"The guy that has been giving you so much grief is some edgy preteen?"

I choked back a laugh despite the severity of the situation. God damn it, she was going to lose me this deal if she kept at it.

"And a proud one at that," Shin said glibly. "I was 13 when I conquered my world. What were you up to when you were my age?"

Jean's mouth fell open slightly, and I coughed.

"That got intense all of a sudden."

It was easy to forget how big of a threat he was because of his ridiculous form. I supposed that was the point, forcing you to let down your guard while he fucked you over.

"Don't sweat the small stuff," Shin said offhandedly. "Why is she here?"

"To act as officiator," I said. We just agreed to all these terms. I'm here to make sure you don't try to get around our deal by having one of your agents whack me, force my hand, or plot against me."

"Really abusing your girlfriend's connections, aren't you?" Shin asked.

"Dante told me how you negotiated," Jean said. I'd be mad if he hadn't asked for my help."

"Maybe you're not as naïve as you look," he chuckled, looking my way before he waved. "Alright, I'll grant you that concession. I promise not to take overt or covert action against you while our deal remains active. The same goes for my agents."

"And if you don't, what happens then?" Jean asked, with an intense look in her eyes. They'd started to glow red.

Shin seemed entirely unphased by the sudden change. "I surrender all control of your soul and provide you with a high-quality item from the store valued at 1 trillion Red Orbs. But if you fail to deliver on any of your promises to me, the soul value of every purchase doubles, and your class accumulates a soul cost."

My mouth salivated at the thought of a 1 trillion Red Orb voucher, but I knew a trap when I saw one.

"You have somebody on your roster already working on the stones, don't you?"

"Nope," he shrugged, and I looked at Jean, who frowned.

"The Phoenix has agreed to your request to guarantee the deal. So far, she hasn't perceived any lies."

"Do you have anyone on your roster working against me and my team mates, asides from Quellitrax?"

"No," he said. "Believe it or not, you already have enough on your plate. Between Quell, the demons, and the enemies you've made, I'm certain you'll fail without me ever needing to lift a finger.

Another diversion.

"Do you have plans in motion that may affect my well-being, the well-being of my squad, or interfere with my ability to fulfill this bet, aside from Quellitrax?"

Shin finally grinned. "Of course I do. You didn't think I'd make a losing bet, did you?"

I cursed under my breath.

"You planned this from the beginning."

"Wish I did," he laughed. "It would've certainly been worth it for that look on your face. I set things in motion when you were still an obedient little soldier. Now that you've gone off the handle…well, there's no unringing that bell."

"I won't agree to this deal until I have all the facts."

"Well, that's too bad," he said, "our deal covers malicious plans against you, not plans that may or may not affect you, depending on your decisions. Marvel is chock full of interesting tidbits. Why would I ever limit myself to you?"

"What are you really after?" Jean demanded as I grappled with his reply. It did not surprise me that Shin's plans for Marvel went far beyond me. The thought of him cooking up some underhanded scheme to seize all power in the universe, however, had me shook. He had barely a week to put this trap together, and it nearly got me killed. How much more dangerous would Shin's schemes be when he had enough time to plan?

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

I recalled the first thing Shin told me. He was here to pillage and steal.

"What I've always wanted. Power," Shin said, then turned to me. "So, do we have a deal?"

There were still tons of unknowns and angles I was not yet seeing, but I knew this was probably the best deal I'd get for now. The Mind and Soul Stones were still legitimate avenues to explore. Plus, what other options did I really have?

'Take the deal,' Jean assured me. 'And at the rate we're growing, it might not matter.'

I knew things wouldn't be as simple as that, but I agreed.

"Alright, Shin the Avaricious," I told the diminutive, black-haired teenager. You've got yourself a deal."

---

Unknown Shield Residential Area

Kurt

I climbed up to my feet and stretched, winking the tiredness away from my eyes.

'No rest for the wicked," I muttered as I teleported to my bathroom. It took my eyes a moment to adjust to the light and the sight of my own reflection. I hadn't had a mirror in my former cell by choice, and it was taking some time to get used to seeing what I looked like.

My sharp canine, blue skin, and prehensile tail were all a bit overwhelming. My counselor insisted I keep at it, though. It was crucial for my mental health and performance.

After all, I would be in charge of a team soon. Between my skills and Captain America's glowing recommendation –something I never thought I'd experience—I was suddenly central to the mutant movement.

It was a great honor, to be sure, but I was not sure I was the right guy for the job.

Time blurred as I cleaned myself and slipped into my suit—a form-fitting uniform lined with Kevlar that all SHIELD agents wore. With a puff, I appeared in the general area, and all eyes snapped to me, and the whispers began.

"Well, look who it is," a big, burly guy with a giant black spot on his cheek said. "Little blue, the sellout. I hope the uniform was worth it."

I cringed.

A black-haired girl from the back, Lauren, snorted. "As if you'd not have jumped at the opportunity yourself. You're just mad you're being shipped away."

"Of course I am," Garrett snorted. They're separating us and locking us up like Hydra. At least with the squid, we knew what was what."

Garret's schemes were obvious, but they were still effective.

"Didn't the nice lady agent say only those with bad records are getting transferred?" a diminutive girl with blond hair, Ari, said.

"Oh, zip it," Garret snapped. "So, what? I knocked over a few liquor stores while hustling on the street. It's no worse than what some of you have done. Ari, with her acid breath over there, melted a guy's hand off before she got a handle on the thing. How many people did Blue-skin over here put in the ground for Hydra? And don't get me started on that stuck-up bitch and the white-haired brat. How many 'demons' did they kill that night?"

"Ya seriously bitching about the people that saved us?" the girl, Lauren, questioned.

"It's no biggy," Garrett folded his arms indignantly. I bet I could've done it, too, if I had magical weapons, but that isn't the point. They're just trying to cull the undesirables. It starts with people with a shady past, but where does it end?"

"SHIELD is trying to save and rehabilitate us, not hurt us," I said, putting a stop to the conspiracy theories before they took root.

"They've given us our own rooms, good food, and even let us use the internet."

"A prison is still a prison, no matter how much you dress it up," Garret insisted.

"But we won't remain here for long," I explained. We're getting sorted today. Those who are willing to fight the demons and are of sound mind will be training in Alaska with Dante, Rin, and Jean. The rest will be sent to a protected gated community where you can wait out the fight."

"This sorting," Lauren spoke up, "who will be doing it?"

"The Telekinetic," a voice from the corner of the room answered. It was Armando, the smartest and the most powerful of us. His mutation allowed him to reactively adapt to Stimuli. He'd become a bit more withdrawn since he lost his friend, Yuki, during the attack. While his adaptation allowed him to always survive, it rarely provided an offensive advantage. "They'll be having her look into our minds and judge us. It's the only way they'll be able to find the soldiers and cage the, how did you put it, undesirables."

Thanks a lot, Armando.

Garret got up to his feet, fueled by Armando's words. "Oh hell, No! See, what did I fucking tell ya? I'm not letting a creepy psychic come anywhere near my head. This is just like Strucker all over again, chaining us, drugging us, experimenting with us. It will be a cold day in hell before I let that happen again. I say we march into the big man's office and demand our freedom!"

My eyes narrowed to slits, and I soaked in the quiet of the room. My next words would carry weight.

"Leave the facility, then," I announced for the benefit of the mutants sitting in the hall. "See, how far that gets you. You were lucky to have gotten away with a black eye for the stunt you pulled with those monsters. Strucker's sessions will feel like a massage when the demons get their hands on you," I said.

Garrett blustered, then scoffed. "I can take care of myself."

"So did the Super soldiers and mutants worldwide everywhere," I said, "they thought they could take care of themselves too. If you think you're better than them all…" I trailed off, and Garret clenched his teeth.

"This is bullshit."

I walked away with a pep in my step. I thought it could've gone better, but I was feeling more confident already. "Believe whatever you want!" I announced as I passed the doorway.

(Read up to Chapter 122 on Patreon.com/artandcreativewriting)