Canon Fodder

CHAPTER 444 REMINDER

I woke up slowly. My entire body in pain, there was a great weight on my chest. With a groan I tried to lift my hand to my aching head but was restrained. I lifted the other instead. Hair in my mouth I groaned louder as I opened my eyes. A lot of light coming in from the balcony I noticed the top of Anne’s head on my chest. 

n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

My hand moved her hair from my mouth. Her arm entangled with my other one, I moved it out from her as I rolled over. Depositing her on the bed I noticed she and I were both completely nude. I remembered my own Shi’ar clothes having been torn off when I combined my powers. Fresh scabs all over my body I guessed she had woken up after I passed out and pulled me into bed. 

Not wanting to wake her up just yet I looked over my notifications. 

I clicked yes and a new screen appeared. The power wasn’t immediately obvious to me. Curious at what it could be, I thought of calling my Spark. Instead of it coming to my hand immediately I found a source of power near where my chakra had been. My chakra used to be focused on my abs, this new power was just above that, closer to my diaphragm. 

As I called it out, the electricity snaked through me instantly and appeared in my hand. Before it had been slightly yellow, now the electricity was a pure white. Using Gyo on my eyes I could see that the lightning sparking in my hand was soaked in lifeforce and I could feel spiritual energy in it as well.

I had actually done something like this before. Back when I needed to heal Gwen Stacy and Zod in DC world. The Spark somehow more potent with lifeforce, it was completely changed as the energies automatically mixed in my palm. 

“Awesome,” I said and the screen for naming the energy filled with the word awesome. I frowned, then smiled, seriously considering naming it awesome. Perhaps awesomeness. It sounded like a great attack, but at heart I was a traditionalist. Each one of the powers had a shorter name to refer to them. Spark, Nen, Haki, I needed to come up with something no more than two syllables. 

“Spenki, Nenkiark, Hakenspar,” I mumbled, annoyed with the length of the words. “Sparken, Shaken, Shoken, Hoken…works for me.” I said with a satisfied frown. “I used a Hoken attack.” I pronounced it as Hoe-ken. I typed in Hoken and the name was accepted. My status screen was now missing Union and Spark, both replaced by Hoken. I did not have a spare free ability though, which was annoying, but I did have a new power to play with which was cool. 

I moved to sit up but Anne stirred in front of me. Reminded I had a naked women in front of me my eyes immediately went to her chest. C-cup breasts pushed up against me they made a perfect valley of cleavage as my hand instinctively squeezed her ass. As it did, her eyes slowly opened. 

“Thank god,” she said with a sigh. “Are you okay?”

“I’m better,” I admitted, my hand not stopping it’s caress of her lower cheek. My erection had shot up, trying to squeeze it’s way in between her thighs my hesitation was thrown at the window with a gorgeous woman in front of me. “How did we get naked?”

“I pulled you in bed,” she said, her hand moving to my face, worry clear from her. “I-I didn’t know what was happening. You kept screaming and bleeding, and that electricity of yours kept shooting out.” 

“Did you call anyone to help?” I asked, happy that she didn’t.

She shook her head. “I worried the Shi’ar had done something to you. You stopped yelling eventually and fell asleep.” Her hands and eyes moved to red streaks of damage on my skin. “Are you healed already?”

“Not quite,” I said. “But it shouldn’t take too long.” I held off long enough. Growling, I pushed against her and rolled her to her back. Me overtop of her, my legs moved to open her thighs as my dick began to poke her lower entrance. “I fucking want you.” I admitted into her neck as I felt my cock grow more stiff somehow. She moaned underneath me, her hands moving to my chest muscles as she didn’t deny me.

Her Haki said she wanted the same as I did. No longer two lovers fighting, we were just young kids desperate to be closer to one another. Though my mouth tasted like death, I sucked on her neck as she moaned louder, her lower half moving to line itself up with my dick. Moving closer toward her I could feel the heat coming from her pussy as it practically began to drip from how wet she was. 

As my glans kissed her lower lips she moaned, “Weston,” in my ear, causing me to almost break. With a deep guttural growl I pulled back. 

“No,” I said. “Not until we are clear about things.” I stared down at her as she pulled me back down to her. Gray hair framing her face, she didn’t look angry, but turned on. 

“We’re dating, Weston. We love each other. I want to do this with you,” she said, pulling me closer, her pussy trying to draw me in. 

“And the other women I’ve slept with since last we did this?” I asked. 

Her anger spiked, but her face became firm. “They-don’t-exist,” she said through gritted teeth, her nails digging into my triceps. “Just forget about them. It can be you and me. Forever. I love you, Weston. You love me. We can forget everyone else.” 

I opened my mouth to answer her. Doing my best to picture it. I could see being happy with her. But my mind would always question the what if. What about Delilah? Matilda? Hancock when I found her? I had seen her only the day before when we fought the Sentinels to save future Anne. 

The thought of all these women made me question my own resolve. Would I slip? Would Anne forbid me from seeing them? With how jealous she was, I doubted I would be able to go anywhere without her. I didn’t want this to turn into another Hancock situation where I felt stifled by her. The biggest difference about Anne and her though, was Hancock didn’t care about other women. Hell, she wanted to be involved. 

The trouble with a harem was choosing the women. Finding people okay with others was the tough part. I hadn’t shown Anne my real skills, thus she thought she could handle me all by herself. I had to either show her that it was impossible and lead her to the idea that more women was a good thing somehow. I wasn’t about to lie to her though, or take her virginity only to tell her that it was nice but I needed more. That alone would probably scar someone and make them do things they would later regret.  

I was back to the original issue. Back in the Manga Hall they had terms for all types of girls. Yandere, tsundere, other dere names. I had no idea what to list Anne as. To me she felt like any other American girl I had known. Monogamous to a fault, but devoted. I knew if push came to shove she would never betray me, which I was rather hard to push against since I was the most likely one to stray. I really had become the villain in my own story. 

Arguing in circles I decided to just forget it for now. When we were back on Earth and away from this problem I could convince her then. If not, I would need to move on. Hope that time away would help to create at least a dialogue about this. Either way, the mood was ruined for me. 

I began to draw back from her. Her anger flared again, grabbing onto my arms more roughly. “Weston…” She pleaded, unsure what was going on. “I just said we can-”

“That’s not what this fight is about,” I said, doing my best to convey what I needed to but finding myself still lacking. “You’re either with me, no strings attached, or not at all, Rogue. No conditions, no throwing yourself at me, then regretting it when things don’t go the way you expect. I know what my answer will be even after we go to the next step. I’m not about to take this away from you, but then when you can’t convince me, you curse me for the rest of your life. You don’t get to pay me with your virginity to lock me in.” I said the words and the expression on her face showed I was right on the money. 

I had to remember this was America. I grew up in this place. I had my fair share of crazy girlfriends. Women that tried to trick you into staying with them through guilt, or wanted to get pregnant at a young age. I was reminded I really had no idea what her upbringing was. I knew her family was religious, were they the ‘get knocked up at a young age bible thumper’ kind? We were about to do it and she hadn’t pushed for protection. Though she acted older she was still shy of 18 years old. 

Not quite an adult, still messed up from being unable to touch people for years. Who knew what she was going through? I sure as hell only had a small inkling, and past me yearned to touch others. Anne probably had been dealing with this since she hit puberty. 

“Get dressed,” I said. “No more talking about us. We focus on the task at hand and figure us out after the tournament.”

“Why do you hate me so much?!” She yelled, moving to get the green and yellow ARMIS suit. 

“I don’t,” I said truthfully. My voice tired as I stared at her. 

“Then why can’t you-”

“Stop,” I said, releasing my nen. Anger rolling off of me she froze in place from the intense fear I projected toward her. “Stop acting like a fucking child. You don’t get your way so you throw a tantrum? How many times must I say, we will talk about this later? How many fucking times do I have to show you that you aren’t prepared for this shit?” I blasted the wall near the balcony with a wave of nen. Tearing it asunder without breaking eye contact with her. 

“I’m fucking strong, Anne. And I have no idea if I can beat these people! I have no idea if any of us will survive.” I let out a tired sigh. “Not only that, but do you really think you have the right to tell me to do anything?” I walked over to her slowly. Step by step, the fear she felt increased. “Do you really believe this stupid facade I put on out there for those people? I’m not someone to be manipulated or coerced. I’m not the one that follows the rules. I make them. If I am in a relationship with you, I treat you as an equal. I expect the same courtesy.” Her lips and legs trembled as I stopped a few inches from her face. My nostrils flaring as I let my Nen increase. 

“No, we are not dating. No, I did not cheat on you. No, I couldn’t be satisfied with just you. I’m telling you three times, no, no, no. I loved you. I did. But like you are seeing I am a different person; I am seeing that you aren’t who I thought you were either. Getting jealous about me looking at every girl here? Jealous that I talk to other people? If you are that insecure, you need to ask yourself why I would even be worth the effort of worrying about constantly? I…” I released the nen, letting her take a breath and fall to the ground. She began to sob on the floor. 

“I’m sorry,” I said. “Not for what I said, but…talking too much. You’re just not fucking hearing me,” I said through gritted teeth. “Get your shit together. Ignore me for the next few days. If you want to talk when all this shit is over with, we can then and only then.” With that I walked out. Once outside, I roared as I punched the wall. Another exterior wall fell away and the sunlight outside was revealed. 

Breathing in and out heavily, I hated this. The drama, the back and forth. All of it. It was distracting me. My libido was still a raging inferno that felt like a curse I couldn’t shake. Something I had loved at the beginning was only mudding the waters of what mattered. Winning my challenges. 

Opening a Rift into my subspace I pulled out a spare set of clothes I had stored in there. Putting them on, I walked down the circular staircase, forcing myself to calm down with each step. Each stair helping a weight lift off my mind as I forgot about Anne and our problems. All I needed to remind myself was the Marvel universe was vast, and I had years yet in this place. Plenty to keep me busy until the end of the canon, I had no idea what the future would bring, but I would figure it out. 

“Hey, Weston,” Quicksilver said as he appeared in front of me. The man was shorter than me, about five foot eleven inches tall. He wore a skintight blue and silver suit. His gray hair slicked back he took a slow breath, hardly winded from running faster than the eye could follow. “I was looking for you.”

“What’s up, Quick?” I asked, putting on my best smile. I had a short interaction with he and Scarlet on Genosha, and I had hoped for more. They seemed fun. 

“The professor wants to gather everyone. I just need that Anne girl,” he said. “Have you seen her?” 

“Yeah, I think she was going through woman troubles. She could be a bit,” I said, pointing behind me with my thumb. “Lead the way.” Quick nodded and ran down the hall. I barely caught a glimpse of which way he had run. Looking up the stairs toward where I left Anne, I could still feel her tumultuous Haki. Men worked, emotions were left to the women. Shaking my head, I walked off to the others in the house. 

I came to a large dining room where everyone was happily talking around. The Fantastic Four in one corner talking amongst themselves they picked at fruit and other odd foods that were supplied from a buffet line. Magneto and his spawn on the opposite end, they were near the professor and the other X-men. Everyone but Wolverine and Anne were there. 

Peter, Gwen, Lyra, and Jessica near the X-Men, the four had become rather close it seemed. Talking excitedly, they wore the clothes I had bought them the day before. The homeless man, Juggernaut, and his friend Cassidy sat near the edge of the table. Neither talking, simply absorbing the scenery as they watched everyone. 

I nodded, content to know these people didn’t give a crap about drama either. I made my way to the buffet line. Throwing some small grapes, a few nuts, and some weird rectangular egg on my plate I set myself down between the teens and X-Men. 

“How’s Herby?” I asked the professor as he nodded at me from his new silver wheelchair. 

“It’s good, I’m told you’re to thank for it,” the old man said. 

“I’m not against bribery,” I said truthfully. 

“Perhaps you can spread the sols around,” Magneto said. His purple suit still made him look like a pimp. 

“For a good cause,” I said with a nod. “What’s on the agenda?”

“Training,” the professor said, surprising me. “We have come to accept that we can’t wiggle out of this. We need to help those less accustomed to fighting to ensure we can win as many fights as possible.” 

“Cool,” I said. “What did we learn to shift our goal from escape?” As I asked the question, the alien walked in. Or at least the one person that had thought he was an alien did. Car-Ell still wore the skin-tight red and blue supersuit. Red cape at the back, it reminded me of someone, but I still couldn’t place him. Blonde hair, perfect jawline, I thought I recognized him, but he was too similar to Steve Rogers. 

“I regained my memories,” Car-Ell said, drawing everyone’s eyes. Uncaring for the many gazes he stared at the table, distracted as he thought. “Thanks to the professor, I now remember that I really am from Earth. My real name is Carl Danvers.” 

“Oh fuck,” I mumbled, finally putting it together. He was a gender-bent Carol Danvers. I should have seen it before, but I didn’t think it worked that way. I thought the worlds would just increase my chances of adding to my harem instead of depleting the stock. I frowned at him. In all honesty if I had to pick anyone to be a dude, it was Danvers. I hated her character in the movies. 

“Apparently, the man I thought of as my father took me from Earth when I was a child,” Carl said. He still stared at the table, disbelieving of the fact. 

“Fun,” I said. “Weird sex stuff or…”

“What? No,” Carl said. “No, I believe he wanted me for my power.” He finally looked around to the others at the table. Letting out a sigh he began to explain. “I have an ability, it is called the Cosmic Force.” He began to glow slightly. A slight shimmering in the air that I had seen before. Not too long ago… in the future. 

“I was born with this ability. I believe that the man I thought was my father took me from Earth in hopes of using this power for the Kree,” Carl said. I wasn’t really listening. He was glowing exactly how the future Rogue had. 

“Can you fly?” I asked, stopping him from talking. 

“Of course,” he said. “And traverse the universe without a ship. The Cosmic Force is an ancient power that chooses its wielder.” I nodded, getting excited and starting to see where this was going. Anne had been sucked away to this tournament and had been forced to steal his power. Or perhaps it jumped to her when he died, or any number of options. Either way, I had to make sure she got this power. Despite our spat, I wasn’t about to let her miss out on a power up. 

Now that I thought about it I seemed to remember that Rogue did get powers in canon, but I couldn’t remember if it was from Danvers or not. Either way, I needed to make it happen. I eyed Jean. She had the Phoenix Force, and now we had the Cosmic Force. I wanted to know what the Forces were exactly, but I stopped thinking as my Rift skill began to awaken. 

Power welling up in me, the others continued talking as my Rift skill went haywire. Pulsing sporadically as it attuned to another dimension. The exact same feeling I felt when the Phantom Zone was opened. Standing up, I pushed the chair away.

“West-” 

“We have to go,” I said, looking at everyone around us.

“What?” “Why” “Just go through one meal without making a scene, please” People said.

“Shut up!” I said charging nen into my lungs. My voice echoed in the large room. “Someone’s opening a dimension or something. We! Need! To! Go!” I yelled, my Rift skill acting far more sporadic than it ever had before. 

“Now!” I roared and Magneto waved his hand. Most everyone had metal attached to them, so he threw them outside with ease. I didn’t care to watch though. My Observation haki at max distance I could feel something centered on the building, but Anne still wasn’t there. I used Timeflow, leaping into the air as I flew in her direction.

Twisting and turning at max speed in the now tight quarters, I was on her in seconds, but my Rift skill was telling me I had to hurry. I didn’t slow down as I grabbed her. As she tried to fight me, the sound of a freight train crashing sounded behind me. Powering through the door to my room and out the balcony I heard Anne gasp as the air around me was sucked backward. 

Something pulled at me, the crashing noise only got louder as I got distance away from the villa. When I stopped feeling the pull, I turned to see that everything was gone. Where the home had stood only a crater remained. 

The area dark from some weird energy, my heart began to slow down as I stared numbly at what could have happened to us. Either thrown into another dimension or crushed by a miniature blackhole, I didn’t know. It didn’t really matter, someone had tried to kill us and they almost succeeded.

“What happened?” Anne asked, her anger gone as she stared at the crater of our prison/villa.

“No, fucking idea,” I said truthfully. Looking up, the clouds over our head were missing in a circular pattern around us. Whatever it had been would have killed me for sure. Thankful that my Rift skill had warned me in time, I knew I needed to step it up again. This fight was going to be life and death.