Disclaimer: All characters depicted in this story are eighteen years of age or older. Any sexual content involves only consenting adults. This is a work of fiction.
A Marvelous Devil.
Chapter 50: Calling the Favor.
Tandy Bowen.
Ugh. My head was killing me.
The memories felt off. Logically, I knew I'd attacked Dante, even if I was controlled by someone else, but it felt more like being told a story about what happened than truly remembering it.
It was weird. It was deeply discomforting. Still, it was in the past.
The dude who fought Dante knew what he was doing. It was one thing hearing they existed, but seeing a mortal human capable of doing what that bastard had managed against Dante was simply insane. If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it.
Well… I wasn't sure if I could even call him a normal human at that point.
The world was much, much more dangerous than I thought. It finally made sense what Yao had said about Captain America, even if I didn't like how small that made traditional heroes feel in the grand scheme of things.
I groaned, shifting slightly under the incredibly soft sheets. I really, really should have listened to Dante when he suggested I focus on the mind arts. I had brushed him off, assuming that simply being a reincarnated Devil was enough of a defense.
Nyra had explained it a couple of weeks after she joined our group, proudly stating that it was inherently difficult for even mid-level magicians to mind-control Devilkind. Especially when they entered the ranks of a High-class devil or above, which I was.
I vividly remembered Dante scoffing in derision from the corner of the room when she said that, even though he had stayed silent.
Now I understood why.
Psionic energy was a completely different breed of power. It wasn't standard magic, and it entirely bypassed the natural defenses we devils possessed. I felt the exact moment when Dante deliberately chose not to strengthen the mental shield tied to my Bishop Piece, simply to teach me a lesson.
I could practically hear his smug voice in my head, telling me I needed to learn what happens when I wasn't ready to face someone like that in a controlled environment.
As 'controlled' as a battle between two monsters that turned the desert into an unrecognizable crater could be.
But looking back at the sheer pressure of that green psionic drill, I realized the hard truth. Even if Dante hadn't dropped the shield, that man would have eventually broken through it if he tried hard enough. Dante could have blocked it himself, obviously. But that would have required his total focus and left him open for a counterattack.
I was a bit upset, obviously. Being turned into a puppet wasn't exactly my idea of fun. I was kinky, but not that kinky. That was more in Akeno's lane.
But I got it. I didn't like it, but I understood his pragmatic reasons.
Focusing on the muted memories, I knew Dante had defeated me easily and then probably handled the warlord, but everything after losing consciousness was a complete blank.
Surprisingly, my body felt amazing. The exhaustion and the horrific burns from channeling that much Light Force were completely gone, replaced by a lingering warmth in my muscles that brought back some very nice memories. Cosmic Power and the Light Force were similar, but I loved feeling Dante's energy coursing through my body.
He must have healed me immediately after I lost consciousness.
Something incredibly soft was beneath me as I became more aware of my surroundings. I shifted once more before relaxing, instantly recognizing our bed in the penthouse.
Then, just as I settled in, a smell hit me.
My nose twitched. Was that... a toasted everything bagel with bacon, egg, and melted cheese? And the distinct aroma of my favorite matcha drink from years ago?
I felt a presence step into the room. I didn't need to open my eyes to know who it was; the otherworldly connection between us hummed in the back of my mind.
I opened my eyes, a tired chuckle escaping my lips before it instantly evolved into a full-blown cackle.
Dante Andromalius. My King, who was still a profound mystery despite being with him for a long time. The Satan-class devil who had just spent the afternoon changing the geography of the Middle East for shits and giggles.
He was standing at the foot of the bed, wearing a pink apron that had definitely seen better days, holding a silver tray carrying my breakfast. The sheer contrast between the terrifying entity from the fight and the domestic house-husband in front of me was simply too much.
God... it had double bacon. Exactly how I loved it.
He smiled proudly, completely unfazed by my laughter.
"Here's breakfast for my sleeping princess," he said, his voice filled with amusement. "How do you feel?"
"Like I tried to fist-fight a mountain and lost," I snorted, pushing myself up against the headboard. "But physically? I feel fine. Did you buy this?"
"Decided to try doing it the mortal way," Dante nodded proudly, setting the tray over my lap. "I thought you earned this with how proud you made me feel."
I coughed to hide my immediate reaction to his words.
I wasn't blind. I knew that Dante saw the world in a completely different way than I did, or than Yao did. Probably different than the Satans back in his home dimension. There was something fundamentally alien about him.
But God, why could he make my heart go wild with just a few simple sentences?
Ignoring his knowing glance, I devoured the bagel in just three bites, uncaring that my cheeks were fuller than was considered polite.
It tasted exactly like the one I loved. No… it tasted even better, because Dante actually made it for me.
He didn't push me to talk; he just sat on the edge of the bed, a bright smile on his face that made butterflies flutter in my stomach.
I loved him. I fucking loved him more than anything in the world.
Once I finished, he took the tray and set it aside before moving behind me.
I simply didn't see a life without him by my side anymore.
Dante smiled softly, nodding and patting my hand. It was as if he knew everything I was thinking and just… agreed.
I pecked his lips. "Thank you, Dante. It was perfect."
Large, incredibly soft hands settled onto my bare shoulders. If my hands hadn't become perfect after turning into a devil, I would have been jealous. It was absurd how attractive devils were.
I let out an involuntary sigh as Dante began to massage the tension from my muscles. His thumbs dug perfectly into the knots at the base of my neck, weaving tiny pulses of cosmic power directly into my skin.
God, he was so unfair.
"You're an asshole, you know that?" I murmured, my eyes fluttering shut as I melted into his hands.
There was no way in hell I'd tell him out loud what I was actually thinking about. He already knew, and I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.
"I am aware," he said softly, his fingers trailing down my spine. "But you will never be caught off guard by a telepath again. You will ask Wong to put together some extra lessons around the mind arts, right?"
"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled half-heartedly. "Still an asshole. But... thank you."
"Always, my light."
I hesitated for a moment, not knowing exactly how to ask what I wanted to ask.
He saw right through it because, of course, he did. Even without all the bullshit mystical mumbo jumbo he had to see what someone really felt at any given moment, I knew that he knew me better than anyone else in both worlds.
"Yes, love?" His hands continued to caress my back. "You know you can ask me anything."
I ignored how that simple word truly made me feel.
"During the psionic attack, I felt your… anger. There was also a lot of hesitation at that exact moment. Why those feelings specifically?"
Something flashed through his eyes for a moment. "Is this just about the fight, or does this come from what Uatu said during our meeting?"
Again, I couldn't hide it from him. What the absurdly strong observer had said, though I wasn't sure if I could even call him a man, considering he was some kind of cosmic being, had been weighing on my mind ever since.
What I felt through our connection back then were mixed and completely unlike his usual.
"Both. But mostly the second one," I shook my head. "You seemed to feel a lot of pride from what he said. And I'm not blind, Dante. You act significantly differently from any other devil I've met, including the two Satans who visit the castle. You seem…"
"Above them? When I shouldn't be?" His lips quirked into a smirk as he pulled me flush against his body.
Slumping back against his chest, I made myself comfortable.
"I didn't mean to put it like that," I winced guiltily, but he just waved it off.
"That's because I do see myself that way," Dante began softly. "Seere. The fair one…"
As soon as he uttered that name, a heavy weight fell into the room for a second.
"He was a demon. A creature born from Nemesis just before the multiverse came to life."
His eyes went slightly vacant as he started speaking, and that distant gaze didn't disappear as he told me everything about the ancient demon, all the way up until the time of his death at Mephisto's hands. It took hours to explain, which wasn't surprising coming from someone who was supposedly alive before existence had even been a proper concept.
How do you even measure life that old?
"You were Seere," I said calmly, despite the absolute shock rattling through my body.
"Indeed, I was," he nodded, looking almost… hesitant?
There was an uncomfortable silence in the room as I looked at him. My eyes searched his face, desperate to see a single hint that this was a joke or an exaggeration.
But there was nothing but pure honesty.
"That's why you care so much about the fairness of your deals. That's why you see the rest of us as just 'mortals', including the devils back home. Or why you seem to think so little of even Gods."
He didn't respond, knowing I was just speaking aloud to come to terms with everything.
"How? How did you manage to escape your death?" I asked, curious beyond belief.
At that, he scowled, though his expression softened a moment later.
"You can blame the idiotic dragon for my lessened rebirth," he said with a grimace that quickly evolved into a laugh. "Even if I have to thank him for it now."
I lifted an eyebrow at him.
"Red… I made a deal with him thousands of years ago. I found him peeking through the void one time and approached him before anyone else could. He was an unknown variable to me, and a fight between him and anyone else who might have taken offense to a dragon of that level peeking through the void would have complicated matters for many of us."
"I can imagine that," I said blankly, having actually met the Dragon. A single meeting was enough to realize that Red wouldn't have backed off unless things were truly apocalyptic.
"Exactly," Dante snorted. "It turned out that he could help me. For demons like me, at least back then, peering through the future was something that, while not exactly easy, was manageable. I had seen my death coming, and as much as I hate to admit it, Mephisto had always been stronger than me. So, we made a deal. I would help Red with his problem back home regarding some invaders, and he would take my soul once the time came."
"Why didn't Mephisto consume it? Like… that's what any demon would have done, right? Wouldn't your soul be incredibly useful for him?" I asked, knowing this rule quite clearly. Dante always spoke about the fundamental importance of the soul, a topic that made Nyra deeply uncomfortable given that touching souls sat firmly against the new Satans' laws.
It was hilarious to think about now.
"That's something that happened a long time ago. Someone from another timeline reached out for my help. You know my cosmic power? I got that from her, after helping her escape her father. That power… changed my very being. It made me something more."
He smiled softly. "Gali was a young girl who hated what she was. Her kind, and by that, I mean she and her father, consume whole worlds for sustenance. She hated that, and I saw an opportunity."
"Of course you did," I sighed, amused. His eyes shone with mischief, and I couldn't help but lean up and kiss him on the nose.
I finally understood why he was always so surprised by something so small. Sometimes, when I showed how much I genuinely cared about him, it looked like he didn't know how to properly react.
He had never known love as we mortals did.
I hugged him tighter, even if the angle was a bit uncomfortable.
He was cute like this. He cleared his throat and continued talking, clearly trying to hide how much the simple affection affected him.
I smirked, letting him go on.
"So, anyway," he smiled down at me. "Cosmic Power had never existed inside a demon before, but I said fuck it, because why not? And it permanently changed my soul. Mephisto could never consume it for power."
He stopped for a moment, his brow furrowing. "Not that he didn't try. Even right now, I can feel my connection to that severed portion of my soul trapped within his domain, calling to me. And that brings us back to the idiot redhead. Red changed me. Warped me. He made me a mortal with the intention of hiding his universe from Mephisto."
"That's… a good thing, no?" I asked tentatively.
"That was a violation of my very self," he sneered, but again, the anger quickly faded as he looked at me with those bright blue eyes. "But it brought you to me. And it showed me exactly how different life is for a mortal. How different things are when you finally stop seeing the universe as a cosmic being."
"And here I wondered why you acted so weird about some things," I giggled softly. "Like, with your parents. Or with me. Most haven't noticed. They just thought you were a particularly proud devil."
"Oh, you brat," Dante growled, but I could clearly see the amusement dancing in his eyes as he turned me around and pressed his forehead firmly against mine. "Do you think you can tease me now?"
Laughing, I couldn't help but remember all those times he had reacted strangely to normal human experiences, and it brought me even more amusement. Dante hugged me tightly, and I started doing all the little things that usually caused that exact reaction in him.
"The anger and hesitation back in the fight… was that something you would have felt back then?" I asked quietly.
Dante looked at me, then down at his own hands.
He sighed. "No. I wouldn't have. Things are different now. I feel more. I feel different things that simply didn't exist for me back then."
"Does that scare you?"
He stared at the window for a long moment before he smiled.
"It should," he admitted seriously. "We don't usually change. In fact, most entities at that level never change. It's our nature, as distasteful as it can be. But I love it. I love experiencing new things or experiencing old things but feeling them entirely differently. I think it gives existence a true purpose."
I could see how deeply it affected him to admit that. I obviously had no idea exactly how he acted back in his original life, or what terrible things he had done. It was something I intended to learn as soon as I could. But I knew, deep down, that he was being honest.
And I wanted to be the one who affected him the most.
I smiled at him. And if he realized what I was thinking, he didn't mention it. He just pulled me closer.
We stayed like that for hours.
Intimacy was exactly what I wanted after the violence of the desert. He worked through every sore muscle, pampering me with an attentiveness that made the entire ordeal almost feel worth it. I felt utterly content.
After a while, I cracked an eye open and looked at him over my shoulder.
"So," I asked. "What's the plan now? The deal is finished, right?"
Dante paused, his hands resting on my waist. An amused smirk spread across his face, his eyes flashing with that predatory light I had come to love.
I had a thing for bad boys, and I didn't think there was anyone like Dante in the entire cosmos. Sue me.
"It is," Dante chuckled, leaning down to press a kiss to my temple. "Tell me, my light... do you want to see Pepper's face when I call in the first favor?"
I snorted. I didn't know exactly what he had planned, but I knew one thing for certain.
My darkness was absolutely going to rip the poor redhead apart.
Just like what I planned. Someone had to corrupt the ancient demon eventually. Who better than his own light?
Dante Andromalius.
Stepping through the Dark Force with Tandy safely tucked against my side, the transition from our bedroom to the opposite side of the country was instantaneous.
One of the more convenient aspects of my nature was the metaphysical connection I shared with anyone who held an active deal with me. The strength of that tether depended entirely on what was owed. For a mortal whose soul I completely owned, the connection acted as a blazing beacon across dimensions. For someone like Pepper, who merely owed me favors, it was a dull tug in the back of my mind. It didn't give me any control over her, but it gave me her precise coordinates.
Which was why we materialized directly inside Tony Stark's Malibu mansion.
After making our deal, both Pepper and Happy left New York at their first convenience.
"How did you bypass the security protocols?" a British voice echoed above us. "No entrances appear breached."
Tandy jumped slightly, her head looking around the room. "Who is that? Where is he, Dante?"
"I am J.A.R.V.I.S., Ms. Bowen. I am the artificial intelligence managing Mr. Stark's residence," the voice replied smoothly. "And you are currently trespassing."
Tandy blinked, looking around the empty room in awe. "An AI? They exist? How do you know who I am?"
It was easy to forget how far behind Earth was in technology.
"Tell Pepper that Dante is waiting for her in the office," I said simply. "And tell her that I fulfilled my part of the deal and now it's her turn."
I didn't wait for the soulless machine to reply. I walked around the massive desk and sat down in the main chair. It was absurdly comfortable. I pulled Tandy down with me, settling her sideways across my lap. She leaned her head against my shoulder, a content smile on her face as we waited.
Barely a minute later, the heavy office doors slid open.
Pepper Potts practically ran into the room, followed closely by a breathless Happy. She looked exhausted, but her eyes were wild with hope.
She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw me lounging in her boss's chair with the beautiful blonde in my lap. Her left eye twitched, and her lips quirked upward, as if she were already used to something like that.
It was clear she was comparing me to Tony.
I narrowed my eyes slightly. I still hadn't decided whether to be offended by that comparison. Sensing my confusion, Tandy shared a look with Pepper and hid a smirk against my neck.
I lightly pinched Tandy's cheek. She let out a quiet squeak and swatted my chest, though her smile only grew.
"You said you finished your part." Pepper smacked her hands in the desk. "Where is he?"
"Currently? In a military helicopter, complaining about the lack of cheeseburgers, if you can believe it," I said dryly. "But seeing is believing, I guess."
I snapped my fingers. The air above the desk turned solid as I projected a highly curated sequence of memories directly into the physical plane.
Pepper and Happy gasped as the projection flared to life, showing Tony Stark lumbering out of a dark cave encased in that massive suit of iron armor. They watched in horror as the terrorists opened fire on him.
But then, the horror turned into sheer confusion.
I made sure to highlight the effects of my probability manipulation. They watched as the heavy machine-gun fire inexplicably missed his exposed joints by millimeters. They saw a direct hit from a high-caliber round hit the thickest, most heavily armored part of his chest plate, ricocheting harmlessly into the dirt. It was a display of unnatural luck, and I wanted them to know exactly who had tipped the scales.
Then, the projection changed into a different scene. I showed them Tony flying through the air to a safe location far away from the compound.
"He got out," Happy muttered in relief. "The fucking madman made it."
"As I expected, quite a man you two work for," I agreed, "I can see why both your fates told me you were bound to someone with the potential to be extraordinary. He's not there yet, and a lot needs to happen, but I'm quite curious how far he lasts."
Just to mess with them, I showed them the memory of Tandy's entrance. My light, suspended in the sky, with her perfect wings of light spread wide as she made her irritation known.
Pepper flinched, staring at the cheerful blonde sitting in my lap with a newfound sense of horror.
Heh.
I supposed that comparing my light when she was playing with her power during our meeting and her in battle was quite jarring.
Then, I showed the climax. The apocalyptic battle against Wenwu. The sheer devastation as mountains were vaporized and the desert was turned into a sea of glass.
I didn't explain the context. Instead, I let them see the destruction, ensuring they understood exactly the kind of being they had signed a contract with.
Finally, the projection switched for the final time, showing Tony lying peacefully in an oasis, unbothered by the cataclysm, before transitioning to the live feed of the soldiers and Tony looking at the devastation in horror and confusion.
I still couldn't believe that the idiotic Nexus asked if he had somehow caused that. He was quite an arrogant man.
With a silent flick, the projection faded, returning us to the present.
Pepper's knees finally gave out. She slumped into one of the guest chairs opposite the desk, burying her face in her hands. A ragged, wet sob of pure relief tore from her throat.
It said something that her relief overrode her horror at who was sitting in front of her. Especially when she owed me.
Beside her, Happy sat on the empty seat, letting out a breath that was way too long to be healthy.
I gave them a minute to accept their boss was coming home.
Then, I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the armrests.
"Now that the hard part is done," I said, my voice cutting through the emotional atmosphere with a pleasant smile. "I believe you owe me something, Pepper."
She tensed immediately. Her head snapped up, her eyes wide and suddenly guarded. She had been dreading this exact moment since she signed the parchment in my café.
"My first favor is simple," I smiled, holding up a single finger. "Convince Tony to share the burden of the contract with you. Two favors from him, under the exact same terms as yours. Fair, transparent, and nothing against his conscience. Once he signs, you will only owe me five. I will leave the contract with you."
Pepper stared at me, her protective instincts instantly flaring to life. "No. I just got him back. He's been through hell; I am not going to immediately rope him into a... a demon's contract!"
"You aren't roping him into anything new, Miss Potts," I pointed out, my tone calm. "Tony has already benefited from my services. He is alive right now because I ensured the bullets missed his heart and the sand caught his fall. Signing his own contract isn't adding a new debt. It is merely acknowledging the one that already exists."
I watched her mind work. She finally understood why I let her go so easily last time.
"I kept my word to the letter," I shrugged. "I protected him, and I ensured he'd be back home with you. I am simply asking that the man whose life I saved pay his own fair share of the toll. Two favors, Pepper. That is all."
Pepper swallowed hard. The key to dealing with intelligent mortals was to never make them feel cheated. If they felt cheated, they rebelled. If they felt outmaneuvered by a fair system, they accepted the situation.
She saw the logic. She knew I had kept my word perfectly. She just hadn't seen how far ahead I was playing the board. And the contract was exactly the same. Honestly, I didn't even need the favors but having them cost me nothing but a little effort and be useful in the future.
"Two favors," Pepper murmured, looking torn. "Exactly the same terms? He won't be forced into anything wrong?"
"You have my word," I nodded firmly before chuckling. "There's no point in cheating mortals like you for something so small; if I did so, they wouldn't come back later for something bigger."
"Okay. I'll talk to him when he gets home. But I can't promise he'll agree."
"Just do your best," I nodded simply. "That alone fulfills your obligation and lowers the debt owed."
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Happy staring at me with his mouth slightly open. He was gaping at the sheer audacity of the move I had just pulled, fully aware that he still owed me a favor as well.
I locked eyes with the bodyguard. Without Pepper noticing, I gave him a slow, wicked grin and a singular nod.
Happy gulped loudly, looking away in a cold sweat.
"Well," I said, patting Tandy's thigh as I stood up, effortlessly lifting my Bishop into my arms. "Our business here is concluded for now. Give Tony my regards. I look forward to meeting him properly."
Later.
Dante Andromalius.
We didn't stay in California. While Pepper was gracious enough to invite us to dinner despite everything, which showed how wise she truly was, we had more pressing matters than watching her mentally calculate how thoroughly I outplayed her.
She respected what I had done. Rather than resenting the outcome, she found it more irritating that she missed the signs. Convincing her boss and crush to sign a contract with someone as powerful as me seemed less upsetting to her than her own oversight, which was fucking hilarious.
But it showed she had a good impression of me. One of the advantages of being honest.
But my light still needed rest. She was already nodding off after Pepper gave us a tour of the house because she didn't know what else to do.
After leaving the house, we returned to our own place.
I was still thinking about Tony's car collection, though.
Stepping back into our bedroom, I tucked my light in, pressing a kiss to her forehead as she was asleep before her head even hit the pillow. She had a tiny, evil grin on her face.
I shook my head in disbelief, because that sight alone… warmed my heart. A peaceful, content feeling spread through my whole body for a moment.
Mortality was so fascinating.
Once I was sure she was resting, I quietly left the bedroom. I made my way to my office to finish some of the matters I had left during our prolonged absence.
My phone buzzed as soon as I entered, and I rolled my eyes at the impatient woman who had messaged me over thirty times. I hadn't expected how excited and impatient she'd get just because I offered her an open favor.
Not that she asked what I expected, but thinking about it, it made sense
MJ: Studio 3. The bosses are super excited for your return, Dante. Thank you again for this.
I chuckled, slipping my phone into my pocket. I would get there in time, I gave her my word, but I would make her sweat because it was funny.
Mary Jane Watson was an amusing mortal. She was ambitious, driven, and she didn't hesitate to do whatever it took to fulfill her dream. Ever since our conversation a few days ago, she had taken my offer as her next big opportunity. She planned to use my fame from the photoshoot I took part in when I first returned to this world.
Some agents still messaged me. I never felt tempted to waste time as a model, though. Funnily, the disappearance made the industry more interested in me.
But there she was, an aspiring model who landed just a few gigs (thanks to my contacts, of course), managed to convince the mysterious man who vanished after a single shoot to open a café in one of New York's most dangerous neighborhoods.
The fact that crime dropped to basically zero around my place didn't make sense for normal people, but my fame increased thanks to those who could enter my café.
One could say that I was quite an enigmatic figure for the people of New York. The ones truly in the know knew me from my magical place and deal-making business. Others only knew me from my short modeling career.
And the underbelly was careful around the unknown that knew more than he should.
Heh. I sure loved being me.
My question was whether MJ could handle what she had planned. I didn't bother checking her soul for more information because it made things boring, but I was quite curious why the most prominent feelings were nervousness, excitement, and a little bit of naughty apologies directed towards my light.
I couldn't wait to learn the answers.
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