244 Chapter 242 - Not Asking, Telling.

After much noise and thousands of questions, Fury was the one that quietened others down, asking him, "Where were you?"

"No," Tony interrupted Fury, "More like, why didn't you tell me that you were coming back?"

"It was sudden," Jay crossed his legs, interlocking his fingers in between, smiling, "Natasha never asks me for anything, and she puts up with much trouble. So this one time...she said she wanted me home, and so I came back."

"She knew where you were?" Maria caught on to that.

"Wow," Jay glanced towards her, "You just assume that my wife would betray my whereabouts because she is one of your agents."

Maria shook her head, "That's not what I meant..."

"She would," Jay chuckled, exchanging a look with Tony Stark, "That's why I only left for a way so she would send me an emergency message."

"Were you involved with what happened in the Dark Universe?" Reed curiously asked him.

"Yes, that was me," Jay didn't deny it, answering.

"But...how...? Didn't you lose all your powers?"

Jay sighed, "Well, I went to find someone. During the Convergence, I sent Echo, my Sentient AI, out of this Universe with the Greatest Weapon I ever created. I didn't know what would happen if I lost my Soul, and there was a chance that I could lose all sense of right or wrong and feelings, among other various scenarios. So I left her with the last chance to stop me if needed."

"An AI?" Vision spoke up in interest, "She's like..."

"You? Could say that" Jay pressed his lips, "But she is more like an AI in Eternal's Body. Wait, do you know what Eternals are by now?"

"We know," Fury exchanged a glace with others, "Your daughter was involved with an event like that."

"Mm, that was bound to happen sooner or later," Jay didn't look surprised since he already knew, "Since losing my Soul didn't turn into a disaster, and I was able to use the Heart. So I went to get the Echo and The Ring of One, but when I got there...there was no sign of a Living Being in the whole Universe."

"Are you talking about the Dark Universe?" Peggy worriedly asked.

"No, in that Universe, Ultron had gotten his hand on the Six Infinity Stones and managed to wipe out all living beings."

Reed rubbed his chin, "Interesting, so that possibility came true, huh."

"Yeah, and Echo found the only two living beings there, Hawkeye and Natasha, the two who survived."

"Wow, that pitiable," Clint Barton (SE) shrugged his mouth.

"Right, and you died. So, for a better option, Echo went to the World Forge and created Two Eternals Body for herself and Natasha when I came into the picture. But to fight against someone with Six Infinity Stone...I had to create a Perpetual Motion Machine."

"You succeeded!" Tony, Anthony, Reed, Hank Pym, Bruce Banner, and even Shuri that came with T'Challa, stood up, their eyes shining.

Jay created a fist, crumbling the space in front of him like paper, "This is an Eternal's Body. I didn't just succeed. Right now, I am a Perpetual Motion Machine."

"Fuck!" Tony hastily rushed over, with Reed stretching his head and hands from the other side of the table.

Tony took out glasses, with both of them observing him, even going as far as poking his cheek, "There is no sign of energy."

"It's a closed system, right!" Shuri excitedly said, "That's why we can feel nothing!"

"Right," Jay scratched his cheek when Aerith used her staff to push the three away, "Stop it. You can do this later."

Tony cleared his throat, putting his hand on Jay's shoulder, "Since you are back, come home with me, and we can run a few tests."

Jay rolled his eyes at him, "So, I haven't regained my powers, but I was the one that destroyed the Dark Universe. Sadly, the Soul Stone interfered and used this opportunity to merge with its counterpart and grant Hela full access to the Stones powers."

Aerith sat down on the armrest, putting her forearm on his shoulder, "I am assuming that you want to be the Director of our little Project?"

Jay looked up at her, turning his eyes towards others, "I don't want to. I am telling you all, I will be the Director of Academy City."

"That's overbearing," Magneto glared at Jay.

"Yes, because you are a mess," Jay's eyes met the Avengers of bother Earths, the Inhumans, the Mutants, Agents to Nick Fury, "Especially you."

He leaned forward, "I thought it was easy for someone to accept you as the leaders, and the agents will follow you, and you will find your way, but you have done shit."

"Jay, that's not true," Maria tried to defend Nick, when Nick stopped her, raising his hand, "We are doing our best. Everyone is."

"Best," Jay held his head, "Do you have a deal with Genosha? One that benefits them and earns the goodwill of Mutants? To make more Mutants join Omega Flight?"

Nick frowned, "We had a deal with Sephiroth..."

"No, you were forced by Sephiroth to make a deal. Then, do you have a deal with Attilan? Any of the two? Because I can see that the Black Bolt still can't speak."

He exchanged a glance with Maria Hill and Fury, "Then how about a deal with Inhuman Village on Earth, the one that is run by Kora?"

Jay scratched his head, "How about the Sorcerers? Are they still closed off, or you just never bothered to Invite anyone from your side because Doctor Strange has been acting as a liaison?"

"We have been too busy dealing with everything that is going on."

Jay crossed his legs, chuckling, "Please don't bullshit me? The truth of the matter is that you want to drag on. It's hard...any abrupt change...and the issue is that you don't have it in you, or you would have by now. It's one of those things; if you want something done right, then do it yourself."

Suddenly, the room was filled with the sound of a single person clapping, making everyone look towards Aerith's cheery smile as she clapped.

Jay let out a relieved smile, feeling the mood of the room turn for better, "If you don't mind, then I am going to be the head of this Project, and to begin with...I want Attilan's, Wakanda, Genosha, X-Men."

Charles hesitated, nodding, "We don't mind, but you say this City will be for the advancement of Science. We mutants don't exactly have-"

"Just say it outright, Charles," Magneto looked at Jay, "How do we know you won't be using us as Guinea Pigs?"

"Academy City," Jay crossed his legs, taking a deep breath, thinking before speaking, "It would be a place for Mutants, Inhumans, Half-Inhumans. And for them to study without all the discrimination. Even if geniuses like Reed, Tony, Doctor Banner, and others, the City will give them a chance and funding. If they produce results, then City will take 10% may be more from their product sales."

He waited, speaking again, "The City will also be studying better methods to teach Supernatural Powers. And there will be experiments to see how to make their powers safer without trampling on their Rights. And all this be Governed by a System, probably Echo. The Board of Directors is a position that will grant you access to profits and information on all Research Projects. If you have a problem with one, you can stop them, but with a good reason, not because the Project might be dangerous for your Kind. At the end of the day, I will be the one to decide."

"You?" T'Challa questioned.

"Yes," Jay nodded, "Me, and I don't want you to buy in the Seat of Director. Both Attilan, Inhuman Village, Charles, Sephiroth, Magneto, Both Wakanda, Reed Richards, Wanda Maximoff will be granted a seat on the Board of Directors. Others will have to earn their seat on the Board of Directors through their contribution to the City."

He stood up, turning to walk out, making Nick hastily stop him, "Wait, where are you going?"

Jay stopped, looking back at Nick, "Is there anything else?"

"We have to discuss this."

Jay chuckled, stopping, "No, we don't. I didn't come here for a discussion. I am here to tell you what will happen from now on. You can be on board, or I can force you. You decide."

He waved his hand, leaving right after, "He's...something."

T'Challa broke the silence when Tony replied, "Maybe it's just me...but he might be angry that Natasha got hurt."

"I'll go talk to him."

Hank Pym stood up, "I am a friend of his father...I'll go talk too."

"Me too," Bruce followed right after.

Shuri watched them with envy, "I want to go too."

"Why?" Reed looked towards her.

"They are just going to see how the Perpetual Motion Machine works," Shuri curiously looked at him; she had only heard that he was a bit like this.

"Right!" Reed stood up, "Come with me then."

Shuri looked towards T'Challa, who gave her permission. The other T'Challa sighed, "Share that with me?"

"Sure, bro!" Shuri rushed off with Reed, and soon the other scientists found a reason to leave.

Charles smiled, "So it seems...this is happening?"

Aerith sat down, cupping her cheeks, "He's too hot."

Magneto covered his face, "She's in a world of her own."