Chapter 130: 125 Summer Of Change

As I sat there at breakfast the next morning and chatted with Shuri, May, and Jubadi, I successfully hid my regret over the inherent power of the sceptre that had influenced my date with Jean. No, not Jean. Detective DeWolff. I hadn't quite understood what adding the Power Stone to the bottom of the handle could do to the Mind Stone's passive effects that I had quickly grown used to using.

Even with all the inherent blocking spells I had put on the metal puzzle ball that contained the stone, then folding them into the sceptre's existing spell matrix, it still hadn't been enough to stop the energy flow completely. I hadn't realized what was going on until everything had already fallen apart and all I could do was apologize for my mistake.

I had jumped the gun and used the same techniques that had worked on the other women in my life, without thinking about how someone that didn't know what was going on would react. My own mind had been so eager to get past that first hurdle that I hadn't thought about what that first hurdle could mean to someone that wasn't expecting it.

It was definitely an eye opener.

I ended the call with Shuri and kissed May's cheek, nodded to Jubadi, and went to my room. I needed a bit of alone time and changed into appropriate clothes to head into the office. It was my day off, so it was technically a play day for me. May was going to be busy with the clinic and Shuri had family things to take care of, which left me with nothing to do.

Jubadi changed as well and we left the apartment. May still didn't want to move, so my own plans to live in Parker Tower had been put on hold for a while. I didn't mind very much. Val and Max on the other hand, very much regretted not having access to the penthouse. It would have made me laugh if I wasn't in such a guarded mood.

Jubadi didn't mention it, either. She knew my date had been a disaster and there wasn't anything she could do about it. Some things couldn't be fought, either with words or fists. They just had to be dealt with and lived with.

We arrived at Avengers Tower and Jubadi gave me a kiss and went to the training room to exercise. I went to my lab and looked around at all the scientific equipment. I knew I really should be working on something, just to get my mind off of what happened, and I couldn't do it. I kept going over in my head over how stupid I had been the night before and I was annoyed at myself. Very, very annoyed.

I didn't react at all as a sling-ring portal opened up ten feet away and The Ancient One stepped out of it. She didn't say anything as the portal closed and my lab suddenly changed into the Mirror Dimension. I nodded to her and took out the sceptre and enlarged it as she activated the Eye of Agamotto.

I readied myself while The Ancient One opened a dimensional portal to one of the worst demon-infected realms that existed, or would exist, or could possibly exist. Then we fought. And fought. And fought some more. It seemed to go on forever, as if there was a never-ending faucet of evil, and I didn't question it or her decision to help me in this way.

Six months later, The Ancient One closed the portal and severed six inter-dimensional demons that had been half-out of the portal. I easily killed the remaining ones and stood there, covered from head to foot in monster entrails, blood, and gore. I wasn't even breathing heavily and The Ancient One walked over to me.

“How do you feel, Ben?” The Ancient One asked.

I looked down at the still clean sceptre in my hands and asked myself the same question. “Empty.” I whispered. “I feel empty.”

“Finally.” The Ancient One said and I raised my gaze to meet hers. “You finally understand that with great power comes great responsibility.”

“I already knew that.” I said.

“Yes, you did.” The Ancient One said and then smiled. “However, you did not truly understand. In the abstract, you knew that you should feel responsible for the power you wield. You did not actually get what that meant, both for you personally and for those around you.” She said and waved her hand over me and sucked away the foreign material. She opened another dimensional portal to an empty realm and dropped all of the carcasses into it.

“You know, I could throw this in there, too.” I said and motioned to the portal.

The Ancient One smiled and put her hand on my shoulder. “Go ahead. I will not stop you.”

I looked down at the sceptre in my hand. Could I abandon it after going through all the trouble I had to keep it safe? No, I couldn't. It wasn't even an option I had ever considered. I knew that if I didn't look out for it, something bad was going to happen. I needed to be even more vigilant than I had been.

The Ancient One nodded and closed the portal.

“You knew I wouldn't abandon my duty.” I whispered to her.

The Ancient One shook her head. “I only knew that you needed to see for yourself that even though we command great power, we are still only human. We can make mistakes and we have to deal with them, just like a normal person does.”

I sighed and sat down on the floor as I shrunk the sceptre and put it away. “I really screwed up what could have been great.”

“It happens sometimes.” The Ancient One said and sat in a lotus position in front of me. “Would you like to talk about it? I seem to have some spare time available.”

I half-laughed and half-sobbed. “I'm never going to get used to you making jokes.”

The Ancient One smiled. “I have recently gained a great friend that can also be a terrible influence.”

“I really can be.” I said and didn't stop my tears from flowing.

The Ancient One opened her arms and I didn't hesitate as I climbed onto her lap. She held me as I talked about what happened and how much I had screwed up. How I hadn't accounted for the effects the powered-up sceptre would have on both myself and those around me.

As I talked, the effect I described had reminded me how The Vision acted in the movies I had seen. He was kind of disconnected from his own emotions, because the Mind Stone fed him the emotions and probably thoughts of everyone else around him. I told The Ancient One this and she nodded.

“You are starting to realize the depths the Infinity Stones can influence you, just by their proximity.” The Ancient One said. “I keep mine nearby and also distance myself from it.”

I took a deep breath and let it out. “I can't do that. If I leave it anywhere, I know... not suspect, know... that something will happen to it or to someone nearby. They need to be minded constantly or they will cause trouble.” I sighed. “More trouble, I mean. What I'm already dealing with is enough.”

“I will help you meditate on this and help you sort out what exactly has been compromised inside yourself.” The Ancient One offered.

“Thank you.” I said with as much gratitude as I could.

“If you will assume the proper mediation pose, we can get started.”

I gave her a crooked smile and sat up before I turned to face her and folded my legs into the lotus position right there on her lap. The Ancient One smiled and shook her head at me, easily moved me off of her lap, and positioned me in front of her.

I wiped my face off and listened as The Ancient One guided me through several meditation techniques and we both got to work trying to fix whatever the Mind Stone had done to me.

*

Val had been optimistic about how her parents were going to treat her after she graduated. Instead of having the whole summer to get her life in order, they had only given her two weeks to move out and find a place on her own. She really made them feel guilty about it, especially when she hired a moving company to help her take everything she owned out of the house the very next day.

Max held her as Val forced herself to cry messily, just so the neighbours and other people that had gathered around would see and hear how terrible her parents were. When she brought up them making her pay for her own medical bills after she had been attacked, the loud boos from everyone made her parents retreat and hide. The crowd gave Val words of encouragement and soon dispersed.

“Thanks for this, Max.” Val whispered and tried to clean up her tears.

“I knew your parents were jerks. I just didn't realize they would kick you out and cut you off.” Max shook her head. “They legally can't refuse to pay for anything that you need to stay in school. It's their job to take care of you until you can do it for yourself.”

“They don't see it that way. I'm old enough now and they're done with me.” Val said and took several breaths to calm down. Her tears had been fake at first and had quickly become real as more people sympathized with her and saw what she had to put up with from her parents.

“If that's true, and I'm sure it is after seeing how they acted today, we need to call for reinforcements.” Max said to her and took out her cell phone.

Val wasn't sure what she meant until Max sent a pretty scathing text to Ben. “Max, are you sure that...” She stopped talking when her own cell phone rang and she answered it. “Hello?”

“Jubadi wants to know if you want them dead or disabled and I want to know if you need help moving.” Ben said to her. “She would offer to help you move as well if she wasn't going to be so busy flaying your parents.”

“B-Ben, I...” Val tried to hold her tears back. It felt so nice to have people in her corner and they would do anything for her. “You can't. If anything happens to them now...”

“Damn, you're using logic against us.” Ben groused and Val smiled. “All right. I'll set Jennifer and Matt on them. They're getting restless with all the sitting around and making money they're doing.”

Val barked a laugh and several tears escaped. “I think that would be fine. Thank you.”

“You don't need to thank me, Val. You're family now. When you need anything, we will all be there.” Ben promised.

Val felt so grateful for his words. “You're too good to be true.”

“Only to those that deserve it.” Ben said and she nodded, even though he couldn't see it. “You can send your things to the house, okay? It's all ready for you.”

“Excuse me?” Val asked, confused. “How could you know that?”

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“Besides having a massive network of information available that I can access at almost any time, I have to know about the statuses of all my properties and businesses in the city.”

“All of your... you bought it?!?” Val exclaimed.

“Of course I bought it. I wasn't going to give you and the other girls a bunch of money to pay rent for three years, or for however long you all want to stay there, and not have anything to show for it at the end.” Ben said, as if that was perfectly logical.

“You're crazy.” Val said, softly.

“I know it's kind of weird that I'll be paying myself rent; but, you know how grants, bursaries, and scholarships work. As soon as it's out of my hands, it's not considered my money anymore.”

“Ben, you... you...”

“I'm sure we can work out a land ownership deal and maybe slip your name onto the deed after you've lived there for six months. I can't let you flounder around without an official home address.”

Val's tears came out and she didn't bother trying to stop them. “Ben...”

“You have my permission to tell Max and her mother. I suspect they'll both be visiting you a lot before the summer's over.”

“I think you mean the week.” Val said with a soft laugh.

Ben laughed, too. “Yes, that's what I meant.” He said and there was some clicking. “I've just asked Jarvis to send an order to the local grocery store near the house. You and Max should be able to pick it up on the way by.”

“With what?” Val asked. “We're taking the bus and...”

“Yeah, as if I'm letting you live in a house and not have a car available for you to use.” Ben said. “You have lessons scheduled for next week to get your license.”

“Ben!” Val gasped.

“What? It was supposed to be a surprise. Happy Birthday.”

Val wiped at her face. “You can't keep doing this to me, you bastard.”

“I probably shouldn't tell you that I hired a maid and a cook for you, then.” Ben said.

“BEN!” Val gasped.

“They weren't supposed to show up until a week before school starts. I'll give them a call and see if they can start early and earn a bigger bonus.”

Val was really crying now. “Ben. Ben. Ben.”

“Hey, do you want me to send the Quinjet instead of a car? That would really shock your parents.”

Val stared at her cell phone for several seconds before she spoke. “You know what? Do it. I want to see what happens.”

“I'll be right there.” Ben said.

Val hung up and Max gave her an expectant look. “He's sending the Quinjet to pick us up.”

Max stared at her for a second, then she laughed and hugged her. “This is going to be AWESOME!”

It was. The crowd came back almost immediately to stare and talk. Val's parents took one look at the armored Quinjet, and the heavily armed drones that guarded it, before they fainted. Jennifer Walters dropped legal notice papers on their chests with a wicked smile on her face and then helped Ben strap Val and Max into the cockpit.

They lifted off and both girls whooped and hollered as they zoomed around the neighborhood and then buzzed Val's house. It was the perfect way to leave her old life behind and Val made sure that Ben saw the look she was giving him. Ben nodded in understanding and hit the afterburners. He knew she wanted to reward him for saving her again.

*

A month later, the leadership of the Red Room Program had no idea what had happened. One moment, they had political power and an entire secret organization with assassins spread out in various countries. In the next moment, their computers had been raided, their facilities bombed and destroyed, and none of their agents responded to inquiries or orders. That is, until a good portion of them showed up where they lived and murdered them.

*

Natasha Romanoff couldn't stop herself as she stared at the muscular young man that had just saved the last Black Widow Operative from being shot by the Russian police. It wasn't his deflection of the bullets that had caught her attention. It was because Ben had done it bare handed with small glowing orange circles on the palms of his hands.

“Ya khochu imet yego detey!” (I want to have his babies!) Yelena Belova exclaimed in Russian as she ducked behind the same concrete barrier that Natasha had ducked behind.

Natasha wasn't sure why she felt instantly jealous and had to bite her tongue to stop herself from cursing at her sister. She had exposed the entire covert operation of saving the Black Widows by publicly announcing being saved and then she assassinated the woman that had trained them and assigned them missions.

A bright beam of blue energy from Ben's hand sliced the police cars in half and the police yelled and screamed in terror as they dove out of the way. None of them were hurt or had been hit. A concentrated burst at the fuel tanks caused several explosions and gave them the distraction Natasha had asked for.

A masked Ben was suddenly right there beside them. “Time to go, ladies.” He said and waved his hand in a circle. A glowing orange portal appeared behind them and he unceremoniously picked them up under his arms and jumped through the thing.

“Opyat taki!” Yelena yelled happily as they dropped down about ten feet and landed on a grassy outcropping near a high cliff beside the churning water of the Pacific Ocean.

“We are NOT doing that again, Yelena!” Natasha spat at her as Ben put them down.

Yelena laughed and looked at the masked man that had saved her twice in less than an hour. “It is very rare to find a man that will willingly help us, especially since he knows who we are and what we do.”

Ben didn't take off his mask, even though they were no longer in danger. “The circumstances of your lives shouldn't be held against you.”

Yelena let her happy face change to a seductive one. “Then you need to let me show you how much I appreciate that you freed me from my shackles.”

Ben held a hand up to stop her. “I'm sorry, I'm betrothed to be married.”

Yelena pouted and her face was exaggerated enough that Ben had to chuckle at it.

“I can't engage with you like that without a contract that ensures our children are protected.” Ben told her.

Yelena opened her mouth to explain she didn't need the contract and saw Natasha's sad face. “I see.” She said, because she understood that Ben actually knew they couldn't have children.

“I'm sorry that you can't abuse that loophole.” Ben said and reached over to lightly cup the side of her face. “Because I would abuse your loopholes if I could.”

Yelena looked confused for a moment, then she laughed. “I think I need more practice understanding English references.”

Ben nodded and let her face go. “I could use a hand taking care of a few things.”

“Ben!” Natasha gasped. “You don't know what...”

“I know exactly what I'm asking for.” Ben said and took a small remote out of his pocket and hit the right button sequence.

The cloaked Quinjet flickered for several seconds and appeared beside them on the cliff.

“You will have to sign a different contract and a more restrictive non-disclosure agreement before I fill you in.” Ben said to Yelena and waved the two women forward to enter the ship.

Yelena gave Natasha a quick glance and saw the anger there. That made her decision for her and she smiled at Ben. “Do I sign with my code name, my assigned name, or my birth name?”

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