Dennis's POV
I watched the sheer determination settle over their faces, tracing the minute tightening of jaws and the fierce narrowing of their eyes. The horrific imagery of the Weapon X programs had done exactly what I needed it to do. It had stripped away their preconceived notions of government righteousness and replaced it with a desperate, unyielding resolve to protect our own. I gave a slow, satisfied nod, feeling the golden Dawngleam tethers hum with their reinforced devotion. Beside me, Scott let out a low, rumbling growl of approval as he shifted to his human form minus his eyes, his glowing red alpha eyes scanned the Vanguard, while Frank simply adjusted his posture, his tactical mind clearly shifting from defensive shock to offensive strategy.
"Okay. Moving on," I said, my voice cutting cleanly through the heavy, ozone-scented air of the War Room. I stepped away from my husbands and moved toward the central command console. "I am sure you are just as curious about the imminent invasion I keep talking about."
I tapped a sequence on the glass interface, allowing my Aura to subtly recede, giving the men room to breathe and process. The brutal, grainy footage of the metahuman torture facilities instantly dissolved, replaced by a massive, high-definition holographic projection of deep space. The ambient lighting in the bunker dimmed, casting long, dramatic shadows across the muscular frames of the heroes assembled before me.
"Our orbital sensors picked up alien scouts lingering at the edge of our system a while ago," I explained, gesturing toward the sleek, heavily armored vessels rotating in the blue projection. "They are gone now, but they were just the vanguard. They are a part of a species known as the Chitauri."
The projection zoomed in, illuminating a highly detailed, rotating model of a Chitauri foot soldier. The creature was a nightmare of bio-mechanical engineering. It had pale, mottled grey skin stretched tightly over a reptilian skull, its limbs grafted directly into crude, jagged metallic armor that seemed to merge seamlessly with its own flesh. There were no eyes capable of conveying empathy, only hollow voids of predatory instinct. Beside the soldier, a massive, whale-like entity materialized in the hologram—a Leviathan, heavily armored and bristling with alien weaponry.
"The Chitauri are a powerful race of grey-skinned, reptilian-like extraterrestrials," I continued, pacing slowly as the Vanguard absorbed the tactical data. Frank's eyes immediately locked onto the exposed joints of the alien's armor, his mind already calculating the caliber of ammunition required to pierce it. "They serve as the primary footsoldiers for a warlord whose name is Thanos. I am afraid we don't know anymore about him at this juncture, other than the fact that he is the one pulling the strings from the darkest corners of the cosmos."
"What is their operational structure?" Jack Reacher asked, his voice low and gravelly, his massive arms crossed over his chest. "If they are bio-mechanical, are they autonomous, or do they rely on a command hierarchy?"
"Good question," I replied, flashing Reacher an appreciative smirk. "The Chitauri are a hive-minded species. Their soldiers, their gliders, and those massive Leviathan carriers are all neuro-technologically linked to a central command ship that orbits outside the primary combat zone. Which brings us to their fatal weakness."
I tapped the console again, and a massive, ring-like mothership appeared in the projection, glowing with ominous purple energy. I let the image rotate slowly, ensuring every single tactician in the room memorized its architecture.
"Get rid of the ship, they fall like dominos," I stated firmly, locking eyes with Enji, whose hellfire was softly illuminating the shadows of the bunker. "The feedback loop from the severed connection instantly fries their neural networks. The individual drones lack the capacity for independent survival. Their only real threat lies in numbers. They will pour out of the sky in the tens of thousands, attempting to overwhelm us before we can strike the head of the snake."
"So it is a battle of attrition until we can secure a strike on the mothership," Enji murmured, his eyes tracking the Leviathans. His flames shifted slightly around his body, responding to his agitated movements. "Understood."
"Exactly," I said, clapping my hands together once to shatter the lingering tension. The projection faded, plunging the room back into the warm crimson emergency glow hopefully that gets fixed soon. "Okay, you are basically caught up with the most important stuff for now. The main Defenders team will be having a formal tactical meeting tomorrow afternoon to properly outline our response and infrastructure. All current Rank Two Companions and above are required to attend."
I paused, crossing my arms over my bare chest, leaning casually against the edge of the titanium table. "The meeting is set for after I get back from school."
The entire room went dead silent. The hardened mercenaries, the towering heroes, and my own husbands all stared at me as if I had just spoken a completely alien language. I ignored their collective shock and casually looked up at the ceiling.
"Which reminds me," I called out, projecting my voice toward the mansion's omnipresent audio sensors. "Legion, make sure to order some regular clothing for Izuku and the others. He will need them for school on Monday."
***
Izuku's POV
"School?"
The word ripped out of my throat before I could stop it. I was still standing in my hero costume, the reinforced green fabric feeling suddenly incredibly heavy against my skin. I stared at Dennis, completely and utterly blindsided. We had just spent the last hour discussing apocalyptic alien invasions, hive-mind motherships, and a shadow government that was actively vivisecting people with powers. And now, a literal God in training—the man who looked at least a year or two my elder commanding a private superhuman army—was casually talking about attending high school.
"Is it safe for me to go to school, Dennis-san?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly as the horrifying images of the Weapon X program flashed violently across my mind. I was terrified. Do not get me wrong; when it came to hero work, or standing between a villain and an innocent person, I could force myself to be entirely fearless. But in a social setting? In a world where my very existence as a metahuman put a massive target on my back? I still had a lot of personal anxiety to work on, and everyone from my old world who knew me knew this.
In my mind, I was desperately trying to calculate why Dennis, who was so obviously fiercely protective of us, would want to send me into a civilian high school if metahumans were hated and hunted by black-ops government agents. Walking down a hallway full of normal teenagers felt infinitely more dangerous than fighting a giant reptilian alien.
Dennis looked at me, his striking emerald eyes softening significantly. The overwhelming, crushing weight of his aura receded, replaced by a warm, incredibly comforting pulse of energy that traveled straight down my Dawngleam bond. He stepped closer, towering over me slightly, his physical presence anchoring me to the present moment.
"Do not worry, Izuku," Dennis said gently, his voice devoid of its usual flirtatious edge, replaced entirely by a grounding sincerity. "No one can tell you are a meta just by looking at you. As long as you do not use your powers in public, you will be completely invisible to the people looking for anomalies. Besides, you are still underage, and you haven't finished school in your old world."
He tilted his head, a playful, yet entirely serious smile crossing his strikingly handsome face. "Do you want to be a high school dropout?"
I blinked. My mouth opened, but no sound came out. I rapidly ran through his logic. He was entirely right. In my world, education was paramount. For the longest time, when I was completely quirkless, my academic record was the only thing I had to cling to, the only way I could prove I had some value in a society dominated by extraordinary powers. The thought of abandoning my schooling, of just giving up on that fundamental aspect of my life, hadn't even occurred to me until this exact moment.
A sudden, deep blush of embarrassment heated my freckled cheeks as I realized I had absolutely no plans to become a high school dropout. I nodded slowly, my shoulders dropping as the social anxiety gave way to practical acceptance.
***
Shota's POV
I watched the exchange from the periphery, my arms crossed tightly over my chest, my capture weapon lying dormant but ready around my neck. As a teacher at U.A. High School, my primary concern had always been the physical and mental well-being of my students. Midoriya was brilliant, but even if I haven't gotten to know him long it was easy to see he was prone to immense psychological stress. Placing him in a structured environment like a school, even in this chaotic universe, would provide him with a necessary anchor to reality. It would prevent him from being entirely consumed by the violent war we were actively preparing for.
However, the logistics of this universe were far more complicated than simply enrolling a teenager in a local academy. We didn't officially exist here. We were ghosts summoned by a Fae God.
"While I completely support Midoriya not leaving school," I interjected, stepping forward slightly, speaking flawless English thanks to years of helping with over seas hero work after all any hero with a power like his is simply to useful for a lot of situations so speaking a few languages are a must. "How exactly is he going to attend? Do you have some way of giving him a public record that won't immediately be seen through by the very government agencies we are actively hiding from?"
I locked eyes with Dennis. He was young, but the sheer, terrifying intellect and divine power radiating from him commanded absolute respect. He didn't look offended by my questioning; rather, he looked entirely prepared for it.
"Yes," Dennis answered smoothly, his voice carrying the absolute certainty of a deity who held the fabric of reality in his hands. "I am going to be using my abilities to give all of you a flawless background later. Birth certificates, social security numbers, medical histories, educational transcripts. Everything will be airtight, completely integrated into global databases, and entirely untraceable back to Aegis Defense. He can start school on Monday with me absolutely no problem."
I let out a slow, measured breath. The sheer scope of his power was staggering. If he could manipulate global digital and physical records with a mere thought, then the government truly was fighting a losing battle. I gave a curt nod of approval, stepping back into the line of Companions. Midoriya's education and safety were secure.
***
Dennis's POV
I watched the tension fully leave Izuku's frame, deeply satisfied that my Vanguard was finally stabilizing. The orientation was complete. They knew the alien threats, they knew the government stakes, and they knew I would burn the entire world down to protect them cause they were mine now.
"Alright, get some rest, all of you. let's see if anyone can assist you in finding your quarters upstairs, when the feast is ready you'll be called" I instructed, preparing to turn and head toward the massive titanium elevator. I needed a shower, and I needed to review the corporate expansion files Will had left for me in my study regarding the Aegis Defense company while Ben was the CEO I was a silent partner and the real boss so some decisions had to be made by me alone.
Before I could take a single step, the heavy thud of combat boots echoed sharply against the metal floor. Oliver Queen and Slade Wilson moved with terrifying, synchronized speed, stepping directly into my path. They didn't do anything crazy like draw weapons, nor did they posture aggressively of course. Instead, the two hardened, legendary warriors immediately dropped their heads, bowing deeply in front of me.
The sheer respect rolling off their Dawngleam tethers was a heavy, intoxicating rush of pure loyalty that washed over my succubus senses.
"Please," Slade said, his raspy, battle-scarred voice echoing in the sudden silence of the bunker. He kept his head bowed, his posture rigid with a desperate vulnerability. "I ask of you... can you bring back Shado?"
The name hung in the air, thick with decades of grief, madness, and unfulfilled vengeance that had finally been washed away by my chi. Oliver remained perfectly still beside him, offering his silent, steadfast support for the woman who had profoundly shaped both of their destinies on the hellish island of Lian Yu. They had both loved her, they had both lost her, and now, standing before a God capable of rewriting reality, they were begging for a miracle.
I looked down at the two men. My Rank Two Companions. The lethal Vanguard of my new empire. Bringing someone back from the dead was no small feat in DC or Marvel normally; but for me it required no more than a little systemic energy, some sex points and a brand new Dawngleam bond tether. Not that I would let them know that if people think a action is cheap, they'll start acting like it and next thing you know every person I recruit will ask to have all their loved ones brought over to and I can't do that for everyone. less my points never climb over a thousand in this life time. But looking at the profound vulnerability radiating from Slade, I knew exactly what I had to do to cement his unwavering loyalty for the rest of eternity bond or no bond.
"Yes," I said softly, my voice resonating with absolute, divine authority.
Slade's breath hitched violently, a massive shockwave of pure, unadulterated hope flooding our golden tether. Oliver's head snapped up, his blue eyes wide with disbelief and profound gratitude.
"But not now," I continued, offering them a gentle, commanding smile as I placed a reassuring hand on Slade's broad shoulder. I can't make it seem like I can just do it for any of them whenever I want to so small lie for now. "I need to replenish my energy reserves first I've already summoned and bonded around a hundred people today. But later... I promise you. I will bring her back."