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Vex by Dragonspectre01

DC Superheroes & Avengers Xover Rated: M, English, Fantasy & Adventure, OC, Agent Phil Coulson, Agent Maria Hill, Jane Foster, Words: 132k+, Favs: 3k+, Follows: 4k+, Published: Nov 18, 2020 Updated: Jul 11

1,351Chapter 6: CH6: The new deal

7 April 2000

"Director Fury, Secretary Pierce will see you now."

Fury let out a sigh of relief at that before entering the office of his direct superior. While he remained the Director of SHIELD, there still remained a higher authority than him. Many of the lower-tier agents would believe he answered directly to the World Security Council, but in between, there was one guy, Alexander Pierce.

"Nick! Welcome to DC. What can I do for you?" asked Pierce as they shook hands in greeting.

"What makes you think I am here for something?" asked Fury.

"The fact that you found time to travel all the way to DC when you should be in California." said Pierce with a smile. "Take a seat, Nick. You would only be here if the situation would demand it. What can I do?"

"I am here because of Project X." said Fury.

He watched as Pierce froze for a moment before relaxing in his chair.

"I take it that gathering the DNA of the subject didn't pan out." said Pierce after he stood up and took a bottle of whisky and two glasses from a nearby cabinet.

Fury accepted the glass offered by Pierce with a nod and took a sip.

"Didn't work out as well as I hoped, but we did gather valuable intelligence," he said

"That was always your primary intention. The DNA samples were a secondary objective for you, which I disagree with, but I do understand where you are coming from." Pierce said with a respectful nod, having known his subordinate's quirks. Fury always valued information. "Do go on, Director Fury."

"As you already read from the initial report, Mr Vex exhibits extraordinary physical powers similar to Carol Danvers. We can now confirm Mr Vex has either super-hearing or super-vision or both. My bet is on both."

"I am not a betting man, and even if I were, I would not bet against you, Nick. So, what is the verdict?" Pierce said, leaning forward curiously, nursing his drink.

"With our short-term plan to acquire a DNA sample at a dead-end, we are switching to Plan B. I have sent in Coulson, and it may require some adjustments to the initial deal we made with Mr Vex." said Fury, looking none too pleased to go on a fallback plan.

"That is unfortunate but workable," Pierce mused, as they were prepared for just this scenario. They hoped it would not come to this, but he trusted Nick knew what he was doing. "Is there any possible retaliation on a wide scale from the subject?"

"We did extensive research and psych profiling on Mr Vex. According to our analysts, there won't be any violent episodes from him. I can assure you that, Mr Secretary."

"Good. I will keep the Council in the loop but keep the situation on the ground tight. I don't have to tell you that any leaks on this Project will be catastrophic to you, me, the council, and our country." Pierce stared at Fury with a grave look.

"I know, sir. We will keep the heat down in any event." Fury promised.

"Good. Now, walk me through Plan B."

"Plan B calls for long-term benefits. We start with…"

After completing the brief, he was back on a plane to Sacramento. Pierce would keep the World Security Council appraised, and he trusted the man not to let politicians butt their heads into SHIELD, especially considering the latest additions to the WSC. With the dissolution of the USSR, the WSC was expanded to include two more representatives from China and India.

The arrival of new member countries into the WSC was frankly baffling to him. He was no politician, but even he was frankly baffled by this move. China's membership was a foregone conclusion, as they were nearly at superpower status. China was going to be a strategic ally in dealing with the remnants of fringe elements in the former USSR territories and North Korea. Their aid in Africa and the Middle East was also a strategic need of the day. They needed an outside player to broker deals that, in the end, would keep the lid on the region. He was somewhat baffled by India's admission, though. He would've thought a second ally from Asia would be Japan or even Pakistan.

His experience told him that, somehow, geopolitics was shifting, and enemies were becoming fast allies. He ought to keep an eye on DC as well because SHIELD was a circle of accountability. The WSC would keep an eye on him, and he would keep an eye on them. He would come around to doing that just as soon as the situation in Virginia came to a close.

Cerion was hard at work designing some of the internal relays essential to miniaturising the Arc Reactor. While there was no need for a miniature Arc Reactor, seeing as a big one was quite preferable for his ship, there were some significant applications he could see with miniaturised reactors. They could be an excellent backup for his ship, especially on shields and other life support systems.

His venture into corporate espionage was a huge success part in due to accessing the Arc Reactor technology as well as the hidden element in the Stark Expo model. For his own peace of mind, he decided to call the new element Unobtanium. The new element was a tricky one to produce in the physical plane, but he was closing in on that objective. The only delay he was going to suffer was because he lacked a high density of energy to work with the particle accelerator. The device itself was already available to him as it was one of the few things that remained intact within his ship.

Cerion looked to his bedside, where one of his drones was working on something that was earning him quite a lot of money. When he enjoyed stellar success in hacking the Stark Industries satellite, he also decided to do some more digging. There were many shell companies and embezzlement going on, which was frankly disturbing. When this came to his notice, he decided to be a good Samaritan and steal from those who were committing the fraud.

Frankly, having a multipurpose AI at his command and call helped him steal from some of the premier organised crime industries. The money that he looted from these red flag accounts passed through a variety of shell companies and even went through government holdings to finally sit securely in several dummy accounts just waiting to be used. The first set of rent for the Ancient One was paid out through one of these accounts. The money was wired to an account in Hong Kong, and thus, he rented an entire island for a year at an attractive price of half a million dollars. To his mind, that was a killer deal, considering the magical protections on the island.

He did feel guilty for using what was most assuredly blood money or drug money. To alleviate this guilt, he decided to spend a million dollars on charity. Splitting a million dollars into ten equal parts, he wired the money to ten orphanages that were in dire need of funding through multiple accounts. He was sure he could do far more to help, but he knew that time for laying low was up. A lot of people were going to be angry when they found their money had disappeared, and he had no intention of rocking the boat this early in the game. He was also sure that SHIELD and other intelligence agencies might also be looking for the trail but they would be jumping into the cyber black hole that he left in his wake.

It was mighty easy to bug the entire net, and by the time agencies like SHIELD and the CIA caught up, they would get a nasty cyber cold, so to speak. The systems of this era were so easily prone to malware, and he had no second thoughts on exploiting that to kingdom come. To help set up cybersecurity, he was even planning on releasing open-source anti-virus software soon enough. Frankly, a lack of competition in the cyber field was disturbing him for some reason.

A knock on the door of his apartment distracted him from his work. A short scan of his eyes revealed that he had two visitors, Maria Hill and Phil Coulson. He had expected one of them to make contact with him but never expected the duo to visit him together. It would seem Fury was intent on damage control, which could only mean he has another plan running, one which was more subtle than the previous one.

Shutting down all the drones and keeping Optima on stand-by he opened the door.

"Agent Coulson and Maria." he nodded acknowledging them both.

"Mr Vex." greeted Coulson with a simple nod.

"Cerion. Can we come in?" asked Maria.

"Sure. Please do come in." he led them to the drawing-room.

As Coulson and Maria took their seats on a couch, he eyed them expectantly.

"Tea or coffee?" he asked.

"Tea." said Maria. Coulson also chose the same.

A few minutes later, he was sitting opposite the two agents, who were enjoying two cups of tea.

"First of all, please accept our sincerest apologies, Mr Vex."

"Accepted, Agent Coulson, although I do warn you apologies will have no bearing whatsoever in this discussion." he flatly said letting them know that he was serious in his position.

"You have to understand our perspective, Mr. Vex. As you already know, we have only come out of a near nuclear catastrophe. We can't help but be suspicious of people of foreign origin," said Coulson.

Cerion held back the urge to snort. Blaming the Cold War for humanity's suspicious nature was fast becoming out of fashion.

"I understand, which is why I did not bat an eye when I realised I was being watched by two of your agents from across the building. The only condition that I put forth when I agreed to share my knowledge with your agency was breached, and that will change our deal," he said firmly, not budging from his decision.

"Very well then. What are your demands?" asked Coulson.

"I agreed to work for SHIELD as per the norms of the first deal. That will no longer be possible, and I will only work as a private contractor or a consultant, if you will." said Cerion.

"I don't see a problem with that." said Coulson and Maria Hill nodded along.

"Good and that means I decide which technologies will be shared with SHIELD."

"Now, that's not the deal that we made." Maria objected.

"I agree, which is why we are making the new deal," said Cerion before handing Maria a small card.

"What's this?" she asked as she flipped over the card. "Vex Corporation?"

"A new Cyber Security firm that I am starting. One thing I noticed is that you have laughable Cyber Security and I believe there is a huge market just waiting for my expertise."

"You are going public? Are you insane?" asked Maria incredulously.

"Hiding in plain sight is my motto, and insanity seems to be running high in your agency, Maria. You broke the deal we made in good faith, and now the new deal will be on my terms. Tell Fury that I don't like liars and cheats." said Cerion before standing up having enough of the conversation.

"If you go public, we won't be able to provide you with the necessary cover," warned Coulson as he stood up along with Maria.

"You need me more than I need you, Agent Coulson. The first time I indulged your silly and frankly astronomical demands was because I hoped to build trust and a working relationship with mankind. Instead of working together in harmony, your masters got greedy. We could've been friends, but we will now be business partners," said Cerion before plucking a file from a nearby table and handing it over to Coulson.

"What's this?" asked Coulson

"A copy of a contract that I propose between Vex Corp and SHIELD for the exchange of Anti-Grav technology. I will be waiting for your response most eagerly." said Cerion as he held out the door for the two agents.

"We will be in touch." said Coulson before stepping out, followed by Maria Hill.

"Before you go please pass this message to your Director. Tell him that mankind has to learn to crawl before it prepares to run the marathon. Good day."

Closing the door behind him, he returned to his work. He had been working on Vex Corp for a few weeks, and he had great designs for how it would progress. The primary reason he was starting the company was because he needed a front for purchasing some higher-grade steel and other necessary resources to speed up the work on his ship. To that end, he planned to expand from cybersecurity to other fields once the company broke even.

Who knows, this might change in the future. But first, he had to complete the work on designing a modified Arc Reactor that would be suitable for his needs.

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Vex by Dragonspectre01

DC Superheroes & Avengers Xover Rated: M, English, Fantasy & Adventure, OC, Agent Phil Coulson, Agent Maria Hill, Jane Foster, Words: 132k+, Favs: 3k+, Follows: 4k+, Published: Nov 18, 2020 Updated: Jul 11

1,351Chapter 7: CH7: Arc Reactor

15 April 2000

Cerion stared at the device before him with a sense of achievement. The device in question was in the shape of a pentagon, with a white glass pane covering much of the device. His quest for creating a miniaturised arc reactor succeeded, though it was not without its hiccups. The success in completing the design and manufacturing of a miniaturised version deserved to be assigned to the wonder element Unobtanium. Without studying that element, he wouldn't have had the foggiest clue about how to start building a miniaturised arc reactor.

The element Unobtanium facilitated stable and controlled nuclear fusion in an alarming manner that frankly boggled his mind. The wondrous property of this element doesn't stop there. It produces negligent heat, hardly detectable levels of radiation and an enormous surge of energy in a controlled manner. Frankly, it was a friendly element that was dancing around with a signboard saying; use me; I'm your friend.

The element, once harvested in its raw form, was slightly volatile. But once it undergoes a refining process with slight exposure to a concentrated burst of anti-protons, it was safe as a puppy. While the raw form of Unobtanium produced an energy density to run a submarine for half a decade or so, the enriched Unobtanium could extend that to 20 years.

Even the enrichment process could be improved by increasing the energy output of the Unobtanium. Unfortunately, a higher grade of enriched Unobtanium would be dangerous for the miniaturised arc reactor. So, it would be used in the reactor that was to be built for his ship, where he could install several safety measures. But that was far away in the future, as he had some extensive work to do on the ship before he could install the reactor.

But what was bugging him right now was just how Tony Stark managed to work out a mini arc reactor in a cave with scraps from some missile components. There was also the question of how the hell Stark extracted energy from the Palladium core. Off the top of his head, he gathered Stark, who must've figured out a way to capture a significant number of electrons to create gamma waves and high energy electrons flow to the rim of the reactor. This, in turn, causes an imbalance of proton and electron, causing a massive surge in electrostatic potential.

That said, this process could not be done in a 10cm diameter device without cooling or controllers in the reactor. While Palladium was an essential component in cold fusion, it doesn't explain how Tony Stark managed to circumvent some of the heavy equipment needed to make the reactor safe and sound. That really bugged him.

But he was nothing but eager to explore alternate ways to synthesise the reactor. He made a note in his mind to explore alternate electrodes that could control the reaction within the reactor. He was sure he could come up with an answer.

"Lord Vex, shall I insert the element into the reactor core?" asked Optima.

"Yes, please." he nodded, returning from his thoughts.

Optima plucked the mini arc reactor in his hand out using a readily formed metallic holder. In a similar manner, the Unobtanium, which was under the care of a proton gun, was plucked away from its magnetic suspension casket. The element was inserted into the reactor core, and his arc reactor lit up with blue light.

"The element has been accepted by the reactor. Projected energy output not exceeding 10 G J/s." Optima said serenely.

"Nice." Cerion grinned as he leaned back in his seat, watching the reactor come to life happily.

"Shall I modify the power grid to the new reactor, sir?" asked Optima.

"Do so, and good job, Optima. I couldn't have done it without you," he said, patting his trusty drone to show his appreciation to the resident AI.

"Incorrect statement, sir. You could have done this without me, given time."

"Are you saying I am slow, Optima?" he asked, raising an amused brow at the drone.

"You are slow selectively, sir." Optima said diplomatically.

"That's a perfectly diplomatic way to insult me. I'm impressed, Optima." he said, a snort of laughter escaping his lips.

"Thank you, sir."

He took in his temporary 'lab' in his leased Pacific Island. It was not much of a lab per se, as he was holding his workshop in the broken remains of the old sanctum. The foundation was strong, but the structure had many faults, with overgrown trees and plants inside the structure. For Rao's sake, there was a Kuila growing right through the roof of the sanctum. It was going to be a lot of work to tear it all down and rebuild it, but he was going to do it in the near future.

For now, he had managed to set up a hall for his temporary lab and with the first Arc Reactor in hand, his need for a powerful energy source was solved. Of course, he had to make a few more arc reactors, but the drones wouldn't be dependent on the power of solar panels alone. Speaking of which he had to take out all those panels and start working on them to see what he could do. The present solar panels of Earth were ridiculously expensive and had low energy yield. With Vex Corp set to launch a product next year, possibly in July, he gathered electronics would be a good market to pursue.

While he planned to venture into cybersecurity, he hoped to quietly slip into manufacturing and gain access to heavy machinery and metals like Titanium, Copper, Tungsten, Aluminium, Steel, etc., in large quantities.

To that end, he had been sending out feelers subtly searching for programmers. To attract the attention of some of the best programmers, he published the first open-sourced anti-virus software on the web. From that single act, he gained a lot of friends and contacts as he got bombarded by a ton of emails. Frankly, it was as if a floodgate was opened, and he had to literally read a constant stream of messages every day. Some were congratulatory, some were job offers, some were frankly creepy, and some were intellectual conversations.

The trouble was weeding out the wheat from the chaff until he decided to build software to do just that. Now, his emails were filtered and moderated separately so that he could easily access the useful ones. In doing so, he could interact with some of the best minds in the world. The process was still ongoing, and it would take some time to clear up all the details, but the first stones had been laid. Now, it was just time to carefully build a foundation.

Interacting with some of these programmers gave him another idea. The lack of social media was just a huge inconvenience at this point, and he had some ideas to change that. Keeping that in mind, he used the first payment from SHIELD under the new contract to lease a new building in Redwood City, CA. The building was going to get furnished as soon as a tender for all the necessary pieces of equipment was going to be put out. By then, he would have to find his prospective employees, which was going to be a real pain in the ass because he would have to weed out the spies from SHIELD.

Then, a thought struck him.

'Hmm…why not use SHIELD agents to my advantage?'

A smile slowly came to his face as a plan began to form in his mind.

Jane was carefully wading through a string of calculations again and again in search of something that was frankly out of her reach, but at the same time, she felt like she was at the cusp of something. When she had chosen to study astrophysics, she never expected that her attention would inevitably end in M-theory. More specifically, she was interested in space anomalies that occur in the universe, and she believed she had found a possible way to detect black holes and tears in deep space.

Jane sighed, placing her hands on either side of her head as she stared at the sea of equations and half-formed multidimensional stress sensors. She was sure that she was close to a possible theory of explaining it all, but when imagination spilt into reality on her paper, she was at a loss. With the present set of mathematical equations and recent leaps in String Theory, the study of a Graviton was nearly impossible. Most scientists even object to the concept of a Graviton, but she was sure it existed, even though all her attempts to detect it had failed.

That didn't mean she was ready to give up. She just needed to find a way to get more equipment that could generate better readings. But that was easier said than done as her own research budget was limited, and access to cutting-edge equipment was costly. Besides, even if she somehow manages to find the equipment and have the money to lease its use, she might not get access on the grounds that her research was a dead end. Graviton research was not that interesting to the scientific community at large because of the rarity or impossibility of its existence. Her own father was of the opinion that Graviton research was a dead-end, which made her eager to pursue the elusive particle.

While there were huge implications to the inexistence of Graviton, it outweighed the pros if it existed. Her research so far has made her convinced about the existence of Graviton, and she was sure this quantum of gravity, if studied closely, would unravel the secrets of an Einstein-Rosen bridge, which had innumerable applications. Gravity was, after all, a universal power prevalent in the entire universe, binding it together. She strongly believed her research could contribute significantly to string theory, which has so far contributed so much to the scientific community despite its remaining just a theory. Half of the math she used in her own research came from the subsidiary research into String theory.

"I can see smoke coming out of your ears, Jane."

A voice from her immediate back startled her, but she calmed down when she noticed it was her friend Karen Rose.

"Oh, it's you. You startled me. Can't you just knock before you come in? I nearly had a heart attack," Jane complained as she swivelled around in her chair and stared at her friend, unimpressed.

"I did knock on your door several times. You were just in your own little world." said Karen, smiling impishly.

"Sorry. I was just working." Jane sighed.

"Yeah. I can see that. You have bags under your eyes, girl. You need to get some sleep."

"What I need is more coffee," said Jane hoping to get back to her work to no avail.

"No. What you need is a good night's sleep and some fresh air. Now, come on. Get up. I am driving you to your apartment."

Jane didn't want to, but after consistent nagging from her friend, she caved in, and that's how she found herself in Karen's car.

"You have to take this slow, you know. You are just twenty-one, Jane, and already you are a research fellow. Most people don't have a diploma at your age."

"What are you saying?" asked Jane, frowning at her friend.

"I'm saying to take slow, measured steps. We can't change the world in a single day, much less a year. You are young, so enjoy life a little bit. It might even give you a fresh perspective on how you view the world."

"This coming from someone who is just two years older than me." said Jane with a deadpan look.

"That makes me two years wiser than you, and I have been taking this motivation class a few blocks from my home just to keep my edge, you know. I am just giving you the advice I received from better people who know life better than you or me," said Karen with a shrug.

Jane rolled her eyes at Karen's comment and merely stayed silent. When the car turned a corner, and her apartment drew close, she let out a relieved sigh. As the car pulled over to the street, she was out of the door and on the sidewalk by Karen's window in a flash.

"My…you have some speed on you, Jane. In a hurry to be with your cute boyfriend?" asked Karen with a wink.

"He is not my boyfriend. Wait…what do you mean cute? How did you see him?" she asked suspiciously.

"You are not that difficult to track and I know you go out with the guy on dinner."

"But that's just because we go to the same restaurant." she said indignantly.

"You tell yourself that. From what I saw, you were cosy enough with the guy. What was his name again?"

Jane didn't get to answer as a guy barged into her, pushing her away from the car. She fell down on the street and flinched as her assailant fired a gun up in the air. She tried to get up, but her right arm flared up with pain, and she fell back with a hiss.

Her assailant dragged Karen out of the car, and then the security guard of her building barged into the thief. Punches and kicks were thrown between them, and then a gunshot. She felt wet, and a woman was screaming like there was no tomorrow. Her vision blurred as she fell, but her head didn't hit the road. All she saw was a set of sparkling grey eyes and sandy blonde hair before darkness consumed her.

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Vex by Dragonspectre01

DC Superheroes & Avengers Xover Rated: M, English, Fantasy & Adventure, OC, Agent Phil Coulson, Agent Maria Hill, Jane Foster, Words: 132k+, Favs: 3k+, Follows: 4k+, Published: Nov 18, 2020 Updated: Jul 11

1,351Chapter 8: CH8: Looking to the stars

"Stabilize the Neutrino concentration to three Kervons."

His order was carried out as the neutrino gun began to stabilise courtesy of Optima, and the readings began to normalise.

"Status of anti-proton containment field?"

"Operating within safe parameters." Optima reported.

"Run diagnostics."

He rubbed his hands eagerly and took in the results.

"Quantum field stabilised." came the chime from Optima.

"Check."

"Graviton readings within range."

"Check."

"Anti-magnetic shielding operational."

"Check."

"Negative energy density at Exo3."

"Check."

"Exospace containment field at full capacity."

"Check."

"Phantom drive operational."

A smile blossomed over Cerion's face as he finally managed to restore the Phantom Drive.

"Good work, Optima."

"Thank you, sir."

Cerion relaxed in his seat as one of the major comonents in his ship was restored.

"We are one step closer to our end goal. Any progress in drone restoration?"

"Seven more are operational. With the present energy output, we should be able to complete work on the main engines within two months."

"What about the relays to thrusters?" Cerion frowned.

"Thrusters have suffered extensive damages. They will require a major overhaul or an outright replacement at the worst."

"That's disheartening." Cerion commented as he frowned in thought.

He knew that a major rework was needed owing to the new power source, but he had hoped to maintain some of the previous systems. It would've helped to speed up the interior modifications of the ship.

"With a new engine core thrusters have to be retuned to achieve maximum efficiency." said Optima.

"I know… I know. Just thinking out loud." Cerion sighed as he continued his work on a DSS(Deep Space Scanner) drone. The device was fairly the size of a dog but it would be instrumental in charting the wider Universe.

Right now, he was blind as an owl in daylight. He had no idea of safe exospace lanes and no access to any star charts. While Kryptonian star charts were outdated there remained some information in the databanks that would've been useful if he was in the DC Universe.

With his present location, it was highly unlikely that the star charts in his database would be of any use. So he needed to map out the Milky Way galaxy. As a first step, he needed to scan the Sol System. After mapping the Sol System he had to decide on placing a satellite station and continue to map out the rest of the galaxy and perhaps the rest of the Universe. If he were lucky, he would gain access to star charts from other alien civilisations.

But he was not banking on that outcome, to be honest. The chances were slim, but if he somehow encountered friendly civilisations, it would speed things up. He had no current design to stay on Earth permanently. He knew that sooner or later, his identity would be exposed, and he would be treated as an alien. It'd be naive of him to think of himself as a normal human despite wishing for companionship on Earth.

Instead, he found his unique situation to be a great opportunity. He was offered a chance to build a new civilisation in his image. This was a wondrous opportunity, and he was not going to waste that time needlessly playing the hero.

'Then why did you save that security guard and chipped in to capture the car thief?'

The question came from the deep recess of his mind. The answer was also right in the metaphysical tongue of his mind.

'Because that was the right thing to do.'

George, the security guard, was the father of two children, and he couldn't let the guy die when he had the power to help it. He had seen the bullet fired from the shooter's gun just as he turned the corner. To his eyes, the bullet was moving at a snail's pace. He didn't want to blow his cover, and that was the only reason he couldn't speed along and physically block the bullet. Nonetheless, he did manage to mitigate the impact of the bullet by burning off half the bullet with a concentrated blast of laser from his eyes.

The bullet did punch into George's abdomen, but the guy was spared from any serious injury because the bullet was blunted, and its speed was considerably lost with his actions. This helped Cerion concentrate his attention on Jane, who was about to split her skull open on the floor. Before she could crack open her skull on the floor he yanked her into his arms and kept her relatively safe.

A scan with his eyes told him that Jane was safe sans a small injury on her arm. This left him free to deal with the shooter, whom he was quick to bash headfirst through the car's window. The guy could barely pull the trigger before this happened. By the time the shooter regained his bearings, the local PD had arrived, taking him into custody.

Overnight, he became a 'cool guy' among the locals. That day, he was hounded by some local journalists; thankfully, he managed to evade the worst of it by immersing himself in work. Most of the time he was on the island looking after the progress made by Optima. With events heating up in Virginia he gathered spending a few days here would keep the heat low.

Not to mention, the time spent working with SHIELD was drawing ever closer. The work on his new company was also progressing at an accelerated pace. He had been hunting for talent online by organising a friendly programming contest. He felt like a dark web hacker for recruiting people for his company in this way, but this was the easy way to find talented people for the kind of work he had in mind.

For recruiting, he created a website and gave out specific assignments. Those who completed the assignments first would get a cash award along with a job offer. Most of these assignments were trials to complete a specific set of coding. Having access to a surplus amount of money at the expense of the criminal underworld certainly helped to speed up the recruitment process.

The only part where he was lagging right now was mastering dimensional energy. Without getting access to the Ancient One for a considerable amount of time, his training was suffering. He planned to take a long vacation when he was done with SHIELD's project, but until then, he was forced to confine his training to a few hours a week.

'There was no point in overthinking certain matters.' he thought with a sigh.

He stood up from his seat and looked outside through the ship's glass panes. The island remained untouched by man's depravities, and many species called it home. His eyes could see every creature on the island and he could hear each movement they made. He was truly wielding a terrible power, and he would've gone insane if it wasn't for the shiny necklace on his neck.

He pulled back his shirt and took in the innocent-looking necklace that was gifted to him by the Ancient-one. He had requested aid from her to regulate the super-senses that were making him lose sleep every night.

At first, it was easy to rein in his senses, but after each passing day, they expanded across the globe. Standing in Virginia, he could hear guns firing in Africa. It was at this point that he decided to ask for Ancient One's help, which turned out to be a lifesaver. The necklace blocked his senses whenever he activated it, which helped him sleep soundly at night. When he was awake, he had no problem controlling his senses, so the necklace was not needed during the day.

He touched the buckle of his belt, and his body was now covered in a thin polymorphic fabric exosuit.

"Optima, assign a few drones on the DSS and chart out the data that we collected from the Hubble."

"Yes, sir."

Nodding to Optima, he blasted off into the sky, quickly charging up his speed to hypersonic. He had learned that he could hide his movements from any radars or thermal scanners if he surrounded his body with an energy barrier that kept him out of the US defence systems. With this useful ability, he could fly as much as he liked, and he would not be exposed to SHIELD, who was trying to find his base. Flying was something that he enjoyed out of the power-up he received, and he was happy he could now use it without any worries.

As his destination began to close in he doubled down on his speed and stealthily made his way into a shady alley. The exosuit on his body retracted back into his belt buckle exposing his normal clothes. He carefully travelled through the alley until finally he was back in the street and walked to his apartment as if nothing happened.

On the way to his apartment, he picked up a cup of hot chocolate. Being an avid chocolate addict, this was one of the few concessions that he made to his diet plan. Even as a super-powered alien he was keeping a diet which was insane but keeping a diet had become an integral part of his character. Sometimes, habits rarely change.

Passing through the entrance of the building, he felt a strange sense of wrongness when there was no George to greet him. The jovial man was someone with whom he got along well, and now the man was bedridden in a hospital. Of course, he had footed the hospital bills as he knew it would be hard on the family. Times were tight, and jobs didn't pay as well as they used to in Virginia. He hoped it would change, as people were finding it hard to afford basic necessities.

As he was about to go for the elevator there was a sign posted outside that it was out of order. Shaking his head, he went for the stairs. Even with superpowers, he hated taking the stairs, which he admitted to being a psychological problem that had grown out of habit.

As he neared his floor, he could hear heated shouting from above, and the sounds were not of people that he was used to. He boosted his pace but held back using his senses.

Stepping into the hallway, he saw two guys, one Mexican dude and a giant white guy, engaged in a shouting match with Jane.

"Why don't you just say where the guy is, sweet pants, and I won't have to break that good arm of yours." The giant white guy threatened.

"How about you fuck off!" Jane growled.

"What is going on?" asked Cerion as he moved closer to the trio as he realised the two men were hostile. Jane was making faces at him, but he didn't get the meaning.

"You mind your business if you know what's good for you, dude." The Mexican growled threateningly.

"Let's just all calm down here, alright? Why are you bothering her? Can't you see she is injured?" He tried to placate the guys.

"Hey, amigo. Isn't he the guy?" the Mexican asked the white guy, pointing at Cerion.

"Is he?" the white guy frowned before taking out a picture and began to compare. "Yeah, this is the guy."

"Are you Cerion Vex?" asked the Mexican, now standing close to Cerion in a threatening manner.

"I am."

The guy smiled and threw a punch straight for his abdomen. Cerion caught the offending arm in a firm grip and twisted sharply until a snap was clearly heard in the hallway. A kick to the left knee saw the Mexican cry out and fall on the floor, bawling his eyes out. The white guy took out a knife but Cerion had to do nothing as Jane smashed the guy's balls from behind with her legs.

Cerion couldn't help but flinch as he took in that image vividly into his brain. The white guy fell on the floor with a noisy thud.

"Nice but a very disturbing image that will be hard to forget." He commented at the kick of the century from Jane.

"I practised." said Jane as a way of explaining herself with a shrug and a proud smile.

"Do I want to know on whom you practised?" asked Cerion with a raised eyebrow.

"You wouldn't know." Jane just waved her one good hand as if it was water under the bridge.

A painful moan from the large white guy put a stop to their conversation. Cerion slowly walked forward, leaving the Mexican crying in pain, cradling his broken wrist toward the white guy.

He placed his right palm on the shoulder of the white guy and began to squeeze. The guy began to whimper as the pain started to flare up.

"I just have a single question. Answer that, and you two can be on your merry way with no more injuries. If you refuse, you will have a broken arm like your friend over there."

"I will talk! I will talk. Please don't break my arm." The white guy begged.

"Good. Now, who sent you two clowns, and why?" asked Cerion as he eased the pressure.

"Lloyd Morrison sent us."

"Who?" he asked curiously.

"Lloyd Morrison is a dealer. He goes by the name Baker in the streets for cooking up drugs. It was his guy you messed with on the street and he doesn't like it when other people mess with his men."

"Really? And where can I find this Baker?" asked Cerion, his lips twitching up in amusement at the silly name.

"I don't know, dude."

Cerion began to increase the pressure of his hold, and the guy cried out in pain.

"I don't know, man. I swear! My buddy and I were just given a few bucks to rough you up. That's all we know, man." the man desperately cried.

"Hmm…" he stared hard into the wide, frightened eyes of the guy and finally decided to let him go.

"Get the hell out of this building and fix that guy's wrist," he ordered, placing a few dollars in the guy's pocket. "If I see you two again with this same attitude, a broken wrist and smashed balls are going to be the least of your worries. Now, scram."

He watched the two thugs wobble out of the building and felt a little bit bad for the guys. But hey, they were being mean, and he did give them a few bucks for any medical bills. That was pretty generous of him, and he believed that he should even out the karmic odds.

"That was quite hectic, but I loved it." said Jane with an excitable grin.

"You've been cooped up in that apartment of yours for too long." he said with a shake of his head.

"You try spending twenty-four hours by yourself with a broken dominant arm. The only good speck of light in my dark days were a documentary about Captain America and a book on Black Holes." said Jane, turning up her nose.

"Yep, you need some fresh air. How about a walk?" he offered, and the way Jane's face lit up was enough of an answer.

"Alright, but don't think you can weasel out of that bet we made." said Jane as she closed the door behind her.

"I hoped you would have forgotten about that, but a bet is a bet. Expect to be dazzled by my amazing cooking skills in two days, Miss Foster."

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Vex by Dragonspectre01

DC Superheroes & Avengers Xover Rated: M, English, Fantasy & Adventure, OC, Agent Phil Coulson, Agent Maria Hill, Jane Foster, Words: 132k+, Favs: 3k+, Follows: 4k+, Published: Nov 18, 2020 Updated: Jul 11

1,351Chapter 9: CH9: Exposure

"So, two random thugs just wandered into our guy's apartment!" Fury scoffed as he read the recent report.

"Should I be worried that our agents are losing their edge, Coulson?" asked Fury staring down at his most trusted agent in SHIELD.

"Our men did inform me, sir. I ordered them to let the events play out," said Coulson, not too bothered to be under his superior's scrutiny.

"I see." Fury stared a little longer before he turned his gaze to the monitor where the details of the Baker and his gang were on full display. "And how did Vex react?"

"He smacked them down quite easily and broke the wrist of one Mr Santiago Cruz. Other than that, our guy was restrained."

"Hmm… You plan to let the Baker know that his goons failed don't you?" asked Fury as he leaned back in his seat, looking expectantly at Coulson.

"Only with your permission, sir. As you know, this will be risky, and there is a certain room for error." Coulson said awkwardly.

Fury sighed and looked at the screen once more. The more he read about this Baker, aka Samuel Jones, the more he was apprehensive about what was about to happen. The guy was a textbook psychopath, and there was no telling how the situation might evolve. Not to mention, this guy's dealings with the Irish gang based in Hell's Kitchen and some shady organisations required more scrutiny.

He preferred to keep the existence of aliens from the public for as long as he could. There were already enough problems on his plate, and he didn't fancy adding alien-obsessed hippies into the mix.

At the same time, he was curious how Vex would behave in certain situations. There was only so much he could learn with psych profiles. The true measure of a man could be known only on certain occasions when emotions are high. While Vex was an alien he looked remarkably similar to a human and thus he was curious to know what makes the guy tick.

"Bring me a plan that involves the least amount of public exposure." he found himself saying in the end. "If we're going with this plan I need to know we can control the narrative if something leaks to the public."

"Will do, sir." Coulson nodded.

"Coulson."

"Sir?"

"I don't have to tell you that this is a dangerous game. We must keep our hands clean in this matter. No digital communication is to be established with this Baker or any of his subordinates," warned Fury.

"We will keep everything analogue, sir." Coulson nodded sharply.

"Good. You may go."

Fury watched Coulson leave before letting out a sigh. The WSC was exerting enormous pressure on SHIELD right now. The existence of alien civilisations was no news to the agency, but an alien with the strengths exhibited by Vex was unheard of by SHIELD. Of course, he had explained to the WSC members that Carol Danvers had similar strengths, but that made them all the more paranoid.

Unfortunately, the WSC was not satisfied with his answer. They wanted a magic bullet against Vex in case the guy turned hostile, which was easier said than done. SHIELD had little intel, if any, on Vex's abilities. The lack of any generic data was also a serious impediment to studying the Kryptonian race. There were serious implications that Vex was an immortal being. SHIELD scientists were baffled by the lack of a single cell in Vex's personal belongings. The present theory was that Kryptonian biology was different, and any dead cells would self-destruct rather than linger in the environment. If this hypothesis was untrue, then the only plausible explanation would be that Vex is immortal.

This complete lack of knowledge about the Kryptonian race was concerning for many analysts and WSC. With Vex refusing to share any further details about his people because of the recent falling out with SHIELD, the WSC was not happy. This was why he was now ordered to focus on Super Soldier Serum more than ever.

Fury knew that his predecessors had tried and failed to cook up a serum on the level of Abraham Erskine's serum that delivered the perfect super soldier in Captain America. Many attempts were made, and most ended in abject failure. The one that neared perfection was with Howard Stark, but that was lost, and records indicated that the Russians were involved.

Losing Howard Stark was a blow that had set back SHIELD, and the man was one of the greatest casualties of the Cold War. Another was Janet Van Dyne, callsign the Wasp, who gave her life and saved the world from a nuclear apocalypse. Like the two, many died for the sake of a safer world. Even after the fall of the USSR, the location of the serum remained a mystery. The random appearances of the Winter Soldier were proof that the serum worked. The only problem was that they had no clear evidence of whether the serum was used on the Winter Soldier. It was possible that the Winter Soldier was just an extremely good Soviet operative.

With the possibility of the serum working and the presence of a super-powered alien on the planet, the higher-ups were keen on recreating the serum.

Already, a project was underway in Culver under the oversight of General Ross. He was not keen on developing the serum, but if it succeeds, he would not be terribly unhappy. For the time being, he was keeping an eye on the project from a distance. This would let him react objectively. Not to mention, he would be able to keep other parties from interfering with the project. If the project succeeds, SHIELD would surely benefit as they had a stake in the project, even if Ross believes otherwise.

"What is dimensional energy?"

Cerion was before the Ancient One sitting cross-legged at the beach while a few miles north, his ship was getting repairs done. The scent of the sea and the warm climate were soothing for training in what he considered to be spiritual arts or magical arts. He didn't know what the exact terms were, and his teacher was not so keen on using specific terms either.

"This is a good question but one with no definite answer. The source of all energy can be traced back to the creation of the universe, a cataclysmic event that unleashed chaos on a scale unimaginable for any single being to comprehend. As such, the basis of dimensional energy is creation itself," explained the Ancient One as she drew dimensional energy and began to form solid constructs by simple gestures of her hands.

"But was it just merely creation? If creation is the origin of all the dimensional energy, then what is the source of creation?" asked Cerion even as he stared in wonder as the Ancient One began to project images of a chaotic universe.

"Death is the prime mover of all things living, Cerion. Death is the catalyst that created what you see here in the present. What we call the dimensional energy is something that is derived from the death of what was once before the present existence."

"That doesn't make any sense." he complained with a disappointed stare at the sorceress.

"The nature of existence follows only one rule: cycles of time. Anything and everything can only be measured in time. Time is the yardstick for life. The present universe that we occupy is merely birthed because of the death of the previous one. In time, this world will die to give birth to another. When that happens, matter will convert to energy, and energy will convert to matter," said the Ancient One.

"This feels like spiritual bullshit." He commented in a deadpan manner.

"Truth can be spiritual because both work to remove the veil we have on our senses. Both are intended to remove ignorance and enshrine wisdom in our minds," said the Ancient One with a serene smile.

Cerion felt that she was just messing with him, but she was very proficient at masking her true feelings behind a calm exterior. So, he could never know whether she was lying or telling the truth. Even her heartbeat was perfectly steady throughout the conversation.

"Let's leave it at that and concentrate on the energy aspect. If I am absorbing dimensional energy as you do, then why can't I perform spells as you do? I have tried to perform some of the spells you taught me, but at some point, I hit my limit in stabilizing the constructs."

"Hmm…" Ancient One hummed in thought before she reached out and took both his hands into her own. "Channel your energy into my body."

He blinked in surprise at the request. "Say what?"

"Channel your energy through your arms. I will do the rest." Ancient one explained and looked at him expectantly.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and willed what he identified as a warm feeling within himself. He could feel a gentle warmth spread across his heart and flowing through his limbs. He was careful to keep the flow of energy contained as best as he could. It was like trying to hold back the sea with a fishnet. No matter what the sea would easily slip in and the same is true for the well of energy inside his body.

He opened his eyes and saw with his own eyes that a silver aura was disappearing into the Ancient One. For a time, he continued to channel this power into his teacher, who broke the connection at some point and went into a trance. Once again, he suspected this was part of the theatricality that she regularly engaged for some reason.

"I think I have a better understanding of what is happening to the dimensional energy you are absorbing." she finally said as she came out of her trance.

"Truly?! So what is the verdict?" he asked eagerly.

"Patience, Cerion. Dimensional energies ought to be treated with due respect and discipline." the Ancient One said serenely.

Having said that, the Ancient One stood up, and he closely followed.

"I will mull over this energy and meet with you next Sunday. Till then, continue the training methods that I taught you to regulate the flow of your energy." she then created a portal with her sling ring and stepped into it, giving a hasty goodbye, leaving Cerion annoyed for some reason.

To blow off some steam, he decided to fly a few rounds around the island and then return to the US. He was just about to fly right next to his apartment, but then he remembered that he had some shopping to do. So he quickly changed tracks and carefully landed in a secluded corner near a grocery store. It took him more than an hour to buy all the essentials, and he was on foot on his way to his apartment.

He liked taking walks as they gave him access to street vendors. He found a good one that served Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls, which were his favourite in another life. Just as he was tucking in his new purchase and eying some other vendors, he heard gunshots.

People began to scream and run away, panicked, thinking it was some looney nut who was taking to the street to have some fun with the latest semi-automatic available in the market. He touched the necklace on his neck and released the enchantment that blocked out his senses. It was a little difficult to filter out the sounds coming from the street, but his eyes found the culprits.

To his surprise, it was a gang of thugs wielding a bunch of semi-automatics and firing randomly into the street. A local PD mobile unit was close by, but the thugs threw a grenade into the Police car, followed by suppression fire. He took shelter behind a shop and just kept track of the gun-wielding maniacs with his X-ray vision. He noticed these thugs were well-coordinated, and they were even careful to take out any cameras in the street.

He winced as the police vehicle exploded, and the sound roared in his ears. He found the two cops injured near the car, and one had his leg blown off cleanly from his knees. The other had shrapnel stuck in his body, but the guy would survive for sure. The thugs now started to fire into the buildings, and he could hear cries of children as some were getting hit.

He forced down the urge to involve himself, but it was a tough one. He was just getting a sensory overload of people crying desperately for help. He closed his eyes and began to reel in his senses one by one. Despite what was happening, he could not afford to declare himself openly.

"Hey, boss. We found the guy."

Cerion opened his eyes, and he was met with a curious sight. There was a guy in a mask pointing a gun at him and calling for his buddies. And everything began to click in his mind. The random shootings, needless terror, and blindly rolling over everyone were not just random acts of terror. These guys were here for him and not for anything else.

He took in the carnage around him and felt angry. He let go of his senses and allowed them to expand. He discretely touched his belt buckle, and he felt the tactical suit encompass his body. A half-mask formed on his face, ensuring that his identity would remain secure.

The air around him vibrated as he exerted a considerable dose of power through his body, and then he moved.

Time stood still for those who moved at a slower pace, and for Cerion, it was as if he was surrounded by sloths. He was right before his would-be assailant and threw him headfirst into a car that was parked on the street. One by one, he began to take down the assailants, breaking their spines, collar bones and every bit of bones in their bodies so that they would never walk in their lives even with the best treatment available on Earth. His eyes heated up as he saw the blood and gore on the streets, and he fired off a stream of concentrated laser blasts that tore through the vehicle of the thugs.

All of this happened before anyone could blink, and he blasted off into the sky, spearing through the air straight for his apartment. He urged himself to go faster and broke through the window of Jane's apartment and stood protectively before her, who was at gunpoint of another thug. He saw the bullet move slowly out of the gun, and he waited patiently until it struck his forehead. The inevitable result was that the bullet flattened itself on his skin and fell on the floor.

The thug who fired the bullet just looked on, completely confused, and stared dumbly at what transpired.

"I believe you must be the Baker?" Cerion asked, but he received no answer from the thug except for a flustered look.

That was fine with him. He was not here to have a conversation with the guy. "I am afraid you will not be baking anything in your life."

Now, he could see a healthy dose of fear and rage in the guy's eyes. He caught the guy's wrist in a tight grip, sharply turned it, and punched straight at the Baker's elbow. There was a sickening crack followed by a painful howl, but he was not done yet. He turned the guy around, and a sharp jab with his fist saw to it that Baker's spine fractured beyond healing. For good measure, he kicked the guy out of Jane's apartment, breaking a few ribs in the process and closed the door.

"You! What? How? What happened?"

Now it was time to face a confused, angry, fearful and stressed woman. Wasn't his life great?

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Vex by Dragonspectre01

DC Superheroes & Avengers Xover Rated: M, English, Fantasy & Adventure, OC, Agent Phil Coulson, Agent Maria Hill, Jane Foster, Words: 132k+, Favs: 3k+, Follows: 4k+, Published: Nov 18, 2020 Updated: Jul 11

1,351Chapter 10: CH10: Winning the bet and more!

The universe held many mysteries. Those who study the nature of the Universe are faced with many questions. What was the basis of matter? What was the source of all energy? Can something be born out of nothing? How did the first molecules form? Could intense heat and the gravitational pull of stars be the sole for life on a planet?

Could it be that dark matter is the source of creation? If so, then what created dark matter? Is there a purpose to human existence, or are we just one tiny insignificant spoke on the great wheel of evolution?

These were questions that haunt a genuine scientist committed to the path of seeking knowledge. The thirst to know the truth of the nature of the universe had been the cause of the scientific community across all civilisations that rose and fell on the world.

Jane was no different from her peers.

Her passion for science was ignited when she learned about the stars in school. From then on, outer space always interested her. She would read dozens of books and journals to sate her thirst for knowledge, to learn all the intricacies of space and its mysteries. The fundamental quality of a competent scientist should be the ability to keep an open mind. This she learned from her father, a renowned astrophysicist.

No matter how inane something sounds, Jane believed it should be given due consideration. Assumptions based on preconceived notions were not a good trait for a scientist or science in general. No matter how crazy an idea may sound, it had to be studied and put under the scrutiny of the intellect. Science deals with facts based on evidence. Feelings and faith have no purpose in Jane's chosen profession except to keep up morale. Jane had ingrained this standard into her thought process from an early age.

It was for this reason alone that she remained composed despite being exposed to one of the greatest discoveries in human history. The confirmation that there was alien life thriving outside of planet Earth was a stunning discovery. Sure, some statistics concluded the chances of Earth being the lone life-supporting planet in the cosmos to be unlikely. But statistics was one thing, and true hard evidence was another.

The fact that she maintained her composure despite finding out that her neighbour was an alien from outer space was a testament to her disciplined mind. Her neighbour!

Although, that discipline was wearing thin as was her patience.

She was now in a quandary, as a bundle of emotions was pulling her mind at the seams. A gnawing fear budded in her mind, but that was being eclipsed by her boundless curiosity and thirst for knowledge. Not to mention the shock and awe she felt when thinking that she had been living so close to one of the greatest discoveries in human history.

Her mind was filled with questions upon questions. She wanted to know so much about the wider space and the civilisation of Cerion. The fact that Cerion looked so much like humans also interested her from a scientific perspective. There was no way in hell that he had human physiology. The fact that he could move faster than human sensory organs could perceive already let her know that Cerion only looked human. Then, there was the most important question of all that was burning in the back of her mind.

Why Earth? Why did Cerion come here? A question that was born out of fear generated in her mind.

She realised that it was her survival instinct. It was the same fear she would have felt if she were in a room with a lion or a tiger.

But rather than asking these questions, she was just sitting on a chair in her kitchen, watching an alien cook food for her. The bizarre situation she found herself in made her reclusive, and a part of her mind smothered the questions that blossomed within her mind.

The sound of oil getting heated startled her and pulled her out of her thoughts to the present time. Her hand remained in a sling, and more than anything, she wished her hand was free of any injury right now. Not that she had any notion that her hand would be helpful. It just felt like she was unsafe with an alien in her house, which she thought irrational. If Cerion wanted to do something to her, he would've done so by now. She blamed all those conspiracy theories and shoddy alien invasion movies for the fear she was having right now.

Then there was the simple fact that she was breathing right now because Cerion saved her from a bullet to the head. If anything, she should've felt more fear towards her fellow human beings rather than an alien.

"Hey, don't just laze off in that chair; help me," said Cerion, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Oh, sorry. What do you need?" she asked as she jumped from her seat a little too quickly.

If Cerion noticed her nervousness, he certainly didn't comment on it; he merely asked for pepper.

Jane found the powdered pepper in a nearby drawer and hesitantly placed it near Cerion, who was chopping an onion into fine pieces. She felt the urge to return to her chair and keep a healthy distance from Cerion, but she resisted.

Jane flinched slightly when Cerion dumped the onion, pepper powder, salt and garlic into the frying pan. This was followed by adding pork chops smothered in flour, some tomato slices, and a few sliced green chillies. A few minutes into the cooking, she forgot all about the alien matter and was wooed by the heavenly smell filling her apartment.

Ten minutes later Cerion turned off the flame and their dinner was ready to be served. As Jane put a small slice of the pork into her tongue her mouth flooded with taste.

"You do cook well." she hummed and began eagerly taking in the chops a slice at a time with her fork. In her enthusiasm, she let her hand out of her sling, and thankfully, she was feeling better.

"What? You thought I ate raw meat or something?" he asked jokingly, but it gave her pause.

The thought crossed her mind after she learned about his alien origin, which was embarrassing.

"I'm surprised you are not denying it." said Cerion but she was relieved to note that he was amused rather than offended.

"I blame all the hostile alien themes in the movies and books," she mumbled as she continued to eat the food on her plate, the heat flooding her cheeks.

"Truly? I expected you to hound me with questions instead of keeping it all in." he commented, and something in her mind just broke.

Perhaps it was the insinuation that she was weak and therefore afraid to ask questions, but whatever it was, she asked the first question that came to mind.

"Where do you come from?"

The second the question was out of her mouth, she felt a huge relief, as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulder.

"I'm from planet Krypton of the Rao System in an unidentified sector of space by human standards far away from this galaxy."

She was unfamiliar with the names, but that was expected, seeing as these are alien names. But then she picked up on the fact that Cerion had been speaking fluently in English ever since she knew him. The names of his planet and the star system also sounded English which doesn't mean that the language should be English but there were similarities.

"Why did you come here? And for that matter, how long have you been on Earth?" she asked eagerly now that some fear in her heart had abated.

"It was not my intention to arrive on this planet. My ship malfunctioned, and I was stranded on your planet. I believe it has been three months since I landed on planet Earth."

Now, that surprised her. She thought he had lived on Earth for far longer than three months. Either Cerion was lying for some reason, or he was intimately aware of Earth, as she doubted he could blend in so easily in three months.

"Only three months! You speak English so fluently, and you have behaved like a human all the time I have known you."

"Your language is somewhat similar to my native language. Although, I don't know why you would think other civilisations are different from your own. Most civilisations in the universe are not that different from human society."

"There are more aliens!?" she asked in awe.

"Sure. It Is a big universe and there is bound to be life flourishing in distant star systems." he said with a shrug as if that was normal.

To him, that should be normal, but for her, it was anything but normal.

"But…but…we've never encountered alien life except you," she said, already chastising herself for not considering the possibility that multiple civilizations may be out there.

"Hmm…. Could it be that you have not met an alien species because your government keeps any discovery a secret?" Cerion smirked at her, and she blinked confusedly for a moment before it clicked.

"Oh! That's… That's actually possible." She frowned in thought. "Is that true?"

"You are asking me?" Cerion looked amused.

She blushed at how that came off. Of course, why would he know what her government was covering up?

"Ah, sorry."

"From my experience with your government agencies, it is almost certain they are covering up…" Cerion trailed off as a knock on the door interrupted their conversation.

"Who could that be?" she muttered.

"Don't worry. It seems your Federal government is here." said Cerion which stumped her.

"What?" she looked at him in horror.

"You'll see..." was the calm reply from Cerion.

Jane opened the door to see a man in a black suit with a pleasant smile on his face.

"Agent Coulson." he introduced himself and flashed his badge.

"Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division. I've never heard of it before," said Jane with a frown.

"Now you do. May I come in? I'm afraid I'd like to discuss some matters with Mr Vex and yourself."

"Umm…please come in." she let the agent into her apartment.

A few minutes later, she was sitting beside Cerion on the couch, reading a file on the gang that attacked her and the people of Booker Street. Never mind the fact that a government agency she had never heard of was involved in keeping Cerion here on Earth.

"A few major spine injuries and some broken legs and ribs are the common injuries. Some of them won't walk if ever and some will walk funny if they get the proper treatment. So far no one has died in stark contrast to the victims of this gang." said Agent Coulson with a neutral expression. "You did a number on them."

"They deserved it. I mean…just look at the lives lost. These thugs fired at children….children!" Jane scowled

"You won't hear any complaints from me, Miss Foster. From questioning the members of the gang, they say they retaliated for beating up two of their members." said Coulson, looking at Cerion.

"But he did that to defend me." Jane defended her alien friend.

"Either way, the cat is out of the bag, and a lot of people got caught up in the crossfire. From now on, please keep us in the loop, Mr. Vex," said Agent Coulson.

Jane noticed a strange look pass through Cerion's face, but he just nodded in agreement.

"Good." Coulson nodded appreciatively before turning on her. "Now, Miss Foster, I don't have to tell you that the nature of information you stumbled into accidentally is not public knowledge. We would appreciate it if this stayed that way. The last thing we need is mass hysteria on the streets. Can we expect your discretion and cooperation?"

"Uh, yeah. I guess so." she nodded distractedly.

"Good. In that case, I shall take my leave." said Coulson as he stood up from his seat and walked towards the door but paused halfway.

"Oh, I almost forgot. We are taking care of the drug cartel of Mr Baker. You won't hear from them again, and we have managed to keep what truly happened in the shadows. As far as the public knows, the Law enforcement officers took care of the gang."

"Thanks, I guess." she said hesitantly, seeing as Cerion remained silent.

"We will keep in touch. Have a good evening Miss Foster, Mr Vex." said Coulson before he disappeared into the corridor after closing the door.

Jane went back to reading the file that was still in her hand. Just reading through the report gave her chills about this gang. The victims and their families of this gang violence are certainly going to be traumatised for a long time, from what she read. Consequently, she felt a whole lot of appreciation for surviving the attack on herself without a scratch.

She looked at Cerion sitting beside her, who was deep in thought. If it weren't for Cerion she would've most likely been dead or worse.

"Thank you for saving me and all those people." Jane smiled and squeezed his hand in appreciation.

"I think my presence may have just endangered more lives than it would have otherwise." said Cerion with a frown.

"Don't be like that. Without you, I most certainly would have died. Even if you were not here what makes you think that this gang would not have harmed anyone?"

"I guess you are right in a way."

"In a way! I am always right." she said with faux indignation.

She noticed a small grin on Cerion's face, and she smiled to herself. She had noticed that her friend rarely smiled, and now she knew the reason. He must have been feeling homesick all this time.

"Well, either way, I believe I am the victor of that bet, right? You owe me a tour of your campus." Cerion shifted the topic.

"Hmm… I guess so. But don't you think that reward was not that great for what you did?" she asked playfully, her heart thundering in her body.

"What do youu….?"

It was at this point she kissed him. For a moment, she thought she made a mistake, but before she could pull back, she felt Cerion kiss back. She had her hands wrapped around his neck and immersed in the kiss. When they came apart, she was breathing heavily and found herself sitting on his lap.

"That was…." Cerion trailed off, looking thoroughly out of his comfort zone.

"Long overdue." Jane finished for him.

She had a feeling she would have to pull him out of his shell on this one.

"Umm…Jane. Is this okay?" Cerion asked, his mind in flux after the kiss.

She answered that by taking off her top and pulling him into a kiss once more, only for the pain to flare up in her arm, but she paid it no mind.

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Vex by Dragonspectre01

DC Superheroes & Avengers Xover Rated: M, English, Fantasy & Adventure, OC, Agent Phil Coulson, Agent Maria Hill, Jane Foster, Words: 132k+, Favs: 3k+, Follows: 4k+, Published: Nov 18, 2020 Updated: Jul 11

1,351Chapter 11: CH11: The morning after

There is a point between joy and ecstasy. A point where the mind and body just fill with contentment which would make one neutral to the rest of the world. Jane had never felt this feeling of content. Just not wanting to do anything was not in her nature. There was always something she wanted to do but at the present, she felt that contentment. The feeling of not needing anything and just lay back on her bed doing nothing without a care to the rest of the world.

The irony was that she came to this feeling after a night of doing a whole lot of other activities. And she had the alien who she was treating as her personal pillow to thank for that. Without moving her head she looked around a little bit and was relieved that darkness had yet to go away. Which means that she still had some time before sunrise. Not that she was going anywhere as she was supposed to stay in her apartment because of her injury.

Her bedfellow on the other hand does not have the luxury to take a day off. Now, that made her think about what exactly Cerion was working on with the government. She frowned but knocked that thought away and pressed her body further into Cerion. She didn't know how long she laid there in her bed with her head resting on Cerion's heart. The steady heartbeat most likely lulled her to sleep but she woke up when a pair of fingers glided through her locks of hair. It was soothing and almost therapeutic and she let out a groan of satisfaction at the ministration.

"Jane are you awake?" she heard Cerion ask. She didn't bother to respond but merely snuggle further into Cerion's chest basking in the warmth she felt.

"Jane it is morning. It is time to get up." said Cerion this time slightly shaking her.

"Five more minutes." she groaned out.

"I don't think that's a good idea Jane." said Cerion which disturbed her peaceful sleep and her plans for using Cerion as a pillow.

"What is the hurry? Did you forget today is Sunday?" she mumbled

"I know but I have to do something urgently." Version insisted and she could hear a hint of panic in his voice.

"Do what?" she asked as she dragged her head up with a considerable effort to look properly into his eyes which she found to hold needless alarm in them.

"I've got to burn your bed and the sheets."

Jane blinked confusedly at Cerion. "Come again?"

"I've got to burn the sheets, your bed and we need to clean this whole apartment."

Now she was sure she was not dreaming as she was now faced with a hysterical Cerion which was a first.

"What do you mean?"

She didn't get much of an answer except a panicked look from Cerion.

A few minutes later she stood witness as Cerion packed up her sheets into a plastic bag. Her bed was folded up and carefully tucked under Cerion's arm. She watched all of this with a disapproving frown as she sat on her couch wearing only a t-shirt.

"Be right back." said Cerion and then he blasted off into the sky from her open window. She had no idea where he went but this is the most bizarre experience she ever had with another guy.

If anything she should have been the one to panic. Till yesterday she had no idea alien civilizations existed. Now, she slept with an alien and somehow she was not the one panicking.

A rustle of wind blew her hair all over the place and before her stood Cerion with a relieved look. She watched him with a frown as he opened her refrigerator and began gulping down water from a bottle.

"What was that?" Jane asked with folded hands.

"Sorry. I had to ensure nothing remained of our early night activities." He said uncomfortably.

"Huh...what do you…? Oh!"

Now she understood why Cerion was behaving as if the Russians were after him.

"Aren't you being a bit overly paranoid?" she asked tentatively.

"There is no such thing as overly paranoid Jane."

"But the government – this SHIELD won't just go through my room, right? Right?"

Cerion merely gave her nod and she gulped nervously now feeling seriously worried about her privacy.

"Well, they shouldn't be doing that." she said indignantly.

"I am sure they have their reasons. I am an unknown alien entity and it would be remiss of them to not use every trick in the book to acquire an advantage over me."

"Are you defending them now?" she asked with a frown.

"No. Merely making an observation. You should get some rest and rest your arm a bit."

Jane blinked and looked down at her supposedly broken arm. Strangely she could not feel an iota of pain or discomfort from her injured arm.

"Actually, my arm has never felt better." She said before taking some experimental swings. "Huh, how about that!"

Cerion let out a tired sigh as he sat back in his seat tired of looking through piles of data he pulled from the Hubble and the star charts he currently possessed in his ship. The stark difference in technology made the data that he mined from earthly instruments almost useless. It would require a whole lot of different algorithms to weed out the data he mined.

Nonetheless, the data that he pulled would accelerate his plans in finding out a distant planet where he could set up his new home. The only saving grace in this situation was that he had the drones working for him and by the end of next month he would be able to launch a scout ship.

He was fortunate that he had ended up taking an exploratory vessel from Krypton. It housed four scout ships and a myriad of technology. Without all of this, he would have surely struggled. The only thing he lacked is a Genisis chamber and a World Engine. But he did have the specs secured in the memory banks of the ship.

"Sir, I have a query."

Cerion faced the main drone that Optima preferred as a medium of communication.

"Ask away Optima."

"Why are you seeking out another planet? The plan was to settle on Earth was it not?"

That is a genuine query from Optima. Before he executed his plans to escape he had planned to stay on Earth and even look after Kal El. It was the least he could do for Joer El who took him under his wing and indirectly helped him escape Krypton. But Kal El is not here and he certainly had no obligation to stay on Earth.

Sure he had some lingering feeling for his former home but that same attachment was also there for Krypton. He felt that he was doing a disservice to all those who perished in Krypton if he did not build a new Krypton.

In this new Krypton, he would build a better civilization. One that would be perfect and not the imperfect failed state of old Krypton. But this was not the only reason he was seeking out a new home far away from humanity.

There was just no way that humanity would be comfortable in sharing their planet with an alien entity. Especially one that is powerful enough to wipe out their entire species in a matter of weeks. He could already see that there would only be conflicts in the future if he decided to stay and integrate into human society.

'Even if I don't turn against humanity there is a chance that one of my descendants will and no matter the cause the end result will be disastrous.' He thought grimly.

He knew he was just wildly speculating but there was a chance that he could be right. He couldn't help but imagine what a catastrophe might that be. His descendants may not have the same temperament that he has and with the stunts that humanity would pull on them…

He shook his head at the thought and sighed. The latest incident with the Baker and his gang came to his mind.

He did not for a moment believe Coulson's act of total ignorance in this matter. He suspected SHIELD played some role in this scuffle with this Baker fellow. However, it was possible that HYDRA may have acted without SHIELD's knowledge to spice things up. He didn't care either way.

HYDRA, SHIELD or whatever they name themselves, they all belong to humanity. And if he knows about anything it was that humanity discriminated against anything that was different. They even find differences amongst themselves. He was tired of living with all these differences and he had no interest in getting tangled in their games. Fury and his colourful friends in tights could go hang himself for all he cared. If they gave human life so little value then there was no point in creating an amicable relationship with the leaders of humanity.

"I have found humanity to be hostile to coexist. It will prove to be a disaster if I decide to stay on Earth. Besides, I don't think it will be healthy for any of my descendants to live on this planet. The human society is extremely greedy and I see their society is rotting from within." He answered Optima.

Despite all this, he realized the merit of staying on Earth for the moment. If he wanted to recreate a new Krypton he needs to fill this new planet with life. He can't just clone his species and expect nature to accept his judgment. That would be unnatural and Krypton's destruction is proof of the danger inherent in a cloned civilization. Not to mention the warning Ancient One delivered was also in his mind. The new Kryptonians must be different from him for their own sake.

Life must be unbound and free to flourish. Most of its excess can be trimmed through building a compassionate society. Krypton's failure came from its lack of compassion and hence it devalued life. Krypton saw life as a means to an end. It coveted knowledge and tried to bring order to something that has always happened through natural selection. Krypton failed to take this into account that nature is the arbitrary judge of life and life should happen with minimal interference.

"Shall I initiate Project Genesis sir?" asked Optima

Cerion looked away from Optima to the sample of genetic material he extracted from Jane's bed along with a whole lot of other samples he collected. While he surely did rush away to destroy any traces of their copulation he thought better of it. So now those very samples he meant to destroy would help him learn of the possibility of creating a human – Kryptonian hybrid.

If such a union is possible he could create hundreds of thousands of hybrid Kryptonians without the harmful effects of Kryptonian cloning. With a wide variety of DNA available from the human species, he could recalibrate the cloning technology to eradicate the degradation inherent in Kryptonian cloning. This was already a given as he had no access to the Codex. The only Kryptonian DNA he has is his own DNA and that would be the base of a new Krypton.

But first, he needed to know whether the human and Kryptonian gene would be compatible. The MCU humans were a different breed than regular humans or the DCU humans. He would find out more about the human genome in the future when he could study a variety of samples.

But one thing was for sure. It was almost impossible to safely procreate with a human female. He had to exert a tremendous amount of self-restraint last night so as not to crush Jane by accident. Tough days were ahead of him and he had so far made progress steadily. But soon that would change as he was going to extract the resources that he would need from Earth and build a new future for Krypton. A new civilization that would be detached from the failures of the past will be born under his guidance.

"Initiate Project Genesis."

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