Shiro's Sanctum

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works, if you recognise it from somewhere else, surprise it isn't mine.

Betad by morde24, Atrius, Hermes, Priapus, Marethyu, Old man of the mountain, TheDonFluffles, Malcolm Tent and Mike, God of Lore 

The Guild of Gamers: The Blessed

Chapter 03: Why is it always Nazis?

I fucking knew worst day would last a full twenty four hours, not just end at midnight. That's obviously why I got blasted by a crazy reality warper and tossed to who the fuck knows where.

I do remember where I've heard the name Hydra before after some mental searching, it was in the Captain America museum. They're the super-Nazis he fought, led by the Red Skull.

They're also supposed to have died out after World War 2, but I guess not.

Finding myself in a random corridor, I pick a direction and start moving as I use Target Acquisition to avoid groups and try to find someone alone.

Leaning around the corner, I spot a single guard standing in front of a door further down, dressed in an all black combat uniform except for an emblem of a red skull with several tentacles coming from it on his shoulder.

…Hydras have multiple heads, not tentacles. If you're gonna steal the name of a cool monster for your creepy secret Nazi organisation, at least get the emblem right.

Before he can notice me, I activate Masquerade and shift, taking on his appearance and outfit.

Fortunately, these idiots wear full face masks so the guard doesn't notice anything unusual as I walk past him, as him.

My exploration finds a cafeteria filled with Hydra soldiers, a gym where a dozen men are working out, but no exit as I wander aimlessly.

It's not like this place has signposts.

A scream makes me pause midstep, because of course the evil Nazis have prisoners. 

I shouldn't risk myself for a stranger, turning and heading the other way before another scream makes me pause, sighing as I turn around and head towards it.

I'm not leaving someone to get tortured by Nazis. I'm not that selfish, even if I kinda wish I was.

The sounds are coming from a room with the door open, a blonde man standing over a blonde woman, strapped to a torture chamber in nothing but her panties, cuts covering her body as she glares at the man.

"I will not ask again, Agent Carter, how did you discover this operation?" the man asks in a German accent, the woman glaring up at him.

"I'm an agent, it's what I do," 'Agent Carter' responds, making the man strike her across the face harshly.

He's got powers… but they only work when he's touching someone specific? He's a powerful blaster, but he needs skin contact with another powered individual for them to work.

The man pauses, turning around and spotting me standing there, a frown in his face.

"Soldier, where is your weapon," he asks, making me pause.

"I'm off-duty, sir, it's in the armoury," I reply, making him blink, rubbing his forehead.

"Off-duty? These idiotic Americans," he mutters in German, I don't speak German but apparently, the person whose face I am borrowing does. Pulling out a pistol he had holstered at his side, I tense up but he reverses his grip and holds it out to me. "I need to go and acquire some… tools to convince our guest to be more talkative, you will guard the prisoner. No-one but myself and my sister is to enter."

"Yes, sir," I say, saluting which makes him pause again, sighing as he walks away, muttering about American recruits. 

I'm glad he just thinks I'm a fucking idiot, as I consider just shooting him in the back of the head. My Target Acquisition shows too many people around, they'd hear the gunshot.

"Traitor," Agent Carter says darkly, the one I copied has a southern American accent so I can see why she'd be angry, making me turn back to her.

"I haven't betrayed anyone, Agent Carter," I say simply, making her eyes narrow. She's strong, because she has a lot of cuts on her body already. 

"What did they promise you for you to betray your country? Wealth, power?" Agent Carter asks, making me chuckle.

"Nope, I just like the uniform," I say irreverently, making her glare grow stronger.

She doesn't say anything else as I start planning, this room is soundproofed, he left the door open because he wanted people to hear her screams.

The door controls are right there.

"I don't suppose you know who that guy was? I'm new here," I ask, making her blink.

"Andreas Von Strucker, how do you not know that?" Carter asks, making me smile beneath my mask.

"I'm very new. Anything I should know about him?" I ask, her eyes narrowing briefly before they widen.

"He's the son of Baron Strucker, a member of the Hydra council before their destruction. I think he's trying to rebuild Hydra," Carter says, looking at me intensely.

She's caught on that I'm not exactly supposed to be here, but I can see Andreas returning through the walls, having made his outline a different colour.

"Who-" she starts, pausing as I lift a finger to my lips.

Andreas returns shortly afterward, carrying both a leather bag and a file, opening it.

"You are quite distinguished, Sharon Carter. Such a long record you have, and an interesting one as well. I did wonder when I heard your name, the niece of the famous Peggy Carter," Andreas says, flicking through the file which makes Sharon's eyes widen in shock. "Your aunt caused us much trouble, and now I know where she is, reduced to an invalid."

His words do more to Sharon than his blade did, making her visibly shaken by the information he has.

"You need not die down here, you are a talented woman of good stock, simply tell me what I want to know and I will spare you, and your aunt," he continues, getting nothing but stony silence in return before he chuckles, placing the bag down on the table. "The hard way it is, but that just makes things more enjoyable for me."

With his back turned, rummaging through his bag as he pulls out a needle with some unknown liquid in it, and several tools, Sharon gives me a pleading look, making me inch closer to the door controls.

— Sharon Carter —

She'd only been investigating a small leak in Shield, expecting the agent to be selling secrets to some foreign government, not the revival of Hydra.

Watching her torturer gather his tools? She really hoped that she was right about the weird guy now slowly moving towards the controls for the door.

"You are a brave woman, Agent Carter," Andreas said, moving closer with a needle in one hand, a blade in the other. "But you have only made things worse for yourself," he continued, pausing as he heard the door close.

Turning back to the mystery man, he stared at him blankly.

"What are you doing?" Andreas asked, suspicion in his tone.

"…I bumped into the controls. Sorry," the man said, making Andreas frown deeply.

"Take off your mask," Andreas demanded, watching the stranger immediately obey, Andreas relaxing slightly when he did.

She recognised the man under the mask, he was a fucking Shield agent, but Andreas also seemed to recognise him.

What was weirder was that the man didn't seem to recognise her. 

"I thought Shield trained its people better than-" Andreas trailed off, before he smirked. "Ah, I understand. You are hoping to play with Miss Carter yourself."

"Err, what?" the man asked, tilting his head as Andreas smiled.

"You will take over Miss Carter's interrogation, perhaps she'll be more talkative with another agent of Shield," Andreas said cruelly, but as he turned back to her, the man's face and outfit shifted, becoming a perfect copy of Andreas himself.

Andreas didn't notice as the shapeshifter changed into him, nor as the man raised his gun and aimed it at Andreas' back.

With absolutely no hesitation, the copycat emptied the entire clip into Andreas, mag dumping a dozen rounds into the Hydra officer's back and head.

"Nah, torture isn't my style," 'Andreas' said casually, his accent switched to a thick German one as he tossed the gun aside. "Fucking Nazis."

"Who are you?" Sharon asked, watching as he walked up to Andreas' body and searched his pockets, before picking up the body and tossing it though some kind of portal.

"Andreas Von Strucker, obviously, but I guess you did nazi that coming," Copycat said, smirking smugly as she rolled her eyes. 

"Look, I'm a government agent, I don't know who you are but I need your help," Sharon said, watching him fiddle with the controls of the chair she was strapped to, the restraints coming undone.

"If that help involves finding a way out, trust me, I'm as lost as you. I kinda ended up here by accident," he admitted as she thanked her lucky stars.

It must be her lucky day if this guy had genuinely ended up here by pure chance.

"I don't want to leave, I need to get access to their systems," Sharon said, rubbing her wrists.

She needed to know just how compromised Shield was, given that Andreas had been able to get her complete file, which she picked up and looked through with growing concern.

Even she didn't have access to the full file, but Andreas had gotten access to it easily. He didn't seem surprised at a Shield agent working for Hydra.

Something was very wrong here.

"I- wait, someone is coming," Copycat said, looking at the wall.

She paused for a second before she jumped back into the chair.

"Restrain me again," Sharon said quickly, surprising him before he nodded and reactivated her restraints.

The door opened moments later, Andrea von Strucker waltzing in, unaware her brother was dead.

"She still hasn't talked? You are slacking, Andreas," Andrea said in amusement. 

"There's no need to rush things, I prefer to savour the moment," Copycat said, making Andrea laugh.

"Are you planning on savouring our guest?" Andrea asked, looking over Sharon's body. Was that jealousy? "Never mind, I require your attention. You can play with Agent Carter later, she's not going anywhere."

Andrea turned and walked away, expecting her brother to follow, as Copycat gave her a questioning look.

"Andrea, she's 'your' twin," Sharon said. "I'll be fine, you should go so you don't alert them."

"Got it," Copycat said, hitting the control for her restraints again as he went to follow 'his' sister, releasing her once Andrea was out of sight.

Copycat gave her a lazy salute as he followed Andrea, leaving her to get dressed and arm herself, wondering who the fuck Copycat really was.

— Arthur King —

You know, I think these Nazis might have some issues.

"You cannot help yourself, I saw the way you were staring at that American pig," Andrea growls.

"She has blonde hair and blue eyes, I have a type," I say unapologetically, making Andrea smile slightly, her blue eyes softening as she strokes my cock.

"I do not mind you playing with her, but get the information first, business before pleasure," Andrea warns, on her knees as she strokes my cock.

"Then what is this, Andrea?" I ask, making her smirk as she kisses 'my' cock.

"Just a reminder," Andrea says with a sultry tone, before she opens her mouth and takes my length into her mouth.

Leaning against the desk of our office, I briefly take pride in the fact that I have a bigger cock than this Nazi prick, even as his sister chokes herself on it.

It's an admittedly amazing blowjob, Andrea worshipping her 'brother's' cock, never breaking eye contact as I gently grip her hair.

Hm, this really isn't how I thought this would go. I was going to stab her in the back the moment I got the chance since I got a roll for killing Andreas.

Which I didn't think about, I just wanted to mag dump a sadistic Nazi. Fuck double tap, this is a superhero world, if I had ammo I'd have reloaded and mag dumped him a couple more times before throwing him into a volcano.

 It's the only way to be sure.

Then she pushed me against the desk and undid my trousers and I decided to see where this was going.

I wonder if [To The Victor] caused this, since I defeated her… lover, brother? Brover, yeah I defeated her brover.

On one hand, she's a Nazi, on the other she's a hot blonde currently choking herself on my cock

Gripping her hair roughly, she doesn't resist as I start to pound her throat, abusing her bitchy-looking face, this is for science you understand.

She either likes it rough or she's a complete sub, because she puts up no fight as I abuse her mouth, my nuts slapping against her chin as her tongue worships the cock violating her lips, before I pull back and drag her to her feet, bending her over her desk as I rip her trousers down.

"So eager today, take what's yours brother," Andrea says with a sultry tone as she wiggles her ass at me, and the knowledge I got from Andreas gives me an idea as I undo my belt, wrapping it around her throat, tightening it.

Slamming myself home into her soaked cunt, I tighten the belt until she can barely breathe, pounding her against the desk because Andreas knows a lot about BDSM, and her lack of reaction tells me this isn't the first time she's been in this position, moaning as her airway is constricted, her pussy tightening down on 'my' cock as she cums.

Getting a devious but dumb idea, I let Masquerade fall as I grip her head and force it down against the desk, making her moan again.

"You feel so big, baby, fuck me with that big fat cock," Andrea begs, as my cock pounds her Nazi cunt, saying nothing as the room is filled with the sounds of her moans and our flesh clapping together.

If she looked back, she'd see a smaller in height but bigger in cock American teenager pounding her, but that's why I'm keeping her head pushed against the desk.

It's my cock she's cumming from, it's unnecessarily risky but I don't generally care, the room is locked and I have a belt around her throat.

Speeding up, I grunt as I feel this slut cum again, thrusting into her with a groan as I pump my seed into her waiting womb. 

"Ah, I needed tha- I can't feel my powers," Andrea says, going to stand up as she turns, but I was ready for this as I grip the belt and immediately tighten it.

Her eyes widen in shock, immediately kicking back at me but I have the size and strength advantage. She's a better fighter but she lost the moment she let me wrap a belt around her throat.

What kind of weird villain only has powers when they're touching their sibling? Which she'll never do again because Andreas is sleeping with the fishes in my Ocean.

Her struggles intensify as she starts to lose consciousness from the lack of oxygen, kicking and trying to elbow me away from her, but I ignore the pain and pin her to her desk, her struggles fading as she falls into unconsciousness.

Shifting into her, I step back and briefly check that she's still breathing, finding that she is. I'll decide what to do about her later, I didn't get extra rolls for killing Andreas so I won't be getting extra.

Maybe I'll give her to the agent, might buy me some wiggle room with Shield.

Feats Achieved

['Defeat' Andrea Von Strucker]

[Fuck Andrea Von Strucker]

Two Rolls Granted

Today could certainly have gone worse, and as I accidentally nudge her computer, I pause. 

Has my unlucky day ended? Because this fucking idiot has her computer set to unlock with facial recognition.

Fixing Andrea's clothes and pushing her under the desk for now, I sit down at the computer and get to work, Andrea's technical skills helping me get to work.

Let's see what they've got here.

Though, first things first…

Rolling

Result: Rare Item, Common Knowledge, Common Astral Plane

[Stone of Good Luck] 

Source: DnD

This stone grants the holder a measure of luck, simply making all things go slightly better. For the Gacha, this will increase all rolls by 1, this cannot negate Nat 1's or turn a 99 into a 100.

[Acting Mastery: Apprentice] 

You are a talented actor, with the equivalent knowledge of having practised for a few years.

[Terrain: Tropical Island]

A stone that permanently increases my luck and odds? Equipping that immediately- (fortunately it can hide under my Masquerade)- the small green gem will never leave my side.

Acting obviously synergises with Masquerade, and adding a tropical island to my astral ocean makes it more useful for me, since I can use it as a sanctuary in times of need.

I consider just jumping over there immediately and waiting out the rest of the day just to be safe, before I shake my head.

I'm in this now, might as well see it through, but I can at least toss Andrea onto it and leave her there as a temporary measure.

I can decide if it is inhabited by regional appropriate animals, and I have decided no for now, she'll be safe enough.

Now, her systems. 

Huh, the base has a self-destruct function like all proper secret bases.

…

Not now, Arthur, calm yourself. 

Accessing the cameras, I find Sharon who is pretty damn good at her job. But from here I can control the entire base, every door and camera.

Using that, I guide her away from the active Hydra agents, and towards here. There's a lot of information on this terminal but it doesn't mean anything to me.

Opening the door, she aims her gun at me for a moment before lowering it.

"Copycat?" Sharon asks, making me nod easily.

"I've unlocked her terminal, but this data means nothing to me," I say, stepping back as she moves forwards.

"Nice work, where's Andrea?" Sharon asks, typing away as I smirk.

"I've stashed her away somewhere safe, haven't decided whether to kill her or not. Did you know the twins were in an incestuous relationship?" I ask, making her blink.

"She didn't…"

"I didn't beat her in a fight, I just choked her out during their fucked up BDSM play," I admit happily, making Sharon pause before she lets out a snort.

"I don't know which part of that is more fucked up," Sharon finally says, shaking her head. "If you don't mind, I'd like to take her in."

"Works for me, she can sleep it off for now, I'll retrieve her later," I say easily, getting a genuine smile from her before she freezes. "What's up?"

"They have full access to Shield's systems, I don't think even Director Fury has this much access. I could destroy Shield's main base from here, I can access our cameras. They've had complete access to every file, every system… for who knows how long," Sharon says, genuine horror in her tone. "What's this? An agent list… no, this is all the Hydra agents working in Shield. There's hundreds of them, that's impossible. They'd have to have been planning this for decades to infiltrate Shield at every level like this."

Looking over her shoulder, I nod to myself. Yup, superhero world. Can't trust the government to not be either hilariously incompetent, wildly corrupt or completely evil.

Sometimes all three, I'm looking at you Worm.

"So, copy everything then activate the self destruct and get out of here?" I ask, making her nod.

"I need something to copy the data onto, they have a computer room not too far away judging by the map here, Copycat, or whatever your name is, I don't know who you are or why you're here but please, this could be apocalyptic if I don't succeed here. I need your help," Sharon says, making me nod.

"Copycat works, I'm this far in, might as well see it to the end," I say, making her smile. "I'll go to the computer room, you stay here. Nobody should be able to open the office door except the two Strucker siblings, and since one is dead and the other is stuck in a pocket dimension…" I trail off.

"Nobody will find me, thank you Copy," Sharon says, making me grin for a moment before I replace it with a sneer.

"Wish me luck!" I say cheerfully, shaking my head. Stay in character, Arthur.

Walking through the base like I own the place, my Noctis cape allowing me to save a snapshot of the map, no-one is brave enough to stop me as I make my way to the computer room, the techies seeming afraid of Andrea as I bark out orders.

Getting the tech I need, in record time because they seem to want me to leave, I turn and walk away, it's nice playing the part of someone who people are too afraid to talk to.

I genuinely think my bad day has ended at this point, because things are going very smoothly as I hand the gear over to Sharon.

While she works her magic, I check my quest again, frowning.

[Escape the HYDRA base]

Objective: Escape the base without being captured

Optional Objectives: Defeat the Von Strucker Twins (Complete), Free Agent Carter (Complete), ???

Rewards: ???

Things are going too smoothly, and that last objective makes me nervous. Maybe it's just to destroy the base, and I'm worrying for nothing?

"I'm ready, the twins have an escape tunnel right here in their office. All we have to do is start the self destruct, lock down the base and leave through the backdoor, I've already contacted Director Fury on one of the only channels that's apparently truly secure, these bastards have been listening into most of our channels, and transport is on its way," Sharon explains, making me hesitate.

Do I go with Shield? 

"You won't be harmed, or imprisoned, we owe you for this, massively. If nothing else, we can drop you off somewhere far away from his place," Sharon says, seeing my hesitation.

"Considering I still don't know where this place is? Yeah, that's probably for the best," I say finally, watching as one of the walls retracts exposing a tunnel.

"Then let's get this over with," Sharon says, putting the storage device in a fancy leather briefcase. I wonder whether it was Andrea or Andreas'?

Starting the countdown, we make our move as we escape the place; and while we technically just condemned hundreds of people to death, they were hundreds of actual genuine Nazis in the twenty-first century, I can't bring myself to feel sorry for them.

The tunnel leads out into a woodland, with us both walking towards where the transport is supposed to pick us up, a helicopter that looks an awful lot like the ones that came for me in the park, amusing me with the fact that I ended up going with them anyway.

I also retrieve the sleeping Andrea, careful not to touch her skin since that'd break my masquerade, handing her over as she's quickly cuffed. She's their problem now.

"Where do you want dropping off? Director Fury wishes to speak with you, but that's optional," Sharon says, which is suspicious in itself given that she's a member of the same shadowy organisation that shot me in the back before.

"Just drop me off at the nearest city, no offence but given the fact that your organisation seems hilariously infiltrated, I'll pass on meeting your boss," I say, watching her carefully as she nods in acceptance.

"Understandable, the nearest city is Cleveland, if that's alright," she says, not arguing since she can't really disagree given what we just learnt about her organisation.

Oh fuck, we're in Ohio? Today truly is the worst day.

"That works for me," I say, giving her a smile.

"I don't suppose you plan on telling me your name?" Sharon asks, making me chuckle.

"Nope, but I'll give you a hint. Tell the Black Widow to try talking first next time, the whole 'shoot first and call yourself the good guy later' thing doesn't really work, no matter how hot she is," I say, chuckling as the helicopter lands, giving her a cocky wave as I burst into ash.

Or my clone anyway, as I watch from the ground.

There's no point doing a good deed if I don't get the credit for it, gotta let Shield know I'm the one who pulled their agent out of the fire and by extension exposed how hilariously infiltrated they are.

Honestly, I think the Wanda thing was a one off, maybe it wasn't because of worst day and she's just a crazy bitch, because everything went just fine-

Feat Achieved

[Become Hydra's Number One Enemy]

Roll Granted 

Everything went just fine. Yup, it's all good, nothing unlucky here at all, I'm sure there'll be no long term consequences from this.

Quest Complete

[Escape the HYDRA base]

Objective: Escape the base without being captured

Optional Objectives: Defeat the Von Strucker Twins (Complete), Free Agent Carter (Complete), Destroy the Base 

Rewards: 4 Rolls (1 basic, plus one for each optional objective done), One Advantage Token, Power Upgrade Quests unlocked.

Power Upgrade Quests?

Ah, I see. I can take a quest based on any power I have to improve that power.

It's different from just training with it, because the upgrade can be massive.

Masquerade for instance can become unbreakable, it can copy memories as well, there's one upgrade that lets me keep the powers if I kill the person I'm masquerading. 

Masquerade Upgrade Quest

Objective: Convince ten people you are their loved ones (0/10), frame five people for crimes they didn't commit (0/5), defeat 3 capes with their own powers (0/3)

Reward: Unbreakable Masquerade

Some of those are a bit questionable, but I guess that's the price.

Upgrade Quests take your morality into consideration. A truly lawful good person would have lawful good objectives. 

…okay, fair enough. I was already planning on borrowing a certain spider's look for a bit. Yeah, I'm still that petty.

The last one is going to be difficult, because I need to not have any skin-contact with them or it'll break the masquerade, I'll need to find people with long range powers I can use to take them down.

But not too powerful or they'll just destroy me and my weaker copy of their powers. It's certainly a conundrum. 

Well, at least I have my rolls, my precious, precious rolls.

Rolling

Result: Rare Perk, Common Pet, Rare Knowledge, Junk Summon, Common Perk

[Wisdom of the Archmage] 

Magic comes naturally for you, allowing you to both learn and create spells with greater ease than any other mage. 

[Cat: Turkish Angora]

[Sword Mastery: Expert]

You are an expert at swordsmanship in the top 1% of mortals in this skill.

[Stalker]

This companion has one purpose, to watch you from a distance. They will follow you around as long as they're summoned, always somewhere nearby no matter how fast you move, if approached they'll disappear immediately and reappear a short time later. Yes, they watch you sleep.

[Steel Bladder] 

You no longer need to ever go to the toilet, where does it all go? Let's not ask questions that nobody wants the answer to.

Okay, those rolls could have been better, not going to lie. Wisdom will help me with my magic curse, but also it's going to hurt like a bitch and the flood of knowledge in how to use all types of swords will help a lot with my Revenant Blade.

Beyond that, I guess I don't need to go to the toilet anymore, so that's… good? I also have a pet cat, very white and fluffy, and a stalker.

Hm.

Summoning the Stalker out of pure curiosity, I look around and spot someone standing in the far distance, peeking their head out from behind a tree.

I can't make out their appearance, beyond the fact that they've got longish black hair. They quickly hide behind the tree when they see me looking at them.

I'm sure that won't get old fast.

Instead, I send them to the tropical island, they can stalk me when I'm there I guess.

Now, onto what really matters.

I'm extremely hungry, I've been trying to ignore it but now the grass is starting to look appetising.

I need food, and Cleveland, Ohio must deliver.

— Arthur King —

I don't think I'm necessarily a bad person, I want to be clear about that.

It's important that I feed, my curse will only get worse if I continue to ignore it and it's not my fault I don't have any money on me.

Eating my seventh burger, I ignore the stares as I feel the weight of the wallet in my pocket, lifted with Telekinesis, which makes petty theft entirely too easy.

Cleveland doesn't seem to have any heroes, and I'm being subtle, plus I'm currently an overweight middle-aged black man.

I need money to get back to New York, which is where Xavier's school is, also where Spiderman is.

I also need money to try and satiate my hunger, hence the dozen kinda shitty burgers I'm currently scoffing.

God, I'm gonna need a power just to stop myself from becoming hilariously overweight.

Guild Gamers cannot become overweight without actively wanting to due to Guild rule: Gamers should be hot (declared by Founder: Shiro Eis)

Huh, that's neat. That's a plus side at least.

As I continue to eat, I feel a weight that I didn't realise was there leaving my shoulders, a notification telling me that my 'worst day' has ended, the 24 hour mark having passed.

And I escaped it mostly unscathed if you ignore Hydra wanting me dead and the super powerful reality warping lunatic who apparently had a grudge against me for some reason.

I like Magneto, but err… I think I'll wait a bit before considering joining up with him, because that was bloody annoying.

…god, that's gonna bite me in the ass later.

But on the bright side, imagine how many rolls I'll get from taking down the entirety of Hydra and the Scarlet Witch.

Always look on the bright side of life, every challenge is just an opportunity to grow stronger.

Which is why I'm going to start hunting villains, I need more power and they're free game. 

And maybe heroes as well, because a roll is a roll. I won't seriously hurt them, just fight them to get the feat for beating them.

Basically, if they're important enough to have a hero or villain name, I'm coming for them.

But that's later, for now I must feast.

Feast on Cleveland, Ohio's most eh burgers.

— Later —

My hunger can never be truly satisfied, but if I eat enough I can take the edge off for a while, eating more than could physically fit into my stomach.

One down, ninety nine to go. 

On a long distance coach to New York, I sit in the back and flick through my book, the Tome of Pyromancy, making plans for what I want to do.

I'm making a to-do list.

Try out all the things I couldn't before, fuck with Spiderman, destroy Hydra, find some rare food types and feast, master my magic, become obscenely rich, find some targets (heroes and villains I can reasonably take on), deal with the Scarlet Bitch and become a world famous cape.

Just regular teenage boy things.

For now, my next step is to get a place to stay, and for that I'm heading towards Xavier's school for gifted youngsters. 

Magneto thinks Xavier can help with my legal troubles, and hopefully me pulling Sharon out of a Hydra torture chamber will help get Shield off my back.

Masquerade helps, but I'd like to be able to go out as me, not whatever face I have to borrow. 

I've also decided that I'm going to travel, once I've got a home base set up. I want to see the world, hell I want to see the universe if aliens turn out to be a thing here.

I want to see everything, I want to experience everything.

This hero and villains business is just a diversion and a way to get more rolls, to enable my adventures, and admittedly it's kinda fun.

I got to be the big damn hero today, saving a hot secret agent from a sadistic nazi, then banging the villain's sister like I'm James Bond.

Admittedly that sister is definitely going to try and kill me if (when) she escapes from Shield, but she also doesn't have any powers with her brother's body being munched on by sharks in my endless ocean.

So, that's the vague and undefined plan. 

Step one, get to the mutant school, step two…

I'll work it out when I finish step one.

— Bonus Scene — Nick Fury —

He'd like to say he was never caught off guard, after seeing so much shit over the years.

Norse Gods running around destroying small towns? Yeah sure, whatever. Ageless super soldiers found in icicles, just a regular Tuesday. Big, green rage monster smashing up the city in a monster mash, meh.

Nothing seemed to truly surprise him.

Until he found out that he wasn't the head of Shield, he was the puppet head of a Hydra division.

Shield had more agents loyal to a long-thought-dead Nazi secret organisation than it did agents loyal to him.

And he had no idea. Him, the spymaster, who prided himself on knowing everything about everyone, hadn't noticed how hilariously infiltrated his own organisation was.

But while he could be caught off guard, he wasn't the type to get paralysed.

Sharon had done very well, getting this information, her aunt would be proud, but even she admitted she'd have likely died in that hydra stronghold if it wasn't for Copycat, the current alias for Arthur King.

He was growing, and damn fast, but he was a secondary target now.

The entire council that oversaw Shield were either Hydra members or corrupt, his organisation was hilariously infiltrated, but Sharon had brought him a very important set of information.

Because the Struckers had a list of every Hydra agent in both Shield and the various governments, and that also meant he had an easier time knowing who he could trust. 

Because it was time for a purge.

This wasn't what he wanted to create the Avengers initiative for, but he knew the good Captain would want to know that Hydra was alive and well.

The Avengers would be loud, noisy, smashing bases and drawing attention, while he worked in the shadows cast by their light.

He'd need to be subtle, wait and see how the Hydra agents responded to the Strucker's 'deaths', having hidden Andrea away since his own men couldn't be trusted.

Did they know they were made? If so, things would be much harder, but while some of the ones he now knew were higher ranking members of Hydra seemed on edge, they were playing it cool. 

Good, he didn't want them to see the noose closing around their necks until he was ready to hang them all.

Fucking Nazis.