Three minutes into my obsessive chase of Creel, I found out how serious Domina was about killing me.

A tsunami of demons and mercenaries descended on the streets of New York, forcing me to be in multiple places at once.

One second, I was using Ophion to pull back a Tyrant—one of those 10-foot-tall metal demons with giant maces for hands—and the next, I was gunning down a special forces team who tried to take me out with an RPG. They found out pretty quickly that I was immune to Fire. I did have to let some attacks hit though to draw blood and help me repair my enchanted robes.

I turned to a death machine, cutting, gunning, and parrying my way through the masses with ruthless efficiency and military precision. I lopped off heads and sniped far-off targets with Focused Shot, which had become considerably easier and more potent thanks to my Nether Fire and increased stats.

My energy stats, I was discovering as I experimented more, did more than just give me access to my affinities, they also made the Adept Manipulation Perk I'd earned in both skills that much more powerful. Energy flowed quicker.

I lost count of how many red orbs had poured into me at this point, and the number of demons and mercenaries only seemed to grow as I fought more.

So, I pulled out a demonic technique I'd been eager to try and started to charge it.

Energy gathered, forming a knot just beneath my heart, collapsing until I could make it no smaller. It exploded outward in a destructive wave of pure demonic energy and Nether fire and incinerated and pushed back every demon and mercenary in a 20-foot radius.

I stored my clothes and armor before the attack hit because they almost hadn't survived my first go at Wave of Desolation a few weeks back.

Wave of Desolation (Basic)

Unleash Demonic energy in a 360-degree wave, inflicting your enemy with the raw might of your affinity. (Nether Fire)

"What the hell was that!"

Fury barked, startled by the explosion. He'd had some of his agents monitoring the fights via drones and live feed. Some even assisted from afar with sniper shots and strategic heavy fire from Helicopters, slowly thinning the herd.

I dashed out of the fire, summoning back my armor, clothes, and comms.

"What the hell was that!" Fury yelled in my ear.

"You like?" I taunted. "New ability. Creel will get away if I keep going like this, but I can't leave, not when all these people are in danger."

"Perhaps we can help with that," An old wizened voice sounded over my intercom, and dozens of things happened around me at once. Guns rose into the air and unloaded into the chests and heads of mercenaries, and a blue blur whizzed around the battlefield, ferrying people in nearby buildings to safety.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding in. I could've gone all out and pushed the limit with more demonic energy, but I had to save my juice for the fight that I knew was coming. Even if I was successful in retrieving the serum, I was certain there would be hell to pay. Domina would make sure of it.

"Who called in the Calvary," I asked Fury over the comms as I sped toward a building.

"Jean," Fury said. "They're our allies now, so I figured we might as well use them."

"Fair enough," I said. "We need the bodies." I wasn't exactly thrilled that they were here, but we needed to get along if we were going to survive the takeover.

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Pietro sped up to me, jogging in reverse, flashing a smile that could melt a teenage girl's heart. "You're faster than before, but I am faster. Tell me who we are looking for, and I will end this now."

I took a moment to consider his suggestion before making a decision. While we were running out of time, and I didn't trust the asshole, I had to make a choice.

"If you double-cross me, I will kill you," I said. "We're after a bald guy with metal skin on a motorcycle. You can't miss him. He's half a block in that direction." I pointed at several buildings, following the mental link I'd established.

"You're never going to let that recruitment thing go, are you?"

"Nope." I said, "Now, go." I turned intangible and used Burst and Gust, rocketing me through several buildings as I rushed to Creel's location. I arrived just in time to see Creel vanish as space folded. Pietro was speeding through a wave of demonic dogs, reaching for the Dreamrunner who'd spawned them. Pietro shoved him aside, but it was too late.

"Son of a—" A string of wild expletives followed as did Wind slashes. Pietro helped too but he was surprisingly not as deadly despite his speed.

"You didn't tell me Creel could do that," he said.

"Didn't know either."

"So, it's over?"

"Not quite," I said. "He's in a building not too far from here, waiting for us."

"Why?"

"Not sure, but it can't be for anything good," I said. "We need to hurry. We're running out of time."

--

Jean

They were trying to cut off my connection to the Astral realm, and it was working. The astral plane, which always thrummed and reacted with the slightest prompt from my mind, grew distant with every passing moment.

I stumbled back from the suddenness, and Kilgrave cackled.

"Predictable. You hero types are so easy. I don't know why Domina was so worked up about you." Kilgrave's lips stretched into a sinister smile.

"Now, let's have a little fun, shall we?"

"Kneel."

To my utter surprise, my knees buckled, and they touched the floor, one leg at a time. Kilgrave laugh grew even more wild, drinking in my fear.

"Take off your armor," he said, licking his lips. "Let's have a look at what's underneath."

I scowled. I didn't need Telepathy to know what he wanted from me, and my body trembled as I was helpless to stop myself.

Slowly, I began to loosen the straps holding my breastplate to my chest.

A brusque demonic voice came from the shadows.

"Control your appetite and do as you were told."

Kilgrave frowned. "Mind your tone, N'tesh. No one talks to me like that except her."

N'tesh let out a hollow laugh. "Did I hurt your pride?" Kilgrave stiffened. "Don't tell me that's all it takes. We do not have time for this. They could be making their escape as we speak."

Kilgrave looked like he had more to say, but that would've only proved N'tesh's point. His attention snapped to me. "You, take one of the daggers you have strapped to your leg armor and hold it to your throat."

The panic I felt reached a new high as my body betrayed me yet again. It was like I was under the control of the Phoenix but ten times worse. She fought for me in her twisted way, but Kilgrave wanted to do nothing but hurt me.

I scrambled for a connection to the Astral plane that slipped through my fingers with each desperate lunge and observed with a growing rage as Kilgrave picked up his megaphone and spoke.

"I wish we could've met under better circumstances, Dr. Banner, but time is short, and I have hostages. You have a Super soldier serum you developed for the United States government. I would very much like it as well as the original formula, any notes, and any information you have. Do that, and I promise to spare Jean Grey's life and the lives of everybody in the square. Ignore me, and well, I'll have Jean slit her throat after watching the entire square die brutally. You have five minutes," he finished and turned to N'tesh, who was slowly materializing from Kilgrave's shadow. "Satisfied?"

Ntesh was a white-skinned Cambion with two small horns, and black eyes with no pupils. He wore charcoal black ninja fatigues and carried no weapons.

"Eminently," he said. N'tesh looked at me, eyes lingering for a moment. "Do not let your guard down around her," he warned, and Kilgrave scoffed.

"Why don't you worry about yourself. I've got everything under control."

N'tesh shook his head and tapped the floor. The shadow underneath him grew to the size of a door. "Fail Mistress Domina, and I'll rip out your tongue."

Kilgrave snorted at the threat, but his eyes betrayed him. He was terrified. N'tesh sunk into the darkness, and then he was gone. Kilgrave's eyes darted around the square and noticed that everyone was staring at him. He lost it.

"What are you all looking at! I should have you pluck out your own eyes, but I won't," he huffed. "No, I'd rather have them looking at somebody else," his cruel eyes met my defiant one. "Strip," he commanded in an icy voice.

I could've called on the Phoenix, drawing deep into my well of limitless cosmic energy, but Colossus, Dante, and the Mansion were somber reminders of what could happen if I did that. I was at least three times as powerful as I used to be.

I could deal with this pervert. I just needed motivation, and this asshole provided me plenty.