Ed POV
"So he doesn't have his powers anymore? I thought mutants couldn't lose their powers," Jake said, eyebrows raised.
"That's true," I replied. "But Cain isn't a mutant. He got his power from a mystical artifact—something called the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak. I took it from him."
Amy crossed her arms. "And where is that artifact now?"
"Locked away in my base. Deep in the storage vault. It'll never see the light of day again."
"You have a secret base? That's so cool. What's it called?" Jake asked, practically vibrating with excitement.
"Sanctuary."
Jake grinned. "Okay, that's a badass name."
"Jake, focus," Amy said flatly.
"Right, right. Sorry," Jake muttered, trying to reel in his enthusiasm.
After defeating Juggernaut and ripping the gem from his soul connection, I teleported straight to Sanctuary. The containment unit I dropped it into? Completely sealed—no magic, no cosmic energy, nothing leaks. I even had Sabrina reinforce it with her own spellwork. No one on Earth can sense it. No one's getting to it. Ever.
Then I went back to the desert, scooped up Cain—now just a very angry, very normal man—and teleported him back to New York for the cops to deal with. He's still breathing, though I doubt he's thrilled about the sudden downgrade in power.
Now here I am, chatting with the Brooklyn Nine-Nine squad. And I have to admit—they're hilarious. Honestly, I kinda want to hang out with them more. Might be nice to talk to people who don't come from alternate timelines, alien races, or hell dimensions for once.
"Anyway," I said, "you don't need to worry about the gem. It's gone. Cain's powerless. Mission handled."
Jake gave me a thumbs-up. "Dude, you ever get bored of saving the world, hit me up. We could really use you during precinct softball."
Amy groaned.
"Just saying," Jake muttered. "He'd be a great shortstop."
"Haha, I'll think about it. It could be fun," I said with a smirk. "But if I'm joining your softball team, it's only fair the other team gets a superhero too."
Jake lit up. "So you're saying, if another hero joins the other team, you'll play on ours?"
"Exactly."
"Challenge accepted," Jake grinned like a kid on Christmas.
I chuckled, gave them a casual salute, and took off into the sky.
The Next Day – Sanctuary Briefing Room
I was in the briefing room, going over the agenda while waiting for the others to arrive. We had a lot to cover, and I wanted to be sharp for it. Then, without warning, the room temperature dropped.
That chill in the air could only mean one thing.
"That was fast," I said without looking up. "Didn't expect you to find him so quickly."
Darkblood stepped out of the shadows beside me.
"It was easy," he said, his voice low and grim. "He's with the very people we're hunting."
He tossed a file onto the table. I opened it and immediately felt my stomach sink.
Hydra… and Cadmus.
Two of the most dangerous organizations—now working together.
Cadmus was already bad enough on their own: advanced tech, alien hatred, twisted science experiments. If I remember right, their leader is Lillian Luthor. And now she's cozying up with Hydra?
That's a nightmare I wasn't ready for.
"Thanks," I muttered, still scanning the file. "This is useful, but it means we can't make a move on him now. At least we know where he is."
Darkblood nodded once. "What's my next target?"
I looked up at him and shook my head.
"You don't have one," I said. "You've been working nonstop. Take some time off—live a little in this new world. You've earned it."
He was silent for a moment, then nodded again and vanished into the shadows.
After a few more hours, everyone finally showed up one by one. Once they were all seated, I stood at the front of the room and got straight to the point.
"Good to see you all again," I began. "Today, we're going to discuss the formation of a new unit: a Black Ops team."
"Black Ops?" Steve leaned forward. "For what purpose?"
"To eliminate high-risk villains without risking our public heroes' identities—or creating backlash for the rest of us," I said plainly.
Peggy narrowed her eyes. "And who exactly do you have in mind for this kind of team?"
I brought up the first profile on the screen.
"Frank Castle."
His file popped up—military background, combat proficiency, strategic mind.
"He's a soldier," I explained, "but right now, he's unknowingly involved with a corrupt military division. They're planning to wipe him and his family out. If we help him, he'll be loyal—and lethal. A perfect candidate for this kind of work."
Everyone reviewed the file in silence, and I could tell they were cautiously onboard with Castle.
"Next up: Peacemaker."
His file appeared.
"I won't sugarcoat it—he's a little crazy."
"That's an understatement," Annie muttered. "You want to put a borderline villain on your Black Ops team?"
"I get it," I said, holding up a hand. "But Peacemaker doesn't kill for money. He kills for peace—he's just doing it in a warped way. If we can steer that mission, aim him at the actual threats? He could be an asset."
Peggy crossed her arms. "Why do I feel like this lineup is only going to get worse?"
"You know me so well," I smirked. "And yes, it does. But I promise there's a reason for each pick."
I pulled up the next file.
"Adrian Chase. Codename: Vigilante."
Once they finished reading, the room was quiet—until Reggie spoke up.
"Okay, let me get this straight… This guy is a sociopath with no real emotions and a genuine love for killing?"
"Yeah," I admitted. "But he only targets criminals—and he's fiercely loyal to Peacemaker. If we can keep those two aimed at the right targets, they'll be a brutal and effective duo."
Steve clenched his jaw. "If he ever kills a civilian, I'll put him down myself."
"And I wouldn't stop you," I said. "The team will be under constant surveillance. Every mission, every action—tracked."
"Still feels like playing with fire," Peggy said.
"Sometimes," I said, "fire's exactly what we need to burn out rot."
"Deadshot, a.k.a. Floyd Lawton," I said as his profile appeared on the screen.
"He's a hitman for hire, but he follows a code—no women or children. My plan is simple: we pay him to take down real threats, and in return, we offer protection for his daughter. Anyone tries to mess with her, we handle it."
Peggy didn't look impressed. "You want to bring a mercenary onto the team? If someone pays him more than we do, what makes you think he won't turn on us?"
"Like I said, Peggy," I replied calmly, "this team will be heavily monitored. None of them are stepping foot in our main base. I've already built several throwaway facilities specifically for Black Ops use. Containment, surveillance, rapid response—it's all covered."
The next file came up: Neena Thurman, codename: Domino.
"She's a mutant," I explained. "Her power's called probability field manipulation—basically, she's lucky. She works as a merc, but everything we've found says she's got a good heart. Just prefers to work alone. She's not aligned with the X-Men or the Brotherhood. Been freelancing for a while."
Everyone went quiet while reading her file. Compared to the others, Domino looked like the sanest option.
"That's the current roster," I said. "We're still scouting for more, but that's what we've got for now. Any questions?"
Steve spoke up. "Not a question—but I want to lead the team."
That caught me off guard. "You sure? You don't have to. Frank Castle's a solid candidate for leadership—he's got military training and experience."
"I know I don't have to," Steve said, "but I want to. Frank might be a great soldier, but he's emotionally compromised. You're talking about a team of unstable weapons—we need someone from the main team out there with them. Someone who won't hesitate to shut things down if they go too far. I can be that someone."
I looked around. No one disagreed.
I nodded. "Alright, Steve. You'll lead the Black Ops team."
He gave me a firm nod of appreciation.
Now we had a team of killers, rogues, and wildcards—with Captain America to keep them in check.
And honestly? That was the smartest decision.
"I know we just finished talking about the Black Ops team," I said, drawing everyone's attention back to me, "but there's another idea I want to bring to the table."
Everyone looked at me, waiting.
"I think we should start planning for a Space Team—a group dedicated to exploring the universe. Their job will be to gather intel on alien empires, powerful cosmic beings, and valuable resources like vibranium or other rare materials. Of course, this won't happen right away. Right now, we're too small, and Earth needs our full attention. But in the future… I want to know who'd be willing to leave Earth and explore the stars for a few years."
Anissa leaned forward. "I'd be up for that. It's been a while since I've been in space. I'm used to that kind of travel."
"I'll go too," Battle Beast added without hesitation. "It's been a while since I had a decent cosmic challenge."
"I'm also willing," said Plo Koon calmly. "I've spent most of my life navigating the stars."
The rest of the room was quiet. No one else volunteered, and that was fine.
"Alright," I nodded. "Like I said, this is something for the future. Once our numbers grow, I'll ask again. But for now… it's good to know who's ready to venture beyond Earth."
"That's all I have to say for now," I said, leaning back in my seat. "I'd like to hear any updates you guys have on your cities."
"Meta-human crime's gone way down in Citrus City," Alana said. "I barely need to be there now."
"I'm close to finding the Metapods," Reggie added. "Church has been helping me a lot—he's been hacking into government files about the Green Light project. We've narrowed it down to a few possible locations. I'm also closing in on Tobias."
"Gotham's peaceful during the day," Toshinori said. "Most criminals don't show their faces in daylight. But I have a concern... I don't think Annie should be sent to Gotham."
Everyone looked at him, surprised—including me. I wasn't expecting that.
Annie frowned. "Why not? You don't think I can handle it? I know Gotham is dangerous, but I can take down a few gangs."
"It's not about your strength," Toshinori replied calmly. "I know you're capable. But Gotham is... complicated. Its gangs are unstable—one wrong move and you could spark a full-on gang war. And worse, a lot of these groups are secretly funded by powerful, corrupt individuals. It's a deep web."
"She wouldn't just go around taking down random gangs," I said. "Church can feed her intel—she'll go after the people funding them first. Once they're exposed or eliminated, the gangs will run out of money. Then she can clean them up."
"I understand that," Toshinori nodded. "But when those funding lines get cut, it creates a vacuum. Gangs scramble for power. Territories shift. Innocents always get caught in the crossfire. That chaos… it's better left to someone with experience in Gotham's rhythm. Batman should handle it for now—at least at night."
I paused. Thought about it.
And honestly… I saw his point. Gotham wasn't just violent—it was volatile. One misstep, and things could spiral out of control fast. And Toshinori had the experience to know that firsthand.
"All right," I said, nodding to Toshinori. "I'll listen to your advice. You've got more experience—both as a hero and with Gotham."
Annie turned to me. "So, you want me to stay in New York?"
She didn't sound angry—more understanding than anything else. She really does respect All Might.
"For now, yes," I told her. "I'm thinking about moving you to another city in the future. But in the meantime, just keep an eye on things here—make sure the Spider team has backup if they need it."
Annie gave a small nod.
Next, Kimiko signed something. She's been going to therapy lately to help with her silence. Mercy ran a full medical scan on her and confirmed she can speak—there's nothing physically wrong. It's all mental. But she's making progress.
What she signed translated to: "Star City's crime rate has dropped. A lot of criminals are behind bars thanks to Gamma feeding me intel. Also, I've crossed out several names from Oliver's list. He's going to be surprised when he gets back."
The rest of the meeting was pretty standard.
Laura's still tracking down her friend with ties to the mutant underground—no luck yet.
Peggy reported she found more Hydra agents, but not another head.
Bane's training sessions with the young mutants have been going great—he says they're picking things up fast.
Anissa chimed in too. "Ruby's been doing a lot better. She's made a few friends and she's sticking to therapy. I think she's starting to feel like part of the team."
"Glad to hear it," I said. "Sounds like we're making good progress across the board."
I paused, then added, "Now, before we all leave, I need to ask something a little... different."
Everyone looked at me.
"Who wants to be a mom or dad?"
They all stared at me like I'd grown a second head.
Peggy raised an eyebrow. "You might want to give some context before asking something like that."
"Right, sorry," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "I'm building a cloned body for Stratosphere. I want him to have an organic body—with some enhancements. But I can't use my own DNA. One of my powers makes me immune to being cloned. So... I'm asking if anyone's interested in donating DNA. Basically, being a biological parent to Stratosphere."
Silence.
I looked around at everyone's faces. No one said anything, but it was obvious they weren't sure how to respond.
"Okay, yeah, that's a lot to drop. You don't have to decide now," I said. "I'll ask again later. Just think about it."
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AN: Sorry, everyone, for late chapter work been hard this week.