Morning dawned, and Lily was exhausted. She'd slept a little, but mostly she tossed and turned, unable to find any peace of mind. It was impossible for her to escape her guilt. Her dad's words had cut her down more surely than any curse. When she'd decided to go behind his back, she hadn't thought about how he'd react. She hadn't really thought about how her decision would affect him, or her mom. She'd been focused on herself. She'd been… selfish. It hadn't been his anger that hurt the worst, no, that had been his disappointment. His disappointment had practically made her wither, and she'd laid in bed afterwards, unable to escape it.
She dragged herself to breakfast. The dining hall was busy, and Lily weaved through the crowd. Nearly everyone else was jubilant at their victory. Lily joined T'Chone and Septimius, and joined them in silence. Chatter swarmed around them, but none of them needed to say anything.
"Hey guys!" The three teens turned their heads simultaneously to see Gwen. Her plate was a pile of pancakes, bagels, eggs, and sausage. She tilted her head, evaluating them and starting to look a little sheepish. "Sorry, was that too chipper?"
T'Chone shrugged. "Don't let us bring you down."
She obligingly joined their table and began shoveling food into her mouth. "This is the best food I've had in years."
Peter and Miles joined them next, each with similarly stacked plates. They talked about the weirdness of the Sanctum. The halls didn't exactly follow the rules of geometry- you could take four right turns and not end up in the same place- and it threw their 'spider-senses' off.
"Eh." Septimius said. "At least they don't change. At Hogwarts, sometimes the stairs would move while you were on them."
T'Chone snorted. "That freaked me out, I thought it was about to collapse."
"I take it you never found any of the false steps?" Lily and T'Chone shook their heads. "It feels like you're about to fall through the stairs, gets almost every firstie at least once."
Gradually, the mood lightened, and they avoided any difficult topics, like the enormous amount of trouble Lily, T'Chone, and Septimius were in, or anything to do with Peter, Gwen, and Miles' time in captivity.
Reality came crashing back down on Lily as they left. She spotted her dad waiting for them at the edge of the room, and she knew it was time to face the music. She motioned for Peter, Gwen and Miles to go on without them.
"Dad-" She started, but he held up his hand, and she snapped her mouth shut.
"Follow us." He said. The three teens meekly followed in tow as he led them through the halls, opening a door into a large room. Lily didn't take time to look around, however. "Dad, I'm so, so, so sorry." The words spilled out, and to her horror, she felt tears prick her eyes. "I know I screwed up. I'll never lie to you again! Ever!"
"I'm sorry. It was really stupid of us." T'Chone said, head bowed, while Lily wiped her cheeks.
Her dad softened, and he opened his arms. Lily launched herself at him, sniffling into his chest. Then T'Chone took her place while she regained her composure.
"I appreciate that, kids." Her dad said. "But I'm not here to chew you out again. I get why you did what you did. And if you want to get into the action so badly, you got to prepare for it."
"But isn't that what our training is for?" T'Chone asked.
"With me?" Harry scoffed. "That's not nearly enough. I've been teaching you magic, not how to fight."
"That's where we come in." Her mom said. It was then that Lily noticed that they weren't alone. Peggy Carter was also there. And the room was far from empty. There was a track, a fighting ring, weights, a climbing wall, punching bags… this was a room meant for physical training. Not just that, judging by the symbols inscribed on the walls and equipment, this room was meant for superhuman training.
"If you're going to go into battle, we need you to be in peak physical condition, and you need to know how to use your body in combat." Peggy said brusquely. "But no worries, we'll whip you all into shape."
T'Chone, to Lily's consternation, seemed almost happy with this. Lily had spent most of her life on the run and had picked up more than a few tricks in her time. Her mom had made sure she'd always be able to defend herself. She could use a gun and a knife, and break out of a grapple. This looked different, though. Peggy looked every bit the drill sergeant, ready to run them to the ground. Lily swallowed, chancing a glance at her dad. "Are you going to…"
"Oh, no." He said. "Lily, your mother taught me everything I know when it comes to fighting. We'll keep up our magic lessons, of course, but you'll have no better teacher for this than her and Peggy."
Her mom smiled, kissing her dad on the cheek. "Thanks, love. We can take it from here." Then she turned back to them, with a smile that was far more vicious. This was their punishment, Lily realized. They'd asked to be taken seriously, and now they were.
"Alright." Peggy announced, and the authority in her voice jolted Lily to attention. "We won't be covering fighting techniques today. Before we work on that, we need to establish a foundation of strength and endurance." She looked at Septimius. "I assure you, even if you're physically enhanced, you can't afford to neglect physical exercise- I don't. This training will be rigorous, if you aren't being pushed to your limit, then you aren't doing it right."
Lily nodded, a sense of apprehension taking hold. This… wasn't going to be fun.
-----
"Yeah, I'll whip up a time machine for you, boss." Tony quipped. "No problem, just breaking the laws of physics. A normal day's work."
Harry fought down his amusement. "Ideally, I'd get your memories back, but that might take some time." He said. "For the time being, you and Shuri will try to workshop ideas."
"We know it's based on Hank Pym's shrinking tech. The same stuff that Hydra's been using. We've gotten a few of those suits to tinker on." Shuri added. "I wasn't there when you worked this out, so we're going to have to try to piece things together."
"Well, at least there's something to go on." Tony grumbled, swiping through the projection, bringing up designs and equations Harry couldn't begin to decipher. Shuri's tech had been installed into the makeshift conference room, which both scientists appreciated, despite the rather mystical decor. "Any other tips?"
"It shrunk us down to the quantum scale." Natasha recalled methodically. "We stood together on a platform, which sent us off. We returned to it once we were done. We all had devices around our wrists, which we were able to put coordinates into."
"Quantum navigation." Tony mumbled. "A coordinate system. Sounds farfetched."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "I can show you farfetched if you want."
"Oh, no. I believe you." Tony held up his hands. "Its just… I imagine this was based on a lot of work that he- I- had done over years. Without that foundation, its like taking shots in the dark."
"So, any progress?" Peggy said as she entered the room.
"I'm an engineer, not a miracle worker." Tony grumbled.
"Relax, Stark." Nat said. "We're going to use this thing to rescue her boyfriend. She's just a little on edge."
"We were never… officially together." Peggy said.
Tony winced sympathetically. "No worries, we'll save your lover boy. I've never backed down from a challenge before."
"How are the kids?" Harry pivoted the discussion.
"Well, there was more of a crowd than I expected." Peggy said. "The spider-kids decided to join in."
"You think you can handle them all?" Harry asked.
"Oh, a couple of enhanced teens? That's nothing. I've dealt with marines."
"I'm glad they're getting along, at least." Harry said.
"They are." Peggy said. "And how are you and Carol getting along, Harry?"
"We, err…" He suppressed a blush. He should have become immune to the teasing after all these years, but it still caught him flat footed from time to time. "She's still recovering. But we're doing good."
The door opened again, and a disheveled man peered in. "Sorry, I got lost." Bruce Banner said.
"Come in, Bruce." Nat waved him in. "The Sanctum can be confusing for first timers."
"That's understating it." Tony snorted. "I swear this place is haunted."
"Well, its better accommodations than my last place." Bruce said dryly. "But… what do you need me for?" Harry noted the edge in his voice. Bruce had once been wary that Shield only wanted him for 'the big guy'. Working with the Avengers and constantly using his technical knowledge had gotten him over that, but for now they were at square one once again.
"Mr. Banner." Natasha said formally. "We at the Sanctum are short on scientific and technical expertise."
Bruce glanced from Shuri to Tony. "Somehow, I doubt that."
"No, please." Tony interrupted. "When I joined up with these people, I didn't realize how much…voodoo would be involved. I'm begging for another rational mind, here."
"Rational mind?" Nat said. "Sorry Harry, looks like you need to leave."
"Make me." Harry said. Nat grabbed him, and he leaned in to kiss her. She ducked him, however, whispering in his ear instead.
"Let's go, I think Carol wants to see you."
-----
Hydra had never let her leave Earth. It was a stark contrast to her other life, where she barely set foot on the planet, and now that she was free, she took the opportunity to escape the stifling atmosphere. She flew by the moon, did a flyby of the nearest stars, and returned to Earth- the equivalent of a warmup jog for her- a nice breath of fresh 'air'.
She'd had some nerves to work off, and when she'd returned to the Sanctum she had half the mind to go for another round. She was antsy. The last time she planned something like this, it had gone horribly. But the context was entirely different this time, and she didn't think that Harry would rebuff her. More importantly, she'd learned a lot since then. You could never take things for granted. Just because Harry was here- that they were both here- now, didn't mean that this couldn't all disappear tomorrow. She wasn't going to waste another moment, whether this lasted only a night or for the rest of her life, she was going to take it.
Wanda let her know when Harry was free with a telepathic message. It was a little disconcerting, knowing that the witch could rifle through her head if she wished, but Wanda had assured her that she wouldn't trespass unless otherwise invited. Moreover, she was the best wingwoman you could ask for. Carol intercepted Harry in the hall and she didn't hesitate. She lifted herself up in the air, golden energy faintly flickering round her body, and kissed him.
He froze in surprise, taking a few moments to react, but when he did… he was a really good kisser.
Told you. Wanda sing-songed telepathically.
He placed his hand at the small of her back, and the rush of contact was good, but it wasn't enough. She leaned forward and surged into the kiss, pressing aggressively with her tongue. Eventually, they parted. "Was this you again, Nat?" Harry addressed Natasha. Carol felt a prick of annoyance at having his attention diverted. That mouth would be so much better served by kissing her again.
"Don't look at me, this was all her." Natasha said.
"I don't want to wait any more." Carol said. "I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, or where we'll end up. But I know I want you."
"I want you too." Harry promised her, and his words warmed her.
"Have fun, you two." Nat said. "I'll check in on the kids."
In a bid to win back his attention, Carol grabbed at his crotch, and she was thrilled at the firmness she found there, and the way his eyes went wide. "C'mon hotshot." She said. "Are you gonna fuck me or what?"
Carol remained airborne as they tumbled into Harry's room, and he tried to drag her back down to him. She would not be so easily moved, and instead she yanked him up into the air. With one hand on his back and the other on his ass she began to grind against his erection. "Has anyone told you- hah!" She grunted. "That you have an amazing ass?"
"It's come up once or twice." Harry remarked dryly. He was far too composed for her liking, and in vicious retribution she ripped his shirt apart. Her hand sculpted out his chest and clenched around his bicep. Feeling his tensed muscles beneath her grip was certainly appealing, but her true purpose was to get a measure of his durability. No one she'd fucked had been able to handle a fraction of her strength, but she liked what she was feeling from Harry. He wasn't at her level, but she wouldn't have to treat him like glass, either.
He kissed her again, and they tangled in the air for a long moment. "You like being in control?" He asked her.
"Its natural for me." She said breezily. "Is that a problem?"
"By all means, lead the way."
With a grin, she shot them over to his bed and pressed him down into it. "I'm going to fuck you until I break you." She said, her voice dipping.
"Fuck." Harry moaned, his eyes darkening. He tried to push himself up against her grip, but in terms of physical strength she was just stronger than him. She drank in the sight of those impressive muscles straining against her arms.
"That's right, I'm stronger than you." She said. There was a glint of doubt in his eyes, but for the moment they both dismissed it. She had no idea what would happen if his magic came into play, but for now he seemed content to ignore the possibility. Feeling confident- cocky even- she placed her palm on his chest. Again, he tried to lift himself up with his arms, and again he failed. Exploiting her advantage, she ripped off his pants, the mundane fabric easily giving way.
She took a moment to admire the view that she'd created. She'd glimpsed him before, of course, when she'd rescued him from Death, but now she had the time to really appreciate him. He tried to push himself up again, but Carol, with a teasing smile, pushed him back into the bed. "Remember, I'm in charge here, hotshot." She teased. To prove her point, she grabbed his cock. It had been sticking out proudly, and it was too tempting for her to ignore. She stroked with a deliberate gentleness- several times she'd gotten too rough when handing her partners' sex- and savored his smooth skin, the softness wrapped in hardness. Harry grunted, canting his hips upwards.
"Down boy." She chided. "You're far too antsy."
"And what are you going to do about that?" He challenged. With that, she undressed. She was impatient, and it took less than thirty seconds for her to rip her clothes off. Harry lay obediently on the bed, watching her admiringly, but waiting for her to make her next move.
"I think there are better things for you to do with your mouth than talking." She smirked, launching herself into the air. She relished the glimpse she got of his surprised face right before she settled on top of it. "You know what to do." And indeed, he did. As good as he was at kissing, he might be even better at this. Usually, it took some direction before her partners figured out how to really push her buttons, but Harry caught on frighteningly quickly, scoping out her every weakness with his lips and tongue. He figured out how much pressure she liked (a lot) and just how to suck her clit to make electricity course from that little button. She goaded him on with unnecessary commands. "Oh yes, right there, right there!"
He brought her up higher and higher, and she braced herself against his chest as her peak approached. Then, he stopped. His tongue swept along her labia, which wasn't nearly enough to bring her over the edge, and he knew it. "Hey!" She barked, trying to sound authoritative rather than whining. "Suck my clit!" He complied maliciously, his tongue dancing around the sensitive nub, teasing out sparks of hot pleasure. It took another minute, but she reached the edge again. "Fuck! I'm gonna- gonna- HEY!" He stopped again, and she was both horny and enraged.
Fine! If he wasn't going to cooperate, she'd use the part of his body that couldn't help but be cooperative. She flipped herself over and gripped the base of his cock. "You little tease." She hissed- though he was anything but little. She slid her sex along his shaft, pressing his cockhead against her clit and beginning to grind. "That's right, I'm going to make myself cum on this thick fucking cock- guh!- and there's nothing you can do about it." His warm firmness felt so satisfying to rub against, and it didn't take long to recapture her orgasm. As her peak approached, she pinned him to the bed and stared him down. "Don't -uhh!- you fucking dare- uhhnnn- try anything. Don't fucking dare!" He didn't, and she came. For a moment, the power play was forgotten as bliss embraced her.
"Fuuck. That was good." She groaned.
"You're welcome." Harry grinned.
"And it was no thanks to you!" She poked his chest.
"If I hadn't edged you, you wouldn't have cum so hard." Harry said, but while he had a point Carol wasn't having it.
"I did all the work myself." She continued as if he hadn't spoken. "I think I need to teach you a lesson."
"Oh?" Harry grinned.
"I'm gonna fuck some sense into you." She declared, climbing atop him again. He was still hard and ready for her, and her climax had only whetted her libido. "I'm gonna fuck you so hard, you won't even think of teasing me again when I'm done with you."
His hands fell to her hips, as she settled atop him. With a mighty thrust, she sheathed him. Immediately, the bedframe collapsed, much to her chagrin. He felt so good and full inside of her and she wanted to embrace the feeling, not have to reposition because of shoddy construction. Never mind that she put more force on the bed than any mundane human could manage.
She lifted him onto the floor. It was far more cushioned than it had any right to be, but she put the matter aside- she had far more pressing priorities. "'Mmm gonna fuck you so good." She moaned as she took him again. She sheathed him deep and ground his cockhead against her depths, savoring the sensation of him inside of her. Then she let loose, driving her hips onto him several times with force. "No one can fuck you as hard as I can." She grunted. "Isn't that right?"
Harry moaned in affirmation, which was enough for her. "And I can fuck you faster, too." She upped her speed, until her hips were almost a blur. She'd never gotten to unleash herself like this, to fuck someone this hard. It felt good, so damn good. She felt dominant, and powerful, like she could take on the entire world, like she was asserting her power with every thrust. "You're so much better like this." She grunted. "No more teasing, you're just being good and getting fucked! Maybe when I'm done, I'll let the others line up and use you, too."
"Fuck!" Harry moaned, clearly affected by her dirty talk. "I'm getting close."
She had one last ace up her sleeve. By channeling her power, she could enter her 'binary mode'. It allowed her to soak up energy like a sponge, enabled her to travel faster than light, and made her nigh invulnerable. She'd discovered a quirk of this ability by accident, and she'd delighted in surprising her partners with it.
Her power emerged, her skin glowing golden as energy radiated from her, coiling around her body in plumes. Harry shuddered, yelping beneath her, unprepared for how good this would feel. From what her partners had told her over the years, it felt indescribably good. It felt better for her, as well. She felt more alive, and the pleasant sensations felt all the stronger, like they were coming into focus. She pounded into Harry, and perhaps she was rougher than she should have been, but it felt so good, his firmness and the pulse of his shaft, the feel of him beneath her as he quaked and writhed in pleasure. She normally couldn't cum from penetration alone, but like this, it was easy. Harry wailed as his climax claimed him, and she felt it in high definition as his cock stiffened and began to pump out his essence. Carol took a moment to relish in her victory, before she too was overcome. Her orgasm was triumphant, glorious, cathartic. She screamed and yelled out as her powers billowed, singing in harmony with her body as it clenched and pulsed.
When she came to, the floor around them was charred, an unfortunate side effect of her ability. "Worth it." She mumbled, cuddling closer to him. She was on top, naturally.
Harry chuckled dryly. "Eh, I can fix it." They lay there like that for a few minutes, enjoying the post-climax bliss.
"Maybe you can reinforce the bed?" She asked eventually. "Do we need to ask Shuri for vibranium?" What a conversation that would be.
"I have some charms that would do the trick." Harry said casually. "Unless you want to use our bed for sparring practice."
Carol chuckled, but his words made her wonder. "If you'd wanted to, could you have overpowered me?" He was quiet for a moment. "Well?"
"Probably." He said. She wasn't offended by his judgement; she knew just how powerful he was. Still, she was curious, and maybe a tad competitive.
"What would you have done?"
"Well, there's a simple spell I learned when I was eleven. It allows me to paralyze people. Not super useful in battle, but I've found that a variation of it can be fun in the bedroom."
"You'd use a beginner spell on me?" She was a little offended. "I think I deserve more than that."
"Oh, it'd be overpowered to hell." He said. "Push enough power into anything and it becomes unbeatable."
"Try it." She challenged.
"What?"
"I want to see if I could break out of it." She insisted. "I think you'd need a little more than that to beat me."
He looked down at her skeptically, but seeing the challenge in her eyes, he relented. "Alright. Let me know if something goes wrong, or if its too much for you." The sentiment was sweet, yet it made her want to beat his expectations all the more. "Ready?"
"Bring it on." She said. Suddenly, her body went rigid, her arms and legs bound straight by an invisible force. She pushed against it experimentally, and she didn't budge. Harry guided her body into an upright position, standing to observe her struggle. She felt like she was… on display. With a more concerted effort, she strained against her bonds, grunting with exertion as she tried to break free. While Harry was focusing, he wasn't challenged enough that he couldn't check her out.
"Well?" He asked.
"Give me a minute." She panted. She'd have to go into binary mode. She wasn't exactly surprised. He was incredibly powerful. What did surprise her was how the situation affected her. There was something titillating about being so helpless, while Harry watched her lustfully. Many scenarios occurred to her, and the more she dwelled on them the more worked up she became.
He could do whatever he wanted to her. She shook herself and marshalled her power. She'd have time to contemplate this development later. As golden energy enwreathed her, she surged against the invisible bonds holding her. For a moment, they wavered, and to her shock she felt a slight pang of disappointment at the burgeoning fantasy being spoiled. But then Harry summoned his staff to his hand, and his magic reasserted itself. She was well and truly stuck; fighting against the grip of his spell felt like punching vibranium.
God, she really was helpless. He could bend her over and fuck her right now. He could shove his cock down her throat. He could use her however he wanted. Did he know? She squirmed in place. Could he see how much this was affecting her? Maybe he actually would take advantage of her, knowing that she wanted it. Harry didn't act, though. He just stood there, watching her impassively with his two staves, the one he held in his hand and the one that had risen between his legs.
She gave it one last push, throwing everything she had into one last explosive effort to break free. The blast threw back what was left of the abused bed, shattering it against the wall. When it cleared, her energy had dissipated, leaving her feeling somewhat drained like she would after a long battle. She was still suspended in the air. "Do you yield?" He asked her. Willing to keep humoring her but having no doubt over the outcome.
"I- I give up." She admitted. "You win." The admission was humbling, but she hardly minded the blow to her pride when she was facing a defcon situation. She'd never been so turned on in her life. She had half a mind to fall to her knees and beg him to do whatever he wanted with her.
He released her, and her knees wobbled when she landed pn the ground. Harry placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?" He asked.
It was all too much. She couldn't handle this right now. "I'm good. I just need to… go. Right now. Immediately."
"Oh, okay." He said, concern in his voice. "Let me summon up some clothes for-" She was already off, whizzing through the hall on the short trek to her personal room. She only crossed paths with one person on her journey. Wanda Maximoff. Her knowing smirk told Carol that the witch knew exactly what was on her mind.