One Month Later
The underground facility was taking shape nicely.
True to my word, I'd purchased the abandoned Cold War bunker and had begun transforming it into a proper base of operations. With strategic use of my powers on construction crews and inspectors, the work was progressing faster than it should have, with no official records of what we were really building.
Felicia was in her element, helping design security systems and planning escape routes. She'd also started reaching out to contacts—people she trusted who might be useful to our growing operation.
That's how we ended up meeting Maya Lopez.
"She's deaf, incredibly skilled fighter, and has photographic reflexes," Felicia explained as we waited in a downtown gym. "I worked a job with her two years ago. She's talented but she's been mixed up with some bad people. Might be good to give her better options."
"And you think she'll be receptive?"
"I think she's looking for something more than what she has. Whether that's us? We'll find out."
Maya arrived twenty minutes later—a beautiful Native American woman in her mid-twenties with dark hair and intelligent eyes that took in everything. She moved with a grace that spoke to years of training.
Felicia made introductions using sign language, which I'd taken the time to learn (with some neural enhancement to speed up the process). Maya was cautious but curious, her eyes lingering on me with interest.
Over the next hour, we talked—or rather, signed. Maya was working as a bodyguard for a businessman she didn't respect, living paycheck to paycheck despite her skills. When Felicia floated the idea of a better opportunity, she was immediately interested.
"What kind of opportunity?" she signed.
"The kind where you use your skills for something meaningful," I responded. "Where you're valued and paid what you're worth. Where you have a family that watches your back."
She studied me for a long moment. "Why me?"
"Because you're brilliant and wasted where you are. Because Felicia trusts you. And because I think you want more than what you have."
"He's right," Felicia added. "You deserve better, Maya. Let us give you that."
Maya thought it over, then signed: "I'm listening."
Over the next few weeks, Maya became part of our small circle.
She helped train me in hand-to-hand combat—something I'd been neglecting. My powers were incredible, but in a world with people like Hawkeye and Black Widow, I needed to be able to fight without relying on them exclusively. Maya's photographic reflexes meant she could copy any fighting style she'd seen, and she was a patient, demanding teacher.
I also noticed the way she looked at me. The interest in her eyes when we trained, the way she found excuses to touch my arm or stand close. And the way Felicia noticed it too—and smiled.
"She likes you," Felicia said one night as we lay in bed.
"I know."
"Are you going to do anything about it?"
I turned to face her. "Are you giving me permission?"
"We talked about this, Marcus. I knew what I was signing up for." She traced a finger down my chest. "Besides, Maya is gorgeous, talented, and trustworthy. If you're going to build a harem, she's a good choice."
"You're sure?"
"I'm sure. Just…" she met my eyes, "remember what I said. I'm first. Always. And you never lie to any of us about the others."
"Never," I promised.
"Good. Then go talk to her. She's been wanting you to make a move for weeks."
I found Maya in the gym the next evening, working through a kata with deadly precision. She saw me approach and finished the sequence before signing a greeting.
"Can we talk?" I asked.
She nodded, grabbing a towel and water bottle. We sat on the mats, and I took a moment to gather my thoughts.
"I want to be direct with you," I signed. "I'm attracted to you. I think you're incredible—your skills, your intelligence, everything about you. But I need you to know something before anything happens between us."
She waited, her expression carefully neutral.
"Felicia and I are together. Seriously together. She's my partner in every way. But we also have an understanding—I'm building something bigger than just a two-person team, and that includes the possibility of other romantic relationships."
Maya's eyebrows rose slightly. She signed: "A harem?"
"Essentially, yes. I know how it sounds. But I promise you this: every woman who's with me chooses to be there. There's no coercion, no manipulation. Just honest connection and mutual desire."
"And Felicia is okay with this?"
"More than okay. She helped me realize it's what I want. What I need."
Maya was quiet for a long moment, processing. Then she signed: "I need to know—do you want me just for sex? Or something more?"
"Something more. I want you as part of my inner circle. Someone I can trust, rely on, care about. The physical aspect is part of that, but it's not all of it."
She studied me, those dark eyes seeing right through me. "I've been alone most of my life. Kept people at a distance because it's safer. But you and Felicia… you're building something. A family, like you said. I want to be part of that."
"Even knowing what it means?"
She smiled—the first real smile I'd seen from her. "Especially knowing what it means. I don't want to be alone anymore, Marcus. And I don't need you all to myself to feel valued."
"Then join us," I said. "For real. All of it."
She moved closer, her hand coming up to touch my face. "Okay. But I have one condition."
"Name it."
"I want Felicia's blessing in person. This needs to be right between all of us."
"Done."
Felicia was waiting at the penthouse when Maya and I arrived.
She'd clearly prepared—candles lit, wine open, wearing a silk robe that left little to the imagination. When she saw us, she smiled welcomingly.
"Maya," she signed and spoke simultaneously. "I'm glad you're here."
Maya signed back: "Marcus said I needed your blessing."
"You have it." Felicia moved closer, taking Maya's hands. "But more than that—you have my welcome. I want you here, with us. I think you're exactly what we need."
"You're sure?"
"Completely." Felicia glanced at me. "Marcus is loyal, protective, and honest. He's also going to need more than just me as his world gets bigger and more dangerous. I'd rather have women I trust and care about sharing him than watch him face everything alone."
Maya looked between us, something like wonder in her expression. Then she signed: "How does this work?"
Felicia grinned. "However we want it to. But tonight? Tonight I think we should all get to know each other better."
She moved to Maya, one hand cupping her face. Maya's eyes widened as Felicia leaned in, giving her plenty of time to pull away. She didn't. Their lips met in a soft, exploratory kiss that quickly deepened.
I watched, aroused and fascinated, as my girlfriend kissed another woman—not for my benefit, but because she genuinely wanted to. When they finally broke apart, both were flushed.
"Bedroom," Felicia said, taking both our hands. "Now."