mysterio frowned thoughtfully. "Is there a spot in your dimension that is safer than others? When I open a portal, it typically ends in nearly the same coordinates, just in another world."

"We wouldn't want to be too close to the base... But we would want to be close enough we could get home quickly too...." Grant looked at Pietro for input.

Pietro nodded. "Maybe a similar location to where the sorcerers open the portals to get to the base?" he suggested.

"That would work. If they are looking for us, they may be there already..." Grant agreed. "Which one, though? The three main ones are the destroyed base, the cabin, and the area where Jack left Fury the first time."

Pietro thought about it and then shrugged. "The destroyed base? I think it's the closest to our home there...."

"True. And if Ultimus' people show up, it is also the place with more places to hide or protect ourselves..." Grant agreed. "If we head that way now, do you think you could open the portal, or do you need to rest?"

"As long as our tag-along here in asleep, I can open it," Mysterio promised.

"I might be able to speed all of us there," Pietro said, perking up a little bit now that it seemed they had a way to get home.

"We might want to be stealthy going to the spot here. Just in case it isn't abandoned," Grant said. He was feeling more optimistic too. 

Mysterio nodded. "Lead the way."

Pietro waited for Grant, then began to carefully lead the way to the location of the destroyed base in their home dimension. The base wouldn't exist here, but as long as they could get to the location, there shouldn't be any reason why they wouldn't be able to get back home...and reunite with their mates.

Grant kept careful watch as they moved. They might not expect there to be a base in the same location as in their home dimension... but that didn't mean there wasn't something there. Ultimus had made the base there, after all, so he could just as easily have made something here in their original dimension. Moving so carefully took time and soon, they'd reached the coordinates.

"I think this is the area." Pietro whispered the words to the others. Unlike in the other dimension, there was no shelter to speak of; no buildings close by that they could shelter in. He felt exposed, out in the open like this. 

Grant wasn't quite as nervous. He wouldn't be nervous until Mysterio started to open the portal. It would be down to who was faster; their new friend, or Ultimus' soldiers. He pulled out the night night gun, adjusting the setting to put Harry out for at least thirty minutes. "Say when, and I'll put him under."

"Let me see your ring one more time," Mysterio said. After spending five more minutes focused on the ring, he handed it back to Grant. "Okay. Knock him out."

Grant immediately shot with the night night gun. Mysterio dropped the binding and static shield and immediately began to focus on opening a portal to the dimension the ring came from.

Harry had no chance to react when the binding dropped, as the night night gun immediately succeeded in knocking him out.

Shifting nearer to the others, Pietro kept his eyes focused on their surroundings...fully prepared to grab the other three and run if it was necessary.

Mysterio might not have been in his own home dimension, but things worked the same in every dimension he'd ever visited. He was quick and careful. 

Grant might have felt it was taking a long time, but it really wasn't more than a minute before the portal was there, swirling energy waiting for them to jump through.

Pietro bit his lip and glanced at Grant. "Ready?" While he hoped there wouldn't be any danger on the other side, he knew they had to be prepared for the possibility.

Grant held his regular weapon at the ready in one hand, shouldering Harry with the other. "Ready as I'll ever be..." he said, before stepping through the portal, on high alert. 

Pietro quickly followed him through.

On the other side of the portal, it opened just outside the destroyed enemy base. Pietro looked around quickly, in case any of the dark counterparts had appeared.

Once the other two were through, Mysterio jumped through and let the portal close behind him. "Where to now?" he whispered.

Grant was glancing toward the building. "Someone is here..." he whispered, shifting Harry so he could get a better grip on his gun, just in case. A slight disappointment was in his voice. He still didn't feel his mates.

Mordo had set up traps just outside the enemy base, to alert him if anyone showed up while America was working on portals. Raising shields, he slowly left the base to investigate, prepared to cast an offensive spell if needed.

Grant immediately positioned himself to be a shield for Pietro and Mysterio, uncertain if this Mordo was the one who was friendly, or was the one working with Ultimus.

Mysterio readied himself to cast a defensive energy bolt, only holding back because he didn't want to attack friendlies.

Mordo didn't lower his shields when he saw Grant and Pietro...partly because there were two people with them, neither of whom he recognised; and one of them was unconscious.

"He's got the mark on his hand..." Pietro whispered to Grant, having noted the bonding mark.

The words were softly uttered, but Mordo heard them anyway. "You found your way back?" He sent a message to Tony and Pepper through the bond. They're back, but there are two more people with them. One of them has been knocked out....

Grant relaxed. "We found help..." He turned to introduce Mysterio, only to realize.... "We never introduced ourselves!"

"I am Quentin Beck, also called Mysterio," he introduced himself. "I am hoping to live in your dimension. Mine was destroyed, and the one we just came from, everyone is under Ultimus's control."

Grant placed Harry on the ground. "Ultimus sent this one after us. Figure... Beck here needs a bondmate. So..."

By this point, Tony had told Steve, Frank, Druig, and Makkari that their mates were back. Druig had worked with Makkari to speed all four of them to where Mordo and America were.

Misty had peered outside and seen that Mordo wasn't fighting. "It seems they found a way back, Babydoll. You can stop searching. Let's join the others."

As soon as he was brought to the area, Steve didn't waste any time in moving forward and hugging Grant tightly. The pain was still there...the bond didn't just snap back into place. That was disappointing, but being able to hold onto Grant was soothing anyway.

Makkari immediately stepped forward to hug Pietro tightly, tears in her own eyes.

Mordo glanced at Tony, then looked at Beck and the unconscious Harry, slowly lowering his shields. "I'm Mordo." He quickly introduced the others...including Misty, who'd led America outside the base. "Before taking you to our base, we normally provide hospital gowns for you to change into," he said to Beck. "It removes the possibility of being tracked by Ultimus. You might not have anything, although we have found that it's better to be safe and err on the side of caution. Your future bondmate is probably likely to have a tracker somewhere on him."

Mysterio nodded. "Of course. I should have thought of that. If he has a tracker, my static barrier would have blocked it... Until I had to drop it to come here. I apologize....". He quickly began to undress Harry. As soon as he found the tracker, he sent an energy pulse at it, frying the mechanism. He then undressed himself. He was relieved when he didn't find a tracker on himself. He dressed Harry in the hospital gown; Harry's clothes hadn't fared well under Ultimus. He sent an energy pulse at his own clothes, just in case, then redressed in them. His clothes had a few protections that he didn't want to lose if it could be avoided.

Tony had observed and was satisfied that there were no trackers; Friday hadn't found any either, so he didn't argue against Mysterio keeping his own clothing.

Meanwhile, Grant was clinging to Steve, finally able to drop the barriers he'd put up so that he could protect him and Pietro. Tears streamed down his face as he silently sobbed.

Frank moved behind Grant, sandwiching him between Steve and himself. "Welcome home..." he said, in a raspy voice.

Druig had moved to Pietro's side and wrapped his arms tightly around both his mates.

Tony cleared his throat. "Not to rush anyone, but it'll be safer to reconnect back home. They are probably already looking for our portal locations...."

Harry didn't so much as stir when he was undressed and redressed in the hospital gown. The night night gun had done its job in knocking him out.

Steve, realising that Tony was right, hugged Frank and Grant a bit tighter before saying softly, "Let's move this back to our base....” 

Pietro clung to both Druig and Makkari for a few moments before he remembered how precarious their situation was. He wiped at his eyes, then let go of them so that they could speed everyone back to the base.

Druig smiled at Pietro and Makkari before stepping over to take hold of Misty, America, Mordo, and Tony. His ability to speed had been increasing with each day he was mated to Pietro, so he felt capable of taking four people with him, even if there was a small bit of strain in the bond due to Pietro having been ripped away. Knowing Makkari and Pietro would get the others, he sped back to the base.

Mysterio picked up Harry, putting the static shield around him once more, just in case the younger man woke up and tried to send a message to Ultimus.

Makkari took Steve, Frank and Grant to speed back to the base, leaving Pietro to speed Mysterio and Harry back.

Once they'd reached the base, Druig waited for the other two groups to catch up with him before heading inside. Everyone was in the common area, watching the elevator. When Grant and Pietro stepped off the elevator, they were greeted by a chorus of voices expressing relief that they were back home.

Grant found himself tearing up again. He'd known he was important to Steve and Frank, but seeing that he meant something to the others was a shock.

Mysterio shifted. He could feel Harry waking up. He glanced at Mordo. "Should I bond him sooner or later?" He was under no illusions that he might be bonding the younger man without permission. But if it was the only way to break Ultimus' hold, he'd deal with the fallout after.

Druig swallowed. It would be easier if he mind controlled Harry enough to give him a chance to choose. But then again, there really wasn't a choice. If he balked at bonding, they couldn't send him back to where he came from. They couldn't let him go. And killing him didn't feel right either. So, for Quentin Beck's sake, mind controlling Harry enough that he could choose would be kinder. But Druig really needed to reconnect with his mate first.

"Actually, before bonding...where it's possible...we prefer to have blood samples drawn and medical examinations done," Mordo said. "We have two scientists who are researching the bond and the more information they have about the before and after effects, the better they can understand it."

Peter Andrew had walked over, as he was 'one of the scientists' involved in researching the bond. But as soon as he got a good look at who Mysterio carried, his mouth dropped open. "Harry."

Mysterio nodded at Mordo then glanced at Peter Andrew as he approached. "You know him?" he asked curiously. "Was he originally from this dimension, then? I know Grant and Pietro said they were originally from the one I found them in, but they viewed this one as home. Are you the same?" He looked down at Harry. "And his name is Harry?" He looked at Mordo. "Where should I take Harry, if they need an examination first? Do they need my blood as well?"

Peter shook his head. "If it's not his counterpart, if it really is him, he's not from this dimension. Neither of us are. We don't have...all of this back home." He waved a hand meant to encompass the base and the Avengers.

"We have a medical room and two doctors," Mordo said. "If you follow Peter, he can take you there." He might have gone himself, but if Harry knew Peter, then having a friendly face might mean he could snap out of Ultimus' control...or at least be calmed somewhat once he had his own mind back.

"Your blood sample would help too, if you could give it," Peter said to Mysterio, eyes still fixed on Harry. "We've also been researching other dimensions...pretty much can tell when someone isn't from here, if they don't know themselves." He prepared to lead the way to the medical room.

Mysterio followed Peter. "So, both of you are like Grant and Pietro? From the dimension we just came from, but here now because Ultimus sent you here?"

Stephen and Lincoln were waiting in the medical suite. "If you put him here, I'll examine him while Lincoln examines you. And we'll get both of your blood," Stephen ordered. He noticed Harry beginning to stir.

Mysterio placed Harry on the examining table then went to where Lincoln was and hopped up onto that table. He kept watch on Harry, though... In case he needed to bind him for the doctor.

Peter shifted so that he could see Harry...but also be right in his friend's eyeline when Harry stirred. While he tried to keep the bond closed, tendrils of hope still crept through...even though he tried not to hope too much. It would hurt too much if it was ripped away. He responded to Mysterio's question. "We're not from their dimension, either. Near as I can tell, Ultimus just dropped me in a random dimension. It just happened to be this one."

Harry had begun stirring. The night night gun had sent him spiralling right back down into a dream-memory...only this time, whether it was because of dimension hopping or because of something else, he knew who they were. He knew who he kept seeing. And like a drowning man reaching for a life raft, he reached for one of the only things that he could be certain of. "Peter." The name was on his lips as he surfaced out of unconsciousness...then he blinked, confusion filling him, and stared around. "What the...?"

Stephen didn't question Peter trying to put a tamp on the bond... Though he made it clear on his own end that it wasn't necessary. He continued the examination even as Harry began to wake up.

Lincoln was able to do his examination a bit more quickly, since Mysterio was awake and fully cooperating. He began to draw the needed blood.

Mysterio continued to watch, in case his help was needed. Hearing Harry recognize Peter was a good sign, though... Wasn't it?

Harry didn't fight or protest the examination. Instead, he shifted enough so that he could still keep his eyes on Peter.

Peter moved over so that Harry could see him more easily. "Hey, Harry," he said quietly.

"I thought...maybe he'd killed you. Ultimus. Figured I wouldn't see you again." Harry reached out and gripped Peter's hand for a moment, then glanced at the doctor who was examining him. "Gandalf?" The question was addressed to Peter as much as it was to Stephen.

A faint trace of amusement passed across Peter's face even as he said, "Well, Doctor Strange, but...yeah?"

Stephen paused in the examination, a confused look on his face. "I do not look like a Gandalf! What the hell?!" His indignation could be felt through the bond. Lincoln's poorly hidden snort of laughter didn't help, and he shot his fellow doctor an unamused pout.

"Well, no, but you do magic," Peter said helpfully. "When I told Harry about you, the nickname stuck."

"Okay, not-Gandalf." Harry nodded. "But you do magic, right? Like a wizard?"

"Yes. And I am infinitely more powerful and better looking than Gandalf...." This comment was said with all seriousness, although faint teasing amusement carried through the bond this time, indicating he wasn't being completely serious. He was proud and conceited sometimes, but not as bad as he was before his accident.

"Well. Peter certainly seems to think so." Harry gave a quick grin before saying, "I don't feel Ultimus at the moment. Does that mean I'm free?" he asked hopefully.

"It won't be long before he starts trying to get inside your head again," Peter said, slipping into a more serious tone now. "There's only one way that's been found to get rid of him permanently now and that...involves bonding."

"Like marriage?" Harry blinked.

"Like sex." Peter figured there was no point in sugar coating it. They were all adults, after all. 

"To put it bluntly..." Stephen snorted, a faint smirk on his face. "You have the good luck to be able to choose, though. Unlike the earliest people who bonded. I believe Quentin was planning to bond with you, but if you disagree, we have a holding cell we can keep you in until we find some other alternatives. We can do our best to block Ultimus, but if we fail, at least you can't get away and show him where our base is."

"Quentin?" Harry looked towards the other two men in the room, not entirely sure who that was...although he guessed it was probably the one he remembered binding him.

"Hello, Harry. I'm Quentin Beck." Mysterio smiled crookedly.

"You can do magic too?" Harry asked. "I remember you froze me...."

"I don't know if it is magic so much as... I'm able to manipulate matter?" Mysterio frowned slightly. "I've never actually had to explain it before," he admitted sheepishly.

"We never had any magic...or even superheroes in our dimension, outside of Spider-Man," Harry said. "Honestly, whatever explanation you give, I'd just have to accept because I have no frame of reference." He shrugged.

Mysterio snorted at that in amusement. "Well then... We'll just go with I manipulate matter. I noticed you haven't commented on the bonding aspect of everything. Do you need time to think about it?" he asked pointedly.

Harry shrugged. "I mean, it's the only way I can keep Ultimus out of my head for good, right? And even if I didn't bond with you, I'd still have to bond with a complete stranger." He glanced at Peter. "You would have offered to bond with me if you thought it was possible...."

"Yeah...some of the bonds allow for more than two people to be involved. Others, not so much," Peter said apologetically.

Mysterio looked intrigued at that. "I noticed both Grant and Pietro seem to be members of a triad bond. I wonder what causes the difference... Is it something to worry about?"

Stephen shook his head. "So far, there isn't any indicator that we should worry. Basically, the bond adapts to the individuals involved. If one of the members in the bond is jealous of anyone else being with their mate, it tends to make the bond close off to only one person. Or we assume it does. We've noticed actual differences in the blood work that indicates if a triad bond is possible. We've never actually tried to force a third into a duo bond that one member isn't willing. Especially since the blood work indicates it won't work anyway. And the urge to bond another person isn't there either, so...." He shrugged.

"It also seems to be the person who takes on the submissive role who's responsible for that, whether consciously or not," Peter said, with a slight bit of embarrassment over being one of those who held the 'jealousy gene'.

Harry blinked. "I guess we'll find out if our bond has that or not." He glanced at Mysterio.

Mysterio nodded. "I guess we will. If you have everything you need, the sooner we bond, the sooner we can relax...." He glanced at those who needed the blood and other information.

"I'm done..." Stephen said.

Lincoln nodded. "I've got everything."

"We have a storage room with all of the necessary supplies...extra clothing too," Peter said. "I can show you it and then to one of the empty rooms...then maybe give you a tour once you've bonded?" he offered.

"That sounds good..." Mysterio agreed, looking toward Harry to see if he was ok with that.

Harry nodded. "Yeah. I'd like that." He carefully slipped off the bed...then, since he was no longer being examined, he stepped forward and gave Peter a quick, though tight hug before letting go. "I'd like to get into some actual clothes that don't have holes in them."

Peter nodded and began to lead the way from the medical room and to the storage room.

"That's good, because I left your holey clothes behind when I changed you..." Mysterio said, in a slightly joking manner. He followed to the storage area and got himself a few changes of clothes to supplement his own clothing- he needed to do laundry- as well as toiletries.

"Luckily, I wasn't too attached to those." Harry got his own changes of clothes from the storage area, along with toiletries, then proceeded to follow Peter to one of the empty rooms. 

"When you're done, just let Friday, the AI know, and she'll tell me so I can come give you the tour," Peter said. "At some point, we'll want extra blood samples after you bond, but that doesn't have to be today."

Mysterio nodded. "Is it more helpful to get the new samples after giving the bond time to settle? Or does it not make a difference?"

"It doesn't really make a huge difference," Peter answered. "So if you feel up to it straight away, that's fine. If you want to give the bond time to settle, that's fine too." He started to turn away, then paused. "Another thing. You're going to likely start sharing abilities, but the amount of time it takes is different for everyone. Just in case you start noticing anything and wonder what it is." 

"So you can do magic?" Harry asked.

Peter shrugged. "I can make pretty sparks fly. That's about as far as I've been able to get."

"Any other things happen because of the bond? So we don't get worried over nothing?" Beck asked.

"You can communicate with each other through the bond," Peter said. "And feel each other's emotions. It requires a Dominant and submissive to form, plus the intent to bond. After, it'll adapt to the individual needs of those involved. Some of them stay in that relationship. Some are more equal. And others are a bit more complicated," he added, thinking of his own relationship...or whatever word there was for it.

"Complicated." Harry shook his head. "I always avoid that."

Beck shuddered. "I don't like complicated in my relationships. I have too many other complications in my life. We'll sort the important part out before bonding and if we can't agree, then we'll wait for other potential mates. That good for you?" he asked Harry.

Harry shrugged. "Sure. Work's for me."

"I'll let you both figure things out. Let me know when you're ready for the tour." Peter left to go and retrieve the blood samples.

Mysterio opened the door, motioning Harry through before following and closing the door. "Okay..." he began immediately. "We both know bonding is non-negotiable if we want to stay free. So I guess the important bits are, one- are you willing to be bond in a sexual relationship with another man, or would you rather wait for a woman? And two- are you the dominant type, or are you willing to be submissive, at least as far as the bond needs to function correctly? Because I'm all for an equal position, but it sounds like the bond needs a submissive and dominant to be formed at the least, and even if he didn't say it, I suspect it will need it for at least a few days, even if it doesn't always need it."

"I don't have a sexual preference, at least not one I've discovered," Harry said honestly. "And I am attracted to you. As for Dominant and submissive? I've never really been a Domiant person. Not sure how far that part of the relationship goes with those here, but I've never been the type to take charge." Tilting his head slightly, he added, "Not that I've interacted with you a whole lot, but from what I've seen, you definitely give off more Dominant vibes."

Beck chuckled. "Yeah. I'm definitely not submissive in the least. If you discover you are less submissive than you thought, we would definitely move to equals. And I'm bi. So I know a bit. And lucky us, I find you attractive as well. So... You ready to block Ultimus permanently?" He shifted closer to Harry.

Harry nodded. "I want him out of my head for good," he said, with feeling, before asking, "So do you prefer Quentin, or Beck, or Mysterio?" He shifted so that he was closer to Beck, though didn't immediately do anything. He was submitting, so it felt right to let the other man set the pace.

"To be honest, everyone knew me as Mysterio. But my closest friend called me Quin." He smiled faintly, thinking of the one he'd made the promise to. Sighing softly, he shook his head and shifted closer to Harry, reaching up and untying the hospital gown. "This makes things easier..." he teased gently.

"It'd probably be easer if you were naked too...." Harry grinned as he reached out, but he waited to see if it was okay before he began to remove Beck's shirt. After all, the man could do something very similar to magic. His clothes might need to be removed in a specific way.

"That it would be..." Beck grinned, moving so that Harry could more easily remove his shirt. "One second..." He stepped back long enough to remove his boots and socks, then moved back into Harry's space again, letting his hands begin to explore the other.

Harry shifted so that Beck could easily explore his body, beginning to do the same to the other man. He let his hands rub gently over Beck's bare chest, down to his pants that he began to unfasten. 

Beck continued to run his hands all over Harry's body, moving so that he could step out of his pants, but not breaking contact. Soon, they were both naked and he pressed against the smaller man, rubbing against him with his full body. "It isn't going to take long for me to be ready," he admitted in a husky voice, as he gripped Harry's buttocks and squeezed before separating them enough to slide a finger between. He started rubbing Harry's entrance gently. While Harry had been preoccupied with his pants, he'd summoned a bottle of lube and warmed it up. As he continued to squeeze and rub with both of his hands, the bottle floated gently behind, tilting enough to dribble a steady stream between Harry's cheeks, making him thoroughly wet. Beck grinned and waggled his eyebrows at the 'useful trick' he'd done.

The sensation of the lube caught Harry by surprise, a little, but he quickly relaxed into the sensations and grinned at Beck. "That's a useful skill to have," he commented, his own voice turning husky...hoarse with arousal. His member was beginning to harden, even without being touched.

"I think you'll find I have all kinds of useful skills..." Beck purred, before slanting his head and capturing Harry's mouth in a hard kiss. Sliding his tongue into Harry's mouth, he gently pushed his finger into his future mate at the same time, crooking his finger and searching for the tiny bundle of nerves that would set Harry off.

Harry's whimper-groan was swallowed by Beck's mouth as he parted his lips in submission, allowing the other man entrance. When Beck found his prostrate, he had to raise his hands to grip onto Beck's shoulders to keep his balance, as his legs threatened to give way. This time, his groan was louder.

Beck growled softly in satisfaction at drawing those sounds from Harry. He began to rub Harry's prostate relentlessly, with a slight bit more pressure. His other hand slid around to grip the younger man's member, stroking firmly.

Harry's groan was louder, if that was possible, and sounded almost obscene. He gripped onto Beck tighter, panting a little as his member quickly hardened to full arousal, beginning to leak precum. It might have been embarrassing, how quickly he was teetering towards the edge, if it hadn't been so long since he'd any physical closeness to another person.

Beck groaned. Harry's reactions had moved straight to his groin and he was completely hard. Pulling back from the kiss, he gently turned Harry, leading him to the bed. "Hands and knees. Now!" he ordered brusquely, needing too much to be coy or cajoling.

Harry obeyed without question or arguing, crawling onto the bed and settling on his hands and knees. He was almost mindless from his own feelings of desire. His member hung between his legs, swollen and nearly purple, but he still retained just enough control not to touch himself.

Beck crawled up onto the bed, fitting himself between Harry's legs. Reaching around, he grasped Harry's member once more, continuing to pump it. With his other hand, he carefully lined his own member up against Harry's entrance and began to gently push in. He started slow, pushing in an inch, then pulling out half an inch, then pushing in an inch. Slowly, back and forth in a gentle rocking motion, he moved slow enough for Harry to adjust as he filled him. "You're so tight..." he groaned out, as his member slowly disappeared into Harry's body. "So good...."

"It feels so good." Harry began to pant, almost mindlessly, as his arousal grew to nearly unbearable levels. He couldn't help pushing back slightly, feeling the need for more friction. Just...more. He was honestly surprised that he hadn't released yet; that he'd managed to hold on for as long as he had. 

Beck groaned as he finally pushed completely in, buried as deep as he could be. Grunting softly, he began to thrust; slowly at first, but then more quickly as he got a rhythm going. Soon, he was moving hard and fast, pulling almost completely out, then thrusting in as deep as he could, over and over. His grip on Harry's member grew tighter the longer he thrust and he pumped just as quickly as he was thrusting. When he felt like he couldn't hold back any longer, he ordered, "Let go now!"

Almost unconsciously, without thought, Harry obeyed the order, releasing with a loud wail that would have embarrassed him, had he had any presence of mind to focus on anything outside of the feelings of intense pleasure as he rode out the waves of his orgasm.

Feeling Harry obey him sent Beck over the edge. His own orgasm took him by force and he released into his mate hard. And then the bonding magic took over. Beck was lost in sensation for what felt like minutes... felt like hours... felt like seconds. He lost all sense of time and connection to anything but Harry. When he was finally able to focus on the outside world again, he could see the mark on his and Harry's hands and feel Harry's presence in his head. I believe it worked.

For a few moments, Harry couldn't feel anything past the sensations. It took longer than he would have expected it to, but finally, things settled enough that he could separate himself from Beck...or at least know what thoughts and feelings belonged to him and which ones were his mate's. I can feel you, he said through the bond, a wave of contented peace flowing from him to Beck.

We are safe from him now. Mostly. Beck stretched and slowly pulled out of his mate, then retrieved a wet cloth. He began to clean Harry, making certain he hadn't hurt him in the need to bond. It didn't take long and, once satisfied that Harry didn't need medical attention, he cleaned himself up, then began to dress both of them. Let's go meet your friend and get that tour. We probably want to meet everyone else, too. Seems to be a lot more than I had expected.

Harry shifted to make it easier for Beck to dress him, even as he tilted his head slightly. There are a lot of people here? He'd been unconscious when they'd initially arrived at the base, and those he'd seen in the medical room hadn't been a true indication of just how many people there were in the base.

Beyond the two that we met in the other dimension, Peter, and the two doctors, there were at least five other people I met before you woke up, and they indicated others. Beck smiled. I think we might have found a resistance that actually stands a chance against Ultimus. He finished dressing them both before leading Harry out the door to go find Peter.

Interest immediately sparked through the bond, along with what was clearly natural curiosity about the base itself, as Harry asked the AI Peter had mentioned, Friday, where his best friend was and they went to meet Peter.

*** 

As much as Steve thought he should linger and introduce Beck to the base, he couldn't bring himself to take his attention away from his mates. And there were other people who had come forward to help Beck and his soon-to-be bondmate, too.

Steve led Frank and Grant to their room and closed the door, then turned to Grant and took a deep breath. "I'm so glad you're home," he said, his voice filled with emotion. It felt strange not to be able to say the words through the bond, but he hoped Grant would still realise how much he meant them.

Grant shuddered, quickly moving back into Steve's arms and holding tight. Now that he was home, where he belonged, he let the walls he had built up to protect himself fall. Immediately, all the pain he'd been ignoring swamped and overwhelmed him and he whimpered in obvious distress. "Hurt so bad..." he whispered. It would have been obvious in the stiff way he moved and the sound of his voice how much pain he was in, even if he hadn't told them. "...Feel ripped apart inside...."

Frank moved to Grants back so he could sandwich the younger man between him and Steve. He gave Steve a worried look over Grant's shoulder. "We have to fix what was torn..." he said softly. 

Steve nodded quickly, tightening his arms around both his mates. "We will," he said, with quiet determination. "I think there might be a way to rebond." There'd not been any mention made of that in any of the books, but he had to believe it was possible.

Frank nodded. "We should try now. If it doesn't work, we look for information on how to do it..." he responded quietly. "You're ours," he said to Grant. "We'll tie you to us again," he promised.

Grant shivered. "Okay..." he said, in a small voice.

"We won't let you go," Steve promised. He pressed a kiss to the side of Grant's neck, then began to strip him slowly, pressing more kisses to bare skin as it was revealed. As well as kissing, he stroked and squeezed and caressed Grant's bare skin.

Frank assisted Steve in undressing their mate, kissing, rubbing and squeezing wherever Steve wasn't. He smiled as the evidence that they were affecting their mate was easily seen. He reached down and gently squeezed Grants erection before asking Steve, How do you want to do this?

Grant moaned softly, as he was quickly aroused.

Similar to how we did the first time, Steve said. It worked then. I hope it'll work now. He gently guided Grant over to their bed, stroking and kissing and caressing still.

Frank shifted so Steve could lead Grant. So you take him first while I give him oral and then I take him while you take me?

Grant was very clingy, only able to move where needed with Steve's direction.

I think so, Steve agreed, settling them on the bed. He quickly stripped off his own clothing and then reached out for the lube, coating his member in it.

Frank quickly stripped as well, before readjusting Grant so he was on his back. He gently parted his mate's legs, then pulled them up and forward so his knees were toward his shoulders. It left Grant completely open and exposed to Steve and Frank both. Frank shifted so he was straddling Grant's chest, holding the younger man immobile, then leaned forward and began to lick and suck on his lover's member- making certain that he didn't block Steve from being able to take.

Grant let out a tiny sob at the sudden hot wet suction against his sensitive part. He'd already been aroused. Frank's actions caused him to begin leaking precum and helplessly squirm.

Steve leaned forward, capturing Grant's lips in a hard, deep kiss. At the same time, he carefully lined his member up against Grant's entrance and pushed inside, achingly slowly, until he was fully sheathed inside the younger man.

Frank held his breath and lay flat so he could continue to lick Grant while Steve leaned over him to kiss Grant. It was oddly arousing, having his body pushed down and sandwiched between both his mates.

Grant moaned loudly as Frank pressed down onto him, still pleasuring him, while Steve stretched him open onto his shaft. He almost breathlessly returned Steve's kiss. 

Steve continued to kiss Grant hard, even as he began to thrust inside the younger man. His member had quickly swollen to full hardness inside Grant, and he knew it wouldn't take much to push him over the edge. He held on, though, knowing they needed to release at the same time.

Grant quickly reached the edge between Frank's actions and Steve rubbing in him so perfectly. "Please...' he whimpered, only holding on because he needed permission.

Frank gently tapped Steve's arms to let him know he was ready to take Grant's release.

Steve pulled back long enough to growl out, "Let go," before he leaned in and captured Grant's lips with his own once more.

Immediately, Grant released, unable to stop himself even if he'd wanted. His soft cry was muffled by Steve's kiss.

Frank quickly swallowed what he was given, not letting go, continuing to suck through Grant's climax. He didn't stop licking or sucking until Grant whimpered softly, beginning to feel sensitive.

Finally unlatching, Frank began to squirm faintly. As much as he loved being the held down by Steve's weight, sandwiched between his two lovers, he needed to breathe.

Immediately, Steve leaned up, so that he was no longer pinning Frank down, sending an apologetic feeling through the bond.

Frank's returned feeling was one of soothing acceptance. He liked being pinned by Steve. If he didn't need to breathe, it would be perfect. He sat up, crawling off of Grant, and gave the younger man a careful inspection. Satisfied that he was able to continue, even if he was sensitive, Frank carefully turned Grant over onto his stomach, parting his legs and lifting his hips enough for Frank to fit.

Grant was already wet from the lube Steve had used, as well as Steve's release, so all Frank had to do was line up and push in. Grant moaned softly as he felt his other mate lay claim.

Are you able to get in me, sir? Frank asked through the bond. He opened his own legs and shifted so Steve could push into him once ready. He knew Steve had thoroughly lubricated before and would still be wet.

I can do that. Steve crawled up onto the bed and positioned himself behind Frank. Grasping the smaller man's hips, he lined himself up at Frank's entrance and pushed inside.

Frank let out a happy groan as Steve pushed in. He held still, waiting for his lover to be completely in. He wouldn't begin thrusting until Steve began. They would move in and out together; he felt being in sync with each other through this final stage of bonding would only strengthen the bond.

Steve pushed all the way into Frank, until he was completely sheathed inside the other man. Then, taking a firm hold of Frank's hips, he began to thrust.

Frank held onto Grant's hips and as soon as Steve began to thrust, he thrust as well, using Steve's momentum to push him forward. Reaching out with one hand, he took hold of Grant's hand. "You are ours. Ultimus will not take you away from us..." he growled.

Grant was very sensitive and was quickly at the edge within a few thrusts. Frank's words buried deep into his heart and he let out a tiny sob, his emotions overwhelming him. He dropped.

Steve could tell that Grant had dropped and he freed one hand from Frank's hip, reaching out and stroking his fingers over Grant's shoulder.

Frank squeezed Grant's hand gently, realizing his mate needed the extra connection. He let out soft, guttural moans at feeling Steve move inside of him... Feeling himself thrusting in Grant took him to the edge.

Grant shivered and moaned, feeling that the rift that had been torn between him and his mates was being healed. He felt warmth slowly soothing the crushing, aching pain that had been there since he'd been thrown through the portal.

"We're here, Grant," Steve said, his voice low and reassuring. "You're not alone anymore. You still belong to us," he promised.

"You aren't lost... We have you..." Frank whispered against Grant's neck, reiterating what Steve had said.

Grant was crying softly, mewling from need and high emotion. He gripped Frank's hand tightly, blindly reaching back with his other hand for Steve.

Steve immediately took Grant's hand, squeezing it gently. "I love you both," he whispered, emotion high in his voice and through the bond.

"Love you both... So much..." Grant cried softly. He'd finally reached the edge, just hanging, waiting.

Frank could tell Grant wouldn't hold on much longer. He was hanging on himself. Whenever you order, Cap....

"Let go," Steve ordered, both out loud and through the bond. He tightened his hold on both Frant and Grant, knowing that his own release would come over him at the same time theirs did.

Frank immediately released, hard, filling Grant.

Grant felt Frank's release filling him and climaxed hard, his body gripping around Frank tightly as he shuddered out his own release. He could feel warmth spreading through his body, and the remainder of the pain he'd had from being cut off from his mates was soothed. Am I with you again? he thought hopefully.

Yeah. We got you back, Frank thought in relief, the reconnection soothing his own lingering pain. 

Steve saw the mark had formed on Grant's hand again and smiled, stroking his face. You're back. We have you.

Good... Don't feel safe anymore without you... Grant's relief carried through the bond as he fell asleep. It had been rough, the last several days.

Frank felt warm fondness flow through him as he realized their younger mate was asleep. Gently pulling out, he waited for Steve to decide what he wanted to do before he cleaned them up.

Steve carefully withdrew from Frank and kissed his shoulder, then leaned over to kiss Grant's forehead before he went to retrieve cloths.

**** 

Druig quietly led Pietro and Makkari back to their room. The pain was still there, but having his mate close again had eliminated almost all the fear. He was still worried they couldn't fix they'd bond, but they were going to take care of that now.

I missed you, Makkari signed to Pietro. I'm so happy you're back.

Pietro smiled, soothed by the presence of both of them despite the pain. "I am too," he said quietly. "It didn't feel right."

"Still doesn't feel right ..." Druig said, out loud and through the bond. "Won't feel right until the bond is healed." He led them to their room.

"I hope it works," Pietro said.

It will work, Makkari signed. It has to.

"We'll make it work," Druig again said out loud and through the bond. Once they were both in their room, door securely closed, he glanced at Makkari. We are still bonded. Since he needs to reconnect with both of us, I suggest we put him in the middle. He take you while I take him....

Makkari nodded and signed the suggestion to Pietro.

He smiled, eyes soft as he looked at the two of them. "Yeah. Okay. One of you want to help me with my clothes?" He tried to inject a note of humour into his voice.

Druig smirked. "Always..." he said and signed, before beginning to undress Pietro.

Pietro smiled and shifted so that it was easier to undress him. He reached out, running a hand over each of them. Being able to touch and be close helped a little...but it wasn't enough.

Once Pietro was naked, he began to help both of his mates with their clothing.

Druig began to run his hands over both Makkari and Pietro. He was anxious to complete the bond, but wanted to make it good for both of them. He kissed first Makkari, then Pietro, before turning them toward each other and backing them toward the bed.  "You two join first, then I'll join in," he directed, verbally and mentally.

Pietro gently guided Makkari to the bed and drew her in for a deep, lingering kiss before he carefully helped her onto the bed, beginning to kiss and stroke down her body.

It didn't take long for Makkari to begin squirming, desire and arousal quickly heating her flesh.

Druig moaned at watching his lovers, aroused from just watching them. "Beautiful..." he whispered, allowing Makkari to see through the bond what he was seeing.

Makkari smiled, sending a wave of love and desire through the bond to Druig. Then, as Pietro parted her legs and pressed a kiss to her centre, she gasped, her body shifting slightly on the bed. 

Druig's lust increased as he watched his two mates. He shifted, kneeling so he could watch more closely. "Lick her..." he ordered Pietro, in a more demanding voice than normal. The bond was making him more demanding than usual.

Pietro's member immediately twitched in interest and he began to lick Makkari, swirling his tongue around her most intimate areaa.

Makkari moaned loudly, her body arching up. 

Druig watched for several moments, enjoying watching his two mates. Soon, though, he could feel through the bond that Makkari was ready, and he could see Pietro was. Reaching over and taking the bottle from the bedside table, he poured a generous amount into his hand before slicking himself up with a thick layer of lube. He shifted so he was positioned behind Pietro, between the other man's legs. "Take her now..." he growled.

Pietro grasped Makkari's hips and positioned himself so that he could slide into her easily.

Makkari's mouth opened in a soundless gasp and she raised her hands to gently grip onto Pietro's shoulders.

Druig waited. He wasn't going to push in until Pietro was fully sheathed in Makkari.

Pietro pushed until he was completely inside Makkari, gently grasping her hips. "Beautiful," he whispered, signing the word to her.

Makkari smled up at him, eyes glistening.

Druig moaned softly before quickly lining up. Gripping Pietro's hips, he carefully pushed in. He didn't rush, but didn't hold back either. Soon, he was as deep in as he could go. "Perfect..." he breathed out loud and through the bond. Allowing Pietro a few moments to adjust, he began to firmly thrust, pulling almost all the way out before pushing back in forcefully. He needed Pietro to feel that he belonged with him and Makkari.

Pietro groaned loudly as he felt Druig beginning to thrust into him. His hands tightened on Makkari as he parted his legs, letting his body drop slightly to push his backside up...making it easier for Druig to thrust.

Keeping a tight grip on Pietro's hip, Druig reached one hand down to Makkari, also gripping her hip. He needed to connect with both his mates. He shifted slightly so that he could continue to thrust fully into Pietro, doing it in such a way that it would push the other man forward into their other mate.

Pietro continued to let out moans and groans as he felt Druig thrust into him. Makkari couldn't make sounds, but she was able to allow pleasure to spark through the bond, enabling Druig to feel how good she felt. 

Druig was encouraged by Makkari's feelings and began to thrust faster and harder, aiming for the spot that would send Pietro plummeting over the edge.

It didn't take long for Pietro to reach that point and he whimpered, "Please." He was hovering on the very edge, knowing it wouldn't take long for him to fall over it.

"Let go..." Druig growled out loud and through the bond, his grip tightening possessively on both his lovers.

Almost immediately, Pietro's release hit him hard and he let go with a loud cry.

Makkari's mouth opened in a soundless cry as she too tipped over the edge, waves of pleasure floating over her.

Feeling his mates falling over the edge took Druig with them. He groaned loudly as his own release hit hard. As he felt himself draining into Pietro, warmth was entering his soul. Hopes high, he glanced at Pietro's hand, relief flooding him at seeing the mark had returned. Just in case, though....

Are you back with us, Love?

I can feel you both again. It doesn't hurt anymore. Relief flooded throiugh the bond. 

Makkari reached up and caressed Pietro's face. I'm so happy you're with us again.

The pain is gone from my end as well. Druig's own relief flooded the bond and he wrapped his arms tightly around both his mates, rolling all three of them onto their sides so they could remain attached inside each other without Makkari bring squished. He planned to stay buried in Pietro until the bond indicated his mate was becoming uncomfortable from it. Then he'd clean all three of them up and insist they sleep, snuggled in each other's arms.

Pietro sighed and cuddled in close to his two mates, a feeling of contentedness and belonging coming through the bond.to his two mates.

Makkari snuggled back into Pietro and reached back to take Druig's hand, squeezing it gently.

I love you both. So much... Druig thought contentedly. He squeezed Makkari's hand back and kissed Pietro's shoulder. He had no intention of leaving their room for the rest of the day or night.

****

In the common area, the rest of the resistance was meeting Quentin and the new Harry. The sense of relief that their missing members had returned caused the group to be more subdued than usual, even though they were all happy. Many of them had been thinking about what they would do if the same thing happened to them or their mate, and it was unsettling.

Katie pressed against Namor, snuggling as close as possible, quieter than she usually was. They'd learned enough... heard enough... before the two returned men had been whisked off to rebond with their mates to know they had been portalled back to their original dimension. If I had got sent back to my original dimension... A feeling of fear slid through the bond.

I would have come to find you, Namor said. I wouldn't have rested until I brought you back. By whatever means necessary. He knew the state of Katie's dimension, and knew that he would do anything to bring her back to him.

Mordo was thinking, worry slipping through the bond. We need to be even more prepared, he said to his bondmates. If our counterparts can recreate this spell on a larger scale, our resistance will be severely decimated.

"Everyone's so quiet," Harry Dane murmured to Peter Andrew. "Are they all talking through the bond?"

I would hide until you found me. I don't want to be turned again and... I feel like I'm a weakling now. Will you train me? So I won't be a hindrance to you? Katie snuggled closer.

The thought that so many of us could be ripped away and sent to another dimension... Even if it is their origin dimension... Tony's own worry carried to his mates. We need to find a way to track each other, even through to other dimension, so it is easier for America, and now Quentin, to locate us wherever we are.

I will train you, Namor promised. But you will never be a hindrance to me. I will take care of you, no matter what.

I expect if anyone is able to develop that kind of technology, it would be you. A trace of amusement, along with affection, came through the bond from Mordo.

I love you... and I know I am safe as long as I am by your side... Katie thought confidently.

Tony smiled at his mate. I hope I live up to your belief in me. But I'll still ask some of our other mechanically inclined friends for assistance. I want to be certain it will work. 

Quentin was giving Harry space so that he could reconnect with his friend... Though he wasn't too far away. He sat next to America and Misty. "They say you were attempting to locate the two we found... Pietro and Grant... That you are able to travel dimensions too?"

I think it'll be useful to have that kind of ability to communicate, Pepper said to Tony and Mordo. I'm sure anyone here will be happy to help with doing that.

America nodded to Quentin. "I didn't have much control over it for a long time," she said. "Before Ultimus invaded, I was learning how to control it better."

I hadn't even thought about including the ability to communicate between dimensions on the tracker, but that would be useful... Tony agreed

Quentin nodded. "Are you still learning, then? If so, I may be able to give assistance."

Natasha was able to communicate with her home dimension after coming here, Mordo said. Something like that would be extremely useful.

"I'm better at travelling to dimensions," America said. "But I couldn't find the one Grant and Pietro were sent to easily. If you could help me with that, I'd be grateful."

Peter Andrew had taken Harry Dane over to the other Harry and introduced them to each other.

"I know that not every counterpart looks the same, but I've got to say, it's really weird meeting my own," Harry James said. "I'm really curious about what else might be different."

"Were you dying from a physical disorder that made your skin appear scaly and green too?" Harry Dane asked.

Harry James' eyes widened a fraction. "No? That happened to you?"

Quentin nodded. "It isn't too different, and once you know how to feel the very small difference, you'll find it easy. At least, that was my experience. I will be more than happy to help you learn the differences so you can more easily succeed in searching or travelling."

Tony nodded. That's right. She was, wasn't she? I will need to ask her how they did it and if it can be replicated; then we should all be given communicators that can communicate through dimensions. Hopefully, we have the materials needed, but if not, I may need to invent a new element again....

Cassie relaxed into Lyja quietly, observing the various conversations and noting how everyone was relieved and relaxed.

"That would be good." America nodded. "I'm worried that if Ultimus has other dimension travellers still under his control, he might be able to tell when portals are being opened...do you know anything about that?" she asked.

If it's been possible in one dimension, there's no reason why it wouldn't be possible here, Mordo said.

"Unfortunately- or maybe fortunately, since it meant he never caught me- I don't have any information on how or how well Ultimus tracks anything, including dimension travelers. I know he somehow gets information when it happens, but if he is able to pinpoint when and where it occurs because he is tracking the travelling, or if it is because he has enough wizards on his side they can let him know when they feel a disturbance and then they are really good at locating it after the fact... I don't know..." Quentin sighed.

Yeah. I'm going to go ask her now... Tony responded, before heading towards Natasha.

"He didn't send anyone when I was opening portals in the enemy base," America said. "So maybe he does have some limitations? I don't know. I don't think I've ever been able to sense someone else opening a portal."

Natasha was sitting with Nebula, talking to the blue-skinned woman who she found she had a lot in common with. Feeling rather than hearing Tony's approach, she glanced up at him.

Tony smiled at Nebula, then looked at Natasha. "Not tonight, but maybe tomorrow after breakfast, I'd like to talk to you about the device you used to contact your home dimension when you first got here. I'd like to attempt to not only make trackers for everyone to wear that would enable us to locate them should they be thrown into another dimension... But also give us a way to communicate with any one that might happen to."

It was getting late, and even though his mate was talking to the 'other' Harry, Wong was ready for rest. It had been a very long several days with little sleep. Do not stay up too late. I am going to bed now.... he sent to his mate, cleaning up his mess and making his goodnight to those he'd been talking to.

Natasha nodded. "Of course. I can give you the comm whenever you like. Your counterpart in my dimension was the one who designed it, so I don't see any reason why you can't do something similar."

I'll join you, Master. Harry sent the message to Wong, then addressed Harry Dane and Peter Andrew. "I'm going to join my Master and go to bed now. It's getting late...."

"Now that you mention it...." Harry Dane hid a yawn behind his hand, and then turned to Peter Andrew. "Are there any spare rooms so I can spend the night with you?" he asked outright. "These past two years have been...intense. I think it'd be good to spend the night with my best friend."

"Yeah...sure." Peter Andrew reached through the bond. Stephen? Harry wants to spend the night with me. There are still quite a few empty rooms, so we'll use one of those.

Stephen was making his own good nights, having noticed Wong getting ready to leave for his quarters. Okay. You know how to reach me if anything happens...

Quentin noticed everyone preparing to retire for the night. As he and his Harry had been given a room already, he stood and stretched. "If you ladies will please excuse me...." Are you planning to stay up much longer? I am heading to our room, he sent to his mate.

I'm going to head to bed soon as well, Harry answered. But I'm going to spend tonight with my Peter. It's been a long day...and before that, a long couple of years without any control over myself. I need the familiarity of my best friend. But I'll see you in the morning?

Not a problem. I'll see you in the morning... Quentin responded, before heading to his quarters.

Within only a few minutes, everyone had retired to their rooms, settling in for the night and, in various different cases, reconnecting with each other.